thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-17--Top Trump Trade Adviser Bashes CDC: 'Really Let The Country Down' On Virus Testing

Pete Navarro , President Donald Trump ’ s top trade adviser , knocked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday over its response to the coronavirus crisis , blaming the federal public health agency for the country ’ s slow rollout of tests .
Asked during an appearance on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press ” whether Trump has confidence in the CDC to lead during the pandemic , Navarro told host Chuck Todd that ’ s a question for the president ― not him .
“ But early on in this crisis , the CDC , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world in this space , really let the country down with the testing , ” Navarro said .
“ Because not only did they keep the testing within the bureaucracy , they had a bad test .
And that did set us back.
” Navarro then pivoted to discussing the need to reopen the U.S. economy , noting that high levels of unemployment can lead to “ more suicides , depression and drug abuse.
” “ Women haven ’ t been getting mammograms or cervical examinations for cancer , ” Navarro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been able to do other procedures for the heart or the kidneys .
And that ’ s going to kill people as well.
” WATCH : @ chucktodd asks WH Adviser Peter Navarro : “ Does the president have confidence in the CDC ?
” # MTP @ PeterNavarro45 : “ You should ask the president that question , not me .
...
The CDC , which really had the most trusted brand … really let the country down with the testing.
” pic.twitter.com/GSE99pXJun — Meet the Press ( @ MeetThePress ) May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month that contamination at two of its laboratories in Atlanta rendered some of the country ’ s first coronavirus tests ineffective .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar defended the CDC when asked if he takes responsibility for the agency ’ s missteps during an appearance Sunday on CBS ’ s “ Face the Nation.
” “ We were confronting a situation here that ’ s completely novel , ” Azar said .
“ There has never been a national , immediate testing regime across public and private sectors .
We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground up.
” Host Margaret Brennan pressed Azar to answer whether he took any responsibility for problems the CDC has admitted having .
He acknowledged that the contamination “ prevented some of the scale-up for a couple weeks.
” “ But that was never going to be the backbone of ... broad mass testing in the United States , ” Azar added .
He said the U.S. traditionally relies on the private sector to “ scale up ” the testing capacity during an outbreak .
Azar rejected Navarro ’ s claim that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when asked to respond to the trade adviser ’ s comments Sunday .
“ I don ’ t believe the CDC let this country down , ” he said .
“ I believe the CDC serves an important public health role , and what was always critical was to get the private sector to the table.
” Though Trump has patted himself on the back for his handling of the pandemic , a Morning Consult poll conducted last month showed 51 % of voters disapprove of his coronavirus response .
The president and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortcomings in the U.S. on various entities , including governors , the WHO , China and former President Barack Obama .
Medical experts have faulted the Trump administration for not taking the virus ’ s threat seriously early on .
Dr. Rick Bright , an immunologist and the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority , testified before Congress that he warned top U.S. officials about the virus as early as January but no urgent action was taken .
It ’ s typical for the U.S. to develop its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a top infectious disease expert on the White House ’ s coronavirus task force , said in March that it would have been “ nice to have ” tests from WHO as a backup to the CDC ’ s tests .

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Pete Navarro, President Donald Trump’s top trade adviser, knocked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday over its response to the coronavirus crisis, blaming the federal public health agency for the country’s slow rollout of tests.
Asked during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” whether Trump has confidence in the CDC to lead during the pandemic, Navarro told host Chuck Todd that’s a question for the president ― not him.
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“But early on in this crisis, the CDC, which really had the most trusted brand around the world in this space, really let the country down with the testing,” Navarro said. “Because not only did they keep the testing within the bureaucracy, they had a bad test. And that did set us back.”
Navarro then pivoted to discussing the need to reopen the U.S. economy, noting that high levels of unemployment can lead to “more suicides, depression and drug abuse.”
“Women haven’t been getting mammograms or cervical examinations for cancer,” Navarro added. “We haven’t been able to do other procedures for the heart or the kidneys. And that’s going to kill people as well.”
WATCH: @chucktodd asks WH Adviser Peter Navarro: “Does the president have confidence in the CDC?” #MTP @PeterNavarro45: “You should ask the president that question, not me. ... The CDC, which really had the most trusted brand … really let the country down with the testing.” pic.twitter.com/GSE99pXJun — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 17, 2020
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The CDC acknowledged last month that contamination at two of its laboratories in Atlanta rendered some of the country’s first coronavirus tests ineffective.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar defended the CDC when asked if he takes responsibility for the agency’s missteps during an appearance Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
“We were confronting a situation here that’s completely novel,” Azar said. “There has never been a national, immediate testing regime across public and private sectors. We have had to literally build this from the ground up.”
Host Margaret Brennan pressed Azar to answer whether he took any responsibility for problems the CDC has admitted having. He acknowledged that the contamination “prevented some of the scale-up for a couple weeks.”
“But that was never going to be the backbone of ... broad mass testing in the United States,” Azar added. He said the U.S. traditionally relies on the private sector to “scale up” the testing capacity during an outbreak.
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Azar said he did not believe the CDC “let this country down” when asked to respond to Navarro’s comments Sunday. “I believe the CDC serves an important public health role,” he said. “And what was always critical was to get the private sector to the table.”
It’s typical for the U.S. to develop its own diagnostic tests, though Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top infectious disease expert on the White House’s coronavirus task force, said in March that it would have been “nice to have” tests from the World Health Organization as a backup to the CDC’s tests.
Though Trump has patted himself on the back for his handling of the pandemic, a Morning Consult poll conducted last month showed 51% of voters disapprove of his coronavirus response. The president and his allies have blamed any virus response shortcomings in the U.S. on various entities, including governors, the WHO, China and former President Barack Obama.
Medical experts have faulted the Trump administration for not taking the virus’s threat seriously early on. Dr. Rick Bright, an immunologist and the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, testified before Congress that he warned top U.S. officials about the virus as early as January but no urgent action was taken.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-17--Trump's New COVID-19 Czar Holds $10 Million In Vaccine Company Stock Options

Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
has slammed COVID-19 vaccine czar Moncef Slaoui ’ s “ huge conflict of interest ” after required federal filings revealed he holds $ 10 million in stock options in one of the companies working to develop a COVID-19 vaccine .
It is a huge conflict of interest for the White House ’ s new vaccine czar to own $ 10 million of stock in a company receiving government funding to develop a COVID-19 vaccine .
Dr. Slaoui should divest immediately .
https : //t.co/8IWLxVL7la — Elizabeth Warren ( @ SenWarren ) May 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive , was named “ chief scientist ” on Friday for President Donald Trump ’ s “ Operation Warp Speed , ” a COVID-19 vaccine development operation .
In order to take the new role , he stepped down from his position on the board of directors of biotech company Moderna Inc. , which is based in Cambridge , Massachusetts .
But Slaoui still owns 155,000 Moderna stock options , totaling more than $ 10 million as of Friday , according to Business Insider .
Slaoui ’ s economic interest in the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other companies that may be more successful in their hunt for a vaccine .
Moderna last month announced that it received $ 483 million in federal funding for vaccine development , which sent its stocks up 15 % , CNBC reported .
When he was introduced on Friday by Trump in a Rose Garden press briefing , Slaoui said the president ’ s aim to have a vaccine by the end of the year was “ credible , ” though it would be “ extremely challenging.
” Slaoui said he was “ more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a clinical trial.
” He did not name which company was conducting the trial .
But health publication Stat News said that it was probably Moderna , the company Slaoui stands to profit from , because he likely had access to that information .
Moderna ’ s experimental coronavirus vaccine just entered Phase 2 of clinical trials , The New York Times reported .
NEW : Pres .
Trump appoints former pharmaceutical executive Moncef Slaoui and Army Gen. Gustave Perna to lead vaccine development .
The two struck notes of optimism about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceding it will be a `` herculean task . ''
https : //t.co/rjsMyBH5T0 pic.twitter.com/ztPaVJXGoO — ABC News ( @ ABC ) May 15 , 2020 Slaoui could not immediately be reach for comment by HuffPost .

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has slammed COVID-19 vaccine czar Moncef Slaoui’s “huge conflict of interest” after required federal filings revealed he holds $10 million in stock options in one of the companies working to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.
Warren demanded that Slaoui “divest immediately.”
It is a huge conflict of interest for the White House’s new vaccine czar to own $10 million of stock in a company receiving government funding to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Slaoui should divest immediately. https://t.co/8IWLxVL7la — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) May 15, 2020
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Slaoui, a former pharmaceutical executive, was named “chief scientist” on Friday for President Donald Trump’s “Operation Warp Speed,” a COVID-19 vaccine development operation. In order to take the new role, he stepped down from his position on the board of directors of biotech company Moderna Inc., which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. But Slaoui still owns 155,000 Moderna stock options, totaling more than $10 million as of Friday, according to Business Insider.
Slaoui’s economic interest in the company could influence government support for Moderna over other companies that may be more successful in their hunt for a vaccine.
Moderna last month announced that it received $483 million in federal funding for vaccine development, which sent its stocks up 15%, CNBC reported.
When he was introduced on Friday by Trump in a Rose Garden press briefing, Slaoui said the president’s aim to have a vaccine by the end of the year was “credible,” though it would be “extremely challenging.”
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Slaoui said he was “more confident” after seeing “early data from a clinical trial.” He did not name which company was conducting the trial. But health publication Stat News said that it was probably Moderna, the company Slaoui stands to profit from, because he likely had access to that information. Moderna’s experimental coronavirus vaccine just entered Phase 2 of clinical trials, The New York Times reported.
NEW: Pres. Trump appoints former pharmaceutical executive Moncef Slaoui and Army Gen. Gustave Perna to lead vaccine development.
The two struck notes of optimism about the hoped-for pace of development, while conceding it will be a "herculean task." https://t.co/rjsMyBH5T0 pic.twitter.com/ztPaVJXGoO — ABC News (@ABC) May 15, 2020
Slaoui could not immediately be reach for comment by HuffPost.
A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-19--Livid Trump Says He’s Done With Fox News: ‘Looking For A New Outlet!’

