COVID-19 Update: July 30, 2020: Songs for the New Depression

The title of an old Bette Midler album comes to mind. Maybe it's the catastrophic drop in the country's GDP. Or maybe it's Congress' inability to pass a relief bill. Then again, it might be the president floating the idea of postponing an election that, if current polls are any indication, will hand him a record-breaking walloping. Anyway, you look at it, it's 1931 all over again.

The latest:

The US coronavirus death toll passes the 150,000 mark: bit.ly/3gfMqV4.

The US saw the biggest quarterly drop ever in GDP: 32.9%: bit.ly/33aZLdy.

Weekly job claims rise for the second week in a row, reaching 1.434 million: cnb.cx/2CWgrLs.

The failure to contain the pandemic leads to ever-multiplying problems nationwide: nyti.ms/3hPlRGM.

The already slow-moving stimulus bill is further undermined by the president's lack of interest, combined with vague comments about an alternative approach; meanwhile, benefits lapse tomorrow: nyti.ms/3fe18e3. Anyway, Republicans remain divided over their own bill: nyti.ms/2P8E9GP.

The pandemic gives the president a chance to muse about delaying the November election: . By the way, he can't do that: wapo.st/2EAjGIR.

A new study says that closing schools in March saved 40,000 lives: bit.ly/2BHtAan. Meanwhile, teachers push to have a say about reopening: nyti.ms/39GKwu7.

Unsurprisingly, in light of the pandemic, giving to arts organizations is down: tinyurl.com/y3b7wqxy.

Senators John Cornyn and Amy Klobuchar introduce the Save Our Stages Act, a relief bill for independent music and entertainment venues: tinyurl.com/yxbqupd7.

In a sign of support for the president's policies, Representative Louis Gohmert, recently diagnosed with COVID-19, opts to take the proven-to-be-useless hydroxychloroquine: bit.ly/3jUHrvc. He also tries out the idea that he caught the coronavirus from wearing a mask: bit.ly/3ggmAQL.

Meanwhile, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, learning of Gohmert's diagnosis, mandates mask-wearing in the House: bit.ly/3hPkIis.

Food for thought:

The president and chief executive of the Association of American Medical Colleges offers a practical plan for a COVID-19 reset: wapo.st/3121kb5.

Why the indoor bar scene is uniquely suited to transmitting the coronavirus: bit.ly/3ggrOfr.

Tyler Perry on how he successfully filmed a sitcom during the pandemic: bit.ly/30fMnTT.

Around the country:

In California:

If Congress cuts the enhanced unemployment benefit of $600, the state will move to take up the slack: bit.ly/2PakvtO.

Roll up the red carpet: Of course, this year's Emmy Awards will be virtual: bit.ly/30dy9Tt.

ACT in San Francisco plans to start its new season in May 2021: bit.ly/3gdX5Qn.

In Connecticut:

Hartford Stage will not reopen for live performances until the 2021 - 22 season: tinyurl.com/yxhdv9wa.

In Florida:

The daily toll: 9,956 new infections and 235 deaths, the latter a new record: bit.ly/39FaE8O.

A petition signed by 32,000 educators asks the governor to nullify his order to reopen the state's schools: bit.ly/311blFJ. Indeed, Miami-Dade schools will open late and online: hrld.us/3hJ9EU2.

The state's hospitals aggressively hire new personnel to deal with its overflow of COVID-19 cases: hrld.us/3gf7JWY.

Revenue at the Universal theme park fell 94% during the second quarter: bit.ly/2P9bSQb. Disney World delays opening some of its hotels: bit.ly/2Xbm92F.

To prove that the insanity cuts two ways, police arrest a man for firing a gun in a Miami hotel lobby. His motive? Two guests weren't practicing social distancing: bit.ly/3hPMlYD.

In Illinois:

The governor warns that the state's coronavirus numbers are headed in the wrong direction: bit.ly/39Saj2V.

The rising number of new cases makes it difficult for businesses to reopen: bit.ly/3jYiNd9.

In Minnesota:

Dept. of You Can't Make It Up: A board member of the Wabasha County GOP resigns after a Facebook post comparing mask wearing to Jews with yellow stars in the Holocaust: bit.ly/2BIkiLk.

In New York:

The NYC COVID-19 Response and Impact Fund distributes more than $110 million to struggling arts organizations: bit.ly/30eJW3P.

In Texas:

Hard-hit hospitals receive 500 cases of remdesivir from the president: bit.ly/3jUtkpU.

Around the world:

In Hong Kong:

Even as the government cuts back on individual liberties, its indecision in dealing with the pandemic as the locals talking: tinyurl.com/y2kusexz.

In the UK:

The editor of the blue-chip medical journal The Lancet publishes a new book in which he accuses President Trump of crimes against humanity and Boris Johnson of causing thousands of needless deaths: wapo.st/3jTpFsk.

West End theatres won't open before November: tinyurl.com/y57telfl.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Olivia Colman launch the Theatre Community Fund, to help theatre workers displaced by the pandemic: tinyurl.com/yyts2th6.

In a sign that Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber really should take a meeting, the London Phantom of the Opera may not be closing after all: bit.ly/2P7Qef4.

David Hare has written a play about his bout with COVID-19: tinyurl.com/yxqfqhaz.

In Vietnam:

The country, once a haven in the pandemic, faces a mystery surge in cases: nyti.ms/311ocYv.

Losses:

Bill Montgomery, co-founded of conservative group Turning Point USA: politi.co/311j0nt.

Former presidential candidate Herman Cain: cnb.cx/30baAdW.

Entertainment:

Obie Award winner Metropolitan Playhouse continues its run of a free "screened" readings with In the Season, a one-act play by Langdon Mitchell, via livestream video, with talkback to follow, on August 1 at 8:00pm, EST. Running time: 30 minutes. Talkback to follow, including audience questions via Zoom and YouTube chat. Go to bit.ly/2P7LQg6.

For your pleasure:

Jelani Alladin (Frozen) and Christiani Pitts (King Kong) give a super-smooth spin to "The Lady is a Tramp;" bonus tap dancing by Richard Riaz Yoder (Hello, Dolly!): bit.ly/2Xd07wG.

That's all for today. Stay Safe. -- DB

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Previous LSA COVID-19 Updates: plasa.me/lsacovid19resources.