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In discouraging news, the U.S. hit its highest number yet of new daily COVID-19 infections yesterday. Though the entire health community has consistently sounded alarms, the coronavirus response has been plagued by confusing guidance, and too many Americans have taken a "hope for the best" approach, scoffed at scientists, and refused to take simple precautions like wearing a mask. And, in the debate over economic interests versus public health, too many state and local officials have prioritized the economy in the short term to potentially devastating effects on both. It’s a failure of leadership, absolutely. But, as citizens, ultimately it's our responsibility to use good judgment and take responsibility for ourselves and our communities—both key components of self-government. —Mindy Finn
Top Ten

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1. Too much, too soon? The coronavirus pandemic, which set records for infections and hospitalizations across the U.S. yesterday, is now predicted to kill 180,000 Americans by October, according to the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The current spread in states that were slow to enforce lockdowns, or quick to lift them, is forcing some to delay or even reverse reopenings, particularly in the South and West. Florida and Texas each hit records for new cases yesterday, while Arizona is at a peak in hospitalizations. New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut set quarantines for incoming travelers from hot zones, and North Carolina froze its reopening for three weeks. Experts predict more opening and closing could go on for months. —Bloomberg ([link removed])
* — We were woefully unprepared. A new Government Accountability Office report out today finds much to criticize in the U.S. response to the pandemic. The government fell short on everything from testing to ensuring hospitals and states had adequate supplies. The report also says agencies struggled to ensure billions in stimulus dollars got to Americans struggling with the ensuing economic crisis. —CNN ([link removed])
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* — We're still not doing much better. The federal government is ending its support for 13 drive-thru coronavirus testing sites in five states—including seven in hard-hit Texas—on June 30, urging states to take over their own operations. —Politico ([link removed])
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* — Nope, not much better at all. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified this week that the National Institutes of Health cut off funding to a research project on bat coronaviruses only after the White House specifically ordered it to do so. Since the grant was nixed in late April, scientists had speculated that politics and conspiracy theories played a role. —Ars Technica ([link removed])
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* — DNC changes up convention. After consulting with public health officials, organizers of the Aug. 17-20 Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee have canceled large-scale in-person events, moved the convention from Fiserv Forum to the smaller Wisconsin Center, and added satellite events around the country. Delegates will cast votes remotely, in what is shaping up to be an increasingly virtual event. —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ([link removed])

More: Dozens of Secret Service officers and agents told to self-quarantine after Trump's Tulsa rally (The Washington Post) ([link removed])

2. Kristof: Trump feeds America's virus delusion ([link removed])

"We don't know for sure, but the post-peak experience from New York and Europe, as well as from street protests, offers some guidance: If people wear masks, distance as much as possible, and avoid mixing indoors, it just might be possible to keep the virus in check. Instead, our president refuses to wear a mask and brings people together indoors to cheer his newest proposed strategy, which in his words is 'slow the testing down.'" —The New York Times ([link removed])

3. Suspects indicted in Arbery case A grand jury in Georgia yesterday returned a murder indictment against the three men in custody for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed black man who was attacked while jogging on Feb. 23. "This is another step forward in seeking justice for Ahmaud," said Cobb Co. District Attorney Joyette Holmes, announcing the malice and felony murder charges against Greg and Travis McMichael and William Bryan. "We will continue to be intentional in the pursuit of justice for this family and the community at large as the prosecution of this case continues." —Atlanta Journal-Constitution ([link removed])
* — Three officers fired for "brutally offensive" comments. The Wilmington, N.C., police officers' openly racist and threatening conversations were inadvertently recorded by a patrol car camera. The men deride Black Lives Matter protesters and white allies and suggest "slaughtering" black residents. —The Washington Post ([link removed])
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— Another police chief steps down. Tucson's chief of police, Chris Magnus, abruptly resigned yesterday after video footage showed an April incident in which three officers violated department policies during an arrest that led to the death of 27-year-old Carlos Ingram Lopez. —USA Today ([link removed])
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* — John C. Calhoun, come on down. Crowds gathered yesterday in Charleston, S.C., to celebrate the removal of a statue of the former vice president, a strong defender of slavery, from the city's Marion Square. The city council voted unanimously the day before to take it down and wasted no time getting to work. —The Daily Beast ([link removed])
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* — Misguided mayhem in Milwaukee. Outside the Wisconsin State Capitol on Tuesday night, protesters smashed windows at the statehouse, attacked a state senator, and inexplicably tore down a statue of an abolitionist who died trying to end slavery during the Civil War. —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ([link removed])

