thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Will Democrats Stop The Feds From Spying On Your Internet Searches Without A Warrant?

ASSOCIATED PRESS/Jose Luis Magana Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) , accompanied by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler ( D-N.Y. ) left , and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) , have led negotiations on FISA so far .
Now they 're under pressure to adopt stricter privacy measures .
“ Pelosi has been aligned with the intel agencies and Schiff on these matters for forever and we need progressives and civil libertarians , especially ones in leadership , like Jerry Nadler , to make it clear that this is a huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be outflanked by the Republican Senate on civil liberties protections , ” said David Segal of civil liberties grassroots group Demand Progress .
FISA , the 1978 post-Watergate scandal law , is the basis for the federal government ’ s intelligence gathering and surveillance authorities both in the United States and abroad .
Reauthorizing FISA often brings together the rare , but strong , coalition of conservative Republicans and progressive liberals who find agreement on certain privacy and civil liberties areas of the law .
The amendment from Sens .
Ron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( R-Mont . )
to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act lost in a razor-thin vote .
There were two notable absences that day — Sens .
Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , who was a co-sponsor on the amendment , and Patty Murray ( D-Wa . )
, who was also in support of the amendment .
In other words , if everyone was in town the amendment likely would have passed .
But they weren ’ t , so it didn ’ t .
“ As far as I can tell we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Wyden told Politico after the vote .
On Wednesday , Wyden sent a letter to the acting Director of National Intelligence asking about the scale of the government ’ s surveillance on citizens ’ internet use .
“ I intend to keep coming back to make sure that any administration can ’ t spy on [ Americans ] and violate the Constitution.
” Murray later entered a statement into the Congressional Record saying she supported the amendment but was “ necessarily absent ” for the vote , and her office said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
Asked by HuffPost on Wednesday why Democrats came up short on the amendment vote , Murray said , “ This is COVID.
” So far the Democratic-controlled leadership has been reluctant to pursue further measures — and at times explicitly hostile toward the proposals .
The same amendment is being spearheaded in the House by Reps. Zoe Lofgren ( D-Calif. ) and conservative House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Warren Davidson ( R-Ohio ) .
In March , the House passed its version of the FISA reauthorization that was billed as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the Speaker ’ s office , and top lawmakers on the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees .
It didn ’ t include accountability measures on the government ’ s intelligence-gathering powers .
A House staffer who was part of FISA negotiations said Democratic leadership staff specifically stated that “ the Senate won ’ t pass this with search history and web browsing history provisions.
” Provisions to add safeguards around the collection of geographic location and internet browsing history were “ laughed at incredulously , ” the staffer said , noting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this kind of collection was shot down .
Ironically , Wyden sent a letter this week to the director of intelligence doing just that .
Negotiations have also been predominantly led by Schiff ’ s staff through the Intelligence Committee , which has been less amenable to these provisions .
Historically , FISA has been under the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee , where chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler ( D-N.Y. ) has a longer record supporting these privacy policies .
Nadler ’ s staff has signaled to progressive lawmakers that the chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and would like to see a vote in the House , however they declined signing a public letter in support of the provision .
That the Senate ’ s vote came so close to passage in a Republican-controlled chamber could give reluctant House Democrats more reason to support the measure this time around .
If the House takes action to amend the law , both chambers would then need to hash out the differences between the two bills in a conference committee .
What happened in the Senate came as a surprise , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointing fingers .
Wyden ’ s office knew the amendment was picking up steam but didn ’ t think it would come one vote shy of passing .
Democratic Senate leadership was in favor of the proposal , but staffers said they didn ’ t get an accurate count of the vote .
“ Most Americans know their web browsing history and search queries contain private , personal information , and yet the Senate failed to prohibit the Intelligence Community from taking your search history and web browsing history without a warrant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Wyden-Daines amendment would have addressed that , and it ’ s now the House ’ s responsibility to curb this violation of Americans ’ rights .
I know it ’ s still within our grasp as lawmakers to push for the significant privacy reforms we need.
” So far opposition to the measure in the Democratic-controlled House has fallen in two camps : those aligned with the intelligence community , which has pushed back on the measure , and a political concern , that a Republican-controlled Senate wouldn ’ t take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), accompanied by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) left, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), have led negotiations on FISA so far. Now they're under pressure to adopt stricter privacy measures. ASSOCIATED PRESS/Jose Luis Magana
Last week, a majority of senators voted to prevent the federal government from spying on Americans’ internet browsing and search histories without a warrant. But it wasn’t enough, falling just one vote short of the 60 votes needed to pass.
The legislation now lies in the hands of the House, where congressional staffers and advocates are concerned that the Democratic leadership, like Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.) may block the change.
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“Pelosi has been aligned with the intel agencies and Schiff on these matters for forever and we need progressives and civil libertarians, especially ones in leadership, like Jerry Nadler, to make it clear that this is a huge priority for them and they are not going to be outflanked by the Republican Senate on civil liberties protections,” said David Segal of civil liberties grassroots group Demand Progress.
FISA, the 1978 post-Watergate scandal law, is the basis for the federal government’s intelligence gathering and surveillance authorities both in the United States and abroad. Reauthorizing FISA often brings together the rare, but strong, coalition of conservative Republicans and progressive liberals who find agreement on certain privacy and civil liberties areas of the law. The amendment from Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act lost in a razor-thin vote.
There were two notable absences that day — Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who was a co-sponsor on the amendment, and Patty Murray (D-Wa.), who was also in support of the amendment. In other words, if everyone was in town the amendment likely would have passed. But they weren’t, so it didn’t.
“As far as I can tell we lost because there were some people absent,” Wyden told Politico after the vote. On Wednesday, Wyden sent a letter to the acting Director of National Intelligence asking about the scale of the government’s surveillance on citizens’ internet use. “I intend to keep coming back to make sure that any administration can’t spy on [Americans] and violate the Constitution.”
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Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) partnered with Oregon Democrat Sen. Ron Wyden to push a bipartisan measure to require warrants for internet browsing surveillance. ASSOCIATED PRESS/J. Scott Applewhite
Murray later entered a statement into the Congressional Record saying she supported the amendment but was “necessarily absent” for the vote, and her office said she was flying back to Washington that day. Asked by HuffPost on Wednesday why Democrats came up short on the amendment vote, Murray said, “This is COVID.”
Sanders’ office confirmed he would have voted for it, but declined to comment on his absence. The Vermont senator, a critic of broad government surveillance powers, has not cast a vote since March, including during the recent three-week Senate session.
The Senate’s bill did include a major win for privacy advocates; a bipartisan amendment from Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) that boosted legal protections for those targeted by government surveillance. That amendment’s passage forces the bill back to the House, where negotiations could be reopened once again.
So far the Democratic-controlled leadership has been reluctant to pursue further measures — and at times explicitly hostile toward the proposals. The same amendment is being spearheaded in the House by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and conservative House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio). In March, the House passed its version of the FISA reauthorization that was billed as a compromise between Democrats and Republicans hashed out between the Speaker’s office, and top lawmakers on the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees. It didn’t include accountability measures on the government’s intelligence-gathering powers.
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A House staffer who was part of FISA negotiations said Democratic leadership staff specifically stated that “the Senate won’t pass this with search history and web browsing history provisions.” Provisions to add safeguards around the collection of geographic location and internet browsing history were “laughed at incredulously,” the staffer said, noting that even a proposal to gather more information about this kind of collection was shot down. Ironically, Wyden sent a letter this week to the director of intelligence doing just that.
Negotiations have also been predominantly led by Schiff’s staff through the Intelligence Committee, which has been less amenable to these provisions. Historically, FISA has been under the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee, where chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) has a longer record supporting these privacy policies. Nadler’s staff has signaled to progressive lawmakers that the chairman is in support of the Wyden-Daines-Lofgren-Davidson amendment and would like to see a vote in the House, however they declined signing a public letter in support of the provision.
That the Senate’s vote came so close to passage in a Republican-controlled chamber could give reluctant House Democrats more reason to support the measure this time around. If the House takes action to amend the law, both chambers would then need to hash out the differences between the two bills in a conference committee.
“Most Americans know their web browsing history and search queries contain private, personal information, and yet the Senate failed to prohibit the Intelligence Community from taking your search history and web browsing history without a warrant.” - Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.)
What happened in the Senate came as a surprise, leaving lawmakers and their staff frustrated and pointing fingers. Wyden’s office knew the amendment was picking up steam but didn’t think it would come one vote shy of passing. Democratic Senate leadership was in favor of the proposal, but staffers said they didn’t get an accurate count of the vote.
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“It was very unexpected,” one congressional aide familiar with the thinking of the absent senators said. “People like Murray and Sanders would have acted differently had a more accurate whip count been conducted.”
Democrats whipped the vote and found the early tally encouraging, but it ultimately fell short of the necessary 60 votes for passage due to opposition from an “unexpected surge of Republican voters,” Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told HuffPost on Wednesday.
But it wasn’t only Republicans who opposed the effort. While 27 GOP senators ultimately voted against the measure, 10 centrist-minded Democrats joined them in helping to kill it.
Still, the narrow Senate vote is giving lawmakers in support of the provision more hope. Lofgren noted that the Leahy-Lee amendment took Congress “one step closer” to protecting Americans’ civil liberties, and showed the House could take it further.
“Most Americans know their web browsing history and search queries contain private, personal information, and yet the Senate failed to prohibit the Intelligence Community from taking your search history and web browsing history without a warrant,” Lofgren said in a statement. “The Wyden-Daines amendment would have addressed that, and it’s now the House’s responsibility to curb this violation of Americans’ rights. I know it’s still within our grasp as lawmakers to push for the significant privacy reforms we need.”
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So far opposition to the measure in the Democratic-controlled House has fallen in two camps: those aligned with the intelligence community, which has pushed back on the measure, and a political concern, that a Republican-controlled Senate wouldn’t take up a bill requiring warrants for surveillance.
Outside groups on both sides of the political spectrum, like Demand Progress and conservative, libertarian advocacy group FreedomWorks are lobbying lawmakers to push for the Wyden-Daines amendment in the House.
The Speaker’s office, Schiff and Nadler did not return a request for comment.
“We haven’t heard any reasons that make sense,” a House aide close to those backing the amendment said. “When you have a 59 [in favor] vote with two members not there it gives us reason to believe that this is policy that has bicameral bipartisan support.”
“Why is the Senate the body passing the more progressive bill here?” another House staffer said, calling it “upside-down world.”
Amanda Terkel and Jennifer Bendery contributed reporting.
CORRECTION: This article previously misstated Rep. Davidson’s party affiliation. He is a Republican.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Sanders Campaign Asks Delegates To Sign Pledge They Won’t Openly Attack Biden

