thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--Piers Morgan Says Trump Is Failing America With Self-Serving Briefings

Long-time Donald Trump chum and supporter Piers Morgan lashed out at the president on Sunday for failing America amid the COVID-19 crisis .
Morgan , who won Trump ’ s reality TV show “ Celebrity Apprentice ” in 2007 , said he ’ s been watching the president ’ s daily press briefings on the pandemic with mounting horror .
“ All that ’ s required from the president in those moments , and any world leader , frankly , is they ’ ve got to be calm , they ’ ve got to show authority , they have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accurate , entirely factual with what they ’ re telling the people and they have to have an ability to show empathy , ” Morgan told Brian Stelter on CNN ’ s “ Reliable Sources.
” “ On almost every level of that , Donald Trump at the moment is failing the American people , ” he added .
Morgan said it seemed as if Trump believes it ’ s more important to win the election in November than defeat the outbreak .
“ No , it ’ s not , Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is more important right now is saving American lives.
” Morgan also said the tricks that populist leaders like Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson used to get elected don ’ t work in a crisis .
“ It ’ s not about partisan politics anymore , ” he said .
“ It ’ s about plain war crisis leadership.
” Check out the entire interview in the video above .

Long-time Donald Trump chum and supporter Piers Morgan lashed out at the president on Sunday for failing America amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Morgan, who won Trump’s reality TV show “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2007, said he’s been watching the president’s daily press briefings on the pandemic with mounting horror.
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“All that’s required from the president in those moments, and any world leader, frankly, is they’ve got to be calm, they’ve got to show authority, they have to be honest, they have to be accurate, entirely factual with what they’re telling the people and they have to have an ability to show empathy,” Morgan told Brian Stelter on CNN’s “Reliable Sources.”
“On almost every level of that, Donald Trump at the moment is failing the American people,” he added.
Morgan said it seemed as if Trump believes it’s more important to win the election in November than defeat the outbreak.
“No, it’s not, Donald Trump,” Morgan said. “What is more important right now is saving American lives.”
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Morgan also said the tricks that populist leaders like Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson used to get elected don’t work in a crisis.
“It’s not about partisan politics anymore,” he said. “It’s about plain war crisis leadership.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--‘Talk Is Cheap’: Chris Cuomo Hits Trump, Pence Over Empty Coronavirus Promises

Chris Cuomo hit both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on Twitter Monday over the administration ’ s shortcomings in preparing for the coronavirus pandemic .
And he used their own campaign slogan against them , wondering if they could “ make America great again ” by delivering personal protective equipment and testing materials to those in need .
On Sunday , Trump said he would invoke the Defense Production Act to increase the supply of the swabs needed for coronavirus tests after reports of shortages .
Accurate and widely available testing , experts agree , must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the virus can begin to reopen .
“ You ’ ll have so many swabs you won ’ t know what to do with them , ” Trump vowed .
But the CNN host ― who is battling the infection himself , as is his wife , Cristina ― wanted to know why it took this long in the first place .
In a series of tweets , Cuomo linked to some stories on the issue , threw in a dash of historical perspective with a reminder of how U.S. production shifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slogan : This has always been the message .
Where is the admiral in charge of testing ?
Why in months could we not get the usa making what we need ?
https : //t.co/zrxh8dml5u — Christopher C. Cuomo ( @ ChrisCuomo ) April 20 , 2020 Talk is cheap .
We have had months in the richest country ... the country that made ships and planes to win a war ... now cant make a cotton swab ?
https : //t.co/eB7YLyGbup — Christopher C. Cuomo ( @ ChrisCuomo ) April 20 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hasnt figured out how to make a pair of gloves .
# MAGA Time to live up to his slogan .
America was great once in a crisis ... we made what we needed in ww2 .
Will he make america great again ?
Blaming wont make ppe .
Lies wont make tests .
Can he deliver ?
https : //t.co/gKd0HRQWjo — Christopher C. Cuomo ( @ ChrisCuomo ) April 20 , 2020 Why arent we making them ?
When will people demand we find our own solutions ?
Same talk for months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuomo ( @ ChrisCuomo ) April 20 , 2020

