talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-07--Investigation Ongoing After Alleged ‘Attempted Lynching’ Caught On Film In Indiana

Law enforcement is investigating and conducting interviews after a Bloomington man was allegedly assaulted and , he said , almost lynched by a group of white people on July 4th .
The victim , Vauhxx Rush Booker , a human rights activist in Bloomington , posted his account of the episode alongside witness videos on his Facebook page .
In his retelling of the alleged assault , Booker , who is Black , recounts being beaten , jumped on and bashed into a tree by a group of white people who ’ d been harassing and following his group after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monroe , hoping to watch a lunar eclipse .
He said that he was ultimately let go when bystanders started to gather , but that the alleged assailants first urged the witnesses to leave and called for “ a noose.
” When officers responded to his 9-1-1 call , Booker wrote , the Indiana Department of Natural Resources ’ Law Enforcement Division first interviewed the alleged assailants before checking if he was okay .
He wrote that law enforcement made no arrests on the scene after they called the Monroe County Prosecutor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just file a report .
Neither the county prosecutor nor the DNR confirmed that part of his account to TPM .
DNR spokesperson Capt .
Jet Quillan told TPM that officers “ responded to a call for service regarding a battery on July 4 , 2020 at approximately 8 p.m. on private property adjacent to Monroe Reservoir property ” after “ a 911 call was transferred to Indiana Conservation Officer Central Dispatch.
” He said that the investigation is active , and that a final report will be sent to the Monroe County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged attack occurred twelve miles outside of the city of Bloomington ’ s jurisdiction , Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton ( D ) has been in contact with Booker , law enforcement , the governor and the county prosecutor , spokesperson Yael Ksander said .
Ksander said that it is “ not clear ” to the Mayor if the county prosecutor will press charges .
“ The Indiana Conservation Officers ( ICO ) , the law enforcement division of the Department of Natural Resources , is providing the Monroe County Prosecutor ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and digital evidence , ” she said .
“ The prosecutor ’ s office will review the materials submitted and make a determination of charges to pursue.
” The alleged attack sparked protests outside the Monroe County Courthouse in Bloomington Monday evening , a peaceful demonstration which ended violently .
As the crowd dispersed for the night , witnesses reported and caught on camera a red car plowing into the protesters , carrying two along on the hood of the car .
They flew off when the car turned a corner .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was reportedly taken to the hospital for treatment .
Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg ( D ) , who called Booker ’ s alleged assault “ sickening , ” issued a call to action in response to the car attack .
“ Indiana must confront the racism that threatens lives even in one of its most progressive cities , ” he wrote on Twitter .
“ This is a moral emergency.
” In his Facebook post , Booker recounted that he and some friends were headed to the lake to watch the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ large , white male ( seemingly drunk ) ” wearing a Confederate flag-printed hat .
The man followed them on an ATV , saying that they were on private property .
Booker said that they apologized , though they had the property owner ’ s permission to be there , and crossed over to the lake .
Shaken , Booker wrote that they told the rest of the group coming to watch the eclipse to come by way of the public beach to avoid the man .
But there , the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public land with their boats and ATVS , claiming it as their own property .
Booker said that one of them yelled “ white power ” when the rest of the group tried to cross .
Booker said that they attempted to engage the group in conversation — but their attempts were futile .
When Booker and his friends decided to leave , the group funneled them onto a trail , blocking off the beach path .
Then , Booker said , he was attacked .
“ The five were able to easily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground and dragged me pinning my body against a tree as they began pounding on my head and ripped off some of my hair , with several of them still on top of my body holding me down , ” he wrote .
He said that they got “ more enraged ” as the beating progressed , and at one point he felt a man jump on his neck .
He recalled one of the men ’ s daughters screaming for her father to let Booker go , which attracted more people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the growing group , ‘ we ’ re going to break his arms ’ ( while literally attempting to bend my arms behind me ) and then stated to the members of their party several times to , ‘ get a noose ’ , amongst some other choice slurs , ” Booker wrote .
“ With me still pinned underneath them they kept telling onlookers to leave the ‘ boy ’ and that everyone else ( all white ) could go.
” At that point , some of the onlookers started filming the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the videos , which Booker said shows the alleged attack , the group is still huddled around a tree holding Booker , who is slumped on the ground .
The nearby woman , wearing a bathing suit and sandals and holding a beer can , can be heard imploring the group to let Booker go .
Many of the bystanders echo her call .
At one point , one of the men with his hands on Booker turns and says “ you go !
” jabbing a finger at one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wearing a towel over a bathing suit , adds “ You go and we ’ ll let him go.
” The other videos show the aftermath of the scene , after Booker was released .
Those who allegedly assaulted him followed the group of witnesses , telling them to get off the “ private property.
” One of the men , shirtless and wearing swim trunks , repeatedly calls the group “ liberal fucks ” and claims that they “ invaded us.
” He also called one , a Black man , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white friends.
” “ Big Black was what started all of this , ” the same man said , with two of his friends sometimes restraining him .
Booker said that he came away from the attack with a “ minor concussion , some abrasions , bruising , and some ripped out hair patches.
” “ I don ’ t want to recount this , ” Booker wrote at the start of his post , “ but I was almost the victim of an attempted lynching .
I don ’ t want this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It hurts my soul , and my pride , but there are multiple witnesses and it can ’ t be hidden or avoided.
” Katharine Liell , the Bloomington attorney who is representing Booker , wrote on Facebook that the prosecutor ’ s office is actively reviewing the case and has called in DNR who will have to answer some “ tough questions.
” “ Based upon my experience , ” she added , “ arrest warrants will be issued .
”

Law enforcement is investigating and conducting interviews after a Bloomington man was allegedly assaulted and, he said, almost lynched by a group of white people on July 4th.
The victim, Vauhxx Rush Booker, a human rights activist in Bloomington, posted his account of the episode alongside witness videos on his Facebook page. In his retelling of the alleged assault, Booker, who is Black, recounts being beaten, jumped on and bashed into a tree by a group of white people who’d been harassing and following his group after they entered the wooded area near Lake Monroe, hoping to watch a lunar eclipse.
He said that he was ultimately let go when bystanders started to gather, but that the alleged assailants first urged the witnesses to leave and called for “a noose.”
When officers responded to his 9-1-1 call, Booker wrote, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Law Enforcement Division first interviewed the alleged assailants before checking if he was okay. He wrote that law enforcement made no arrests on the scene after they called the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office who told the officers to just file a report.
Neither the county prosecutor nor the DNR confirmed that part of his account to TPM.
DNR spokesperson Capt. Jet Quillan told TPM that officers “responded to a call for service regarding a battery on July 4, 2020 at approximately 8 p.m. on private property adjacent to Monroe Reservoir property” after “a 911 call was transferred to Indiana Conservation Officer Central Dispatch.” He said that the investigation is active, and that a final report will be sent to the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office.
Though the alleged attack occurred twelve miles outside of the city of Bloomington’s jurisdiction, Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton (D) has been in contact with Booker, law enforcement, the governor and the county prosecutor, spokesperson Yael Ksander said.
Ksander said that it is “not clear” to the Mayor if the county prosecutor will press charges.
“The Indiana Conservation Officers (ICO), the law enforcement division of the Department of Natural Resources, is providing the Monroe County Prosecutor’s office with their investigative reports, witness statements, and digital evidence,” she said. “The prosecutor’s office will review the materials submitted and make a determination of charges to pursue.”
The alleged attack sparked protests outside the Monroe County Courthouse in Bloomington Monday evening, a peaceful demonstration which ended violently.
As the crowd dispersed for the night, witnesses reported and caught on camera a red car plowing into the protesters, carrying two along on the hood of the car. They flew off when the car turned a corner. One of them, a woman, was reportedly taken to the hospital for treatment.
This is in Bloomington where a car apparently drives through PEOPLE protesting after incident between a Black man who was pinned against a tree while people yell to let him go. Officials agree that it was racially motivated.@brettkast is on this story. Courtesy:Rodney C. Root pic.twitter.com/HxuOqffART — Courtney Crown (@CrownJournalist) July 7, 2020
Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D), who called Booker’s alleged assault “sickening,” issued a call to action in response to the car attack.
“Indiana must confront the racism that threatens lives even in one of its most progressive cities,” he wrote on Twitter. “This is a moral emergency.”
In his Facebook post, Booker recounted that he and some friends were headed to the lake to watch the eclipse when they were accosted by a “large, white male (seemingly drunk)” wearing a Confederate flag-printed hat. The man followed them on an ATV, saying that they were on private property. Booker said that they apologized, though they had the property owner’s permission to be there, and crossed over to the lake.
Shaken, Booker wrote that they told the rest of the group coming to watch the eclipse to come by way of the public beach to avoid the man. But there, the man’s friends had blocked off the public land with their boats and ATVS, claiming it as their own property. Booker said that one of them yelled “white power” when the rest of the group tried to cross.
Booker said that they attempted to engage the group in conversation — but their attempts were futile. When Booker and his friends decided to leave, the group funneled them onto a trail, blocking off the beach path. Then, Booker said, he was attacked.
“The five were able to easily overwhelm me and got me to the ground and dragged me pinning my body against a tree as they began pounding on my head and ripped off some of my hair, with several of them still on top of my body holding me down,” he wrote.
He said that they got “more enraged” as the beating progressed, and at one point he felt a man jump on his neck. He recalled one of the men’s daughters screaming for her father to let Booker go, which attracted more people to the scene.
“The attackers told the growing group, ‘we’re going to break his arms’ (while literally attempting to bend my arms behind me) and then stated to the members of their party several times to, ‘get a noose’, amongst some other choice slurs,” Booker wrote. “With me still pinned underneath them they kept telling onlookers to leave the ‘boy’ and that everyone else (all white) could go.”
At that point, some of the onlookers started filming the scene with their phones.
In one of the videos, which Booker said shows the alleged attack, the group is still huddled around a tree holding Booker, who is slumped on the ground. The nearby woman, wearing a bathing suit and sandals and holding a beer can, can be heard imploring the group to let Booker go. Many of the bystanders echo her call.
At one point, one of the men with his hands on Booker turns and says “you go!” jabbing a finger at one of the bystanders. A woman next to him, wearing a towel over a bathing suit, adds “You go and we’ll let him go.”
The other videos show the aftermath of the scene, after Booker was released. Those who allegedly assaulted him followed the group of witnesses, telling them to get off the “private property.”
One of the men, shirtless and wearing swim trunks, repeatedly calls the group “liberal fucks” and claims that they “invaded us.” He also called one, a Black man, “a nappy-headed bitch with your five white friends.”
“Big Black was what started all of this,” the same man said, with two of his friends sometimes restraining him.
Booker said that he came away from the attack with a “minor concussion, some abrasions, bruising, and some ripped out hair patches.”
“I don’t want to recount this,” Booker wrote at the start of his post, “but I was almost the victim of an attempted lynching. I don’t want this to have happened to me or anyone. It hurts my soul, and my pride, but there are multiple witnesses and it can’t be hidden or avoided.”
Katharine Liell, the Bloomington attorney who is representing Booker, wrote on Facebook that the prosecutor’s office is actively reviewing the case and has called in DNR who will have to answer some “tough questions.”
“Based upon my experience,” she added, “arrest warrants will be issued.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-07--Alexander Becomes Second GOPer Skipping RNC After Grassley Opts Out