Sen. Bernie Sanders suspended his bid for the White House last month , effectively ceding the Democratic nomination to former Vice President Joe Biden .
But not before the Vermont progressive won hundreds of delegates around the nation .
Now , Sanders ’ presidential campaign is asking those delegates to sign a social media policy and code of conduct agreement ahead of the party ’ s convention later this summer in an attempt to minimize party infighting or online attacks against Biden akin to the rampant mudslinging by supporters in 2016 .
The Washington Post first reported that the Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threaten delegates can be removed the delegation should they violate any provisions .
The campaign also asks signatories to “ refrain from making “ negative statements about other candidates , party leaders , Campaigns , Campaign staffers , supporters , news organizations or journalists.
” “ Before tweeting or posting from your personal social media accounts , ask yourself these questions : If this appeared on the front page of The New York Times , would it compromise Bernie Sanders ’ s message , credibility , or reputation ?
” the social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ This Campaign is about the issues and finding solutions to America ’ s problems .
Our job is to differentiate the senator from his opponents on the issues — not through personal attacks.
” While the Post reported the agreement angered some delegates , Sanders ’ campaign said those individuals were representative of the senator and had a “ serious responsibility ” going into the Democratic National Convention , set to take place in some form in August ( organizers are still looking at how to do so amid the ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attend the Democratic convention , they will be representing Sen. Sanders , the ideas he ran on and the millions of working people who supported his campaign , ” Mike Casca , Sanders ’ campaign spokesman , told HuffPost in a statement .
“ That is a serious responsibility and we ’ re asking them to follow a basic code of conduct while carrying out that duty.
” The pledge is largely seen as an effort to avoid a repeat of 2016 .
At the time , Sanders asked his supporters to throw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton shortly before the convention began , but many delegates booed her during the event and refused to support her candidacy .
Sanders has endorsed Biden ’ s effort to unseat President Donald Trump in November , a move the former veep said meant “ a great deal to me.
” Sanders is also still on the ballot in some states , including during the primary in New York , where he ’ s hoping to win enough delegates to have a stronger voice as the party decides on its platform and rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat , I ’ m asking every independent , I ’ m asking a lot of Republicans , to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy , which I endorse , ” Sanders said last month .
The pair are reportedly closer than Sanders and Clinton were in 2016 , and the Vermont lawmaker said recently he hoped his supporters would “ understand and do understand that Donald Trump is the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country .
”

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Sen. Bernie Sanders suspended his bid for the White House last month, effectively ceding the Democratic nomination to former Vice President Joe Biden. But not before the Vermont progressive won hundreds of delegates around the nation.
Now, Sanders’ presidential campaign is asking those delegates to sign a social media policy and code of conduct agreement ahead of the party’s convention later this summer in an attempt to minimize party infighting or online attacks against Biden akin to the rampant mudslinging by supporters in 2016.
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The Washington Post first reported that the Sanders campaign sent out the 5-page agreements that threaten delegates can be removed the delegation should they violate any provisions. The campaign also asks signatories to “refrain from making “negative statements about other candidates, party leaders, Campaigns, Campaign staffers, supporters, news organizations or journalists.”
“Before tweeting or posting from your personal social media accounts, ask yourself these questions: If this appeared on the front page of The New York Times, would it compromise Bernie Sanders’s message, credibility, or reputation?” the social media policy reads in part.
It continues: “This Campaign is about the issues and finding solutions to America’s problems. Our job is to differentiate the senator from his opponents on the issues — not through personal attacks.”
While the Post reported the agreement angered some delegates, Sanders’ campaign said those individuals were representative of the senator and had a “serious responsibility” going into the Democratic National Convention, set to take place in some form in August (organizers are still looking at how to do so amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic).
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“When delegates attend the Democratic convention, they will be representing Sen. Sanders, the ideas he ran on and the millions of working people who supported his campaign,” Mike Casca, Sanders’ campaign spokesman, told HuffPost in a statement. “That is a serious responsibility and we’re asking them to follow a basic code of conduct while carrying out that duty.”
“This Campaign is about the issues and finding solutions to America’s problems," the document reads. Dennis Van Tine/STAR MAX/IPx
The pledge is largely seen as an effort to avoid a repeat of 2016. At the time, Sanders asked his supporters to throw their weight behind then-presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton shortly before the convention began, but many delegates booed her during the event and refused to support her candidacy.
Sanders has endorsed Biden’s effort to unseat President Donald Trump in November, a move the former veep said meant “a great deal to me.” Sanders is also still on the ballot in some states, including during the primary in New York, where he’s hoping to win enough delegates to have a stronger voice as the party decides on its platform and rules.
“I’m asking every Democrat, I’m asking every independent, I’m asking a lot of Republicans, to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy, which I endorse,” Sanders said last month.
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The pair are reportedly closer than Sanders and Clinton were in 2016, and the Vermont lawmaker said recently he hoped his supporters would “understand and do understand that Donald Trump is the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--2.4 Million More People Applied For Unemployment Last Week

