theguardian--2020-07-16--Fauci says White House's 'bizarre' attacks on him damage Trump – as it happened

Twitter issued a statement approximately 90 minutes after scam messages began being sent out by Elon Musk and Bill Gates ’ accounts , as the attack was ongoing .
“ We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter , ” the company said on Twitter .
“ We are investigating and taking steps to fix it .
We will update everyone shortly.
” The hack likely targeted a vulnerability on Twitter ’ s end rather than by the individual account holders , said John Ozbay , the chief executive of privacy and security tool Cryptee .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ozbay said , and the hackers appeared to have enough control over the compromised accounts to “ pin ” a tweet .
That would not have been possible if a hacked account were being controlled by SMS , as occurred when the Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey ’ s own account was hijacked in 2019 .
Schmidt said that the attacks could be related to the fact that Twitter , like much of the rest of the tech industry , has transitioned to remote work during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ The likelihood of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working remotely it is much easier for bad actors to impersonate someone through an email and gain access to their accounts , ” said Schmidt .
“ Assuming this wasn ’ t someone inside Twitter trying to take revenge , it appears to be a spear phishing attack – someone who has access to admin privileges that can override two-factor authentication and strong passwords fell victim to a hack ” .

Maanvi Singh, Joan E Greve and Martin Belam

16 Jul 2020 01.37 BST Summary Here’s a recap of the day, from me and Joan E Greve: Joe Biden had a 15-point lead over Donald Trump in the latest Quinnipiac national poll. Biden’s lead over Trump has widened since last month. As coronavirus cases surge across the state, voters were more likely to trust Biden to handle the pandemic and racial inequities.
As coronavirus cases surge across the state, voters were more likely to trust Biden to handle the pandemic and racial inequities. The Twitter accounts of Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Gates and other prominent public figures were compromised. The hacked accounts, promoted a classic bitcoin scam, asking followers to transfer cryptocurrency to a bitcoin wallet in exchange for double the money in return.
The hacked accounts, promoted a classic bitcoin scam, asking followers to transfer cryptocurrency to a bitcoin wallet in exchange for double the money in return. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was disch arged from Johns Hopkins hospital. The liberal supreme court justice was admitted to the hospital yesterday for treatment of a possible infection.
The liberal supreme court justice was admitted to the hospital yesterday for treatment of a possible infection. Dr Anthony Fauci said the White House’s “bizarre” attacks on him only hurt the president. Fauci’s comments were published in the Atlantic a day after Trump ’s senior trade adviser, Peter Navarro, wrote a USA Today op-ed raising doubts about the infectious disease expert’s credibility. Maryland’s Republican governor Larry Hogan called the efforts to discredit Fauci,
Fauci’s comments were published in the Atlantic a day after ’s senior trade adviser, wrote a USA Today op-ed raising doubts about the infectious disease expert’s credibility. Maryland’s Republican governor Larry Hogan called the efforts to discredit Fauci, The governor of Oklahoma announced he has tested positive for coronavirus. Despite his positive test result and the climbing number of cases in Oklahoma, Republican governor Kevin Stitt said he does not currently plan to roll back the state’s reopening or institute a statewide mask requirement.
Despite his positive test result and the climbing number of cases in Oklahoma, Republican governor said he does not currently plan to roll back the state’s reopening or institute a statewide mask requirement. The US once again saw a record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day. According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins, more than 67,000 new cases were reported yesterday. Since the start of the crisis, the US has confirmed 3,465,031 cases and recorded 136,940 deaths from the virus.
According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins, more than 67,000 new cases were reported yesterday. Since the start of the crisis, the US has confirmed 3,465,031 cases and recorded 136,940 deaths from the virus. Walmart announced it would require masks at all of its stores. The CEO of Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, said the new policy would take effect on Monday.
15 Jul 2020 00.34 BST Maryland’s Republican governor, Larry Hogan, said the White House campaign to discredit Anthony Fauci is “absolutely outrageous”. In an interview with ABC, Hogan said:
It’s one of the biggest mistakes, I think, that the administration has made throughout this entire coronavirus response, because Dr Fauci is, in my opinion, the most respected guy in the administration, and the voice of truth and reason throughout this pandemic. And there’s a number of mistakes that have been made, but I think sidelining him and trying to run this campaign to attack his credibility is one of their biggest mistakes so far. Here’s Fauci defending himself against criticism from Trump and his allies: 00:59 'You can trust me': Anthony Fauci pushes back against Trump attacks – video
Updated at 00.50 BST
15 Jul 2020 23.54 BST Julia Carrie Wong Twitter issued a statement approximately 90 minutes after scam messages began being sent out by Elon Musk and Bill Gates’ accounts, as the attack was ongoing. “We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter,” the company said on Twitter. “We are investigating and taking steps to fix it. We will update everyone shortly.” The hack likely targeted a vulnerability on Twitter’s end rather than by the individual account holders, said John Ozbay, the chief executive of privacy and security tool Cryptee. Most high-profile users likely engage two-factor authentication, Ozbay said, and the hackers appeared to have enough control over the compromised accounts to “pin” a tweet. That would not have been possible if a hacked account were being controlled by SMS, as occurred when the Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s own account was hijacked in 2019. Schmidt said that the attacks could be related to the fact that Twitter, like much of the rest of the tech industry, has transitioned to remote work during the coronavirus pandemic. “The likelihood of attacks like this increase when people are working remotely it is much easier for bad actors to impersonate someone through an email and gain access to their accounts,” said Schmidt. “Assuming this wasn’t someone inside Twitter trying to take revenge, it appears to be a spear phishing attack – someone who has access to admin privileges that can override two-factor authentication and strong passwords fell victim to a hack”.
15 Jul 2020 23.27 BST Candace Valenzuela has won the Democratic primary in the Dallas suburbs, setting her up to become the first Afro-Latina member of the US Congress if she wins in November. Valenzuela will face off against the Republican Beth Van Duyne in November, competing for a seat vacated by Kenny Marchant, a staunch conservative and founding member of the House Tea Party Caucus. The district that Valenzuela wants to represent has been a Republican stronghold that progressives are hoping to flip this year. Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and Georgia representative John Lewis, a civil rights icon, both backed her in the primaries.
Updated at 00.52 BST
15 Jul 2020 23.12 BST Biden is leading by 15 points over Trump in new poll Registered voters are backing Biden over Trump 52% to 37%, per a Quinnipiac national poll. Biden’s lead has increased since last month – in a poll released on 18 June, 49% backed Biden and 41% supported Trump. Voters trusted Biden over Trump to handle a number of key issues, including the coronavirus crisis and racial inequality. Their disapproval of Trump is also growing. The economy was the only issue on which Trump had a positive rating in Quinnipiac polling but in this most recent tally, only 44% approved of Trump’s handling of the economy – last month that figure was 52%.
Updated at 00.53 BST
15 Jul 2020 22.41 BST Barack Obama’s account also seems to have been affected. They got the former president... pic.twitter.com/1KKkcoSWYE — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 15, 2020 From The Guardian’s Julia Carrie Wong: The scam messages included the address of a bitcoin wallet whose balance grew rapidly to more than 11 BTC (more than $100,000) as the scam spread. Tweets with similar messages were repeatedly deleted and re-posted by some of the compromised accounts over the course of Wednesday afternoon
Updated at 22.42 BST
15 Jul 2020 22.32 BST My colleague Vivian Ho reports from San Francisco: California recorded its largest number of coronavirus infections in a single day on Tuesday, amid efforts to halt reopening statewide. The state tallied 11,126 cases, the highest number since the pandemic began, according to the Los Angeles Times’ coronavirus data tracker. With testing throughout the state more readily available, an uptick in cases would be expected, but the positivity rates among test results has also been steadily increasing to 7.3% over the last seven days. The number of positive cases has increased 3.3% in the past seven days and 47.2% in the past 14 days, according to state data. In total, the state has reported 347,634 cases since the pandemic started and seen 7,227 deaths. In the past 24 hours, there have been 140 new coronavirus-related deaths.
15 Jul 2020 22.22 BST Hi there, it’s Maanvi Singh, reporting from the West Coast. Donald Trump has wrapped up in Atlanta, where he announced changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to speed the approval of federal projects like highways, mines and gas pipelines. “Today’s action is part of my administration’s fierce commitment to slashing the web of needless bureaucracy that was holding back our citizens,” Trump said. He also used another opportunity to criticize Joe Biden, deriding what he painted as progressive Democratic environmental policies. NEPA was signed into law by Richard Nixon in 1970. Trump’s rollback “drastically curtails environmental reviews for thousands of federal agency projects nationwide, a move that will weaken safeguards for air, water, wildlife and public lands,” the Center for Biological Diversity said, in reaction to the news.
15 Jul 2020 22.00 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: Ruth Bader Ginsburg was discharged from Johns Hopkins hospital. The liberal supreme court justice was admitted to the hospital yesterday for treatment of a possible infection.
The liberal supreme court justice was admitted to the hospital yesterday for treatment of a possible infection. Dr Anthony Fauci said the White House’s “bizarre” attacks on him only hurt the president. Fauci’s comments were published in the Atlantic a day after Trump ’s senior trade adviser, Peter Navarro, wrote a USA Today op-ed raising doubts about the infectious disease expert’s credibility.
Fauci’s comments were published in the Atlantic a day after ’s senior trade adviser, wrote a USA Today op-ed raising doubts about the infectious disease expert’s credibility. The governor of Oklahoma announced he has tested positive for coronavirus. Despite his positive test result and the climbing number of cases in Oklahoma, Republican governor Kevin Stitt said he does not currently plan to roll back the state’s reopening or institute a statewide mask requirement.
Despite his positive test result and the climbing number of cases in Oklahoma, Republican governor said he does not currently plan to roll back the state’s reopening or institute a statewide mask requirement. The US once again saw a record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day. According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins, more than 67,000 new cases were reported yesterday. Since the start of the crisis, the US has confirmed 3,465,031 cases and recorded 136,940 deaths from the virus.
According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins, more than 67,000 new cases were reported yesterday. Since the start of the crisis, the US has confirmed 3,465,031 cases and recorded 136,940 deaths from the virus. Walmart announced it would require masks at all of its stores. The CEO of Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, said the new policy would take effect on Monday. Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
15 Jul 2020 21.42 BST The vice president tweeted a photo of Dr Anthony Fauci, as the infectious disease expert weathers criticism from some of Trump’s advisers. Mike Pence, who leads the White House coronavirus task force, shared a picture of the team meeting, with Fauci at the center of the photo. “Productive meeting of the @WhiteHouse Coronavirus Task Force today,” Pence wrote in the tweet. “As we continue to put the health and well-being of the American people first, we are working closely with states to move forward, safely reopening our Nation and get Americans back to work.” Productive meeting of the @WhiteHouse Coronavirus Task Force today. As we continue to put the health and well-being of the American people first, we are working closely with states to move forward, safely reopening our Nation and get Americans back to work. pic.twitter.com/WxsZwd8kiM — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) July 15, 2020 The tweet comes a day after senior trade adviser Peter Navarro published an op-ed raising doubts about the credibility of Fauci, who has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. Pence doubled down on his praise of Fauci in a call with reporters this afternoon, describing him as a “valued” member of the task force. “We couldn’t be more grateful for his steady counsel,” Pence said.
15 Jul 2020 21.26 BST Ginsburg discharged from hospital Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been discharged from Johns Hopkins Hospital, a day after being admitted for treatment of a possible infection. “Justice Ginsburg has been discharged from the hospital. She is home and doing well,” a spokesperson for the court said in a statement. The court previously said Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital after experiencing a fever and chills and underwent a procedure to clean out a bile duct stent that was placed last year. The 87-year-old liberal justice has had a number of medical issues in recent years, sparking concern that she may step down from the court and give Trump another seat to fill. Asked yesterday about Ginsburg’s admission to the hospital, Trump said, “I wish her the best, I hope she’s better. ... She’s actually giving me some good rulings.”