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Chris Cuomo hit both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on Twitter Monday over the administration’s shortcomings in preparing for the coronavirus pandemic. And he used their own campaign slogan against them, wondering if they could “make America great again” by delivering personal protective equipment and testing materials to those in need.
On Sunday, Trump said he would invoke the Defense Production Act to increase the supply of the swabs needed for coronavirus tests after reports of shortages.
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Accurate and widely available testing, experts agree, must be in place before the areas hit hardest by the virus can begin to reopen.
“You’ll have so many swabs you won’t know what to do with them,” Trump vowed.
But the CNN host ― who is battling the infection himself, as is his wife, Cristina ― wanted to know why it took this long in the first place. In a series of tweets, Cuomo linked to some stories on the issue, threw in a dash of historical perspective with a reminder of how U.S. production shifted in WWII and referred to the Trump/Pence slogan:
This has always been the message. Where is the admiral in charge of testing? Why in months could we not get the usa making what we need? https://t.co/zrxh8dml5u — Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) April 20, 2020
Regular people can do this...but our government cant figure out to make ppe? https://t.co/GeyfbOepGI — Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) April 20, 2020
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Talk is cheap. We have had months in the richest country...the country that made ships and planes to win a war...now cant make a cotton swab? https://t.co/eB7YLyGbup — Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) April 20, 2020
2+ months he has had...hasnt figured out how to make a pair of gloves. #MAGA Time to live up to his slogan. America was great once in a crisis...we made what we needed in ww2. Will he make america great again? Blaming wont make ppe. Lies wont make tests. Can he deliver? https://t.co/gKd0HRQWjo — Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) April 20, 2020
Why arent we making them? When will people demand we find our own solutions? Same talk for months... https://t.co/usCVBhbfCV — Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) April 20, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--School Lunch Programs Are Rapidly Going Broke

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images Children pick up free lunches at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington , Virginia , on March 16 , after schools in the area closed due to the coronavirus outbreak .
In communities around the country , schools may be the only institutions making sure that hungry children and their families are fed .
They ’ ve opened grab-and-go lunch stations and started delivering meals to neighborhoods by bus .
But some programs are also going broke , losing millions of dollars .
School administrators fear that they ’ ll have to make deep cuts next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t provide relief .
Even as schools have closed , their cafeterias have remained open .
Their fixed food expenses have remained the same and , in some cases , even increased while their revenue has dropped precipitously .
Free and reduced-price lunches are reimbursed by the government on a per meal basis .
Even as more families rely on these lunches , schools are still serving drastically fewer meals than they would during a typical school year , leading to shortfalls that , by some estimates , could reach $ 19 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months .
“ Schools have literally become communities ’ emergency feeding sites , ” said Katie Wilson , executive director of the Urban School Food Alliance , a professional organization of the nation ’ s largest school districts .
“ This whole thing is starting to snowball into an immense amount of debt no one is really paying attention to.
” Unless the federal government steps in , school nutrition administrators worry they will have to make deep cuts next year , even as families continue to need their services .
Advocates who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association and the Urban School Food Alliance are lobbying the Department of Agriculture , which oversees school lunch programs , and Congress to provide enhanced relief .
School nutrition programs and their budgets exist separately from a school ’ s general fund .
As nutrition programs look to patch shortfalls , they ’ re concerned they will have to lay off staff members , who have spent months putting themselves on the line , and cut the variety of food served , even when schools are set to see a huge influx of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To cover the costs , they may also have to get help from their school ’ s general fund at a time when the schools are also facing shortfalls if kids are put in smaller classes and teachers have to make up for months of lost learning time .
“ A lot of schools are working through their or have worked through their inventory as they prepare these meals , and they need enough funding to fill their refrigerators again next fall , ” said Diane Pratt-Heavner , director of media relations for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still paying school nutrition workers , sometimes extra as the job becomes increasingly hazardous .
They ’ re working to provide families with days ’ worth of meals in an effort to minimize contact , which requires expensive packaging .
Some schools are attempting to provide families with shelf-stable items , which cost more , in case they lack refrigeration .
They ’ re going deeply in debt as they serve fewer , albeit more expensive meals .
Meals provided to adults ― who are also increasingly in need of free food ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , schools are not making nearly as much money from the students who typically pay full price to purchase à la carte items .
In the Cleveland Municipal School District in Ohio , nearly 60 % of students qualify for food benefits , according to the National Center for Education Statistics .
The district has been serving about 10,000 meals a day ― including breakfast and lunch ― to a district of more than 36,000 kids , according to Chris Burkhardt , director of school nutrition .
But reimbursement for these meals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for the additional costs they ’ ve incurred .
The program sends buses to pick kids up from their community school ― typically within walking distance of their home ― to bring them to one of their 22 central food sites .
They ’ re keeping all their school nutrition workers on payroll ― whether working or not ― and paying extra to those on the front lines .
Pre-packaging food , instead of cooking from scratch , to reduce the risk of contamination is also costing more .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open buildings .
In Littleton Public Schools in Colorado , a district where only 17 % of students normally qualify for free or reduced-price lunches ― they ’ re serving just 10 % of what they would normally serve to the whole district , according to Jessica Gould , the district ’ s director of nutrition services .
The district has sent buses into neighborhoods as feeding sites , stationing themselves near hot spots of hunger , three days a week , packaging several meals at a time .
But they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process .
In districts like hers , they also typically generate a lot of revenue from à la carte items ― extra items that kids can purchase to add to their meal , which is now lost .
Wilson said that the large districts she works with are set to lose $ 12 million to $ 19 million each through June 30 .
One of her districts rented three refrigerated trucks to deliver food to students for the next three months .
That alone cost $ 95,000 .

