theguardian--2020-07-17--Global report: US reports daily record of 77,300 new coronavirus cases

The US has reported a record 77,300 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours , according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker , which relies on official government data .
The figure is the highest one-day total for the pandemic so far .
The US has consistently broken one-day records in recent days , but this is by a fairly wide margin .
The US , by far the worst-affected country worldwide in terms of the number of cases and deaths , has 3,576,221 confirmed infections and 138,358 fatalities .
Brazil is next highest with 2,012,151 cases ( the country passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and 76,688 deaths .
Democrats have urged elected leaders and party delegates to skip the national convention in August as coronavirus cases surge , the New York Times reported , in what the paper says is “ a sign of the ever-shrinking aspirations for their big campaign event in the face of the spreading virus ” .
In an email to congressional aides , the senior adviser to the convention committee , Chasseny Lewis , wrote : “ We have been working closely with state and local public health officials , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hard decision that members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee.
” Early on Thursday , the Republican National Committee announced plans to scale back its convention scheduled for next month in Jacksonville , Florida .
It had moved the event from North Carolina before the surge in 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 organisation would comply with local and federal health guidelines while adapting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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.
” The decisions come as coronavirus cases continue to rise in 41 states , with hospitalisations rising in 33 states , according to Guardian analysis .
Nonetheless , the Trump administration continues to advise that schools reopen .
On Thursday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , defended Trump ’ s push to reopen schools , despite concerns about the spread of coronavirus in the classroom .
A number of school officials have expressed concern about students and staff members potentially contracting the virus once in-person instruction resumes .
“ The science should not stand in the way of this , ” McEnany said , adding moments later : “ The science is on our side here.
” Around the world , countries are reimposing localised restrictions as new virus clusters or outbreaks emerge .
In Mexico , authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and leisure , particularly in popular tourist destinations , even as the government seeks to revive the battered economy .
Mexico has 317,635 cases and 37,574 deaths .
In Spain , officials in Catalan said on Thursday that residents in three districts in the Barcelona suburb of L ’ Hospitalet de Llobregat must stay indoors amid a resurgence in cases .
Wednesday saw residents told to stay at home in an area in and around the north-eastern city of Lerida , a measure affecting about 160,000 people .
They are allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food or medication , or to exercise .
In Colombia , doctors are calling for a return to a strict city-wide quarantine to slow coronavirus infections in the capital , warning that medical services are close to collapsing .
The country has reported more than 165,000 cases of the coronavirus and about 6,000 deaths .
Bogota accounts for more than a third of the country ’ s total cases and over 20 % of its deaths , Reuters reports .
Bogota ’ s intensive care units were at just under 90 % capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local government figures .
The Israeli government has ordered a tighter national lockdown at weekends .
People will be allowed to leave their homes this weekend but malls , shops , pools , zoos and museums would shut from next Friday afternoon until Sunday morning , the government said in a statement .
Israel has 46,059 cases and 384 deaths .
In India , new restrictions have been introduced in the western city of Pune and other states including Uttar Pradesh , home to 200 million people , badly hit Tamil Nadu and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bihar , with a population of about 125 million people , started a 15-day lockdown from 16 July .
The southern city and IT hub of Bangalore , home to more than 13 million people , also began a week-long confinement on 14 July .
The state of Victoria in Australia reported a record 428 new cases , 10 days in to the lockdown of Melbourne .
The neighbouring state of New South Wales tightened restrictions on pubs , restaurants and gatherings , as it reported eight new cases , six of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10,810 cases and 113 deaths , according to the latest Johns Hopkins University data .
• None Russia on Thursday called off its annual “ Immortal Regiment ” commemoration of the nation ’ s second world war dead in which thousands carry photographs of relatives through the streets due to the coronavirus pandemic .
• None Spain has ordered the culling of nearly 100,000 mink on a farm after confirming many were carrying coronavirus .
• None Brazil ’ s cases passed 2 million on Thursday , with little sign that the rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grows over President Jair Bolsonaro ’ s handling of the outbreak .
• None Hong Kong has recorded a record 67 new cases of Covid-19 , in a growing new outbreak which has seen the city reintroduce widespread restrictions .

The US has reported a record 77,300 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which relies on official government data.
The figure is the highest one-day total for the pandemic so far. The US has consistently broken one-day records in recent days, but this is by a fairly wide margin.
The US, by far the worst-affected country worldwide in terms of the number of cases and deaths, has 3,576,221 confirmed infections and 138,358 fatalities.
Brazil is next highest with 2,012,151 cases (the country passed the sombre milestone of 2m on Thursday) and 76,688 deaths.
Democrats have urged elected leaders and party delegates to skip the national convention in August as coronavirus cases surge, the New York Times reported, in what the paper says is “a sign of the ever-shrinking aspirations for their big campaign event in the face of the spreading virus”.
In an email to congressional aides, the senior adviser to the convention committee, Chasseny Lewis, wrote: “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.”
Early on Thursday, the Republican National Committee announced plans to scale back its convention scheduled for next month in Jacksonville, Florida. It had moved the event from North Carolina before the surge in 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 organisation would comply with local and federal 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.”
The decisions come as coronavirus cases continue to rise in 41 states, with hospitalisations rising in 33 states, according to Guardian analysis.
Nonetheless, the Trump administration continues to advise that schools reopen. On Thursday, the White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, defended Trump’s push to reopen schools, despite concerns about the spread of coronavirus in the classroom. A number of school officials have expressed concern about students and staff members potentially contracting the virus once in-person instruction resumes.
“The science should not stand in the way of this,” McEnany said, adding moments later: “The science is on our side here.”
Around the world, countries are reimposing localised restrictions as new virus clusters or outbreaks emerge. In Mexico, authorities imposed local restrictions on mobility, commerce, and leisure, particularly in popular tourist destinations, even as the government seeks to revive the battered economy. Mexico has 317,635 cases and 37,574 deaths.
In Spain, officials in Catalan said on Thursday that residents in three districts in the Barcelona suburb of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat must stay indoors amid a resurgence in cases. Wednesday saw residents told to stay at home in an area in and around the north-eastern city of Lerida, a measure affecting about 160,000 people. They are allowed to leave to go to work, buy food or medication, or to exercise.
In Colombia, doctors are calling for a return to a strict city-wide quarantine to slow coronavirus infections in the capital, warning that medical services are close to collapsing. The country has reported more than 165,000 cases of the coronavirus and about 6,000 deaths. Bogota accounts for more than a third of the country’s total cases and over 20% of its deaths, Reuters reports.
Bogota’s intensive care units were at just under 90% capacity as of Wednesday evening, according to local government figures.
The Israeli government has ordered a tighter national lockdown at weekends. People will be allowed to leave their homes this weekend but malls, shops, pools, zoos and museums would shut from next Friday afternoon until Sunday morning, the government said in a statement. Israel has 46,059 cases and 384 deaths.
In India, new restrictions have been introduced in the western city of Pune and other states including Uttar Pradesh, home to 200 million people, badly hit Tamil Nadu and Assam. The northern Indian state of Bihar, with a population of about 125 million people, started a 15-day lockdown from 16 July. The southern city and IT hub of Bangalore, home to more than 13 million people, also began a week-long confinement on 14 July.
The state of Victoria in Australia reported a record 428 new cases, 10 days in to the lockdown of Melbourne. The neighbouring state of New South Wales tightened restrictions on pubs, restaurants and gatherings, as it reported eight new cases, six of which were from community transmission. Australia has 10,810 cases and 113 deaths, according to the latest Johns Hopkins University data.
Other key events include:


theguardian--2020-07-18--Trump clashes with Fox News interviewer over false claim about Biden

