This piece was originally published in the July 24, 2020 edition of CAP Action’s daily newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.
Photo by Javier Matheu on Unsplash
The U.S. just passed 4 MILLION confirmed coronavirus cases. Nearly 1 million of those came in the last two weeks alone.
More than 144,000 people are dead.
Make no mistake: It didn’t have to get this bad. Trump’s chaos has a terrible price.
Watch and share this video on Twitter and Facebook to get the facts out:
IN THE NEWS
- A group of medical experts is urging the U.S. to shift back into shut-down mode as cases continue to rise in states across the country. In a new letter, more than 150 medical experts, scientists, teachers, and nurses call on political leaders to shut down the country to contain the growing crisis. “Right now we are on a path to lose more than 200,000 American lives by November 1st,” the letter reads.
- Trump is still encouraging schools to fully reopen in the midst of a global public health crisis without any real safety plan. His own child’s school, however? They announced they won’t be opening normally. According to the New York Times, the private school in the Maryland suburbs attended by Barron Trump is considering either a hybrid part-time plan or going back to entirely online classes.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- NBA superstar LeBron James is using his platform to help formerly incarcerated Floridians pay off their debts so they can vote. Through his new organization More Than A Vote, James is donating $100,000 to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, an organization founded to advocate for the successful 2018 ballot measure that allowed ex-incarcerated people to vote in the state. Since the measure passed, however, state officials and the Supreme Court have undermined its core by forcing people to pay off all outstanding fines and fees before they can vote.
- A new AP poll shows that over 70% of Americans would rather have restrictions in place in their communities to stop the spread of COVID-19 than remove them in an effort to help the economy.
WHAT WE’RE READING (AND WATCHING)
- 27 U.S. mayors: Want to address systemic racism? Start with housing. (Washington Post)
- Looking for a way to honor the legacy of the great Rep. John Lewis? More Than A Vote is offering an online screening of John Lewis: Good Trouble with proceeds directly funding the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition’s fines and fees fund.
- Inside The Prison Where 8 In 10 Of The Incarcerated Have Gotten Coronavirus by Jessica Schulberg (HuffPost)
- No sign of election money in GOP coronavirus relief plan as states scramble before November by Jacqueline Alemany (Washington Post)
Join Stacey Abrams and Cory Booker next Friday for a virtual discussion on where progressive priorities lie during the pandemic. Click here to RSVP and secure your ticket.