theguardian--2020-07-17--China calls US 'pathetic' amid reports of visa ban on Communist party members

China has accused the Trump administration of being “ very pathetic ” amid reports that Washington is considering a sweeping visa ban on Communist party members .
Donald Trump is reportedly reviewing a proposal to refuse entry for all members of China ’ s ruling party – which encompasses a who ’ s who of the political and business elite in the world ’ s most populous nation .
Mike Pompeo , US secretary of state , asked about the reports on Fox News , said the administration was looking at “ pushing back against the Chinese Communist party ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do it in a way that reflects America ’ s tradition , and there are lots of ideas that are under review by the president and by our team , ” he said , without commenting directly .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said of Trump at a briefing : “ He has not ruled out any action with regard to China.
” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called the reported visa ban idea “ very pathetic ” for the world ’ s “ strongest power ” .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more things that disdain the basic norms governing international relations and undermine its reputation , credibility and status as a major country , ” she told reporters .
Trump has been ramping up pressure on China , repeatedly blaming the Asian power for not preventing the coronavirus pandemic , which is taking a heavy toll in the United States months ahead of elections .
Last week the US state department said it would refuse visas for three senior Chinese officials over abuses in the Xinjiang region , where rights groups say more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are incarcerated .
But a sweeping ban on members of the Chinese Communist party would be an extraordinary undertaking , requiring US authorities to step up screening of the approximately 3 million Chinese people who visited each year before the pandemic disrupted travel .
Chinese state media last year said that more than 90 million people belonged to the party , with 35 % of them “ workers and peasants.
” For many Chinese , membership in the 99-year-old party is seen as vital for advancement .
Many observers were startled in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billionaire businessman behind e-commerce titan Alibaba , belonged to the party .

China has accused the Trump administration of being “very pathetic” amid reports that Washington is considering a sweeping visa ban on Communist party members.
Donald Trump is reportedly reviewing a proposal to refuse entry for all members of China’s ruling party – which encompasses a who’s who of the political and business elite in the world’s most populous nation.
Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, asked about the reports on Fox News, said the administration was looking at “pushing back against the Chinese Communist party”.
“We want to make sure we do it in a way that reflects America’s tradition, and there are lots of ideas that are under review by the president and by our team,” he said, without commenting directly.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said of Trump at a briefing: “He has not ruled out any action with regard to China.”
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called the reported visa ban idea “very pathetic” for the world’s “strongest power”.
“We hope the US will refrain from doing more things that disdain the basic norms governing international relations and undermine its reputation, credibility and status as a major country,” she told reporters.
Hu Xijin, editor in chief of the state media title Global Times, described the plan as “crazy and vicious, reflecting the Trump administration has lost rationality”.
“The US ruling team is committing a crime ruining the foundation for world peace,” he said.
Reaction to news of the proposed ban was mixed among Chinese netizens. Some were supportive of the idea, saying that party members should stay in China anyway out of patriotism, and that ending travel could help stop corruption. Others accused the US of hypocrisy with an attack on political freedom.
“The US protests against everything except the pandemic,” wrote one on Weibo. Another said: “The ban on party and family members is basically equivalent to breaking off relations. Aren’t the embassy staff party members?”
However by Friday, hashtags relating to news of Hua’s response had been removed from search functions.
Trump has been ramping up pressure on China, repeatedly blaming the Asian power for not preventing the coronavirus pandemic, which is taking a heavy toll in the United States months ahead of elections.
Last week the US state department said it would refuse visas for three senior Chinese officials over abuses in the Xinjiang region, where rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims are incarcerated.
But a sweeping ban on members of the Chinese Communist party would be an extraordinary undertaking, requiring US authorities to step up screening of the approximately 3 million Chinese people who visited each year before the pandemic disrupted travel.
Chinese state media last year said that more than 90 million people belonged to the party, with 35% of them “workers and peasants.”
For many Chinese, membership in the 99-year-old party is seen as vital for advancement. Many observers were startled in 2018 to learn that Jack Ma, the billionaire businessman behind e-commerce titan Alibaba, belonged to the party.
Additional reporting by Pei Lin Wu.


theguardian--2020-07-17--Barr condemns Disney and Hollywood for 'kowtowing' to China

The US attorney general , William Barr , has assailed the Walt Disney Company and Hollywood studios , accusing them of “ kowtowing ” to the Chinese Communist party .
Barr ’ s allegations are part of a sustained diplomatic and public relations offensive by the Trump administration against Beijing , which the attorney general accused of engaging in “ economic blitzkrieg – an aggressive , orchestrated , whole-of-government ( indeed , whole-of-society ) campaign to seize the commanding heights of the global economy and to surpass the United States as the world ’ s pre-eminent superpower ” .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against US corporate leaders whom he accused of abetting China ’ s hegemonic aims , particularly in the film industry .
He said Disney had initially resisted Chinese pressure not to make the 1997 film Kundun , about the Dalai Lama and the Beijing ’ s annexation of Tibet .
“ But that moment of courage wouldn ’ t last long , ” Barr noted .
China banned Disney films , leading to an apology from the company for making Kundun .
The management then lobbied China to build a Disneyland in Shanghai @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in running the theme park .
Barr alleged the officials “ display hammer-and-sickle insignia at their desks and attend party lectures during business hours ” .
“ If Disney and other American corporations continue to bow to Beijing , they risk undermining both their own future competitiveness and prosperity , as well as the classical liberal order that has allowed them to thrive , ” Barr said .
The Disney company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations .
The attorney general also criticised Hollywood studios for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in return for Chinese distribution , citing two cases in which the nationalities of characters were allegedly changed so as not to irritate Beijing .
Beijing objected to a virus in a zombie apocalypse film , World War Z , being shown as originating in China , and a mystic character , the “ Ancient One ” in the fantasy film , Dr Strange , was changed from being Tibetan to Celtic , to avoid upsetting China , Barr said .
The attorney general also lashed out at US technology companies including Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cisco , calling them “ pawns of Chinese influence ” .
“ All too often , for the sake of short-term profits , American companies have succumbed to that influence – even at the expense of freedom and openness in the United States , ” he said .
Cisco rejected Barr ’ s allegation it had helped the Communist party build “ the Great Firewall of China ” , which Barr referred to as the world ’ s “ most sophisticated system for Internet surveillance and censorship ” .
In an emailed statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ builds its products to global standards , and Cisco does not supply equipment to China that is customized in any way to facilitate blocking of access or surveillance of users ” .
“ The products we supply to China are the same we provide worldwide , and we comply fully with all export control rules applicable to China including those related to human rights , ” the company statement said .
Apple also responded to Barr ’ s criticism of its decision to transfer a portion of its iCloud data to servers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would make it easier for Beijing to conduct electronic surveillance .
The company emailed a statement dating from May saying : “ We sell the same iPhone everywhere , we don ’ t store customers ’ passcodes and we don ’ t have the capacity to unlock passcode-protected devices .
In data centers , we deploy strong hardware and software security protections to keep information safe and to ensure there are no backdoors into our systems .
All of these practices apply equally to our operations in every country in the world @ @

