thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-04--Catholic Priest Pledges To Deny Communion, Church Roles To Pro-Choice Lawmakers

Bucci reportedly gave the flier to parishioners at his church on Jan. 26 , a date near the anniversary of Roe v. Wade , the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that established a nationwide right to abortion .
The priest also reportedly mailed the flier , which named both Catholics and non-Catholics , to legislators ’ homes .
“ In accord with the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2,000 years , the following members of the legislature may NOT receive Holy Communion , as are all the officers of the state of Rhode Island , as well as Rhode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the flier reads , according to the Journal .
“ In addition , they will not be allowed to act as witnesses to marriage , godparents , or lectors at weddings , funerals or any other church function.
” “ They call me ‘ Father ’ so that I may have an influence in their lives , and this is a serious issue of life and death , ” Bucci said .
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Providence told HuffPost that Bucci has the authority to make decisions about how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The spokesperson declined to explicitly state whether its leader , Bishop Thomas Tobin , approves of the ban .
“ Because the Church entrusts to each pastor the duty of teaching , sanctifying , and governing his parish , the daily pastoral and administrative decisions are made at the local parish level , ” the spokesperson wrote in an email .
Catholic bishops have a considerable amount of authority over the clerical actions of priests in their dioceses .
It would be rare for a priest to continue to take a public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least the tacit approval of his bishop .
Bucci ’ s list of lawmakers stems from the battle in Rhode Island ’ s General Assembly last June over a contentious abortion bill .
The Reproductive Privacy Act of 2019 sought to counter a wave of anti-abortion bills that emerged in Republican-run states last year as part of an effort to strike down Roe v. Wade .
The Rhode Island bill codified abortion rights at the state level , in anticipation of a fight over abortion in federal courts .
Rhode Island is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 41 % of the state ’ s residents identifying as its adherents , according to a survey published by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2017 .
But the church hierarchy ’ s views on abortion clash with the views of many residents who identify as Catholics .
In a 2014 Pew Research Center survey , most Rhode Island Catholics said abortion should be legal in all or most cases ( 57 % ) .
In a 2018 poll by Public Religion Research Institute , 65 % of state residents said abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
Other priests have made political statements by refusing to offer communion to certain public figures ― most commonly over the culture war issues of abortion and LGBTQ rights .
Last year , a South Carolina priest banned former Joe Biden , a Catholic , from receiving communion during a visit because of the former vice president ’ s support for abortion rights .
An Illinois bishop decreed last June that Catholic lawmakers who supported state abortion rights legislation would be banned from communion .
In Michigan , a priest told a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was barred from receiving the sacrament at his church .
The Providence diocese declined to tell HuffPost whether Tobin or any priest under his watch has ever denied communion to lawmakers who clash with important church teachings on topics other than abortion ― such as caring for the environment , migrants , and the poor .
Rhode Island state Rep. Carol McEntee ( D ) told the Providence Journal that she believes Bucci ’ s list is an act of retaliation against her family for speaking up against her sister ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priest .
McEntee helped usher a law through the state legislature that extended the statute of limitations for child sex abuse claims .
“ They refuse to own up to the crisis that they have created and the lives they have destroyed , ” McEntee said of Bucci and the state ’ s Catholic Church .

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A Rhode Island Catholic priest intends to deny Holy Communion and other church privileges to state lawmakers who supported an abortion rights bill signed into law last year.
Rev. Richard Bucci, a priest at West Warwick’s Sacred Heart Church, created a flier listing the names of 66 lawmakers who would be refused communion at his parish, The Providence Journal reported.
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Bucci reportedly gave the flier to parishioners at his church on Jan. 26, a date near the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that established a nationwide right to abortion. The priest also reportedly mailed the flier, which named both Catholics and non-Catholics, to legislators’ homes.
“In accord with the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2,000 years, the following members of the legislature may NOT receive Holy Communion, as are all the officers of the state of Rhode Island, as well as Rhode Island’s members of Congress,” the flier reads, according to the Journal. “In addition, they will not be allowed to act as witnesses to marriage, godparents, or lectors at weddings, funerals or any other church function.”
Lectors are those who read aloud scriptural passages used in church services.
The 72-year-old priest told the Journal he wanted the lawmakers to “take responsibility” for their views on abortion rights.
“They call me ‘Father’ so that I may have an influence in their lives, and this is a serious issue of life and death,” Bucci said.
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Sacred Heart Church did not return HuffPost’s request for comment.
Here’s a photo of the notice received by lawmakers including @repmcentee33 pic.twitter.com/diBYuAVod9 — Ian Donnis (@IanDon) January 31, 2020
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Providence told HuffPost that Bucci has the authority to make decisions about how to administer Holy Communion in his own parish. The spokesperson declined to explicitly state whether its leader, Bishop Thomas Tobin, approves of the ban.
“Because the Church entrusts to each pastor the duty of teaching, sanctifying, and governing his parish, the daily pastoral and administrative decisions are made at the local parish level,” the spokesperson wrote in an email.
Catholic bishops have a considerable amount of authority over the clerical actions of priests in their dioceses. It would be rare for a priest to continue to take a public stance on key Catholic rites without at least the tacit approval of his bishop.
On Monday, Tobin tweeted that politicians have a duty to “make courageous choices in support of life.”
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"Civic leaders, called to serve the people and the common good, have a duty to make courageous choices in support of life, especially through legislative measures . . . No one can ever renounce this responsibility." (St. John Paul II, EV #90) — Bishop Thomas Tobin (@ThomasJTobin1) February 4, 2020
Bucci’s list of lawmakers stems from the battle in Rhode Island’s General Assembly last June over a contentious abortion bill. The Reproductive Privacy Act of 2019 sought to counter a wave of anti-abortion bills that emerged in Republican-run states last year as part of an effort to strike down Roe v. Wade. The Rhode Island bill codified abortion rights at the state level, in anticipation of a fight over abortion in federal courts.
The bill was heavily opposed by Tobin and the diocese’s lobbying arm, the Rhode Island Catholic Conference.
Rhode Island is the most Catholic state in the U.S., with 41% of the state’s residents identifying as its adherents, according to a survey published by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2017.
But the church hierarchy’s views on abortion clash with the views of many residents who identify as Catholics. In a 2014 Pew Research Center survey, most Rhode Island Catholics said abortion should be legal in all or most cases (57%). In a 2018 poll by Public Religion Research Institute, 65% of state residents said abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
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Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D), a Catholic, signed the Reproductive Privacy Act into law.
Catholic doctrine teaches that the Eucharist is the “summit and source” of Christian life. Consequently, denying this sacrament to a parishioner is a weighty gesture.
Other priests have made political statements by refusing to offer communion to certain public figures ― most commonly over the culture war issues of abortion and LGBTQ rights. Last year, a South Carolina priest banned former Joe Biden, a Catholic, from receiving communion during a visit because of the former vice president’s support for abortion rights. An Illinois bishop decreed last June that Catholic lawmakers who supported state abortion rights legislation would be banned from communion. In Michigan, a priest told a married lesbian parishioner late last year that she was barred from receiving the sacrament at his church.
In 2009, former U.S. House Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, a Rhode Island Democrat, revealed that Tobin had asked him to refrain from receiving communion because of Kennedy’s stance on abortion.
Tobin faced backlash last year for asking the state’s Catholics not to support or attend LGBTQ Pride Month events because they are “contrary to Catholic faith and morals.”
The Providence diocese declined to tell HuffPost whether Tobin or any priest under his watch has ever denied communion to lawmakers who clash with important church teachings on topics other than abortion ― such as caring for the environment, migrants, and the poor.
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Catholic doctrine teaches that the Eucharist is the “summit and source” of Christian life. Avalon_Studio via Getty Images
Rhode Island state Rep. Carol McEntee (D) told the Providence Journal that she believes Bucci’s list is an act of retaliation against her family for speaking up against her sister’s abuse by a former Sacred Heart parish priest. McEntee helped usher a law through the state legislature that extended the statute of limitations for child sex abuse claims.
“They refuse to own up to the crisis that they have created and the lives they have destroyed,” McEntee said of Bucci and the state’s Catholic Church.
Bucci countered that characterization in the Journal, arguing that he had taken steps to help church sexual abuse victims in the past.
Rhode Island state Rep. Julie Casimiro (D) told HuffPost that she also believes Bucci’s list was issued to retaliate against McEntee’s family.
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Casimiro said she grew up as a practicing Catholic, but that the actions of the Providence diocese over the years and by Bucci more recently have made her “reconsider” her religious identity.
She said she believes Bucci’s decision was “shortsighted and punitive.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-04--In A Historic First, Iowa Mosques Participated In Statewide Caucuses

