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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Since January, Americans' party preferences have shifted dramatically in the Democratic Party's direction. What had been a two-percentage-point Republican advantage in U.S. party identification and leaning has become an 11-point Democratic advantage, with more of that movement reflecting a loss in Republican identification and leaning (down eight points) than a gain in Democratic identification and leaning (up five points).

Line graph. Fifty percent of Americans identify as Democrats or are independents who lean toward the Democratic Party while 39% are Republicans or Republican leaning independents. In January, 47% were Republicans or Republican leaners and 45% were Democrats and Democratic leaners.

Currently, half of U.S. adults identify as Democrats (32%) or are independents who lean toward the Democratic Party (18%). Meanwhile, 39% identify as Republicans (26%) or are Republican leaners (13%).

These results are based on monthly averages of Gallup U.S. telephone surveys in 2020.

In January and February, the months in which the U.S. Senate tried and acquitted President Donald Trump on impeachment charges brought by the House of Representatives, slightly more Americans preferred the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.

In March, as the nation began to deal with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Democrats gained a slight two-point advantage, which persisted in April and May.

The greatest movement occurred in June -- likely because of increased attention to racial injustice that followed the death of George Floyd while in police custody on May 25, as well as increased U.S. struggles to contain the coronavirus spread.

In June alone, there was a three-point increase in Democratic identification and leaning, and a corresponding five-point drop in Republican identification and leaning.

Democrats typically hold an advantage over Republicans in party affiliation, which has averaged five points since Gallup regularly began measuring party identification and leaning in 1991. Double-digit Democratic advantages have been relatively uncommon.

The party last held an advantage of 10 points or more in January 2019 (51% to 39%), when Democrats were installed as the majority party in the House of Representatives after their success in the 2018 midterm elections. Democrats and Democratic leaners also outnumbered Republicans and Republican leaners by 10 points or more in several months in 2018, including in October (51% to 41%) just before those elections.

Other times when Americans' party preferences favored Democrats by more than 10 points over Republicans were:

The Republican Party has yet to average a 10-point or better advantage in party identification or leaning for an entire month since Gallup began regularly measuring independents' political leanings in late 1991. There were multiple Gallup polls with 10-point GOP advantages in March 1991 after the U.S. victory in the Persian Gulf War, but Gallup did not measure independents' political leanings in other polls taken that month, so the data are incomplete. The largest GOP advantage Gallup has measured for a complete month was eight points in December 1994, after the major Republican victories in that year's midterm elections.

Four months before Election Day, Democrats appear to be as strong politically now as they were in 2018 when they reclaimed the majority in the House of Representatives and gained seven governorships they previously did not hold. If the strong current Democratic positioning holds through Election Day, Democrats could build off those 2018 successes to possibly win the presidency and Senate in 2020. Many GOP senators up for reelection this year were last elected in 2014, a favorable year for Republicans, and appear to be facing a much more challenging political environment than six years ago. At the same time, Trump -- with a job approval rating currently below 40% -- appears vulnerable to being denied a second term.

This year has been an eventful one, politically. Trump's impeachment acquittal and a strong economy in January and February seemed to benefit the Republican Party. The coronavirus pandemic changed things suddenly, but the public initially rallied behind its leaders. After the public became critical of Trump's handling of the situation and Floyd's killing made racial injustice a major public issue, Americans became increasingly likely to align themselves with the Democratic Party. Whether the current political environment holds or takes another unexpected turn will help determine the balance of power in 2021.

Learn more about public opinion metrics that matter for the 2020 presidential election at Gallup's 2020 Presidential Election Center.

Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works.

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US Party Preferences Have Swung Sharply Toward Democrats - Gallup

Good morning,

Federal law enforcement agents are still patrolling the streets of Portland, Oregon, ostensibly to disperse the ongoing anti-racism protests there. Now, Donald Trump has threatened to send federal officers into several other US cities whose mayors he described as liberal Democrats, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore and Oakland.

Critics say the threatened crackdown is part of a re-election campaign strategy, with Trump trying to present himself as a law and order president while repeatedly and falsely accusing his rival Joe Biden of planning to defund the police, thus surrendering cities and suburbs to violent crime.

Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump described Chicago as worse than Afghanistan after more than 63 people were shot in the city over the weekend, 12 of them fatally.

And you know what? If Biden got in, that would be true for the country. The whole country would go to hell. And were not going to let it go to hell.

The Trump administration has consulted torture lawyer John Yoo who infamously wrote the legal justification for waterboarding during the George W Bush presidency on how the current president could rule by decree on issues including immigration, healthcare and inner-city policy.

More than three months after the US Centers for Disease Control said face coverings could help slow the spread of Covid-19, and long after masks became an unlikely battleground in the US culture wars, Trump at last has endorsed them, tweeting that many people say it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you cant socially distance.

Trump also said on Monday that he planned to bring back his televised daily coronavirus briefings, as he met Republicans at the White House to discuss a new coronavirus relief package, which looks set to be a source of disagreement not only between Republicans and Democrats but also between the president and his own party.

