usatoday--2020-07-23--With colorful wigs, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema turns age-old tradition on its head

PHOENIX – It 's not only the social media calls and the press statements .
U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is reminding people to social distance while bringing back an age-old congressional tradition .
The Democratic senator from Arizona , a platinum blonde with the help of hair dye , has sported bob-length wigs in mint green and lavender in the course of her public duties during the pandemic .
The hairpieces help cover her own hair 's natural darker hues while reminding her constituents that it is impossible to safely dye hair at a salon under the CDC 's recommendations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sinema is walking her own talk , her Senate staff said .
“ Kyrsten is continuing to call attention to the need for all of us to stay home as much as possible and practice social distancing – which she is diligently practicing , including from her hair salon , '' said her spokeswoman Hannah Hurley .
Sinema , who is in her first term in the Senate after representing the 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives , is no stranger to standing out from her colleagues ' more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around Capitol Hill for pairing colorful , patterned dresses with standout heels , her signature glasses , and lipstick .
During the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump , for example , she wore a sleeveless white dress with a short cape and silver heels .
While wigs might feel like a departure from current Senate norms , it 's a tradition that 's rooted in Congress ' history .
Wigs , hairpieces , and hair transplants have played a fairly prominent role in the institution throughout history — although they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Don Ritchie , the Senate ’ s former historian .
“ It ’ s been male vanity , bald men wearing wigs , ” he said in a phone interview Wednesday .
Wigs were used by federal lawmakers to disguise hair-related problems , not to flaunt them .
Ritchie said the most famous to don a wig was Thaddeus Stevens , a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania who emerged as a leader of the Radical Republicans and spent much of his political career fighting for the abolition of slavery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and local elected official , Stevens ran for Congress in 1848 as part of the Whig party , which he later left to join the GOP .
He assumed office in 1849 , according to his biography in House archival records .
In his House portrait , a gaunt-looking Stevens has a shock of medium-length dark hair .
Though he was “ badly bewigged , ” said a blog accompanying the portrait online , he inspired major characters in three movies , including “ Lincoln , ” the 2012 movie by Steven Spielberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amendment that banned slavery .
“ He had a very obvious wig , he was quite bald , ” Ritchie said .
“ Most men wore more discreet wigs.
” Then there was James Hamilton Lewis , a senator from Illinois early in the 20th century who had been a Shakespearean actor before going into politics .
A Democrat in the Wilson era , he was the first official whip of an official party , selected by party members to gather votes on major issues .
Lewis ' portrait hangs outside of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , Lewis was clearly wearing a wig , he said .
“ He had rather pinkish colored whiskers — a beard , but he wore a different wig apparently , every day , so it was very obvious , ” Ritchie said .
“ He wore many different wigs.
” Others lawmakers wore toupees and other types of hairpieces but tended to do so to disguise that they had thinning hair , or no hair at all .
Then there were senators who had hair transplants , Ritchie said , including Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and former Vice President Joe Biden , who represented Delaware in the Senate .
“ Hair is a sensitive issue for a lot of members -- it ’ s not exactly like Sen. Sinema is making a political statement , ” Ritchie said .
“ In most cases , it was a personal statement , which was , ‘ I ’ m not really as bald as I am.
’ ” Sinema 's wigs have drawn some criticism , generally from men , such as conservative political consultant Matt Mackowiak .
Have news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or national politics ?
Reach the reporter on Twitter and Facebook .
Contact her at yvonne.wingett @ arizonarepublic.com and 602-444-4712 .

Cleo Krejci and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Arizona Republic

With colorful wigs, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema turns age-old tradition on its head
PHOENIX – It's not only the social media calls and the press statements.
It's the wigs.
U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is reminding people to social distance while bringing back an age-old congressional tradition.
The Democratic senator from Arizona, a platinum blonde with the help of hair dye, has sported bob-length wigs in mint green and lavender in the course of her public duties during the pandemic.
The hairpieces help cover her own hair's natural darker hues while reminding her constituents that it is impossible to safely dye hair at a salon under the CDC's recommendations of remaining six feet away from others.
Sinema is walking her own talk, her Senate staff said.
“Kyrsten is continuing to call attention to the need for all of us to stay home as much as possible and practice social distancing – which she is diligently practicing, including from her hair salon," said her spokeswoman Hannah Hurley.
Sinema, who is in her first term in the Senate after representing the 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, is no stranger to standing out from her colleagues' more toned-down fashion choices. She is known around Capitol Hill for pairing colorful, patterned dresses with standout heels, her signature glasses, and lipstick.
Listen to The Gaggle: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher
During the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, for example, she wore a sleeveless white dress with a short cape and silver heels.
While wigs might feel like a departure from current Senate norms, it's a tradition that's rooted in Congress' history.
Wigs, hairpieces, and hair transplants have played a fairly prominent role in the institution throughout history — although they’ve usually been sported by men, said Don Ritchie, the Senate’s former historian.
“It’s been male vanity, bald men wearing wigs,” he said in a phone interview Wednesday.
Wigs were used by federal lawmakers to disguise hair-related problems, not to flaunt them.
Ritchie said the most famous to don a wig was Thaddeus Stevens, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania who emerged as a leader of the Radical Republicans and spent much of his political career fighting for the abolition of slavery. After working successfully as a lawyer and local elected official, Stevens ran for Congress in 1848 as part of the Whig party, which he later left to join the GOP.
He assumed office in 1849, according to his biography in House archival records.
In his House portrait, a gaunt-looking Stevens has a shock of medium-length dark hair. Though he was “badly bewigged,” said a blog accompanying the portrait online, he inspired major characters in three movies, including “Lincoln,” the 2012 movie by Steven Spielberg that tracked the passage of the 13th Amendment that banned slavery.
“He had a very obvious wig, he was quite bald,” Ritchie said. “Most men wore more discreet wigs.”
Then there was James Hamilton Lewis, a senator from Illinois early in the 20th century who had been a Shakespearean actor before going into politics. A Democrat in the Wilson era, he was the first official whip of an official party, selected by party members to gather votes on major issues.
Lewis' portrait hangs outside of the Senate chamber, Ritchie said. In it, Lewis was clearly wearing a wig, he said.
“He had rather pinkish colored whiskers — a beard, but he wore a different wig apparently, every day, so it was very obvious,” Ritchie said. “He wore many different wigs.”
Others lawmakers wore toupees and other types of hairpieces but tended to do so to disguise that they had thinning hair, or no hair at all. Then there were senators who had hair transplants, Ritchie said, including Wisconsin’s former Democratic Sen. William Proxmire and former Vice President Joe Biden, who represented Delaware in the Senate.
“Hair is a sensitive issue for a lot of members -- it’s not exactly like Sen. Sinema is making a political statement,” Ritchie said. “In most cases, it was a personal statement, which was, ‘I’m not really as bald as I am.’”
Sinema's wigs have drawn some criticism, generally from men, such as conservative political consultant Matt Mackowiak.
This is a sitting female US Senator https://t.co/B7yVvOVhCz — Matt Mackowiak (@MattMackowiak) July 21, 2020
His tweet elicited hundreds of replies supporting Sinema.
ICYMI: Today I heard Sen. Kristen Sinema was being dragged for wearing a wig.
I immediately decided to make a delightful thread of some of the notable Toupees of current and former male members of the house and Senate.
The issue is bipartisan. Bad toupees on both sides folks https://t.co/R8kIrp5YRu — John Wesley (@Factnotfiction8) July 22, 2020
Have news to share about Arizona's U.S. senators or national politics? Reach the reporter on Twitter and Facebook. Contact her at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com and 602-444-4712.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.


usatoday--2020-07-23--Congressional upsets: Progressives, candidates of color, and GOP outsiders net primary wins