A large Bernie Sanders poster hung outside the mosque gate where individuals entered .
Once participants reached the door , they removed their shoes before entering the prayer space where an imam melodiously made the call to prayer .
A student at Iowa State University , Saeed prayed shoulder to shoulder with the group .
But once the caucus began , he was quickly found himself separated from most of the congregation .
He sat on a blue and gold rug nestled in a small corner of this two-story mosque along with three other Yang supporters ― a rarity among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Saeed still sported a huge grin .
Regardless of the outcome , he said he was thrilled to be at his local mosque , representing his political views as an Iowan — and an American Muslim .
For decades , Iowans have gathered in small groups to set the tone through their caucuses for the rest of the presidential election .
On Monday , that included 1,678 locations ― school gyms , churches , and libraries that had been transformed into caucus locations .
For the first time , it also included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For American Muslims , the 2020 elections have been a breakthrough year .
Several of the candidates in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination have finally recognized this faith group as a vital community whose support is worth recruiting .
Just a few days before the caucuses , the national board of the Muslim Caucus of America , as well Iowa state Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad , the sole Muslim in the state Legislature , announced their endorsements of Sanders , the senator from Vermont .
Five mosques were approved as satellite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muslim Americans in the greater Des Moines area attended them .
The satellite sites were set up to allow caucusgoers to participate at times and locations more convenient for them .
Any campaign , organization or constituent group could apply to have the party authorize satellite sites .
Ghazala Salam , the president and founder of the Muslim Caucus , a civic advocacy group that promotes voter engagement within Iowa ’ s American Muslim community , Salam called the mosque designations unprecedented and said that this inclusion would soon “ lay the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Iowa Muslim community , which makes up about 1 % of the state ’ s roughly 3.1 million residents , has only been sporadically involved with the caucuses in the past , said Mohamad Khan , the president of MCO since it was founded in 2009 .
More than 100 Muslim Americans participated in the caucus at the MCO mosque .
At least four staffers and volunteers from the Sanders campaign were at the caucus site .
Sanders campaign staffers were in attendance at all of the five mosques that served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign confirmed to HuffPost .
At the MCO , Saeed was courted by Sanders supporters who passionately made a case for him to come to the other side .
Saeed looked back at the other two Yang supporters who did not want to budge .
He grinned sheepishly then began to walk over to the other side of the room .
The Sanders backers broke into applause and cheers .

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DES MOINES, Iowa –– Aws Saeed, 21, was among a handful of Andrew Yang supporters at the Muslim Community Organization (MCO) in a northwest Des Moines suburb that served as a satellite caucus site for Monday’s voting in the Democratic presidential race.
A large Bernie Sanders poster hung outside the mosque gate where individuals entered. Once participants reached the door, they removed their shoes before entering the prayer space, where an imam melodiously made the call to prayer.
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Saeed, a student at Iowa State University, prayed shoulder to shoulder with the group. But once the caucus began, he quickly found himself separated from most of the congregation. He sat on a blue-and-gold rug, nestled in a small corner of this two-story mosque along with three other Yang supporters ― a rarity among at least 100 Sanders backers.
Saeed attempted to persuade the other caucus-goers to join his corner by touting Yang’s universal basic income plan. Ultimately, he was unsuccessful.
Nonetheless, Saeed still sported a huge grin. Regardless of the outcome, he said, he was thrilled to be at his mosque, representing his political views as an Iowan and an American Muslim.
For decades, Iowans have gathered in small groups to set the tone through their caucuses for the rest of the presidential primary. On Monday, that included 1,678 locations ― school gyms, churches and libraries that had been transformed into caucus locations. For the first time, it also included mosques as part of the democratic process.
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For American Muslims, the 2020 elections have been a breakthrough year. Several of the candidates in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination have finally recognized this faith group as a vital community whose support is worth recruiting.
Just a few days before the caucuses, the national board of the Muslim Caucus of America, as well Iowa state Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, the sole Muslim in the state Legislature, announced their endorsements of Sanders, the senator from Vermont.
Five mosques were approved as satellite caucus locations, and many of the Muslim Americans in the greater Des Moines area attended them. The satellite sites were set up to allow caucusgoers to participate at times and locations more convenient for them. Any campaign, organization or constituent group could apply to have the party authorize satellite sites.
Ghazala Salam, the president and founder of the Muslim Caucus, a civic advocacy group that promotes voter engagement within Iowa’s American Muslim community, called the mosque designations unprecedented and said that this inclusion would soon “lay the ground for the rest of the country.”
“To me, it shows we’re being included in the political process and that our voice and vote matters,” Salam said
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First stop: Muslim Community Organization also known as the 42nd street mosque. The president of the mosque begins with the housekeeping rules. Lots of Bernie signs and stickers. pic.twitter.com/CuwWQAd3oC — Rowaida Abdelaziz (@Rowaida_Abdel) February 4, 2020
The Iowa Muslim community, which makes up about 1% of the state’s roughly 3.1 million residents, has only been sporadically involved with the caucuses in the past, said Mohamad Khan, the president of MCO since it was founded in 2009.
“We could hardly get them to register to vote,” he told HuffPost.
More than 100 Muslim Americans participated in the caucus at the MCO mosque. At least four staffers and volunteers from the Sanders campaign were at the caucus site.
Ten miles away, about 40 people participated at another caucus at the Al Najah Islamic Center. Sanders won the majority of its participants.
Sanders campaign staffers were in attendance at all of the five mosques that served as caucus sites, the candidate’s campaign confirmed to HuffPost.
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Khan said several Democratic presidential candidates reached out to MCO’s leadership, but the Sanders campaign helped it and the other mosques register as satellite sites.
The 3 Yang Gang members. They say they could sway to anyone at this point. Biden, Sanders and Klobuchar are all viable options for collectively. pic.twitter.com/7iFDoSzhZf — Rowaida Abdelaziz (@Rowaida_Abdel) February 4, 2020
Nationally, Sanders enjoys strong support among Muslim and Arab Americans, many of whom say he has consistently visited and acknowledged their communities when other presidential candidates largely overlooked them.
On Capitol Hill, Sanders has received endorsements from Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Muslims who both campaigned for him in Iowa within the last week, alongside Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a Hindu.
“He’s made [Muslims and other religious minorities] a priority and shown up,” Khanna said. “He’s listened to them and asked them their input and had them join his campaign. He’s targeted them. It’s been very intentional.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-04--Bloomberg To Double TV Ad Spending On Already Very Expensive Campaign

DETROIT/DES MOINES , Iowa ( Reuters ) ― Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday said he will immediately double his already massive nationwide television ad spending and expand his staff after the debacle of Iowa ’ s failure to promptly announce its caucuses results .
Bloomberg , 77 , has spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars of his own fortune on TV advertising on an unconventional White House bid that has him skipping early voting states and entering the race on March 3 , when 14 states will vote on Super Tuesday .
As his rivals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , the business tycoon and former New York mayor instead traveled to delegate-rich California and general election swing states Michigan and Pennsylvania .
He said he would seize the moment created by confusion surrounding the Monday caucuses in Iowa , where no winner had been declared as of Tuesday afternoon .
“ I think where there is no one clear winner it gives us the opportunity to get the message out , and we ’ re going to take the opportunity , ” Bloomberg told Reuters in an interview in Detroit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ expand its staff to more than 2,100 people nationwide and double its TV advertising in every market where it is currently advertising .
Bloomberg has been climbing in national opinion polls .
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week showed him moving into third place behind front-runners Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders among registered voters for the 2020 Democratic nomination .
Some of Bloomberg ’ s rivals , including U.S .
Senator Elizabeth Warren , have accused the billionaire of trying to buy a presidential election .
The Democratic National Committee , which oversees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a candidate to take on RepublicanPresident Donald Trump in November , was criticized last week for changing the rules on how candidates can qualify for debates , a move that was seen as opening the door for Bloomberg to participate .
While most of the Democratic field has been investing money and time in early voting states for the past year , Bloomberg , who entered the race in November , has focused on later states such as California , the single biggest prize of the presidential primary with 10 times as many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa .
Within two months of jumping into the race , Bloomberg had hired more than 200 employees in California , according to his campaign , dwarfing Sanders ’ 80-strong team in the state .
Bloomberg also has spent more on television ads nationally than all 10 other Democratic candidates combined .

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DETROIT/DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) ― Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday said he will immediately double his already massive nationwide television ad spending and expand his staff after the debacle of Iowa’s failure to promptly announce its caucuses results.
Bloomberg, 77, has spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars of his own fortune on TV advertising on an unconventional White House bid that has him skipping early voting states and entering the race on March 3, when 14 states will vote on Super Tuesday.
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As his rivals campaigned in Iowa and New Hampshire this week, the business tycoon and former New York mayor instead traveled to delegate-rich California and general election swing states Michigan and Pennsylvania.
He said he would seize the moment created by confusion surrounding the Monday caucuses in Iowa, where no winner had been declared as of Tuesday afternoon.
“I think where there is no one clear winner it gives us the opportunity to get the message out, and we’re going to take the opportunity,” Bloomberg told Reuters in an interview in Detroit.
A Bloomberg aide said the campaign would expand its staff to more than 2,100 people nationwide and double its TV advertising in every market where it is currently advertising.
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Bloomberg has been climbing in national opinion polls. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week showed him moving into third place behind front-runners Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders among registered voters for the 2020 Democratic nomination.
Some of Bloomberg’s rivals, including U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, have accused the billionaire of trying to buy a presidential election.
The Democratic National Committee, which oversees the party’s process for picking a candidate to take on RepublicanPresident Donald Trump in November, was criticized last week for changing the rules on how candidates can qualify for debates, a move that was seen as opening the door for Bloomberg to participate.
While most of the Democratic field has been investing money and time in early voting states for the past year, Bloomberg, who entered the race in November, has focused on later states such as California, the single biggest prize of the presidential primary with 10 times as many delegates available as the 41 delegates for Iowa.
Within two months of jumping into the race, Bloomberg had hired more than 200 employees in California, according to his campaign, dwarfing Sanders’ 80-strong team in the state. Bloomberg also has spent more on television ads nationally than all 10 other Democratic candidates combined.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-04--California Child Care Workers Will Hold The Biggest Union Election In Years