The bad news

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Ed Henry, the former chief national correspondent of Fox News, has been accused of rape and sexual assault by a former co-worker at the cable news channel. A federal lawsuit filed in New York on Monday says Henry groomed and later assaulted the then 24-year-old Jennifer Eckhart, demanding she be his sex slave and threatening her with retaliation if she did not comply. Henry, who was fired by Fox News this month, denies the accusations.

Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity are also named in the lawsuit by a second former Fox News employee, Cathy Areu, who says she was publicly humiliated by Hannity and propositioned by Carlson claims that Fox described as false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit.

US diplomats were reportedly dismayed when Trump in 2018 taunted the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, via Twitter about the size of his nuclear button. Earlier this year, amid tensions between Washington and Tehran, Irans supreme leader Ali Khamenei tweeted an image of Trumps face with a red handprint, as if he had been slapped.

Security experts at Kings College London have now published a study examining how political leaders tweets escalate global tensions outside the traditional diplomatic channels. Adrienne Matei reports.

The white couple who pointed guns at anti-racism protesters outside their St Louis mansion last month are to face criminal charges. Personal injury lawyers Mark and Patricia McCloskey will be charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon and a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree assault.

An anti-feminist lawyer suspected of shooting the family of a federal judge was himself found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in the Catskills on Monday. Police said Roy Den Hollander was the prime suspect in the killing of Daniel Anderl, son of the US district judge Esther Salas.

Rich Americans homes generated 25% more greenhouse gases than the homes of the less affluent, according to a study which found that the most energy-intensive dwellings are in Maine, Vermont and Wisconsin, while the least energy-intensive are in Florida, Arizona and California.

What can we learn from Netflixs all-time top 10?

The streaming service has revealed its 10 most-watched original movies, topped by the Chris Hemsworth action thriller Extraction, seen by 99 million viewers. Benjamin Lee asks what the list can tell us about which films work best online.

Why even the perfect Uighur isnt safe from the camps

Beijing claims its re-education camps in Chinas Xinjiang province are to combat Islamic terrorism among the Uighur Muslim minority. Yet Dilara and her family are educated, hard-working, cosmopolitan model citizens and even they have not been spared. Eveline Chao reports.

Ellen Pao on why Facebook cant beat hate

Tech executive Ellen Pao first broke ground in Silicon Valley with a gender discrimination suit against her former venture capital firm. Then she tried to take on the trolls as the boss of Reddit. She tells Julia Carrie Wong how Facebook and others ought to tackle hate on their platforms: Just do the right thing.

Allowing its stars to wear messages on their jerseys in support of social justice was supposed to show the NBA in a positive light. Instead, writes Hunter Felt, the lukewarm response from players demonstrates the limits of corporate virtue-signalling.

The NBA has gained a reputation as the most liberal of the major US sports leagues, but its a reputation that it has mostly achieved thanks to comparisons to the more conservative leadership of the NFL, NHL and MLB.

The teenage climate campaigner Greta Thunberg has been awarded a 1m ($1.15m) Portuguese rights award, the Gulbenkian prize for humanity and promptly pledged it all to environmental groups.

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First Thing: Trump plans to send federal troops into Democratic cities - The Guardian

The comments by Jamaal Bowman, a former middle school principal who defeated House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel, underline a recognition by Democrats across the ideological spectrum that avoiding the intra-party fractures that helped sink Hillary Clinton in 2016 will be necessary to beat Donald Trump this November.

"In this moment, we're dealing with the second biggest crisis since the Great Depression. We have to get people back to work, we got to get a handle on this pandemic. And I'm right in alignment with Joe Biden in fighting those fights as well as fighting for racial and economic justice in all its forms," Bowman told CNN's John Berman on "New Day" Monday morning.

"The Bernie Sanders-Joe Biden alliance came together to draft policy platforms together. And I'm very happy to see that Joe Biden is a lot more focused on environmental justice and climate change than maybe he was before," said Bowman, who added that the former vice president is "listening" to the progressive wing of the party.

Bowman was considered an underdog in his primary against Engel, who was supported by establishment heavyweights including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Clinton, who lives in a neighboring district.

His victory in the Democratic primary for New York's 16th Congressional District -- which includes parts of the Bronx and Westchester County -- was a surprise given Engel's status as a long-serving congressman with establishment backing. Bowman, 44, ran as a more progressive challenger to Engel, championing policies such as "Medicare for All" and the Green New Deal.

Bowman on Monday downplayed the policy differences between himself and the more moderate Biden by nodding to the ultimate goal of defeating Trump.

"You know Joe Biden, first and foremost, wants to move this country forward in the right direction," Bowman said.

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Progressive Democrat who ousted establishment-backed congressman says he's 'right in alignment' with Biden - CNN

Democratic physicians running for Congress are using their medical experience to campaign on health care as President TrumpDonald John TrumpDHS expands authority of personnel to collect information on people threatening monuments: report GOP signals Trump's payroll-tax cut in Republican coronavirus bill for now Trump threatens to double down on Portland in other major cities MORE and Republicans face backlash for their handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The physicians running as Democratic congressional candidates have used their experiences combatting the virus to shape their platforms and connect with voters.

