shareblue--2020-07-24--Senate GOP leaves Washington without extending $600 unemployment benefit

The Republican-controlled Senate left Washington , D.C. , on Thursday without releasing a plan for the next round of coronavirus relief — a move that all but ensures a $ 600 weekly unemployment insurance benefit millions of Americans have been receiving for months will now expire .
Republicans spent the week fighting among themselves about what should be in the next package of coronavirus relief — and ultimately punted releasing their plan until next week .
Without an agreement within their own party — let alone an agreement with Democrats in the House , who will also need to pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bill will pass before the $ 600 weekly unemployment insurance boost expires on July 31 .
That means , given the way unemployment benefits are calculated , the final checks with the added payments will go out on Sunday or Monday .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed Republicans for their inaction , saying they have known for months that the $ 600 benefit would expire but took no action .
The Democratic-controlled House passed a bill that extended the payments on May 15 , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refused to consider it .
`` This weekend , millions of Americans will lose their Unemployment Insurance , will be at risk of being evicted from their homes , and could be laid off by state and local government , and there is only one reason : Republicans have been dithering for months while America 's crisis deepens , '' Schumer and Pelosi said in a joint statement .
Economists say the increased payments have been critical to staving off even worse economic damage from the coronavirus .
And without them , economists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployed workers can not afford to buy goods and services .
Republicans , however , have long been against the additional $ 600 payment , claiming they disincentivize workers from looking for new jobs — even though economists say there is no evidence that 's the case .
Coronavirus relief — including the unemployment insurance payments — are widely popular among Americans .
A Reuters/Ipsos poll from Thursday found 76 % of Americans support `` additional unemployment payments for people who lost jobs due to the pandemic . ''
That includes 68 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional unemployment insurance help from $ 600 a week to $ 400 a month , while a second idea is to reduce the weekly boost from 100 % of what average workers made before losing their jobs to 70 % .
Both ideas would lead to a steep decline in the amount that unemployed workers would receive .
Schumer and Pelosi criticized Republicans for waiting this long to address the unemployment payments , as well as for leaving the Capitol without any agreement .

The Republican-controlled Senate left Washington, D.C., on Thursday without releasing a plan for the next round of coronavirus relief — a move that all but ensures a $600 weekly unemployment insurance benefit millions of Americans have been receiving for months will now expire.
Republicans spent the week fighting among themselves about what should be in the next package of coronavirus relief — and ultimately punted releasing their plan until next week.
Without an agreement within their own party — let alone an agreement with Democrats in the House, who will also need to pass the aid package — it’s unlikely a bill will pass before the $600 weekly unemployment insurance boost expires on July 31. That means, given the way unemployment benefits are calculated, the final checks with the added payments will go out on Sunday or Monday.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed Republicans for their inaction, saying they have known for months that the $600 benefit would expire but took no action. The Democratic-controlled House passed a bill that extended the payments on May 15, but the Senate, led by McConnell, has refused to consider it.
“This weekend, millions of Americans will lose their Unemployment Insurance, will be at risk of being evicted from their homes, and could be laid off by state and local government, and there is only one reason: Republicans have been dithering for months while America’s crisis deepens,” Schumer and Pelosi said in a joint statement.
Economists say the increased payments have been critical to staving off even worse economic damage from the coronavirus. And without them, economists predict more jobs will be lost as unemployed workers cannot afford to buy goods and services.
Republicans, however, have long been against the additional $600 payment, claiming they disincentivize workers from looking for new jobs — even though economists say there is no evidence that’s the case.
Coronavirus relief — including the unemployment insurance payments — are widely popular among Americans. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from Thursday found 76% of Americans support “additional unemployment payments for people who lost jobs due to the pandemic.” That includes 68% of Republicans.
Republicans have floated two ideas.
One was decreasing the additional unemployment insurance help from $600 a week to $400 a month, while a second idea is to reduce the weekly boost from 100% of what average workers made before losing their jobs to 70%. Both ideas would lead to a steep decline in the amount that unemployed workers would receive.
Schumer and Pelosi criticized Republicans for waiting this long to address the unemployment payments, as well as for leaving the Capitol without any agreement.


shareblue--2020-07-24--Opinion: GOP refusal to extend unemployment benefits is very dangerous

Congressional Republicans are holding 34 million unemployed Americans hostage , threatening to let expire the $ 600 in enhanced unemployment benefits that is helping distraught families survive the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression .
They waited until benefits are only a day away from disappearing as a misguided way to gain political leverage .
They are playing a dangerous game with people 's lives .
While Republicans stall on renewing benefits , unemployment claims have been more than twice the worst week of the Great Recession for 18 consecutive weeks ; more than 11 % of American workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seekers for every opening ; and millions have given up looking for work because entire sectors of the economy are partly shut down .
But Republicans say unemployed workers are getting too much assistance from the federal government — it makes them lazy .
Senate Republicans should tell that to the more than 16 million unemployed Americans who live in the states they represent .
The simple fact is that there are n't jobs to be had right now , and there wo n't be until we get the virus under control .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial pressure facing American families is for Congress and the president to pledge to the American people that we will help as long as help is needed .
We are all in it together .
We are one nation , faced with the greatest challenge since World War II and the greatest health crisis in 100 years .
It did n't have to be this way .
Donald Trump has badly bungled the coronavirus crisis , and we are paying an extraordinarily high price in lives lost and economic damage .
If he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not done the opposite of what they say , we would n't be facing 66,000 new coronavirus cases a day .
Republicans have followed him in lockstep , fearing his wrath so much that they remained silent while he recklessly refused to take action and then threatened governors if they did not `` liberate '' their economies .
As a result , cases of COVID-19 are skyrocketing , state economies are closing again , 2.3 million Americans filed for unemployment last week , millions of Americans stand in lines at food banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 28 million renter households are at significant risk of eviction .
A survey by the Census Bureau of more than 80 million households found that more than 40 % of Americans report serious anxiety or stress .
Refusing to extend enhanced unemployed benefits would damage the economy .
The Congressional Budget Office estimates extending enhanced federal unemployment benefits would boost overall economic output in the second half of 2020 .
The expiration of enhanced benefits could spur a sharp decline in consumer spending , leading to a new round of business closures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute projects that letting the expanded benefit expire would cost 5 million jobs over the next year due to a drop in consumer spending .
Job losses and business closures are already becoming more permanent .
In mid-May , Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that `` we 're not quite ready to intelligently lay down the next step , but it 's not too far off . ''
Now , just a day before enhanced federal unemployment benefits will effectively expire in most states , Senate Republicans are n't much closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly considering extending the enhanced benefits through the end of the year , but only by an extra amount of $ 200 per week .
That would be a $ 1,600 cut each month for each unemployed worker .
Even that meager offering is in limbo , with Republicans turning on each other as the deadline looms .
If unemployed Americans lose $ 600 a week in unemployment benefits , there will be widespread suffering .
The pain will be felt even in Kentucky , where hundreds of thousands of displaced workers will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average of just $ 332 .
Like the mismanagement of COVID-19 and the thousands of unnecessary deaths , this too was preventable .
At this point , McConnell and Senate Republicans have guaranteed at least a partial lapse in the benefits as it will take at least a few weeks for state unemployment offices to reprogram their systems .
For McConnell , delay was just a negotiating tactic .
He presumably would put congressional Democrats , who are determined to protect American families , in a vise — the families are just collateral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment benefits months ago .
In a crisis as horrible as this one , Americans deserve to know that the federal government will be there to help as long as help is needed .
Failing to do the right thing in a crisis is unforgivable .
Rep. Don Beyer ( VA-8 ) serves as vice chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee and is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition .

Congressional Republicans are holding 34 million unemployed Americans hostage, threatening to let expire the $600 in enhanced unemployment benefits that is helping distraught families survive the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression. They waited until benefits are only a day away from disappearing as a misguided way to gain political leverage.
They are playing a dangerous game with people’s lives.
While Republicans stall on renewing benefits, unemployment claims have been more than twice the worst week of the Great Recession for 18 consecutive weeks; more than 11% of American workers are unemployed; there are four job seekers for every opening; and millions have given up looking for work because entire sectors of the economy are partly shut down.
But Republicans say unemployed workers are getting too much assistance from the federal government — it makes them lazy. Senate Republicans should tell that to the more than 16 million unemployed Americans who live in the states they represent. The simple fact is that there aren’t jobs to be had right now, and there won’t be until we get the virus under control.
The best way to address the extreme financial pressure facing American families is for Congress and the president to pledge to the American people that we will help as long as help is needed. We are all in it together. We are one nation, faced with the greatest challenge since World War II and the greatest health crisis in 100 years.
It didn’t have to be this way. Donald Trump has badly bungled the coronavirus crisis, and we are paying an extraordinarily high price in lives lost and economic damage. If he had simply taken the advice of experts, not done the opposite of what they say, we wouldn’t be facing 66,000 new coronavirus cases a day.
Republicans have followed him in lockstep, fearing his wrath so much that they remained silent while he recklessly refused to take action and then threatened governors if they did not “liberate” their economies.
As a result, cases of COVID-19 are skyrocketing, state economies are closing again, 2.3 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, millions of Americans stand in lines at food banks or have applied for food stamps, and 28 million renter households are at significant risk of eviction. A survey by the Census Bureau of more than 80 million households found that more than 40% of Americans report serious anxiety or stress.
Refusing to extend enhanced unemployed benefits would damage the economy. The Congressional Budget Office estimates extending enhanced federal unemployment benefits would boost overall economic output in the second half of 2020.
The expiration of enhanced benefits could spur a sharp decline in consumer spending, leading to a new round of business closures and more layoffs. The Economic Policy Institute projects that letting the expanded benefit expire would cost 5 million jobs over the next year due to a drop in consumer spending. Job losses and business closures are already becoming more permanent.
In mid-May, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that “we’re not quite ready to intelligently lay down the next step, but it’s not too far off.” Now, just a day before enhanced federal unemployment benefits will effectively expire in most states, Senate Republicans aren’t much closer to passing a bill.
Republicans are reportedly considering extending the enhanced benefits through the end of the year, but only by an extra amount of $200 per week. That would be a $1,600 cut each month for each unemployed worker. Even that meager offering is in limbo, with Republicans turning on each other as the deadline looms.
If unemployed Americans lose $600 a week in unemployment benefits, there will be widespread suffering. The pain will be felt even in Kentucky, where hundreds of thousands of displaced workers will see their weekly benefits fall to an average of just $332. Like the mismanagement of COVID-19 and the thousands of unnecessary deaths, this too was preventable.
At this point, McConnell and Senate Republicans have guaranteed at least a partial lapse in the benefits as it will take at least a few weeks for state unemployment offices to reprogram their systems.
For McConnell, delay was just a negotiating tactic. He presumably would put congressional Democrats, who are determined to protect American families, in a vise — the families are just collateral damage.
They should have extended enhanced unemployment benefits months ago. In a crisis as horrible as this one, Americans deserve to know that the federal government will be there to help as long as help is needed.
Failing to do the right thing in a crisis is unforgivable.
Rep. Don Beyer (VA-8) serves as vice chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee and is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition.


shareblue--2020-07-24--Judge blocks federal agents from arresting and beating journalists in Portland

A federal judge specifically blocked U.S. agents from arresting or using physical force against journalists and legal observers at protests where Donald Trump is testing the limits of federal power .
U.S. Judge Michael Simon made his ruling late Thursday , a day after Portland 's mayor was tear-gassed by federal agents while making an appearance outside a federal courthouse during raucous demonstrations .
Protesters have gathered in Oregon 's largest city for nearly two months straight since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis .
A large crowd of demonstrators returned Thursday night , chanting and holding signs near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that journalists and legal observers are exempt from police orders requiring protesters to disperse once an unlawful assembly has been declared .
Federal lawyers intervened , saying journalists should have to leave when ordered .
`` This order is a victory for the rule of law , '' Jann Carson , ACLU of Oregon 's interim executive director , said in a statement .
The judge said objections by law enforcement were outweighed by First Amendment concerns .
`` None of the government 's proffered interests outweigh the public 's interest in accurate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is treating '' protesters , he wrote .
Simon 's order is in effect for 14 days .
Journalists and observers must wear clear identification , he said .
A freelance photographer covering the protests for the Associated Press submitted an affidavit that he was beaten with batons and hit with chemical irritants and rubber bullets this week .
The ACLU lawsuit is one of several filed in response to law enforcement actions during the protests .
The state of Oregon is seeking an order limiting federal agents ' arrest powers during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wheeler and hundreds of others were objecting to the presence of federal police sent by Trump , who labeled the demonstrators as `` agitators & anarchists '' after Wheeler was gassed .
Wheeler , a Democrat , appeared slightly dazed and coughed and said it was the first time he 'd been tear-gassed .
He put on a pair of goggles someone handed him and drank water but did not leave his spot at the front of the raging demonstration — with protesters lighting a large fire between protective fencing and the Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sounds of the federal agents deploying tear gas and stun grenades into the crowd .
It was n't immediately clear if the agents knew that Wheeler , a 57-year-old sixth-generation Oregonian and longtime politician , was in the crowd when they used the tear gas .
Wheeler has opposed the federal agents ' presence but has also faced harsh criticism from the protesters , who yelled and swore at him .
Earlier in the night , Wheeler was mostly jeered by protesters as he tried to rally the demonstrators who have clashed nightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applauded when he shouted , `` Black Lives Matter ! ''
and pumped his fist in the air .
Trump in his tweet attempted to ridicule Wheeler , calling him the `` Radical Left Mayor of Portland , who last night was booed & shouted out of existence by the agitators & anarchists . ''
The Justice Department 's inspector general said Thursday it will review the conduct of federal agents who responded to unrest in Portland and in Washington , D.C. , after concerns emerged from members of Congress and the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not reining in police who used tear gas multiple times on protesters before federal agents arrived .
And city business leaders have condemned the mayor for not bringing the situation under control before the agents showed up .
Department of Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad Wolf denied that federal agents were inflaming the situation .
He told `` CBS This Morning '' that Wheeler legitimized criminality by going to the front of the crowd of demonstrators where the fires were lit and where people were trying to pull down a security fence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the fires or attempting to tear down the fence and was surrounded by his security team when he was gassed .
Police said the crowd threw Molotov cocktails , lit fires in a park and in trash cans , and released hundreds of gallons of water from fire hydrants .
Wheeler 's appearance in the protest zone came hours after state attorneys for Oregon urged another judge to issue a restraining order against the federal agents .
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum 's lawsuit accuses federal agents of arresting protesters without probable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars , and using excessive force .
Federal authorities have disputed those allegations .
The hearing in U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman 's court focused on the actions of the more than 100 federal agents responding to protests outside the Portland courthouse .
The state 's motion asks Mosman to command agents from the Department of Homeland Security , Customs and Border Protection , Federal Protective Service , and U.S .
Marshals Service to immediately stop detaining protesters without probable cause , to identify themselves and their agency before arresting anyone , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place .

A federal judge specifically blocked U.S. agents from arresting or using physical force against journalists and legal observers at protests where Donald Trump is testing the limits of federal power.
U.S. Judge Michael Simon made his ruling late Thursday, a day after Portland’s mayor was tear-gassed by federal agents while making an appearance outside a federal courthouse during raucous demonstrations. Protesters have gathered in Oregon’s largest city for nearly two months straight since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis.
A large crowd of demonstrators returned Thursday night, chanting and holding signs near the federal courthouse.
Simon had previously ruled that journalists and legal observers are exempt from police orders requiring protesters to disperse once an unlawful assembly has been declared. Federal lawyers intervened, saying journalists should have to leave when ordered.
“This order is a victory for the rule of law,” Jann Carson, ACLU of Oregon’s interim executive director, said in a statement.
The judge said objections by law enforcement were outweighed by First Amendment concerns.
“None of the government’s proffered interests outweigh the public’s interest in accurate and timely information about how law enforcement is treating” protesters, he wrote.
Simon’s order is in effect for 14 days. Journalists and observers must wear clear identification, he said. A freelance photographer covering the protests for the Associated Press submitted an affidavit that he was beaten with batons and hit with chemical irritants and rubber bullets this week.
The ACLU lawsuit is one of several filed in response to law enforcement actions during the protests. The state of Oregon is seeking an order limiting federal agents’ arrest powers during the demonstrations.
On Wednesday, Mayor Ted Wheeler and hundreds of others were objecting to the presence of federal police sent by Trump, who labeled the demonstrators as “agitators & anarchists” after Wheeler was gassed.
Wheeler, a Democrat, appeared slightly dazed and coughed and said it was the first time he’d been tear-gassed.
He put on a pair of goggles someone handed him and drank water but did not leave his spot at the front of the raging demonstration — with protesters lighting a large fire between protective fencing and the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse amid the pop-pop-pop sounds of the federal agents deploying tear gas and stun grenades into the crowd.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the agents knew that Wheeler, a 57-year-old sixth-generation Oregonian and longtime politician, was in the crowd when they used the tear gas.
Wheeler has opposed the federal agents’ presence but has also faced harsh criticism from the protesters, who yelled and swore at him.
Earlier in the night, Wheeler was mostly jeered by protesters as he tried to rally the demonstrators who have clashed nightly with federal agents. But they briefly applauded when he shouted, “Black Lives Matter!” and pumped his fist in the air.
Trump in his tweet attempted to ridicule Wheeler, calling him the “Radical Left Mayor of Portland, who last night was booed & shouted out of existence by the agitators & anarchists.”
The Justice Department’s inspector general said Thursday it will review the conduct of federal agents who responded to unrest in Portland and in Washington, D.C., after concerns emerged from members of Congress and the public.
City council members accused Wheeler of not reining in police who used tear gas multiple times on protesters before federal agents arrived. And city business leaders have condemned the mayor for not bringing the situation under control before the agents showed up.
Department of Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad Wolf denied that federal agents were inflaming the situation. He told “CBS This Morning” that Wheeler legitimized criminality by going to the front of the crowd of demonstrators where the fires were lit and where people were trying to pull down a security fence.
Wheeler did not participate in lighting any of the fires or attempting to tear down the fence and was surrounded by his security team when he was gassed.
Police said the crowd threw Molotov cocktails, lit fires in a park and in trash cans, and released hundreds of gallons of water from fire hydrants.
Wheeler’s appearance in the protest zone came hours after state attorneys for Oregon urged another judge to issue a restraining order against the federal agents. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s lawsuit accuses federal agents of arresting protesters without probable cause, whisking them away in unmarked cars, and using excessive force. Federal authorities have disputed those allegations.
The hearing in U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman’s court focused on the actions of the more than 100 federal agents responding to protests outside the Portland courthouse.
The state’s motion asks Mosman to command agents from the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Federal Protective Service, and U.S. Marshals Service to immediately stop detaining protesters without probable cause, to identify themselves and their agency before arresting anyone, and to explain why an arrest is taking place.


