theguardian--2020-07-13--Top Mueller lawyer to publish insider account of Trump-Russia investigation

Andrew Weissmann , an attorney who played a leading role under Robert Mueller in the investigation of Russian election interference , will release a book about the special counsel ’ s near two-year examination of links between Donald Trump and Moscow .
Where Law Ends : Inside the Mueller Investigation will be published by Random House on 29 September .
The publisher promised “ a meticulous account of the Mueller team ’ s probe and its ongoing battles with the Trump administration ” .
It will be the latest in a lucrative stream of books about Trump , his presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York on Monday , the president ’ s niece , Mary Trump , will find out if a temporary restraining order will be lifted so she can discuss her book , Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created The World ’ s Most Dangerous Man , which will be published by Simon & Schuster on Tuesday .
In a statement , Weissmann said : “ I felt it was necessary to record this episode in our history , as seen and experienced by an insider .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how our democracy was attacked by Russia and how those who condoned and ignored that assault undermined our ability to uncover the truth .
My obligation as a prosecutor was to follow the facts where they led , using all available tools and undeterred by the onslaught of the president ’ s unique powers to undermine our work.
” Weissmann was active on Twitter over the weekend , after Trump announced the commutation of a prison sentence awaiting Roger Stone , an aide and ally , arising from Mueller ’ s work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the link between Russian intelligence , WikiLeaks and the president himself , was convicted on counts of lying to Congress , obstruction of justice and witness intimidation .
He had been due to report to prison on Tuesday , to serve a 40-month sentence .
Mueller himself spoke out over the weekend , via a column in the Washington Post .
“ Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes , ” the former FBI director wrote .
“ He remains a convicted felon , and rightly so.
” Weissmann agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s description of an instance of “ unprecedented , historic corruption ” and advocated that Stone be brought in front of a grand jury .
There , Weissmann said , Stone would have “ three choices : lie and risk prosecution , refuse to testify and be held in civil and criminal contempt , or tell the truth .
Let ’ s do what we can to get at the truth.
” He added : “ Pardon power can not be end run around rule of law .
To thwart Trump abuse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pardon/commutation for anyone who could testify against [ the president ] commits ( 1 ) obstruction of justice and ( 2 ) an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor.
” Weissmann also said reports that the former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was returned to prison over his plans to publish a book were “ another affront to equal justice and rule of law ” .
Cohen was convicted of lying to Congress and over hush money payments as a result of Mueller ’ s work .
Weissmann was an FBI general counsel under Mueller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York and leading a taskforce on the Enron scandal .
He has a reputation for being aggressive and skilled in developing cooperating witnesses .
Under Mueller , he led the case against the former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort , who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in 2018 .
The Mueller report , released in April 2019 , found no criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia .
But it also mapped out extensive links between Trump and Moscow , and did not reach a conclusion on whether the president obstructed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 30 indictments .
Weissmann said : “ I am deeply proud of the work we did , and of the unprecedented number of people we indicted and convicted – and in record speed .
“ But the hard truth is that we made mistakes .
We could have done more .
Where Law Ends documents the choices we made , good and bad , for all to see and judge and learn from.
” Trump has frequently attacked Weissmann , most often over the fact he has registered as a Democrat and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Obamagate ” claims of a vast conspiracy against him .

Andrew Weissmann, an attorney who played a leading role under Robert Mueller in the investigation of Russian election interference, will release a book about the special counsel’s near two-year examination of links between Donald Trump and Moscow.
Where Law Ends: Inside the Mueller Investigation will be published by Random House on 29 September. The publisher promised “a meticulous account of the Mueller team’s probe and its ongoing battles with the Trump administration”.
It will be the latest in a lucrative stream of books about Trump, his presidency and the Russia investigation.
In court in New York on Monday, the president’s niece, Mary Trump, will find out if a temporary restraining order will be lifted so she can discuss her book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created The World’s Most Dangerous Man, which will be published by Simon & Schuster on Tuesday.
In a statement, Weissmann said: “I felt it was necessary to record this episode in our history, as seen and experienced by an insider.
“This is the story of our investigation into how our democracy was attacked by Russia and how those who condoned and ignored that assault undermined our ability to uncover the truth. My obligation as a prosecutor was to follow the facts where they led, using all available tools and undeterred by the onslaught of the president’s unique powers to undermine our work.”
Weissmann was active on Twitter over the weekend, after Trump announced the commutation of a prison sentence awaiting Roger Stone, an aide and ally, arising from Mueller’s work.
Stone, 67 and suspected of being the link between Russian intelligence, WikiLeaks and the president himself, was convicted on counts of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness intimidation. He had been due to report to prison on Tuesday, to serve a 40-month sentence.
Mueller himself spoke out over the weekend, via a column in the Washington Post.
“Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes,” the former FBI director wrote. “He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so.”
Weissmann agreed with the Republican senator Mitt Romney’s description of an instance of “unprecedented, historic corruption” and advocated that Stone be brought in front of a grand jury.
There, Weissmann said, Stone would have “three choices: lie and risk prosecution, refuse to testify and be held in civil and criminal contempt, or tell the truth. Let’s do what we can to get at the truth.”
He added: “Pardon power cannot be end run around rule of law. To thwart Trump abuse, new Congress should make clear that granting pardon/commutation for anyone who could testify against [the president] commits (1) obstruction of justice and (2) an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor.”
Weissmann also said reports that the former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was returned to prison over his plans to publish a book were “another affront to equal justice and rule of law”. Cohen was convicted of lying to Congress and over hush money payments as a result of Mueller’s work.
Weissmann was an FBI general counsel under Mueller, gaining prominence investigating organised crime in New York and leading a taskforce on the Enron scandal. He has a reputation for being aggressive and skilled in developing cooperating witnesses.
Under Mueller, he led the case against the former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in 2018.
The Mueller report, released in April 2019, found no criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia. But it also mapped out extensive links between Trump and Moscow, and did not reach a conclusion on whether the president obstructed justice. The investigation led to more than 30 indictments.
Weissmann said: “I am deeply proud of the work we did, and of the unprecedented number of people we indicted and convicted – and in record speed.
“But the hard truth is that we made mistakes. We could have done more. Where Law Ends documents the choices we made, good and bad, for all to see and judge and learn from.”
Trump has frequently attacked Weissmann, most often over the fact he has registered as a Democrat and as part of the president’s “Obamagate” claims of a vast conspiracy against him.


theguardian--2020-07-13--Donald Trump Jr’s new anti-Biden book misplaces apostrophe in title

Donald Trump Jr appears to have forgotten one of the cardinal rules of the apostrophe : it comes after the “ s ” when the possessive noun is plural .
The American president ’ s son ’ s forthcoming book , Liberal Privilege , is subtitled “ Joe Biden and the Democrat ’ s Defense of the Indefensible ” .
Unless Trump Jr is referring to only one Democrat , then the apostrophe needs to shift one place to the right to make the title grammatically correct .
The book is out in August .
Trump Jr said on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ during the last few months of quarantine ” , and that he was “ blown away by what Biden has gotten away with ” .
“ Libs , ” he added , are “ already triggered ” by the book .
But Trump Jr was careful to share only a small portion of the book ’ s cover on Twitter , after Axios broke the news about the title , and he was mocked for the grammar error .
His previous book , Triggered , was a New York Times No 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been boosted by bulk orders from the Republican National Committee .
According to Axios , Trump Jr is self-publishing the new book as “ a shot across the bow ” to traditional publishers , and “ partnered ” on it with the Trump Victory Finance Committee ’ s chief of staff , Sergio Gor .
His girlfriend , Kimberly Guilfoyle , an ex-Fox News television personality who is a senior fundraiser for Donald Trump ’ s re-election campaign , will read the audiobook , and also helped him work on it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
“ That ’ s how we came up with the idea for her to do the audiobook , ” Trump Jr told Axios .
“ We would take turns reading the chapters out loud for flow ... Love in a time of Covid.
” Biden ’ s national press secretary , TJ Ducklo , told Axios that Liberal Privilege was “ the latest in a series of desperate and pathetic attempts to distract from the president ’ s historic bungling of the coronavirus response ” .
“ Is there anything more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cash in on a book filled with disgusting lies and smears about Joe Biden ?
” Ducklo added .

Donald Trump Jr appears to have forgotten one of the cardinal rules of the apostrophe: it comes after the “s” when the possessive noun is plural.
The American president’s son’s forthcoming book, Liberal Privilege, is subtitled “Joe Biden and the Democrat’s Defense of the Indefensible”. Unless Trump Jr is referring to only one Democrat, then the apostrophe needs to shift one place to the right to make the title grammatically correct.
Detail from trailed cover art for Liberal Privilege.
The book is out in August. Trump Jr said on Twitter that he had been working on it “during the last few months of quarantine”, and that he was “blown away by what Biden has gotten away with”.
“Libs,” he added, are “already triggered” by the book.
But Trump Jr was careful to share only a small portion of the book’s cover on Twitter, after Axios broke the news about the title, and he was mocked for the grammar error. His previous book, Triggered, was a New York Times No 1 bestseller, but sales were reported to have been boosted by bulk orders from the Republican National Committee.
According to Axios, Trump Jr is self-publishing the new book as “a shot across the bow” to traditional publishers, and “partnered” on it with the Trump Victory Finance Committee’s chief of staff, Sergio Gor.
His girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, an ex-Fox News television personality who is a senior fundraiser for Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, will read the audiobook, and also helped him work on it. Guilfoyle tested positive for the coronavirus last week.
“That’s how we came up with the idea for her to do the audiobook,” Trump Jr told Axios. “We would take turns reading the chapters out loud for flow ... Love in a time of Covid.”
Biden’s national press secretary, TJ Ducklo, told Axios that Liberal Privilege was “the latest in a series of desperate and pathetic attempts to distract from the president’s historic bungling of the coronavirus response”.
“Is there anything more on brand than Donald Trump Jr trying to cash in on a book filled with disgusting lies and smears about Joe Biden?” Ducklo added.


theguardian--2020-07-13--Donald Trump Jr to self-publish book about Biden – will he fix the typo first?

