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/bdecslWildfire Relief Fund calfund.org/wildfire-relief-fund/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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/HysteriaAnd 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.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One man is now dead after a weekend of violence in Portland, Oregon, in which pro-Trump demonstrators drove through the city’s downtown taunting Black Lives Matter protestors. Jay Bishop was a member of a group called Patriot Prayer, a far-right group with ties to white supremacists.Massachusetts holds its primaries on Tuesday. Alex Morse is a 31-year-old, Justice Democrats-supported mayor of Holyoke, whose campaign against the incumbent Representative was hit with a false, homophobic smear.And in headlines: Shinzo Abe steps down as Japan’s prime minister, Novak Djokovic starts an all-male tennis player’s union, and Bella Thorne says sorry for her OnlyFans. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trump closed out the RNC last night, with a meandering 70-minute long speech that saw him paint a rosy picture of his administration’s handling of COVID-19 and promise a vaccine before the end of the year. Trump also tried to suggest that Biden would usher in chaos, while tending to ignore or misrepresent the chaos that’s happening under his administration.Later today thousands of protestors are expected to gather in Washington, DC, bringing the energy of this year’s many racial justice protests to the nation’s capitol. Jacob Blake’s father is set to speak at the event, along with other family members of people who have experienced police brutality.And in headlines: early impact of Hurricane Laura, an update on coronavirus in Europe, and Bon Appétit hires Dawn Davis as its editor-in-chief. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Police arrested 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse yesterday for killing two protestors and injuring a third at demonstrations in Kenosha, Washington against police brutality. Professional athletes joined in calling for justice for Jacob Blake, with teams from the NBA, WNBA, MLB, and more going on strike.Biden and Trump are averaging a near tie at the moment in North Carolina, which is sort of the site of the RNC this week. North Carolina is also a state where Republicans have repeatedly practiced voter suppression, through voter ID laws and gerrymandering. We discuss the state’s role in the 2020 election. And in headlines: Hurricane Laura makes landfall, the CDC gets USPS’d, and the MTA needs billions to keep running on time.Sign up for Vote Save America's weekend of action: votesaveamerica.com/adoptastate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last night’s Republican National Convention brought more speeches from Trump’s employees and family members, including First Lady Melania Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The topic of “school choice” has been referenced often during the RNC—that’s part of a major push from Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to privatize education. In Portsmouth, Virginia, Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke has been charged with a misdemeanor for calling for the resignation of the city’s police chief. She’s not alone. We discuss how the legal system in Virginia and elsewhere is being used against activists and elected officials, who are mostly Black, to suppress political speech. Mass Defense Fund: www.nlg.org/massdefenseprogram/ And in headlines: updates on Jacob Blake, California farmworkers face grueling work conditions made worse by extreme weather, and the Whitney Museum does fake activism. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.