shareblue--2020-07-27--Senate hopeful Kris Kobach: COVID-19 numbers are 'being cooked' to hurt Trump

Republican Senate candidate Kris Kobach claimed in mid-July that tallies of the number of people who have been died after being infected by the coronavirus are being exaggerated to hurt Donald Trump .
`` I believe that the numbers are being cooked .
The books are being cooked , '' Kobach said on the YouTube program `` National File . ''
Kobach is running for the U.S. Senate in Kansas , where he previously served as secretary of state .
Kobach also served as the vice chair of the Trump administration 's so-called Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myths .
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed over 147,000 Americans and infected over 4 million .
Kobach 's allegations echo other false claims from figures on the right that the numbers of deaths are inflated , claims that have been debunked by fact checkers .
Kobach 's claims are similar to those that Donald Trump has made , which have also appeared in conservative media and fed a false narrative about the pandemic and the response from officials .
From the July 13 edition of `` National File '' : KRIS KOBACH : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening that indicate that they are overstating the positive numbers .
Of course , we 've all heard about hospitals , they will test someone who comes in for a liver problem , or for an auto accident , and they test positive and they are — or people who die of something else , but they 're also COVID-positive , they ’ ll be treated as a COVID death .
And of course , the fact that we have whatever the number is , five times , four times as many tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And so , if you 're testing a greater population , you 're going to see a proportional increase in the number of positive results .
So , I believe that the numbers are being cooked .
The books are being cooked , and the purpose , at least on the political left , is to use those numbers to scare the public and to scare the political leadership into shutting down .
Now , they want to continue the government shutdown for — the business shutdown — with government pressure , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can slow it down by using masks as a signal that things are not back to normal and therefore you should not go out , you should not buy , you should n't open up your business yet — whatever , but the reason is obvious .
We know the political history of this country and that is , regardless of whether it 's a Democrat or Republican president , if that president is seeking a second term in office and the economy is strong , he will win .
Published with @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Republican Senate candidate Kris Kobach claimed in mid-July that tallies of the number of people who have been died after being infected by the coronavirus are being exaggerated to hurt Donald Trump.
“I believe that the numbers are being cooked. The books are being cooked,” Kobach said on the YouTube program “National File.”
Kobach is running for the U.S. Senate in Kansas, where he previously served as secretary of state. Kobach also served as the vice chair of the Trump administration’s so-called Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, attempting and failing to promote voter suppression myths.
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed over 147,000 Americans and infected over 4 million.
Kobach’s allegations echo other false claims from figures on the right that the numbers of deaths are inflated, claims that have been debunked by fact checkers.
Kobach’s claims are similar to those that Donald Trump has made, which have also appeared in conservative media and fed a false narrative about the pandemic and the response from officials.
From the July 13 edition of “National File”:
KRIS KOBACH: There are so many things that are happening that indicate that they are overstating the positive numbers. Of course, we’ve all heard about hospitals, they will test someone who comes in for a liver problem, or for an auto accident, and they test positive and they are — or people who die of something else, but they’re also COVID-positive, they’ll be treated as a COVID death. And of course, the fact that we have whatever the number is, five times, four times as many tests now as we did in March. And so, if you’re testing a greater population, you’re going to see a proportional increase in the number of positive results. So, I believe that the numbers are being cooked. The books are being cooked, and the purpose, at least on the political left, is to use those numbers to scare the public and to scare the political leadership into shutting down. Now, they want to continue the government shutdown for — the business shutdown — with government pressure, for as long as they can. If they can slow it down by using masks as a signal that things are not back to normal and therefore you should not go out, you should not buy, you shouldn’t open up your business yet — whatever, but the reason is obvious. We know the political history of this country and that is, regardless of whether it’s a Democrat or Republican president, if that president is seeking a second term in office and the economy is strong, he will win.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-27--Trump pushes more states to reopen even though none meet White House's criteria

Donald Trump said Monday that more states need to reopen their economies , despite none of them meeting the criteria set forth by the White House to do so safely .
`` I really do believe a lot of the governors should be opening up states that they 're not opening , '' Trump said during a visit to a North Carolina bioprocess innovation center .
`` We 'll see what happens with them . ''
In the spring of this year , the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a set of criteria states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other restrictions .
According to ProPublica , those criteria are based on five metrics : • A decrease in the number of positive tests per 100,000 people , using a seven-day average ; • A decrease in the percentage of positive tests , again using a seven-day average ; • 100 tests administered per 100,000 people per day , using a seven-day average ; • At least 30 % bed availability in hospital ICUs ; and • A decrease in the percentage of hospital visits for flu-like symptoms .
As of Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criteria , per ProPublica data .
A handful of states met four of the five benchmarks .
Trump 's comments come as the states across the country see a surge in coronavirus cases .
Some of the biggest hotspots include Sun Belt states such as Florida , Texas , and Arizona which opened up hastily earlier this year against expert advice .
`` The virus does n't care how badly we want things to return to normal , '' Saskia Popescu , a Phoenix-area epidemiologist , wrote in a Washington Post column on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too fast , it will storm back everywhere . ''
Nationwide , more than 4.2 million have confirmed coronavirus cases , and at least 147,003 people have died .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump said Monday that more states need to reopen their economies, despite none of them meeting the criteria set forth by the White House to do so safely.
“I really do believe a lot of the governors should be opening up states that they’re not opening,” Trump said during a visit to a North Carolina bioprocess innovation center. “We’ll see what happens with them.”
In the spring of this year, the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a set of criteria states should meet before lifting stay-at-home orders and other restrictions.
According to ProPublica, those criteria are based on five metrics:
A decrease in the number of positive tests per 100,000 people, using a seven-day average;
A decrease in the percentage of positive tests, again using a seven-day average;
100 tests administered per 100,000 people per day, using a seven-day average;
At least 30% bed availability in hospital ICUs; and
A decrease in the percentage of hospital visits for flu-like symptoms.
As of Monday, no state had successfully met all five criteria, per ProPublica data. A handful of states met four of the five benchmarks.
Trump’s comments come as the states across the country see a surge in coronavirus cases. Some of the biggest hotspots include Sun Belt states such as Florida, Texas, and Arizona which opened up hastily earlier this year against expert advice.
“The virus doesn’t care how badly we want things to return to normal,” Saskia Popescu, a Phoenix-area epidemiologist, wrote in a Washington Post column on July 16. “If we go too fast, it will storm back everywhere.”
Nationwide, more than 4.2 million have confirmed coronavirus cases, and at least 147,003 people have died.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-27--28 times Trump changed his mind about wearing masks

