The American people want clear consistent responsible leadership to break the grip of the coronavirus in the U.S.

Meanwhile the Trump administration has barred Dr Fauci from doing TV interviews and says the science should not stand in the way of re-opening schools in full.

Yes, Mike Pence,
we are in a critical time.  
You and Trump on high in the government, not wanting to be distracted by the pandemic, are not leading us to a better place. In fact you have your heads buried in the sand, insisting "the earth is flat." Who can believe anything you say?
Now is a time for outrage.
Americans are dying and you and Donald refuse to acknowledge that we must WEAR MASKS. You want Americans to have a certain freedom (not to wear masks).
If the president would wear a mask, resistance would stop (almost) immediately.
It would help if either of you cared more about living, breathing people who want to live in re-opened communities than you do about statues of dead people.

We are crying out for leadership to unite us as Americans, but you and Trump are a vacuum of leadership all the while exacerbating division.

Beware: you're sounding like a "resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."
"You are known by your deeds."

The example of Rosa Parks and the words of Martin Luther King inspired John Lewis to get into trouble, good trouble, necessary trouble.

He inspired us to "get in the way, to get into good trouble, necessary trouble... to bravely follow the way of love."

We will miss you, John Lewis (dead at 80 years old); you have been a beacon to us.

"He (John Lewis) was 5'6", an acorn who stood up to oak trees."

Leadership is on the ballot.  
Trump is in denial (he's doubling down on failure) when we should be hearing from public health officials who are affirmed by Trump demonstrating good citizenship and commitment to beat the pandemic.

The coronavirus is the enemy.  
Rather than fighting each other, we need to unite on one team to fight the coronavirus.

LOL: Classmembers who objected to the original Message Forum are now - ironically - reading the new Message Forum. Rather than taking their objection to posts to Scott Mermel who deleted posts in bulk and individually, and then removed the Message Forum in its entirety, classmates are sending personal messages directly to me at the website Message Center. What a hoot. The Message Forum was valued on the website.

To clarify specific concerns raised:

Trump wore a black mask when he visited Walter Reed Hospital. His administration knew he had to be seen wearing a mask so they searched for a site where he could not refuse to wear one. Trump removed the mask immediately upon exiting the hospital and has not been seen covering his mouth (and nose) since. Sadly, Trump does wear a mask: it covers his eyes and prevents him from seeing reality.

Not only was Dr Fauci barred from doing TV interviews, he was barely allowed to speak at the Coronavirus Task Force press briefings. Thank goodness podcast hosts have been inviting Dr Fauci to be their guest, and news programs are airing the podcasts. Trump declares Dr Fauci to be "a bit of an alarmist."

Trump continues his campaign to discredit Dr Fauci. Dr Fauci employs the scientific method, discovering and accounting for new information and ideas. Trump refuses to recognize and acknowlegde new information; he insists he's right (the virus will disappear, eventually).

The cognitive test Trump passed was for dementia. The question is: Who ordered he take a test for dementia? (Trump found the last 5 questions very hard.)

David Gergen fears Trump's presidency may be in a death spiral.

One hundred seven days 'til the election...

Why did public health officials used to tell us not to wear masks?

Early in the coronavirus pandemic, scientists didn't know how easily this virus spreads between people without symptoms or how long infectious particles could linger in the air.

There was also a shortage of N95 respirators and face masks among health care workers who were quickly overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients. Some medical workers ended up using plastic office report covers or other ordinary items as makeshift, often substandard face masks while working closely with Covid-19 patients.

In March, the World Health Organization, CDC and the Surgeon General asked healthy members of the general public not to buy masks, to reserve face masks for those who were sick or were caring for the sick.

In early April, after doctors learned more about how easily the coronavirus spreads, and by asymptotic people, the CDC and the Surgeon General reversed their guidance about masks, and created a video showing how to make a mask with a T-shirt and rubber bands -- no sewing required.

In June, WHO emphasized the importance of wearing fabric masks where there's widespread transmission of the virus and where physical distancing is difficult.  
Exceptions include children under 2 years old and people who have breathing problems.

Trump has "toxic positivity" - the United States is awash in the coronavirus, and Americans are welcome nowhere.

Give us a break, Donald, Covid-19 is way more serious than the sniffles.

Good news: Trump tweeted a picture of himself wearing a mask.

Trump is obsessed about testing:  
not about testing for Covid-19, but about passing his test for dementia.

Have you heard Trump bragging about his "feat" of repeating    
"Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV"  ?  ?  ?

Trump is sending federal troops into Democratically controlled cities to "protect federal buildings"
but he will not implement the Defense Production Act to secure medical supplies or expand Covid-19 testing. (Meanwhile it is reported that Trump is tested for Covid-19 multiple times a day.)
We need protection from Trump.

