theguardian--2020-07-21--Coronavirus live news: Italy to get €210bn from new EU Covid-19 recovery fund

A study published in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) on July 16 looked in @ @ @ @ @ patients ” who had tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 59,000 people who @ @ @ @ @ .
The findings showed just two out of 100 infected people had caught the virus @ @ @ @ @ one in 10 had contracted the disease from their own families .
By age group @ @ @ @ @ the household was higher when the first confirmed cases were teenagers or people in their @ @ @ @ @ This is probably because these age groups are more likely to be in close contact @ @ @ @ @ group is in more need of protection or support , ” Jeong Eun-kyeong , director @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) and one of the authors of the study @ @ @ @ @

Aamna Mohdin (now); Josh Halliday and Alison Rourke (earlier)

21 Jul 2020 23.49 BST The Nobel Foundation, which manages the Nobel Prizes, on Tuesday cancelled its traditional December banquet because of the coronavirus pandemic and said the award ceremonies would be held in “new forms”, AFP reports. This is the first time since 1956 that the lavish banquet has been cancelled, according to the foundation. The event traditionally marks the end of the so-called Nobel Week, when the year’s prize-winners are invited to Swedish capital Stockholm for talks and the award ceremony. “The Nobel Week will not be as it usually is due to the current pandemic. This is a very special year when everyone needs to make sacrifices and adapt to completely new circumstances,” Lars Heikensten, director of the Nobel Foundation, said in a statement.
21 Jul 2020 23.29 BST Joe Biden, in a scathing speech in his campaign to become the next US president, said Donald Trump had ‘quit’ on US citizens and did not care about America.
In a speech on his plan for the economy, in which he promised to expand access to preschool for working families, directly linking the need for affordable childcare to America’s economic recovery, Biden said Trump was not taking the public health crisis seriously: 01:27 'He's quit on you': Joe Biden says Trump does not care about America – video
21 Jul 2020 23.10 BST Brazil has confirmed 41,008 more cases in the past 24 hours, as well as 1,367 related deaths, the country’s health ministry has said. Brazil has registered nearly 2.2m cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 81,487, according to ministry data.
21 Jul 2020 23.01 BST Maanvi Singh The US president Donald Trump has asked Americans to wear masks “whether you like the mask or not”, despite repeatedly downplaying the importance of wearing masks and refusing to wear one on many occasions. The president was first seen wearing a mask publicly earlier this month. At a White House press briefing, he has noted a “concerning rise” in cases in parts of the South, in a complete shift from his previous strategy - refusing to acknowledge that there is a problem. He stayed uncharacteristically on-message, saying the government is “asking Americans to use masks, socially distance and employ vigorous hygiene – wash your hands every chance you get”. He also asked younger people to “avoid packed bars and other crowded indoor gatherings.”
21 Jul 2020 22.27 BST The US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has launched an extraordinary attack on the World Health Organization during a private meeting in the UK, accusing it of being in the pocket of China and responsible for “dead Britons” who passed away during the pandemic, Dan Sabbagh and Heather Stewart write. Pompeo told those present he believed the WHO was “political, not a science-based organisation” and accused its current director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of being too close to Beijing. Those present at the meeting on Tuesday said that Pompeo told his audience of 20 MPs and peers that he was saying “on a firm intelligence foundation, a deal was made” with China to allow Tedros to win election in 2017. The secretary of state went on to to claim “when push came to shove, you’ve got dead Britons because of the deal that was made” – without providing any further details. His remarks at the meeting organised by the Henry Jackson Society thinktank came in response to a question from Chris Bryant, one of two Labour MPs present in a meeting otherwise dominated by Conservatives, who had challenged him over the Trump administration’s repeated decisions to quit multilateral organisations. Mike Pompeo attacks WHO in private meeting during UK visit Read more
21 Jul 2020 21.09 BST Sam Levin California’s governor has granted an emergency release to Patricia Wright, a 69-year-old woman battling terminal cancer inside a prison that has suffered a major outbreak. Wright, who doctors say has months to live, left prison on Tuesday morning for the first time in 23 years, greeted by her five children, three sisters and a dozen other relatives waiting on the other side of the gates at the California Institution for Women (CIW), east of Los Angeles. The family’s long fight for her release became increasingly urgent due to Covid-19, which has infected more than 160 people at CIW and nearly 7,000 people across the state’s prison system. “I’ve been waiting for this day for 23 years, it is really indescribable,” said Wright, standing on the street outside CIW as her grandchildren and other loved ones swarmed her with hugs and handed her flowers and gifts, including her first iPhone. She danced and held her hands in the air. “Oh my God! I’m walking on cloud nine … I just want to sit down at the table with my family and embrace my children.” Wright, who has battled breast and ovarian cancer and is legally blind, is undergoing chemotherapy. She spoke of her fears of dying alone behind bars in recent interviews with the Guardian, and is one of tens of thousands of older and at-risk prisoners who have been pleading for some form of clemency in response to Covid-19. Since March, 40 prisoners have died and those numbers are expected to increase in the coming weeks. “For the past 23 years, I’ve had this burden in my heart every day. I could not live fully thinking about my sister in prison,” said Chantel Bonet, who years earlier moved to the city of Corona, where the prison is located, so she could be closer to her sister. “Now that burden is lifted.” Wright, a survivor of domestic violence, was accused of hiring someone to kill her abusive husband but has maintained her innocence. She is one of many women convicted of murder under US laws that have faced widespread scrutiny for targeting victims of abuse. She was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, meaning this kind of direct action from the governor was her only option.
California releases cancer patient Patricia Wright from prison amid Covid-19 outbreak Read more
Updated at 21.09 BST
21 Jul 2020 21.01 BST Summary Here’s a summary of the latest developments: The United States is failing to report vital information on Covid-19. The data would help authorities track the spread of the disease and prevent the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans, according to the first comprehensive review of the nation’s coronavirus data.
would help authorities track the spread of the disease and prevent the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans, according to the first comprehensive review of the nation’s coronavirus data. Covid-19 is showing no signs of “slowing down” in the Americas . Carissa Etienne, the Pan American Health Organization director, said there were surges in Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. Etienne also said some central American nations were seeing their highest weekly increase of cases since the pandemic began.
. Carissa Etienne, the Pan American Health Organization director, said there were surges in Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. Etienne also said some central American nations were seeing their highest weekly increase of cases since the pandemic began. UK records 110 new coronavirus-related deaths. A further 110 people have died in the UK after testing positive for Covid-19 across all settings – including hospitals and the wider community. The total number of recorded coronavirus deaths in the country now stands at 45,422, according to government figures.
A further 110 people have died in the UK after testing positive for Covid-19 across all settings – including hospitals and the wider community. The total number of recorded coronavirus deaths in the country now stands at 45,422, according to government figures. Spain will send €1.7 billion in aid to developing countries to help them deal with coronavirus outbreak. Spain will send €1.7bn in aid to developing countries to help them deal with coronavirus pandemic, foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said on Tuesday. Spain hopes to save lives and strengthen public health systems.
Spain will send €1.7bn in aid to developing countries to help them deal with coronavirus pandemic, foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said on Tuesday. Spain hopes to save lives and strengthen public health systems. Iran announces record daily deaths. The health ministry said 229 people have died of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, a new high as the country struggles to contain the virus.
The health ministry said 229 people have died of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, a new high as the country struggles to contain the virus. Italy to receive €210bn from new EU fund. Some EU member states have been setting out how much financial support they are likely to receive following the €750bn deal struck at the end of a marathon negotiating session on Tuesday morning.
21 Jul 2020 20.40 BST In the US state of Texas, more than 500 women at a federal medical prison have tested positive, the Bureau of Prisons has said. According to the Associated Press, it is one of the largest confirmed outbreaks at a federal prison. The number of confirmed cases at the Federal Medical Center-Carswell in Fort Worth jumped to 509 on Monday, just one day after the Bureau of Prisons reported that 200 women there had tested positive. Only the federal prison in Seagoville, also located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, had more infected inmates, with 1,132 cases as of Monday.