Sen. Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) announced that he has decided against attending the Republican National Convention next month , making him the second Republican to opt out of the event .
In a statement shared with TPM on Tuesday , Alexander ’ s office said that although he is an honorary chair of the Tennessee Trump campaign , he will not attend the RNC “ because he believes the delegate spots should be reserved for those who have not had that privilege before as he has had.
” Alexander ’ s announcement as Sen. Chuck Grassley ( R-IA ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he wouldn ’ t attend the convention due to “ the virus situation , ” referring to surging cases of the coronavirus across the country .
Although Alexander didn ’ t point to surging cases of the coronavirus across the country in his statement , last week he doubled down on his call for everyone , including President Trump , to wear a mask to reduce the spread of COVID-19 , during a Senate coronavirus hearing .
During the hearing , Alexander claimed that he “ suggested that the President occasionally wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not necessary for him to do so “ in most cases.
” This year ’ s RNC will be held in Jacksonville , Florida in late August , after being moved from Charlotte , North Carolina .
The Republican National Committee announced the move after both Gov .
Roy Cooper ( D ) and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles shared health and safety concerns over holding the convention amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
Last week , Jacksonville ordered the public to wear face masks in indoor and outdoor locations to slow the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record spike in cases .

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) announced that he has decided against attending the Republican National Convention next month, making him the second Republican to opt out of the event.
In a statement shared with TPM on Tuesday, Alexander’s office said that although he is an honorary chair of the Tennessee Trump campaign, he will not attend the RNC “because he believes the delegate spots should be reserved for those who have not had that privilege before as he has had.”
Alexander’s announcement as Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told reporters during a conference call Monday that he wouldn’t attend the convention due to “the virus situation,” referring to surging cases of the coronavirus across the country.
Although Alexander didn’t point to surging cases of the coronavirus across the country in his statement, last week he doubled down on his call for everyone, including President Trump, to wear a mask to reduce the spread of COVID-19, during a Senate coronavirus hearing.
During the hearing, Alexander claimed that he “suggested that the President occasionally wear a mask” despite how it’s not necessary for him to do so “in most cases.”
This year’s RNC will be held in Jacksonville, Florida in late August, after being moved from Charlotte, North Carolina. The Republican National Committee announced the move after both Gov. Roy Cooper (D) and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles shared health and safety concerns over holding the convention amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, Jacksonville ordered the public to wear face masks in indoor and outdoor locations to slow the spread of COVID-19 as Florida continues experiencing a record spike in cases.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-07--MD Gov Launches Book Tour And Eyes Possible 2024 GOP Presidential Bid

Gov .
Larry Hogan ( R-MD ) , who is one of just a few Republican governors who have publicly challenged President Trump on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic , announced a virtual book tour to launch his new memoir on Tuesday .
The news comes as he considers a presidential run in 2024 , according to the New York Times .
“ After this November election is over , regardless of who wins , there are a large majority of Americans who are completely convinced our political system is fundamentally broken , and they ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hogan told the Times .
Hogan considered running last year when he weighed a primary challenge against Trump , but changed course to lead the National Governors Association .
The memoir , titled , “ Still Standing , ” addresses growing concerns among Americans about a broken political system , Hogan told The New York Times in an interview .
The book , which was delayed from an earlier publication date due to the pandemic , will discuss the governor ’ s battle with cancer as well as how he faced the aftermath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his state in 2013 .
It also contains chapters about the coronavirus pandemic both in Maryland and nationally , with a critique of Trump ’ s leadership throughout the crisis .
Hogan said he was not interested in a run for the U.S. Senate in 2022 , despite polling showing him as a potential contender to Senator Chris Van Hollen ( D ) .

Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD), who is one of just a few Republican governors who have publicly challenged President Trump on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, announced a virtual book tour to launch his new memoir on Tuesday.
The news comes as he considers a presidential run in 2024, according to the New York Times.
“After this November election is over, regardless of who wins, there are a large majority of Americans who are completely convinced our political system is fundamentally broken, and they’re going to be looking for something different,” Hogan told the Times.
Hogan considered running last year when he weighed a primary challenge against Trump, but changed course to lead the National Governors Association.
The memoir, titled, “Still Standing,” addresses growing concerns among Americans about a broken political system, Hogan told The New York Times in an interview.
The book, which was delayed from an earlier publication date due to the pandemic, will discuss the governor’s battle with cancer as well as how he faced the aftermath of the police killing of Freddie Gray in his state in 2013. It also contains chapters about the coronavirus pandemic both in Maryland and nationally, with a critique of Trump’s leadership throughout the crisis.
Hogan said he was not interested in a run for the U.S. Senate in 2022, despite polling showing him as a potential contender to Senator Chris Van Hollen (D).


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-07--Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro Tests Positive For COVID-19

RIO DE JANEIRO ( AP ) — Brazil ’ s President Jair Bolsonaro says he has tested positive for COVID-19 after months of downplaying the virus ’ severity .
Bolsonaro confirmed the test results while wearing a mask and speaking to reporters in capital Brasilia .
“ I ’ m well , normal .
I even want to take a walk around here , but I can ’ t due to medical recommendationS , ” Bolsonaro said .
The president has often appeared in public to shake hands with supporters and mingle with crowds , at times without a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an athlete would protect him from the virus , and that it would be nothing more than a “ little flu ” were he to contract it .
He has also repeatedly said that there is no way to prevent 70 % of the population falling ill with COVID-19 , and that local authorities ’ measures to shut down economic activity would ultimately cause more hardship than allowing the virus to run its course .
Cities and states last month began lifting restrictions that had been imposed to control the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of deaths began to decline along with the occupation rate of its intensive-care units .
Brazil , the world ’ s sixth most populous nation , with more than 210 million people , is one of the global hot spots of the pandemic .
On Monday , Bolsonaro told supporters in Brasilia that he underwent an X-ray of his lungs that showed they were clean , and that he would be tested for COVID-19 .
On Tuesday , he told CNN Brasil that his fever had subsided .
Over the weekend , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day with the nation ’ s ambassador to Brazil , then shared pictures on social media showing him with his arm around the ambassador alongside several ministers and aides .
None wore masks , despite being in close quarters .
The U.S. Embassy said on Twitter on Monday that Ambassador Todd Chapman is not showing any COVID-19 symptoms but would be tested .
Bolsonaro tested negative three times in March after meeting with the U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida .
Multiple members of his delegation to the U.S. were later reported to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 65,000 Brazilians have so far died from COVID-19 and more than 1,500,000 have been infected .
Both numbers are the world ’ s second-highest totals , and are considered to be undercounts to the lack of widespread testing .

