theguardian--2020-07-20--Donald Trump v Fox News Sunday: extraordinary moments from a wild interview

Nearly four years into his wild and unlikely presidency , Donald Trump managed to shock the world again .
An interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday included a claim not to care what the military has to say about renaming its bases , and an argument about whether identifying an elephant was strong evidence of mental stability .
Part of the interview ’ s shock value lay in which network broadcast it : Fox News , which has only recently seen its cozy relationship with Trump start to erode .
But Wallace is known as a Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tough questions of the president and members of his administration .
His Trump interview , which was taped at the White House on Friday , was a textbook example .
At one point , Wallace referenced “ mean tweets ” that Trump posted about him , and asked if the president understood his responsibilities as a reporter .
“ I ’ m not a big fan of Fox , I ’ ll be honest with you , ” Trump said .
It was one of several surprising comments .
Wallace unveiled the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump losing by eight points to the presumptive Democratic nominee , Joe Biden .
Trump was also behind Biden on the response to the pandemic , on race relations and on the economy .
He trails in other polls too .
Trump said : “ I ’ m not losing , because those are fake polls.
” Not only did Trump deny the hard data , he also refused to say if he will accept the result of November ’ s presidential election if he comes out the loser .
“ I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Look … I have to see .
No , I ’ m not going to just say yes .
I ’ m not going to say no , and I didn ’ t last time either.
” Anthony Scaramucci , Trump ’ s former director of communications , tweeted : “ The Chris Wallace interview is Biden ’ s campaign ad.
” The same Fox News poll showed that when asked if Biden and Trump had the mental soundness to serve as president , 47 % of respondents said Biden did and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were certain Trump did not ( 51 % ) than Biden ( 39 % ) .
Trump , 74 , responded by asking that Biden , 77 , immediately take a cognitive test .
The president said last week that he “ aced ” an unspecified test .
It is assumed he is referring to a cognitive assessment from 2018 .
Wallace , 72 , said he had also taken the test , after seeing the president had .
“ It ’ s not the hardest test , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ What ’ s that ’ and it ’ s an elephant.
” Trump said Wallace was misrepresenting the test , a screening assessment widely used by doctors .
“ I ’ ll bet you couldn ’ t .
They get very hard , the last five questions , ” he said .
As global protests continue over racial inequality and police brutality , the Pentagon is considering renaming military bases that honor Confederate leaders .
Trump , the commander-in-chief , said : “ I don ’ t care what the military says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision.
” He also seemed to claim that the federal government could not find other names .
“ We ’ re going to name it after the Rev Al Sharpton ?
” Trump asked , referring to the civil rights leader .
“ What are you going to name it ?
” The interview was especially combative when it touched on Covid-19 , which has infected 3.7 million and killed more than 140,000 people in the US .
Wallace repeatedly pressed Trump about the death toll , which the president attempted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other countries and saying the US had “ one of the lowest in the world ” .
The argument continued , and Trump asked his press secretary , Kayleigh McEnany , to “ please bring me the mortality rate ” .
“ You have the numbers , please ?
” Trump asked .
“ Because I hear we have the best mortality rate .
Number , number one low mortality rate.
” Waving a paper , Trump said : “ I hope you show this on air , because it shows what fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a montage of Trump ’ s comments minimizing Covid-19 , by saying it will “ disappear ” at some point .
“ I ’ ll be right eventually , ” Trump said .
“ It is going to disappear .
I ’ ll say it again , it ’ s going to disappear and I ’ ll be right.
” Wallace asked if Trump ’ s past comments about coronavirus disappearing , which have not been borne out , discredited him .
“ I don ’ t think so , you know why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably more than anybody else.
” Trump went on to say masks can cause problems ( they do not ) and to say an increase in testing is why the US has such a high number of cases .
It is not .
Trump also called White House expert Dr Anthony Fauci “ an alarmist ” and when asked about a daily death toll around 1,000 , said : “ It is what it is.
” Trump also made the astounding claim that in two weeks ’ time , he will sign a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trail in 2016 , he promised to overturn the Affordable Care Act , commonly known as Obamacare , which provides health insurance to those who can not otherwise afford it .
An effort to do so in Congress failed .
Late last month – during a pandemic – the White House wrote a brief in support of a lawsuit seeking to bring the ACA down .
Wallace pointed out that in three years , Trump has not unveiled his promised replacement .
Trump responded : “ We ’ re signing a healthcare plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete healthcare plan that the supreme court decision on DACA [ an immigration decision which went against the administration ] gave me the right to do .
“ So we ’ re going to solve – we ’ re going to sign an immigration plan , a healthcare plan , and various other plans .
And nobody will have done what I ’ m doing in the next four weeks .
”

Nearly four years into his wild and unlikely presidency, Donald Trump managed to shock the world again.
An interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday included a claim not to care what the military has to say about renaming its bases, and an argument about whether identifying an elephant was strong evidence of mental stability.
Part of the interview’s shock value lay in which network broadcast it: Fox News, which has only recently seen its cozy relationship with Trump start to erode.
But Wallace is known as a Fox News outlier, comfortable breaking ranks to ask tough questions of the president and members of his administration.
His Trump interview, which was taped at the White House on Friday, was a textbook example. At one point, Wallace referenced “mean tweets” that Trump posted about him, and asked if the president understood his responsibilities as a reporter.
“I’m not a big fan of Fox, I’ll be honest with you,” Trump said.
It was one of several surprising comments.
‘I’m not losing’
Wallace unveiled the results of a Fox News poll that showed Trump losing by eight points to the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden. Trump was also behind Biden on the response to the pandemic, on race relations and on the economy. He trails in other polls too.
Trump said: “I’m not losing, because those are fake polls.”
Not only did Trump deny the hard data, he also refused to say if he will accept the result of November’s presidential election if he comes out the loser.
“I have to see,” he said. “Look … I have to see. No, I’m not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either.”
Anthony Scaramucci, Trump’s former director of communications, tweeted: “The Chris Wallace interview is Biden’s campaign ad.”
‘It’s an elephant’
The same Fox News poll showed that when asked if Biden and Trump had the mental soundness to serve as president, 47% of respondents said Biden did and 43% said Trump did.
More were certain Trump did not (51%) than Biden (39%).
Trump, 74, responded by asking that Biden, 77, immediately take a cognitive test. The president said last week that he “aced” an unspecified test. It is assumed he is referring to a cognitive assessment from 2018. Wallace, 72, said he had also taken the test, after seeing the president had.
“It’s not the hardest test,” he said. “They have a picture and it says ‘What’s that’ and it’s an elephant.”
Any interview that yields a split-screen like this must be going great pic.twitter.com/VvZ1vquv5m — Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) July 19, 2020
Trump said Wallace was misrepresenting the test, a screening assessment widely used by doctors.
“I’ll bet you couldn’t. They get very hard, the last five questions,” he said.
‘I don’t care what the military says’
As global protests continue over racial inequality and police brutality, the Pentagon is considering renaming military bases that honor Confederate leaders. Trump, the commander-in-chief, said: “I don’t care what the military says. I’m supposed to make the decision.”
He also seemed to claim that the federal government could not find other names.
“We’re going to name it after the Rev Al Sharpton?” Trump asked, referring to the civil rights leader. “What are you going to name it?”
‘I’ll be right eventually’
The interview was especially combative when it touched on Covid-19, which has infected 3.7 million and killed more than 140,000 people in the US.
Wallace repeatedly pressed Trump about the death toll, which the president attempted to deflect by pointing to mortality rates in other countries and saying the US had “one of the lowest in the world”.
“That’s not true, sir,” Wallace said, correctly.
The argument continued, and Trump asked his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, to “please bring me the mortality rate”.
“You have the numbers, please?” Trump asked. “Because I hear we have the best mortality rate. Number, number one low mortality rate.”
Waving a paper, Trump said: “I hope you show this on air, because it shows what fake news is about.”
“I don’t think I’m fake news,” Wallace said.
"I'll be right eventually" -- Trump defends his comment that the coronavirus will "disappear" on its own pic.twitter.com/OT5zf23emD — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 19, 2020
Wallace then showed a montage of Trump’s comments minimizing Covid-19, by saying it will “disappear” at some point.
“I’ll be right eventually,” Trump said. “It is going to disappear. I’ll say it again, it’s going to disappear and I’ll be right.”
Wallace asked if Trump’s past comments about coronavirus disappearing, which have not been borne out, discredited him.
“I don’t think so, you know why? Because I’ve been right probably more than anybody else.”
Trump went on to say masks can cause problems (they do not) and to say an increase in testing is why the US has such a high number of cases. It is not.
Trump also called White House expert Dr Anthony Fauci “an alarmist” and when asked about a daily death toll around 1,000, said: “It is what it is.”
A surprise for Congress
Trump also made the astounding claim that in two weeks’ time, he will sign a new healthcare plan.
On the campaign trail in 2016, he promised to overturn the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, which provides health insurance to those who cannot otherwise afford it. An effort to do so in Congress failed. Late last month – during a pandemic – the White House wrote a brief in support of a lawsuit seeking to bring the ACA down.
Wallace pointed out that in three years, Trump has not unveiled his promised replacement.
Trump responded: “We’re signing a healthcare plan within two weeks, a full and complete healthcare plan that the supreme court decision on DACA [an immigration decision which went against the administration] gave me the right to do.
“So we’re going to solve – we’re going to sign an immigration plan, a healthcare plan, and various other plans. And nobody will have done what I’m doing in the next four weeks.”