Children pick up free lunches at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Virginia, on March 16, after schools in the area closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
In communities around the country, schools may be the only institutions making sure that hungry children and their families are fed. They’ve opened grab-and-go lunch stations and started delivering meals to neighborhoods by bus. But some programs are also going broke, losing millions of dollars. School administrators fear that they’ll have to make deep cuts next year if the federal government doesn’t provide relief.
Even as schools have closed, their cafeterias have remained open. Their fixed food expenses have remained the same and, in some cases, even increased while their revenue has dropped precipitously. Free and reduced-price lunches are reimbursed by the government on a per meal basis. Even as more families rely on these lunches, schools are still serving drastically fewer meals than they would during a typical school year, leading to shortfalls that, by some estimates, could reach $19 million in larger districts in the next few months.
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“Schools have literally become communities’ emergency feeding sites,” said Katie Wilson, executive director of the Urban School Food Alliance, a professional organization of the nation’s largest school districts. “This whole thing is starting to snowball into an immense amount of debt no one is really paying attention to.”
Unless the federal government steps in, school nutrition administrators worry they will have to make deep cuts next year, even as families continue to need their services. Advocates who work for organizations like the School Nutrition Association and the Urban School Food Alliance are lobbying the Department of Agriculture, which oversees school lunch programs, and Congress to provide enhanced relief.
School nutrition programs and their budgets exist separately from a school’s general fund. As nutrition programs look to patch shortfalls, they’re concerned they will have to lay off staff members, who have spent months putting themselves on the line, and cut the variety of food served, even when schools are set to see a huge influx of kids who qualify for free lunches. To cover the costs, they may also have to get help from their school’s general fund at a time when the schools are also facing shortfalls if kids are put in smaller classes and teachers have to make up for months of lost learning time.
“A lot of schools are working through their or have worked through their inventory as they prepare these meals, and they need enough funding to fill their refrigerators again next fall,” said Diane Pratt-Heavner, director of media relations for the School Nutrition Association.
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Schools are still paying school nutrition workers, sometimes extra as the job becomes increasingly hazardous. They’re working to provide families with days’ worth of meals in an effort to minimize contact, which requires expensive packaging. Some schools are attempting to provide families with shelf-stable items, which cost more, in case they lack refrigeration.
They’re going deeply in debt as they serve fewer, albeit more expensive meals. Meals provided to adults ― who are also increasingly in need of free food ― are not reimbursable. On top of that, schools are not making nearly as much money from the students who typically pay full price to purchase à la carte items.
In the Cleveland Municipal School District in Ohio, nearly 60% of students qualify for food benefits, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The district has been serving about 10,000 meals a day ― including breakfast and lunch ― to a district of more than 36,000 kids, according to Chris Burkhardt, director of school nutrition.
But reimbursement for these meals isn’t nearly enough to make up for the additional costs they’ve incurred. The program sends buses to pick kids up from their community school ― typically within walking distance of their home ― to bring them to one of their 22 central food sites. They’re keeping all their school nutrition workers on payroll ― whether working or not ― and paying extra to those on the front lines. Pre-packaging food, instead of cooking from scratch, to reduce the risk of contamination is also costing more. They’re paying custodians and school safety workers in open buildings.
“[The expenses] are on our minds. It’s not impacting our decisions, though, because we know students need food. That’s our primary concern right now,” said Burkhardt.
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In Littleton Public Schools in Colorado, a district where only 17% of students normally qualify for free or reduced-price lunches ― they’re serving just 10% of what they would normally serve to the whole district, according to Jessica Gould, the district’s director of nutrition services. The district has sent buses into neighborhoods as feeding sites, stationing themselves near hot spots of hunger, three days a week, packaging several meals at a time. But they’ve incurred huge costs for additional packaging in the process. In districts like hers, they also typically generate a lot of revenue from à la carte items ― extra items that kids can purchase to add to their meal, which is now lost.
Looking into the future, she worries about how she’ll be able to keep her staff.
“We’ll take everything we can get,” Gould said.
Wilson said that the large districts she works with are set to lose $12 million to $19 million each through June 30. One of her districts rented three refrigerated trucks to deliver food to students for the next three months. That alone cost $95,000.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--New Yorkers Can Now Legally Get Married Via Zoom

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) issued an executive order Saturday allowing New Yorkers to obtain a marriage license remotely and permitting clerks to perform ceremonies via video conference , a practice that is usually banned under existing laws .
“ There is now no excuse when the question comes up for marriage , ” Cuomo joked during his Saturday press briefing .
“ You can do it by Zoom .
Yes or no.
” “ The Executive Order will temporarily suspend a provision of law that requires in-person visits , ” said a press release from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marriage bureaus have temporarily closed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak .
In New York , the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak , stay-at-home measures have been extended until at least May 15 , and it could be many months before social distancing measures are lifted to allow gatherings for events such as weddings .
So-called Zoom weddings are already taking off around the world as friends and families dial in via video conferencing tools to watch couples tie the knot , but typically these ceremonies are not legally binding .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put the official ceremony on hold until after the pandemic .
Cuomo ’ s executive order allows couples in the Empire State to get hitched ― officially ― while keeping their social distance .
Similar measures have been introduced elsewhere .
In Colorado , couples are now allowed to apply online for marriage licenses .
And in Ohio ’ s Cuyahoga County , couples with special circumstances ( such as suffering from serious illness , health insurance issues or if working in health care ) , can obtain their marriage license via video @ @