Quite honestly, I feel like theres never been a moment where its been more critical for us to have physicians and scientists at the table, said Hiral Tipirneni, a former emergency room doctor running to challenge Rep. David SchweikertDavid SchweikertHouse Republicans urge White House to support TSA giving travelers temperature checks Campaigns face attack ad dilemma amid coronavirus crisis Hispanic Caucus campaign arm unveils non-Hispanic endorsements MORE (R) in Arizonas 6th District.

Arizona is one of the major coronavirus hot spots in the U.S., reporting 1,559 new cases and 23 deaths on Monday.

Its very worrisome, Tipirneni said. Unfortunately, weve had an abject failure of leadership both at the federal and at the state level.

What concerns me the most is that right now, there is not a comprehensive strategy or plan in place that clearly leads us out of this crisis, she added.

Tipirneni is the underdog against Schweikert, but with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden vows to fight back against foreign interference efforts if elected On The Money: Congress set for showdown on coronavirus relief legislation | Jobless claims raise stakes in battle over COVID-19 aid | S&P 500 erases 2020 losses Biden pledges to overturn Trump's travel ban initially on majority Muslim countries MORE leading Trump in some polls of the state, the congressional race is considered competitive. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates it as lean Republican.

The Democrat is being supported by 314 Action, which is devoted to electing Democratic candidates with science backgrounds to office.

The group elected eight candidates with science backgrounds to the House and one to the Senate in 2018 and plans to spend between $10 million and $12 million on down-ballot elections in 2020.

This pandemic has just exposed so much thats wrong and why we need physicians in office to think about health care beyond just a campaign slogan, the groups founder and president, Shaughnessy Naughton, told The Hill.

The group has already endorsed 20 doctors this cycle, including eight at the federal level and 12 at the state and local levels. Additionally, 314 Action has backed six other medical professionals, including one nurse at the federal level, as well as five nurses and one physicians assistant at the state and local levels.

Naughton said she has witnessed an uptick in the number of Democratic physicians and scientists looking to run for office since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

We are hearing from folks that are [thinking about running for office beyond 2020], she said. Physicians are thinking about running and organizing their communities because this pandemic has exposed so much thats wrong.

Cameron Webb, an internal medicine physician and former member of President Obamas health care team, is running for a congressional seat in Virginia and is also backed by the group.

If I could just bridge these worlds and let people see that this is a very real, imminent threat and we have to do everything in our power to prevent it, I think thats the value of bringing real expertise into the political space, said Webb.

The seat is held by outgoing Rep. Denver RigglemanDenver RigglemanProgressive Bowman ousts Engel in New York primary GOP lawmakers raise questions about WHO's coronavirus timeline Trump's WHO decision raises bipartisan concerns in House MORE (R-Va.), who lost his reelection bid in the primary to Republican Bob Good after Riggleman officiated a same-sex wedding. Webb will face off against Good in November in the district, which The Cook Political Report rates as lean Republican.

The Trump administration has come under enormous criticism for its response to the coronavirus pandemic, in large part because of actions by the president.

Trump earlier this year downplayed the risk posed by the coronavirus. In the spring, he suggested that people inject disinfectants into their bodies to treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

For months, he refused to wear a mask in public, and he more recently came under criticism for suggesting the country would do less COVID-19 testing to reduce the number of positive cases.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Friday found that 60 percent of respondents said they disapproved of the presidents handling of the pandemic.

Trump in the last week has been focused on ensuring that schools open this fall, something that could help improve the economy by making it easier for parents to be at work. The president referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions school reopening guidelines as very tough & expensive earlier this month and threatened to withhold funding from schools that delay reopening.

Despite a record number of cases and deaths in the U.S., Trump reaffirmed over the weekend that the virus would eventually disappear.

Ill be right eventually. I will be right eventually. You know, I said, Its going to disappear. Ill say it again, Trump said in an interview with Fox News Sunday.

Trump has also been questioned about critical remarks from White House officials targeting Anthony FauciAnthony FauciFauci to throw out first pitch for Washington Nationals home opener The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Former HHS Secretary Sebelius gives Trump administration a D in handling pandemic; Oxford, AstraZeneca report positive dual immunity results from early vaccine trial Coronavirus Report: The Hill's Steve Clemons interviews Kathleen Sebelius MORE, the nations top infectious diseases expert. Trump denied that the White House was running a campaign against Fauci on Sunday but referred to the doctor as a little bit of an alarmist.

Some of the Democratic doctors running for House seats have seized on such comments.

The fact that the president is currently challenging the expertise of Dr. Fauci is unconscionable, Webb said. Hearing somebody with his expertise, his leadership, who has led our nation through the HIV epidemic, and hearing President Trump, with no expertise, question that, that tells you everything is on the table.

A number of Republicans who are physicians are also running for offense, but they have at times had to play defense because of Trump.