The election marks the culmination of a grueling 16-year campaign by unions to organize family child care providers who are reimbursed by the state .
Although such workers are not government employees , Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) signed a law in September granting them the right to bargain with the state over reimbursement rates and other working conditions .
Supporters hope a successful campaign will ultimately improve tens of thousands of difficult , low-paying jobs and pump more money into a child care system stretched thin .
The workers in the election are overwhelmingly women and predominantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child care out of their homes for to up to 14 kids .
Latina women make up about a third of the providers .
Workers plan to submit roughly 8,000 union cards in Sacramento this week , more than enough to trigger an election under the new law passed by state Democrats .
Campaign organizers believe it would be the largest U.S. union election since workers at the Transportation Security Administration unionized nine years ago .
The campaign , Child Care Providers United , is a joint effort between two powerhouse public-sector unions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American Federation of State , County and Municipal Employees .
Workers across the state would be represented by locals within those unions , although they would all be part of the same large bargaining unit .
The impact could be significant not just for organized labor in California but for early childhood education as well .
Family child care providers receive state money to care for qualifying children .
They typically work out of their homes , alone or with one or two assistants , as opposed to employees in center-based day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like low-wage small-business owners , with earnings that organizers say often fall below the minimum wage .
Ken Jacobs , chair of the Labor Center at the University of California , Berkeley , said the number of family child care providers has been falling because the reimbursement rates are too low to create living-wage jobs .
He said union representation could improve working conditions enough to bring more workers into the system , benefiting the low- and middle-income families that rely on it , while also improving the labor participation rate among women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has left workers with little influence on the rules of the system , Jacobs said .
Union representation would give them a formal seat at the table with state officials , just as it has for child care workers in 11 other states that have enacted similar collective bargaining laws .
A native of El Salvador and mother of three , Toma is licensed to care for up to 14 children out of her home in Signal Hill , near Long Beach .
She has her mother and one part-time assistant to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toddlers , typically working from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. , while also juggling early childhood education classes .
Toma got involved in the campaign eight years ago , which is still only half as long as some workers have hoped to see a union election .
SEIU and AFSCME have been organizing the child care providers since 2003 , with many , like Toma , joining Child Care Providers United as dues-paying members even though they couldn ’ t negotiate a contract .
When the subsidy levels are too low , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make ends meet .
Ken Jacobs , chair of the Labor Center at the University of California , Berkeley Because the workers are not direct employees of the state , it required an act of legislation to secure them the ability to unionize .
Even though California runs blue , the campaign struggled for years to win over officials resistant to giving workers any leverage in negotiating state funds .
Newsom signed the new bill after a previous version had been passed but vetoed by his Democratic predecessor , former Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be too costly .
The unions will represent all child care providers who receive state subsidies , but that doesn ’ t mean all providers will be union members and pay dues .
Recent Supreme Court rulings assure that workers will not be required to contribute fees unless they choose to .
That means the unions representing workers will have their work cut out for them if they want providers to join .
Toma has been going to workshops and hosting providers like herself at her home for years , talking about ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even if union supporters win the election , there will be much more work to be done ― first by securing a collective bargaining agreement , and then by constantly recruiting new members .
But Toma said she believes they are on the cusp of something landmark .

Rawpixel via Getty Images
Child care workers in California plan to file for a massive union election Wednesday that will cover an estimated 40,000 people, potentially reshaping jobs within the state’s government-funded child care system for low-income families.
The election marks the culmination of a grueling 16-year campaign by unions to organize family child care providers who are reimbursed by the state. Although such workers are not government employees, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a law in September granting them the right to bargain with the state over reimbursement rates and other working conditions.
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Supporters hope a successful campaign will ultimately improve tens of thousands of difficult, low-paying jobs and pump more money into a child care system stretched thin. The workers in the election are overwhelmingly women and predominantly people of color, licensed to provide child care out of their homes for to up to 14 kids. Latina women make up about a third of the providers.
Workers plan to submit roughly 8,000 union cards in Sacramento this week, more than enough to trigger an election under the new law passed by state Democrats. Campaign organizers believe it would be the largest U.S. union election since workers at the Transportation Security Administration unionized nine years ago.
The campaign, Child Care Providers United, is a joint effort between two powerhouse public-sector unions, the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Workers across the state would be represented by locals within those unions, although they would all be part of the same large bargaining unit.
Organizers hope to have an election scheduled this summer, with a simple majority of ballots cast necessary to win.
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The impact could be significant not just for organized labor in California but for early childhood education as well. Family child care providers receive state money to care for qualifying children. They typically work out of their homes, alone or with one or two assistants, as opposed to employees in center-based day care programs. They function a lot like low-wage small-business owners, with earnings that organizers say often fall below the minimum wage.
Ken Jacobs, chair of the Labor Center at the University of California, Berkeley, said the number of family child care providers has been falling because the reimbursement rates are too low to create living-wage jobs. He said union representation could improve working conditions enough to bring more workers into the system, benefiting the low- and middle-income families that rely on it, while also improving the labor participation rate among women.
“The big effect is that the child care providers will have a voice over what is happening with funding and support for child care and for early childhood education in the state,” Jacobs said. “That’s essential. It’s important for children, it’s important for teachers, and it’s important for families and parents.
“When the subsidy levels are too low,” he added, “then it’s very difficult for providers to make ends meet.”
The decentralized nature of the workforce has left workers with little influence on the rules of the system, Jacobs said. Union representation would give them a formal seat at the table with state officials, just as it has for child care workers in 11 other states that have enacted similar collective bargaining laws.
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“These jobs don’t pay much. Let’s be honest.” - Zoila Toma, daycare provider
The effort shares a lot in common with the teacher strikes of recent years. Just as public school teachers have fought to boost school funding and address personnel shortages, the child care workers argue they would be bargaining in the public interest, to increase the quality of care and not just wages.
Child care providers like Zoila Toma hope negotiating with the state could lead to more funds for training so she can do her job better.
“These jobs don’t pay much. Let’s be honest,” said the 38-year-old. “We’re not getting paid overtime. We’re not getting paid for sick days. We don’t have any help with medical [coverage]. We’re on our own ― completely on our own.”
A native of El Salvador and mother of three, Toma is licensed to care for up to 14 children out of her home in Signal Hill, near Long Beach. She has her mother and one part-time assistant to help her with a mix of infants and toddlers, typically working from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., while also juggling early childhood education classes.
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Toma said she often experiences logistical hiccups in getting reimbursed by the state, and many providers like herself have a hard time navigating the system on their own.
“Sometimes they don’t listen to us,” she said. “If we have this group of providers together going out there, they will listen. That’s why it’s very important. I believe unity creates movement, and movement creates change.”
Toma got involved in the campaign eight years ago, which is still only half as long as some workers have hoped to see a union election. SEIU and AFSCME have been organizing the child care providers since 2003, with many, like Toma, joining Child Care Providers United as dues-paying members even though they couldn’t negotiate a contract.
“When the subsidy levels are too low, then it’s very difficult for providers to make ends meet.” - Ken Jacobs, chair of the Labor Center at the University of California, Berkeley
Because the workers are not direct employees of the state, it required an act of legislation to secure them the ability to unionize. Even though California runs blue, the campaign struggled for years to win over officials resistant to giving workers any leverage in negotiating state funds. Newsom signed the new bill after a previous version had been passed but vetoed by his Democratic predecessor, former Gov. Jerry Brown, who said it would be too costly.
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The unions will represent all child care providers who receive state subsidies, but that doesn’t mean all providers will be union members and pay dues. Recent Supreme Court rulings assure that workers will not be required to contribute fees unless they choose to. That means the unions representing workers will have their work cut out for them if they want providers to join.
“They will have to continue to sign up new people as they come into the business,” said Jacobs. “The ability to maintain the membership will depend on having very strong member engagement and actively proving the value of the union.”
The new law includes a provision that grants unions contact information for providers in the bargaining unit, so the unions can make a direct case for why they should become members. Unions are also entitled to some floor time at state-run orientation meetings for new daycare providers.
Toma has been going to workshops and hosting providers like herself at her home for years, talking about ways they can improve the child care system. Even if union supporters win the election, there will be much more work to be done ― first by securing a collective bargaining agreement, and then by constantly recruiting new members. But Toma said she believes they are on the cusp of something landmark.
“Imagine going for it for 8 years, through these meetings and workshops and campaigns, and nothing happening,” she said. “It’s years of work for just one change.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--Why That 'Woman In Michigan' Keeps Drawing Donald Trump's Wrath

