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Above the Fold

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• “The federal government incurred the biggest monthly budget deficit in history in June as spending on programs to combat the coronavirus recession exploded while millions of job losses cut into tax revenues,” CNBC reports. “The Treasury Department reported Monday that the deficit hit $864 billion last month, an amount of red ink that surpasses most annual deficits in the nation’s history and is above the previous monthly deficit record of $738 billion in April.” CNS News’s Terence Jeffrey adds, “During the October-June period, the government spent a record $5,004,372,000,000 while it collected $2,260,069,000,000 in total taxes. The resulting deficit of $2,744,303,000,000 was the largest the federal government has ever run in the first nine months of a fiscal year.” It’s little wonder the GOP is apprehensive toward yet another relief package.

• According to The Washington Post, “The Trump administration on Tuesday morning carried out the first federal execution since 2003, following a series of court battles and a Supreme Court order, released shortly after 2 a.m., clearing the way for the lethal injection to take place. Federal officials executed Daniel Lewis Lee, 47, who was convicted in 1999 of killing a family of three, at a penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind. Lee was pronounced dead at 8:07 a.m. Tuesday, the Bureau of Prisons said.”

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Government & Politics

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• Mainstream media mocks rise in crime, victims (Boston Herald)

• Los Angeles County’s black DA blasts Black Lives Matter for targeting her, showing up at her home, and speaks out against abolishing police (The Blaze)

• Wisconsin’s vote-by-mail looked bad. It was actually worse. (Hot Air)

• California rejected 100,000 mail-in ballots because of mistakes (AP)

• Judge gives green light to book by notoriety-seeking Mary Trump (NBC News)

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The Latest on COVID-19

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• Governor Newsom orders closure of indoor activities across California (Fox News)

• The WHO, which suppressed early information, sounds alarm as coronavirus cases rise by one million in five days (Reuters)

• CDC’s “best estimate” is 40% of infections are asymptomatic (Fox News)

• Out-of-touch Beltway dweller Dr. Anthony Fauci says U.S. coronavirus cases are surging because nation didn’t totally shut down (CNBC)

• Asia ramps up coronavirus curbs as new clusters erupt (Reuters)

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Education

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• Los Angeles and San Diego will not reopen classrooms in the fall (National Review)

• Orange County Board of Education votes to support return to school without social distancing and masks (The Orange County Register)

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Business & Economy

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• Banks stand to make $18 billion in PPP processing fees (The Intercept)

• NBA bans custom jerseys with “FreeHongKong,” but allows “Burn Jews” and “KillCops” (The Federalist)

• Local governments weigh major tax hikes to plug coronavirus-induced shortfalls (Fox News)

• Record numbers of Americans try to buy guns (Fox Business)

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Culture & Heartland

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• At least 17 people shot in NYC on Monday as lawlessness soars (New York Post)

• Washington state police officer killed, another injured by assailant (Fox News)

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World

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• Wise decision: UK reneges, will purge Huawei from 5G by 2027 (Reuters)

• China begins “mass production” of new stealth fighter jet in effort to dominate airspace (Washington Examiner)

• Iran’s nuclear facilities are “mysteriously” under attack (we have a pretty good idea of the perpetrator) (Fox News)

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Other Notables

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• For first time ever, U.S. officially rejects China’s “unlawful” South China Sea claims (American Military News)

• The fathers of communism were racist (The Daily Signal)

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Closing Arguments

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• Policy: The cost of China’s intellectual-property theft (National Review)

• Policy: Using face masks is still a good idea. Mandating them isn’t. (The Heritage Foundation)

• Quasi-humor: Genius Trump wears mask causing media to question effectiveness of masks (The Babylon Bee)

For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit In Our Sights.

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