What A Day

Recorded interviews of Donald Trump by Bob Woodward show he understood the threat of coronavirus in February, while he insisted in public it would “disappear” and was no worse than the seasonal flu. Trump addressed these revelations at a press conference yesterday, confirming that he intentionally downplayed the virus because he’s a "cheerleader" for the country.

Wildfires are continuing to burn across the West, leading to mandatory evacuations for tens of thousands of people, and a blanket of smoke covering much of the Bay Area. High temperatures resulting from climate change have set the perfect conditions for this year's unprecedented rapid scale and spread of fires. 

And in headlines: the largest refugee camp in Europe was almost totally destroyed, Caster Semenya lost her appeal to compete in the next Olympics, and a whistleblower alleges that DHS downplayed the threat of white supremacy and Russian election interference.

Links:

Christian Cooper's comic book "It's A Bird" rb.gy/bdecsl

Wildfire Relief Fund calfund.org/wildfire-relief-fund/

The Rochester, NY police chief and other high ranking officers all resigned or took demotions yesterday, following protests over the police killing of Daniel Prude. Prude’s case, along with other recent violent incidents, are leading some to propose alternatives to police intervention for mental health emergencies. 

Republicans in the Senate are back in session with a new coronavirus relief bill, which is itself a pared down version a bill they proposed earlier this summer. For now, Democrats are rejecting it because they believe a larger, more comprehensive bill is necessary. While aid is held up in Congress, state and local governments are facing severe budget shortfalls. 

And in headlines: two ex-soldiers from Myanmar’s army say they were ordered to commit atrocities against Rohingya villagers, the Trump administration is ordered to stop winding down the census, and nine drug companies say they won’t seek vaccine approval without doing rigorous testing.

College students have returned to campuses, and so has coronavirus. Northeastern University suspended 11 students for partying, and will not refund them tens of thousands of dollars in tuition payments. At University of Kansas, students are striking and demanding that the university shut down the campus and give hazard pay to workers. 

Extreme weather over the past few weeks has underscored the need for an extensive environmental policy overhaul, the kind that is championed by Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey. We look at how Markey worked with the Sunrise Movement to court young people in his primary race last week. Plus, we speak with Sunrise’s political director Evan Weber about lessons that Biden and other Democrats can learn from their movement.

And in headlines: protesters in Rochester demand justice for Daniel Prude, India now second in Covid cases, and Trump courts the racist White vote over the weekend.

Joe Biden will visit Kenosha, Wisconsin later today, where he’ll meet with the family of Jacob Blake. We check in on the continued protests happening there, plus the protests that are continuing in Lafayette, Louisiana, where Trayford Pellerin was killed by police just two days before Blake’s shooting.

The Trump administration said it’s not going to take part in a global effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine because the World Health Organization is leading it. The CDC recently told public health officials in 50 states and five major cities to prepare to distribute a vaccine as early as late October.

And in headlines: protests in Belarus, survivors of the Tulsa Massacre seek reparations, and John Boyega reflects on Star Wars.

The CDC and the Health Department are moving to ban evictions through December for people who can’t pay because of the pandemic. New York City caved to pressure from teachers unions who threatened to strike over school reopenings, pushing back the start of in-person to later this month.

Legal battles over mail-in voting saw major developments in Texas, Iowa, and Georgia. An audit from the Inspector General of the USPS looked at primary elections over the summer, and found that over a million mail ballots didn’t get to voters on time. 

And in headlines: Sheriff’s deputies in LA fatally shoot Dijon Kizzee, Breonna Taylor’s ex-boyfriend was offered a plea deal if he implicated her in July, and Facebook and Google threaten to ground Australia from the news.

Joe Biden spoke in Pennsylvania yesterday, where he condemned violence of any kind at recent protests. Trump spoke at the White House yesterday, where he declined to tamp down violence among his supporters and suggested instead that Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old Wisconsin shooter, had acted in self-defense. 

Coronavirus outbreaks are continuing to pop up at colleges and universities in the US as the fall semester starts. Bars have been ordered closed in Alabama and Iowa after hundreds of students tested positive, and other schools are weighing the decision of whether to send students home if there are cases on campus. For more on schools, check out this week's episode of Hysteria: Crooked.com/Hysteria

And in headlines: New York City will pay $5.9 million to the family of Layleen Polanco, Lebanon has chosen its designated Prime Minister, and Trump and his allies “fix it in post.”