TikTok on Friday responded to President TrumpDonald John TrumpBiden says his faith is ‘bedrock foundation of my life’ after Trump claim Coronavirus talks on life support as parties dig in, pass blame Ohio governor tests negative in second coronavirus test MORE‘s executive order banning the company from operating in the U.S. in 45 days, saying it shows “no adherence to the law.”

The social media company went on to promise to “pursue all remedies available to us.” 

“We are shocked by the recent Executive Order, which was issued without any due process,” the short-form-video-sharing platform said.

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Trump’s executive order issued late Thursday night justified the ban by citing national security concerns based on TikTok’s ties to China.

The short-form-video app’s parent company, ByteDance, is headquartered in and operates out of Beijing, though TikTok claims its American data has been moved to servers in the U.S.

The order invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act. The White House making such a move is unusual and will likely face a legal challenge.

Trump could force ByteDance to divest from TikTok through the Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), but the president has seemingly skipped over that process.

TikTok said Friday that the order sets a “dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets.”

It also pointed toward discussions over a sale of the portions of TikTok based in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Microsoft. Microsoft pledged to conclude discussions by Sept. 15 after discussions with Trump.

“We even expressed our willingness to pursue a full sale of the U.S. business to an American company,” TikTok said.

The president issued another executive order on Thursday night applying the same ban on transactions with the Chinese owners of messaging app WeChat.

A group of Democrats is pushing to include provisions in a coronavirus relief package that would force President TrumpDonald John TrumpBiden says his faith is ‘bedrock foundation of my life’ after Trump claim Coronavirus talks on life support as parties dig in, pass blame Ohio governor tests negative in second coronavirus test MORE to hit the gas on the Defense Production Act (DPA) and ramp up production of key medical supplies.

The measure from Sens. Chris MurphyChristopher (Chris) Scott MurphyOvernight Defense: Air Force general officially becomes first African American service chief | Senators introduce bill to block Trump armed drone sale measure | State Department’s special envoy for Iran is departing the Trump administration Senators introduce bill to block Trump armed drone sale measure Pessimism grows as coronavirus talks go down to the wire MORE (Conn.) and Tammy BaldwinTammy Suzanne BaldwinSenate Democrats demand answers on migrant child trafficking during pandemic Biden: I’ll have a running mate picked next week The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Divided GOP to unveil COVID-19 bill MORE (Wis.) and backed by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) requires the Trump administration to use the powers of the DPA to ramp up production of testing supplies, protective equipment for health workers and any other supplies needed to fight COVID-19.

The 1950 law Democrats want Trump to more fully utilize gives the president power to direct companies to boost the manufacturing of supplies needed in an emergency. Trump has used the law’s powers on some occasions — for example, to increase production of swabs for testing — but he has not used it to the extent desired by Democrats and medical groups. Those groups note that harmful shortages still exist months into the pandemic.

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“Here we are in August and the pandemic is getting worse, not better, and I still hear daily from constituents about a lack of access to masks, gloves, gowns, face shields, testing platforms, testing kits, reagents, and other necessary medical supplies,” Baldwin said.

Health care groups are also sounding the alarm about a lack of sufficient protective equipment, as they have for months.

Jean Ross, president of National Nurses United, the country’s largest nurses union, said her organization is pushing to require full use of the DPA in this package to ensure enough protective equipment “so that we are not reusing, which is unsafe.”

“It’s more than just a thorn in our side, it’s taking a lot of emotional energy,” she said of protective equipment shortages.

“We have been lobbying, begging, demanding” to get DPA provisions into the upcoming package, she added.

There are also still supply shortages holding back testing, an area where the number of tests has improved, but labs are overwhelmed and often take many days to return results.

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Murphy said he has spoken “at length” with Schumer about including the legislation in the coronavirus response package currently being negotiated.

“The entire caucus is behind this effort, and I know this is a priority,” Murphy said.

Trump, though, has long resisted using the DPA as a key tool for responding to the public health crisis.