theguardian--2020-07-19--'I'm not losing' says US President in interview – as it happened

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti conceded Sunday that his city relaxed Covid-19 restrictions too quickly and warned that the city was “ on the brink ” of new shutdown orders following a week that saw Los Angeles county record both its highest number of daily new cases and new hospitalizations since the pandemic began .
Speaking on CNN ’ s State of the Union , Garcetti criticized the “ lack of national leadership ” in engendering an atmosphere conducive to backsliding .
“ I think a lot of things went wrong , ” Garcetti said .
“ But , here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than many of the big cities , and our rate of increase hasn ’ t accelerated as much as others – we ’ re kind of in the middle of the pack – we have seen no national leadership .
We have had to stand up testing centers on our own .
We have had to do so much that is outside of our lane because of the lack of national leadership .
“ But , also , I think that there are people who are just exhausted .
They were sold a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was under control .
They said this would be over soon .
And I think , when leaders say that , people react and they do the wrong things .
They stop distancing themselves .
They stop washing their hands .
They stop wearing masks.
” Garcetti did not dispute the main thrust of a Los Angeles Times editorial published on Wednesday that stated the state ’ s rapid reopening “ wasn ’ t a good idea , especially because it suggested to a public desperate for release that the coronavirus was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that those things happened too quickly , ” Garcetti said .
“ But ...
It ’ s not just what ’ s open and closed .
It ’ s also about what we do individually .
It ’ s about the people who are getting together outside of their households with people they might know .
It might be their extended family .
It might be friends .
They might think , because they got a test two weeks ago , that it ’ s OK .
But it ’ s not .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ It preys when we get exhausted .
It preys on us in those moments when we don ’ t have a unified national front or we as individuals think , ‘ Oh , this ain ’ t going to be a big deal.
’ We have to be as vigilant right now as we were the first day , bring 100 % of our strength , the way we did the first or second month .
I kind of feel like people are 20 % or 30 % of their strength these days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopeful signs .
And then you have to be patient .
You have to be patient when you close things down again , as we have done , wait two or three weeks to see the effect .
And you have to be patient when you reopen things , and don ’ t have this domino effect of , hey , last week , it was the restaurants .
Next week , it can be the bars .
Week after that , everything ’ s open .
That is a failed way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Track the data , and be smart .
”

