Category Archives: Donald Trump

Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children, Donald Trump said in his pre-Independence Day rally in front of Mount Rushmore. He reprised the same themes on the White House lawn the following day. In the midst of a national catharsis on race and social justice, in front of a monument to great American leaders, and then on the lawn of the iconic symbol of American leadership, Trump chose a dog whistle message to stoke the us vs. them that has become his stock in trade.

It wasnt a new message, just new venues. At his last rally in Tulsa, Trump used similar rhetoricThey want to demolish our heritageto describe the ongoing debate over removing statues to Confederate figures. This time he doubled down. In the first quote above, he made four specific assertions that he attributed to a left-wing cultural revolution. Lets look at each of those claims, especially as they relate to the matter that continues to haunt the nation: the symbolism of Confederate statues and the naming of military bases for Confederate figures.

Wipe out our history. The statues of Confederate soldiers may be part of our history, but not in the way Donald Trump sees that history. These men were traitors, and their celebration is a reminder to Black Americans that the oppression for which they fought is still alive.

A few years ago, I was making a presentation in a former slaveholding state based on my book Leadership Lessons of the Civil War. When I referred to those who fought for the Confederacy as traitors, you could feel the air being sucked from the room. Afterward, some who had been in the audience confronted me over the statement.

But the judgment is unassailable. To take up arms against your country is a traitorous act. Erecting statues is just a way to obfuscate that reality while celebrating what caused it. In a similar manner, naming American military bases for generals who fought against America helps keep that traitorous tradition alive.

Defame our heroes. Donald Trumps least favorite word, it would seem, is loser. He frequently weaponizes it against those with whom he disagrees. It is particularly strange, therefore, that the heroes he seeks to aggrandize are the losers of the Civil War.

The veneration of those who led the insurrection we call the Civil War is the exception to the old rule that history is written by the winners. And that was exactly why the statues were erected: to rewrite that history and send a message that the cause that drove the treason continued.

You do not find statues of Erwin Rommel in Germany. On the battlefield, he was a strategic genius on par with Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson (whom he studied). Recognizing the rotten core of Nazism, Rommel participated in the attempted assassination of Hitler (which cost him his life). But statues are not erected to celebrate national shames. Even if the individual may have been a genius, using that genius for the wrong purpose is nothing to memorialize.

Erase our values. The values celebrated by the memorials whose loss Trump mourns are not those of bravery or strategic brilliance, but of continuing oppression. According to the American Historical Association, the Confederate monuments erected in the Jim Crow era of the late 19th and early 20th century were part and parcel of the initiation of legally mandated segregation and widespread disenfranchisement across the South. The monuments were symbols of white supremacy whose purpose was intimidation, a reminder that the so-called Lost Cause was not over and a reiteration of the racial oppression that it was all about.

The Civil War wasnt about slavery, the refrain of Lost Cause supporters goes, it was about states rights. That state right was the perpetuation of human bondage.

Indoctrinate our children. I have written two books about the Civil War. One was about the Great Emancipator, Abraham Lincoln, the other about the battlefield leaders on both sides. Without a doubt, until President Lincoln finally found the general he deserved in Ulysses S. Grant, the South had the best battlefield leaders. Their battlefield behavior was often brilliant. The cause for which they fought, however, was despicable.

So, how do we rationalize that contradiction? It is the nuance of this conversation that our children need to understand. The purpose of history is to tell the story of previous decisionsincluding their imperfectionsin order to inform our lives today. The tactical skills of the generals on the battlefield is worthy of study. The decision that put them on that battlefield, however, forever stains their memory.

It is historys relevance to today that must be understood. History is the story of how humans, when confronted with challenge, acted imperfectly. It is precisely this multifaceted and imperfect history that our children should learn. We owe the next generation an appreciation of what it means for ordinary citizens to rise to hero statusas well as how to define hero status.

It was particularly telling that on his way to Mount Rushmore, Donald Trump helicoptered over Native American demonstrators. The Original Americans were protesting what was happening on their sacred land.

Had Trump truly cared about history as something more than a campaign stunt, there was another message he could have delivered. It could have been an inclusive message. It could have been a message to challenge us, rather than divide us. It could have been the story of Robert E. Lees surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865.

Accompanying General Grant was his aide, Lt. Col. Ely S. Parker, who was a Seneca Indian. When Lee entered the McLean house for the surrender, he saw Parker and commented, I am glad to see one real American here. Lt. Col. Parker responded, We are all Americans. It is a message that is as valid today as it was then, but it is lost on a man who wants to use history to divide us.

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Donald Trump fakes history in order to divide us - Brookings Institution

From Chinas standpoint, Trump is not so much tougher as he is different. Previous presidents tried to pressure China within the rules of the current global order; Trump prefers to act outside of that system. For instance, his predecessors turned to the World Trade Organization to challenge Chinas unfair trade practices, filing 21 complaints between 2004 and early 2017 (with a strong record of success). The Trump administration, openly disparaging of the WTO, has submitted only two complaints, one of which was a response to Chinas retaliation against Trumps own tariffs. Whereas previous presidents have sought to win over other powers, notably in Europe and East Asia, with similar interests in forcing China to play by the rules, this White House has alienated much of the European Union by threatening hefty tariffs, criticized NATO, and launched personal attacks on some of the Wests most influential leaders. In Asia, meanwhile, he withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a pact aimed at solidifying American ties to its allies.

