Two trips to Kenosha

U.S. President Donald Trump views property damage to a business during a visit to Kenosha in the aftermath of recent protests against police brutality and racial injustice and the ensuing violence after the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S., September 1, 2020. Photo by Leah Millis/Reuters.

Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin this week, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake and subsequent protests, riots and looting. President Trump warned putting Democrats in power will lead to more of this sort of unrest. Joe Biden spoke in Pittsburgh to say riots are bad — which has been his position all along — and that Trump has fomented unrest with his divisiveness. A new wave of polls showed the presidential race little changed, not due to this news story, and not due to the conventions either. 

Then: Since students returned to campus at the University of Illinois one week ago, the university is processing more than 15,000 tests a day, accounting for as much as two percent of daily nationwide tests. This is part of the university’s plan for in-person instruction while preventing outbreaks. Dr. Rebecca Smith, a researcher and epidemiologist at the university, talks about how the program works, how it’s working so far, and where else this testing model could be appropriate.

Jamelle Bouie and Michael Brendan Dougherty discuss the president’s executive actions for coronavirus relief, including the use of the Centers For Disease Control to stop evictions, and the outlook for a coronavirus relief package this month.

Credits

Guest:

  • Rebecca Lee Smith - Associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Illinois

Producer:

Sara Fay