Were all working on the same thing and that is to try to keep people as safe as possible, to limit their exposure and their risk, but to know that the virus is still here, its still around and we need to reopen the economy, said ophthalmologist and Iowa state Sen. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R), who is running to replace Rep. Dave LoebsackDavid (Dave) Wayne LoebsackDoctors boost Democrats' hopes to keep House Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks to face Democrat Rita Hart in open House race in Iowa Key races to watch in Tuesday's primaries MORE (D) in the states 2nd District.

The Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up.

My experience is people want to be out, they want to be doing things, and many people feel that if youre in a vulnerable population that you can self-isolate, or you can limit your interactions, she added.

In Florida, where more than 10,000 new positive cases have been reported for five consecutive days, Republicans have acknowledged the public health crisis but add that the states tourism-based economy must be allowed to open.

Leo Valentin, an interventional radiologist running to challenge incumbent Rep. Stephanie MurphyStephanie MurphyOn The Money: Congress set for showdown on coronavirus relief legislation | Jobless claims raise stakes in battle over COVID-19 aid | S&P 500 erases 2020 losses The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Former HHS Secretary Sebelius gives Trump administration a D in handling pandemic; Oxford, AstraZeneca report positive dual immunity results from early vaccine trial The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Supreme Court denies request to expedite Trump's financial record case MORE (D) in the states 7th District, has emphasized the importance of strengthening the economy, citing its connection to the health care industry.

What has happened with COVID-19 is that its brought that to the forefront for a lot of other people to see how everything in our community is really connected, Valentine told The Hill.

We know that socioeconomic status influences health care outcomes, he continued. Its part of our health policy to have that in mind.

The Cook Political Report has rated the district as solid Democratic.

Trumps rising disapproval rating on the coronavirus appears to have affected down-ballot races. Democrats lead Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, 49 percent to 40.7 percent, according to the FiveThirtyEight average.

Scientists and physicians are in a very good position to reach out to voters and earn their trust, Naughton said. Americans are looking to health professionals and scientists to lead us out of this pandemic because the political leaders have largely failed us.

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Doctors boost Democrats' hopes to keep House | TheHill - The Hill

GREEN BAY - Two Democrats are fighting for the chance to represent Green Bay voters in Madison in a contentious primary contest.

State Rep. Staush Gruszynski, who is seeking a second term in office, will face Green Bay School Board member Kristina Shelton in the Aug. 11 primary for the 90th Assembly District. The winner will runagainst RepublicanDrew Kirsteatter in November.

The 90th encompasses a large portion of thecity of Green Bay, including downtown.

Gruszynski came under fire last year afteran internal investigationrevealed he sexually harassed a female staff member at a Madison bar. He has since been barred from caucusing with Assembly Democrats and serving on committees.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette sent each candidate a questionnaire and asked them to limit their responses to approximately 100 words. Here's what they had to say.

Gruszynski(Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Age:35

Occupation and highest education level:State representative, 90th Assembly District; Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Relevant experience:I worked for a conservation nonprofit for nearly a decade on issues directly facing Wisconsins environment. I also served as a Brown County supervisor for six years representing the east side of Green Bay.

Kristina Shelton(Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Age: 40

Occupation and highest education level: Vice president, Board of Education, Green Bay Area Public School District. M.S., Health Promotion Management, Marymount University.

Relevant experience: Ive been an educator and community health activist all my life, first as a classroom teacher, then with a national nonprofit, and as a program director with the YWCA of Greater Green Bay. I was appointed to serve on the Green Bay School Board in August 2018, and I retained my seat in a very competitive spring 2019 election. In April 2020, I was elected by my colleagues to serve as vice president. More recently, Ive worked with leading organizations, educators and community members on issues around racial, economic, gender and environmental justice.

RELATED:State Rep. Amanda Stuck suggests Staush Gruszynski stop seeking reelection for 90th Assembly District

RELATED:Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, Sen. Dave Hansen endorse Kristina Shelton for 90th Assembly District

Gruszynski:I am running for reelection because in these uncertain times Green Bay has big problems to solve, and they need someone with legislative experience and a proven track record of results. Democrats are deep in the minority, and Green Bay voters need an elected official that will reach across the aisle to work toward solutions for our community. As a county supervisor in a non-partisan role, I worked together with other local electedsacross the political spectrum to get results. Thats the experience Ive taken to Madison and used to cut through the partisan bickering in my first term.

Shelton: Im running to restore representation to our Assembly district and to tackle the monumental problems we face. Unfortunately, because of my opponents actions, he can no longer caucus with the Assembly Democrats or serve on any committees. The problems we face are too pressing for Green Bay not to be fully represented. We face a significant public health challenge, a diminished budget that could threaten valuable services like public education and growing environmental challenges. Im going to fight for the working families in the 90th Assembly District so that our state makes it through this crisis stronger, more democratic and more equitable.

Gruszynski:I have a strong track record of getting results for the residents of Green Bay passing bipartisan legislation to start the process of moving the coal piles, passing legislation that lifted Medicaid restrictions during the pandemic, fighting for road funding to fix Green Bays failing infrastructure, and introducing bipartisan legislation after the disastrous April election to increase absentee ballot applications, ballot tracking and voting locations. My first vote, AB1, to expand preexisting conditions protections, was legislation that a majority of Democrats did not support and a great example of my ability to put Green Bays constituents first.