In that sense, a president with a more normal American foreign policyin which Washington works closely with its friends and stands behind international norms and institutionsisnt good for China. The Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, has already vowed to forge a coalition of countries to isolate and confront China. When we join together with fellow democracies, our strength more than doubles, Biden argued. China cant afford to ignore more than half the global economy. That, and not Trump, is the stuff of Chinese nightmares.

Whoever wins in November, policy toward China isnt likely to soften. A near consensus has formed in Washington, across the political aisle, that China is a strategic threat to the U.S., and there may be no way to turn back the clock to the more halcyon days of patient American engagement. There are far fewer doves left, even on the left, Poling, of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, said. A Democrat who comes in now is not going to be an Obama Democrat when it comes to China. That is no longer politically possible.

Claremont McKennas Pei speculated that some in Beijing may still prefer a Biden victory, if only hoping for a pause in tensions as the Democrats, at least at first, focus on their domestic priorities. But the Chinese, he said, might also come to regret it. The Trump people believe that the U.S. alone can deal China a fatal blow, Pei said. Democrats would likely reach out to allies to form a much more united front against China. If the Democrats succeed, China would be in a much more difficult situation in the long run.

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Why China Wants Donald Trump to Win - The Atlantic

Jennifer Horn, former chair of the New Hampshire Republican party, helped co-found The Lincoln ... [+] Project.

In an op-ed published in the New Hampshire Union Leader, Republican mainstay Jennifer Horn painted a damning picture of Donald Trump.

She repeatedly slammed him as unpresidential, warning he was unable to stop himself from spouting outrageous comments and concluding that, as a country, We are looking for a commander in chief, someone who can be the leader of the free world, not a reality show character with an attitude.

Her words might seem especially damaging coming from someone inside the Republican Party, but perhaps more surprising than who wrote it, is when: 2011, almost a decade ago and more than 5 years before President Trump was elected.

I go back and re-read that op-ed sometimes and every single line, every single concern, has come to fruition, Horn said.

I essentially said, If the Republican Party takes this guy seriously, they deserve what they get.

Today, Horns words seem almost prescient. They certainly echo those of countless Democrats and some moderate members of the GOP, as President Trump gears up for an uphill reelection effort that shows him trailing presumptive Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden by double digits in multiple polls.

Now Horn, a former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party and Republican Congressional candidate, has cofounded The Lincoln Project, a PAC deadset on publicly condemning Trump's actions. Created in December 2019, the group consists of current and former Republicans working to prevent Trump from being re-elected - something Horn never thought she'd have to do when she entered politics 12 years ago.

It became clear there was no effort, or candidate campaign out there, that was getting any traction or would be at all effective in protecting America from a second term of Donald Trump, Horn said.

The day after the election, Republicans and Democrats will have plenty of philosophical and policy issues to continue to debate. But until that time comes, we have to put it aside. We have to come together. Its imperative. We must do this for the preservation of the republic.

Jennifer Horn and her family.

At 44, Horn, who was a stay-at-home mom, had a laundry list of accomplishments. She had a thriving newspaper column, a radio talk show, and she was involved in several nonprofit efforts.

But there was one thing the wife, mother of five and grandmother wasn't involved in: politics.

Then came 2008. Horn decided to run for congress in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District, becoming the first woman nominated by the Republican Party in the states 232-year history.

"I won the nomination. Barack Obama won the White House, and I won nothing," Horn said, laughing.

But running for office in New Hampshire, where Horn spent 18 years of her life and raised her family, opened the door to politics. She never looked back.

"Everything I have ever done in politics has been motivated, I would say, by the same thing that has motivated me in almost everything I have done, and that's being a mom," Horn said. "I know for some people that sounds hoaky, but that's it."

In 2013, Horn was elected as the chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, where she served for two terms, until January 2017. She also served as co-chair of the New Hampshire Log Cabin Republicans for two years and on the Log Cabin Republican National Board of Directors. She advocated for removing anti-LGBTQ language from the New Hampshire and National GOP platforms. Her goal was always to bring leadership and a clear, principled voice to the party and to preserve and protect American ideals for her children and grandchildren's future. She says, working in politics to her, is an "extension of parenting."

But in the year leading up to the election of Donald Trump, everything changed.

At the time, Horn was still chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, a position that requires neutrality through by-laws, during a primary election.

Jennifer Horn and Senator Marco Rubio.

"Repeatedly throughout that cycle, I was forced into this position of having to choose between defending Donald Trump or defending what I thought were the Republican principles of our party," Horn explained.

"Every time I defended the principles of our party. I defended John McCain; I defended the women. That didn't get me a lot of friends."

Horn recounted a moment during the 2016 election when one of "the top guys" in Trump's New Hampshire campaign approached her. He also happened to be a long-time friend of Horn's, someone she admired and who helped her during her campaigns. She said he wanted to talk about the incident involving Billy Bush, who was heard on an "Access Hollywood" tape laughing with the future President, as he bragged about groping women. He called her to ensure she wouldnt say anything publicly about the situation.

"I said, 'Of course I am going to say something. I've already said something.' He said, 'Why? Why do you have to do that? Our teams are working together so well now, and the election is almost over. Can't you just let it go?'

I think my exact words to him were, 'I promised myself a long time ago that I would never say or do anything I can't defend to my children. I can't be silent now.'"

Jennifer Horn and fellow Lincoln Project co-founders.

