The Surge Continues
The pressure is on Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to all-but shut down the state as the surge in COVID-19 cases continues. According to the state of Florida, some 25,000 new cases of the virus have been reported over the past week or so.
The state of Texas has also seen a huge spike, and Gov. Greg Abbott has called for a halt in the re-opening process he put into place. Some Floridians like State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D) want DeSantis to follow the Texas lead.
Meanwhile, the death rate is still down, but could that all change in the coming weeks? Hopefully not. DeSantis has been saying that younger Floridians are getting sick, and he’s right. In looking at the state’s official COVID-19 tracking website, most counties show that the median age of infection is somewhere between 30-54-years old.
The average age in Broward and Miami-Dade, the two counties with the most positive cases, are 44 and 47, respectively.
In Palm Beach County the average age is 43, while Leon County reports a median age of 27.
One thing to consider here is that testing is widespread now, so many more Floridians are being tested.
Fresh off of her boyfriend’s Fort Lauderdale meltdown, AG Commissioner Nikki Fried toned it down a bit when asking DeSantis to mandate that everyone wear a mask READ MORE
2020 Election
With all of the gaffes and forgetful moments that have plagues Joe Biden, the former vice president’s mental state continues to be called into question. Remember, this is not just Trump and Republicans who are openly calling out Forgetful Joe. I do recall Democrats questioning his memory. After all, Biden did once confuse his wife Jill with his sister. Oops! Oh, now Senator Rubio is questioning Biden’s potential “severe memory loss.” READ MORE
The Florida Trail
State Senator Manny Diaz (R), who is considered one of the most influential members of the Florida Senate, joined former Lt. Governor Carlos Lopez Cantera in endorsing Tom Fabricio in Florida House District 103
“Tom Fabricio has the values and commitment necessary to serve as our next State Representative,” said Diaz. “Tom will fight for the people of District 103, and he has proven through his hard work on the campaign trail that he has the love for people and the willingness to listen that are so important for representatives in state government. I will be voting for Tom and encourage others in House District 103 to do the same.”
Visit The Floridian
Rick Scott @SenRickScott -I applaud the @StateDept for exposing Cuba’s “medical missions” in their 2020 TIP Report for what it is - a human trafficking profit scheme! My “Cut Profits to the Cuban Regime Act” requires the Dept to list the countries who contract with Cuba. Together we will #EndTrafficking!
Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell @RepDMP -Today, I’m demanding justice in the name of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and the countless others brutalized by a system that too often lets the color of your skin determine your fate.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz @RepDWStweets - From the start, the federal gov't has failed to build a robust COVID testing infrastructure. Across the country we continue to pay the price for this lack of leadership as we try to fix the same bottlenecks & incoordination Trump refused to address in Feb.
Rep. Matt Gaetz @RepMattGaetz -Great societies learn from their history. They don't tear it down.
Marco Rubio @marcorubio-Military activity in the Western Hemisphere by any nation already engaged in direct armed hostilities against the United States would be a grave & unacceptable threat to our national security
Rep. Stephanie Murphy @RepStephMurphy 0THREAD: I proudly voted for legislation that makes long overdue reforms to policing in this country. This is a strong first step and will help build a better system that prioritizes accountability in police conduct & justice for victims.
“Rubio: Biden is ‘either suffering from severe memory loss’ or ‘he’s lying’” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – President Donald Trump and his campaign have been questioning vice president Joe Biden’s mental state, pointing to the slew of gaffes the former vice president has committed and the memory loss he appears to have suffered in his 78 years. President Trump recently took a swipe at Biden’s memory at his Tulsa rally, saying “It’s going to happen to all of us someday. Does anybody get that yet? Yeah.” During an appearance on Fox News, Senator Marco Rubio (R) was asked about Biden’s potential memory loss after he forgot that he was in on a meeting with President Obama and others about conversations that former national security advisor Michael Flynn had with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Biden denied being involved in any probe that involved Flynn, but newly-released documents contradict Biden’s claim. Sen. Rubio stated that “if all this proves to be true, then there is only two things to conclude from,” adding that Biden was either “suffering from severe memory loss, or that “he’s not being honest, he’s lying.” Rubio reiterated the potential memory loss dig at Biden, saying that “either he’s got memory loss, or he’s not telling the truth, neither one of those is good.” When asked if he was referring to Trump’s suggestion” that there is a decline in Biden,” Rubio said the following: “I’m referring to the fact that if he, this in fact happened, and there is evidence of it. If Biden says that ‘ I can’t remember,’ he’s either lying or he’s’ honestly trying to remember, then he has memory loss on something that important.”