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Coronavirus is moving weddings online.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) issued an executive order Saturday allowing New Yorkers to obtain a marriage license remotely and permitting clerks to perform ceremonies via video conference, a practice that is usually banned under existing laws.
“There is now no excuse when the question comes up for marriage,” Cuomo joked during his Saturday press briefing. “You can do it by Zoom. Yes or no.”
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“The Executive Order will temporarily suspend a provision of law that requires in-person visits,” said a press release from the governor’s office.
Getty Images
Many marriage bureaus have temporarily closed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. In New York, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, stay-at-home measures have been extended until at least May 15, and it could be many months before social distancing measures are lifted to allow gatherings for events such as weddings.
So-called Zoom weddings are already taking off around the world as friends and families dial in via video conferencing tools to watch couples tie the knot, but typically these ceremonies are not legally binding. Some couples either obtain marriage licenses beforehand or put the official ceremony on hold until after the pandemic. Cuomo’s executive order allows couples in the Empire State to get hitched ― officially ― while keeping their social distance.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--Tiffany Cabán Endorses Slate Of Progressive New York Candidates

Ahead of June ’ s Democratic primaries in New York , Cabán , a former public defender who is now working to elect and support progressive prosecutors , is giving her progressive seal of approval to congressional candidates Samelys Lopez and Jamaal Bowman ; New York Assembly candidate Zohran Mamdani ; New York Assembly members Yuh-Line Niou and Ron Kim ; and New York state Sens .
Julia Salazar and Jessica Ramos .
Cabán ’ s decision to get involved in the races reflects her conclusion that ending mass incarceration depends on creating a more equitable public health system and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and low-income people of all races .
“ As powerful as a DA is , they can ’ t do it alone , ” she told HuffPost .
“ It ’ s about the larger ecosystem ― understanding that at every level of government , we need elected officials that are going to fight relentlessly for those kinds of public health infrastructure.
” Tiffany Cabán , who nearly won an upset bid for Queens district attorney last June , is giving her blessing to a slate of seven progressive candidates for state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of the first efforts by a prominent progressive figure to chart a path forward for the activist left after the defeats of Sens .
Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
in their bids for the Democratic presidential nomination .
Given the lack of control over that nominating contest at this stage , Cabán , who supported Sanders , is fighting to ensure that more progressive Democrats control the levers of power in Washington and Albany , the New York state capital .
In New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grow the ranks of a new progressive bloc in the legislature so it is more capable of dragging Democratic Gov .
Andrew Cuomo and the Democratic majorities in both chambers further to the left ― what she calls “ a majority within the majority.
” “ We need a new generation of leadership within New York City and New York state , ” she said .
“ That means it ’ s a leadership that ’ s multiracial , that ’ s working-class ― and even more specific than that , that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impacted.
” Cabán ’ s endorsements follow a significant rollback of a New York law restricting the use of cash bail .
All four New York state lawmakers she is endorsing voted against the budget legislation earlier this month that gave judges greater discretion to levy cash bail on pre-trial criminal defendants .
Although to some lawmakers the rollback seemed like “ minor changes in language … the result is amplified by thousands of lives , ” Cabán insisted .
“ The rollbacks made it so that it was possible that potentially thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cabán ’ s impact , however , is likely to be greatest for the three candidates who are new challengers , rather than progressive incumbents : Bowman , Lopez and Mamdani .
Bowman , a middle school principal , is seeking to unseat Rep. Eliot Engel , a foreign policy hawk who has represented parts of the Bronx and Westchester County since 1989 .
Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic , Bowman has used video livestreams to try to outmaneuver a less tech-savvy Engel .
Mamdani , a housing counselor in northwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas .
Simotas has hewed further to the left in recent years , but Mamdani , who supports the decriminalization of sex work and drug possession , hails from deep in the heart of the nascent activist community that propelled Cabán ’ s bid .
And Lopez , a housing advocate and co-founder of the group Bronx Progressives , is the emerging left-wing favorite in a crowded open primary to represent a Bronx House seat that opened up when Rep. José Serrano announced plans to retire last May .
Like Bowman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Working Families Party , which remains influential in New York state politics .
Cabán vowed to use her public platform to generate the attention needed for the candidates to raise money and develop greater traction in the two months before New York ’ s June 23 Democratic primaries .
She plans to phone-bank for the candidates and , once public health conditions permit , canvass and appear at other events in person on their behalf .

