Impact2020: July 9, 2020
It’s Thursday and in this Impact2020 briefing, you’ll find the latest on Texas’ canceled GOP convention, why Florida is under close watch but President Trump still plans to travel there, and why Florida’s Democratic Party isn’t keeping a $1 million loan.
On the Ground
COVID messed with Texas — could it mess with the RNC, too?
A week before it was set to happen in Houston, The Republican Party of Texas’ in-person convention was canceled, the Texas Tribune’s Cassandra Pollack and Meena Venkataramanan report.
Nearly 6,000 attendees were expected to attend the July 16-18 event, but Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said that “the public health concerns outweighed anything else.”
Credit: David J. Phillip, AP
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Anna M. Tinsley reports that Texas GOP leaders said that they are considering legal options “and vowed to hold their convention, even if it means they do it online.”
Texas Republican Party Chairman James Dickey said that the cancellation wasn’t about health and safety. “If Mayor Turner’s motivations were pure, he could have canceled the lease weeks ago. Instead, he waited until the eve of the Convention to inflict the greatest disruption,” Dickey said.
Meanwhile, residents and business owners near the Jacksonville, Fla., arena where the Republican National Convention is scheduled to be held in August filed a lawsuit asking a judge to declare the event a public nuisance, Nick Jones and Kent Justice of News4Jax report.
The suit argues that the convention falls within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of a “highest risk” spreading event.
If the court does declare the event a nuisance, then “the lawsuit asks the arena remain closed to the event, or if opened, that admittance be limited to no more than 2,500 people” among other demands.
Florida under watch ahead of Trump trip
The White House coronavirus task force is closely watching Florida, Texas, Arizona and California as cases rise. Vice President Mike Pence said there are “early indications” that the COVID-19 outbreak in Florida, the nation’s largest swing state, is abating, Francesca Chambers reports for the Miami Herald.
Florida’s Department of Health reported 9,989 additional cases on Wednesday, making it the fourth highest single-day total on record in the state. But coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said that rise may be due to delayed reporting after the Fourth of July holiday weekend, Chambers notes.
Birx said the task force is studying the outbreak spikes in Jacksonville and other large Florida cities to be able to use what it learns to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the future.
Trump is still scheduled to visit Florida on Friday. He will review the advance of a counter-narcotics operation in the Caribbean in a visit to the U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Nora Gámez Torres reports for the Miami Herald.
While there are concerns and criticisms about the timing of Trump’s visit to Florida, members of the administration have insisted precautions will be taken to keep the trip as safe for Trump and others as possible.
Returning a loan
You may have seen a surprising list of individuals and groups this week who have received Paycheck Protection Program loans as part of a federal program to help small businesses keep employees on the payroll during the coronavirus-driven recession (Twenty One Pilots, really?) Add the Florida Democratic Party to that group.
Leaders of the state party said they will return a federal loan worth as much as $1 million, David Smiley and Alex Daugherty report for the Miami Herald.
In an emailed statement, a Florida Democratic Party spokeswoman Luisana Pérez Fernández blamed the Small Business Administration for granting the loan: “Like many employers during the shutdown, FDP was concerned about meeting payroll and keeping our staff employed, so we applied. The bank, the loan processor and agents of the Small Business Association approved the funding. It now seems they made a mistake in approving the funding so we are volunteering to return it.”
Trail Mix
Battle for Congress
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell broke with Trump, saying he fully backs coronavirus guidelines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is providing schools, the Lexington Herald-Leader’s Daniel Desrochers reports.
Bob Hamilton, a Republican candidate for Senate in Kansas, said his comments about electrifying “the wall” in a campaign ad were a joke, but some aren’t amused. Bryan Lowry has details in the Kansas City Star.
COVID action
Four in 10 Kansas residents don’t have to wear a mask even though Gov. Laura Kelly issued a statewide order because their county officials have overruled the mandate, Jonathan Shorman and Kevin Hardy report for the Wichita Eagle.
An analysis of COVID-19 case data suggests the protests following the death of George Floyd in cities around the country did not lead to dramatic increases in transmission, and had some other surprising results for epidemiologists. Michael Wilner and Ben Wieder have more for McClatchy.
Veepstakes
David Lightman digs into Kamala Harris’ complicated relationship with law enforcement and police reform in his latest for the Sacramento Bee.
Number of the Day
3
Trump leads Biden by just 3 points, 48% to 45%, in reliably Republican Alaska, according to a new survey from the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling.
For Planning Purposes
July 9
Joe Biden visits Dunmore, Pa.
Vice President Mike Pence travels to Lancaster and Philadelphia, Pa.
The American Federation of Teachers hosts a roundtable discussion with Jill Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren
You can listen to a new episode of the Beyond the Bubble podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts
July 10
Trump visits Florida
Biden and the Texas Democratic Party host call with Beto O’Rourke
Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Tammy Duckworth host virtual roundtable in Wisconsin for the Biden campaign
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Rep. Andy Levin will host a virtual Biden campaign roundtable in Michigan
Pete Buttigieg will host a virtual Biden campaign roundtable in New Hampshire
Sen. Amy Klobuchar participates in a Biden campaign roundtable in Arizona
July 11
Louisiana primary
Trump holds rally in New Hampshire
July 12
Puerto Rico Democratic primary
Coming to a neighborhood near you
Credit: @TheGoodLiars/Twitter
These signs made available by the political comedy duo The Good Liars are getting some attention.
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This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 11:44 AM.