Donald Trump has clashed with a Fox News interviewer after the president was challenged about a false claim that Joe Biden wants to defund police .
In a clip of Chris Wallace ’ s Fox News Sunday interview with Trump released on Friday , the president said that his likely opponent in November ’ s presidential election supported the movement to defund police forces .
But in the interview held on the Oval Office patio , Wallace intervened to say that Biden did not support defunding .
Trump , hoping to prove his allegation , is then seen calling for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed with Bernie Sanders and which was released this week .
The document did not prove his claim .
The interview , the first Sunday interview with Trump for more than a year , will be aired in full this weekend .
Wallace later told Fox News : “ If it looked like it was hot on that patio right outside the Oval Office there – it was about 100F.
” Trump , he said , “ kept saying , ‘ Whose idea was this ?
’ Well , of course , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as he said , he wanted to make me sweat .
“ We talked about everything .
We talked about Covid [ -19 ] and the explosion of cases in this country , questions of masks , questions of testing .
We also talked about politics , the polls ; we have a new Fox News poll that we discussed with the president which shows him trailing .
“ But he seemed dead certain that he ’ s going to beat Joe Biden in November .
We also talked about that tell-all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In the released clip , Wallace noted recent increases in shootings in many cities and asked Trump why he thought such violence was on the rise .
The president replied : “ I explain it very simply by saying they ’ re Democrat-run cities .
They ’ re liberally run .
They ’ re stupidly run.
” Wallace noted that many cities have long been run by Democratic mayors .
“ They ’ ve run them poorly , ” Trump insisted .
“ It was always bad , but now it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He then made his false claim about Biden , saying : “ It ’ s really because they want to defund the police , and Biden wants to defund the police.
” Trump stood by his claim , incorrectly saying the unity platform endorsed by Sanders , the Vermont senator whom Biden beat in the Democratic primary , embraces calls to defund the police .
Biden has repeatedly said he does not support calls to defund the police and has instead called for policing reform .
Wallace tried to explain , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go get the document .
“ Let ’ s go !
Get me the charter , please !
” Trump said .
The teaser ended there but Wallace told Fox News host Bill Hemmer it “ led to a very interesting exchange … and he went through it and he found a lot of things that he objected to that Biden has agreed to , but couldn ’ t find any indication , because there isn ’ t any , that Joe Biden has sought to defund and abolish the police.
” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political speech in the Rose Garden on Tuesday , claiming : “ The Biden-Sanders agenda is the most extreme platform of any major party nominee , by far , in American history … They now want to abolish our police departments .
They want to abolish our prisons , I guess.
” Politifact gave that claim a rating of “ Pants on Fire ” .
Such attempts to paint Biden as an extreme liberal do not seem to be working : polls show voters view the challenger as more of a moderate than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had “ made some shots at Joe Biden that I ’ ve never heard before ” , adding that the president said that in the campaign to come he expected to stage “ not nearly as many rallies as last time ” , given the continuing pandemic .
“ He seems a little concerned about that , ” Wallace said .
Wallace and Trump have a contentious history , the president regularly mocking the anchor and slighting him in comparison with his father , the celebrated CBS anchor Mike Wallace .
Chris Wallace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combative interviewers on US television .
But in March , he told the Guardian interviewers should not look for fights with their subjects , even if the subject turned out to be Trump .
“ Look , ” he said , “ I think we ’ re not meek but the point I guess I ’ d make is first of all he ’ s the president of the United States , whether you like him or you don ’ t like him , and I think there ’ s a certain respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you don ’ t feel it for a particular man .
“ Secondly , I think it falls into this trap of becoming an advocate or an opponent as opposed to being a reporter .
We ’ re not there to try to one-up the president or any politician .
“ As you look ahead to 2020 , you want to be sure you ’ re striving to be as effective and as ahead of the curve as possible in identifying what is on the mind of voters and what ’ s resonating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the interview with Trump had been “ generally speaking friendly , but occasionally I ticked him off ” .

Joan E Greve in Washington and Martin Pengelly in New York

Donald Trump has clashed with a Fox News interviewer after the president was challenged about a false claim that Joe Biden wants to defund police.
In a clip of Chris Wallace’s Fox News Sunday interview with Trump released on Friday, the president said his likely opponent in November’s presidential election supported the movement to defund police forces.
But in the interview, held on the Oval Office patio, Wallace intervened to say Biden did not support defunding.
Trump, hoping to prove his allegation, was then seen calling for a copy of a policy charter Biden agreed with Bernie Sanders and which was released this week. The document did not prove his claim.
The interview, the first Sunday interview with Trump for more than a year, will be aired in full this weekend.
Wallace later told Fox News: “If it looked like it was hot on that patio right outside the Oval Office there – it was about 100F.”
Trump, he said, “kept saying, ‘Whose idea was this?’ Well, of course, it was the president’s idea but, as he said, he wanted to make me sweat.
“We talked about everything. We talked about Covid[-19] and the explosion of cases in this country, questions of masks, questions of testing. We also talked about politics, the polls; we have a new Fox News poll that we discussed with the president which shows him trailing. But he seemed dead certain that he’s going to beat Joe Biden in November. We also talked about that tell-all book by his niece, Mary Trump.”
In the released clip, Wallace noted recent increases in shootings in many cities and asked Trump why he thought such violence was on the rise.
The president replied: “I explain it very simply by saying they’re Democrat-run cities. They’re liberally run. They’re stupidly run.”
NEW: Chris and President Trump sit down to discuss the recent spike in violence in major cities across the country. Tune in Sunday to catch the full interview. #FoxNewsSunday pic.twitter.com/r7hwgyVhKM — FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) July 17, 2020
Wallace noted that many cities have long been run by Democratic mayors.
“They’ve run them poorly,” Trump insisted. “It was always bad, but now it’s gotten totally out of control.”
He then made his false claim about Biden, saying: “It’s really because they want to defund the police, and Biden wants to defund the police.”
“No, sir, he does not,” Wallace countered.
Trump stood by his claim, incorrectly saying the unity platform endorsed by Sanders, the Vermont senator whom Biden beat in the Democratic primary, embraces calls to defund the police. In fact, Biden has repeatedly said he does not support calls to defund the police and has instead called for policing reform.
Wallace tried to explain, but the president responded by ordering an aide to go get the document.
“Let’s go! Get me the charter, please!” Trump said.
The teaser ended there but Wallace told Fox News host Bill Hemmer it “led to a very interesting exchange … and he went through it and he found a lot of things that he objected to that Biden has agreed to, but couldn’t find any indication, because there isn’t any, that Joe Biden has sought to defund and abolish the police.”
Trump made a similar claim during a blatantly political speech in the Rose Garden on Tuesday, claiming: “The Biden-Sanders agenda is the most extreme platform of any major party nominee, by far, in American history … They now want to abolish our police departments. They want to abolish our prisons, I guess.”
Politifact gave that claim a rating of “Pants on Fire”.
Later, Trump tweeted: “Corrupt Joe Biden wants to defund our police. He may use different words, but when you look at his pact with Crazy Bernie, and other things, that’s what he wants to do. It would destroy America!”
Such attempts to paint Biden as an extreme liberal do not seem to be working: polls show voters view the challenger as more of a moderate than the president.
Wallace also said Trump had “made some shots at Joe Biden that I’ve never heard before”, adding that the president said that in the campaign to come he expected to stage “not nearly as many rallies as last time”, given the continuing pandemic.
“He seems a little concerned about that,” Wallace said.
Wallace and Trump have a contentious history, the president regularly mocking the anchor and slighting him in comparison with his father, the celebrated CBS anchor Mike Wallace.
Chris Wallace is known as one of the more combative interviewers on US television. But in March, he told the Guardian interviewers should not look for fights with their subjects, even if the subject turned out to be Trump.
“Look,” he said, “I think we’re not meek but the point I guess I’d make is first of all he’s the president of the United States, whether you like him or you don’t like him, and I think there’s a certain respect due to the office, even if you don’t feel it for a particular man.
“Secondly, I think it falls into this trap of becoming an advocate or an opponent as opposed to being a reporter. We’re not there to try to one-up the president or any politician.
“As you look ahead to 2020, you want to be sure you’re striving to be as effective and as ahead of the curve as possible in identifying what is on the mind of voters and what’s resonating with voters.”
On Friday, he said the interview with Trump had been “generally speaking friendly, but occasionally I ticked him off”.


theguardian--2020-07-18--New California coronavirus rules will prevent most schools from reopening in autumn – as it happened

The White House will not allow the CDC to testify at next week ’ s hearing fo the Committee on @ @ @ @ @ to safely reopen schools .
Virginia representative Bobby Scott joined other lawmakers Friday in speaking @ @ @ @ @ ’ s efforts to block theCDC from appearing before the committee .
“ It is @ @ @ @ @ is preventing the CDC from appearing before the [ committee ] at a time when @ @ @ @ @ so critical to the health and safety of students , parents , and educators , @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration has been staunchly anti-fact in its approach to reopen schools , saying Thursday @ @ @ @ @ in the way ” of schools fully reopening for the upcoming academic year .
It @ @ @ @ @ the CDC from publicly sharing data about the impact of Covid-19 , including the availability @ @ @ @

Kari Paul in Oakland (now), and Joan E Greve in Washington (earlier)

