NEW THINGS: @11:21, , 7/4/20

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I will now seek cool water.

1 New Trump Appointee Puts Global Internet Freedom at Risk, Critics Say

Pranshu Verma and Edward Wong at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 5 hours ago

A battle involving Michael Pack and a U.S.-funded tech group revolves around software from Falun Gong, the secretive, anti-Beijing spiritual movement with pro-Trump elements.

How the Republican Convention Created Money Woes in Two Cities

Annie Karni, Rebecca R. Ruiz and Kenneth P. Vogel at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 5 hours ago

Donors are wondering why they gave to a Charlotte event that has mostly been scrapped. And Jacksonville fund-raisers find money is on hold because of concerns about the surge in virus cases.

The Trump campaign may have to pay for his convention.

Life on the Vice-Presidential Short List

Sydney Ember at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 5 hours ago

It’s exciting. It can also feel like a colonoscopy.

I am not surprised.

Open Thread

Ian Welsh at Ian Welsh - 10 hours ago

As usual, feel free to use the comments to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts.

Sooner is better. As soon as you can is best.

Kimberly Guilfoyle, Top Fund-Raising Official for Trump Campaign, Tests Positive for Coronavirus

Maggie Haberman at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 12 hours ago

She is the third person in proximity of President Trump known to have contracted the virus.

That will not be good for the Trump campaign.

Virus Surges in Arizona, but the Rodeo Goes On

Elizabeth Williamson at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 14 hours ago

A former state official called what has happened in Arizona “a story of missed opportunities.” Hospital beds in the state are filling up.

Arizona will probably change its party.

New Administration Memo Seeks to Foster Doubts About Suspected Russian Bounties

Charlie Savage, Eric Schmitt, Rukmini Callimachi and Adam Goldman at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 16 hours ago

Criticized for its inaction, the Trump administration commissioned a new look at a months-old intelligence assessment. It emphasizes gaps.

The president must read the intelligence briefing.

Trump Uses Mount Rushmore Speech to Deliver Divisive Culture War Message

Annie Karni at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 16 hours ago

Down in the polls and failing to control a raging pandemic, the president cast himself as waging battle against a “new far-left fascism” that imperils American values and seeks to erase history.

Culture war seems to be Trump's only program.

European Workers Draw Paychecks. American Workers Scrounge for Food.

Peter S. Goodman, Patricia Cohen and Rachel Chaundler at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 17 hours ago

In the pandemic, the United States has relied on expanded unemployment benefits, while European governments have subsidized wages, avoiding a surge in joblessness.

The U.S. government cannot legally perform charity.

The Trump administration will not increase entitlements.

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Immigration Officers Face Furloughs as Visa Applications Plunge

Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Emily Cochrane at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 20 hours ago

Nearly 70 percent of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employees will be furloughed because the immigration processing fees that fund the agency have plummeted.

The Trump administration will not issue visas for immigration.

Mary Trump Fights Effort to Bar Publication of Her Book

Alan Feuer and Maggie Haberman at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 21 hours ago

Mary Trump and her lawyer filed documents questioning the validity of the nondisclosure agreement she signed, saying it was based on fraud and was too broad to be enforced.

She has tales to tell.

Protesting U.S. Immigration Policies, Artists Aim for the Sky

Zachary Small at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 21 hours ago

This Independence Day, 70 artists are having messages of solidarity and defiance typed in the sky to highlight the plight of immigrants held in detention centers.

Air should not be free according to some.

How the Coronavirus Is Transforming July 4 in Los Angeles

Evan Nicole Brown at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 22 hours ago

While the camaraderie that comes from attending fireworks and tailgates will be absent, technology may help new traditions take hold.

The birthday party must become virtual.

Pence Postponed Arizona Trip After Secret Service Agents Showed Signs of Covid

Annie Karni at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

The agents’ conditions were among several virus-related factors that led the vice president to change his plans for a visit on Tuesday.

Trump cannot perform miracles.

Have Americans Warmed to Calls to ‘Defund the Police’?

Giovanni Russonello at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

As they learn more about it, voters have shown some receptiveness to the phrase, polling suggests. But they largely want to reinvest resources, not eliminate departments.

The police must be different. They are not the National Guard.

Joe Biden Supporters Are Worried About the Health Risks of Voting

Nate Cohn at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

Could this tilt turnout in Trump’s direction and affect the election result?

The worries should not stop them from voting.

Biden Supporters Are More Worried About the Health Risks of Voting

Nate Cohn at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

Could this tilt turnout in Trump’s direction and affect the election result?

The worries should not stop them from voting.

Symone Sanders Bet on Biden, and Herself

Mark Leibovich at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

No one is telling her to wait her turn now.

She is winning so far.

Latinos Back Black Lives Matter Protests. They Want Change for Themselves, Too.

Jennifer Medina at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 day ago

Many Latinos are pushing for an acknowledgment of the systemic racism they face, and a conversation about over-policing in their own communities.

They earn the desired change.

Pence Postponed Arizona Trip After Secret Service Agents Showed Signs of Virus