Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would likely wear a mask while visiting Walter Reed medical center this weekend, taking another step back from his previous reticence toward facial coverings as coronavirus cases continue to soar nationwide. Speaking with Fox News' Sean Hannity in a live phone interview, Trump said "it's fine to wear a mask if it makes you feel comfortable." (Choi, 7/9)

The president was spotted behind the scenes during a tour of a Ford factory last month wearing a mask, but he did not wear one on camera, saying he did not want to give reporters there the satisfaction of seeing him with a face covering. "I have no problem with a mask. I don’t think you need one when you’re tested all the time, everybody around you is tested, you’re quite a distance," Trump said Thursday. (Samuels, 7/9)

Trump, who had become increasingly isolated within the Republican Party for not promoting wearing a mask, has in recent weeks spoken more favorably about their use as COVID-19 cases have surged in the United States. More than 60,500 new COVID-19 infections were reported across the United States on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, setting a one-day record as weary Americans were told to take new precautions and the pandemic becomes increasingly politicized. (Beech and Mohammed, 7/9)

As the president’s rally looms, some residents, store owners, and elected officials fretted about the coronavirus pandemic and the divisiveness of the expected crowd, while a growing chorus of health care professionals and others asked Governor Chris Sununu to require masks at the event. (Greenberg and Annear, 7/9)