18 Jul 2020 01.18 BST Kari Paul here, signing off for the night. Here are the top stories of the evening. The White House will not allow the CDC to testify at next week’s hearing of the Committee on Education and Labor about how to safely reopen schools.
The supreme court voted Friday to expedite a court case compelling Donald Trump to release his tax returns, meaning the next development will come sooner than the standard 25 days.
The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, characterized the foremost human rights priorities of the Trump administration as the protection of “private property” and “religious freedom” concerning human rights advocates.
Cloudflare experienced a major outage Friday afternoon causing a number of websites to temporarily go offline.
Following a year-long investigation US customs and border protection has fired four employees and suspended 38 without pay over their activity in a Facebook group revealed in 2019.
New reports from the Louisville Courier Journal revealed Breonna Taylor was alive for at least 5 minutes and received no medical attention for 20 minutes after she was shot by police in March.
A judge on Friday ruled the Trump administration cannot block a California program that caps carbon emissions from the transportation sector. Have a safe weekend!
Updated at 01.25 BST
17 Jul 2020 00.45 BST The White House will not allow the CDC to testify at next week’s hearing fo the Committee on Education and Labor about how to safely reopen schools.
Virginia representative Bobby Scott joined other lawmakers Friday in speaking out against the Trump administration’s efforts to block theCDC from appearing before the committee. “It is alarming that the Trump Administration is preventing the CDC from appearing before the [committee] at a time when its expertise and guidance is so critical to the health and safety of students, parents, and educators,” he said. The Trump administration has been staunchly anti-fact in its approach to reopen schools, saying Thursday “science should not stand in the way” of schools fully reopening for the upcoming academic year. It appears to also be blocking the CDC from publicly sharing data about the impact of Covid-19, including the availability of hospital beds.
17 Jul 2020 00.21 BST A judge on Friday ruled the Trump administration cannot block a California program that caps carbon emissions from the transportation sector. The cap and trade program aims to improve air quality and allows California companies to trade emissions credits with companies in Quebec. The administration sued to block it, saying it intrudes on the federal government’s foreign policy authority – particularly its withdrawal from environmental treaty the Paris agreement. A spokesperson for California Attorney General Xavier Becerra told the Hill the program has existed since 2012 and has “only strengthened from our collaboration with Quebec.” “California has long been a leader in fighting climate change for the sake of protecting public health, our natural resources, our economy, and indeed our planet,” the spokesperson added.
17 Jul 2020 00.16 BST Federal investigators were skeptical of reports of contact between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence officials early in the Russia investigation, recently declassified documents revealed.
Republican representative Lindsey Graham released documents Friday that add more context to the years-long probe into Russian election interference. They include a 57-page interview with a source for Christopher Steele, who compiled a controversial research dossier against then-candidate Trump and an annotated version of a related New York Times story. Graham seems to suggest the documents support the argument the investigation of Trump was politically motivated. Republicans have repeatedly challenged the Steele dossier and claimed it was a “hit job” funded in part by Hillary Clinton’s campaign. But opponents argue unverified information from that dossier were not included in the investigation.
17 Jul 2020 23.58 BST Breonna Taylor was alive after police shot her inside her apartment in March, new reports stated on Friday. The Kentucky woman’s death has attracted international attention amidst the growing movement against police violence in recent months. Taylor was sleeping in her apartment after midnight on 13 March when three police officers fired more than 20 bullets into her apartment, striking her five times. Police had been serving a no-knock search warrant in a narcotics investigation and mistakenly targeted Taylor’s apartment. The incident has been deemed an accident and none of the officers involved have faced any charges. In a heartbreaking account published by the Louisville Courier Journal on Friday, Taylor’s boyfriend Kenneth Walker said she laid alive on the ground for at least five minutes before dying. Police did not come to help her, Walker said. The Jefferson County coroner has disputed that Taylor was alive after being shot, saying she “likely died within a minute of being shot and couldn’t have been saved”, according to the Journal. Official accounts of the incident confirm Taylor received no medical attention for at least 20 minutes after she was shot.
17 Jul 2020 23.18 BST US Customs and Border Protection announced Friday it has fired four employees and suspended 38 without pay due to inappropriate social media activity. A Los Angeles Times report revealed in 2019 a secret Facebook group called “I’m 10-15” with more than 9,500 members. In it, many posts mocked lawmakers and and shared disrespectful content about migrants, joking about their deaths.
CBP said another 33 employees were disciplined with reprimands or counseling. Of 138 cases investigated, 63 were found unsubstantiated. Six cases remained open to investigation as of Wednesday. Multiple posts referred to representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and representative Veronica Escobar as “hoes” and one doctored image posted depicted Ocasio-Cortez performing a sex act on Donald Trump. Escobar, a Texas Democrat, previously said on Twitter that the investigation should have addressed why other group members didn’t report the activity. She said the posts mocked “vulnerable people dehumanized by a broken system” and that Facebook is a “cesspool”.
Updated at 23.53 BST
17 Jul 2020 22.59 BST A large chunk of the internet was down on Friday afternoon due to problems with internet infrastructure firm Cloudflare’s service. The outage began around 2.15pm PST and lasted for 25 minutes before some connections were restored. Cloudflare confirmed the outage in a tweet, saying “regions may be experiencing issues with some Cloudflare services” and that it was investigating the issue. Websites experiencing issues included Discord, Feedly, Politico, Shopify and League of Legends. It appears Google servers may have also been affected.
Updated at 23.53 BST
17 Jul 2020 22.37 BST The supreme court voted Friday to expedite a court case compelling Donald Trump to release his tax returns. The ruling is the latest development in Trump’s fight against a subpoena from the Manhattan district attorney for eight years of tax returns. Last week the court ruled Trump does not have broad immunity from such a subpoena but that he can still challenge it on other grounds. The order passed Friday will allow the judgment to be issued more quickly than the standard 25 days. Trump’s lawyer said the team plans to file an amended complaint to raise new challenges to the state grand jury subpoena, a move the district attorney has called “a delay tactic”.
Updated at 23.55 BST
17 Jul 2020 22.13 BST Hello readers, Kari Paul here on the west coast taking over the blog for the evening. Stay tuned for updates.
Updated at 22.22 BST
17 Jul 2020 22.01 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Kari Paul, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, unveiled the statewide plan for reopening schools. The plan would prevent most of the state’s 10,000 schools from resuming in-person instruction this fall because a majority of counties are included on the Newsom administration’s coronavirus monitoring list, as cases continue to rise in California.
The plan would prevent most of the state’s 10,000 schools from resuming in-person instruction this fall because a majority of counties are included on the Newsom administration’s coronavirus monitoring list, as cases continue to rise in California. The US again broke its record for the number of new coronavirus cases reported in one day. The country reported more than 77,000 new cases yesterday, and a poll out this morning indicates Trump is losing support because of the alarming trend. The Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 38% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, down from 46% in May and 51% in March.
The country reported more than 77,000 new cases yesterday, and a poll out this morning indicates is losing support because of the alarming trend. The Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 38% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, down from 46% in May and 51% in March. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been receiving treatment for a recurrence of cancer. The 87-year-old justice said she is “encouraged by the success of my current treatment” and intends to remain on the court.
The 87-year-old justice said she is “encouraged by the success of my current treatment” and intends to remain on the court. Trump is reportedly weighing an executive order banning undocumented people from being counted in the 2020 census. Such a policy could prevent areas with high numbers of undocumented residents from getting proper funding and representation in the government. However, it’s unclear how the policy would be implemented, considering the supreme court already blocked the Trump administration ’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the census.
Such a policy could prevent areas with high numbers of undocumented residents from getting proper funding and representation in the government. However, it’s unclear how the policy would be implemented, considering the supreme court already blocked the ’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the census. The defense secretary, Mark Esper, effectively banned the display of the Confederate flag at military bases. Esper issued a memo on the display of flags at military bases, which included a list of acceptable flags to display. The Confederate flag was notably omitted from the list. Kari will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated at 22.24 BST
17 Jul 2020 21.51 BST In his Fox News Sunday interview, Trump reiterated his false claim that the Joe Biden-Bernie Sanders unity document calls for defunding the police. Fox News anchor Chris Wallace corrected Trump in the interview, which is set to air Sunday. The president responded to Wallace’s correction by demanding that an aide fetch a copy of the document. The president made a similar claim during his blatantly political speech in the Rose Garden earlier this week. Trump said on Tuesday, “The Biden-Sanders agenda is the most extreme platform of any major party nominee, by far, in American history. ... They now want to abolish our police departments. They want to abolish our prisons, I guess.” But Biden has repeatedly said he does not support the movement to defund the police, and Politifact gave Trump’s claim a rating of “Pants on Fire.”
Trump’s interview comes as his campaign seeks to paint Biden as an extreme liberal, but polls show voters view Biden as more of a moderate than the president.
17 Jul 2020 21.35 BST More from the Guardian’s Mario Koran on California’s approach to reopening schools: New guidance handed down by California creates for the first time a statewide approach to reopening schools as cases across the state continue to surge.
Until now, counties have been allowed a wider degree of discretion in how to move forward, which has created an uneven patchwork of plans.
That was seen this week when the state’s two largest school districts in Los Angeles and San Diego announced they’d open the school year with online classes only. Meanwhile, education officials in Orange county, between the two, recommended that students return to school with in-person instruction, without the use of masks.
The recommendations endorsed by the Orange County officials made the case that masks can lead to anxiety, depression and even learning disabilities — a claim, one doctor told me, that was not backed by any evidence that he was aware of.
An educational consultant told EdSource that governor Gavin Newsom made the decision to support school staff and insulate district officials from angry parents who want schools to reopen for in-person classes. Newsom’s move effectively takes that decision out of the hands of county school officials. Los Angeles and San Diego schools to remain online-only in autumn Read more
17 Jul 2020 21.17 BST Fox News Sunday has released a teaser of Chris Wallace’s interview with Trump, and it features the president arguing with the news anchor about an easily verifiable fact. Wallace noted the recent increase in shootings in many cities, and he asked Trump why he thinks such violence is on the rise now. The president replied, “I explain it very simply by saying they’re Democrat-run cities. They’re liberally run. They’re stupidly run.” NEW: Chris and President Trump sit down to discuss the recent spike in violence in major cities across the country. Tune in Sunday to catch the full interview. #FoxNewsSunday pic.twitter.com/r7hwgyVhKM — FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) July 17, 2020 Wallace responded by noting that many cities have long been run by Democratic mayors, so that doesn’t explain the recent alarming trend. “They’ve run them poorly. It was always bad, but now it’s gotten totally out of control,” Trump said. The president then made a false claim about Joe Biden, saying of his election opponent, “It’s really because they want to defund the police, and Biden wants to defund the police.” “No, sir, he does not,” Wallace interjected. But Trump stood by his false claim, incorrectly saying that a unity platform endorsed by both Biden and Bernie Sanders embraces calls to defund the police. In reality, Biden has repeatedly said he does not support the movement to defund the police and has instead called for reforming departments. When Wallace tried to explain this to Trump, the president responded by ordering an off-screen aide to get him the document. “Let’s go! Get me the charter, please!” Trump says. So make sure to watch the interview on Sunday because, if that teaser is any indication, it was clearly eventful.
17 Jul 2020 20.53 BST More from the Guardian’s Mario Koran on California’s approach to reopening schools: California’s plan to reopen schools, new today, includes requirements for personal protective equipment, physical distancing, distance learning and guidance for what should happen if students get sick. Schools would not be able to reopen for in-person instruction until the counties they’re located in have been off a statewide monitoring list for 14 days, based on stable case rates. Masks will be required for students in third grade and older; for students in second grade and younger, masks or face shields (which can be less intimidating to youngsters) will be strongly recommended. Staff must maintain six feet of distance between each other and students, and each day would begin with checks for symptoms. If 5% of students at a school are sick, it would force a school closure. Distance learning, which saw a disastrous rollout this spring, will also have new requirements: connectivity and devices for all kids, a requirement of daily live interaction with teachers and others students, assignments that are comparable to in-person classwork and lessons adapted for English learners and special education students.
17 Jul 2020 20.39 BST Newsom blocks in-person instruction for most California schools this fall The Guardian’s Mario Koran reports from California: California governor Gavin Newsom has released guidelines on the safe reopening of schools, tying reopening plans to county health metrics. NEW 📍Governor Newsom outlined CA’s #COVID19 Plan for schools:
📊Safe in-person school based on local health data
😷Mask requirements
↔ Physical distancing & other adaptations
🧪Regular testing & dedicated contact tracing
💻Rigorous distance learning
➡https://t.co/snYe5vmHg6 pic.twitter.com/TvkIe3PH0B — Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) July 17, 2020 Schools in counties that are on the state’s monitoring lists, as determined by case rates and community spread, will not be allowed to reopen for in-person classes this fall. With 31 of California’s 58 counties now on the watch list, including the state’s most populous areas, that would mean most of the state’s 10,000 schools would start the school year without in person instruction.


