Free Republic

A group of lawmakers and business leaders advising Gov. Kay Ivey issued a report today recommending that restaurants and retail stores reopen immediately under special social distancing guidelines.

The Commerce Department says the deficit in goods and services — the difference between what America sells and what it buys from other countries — rose to $50.1 billion in July from $45.7 billion in June. Exports slipped 1 percent to $211.1 billion. Imports increased 0.9 percent to a record $261.2 billion.

More news in the scandal involving Wes Goodman, the rising young Christian conservative Ohio state representative who resigned after being caught canoodling with a man in his office. Turns out that not only did the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins know about his closeted homosexuality as well as his tendency to come on to younger men (despite his being married and publicly a conservative, pro-family Christian), but many more people in conservative Washington knew about him too. Caleb Hull at the Independent Journal Review reports that he has talked to 30 people who have had experience with Goodman’s homoerotic derring-do.

Senate Republicans set on reworking the Affordable Care Act are considering taxing employer-sponsored health insurance plans, a move that would meet stiff resistance from companies and potentially raise taxes on millions of people who get coverage on the job.