“We’re not a shipping clerk,” Trump said earlier in the pandemic, in March, when asked about using the DPA.

The administration has shifted much of the responsibility to states, who say they are competing against each other for supplies and unnecessarily bidding up the prices.

The White House did not comment directly on Murphy and Baldwin’s legislation, but defended Trump’s efforts on supplies.

“President Trump has used the Defense Production Act 33 times and led the greatest mobilization of the private sector since World War II to deliver critical supplies, including face masks, PPE [personal protective equipment], and ventilators, to the areas that need it most and saving countless lives,” said White House spokesman Judd Deere.

The White House said the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services and the private sector have already coordinated delivery of over 200 million N95 masks and 36 million face shields, among other supplies.

In a longer-term move, Trump on Thursday signed an executive order encouraging the domestic production of drugs, touting U.S. manufacturing abilities. He stopped short of the steps Democrats and medical groups are pushing for on pandemic supplies.

Murphy and Baldwin said they have not received much interest from Senate Republicans on their proposal, raising further doubts about whether it can make it into the package.

“Republicans seem disinterested in this topic,” Murphy said, noting that some Republicans have put forward longer-term proposals to reduce U.S. dependence on Chinese manufacturing of medical supplies, but have not signed onto the measure to drastically ramp up production in the short term during the pandemic.

When Democrats tried to pass their bill by unanimous consent last month, Sen. Ron JohnsonRonald (Ron) Harold JohnsonGOP chairmen hit back at accusation they are spreading disinformation with Biden probe Unemployment debate sparks GOP divisions Tensions flare as GOP’s Biden probe ramps up  MORE (R-Wis.), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over the matter, objected, saying the measure had not been properly vetted and that Democrats were seeking to bypass the committee process.

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Much of the focus on the next relief package, including from Democratic negotiators, has been on economic issues like unemployment insurance and rental assistance.

Murphy said he is pushing to make sure the health crisis at the root of the economic problems is addressed as well.

“If you don’t solve the underlying public health crisis, there’s no amount of stimulus that will work,” he said.

Economists of all stripes have made similar arguments, saying the economy will not fully recover unless the coronavirus is contained.

To that end, the American Medical Association (AMA) said it has been calling for more action on supplies since March.

“We continue to call on the Administration to activate the Defense Production Act to bolster PPE and testing supplies, and also implement a national coordinated strategy to ensure the production, acquisition, and distribution of PPE and testing supplies,” AMA President Susan Bailey said in a statement.

The bill from Murphy and Baldwin would also establish a new position in the executive branch to oversee the supplies needed to fight the pandemic and issue reports every week on those needs. The official in charge would then be required to issue orders under the DPA for supplies that are needed and oversee their distribution.

“This country has lots of money,” said Ross, the nursing union president. “It has lots of brainpower, and we’re not using it.”

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An Italian valley resort near the Alps was forced to evacuate Friday over fears that a massive glacier could collapse and impact those in its path.

Valerio Segor, the region’s director of natural risk management, said Friday the evacuation could not be delayed as 75 people left the Ferret Valley, CNN reported.

“The measure could not be postponed following a survey of the glacier of Planpincieux that shows a section of 500,000 square meters of ice that could rapidly detach from the rock,” Segor said.

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The mayor of a nearby town, Courmayeur, closed the road leading to Ferret Valley but said other portions of Mont Blanc remain safe.

Fabrizio Troilo from the Montagna Sicura (Secure Mountain) Foundation said the glacier located in the Mont Blanc massif has been surveilled since 2012 due to concerns of a fracture that could cause the football field-sized wall of ice to fall off.

The glacier is described as “temperate,” meaning water flows between the mountain and the mass of ice.

Troilo said by observing the ice mass using photographic monitoring, he found the glacier moves over one meter a day.

Sporadic temperatures in the region have raised alerts for the foundation. In July and early August, hot temperatures were followed by snowy weather and colder temperatures in higher altitudes, causing a break between the mountain and the ice.

The potential for glacier collapse became a significant possibility in April, though Troilo said the past 15 days had shown a “very rapid evolution” that could lead to a complete fracture.

