theguardian--2020-07-29--Joe Biden’s climate bet – putting jobs first will bring historic change

Faced with a disgruntled climate voter during the primary season who wanted him to be tougher on the oil and gas industry , Joe Biden shot him one of his infamous “ why don ’ t you go vote for someone else ” responses .
But that was six months ago .
Now , as the presumptive Democratic nominee , Biden ’ s environmental credentials are on the upswing , and not just because his presidential opponent is a risk to the global climate fight .
Major environmental groups were delighted by Biden ’ s recent announcement of pledges , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , including to clean up electricity by 2035 and spend $ 2tn on clean energy as quickly as possible within four years .
Some campaigners remain unconvinced that he could be as aggressive as necessary with the fossil fuel industry , but his campaign believes they are on the winning path by connecting the environment with jobs .
“ We really do see these as interlinked , ” Biden ’ s campaign policy director , Stef Feldman , told the Guardian .
“ The climate plan is a jobs plan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a climate plan.
” As the coronavirus pandemic has devastated the US economy and forced millions into unemployment , it has also cleared the way for the next president to rebuild greener .
The Biden message : vote to put Americans back to work installing millions of solar panels and tens of thousands of wind turbines , making the steel for those projects , manufacturing electric vehicles for the world and shipping them from US ports .
But Biden ’ s plan , while significant and historic , would be just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way the nation operates .
That ’ s even without calling for an end to fossil fuels , which science demands but Biden has been careful to avoid overtly doing .
Democrats would need to gain control of the Senate and put more progressives into Congress if they expect to pass Biden ’ s climate measures .
In a nod to the party ’ s left flank , and as a salve to the pandemic ’ s crushing economic blows , Biden has revised his proposal in order to spend more money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eliminate US climate emissions by 2050 .
“ What ’ s going to be possible for President Biden is going to be partially determined by what happens in the other races , ” said Tom Steyer , the Democrat philanthropist who ran against Biden in the primary and is now on his climate advisory council .
“ We ’ re working as hard as possible to push climate champions up and down the ballot.
” Andrew Light , an Obama climate negotiator and fellow at the World Resources Institute , said the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional support , including how Republicans react if he wins .
“ Is it like Obama in 2009 , where the Republicans were just absolutely uniformly saying no to the new president ?
Or is it something where people kind of look at what Trump has done to the Republican party and then go , ‘ right , well , we ’ ve now got to really take this seriously , ’ ” Light said .
Trump ’ s exit from the Paris climate agreement will happen automatically on 4 November , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the second time the US has led the way on negotiations and then pulled out or declined to join .
The US also pushed for the Kyoto protocol , an international treaty in 1997 , but it never ratified its commitments .
To believe the US for a third time , the world will need evidence that Congress is engaged , Light said .
The Biden campaign says that ’ s where he will excel .
“ The vice-president has tremendous experience getting big legislative packages done , ” said Feldman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both major environmental groups and big labor unions .
He has had to walk a fine line to maintain that backing , political observers note .
“ I think it is probably near unprecedented to have a climate and infrastructure plan that receives rave reviews from the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club and the electrical workers union and the auto workers union at the same time , ” she said .
“ That ’ s really the coalition that is needed in order to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Biden ’ s campaign has said his first priority with Congress will be economic recovery , which will include large-scale spending on clean energy jobs .
Climate investments will probably be easier to pass as lawmakers hear from constituents about high unemployment because of the coronavirus .
Polling from the group Data for Progress finds 49 % of voters support a green stimulus .
The idea is less popular with Republicans , with 52 % in opposition .
Jamal Raad , the co-founder of Evergreen Action who worked for Governor Jay Inslee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said “ a successful package will have jobs in every community and will have something for every senator to tell a story back home about ” .
Biden may be hoping that moderate Democrats whose support he will need will be encouraged by his support from major unions .
Lonnie Stephenson , president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers , said he expects to lose some members over endorsing Biden , but the world is changing and workers are already losing jobs as coal plants close around the country .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that climate change is real and there needs to be some progressive action taken to try to address it , ” Stephenson said .
“ At the same time while we ’ re making this transition to new renewables , we ’ ve got thousands of members that work in [ fossil fuel ] generation.
” Stephenson said his group can support Biden because he doesn ’ t want to ban fracking for natural gas or to quickly shut down coal and nuclear plants .
Instead he wants to create jobs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where Stephenson ’ s members could be employed .
Not all organized labor is as positive about Biden , however .
The measures that draw electrical workers to Biden ’ s plan are the same ones that push more vocal climate activists away .
Biden doesn ’ t set a date to phase out drilling for oil and gas – although he would prohibit new drilling on public lands .
He doesn ’ t lay out a timeline for shifting away from gasoline-reliant cars .
And he is mum on limiting fossil fuel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage , even if they are being burned outside the US .
“ This is good , it just needs some improvements , ” said RL Miller , the founder of Climate Hawks Vote who has a seat on the Democratic National Committee .
“ But the places where it needs improvements are , to me , really important.
” Collin Rees , a senior campaigner at Oil Change International , said the environmental community hasn ’ t pressured Biden hard enough on the future of fossil fuels .
“ Biden has made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large strides on clean energy and said absolutely nothing more on fossil fuels recently , ” Rees said .
“ There ’ s a political decision here in which people are afraid of a very small portion of the white working class in Pennsylvania , for instance .
They ’ re using outdated information.
” The world would need to cut emissions 7 % every year this decade to have a hope of keeping temperatures from rising more than 1.5C .
Scientists increasingly warn that the goal is slipping out of reach .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden needs to call for even faster growth in solar and wind power , set specific goals for when new vehicles can no longer emit climate pollution , and move to ban exports of oil and gas .
Those absent elements will be key if Biden wins and the US seeks to reshape how the world perceives the country on climate .
Just re-entering the Paris agreement won ’ t be enough to spur the strong global action that is needed , not now that so many nations have been snubbed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Democratic vice-president who founded the Climate Reality Project , said the US must “ re-establish its historic role as a leader in the international community ” .
“ It ’ s still true we ’ re in a period of history when the US is the only nation that can play that kind of leadership role , ” Gore said .

Faced with a disgruntled climate voter during the primary season who wanted him to be tougher on the oil and gas industry, Joe Biden shot him one of his infamous “why don’t you go vote for someone else” responses.
But that was six months ago.
Now, as the presumptive Democratic nominee, Biden’s environmental credentials are on the upswing, and not just because his presidential opponent is a risk to the global climate fight.
Major environmental groups were delighted by Biden’s recent announcement of pledges, unimaginable in US politics just a few years ago, including to clean up electricity by 2035 and spend $2tn on clean energy as quickly as possible within four years.
Some campaigners remain unconvinced that he could be as aggressive as necessary with the fossil fuel industry, but his campaign believes they are on the winning path by connecting the environment with jobs.
“We really do see these as interlinked,” Biden’s campaign policy director, Stef Feldman, told the Guardian. “The climate plan is a jobs plan. Our jobs plan is, in part, a climate plan.”
As the coronavirus pandemic has devastated the US economy and forced millions into unemployment, it has also cleared the way for the next president to rebuild greener.
The Biden message: vote to put Americans back to work installing millions of solar panels and tens of thousands of wind turbines, making the steel for those projects, manufacturing electric vehicles for the world and shipping them from US ports.
But Biden’s plan, while significant and historic, would be just the beginning of a brutal slog to transform the way the nation operates. That’s even without calling for an end to fossil fuels, which science demands but Biden has been careful to avoid overtly doing.
Climate plans need Democrats to win big
Democrats would need to gain control of the Senate and put more progressives into Congress if they expect to pass Biden’s climate measures. In a nod to the party’s left flank, and as a salve to the pandemic’s crushing economic blows, Biden has revised his proposal in order to spend more money, faster. He wants to essentially eliminate US climate emissions by 2050.
“What’s going to be possible for President Biden is going to be partially determined by what happens in the other races,” said Tom Steyer, the Democrat philanthropist who ran against Biden in the primary and is now on his climate advisory council. “We’re working as hard as possible to push climate champions up and down the ballot.”
Andrew Light, an Obama climate negotiator and fellow at the World Resources Institute, said the world will be closely observing Biden’s congressional support, including how Republicans react if he wins. “Is it like Obama in 2009, where the Republicans were just absolutely uniformly saying no to the new president? Or is it something where people kind of look at what Trump has done to the Republican party and then go, ‘right, well, we’ve now got to really take this seriously,’” Light said.
05:31 Why Trump abandoning the climate fight puts the planet in even more danger – video explainer
Trump’s exit from the Paris climate agreement will happen automatically on 4 November, the day after the election. It will be the second time the US has led the way on negotiations and then pulled out or declined to join. The US also pushed for the Kyoto protocol, an international treaty in 1997, but it never ratified its commitments. To believe the US for a third time, the world will need evidence that Congress is engaged, Light said.
The Biden campaign says that’s where he will excel.
“The vice-president has tremendous experience getting big legislative packages done,” said Feldman, pointing to Biden’s support from both major environmental groups and big labor unions.
He has had to walk a fine line to maintain that backing, political observers note.
“I think it is probably near unprecedented to have a climate and infrastructure plan that receives rave reviews from the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club and the electrical workers union and the auto workers union at the same time,” she said. “That’s really the coalition that is needed in order to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and create good jobs at the same time.”
Biden’s campaign has said his first priority with Congress will be economic recovery, which will include large-scale spending on clean energy jobs.
A wind farm near Fowler, Indiana. Photograph: Tannen Maury/EPA
Green stimulus
Climate investments will probably be easier to pass as lawmakers hear from constituents about high unemployment because of the coronavirus. Polling from the group Data for Progress finds 49% of voters support a green stimulus. The idea is less popular with Republicans, with 52% in opposition.
Jamal Raad, the co-founder of Evergreen Action who worked for Governor Jay Inslee of Washington in his presidential run, said “a successful package will have jobs in every community and will have something for every senator to tell a story back home about”.
Biden may be hoping that moderate Democrats whose support he will need will be encouraged by his support from major unions.
Lonnie Stephenson, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said he expects to lose some members over endorsing Biden, but the world is changing and workers are already losing jobs as coal plants close around the country.
“We’re not climate deniers. We know that climate change is real and there needs to be some progressive action taken to try to address it,” Stephenson said. “At the same time while we’re making this transition to new renewables, we’ve got thousands of members that work in [fossil fuel] generation.”
Stephenson said his group can support Biden because he doesn’t want to ban fracking for natural gas or to quickly shut down coal and nuclear plants. Instead he wants to create jobs in clean energy, including in manufacturing – where Stephenson’s members could be employed. Not all organized labor is as positive about Biden, however.
The measures that draw electrical workers to Biden’s plan are the same ones that push more vocal climate activists away. Biden doesn’t set a date to phase out drilling for oil and gas – although he would prohibit new drilling on public lands. He doesn’t lay out a timeline for shifting away from gasoline-reliant cars. And he is mum on limiting fossil fuel exports, which would still cause climate damage, even if they are being burned outside the US.
“This is good, it just needs some improvements,” said RL Miller, the founder of Climate Hawks Vote who has a seat on the Democratic National Committee. “But the places where it needs improvements are, to me, really important.”
Collin Rees, a senior campaigner at Oil Change International, said the environmental community hasn’t pressured Biden hard enough on the future of fossil fuels.
‘The climate plan is a jobs plan. Our jobs plan is, in part, a climate plan,’ said Stef Feldman, Biden’s campaign policy director. Photograph: Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images
“Biden has made large strides on environmental justice, made large strides on clean energy and said absolutely nothing more on fossil fuels recently,” Rees said. “There’s a political decision here in which people are afraid of a very small portion of the white working class in Pennsylvania, for instance. They’re using outdated information.”
The world would need to cut emissions 7% every year this decade to have a hope of keeping temperatures from rising more than 1.5C. Scientists increasingly warn that the goal is slipping out of reach.
Miller said that to achieve it, Biden needs to call for even faster growth in solar and wind power, set specific goals for when new vehicles can no longer emit climate pollution, and move to ban exports of oil and gas.
Those absent elements will be key if Biden wins and the US seeks to reshape how the world perceives the country on climate.
Just re-entering the Paris agreement won’t be enough to spur the strong global action that is needed, not now that so many nations have been snubbed by the US repeatedly.
Al Gore, the former Democratic vice-president who founded the Climate Reality Project, said the US must “re-establish its historic role as a leader in the international community”.
“It’s still true we’re in a period of history when the US is the only nation that can play that kind of leadership role,” Gore said.