Donald Trump Jr has announced plans to self-publish a book about Joe Biden .
Unfortunately , the cover image he released contained a grammatical mistake .
The president ’ s oldest son announced Liberal Privilege : Joe Biden and the Democrats ’ Defense of the Indefensible by tweet , writing : “ Blown away by what Biden has gotten away with , more details next week !
Libs already triggered !
” He expanded , a little , in an interview with the news site Axios , promising to provide a picture of his father ’ s challenger for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in time for the party conventions in August .
He was self-publishing , he said , in order to fire “ a shot across the bow ” of the traditional publishing industry , confident he can reach more than 5m followers on Twitter and more than 3m on Instagram without outside help .
The internet , alas , was quick to notice that such help often includes basic editing .
The released cover for Trump Jr ’ s book included a misplaced apostrophe , “ Democrat ’ s ” instead of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contended that a reference to the author ’ s first book , Triggered , failed to hyphenate “ best-selling ” – although whether that is an error is up for debate .
The Guardian style guide , for instance , counsels the use of “ bestselling ” as one word .
Trump Jr ’ s first book , subtitled “ How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us ” , did indeed reach No 1 on the relevant New York Times bestseller list , although the same paper revealed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there by buying copies in bulk .
Reviewing Triggered , the Guardian offered a taste of what might be to come in Liberal Privilege and its likely reception : “ As for the Bidens , Don Jr had this to say on Fox News : ‘ I wish my name was Hunter Biden .
I could go abroad , make millions off of my father ’ s presidency – I ’ d be a really rich guy !
It would be incredible !
’ But the review also noted Trump Jr ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father , saying his book was “ best viewed as the opening salvo of the Trump child with real political chops ” .
Trump Jr features prominently on lists of possible Republican presidential candidates for 2024 .
Trump Jr , 42 , told Axios his girlfriend , Fox News host turned Trump campaign official Kimberley Guilfoyle , would narrate the audio version of his new book .
While his father attempts to govern during the pandemic , Trump Jr has been in quarantine , using the time to write .
“ That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea for her to do the audio book , ” he said .
“ We would take turns reading the chapters out loud for flow … Love in a time of Covid.
” In a statement , Biden ’ s press secretary , TJ Ducklo , said Trump Jr ’ s book would be “ filled with disgusting lies and smears … the latest in a series of desperate and pathetic attempts to distract from the president ’ s historic bungling of the coronavirus response ” .

Donald Trump Jr has announced plans to self-publish a book about Joe Biden. Unfortunately, the cover image he released contained a grammatical mistake.
The president’s oldest son announced Liberal Privilege: Joe Biden and the Democrats’ Defense of the Indefensible by tweet, writing: “Blown away by what Biden has gotten away with, more details next week! Libs already triggered!”
He expanded, a little, in an interview with the news site Axios, promising to provide a picture of his father’s challenger for the presidency “that the press ignores”, in time for the party conventions in August.
He was self-publishing, he said, in order to fire “a shot across the bow” of the traditional publishing industry, confident he can reach more than 5m followers on Twitter and more than 3m on Instagram without outside help.
The internet, alas, was quick to notice that such help often includes basic editing.
Do you think we should tell @DonaldJTrumpJr that there’s a typo on his book cover? He means “the Democrats’ defense of the indefensible.” pic.twitter.com/SVSEiThDjn — Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) July 11, 2020
The released cover for Trump Jr’s book included a misplaced apostrophe, “Democrat’s” instead of “Democrats’”.
Sharp-eyed users also contended that a reference to the author’s first book, Triggered, failed to hyphenate “best-selling” – although whether that is an error is up for debate. The Guardian style guide, for instance, counsels the use of “bestselling” as one word.
Trump Jr’s first book, subtitled “How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us”, did indeed reach No 1 on the relevant New York Times bestseller list, although the same paper revealed that the Republican National Committee helped get it there by buying copies in bulk.
Reviewing Triggered, the Guardian offered a taste of what might be to come in Liberal Privilege and its likely reception: “As for the Bidens, Don Jr had this to say on Fox News: ‘I wish my name was Hunter Biden. I could go abroad, make millions off of my father’s presidency – I’d be a really rich guy! It would be incredible!’
“Where to start? Moscow?”
But the review also noted Trump Jr’s effective work as a surrogate for his father, saying his book was “best viewed as the opening salvo of the Trump child with real political chops”. Trump Jr features prominently on lists of possible Republican presidential candidates for 2024.
Trump Jr, 42, told Axios his girlfriend, Fox News host turned Trump campaign official Kimberley Guilfoyle, would narrate the audio version of his new book.
Guilfoyle recently tested positive for Covid-19.
While his father attempts to govern during the pandemic, Trump Jr has been in quarantine, using the time to write.
“That’s how we came up with the idea for her to do the audio book,” he said. “We would take turns reading the chapters out loud for flow … Love in a time of Covid.”
In a statement, Biden’s press secretary, TJ Ducklo, said Trump Jr’s book would be “filled with disgusting lies and smears … the latest in a series of desperate and pathetic attempts to distract from the president’s historic bungling of the coronavirus response”.


theguardian--2020-07-13--'He's in trouble here': can Trump win this critical swing state again?