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro says he has tested positive for COVID-19 after months of downplaying the virus’ severity.
Bolsonaro confirmed the test results while wearing a mask and speaking to reporters in capital Brasilia.
“I’m well, normal. I even want to take a walk around here, but I can’t due to medical recommendationS,” Bolsonaro said.
The president has often appeared in public to shake hands with supporters and mingle with crowds, at times without a mask. He has said that his history as an athlete would protect him from the virus, and that it would be nothing more than a “little flu” were he to contract it.
He has also repeatedly said that there is no way to prevent 70% of the population falling ill with COVID-19, and that local authorities’ measures to shut down economic activity would ultimately cause more hardship than allowing the virus to run its course.
Cities and states last month began lifting restrictions that had been imposed to control the spread of the virus, as their statistical curves of deaths began to decline along with the occupation rate of its intensive-care units. Brazil, the world’s sixth most populous nation, with more than 210 million people, is one of the global hot spots of the pandemic.
On Monday, Bolsonaro told supporters in Brasilia that he underwent an X-ray of his lungs that showed they were clean, and that he would be tested for COVID-19. On Tuesday, he told CNN Brasil that his fever had subsided.
Over the weekend, the Brazilian leader celebrated the U.S. Independence Day with the nation’s ambassador to Brazil, then shared pictures on social media showing him with his arm around the ambassador alongside several ministers and aides. None wore masks, despite being in close quarters.
The U.S. Embassy said on Twitter on Monday that Ambassador Todd Chapman is not showing any COVID-19 symptoms but would be tested.
Bolsonaro tested negative three times in March after meeting with the U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida. Multiple members of his delegation to the U.S. were later reported to be infected with the virus.
More than 65,000 Brazilians have so far died from COVID-19 and more than 1,500,000 have been infected. Both numbers are the world’s second-highest totals, and are considered to be undercounts to the lack of widespread testing.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--NH Guv Is Sure Trump’s Rally Will Be Safe. He’s Not Going, Though.

New Hampshire Gov .
Chris Sununu ( R ) believes it ’ s not too risky for President Donald Trump to hold a campaign rally in his state on Saturday-but apparently not enough for the governor himself to attend .
During a press briefing on Tuesday , Sununu told reporters that even though he was going to “ greet the President as the governor ” when Trump arrives at Portsmouth for the outdoor rally , he himself won ’ t be going to the event .
“ I will not be in the crowd of thousands of people , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of a crowd of thousands of people , ” said the governor .
“ Unfortunately , I have to be extra cautious as the governor , I try to be extra cautious for myself , my family , ” he added .
But despite being “ extra cautious ” for his safety , Sununu stated that he still won ’ t be issuing a mask requirement on the day of the rally because he had not done so for the recent anti-police brutality protests in his state .
“ To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the other isn ’ t fair , doesn ’ t make sense , ” the governor said , also stating that he ’ s been “ very clear over the past 48 hours that we expect folks to wear masks.
” The Trump campaign said in its announcement of the rally that masks will be provided to attendees that they are “ strongly encouraged to wear.
” However , the campaign will not be requiring them to do so .

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) believes it’s not too risky for President Donald Trump to hold a campaign rally in his state on Saturday-but apparently not enough for the governor himself to attend.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Sununu told reporters that even though he was going to “greet the President as the governor” when Trump arrives at Portsmouth for the outdoor rally, he himself won’t be going to the event.
“I will not be in the crowd of thousands of people, I’m not going to put myself in the middle of a crowd of thousands of people,” said the governor.
“Unfortunately, I have to be extra cautious as the governor, I try to be extra cautious for myself, my family,” he added.
But despite being “extra cautious” for his safety, Sununu stated that he still won’t be issuing a mask requirement on the day of the rally because he had not done so for the recent anti-police brutality protests in his state.
“To have a mask order for one and not the other isn’t fair, doesn’t make sense,” the governor said, also stating that he’s been “very clear over the past 48 hours that we expect folks to wear masks.”
The Trump campaign said in its announcement of the rally that masks will be provided to attendees that they are “strongly encouraged to wear.” However, the campaign will not be requiring them to do so.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--Elected Officials Will Offer Video Remarks In Place Of Attending Texas GOP Convention

The Republican Party of Texas will hold its disputed in-person convention but elected officials including Gov .
Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick have opted to offer their remarks virtually .
The news , reported by The Texas Tribune , comes amid growing concerns about further spreading the coronavirus in a state that has seen an explosive increase in infections in recent weeks .
“ All the elected officials are switching from a live , in-person speech to videos , ” said Republican Party executive director Kyle Whatley in a Tuesday night town hall .
“ They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to focus all the attention on the business of the meeting and to get everybody in and out of here as quickly and as safely as possible.
” It ’ s an unexpected move from Texas Republican officials who typically headline their party ’ s biennial state convention , which slotted to take place next week .
But Abbott had been noncommittal in recent interviews when asked if he ’ d attend the convention in person amid growing criticism of its risks , often shifting away from directly confirming his attendance .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as for everybody else , we will continue to see what the standards are that will be issued by the SREC , by the state Republican Party , to determine what the possibility will be for being able to attend , ” Abbott told KENS-TV in San Antonio .
The State Republican Executive Committee which serves as the party ’ s governing board , voted last week in favor of an in-person gathering despite CDC guidelines that advise against large gatherings to curb the spread of the virus .
Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the roughly 6,000 anticipated attendees will be required to wear masks during most of the gathering , following a long-awaited mask mandate in the state became a hotspot with surging new cases for the coronavirus in recent weeks .
The announcement comes after calls for its cancellation , notably from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner who earlier this week made a formal request for the party to call off its in-person convention .
“ That need to assemble is important , and we are taking every precaution to ensure it is done safely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party James Dickey .
At least two groups — the Texas Medical Association and the Texas Craft Brewers Guild — have withdrawn their supportas sponsors for the event citing safety concerns .

The Republican Party of Texas will hold its disputed in-person convention but elected officials including Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) have opted to offer their remarks virtually.
The news, reported by The Texas Tribune, comes amid growing concerns about further spreading the coronavirus in a state that has seen an explosive increase in infections in recent weeks.
“All the elected officials are switching from a live, in-person speech to videos,” said Republican Party of Texas executive director Kyle Whatley in a Tuesday night town hall. “They’re doing that for us in order to focus all the attention on the business of the meeting and to get everybody in and out of here as quickly and as safely as possible.”
It’s an unexpected move from Texas Republican officials who typically headline their party’s biennial state convention, which is slotted to take place next week.
But Abbott had been noncommittal in recent interviews when asked if he’d attend the convention in person amid growing criticism of its risks, often shifting away from directly confirming his attendance.
“Yeah, listen, as for myself, as well as for everybody else, we will continue to see what the standards are that will be issued by the SREC, by the state Republican Party, to determine what the possibility will be for being able to attend,” Abbott told KENS-TV in San Antonio.
The State Republican Executive Committee which serves as the party’s governing board, voted last week in favor of an in-person gathering despite CDC guidelines that advise against large gatherings to curb the spread of the virus.
Republican Party of Texas Chair James Dickey said that the roughly 6,000 anticipated attendees will be required to wear masks during most of the gathering, following a long-awaited mask mandate in the state became a hotspot with surging new cases for the coronavirus in recent weeks.
The announcement comes after calls for its cancellation, notably from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) who earlier this week made a formal request for the party to call off its in-person convention.
“That need to assemble is important, and we are taking every precaution to ensure it is done safely,” said Dickey.
At least two groups — the Texas Medical Association and the Texas Craft Brewers Guild — have withdrawn their support as sponsors for the event citing safety concerns.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--Houston Officials Cancel Texas GOP Convention After Mayor’s Directive

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday afternoon said that city officials are canceling the Texas Republican Party ’ s in-person convention originally scheduled for next week .
The cancelation came on the heels of Turner saying earlier Wednesday during a virtual city council meeting that his administration was investigating ways to cancel it .
Turner added that he directed the city ’ s legal department to work with the Houston First Corporation , which operates the convention center , in reviewing the contract with the state ’ s GOP .
According to the Texas Tribune , Turner said Houston First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State Republican Executive Committee , the state party ’ s governing board , to cancel the convention .
The event was originally scheduled to take place July 16-18 and would potentially draw about 6,000 attendees .
“ These are some very serious times , ” Turner said at a news conference , according to the Texas Tribune .
“ Simply , the public health concerns outweighed anything else.
” Turner added that the contract cancellation between Houston First Corporation and the state ’ s GOP means that the convention is restricted from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Convention Center or any other facility in Houston , but that it is permitted to possibly continue virtually .
“ I am the mayor of every single person in this city , and if you ’ re not willing to step up and do the right thing , I am not going to divorce my responsibility and my child , ” Turner said , according to ABC 13 .
“ We closed down the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo , and this convention is no greater or better.
” The cancelation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid Texas , alongside Arizona and Florida , emerging as coronavirus hotspots .
On Tuesday , the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 10,028 new coronavirus cases statewide , pushing the total number of cases to more than 200,000 across the state .
In the past two weeks , coronavirus-related hospitalizations have more than doubled in Texas .
On Tuesday , officials reported that 9,268 people were hospitalized in state hospitals due to contracting the coronavirus .