theguardian--2020-07-29--'I failed my fellow Americans': the white women defecting from Trump

Donald Trump ’ s 2016 election win may have been propelled by white working-class men , but another key group in that narrowest of victories was white women with college degrees .
After heavily favoring Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 , enough of these voters broke ranks to help Trump over the line , tipping the balance in crucial states in the midwest and elsewhere .
In 2020 , however , after four years of tumult , there are signs that Trump has not managed to hang on to that constituency .
“ I really failed my fellow American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ m extremely disappointed in myself , and sometimes I am really afraid to talk about it .
“ If I were to vote again for Donald Trump in 2020 , it would be just as much a failure as an American , but also a failure as a human being.
” Luckenbach-Boman was a 19-year-old college student in November 2016 .
From a Republican-voting family , she cast her ballot for Trump in Wisconsin , a swing state which he won by just 22,748 votes .
Voting for her first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as a political outsider , was the change the US needed .
She quickly changed her mind .
“ It was just a few months into his presidency that I realized the biggest mistake I could have made as an American citizen was not informing myself , ” Luckenbach-Boman said .
“ I started hearing that the economy was great .
And I started looking more into that , and I realized that the economy is great for the 1 % , and for the people who aren ’ t really working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day-to-day basis .
“ I watched a lot of people in my life who still support Trump still flounder in finances.
” Despite her regret , Luckenbach-Boman said that vote had “ changed her life ” .
She decided to focus on politics at college , and has worked on two campaigns to register voters this year .
She will vote for Biden in Michigan – another key swing state Trump narrowly won in 2016 – and harbors hopes of one day running for elected office .
Luckenbach-Boman is not alone .
Polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average of 6.4 % in Wisconsin , and 8.4 % in Michigan .
The swing isn ’ t just down to white women with college degrees , but their switch has hurt Trump ’ s chances .
In 2016 , Trump still lost this group , but narrowly .
Exit polls showed him just seven points behind Clinton among college-educated white women .
In June this year , a New York Times poll found Trump trailing Biden by 39 % .
It ’ s a switch that could help propel Biden to victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state where Biden grew up , where he leads Trump , and where he is winning former Trump voters .
“ I just want to apologize to the world , ” said Julie , a fraud manager from Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , who asked that the Guardian not use her real name .
“ I feel so guilty for having a part in voting this moron in.
” Trump clinched a narrow victory in Pennsylvania , beating Clinton by 44,292 votes .
For Julie , it was a combination of concern over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her towards Trump .
“ I didn ’ t think Hillary was honest about wanting to help women , ” Julie said .
“ I just found her very unbelievable , and Trump kept hitting on the one thing that was important to me – decreasing healthcare costs .
She did not.
” Julie , 51 , has three children , two of whom have an autoimmune disease and another who has a chronic digestive disorder , while her husband was forced to stop working after becoming sick .
Her medical bills amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have put her deeply in debt .
This year she finally managed to pay off her bills – from the year 2014 .
“ American healthcare just sucks , and he said he was going to change it , so I wouldn ’ t have such huge co-pays , ” Julie said .
“ By the second year he was in office , I realized my deductible didn ’ t go down at all .
There was no change , whatsoever , my deductible was still astronomically high .
And nothing was being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wary , given what happened in 2016 , of predicting a Biden landslide , polls suggest that with less than 100 days to go till election day , even traditionally red states like Texas are not beyond the Democrat ’ s reach .
Monica Rey Haft , an insurance defense attorney who lives on the outskirts of Dallas , is among the ex-Trump voters hoping for a Biden win .
“ I ’ m riddled with guilt , ” she said .
“ I know it wasn ’ t my vote that single-handedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think with a lot of Republicans it was a lack of checking into it , it was just falling down party lines , it was disgust and disdain for Hillary Clinton and her policies , and I regret that .
I regret that I wasn ’ t more informed.
” Rey Haft has a son in the military , which also influenced her decision – Trump had repeatedly pledged to invest heavily in the armed forces .
She also thought Trump ’ s behavior before and during the election – he attacked a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Carly Fiorina and Ted Cruz ’ s wife Rey Haft – would calm down .
“ I thought it ’ s got ta be a shtick , it can ’ t be real .
I thought he would behave like a human being , that he was gon na change.
” But “ it wasn ’ t even the inauguration ” before Haft changed her mind , she said .
“ Over a few days , it was probably several tweets , or something I heard him say , I thought : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who this person is.
’ And I immediately just thought he wasn ’ t going to be fit.
” The Trump administration ’ s separation of families at the border confirmed Rey Haft ’ s fears , and in November the lifelong Republican voter , has had it with the entire party .
She ’ s voting a “ straight Democratic ticket ” .
In Oklahoma , a solidly Republican state that few expect Biden to win , Nancy Shively , a special education teacher who lives in the outskirts of Tulsa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donating to Democratic candidates , and like Rey Haft plans to vote all blue .
“ I am more angry with the people in power who have enabled Donald Trump than I am with Donald Trump , ” Shively said .
“ Donald Trump is clearly a flawed human being .
He ’ s incapable of having any kind of empathy or thinking about anybody other than himself .
That being said , he could not have wreaked as much damage as he has without other people enabling him to do that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fulfill their constitutional oath is complicit .
And so in my opinion , all of them , with the possible exception of Mitt Romney , need to never hold public office again.
” Shively , 61 , has two autoimmune diseases , and is particularly concerned at the Trump administration ’ s determination to reopen schools in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak .
In Oklahoma , where cases are surging after the state hurried to reopen , the situation is particularly dangerous .
“ As embarrassed as I am that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go back in the classroom , the fact that I voted for him and he has been such a disaster in dealing with this virus , that vote could mean I ’ m not gon na live , ” Shively said .
It has been Trump ’ s failings on coronavirus – as of Tuesday the US had recorded more than 4.2m cases of Covid-19 , and nearly 147,000 people had died – that came as the final straw for Shively .
She and her husband are in the process of updating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school , and she is struggling to come to terms with the impact of her vote .
“ There ’ s a straight line between his election and 140,000 dead Americans , that didn ’ t need to die .
It just makes me incredibly sad .
And regretful .
”