President Donald Trump says he ’ s had it with Fox News after host Neil Cavuto criticized him for taking the drug hydroxychloroquine to prevent becoming infected with the coronavirus .
The anti-malaria drug has not been approved for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , but it has become a favorite talking-point in conservative media .
Trump on Monday claimed he has been taking it after at least two people in the White House were diagnosed with the coronavirus infection .
“ If you are in a risky population here , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment to ward off the virus ... it will kill you , ” Cavuto said .
“ I can not stress this enough : This will kill you.
” While many Fox News hosts routinely lavish praise on the president ― and host Laura Ingraham has been one of the biggest media proponents of taking hydroxychloroquine ― the comments from Cavuto set Trump off .
He claimed on Twitter that he was ready to change the channel : .
@ FoxNews is no longer the same .
We miss the great Roger Ailes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by far , than ever before .
Looking for a new outlet !
https : //t.co/jXxsF0flUM — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 19 , 2020 Trump ’ s comments also included praise for Roger Ailes , the late Fox News CEO who left the network after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment .
Despite that history , Ailes served as an adviser to Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign .
Democratically elected presidents do n't `` look for a new outlet , '' they do n't run propaganda machines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to be free & independent & no more a tool of the presidency that the Justice Department is supposed to be .
— Joyce Alene ( @ JoyceWhiteVance ) May 19 , 2020 If you look on the back of your prescription bottle it should list which cable news hosts are trustworthy .
— pourmecoffee ( @ pourmecoffee ) May 19 , 2020 Omg you really must be on hydroxychloroquine and adderall and chicken McNuggets and Clorox .
# Cavuto was trying to help you , you # morbidlyobese , genocidal gaslighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lesleyabravanel ) May 19 , 2020

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President Donald Trump says he’s had it with Fox News after host Neil Cavuto criticized him for taking the drug hydroxychloroquine to prevent becoming infected with the coronavirus.
The anti-malaria drug has not been approved for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, but it has become a favorite talking-point in conservative media.
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Trump on Monday claimed he has been taking it after at least two people in the White House were diagnosed with the coronavirus infection.
But Cavuto warned viewers not to emulate the president.
“If you are in a risky population here, and you are taking this as a preventative treatment to ward off the virus ... it will kill you,” Cavuto said. “I cannot stress this enough: This will kill you.”
While many Fox News hosts routinely lavish praise on the president ― and host Laura Ingraham has been one of the biggest media proponents of taking hydroxychloroquine ― the comments from Cavuto set Trump off.
He claimed on Twitter that he was ready to change the channel:
.@FoxNews is no longer the same. We miss the great Roger Ailes. You have more anti-Trump people, by far, than ever before. Looking for a new outlet! https://t.co/jXxsF0flUM — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2020
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Trump’s comments also included praise for Roger Ailes, the late Fox News CEO who left the network after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment.
Despite that history, Ailes served as an adviser to Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump’s anger at the network drew a sharp response from his critics:
Democratically elected presidents don't "look for a new outlet," they don't run propaganda machines. The press in this country is supposed to be free & independent & no more a tool of the presidency that the Justice Department is supposed to be. — Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) May 19, 2020
If you look on the back of your prescription bottle it should list which cable news hosts are trustworthy. — pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) May 19, 2020
So, every media outlet now, including Fox News, is "anti-#Trump? Maybe they've all just become anti-stupidity, anti-lying, anti-incompetence, anti-failure, anti-danger, anti-sickness, anti-death, anti-sociopath, anti-criminal, anti-traitor? — Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) May 19, 2020
Omg you really must be on hydroxychloroquine and adderall and chicken McNuggets and Clorox. #Cavuto was trying to help you, you #morbidlyobese, genocidal gaslighting ghoul. — Lesley Abravanel🆘 (@lesleyabravanel) May 19, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-18--Pelosi Concerned 'Morbidly Obese' Trump Taking Unproven Drug To Ward Off Coronavirus

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said Monday she was concerned after President Donald Trump claimed he had taken an unproven anti-malaria drug for weeks in the hopes of preventing COVID-19 , pointing to the president ’ s age and weight and the threat of serious side effects linked to the treatment .
“ He ’ s our president , and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists , ” Pelosi told CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper on Monday , adding : “ Especially in his age group , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weight group , what is morbidly obese , they say.
” “ I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists , especially in his age group , and in his , shall we say , weight group : ‘ Morbidly obese , ’ they say , ” says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Pres .
Trump ’ s revelation he is taking hydroxychloroquine .
pic.twitter.com/0ImjpEjg9q — Anderson Cooper 360° ( @ AC360 ) May 19 , 2020 Trump said Monday that he had been taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a potential treatment for the coronavirus .
There is no known evidence , however , that it works in COVID-19 cases , and the Food and Drug Administration warned against its use last month except in formal medical studies .
The president ’ s claim sparked fears not just for Trump himself but also for the precedent it could set for Americans who look to the White House for leadership .
Studies have shown the drug does not lower the risk of dying or needing a breathing tube in patients with severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Veterans Affairs patients actually found higher death rates in those hospitalized with coronavirus infections .
Pelosi ’ s concern is grounded in the president ’ s medical records .
During his checkup last year , Trump measured 6 feet , 3 inches and weighed 243 pounds , which would qualify him as obese , according to the National Institutes of Health .
The NIH ’ s body mass index measures above-normal weight in the overweight and obese categories .
Trump ’ s reported measurements would give him a BMI of 30.4 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as obese , but its index does not list a separate range for morbid obesity .
The president is also 73 and in an age bracket that puts him at greater risk .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned older adults to take increased precautions as cases of the coronavirus spread around the nation , and preliminary studies released last month found obesity may be a predictor of severe coronavirus illnesses .
Trump continued to claim on Monday that hydroxychloroquine would be a boon for Americans , telling reporters they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are taking it.
” He has reportedly pushed health officials to direct federal funding to hydroxychloroquine studies .
“ I ’ ve heard a lot of good stories , ” Trump said .
“ And if it is not good , I will tell you right .
I ’ m not going to get hurt by it .
It has been around for 40 years for malaria , for lupus , for other things .
”

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Monday she was concerned after President Donald Trump claimed he had taken an unproven anti-malaria drug for weeks in the hopes of preventing COVID-19, pointing to the president’s age and weight and the threat of serious side effects linked to the treatment.
“He’s our president, and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists,” Pelosi told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday, adding: “Especially in his age group, and in his, shall we say, weight group, what is morbidly obese, they say.”
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“So I think it is not a good idea.”
“I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists, especially in his age group, and in his, shall we say, weight group: ‘Morbidly obese,’ they say,” says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Pres. Trump’s revelation he is taking hydroxychloroquine. pic.twitter.com/0ImjpEjg9q — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) May 19, 2020
Trump said Monday that he had been taking doses of hydroxychloroquine after touting the drug as a potential treatment for the coronavirus. There is no known evidence, however, that it works in COVID-19 cases, and the Food and Drug Administration warned against its use last month except in formal medical studies.
The president’s claim sparked fears not just for Trump himself but also for the precedent it could set for Americans who look to the White House for leadership. Studies have shown the drug does not lower the risk of dying or needing a breathing tube in patients with severe cases of COVID-19, and a study of Veterans Affairs patients actually found higher death rates in those hospitalized with coronavirus infections.
Pelosi’s concern is grounded in the president’s medical records. During his checkup last year, Trump measured 6 feet, 3 inches and weighed 243 pounds, which would qualify him as obese, according to the National Institutes of Health.
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The NIH’s body mass index measures above-normal weight in the overweight and obese categories. Trump’s reported measurements would give him a BMI of 30.4, and the NIH considers anything above 30 as obese, but its index does not list a separate range for morbid obesity.
The president is also 73 and in an age bracket that puts him at greater risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned older adults to take increased precautions as cases of the coronavirus spread around the nation, and preliminary studies released last month found obesity may be a predictor of severe coronavirus illnesses.
Trump continued to claim on Monday that hydroxychloroquine would be a boon for Americans, telling reporters they would be “surprised at how many people are taking it.” He has reportedly pushed health officials to direct federal funding to hydroxychloroquine studies.
“I’ve heard a lot of good stories,” Trump said. “And if it is not good, I will tell you right. I’m not going to get hurt by it. It has been around for 40 years for malaria, for lupus, for other things.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-19--Trump 'Will Lie,' People Will Die: Republican Lincoln Project Releases Ominous New Video

An ominous new ad released Monday by a conservative Republican group features Donald Trump as a kind of White House Grim Reaper who relentlessly lies while people die of COVID-19 .
The spot was produced by the “ never-Trumper ” Lincoln Project , whose founders include harsh Trump critic George Conway , the lawyer husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway .
As COVID-19 continues to spread and the death toll surpasses 90,000 , Trump “ will lie ” and he will “ tweet instead of lead , ” says the narrator in the ad .
“ He will blame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s behavior and the deaths will continue week after week “ until you do something about it , ” the ad concludes .
It ’ s airing this week in the Washington , D.C. , area .
“ If there is one thing we can count on in the coming weeks , it ’ s that Donald Trump will continue to fail and embarrass the people he is elected to serve , ” Lincoln Project co-founder Jennifer Horn said in a statement .
The group ’ s last ad , “ Mourning in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , who lashed out on Twitter , calling members of The Lincoln Project “ loser types.
” After that , The Lincoln Project collected $ 1.4 million in new contributions , organizers reported .
Check out the video up top .