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — More than 2.4 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession .
Roughly 38.6 million people have now filed for jobless aid since the coronavirus forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces , the Labor Department said Thursday .
An additional 2.2 million people sought aid under a new federal program for self-employed , contractor and gig workers , who are now eligible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These figures aren ’ t adjusted for seasonal variations , so the government doesn ’ t include them in the overall number of applications .
The continuing stream of heavy job cuts reflects an economy that is sinking into the worst recession since the Great Depression .
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated this week that the economy is shrinking at a 38 % annual rate in the April-June quarter .
That would be by far the worst quarterly contraction on record .
Nearly half of Americans say that either their incomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adult who has lost pay through a job loss or reduced hours , the Census Bureau said in survey data released Wednesday More than one-fifth of Americans said they had little or no confidence in their ability to pay the next month ’ s rent or mortgage on time , the survey found .
During April , U.S. employers shed 20 million jobs , eliminating a decade ’ s worth of job growth in a single month .
The unemployment rate reached 14.7 % , the highest since the Depression .
Millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t counted as unemployed because they didn ’ t look for a new job .
Since then , 10 million more laid-off workers have applied for jobless benefits .
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in an interview Sunday that the unemployment rate could peak in May or June at 20 % to 25 % .
Across industries , major employers continue to announce job cuts .
Uber said this week that it will lay off 3,000 employees , on top of 3,700 it has already cut , because demand for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a TV and digital news organization tailored for younger people , announced 155 layoffs globally last week .
Digital publishers Quartz and BuzzFeed , magazine giant Conde Nast and the company that owns the business-focused The Economist magazine also announced job cuts last week .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 2.4 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession.
Roughly 38.6 million people have now filed for jobless aid since the coronavirus forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces, the Labor Department said Thursday.
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An additional 2.2 million people sought aid under a new federal program for self-employed, contractor and gig workers, who are now eligible for jobless aid for the first time. These figures aren’t adjusted for seasonal variations, so the government doesn’t include them in the overall number of applications.
The continuing stream of heavy job cuts reflects an economy that is sinking into the worst recession since the Great Depression. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated this week that the economy is shrinking at a 38% annual rate in the April-June quarter. That would be by far the worst quarterly contraction on record.
Nearly half of Americans say that either their incomes have declined or they live with another adult who has lost pay through a job loss or reduced hours, the Census Bureau said in survey data released Wednesday More than one-fifth of Americans said they had little or no confidence in their ability to pay the next month’s rent or mortgage on time, the survey found.
During April, U.S. employers shed 20 million jobs, eliminating a decade’s worth of job growth in a single month. The unemployment rate reached 14.7%, the highest since the Depression. Millions of other people who were out of work weren’t counted as unemployed because they didn’t look for a new job.
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Since then, 10 million more laid-off workers have applied for jobless benefits. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in an interview Sunday that the unemployment rate could peak in May or June at 20% to 25%.
Across industries, major employers continue to announce job cuts. Uber said this week that it will lay off 3,000 employees, on top of 3,700 it has already cut, because demand for its ride-hailing services has plummeted. Vice, a TV and digital news organization tailored for younger people, announced 155 layoffs globally last week.
Digital publishers Quartz and BuzzFeed, magazine giant Conde Nast and the company that owns the business-focused The Economist magazine also announced job cuts last week.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--The Anti-Abortion Movement Is Capitalizing On Coronavirus

On an average day , even during the pandemic , a handful of anti-abortion protesters line up on the sidewalk outside the Heritage Clinic for Women in Grand Rapids , Michigan , and preach at the women who enter .
Their faces are familiar to clinic staff , as are their regular schedules .
But last Wednesday , when the clinic opened in the morning , the staff were startled to find 25 to 30 protesters assembling , many of them holding single red roses .
Ignoring the no-trespassing signs , they began swarming the clinic ’ s parking lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their cars .
Some wore masks to avoid the spread of the coronavirus , but many did not .
Kelly , the clinic administrator who asked to be identified only by her first name , called the police .
She immediately recognized the protest as a “ red rose rescue , ” an aggressive tactic where anti-abortion activists physically enter clinic waiting rooms and refuse to leave .
In normal times , clinic invasions can be disruptive and traumatizing for patients and staff .
But during an infectious disease outbreak , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s health .
“ Our patients were shaken up , scared , ” Kelly said .
“ We haven ’ t had anything that invasive since the 1980s.
” The protesters did not make it inside the facility , she said , but at least one person attempted to enter through the locked security door at the top of a stairwell .
Since the coronavirus pandemic began , emboldened pro-life groups have used the public health crisis to try to disrupt access to abortion .
As governors across the country issued emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , anti-abortion activists pressured officials to close abortion clinics under the guise of preserving personal protective equipment , a strategy that was temporarily successful in some states .
Many are also defying stay-at-home orders to demonstrate outside clinics , leading to arrests in multiple states .
“ Would be a shame if I was sick , ” one protester in North Carolina reportedly said while coughing in the face of an elderly clinic volunteer .
Monica Miller , a Michigan-based veteran anti-abortion activist who created the “ red rose rescue ” movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue protests during the outbreak in an interview with HuffPost .
“ We ’ re rather frustrated , generally speaking in the pro-life movement , that abortion is being treated as an essential medical procedure , ” she said .
“ When the abortion clinics are remaining open , why should we be calling off our defense ?
” In the past month , her group has embarked on four protests at clinics in Washington , D.C. , Baton Rouge , Louisiana and Michigan .
“ I just don ’ t think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Miller said .
“ The boundaries are drawn by the people that are killing the unborn .
I don ’ t think we have any moral ― and I might even be able to argue , legal ― obligation to respect those boundaries.
” While abortion clinics have experienced an increase in harassment since 2015 , the pandemic has ushered in increasingly hostile , aggressive and dangerous behavior , according to the Very Reverend Katherine Ragsdale , president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation .
“ Surrounding and screaming at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get into the clinic takes on new weight when we ’ re trying to social distance , ” she said .
“ It threatens patients and staff lives.
” The ultimate goal of such protests is to scare patients out of obtaining the procedure that day , she added .
Potentially exposing them to a contagious virus is a very effective way to get women to vacate the premises .
Clinics are currently taking extreme measures to reduce virus transmission , she said , including screening patients for symptoms before they enter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people inside at any time and having patients fill out paperwork in their cars so they are not waiting indoors .
Protesters have been surrounding cars and yelling at patients while they are stuck inside their vehicles , she said .
“ While they ’ re using the same tactics as before , they carry heightened effects right now as we ’ re already living in such anxiety , ” she said .
Anti-abortion groups have been energized by the Trump presidency and are increasingly confident that they will be able to overturn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court case that effectively legalized abortion nationwide .
Currently , the high court is considering a Louisiana case that could have broad implications for abortion ’ s accessibility across the country .
At the protest in Grand Rapids , Michigan , anti-abortion activists bombarded patients as they got out of their cars , and tried to talk them out of getting the procedure , according to Kelly , the clinic administrator .
“ They were very aggressive , in the patients ’ faces , ” she said .
Two protesters were arrested and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited for trespassing .
Miller denied that her group tried to enter the facility , and said they wore masks and practiced social distancing .
“ The majority of them were unmasked and they were all grouped very close together , ” she said .
“ Their entire goal was to make it so that we were so distracted and disrupted that we stopped services .
Luckily , that did not happen .
”

On an average day, even during the pandemic, a handful of anti-abortion protesters line up on the sidewalk outside the Heritage Clinic for Women in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and preach at the women who enter. Their faces are familiar to clinic staff, as are their regular schedules.
But last Wednesday, when the clinic opened in the morning, the staff were startled to find 25 to 30 protesters assembling, many of them holding single red roses. Ignoring the no-trespassing signs, they began swarming the clinic’s parking lot, rushing patients as they got out of their cars.
Some wore masks to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, but many did not.
Kelly, the clinic administrator who asked to be identified only by her first name, called the police. She immediately recognized the protest as a “red rose rescue,” an aggressive tactic where anti-abortion activists physically enter clinic waiting rooms and refuse to leave.
In normal times, clinic invasions can be disruptive and traumatizing for patients and staff. But during an infectious disease outbreak, this type of scary stunt potentially endangers everyone’s health.
“Our patients were shaken up, scared,” Kelly said. “We haven’t had anything that invasive since the 1980s.” The protesters did not make it inside the facility, she said, but at least one person attempted to enter through the locked security door at the top of a stairwell.
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, emboldened pro-life groups have used the public health crisis to try to disrupt access to abortion.
As governors across the country issued emergency orders to halt the spread of the virus, anti-abortion activists pressured officials to close abortion clinics under the guise of preserving personal protective equipment, a strategy that was temporarily successful in some states. Many are also defying stay-at-home orders to demonstrate outside clinics, leading to arrests in multiple states. “Would be a shame if I was sick,” one protester in North Carolina reportedly said while coughing in the face of an elderly clinic volunteer.
Monica Miller, a Michigan-based veteran anti-abortion activist who created the “red rose rescue” movement in 2017, defended the choice to continue protests during the outbreak in an interview with HuffPost.
“We’re rather frustrated, generally speaking in the pro-life movement, that abortion is being treated as an essential medical procedure,” she said. “When the abortion clinics are remaining open, why should we be calling off our defense?”
In the past month, her group has embarked on four protests at clinics in Washington, D.C., Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Michigan.
“I just don’t think that love and charity and compassion have boundaries,” Miller said. “The boundaries are drawn by the people that are killing the unborn. I don’t think we have any moral ― and I might even be able to argue, legal ― obligation to respect those boundaries.”
While abortion clinics have experienced an increase in harassment since 2015, the pandemic has ushered in increasingly hostile, aggressive and dangerous behavior, according to the Very Reverend Katherine Ragsdale, president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation.
“Surrounding and screaming at patients and making it difficult for them to get into the clinic takes on new weight when we’re trying to social distance,” she said. “It threatens patients and staff lives.”
The ultimate goal of such protests is to scare patients out of obtaining the procedure that day, she added. Potentially exposing them to a contagious virus is a very effective way to get women to vacate the premises.
Clinics are currently taking extreme measures to reduce virus transmission, she said, including screening patients for symptoms before they enter the facility, limiting the number of people inside at any time and having patients fill out paperwork in their cars so they are not waiting indoors. Protesters have been surrounding cars and yelling at patients while they are stuck inside their vehicles, she said.
“While they’re using the same tactics as before, they carry heightened effects right now as we’re already living in such anxiety,” she said.
Anti-abortion groups have been energized by the Trump presidency and are increasingly confident that they will be able to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that effectively legalized abortion nationwide. Currently, the high court is considering a Louisiana case that could have broad implications for abortion’s accessibility across the country.
At the protest in Grand Rapids, Michigan, anti-abortion activists bombarded patients as they got out of their cars, and tried to talk them out of getting the procedure, according to Kelly, the clinic administrator.
“They were very aggressive, in the patients’ faces,” she said.
Two protesters were arrested and three others, including Miller, were cited for trespassing. Miller denied that her group tried to enter the facility, and said they wore masks and practiced social distancing.
Kelly disputed her account.
“The majority of them were unmasked and they were all grouped very close together,” she said. “Their entire goal was to make it so that we were so distracted and disrupted that we stopped services. Luckily, that did not happen.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Trump Slammed Online For Praising 'Good Bloodlines' Of Henry Ford

