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| Trump claims victory as US nears 130,000 coronavirus deaths – live | Trump claims victory as US nears 130,000 coronavirus deaths – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| President claims 99% of US cases are ‘totally harmless’ and insists: ‘We’ve learned how to put out the flame’ | President claims 99% of US cases are ‘totally harmless’ and insists: ‘We’ve learned how to put out the flame’ |
| FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn said earlier today that it is “too early to tell” whether the Republican National Convention should take place in Florida next month as Covid-19 cases surge. Donald Trump’s campaign team relocated most of the convention to Jacksonville after a dispute with North Carolina over social distancing guidelines. | |
| On Sunday Republican National Committees spokesperson Mike Reed said the RNC is still committed to Jacksonville. | |
| “The RNC is committed to holding a safe convention that fully complies with local health regulations in place at the time,” said in statement to CNN. “The event is still almost two months away, and we are planning to offer health precautions including but not limited to temperature checks, available PPE, aggressive sanitizing protocols, and available Covid-19 testing. We have a great working relationship with local leadership in Jacksonville and the state of Florida, and we will continue to coordinate with them in the months ahead.” | |
| Richard Luscombe has the latest Covid-19 data from Florida. | |
| Worrying figures just in from Florida: the state recorded 10,059 new cases of Covid-19 overnight, bringing the overall total past 200,000. Florida’s death toll increased by 29 to 3,731, and the number of hospitalisations statewide rose by a further 160, to 15,595 since the pandemic began. The statistics show that in three of the five days of July so far, new coronavirus cases are above 10,000. | |
| Connecticut Democratic senator Chris Murphy has compared Donald Trump’s divisive campaign – and its reliance for racist dog whistling – to that of segregationist George Wallace. | |
| Wallace ran unsuccessfully for the presidency three times, and Murphy thinks Trump will meet the same fate this time around. | |
| “Last night the President called the words Black Lives Matter ‘a symbol of hate’. No turning back now. He’s running as George Wallace. Unapologetic racism and division. It won’t work,” wrote Murphy on Twitter. | |
| Samuel G Freeman wrote for a column for the Guardian last week on the similarities between Trump and Wallace - but he believes they are unfair to Wallace, who at least showed some contrition later in life. Here’s an extract below: | |
| On a Sunday morning in 1979, Wallace rolled his wheelchair down the aisle of Dexter Avenue baptist church in Montgomery, which had been Martin Luther King’s pulpit during the bus boycott in 1956, to ask forgiveness of its members. | |
| “I have learned what suffering means,” he said, according to a biography by Stephan Lesher. “In a way that was impossible, I think I can understand something of the pain black people have come to endure. I know I contributed to that pain, and I can only ask your forgiveness.” | |
| You can read the full article here: | |
| Judge Lina Hidalgo, of Harris county, where Houston is located, has appeared on ABC’s This Week. Houston has been at the center of the resurgence of Covid-19 in Texas. She paints a grim picture of the situation. | Judge Lina Hidalgo, of Harris county, where Houston is located, has appeared on ABC’s This Week. Houston has been at the center of the resurgence of Covid-19 in Texas. She paints a grim picture of the situation. |
| “At this point, our hospitals here in Harris county, Houston, and 33 other cities, they are crossing, they’re into surge capacities. So their operational beds are taken up,” she says.“What we’re seeing is that wishful thinking is neither good economic policy nor good public health policy. We had initially this increase back in March. I had the authority to issue a stay home order, and I did quickly, early. We avoided the fate of most other communities our size. But since then the state reopened. Now we know too early, too much.” | “At this point, our hospitals here in Harris county, Houston, and 33 other cities, they are crossing, they’re into surge capacities. So their operational beds are taken up,” she says.“What we’re seeing is that wishful thinking is neither good economic policy nor good public health policy. We had initially this increase back in March. I had the authority to issue a stay home order, and I did quickly, early. We avoided the fate of most other communities our size. But since then the state reopened. Now we know too early, too much.” |