Donald Trump claimed to have done so much for African Americans that his campaign decided to open the first ever Republican office in a black neighbourhood of Milwaukee .
The office on Martin Luther King drive was decorated with “ Black Voters for Trump ” signs , and launched with fanfare in February in an attempt to win enough African American votes to repeat the president ’ s razor-thin victory in Wisconsin four years ago , which was crucial to winning the White House .
Two weeks later , the windows were daubed with paint and “ scum ” scrawled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , the coronavirus pandemic shut down campaigning .
Now the office is back up and running , but in a very different electoral landscape to the one that existed in February .
Covid-19 has shattered the illusion that Trump could take significant numbers of African American votes following his hostility to the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of George Floyd ’ s killing .
Trump ’ s mishandling of the pandemic – which has had a disproportionate impact on communities of colour – has also been a factor .
Outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign office , Cleophus Lobley acknowledged that he helped elect the president in 2016 by not voting .
The African American truck driver said the events of the past few months mean he won ’ t make that mistake again .
“ Damn right I ’ m not happy with Trump .
To me , he ’ s really a very prejudiced person .
He ’ s been bad for the black community , ” he said .
“ I ’ m not just talking about Covid and George Floyd , but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kind of president he is .
I decided I would vote this time because of him .
Maybe my vote might count .
I don ’ t know anyone around here who will vote for him.
” Lobley was among 40,000 people in Milwaukee who voted for Barack Obama but failed to turn out for Hillary Clinton in 2016 , including a significant proportion from black neighbourhoods .
Their absence was more than enough to give victory to Trump in Wisconsin .
He won the state by just 23,000 votes – a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving him a crucial part of the electoral college puzzle that put him into the White House .
If he is to stay in power , the president almost certainly needs to repeat that victory while also winning Michigan and Pennsylvania , two other states he took by tiny margins .
Wisconsin Republicans suffered stinging setbacks with the loss of the governor ’ s office in 2018 , and in April they lost a key seat on the state supreme court alongside a failed attempt to purge the voting roll of 200,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale of the Jill Karofsky ’ s victory in the supreme court race over a sitting justice who was strongly backed by Trump , and the fact of a high turnout despite long lines because so many polling places were closed by coronavirus , gave Democrats reason to hope that their supporters are more engaged with politics than four years ago .
This would be bad news for the president .
“ He ’ s got a tougher road here than he had in March ’ ’ A survey of Wisconsin voters by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic candidate , Joe Biden , an eight-point lead over the president in June , a five point increase on a month earlier .
The survey showed rising disapproval in the state for Trump ’ s job performance , linked to his handling of coronavirus but also the Black Lives Matter protests .
More than half said Trump has got it wrong in dealing with Covid-19 .
Just 30 % of voters approved of his response to the killing of Floyd and the demands for police reform .
Even on his strongest issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approval rating fell four points to 50 % .
Crucially , opposition has grown among independents who were instrumental in delivering Wisconsin to him four years ago .
Disapproval of Trump ’ s leadership among independent voters in the state surged from 36 % to 57 % between May and June .
Charles Franklin , director of the Marquette poll , said “ that intense negativity ” is to the Democrats ’ advantage if it motivates people to vote .
“ Trump ’ s in trouble .
He ’ s got a tougher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than he was facing back in March , when it looked like a very tight race .
There seem to be cracks in the nearly unanimous Republican support and a loss of independent support , ” he said .
It ’ s a picture found in travelling across Wisconsin over the last week , from its main cities to the rural wilds of the north of the state where Trump did so well four years ago .
Republican activists there are increasingly concerned at eroding support for the president and what they see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or policies to regain it , particularly on key issues such as healthcare , which has taken on added resonance in the middle of the pandemic .
Some county party chairs privately wonder if Trump has already given up hope of re-election because , they say , he continues to repeat the divisive behaviour that has damaged his presidency , as well as taking highly controversial decisions such as commuting Roger Stone ’ s prison sentence .
Franklin said he had been particularly surprised by the president ’ s low polling over Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump ’ s reaction to the protest is seen as opposing the valid reasons for the protests , Trump is on the wrong side of public opinion – even here in Wisconsin with our 80-something percent white population , ” he said .
“ That issue of race and Confederate statues and patriotism , as he sees it , is not playing to a strong suit for him right now.
” ‘ There is no such thing as democratic socialism .
It ’ s the same as democratic Auschwitz ’ That was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention in Green Bay on Saturday , where party leaders largely sidestepped mention of coronavirus , other than to call it a “ communist China exported plague ” , in favour of an assault on Black Lives Matter that marked out the ground the party wants to fight the election on .
“ We ’ ve seen violent mobs taking to the streets in order to erase our history , ” Congressman Mike Gallagher , who represents a Wisconsin district , told the conference .
Katrina Pierson , the former spokesperson for Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign , said that as a black woman she thought it important that Republicans remind African Americans voters it was their party under Lincoln that freed those who were enslaved .
“ When black Americans wake up , it ’ s game over , ” she said , to tepid applause .
In an effort to stir that awakening , the party is pushing the widely derided claim that “ nobody has ever done more ” for African Americans than Trump in creating jobs for minorities , criminal justice reform and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own case with language sure to alienate large numbers of black voters .
“ The Black Voices for Trump coalition will be taking on Black Lives Matter .
We have the candidate that has the policies that prove black lives matter , because he believes that all lives matter , ” she said .
A Soviet defector , Yuri Maltsev , broadened the attack on the Democrats by warning the dangers of democratic socialism .
The Republican party , he said , is all that stands between freedom and communist “ slavery ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as democratic socialism .
It ’ s the same as democratic Auschwitz , ” he said , to some gasps .
Wisconsin ’ s Republican party was one of the few to go ahead with an in-person state convention this year .
Few of the mostly elderly delegates were wearing masks , in a reflection of how widely their use is now seen as a political statement in parts of the country .
Among delegates to the convention there was no great confidence in a strategy of attacking Black Lives Matter and painting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , representing Germantown on the edge of Milwaukee , is not confident Trump will win .
“ I think it ’ s going to be a tough re-election , ” she said , reflecting a view widely heard from Republican activists , particularly in rural Wisconsin where Trump needs to win big again to offset any surge in re-motivated Democratic voters in the cities .
The threat to Trump ’ s grip on the White House comes not only from a resurgence in the Democratic vote , but in the loss of independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That has been steadily eroding as the president alienates former voters piecemeal with his assaults on the military , the justice system and broader democratic norms .
Democrats still lose in Waukesha county west of Milwaukee , one of three solidly Republican counties around Milwaukee seen as an important test of Trump ’ s ability to hold on to the support of prosperous college educated voters .
But Democratic candidates have taken an increasing share of the ballot in recent elections for the US Senate , governor and state supreme court .
Matt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Waukesha ’ s Democrats , attributes that in part to Republican voters abandoning Trump , but also to a shift in priorities of those Democrats who are not enthusiastic about Biden .
“ I think a lot of younger , more progressive voters see this as a referendum on Trump ’ s whole presidency , not just coronavirus , ” he said .
“ I ’ m a millennial who is also straight , white , cis , living in a fluid community .
I know that if Donald Trump is elected for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be OK as an individual .
“ But I know that my LGBT friends , my friends of colour , the friends who are less likely to be as safe in a Trump America , they will not be OK. For a lot of younger voters who may be more idealistic , radical , they see that this is more than their ideology .
It ’ s about protecting those who need them as allies to vote to help protect them .
It ’ s a motivation to vote.
” Still , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a year in which events have moved fast .
Franklin said the president could win back support if the economy improves over the summer , but warned that Trump ’ s pushing for the reopening of schools and universities will damage him if it resulted in a surge in coronavirus cases in the run-up to the election .
There is also the question of how the pandemic will affect voting , particularly if many polling stations are closed in the major cities as they were for April ’ s elections , causing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for hours to cast their ballot , reflecting an apparent determination to counter Trump .
More than 60 % voted by mail , an option likely to be widely taken up for the presidential election .
Whatever it takes , Lobley is determined to be heard this time , even if he is not hugely enthused by Joe Biden .
“ Biden talks good , but he ’ s trying to get the majority of black people on his side to get the votes .
I know what he ’ s doing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important thing is to get rid of this president .
”

Donald Trump claimed to have done so much for African Americans that his campaign decided to open the first ever Republican office in a black neighbourhood of Milwaukee.
The office on Martin Luther King drive was decorated with “Black Voters for Trump” signs, and launched with fanfare in February in an attempt to win enough African American votes to repeat the president’s razor-thin victory in Wisconsin four years ago, which was crucial to winning the White House. Two weeks later, the windows were daubed with paint and “scum” scrawled across the door.
Not long after that, the coronavirus pandemic shut down campaigning. Now the office is back up and running, but in a very different electoral landscape from the one that existed in February. Covid-19 has shattered the illusion that Trump could take significant numbers of African American votes following his hostility to the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. Trump’s mishandling of the pandemic – which has had a disproportionate impact on communities of colour – has also been a factor.
Outside his apartment a block from the Trump campaign office, Cleophus Lobley acknowledged that he helped elect the president in 2016 by not voting. The African American truck driver said the events of the past few months mean he won’t make that mistake again.
Cleophus Lobley: ‘Damn right I’m not happy with Trump. To me, he’s really a very prejudiced person.’ Photograph: Chris McGreal/The Guardian
“Damn right I’m not happy with Trump. To me, he’s really a very prejudiced person. He’s been bad for the black community,” he said.
“I’m not just talking about Covid and George Floyd, but that made things worse. That’s the kind of president he is. I decided I would vote this time because of him. Maybe my vote might count. I don’t know anyone around here who will vote for him.”
Lobley was among 40,000 people in Milwaukee who voted for Barack Obama but failed to turn out for Hillary Clinton in 2016, including a significant proportion from black neighbourhoods. Their absence was more than enough to give victory to Trump in Wisconsin. He won the state by just 23,000 votes – a margin of victory of 0.77% – giving him a crucial part of the electoral college puzzle that put him into the White House.
If he is to stay in power, the president almost certainly needs to repeat that victory while also winning Michigan and Pennsylvania, two other states he took by tiny margins.
Wisconsin Republicans suffered stinging setbacks with the loss of the governor’s office in 2018, and in April they lost a key seat on the state supreme court alongside a failed attempt to purge the voting roll of 200,000 people before November’s election.
The scale of the Jill Karofsky’s victory in the supreme court race over a sitting justice who was strongly backed by Trump, and the fact of a high turnout despite long lines because so many polling places were closed by coronavirus, gave Democrats reason to hope that their supporters are more engaged with politics than four years ago. This would be bad news for the president.
“He’s got a tougher road here than he had in March’’
A survey of Wisconsin voters by Marquette law school in Milwaukee gave the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, an eight-point lead over the president in June, a five-point increase on a month earlier.
The survey showed rising disapproval in the state for Trump’s job performance, linked to his handling of coronavirus but also the Black Lives Matter protests. More than half said Trump has got it wrong in dealing with Covid-19. Just 30% of voters approved of his response to the killing of Floyd and the demands for police reform.
Even on his strongest issue, the economy, Trump’s approval rating fell four points to 50%.
Crucially, opposition has grown among independents who were instrumental in delivering Wisconsin to him four years ago. Disapproval of Trump’s leadership among independent voters in the state surged from 36% to 57% between May and June.
Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette poll, said that “intense negativity” is to the Democrats’ advantage if it motivates people to vote.
“Trump’s in trouble. He’s got a tougher road here – a considerably tougher road than he was facing back in March, when it looked like a very tight race. There seem to be cracks in the nearly unanimous Republican support and a loss of independent support,” he said.
Trump supporters during a ‘Keep America Great’ campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on 14 January. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
It’s a picture found in travelling across Wisconsin over the last week, from its main cities to the rural wilds of the north of the state where Trump did so well four years ago. Republican activists there are increasingly concerned at eroding support for the president and what they see as his lack of a coherent strategy or policies to regain it, particularly on key issues such as healthcare, which has taken on added resonance in the middle of the pandemic.
Some county party chairs privately wonder if Trump has already given up hope of re-election because, they say, he continues to repeat the divisive behaviour that has damaged his presidency, as well as taking highly controversial decisions such as commuting Roger Stone’s prison sentence.
Franklin said he had been particularly surprised by the president’s low polling over Black Lives Matter.
“To the extent that Trump’s reaction to the protest is seen as opposing the valid reasons for the protests, Trump is on the wrong side of public opinion – even here in Wisconsin with our 80-something per cent white population,” he said. “That issue of race and Confederate statues and patriotism, as he sees it, is not playing to a strong suit for him right now.”
‘There is no such thing as democratic socialism. It’s the same as democratic Auschwitz’
That was not immediately evident at the Wisconsin Republican convention in Green Bay on Saturday, where party leaders largely sidestepped mention of coronavirus, other than to call it a “communist China-exported plague”, in favour of an assault on Black Lives Matter that marked out the ground the party wants to fight the election on.
“We’ve seen violent mobs taking to the streets in order to erase our history,” Congressman Mike Gallagher, who represents a Wisconsin district, told the conference.
Katrina Pierson, the former spokeswoman for Trump 2016 and an adviser to this year’s campaign, said that as a black woman she thought it important that Republicans remind African American voters it was their party under Lincoln that freed those who were enslaved.
“When black Americans wake up, it’s game over,” she said, to tepid applause.
In an effort to stir that awakening, the party is pushing the widely derided claim that “nobody has ever done more” for African Americans than Trump in creating jobs for minorities, criminal justice reform and combating poverty. But Pierson undermined her own case with language sure to alienate large numbers of black voters.
“The Black Voices for Trump coalition will be taking on Black Lives Matter. We have the candidate that has the policies that prove black lives matter, because he believes that all lives matter,” she said.
Few of the mostly elderly delegates at the in-person state convention were wearing masks in a reflection of how widely their use is now seen as a political statement in parts of the country. Photograph: Chris McGreal/The Guardian
A Soviet defector, Yuri Maltsev, broadened the attack on the Democrats by warning the dangers of democratic socialism. The Republican party, he said, is all that stands between freedom and communist “slavery”.
“There is no such thing as democratic socialism. It’s the same as democratic Auschwitz,” he said, to some gasps.
Wisconsin’s Republican party was one of the few to go ahead with an in-person state convention this year. Few of the mostly elderly delegates were wearing masks, in a reflection of how widely their use is now seen as a political statement in parts of the country.
Among delegates to the convention there was no great confidence in a strategy of attacking Black Lives Matter and painting the Democrats as Stalinists.
Vicky Ostrey, representing Germantown on the edge of Milwaukee, was not confident Trump will win.
“I think it’s going to be a tough re-election,” she said, reflecting a view widely heard from Republican activists, particularly in rural Wisconsin where Trump needs to win big again to offset any surge in re-motivated Democratic voters in the cities.
I think a lot of younger, more progressive voters see this as a referendum on Trump’s presidency, not just coronavirus Matt Lowe
The threat to Trump’s grip on the White House comes not only from a resurgence in the Democratic vote, but in the loss of independent and moderate Republican support in Wisconsin. That has been steadily eroding as the president alienates former voters piecemeal with his assaults on the military, the justice system and broader democratic norms.
Democrats still lose in Waukesha county west of Milwaukee, one of three solidly Republican counties around Milwaukee seen as an important test of Trump’s ability to hold on to the support of prosperous college educated voters. But Democratic candidates have taken an increasing share of the ballot in recent elections for the US Senate, governor and state supreme court.
Matt Lowe, the 29 year-old chair of Waukesha’s Democrats, attributes that in part to Republican voters abandoning Trump, but also to a shift in priorities of those Democrats who are not enthusiastic about Biden.
“I think a lot of younger, more progressive voters see this as a referendum on Trump’s whole presidency, not just coronavirus,” he said. “I’m a millennial who is also straight, white, cis, living in a fluid community. I know that if Donald Trump is elected for four more years I will most likely be OK as an individual.
“But I know that my LGBT friends, my friends of colour, the friends who are less likely to be as safe in a Trump America, they will not be OK. For a lot of younger voters who may be more idealistic, radical, they see that this is more than their ideology. It’s about protecting those who need them as allies to vote to help protect them. It’s a motivation to vote.”
Still, there are still four months to the election in a year in which events have moved fast.
Franklin said the president could win back support if the economy improves over the summer, but warned that Trump’s pushing for the reopening of schools and universities will damage him if it resulted in a surge in coronavirus cases in the run-up to the election.
There is also the question of how the pandemic will affect voting, particularly if many polling stations are closed in the major cities as they were for April’s elections, causing long lines. But some voters waited for hours to cast their ballot, reflecting an apparent determination to counter Trump. More than 60% voted by mail, an option likely to be widely taken up for the presidential election.
Whatever it takes, Lobley is determined to be heard this time, even if he is not hugely enthused by Joe Biden.
“Biden talks good, but he’s trying to get the majority of black people on his side to get the votes. I know what he’s doing,” he said. “But the important thing is to get rid of this president.”


