U.S. federal agents fired tear gas at protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, late Wednesday.Mayor Ted Wheeler was among those standing by a fence in front of the courthouse when the agents fired the tear gas.Protesters have demonstrated in Portland for 56 consecutive days, rallying against police violence, racial inequality and the recent deployment of the federal forces in the city.The mayor arrived at the protest area earlier in the day and pledged his solidarity with the crowd, but his presence was largely rejected as many yelled at him.Critics have faulted Wheeler for not controlling the city’s police force, which threatened its own use of force with tear gas and arrests Wednesday night as Portland police declared the gathering a riot. Others, including business owners who have seen their operations disrupted by the protests say Wheeler has failed to bring the situation under control. A riot has been declared outside the Justice Center. Disperse to the north and/or west. Disperse immediately. Failure to adhere to this order may subject you to arrest or citation, or riot control agents, including, but not limited to, tear gas and/or impact weapons.— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) July 23, 2020Also Wednesday, the Oregon attorney general filed a lawsuit accusing the federal agents of arresting protesters without cause and using excessive force, which federal authorities have disputed.  
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A mandatory face mask order officially took effect Thursday in Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne, which has become the epicenter of the country’s rising number of novel coronavirus cases.The mandate is the latest order imposed on Melbourne’s five million residents in an attempt to control the spike in COVID-19 infections.  Anyone over the age of 12 caught in public without any kind of face mask or covering could be fined up to $143, while employers who discourage their workers from wearing a mask face a potential fine of more than $7,000.Premier David Andrews of Victoria state, of which Melbourne is the capital, said the face mask mandate was imposed due to the increase of confirmed COVID-19 infections, and a refusal by residents who tested positive for the virus to isolate themselves.“They have gone out shopping. They have gone to work. They have been at the height of their infectivity, and they have just continued on as usual,” Andrews told reporters.Victoria state posted a single-day record of 484 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.  The city is in the second of a six-week lockdown that bans all residents from leaving home unless going to work, school, medical appointments or shopping for food.Cross-border travel between Victoria and the neighboring state of New South Wales has been suspended indefinitely, with the exception of traveling for work, education and medical care.Bicyclists wear face masks at St Kilda beach in Melbourne, the first city in Australia to enforce mask-wearing to curb a resurgence of COVID-19, July 23, 2020.The rising outbreak in Victoria state has sent Australia’s total number of novel coronavirus infections to 13,306 people, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center, with 133 deaths.Meanwhile, the U.S. reached another grim milestone on Wednesday by recording more than 1,000 deaths for the second consecutive day. California reached its own milestone on Wednesday when it surpassed New York with the most confirmed coronavirus cases. The western state has over 422,000 cases, including more than 12,100 on Wednesday, a one-day record, while New York has more than 413,000.President Donald Trump announced Wednesday the U.S. government will provide an additional $5 billion in aid, equipment and training to the nation’s nursing homes, many of which are hot spots in the coronavirus pandemic.According to federal estimates, nursing home residents accounted for roughly 37,000 COVID-19-related deaths.Nursing homes received nearly $5 billion in pandemic relief funds approved by Congress earlier this year. The new package of $5 billion in aid would go toward increased testing of nursing home staff, distribution of a list of those facilities with increased numbers of COVID-19 cases, and additional training and support. Nursing homes in hot spots would get priority.Late Wednesday, Senate Republicans and the White House said they had reached a tentative agreement on the next coronavirus relief package, which would provide about $1 trillion in aid.. Legislation is expected Thursday.Earlier in the day, the U.S. government announced it will pay $1.95 billion to American drugmaker Pfizer and German biotech company BioNTech SE for 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, if it proves to be safe and effective.The deal is part of Trump’s Operation Warp Speed initiative, which is aimed at delivering 300 million doses of an approved vaccine by January.The U.S. continues to lead the world in COVID-19 fatalities with more than 142,300, far greater than the 81,487 deaths in second-ranked Brazil, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics. The U.S. also remains the world leader in infections, with 3.5 million of the world’s 15 million coronavirus cases. 
