DEATHS PASS 140,000 IN U.S.: The number of deaths from the coronavirus has now passed 600,000 worldwide, and 140,000 in the U.S., with more than 140,500 as of early this morning, according to Johns Hopkins University's count, and more than 3,773,000 confirmed cases in the U.S. Growing countries of concern include South Africa and India, and Brazil continues to be a major hotspot, second in both deaths and confirmed cases only to the U.S., which leads the world in both.
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| Miami Herald 7/20/20 |
Within the U.S,. Florida reported 12,478 new cases, the fourth time since the start of the pandemic that it's had more than 12,000 new cases in one day. Miami-Dade, County, which is now the U.S. epicenter, has seen a 40 percent increase in hospitalizations in the past two weeks, and of Florida's 9,351 hospitalizations, more than one-third are in Miami-Dade and neighboring Broward counties. Texas reported more than 10,000 new cases for the fifth day in a row, and Arizona reported record deaths for Saturday. Amid the weeks-long coronavirus surge across the South and West, President Trump was asked in a Fox News interview Sunday about his repeated statements since February that the virus would just go away. Trump said, "I'll be right eventually. I will be right eventually. You know I said, 'It's going to disappear.' I'll say it again."
Top GOPers to Meet with Trump on Fifth Coronavirus Aid Package: Congressional Republican leaders Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy are set to meet with President Trump today to confer on a fifth coronavirus aid package. The $1 trillion Senate package is expected to include $75 billion to help schools reopen, another round of $1,200 stimulus checks to Americans, reduced unemployment benefits -- with the $600-a-week boost to regular unemployment set to expire at the end of the month -- and five-year liability protection for businesses against coronavirus lawsuits, which has been a McConnell priority. However, there are Republican divisions with the White House. The Washington Post reported that the administration wants the relief package to phase out federal funding for coronavirus testing and contract tracing, as well as money for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, which the GOP doesn't favor, and Trump is also pushing for a payroll tax break, which many Republican senators oppose.
The Democratic-led House passed its own new $3 trillion coronavirus relief package back in May, which the GOP-led Senate has not taken up. Its provisions include $75 billion for testing and contact tracing, $100 billion to help schools safely reopen, and $1 trillion for cash-strapped states to pay essential workers and prevent layoffs.
Bahamas Bans Americans: Americans will no longer be allowed to enter the Bahamas amid a surging coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said on Sunday. The ban comes three weeks after the Bahamas reopened to travelers, and Minnis said there's been a surge of cases in the country since. Flights and ships from other countries won't be allowed to enter the Bahamas either, with exceptions for those from Canada, the U.K. and the European Union. The U.S. is the largest tourism market for the Bahamas.
➤PORTLAND MAYOR SAYS FEDERAL TROOPS NOT WANTED, CHARGES 'BLATANT ABUSE': Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler on Sunday (July 19th) blasted the federal troops associated with the Department of Homeland Security that have been sent into his city, which has had two months of nightly protests since George Floyd's death, saying it's making tensions worse and causing the situation to to blow up again, quote, "like a powder keg."
Wheeler said on CNN the federal forces, quote, "are not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave." He also stated, "What we're seeing is a blatant abuse of police tactics by the federal government." Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service on Friday, seeking a restraining order, saying unidentified federal agents have grabbed people off the streets in Portland, quote, "without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action." President Trump, who has blasted the protests, tweeted yesterday, "We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators."
➤FEDERAL JUDGE'S SON KILLED, HUSBAND WOUNDED BY GUNMAN AT HER HOME: The 20-year-old son of a federal judge was killed and her husband wounded by a gunman dressed in a FedEx uniform who opened fire on the North Brunswick, New Jersey, home of U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas. Salas wasn't harmed. Initial reports said that Salas' son, Daniel Anderl, opened the door with his father, attorney Mark Anderl, right behind him, and the gunman immediately started firing before fleeing. It's not known if the assailant was an actual Fedex employee or was posing as one. U.S. Marshals and the FBI are investigating that attack. CNN cited a source as saying law enforcement hadn't been aware of any threats against Salas.