Bryan Armen Graham (now) and Tom Lutz and Martin Pengelly  (earlier) in New York

19 Jul 2020 22.02 BST Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti conceded Sunday that his city relaxed Covid-19 restrictions too quickly and warned that the city was “on the brink” of new shutdown orders following a week that saw Los Angeles county record both its highest number of daily new cases and new hospitalizations since the pandemic began.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Garcetti criticized the “lack of national leadership” in engendering an atmosphere conducive to backsliding. “I think a lot of things went wrong,” Garcetti said. “But, here, where we have had fewer deaths than many of the big cities, and our rate of increase hasn’t accelerated as much as others – we’re kind of in the middle of the pack – we have seen no national leadership. We have had to stand up testing centers on our own. We have had to do so much that is outside of our lane because of the lack of national leadership. “But, also, I think that there are people who are just exhausted. They were sold a bill of goods. They said this was under control. They said this would be over soon. And I think, when leaders say that, people react and they do the wrong things. They stop distancing themselves. They stop washing their hands. They stop wearing masks.” Garcetti did not dispute the main thrust of a Los Angeles Times editorial published on Wednesday that stated the state’s rapid reopening “wasn’t a good idea, especially because it suggested to a public desperate for release that the coronavirus was in retreat”. “I do agree that those things happened too quickly,” Garcetti said. “But ... It’s not just what’s open and closed. It’s also about what we do individually. It’s about the people who are getting together outside of their households with people they might know. It might be their extended family. It might be friends. They might think, because they got a test two weeks ago, that it’s OK. But it’s not. This virus preys on our division. It preys when we get exhausted. It preys on us in those moments when we don’t have a unified national front or we as individuals think, ‘Oh, this ain’t going to be a big deal.’ We have to be as vigilant right now as we were the first day, bring 100% of our strength, the way we did the first or second month. I kind of feel like people are 20% or 30% of their strength these days. “But we are seeing some hopeful signs. And then you have to be patient. You have to be patient when you close things down again, as we have done, wait two or three weeks to see the effect. And you have to be patient when you reopen things, and don’t have this domino effect of, hey, last week, it was the restaurants. Next week, it can be the bars. Week after that, everything’s open. That is a failed way to go forward. Listen to the science. Track the data, and be smart.” Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti warned that his city was ‘on the brink’ of new shutdown orders. Photograph: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/REX/Shutterstock
19 Jul 2020 21.34 BST Louisiana officials said on Sunday they have temporarily suspended an emergency rent assistance program to help those hurt economically by the coronavirus pandemic because they were deluged with applicants. The Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) said more than 40,000 renters have expressed interest in the Louisiana Emergency Rental Assistance Program in the less than four days since the program was launched during a press conference on Thursday, with both the LaRentHelp.com website and 2-1-1 phone line getting overwhelmed. “The response to our state’s emergency rental assistance program proves how significant the economic burden of Covid-19 is for our citizens,” Louisiana’s Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, said on Sunday. “This program was designed to help mitigate and off-set evictions and homelessness, and while we have allocated an additional $17 million for a total of $24 million in federal assistance, we know that much more is needed to address this serious crisis for the hard-working men and women who continue to keep our state going during this crisis.” The LHC, which had estimated it had enough money to assist roughly 10,000 at-risk tenants, said it will try to find more funds to help applicants in addition to the $24m in federal money originally allotted. Housing advocates had previously warned more relief would be needed with the $600-per-week federal unemployment payments due to expire at the end of the month. “We know there are many individuals and families whose lives have been upended by this pandemic and that there is a great sense of urgency for housing assistance,” LHC executive director E Keith Cunningham Jr said. “As the state’s housing agency, we are committed to doing everything we can to meet the needs of renters and landlords and are hopeful that additional federal dollars will become available as soon as possible.”
Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards has acknowledged more funds will be needed to help renters amid the coronavirus pandemic. Photograph: Travis Spradling/AP
19 Jul 2020 21.07 BST A number of NFL players took to social media on Sunday to publicly express their concerns and anger over the lack of agreed-upon coronavirus safety protocols with teams preparing to open training camps this week. America’s most popular sports league has moved full speed ahead with plans to start the season on schedule in early September, All 32 teams having conducted their offseason programs remotely under the assumption that training camps will be held in person starting no later than 28 July. But some of the league’s biggest stars expressed alarm on Sunday that too many outstanding issues remain before players can report in good conscience. “We need Football! We need sports! We need hope!” New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees wrote on Twitter. “The NFL’s unwillingness to follow the recommendations of their own medical experts will prevent that. If the NFL doesn’t do their part to keep players healthy there is no football in 2020. It’s that simple. Get it done @NFL.” Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson said he is concerned because his wife, Ciara, is pregnant. He wrote: “My wife is pregnant. @NFL Training camp is about to start.. And there’s still No Clear Plan on Player Health & Family Safety. ???? We want to play football but we also want to protect our loved ones. #WeWantToPlay.” The Houston Texans’ JJ Watt, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, highlighted a list of issues that need to be resolved before camps open on Tuesday, including information about how often players will be tested and what will happen if someone does test positive for the coronavirus. Once again in the interest of keeping everyone (players & fans) as informed as possible, here is an updated list of what we as players know and don’t know as the first group gets set to report to training camp tomorrow.#WeWantToPlay pic.twitter.com/xQcjs33zgM — JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 19, 2020 Watt noted that an opt-out clause “for those at higher risk or those with family members at higher risk” had still not been agreed upon. The NFL is America’s richest sports league with an estimated $15bn in revenue last year, but Dr Anthony Fauci, the US’s top infectious disease expert, has described the sport as a “perfect setup” for spreading Covid-19 due to the full-contact nature of the sport on every play. Host of NFL stars attack NFL for having 'no clear plan' over Covid-19 Read more
Updated at 21.36 BST
19 Jul 2020 20.42 BST It came as little surprise when Donald Trump lost New York state by 22 points in the 2016 presidential election, a landslide powered by Hillary Clinton’s overwhelming 60.9% margin of victory in the massively populated five boroughs of New York City. And while polling shows the US president trailing Joe Biden by an even wider margin ahead of November’s election, Trump’s supporters in his home state made themselves heard on Sunday by taking to the water for the TrumpStock boat parade, which started with a flotilla near the Statue of Liberty before heading up the Hudson River toward the George Washington Bridge. Footage posted to social media showed vessels and jetskis carrying Trump 2020 flags as they cruised up the Hudson from New York Harbor amid clear skies and 93F temperatures. Trump supporters take part in a Sunday parade on New York’s Hudson River called TrumpStock to support the president in his home state. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Trump supporters take photos while observing Sunday’s TrumpStock boat parade along the Hudson River. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Trump supporters cruise up the Hudson River during Sunday’s TrumpStock boat parade and flotilla. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Updated at 20.48 BST
19 Jul 2020 20.06 BST Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has issued a statement in response to Donald Trump’s pre-recorded interview with Fox News’s Chris Wallace that aired on Sunday morning, describing the US president’s coronavirus response as “actively undercutting our ability to save lives and stop Covid-19”: Yet again this morning, President Trump attacked the CDC and the public health experts who should be guiding our response to Covid-19, saying that they “don’t know” what they’re talking about. The past six months have proven again and again that it’s Donald Trump who doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to Covid-19. He said the virus would disappear. He said anyone who wants a test could get a test. He said the virus was under control. When it comes to the coronavirus, you can’t believe a word he says. It’s astonishing that even after 140,000 Americans have died in the worst Covid-19 outbreak in the developed world, President Trump continues his offensive against the CDC and scientists like Dr Fauci, instead of heeding their clear advice about the steps we must take to stop this virus – from ramping up testing to getting protective equipment to the heroes on the front lines. But what’s truly disturbing is that President Trump isn’t just attacking our leading health experts – he’s waving the white flag and actively undercutting our ability to save lives and stop Covid-19 by shamefully trying to block critical additional new funding for the CDC, as well as for testing and tracing. Think about that again: In the middle of a pandemic that continues to worsen on his watch, President Trump is trying to keep money away from the public health measures that we know will keep us and our families safe. He even went on to attack the value of testing again in the same interview, perpetuating a terrible months-long streak. Mr President, your ignorance isn’t a virtue or a sign of your strength – it’s undercutting our response to this unprecedented crisis at every turn and it’s costing Americans their jobs and their lives. It’s long past due for President Trump to listen to somebody other than himself in how to fight this virus, because after six straight months of deadly mismanagement it is spiraling even more out of control. He can start immediately by adopting the proposals I have laid out for months now that experts tell us will help us stop this virus, save lives, and safely re-open our economy. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden released a statement on Sunday hammering away at US president Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
19 Jul 2020 19.46 BST Donald Trump is back at the White House after this morning’s visit to Trump National Golf Club across the Potomac, his ninth trip to his Loudoun county property in 29 days. A White House pool report describes what’s become a regular scene outside the club during the president’s twice-weekly visits over the past month. Outside the club entrance, about 15 or so protesters displayed mostly handmade anti-Trump signs like “The World Despises You,” “Have a Nice Convention,” “Trump the Body Snatcher. What Country Is This?” “No Trump. No KKK. No Racist Fascist USA,” “Trump Is The Virus,” “Trump Is Corrupt,” “Grifter and Failure,” and one that said “PIG” with the “I” in the shape of a female stick figure. About five or so POTUS supporters waved pro-Trump flags (versions of “Trump 2020: Keep America Great”), planted a “Trump-Pence” sign in the grass or held up a handwritten “Jobs Not Mobs” sign. A Jeep flying a blue “Trump: Make America Great Again” flag and a US flag drove back and forth repeatedly with patriotic songs playing on the radio. Other drivers honked as they passed by, although it was not always clear which camp they were cheering on. Trump fired off a couple of tweets on his ride back to the White House, taking a shot at “Radical Left Democrats” as the motorcade neared the Beltway and popping off at Obama and Biden once again on the final approach to the executive mansion, according to the pool report. Protesters and supporters of Donald Trump’s hold signs on Sunday outside Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. Photograph: Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images
19 Jul 2020 19.23 BST Georgia Democrats to pick Lewis successor Martin Pengelly Georgia Democrats will gather on Monday to decide a replacement for John Lewis, the great civil rights leader who died on Friday aged 80, after serving more than 30 years in Congress. Lewis’s Atlanta-area seat will remain empty until Governor Brian Kemp schedules a special election but the Democratic party of Georgia is accepting applications for the nomination online until 6.30pm on Sunday. A special seven-member committee – including Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, 2018 gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams and 2014 gubernatorial nominee Jason Carter – will then choose between three and five candidates. The state party’s executive committee will then choose a nominee and submit the name to the Georgia secretary of state by 4pm on Monday. In November, the nominee will face Republican Angela Stanton-King. Stanton-King is a reality TV personality who was pardoned earlier this year by Donald Trump for her role in a stolen car ring, for which she served six months of home confinement in 2007. Lewis won more than 84% of the vote when he last faced a Republican, in 2016. Bottoms, the Atlanta mayor and like Abrams a possible vice-presidential pick for Joe Biden, paid tribute to Lewis on Sunday. On CBS’s Face the Nation, she said: “You know, growing up in Atlanta, we have the great privilege of having these giants walk amongst us. So for me personally, John Lewis was more than this historical figure. He’s a person you see in the grocery store, that you see a church, that you see out and about around town. “And his legacy really speaks to so much about where we are with this movement and this moment in America. What he instilled in all of us was just courage and to do the right thing and treat people in a way that would then in turn have dignity and respect upon all of us. And so I am so grateful for his leadership and legacy. “I don’t think it happenstance that his last public appearance was on the Black Lives Matter Plaza [near the White House in Washington]. Because I think in his own way, he was leaving with us this reminder that the fight continues.”
Trump equates support for Confederate flag with Black Lives Matter Read more
19 Jul 2020 18.29 BST A sliver of good news from Vermont. The state has now gone 30 days without reporting a Covid-19 death, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. A total of 56 people have died from the virus in the rural, northeastern state but none since 19 June.


theguardian--2020-07-19--Trump equates support for Confederate flag with Black Lives Matter