More: Trump asks for toppled DC Confederate statue to be put back up (NBC News) ([link removed])

4. The Economist: The politicization of the DOJ "The reason for [U.S. Attorney Geoffrey] Berman's ouster remains unclear. Under Berman, the SDNY—popularly known as the Sovereign District of New York for its independence and predilection for high-profile cases—wrung a guilty plea out of Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer; charged two associates of Rudy Giuliani, another of Trump's lawyers, with campaign-finance violations; indicted a Turkish state-owned bank, causing friction between Trump and Turkey's president; and is reportedly investigating Giuliani for lobbying-law violations. Even if these investigations continue, [Attorney General Bill] Barr's action sends a troubling message: that pursuing investigations that discomfit the president can end a prosecutor's career." —The Economist ([link removed])

More: Barr agrees to testify after facing subpoena threat (Politico) ([link removed])

5. House takes on battle against disinfo The House Communications and Consumer Protection subcommittees tackled the issue of online disinformation yesterday at a hearing entitled "A Country in Crisis: How Disinformation Online Is Dividing the Nation." In a world embattled by a pandemic, economic strife, and social justice issues, the consensus was that disinformation is literally a matter of life and death, and much of the blame for it lies at the digital doorsteps of Facebook, Google, and Twitter. ([link removed])
* — Communications Subcommittee Chair Mike Doyle suggested that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which exempts online companies from civil liability for third-party content on their platforms, has unwittingly allowed dangerous information to proliferate on the internet. —Multichannel News ([link removed])
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— Rep. Lauren Underwood has introduced legislation to combat the emerging threat of disinformation, including deepfakes, manipulated media, and online bots, during crises like the coronavirus pandemic. ([link removed])
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* — The Protecting Against Public Safety Disinformation Act of 2020 would direct the Department of Homeland Security to analyze these threats and help local public health and safety professionals mitigate the impact of disinformation in their communities. —Homeland Preparedness News ([link removed])

More: An illustrated history of government agencies twisting the truth to align with White House misinformation (Pro Publica) ([link removed])
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6. Gupta: Pandemic helps Modi dismantle democracy "This deterioration of freedom and human rights in India is reflected in on-the-ground reporting and critical assessments by international human rights organizations. ... The V-Dem Institute, based at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, concluded in this year's annual Democracy Report that, 'India is on the verge of losing its status as a democracy due to the severely shrinking space for the media, civil society, and the opposition under Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi's government.' ([link removed])

The coronavirus pandemic has only made matters worse. The virus undeniably presented the government with an urgent challenge, but it also provided an opportunity to unify a divided nation against a common foe. Instead, the pandemic has led to a further erosion of India's pluralism and democratic credentials." —World Politics Review ([link removed])

Ed. Note: Anubhav Gupta is the associate director of the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York.

More: Coronavirus being exploited to undermine democracies, former world leaders warn (CNN) ([link removed])

7. Pentagon nominee has some problems Civil rights groups, some Republicans, and even some top military brass have expressed serious reservations about President Trump's nominee for under secretary of defense for policy at the Department of Defense. Retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata has a long history of making derogatory comments and pushing conspiracy theories online and in media appearances. ([link removed])
* — Tata has repeatedly spread conspiracy theories, including one that alleges that former CIA Director John Brennan tried to overthrow Trump and have him assassinated via a coded tweet. ([link removed])
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— Tata also has made numerous Islamophobic remarks, including falsely calling former President Barack Obama a Muslim and "terrorist leader." He has also accused Obama of "borderline treasonous" behavior. ([link removed])
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* — If confirmed by the Senate, Tata would oversee the Pentagon's policy on everything from Afghanistan, China, Iran, and Russia to nuclear deterrence and missile defense policy. He would also closely advise the Defense secretary on national security and support the Pentagon's program and budget decisions. —CNN ([link removed])