An ominous new ad released Monday by a conservative Republican group features Donald Trump as a kind of White House Grim Reaper who relentlessly lies while people die of COVID-19.
The spot was produced by the “never-Trumper” Lincoln Project, whose founders include harsh Trump critic George Conway, the lawyer husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway.
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As COVID-19 continues to spread and the death toll surpasses 90,000, Trump “will lie” and he will “tweet instead of lead,” says the narrator in the ad. “He will blame others for his failures.”
Trump’s behavior and the deaths will continue week after week “until you do something about it,” the ad concludes.
It’s airing this week in the Washington, D.C., area.
“If there is one thing we can count on in the coming weeks, it’s that Donald Trump will continue to fail and embarrass the people he is elected to serve,” Lincoln Project co-founder Jennifer Horn said in a statement.
The group’s last ad, “Mourning in America,” struck a nerve with Trump, who lashed out on Twitter, calling members of The Lincoln Project “loser types.”
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After that, The Lincoln Project collected $1.4 million in new contributions, organizers reported.
Check out the video up top.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-18--Stunned Fox News Host Neil Cavuto Warns: Hydroxychloroquine ‘Will Kill You’

Donald Trump told reporters Monday that he ’ s been taking hydroxychloroquine for several weeks , despite a lack of evidence the controversial drug is in any way effective at treating COVID-19 .
The president ’ s disclosure was met by a baffled Neil Cavuto on Fox News , who told viewers in no uncertain terms they shouldn ’ t follow the president ’ s advice .
Fox News 's Neil Cavuto is stunned by Trump 's announcement that he 's taking hydroxychloroquine : `` If you are in a risky population here , and you are taking this as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
I can not stress enough .
This will kill you . ''
pic.twitter.com/e6D5alfAgc — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) May 18 , 2020 Cavuto referenced a handful of research studies , including analyzing patient data from Veterans Health Administration medical centers last month that concluded the drug shows no real benefit for treating coronavirus , and may actually be harmful .
A second study , conducted at Columbia University in New York , reached a similar conclusion earlier this month .
“ If you are in a risky population here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a preventative treatment to ward off the virus ... it will kill you , ” Cavuto said .
“ I can not stress this enough : This will kill you.
” The drug is more conventionally used as an anti-malarial and as a treatment for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis .
Hydroxychloroquine ’ s potentially serious side effects are well-known and include altering heartbeats in a way that could lead to sudden death .
One of Cavuto ’ s guests , Dr. Bob Lahita , also advised viewers against taking the drug , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” it works against COVID-19 .
The United States Food and Drug Administration has not approved the drug for use against the coronavirus .
A spokesperson for Fox News , which has repeatedly echoed Trump ’ s promotion of hydroxychloroquine , did not immediately return HuffPost ’ s request for comment on Cavuto ’ s remarks .

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Donald Trump told reporters Monday that he’s been taking hydroxychloroquine for several weeks, despite a lack of evidence the controversial drug is in any way effective at treating COVID-19.
The president’s disclosure was met by a baffled Neil Cavuto on Fox News, who told viewers in no uncertain terms they shouldn’t follow the president’s advice.
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Fox News's Neil Cavuto is stunned by Trump's announcement that he's taking hydroxychloroquine: "If you are in a risky population here, and you are taking this as a preventative treatment ... it will kill you. I cannot stress enough. This will kill you." pic.twitter.com/e6D5alfAgc — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 18, 2020
Cavuto referenced a handful of research studies, including analyzing patient data from Veterans Health Administration medical centers last month that concluded the drug shows no real benefit for treating coronavirus, and may actually be harmful.
A second study, conducted at Columbia University in New York, reached a similar conclusion earlier this month.
“If you are in a risky population here, and you are taking this as a preventative treatment to ward off the virus ... it will kill you,” Cavuto said. “I cannot stress this enough: This will kill you.”
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The drug is more conventionally used as an anti-malarial and as a treatment for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Hydroxychloroquine’s potentially serious side effects are well-known and include altering heartbeats in a way that could lead to sudden death.
One of Cavuto’s guests, Dr. Bob Lahita, also advised viewers against taking the drug, saying “we have had no evidence whatsoever” it works against COVID-19.
The United States Food and Drug Administration has not approved the drug for use against the coronavirus.
A spokesperson for Fox News, which has repeatedly echoed Trump’s promotion of hydroxychloroquine, did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment on Cavuto’s remarks.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-18--Trump Says He Wants Mike Pompeo To Work, Not 'Wash Dishes' If His Wife Isn't Around

President Donald Trump apparently expects Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s wife to wash the dishes in the Pompeo household , he indicated at his press briefing Monday .
And when his family isn ’ t around , it ’ s apparently OK for Pompeo to use taxpayer-funded federal employees — including the Secret Service — to do his domestic chores , Trump said .
“ Now I have you telling me about dog walking , washing dishes .
And you know what ?
I ’ d rather have him [ Pompeo ] on the phone with some world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe his wife isn ’ t there or his kids aren ’ t there ... it ’ s so stupid , ” Trump said .
Trump called Pompeo a “ high-quality person ” and a “ brilliant guy , ” and said he didn ’ t see anything wrong with the secretary of state asking a “ Secret Service person or somebody ” to walk his dog .
“ Maybe he ’ s busy , ” Trump said before imagining a conversation Pompeo might have with an officer : “ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walk my dog.
” President Trump : `` I 'd rather have [ Pompeo ] on the phone with some world leader than have him wash dishes because maybe his wife is n't there . ''
pic.twitter.com/J3CW5SOJ5B — The Hill ( @ thehill ) May 18 , 2020 Trump made the remarks about Pompeo while answering questions about firing State Department Inspector General Steve Linick .
Twitter went bonkers over Trump ’ s comments , and the fact he apparently has no problem with well-paid federal employees doing menial household chores on top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president is already under fire for his demeaning treatment of female reporters , so the sexism about who should do the housework didn ’ t help .
Thank you Trump for the reminder of your misogyny - no one could make it more clear .
`` WIFE '' not around to `` WASH DISHES '' is justification for Pompeo to ILLEGALLY have gov't employee do remedial house work for him .
That ought to play well with women voters in November .
— Brent O ( @ OnlineDetective ) May 18 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having a taxpayer funded aide ( who has an actual job he 's being paid to do ) wash his dishes , Pompeo can use that paycheck he gets to hire someone to wash his dishes and walk his dog .
— Paul Wu-Tang Clan ( @ PaulWuster ) May 18 , 2020 If this doesn ’ t send women a message , I don ’ t know what will .
The d still lives in the day of women should be “ kept barefoot and pregnant ” .
This may be why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
Those that do must lack self esteem .
— Nancy Kokesh 💙 ( @ nkokesh ) May 18 , 2020 “ Because maybe his wife isn ’ t there.
” Or if you ’ re not a misogynist , maybe because he didn ’ t take some of his substantial salary and hire someone to do those domestic duties for him .
— Alane ( @ alaneyo ) May 18 , 2020

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President Donald Trump apparently expects Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s wife to wash the dishes in the Pompeo household, he indicated at his press briefing Monday.
And when his family isn’t around, it’s apparently OK for Pompeo to use taxpayer-funded federal employees — including the Secret Service — to do his domestic chores, Trump said.
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“Now I have you telling me about dog walking, washing dishes. And you know what? I’d rather have him [Pompeo] on the phone with some world leader than have him wash dishes because maybe his wife isn’t there or his kids aren’t there ... it’s so stupid,” Trump said.
Trump called Pompeo a “high-quality person” and a “brilliant guy,” and said he didn’t see anything wrong with the secretary of state asking a “Secret Service person or somebody” to walk his dog.
“Maybe he’s busy,” Trump said before imagining a conversation Pompeo might have with an officer: “I’m talking to Kim Jong Un ... Please walk my dog.”
President Trump: "I'd rather have [Pompeo] on the phone with some world leader than have him wash dishes because maybe his wife isn't there." pic.twitter.com/J3CW5SOJ5B — The Hill (@thehill) May 18, 2020
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Trump made the remarks about Pompeo while answering questions about firing State Department Inspector General Steve Linick.
Twitter went bonkers over Trump’s comments, and the fact he apparently has no problem with well-paid federal employees doing menial household chores on top of their real jobs. And the president is already under fire for his demeaning treatment of female reporters, so the sexism about who should do the housework didn’t help.
One of Trump's worst responses. Secret service are not hired dog walkers. And real men do housework. — Hutch (@3rddey) May 18, 2020
Thank you Trump for the reminder of your misogyny - no one could make it more clear. "WIFE" not around to "WASH DISHES" is justification for Pompeo to ILLEGALLY have gov't employee do remedial house work for him. That ought to play well with women voters in November. — Brent O (@OnlineDetective) May 18, 2020
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Bear with me here. Instead of having a taxpayer funded aide (who has an actual job he's being paid to do) wash his dishes, Pompeo can use that paycheck he gets to hire someone to wash his dishes and walk his dog. — Paul Wu-Tang Clan (@PaulWuster) May 18, 2020
If this doesn’t send women a message, I don’t know what will. The d still lives in the day of women should be “kept barefoot and pregnant”. This may be why most women don’t vote for him. Those that do must lack self esteem. — Nancy Kokesh 💙 (@nkokesh) May 18, 2020
“Because maybe his wife isn’t there.” Or if you’re not a misogynist, maybe because he didn’t take some of his substantial salary and hire someone to do those domestic duties for him. — Alane (@alaneyo) May 18, 2020
It means "Make America 1950 Again!" — o'neill (@johnoneillnyc) May 18, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-19--Chris Cuomo: Trump Finally Found ‘A Winning Argument’ On Coronavirus