theguardian--2020-07-21--Trump's vow to send federal officers to US cities is election ploy, critics say

Donald Trump has vowed to send federal officers to several American cities led by Democrats in what critics say is an attempt to play the “ law and order ” card to boost his bid for re-election .
The president ’ s threat came after a federal crackdown on anti-racism protests in Portland , Oregon , that involved unmarked cars and unidentified forces in camouflage .
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday , Trump identified New York , Chicago , Philadelphia , Detroit , Baltimore and Oakland as places in need of federal agents , describing those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
“ We ’ re sending law enforcement , ” he said .
“ We can ’ t let this happen to the cities.
” Singling out Chicago , where more than 63 people were shot , 12 fatally , over the weekend , Trump pivoted to an attack on his election rival , Joe Biden .
“ And you add it up over the summer – this is worse than Afghanistan , by far .
This is worse than anything anyone has ever seen .
All run by the same liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If Biden got in , that would be true for the country .
The whole country would go to hell .
And we ’ re not going to let it go to hell.
” Struggling against Biden in the opinion polls , Trump has leaned into a dark and divisive theme reminiscent of his fellow Republican Richard Nixon in 1968 .
“ I am your president of law and order , ” he declared in the White House Rose Garden on 1 June , shortly before park police and national guard troops fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Square so he could stage a photo op outside a historic church .
Since then he has repeatedly – and falsely – accused Biden of planning to “ defund the police ” and effectively surrender cities and suburbs to violent criminals .
The conservative Fox News network , meanwhile , has been giving emphasis to coverage of inner-city violence rather the coronavirus pandemic .
Larry Sabato , director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia , said : “ He took longer than I thought he would to start emphasising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he starts at the convention .
It ’ s going to be one of the key themes of the convention .
‘ These crazy liberals are causing problems again.
’ ” Such a strategy is “ certainly a candidate ” for explaining the fresh crackdown in major cities , Sabato added .
“ I ’ ll tell you what it really is , though .
It is an unmistakeable hint of what a second Trump term will be like .
There ’ ll be no hesitation to do any of this.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after weeks of protests there over police brutality and racial injustice that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May .
Last week , videos showed unidentified federal personnel taking people off the street and driving them away in black minivans .
Mark Morgan , acting commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection , defended the actions in a tweet on Sunday : “ Law and Order – a cornerstone of American society – is under siege in Portland.
” On Monday the Chicago Tribune newspaper reported that the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deploy about 150 agents in the city where police defending a statue clashed with demonstrators on Friday .
Lori Lightfoot , the mayor of Chicago and a Democrat , told the Associated Press : “ I have great concerns about that in particular , given the track record in the city of Portland .
I have talked to the mayor of Portland [ and ] we don ’ t need federal agents without any insignia taking people off the street and holding them , I think , unlawfully.
” The issue has laid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November .
Democrats , warning of a threat to civil liberties , called for Chad Wolf , acting secretary of Homeland Security , to quit .
Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia said Wolf was “ overseeing authoritarian abuses that betray our bedrock principles and would horrify our nation ’ s Founders ” .
He added : “ Ordering the occupation of US cities , seeking the escalation of violence , and intentionally risking American lives over peaceful protests and graffiti is unfathomable and unacceptable .
Secretary Wolf must resign immediately or be fired.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Adam Smith and Bennie Thompson said in a joint statement : “ The Trump administration continues to weaponize federal law enforcement for its own agenda .
Like we saw in Lafayette [ Square ] , rather than supporting and protecting the American people , we are witnessing the oppression of peaceful protesters by our own government .
“ Not only do their action [ s ] undermine civil rights and sow fear and discord across the country , but in this case , they sully the reputation of members of our armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan wrote on Twitter : “ They ’ ll have to arrest me first if they think they ’ re going to illegally lay their hands on my residents.
” The sinister events in Portland have renewed fears about creeping authoritarianism from Trump ’ s White House .
Laurence Tribe , a constitutional law professor at Harvard University , has called for peaceful civil disobedience .
“ Stormtrooper tactics have no place in a free society , ” he said .
“ The apparent deployment of the military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Comitatus Act in the absence of a genuine insurrection , and the claim that such deployment is genuinely necessary to preserve order does not meet the laugh test .
“ The administration is violating the first amendment on a regular basis now , thereby endangering all our liberties .
”

Donald Trump has vowed to send federal officers to several American cities led by Democrats in what critics say is an attempt to play the “law and order” card to boost his bid for re-election.
The president’s threat came after a federal crackdown on anti-racism protests in Portland, Oregon, that involved unmarked cars and unidentified forces in camouflage.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump identified New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore and Oakland as places in need of federal agents, describing those cities’ mayors as “liberal Democrats”.
“We’re sending law enforcement,” he said. “We can’t let this happen to the cities.”
Singling out Chicago, where more than 63 people were shot, 12 fatally, over the weekend, Trump pivoted to an attack on his election rival, Joe Biden. “And you add it up over the summer – this is worse than Afghanistan, by far. This is worse than anything anyone has ever seen. All run by the same liberal Democrats. And you know what? If Biden got in, that would be true for the country. The whole country would go to hell. And we’re not going to let it go to hell.”
Struggling against Biden in the opinion polls, Trump has leaned into a dark and divisive theme reminiscent of his fellow Republican Richard Nixon in 1968. “I am your president of law and order,” he declared in the White House Rose Garden on 1 June, shortly before park police and national guard troops fired teargas and chased peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square so he could stage a photo op outside a historic church.
Since then he has repeatedly – and falsely – accused Biden of planning to “defund the police” and effectively surrender cities and suburbs to violent criminals. The conservative Fox News network, meanwhile, has been giving emphasis to coverage of inner-city violence rather the coronavirus pandemic.
Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said: “He took longer than I thought he would to start emphasising law and order. But I bet he starts at the convention. It’s going to be one of the key themes of the convention. ‘These crazy liberals are causing problems again.’”
Such a strategy is “certainly a candidate” for explaining the fresh crackdown in major cities, Sabato added. “I’ll tell you what it really is, though. It is an unmistakeable hint of what a second Trump term will be like. There’ll be no hesitation to do any of this.”
The Trump administration sent federal officers into Portland after weeks of protests there over police brutality and racial injustice that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Last week, videos showed unidentified federal personnel taking people off the street and driving them away in black minivans.
Mark Morgan, acting commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, defended the actions in a tweet on Sunday: “Law and Order – a cornerstone of American society – is under siege in Portland.”
On Monday the Chicago Tribune newspaper reported that the Department of Homeland Security was making plans to deploy about 150 agents in the city where police defending a statue clashed with demonstrators on Friday.
Lori Lightfoot, the mayor of Chicago and a Democrat, told the Associated Press: “I have great concerns about that in particular, given the track record in the city of Portland. I have talked to the mayor of Portland [and] we don’t need federal agents without any insignia taking people off the street and holding them, I think, unlawfully.”
Political leaders in Oakland, California, were quick to condemn Trump’s suggestion federal agents could deploy to their city. “Oakland needs Covid relief – not troops – from our president,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement. “He should stop slandering diverse, progressive cities like Oakland in his racist dog whistles and divisive campaign tactics.”
“Stay away from Oakland,” tweeted the Democratic congresswoman Barbara Lee.
The issue has laid bare the binary choice for voters in November. Democrats, warning of a threat to civil liberties, called for Chad Wolf, acting secretary of Homeland Security, to quit. Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia said Wolf was “overseeing authoritarian abuses that betray our bedrock principles and would horrify our nation’s Founders”.
He added: “Ordering the occupation of US cities, seeking the escalation of violence, and intentionally risking American lives over peaceful protests and graffiti is unfathomable and unacceptable. Secretary Wolf must resign immediately or be fired.”
The House committee chairmen Jerry Nadler, Adam Smith and Bennie Thompson said in a joint statement: “The Trump administration continues to weaponize federal law enforcement for its own agenda. Like we saw in Lafayette [Square], rather than supporting and protecting the American people, we are witnessing the oppression of peaceful protesters by our own government.
“Not only do their action[s] undermine civil rights and sow fear and discord across the country, but in this case, they sully the reputation of members of our armed forces who were not involved.”
And the congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan wrote on Twitter: “They’ll have to arrest me first if they think they’re going to illegally lay their hands on my residents.”
The sinister events in Portland have renewed fears about creeping authoritarianism from Trump’s White House.
Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard University, has called for peaceful civil disobedience. “Stormtrooper tactics have no place in a free society,” he said. “The apparent deployment of the military for domestic law enforcement violates the Posse Comitatus Act in the absence of a genuine insurrection, and the claim that such deployment is genuinely necessary to preserve order does not meet the laugh test.
“The administration is violating the first amendment on a regular basis now, thereby endangering all our liberties.”