“Carly Fiorina Plans To Vote For Joe Biden: ‘I Can’t Support Donald Trump’” by The Floridian’s Mona Salama – Former 2016 Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina revealed in a new podcast interview that she will vote for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden for president in November, saying she can’t vote or “support Donald Trump” “I’ve been very clear that I can’t support Donald Trump. And, you know, elections are binary choices,” Fiorina said in an interview on The Atlantic’s “The Ticket” podcast when asked whom she will vote for in November. “And elections are binary choices. I will say this: I think—I hope—that Biden understands that this moment in history calls for him to be a leader, not a politician.” When pressed on confirming that she will be voting for Biden, Fiorina replied, “I’m not voting for Trump, but it’s a binary choice. So if faced with a binary choice on a ballot: yes.” “I think what the nation is looking for is a leader. And I think this moment calls upon Joe Biden to be a leader. I am encouraged that Joe Biden is a person of humility and empathy and character. I think he’s demonstrated that through his life,” she added. Fiorina also expressed disapproval with other Republicans for not speaking up against the president but recognized that they are playing politics by keeping Trump and his fired-up base of supporters happy in order for one to win and keep their own seats.
“Florida governor expands school voucher program” by Associated Press – Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Thursday that expands an existing school voucher program to allow more lower income families to participate. The bill expands the income level for which families can receive a voucher for students to attend private school. The program gives corporations a tax credit if they provide money for students to switch from public to private schools. “Florida has the most robust school choice program in the nation and I am proud to sign this legislation which increases the ability for even more families to choose the educational program that best suits their child,” DeSantis said in a media release.
“Jacksonville residents look for work as Florida jobless claims continue rise” by News 4 Jax’s Lauren Verno – Georgia and Florida remained in the top three with the most jobless claims across the nation last week. Floridians have until July 4th to waive the work search requirement to receive jobless benefits. Which means the job search is on. On Thursday, JobNews USA hosted its first in-person job fair since the pandemic started. If you’re asking yourself what does a job fair during a pandemic look like? Just imagine a job fair before the pandemic but with a lot more PPE and social distancing. Everyone was still dressed up with their resumes and hand sanitizer in hand. Circle-K employer Gus Savoca has hired a lot of people in his career but Thursday’s fair was definitely a first. “I’ll tell you it’s really hard to kind of gauge where they’re going and then to gauge where I am as well,” said Savoca. Even with masks and guidelines, many said it was nice to be face-to-face. “It was good to at least network with some people, pick up a few cards. It may not all have looked like what I wanted or expected but hey it’s something, it’s a starting point,” said Job fair participant Dami Lipede. And for some of the 500 people who attended the event they were excited to walk out with a job.
“Florida’s budget hole keeps growing. Where are legislators?” by Tampa Bay Times’ Mary Ellen Klas – Between now and Nov. 3, Florida voters will know how many billions of dollars COVID-19 has erased from state revenues. They will know how effective the state’s public health system has been at containing the novel coronavirus. But they won’t know what role Florida’s legislative leaders have played in addressing those issues because Florida’s elected leaders say they have no plans to return to Tallahassee until after the election. Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will veto millions of dollars in projects from the $93.2 billion state budget in the next five days. The vetoes are needed in anticipation of unprecedented revenue losses, and the governor joked last week that when he’s done the budget would look like “the veto equivalent of the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones. " But even the dramatic scene from the HBO show, where betrayed characters were killed by their allies, doesn’t completely capture the breadth of his power. DeSantis also plans to use his emergency declaration to steer that money, combined with $4 billion in reserves and $4.6 billion in federal CARES Act money, into programs that he believes are needed to respond to the unprecedented budget deficit and the state’s response to COVID-19. Democrats say Florida’s Legislature is ceding its budget and public health oversight authority to the governor. The leaders of Florida’s Republican-controlled state House and Senate disagree.