The drug hasn ’ t been approved to prevent the infection or to treat it , and critics were quick to both slam Trump for taking it and warn that others who follow suit could face real dangers .
But the CNN host said all of that ’ s irrelevant .
By talking up the drug , Trump could avoid answering other questions , including how to reopen safely .
“ Don ’ t take the bait , ” Cuomo warned .
“ Let ’ s stay focused on what matters .
We have to reopen , but we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How ?
That question remains unanswered.
” At one point , Cuomo suggested that Trump may not even be taking the drug , just claiming that he was because “ it ’ s a fight that he can win , and that the media will take on and that his opponents may take on , and it ’ s all a beautiful distraction.
” Then , Cuomo played a clip of Trump announcing that he was on the drug .
“ I ’ m telling you ― it ’ s a winning argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launching into impressions of both Trump ’ s supporters and his critics : Why did Pres .
Trump ’ s reveal he is taking hydroxychloroquine ?
As a distraction from his lack of a plan or real solutions , warns @ chriscuomo : “ Don ’ t take the bait.
” https : //t.co/9rkCGlK82G pic.twitter.com/O7TbrcTqFX — Cuomo Prime Time ( @ CuomoPrimeTime ) May 19 , 2020

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The drug hasn’t been approved to prevent the infection or to treat it, and critics were quick to both slam Trump for taking it and warn that others who follow suit could face real dangers. But the CNN host said all of that’s irrelevant. By talking up the drug, Trump could avoid answering other questions, including how to reopen safely.
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“Don’t take the bait,” Cuomo warned. “Let’s stay focused on what matters. We have to reopen, but we have to do it the right way. How? That question remains unanswered.”
At one point, Cuomo suggested that Trump may not even be taking the drug, just claiming that he was because “it’s a fight that he can win, and that the media will take on and that his opponents may take on, and it’s all a beautiful distraction.”
Then, Cuomo played a clip of Trump announcing that he was on the drug.
“I’m telling you ― it’s a winning argument for him,” Cuomo said before launching into impressions of both Trump’s supporters and his critics:
Why did Pres. Trump’s reveal he is taking hydroxychloroquine?
As a distraction from his lack of a plan or real solutions, warns @chriscuomo: “Don’t take the bait.” https://t.co/9rkCGlK82G pic.twitter.com/O7TbrcTqFX — Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) May 19, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-19--Trump Just Retweeted One Of His Biggest Critics, Who Replied Exactly How You’d Expect

Donald Trump went on a spree of retweets Monday night , and one of the messages he shared was from a persistent critic who quickly used the newfound attention to slam the president .
Trump ’ s retweets were largely focused on his announcement that he was taking the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to protect himself from coronavirus despite a lack of evidence .
However , some of the messages shared by Trump also attacked Fox News host Neil Cavuto , who had criticized him and warned viewers not to follow the president ’ s example .
“ If you are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are taking this as a preventative treatment to ward off the virus ... it will kill you , ” Cavuto said .
“ I can not stress this enough : This will kill you.
” Trump wasn ’ t happy .
He not only ripped the host but also the entire Fox News network , claiming he was “ looking for a new outlet.
” Fox News on hydroxychloroquine in the last two days : Neil Cavuto : It ’ ll kill you !
!
!
Laura Ingraham : Take it !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — The Hoarse Whisperer ( @ HoarseWisperer ) May 18 , 2020 Just one problem : This account , which goes by the handle of “ The Hoarse Whisperer , ” is a pretty constant thorn in Trump ’ s social media side .
And after the Trump retweet , the account fired back with a few messages the president was not likely to share : Others were puzzled about why Trump would retweet the account in the first place , given its long history of posting messages hostile to the president and @ @ @

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Donald Trump went on a spree of retweets Monday night, and one of the messages he shared was from a persistent critic who quickly used the newfound attention to slam the president.
Trump’s retweets were largely focused on his announcement that he was taking the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to protect himself from coronavirus despite a lack of evidence. However, some of the messages shared by Trump also attacked Fox News host Neil Cavuto, who had criticized him and warned viewers not to follow the president’s example.
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“If you are in a risky population here, and you are taking this as a preventative treatment to ward off the virus ... it will kill you,” Cavuto said. “I cannot stress this enough: This will kill you.”
Trump wasn’t happy. He not only ripped the host but also the entire Fox News network, claiming he was “looking for a new outlet.”
The president’s retweets included this one:
Fox News on hydroxychloroquine in the last two days:
Neil Cavuto: It’ll kill you!!!
Laura Ingraham: Take it! Take it! Take it!
pic.twitter.com/CrmnmXKKrI — The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) May 18, 2020
Just one problem: This account, which goes by the handle of “The Hoarse Whisperer,” is a pretty constant thorn in Trump’s social media side. And after the Trump retweet, the account fired back with a few messages the president was not likely to share:
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The man who just retweeted me is a complete fuckopotamus.
He is also the President. — The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) May 19, 2020
Others were puzzled about why Trump would retweet the account in the first place, given its long history of posting messages hostile to the president and his agenda:
How did trump accidentally retweet @HoarseWisperer? — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) May 19, 2020
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I love that Trump RT’d this. 😂 — ⚜Rob Anderson for Louisiana (@RobAnderson2018) May 19, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-19--Trump Threatens Permanent Freeze Of World Health Organization Funding

May 18 ( Reuters ) - President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to permanently halt funding for the World Health Organization ( WHO ) if it did not commit to improvements within 30 days , and to reconsider the membership of the United States in the body .
Trump suspended U.S. contributions to the WHO last month , accusing it of promoting China ’ s “ disinformation ” about the coronavirus outbreak , although WHO officials denied the accusation and China said it was transparent and open .
“ If the WHO does not commit to major substantive improvements within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the WHO permanent and reconsider our membership , ” Trump told its chief , Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , in a letter posted https : //bit.ly/3bNB3R7 on Twitter .
Earlier , Trump said the WHO had “ done a very sad job ” in its handling of the virus and he would make a decision soon on U.S. funding .
In his letter , Trump said the only way forward for the body was if it could demonstrate independence from China , adding that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tedros .
On Monday , the WHO said an independent review of the global virus response would begin as soon as possible and it had received backing and a hefty pledge of funds from China , in the spotlight as the origin of the pandemic .
Geneva-based WHO , a U.N. specialized agency , is leading a global initiative to develop safe and effective vaccines , tests and drugs to prevent , diagnose and treat COVID-19 .
More than 4.75 million people have been reported to have been infected globally and 314,414 have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The United States contributed more than $ 400 million to the WHO in 2019 , or roughly 15 % of the organization ’ s budget .
And this year , Washington has already paid the WHO about $ 58 million , senior Trump administration officials said last month , half of what it is required to pay for 2020 - known as an assessed contribution .
The United States traditionally provides several hundred million dollars annually in voluntary funding tied to specific WHO programs like polio eradication , vaccine-preventable disease , HIV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , newborn , child and adolescent health .
It was not clear how much voluntary funding the United States had already provided for WHO programs in 2020 .