| She adds that another stay-at-home order is essential. “We don’t have room to experiment. We don’t have room for incrementalism, we’re seeing these kinds of numbers, nor should we wait for all the hospital beds to fill and all these people to die, before we take drastic action,” she says. | She adds that another stay-at-home order is essential. “We don’t have room to experiment. We don’t have room for incrementalism, we’re seeing these kinds of numbers, nor should we wait for all the hospital beds to fill and all these people to die, before we take drastic action,” she says. |
| Various photos have emerged from across the US, and across all sections of society, of people breaking social distancing guidelines during the holiday weekend as Covid-19 cases rise across America. | Various photos have emerged from across the US, and across all sections of society, of people breaking social distancing guidelines during the holiday weekend as Covid-19 cases rise across America. |
| FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn has been a busy man today. After his appearance on CNN he’s now on ABC’s This Week and is asked about a poll that found 27% of Americans would be unlikely to accept a free coronavirus vaccine if it was available. | FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn has been a busy man today. After his appearance on CNN he’s now on ABC’s This Week and is asked about a poll that found 27% of Americans would be unlikely to accept a free coronavirus vaccine if it was available. |
| “It is a sizable number,” he says. “And it is concerning. And, of course, the issue of vaccines in this country has been around for a number of years.“... One of the major reasons we issued this guidance was we wanted to give clarity about what we were going to look at, what we need to look at, and that the FDA has incredible scientific expertise and we will do our job to assess the safety and the efficacy of a vaccine candidate. I want to assure the American people of that and provide confidence that we’re on the job.” | “It is a sizable number,” he says. “And it is concerning. And, of course, the issue of vaccines in this country has been around for a number of years.“... One of the major reasons we issued this guidance was we wanted to give clarity about what we were going to look at, what we need to look at, and that the FDA has incredible scientific expertise and we will do our job to assess the safety and the efficacy of a vaccine candidate. I want to assure the American people of that and provide confidence that we’re on the job.” |
| Phoenix’s Democratic mayor, Kate Gallego, is on ABC’s This Week. Her state, Arizona, has the highest daily new cases per capita in the US. | Phoenix’s Democratic mayor, Kate Gallego, is on ABC’s This Week. Her state, Arizona, has the highest daily new cases per capita in the US. |
| “We opened way too early in Arizona,” she says. We were one of the last states to go to stay-at-home and one of the first to reemerge. “We had crowded nightclubs handing out free champagne, no masks. Our 20 to 44-year-olds, which is my own demographic, really led the explosion, and we’ve seen such growth in that area. We’re seeing a lot of people go to large family gatherings and infect their family members.” | “We opened way too early in Arizona,” she says. We were one of the last states to go to stay-at-home and one of the first to reemerge. “We had crowded nightclubs handing out free champagne, no masks. Our 20 to 44-year-olds, which is my own demographic, really led the explosion, and we’ve seen such growth in that area. We’re seeing a lot of people go to large family gatherings and infect their family members.” |
| She says getting proper testing has been a problem, and some people in Arizona have had to wait for eight hours to be tested. “It’s awful to see people waiting in a car, while you’re feeling sick, people were running of gas,” she says. | She says getting proper testing has been a problem, and some people in Arizona have had to wait for eight hours to be tested. “It’s awful to see people waiting in a car, while you’re feeling sick, people were running of gas,” she says. |
| Gallego says that the messaging from the top has not helped matters. “President Trump was in my community, chose not to wear a mask, and he’s having large events while I am trying to push people that you need to stay at home and that events with more than 10 people are dangerous per the Centers for Disease Control,” she says. | Gallego says that the messaging from the top has not helped matters. “President Trump was in my community, chose not to wear a mask, and he’s having large events while I am trying to push people that you need to stay at home and that events with more than 10 people are dangerous per the Centers for Disease Control,” she says. |