Hundreds of thousands of health volunteers in India went on strike Friday over a lack of personal protective equipment, as the country crossed the 2 million mark in coronavirus cases.

The 900,000 members of the Accredited Social Health Activists — an all-female community health organization that’s part of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare — began a two-day strike Friday, saying they were brought in to work at quarantine centers and help with contact tracing but were not provided personal protective equipment (PPE), The Associated Press reported.

Volunteers for ASHA, which means “hope” in some Indian languages, have not received masks or even sanitizer, organizer A.R. Sindhu told the AP.

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Sindhu also said the volunteer organization is underfunded by the health ministry, with salaries standing at roughly $27 a month.

Almost a dozen ASHA women have died as a result of exposure to the virus during their work, but their families were not compensated from India’s federal insurance for front-line health workers because the deaths were not listed as relating to COVID-19, according to Sindhu.

The Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker, announced Friday that it would provide vaccines to poorer countries for a maximum of $3 per dose, with financial help from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

India has reported 41,000 coronavirus deaths, putting its mortality rate from the disease at a relatively low 2 percent. As a point of comparison, the mortality rate for the U.S. is 3.3 percent, while Brazil’s is 3.4 percent, according to Johns Hopkins University figures.

The United States’s case fatality rate is higher than that in Chile, India, Argentina, Russia, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh.

The White House is trying to capitalize on the latest jobs numbers, arguing they point to a strong economic recovery under President TrumpDonald John TrumpJoe Arpaio loses bid for his old position as sheriff Trump brushes off view that Russia denigrating Biden: ‘Nobody’s been tougher on Russia than I have’ Trump tees up executive orders on economy but won’t sign yet MORE even as millions remain out of work and states grapple with increases in coronavirus infections.

The figures released by the Labor Department on Friday exceeded Wall Street’s expectations, registering 1.8 million jobs gained during July and a drop in the unemployment rate to 10.2 percent at a time when southern and western states were forced to pause or roll back their reopening plans.

But the data nevertheless points to an economic slowdown, challenging the White House’s bullish predictions for a speedy V-shaped recovery. The figures also come amid collapsed talks between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders on a coronavirus relief package, which economists say is desperately needed to prevent a deeper recession.

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“This is not a rocket ship,” said Martha Gimbel, senior manager of economic research at Schmidt Futures. “It’s really unclear if the economy is going to achieve escape velocity before the lack of government spending crashes down or before … we have to shut down again, which is a total possibility.”

White House economic adviser Larry KudlowLarry KudlowMORE, who did the rounds on cable news Friday morning, declared that the numbers evidenced a “self-sustaining recovery” and predicted that the United States would see unemployment head into the single digits in the fall months.

“The worries that some partial shutdowns or some pausing shutdowns would wreck the jobs numbers did not pan out. I think that shows signs of strength,” Kudlow said on Fox Business.

July’s job gains were far less than the 2.7 million recovered in May and the 4.8 million regained in June, bearing out predictions that rising coronavirus cases would weaken the economy.

Meanwhile, last month’s unemployment rate was reminiscent of the depths of the Great Recession, when the joblessness peaked at 10 percent in October 2009. As recently as February, it was 3.5 percent.

Economic analysts say that despite the jobs report, there remains a need for additional fiscal stimulus. Many point to an extension of the expanded unemployment benefits and additional aid to states as necessary steps to shepherd the economy through recovery until there is a vaccine for the coronavirus.

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“This jobs number doesn’t change the undeniable need for additional federal support,” said Isaac Boltansky, director of policy research at investment bank Compass Point Research & Trading. 

Many conservatives, however, disagree.

Stephen MooreStephen MooreTrump embraces jobs report signaling slowdown Trump considering executive order to reinstate enhanced unemployment benefits Trump says he’s considering executive action to suspend evictions, payroll tax MORE, a conservative economist and informal adviser to Trump, argued that the data shows that a multitrillion-dollar stimulus package is unnecessary because the economy is not in the “free fall” it was earlier this year.