The 2020 congressional primary elections have been marked by a number of upsets , where candidates with little name recognition have been propelled into the national spotlight .
Early primary upsets demonstrated the strength of some progressive and staunch conservative candidates , who sometimes lacked backing from their respective parties .
In New York , three Democratic candidates are poised to replace or succeed moderate longtime incumbents in June .
In Illinois , a progressive candidate , backed by the Justice Democrats organization , beat the most conservative Democrat in Congress .
In Pittsburgh , a progressive statehouse candidate making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incumbent who is the brother of the city 's former mayor .
More : Booker beats progressive challenger , Van Drew race set and other takeaways from Tuesday 's primary Candidates of color , specifically Black candidates , have been on the winning side of several notable upsets .
Physician Cameron Webb , who is Black , beat three white opponents in Virginia 's 5th congressional district primary , a seat Democrats hope to take back now that the Republican incumbent lost his own primary .
Wesley Hunt and Burgess Owens , Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Utah , respectively , are both running to represent districts in which Black people are minorities .
More Republican women are also winning primaries .
According to the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers , a record 55 Republican women won House primaries this year , clearing the previous bar of 53 set in 2004 .
That 's in part because more Republican women are running — 220 filed to run for the House , up from 120 who ran in 2018 .
Here are some of this primary season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tipton , a five-term incumbent from Colorado , lost the 3rd congressional district 's Republican nomination to Lauren Boebert , a restaurant owner and outspoken gun rights activist .
Boebert beat Tipton by nearly ten points .
Trump had endorsed Tipton , tweeting his support for the congressman in December as well as the night before the election .
Boebert 's website describes her as a supporter of Trump , praising `` his policies to Make America Great Again . ''
Boebert 's restaurant , Shooters Grill in Rifle , Colorado , became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 , for an open carry policy allowing staff to be armed with guns .
Her commitment to gun rights also earned her a viral moment in 2019 , when she confronted then-presidential candidate Beto O ’ Rourke at a town hall .
“ I was one of the gun owning Americans who heard ( O'Rourke ) speak regarding your ‘ Hell yes I ’ m going to take your AR-15s and AK-47s , ' '' she said .
`` Well , I ’ m here to say , hell no you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also covered by local press as a vocal critic of Democratic Gov .
Jared Polis ' coronavirus lockdown measures , reopening Shooters Grill in defiance of state orders .
Diane Mitsch Bush , a former state lawmaker , won the district 's Democratic nomination and will face Boebert in the fall .
New York 's congressional primary in June saw a near sweep of Democratic nominations by progressives .
With several candidates projected to beat more centrist or establishment competitors , the elections mirrored Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 's upset against 10-term former Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former middle school principal from the Bronx , beat longtime Democratic incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel with about 60 % of the vote .
Engel , chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , represented the 16th District for more than 30 years .
The Justice Democrats-backed Bowman began to surge after Engel , asking to speak at an event , was caught on mic saying , “ If I did n't have a primary , I would n't care , ” according to NBC News .
Engel was criticized by primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for months during the COVID-19 crisis .
Bowman , who was endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez , ran a campaign firmly aligned with the party 's progressive flank .
He is a proponent of multiple `` New Deals , '' including the Green New Deal — an Ocasio-Cortez-spearheaded proposal that outlines a broad plan for tackling climate change —as well as plans to reform education and public housing .
`` I am excited , I am happy , I can not wait to get to Congress and cause problems for the people in there that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has literally been killing our children , '' Bowman said during his election night watch party .
There is no Republican challenger for the November election .
More : AOC ’ s blowout win , last-minute voting in Kentucky and other key takeaways from Tuesday ’ s primaries Madison Cawthorn , the owner of a real estate investment company , unexpectedly beat Lynda Bennett , a real estate agent and activist , in the race to claim the Republican nomination for Mark Meadows ' 11th District seat in North Carolina , which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of staff .
Cawthorn , 24 , beat Bennett with 65.82 % of the vote in the district 's runoff election in June .
The outcome was considered an upset , given that the Trump and Meadows-endorsed Bennett won the vote in March ( but not by a wide enough margin to avoid a runoff election ) .
Like Boebert , Cawthorn is a supporter of Trump .
Cawthorn said that he was inspired to run for Congress because he was disappointed by how the Republican party handled full control of the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It felt like Donald Trump was having to pull teeth from Congress to try to get anything done , and so I want to go over to Washington D.C. to break that status quo , to actually get something done , ” he said in an interview with The Hill .
Cawthorn 's website touts his conservative views on health care , immigration , abortion rights and gun control .
`` I ’ m running because our faith , our freedoms and our values are under assault from coastal elites and leftists like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he states .
If elected in November , Cawthorn would become the youngest member in Congress , a title currently held by Ocasio-Cortez .
He will face off against Democratic candidate and retired U.S Air Force colonel Moe Davis in the fall .
Iowa Republicans ousted nine-term incumbent Rep. Steve King , nominating state Sen. Randy Feenstra to run for the state 's 4th congressional district seat .
Feenstra beat King by nearly ten points .
The conservative district has long had to contend with King 's controversial remarks .
While talking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview , King claimed that for every young immigrant who becomes a school valedictorian there are `` 100 out there that , they weigh 130 pounds and they 've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they 're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert . ''
In an interview with The New York Times last year , King suggested that the term `` white nationalist '' should not be considered offensive .
King was removed from his committee seats over the comments he made to the Times .
King 's competitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejection from those committees as proof Feenstra would be more effective as an ally of Trump .
Republicans largely rebuked King through their support of Feenstra during the primary campaign .
Feenstra significantly outraised King , and was endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Right to Life Committee .
Five Republican congressmen even donated to Feenstra 's campaign .
Feenstra will compete with J.D .
Scholten , who ran uncontested for the Democratic nomination , in the fall .
Scholten previously lost to King by a slim margin in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win is likely .
Support for a Republican representative in Iowa 's 4th congressional district exceeds support for a Democrat by 22 % , according to a June Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll .
Republican Mike Garcia , a former U.S. Navy pilot and defense contractor executive , beat Democrat Christy Smith , a member of the California State Assembly , in the special general election for Illinois Rep. Katie Hill 's seat in May .
Garcia 's 25th District victory represents the first time a Republican candidate has flipped a Democratic seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsed Garcia on Twitter , though he originally said the election would be `` rigged '' by California Democrats .
The two candidates will run against each other again in the fall .
Rep. Denver Riggleman , a freshman congressman , lost the Republican nomination for Virginia 's fifth district seat to Bob Good , a former official in the athletics department at Liberty University in June .
Riggleman , a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus , was the subject of intense criticism from Republicans in his district after he officiated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteers last summer .
The Virginia county GOP formally censured Riggleman last fall , doubting his `` support for traditional family values , and other conservative principles , '' according to The Hill .
`` He 's out of step with the base of the party on life , '' Good said in May , in a debate with Riggleman on The Schilling Show , a Charlottesville radio program .
`` He 's out of step on marriage .
He 's out of step on immigration .
He 's out of step on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug legalization . ''
Riggleman claimed the election process was rigged by Republican insiders , by making the nomination process a convention instead of a primary .
Conventions traditionally favor more conservative candidates and have been used for years by Virginia Republicans to block moderate candidates from winning elections .
Good will face off against physician Cameron Webb in the fall 's general election .
Ronny Jackson , a Trump-backed former White House physician with no political experience , beat Josh Winegarner , a former cattle industry lobbyist , in the Republican runoff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jackson , who was a White House physician to President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama , received endorsements from Trump on Twitter , who called him `` strong on Crimes and Borders '' and insisted Jackson would `` protect your # 2A . ''
Winegarner had the support of outgoing Republican Rep. Mac Thornberry .
Jackson positioned his relationship with Trump as the biggest asset to his candidacy .
The district has some of the highest rates of support for Trump in the country , giving the president 80 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Cook Political Report .
Jackson had a fundraising advantage over Winegarner as well , accruing just over $ 490,000 since April , compared to Winegarner 's almost $ 300,000 haul during that same time period .
Jackson won with about 56 percent of the vote , beating Winegarner by more than 11 points .
Jackson , who is a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral , was in the running to be Trump 's nominee for Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2018 , but ultimately withdrew from consideration amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More : Some Americans refuse to mask up .
Rules , fines and free masks will change that , experts say .
Former colleagues told Senate investigators that Jackson regularly drank on duty , had an `` explosive '' temper , and that he abused his powers to prescribe himself prescription drugs for recreational use , among other allegations of misconduct .
Jackson denied all of the allegations leveled against him , calling them `` completely false and fabricated . ''
The investigation was opened by the Pentagon inspector general in June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wearing a mask does n't just protect others from COVID-19 , it protects you from infection , perhaps serious illness , too On election night , Jackson celebrated his win by tweeting , `` Jane and I just got off the phone with @ realDonaldTrump !
It ’ s official !
I am honored to be the Republican nominee for # TX13 !
I promise I will make you proud ! ''
Jackson will face off against Gus Trujillo , who won the Democratic runoff election .
Mondaire Jones , a lawyer from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-time incumbent Rep. Nita Lowey ’ s 17th District seat in New York .
The Associated Press did not call the race until about three weeks after it ended , though the nomination was always considered Jones ' , who had picked up more than double the votes of any other candidate by election night .
His closest competitor , former federal prosecutor Adam Schleifer , had four times Jones ’ budget .
Jones received endorsements from progressive members of Congress such as Ocasio-Cortez , Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley , and Vermont Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not accept corporate PAC donations , and signed the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge .
He ran on a platform that advocated for labor rights and student debt relief , as well as Medicare for All and paid sick leave as responses to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Like Bowman , he is also a proponent of the Green New Deal .
In an interview with NPR , Jones said that it was his commitment to progressive policies that set him apart during the primary election .
`` I am the only candidate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only policy that would literally ensure everyone has health care in this country and that is Medicare for All , '' he said .
In the fall , Jones will face Maureen McArdle Schulman , who won the district 's Republican nomination .
Marie Newman , a former management consultant and founder of an anti-bullying non-profit , narrowly beat incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinksi in the Democratic race for Illinois ' third district seat in March .
Lipinski 's father , William Lipinski , held the seat for more than two decades before his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represents the first time the seat will be out of the Lipinski family since 1983 .
Lipinski is notoriously one of the last few conservative Democrats in Congress .
His opposition to abortion rights , the DREAM Act , and the Affordable Care Act all alienated him from his party .
In contrast , Newman was backed by progressive groups such as Justice Democrats , the political action committee that supported Ocasio-Cortez in 2018 .
Newman will compete with County Board Member Mike Fricilone , who won the Republican nomination , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was previously Alabama 's U.S .
Senator for 20 years , lost his runoff bid to former football coach Tommy Tuberville .
Tuberville considers himself a Christian conservative , and ran a campaign that was pro-life and pro-gun rights .
He told the Montgomery Advertiser in March that he supported Trump ’ s efforts to build a border wall with Mexico , and wanted to reduce the national debt through cuts to social programs , with exceptions for Social Security , Medicare , and Medicaid .
The race to see who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who flipped the traditionally Republican seat in 2018 , also highlighted the rift between Trump and Sessions .
In the early days of Trump 's presidency — and during his campaign — Sessions was a prominent ally .
Sessions was the first U.S .
Senator to endorse Trump 's campaign , providing it crucial legitimacy before the 2016 Super Tuesday elections .
Sessions publicly supported Trump as early as 2015 , sporting a “ Make America Great Again ” hat at a Trump rally in August 2015 and praising Trump 's border wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticizes Trump for lack of 'loyalty ' to former Attorney General Sessions Sessions ' goodwill with Trump expired when he recused himself from the Russia investigation , which led to Robert Mueller 's appointment as special counsel and a nearly two-year investigation that shadowed Trump 's early years in office .
Trump was not charged , and fired Sessions in 2018 .
In a television interview last summer , Trump called Sessions ' appointment as attorney general the `` biggest mistake '' of his presidency .
Although Trump regularly endorses GOP candidates — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention to the race between Sessions and Tuberville , explicitly tying his endorsement of Tuberville to Sessions ' recusal .
Tuberville will face off against Jones in November .