| Miami’s Republican mayor, Francis Suarez, is on ABC’s This Week. On Saturday, Florida registered a record rise in cases of Covid-19. | Miami’s Republican mayor, Francis Suarez, is on ABC’s This Week. On Saturday, Florida registered a record rise in cases of Covid-19. |
| “We’ve been breaking record after record after record ... the last couple of weeks,” he says. “We instituted about a week ago a mask in public rule and we also increased the severity of penalties for businesses that don’t follow the rules.“Our county closed down the beaches for the July 4th weekend in the hopes that all these rules will have an impact – a positive impact. It takes a little bit of time to find out exactly but we’re obviously very closely monitoring hospitalizations and we’re very, very closely monitoring the death rate ... we have to take much stricter measures.” | “We’ve been breaking record after record after record ... the last couple of weeks,” he says. “We instituted about a week ago a mask in public rule and we also increased the severity of penalties for businesses that don’t follow the rules.“Our county closed down the beaches for the July 4th weekend in the hopes that all these rules will have an impact – a positive impact. It takes a little bit of time to find out exactly but we’re obviously very closely monitoring hospitalizations and we’re very, very closely monitoring the death rate ... we have to take much stricter measures.” |
| He is then asked by host Martha Raddatz if Miami reopened businesses too soon after lockdown. “I was criticized for waiting so long,” he says. But there’s no doubt that the fact that when we reopened, people started socializing as if the the virus didn’t exist. And what we saw was before the stay at home order is we saw an increasing slope of 35 new cases per day. Right after we implanted the stay at home order, we started seeing that decline almost immediately. | He is then asked by host Martha Raddatz if Miami reopened businesses too soon after lockdown. “I was criticized for waiting so long,” he says. But there’s no doubt that the fact that when we reopened, people started socializing as if the the virus didn’t exist. And what we saw was before the stay at home order is we saw an increasing slope of 35 new cases per day. Right after we implanted the stay at home order, we started seeing that decline almost immediately. |
| “Just before this weekend, the incline slope was 91 new cases per day. So it’s almost three times a greater slope than it was prior to the stay at home order. So, you know, it’s extremely worrisome.” | “Just before this weekend, the incline slope was 91 new cases per day. So it’s almost three times a greater slope than it was prior to the stay at home order. So, you know, it’s extremely worrisome.” |
| The FDA commissioner, Stephen Hahn, is on CNN’s State of the Union. He is asked about President Trump’s assertion that 99% of Covid-19 cases are harmless. Host Dana Bash points out that WHO says 20% of people diagnosed with the virus need hospital treatment. Is the president wrong in that case? | The FDA commissioner, Stephen Hahn, is on CNN’s State of the Union. He is asked about President Trump’s assertion that 99% of Covid-19 cases are harmless. Host Dana Bash points out that WHO says 20% of people diagnosed with the virus need hospital treatment. Is the president wrong in that case? |
| Hahn, perhaps understandably given the scientific evidence against the president, dodges the question. “I’m not going to get into who is right and who is wrong ... [people should] follow the CDC guidance.” He then adds that the “data show [Covid-19] is serious”. | Hahn, perhaps understandably given the scientific evidence against the president, dodges the question. “I’m not going to get into who is right and who is wrong ... [people should] follow the CDC guidance.” He then adds that the “data show [Covid-19] is serious”. |
| He is then asked about Trump’s appearance at Mt Rushmore on Friday, where many people in the audience did not wear masks. Hahn is asked whether that was sensible behaviour. “If you don’t follow guidelines you are putting yourself and your loved ones at risk,” he says. | He is then asked about Trump’s appearance at Mt Rushmore on Friday, where many people in the audience did not wear masks. Hahn is asked whether that was sensible behaviour. “If you don’t follow guidelines you are putting yourself and your loved ones at risk,” he says. |