theguardian--2020-07-17--Jamaal Bowman wins New York congressional seat in major victory for progressives

Jamaal Bowman , a former teacher endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren , has ousted the 16-term Democratic congressman Eliot Engel in the race for New York ’ s 16th district , marking a major win for the party ’ s progressive wing .
Bowman had been leading Engel and candidate Christopher Fink since the 6 July primary but the race had not been called by the Associated Press until Friday .
In the end Bowman defeated Engel with 55 % of the vote , a margin of roughly 12,000 votes , when the race was called .
Bowman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when in-person voting had concluded .
Bowman ’ s victory over Engel , the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee , is a stunning victory for progressives who rallied around Bowman in the primary .
Bowman was something of a progressive darling , earning the support of standard bearers such as congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Warren , as well as outside liberal groups like MoveOn and Our Revolution .
Engel , meanwhile , had been endorsed by some party establishment figures including Hillary Clinton , House speaker Nancy Pelosi , Democratic senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clyburn , the highest ranking black Democrat in Congress .
In a campaign memo , Bowman ’ s campaign manager , Luke Hayes , wrote : “ Jamaal ’ s win has been compared to AOC ’ s in 2018 , but the big difference is that this time , they saw us coming .
They took nothing for granted , and spent over $ 5m against us .
They aired millions of dollars in attack ads , called in every political favor , and pulled all the stops .
And we still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ocasio-Cortez ’ s surprise victory over congressman and House Democratic caucus chair Joe Crowley in 2018 .
Ocasio-Cortez was the longshot progressive favorite in that primary .
Hayes described Bowman as a “ brilliant , authentic , caring , fun , empathetic , passionate , and hardworking ” candidate in the memo celebrating the victory .
Bowman ’ s primary essentially assures his future in Congress .
Voters in the district have for decades voted decisively for the Democratic nominee for Congress and the president .
Engel ’ s ouster is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both Bernie Sanders and Warren lost the Democratic primary for president to the more centrist Joe Biden .
“ From the very beginning , we anchored our campaign in the fight for racial and economic justice .
We spoke the truth – about the police , about systemic racism , about inequality – and it resonated in every part of the district , ” Bowman said in a statement to reporters .
“ We brought people together across race , across class , across religion , across gender , to fight for justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight to create a country that works for all of us .
We didn ’ t let them divide us .
And we did it all without accepting a dime from corporate Pacs or lobbyists ”

Jamaal Bowman, a former teacher endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren, has ousted the 16-term Democratic congressman Eliot Engel in the race for New York’s 16th district, marking a major win for the party’s progressive wing.
Bowman had been leading Engel and candidate Christopher Fink since the 6 July primary but the race had not been called by the Associated Press until Friday. In the end Bowman defeated Engel with 55% of the vote, a margin of roughly 12,000 votes, when the race was called. Bowman had declared victory earlier in the month when in-person voting had concluded.
Bowman’s victory over Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee, is a stunning victory for progressives who rallied around Bowman in the primary. Bowman was something of a progressive darling, earning the support of standard bearers such as congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Warren, as well as outside liberal groups such as MoveOn and Our Revolution.
Engel, meanwhile, had been endorsed by some party establishment figures including Hillary Clinton; the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi; the Democratic Senate leader, Chuck Schumer; and congressman Jim Clyburn, the highest-ranking black Democrat in Congress.
In a campaign memo, Bowman’s campaign manager, Luke Hayes, wrote: “Jamaal’s win has been compared to AOC’s in 2018, but the big difference is that this time, they saw us coming. They took nothing for granted, and spent over $5m against us. They aired millions of dollars in attack ads, called in every political favor, and pulled all the stops. And we still won.”
The race was somewhat reminiscent of Ocasio-Cortez’s surprise victory over congressman and House Democratic caucus chair Joe Crowley in 2018. Ocasio-Cortez was the long shot progressive favorite in that primary.
Hayes described Bowman as a “brilliant, authentic, caring, fun, empathetic, passionate, and hardworking” candidate in the memo celebrating the victory.
Bowman’s primary essentially assures his future in Congress. Voters in the district have for decades voted decisively for the Democratic nominee for Congress and the president.
Engel’s ouster is also a much needed victory for progressives after both Bernie Sanders and Warren lost the Democratic primary for president to the more centrist Joe Biden.
“From the very beginning, we anchored our campaign in the fight for racial and economic justice. We spoke the truth – about the police, about systemic racism, about inequality – and it resonated in every part of the district,” Bowman said in a statement to reporters. “We brought people together across race, across class, across religion, across gender, to fight for justice, to fight for equality, and to fight to create a country that works for all of us. We didn’t let them divide us. And we did it all without accepting a dime from corporate Pacs or lobbyists”


theguardian--2020-07-17--Federal officers are using unmarked cars to arrest Portland protesters

