Spin City: The Trump administration is struggling to explain how the government will pay a $400 weekly unemployment benefit President Trump might not have the power to order that would be partially paid with money most states don’t have.

  Trump also ordered a temporary cut in what’s known as the payroll tax, the tax that pays for Social Security and Medicare. While that might make a difference to low-wage workers, it will do nothing for the millions of people who have lost jobs because they’re not getting paychecks. 

  Congress has sole power to spend money and states are hoping they, too, will get a bailout, if only the political parties can come to a relief agreement. They are split by a difference of more than $2 billion.

 Unable to make a deal with Democrats on the big picture, the White House is trying to get something … anything … done for the millions who have lost jobs and might vote for the President in November. Trump signed an executive order on Saturday. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Fox News, “What we should do is get things done for the American public now, come back for another bill afterward.”

  White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, who’s increasingly a commentator on things he knows nothing about, said yesterday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” That, “The Lord and the Founding Fathers created executive orders because of partisan bickering and divided government.”  

  Harvard law professor Lawrence Tribe tweeted in response; “Question for Navarro: Was that in the Old Testament or the New Testament? Or perhaps the Koran?”

  If the Democrats sign off for less now, they won’t have the leverage to get more later for businesses, states, and local governments.

  Mnuchin issued a challenge to the Democrats not to fight the President’s shaky authority. “If the Democrats want to challenge us in court and hold up unemployment benefits to those hardworking Americans that are out of a job because of Covid, they’re going to have a lot of explaining to do,” Mnuchin said.

Viral News: Despite President Trump’s claim that children are nearly immune to the coronavirus, at least 100,000 tested positive in the last two weeks of July. 

  The Georgia high school where a student posted a picture of a crowded hallway filled with kids without masks has moved to online schooling after nine tested positive. The student who posted the picture had been suspended, then reinstated, before the school closed.

  At least 66 NFL players have said they’ll skip the season rather than risk getting the virus.  During the off-season, 107 players have tested positive and at least 56 players tested positive since players began reporting to training camps, according to the NFL Players Association.

  The US surpassed 5 million cases over the weekend as the world approaches 20 million. As of this morning, 162,938 Americans have died of the coronavirus.

China Syndrome: Using the new national security law to silence critics, Hong Kong authorities arrested media tycoon Jimmy Lai and seven other people.

  Lai publishes Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper that confronts the Hong Kong government and Chinese leadership. The newspaper livestreamed video of more than 100 police officers  raiding company headquarters this morning, rifling through reporters’ desks as Lai and his chief executive were led through in handcuffs

The Bulletin Board: World leaders pledged $298 million to help Lebanon after the aftermath of the enormous explosion that killed at least 158 people and devastated large swaths of Beirut. — One 17-year-old was killed and 20 wounded when several people opened fire during a block party in Washington, DC, Saturday night. An off duty police officer is reported to be “struggling for her life.” — A salmonella outbreak linked to onions has hit 43 states and Canada, resulting in a recall from a California producer, and various grocery chains. Red, yellow, white, and sweet onions are all suspect. — A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck North Carolina yesterday morning. In simple terms, that means soup cans off the shelf.

Headline of the Day: “Goya CEO Robert Unanue saved by his sisters from getting canned.”

Stone Faced: President Trump’s aides asked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem last year whether Trump’s face could be added to Mt. Rushmore, The NY Times reports. The governor said that when she met Trump he said, “Do you know it’s my dream to have my face on Mount Rushmore?” By her account, he wasn’t joking.

  Trump tweeted yesterday, “This is Fake News by the failing @nytimes & bad ratings @CNN. Never suggested it although, based on all of the many things accomplished during the first 3 1/2 years, perhaps more than any other Presidency, sounds like a good idea to me!”

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