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May 18 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to permanently halt funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) if it did not commit to improvements within 30 days, and to reconsider the membership of the United States in the body.
Trump suspended U.S. contributions to the WHO last month, accusing it of promoting China’s “disinformation” about the coronavirus outbreak, although WHO officials denied the accusation and China said it was transparent and open.
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“If the WHO does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the WHO permanent and reconsider our membership,” Trump told its chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a letter posted https://bit.ly/3bNB3R7 on Twitter.
Earlier, Trump said the WHO had “done a very sad job” in its handling of the virus and he would make a decision soon on U.S. funding.
In his letter, Trump said the only way forward for the body was if it could demonstrate independence from China, adding that his administration had already started reform discussions with Tedros.
This is the letter sent to Dr. Tedros of the World Health Organization. It is self-explanatory! pic.twitter.com/pF2kzPUpDv — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2020
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On Monday, the WHO said an independent review of the global virus response would begin as soon as possible and it had received backing and a hefty pledge of funds from China, in the spotlight as the origin of the pandemic.
Geneva-based WHO, a U.N. specialized agency, is leading a global initiative to develop safe and effective vaccines, tests and drugs to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19.
More than 4.75 million people have been reported to have been infected globally and 314,414 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
The United States contributed more than $400 million to the WHO in 2019, or roughly 15% of the organization’s budget.
And this year, Washington has already paid the WHO about $58 million, senior Trump administration officials said last month, half of what it is required to pay for 2020 - known as an assessed contribution.
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The United States traditionally provides several hundred million dollars annually in voluntary funding tied to specific WHO programs like polio eradication, vaccine-preventable disease, HIV and hepatitis, tuberculosis, and maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-19--New York Politician's Coronavirus Briefing Takes NSFW Turn: ‘I’m Going To Blush’

A New York politician provided a much-needed moment of levity at her latest coronavirus briefing .
Nassau County Executive Laura @ @ @ @ @ an unexpected turn at the weekend when she advised against handling other people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ the county reopen .
“ You can kick their balls , but you can ’ @ @ @ @ @ said Curran , eliciting giggles from those in attendance .
Smiling , she appeared to @ @ @ @ @ words .
“ I ’ m going to blush , sorry , ” Curran continued @ @ @ @ @ composed .
“ To avoid confusion between whose balls are whose , you can use @ @ @ @ @ Sharpie , to mark out an X or to put someone ’ s initials on @ @ @ @ @ to add , amid stifled laughter .
Don ’ t touch other people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ your hands , is my new favorite rule .
( H/T @ leverageagency ) pic.twitter.com/0RynwXZQET @ @ @ @ @ darrenrovell ) May 17 , 2020

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A New York politician provided a much-needed moment of levity at her latest coronavirus briefing.
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran’s presser took an unexpected turn over the weekend when she advised against handling other people’s tennis balls when courts in the county reopen.
“You can kick their balls, but you can’t touch them,” said Curran, eliciting giggles from those in attendance.
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Smiling sheepishly, she appeared to immediately regret her choice of words.
“I’m going to blush, sorry,” Curran continued, visibly struggling to stay composed.
“To avoid confusion between whose balls are whose, you can use a marker, like a Sharpie, to mark out an X or to put someone’s initials on them,” she managed to add, amid stifled laughter.
Check out the clip here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-19--At Least 100 Catholic Schools Across The Country May Not Reopen This Fall

COVID-19 has thrown pre-K , K-12 , and higher education into a state of financial disarray .
The pandemic has been particularly catastrophic for private Catholic schools : At least 100 across the country are expected not to reopen in the fall , according to the National Catholic Education Association .
The reasons for the devastation are threefold : Families who have lost jobs are unenrolling , for fear that they won ’ t be able to afford tuition ; schools have had to cancel spring fundraisers that help keep the institutions afloat ; and without in-person services , churches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major source of education funding — have taken a hit .
At All Saints , tuition only covered 52 % of the school ’ s expenses this year , while tuition covers about 80 % of a typical Catholic school ’ s expenses , according to Louis P. DeAngelo , the Wilmington Diocese superintendent of schools .
About 50 % of students receive financial assistance at All Saints , where the student body has a substantial immigrant population .
Tuition is $ 6,400 a year for first through eighth graders , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preschool .
“ The Catholic schools that serve wealthier clientele will probably be fine , but the ones that serve the working class and the poor , it will be difficult , ” said Mears .
“ If this trend continues , I worry there won ’ t be Catholic school options , especially for the middle class and poor.
” Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has worked to give private schools a bigger share of coronavirus relief funding , but public school groups say her action violates the intent of the Coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and directly takes funding away from low-income students in public schools .
While private schools around the country say they ’ re struggling , public schools ― which serve 90 % of the nation ’ s children ― also anticipate having to lay off hundreds of thousands of teachers .
The Catholic school closures announced so far are taking place all over the country , from St. Louis to Houston to Red Bluff , California .
The Diocese of Camden , New Jersey , has announced that five of its schools will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school in Maryland , which boasts notable alumnae like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , also announced that it would be closing its doors .
The closure of All Saints is symptomatic of larger issues .
The Wilmington Diocese had already announced the closure of two other schools before the pandemic hit .
All Saints itself opened after three schools in the area had to merge .
In recent years , the school seemed to have turned a corner , steadily getting enrollment rates on an upward trajectory .
Having to explain the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rather than in person , felt like salt in an already painful wound .
Many parents in the school community had lost their jobs and were facing personal and financial upheaval .
This only caused more tumult .
“ We couldn ’ t be together .
We haven ’ t been together .
So I think it ’ s very raw , ” said Muir over the phone , choking back tears .
“ We ’ re never going to do school again together .
We ’ re never going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called to be together.
” Around half of the schools ’ approximately 200 students have already been placed in other nearby Catholic schools .
While the students ’ new schools are making efforts to make sure they will be able to receive the same amount of financial assistance , it ’ s not guaranteed , said DeAngelo .
All Saints ’ current students will be finishing the academic year remotely .
“ The real concern is the people who say they ’ re coming next year , who registered for the schools .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come is the big unknown , ” said Steven Cheeseman , superintendent of schools for the diocese in Bridgeport , Connecticut , which announced in April that it won ’ t be able to reopen one of its schools , after the pandemic hindered its ability to recruit students .
One school in Allentown , Pennsylvania , had already been suffering from declining enrollment and sustaining the school was increasingly cutting into its parish ’ s savings .
Then the coronavirus hit , and “ weekly collections over the past eight weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the school , ” Matt Kerr , secretary for external affairs for the Diocese of Allentown , said in an e-mail .
The diocese announced the closure in April .

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Things were looking bright for All Saints Catholic School in Wilmington, Delaware. Even as enrollment in Catholic schools was dropping nationwide, its student population had grown 6% this year. Its finances were looking up too: Fundraising increased 368% in the past four years.
Then the unexpected happened: a pandemic hit.
The school’s finances were suddenly in shambles. The foundations it relied on for financial support refocused their spending on serving families’ immediate needs, like hunger. The school’s meticulous plan for growth and sustainability unraveled.
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In late April, All Saints announced that it wouldn’t be able to reopen next year, forcing its approximately 200 students to find other schools.
COVID-19 has thrown pre-K, K-12, and higher education into a state of financial disarray. The pandemic has been particularly catastrophic for private Catholic schools: At least 100 across the country are expected not to reopen in the fall, according to the National Catholic Education Association.
“There simply isn’t money,” Kathy Mears, interim president and CEO of the group, told HuffPost.
The reasons for the devastation are threefold: Families who have lost jobs are unenrolling, for fear that they won’t be able to afford tuition; schools have had to cancel spring fundraisers that help keep the institutions afloat; and without in-person services, churches’ offertory collections — which typically provide a major source of education funding — have taken a hit.
Foundations that help Catholic schools are also shifting their spending priorities amid widespread unemployment and financial devastation.
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Like so much of the impact of COVID-19, the effects of these school closures will be stratified by class.
At All Saints, tuition only covered 52% of the school’s expenses this year, while tuition covers about 80% of a typical Catholic school’s expenses, according to Louis P. DeAngelo, the Wilmington Diocese superintendent of schools. About 50% of students receive financial assistance at All Saints, where the student body has a substantial immigrant population. Tuition is $6,400 a year for first through eighth graders, and $6,100 for students in kindergarten and preschool.
“The Catholic schools that serve wealthier clientele will probably be fine, but the ones that serve the working class and the poor, it will be difficult,” said Mears. “If this trend continues, I worry there won’t be Catholic school options, especially for the middle class and poor.”
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has worked to give private schools a bigger share of coronavirus relief funding, but public school groups say her action violates the intent of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and directly takes funding away from low-income students in public schools. While private schools around the country say they’re struggling, public schools ― which serve 90% of the nation’s children ― also anticipate having to lay off hundreds of thousands of teachers.
The Catholic school closures announced so far are taking place all over the country, from St. Louis to Houston to Red Bluff, California. The Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, has announced that five of its schools will not be reopening. The oldest all-girls Catholic school in Maryland, which boasts notable alumnae like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also announced that it would be closing its doors.
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In a call with Catholic leaders last month, President Donald Trump promised to help these schools, calling himself the “best [president] in the history of the Catholic Church,” according to the Catholic news website Crux.
But so far, Mears estimated that the closures will impact at least 50,000 students.
“I know we’re important to the country,” said Mears, noting that a majority of sitting Supreme Court justices attended Catholic or Jesuit schools as children, as did Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “We hope some schools will reopen, but history tells us most will not.”
Enrollment in Catholic schools has been on a steep decline for decades. In 1965, there were around 13,000 Catholic schools around the country, Mears said. Now the number sits just over 6,000.
The closure of All Saints is symptomatic of larger issues. The Wilmington Diocese had already announced the closure of two other schools before the pandemic hit. All Saints itself opened after three schools in the area had to merge. In recent years, the school seemed to have turned a corner, steadily getting enrollment rates on an upward trajectory.
When the school building closed on March 13 and teachers and families shifted to remote learning, they had no expectation they would never be able to return. Mary Elizabeth Muir, the school’s principal, said she expected only a two-week break.
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But it became apparent as the state stay-out-home order turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months that the school was no longer sustainable. The boards and leaders that oversee the school came to a painful conclusion.
“We weren’t able to create a budget for next year, not one that was viable,” said Muir.
Having to explain the situation to teachers and families over video chat, rather than in person, felt like salt in an already painful wound. Many parents in the school community had lost their jobs and were facing personal and financial upheaval. This only caused more tumult.
“We couldn’t be together. We haven’t been together. So I think it’s very raw,” said Muir over the phone, choking back tears. “We’re never going to do school again together. We’re never going to be together in the way that we were called to be together.”
Jessica Dzielak is being impacted by the closure of All Saints in two ways: She’s been a preschool teacher there for two years, and her daughter is also one of the preschool’s students.
She told HuffPost that she was in a “fog” after she learned of the closure on a Zoom call. Her children could sense her unhappiness, and would discuss how mommy had to find a new job.
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“The staff is the best staff I’ve ever worked with,” said Dzielak, who has already found a new position at another local Catholic school, which her daughter will also attend. “It was devastating.”
Around half of the schools’ approximately 200 students have already been placed in other nearby Catholic schools. While the students’ new schools are making efforts to make sure they will be able to receive the same amount of financial assistance, it’s not guaranteed, said DeAngelo. All Saints’ current students will be finishing the academic year remotely.
Around the country, it’s a similar story in different locations, with a sense that the worst may be yet to come.
“The real concern is the people who say they’re coming next year, who registered for the schools. Are they actually going to be able to come is the big unknown,” said Steven Cheeseman, superintendent of schools for the diocese in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which announced in April that it won’t be able to reopen one of its schools, after the pandemic hindered its ability to recruit students.
One school in Allentown, Pennsylvania, had already been suffering from declining enrollment and sustaining the school was increasingly cutting into its parish’s savings. Then the coronavirus hit, and “weekly collections over the past eight weeks have been far less than could support the school,” Matt Kerr, secretary for external affairs for the Diocese of Allentown, said in an e-mail. The diocese announced the closure in April.
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Mears speculated that 100 closed schools is likely an underestimate, and that the number of permanent closures will grow in coming months.
“I would hate for our country to lose a great source of education,” she said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-18--Lawmakers Call Out The Higher Risk To People Of Color As States Reopen