Shelton: Im the only Democrat in this race that can fully represent our district, and Im also the candidate who knows how to build coalitions with other organizations to demand the change we need in the Capitol. Im proud to say that I have earned the endorsements of the most important progressive organizations in the state on every issue: Wisconsin Conservation Voters (environment), Citizen Action of Wisconsin (health care), SEIU (labor), American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin (public education) and Planned Parenthood (gender equality and reproductive rights). I am running because I want to help build a movement to ensure all Wisconsinites can thrive.

Gruszynski:The three issues I hear from the voters of Green Bay are the states COVID-19 response, help to fix Green Bays failing infrastructure and expanding health care opportunities for working families. Even though we passed a bipartisan response plan in April, Ive continually called for a stronger response to help address unemployment benefits and support for our small-business community. During this years budget, we were able to increase road funding and transit to our municipalities, but we need to do more. Wisconsin should accept the federal Medicaid expansion dollars to increase coverage and lower health care costs for Green Bay residents.

Shelton: Right now, residents are worried about the public health crisis due to COVID-19 and the resulting economic fallout. Dozens of residents, some without unemployment benefits for months, have contacted me to help them. Unfortunately, our current representative has not been able to fully advocate for them, perhaps because he has missed valuable information after being excluded from the caucus. As a representative, I will have a direct line of communication with my constituents, and I will work to pass legislation so that in the future, we have the infrastructure to help our states citizens in future emergencies like this one.

Gruszynski:We have a patchwork of regulations because Republicans have refused to act since April. We passed legislation to lift Medicaid restrictions and lift the one-week waiting period for unemployment benefits, but that cant be the end of the conversation. People are struggling to get back to work, to keep their homes, feed their kids and decide whether or not school will be safe this fall. The state needs to take decisive action to give Green Bay residents the security and safety they deserve. That means overhauling the unemployment system and making sure state agencies have the tools to help.

Shelton:As someone with a public health background, I believe we must use an evidence-based approach to deal with the pandemic. The court decision to end the safer-at-home order with no plan in place was highly unfortunate. Moving forward, we must reduce the spread of COVID. We should consider a number of public health interventions, for instance, to highly encourage the use of masks, and if we cannot do it at the state level, local units of government should do it. We must also ensure everyone has access to high-quality, affordable health care moving forward.

Gruszynski:We have stood by for too long without action since the horrific death of George Floyd. I strongly support a special session to address police brutality and our criminal justice system as a whole. I also support Governor Evers legislative package that would ban chokeholds, create a bad cop registry and end no-knock warrants in Wisconsin. We need to continue to invest in public school funding, better transit systems and jobs programs that lift people up, especially communities of color. I also authored a crisis intervention training bill to give local law enforcement more tools to de-escalate dangerous situations.

Shelton: Many of Wisconsins inequities are caused by institutional racism manifested in policies and laws. I applaud the plan put forward by Governor Evers to create statewide standards on issues such as the use of force, banning the use of chokeholds and prohibiting no-knock search warrants. Its important to remember that violence and crime are closely associated to poverty and high levels of unemployment. Traditional policing programs do not typically get to the root of these problems. Therefore, we should be thinking more broadly about how we invest in communities and services to support mental health, addiction, homelessness and good-paying jobs.

Contact Haley BeMiller at hbemiller@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @haleybemiller.

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Meet the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in Green Bay's 90th Assembly District - Green Bay Press Gazette

Sean Hannity opened his show Monday responding to the troubling crime surge gripping U.S. cities following a bloody weekend that left several dead.

"We have Pelosi.We have Schumer.We have Biden.125 years of swamp failure," he began. "They have done nothing to quellinner-city violent crimeanywhere in America, nothing tofix the broken dilapidateddisgusting and repulsiveeducational system.They have failed America'schildren.We have far left mayors.They have ruled these cities fordecades.They have completely failedtheir citizens," Hannity said.

Hannity blamed the crime uptick on failed Democratic leadership, who he said "ignore99.9 percent" of tragic deaths in their cities and focus only on crime victims if it fits their "sick political agenda."

"They only talk about it, cherry-pickit, if it fits their sickpolitical agenda.Hundreds are shot in Chicagoevery single week.Same with New York, now Seattleand Portland," he said. "Guess what?You think Joe Biden knows thesenames?Those are our fellow Americans.Do you think Mayor Lightfootknows those names?Only if it helps thempolitically do they payattention.

Hannity went on, "We see this every singleweekend.It's a massive scale.The president's right.It's a war zone.This is our American treasure,our children are being murdered.But the far left so-calledprotesters in Chicago, they aremore interested in toppling astatue of Christopher Columbus."

PORTLAND POLICE DECLARE 'RIOT' AFTER SEVERAL FIRES SET, FENCES MOVED

Hannity accused Democrats of prioritizing"ideology over law and order and security and safety. "

"Democrats," he concluded, "they have failedAmerica's cities.Decades of rule, decades offailure...and as a result, our fellowAmericans are suffering."