Donald Trump’s 2016 election win may have been propelled by white working-class men, but another key group in that narrowest of victories was white women with college degrees.
After heavily favoring Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, enough of these voters broke ranks to help Trump over the line, tipping the balance in crucial states in the midwest and elsewhere.
In 2020, however, after four years of tumult, there are signs that Trump has not managed to hang on to that constituency.
“I really failed my fellow American citizens,” said Claudia Luckenbach-Boman. “I’m extremely disappointed in myself, and sometimes I am really afraid to talk about it.
“If I were to vote again for Donald Trump in 2020, it would be just as much a failure as an American, but also a failure as a human being.”
Luckenbach-Boman was a 19-year-old college student in November 2016. From a Republican-voting family, she cast her ballot for Trump in Wisconsin, a swing state which he won by just 22,748 votes.
Voting for her first time, Luckenbach-Boman said she believed Trump, as a political outsider, was the change the US needed. She quickly changed her mind.
“It was just a few months into his presidency that I realized the biggest mistake I could have made as an American citizen was not informing myself,” Luckenbach-Boman said.
A T-shirt depicting the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, in a No symbol among ‘Women for Trump’ signs, at a campaign rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, on 28 January 2020. Photograph: Jeenah Moon/Reuters
“I started hearing that the economy was great. And I started looking more into that, and I realized that the economy is great for the 1%, and for the people who aren’t really working to make the country function on a day-to-day basis.
“I watched a lot of people in my life who still support Trump still flounder in finances.”
Despite her regret, Luckenbach-Boman said that vote had “changed her life”. She decided to focus on politics at college, and has worked on two campaigns to register voters this year.
She will vote for Biden in Michigan – another key swing state Trump narrowly won in 2016 – and harbors hopes of one day running for elected office.
Luckenbach-Boman is not alone. Polling shows Biden ahead of Trump by an average of 6.4% in Wisconsin, and 8.4% in Michigan. The swing isn’t just down to white women with college degrees, but their switch has hurt Trump’s chances.
In 2016, Trump still lost this group, but narrowly. Exit polls showed him just seven points behind Clinton among college-educated white women. In June this year, a New York Times poll found Trump trailing Biden by 39%.
It’s a switch that could help propel Biden to victory in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, the state where Biden grew up, where he leads Trump, and where he is winning former Trump voters.
“I just want to apologize to the world,” said Julie, a fraud manager from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who asked that the Guardian not use her real name.
“I feel so guilty for having a part in voting this moron in.”
Trump clinched a narrow victory in Pennsylvania, beating Clinton by 44,292 votes. For Julie, it was a combination of concern over healthcare and distrust of Clinton that swung her towards Trump.
“I didn’t think Hillary was honest about wanting to help women,” Julie said.
“I just found her very unbelievable, and Trump kept hitting on the one thing that was important to me – decreasing healthcare costs. She did not.”
Julie, 51, has three children, two of whom have an autoimmune disease and another who has a chronic digestive disorder, while her husband was forced to stop working after becoming sick.
Her medical bills amount to $20,000 a year, and have put her deeply in debt. This year she finally managed to pay off her bills – from the year 2014.
Protesters hold up a sign near the White House following the Women’s March on Washington on 20 January 2018. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
“American healthcare just sucks, and he said he was going to change it, so I wouldn’t have such huge co-pays,” Julie said.
“By the second year he was in office, I realized my deductible didn’t go down at all. There was no change, whatsoever, my deductible was still astronomically high. And nothing was being done.”
While many Democratic voters are wary, given what happened in 2016, of predicting a Biden landslide, polls suggest that with less than 100 days to go till election day, even traditionally red states like Texas are not beyond the Democrat’s reach.
Monica Rey Haft, an insurance defense attorney who lives on the outskirts of Dallas, is among the ex-Trump voters hoping for a Biden win.
“I’m riddled with guilt,” she said. “I know it wasn’t my vote that single-handedly that put him there, but I think with a lot of Republicans it was a lack of checking into it, it was just falling down party lines, it was disgust and disdain for Hillary Clinton and her policies, and I regret that. I regret that I wasn’t more informed.”
Rey Haft has a son in the military, which also influenced her decision – Trump had repeatedly pledged to invest heavily in the armed forces.
She also thought Trump’s behavior before and during the election – he attacked a range of foes, particularly women, including Carly Fiorina and Ted Cruz’s wife Rey Haft – would calm down.
“I thought it’s gotta be a shtick, it can’t be real. I thought he would behave like a human being, that he was gonna change.”
But “it wasn’t even the inauguration” before Haft changed her mind, she said.
“Over a few days, it was probably several tweets, or something I heard him say, I thought: ‘Oh my God. This is who this person is.’ And I immediately just thought he wasn’t going to be fit.”
The Trump administration’s separation of families at the border confirmed Rey Haft’s fears, and in November the lifelong Republican voter, has had it with the entire party. She’s voting a “straight Democratic ticket”.
In Oklahoma, a solidly Republican state that few expect Biden to win, Nancy Shively, a special education teacher who lives in the outskirts of Tulsa, is similarly disenchanted.
She has been donating to Democratic candidates, and like Rey Haft plans to vote all blue.
“I am more angry with the people in power who have enabled Donald Trump than I am with Donald Trump,” Shively said.
“Donald Trump is clearly a flawed human being. He’s incapable of having any kind of empathy or thinking about anybody other than himself. That being said, he could not have wreaked as much damage as he has without other people enabling him to do that.
“Every single Republican senator that failed to fulfill their constitutional oath is complicit. And so in my opinion, all of them, with the possible exception of Mitt Romney, need to never hold public office again.”
Shively, 61, has two autoimmune diseases, and is particularly concerned at the Trump administration’s determination to reopen schools in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. In Oklahoma, where cases are surging after the state hurried to reopen, the situation is particularly dangerous.
“As embarrassed as I am that I voted for Trump, if I have to go back in the classroom, the fact that I voted for him and he has been such a disaster in dealing with this virus, that vote could mean I’m not gonna live,” Shively said.
It has been Trump’s failings on coronavirus – as of Tuesday the US had recorded more than 4.2m cases of Covid-19, and nearly 147,000 people had died – that came as the final straw for Shively.
She and her husband are in the process of updating their wills ahead of her return to school, and she is struggling to come to terms with the impact of her vote.
“There’s a straight line between his election and 140,000 dead Americans, that didn’t need to die. It just makes me incredibly sad. And regretful.”


theguardian--2020-07-29--The Senate's stimulus proposal looks good for small businesses | Gene Marks

The Republican-controlled Senate released its proposal for further aiding small businesses during this unprecedented downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
Of course , the seven-page detailed outline released by Senator Marco Rubio ’ s office will probably be different in the bill ’ s final form .
But let ’ s hope not too different .
That ’ s because it offers up at least three big things that will significantly help many struggling small businesses .
Here they are : Loans under $ 2m would basically be forgiven , with some caveats If your business received a PPP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would no longer be required to go through the forgiveness process .
You would have to represent that you made a “ good faith ” effort to comply with the loan requirements and you would be required to retain the relevant records needed for at least three years , as well as being asked to complete and submit certain demographic information .
If your business received a loan for less than $ 2m you would still have to complete the application along with maintaining records for three years and submitting demographic information .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to submit the documentation .
The government will retain its right to audit you .
For countless small businesses that means a significant amount of effort ( and professional fees ) saved filling out applications .
For small business owners like me – many of us who would have been eligible for full forgiveness – this would mean spending much less time doing bureaucratic administrative work and more time that we can devote to running our businesses .
More expenses would be eligible for forgiveness Just because the loans , in my estimation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t mean that you ’ re still not responsible for certifying that you ’ ve met the forgiveness requirements and are keeping the necessary documentation just in case you ’ re reviewed .
Even so , the forgiveness rules have been made easier because , although it ’ s still required that 60 % of the costs eligible for forgiveness are payroll-related , more non-payroll expenses are considered eligible to be included in the other 40 % .
In addition to rents , mortgage interest and utilities , these eligible expenses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cloud computing , and other human resources and accounting needs , costs related to property damage due to public disturbances that occurred during 2020 that are not covered by insurance , expenditures to a supplier pursuant to a contract for goods in effect before 15 February 2020 that are essential to the recipient ’ s current operations and the cost of personal protective equipment and adaptive investments to help you comply with federal health and safety guidelines related to Covid-19 during the period between 1 March and 31 December this year .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expenses and I would be hard pressed to find a small business that , given these new rules , wouldn ’ t be eligible for full forgiveness .
There will be more PPP loans available The government would put aside another $ 190bn for this round of PPP loans and even if you received one before you may still be eligible to receive a second loan .
However , you would have to meet new requirements .
For starters , your business would only be allowed to have fewer than 300 employees ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More importantly , you would also have to demonstrate that your gross receipts in the first or second quarter of 2020 was at least 50 % less than the same quarters in 2019 .
Publicly held companies , some financial services firms and Chinese-affiliated companies would be excluded and total loans , including the first round of PPP , would be capped at $ 10m .
Some industry groups are arguing that the 50 % revenue decline benchmark is too high .
But for many business owners – particularly in the restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would ( unfortunately ) not be a problem .
There are a few other goodies too .
For example , small businesses who believe they are eligible for higher loans than what was initially approved would be allowed to work with their lenders to alter their original loan value regardless of whether the loan had been fully disbursed .
Requirements for smaller lenders and farm credit system institutions have been eased .
Chambers of commerce , lobbying and other quasi-government organizations may now be eligible for funds and the rules for seasonal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clarified and , in some cases , relaxed .
The PPP program has never , and never will be , perfect .
Not everyone will be satisfied .
But since the very beginning of the pandemic , Congress has taken significant actions to provide aid to the many struggling small businesses across the country and these latest changes are a continuation of those efforts .
Yes , I ’ m concerned about the impact these multitrillion-dollar stimulus programs will have on our future fiscal growth .
But for now , these actions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the backbone of this country ’ s economy .

