This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/jul/05/donald-trump-coronavirus-testing-fauci-fourth-july-kanye-west-protests-latest-news-live-updates
The article has changed 19 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| 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’ |
| Plenty of athletes have tested positive for Covid-19 as the sports world starts to resume. While most have proved to be asymptomatic, it is sobering to hear that even young, very fit people can feel the effects of the virus. The Atlanta Braves’ Freddie Freeman, one of the best first basemen in baseball, has tested positive and his wife, Chelsea, posted on Instagram that the virus has taken a toll on her husband. | |
| “He is someone who literally never gets sick and this virus hit him like a ton of bricks,” she wrote. “We’ve been really strict for the last 4 months. Haven’t gone to a grocery store, haven’t gone out to dinner once, haven’t seen our friends ... and still got it.” She added that her 30-year-old husband has suffered from “body aches, headaches, chills and a high fever.” | |
| “It’s a serious matter,” Braves outfielder Nick Markakis said. “I hope Freddie heals up quickly. I know he’s young, healthy. I hope he heals up and gets back as quickly as possible because as you know with 60 games, one week can change things quickly.” | |
| The Major League Baseball season is due to resume on 23 July. | |
| Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any weirder, rapper Kanye West declared his candidacy for US president. | |
| The unlikely challenger to Donald Trump – of whom he has been a vocal supporter – and Joe Biden, chose American independence day to make the surprise announcement on Twitter, triggering a social media storm. | |
| “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future,” West wrote. “I am running for president of the United States.” | |
| The post was accompanied by a stars and stripes flag, an exclamation mark and “#2020VISION”. His wife, Kim Kardashian West, replied to the tweet with an American flag. | |
| With just four months to go before polling day on 3 November, it was not clear whether West’s tweet would have been more fitting on April Fools’ day than American Independence Day. | |
| Nor was it clear whether the 43-year-old had filed any official paperwork to appear on state election ballots. The deadline to add independent candidates to the ballot has not yet passed in many states. | |
| But after businessman and reality TV star Trump won the White House in 2016, perhaps the idea of Kim Kardashian as first lady could be written in the stars as America’s fate. | |
| And West, a 21-time Grammy award winner, picked up an immediate endorsement from Elon Musk, the chief executive of electric-car maker Tesla and another celebrity known for eccentric outbursts, who tweeted in reply: “You have my full support!” | |
| A West-Musk ticket is not what anyone was expecting in an election that has already delivered a cornucopia of the unexpected. | |
| West and his wife have visited Trump in the White House to discuss prison reform. At one bizarre meeting in 2018, West wore a red “Make America Great Again” cap and uttered words such as “motherfucker” and “infinite amounts of universe”. He said Trump made him feel like Superman, hugged him and declared: “I love this guy right here.” | |
| Asked if West could be a future presidential candidate, Trump replied: “Could very well be.” | |
| During his appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation earlier, Houston’s Democratic mayor Sylvester Turner was asked what he thought about Donald Trump’s comments that he wanted to fight the “radical left, Marxists, anarchists, agitators and the looters and the angry mob trying to tear down our statues and address our history.” | During his appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation earlier, Houston’s Democratic mayor Sylvester Turner was asked what he thought about Donald Trump’s comments that he wanted to fight the “radical left, Marxists, anarchists, agitators and the looters and the angry mob trying to tear down our statues and address our history.” |
| Turner said those looking to take down Confederate era statues in Houston had not caused problems. | Turner said those looking to take down Confederate era statues in Houston had not caused problems. |
| “In Houston, we have taken them down, and they’ve been taken down very peacefully with the support, I would say, probably of most Houstonians in this city,” he says. | “In Houston, we have taken them down, and they’ve been taken down very peacefully with the support, I would say, probably of most Houstonians in this city,” he says. |
| “... The fact is that those monuments were placed, for example, in Houston 80 to 100 years ago to glorify the bad things that were done to people like my ancestors. It has been past due time for those statues to come down. We did it in a respectful way. We’re not trying to erase history, but we are trying to take the power of placing these statues in public spaces away and to place them where they can be told, where the history can be told and placed in its context.” | “... The fact is that those monuments were placed, for example, in Houston 80 to 100 years ago to glorify the bad things that were done to people like my ancestors. It has been past due time for those statues to come down. We did it in a respectful way. We’re not trying to erase history, but we are trying to take the power of placing these statues in public spaces away and to place them where they can be told, where the history can be told and placed in its context.” |
