Friday morning news - July 10, 2020

Split decisions on Trump financial records » The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled both for and against President Trump in separate decisions.

In the first ruling, the high court said a prosecutor in New York City may obtain financial information from the president’s accounting firm. That means a higher standard isn’t required to subpoena a sitting president in a criminal case. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the ruling a “victory for the Constitution of the United States.” 

PELOSI: The Supreme Court, including the president’s appointees have declared that he is not above the law. 

Prosecutor Cyrus Vance is probing payments from the president’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump. His inquiry will continue under the oversight of a grand jury. Because grand jury proceedings are secret, the president’s financial records likely won’t become public anytime soon. 

President Trump slammed the high court’s ruling on Twitter. He said “This is all a political prosecution.” And he added “now I have to keep fighting in a politically corrupt New York. Not fair to this Presidency or Administration!”

In a second ruling, the justices blocked three congressional committees from issuing four subpoenas for Trump’s financial records—at least for now —sending the case back to the lower courts. They told those courts to give careful consideration to the case’s potential to affect the separation of powers in the federal government.

A 7-2 vote decided both cases, with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting.

COVID-19 deaths on the rise in U.S. » COVID-19-related deaths are once again on the rise in the United States as the coronavirus continues to hammer the Sunbelt. 

Florida reported a single-day record of 120 fatalities on Thursday. One day earlier, Texas set a record with 98 deaths and California recorded 114 deaths, just one person shy of its record set back in April. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday…

FAUCI: Any state that is having a serious problem, that state should seriously look at shutting down. 

Fauci heard there on “The Journal” podcast. The top infectious disease expert said states that disregarded reopening guidelines set out by the White House Coronavirus Taskforce are “a lesson” for other cities and states. 

FAUCI: That when you reopen, take a really good look at the guidelines. And in your quest to get things open quickly, don’t jump over the guideposts. 

Texas, California, and Florida have all shut down bars in much or all of those states following spikes in new infections. California and Texas have also further limited restaurants and instituted mask mandates. 

Disney World reopens to guests » Florida does not have a mask mandate, but Walt Disney does. 

Disney World will reopen to guests starting this weekend with a host of new safety measures in place. 

When the Magic Kingdom reopens tomorrow, park goers will hear plenty of familiar sounds. 

AUDIO: [Small World]

But there will also be a few missing. Guests will not hear this…

AUDIO: [Fireworks]

Disney’s iconic fireworks displays and parades will not return anytime soon. That’s to prevent crowds from huddling to watch the displays. 

Also, no up-close “meet-and-greets” with Mickey Mouse or the Disney princesses. 

Senior Vice President of Operations, Jim MacPhee, told ABC’s Good Morning America…

MACPHEE: We have really focused on ensuring that we have a very thoughtful and methodical reopening strategy that’s phased on various attendance levels that allow us to watch, learn, and adjust. 

In addition to masks, everyone will receive a temperature check and will be urged to maintain social distance. No hopping between parks is allowed, for the time being, and visitors will need reservations to enter. 

Animal Kingdom also reopens tomorrow. Disney World’s other two parks, Epcot and Hollywood Studios, will welcome back guests four days later. 

Unemployment claims drop slightly » More than 1.3 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week. That’s down—but only slightly—from the 1.4 million claims the week before. 

Another 1 million people filed under a new program for the self-employed and freelancers.

Some analysts are warning that a so-called “double-dip” recession could develop. Consumers are pulling back on spending in restaurants and bars, especially in the hardest-hit states. 

Some small businesses are shutting down, either under government orders or because of a lack of customers. And some large businesses are closing underperforming locations.

Bed Bath & Beyond to close 200 stores » Bed Bath & Beyond plans to shutter about 200 stores over the next two years after sales plummeted in the first quarter. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more. 

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Bed Bath & Beyond’s quarterly sales dropped by nearly 50 percent due to temporary store closures. Its online sales soared by more than 100 percent in April and May, but that hasn’t been enough to keep the company’s shares from dropping almost 40 percent in 2020. 

Also this week, the oldest continuously operating apparel brand in the country, Brooks Brothers, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

The 200-year-old company dressed Abraham Lincoln and nearly every other U.S. president. 

Brooks Brothers survived two world wars and the Great Depression. But the pandemic pushed it into bankruptcy protection. 

Brooks Brothers will permanently close more than a quarter of its 200 stores.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

(AP Photo/John Raoux, File) In this Jan. 9, 2019 photo, guests watch a show near a statue of Walt Disney and Micky Mouse in front of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, part of the Orlando area in Fla.

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