Wake Up To Politics - July 2, 2020
It’s Thursday, July 2, 2020. Election Day is 124 days away. Have questions, comments, or tips? Email me. Thanks for waking up to politics!
Breaking: The U.S. economy added 4.8 million jobs in June, the Labor Department announced this morning, as the unemployment rate fell to 11.1 percent. However, 1.4 million people filed unemployment claims last week, the 15th straight week claims exceed 1 million, a sign that the economic recovery had yet to fully take hold.
Trump claims coronavirus will “disappear” as new cases top 50,000
The United States recorded more than 50,000 new cases of the coronavirus for the first time on Wednesday.
According to a Washington Post tally, the nation reported 52,789 new cases in total, the largest single-day jump since the pandemic began. More than 2.67 million cases of the virus have now been confirmed in the U.S., as well as upwards of 128,000 deaths. Single-day records for new cases were set in California, Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, and Georgia on Wednesday.
The surge in new cases came as President Donald Trump claimed in an interview on Fox Business News that the virus would soon “disappear.”
“I think we’re going to be very good with the coronavirus,” he said. “I think that at some point that’s going to sort of just disappear, I hope.”
However, medical experts say such a disappearance will not take place. On the contrary, cases of the virus are continuing to rise while states are being forced to roll back their reopenings. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered much of the state to end indoor operations at restaurants, museums, and bars on Wednesday; other states such as Arizona, Colorado, and Texas have also closed bars and other businesses after allowing them to reopen.
New York City had planned to resume indoor dining at restaurants next week, but Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that the city would postpone such a move indefinitely.
In the interview, Trump did say he was “all for masks” for the first time, although he has yet to be seen in public wearing one. His endorsement of masks came after a series of Senate Republicans called for Americans to wear masks even as the president remained mostly silent on the issue.
The Rundown
The top news stories you need to know.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and the Democratic Party brought in $141 million in June, outraising President Trump and the Republicans by about $10 million. Both campaigns announced their June hauls on Wednesday; the Biden campaign’s total, as well as the Trump campaign’s $131 million, both represented records for the campaigns.
It was the second consecutive month that Biden outraised Trump, a turn of fortunes after the former vice president struggled in fundraising throughout the Democratic primaries. The Trump campaign said that it now has $295 million in the bank; the Biden campaign did not specify its cash-on-hand total.
Both chambers of Congress have cleared an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program, sending the measure to President Trump’s desk. The legislation would keep the $660 billion program open to applications from small businesses until August 8.
The House passed the measure on Wednesday, one day after the Senate; it was approved by both chambers unanimously. After distributing nearly 4.8 million loans, the PPP has been credited with helping recharge the American economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
A New York judge ruled Wednesday that Mary Trump, the president’s niece, can move forward with the publication of a tell-all book. A lower court had previously issued a temporary restraining order blocking Simon & Schuster from publishing the book; Judge Alan Scheinkman overturned the order but put off a ruling on whether the book violated a confidential agreement once signed by the author.
The publisher, he said, was not a party to the agreement and therefore could not be blocked from moving forward with the book. Mary Trump’s memoir, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” is set to be released on July 28.
Correction: In Tuesday’s newsletter, I misstated the year in which Colorado Rep. Scott Tipton was first elected to the House. The correct year was 2010.
Daybook
What’s going on in Washington today. (All times Eastern)
President Donald Trump will deliver remarks at a “Spirit of America Showcase” at the White House at 11:30 a.m.
Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Tampa, Florida. He will meet with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to discuss the coronavirus and participate in a press gaggle with the governor. Pence will then return to Washington, D.C.
The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. and vote at 1:30 p.m. to advance the nomination of Russell Vought to be director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought has served as the agency’s acting director since January 2019.
The House will meet at 10 a.m. for a brief pro forma session.
The Supreme Court justices will release orders from their Wednesday conference at 9:30 a.m.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has no events scheduled.
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