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday afternoon said that city officials are canceling the Texas Republican Party’s in-person convention originally scheduled for next week.
The cancelation came on the heels of Turner saying earlier Wednesday during a virtual city council meeting that his administration was investigating ways to cancel it. Turner added that he directed the city’s legal department to work with the Houston First Corporation, which operates the convention center, in reviewing the contract with the state’s GOP.
According to the Texas Tribune, Turner said Houston First officials issued a letter Wednesday afternoon to the State Republican Executive Committee, the state party’s governing board, to cancel the convention. The event was originally scheduled to take place July 16-18 and would potentially draw about 6,000 attendees.
“These are some very serious times,” Turner said at a news conference, according to the Texas Tribune. “Simply, the public health concerns outweighed anything else.”
Turner added that the contract cancellation between Houston First Corporation and the state’s GOP means that the convention is restricted from being held at the George R. Brown Convention Center or any other facility in Houston, but that it is permitted to possibly continue virtually.
“I am the mayor of every single person in this city, and if you’re not willing to step up and do the right thing, I am not going to divorce my responsibility and my child,” Turner said, according to ABC 13. “We closed down the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and this convention is no greater or better.”
The cancelation of the Texas Republican Party’s convention comes amid Texas, alongside Arizona and Florida, emerging as coronavirus hotspots. On Tuesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 10,028 new coronavirus cases statewide, pushing the total number of cases to more than 200,000 across the state.
In the past two weeks, coronavirus-related hospitalizations have more than doubled in Texas. On Tuesday, officials reported that 9,268 people were hospitalized in state hospitals due to contracting the coronavirus.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--WH Won’t Say What Authority Trump Has To Cut Funding To Schools That Don’t Reopen

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday wouldn ’ t specify what authority President Trump has to cut funding for schools that won ’ t reopen as cases of the coronavirus continue surging across the country .
On Tuesday , the President threatened that the White House is “ very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else ” to reopen schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
Trump doubled down on his threat the following morning in a tweet that accused Democrats of believing that reopening schools ahead of the November election “ would be bad for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also appeared to endorse Trump ’ s threat during a press briefing on Wednesday by hinting at using the federal budget to give states a “ strong incentive ” to reopen schools .
McEnany additionally seemed to bolster the President ’ s school funding threat during a White House briefing Wednesday afternoon .
When asked why Trump is threatening to take funding from schools that don ’ t reopen and what authority he has to do that — given the fact that most public schools are funded by local property taxes — McEnany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase funding and cares for education.
” “ But he ’ s looking at potentially redirecting that to make sure it goes to the student , and it is most likely tied to the student , and not to a district where schools are closed , ” McEnany said .
“ I would note that he said this is something he may consider in the tweet.
” Pressed again on what authority the President has and the specific funds he is threatening to cut , McEnany dodged the question by saying he “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He wants students to be welcomed back to the schools because there are real consequences , ” McEnany said , before referring to guidance by the American Academy of Pediatrics for school re-entry that discusses the negative impacts of children not having in-person education experiences .
McEnany then reemphasized that the President will push schools to reopen in light of “ grave consequences ” if students do not return to them in the fall .
“ This is unacceptable and our schools are essential , and our teachers are essential workers , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s why he ’ s speaking out so strongly about this , ” McEnany said .

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday wouldn’t specify what authority President Trump has to cut funding for schools that won’t reopen as cases of the coronavirus continue surging across the country.
On Tuesday, the President threatened that the White House is “very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else” to reopen schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump doubled down on his threat the following morning in a tweet that accused Democrats of believing that reopening schools ahead of the November election “would be bad for them politically.”
Vice President Mike Pence also appeared to endorse Trump’s threat during a press briefing on Wednesday by hinting at using the federal budget to give states a “strong incentive” to reopen schools.
McEnany additionally seemed to bolster the President’s school funding threat during a White House briefing Wednesday afternoon.
When asked why Trump is threatening to take funding from schools that don’t reopen and what authority he has to do that — given the fact that most public schools are funded by local property taxes — McEnany replied that the President “wants to increase funding and cares for education.”
“But he’s looking at potentially redirecting that to make sure it goes to the student, and it is most likely tied to the student, and not to a district where schools are closed,” McEnany said. “I would note that he said this is something he may consider in the tweet.”
Pressed again on what authority the President has and the specific funds he is threatening to cut, McEnany dodged the question by saying he “wants them to reopen altogether.”
“He wants students to be welcomed back to the schools because there are real consequences,” McEnany said, before referring to guidance by the American Academy of Pediatrics for school re-entry that discusses the negative impacts of children not having in-person education experiences.
McEnany then reemphasized that the President will push schools to reopen in light of “grave consequences” if students do not return to them in the fall.
“This is unacceptable and our schools are essential, and our teachers are essential workers, and he wants them to open and that’s why he’s speaking out so strongly about this,” McEnany said.
Watch McEnany’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--Tulsa Official: Trump Rally ‘Likely Contributed’ To 500 New COVID Cases This Week

OKLAHOMA CITY ( AP ) — President Donald Trump ’ s campaign rally in Tulsa that drew thousands of people in late June , along with large protests that accompanied it , “ likely contributed ” to a dramatic surge in new coronavirus cases , Tulsa City-County Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart said Wednesday .
Tulsa County reported 261 confirmed new cases on Monday , a one-day record high , and another 206 cases on Tuesday .
Although the health department ’ s policy is to not publicly identify individual settings where people may have contracted the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than likely ” contributed to the spike .
“ In the past few days , we ’ ve seen almost 500 new cases , and we had several large events just over two weeks ago , so I guess we just connect the dots , ” Dart said .
A spokesman for the Trump campaign didn ’ t immediately respond to a request for comment .
A reporter who attended the Trump rally is among those who have tested positive for COVID-19 , along with six of Trump ’ s campaign staffers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked in advance of the rally .
Statewide , Oklahoma health officials on Wednesday reported 673 new confirmed cases of coronavirus , the state ’ s second-highest daily total since the start of the pandemic .
The new cases reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health follow a record high of 858 cases that were reported on Tuesday and bring the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 17,893 .
The actual number of infections is thought to be much higher because many people haven ’ t been tested and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t show symptoms .
The health department also reported three additional COVID-19 deaths , bringing the statewide death toll to 407 .
In response to a recent surge in coronavirus cases , the cities of Norman and Stillwater have approved mandates that people must wear masks in public .
Norman approved its ordinance Tuesday night after a five-hour city council meeting during which citizens on both sides of the issue spoke out .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks .
But for others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing health problems , the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal .

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa that drew thousands of people in late June, along with large protests that accompanied it, “likely contributed” to a dramatic surge in new coronavirus cases, Tulsa City-County Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart said Wednesday.
Tulsa County reported 261 confirmed new cases on Monday, a one-day record high, and another 206 cases on Tuesday.
Although the health department’s policy is to not publicly identify individual settings where people may have contracted the virus, Dart said those large gatherings “more than likely” contributed to the spike.
“In the past few days, we’ve seen almost 500 new cases, and we had several large events just over two weeks ago, so I guess we just connect the dots,” Dart said.
A spokesman for the Trump campaign didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
A reporter who attended the Trump rally is among those who have tested positive for COVID-19, along with six of Trump’s campaign staffers and two members of the Secret Service who worked in advance of the rally.
Statewide, Oklahoma health officials on Wednesday reported 673 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, the state’s second-highest daily total since the start of the pandemic.
The new cases reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health follow a record high of 858 cases that were reported on Tuesday and bring the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 17,893. The actual number of infections is thought to be much higher because many people haven’t been tested and some who get the disease don’t show symptoms.
The health department also reported three additional COVID-19 deaths, bringing the statewide death toll to 407.
In response to a recent surge in coronavirus cases, the cities of Norman and Stillwater have approved mandates that people must wear masks in public. Norman approved its ordinance Tuesday night after a five-hour city council meeting during which citizens on both sides of the issue spoke out.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--Houston Mayor Is Exploring Options to Cancel State’s In-Person GOP Convention

As the Republican Party of Texas moves forward with plans for a controversial in-person convention scheduled next week , Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner ( D ) said Wednesday his administration is investigating ways to cancel it .
“ Where there are provisions that would allow us to cancel this convention — we will exercise those provisions , ” Turner said in a virtual city council meeting , according to the Texas Tribune .
“ And the plan is to exercise those provisions to cancel this agreement , this contract , today — to not go forward with this convention.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s legal department to work with the Houston First Corporation , which operates the convention center in reviewing the contract with the GOP .
The mayor ’ s comments come after calls he made to the Republican Party of Texas to reconsider holding the event in-person on Monday after he cited health concerns about holding an indoor gathering in Harris County , where the convention center is located and which holds the top spot for the state ’ s largest outbreak of the coronavirus — clocking more than 1,500 new infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas , however , has put up a fierce and ongoing fight against convention naysayers who have argued that the two-day gathering slotted to welcome close to 6,000 attendees is too risky and could further spread the coronavirus as cases surge throughout the state .
Just last week , the State Republican Executive Committee overwhelmingly agreed to continue with plans to hold the convention in a board vote .
Then on Tuesday , the party ’ s executive director Kyle Whatley announced that elected officials including Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott ( R @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( R ) would make remarks remotely in videos that would be played at the convention in an effort to “ get everybody in and out of here as quickly and as safely as possible , ” Whatley said at a town hall livestream .
Republican Party of Texas Chair James Dickey responded to Turner ’ s renewed efforts to stop the event later on Wednesday by ripping the mayor for “ seeking to deny ” the Republican Party of a “ critical electoral function ” after the mayor recently allowed protesters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures that the GOP in Texas has taken to ensure convention participants ’ safety .
Dickey also said the party ’ s legal team was assessing the city ’ s ability to cancel the convention and weighing its own legal options .
“ We are prepared to take all necessary steps to proceed in the peaceable exercise of our constitutionally protected rights , ” Dickey said in a statement .