President Donald Trump faced backlash online on Thursday after he praised Henry Ford , the founder of Ford Motor Co. , as having “ good bloodlines.
” “ In our lifetimes , the company founded by a man named Henry Ford ― good bloodlines , good bloodlines ― if you believe in that stuff , ” Trump said in a speech following his tour of a Ford plant in Ypsilanti , Michigan .
“ You got good blood , ” he added , ostensibly addressing William Clay Ford , the company ’ s executive chairman and great-grandson of Henry Ford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , Henry Ford was among the most influential anti-Semitic figures in the U.S. in the early 20th century .
He held deeply prejudiced personal views , and his anti-Semitic writings were admired and praised by Adolf Hitler .
Through his Michigan hometown newspaper , The Dearborn Independent , Ford disseminated hundreds of articles that claimed the existence of an international Jewish conspiracy that served as a rationale for anti-Semitism .
His newspaper also wrote articles based on “ The Protocols of the Elders of Zion ” ― a fraudulent anti-Semitic document first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― and presented it as a factual text detailing Jewish attempts to seize control of the world .
Following a libel lawsuit , Ford officially apologized for spreading hate speech in 1927 , the same year his newspaper was shut down .
In 1938 , a year before Hitler ’ s invasion of Poland , the Nazi regime bestowed Ford with the Grand Cross of the German Eagle , the highest decoration Nazi Germany could award a foreigner .
It ’ s not the first time Trump has made comments touting superior genetics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with top world business leaders , he reportedly made comments praising the “ good bloodlines ” and “ amazing DNA ” in the room .
He ’ s praised his own “ good genes ” on several occasions and has been known to agree with eugenics .
The President says the founder of Ford has good bloodlines..
If you ’ re not familiar with Henry Ford , I would encourage you to read more about him and specifically his actions during WW2 pic.twitter.com/vniaOSR2sX — Acyn Torabi ( @ Acyn ) May 21 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during WW II .
He was given the highest civilian honor from Germany , the Grand Cross of the German Eagle .
Like Ford , Trump is an American fascist .
https : //t.co/cD9V4698zD — Jeffrey Guterman ( @ JeffreyGuterman ) May 21 , 2020 Henry Ford popularized the Elders of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion anti-semetic conspiracy theory that empowered Adolf Hitler , who told reporters he wanted to install Henry Ford as a fascist president .
https : //t.co/vWhOaR1GeF — Jared Yates Sexton ( @ JYSexton ) May 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're just gon na breeze by how basically the only time Trump has invoked the word `` good bloodlines '' during his presidency has been while talking about the Fords , who were known for antisemitism and were *literally* mentioned by name in Hitler 's `` Mein Kampf . ''
https : //t.co/my2NzffA2r — Brian Tyler Cohen ( @ briantylercohen ) May 21 , 2020 It 's generally unwise to praise the `` bloodlines '' of Henry Ford , a man who distributed thousands of anti-Semitic pamphlets and was a hero of Hitler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him in his office .
But our president is a moron who does n't know basic history , so we get this instead : https : //t.co/679mmRgIUe — ( ( ( Yair Rosenberg ) ) ) ( @ Yair_Rosenberg ) May 21 , 2020

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President Donald Trump faced backlash online on Thursday after he praised Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Co., as having “good bloodlines.”
“In our lifetimes, the company founded by a man named Henry Ford ― good bloodlines, good bloodlines ― if you believe in that stuff,” Trump said in a speech following his tour of a Ford plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan. “You got good blood,” he added, ostensibly addressing William Clay Ford, the company’s executive chairman and great-grandson of Henry Ford.
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As many on social media pointed out, Henry Ford was among the most influential anti-Semitic figures in the U.S. in the early 20th century. He held deeply prejudiced personal views, and his anti-Semitic writings were admired and praised by Adolf Hitler. Through his Michigan hometown newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, Ford disseminated hundreds of articles that claimed the existence of an international Jewish conspiracy that served as a rationale for anti-Semitism.
His newspaper also wrote articles based on “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” ― a fraudulent anti-Semitic document first published in Russia in the early 1900s ― and presented it as a factual text detailing Jewish attempts to seize control of the world. Following a libel lawsuit, Ford officially apologized for spreading hate speech in 1927, the same year his newspaper was shut down.
In 1938, a year before Hitler’s invasion of Poland, the Nazi regime bestowed on Ford the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, the highest decoration Nazi Germany could award a foreigner.
It’s not the first time Trump has made comments touting superior genetics. In 2018, during a dinner with top world business leaders, he reportedly made comments praising the “good bloodlines” and “amazing DNA” in the room. He’s praised his own “good genes” on several occasions and has been known to agree with eugenics.
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The President says the founder of Ford has good bloodlines.. If you’re not familiar with Henry Ford, I would encourage you to read more about him and specifically his actions during WW2 pic.twitter.com/vniaOSR2sX — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) May 21, 2020
Henry Ford was a Nazi sympathizer who wrote “The International Jew, the World’s Foremost Problem.”
Hitler called Ford an “inspiration” & gave him the highest Nazi medal for foreigners.
Trump praising Ford’s “good bloodlines” = a dog-whistle to antisemites & white nationalists. https://t.co/478q3Oq67r — Bend the Arc: Jewish Action (@jewishaction) May 21, 2020
You guys know what Henry Ford had to say about my people’s bloodlines, right? https://t.co/zNd5Df0WdC — Rabbi Jonah Geffen (@JonahGeffen) May 21, 2020
Henry Ford helped fund the Nazis during WW II. He was given the highest civilian honor from Germany, the Grand Cross of the German Eagle. Like Ford, Trump is an American fascist. https://t.co/cD9V4698zD — Jeffrey Guterman (@JeffreyGuterman) May 21, 2020
Henry Ford was also a raging anti semite. This is such a weird thing to say. https://t.co/SopgThjzk1 — Wajahat "Social Distance Yourself" Ali (@WajahatAli) May 21, 2020
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Henry Ford popularized the Elders of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion anti-semetic conspiracy theory that empowered Adolf Hitler, who told reporters he wanted to install Henry Ford as a fascist president. https://t.co/vWhOaR1GeF — Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) May 21, 2020
Cool so I guess we're just gonna breeze by how basically the only time Trump has invoked the word "good bloodlines" during his presidency has been while talking about the Fords, who were known for antisemitism and were *literally* mentioned by name in Hitler's "Mein Kampf." https://t.co/my2NzffA2r — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) May 21, 2020
It's generally unwise to praise the "bloodlines" of Henry Ford, a man who distributed thousands of anti-Semitic pamphlets and was a hero of Hitler, who kept a framed picture of him in his office. But our president is a moron who doesn't know basic history, so we get this instead: https://t.co/679mmRgIUe — (((Yair Rosenberg))) (@Yair_Rosenberg) May 21, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-22--Texas Mayor Says Bible Forbids Women From Giving City Council's Invocation