“It was a good number, not a great number,” Moore said on Friday.

Trump is now preparing for potential executive actions to enact economic measures absent a last-minute deal on Capitol Hill with Democrats.

Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinTrump tees up executive orders on economy but won’t sign yet Overnight Health Care: Trump to take executive action after coronavirus talks collapse | Vaccine official says he’d resign if pressured politically Coronavirus talks collapse as negotiators fail to reach deal MORE, one of Trump’s top two negotiators, told reporters following Friday’s meeting with Democrats that he and White House chief of staff Mark MeadowsMark Randall MeadowsTrump tees up executive orders on economy but won’t sign yet On The Money: Five takeaways from the July jobs report Overnight Health Care: Trump to take executive action after coronavirus talks collapse | Vaccine official says he’d resign if pressured politically MORE would recommend Trump move forward with some executive orders over the weekend related to enhanced unemployment benefits, rental foreclosures and student loans. Trump is also weighing an executive order to defer the payroll tax.

“Despite the fact that we had a very good jobs number this morning, there are still too many people that are out of work at no fault of their own because of this coronavirus,” Mnuchin said.

The economy has been a central focus of Trump’s pitch for reelection. The pandemic has forced business closures and wreaked havoc on the economy, forcing Trump to alter his message to voters.

The president and his campaign have focused on the strength of the U.S. economy prior to the coronavirus and sought to make the case that his policies on trade and deregulation would enable a swift rebound.

In a speech in Ohio on Thursday, Trump gave a broad outline of what his second-term economic agenda would look like, such as bringing back jobs and supply chains from overseas.

“We closed it up; we saved millions of lives. But now we’re opening, and it looks like I was right about the ‘V,’ because you’re seeing the kind of numbers that are coming in, and they’re coming in strong,” Trump told the crowd at a Whirlpool plant in Clyde, Ohio, on Thursday afternoon.

Trump, who is at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., celebrated Friday’s jobs numbers in a pair of tweets and later Friday evening touted them as exceeding expectations during an impromptu press conference. The president staged impromptu press appearances to tout the record increases in jobs from May and June, when states embarked on reopening plans that many public health officials considered too fast and too soon.

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Trump has leaned into his economic agenda more recently as polls show him trailing presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe BidenJoe BidenDemocratic convention lineup to include Ocasio-Cortez, Clinton, Warren: reports Whitmer met with Biden days before VP announcement: report Maxine Waters says Biden ‘can’t go home without a Black woman being VP’ MORE nationally and in battleground states. The same surveys tend to show that while Trump is the preferred candidate on handling the economy, Biden leads on other issues like race relations and the coronavirus.

The Trump campaign quickly seized on Friday’s better-than-expected numbers and accused Biden of embracing tax hikes and environmental policies that would cause “job-killing regulations.”

“The fundamental choice for voters is between the fantastic record of President Trump, who built the world’s best economy once and is doing it again, and Joe Biden, whose economic record is terrible and whose plans for the future are ruinous,” said Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh.

In his own statement, Biden focused on the 16 million Americans still unemployed and argued the U.S. is in a “a deeper economic hole than we should be because of Donald Trump’s historic failure to respond to the pandemic.”

Updated at 8:55 p.m.

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Happy Thursday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I’m Ellen Mitchell, and here’s your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. CLICK HERE to subscribe to the newsletter.

THE TOPLINE: Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown has taken the reins of the Air Force, officially becoming the first African American general to lead a branch of the U.S. military.

Brown was officially sworn in as Air Force chief of staff in a ceremony Thursday at Joint Base Andrews, Md., where the oath was administered by Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett.

“This is a very historic day for our nation, and I do not take this moment lightly,” Brown said at Thursday’s ceremony. “Today’s possible due to the perseverance of those who went before me, serving as an inspiration to me and so many others. Those like the Tuskegee Airmen, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., Chappie James, Charles McGee, African American leaders across our Air Force and our military, past and present, including today’s special guest, Mr. Ed Dwight, America’s first African American astronaut candidate.”