As the Republican Party of Texas moves forward with plans for a controversial in-person convention scheduled next week, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) said Wednesday his administration is investigating ways to cancel it.
“Where there are provisions that would allow us to cancel this convention — we will exercise those provisions,” Turner said in a virtual city council meeting, according to the Texas Tribune. “And the plan is to exercise those provisions to cancel this agreement, this contract, today — to not go forward with this convention.”
Turner said that he had asked the city’s legal department to work with the Houston First Corporation, which operates the convention center in reviewing the contract with the GOP.
The mayor’s comments come after calls he made to the Republican Party of Texas to reconsider holding the event in-person on Monday after he cited health concerns about holding an indoor gathering in Harris County, where the convention center is located and which holds the top spot for the state’s largest outbreak of the coronavirus — clocking more than 1,500 new infections on Tuesday.
The Republican Party pf Texas, however, has put up a fierce and ongoing fight against convention naysayers who have argued that the two-day gathering slotted to welcome close to 6,000 attendees is too risky and could further spread the coronavirus as cases surge throughout the state.
Just last week, the State Republican Executive Committee overwhelmingly agreed to continue with plans to hold the convention in a board vote. Then on Tuesday, the party’s executive director Kyle Whatley announced that elected officials including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) would make remarks remotely in videos that would be played at the convention in an effort to “get everybody in and out of here as quickly and as safely as possible,” Whatley said at a town hall livestream.
Republican Party of Texas Chair James Dickey responded to Turner’s renewed efforts to stop the event later on Wednesday by ripping the mayor for “seeking to deny” the Republican Party of a “critical electoral function” after the mayor recently allowed protesters to demonstrate there without the safety precautions and measures that the GOP in Texas has taken to ensure convention participants’ safety.
Dickey also said the party’s legal team was assessing the city’s ability to cancel the convention and weighing its own legal options.
“We are prepared to take all necessary steps to proceed in the peaceable exercise of our constitutionally protected rights,” Dickey said in a statement.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--Roger Stone Was Pumping Up Himself, Wikileaks With Dozens Of Fake Facebook Accounts

Roger Stone and his associates were behind dozens of fake Facebook accounts that coordinated their activity and boosted his work and political priorities , Facebook said Wednesday — all at the same time Stone was under federal scrutiny for his alleged attempts to work with Wikileaks and boost Donald Trump ahead of the 2016 election .
The accounts , including Stone ’ s personal profiles , have been removed from Facebook .
Facebook said the full scope of the Stone network was only visible after the release of search warrants earlier this year from former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The warrants , released in April after a petition from several media organizations , showed Stone using a huge network of fake accounts to boost stolen Democratic emails published on Wikileaks .
Stone ’ s assistant told a Mueller investigator that he bought “ a couple hundred fake Facebook accounts , ” and that bloggers working for Stone sought to set up authentic-looking profiles to push the emails published by Wikileaks .
Stone said in April that the released warrants “ prove no crime.
” “ The claim that I have utilized or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform is Categorically and provably false , ” Stone told The New York Times Wednesday , in response to the Facebook news .
Facebook said in a press release Wednesday that “ some pages appeared to have acquired followers from Pakistan and Egypt to make themselves seem more popular than they were.
” The Stone network was faulted for breaking Facebook ’ s rule against “ coordinated inauthentic behavior , ” Facebook said .
In all , the take-down affected 54 Facebook accounts , 50 Pages , and 4 Instagram accounts .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about local politics in Florida , Roger Stone and his Pages , websites , books , and media appearances , a Florida land and water resources bill , the hacked materials released by Wikileaks ahead of the US 2016 election , candidates in the 2016 primaries and general election , and the Roger Stone trial , ” Facebook ’ s press release asserted .
The accounts were most active between 2015 and 2017 and since then the majority of them have been dormant .
Facebook said they discovered the network while investigating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chauvinist ” group it banned from the platform in 2018 .
The group has vocally supported Stone for years .
Stone ’ s personal accounts were among those removed from Facebook and Instagram , Facebook ’ s head of security Nathaniel Gleicher told The Washington Post .
A few days ago , Stone posted a meme on his Instagram page showing himself photo-shopped as the hero of the movie “ 300 , ” Spartan King Leonidas , and Judge Amy Berman Jackson as the Persian King Xerxes .
Stone is currently expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month after being found guilty last year on five counts of lying to Congress and one each of witness tampering and obstruction — though the sentence has already been delayed for weeks due to COVID-19 .
A career prosecutor who withdrew from Stone ’ s case , Aaron Zelinsky , alleged in congressional testimony last month that the DOJ ’ s recommended sentence for Stone was reduced as a direct result of political pressure .
This post has been updated .

Roger Stone and his associates were behind dozens of fake Facebook accounts that coordinated their activity and boosted his work and political priorities, Facebook said Wednesday — all at the same time Stone was under federal scrutiny for his alleged attempts to work with Wikileaks and boost Donald Trump ahead of the 2016 election.
The accounts, including Stone’s personal profiles, have been removed from Facebook.
Facebook said the full scope of the Stone network was only visible after the release of search warrants earlier this year from former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian election meddling.
The warrants, released in April after a petition from several media organizations, showed Stone using a huge network of fake accounts to boost stolen Democratic emails published on Wikileaks.
Stone’s assistant told a Mueller investigator that he bought “a couple hundred fake Facebook accounts,” and that bloggers working for Stone sought to set up authentic-looking profiles to push the emails published by Wikileaks. Stone said in April that the released warrants “prove no crime.”
“The claim that I have utilized or control Unauthorized or fake accounts on any platform is Categorically and provably false,” Stone told The New York Times Wednesday, in response to the Facebook news.
Facebook said in a press release Wednesday that “some pages appeared to have acquired followers from Pakistan and Egypt to make themselves seem more popular than they were.”
The Stone network was faulted for breaking Facebook’s rule against “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” Facebook said. In all, the take-down affected 54 Facebook accounts, 50 Pages, and 4 Instagram accounts.
“The Page admins and account owners posted about local politics in Florida, Roger Stone and his Pages, websites, books, and media appearances, a Florida land and water resources bill, the hacked materials released by Wikileaks ahead of the US 2016 election, candidates in the 2016 primaries and general election, and the Roger Stone trial,” Facebook’s press release asserted.
The accounts were most active between 2015 and 2017 and since then the majority of them have been dormant.
Facebook said they discovered the network while investigating the Proud Boys, a right-wing “western chauvinist” group it banned from the platform in 2018. The group has vocally supported Stone for years.
Stone’s personal accounts were among those removed from Facebook and Instagram, Facebook’s head of security Nathaniel Gleicher told The Washington Post. A few days ago, Stone posted a meme on his Instagram page showing himself photo-shopped as the hero of the movie “300,” Spartan King Leonidas, and Judge Amy Berman Jackson as the Persian King Xerxes.
Stone is currently expected to report for his three-year prison sentence later this month after being found guilty last year on five counts of lying to Congress and one each of witness tampering and obstruction — though the sentence has already been delayed for weeks due to COVID-19. A career prosecutor who withdrew from Stone’s case, Aaron Zelinsky, alleged in congressional testimony last month that the DOJ’s recommended sentence for Stone was reduced as a direct result of political pressure.
This post has been updated.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--Cuomo Pokes Trump On Push To Reopen Schools: ‘Not Up To POTUS’

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) on Wednesday hit back at President Trump for threatening to pressure governors to reopen schools as coronavirus cases continue surging nationwide .
During a White House event on Tuesday , the President said that the White House is “ very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools , to get them open , and it ’ s very important.
” Trump continued pushing for schools to re-open schools by threatening to cut funding in a tweet the following morning .
Vice President Mike Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat to cut funding for schools that don ’ t reopen in the fall during a press briefing later Wednesday .
Cuomo fired back at Trump ’ s demand to reopen schools during a press conference on Wednesday .
The New York governor insisted that the decision to reopen schools is up to states , not the President .
“ That is the law , and that is the way we ’ re going to proceed .
It ’ s not up to the President of the United States , ” Cuomo said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any authority to open schools .
We will open the schools if it is safe to open the schools .
Everybody wants the schools open.
” Cuomo also said during the press conference that he plans to announce the state ’ s decision next month regarding whether schools can reopen based on public health data and reopening plans from local school districts .
Earlier Wednesday , New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that public schools in the city will not fully reopen in the fall .
De Blasio said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students both in-person classes and remote learning .
“ A vast majority ” of students attending in-person classes will do so two or three days each week .