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Tiffany Cabán, a one-time candidate for district attorney of Queens, is endorsing a host of progressive candidates for Congress and the New York legislature, leveraging her influence to advance the left’s policy goals.
Ahead of June’s Democratic primaries in New York, Cabán, a former public defender who is now working to elect and support progressive prosecutors, is giving her progressive seal of approval to congressional candidates Samelys Lopez and Jamaal Bowman; New York Assembly candidate Zohran Mamdani; New York Assembly members Yuh-Line Niou and Ron Kim; and New York state Sens. Julia Salazar and Jessica Ramos.
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Cabán’s decision to get involved in the races reflects her conclusion that ending mass incarceration depends on creating a more equitable public health system and economy for Black and Latino communities, and low-income people of all races.
“As powerful as a DA is, they can’t do it alone,” she told HuffPost. “It’s about the larger ecosystem ― understanding that at every level of government, we need elected officials that are going to fight relentlessly for those kinds of public health infrastructure.”
Tiffany Cabán, who nearly won an upset bid for Queens district attorney last June, is giving her blessing to a slate of seven progressive candidates for state and federal office. Jeenah Moon / Reuters
Cabán’s announcement is one of the first efforts by a prominent progressive figure to chart a path forward for the activist left after the defeats of Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in their bids for the Democratic presidential nomination.
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Given the lack of control over that nominating contest at this stage, Cabán, who supported Sanders, is fighting to ensure that more progressive Democrats control the levers of power in Washington and Albany, the New York state capital.
In New York politics in particular, she wants to grow the ranks of a new progressive bloc in the legislature so it is more capable of dragging Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Democratic majorities in both chambers further to the left ― what she calls “a majority within the majority.”
“We need a new generation of leadership within New York City and New York state,” she said. “That means it’s a leadership that’s multiracial, that’s working-class ― and even more specific than that, that it is led by people that are directly impacted.”
Cabán’s endorsements follow a significant rollback of a New York law restricting the use of cash bail. All four New York state lawmakers she is endorsing voted against the budget legislation earlier this month that gave judges greater discretion to levy cash bail on pre-trial criminal defendants.
The former public defender hopes to fortify the political standing of ideological allies who fought efforts to undo the reform.
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Although to some lawmakers the rollback seemed like “minor changes in language … the result is amplified by thousands of lives,” Cabán insisted. “The rollbacks made it so that it was possible that potentially thousands more people could be detained pre-trial.”
Cabán’s impact, however, is likely to be greatest for the three candidates who are new challengers, rather than progressive incumbents: Bowman, Lopez and Mamdani.
Bowman, a middle school principal, is seeking to unseat Rep. Eliot Engel, a foreign policy hawk who has represented parts of the Bronx and Westchester County since 1989. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Bowman has used video livestreams to try to outmaneuver a less tech-savvy Engel.
Mamdani, a housing counselor in northwest Queens, is running to replace veteran Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas. Simotas has hewed further to the left in recent years, but Mamdani, who supports the decriminalization of sex work and drug possession, hails from deep in the heart of the nascent activist community that propelled Cabán’s bid.
And Lopez, a housing advocate and co-founder of the group Bronx Progressives, is the emerging left-wing favorite in a crowded open primary to represent a Bronx House seat that opened up when Rep. José Serrano announced plans to retire last May. Like Bowman, she also has the endorsement of the Working Families Party, which remains influential in New York state politics.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--Trump Admin Reportedly Got Coronavirus Warnings Straight From U.S. Experts At WHO

“ The focus of all political parties should be to save their people , ” Tedros said .
“ Please @ @ @ @ @ virus .
If you don ’ t want many more body bags , then you @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s attacks on WHO have been criticized by world leaders and U.S. politicians @ @ @ @ @ administration ’ s handling of the pandemic also has been widely condemned .
Trump gutted @ @ @ @ @ preparing for pandemics .
And once the coronavirus began spreading , WHO and U.S. intelligence @ @ @ @ @ threat .
Even Trump ’ s top trade official alerted the White House of the @ @ @ @ @ , but the president downplayed the virus and failed to act swiftly .

