Sunday, July 19, 2020

And another day of crazy interviews, how Portland got to where it’s at, rejected mail-in ballots, private tutoring, words matter, anti-straight discrimination, the city exodus, and family rental businesses comes to a close:

“After all, tomorrow is another day.” -- Margaret Mitchell

Deaths

US: 142,289 (+412)

World: 608,902 (4022)

Cases

US: 3,898,550 (+65,279)

World: 14,641,819 (+217,312)

Countdown: 107 days.

President Trump refused to commit to accepting the results of the November election during an interview on ”Fox News Sunday.” Trump scoffed at polls showing him trailing Democrat Joe Biden. It is remarkable that a sitting president would express less than complete confidence in the American democracy’s electoral process. But for Trump, it comes from his insurgent playbook of four years ago, when in the closing stages of his race against Hillary Clinton, he said he would not commit to honoring the election results if the Democrat won. — Recall he said the 2016 election was rigged...until he won.

Trump flails in interview with Fox News, citing false and nonexistent data on COVID. A lot happened in this interview. Read this summary for all the nuttiness.

Donald Trump v Fox News Sunday: extraordinary moments from a wild interview. Facing a feared interviewer, the president ended up insisting that identifying an elephant proved his mental capacity. — Seriously, it was nuts. 

50 Days Of Protest In Portland. A Violent Police Response. This Is How We Got Here. Protesters and journalists who regularly showed up at the nightly demonstrations agreed a siege was happening — but over 14 days, federal law enforcement increasingly became the occupying force...Cuccinelli said he didn’t know if the case he was asked about was Pettibone’s and wouldn’t say how many times similar arrests involving unmarked vans have happened. But he said the practice would continue.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler: The Trump administration's policing tactics are "abhorrent.”

States reject tens of thousands of mail ballots in this year's primaries, setting off alarm bells for November.

As pandemic surges, election officials seek poll workers. Recruitment efforts are increasingly targeting younger people, who are less at risk of developing serious illness from the virus, as officials and advocates aim strategies toward professional associations, students and sports teams to make sure election sites stay open. Still, a big unknown remains.

Many parents want it; few can afford it. Amid school uncertainty, private tutoring ramps up. -- And the education gap grows.

"It's a hoax," a 51-year-old said as he exited a clothing store maskless, referring to a state rule that people in most public places wear face coverings. "The more you test people, the more you come up with new cases," he said, echoing words from Trump. — Words matter. Trump is literally trying to kill you.

Donald Trump is trying to lead America away from John Lewis' legacy.

Missouri will spend $15 million of federal COVID-19 relief money to entice tourists.

Police in Barcelona closed down access to a large area of the city’s beaches after too many sunbathers ignored authorities' request to stay at home amid a new wave of surging coronavirus infections.

Jeremy Roenick Claims NBC Firing Was Anti-Straight Discrimination. Roenick was let go after joking on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast about having a threesome with his wife and Kathryn Tappen, a coworker, in a discussion about a vacation in Portugal.

The end is near for the $600 federal lifeline for millions of unemployed Americans — even though the economy is still far from recovered.

Rural real estate prices rise as people consider leaving cities. The virus is impacting how we spend money, how we shop and, perhaps, even where we want to live.

Without Wi-Fi, low-income Latino students resorted to doing homework in parking lots to access public hotspots.

Need a fake relative? Werner Herzog uncovers Japan's 'exploding' family rental business.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.