| Trump has said Covid-19 will “disappear”. Hahn, who you feel a bit sorry for at this point, is then shown a chart of US cases compared to the EU, Canada and South Korea. One line is going up sharply, the others are all going down - or are flat because they’re already way below the US’s total. Hahn is asked when he thinks the virus will “disappear”. He says “we’re seeing this surge in cases ... this virus is still with us. We have new therapeutics.” He admits the rise in cases across the US is “a concerning trend”. | Trump has said Covid-19 will “disappear”. Hahn, who you feel a bit sorry for at this point, is then shown a chart of US cases compared to the EU, Canada and South Korea. One line is going up sharply, the others are all going down - or are flat because they’re already way below the US’s total. Hahn is asked when he thinks the virus will “disappear”. He says “we’re seeing this surge in cases ... this virus is still with us. We have new therapeutics.” He admits the rise in cases across the US is “a concerning trend”. |
| Finally, he is asked about the Republican National Convention, which is due to take place next month in Florida, a state which has been recording new highs in cases most days. Does he think the convention should go ahead or be moved. “I think it’s too early to tell,” Hahn says. “We’ll have to see how this unfolds in Florida and around the country.” | Finally, he is asked about the Republican National Convention, which is due to take place next month in Florida, a state which has been recording new highs in cases most days. Does he think the convention should go ahead or be moved. “I think it’s too early to tell,” Hahn says. “We’ll have to see how this unfolds in Florida and around the country.” |
| News from Florida now, where Richard Luscombe reports on the status of Covid-19 over the holiday weekend. | News from Florida now, where Richard Luscombe reports on the status of Covid-19 over the holiday weekend. |
| Florida was bracing for more bad news on Sunday after the 4 July holiday brought yet another record surge in Covid-19 - 11,458 new cases on Saturday for a statewide total fast closing in on 200,000. | Florida was bracing for more bad news on Sunday after the 4 July holiday brought yet another record surge in Covid-19 - 11,458 new cases on Saturday for a statewide total fast closing in on 200,000. |
| Of equal concern is the rising rate of hospitalisations. The Sun-Sentinel reported that almost a thousand patients were admitted with serious complications in the three days since Thursday. A month ago, that three-day figure was 429. | Of equal concern is the rising rate of hospitalisations. The Sun-Sentinel reported that almost a thousand patients were admitted with serious complications in the three days since Thursday. A month ago, that three-day figure was 429. |
| Today’s figures are expected at some point this morning. | Today’s figures are expected at some point this morning. |
| Despite closures in the heavily-populated south-eastern counties of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, most of Florida’s beaches remained open for the holiday weekend, raising fears of another rise in numbers similar to the one that followed Memorial Day at the end of May. | Despite closures in the heavily-populated south-eastern counties of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, most of Florida’s beaches remained open for the holiday weekend, raising fears of another rise in numbers similar to the one that followed Memorial Day at the end of May. |
| Democrats are keeping pressure on Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, for his refusal to order a statewide mask mandate, similar to the one passed by his counterpart Greg Abbott in Texas last week. | Democrats are keeping pressure on Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, for his refusal to order a statewide mask mandate, similar to the one passed by his counterpart Greg Abbott in Texas last week. |
| “We’ve raised this issue repeatedly and have called on Ron DeSantis to follow the lead of experts,” said Terrie Rizzo, chair of the Florida Democratic Party. | “We’ve raised this issue repeatedly and have called on Ron DeSantis to follow the lead of experts,” said Terrie Rizzo, chair of the Florida Democratic Party. |
| “Ron DeSantis refuses to wear a mask most times when he appears in public, as does Donald Trump, which sets a bad example for everybody.” | “Ron DeSantis refuses to wear a mask most times when he appears in public, as does Donald Trump, which sets a bad example for everybody.” |
| DeSantis has been vocal in criticising the media for covering what many see as a botched response to the crisis now threatening to overwhelm his state. The governor, however, is still waiting for the “apology” demanded by right-wing National Review in May. | DeSantis has been vocal in criticising the media for covering what many see as a botched response to the crisis now threatening to overwhelm his state. The governor, however, is still waiting for the “apology” demanded by right-wing National Review in May. |
