Monday morning news - July 27, 2020

Republicans set to unveil coronavirus relief package » Republicans are set to unveil their proposal today for the next coronavirus relief package. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said it will include another federal boost to jobless benefits but it won’t extend the $600 per week benefit. 

MEADOWS: We are going to be prepared on Monday to provide an unemployment insurance extension that would be 70 percent of whatever the wages you were prior to being unemployed. 

It may also include more direct stimulus payments to Americans, but with a lower income threshold to receive them. 

Based on early reports, Democratic leaders have already vowed to reject the GOP plan. They say it won’t do nearly enough. 

Meantime, at least one state in the Sun Belt says it’s making progress in beating back the recent COVID-19 surge. 

New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said the infection rate has largely leveled off, and hospitalizations are down. But she said the number of daily COVID-19-related deaths have not yet followed suit. 

GRISHAM: Our death count is still way too high. And these mortality issues, these are people’s loved ones, right? Every single time I have to announce that we’ve lost someone in New Mexico, it is the most painful experience. 

More than 600 people have now died from COVID-19 in the state. 

Grisham blasted the federal response to the pandemic, saying we have no national strategy to combat it. 

Hurricane Douglas lashes Hawaii » Hurricane Douglas lashed the Hawaiian Islands last night and this morning. It moved into Hawaiian waters Sunday evening as a Category 1, packing sustained winds of 85 miles per hour. The storm is also drenching the islands with driving rain. But Honolulu resident Scott Silva said the storm surge was what had many on edge. 

SILVA: The people that live on the water, yeah, that’s when they get a little bit scared for sure—especially if it’s high tide, you know, if the surge comes during the high tide, then usually there’s some flooding on the coastal properties. 

Officials issued hurricane warnings Sunday for Oahu, Kauai, and Maui while a hurricane watch was canceled for the Big Island. By the time the storm passes, some elevated areas of Hawaii could receive as much as 15 inches of rain. 

Hanna batters Texas Gulf Coast » Meantime, in Texas, a day after roaring ashore as a hurricane, Hanna lashed the Gulf Coast on Sunday. Heavy wind and rain flooded streets, destroyed boats, and knocked out power across the region. 

Downgraded to a tropical storm, Hanna passed over the U.S.-Mexico border with winds near 50 mph. It unloaded more than 12 inches of rain on parts of South Texas.

Protests turn violent in several cities » AUDIO: [Sound of protests]

Protests turned violent in several cities over the weekend. 

In Portland, police declared a riot early Sunday morning after demonstrators breached a courthouse where federal agents were standing guard. 

Portland Police said some people climbed over a fence surrounding the courthouse. And threw objects at law enforcement officers, “and shot mortar style fireworks at ground level that were exploding near others.”

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said Sunday…

WOLF: They are arriving every night, using city streets and city parks. They’re coming armed with rocks, bottles, baseball bats, power tools, commercial grade fireworks, and targeting that violence on federal courthouse and federal law enforcement officers.

Rioters also set a dump truck and other objects on fire. 

Officers responded by firing tear gas to disperse the crowd. 

Similar incidents occurred in Seattle, where rioters forced police to retreat inside a police station. Demonstrators also vandalized two courthouses in California. 

In Richmond, Virginia, Police used tear gas and flash bang devices to break up a crowd after some set fires and assaulted officers. Police tweeted a photo of rocks, batteries, and other items the department said demonstrators threw at officers. 

In Austin, Texas, someone shot and killed a protester who was also reportedly armed. And another protester suffered a bullet wound in suburban Denver.

Regis Philbin dies at 88 » Iconic TV host Regis Philbin died over the weekend at the age of 88.  

He co-hosted a nationally syndicated talk show for 23 years—Live! with Regis and with Kathie Lee—later Regis and Kelly.

PHILBIN: Thank you very much for these great years together. God bless you all, and I hope I see you again real soon. Thanks everybody! 

Philbin heard there signing off during his last episode as co-host of the show in 2011. 

Philbin also hosted the wildly popular prime-time game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and coined the popular catchphrase, “Is that your final answer?”

His three daughters and wife of 50 years, Joy, survive him.

(Courtney Sacco/Corpus Christi Caller-Times via AP) Bob Hall Pier is taped off the morning after Hurricane Hanna Sunday, July 26, 2020. 

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