Democrats, Republicans dig in on virus relief bill | PBS NewsHour

Negotiators on a huge coronavirus relief bill reported slight progress after talks resumed in the Capitol, with issues like food for the poor and aid to schools struggling to reopen safely assuming a higher profile in the talks. Multiple obstacles remain, including an impasse on extending a $600-per-week pandemic jobless benefit, funding for the U.S. Postal Service and aid to renters facing eviction. Democratic negotiators spoke of progress Monday but Republicans remain privately pessimistic. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-republicans-dig-in-on-virus-relief-bill

Protesters across country oppose ‘unsafe’ school openings during covid-19 - The Washington Post

With some public schools reopened and coronavirus cases already being reported, protesters in at least three dozen school districts across the country took to the streets Monday to demand that science and health concerns rule decisions about when and how to resume in-person learning.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/08/04/with-coronavirus-cases-reported-some-reopened-schools-protesters-take-streets-with-fake-coffins/

Confused Trump can't understand how many Americans are dying of coronavirus in shocking interview

Several of the moments in Donald Trump’s interview with Jonathan Swan of Axios have gone viral for good reason, but the extended clip where the two men argue about how well the U.S. is doing when it comes to coronavirus cases is especially jaw-dropping—and informative. As Swan presses Trump on the terrible outcomes in the U.S., we get to to see how Trump’s mind works, beat by beat. It is, of course, terrifying. ....
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/8/4/1966399/-Trump-says-You-can-t-do-that-as-reporter-tries-to-talk-about-number-of-COVID-19-deaths

I voted for Trump and I won't do it again.

https://youtu.be/XgqOD7BECNc

Donald Trump on the ropes in interview over US Covid-19 death toll

Donald Trump visibly floundered in an interview when pressed on a range of issues, including the number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the US, his claims that mail-in voting is fraudulent, and his inaction over the “Russian bounty” scandal.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/04/donald-trump-on-the-ropes-in-interview-over-us-covid-19-death-toll

President Trump and his Company Investigated for Possible Fraud, Filing Suggests - The New York Times

The office of the district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., made the disclosure in a new court filing arguing Mr. Trump’s accountants should turn over his tax returns. ....
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/nyregion/donald-trump-taxes-cyrus-vance.html

Opinion | Republican Leaders Couldn’t Care Less About the Unemployed - The New York Times

The cruelty and ignorance of Trump and his allies are creating another gratuitous disaster. ....
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/opinion/republicans-unemployed-coronavirus.html

QAnon supporters are winning some primaries. So who supports QAnon? - The Washington Post

Its appeal is not really based on traditional left-right, Democratic-Republican politics.....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/03/who-supports-qanon-heres-what-our-new-poll-finds/

Married couple charged with hate crime after yelling 'white power' in road rage incident - The Washington Post

Itzel Lopez and her boyfriend were sitting at a red light on July 22 in Torrance, Calif., when a White couple stormed out of their pickup truck. “Only White lives matter,” the woman said, according to an Instagram video Lopez shot of the incident. The woman stood on the passenger side, flipping dual middle fingers at Lopez and her boyfriend, who is Black. The man, who was standing on the driver’s side, fluttered his hand in a wave then yelled “white power!” and made a Nazi salute. Then he grabbed a shovel and slammed it against the car as Lopez’s boyfriend backed up and sped away. On Friday, the married couple in the video, Gregory and Rachel Howell, both 29, were arrested on hate crime and vandalism charges, police said.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/08/03/hate-crime-racism-torrance-california/

The Trump Administration Is Making It More Difficult To Seek Asylum. Is That Legal? (The 1A)

In June, the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration, and made it more difficult for immigrants seeking asylum in the United States to appeal their decisions and to speed their subsequent deportation if they are denied the protection.

The opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, claimed that the decision to uphold a law that limits a federal court’s ability to review asylum cases would ease the strain asylum claims put on the immigration system in America.

This decision is based off the case of Vijayakumar Thuraissigiam, a Sri Lankan farmer and member of the Tamil ethnic group. Thuraissigiam sought asylum in the U.S. after he was kidnapped and beaten in a pattern of violence that has traditionally targeted Tamil people. His request was denied and he was deported back to Sri Lanka.