Congressional upsets: Progressives, candidates of color, and GOP outsiders net primary wins
Show Caption Hide Caption Why voter suppression in the US has increased since 2013 Civil rights experts point to long wait times to vote as a sign of growing voter suppression in the U.S. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The 2020 congressional primary elections have been marked by a number of upsets, where candidates with little name recognition have been propelled into the national spotlight.
Early primary upsets demonstrated the strength of some progressive and staunch conservative candidates, who sometimes lacked backing from their respective parties.
In New York, three Democratic candidates are poised to replace or succeed moderate longtime incumbents in June. In Illinois, a progressive candidate, backed by the Justice Democrats organization, beat the most conservative Democrat in Congress. In Pittsburgh, a progressive statehouse candidate making her first run for office ousted an incumbent who is the brother of the city's former mayor.
More: Booker beats progressive challenger, Van Drew race set and other takeaways from Tuesday's primary
Candidates of color, specifically Black candidates, have been on the winning side of several notable upsets. Physician Cameron Webb, who is Black, beat three white opponents in Virginia's 5th congressional district primary, a seat Democrats hope to take back now that the Republican incumbent lost his own primary. Wesley Hunt and Burgess Owens, Black candidates who won Republican nominations in Texas and Utah, respectively, are both running to represent districts in which Black people are minorities.
More Republican women are also winning primaries. According to the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers, a record 55 Republican women won House primaries this year, clearing the previous bar of 53 set in 2004. That's in part because more Republican women are running — 220 filed to run for the House, up from 120 who ran in 2018.
Here are some of this primary season's most surprising upsets:
Lauren Boebert
Rep. Scott Tipton, a five-term incumbent from Colorado, lost the 3rd congressional district's Republican nomination to Lauren Boebert, a restaurant owner and outspoken gun rights activist. Boebert beat Tipton by nearly ten points.
More: John Hickenlooper wins Colorado Democratic primary, will face Sen. Cory Gardner
Trump had endorsed Tipton, tweeting his support for the congressman in December as well as the night before the election. Boebert's website describes her as a supporter of Trump, praising "his policies to Make America Great Again."
Boebert's restaurant, Shooters Grill in Rifle, Colorado, became the subject of national media attention in 2014, for an open carry policy allowing staff to be armed with guns. Her commitment to gun rights also earned her a viral moment in 2019, when she confronted then-presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke at a town hall. “I was one of the gun owning Americans who heard (O'Rourke) speak regarding your ‘Hell yes I’m going to take your AR-15s and AK-47s,'" she said. "Well, I’m here to say, hell no you’re not.'”
Boebert was also covered by local press as a vocal critic of Democratic Gov. Jared Polis' coronavirus lockdown measures, reopening Shooters Grill in defiance of state orders.
Diane Mitsch Bush, a former state lawmaker, won the district's Democratic nomination and will face Boebert in the fall.
Jamaal Bowman
New York's congressional primary in June saw a near sweep of Democratic nominations by progressives. With several candidates projected to beat more centrist or establishment competitors, the elections mirrored Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's upset against 10-term former Rep. Joe Crowley in 2018.
Jamaal Bowman, a former middle school principal from the Bronx, beat longtime Democratic incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel with about 60% of the vote.
Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, represented the 16th District for more than 30 years.
The Justice Democrats-backed Bowman began to surge after Engel, asking to speak at an event, was caught on mic saying, “If I didn't have a primary, I wouldn't care,” according to NBC News. Engel was criticized by primary challengers for not returning to his district for months during the COVID-19 crisis.
Bowman, who was endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez, ran a campaign firmly aligned with the party's progressive flank. He is a proponent of multiple "New Deals," including the Green New Deal — an Ocasio-Cortez-spearheaded proposal that outlines a broad plan for tackling climate change —as well as plans to reform education and public housing.
"I am excited, I am happy, I cannot wait to get to Congress and cause problems for the people in there that have been maintaining a status quo that has literally been killing our children," Bowman said during his election night watch party.
There is no Republican challenger for the November election.
More: AOC’s blowout win, last-minute voting in Kentucky and other key takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries
Cori Bush
Cori Bush, a Black Lives Matter activist and pastor, defeated incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay for the Missouri seat he held for 20 years in August.
Bush, a progressive candidate who was among the original Justice Democrats class in 2018, lost to Clay during that year's primary. This year, however, Bush beat Clay with about 49% of the vote, compared to his 45.5%.
Clay, who was first elected in 2000, replaced his father, Rep. Bill Clay Sr., who served the 1st congressional district between 1969 to 2001 and was a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Clay Jr. received endorsements from moderate high-profile Democrats such as Sen. Kamala Harris, while Bush received support from progressive champions of the party, like Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Bush, who became a political activist following the police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, ran on a platform promoting criminal justice reform, prison reform, and an investment in "social safety net" policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.
Bush will face off against Republican Anthony Rogers in November's general election in a district that leans strongly Democratic.
Madison Cawthorn
Madison Cawthorn, the owner of a real estate investment company, unexpectedly beat Lynda Bennett, a real estate agent and activist, in the race to claim the Republican nomination for Mark Meadows' 11th District seat in North Carolina, which he gave up to become Trump's chief of staff.
Cawthorn, 24, beat Bennett with 65.82% of the vote in the district's runoff election in June. The outcome was considered an upset, given that the Trump and Meadows-endorsed Bennett won the vote in March (but not by a wide enough margin to avoid a runoff election). Like Boebert, Cawthorn is a supporter of Trump.
Cawthorn said that he was inspired to run for Congress because he was disappointed by how the Republican party handled full control of the White House and Congress in 2017.
“It felt like Donald Trump was having to pull teeth from Congress to try to get anything done, and so I want to go over to Washington D.C. to break that status quo, to actually get something done,” he said in an interview with The Hill.
More: With second primary underway, Cawthorn addresses voting in-person, by mail options
Cawthorn's website touts his conservative views on health care, immigration, abortion rights and gun control. "I’m running because our faith, our freedoms and our values are under assault from coastal elites and leftists like Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez," he states.
If elected in November, Cawthorn would become the youngest member in Congress, a title currently held by Ocasio-Cortez. He will face off against Democratic candidate and retired U.S Air Force colonel Moe Davis in the fall.
Randy Feenstra
Iowa Republicans ousted nine-term incumbent Rep. Steve King, nominating state Sen. Randy Feenstra to run for the state's 4th congressional district seat. Feenstra beat King by nearly ten points.
The conservative district has long had to contend with King's controversial remarks. While talking about "Dreamers" in a July 2013 interview, King claimed that for every young immigrant who becomes a school valedictorian there are "100 out there that, they weigh 130 pounds and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert." In an interview with The New York Times last year, King suggested that the term "white nationalist" should not be considered offensive.
King was removed from his committee seats over the comments he made to the Times. King's competitors, including Feenstra, used King's rejection from those committees as proof Feenstra would be more effective as an ally of Trump.
Republicans largely rebuked King through their support of Feenstra during the primary campaign. Feenstra significantly outraised King, and was endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Right to Life Committee. Five Republican congressmen even donated to Feenstra's campaign.
Feenstra will compete with J.D. Scholten, who ran uncontested for the Democratic nomination, in the fall. Scholten previously lost to King by a slim margin in the 2018 general election.
Feenstra's win is likely. Support for a Republican representative in Iowa's 4th congressional district exceeds support for a Democrat by 22%, according to a June Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll.
Mike Garcia
Republican Mike Garcia, a former U.S. Navy pilot and defense contractor executive, beat Democrat Christy Smith, a member of the California State Assembly, in the special general election for Illinois Rep. Katie Hill's seat in May.
Garcia's 25th District victory represents the first time a Republican candidate has flipped a Democratic seat in California since 1998. Trump had endorsed Garcia on Twitter, though he originally said the election would be "rigged" by California Democrats.