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ANN ARBOR, Michigan ― Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) is following the advice of public health experts.
Yet somehow it’s Whitmer that President Donald Trump has attacked as the one who is “in over her head” and “doesn’t have a clue.”
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The difference in how Trump has treated the two says a lot about the way he has handled the coronavirus pandemic ― and why, in the view of so many people who work in public health, that approach is so dangerous.
Michigan is among the states where COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is already having a big impact, with 5,486 confirmed cases and 132 deaths as of Sunday. Whitmer, now in her second year as governor, issued a stay-at-home order a week ago, after the number of documented cases in the state passed 1,000.
Although Michigan isn’t exactly under lockdown, with grocery stores, gas stations and other essential businesses still open, Whitmer has called for strict social distancing. And the population appears to be listening. When people walk in their neighborhoods, they keep apart from each other. Even busy city streets are mostly deserted and nonessential businesses really have shuttered.
The now-familiar goal of this strategy is to “flatten the curve” ― to avoid a sudden spike in cases that would overwhelm the hospital system. And it didn’t come a moment too soon.
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President Donald Trump has criticized the "woman in Michigan," by which he means the governor, Gretchen Whitmer. She has said she wants supplies for her state, not a fight with the federal government. Drew Angerer via Getty Images
“Southeast Michigan is burning,” one doctor told the Detroit Free Press this week, and the region’s two large hospital systems, Beaumont and Henry Ford, are already near capacity with COVID-19 patients. Other hospitals, including the Detroit Medical Center downtown and the University of Michigan’s in Ann Arbor, aren’t far behind.
Shortages are a real concern in all of these places. The hospitals are going to need more ventilators, the machines that allow people with coronavirus-ravaged lungs to breathe. And they are already low on personal protective gear: gowns, gloves and, most crucially, the high-quality N95 masks that will reliably stop transmission of the virus, which can take aerosolized form.
Mahmoud Al-Hadidi, a pulmonary physician who works in the northern Detroit suburbs, saw the number of COVID-19 patients on life support in his hospital go from one to 15 in just one week ― and during that time, he told HuffPost, the protocol for using masks changed as hospitals across the region realized they would need to ration their limited supplies.
Normally workers would use a new mask with each new patient encounter. But with so many patients and so few masks, Al-Hadidi said, hospitals have been telling staff to use the same mask over and over again, with cleanings in between.
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And the N95s are only for those who come in direct contract with patients who test positive for COVID-19, Al-Hadidi said, even though other workers face exposure through patients not yet showing symptoms or not yet tested.
“It’s really heartbreaking ― the doctors, nurses, the janitors too,” Al-Hadidi said.
He noted that infected workers could then spread the virus to their families and communities, while leaving hospitals dangerously short on staff when they are unable to work.
Whitmer Spoke Out, Trump Lashed Out
Whitmer and other governors have repeatedly sought federal help with acquiring supplies, and spoken out when those supplies have not arrived.
“We need tests, we need personal protective equipment,” she said during a CNN interview with Jake Tapper on March 20. “We need [a] regular, sustained national strategic plan here and solid clear communication, and these are all the pieces that are missing from the federal government.”
When Tapper pressed her on Trump’s rejection of pleas for the federal government to do more, including the president’s quip that it’s not his administration’s job to be a “shipping clerk” for medical supplies, Whitmer said, “I’m just frustrated. I don’t want to be in a sparring match with the federal government, but we are behind the eight ball because they didn’t do proper planning.”
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The comments were sharp, but with those and other statements, Whitmer seemed to be going out of her way to avoid singling out Trump personally.
Trump has not returned the favor.
Appearing on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show Thursday, Trump said, “We’ve had a big problem with the young, a woman governor from … Michigan. We don’t like to see the complaints.”
Customers, keeping their distance from one another, wait to pick up food at the famous American Coney Island diner in Detroit. Under Whitmer's order, restaurants can stay open, exclusively for take-out, but nonessential businesses must close. SETH HERALD via Getty Images
At a White House briefing the next day, Trump said he had told Vice President Mike Pence, who is in charge of the administration’s COVID-19 response, “don’t call the woman in Michigan” because she wasn’t “appreciative” of Trump’s help. (He acknowledged that Pence was calling anyway and, later, said he never intended to prevent contact.)
Trump’s reference to the “woman governor” drew a more direct response from Whitmer, though she resisted saying anything about the gendered reference. “Hi, my name is Gretchen Whitmer, and that governor is me,” she wrote on Twitter, throwing in a waving hand emoji for good measure. “I’ve asked repeatedly and respectfully for help. We need it. No more political attacks, just PPEs, ventilators, N95 masks, test kits. You said you stand with Michigan — prove it.”
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Hours later Trump responded, this time with some name-calling: “Gretchen ‘Half’ Whitmer is way in over her head, she doesn’t have a clue. Likes blaming everyone for her own ineptitude!,” Trump wrote Friday.
Those comments notwithstanding, Trump formally approved a national disaster declaration for Michigan on Saturday, right as a shipment of more than 100,000 N95 masks from a national stockpile were arriving. That was in addition to about 200,000 masks the state had gotten previously.
Hi, my name is Gretchen Whitmer, and that governor is me 👋
I've asked repeatedly and respectfully for help. We need it. No more political attacks, just PPEs, ventilators, N95 masks, test kits. You said you stand with Michigan — prove it. https://t.co/FtWlTLZdqW — Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) March 27, 2020
But delays in those previous shipments were one of the reasons Whitmer had taken her pleas public in the first place. And even with Saturday’s delivery, the state has just a fraction of what it needs.
In the face of a pandemic, a major hospital system like Beaumont or Henry Ford can easily go through more than 10,000 N95 masks in a single day. That means Michigan actually needs millions, as Whitmer’s team confirmed to the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent last week (and later to HuffPost directly).
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Whitmer praised Trump’s Saturday announcement and the delivery as a “good start.” On Sunday, appearing on network political shows, Whitmer wore a Detroit-made sweatshirt that said “EVERYBODY VS COVID-19” and talked up unity, even as she warned the state needed more help because hospitals “would be in dire straits in a matter of days.”
“We’re not looking for a fight with this guy, we’re trying to bring the temperature down here,” one Whitmer administration official told HuffPost, noting that Whitmer had a good working relationship with Pence and support from Republicans as well as Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation. “It doesn’t change the fact that we still need more supplies here.”
Florida’s Governor Followed Trump’s Lead, Got Praise
Another state, Florida, hasn’t had to wait for its supply orders, according to a recent report in the Post. And while it’s not clear why Florida might be having an easier time, it’s obvious that the state’s governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, is getting nicer treatment from Trump than Whitmer has.
“He’s a very talented guy,” Trump said this week. “He’s a very good governor. Everyone loves him. He’s doing a fantastic job for Florida.”
But DeSantis’ response to the crisis has been far from fantastic, in the view of most public health experts.
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DeSantis resisted calls to shut down the beaches, even after college students from around the country descended on the state for spring break ― and public health experts warned that those students could become “super-spreaders” of the disease.
DeSantis did issue guidance to avoid large social gatherings, but the students ignored it, quite possibly taking the disease with them when they returned to their campuses. A video circulating on social media, which a firm called Tectonix GEO said it constructed from mobile phone tracking data, showed how a group of people on one small section of Fort Lauderdale beach in the middle of March dispersed across the eastern half of the U.S. in the following two weeks.
And while some individual counties eventually shut down beaches on their own, others did not. As recently as Saturday, in the Jacksonville area, the St. John’s County beaches, which officials had kept open, had crowds that went right up to the border of the Duval County beaches, which officials had closed.
Want to see the true potential impact of ignoring social distancing? Through a partnership with @xmodesocial, we analyzed secondary locations of anonymized mobile devices that were active at a single Ft. Lauderdale beach during spring break. This is where they went across the US: pic.twitter.com/3A3ePn9Vin — Tectonix GEO (@TectonixGEO) March 25, 2020
Pleas for a shutdown of nonessential businesses, like the orders in Michigan and so many other states, have gotten a similar response from DeSantis: no.
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“You simply cannot lock down our society with no end in sight,” DeSantis said last Monday, echoing statements by Trump, who spent the week pushing hard to ease up on social distancing and get the country back to work. (“We can’t have the cure be worse than the problem,” Trump said that same day.)
DeSantis has cited the low level of reported cases in northern, more rural parts of the state as reason to hold off on a statewide shutdown ― again, in much the same way Trump has talked about easing up on restrictions in parts of the country where confirmed cases are still relatively rare.
But those numbers of confirmed cases don’t mean much when testing is so haphazard and the disease incubation period is so long. Nobody really knows how far the disease has spread in Florida’s more rural sections ― or in the rest of the U.S., for that matter.
“One challenge for COVID-19 is that it typically takes about a week for someone who has been infected to become symptomatic and seek testing,” said Kathryn Jacobsen, an epidemiologist at George Mason University. “The week between infection and onset of symptoms means that cases detected this week are information about of the number of people who became infected last week or the week before.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has spurned calls for a statewide stay-at-home order, saying the cost would be too high and that parts of the state don't need it. Orlando Sentinel via Getty Images
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And although DeSantis is trying to impose a quarantine on visitors from the heavily impacted states of Louisiana, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, those efforts won’t do anything to stop the spread from other states bordering Florida’s northern border ― to say nothing of other parts of the state where caseloads are already rising quickly.
“It is impossible to stop people from Tallahassee from getting to Miami,” Howard Forman, a Yale professor of public health, told HuffPost. “It is a huge state with such incredibly variable social distancing measures in place. And it is a tinderbox. Elderly people heavily rely on young people for many of their services, etc. and the elderly live in smaller, concentrated communities.”
As of Sunday morning, Florida had 4,246 confirmed cases and 56 deaths, which on both counts is far more than what Michigan had when Whitmer declared her shutdown. And the numbers are growing rapidly, with cases doubling every three days and following a trajectory that looks like New York’s. One model suggests that hundreds of thousands of Floridians will need hospitalization unless serious social distancing starts within the next few days.
“Florida is at risk of becoming major epicenter of epidemic spread of #COVID19 in the coming weeks,” Scott Gottlieb, a physician who served in the Trump administration as director of the Food and Drug Administration, tweeted on Sunday. “The outbreaks were apparent there weeks ago. And the state was slow to implement mitigation steps, and probably exported a lot of its infection.”
Trump May Play Favorites, But Viruses Don’t
Trump keeps saying publicly that he pays close attention to which governors praise and criticize him, frequently implying that it will affect how he treats them.
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“It’s a two-way street,” Trump said at a Fox Town Hall on Tuesday, discussing his relationships with the governors. “They have to treat us well.”
“All I want them to do, very simple ― I want them to be appreciative,” Trump said in the Friday briefing at the White House.
Such rhetoric is not unprecedented for Trump, in public or in private. In a now-notorious phone call with the president of Ukraine, Trump offered aid in the country’s fight against Russia but said “I would like you to do us a favor, though.” That statement became a key piece of evidence that the House of Representatives weighed when it impeached Trump late last year.
This picture is from 3pm today.
You can see exactly where Duval County ends and St. John’s County begins.
All beaches in Duval are closed, while St. John’s only blocked parking at the beach.
Gov. DeSantis needs to order a state-wide closure of all Florida beaches. pic.twitter.com/JfKzCGCPLq — Travis Akers (@travisakers) March 28, 2020
In that case, the issue was national security ― specifically, whether Trump was withholding aid to a strategically important nation in order to hurt a potential presidential rival in the U.S. This time, the issue is public health ― specifically, whether Trump is making it harder for states to fight COVID-19 because their governors have spoken out against him.
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Maybe he is. Maybe he isn’t. Either way, the epidemiological facts of the coronavirus are clear.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--U.S. Shipped Tons Of COVID-19 Supplies To China As Trump Dismissed Threat Here