Donald Trump last week asked all Americans to wear a mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus .
But contrary to a claim by his press secretary that he has been consistent in his messaging about masks , his words and actions regarding them have been all over the place for months .
On Friday , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked why , after months of expert recommendations that people wear face masks in public , Trump had changed his tone and started recommending it .
`` There has been no change , '' McEnany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on March 31 that wearing a mask was harmless and optional , she said that `` the President has been consistent on this .
He wore a mask back at the Ford facility .
He carries it around in his pocket .
He showed it to you multiple times .
He hasn ’ t changed . ''
But in reality , sometimes Trump has suggested face mask use is helpful ; sometimes he 's called it a `` double-edged sword . ''
Sometimes he has dismissed wearing masks as merely `` politically correct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear them only to spite him .
He has bragged about both wearing and not wearing one .
Here is a partial rundown of what he has said and done since the CDC recommended mask use in early April : April 3 : Trump told reporters that despite the `` voluntary '' guidance urging people to wear masks , `` I do n't think that I 'm going to be doing it . ''
He said , `` Somehow , sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk , the great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face mask as I greet presidents , prime ministers , dictators , kings , queens , I do n't know . ''
He added that he might change his mind , but hoped the pandemic would `` pass very quickly . ''
April 24 : Trump encouraged a reporter to take off a face mask to ask a question , saying the person sitting in front of her was `` not worried . ''
April 30 : Trump told reporters he would consider wearing a mask on his upcoming Arizona trip depending on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I 'd have no problem wearing a mask .
I do n't know .
I 'm supposed to make a speech .
I just do n't know : Should I speak in a mask ?
You 're going to have to tell me if that 's politically correct .
I do n't know .
If it is , I 'll speak in a mask . ''
May 5 : Trump did not wear a mask before the cameras during a visit to a Honeywell facility in Arizona that was producing masks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not wear a mask on his trip to Arizona , Trump told reporters he `` had a mask on for a period of time '' earlier , but `` not too long . ''
Asked whether wearing a mask during the public portion of his trip would have sent a better message , Trump responded , `` There is nothing I can do to satisfy the media , the Democrats , or the fake news , and I understand that . ''
May 7 : The Associated Press reported that Trump told advisers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send the wrong message '' as he pushed to quickly reopen the economy , and said he would look ridiculous wearing one in campaign attack ads .
May 11 : Trump told reporters that Americans had `` learned about face masks — the good and the bad , by the way .
It 's not a one-sided thing , believe it or not . ''
May 15 : Trump demanded a reporter remove their mask to ask him a question , saying , `` You 're going to have to remove it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
May 21 : Trump told reporters prior to a visit to a Michigan Ford plant that he did not know if he 'd wear a mask because he wanted the country to go `` back to normal '' and to `` normalize '' things .
After opting not to wear a mask in public during the visit , he told reporters he had worn one `` in this back area '' but `` did n't want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it . ''
May 25 : After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commemorations , Trump retweeted a comment made by Fox News contributor Brit Hume mocking Joe Biden 's appearance in one .
May 26 : Trump asked a reporter to remove his mask while asking a question , responding when the reporter said he 'd speak louder instead , `` Oh okay , you want to be politically correct . ''
May 29 : Trump reportedly asked North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper to allow the Republican National Convention to go on without social distancing or mask requirements .
June 5 : After Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factory in Maine , the company said it would discard all of the swabs made during his visit .
June 17 : Trump told the Wall Street Journal , `` Masks are a double-edge sword .
People touch them .
And they grab them and I see it all the time .
They come in , they take the mask .
Now they 're holding it now in their fingers .
And they drop it on the desk and then they touch their eye and they touch their nose . ''
Asked if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of him , Trump answered , `` It could be , yeah .
It could be . ''
June 19 : Trump told Axios as well that masks are `` a double-edged sword . ''
Asked if he would recommend them at his upcoming rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , he answered , `` I recommend people do what they want , '' adding , `` If people want to wear masks I think that 's great .
I wo n't be .
Not as a protest but I do n't feel that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 : Trump bragged on Fox Business News that he had liked the way he looked in a mask .
`` I thought it was OK .
It was a dark black mask , and I thought it looked OK .
Looked like the Lone Ranger .
But , no , I have no problem with that .
I think — and if people feel good about it , they should do it , '' he said .
July 9 : Trump said in a Fox News interview that he did n't need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested , but that he 'd wear one in a hospital .
He then mocked Joe Biden 's mask use , saying that `` he feels it 's good .
And I 'm OK with it , if he wants to do that .
He 's got the largest mask I think I have ever seen .
It covers up a big proportion of his face . ''
July 11 : Trump was photographed wearing a mask on a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda , Maryland .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but I do believe they have a time and a place , '' he told reporters .
July 14 : Asked by CBS News if he would tell Americans to wear a mask , Trump replied , `` I would have no problem with that , but what I really do is , I will say follow the guidelines because the guidelines say exactly that .
The guidelines did n't used to say that .
And by the way , governors did n't used to say that .
You know , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' July 15 : Trump did not wear a mask during an appearance at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta , ignoring city requirements .
The White House later falsely said that Trump was following CDC recommendations .
July 19 : Trump told Fox News he opposed a national mask mandate , saying , `` I want people to have a certain freedom , and I do n't believe in that .
No , and I do n't agree with the statement that if everybody wore a mask everything disappears . ''
He claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' but added , `` I 'm a believer in masks .
I think masks are good . ''
July 20 : Trump tweeted a photo of himself wearing a mask at Walter Reed , used a racist term to describe the coronavirus , and bragged that `` many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you ca n't socially distance .
There is nobody more Patriotic than me , your favorite President ! ''
July 20 : Trump appeared at a campaign fundraiser at his hotel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his tweet .
July 21 : Trump said at a press briefing , `` America 's youth will act responsibly , and we 're asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance , wear a mask , get a mask .
Whether you like the mask or not , they have an impact .
They 'll have an effect .
And we need everything we can get . ''
July 22 : Trump told Fox News that while he `` felt very comfortable wearing the mask '' during his visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` feel comfortable '' wearing them `` in other settings . ''
Still , he urged others to wear them : `` My attitude is , it probably helps .
Give it a shot , because we have to win this thing .
So , it 's not a question of pride .
It 's not a question of anything .
We have to win this .
So , when you 're in a certain situation , I think you should wear a mask . ''
July 23 : At a press briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask all Americans to exercise vigilance , practice social distancing , wear a mask , do whatever is necessary so we get rid of this horrible situation — this horrible disease that was sent to us by China . ''
July 23 : Trump said on Fox News that , despite early expert advice not to wear masks , `` all of a sudden , it was a big thing to get masks because I 'm all for it .
Look , whatever is going to help , if it was a five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wear it .
And I will wear it .
I wore it at Walter Reed Hospital the other day . ''
July 25 : The White House released a photo of Trump inches from retired football player Brett Favre .
Neither was wearing a mask .
Dr. Robert Redfield , the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appointed by Trump , said earlier this month that face coverings could be a huge part of curbing the spread of the virus .
`` If all of us would put on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four weeks , six weeks , we could drive this epidemic to the ground , '' he told reporters .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump last week asked all Americans to wear a mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. But contrary to a claim by his press secretary that he has been consistent in his messaging about masks, his words and actions regarding them have been all over the place for months.
On Friday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked why, after months of expert recommendations that people wear face masks in public, Trump had changed his tone and started recommending it.
“There has been no change,” McEnany claimed. Noting that he had said on March 31 that wearing a mask was harmless and optional, she said that “the President has been consistent on this. He wore a mask back at the Ford facility. He carries it around in his pocket. He showed it to you multiple times. He hasn’t changed.”
But in reality, sometimes Trump has suggested face mask use is helpful; sometimes he’s called it a “double-edged sword.” Sometimes he has dismissed wearing masks as merely “politically correct.” Once he suggested people may wear them only to spite him. He has bragged about both wearing and not wearing one.
Here is a partial rundown of what he has said and done since the CDC recommended mask use in early April:
April 3: Trump told reporters that despite the “voluntary” guidance urging people to wear masks, “I don’t think that I’m going to be doing it.” He said, “Somehow, sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk, the great Resolute Desk, I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens, I don’t know.” He added that he might change his mind, but hoped the pandemic would “pass very quickly.”
April 24: Trump encouraged a reporter to take off a face mask to ask a question, saying the person sitting in front of her was “not worried.”
April 30: Trump told reporters he would consider wearing a mask on his upcoming Arizona trip depending on the “climate,” saying, “I’d have no problem wearing a mask. I don’t know. I’m supposed to make a speech. I just don’t know: Should I speak in a mask? You’re going to have to tell me if that’s politically correct. I don’t know. If it is, I’ll speak in a mask.”
May 5: Trump did not wear a mask before the cameras during a visit to a Honeywell facility in Arizona that was producing masks.
May 6: Asked why he did not wear a mask on his trip to Arizona, Trump told reporters he “had a mask on for a period of time” earlier, but “not too long.” Asked whether wearing a mask during the public portion of his trip would have sent a better message, Trump responded, “There is nothing I can do to satisfy the media, the Democrats, or the fake news, and I understand that.”
May 7: The Associated Press reported that Trump told advisers wearing a mask in public would “send the wrong message” as he pushed to quickly reopen the economy, and said he would look ridiculous wearing one in campaign attack ads.
May 11: Trump told reporters that Americans had “learned about face masks — the good and the bad, by the way. It’s not a one-sided thing, believe it or not.”
May 15: Trump demanded a reporter remove their mask to ask him a question, saying, “You’re going to have to remove it. You can’t hear through your mask.”
May 21: Trump told reporters prior to a visit to a Michigan Ford plant that he did not know if he’d wear a mask because he wanted the country to go “back to normal” and to “normalize” things. After opting not to wear a mask in public during the visit, he told reporters he had worn one “in this back area” but “didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”
May 25: After not wearing a mask during Memorial Day commemorations, Trump retweeted a comment made by Fox News contributor Brit Hume mocking Joe Biden’s appearance in one.
May 26: Trump asked a reporter to remove his mask while asking a question, responding when the reporter said he’d speak louder instead, “Oh okay, you want to be politically correct.”
May 29: Trump reportedly asked North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper to allow the Republican National Convention to go on without social distancing or mask requirements.
June 5: After Trump’s maskless tour of a coronavirus swab factory in Maine, the company said it would discard all of the swabs made during his visit.
June 17: Trump told the Wall Street Journal, “Masks are a double-edge sword. People touch them. And they grab them and I see it all the time. They come in, they take the mask. Now they’re holding it now in their fingers. And they drop it on the desk and then they touch their eye and they touch their nose.” Asked if Americans wear masks to show their disapproval of him, Trump answered, “It could be, yeah. It could be.”
June 19: Trump told Axios as well that masks are “a double-edged sword.” Asked if he would recommend them at his upcoming rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he answered, “I recommend people do what they want,” adding, “If people want to wear masks I think that’s great. I won’t be. Not as a protest but I don’t feel that I’m in danger.”
July 1: Trump bragged on Fox Business News that he had liked the way he looked in a mask. “I thought it was OK. It was a dark black mask, and I thought it looked OK. Looked like the Lone Ranger. But, no, I have no problem with that. I think — and if people feel good about it, they should do it,” he said.
July 9: Trump said in a Fox News interview that he didn’t need a mask because everyone around him is tested, but that he’d wear one in a hospital. He then mocked Joe Biden’s mask use, saying that “he feels it’s good. And I’m OK with it, if he wants to do that. He’s got the largest mask I think I have ever seen. It covers up a big proportion of his face.”
July 11: Trump was photographed wearing a mask on a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. “I’ve never been against masks, but I do believe they have a time and a place,” he told reporters.
July 14: Asked by CBS News if he would tell Americans to wear a mask, Trump replied, “I would have no problem with that, but what I really do is, I will say follow the guidelines because the guidelines say exactly that. The guidelines didn’t used to say that. And by the way, governors didn’t used to say that. You know, we’re running a really amazing operation.”
July 15: Trump did not wear a mask during an appearance at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, ignoring city requirements. The White House later falsely said that Trump was following CDC recommendations.
July 19: Trump told Fox News he opposed a national mask mandate, saying, “I want people to have a certain freedom, and I don’t believe in that. No, and I don’t agree with the statement that if everybody wore a mask everything disappears.” He claimed that “masks cause problems, too,” but added, “I’m a believer in masks. I think masks are good.”
July 20: Trump tweeted a photo of himself wearing a mask at Walter Reed, used a racist term to describe the coronavirus, and bragged that “many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!”
July 20: Trump appeared at a campaign fundraiser at his hotel with no mask, just hours after his tweet.
July 21: Trump said at a press briefing, “America’s youth will act responsibly, and we’re asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask, get a mask. Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact. They’ll have an effect. And we need everything we can get.”
July 22: Trump told Fox News that while he “felt very comfortable wearing the mask” during his visit to Walter Reed, he did not “feel comfortable” wearing them “in other settings.” Still, he urged others to wear them: “My attitude is, it probably helps. Give it a shot, because we have to win this thing. So, it’s not a question of pride. It’s not a question of anything. We have to win this. So, when you’re in a certain situation, I think you should wear a mask.”
July 23: At a press briefing, Trump said, “And we ask all Americans to exercise vigilance, practice social distancing, wear a mask, do whatever is necessary so we get rid of this horrible situation — this horrible disease that was sent to us by China.”
July 23: Trump said on Fox News that, despite early expert advice not to wear masks, “all of a sudden, it was a big thing to get masks because I’m all for it. Look, whatever is going to help, if it was a five percent chance, a two percent chance, wear it. And I will wear it. I wore it at Walter Reed Hospital the other day.”
July 25: The White House released a photo of Trump inches from retired football player Brett Favre. Neither was wearing a mask.
Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appointed by Trump, said earlier this month that face coverings could be a huge part of curbing the spread of the virus. “If all of us would put on a face covering now for the next four weeks, six weeks, we could drive this epidemic to the ground,” he told reporters.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-27--White House: Relief bill to include more tax breaks for 'meals and entertainment'