The two candidates will run against each other again in the fall.
Bob Good
Rep. Denver Riggleman, a freshman congressman, lost the Republican nomination for Virginia's fifth district seat to Bob Good, a former official in the athletics department at Liberty University in June.
Riggleman, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, was the subject of intense criticism from Republicans in his district after he officiated a gay wedding for two former campaign volunteers last summer.
The Virginia county GOP formally censured Riggleman last fall, doubting his "support for traditional family values, and other conservative principles," according to The Hill.
"He's out of step with the base of the party on life," Good said in May, in a debate with Riggleman on The Schilling Show, a Charlottesville radio program. "He's out of step on marriage. He's out of step on immigration. He's out of step on health care, on climate, on drug legalization."
Riggleman claimed the election process was rigged by Republican insiders, by making the nomination process a convention instead of a primary. Conventions traditionally favor more conservative candidates and have been used for years by Virginia Republicans to block moderate candidates from winning elections.
Good will face off against physician Cameron Webb in the fall's general election.
Ronny Jackson
Ronny Jackson, a Trump-backed former White House physician with no political experience, beat Josh Winegarner, a former cattle industry lobbyist, in the Republican runoff for Texas' 13th District House seat.
Jackson, who was a White House physician to President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama, received endorsements from Trump on Twitter, who called him "strong on Crimes and Borders" and insisted Jackson would "protect your #2A."
Winegarner had the support of outgoing Republican Rep. Mac Thornberry.
Jackson positioned his relationship with Trump as the biggest asset to his candidacy. The district has some of the highest rates of support for Trump in the country, giving the president 80% of its vote in 2016, according to the Cook Political Report.
Jackson had a fundraising advantage over Winegarner as well, accruing just over $490,000 since April, compared to Winegarner's almost $300,000 haul during that same time period. Jackson won with about 56 percent of the vote, beating Winegarner by more than 11 points.
Jackson, who is a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, was in the running to be Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2018, but ultimately withdrew from consideration amid a swarm of allegations of prior misconduct.
More: Some Americans refuse to mask up. Rules, fines and free masks will change that, experts say.
Former colleagues told Senate investigators that Jackson regularly drank on duty, had an "explosive" temper, and that he abused his powers to prescribe himself prescription drugs for recreational use, among other allegations of misconduct.
Jackson denied all of the allegations leveled against him, calling them "completely false and fabricated." The investigation was opened by the Pentagon inspector general in June 2018 and remains ongoing.
More: Wearing a mask doesn't just protect others from COVID-19, it protects you from infection, perhaps serious illness, too
Jane and I just got off the phone with @realDonaldTrump! It’s official! I am honored to be the Republican nominee for #TX13! I promise I will make you proud! pic.twitter.com/Hr7ZJPfwqu — Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJackson4TX) July 15, 2020
On election night, Jackson celebrated his win by tweeting, "Jane and I just got off the phone with @realDonaldTrump! It’s official! I am honored to be the Republican nominee for #TX13! I promise I will make you proud!"
Jackson will face off against Gus Trujillo, who won the Democratic runoff election.
Mondaire Jones
Mondaire Jones, a lawyer from Rockland County, won the nomination for long-time incumbent Rep. Nita Lowey’s 17th District seat in New York. The Associated Press did not call the race until about three weeks after it ended, though the nomination was always considered Jones', who had picked up more than double the votes of any other candidate by election night.
His closest competitor, former federal prosecutor Adam Schleifer, had four times Jones’ budget.
Jones received endorsements from progressive members of Congress such as Ocasio-Cortez, Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Jones' campaign did not accept corporate PAC donations, and signed the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge. He ran on a platform that advocated for labor rights and student debt relief, as well as Medicare for All and paid sick leave as responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like Bowman, he is also a proponent of the Green New Deal.
In an interview with NPR, Jones said that it was his commitment to progressive policies that set him apart during the primary election. "I am the only candidate in a crowded Democratic primary who supports the only policy that would literally ensure everyone has health care in this country and that is Medicare for All," he said.
In the fall, Jones will face Maureen McArdle Schulman, who won the district's Republican nomination.
Jake LaTurner
Kansas state treasurer Jake LaTurner defeated Rep. Steve Watkins in the August GOP primary for Kansas' 2nd District, weeks after Watkins was charged with committing multiple voter fraud felonies.
Watkins, a freshman, was dogged by the charges toward the end of his campaign.
Watkins is accused of altering his voter registration address to a UPS store before voting in a city council race last year — one that was decided by 13 votes — according to The Topeka Capital-Journal.
In July, Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced that Watkins was being charged on four counts, three of which were felonies: interference with law enforcement, providing false information, voting without being qualified, and unlawful advance voting.
During a primary debate in July, Watkins said that the charges were meant to foil his election chances.
“This is clearly hyper-political,” he said. “It comes out moments before our first debate and three weeks before the election. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
LaTurner, who beat Watkins by about 15% of the vote, ran on a platform that he called his "Contract with Kansas." The "contract" includes a pledge to institute work requirements for welfare recipients, to co-sponsor an amendment for Congressional term limits, and to support Trump's border wall.
Suzanne and I are absolutely humbled by your support. Thank you!
Now the real campaign begins and the differences will be clear. It’s time for Republicans to unite and win in November! #ks02 #ksleg pic.twitter.com/ZVcRFIuB3i — JakeLaTurner (@JakeLaTurner) August 5, 2020
LaTurner will compete against Michelle De La Isla, the Democratic mayor of Topeka, in November.
Marie Newman
Marie Newman, a former management consultant and founder of an anti-bullying non-profit, narrowly beat incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinksi in the Democratic race for Illinois' third district seat in March.
Lipinski's father, William Lipinski, held the seat for more than two decades before his son succeeded him. Newman's win represents the first time the seat will be out of the Lipinski family since 1983.
Lipinski is notoriously one of the last few conservative Democrats in Congress. His opposition to abortion rights, the DREAM Act, and the Affordable Care Act all alienated him from his party. In contrast, Newman was backed by progressive groups such as Justice Democrats, the political action committee that supported Ocasio-Cortez in 2018.
Newman will compete with County Board Member Mike Fricilone, who won the Republican nomination, in the fall.
Tommy Tuberville
Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was previously Alabama's U.S. Senator for 20 years, lost his runoff bid to former football coach Tommy Tuberville.
Tuberville considers himself a Christian conservative, and ran a campaign that was pro-life and pro-gun rights. He told the Montgomery Advertiser in March that he supported Trump’s efforts to build a border wall with Mexico, and wanted to reduce the national debt through cuts to social programs, with exceptions for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
The race to see who would compete with Sen. Doug Jones, who flipped the traditionally Republican seat in 2018, also highlighted the rift between Trump and Sessions.
Tuberville wins primary; will face Jones in Alabama Senate race Former college football coach Tommy Tuberville defeated former Senator and Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the Alabama Republican Senate primary. Tuberville goes on to challenge Democratic Senator Doug Jones. (July 15) AP
In the early days of Trump's presidency — and during his campaign — Sessions was a prominent ally. Sessions was the first U.S. Senator to endorse Trump's campaign, providing it crucial legitimacy before the 2016 Super Tuesday elections. Sessions publicly supported Trump as early as 2015, sporting a “Make America Great Again” hat at a Trump rally in August 2015 and praising Trump's border wall plans.
More: Illinois GOP congressman criticizes Trump for lack of 'loyalty' to former Attorney General Sessions
Sessions' goodwill with Trump expired when he recused himself from the Russia investigation, which led to Robert Mueller's appointment as special counsel and a nearly two-year investigation that shadowed Trump's early years in office. Trump was not charged, and fired Sessions in 2018.
In a television interview last summer, Trump called Sessions' appointment as attorney general the "biggest mistake" of his presidency.
Although Trump regularly endorses GOP candidates — usually on Twitter — he paid special attention to the race between Sessions and Tuberville, explicitly tying his endorsement of Tuberville to Sessions' recusal.
Tuberville will face off against Jones in November.
Contributing: William Cummings, Brian Lyman, Stephen Gruber-Miller, and Nick Coltrain