theguardian--2020-07-22--Trump delivers White House coronavirus briefing without public health experts – as it happened

California ’ s governor has granted an emergency release to Patricia Wright , a 69-year-old woman battling terminal cancer inside a prison that has suffered a major outbreak .
Wright , who doctors say has months to live , left prison on Tuesday morning for the first time in 23 years , greeted by her five children , three sisters and a dozen other relatives waiting on the other side of the gates at the California Institution for Women ( CIW ) , east of Los Angeles .
The family ’ s long fight for her release became increasingly urgent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 160 people at CIW and nearly 7,000 people across the state ’ s prison system .
“ I ’ ve been waiting for this day for 23 years , it is really indescribable , ” said Wright , standing on the street outside CIW as her grandchildren and other loved ones swarmed her with hugs and handed her flowers and gifts , including her first iPhone .
She danced and held her hands in the air .
“ Oh my God !
I ’ m walking on cloud nine … I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ table with my family and embrace my children.
” Wright , who has battled breast and ovarian cancer and is legally blind , is undergoing chemotherapy .
She spoke of her fears of dying alone behind bars in recent interviews with the Guardian , and is one of tens of thousands of older and at-risk prisoners who have been pleading for some form of clemency in response to Covid-19 .
Since March , 40 prisoners have died and those numbers are expected to increase in the coming weeks .
“ For the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this burden in my heart every day .
I could not live fully thinking about my sister in prison , ” said Chantel Bonet , who years earlier moved to the city of Corona , where the prison is located , so she could be closer to her sister .
“ Now that burden is lifted.
” Wright , a survivor of domestic violence , was accused of hiring someone to kill her abusive husband but has maintained her innocence .
She is one of many women convicted of murder under US laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims of abuse .
She was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole , meaning this kind of direct action from the governor was her only option .

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now), Joan E Greve in Washington and Martin Belam (earlier)

