Global: Total confirmed cases: ~20,729,000; deaths: ~752,000

U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~5,237,000; deaths: ~167,000

Source: Johns Hopkins University

1/ Trump vowed to block funding for the U.S. Postal Service so Democrats “can’t have universal mail-in voting� during the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, Trump told reporters he would not approve $25 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service, or $3.5 billion in supplemental funding for election resources. And then on Thursday, Trump directly linked Democrats’ coronavirus relief spending proposal to his continued baseless claims that increased mail-in voting would perpetuate “one of the greatest frauds in history,� saying “if they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.� Trump added: “They don’t have the money to do the universal mail-in voting. So therefore, they can’t do it, I guess. Are they going to do it even if they don’t have the money?� States, meanwhile, are working to increase their capacity for mail-in voting with a surge of Americans expected to vote by mail this fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump also threatened to veto an earlier, $2 trillion round of coronavirus relief spending for unemployment benefits, small businesses, and national security industries if it included any direct funding for the Postal Service. (HuffPost / Washington Post / New York Times / Business Insider / Axios / Bloomberg / Washington Post / CNN)

The United States Postal Service has removed some mail sorting machines that would likely be tasked with sorting ballots without explanation or reason. At least 19 mail sorting machines from five processing facilities around the country have either already been removed or are scheduled to be in the near future. USPS has not announced any policy, explained why this is happening, what will happen to the machines or the workers who use them. (Vice News)

A former top official at the USPS warned that recent operational changes by Postmaster General Louis Dejoy could “disenfranchise� voters. Ronald Stroman, who stepped down earlier this year as the second in command at USPS, said the changes being implemented just months ahead of an election in which a record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail is “a high-risk proposition.� (The Guardian)

The Supreme Court rejected an emergency request by the Republican National Committee and the Rhode Island Republican Party to block state voters from...

Global: Total confirmed cases: ~20,453,000; deaths: ~746,000

U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~5,188,000; deaths: ~166,000

Source: Johns Hopkins University

Live blogs: New York Times / Washington Post / The Guardian / CNN / ABC News

1/ For the 16th consecutive day the U.S. has averaged over 1,000 coronavirus deaths. The U.S. is averaging just under 53,000 new cases of COVID-19 per day – down 11% from the week prior. (CNN)

A Florida sheriff banned his deputies from wearing masks at work. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods disputed the idea that masks are a consensus approach to battling the pandemic despite a majority of epidemiologists and other health experts saying face masks and social distancing are key to slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Florida set a daily record for COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday. (Washington Post)

Trump added a frequent Fox News guest, who echoes his views on reopening schools, lockdowns, and college football, as a coronavirus adviser. Dr. Scott Atlas has reportedly been informally advising Trump for weeks after Trump first saw Atlas on Fox News, asserting that it doesn’t matter “how many cases� there are in the U.S., wrongly claiming those under 18 years old have “essentially no risk of dying,� implying that high risk teachers should “know how to protect themselves� from COVID-19 and baselessly claiming that “children almost never transmit the disease.� Atlas has also called the idea that schools cannot reopen this fall “hysteria.� (CNN)

A team of virologists and aerosol scientists were able to isolate live coronavirus in the air up to 16 feet from patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The team collected air samples from a ward dedicated to COVID-19 patients from seven and 16 feet away. The samples collected could then infect cells in a lab dish. (New York Times)

2/ The White House clarified that it will provide less financial assistance for the unemployed than Trump initially promised. Unemployment benefit will be $300 per week, not the $400 Trump announced on Saturday when he approved an executive action to expand unemployment benefits. Further, the extra $300 a week in federal unemployment benefits will likely to take a few weeks to reach people, but the funding could be exhausted in five or six weeks. More than 30 million people are receiving some form of unemployment benefits. (Washington Post / Wall Street Journal /

Global: Total confirmed cases: ~20,178,000; deaths: ~739,000

U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~5,131,000; deaths: ~165,000

Source: Johns Hopkins University

Live blogs: New York Times / Washington Post / CNN

Russia approved approved a coronavirus vaccine that hasn’t completed clinical trials. Putin said receiving the vaccine would be voluntary and that it had “proven efficient� and “passed all the necessary tests,� but no data has been published by researchers for peer review and the long-term effects of the treatment remained unclear. Less than 100 people have received the inoculation. (Washington Post / NBC News / Associated Press / New York Times / Bloomberg / Politico)

1/ Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris as his running mate, announcing the decision hours after Trump suggested that some men would feel “insulted� if he chose a woman. Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, will be the first Black woman and first Asian-American to be nominated for national office by a major party. Trump, meanwhile, told Fox Sports Radio that Biden has “roped himself into a certain group of people.� Following Biden’s announcement, Trump attacked Harris, calling her “nasty� and “disrespectful,� adding that “Phony Kamala will abandon her own morals.� (Washington Post / Axios / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / Axios)

2/ Trump baselessly claimed that...