This development comes as the Trump administration has consistently sought to make it more difficult for migrants to seek asylum. This American Life reported about one element: the “Remain In Mexico” policy, which requires those who want asylum to wait in dangerous camps over the border.

Will this decision truly ease the burden on the U.S. immigration system? How will this affect those seeking asylum now? And what’s behind the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail asylum?
Interview:
https://the1a.org/segments/the-trump-administration-is-making-it-more-difficult-to-seek-asylum-is-that-legal/

Sociologist Michael Sierra-Arévalo On Why Police Expect Danger And How It Drives Brutality (On Point)

Sociologist Michael Sierra-Arévalo spent 1,000 hours with police officers in the field. Ride-alongs, high speed chases, patrols. He says they’re taught to expect danger at every moment on the job. And that expectation is a major driver of police brutality.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/07/16/sociologist-michael-sierra-arevalo-on-how-police-expectation-of-danger-drives-brutality

Former DC and Philly Police Chief Charles Ramsey Talks Police Reform (The Al Franken podcast)

Al in conversation with the co-chair of Obama’s police reform commission.
Interview:
https://alfranken.com/listen/charles-ramsey

Trump claims authority to issue order on mail-in votes - ABC News

President Donald Trump is claiming he has the authority to issue an executive order on mail-in ballots, though it is is unclear what he could do to curtail the practice https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-claims-authority-issue-order-mail-votes-72155358

New FBI Documents From Mueller’s Russia Investigation Reveal What Witnesses Said About Trump

A new cache of witness interview summaries from special counsel Robert Mueller’s two-year probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election was released Monday in response to Freedom of Information Act lawsuits by BuzzFeed News and CNN. ....
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/new-fbi-documents-from-muellers-russia-investigation-reveal

Of course Trump’s campaign can’t reject the idea that Trump might seek foreign assistance - The Washington Post

Fox New’s Chris Wallace interviewed Jason Miller, a senior adviser to President Trump’s reelection campaign, on Sunday morning. Over the course of the conversation, Wallace pressed Miller on an issue central to the president’s impeachment late last year: Would Trump accept the assistance of foreign actors as he sought reelection? Miller declined to flatly say that Trump wouldn't. And how could he? There are already numerous demonstrated or reported examples of Trump seeking such assistance by leveraging his position as chief executive.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/03/course-trumps-campaign-cant-reject-idea-that-trump-might-seek-foreign-assistance/

Moms swarmed, handcuffed by armed Secret Service officers in front of babies demand answers - The Washington Post

It was a hot Thursday afternoon, so India Johnson, 26, and Yasmeen Winston, 25, decided to take their babies to splash in the fountains at the World War II Memorial. The women, best friends since seventh grade, parked on Constitution Avenue near the White House and prepared to walk to the Mall. Their babies were in the back seat, Mother Goose Club was singing through the car speakers, and the mothers were digging around in diaper bags when they heard the crash and felt the jolt. Johnson and Winston looked up. A Secret Service cruiser had driven into their front left bumper ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/two-black-moms-took-their-kids-to-the-mall-secret-service-confronted-them-with-guns-they-said/2020/08/03/be4dfa8c-d4f1-11ea-9c3b-dfc394c03988_story.html

Voting by Mail: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

With the 2020 presidential election nearing and a pandemic in full swing, John Oliver discusses why voting by mail is necessary, the fearmongering surrounding it, and why we need to start planning for November right now.
https://youtu.be/l-nEHkgm_Gk

The Swamp: a revealing look into Washington corruption

A new documentary finds bipartisan common ground as it follows Republican lawmakers to examine the corrosive influence of money in US democracy
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/aug/03/the-swamp-hbo-washington-democracy

The Lincoln Project’s plan for preserving the union: Drive Trump out of office by driving him nuts - The Washington Post

Your house is on fire. Do you care who the firemen are? That is a central question of the 2020 election. ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/lincoln-project-george-conway-ads-trump/2020/07/31/e9542a6a-d278-11ea-9038-af089b63ac21_story.html

I Fear the End of the Republican Party

"Fiscally conservative and socially moderate, I find myself politically homeless." ....
https://youtu.be/xczfjRYlu7I