The mayor of a community near Dallas is under fire for writing that women shouldn ’ t lead the City Council ’ s invocation because of a Bible passage that says it ’ s shameful for women to speak in church .
“ All I ask is that those leading the public prayer be young men , ” Wylie Mayor Eric Hogue wrote in an email to a member of the City Council who requested an invocation from members of a student group called Youth With a Mission , according to local media .
“ I just was flabbergasted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shaddox , told KXAS-TV Fort Worth .
“ It ’ s 2020.
” Hogue wrote that he takes the Bible literally and cited two biblical passages forbidding women to speak in church .
“ Let your women keep silence in the churches : for it is not permitted unto them to speak ; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law .
And if they will learn anything , let them ask their husbands at home : for it is a shame for women to speak in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in silence with all subjection .
But I suffer not a woman to teach , nor to usurp authority over the man , but to be in silence.
” KXAS noted that in Hogue ’ s 12 years as mayor , he has never selected a woman to read the invocation .
However , he told the local CBS station that he hasn ’ t stopped women from delivering the invocation when they were selected by others .
“ Yes , there have been multiple women that have led the prayers , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always been respectful “ when a lady has showed up.
” He told WFAA-TV , the Dallas ABC station , that he believes women can serve as president , CEO and school superintendent ... but not preacher .
“ If you attend Church of Christ , there will not be a female preacher .
There will not be a female song leader .
There will not be a female that leads the prayer , ” Hogue told the WFAA , but he said there are “ ladies that teach other ladies ” as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hogue is not running for reelection , but a local conservative Facebook group called Befuddled by the Clowns said the city shouldn ’ t wait for a new election and urged Hogue to step down .

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The mayor of a community near Dallas is under fire for writing that women shouldn’t lead the City Council’s invocation because of a Bible passage that says it’s shameful for women to speak in church.
“All I ask is that those leading the public prayer be young men,” Wylie Mayor Eric Hogue wrote in an email to a member of the City Council who requested an invocation from members of a student group called Youth With a Mission, according to local media.
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“I just was flabbergasted,” one of his constituents, Mary Shaddox, told KXAS-TV Fort Worth. “It’s 2020.”
Hogue wrote that he takes the Bible literally and cited two biblical passages forbidding women to speak in church.
He noted that 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 states:
“Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.”
And he said 1 Timothy 2:11-12 warns:
“Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”
KXAS noted that in Hogue’s 12 years as mayor, he has never selected a woman to read the invocation. However, he told the local CBS station that he hasn’t stopped women from delivering the invocation when they were selected by others.
“Yes, there have been multiple women that have led the prayers,” he said, adding that he has always been respectful “when a lady has showed up.”
He told WFAA-TV, the Dallas ABC station, that he believes women can serve as president, CEO and school superintendent... but not preacher.
“If you attend Church of Christ, there will not be a female preacher. There will not be a female song leader. There will not be a female that leads the prayer,” Hogue told the WFAA, but he said there are “ladies that teach other ladies” as well as children’s classes.
Hogue is not running for reelection, but a local conservative Facebook group called Befuddled by the Clowns said the city shouldn’t wait for a new election and urged Hogue to step down.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-22--1st Photo Of Trump Wearing Mask Emerges Despite His Attempt To Duck Cameras

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he wore a mask during part of his visit to a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan , but did so away from cameras because he “ didn ’ t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.
” Trump has said he looks better in the mask , even though he has not been publicly seen wearing one despite recommendations to do so from his own administration .
However , a photo emerged after the visit on Thursday showing Trump with a face covering , which NBC News later confirmed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask during his tour of the Ford Rawsonville Components Plant in Ypsilanti , Michigan , where ventilators , masks and other medical supplies are being manufactured .
https : //t.co/UCqBVUEuBZ 📷 Anonymous pic.twitter.com/eiIFVNPVIh — NBC News ( @ NBCNews ) May 22 , 2020 Bill Ford , the company ’ s chairman , said in a statement that Trump wore a mask behind the scenes .
“ He wore a mask during a private viewing of three Ford GTs from over the years , ” Ford said in a statement cited by NPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask for the remainder of the visit.
” While Trump may have worn a mask briefly , he attended multiple events throughout the visit without a facial covering .
Nearly everyone else did .
He has frequently resisted wearing a mask during the global pandemic , and didn ’ t put one on even while touring a facility that makes them .
“ Somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk , the great Resolute Desk , I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents , prime ministers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t know , somehow I don ’ t see it for myself , ” Trump said last month .

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President Donald Trump on Thursday said he wore a mask during part of his visit to a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan, but did so away from cameras because he “didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”
Trump has said he looks better in the mask, even though he has not been publicly seen wearing one despite recommendations to do so from his own administration. However, a photo emerged after the visit on Thursday showing Trump with a face covering, which NBC News later confirmed with a source:
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President Trump wears a mask during his tour of the Ford Rawsonville Components Plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where ventilators, masks and other medical supplies are being manufactured. https://t.co/UCqBVUEuBZ
📷 Anonymous pic.twitter.com/eiIFVNPVIh — NBC News (@NBCNews) May 22, 2020
Bill Ford, the company’s chairman, said in a statement that Trump wore a mask behind the scenes.
“He wore a mask during a private viewing of three Ford GTs from over the years,” Ford said in a statement cited by NPR. “The President later removed the mask for the remainder of the visit.”
While Trump may have worn a mask briefly, he attended multiple events throughout the visit without a facial covering. Nearly everyone else did. He has frequently resisted wearing a mask during the global pandemic, and didn’t put one on even while touring a facility that makes them.
“Somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk, the great Resolute Desk, I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens, I don’t know, somehow I don’t see it for myself,” Trump said last month.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-22--People Think Donald Trump Went Full Michael Scott With His Latest Coronavirus Comments

President Donald Trump positively made an absolute mess of announcing he ’ d tested negative for the coronavirus .
Trump sparked some confusion among reporters outside the White House on Thursday when he said he ’ d “ tested very positively ” for the virus that has now killed more than 96,000 people nationwide “ I tested very positively in another sense , ” said Trump .
“ So this morning , I tested positively toward negative , right ?
So , no , I tested perfectly this morning , meaning I tested negative .
But that ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the negative.
” Check out the video here : Pres .
Trump says he `` tested very positively '' —meaning negative—for COVID-19 in test from earlier .
`` That 's a way of saying it .
Positively toward the negative . ''
https : //t.co/bJL0dAF6V1 pic.twitter.com/TFpz6XZUo7 — ABC News ( @ ABC ) May 21 , 2020 Some people on Twitter likened Trump ’ s confusing comments to a scene from the U.S. version of “ The Office.
” '' I tested very positively in another sense .
I tested positively toward negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaning I tested negative .
- President Trump '' - Michael Scott .
pic.twitter.com/pM4Wac6g7e — It Me .
( @ Le0Spaceman ) May 21 , 2020 “ The Office ” had an episode like this where Michael was confused as to why Kevin testing negative for cancer was a good thing .
Of course , Michael Scott was a fictional idiot .
Trump is the real thing .
— Philly_Harley ( @ philly_harley ) May 21 , 2020 Michael Scott : `` Well , apparently in the medicine community negative means good .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //t.co/Duk3eoCi8R — Devlin Barrett ( @ DevlinBarrett ) May 21 , 2020 Others simply expressed astonishment at his garbled explanation : Me to my mom in high school when I failed a calculus test : `` I tested very positively in another sense so— this morning .
Yeah .
I tested positively toward negative , right .
So .
I tested perfectly this morning .
Meaning I tested negative . ''
— Mark Schofield ( @ MarkSchofield ) May 21 , 2020 Did Trump just say he tested positively negative today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even mean ?
— Mystery Solvent ( @ MysterySolvent ) May 21 , 2020 “ Well , apparently , in the medicine community , ‘ negative ’ means ‘ good , ’ which makes absolutely no sense.
” — Michael Scott “ I tested very positively in another sense… I tested positively toward negative .
I tested perfectly this morning , meaning I tested negative.
” — Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/aRN8FdRUq7 — DNC War Room ( @ DNCWarRoom ) May 21 , 2020 me personally , i understand this very positively in one sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ i do n't understand it .
right ?
so yes , i understand it perfectly .
meaning i do n't understand it .
that 's a way of saying it .
i understand that i do n't understand it https : //t.co/EqQOVFPbop — Mark Berman ( @ markberman ) May 21 , 2020 I ’ m positively confused by the negative results the president says he got , after he tested very positively ... or was it positively toward negative ?
🤔 https : //t.co/WZnwfvTiyp — Kelly Werthmann ( @ KellyCBS4 ) May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stupid time to be alive .
— Miranda Yaver ( @ mirandayaver ) May 21 , 2020 It 's free-form poetry .
And I tested very positively In another sense .
So this morning .
I tested positively toward negative Right ?
So no .
I tested perfectly this morning .
Meaning I tested negative .
But that 's a way of saying it , Positively Toward the negative .
https : //t.co/SZ2z8gnhSq — Brooke Binkowski ( @ brooklynmarie ) May 21 , 2020