Larry Kudlow , Donald Trump 's top economic adviser , previewed some of the provisions in the GOP 's soon-to-be-released coronavirus relief package during an interview with Fox Business on Monday , saying that aside from scaling back unemployment payments to laid-off workers , Republicans also want to give more tax breaks to businesses .
`` There will be increased business deductions for meals and entertainment , '' Kudlow , the director of the National Economic Council , said .
Trump has been pushing for giving businesses greater ability to deduct meal and entertainment costs for months , saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industries .
Before Republicans passed their tax cut in 2017 , business owners could fully deduct the cost of a meal if that meal was related to conducting business — wining and dining a prospective client , for example .
However , in the updated tax law , Republicans cut that deduction in half , allowing businesses to deduct just 50 % of the cost of those meals .
Even more , the tax law cut the ability for businesses to deduct entertainment expenses , such as taking a client to a professional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , those entertainment expenses were 50 % deductible .
`` We 're going to go to deductibility so that companies can send people to restaurants .
I think it 'll have a tremendous impact and maybe keep them open , '' Trump said on March 29 .
Trump brought up the proposal again in May at a roundtable with business leaders .
`` Restore the restaurant deduction to help jobless restaurant workers , '' Trump said .
`` So if a company pays or somebody pays , they get a deduction .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of business .
I think you 're going to have to open a lot of additional restaurants in this country .
I think it 's , frankly , more important than even the other things we ’ re talking about . ''
Experts , however , say restoring this tax deduction wo n't help the flailing economy , where 11.1 % of workers remain unemployed and with long-term unemployment growing .
Not to mention , restaurants are still under heavy restrictions , as indoor dining has been found to help spread the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meal deduction been a favorite tool for tax avoidance and thus dubious tax policy , but restoring it now seems especially pointless , '' Howard Gleckman , a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center , wrote in a May 7 post about Trump calling for the restoration of the deduction .
Gleckman said that while the restaurant industry could use help , the tax deduction wo n't incentivize business people to go out to eat when a pandemic is raging .
`` Would you be any more likely to host a business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full cost , rather than half ?
Would anyone attend ?
Seems unlikely , '' he wrote .
Meanwhile , the Senate GOP coronavirus bill Kudlow was previewing also slashes an added unemployment insurance payment laid-off workers have been receiving by two-thirds — from $ 600 per week to $ 200 per week .
Economists say those payments have been critical to keeping the economy from experiencing even worse damage , as it helps Americans continue buying consumer goods to keep the economy humming .
Without that cash , laid-off workers will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be unable to pay for basic necessities such as rent , mortgage payments , or putting food on the table .
An Economic Policy Institute study found that cutting the benefit to $ 200 per week would lead to 3.4 million job losses .
`` The big constraint on economic growth right now is the spread of the coronavirus .
If we allow the $ 600 supplement to lapse , another huge constraint on growth will be imposed — collapsing incomes for the tens of millions of U.S. families that had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' EPI 's Josh Bivens wrote .
The bill Congress passed in March creating the payments included a July 31 expiration .
House Democrats passed another bill in May that would extend the $ 600 weekly unemployment payments through the rest of the year .
But Senate Republicans refused to take the Democratic bill up , dragging their feet so long that the payments have now expired .
`` It is simply unacceptable that Republicans have had this entire time to reach consensus among themselves and continue to flail , '' House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chuck Schumer wrote in a joint statement on Friday .
`` Time is of the essence and lives are being lost . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Larry Kudlow, Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, previewed some of the provisions in the GOP’s soon-to-be-released coronavirus relief package during an interview with Fox Business on Monday, saying that aside from scaling back unemployment payments to laid-off workers, Republicans also want to give more tax breaks to businesses.
“There will be increased business deductions for meals and entertainment,” Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council, said.
Trump has been pushing for giving businesses greater ability to deduct meal and entertainment costs for months, saying it’s a possible way to help struggling industries.
Before Republicans passed their tax cut in 2017, business owners could fully deduct the cost of a meal if that meal was related to conducting business — wining and dining a prospective client, for example. However, in the updated tax law, Republicans cut that deduction in half, allowing businesses to deduct just 50% of the cost of those meals.
Even more, the tax law cut the ability for businesses to deduct entertainment expenses, such as taking a client to a professional sporting event. Before the tax law, those entertainment expenses were 50% deductible.
“We’re going to go to deductibility so that companies can send people to restaurants. I think it’ll have a tremendous impact and maybe keep them open,” Trump said on March 29.
Trump brought up the proposal again in May at a roundtable with business leaders.
“Restore the restaurant deduction to help jobless restaurant workers,” Trump said. “So if a company pays or somebody pays, they get a deduction. That’s going to create a tremendous amount of business. I think you’re going to have to open a lot of additional restaurants in this country. I think it’s, frankly, more important than even the other things we’re talking about.”
Experts, however, say restoring this tax deduction won’t help the flailing economy, where 11.1% of workers remain unemployed and with long-term unemployment growing. Not to mention, restaurants are still under heavy restrictions, as indoor dining has been found to help spread the virus.
“Not only has the business meal deduction been a favorite tool for tax avoidance and thus dubious tax policy, but restoring it now seems especially pointless,” Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center, wrote in a May 7 post about Trump calling for the restoration of the deduction.
Gleckman said that while the restaurant industry could use help, the tax deduction won’t incentivize business people to go out to eat when a pandemic is raging.
“Would you be any more likely to host a business dinner tonight if you could deduct the full cost, rather than half? Would anyone attend? Seems unlikely,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, the Senate GOP coronavirus bill Kudlow was previewing also slashes an added unemployment insurance payment laid-off workers have been receiving by two-thirds — from $600 per week to $200 per week.
Economists say those payments have been critical to keeping the economy from experiencing even worse damage, as it helps Americans continue buying consumer goods to keep the economy humming. Without that cash, laid-off workers will not only have less disposable income, but may be unable to pay for basic necessities such as rent, mortgage payments, or putting food on the table.
An Economic Policy Institute study found that cutting the benefit to $200 per week would lead to 3.4 million job losses.
“The big constraint on economic growth right now is the spread of the coronavirus. If we allow the $600 supplement to lapse, another huge constraint on growth will be imposed — collapsing incomes for the tens of millions of U.S. families that had to rely on these benefits in recent months,” EPI’s Josh Bivens wrote.
The bill Congress passed in March creating the payments included a July 31 expiration. House Democrats passed another bill in May that would extend the $600 weekly unemployment payments through the rest of the year. But Senate Republicans refused to take the Democratic bill up, dragging their feet so long that the payments have now expired.
“It is simply unacceptable that Republicans have had this entire time to reach consensus among themselves and continue to flail,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a joint statement on Friday. “Time is of the essence and lives are being lost.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-27--Major League Baseball's coronavirus outbreak highlights challenges of reopening