The US attorney general, William Barr, has assailed the Walt Disney Company and Hollywood studios, accusing them of “kowtowing” to the Chinese Communist party.
Barr’s allegations are part of a sustained diplomatic and public relations offensive by the Trump administration against Beijing, which the attorney general accused of engaging in “economic blitzkrieg – an aggressive, orchestrated, whole-of-government (indeed, whole-of-society) campaign to seize the commanding heights of the global economy and to surpass the United States as the world’s pre-eminent superpower”.
In a speech in Michigan, Barr railed against US corporate leaders whom he accused of abetting China’s hegemonic aims, particularly in the film industry. He said Disney had initially resisted Chinese pressure not to make the 1997 film Kundun, about the Dalai Lama and Beijing’s annexation of Tibet.
“But that moment of courage wouldn’t last long,” Barr noted. China banned Disney films, leading to an apology from the company for making Kundun. The management then lobbied China to build a Disneyland in Shanghai, allowing Chinese officials to have a role in running the theme park.
Barr alleged the officials “display hammer-and-sickle insignia at their desks and attend party lectures during business hours”.
“If Disney and other American corporations continue to bow to Beijing, they risk undermining both their own future competitiveness and prosperity, as well as the classical liberal order that has allowed them to thrive,” Barr said.
The Disney company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations.
The attorney general also criticised Hollywood studios for bowing to Chinese pressure to tweak scripts in return for Chinese distribution, citing two cases in which the nationalities of characters were allegedly changed so as not to irritate Beijing.
Beijing objected to a virus in a zombie apocalypse film, World War Z, being shown as originating in China, and a mystic character, the “Ancient One” in the fantasy film, Dr Strange, was changed from being Tibetan to Celtic, to avoid upsetting China, Barr said.
The attorney general also lashed out at US technology companies including Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Apple and Cisco, calling them “pawns of Chinese influence”.
“All too often, for the sake of short-term profits, American companies have succumbed to that influence – even at the expense of freedom and openness in the United States,” he said.
Cisco rejected Barr’s allegation it had helped the Communist party build “the Great Firewall of China”, which Barr referred to as the world’s “most sophisticated system for Internet surveillance and censorship”.
In an emailed statement to the Guardian, Cisco said it “builds its products to global standards, and Cisco does not supply equipment to China that is customized in any way to facilitate blocking of access or surveillance of users”.
“The products we supply to China are the same we provide worldwide, and we comply fully with all export control rules applicable to China including those related to human rights,” the company statement said.
Apple also responded to Barr’s criticism of its decision to transfer a portion of its iCloud data to servers in China, on the grounds that it would make it easier for Beijing to conduct electronic surveillance.
The company emailed a statement dating from May saying: “We sell the same iPhone everywhere, we don’t store customers’ passcodes and we don’t have the capacity to unlock passcode-protected devices. In data centers, we deploy strong hardware and software security protections to keep information safe and to ensure there are no backdoors into our systems. All of these practices apply equally to our operations in every country in the world.”


theguardian--2020-07-17--White House: 'The science should not stand in the way' of reopening schools – as it happened

“ We have been working closely with state and local public health officials , as well epidemiologists , and have come to the hard decision that members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee , ” Chasseny Lewis , a senior adviser to the convention committee , wrote in an email to congressional aides .
“ No delegates will travel to Milwaukee and Caucus and Council meetings will take place virtually.
” The directive ensures that little will happen at the physical convention site beyond keynote speeches from former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. , his vice-presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party leaders .
The remainder of the event — state delegation meetings , parties and schmoozing , voting on the party platform and Mr. Biden ’ s nomination — will happen virtually or not at all .
Over the past several months , Democrats have scaled back their plans , moving the convention across downtown Milwaukee from the Fiserv Forum , the city ’ s professional basketball arena , to the Wisconsin Center , a modest convention center that typically hosts events like the city ’ s car show .
The last national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2004 Green Party convention .
Party officials have been consulting regularly with doctors and epidemiologists and say they are following the recommendations of the medical establishment .