In 2019, as politicians and political leaders began planning for the 2020 U.S. presidential election, a group of current and former Republican leaders were making plans, too.

But they weren't focusing on how to help re-elect President Trump - they were working to create an initiative to take him down from the right side of the aisle.

Reed Galen, John Weaver, Rick Wilson, Steve Schmidt, all lifelong republicans and political strategists, began talking about what they could do to ensure Trump's defeat in 2020. Their experience within the party varied - some had worked for President George W. Bush, Senator John McCain, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. They were all on similar paths since the 2016 presidential election, committed to speaking out against Trump.

They decided to team up and recruit other Republican leaders to assist. Horn was one of the first people they reached out to, because of her party politics and understanding of what moves Republican voters from a state that consistently has a rough and tumble primary at the presidential level.

"Jennifer has a depth and breadth of experience, and she has taken on the president publicly as a party chair in a very important state like New Hampshire," Galen said.

"From our perspective, she is someone who has the courage to take on the president directly, when so many in the party, at this moment, have refused to do so."

When approached, Horn immediately jumped on board and became a cofounder of The Lincoln Project; she is also the only woman in the pack.

In only a few months, The Lincoln Project has gone from new-to-the-game PAC to social media juggernaut. Since it publicly launched and joined Twitter in December, it has garnered more than 1.2 million followers, an average of 170,000 a month. The founders cite President Trump as a clear and present danger to the American Constitution and Republic, describing him as a racist and narcissist who is destructive and dangerous to the country and world. They also denounce him as a Republican and say he doesn't understand or respect actual GOP ideals and principles.

The groups mission statement, plastered front and center on its website, is just as unambiguous and unapologetic.

Our many policy differences with national Democrats remain, it reads in part. However, the priority for all patriotic Americans must be a shared fidelity to the Constitution and a commitment to defeat those candidates who have abandoned their constitutional oaths, regardless of party.

It concludes, Electing Democrats who support the Constitution over Republicans who do not is a worthy effort.

On the night of June 20, President Trump boarded Air Force One and left Tulsa, Oklahoma, after fronting a rally largely considered to be a disappointment. Prior to the event, Trump boasted on social media that close to a million people registered to attend. The Tulsa Fire Department later put official attendance at around 6,200, less than a third of the arenas capacity of 19,000.

An ad from The Lincoln Project circulated less than 24 hours later mocking the president for the rallys turnout and equating it to his dwindling popularity. Entitled Shrinking, the 45-second video opens with a shot of a lone Trump supporter sitting in a sea of more than 120 empty seats in the BOK Center in Tulsa. As it ends, the ads female narrator addresses Trump directly while intercutting shots of yawning rallygoers and Trump appearing dejected as he steps off Air Force One. You talk a big game...and cant deliver, she says. Sad, weak, low energy. Just like your presidency. Just like you.

Two weeks later, the ad has close to 6 million views on Twitter alone.

The Lincoln Project is blanketing broadcast stations and social media with critical, oftentimes devastating ads like these, and doing so with remarkable turnaround speeds. Their digital efforts increased after COVID-19 derailed many of their plans to travel and be on the ground in states leading up to Election Day.

The close to 50 videos they've released undermine Trump and describe what they call his presidential failures. Horn says its all in an effort to convince Republicans and Independents who lean Republican to vote against President Trump in November. They measure their effectiveness in a variety of ways.

"We know we're effective when they [the President and his team] respond to us, she said.

The President is tweeting at us at one in the morning."

One such tweet from President Trump falsely accuses Horn of being thrown out of the New Hampshire Republican Party.

Horn says they know they've struck a chord when Trump is talking about the Lincoln Project's videos instead of campaigning.

One example she cites was an advertisement they did showing Trump making his commencement speech at West Point and accusing him of being unwell. The footage showed the President appearing to have trouble walking down a ramp and picking up a glass.

"What does the President do the next week when he is in Tulsa? He spends 25 minutes explaining his walk down the ramp," Horn said. And proving to the crowd he could lift a glass and drink out of it."

"So the President spent 25 minutes at his first campaign rally since the coronavirus restrictions were implemented, not talking about anything that would move voters to vote for him. I think we were effective, and I checked it off as a success."

The Trump Campaign did not respond to multiple requests for a comment.

The Lincoln Project also measures success by merely looking at Trump's approval numbers and loss of support from some of his base, from white working-class women to Evangelicals. The latest Pew Research Center national poll shows a disheartened American public and Trump trailing Biden on "most personal traits and major issues."

The poll also shows those who are satisfied with how things are going in America has plummeted from 31% in April to just 12% at the end of June.

It also states if the election were held today, 54% of registered voters say they would support Biden vs. 44% for Trump.

The Lincoln Project isnt just targeting President Trump.

Several ads have gone after GOP senators seen as too close to Trump, in battleground states like Arizona, Colorado and North Carolina - efforts that could prove fruitful for Democrats trying to take back senate control for the first time in years. Democratic candidates are either tied or leading in polls for several competitive senate races against Republican incumbents. (If Biden wins in November, Democrats need to flip three seats; if Trump wins, theyll need to flip four.)

"If you don't defeat the people who empowered him the last four years, then Trumpism continues," Horn said.

One such ad, bluntly called Martha McSally is a Trump Hack, accuses the Arizona senator of going full Trump and concludes by proclaiming, Youll be remembered as just another Trump hack, if youre remembered at all.