| The LA Times columnist Michael Hiltzik has an apology of sorts: “Sorry, you’re even worse than I imagined.” | The LA Times columnist Michael Hiltzik has an apology of sorts: “Sorry, you’re even worse than I imagined.” |
| Meanwhile, with coronavirus numbers continuing to soar, another troubling week looks to be in store for the Sunshine State state. | Meanwhile, with coronavirus numbers continuing to soar, another troubling week looks to be in store for the Sunshine State state. |
| Those looking to escape into sports are also set to be disappointed. The Miami Herald reports that four players from the Marlins, the city’s Major League baseball franchise, have tested positive for Covid-19. | Those looking to escape into sports are also set to be disappointed. The Miami Herald reports that four players from the Marlins, the city’s Major League baseball franchise, have tested positive for Covid-19. |
| The Associated Press has the latest from Seattle, where one of two people hit by a car which drove into protesters early on Saturday morning has died: | The Associated Press has the latest from Seattle, where one of two people hit by a car which drove into protesters early on Saturday morning has died: |
| “Summer Taylor, 24, of Seattle died in the evening at Harborview Medical Center, spokesperson Susan Gregg said. | “Summer Taylor, 24, of Seattle died in the evening at Harborview Medical Center, spokesperson Susan Gregg said. |
| Taylor and Diaz Love, 32, of Portland, Oregon, were hit by the car that barreled through a panicked crowd of protesters on Interstate 5, officials said. Love is in serious condition in the intensive care unit, Harborview, Gregg said. | Taylor and Diaz Love, 32, of Portland, Oregon, were hit by the car that barreled through a panicked crowd of protesters on Interstate 5, officials said. Love is in serious condition in the intensive care unit, Harborview, Gregg said. |
| Dawit Kelete of Seattle drove the car around vehicles that were blocking I-5 and sped into the crowd about 1.40am, according to a police report. Video taken at the scene by protesters showed people shouting “Car! Car!” before fleeing the roadway. | Dawit Kelete of Seattle drove the car around vehicles that were blocking I-5 and sped into the crowd about 1.40am, according to a police report. Video taken at the scene by protesters showed people shouting “Car! Car!” before fleeing the roadway. |
| Love was filming the protest in a nearly two-hour-long Facebook livestream captioned “Black Femme March takes I-5” when the video ended abruptly. With about 15 seconds left, shouts of “Car!” can be heard as the camera starts to shake before screeching tires and the sound of impact are heard. | Love was filming the protest in a nearly two-hour-long Facebook livestream captioned “Black Femme March takes I-5” when the video ended abruptly. With about 15 seconds left, shouts of “Car!” can be heard as the camera starts to shake before screeching tires and the sound of impact are heard. |
| A graphic video posted on social media showed the white Jaguar racing toward a group of protesters who were standing behind several parked cars, set up for protection. The car swerved around the other vehicles and slammed into the two protesters, sending them flying into the air. | A graphic video posted on social media showed the white Jaguar racing toward a group of protesters who were standing behind several parked cars, set up for protection. The car swerved around the other vehicles and slammed into the two protesters, sending them flying into the air. |
| The driver, who was alone, fled the scene, Trooper Chase Van Cleave said. One of the other protesters got in a car and chased the driver for about a mile. He was able to stop him by pulling his car in front of the Jaguar, Van Cleave said. Troopers arrived, and the driver was put in custody. | The driver, who was alone, fled the scene, Trooper Chase Van Cleave said. One of the other protesters got in a car and chased the driver for about a mile. He was able to stop him by pulling his car in front of the Jaguar, Van Cleave said. Troopers arrived, and the driver was put in custody. |
| Kelete was described by offices as reserved and sullen, according to court documents. He also asked if the pedestrians were OK. Kelete was booked into the King County Correctional Facility on Saturday morning on two counts of vehicular assault. Bail was denied. He faces a second court hearing on Monday. | Kelete was described by offices as reserved and sullen, according to court documents. He also asked if the pedestrians were OK. Kelete was booked into the King County Correctional Facility on Saturday morning on two counts of vehicular assault. Bail was denied. He faces a second court hearing on Monday. |