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

17 Jul 2020 01.09 BST Summary From me and Joan E Greve: The White House press secretary suggested “the science should not stand in the way” of reopening schools. As coronavirus cases surge across the country, many major school districts, including Los Angeles and Dallas, have announced plans to hold online-only classes. In Texas, governor Greg Abbott permitted districts to continue online teaching, overriding an earlier policy that could have cost funding to districts that resisted reopening.
“the science should not stand in the way” of reopening schools. As coronavirus cases surge across the country, many major school districts, including Los Angeles and Dallas, have announced plans to hold online-only classes. In Texas, governor permitted districts to continue online teaching, overriding an earlier policy that could have cost funding to districts that resisted reopening. Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, is filing a lawsuit against Atlanta’s Democratic mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms over her coronavirus response. The lawsuit seeks to block Bottoms from enforcing a citywide mask mandate requiring people to wear face masks in public and challenges the mayor’s decision to return to “phase one” of the city’s reopening plan as cases surged.
The lawsuit seeks to block Bottoms from enforcing a citywide mask mandate requiring people to wear face masks in public and challenges the mayor’s decision to return to “phase one” of the city’s reopening plan as cases surged. Canada and the US have once again extended restrictions on cross-border travel. The restrictions, which were first enacted in March, allow only “essential” travel by land and sea across the world’s largest undefended border.
The restrictions, which were first enacted in March, allow only “essential” travel by land and sea across the world’s largest undefended border. A new CDC report said Trump ’s European travel ban was enacted too late to protect New York residents. “Although travel restrictions are an important mitigation strategy, by the time the European restrictions were implemented, importation and community transmission of Sars-CoV-2 had already occurred in NYC,” the report says. Although the rate of new infections has slowed significantly in New York, the city has lost more than 23,000 residents to the virus.
’s “Although travel restrictions are an important mitigation strategy, by the time the European restrictions were implemented, importation and community transmission of Sars-CoV-2 had already occurred in NYC,” the report says. Although the rate of new infections has slowed significantly in New York, the city has lost more than 23,000 residents to the virus. The supreme court declined to block a Florida law criticized as a “poll tax”. Florida can continue to block people with felony convictions from voting until they’ve repaid all fines and fees they owe, the US supreme court said today. Florida Republicans passed the law after the state’s voters approved a 2018 initiative to restore voting rights to those previously convicted of felonies.
Florida can continue to block people with felony convictions from voting until they’ve repaid all fines and fees they owe, the US supreme court said today. Florida Republicans passed the law after the state’s voters approved a 2018 initiative to restore voting rights to those previously convicted of felonies. The Republican National Committee is reportedly planning for a downsized nominating convention next month, as coronavirus cases rise in 41 states. According to reports, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a letter to delegates that attendance would be strictly limited at next month’s convention in Jacksonville, Florida.
as coronavirus cases rise in 41 states. According to reports, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a letter to delegates that attendance would be strictly limited at next month’s convention in Jacksonville, Florida. Russian state-sponsored hackers have been targeting organizations working to develop a coronavirus vaccine, British security officials said. The hacking efforts have been specifically targeting groups involved in vaccine work in the UK, the US and Canada.
Updated at 01.55 BST
17 Jul 2020 01.01 BST The Democrats are urging elected leaders and party delegates to skip the national convention in August as coronavirus cases surge, the New York Times reports. From the Times: “We have been working closely with state and local public health officials, as well epidemiologists, and have come to the hard decision that members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee,” Chasseny Lewis, a senior adviser to the convention committee, wrote in an email to congressional aides. “No delegates will travel to Milwaukee and Caucus and Council meetings will take place virtually.” The directive ensures that little will happen at the physical convention site beyond keynote speeches from former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., his vice-presidential nominee and a handful of other top party leaders. The remainder of the event — state delegation meetings, parties and schmoozing, voting on the party platform and Mr. Biden’s nomination — will happen virtually or not at all. Over the past several months, Democrats have scaled back their plans, moving the convention across downtown Milwaukee from the Fiserv Forum, the city’s professional basketball arena, to the Wisconsin Center, a modest convention center that typically hosts events like the city’s car show. The last national political event to take place there was the 2004 Green Party convention. Party officials have been consulting regularly with doctors and epidemiologists and say they are following the recommendations of the medical establishment.
16 Jul 2020 00.25 BST Puerto Rico has rolled back its reopening, ordering bars, gyms, theaters and other businesses to close, and limiting the use of beaches to those who are exercising. “We’ve reached a level where we need to take more restrictive measures,” said governor Wanda Vázquez. The restrictions will be in place for two weeks, until at least 31 July, she said. The sale of alcohol will also be limited after 7pm, and restaurants will be required to keep at 50% capacity. Vázquez also announced $100m in funding for municipalities worst hit by the pandemic and $150m in aid for hospitals. She is also seeking to limit flights into the territory from Texas and Florida, both coronavirus hotspots. The major tourist destination also requires visitors to present a negative Covid-19 test result, taken no more than 72 hours before their arrival. Those who don’t comply will face a mandatory quarantine. Vázquez was among the first leaders in the US to enact shelter-in-place orders when the pandemic first struck. The island of 3.2m has counted more than 10,500 cases and 172 deaths.
Updated at 01.05 BST
16 Jul 2020 23.50 BST Georgia governor sues Atlanta mayor, in an attempt to block the city's coronavirus restrictions Georgia’s Republican governor Brian Kemp has filed a lawsuit blocking Atlanta Democratic mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’s coronavirus response. The lawsuit seeks to block her from enforcing a citywide mandate requiring people to wear face masks in public and challenges Bottom’s decision to return to “phase one” of the city’s reopening plan as cases surged, arguing that Kemp can “suspend municipal orders that are contradictory” to state policy. Kemp had issued a statewide order restricting local governments from enacting more drastic coronavirus restrictions than the state. Georgia has reported more than 127,000 Covid-19 cases, and about half are in Atlanta. Bottoms herself has tested positive. Kemp has often butted heads with Bottoms, who is on Joe Biden’s shortlist of potential running mates. She has criticized Kemp’s decision to send national guard troops to her city to protect state buildings amid protests against police brutality, and last week announced her intention to have Atalanta reverse its reopening plan despite protests from Kemp.
Updated at 01.07 BST
16 Jul 2020 23.19 BST Restrictions limiting non-essential travel between Canada and the US have been extended. The restrictions will be in place until 21 August, “to keep people in both our countries safe”, said prime minister Justin Trudeau. Update on our border: Non-essential travel between Canada and the US remains restricted. And as we continue to fight COVID-19, we have agreed to extend the current border measures by another 30 days - until August 21st - to keep people in both our countries safe. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 16, 2020 The US and Canada first began restricting travel across their border in March. The restrictions have since been renewed three times. US lawmakers have been pressuring officials in both countries to ease up the travel limits, but Canadians are wary of letting in travelers from the US as coronavirus cases here surge. A loophole does allow Canadians to fly into the US - though they have to quarantine for two weeks upon returning to Canada.
Updated at 01.59 BST
16 Jul 2020 23.08 BST Dallas, Texas, officials won’t reopen schools until at least 8 September. The Dallas Independent school district is the latest major school district to reconsider reopening plans as the number of coronavirus cases swell. Dallas county had reported nearly 36,000 coronavirus cases so far. Yesterday, Governor Greg Abbott said Texas schools would be allowed to extend online-only classes after the Texas Education Agency (TEA) initially said schools could lose funding if they remained online-only for more than three weeks. Abbott said the state would ease up its stringent reopening requirements as the number of cases and hospitalizations continued to grow.
Updated at 23.21 BST
16 Jul 2020 22.50 BST
My colleague Kenya Evelyn brings us more context on the coronavirus surge: Covid-19 infections are rising in 41 US states, with some southern hotspots taking crisis measures on Thursday, including calling in military medics and parking mobile morgue trucks outside hospitals, echoing scenes in New York City when it became the center of the world outbreak in the spring. The spread of the virus has resulted in almost 56,000 hospitalizations for Covid-19 in the US currently. A month ago hospitalizations were rising in 11 states; now they are rising in 33 states. Several states have been breaking records on many days in the last week as numbers rise. Florida set a record of almost 14,000 new cases on Wednesday as it became the focus of attention of the southern surge in Covid-19. In other developments, Georgia governor Brian Kemp suspended local mask mandates on Wednesday, and early on Thursday, the Republican National Committee announced plans to scale back its national convention next month in Jacksonville, Florida, which it had moved from North Carolina before the surge of cases in Florida, hoping for fewer restrictions on crowds. The RNC chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, confirmed the update in a letter to convention delegates, noting they will comply with local and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health guidelines while adapting the events.
“We still intend to host a fantastic convention celebration in Jacksonville,” she wrote. “We can gather and put on a top-notch event that celebrates the incredible accomplishments of President Trump’s administration and his re-nomination for a second term – while also doing so in a safe and responsible manner.” Coronavirus cases rising in 41 states as Republicans scale back convention Read more
16 Jul 2020 22.33 BST The Centers for Disease Contol and Prevention (CDC) has extended its’ no-sail order for cruises, blocking cruise ships docked at US ports from operating until at least 1 October. Coronavirus cases have surged in Florida and California — where thousands of cruises would usually frequent. The CDC first put these restrictions in place in March. In the extension, which the public health authority announced today, it noted that between 1 March and 10 July, nearly 3,000 infections and 34 deaths were linked in cruise ships. Eighty percent of ships within US jurisdiction were affected by Covid-19 during that time frame, the CDC said. Industry group Cruise Lines International Association had already announced in June that members would voluntarily suspend cruises until mid-September.
16 Jul 2020 22.08 BST Hi there, it’s Maanvi Singh - reporting from the West Coast. Following White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s suggestion that “The science should not stand in the way” of schools reopening, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) issued a scathing statement criticizing the administration’s response to the coronavirus crisis. “Now the Trump administration wants to further risk the lives of teachers, children, staff, and their families just to soothe the president’s ego,” said Lily Adams, a DNC spokesperson. “This president would rather accept conspiracy theories and reject science than listen to public health experts. He can’t be trusted to make decisions about the lives of America’s children and their families.”
16 Jul 2020 22.01 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: The White House suggested science should not determine whether schools reopen this fall. “The science should not stand in the way of this,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said of Trump ’s push to reopen schools. She later added, “The science is on our side here.” McEnany’s comments come as a number of school officials express concern about the potential spread of coronavirus in the classroom.
“The science should not stand in the way of this,” White House press secretary said of ’s push to reopen schools. She later added, “The science is on our side here.” McEnany’s comments come as a number of school officials express concern about the potential spread of coronavirus in the classroom. A new CDC report said Trump ’s European travel ban was enacted too late to protect New York residents. “Although travel restrictions are an important mitigation strategy, by the time the European restrictions were implemented, importation and community transmission of Sars-CoV-2 had already occurred in NYC,” the report says. Although the rate of new infections has slowed significantly in New York, the city has lost more than 23,000 residents to the virus.
’s “Although travel restrictions are an important mitigation strategy, by the time the European restrictions were implemented, importation and community transmission of Sars-CoV-2 had already occurred in NYC,” the report says. Although the rate of new infections has slowed significantly in New York, the city has lost more than 23,000 residents to the virus. The supreme court declined to block a Florida law criticized as a “poll tax.” Florida can continue to block people with felony convictions from voting until they’ve repaid all fines and fees they owe, the US supreme court ruled today. Florida Republicans passed the law after the state’s voters approved a 2018 initiative to restore voting rights to those previously convicted of felonies.
Florida can continue to block people with felony convictions from voting until they’ve repaid all fines and fees they owe, the US supreme court ruled today. Florida passed the law after the state’s voters approved a 2018 initiative to restore voting rights to those previously convicted of felonies. The Republican National Committee is reportedly planning for a downsized nominating convention next month, as coronavirus cases rise in 41 states. According to reports, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a letter to delegates that attendance would be strictly limited at next month’s convention in Jacksonville, Florida.
as coronavirus cases rise in 41 states. According to reports, RNC chairwoman said in a letter to delegates that attendance would be strictly limited at next month’s convention in Jacksonville, Florida. Russian state-sponsored hackers have been targeting organizations working to develop a coronavirus vaccine, British security officials said. The hacking efforts have been specifically targeting groups involved in vaccine work in the UK, the US and Canada. Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
16 Jul 2020 21.54 BST Trump’s remarks on regulation rollbacks have taken an unsurprising turn toward the political, as the president unleashes an attack against Joe Biden. Trump warned his Democratic opponent’s policies would kill jobs, make energy unaffordable and destroy suburbs. “Suburbia will be no longer as we know it,” Trump said, warning Democrats would “watch it go to hell.” “Not while I am here,” Trump added. “The suburb destruction will end with us.” The president specifically said he would discuss the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule next week to help suburbs. The AFFH rule requires federal agencies to further the purposes of the Fair Housing Act.
Trump’s promises to suburban Americans come as suburbs across the country, previously a Republican stronghold, increasingly shift toward Democrats.
16 Jul 2020 21.38 BST During his remarks on rolling back regulations, Trump once again complained about the water pressure in energy-efficient showers. “Showerheads, you take a shower, the water doesn’t come out,” the president said at his White House event. “You want to wash your hands, the water doesn’t come out. So what do you do? You just stand there longer? Or you take a shower longer?” Trump then added, “Because my hair, I don’t know about you, but it has to be perfect.” That comment attracted some chuckles and applause from the friendly crowd gathered on the South Lawn.


