The administration was in a race to control the narrative around the killing of Alex Pretti, even as videos emerged that contradicted the government’s account.
Even as the second death of a protester in Minnesota brought demands for accountability, the president, insulated from dissenting voices, stuck to his pattern of reflexively blaming opponents.
Even as dozens of political prisoners have been freed, at least 66 people taken by state authorities and never heard from again remain missing, relatives and rights groups say.