A coronavirus outbreak in Major League Baseball is threatening to end the baseball season less than a week after opening day — highlighting just how challenging it is to get back to life as normal in the midst of a pandemic .
A total of 14 players and staff members from the Miami Marlins tested positive for the coronavirus after their first series of the year with the Philadelphia Phillies .
That outbreak has canceled the Marlins ' scheduled game with the Baltimore Orioles Monday night , as well as the Phillies ' scheduled Monday night game with the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ league implemented numerous policies to prevent the spread of the virus , including social distancing guidelines , testing multiple times a week , and screening for symptoms daily .
Major League Baseball 's outbreak comes as Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers are demanding schools reopen this fall .
However , schools do n't have nearly the resources that baseball does to implement the same kind of rules .
Nor do they have access to testing where results come back quickly — raising questions about how schools , along with high school and college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ron DeSantis , a Republican , said schools should resume so that high school football can be played , even though his state is experiencing one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the country .
`` The teachers that are mentors , the coaches — what about having football season ?
Things like that .
We 've got a lot of young kids who , this is their ticket to be able to go to college through athletics .
What happens to all those dreams , and all those hopes , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the press on July 14 .
And on Monday , the same day the news broke about the Marlins , Sen. Marco Rubio ( R-FL ) wrote an op-ed in USA Today about the need to resume high school and college sports in the fall .
`` The question is n't whether we need sports this fall — we do , '' Rubio wrote .
`` It 's how we can make them safe , and states like Florida must allow local flexibility , which is critical and necessary for a safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country are announcing plans to resume school virtually in the fall .
Many schools say they simply do not have the space to properly social distance and make class sizes smaller , nor the financial resources to implement the public health guidelines necessary for a safe reopening .
Already , polls show parents do not think it 's safe to send children back to school in the fall .
And it 's unlikely that news of Major League Baseball 's inability to contain the virus will make parents shed that fear in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin reopening .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A coronavirus outbreak in Major League Baseball is threatening to end the baseball season less than a week after opening day — highlighting just how challenging it is to get back to life as normal in the midst of a pandemic.
A total of 14 players and staff members from the Miami Marlins tested positive for the coronavirus after their first series of the year with the Philadelphia Phillies. That outbreak has canceled the Marlins’ scheduled game with the Baltimore Orioles Monday night, as well as the Phillies’ scheduled Monday night game with the New York Yankees.
It comes after the league implemented numerous policies to prevent the spread of the virus, including social distancing guidelines, testing multiple times a week, and screening for symptoms daily.
Major League Baseball’s outbreak comes as Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers are demanding schools reopen this fall. However, schools don’t have nearly the resources that baseball does to implement the same kind of rules. Nor do they have access to testing where results come back quickly — raising questions about how schools, along with high school and college sports, can resume.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said schools should resume so that high school football can be played, even though his state is experiencing one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the country.
“The teachers that are mentors, the coaches — what about having football season? Things like that. We’ve got a lot of young kids who, this is their ticket to be able to go to college through athletics. What happens to all those dreams, and all those hopes, and all those aspirations?” DeSantis said to the press on July 14.
And on Monday, the same day the news broke about the Marlins, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) wrote an op-ed in USA Today about the need to resume high school and college sports in the fall.
“The question isn’t whether we need sports this fall — we do,” Rubio wrote. “It’s how we can make them safe, and states like Florida must allow local flexibility, which is critical and necessary for a safe restart.”
Ultimately, schools across the country are announcing plans to resume school virtually in the fall. Many schools say they simply do not have the space to properly social distance and make class sizes smaller, nor the financial resources to implement the public health guidelines necessary for a safe reopening.
Already, polls show parents do not think it’s safe to send children back to school in the fall. And it’s unlikely that news of Major League Baseball’s inability to contain the virus will make parents shed that fear in a few weeks when schools are scheduled to begin reopening.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-27--Fact check: Trump spent the week lying about kids' safety, veterans, and virus deaths

Donald Trump in recent days suddenly acknowledged the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic and edged away from some of his most audacious falsehoods about it .
That 's not to say he gave the public an honest accounting .
Trump minimized the potential risk to children and those around them as he advocated reopening schools .
He again marveled at the number of coronavirus tests being performed in the United States even as the overwhelmed testing system crucially fails to deliver sufficient access and timely results .
And he cited a low U.S. death rate from COVID-19 compared with other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contradict him .
Meanwhile Trump canceled Republican National Convention events in Jacksonville , Florida , bowing to the reality that many Republicans were reluctant to go a state where the virus has been out of control .
And his press secretary peddled false internet rumors that `` cancel culture '' led to the cancellation of a cartoon about puppies .
A review of some statements from the past week : TRUMP , on the United States approaching 50 million tests : `` This allows us to isolate those who are infected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know exactly where it 's going and when it 's going to be there . ''
— briefing Tuesday .
THE FACTS : This is by no means true .
In many if not most parts of the country , people who manage to get a test can wait for many days for the results because labs are overwhelmed .
In the meantime , those people could be and in some cases surely are spreading infection .
And many people who want a test but report no symptoms ca n't get one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus results because of the crushing workload from the surge of new cases .
`` There 's been this obsession with , 'How many tests are we doing per day ? '
'' said Dr. Tom Frieden , former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
`` The question is , how many tests are being done with results coming back within a day , where the individual tested is promptly isolated and their contacts are promptly warned ? ''
TRUMP on young people and the virus : `` Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; they do n't bring it home easily .
And if they do catch it , they get better fast .
We 're looking at that fact . ''
— briefing Wednesday .
THE FACTS : That is n't a fact .
He does n't have the science to reach this broad conclusion .
His coronavirus task force coordinator , Dr. Deborah Birx , and other public health officials have said repeatedly that while children appear to get less sick from the virus than adults , the threat to young people and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood because not enough research has been done on kids and the coronavirus .
Birx underscored the point Friday on NBC 's `` Today '' show .
Whether children under 10 spread the virus the same as older children `` is still an open question , '' she said .
`` We know that children under 18 are less sick , but there are some that suffer terrible consequences if they have underlying conditions , '' she added .
`` Children under 10 do get infected .
It 's just unclear how rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been pushing for schools to reopen and at one point threatened to withhold federal money if they do n't .
While his assurances about children were unsupported , they were a step back from his earlier rhetoric that portrayed kids as practically immune to infection .
`` It 's very unique how the children are n't affected , '' he said in early May .
`` Incredible . ''
TRUMP on the United States and other countries in the pandemic : `` We 've done much better than most .
And with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than most , it 's something that we can talk about , but we 're working , again , with them because we 're helping a lot of countries that people do n't even know about . ''
— briefing Tuesday .
THE FACTS : No , the United States does not shine in comparison with other countries .
The United States has experienced far more recorded infections and deaths from coronavirus than any other country , including those with larger populations , and it lags a number of other nations in testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edged away from claiming that the U.S. mortality rate is the world 's best after being confronted on that point in his Fox News interview a week ago with Chris Wallace .
His more modest boasts since , though , also are not correct .
Understanding deaths as a percentage of the population or as a percentage of known infections is problematic because countries track and report COVID-19 deaths and cases differently .
No one can reliably rank countries in this regard .
The statistics that do exist fail to support his assertion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries currently most affected by the pandemic , the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center finds the United States with the fourth worst rate of deaths per 100,000 people — only Britain , Peru , and Chile are seeing more reported deaths as a proportion of their populations .
On another measure , looking at what percentage of reported cases lead to death , the United States is in the middle of that pack , with a case-fatality ratio of 3.6 % Looking at deaths among all countries , not just the ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , the United States fares somewhat better but is still not among the best .
Its recorded 44 deaths per 100,000 compares favorably with Britain ( 68.6 per 100,000 ) as well as Spain ( 60.8 ) , Italy ( 58 ) , and Sweden ( 55.7 ) , for example , but poorly with Canada ( 24 ) , Brazil ( 40 ) , Mexico ( 33 ) , and dozens more countries .
Disparities in reporting are only one reason not to take these numbers conclusively .
Many factors are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ besides how well a country responded to the pandemic , such as the overall health or youth of national populations .
KAYLEIGH McENANY , White House press secretary , on Trump : `` He 's also appalled by cancel culture , and cancel culture specifically as it pertains to cops .
We saw a few weeks ago , 'Paw Patrol , ' a cartoon show about cops was canceled . ''
— briefing Friday .
THE FACTS : No , `` Paw Patrol '' was not canceled .
Fake rumors online said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cops .
It 's a cartoon about puppies .
The lead puppy is a cop .
There 's a firefighter puppy , too .
McENANY , when asked about Trump 's change in tone this past week in urging people to wear masks : `` There has been no change .
...
The president has been consistent on this . ''
-- news briefing Friday .
THE FACTS : Trump 's messaging has been inconsistent , to say the least .
Trump from the beginning has made clear that wearing masks is voluntary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He frequently ridiculed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for wearing a mask in public .
In May , when a reporter declined to pull down his mask to ask a question at a news briefing so Trump could hear better , the president mocked him by saying , `` OK , because you want to be politically correct . ''
And Trump told the Wall Street Journal last month that some people may wear them as a political statement against him .
`` People touch them , '' he said .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the time .
They come in , they take the mask .
Now they 're holding it now in their fingers .
And they drop it on the desk and then they touch their eye and they touch their nose .
No , I think a mask is a — it 's a double-edged sword . ''
On Monday last week , as his poll ratings on the handling of the coronavirus have fallen , Trump tweeted a photo of himself wearing a mask and called it an act of patriotism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Trump International Hotel in apparent defiance of D.C. coronavirus regulations , according to video footage of the event .
`` We 're asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance , wear a mask , get a mask , '' Trump said Tuesday at his first appearance at a coronavirus briefing since April .
`` Whether you like the mask or not , they have an impact . ''
TRUMP : `` You know , one day , we had a virus come in , and I closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things that were very good .
... And nobody wanted to do it .
I wanted to do it .
We closed the border to China .
We put on the ban .
We did n't want people coming in from heavily infected China . ''
— briefing Tuesday .
THE FACTS : He did n't ban travel from China .
He restricted it .
Dozens of countries took similar steps to control travel from hot spots before or around the same time the United States did .
The U.S. restrictions that took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the United States from China 's Hong Kong and Macao territories over the past five months .
The Associated Press reported that more than 8,000 Chinese and foreign nationals based in those territories entered the United States in the first three months after the travel restrictions were imposed .
Additionally , more than 27,000 Americans returned from mainland China in the first month after the restrictions took effect .
U.S. officials lost track of more than 1,600 of them who were supposed to be monitored for virus exposure .
TRUMP : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Choice .
Nobody thought that would be possible .
That 's been many decades .
They 've been trying to get Veterans Choice .
It 's called 'Choice , ' where they can go get a doctor if they have to wait on line for two weeks or five weeks or two days . ''
— briefing Tuesday .
THE FACTS : It 's false that he achieved Veterans Choice when other presidents could n't .
President Barack Obama achieved it .
Trump expanded it .
It has not eliminated delays for care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` two weeks '' or `` two days . ''
The program allows veterans to see a private doctor for primary or mental health care at public expense if their VA wait is 20 days ( 28 for specialty care ) or their drive to a VA facility is 30 minutes or more .
After the coronavirus outbreak , the VA took the step of restricting veterans ' access to private doctors , citing the added risks of infection and limited capacity at private hospitals .
TRUMP on the pandemic : `` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets better . ''
— briefing Tuesday .
THE FACTS : A rare departure from his bullish accounts of progress against the virus and , by all indications , true .