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Hannity: Democrats will ignore crime uptick until it fits their 'sick political agenda' - Fox News

Billings, Mont. A coalition of states, environmentalists and American Indians on Monday renewed its push to stop the Trump administration from selling coal from public lands after a previous effort to halt the lease sales was dismissed by a federal judge.

Joined by the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and several environmental groups, Democratic attorneys general from California, New York, New Mexico and Washington state filed a lawsuit challenging the administration's coal program in U.S. District Court in Montana.

They alleged the administration acted illegally when it resumed coal sales that had been halted under Obama due to climate change and other concerns.

The case is among scores of legal challenges that environmentalists and their political allies have launched to counter the Trump administration's push for more domestic energy production and less stringent regulations.

Interior Department spokesman Conner Swanson panned the lawsuit as a laughable attempt to revive an issue that the court already addressed.

The Department is confident the court will agree that the analysis by our career experts is lawful and based on the best available science, Swanson said.

Attorneys for the states and other plaintiffs in the case argued that the administration's environmental review was flawed, because it was based on just four leases that were sold under Trump and did not look at hundreds of existing leases and potential future sales.

The Trump administration has repeatedly thrown out the rule book in order to benefit super polluting coal companies. Its not only immoral its illegal, and we intend to prove it, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement.

Federal coal sales account for about 40% of U.S. coal production, primarily from large strip mines in western states including Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Utah.

Coal mining companies saw demand for the fuel drop dramatically over the past decade due to competition from natural gas and renewable fuel sources. Trump has sought to prop the industry back up, but that's done little to slow its downward spiral and the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the decline.

But Morris declined to weigh in regarding the accuracy of the administrations conclusions, saying only that the analysis was enough to fulfill the administrations immediate obligations.

The state attorneys general said the administration considered emissions only from a handful of leases and failed to capture the cumulative, long-term impact of the coal program.

They argue the Interior Department analysis also ignored other harms, including damage to wildlife and the land from coal mining, pollution from burning the fuel and the vast quantifies of toxic ash that is generated by coal-burning power plants.

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Democrat AGs try again to block coal sales that Trump revived - Salt Lake Tribune

* President Trump's ratings on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic continue to collapse. In a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, just 38% approved of how Trump has dealt with the virus while 60% disapproved. Back in March, 51% approved of how Trump was handling the pandemic while 45% disapproved in that same poll. As the public has soured on Trump's ability to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, it has also moved heavily in Joe Biden's favor in general election polling. The former vice president leads Trump by 15 and 11 points in two new national polls released this week.

* Democrats have a double-digit lead in party identification. In a new Gallup number, 50% of Americans identify as Democrats or Democratic leaners while 39% describe themselves as Republicans or Republican leaners. That's a major shift from January when Republicans had a 47% to 45% edge on party ID in Gallup polling and a rapid acceleration of Democrats' advantage since even May when Democrats had a 3-point edge on the party ID question.

"That fundraising difference is even larger in swing districts currently held by well-funded Democratic incumbents.

"Recent filings show that Democrats are widening the gap. In 13 races holding primaries in June and July that are considered competitive by the Cook Political Report, incumbent Democrats have 9 times more money in the bank -- $40 million to $4.5 million -- than the best-funded Republican challengers."

Political handicappers are taking notice.

"President Trump's abysmal polling since the pandemic began is seriously jeopardizing down-ballot GOP fortunes. We may be approaching the point at which dozens of House Republicans will need to decide whether to cut the president loose and run on a "check and balance" message, offering voters insurance against congressional Democrats moving too far left under a potential Biden administration....

"...Republicans began the cycle hoping to pick up 18 seats to win the majority back. Now they're just trying to avoid a repeat of 2008, when they not only lost the presidency but got swamped by Democrats' money and lost even more House seats after losing 30 seats and control two years earlier. For the first time this cycle, Democrats have at least as good a chance at gaining House seats as Republicans on a net basis."

"The Senate has been in play for at least nine months, but Democratic chances of winning control of the chamber have improved significantly in the last few weeks....

"...Democrats need a net gain of four seats for a majority, but can control the Senate by gaining three seats and winning the White House. With less than four months to go before Election Day, the most likely outcome is a Democratic net gain of 3-5 Senate seats. Since Biden has a clear advantage in the presidential race, that means Democrats are more likely than not to win control of the Senate."

"Trump is extremely unlikely to win if the polls continue to look the way they do now. And if these numbers represent a new normal, we need to account for the possibility that this election won't be particularly close, and that new states may come into play. In other words, if the national picture remains bleak for Trump, then the slippage he's seen from earlier this year wouldn't just be limited to a handful of swing states."

In short: All the signs are there that this could be a landslide up and down the ballot for Democrats. Yes, things could change between now and November 3. But, given Trump's obstinacy in refusing to admit his errors in dealing with the coronavirus and the current spikes in some of the most populous states in the country, such a turnaround seems very, very unlikely at the moment.

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The signs of a Democratic landslide are everywhere - CNN

Democratic officials have instructed senators, members of Congress and party delegates not to physically attend their national convention this summer, a sign of the ever-shrinking aspirations for their big campaign event in the face of a surge in coronavirus cases in the United States.