theguardian--2020-07-14--California reverses coronavirus reopenings for businesses' indoor operations – as it happened

Between February and May , an estimated 5.4 million Americans lost their health insurance due to Covid-19 job losses , @ @ @ @ @ .
The study , reported in the New York Times , found that during those @ @ @ @ @ uninsured due to job losses than have ever lost coverage in a single year .
@ @ @ @ @ the study and director of the National Center for Coverage Innovation , told the Times @ @ @ @ @ worst economic downturn since World War II .
It dwarfs the Great Recession .
So @ @ @ @ @ that we would also see the worst increase in the uninsured.
” The grim numbers @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration to repeal Obamacare .
Millions of Americans who have survived Covid-19 or face @ @ @ @ @ insurance or be barred from getting coverage if Trump is successful .
More on that @ @ @

Sam Levin in Los Angeles, Joan E Greve in Washington and Martin Belam (earlier)

13 Jul 2020 22.59 BST As California counties have to shut down industries that recently reopened, the Covid crisis continues to rapidly spread across the state’s vast prison system. My colleague Abené Clayton has been tracking the rising number of cases and deaths, and the “historic health screw-up” that spread Covid from prison to prison. As of today, the California department of corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) had reported 6,289 coronavirus cases and 33 deaths among incarcerated people. In San Quentin state prison, California’s oldest correctional facility, 1,455 people, or more than one in three prisoners, have tested positive. Most of the state’s prisons remain significantly overcrowded, and health experts say Governor Gavin Newsom’s ongoing promises to do early releases are inadequate. Despite intense pressure, the governor has continued to refuse to release most older prisoners, given that the majority of people age 65 and above are serving times for convictions considered violent or serious. Advocates say mass releases are the only way to slow the spread of the virus behind bars and in the surrounding communities. More here: 'Historic health screw-up': what you need to know about the Covid-19 crisis in California prisons Read more
13 Jul 2020 22.18 BST Fact check on Trump's false 'mortality rate' comments As the Covid-19 crisis dramatically worsens across the US, Trump has continued to share the falsehood that the US has “one of the lowest mortality rates anywhere”: Someone in the White House press corps needs to directly ask Trump why he keeps saying the US mortality rate for Covid-19, which is among the 10 highest in the world, is the lowest, and why he keeps saying the 1918 pandemic was in 1917. https://t.co/fAxpZUXXbo — Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) July 13, 2020 In fact, there are at least 14 countries that have lower death rates than the US, according to CNN, when looking at the 20 countries most affected by the virus. Experts told the network the fatality rate of around 4.5% in the US was the sixth highest in the world – a death toll more than twice as high as Brazil, with the second-highest toll.
Updated at 22.32 BST
13 Jul 2020 21.55 BST Judge blocks Georgia's anti-abortion law A federal judge has permanently blocked a controversial Georgia law passed in 2019, which sought to ban abortions once there was a “detectable human heartbeat”, which can happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. The law would have also granted personhood to a fetus, giving it the same legal rights as people after they’re born. US judge Steve Jones ruled against the state today, refusing to leave any parts of the law intact. The ruling permanently blocks the state from enforcing the law, which he had temporarily blocked in October and never went into effect. The law had faced intense backlash from the film industry, and experts warned it would have deadly consequences for women forced underground: 'Women will die': how new abortion bans will harm the most vulnerable Read more The governor, Brian Kemp, a Republican and a supporter of the restrictions, has vowed to appeal the ruling, though he will face an uphill battle given that the US Supreme Court last month struck down other abortion restrictions from Louisiana. Some more background from the Associated Press:
At least eight states passed so-called heartbeat bills in 2019, including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. South Carolina is still considering one. All of the new bans joined the fate of earlier heartbeat abortion bans from Arkansas, North Dakota and Iowa in being at least temporarily blocked by judges. Louisiana’s ban wouldn’t take effect unless a court upholds Mississippi’s law. In a separate ruling Monday, a U.S. district judge in Tennessee blocked a Tennessee law that Republican Gov. Bill had signed hours earlier banning an abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy and prohibiting abortions based on race, sex or diagnosis of Down syndrome.
Updated at 22.33 BST
13 Jul 2020 21.39 BST Hi all - Sam Levin here, taking over our live coverage for the rest of the day, writing from Los Angeles, which is returning to strict closures for a number of industries, as Covid-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths continue to surge here. Business owners in LA have told me that it’s been particularly painful to restart and then shut down again, and that they have been pouring money into making their indoor operations safe, with little certainty about when they can properly reopen. Here is a visual from the LA Times that illustrates just how much has shut down again after brief reopenings: Big news today: @GavinNewsom ordered all indoor restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos & museums to close in CA.
30 counties, including LA, closed gyms, churches, hair salons, malls & nail salons.@datagraphics is tracking all of it: https://t.co/J53yuzxoYk pic.twitter.com/TNI7PaQzKC — Sandhya Kambhampati (@sandhya__k) July 13, 2020
Updated at 22.38 BST
13 Jul 2020 21.32 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Sam Levin, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: California governor Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order that many recently reopened businesses must cease indoor operations, as the state grapples with a surge in new cases of coronavirus . The order impacts restaurants, wineries, movie theaters and museums, among other venues. Bars must also close all operations, according to the order.
as the state grapples with a surge in new cases of coronavirus The order impacts restaurants, wineries, movie theaters and museums, among other venues. Bars must also close all operations, according to the order. The justice department released the order commuting Roger Stone’s sentence. The order showed all elements of Stone’s sentences -- including his prison time, his probation and his $20,000 fine -- have all been voided. The department released the order hours after Judge Amy Berman Jackson , who has presided over Stone’s case, requested clarification on whether the order affected Stone’s probation.
The order showed all elements of Stone’s sentences -- including his prison time, his probation and his $20,000 fine -- have all been voided. The department released the order hours after Judge , who has presided over Stone’s case, requested clarification on whether the order affected Stone’s probation. Trump falsely claimed he has receive “r ave reviews” for commuting Stone’s sentence. In reality, both Democrats and Republicans criticized the commutation as a miscarriage of justice. Republican senator Mitt Romney described it as “unprecedented, historic corruption.”
In reality, both and criticized the commutation as a miscarriage of justice. Republican senator described it as “unprecedented, historic corruption.” California’s two largest public school districts are going entirely online when classes resume next month. The announcement makes the LA and San Diego districts the largest school districts in the country to announce they will not resume in-person instruction when the new academic year starts.
The announcement makes the LA and San Diego districts the largest school districts in the country to announce they will not resume in-person instruction when the new academic year starts. Trump retweeted a claim that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “lying” about coronavirus. The tweet comes as the White House seeks to raise doubts about the credibility of Dr Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert.
The tweet comes as the White House seeks to raise doubts about the credibility of Dr the government’s top infectious disease expert. A US district judge set a new delay in federal executions. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s injuction came hours before the first federal execution in 17 years was set to take place at a federal prison in Indiana. Sam will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
13 Jul 2020 21.18 BST Joe Biden released a scathing video about Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, as the president downplays the country’s recent surge in new cases. "We're leading the world." pic.twitter.com/QQzaQeKAUj — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 13, 2020 The ad features some of Trump’s recent comments about the pandemic, including his claim that the US is “leading the world” in the fight against coronavirus. As footage of Trump’s comments plays, a graphic shows the rising coronavirus death toll in the United States. More than 135,000 Americans have now died of coronavirus. The US has confirmed 3,341,838 cases of coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tracker, meaning the US accounts for about a quarter of all cases worldwide.
13 Jul 2020 21.03 BST California shuts down indoor operations of many recently reopened businesses The Guardian’s Vivian Ho reports from California: California’s governor has ordered all counties across the state to shut down the indoor operations of several recently reopened sectors of the economy, including restaurants, bars, movie theaters and malls following a surge in new coronavirus cases. The state has seen an average of 8,211 new cases over the past week, an uptick from the 7,876 average recorded the week before. The positivity rate has increased to 7.4%, up from 6.1% a few weeks prior. NEW: #COVID19 cases continue to spread at alarming rates.
CA is now closing indoor operations STATEWIDE for:
-Restaurants
-Wineries
-Movie theaters, family entertainment
-Zoos, museums
-Cardrooms
Bars must close ALL operations. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 13, 2020 “It’s incumbent on all of us to recognize, soberly, that covid-19 is not going away anytime soon,” said Gavin Newsom, California’s governor. The order will affect places of worship, fitness centers, zoos, museums, entertainment centers and personal care centers. It comes as the state’s monitoring list of counties experiencing surges has grown to include 30 counties.
Updated at 21.04 BST