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Wednesday hit back at President Trump for threatening to pressure governors to reopen schools as coronavirus cases continue surging nationwide.
During a White House event on Tuesday, the President said that the White House is “very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools, to get them open, and it’s very important.”
Trump continued pushing for schools to re-open schools by threatening to cut funding in a tweet the following morning. Vice President Mike Pence also appeared to endorse Trump’s threat to cut funding for schools that don’t reopen in the fall during a press briefing later Wednesday.
In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
Cuomo fired back at Trump’s demand to reopen schools during a press conference on Wednesday. The New York governor insisted that the decision to reopen schools is up to states, not the President.
“That is the law, and that is the way we’re going to proceed. It’s not up to the President of the United States,” Cuomo said. “The President does not have any authority to open schools. We will open the schools if it is safe to open the schools. Everybody wants the schools open.”
Cuomo also said during the press conference that he plans to announce the state’s decision next month regarding whether schools can reopen based on public health data and reopening plans from local school districts.
Earlier Wednesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that public schools in the city will not fully reopen in the fall.
De Blasio said that the city’s school district will provide students both in-person classes and remote learning. “A vast majority” of students attending in-person classes will do so two or three days each week.
Watch Cuomo’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--As Trump Rails Against Voting By Mail, His GOP Allies Fear Dampened Turnout

President Donald Trump is the warped King Midas of our time — everything he touches is politicized .
Voting by mail is no exception .
As recently as Friday , he retweeted an emphatic assertion from his campaign ’ s account : “ Mail-In Ballots will lead to MASSIVE electoral fraud and a RIGGED 2020 Election .
We can not let it happen !
” But some of his Republican allies are worried that Trump ’ s curse , rallying his supporters to hate what he hates and his opponents to love it , will doom his party .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” an anonymous “ top party operative ” told the Washington Post , echoed by other GOPers .
As CNN dug up , some of Trump ’ s nearest and dearest recorded robocalls for various Republican candidates back in the spring encouraging voters to cast ballots by mail .
“ Nancy Pelosi and liberal Democrats are counting on you to sit on the sidelines this election , but you can prove them wrong , ” Lara Trump , Trump ’ s daughter-in-law , said in an April recording before a California special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and securely vote for Mike Garcia by returning your mail in ballot by May 12.
” Donald Trump Jr. also got in on the action .
“ Don ’ t let us down , remember to return your ballot now , ” he said in a recorded call .
“ Make your vote count for Republican Mike Garcia and get it in the mail by Tuesday , May 12.
” The Trumps are caught between the same rock and hard place ensnaring Republican operatives and candidates alike .
If refusal to vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the GOP , that could mean dampened turnout while Democrats send back floods of ballots .
That concern is particularly weighty now , while the COVID-19 pandemic could make Republican voters uneasy about casting their ballots in person .
Some are trying to thread the needle : Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh explained to the Washington Post that the President is solely warning of absentee ballot fraud and not besmirching the vote-by-mail concept in totum .
“ What the president is talking about is efforts on the Democrats ’ part to weaken the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Trump and his campaign are indifferent to the fact that virtually no elections experts lend any credence to his often-repeated myth of widespread absentee voting fraud .
Wendy Weiser , director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law , told TPM this spring that absentee ballot fraud is “ extremely rare.
” “ There is no basis for a spike in actual concern about voter fraud , assuming states get the resources they need and start planning now to make sure the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ securely , ” she added .
But that baseless fear may be hurting the Republican cause .
According to a Washington Post poll from May , 87 percent of Democrats and only 33 percent of Republicans said voting absentee should be made easier .
In several states , Republicans are actually locked in legal battles to keep voting by mail from becoming more widespread .
And in some states ’ primaries , like Virginia and Georgia , Democrats have far outpaced Republicans in casting mail-in ballots .
“ It ’ s a legitimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s rhetoric changes voter behavior on the Republican side , ” Josh Holmes , an adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) , told the Washington Post .
“ I think there ’ s some evidence to suggest that it has .
”

President Donald Trump is the warped King Midas of our time — everything he touches is politicized.
Voting by mail is no exception. As recently as Friday, he retweeted an emphatic assertion from his campaign’s account: “Mail-In Ballots will lead to MASSIVE electoral fraud and a RIGGED 2020 Election. We cannot let it happen!”
But some of his Republican allies are worried that Trump’s curse, rallying his supporters to hate what he hates and his opponents to love it, will doom his party.
“It’s very concerning for Republicans,” an anonymous “top party operative” told the Washington Post, echoed by other GOPers.
As CNN dug up, some of Trump’s nearest and dearest recorded robocalls for various Republican candidates back in the spring encouraging voters to cast ballots by mail.
“Nancy Pelosi and liberal Democrats are counting on you to sit on the sidelines this election, but you can prove them wrong,” Lara Trump, Trump’s daughter-in-law, said in an April recording before a California special congressional election. “You can safely and securely vote for Mike Garcia by returning your mail in ballot by May 12.”
Donald Trump Jr. also got in on the action.
“Don’t let us down, remember to return your ballot now,” he said in a recorded call. “Make your vote count for Republican Mike Garcia and get it in the mail by Tuesday, May 12.”
The Trumps are caught between the same rock and hard place ensnaring Republican operatives and candidates alike. If refusal to vote by mail becomes a political litmus test for the GOP, that could mean dampened turnout while Democrats send back floods of ballots. That concern is particularly weighty now, while the COVID-19 pandemic could make Republican voters uneasy about casting their ballots in person.
Some are trying to thread the needle: Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh explained to the Washington Post that the President is solely warning of absentee ballot fraud and not besmirching the vote-by-mail concept in totum.
“What the president is talking about is efforts on the Democrats’ part to weaken the integrity of our elections,” Murtaugh said.
Trump and his campaign are indifferent to the fact that virtually no elections experts lend any credence to his often-repeated myth of widespread absentee voting fraud.
Wendy Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law, told TPM this spring that absentee ballot fraud is “extremely rare.”
“There is no basis for a spike in actual concern about voter fraud, assuming states get the resources they need and start planning now to make sure the elections are able to run safely and securely,” she added.
But that baseless fear may be hurting the Republican cause.
According to a Washington Post poll from May, 87 percent of Democrats and only 33 percent of Republicans said voting absentee should be made easier. In several states, Republicans are actually locked in legal battles to keep voting by mail from becoming more widespread.
And in some states’ primaries, like Virginia and Georgia, Democrats have far outpaced Republicans in casting mail-in ballots.
“It’s a legitimate question whether or not the president’s rhetoric changes voter behavior on the Republican side,” Josh Holmes, an adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), told the Washington Post. “I think there’s some evidence to suggest that it has.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--Pence Hints At Using Fed Budget To Give States ‘Strong Incentive’ To Reopen Schools

Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday seemed to bolster President Donald Trump ’ s threat to cut funding for schools that don ’ t reopen in the fall .
When asked during a press briefing if Trump was serious about his threat , Pence noted that “ roughly percent ” of states ’ education funding comes from the federal government ( however , that funding is ultimately determined by Congress , not the White House ) .
“ As we work with Congress on the next round of state support , we ’ re going to be working for ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an encouragement to get kids back to school , ” the vice president said .
Pence mentioned budgetary “ incentives ” again after he was asked why local governments shouldn ’ t be the ones to decide whether schools reopen instead of Trump pressuring them to do so .
“ What you ’ re going to see is the President is going to continue to provide leadership , ” the vice president told reporters .
“ I expect as the debate in Congress goes forward about additional resources , we ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go forward.
” Earlier on Wednesday , Trump accused Democrats of believing reopening schools “ would be bad for them politically ” via Twitter .
“ May cut off funding if not open !
” he threatened .

Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday seemed to bolster President Donald Trump’s threat to cut funding for schools that don’t reopen in the fall.
When asked during a press briefing if Trump was serious about his threat, Pence noted that “roughly ten percent” of states’ education funding comes from the federal government (however, that funding is ultimately determined by Congress, not the White House).
“As we work with Congress on the next round of state support, we’re going to be working for ways to give states a strong incentive and an encouragement to get kids back to school,” the vice president said.
Pence mentioned budgetary “incentives” again after he was asked why local governments shouldn’t be the ones to decide whether schools reopen instead of Trump pressuring them to do so.
“What you’re going to see is the President is going to continue to provide leadership,” the vice president told reporters. “I expect as the debate in Congress goes forward about additional resources, we’re going to look into building incentives for states to go forward.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump accused Democrats of believing reopening schools “would be bad for them politically” via Twitter.
“May cut off funding if not open!” he threatened.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--A Spike in People Dying at Home Suggests Coronavirus Deaths in Houston May Be Higher Than Reported