usatoday--2020-07-24--Coronavirus updates: Health experts call for country to shut down again; Fauci says he wouldn't eat

Coronavirus updates: Health experts call for country to shut down again; Fauci says he wouldn't eat inside a restaurant because of COVID-19

It 's time to hit the reset button : Shut it down and restart .
That 's what more than 150 health professionals are urging government leaders in an open letter published earlier this week .
`` Tell the American people the truth about the virus , even when it ’ s hard .
Take bold action to save lives — even when it means shutting down again , '' the letter , spearheaded by the non-profit U.S. Public Interest Research Group , says .
Public health leaders argue in the letter that the U.S. reopened too quickly , non-essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly stay home and government officials need to invest more in testing , contact tracing and personal protective equipment capacities .
`` If you don ’ t take these actions , the consequences will be measured in widespread suffering and death , '' the letter to President Donald Trump , federal officials and governors says .
Here are some significant developments : • Republicans promised another round of $ 1,200 bonus checks and money for schools Thursday , while Democrats dug in to protect the $ 600 weekly unemployment benefit bonus .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools planning to reopen this fall as well as for for people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 .
They now need to isolate for only 10 days after their symptoms begin .
• After slowly dropping for over four months , the number of Americans filing new unemployment claims pushed higher last week with 1.4 million new claims .
📈 Today 's stats : The U.S. has surpassed 4 million confirmed cases and has more than 144,000 deaths , according to John Hopkins University data .
Worldwide cases have surpassed 15 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What we 're reading : When will a vaccine be available to the general public ?
To understand when pre-COVID-19 life in the U.S. can resume , USA TODAY created a panel of experts who estimate we 're almost halfway to an available vaccine .
Our live blog is being updated throughout the day .
Refresh for the latest news , and get updates in your inbox with The Daily Briefing .
Fauci : I would n't go to a restaurant or get on a plane right now Dr. Anthony Fauci , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that he would not eat inside a restaurant or get on a flight given the current state of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S .
Speaking with the business news outlet MarketWatch , Fauci admitted part of his reasoning is because at age 79 he is in a higher risk demographic and he goes to the White House nearly every day for coronavirus task force meetings .
Fauci added that eating outside at a restaurant is much safer than indoors .
He also said that the U.S. is still `` in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans that they should be wearing masks when out in public and reaffirmed his prediction that a potential vaccine could be ready as soon as early 2021 .
An overwhelming 3 out of 4 Americans support requiring people to wear masks in public , a new poll found .
Almost 90 % of Democrats as well as nearly 60 % of Republicans support requiring masks outside of people 's homes .
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll was conducted before President Donald Trump , who had been dismissive of wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tweeted earlier this week that wearing a face covering is patriotic .
Although partisan rhetoric around masks has undermined what public health officials say is a simple step that can save lives , 95 % of Democrats and 75 % of Republicans say they ’ re wearing face coverings when leaving the house .
The poll also found about two-thirds of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the pandemic .
Coronavirus is tearing through Latino communities – and it may get worse The coronavirus ’ continued rampage through the southern and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave an especially deadly trail among Latinos , who not only represent a significant percentage of the population in those regions but often face structural conditions that make them more vulnerable .
A new study published Thursday , the first nationwide analysis of COVID-19 cases and deaths among Latinos , concludes that crowded housing arrangements and high-risk jobs in industries like meatpacking , poultry and hospitality are among the major reasons Latinos have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic .
As the virus extracts a heavy toll on California , Texas and Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latino populations — the death count among the country ’ s biggest minority group could be staggering .
“ My prediction is that it ’ s very likely because the policies and practices that are needed to prevent infections and deaths are not in place , ’ ’ said Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz , the study 's lead author .
Parent check-list for back-to-school : Label your child 's face mask with permanent marker .
Have them practice putting on and taking off their mask without touching the cloth .
Make a labeled , resealable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lunch time .
Those are among the suggestions the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has for school administrators and parents as families prepare for school to resume in the fall .
Students should wear masks , wash their hands frequently and socially distance to protect against COVID-19 as schools reopen this fall , CDC urged in new guidance documents for administrators published Thursday .
“ It is critically important for our public health to open schools this fall , ” said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield in a release .
CDC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has faced considerable political pressure from President Donald Trump and others to get schools reopened .
A key consideration for school administrators , CDC said , was COVID-19 transmission rates in their communities .
But the CDC guidance offered no specific metrics for what transmission rates would require specific actions .
GOP backs more stimulus checks , funds for schools in new aid package Senate Republicans were scrambling Thursday to finalize a $ 1 trillion coronavirus relief package that will include another round of $ 1,200 stimulus checks and additional funding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP leaders and the White House said late Wednesday that they had agreed on key parts of the legislation , which will serve as a starting point for negotiations with Democrats , who have already passed their own bill in the House .
But Republicans are still struggling to put the finishing touches on the package .
Congress and the White House are under pressure to clinch a deal on a fresh pandemic aid package ; a federal program of expanded unemployment benefits is set to run out within days .
One item @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan is Trump ’ s demand for a payroll tax cut .
Republicans abandoned that proposal even though Trump had suggested he might not sign any bill that doesn ’ t include it .
Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey has ordered public health officials to choose data by Aug. 7 for schools to rely on when deciding when to reopen schools for in-person classes .
When schools reopen , everyone will be required to wear masks , with some exceptions for students , Ducey added .
The plan comes with another major requirement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools will be required to reopen for on-site learning on Aug. 17 for students who have nowhere else to go .
That means , Superintendent Kathy Hoffman said , districts have to open at least one site for students to go , but do not have to open every school or require every teacher to show up to work in-person .
Schools also are required to provide distance learning as an option .
New CDC guidelines : People with mild to moderate COVID-19 only need to isolate 10 days People who have had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of isolation after 10 days and do n't need to be retested before going back to work , new CDC guidelines say .
Symptoms , not testing , are the guide .
If patients had a fever , it needs to have been gone for at least 24 hours .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention document , published Wednesday , says symptoms are a better gauge of how infectious someone is so they are `` not kept unnecessarily isolated and excluded from work or other responsibilities . ''
The document acknowledges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , is so new that doctors are still gathering evidence for how it works .
As more data becomes available , the medical community is gaining a better understanding of how people who are infected can avoiding passing on the disease .
The new guidelines reflect the latest thinking .
Amtrak on Thursday joined U.S. air carriers in tightening face mask requirements , saying passengers could be removed or banned from its trains for non-compliance .
The railroad service had begun requiring face masks in May , but had allowed passengers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , passengers can only remove their masks when they 're in private rooms , an option only available on the company 's long-distance trains .
`` Amtrak reserves the right to remove customers or ban them from future travel in the event of noncompliance with Amtrak 's face covering policy , '' Amtrak said on its website .
President Donald Trump announced Thursday he is canceling the Jacksonville portion of the Republican National Convention because of the coronavirus pandemic , a major setback in his effort to energize his struggling bid for reelection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not right , '' Trump told reporters at the White House .
`` There 's nothing more important in our country than keeping our people safe . ''
Trump said that he would deliver remarks to formally accept his party 's nomination for president but offered no detail on where or when that will happen .
The abrupt decision was not only a significant blow to his campaign but also raised questions about the president 's narrative that the country is ready to reopen for business .
Trump said convention delegates will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the official business of the convention was set to take place , and formally nominate him for reelection .
Late Thursday , Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez reaffirmed that his party will hold its national convention next month in Milwaukee , with a mostly virtual event .
Delegates will vote remotely .
Joe Biden has said he intends to accept the nomination in Milwaukee AMC Theatres is delaying its planned reopening date again amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in dozens of states .
The movie theater chain said Thursday that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locations in `` mid to late August . ''
The company had previously set its reopening date for July 15 and then delayed it to July 30 .
But sharp increases in COVID-19 cases in states such as Texas , Florida and Arizona , coupled with Hollywood delaying film releases , have combined to make a swift return to indoor moving showings implausible .
A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Wednesday shows 12 states set records for new cases over a seven-day period while six states had a record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New case records were set in Alaska , California , Indiana , Kansas , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , Missouri , North Dakota , Oklahoma , Utah and Wyoming .
Record numbers of deaths were reported in Florida , Idaho , Nevada , South Carolina , Tennessee and Texas .
In Florida , the week 's death toll was 824 , more than twice the number of any week during the spring COVID-19 surge .
Still , Gov .
Ron DeSantis continued to press for in-classroom learning when schools open , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stressed that young people face the least risk from the virus .
`` It is our kids who have borne the harshest burden of the controlled measures instituted to protect against the virus , ” DeSantis said Wednesday .
On Facebook : There 's still a lot unknown about the coronavirus .
But what we do know , we 're sharing with you .
Join our Facebook group , `` Coronavirus Watch , '' to receive daily updates in your feed and chat with others in the community about COVID-19 .
In your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news on the coronavirus pandemic from the USA TODAY Network .
Sign up for the daily Coronavirus Watch newsletter here .
Tips for coping : Every Saturday and Tuesday we 'll be in your inbox , offering you a virtual hug and a little bit of solace in these difficult times .
Sign up for Staying Apart , Together here .