“Florida law group sees increase in people receiving child support payments” by News 4 Jsx’s Mike Vasilinda – Some Florida children are losing out on child support due to the pandemic, and the Women’s Law Group is seeing an uptick in calls from parents. “We’ve seen an increase in how many people are now receiving their child support payments they are supposed to be receiving by court order,” said Lara Davis, an attorney with the group. Statistics provided by the Florida Department of Revenue show that for the three month period after the state closed down, custodial parents saw a drop in state-collected payments of over $21 million.
The amount collected from parents who voluntarily send checks through the DOR dropped $14.2 million. “A lot of people are struggling if they not getting unemployment, if they have the kind of job that doesn’t qualify for that, and plus they’re not getting their child support. It’s difficult for a lot of parents out there,” said Davis. There is an upside to the story. Kids and child support are getting an $8 million dollar boost. That’s because the state gets to keep 40% of unemployment checks when there is a past-due amount. But an even bigger boost for children has been the Federal stimulus checks flagged for back child support. In the three months after the pandemic began, a whopping $145 million was withheld from Florida bound stimulus checks for kids. So even with the lack of some payments, payments are up $100 million over the three month period compared to last year.
“Polk Co unemployment rate rises to 19%, fourth highest in Florida” by WFLA’s Staci DaSilva – Polk County’s working population has suffered the most from the coronavirus pandemic in Tampa Bay, new figures from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity show. Polk County’s unemployment rate rose five points from April to May to 19.1%, according to the state report. Hillsborough County’s unemployment rate was at 12.6% in May. Pinellas County’s rate is higher at 13.4%. “I was surprised and disappointed with that kind of a number,” said Mianne Nelson, Polk County’s director of communications. For people who lost income due to COVID-19-related shutdowns, Polk County still has half its Cares Act funding available to help people pay their bills. Polk Cares 2020 has $18 million left to allocate, Nelson said. “We are seeing most of our applications coming from folks in the eastern side of Polk County, folks that have a tourist-related, Disney, Universal, hotel-related employer,” said Nelson. Polk County’s economy relies heavily on sports-related visitors and theme park tourists. May numbers do not reflect theme parks, including LEGOLAND Florida, Universal Studios Orlando and SeaWorld, reopening in June. In May, Polk County had the fourth-highest unemployment rate in the state, behind only the three Orlando-area counties. Osceola County, which is right next to Polk County, had an unemployment rate of 31.1%. “The good news is we’re not as bad as our surrounding counties. The bad news is it’s at 19%,” said Mark Jackson, director of Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing.
“Florida announces $240 million in mortgage and rent relief” by Tampa Bay Times’ Lawrence Mower and Emily L. Mahoney – Florida will give out $240 million in federal CARES Act money to help families hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic pay rent and mortgages, officials announced Thursday. Half of the money, $120 million, will go to families living in affordable housing units to help cover rent from July through December, with the option of also applying to rent from April to June this year. Another $120 million will be assigned to counties to give to its residents for rental and homeowner assistance programs. State officials didn’t say when the money would be available or how people could apply for it. As the programs advance, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation will provide more information at FloridaHousing.org, officials said. The coronavirus pandemic has thrown millions of Floridians out of work, leaving them struggling to pay rent, mortgages and utilities. Gov. Ron DeSantis has already imposed a ban on evictions that is set to expire July 1. “This initiative strives to provide financial assistance through multiple affordable housing programs to ensure these Floridians receive the support they need during this difficult time,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement.
“Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried Calls For Statewide Mask Mandate” by CBS Miami – With thousands of additional COVID-19 cases being added each day in Florida, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried called Thursday for a statewide requirement that people wear masks in public places. Many local governments have approved mask requirements as the number of cases has surged this month, but Gov. Ron DeSantis has declined to issue a statewide order. Fried, the only Democrat on the state Cabinet, has been highly critical of the Republican governor’s handling of the pandemic. Fried said a statewide mask requirement as “common sense” and pointed to other states that have imposed such requirements. “Everybody should be wearing masks,” Fried told The News Service of Florida this week. “We know that the masks are not going to stop the spread, but it certainly will slow it down. We also need to reinforce that COVID is not behind us. So, everybody needs to stay vigilant. Everybody needs to continue social distancing.” The Florida Department of Health on Thursday, reported an additional 5,004 COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 114,018. The department also reported 46 additional deaths, bringing the death toll from the disease to 3,327.
