Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Is Innocent, Claims Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

How the Final Stretch of Biden’s VP Search Is Playing Out

By Gabriel Debenedetti

It’s been an abnormal, increasingly contentious process, but the wait is finally almost over.

8/7/2020

Undone by a zipper

The head of the conservative evangelical Liberty University has been forced to take an “indefinite leave of absence” after he shared a photo of himself with his pants unzipped to reveal his underwear.

Jerry Falwell Jr, a prominent backer of Donald Trump and one of America’s most powerful evangelical leaders, was accused of hypocrisy after posting the photo to Instagram this week. …

The move represents an extraordinary downfall for Falwell, who has served as the president of the ultra-conservative university since 2007. Liberty University was founded by Falwell’s father, and the younger Falwell became head after his death.

Jerry Falwell Jr takes leave of absence after unzipped pants photo

—The Guardian

8/7/2020

An in-person meeting

Breaking: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer traveled to Delaware last weekend to meet with Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s first known in-person session with a potential running mate as he nears decision. She visited Biden Sunday, 2 high-ranking Mich. Ds tell @AP

—@davideggert00

Georgia NAACP Head Asks Matt Lieberman to Drop Senate Bid

2020 elections

Lieberman’s self-published 2018 novel is allegedly loaded with “racist tropes.”

Cuomo Says New York Schools Can Reopen, But Hurdles Remain

covid-19

By Chas Danner

School districts have the green light. Whether they move forward with in-person learning is still an open question.

Democrats Struggle to Accommodate Stars at Shrunken Convention

With no live audience and reduced media coverage, and no incumbent president to soak up attention, Democrats will have to be careful about who speaks.

What the Hell Is Kanye West’s Campaign About?

By Ben Jacobs

It is not serious, but it’s not a joke either. It has aspects of both a vanity project and a GOP sabotage operation, but not fully either.

Frank Rich: Trump’s Frantic Summer — Salesmanship or Mania?

the national circus

By Frank Rich

So, in the three-month countdown to Election Day, it’s come to this.

As Schools Open, Coronavirus Outbreaks Follow

coronavirus

By Adam K. Raymond

Here are the states where reopened schools are dealing with positive coronavirus tests.

8/7/2020

American conflict with China escalates

The U.S. is placing sanctions on 11 Chinese officials and their allies in Hong Kong, including Chief Executive Carrie Lam, over their role in curtailing political freedoms in the former U.K. colony, the Treasury Department said Friday.

“The United States stands with the people of Hong Kong and we will use our tools and authorities to target those undermining their autonomy,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

U.S. Sanctions Hong Kong’s Carrie Lam Over China Crackdown

—Bloomberg

The Economy Is Slightly Less Bad Than a Few Weeks Ago

intelligencer chats

By Josh Barro and Benjamin Hart

There’s some good news in Friday’s jobs report, but it is also likely to make a congressional deal even more difficult.

Stimulus Talks Have Become a Huge Mess

coronavirus stimulus

As bipartisan stimulus talks break down, Trump moves toward highly controversial executive orders that will invite court challenges.

8/7/2020

A better than expected jobs report

BREAKING: The US added 1.8 million jobs in July and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 10.2%

The jobs recovery continues – but it’s slowing down and 16.3 million are still unemployed.

May: +2.5 million jobs
June: +4.8 million
July: +1.8 million

—@byHeatherLong

A Historian of Economic Crisis on the World After COVID-19

just asking questions

By Eric Levitz

A leading expert on financial crises explains how the pandemic is upending economic orthodoxy and raising the stakes of the 2020 election.

COVID-19 Studies Are Proving That Density Is Not the Enemy

cityscape

By Justin Davidson

The real risk factor is different.

After Initial Positive Test, Ohio Gov. DeWine Says He Does Not Have COVID-19

coronavirus

By Matt Stieb

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tested positive before seeing Trump, though his office states that a more sensitive test determined he does not have COVID-19.

Official Convicted in Iran-Contra Affair Is Appointed Trump’s Envoy to Iran

elliott abrams

By Matt Stieb

Elliott Abrams, who lied to Congress about his knowledge of the Iran-Contra affair, is now the administration’s envoy to Iran.

Trump’s Candidate Bill Hagerty Wins Wild Tennessee Senate Primary

2020 elections

A primary in which both candidates kept trying to outflank each other on the right was won by the original front-runner and Trump endorsee.

Is Kamala Harris Inevitable?

By Jonathan Chait, Benjamin Hart, and Ed Kilgore

Last-minute contenders for Joe Biden’s vice-presidential selection have emerged, but the California senator is still the front-runner.

Maybe Panicked Investors Will Save the COVID Stimulus

coronavirus stimulus

By Eric Levitz

Wall Street has priced in another round of coronavirus relief. If a deal falls through, plunging stock prices just may break the GOP’s resolve.

Conservatives Explain Why Trump Can’t Help Himself

Two National Review editors argue that the events of 2020 have brought Trump’s ugliest features to the fore, disabling any smart reelection effort.

8/6/2020

Somehow difficult to imagine Putin (or anyone else) saying this

Trump says foreign leaders are calling and saying, “Can I have ventilators for our country, sir?”

—@ddale8

What Cori Bush Means to the Left

the left

By Sarah Jones

Her upset win over a political dynasty demonstrates the left’s staying power.

8/6/2020

And people say Biden’s agenda isn’t liberal enough

Just like Radical Left New York is trying to destroy the NRA, if Biden becomes President your GREAT SECOND AMENDMENT doesn’t have a chance. Your guns will be taken away, immediately and without notice. No police, no guns!

—@realDonaldTrump