theguardian--2020-07-13--Trump aides seek to discredit Fauci over coronavirus crisis as cases surge

The Trump administration is increasingly at war with Anthony Fauci , the federal government ’ s top public health expert , over the handling of the coronavirus crisis , as the US continues to report around 60,000 new cases a day .
On Monday Donald Trump once again sought to downplay the outbreak and erroneously blame extra testing for high numbers of cases , adding that the US was doing a “ great job ” , while Fauci , in an online talk with a Stanford University expert , said : “ We have let the local public health infrastructure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Fauci also warned that some states , in rushing to reopen before coronavirus was under control and on the decline , went “ from shutdown to completely throwing caution to the wind ” and were part of the surge in numbers .
In what had appeared to be a concerted effort to discredit the infectious diseases expert , Trump aides told news outlets over the weekend Fauci , who has become the public face of the government ’ s response , had made a series of “ mistakes ” in his predictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willingness to be blunt in a way that may question or contradict statements by the president have fed reports he has been barred from major media appearances , though he has testified in Congress and continued to speak to the press .
Fauci said last week he had not briefed Trump in months .
The US contributed heavily to 230,000 new cases of Covid-19 being reported to the World Health Organization on Sunday .
Trump has formally started the process of withdrawing the US from the WHO .
Joe Biden , Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has said he will reverse that decision , which will take effect in July 2021 .
States in the American south in particular appear to be suffering from lifting lockdowns too early .
The WHO director general , Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , warned on Monday that those witnessing resurgences of the virus were not following proven methods to reduce risk .
“ Let me blunt , ” he said .
“ Too many countries are headed in the wrong direction .
The virus remains public enemy number one , but the actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflect this.
” The Trump administration ’ s unseemly effort against Fauci came as doctors warned that hospitals in several large cities across the US south are close to being overrun .
Florida reported 12,264 new cases on Monday , its second-highest total after 15,299 on Sunday .
Just over four months after the first coronavirus death in the US , and as many countries have seemingly managed a decline in cases , the US is still in the grip of the virus .
As of Monday morning , Johns Hopkins University reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Donald Trump wore a mask in public for the first time over the weekend , a long-delayed concession to the importance of face coverings in preventing the spread of Covid-19 .
But the government ’ s predominant focus appeared to be on discrediting the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , a 79-year-old public figure who has served under six presidents .
“ Several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr Fauci has been wrong on things , ” an anonymous Trump aide said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
CNN reported being given bullet points listing statements made by Fauci early in the pandemic , a list which it said “ resembled opposition research on a political opponent ” .
On Monday Trump himself picked up the offensive , retweeting a post from a former TV dating show host which criticized the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“ Everyone is lying , ” said the post from Chuck Woolery , who hosted the show Love Connection in the 1980s and 90s .
“ The CDC , media , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but most , that we are told to trust.
” Adam Schiff , an influential Democratic congressman , described the president ’ s behaviour as “ atrocious ” , telling CNN it was “ so characteristic of Donald Trump .
He can ’ t stand the fact that the American people trust Dr Fauci and they don ’ t trust Donald Trump – and so he has to tear him down.
” Fauci on Monday talked about the rush to reopen for business .
“ All you needed to do was look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some states who went from shutdown to complete throwing caution to the wind – bars that were crowded , people without masks , ” Fauci said during a Stanford University event .
Fauci said he was confident the United States would get a handle on the virus “ if we step back .
You don ’ t necessarily need to shut down again , but pull back a bit , and then proceed in a very prudent way of observing the guidelines , of going from step to step.
” During a so-called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minor , dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine , Fauci added : “ We have let the local public health infrastructure in our country really go into tatters.
” At a briefing on Monday afternoon , Trump ’ s press secretary , Kayleigh McEnany , denied the White House was sending out opposition research on Fauci .
Despite the US recording more daily cases than in the early days of the pandemic , deaths are yet to hit the highs of April , when Covid-19 ravaged New York City and areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonetheless say deaths are likely to rise in the coming weeks .
Florida alone has now recorded 269,811 coronavirus cases , and the state reported 514 fatalities over the past week , an average of 73 a day .
Three weeks ago , Florida was averaging 30 deaths a day .
Texas has also set records for cases in recent days , and on Monday the chief executive of Houston ’ s public health system warned hospitals were struggling to cope .
“ The situation , the best I can describe it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it seems like , every day , ” Esmail Porsa told MSNBC .