theguardian--2020-07-17--Coronavirus cases rising in 41 states as Republicans scale back convention

Covid-19 infections are rising in 41 US states , with some southern hotspots taking crisis measures on Thursday , including calling in military medics and parking mobile morgue trucks outside hospitals , echoing scenes in New York City when it became the center of the world outbreak in the spring .
The spread of the virus has resulted in almost 56,000 hospitalizations for Covid-19 in the US currently .
A month ago hospitalizations were rising in 11 states ; now they are rising in 33 states .
Several states have broken records on many days in the last week as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 156 deaths on Thursday as it became the focus of attention of the southern surge in Covid-19 .
In other developments , Georgia governor Brian Kemp suspended local mask mandates on Wednesday , and early on Thursday , the Republican National Committee announced plans to scale back its national convention next month in Jacksonville , Florida , which it had moved from North Carolina before the surge of cases in Florida , hoping for fewer restrictions on crowds .
The RNC chairwoman , Ronna McDaniel , confirmed the update in a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will comply with local and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) health guidelines while adapting the events .
“ We still intend to host a fantastic convention celebration in Jacksonville , ” she wrote .
“ We can gather and put on a top-notch event that celebrates the incredible accomplishments of President Trump ’ s administration and his re-nomination for a second term – while also doing so in a safe and responsible manner.
” As part of the revised logistics , some events have been moved to outdoor venues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The entire RNC event has been capped to a total of nearly 7,000 attendees , a fraction of the typical volume .
Florida has become one of the country ’ s fastest-growing hotspots for the coronavirus outbreak .
In addition to the record deaths , the state reported nearly 14,000 new daily cases on Thursday .
The Democrats are scaling back their national convention , with the New York Times reporting on Thursday that the party is urging elected leaders and party delegates to skip the convention in August altogether .
The party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predominantly virtual convention using live broadcasts and online streaming .
Across Texas , which reported a rise to 11,000 new cases in one day , US army medics have been deployed to assist with hospital overflow and limited personnel .
In the city of San Antonio , where local officials reported hospitals are now at 90 % capacity , refrigerated morgue trucks have been requested to park outside hospitals .
Ken Davis , chief medical officer for Christus Health South Texas , told KSAT the bodies would be held at the hospital until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ there are only so many places to put bodies ” .
“ It ’ s a hard thing to talk about , ” Davis said .
“ People ’ s loved ones are dying .
Our funeral homes are out of space.
” As earlier hotspots such as New York City in April found , when pressure ramps up on hospitals quickly , personal protective equipment such as masks , gloves and gowns for medical workers falls short , with some hospitals obliging staff to reuse masks and gowns that are normally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , president of National Nurses United , the largest union for registered nurses , told ABC : “ In a country that ’ s this rich with resources , it seems criminal that nurses and healthcare workers are having to make do with cobbled together , non-certified equipment.
” Meanwhile some Republican governors have reversed their stances against masks , enacting mandates or executive orders to require them .
On Wednesday , Alabama ’ s governor , Kay Ivey , said a mask order could not wait but wished that people did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what is in your own best interest ” .
But Governor Kemp of Georgia dug into his support for reopening the economy , signing an executive order on Wednesday that explicitly bans local governments from enforcing their own orders requiring masks .
The Atlanta mayor , Keisha Lance Bottoms , who recently confirmed she and her household had contracted the virus , said Donald Trump had “ violate [ d ] law in the city ” by not wearing a mask during his visit there on Wednesday .
The Trump administration faces continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a scathing op-ed on Thursday , Maryland ’ s Republican governor , Larry Hogan , accused the president of downplaying the pandemic and failing to prepare Americans for its potential impact .
“ So many nationwide actions could have been taken in those early days but weren ’ t , ” he wrote .
“ While other countries were racing ahead with well-coordinated testing regimes , the Trump administration bungled the effort.
” Hogan clashed with Trump after circumventing White House officials to pull strings and outsource Covid-19 tests from South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortage , saying : “ It was clear that waiting around for the president to run the nation ’ s response was hopeless ” and would “ be condemning more citizens to suffering and death ” .
He added that Trump had left the state more vulnerable to the virus , accusing the president of “ talking and tweeting like a man more concerned about boosting the stock market or his re-election plan ” .
Reopening schools has remained a point of contention , with the Trump administration pushing for in-person classes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Thursday the Dallas Independent school district became the latest major school district to reconsider reopening plans as the number of coronavirus cases swell , saying it would not reopen until at least 8 September .
Earlier this week , Los Angeles and San Diego school districts announced they would remain online-only through the fall .
The White House suggested on Thursday that science should not determine whether schools reopen this fall .
“ The science should not stand in the way of this , ” the White House press secretary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference .
She later added : “ The science is on our side here.
” Meanwhile in Washington , the Trump administration pushed back against criticism of its decision to require that hospitals bypass the CDC ’ s system for reporting hospital information , opting for the Department of Health and Human Services ’ reporting portal .
“ HHS is committed to being transparent with the American public about the information it is collecting on the coronavirus , ” a spokesman , Michael Caputo , said in response to a report from CNBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had already disappeared from CDC websites .

Covid-19 infections are rising in 41 US states, with some southern hotspots taking crisis measures on Thursday, including calling in military medics and parking mobile morgue trucks outside hospitals, echoing scenes in New York City when it became the center of the world outbreak in the spring.
The spread of the virus has resulted in almost 56,000 hospitalizations for Covid-19 in the US currently. A month ago hospitalizations were rising in 11 states; now they are rising in 33 states.
Several states have broken records on many days in the last week as numbers rise. Florida reported a record of 156 deaths on Thursday as it became the focus of attention of the southern surge in Covid-19.
In other developments, Georgia governor Brian Kemp suspended local mask mandates on Wednesday, and early on Thursday, the Republican National Committee announced plans to scale back its national convention next month in Jacksonville, Florida, which it had moved from North Carolina before the surge of cases in Florida, hoping for fewer restrictions on crowds.
The RNC chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, confirmed the update in a letter to convention delegates, noting the organization will comply with local and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health guidelines while adapting the events.
“We still intend to host a fantastic convention celebration in Jacksonville,” she wrote. “We can gather and put on a top-notch event that celebrates the incredible accomplishments of President Trump’s administration and his re-nomination for a second term – while also doing so in a safe and responsible manner.”
As part of the revised logistics, some events have been moved to outdoor venues while there will be smaller crowds. The entire RNC event has been capped to a total of nearly 7,000 attendees, a fraction of the typical volume. Florida has become one of the country’s fastest-growing hotspots for the coronavirus outbreak. In addition to the record deaths, the state reported nearly 14,000 new daily cases on Thursday.
Covid-19 testing are administered at a converted vehicle inspection station in San Antonio, Texas. The state has deployed army medics to assist with hospital overflow. Photograph: Eric Gay/AP
The Democrats are scaling back their national convention, with the New York Times reporting on Thursday that the party is urging elected leaders and party delegates to skip the convention in August altogether. The party had already announced plans to hold a predominantly virtual convention using live broadcasts and online streaming.
Across Texas, which reported a rise to 11,000 new cases in one day, US army medics have been deployed to assist with hospital overflow and limited personnel. In the city of San Antonio, where local officials reported hospitals are now at 90% capacity, refrigerated morgue trucks have been requested to park outside hospitals.
Ken Davis, chief medical officer for Christus Health South Texas, told KSAT the bodies would be held at the hospital until they could be picked up, as “there are only so many places to put bodies”.
“It’s a hard thing to talk about,” Davis said. “People’s loved ones are dying. Our funeral homes are out of space.”
As earlier hotspots such as New York City in April found, when pressure ramps up on hospitals quickly, personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and gowns for medical workers falls short, with some hospitals obliging staff to reuse masks and gowns that are normally disposable, ABC reported.
Deborah Burger, president of National Nurses United, the largest union for registered nurses, told ABC: “In a country that’s this rich with resources, it seems criminal that nurses and healthcare workers are having to make do with cobbled together, non-certified equipment.”
Meanwhile some Republican governors have reversed their stances against masks, enacting mandates or executive orders to require them.
On Wednesday, Alabama’s governor, Kay Ivey, said a mask order could not wait but wished that people did not “have to be ordered to do what is in your own best interest”.
Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia dug into his support of reopening the economy. Photograph: Nathan Posner/Rex/Shutterstock
But Governor Kemp of Georgia dug into his support for reopening the economy, signing an executive order on Wednesday that explicitly bans local governments from enforcing their own orders requiring masks.
The Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, who recently confirmed she and her household had contracted the virus, said Donald Trump had “violate[d] law in the city” by not wearing a mask during his visit there on Wednesday.
The Trump administration faces continued backlash for its response to the outbreak. In a scathing op-ed on Thursday, Maryland’s Republican governor, Larry Hogan, accused the president of downplaying the pandemic and failing to prepare Americans for its potential impact.
“So many nationwide actions could have been taken in those early days but weren’t,” he wrote. “While other countries were racing ahead with well-coordinated testing regimes, the Trump administration bungled the effort.”
Hogan clashed with Trump after circumventing White House officials to pull strings and outsource Covid-19 tests from South Korea in April when there was a shortage, saying: “It was clear that waiting around for the president to run the nation’s response was hopeless” and would “be condemning more citizens to suffering and death”.
He added that Trump had left the state more vulnerable to the virus, accusing the president of “talking and tweeting like a man more concerned about boosting the stock market or his re-election plan”.
Reopening schools has remained a point of contention, with the Trump administration pushing for in-person classes to resume even as school officials express concern. On Thursday the Dallas Independent school district became the latest major school district to reconsider reopening plans as the number of coronavirus cases swell, saying it would not reopen until at least 8 September. Earlier this week, Los Angeles and San Diego school districts announced they would remain online-only through the fall.
The White House suggested on Thursday that science should not determine whether schools reopen this fall. “The science should not stand in the way of this,” the White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, said at a press conference. She later added: “The science is on our side here.”
Meanwhile in Washington, the Trump administration pushed back against criticism of its decision to require that hospitals bypass the CDC’s system for reporting hospital information, opting for the Department of Health and Human Services’ reporting portal.
“HHS is committed to being transparent with the American public about the information it is collecting on the coronavirus,” a spokesman, Michael Caputo, said in response to a report from CNBC that data previously available to the public had already disappeared from CDC websites.
Maanvi Singh contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-07-16--Pompeo claims private property and religious freedom are 'foremost' human rights