Falling Revenue From COVID-19 Has Put State Budgets In Peril : NPR

The COVID-19 pandemic could swipe roughly $200 billion from state coffers by June of next year, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute's State and Local Finance Initiative. Record-high unemployment has wreaked havoc on personal income taxes and sales taxes, two of the biggest sources of revenue for states.
https://www.npr.org/2020/08/03/893190275/states-are-broke-and-many-are-eyeing-massive-cuts-heres-how-yours-is-doing

What Happens When The CARES Act Expires Tomorrow? (Opening Arguments podcast OA408)

Today’s episode takes a deep dive into the Republican proposal to extend the CARES Act, which is (of course) called the HEALS Act. It’s a Republican proposal, so you know it’s probably terrible, but… how bad is it? (Bad.) Listen and find out!

Remember that our LIVE Q&A is THIS SATURDAY, 8/1, at 7:30 pm Eastern / 4:30 pm Pacific!

We begin, however, with some good news! The D.C. Circuit has granted en banc review and vacated the prior panel opinion in the Michael Flynn case. That means our amicus brief is (potentially) back in business, baby!

From there, we take down Trump’s idiotic distract-o-Tweet of the day involving postponing the 2020 Election. No. He can’t do this. It won’t happen. Trump’s a monster, but no.

Then it’s time for a deep dive on the CARES Act, which includes some mystery provisions we’ve outsourced to you, our listeners!

After all that, it’s time for #T3BE, this one a (straightforward?) question about permissible witness testimony. Remember that you too can play along by sharing this episode on social media using #T3BE.
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa408-what-happens-when-the-cares-act-expires-tomorrow/

Biden’s climate change plan calls for carbon-free electricity by 2035 - The Washington Post

This month the Democratic presumptive presidential nominee, Joe Biden, outlined an ambitious plan for tackling climate change that shows how far the party has shifted on the issue since it controlled the White House. President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan had called for the electricity sector to cut its carbon pollution 32 percent by 2030, and did not lay out a trajectory for phasing out oil, coal or natural gas production. This year, Democratic 2020 hopefuls such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) went much further, suggesting the United States should derive all of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 as part of a $16.3 trillion plan to wean the nation away from fossil fuels. ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/07/30/biden-calls-100-percent-clean-electricity-by-2035-heres-how-far-we-have-go/

Opinion | The CFPB once defended consumers. Thanks to Trump, it now helps companies prey on them instead. - The Washington Post

For two days this week, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Kathy Kraninger testified to Congress about protecting consumers during the coronavirus pandemic, first in the Senate and then in the House. It went about as well as could be expected, which is not particularly well at all. Kraninger, a thoroughly unqualified Trump appointee, has shown little interest in doing her purported job, which is protecting Americans from the financial services industry. Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) said she lacked empathy, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) demanded she resign.... https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/08/01/cfpb-once-defended-consumers-thanks-trump-it-now-helps-companies-prey-them-instead/

WATCH: New Lincoln Project ad flattens Trump for ‘violent abuse’ of moms – Raw Story

A new ad from the Never-Trumper group The Lincoln Project hammers Donald Trump for using heavily-armored federal law enforcement officials to attack moms attending police brutality protests in Portland and elsewhere.....
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/watch-new-lincoln-project-ad-flattens-trump-for-sending-violent-abusive-troops-after-protesting-moms/

Postal Service Shortfalls Threaten Election Disaster. Republicans Don’t Want To Save It. – Mother Jones

"Neighborhoods across the Philadelphia region are experiencing significant delays in receiving their mail, with some residents going upwards of three weeks without packages and letters, leaving them without medication, paychecks, and bills," the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Sunday. The recent cutbacks, end of overtime, and staffing shortages are leaving piles of mail unattended. "According to local union leaders and carriers, mail is piling up in offices, unscanned and unsorted." If things don't change, thousands and perhaps millions of ballots could be in those piles. Pennsylvania is a swing state......
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/08/usps-postal-service-november-election-trump-republicans-shortfalls-coronavirus/

Stacey Abrams: Trump trying to 'steal' vote with postal service cuts - Business Insider

