U.S. hits 3 million cases of coronavirus
Would Donald Trump sacrifice the health of our children and educators if he thought it would help him personally? It’s a provocative question for sure, but it’s becoming an increasingly relevant one, as his administration is now tackling the issue of school reopenings. Government at all levels does need to prioritize opening schools, but Trump’s “plan” to simply “put pressure" on states isn't a plan at all. School systems will need funding to adapt facilities and add equipment and personnel, and they’ll need to develop reopening plans based on clear, evidence-backed guidance that parents can trust. Otherwise, delays, confusion, and more closures are inevitable—as well as unnecessary illness. States like Florida and Texas are paying a price for following Trump’s lead on reopening the economy without adequate preparation. Are they willing to make the same mistake with our schools? —Mindy Finn
1. With a friend like Trump, WHO needs enemies?
President Trump officially began the process to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization by submitting a notice of withdrawal to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. The withdrawal will take effect one year after its submission. Trump was unhappy with the initial coronavirus response from the WHO and has long threatened to withdraw the U.S., even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the country. —The Washington Post
— More supply shortages. Reminiscent of the first weeks of the pandemic, medical workers are once again dealing with a dangerous shortage of personal protective equipment. A nursing union is complaining that its nurses are having to reuse gowns, hair covers, and masks, as shortages continue to mount. A doctors' association is also complaining of shortages, saying that a lack of masks and other equipment is preventing clinics from opening. —Associated Press
— Schoolyard bully. Education Sec. Betsy DeVos is demanding that schools reopen in-person classes this fall, even as schools make contingency plans to protect their students from the worsening pandemic. "School[s] must reopen, they must be fully operational," DeVos said during a conference call with state governors. Trump has been very vocal about the issue of reopening schools. He claims, without evidence, that Democrats do not want schools to reopen in order to help them in the November elections. —The Hill
— "Ticking time bomb." Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and several other state legislators have tested positive for the coronavirus following the opening of the state's legislative session. State Rep. Greg Haney, who tested positive for COVID-19, said, "Many people in the Capitol—all the legislators, all the lobbyists—we knew it was a ticking time bomb, but we thought we were past it." —Sun Herald
MORE: 56 Florida hospital ICUs have hit capacity —CNN
2. Can the RNC be held safely?
As coronavirus cases continue to skyrocket in Florida, many Republicans are growing concerned about holding the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville. The RNC events planned in Jacksonville have already been moved once from Charlotte, N.C., over pandemic concerns.
— The Jacksonville RNC Host Committee expects to see about 40,000 attendees at the convention. Some big names have already opted-out from attending the convention, including Sens. Lamar Alexander, Susan Collins, Chuck Grassley, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitt Romney.
— A recent poll found that 58% of Jacksonville residents do not want the convention being held in their city. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn even went as far to say during an interview that it is "too early to tell" if the convention can occur safely at all.
— Under pressure from residents, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry is determined to wait before making any decision. "We are currently under a statewide executive order by the governor. Facilities cannot participate in anything over 50% capacity. That's where we are right now. And so we're just going to continue to evaluate as we move towards that date," Curry said. The convention is scheduled for Aug. 24-27. —Forbes
MORE: Convention jitters grip Democrats —Politico
3. Charen: Where is the outrage?
"Trump is not slow to anger. Yet when it comes to Vladimir Putin putting bounties on the heads of America's warriors, he is strangely unperturbed. Knowing that Putin was reveling in American deaths, Trump invited him to attend the G-7 meeting in September.
It is hardly news that Trump lacks empathy, but he has made concern for 'our great military' one of his calling cards. Where is even a hint of rage at Putin for putting targets on their backs? All of his ire is directed at The New York Times, with none to spare for the Kremlin ghoul. Far from imposing a price, Trump rewarded him." —Austin American-Statesman
MORE: Lawmakers paralyzed over response to Russian bounty intel —Politico
4. Trump mulls TikTok ban
President Trump is considering banning the popular app TikTok as a form of retaliation against China over its coronavirus response. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance Ltd. Other Trump Administration officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, are pushing to ban TikTok over data security and privacy concerns. —Bloomberg
— While speaking about the security threat posed by China, FBI Director Christopher Wray detailed an ongoing Chinese operation that targets hundreds of Chinese nationals living in the U.S., pressuring them to return home. The objective of the operation is to target dissidents, tamping down on dissent among Chinese nationals. One victim of the operation was given the option to return home to China or kill himself. —The Guardian
— A prominent critic of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party was arrested in Beijing. Xu Zhangrun, a professor of constitutional law at Tsinghua University, was arrested in his home by nearly two dozen police officers, making him the latest victim of the CCP's mission to crush political dissent. His whereabouts are unknown. —NPR
MORE: Why China wants Trump to win —The Atlantic
5. Bruen: Biz should defend democracy
"Elections are coming up this year in countries as far flung as the U.S., Poland, Bolivia, Jordan, and Sri Lanka. Whether they can withstand the propensity of populist politicians to eschew legal limits and fabricate facts will largely depend on democratic leaders' ability to deter these destructive tendencies. In many countries, a strong stand by corporations on the protection of political freedoms would send a powerful message. It's time for businesses to take on a larger role in the defense of democracy." —NPR
Ed. Note: Brett Bruen was a U.S. diplomat for 12 years and served as director of global engagement in the Obama White House. He now teaches crisis communications at Georgetown University.
