memeorandum: Christopher Columbus statue near Little Italy brought down, tossed into Baltimore's Inner Harbor (Baltimore Sun)

9:15 AM ET, July 5, 2020

Top Items:

CNN:

Trump doubles down on divisive messaging in speech to honor Independence Day — (CNN)President Donald Trump delivered another deeply divisive speech to mark Independence Day on Saturday, comparing the US's fight against Nazis and terrorists to his efforts to defeat “the radical left” …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Breitbart, Slate, Twitchy and Daily Kos

New York Times:

At Mt. Rushmore and the White House, Trump Updates ‘American Carnage’ Message for 2020 — His ominous remarks were a concession to his political standing: trailing in the polls, lacking a booming economy or a positive message to campaign on, and leaning on culture wars to buoy his loyalists.

David Nakamura / Washington Post:

In Trump's new version of American carnage, the threat isn't immigrants or foreign nations. It's other Americans. — The Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter's insights — In his inaugural address, President Trump sketched the picture of “American carnage” …

Discussion: American Greatness and Twitchy

Washington Post:

Trump's push to amplify racism unnerves Republicans who have long enabled him — President Trump's unyielding push to preserve Confederate symbols and the legacy of white domination, crystallized by his harsh denunciation of the racial justice movement Friday night at Mount Rushmore …

Discussion: Townhall, Redstate, Twitchy, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Mother Jones and Political Wire

Neo / The New Neo:
Trump gives America a history lesson at Mount Rushmore

Discussion: americandigest.org and Rev

New York Sun: At Mt. Rushmore, Trump Scoops the Democrats

The White House:
Remarks by President Trump at South Dakota's 2020 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration |

Discussion: Washington Post, WTOP, Joanne Jacobs, C-SPAN.org and Althouse

Apoorva Mandavilli / New York Times:

239 Experts With 1 Big Claim: The Coronavirus Is Airborne — The W.H.O. has resisted mounting evidence that viral particles floating indoors are infectious, some scientists say. The agency maintains the research is still inconclusive. — The coronavirus is finding new victims worldwide …

Discussion: Raw Story

Baltimore Sun:

Christopher Columbus statue near Little Italy brought down, tossed into Baltimore's Inner Harbor — A crowd of shouting protesters yanked down the Christopher Columbus statue near Little Italy, dragged it to the edge of Baltimore's Inner Harbor and rolled it with a splash into the water …

Discussion: Axios, Outside the Beltway, Associated Press, Fox News, The Gateway Pundit and The Hill

Jason Easley / POLITICUSUSA:

Trump Appears To Claim Desert Storm Happened In Vietnam In 4th of July Disaster — During his Fourth of July Speech, Trump claimed that Operation Desert Storm happened in the jungles of Vietnam. — Trump said, “In the fields and jungles of Vietnam, they delivered a swift and swiffian …

Dana Blanton / Fox News:

Fox News Poll: Trump and Biden in close race in Georgia — Democrat Joe Biden is narrowly preferred over President Donald Trump in a new Fox News survey of Georgia registered voters. — Neither candidate receives majority support in the head-to-head presidential matchup, as Biden garners 47 percent to Trump's 45 percent.

Discussion: Politico

DCist:

Live Updates: Protesters, Trump Supporters Clash In Front Of The Washington Monument As Fireworks Exploded Overhead | DCist — 9:49 p.m.: In the red, white, and blue glare of fireworks, a group of protesters and Trump supporters faced off near the Washington Monument.

Discussion: NPR

Marisa Schultz / Fox News:
Trump defends US history, blasts ‘radical left’ in ‘Salute to America’ celebration

Discussion: The Hill

New York Times:

Hong Kong, Changed Overnight, Navigates Its New Reality — In a city where China has made some ideas suddenly dangerous, people are trying to figure out where the boundaries lie, and how their lives have changed. — HONG KONG — A barge draped with enormous red banners celebrating China's …

Discussion: Reuters

Rebecca Tan / Washington Post:

A Confederate statue is toppled in rural Maryland, then quietly stored away — After the Confederate statue was vandalized, toppled, and removed, all that was left was an empty pedestal paying tribute to the Montgomery County, Md., “heroes” who fought in the Civil War.

Greg Stohr / Bloomberg:

Trump's Taxes, Birth Control Top Supreme Court's Closing Agenda — President's tax returns could become public if he loses case — Justices to issue opinions in July for first time since 1996 — The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to cap a term like no other with potentially blockbuster …

Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:

We Now Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Convention Programming — Instead of the usual media circus, this summer's made-for-TV political confabs will have a whole lot less TV. — Forget the luxury-suite studios soaring above the convention stage. Or the morning-show stars flown in for an on-scene dispatch.

Discussion: Raw Story

Daniel Strauss / The Guardian:

'We've got to do something': Republican rebels come together to take on Trump — A slew of organized Republican groups have sprung up to do all they can to defeat Trump in November. Will their effort work? — Just like in 2016, a faction of the Republican party has emerged to try …

Discussion: Raw Story