The Trump administration is increasingly at war with Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s top public health expert, over the handling of the coronavirus crisis, as the US continues to report about 60,000 new cases a day.
On Monday Donald Trump once again sought to downplay the outbreak and erroneously blame extra testing for high numbers of cases, adding that the US was doing a “great job”, while Fauci, in an online talk with a Stanford University expert, said: “We have let the local public health infrastructure in our country really go into tatters.”
Fauci also warned that some states, in rushing to reopen before coronavirus was under control and on the decline, went “from shutdown to completely throwing caution to the wind” and were part of the surge in numbers.
In what had appeared to be a concerted effort to discredit the infectious diseases expert, Trump aides told news outlets over the weekend Fauci, who has become the public face of the government’s response, had made a series of “mistakes” in his predictions.
Fauci’s unvarnished manner and willingness to be blunt in a way that may question or contradict statements by the president have fed reports he has been barred from major media appearances, though he has testified in Congress and continued to speak to the press. Fauci said last week he had not briefed Trump in months.
The US contributed heavily to 230,000 new cases of Covid-19 being reported to the World Health Organization on Sunday. Trump has formally started the process of withdrawing the US from the WHO. Joe Biden, Trump’s opponent for the presidency in November, has said he will reverse that decision, which will take effect in July 2021.
States in the American south in particular appear to be suffering from lifting lockdowns too early. The WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned on Monday that those witnessing resurgences of the virus were not following proven methods to reduce risk.
“Let me blunt,” he said. “Too many countries are headed in the wrong direction. The virus remains public enemy number one, but the actions of many governments and people do not reflect this.”
The Trump administration’s unseemly effort against Fauci came as doctors warned that hospitals in several large cities across the US south are close to being overrun.
Florida reported 12,264 new cases on Monday, its second-highest total after 15,299 on Sunday. Just over four months after the first coronavirus death in the US, and as many countries have seemingly managed a decline in cases, the US is still in the grip of the virus. As of Monday morning, Johns Hopkins University reported more than 3.3m cases and 135,219 deaths.
Donald Trump wore a mask in public for the first time over the weekend, a long-delayed concession to the importance of face coverings in preventing the spread of Covid-19. But the government’s predominant focus appeared to be on discrediting the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a 79-year-old public figure who has served under six presidents.
“Several White House officials are concerned about the number of times Dr Fauci has been wrong on things,” an anonymous Trump aide said in a statement released to news outlets.
CNN reported being given bullet points listing statements made by Fauci early in the pandemic, a list which it said “resembled opposition research on a political opponent”.
On Monday Trump himself picked up the offensive, retweeting a post from a former TV dating show host which criticized the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Everyone is lying,” said the post from Chuck Woolery, who hosted the show Love Connection in the 1980s and 90s. “The CDC, media, Democrats, our doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust.”
Adam Schiff, an influential Democratic congressman, described the president’s behaviour as “atrocious”, telling CNN it was “so characteristic of Donald Trump. He can’t stand the fact that the American people trust Dr Fauci and they don’t trust Donald Trump – and so he has to tear him down.”
Fauci on Monday warned of the longer-term outlook for the pandemic in the US.
“We have not even begun to see the end of it,” he said.
He also talked about the rush to reopen for business.
“All you needed to do was look at the films on TV of people in some states who went from shutdown to complete throwing caution to the wind – bars that were crowded, people without masks,” Fauci said during a Stanford University event.
Fauci said he was confident can control the virus “if we step back. You don’t necessarily need to shut down again, but pull back a bit, and then proceed in a very prudent way of observing the guidelines, of going from step to step.”
During a so-called “virtual fireside chat” with Lloyd Minor, dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine, Fauci added: “We have let the local public health infrastructure in our country really go into tatters.”
On Monday, Trump’s press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, denied the White House was sending out opposition research on Fauci.
Meanwhile Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s ex-acting chief of staff and archconservative, wrote in a CNBC op-ed: “We still have a testing problem in this country. My son was tested recently; we had to wait five to seven days for results. My daughter wanted to get tested before visiting her grandparents, but was told she didn’t qualify. That is simply inexcusable at this point in the pandemic.”
Despite the US recording more daily cases than earlier in the pandemic, deaths are yet to hit the highs of April, when Covid-19 ravaged north-eastern areas, especially New York City.
Experts nonetheless say deaths are likely to rise in the coming weeks. Florida alone has now recorded 269,811 coronavirus cases, and fatalities there have more than doubled in the last three weeks.
Texas has also set records for cases in recent daysamid warnings that hospitals were struggling to cope.


theguardian--2020-07-13--Betsy DeVos insists all US children should be in school this fall

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) prepared to release new details on its guidance for reopening US schools , the education secretary , Betsy DeVos , reiterated the administration ’ s push to reopen fully in September and repeated Donald Trump ’ s threat to pull funding from schools which do not do so .
In response , one Democratic congresswoman said she “ wouldn ’ t trust [ DeVos ] to care for a house plant , let alone my child ” .
In an interview with CNN on Sunday , DeVos said “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to school this fall ” , adding that any coronavirus hotspots can be “ dealt with on a school-by-school or a case-by-case basis ” .
Pressed about the CDC guidelines , which currently say both that “ if children meet in groups , it can put everyone at risk ” and that virtual learning bears the lowest risk of the spread of Covid-19 , DeVos said : “ We know that children get the virus at a far lower rate than any other part of the population .
There ’ s nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being back in school is dangerous to them.
” In response , the CNN host Dana Bash cited a case in Missouri where 82 positive tests were linked to a summer camp and an announcement from the Texas department of health that more than 1,300 cases were linked to childcare facilities .
DeVos said : “ It really is a matter of paying attention to good hygiene ” through washing hands , wearing masks “ when appropriate ” and “ staying apart at a bit of distance socially ” .
DeVos skirted questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying her department had been working with school leaders who will develop their own plans for reopening .
CDC guidelines are “ meant to be flexible ” , she said .
“ You have no plan , ” the Massachusetts representative Ayanna Pressley wrote on Twitter .
“ Teachers , kids and parents are fearing for their lives .
You point to a private sector that has put profits over people and claimed the lives of thousands of essential workers .
I wouldn ’ t trust you to care for a house plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter last week , Donald Trump voiced his anger with the CDC guidance , calling it “ very tough ” and “ very expensive ” .
The president also wrote that in countries such as Sweden , Germany and Norway , “ schools are open with no problems ” , and threatened that he “ may cut off funding if [ US schools do ] not open ” .
Those countries have seen fewer cases than the US , which hit 3m last week .
They are also experimenting with remodeling schools around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC recommends , including implementing social distancing and alternate-day schedules .
Such moves would require significant investment .
Asked about Trump ’ s funding threat on Fox News Sunday , DeVos said : “ American investment in education is a promise to students and their families .
If schools aren ’ t going to reopen and not fulfill that promise , they shouldn ’ t get the funds .
Then give it to the families to decide to go to a school that is going to meet that promise.
” On Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox News that the president might in fact consider giving schools more funding , as an incentive to reopen .
“ I think the president would be willing to consider additional funding for state and local governments if the schools do reopen , so that ’ s perhaps an incentive , ” Kudlow said .
In Florida , which saw a record 15,000 new cases in 24 hours over the weekend , the education commissioner has ordered public schools to reopen in August , though the decision will ultimately be left to local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the CDC will issue new guidelines this week .

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prepared to release new details on its guidance for reopening US schools, the education secretary, Betsy DeVos, reiterated the administration’s push to reopen fully in September and repeated Donald Trump’s threat to pull funding from schools which do not do so.
In response, one Democratic congresswoman said she “wouldn’t trust [DeVos] to care for a house plant, let alone my child”.
In an interview with CNN on Sunday, DeVos said “the rule should be that kids go back to school this fall”, adding that any coronavirus hotspots can be “dealt with on a school-by-school or a case-by-case basis”.
Pressed about the CDC guidelines, which currently say both that “if children meet in groups, it can put everyone at risk” and that virtual learning bears the lowest risk of the spread of Covid-19, DeVos said: “We know that children get the virus at a far lower rate than any other part of the population. There’s nothing in the data that suggests that kids being back in school is dangerous to them.”
In response, the CNN host Dana Bash cited a case in Missouri where 82 positive tests were linked to a summer camp and an announcement from the Texas department of health that more than 1,300 cases were linked to childcare facilities.
DeVos said: “It really is a matter of paying attention to good hygiene” through washing hands, wearing masks “when appropriate” and “staying apart at a bit of distance socially”.
DeVos skirted questions about specific plans for reopening schools, saying her department had been working with school leaders who will develop their own plans for reopening. CDC guidelines are “meant to be flexible”, she said.
Democrats criticized DeVos’s comments.
“You have no plan,” the Massachusetts representative Ayanna Pressley wrote on Twitter. “Teachers, kids and parents are fearing for their lives. You point to a private sector that has put profits over people and claimed the lives of thousands of essential workers. I wouldn’t trust you to care for a house plant, let alone my child.”
On Twitter last week, Donald Trump voiced his anger with the CDC guidance, calling it “very tough” and “very expensive”. The president also wrote that in countries such as Sweden, Germany and Norway, “schools are open with no problems”, and threatened that he “may cut off funding if [US schools do] not open”.
Those countries have seen fewer cases than the US, which hit 3m last week. They are also experimenting with remodeling schools around the virus, in the way the CDC recommends, including implementing social distancing and alternate-day schedules.
Such moves would require significant investment. Asked about Trump’s funding threat on Fox News Sunday, DeVos said: “American investment in education is a promise to students and their families. If schools aren’t going to reopen and not fulfill that promise, they shouldn’t get the funds. Then give it to the families to decide to go to a school that is going to meet that promise.”
On Monday, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox News that the president might in fact consider giving schools more funding, as an incentive to reopen.
“I think the president would be willing to consider additional funding for state and local governments if the schools do reopen, so that’s perhaps an incentive,” Kudlow said.
In Florida, which saw a record 15,000 new cases in 24 hours over the weekend, the education commissioner has ordered public schools to reopen in August, though the decision will ultimately be left to local school boards.
Vice-President Mike Pence has said the CDC will issue new guidelines this week.


theguardian--2020-07-13--‘Tsunami of untruths’: Trump has made 20,000 false or misleading claims – report