21 Jul 2020 00.51 BST Summary From Joan E Greve and me: During a coronavirus briefing, Donald Trump spoke without his top health officials, Dr Deborah Birx and Dr Anthony Fauci. The president stayed on message, encouraging Americans to wear masks despite his months-long resistance to covering his face in public to stop the spread of disease. He chose a racist term to refer to the coronavirus and repeated a few false or misleading claims about the national stockpile and testing.
The president stayed on message, encouraging Americans to wear masks despite his months-long resistance to covering his face in public to stop the spread of disease. He chose a racist term to refer to the coronavirus and repeated a few false or misleading claims about the national stockpile and testing. Trump signed an executive order aimed at excluding undocumented persons from being counted in the 2020 census. The ACLU immediately said it would file a lawsuit against the administration over the order, which comes a year after the supreme court blocked Trump’s effort to add a citizenship question to the census.
The ACLU immediately said it would file a lawsuit against the administration over the order, which comes a year after the supreme court blocked Trump’s effort to add a citizenship question to the census. Joe Biden accused Trump of having “quit on this country” amid the coronavirus pandemic. Delivering a speech on his plan to expand access to early childcare, Biden said of Trump, “For all his bluster about his expertise on the economy, he’s unable to explain how he’ll actually help working families hit the hardest ... He’s quit on you. He’s quit on this country.”
Delivering a speech on his plan to expand access to early childcare, Biden said of Trump, “For all his bluster about his expertise on the economy, he’s unable to explain how he’ll actually help working families hit the hardest ... He’s quit on you. He’s quit on this country.” Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell outlined the broad strokes of the Republican coronavirus relief bill. McConnell said the legislation would include $105bn for schools, which is well short of the $430bn that Democrats have been pushing for. The bill will also allocate more money in small business loans and direct payments to American families, McConnell said.
McConnell said the legislation would include $105bn for schools, which is well short of the $430bn that have been pushing for. The bill will also allocate more money in small business loans and direct payments to American families, McConnell said. John Bolton said there is no justification for the deployment of DHS forces on the streets of Portland. Bolton told the Guardian in an interview, “The protection of federal courthouses now is the responsibility of the US Marshals Service ... I’m not saying everything’s hunky dory in Portland, Oregon, because it clearly is not. But I don’t see any justification for the deployment of the Department of Homeland Security personnel.”
Updated at 01.27 BST
21 Jul 2020 00.43 BST Tom McCarthy Skepticism is growing in the United States about the accuracy of publicly reported numbers for Covid-19 deaths, according to Axios-Ipsos polling published on Tuesday. Thirty-one percent of respondents in the survey said they believe the number of Americans dying from Covid-19 is in reality smaller than public data portrays. Skepticism was up from 23% in May. Skepticism about coronavirus statistics was heavily correlated with media consumption habits, the poll found. A 62% majority of Fox News watchers said the statistics are overblown, while 48% who reported no main news source thought so. Only 7% of CNN and MSNBC watchers thought so. Denialism around the virus is growing at a time when the US faces an unprecedented emergency of exploding case numbers and when the urgency is acute for coordinated action to prevent an uncontrollable outbreak, epidemiologists say. US public increasingly skeptical of Covid-19 death toll, poll finds Read more
21 Jul 2020 00.31 BST Trump asked the US ambassador to Britain, Robert Wood Johnson IV, to inquire if the British government might help push to have the British Open golf tournament at the Trump Turnberry resort in Scotland, the New York Times reports. Johnson reportedly told multiple colleagues that the president wanted him to see if he UK officials could help make Turnberry the venue for the world-famous golf tournament in 2018. From the Times: The ambassador’s deputy, Lewis A. Lukens, advised him not to do it, warning that it would be an unethical use of the presidency for private gain, these people said. But Mr. Johnson apparently felt pressured to try. A few weeks later, he raised the idea of Turnberry playing host to the Open with the secretary of state for Scotland, David Mundell. The Guardian has not independently verified the Times’ reporting. Trump has drawn criticism in the past for using his political position to draw business to his properties in the UK. In 2018, Congress opened an investigation into whether increased spending at Prestwick airport near Glasgow and visits to Turnberry violated the constitution. That investigation followed reports that the strained airport was offering “cut-price rooms for select passengers and crew” and free rounds of golf at Turnberry for US military and civilian aircrews.
Updated at 01.26 BST
21 Jul 2020 00.18 BST In response to Trump’s briefing today, Democratic National Committee spokesperson Lily Adams said that “as soon as he was off script, Trump once again downplayed the virus.” “The White House thinks these briefings will be good for Trump’s ratings, but the more people hear from Trump, the more they see what a failure he is,” she wrote in a statement. “Trump might be able to read semi-coherently from prepared remarks for 15 minutes, but that doesn’t mean he’s turned over a new leaf on his response.”
21 Jul 2020 00.12 BST Sam Levin California’s governor has granted an emergency release to Patricia Wright, a 69-year-old woman battling terminal cancer inside a prison that has suffered a major outbreak. Wright, who doctors say has months to live, left prison on Tuesday morning for the first time in 23 years, greeted by her five children, three sisters and a dozen other relatives waiting on the other side of the gates at the California Institution for Women (CIW), east of Los Angeles. The family’s long fight for her release became increasingly urgent due to Covid-19, which has infected more than 160 people at CIW and nearly 7,000 people across the state’s prison system. “I’ve been waiting for this day for 23 years, it is really indescribable,” said Wright, standing on the street outside CIW as her grandchildren and other loved ones swarmed her with hugs and handed her flowers and gifts, including her first iPhone. She danced and held her hands in the air. “Oh my God! I’m walking on cloud nine … I just want to sit down at the table with my family and embrace my children.” Wright, who has battled breast and ovarian cancer and is legally blind, is undergoing chemotherapy. She spoke of her fears of dying alone behind bars in recent interviews with the Guardian, and is one of tens of thousands of older and at-risk prisoners who have been pleading for some form of clemency in response to Covid-19. Since March, 40 prisoners have died and those numbers are expected to increase in the coming weeks. “For the past 23 years, I’ve had this burden in my heart every day. I could not live fully thinking about my sister in prison,” said Chantel Bonet, who years earlier moved to the city of Corona, where the prison is located, so she could be closer to her sister. “Now that burden is lifted.” Wright, a survivor of domestic violence, was accused of hiring someone to kill her abusive husband but has maintained her innocence. She is one of many women convicted of murder under US laws that have faced widespread scrutiny for targeting victims of abuse. She was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, meaning this kind of direct action from the governor was her only option. California releases cancer patient Patricia Wright from prison amid Covid-19 outbreak Read more
21 Jul 2020 00.10 BST David Smith Donald Trump has bestowed his good wishes on Ghislaine Maxwell, who faces federal charges for allegedly enabling disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking of minor girls. At a press conference ostensibly to discuss the coronavirus crisis gripping the US on Tuesday, Trump took questions from reporters, one of whom asked him about Maxwell’s recent arrest and whether she might implicate some of the “powerful men” who formed part of Epstein’s jet set social circle. “I don’t know – I haven’t really been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly,” Trump responded. “I have met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is.” Maxwell, a longtime associate of Epstein, was arrested earlier this month and charged with conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and perjury.
Epstein was arrested last July and killed himself in federal jail in August. His death sparked a flurry of speculation about what he knew about the powerful figures from the worlds of politics, science and entertainment with whom he had frequently associated, including figures like Trump, former president Bill Clinton and Britain’s Prince Andrew. Responding to the reporter’s question, Trump concluded by saying: “I don’t know the situation with Prince Andrew. Just don’t know. Not aware of it.” Donald Trump on Ghislaine Maxwell: 'I wish her well' Read more
21 Jul 2020 23.55 BST On CNN, Nancy Pelosi is referring to the coronavirus as the “Trump virus” castigating the administration’s response to the pandemic. The president has taken to using a racist term to describe to novel coronavirus, including that his briefing today, pinning the blame on China for the pandemic.
Updated at 23.59 BST
21 Jul 2020 23.21 BST Ed Pilkington The United States is failing to report vital information on Covid-19 that could help track the spread of the disease and prevent the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans, according to the first comprehensive review of the nation’s coronavirus data. The report, Tracking Covid-19 in the United States, paints a bleak picture of the country’s response to the disease. Five months into the pandemic, the essential intelligence that would allow public health authorities to get to grips with the virus is still not being compiled in usable form. That includes critical data on testing, contact tracing, new cases and deaths. What the authors call “life-and-death information” is being pulled together haphazardly by individual states in a way that is “inconsistent, incomplete and inaccessible in most locations”. Without such intelligence the country is effectively walking blind, with very little chance of getting “our children to school in the fall, ourselves back to work, our economy restarted, and preventing tens of thousands of deaths”. 'Flying blind': US failure to report vital coronavirus data is hobbling response Read more
21 Jul 2020 23.00 BST Circling back to testing ... Trump, who has been boasting about the country’s coronavirus testing for months, was right in saying that the US has dramatically ramped up testing and is now testing a higher proportion of citizens than many other countries. But that’s in part because there are so many cases in the US – the bigger the outbreak, the more testing is needed to contain and suppress the virus. The US is now administering more tests per 100,000 people than South Korea and Germany. But a smaller proportion of those tests are coming back positive in the latter two countries.
Updated at 23.05 BST
21 Jul 2020 22.47 BST One non-coronavirus line from that presser that stood out: Trump on Ghislaine Maxwell, the Jeffrey Epstein associate charged with sex trafficking of minors. Trump’s response when asked about her: “I wish her well.”
Updated at 23.05 BST


theguardian--2020-07-21--Trump admits pandemic will 'get worse' at first Covid-19 briefing in months

Donald Trump has admitted that the coronavirus pandemic is likely to “ get worse before it gets better ” at his first press briefing devoted to the issue since April .
Facing dire poll numbers , surging cases and sharp criticism for lack of leadership , the US president returned to the White House podium attempting to show more discipline in both style and substance .
In several notable reversals , he urged people to wear face masks , promised his administration was working on a “ strategy ” and wrapped up in less than half an hour , avoiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a proposal to inject disinfectant in Covid-19 patients .
The pandemic will “ probably , unfortunately , get worse before it gets better ” , Trump said , reading from scripted remarks .
“ Something I don ’ t like saying about things , but that ’ s the way it is.
” It was a marked shift from his claims last month the virus is “ fading away ” and “ dying out ” .
And having once dismissed its remnants as “ embers ” , he now conceded that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors .
“ We have embers and fires and we have big fires and unfortunately now , Florida is a little tough or in a big tough position , ” he said .
“ You have a great governor there , great governor in Texas.
” Trump has been widely condemned for failing to lead with a national strategy and instead shifting responsibility to state governors .
Among the problems is a lack of infrastructure to process and trace test results , leaving people waiting seven days or longer .
On Tuesday he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process of developing a strategy that ’ s going to be very , very powerful .
We have developed it as we go along.
” After months of refusing to wear a mask in public , Trump finally did so on 11 July and has since claimed it is patriotic .
“ We ’ re asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance , wear a mask , ” he said .
“ Get a mask , whether you like the mask or not , they have an impact .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we need everything we can get.
” Producing a mask from his suit pocket , he added : “ I carry the mask ...
I have the mask right here .
I carry it and I will use it gladly.
” The belated appeal was insufficient to placate the president ’ s critics , however .
Heather McGhee , the co-chair of the civil rights group Color of Change , told the MSNBC network : “ This is three months too late and 30 or 40,000 lives lost too late.
” Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump also offered upbeat words about a reduction in deaths and progress on vaccines and treatments for Covid-19 .
“ The vaccines are coming , and they ’ re coming a lot sooner than anybody thought possible , ” he said .
He also repeatedly used the racist term “ China virus ” and recycled his promise that one day “ it will disappear ” .
More than 3.8 million cases have been reported in the US , including 141,000 deaths .
The briefing was the latest of several attempts to relaunch Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after months of shifting from apparent denial to a “ wartime ” footing to a focus on the economy and other topics .
Trump has previewed the briefings as having a good “ slot ” at 5pm that previously boasted strong “ ratings ” .
But on Tuesday , he was not joined by Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious diseases expert , who had told an interviewer he was not invited , nor by the response coordinator , Deborah Birx , whom Trump claimed was “ right outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested that briefings have returned , albeit in a different form , in an attempt to dominate the media limelight at the expense of Trump ’ s election rival , Joe Biden .
Asked whether he thinks Americans should judge him in November on his handling of the pandemic , Trump replied : “ This , among other things .
I think the American people will judge us on this .
But they ’ ll judge us on the economy that I created.
” Earlier on Tuesday , Biden reiterated his criticism of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ His own staff admits that Donald Trump fails the most important test of being the American president : the duty to care – for you , for all of us , ” the former vice-president said in New Castle , Delaware .
“ He has quit on you and he has quit on this country .
”