Democratic Reps. Karen Bass ( Calif. ) and Ruben Gallego ( Ariz. ) are joining the many activists and journalists of color drawing attention to how states reopening businesses too soon amid the coronavirus pandemic are likely placing workers of color at disproportionate risk .
During a virtual town hall Monday on the need for more federal funding during the coronavirus crisis , Bass noted the disproportionately high death rates from COVID-19 among Black and Latinx people .
“ We know that the administration has decided to adopt magical thinking and they ’ re just going to say , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to work , ’ ” the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus said of the Trump administration at the event led by the Alliance for Safety and Justice .
“ It ’ s kind of like once they saw who was dying , it was like , ‘ We don ’ t have a problem here .
We need to get everybody back to work and the economy working , ’ ” she added .
The U.S. continues to lead the world with more than 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the race and ethnicity of COVID-19 patients nationwide is still emerging , current data “ suggest a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups , ” according to the CDC .
As employers across the country gradually call employees back to work , it is likely that a large number of those placed at highest risk will be workers of color , who are disproportionately represented in jobs that require they work in close proximity to others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plants — and in the service industry interfacing with customers — like in restaurants and stores .
Black and Latinx workers are less likely than whites to be in jobs where employees can work from home , with only 1 in 5 Black workers and 1 in 6 Latinx workers able to work from home , according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics .
On Monday , Gallego , who is vice chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus , noted that “ structural racism ” has led to Black and Latinx communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said states reopening businesses are “ forcing our people to go work and put themselves on the line.
” Both Gallego and Bass touted the new coronavirus relief package that passed in the House last week .
It includes , among other provisions , a second wave of $ 1,200 payments to low-income U.S. households , this time including undocumented immigrants who were left out of the initial round of stimulus checks .
However , the legislation is unlikely to pass in the Republican-held Senate as is .
“ The structural problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we get rid of COVID-19 , will still be there , ” he said .

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Democratic Reps. Karen Bass (Calif.) and Ruben Gallego (Ariz.) are joining the many activists and journalists of color drawing attention to how states reopening businesses too soon amid the coronavirus pandemic are likely placing workers of color at disproportionate risk.
During a virtual town hall Monday on the need for more federal funding during the coronavirus crisis, Bass noted the disproportionately high death rates from COVID-19 among Black and Latinx people.
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“We know that the administration has decided to adopt magical thinking and they’re just going to say, ‘Hey, we need to just go back to work,’” the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus said of the Trump administration at the event led by the Alliance for Safety and Justice.
“It’s kind of like once they saw who was dying, it was like, ‘We don’t have a problem here. We need to get everybody back to work and the economy working,’” she added.
The U.S. continues to lead the world with more than 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 90,000 dead so far. While data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the race and ethnicity of COVID-19 patients nationwide is still emerging, current data “suggest a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups,” according to the CDC.
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As employers across the country gradually call employees back to work, it is likely that a large number of those placed at highest risk will be workers of color, who are disproportionately represented in jobs that require they work in close proximity to others — such as in factories or meatpacking plants — and in the service industry interfacing with customers — like in restaurants and stores.
Black and Latinx workers are less likely than whites to be in jobs where employees can work from home, with only 1 in 5 Black workers and 1 in 6 Latinx workers able to work from home, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Our communities can’t hide in their homes,” Gallego said at the town hall Monday, “because then they can’t feed their families.”
.@RepRubenGallego discussed how the pandemic has disproportionately impacted Asian, Latino, and Black communities.
He speaks candidly about how barriers for those with past convictions have hit his own life and family. — Alliance for Safety and Justice (@SafeandJustUSA) May 18, 2020
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On Monday, Gallego, who is vice chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, noted that “structural racism” has led to Black and Latinx communities being disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. He said states reopening businesses are “forcing our people to go work and put themselves on the line.”
Both Gallego and Bass touted the new coronavirus relief package that passed in the House last week. It includes, among other provisions, a second wave of $1,200 payments to low-income U.S. households, this time including undocumented immigrants who were left out of the initial round of stimulus checks. However, the legislation is unlikely to pass in the Republican-held Senate as is.
Gallego had a word of warning for those concerned about racial and economic injustice amid the pandemic.
“The structural problems that exist in this country, once we get rid of COVID-19, will still be there,” he said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-19--Oregon Supreme Court Says Virus Restrictions Still In Force, Halting Lower Court's Order

The Oregon Supreme Court ruled Monday night that Democratic Gov .
Kate Brown ’ s emergency coronavirus restrictions would remain in place for the time being — putting the brakes on a rural judge ’ s decision earlier in the day that had invalidated Brown ’ s executive orders aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 .
Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff had granted a preliminary injunction on more than 20 of Brown ’ s executive orders , including those mandating business closures and banning dine-in services at restaurants , Oregon Public Broadcasting reported .
Shirtcliff said in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions to state residents outweighed the danger posed to them by the coronavirus .
His ruling — which took effect immediately — was issued in response to a lawsuit filed earlier this month by a group of Oregon churches and others that claimed the state ’ s social distancing rules were unconstitutional .
Brown has faced pressure from some Oregonians to reopen the state amid the coronavirus pandemic .
An April poll , however , found that a vast majority of Oregon residents ― more than 80 % ― were in support of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protester at the Re-Open Oregon Rally on May 2 , 2020 , in Salem , Oregon .
Demonstrators gathered at the state capitol to demand a reopening of the state and to protest Gov .
Kate Brown 's stay-at-home order which was put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Following the lower court ’ s ruling on Monday , Brown said she would immediately appeal the decision to the state ’ s Supreme Court .
Within hours , the higher court had issued a temporary stay on Shirtcliff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the churches ’ lawsuit .
“ From the beginning of this crisis , I have worked within my authority , using science and data as my guide , heeding the advice of medical experts .
This strategy has saved lives and protected Oregonians from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic , ” Brown wrote .
“ There are no shortcuts for us to return to life as it was before this pandemic .
Moving too quickly could return Oregon to the early days of this crisis , when we braced for overfilled hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of this crisis , I have worked within my authority , using science and data as my guide , heeding the advice of medical experts .
This strategy has saved lives and protected Oregonians from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic — Governor Kate Brown ( @ OregonGovBrown ) May 19 , 2020 The science remains clear : By physically distancing , wearing face coverings , staying home as much as possible and only gradually reopening our communities , we can save lives and keep Oregonians safe .
— Governor Kate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 Last Wednesday , the Wisconsin Supreme Court tossed out Gov .
Tony Evers ’ ( D ) extension of a statewide stay-at-home order , ruling the Democrat had overstepped his authority in prolonging the restrictions .
A few days later , a federal judge in North Carolina ruled that churches and other religious entities could temporarily hold indoor services , invalidating Gov .
Roy Cooper ’ s ( D ) executive order prohibiting large gatherings inside houses of worship .
Cooper said he wouldn ’ t appeal the ruling .