Stacey Abrams accused President Donald Trump of trying to indirectly rig the election by "undermining" the US Postal Service, which could play an outsize role this November as millions of Americans are forced to vote by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic. "We will not be able to effectively count the votes of every eligible American because he's doing his best to undermine our confidence in the process, but worst he's doing best to actually steal the vote by undermining the postal service," Abrams told CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday.
https://www.businessinsider.com/stacey-abrams-trump-trying-to-steal-vote-postal-service-cuts-2020-8

Voting by mail is safe and easy: Why are Republicans lying about it? - Business Insider

Last weekend, we passed a milestone moment in the 2020 election cycle: We are now less than 100 days away from Tuesday, November 3 — Election Day. In normal years, this would be the time when the general public really starts tuning in to the messages both parties are running with, familiarizing themselves with the candidates, and deciding who gets their vote. But just as it has with every other aspect of our lives, the coronavirus pandemic has thrown everything we know about politics into disarray. ....
https://www.businessinsider.com/voting-by-mail-safe-easy-republicans-lying-about-it-2020-8

Coronavirus stimulus aid: Nancy Pelosi slams White House over deadlock

The White House and Congressional Democrats blamed each other Sunday morning for the current deadlock in the deliberations over a new stimulus deal to combat the impacts of the coronavirus. After bright spot Saturday where both sides agreed progress was made, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., placed blame on the current impasse in deliberations on President Donald Trump and Republican leadership. ....
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/02/coronavirus-stimulus-aid-nancy-pelosi-slams-white-house/5566652002/

Opinion | Republicans don’t seem to grasp cause and effect - The Washington Post

President Trump’s critics have a remarkable capacity to predict the future. Consider all the things Trump’s fiercest critics, both Democrats and Never Trumpers, called in advance: ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/08/02/republicans-dont-seem-grasp-cause-effect/

Trump's Republican Party is defined by racism and those who tolerate it: GOP strategist

"I've worked on winning Republican races across the South, and I've never seen a racist appeal like Trump's succeed. Why won't his party challenge him?"....
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2020/08/02/republicans-embrace-trump-racism-give-up-on-black-voters-column/5559249002/

Trump Says Mail-In Voting Session 'Must Be Met With Immediate Litigation,' Continuing Call to Delay Election

President Donald Trump has called for "immediate litigation" over mail-in voting in Nevada after Republicans accused Democrats of "working to steal our election." Trump has frequently hit out at mail-in voting, claiming without evidence that it will lead to widespread election fraud throughout the election. ....
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-litigation-mail-voting-nevada-1522213

It Was All a Lie review: Trump as symptom not cause of Republican decline

A consultant for Bush and Romney laments the fate of his party and sees heavy defeat as the best medicine to hope for
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/02/it-was-all-a-lie-review-trump-republican-party

'They need voters': QAnon is finding a home in the Republican party

Believers of the conspiracy theory, labelled a potential domestic terror threat by the FBI, are running for national office as Republican candidates
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/02/qanon-conspiracy-theory-republican-party-candidates

The Best Netflix Movies You've Never Seen

You can just follow your "List" or check out the "what's new" or "what's hot" tabs, or you can dig a little deeper into the Netflix archives to find some truly outstanding, under-the-radar films. Here's a look at some of the best stuff to add to your queue the next time you don't know what to watch. The Duffer Brothers might allude to their Spielbergian influences and aims in Stranger Things, but Rim of the World director McG unabashedly and cheerfully made an '80s-style kid adventure movie. Rim of the World mixes elements of E.T., The Goonies, and Red Dawn to create a similarly fun sci-fi action movie where teens save the day.....
https://youtu.be/6qFb8ccE_WA

Test positivity rate: How this one figure explains that the US isn't doing enough testing yet

The U.S. has performed more coronavirus tests than any other country in the world. Yet, at the same time, the U.S. is notably underperforming in terms of suppressing COVID-19. Confirmed cases – as well as deaths – are surging in many parts of the country. Some people have argued that the increase in cases is solely due to increased testing.