Donald Trump has admitted that the coronavirus pandemic is likely to “get worse before it gets better” at his first press briefing devoted to the issue since April.
Facing dire poll numbers, surging cases and sharp criticism for lack of leadership, the US president returned to the White House podium attempting to show more discipline in both style and substance.
In several notable reversals, he urged people to wear face masks, promised his administration was working on a “strategy” and wrapped up in less than half an hour, avoiding his digressions in past briefings that culminated in a proposal to inject disinfectant in Covid-19 patients.
The pandemic will “probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better”, Trump said, reading from scripted remarks. “Something I don’t like saying about things, but that’s the way it is.”
It was a marked shift from his claims last month the virus is “fading away” and “dying out”. And having once dismissed its remnants as “embers”, he now conceded that it is raging in states led by Republican governors.
“We have embers and fires and we have big fires and unfortunately now, Florida is a little tough or in a big tough position,” he said. “You have a great governor there, great governor in Texas.”
Trump has been widely condemned for failing to lead with a national strategy and instead shifting responsibility to state governors. Among the problems is a lack of infrastructure to process and trace test results, leaving people waiting seven days or longer.
On Tuesday he claimed: “We are in the process of developing a strategy that’s going to be very, very powerful. We have developed it as we go along.”
After months of refusing to wear a mask in public, Trump finally did so on 11 July and has since claimed it is patriotic. “We’re asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask,” he said. “Get a mask, whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact. They’ll have an effect, and we need everything we can get.”
Producing a mask from his suit pocket, he added: “I carry the mask ... I have the mask right here. I carry it and I will use it gladly.”
The belated appeal was insufficient to placate the president’s critics, however. Heather McGhee, the co-chair of the civil rights group Color of Change, told the MSNBC network: “This is three months too late and 30 or 40,000 lives lost too late.”
Despite the more subdued and realistic tone, Trump also offered upbeat words about a reduction in deaths and progress on vaccines and treatments for Covid-19. “The vaccines are coming, and they’re coming a lot sooner than anybody thought possible,” he said.
He also repeatedly used the racist term “China virus” and recycled his promise that one day “it will disappear”.
More than 3.8 million cases have been reported in the US, including 141,000 deaths. The briefing was the latest of several attempts to relaunch Trump’s public response to the pandemic, after months of shifting from apparent denial to a “wartime” footing to a focus on the economy and other topics.
Trump has previewed the briefings as having a good “slot” at 5pm that previously boasted strong “ratings”. But on Tuesday, he was not joined by Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, who had told an interviewer he was not invited, nor by the response coordinator, Deborah Birx, whom Trump claimed was “right outside” the briefing room.
Critics have suggested that briefings have returned, albeit in a different form, in an attempt to dominate the media limelight at the expense of Trump’s election rival, Joe Biden. Asked whether he thinks Americans should judge him in November on his handling of the pandemic, Trump replied: “This, among other things. I think the American people will judge us on this. But they’ll judge us on the economy that I created.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Biden reiterated his criticism of Trump’s response to the pandemic. “His own staff admits that Donald Trump fails the most important test of being the American president: the duty to care – for you, for all of us,” the former vice-president said in New Castle, Delaware. “He has quit on you and he has quit on this country.”


theguardian--2020-07-21--UK records 110 new deaths – as it happened

Helen Sullivan (now); Kevin Rawlinson, Aamna Mohdin, Amy Walker, Josh Halliday and Alison Rourke (earlier)


theguardian--2020-07-21--Trump orders undocumented immigrants excluded from key census count

Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Tuesday instructing the US Census Bureau to exclude undocumented immigrants from the population totals that determine how many seats in Congress each state gets .
It ’ s an unprecedented move that seems to be an attempt to preserve white political power .
The American Civil Liberties Union said immediately that it would sue and the action is likely to be met with a flood of legal challenges .
The Trump administration appears to be on shaky legal ground – the US constitution requires seats in Congress to be apportioned based on the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each state during each decennial census .
The constitution vests Congress with power over the census ( though Congress has since designated some of that authority to the executive ) .
Republicans in recent years have been pushing to exclude non-citizens and other people ineligible to vote from the tally used to draw electoral districts .
In 2015 , Thomas Hofeller , a top Republican redistricting expert , explicitly wrote that such a change “ would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites ” .
The White House memo , titled “ Excluding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 Census , ” argues that the term “ person ” in the constitution really means “ inhabitant ” and that the president has discretion to define what that means .
The memo also argues that allowing undocumented people to count rewards states with high numbers of undocumented people .
“ My administration will not support giving congressional representation to aliens who enter or remain in the country unlawfully , because doing so would create perverse incentives and undermine our system of government , ” Trump said in a statement .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power to people who are here temporarily , we should not give political power to people who should not be here at all.
” Nancy Pelosi , the House speaker , said the House would “ vigorously contest ” the order .
“ By seeking to exclude undocumented immigrants from being counted in the 2020 census , the president is violating the constitution and the rule of law , ” Pelosi said in a statement .
The White House ’ s interpretation is likely to be strongly challenged in court .
Experts have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t exist when the constitution was written .
Immigration early in America was relatively “ free and open ” .
US Customs and Immigration Services says on its website the federal government began to regulate it in the 19th century .
“ If those are the best arguments they have , they ’ re dead in the water , ” said Thomas Wolf , a lawyer at the Brennan Center for Justice who works on census issues .
“ There ’ s no way to get around the fundamental command of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the constitution , to count everyone.
” The legal rationale for the memo is so specious , Wolf said the motivation behind the memo might not be to enact it .
He speculated the Trump administration may be trying to create uncertainty or confusion among immigrants already wary of responding to the census .
It is not clear how the Trump administration will exclude undocumented people from the decennial census , which is being conducted right now , and does not ask about citizenship .
The decision doesn ’ t directly affect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , already facing significant challenges because of Covid-19 , but it is likely to cause more headaches for officials and advocates trying to convince Americans that it is safe to respond to the census after the Trump administration unsuccessfully sought to add a question asking about citizenship to the census last year , saying the data was needed to enforce the Voting Rights Act .
The supreme court blocked the question from appearing on the survey , saying the rationale “ seems to have been contrived ” .
But advocates said they still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to trust the census , which must keep individual information private for 72 years .
Many households may have mixed immigration status , and the Trump administration ’ s efforts could make those people more fearful of responding .
And the administration has instructed federal agencies to use existing federal records to determine citizenship status .
The Census Bureau has also begun collecting some driver ’ s license records to aid in that effort , according to NPR .
There are an estimated 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican-friendly states , such as Texas , Florida and Georgia , have considerable populations of undocumented immigrants and could be negatively impacted by Trump ’ s order .
“ The constitution requires that everyone in the US be counted in the census .
President Trump can ’ t pick and choose , ” said Dale Ho , the director of the ACLU ’ s voting rights project , who argued the citizenship question case to the supreme court .
“ His latest attempt to weaponize the census for an attack on immigrant communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll see him in court , and win , again.
” In 2016 , the supreme court said that states were not required to draw districts based only on the population of eligible voters , ruling against a group of voters , backed by a prominent conservative strategist , who said the state was required to do so .
The supreme court left an open question as to whether states could choose to draw districts just based on eligible voters .
The issue is expected to return to the supreme court in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting the entire population in the basis for electoral districts dilutes the influence of eligible voters , a fundamental part of American democracy has long been that elected officials should serve roughly the same number of constituents , regardless of whether those constituents can vote or not .

Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Tuesday instructing the US Census Bureau to exclude undocumented immigrants from the population totals that determine how many seats in Congress each state gets. It’s an unprecedented move that seems to be an attempt to preserve white political power.
The American Civil Liberties Union said immediately that it would sue and the action is likely to be met with a flood of legal challenges. The Trump administration appears to be on shaky legal ground – the US constitution requires seats in Congress to be apportioned based on the “whole number of persons” counted in each state during each decennial census. The constitution vests Congress with power over the census (though Congress has since designated some of that authority to the executive).
Republicans in recent years have been pushing to exclude non-citizens and other people ineligible to vote from the tally used to draw electoral districts. In 2015, Thomas Hofeller, a top Republican redistricting expert, explicitly wrote that such a change “would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites”.
The White House memo, titled “Excluding Illegal Aliens From the Apportionment Base Following the 2020 Census,” argues that the term “person” in the constitution really means “inhabitant” and that the president has discretion to define what that means. The memo also argues that allowing undocumented people to count rewards states with high numbers of undocumented people.
“My administration will not support giving congressional representation to aliens who enter or remain in the country unlawfully, because doing so would create perverse incentives and undermine our system of government,” Trump said in a statement. “Just as we do not give political power to people who are here temporarily, we should not give political power to people who should not be here at all.”
Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, said the House would “vigorously contest” the order.
“By seeking to exclude undocumented immigrants from being counted in the 2020 census, the president is violating the constitution and the rule of law,” Pelosi said in a statement.
The White House’s interpretation is likely to be strongly challenged in court. Experts have said that the idea of illegal immigration didn’t exist when the constitution was written. Immigration early in America was relatively “free and open”. US Customs and Immigration Services says on its website the federal government began to regulate it in the 19th century.
Here is a legal opinion in 1989 from the Bush DOJ stating all persons must be counted in the Census. William Barr was AAG and head of OLC, and surely had to approve this opinion about legislation in Congress. https://t.co/O6rfpRCwq6 pic.twitter.com/a2lzu9G8C2 — Steve Jost (@JostSteve) July 21, 2020
“If those are the best arguments they have, they’re dead in the water,” said Thomas Wolf, a lawyer at the Brennan Center for Justice who works on census issues. “There’s no way to get around the fundamental command of the constitution, on the plain text of the constitution, to count everyone.”
The legal rationale for the memo is so specious, Wolf said the motivation behind the memo might not be to enact it. He speculated the Trump administration may be trying to create uncertainty or confusion among immigrants already wary of responding to the census.
It is not clear how the Trump administration will exclude undocumented people from the decennial census, which is being conducted right now, and does not ask about citizenship. The decision doesn’t directly affect the day-to-day operations of the ongoing census, already facing significant challenges because of Covid-19, but it is likely to cause more headaches for officials and advocates trying to convince Americans that it is safe to respond to the census after the Trump administration unsuccessfully sought to add a question asking about citizenship to the census last year, saying the data was needed to enforce the Voting Rights Act.
The supreme court blocked the question from appearing on the survey, saying the rationale “seems to have been contrived”. But advocates said they still faced obstacles convincing immigrants it was safe to trust the census, which must keep individual information private for 72 years. Many households may have mixed immigration status, and the Trump administration’s efforts could make those people more fearful of responding. And the administration has instructed federal agencies to use existing federal records to determine citizenship status. The Census Bureau has also begun collecting some driver’s license records to aid in that effort, according to NPR.
There are an estimated 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States, according to the Pew research center. Many Republican-friendly states, such as Texas, Florida and Georgia, have considerable populations of undocumented immigrants and could be negatively impacted by Trump’s order.
“The constitution requires that everyone in the US be counted in the census. President Trump can’t pick and choose,” said Dale Ho, the director of the ACLU’s voting rights project, who argued the citizenship question case to the supreme court. “His latest attempt to weaponize the census for an attack on immigrant communities will be found unconstitutional. We’ll see him in court, and win, again.”
In 2016, the supreme court said that states were not required to draw districts based only on the population of eligible voters, ruling against a group of voters, backed by a prominent conservative strategist, who said the state was required to do so. The supreme court left an open question as to whether states could choose to draw districts just based on eligible voters. The issue is expected to return to the supreme court in the coming years.
While Republicans argue that counting the entire population in the basis for electoral districts dilutes the influence of eligible voters, a fundamental part of American democracy has long been that elected officials should serve roughly the same number of constituents, regardless of whether those constituents can vote or not.


theguardian--2020-07-21--Donald Trump to resume coronavirus briefings as approval ratings plummet

With Donald Trump ’ s approval rating plummeting as coronavirus cases in the US continue to rise , the president plans to resume daily briefings on the pandemic at the White House on Tuesday .
Keenly aware of the need to change perceptions of how he is handling the virus if he hopes to win re-election , Trump also came out for the first time on Monday as a supporter of facial masks .
Trump tweeted a picture of himself wearing a mask with the line : “ Many people say that it is patriotic to wear a face mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed on Tuesday the president had “ been consistent ” about the need to wear masks but in truth it represented a whiplash reversal by Trump , who was facing a Republican mutiny .
Governors in 28 states have now made mask-wearing in public mandatory as virus cases have exploded across the south and west , mostly in states governed by Republicans .
The US recorded about 60,000 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday , up more than 30 % in the last two weeks for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deaths over the same period are up 64 % and total confirmed deaths have passed 140,000 .
For months , Trump has punished and exiled public health experts such as Dr Anthony Fauci , the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , who have advanced basic recommendations such as mask-wearing and hand-washing .
Trump ’ s mockery of his election rival Joe Biden for wearing a mask and his own refusal to wear one in the 19 weeks since the World Health Organization declared a pandemic helped to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provoke violent clashes in shops and streets .
But aides have reportedly shown polling to Trump demonstrating that he is out of step with the public .
Eight out of 10 Americans , and 66 % of Republicans , say they wear a mask all or most of the time when they leave home , an ABC News-Washington Post poll last week found .
The poll also found that only 38 % of Americans approve of Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic , down 13 points from March , and 60 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unknown whether Trump ’ s plan to reverse those numbers includes any new action to fight the coronavirus .
As the reality of the pandemic has settled in , criticism of the federal government ’ s failure to establish routine testing , contact tracing and supported isolation has intensified .
As negotiations continue over a new stimulus and relief package for the battered US economy , the White House is widely reported to want to cut new funding for testing and tracing and other efforts against the pandemic .
While Senate Republicans aim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is pushing for a payroll tax cut , a move which would hit social security and Medicare in the middle of a public health crisis .
But with the resumption of daily briefings by the coronavirus taskforce , which ran from February to mid-April and featured an astounding mix of harmful lies by Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence , the president hopes to recover some credibility .
“ Well , we had very successful briefings , ” Trump said on Monday .
“ I was doing them and we had a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The briefings were abruptly discontinued in mid-April after a Trump riff in which he asked advisers to look into whether light could be “ brought inside the body ” , and whether with disinfectant , “ We can do something like that , by injection inside or almost a cleaning ?
” The format of the new briefings , and the extent to which they will include experts such as Fauci , is unclear .
The White House recently launched outright attacks on Fauci by publishing an op-ed signed by one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Fauci has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on ” and by releasing a file of opposition research to the Washington Post .
Speaking to NPR on Tuesday , Fauci said he was “ very pleased to see the president wearing a mask and tweeting about wearing mask ” .
He also said he could not guarantee he would be part of the new briefings , indicating that was up to the White House .
He would not mind if he was not , he said , “ as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
Trump might be mistaken in his calculation that briefings can restore approval in his handing of the pandemic .
While that approval was higher in late March , when Trump declared that the virus would be defeated “ by Easter ” , it was already in freefall when the briefings were ended , a Post analysis found .
Trump ’ s overall approval sits at about 40 % , near the low end of the narrow band in which it has fluctuated since he was elected .
Historically , no incumbent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at or near 50 % – although no one discounts the possibility of a second Trump victory via the electoral college .
The masks tweet notwithstanding , Trump ’ s recent public statements about the pandemic have not built confidence in his leadership .
Trump has threatened to cut funding for schools that do not fully reopen in the fall , a step most Americans think would be unsafe .
And the president ’ s sky-is-green denial of the basic facts and dangers of the virus continues even as an increasing number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview with Fox News Sunday , Trump repeated his assertion that the virus would simply “ disappear ” .
“ I ’ ll be right eventually , ” Trump told host Chris Wallace .
“ It is going to disappear .
I ’ ll say it again , it ’ s going to disappear and I ’ ll be right .
”