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The Oregon Supreme Court ruled Monday night that Democratic Gov. Kate Brown’s emergency coronavirus restrictions would remain in place for the time being — putting the brakes on a rural judge’s decision earlier in the day that had invalidated Brown’s executive orders aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.
Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff had granted a preliminary injunction on more than 20 of Brown’s executive orders, including those mandating business closures and banning dine-in services at restaurants, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
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Shirtcliff said in his opinion that the damage caused by such restrictions to state residents outweighed the danger posed to them by the coronavirus.
His ruling — which took effect immediately — was issued in response to a lawsuit filed earlier this month by a group of Oregon churches and others that claimed the state’s social distancing rules were unconstitutional.
Brown has faced pressure from some Oregonians to reopen the state amid the coronavirus pandemic. An April poll, however, found that a vast majority of Oregon residents ― more than 80% ― were in support of Brown’s stay-at-home restrictions.
A protester at the Re-Open Oregon Rally on May 2, 2020, in Salem, Oregon. Demonstrators gathered at the state capitol to demand a reopening of the state and to protest Gov. Kate Brown's stay-at-home order which was put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Getty Images
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Following the lower court’s ruling on Monday, Brown said she would immediately appeal the decision to the state’s Supreme Court. Within hours, the higher court had issued a temporary stay on Shirtcliff’s injunction, pending a review of the churches’ lawsuit.
The governor responded to the Supreme Court’s decision in a statement on Twitter.
“From the beginning of this crisis, I have worked within my authority, using science and data as my guide, heeding the advice of medical experts. This strategy has saved lives and protected Oregonians from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Brown wrote. “There are no shortcuts for us to return to life as it was before this pandemic. Moving too quickly could return Oregon to the early days of this crisis, when we braced for overfilled hospitals and ventilators in short supply.”
From the beginning of this crisis, I have worked within my authority, using science and data as my guide, heeding the advice of medical experts. This strategy has saved lives and protected Oregonians from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic — Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) May 19, 2020
The science remains clear: By physically distancing, wearing face coverings, staying home as much as possible and only gradually reopening our communities, we can save lives and keep Oregonians safe. — Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) May 19, 2020
Judges in other states have heard similar cases in recent weeks.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-19--Marco Rubio To Head Senate Intelligence Committee Amid Probe Into Richard Burr

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will temporarily become chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee , Republican leaders announced , taking charge of the panel at a time of turnover and tension in the nation ’ s intelligence community .
Rubio will replace North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr , who said last week that he would step aside after federal agents examining his recent stock sales showed up at his home with a warrant to search his cellphone .
Friday was Burr ’ s last day in the position .
Along with House and Senate leaders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Intelligence Committee , Rubio will now have access to some of the highest-level secrets in Congress as part of a small “ Gang of Eight ” that receives the most sensitive information .
A former Republican presidential candidate who eventually endorsed Donald Trump in 2016 , he has also worked with Democrats on the panel on its investigation into Russian election interference and other matters .
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner , the top Democrat on the panel , said in a statement Monday that Rubio “ has been a great partner on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he looks forward to working with him .
Rubio ’ s promotion comes amid repeated tension between the White House and the intelligence community .
Trump has fired , ousted or moved aside multiple officials in the last year , including the inspector general of the intelligence community , Michael Atkinson , who triggered the beginning of impeachment proceedings last year when he tried to warn Congress about a call between Trump and the president of Ukraine .
Trump has also repeatedly questioned the intelligence agencies ’ conclusions that Russia attempted to interfere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panel endorsed that conclusion in a report last month — including that Russia had a preference for Trump — and Rubio has repeatedly warned that Russia could try again .
The Senate panel ’ s report “ is another stark reminder of the threat foreign adversaries pose to our elections and the need to remain vigilant as we approach election season this November , ” Rubio said after the report was released .
The new chairman ’ s first official act will be a closed-door committee vote Tuesday to approve the nomination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national intelligence .
Ratcliffe would replace former DNI Dan Coats , who left the post last summer .
A close ally of Trump ’ s , Richard Grenell , is currently in the acting position .
Rubio has focused much of his Senate career on foreign policy , particularly Russia and China , and he is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations panel .
He is also the chairman of the Senate small-business committee , where he has been negotiating relief measures during the coronavirus pandemic .
In announcing Rubio ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not say whether he would keep the small-business gavel .
“ His care for our nation ’ s security , advocacy for our values and interests , and vigilance toward threats have earned a national reputation , ” McConnell said .
“ On subjects ranging from China and Russia to Iran and North Korea to tyranny and unrest in our own hemisphere , Senator Rubio has been on the case for years.
” Rubio issued a short statement thanking McConnell for the post .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidence in me to lead the Senate Intelligence Committee during Senator Burr ’ s absence from the chairmanship , ” he said .
“ The committee has long been one that conducts its work seriously , and I look forward to continuing that tradition.
” The Justice Department is investigating whether Burr exploited advance information when he unloaded as much as $ 1.7 million in stocks in February , days before the coronavirus pandemic caused markets to plummet .
Burr , who will remain on the committee , has denied any wrongdoing .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will temporarily become chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Republican leaders announced, taking charge of the panel at a time of turnover and tension in the nation’s intelligence community.
Rubio will replace North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, who said last week that he would step aside after federal agents examining his recent stock sales showed up at his home with a warrant to search his cellphone. Friday was Burr’s last day in the position.
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Along with House and Senate leaders and the top Democrat and Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, Rubio will now have access to some of the highest-level secrets in Congress as part of a small “Gang of Eight” that receives the most sensitive information. A former Republican presidential candidate who eventually endorsed Donald Trump in 2016, he has also worked with Democrats on the panel on its investigation into Russian election interference and other matters.
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the panel, said in a statement Monday that Rubio “has been a great partner on intelligence and national security issues” and he looks forward to working with him.
Rubio’s promotion comes amid repeated tension between the White House and the intelligence community. Trump has fired, ousted or moved aside multiple officials in the last year, including the inspector general of the intelligence community, Michael Atkinson, who triggered the beginning of impeachment proceedings last year when he tried to warn Congress about a call between Trump and the president of Ukraine.
Trump has also repeatedly questioned the intelligence agencies’ conclusions that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 elections. The Senate panel endorsed that conclusion in a report last month — including that Russia had a preference for Trump — and Rubio has repeatedly warned that Russia could try again.
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The Senate panel’s report “is another stark reminder of the threat foreign adversaries pose to our elections and the need to remain vigilant as we approach election season this November,” Rubio said after the report was released.
The new chairman’s first official act will be a closed-door committee vote Tuesday to approve the nomination of Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe as director of national intelligence. Ratcliffe would replace former DNI Dan Coats, who left the post last summer. A close ally of Trump’s, Richard Grenell, is currently in the acting position.
Rubio has focused much of his Senate career on foreign policy, particularly Russia and China, and he is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations panel. He is also the chairman of the Senate small-business committee, where he has been negotiating relief measures during the coronavirus pandemic. In announcing Rubio’s appointment to head the intelligence panel, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not say whether he would keep the small-business gavel.
McConnell said that Rubio is a “natural choice” and that congressional oversight was needed “to keep partisan bias and political interference” out of intelligence matters.
“His care for our nation’s security, advocacy for our values and interests, and vigilance toward threats have earned a national reputation,” McConnell said. “On subjects ranging from China and Russia to Iran and North Korea to tyranny and unrest in our own hemisphere, Senator Rubio has been on the case for years.”
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Rubio issued a short statement thanking McConnell for the post. “I am grateful to Leader McConnell for his confidence in me to lead the Senate Intelligence Committee during Senator Burr’s absence from the chairmanship,” he said. “The committee has long been one that conducts its work seriously, and I look forward to continuing that tradition.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-19--Influencing Joe Biden On Foreign Policy Is An Uphill Battle

All of that makes it tough for people outside his circle to influence Biden on foreign policy , including progressives who argue that changing views among American voters and international conditions demand a fresh approach to national security from Democrats .
Biden ’ s team also knows that saying he has “ evolved ” on policy risks accusations of flip-flopping and the reigniting of controversies from the Obama administration , in which he served as vice president .
At the same time , he can ’ t afford to appear dated , particularly after years of public soul-searching on foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself .
The result is an unsettled dynamic between the likely Democratic standard-bearer and national security activists who are tied to different parts of the party ’ s base .
It ’ s not a thoroughly combative relationship , but it does involve complicated , sometimes uncomfortable conversations .
Antony Blinken , who manages the campaign ’ s foreign policy apparatus , has been in Biden ’ s orbit for nearly 20 years .
Blinken advised Biden when he chaired the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate and during Obama ’ s first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama administration , Blinken was the deputy secretary of state .
His team includes other long-time Biden associates like Brian McKeon , whose ties to the candidate date to the 1980s , and national security analysts who served under Obama , like Julianne Smith , Colin Kahl , Ely Ratner and Jeffrey Prescott .
“ It ’ s not a matter of just walking in and flipping a switch and saying , ‘ Here we are , we ’ re ready to rebuild , ’ ” Smith said at a Quincy Institute event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be clear-eyed about how much has changed in the last couple of years and that may require some new ways of going about things , new structures , new policies .
... Joe Biden is open to all of that.
” Since Clinton ’ s defeat four years ago , Sullivan has repeatedly challenged foreign policy wonks ’ traditional failure to focus on the link between their work and the domestic concerns of ordinary Americans .
The establishment ’ s approach to the Trans-Pacific Partnership , a massive Obama-era trade deal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Washington Post .
Experts ― and high-ranking officials like Biden ― promoted it while downplaying American workers ’ fears for their jobs .
The agreement became a flashpoint for Clinton and Trump , who would back the U.S. out of the deal in 2017 .
Biden came out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership last summer , after nearly all his Democratic primary opponents had done so .
Most of the Democrats who would populate foreign policy jobs under Biden are more realistic about the limits of U.S. global influence than they were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institution scholar Thomas Wright .
But they have also noted that some aggressive Trump policies that were deemed too dangerous under his predecessor ― such as bombing Syria ’ s Assad regime or arming Ukraine to fight Russian-backed separatists ― did not have the drastic consequences the policies ’ opponents warned about , Wright wrote in The Atlantic .
He believes that observation could make a Biden presidency more willing to use tools of American power .
The track records of some of the staffers Biden would likely elevate could trouble the left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama as national security adviser , could get a big job .
His brother is a key political consultant to Biden and his wife was chief of staff for then-second lady Jill Biden .
Donilon is associated with Obama ’ s extensive use of drones against foreign targets , which watchdog groups contend killed hundreds of civilians , and he offered public defenses of the secretive policy .
The former vice president is known for loyalty and trusting his judgment of people ― it ’ s doubtful he will overhaul his team .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ show sensitivity to the range of foreign policy views among Democrats by drawing closer to figures who could serve as a bridge to more liberal factions , like Sen. Chris Murphy ( D-Conn. ) or Rob Malley , a former Obama staffer who advised Sanders during the primary .
For Biden to focus on staying true to his record is just fine as far as some people who could be key to his political success , like long-time donors , are concerned .
In April , real estate executive Jack Rosen , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told Jewish Insider that he doesn ’ t believe advocates for a tougher U.S. approach to Israel will gain much traction with Biden because of the candidate ’ s historic commitment to supporting the American ally .