The group is also using their platform to show support for Democratic candidate Joe Biden, even going so far as to create a sub-project called "Republicans and Independents for Biden." Horn says she and her team are going to be hyper-focused in coordinating efforts to organize and persuade Republicans and right-leaning independents to vote on Election Day for the former vice president. She acknowledges it won't be easy for some to do.

"Part of what we do at The Lincoln Project is make it OK. We want to make sure the message is clear: you are not alone. There are millions of other Republicans and Independents just like you who are not going to vote for this guy in November," Horn said.

While Horn and her Lincoln Project counterparts encourage Biden voters, they want to make sure the public knows that clear policy and philosophical differences with Democrats remain.

"You want to make sure that there is a clear path in 2024 for a Republican presidential candidate who can run against Trump," Horn said.

"Because you know there will be plenty coming forward saying, 'I'm the continuation of Trump in America' and we want to make sure there is a voice there that says, We defeated him in 2020, let's make sure Trumpism is buried and gone."

Since The Lincoln Project began, the founders have heard from both Democratic and GOP politicians.

At first, Horn says, many Democrats didnt understand or trust The Lincoln Projects intentions, but that has quickly changed. She says she hears often how unhappy some Republican politicians are with their decision to seemingly turn against the party. Horn says they often tell her its her responsibility to protect the party. Horn disagrees.

"I need to protect the country. I need to protect the constitution. I need to make sure that when I am dead and gone and when my children are talking about me to my grandchildren, that they stand up and say mom did the right thing."

Some are going so far as to call Horn and The Lincoln Project Trump's toughest opponents, because of the influence they have as Republicans going against a Republican incumbent.

"I am a woman trying to take down Donald Trump. Yes!" said Horn.

"I never imagined I'd ever be a part of such an effort," Horn said. "But I never, for a moment imagined, that all of these people in my party who I had so much respect and affection for, would elect Donald Trump to the White House."

Horn is just as much of a Republican as she was when she first ran for office 12 years ago. After Barack Obama was elected in 2008, Horn spent eight years campaigning against him. She disagreed with his policies, and regardless of his intentions, she says, he missed the boat repeatedly.

But there is one moment from his presidency that stands out to her: when he spontaneously sang Amazing Grace at the eulogy for Rev. Clementa Pinckney, one of nine African Americans killed in the Charleston Church shooting of 2015.

"That was an extraordinary moment where the President of the United States felt the pain of the American people and reacted in a decent, compassionate, comforting way that touched me as a leader of the opposition party."

"We must have presidents who can do that, whether they are from your party or not. If my party doesn't understand that anymore and can't produce that, this moment in time, then I have to support the other guy."

That's why she's voting for Biden this November, and even went so far as to resign from her GOP group, the Log Cabin Republicans, who endorsed Trump last summer.

"I'm voting for decency and constitutional leadership and for a return to checks and balances and separate but co-equal branches of government. I'm voting for a return to the constitutional institutions that have made America unique amongst all the countries in the world," Horn said.

"If you vote for Donald Trump, regardless of your reasons why, you are also voting for a man who is a racist, a narcissist who is destructive and dangerous to the country, and to the world, that future generations will live in. That's yours to make peace with."

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She Sounded The Alarm On Donald Trump A Decade Ago. Now, Shes A Cofounder Of The Lincoln Project. - Forbes

It wasn't just southern, though. And not just about race. This wasrelated: a working classrebellion against "counter culture" elite college kids.

Mayor Lindsay saw a country virtually on the edge of a spiritual and perhaps even a physical breakdown.

photo caption:On May 8, 1970, construction workers violently disrupted a peaceful demonstration on Wall Street before marching to City Hall and Pace College. The event became known as the Hard Hat Riot.Credit...Neal Boenzi/The New York Times

This was something genuinely new, and raw. Even jaded viewers tuning in to the network news on May 8, 1970, must have been shocked to see helmeted construction workers waving enormous American flags and chanting All the way, U.S.A. as they tore through an antiwar demonstration in Manhattans financial district all of it just days after four students had been shot dead by National Guardsmen during a peaceful protest at Kent State University in Ohio.

Pummeling anyone in their way, the workers kicked and beat demonstrators, battering them with their hard hats. News cameras shakily recorded the workers as they stormed the steps of Federal Hall on Wall Street. One of the workers, upon reaching the top, delivered a vicious right hook to a demonstrator, dropping him to his knees, just below the statue of George Washington.

As they jubilantly raised their flags over the crowd and burst into a chorus of God Bless America, the mass of workers seemed, from a distance, to have restaged the raising of the flag over Iwo Jima. It damn near put a lump in your throat,saidJoe Kelly, an elevator builder who was working on the World Trade Center. Cliff Sloane, a student interviewed later that month by The New York Times, felt differently. If this is what the class struggle is all about, hesaid, theres something wrong somewhere.

Today, the chaotic scene looks like a harbinger of current divisions, which have only become deeper with the recent public health crisis and economic tailspin.

Back then, it looked like proof of something John Lindsay, New Yorks mayor, had said earlier that week: The country is virtually on the edge of a spiritual and perhaps even a physical breakdown.

Lindsays remark came two days after the Kent State shootings, six days after President Richard M. Nixons announcement of the invasion of Cambodia and five years after the deployment of U.S. combat troops to Vietnam, where some 50,000 Americans had already been killed, with no end in sight. At home, there were racial uprisings in cities like Newark and Detroit, students occupied universities, women protested the Miss America pageant, and gay people fought with police at the Stonewall Inn. [....]