The Republican-controlled Senate released its proposal for further aiding small businesses during this unprecedented downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Of course, the seven-page detailed outline released by Senator Marco Rubio’s office will probably be different in the bill’s final form. But let’s hope not too different. That’s because it offers up at least three big things that will significantly help many struggling small businesses. Here they are:
Loans under $2m would basically be forgiven, with some caveats
If your business received a PPP loan for less than $150,000 you would no longer be required to go through the forgiveness process. You would have to represent that you made a “good faith” effort to comply with the loan requirements and you would be required to retain the relevant records needed for at least three years, as well as being asked to complete and submit certain demographic information. If your business received a loan for less than $2m you would still have to complete the application along with maintaining records for three years and submitting demographic information. But you won’t be required to submit the documentation. The government will retain its right to audit you.
For countless small businesses that means a significant amount of effort (and professional fees) saved filling out applications. For small business owners like me – many of us who would have been eligible for full forgiveness – this would mean spending much less time doing bureaucratic administrative work and more time that we can devote to running our businesses.
More expenses would be eligible for forgiveness
Just because the loans, in my estimation, are “basically” forgiven that doesn’t mean that you’re still not responsible for certifying that you’ve met the forgiveness requirements and are keeping the necessary documentation just in case you’re reviewed. Even so, the forgiveness rules have been made easier because, although it’s still required that 60% of the costs eligible for forgiveness are payroll-related, more non-payroll expenses are considered eligible to be included in the other 40%.
In addition to rents, mortgage interest and utilities, these eligible expenses now include payment for any software, cloud computing, and other human resources and accounting needs, costs related to property damage due to public disturbances that occurred during 2020 that are not covered by insurance, expenditures to a supplier pursuant to a contract for goods in effect before 15 February 2020 that are essential to the recipient’s current operations and the cost of personal protective equipment and adaptive investments to help you comply with federal health and safety guidelines related to Covid-19 during the period between 1 March and 31 December this year.
All of this expands the definition of forgivable expenses and I would be hard pressed to find a small business that, given these new rules, wouldn’t be eligible for full forgiveness.
There will be more PPP loans available
The government would put aside another $190bn for this round of PPP loans and even if you received one before you may still be eligible to receive a second loan. However, you would have to meet new requirements. For starters, your business would only be allowed to have fewer than 300 employees (not 500 as was previously required). More importantly, you would also have to demonstrate that your gross receipts in the first or second quarter of 2020 was at least 50% less than the same quarters in 2019. Publicly held companies, some financial services firms and Chinese-affiliated companies would be excluded and total loans, including the first round of PPP, would be capped at $10m.
Some industry groups are arguing that the 50% revenue decline benchmark is too high. But for many business owners – particularly in the restaurant and retail industries – meeting that requirement would (unfortunately) not be a problem.
There are a few other goodies too. For example, small businesses who believe they are eligible for higher loans than what was initially approved would be allowed to work with their lenders to alter their original loan value regardless of whether the loan had been fully disbursed. Requirements for smaller lenders and farm credit system institutions have been eased. Chambers of commerce, lobbying and other quasi-government organizations may now be eligible for funds and the rules for seasonal and businesses in low income areas have been clarified and, in some cases, relaxed.
The PPP program has never, and never will be, perfect. Not everyone will be satisfied. But since the very beginning of the pandemic, Congress has taken significant actions to provide aid to the many struggling small businesses across the country and these latest changes are a continuation of those efforts. Yes, I’m concerned about the impact these multitrillion-dollar stimulus programs will have on our future fiscal growth. But for now, these actions are critical to sustain the small businesses that are the backbone of this country’s economy.


theguardian--2020-07-30--US passes 150,000 coronavirus deaths amid surge in cases – as it happened

A federal judge in New York has stopped the Trump administration from implmenting its “ public charge ” rule , @ @ @ @ @ use public benefits could be denied green cards .
Judge George Daniels said the police @ @ @ @ @ testing and could threaten efforts to contain and suppress the pandemic .
He blocked the @ @ @ @ @ during the health crisis .
“ Any policy that deters residents from seeking testing and @ @ @ @ @ risk of infection for such residents and the public .
Adverse government action that targets @ @ @ @ @ particularly dangerous during a pandemic , ” Daniels wrote in his ruling .
The case @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Cout , which previously denied requests from states to block the policy while legal @ @ @ @ @ courts .
Several months ago , I reported that the rule has had a “ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants from seeking healthcare and other essential benefits out of fear that it will affect @ @ @ @ @ the US :

Maanvi Singh (now) and Jessica Glenza (earlier)

30 Jul 2020 01.07 BST Summary More than 150,000 people in the US have died of Covid-19 . The American coronavirus death toll is the highest in the world, and more than 4.3 million cases have been recorded in the country.
. The American coronavirus death toll is the highest in the world, and more than 4.3 million cases have been recorded in the country. Donald Trump spent his day in Texas, to attend a fundraiser and visit an oil rig. During an official, taxpayer-funded event, the president railed against his 2020 opponent Joe Biden, touted his rollback of environmental regulations and signed permits to boost the ailing fossil fuel industry.
During an official, taxpayer-funded event, the president railed against his 2020 opponent Joe Biden, touted his rollback of environmental regulations and signed permits to boost the ailing fossil fuel industry. Trump also attempted to stoke racial fears among rich, white voters, tweeting that Americans “living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream” would no longer be “bothered” by low-income housing, after he rescinded Obama-era protections against racial housing discrimination.
tweeting that Americans “living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream” would no longer be “bothered” by low-income housing, after he rescinded Obama-era protections against racial housing discrimination. A jobless aid program is set to expire amid a stalemate at the Capitol. Democrats want to extend a $600 benefit for unemployed Americans, as well as a moratorium on evictions – whereas Republicans and the administration have continued to insist that the program will disincentivize workers.
Democrats want to extend a $600 benefit for unemployed Americans, as well as a moratorium on evictions – whereas Republicans and the administration have continued to insist that the program will disincentivize workers. House speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a requirement that representatives and staff wear masks on the House floor , after Texas congressman Louie Gohmert, one of several Republicans who have resisted masks, tested positive for coronavirus today.
, after Texas congressman one of several Republicans who have resisted masks, tested positive for coronavirus today. A federal judge in New York blocked the administration from implementing its “public charge” rule amid the coronavirus pandemic. The rule stipulates that immigrants who use public benefits can be denied a green card.
The rule stipulates that immigrants who use public benefits can be denied a green card. Florida will close state-run Covid-19 testing sites for several days, starting tomorrow, due to a looming tropical storm, according to officials. The state is among the worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
The state is among the worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic. During a landmark congressional antitrust hearing with tech executives, lawmakers questioned the heads of Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google parent company Alphabet. “Our founders would not bow before a king,” said the judiciary antitrust subcommittee chairman, David Cicilline. “Nor should we bow before the emperors of the online economy.”
“Our founders would not bow before a king,” said the judiciary antitrust subcommittee chairman, David Cicilline. “Nor should we bow before the emperors of the online economy.” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the oldest supreme court justice, underwent a non-surgical procedure today and is expected to be released from the hospital this week.
Updated at 01.15 BST
30 Jul 2020 01.04 BST Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 'resting' after non-surgical hospital procedure In a statement, the supreme court said that Ginsburg has undergone a “minimally invasive non-surgical procedure” today and is “resting comfortably”. This is the justice’s second hospital visit this month. Ginsburg, 87, recently revealed that her cancer had returned and she will remain on the court while undergoing chemotherapy. Here’s the full press release from the Supreme Court Office of Public Information on Justice Ginsburg’s non-surgical procedure today. pic.twitter.com/j0ZLUokdVX — SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) July 29, 2020
Updated at 01.15 BST
29 Jul 2020 00.28 BST Helen Sullivan For updates on how the coronavirus pandemic is playing out around the world, follow the Guardian’s live global coverage: Brazil confirmed nearly 70,000 coronavirus cases in new daily record. The country recorded 69,074 new confirmed cases and 1,595 related deaths, as the world’s second-worst outbreak accelerates toward the milestone of 100,000 lives cut short.
The country recorded 69,074 new confirmed cases and 1,595 related deaths, as the world’s second-worst outbreak accelerates toward the milestone of 100,000 lives cut short. Guatemala is burying dozens of unidentified Covid-19 dead. Hospitals say they have had to bury dozens of Covid-19 victims who have never been identified, with one hospital creating archives in hopes that once the pandemic passes relatives will come looking for them.
Hospitals say they have had to bury dozens of Covid-19 victims who have never been identified, with one hospital creating archives in hopes that once the pandemic passes relatives will come looking for them. France saw its highest daily increase in cases in more than a month. The number of new coronavirus infections in France rose by 1,392 on Wednesday, a figure likely to fuel fears of a second wave despite officials downplaying such a scenario.
The number of new coronavirus infections in France rose by 1,392 on Wednesday, a figure likely to fuel fears of a second wave despite officials downplaying such a scenario. The Catalan government eased lockdown in city of Lleida. 160,000 people had been ordered to stay home following a spike in infections.
160,000 people had been ordered to stay home following a spike in infections. Lebanon reported its highest single-day infection tally. The country reporter 182 new coronavirus cases, ahead of fresh lockdown measures that go into effect at midnight. Coronavirus live news: Brazil sees record daily cases as Hong Kong on brink of 'large-scale outbreak' Read more
Updated at 00.41 BST
29 Jul 2020 00.15 BST Barack Obama is expected to eulogize John Lewis, the civil rights icon and Georgia congressman, at the funeral in Atlanta tomorrow, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Obama awarded Lewis the presidential medal of freedom in 2011. The former US president first met the venerated civil rights leader when Obama was in law school. “When I was elected President of the United States, I hugged him on the inauguration stand before I was sworn in and told him I was only there because of the sacrifices he made,” Obama said when Lewis died. “And through all those years, he never stopped providing wisdom and encouragement to me and Michelle and our family. We will miss him dearly.”
Updated at 00.42 BST
29 Jul 2020 00.06 BST A recap of the landmark House antitrust hearing with tech executives Kari Paul More than five hours after they commenced, the historic Congressional hearing of the biggest tech companies in the world over antitrust concerns have come to an end. Here are some highlights from the long day. Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon were represented by their CEOs at the hearing with the House antitrust subcommittee.
were represented by their CEOs at the hearing with the House antitrust subcommittee. Lawmakers cited “millions” of pages of evidence from years of antitrust investigations into these companies. Throughout the hearing, they brought up information gleaned from internal documents and conversations with anonymous sources in side the tech companies.
Democratic lawmakers remained largely focused on antitrust issues, including market share and anti-competitive business practices while Republican lawmakers often zeroed in on perceived biases against conservatives on big tech platforms.
remained largely focused on antitrust issues, including market share and anti-competitive business practices while often zeroed in on perceived biases against conservatives on big tech platforms. Facebook faced most intensive criticism over its acquisition of Instagram.
Apple faced most intensive criticism over its App store and whether it blocks competitors from using it.
Google faced most intensive criticism over its advertising policies and its treatment of competitors.
Amazon faced most intensive criticism over how it treats third-party brands on its site and whether it collects information from them and uses it to develop competing products (a practice that was reported on in April by the Wall Street Journal).
Representative David Cicilline, a Democrat of Rhode Island, closed the hearing with a dramatic statement that seemed to suggest legislative action would be coming for the companies who participated today. “These companies as they exist today have monopoly power,” he said. “Some need to be broken up, all need to be properly regulated and held accountable.”
Updated at 00.08 BST
29 Jul 2020 00.00 BST Federal judge blocks administration's "public charge" rule for immigrants A federal judge in New York has stopped the Trump administration from implmenting its “public charge” rule, which stipulates that immigrants who use public benefits could be denied green cards. Judge George Daniels said the police discourages immigrants from seeking coronavirus testing and could threaten efforts to contain and suppress the pandemic. He blocked the administration from implementing the policy during the health crisis. “Any policy that deters residents from seeking testing and treatment for COVID-19 increases the risk of infection for such residents and the public. Adverse government action that targets immigrants, however, is particularly dangerous during a pandemic,” Daniels wrote in his ruling. The case could now go to the Supreme Cout, which previously denied requests from states to block the policy while legal challenges played out in lower courts. Several months ago, I reported that the rule has had a “chilling effect” - discouraging immigrants from seeking healthcare and other essential benefits out of fear that it will affect their ability to remain in the US: 'I have a broken heart': Trump policy has immigrants backing away from healthcare amid crisis Read more
29 Jul 2020 23.49 BST California state lawmakers are considering a plan to continue a $600 weekly unemployment benefit for state residents if Congress does not extend the emergency funding this month. “We have millions of Californians that are on a financial cliff,” said Phil Ting, a Democratic state lawmaker from San Francisco. “They really need that money to pay rent, to buy food, to pay for everyday living expenses.” Cuts in federal emergency assistance would probably put more California residents in danger of losing their housing, and could make California’s homelessness crisis even worse, Ting said. “The number one way you prevent the spread of Covid is you keep people in their homes,” he said. California mulls continuing $600 boost for unemployed if Congress cuts funds Read more
29 Jul 2020 23.38 BST Nancy Pelosi has announced that Congressmembers and their staff will be required to wear face masks while on House floor. The requirement comes after Louie Gohmert of Texas, one of several Republican lawmakers who resisted wearing masks in recent weeks, tested positive for Covid-19. .@SpeakerPelosi announced that members and staff will be required to wear masks at the whole time while in the Hall of the House. Failure to do so is a "serious breach of decorum."
The House is in recess for a period of less than 15 minutes. — House Press Gallery (@HouseDailyPress) July 29, 2020
29 Jul 2020 23.34 BST Florida is closing coronavirus test centers, with a tropical stoorm looming All the state-run testing sites will close on Thursday evening and won’t reopen until at least Tuesday, according to officials. The National Hurricane Center is predicting that a looming tropical weather system will develop into a storm, and the state’s emergency management division is closing sites as a precaution, officials said in an email sent to testing site managers, per local station WCTV. Florida is currently a major coronavirus hotspot, with more than 451,000 cases.