“It is due to their trials and tribulations in breaking barriers that I can address you today as the Air Force chief of staff,” Brown added.

Goldfein heads out: The ceremony also marked the retirement of outgoing Air Force chief of staff Gen. David Goldfein after a 37-year career that included getting shot down in Serbia in 1999, and was capped by President TrumpDonald John TrumpBiden says his faith is ‘bedrock foundation of my life’ after Trump claim Coronavirus talks on life support as parties dig in, pass blame Ohio governor tests negative in second coronavirus test MORE’s surprise decision to pass him over for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in favor of Gen. Mark Milley.

In his parting speech, Goldfein recounted all the responsibilities that walking the halls of the Pentagon each day reminded him of, including the need for an apolitical military.

“As Chairman Milley reminded us all last month, military members swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution,” Goldfein said. “We, the U.S. military, hold dear the Constitution and the principle of an apolitical military that is so deeply rooted in the very essence of our republic.”

Earlier: The Air Force chief of staff transition ceremony comes two days after Trump held a ceremonial swearing-in for Brown in the Oval Office, a rarity for a service chief. Trump, who was not initially expected to participate in Tuesday’s ceremony, moved the event at the last minute from the vice president’s ceremonial office because, Trump said, “this is the big leagues.”

Why it’s significant: Brown is becoming the nation’s first Black military service chief at a time of significant unrest throughout the United States over racial injustices and police violence.

The Trump administration has faced criticism for its handling of the protests as it cracks down on demonstrators using federal law enforcement officers clad in military-style camouflage uniforms.

The Pentagon, after its leaders faced initial criticism for their role in Trump’s response to the protests, has been working to address racism in its ranks with listening sessions and other initiatives.

During the height of unrest in June, Brown spoke starkly about his experiences as a Black member of the military and his feelings on the death of George Floyd that sparked the protests.

“I’m thinking about how my nomination provides some hope, but also comes with a heavy burden. I can’t fix centuries of racism in our country, nor can I fix decades of discrimination that may have impacted members of our Air Force,” said Brown, who also spoke about navigating “two worlds.”

In addition to being the first African American service chief, Brown is the first African American to sit on the Joint Chiefs of Staff since Colin PowellColin Luther PowellOvernight Defense: Air Force general officially becomes first African American service chief | Senators introduce bill to block Trump armed drone sale measure | State Department’s special envoy for Iran is departing the Trump administration Air Force general officially becomes first African American service chief Trump participates in swearing-in of first African American service chief MORE was chairman from 1989 to 1993.

SENATORS INTRODUCE BILL TO BLOCK TRUMP ARMED DRONE SALE MEASURE: A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bill that would ban the sale of large armed drones to all nations other than close U.S. allies.

The legislation was crafted in response to the Trump administration’s move last month to circumvent a 33-year-old arms treaty and sell more large armed drones to foreign militaries. 

President Trump signed a measure to allow U.S. defense contractors to sidestep one part of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), a 1987 agreement between 35 countries, to allow U.S. firms to sell the drones to foreign governments previously banned from purchasing such products.  

Countries that may now purchase the advanced drones include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have used U.S.-produced weapons in Yemen’s deadly civil war.

Lawmakers up in arms: Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle criticized Trump’s decision, worried that the shift could cause a dangerous increase in ballistic missiles and give rise to other countries choosing to undermine agreements. 

“If we allow Trump to start selling drones, we set a dangerous precedent that allows and encourages other countries to sell missile technology and advanced drones to our adversaries,” Sen. Chris MurphyChristopher (Chris) Scott MurphyOvernight Defense: Air Force general officially becomes first African American service chief | Senators introduce bill to block Trump armed drone sale measure | State Department’s special envoy for Iran is departing the Trump administration Senators introduce bill to block Trump armed drone sale measure Pessimism grows as coronavirus talks go down to the wire MORE (D-Conn.), a sponsor of the bill, said in a statement.