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President Donald Trump positively made an absolute mess of announcing he’d tested negative for the coronavirus.
Trump sparked some confusion among reporters outside the White House on Thursday when he said he’d “tested very positively” for the virus that has now killed more than 96,000 people nationwide
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“I tested very positively in another sense,” said Trump. “So this morning, I tested positively toward negative, right? So, no, I tested perfectly this morning, meaning I tested negative. But that’s a way of saying it, positively toward the negative.”
Check out the video here:
Pres. Trump says he "tested very positively"—meaning negative—for COVID-19 in test from earlier.
"That's a way of saying it. Positively toward the negative." https://t.co/bJL0dAF6V1 pic.twitter.com/TFpz6XZUo7 — ABC News (@ABC) May 21, 2020
Some people on Twitter likened Trump’s confusing comments to a scene from the U.S. version of “The Office.”
Donald Trump is Michael Scott pic.twitter.com/PUHLOmRvNb — act.tv (@actdottv) May 21, 2020
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"I tested very positively in another sense. I tested positively toward negative. I tested perfectly this morning, meaning I tested negative. - President Trump" - Michael Scott. pic.twitter.com/pM4Wac6g7e — It Me. (@Le0Spaceman) May 21, 2020
“The Office” had an episode like this where Michael was confused as to why Kevin testing negative for cancer was a good thing. Of course, Michael Scott was a fictional idiot. Trump is the real thing. — Philly_Harley (@philly_harley) May 21, 2020
Michael Scott: "Well, apparently in the medicine community negative means good. Which makes absolutely no sense." https://t.co/Duk3eoCi8R — Devlin Barrett (@DevlinBarrett) May 21, 2020
Others simply expressed astonishment at his garbled explanation:
I tested very positively pic.twitter.com/lp4fE2bbai — Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) May 21, 2020
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Me to my mom in high school when I failed a calculus test: "I tested very positively in another sense so— this morning. Yeah. I tested positively toward negative, right. So. I tested perfectly this morning. Meaning I tested negative." — Mark Schofield (@MarkSchofield) May 21, 2020
Did Trump just say he tested positively negative today for COVID19??
What does that even mean? — Mystery Solvent (@MysterySolvent) May 21, 2020
“Well, apparently, in the medicine community, ‘negative’ means ‘good,’ which makes absolutely no sense.” — Michael Scott
“I tested very positively in another sense… I tested positively toward negative. I tested perfectly this morning, meaning I tested negative.” — Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/aRN8FdRUq7 — DNC War Room (@DNCWarRoom) May 21, 2020
me personally, i understand this very positively in one sense, which is that i understand that i don't understand it. right? so yes, i understand it perfectly. meaning i don't understand it. that's a way of saying it. i understand that i don't understand it https://t.co/EqQOVFPbop — Mark Berman (@markberman) May 21, 2020
TFW you test very positively towards negative pic.twitter.com/8D30bR8jPF — David Neary (@DeusExCinema) May 21, 2020
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I’m positively confused by the negative results the president says he got, after he tested very positively...or was it positively toward negative? 🤔 https://t.co/WZnwfvTiyp — Kelly Werthmann (@KellyCBS4) May 21, 2020
English, mangled beyond recognition, collapses & expires in his mouth https://t.co/LSb2CLzVY0 — Toby Earle (@TobyonTV) May 21, 2020
Accentuate the positive toward the negative positively https://t.co/Mt3qRO2pnS — Daniel Larison (@DanielLarison) May 21, 2020
This is such a stupid time to be alive. — Miranda Yaver (@mirandayaver) May 21, 2020
It's free-form poetry.
And I tested very positively
In another sense.
So this morning. I tested positively toward negative
Right?
So no.
I tested perfectly this morning.
Meaning I tested negative.
But that's a way of saying it,
Positively
Toward the negative. https://t.co/SZ2z8gnhSq — Brooke Binkowski (@brooklynmarie) May 21, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-22--Baltimore Mayor To Donald Trump: Don't Come Here During Coronavirus Lockdown

Baltimore Mayor Bernard “ Jack ” Young has urged President Donald Trump to cancel his scheduled Memorial Day visit to the city , which remains under a stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus pandemic .
In a statement shared on Twitter , Young said Trump was sending “ the wrong message to our residents , many of whom have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 virus ” with his planned trip to the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine .
“ I wish that the President , as our nation ’ s leader , would set a positive example and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Young added .
He also noted the high cost the city would incur from the presidential visit .
Baltimore is “ still dealing with the loss of roughly $ 20 million in revenue per month ” because of the public health crisis and “ simply can ’ t afford to shoulder ” the price tag that would accompany Trump ’ s trip , he wrote .
“ I would hope that the President would change his mind and decide to remain at home , ” added Young .
“ If he decides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his scheduled trip to Baltimore we will , of course , be prepared for his visit.
” Dear Mr. President @ realDonaldTrump , please stay home !
The City of Baltimore is currently under a Stay at Home order for the safety of our residents , who have been hit hard by # COVID19 .
pic.twitter.com/7FwrHIHyeX — Mayor Bernard C. Jack Young ( @ mayorbcyoung ) May 21 , 2020 Young early last year slammed Trump over his criticism of the city .
The president attacked the late Rep. Elijah Cummings ( D-Md @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who died in October a “ brutal bully ” and describing his majority-black Baltimore district as a “ rodent-infested mess.
” “ If you want to help us , help us .
Don ’ t talk about us .
Send the resources that we need to rebuild America , ” Young fired back at Trump at the time .
“ He ’ s talking about he wants to make America great again .
Put the money in the cities that need it the most , and that way you can make America great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also said Trump is unwelcome in her state after the president refused to wear a face mask in front of reporters during Thursday ’ s visit to a Ford plant .
He did briefly don a mask in a private portion of the tour .
“ The president is a petulant child who refuses to follow the rules , and I have to say , this is no joke , ” Nessel , a Democrat , told CNN .

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Baltimore Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young has urged President Donald Trump to cancel his scheduled Memorial Day visit to the city, which remains under a stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Please stay home!” Young, a Democrat, tweeted at Trump on Thursday.
In a statement shared on Twitter, Young said Trump was sending “the wrong message to our residents, many of whom have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 virus” with his planned trip to the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.
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“I wish that the President, as our nation’s leader, would set a positive example and not travel during this holiday weekend,” Young added.
Baltimore Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young is urging President Donald Trump to cancel his scheduled Memorial Day visit to the city. ASSOCIATED PRESS
He also noted the high cost the city would incur from the presidential visit. Baltimore is “still dealing with the loss of roughly $20 million in revenue per month” because of the public health crisis and “simply can’t afford to shoulder” the price tag that would accompany Trump’s trip, he wrote.
“I would hope that the President would change his mind and decide to remain at home,” added Young. “If he decides, however, to move forward with his scheduled trip to Baltimore we will, of course, be prepared for his visit.”
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Dear Mr. President @realDonaldTrump, please stay home! The City of Baltimore is currently under a Stay at Home order for the safety of our residents, who have been hit hard by #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/7FwrHIHyeX — Mayor Bernard C. Jack Young (@mayorbcyoung) May 21, 2020
Young early last year slammed Trump over his criticism of the city. The president attacked the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), calling the longtime lawmaker who died in October a “brutal bully” and describing his majority-black Baltimore district as a “rodent-infested mess.”
“If you want to help us, help us. Don’t talk about us. Send the resources that we need to rebuild America,” Young fired back at Trump at the time. “He’s talking about he wants to make America great again. Put the money in the cities that need it the most, and that way you can make America great again.”
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has also said Trump is unwelcome in her state after the president refused to wear a face mask in front of reporters during Thursday’s visit to a Ford plant. He did briefly don a mask in a private portion of the tour.
“The president is a petulant child who refuses to follow the rules, and I have to say, this is no joke,” Nessel, a Democrat, told CNN.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-22--Epidemiologist Warns How 'All-Or-Nothing' Messaging On Coronavirus Can Backfire