Activists in Portland , Oregon , are expressing severe alarm about recent incidents involving federal law enforcement officers using unmarked cars to detain peaceful protesters .
Federal officers deployed teargas and fired less-lethal rounds into a crowd of protesters on Thursday , hours after the the head of the Department of Homeland Security visited the city and called the demonstrators “ violent anarchists ” .
Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that federal law enforcement officers had been “ using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters ” since at least 14 July .
“ Personal accounts and multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to people , detaining individuals with no explanation of why they are being arrested , and driving off , ” it added .
Anti-racism protests have taken place for nearly two months in Portland , since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on 25 May .
During a visit to Portland earlier on Thursday , Chad Wolf , the acting homeland security secretary , said state and city authorities were to blame for not putting an end to the protests , angering local officials .
Wolf characterized the protests in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of Portland has been under siege for 47 days straight by a violent mob while local political leaders refuse to restore order to protect their city .
@ DHSgov stands ready to assist to bring this violent activity to an end.
” In captions of pictures posted on Twitter , Wolf praised police dressed in military-style fatigues , and toured property that appeared undamaged apart from graffiti , such as “ BLM ” and “ If not us , who ?
If not now , when ?
” Chad defended the actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying , “ These valiant men and women have defended our institutions of justice against violent anarchists for 48 straight days .
We will prevail.
” Portland ’ s mayor , Ted Wheeler , and other local officials have said they did not ask for help from federal law enforcement and have asked them to leave .
A few hundred people had gathered near the federal courthouse on Thursday night , news outlets reported .
Police told protesters to leave after announcing they heard some chanting about burning down the building , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time later , federal officers fired rounds and deployed teargas to break up the crowd .
Some protesters remained in the area early on Friday and were detained , but it was unclear whether any arrests were made , the newspaper reported .
Ken Cuccinelli , the homeland security acting deputy secretary , said on Friday morning on Fox & Friends that the federal government had a responsibility to protect buildings such as the courthouse .
“ What we ’ ve seen around the country is where responsible policing is advanced , violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Portland hasn ’ t gotten that memo .
Nor have a lot of other cities .
And the president is determined to do what we can , within our jurisdiction , to help restore peace to these beleaguered cities.
” However , OPB noted that interviews with protesters showed that “ officers are also detaining people on Portland streets who aren ’ t near federal property , nor is it clear that all of the people being arrested have engaged in criminal activity .
[ Two demonstrators ] said they think they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing black clothing in the area of the demonstration.
” The news organisation also reported that federal officers “ left one demonstrator hospitalized with skull fractures after shooting him in the face with so-called ‘ less lethal ’ munitions July 11 ” .
Portland activists have warned the strategy may indicate how the Trump administration plans to crack down on other cities that have seen protests in recent weeks .
“ I think Portland is a test case , ” Zakir Khan , a spokesman for the Oregon chapter of the Council on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They want to see what they can get away with before launching into other parts of the country.
” Trump said on Wednesday that he would soon issue an announcement about steps the federal government will take to rein in “ out of control ” cities .
The president said he would make an announcement next week “ with the attorney general , the FBI and others concerning our cities , because the leftwing group of people that are running our cities are not doing the job that they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not a very tough job to do if they knew what they were doing ” .
Trump specifically cited recent protests against racism and police brutality in Portland , Seattle and Minneapolis , before pivoting to discuss the recent gun violence in Chicago .
“ We have other cities that are out of control , they ’ re like war zones , ” Trump said .
“ And if the city isn ’ t going to straighten it out , if local politicians or in this case , let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re all Democrats .
They ’ re liberal , leftwing Democrats .
And it ’ s almost like they think this is going to be this way forever.
” A reporter asked if Trump intended to follow through on his Monday comment that the government would enforce change in the cities “ even if we have to go in and take over ” .
The president deflected that question .

Activists in Portland, Oregon, are expressing severe alarm about recent incidents involving federal law enforcement officers using unmarked cars to detain peaceful protesters.
Federal officers deployed teargas and fired less-lethal rounds into a crowd of protesters on Thursday, hours after the the head of the Department of Homeland Security visited the city and called the demonstrators “violent anarchists”.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that federal law enforcement officers had been “using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters” since at least 14 July.
“Personal accounts and multiple videos posted online show the officers driving up to people, detaining individuals with no explanation of why they are being arrested, and driving off,” it added.
Anti-racism protests have taken place for nearly two months in Portland, since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on 25 May.
During a visit to Portland earlier on Thursday, Chad Wolf, the acting homeland security secretary, said state and city authorities were to blame for not putting an end to the protests, angering local officials.
Wolf characterized the protests in a tweet, claiming: “The city of Portland has been under siege for 47 days straight by a violent mob while local political leaders refuse to restore order to protect their city. @DHSgov stands ready to assist to bring this violent activity to an end.”
In captions of pictures posted on Twitter, Wolf praised police dressed in military-style fatigues, and toured property that appeared undamaged apart from graffiti, such as “BLM” and “If not us, who? If not now, when?”
Chad defended the actions of federal law enforcement officers in Portland, saying, “These valiant men and women have defended our institutions of justice against violent anarchists for 48 straight days. We will prevail.”
Portland’s mayor, Ted Wheeler, and other local officials have said they did not ask for help from federal law enforcement and have asked them to leave.
A few hundred people had gathered near the federal courthouse on Thursday night, news outlets reported. Police told protesters to leave after announcing they heard some chanting about burning down the building, according to the Oregonian.
A short time later, federal officers fired rounds and deployed teargas to break up the crowd. Some protesters remained in the area early on Friday and were detained, but it was unclear whether any arrests were made, the newspaper reported.
Ken Cuccinelli, the homeland security acting deputy secretary, said on Friday morning on Fox & Friends that the federal government had a responsibility to protect buildings such as the courthouse.
Federal officers pull a protester into the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon. Photograph: Dave Killen/AP
“What we’ve seen around the country is where responsible policing is advanced, violence recedes,” Cuccinelli said. “And Portland hasn’t gotten that memo. Nor have a lot of other cities. And the president is determined to do what we can, within our jurisdiction, to help restore peace to these beleaguered cities.”
However, OPB noted that interviews with protesters showed that “officers are also detaining people on Portland streets who aren’t near federal property, nor is it clear that all of the people being arrested have engaged in criminal activity. [Two demonstrators] said they think they were targeted by federal officers for simply wearing black clothing in the area of the demonstration.”
The news organisation also reported that federal officers “left one demonstrator hospitalized with skull fractures after shooting him in the face with so-called ‘less lethal’ munitions July 11”.
Portland activists have warned the strategy may indicate how the Trump administration plans to crack down on other cities that have seen protests in recent weeks.
“I think Portland is a test case,” Zakir Khan, a spokesman for the Oregon chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the Washington Post. “They want to see what they can get away with before launching into other parts of the country.”
Trump said on Wednesday that he would soon issue an announcement about steps the federal government will take to rein in “out of control” cities.
The president said he would make an announcement next week “with the attorney general, the FBI and others concerning our cities, because the leftwing group of people that are running our cities are not doing the job that they’re supposed to be doing, and it’s not a very tough job to do if they knew what they were doing”.
Trump specifically cited recent protests against racism and police brutality in Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis, before pivoting to discuss the recent gun violence in Chicago.
“We have other cities that are out of control, they’re like war zones,” Trump said. “And if the city isn’t going to straighten it out, if local politicians or in this case, let’s say this for political reasons, they’re all Democrats. They’re liberal, leftwing Democrats. And it’s almost like they think this is going to be this way forever.”
A reporter asked if Trump intended to follow through on his Monday comment that the government would enforce change in the cities “even if we have to go in and take over”. The president deflected that question.


theguardian--2020-07-17--US records highest one-day coronavirus case total as Trump slumps in new poll

The US has reported its highest one-day total for coronavirus cases for the pandemic so far , with a new poll released on Friday indicating that Donald Trump is continuing to lose support as a result of the alarming trend .
According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University , 77,255 new cases were reported in the US on Thursday , marking the first time the country ’ s daily caseload has surpassed 70,000 .
The record is the highest one-day total for any country during the pandemic so far .
The US is by far the worst-affected country worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and deaths , with more than 3.5m confirmed infections and more than 138,000 fatalities .
States across the south and west in the country ’ s “ sun belt ” have been particularly hard hit , with teams of military medics deployed this week in Texas and California to help hospitals deluged by coronavirus patients .
In California , military doctors , nurses and other healthcare specialists were being deployed to eight hospitals facing staffing shortages amid a record-breaking case numbers .
In Houston , an 86-person army medical team worked to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center .
Texas reported 10,000 new cases for the third straight day on Thursday , and 129 additional deaths .
California , meanwhile , reported its largest two-day total of confirmed cases , nearly 20,000 , along with 258 deaths over 48 hours .
There are more than 8,000 people in hospitals who have either tested positive for the coronavirus or are suspected to have it .
The medical examiner ’ s office in Phoenix has received portable storage coolers and ordered more to handle an influx of bodies reminiscent of New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there earlier this year .
Meanwhile , the president ’ s handling of the crisis continues to draw widespread scrutiny .
A Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 38 % of Americans approve of Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic , down from 46 % in May and 51 % in March .
Disapproval has simultaneously climbed to 60 % , up from 53 % in May and 45 % in March .
Critics have accused the president of politicizing the pandemic , repeatedly undermining the advice of public health experts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead as he focuses on the November election .
Most recently the Trump administration has pushed the reopening of schools as soon as possible as part of its efforts to jump start the economy , despite safety concerns .
Randi Weingarten , the president of the American Federation of Teachers , which has more than 1.7 million members , told the Guardian she regards the effort as “ reckless ” , and could lead to an exodus of people out of the teaching profession .
Dr Anthony Fauci , one of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducted a media campaign this week to deliver his assessments on the pandemic after the White House began briefing against him , accusing him of getting things wrong in the early days of the pandemic .
“ I believe for the most part you can trust respected medical authorities , ” Fauci told a virtual forum at Georgetown University in Washington this week , responding to a question that referenced the White House providing reporters with a list of what it described as his past mistakes .
“ I believe I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can trust me .
But I would stick with respected medical authorities who have a track record of telling the truth , who have a track record of giving information and policy and recommendations based on scientific evidence and good data.
” At least half of the 50 states have adopted requirements for wearing masks or other facial coverings .
But the wearing of masks continues to be part of political debate , despite calls from health experts for Americans to wear them .
Atlanta ’ s Democratic mayor , Keisha Lance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week by Georgia ’ s Republican governor , Brian Kemp , showed he was “ putting politics over people ” .
Speaking to the Today show , Bottoms said : “ This filing of a lawsuit is simply bizarre , quite frankly .
”