Global: Total confirmed cases: ~19,948,000; deaths: ~733,000

U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~5,075,000; deaths: ~164,000

Source: Johns Hopkins University

How Trump fell short in containing the coronavirus. “As the White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows is responsible for coordinating the vast executive branch, including its coronavirus response. But in closed-door meetings, he has revealed his skepticism of the two physicians guiding the anti-pandemic effort, Deborah Birx and Anthony S. Fauci, routinely questioning their expertise, according to senior administration officials and other people briefed on the internal discussions.� (Washington Post)

The Trump Pandemic: A blow-by-blow account of how Trump killed thousands of Americans. Trump has always been malignant and incompetent. “As president, he has coasted on economic growth, narrowly averted crises of his own making, and corrupted the government in ways that many Americans could ignore. But in the pandemic, his vices—venality, dishonesty, self-absorption, dereliction, heedlessness—turned deadly. They produced lies, misjudgments, and destructive interventions that multiplied the carnage. The coronavirus debacle isn’t, as Trump protests, an ‘artificial problem’ that spoiled his presidency. It’s the fulfillment of everything he is.� (Slate)

Unwanted Truths: Inside Trump’s battles with U.S. intelligence agencies. Last year, intelligence officials gathered to write a classified report on Russia’s interest in the 2020 election. This is what happened next. (New York Times)

A president ignored: Trump’s claims increasingly met with a collective shrug. “More than 3½ years into his presidency, Trump increasingly finds himself minimized and ignored — as many of his more outlandish or false statements are briefly considered and then, just as quickly, dismissed.� (Washington Post)

The FDA chief is caught between scientists and Trump. Many medical experts — including members of his own staff — worry about whether Dr. Stephen Hahn has the fortitude and political savvy to protect the scientific integrity of the FDA from Trump. (New York Times)

1/ Trump signed four executive actions at his Bedminster golf club to defer payroll taxes, student loan payments, and evictions through the end of the year. The actions to circumvent Congress on coronavirus economic relief also extends an additional $400-per-week in unemployment benefits — down from $600 — until 2021. States, however, must pick up the tab for 25% (or $100) of the $400 additional benefit each person may receive in weekly financial aid. A number of governors have expressed alarm about the setup as states have seen tax revenues plummet during the pandemic, while costs increase. While Trump said he signed four “executive orders,� only the one on housing is an actual executive order – the other three a...

Global: Total confirmed cases: ~17,422,000; deaths: ~676,000

U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~4,543,000; deaths: ~153,000

Source: Johns Hopkins University

1/ Nearly 30 million Americans are set to lose $600 per week in federal unemployment benefits after talks between Congress and the White House stalled. The $600 weekly benefit for unemployed Americans from March’s CARES Act is set to expire at midnight and Democrats want a full extension of the benefit into next year, while Senate Republicans argue the benefit is a disincentive to return to work. At a news conference at the White House, Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, accused Democrats of playing “politics as usual� while at the opposite ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said administration officials “do not understand the gravity of the situation.� Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will continue negotiations Saturday with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Pelosi. (Washington Post / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Politico / Axios)

2/ Dr. Anthony Fauci told the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis he is “cautiously optimistic� that a “safe and effective� coronavirus vaccine will be available to the public by the end of 2020, but warned that “one can never guarantee the safety or effectiveness unless you do the trial.� Fauci said that the Trump administration’s decision to leave coronavirus shutdown decisions to the states created a patchwork of policies that essentially imposed restrictions on about half of the country, and that “There were some states that did it very well, and there were some states did not.� Fauci also contradicted Trump’s past statements that the coronavirus would eventually vanish, saying “I do not believe it would disappear because it’s such a highly transmissible virus.� Fauci testified alongside Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, and Adm. Brett Giroir, the Trump administration testing czar. Giroir told Congress the U.S. “cannot test our way out of this or any other pandemic� and that “testing does not replace personal responsibility,� such as wearing a mask or washing hands. Redfield, meanwhile, testified that he was not consulted or given advance warning that the Trump administration was going to direct hospitals to stop reporting data to the CDC. (New York Times / Washington Post / CNBC / Politico /