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Medical experts from the U.S. working at the World Health Organization were sending information about the emerging coronavirus outbreak in China late last year directly to Trump administration officials, The Washington Post reported, as the president tries to shift the blame for his shambolic COVID-19 response to WHO.
More than a dozen U.S. experts, mostly a regular rotation of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staffers assigned to work at WHO’s headquarters in Geneva, provided real-time updates to CDC and administration officials in the U.S. — including Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, according to the Post.
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President Donald Trump, facing widespread criticism for his government’s inadequate response to the pandemic, has attempted to shift blame, targeting the WHO and state governors. Last week, he announced the U.S. was freezing funding to WHO.
But Trump’s complaint that WHO’s early warnings about the coronavirus relied too heavily on China is undermined by the Post’s revelation that American experts were relaying information directly to his administration.
An HHS spokesperson told the Post the Americans assigned to WHO were not “decision-makers.” The spokesperson also echoed Trump, saying that WHO’s “information was incorrect and relied too heavily on China.”
China, where the coronavirus outbreak originated, has come under growing scrutiny for underreporting its COVID-19 cases and distorting aspects of its response. Trump, who often touts his relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, initially accepted Xi’s claims and praised the country’s handling of the outbreak.
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In recent weeks, Trump has lashed out at the WHO, expressing anger that it did not praise his decision to partially restrict travel from China. The president has repeatedly held up the restriction as an example of his “decisive action.”
“So much death has been caused by their mistakes,” Trump said at a news briefing last week, claiming without evidence that WHO’s reliance on information from China “likely caused a twentyfold increase in cases worldwide.”
On Saturday, Trump again assailed WHO, claiming “we’re just finding more and more problems,” without specifying any of them.
After Trump criticized WHO earlier this month, the organization’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, urged world leaders not to politicize the response to the coronavirus.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Says She'll Vote Against Stimulus Bill Without Changes

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) said Monday that , if reports are true about the contents of an emerging COVID-19 stimulus bill that Congress is negotiating with the White House , she plans to vote against the legislation .
A draft of the bill reportedly includes new funding for hospitals , coronavirus testing and a small business loan program , but omitted key progressive priorities .
Left-leaning members of Congress want more aid to cities and states , relief for renters , universal vote-by-mail and aid to undocumented immigrants .
In a news conference held by progressive lawmakers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s suffering inspired her to insist upon more ambitious legislation .
She represents immigrant-heavy neighborhoods in central Queens with some of the country ’ s highest death rates .
Ocasio-Cortez was the only member of Congress who participated in the news conference to threaten a “ no ” vote , but Reps. Pramila Jayapal ( D-Wash. ) and Mark Pocan ( D-Wis. ) , co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus , also expressed their tentative worries about it .
Asked whether the CPC would attempt to block the bill , Jayapal replied , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of concern with what has been proposed.
” Like Ocasio-Cortez , Jayapal emphasized that members of Congress have not yet seen the final text of the bill .
She also said that the full CPC , which has over 90 House members with a wide range of views , has yet to discuss the legislation as a group .
Even if a group of members wanted to vote “ no ” or try to assemble a bloc capable of derailing a bill , it ’ s not clear whether they would get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulus bill that Congress passed in late March only passed by a voice vote because there were not enough members of Congress willing to demand a recorded roll-call vote .
( Ocasio-Cortez told HuffPost that she voice-voted “ no ” on that legislation . )
The House would have passed the bill by unanimous consent , precluding the need for an in-person vote of any kind , including a “ voice ” vote , were it not for the objection of Rep. Thomas Massie ( R-Ky. ) .
It will still be hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill since the Democratic-controlled House relies on an in-person voting system that requires members to engage in health-endangering travel in order to participate .
Last week , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) signed off on a plan to allow members to vote through in-person proxies .
Pocan said Monday that they would have a better idea of whether the system will be in place in time to vote on the new stimulus bill after a House Democratic Caucus call later in the day .
In addition to ripping Republicans for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ordinary workers , Ocasio-Cortez lamented Congress ’ inaction during the pandemic .
The complaint was an implicit indictment of Pelosi ’ s leadership since she has not moved quickly to create an alternative to in-person lawmaking .
“ It is insulting to think that we can pass such a small amount of money in the context of not knowing when Congress is even going to reconvene ― and pass such a small amount of money , pat ourselves on the back , and then leave town again , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which also included Reps. Rashida Tlaib ( Mich. ) , Ayanna Pressley ( Mass . )
and Ilhan Omar ( Minn. ) , was for progressive lawmakers ― and allied activist groups ― to publicize their demands for the next stimulus bill .
Under the banner of “ # PutPeopleFirst , ” the progressive caucus is calling for , among other things , a federal paycheck guarantee program , hazard pay for front-line workers , monthly payments of $ 2,000 to every household for the duration of the crisis , and a national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the provisions would apply to every American , regardless of their immigration status or other distinctions .
“ When you have a system that has functioned on austerity politics and austerity economics ― that is not what we need to do , ” Jayapal said .
“ It ’ s not about what the deficit is , it ’ s about what we spend it on .
”