theguardian--2020-07-29--‘This should never have happened’: lawmakers condemn Facebook’s Instagram acquisition – as it happen

‘This should never have happened’: lawmakers condemn Facebook’s Instagram acquisition – as it happened

In another bizarre diatribe suggesting anti-conservative bias , Rep. Jordan said many people are experiencing a “ cancel culture ” mob online in which they are “ canceled ” or intensely criticized for their beliefs .
He cited the resignation of writer Bari Weiss from the New York Times over her views on the topic .
So , here are the various executives ’ views on “ cancel culture ” because these are the strange times we live in today .
Bezos : “ It appears to me that social media is a nuance destruction machine and I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a democracy.
” Cook : “ If you ’ re talking about where somebody with a different point of view talks about it and they ’ re canceled .
I don ’ t think that ’ s good .
I think it ’ s good for people to hear different points of view and decide for themselves.
” Zuckerberg : “ I believe strongly suppression giving people a voice is an important part of what our services do and I am worried about some of the forces I see pushing against free expression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the fundamental democratic traditions that we have in our country.
” Pichai : “ We take pride in the fact that across all platforms including YouTube , there are more diverse voices than ever before .
I ’ m concerned about not just conservatives getting attacked , I ’ m concerned when anyone gets attacked for expressing a viewpoint .
”

29 Jul 2020 00.03 BST Antitrust Hearings, a summary More than five hours after they commenced, the historic hearings of the biggest tech companies in the world over antitrust concerns have come to an end. Here are some highlights from the long day: Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon were represented by their CEOs at the hearing.
Lawmakers cited “millions” of pages of evidence from years of antitrust investigations into these companies. Throughout the hearing, they brought up information gleaned from internal documents and conversations with anonymous sources in side the tech companies.
Democratic lawmakers remained largely focused on antitrust issues, including market share and anti-competitive business practices while Republican lawmakers often zeroed in on perceived biases against conservatives on big tech platforms.
Facebook faced most intensive criticism over its acquisition of Instagram.
Apple faced most intensive criticism over its App store and whether it blocks competitors from using it.
Google faced most intensive criticism over its advertising policies and its treatment of competitors.
Amazon faced most intensive criticism over how it treats third-party brands on its site and whether it collects information from them and uses it to develop competing products (a practice that was reported on in April by the Wall Street Journal).
Representative Cicilline closed the hearing with a dramatic statement that seemed to suggest legislative action would be coming for the companies who participated today. “These companies as they exist today have monopoly power,” he said. “Some need to be broken up, all need to be properly regulated and held accountable.”
Updated at 00.15 BST
29 Jul 2020 23.44 BST Whew boy, we are done! The hearing closed with a powerful statement from Rep. Cicilline on his conclusions from the antitrust investigations. “These companies, as they exist today, have monopoly power,” he said. “This must end.”
29 Jul 2020 23.37 BST Here is a video of the emotional testimony played in today’s antitrust hearing, in which a book seller explains how her small business was throttled by Amazon. 04:43 Congresswoman plays emotional account of small business owner to Jeff Bezos – video
29 Jul 2020 23.33 BST Representative Jayapal has some pointed questions for Pichai about Google’s dominance in the advertising space. She laid out the data showing Google controls up to 90% of the market. “The problem is that Google controls all of these entities, so it’s running the marketplace,” she said. “It’s acting on the buy side and the sell side at the same time, which is a major conflict of interest.”
29 Jul 2020 23.26 BST In another bizarre diatribe suggesting anti-conservative bias, Rep. Jordan said many people are experiencing a “cancel culture” mob online in which they are “canceled” or intensely criticized for their beliefs. He cited the resignation of writer Bari Weiss from the New York Times over her views on the topic.
So, here are the various executives’ views on “cancel culture” because these are the strange times we live in today.
Bezos: “It appears to me that social media is a nuance destruction machine and I don’t think that’s helpful for a democracy.” Cook: “If you’re talking about where somebody with a different point of view talks about it and they’re canceled. I don’t think that’s good. I think it’s good for people to hear different points of view and decide for themselves.” Zuckerberg: “I believe strongly suppression giving people a voice is an important part of what our services do and I am worried about some of the forces I see pushing against free expression. I think that this is one of the fundamental democratic traditions that we have in our country.” Pichai: “We take pride in the fact that across all platforms including YouTube, there are more diverse voices than ever before. I’m concerned about not just conservatives getting attacked, I’m concerned when anyone gets attacked for expressing a viewpoint.”
Updated at 23.29 BST
29 Jul 2020 23.02 BST Representative Gaetz keeps asking pointed questions about perceived anti-conservative bias among tech companies. Astonishing to watch Bezos cave to Rep Gaetz's line of questioning on the SPLC. — Ryan Mac 🙃 (@RMac18) July 29, 2020 He claims the Southern Poverty Law Center, an anti-hate group, is a hate group and asks Bezos why Amazon is partnering with them. After being repeatedly badgered over it, Bezos caves and says he would “like to partner with a better source if we could get it,” all but denouncing the Southern Poverty Law Center.
29 Jul 2020 22.49 BST Representative Greg Steube asked each executive to answer whether they believe China steals technology from US firms. Answers varied. The CEOs of Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon were just asked if they believe China steals technology from U.S. firms.
Cook: We haven't experienced it.
Pichai: Neither have we.
Zuckerberg: Yes, absolutely.
Bezos: I've read that. pic.twitter.com/vbG2K1Dhq8 — Jack Nicas (@jacknicas) July 29, 2020
29 Jul 2020 22.46 BST Representative Cicilline goes head to head with Zuckerberg over Facebook’s handling of hate speech and misinformation. He said Facebook’s dominance is “not just harmful to our economy and competition but it’s harmful to the founding principles of our democracy” because of these issues. Cicilline cited specific examples, particularly that the top ten most shared articles on Facebook in 2020 were rife with misinformation and propaganda - particularly relating to coronavirus. “Don’t you agree that these articles are viewed by millions on your platform cost lives?” Cicilline asks. Rep. Cicilline: Facebook is profiting off fake news
Zuckerberg: No, people don’t want to see fake news.
Cicilline: Okay, how do you explain that the second most popular post on FB was a Breitbart video claiming that you don’t need a mask and that hydroxychloroquine cures COVID? pic.twitter.com/0zztVFR73q — Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) July 29, 2020
29 Jul 2020 22.25 BST Representative Lucy McBath of Georgia asks Tim Cook whether Apple has the power to exclude apps from the App Store. She shows the examples of Apple’s proprietary Screen Time apps overtaking parental control apps in the app store. When the app was introduced, Apple removed a number of competitors on the app store due to alleged privacy violations. “The timing of the removal seems very coincidental if Apple wasn’t attempting to harm competitors in order to help its own product,” she said. She also cited the example of Random House Books, which said it wanted to build its own book app but found Apple blocked it from being released in the store. Meanwhile it had tried to pressure the publisher to join Apple’s proprietary app iBook. McBath concludes: Our evidence suggests that your company has used its power to harm your rivals and boost your own business. This is fundamentally unfair harms small businesses that rely on you to reach customers and stifles innovation. that is the lifeblood of our economy, ultimately, reduces the competition and choices that are made available to consumers.
Updated at 22.33 BST
29 Jul 2020 22.15 BST Representative Gaetz is back with another line of questioning insinuating anti-conservative bias from Facebook. Zuckerberg and Pichai seem especially flustered by GOP questions about allegations of anti-conservative bias, which makes me wonder if they prepared for this antitrust hearing on the mistaken assumption that it would actually be about the thing it is supposed to be about. — Will Oremus (@WillOremus) July 29, 2020 That’s all I will say about that as the argument was fairly hard to follow.
29 Jul 2020 22.12 BST Representative Val Denings of Florida asks Zuckerberg about other ways Facebook has gone after large competitors. She cited Facebook blocking Pinterest from using its technology to share content. Zuckerberg essentially admits to it - a key distinction in the antitrust debate. Demings: Why did you restrict access to Facebook (API???) to Pinterest but not to Netflix?
Zuck: Pinterest was a social competitor to us.
Me: Oop. Discriminatory refusals to deal are illegal under the antitrust laws. — Hal Singer (@HalSinger) July 29, 2020