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Checkers and Wreckers at the Daytona 500 | dagblog - dagblog

There are just so many times in Trumps mad reign that you think, oh surely hes over now right? But just like his superpower of being able to lower the bar again and again and again with his deplorable behaviour, he manages to side step scandals that would utterly consume anyone else.

The criticisms by Bolton, who himself is a vicious neoliberal war monger, are simply spectacular

According to Bolton, Trump told Xi Jinping that the mass incarceration of Uighurs was exactly the right thing to do, and asked the Chinese leader for help getting re-elected. He said journalists should be executed. He thought it would be cool to invade Venezuela. He was uninterested in disarming North Korea, but obsessed for months about getting a CD of Elton Johns Rocket Man to Kim Jong-un. He thought Finland was part of Russia. He defended Saudi Arabia over the slaughter of dissident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi as a wheeze to distract attention from a minor scandal involving his daughter Ivankas use of a private email account. And that are just the first scrapings from Boltons account

I mean, theres just so much in that one paragraph that is gasp inducing and should be career ending, but its only another paragraph in chapters and chapters and chapters of damning assessments of Trump that at this stage it just starts becoming white noise.

The fact hes holding a rally/plague incubation public health hazard today should in of itself rule him out as President, yet here we are.

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Nothing manages to sum up the zeitgeist of madness that is the present moment right now better than Trump forcing anyone who comes to his rally to sign a contract saying they wont sue him if they catch the virus.

Hes an ethical black hole.

With Covid disproportionately killing more African Americans & with many African Americans being Democrats, is Trumps rally at Tulsa, the home of one of Americas worst racist massacres, less political pantomime and more potential political bio weapon?

My guess is you will see Trump using the pandemic and the BLM civil disobedience to choke off and suppress the vote itself this election

A giant warning siren: Concerns about Novembers election grow after Georgias disastrous primary

But the states inability to prepare and rectify them underscore for many election officials, activists and experts the need to quickly ramp up funding, preparedness and training ahead of the November general election.

Trumps incompetence has exacerbated the pandemic in America and his spiteful malice doesnt work when people are dying in huge numbers for a problem many suspect hes contributed to so all he has left is simply killing off the ability for Democrats to participate in the process altogether.

I cant work out what is a bigger treat to the planet climate change, this pandemic or Trump himself.

Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, soif you value having an independent voice going into this pandemic and 2020 election please donate here.

If you cant contribute but want to help, please always feel free to share our blogs on social media.

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Bolton's revelations surely the end of Trump? - thedailyblog.co.nz

Nigerias Coronavirus cases could hit 240,000 by year-end going by the current rate of cases recorded daily in June 2020. Nigeria recorded a whopping 745 new cases on Thursday, June 18th, the highest number of cases recorded on a single day.

The data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) also reveals cases have increased just as it ramped up testing across the country. Total testing as at June 18th was 106,006 up from just 63,882 as of May 2020, thus about 40% of total testing has occurred in the first 19 days of June. This comes to about 2,340 per day for June thus far. Most developed countries test over 20,000 per day.

In terms of cases per test or daily positivity test rate, Nigeria seems to be recording, 19.7%, or about 19.7 cases for every 100 tested. This is based on an average of 462 cases per day in June and 2,340 cases per day as indicated above.

The data is purely an estimate as the NCDC has not released any daily positivity test for Nigeria. Official figures are recommended for extensive analysis or decision making.

The Positivity test rate tracks the number of cases recorded out of all tests conducted, and that came back positive for COVID-19. It is viewed as the most reliable way to determine if a government is testing enough.

A high rate of positive test rate indicates that the government is only testing the sickest patients, who sought out medical attention, and is not casting a wide net.

The WHO has issued guidance stating that governments should see positivity rates below 5% for at least 14 days before relaxing social distancing measures. Nigerias positivity rate of 19.7% is far above the WHO recommended 5%.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Brazil has the highest daily positivity test rate with 36.68%, followed by Mexico with 18.71%. Sweden is next at 15.11%, followed by the US and UK at 13.76% and 13.01% respectively. India, which has a similar demographic like Nigeria, has a daily positivity test rate of 8.73%.

READ MORE: Lagos to open churches, mosques from June 19, limits gatherings to 40% capacity

Pandemics are often once in a century type events, thus, making projections can be dicey. However, running the numbers help appreciate the task at hand and urgency to flatten the curve.

A cursory analysis by Nairametrics Research estimates that at the current rate of daily cases, Nigeria might record up to 240,000 cases by the end of December 2020. According to our simple forecast, Nigeria could record as much as 18,000 cases in June alone.

We utilized Microsoft Excel forecast tool to estimate what the number of cases could be assuming the current levels are maintained. This is purely statistical and does not consider efforts to flatten the curve.

In our analysis, we summed all the confirmed cases per month prior to June and then forecasted for the remaining days in June adding it to the confirmed cases recorded in June 2020. The total figures for each month were then used as the basis for forecasting into December 2020 with June as a starting point. The result is below;

As mentioned, this chart does not take into consideration other factors that could indeed help flatten the curve like social distancing, lockdown extensions, and other preventive measures. There are also reports of a potential cure for the virus which could help as well.

Some also believe that we could well be approaching a peak and that the numbers might start coming down sooner rather than later.

Nevertheless, this cursory analysis depicts what we could be facing in the coming months if efforts are not intensified to reduce the spread of the virus.