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President Donald Trump has announced the U.S. government will provide an additional $5 billion in aid, equipment and training to the nation’s nursing homes, many of which are hot spots in the coronavirus pandemic.He said COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, poses “the greatest threat to our senior citizens,” and that “nearly half of the deaths have occurred among those living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities.”According to federal estimates, nursing home residents accounted for roughly 37,000 COVID-19-related deaths; overall, the U.S. has recorded nearly 143,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics.“I want to send a message of support and hope to every senior citizen who has been dealing with the struggle of isolation in what should be the golden years of your life,” Trump said Wednesday at the White House during the coronavirus news briefing.“We will get to the other end of that tunnel very quickly, we hope. The light is starting to shine. We will get there very quickly.”Nursing homes received nearly $5 billion in pandemic relief funds approved by Congress earlier this year. The new package of $5 billion in aid would go toward increased testing of nursing home staff, distribution of a list of those facilities with increased numbers of COVID-19 cases, and additional training and support. Nursing homes in hot spots would get priority.Biden economic planTrump’s announcement comes a day after former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, released the third plank of his overall economic plan, which focused on child care and home health care, with a pledge to provide 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.Also Wednesday, while discussing reopening schools in the fall, Trump was asked by reporters if he was comfortable sending his own son and grandchildren to in-person schools.”Well, I am comfortable with that,” Trump said. “I would like to see the schools open 100 percent. And we’ll do it safely. We’ll do it carefully.” He said, ultimately, the decision would be up to state governors.Late Wednesday, Senate Republicans and the White House said they had reached a tentative agreement on the next coronavirus relief package, which would provide about $1 trillion in aid. Legislation is expected Thursday.Earlier in the day, the U.S. government announced it will pay $1.95 billion to American drug maker Pfizer and German biotech company BioNTech SE for 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, if it proves to be safe and effective.The companies said Wednesday they had finalized a deal with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Defense Department to supply the agencies with a vaccine they are developing jointly, the latest in a number of comparable agreements with other vaccine companies.Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told Fox News Wednesday the U.S. could buy 500 million additional doses of the vaccine provided they are “safe and effective.”Operation Warp SpeedThe deal announced Wednesday is part of Trump’s Operation Warp Speed initiative, which is aimed at delivering 300 million doses of an approved vaccine by January.Pfizer and BioNTech said they hope to be ready to pursue some form of regulatory approval as early as October if current studies of the vaccine are successful, and that they currently expect to deliver up to 100 million doses by the end of the year.The deal was announced one day after more than 1,000 people in the U.S. died of COVID-19, the first time since early June the U.S. reached the single-day milestone, and Trump acknowledged the coronavirus crisis in the country “will … get worse before it gets better.”The U.S. continues to lead the world in COVID-19 fatalities with more than 142,300, far greater than the 81,487 deaths in second-ranked Brazil, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics. The U.S. also remains the world leader in infections, with 3.5 million of the world’s 15 million coronavirus cases.Data released Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, however, the actual number of coronavirus infections in some parts of the U.S. is anywhere between two and 13 times what has been officially reported.The CDC based its conclusions on blood samples collected from people who were given routine clinical tests across 10 geographic regions, including New York City, south Florida, Missouri and the western states of Utah and Washington. In Missouri, for example, the estimated number of actual infections was 13 times the number of confirmed cases, while in Utah, the actual number was at least twice as high.The authors of the study, which was also published on the website of JAMA Internal Medicine, said many infected people did not seek medical care or get tested because they likely had mild symptoms or none at all, and likely spread the virus among the population. At least 40 percent of people who are infected do not develop symptoms.The CDC researchers also found that only a small number of people in many parts of the United States were carrying the coronavirus antibodies as of late May, indicating that most of the population remains at risk of infection.U.S. labs are also struggling to keep up with the increased testing, with some labs taking weeks to return COVID-19 results, experts say.“There’s been this obsession with, ‘How many tests are we doing per day?’” Dr. Tom Frieden, former CDC director, said in an AP report. “The question is how many tests are being done with results coming back within a day, where the individual tested is promptly isolated and their contacts are promptly warned.”