| Susan Rice, who served as national security adviser under Barack Obama, says she has trouble believing Donald Trump was not briefed on reports Russians paid bounties for the killing of American soldiers in Afghanistan. | Susan Rice, who served as national security adviser under Barack Obama, says she has trouble believing Donald Trump was not briefed on reports Russians paid bounties for the killing of American soldiers in Afghanistan. |
| “The president of the United States has demonstrated absolutely callous disregard for the safety and security of American forces in a war zone and there’s no explanation for this, she said on NBC’s Meet The Press. “Why ten days after this story was first published has he not come out and said to the American people ‘My top priority is to protect our men and women in uniform and I will get to the bottom of this intelligence. I will figure out why it is that Russia appears to be targeting our forces, and I will give the American people and the soldiers the appropriate response that it deserves.’ He said nothing ... I don’t buy this story that he was never briefed.” | “The president of the United States has demonstrated absolutely callous disregard for the safety and security of American forces in a war zone and there’s no explanation for this, she said on NBC’s Meet The Press. “Why ten days after this story was first published has he not come out and said to the American people ‘My top priority is to protect our men and women in uniform and I will get to the bottom of this intelligence. I will figure out why it is that Russia appears to be targeting our forces, and I will give the American people and the soldiers the appropriate response that it deserves.’ He said nothing ... I don’t buy this story that he was never briefed.” |
| She also did not rule out acting as a running mate for the presumptive Demcratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden. | She also did not rule out acting as a running mate for the presumptive Demcratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden. |
| “Joe Biden needs to make the decision as to who he thinks will be his best running mate and I will do my utmost drawing on my experience of years in government, years of making the bureaucracy work,” she said. “I’ve worked on multiple campaigns, presidential campaigns, I’ve been on the campaign trail as a, as a surrogate and I’m going to do everything I can to help get Joe Biden elected and to help him succeed as president, whether I’m his running mate or I’m a door knocker, I don’t mind.” | “Joe Biden needs to make the decision as to who he thinks will be his best running mate and I will do my utmost drawing on my experience of years in government, years of making the bureaucracy work,” she said. “I’ve worked on multiple campaigns, presidential campaigns, I’ve been on the campaign trail as a, as a surrogate and I’m going to do everything I can to help get Joe Biden elected and to help him succeed as president, whether I’m his running mate or I’m a door knocker, I don’t mind.” |
| Houston mayor Sylvester Turner has appeared on CBS’s Face The Nation to discuss the Covid-19 outbreak in his city. He says staffing at the city’s hospital is a particular problem. | Houston mayor Sylvester Turner has appeared on CBS’s Face The Nation to discuss the Covid-19 outbreak in his city. He says staffing at the city’s hospital is a particular problem. |
| “If we don’t get our hands around this virus quickly, in about two weeks our hospital system could be in serious, serious trouble,” he says. “... We can always provide additional beds, but we need the people, the nurses and everybody else, the medical professionals to staff those beds. That’s the critical point right now.” | “If we don’t get our hands around this virus quickly, in about two weeks our hospital system could be in serious, serious trouble,” he says. “... We can always provide additional beds, but we need the people, the nurses and everybody else, the medical professionals to staff those beds. That’s the critical point right now.” |
| Turner says that, as we have seen across the US, it is people of color who are more impacted but no one is immune – and that includes younger people. | Turner says that, as we have seen across the US, it is people of color who are more impacted but no one is immune – and that includes younger people. |
| “It’s having a disproportional impact on people of color. And right now, it’s especially within the Hispanic community,” he says. “But we are having young people being impacted as well. Just the other day, I now saw a young woman in her 20s with no underlying medical conditions that died as a result of Covid. So it’s anyone from their 20s into their 90s being impacted.” | “It’s having a disproportional impact on people of color. And right now, it’s especially within the Hispanic community,” he says. “But we are having young people being impacted as well. Just the other day, I now saw a young woman in her 20s with no underlying medical conditions that died as a result of Covid. So it’s anyone from their 20s into their 90s being impacted.” |