The US has reported its highest one-day total for coronavirus cases for the pandemic so far, with a new poll released on Friday indicating that Donald Trump is continuing to lose support as a result of the alarming trend.
According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, 77,255 new cases were reported in the US on Thursday, marking the first time the country’s daily caseload has surpassed 70,000.
The record is the highest one-day total for any country during the pandemic so far. The US is by far the worst-affected country worldwide in terms of the number of cases and deaths, with more than 3.5m confirmed infections and more than 138,000 fatalities.
States across the south and west in the country’s “sun belt” have been particularly hard hit, with teams of military medics deployed this week in Texas and California to help hospitals deluged by coronavirus patients.
In California, military doctors, nurses and other healthcare specialists were being deployed to eight hospitals facing staffing shortages amid a record-breaking case numbers. In Houston, an 86-person army medical team worked to take over a wing of United Memorial medical center.
Texas reported 10,000 new cases for the third straight day on Thursday, and 129 additional deaths. California, meanwhile, reported its largest two-day total of confirmed cases, nearly 20,000, along with 258 deaths over 48 hours. There are more than 8,000 people in hospitals who have either tested positive for the coronavirus or are suspected to have it.
The medical examiner’s office in Phoenix has received portable storage coolers and ordered more to handle an influx of bodies reminiscent of New York City at the height of the pandemic there earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the president’s handling of the crisis continues to draw widespread scrutiny. A Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 38% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, down from 46% in May and 51% in March. Disapproval has simultaneously climbed to 60%, up from 53% in May and 45% in March.
Critics have accused the president of politicizing the pandemic, repeatedly undermining the advice of public health experts, and pressuring Republican governors to follow his lead as he focuses on the November election. Most recently the Trump administration has pushed the reopening of schools as soon as possible as part of its efforts to jump start the economy, despite safety concerns.
Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, which has more than 1.7 million members, told the Guardian she regards the effort as “reckless”, and could lead to an exodus of people out of the teaching profession.
Dr Anthony Fauci, one of the country’s top public health experts, conducted a media campaign this week to deliver his assessments on the pandemic after the White House began briefing against him, accusing him of getting things wrong in the early days of the pandemic.
“I believe for the most part you can trust respected medical authorities,” Fauci told a virtual forum at Georgetown University in Washington this week, responding to a question that referenced the White House providing reporters with a list of what it described as his past mistakes.
“I believe I’m one of them, so I think you can trust me. But I would stick with respected medical authorities who have a track record of telling the truth, who have a track record of giving information and policy and recommendations based on scientific evidence and good data.”
At least half of the 50 states have adopted requirements for wearing masks or other facial coverings. But the wearing of masks continues to be part of political debate, despite calls from health experts for Americans to wear them. Atlanta’s Democratic mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, said a lawsuit brought this week by Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, showed he was “putting politics over people”.
Speaking to the Today show, Bottoms said: “This filing of a lawsuit is simply bizarre, quite frankly.”
Jessica Glenza contributed to this report


theguardian--2020-07-17--Florida’s ‘mini-Trump’ Ron DeSantis under growing pressure as Covid-19 cases surge

Florida ’ s Republican governor Ron DeSantis is used to being told he ’ s doing it wrong .
When he ran for governor in 2018 he was not the favorite to become the Republican candidate .
But he did .
He was then criticized for tying himself too closely to Donald Trump as he faced Andrew Gillum , the Democratic nominee .
But DeSantis won again .
Now , however , DeSantis ’ s administration is losing in its fight to control the coronavirus outbreak in his state .
Florida broke its previous record for daily coronavirus deaths on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health department confirmed almost 14,000 new cases on Thursday , the second highest single-day total since the pandemic began in March .
If Florida were a country , it would be one of the world ’ s biggest hotspots .
Mayors of the worst-hit areas of the state met DeSantis this week , thanking him for coronavirus aid but also urging him to issue a statewide mask mandate and to show leadership .
Miami Beach ’ s mayor , Dan Gelber , said : “ I think we need a sense of urgency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true sense of urgency , and I think it needs to come from the president , from the governor.
” The Orlando Sentinel editorial board wrote this week : “ If coronavirus were a hurricane , it seemed to reach category 5 status over the weekend .
More than ever , Florida needs decisive , resolute guidance to get through this storm .
“ Instead , Ron DeSantis continues to muddle and spin his way through .
For every good move , there have been too many missteps.
” Though the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , the state has seen more than 4,600 deaths so far , and there ’ s been a 74 % spike in coronavirus cases in assisted living and nursing facilities , a particularly alarming statistic for Florida ’ s older population .
Yet DeSantis this week claimed the media had fueled complacency among residents , and described the mounting cases as “ a blip ” while acknowledging : “ We ’ re now at a higher blip than where we were in May and the beginning of June.
” And while governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arkansas are changing tack as their cases rise , pausing or reversing reopening plans and issuing mandatory mask orders , there ’ s no expectation that the Florida governor will follow suit .
In many ways , DeSantis , who is sometimes referred to as a “ mini-Trump ” , has put himself parallel with the president on governing during the pandemic .
He ’ s pushed to reopen schools as soon as possible , despite widespread safety concerns , was slower than other governors to issue an initial stay-at-home order , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at every turn , even supporting the reopening of Disney World in Orlando last week .
DeSantis , a former lieutenant commander in the navy with degrees from Yale and Harvard , served three terms in the US House of Representatives before running for governor .
He framed his candidacy around his support for Trump , and continues to keep close , positive ties with the president .
After he won the governorship , DeSantis enjoyed a brief honeymoon , with some Democrats approving of the steps he took on the environment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signing into law a large teacher pay raise .
“ He made a few moves after he was elected that would be considered environmental friendly , in reference to the Everglades , ” Florida Democratic national committeeman Alan Clendenin said .
“ And that kind of snookered some people into making them think we ’ ve got a new kind of governor .
But we don ’ t. ” DeSantis is often described as smart by both his critics and his allies , who defend his strategy on the outbreak .
“ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distills complex information , processes it very quickly and distills it down to a decision relatively quickly .
There ’ s a level of impatience , ” the Florida state senator Tom Lee , who at times has quarreled with the governor , said .
“ He is on the move , and he ’ s not afraid to make decisions.
” Republicans also describe him as a small government or libertarian type of Republican , and point to that as part of the rationale behind his approach .
The Florida-based Republican strategist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe emphatically that there is a serious role … in fact , maybe government ’ s primary serious role is to protect people .
To put public safety first .
That ’ s the priority of government .
And that ’ s a pretty conservative ideal.
” Doster added : “ With that being said , he ’ s also a libertarian , and a free-market libertarian , and we ’ re now dealing with a conflict between , I think , trying to address public safety concerns – which is an appropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – but also this notion that government should not be intruding itself in free markets and shutting everything down.
” DeSantis ’ s office did not respond to multiple inquiries from the Guardian .
DeSantis ’ s approval ratings are still above water , unlike Trump , who is now trailing his presidential rival Joe Biden .
Two recent polls found the Florida governor ’ s favorables above 50 % .
But they are slipping .
A Cygnal poll conducted for the Alliance of Market Solutions in late June found his unfavorable rating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
A July Fox News poll found DeSantis ’ s unfavorable ratings climb from 33 % to 40 % .
But as the unwanted statistics have piled up , DeSantis has dug in .
He ’ s blamed unwanted data results on a misunderstanding of what should be reported .
He barred a reporter from a press conference after she requested social distancing at the governor ’ s briefings .
And he ’ s maintained that the rising cases should not cause alarm .
Rebekah Jones worked in DeSantis ’ s administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s public resource of Covid-19 data .
She was fired for , according to Jones , not manipulating the data .
DeSantis has denied that criticism .
Jones has set up her own data display since she was fired .
In an email to the Guardian , Jones said : “ When every expert says masks should be mandatory , and you don ’ t take action immediately , or even after the largest single-day increase in cases in this country to date , you have failed the scientists doing the research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick , and the people of Florida who ultimately pay the price for his indefensible unwillingness to listen to the facts.
” She said : “ The people working under DeSantis ’ s political appointees have no respect for him , view his staff as incompetent morons , and come to me with details about how negligent the state is because they don ’ t trust anyone working for him and are afraid of getting fired if they speak out.
” But his allies describe his stewardship of the pandemic positively , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on science and data , and within the bounds of conservative orthodoxy .
The Florida congressman Matt Gaetz said in an interview : “ I think Governor DeSantis has shown strong leadership and has utilized partnerships at the local level effectively .
He has not strong-armed communities .
“ Frankly , the governor understands the limit of the government ’ s power to alter behaviors .
If people in rural north Florida aren ’ t going to wear a mask , some pronouncement from Tallahassee isn ’ t going to alter that behavior.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential 2024 presidential candidate by Republicans and Democrats .
“ He wants to be president , ” Clendenin said .
“ He ’ s one of these Manchurian candidates .
Everything he ’ s done is based on a plan .
”