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The rising cases, particularly in Lagos has led to several policy reversals relating to the easing of lockdown. The Federal Government has rolled back plans to open up the local airports while the Lagos State government suspended indefinitely the planned reopening of mosques and churches initially set for Friday, June 19 and Sunday, June 21 respectively.

While the centers were already warming up to start their services, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu explained that the plan had to be suspended till the coast is clearer. He said,

We have been closely monitoring the situation since then, and have now concluded that we cannot proceed with any form of re-opening for places of worship in Lagos State, until further notice.

This is not a decision that we have taken lightly, it is simply in line with our ongoing evaluation of evolving scenarios regarding the course of the infection in Lagos State and the corresponding public health advisory guidelines issued by the experts.

We are now hereby suspending, with immediate effect, the plan to re-open religious houses and places of worship in Lagos State, until further notice.

READ ALSO: WHO to update COVID-19 treatment inline with new findings

We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and continue to base our decision-making on data modelling; as well as on the responsibility we have to act in a manner that ensures the protection of all you the people of Lagos State. Therefore, until further notice, all places of worship in Lagos State will remain closed.

Also, on Thursday, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 declared that the June 21 date, which was earlier fixed for local airlines to resume operations, is not feasible. According to the Chairman of the task force, Boss Mustapha, the increasing cases are a concern and there are more grounds the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has to cover before local flight resumption.

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Elon Musk is fast becoming the Steve Jobs of today - Nairametrics

(CNN) There's a reason Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis flew to Santorini earlier this month when he wanted to announce the reopening of his country to tourism.

When the evening sun begins to dip behind the rim of the extinct volcano of which the island forms part, it is one of the most romantic and beautiful photo opportunities on the planet.

It's a view that helps make Santorini Greece's most visited island, receiving up to two million tourists annually -- many arriving on the gigantic cruise ships that can normally be seen parked in the middle of the natural bay below.

The island will be welcoming international visitors via airplane once again from July 1, but cautions over the coronavirus mean their numbers will be far fewer than before and the cruise ships won't be returning any time soon.

And while that means a brutal time ahead for some businesses, others on the island are relishing the prospect of a new era, one in which Santorini's beauty can flourish without being turned into a "machine that just created money."

Double blow

The Covid-19 lockdown has left Santorini deserted.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images

The impact of a Covid lockdown has already been dramatic for a destination that relies on tourism for 90% of its income. In Santorini's case, the lockdown came as a double blow as the island had recently begun to open its hotels and restaurants all year round.

During this enforced isolation only Santorini residents were allowed on the island. Guests from the mainland had to return home and no new tourists were allowed in. The drastic shutdown worked, however. Not one case of the potentially deadly disease was diagnosed on Santorini.

Although the island is opening up again, everyone is being careful. Personal protection will not just be for the benefit of guests.

"No one on Santorini wants to catch Covid," says Joy Kerluke, who runs Dmitri's Taverna at Ammoudi Bay. "I have to say that with the lockdown we felt safe on Santorini as we had no cases and nobody was coming here. I think we all enjoyed the scenery and the quietness for a while."

Santorini, with its blue-domed churches and thousand-foot cliffs will look exactly the same, but it's going to be unusually empty.

"We expect 15% percent of the visitors compared to previous years," says George Filippidis, general manager of the Andronis Suites hotel on Santorini. "The economic damage will be huge. We will operate at a loss for 2020 but we want to open so that we offer employment to our staff, and support the local community that is wholly dependent on tourism."

Quiet and uncrowded

The cruise ships carrying up to 3,000 people are not expected to return in 2020.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images

The complete absence of visitors has allowed several major projects to be completed. "The new terminal at the airport is now operational," says Filippidis. "The new road which connects Oia with the airport and part of Athinios port has also been completed, so getting round the island is going to be much easier."

For a destination that was second only to Venice with its cruise-ship issues, the fact that very few of these enormous vessels -- if any -- will return in 2020 is considered to be good news. With each ship disgorging up to 3,000 people onto minibuses, these floating hotels clogged up Santorini's roads.

"No cruise ship arrivals have been confirmed yet," says Filippidis. "And even if they start at some point it will be very limited."

At Dmitri's Taverna, one of the few quayside restaurants to offer an uninterrupted view of Santorini's famous sunset, Kerluke is having to space out the tables and prepare personal protection equipment.

"We will have fewer tables along the quay, which for us is hard as we have a small taverna already," she says. "And we will wear masks and gloves. There will be antiseptic for our customers too."

Kerluke, who arrived from Canada 25 years ago, says there are consolations.

"Those people who do decide to come to Santorini will have a lovely time," she says. "They will see Santorini, quiet and uncrowded like it used to be."

'Strange time'

Locals have been reflecting on Santorini's future.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images

Apart from tourism, the other mainstay of Santorini's economy has been its vineyards. The unique, Assyrtiko-based wines of Santorini are exported all over the world, and most of the island's 18 vineyards are open to visitors.

By now the 2019 vintage should be in restaurants and supermarkets across the island, but Petros Vamvakousis, manager of Venetsanos Winery, says the lockdown has disrupted distribution.

"Our 2019 vintage remains inside stainless steel tanks and barrels," he says. "It should have been bottled between February and April but the five people who would do this had to remain at home. Now we are trying to catch up.

"Normally we produce 50,000 bottles a year but we rely on exports, and these are close to zero at the moment. Our distributor in America informed us that while restaurants remain closed in the USA, there is no market for Santorini wine in America."