Jessica Flores and Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY

Coronavirus updates: CDC finds 'prolonged illness' is common; experts call for shut down; daily global cases break another record
Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump announces cancellation of convention rally in Florida During his briefing on COVID-19 response, USA TODAY
It's time to hit the reset button: Shut it down and restart. That's what more than 150 health professionals are urging government leaders in an open letter published earlier this week.
"Tell the American people the truth about the virus, even when it’s hard. Take bold action to save lives — even when it means shutting down again," the letter, spearheaded by the nonprofit U.S. Public Interest Research Group, says.
Public health leaders argue in the letter that the U.S. reopened too quickly, nonessential businesses should close again, Americans should mostly stay home, and government officials need to invest more in testing, contact tracing, and personal protective equipment capacities.
"If you don’t take these actions, the consequences will be measured in widespread suffering and death," according to the letter addressed to President Donald Trump, federal officials and governors.
Here are some significant developments today:
The World Health Organization says a record number of virus cases have been reported in the last 24 hours. Friday's situation report lists 284,196 new cases across the globe, the higher than the previous record set six days ago. A quarter of the new cases come from the U.S.
Republicans promised another round of $1,200 bonus checks and money for schools Thursday, while Democrats dug in to protect the $600 weekly unemployment benefit bonus.
The CDC unveiled new guidelines Thursday for schools planning to reopen this fall as well as for people who have mild to moderate COVID-19. They now need to isolate for only 10 days after their symptoms begin.
After slowly dropping for over four months, the number of Americans filing new unemployment claims pushed higher last week with 1.4 million new claims.
📈 Today's stats: The U.S. has surpassed 4 million confirmed cases and has more than 144,000 deaths, according to John Hopkins University data. Worldwide cases have surpassed 15 million with more than 633,000 deaths.
📰 What we're reading: When will a vaccine be available to the general public? To understand when pre-COVID-19 life in the U.S. can resume, USA TODAY created a panel of experts who estimate we're almost halfway to an available vaccine.
Our live blog is being updated throughout the day. Refresh for the latest news, and get updates in your inbox with The Daily Briefing.
CDC report finds 'prolonged illness' is common
COVID-19 patients face a significant likelihood of lingering symptoms, even if they weren't sick enough to go to the hospital, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Friday.
The report found about a third of 274 respondents who were symptomatic when tested "had not returned to their usual state of health when interviewed 2–3 weeks after testing."
The report follows widespread reports from "long-haulers" who report life-altering symptoms for weeks or months after first getting sick.
Common lingering symptoms include fatigue, cough, and headache, the report says. It found that young adults and people with no underlying conditions were among those who reported long-term illness.
Congressional staff member dies of COVID-19
A staff member for Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., died of COVID-19 in a Florida hospital, the congressman announced in a statement released Friday.
Buchanan expressed his condolences and hailed Gary Tibbetts, who had worked for the congressman since 2011, as a "consummate professional and true public servant in every sense of the word." Tibbetts is the first congressional aide known to have died from COVID-19.
– Nicholas Wu
Barron Trump's school isn't fully reopening in the fall
Despite President Donald Trump's pleas for schools to reopen, his son's private school in the Maryland suburbs will not be welcoming students back fully onto its campus in the fall.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School said it was considering whether to take a hybrid model approach, allowing some students back to campus some days, or be fully remote to start the school year.
"As we prepare to make a decision the week of August 10 about how to best begin the school year, we will continue to follow guidance of appropriate health officials and refine both our hybrid and distance learning plans," the school said in a letter to parents.
Under its hybrid model, students in grades 7 to 12 would rotate weekly between on-campus and remote learning. According to the New York Times, Barron, 14, Trump's youngest child, has attended the school for three years.
McDonald's to require customers wear masks at all US restaurants
McDonald's will require customers to wear masks or face coverings when entering its 14,000 restaurants nationwide starting Aug. 1. The fast food giant is the latest business to announce it will mandate masks to help stop the spread of COVID-19 as cases spike.
"While nearly 82% of our restaurants are in states or localities that require facial coverings for both crew and customers today, it’s important we protect the safety of all employees and customers," McDonald's said in its statement Friday.
– Kelly Tyko
No space for bodies: Mississippi county to bring in refrigerated cooler
Authorities faced with limited space to store bodies awaiting autopsies are now bringing in a refrigerated cooler to help as the coronavirus pandemic surges in a Mississippi county.
Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said Thursday that without a morgue space is running out to store victims of homicides, car crashes and other fatalities that require autopsies.
The surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in the county is also having an impact as bodies can no longer be sent to hospital morgues for temporary storage. Private facilities are also at capacity, the coroner said.
– Justin Vicory, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
DC adds quarantine requirement for nonessential travelers from hot spots
Washington, D.C., will require travelers coming to the city to self-quarantine for 14 days if they are arriving from a high-risk area on nonessential travel.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Friday that the self-quarantine requirement would take effect next week. Maryland and Virginia, which border D.C., are exempt from the order, but other states that see a seven-day moving average of new COVID-19 cases at 10 or more per 100,000 people will be affected.
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut jointly announced self-quarantine requirements last month for travelers arriving from states with high numbers of positive cases. Their hot-spot list has grown to 31 states. Many other states have quarantine requirement. Read the full list here if you're planning travel.
Fauci says he has security after threats to him, family
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, recently talked about heightened threats to him and his family and his security detail. Fauci made the comments on CNN's "The Axe Files" podcast and said that many of the threats come from people who are angry and believe, "I'm interfering with their life because I'm pushing a public health agenda."
In April, media outlets reported that the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Marshals Service had stationed agents at HHS to protect Fauci.
The longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said he has been a target since the early days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic as the first government official speaking out about the virus. He said he received hate mail then but could largely ignore it. The backlash he's received during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, is of a different magnitude, he said.
"The kind of not only hate mail but actual, serious threats against me are not good," Fauci said. "It's tough. Serious threats against me, against my family, my daughters, my wife. I mean, really? Is this the United States of America? But it's real. It really is real."
Fauci added: "We are all trying to open up American again in a way that is safe, that we can do it in a measured fashion. But the hostility against public health issues is difficult to not only understand but difficult to even process."
In a recent interview with the business news outlet MarketWatch, Fauci also said he would not eat inside a restaurant or get on a flight given the current state of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.
Read this: Straight-talking Anthony Fauci has been the nation's voice on the coronavirus. Who is he?
24 million Americans fear missing next rent payment
Days from the end of enhanced unemployment benefits and a federal eviction moratorium, 24 million Americans say they have little to no chance of being able to pay next month’s rent, a U.S. Census Bureau survey shows.
A disproportionate share of those in danger come from Black and Hispanic households, two groups who have borne the brunt of negative health and economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
While Congress works to negotiate a new stimulus, experts warn the time to ward off an eviction and foreclosure crisis has almost run out.
“We're about to fall off a massive cliff and see a major spike in evictions,” said Alanna McCargo, vice president of housing finance policy at the Urban Institute.
A look atAmericans' confidence in being able to pay August rent:
– Kevin Crowe, Theresa Diffendal and Carlie Procell
Poll: 3 in 4 Americans want mask wearing required
An overwhelming 3 out of 4 Americans support requiring people to wear masks in public, a new poll found.
Almost 90% of Democrats as well as nearly 60% of Republicans support requiring masks outside of people's homes. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll was conducted before President Donald Trump, who had been dismissive of wearing masks despite public health officials' support, tweeted earlier this week that wearing a face covering is patriotic.
Although partisan rhetoric around masks has undermined what public health officials say is a simple step that can save lives, 95% of Democrats and 75% of Republicans say they’re wearing face coverings when leaving the house.
The poll also found about two-thirds of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the pandemic.
Coronavirus is tearing through Latino communities – and it may get worse
The coronavirus’ continued rampage through the southern and western United States is almost certain to leave an especially deadly trail among Latinos, who not only represent a significant percentage of the population in those regions but often face structural conditions that make them more vulnerable.
A new study published Thursday, the first nationwide analysis of COVID-19 cases and deaths among Latinos, concludes that crowded housing arrangements and high-risk jobs in industries like meatpacking, poultry and hospitality are among the major reasons Latinos have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
As the virus extracts a heavy toll on California, Texas and Florida — the three states with the largest Latino populations — the death count among the country’s biggest minority group could be staggering.
“My prediction is that it’s very likely because the policies and practices that are needed to prevent infections and deaths are not in place,’’ said Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz, the study's lead author.
– Jorge L. Ortiz
Coronavirus: How R-0 can be used to fight COVID-19 R-0 may be the most important scientific term you’ve never heard of when it comes to stopping the coronavirus pandemic. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
CDC guidelines for schools: Wear masks, wash hands, don't touch
Parent check-list for back-to-school: Label your child's face mask with permanent marker. Have them practice putting on and taking off their mask without touching the cloth. Make a labeled, resealable plastic bag to store their mask during lunch time. Those are among the suggestions the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has for school administrators and parents as families prepare for school to resume in the fall.
Students should wear masks, wash their hands frequently and socially distance to protect against COVID-19 as schools reopen this fall, CDC urged in new guidance documents for administrators published Thursday. “It is critically important for our public health to open schools this fall,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield in a release.
CDC, the nation's top public health agency, has faced considerable political pressure from President Donald Trump and others to get schools reopened.
A key consideration for school administrators, CDC said, was COVID-19 transmission rates in their communities. But the CDC guidance offered no specific metrics for what transmission rates would require specific actions.
– Elizabeth Weise
GOP backs more stimulus checks, funds for schools in new aid package
Senate Republicans were scrambling Thursday to finalize a $1 trillion coronavirus relief package that will include another round of $1,200 stimulus checks and additional funding to help schools recover from the pandemic.
GOP leaders and the White House said late Wednesday that they had agreed on key parts of the legislation, which will serve as a starting point for negotiations with Democrats, who have already passed their own bill in the House.
But Republicans are still struggling to put the finishing touches on the package. Congress and the White House are under pressure to clinch a deal on a fresh pandemic aid package; a federal program of expanded unemployment benefits is set to run out within days.
One item that will be missing from the GOP plan is Trump’s demand for a payroll tax cut. Republicans abandoned that proposal even though Trump had suggested he might not sign any bill that doesn’t include it.
New CDC guidelines: People with mild to moderate COVID-19 only need to isolate 10 days
People who have had mild to moderate COVID-19 can come out of isolation after 10 days and don't need to be retested before going back to work, new CDC guidelines say. Symptoms, not testing, are the guide. If patients had a fever, it needs to have been gone for at least 24 hours.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention document, published Wednesday, says symptoms are a better gauge of how infectious someone is so they are "not kept unnecessarily isolated and excluded from work or other responsibilities."
The document acknowledges that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is so new that doctors are still gathering evidence for how it works. As more data becomes available, the medical community is gaining a better understanding of how people who are infected can avoiding passing on the disease. The new guidelines reflect the latest thinking.
– Elizabeth Weise
Trump cancels Jacksonville portion of RNC due to COVID-19
President Donald Trump announced Thursday he is canceling the Jacksonville portion of the Republican National Convention because of the coronavirus pandemic, a major setback in his effort to energize his struggling bid for reelection. "The timing for this event is not right," Trump told reporters at the White House. "There's nothing more important in our country than keeping our people safe."
Trump said that he would deliver remarks to formally accept his party's nomination for president but offered no detail on where or when that will happen. The abrupt decision was not only a significant blow to his campaign but also raised questions about the president's narrative that the country is ready to reopen for business.
Trump said convention delegates will still gather in North Carolina, where the official business of the convention was set to take place, and formally nominate him for reelection.
Late Thursday, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez reaffirmed that his party will hold its national convention next month in Milwaukee, with a mostly virtual event. Delegates will vote remotely. Joe Biden has said he intends to accept the nomination in Milwaukee
– John Fritze, Courtney Subramanian, Michael Collins and Bill Glauber
Florida, Texas among states with deadliest weeks
A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Wednesday shows 12 states set records for new cases over a seven-day period while six states had a record number of deaths over the period. New case records were set in Alaska, California, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. Record numbers of deaths were reported in Florida, Idaho, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
In Florida, the week's death toll was 824, more than twice the number of any week during the spring COVID-19 surge. Still, Gov. Ron DeSantis continued to press for in-classroom learning when schools open, some in less than three weeks. DeSantis stressed that young people face the least risk from the virus.
"It is our kids who have borne the harshest burden of the controlled measures instituted to protect against the virus,” DeSantis said Wednesday.
– Michael Stucka
More COVID-19 resources from USA TODAY
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Contributing: The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-07-24--DNC chair Tom Perez reaffirms Democrats' plans for Milwaukee convention after Trump cancels Jacksonv

Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez reaffirmed late Thursday that his party will hold its national convention next month in Milwaukee .
Perez 's statement came in the wake of President Donald Trump pulling the plug on the Jacksonville , Florida portion of the GOP convention .
Trump cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the abrupt reversal .
RELATED : Parties ?
Canceled .
Protests and Joe Biden ?
Still on .
What we know ( and do n't ) about the DNC in Milwaukee Republican delegates will gather where they originally planned , in Charlotte , N.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renomination of the president .
Democrats will hold a mostly virtual event , Aug. 17-20 .
Delegates will vote remotely .
Joe Biden has said he intends to accept the nomination in Milwaukee .
`` From the very beginning of this pandemic , Democrats have put the health and safety of the American people first , '' Perez said in a statement .
`` Unlike Trump , we followed the science , listened to doctors and public health experts , and worked through plans to protect lives .
`` That 's how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention that will bring our country together , ensure our delegates can take care of official business without risk to public health , and still shine a spotlight on our host community of Milwaukee , '' Perez said .
Perez said the convention `` will showcase our candidate , our values and our vision to the nation while keeping people safe and engaging more Americans than ever before . ''

Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

DNC chair Tom Perez reaffirms Democrats' plans for Milwaukee convention after Trump cancels Jacksonville event
Show Caption Hide Caption How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez reaffirmed late Thursday that his party will hold its national convention next month in Milwaukee.
Perez's statement came in the wake of President Donald Trump pulling the plug on the Jacksonville, Florida portion of the GOP convention. Trump cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the abrupt reversal.
RELATED: Parties? Canceled. Protests and Joe Biden? Still on. What we know (and don't) about the DNC in Milwaukee
Republican delegates will gather where they originally planned, in Charlotte, N.C., for official business, including the renomination of the president.
Democrats will hold a mostly virtual event, Aug. 17-20. Delegates will vote remotely. Joe Biden has said he intends to accept the nomination in Milwaukee.
"From the very beginning of this pandemic, Democrats have put the health and safety of the American people first," Perez said in a statement. "Unlike Trump, we followed the science, listened to doctors and public health experts, and worked through plans to protect lives.
"That's how we made the decision to hold a responsible convention that will bring our country together, ensure our delegates can take care of official business without risk to public health, and still shine a spotlight on our host community of Milwaukee," Perez said.
Perez said the convention "will showcase our candidate, our values and our vision to the nation while keeping people safe and engaging more Americans than ever before."


usatoday--2020-07-24--Mayors see broken trust, political agenda in Trump's surge of federal officers to US cities

One of the hardest lessons to emerge from the 9/11 terror attacks was the lack of coordination among American law enforcement and intelligence agencies .
The failures , outlined in a national commission 's report , prompted a dramatic expansion of a network of terrorism task forces , marking a landmark collaboration between federal agencies and local law enforcement .
By contrast , the plan unveiled by the Trump administration Wednesday to surge hundreds of federal agents to Chicago , Albuquerque , New Mexico , and other cities as part of an enlarged violent crime crackdown lacked an essential ingredient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enterprise : local trust .
At any other time , the help extended by the White House likely would have been accepted without question , especially in Chicago where murders are up 51 % so far this year .
But as federal agents clash nightly with protesters in Portland , Oregon , and as Trump openly threatens federal intervention in cities led by Democrats , municipal leaders in those cities and elsewhere no longer view the deployments as a salve to help reduce crime .
Instead , they say , the deployments have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the president seeking to project a law-and-order image and revive a sagging re-election campaign in the midst of a deadly pandemic .
`` My vision for America ’ s cities could not be more different from the lawlessness being pushed by the extreme radical left , '' Trump said Wednesday in the East Room of the White House , where he went on to refer to city leaders as `` deadly politicians '' supporting `` deadly policies . ''
Quinton Lucas , the mayor of Kansas City , Missouri , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's words and winced , calling the message `` offensive , divisive and harmful to my city . ''
While struggling with its own violent crime , Kansas City recently accepted the help of more than 200 federal agents to battle persistent violence highlighted by last month 's unsolved murder of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro , who was shot while he slept in an apartment.The plan announced by Trump and Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday expanded on that strategy named for the young victim , `` Operation LeGend . ''
`` It ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to stand with and explain this operation to the public , '' Lucas , a Democrat , told USA TODAY on Thursday , while lamenting how violence has ravaged the city .
`` I want to find justice for LeGend Taliferro .
But to get that justice ... you do n't have to make the community a ploy in an election year.
`` 'Politics standing in way of police work' In Albuquerque , long troubled by violence in the city and upheaval in its police department , municipal leaders said they did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they consulted , before Trump and Barr announced that more than 35 federal agents were being dispatched there .
“ We always welcome partnerships in constitutional crime fighting that are in step with our community , but we won ’ t sell out our city for a bait and switch excuse to send secret police to Albuquerque , '' Democrat Mayor Tim Keller said , referring to Portland where the identities and affiliations of federal agents operating there are not always known or visible to the public .
`` Operation LeGend is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics standing in the way of police work and makes us less safe.
” “ I truly hope this is a not just a cheap political stunt that will only make our city less safe , '' Geier said after learning of the federal plan .
With as many as 300 federal agents headed to Chicago , Mayor Lori Lightfoot , a Democrat , was both apprehensive and hopeful , as local leaders have grappled with spasms of gun violence , including a Tuesday night shooting when 15 people were wounded outside a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : President Trump is weighing the deployment of federal officers to Chicago and other cities nationwide Not Portland : Chicago wo n't see 'Portland-style deployment ' of federal agents , Mayor Lori Lightfoot says '' You see a common theme here ? ''
the mayor said at a Wednesday briefing .
`` The president is trying to divert attention from his failed leadership on COVID-19 .
He has failed .
He has failed .
He has failed . ''
After a Wednesday evening phone call with Trump , Lightfoot indicated that she would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition that it be narrowly tailored to address local violent crime .
`` The mayor has made clear that if there is any deviation from what has been announced , we will pursue all legal options , '' Lightfoot 's office said in written statement .
Other local leaders , whose cities have been mentioned by Trump as future destinations for federal intervention , have expressed their unconditional opposition .
`` We do not consent .
We object , '' said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio , a Democrat .
`` Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Department of Homeland Security or other federal agencies to New York City .
They have not been requested .
They are not needed .
And they have proved to bring way more harm than good.
” In Baltimore , another city on Trump 's deployment list , a spokesman for Mayor Bernard `` Jack '' Young , a Democrat , said the mayor would simply not respond to the president 's use of a public safety strategy as `` a political issue . ''
'This is different' Appearing with Trump at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance the Albuquerque and Chicago deployments from the chaotic scene in Portland , where protesters and a contingent of federal officers have clashed almost nightly .
Wednesday night , just hours after the White House announcement , Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was caught in a cloud of tear gas while trying to calm activists who have repeatedly called for a withdrawal of federal authorities .
`` It is important to stress that the operations we are talking about are the standard anti-criminal activities we have carried out around the country for many decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surges in Albuquerque and Chicago .
`` This is different than the operations and tactical teams we use to defend against riots and mob violence .
We will continue to confront mob violence .
But , the operations we are discussing today are very different – they are classic crime fighting , '' he said , while not specifically referring to Portland , where protesters have demonstrated against police brutality since the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis .
Barr said that the `` goal '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives . ''
`` The principle danger to the lives of our inner city communities is violent crime , '' Barr said , adding homicide is the leading cause of death for young Black males .
`` Every one of these lives matter , '' he said .
Larry Cosme , president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association , said he supports the federal surges , maintaining that attacks on officers by those he described as attempting to hijack peaceful protests have not received enough attention .
“ Morale is in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups and these groups that are well organized and well-funded by certain individuals attacking the police , ” Cosme said .
“ No one ’ s talking about that.
” Yet in the cities where new surges of federal officers are expected in the coming days , the troubling images pouring out of Portland have been difficult to ignore .
Portland deployment raises legal questions : What you need to know on the federal response in Portland and the legal questions it raises '' The leaders in these cities have every right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Kansas City mayor .
`` What 's happened in Portland lends a great deal of concern and fear . ''
Lucas said it 's `` far too early '' to determine whether the federal surge is a success in Kansas City , even though Barr indicated , inaccurately , Wednesday that the crackdown had produced 200 arrests .
Lucas said he is aware of only one arrest since the unit 's work began .
A U.S. Justice Department official said Thursday that the number quoted by the attorney general included all arrests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of a separate program late last year .
`` Nobody should be out there celebrating just yet , '' Lucas said .
Dozens of activists gathered in downtown Chicago on Thursday morning to condemn the deployment of additional federal agents to the city .
Many said the federal resources would be better spent by investing in social services in low-income neighborhoods and that the additional agents would only serve to intimidate protesters .
“ What we need is funding .
What we need is investment in Black and brown communities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ We don ’ t need feds coming in , ” said Alycia Kamil , 19 , a South Side resident and organizer with GoodKids MadCity , an anti-gun violence youth group .
“ I fear for my life going to actions now.
” Aislinn Pulley , co-founder of Black Lives Matter Chicago , echoed Kamil ’ s words .
“ Cops do not equal safety . ''
Sameena Mustafa , a commercial real estate broker and North Side resident who attended the rally , called the deployment of federal agents “ a complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal dollars that are going to attacking my neighbors instead of investing in infrastructure , education and health care , '' Mustafa said .
`` We ’ re in the middle of a pandemic .
There are people reusing masks .
And yet we have federal agents coming here .
That money could be going to save lives.
” More than 1,300 miles away , the reaction was largely the same in Albuquerque .
Jim Harvey , executive director of the city 's Center for Peace and Justice , said local social justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply concerned '' about what the federal deployment could mean .
`` This has nothing to do with caring about the safety and security of the people here , '' Harvey said .
`` We 've seen what 's happened in Portland .
`` If there was a need for the federal agents , they would have been asked for , '' he said .
`` Most people recognize the political motivation behind this . ''