The directive, issued Thursday, ensures that little will happen at the convention site in Milwaukee beyond speeches from former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., his vice-presidential nominee and a handful of other top party leaders. The remainder of the events state delegation meetings, parties, voting on the party platform and on Mr. Bidens nomination will happen virtually or not at all.

We have been working closely with state and local public health officials, as well epidemiologists, and have come to the hard decision that members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee, Chasseny Lewis, a senior adviser to the convention committee, wrote in an email to congressional aides. No delegates will travel to Milwaukee, and Caucus and Council meetings will take place virtually.

The announcement came on the evening when Mr. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, would have been delivering his acceptance speech for the nomination, underscoring how profoundly the coronavirus has upended the campaign. Earlier this year, shortly after the spread of the virus shut down many states across the country, the Democratic National Committee postponed its event by a month.

Ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone involved with the 2020 Democratic National Convention drives every decision we make, said Katie Peters, communications director for the convention committee. This communication reiterates our guidance from several weeks ago that all members of state delegations including elected leaders should plan to conduct their official business remotely.

Traditionally, conventions have marked the start of the heated fall campaign season, giving parties a chance to energize their supporters and sway undecided voters with days of pageantry and largely uninterrupted media coverage. Party leaders typically spend months if not years fund-raising and planning every aspect of the stage-managed events, from the program to the swag to the balloon drop that traditionally ends the celebrations.

Over the past several months, Democrats have scaled back their plans, moving the convention across downtown Milwaukee from Fiserv Forum, the citys professional basketball arena, to the Wisconsin Center, a modest convention space that typically hosts events like the citys car show. The last national political event to take place there was the 2004 Green Party convention.

Party officials have been consulting regularly with doctors and epidemiologists and say they are following the recommendations of the medical establishment.

Their decision comes as Mr. Trump has made clear he wants the Republican convention to go on,. Party officials moved it to Jacksonville, Fla., from Charlotte because North Carolina state officials said they would have to abide by social distancing rules.

On Thursday, the Republican National Committee announced new details about the convention, confirming a Times report this week that the party was planning to shift some events to take place outdoors.

Ronna McDaniel, the committees chairwoman, said that a number of indoor and outdoor venues in Jacksonville would be used, including the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, where the indoor program had been scheduled to take place, as well as several other locations. For the first three days of the convention, attendance will be limited to regular delegates, while a broader group will be allowed on the final day when Mr. Trump accepts the partys nomination.

Many top Republicans are skipping the event, flouting Mr. Trumps desire for an elaborate event attended by large crowds.

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Democratic Officials Tell Members of Congress to Skip the Convention - The New York Times

Republican Sen. Martha McSally, seen here in 2019, is losing the money race to her challenger in Arizona, Democrat Mark Kelly. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption

Republican Sen. Martha McSally, seen here in 2019, is losing the money race to her challenger in Arizona, Democrat Mark Kelly.

Updated 11:52 a.m. ET

To take control of the U.S. Senate, Democrats need to net three seats in November if former Vice President Joe Biden wins, and four if President Trump is reelected.

That once looked like a near impossibility, but it's becoming a real possibility.

Republicans hold a 53-to-47 majority in the Senate, with the Democrats' side including two independents who caucus with them.

Five Republican incumbents are looking increasingly vulnerable, with their races labeled as "toss ups" by the Cook Political Report. Meanwhile one Democrat, Doug Jones of Alabama, is seen as being in real jeopardy.

Those five Republicans are Arizona's Martha McSally, Colorado's Cory Gardner, Maine's Susan Collins, Montana's Steve Daines and North Carolina's Thom Tillis.

Fundraising reports from the Federal Election Commission provide glimpses of Democratic strength. In Arizona, for instance, challenger Mark Kelly has so far outraised the Republican incumbent McSally by some $12 million.

In all, there are 11 states that Cook labels as toss-ups or that "lean" toward one party or another. Republicans hold fundraising advantages in six of those states, but in several of those races, the Democrat's latest FEC report is a bit outdated, likely underselling the candidate's money raised. For example, challenger Cal Cunningham in North Carolina announced last week that he raised about $7 million in the second quarter.

So keep that in mind as you look at the how the money race stands in each of those 11 contests:

Arizona (McSally incumbent, toss-up)- Kelly, D: $31.3 million raised, $19.7 million cash on hand- McSally, R : $19 million raised, $10.3 million cash on hand

Colorado (Gardner incumbent, toss-up)- Gardner, R: $15.7 million raised, $9.3 million cash on hand- John Hickenlooper, D: $12.6 million raised, $5.9 million cash on hand

Maine (Collins incumbent, toss-up)- Sara Gideon, D: $23 million raised, $5.5 million cash on hand- Collins, R: $16.3 million raised, $5 million cash on hand

Note: Gideon is the favorite to win Maine's Democratic primary on Tuesday.

Montana (Daines incumbent, toss-up)- Daines, R: $9.4 million raised, $5.8 million cash on hand- Steve Bullock, D: $5.9 million raised, $4.1 million cash on hand

Note: Bullock's fundraising report only goes through May 13, while Daines' goes through June 17.