MORE: Facebook fails to appease organizers of ad boycott —The New York Times
6. Report: Gerrymandering boosts GOP
Researchers from the University of Maryland found that partisan gerrymandering has given Republicans an edge in congressional elections over the last two decades. Their report states that since 2000, nearly 40 House seats have shifted to favor Republicans as a result of gerrymandering.
— The researchers found that gerrymandering increased Republican representation in the House by at least 9% in the last two decades. In states that have more than five congressional seats, GOP representation was found to decrease by about 9%.
— "It may not be surprising that parties manipulate vote aggregation to benefit themselves," the report concludes. Anti-gerrymandering efforts are ongoing in several states, as many consider using independent commissions to draw political maps.
— Following the 2020 Census, states will be able to redistrict for the first time in a decade. Fourteen states will use independent redistricting commissions to draw legislative maps, and eight states will use independent commissions to draw congressional maps. —The Fulcrum
7. Lovaglio: In support of VBM and RCV
"[Vote-by-mail] has worked without issue for soldiers, shut-ins, elderly, travelers, and, of late, the convenience of all voters to allow more people to vote. ... And ranked-choice voting gets more people excited to see their first, second, third, and possibly more choices count toward an election win by a majority." —Bangor Daily News
Ed. Note: Ron Lovaglio served as commissioner of conservation under the former governor of Maine, Sen. Angus King.
MORE: Arkansas group turns in petitions for ranked-choice voting amendment —Arkansas Democrat Gazette
8. Primaries held in NJ and DE
Elections continue even amid the coronavirus pandemic. New Jersey and Delaware held their primaries yesterday, and while the final results are still not determined due to a high number of mailed ballots, many races have already been called.
— Republican turncoat Rep. Jeff Van Drew remains a prime target for Democrats in New Jersey. Amy Kennedy won the Democratic primary for New Jersey's 2nd congressional district, defeating opponent Brigid Callahan Harrison. Kennedy will now face Van Drew in November.
— "As I have stated many times over the last few months, there is far more that unifies us than divides us, and we will not beat Jeff Van Drew unless we remain unified and focused on November," Harrison said after conceding the race.
— The primaries saw former Vice President Joe Biden continue to rack up delegates and keep his party unified behind him, even as Sen. Bernie Sanders was on the ballot in both New Jersey and Biden's home state of Delaware. Joe and Jill Biden voted absentee in their state's primary. —CNN
MORE: Huntsman loses GOP primary in Utah —Politico
9. Cooper: Equality is a natsec issue
"If a nation truly has security, all of its citizens are at least equally protected from internal threats as from external ones. A large number of non-Black/Brown folks in this country generally enjoy security within the United States, and so they have the luxury of focusing largely on external threats. As a result, the internal threats to Black and Brown individuals continue to be neglected, as illustrated not only by the array of Confederate or other racist memorials and symbols still found across the United States, but also in the continuing and widespread egregious abuses and rights violations against people of color." —Just Security
Ed. Note: Adom Cooper is an operations planning specialist in high-threat programs at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
10. An American Story: Eight-year-old organizes march
Eight-year-old Nolan Davis organized a Black Lives Matter march primarily for children in Kirkwood, Mo., on June 27. He thought only about 50 people would show up, but about 700 children and their families attended the protest.
— Children of different races covered the sidewalks in chalk with phrases such as "Stop Racism" and "Be Kind to Everyone." They marched with posters in their hands that read, among other things, "Black Children's Futures Matter."
— Davis' adoptive mother, Kristin, has already had the "talk" with Nolan about how he should play with water guns only in the backyard "because you don't want it to get mistaken for something else," or keep the hood of his hoodie down.
— "I'm worried about Black people, like me, getting hurt. Some skin is like chocolate. Some is like vanilla. Some is mixed together like mine. But we're all people," Davis said. "Even though I'm a kid, it's important to speak my voice so people can hear me and know they can share their voice too, just like me." —CNN
Ed. Note: We are spotlighting ways that Americans are helping each other through the coronavirus crisis and recent unrest, and promoting American values. Would you like to suggest an "American Story" from your local news? If so, please forward a link to the story to editor@topline.com. Thank you!
I found your picture of the Confederate battle flag flying above a Trump campaign flag fitting: the symbol of those who would destroy the United States of America in order to preserve slavery floating above the name of the president who so damaged the country that even he admits it must be restored to greatness. Make America great again...fire the Apprentice. —David M., Colorado
To the "perfect," "very stable genius" and anyone else who denies the seriousness of the coronavirus: I honestly believe that if any one of you contracts COVID-19, doctors, nurses, and medical staff should not be required to take care of you and endanger themselves and their families. But they will, of course, because they take their oath to heart. God bless them for all they do! —Carol M., Pennsylvania
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