Global: Total confirmed cases: ~17,117,000; deaths: ~669,000

U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~4,465,000; deaths: ~152,000

Source: Johns Hopkins University

1/ Another 1.43 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week – the 19th straight week that the tally exceeded one million and the second weekly increase in a row after nearly four months of declines. 17 million Americans filed for ongoing benefits. An additional 830,000 new claims were filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a benefit offered to gig and self-employed workers. (Washington Post / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

2/ The U.S. suffered its worst quarterly economic contraction on record in the second quarter. GDP shrank 9.5% from April through June – the largest quarterly decline since the government started publishing data 70 years ago. On an annualized basis, GDP fell at a rate of 32.9%. The contraction came as states imposed lockdowns across the country to contain the coronavirus. Trump recently told Fox News that “We’re going to have a great year next year. We’re going to have a great third quarter. And the nice thing about the third quarter is that the results are going to come out before the election.� (New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / Politico / The Guardian)

3/ Lawmakers are “nowhere close to a deal� on a new round of coronavirus aid, according to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. A last-ditch effort by Senate Republicans to pass a standalone extension of extension of federal unemployment insurance failed in the Senate. The Republican proposal would have renewed enhanced unemployment benefits, but slash them from $600 a week to $200. Democrats blocked the effort, pushing for the full $600 to go into next year, which was blocked by Republicans. The Senate is scheduled to leave Washington without any resolution on the expiring benefit, which would leave tens of millions of Americans in limbo as more than 1 million new unemployment claims filed for the 19th week in a row and after the economy recorded its worst quarter on record. (New York Times / Politico /

Global: Total confirmed cases: ~16,846,000; deaths: ~663,000

U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~4,399,000; deaths: ~151,000

Source: Johns Hopkins University

1/ More than 150,000 people have died in the United States from the coronavirus – five months after the first reported death in the U.S. – and more than a fifth of the world’s 662,000-plus recorded deaths. Florida, North Carolina, and California set new state records for coronavirus-related deaths reported in a single day on Wednesday. An average of nearly 1,000 virus-related deaths a day have been reported over the past week – worst rate since early June. (New York Times / Washington Post / CNBC / CNN)

2/ Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter all removed a video shared by Trump that baselessly claims that there is a “cure� for the coronavirus. There is no cure. The video, published by Breitbart, shows a group of people calling themselves “America’s Frontline Doctors� and claiming to be doctors who have worked with COVID-19 patients. One member of the group, who identified herself as Dr. Stella Immanuel, claimed that “You don’t need masks� to prevent the spread of coronavirus because hydroxychloroquine is a “cure.� Immanuel’s other medical claims include doctors using alien DNA in medical treatments, that the government is run by lizard-like “reptilian� aliens, that certain medical issues like endometriosis, cysts, infertility, and impotence are caused by sex with “spirit husbands� and “spirit wives� in a dreamworld. Trump also retweeted tweets defending the use of the drug hydroxychloroquine – including one that accused Dr. Anthony Fauci of having “misled the American public� – despite the FDA saying it was “unlikely to be effective� and carried potential risks. In June, the FDA revoked an emergency use authorization for the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in the t...

Global: Total confirmed cases: ~16,341,000; deaths: ~651,000

U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~4,272,000; deaths: ~148,000

Source: Johns Hopkins University

1/ Trump’s national security adviser tested positive for COVID-19. Robert O’Brien, the closest person to Trump and highest-ranking official to test positive so far, “has mild symptoms and has been self-isolating and working from a secure location off site,� the White House said. “There is no risk of exposure to the president or the vice president.� When asked by reporters about O’Brien, Trump responded: “I haven’t seen him lately. I heard he tested [positive].� O’Brien was also one of the first administration officials to wear a mask at the White House. (Bloomberg / Politico / CNN / Associated Press / NBC News / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal)

About 35% of COVID-19 patients who weren’t hospitalized do not recover quickly and experience ongoing symptoms, such as fatigue and cough for up to three weeks after their diagnosis, according to a CDC report. (NBC News)