Beware: Low Risk in children is  NOT  NO  RISK.

The coronavirus is flourishing in parts of the U.S.

Start classes on time,

bring down community spread before resuming in-person learning.

Parents want their children to be safe.

How notable is it that the U.S. Department of Justice retaliates against people exercising their first amendment rights?

Government cannot be used for politics.

What fun! Baseball is back.

Cubs kicked off the season masterfully.

Kyle Hendricks pitched a shutout; Ian Happ and Anthony Rizzo hit homeruns.

Manager David Ross celebrates Cubs  3 - 0  victory.

I cheered in my heart...
cheered for the Cubs, but NOT for Ricketts' Marquee Network.  
In Oshkosh, WI, I watched Brewers @ Cubs on ESPN.  
The ESPN broadcast was blocked in metropolitan Chicago. I do not know why.

I think back to 2016 - Americans across the country celebrated Cubs World Series Championship.  
Americans grew up watching Cubs play baseball on WGN - 
How truly sad, especially now during the pandemic, families do not have the opportunity we had to watch Cubs play baseball at Wrigley.  
The Ricketts are not the Wrigleys.

Just days into the season, MLB postponed two games today due to a coronavirus outbreak among the Miami Marlins in Philadelphia over the weekend. On Sunday, Marlins played Phillies with four positive covid-19 cases in the clubhouse. Today both Marlins and Phillies were tested; Marlins number of positives jumped to double digits: eleven team members and two coaches are now in self-quarantine in Philadelphia.

The league is awaiting results of rapid saliva testing before determining the status of Tuesday games between Phillies and Yankees.  
Marlins games both today and tomorrow in Miami against Baltimore Orioles are postponed.

MLB will conduct additional Covid-19 testing before making a decision about Wednesday's game.

Why did Marlins play baseball on Sunday?  
 

Google announced it is extending work-at-home option 'til July 2021.  
 

Covid-19 cases continue to increase throughout the country.  
In this light: How are schools going to re-open, and stay open?

The official short 2020 MLB season launched last week on Thursday with Dr Fauci throwing out the ceremonial first pitch in D.C. has already been interrupted.

The Marlins traveled to Philadelphia for their first regular season game against the Phillies, and before they made it back to Miami, Marlins suspended their season opener against the Baltimore Orioles. At least 15 of their players and two coaches have been diagnosed with Covid-19; they remain in isolation and are receiving care.  
Nationals were scheduled to travel to Miami to play Marlins this weekend; by team vote Nationals decided not to go.  
Marlins season has been temporarily suspended through next Sunday.

Out of an abundance of caution, Philadelphia Phillies series with New York Yankees has been postponed.

Today, on the day John Lewis was laid to rest, Trump took the opportunity to float the idea of delaying the election.

Only Congress has the authority to change Election Day. (No president has suggested Election Day be changed. In fact, both Lincoln and FDR rejected the suggestion.)
Congressional Republicans rejected Trump's power grab.  
[Sec'y of State Pompeo said he could not (would not) say whether it's constitutional for Trump to delay the election.]

Ninety-six days 'til the election.

Herman (9-9-9) Cain was all smiles (no mask) at Trump's Tulsa rally June 20th.  
There was no contact tracing but he was hospitalized for covid-19 in early July.  
Herman Cain died today at 74.

Cubs were credited with a phantom triple play yesterday against the Cincinnati Reds.  
Though Cubs lost the game, 12 - 7, they benefited from a missed call and a review loophole that turned a potential double play into the team's first triple play since May 10, 1997. With the bases loaded in the 7th inning, Kris Bryant appeared to cleanly catch a line drive, he stepped on 3rd base, and fired the ball across the diamond to 1st base. "5-3 triple play" was written in the scorebook; "Inning over."  
Apparently the baseball bounced before entering Bryant's glove... (the play is not reviewable under MLB's replay protocols.)

The surging coronavirus is the problem MLB is dealing with this week.

Two Phillies staffers tested positive for covid-19: MLB postponed their weekend series against Blue Jays in Philadelphia.  
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are in limbo:   
The Canadian government said "No" to teams traveling back and forth from the U.S. - eventually, Blue Jays are supposed to play home games at a minor league ballpark in Buffalo, but it isn't ready: Blue Jays are stuck on the road, hoping to stay in D.C. after their series there.

Marlins remain quarantined in Philadelphia.  
The volume of positives on the Marlins team is alarming.  
Right now, four teams are "on break": Phillies and Marlins are in Philadelphia; Nationals and Blue Jays, in D.C.