Donald Trump in recent days suddenly acknowledged the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic and edged away from some of his most audacious falsehoods about it. That’s not to say he gave the public an honest accounting.
Trump minimized the potential risk to children and those around them as he advocated reopening schools. He again marveled at the number of coronavirus tests being performed in the United States even as the overwhelmed testing system crucially fails to deliver sufficient access and timely results.
And he cited a low U.S. death rate from COVID-19 compared with other countries, when the global statistics appear to contradict him.
Meanwhile Trump canceled Republican National Convention events in Jacksonville, Florida, bowing to the reality that many Republicans were reluctant to go a state where the virus has been out of control.
And his press secretary peddled false internet rumors that “cancel culture” led to the cancellation of a cartoon about puppies.
A review of some statements from the past week:
TESTS
TRUMP, on the United States approaching 50 million tests: “This allows us to isolate those who are infected, even those without symptoms. So we know exactly where it’s going and when it’s going to be there.” — briefing Tuesday.
THE FACTS: This is by no means true.
In many if not most parts of the country, people who manage to get a test can wait for many days for the results because labs are overwhelmed. In the meantime, those people could be and in some cases surely are spreading infection. And many people who want a test but report no symptoms can’t get one.
Some labs are taking weeks to return coronavirus results because of the crushing workload from the surge of new cases.
“There’s been this obsession with, ‘How many tests are we doing per day?'” said Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The question is, how many tests are being done with results coming back within a day, where the individual tested is promptly isolated and their contacts are promptly warned?”
___
KIDS and COVID-19
TRUMP on young people and the virus: “Now, they don’t catch it easily; they don’t bring it home easily. And if they do catch it, they get better fast. We’re looking at that fact.” — briefing Wednesday.
THE FACTS: That isn’t a fact. He doesn’t have the science to reach this broad conclusion.
His coronavirus task force coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, and other public health officials have said repeatedly that while children appear to get less sick from the virus than adults, the threat to young people and their ability to spread the it are not understood because not enough research has been done on kids and the coronavirus.
Birx underscored the point Friday on NBC’s “Today” show. Whether children under 10 spread the virus the same as older children “is still an open question,” she said.
“We know that children under 18 are less sick, but there are some that suffer terrible consequences if they have underlying conditions,” she added. “Children under 10 do get infected. It’s just unclear how rapidly they spread the virus.”
Trump has been pushing for schools to reopen and at one point threatened to withhold federal money if they don’t.
While his assurances about children were unsupported, they were a step back from his earlier rhetoric that portrayed kids as practically immune to infection. “It’s very unique how the children aren’t affected,” he said in early May. “Incredible.”
___
U.S. DEATHS
TRUMP on the United States and other countries in the pandemic: “We’ve done much better than most. And with the fatality rate at a lower rate than most, it’s something that we can talk about, but we’re working, again, with them because we’re helping a lot of countries that people don’t even know about.” — briefing Tuesday.
THE FACTS: No, the United States does not shine in comparison with other countries. The United States has experienced far more recorded infections and deaths from coronavirus than any other country, including those with larger populations, and it lags a number of other nations in testing and containment.
Trump seems to have edged away from claiming that the U.S. mortality rate is the world’s best after being confronted on that point in his Fox News interview a week ago with Chris Wallace. His more modest boasts since, though, also are not correct.
Understanding deaths as a percentage of the population or as a percentage of known infections is problematic because countries track and report COVID-19 deaths and cases differently. No one can reliably rank countries in this regard.
The statistics that do exist fail to support his assertion.
In an analysis of the 20 countries currently most affected by the pandemic, the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center finds the United States with the fourth worst rate of deaths per 100,000 people — only Britain, Peru, and Chile are seeing more reported deaths as a proportion of their populations.
On another measure, looking at what percentage of reported cases lead to death, the United States is in the middle of that pack, with a case-fatality ratio of 3.6%
Looking at deaths among all countries, not just the ones most suffering at this stage of the pandemic, the United States fares somewhat better but is still not among the best. Its recorded 44 deaths per 100,000 compares favorably with Britain (68.6 per 100,000) as well as Spain (60.8), Italy (58), and Sweden (55.7), for example, but poorly with Canada (24), Brazil (40), Mexico (33), and dozens more countries.
Disparities in reporting are only one reason not to take these numbers conclusively. Many factors are in play in shaping a death toll besides how well a country responded to the pandemic, such as the overall health or youth of national populations.
___
“CANCEL CULTURE”
KAYLEIGH McENANY, White House press secretary, on Trump: “He’s also appalled by cancel culture, and cancel culture specifically as it pertains to cops. We saw a few weeks ago, ‘Paw Patrol,’ a cartoon show about cops was canceled.” — briefing Friday.
THE FACTS: No, “Paw Patrol” was not canceled. Fake rumors online said it was. And it’s not about cops. It’s a cartoon about puppies. The lead puppy is a cop. There’s a firefighter puppy, too.
___
MASKS
McENANY, when asked about Trump’s change in tone this past week in urging people to wear masks: “There has been no change. … The president has been consistent on this.” — news briefing Friday.
THE FACTS: Trump’s messaging has been inconsistent, to say the least.
Trump from the beginning has made clear that wearing masks is voluntary and shunned wearing one in public. He frequently ridiculed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for wearing a mask in public.
In May, when a reporter declined to pull down his mask to ask a question at a news briefing so Trump could hear better, the president mocked him by saying, “OK, because you want to be politically correct.”
And Trump told the Wall Street Journal last month that some people may wear them as a political statement against him.
“People touch them,” he said. “And they grab them and I see it all the time. They come in, they take the mask. Now they’re holding it now in their fingers. And they drop it on the desk and then they touch their eye and they touch their nose. No, I think a mask is a — it’s a double-edged sword.”
On Monday last week, as his poll ratings on the handling of the coronavirus have fallen, Trump tweeted a photo of himself wearing a mask and called it an act of patriotism.
That evening, he was seen maskless at the Trump International Hotel in apparent defiance of D.C. coronavirus regulations, according to video footage of the event.
“We’re asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask, get a mask,” Trump said Tuesday at his first appearance at a coronavirus briefing since April. “Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact.”
___
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
TRUMP: “You know, one day, we had a virus come in, and I closed the borders, did a lot of things that were very good. … And nobody wanted to do it. I wanted to do it. We closed the border to China. We put on the ban. We didn’t want people coming in from heavily infected China.” — briefing Tuesday.
THE FACTS: He didn’t ban travel from China. He restricted it. Dozens of countries took similar steps to control travel from hot spots before or around the same time the United States did.
The U.S. restrictions that took effect Feb. 2 continued to allow travel to the United States from China’s Hong Kong and Macao territories over the past five months. The Associated Press reported that more than 8,000 Chinese and foreign nationals based in those territories entered the United States in the first three months after the travel restrictions were imposed.
Additionally, more than 27,000 Americans returned from mainland China in the first month after the restrictions took effect. U.S. officials lost track of more than 1,600 of them who were supposed to be monitored for virus exposure.
___
VETERANS
TRUMP: “On the VA, we got Veterans Choice. Nobody thought that would be possible. That’s been many decades. They’ve been trying to get Veterans Choice. It’s called ‘Choice,’ where they can go get a doctor if they have to wait on line for two weeks or five weeks or two days.” — briefing Tuesday.
THE FACTS: It’s false that he achieved Veterans Choice when other presidents couldn’t. President Barack Obama achieved it. Trump expanded it. It has not eliminated delays for care, including for those with waits of “two weeks” or “two days.”
The program allows veterans to see a private doctor for primary or mental health care at public expense if their VA wait is 20 days (28 for specialty care) or their drive to a VA facility is 30 minutes or more. After the coronavirus outbreak, the VA took the step of restricting veterans’ access to private doctors, citing the added risks of infection and limited capacity at private hospitals.
___
REALITY CHECK
TRUMP on the pandemic: “It will probably unfortunately get worse before it gets better.” — briefing Tuesday.
THE FACTS: A rare departure from his bullish accounts of progress against the virus and, by all indications, true.