Donald Trump has equated the Black Lives Matter movement with displays of the Confederate flag , saying : “ I ’ m not offended either by Black Lives Matter , that ’ s freedom of speech .
You know the whole thing with cancel culture – we can ’ t cancel our whole history .
We can ’ t forget that the north and the south fought.
” Repeating his threat to veto moves to rename US military bases named for Confederate generals , he added : “ When people proudly have their Confederate flags , they ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag , it represents the south.
” Trump made the potentially inflammatory comments in an interview with Fox News Sunday , broadcast a day after a Black Lives Matter mural on the street in front of Trump Tower in New York was defaced for the third time in less than a week .
Asked about moves to rename US bases under the National Defense Authorization Act which are supported by senior military leaders , Trump said : “ I don ’ t care what the military says .
I ’ m supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a big deal … Go to the community , say , ‘ How do you like the idea of renaming Fort Bragg , ’ and then what are we going to name it ?
We going to name it after the Reverend Al Sharpton ?
” Sharpton is a New York-based civil rights leader who was among national figures paying tribute this weekend to John Lewis , the civil rights campaigner and Democratic congressman who died on Friday , aged 80 .
Fort Bragg in North Carolina is named for Braxton Bragg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Numerous other bases are named for leaders on the losing side who fought to maintain slavery .
Calls to rename bases and bring down statues to Confederate leaders have surged , amid protests demanding justice and reform after the police killings of George Floyd and other black people .
Many statues and monuments have been removed .
This week , the Department of Defense followed in the footsteps of Nascar by effectively banning the Confederate flag from display at its properties .
Seeking to avoid angering Trump , who has made support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his re-election campaign , defense secretary Mark Esper simply left the flag off a list of flags which can be displayed at bases .
On Sunday Colin Powell , an African American retired general , former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state under George W Bush , told CBS ’ s Face the Nation bases should be renamed and flags banned .
“ It was the Confederate States of America , ” said Powell , who has endorsed Joe Biden for president .
“ They were not part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to keep demonstrating who they were and what they were back then .
This is time to move on .
Let ’ s get going .
We have one flag and only one flag only.
” Across the US , the words “ Black Lives Matter ” have been painted on prominent streets , including in Washington on the road leading to the White House .
New York mayor Bill de Blasio helped paint the mural on Fifth Avenue , in front of Trump ’ s Manhattan residence .
Trump said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ this luxury avenue ” .
In similar fashion to Confederate and other monuments defaced with paint and graffiti , the Trump Tower mural has been attacked repeatedly .
In the latest incident , two women were arrested around 3pm on Saturday after police said they poured black paint on the block-long mural .
Bystander video showed officers surrounding one woman as she rubbed paint on the bright yellow letters , shouting “ They don ’ t care about black lives ” and “ Refund the police ” .
One officer slipped on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his head and arm , police said .
He was in stable condition in hospital .
A police spokesperson said the women ’ s names and information on possible charges weren ’ t immediately available .
The vandalism happened less than 24 hours after three people were caught on surveillance video smearing blue paint on the mural around 4pm on Friday , while a woman littered it with flyers referencing the recent shooting death of a one-year-old boy in Brooklyn , police said .
Officers found the trio a short time later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clothing .
One was wearing an “ All Lives Matter ” shirt and other apparel indicating support for Trump .
They were arrested , charged with criminal mischief and released with an order to appear in court .
Police were still looking for a man who was seen splashing red paint on the Black Lives Matter mural at about noon last Monday .

Martin Pengelly in New York and agencies

Donald Trump has equated the Black Lives Matter movement with displays of the Confederate flag, saying: “I’m not offended either by Black Lives Matter, that’s freedom of speech. You know the whole thing with cancel culture – we can’t cancel our whole history. We can’t forget that the north and the south fought.”
Repeating his threat to veto moves to rename US military bases named for Confederate generals, he added: “When people proudly have their Confederate flags, they’re not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the south.”
Trump made the potentially inflammatory comments in an interview with Fox News Sunday, broadcast a day after a Black Lives Matter mural on the street in front of Trump Tower in New York was defaced for the third time in less than a week.
Asked about moves to rename US bases under the National Defense Authorization Act which are supported by senior military leaders, Trump said: “I don’t care what the military says. I’m supposed to make the decision. Fort Bragg is a big deal … Go to the community, say, ‘How do you like the idea of renaming Fort Bragg,’ and then what are we going to name it? We going to name it after the Reverend Al Sharpton?”
Sharpton is a New York-based civil rights leader who was among national figures paying tribute this weekend to John Lewis, the civil rights campaigner and Democratic congressman who died on Friday, aged 80.
Fort Bragg in North Carolina is named for Braxton Bragg, a Confederate general during the civil war. Numerous other bases are named for leaders on the losing side who fought to maintain slavery.
Calls to rename bases and bring down statues to Confederate leaders have surged, amid protests demanding justice and reform after the police killings of George Floyd and other black people. Many statues and monuments have been removed.
This week, the Department of Defense followed in the footsteps of Nascar by effectively banning the Confederate flag from display at its properties. Seeking to avoid angering Trump, who has made support for Confederate symbols a central plank of his re-election campaign, defense secretary Mark Esper simply left the flag off a list of flags which can be displayed at bases.
On Sunday Colin Powell, an African American retired general, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state under George W Bush, told CBS’s Face the Nation bases should be renamed and flags banned.
“It was the Confederate States of America,” said Powell, who has endorsed Joe Biden for president. “They were not part of us and this is not the time to keep demonstrating who they were and what they were back then. This is time to move on. Let’s get going. We have one flag and only one flag only.”
Across the US, the words “Black Lives Matter” have been painted on prominent streets, including in Washington on the road leading to the White House. New York mayor Bill de Blasio helped paint the mural on Fifth Avenue, in front of Trump’s Manhattan residence. Trump said in a tweet that the project would denigrate “this luxury avenue”.
In similar fashion to Confederate and other monuments defaced with paint and graffiti, the Trump Tower mural has been attacked repeatedly. In the latest incident, two women were arrested around 3pm on Saturday after police said they poured black paint on the block-long mural.
Bystander video showed officers surrounding one woman as she rubbed paint on the bright yellow letters, shouting “They don’t care about black lives” and “Refund the police”.
A police officer lies injured after attempting to detain a protester smearing paint on the Black Lives Matter mural. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters
One officer slipped on the paint and fell, sustaining injuries to his head and arm, police said. He was in stable condition in hospital. A police spokesperson said the women’s names and information on possible charges weren’t immediately available.
The vandalism happened less than 24 hours after three people were caught on surveillance video smearing blue paint on the mural around 4pm on Friday, while a woman littered it with flyers referencing the recent shooting death of a one-year-old boy in Brooklyn, police said.
Officers found the trio a short time later with blue paint on their hands and clothing. One was wearing an “All Lives Matter” shirt and other apparel indicating support for Trump. They were arrested, charged with criminal mischief and released with an order to appear in court.
Police were still looking for a man who was seen splashing red paint on the Black Lives Matter mural at about noon last Monday.


theguardian--2020-07-19--Honor John Lewis by passing voting rights bill, leading Democrat urges

House majority whip James Clyburn called on Sunday for both voting rights legislation and an infamous bridge in Alabama to be named after John Lewis .
“ That ’ s the way to do it , ” Clyburn told CNN ’ s State of the Union , discussing the legacy of the Atlanta congressman who died on Friday night at the age of 80 .
Democrats who control the House of Representatives passed the Voting Rights Advancement Act in 2019 , aiming to restore protections won in the civil rights era but undermined by a 2013 supreme court ruling .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Republican-held Senate .
“ Words may be powerful , but deeds are lasting , ” said Clyburn , from South Carolina , a friend of Lewis and an influential voice in Democratic circles .
“ It should be the John R Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020.
” Clyburn ’ s call is not likely to be heard by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell or in the Trump White House .
Democrats charge Republicans with determined efforts to suppress minority votes , efforts which have attained extra significance in an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last month , Clyburn told the Guardian : “ The only must is to win this campaign .
That ’ s a must , not just for black people but for the country .
Because I really believe if Joe Biden does not win this campaign , this country ’ s democracy will crumble.
” Lewis became famous during protests for civil rights reform in the 196os , alongside Martin Luther King Jr and other leaders .
In 1965 , Lewis was badly beaten by state troopers during a march across the Edmund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Footage of the violence helped change public opinion , leading to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 , the legislation undermined by the supreme court 48 years later .
“ Edmund Pettus was a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan , ” Clyburn told NBC ’ s Meet the Press .
“ Take his name off that bridge and replace it with a good man , John Lewis , the personification of the goodness of America , rather than to honor someone who disrespected individual freedoms.
” Donald Trump was silent for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was announced , then tweeted a short message of condolence .
He also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House and other federal buildings .
Ayanna Pressley , a Massachusetts Democrat , told CNN Trump ’ s record in office undermined any attempt to honour Lewis .
“ If you really want to honour the life of John Lewis , you don ’ t do things like gut the fair-housing laws , ” she said .
“ You don ’ t sow the seeds of division.
” In an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equated Black Lives Matter with support for the Confederate flag and threatened to veto attempts to rename military bases named for Confederate generals .
On CBS ’ s Face the Nation a retired African American general , Colin Powell , said Lewis had been a “ gentleman of two … forms , one tough as nails , one gentle .
And he will always be remembered as an individual who did all he could for America.
” “ There is a need for more John Lewises , ” Powell added .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Powell served a Republican president , George W Bush , as secretary of state .
But he has endorsed Biden this year , and he said he disagreed with Trump about Confederate symbols .
“ We really hadn ’ t thought about it a few years ago , ” he said .
“ But now with Black Lives Matter and all the issues that are before us , I think it is a good idea to rename the 10 bases in the United States army that are named after Confederates .
”

