Trump news: President preparing to sign executive order keeping undocumented immigrants off census as Pentagon bans Confederate flag
Officials condemn federal officers using 'authoritarian' force in Oregon as coronavirus infections continue surge across South
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order that would prevent states from counting undocumented immigrants in their census, according to a Politico report confirmed by The Independent. The order could potentially undercounting significant parts of the US and depriving federal spending and congressional seats from those areas. It's likely to be challenged in court.
Unidentified federal border control officers have been deployed to Portland, Oregon in recent days to indiscriminately arrest protesters and forced them into unmarked vehicles, as Department of Homeland Security chief Chad Wolf condemned protesters "violent anarchists" while releasing a list of crimes that mainly amounted to graffiti.
Portland's mayor has demanded the president withdraw the troops, and Washington officials are outraged, liking the show of federal force to an "authoritarian" measure, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley said.
The president – who has falsely and repeatedly accused his Democratic rival of endorsing efforts to "defund" police in a campaign bid to pin recent unrest on Democrats – snapped at Fox News host Chris Wallace in an interview to air on Sunday after the president has pressed to prove his claims.
Pentagon officials meanwhile have banned Confederate battle flags completely from US military installations despite the president's defence of the symbol as "free speech" amid growing calls to remove the icons from public spaces.
Coronavirus infections continue to surge across the US, with daily cases Thursday reaching at least 77,255. That figure is nearly triple the daily cases discovered three weeks ago. In a White House document obtained by Centre for Public Integrity, 18 states are in the coronavirus "red zone".
Florida has seen its fourth consecutive day with more than 100 deaths, as daily cases there top 11,000. The World Health Organisation also recorded a record-high number of daily cases, as global infections near 14 million. Nearly 139,000 people in the US have died from Covid-19-related illness, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The Trump administration has blocked the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention from appearing at a House committee discussing school reopening plans, as the White House pushes states to reopen within weeks despite a raging public health crisis and no clear guidance for managing outbreaks, as teachers and school staff brace for spikes in infections.
This week, the administration directed hospital systems to send crucial coronavirus reporting data to a central Washington database under the Department of Health and Human Services – not the CDC. Researchers and health officials fear that White House-controlled data will not reflect the growing crisis but become a political cudgel.
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New York City on track to start phase four on Monday
New York City, which was previously the epicentre of the novel virus, is now on track to enter into phase four of the state's reopening plan, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
Phase four would include the reopening of low-risk outdoor activities, such as botanical gardens and zoos, which have to operate at a reduced capacity of 33 per cent.
Movies and TV shows could also start production again and sports can resume without audiences.
But phase four in NYC, unlike other areas of the state, would still not include indoor dining as its considered "high risk", Mr de Blasio said. The city would add 40 more blocks for restaurants so they could increase their outdoor dining capacity.
White House document reveals 18 states in coronavirus 'red zone' as US records record daily cases
A White House document has revealed 18 states are in the coronavirus "red zone" as the country records its highest single-day jump in new cases.
Concern has risen among health professionals as cases have surged in states across the country -- including Florida, Arizona, California, Texas, and Georgia. In response, some states like California and Texas have rolled back reopening plans to curb the spread of the virus.
But according to a White House document obtained by the Centre for Public Integrity, these states were still not doing enough.
Our report:
Breaking news: Pentagon to ban all Confederate flags on military bases despite Trump's objections
The Pentagon will prohibit the Confederate battle flag from US military installations despite Donald Trump's insistence that flying the symbol is "freedom of speech" amid a national reckoning over racist icons and political battles to remove the flag across the US.
According to a memo obtained by the Associated Press, Secretary of Defence Mark Esper says "the flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols" – but he does not explicitly mention the Confederate battle flag, in an effort to avoid directly contradicting the president.
Alex Woodward reports:
Portland protesters hit with tear gas and snatched into unmarked vans as federal officers crack down
Federal law enforcement officers sent to quell demonstrations in Portland, Oregon last night used tear gas on hundreds of protesters at the city's federal courthouse.
It comes amid an escalating row with the federal government over the need to impose "law and order" on the streets, with the city's mayor at odds with the Department of Homeland Security.
Andrew Naughtie reports:
Dr Fauci says US is still in the 'first wave' of coronavirus
Dr Anthony Fauci said the United States is "essentially still in the first wave" of the coronavirus when speaking at a US Chamber of Commerce virtual event on Friday.
He added it was best for the US to focus on the coronavirus cases now instead of any potential second wave in the fall.
"People keep talking about the possibility of a second wave in the fall – that's a historic terminology related to another time and another outbreak. I think we need to concentrate on where we are right now," the top infectious disease doctor said.
"When you're having up to 70,000 new infections in certain areas of the country, that's something you need to focus on right now, as opposed to looking at what's going to happen in September or October."
Ruth Bader Ginsburg undergoing chemotherapy for liver cancer
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is undergoing chemotherapy to treat a recurrence of liver cancer.
The treatment, which began in May, is yielding "positive results".
In a statement, the 87-year-old justice said: "I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam. I remain fully able to do that."
Oliver O'Connell has the breaking news:
Donald Trump thanks the NRA for endorsing him for president
Unsurprisingly, the National Riffle Association (NRA) has backed Donald Trump for president over Joe Biden. The NRA typically backs the Republican candidate in the race as the GOP is the party focused on protecting the Second Amendment.
After the NRA made its endorsement on Thursday, Mr Trump thanked them on Twitter.
Will there be a 'Trump Crimes Commission' if Biden wins in November? There might have to be
Andrew Feinberg with his latest piece for The Independent:
BREAKING: Trump administration preparing executive order banning undocumented immigrants from being counted in census
The White House is readying an executive order that would block undocumented immigrants from being counted in this year's census, with Donald Trump likely signing it Friday.
John T Bennett with the breaking news:
Kellyanne Conway suggests Trump revive regular coronavirus briefings that caused him many headaches
Donald Trump should resume regular coronavirus briefings amid a record-high surge in cases and as the public increasingly loses confidence in his ability to halt its rapid spread, said one top presidential aide, drawing a harsh rebuke from one Republican strategist.
"I just think the people want to hear from the president of the United States," White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters on Friday.
The White House scrapped Mr Trump's almost-daily briefings after a number of them grew testy, including one that ended with him sparring with two female reporters. Mr Trump also uttered a laundry list of falsehoods and even used one evening briefing to urge Americans to inject themselves with disinfectant, bizarrely arguing household cleaners might kill the virus.
John T Bennett reports:
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