I am a statistician who studies how mathematics and statistics can be used to track diseases. The claim that the increase in cases is only caused by increases in testing is just not true. But how do public health officials know this? ....
https://theconversation.com/test-positivity-rate-how-this-one-figure-explains-that-the-us-isnt-doing-enough-testing-yet-143340

Trump’s Illegal DHS Secretary (Opening Arguments podcast OA407)

The very person in charge of Homeland Security is essentially “here illegally.” The upside is, though, there is a one weird trick to undo everything he has done while overstaying his tenure! And by “trick” we mean a lengthy A. Torrez deep dive, so tune in!

Before that, we talk about updates in the Flynn case and how the government is LYING about a Federal Rule.
Interview:
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/atheistically-speaking-2/opening-arguments/e/76494187

Ambassadors Gone Wild (Pod Save the World podcast)

Tommy and Ben make the case for Susan Rice as Vice President, the latest on escalating tensions between the US and China, US plans to sell advanced armed drones abroad, two Trump donors turned ambassadors are engulfed in scandal, anti-corruption protests threaten the government in Bulgaria, Bob Gates writes a book and we’re confused, the truth about TikTok and things aren’t looking good for Major League Baseball. Then Ben interviews Israeli news anchor Yonit Levi about the massive anti-Netanyahu protests in Israel.
Interview:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/9513168/ambassadors-gone-wild

Trump’s mail voting lies debunked by his own lawyers – Raw Story

President Donald Trump on Thursday tried to draw a distinction between “mail voting” and “absentee voting,” but his own lawyers acknowledged in court documents the two are the same thing. ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/08/trump-mail-voting-lies-debunked-by-his-own-lawyers/

A White filmmaker held up a Black Lives Matter sign in Harrison, Arkansas, and here's what happened - CNN

A White filmmaker traveled to a town just outside the headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan to document reactions to him holding a Black Lives Matter sign. With a GoPro strapped to his chest under his shirt, out of view to his subjects, and a lapel mic on his body, Rob Bliss, 31, stood on the side of the road in Harrison, Arkansas, with his handmade poster. Harrison is 135 miles north of the capital Little Rock.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/31/us/blm-sign-kkk-headquarters-trnd/index.html

The Greatest Star Trek Series You're Not Watching -- Full Episode!

New captain to the young lieutenant he's going to command: Have you ever been to Mars, Lieutenant?

Lt: No sir. I'm looking forward to it.

Captain: Sometimes it's hard to get used to the fact you go outside without protection, you die.

Lt: I'm from Detroit, sir.

https://youtu.be/lEKdrVeUTAE

Overheard (August 2020) | Freethought Today

The new culture war is not abortion or same-sex marriage, the new culture war is about preserving a white, Christian America.
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-37-no-06-august-2020/overheard-august-2020

Churches took in $6B of taxpayer money | Freethought Today

The Freedom From Religion Foundation condemns the unconstitutional, possibly corrupt handout of taxpayer funds to churches, including churches run by some of President Trump’s closest allies, under the Paycheck Protection Program. New data released by the Small Business Administration on the program’s forgivable loans shows that more than 12,400 American churches took in billions of taxpayer dollars (while some were helping to spread the pandemic). ....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-37-no-06-august-2020/churches-took-in-6b-of-taxpayer-money

They Said What? (August 2020) | Freethought Today

If you have a radical left group of judges, religions I think will be almost wiped out at America. If you look at it, pro-life will be absolutely wiped out. So, if you have that happening, pro-life is going to be out. It’s going to be gone.
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-37-no-06-august-2020/they-said-what-august-2020

Christopher Hitchens confronts christian "humility"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlTJEC7C40s&feature=youtu.be

Right-Wing Domestic Terrorism Is On The Rise. Did The Warning Signs Evade Us? (On Point)

In 2009, a DHS report predicted that the recession coupled with the nation’s first Black president could give rise to a surge in right-wing domestic terrorism. Political backlash ensued, and the intelligence unit disbanded. Now, over a decade later, the report’s author is still ringing alarm bells. We share his story.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/07/21/right-wing-terrorism-warning-signs

“Person, woman, man, camera… podcast.” (Pod Save America podcast)

