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National mask mandate could save 5 percent of GDP, economists say

National mask mandate could save 5 percent of GDP, economists say

The Washington Post reports: After a late-spring lull, daily coronavirus cases in the United States have again hit record highs, driven by resurgent outbreaks in states such as Florida, Arizona and California. Hospitals in Houston are on the brink of being overwhelmed, and public health experts worry the pandemic’s death count will soon be climbing in tandem with the daily case load. The dire situation has raised the specter of another round of state-level stay-at-home orders to halt the pandemic’s…

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California’s case count explodes; Los Angeles County surpassed 100,000 total cases on Monday

California’s case count explodes; Los Angeles County surpassed 100,000 total cases on Monday

The New York Times reports: Only a few weeks ago, thousands of Southern Californians were flocking to beaches, Disneyland was announcing it would soon reopen and Whoopi Goldberg was lauding Gov. Gavin Newsom on “The View” for the state’s progress in combating the coronavirus. The worst, many in California thought, was behind them. In fact, an alarming surge in cases up and down the state was only just beginning. Over the past week California’s case count has exploded, surpassing 200,000…

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Covid-19 messes with Texas: What went wrong, and what other states can learn as younger people get sick

Covid-19 messes with Texas: What went wrong, and what other states can learn as younger people get sick

On June 26, Texas’ governor ordered bars to close as COVID-19 case numbers spiked, particularly among younger adults. This Houston bar, photographed in late May, voluntarily shut down shortly before the order after two staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. Mark Felix/AFP/Getty Images By Murray J. Côté, Texas A&M University and Tiffany A. Radcliff, Texas A&M University The July 4 holiday weekend usually means cookouts and big gatherings in Texas, but right now, the state is facing a public…

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Most people with coronavirus won’t spread it. Why do a few infect many?

Most people with coronavirus won’t spread it. Why do a few infect many?

Carl Zimmer reports: At a May 30 birthday party in Texas, one man reportedly infected 18 friends and family with the coronavirus. Reading reports like these, you might think of the virus as a wildfire, instantly setting off epidemics wherever it goes. But other reports tell another story altogether. In Italy, for example, scientists looked at stored samples of wastewater for the earliest trace of the virus. Last week they reported that the virus was in Turin and Milan as…

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Suspicions of Russian bounties were bolstered by data on financial transfers to a Taliban-linked account

Suspicions of Russian bounties were bolstered by data on financial transfers to a Taliban-linked account

The New York Times reports: American officials intercepted electronic data showing large financial transfers from a bank account controlled by Russia’s military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account, which was among the evidence that supported their conclusion that Russia covertly offered bounties for killing U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan, according to three officials familiar with the intelligence. Though the United States has accused Russia of providing general support to the Taliban before, analysts concluded from other intelligence that the…

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The best way to respond to our history of racism? A Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The best way to respond to our history of racism? A Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò writes: The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks are the latest in a continuing pattern of violence inflicted by state agents and citizens, mostly white, against Americans of African descent. Their deaths have stoked strong denunciations and calls for justice and change, to do something, anything, to put an end to such incidents. But to date, there has been very little interest in real change from the highest levels of political leadership. Through…

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Why Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been a ‘catastrophic failure’

Why Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been a ‘catastrophic failure’

James Fallows writes: Coping with a pandemic is one of the most complex challenges a society can face. To minimize death and damage, leaders and citizens must orchestrate a huge array of different resources and tools. Scientists must explore the most advanced frontiers of research while citizens attend to the least glamorous tasks of personal hygiene. Physical supplies matter—test kits, protective gear—but so do intangibles, such as “flattening the curve” and public trust in official statements. The response must be…

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A Sun Belt time bomb threatens Trump’s reelection

A Sun Belt time bomb threatens Trump’s reelection

Politico reports: The explosion of Covid-19 cases in Sun Belt states is becoming another albatross for President Donald Trump’s reelection hopes — and creating a new opening for Joe Biden and Democrats in November. Republican governors in Florida, Arizona and Texas followed Trump’s lead by quickly reopening their states while taking a lax approach to social distancing and mask-wearing. Now, each of them is seeing skyrocketing coronavirus caseloads and rising hospitalizations, and Republican leaders are in retreat. It’s hard to…

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Reddit, acting against hate speech, bans influential pro-Trump community

Reddit, acting against hate speech, bans influential pro-Trump community

The New York Times reports: Reddit, one of the largest social networking and message board websites, on Monday banned its biggest community devoted to President Trump as part of an overhaul of its hate speech policies. The community or “subreddit,” called “The_Donald,” is home to more than 790,000 users who post memes, viral videos and supportive messages about Mr. Trump. Reddit executives said the group, which has been highly influential in cultivating and stoking Mr. Trump’s online base, had consistently…

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Twitch temporarily bans Trump for ‘hateful conduct’

Twitch temporarily bans Trump for ‘hateful conduct’

The Verge reports: Twitch has temporarily banned President Donald Trump, in the latest surprise and high-profile suspension from the streaming service. Trump’s account was banned for “hateful conduct” that was aired on stream, and Twitch says the offending content has now been removed. One of the streams in question was a rebroadcast of Trump’s infamous kickoff rally, where he said that Mexico was sending rapists to the United States. Twitch also flagged racist comments at Trump’s recent rally in Tulsa….

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Russian bounties to Taliban-linked militants resulted in deaths of U.S. troops, according to intelligence assessments

Russian bounties to Taliban-linked militants resulted in deaths of U.S. troops, according to intelligence assessments

The Washington Post reports: Russian bounties offered to Taliban-linked militants to kill coalition forces in Afghanistan are believed to have resulted in the deaths of several U.S. service members, according to intelligence gleaned from U.S. military interrogations of captured militants in recent months. Several people familiar with the matter said it was unclear exactly how many Americans or coalition troops from other countries may have been killed or targeted under the program. U.S. forces in Afghanistan suffered a total of…

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World Food Programme: Syria faces mass starvation or mass exodus without more aid

World Food Programme: Syria faces mass starvation or mass exodus without more aid

BBC News reports: Syria faces the risk of mass starvation or another mass exodus unless more aid money is made available, the head of the UN World Food Programme has said. Ahead of a donor conference in Brussels on Tuesday, David Beasley told the BBC a million Syrians were severely food insecure and some were already dying. The war-torn country’s currency has collapsed and food prices have soared. In desperation, many Syrians might have no choice but to try to…

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‘Boogaloo’ believers think a civil war is coming. Gun firms are openly marketing to them

‘Boogaloo’ believers think a civil war is coming. Gun firms are openly marketing to them

The Informant reports: In mid March, Fenix Ammunition, an ammunition manufacturer in Michigan, saw its daily online sales rise from $4,000 to $40,000. The pandemic had boosted demand for guns and ammunition around the country, and Fenix was reaping the fruits of the national following it has cultivated since its 2016 launch. In addition to record high civilian demand, Fenix also counted at least three local police departments, a law enforcement training center, and KelTec, one of the leading rifle…

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How Trump and the Black Lives Matter movement changed white voters’ minds

How Trump and the Black Lives Matter movement changed white voters’ minds

The New York Times reports: A majority of American voters support the demonstrations against police brutality and racial injustice that have roiled the country over the past month, embracing ideas about bias within the criminal justice system and the persistence of systemic racism that are central tenets of the Black Lives Matter movement, according to a new national poll of registered voters by The New York Times and Siena College. Fifty-nine percent of voters, including 52 percent of white voters,…

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