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Nearly one-quarter of employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs say they have been subjected to unwanted sexual comments and other harassment — one of the highest levels in federal government — and an audit says the Trump administration has not been doing enough to protect them.At a House hearing Wednesday, lawmakers heard VA express a commitment to “changing the culture” to make the department more welcoming to women, but that long-sought improvements urged by the Government Accountability Office could take until 2024 to fully implement.Lawmakers responded that they were not willing to wait, even if it meant passing legislation to force more immediate changes.”The VA is not the same VA as four years ago,” insisted acting VA Deputy Secretary Pam Powers, pointing to increased outreach to women and improved trust ratings in the VA from employees and patients alike according to internal polling.Training, leadership structure faultedThe GAO audit said the agency had outdated training and policies, a leadership structure that creates conflicts of interest in reviewing harassment complaints, and gaps in reporting complaints to VA headquarters in Washington.Powers said the agency was addressing the issue but stressed that personnel and other fixes required more money. She said some changes wouldn’t start until 2024, in part because “every hour we spend takes away from patient care.””It’s an ongoing process, and we’ve certainly addressed a lot,” Powers said. “We have a very targeted effort.”Expressing frustration and puzzlement about protracted delays, Representative Chris Pappas, who heads the House Veterans Affairs oversight panel, said he would introduce legislation to ensure quicker action. His effort seeks to reinforce a call by top Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate veterans affairs committees last week for a faster timeline.FILE – Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., speaks at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, May, 3, 2019, in Kittery, Maine.”Clearly Congress has a role to play,” said Pappas, D-N.H. “The Department of Veterans Affairs is simply moving too slowly.”In its report, the GAO analyzed data from a Merit Systems Protection Board survey and found 22% of VA employees experienced sexual harassment between 2014 and 2016, compared with an estimated 14% of federal employees across agencies. About one in three VA employees reported witnessing an act of sexual harassment.Overall, an estimated 26% of female and 14% of male VA employees experienced harassment during the two years.Meanwhile, 158 sexual harassment cases were filed through VA’s formal process in 2016, a figure likely understated because not all complaints are required to be reported to VA headquarters. Since then, the number of cases has grown — 168 in 2017, before reaching a high of 225 in 2018. Last year, there were 180 cases filed.Veterans groups and lawmakers say they’re worried the numbers reflect a broader culture problem at VA, also involving harassment and assault of patients.Speaking on the delays, Representative Ann Kuster, D-N.H., called it frustrating to see so little change and “persistent, pervasive” bias at the VA. “I can’t help but feel that this is partly due to the leadership at the top of this country — not having respect for members of the military, but most importantly for women serving our country,” she said.Lengthy process timeRepresentative Jack Bergman of Michigan, the top Republican on the panel, said he found it appalling that a sexual harassment complaint made by a VA employee takes about 1,100 days to process, according to VA figures. “Three years to process a complaint does not inspire confidence that the system is working efficiently or effectively,” he said.A study released by the VA last year found one in four female veterans using VA health care reported inappropriate comments by male veterans on VA grounds, raising concerns they may delay or miss their treatments.The VA also has rebuffed efforts by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and other groups to change the VA motto, which some vets believe is outdated and excludes women. That motto refers to the VA’s mission to fulfill a promise of President Abraham Lincoln “to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.”In February, the VA inspector general office also said it would examine Secretary Robert Wilkie over allegations he sought damaging information about veteran and congressional adviser Andrea Goldstein after she reported being sexually assaulted at a VA hospital. The IG review is ongoing.FILE – Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 27, 2014.”We are out of time, and we need corrective action now,” said Representative Julia Brownley, D-Calif., who chairs the House’s Women Veterans Task Force.While veterans overall have strongly backed President Donald Trump throughout his presidency, views vary widely by party, gender and age, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of 2018 midterm voters. In particular, younger veterans and women generally were more skeptical of Trump, who has faced accusations of sexual harassment and received multiple draft deferments to avoid going to Vietnam.Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has pledged to boost VA services for women.”A Biden administration will not tolerate the culture of sexual assault that has become all too common in our military and veteran sectors,” said Biden spokesman Jamal Brown. “As president, Joe Biden is committed to instituting policies that seek to eliminate discrimination and end harassment, and fostering a more inclusive federal government.”Currently, about 10% of the nation’s veterans are female. In the U.S. military forces, about 17% of those enlisted are women, up from about 2% in 1973.