North Carolina (Tillis incumbent, toss-up)- Tillis, R: $11.7 million raised, $6.5 million cash on hand- Cunningham, D: $7.7 million raised, $3 million cash on hand

Note: Cunningham's fundraising report only goes through March 31, while Tillis' goes through June 9.

Georgia (Perdue incumbent, lean R)- David Perdue, R: $13.2 million raised, $9.4 million cash on hand- Jon Ossoff, D: $4.1 million raised, $1 million cash on hand

Note: Ossoff's fundraising report only goes through May 20, while Perdue's goes through June 20.

Georgia (Loeffler incumbent, lean R)- Kelly Loeffler, R: $11.7 million raised, $6.1 million cash on hand- Doug Collins, R: $2.5 million raised, $2.2 million cash on hand- Raphael Warnock, D: $1.5 million raised, $1.2 million cash on hand

Note: The election in November is a special election and would go to a runoff if no one gets more than 50%. These three candidates led a recent poll of the race.

Iowa (Ernst incumbent, lean R)- Joni Ernst, R: $12.3 million raised, $7 million cash on hand- Theresa Greenfield, D: $7.1 million raised, $4.7 million cash on hand

Note: Greenfield's fundraising report only goes through May 13, while Ernst's goes through June 30.

Kansas (open seat with Sen. Pat Roberts retiring, lean R)- Barbara Bollier*, D: $7 million raised, $4 million cash on hand- Bob Hamilton, R: $2.2 million raised, $2.2 million cash on hand- Roger Marshall, R: $2.1 million raised, $1.9 million cash on hand- Kris Kobach, R: $595,000 raised, $317,000 cash on hand

Note: The state primaries are Aug. 4; *Bollier's numbers were released by the campaign, but not yet officially posted to the FEC.

Alabama (Jones incumbent, lean R)- Doug Jones, D: $11.8 million raised, $8.3 million cash on hand- Tommy Tuberville, R: $4 million raised, $448,000 cash on hand- Jeff Sessions, R: $2.2 million raised, $500,000 cash on hand

Note: The Republican runoff election is Tuesday. Jones' fundraising report only goes through March 31.

Michigan (Peters incumbent, lean D)- Gary Peters, D: $15.8 million raised, $8.8 million cash on hand- John James, R: $13.1 million raised, $8.6 million cash on hand

The marquee race is the Alabama Republican Senate runoff, which pits former Sen. Jeff Sessions (seen here) against former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville. Vasha Hunt/AP hide caption

The marquee race is the Alabama Republican Senate runoff, which pits former Sen. Jeff Sessions (seen here) against former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville.

1. Alabama Senate matchup to be decided: There are elections in Alabama, Maine and Texas on Tuesday. The marquee race is the Alabama Republican Senate runoff, which pits former Sen. Jeff Sessions against former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville. Back in March, Tuberville took the top spot in the GOP primary with 33% of the vote to Sessions' 32%. To win the nomination, a candidate needs more than 50% of the vote. Now, with it a two-man race, Tuberville is seen as the favorite.

Sessions has asked for debates, which Tuberville hasn't agreed to. And despite Sessions being the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump, Trump backed Tuberville and tweeted against Sessions. "Alabama, do not trust Jeff Sessions. He let our Country down," Trump tweeted. All because Sessions recused himself from the Mueller investigation as Trump's attorney general.

2. Coronavirus cases continue to jump...: More than 135,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, and more than 3 million Americans have been infected with the coronavirus. And Sunday brought more bad news for Florida, which reported 15,299 new coronavirus cases the largest single-day increase of any state since the start of the pandemic. And nearly half of Florida's intensive care units are reportedly at least 90% full. Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed last week that Florida's curve was "flatter" than other places, making the virus hang around longer.

3. ...And Trump is passing the buck: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, says he hasn't briefed Trump on the coronavirus in two months and the last time he saw him in the White House was June 2. And yet Trump now is trying to lay blame on him. "Dr. Fauci is a nice man, but he's made a lot of mistakes," Trump said on Fox News. No matter who the president tries to pass the buck to, Americans are not approving of how he has handled the pandemic. An ABC News/Ipsos poll found just 33% approved of his handling of it, while 67% disapprove. That's a record low, something reflected in an average of the polls as well.

4. Trump tries to push other areas: Trump is pushing for schools to reopen this fall, and there could be new guidelines issued to align with that from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But there could also be a series of executive orders coming from Trump, focusing on other areas like immigration, China, manufacturing and even prescription drug pricing. On Wednesday, Trump travels to Atlanta to discuss transportation and infrastructure.

And we'll see if the president announces another rally after canceling his scheduled outdoor one in New Hampshire that was supposed to take place this past weekend. It was canceled due to the threat of a tropical storm. Trump is searching around for anything to stick to get him out of this political hole he's dug for himself.

"I've never been against masks, but I do believe they have a time and a place."

After months of refusing to wear one, Trump was photographed wearing a mask during a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Saturday. Staffers reportedly had been "pleading" with him to wear one.

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Democrats Could Retake The Senate. Just Follow The Money - NPR