MS. MCENANY:  Hello, everyone.  The first duty of government is to protect the safety of our citizens.  That’s what Attorney General Barr said when he was here at the White House just a few days ago.  For 55 days in Portland, Oregon, we’ve seen lawlessness, anarchy, and destruction that threatens peace in our streets and the safety of our fellow American citizens and the safety of our brave law enforcement officers. Yet some Democrats and some in the media continue to ignore reality.  As Portland’s — Portland’s Democrat Mayor Ted Wheeler tweeted, quote, “What I saw last night was powerful in many ways.  I listened, heard, and stood with [the] protesters. And I saw what it means when the federal government unleashes paramilitary forces against its own people.”  That was a quote from the Democrat mayor who quite literally stood in the middle of a riot as violent protestors attacked a federal building.  That is appalling, and Mayor Wheeler is clearly...

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk media release: Queensland has today declared the greater Sydney area a COVID-19 hotspot, following increasing cases across the NSW capital. Today, 34 (31 new plus three previously declared) local government areas have been declared hotspots by the Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young, meaning as of 1am Saturday August 1, people who have been there within the last 14 days will be turned away at our border unless they are residents. https://www.facebook.com/annastaciamp/videos/708911073299780/ Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said community transmission had increased. “We have seen more cases of community transmission spreading across a wider area of Sydney,” The Premier said. “This includes into areas frequented by tourists, travellers and large numbers of Sydney locals. “Throughout this pandemic we have acted quickly to put the health of Queenslanders first. “And that’s what we’re doing here.” Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles said that sinc...

SECRETARY POMPEO:   Good afternoon, everyone. We have had a lively and productive set of conversations this morning and last night as well.  I’ll get to that in just a bit. First, though, I want to personally thank Ministers Payne and Reynolds for traveling all this way, halfway around the world, to be with us today.  That is a tough trip in ordinary times. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVhjI_d29Kk And your entire delegation will be quarantining when you get back.  Not many partners will do that for us, and so thank you to each of you and your teams for being with us here in person.  It was very important that we all be together to have this important conversation. Before she left Australia, Minister Payne called this year’s AUSMIN meetings, quote, the “most significant,” end of quote, in her time “for Australia’s short, medium, and long-term interests.” The same could be said for our side as well. Our two great democracies face immediate crises like the...