Kevin Johnson, Grace Hauck and Kristine Phillips, USA TODAY

Mayors see broken trust, political agenda in Trump's surge of federal officers to US cities
Show Caption Hide Caption The law that allows DHS to send federal agents to cities like Portland The Trump administration sends federal agents in cities like Portland by citing the Department of Homeland Security. Here is breakdown on the law. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
One of the hardest lessons to emerge from the 9/11 terror attacks was the lack of coordination among American law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
The failures, outlined in a national commission's report, prompted a dramatic expansion of a network of terrorism task forces, marking a landmark collaboration between federal agencies and local law enforcement.
By contrast, the plan unveiled by the Trump administration Wednesday to surge hundreds of federal agents to Chicago; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and other cities as part of an enlarged violent crime crackdown lacked an essential ingredient that continues to bind the vaunted anti-terrorism enterprise: local trust.
At any other time, the help extended by the White House likely would have been accepted without question, especially in Chicago, where murders are up 51% so far this year.
But as federal agents clash nightly with protesters in Portland, Oregon, and as Trump openly threatens federal intervention in cities led by Democrats, municipal leaders in those cities and elsewhere no longer view the deployments as a salve to help reduce crime. Instead, they say, the deployments have taken on the unmistakable shroud of politics, with the president seeking to project a law-and-order image and revive a sagging re-election campaign in the midst of a deadly pandemic.
Trump announces surge of federal law enforcement to communities President Donald Trump announces a surge of federal law enforcement into communities "plagued by violent crime." USA TODAY
"My vision for America’s cities could not be more different from the lawlessness being pushed by the extreme radical left," Trump said Wednesday in the East Room of the White House, where he went on to refer to city leaders as "deadly politicians" supporting "deadly policies."
Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, was among those who listened carefully to the president's words and winced, calling the message "offensive, divisive and harmful to my city."
While struggling with its own violent crime, Kansas City recently accepted the help of more than 200 federal agents to battle persistent violence highlighted by last month's unsolved murder of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot while he slept in an apartment. The plan announced by Trump and Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday expanded on that strategy named for the young victim, "Operation LeGend."
"It (Trump's rhetoric) makes it very hard to stand with and explain this operation to the public," Lucas, a Democrat, told USA TODAY on Thursday, while lamenting how violence has ravaged the city. "I want to find justice for LeGend Taliferro. But to get that justice...you don't have to make the community a ploy in an election year. "
'Politics standing in way of police work'
In Albuquerque, long troubled by violence in the city and upheaval in its police department, municipal leaders said they did not request federal help, nor were they consulted, before Trump and Barr announced that more than 35 federal agents were being dispatched there.
“We always welcome partnerships in constitutional crime fighting that are in step with our community, but we won’t sell out our city for a bait and switch excuse to send secret police to Albuquerque," Democratic Mayor Tim Keller said, referring to Portland, where the identities and affiliations of federal agents operating there are not always known or visible to the public. "Operation LeGend is not real crime fighting; it’s politics standing in the way of police work and makes us less safe.”
Albuquerque Police Chief Mike Geier has been equally wary.
“I truly hope this is a not just a cheap political stunt that will only make our city less safe," Geier said after learning of the federal plan.
With as many as 300 federal agents headed to Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, was both apprehensive and hopeful, as local leaders have grappled with spasms of gun violence, including a Tuesday night shooting when 15 people were wounded outside a local funeral home.
A nationwide deployment: President Trump is weighing the deployment of federal officers to Chicago and other cities nationwide
Not Portland: Chicago won't see 'Portland-style deployment' of federal agents, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says
"You see a common theme here?" the mayor said at a Wednesday briefing. "The president is trying to divert attention from his failed leadership on COVID-19. He has failed. He has failed. He has failed."
After a Wednesday evening phone call with Trump, Lightfoot indicated that she would accept the federal help but on the condition that it be narrowly tailored to address local violent crime.
"The mayor has made clear that if there is any deviation from what has been announced, we will pursue all legal options," Lightfoot's office said in written statement.
Other local leaders, whose cities have been mentioned by Trump as future destinations for federal intervention, have expressed their unconditional opposition.
"We do not consent. We object," said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat. "Do not send the proposed agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security or other federal agencies to New York City. They have not been requested. They are not needed. And they have proved to bring way more harm than good.”
In Baltimore, another city on Trump's deployment list, a spokesman for Mayor Bernard "Jack" Young, a Democrat, said the mayor would simply not respond to the president's use of a public safety strategy as "a political issue."
'This is different'
Appearing with Trump at the White House, Barr attempted to distance the Albuquerque and Chicago deployments from the chaotic scene in Portland, where protesters and a contingent of federal officers have clashed almost nightly.
On Wednesday night, just hours after the White House announcement, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was caught in a cloud of tear gas while trying to calm activists who have repeatedly called for a withdrawal of federal authorities.
"It is important to stress that the operations we are talking about are the standard anti-criminal activities we have carried out around the country for many decades," Barr said of the planned surges in Albuquerque and Chicago.
"This is different than the operations and tactical teams we use to defend against riots and mob violence. We will continue to confront mob violence. But, the operations we are discussing today are very different – they are classic crime fighting," he said, while not specifically referring to Portland, where protesters have demonstrated against police brutality since the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
Barr said that the "goal" of additional deployments is to "save lives."
"The principle danger to the lives of our inner city communities is violent crime," Barr said, adding homicide is the leading cause of death for young Black males.
"Every one of these lives matter," he said.
Larry Cosme, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, said he supports the federal surges, maintaining that attacks on officers by those he described as attempting to hijack peaceful protests have not received enough attention.
“Morale is in the dumpster already where you have these anarchist groups and these groups that are well organized and well-funded by certain individuals attacking the police,” Cosme said. “No one’s talking about that.”
Yet in the cities where new surges of federal officers are expected in the coming days, the troubling images pouring out of Portland have been difficult to ignore.
Portland deployment raises legal questions: What you need to know on the federal response in Portland and the legal questions it raises
"The leaders in these cities have every right to be wary," said Lucas, the Kansas City mayor. "What's happened in Portland lends a great deal of concern and fear."
Lucas said it's "far too early" to determine whether the federal surge is a success in Kansas City, even though Barr indicated, inaccurately, Wednesday that the crackdown had produced 200 arrests. Lucas said he is aware of only one arrest since the unit's work began. A U.S. Justice Department official said Thursday that the number quoted by the attorney general included all arrests recorded by federal and local authorities since the start of a separate program late last year.
"Nobody should be out there celebrating just yet," Lucas said.
'A complete mistake'
Dozens of activists gathered in downtown Chicago on Thursday morning to condemn the deployment of additional federal agents to the city. Many said the federal resources would be better spent by investing in social services in low-income neighborhoods and that the additional agents would only serve to intimidate protesters.
“What we need is funding. What we need is investment in Black and brown communities. We don’t need police. We don’t need feds coming in,” said Alycia Kamil, 19, a South Side resident and organizer with GoodKids MadCity, an anti-gun violence youth group. “I fear for my life going to actions now.”
Aislinn Pulley, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Chicago, echoed Kamil’s words. “Cops do not equal safety."
Sameena Mustafa, a commercial real estate broker and North Side resident who attended the rally, called the deployment of federal agents “a complete mistake.”
“It means there are federal dollars that are going to attacking my neighbors instead of investing in infrastructure, education and health care," Mustafa said. "We’re in the middle of a pandemic. There are people reusing masks. And yet we have federal agents coming here. That money could be going to save lives.”
Community leaders react to violence in Chicago Some community leaders in Chicago say the city needs more resources and not federal troops as gun violence surges in the city. (July 22) AP
More than 1,300 miles away, the reaction was largely the same in Albuquerque.
Jim Harvey, executive director of the city's Center for Peace and Justice, said local social justice advocates and civil rights leaders are "deeply concerned" about what the federal deployment could mean.
"This has nothing to do with caring about the safety and security of the people here," Harvey said. "We've seen what's happened in Portland.
"If there was a need for the federal agents, they would have been asked for," he said. "Most people recognize the political motivation behind this."
Contributing: John Fritze, USA TODAY.