| Officials were trying to determine motive as well as where Kelete got on to the interstate, which had been closed by the state patrol for more than an hour. Authorities said they suspect Kelete drove the wrong way on a ramp and went through a barrier that closed the freeway. | Officials were trying to determine motive as well as where Kelete got on to the interstate, which had been closed by the state patrol for more than an hour. Authorities said they suspect Kelete drove the wrong way on a ramp and went through a barrier that closed the freeway. |
| Troopers did not know whether it was a targeted attack, but impairment was not considered a factor. | Troopers did not know whether it was a targeted attack, but impairment was not considered a factor. |
| Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the 25 May police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide protests. Dozens of people were arrested this week after authorities cleared the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” zone Wednesday morning. | Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the 25 May police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide protests. Dozens of people were arrested this week after authorities cleared the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” zone Wednesday morning. |
| The Washington state patrol said that it will no longer allow protesters to enter I-5 and will arrest pedestrians on the freeway, which protesters had shut down 19 days in a row.” | The Washington state patrol said that it will no longer allow protesters to enter I-5 and will arrest pedestrians on the freeway, which protesters had shut down 19 days in a row.” |
| Donald Trump is very exercised about statues and their place in US life, and wants a “National Garden of American Heroes” to be erected by executive order, a slightly Blofeldian project if ever there was one. | Donald Trump is very exercised about statues and their place in US life, and wants a “National Garden of American Heroes” to be erected by executive order, a slightly Blofeldian project if ever there was one. |
| There are all sorts of reasons why the project may never see the light of day, including Trump losing the White House in November and/or Congress refusing to pay for it. In the meantime, the president’s selection of such heroes – no Native Americans, Latinos or Asian Americans among them – is causing the expected fuss. | There are all sorts of reasons why the project may never see the light of day, including Trump losing the White House in November and/or Congress refusing to pay for it. In the meantime, the president’s selection of such heroes – no Native Americans, Latinos or Asian Americans among them – is causing the expected fuss. |
| The Washington Post reports that Karen Cox, a history professor at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, “struggled for several minutes to describe the order outlining the proposed monument”. | The Washington Post reports that Karen Cox, a history professor at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, “struggled for several minutes to describe the order outlining the proposed monument”. |
| “It’s just so random. It’s like they threw a bunch of stuff on the wall and just went with whatever stuck,” she said. “Nothing about this suggests it’s thoughtful.” | “It’s just so random. It’s like they threw a bunch of stuff on the wall and just went with whatever stuck,” she said. “Nothing about this suggests it’s thoughtful.” |
| Precedent would suggest Professor Cox might be on to something, there. | Precedent would suggest Professor Cox might be on to something, there. |
| Here’s our Washington bureau chief, David Smith, on how the capital is dealing with attempts to bring down statues of presidents and others: | Here’s our Washington bureau chief, David Smith, on how the capital is dealing with attempts to bring down statues of presidents and others: |
| More on the coronavirus count in the US, which Johns Hopkins University says dipped below 50,000 a day on Saturday for the first time in four days. As the AP puts it, “the lower figure does not mean the situation is improving: it could be due to reduced reporting on a national holiday”. | More on the coronavirus count in the US, which Johns Hopkins University says dipped below 50,000 a day on Saturday for the first time in four days. As the AP puts it, “the lower figure does not mean the situation is improving: it could be due to reduced reporting on a national holiday”. |