The U.S. State Department shipped 17.8 tons of donated coronavirus medical supplies to China seven weeks ago , when health experts and some American lawmakers were already seeking federal action to prepare the country for the disease .
The massive shipment to China included medical masks , gowns and respirators , now in desperately short supply across America .
The supplies were contributed by American companies and nonprofits , according to a U.S. Agency for International Development official .
The State Department touted its aid to China in a press release Feb. 7 , three weeks after the first COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement said the agency was prepared to spend $ 100 million on the fight against the disease in China and other foreign countries .
That was the same day the World Health Organization sounded an alert that such supplies were in critically short supply around the globe .
We have coordinated with U.S. organizations to transport more humanitarian relief to people in Wuhan .
Personal protective equipment and other medical supplies donated by these organizations can help save lives in # China and help protect people from the # coronavirus .
pic.twitter.com/57SN2TXfLP — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 , 2020 President Donald Trump predicted that day in a tweet that China would be “ successful ” in vanquishing the illness , “ especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker and then gone.
” Just had a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China .
He is strong , sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus .
He feels they are doing very well , even building hospitals in a matter of only days .
Nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) February 7 , 2020 ... .he will be successful , especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker , and then gone .
Great discipline is taking place in China , as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation .
We are working closely with China to help !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) February 7 , 2020 Later that month , Trump compared COVID-19 to his impeachment and claimed it was Democrats ’ “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad .
The previous month he boasted at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland that it was “ totally under control ” in the U.S. A desperate U.S. airlifted 80 tons of medical supplies from China to America on Sunday .
Another 21 flights are planned , The New York Times reported .
The plane delivered 130,000 N95 masks , 1.8 million face masks and gowns , 10 million gloves , and thousands of thermometers for New York , New Jersey and Connecticut , said a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to what ’ s needed .
State Department officials , responding to a question at a news briefing last week asking whether the U.S. now regrets sending the supplies to China , pointed out that the shipment came from “ private donors , ” not the government .
Even before the supplies were sent to China , U.S. lawmakers were calling on the Trump administration to make preparations to deal with the spreading disease in America , noted Mother Jones , which was the first to report the aid to China .
Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers offered to allocate emergency funding for early health measures and research to address coronavirus in the U.S. , but the offer was rejected by the White House .
Murphy ’ s observation that such measures were needed immediately turned out to be prophetic .
Just left the Administration briefing on Coronavirus .
Bottom line : they are n't taking this seriously enough .
Notably , no request for ANY emergency funding , which is a big mistake .
Local health systems need supplies , training , screening staff etc .
And they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ ChrisMurphyCT ) February 5 , 2020 Ten days ago , Trump snapped at governors pleading for supplies : “ The federal government is not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping , ” he said .
“ We ’ re not a shipping clerk .
”

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The U.S. State Department shipped 17.8 tons of donated coronavirus medical supplies to China seven weeks ago, when health experts and some American lawmakers were already seeking federal action to prepare the country for the disease.
The massive shipment to China included medical masks, gowns and respirators, now in desperately short supply across America. The supplies were contributed by American companies and nonprofits, according to a U.S. Agency for International Development official.
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The State Department touted its aid to China in a press release Feb. 7, three weeks after the first COVID-19 case emerged in Washington state. The statement said the agency was prepared to spend $100 million on the fight against the disease in China and other foreign countries. That was the same day the World Health Organization sounded an alert that such supplies were in critically short supply around the globe.
We have coordinated with U.S. organizations to transport more humanitarian relief to people in Wuhan. Personal protective equipment and other medical supplies donated by these organizations can help save lives in #China and help protect people from the #coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/57SN2TXfLP — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) February 7, 2020
President Donald Trump predicted that day in a tweet that China would be “successful” in vanquishing the illness, “especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker and then gone.”
Just had a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China. He is strong, sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus. He feels they are doing very well, even building hospitals in a matter of only days. Nothing is easy, but... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2020
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....he will be successful, especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker, and then gone. Great discipline is taking place in China, as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation. We are working closely with China to help! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2020
Later that month, Trump compared COVID-19 to his impeachment and claimed it was Democrats’ “new hoax” to make him look bad. The previous month he boasted at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland that it was “totally under control” in the U.S.
A desperate U.S. airlifted 80 tons of medical supplies from China to America on Sunday. Another 21 flights are planned, The New York Times reported.
The plane delivered 130,000 N95 masks, 1.8 million face masks and gowns, 10 million gloves, and thousands of thermometers for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, said a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The gear is a small contribution to what’s needed.
State Department officials, responding to a question at a news briefing last week asking whether the U.S. now regrets sending the supplies to China, pointed out that the shipment came from “private donors,” not the government.
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Even before the supplies were sent to China, U.S. lawmakers were calling on the Trump administration to make preparations to deal with the spreading disease in America, noted Mother Jones, which was the first to report the aid to China.
Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and other lawmakers offered to allocate emergency funding for early health measures and research to address coronavirus in the U.S., but the offer was rejected by the White House. Murphy’s observation that such measures were needed immediately turned out to be prophetic.
Just left the Administration briefing on Coronavirus. Bottom line: they aren't taking this seriously enough.
Notably, no request for ANY emergency funding, which is a big mistake. Local health systems need supplies, training, screening staff etc. And they need it now. — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 5, 2020
Ten days ago, Trump snapped at governors pleading for supplies: “The federal government is not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping,” he said. “We’re not a shipping clerk.”
The Trump administration has since begun pleading with the international community for supply donations, including N95 masks, gloves, respirators and hand sanitizer.
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COVID-19 cases in the U.S. now top 145,000 cases, with 2,500 deaths.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--Liberty University's Jerry Falwell Jr. Gets Holy Hell As Students Fall Sick

Jerry Falwell Jr. last week partially reopened his Liberty University ― an evangelical Christian school in Lynchburg , Virginia ― despite the spread of the coronavirus .
Now , The New York Times reports that nearly a dozen students have symptoms that could suggest infection ― and Falwell is facing the wrath of both parents and critics .
One parent slammed the decision to reopen as “ crazy , irresponsible and seems like a money grab.
” Falwell , as the Times notes , fired back with a tweet calling that parent a “ dummy.
” Falwell on Twitter said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , and one off-campus tested positive “ from local contacts in the community.
” He also said the school was “ embracing its responsibility to care for students instead of running away.
” Falwell has been a coronavirus conspiracy theorist , claiming an “ overreaction ” to the threat is really an attempt to make President Donald Trump look bad .
“ Impeachment didn ’ t work , and the Mueller report didn ’ t work , and Article 25 didn ’ t work , ” he said earlier this month on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice to conspiracy theories .
“ And so maybe now this is their next attempt to get Trump.
” People on Twitter slammed Falwell for the opening the school and putting his students at risk ― with some suggesting that he face lawsuits or even criminal charges : This story almost makes me wish I was still a trial lawyer .
To the hard working process servers who will soon be calling on Jerry Falwell Jr. : remember to maintain 6 feet of social distance .
https : //t.co/u1zPUxcjjG — Rep. Jared Huffman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 Falwell is the wrong name- should be Falbad- because he is an irresponsible asshole .
https : //t.co/HrwEEsPQwZ — Martina Navratilova ( @ Martina ) March 30 , 2020 Lawyer up .
Cuz lawyers will be coming .
Wonder if insurance will cover it .
It ’ s arguably an intentional act by university for which the injuries could ’ ve been reasonably anticipated .
Mr. Falwell could be personally liable .
If it ’ s deemed intentional , bankruptcy may not help .
Hmm .
https : //t.co/0oY0LY1ogV — Daniel Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 Jerry Falwell Jr. , president of Liberty University , reopened the school 's campus last week .
By Friday , nearly a dozen Liberty students were sick with symptoms that suggest Covid-19 .
https : //t.co/Y8z1SEDYX8 — Shannon Watts ( @ shannonrwatts ) March 29 , 2020 Such negligence .
I ’ m hoping they all recuperate soon—and Falwell is removed from any position in which he is responsible for the well-being of others .
https : //t.co/nYT6h0VIOd — David Corn ( @ DavidCornDC ) March 29 , 2020