shareblue--2020-07-27--Trump says he's too busy to throw out first pitch after weekend of golfing

Donald Trump claimed Sunday that he would no longer throw out the first pitch at a New York Yankees game next month because he was too busy dealing with the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump made the statement after spending the weekend golfing at his New Jersey resort .
`` Because of my strong focus on the China Virus , including scheduled meetings on Vaccines , our economy and much else , I wo n't be able to be in New York to throw out the opening pitch for the [ New York ] Yankees on August 15th , '' Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist term for the coronavirus .
`` We will make it later in the season ! ''
Trump announced his intention to throw out the first pitch during a White House event on Thursday with former Yankees ' Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera .
Over the weekend , the White House released a photo of Trump golfing with former NFL quarterback Brett Favre at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster , New Jersey .
The outing marked at least the sixth time Trump golfed one of his own properties in the month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Count .
He also played golf on July 3 , 5 , 11 , 18 , and 19 at his Virginia golf resort .
Trump has continued hitting the links even as the coronavirus crisis worsens across the country .
The United States saw more than 1 million new coronavirus cases during July , and outbreaks have been especially severe in Sun Belt states like Florida , Texas , Arizona , and California .
According to the Washington Post , from July 21 through July 24 , more than 1,000 Americans died each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death toll since May .
A majority of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the crisis , according to a new poll released Sunday by the Associated Press .
Just 32 % of Americans approve of Trump 's handling of the pandemic , down from 44 % in March .
Even among Republicans , just 2 in 3 approve of how he has responded to the crisis .
On Monday , the nation had more than 4.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases .
At least 146,754 people have died .
Published with permission @ @ @ @ @ @

Donald Trump claimed Sunday that he would no longer throw out the first pitch at a New York Yankees game next month because he was too busy dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump made the statement after spending the weekend golfing at his New Jersey resort.
“Because of my strong focus on the China Virus, including scheduled meetings on Vaccines, our economy and much else, I won’t be able to be in New York to throw out the opening pitch for the [New York] Yankees on August 15th,” Trump tweeted on Sunday afternoon, using a racist term for the coronavirus. “We will make it later in the season!”
Trump announced his intention to throw out the first pitch during a White House event on Thursday with former Yankees’ Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera.
Over the weekend, the White House released a photo of Trump golfing with former NFL quarterback Brett Favre at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The outing marked at least the sixth time Trump golfed one of his own properties in the month of July, according to Trump Golf Count.
He also played golf on July 3, 5, 11, 18, and 19 at his Virginia golf resort.
Trump has continued hitting the links even as the coronavirus crisis worsens across the country.
The United States saw more than 1 million new coronavirus cases during July, and outbreaks have been especially severe in Sun Belt states like Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California.
According to the Washington Post, from July 21 through July 24, more than 1,000 Americans died each day from the virus, the highest death toll since May.
A majority of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the crisis, according to a new poll released Sunday by the Associated Press.
Just 32% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, down from 44% in March. Even among Republicans, just 2 in 3 approve of how he has responded to the crisis.
On Monday, the nation had more than 4.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases. At least 146,754 people have died.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-27--Trump cheers on GOP senators for voting for defense bill he said he'd veto

Donald Trump spent Monday morning retweeting Republican senators ' messages of support for a bill he opposes .
Trump has threatened to veto the annual must-pass defense authorization bill because it includes a provision ordering that the names of military bases that honor Confederate officers be changed .
But that did not stop him from sharing at least 18 Senate Republicans ' tweets bragging of their votes in favor of the bill , which passed by a veto-proof 86 to 14 margin on Thursday .
The tweets had been posted by Republican Sens .
John Barrasso of Wyoming , Marsha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Missouri , John Boozman of Arkansas , Bill Cassidy of Louisiana , Mike Crapo of Idaho , Joni Ernst of Iowa , Mike Enzi of Wyoming , Deb Fischer of Nebraska , Cory Gardner of Colorado , John Hoeven of North Dakota , Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi , Jerry Moran of Kansas , Jim Risch of Idaho , Rick Scott of Florida , Dan Sullivan of Alaska , John Thune of South Dakota , and Thom Tillis of North Carolina .
Trump is upset that the bill , which covers more than $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's defense for fiscal year 2021 , includes an amendment authored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) and adopted with bipartisan support that would require the renaming of military facilities currently named for Confederate generals .
He has vowed to veto the entire bill because of it .
Trump tweeted last month that Warren wanted to rename `` many of our legendary Military Bases from which we trained to WIN two World Wars .
Hopefully our great Republican Senators wo n't fall for this . ''
But Senate Republicans shrugged off Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri to remove the provision was blocked by the GOP leadership .
A similar bill passed the House last week by a veto-proof 295 to 125 supermajority .
Trump tweeted on Friday that he had spoken with Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jim Inhofe , who hopes to remove the renaming provisions from the bill during House-Senate conference committee negotiations .
`` I spoke to highly respected ( Chairman ) Senator @ JimInhofe , who has informed me that he WILL NOT be changing the names of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from which we won two World Wars ( and more ! )
, '' Trump said .
`` Like me , Jim is not a believer in 'Cancel Culture . '
'' Politico reported Friday that Inhofe 's effort is unlikely to succeed , citing strong objections from congressional Democrats .
`` Bipartisan supermajorities in Congress ignored his pitiful veto threat and we will not suffer any more of his delusional machinations in the President 's desperate attempt at dog-whistle politics , '' Democratic Rep. Anthony Brown of Maryland said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump spent Monday morning retweeting Republican senators’ messages of support for a bill he opposes.
Trump has threatened to veto the annual must-pass defense authorization bill because it includes a provision ordering that the names of military bases that honor Confederate officers be changed.
But that did not stop him from sharing at least 18 Senate Republicans’ tweets bragging of their votes in favor of the bill, which passed by a veto-proof 86 to 14 margin on Thursday.
The tweets had been posted by Republican Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Roy Blunt of Missouri, John Boozman of Arkansas, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Mike Enzi of Wyoming, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Cory Gardner of Colorado, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Jim Risch of Idaho, Rick Scott of Florida, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, John Thune of South Dakota, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
Trump is upset that the bill, which covers more than $740 billion in funding for the nation’s defense for fiscal year 2021, includes an amendment authored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and adopted with bipartisan support that would require the renaming of military facilities currently named for Confederate generals. He has vowed to veto the entire bill because of it.
Trump tweeted last month that Warren wanted to rename “many of our legendary Military Bases from which we trained to WIN two World Wars. Hopefully our great Republican Senators won’t fall for this.” But Senate Republicans shrugged off Trump’s pro-Confederate position, and an effort by Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri to remove the provision was blocked by the GOP leadership.
A similar bill passed the House last week by a veto-proof 295 to 125 supermajority.
Trump tweeted on Friday that he had spoken with Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jim Inhofe, who hopes to remove the renaming provisions from the bill during House-Senate conference committee negotiations. “I spoke to highly respected (Chairman) Senator @JimInhofe, who has informed me that he WILL NOT be changing the names of our great Military Bases and Forts, places from which we won two World Wars (and more!),” Trump said. “Like me, Jim is not a believer in ‘Cancel Culture.'”
Politico reported Friday that Inhofe’s effort is unlikely to succeed, citing strong objections from congressional Democrats.
“Bipartisan supermajorities in Congress ignored his pitiful veto threat and we will not suffer any more of his delusional machinations in the President’s desperate attempt at dog-whistle politics,” Democratic Rep. Anthony Brown of Maryland said in a statement.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.