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Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has decades of foreign policy experience, a team of longtime aides who have worked on global affairs and one central pitch in the 2020 election: Unlike President Donald Trump, he will be a steady hand and a stable force in the world.
All of that makes it tough for people outside his circle to influence Biden on foreign policy, including progressives who argue that changing views among American voters and international conditions demand a fresh approach to national security from Democrats. Biden’s team also knows that saying he has “evolved” on policy risks accusations of flip-flopping and the reigniting of controversies from the Obama administration, in which he served as vice president.
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Biden “is not going to try and reinvent himself,” as one person familiar with his national security team put it.
At the same time, he can’t afford to appear dated, particularly after years of public soul-searching on foreign policy among many Democrats, including Biden himself. The result is an unsettled dynamic between the likely Democratic standard-bearer and national security activists who are tied to different parts of the party’s base. It’s not a thoroughly combative relationship, but it does involve complicated, sometimes uncomfortable conversations.
After Biden released an ad last month that painted China as hyper-aggressive and Trump as weak, civil rights advocates slammed him for bolstering anti-Asian racism and some saw the risk of a slippery slope.
“A hawkish race to the bottom is a race Republicans will always win,” said Matt Duss, the top foreign policy adviser to former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. “Not only is it politically unwise; it will lead to bad policy.”
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Last week, Biden put out a new message that narrowly focused on Trump’s praise for China’s authoritarian leadership.
“I think the shift in messaging from the earlier ad to the new one shows that they’re listening to those concerns, and that’s encouraging,” Duss said.
Biden has already assembled most of his national security team. How much they do listen to those outside their circle and adjust ― or decide it’s better to hew to more traditional views ― will show voters and the world what to expect if Trump’s Democratic rival defeats him in November.
Biden’s Old Guard
Biden starts each day with briefings on the economy and public health, New York magazine recently revealed. Jake Sullivan helps make those briefings happen.
Sullivan was one of the then-vice president’s national security advisers under President Barack Obama. This is his second time preparing a candidate to battle Trump: He was Hillary Clinton’s chief foreign policy counselor in 2016 and was expected to take a top role in her White House.
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His key role today is one of the clearest examples of how being a trusted aide in Biden’s operation and having a background in international relations often go hand-in-hand.
Antony Blinken, who manages the campaign’s foreign policy apparatus, has been in Biden’s orbit for nearly 20 years. Blinken advised Biden when he chaired the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate and during Obama’s first term. By the end of the Obama administration, Blinken was the deputy secretary of state. His team includes other long-time Biden associates like Brian McKeon, whose ties to the candidate date to the 1980s, and national security analysts who served under Obama, like Julianne Smith, Colin Kahl, Ely Ratner and Jeffrey Prescott.
Echoing their candidate, Biden’s advisers maintain that even though they’re familiar faces in official Washington, they plan to get creative in tackling America’s problems. Simply replacing Trump is insufficient, they say, not least because of the way his presidency has damaged U.S. standing in the world.
“It’s not a matter of just walking in and flipping a switch and saying, ‘Here we are, we’re ready to rebuild,’” Smith said at a Quincy Institute event earlier this year. “We have to be clear-eyed about how much has changed in the last couple of years and that may require some new ways of going about things, new structures, new policies. ... Joe Biden is open to all of that.”
Since Clinton’s defeat four years ago, Sullivan has repeatedly challenged foreign policy wonks’ traditional failure to focus on the link between their work and the domestic concerns of ordinary Americans. The establishment’s approach to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive Obama-era trade deal, suggested a worrying gap, Sullivan told The Washington Post. Experts ― and high-ranking officials like Biden ― promoted it while downplaying American workers’ fears for their jobs. The agreement became a flashpoint for Clinton and Trump, who would back the U.S. out of the deal in 2017. Biden came out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership last summer, after nearly all his Democratic primary opponents had done so.
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Sullivan now endorses a new trade strategy in which the government would spend heavily on U.S.-based manufacturing and crack down on international tax havens ― ideas more associated with liberal firebrands like Sens. Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) than the historically moderate Biden.
Most of the Democrats who would populate foreign policy jobs under Biden are more realistic about the limits of U.S. global influence than they were in the Obama period, according to Brookings Institution scholar Thomas Wright. But they have also noted that some aggressive Trump policies that were deemed too dangerous under his predecessor ― such as bombing Syria’s Assad regime or arming Ukraine to fight Russian-backed separatists ― did not have the drastic consequences the policies’ opponents warned about, Wright wrote in The Atlantic. He believes that observation could make a Biden presidency more willing to use tools of American power.
For peace groups, that is worrying, particularly because amid Biden’s evolution, “it appears there’s been no fundamental questioning of American exceptionalism,” said Kate Kizer, policy director at Win Without War. Without that kind of interrogation, she argued, it’s hard to rule out the possibility that any U.S. president will engage in costly and potentially bloody overreach abroad.
The track records of some of the staffers Biden would likely elevate could trouble the left too. Tom Donilon, who served Obama as national security adviser, could get a big job. His brother is a key political consultant to Biden and his wife was chief of staff for then-second lady Jill Biden. Donilon is associated with Obama’s extensive use of drones against foreign targets, which watchdog groups contend killed hundreds of civilians, and he offered public defenses of the secretive policy.
Michèle Flournoy, long expected to be tapped as the first female secretary of defense by the next Democratic president, will likely be a target of progressive criticism over the perception that she is overly hawkish, said an activist involved in lobbying the Biden campaign who requested anonymity to preserve relationships.
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“One area we really want to push on is personnel,” the activist added, noting that they anticipate fights over Senate confirmations for some Biden national security nominees.
The former vice president is known for loyalty and trusting his judgment of people ― it’s doubtful he will overhaul his team. Still, some observers suggest he could show sensitivity to the range of foreign policy views among Democrats by drawing closer to figures who could serve as a bridge to more liberal factions, like Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) or Rob Malley, a former Obama staffer who advised Sanders during the primary.
Campaign Trail Caution
In recent weeks, anti-war groups have asked Biden to commit to using the U.S. military more sparingly, former officials have pushed him to run on a more evenhanded approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and scholars have urged Biden to avoid competing with Trump in vilifying China.
The former vice president’s staff is open to advice, people outside the team say, but Biden wants to be clear that he already has the expertise needed to be commander in chief.
“It’s remarkable to have a likely Democratic nominee that sees foreign policy not as an afterthought and sees it as a key strength,” said Ned Price, a former Obama aide now at the advocacy group National Security Action.
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For Biden to focus on staying true to his record is just fine as far as some people who could be key to his political success, like long-time donors, are concerned. In April, real estate executive Jack Rosen, who held a fundraiser for Biden last year, told Jewish Insider that he doesn’t believe advocates for a tougher U.S. approach to Israel will gain much traction with Biden because of the candidate’s historic commitment to supporting the American ally.
The former vice president could make some nods to the evolution within his party ― by speaking about Palestinian rights more forcefully, for instance, the way he has recently ― without having to promise sweeping change in America’s global approach.
“You’ll see him lean into many of the strategies that he has espoused over the course of years,” like engaging in both competition and cooperation with China, said the person familiar with his national security team.
But a more boldly progressive turn in foreign policy during the campaign could help Biden both with voters and as president, some observers argue.
“In many areas, he was a voice of restraint during the Obama administration,” said Duss, the Sanders adviser. Tapping the skepticism about foreign wars that is now popular in both parties, Biden might speak about Obama-era episodes in which he was more dovish than others, like the 2011 Libya intervention or the question of how many troops to maintain in Afghanistan.
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Much of this outside advice is intended to help the presumptive Democratic nominee, not to tear him down.
“The message that progressives are sending is that Biden will have the best chance possible by making some commitments on key issues,” like serious new diplomacy with Iran, Duss said. “In addition to broadening his base of support, he can also then take office with a clear mandate to do these things and a coalition ready to mobilize in support.”
But after a primary in which Biden received heavy criticism on foreign policy, notably his vote for the U.S. invasion of Iraq, his team could still be wary. For now, “Biden’s national security people I don’t think fully grasp how important a movement is” when it comes to crafting foreign policy that many Americans can support, said the activist involved in lobbying the campaign.
The months ahead of working toward a shared goal could help unite the candidate’s circle and those further left seeking to influence them.
“The bottom line is that progressives want Trump gone, and the way to do that is with Joe Biden,” Duss said.