Epidemiologist Julia Marcus , an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School , on Thursday warned of the pitfalls of “ abstinence-only messaging ” amid the coronavirus pandemic .
During CNN ’ s global town hall on the public health crisis , Marcus said a possible side-effect of attempting to totally eliminate the risk of spreading the virus ( which she accepted is currently not possible ) was people shaming others on social media “ for what seems to be risky behavior , ” driving those activities underground , possibly to an indoor dinner party , “ which we know is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The last thing we want is for contact tracers to be trying to trace people who may have been exposed in an outbreak and people not being willing to disclose they attended an event , ” she said .
Marcus instead advocated , going forward , for a harm-reduction approach where people are equipped with the knowledge and tools to differentiate between high and low-risk activities .
It was because , she acknowledged , people can ’ t stay inside forever or until a vaccine is developed , which could take several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how “ up until now we ’ ve had kind of an all-or-nothing approach where we ’ ve really been telling people to stay home , which is really what we needed to do for the first couple of months.
” A more sustainable approach for the long-term was now needed , she said .
To that end , Marcus said she was “ very happy ” to hear Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of the Trump White House ’ s coronavirus task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town hall to “ go out ” over Memorial Day weekend ( while still avoiding crowds , wearing masks and maintaining physical distance ) .
“ I think that ’ s the approach we need moving forward , is to encourage people to be outdoors where we know the risk of transmission is much lower , ” said Marcus .
Epidemiologist Julia Marcus says `` abstinence-only messaging '' and trying to totally eliminate risk can backfire .
`` If we start to see people gathering in a park ... and call them out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might do is take that indoors and have a dinner party .
`` # CNNTownHall pic.twitter.com/NK4tSR5ITH — Anderson Cooper 360° ( @ AC360 ) May 22 , 2020 Dr. Anthony Fauci , a member of the White House ’ s coronavirus task force , says Americans should “ go out ” for Memorial Day .
“ Go out , wear a mask , stay 6 feet away from anyone so you have the physical distancing , and go out.
” # CNNTownHall https : //t.co/265ucspaQ5 pic.twitter.com/GS5NZXBeH5 — Anderson Cooper 360° ( @ AC360 @ @ @ @ @

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Epidemiologist Julia Marcus, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, warned of the pitfalls of “abstinence-only messaging” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
During CNN’s global town hall on the public health crisis on Thursday, Marcus said a possible side effect of attempting to totally eliminate the risk of spreading the virus (which she accepted is currently not possible) was people shaming others on social media “for what seems to be risky behavior.” That shaming, she said, drives those activities underground, possibly to an indoor dinner party, “which we know is going to be actually higher risk.”
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“The last thing we want is for contact tracers to be trying to trace people who may have been exposed in an outbreak and people not being willing to disclose they attended an event,” Marcus said.
Marcus instead advocated a harm-reduction approach that equips people with the knowledge and tools to differentiate between high-risk and low-risk activities.
People can’t stay inside forever or until a vaccine is developed, which could take several months or even years, she noted. The “all-or-nothing approach, where we’ve really been telling people to stay home,” was needed during the pandemic’s first months, she said.
But now, a more sustainable strategy is required, she said.
To that end, Marcus said she was “very happy” to hear Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of the Trump White House coronavirus task force, encouraging people during the same town hall to “go out” over Memorial Day weekend (while still avoiding crowds, wearing masks and maintaining physical distance).
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“I think that’s the approach we need moving forward, is to encourage people to be outdoors where we know the risk of transmission is much lower,” said Marcus.
Check out the interview here:
Epidemiologist Julia Marcus says "abstinence-only messaging" and trying to totally eliminate risk can backfire.
"If we start to see people gathering in a park... and call them out on social media, then what they might do is take that indoors and have a dinner party."#CNNTownHall pic.twitter.com/NK4tSR5ITH — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) May 22, 2020
And Fauci’s comments here:
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, says Americans should “go out” for Memorial Day.
“Go out, wear a mask, stay 6 feet away from anyone so you have the physical distancing, and go out.” #CNNTownHall https://t.co/265ucspaQ5 pic.twitter.com/GS5NZXBeH5 — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) May 22, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Biden Camp Limits Journalist Access To High-Dollar Wall Street Fundraiser

Former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s campaign removed the press from a fundraising call with Wall Street donors on Thursday shortly before the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee began taking questions from those on the line .
It was the first time Biden has limited media access to a virtual high-dollar fundraiser , Bloomberg News noted , and it drew criticism from reporters covering his campaign who said it went against his pledge of transparency .
“ This pool report was written based just on his opening remarks because your pooler was quickly kicked off the phone call when Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from any of the 25 donors present , a move that goes against traditionally covering these pooled fundraisers in their entirety , ” NBC ’ s Marianna Sotomayor , the reporter representing news organizations who covered the event , wrote .
“ Also , reporters heard Biden over the phone , not through Zoom as has been common practice in the virtual campaign era.
” The event was hosted by the heads of three investment banking firms : Roger Altman of Evercore , Blair Effron of Centerview Partners and Deven Parekh of Insight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been quite good about opening fundraisers so the public can get a sense of what he says to wealthy donors Not tonight .
@ MariannaNBCNews , the pool reporter representing news organizations , was kicked off as he started taking questions from Wall Street donors pic.twitter.com/HpocNaed7u — Matt Viser ( @ mviser ) May 22 , 2020 Biden said last year that he would open all of his big-donor fundraisers to the media , and his campaign team said at the time that the move reflected a “ commitment to transparency.
” His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ new format ” when asked why reporters weren ’ t allowed to listen in to the question-and-answer portion , signaling Biden might limit press access in the future to court big-ticket donors .
The campaign did not reply to HuffPost ’ s requests for a transcript of the questions or a list of those who attended the fundraiser .
“ Tonight ’ s event was a new format as we enter a new phase of the general election campaign , ” Rufus Gifford , Biden ’ s deputy campaign manager , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will continue to ensure press access to our virtual finance events as part of our campaign ’ s commitment to transparency ― one that vastly exceeds anything that Donald Trump and his campaign have offered the American people.
” Reporters were able to listen to Biden ’ s opening remarks , during which he addressed what he called “ anxious times ” and lambasted Trump ’ s leadership throughout the pandemic that has infected more than 1.5 million people in the U.S. “ You know when Trump ran in 2016 , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forgotten man , ’ ” Biden said .
“ As soon as he got elected , he sure as hell forgot them quick enough .
Now we ’ re seeing the telltale signs of Trump-o-nomics in the way that he ’ s implemented this stimulus .
No strings , no oversight , no [ inspector general ] , no accountability , and is setting up what I would call a corrupt recovery.
” Trump does not usually allow reporters to report on his own fundraisers , but many in the Democratic race had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the 2020 election cycle .
Biden has been aggressively fundraising since Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) ended his own Democratic presidential bid , seeking to build a war chest to counter the sizable fundraising arm wielded by Trump .
The former vice president raised more than $ 60 million in April with the Democratic National Committee .

