Update on the latest news, sports, business and entertainment at 2:20 p.m. EDT

Update on the latest news, sports, business and entertainment at 2:20 p.m. EDT

Republicans swiftly push back Trump over late vote idea

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican state and Capitol Hill officials condemn President Donald Trump’s suggestion to postpone the November election. And these officials are trying to push back on questions their own party leader has now raised about the legitimacy of this upcoming vote. Leading Republicans in Congress quickly rejected Trump’s suggestion. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the election date was set in stone. GOP House Leader Kevin McCarthy said the election “should go” as planned. And in the states, Republican leaders stress that officials are doing all they can to make sure voting systems are safe and reliable.

Election officials eliminate worst-case scenarios in drills

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity agency this week hosted a three-day tabletop exercise to help local, state and federal officials prepare for and respond to worst-case scenarios on Election Day. The virtual exercise, which ends Thursday, involves more than 2,000 participants who have reflected on ways to deal with the problems and crises that could arise in November. This is the third year that DHS has held these exercises, although it was held virtually due to coronavirus concerns. It comes at a particularly difficult time as the nation draws closer to a controversial presidential poll when an expected increase in absentee votes is likely to delay reporting the results and test election officials in unexpected ways.

Full Court of Appeal to reconsider Flynn case dismissal

WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal appeals court has announced plans to review a ruling dismissing the Justice Department’s case against President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn. The action by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is likely to prolong the fight over Flynn’s fate. It represents yet another dramatic development in a case that has taken unexpected twists and turns over the past year and turned Flynn into something of a cause famous for President Donald Trump and his supporters. The court presented arguments for August 11.

US government abandons efforts to silence Trump’s ex-lawyer

NEW YORK (AP) – The US government has abandoned its efforts to silence President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer. An agreement Thursday between government attorneys and attorney Michael Cohen calls for the lifting of a media ban that had prevented Cohen from speaking publicly. Cohen is ending the last two years of a three-year house sentence after pleading guilty to campaign finance charges and lying to Congress. He was released from prison in May, only to be fired earlier this month after he said he planned to publish a book criticizing the president. A judge last week ordered his release, saying the government’s action was retaliation and a violation of his First Amendment rights.

Wisconsin governor orders statewide masks amid virus surge

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has issued a statewide mask warrant amid a spike in coronavirus cases, creating conflict with Republican legislative leaders who s ‘oppose such a demand and have successfully sued earlier to kill a’ safer home ‘order. Democrat Evers declared a new public health emergency on Thursday, after his first emergency expired in May, and ordered masks to be worn from Saturday. In May, the Wisconsin Supreme Court dismissed an order by Evers health secretary shutting down most non-essential businesses. Evers has repeatedly cited the decision as the reason for its reluctance to join 32 other states that have mask mandates.

Florida faces pressure, records record virus deaths

MIAMI (AP) – Health officials in Florida have set a new record for daily deaths from COVID-19 for the third day in a row. The state is facing pressure to adopt new measures to combat the pandemic. The head of a coronavirus oversight committee in Congress has sent letters to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and three other Republican governors, requesting documents to show how their states are fighting the pandemic. The Florida Department of Health said 253 more deaths had been reported. That brings its average reported deaths per day to 154 for the past week and brings the state’s total death toll to 6,586.

In the sprawling capitol, leaders struggle to keep the virus at bay

WASHINGTON (AP) – Congressional leaders are under increasing pressure from lawmakers to step up coronavirus testing on Capitol Hill. They have so far rejected the idea due to concerns about the availability of tests and the desire not to receive special treatment. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have said they will not institute a testing program for members, staff or the hundreds of others who work in the complex. The lack of virus tracking was highlighted this week when Rep Louie Gohmert tested positive. The Texas Republican was only tested because he had to travel with President Donald Trump.

Stakes Rise for Virus Talks As Unemployment Aid Ends, GDP Declines

WASHINGTON (AP) – Frustrated congressional negotiators of massive coronavirus relief bill face new pressure with brutal economic news on Thursday and the impending lapse of a 600 COVID-19 jobless allowance $ per week. But talks have stalled with little reason for immediate optimism despite widespread agreement among major Washington players that further relief must pass through Congress. Marked differences remain between the Democrats ‘$ 3 trillion proposal and the Republicans’ $ 1 trillion meter. Thursday’s economic news – that the economy shrank at an annualized rate of 33% in the second quarter of the year – is a stark reminder of the economic damage plaguing the country as lawmakers debate the size and scope new help.

Appeal blocks NYCLU release of police disciplinary records

NEW YORK (AP) – A federal appeals court has suspended plans by a civil rights organization to publish a database of New York Police disciplinary records, the latest twist in a lawsuit brought by public security unions seeking to block their disclosure. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals interceded on Wednesday after unions appealed a district judge’s ruling that paved the way for the New York branch of the American Civil Liberties Union to return the records public. A temporary stay will remain in effect at least until August 18, when the appeals court announced it would hear the arguments. A district court hearing on other aspects of the case is scheduled for the same day.

Police: suspect shoots 3 Chicago officers who then shoot him

CHICAGO (AP) – Authorities say a carjacking suspect driven to a Chicago police station shot three officers who fired back and shot him dead. Police spokesman Tom Ahern said the shooting took place Thursday morning as officers drove the suspect from a police vehicle to a police station northwest of the city. He says the officers and the gunman were all taken to hospital. One of the officers was shot in the chin, another was shot in the chest but was wearing a bulletproof vest, and the third was grazed on the hip. The names of the officer and the suspect were not immediately released.

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