“Divided South Florida Court Rules on Free-Speech Issues in Social Media Row Between Senator and Sex Offender” by Law.com’s Raychel Lean – A stalking injunction blocking a man from contacting, writing about or going within 1,000 feet of Florida Sen. Lauren Book came before the Fourth District Court of Appeal for the second time Wednesday, when the court issued a lengthy and divided en banc opinion. It was a case in which social media, public officials and the U.S. Constitution collided, giving the court ”the opportunity to address whether First Amendment freedoms have limits when applied to 21st century communications.”
While the majority found public social media posts not sent directly to someone can rise to the level of stalking under Florida law if the intent is for word to get out to the victim, it ruled that this case didn’t meet the mark. Book obtained an injunction against Derek Logue. She alleged he had harassed her during a Tallahassee protest in 2015 and a New York film festival in 2016, and cyberstalked her by posting vulgar and insulting content about her on his website, blog and social media accounts. The pair clashed because Book advocates for child-abuse victims and laws supporting sex offender registries, while Logue is a vocal critic of them. Logue is also a convicted child molester, according to Wednesday’s opinion. Analyzing the incidents, the appellate panel found the injunction impeded on Logue’s constitutional right to free speech
“Trump says violence in Chicago, Baltimore, other US cities like 'living in hell,' in 'Hannity' town hall” by Fox News’ Andrew O’Reilly – President Trump, in a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity on Thursday, tore into the soaring violent-crime rates in cities including Chicago and Baltimore – comparing them to Afghanistan and Honduras, and saying, “it’s like living in hell.” The president specifically called out Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit and Oakland as problematic. Trump blamed the mayors of those cities – all of them Democrats – along with former President Barack Obama and the party’s presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden – for the high rates of homicide and other violent crimes. “Chicago is an example, it is worse than Afghanistan,” Trump told Hannity. “These cities, it’s like living in hell.” Chicago in particular has become a target for Trump’s criticism, especially after the city reached a grim milestone late last month when it saw 18 murders in one day – making May 31 the city’s deadliest day in 60 years. Despite that milestone – and the president’s criticism – the murder rate in Chicago has dropped over the past few years. The country’s third-largest city saw 490 murders in 2019 – a 13 percent drop from the 564 in 2018 and a 35 percent drop since the 756 in 2016 when Chicago reported its highest number of homicides in two decades.
“Coronavirus task force to hold first public briefing in nearly 2 months as cases rise” by CNN’s Matthew Hoye and Caroline Kelly – The White House announced Thursday night that Vice President Mike Pence would lead a public coronavirus task force briefing Friday morning, the first public meeting in almost two months. The announcement comes as at least 30 states are seeing a resurgence in cases of Covid-19, and California, Oklahoma and Texas are seeing fresh high peaks. The briefing will not take place at the White House, but at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a schedule released by the White House. The public meeting comes as President Donald Trump has tried to declare the pandemic "over" despite the rising numbers, and has instead focused his administration's energy on reopening the economy. He has also resumed campaign rallies, despite warnings by health experts on his own task force that the events could be super spreaders of the virus. At his Tulsa, Oklahoma, rally Saturday, eight members of his advance staff tested positive for the virus. Since then, the Secret Service has announced that agents who attended the rally will be quarantining for two weeks. Campaign staffers who attended the rally are also quarantining. CNN reported earlier this month that the task force, which once convened daily and regularly updated the President on the virus, has been relegated to meeting once or twice a week, and that members' engagement with Trump has diminished.