More: The Pentagon's research chief and his deputy are resigning (Defense One) ([link removed])

8. New USAGM head sued As one of his first orders of business, the newly installed U.S. Agency for Global Media CEO, Michael Pack, wasted no time in informing the heads of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and the Open Technology Fund that they were fired, effective immediately. He also disbanded their separate bipartisan advisory boards and replaced them with five Trump Administration political appointees. A lawsuit alleges he broke federal law by doing so. ([link removed])
* — The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by four former members of the advisory boards. They contend the broadcasters are actually private non-profit corporations that receive federal grants, and thus, Pack lacks standing to fire them. ([link removed])
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— "Their independence from political interference is protected by a strict 'firewall' embodied in statutes, regulations, and binding contract provisions," the lawsuit states. "Mr. Pack's actions this past week constitute the most egregious breach of that firewall in history." ([link removed])
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* — As Pack was coming into office this month, a key USAGM board restated the importance of the journalistic firewall of the broadcasters. It too was dissolved. —NPR ([link removed])

9. Pitts: We can't let this happen again ([link removed])

"Voters of color...often need to vote in person. These wait times don't simply add barriers and make it harder to get to work or take care of kids. During a pandemic, a long line could expose voters to a deadly disease. Ranked-choice voting isn't just a good process fix, it's a matter of ensuring racial equity. ... [I]t's more than just voting—it's the weight of that vote and how it is counted. Ranked-choice voting creates a playing field where an inclusive democracy is the ultimate champion." —The Hill ([link removed])

Ed. Note: Khalid Pitts is the executive vice president of policy and programs at FairVote.

10. An American Story: NASA honors 'hidden figure' NASA announced yesterday that it would name its Washington, D.C., headquarters after Mary Jackson, the organization's first black woman engineer, who was pivotal in helping U.S. astronauts reach space. ([link removed])
* — Jackson began working with NASA in 1951, going on to work with its 4x4 supersonic pressure tunnel. She retired from NASA in 1985, and her story was featured in the 2016 film "Hidden Figures," in which she was portrayed by actress Janelle Monáe. — Carolyn Lewis, Jackson’s daughter, said she felt honored to see NASA continue to celebrate her mother's legacy. "She was a scientist, humanitarian, wife, mother, and trailblazer who paved the way for thousands of others to succeed, not only at NASA but throughout this nation," she said. ([link removed])
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* — The administrator of NASA, Jim Bridenstine, said the agency would continue to honor those whose histories have long been overlooked by taking steps to make sure their names and contributions remain known. —The New York Times ([link removed])

Ed. Note: We are spotlighting ways that Americans are helping each other through the coronavirus crisis and recent unrest, and promoting American values. Would you like to suggest an "American Story" from your local news? If so, please forward a link to the story to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . Thank you!
What's Your Take?

It is interesting how a mish-mash of mandates, rules, orders, etc., are being put in place across the country to battle the coronavirus. It would be great if they work. Of course, we have no national strategy or leadership. You are on your own. In many states, that is also the case. Heck, some states have, or had, mandates to not allow cities or towns to issue mandates. These people are leaders. LOL.

When you put in place mandates or laws, a key piece is how they will be enforced, if at all. It is important to lay out the process/procedure to do so. Yet that is missing in many cases, it appears. Heck, law enforcement folks even go on record stating they will not enforce various orders or mandates.

In a "perfect world," everyone would do the very simple things like wear a mask and avoid crowds. That's not going to happen, especially not in the U.S., with all of our "patriots." So mandates are put in place for masks. Will they be enforced and how? The whole country just saw that the mask mandate in Phoenix was not enforced when the stable genius had a rally at a church.

In the Northeast, people entering certain states from "hotspots" are supposed to self-quarantine for 14 days. Yet how will it be enforced? The quarantine in the Northeast is left up to "trust." So people on vacation, let's say for a week, will lock themselves up for 14 days? Sure, and I have a bridge to sell you.

If everyone is smart and does the right thing, as some governors claim, we would not have any police forces, we would not have stop signs, nor speed laws, etc. The mandates may be with good intention, but unless you are able and willing to enforce them, they will become worthless. —Bill T., Arizona

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The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.

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