Donald Trump has made 20,000 false or misleading claims while in office , according to the Washington Post , which identified a “ tsunami of untruths ” emanating from the Oval Office .
The paper ’ s Fact Checker column said Trump hit the milestone on 9 July , a day on which he delivered 62 such claims .
About half of them came in an interview with the Fox News host Sean Hannity , among them a claim to have “ tremendous support ” in the African American community and the charge that Barack Obama and Joe Biden spied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Post created its database during Trump ’ s first 100 days in office .
Staff have since gone through every statement the president has made at press conferences and rallies , in TV appearances and on social media .
In those first 100 days , the Post ’ s factcheckers counted 492 false or misleading claims , at a rate of about five a day .
Since then , the factcheckers note : “ The tsunami of untruths just keeps looming larger and larger.
” “ The notion that Trump would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term appeared ludicrous when the Fact Checker started this project , ” wrote Glenn Kessler , editor and chief writer , and factcheckers Salvador Rizzo and Meg Kelly .
Over the last 14 months , as events have unfolded around the Mueller report , Trump ’ s impeachment , the coronavirus pandemic and the police killing of George Floyd , Trump has averaged 23 false or misleading claims a day .
The column notes Trump has expressed nearly 1,200 lies and misleading claims about the pandemic , many of which revolve around America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says the US has the best record on testing .
Experts say testing has not been on par with the size of its outbreak .
The Post ’ s Fact Checker staff found that Trump ’ s most prolific lie is his claim that the US economy is the best it has ever been .
Political scientists generally agree that a strong economy is the most important factor for a president seeking re-election .
The president first made the claim that the economy is the best it has ever been in June 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it quickly became one of his favorites ” .
But Trump has since “ been forced to adapt [ the message ] for the tough economic times , and doing so has made it even more fantastic .
Whereas he used to say it was the best economy in US history , he now often recalls that he achieved ‘ the best economy in the history of the world ’ .
”

Donald Trump has made 20,000 false or misleading claims while in office, according to the Washington Post, which identified a “tsunami of untruths” emanating from the Oval Office.
The paper’s Fact Checker column said Trump hit the milestone on 9 July, a day on which he delivered 62 such claims.
About half of them came in an interview with the Fox News host Sean Hannity, among them a claim to have “tremendous support” in the African American community and the charge that Barack Obama and Joe Biden spied on Trump’s campaign in 2016.
The Post created its database during Trump’s first 100 days in office. Staff have since gone through every statement the president has made at press conferences and rallies, in TV appearances and on social media.
In those first 100 days, the Post’s factcheckers counted 492 false or misleading claims, at a rate of about five a day. Since then, the factcheckers note: “The tsunami of untruths just keeps looming larger and larger.”
“The notion that Trump would exceed 20,000 claims before he finished his term appeared ludicrous when the Fact Checker started this project,” wrote Glenn Kessler, editor and chief writer, and factcheckers Salvador Rizzo and Meg Kelly.
Over the last 14 months, as events have unfolded around the Mueller report, Trump’s impeachment, the coronavirus pandemic and the police killing of George Floyd, Trump has averaged 23 false or misleading claims a day.
The column notes Trump has expressed nearly 1,200 lies and misleading claims about the pandemic, many of which revolve around America’s testing capacity. Trump often says the US has the best record on testing. Experts say testing has not been on par with the size of its outbreak.
The Post’s Fact Checker staff found that Trump’s most prolific lie is his claim that the US economy is the best it has ever been.
Political scientists generally agree that a strong economy is the most important factor for a president seeking re-election. The president first made the claim that the economy is the best it has ever been in June 2018 and, the Post wrote, “it quickly became one of his favorites”.
But Trump has since “been forced to adapt [the message] for the tough economic times, and doing so has made it even more fantastic. Whereas he used to say it was the best economy in US history, he now often recalls that he achieved ‘the best economy in the history of the world’.”


theguardian--2020-07-13--Donald Trump: 'I'm getting rave reviews' for commuting Roger Stone's sentence – video

Trump has claimed he received 'rave reviews ' for commuting the prison sentence of Roger Stone , his long-time ally @ @ @ @ @ was convicted in November 2019 of obstructing a congressional investigation into whether the Trump campaign @ @ @ @ @ the 2016 election .
Both Democrats and Republicans have criticised the move as a miscarriage @ @

Trump has claimed he received 'rave reviews' for commuting the prison sentence of Roger Stone, his long-time ally. Stone, 67, was convicted in November 2019 of obstructing a congressional investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. Both Democrats and Republicans have criticised the move as a miscarriage of justice


theguardian--2020-07-13--Donald Trump: 'I have a very good relationship with Anthony Fauci' – video

Donald Trump has rebuffed reports that the White House is briefing against Anthony Fauci , the federal government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ ' I have a very good relationship with Dr Fauci , ' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ , Kayleigh McEnany , denied that officials had shared 'opposition research ' with reporters .
@ @ @ @ @ aides told news outlets that Fauci , who has become the public face of the @ @ @ @ @ had made a series of 'mistakes ' in his predictions • Trump aides seek to @ @ @ @ @ as cases surge

Donald Trump has rebuffed reports that the White House is briefing against Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s top public health expert. 'I have a very good relationship with Dr Fauci,' he said. The president's press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, denied that officials had shared 'opposition research' with reporters. Over the weekend, Trump aides told news outlets that Fauci, who has become the public face of the government’s response, had made a series of 'mistakes' in his predictions


theguardian--2020-07-14--Trump failed to revive America's 'cereal town' – will it vote for him come November?

Anyone who reads the back of their cereal boxes would know of Battle Creek , Michigan .
It was the original headquarters of the Kellogg Company and its competitor Post , and cereal manufacturing jobs , propelled by innovations like WK Kellogg ’ s six-hour work day , created a middle class in the town just as auto-manufacturing did in and around Detroit in the first half of the 20th century .
What happened to those auto jobs also happened to cereal .
Battle Creek is one of the infamous blue-to-red “ pivot ” cities that voted for Barack Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2016 , Battle Creek ’ s Calhoun county went to Trump with 53 % of the vote , who won Michigan by 10,704 votes out of nearly 5 million cast .
Trump returned the favor by visiting Battle Creek for a rally last December ( on the night he was impeached ) , filling up the Kellogg Arena .
Michael McCullough , former editor of the Battle Creek Enquirer , imagines Trump chose Battle Creek for the “ same reason he chooses a lot of rust belt cities and towns .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ betrayed by our public institutions and our government.
” McCullough , who describes himself as an independent , feels “ that so much of [ the ] polarization in our country is tied directly to the de-prioritization of the development of small towns and small cities ” .
“ We just have a really growing segment of our population [ for whom ] no one is standing up for their interests , ” he says , arguing that the Democratic party is no longer the party of the working class .
Still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican ticket may be declining .
Clinton lost Calhoun by 12.5 percentage points – two years later , the Democratic governor , Gretchen Whitmer , lost the county by just 2.5 % , or 1,227 votes .
For Michigan at large , most polls show Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden with a substantial lead over Trump , with less than four months to go until the November election .
There are other factors coming into play as well : anxiety about declining manufacturing jobs and Trump ’ s trade deals , statewide vote-by-mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cataclysmic global pandemic .
Over the past decade , Battle Creek ’ s recovery from the 2008-09 financial crash has lagged behind the nation ’ s .
It was one of 104 metro areas that had fewer jobs in 2019 than it did before the Great Recession , according to a Brookings Institution analysis .
Jim Robey , the director of regional economic planning services at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in nearby Kalamazoo says that “ productivity enhancements ” by companies – the same output with fewer workers – are important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a net loss of 2,200 jobs in small Calhoun County , population roughly 134,000 , is a lot of jobs .
And Battle Creek is also one of only seven regions in Michigan that never fully recovered from the Great Recession that has also suffered from an above-average unemployment rate during the Covid-19 recession , according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics .
In May , the region had a preliminary unemployment rate of 22 % .
In 2019 , the poverty rate in Battle Creek was 22.3 % , higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and approximately 45 % of people in Calhoun county can not regularly afford basic needs , according to data from the Michigan Association of United Ways .
“ While we don ’ t know exactly the percentage increase with the pandemic , we know that it ’ s grown , ” says Chris Sargent , executive director of the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Regions , pointing out that a local food bank is distributing three times as much food as it did before the crisis .
Before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be excited about in the city , says Jeremy Andrews , a community organizer and small business owner , citing new businesses downtown and new real estate .
While he says the momentum “ is not dead by any means ” , Battle Creek pre-pandemic “ felt like for the first time in a long time that things were happening ” .
The city announced in May that it was facing a $ 4.9 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2021 and furloughed nearly 100 city employees .
Hundreds of low-income jobs have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are out of work and having trouble paying their bills .
The county averaged 4.5 evictions a day before the pandemic , and Michigan ’ s eviction moratorium is set to expire on 15 July .
The community , ever resilient , has responded with mutual aid projects , food deliveries , and new groups and partnerships to coordinate help .
It is clear that the pandemic has broken open some truths about inequality , especially racial inequality .
Black residents of Calhoun county made up 16.9 % of coronavirus cases as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 % of the county ’ s population .
And Asian residents make up 14.3 % , though they are just 3 % of the county population ( the city has a significant Burmese community ) .
Damon Brown , the founder of the non-profit Reintegration to Support and Empower ( Rise ) , has directed much of his efforts to getting needed resources in the hands of community members .
Rise is distributing healthy food and hygiene and cleaning products to community members every Friday between 3pm and 5pm .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” due to the demand , says Brown .
Rise is joined by numerous partnerships , including the United Way , in its community pandemic response .
Brown points out that predominantly white organizations are working with predominantly Black ones , which he would not have anticipated before the pandemic .
As Michigan continues to open , it is likely these services will continue to be needed .
“ We expect that the real impact of the pandemic will just now start to be realized – the economic impact , ” says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Southwestern Michigan Urban League .
“ When the stimulus checks run out , when the food assistance ends , then we ’ ll see the surge in need for supports.
” Battle Creek has also seen recent protests against police brutality .
The racist history of Calhoun county is evident in its name .
John C Calhoun from South Carolina , a slaveowner and former president Andrew Jackson ’ s vice-president , is the county ’ s namesake .
Some activists in Battle Creek are campaigning to change the name of Calhoun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Truth , the famous Black abolitionist and women ’ s rights activist who lived in Battle Creek for 26 years before her death .
In mid-June , the large Sojourner Truth statue in downtown Battle Creek was adorned with flowers and surrounded by candles and protest signs , remnants of the public tribute to George Floyd .
The city views revitalizing downtown as the catalyst for reinvigorating the rest of town .
John Hart , development manager with Battle Creek ’ s small business development team , says small businesses are the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can attract large corporations , ” he says , “ but ultimately when you ’ re talking about quality of life , that comes from the community itself and the grassroots organizations that exist.
” Hart and his team have worked hard to help insulate small businesses from the effects of the pandemic .
Their loan and mortgage assistance program assisted 48 small businesses – out of 49 applicants – in four city districts .
A particularly innovative project is an online platform for local restaurants to sell takeout and delivery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their businesses while dine-in options were closed – and avoid the costly fees that are inherent to companies like Grubhub and DoorDash .
Now that restaurants are slowly opening , Eatsbc.com will still be a permanent resource for local restaurants and residents .
It ’ s new , community-focused ideas like this that should help spur the city ’ s revival .
Battle Creek , he says , “ is making a comeback ” , but in his opinion the city “ is not investing into the people of Battle Creek ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition to economic disparities affecting some communities , like the low-income and predominantly African American community of Washington Heights .
Indeed , pre-recession , 45 % of Black children in Battle Creek lived in poverty , and , echoing national disparities , the Black unemployment rate was twice the rate of the white unemployment rate .
“ That ’ s a great depression for that particular community , ” says Brown .
The election may seem distant given the current crises .
And the politics surrounding that December Trump rally may have changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the pandemic .
There ’ s still a lot of time between now and election day .
“ I don ’ t think people are thinking about the election at all , ” Andrews , the organizer and small business owner , says .
He thinks it ’ s both odd and scary , “ but I think it ’ s kind of awesome too .
It ’ s great that we ’ re not flooded with that.
” This article is published in partnership with the award-winning not-for-profit publication Capital and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series on inequality in the US , ahead of the 2020 election