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A federal judge heard arguments Wednesday on Oregon’s request for a restraining order against federal agents sent to the state’s biggest city to quell protests that have spiraled into nightly clashes between authorities and demonstrators.The lawsuit, filed by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, alleges that federal agents sent by President Donald Trump have arrested people with no probable cause, whisked protesters away in unmarked cars and used excessive force to quell the unrest. It’s part of growing pushback  against the Trump administration’s use of federal agents in Portland and its plans to do the same in other cities.In a twist, the judge hearing the case — U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman — works out of the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, which has been a target for more than 50 nights of protests following the killing of George Floyd. Floyd, a Black man, died after being pinned at the neck by a white Minneapolis police officer, igniting protests against racial injustice nationwide.The motion for a temporary restraining order asks the judge to immediately command agents from the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Federal Protective Service and the U.S. Marshals Service to immediately stop detaining protesters without probable cause, to identify themselves before arresting anyone and to explain why an arrest is taking place.During the hearing — held by videoconference because of the coronavirus pandemic — Rosenblum said she was asking the court to “declare it not acceptable for federal officers to use unconstitutional police state-type acts to detain citizens of Oregon without cause.”There are 114 federal agents in Portland, according to Steve Lippold, another attorney for the state.David Morrell, an attorney for the U.S. government, called the motion “extraordinary” and told the court it was based solely on “a few threadbare declarations” from witnesses and a Twitter video.”It’s important to underscore what’s at stake here. The Hatfield courthouse did not damage itself,” he said, calling the protests “dangerous and volatile.”Mosman said the declaration of one man, who said in court papers that he was arrested by federal agents for no reason and later released, seemed meet the bar for Oregon’s motion for a temporary restraining order.But in a back-and-forth with Oregon attorneys, Mosman focused on a Twitter video of another arrest that showed a person being placed in an unmarked van and seemed skeptical of the state’s argument that that arrest in particular was made without probable cause.It wasn’t clear when Mosman would rule.The suit by Oregon’s attorney general is one of several filed over law enforcement’s response to the Portland protests. On Thursday a judge will hear arguments in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of journalists and legal observers who say they were targeted and attacked by police while documenting demonstrations. A freelance photographer covering the protests for The Associated Press submitted an affidavit that he was beaten with batons, chemical irritants and hit with rubber bullets.U.S. Judge Michael Simon previously ruled that journalists and legal observers are exempt from Portland police orders requiring protesters to disperse once an area has been declared an unlawful assembly. Federal lawyers say in court filings that journalists should have to leave when ordered to do so.The Trump administration also faces another lawsuit, accusing federal agents of violating protesters’ 10th Amendment rights by engaging in police activities designated to local and state governments. That legal action was filed by the Western States Center, which helps organize and promote the rights of communities of color and low-income people.Ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, a fence was raised around the federal courthouse, outside of which protesters and federal agents had clashed again overnight, according to the Portland police, who were not present. Protesters repeatedly tried to break into the courthouse and set fires around it, and the federal agents drove them back with tear gas and stun grenades, the police said.Far from tamping down the unrest in Portland, the presence of federal agents on the streets of the progressive city has recently energized the nightly protests. Crowds had recently numbered fewer than 100 people but swelled to more than 1,000 over the weekend, attracting a broader base in a city that’s increasingly unified and outraged.The use of federal agents against the will of state and local officials also has set up the potential for a constitutional crisis, legal experts say. It could escalate if Trump sends federal agents elsewhere, as he says he plans to do, including to Democratic-led Chicago.During a U.S. Senate committee hearing Wednesday, one of Oregon’s senators reiterated what state officials have said: that he believes the use of federal agents in Portland is unconstitutional.”If the line is not drawn in the sand right now, America may be staring down the barrel of martial law in the middle of a presidential election,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat.Federal authorities, however, have defended their response, saying officials in Oregon had been unwilling to work with them to stop the vandalism and violence against federal officers and the U.S. courthouse in Portland.”We need to find a peaceful outcome,” acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said at a news conference Tuesday in Washington. “At the end of the day, we have to protect the federal property and the law enforcement officers.”Wolf said agents have been assaulted with lasers, bats, fireworks, bottles and other weapons. While he said federal agencies have made 43 arrests since July 4, he disputed that they were done by unidentified agents, noting that they have the word “police” on their uniforms.Among the protesters this week was Maureen Healy, who joined a march with a family member, as demonstrators sang songs, chanted the names of Black lives lost and held moments of silence.Just after midnight, she saw a line of authorities wearing camouflage and dark outfits emerge and advance on the crowd. The crowd retreated, and Healy said she heard bangs, saw smoke and was struck by a projectile as she turned away. She felt blood on her temple and went to the hospital with a black eye, cut to her face and a possible concussion.”This is my home. I was protesting peacefully so why did federal troops shoot me in the head?” asked Healy, 52, who is the chair of the History Department at Lewis & Clark College. 
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