FDA warned that at least 77 hand sanitizer products may be toxic when absorbed through the skin. Many of the products’ labels say they contain ethanol, but FDA tests show that they contain methanol. (Washington Post)

About 4,000 federal employees contracted the coronavirus while at work and at least 60 died. The total number of claims is expected to increase to 6,000 within weeks. (Washington Post)

At least 14 members of the Miami Marlins, including 12 players, tested positive for the coronavirus. MLB postponed Monday night’s scheduled game between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees in Philadelphia after the Phillies hosted the Marlins for three games this weekend. The Yankees would have occupied the same visitors’ clubhouse that the Marlins have since departed. (Washington Post / New York Times)

Trump will ...

Global: Total confirmed cases: ~15,595,000; deaths: ~636,000

U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~4,074,000; deaths: ~145,000

Source: Johns Hopkins University

1/ The CDC published new guidance recommending that schools reopen in the fall – two weeks after Trump criticized its earlier recommendations on school reopenings as “very tough and expensive.� The new guidelines start with an unsigned statement on “the importance of reopening America’s schools this fall,� and repeatedly describe children as low risk for being infected by or transmitting the coronavirus. A recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, however, concludes that “There is insufficient evidence with which to determine how easily children and youth contract the virus and how contagious they are once they do.� Nevertheless, the CDC claimed that “the best available evidence indicates that COVID-19 poses relatively low risks to school-aged children,� and that “reopening schools creates opportunity to invest in the education, well-being, and future of one of America’s greatest assets — our children.� Earlier this month, an internal CDC document warned that fully reopening schools would be the “highest risk� for the spread of coronavirus. Dr. Anthony Fauci said the country should try “as best as we possibly can� to keep children in school, but “it depends on where you are� and reopenings should depend on the level of virus transmission in individual communities. (New York Times / CNN / Washington Post)

2/ Trump canceled the in-person portion of the Republican National Convention as the coronavirus continues to spread across the U.S. The event was supposed to be held in Jacksonville, FL next month after North Carolina officials said they wanted the party to take health precautions. Trump, however, abruptly announced at a press conference last night that “the timing for this event is not right, just not right with what’s happened recently.� He cited the “flare-up� of coronavirus cases in Florida and said “I have to protect the American people.� Trump has repeatedly downplayed and denied the dangers of large gatherings over the last few months and accused Democrats of “purposely� keeping their states closed for political advan...

Global: Total confirmed cases: ~15,349,000; deaths: ~627,000

U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~4,022,000; deaths: ~144,000

Source: Johns Hopkins University

1/ The U.S. surpassed four million coronavirus cases a little over two weeks after reaching three million, doubling the total number of infections in six weeks. New cases climbed by more than 71,000 and the nation’s overall death toll topped 140,000 with more than 1,100 coronavirus deaths reported Wednesday – the first time since May 29 that the daily count exceeded that number. Public health experts have warned that the actual number of infections are potentially 10 times higher than what’s been reported and could be as much 13 times higher in some regions. (Wall Street Journal / USA Today / New York Times / Washington Post)

Nearly 75% of detainees in ICE custody in a Virginia facility have contracted COVID-19. Of the 360 immigrants in custody at the center, there are 268 confirmed cases of coronavirus currently under isolation or monitoring. (CNN)

Officials in 12 states said they still have requests pending for orders of personal protective equipment. Trump, however, claimed there are “zero unfilled requests� and “No governor needs anything right now.� (ABC News)

Stephen Miller’s grandmother died of COVID-19. His uncle blames Miller and the Trump administration for her death, citing Trump’s initial “lack of a response� to the coronavirus crisis. (Mother Jones)

A Marine assigned to Trump’s helicopter squadron tested positive for COVID-19. Trump was scheduled to travel to Bedminster, N.J., this weekend by helicopter. (Politico)

Two White House cafeterias were closed and contact tracing has been initiated after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The cafeterias are in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the New Executive Office Building, which are part of the White House complex located next to the West Wing. It is not clear if the employee who tested positive was a cafeteria worker. The White House did not say what kind of symptoms the employee showed. White House employees were notified in an email and were told there was no need for them to self-quarantine, but they were advised to monitor themselves for symptoms of the virus and to stay home if they felt sick. (NBC News / New York Times