“Fed Stress Test Finds U.S. Banks Healthy Enough to Withstand the Coronavirus Crisis” by WSJ’s Ben Eisen and Andrew Ackerman – The Federal Reserve on Thursday said a prolonged economic downturn could saddle the nation’s biggest banks with up to $700 billion in losses on soured loans and ordered them to cap dividends and suspend share buybacks to conserve funds. In a worst-case scenario, where unemployment remains high and the economy doesn’t bounce back for a few quarters, the 33 largest U.S. banks would suffer heavy loan losses that would erode the capital buffers meant to keep them on stable financial footing, the Fed said when it announced the results of its annual stress tests. Designed to gauge the health of the nation’s banking system, the stress tests were expanded this year to study the effect of the downturn brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The Fed said U.S. banks are strong enough to withstand the crisis and restricted dividend payouts and buybacks to make sure they stay that way. Banks, which will announce their dividend plans for next quarter as soon as Monday, won’t be able to make payouts that are greater than their average quarterly profit from the four most recent quarters. The Fed also barred them from buying back shares in the third quarter. Most of the largest banks had previously agreed to halt buybacks during the second quarter. Buybacks are the main way U.S. banks return capital to shareholders. In a sign of the uncertainty facing the industry, the Fed required banks to resubmit updated capital plans later this year to reflect current stresses.
“BET founder Robert Johnson says Dems taking black voters 'for granted,' calls for BLM to form party” by Fox News’ Marisa Schultz – BET founder Robert Johnson says the Democratic Party has taken black voters in America for granted, and he urges the ascendant Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement to form a new third party to fight for their interests. In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News that touched on 2020 politics, civil unrest and more, Johnson delivered an unvarnished assessment on the current relationship between black voters and the Democratic Party. And he had choice words for the party's presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden, who recently told a radio host "you ain't black" if you don't support him -- citing the incident as he made the case for a new party. "Vice President Biden said to an African-American, a black American host on his show, even if you think about voting for Donald Trump, you're not black," Johnson told Fox News. "To have that mindset, you must have the attitude that we, black Americans, we own you. We can take you for granted ... That, to me, shows you that black Americans are an appendage of a party.” He later added: "That's the biggest turnoff I've heard from a politician in a long time." Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, said his comments in a May interview with Charlamagne tha God were a "mistake" and chalked up the remark to the host being a "wise guy" and him responding in kind.
“Senate passes new sanctions to punish China over Hong Kong” by CNN’s Ted Barrett – The Senate passed a pair of bills by unanimous consent Thursday that would punish China for moves its making that lawmakers fear will crush democratic freedoms in Hong Kong. One of the bills, the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, would impose sanctions on businesses and individuals that help China restrict Hong Kong's autonomy. That bill was authored by GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. "What the government of China is doing in Hong Kong is unacceptable," Van Hollen said on the floor. "They are taking away the rights of people in Hong Kong. They are snuffing out freedoms that exist there right now." A second measure from Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley is a resolution condemning China for violating a 1984 agreement to guarantee autonomy for Honk Kong. Hawley said a new national security law being adopted by China would "deal a mighty blow to the freedoms and liberties that Hong Kongers have enjoyed for decades now. It's a permanent break from the one country, two systems principle that has governed that city since 1997." The measures, which were combined into one bill before passing, still need to be passed in the House before going to President Donald Trump's desk. Van Hollen said he hopes Trump will sign the bill, but also raised concerns that the White House could have already imposed sanctions under current law and that "despite some statements from the secretary of state, this administration is still taking no action" to rebuff China on Hong.
“Texas Pauses Reopening, as CDC Says Millions More May Have Had Coronavirus” by WSJ’s Jennifer Calfas, Brianna Abbott and Andrew Restuccia – Texas paused reopening plans Thursday, as new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations increased in many U.S. states, and a government estimate showed more than 20 million Americans may have contracted the virus, far exceeding diagnosed infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that only about 1 in every 10 Covid-19 cases in the U.S. has been identified, Director Robert Redfield said during a briefing with reporters Thursday. He also noted that most Americans are still susceptible to the virus. “This outbreak is not over. This pandemic is not over,” Dr. Redfield said. “Greater than 90% of the American public hasn’t experienced this virus yet.” A number of states, including Arizona, Texas, South Carolina and Florida, saw confirmed cases rise by more than 30% over the past week, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. On Thursday evening, the White House announced that Vice President Mike Pence will host a briefing Friday afternoon with members of the coronavirus task force at the Health and Human Services Department. It will be the first such briefing in nearly two months. The rapid increase is prompting some governors to enact sweeping new measures, while others in states with diminishing case counts press on with reopening.