Dan and Tommy talk about the new tone that President Trump is not adopting now that daily White House coronavirus briefings have resumed, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling out a culture of misogyny after a Republican accosted her on the steps of the Capitol, the latest on the negotiations over pandemic relief in Congress, and the new plan Joe Biden has proposed to help caregivers and parents.
Interview:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/9513168/person-woman-man-camera-podcast

Inside Netflix’s ‘Immigration Nation,’ the Horrifying ICE Documentary Trump Doesn’t Want You to See

In 2017, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in their infinite wisdom, granted a pair of filmmakers unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to their officers and facilities. And for nearly three years, Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwarz captured the human toll of Trump’s zero tolerance immigration policy, which saw undocumented families ripped apart and placed in ruinous detention centers.
According to Clusiau and Schwarz, ICE—who were contractually allowed to review cuts of the series but to only request edits for privacy violations or factual errors—demanded that the series’ release be held until after the 2020 election, and that the request came from “all the way to the top,” reported The New York Times. Despite governmental pressure, the resulting 6-part docuseries, Immigration Nation, is hitting Netflix on Aug. 3.....
https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-netflixs-immigration-nation-the-horrifying-ice-documentary-trump-doesnt-want-you-to-see

John de Lancie: Secular grads, the world now needs you | Freethought Today

Greetings — wherever you may be. I’m John de Lancie. Some of you may recognize me from my roles on “Star Trek” or “Breaking Bad” or any number of other shows. Today, I’m speaking to you not as an actor, but rather as a secular humanist — as a person who has far more love and respect for the real world than for the imaginary one.....
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-37-no-06-august-2020/john-de-lancie-secular-grads-the-world-now-needs-you

Week In The News: Coronavirus Updates, Stimulus Plan, John Lewis' Funeral (On Point)

The U.S. COVID death toll rises above 150,000. Congress debates another round of stimulus funding. Congressman John Lewis is laid to rest. It’s all in our week in review.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/07/31/news-coronavirus-congress-stimulus-plan-funeral-of-john-lewis

The News Roundup — Domestic (The 1A) 2020-07-31

President Donald Trump does not have the explicit power to delay an election. But he tweeted Thursday morning that he was considering a delay for November’s vote due to the possibility of flawed voting (a claim for which there is no evidence). The Constitution gives Congress the ability to set the date for the federal election.

Author and philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, the former wife of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, gave $1.7 billion this week to institutions including historically Black universities and colleges, LGBTQ rights organizations, women’s rights organizations and more. A year ago, Scott said she would give her fortune away until her “safe was empty.”

Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced that federal officers would be pulling out of Portland following weeks of protests over the presence in the city. But federal forces have been more aggressive than they have in recent days following the announcement.

And we buried Congressman John Lewis. Former president Barack Obama eulogized him.
Interview:
https://the1a.org/segments/news-roundup-domestic-2020-7-30/

The News Roundup — International (The 1A) 2020-07-31

The United States is shifting 12,000 troops out of Germany to other NATO countries and domestic bases. The Pentagon says the move is meant to serve as deterrence against Russia. But the decision comes after the president’s claims of “tremendous delinquencies” by Germany. This shift illustrates growing tension between the U.S., Germany, and Russia following the Trump administration’s sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

In Turkey, parliament has passed controversial social media legislation. The new law would require platforms with over one million daily users to have open offices in the country and comply with the government’s demands to block and remove posts, among other measures. Failure to comply could result in hefty fines and cuts to their bandwidths that would make them unusable. Some critics say the new law will empower Turkey to silence political opposition and control social media.

Reports of a cyberattack on the Vatican have emerged in the days ahead of negotiations to appoint Catholic bishops in China. A security firm determined that China targeted Vatican computers in a hack. The attack on the Vatican’s computer network appears to be an espionage effort to gather sensitive information on the Catholic Church, similar to previous attacks on Muslim Uighurs and Buddhists Tibetans.