theguardian--2020-07-29--Donald Trump stokes racial fears with appeal to white suburban voters

Donald Trump on Wednesday said Americans “ living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream ” will no longer be “ bothered ” by low-income housing in their communities , an explicit effort to stoke racial fears among affluent , white voters who are abandoning the Republican party under his leadership .
The remark is part of a pattern from the US president as he tries to rebuild his standing in the suburbs , which has cratered amid his administration ’ s failure to contain the coronavirus pandemic , the ensuing economic crisis , as well as the president ’ s aggressive response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which polls suggest most Americans support .
“ I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood….
, ” Trump tweeted , as he traveled to Texas on Wednesday .
“ Your housing prices will go up based on the market , and crime will go down .
I have rescinded the Obama-Biden AFFH Rule .
Enjoy !
” The tweet references the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ segregation in American suburbs .
The rule , implemented in 2015 , requires cities and towns that receive federal funding to identify patterns of racial bias and take corrective action to address disparities .
It built on the Fair Housing Act , the 1968 civil rights legislation which prohibits residential discrimination but has yet to achieve its broader goal of fostering integration .
Last week , the administration announced it would rescind the program , agreeing with conservative critics that the fair-housing policy amounted to federal overreach into local communities .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary , Ben Carson , called the program “ complicated , costly and ineffective ” and said it would be replaced by a new rule , called “ Preserving Community and Neighborhood Choice ” .
Trump had previewed his administration ’ s plan to gut the policy earlier this month , a day after he posted a video of an angry , white couple who brandished firearms in the direction of protesters who marched past their mansion inside a gated community in St Louis .
The couple were later charged with unlawful use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Double Eagle Energy oil rig in Midland , Texas , on Wednesday , Trump touted his decision to end the fair-housing policy , claiming : “ It ’ s been hell for suburbia.
” In a statement , Biden slammed Trump ’ s travel to Texas , which is grappling with one of the country ’ s worst outbreaks as Hurricane Hanna batters the south-east corner of the state .
“ Now isn ’ t the time for politicking or photo ops , ” Biden said .
“ Texans need a president with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families no matter how many catastrophes reach our shores.
” But there are signs Trump ’ s nostalgia for a bygone era isn ’ t resonating with Americans who increasingly say they are alarmed by racial discrimination .
These shifts are changing the political landscape of once-conservative states like Texas .
In 2018 , voters in the suburbs of Houston , San Antonio and Austin helped fuel historic Democratic gains in a number of counties and districts that voted Republican just two years before .
A recent Quinnipiac poll of Texas voters found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tie .
Once a cornerstone of the Republican base , suburban voters and particularly suburban women will probably play a crucial role in determining control of the Senate and White House .
Democrats gained control of the House in 2018 ’ s midterm elections by storming through once-Republican districts from California and Texas to Virginia and Georgia .
Current polling shows Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , buoyed in part by his support from college-educated women and suburban voters .
An ABC News/Washington Post poll found Biden ahead of Trump by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suburban women , Biden led Trump by a margin of 60 % to 36 % .
By contrast , Biden narrowly edges past Trump among suburban men , 49 % to 45 % .
In recent weeks , Trump has shed any semblance of subtlety in his appeals to the skeptical residents of America ’ s bedroom communities .
“ The Suburban Housewives of America must read this article , ” Trump tweeted last week , sharing a New York Post op-ed by the former New York lieutenant governor Betsy McCaughey , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threaten the “ value of their new home , the size of their property tax bill and the character of the town they now call home ” .
Trump offers a caricature of the suburbs that appears to be ripped from Leave It to Beaver , the 1950s sitcom about a white , middle-class American family .
But this image is detached from the current reality of suburban America , which has changed politically and demographically in the past few decades .
Immigrants and people of color have moved to the suburbs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , college-educated voters – and particularly white women – have migrated from the Republican party , part of a gradual political realignment that Trump has helped to accelerate .

Donald Trump on Wednesday said Americans “living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream” will no longer be “bothered” by low-income housing in their communities, an explicit effort to stoke racial fears among affluent, white voters who are abandoning the Republican party under his leadership.
The remark is part of a pattern from the US president as he tries to rebuild his standing in the suburbs, which has cratered amid his administration’s failure to contain the coronavirus pandemic, the ensuing economic crisis, as well as the president’s aggressive response to the nationwide protests against systemic racism, which polls suggest most Americans support.
“I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood….,” Trump tweeted, as he traveled to Texas on Wednesday. “Your housing prices will go up based on the market, and crime will go down. I have rescinded the Obama-Biden AFFH Rule. Enjoy!”
The tweet references the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, an Obama-era program designed to reduce racial segregation in American suburbs.
The rule, implemented in 2015, requires cities and towns that receive federal funding to identify patterns of racial bias and take corrective action to address disparities. It built on the Fair Housing Act, the 1968 civil rights legislation which prohibits residential discrimination but has yet to achieve its broader goal of fostering integration.
Last week, the administration announced it would rescind the program, agreeing with conservative critics that the fair-housing policy amounted to federal overreach into local communities.
In the announcement, the housing and urban development secretary, Ben Carson, called the program “complicated, costly and ineffective” and said it would be replaced by a new rule, called “Preserving Community and Neighborhood Choice”.
Trump had previewed his administration’s plan to gut the policy earlier this month, a day after he posted a video of an angry, white couple who brandished firearms in the direction of protesters who marched past their mansion inside a gated community in St Louis. The couple were later charged with unlawful use of a weapon.
Speaking at the Double Eagle Energy oil rig in Midland, Texas, on Wednesday, Trump touted his decision to end the fair-housing policy, claiming: “It’s been hell for suburbia.”
In a statement, Biden slammed Trump’s travel to Texas, which is grappling with one of the country’s worst outbreaks as Hurricane Hanna batters the south-east corner of the state.
“Now isn’t the time for politicking or photo ops,” Biden said. “Texans need a president with the experience and vision to fight for families no matter how many catastrophes reach our shores.”
But there are signs Trump’s nostalgia for a bygone era isn’t resonating with Americans who increasingly say they are alarmed by racial discrimination. These shifts are changing the political landscape of once-conservative states like Texas.
In 2018, voters in the suburbs of Houston, San Antonio and Austin helped fuel historic Democratic gains in a number of counties and districts that voted Republican just two years before. A recent Quinnipiac poll of Texas voters found Trump and Biden locked in a statistical tie.
Once a cornerstone of the Republican base, suburban voters and particularly suburban women will probably play a crucial role in determining control of the Senate and White House.
Democrats gained control of the House in 2018’s midterm elections by storming through once-Republican districts from California and Texas to Virginia and Georgia. Current polling shows Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, buoyed in part by his support from college-educated women and suburban voters.
An ABC News/Washington Post poll found Biden ahead of Trump by nine percentage points among suburbanites. Among suburban women, Biden led Trump by a margin of 60% to 36%. By contrast, Biden narrowly edges past Trump among suburban men, 49% to 45%.
In recent weeks, Trump has shed any semblance of subtlety in his appeals to the skeptical residents of America’s bedroom communities.
The 1950s sitcom Leave It to Beaver, which seems to encapsulate Trump’s view of the suburbs. Photograph: ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy
“The Suburban Housewives of America must read this article,” Trump tweeted last week, sharing a New York Post op-ed by the former New York lieutenant governor Betsy McCaughey, which argued that Biden’s housing plans threaten the “value of their new home, the size of their property tax bill and the character of the town they now call home”.
Trump offers a caricature of the suburbs that appears to be ripped from Leave It to Beaver, the 1950s sitcom about a white, middle-class American family. But this image is detached from the current reality of suburban America, which has changed politically and demographically in the past few decades.
Immigrants and people of color have moved to the suburbs, diversifying communities that were once predominantly white. Meanwhile, college-educated voters – and particularly white women – have migrated from the Republican party, part of a gradual political realignment that Trump has helped to accelerate.