House majority whip James Clyburn called on Sunday for both voting rights legislation and an infamous bridge in Alabama to be named after John Lewis.
“That’s the way to do it,” Clyburn told CNN’s State of the Union, discussing the legacy of the Atlanta congressman who died on Friday night at the age of 80.
Democrats who control the House of Representatives passed the Voting Rights Advancement Act in 2019, aiming to restore protections won in the civil rights era but undermined by a 2013 supreme court ruling. The bill has not been taken up by the Republican-held Senate.
“Words may be powerful, but deeds are lasting,” said Clyburn, from South Carolina, a friend of Lewis and an influential voice in Democratic circles. “It should be the John R Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020.”
Clyburn’s call is not likely to be heard by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell or in the Trump White House. Democrats charge Republicans with determined efforts to suppress minority votes, efforts which have attained extra significance in an election year hit by a deadly pandemic.
Last month, Clyburn told the Guardian: “The only must is to win this campaign. That’s a must, not just for black people but for the country. Because I really believe if Joe Biden does not win this campaign, this country’s democracy will crumble.”
Lewis became famous during protests for civil rights reform in the 196os, alongside Martin Luther King Jr and other leaders.
In 1965, Lewis was badly beaten by state troopers during a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Footage of the violence helped change public opinion, leading to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the legislation undermined by the supreme court 48 years later.
“Edmund Pettus was a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan,” Clyburn told NBC’s Meet the Press. “Take his name off that bridge and replace it with a good man, John Lewis, the personification of the goodness of America, rather than to honor someone who disrespected individual freedoms.”
Donald Trump was silent for 14 hours after Lewis’s death was announced, then tweeted a short message of condolence. He also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House and other federal buildings.
Ayanna Pressley, a Massachusetts Democrat, told CNN Trump’s record in office undermined any attempt to honour Lewis.
“If you really want to honour the life of John Lewis, you don’t do things like gut the fair-housing laws,” she said. “You don’t sow the seeds of division.”
In an interview on Fox News Sunday, Trump equated Black Lives Matter with support for the Confederate flag and threatened to veto attempts to rename military bases named for Confederate generals.
On CBS’s Face the Nation a retired African American general, Colin Powell, said Lewis had been a “gentleman of two … forms, one tough as nails, one gentle. And he will always be remembered as an individual who did all he could for America.”
“There is a need for more John Lewises,” Powell added. “We got a lot of work to do.”
Powell served a Republican president, George W Bush, as secretary of state. But he has endorsed Biden this year, and he said he disagreed with Trump about Confederate symbols.
“We really hadn’t thought about it a few years ago,” he said. “But now with Black Lives Matter and all the issues that are before us, I think it is a good idea to rename the 10 bases in the United States army that are named after Confederates.”


theguardian--2020-07-19--Trump refuses to commit to accepting election result as Biden enjoys poll lead

Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by 15 % among registered voters nationally and holds a 20-point lead when it comes to who Americans trust to handle the coronavirus pandemic , according to a major poll out on Sunday .
In the same ABC News/Washington Post poll , Biden led by two points in March and 10 points in May .
Now , among respondents who said they will certainly vote in November , Biden leads by 11 % .
Fox News also released a poll on Sunday .
It put Biden ahead on coronavirus , race relations and the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview with Fox News Sunday recorded at the White House on Friday , Trump said “ I ’ m not losing , because those are fake polls ” and refused to say if he would accept the result if Biden won in November .
“ I have to see , ” Trump said .
“ I have to see .
No , I ’ m not going to just say yes .
I ’ m not going to say no , and I didn ’ t last time either.
” On Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post reported that the White House is seeking to block funding for coronavirus testing and tracing , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the National Institutes of Health , and state and Pentagon efforts to tackle Covid-19 abroad .
Biden director of rapid response Andrew Bates said : “ Trump is turning his back on his most important responsibility to the American people because in the words of his own advisers , he ‘ doesn ’ t want to be distracted by ’ the worst public health crisis in 100 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Fox News Sunday he took “ responsibility always for everything ” regarding the pandemic .
But he also said he might veto the next stimulus package designed to help unemployed Americans and small business if it did not include a payroll tax cut .
As that would dramatically affect social security and other vital programs , it is seen by most in Congress as a political non-starter .
More than 3.7m cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the US , now at a rate of about 70,000 a day , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to the ABC/Post poll , Biden has also caught up to Trump on trust to run the economy and leads by nine points on trust to handle crime and safety .
That will be a worrying number for Trump as he seeks to make law and order a central plank of his campaign , portraying Biden as a puppet of protesters demanding radical policing reform .
On Fox News Sunday , Trump claimed Biden supported calls to defund police .
Host Chris Wallace pointed out that was not true , leading to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why the US did not have “ a national plan ” for tackling the pandemic and if Trump took responsibility for that .
“ Look , ” the president said , “ I take responsibility always for everything because it ’ s ultimately my job , too .
I have to get everybody in line.
” That contrasted with an infamous remark made at a press conference in March , when Trump said “ I don ’ t take responsibility at all ” for problems with federal testing .
Trump also repeated a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing the US was doing “ skews the numbers ” , and was challenged about his remark earlier this month that the coronavirus would “ at some point … sort of just disappear ” .
“ I ’ ll be right eventually , ” he said .
“ I will be right eventually .
You know , I said : ‘ It ’ s going to disappear.
’ I ’ ll say it again … It ’ s going to disappear and I ’ ll be right.
” The president said he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the White House coronavirus taskforce member who has reportedly been blocked from television and who has said he has not briefed the president in months .
“ I spoke to him yesterday at length , ” Trump said , “ I have a very good relationship with Dr Fauci.
” He also said Fauci , who has served six presidents since 1984 and has emerged as a trusted and frank public voice , was “ a little bit of an alarmist ” .
Biden was due to run coronavirus-themed ads during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which polling averages put him in the lead .
In the ABC/Post poll , Trump ’ s overall job approval was down nine points to 39 % .
Trump , 74 , declined a chance to say his 77-year-old challenger was “ senile ” but said : “ I ’ d say he ’ s not competent to be president.
” The Fox News poll found that more people think Biden is mentally sound compared to Trump .
The president also blasted his niece , Mary Trump , whose tell-all book sold nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinical psychologist has been highly critical of her uncle in interviews , having defeated an attempt to silence her through the courts .
Trump repeatedly complained that his niece depicts his father , Fred Trump , as a “ psychopath ” .
In fact she says the property developer , who died in 1999 , was a “ high-functioning sociopath ” who shaped his son ’ s personality .
“ Donald ’ s pathologies are so complex and his behaviors so often inexplicable , ” Mary Trump writes in Too Much and Never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World ’ s Most Dangerous Man , “ that coming up with an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis would require a full battery of psychological and neuropsychological tests that he ’ ll never sit for.
” On Sunday , as the media frantically parsed Trump ’ s latest battery of misleading or inflammatory claims , it seemed the decision to sit for an interview with Wallace may not have been a wise one .
Trump played golf in Virginia , but found time to tweet about his decision to send federal agents to Portland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests over racism and police brutality .
Regarding Trump ’ s bad polling , Jason Miller , a campaign adviser , tweeted : “ Media pollsters got it wrong in 2016 and they ’ ve gotten even worse in 2020 .
Now they ’ ve become suppression polls , with the specific - and intentional - goal of trying to demotivate Donald Trump ’ s base of support .
”

Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by 15% among registered voters nationally and holds a 20-point lead when it comes to who Americans trust to handle the coronavirus pandemic, according to a major poll out on Sunday.
In the same ABC News/Washington Post poll, Biden led by two points in March and 10 points in May. Now, among respondents who said they will certainly vote in November, Biden leads by 11%.
Fox News also released a poll on Sunday. It put Biden ahead on coronavirus, race relations and the economy and eight points up nationally.
In an interview with Fox News Sunday recorded at the White House on Friday, Trump said “I’m not losing, because those are fake polls” and refused to say if he would accept the result if Biden won in November.
“I have to see,” Trump said. “I have to see. No, I’m not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either.”
On Saturday, the New York Times and Washington Post reported that the White House is seeking to block funding for coronavirus testing and tracing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and state and Pentagon efforts to tackle Covid-19 abroad.
Biden director of rapid response Andrew Bates said: “Trump is turning his back on his most important responsibility to the American people because in the words of his own advisers, he ‘doesn’t want to be distracted by’ the worst public health crisis in 100 years. This is absolutely unconscionable.”
Trump told Fox News Sunday he took “responsibility always for everything” regarding the pandemic.
But he also said he might veto the next stimulus package designed to help unemployed Americans and small business if it did not include a payroll tax cut. As that would dramatically affect social security and other vital programs, it is seen by most in Congress as a political non-starter.
More than 3.7m cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the US, now at a rate of about 70,000 a day, and more than 140,000 people have died.
According to the ABC/Post poll, Biden has also caught up to Trump on trust to run the economy and leads by nine points on trust to handle crime and safety. That will be a worrying number for Trump as he seeks to make law and order a central plank of his campaign, portraying Biden as a puppet of protesters demanding radical policing reform.
On Fox News Sunday, Trump claimed Biden supported calls to defund police. Host Chris Wallace pointed out that was not true, leading to an angry exchange.
Wallace also asked why the US did not have “a national plan” for tackling the pandemic and if Trump took responsibility for that.
“Look,” the president said, “I take responsibility always for everything because it’s ultimately my job, too. I have to get everybody in line.”
I take responsibility always for everything because it’s ultimately my job, too. I have to get everybody in line Donald Trump
That contrasted with an infamous remark made at a press conference in March, when Trump said “I don’t take responsibility at all” for problems with federal testing.
Trump also repeated a familiar claim, saying the amount of testing the US was doing “skews the numbers”, and was challenged about his remark earlier this month that the coronavirus would “at some point … sort of just disappear”.
“I’ll be right eventually,” he said. “I will be right eventually. You know, I said: ‘It’s going to disappear.’ I’ll say it again … It’s going to disappear and I’ll be right.”
The president said he had a good relationship with Dr Anthony Fauci, the White House coronavirus taskforce member who has reportedly been blocked from television and who has said he has not briefed the president in months.
“I spoke to him yesterday at length,” Trump said, “I have a very good relationship with Dr Fauci.”
He also said Fauci, who has served six presidents since 1984 and has emerged as a trusted and frank public voice, was “a little bit of an alarmist”.
Biden was due to run coronavirus-themed ads during the interview in six battleground states, in which polling averages put him in the lead. In the ABC/Post poll, Trump’s overall job approval was down nine points to 39%.
Trump, 74, declined a chance to say his 77-year-old challenger was “senile” but said: “I’d say he’s not competent to be president.” The Fox News poll found that more people think Biden is mentally sound compared to Trump.
The president also blasted his niece, Mary Trump, whose tell-all book sold nearly 1m copies on publication day. The clinical psychologist has been highly critical of her uncle in interviews, having defeated an attempt to silence her through the courts.
Trump repeatedly complained that his niece depicts his father, Fred Trump, as a “psychopath”. In fact she says the property developer, who died in 1999, was a “high-functioning sociopath” who shaped his son’s personality.
“Donald’s pathologies are so complex and his behaviors so often inexplicable,” Mary Trump writes in Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, “that coming up with an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis would require a full battery of psychological and neuropsychological tests that he’ll never sit for.”
On Sunday, as the media frantically parsed Trump’s latest battery of misleading or inflammatory claims, it seemed the decision to sit for an interview with Wallace may not have been a wise one.
Trump played golf in Virginia, but found time to tweet about his decision to send federal agents to Portland, Oregon, the site of extensive protests over racism and police brutality.
Regarding Trump’s bad polling, Jason Miller, a campaign adviser, tweeted: “Media pollsters got it wrong in 2016 and they’ve gotten even worse in 2020. Now they’ve become suppression polls, with the specific - and intentional - goal of trying to demotivate Donald Trump’s base of support.”


theguardian--2020-07-19--Trump bids to stop billions in track-and-trace funds as virus cases spike

Donald Trump is seeking to block billions of dollars in funding for coronavirus testing and contact tracing efforts even as cases rise across the US , where around 70,000 people are testing positive each day .
White House opposition to spending proposed by Senate Republicans has sparked frustrations in his own party , according to the Washington Post , the New York Times and other media outlets .
Senate Republicans are preparing to unveil a new coronavirus relief bill when Congress returns from a two-week recess .
The package , which must address the public health threat of Covid-19 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last relief bill Congress passes before the November elections .
More than 140,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the US and more than 3.7 million cases of the respiratory illness have been identified .
Cases were dropping in April , but have since increased sharply across the country .
Trump has repeatedly blamed increased testing for the rise in cases , though that is not what results show .
The World Health Organization advised that before reopening , rates of positivity in testing should remain at 5 % or lower for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 % of people are testing positive for coronavirus in 34 of 52 US states and territories , indicating the US is testing too few people to adequately respond to the pandemic , according to Johns Hopkins University .
In states such as Arizona and Idaho , positivity rates are as high as 24 % and 18.9 % respectively , suggesting the sickest people are overrepresented in tests .
In an interview with Fox News Sunday , conducted on Friday , Trump again said US numbers are skewed by the number of tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because we have the best testing in the world and we have the most testing , ” he said .
“ We are the envy of the world.
” The Trump administration reportedly wants to cut $ 25bn Republicans propose allocating for state contact tracing and testing efforts .
The White House is also trying to block $ 10bn for the nation ’ s top public health agency , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and $ 15bn for the top medical research agency , the National Institutes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as money for state and Pentagon anti-Covid efforts abroad .
Trump wants a payroll tax cut , which would mean cuts to social security and other key programs , and told Fox News Sunday he would consider vetoing any stimulus bill if he did not get it .
On Sunday the Post reported that Republicans want to reduce unemployment payments from $ 600 a week to somewhere between $ 200 and $ 400 .
Francis Collins , director of the NIH and a member of the White House coronavirus taskforce , said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussions about the proposed spending cuts .
“ There ’ s always this back-and-forth between White House and Congress when it comes to appropriations process , ” Collins told NBC ’ s Meet the Press .
“ And apparently the opening bid from the White House was a bit surprising , certainly for many of us who were certainly hoping to see more in the way of support .
“ But this is one of those things that will play out over the course of the coming days .
Let ’ s see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike DeWine , a Republican , said funding from Congress and the administration has helped boost testing in his state , but more testing is still needed .
“ We can only do that with money coming in from the federal government , ” DeWine told NBC .
“ And it has to be over a long period of time .
We ’ re not going to be out of this in a month , or two months , or three months.
” Colorado governor Jared Polis , a Democrat , said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disgrace ” .
Also speaking to NBC , Polis said tests sent to national labs were “ almost useless ” because it could take a week to get results .
“ So while some are still sent out of state , and unfortunately that takes a long time and we can ’ t count on it and our country needs to get testing right , we ’ re trying to build that capacity in Colorado to process tests at that one- to two-day turnaround.
” Donna Shalala , a former health secretary who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said it made “ no sense at all ” to block funding to fight coronavirus in the next relief bill .
“ The lack of leadership in the White House and in our governor ’ s office , they simply have not hit this with a hammer , which is what we needed to do , and starve the virus , ” Shalala told ABC ’ s This Week .
Florida is governed by Ron DeSantis , a Republican known to some as a “ mini-Trump ” who authorized reopening measures early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Like other southern and western states , Florida is now experiencing alarming rises in cases and hospitalizations .
“ They opened too soon , ” Shalala said .
“ And they misunderstand what you need to do – or they understand it and they ’ re not willing to do it.
” The failure to establish a national protocol for testing is one of several reasons the US is leading the world in coronavirus cases , said Tom Frieden , CDC director under Barack Obama ’ s administration .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world we are now the driver of the global pandemic , ” Frieden tweeted on Saturday night .