➤TRUMP WON'T COMMIT TO ACCEPTING RESULTS OF NOVEMBER ELECTION: President Trump refused yesterday to commit to accepting the results of the November election, saying in a Fox News Sunday interview, "I have to see. No, I’m not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either." Trump made similar statements before the 2016 election that he might not honor the results if he lost. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign said in response, "The American people will decide this election. And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House."
Also during the interview, Trump was critical of Pentagon leadership for being in favor of changing the names of military bases that honor Confederate military leaders. He said, "I don't care what the military says," and questioned, "[W]hat are we going to name it? We’re going to name it after the Reverend Al Sharpton?" Additionally, he again defended the Confederate flag, saying, "They love their flag, it represents the South, they like the South. That’s freedom of speech. And you know, the whole thing with 'cancel culture,' we can’t cancel our whole history. We can't forget that the North and the South fought. We have to remember that, otherwise we'll end up fighting again."
➤ORGANIZERS: TENS OF THOUSANDS TO WALK OFF THE JOB TODAY IN 'STRIKE FOR BLACK LIVES': Organizers of what's being called the "Strike for Black Lives" say that tens of thousands of people are set to walk off the job today in more than two dozen U.S. cities in a national strike in protest of systemic racism and economic inequality. Labor unions and social and racial justice organizers will take part in a range of planned actions. Ash-Lee Henderson, an organizer with the Movement for Black Lives, said, "The Strike for Black Lives is a moment of reckoning for corporations that have long ignored the concerns of their Black workforce and denied them better working conditions, living wages and healthcare."
➤RAHM WINS MEMORIAL, BECOMES WORLD'S TOP-RANKED GOLFER: Spain's Jon Rahm won the Memorial Sunday at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio, and the victory moved him to the top spot in the rankings as the world's Number 1 golfer. Rahm won by three strokes over American Ryan Palmer, finishing at 9-under 279. Tiger Woods, playing in his first competition since February 16th, tied for 40th place.
DILLON WINS CUP RACE AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY BEFORE LIMITED FANS: Austin Dillon beat rookie teammate Tyler Reddick at Texas Motor Speedway yesterday in the first 1-2 NASCAR Cup finish in nine years for Richard Childress Racing. It was Dillon's third career win and first since the start of the 2018 season. The race was held before a limited number of fans, an estimated 15,000 to 20,000, who were spread out in the stands. There were also about 20,000 fans at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee last Wednesday for the All-Star race. Both were the most fans at a sporting event in the U.S. since sports have slowly begun returning from their coronavirus shutdowns.
➤BLUE JAYS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO PLAY: After Canada denied the Toronto Blue Jays' request to play at their home stadium, the Rogers Centre, because they'd have to travel back and forth to the U.S., where coronavirus cases are surging, the Blue Jays are now looking for a ballpark where they can play, pitcher Anthony Bass said Sunday. Bass said he and his teammates really want it to be a major league ballpark, but among the places the Blue Jays have been considering are its Florida training facility, and the Buffalo, New York, stadium that's home to its Triple-A affiliate. Toronto is scheduled to play its first home game on July 29th. The other 29 MLB teams plan to play in their home ballparks, without fans. Meanwhile, MLB began playing exhibition games this weekend, with three games on Saturday and four Sunday. The shortened 60-game season will start on Thursday (July 23rd).
➤NFL PLAYERS ASKING LEAGUE TO ADDRESS HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS: With NFL training camp set to begin for rookies this week and for everyone else next week, several NFL players were publicly asking the league yesterday to address health and safety concerns. The NFL told teams Saturday that training camps will open on time even though discussions with the players' union about coronavirus testing and related protocols are still going on. Among the players speaking out on social media Sunday, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, whose wife, Ciara, is pregnant, wrote: "We want to play football but we also want to protect our loved ones."