“House passes Dems' sweeping police-reform bill 1 day after Senate GOP bill stalls” by Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and Chad Pergram – The House approved a wide-ranging police-reform bill Thursday night, by a vote of 236-181, sending it to the Senate, one day after Democrats stalled a GOP-backed bill there. All 233 Democrats voted in favor of the House bill, along with three Republicans: Reps. Fred Upton of Michigan, Will Hurd of Texas and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. The bill, titled the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, came amid nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice in the U.S. Senate Democrats blocked a more modest version of a police reform bill Wednesday, with 55 to 45 votes in favor of the legislation – the bill needed 60 votes to move forward. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Doug Jones, D-Ala., and Angus King, I-Maine, joined Republican senators in voting to pass the GOP-backed bill. Senate procedure allowed Democrats to stall all debates prior to voting on the bill and were able to successfully block the legislation – with Senate Democrats anticipating the House bill potentially would take its place. Top House Democrats have been hopeful the demand over police reform and weeks of demonstrations will force Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to review their bill in earnest. The legislation was named in honor of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody, and prompted weeks of nationwide protests demanding reform.
“House Armed Services chairman proposes $1 billion Pentagon pandemic preparedness fund” by CNN’s Jeremy Herb – House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith is proposing the creation of a new $1 billion fund for the Pentagon to better prepare for pandemics, according to committee aides and a copy of the legislation obtained by CNN. Smith's "chairman's mark" of the House's annual defense policy bill includes a $1 billion pandemic preparedness and resilience national security fund. Smith's legislation, which the House Armed Services Committee will debate and vote on next week, includes authorizing $200 million to help small businesses in the defense industrial base, $50 million for research "to rapidly produce medical countermeasures against novel threats" and $750 million for research related to pandemic preparedness, according to a copy of the legislation. The news comes as the number of coronavirus cases in the US continues to rise at an alarming rate. Texas, California and Florida -- the three-most populous states in the country -- set records for new daily cases amid fears of "apocalyptic" surges in major Texas cities. Smith's version of the National Defense Authorization Act does not include any provisions dealing with racial injustices in the military or the naming of military bases after Confederate leaders, two issues that will likely be a focus of amendments offered during next week's committee debate. Committee aides said that Smith, a Washington Democrat, wanted to allow committee members to weigh in on the naming of bases after Confederate leaders, and the panel expects amendments from both sides to address the issue during committee debate.
“SEC’s Jay Clayton Says He Sought Move to U.S. Attorney’s Office” by WSJ’s Dave Michaels – Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton said Thursday that he first spoke two weeks ago with Trump administration officials about becoming the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan and defended his credentials for the job. Under repeated questions from Democratic lawmakers at a House hearing, Mr. Clayton revealed some previously undisclosed details about the Trump administration’s decision to nominate him as the next Manhattan U.S. attorney. Mr. Clayton would succeed Geoffrey Berman, who was removed last week from the job by President Trump at Attorney General William Barr’s request. Mr. Clayton, who has mostly avoided partisan dust-ups as SEC chairman, has become a central character in the latest controversy involving the White House and U.S. Justice Department. Democratic lawmakers say they want to look into whether Mr. Berman was fired over his management of politically sensitive investigations, such as those probing the business and political activities of Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and some of Mr. Giuliani’s associates. House Democrats pressed Mr. Clayton Thursday on his ties to Mr. Trump and whether he could lead the country’s most prominent federal prosecutor’s office in an independent fashion. Mr. Clayton acknowledged golfing with Mr. Trump “a handful of times,” but said all of his enforcement decisions at the SEC have been unswayed by political concerns.
President Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump- Coronavirus deaths are way down. Mortality rate is one of the lowest in the World. Our Economy is roaring back and will NOT be shut down. “Embers” or flare ups will be put out, as necessary!
Adam Schiff @RepAdamSchiff - Roger Stone lied to our committee to protect Trump and he was convicted. But Bill Barr intervened to benefit Trump’s friend and get him a lighter sentence. This runs counter to every American principle of impartial justice. Barr’s conduct is disgraceful. He should resign.