This story first appeared at ProPublica .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
This article was produced in partnership with NBC News .
HOUSTON — When Karen Salazar stopped by to check on her mother on the evening of June 22 , she found her in worse shape than she expected .
Her mother , Felipa Medellín , 54 , had been complaining about chest pains and fatigue , symptoms that she attributed to a new diabetes treatment she ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had seen a doctor that day , insisted she was fine .
But Salazar , 29 , noticed that when Medellín lay down , her chest was rising and falling rapidly — as if she couldn ’ t catch her breath .
“ I grabbed her hand and I said : ‘ I ’ m sorry .
I know you don ’ t want to go to the hospital , but I ’ m calling the ambulance , ’ ” Salazar said .
While Salazar was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then she stopped breathing .
“ Mom !
Mom !
” Salazar remembers shouting , trying to rouse her .
With the dispatcher on speaker phone , Salazar attempted CPR , repeatedly pressing her hands down on her mother ’ s chest , silently praying for her to startle back to life .
But by the time Houston paramedics arrived at her home in northwest Houston , Medellín was dead .
Days later , an autopsy revealed the primary cause : COVID-19 .
“ We never thought it was COVID , ” Salazar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even realize she had it.
” Medellín ’ s death is part of a troubling trend in Houston .
As coronavirus cases surge , inundating hospitals and leading to testing shortages , a rapidly growing number of Houston area residents are dying at home , according to an NBC News and ProPublica review of Houston Fire Department data .
An increasing number of these at-home deaths have been confirmed to be the result of COVID-19 , Harris County medical examiner data shows .
The previously unreported jump in people dying at home is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a region beset by one of the nation ’ s worst and fastest-growing coronavirus outbreaks .
On Tuesday , a record 3,851 people were hospitalized for the coronavirus in the Houston region , exceeding normal intensive care capacity and sending some hospitals scrambling to find additional staff and space .
The uptick in the number of people dying before they can even reach a hospital in Houston draws parallels to what happened in New York City in March and April , when there was a spike in the number of times firefighters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discover that the person in need of help had already died .
These increases also echo those reported during outbreaks in Detroit and Boston , when the number of people dying at home jumped as coronavirus cases surged .
While far more people died of COVID-19 in those cities than have died so far in Houston , researchers and paramedics say that the trend of sudden at-home deaths in Texas ’ largest city is concerning because it shows that the virus ’ s toll may be deeper than what appears in official death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who die at home are not tested for COVID-19 , said Dr. Jeremy Faust , an emergency medicine physician at Brigham and Women ’ s Hospital in Boston .
In New York City , for example , only 16 percent of the 11,475 at-home deaths between February and June have been attributed to COVID-19 , according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“ There ’ s no reflexive testing , ” Faust said , noting that medical examiners are selective about the cases they take .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ call it a COVID death.
” The rise in at-home deaths may also reflect people who are afraid to go to the hospital because of COVID-19 , and who die of heart attacks , strokes , diabetes and other conditions not tied to the coronavirus , Faust said .
Ultimately , Faust said , public health experts trying to assess the toll from COVID will need to study how many excess deaths there are in a particular region and whether the demographics of those who died are different from what one might expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge spike in at-home deaths but no real spike in overall deaths , it ’ s just sort of rearranging deck chairs.
” Such an analysis takes time , in part because death certificates are not submitted instantaneously .
Dr. Peter Hotez , dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston , said the surge in at-home deaths reflects the nature of the way COVID-19 attacks the body .
Early on , he said , doctors were focused on respiratory symptoms , but case studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus also causes serious heart problems that can lead to sudden deaths .
“ And it seems to be happening both early and late in the course of the illness , ” Hotez said .
“ So patients are recovering and then they ’ ll come home from the hospital and they ’ ll die .
Or they were never diagnosed , and the first manifestation is sudden death .
So that ’ s a very frightening aspect of COVID-19 and why we need to work so hard to slow the spread , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chance to seek medical attention.
” In the Houston area , the trend can be seen in autopsies performed by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences .
In May , among people who had died unexpectedly at home , the county medical examiner attributed just six deaths to COVID-19 .
In June , the number jumped to 19 , with most of those cases coming in the second half of the month , coinciding with a surge in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases locally .
Because the medical examiner only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , these numbers are not comprehensive .
More broadly , Houston emergency responders have also seen an increase in deaths during cardiac arrest calls .
Data from the Houston Fire Department shows a 45 % jump since February in the number of cardiac arrest calls that ended with paramedics declaring people dead upon their arrival at the scene .
In March , the department recorded about 250 dead-on-arrival calls , the most of any month in the past two years up until that point .
In June , the number grew to nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of either of the previous two Junes .
And on July 3 , officials said the department experienced the most such calls on a single day in recent memory : 18 .
This doesn ’ t include cases in which responding firefighters have tried to resuscitate a person but were unsuccessful , which have also ticked up slightly since early this year .
Houston fire officials can ’ t say for certain what ’ s driving the increases , but Senior Capt .
Isabel Sky-Eagle said it seems to be tied to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead upon arrival had serious underlying health problems and didn ’ t realize they were also sick with COVID-19 , Sky-Eagle said .
Others had simply delayed medical care for too long , she said , possibly because they ’ d seen news reports about overburdened hospitals .
Sky-Eagle said she and her crewmates first noticed more people dying before paramedics arrived weeks ago , before internal data confirmed the trend .
“ Normally these patients would have called us earlier on , and now they are waiting too long because maybe they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a hospital , ” Sky-Eagle said .
“ Now we ’ re catching them when they ’ re already in cardiac arrest , and it ’ s too late.
” After nearly three decades on the job , Sky-Eagle said she ’ s gotten used to the fact that many of the people she ’ s called on to help won ’ t survive .
But it ’ s frustrating , she said , when the call comes so late that there ’ s nothing she can do once she arrives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the COVID situation on top of that , where we ’ re left wondering , ‘ Is this person dying because of COVID ?
’ It adds another layer of fear to the job that , day after day , starts to add up , ” Sky-Eagle said , referring to the fear of contracting the virus or passing it to others .
Dr. Dario Gonzalez , deputy medical director of the New York City Fire Department , said the number of cardiac arrest calls that the department had to respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the peak of the New York outbreak , the Fire Department was responding to more than 300 cardiac arrest calls per day , compared with a daily average of just 65 calls the previous year .
“ The psychological toll on the providers is significant , ” Gonzalez said .
“ You can lose one or two but when it ’ s constantly going , going , going .
… It just seemed like it went on and on.
” Gonzalez said he worries about first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ second wave , that ’ s going to be a huge issue for us and the hospitals , ” Gonzalez said .
“ Can the people — the nurses , the doctors , the EMTs and the medics — do it all over again ?
Everybody likes to say they ’ ll rise to the challenge , but there ’ s just so much challenge you can deal with.
” After her mother died so suddenly , Salazar said she and her siblings have been in a constant state of panic , worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be next .
Salazar ’ s mother had health problems before she contracted COVID-19 , but none that were immediately life threatening .
Salazar told her dad that , after trying and failing to revive her mother with chest compressions , she wanted to take CPR lessons .
“ At least then I will know what to do if this ever happens again to someone else I love , ” she said .
“ Because right there in the moment , you just go blank.
” As Houston ’ s coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICU beds filled beyond capacity — Salazar has been warning friends and relatives to take the virus seriously .
She ’ s terrified that she might contract the virus and pass it to her father , who lived with her mother but tested negative last week .
That ’ s left her father , Jose Salazar , 51 , to grieve alone .
“ I told my dad , ‘ I can ’ t be at your house right now , ’ ” Karen Salazar said .
“ ‘ I know you feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my mom passed away .
We already lost our mother , we can ’ t lose you , too .
’ ”