With Donald Trump’s approval rating plummeting as coronavirus cases in the US continue to rise, the president plans to resume daily briefings on the pandemic at the White House on Tuesday.
Keenly aware of the need to change perceptions of how he is handling the virus if he hopes to win re-election, Trump also came out for the first time on Monday as a supporter of facial masks.
Trump tweeted a picture of himself wearing a mask with the line: “Many people say that it is patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed on Tuesday the president had “been consistent” about the need to wear masks but in truth it represented a whiplash reversal by Trump, who was facing a Republican mutiny. Governors in 28 states have now made mask-wearing in public mandatory as virus cases have exploded across the south and west, mostly in states governed by Republicans.
The US recorded about 60,000 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, up more than 30% in the last two weeks for a total of more than 3.8m. Deaths over the same period are up 64% and total confirmed deaths have passed 140,000.
For months, Trump has punished and exiled public health experts such as Dr Anthony Fauci, the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who have advanced basic recommendations such as mask-wearing and hand-washing.
Trump’s mockery of his election rival Joe Biden for wearing a mask and his own refusal to wear one in the 19 weeks since the World Health Organization declared a pandemic helped to create a partisan divide on mask-wearing and provoke violent clashes in shops and streets.
But aides have reportedly shown polling to Trump demonstrating that he is out of step with the public. Eight out of 10 Americans, and 66% of Republicans, say they wear a mask all or most of the time when they leave home, an ABC News-Washington Post poll last week found.
The poll also found that only 38% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, down 13 points from March, and 60% disapprove, up 15.
It is unknown whether Trump’s plan to reverse those numbers includes any new action to fight the coronavirus. As the reality of the pandemic has settled in, criticism of the federal government’s failure to establish routine testing, contact tracing and supported isolation has intensified.
As negotiations continue over a new stimulus and relief package for the battered US economy, the White House is widely reported to want to cut new funding for testing and tracing and other efforts against the pandemic. While Senate Republicans aim to reduce special unemployment payments, Trump is pushing for a payroll tax cut, a move which would hit social security and Medicare in the middle of a public health crisis.
Dr Anthony Fauci said he was pleased Trump was now wearing a mask but did not know if he would attend the new briefings. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
But with the resumption of daily briefings by the coronavirus taskforce, which ran from February to mid-April and featured an astounding mix of harmful lies by Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence, the president hopes to recover some credibility.
“Well, we had very successful briefings,” Trump said on Monday. “I was doing them and we had a lot of people watching. Record numbers watching.”
The briefings were abruptly discontinued in mid-April after a Trump riff in which he asked advisers to look into whether light could be “brought inside the body”, and whether with disinfectant, “We can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?”
The format of the new briefings, and the extent to which they will include experts such as Fauci, is unclear. The White House recently launched outright attacks on Fauci by publishing an op-ed signed by one of the president’s top aides titled “Anthony Fauci has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on” and by releasing a file of opposition research to the Washington Post.
Speaking to NPR on Tuesday, Fauci said he was “very pleased to see the president wearing a mask and tweeting about wearing mask”. He also said he could not guarantee he would be part of the new briefings, indicating that was up to the White House. He would not mind if he was not, he said, “as long as we get the message across”.
Trump might be mistaken in his calculation that briefings can restore approval in his handing of the pandemic. While that approval was higher in late March, when Trump declared that the virus would be defeated “by Easter”, it was already in freefall when the briefings were ended, a Post analysis found.
Trump’s overall approval sits at about 40%, near the low end of the narrow band in which it has fluctuated since he was elected. Historically, no incumbent has won re-election without an approval rating at or near 50% – although no one discounts the possibility of a second Trump victory via the electoral college.
The masks tweet notwithstanding, Trump’s recent public statements about the pandemic have not built confidence in his leadership. Trump has threatened to cut funding for schools that do not fully reopen in the fall, a step most Americans think would be unsafe.
And the president’s sky-is-green denial of the basic facts and dangers of the virus continues even as an increasing number of Americans experience Covid-19 first-hand. In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Trump repeated his assertion that the virus would simply “disappear”.
“I’ll be right eventually,” Trump told host Chris Wallace. “It is going to disappear. I’ll say it again, it’s going to disappear and I’ll be right.”


theguardian--2020-07-21--Mike Pompeo praises UK decision to remove Huawei from 5G network

The US secretary of state , Mike Pompeo , has praised the UK government ’ s decision to remove Huawei from the UK ’ s 5G network , as he urged like-minded countries to “ push back ” against the actions of Beijing .
Speaking alongside the foreign secretary , Dominic Raab , after the pair held talks , Pompeo launched a strongly worded attack on China , including over the Covid-19 pandemic , which he called “ preventable ” .
“ The Chinese Communist party ’ s exploitation of this pandemic to further its own aims has been disgraceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than helping the world , general secretary Xi [ Jinping ] has shown the world the party ’ s true face.
” The US ’ s relations with Beijing have soured dramatically during Donald Trump ’ s presidency .
The UK government had come under significant pressure from Washington , as well as from Conservative backbenchers , over the role of Huawei , and announced last week it would drive out the Chinese provider from the 5G network by 2027 .
Pompeo welcomed that decision , and the suspension of the UK ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Raab announced on Monday .
The UK has also promised that up to 3 million Hong Kong residents will be offered the chance to settle in the UK , and a path to permanent citizenship .
“ We support those sovereign choices : we think , well done , ” Pompeo said .
Criticising China ’ s actions in a series of areas , he said : “ You can ’ t go and make claim to maritime regions that you have no lawful claim to .
You can ’ t threaten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You can ’ t engage in cover-ups and co-opt international institutions like the World Health Organization.
” Asked if he would like to see the UK go further , he said : “ We want to see every nation who understands freedom and democracy and values that , and knows that it ’ s important to their own people , to their own sovereign country , to understand the threat that the Chinese Communist party is posing to them , and to work both themselves and collectively to restore what is rightfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not about language , it ’ s not about words ; we want every nation to work together to push back against the Chinese Communist party ’ s efforts in every dimension that I have mentioned today.
” Trump has been involved in a high-stakes trade war with China for months over allegations of industrial espionage and currency manipulation .
But in recent weeks Washington has also imposed sanctions on high-level Chinese officials over human rights abuses against the Muslim minority Uighur people in the western region of Xinjiang .
China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liu Xiaoming , defended his country ’ s human rights record on Sunday , insisting the Uighur people live in “ peaceful and harmonious coexistence with other ethnic groups ” , as he was confronted with footage of shackled prisoners being herded on to trains .