Florida’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis is used to being told he’s doing it wrong.
When he ran for governor in 2018 he was not the favorite to become the Republican candidate. But he did. He was then criticized for tying himself too closely to Donald Trump as he faced Andrew Gillum, the Democratic nominee. But DeSantis won again.
Now, however, DeSantis’s administration is losing in its fight to control the coronavirus outbreak in his state. Florida broke its previous record for daily coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, and the state’s health department confirmed almost 14,000 new cases on Thursday, the second highest single-day total since the pandemic began in March. If Florida were a country, it would be one of the world’s biggest hotspots.
Mayors of the worst-hit areas of the state met DeSantis this week, thanking him for coronavirus aid but also urging him to issue a statewide mask mandate and to show leadership.
Miami Beach’s mayor, Dan Gelber, said: “I think we need a sense of urgency in our community right now, a true sense of urgency, and I think it needs to come from the president, from the governor.”
The Orlando Sentinel editorial board wrote this week: “If coronavirus were a hurricane, it seemed to reach category 5 status over the weekend. More than ever, Florida needs decisive, resolute guidance to get through this storm.
“Instead, Ron DeSantis continues to muddle and spin his way through. For every good move, there have been too many missteps.”
Though the number of cases has largely been fueled by younger people, the state has seen more than 4,600 deaths so far, and there’s been a 74% spike in coronavirus cases in assisted living and nursing facilities, a particularly alarming statistic for Florida’s older population.
Yet DeSantis this week claimed the media had fueled complacency among residents, and described the mounting cases as “a blip” while acknowledging: “We’re now at a higher blip than where we were in May and the beginning of June.”
And while governors in deep red states like Alabama and Arkansas are changing tack as their cases rise, pausing or reversing reopening plans and issuing mandatory mask orders, there’s no expectation that the Florida governor will follow suit.
In many ways, DeSantis, who is sometimes referred to as a “mini-Trump”, has put himself parallel with the president on governing during the pandemic. He’s pushed to reopen schools as soon as possible, despite widespread safety concerns, was slower than other governors to issue an initial stay-at-home order, and has championed the reopening of the economy at every turn, even supporting the reopening of Disney World in Orlando last week.
DeSantis, a former lieutenant commander in the navy with degrees from Yale and Harvard, served three terms in the US House of Representatives before running for governor. He framed his candidacy around his support for Trump, and continues to keep close, positive ties with the president.
After he won the governorship, DeSantis enjoyed a brief honeymoon, with some Democrats approving of the steps he took on the environment and schools. He won bipartisan support for signing into law a large teacher pay raise.
“He made a few moves after he was elected that would be considered environmental friendly, in reference to the Everglades,” Florida Democratic national committeeman Alan Clendenin said. “And that kind of snookered some people into making them think we’ve got a new kind of governor. But we don’t.”
A restaurant on Ocean Drive in Miami earlier this week. DeSantis has so far declined to issue a statewide mask order. Photograph: Larry Marano/Rex/Shutterstock
DeSantis is often described as smart by both his critics and his allies, who defend his strategy on the outbreak.
“He’s really smart, and he distills complex information, processes it very quickly and distills it down to a decision relatively quickly. There’s a level of impatience,” the Florida state senator Tom Lee, who at times has quarreled with the governor, said.
“He is on the move, and he’s not afraid to make decisions.”
Republicans also describe him as a small government or libertarian type of Republican, and point to that as part of the rationale behind his approach.
The Florida-based Republican strategist Brett Doster said: “He does believe emphatically that there is a serious role … in fact, maybe government’s primary serious role is to protect people. To put public safety first. That’s the priority of government. And that’s a pretty conservative ideal.”
Doster added: “With that being said, he’s also a libertarian, and a free-market libertarian, and we’re now dealing with a conflict between, I think, trying to address public safety concerns – which is an appropriate role for government, in his mind – but also this notion that government should not be intruding itself in free markets and shutting everything down.”
DeSantis’s office did not respond to multiple inquiries from the Guardian.
DeSantis’s approval ratings are still above water, unlike Trump, who is now trailing his presidential rival Joe Biden.
Two recent polls found the Florida governor’s favorables above 50%. But they are slipping. A Cygnal poll conducted for the Alliance of Market Solutions in late June found his unfavorable rating had jumped from 28.5% to 40.5%. A July Fox News poll found DeSantis’s unfavorable ratings climb from 33% to 40%.
But as the unwanted statistics have piled up, DeSantis has dug in. He’s blamed unwanted data results on a misunderstanding of what should be reported. He barred a reporter from a press conference after she requested social distancing at the governor’s briefings. And he’s maintained that the rising cases should not cause alarm.
Rebekah Jones worked in DeSantis’s administration as the dashboard manager for the state’s public resource of Covid-19 data. She was fired for, according to Jones, not manipulating the data. DeSantis has denied that criticism. Jones has set up her own data display since she was fired.
He wants to be president. He’s one of these Manchurian candidates. Everything he’s done is based on a plan Alan Clendenin
In an email to the Guardian, Jones said: “When every expert says masks should be mandatory, and you don’t take action immediately, or even after the largest single-day increase in cases in this country to date, you have failed the scientists doing the research, the medical staff caring for the sick, and the people of Florida who ultimately pay the price for his indefensible unwillingness to listen to the facts.”
She said: “The people working under DeSantis’s political appointees have no respect for him, view his staff as incompetent morons, and come to me with details about how negligent the state is because they don’t trust anyone working for him and are afraid of getting fired if they speak out.”
But his allies describe his stewardship of the pandemic positively, and say he’s made decisions based on science and data, and within the bounds of conservative orthodoxy.
The Florida congressman Matt Gaetz said in an interview: “I think Governor DeSantis has shown strong leadership and has utilized partnerships at the local level effectively. He has not strong-armed communities.
“Frankly, the governor understands the limit of the government’s power to alter behaviors. If people in rural north Florida aren’t going to wear a mask, some pronouncement from Tallahassee isn’t going to alter that behavior.”
DeSantis is often mentioned as a potential 2024 presidential candidate by Republicans and Democrats.
“He wants to be president,” Clendenin said. “He’s one of these Manchurian candidates. Everything he’s done is based on a plan.”


theguardian--2020-07-17--Trump will cling to power. To get him out, Biden will have to win big

