Out d’Coup | No Pandemic Relief Deal; DNC Platform Fail; Kodak Play; Climate Crisis; PA COVID-19; Russ Diamond’s COVID Caucus; Kutztown COVID U; Space News; Free Will, Levante, and New Trail

<p>** Apologies in advance for the bad sound at the beginning. Looks like my new soundboard set up is not going to cut it **</p> <p> </p> <p>Republican Senate Majority Leader, <a href='https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/31/liability-shield-congress-bailout/'>Mitch McConnell has held up an agreement on a new COVID-19 relief package</a> saying that he will not pass a bill without a “liability shield” for employers. However, Republicans can’t agree with themselves and have failed to reach an agreement as expanded unemployment benefits expire today and the moratorium on evictions expired last weekend. </p> <p>The Democratic National Committee <a href='https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/democratic-platform-medicare/'>passed a platform this week</a> that they are touting as the “boldest Democratic platform in American history.” Scratch the surface of that talking point, though, and you learn that they refused to back Medicare for All; would not back marijuana legalization; refused to call for the end of qualified immunity for police officers; poo-pooed a federal jobs guarantee; passed on a comprehensive plant for implementing a Green New Deal; and, scoffed at placing conditions on aid to Israel. </p> <p> </p> <p>Following Attorney General Barr’s House testimony, <a href='https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/29/trump-administration-portland-protests-federal-agents'>Federal troops are being withdrawn from Portland</a> after they brutally suppressed protests since the beginning of July.The Washington Post reported yesterday that the<a href='https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/dhs-compiled-intelligence-reports-on-journalists-who-published-leaked-documents/2020/07/30/5be5ec9e-d25b-11ea-9038-af089b63ac21_story.html'> Department of Homeland Security compiled “intelligence reports” on American journalists</a> covering the Portland protests. </p> <p> </p> <p>Frustrated? Want to get back to “normal” news stories? Ok, try these on for size:</p> <p><a href='https://www.wash