Donald Trump is seeking to block billions of dollars in funding for coronavirus testing and contact tracing efforts even as cases rise across the US, where around 70,000 people are testing positive each day.
White House opposition to spending proposed by Senate Republicans has sparked frustrations in his own party, according to the Washington Post, the New York Times and other media outlets.
Senate Republicans are preparing to unveil a new coronavirus relief bill when Congress returns from a two-week recess. The package, which must address the public health threat of Covid-19 and the resulting economic crisis, could be the last relief bill Congress passes before the November elections.
More than 140,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the US and more than 3.7 million cases of the respiratory illness have been identified. Cases were dropping in April, but have since increased sharply across the country.
Trump has repeatedly blamed increased testing for the rise in cases, though that is not what results show.
The World Health Organization advised that before reopening, rates of positivity in testing should remain at 5% or lower for at least 14 days. More than 5% of people are testing positive for coronavirus in 34 of 52 US states and territories, indicating the US is testing too few people to adequately respond to the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.
They simply have not hit this with a hammer, which is what we needed to do Donna Shalala
In states such as Arizona and Idaho, positivity rates are as high as 24% and 18.9% respectively, suggesting the sickest people are overrepresented in tests.
In an interview with Fox News Sunday, conducted on Friday, Trump again said US numbers are skewed by the number of tests being done.
“Cases are up because we have the best testing in the world and we have the most testing,” he said. “We are the envy of the world.”
The Trump administration reportedly wants to cut $25bn Republicans propose allocating for state contact tracing and testing efforts. The White House is also trying to block $10bn for the nation’s top public health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and $15bn for the top medical research agency, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as money for state and Pentagon anti-Covid efforts abroad.
Trump wants a payroll tax cut, which would mean cuts to social security and other key programs, and told Fox News Sunday he would consider vetoing any stimulus bill if he did not get it. On Sunday the Post reported that Republicans want to reduce unemployment payments from $600 a week to somewhere between $200 and $400.
Francis Collins, director of the NIH and a member of the White House coronavirus taskforce, said on Sunday the taskforce was not engaged in discussions about the proposed spending cuts.
“There’s always this back-and-forth between White House and Congress when it comes to appropriations process,” Collins told NBC’s Meet the Press. “And apparently the opening bid from the White House was a bit surprising, certainly for many of us who were certainly hoping to see more in the way of support.
“But this is one of those things that will play out over the course of the coming days. Let’s see where it ends up.”
Ohio governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, said funding from Congress and the administration has helped boost testing in his state, but more testing is still needed.
“We can only do that with money coming in from the federal government,” DeWine told NBC. “And it has to be over a long period of time. We’re not going to be out of this in a month, or two months, or three months.”
Colorado governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, said the “national testing scene is a complete disgrace”.
Also speaking to NBC, Polis said tests sent to national labs were “almost useless” because it could take a week to get results.
“So while some are still sent out of state, and unfortunately that takes a long time and we can’t count on it and our country needs to get testing right, we’re trying to build that capacity in Colorado to process tests at that one- to two-day turnaround.”
Donna Shalala, a former health secretary who is now a Democratic representative from Florida, said it made “no sense at all” to block funding to fight coronavirus in the next relief bill.
“The lack of leadership in the White House and in our governor’s office, they simply have not hit this with a hammer, which is what we needed to do, and starve the virus,” Shalala told ABC’s This Week.
Florida is governed by Ron DeSantis, a Republican known to some as a “mini-Trump” who authorized reopening measures early and crowed that the state had beaten the virus. Like other southern and western states, Florida is now experiencing alarming rises in cases and hospitalizations.
“They opened too soon,” Shalala said. “And they misunderstand what you need to do – or they understand it and they’re not willing to do it.”
The failure to establish a national protocol for testing is one of several reasons the US is leading the world in coronavirus cases, said Tom Frieden, CDC director under Barack Obama’s administration.
“US has the biggest Covid outbreak in world we are now the driver of the global pandemic,” Frieden tweeted on Saturday night.
“Our response still lacks fundamental, basic elements: coherent leadership, focused programs, rapid turnaround time testing, effective contact tracing, consensus on masks, distancing.”


theguardian--2020-07-19--John Lewis knew civil rights did not end with voting rights or Barack Obama | Peniel E Joseph

The death of John Lewis , the Alabama-born civil rights activist , Freedom Rider and student leader turned Georgia congressman , represents a generational transition in America ’ s long struggle for Black freedom , dignity and citizenship .
A disciple of Dr Martin Luther King Jr who experienced brutal and repeated acts of violence by racist white law enforcement and vigilantes that left him with permanent physical scars , including a cracked skull , Lewis remained stubbornly resolute in his insistence that Black life mattered .
As a student organizer , Lewis braved repeated arrests , jail stints and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jim Crow system of racial segregation that maintained a stranglehold on American democracy .
His lifelong quest to create what he later characterized as “ good trouble ” made him a quintessential figure of the times , one whose authentic love of poor , unlettered peoples was rooted in his own humble origins that began in a shotgun shack in 1940 , just outside Troy , Alabama .
Lewis ’ s preternaturally calm demeanor , southern drawl and genuine humility lulled opponents and even friends into underestimating him .
In truth , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the richness of the movement and era that shaped him .
As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ( SNCC ) , Lewis matched a personal and tactical commitment to nonviolence with a passion for ending a caste system rooted in racial slavery , segregation , poverty and violence .
His youthful militancy was on full display at the March on Washington in 1963 , where he vowed to help lead a relentless pursuit of racial justice and citizenship : “ We must say , ‘ Wake up America .
Wake up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not stop , and we will not be patient.
” By 1966 , Black impatience within SNCC triggered Lewis ’ ouster from the group in favor of Stokely Carmichael , a friend turned rival who would help to popularize the term “ Black Power !
” Lewis ’ s brand of quiet indignation appeared out of step with a revolutionary age , but he remained committed to the new political possibilities opened up by the combined might of civil rights legislation and Black Power ’ s consciousness raising .
Two decades after being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an upset victory over his one-time colleague Julian Bond to become a member of Congress .
Over the next 30 years Lewis proved to be a resolute legislator who , more often than not , sided with underdogs of all stripes and maintained an uncompromising champion of racial justice .
After backing Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries he switched sides , taking a gamble on a young senator from Illinois who identified as part of the “ Joshua Generation ” made possible by the activism of King and Lewis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis ’ s national veneration since he , in contrast to Jesse Jackson , became the first Black president ’ s favorite living civil rights icon .
But the growing national recognition of Lewis as the “ conscience of the Congress ” at times obscured the halting nature of American racial progress .
Lewis did indeed stand tall at Selma as blows rained down , and in doing so bore witness to the depth and breadth of white supremacist violence against peaceful demonstrators .
In the age of Obama , Lewis ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrative about the civil rights movement that extolled the sacrifice of veterans of the 1960s who enabled contemporary freedoms , including the astonishing elections of Obama in 2008 and 2012 .
But as the galvanic national and global protests in the wake of George Floyd ’ s murder have revealed , levels of Black equality presumed to have been won during the movement ’ s heroic age have proven largely illusory .
As has the seeming permanence of watershed legislation such as the Voting Rights Act , which has been largely curtailed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ v Holder , that undermines democracy by sanctioning widespread voter suppression tactics .
The Black Lives Matter movement cast an important spotlight on the importance of Lewis ’ s extraordinary and lifelong commitment to ending systemic racism and defeating white supremacy .
Lewis , at an early age , recognized the Black freedom struggle as a marathon and not a sprint .
On this score he met and admired Malcolm X even as he retained an unswerving commitment to non-violent civil disobedience .
Lewis retained a special love for King but embraced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world as a long overdue reckoning that might complete the struggle for dignity and citizenship that he waged his entire life .
Lewis ’ s most important legacy , then , surpasses both the real and imagined triumphs that resulted in his election to Congress , friendship with Obama , presidential medal of freedom and widespread admiration from supporters and even former adversaries that he claimed over the course of his life and political career .
His most important legacy resides in his service-oriented political leadership , unapologetic struggle for Black dignity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and combative generation of activists who reminded him and the nation of the still unfinished business of achieving racial justice in America and around the world .
• None Peniel E Joseph is the founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin .
His latest book is The Sword and the Shield : The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr

The death of John Lewis, the Alabama-born civil rights activist, Freedom Rider and student leader turned Georgia congressman, represents a generational transition in America’s long struggle for Black freedom, dignity and citizenship. A disciple of Dr Martin Luther King Jr who experienced brutal and repeated acts of violence by racist white law enforcement and vigilantes that left him with permanent physical scars, including a cracked skull, Lewis remained stubbornly resolute in his insistence that Black life mattered.
As a student organizer, Lewis braved repeated arrests, jail stints and death threats during protests to end the Jim Crow system of racial segregation that maintained a stranglehold on American democracy. His lifelong quest to create what he later characterized as “good trouble” made him a quintessential figure of the times, one whose authentic love of poor, unlettered peoples was rooted in his own humble origins that began in a shotgun shack in 1940, just outside Troy, Alabama.
Lewis’s preternaturally calm demeanor, southern drawl and genuine humility lulled opponents and even friends into underestimating him. In truth, he contained multitudes, a complexity that reflects the richness of the movement and era that shaped him.
As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Lewis matched a personal and tactical commitment to nonviolence with a passion for ending a caste system rooted in racial slavery, segregation, poverty and violence. His youthful militancy was on full display at the March on Washington in 1963, where he vowed to help lead a relentless pursuit of racial justice and citizenship:
In truth, he contained multitudes, a complexity that reflects the richness of the movement and era that shaped him
“We must say, ‘Wake up America. Wake up!!!’ For we cannot stop, and we will not be patient.”
By 1966, Black impatience within SNCC triggered Lewis’s ouster from the group in favor of Stokely Carmichael, a friend turned rival who would help to popularize the term “Black Power!”
Lewis’s brand of quiet indignation appeared out of step with a revolutionary age, but he remained committed to the new political possibilities opened up by the combined might of civil rights legislation and Black Power’s consciousness raising.
Two decades after being replaced as SNCC chairman, Lewis won an upset victory over his one-time colleague Julian Bond to become a member of Congress. Over the next 30 years Lewis proved to be a resolute legislator who, more often than not, sided with underdogs of all stripes and maintained an uncompromising champion of racial justice.
After backing Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries he switched sides, taking a gamble on a young senator from Illinois who identified as part of the “Joshua Generation” made possible by the activism of King and Lewis.
Barack Obama’s election helped ensure Lewis’s national veneration since he, in contrast to Jesse Jackson, became the first Black president’s favorite living civil rights icon. But the growing national recognition of Lewis as the “conscience of the Congress” at times obscured the halting nature of American racial progress.
Lewis did indeed stand tall at Selma as blows rained down, and in doing so bore witness to the depth and breadth of white supremacist violence against peaceful demonstrators. In the age of Obama, Lewis’s heroism became part of a triumphant national narrative about the civil rights movement that extolled the sacrifice of veterans of the 1960s who enabled contemporary freedoms, including the astonishing elections of Obama in 2008 and 2012.
But as the galvanic national and global protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder have revealed, levels of Black equality presumed to have been won during the movement’s heroic age have proven largely illusory. As has the seeming permanence of watershed legislation such as the Voting Rights Act, which has been largely curtailed by a 2013 supreme court decision, Shelby v Holder, that undermines democracy by sanctioning widespread voter suppression tactics.
Lewis, at an early age, recognized the Black freedom struggle as a marathon and not a sprint
The Black Lives Matter movement cast an important spotlight on the importance of Lewis’s extraordinary and lifelong commitment to ending systemic racism and defeating white supremacy. Lewis, at an early age, recognized the Black freedom struggle as a marathon and not a sprint. On this score he met and admired Malcolm X even as he retained an unswerving commitment to non-violent civil disobedience. Lewis retained a special love for King but embraced the recent BLM protests that have rocked the world as a long-overdue reckoning that might complete the struggle for dignity and citizenship that he waged his entire life.
Lewis’s most important legacy, then, surpasses both the real and imagined triumphs that resulted in his election to Congress, friendship with Obama, presidential medal of freedom and widespread admiration from supporters and even former adversaries that he claimed over the course of his life and political career. His most important legacy resides in his service-oriented political leadership, unapologetic struggle for Black dignity and citizenship, and embrace of a younger and combative generation of activists who reminded him and the nation of the still unfinished business of achieving racial justice in America and around the world.


theguardian--2020-07-20--Republican leaders to meet Trump as talks begin on new Covid-19 relief bill

Republican leaders were scheduled to meet Donald Trump at the White House on Monday as Congress began negotiations on a new coronavirus relief package .
Democrats were scheduled to meet separately as the two sides lined up demands for what could be the last major relief package before the November elections .
Congress had previously allocated about $ 3tn for coronavirus relief in four legislative packages .
Points of early disagreement included Republican demands for liability protections for businesses and Democratic demands for more money for states .
Democrats also want an extension of enhanced unemployment benefits currently set at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly eyed reductions , to between $ 200 and $ 400 .
Argument between the parties could be overshadowed by disagreement between Trump and Republicans .
The president is seeking to block billions of dollars in funding for coronavirus testing and contact tracing efforts , sparking objections from Republicans representing states badly hit by Covid-19 , according to multiple reports .
Trump also told Fox News Sunday he “ would consider not signing ” any bill “ if we don ’ t have a payroll tax cut ” .
As that would mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is widely seen as a political non-starter .
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused his Republican counterpart , Mitch McConnell , of attempting to negotiate the relief package in secret .
“ Leader McConnell has said that he wants to write the next coronavirus legislation behind the closed doors of his office , ” Schumer said in a letter to colleagues .
“ From what we understand from press reports , leader McConnell ’ s bill will prioritize corporate special interests over workers and main street businesses , and will fail to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus.
” The negotiations began as the US charted more than 75,000 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday – breaking its own daily record – and total deaths surpassed 140,000 .
Some elected officials have called for a resumption of localized lockdowns in an effort to stem the outbreak .
Weekly initial unemployment claims have settled at between 1m and 2m in recent weeks after topping 6m in April .
Small businesses , which have benefitted from more than $ 810bn in relief spending so far , continue to suffer with fewer drop-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic-controlled House passed a funding measure , the Heroes Act , in May but the Republican-held Senate has not taken it up .
The new relief package is expected to provide funding for schools to reopen safely and an extension of expanded unemployment relief .
The current package of $ 600 payouts is scheduled to expire at the end of July .
Republicans have resisted extending enhanced unemployment benefits over concerns , they say , that people make more from unemployment than they did at work .
Labor advocates have replied that people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the money for healthcare , child care , education and other costs .
McConnell and House minority leader Kevin McCarthy were to meet Trump on Monday .
Republican senators have scheduled a working lunch while House Democrats have a caucus meeting on Monday morning .
Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin and chief of staff Mark Meadows will represent the White House in talks on Capitol Hill , Politico reported .
The clock is ticking , with Congress scheduled to go on recess for the entirety of August .

Tom McCarthy, national affairs correspondent

Donald Trump said discussions about the coronavirus relief package were going well at the White House on Monday, as Congress began negotiations on how best to address the public health and economic crises in the US.
Republican leaders joined Trump for the Oval Office meeting, where the president said he also planned to bring back daily coronavirus briefings.
“I was doing them and we had a lot of people watching,” Trump said. “Record numbers watching in the history of cable television, and there’s never been anything like it.”
Democrats were meeting separately as the two sides lined up demands for what could be the last major relief package before the November elections. Congress had previously allocated about $3tn for coronavirus relief in four legislative packages.
Points of early disagreement included Republican demands for liability protections for businesses and Democratic demands for more money for states. Democrats also want an extension of enhanced unemployment benefits currently set at $600 a week. Republicans have reportedly eyed reductions, to between $200 and $400.
Argument between the parties could be overshadowed by disagreement between Trump and Republicans. The president is seeking to block billions of dollars in funding for coronavirus testing and contact-tracing efforts, sparking objections from Republicans representing states badly hit by Covid-19, according to multiple reports.
Trump also told Fox News Sunday he “would consider not signing” any bill “if we don’t have a payroll tax cut”. As that would mean cuts to social security and Medicare, it is widely seen as a political non-starter.
“The payroll tax to me is very important,” Trump said on Monday.
The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, accused his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell, of attempting to negotiate the relief package in secret.
“Leader McConnell has said that he wants to write the next coronavirus legislation behind the closed doors of his office,” Schumer said in a letter to colleagues.
“From what we understand from press reports, leader McConnell’s bill will prioritize corporate special interests over workers and main street businesses, and will fail to adequately address the worsening spread of the coronavirus.”
The negotiations began after the US charted more than 75,000 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday – breaking its own daily record – and total deaths among nearly 3.8m cases surpassed 140,000. Some elected officials have called for a resumption of localized lockdowns in an effort to stem the outbreak.
Initial unemployment claims have settled at between 1m and 2m in recent weeks after topping 6m in April. Small businesses, which have benefited from more than $810bn in relief spending so far, continue to suffer with fewer drop-in customers and retail activity down.
The Democratic-controlled House passed a $3tn funding measure, the Heroes Act, in May but the Republican-held Senate has not taken it up. The new relief package is expected to provide funding for schools to reopen safely and an extension of expanded unemployment relief. The current package of $600 payouts is scheduled to expire at the end of July – though this is the last week most people will receive the payment.
Republicans have resisted extending enhanced unemployment benefits over concerns, they say, that people make more from unemployment than they did at work. Labor advocates have replied that people relying on unemployment during the pandemic need the money for healthcare, childcare, education and other costs. Economists have warned abruptly pulling the money could strain the economy.
In the Oval Office on Monday, the treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, said the starting point for negotiations was $1tn.
“We’re going to make sure that we don’t pay people more money to stay at home than go to work,” he said. “We want to make sure that people who can go to work safely can do, so we’ll have tax credits that incentivize businesses to bring people back to work, we’ll have tax credits for [personal protective equipment] for safe work environment.”
Republican senators had scheduled a working lunch while House Democrats had a caucus meeting on Monday morning. Mnuchin said he and Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, would brief Republicans on the administration’s proposals tomorrow.
The clock is ticking, with Congress scheduled to go on recess for the entirety of August.