“In addition, the president’s action will only further enable the Saudis to continue killing more innocent civilians in Yemen by supplying them with advanced US-made drones.” 

Other arguments: Sen. Mike LeeMichael (Mike) Shumway LeeOvernight Defense: Air Force general officially becomes first African American service chief | Senators introduce bill to block Trump armed drone sale measure | State Department’s special envoy for Iran is departing the Trump administration Senators introduce bill to block Trump armed drone sale measure Trump signs major conservation bill into law MORE (R-Utah), another sponsor, argued for the end of U.S. participation in Yemen’s war.  

“I am concerned that making it easier for the United States to export weapon-capable UAS systems to Saudi Arabia and the UAE further entrenches the U.S. role in the war in Yemen and perpetuates an incentive structure for keeping rather than drawing down U.S. presence in the Middle East,” Lee said in a statement.

What the bill would do: The new bill would work by making some of the limits of the MTCR legally binding through amending the Arms Export Control Act. 

Under the legislation, drones that can carry more than 1,100 pounds of weapons over roughly 186 miles – including the General Atomics-built MQ-9 Reaper and the Northrop Grumman-made RQ-4 Global Hawk – would be once again subject to pact’s strict rules.

The bill’s exceptions to the sales ban would include NATO members in addition to Australia, Israel., Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

STATE DEPARTMENT’S IRAN ENVOY LEAVING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: Brian Hook, the U.S. special envoy for Iran, is resigning from the State Department, the agency announced Thursday.

“He has been a trusted advisor to me and a good friend. I thank him for his service,” Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Air Force general officially becomes first African American service chief | Senators introduce bill to block Trump armed drone sale measure | State Department’s special envoy for Iran is departing the Trump administration State Department offers M reward for foreign election interference information State Department’s special envoy for Iran is departing the Trump administration MORE said in a statement. He added that Hook will be succeeded by Elliott Abrams, U.S. special envoy for Venezuela. 

Diplomacy with Iran slim before election: Hook’s departure, which comes during a period of increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran, casts doubt on the possibility of a diplomatic initiative with Iran before the end of President Trump’s term.

“There is never a good time to leave,” Hook told The New York Times, noting the confrontation with Iran had become a constant series of provocations and responses, and moves geared toward changing Tehran’s behavior.

Pompeo’s response: In his statement Pompeo said that Hook “achieved historic results countering the Iranian regime,” highlighting him winning the release of two American captives held by Iran, Michael White and Xiyue Wang.

Obstacles remain: One of the biggest obstacles the U.S. still faces in Iran is the nation’s alleged violations of the Iran nuclear deal, which the U.S. pulled out of in 2018. 

“Sometimes it’s the journey and sometimes it’s the destination,’’ Hook told the Times. “In the case of our Iran strategy, it’s both. We would like a new deal with the regime. But in the meantime, our pressure has collapsed their finances.”

Hook added that “By almost every metric, the regime and its terrorist proxies are weaker than three and a half years ago. Deal or no deal, we have been very successful.” 

ICYMI

— The Hill: Poll: About three quarters support bringing troops home from Iraq, Afghanistan

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— The Hill: Pentagon sends 3 cargo planes to Lebanon filled with aid as questions on blast remain

— The Hill: Opinion: The US military has options against China 

— The Hill: Opinion: Harry S. Truman’s best worst option

— Military Times: Veterans suicide prevention plans take a big step forward, but still face tough political hurdles

— Reuters: Pentagon chief expresses concern to Chinese counterpart about Beijing’s activity in South China Sea

Democratic voters are more than twice as likely as Republican voters to be concerned about the risks of in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Ipsos-Axios polling released Tuesday.

A slight majority overall — 52 percent — said they see in-person voting as dangerous, according to the polling. The survey found a wide partisan split, with 64 percent of Democrats expressing concerns compared to just 29 percent of Republicans.

Overall, respondents said they considered several activities riskier than voting. Seventy percent said they think dining in at restaurants was dangerous, while 66 percent of parents said they thought sending their child to school was dangerous.