Like many wineries, Venetsanos had until the crisis been able earn income through tastings and tours. Cut dramatically into the cliffs overlooking Athinios Harbour, the winery has a beautiful terrace where wine is served with snacks, but Vamvakousis says that the numbers of people who can be accommodated will be limited to four or six per table from now on.

"We are living in a strange time," he says. "Everything about the island reminds me of winter. Many restaurants, cafs and hotels are closed. It is summer now and it is extremely strange for Santorini to be so quiet and lonely."

Stopping the 'machine'

Recent years have seen complaints about overtourism in Santorini.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images

Vamvakousis says he is optimistic that busy days will once again return, but believes the enforced downturn will help prompt a reevaluation of the island's future.

"Santorini is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, but I am sure that lockdown was helpful," he says. "It stopped the machine that just created money and did not care about the environment. Now it is the right time to think what was wrong with Santorini. We have the right to protect, but we don't have the right to destroy."

While money is going to be a big issue in 2020, not everything about the interrupted tourist season is a disaster. Gill Rackham, originally from Britain, who has run Lotza restaurant and the Oia Old Houses apartments with her husband Vasilis for more than 30 years, sees mixed blessings.

"About a month ago our July bookings were looking good, approximately 75% occupancy, but now it's down to 20% and falling," says Rackham. "But my take is that within this catastrophe there will be winners. Santorini has been given a respite to breathe again... no crowds, no traffic jams... no cruise ships."

Rackham has noticed that "on the beaches of Perivolas and Perrissa there are a few tavernas up and running but most for local Greeks and Athenian visitors! Elsewhere owners are starting to return to open up for 1 July, which is the expected date for international flights."

Some hotels have taken the three-month lockdown time to rethink how they interact with guests. "We will be offering our services digitally," says George Filippidis at Andronis.

"You'll be able to check in online, order cocktails, book a cruise in the azure Aegean waters, and check out when your trip comes to an end, simply by using your mobile device."

Honeymoon advantage

Santorini earns 90% of its income from tourism.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images

Indeed the privacy model that made Santorini so successful as a honeymoon destination could well work to its advantage.

"Rather than huge hotels with large public spaces, most of Santorini's suites have private entrances and sunlit balconies with a dedicated pool or Jacuzzi that is cleansed and chlorinated daily," says Filippidis. "Breakfast is served in your room, not in a dining hall. This is ideal for guests who want to feel safe. Unlike in big resorts we're not having to put up perspex screens between sun-loungers."

Greece is no stranger to financial crises, but in the 1950s and '60s, and as recently as 2008, it has always been able to look to mass tourism as a means of reviving the economy.

The irony of the current situation is that tourism, once the solution, is now the problem.

In his Santorini speech, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said he wants Greece to be safe but he also knows with 20% of Greek nationals working in tourism and the industry contributing up to 30% of the economy, he needs islands like Santorini to have a long and profitable summer and even a prosperous fall.

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What happened on Santorini when the tourism 'machine' stopped - CNN

An Bang beach, almost empty in March as most tourists went home. Courtesy of Tasha Prados

I made a pros and cons list should I stay or should I go back to the US? I agonized over the decision. I talked to my family, and together, we decided I should stay in Vietnam. My top concern was what would happen if someone in my family got sick and I wasn't there but my mom argued that if she got sick, I couldn't help anyway, because she would need to be isolated. I didn't want to risk being a vector for the virus and getting anyone sick by traveling. I had been prepared to be abroad "indefinitely" anyway, and, like many digital nomads, I didn't have a "home" to go back to in the US, per se.

It was a complicated decision that I questioned a lot over the next few weeks but, as of now, I think it was the right one.

So there it was, a stop to my 'nomading.' Time to stay put in one place and prepare for possible quarantine. First, I needed to find a place with a kitchen. Luckily, a few nomad friends I met through Hub Hi An invited me to stay with them. We found a villa where we could wait it out, which we fondly nicknamed Casa de Quarantine. There were six of us: another American, a Spanish woman, a Polish woman, and a Dutch couple. We figured isolation was coming, so on March 27, we went for a supply run in DaNang, the nearest big city, about an hour away.

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Quarantined in Vietnam: Why I glad I didn't go back to the US - Business Insider - Business Insider

On Thursday night, a collection some of the NFLs biggest stars released avideochallenge to the league. A-listers including Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and Odell Beckham spoke powerfully about the omnipresence of systemic racism against black Americans.

Then the players turned to the deep rift that has existed between players and owners ever since Colin Kaepernick first knelt during the national anthem in 2016 to protest against racism. They asked the NFL to apologize and recognize the current moment by putting out a statement with these words: We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systemic oppression of black people. We, the NFL admit were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all that speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter.

Less than 24 hours later, Donald Trump predictably entered the fray with a series of tweets that asserted New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees should not have apologized for equating kneeling with disrespecting the military. Trump then tried to rally his base with the antiquated talking point he utters most in times of desperation.

I am a big fan of Drew Brees. I think hes truly one of the greatest quarterbacks, but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag. OLD GLORY is to be revered, cherished, and flown high,Trumptweeted.We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart. There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag NO KNEELING!