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Monday that, if reports are true about the contents of an emerging COVID-19 stimulus bill that Congress is negotiating with the White House, she plans to vote against the legislation.
A draft of the bill reportedly includes new funding for hospitals, coronavirus testing and a small business loan program, but omitted key progressive priorities. Left-leaning members of Congress want more aid to cities and states, relief for renters, universal vote-by-mail and aid to undocumented immigrants.
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In a news conference held by progressive lawmakers and activists, Ocasio-Cortez said her district’s suffering inspired her to insist upon more ambitious legislation. She represents immigrant-heavy neighborhoods in central Queens with some of the country’s highest death rates.
“I am not here for a $5 bill,” she said. “I’m not ― and I will not insult my community with one.”
Ocasio-Cortez was the only member of Congress who participated in the news conference to threaten a “no” vote, but Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also expressed their tentative worries about it.
Asked whether the CPC would attempt to block the bill, Jayapal replied, “What you are hearing is the level of concern with what has been proposed.”
Like Ocasio-Cortez, Jayapal emphasized that members of Congress have not yet seen the final text of the bill. She also said that the full CPC, which has over 90 House members with a wide range of views, has yet to discuss the legislation as a group.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez speaks at a news conference in Corona, Queens. Her congressional district has been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott Heins/Getty Images
Even if a group of members wanted to vote “no” or try to assemble a bloc capable of derailing a bill, it’s not clear whether they would get the chance.
The $2 trillion stimulus bill that Congress passed in late March only passed by a voice vote because there were not enough members of Congress willing to demand a recorded roll-call vote. (Ocasio-Cortez told HuffPost that she voice-voted “no” on that legislation.)
The House would have passed the bill by unanimous consent, precluding the need for an in-person vote of any kind, including a “voice” vote, were it not for the objection of Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
It will still be hard to force a vote on the next bill since the Democratic-controlled House relies on an in-person voting system that requires members to engage in health-endangering travel in order to participate.
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Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) signed off on a plan to allow members to vote through in-person proxies. Pocan said Monday that they would have a better idea of whether the system will be in place in time to vote on the new stimulus bill after a House Democratic Caucus call later in the day.
The CPC itself is moving ahead with plans to conduct Congress’ business from afar. The bloc is due to hold a virtual hearing on preventing layoffs on Thursday.
In addition to ripping Republicans for their focus on big business at the expense of ordinary workers, Ocasio-Cortez lamented Congress’ inaction during the pandemic. The complaint was an implicit indictment of Pelosi’s leadership since she has not moved quickly to create an alternative to in-person lawmaking.
“It is insulting to think that we can pass such a small amount of money in the context of not knowing when Congress is even going to reconvene ― and pass such a small amount of money, pat ourselves on the back, and then leave town again,” she said.
The purpose of the news conference, which also included Reps. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.), was for progressive lawmakers ― and allied activist groups ― to publicize their demands for the next stimulus bill.
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Under the banner of “#PutPeopleFirst,” the progressive caucus is calling for, among other things, a federal paycheck guarantee program, hazard pay for front-line workers, monthly payments of $2,000 to every household for the duration of the crisis, and a national moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. All of the provisions would apply to every American, regardless of their immigration status or other distinctions.
The news conference provided an opportunity for progressives to shape a narrative about the COVID-19 pandemic that they maintain has exacerbated the country’s existing economic and racial inequities.
“When you have a system that has functioned on austerity politics and austerity economics ― that is not what we need to do,” Jayapal said. “It’s not about what the deficit is, it’s about what we spend it on.”
Spending money on eradicating poverty is far better than spending it on tax cuts for corporations, which she said is “not an investment in making a more equitable future.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--CNN’s Dana Bash Calls Out Trump’s Sexism After Latest Comments To Female Reporter

CNN ’ s chief political correspondent Dana Bash said it ’ s time to call out President Donald Trump ’ s ongoing sexist treatment of female reporters after he told a female journalist to “ relax ” and “ keep your voice down ” amid her questioning of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday .
“ As a woman who has covered the White House , as a woman who covers politics and policy in Washington , we just have to say that the way he treats the female reporters is different , ” Bash said .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jiang during Sunday ’ s White House press briefing when she asked why he did not do more to prepare for the pandemic back in February when he was holding large political rallies .
`` Who are you with ?
... nice and easy .
Just relax ... keep your voice down , please .
Keep your voice down '' -- Trump tries to bully @ weijia after she asks him a question about his statements downplaying the virus in February and his decisions to hold rallies that month pic.twitter.com/SCicdLN8Hv — Aaron Rupar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 “ Why did you wait so long to warn them , and why did you not have social distancing until March 16 ?
” she asked him , prompting him to ask her to identify what news outlet she was with before answering .
“ So if you look at what I did in terms of cutting off or banning China from coming in , ” he began .
“ Nice and easy .
Nice and easy .
Just relax .
We cut it off .
People were amazed , these gentlemen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , ” he told her of the response to his imposed travel ban .
He went on to tell her to “ keep your voice down ” when she asked if he thought the virus , having been in the U.S. before February , would spread .
So I asked him about what he was doing in February .
( Rallies . )
And what he has to say to the many Americans who wonder why he did not warn them sooner that the virus was spreading like wildfire at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
https : //t.co/IW0IKKkBJ7 — Weijia Jiang ( @ weijia ) April 20 , 2020 Trump has a track record of dismissing women ’ s questions by focusing on their tone or attitude .
He has a particular habit of using the word “ nasty ” to describe women who question or do not agree with him .
He used this same word to describe Jiang at a press briefing earlier this month and again used it to describe a female PBS reporter ’ s question in March .
“ She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said of Jiang ’ s line of questioning .
“ I think it ’ s important to call it out that there is a difference in the way that he reacts when he is getting tough questions.
” “ Not that he liked ( CNN ’ s ) Jeremy Diamond ’ s questions or other male reporters ’ questions when they are tough .
But the way he reacts is different and I think it ’ s time to say so , ” she continued .
Blitzer failed to pick up on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s recent criticism of his male 2020 competitor , Joe Biden .
“ And he went pretty far , Dana , in really attacking the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , the former Vice President Joe Biden , ” he told her .
“ That was the sharpest I ’ ve heard him attack the former vice president .
”