Kalena Thomhave in Battle Creek, Michigan

Anyone who reads the back of their cereal boxes would know of Battle Creek, Michigan.
It was the original headquarters of the Kellogg Company and its competitor Post, and cereal manufacturing jobs, propelled by innovations like WK Kellogg’s six-hour work day, created a middle class in the town just as auto-manufacturing did in and around Detroit in the first half of the 20th century.
What happened to those auto jobs also happened to cereal.
Battle Creek is one of the infamous blue-to-red “pivot” cities that voted for Barack Obama twice, and then Donald Trump. In 2016, Battle Creek’s Calhoun county went to Trump with 53% of the vote, who won Michigan by 10,704 votes out of nearly 5 million cast.
Trump returned the favor by visiting Battle Creek for a rally last December (on the night he was impeached), filling up the Kellogg Arena.
Michael McCullough, former editor of the Battle Creek Enquirer, imagines Trump chose Battle Creek for the “same reason he chooses a lot of rust belt cities and towns. There are a lot of folks who feel betrayed by our public institutions and our government.”
McCullough, who describes himself as an independent, feels “that so much of [the] polarization in our country is tied directly to the de-prioritization of the development of small towns and small cities”.
“We just have a really growing segment of our population [for whom] no one is standing up for their interests,” he says, arguing that the Democratic party is no longer the party of the working class.
Still, the county’s enthusiasm for the Republican ticket may be declining. Clinton lost Calhoun by 12.5 percentage points – two years later, the Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, lost the county by just 2.5%, or 1,227 votes. For Michigan at large, most polls show Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden with a substantial lead over Trump, with less than four months to go until the November election.
There are other factors coming into play as well: anxiety about declining manufacturing jobs and Trump’s trade deals, statewide vote-by-mail, and, of course, a cataclysmic global pandemic.
Over the past decade, Battle Creek’s recovery from the 2008-09 financial crash has lagged behind the nation’s. It was one of 104 metro areas that had fewer jobs in 2019 than it did before the Great Recession, according to a Brookings Institution analysis.
Jim Robey, the director of regional economic planning services at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in nearby Kalamazoo says that “productivity enhancements” by companies – the same output with fewer workers – are important to consider.
Yet Brookings’ estimation of a net loss of 2,200 jobs in small Calhoun County, population roughly 134,000, is a lot of jobs.
And Battle Creek is also one of only seven regions in Michigan that never fully recovered from the Great Recession that has also suffered from an above-average unemployment rate during the Covid-19 recession, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In May, the region had a preliminary unemployment rate of 22%.
In 2019, the poverty rate in Battle Creek was 22.3%, higher than the state average of 14.2%, and approximately 45% of people in Calhoun county cannot regularly afford basic needs, according to data from the Michigan Association of United Ways.
“While we don’t know exactly the percentage increase with the pandemic, we know that it’s grown,” says Chris Sargent, executive director of the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Regions, pointing out that a local food bank is distributing three times as much food as it did before the crisis.
Before the pandemic hit, there was growth to be excited about in the city, says Jeremy Andrews, a community organizer and small business owner, citing new businesses downtown and new real estate. While he says the momentum “is not dead by any means”, Battle Creek pre-pandemic “felt like for the first time in a long time that things were happening”.
The city announced in May that it was facing a $4.9 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2021 and furloughed nearly 100 city employees. Hundreds of low-income jobs have been lost.
As elsewhere, people are out of work and having trouble paying their bills. The county averaged 4.5 evictions a day before the pandemic, and Michigan’s eviction moratorium is set to expire on 15 July.
The community, ever resilient, has responded with mutual aid projects, food deliveries, and new groups and partnerships to coordinate help.
It is clear that the pandemic has broken open some truths about inequality, especially racial inequality. Black residents of Calhoun county made up 16.9% of coronavirus cases as of 13 July, though they make up 11% of the county’s population.
And Asian residents make up 14.3%, though they are just 3% of the county population (the city has a significant Burmese community).
It is clear that the pandemic has broken open some truths about inequality
Damon Brown, the founder of the non-profit Reintegration to Support and Empower (Rise), has directed much of his efforts to getting needed resources in the hands of community members. Rise is distributing healthy food and hygiene and cleaning products to community members every Friday between 3pm and 5pm.
“We have not made it to 4pm yet,” due to the demand, says Brown.
Rise is joined by numerous partnerships, including the United Way, in its community pandemic response. Brown points out that predominantly white organizations are working with predominantly Black ones, which he would not have anticipated before the pandemic.
As Michigan continues to open, it is likely these services will continue to be needed. “We expect that the real impact of the pandemic will just now start to be realized – the economic impact,” says LE Johnson, chief diversity officer at the Southwestern Michigan Urban League. “When the stimulus checks run out, when the food assistance ends, then we’ll see the surge in need for supports.”
Battle Creek has also seen recent protests against police brutality.
The racist history of Calhoun county is evident in its name. John C Calhoun from South Carolina, a slaveowner and former president Andrew Jackson’s vice-president, is the county’s namesake.
Some activists in Battle Creek are campaigning to change the name of Calhoun county to Truth county, after Sojourner Truth, the famous Black abolitionist and women’s rights activist who lived in Battle Creek for 26 years before her death.
In mid-June, the large Sojourner Truth statue in downtown Battle Creek was adorned with flowers and surrounded by candles and protest signs, remnants of the public tribute to George Floyd.
Battle Creek, known as ‘Cereal City’ thanks to its association with Kellogg’s and Post. Photograph: Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
The city views revitalizing downtown as the catalyst for reinvigorating the rest of town. John Hart, development manager with Battle Creek’s small business development team, says small businesses are the “lifeblood” of any city.
“You can attract large corporations,” he says, “but ultimately when you’re talking about quality of life, that comes from the community itself and the grassroots organizations that exist.”
Hart and his team have worked hard to help insulate small businesses from the effects of the pandemic. Their loan and mortgage assistance program assisted 48 small businesses – out of 49 applicants – in four city districts.
A particularly innovative project is an online platform for local restaurants to sell takeout and delivery. Eatsbc.com was created to help restaurants transition their businesses while dine-in options were closed – and avoid the costly fees that are inherent to companies like Grubhub and DoorDash. Now that restaurants are slowly opening, Eatsbc.com will still be a permanent resource for local restaurants and residents. It’s new, community-focused ideas like this that should help spur the city’s revival.
Battle Creek, he says, “is making a comeback”, but in his opinion the city “is not investing into the people of Battle Creek”.
He says there are funding disparities in addition to economic disparities affecting some communities, like the low-income and predominantly African American community of Washington Heights. Indeed, pre-recession, 45% of Black children in Battle Creek lived in poverty, and, echoing national disparities, the Black unemployment rate was twice the rate of the white unemployment rate.
“That’s a great depression for that particular community,” says Brown.
The election may seem distant given the current crises. And the politics surrounding that December Trump rally may have changed entirely because of a disastrous federal response to the pandemic. There’s still a lot of time between now and election day.
“I don’t think people are thinking about the election at all,” Andrews, the organizer and small business owner, says. He thinks it’s both odd and scary, “but I think it’s kind of awesome too. It’s great that we’re not flooded with that.”
This article is published in partnership with the award-winning not-for-profit publication Capital and Main, as part of a year-long series on inequality in the US, ahead of the 2020 election