All eyes turned to the NFL. The league had a significant decision to make. Would commissioner Roger Goodell, representative of the 32 owners, finally turn his back on the president (and the NFLs numerous MAGA fans)? Would he side with his players? Or would he continue to condone Trumps words through silence, or worse, release a weak, fluffy statement with corporate buzzwords like equality, justice, and respect, while taking no concrete action?

Within minutes, Goodell issued astunning video. He uttered the words we were wrong as he read the statement requested by the players.He spoke with emotion and remorse as he said, I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country. It was a Goodell we have never seen before.

Then again, this is a moment we have never seen before. The brutal police killing of George Floyd and so many before him has sparked a passionate, widespread movement of awareness, education, and solidarity. We are now almost two weeks into protests seeking an America that ends police brutality and the systemic oppression of its black citizens. Its a movement that should reach anyone with a heart and functioning brain cells.

Goodell hardly deserves a parade for his change of tone. After all, his NFL is the one that tossed aside its moral compass and turned its back on Kaepernick four years ago and every day since. Goodells statement would have been far more powerful had he mentioned Kaepernick by name. Either way, the NFLs banishment of Kaepernick is a permanent stain on the NFL.Nothing can change that now.

Goodells statement was not proactive but reactive to a litany of players who drew a line in the sand. But it was quick and decisive and achieved the unthinkable: The NFL gave Donald Trump the middle finger. It finally detached itself from Trump and his crazy, dangerous strategy of exploiting the flag and national anthem to suppress and demonize peaceful protest.

Trump considers many NFL owners as friends, most notably Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots. Kraft was one of 10 NFL owners who contributed to Trumps inauguration committee. All of these owners have stood on the sidelines like faithful puppies and allowed Trump to pounce on the league since he started his presidential campaign. Whether calling kneeling players sons of bitches or sending Vice-President Mike Pence to a 49ers-Colts just to storm out of the stadium after the anthem, or tweeting STAND FOR THE FLAG when hes bored, Trumps toxicity has been a constant in the NFL. And the league, happy to collect the revenue of his supporters, turned a blind eye.

But with the NFLs sudden support of its protesting players, Trump has lost something important. Even Brees exited the Trump train on Friday, addressing the president directly and urging him to stop using the flag to distract America from discussing racial injustice. None of the NFLs power brokers are publicly in Trumps corner anymore whatever they think in private. And Trump, for all of his megalomania, is going to have a hard time using the NFL to spew his usual cocktail of spite and hate.

Even the military, who Trump has long used as a crutch for his demagoguery, is turning its back on him.From condemnation by retired generals, including James Mattis, to the backtracking of the current secretary of defense, Mark Esper, after Trump ordered the military to tamp down protests, Trumps playbook of politicizing the military is losing steam.

We will see what happens when the protests thin out and the threats of boycotting from MAGA fans inevitably arrives. We will see if any owners cozy up to Trump and try to clamp down on peaceful protesting. We will see if Kaepernick is allowed to play again in the league that has deprived him of a career for his political beliefs. Given the torment the league has caused Kaepernick, and so many of its players, there is reason to be skeptical. But this time feels different. White players and coaches are joining forces with their black teammates. They are marching. They are talking. They are anxious to help. The NFL finally seems ready to be on the right side of history and turning its back on Trumpis a healthy place to start.

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The NFL did the unthinkable: it gave Donald Trump the middle finger - The Guardian

President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday allowing major infrastructure projects and energy projects to move forward without rigorous environmental review. Agencies would be able to waive provisions put in place by cornerstone environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). That would apply to projects like new mines, pipelines, and highways, reports The Washington Post.

The move is aimed at spurring recovery from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. An economic emergency, Trump claimed, gives the president authority to essentially suspend environmental laws. Agencies should take all reasonable measures to speed infrastructure investments and to speed other actions in addition to such investments that will strengthen the economy and return Americans to work, the executive order says.

But disregarding environmental law could come with grave consequences, former members of the EPA warn. Failing to assess the potential environmental damage a project might inflict can also harm health. Take pollution that might come from building a highway near neighborhoods and the vehicle traffic that follows, for example. That leads to chronic health problems that can make people more vulnerable to COVID-19, and pollution often disproportionately poisons black neighborhoods and other communities of color. Black Americans are exposed to 1.54 times more fine particle pollution, which can come from construction sites and tailpipes, than the rest of the population, the EPA found in a 2018 study.

The new executive order arrives as protests continue against systemic racism and the police killing of George Floyd, who told officers I cant breathe as a Minneapolis officer pinned him down by the neck. When we say we cant breathe, we are not only talking about the knees on our necks and chokeholds from police, but also the squeezing of life from our lungs brought on by the pollution that the Trump Administration continues to pump into our bodies by the rolling back of the vary laws that are meant to give us justice and access, Mustafa Santiago Ali , the former associate administrator of the EPAs Office of Environmental Justice, said in an emailed statement.

Its unclear whether Trump actually has the legal authority to enforce his latest executive order, according to Joel Mintz, Professor Emeritus of Law at Nova Southeastern University and a former attorney for the EPA. This is also very bad public policy. Pipelines and other infrastructure can do great environmental harm. Their impact should be carefully examined, as NEPA requires, before they are allowed to go forward, Mintz said in a statement emailed to The Verge.

Trump has already moved to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act. In January, he proposed changes that would speed up the approval process for constructing new pipelines and infrastructure. NEPA gives the public an opportunity to comment before projects are allowed to break ground, and has been invoked to oppose the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines.

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Donald Trump weakens environmental regulations with new executive order - The Verge