theguardian--2020-07-29--'Too much power': Congress grills top tech CEOs in combative antitrust hearing

The US ’ s top tech bosses were told they have “ too much power ” , are censoring political speech , spreading fake news and “ killing ” the engines of the American economy , at a combative congressional hearing on Wednesday .
The historic hearing in Washington saw Jeff Bezos of Amazon , Tim Cook of Apple , Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Sundar Pichai of Google ’ s parent Alphabet appear before members of the House judiciary ’ s antitrust subcommittee and face intense questioning from lawmakers from both sides of the aisle .
The subcommittee has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the online world for over a year , collecting 1.3 million documents and conducting hundreds of hours of interviews .
Already in the opening minutes , the subcommittee chairman , David Cicilline , struck a combative tone , pointing out that the companies dominate their respective spheres and accusing them of stifling competition .
The complaints against the tech giants are varied but the overarching criticisms are that they have used their dominant position to quash rivals and overcharge the people and businesses reliant on their services .
“ Our founders would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rhode Island Democrat said .
“ Nor should we bow before the emperors of the online economy.
” Republican lawmakers at different times in the hearing directed the conversation away from antitrust to allegations of anti-conservative bias on the platforms , accusing the companies of silencing conservative voices and working to undo Donald Trump ’ s 2016 election win .
Google and Facebook took intense heat for their business practices .
Cicilline opened the round of questions with allegations from small businesses that Google took over their content and listing on its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Cicilline brought up Google taking reviews from Yelp and cross-posting them to its own pages .
When Yelp asked Google to stop , Google reportedly threatened to remove Yelp from its search listings entirely .
Cicilline called the behavior “ economically catastrophic ” for other companies online .
“ The evidence seems very clear to me that as Google became the gateway to the internet , it began to abuse its power , ” he said .
Zuckerberg faced repeated questions about Facebook ’ s purchase of Instagram in 2012 .
Referencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to neutralize it as a competitive threat , congressman Jerry Nadler called the acquisition “ exactly the type of anticompetitive acquisition the antitrust laws were designed to prevent ” .
Zuckerberg defended the acquisition , arguing Facebook helped Instagram build up its infrastructure and security as it grew rapidly .
Zuckerberg and Pichai also received a beating from Republicans , who repeatedly accused the companies of anti-conservative bias .
Representative Jim Sensenbrenner asked Zuckerberg why conservatives are “ censored ” on Facebook , claiming that Donald Trump Jr was removed from the platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week .
Zuckerberg politely explained to the representative that it was Twitter that limited Trump ’ s account for posting the video .
Bezos faced few questions following his opening statement , perhaps because of a technical difficulty with his video feed .
Representative Pramila Jayapal pressed Bezos on whether the company used data from third-party sellers in making sales decisions .
In a previous hearing , an Amazon executive denied this under oath and was contradicted by a later news report .
Bezos was also asked whether the online giant favored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic .
Bezos , the world ’ s richest man , leaned heavily on his life story in his opening statement , noting that his mother was “ a 17-year-old high school student ” and his adoptive father is a Cuban immigrant .
“ Amazon ’ s success was anything but preordained , ” he said before noting that the company had invested $ 270bn in the US over the last decade and created hundreds of thousands of jobs .
Zuckerberg , too , argued Facebook “ got here the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and provided better products that people find valuable .
As I understand our laws , companies aren ’ t bad just because they are big .
Many large companies that fail to compete cease to exist , ” he said .
Cook , the Apple CEO , faced effective questioning from representative Hank Johnson of Georgia , who said the investigation had surfaced concerns that rules governing the App Store review process are not available to the app developers .
“ The rules are made up as you go and subject to change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with the changes or leave the App Store , ” Johnson said .
“ That ’ s an enormous amount of power.
” Cook argued the App Store does not constitute a monopoly because it does not charge the vast majority of apps to list there .
He said 84 % of apps are not charged anything and Apple has not increased commissions on apps since 2008 .
The hearing comes at a fraught moment for the tech giants with Republican and Democrats both highly critical of their dominance .
Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on numerous occasions , weighed in ahead of the hearing : “ If Congress doesn ’ t bring fairness to Big Tech , which they should have done years ago , I will do it myself with Executive Orders .
In Washington , it has been ALL TALK and NO ACTION for years , and the people of our Country are sick and tired of it !
” Trump ’ s attacks on tech companies have escalated as Twitter and Facebook have made recent attempts to factcheck the president and remove false statements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook and Twitter of censoring conservative views and launched numerous attacks on Bezos and Amazon .
Bezos owns the Washington Post , which has been a persistent critic of his presidency .
Republican lawmakers echoed Trump ’ s frustrations , lamenting the “ cancel culture mob ” and questioning the platform ’ s decisions to take down content on hydroxychloroquine , the anti-malaria drug Trump has praised as a Covid-19 treatment .
“ I will just cut to the chase : big tech is out to get conservatives , ” representative Jim Jordan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told the committee .
Congress is considering rewriting antitrust laws but new legislation isn ’ t likely soon .

The US’s top tech bosses were told they have “too much power”, are censoring political speech, spreading fake news and “killing” the engines of the American economy, at a combative congressional hearing on Wednesday.
The historic hearing in Washington saw Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Tim Cook of Apple, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Sundar Pichai of Google’s parent Alphabet appear before members of the House judiciary’s antitrust subcommittee and face intense questioning from lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.
The subcommittee has been investigating the companies’ dominance of the online world for over a year, collecting 1.3 million documents and conducting hundreds of hours of interviews. Already in the opening minutes, the subcommittee chairman, David Cicilline, struck a combative tone, pointing out that the companies dominate their respective spheres and accusing them of stifling competition. The complaints against the tech giants are varied but the overarching criticisms are that they have used their dominant position to quash rivals and overcharge the people and businesses reliant on their services.
“Our founders would not bow before a king,” the Rhode Island Democrat said. “Nor should we bow before the emperors of the online economy.”
Republican lawmakers at different times in the hearing directed the conversation away from antitrust to allegations of anti-conservative bias on the platforms, accusing the companies of silencing conservative voices and working to undo Donald Trump’s 2016 election win.
Google and Facebook took intense heat for their business practices. Cicilline opened the round of questions with allegations from small businesses that Google took over their content and listing on its own pages. CEO Pichai struggled to answer when Cicilline brought up Google taking reviews from Yelp and cross-posting them to its own pages. When Yelp asked Google to stop, Google reportedly threatened to remove Yelp from its search listings entirely. Cicilline called the behavior “economically catastrophic” for other companies online.
“The evidence seems very clear to me that as Google became the gateway to the internet, it began to abuse its power,” he said.
Zuckerberg faced repeated questions about Facebook’s purchase of Instagram in 2012. Referencing internal documents that revealed Facebook bought Instagram to neutralize it as a competitive threat, congressman Jerry Nadler called the acquisition “ exactly the type of anticompetitive acquisition the antitrust laws were designed to prevent”.
Zuckerberg defended the acquisition, arguing Facebook helped Instagram build up its infrastructure and security as it grew rapidly.
03:22 Republican congressman Greg Steube asks Google CEO why his campaign emails are going to spam – video
Zuckerberg and Pichai also received a beating from Republicans, who repeatedly accused the companies of anti-conservative bias. Representative Jim Sensenbrenner asked Zuckerberg why conservatives are “censored” on Facebook, claiming that Donald Trump Jr was removed from the platform for sharing a video containing false information this week. Zuckerberg politely explained to the representative that it was Twitter that limited Trump’s account for posting the video.
Bezos faced few questions following his opening statement, perhaps because of a technical difficulty with his video feed. Representative Pramila Jayapal pressed Bezos on whether the company used data from third-party sellers in making sales decisions. In a previous hearing, an Amazon executive denied this under oath and was contradicted by a later news report. Bezos was also asked whether the online giant favored its own products when prioritizing certain shipments during the pandemic.
Bezos, the world’s richest man, leaned heavily on his life story in his opening statement, noting that his mother was “a 17-year-old high school student” and his adoptive father is a Cuban immigrant. “Amazon’s success was anything but preordained,” he said before noting that the company had invested $270bn in the US over the last decade and created hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Zuckerberg, too, argued Facebook “got here the American way.”
“We started with nothing and provided better products that people find valuable. As I understand our laws, companies aren’t bad just because they are big. Many large companies that fail to compete cease to exist,” he said.
04:43 Congresswoman plays emotional account of small business owner to Jeff Bezos – video
Cook, the Apple CEO, faced effective questioning from representative Hank Johnson of Georgia, who said the investigation had surfaced concerns that rules governing the App Store review process are not available to the app developers. “The rules are made up as you go and subject to change - and Apple expects developers to go along with the changes or leave the App Store,” Johnson said. “That’s an enormous amount of power.”
Cook argued the App Store does not constitute a monopoly because it does not charge the vast majority of apps to list there. He said 84% of apps are not charged anything and Apple has not increased commissions on apps since 2008.
The hearing comes at a fraught moment for the tech giants with Republican and Democrats both highly critical of their dominance.
Donald Trump, who has attacked the tech companies on numerous occasions, weighed in ahead of the hearing: “If Congress doesn’t bring fairness to Big Tech, which they should have done years ago, I will do it myself with Executive Orders. In Washington, it has been ALL TALK and NO ACTION for years, and the people of our Country are sick and tired of it!”
Trump’s attacks on tech companies have escalated as Twitter and Facebook have made recent attempts to factcheck the president and remove false statements from his account. Trump has accused Facebook and Twitter of censoring conservative views and launched numerous attacks on Bezos and Amazon. Bezos owns the Washington Post, which has been a persistent critic of his presidency.
Republican lawmakers echoed Trump’s frustrations, lamenting the “cancel culture mob” and questioning the platform’s decisions to take down content on hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug Trump has praised as a Covid-19 treatment.
“I will just cut to the chase: big tech is out to get conservatives,” representative Jim Jordan, a staunch supporter of the president, told the committee.
Congress is considering rewriting antitrust laws but new legislation isn’t likely soon.


