Circus Time

As Covid-19 cases spike in many parts of the country, renewed fears of a "second wave" accompanied by the arrival of flu season are causing widespread jitters. New York City, or at least parts of it, including Brooklyn and Queens, are experiencing outbreaks that apparently will necessitate new restrictions on what businesses can stay open. 

As we re-enter the lockdown phase of the pandemic, an awful fatigue is setting in among the general population. We've all lived this movie before, and we aren't yearning for a sequel.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to try and downplay the effects of the virus, even as the President is in the hospital, and many members of his circle are also ill. The drive-by photo-op Sunday was almost as outrageous as when he had authorities clear peaceful protestors out of Lafayette Park so he could be photographed holding someone's bible (upside down) in front of a church which did not want him to visit.

Th President's action amounts to a circus act, meant to be a distraction from the seriousness of the situation. That he rode in a hermetically sealed car, exposing two secret service agents to his germs, is apparently of no concern to him. 

But no matter what he or anyone else wishes, this will be the Covid-19 election, and Trump's political fate hangs in the balance. The polls at this point are trending in Biden's favor, not Trump's. But I think the situation in this country is so volatile that no one can confidently predict what the outcome will actually be.

It's almost four years since Trump won his first term. in 30 days we will find out whether he will win his second, or go back to where he came from.

* Trump’s Treatment Suggests Severe Covid-19, Medical Experts Say  -- Many of the measures cited by his doctors are reserved for patients severely affected by the coronavirus. (NYT)

* No plans for Pence to assume temporary authority, say administration officials (WashPo)

* New York City to Close Schools in Some Neighborhoods Due to Rising Covid-19 Cases (WSJ)

* Older voters may turn out to be the Democrats’ 2020 heroes (WashPo)

* Trump's photo op raises new questions about how seriously he takes the virus (CNN)

* Big Companies Are Starting to Swallow the World (NYT)

* Joe Biden tested negative for Covid-19 Sunday, campaign says (CNN)

* Armenia’s Leader Makes Plea to U.S. as Conflict Rages With Azerbaijan  -- Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia’s prime minister, said he was promised a call with President Trump over Turkey’s role in the intensifying conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Then Mr. Trump fell ill. (NYT)

* Attorney General William Barr to self-quarantine 'for now,' spokesperson says (CNN)

* California Firefighters Tap AI for Edge in Battling Wildfires (WSJ)

* At the White House, an Eerie Quiet and Frustration With the Chief of Staff  -- With President Trump hospitalized, Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, delivered no guidance to aides about how they were expected to behave in a moment of crisis. (NYT)

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