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Jerry Falwell Jr. last week partially reopened his Liberty University ― an evangelical Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia ― despite the spread of the coronavirus.
Now, The New York Times reports that nearly a dozen students have symptoms that could suggest infection ― and Falwell is facing the wrath of both parents and critics.
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One parent slammed the decision to reopen as “crazy, irresponsible and seems like a money grab.” Falwell, as the Times notes, fired back with a tweet calling that parent a “dummy.”
Falwell on Twitter said no students on campus are sick with coronavirus, and one off-campus tested positive “from local contacts in the community.” He also said the school was “embracing its responsibility to care for students instead of running away.”
Falwell has been a coronavirus conspiracy theorist, claiming an “overreaction” to the threat is really an attempt to make President Donald Trump look bad.
“Impeachment didn’t work, and the Mueller report didn’t work, and Article 25 didn’t work,” he said earlier this month on Fox News, which has consistently given voice to conspiracy theories. “And so maybe now this is their next attempt to get Trump.”
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People on Twitter slammed Falwell for the opening the school and putting his students at risk ― with some suggesting that he face lawsuits or even criminal charges:
This is criminal. https://t.co/tOH3bhcw4x — Congressman Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) March 30, 2020
This story almost makes me wish I was still a trial lawyer. To the hard working process servers who will soon be calling on Jerry Falwell Jr.: remember to maintain 6 feet of social distance. https://t.co/u1zPUxcjjG — Rep. Jared Huffman (@JaredHuffman) March 29, 2020
Falwell is the wrong name- should be Falbad- because he is an irresponsible asshole. https://t.co/HrwEEsPQwZ — Martina Navratilova (@Martina) March 30, 2020
Falwell is a monster. — Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) March 29, 2020
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Lawyer up. Cuz lawyers will be coming. Wonder if insurance will cover it. It’s arguably an intentional act by university for which the injuries could’ve been reasonably anticipated. Mr. Falwell could be personally liable. If it’s deemed intentional, bankruptcy may not help. Hmm. https://t.co/0oY0LY1ogV — Daniel Mark Extrom (@DanMarkEx) March 29, 2020
Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, reopened the school's campus last week. By Friday, nearly a dozen Liberty students were sick with symptoms that suggest Covid-19. https://t.co/Y8z1SEDYX8 — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 29, 2020
Such negligence. I’m hoping they all recuperate soon—and Falwell is removed from any position in which he is responsible for the well-being of others. https://t.co/nYT6h0VIOd — David Corn (@DavidCornDC) March 29, 2020
I hope Liberty University and especially Jerry Falwell Jr get sued from here to Timbuktu https://t.co/6NMiJlW4WG — Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) March 29, 2020
Falwell should face criminal charges. https://t.co/EKZY7yA97Y — Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) March 29, 2020
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Falwell knowingly put those students at Liberty University in danger. He should lose his job. https://t.co/0AwhRAlFgZ — Jennifer Granholm (@JenGranholm) March 29, 2020
Jerry Falwell Jr is now, quite literally, a merchant of death. https://t.co/ZWvv3LsCL0 — David Cay Johnston (@DavidCayJ) March 30, 2020
Jerry Falwell Jr. needs to hire a good lawyer. https://t.co/PRX4efoUUJ — Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) March 29, 2020
Falwell should be arrested. — Pé (@4everNeverTrump) March 29, 2020
Jerry Falwell Jr is a terrible person and is 100% responsible for whatever happens to those students. https://t.co/xg3Xfe0EGv — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) March 29, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-29--Biden Goes After ‘Reckless' Trump Claim That Hospitals Are Using Too Many Face Masks

Former Vice President Joe Biden castigated President Donald Trump for questioning how many protective masks hospitals were using amid the spread of COVID-19 , calling such statements “ among the most reckless and ignorant ” he had made during the ongoing pandemic .
Trump , standing in the Rose Garden on Sunday , suggested without evidence that the nation ’ s medical professionals may be misusing essential protective equipment meant to shield them while treating those infected with the highly contagious novel coronavirus .
Cases have surged in the U.S. to more than 143,000 , the most in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died from the virus .
“ How do you go from using 10,000 to 20,000 [ masks ] to 300,000 ?
” Trump asked during a press briefing .
“ Even though this is different .
Something ’ s going on .
Where are the masks going , are they going out the back door ?
” Biden rejected that claim , and said Trump had failed to use the powers of the executive branch to “ distribute this desperately needed equipment.
” “ This is ridiculous and completely false , ” Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Today ’ s conspiracy-mongering from our President is among the most reckless and ignorant moves he has made during this crisis , and there have been many .
Lives hang in the balance.
” The president ’ s claims come amid ongoing reports that doctors across the country are running out of essential supplies .
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city had just one week ’ s worth of gear on hand , but was still in desperate need of ventilators to treat a rush of patients afflicted with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persistent source of concern among medical professionals , and many have been forced to sterilize and reuse them .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has even issued guidance that providers use bandanas or scarves “ if necessary.
” The Washington Post on Sunday reported that some in the Trump administration had been calling for the country to buy vast numbers of masks and other supplies to restore a federal stockpile of medical equipment .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar reportedly asked for $ 2 billion to do so on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Office of Management and Budget .
The request was ultimately cut to just 25 % , or $ 500 million .
But rather than support those efforts , Trump on Sunday accused medical professionals of only asking for more .
“ We ’ re delivering millions and millions of products and all we do is hear , ‘ Can we get some more ?
, ’ ” the president complained , specifically pointing out masks delivered to New York .
“ I think people should check that .
I think there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think it ’ s hoarding , I think it ’ s something worse than hoarding.
” Biden cheered health workers in his statement , saying the industry is fighting “ like hell to protect our health and safety.
” He challenged Trump to use his executive powers under the Defense Production Act to fast-track the manufacturing of supplies in short supply .
“ The President has the power and the responsibility to end the shortage of masks , ” Biden said .
“ Instead of making it happen , he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nurses and health care workers and hospitals .
”

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Former Vice President Joe Biden castigated President Donald Trump for questioning how many protective masks hospitals were using amid the spread of COVID-19, calling such statements “among the most reckless and ignorant” he had made during the ongoing pandemic.
Trump, standing in the Rose Garden on Sunday, suggested without evidence that the nation’s medical professionals may be misusing essential protective equipment meant to shield them while treating those infected with the highly contagious novel coronavirus. Cases have surged in the U.S. to more than 143,000, the most in the world, and more than 2,500 people have died from the virus.
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“How do you go from using 10,000 to 20,000 [masks] to 300,000?” Trump asked during a press briefing. “Even though this is different. Something’s going on. Where are the masks going, are they going out the back door?”
Biden rejected that claim, and said Trump had failed to use the powers of the executive branch to “distribute this desperately needed equipment.”
I am issuing this challenge to the President: in the next 48 hours, direct the production and distribution of respirator masks, gloves, protective face shields and gowns to fill every supply request made by a governor to the federal government.
Lives are at stake. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) March 30, 2020
“This is ridiculous and completely false,” Biden said in a statement on Sunday. “Today’s conspiracy-mongering from our President is among the most reckless and ignorant moves he has made during this crisis, and there have been many. Lives hang in the balance.”
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The president’s claims come amid ongoing reports that doctors across the country are running out of essential supplies. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city had just one week’s worth of gear on hand, but was still in desperate need of ventilators to treat a rush of patients afflicted with the virus.
Masks have been a persistent source of concern among medical professionals, and many have been forced to sterilize and reuse them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has even issued guidance that providers use bandanas or scarves “if necessary.”
The Washington Post on Sunday reported that some in the Trump administration had been calling for the country to buy vast numbers of masks and other supplies to restore a federal stockpile of medical equipment. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar reportedly asked for $2 billion to do so on Feb. 5, but was rebuffed by the Office of Management and Budget. The request was ultimately cut to just 25%, or $500 million.
The White House later secured about $16 billion in the landmark stimulus package passed on Friday, according to the Post.
But rather than support those efforts, Trump on Sunday accused medical professionals of only asking for more.
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“We’re delivering millions and millions of products and all we do is hear, ‘Can we get some more?,’” the president complained, specifically pointing out masks delivered to New York. “I think people should check that. I think there’s something going on. I don’t think it’s hoarding, I think it’s something worse than hoarding.”
Biden cheered health workers in his statement, saying the industry is fighting “like hell to protect our health and safety.” He challenged Trump to use his executive powers under the Defense Production Act to fast-track the manufacturing of supplies in short supply.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--‘Listen Up, Dips**ts’: Kentucky Mayor Rips People Ignoring Coronavirus Warnings

A Kentucky mayor is going viral for an exasperated Facebook post in which he laid down the law for people who aren ’ t following restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
“ Listen up dipshits and sensible people , ” wrote Mayor Gabe Brown of Walton .
“ I might not put you at ease like the governor does , but I don ’ t care .
You need to realize that this is a serious ordeal .
In fact , it ’ s a big f**cking deal .
Stay at home.
” He warned people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it seriously because lives are on the line .
“ If you ignore this problem , the worst thing that could happen is that your mother , father , grandmother , grandfather , aunts , uncles could die , ” he warned .
“ Be responsible .
If you don ’ t , then screw you.
” In a separate post on his Facebook page , Brown linked to a story about hundreds of people gathering on the streets of Louisville , about 80 miles away , in defiance of social distancing guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered to act as “ anger translator ” for Gov .
Andy Beshear , who was ticked off over reports of people defying the state ’ s guidelines to hold “ coronavirus parties.
” At least one person got sick at one of those parties , Beshear said .

