Week In The News: Coronavirus Surge, Primary Elections, Biden's Climate Plan

We review the week’s news with our panel of great journalists. Joe Biden lays out plans on climate and infrastructure. The president slams Biden, saying he wants to “abolish the suburbs and the American way of life.” Plus, the debate over how to best reopen schools, and the latest grim news on the coronavirus pandemic.

Lisa DesJardins, congressional correspondent for PBS NewsHour. (@LisaDNews)

Jane Coaston, senior politics reporter for Vox. (@cjane87)

Sewell Chan, editorial page editor for the Los Angeles Times. (@sewellchan)

Vox: "The White House’s campaign against Anthony Fauci is a symptom of a bigger problem" — "The White House decided this week — the same week the US is seeing record Covid-19 cases nationwide, driven by the outbreaks in California, Florida, and Texas — was the right time to try to discredit the most widely respected scientist in the Trump administration, Dr. Anthony Fauci."

PBS NewsHour: "Rising virus cases in many states could mean new restrictions" — "More states are setting records for coronavirus infections and deaths, with some moving toward implementing restrictions as a result."

New York Times: "Trump Replaces Brad Parscale as Campaign Manager, Elevating Bill Stepien" — "President Trump on Wednesday shook up his re-election team with less than four months until November’s vote, replacing his campaign manager, Brad Parscale, in an acknowledgment of the president’s diminished standing in nearly all public and private polling since the spring."

Vox: "Tommy Tuberville wins the Alabama GOP Senate primary, defeating Jeff Sessions" — "Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville defeated former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in Alabama’s Republican primary runoff election on Tuesday, setting up a November match against current Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, who became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the state since 1992 when he defeated Roy Moore, who has been accused of child molestation, in a 2017 special election."

CBS News: "Trump rolling back major environmental law to speed big infrastructure projects" — "President Trump announced Wednesday that he is rolling back a foundational Nixon-era environmental law that he said stifles infrastructure projects, but that is credited with keeping big construction projects from fouling up the environment and ensuring there is public input on major projects."

Wall Street Journal: "Trump-Backed Tuberville Beats Sessions in Alabama Senate GOP Primary" — "Former college-football coach Tommy Tuberville won one of the most closely watched primary races of the year, easily beating former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the Alabama Republican Senate runoff and ending his bid for a political comeback."

NPR: "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Sues Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Over Face Mask Order" — "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is suing the Atlanta City Council and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms following her efforts to require face masks in public places as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to skyrocket across the nation."

CNN: "Coronavirus is a 'pandemic of historic proportions,' expert says, as cases climb in South and Southwest" — "With Covid-19 cases soaring in the US South and Southwest, public health experts fear the end is not yet in sight and are wondering what normal will look like as the pandemic stretches on through the rest of the year."

Los Angeles Times: "L.A. County sets record for COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations as conditions worsen" — "Indicating the coronavirus surge is not slowing, Los Angeles County public health officials Tuesday reported the highest single-day count of COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations since the pandemic hit."