Mike Pompeo has sought to redefine the US approach to human rights by giving preference to private property and religious freedom as the foremost “ unalienable rights ” laid down by America ’ s Founding Fathers .
Pompeo , launching a draft report by a Commission on Unalienable Rights he established a year ago , also claimed that a proliferation of human rights asserted by different US and international institutions had the effect of diluting those rights he viewed as the most important .
“ Many are worth defending in light of our founding ; others aren ’ t , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Philadelphia .
He did not specify which rights he thought were superfluous , but the state department during his tenure has been aggressive in opposing references to reproductive and gender rights in UN and other multilateral documents .
In the report launched on Thursday , the authors – a mix of academics and activists – said they could not agree on the application of human rights standards to issues like “ abortion , affirmative action , and capital punishment , to name a few ” .
The state department presentation was quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to establish a hierarchy of human rights , in which some were more important than others , and for presenting human rights advocacy as distinctively American .
The Trump administration ’ s own human rights record has come under scrutiny for its policy of separating immigrant children from their parents and holding them in cages and its response to nationwide protests driven by anger over police treatment of black Americans .
Donald Trump has also sought to intimidate journalists , frequently referring to the press “ the enemy of the people ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ press in his remarks , but he repeatedly attacked the New York Times , accusing it of purveying Marxist ideology .
The secretary of state has been rebuked by human rights groups for his selectivity in applying norms .
He has for example , been a staunch supporter of the Saudi monarchy , in the face of evidence of atrocities from its war in Yemen , its use of torture and the murder of the Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi .
The commission report refers to Saudi Arabia as a “ flagrant human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is widely believed to harbour ambitions to run as a religious conservative candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 , infused Thursday ’ s launch event with a heavily religious tone , beginning with an invocation by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York .
“ America is fundamentally good , and has much to offer the world , because our founders recognized the existence of God-given unalienable rights , and designed a durable system to protect them , ” Pompeo said in his own remarks .
“ As the report emphasises , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and religious liberty .
No one can enjoy ‘ the pursuit of happiness ’ if you can ’ t own the fruits of your labor !
And no society can retain its legitimacy – or a virtuous character – without religious freedom .
Our founders knew faith was also essential to nurture the private virtue of our citizens.
” Pompeo acknowledged historical US failings , including slavery and the dispossession of Native Americans , but he argued that those wrongs had been remedied and was scornful of those who argued that they represented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down statues thus see nothing wrong with desecrating monuments to those who fought for unalienable rights – from our founding to the present day , ” he said in reference to a flurry of incidents involving the defacing and pulling down of monuments .
The attacks have focused on leaders and symbols of the Confederacy but have sometimes targeted statues of other historical figures .
Human rights groups were critical of the attempt to give preference to some rights at the expense of others , pointing out that America ’ s Founding Fathers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that included owning other human beings , through slavery and 18th-century legal interpretations of marriage .
“ There is this idea that there ’ s a proliferation of rights that undermines all rights , and that ’ s simply not the case , ” said Amanda Klasing , acting director of women ’ s rights at Human Rights Watch .
“ You ’ re not seeing a proliferation of rights ; you ’ re seeing a fuller protection of all rights for all people .
And I think that says something , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the state department .
“ In Pompeo ’ s speech he actually named-checked a press outlet in a threatening way several times , ” Klasing added .
“ I don ’ t remember freedom of speech , freedom of assembly , freedom of the press in any way taking a significant role in his articulation of the most important human rights … and I find that worrisome and somewhat anachronistic.
” Tarah Demant , director of the gender , sexuality and identity programme at Amnesty International USA , said : “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human rights will be respected and which will be ignored .
“ The US state department ’ s effort to cherry-pick rights in order to deny some their human rights is a dangerous political stunt that could spark a race to the bottom by human rights-abusing governments around the world .
”

Mike Pompeo has sought to redefine the US approach to human rights by giving preference to private property and religious freedom as the foremost “unalienable rights” laid down by America’s Founding Fathers.
Pompeo, launching a draft report by a Commission on Unalienable Rights he established a year ago, also claimed that a proliferation of human rights asserted by different US and international institutions had the effect of diluting those rights he viewed as the most important.
“Many are worth defending in light of our founding; others aren’t,” Pompeo said at a launch ceremony in Philadelphia. He did not specify which rights he thought were superfluous, but the state department during his tenure has been aggressive in opposing references to reproductive and gender rights in UN and other multilateral documents.
In the report launched on Thursday, the authors – a mix of academics and activists – said they could not agree on the application of human rights standards to issues like “abortion, affirmative action, and capital punishment, to name a few”.
The state department presentation was quickly criticised by human rights activists for seeking to establish a hierarchy of human rights, in which some were more important than others, and for presenting human rights advocacy as distinctively American.
The Trump administration’s own human rights record has come under scrutiny for its policy of separating immigrant children from their parents and holding them in cages and its response to nationwide protests driven by anger over police treatment of black Americans. Donald Trump has also sought to intimidate journalists, frequently referring to the press “the enemy of the people”.
Pompeo did not mention freedom of the press in his remarks, but he repeatedly attacked the New York Times, accusing it of purveying Marxist ideology. The secretary of state has been rebuked by human rights groups for his selectivity in applying norms.
He has for example, been a staunch supporter of the Saudi monarchy, in the face of evidence of atrocities from its war in Yemen, its use of torture and the murder of the Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The commission report refers to Saudi Arabia as a “flagrant human rights abuser”.
Pompeo, who is widely believed to harbour ambitions to run as a religious conservative candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, infused Thursday’s launch event with a heavily religious tone, beginning with an invocation by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York.
“America is fundamentally good, and has much to offer the world, because our founders recognized the existence of God-given unalienable rights, and designed a durable system to protect them,” Pompeo said in his own remarks.
“As the report emphasises, foremost among these rights are property rights and religious liberty. No one can enjoy ‘the pursuit of happiness’ if you can’t own the fruits of your labor! And no society can retain its legitimacy – or a virtuous character – without religious freedom. Our founders knew faith was also essential to nurture the private virtue of our citizens.”
Pompeo acknowledged historical US failings, including slavery and the dispossession of Native Americans, but he argued that those wrongs had been remedied and was scornful of those who argued that they represented enduring flaws.
“The rioters pulling down statues thus see nothing wrong with desecrating monuments to those who fought for unalienable rights – from our founding to the present day,” he said in reference to a flurry of incidents involving the defacing and pulling down of monuments. The attacks have focused on leaders and symbols of the Confederacy but have sometimes targeted statues of other historical figures.
Human rights groups were critical of the attempt to give preference to some rights at the expense of others, pointing out that America’s Founding Fathers emphasised property rights at a time when that included owning other human beings, through slavery and 18th-century legal interpretations of marriage.
“There is this idea that there’s a proliferation of rights that undermines all rights, and that’s simply not the case,” said Amanda Klasing, acting director of women’s rights at Human Rights Watch. “You’re not seeing a proliferation of rights; you’re seeing a fuller protection of all rights for all people. And I think that says something, that it is seen as threatening to Pompeo and the state department.
“In Pompeo’s speech he actually named-checked a press outlet in a threatening way several times,” Klasing added. “I don’t remember freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press in any way taking a significant role in his articulation of the most important human rights … and I find that worrisome and somewhat anachronistic.”
Tarah Demant, director of the gender, sexuality and identity programme at Amnesty International USA, said: “The US government cannot unilaterally redefine which human rights will be respected and which will be ignored.
“The US state department’s effort to cherry-pick rights in order to deny some their human rights is a dangerous political stunt that could spark a race to the bottom by human rights-abusing governments around the world.”