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has praised the UK government’s decision to remove Huawei from the UK’s 5G network, as he urged like-minded countries to “push back” against the actions of Beijing.
Speaking alongside the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, after the pair held talks, Pompeo launched a strongly worded attack on China, including over the Covid-19 pandemic, which he called “preventable”.
“The Chinese Communist party’s exploitation of this pandemic to further its own aims has been disgraceful,” Pompeo said. “Rather than helping the world, general secretary Xi [Jinping] has shown the world the party’s true face.”
The US’s relations with Beijing have soured dramatically during Donald Trump’s presidency.
The UK government had come under significant pressure from Washington, as well as from Conservative backbenchers, over the role of Huawei, and announced last week it would drive out the Chinese provider from the 5G network by 2027.
'Well done': Mike Pompeo congratulates UK and Dominic Raab on Huawei decision – video
Pompeo welcomed that decision, and the suspension of the UK’s extradition treaty with Hong Kong, which Raab announced on Monday.
The UK has also promised that up to 3 million Hong Kong residents will be offered the chance to settle in the UK, and a path to permanent citizenship. “We support those sovereign choices: we think, well done,” Pompeo said.
Criticising China’s actions in a series of areas, he said: “You can’t go and make claim to maritime regions that you have no lawful claim to. You can’t threaten countries and bully them in the Himalayas. You can’t engage in cover-ups and co-opt international institutions like the World Health Organization.”
Asked if he would like to see the UK go further, he said: “We want to see every nation who understands freedom and democracy and values that, and knows that it’s important to their own people, to their own sovereign country, to understand the threat that the Chinese Communist party is posing to them, and to work both themselves and collectively to restore what is rightfully ours.”
He added: “It’s not about language, it’s not about words; we want every nation to work together to push back against the Chinese Communist party’s efforts in every dimension that I have mentioned today.”
Trump has been involved in a high-stakes trade war with China for months over allegations of industrial espionage and currency manipulation.
But in recent weeks Washington has also imposed sanctions on high-level Chinese officials over human rights abuses against the Muslim minority Uighur people in the western region of Xinjiang.
China’s ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, defended his country’s human rights record on Sunday, insisting the Uighur people live in “peaceful and harmonious coexistence with other ethnic groups”, as he was confronted with footage of shackled prisoners being herded on to trains.


theguardian--2020-07-21--The Guardian view on rethinking China: right, but not because the US says so | Editorial

Mike Pompeo ’ s remark that Britain was making its own “ sovereign choices ” in dealing with China might have sounded better had he not concluded with a pat on the head : “ We think – well done.
” The US secretary of state ’ s visit to London highlighted the complications of the government ’ s toughened stance .
The hardening of attitudes towards China , seen throughout much of the west and elsewhere , has been driven primarily by Beijing ’ s increasing repression at home and forcefulness internationally .
Much of the shift is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to extend the arms embargo on mainland China – which covers equipment potentially used for internal repression – to Hong Kong , and to suspend the extradition treaty with the region .
Britain could hardly have done otherwise , given not only its historical responsibility , but also the extraordinary reach and draconian nature of the national security law .
China has warned that there will be consequences .
These decisions follow the U-turn banning Huawei from the UK ’ s 5G network , and the welcoming of Hong Kongers eligible for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And MPs – including the Conservative backbenchers who met Mr Pompeo on Tuesday – are pushing for further action , ranging from sanctions on officials involved in human rights abuses to reviews of Chinese involvement in British nuclear power and influence on higher education .
When Boris Johnson promised he would not become “ a kneejerk Sinophobe ” , it was a sensible sentiment .
But one question is whether the prime minister was serious , or whether the phrase was a euphemism for getting back to business when possible – perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US is signed , or Donald Trump has left the White House .
Britain has reportedly hinted to Huawei that not only was its arm twisted by Washington , but also that things might look different for the Chinese firm in future .
Another question is whether such an approach is feasible while Britain spurns the European Union and the Trump administration , with its unwieldy mix of ideological fervour and political calculation on China , remains in place .
Though the US president would happily bargain away human rights concerns for trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as though they want a new cold war .
It would be a grave mistake for Britain to adopt the kind of policies that the US is reportedly weighing , such as a sweeping travel ban on the 90 million members of the Communist party of China and their families .
In a one-party state , people join for many reasons .
Li Wenliang , the whistleblower doctor in Wuhan , was a member .
So was the jailed Uighur intellectual Ilham Tohti .
Others in the US have called for a ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – an absurd overreaction that fosters broader suspicion of all Chinese people and entities .
Already , coronavirus has led to harassment of , and attacks on , Chinese and other Asian people globally .
Britain can and should go further on China .
Young Hong Kong pro-democracy activists who do not qualify for BNO passports will need help .
The foreign secretary ’ s condemnation of “ gross and egregious ” human rights abuses in Xinjiang was overdue ; targeting companies and officials for their actions there is another step .
China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and certain to seek retaliation .
So the approach must be considered , consistent , and in concert with like-minded countries .
There are , sensibly , growing efforts for democracies to cooperate in dealing with China .
But this should not mean obedience to every demand from the US , or an echoing of its excesses .

Mike Pompeo’s remark that Britain was making its own “sovereign choices” in dealing with China might have sounded better had he not concluded with a pat on the head: “We think – well done.”
The US secretary of state’s visit to London highlighted the complications of the government’s toughened stance. The hardening of attitudes towards China, seen throughout much of the west and elsewhere, has been driven primarily by Beijing’s increasing repression at home and forcefulness internationally. Much of the shift is a sensible recalibration. The government was right to extend the arms embargo on mainland China – which covers equipment potentially used for internal repression – to Hong Kong, and to suspend the extradition treaty with the region. Britain could hardly have done otherwise, given not only its historical responsibility, but also the extraordinary reach and draconian nature of the national security law.
China has warned that there will be consequences. These decisions follow the U-turn banning Huawei from the UK’s 5G network, and the welcoming of Hong Kongers eligible for a British national overseas (BNO) passport. And MPs – including the Conservative backbenchers who met Mr Pompeo on Tuesday – are pushing for further action, ranging from sanctions on officials involved in human rights abuses to reviews of Chinese involvement in British nuclear power and influence on higher education.
When Boris Johnson promised he would not become “a kneejerk Sinophobe”, it was a sensible sentiment. But one question is whether the prime minister was serious, or whether the phrase was a euphemism for getting back to business when possible – perhaps once a free trade deal with the US is signed, or Donald Trump has left the White House. Britain has reportedly hinted to Huawei that not only was its arm twisted by Washington, but also that things might look different for the Chinese firm in future.
Another question is whether such an approach is feasible while Britain spurns the European Union and the Trump administration, with its unwieldy mix of ideological fervour and political calculation on China, remains in place. Though the US president would happily bargain away human rights concerns for trade concessions, Mr Pompeo and others talk as though they want a new cold war. It would be a grave mistake for Britain to adopt the kind of policies that the US is reportedly weighing, such as a sweeping travel ban on the 90 million members of the Communist party of China and their families. In a one-party state, people join for many reasons. Li Wenliang, the whistleblower doctor in Wuhan, was a member. So was the jailed Uighur intellectual Ilham Tohti. Others in the US have called for a ban on all Chinese science and technology students – an absurd overreaction that fosters broader suspicion of all Chinese people and entities. Already, coronavirus has led to harassment of, and attacks on, Chinese and other Asian people globally.
Britain can and should go further on China. Young Hong Kong pro-democracy activists who do not qualify for BNO passports will need help. The foreign secretary’s condemnation of “gross and egregious” human rights abuses in Xinjiang was overdue; targeting companies and officials for their actions there is another step. China is unlikely to dramatically change course, and certain to seek retaliation. So the approach must be considered, consistent, and in concert with like-minded countries. There are, sensibly, growing efforts for democracies to cooperate in dealing with China. But this should not mean obedience to every demand from the US, or an echoing of its excesses.