Unfit leaders do more than embarrass and demoralize a nation. Their incompetence and negligence can have huge consequences for the people they serve. The stubborn refusal of the president and his allies in state governments to heed health officials’ warnings about how to protect against COVID-19 has caused outbreaks of the virus that have forced some states to pause their reopenings. On social media, the president amplifies voices of hate, further hurting and dividing a nation already beset with racial strife. And in a shocking display of disloyalty, the president’s lack of concern for our troops has allowed the same Russian intelligence group who backed his campaign in 2016 to pay Afghan terrorists to kill American troops, without a whiff of retribution or even condemnation. Fortunately, Trump appears to be losing support in battleground states, so more Americans are apparently realizing that we need leaders who work to keep Americans safe, heal our divisions, and protect our troops. —Evan McMullin
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1. Intel says Russia targeted US troops
Hardly a weekend goes by that there isn't a bombshell news story of some sort these days, but Friday night gave us a particularly grave one. The New York Times reported that American intelligence officials have concluded that a Russian military unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for targeting and killing coalition forces in Afghanistan—including American troops—amid the peace talks to end the long-running war there. The intelligence finding was briefed to President Trump, and the White House's National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March, but the White House has yet to respond. Since then, Trump has invited Russia to rejoin the G7. —The New York Times
- — Deny, deny, deny. Both Trump and Russia have dismissed the reports as "fake news." In line with Russia's denials, Trump tweeted, "Nobody briefed or told me, @VP Pence, or Chief of Staff @MarkMeadows about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians, as reported through an 'anonymous source' by the Fake News @nytimes. Everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us..." He later claimed that U.S. officials dismissed the intelligence. —Forbes
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- — Three Marine deaths may be linked. Intelligence officials have reportedly been investigating an April 2019 attack on an American convoy, which killed three U.S. Marines, to determine if it was connected to Russian bounties. Officials are also looking at other unspecified incidents from 2019 to determine if there is any connection. The administration briefed select Republican members of Congress on the matter today. —The Daily Beast
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- — Troop deal still in the works. The Trump Administration is close to finalizing a decision to withdraw more than 4,000 troops from Afghanistan by the fall, paving the way for a U.S. exit, which the president remains determined to achieve. The discussions are taking place against the backdrop of a recent uptick in violence from the Taliban against the Afghan government. —CNN
More: US fighters have rushed to intercept 8 Russian bombers approaching Alaska in the past week (Business Insider)
3. 'The window is closing'
Over the weekend, worldwide cases of COVID-19 hit 10 million, with 500,000 deaths. The U.S. remains one of the global epicenters of the virus, and states like California, Florida, and Texas had to institute new measures to help grapple with their rising infection rates. Health and Human Services Sec. Alex Azar warned that the latest outbreaks threaten to spiral out of control without immediate intervention. "We have to act, and people as individuals have to act responsibly," he said. "We need to social-distance. We need to wear our face-coverings if we're in settings where we can't social-distance, particularly in these hot zones." —Politico
- — Protections for me, but not for thee? Even as measures meant to protect Donald Trump from catching the coronavirus have scaled up dramatically, his presidential campaign directed the removal of thousands of "Do Not Sit Here, Please!" stickers from seats at the Tulsa, Okla., arena where he held a campaign rally last week. The stickers were intended to promote social distancing among attendees. —CNN
— Pence relents. At an event at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center yesterday, Vice President Mike Pence implored Americans to wear face masks, practice social distancing, and stay away from senior citizens to protect them amid a new spike in COVID-19 cases. Pence also postponed two campaign events scheduled for this week due to the surge in infections. —The Washington Post-
- — "The stakes are much too high." On CNN yesterday, Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, also urged the president to wear a face mask "when it's appropriate" to help end the political debate over wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic. —Axios
More: Masks could help stop coronavirus. So why are they still controversial? (The Wall Street Journal)
6. ICYMI: Quick takes from the weekend
If you were too busy with summer activities this weekend to check on the news, good for you. Here's a roundup of other key stories you may have missed...
- — Migrants to be released. The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled on Friday that the U.S. government must release migrant children held in the country's three family detention centers, located in Texas and Pennsylvania, by mid-July, due to the coronavirus pandemic. —CNN
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- — Raiding Pentagon funds for wall illegal. A federal appeals court in California on Friday ruled that the Trump Administration's diversion of defense, military, and other funding to build a wall on the southern border violates the Appropriations Clause of the Constitution, which gives Congress the exclusive power of the purse. —The Hill
— A 51st state? In a 232-180 vote, the House passed a bill Friday to make Washington, D.C., the 51st U.S. state. The legislation would give Washington residents—who pay federal taxes but have no voting representation in Congress—one House member and two senators, but is unlikely to gain traction in the Senate. —CNBC
10. An American Story: Hopewell Helpers
Will Titus, a college sophomore, is the founder of the student-run organization Hopewell Helpers, comprised of himself and other college students, to complete odds-and-ends jobs, projects, and household tasks for people in the Hopewell, N.J., area.
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]. Thank you!
The stable genius in the White House, who, according to him, is a "perfect person," retweeted a video of a supporter yelling, "White power!" this weekend. The tweet was later taken down, and the White House claimed he didn't hear that part of the video. But since "perfect stable geniuses" don't make mistakes, I'm guessing it was no accident. —Carol M., Pennsylvania
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