| Turner, who is a Democrat, says that he thinks Texas reopened too quickly. “So from the beginning, when we started opening too quickly and when you layer that on top of everything else, all the other activities that were taking place and people starting to re socialize then you started to refuel the virus,” he says. “And that’s when the numbers started to increase. | Turner, who is a Democrat, says that he thinks Texas reopened too quickly. “So from the beginning, when we started opening too quickly and when you layer that on top of everything else, all the other activities that were taking place and people starting to re socialize then you started to refuel the virus,” he says. “And that’s when the numbers started to increase. |
| New Jersey’s Democratic governor, Phil Murphy, has appeared on NBC’s Meet The Press. New Jersey has been one of the worst-hit states in the US during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, and he says a national strategy is needed to combat Covid-19. | New Jersey’s Democratic governor, Phil Murphy, has appeared on NBC’s Meet The Press. New Jersey has been one of the worst-hit states in the US during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, and he says a national strategy is needed to combat Covid-19. |
| “This thing is lethal,” he says. “New Jersey’s paid an enormous price. We’ve [had] 13,000 confirmed fatalities from Covid-19. We’re starting to see small spikes in reinfection from folks coming back from places like Myrtle Beach and as well as in Florida, other hotspots. | “This thing is lethal,” he says. “New Jersey’s paid an enormous price. We’ve [had] 13,000 confirmed fatalities from Covid-19. We’re starting to see small spikes in reinfection from folks coming back from places like Myrtle Beach and as well as in Florida, other hotspots. |
| “To me, it says we need a national strategy. We’re only as strong as our weakest link right now ... We need a national strategy I think right now masking has got to be at the core of that.” | “To me, it says we need a national strategy. We’re only as strong as our weakest link right now ... We need a national strategy I think right now masking has got to be at the core of that.” |
| He is asked whether facemasks should be required nationwide. “It’s become almost not even debatable,” he says. “Certainly when you’re going out and absolutely indoors. As I’ve mentioned, this virus is a lot more lethal inside than outside, but if you’re leaving your house, put on a mask. I think it ought to be a national, a national requirement.” | He is asked whether facemasks should be required nationwide. “It’s become almost not even debatable,” he says. “Certainly when you’re going out and absolutely indoors. As I’ve mentioned, this virus is a lot more lethal inside than outside, but if you’re leaving your house, put on a mask. I think it ought to be a national, a national requirement.” |
| Murphy has received backlash after delaying the reopening of indoor dining in restaurants, particularly from business owners who said they had bought supplies and spent money on cleaning their premises. | Murphy has received backlash after delaying the reopening of indoor dining in restaurants, particularly from business owners who said they had bought supplies and spent money on cleaning their premises. |
| “Listen, we have nothing but sympathy for them,” he says. “Believe me and it’s why we need direct federal cash assistance to states so that we can help those restaurants and small businesses out. But the choice is, either we open inside and or based on the data that we saw and as I said the lethality of this virus inside, or we lose people. We literally lose lives. When you combine indoors, lack of ventilation, sedentary, close proximity, and by definition, you have to take your mask off to eat, those are bad facts and we’re just not there yet. We’ll get there I hope, but we’re not ready for it.” | “Listen, we have nothing but sympathy for them,” he says. “Believe me and it’s why we need direct federal cash assistance to states so that we can help those restaurants and small businesses out. But the choice is, either we open inside and or based on the data that we saw and as I said the lethality of this virus inside, or we lose people. We literally lose lives. When you combine indoors, lack of ventilation, sedentary, close proximity, and by definition, you have to take your mask off to eat, those are bad facts and we’re just not there yet. We’ll get there I hope, but we’re not ready for it.” |
| 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. | 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. | 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.” | “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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | “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: | 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. | 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.” | “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: | 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. |