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A Kentucky mayor is going viral for an exasperated Facebook post in which he laid down the law for people who aren’t following restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“Listen up dipshits and sensible people,” wrote Mayor Gabe Brown of Walton. “I might not put you at ease like the governor does, but I don’t care. You need to realize that this is a serious ordeal. In fact, it’s a big f**cking deal. Stay at home.”
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He warned people skeptical of the virus threat to treat it seriously because lives are on the line.
“If you ignore this problem, the worst thing that could happen is that your mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, aunts, uncles could die,” he warned. “Be responsible. If you don’t, then screw you.”
In a separate post on his Facebook page, Brown linked to a story about hundreds of people gathering on the streets of Louisville, about 80 miles away, in defiance of social distancing guidelines.
“Dipshits,” he wrote.
And in another post, he offered to act as “anger translator” for Gov. Andy Beshear, who was ticked off over reports of people defying the state’s guidelines to hold “coronavirus parties.”
At least one person got sick at one of those parties, Beshear said.
Read Brown’s full message below:
Gabe Brown Gabe Brown


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--Trump Administration Deems Gun Sales A 'Critical' Activity Amid COVID-19 Crisis

The Trump administration has determined that the firearms industry — from manufacturing to retail sales and shooting ranges — is a “ critical ” service that should continue to operate amid the coronavirus crisis .
The firearms industry was added Saturday to a federal list created a week earlier of “ essential critical infrastructure ” elements during the COVID-19 emergency .
“ Workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers , retailers , importers , distributors and shooting ranges ” are “ typically considered essential to continued critical infrastructure viability , ” the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The new statement was listed under a “ law enforcement ” and “ public safety ” section .
The list is not a directive , but advisory for states and municipal governments as many shut down nonessential businesses to help stem the spread of COVID-19 .
The listing of essential businesses is “ intended to help state , local , tribal and territorial officials as they work to protect their communities , while ensuring continuity of functions critical to public health and safety , as well as economic and national security , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County sheriff shut down gun stores this month after California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) left decisions on defining critical infrastructure up to county governments .
Gun groups immediately sued .
The addition of the firearms industry as a critical operation comes amid lobbying by gun groups as firearm and ammunition sales skyrocketed .
The move was immediately blasted by gun-control advocates .
The Brady Campaign called it “ contemptible , ill-conceived and dangerous.
” Adam Skaggs , chief counsel and policy director of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now to focus on the “ health and safety of all Americans — not the bottom line of the gun industry.
” The center warned that “ panic-buying ” of firearms by a fearful public during the pandemic will “ help no one , ” and “ poses serious dangers.
” The Gun Owners of America said in a statement : “ In these uncertain times , the ability to protect yourself — and to acquire firearms , magazines and ammunition — should not be ignored .
”

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The Trump administration has determined that the firearms industry — from manufacturing to retail sales and shooting ranges — is a “critical” service that should continue to operate amid the coronavirus crisis.
The firearms industry was added Saturday to a federal list created a week earlier of “essential critical infrastructure” elements during the COVID-19 emergency.
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“Workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors and shooting ranges” are “typically essential to continued critical infrastructure viability,” the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in an updated statement. The new statement was listed under a “law enforcement” and “public safety” section.
Other critical operations on the lengthy list include energy, telecommunications, food production, emergency services, government offices, transportation and health care.
The list is not a directive, but advisory for states and municipal governments as many shut down nonessential businesses to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
The listing of essential businesses is “intended to help state, local, tribal and territorial officials as they work to protect their communities, while ensuring continuity of functions critical to public health and safety, as well as economic and national security,” the statement said.
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The Los Angeles County sheriff shut down gun stores this month after California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) left decisions on defining critical infrastructure up to county governments. Gun groups immediately sued.
The addition of the firearms industry as a critical operation comes amid lobbying by gun groups as firearm and ammunition sales skyrocketed.
The move was immediately blasted by gun-control advocates. The Brady Campaign called it “contemptible, ill-conceived and dangerous.”
Adam Skaggs, chief counsel and policy director of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said it’s time now to focus on the “health and safety of all Americans — not the bottom line of the gun industry.”
The center warned that “panic-buying” of firearms by a fearful public during the pandemic will “help no one,” and “poses serious dangers.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-29--Illinois Taking Charge Of COVID-19 Testing After Trump Administration's 'Profound Failing'

Frustrated Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker announced Sunday his state is taking charge of coronavirus tests in the wake of the Trump administration ’ s “ profound failing ” to deliver promised supplies .
The state is currently conducting 4,000 tests a day , but Pritzker said Illinois needs to be doing 10,000 tests daily , according to health experts .
“ The White House has promised millions of tests for weeks now , and they ’ re just not here , ” the Democratic governor said at his daily press briefing .
“ I ’ m not going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that may never be fulfilled .
We need this testing capacity now .
So , we ’ re building it ourselves in Illinois.
” The governor called the “ loss of essentially the entire month of February ” without major testing as leading to an “ exponential ” increase in coronavirus cases in the state .
He attributed it to the “ profound failing of the federal government ” to deliver promised tests .
The governor said all three of the state labs are adding second shifts , and will add third shifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also asked Illinois-based Abbott Labs to “ put Illinois at the top of the list ” for its soon-to-be-released five-minute COVID-19 test — and was assured the company “ will be very helpful.
” In addition , the state is scouting for more locations for drive-through testing stations for first responders .
The U.S. battle against COVID-19 was plagued from the start by a major delay in testing as cases began to emerge , which hamstrung efforts to control the spread of the illness .
Vice President Mike Pence , who heads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force , promised early this month that a “ million ” tests for coronavirus would quickly be available .
He then conceded within days that the supply would not meet needed demand , and it would be weeks before tests would be “ broadly available.
” Dr. Anthony Fauci , the top infectious disease expert at the National Institutes of Health , days later called the testing logjam a “ failing ” of the system .

Frustrated Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Sunday his state is taking charge of coronavirus tests in the wake of the Trump administration’s “profound failing” to deliver promised supplies.
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The state is currently conducting 4,000 tests a day, but Pritzker said Illinois needs to be doing 10,000 tests daily, according to health experts.
“The White House has promised millions of tests for weeks now, and they’re just not here,” the Democratic governor said at his daily press briefing. “I’m not going to wait on promises from the federal government that may never be fulfilled. We need this testing capacity now. So, we’re building it ourselves in Illinois.”
The governor called the “loss of essentially the entire month of February” without major testing as leading to an “exponential” increase in coronavirus cases in the state. He attributed it to the “profound failing of the federal government” to deliver promised tests.
The governor said all three of the state labs are adding second shifts, and will add third shifts with incoming supplies. Pritzker said he has also asked Illinois-based Abbott Labs to “put Illinois at the top of the list” for its soon-to-be-released five-minute COVID-19 test — and was assured the company “will be very helpful.”
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In addition, the state is scouting for more locations for drive-through testing stations for first responders.
The U.S. battle against COVID-19 was plagued from the start by a major delay in testing as cases began to emerge, which hamstrung efforts to control the spread of the illness.
Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force, promised early this month that a “million” tests for coronavirus would quickly be available. He then conceded within days that the supply would not meet needed demand, and it would be weeks before tests would be “broadly available.” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert at the National Institutes of Health, days later called the testing logjam a “failing” of the system.
Earlier this month President Donald Trump falsely insisted that “anybody that needs a test can get one.”
Testing only began recently to ramp up significantly.
Check out Pritzker’s press briefing up top.
Watch: All the President’s false promises regarding the tests for COVID-19 https://t.co/352PZlz5DE pic.twitter.com/spD0tZG6iK — The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) March 22, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-29--As Death Toll Mounts, Trump Brags That His TV Ratings Are As Big As 'The Bachelor'

President Donald Trump continued to display an unnervingly tone-deaf perspective on the mounting coronavirus threat in the U.S. by bragging about his TV ratings in not one — but five — tweets Sunday .
The former star of reality program “ The Apprentice ” boasted that the “ ratings ” of his news conferences are as high as the finale of “ The Bachelor ” and “ Monday Night Football.
” That drives the “ Lamestream Media ... CRAZY , ” he wrote .
Then , like a commercial for an upcoming TV show , Trump added : “ See @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referring to Sunday ’ s press briefing .
Because the “ Ratings ” of my News Conferences etc .
are so high , “ Bachelor finale , Monday Night Football type numbers ” according to the @ nytimes , the Lamestream Media is going CRAZY .
“ Trump is reaching too many people , we must stop him.
” said one lunatic .
See you at 5:00 P.M. !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) March 29 , 2020 “ President Trump is a ratings hit .
Since reviving the daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news , roughly the viewership of the season finale of ‘ The Bachelor.
’ Numbers are continuing to rise ... — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) March 29 , 2020 ... On Monday , nearly 12.2 million people watched Mr. Trump ’ s briefing on CNN , Fox News and MSNBC , according to Nielsen — ‘ Monday Night Football ’ numbers .
Millions more are watching on ABC , CBS , NBC and online streaming sites , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Fox News ... — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) March 29 , 2020 Trump appeared to miss the key point of The New York Times article he quoted about the viewership ratings .
The story Wednesday explored the increasing debate among networks about whether or not to cover the president ’ s briefings live because they ’ re peppered with falsehoods and misleading information about COVID-19 .
Trump ’ s followers on Twitter were stunned that the president would brag about his TV ratings as COVID-19 cases in the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death toll neared 2,400 Sunday evening .
Trump ’ s top health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci , the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , warned Sunday that the death toll could hit 200,000 .
George Conway , spouse of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , quipped that the president should consider giving some ratings credit to the coronavirus pandemic — as fearful Americans tune in to see what , if anything , is being done to protect them .
Princeton History Professor Kevin Kruse snidely noted that 110 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nixon ’ s resignation speech .
I think someone in the press room today should ask Trump if he thinks he ’ s going to be able to maintain his TV ratings and whether he gives any credit to the virus — George Conway ( @ gtconway3d ) March 29 , 2020 “ This is not about your ratings , Mr. President !
” former Obama administration adviser Valerie Jarrett tweeted .
“ This is not a reality tv show .
For countless Americans , this is our reality.
” People are dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heroes are selflessly working to attend to our health and safety , and make essential goods and services available .
This is not about your ratings , Mr. President !
https : //t.co/eCHNYk2Ptv — Valerie Jarrett ( @ ValerieJarrett ) March 29 , 2020 Even Brit Hume of Fox News , who often has the president ’ s back , was caught off guard .
Dr. Fauci told me today that the coronavirus could kill anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 Americans , and infect millions more .
Americans .
The president is tweeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //t.co/bxGaBsOww9 — Jake Tapper ( @ jaketapper ) March 29 , 2020