Were we not thoroughly spooked by what happened in 2016 , we ’ d find it easier to say out loud that all signs point to the defeat and removal of Donald Trump on 3 November .
Superstition and a desire not to tempt fate hold us back , but the signs are plentiful .
The most obvious is the polls , which show not only that Joe Biden is ahead of Trump by double-digit margins , but also that 72 % of Americans believe their country is on the wrong track – a number that spells ruin for any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four years ago that national polls don ’ t matter – after all , Hillary Clinton led in those – and what really counts are the contests in the battleground states : the likes of Wisconsin , Pennsylvania and Michigan .
Biden is handily ahead in all of those , too .
Could those polls be wrong ?
One expert reckons Biden is so far in front that even if the polls are as wrong now as they were in 2016 he will still win .
More important , these numbers reflect something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appalled by Trump ’ s behaviour since day one , but mere outrage and scandal have proved insufficient to sink his presidency .
Now , though , he is associated with genuine catastrophe .
More than 130,000 Americans are dead from coronavirus , with caseloads rising in 41 of 50 states .
Trump ’ s handling of this disaster has so obviously made it worse – whether playing down the threat , urging premature easing of lockdown or calling on Americans to inject themselves with bleach – that he has made the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any rival .
His one hope was a healthy economy , but that too now lies in ruins ( though , troublingly , Trump still leads Biden by 12 points on economic competence ) .
His racial dogwhistling is also costing him : surveys suggest that , outside his base , Americans recoil at Trump ’ s widening of the country ’ s most enduring divide .
It means Trump ’ s unpopularity is not ephemeral – the kind of thing that might be fixed by sacking a campaign manager , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anchored in facts that will be hard to shift .
Given all that , surely the rational response is to look forward to Trump ’ s imminent departure from office ?
To which the right answer is : not so fast .
To remove Trump , it will not be enough for Biden to win .
He has to win big .
By that , I don ’ t mean that thanks to voter suppression – fewer polling places in majority-black neighbourhoods and the like – Democrats have to be several points ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is true .
Nor do I mean that Biden can only overturn Trumpism by riding a wave so big that Democrats take back the Senate and therefore avoid being thwarted by Mitch McConnell for four gridlocked years , though that is also true .
Or that Biden needs a wide enough margin to withstand the foreign hacking and disruption efforts in Trump ’ s favour that most monitors expect , having concluded that when Russian agents poked around voter registration databases in 2016 , they were merely “ casing the joint ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though that too is true .
No , what I have in mind is a threat more fundamental .
The danger is that Trump will lose – and refuse to go .
He ’ s already laid out his rationale .
“ Rigged 2020 election , ” he tweeted last month .
“ Millions of mail-in ballots will be printed by foreign countries , and others .
It will be the scandal of our times !
” Here ’ s the scenario Trump is planning for .
On the evening of 3 November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a margin even greater than the 3 million votes by which Hillary beat him in 2016 – but the count of votes cast on the day puts him narrowly ahead in one or two key states .
He promptly declares victory , claiming that the millions of votes that were cast as absentee ballots – by voters anxious to avoid polling stations because of Covid-19 – should be disqualified as fraudulent .
He has a motive to do that , since mail-in votes often skew Democratic .
And he has a precedent for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Florida in 2018 , Trump urged the state to stop counting the votes and go with the election night results , which favoured Republicans .
Let ’ s say he makes that same move in the three midwestern battlegrounds in November .
Republicans are in charge of the state legislatures in all three .
Now here ’ s where it gets nerdily arcane , but bear with me .
Those Republican legislatures could refuse both to certify their state results and to send a slate of representatives to the electoral college , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden ’ s lawyers would plead his case all the way to the supreme court , but that court likes to stay out of elections .
It could plausibly instruct the electoral college to meet on 14 December , with or without the disputed states .
If it meets without them , and neither Trump nor Biden can reach the 270 electoral college votes required to win , then the constitution throws the question to the House of Representatives .
Democrats control that body , but here ’ s the thing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ make its decision state-by-state , with one vote per state – so that tiny Republican Wyoming would have as much say as populous , Democratic California .
By that count , Republican states would outvote Democratic ones by 26 to 24 – and Trump would remain president .
There are variations on that theme .
Some imagine a standoff in which , say , Pennsylvania ’ s Democratic governor certifies the state ’ s vote for Biden , while the state ’ s Republican assembly certifies it for Trump : the result is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture Trump ’ s pliant attorney general ordering a bogus investigation , on grounds of national security , into foreign meddling , thereby giving Republicans an excuse not to ratify a Biden victory in their state .
But it ’ s just as easy to imagine a situation where , with next to no legal or technical justification , Trump simply stays put and refuses to leave – and Republicans stand by him .
After all , they ’ ve tolerated his every other assault on the republic : why would they change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenarios , but if these past four years have taught us anything , it ’ s that nightmares can come true .
There ’ s only one guaranteed defence against such a possibility , and that is for Biden to win a blowout victory .
Which is why efforts such as those by the Lincoln Project and Republican Voters Against Trump could be significant : they make it legitimate for conservatives , independents and , yes , lifelong Republicans to lend their vote to the Democratic candidate , just this once .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weaknesses can become a strength : he is sufficiently inoffensive that millions of non-Democrats can back him , in a way they could not bring themselves to do for Hillary Clinton .
It goes without saying that Democrats , whether of the left or centre , also have to turn out in colossal numbers , if not to elect Biden then to remove Trump .
Every vote will count this time because of the unique nature of this president .
Make no mistake , it will take a landslide to get Trump out @

Were we not thoroughly spooked by what happened in 2016, we’d find it easier to say out loud that all signs point to the defeat and removal of Donald Trump on 3 November. Superstition and a desire not to tempt fate hold us back, but the signs are plentiful. The most obvious is the polls, which show not only that Joe Biden is ahead of Trump by double-digit margins, but also that 72% of Americans believe their country is on the wrong track – a number that spells ruin for any incumbent.
Of course, we learned four years ago that national polls don’t matter – after all, Hillary Clinton led in those – and what really counts are the contests in the battleground states: the likes of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Biden is handily ahead in all of those, too. Could those polls be wrong? One expert reckons Biden is so far in front that even if the polls are as wrong now as they were in 2016 he will still win.
More important, these numbers reflect something solid. Naturally, liberals have been appalled by Trump’s behaviour since day one, but mere outrage and scandal have proved insufficient to sink his presidency. Now, though, he is associated with genuine catastrophe. More than 130,000 Americans are dead from coronavirus, with caseloads rising in 41 of 50 states. Trump’s handling of this disaster has so obviously made it worse – whether playing down the threat, urging premature easing of lockdown or calling on Americans to inject themselves with bleach – that he has made the case for his own removal more powerfully than any rival. His one hope was a healthy economy, but that too now lies in ruins (though, troublingly, Trump still leads Biden by 12 points on economic competence). His racial dogwhistling is also costing him: surveys suggest that, outside his base, Americans recoil at Trump’s widening of the country’s most enduring divide. It means Trump’s unpopularity is not ephemeral – the kind of thing that might be fixed by sacking a campaign manager, as the president did this week – but rather anchored in facts that will be hard to shift.
Given all that, surely the rational response is to look forward to Trump’s imminent departure from office? To which the right answer is: not so fast. To remove Trump, it will not be enough for Biden to win. He has to win big.
By that, I don’t mean that thanks to voter suppression – fewer polling places in majority-black neighbourhoods and the like – Democrats have to be several points ahead merely to draw level, though that is true. Nor do I mean that Biden can only overturn Trumpism by riding a wave so big that Democrats take back the Senate and therefore avoid being thwarted by Mitch McConnell for four gridlocked years, though that is also true. Or that Biden needs a wide enough margin to withstand the foreign hacking and disruption efforts in Trump’s favour that most monitors expect, having concluded that when Russian agents poked around voter registration databases in 2016, they were merely “casing the joint” for a more sustained offensive in 2020 – though that too is true.
No, what I have in mind is a threat more fundamental. The danger is that Trump will lose – and refuse to go.
He’s already laid out his rationale. “Rigged 2020 election,” he tweeted last month. “Millions of mail-in ballots will be printed by foreign countries, and others. It will be the scandal of our times!” Here’s the scenario Trump is planning for. On the evening of 3 November, he loses the popular vote by a margin even greater than the 3 million votes by which Hillary beat him in 2016 – but the count of votes cast on the day puts him narrowly ahead in one or two key states. He promptly declares victory, claiming that the millions of votes that were cast as absentee ballots – by voters anxious to avoid polling stations because of Covid-19 – should be disqualified as fraudulent. He has a motive to do that, since mail-in votes often skew Democratic. And he has a precedent for it: in a tight senate race in Florida in 2018, Trump urged the state to stop counting the votes and go with the election night results, which favoured Republicans.
Let’s say he makes that same move in the three midwestern battlegrounds in November. Republicans are in charge of the state legislatures in all three. Now here’s where it gets nerdily arcane, but bear with me. Those Republican legislatures could refuse both to certify their state results and to send a slate of representatives to the electoral college, which has to meet by 14 December. Biden’s lawyers would plead his case all the way to the supreme court, but that court likes to stay out of elections. It could plausibly instruct the electoral college to meet on 14 December, with or without the disputed states. If it meets without them, and neither Trump nor Biden can reach the 270 electoral college votes required to win, then the constitution throws the question to the House of Representatives. Democrats control that body, but here’s the thing. Under the rules, the house would make its decision state-by-state, with one vote per state – so that tiny Republican Wyoming would have as much say as populous, Democratic California. By that count, Republican states would outvote Democratic ones by 26 to 24 – and Trump would remain president.
There are variations on that theme. Some imagine a standoff in which, say, Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor certifies the state’s vote for Biden, while the state’s Republican assembly certifies it for Trump: the result is deadlock. Former senator Tim Wirth can picture Trump’s pliant attorney general ordering a bogus investigation, on grounds of national security, into foreign meddling, thereby giving Republicans an excuse not to ratify a Biden victory in their state. But it’s just as easy to imagine a situation where, with next to no legal or technical justification, Trump simply stays put and refuses to leave – and Republicans stand by him. After all, they’ve tolerated his every other assault on the republic: why would they change now?
Granted, these are nightmare scenarios, but if these past four years have taught us anything, it’s that nightmares can come true. There’s only one guaranteed defence against such a possibility, and that is for Biden to win a blowout victory. Which is why efforts such as those by the Lincoln Project and Republican Voters Against Trump could be significant: they make it legitimate for conservatives, independents and, yes, lifelong Republicans to lend their vote to the Democratic candidate, just this once. It’s also how Biden’s weaknesses can become a strength: he is sufficiently inoffensive that millions of non-Democrats can back him, in a way they could not bring themselves to do for Hillary Clinton. It goes without saying that Democrats, whether of the left or centre, also have to turn out in colossal numbers, if not to elect Biden then to remove Trump.
Every vote will count this time because of the unique nature of this president. Make no mistake, it will take a landslide to get Trump out.