Tuesday, August 18, 2020

And another day of a bipartisan report, revelations, facts, nominations, an anniversary, backing down, a database, dust, tremendous heat, and a required ethnic studies course comes to a close:

“The greatest threat facing the United States is Donald Trump.” — The Washington Post

Deaths

US: 175,074 (+1358)

World: 784,338 (+6900)

Cases

US: 5,655,974 (+42,947)

World: 22,305,904 (+256,478)

Countdown: 77 days.

Bipartisan Senate report describes 2016 Trump campaign eager to accept help from foreign power. The report highlights some never-before-seen evidence, like allegations about women and of potentially compromising material tied to Trump trips to Russia. In a thousand-page bipartisan report released Tuesday, the Senate Intelligence Committee says the Trump administration obstructed its investigation with "novel claims" of executive privilege and paints a portrait of a Trump campaign eager to accept help from a foreign power in 2016...The committee says it also developed evidence that Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort may have been connected to the Russian operation to steal and leak Democratic emails. If that had been proven in court, it would have constituted "collusion," by any definition, but no such charge ever was brought. Manafort was convicted of fraud and tax charges unrelated to Russia. — This should fry Trump. We should take to the streets and demand he be thrown in prison.

Six revelations in Senate intel report on 2016 Russian interference. 1) Trump’s campaign chairman was consorting with a Russia spy. 2) Though Trump said he didn’t recall talking to Roger Stone about Wikileaks, he almost certainly did. 3) The dossier by a British intelligence officer was deeply flawed. 4) At least two participants in the June 9, 2016 meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russians in the Trump Tower had “significant connections to the Russian government, including Russian intelligence services… far more extensive than what had been publicly known.” 5) The idea that Ukraine interfered in the campaign—a notion Trump embraced—originated with Russian intelligence. 6) Carter Page may have been wronged by the FBI, but the committee found him suspicious.

Manafort shared campaign info with Russian intelligence officer, Senate panel finds.

The committee assessed that Trump spoke with Roger Stone about WikiLeaks on "multiple occasions," despite the fact that the president said he did not recall doing so in written answers to special counsel Robert Mueller.

"Considering we caught President Obama and sleepy Joe Biden spying on our campaign -- treason -- we'll probably be entitled to another four more years." -- Donald Trump -- He’s not planning on leaving.

Putin ordered the 2016 hacking of Democratic Party accounts and the release of emails intended to harm Hillary Clinton’s campaign, the Senate Intelligence Committee concluded.

Biden officially wins Democratic nomination.

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment — a landmark piece of legislation mandating that citizens’ right to vote “shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex".

With more mail-in ballots, U.S. may not have official results on election night: "Be prepared, be patient.”

Postal Service backs down on changes as at least 20 states sue over potential mail delays ahead of election. -- DeJoy still has a lot of questions to answer.

Postmaster general earned millions from company with ties to Postal Service: report.

Trump submits vote-by-mail ballot in Florida.

US reports under 40,000 new cases for 1st time since June.

How Bars Are Fueling COVID-19 Outbreaks. Public health experts say the evidence is abundantly clear: When bars open, COVID-19 infections tend to follow. But some bar owners are fighting in court against orders that they stay closed while restaurants are allowed to open.

White House says Georgia now leads nation in rate of new virus cases.

A Kansas high school teacher created what is believed to be the first national database tracking the effects of COVID-19 in K-12 schools, which has now chronicled the spread of the virus at more than 700 schools.

Flu and maybe other viruses can spread via dust, study indicates.

The past week has seen Minsk, Belarus, transformed by protests — once an orderly, even drowsy city, in recent days the capital has, at times, felt more like a giant festival site. People here have shed decades of fear in the span of a few days.

LeBron James speaks out against voter suppression with 'More Than A Vote' campaign. “And we're just trying to change that narrative and let them know that this is important. You are wanted and you are needed."

Black babies more likely to survive when cared for by black doctors – US study. When cared for by white doctors, black babies are about three times more likely to die in the hospital than white newborns. Strikingly, the biggest drop in deaths occurred in complex births and in hospitals that deliver relatively more black babies, suggesting institutional factors may play a role.

Students call for colleges to cut tuition costs as school year begins online.

Amsterdam has been collapsing for years. Now it's paying the price.

Last Decade Was Earth’s Hottest on Record as the Climate Crisis Accelerates. The past six years, 2014 to 2019, have been the warmest since global records began.

Democratic chair: Primaries should replace caucuses by 2024.

California Gov. Newsom has signed a bill into law that requires students at the California State University system to complete an ethnic studies course in order to graduate.

USA's first male 'murder hornet' captured in Washington state.

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

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