theguardian--2020-07-29--US passes 150,000 coronavirus deaths amid fresh surge in cases

The US has crossed the threshold of 150,000 confirmed deaths from Covid-19 , just six months after the first cases were diagnosed in China and with the outbreak far from under control .
The American death toll is the highest in the world by a significant margin and reached 150,034 on Wednesday , according to the Johns Hopkins University world coronavirus tracker .
More than 4.3 million people have been infected with Covid-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 .
As the summer has worn on , outbreaks have spread across America ’ s sun belt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and look increasingly likely to spread into central states .
Meanwhile , some early centers of the pandemic , such as New York City , have brought the virus under significantly more control .
The pandemic has rewritten nearly every aspect of daily life in the United States .
Economic activity depressed by public health restrictions and virus outbreaks brought the jobless rate above 11 % in June .
Restaurant , museum and cinema closures are rolling as states try to reopen , see outbreaks , and again restrict activities .
Schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fall , are grappling with how to make buildings safe for teachers and students .
This week , the nation ’ s second-largest teachers union authorized local strikes as a “ last resort ” bargaining chip when districts fail to put coronavirus safety measures in place .
Meanwhile , many of the measures most fundamental to bringing the virus under control have continued to be challenges thanks to a fumbling and anemic federal response , led by the Trump administration .
Widespread outbreaks and week-long delays in test results have undermined contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knock-on effects , as outbreaks have reached nursing homes and continued to fill intensive care units with the most vulnerable , ill and resource-intensive patients .
As the coronavirus spread accelerated in March , and without federal leadership , state governors and hospitals began scrambling for ventilators and personal protective equipment such as masks , gloves and gowns for frontline medical workers , who were in many places short of supplies and who themselves began dying from Covid-19 .
Politics has taken a central role in how the pandemic has been tackled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicted it would disappear – then , despite the US becoming the world ’ s pandemic hotspot , he urged businesses and now schools to reopen before the sustained decline in cases that federal health experts recommend .
Some mitigation methods , such as widespread use of face coverings in public , have been undermined by the president , who only recently supported their use .
The president ’ s controversial shunning of mask-wearing and promotion of dubious treatments for the virus has also publicly set him against his own health specialists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert to six presidents .
Trump has touted the restrictions he placed on travel to the US from China and then parts of Europe as evidence his administration has handled the outbreak well , despite the limited effect those measures have had as the virus spread .
The surge of infections followed a rush to reopen for business in many states , without accompanying mandates or even official recommendations to wear face masks and practice social distancing .
States such as Florida have kept their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are signs the strategy will not be enough to bring the economy back to the record highs of pre-pandemic days .
Last week , for the first time in months , there was an increase in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits .
Public health experts are also concerned about the levels of infection in states such as Ohio , Indiana , Tennessee and Kentucky , while the surge in Florida along with Texas , Arizona and California in June and July has strained many hospitals .
Coronavirus has had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Native Americans , significantly exacerbated by racial disparities in chronic health conditions , access to affordable and quality doctors and hospitals , and disparities in income , housing and risk of exposure in the workplace .
A global push is on to develop a vaccine and the US has some promising trials under way , even as public health officials anticipate any plan to equitably distribute a potential vaccine will face blowback .
In the meantime , the most senior federal health officials , such as Fauci and the director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dr Robert Redfield , have warned the outbreak in the US is far from under control , has a “ disturbing ” trajectory and has brought America “ to its knees ” .
All of this has put pressure on Congress to pass another coronavirus aid package , one that includes funding for schools , unemployment benefits and hunger relief .
But as of now , there is still a gulf between the parties , with Republicans proposing to cut expanded unemployment aid to $ 200 per week .
Meanwhile , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicting a wave of evictions could come to pass .

Jessica Glenza and Joanna Walters in New York

The US has crossed the threshold of 150,000 confirmed deaths from Covid-19, just six months after the first cases were diagnosed in China and with the outbreak far from under control.
The American death toll is the highest in the world by a significant margin and reached 150,034 on Wednesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University world coronavirus tracker.
More than 4.3 million people have been infected with Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus Sars-CoV-2. As the summer has worn on, outbreaks have spread across America’s sun belt, the region from Florida to southern California, and look increasingly likely to spread into central states. Meanwhile, some early centers of the pandemic, such as New York City, have brought the virus under significantly more control.
The pandemic has rewritten nearly every aspect of daily life in the United States. Economic activity depressed by public health restrictions and virus outbreaks brought the jobless rate above 11% in June. Restaurant, museum and cinema closures are rolling as states try to reopen, see outbreaks, and again restrict activities.
Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. Florida, has registered more than 15,000 new cases of coronavirus in a day, breaking a record previously held by California. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images
Schools, once thought certain to reopen in the fall, are grappling with how to make buildings safe for teachers and students. This week, the nation’s second-largest teachers union authorized local strikes as a “last resort” bargaining chip when districts fail to put coronavirus safety measures in place.
Meanwhile, many of the measures most fundamental to bringing the virus under control have continued to be challenges thanks to a fumbling and anemic federal response, led by the Trump administration.
Widespread outbreaks and week-long delays in test results have undermined contact tracing. Those fundamental failures have had knock-on effects, as outbreaks have reached nursing homes and continued to fill intensive care units with the most vulnerable, ill and resource-intensive patients.
As the coronavirus spread accelerated in March, and without federal leadership, state governors and hospitals began scrambling for ventilators and personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and gowns for frontline medical workers, who were in many places short of supplies and who themselves began dying from Covid-19.
The politics of a pandemic
Politics has taken a central role in how the pandemic has been tackled. The president initially downplayed the virus and predicted it would disappear – then, despite the US becoming the world’s pandemic hotspot, he urged businesses and now schools to reopen before the sustained decline in cases that federal health experts recommend.
Some mitigation methods, such as widespread use of face coverings in public, have been undermined by the president, who only recently supported their use.
The president’s controversial shunning of mask-wearing and promotion of dubious treatments for the virus has also publicly set him against his own health specialists, including Dr Anthony Fauci, who has been the nation’s top infectious disease expert to six presidents.
Donald Trump departs after delivering a speech during a tour of the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies’ Innovation Center on 27 July. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters
Trump has touted the restrictions he placed on travel to the US from China and then parts of Europe as evidence his administration has handled the outbreak well, despite the limited effect those measures have had as the virus spread.
The surge of infections followed a rush to reopen for business in many states, without accompanying mandates or even official recommendations to wear face masks and practice social distancing.
States such as Florida have kept their economies open despite full hospitals, but there are signs the strategy will not be enough to bring the economy back to the record highs of pre-pandemic days. Last week, for the first time in months, there was an increase in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits.
Public health experts are also concerned about the levels of infection in states such as Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky, while the surge in Florida along with Texas, Arizona and California in June and July has strained many hospitals.
Coronavirus has had a hugely disproportionate impact on Black, Latino and Native Americans, significantly exacerbated by racial disparities in chronic health conditions, access to affordable and quality doctors and hospitals, and disparities in income, housing and risk of exposure in the workplace.
A global push is on to develop a vaccine and the US has some promising trials under way, even as public health officials anticipate any plan to equitably distribute a potential vaccine will face blowback.
In the meantime, the most senior federal health officials, such as Fauci and the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Robert Redfield, have warned the outbreak in the US is far from under control, has a “disturbing” trajectory and has brought America “to its knees”.
All of this has put pressure on Congress to pass another coronavirus aid package, one that includes funding for schools, unemployment benefits and hunger relief. But as of now, there is still a gulf between the parties, with Republicans proposing to cut expanded unemployment aid to $200 per week. Meanwhile, with a gap in aid, observers are predicting a wave of evictions could come to pass.