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Eighty-four percent of Americans were concerned about the pandemic in general, including 59 percent who said they were “extremely” or “very” concerned.

Close to half of Americans, 46 percent, said they personally know someone who has tested positive for the virus. Forty-nine percent said someone in their community has tested positive.

Nearly one-fifth of Americans, 19 percent, said they know someone who has died. Four percent of Americans said they know a family member who has died. Black and Hispanic respondents were twice as likely as the general population to say a family member has died, with 8 percent saying so.

Meanwhile, only 29 percent of Americans said they have a fair or great amount of trust in the federal government to look out for their best interests during the crisis.

Two in three Americans said they wear a mask “at all times” when they leave their homes, including 48 percent of Republicans.

Forty-six percent of Americans said they made in-person visits to friends or family in the past week. Among those respondents, only 21 percent said they wore a mask throughout those visits.

The number of Americans saying they are self-quarantining has also fallen. Only 17 percent of Americans said they are self-quarantining, while 35 percent said they have gone out to eat in the last week.

The survey was conducted July 31-Aug. 3 based on a sample of 1,129 adults. It has a plus or minus 3-3.4 percentage point margin of error for the entire sample.

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The remains of the seven Marines and a Navy sailor who were killed during a training accident off the coast of Southern California last week have been recovered, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force said Friday.

The deceased service members were presumed dead after the amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) they were riding in began to take on water and sink off the coast of San Clemente, Calif., on July 30. Eight Marines were rescued from the accident, though one later died and two others were critically injured.

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Initial recovery efforts were unsuccessful, but military officials positively identified the AAV — which was found nearly 400 feet underwater — on Aug. 3, though retrieval of the remains and the vehicle didn’t happen until Friday.

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“Our hearts and thoughts of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit are with the families of our recovered Marines and Sailor,” Col. Christopher Bronzi, commanding officer of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said in a statement Friday. “We hope the successful recovery of our fallen warriors brings some measure of comfort.”

The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force said that the fallen service members will be transported to Dover Air Force Base Delaware, where they will be prepared for burial.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation.

Brian Hook, the U.S. special envoy for Iran, is resigning from the State Department, the agency announced Thursday.

“He has been a trusted advisor to me and a good friend. I thank him for his service,” Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Air Force general officially becomes first African American service chief | Senators introduce bill to block Trump armed drone sale measure | State Department’s special envoy for Iran is departing the Trump administration State Department offers M reward for foreign election interference information State Department’s special envoy for Iran is departing the Trump administration MORE said in a statement. He added that Hook will be succeeded by Elliott Abrams, U.S. special envoy for Venezuela. 

Hook’s departure, which comes during a period of increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran, casts doubt on the possibility of a diplomatic initiative with Iran before the end of President TrumpDonald John TrumpBiden says his faith is ‘bedrock foundation of my life’ after Trump claim Coronavirus talks on life support as parties dig in, pass blame Ohio governor tests negative in second coronavirus test MORE’s term.

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“There is never a good time to leave,” Hook told The New York Times, noting the confrontation with Iran had become a constant series of provocations and responses, and moves geared toward changing Tehran’s behavior.

In his statement Pompeo said that Hook “achieved historic results countering the Iranian regime,” highlighting him winning the release of two American captives held by Iran, Michael White and Xiyue Wang.

One of the biggest obstacles the U.S. still faces in Iran is the nation’s alleged violations of the Iran nuclear deal, which the U.S. pulled out of in 2018. 

“Sometimes it’s the journey and sometimes it’s the destination,’’ Hook told the Times. “In the case of our Iran strategy, it’s both. We would like a new deal with the regime. But in the meantime, our pressure has collapsed their finances.”

Hook added that “By almost every metric, the regime and its terrorist proxies are weaker than three and a half years ago. Deal or no deal, we have been very successful.”

About three-quarters of U.S. adults say they support bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan in a new poll commissioned by the libertarian Charles Koch Institute obtained exclusively by The Hill.