This story first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
This article was produced in partnership with NBC News.
HOUSTON — When Karen Salazar stopped by to check on her mother on the evening of June 22, she found her in worse shape than she expected. Her mother, Felipa Medellín, 54, had been complaining about chest pains and fatigue, symptoms that she attributed to a new diabetes treatment she’d started days earlier.
Medellín, who had seen a doctor that day, insisted she was fine. But Salazar, 29, noticed that when Medellín lay down, her chest was rising and falling rapidly — as if she couldn’t catch her breath.
“I grabbed her hand and I said: ‘I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to go to the hospital, but I’m calling the ambulance,’” Salazar said.
While Salazar was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, her mother suddenly passed out. Then she stopped breathing.
“Mom! Mom!” Salazar remembers shouting, trying to rouse her.
With the dispatcher on speaker phone, Salazar attempted CPR, repeatedly pressing her hands down on her mother’s chest, silently praying for her to startle back to life. But by the time Houston paramedics arrived at her home in northwest Houston, Medellín was dead.
Days later, an autopsy revealed the primary cause: COVID-19.
“We never thought it was COVID,” Salazar said. “We didn’t even realize she had it.”
Medellín’s death is part of a troubling trend in Houston.
As coronavirus cases surge, inundating hospitals and leading to testing shortages, a rapidly growing number of Houston area residents are dying at home, according to an NBC News and ProPublica review of Houston Fire Department data. An increasing number of these at-home deaths have been confirmed to be the result of COVID-19, Harris County medical examiner data shows.
The previously unreported jump in people dying at home is the latest indicator of a mounting crisis in a region beset by one of the nation’s worst and fastest-growing coronavirus outbreaks. On Tuesday, a record 3,851 people were hospitalized for the coronavirus in the Houston region, exceeding normal intensive care capacity and sending some hospitals scrambling to find additional staff and space.
The uptick in the number of people dying before they can even reach a hospital in Houston draws parallels to what happened in New York City in March and April, when there was a spike in the number of times firefighters responded to medical calls, only to discover that the person in need of help had already died. These increases also echo those reported during outbreaks in Detroit and Boston, when the number of people dying at home jumped as coronavirus cases surged.
While far more people died of COVID-19 in those cities than have died so far in Houston, researchers and paramedics say that the trend of sudden at-home deaths in Texas’ largest city is concerning because it shows that the virus’s toll may be deeper than what appears in official death tallies and daily hospitalization reports.
Many people who die at home are not tested for COVID-19, said Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency medicine physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. In New York City, for example, only 16 percent of the 11,475 at-home deaths between February and June have been attributed to COVID-19, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“There’s no reflexive testing,” Faust said, noting that medical examiners are selective about the cases they take. “There’s no pressure to call it a COVID death.”
The rise in at-home deaths may also reflect people who are afraid to go to the hospital because of COVID-19, and who die of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and other conditions not tied to the coronavirus, Faust said.
Ultimately, Faust said, public health experts trying to assess the toll from COVID will need to study how many excess deaths there are in a particular region and whether the demographics of those who died are different from what one might expect. “If there’s a huge spike in at-home deaths but no real spike in overall deaths, it’s just sort of rearranging deck chairs.”
Such an analysis takes time, in part because death certificates are not submitted instantaneously.
Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said the surge in at-home deaths reflects the nature of the way COVID-19 attacks the body. Early on, he said, doctors were focused on respiratory symptoms, but case studies in New York and elsewhere showed the virus also causes serious heart problems that can lead to sudden deaths.
“And it seems to be happening both early and late in the course of the illness,” Hotez said. “So patients are recovering and then they’ll come home from the hospital and they’ll die. Or they were never diagnosed, and the first manifestation is sudden death. So that’s a very frightening aspect of COVID-19 and why we need to work so hard to slow the spread, because you don’t even get the chance to seek medical attention.”
In the Houston area, the trend can be seen in autopsies performed by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. In May, among people who had died unexpectedly at home, the county medical examiner attributed just six deaths to COVID-19. In June, the number jumped to 19, with most of those cases coming in the second half of the month, coinciding with a surge in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases locally. Because the medical examiner only performs autopsies in a fraction of cases, these numbers are not comprehensive.
More broadly, Houston emergency responders have also seen an increase in deaths during cardiac arrest calls.
Data from the Houston Fire Department shows a 45% jump since February in the number of cardiac arrest calls that ended with paramedics declaring people dead upon their arrival at the scene. In March, the department recorded about 250 dead-on-arrival calls, the most of any month in the past two years up until that point. In June, the number grew to nearly 300, more than 75 in excess of either of the previous two Junes. And on July 3, officials said the department experienced the most such calls on a single day in recent memory: 18.
This doesn’t include cases in which responding firefighters have tried to resuscitate a person but were unsuccessful, which have also ticked up slightly since early this year.
Houston fire officials can’t say for certain what’s driving the increases, but Senior Capt. Isabel Sky-Eagle said it seems to be tied to the coronavirus crisis. Some of those found dead upon arrival had serious underlying health problems and didn’t realize they were also sick with COVID-19, Sky-Eagle said. Others had simply delayed medical care for too long, she said, possibly because they’d seen news reports about overburdened hospitals.
Sky-Eagle said she and her crewmates first noticed more people dying before paramedics arrived weeks ago, before internal data confirmed the trend.
“Normally these patients would have called us earlier on, and now they are waiting too long because maybe they don’t want to be transported to a hospital,” Sky-Eagle said. “Now we’re catching them when they’re already in cardiac arrest, and it’s too late.”
After nearly three decades on the job, Sky-Eagle said she’s gotten used to the fact that many of the people she’s called on to help won’t survive. But it’s frustrating, she said, when the call comes so late that there’s nothing she can do once she arrives.
“And then you put the stress of the COVID situation on top of that, where we’re left wondering, ‘Is this person dying because of COVID?’ It adds another layer of fear to the job that, day after day, starts to add up,” Sky-Eagle said, referring to the fear of contracting the virus or passing it to others.
Dr. Dario Gonzalez, deputy medical director of the New York City Fire Department, said the number of cardiac arrest calls that the department had to respond to in March and April was overwhelming. At the peak of the New York outbreak, the Fire Department was responding to more than 300 cardiac arrest calls per day, compared with a daily average of just 65 calls the previous year.
“The psychological toll on the providers is significant,” Gonzalez said. “You can lose one or two but when it’s constantly going, going, going. … It just seemed like it went on and on.”
Gonzalez said he worries about first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“If we get hit with a second wave, that’s going to be a huge issue for us and the hospitals,” Gonzalez said. “Can the people — the nurses, the doctors, the EMTs and the medics — do it all over again? Everybody likes to say they’ll rise to the challenge, but there’s just so much challenge you can deal with.”
After her mother died so suddenly, Salazar said she and her siblings have been in a constant state of panic, worried that their father or another loved one could be next. Salazar’s mother had health problems before she contracted COVID-19, but none that were immediately life threatening.
Salazar told her dad that, after trying and failing to revive her mother with chest compressions, she wanted to take CPR lessons.
“At least then I will know what to do if this ever happens again to someone else I love,” she said. “Because right there in the moment, you just go blank.”
As Houston’s coronavirus crisis deepens — with area hospitals reporting baseline ICU beds filled beyond capacity — Salazar has been warning friends and relatives to take the virus seriously. She’s terrified that she might contract the virus and pass it to her father, who lived with her mother but tested negative last week.
That’s left her father, Jose Salazar, 51, to grieve alone.
“I told my dad, ‘I can’t be at your house right now,’” Karen Salazar said. “‘I know you feel alone, alone in the house where my mom passed away. We already lost our mother, we can’t lose you, too.’”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-08--Cook Political Report Shifts WI And PA Shift From ‘Toss Up’ To ‘Lean Democrat’

In yet another dire election forecast for President Donald Trump , the Cook Political Report announced on Wednesday that the crucial swing states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are now leaning blue amid Trump ’ s blundering response to COVID-19 and his near-constant trafficking in racist dogwhistling in recent weeks .
Cook national editor Amy Walters cited Trump ’ s flatlining approval ratings , which have sunk to the low 40s , and equally disastrous poll numbers against Democratic candidate Joe Biden as the reasons for the shift .
Per FiveThirtyEight , Trump currently trails Biden in Wisconsin by nearly 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both states were key to Trump ’ s victory over Hillary Clinton after he won them by razor–thin margins of less than 1 percent in 2016 .
Additionally , Walters reported that Biden is currently “ slightly favored to win at least Arizona and Florida ” among the “ toss up ” states , which also include North Carolina and now Georgia .
Overall , the upcoming November elections are “ looking more like a Democratic tsunami than simply a Blue wave , ” Walters wrote , adding that Trump could drag @ @ @ @ @ @ @

In yet another dire election forecast for President Donald Trump, the Cook Political Report announced on Wednesday that the crucial swing states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are now leaning blue amid Trump’s blundering response to COVID-19 and his near-constant trafficking in racist dogwhistling in recent weeks.
Cook national editor Amy Walters cited Trump’s flatlining approval ratings, which have sunk to the low 40s, and equally disastrous poll numbers against Democratic candidate Joe Biden as the reasons for the shift.
Per FiveThirtyEight, Trump currently trails Biden in Wisconsin by nearly 8 points and in Pennsylvania by 7.4 points. Both states were key to Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton after he won them by razor–thin margins of less than 1 percent in 2016.
Additionally, Walters reported that Biden is currently “slightly favored to win at least Arizona and Florida” among the “toss up” states, which also include North Carolina and now Georgia.
Overall, the upcoming November elections are “looking more like a Democratic tsunami than simply a Blue wave,” Walters wrote, adding that Trump could drag down congressional candidates along with him.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-09--Trump Got Another Extension To File Annual Financial Disclosure

President Trump was given a second 45-day extension to file his annual financial disclosure form a White House official said on Wednesday .
The additional extension was announced more than a week after an already extended deadline came and went without any word from the White House or the Office of Government Ethics about why the report which is the only official document laying out the president ’ s finances was late .
Then on Wednesday , a White House official said on that the president had been granted “ an additional 45 days , but the president intends to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the The New York Times reported .
Up until Wednesday the White House had not supplied a reason publicly for the filing ’ s delay .
The ethics office has historically posted Trump ’ s filing online the day after its due .
Although the report was originally due in May all White House employees were granted an extension until June 29 due to the coronavirus pandemic .
According to The Times , an official said on Wednesday night that Trump had requested another extension due to the “ complicated ” nature of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ been focused on addressing the coronavirus crisis and other matters.
” The president ’ s own delay comes as Trump ’ s legal team is fighting against disclosing the president ’ s tax records to state and congressional investigations .
A Supreme Court ruling on that matter is expected on Thursday .
Trump has thwarted repeated calls for the release his annual tax returns which has become common practice for presidents in recent history and remains an undelivered promise from his first campaign for president in 2016 .
Trump was embroiled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was asked about unreported free legal services he had received from Rudolph Giuliani , the former New York mayor who served as a legal adviser beginning in 2018 and rendered the president legal services through 2019 .

President Trump was given a second 45-day extension to file his annual financial disclosure form, a White House official said on Wednesday.
The additional extension was announced more than a week after an already extended deadline came and went without any word from the White House or the Office of Government Ethics on why the report — which is the only official document laying out the President’s finances — was late. Then on Wednesday, a White House official said the President had been granted “an additional 45 days, but the President intends to file as soon as possible,” the The New York Times reported.
Up until Wednesday the White House had not supplied a reason publicly for the filing’s delay. The ethics office has historically posted Trump’s filing online the day after its due.
Although the report was originally due in May, all White House employees were granted an extension until June 29 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to The Times, an official said on Wednesday night that Trump had requested another extension due to the “complicated” nature of the report and because the President had “been focused on addressing the coronavirus crisis and other matters.”
Vice President Mike Pence released a separate disclosure reporting his own finances.
The President’s own delay comes as Trump’s legal team is fighting against disclosing the President’s tax records to state and congressional investigations. A Supreme Court ruling on that matter is expected on Thursday.
Trump has thwarted repeated calls for the release his annual tax returns which has become common practice for presidents in recent history and remains an undelivered promise from his first campaign for president in 2016.
Trump was embroiled in scrutiny last year for his filing when he was asked about unreported free legal services he had received from Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York mayor, who served as a legal adviser to Trump beginning in 2018 and rendered the President legal services through 2019.