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Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign removed the press from a fundraising call with Wall Street donors on Thursday shortly before the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee began taking questions from those on the line.
It was the first time Biden has limited media access to a virtual high-dollar fundraiser, Bloomberg News noted, and it drew criticism from reporters covering his campaign who said it went against his pledge of transparency.
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“This pool report was written based just on his opening remarks because your pooler was quickly kicked off the phone call when Biden said he was ready to take questions from any of the 25 donors present, a move that goes against traditionally covering these pooled fundraisers in their entirety,” NBC’s Marianna Sotomayor, the reporter representing news organizations who covered the event, wrote. “Also, reporters heard Biden over the phone, not through Zoom as has been common practice in the virtual campaign era.”
The event was hosted by the heads of three investment banking firms: Roger Altman of Evercore, Blair Effron of Centerview Partners and Deven Parekh of Insight Partners.
Biden’s campaign has been quite good about opening fundraisers so the public can get a sense of what he says to wealthy donors
Not tonight. @MariannaNBCNews, the pool reporter representing news organizations, was kicked off as he started taking questions from Wall Street donors pic.twitter.com/HpocNaed7u — Matt Viser (@mviser) May 22, 2020
Biden said last year that he would open all of his big-donor fundraisers to the media, and his campaign team said at the time that the move reflected a “commitment to transparency.”
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His campaign said Thursday’s fundraiser featured a “new format” when asked why reporters weren’t allowed to listen in to the question-and-answer portion, signaling Biden might limit press access in the future to court big-ticket donors. The campaign did not reply to HuffPost’s requests for a transcript of the questions or a list of those who attended the fundraiser.
“Tonight’s event was a new format as we enter a new phase of the general election campaign,” Rufus Gifford, Biden’s deputy campaign manager, said in a statement. “But we will continue to ensure press access to our virtual finance events as part of our campaign’s commitment to transparency ― one that vastly exceeds anything that Donald Trump and his campaign have offered the American people.”
Reporters were able to listen to Biden’s opening remarks, during which he addressed what he called “anxious times” and lambasted Trump’s leadership throughout the pandemic that has infected more than 1.5 million people in the U.S.
“You know when Trump ran in 2016, he promised to stand up for the ‘forgotten man,’” Biden said. “As soon as he got elected, he sure as hell forgot them quick enough. Now we’re seeing the telltale signs of Trump-o-nomics in the way that he’s implemented this stimulus. No strings, no oversight, no [inspector general], no accountability, and is setting up what I would call a corrupt recovery.”
Trump does not usually allow reporters to report on his own fundraisers, but many in the Democratic race had pledged to open up their own fundraisers during the 2020 election cycle.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--Trump Orders Flags To Half-Staff To Honor Coronavirus Victims

President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered that flags on all federal buildings and national monuments be lowered to half-staff as the Memorial Day weekend begins .
The decree is to honor the nearly 95,000 Americans who have died from the coronavirus .
The president made the announcement on Twitter .
I will be lowering the flags on all Federal Buildings and National Monuments to half-staff over the next three days in memory of the Americans we have lost to the CoronaVirus ... .
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 21 , 2020 The decision to honor victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president , who previously has not shown much empathy for them , preferring to spend public briefings praising himself and attacking others .
The flags will remain lowered on Memorial Day in order to honor men and women in the military “ who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice for our Nation.
” ... .On Monday , the flags will be at half-staff in honor of the men and women in our Military who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice for our Nation .
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bipartisanship , the presidential campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden supported the president ’ s decision — with faint praise .
The @ JoeBiden campaign responds : “ This terrible virus has caused so much pain for so many families across our country , especially after Trump ’ s response to it fell so short .
This is the appropriate decision . ''
via @ AndrewBatesNC https : //t.co/KblhkO3Zrh — Sarah Mucha CNN ( @ sarahmucha ) May 21 , 2020

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President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered that flags on all federal buildings and national monuments be lowered to half-staff as the Memorial Day weekend begins. The decree is to honor the nearly 95,000 Americans who have died from the coronavirus.
The president made the announcement on Twitter.
I will be lowering the flags on all Federal Buildings and National Monuments to half-staff over the next three days in memory of the Americans we have lost to the CoronaVirus.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2020
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The decision to honor victims of the disease marks a change for the president, who previously has not shown much empathy for them, preferring to spend public briefings praising himself and attacking others.
The flags will remain lowered on Memorial Day in order to honor men and women in the military “who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice for our Nation.”
....On Monday, the flags will be at half-staff in honor of the men and women in our Military who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice for our Nation. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2020
In a rare show of bipartisanship, the presidential campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden supported the president’s decision — with faint praise.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-21--University Of California System To Eliminate SAT, ACT Requirements For Admissions

The University of California system will no longer require SAT or ACT standardized test scores as part of its college admissions process , a decision that could have major implications for admissions to other U.S. universities .
The major school system ’ s board of regents voted unanimously on Thursday to support a proposal by UC President Janet Napolitano to gradually eliminate the use of the standardized tests for admission .
The UC schools had already made the SAT and ACT optional for fall 2021 applicants , given the current disruptions in schooling and testing due to the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ likely ongoing impacts ” of COVID-19 on students and schools .
The test will be phased out by first being optional for fall 2021 and 2022 applicants , and then removed from admissions criteria for 2023 and 2024 — though students may still submit scores for scholarship and course placement purposes .
By 2025 , all uses of the SAT and ACT are to be eliminated .
In an hourslong debate with regents on Thursday , Napolitano pointed to “ the correlation of the SAT and the ACT to the socio-economic level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , the ethnicity of the student , ” the Mercury News reported .
Last year , students and advocacy groups sued the UC system over the use of SAT and ACT scores in admissions , claiming it discriminated against students based on income and race .
The suit quotes a letter from California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) to lawmakers that year , vetoing the proposed use of the SAT and ACT to replace 11th-grade standardized testing in the state .
Newsom said the use of the SAT and ACT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students , given that performance on these tests is highly correlated with race and parental income , and is not the best predictor for college success.
” The UC school system plans to create a new standardized test for admissions “ that better aligns with the content UC expects applicants to have learned and with UC ’ s values , ” Napolitano ’ s proposal said .
But if this test is not ready for fall 2025 applicants , standardized testing requirements for admissions would go away altogether .
Last year , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test , announced and then dropped a plan to have an “ adversity score ” to reflect students ’ privilege in an attempt to level the playing field for students of different social and economic backgrounds .
Earlier that year , a massive cheating scheme involving wealthy , mostly white parents trying to bribe their kids ’ way into some of the nation ’ s elite colleges , including UCLA , highlighted the inequalities in college admissions .
After news of the scandal broke , many pointed out that admissions are already rigged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are more able to afford private tutors and classes to prepare for standardized tests like the SAT .

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The University of California system will no longer require SAT or ACT standardized test scores as part of its college admissions process, a decision that could have major implications for admissions to other U.S. universities.
The major school system’s board of regents voted unanimously on Thursday to support a proposal by UC President Janet Napolitano to gradually eliminate the use of the standardized tests for admission.
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Some 280,000 students attend the 10-campus university system, including the prestigious UC Berkeley and UCLA.
The UC schools had already made the SAT and ACT optional for fall 2021 applicants, given the current disruptions in schooling and testing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Napolitano’s proposal cited the “likely ongoing impacts” of COVID-19 on students and schools.
The test will be phased out by first being optional for fall 2021 and 2022 applicants, and then removed from admissions criteria for 2023 and 2024 — though students may still submit scores for scholarship and course placement purposes. By 2025, all uses of the SAT and ACT are to be eliminated.
UC’s move follows small liberal arts colleges that have already become SAT test-optional for admissions, including Smith and Sarah Lawrence colleges.
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In an hourslong debate with regents on Thursday, Napolitano pointed to “the correlation of the SAT and the ACT to the socio-economic level of the student, and in some case, the ethnicity of the student,” the Mercury News reported.
Last year, students and advocacy groups sued the UC system over the use of SAT and ACT scores in admissions, claiming it discriminated against students based on income and race.
The suit quotes a letter from California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to lawmakers that year, vetoing the proposed use of the SAT and ACT to replace 11th-grade standardized testing in the state. Newsom said the use of the SAT and ACT tests “exacerbates the inequities for underrepresented students, given that performance on these tests is highly correlated with race and parental income, and is not the best predictor for college success.”
A man wears a mask while walking past Sather Gate on the University of California, Berkeley, campus on March 11, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The UC school system plans to create a new standardized test for admissions “that better aligns with the content UC expects applicants to have learned and with UC’s values,” Napolitano’s proposal said. But if this test is not ready for fall 2025 applicants, standardized testing requirements for admissions would go away altogether.
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Last year, the College Board, which administers the SAT test, announced and then dropped a plan to have an “adversity score” to reflect students’ privilege in an attempt to level the playing field for students of different social and economic backgrounds.
Earlier that year, a massive cheating scheme involving wealthy, mostly white parents trying to bribe their kids’ way into some of the nation’s elite colleges, including UCLA, highlighted the inequalities in college admissions.
After news of the scandal broke, many pointed out that admissions are already rigged to favor wealthy and white students — who are more able to afford private tutors and classes to prepare for standardized tests like the SAT.