And the COVID-19 pandemic is still devastating countries around the world.
Interview:
https://the1a.org/segments/news-roundup-international-2020-31-07/

Nationalist Geographic

Impotus Americanus is one of the heaviest leaders in the animal kingdom, and is famously known to be an orange, ruddy color not found in nature. ....
https://youtu.be/8x1-CVsoEBU

Next COVID casualty: Cities hit hard by the pandemic face bankruptcy

U.S. cities are fast running out of cash. The pandemic will reduce local government revenues by an estimated US$11.6 billion in 2020. With COVID-19 requiring residents to stay home and stores to shutter, the bulk of this reduction comes from a slump in local sales taxes. Declines will continue into 2021.
https://theconversation.com/next-covid-casualty-cities-hit-hard-by-the-pandemic-face-bankruptcy-142539

New Trump COVID-19 Hospitalization Data System Is Not Faster Nor More Complete : Shots - Health News : NPR

Earlier this month, when the Trump administration told hospitals to send crucial data about coronavirus cases and intensive care capacity to a new online system, it promised the change would be worth it. The data would be more complete, transparent, and an improvement over the old platform run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, administration officials said. Instead, the public data hub created under the new system is updated erratically and is rife with inconsistencies and errors, data analysts say.....
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/07/31/897429054/covid-19-hospital-data-system-that-bypasses-cdc-plagued-by-delays-inaccuracies

Opinion | When did Republicans become such weaklings? - The Washington Post

Republicans, especially in the era of President Trump, have adopted the swaggering tone and false bravado of high school athletes — heavy on trash talk but low on accomplishments. In 2016, Trump incited his followers to slug protesters; as president, he told cops to not be “too nice” putting suspects in police cars. Gun-toting MAGA protesters charged the Michigan Capitol to scream at security forces and threaten Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Trump orders federal forces to intimidate and attack peaceful protesters. Such bluster too often morphs into cruelty — toward children at the border, toward those unemployed through no fault of their own (slackers!). But more often than not, this is a party of sniveling victims and temper tantrums. ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/30/when-did-republicans-become-such-weaklings/

Opinion | You have echoed lies and defended demagoguery. It must sting to still be defending Trump. - The Washington Post

What a tremendous burden it must be for you to still be defending President Trump. You have called yourself a constitutional conservative for decades, but now you sit silently as the president pushes to move this year’s election because he might lose. Even some Republican senators are speaking up. Why aren’t you?....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/30/what-tremendous-burden-it-must-be-you-still-be-defending-donald-trump/

Kushner COVID-19 plan axed because virus hit Democrats worst: report - Business Insider

Some members of Jared Kushner's coronavirus task force believed the pandemic would affect Democratic areas worse and may have adjusted accordingly, Vanity Fair reported. ....
https://www.businessinsider.com/kushner-covid-19-plan-maybe-axed-for-political-reasons-report-2020-7

Stella Immanuel’s theories about the relationship between demons, illness and sex have a long history

President Donald Trump has a new favorite doctor. On July 27, the president and his son Donald Trump, Jr. tweeted a viral video featuring Dr. Stella Immanuel, in which the Houston pediatrician rejected the effectiveness of wearing face masks for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and promoted hydroxychloroquine to treat the disease. Journalists quickly dug into Immanuel’s background and found that she’s also claimed that having sex with demons can cause illnesses like cysts and endometriosis. ....
https://theconversation.com/stella-immanuels-theories-about-the-relationship-between-demons-illness-and-sex-have-a-long-history-143587

Professor Richard Wolff: Coming Economic Crash Will be WORSE Than Great ...

Professor Richard Wolff gives his thoughts on new statistics revealing 32% of households have not yet made their full housing payments for July.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14zbZvXogoM&t=4s

"Vote Him Away #2 (The Liar Tweets Tonight)"

https://youtu.be/JlZg-dObruo

“You just have to have faith”

Responding to the common religious claim. Faith is an unreliable way to find truth, and worse, it allows for dangerous manipulation. I’m now on TikTok. Come join the conversation. 

https://youtu.be/bllFK6HrQVY 

Cartoon: They came from outer space!

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/7/30/1964888/-Cartoon-They-came-from-outer-space

The Criterion Channel’s August 2020 Lineup | The Current | The Criterion Collection

Stuck at home this summer? Don’t let that get you down—our Bad Vacations series makes the case for staying in and watching movies, cataloguing an array of holiday horrors ranging from existential ennui to full-throttle terror.....

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/7032-the-criterion-channel-s-august-2020-lineup