theguardian--2020-07-16--Supreme court allows Florida to restrict people with felony convictions from voting

Florida can continue to block people with felony convictions from voting until they have repaid all fines and fees they owe , the US supreme court said on Thursday , a major decision that makes it less likely that nearly three-quarters of a million Floridians will get to vote in November .
The decision came at a preliminary stage of one of the most closely watched voting rights lawsuits in the US , over amendment 4 , a measure Florida voters overwhelmingly approved in 2018 that allows people to vote once they complete their felony sentences , a change that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The amendment was a landmark expansion of voting rights , but since it passed Florida Republicans have made a concerted effort to slow it down .
State officials offered no guidance on how to implement it and then state lawmakers passed a law that required those with felony convictions to repay any debts assessed as part of their sentence before they could vote again .
There are more than 774,000 people in Florida who can not vote because they owe money and the state has no centralized way to inform people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with felonies also simply can never afford to repay the insurmountable debt they accumulate with their court sentences .
In late May , the US district judge Robert Hinkle struck down the Republican-authored law , which has has been widely denounced as a kind of poll tax and was seen as an effort to undercut the amendment and make it more difficult and confusing for people to get their voting rights back .
Lawyers representing Florida appealed against the ruling and in late May the US court of appeals blocked the lower court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pending .
The plaintiffs in the case filed an emergency request with the US supreme court to let Hinkle ’ s ruling go into effect so the people affected could vote in a primary election in the state this summer .
The supreme court declined to do so on Thursday , meaning Hinkle ’ s ruling will not be in effect while the 11th circuit considers the appeal ( it is currently scheduled to hear the case on 18 August ) .
The supreme court did not offer an explanation for its ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – joined by Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsburg – authored a scathing dissent .
“ This court ’ s order prevents thousands of otherwise eligible voters from participating in Florida ’ s primary election simply because they are poor , ” Sotomayor wrote .
The supreme court will probably have the final say in the case , but Thursday ’ s decision makes it less likely there will be a resolution for the affected voters ahead of the November presidential election , where Florida is a key battleground state .
At least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amendment 4 went into effect and Sotomayor noted those people were now in legal jeopardy , unlikely to learn about the change in their voting eligibility because of the 11th circuit ’ s decision , but facing potential criminal prosecution if they voted .
“ This is a deeply disappointing decision , ” said Paul Smith , an attorney at the Campaign Legal Center , who helped represent some of the plaintiffs .
“ The supreme court stood by as the 11th circuit prevented hundreds of thousands of otherwise eligible voters from participating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they can ’ t afford to pay fines and fees.
” Sotomayor also called out the supreme court for its willingness to uphold voting restrictions in a number of cases over the last several months .
The court shortened the deadline to return absentee ballots in Wisconsin and backed restrictions on voting by mail in Texas and Alabama .
Only in the Wisconsin case has the court offered any reasoning for its thinking , relying on a 2006 case , Purcell v Gonzalez , that says courts should not interfere with election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This court ’ s inaction continues a trend of condoning disfranchisement .
Ironically , this court has wielded Purcell as a reason to forbid courts to make voting safer during a pandemic , ” she wrote .
“ Now , faced with an appellate court stay that disrupts a legal status quo and risks immense disfranchisement – a situation that Purcell sought to avoid – the court balks .
”

Florida can continue to block people with felony convictions from voting until they have repaid all fines and fees they owe, the US supreme court said on Thursday, a major decision that makes it less likely that nearly three-quarters of a million Floridians will get to vote in November.
The decision came at a preliminary stage of one of the most closely watched voting rights lawsuits in the US, over amendment 4, a measure Florida voters overwhelmingly approved in 2018 that allows people to vote once they complete their felony sentences, a change that was estimated to affect 1.4 million people.
The amendment was a landmark expansion of voting rights, but since it passed Florida Republicans have made a concerted effort to slow it down. State officials offered no guidance on how to implement it and then state lawmakers passed a law that required those with felony convictions to repay any debts assessed as part of their sentence before they could vote again. There are more than 774,000 people in Florida who cannot vote because they owe money and the state has no centralized way to inform people of how much they owe. Many people with felonies also simply can never afford to repay the insurmountable debt they accumulate with their court sentences.
In late May, the US district judge Robert Hinkle struck down the Republican-authored law, which has has been widely denounced as a kind of poll tax and was seen as an effort to undercut the amendment and make it more difficult and confusing for people to get their voting rights back.
Lawyers representing Florida appealed against the ruling and in late May the US court of appeals blocked the lower court’s ruling while the appeal was pending. The plaintiffs in the case filed an emergency request with the US supreme court to let Hinkle’s ruling go into effect so the people affected could vote in a primary election in the state this summer. The supreme court declined to do so on Thursday, meaning Hinkle’s ruling will not be in effect while the 11th circuit considers the appeal (it is currently scheduled to hear the case on 18 August).
The supreme court did not offer an explanation for its ruling on Thursday, but Justice Sonia Sotomayor – joined by Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsburg – authored a scathing dissent. “This court’s order prevents thousands of otherwise eligible voters from participating in Florida’s primary election simply because they are poor,” Sotomayor wrote.
The supreme court will probably have the final say in the case, but Thursday’s decision makes it less likely there will be a resolution for the affected voters ahead of the November presidential election, where Florida is a key battleground state.
At least 85,000 people with felonies have registered since amendment 4 went into effect and Sotomayor noted those people were now in legal jeopardy, unlikely to learn about the change in their voting eligibility because of the 11th circuit’s decision, but facing potential criminal prosecution if they voted.
“This is a deeply disappointing decision,” said Paul Smith, an attorney at the Campaign Legal Center, who helped represent some of the plaintiffs. “The supreme court stood by as the 11th circuit prevented hundreds of thousands of otherwise eligible voters from participating in Florida’s primary election simply because they can’t afford to pay fines and fees.”
Sotomayor also called out the supreme court for its willingness to uphold voting restrictions in a number of cases over the last several months. The court shortened the deadline to return absentee ballots in Wisconsin and backed restrictions on voting by mail in Texas and Alabama. Only in the Wisconsin case has the court offered any reasoning for its thinking, relying on a 2006 case, Purcell v Gonzalez, that says courts should not interfere with election rules on the eve of an election.
“This court’s inaction continues a trend of condoning disfranchisement. Ironically, this court has wielded Purcell as a reason to forbid courts to make voting safer during a pandemic,” she wrote. “Now, faced with an appellate court stay that disrupts a legal status quo and risks immense disfranchisement – a situation that Purcell sought to avoid – the court balks.”


theguardian--2020-07-16--The science should not stand in the way of schools reopening, says Kayleigh McEnany – video

Kayleigh McEnany , the White House press secretary , has suggested that US schools should reopen regardless of what the @ @ @ @ @ has said unmistakably that he wants schools to open , ' she said .
'The @ @ @ @ @ the way of this . '
Donald Trump has said school districts must offer a @ @ @ @ @ arguing that parents are under tremendous strain from managing their children and work at the @ @ @ @ @ : 'The science should not stand in the way ' of reopening schools – live

Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, has suggested that US schools should reopen regardless of what the science says. 'The president has said unmistakably that he wants schools to open,' she said. 'The science should not stand in the way of this.' Donald Trump has said school districts must offer a full schedule of classes, arguing that parents are under tremendous strain from managing their children and work at the same time


theguardian--2020-07-17--Trump's campaign reshuffle shows he's figured out he's losing