| More from the AP: | More from the AP: |
| Here’s Maanvi Singh’s report from Oakland on what went wrong in California: | Here’s Maanvi Singh’s report from Oakland on what went wrong in California: |
| …and welcome to another day of politics, protest and public health crisis in the US. | …and welcome to another day of politics, protest and public health crisis in the US. |
| Donald Trump spoke at the White House on Saturday night, at a Fourth of July celebration, duly blaming China for the coronavirus outbreak and claiming “we’ve learned how to put out the flame”. | Donald Trump spoke at the White House on Saturday night, at a Fourth of July celebration, duly blaming China for the coronavirus outbreak and claiming “we’ve learned how to put out the flame”. |
| As the New York Times put it, “After delivering a divisive speech at Mount Rushmore on Friday night, President Trump … again waved away objections from some officials and public health experts who were worried the virus could spread through the events’ crowds.” Masks were optional, social-distancing not exclusively observed. | As the New York Times put it, “After delivering a divisive speech at Mount Rushmore on Friday night, President Trump … again waved away objections from some officials and public health experts who were worried the virus could spread through the events’ crowds.” Masks were optional, social-distancing not exclusively observed. |
| According to Johns Hopkins University, Saturday was the first day in four in which fewer than 50,000 new cases were discovered across the US. The figure was still 45,300, though, and the same source puts total US cases at 2.8m and deaths at nearly 130,000. | According to Johns Hopkins University, Saturday was the first day in four in which fewer than 50,000 new cases were discovered across the US. The figure was still 45,300, though, and the same source puts total US cases at 2.8m and deaths at nearly 130,000. |
| White House task force member Dr Anthony Fauci told the Senate this week “it’s pretty obvious that we are not going in the right direction”, and said 100,000 cases a day could be on the way as states which reopened too soon, Texas and Florida prominent among them, bear the brunt of the resurgence. | White House task force member Dr Anthony Fauci told the Senate this week “it’s pretty obvious that we are not going in the right direction”, and said 100,000 cases a day could be on the way as states which reopened too soon, Texas and Florida prominent among them, bear the brunt of the resurgence. |
| Trump, however, continues to insist more cases are only being found because more tests are being done. | Trump, however, continues to insist more cases are only being found because more tests are being done. |
| “Now we have tested almost 40m people,” he said. “By so doing, we show cases, 99% of which are totally harmless. Results that no other country can show because no other country has the testing that we have, not in terms of the numbers or in terms of quality.” | “Now we have tested almost 40m people,” he said. “By so doing, we show cases, 99% of which are totally harmless. Results that no other country can show because no other country has the testing that we have, not in terms of the numbers or in terms of quality.” |
| And so it goes on, as the Fourth of July weekend continues and many worry about the effects of gatherings for fireworks and cookouts in a land where wearing a mask has become a partisan issue. Here’s Robert Reich’s take: | And so it goes on, as the Fourth of July weekend continues and many worry about the effects of gatherings for fireworks and cookouts in a land where wearing a mask has become a partisan issue. Here’s Robert Reich’s take: |
| Elsewhere, Kanye West has declared a run for president (it’s less clear if he’s actually filed anything or will be on any ballot) and as Trump’s attack on “far-left fascists” continues to reverberate – the Washington Post: For Trump, the threat now isn’t immigrants or other nations. It’s other Americans – protests over racism and police brutality continue. In Seattle, one of two women hit by a car that drove into a crowd early on Saturday has died. | Elsewhere, Kanye West has declared a run for president (it’s less clear if he’s actually filed anything or will be on any ballot) and as Trump’s attack on “far-left fascists” continues to reverberate – the Washington Post: For Trump, the threat now isn’t immigrants or other nations. It’s other Americans – protests over racism and police brutality continue. In Seattle, one of two women hit by a car that drove into a crowd early on Saturday has died. |
| More to come. | More to come. |