In the poll, which surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults, 44 percent said they strongly support bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq and 30 percent said they somewhat support doing so.

For Afghanistan, 46 percent said they strongly support bringing troops home and 30 percent said they somewhat support it.

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The poll was conducted by YouGov for the Charles Koch Institute, the research institute founded by conservative mega-donor Charles Koch that advocates a noninterventionist foreign policy, including supporting withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Given how polarized the country is on so many other issues, it is striking how unified Americans are on ending our endless wars in the Middle East, prioritizing domestic concerns over foreign ones, and avoiding greater military engagement in conflicts overseas,” Will Ruger, vice president of research and policy at the Charles Koch Institute, said in a statement to The Hill.

“After nearly 20 years of costly and often unnecessary military engagement abroad along with the current challenges facing our country at home, it is a positive sign that the American public increasingly wants to see the United States pursue a more realist foreign policy,” Ruger added.

Asked whether the United States should be more or less involved militarily in global conflicts, 48 percent of respondents said engagement should decrease, while 32 percent said the level of engagement should stay the same and 7 percent said it should increase. Fifty percent of Democrats surveyed said military engagement should decrease, compared to 40 percent of Republicans.

The poll, which was weighted for gender, age, race, and education, has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

The results for Iraq and Afghanistan, collected from July 24 to July 27, represent an uptick from a similar YouGov poll commissioned by the Charles Koch Institute in January. In that poll, 37 percent said they strongly supported and 31 percent said they somewhat supported bringing troops home from Iraq, while 38 percent said they strongly supported and 31 percent said they somewhat supported doing so in Afghanistan.

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The January poll also found 27 percent said military engagement should stay about the same, while 52 percent supported less engagement.

The most recent poll comes as President TrumpDonald John TrumpLincoln Project ad dubs Jared Kushner the ‘Secretary of Failure’ Pence: Chief Justice Roberts ‘has been a disappointment to conservatives’ Twitter bans Trump campaign until it deletes tweet with COVID-19 misinformation MORE is pushing forward with a withdrawal in Afghanistan that is opposed by members of Congress from both parties.

In line with a deal with the Taliban the Trump administration signed in February, the U.S. military has drawn down to about 8,600 troops. Trump is saying he wants to further draw down to 4,000 to 5,000 troops by Election Day, even as military officials have insisted any further withdrawal will be based on conditions on the ground that have not been met yet.

Lawmakers in a bipartisan vote included in the House’s version of the annual defense policy bill a provision that seeks to slow an Afghanistan withdrawal by requiring the administration to make a series of certifications before any further drawdowns in Afghanistan.

The bill must be reconciled with the Senate’s version, which does not include a similar provision but where senators in both parties have expressed concerns about a precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In Iraq, U.S. officials are negotiating future troops levels with the Iraqi government after Iraqi lawmakers called for a withdrawal. Iraqi opposition to the U.S. presence in their country grew at the beginning of the year after the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani on Iraqi soil.

There are about 5,200 U.S. troops in Iraq helping local forces fight the remnants of ISIS.

The YouGov poll found similar levels of support for withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan across parties. The same percentage of Democrats and Republicans polled, 77 percent of each, said they strongly or somewhat support bringing troops home from Iraq.

For Afghanistan, 78 percent of Democratic respondents said they strongly or somewhat support bringing troops home, compared to 77 percent of Republicans who said the same.

The poll, meanwhile, found more support for the U.S. troops stationed in Europe. Forty percent said the number of troops in Europe should stay the same, compared to 36 percent who said the number should decrease.

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Specifically for Germany, 40 percent said the number of troops should stay the same, while 33 percent said it should decrease.

Forty-three percent of Democratic respondents and 46 percent of Republicans said troop numbers should stay the same in both Europe in general and Germany specifically.

Trump ordered a drawdown from Germany as punishment for Berlin not meeting NATO’s goal of spending 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense.

The Pentagon announced last week it would pull about 11,900 troops from Germany, sending about 5,600 elsewhere in Europe and bringing about 6,400 back to the United States.