Brad Parscale once memorably compared the Donald Trump re-election campaign to the planet-smashing Death Star from the Star Wars films .
“ In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time , ” he tweeted on 7 May .
Now , Parscale resembles one of those hapless imperial officers , usually played by a British actor , lifted off his feet and choked by Darth Vader ’ s distant but deadly grip as retribution for letting rebels escape .
The campaign manager ’ s demotion this week was all but assured from the moment that Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned from Force into farce .
To start , it was scheduled for Tulsa , Oklahoma , on 19 June , which is Juneteenth , a holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved people , so had to be postponed a day .
Then Parscale boasted that the campaign had received more than a million ticket requests .
Imagine the dread welling in the pit of his stomach when he saw how few people actually showed up .
Hundreds of teenage TikTok users claimed they had applied for tickets as a prank with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted a photo of an outdoor stage being built for an expected overflow crowd that never materialised ; the stage was hastily dismantled , almost too much metaphor to bear .
Things were scarcely better inside the arena , where the US president faced the humiliation of thousands of empty seats like a standup comic whose punchlines no longer land .
The catastrophic failure hit home because rallies are Trump ’ s lifeblood , their raucous atmosphere much more to his taste than the staid West Wing of the White House .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
And Parscale had bragged how rallies were vital tools for hoovering up data about everyone who registers to feed his digital behemoth .
“ The campaign is all about data collection , ” Parscale , 6ft 8in tall with Viking beard , told the Guardian in January .
“ Every aspect of this campaign .
Everything we do , if you go to a coalition event , you sign up for a thing , you touch it.
” Rally organiser Michael Glassner was the first to pay the price for Tulsa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other duties .
But now Parscale has gone the same way as , far from redeeming himself , he has run a campaign that lurched from bad to worse .
Another rally , due to be held in Portsmouth , New Hampshire , last Saturday was cancelled because of a tropical storm that failed to appear .
The coronavirus pandemic is spinning out of control in the US , breaking records and threatening to stall economic recovery .
Poll after poll shows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden thrashing Trump come November ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 15-point lead , according to a Quinnipiac University national poll on Wednesday .
If 2020 has demonstrated anything to the president , it is that science , economics and now public opinion can not be wished away .
Parscale ’ s demotion 111 days before election day is the most public acknowledgement yet that he finally understands he ’ s losing .
David Axelrod , former campaign strategist for Barack Obama , wrote on Twitter : “ He said the other day , during his thorny hour-long Rose Garden diatribe against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s doing really well .
Then he fired his campaign manager.
” Like Trump himself , Parscale was a political novice in 2016 who relishes provoking liberals and stoking outrage .
When he was appointed manager of the 2020 effort because of his digital expertise , it was widely seen as evidence that campaigns are now won and lost online .
He will continue to lead the campaign ’ s digital strategy but has been supplanted by Bill Stepien , more from the old school of Republican field operatives .
Stepien was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor Chris Christie before working on Trump ’ s 2016 campaign and as a White House political director .
Mike Allen , co-founder of Axios , wrote in his Thursday newsletter : “ One top Republican told me Stepien , who once was Chris Christie ’ s top aide , is an expert at a vital skill in Trumpworld – candidate management.
” Trump should not be written off .
It is easy forget to just how chaotic his 2016 campaign was : building the plane while flying it , often backwards .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corey Lewandowski , then Paul Manafort in June , then Kellyanne Conway in August .
But with time running out , Stepien will struggle to turn things around .
As many have found at the White House , Jared Kushner , Trump ’ s son-in-law and senior adviser , is unlikely to give him a free rein .
Peter Alexander of NBC News quoted a source close to the White House as saying : “ Jared Kushner was the campaign manager yesterday , is the campaign manager today and will be the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took the bullet for Jared.
” And even Kushner can do little to tame Trump himself .
He has always run his own campaigns and acted as his own spokesperson .
His miserable poll ratings are a reflection of his own continued mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and tone deaf response to racial injustice more than anything else .
They are unspinnable by even the wiliest spin doctor .
All available evidence suggests that , if the election were held tomorrow , Trump would suffer a historic annihilation .
Ed Rogers , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said : “ By any objective standard the Trump campaign is in a lot of trouble .
But switching this campaign hand for that campaign hand won ’ t have much impact unless the candidate performs better .
He has to perform better substantively and be a more effective and consistent communicator .
I don ’ t think tinkering with the organisation chart will make much difference.
” It appears that Trump is rearranging the deck chairs on the Death Star .
A chastened Parscale , for his part , reached on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dark from a long time ago .
“ Romans 12:14 : Bless those who persecute you ; bless and do not curse them , ” he tweeted .

Brad Parscale once memorably compared the Donald Trump re-election campaign to the planet-smashing Death Star from the Star Wars films. “In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time,” he tweeted on 7 May.
Now, Parscale resembles one of those hapless imperial officers, usually played by a British actor, lifted off his feet and choked by Darth Vader’s distant but deadly grip as retribution for letting rebels escape.
The campaign manager’s demotion this week was all but assured from the moment that Trump’s first rally since the coronavirus outbreak turned from Force into farce. To start, it was scheduled for Tulsa, Oklahoma, on 19 June, which is Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved people, so had to be postponed a day.
Then Parscale boasted that the campaign had received more than a million ticket requests. Imagine the dread welling in the pit of his stomach when he saw how few people actually showed up. Hundreds of teenage TikTok users claimed they had applied for tickets as a prank with no intention of attending.
Empty seats are seen in the background as supporters wait for Trump 27 minutes before the scheduled start of his speech in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on 20 June. Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters
Parscale had proudly tweeted a photo of an outdoor stage being built for an expected overflow crowd that never materialised; the stage was hastily dismantled, almost too much metaphor to bear. Things were scarcely better inside the arena, where the US president faced the humiliation of thousands of empty seats like a standup comic whose punchlines no longer land.
The catastrophic failure hit home because rallies are Trump’s lifeblood, their raucous atmosphere much more to his taste than the staid West Wing of the White House. They were crucial in energising his support in 2016. And Parscale had bragged how rallies were vital tools for hoovering up data about everyone who registers to feed his digital behemoth.
“The campaign is all about data collection,” Parscale, 6ft 8in tall with Viking beard, told the Guardian in January. “Every aspect of this campaign. Everything we do, if you go to a coalition event, you sign up for a thing, you touch it.”
Rally organiser Michael Glassner was the first to pay the price for Tulsa when he was “reassigned” to other duties. But now Parscale has gone the same way as, far from redeeming himself, he has run a campaign that lurched from bad to worse.
Brad Parscale attends a rally in Houston, Texas, in October 2018. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Another rally, due to be held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, last Saturday was cancelled because of a tropical storm that failed to appear. The coronavirus pandemic is spinning out of control in the US, breaking records and threatening to stall economic recovery. Poll after poll shows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden thrashing Trump come November’s election; the Democrat has opened up a 15-point lead, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll on Wednesday.
If 2020 has demonstrated anything to the president, it is that science, economics and now public opinion cannot be wished away. Parscale’s demotion 111 days before election day is the most public acknowledgement yet that he finally understands he’s losing.
David Axelrod, former campaign strategist for Barack Obama, wrote on Twitter: “He said the other day, during his thorny hour-long Rose Garden diatribe against @JoeBiden that polls were FAKE and he’s doing really well. Then he fired his campaign manager.”
Like Trump himself, Parscale was a political novice in 2016 who relishes provoking liberals and stoking outrage. When he was appointed manager of the 2020 effort because of his digital expertise, it was widely seen as evidence that campaigns are now won and lost online.
He will continue to lead the campaign’s digital strategy but has been supplanted by Bill Stepien, more from the old school of Republican field operatives. Stepien was campaign manager for the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie before working on Trump’s 2016 campaign and as a White House political director.
Mike Allen, co-founder of Axios, wrote in his Thursday newsletter: “One top Republican told me Stepien, who once was Chris Christie’s top aide, is an expert at a vital skill in Trumpworld – candidate management.”
Trump should not be written off. It is easy forget to just how chaotic his 2016 campaign was: building the plane while flying it, often backwards. He got through three campaign managers: Corey Lewandowski, then Paul Manafort in June, then Kellyanne Conway in August.
But with time running out, Stepien will struggle to turn things around. As many have found at the White House, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, is unlikely to give him a free rein. Peter Alexander of NBC News quoted a source close to the White House as saying: “Jared Kushner was the campaign manager yesterday, is the campaign manager today and will be the campaign manager tomorrow. Brad [Parscale] took the bullet for Jared.”
Switching this campaign hand for that campaign hand won’t have much impact unless the candidate performs better Ed Rogers
And even Kushner can do little to tame Trump himself. He has always run his own campaigns and acted as his own spokesperson. His miserable poll ratings are a reflection of his own continued mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and tone deaf response to racial injustice more than anything else. They are unspinnable by even the wiliest spin doctor. All available evidence suggests that, if the election were held tomorrow, Trump would suffer a historic annihilation.
Ed Rogers, a political consultant and veteran of Republican campaigns, said: “By any objective standard the Trump campaign is in a lot of trouble. But switching this campaign hand for that campaign hand won’t have much impact unless the candidate performs better. He has to perform better substantively and be a more effective and consistent communicator. I don’t think tinkering with the organisation chart will make much difference.”
It appears that Trump is rearranging the deck chairs on the Death Star. A chastened Parscale, for his part, reached on Thursday for a different epic of light and dark from a long time ago. “Romans 12:14: Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them,” he tweeted.