President Donald Trump continued to display an unnervingly tone-deaf perspective on the mounting coronavirus threat in the U.S. by bragging about his TV ratings in not one — but five — tweets Sunday.
The former star of reality program “The Apprentice” boasted that the “ratings” of his news conferences are as high as the finale of “The Bachelor” and “Monday Night Football.” That drives the “Lamestream Media ... CRAZY,” he wrote. Then, like a commercial for an upcoming TV show, Trump added: “See you at 5:00 P.M.!” — referring to Sunday’s press briefing.
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Because the “Ratings” of my News Conferences etc. are so high, “Bachelor finale, Monday Night Football type numbers” according to the @nytimes, the Lamestream Media is going CRAZY. “Trump is reaching too many people, we must stop him.” said one lunatic. See you at 5:00 P.M.! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
“President Trump is a ratings hit. Since reviving the daily White House briefing Mr. Trump and his coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news, roughly the viewership of the season finale of ‘The Bachelor.’ Numbers are continuing to rise... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
...On Monday, nearly 12.2 million people watched Mr. Trump’s briefing on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, according to Nielsen — ‘Monday Night Football’ numbers. Millions more are watching on ABC, CBS, NBC and online streaming sites, and the audience is expanding. On Monday, Fox News... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
Trump appeared to miss the key point of The New York Times article he quoted about the viewership ratings. The story Wednesday explored the increasing debate among networks about whether or not to cover the president’s briefings live because they’re peppered with falsehoods and misleading information about COVID-19.
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Trump’s followers on Twitter were stunned that the president would brag about his TV ratings as COVID-19 cases in the nation soared to more than 140,000 and the death toll neared 2,400 Sunday evening. Trump’s top health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Sunday that the death toll could hit 200,000.
George Conway, spouse of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, quipped that the president should consider giving some ratings credit to the coronavirus pandemic — as fearful Americans tune in to see what, if anything, is being done to protect them. Princeton History Professor Kevin Kruse snidely noted that 110 million Americans tuned in to watch Richard Nixon’s resignation speech.
I think someone in the press room today should ask Trump if he thinks he’s going to be able to maintain his TV ratings and whether he gives any credit to the virus — George Conway (@gtconway3d) March 29, 2020
ok but how are Trump’s TV ratings down there https://t.co/Mo0hMVCUMT — George Conway (@gtconway3d) March 29, 2020
“This is not about your ratings, Mr. President!” former Obama administration adviser Valerie Jarrett tweeted. “This is not a reality tv show. For countless Americans, this is our reality.”
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People are dying and everyone is scared. So many heroes are selflessly working to attend to our health and safety, and make essential goods and services available. This is not about your ratings , Mr. President! https://t.co/eCHNYk2Ptv — Valerie Jarrett (@ValerieJarrett) March 29, 2020
Even Brit Hume of Fox News, who often has the president’s back, was caught off guard.
Why bother to tweet about this, of all things? https://t.co/ORce5bNNMy — Brit Hume (@brithume) March 29, 2020
Dr. Fauci told me today that the coronavirus could kill anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 Americans, and infect millions more. Americans.
The president is tweeting about TV ratings for press conferences. https://t.co/bxGaBsOww9 — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 29, 2020
“All we have to fear...is low ratings” pic.twitter.com/CXBXVJiU5a — TrivWorks (@TrivWorks) March 29, 2020
America First is the Trump campaign slogan pic.twitter.com/KwGTOnWoDm — Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) March 29, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-29--Trump Increases Hostility Toward Reporters Questioning His Handling Of Coronavirus Crisis

Trump , who has always had a tense relationship with the news media , denied and attacked two different reporters who read a quote from the president back to him .
He first went after PBS NewsHour ’ s Yamiche Alcindor ― a reporter who the president has regularly attacked as the pandemic continues .
Here is the transcript of the portion from Fox News where Trump did say what he just told @ Yamiche he did n't say .
Q : The first is you said repeatedly that you think some of the equipment that governors are requesting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said -- Trump : I did n't say it pic.twitter.com/cvVw5lbvYl — Katherine Faulders ( @ KFaulders ) March 29 , 2020 Alcindor began her question by directly quoting Trump from a recent interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity , in which the president said he does not believe New York needs all the ventilators that Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said they did .
“ And you know a lot ― a lot of equipment ’ s being asked for that I don ’ t think they ’ ll need but I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the transcript .
“ You know , we ’ re building four hospitals , four medical centers and many other things we ’ ve developed and sent thousands of ― thousands of ventilators.
” When Alcindor asked Trump on Sunday how that thinking will impact how he fills equipment orders , the president denied that he ever made the comments on Hannity ’ s show .
Why don ’ t “ you people ” act “ a little more positive ?
” Trump told Alcindor as she continued to try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me tell you something .
Be nice .
Don ’ t be threatening , don ’ t be threatening .
Be nice.
” Trump then had Alcindor ’ s microphone taken away when she tried to ask her second question .
This is not the first time Trump has gone after Alcindor for her reporting during the pandemic .
Earlier this month , the journalist asked about the president ’ s decision in 2018 to dismantle the National Security Council ’ s pandemic response unit .
Trump said he didn ’ t “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question “ nasty ” and moved on .
Later in the briefing , CNN White House correspondent Jeremy Diamond chose to defer some of his questioning time to Alcindor so that she could ask the president her second question .
Alcindor then asked which health professionals are telling Trump that more people will die from the economic impact than from coronavirus , to which Trump refused to answer directly and instead detailed a vivid scenario of a future depression .
When Alcindor gave the microphone back to Diamond , the CNN reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him about wanting to be “ appreciated by governors ” amid the pandemic .
The president , by his account , told Vice President Mike Pence not to call governors who aren ’ t appreciative of Trump .
“ Your statement , your response and your answer is a lie , ” Trump told Diamond , who read the president ’ s direct quote back to him and insisted that he did indeed say that statement .
He then called CNN “ fake news , ” something he ’ s done from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then continued to slam governors who don ’ t appreciate him enough , saying : “ When they disrespect me , they disrespect the government.
” He ended the interaction by having the microphone taken away .

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President Donald Trump spent a portion of his daily coronavirus briefing on Sunday attacking White House reporters who asked objective questions about his past remarks about the coronavirus crisis.
Trump, who has always had a tense relationship with the news media, denied and attacked two different reporters who read a quote from the president back to him. He first went after PBS NewsHour’s Yamiche Alcindor ― a reporter who the president has regularly attacked as the pandemic continues.
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Here is the transcript of the portion from Fox News where Trump did say what he just told @Yamiche
he didn't say.
Q: The first is you said repeatedly that you think some of the equipment that governors are requesting, they don't actually need. You said -- Trump: I didn't say it pic.twitter.com/cvVw5lbvYl — Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) March 29, 2020
Alcindor began her question by directly quoting Trump from a recent interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, in which the president said he does not believe New York needs all the ventilators that Gov. Andrew Cuomo said they did.
“And you know a lot ― a lot of equipment’s being asked for that I don’t think they’ll need but I’m building,” Trump told Hannity, according to the transcript. “You know, we’re building four hospitals, four medical centers and many other things we’ve developed and sent thousands of ― thousands of ventilators.”
When Alcindor asked Trump on Sunday how that thinking will impact how he fills equipment orders, the president denied that he ever made the comments on Hannity’s show.
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Why don’t “you people” act “a little more positive?” Trump told Alcindor as she continued to try and finish her question. “Let me tell you something. Be nice. Don’t be threatening, don’t be threatening. Be nice.”
Trump then had Alcindor’s microphone taken away when she tried to ask her second question.
Later in the briefing, CNN White House correspondent Jeremy Diamond chose to defer some of his questioning time to Alcindor so that she could ask the president her second question. Alcindor then asked which health professionals are telling Trump that more people will die from the economic impact than from coronavirus, to which Trump refused to answer directly and instead detailed a vivid scenario of a future depression.
"When they disrespect me, the disrespect the government."
Donald Trump slams governors who don't "appreciate" him enough, then slams CNN's @JDiamond1 for reading his own words back to him. #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/wvl5TzmnCf — Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) March 29, 2020
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When Alcindor gave the microphone back to Diamond, the CNN reporter read Trump’s comments back to him about wanting to be “appreciated by governors” amid the pandemic. The president, by his account, told Vice President Mike Pence not to call governors who aren’t appreciative of Trump.
“Your statement, your response and your answer is a lie,” Trump told Diamond, who read the president’s direct quote back to him and insisted that he did indeed say that statement. He then called CNN “fake news,” something he’s done from the beginning of his 2016 campaign.
Trump then continued to slam governors who don’t appreciate him enough, saying: “When they disrespect me, they disrespect the government.” He ended the interaction by having the microphone taken away.