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CNN’s chief political correspondent Dana Bash said it’s time to call out President Donald Trump’s ongoing sexist treatment of female reporters after he told a female journalist to “relax” and “keep your voice down” amid her questioning of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday.
“As a woman who has covered the White House, as a woman who covers politics and policy in Washington, we just have to say that the way he treats the female reporters is different,” Bash said.
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Trump appeared to patronize CBS’s Weijia Jiang during Sunday’s White House press briefing when she asked why he did not do more to prepare for the pandemic back in February when he was holding large political rallies.
"Who are you with? ... nice and easy. Just relax ... keep your voice down, please. Keep your voice down" -- Trump tries to bully @weijia after she asks him a question about his statements downplaying the virus in February and his decisions to hold rallies that month pic.twitter.com/SCicdLN8Hv — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 19, 2020
“Why did you wait so long to warn them, and why did you not have social distancing until March 16?” she asked him, prompting him to ask her to identify what news outlet she was with before answering.
“So if you look at what I did in terms of cutting off or banning China from coming in,” he began.
“Chinese nationals ... not Americans who were also coming from China,” she specified.
“Nice and easy. Nice and easy. Just relax. We cut it off. People were amazed, these gentlemen, everybody was amazed that I did it,” he told her of the response to his imposed travel ban.
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He went on to tell her to “keep your voice down” when she asked if he thought the virus, having been in the U.S. before February, would spread.
So I asked him about what he was doing in February. (Rallies.)
And what he has to say to the many Americans who wonder why he did not warn them sooner that the virus was spreading like wildfire at the time.
(He told me to relax.) https://t.co/IW0IKKkBJ7 — Weijia Jiang (@weijia) April 20, 2020
Bash, speaking with CNN host Wolf Blitzer, pointed out that Trump’s response to male reporters is different.
“She was asking completely legitimate questions,” Bash said of Jiang’s line of questioning. “I think it’s important to call it out that there is a difference in the way that he reacts when he is getting tough questions.”
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“Not that he liked (CNN’s) Jeremy Diamond’s questions or other male reporters’ questions when they are tough. But the way he reacts is different and I think it’s time to say so,” she continued.
Blitzer failed to pick up on her point and instead used it to critique Trump’s recent criticism of his male 2020 competitor, Joe Biden.
“And he went pretty far, Dana, in really attacking the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, the former Vice President Joe Biden,” he told her. “That was the sharpest I’ve heard him attack the former vice president.”
Former Fox News reporter Gretchen Carlson was among those cheering on Jiang and Bash while calling Trump “a misogynistic jerk.”
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“No doubt there is a difference in the way he treats women and it’s horrible,” she tweeted.
Trump is such a misogynistic jerk to female reporters asking legitimate questions about his #COVID19 plan. He says — “Keep your voice down”. She wasn’t raising it. Thank you @weijia for your questions. Keep asking. — Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) April 19, 2020
David Axelrod, who served as a White House senior adviser during the Obama administration, also questioned Trump’s behavior on Twitter.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--Hospital Exec's Face Mask Story: Price Gouging, Disguised Trucks, U.S. Agents

A hospital executive detailed the extreme measures he took to secure basic personal protective equipment for doctors and nurses in Massachusetts , paying exorbitant prices , transporting masks in trucks marked as food service vehicles and fending off the federal government ’ s attempt to seize the items at the last moment .
Dr. Andrew Artenstein , a chief physician executive at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield , told a story he described as “ like something out of a movie ” in the New England Journal of Medicine .
In his article that the prestigious journal published on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks wrangling “ large sums of money ” for gloves , face masks , goggles and N95 respirators to protect workers , and “ got lucky ” locating a broker representing a supplier from China .
Medical professionals around the country have struggled for weeks to find adequate protective equipment to treat a wave of patients infected with COVID-19 , some resorting to reusing single-use masks , wearing trash bags or using scarves and bandanas to try and protect themselves .
States have complained that the federal stockpile of PPE gear was inadequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I rarely get involved in my health system ’ s supply-chain activities , ” Artenstein wrote .
“ Protecting our caregivers is essential so that these talented professionals can safely provide compassionate care to our patients .
Yet we continue to be stymied by a lack of personal protective equipment.
” Artenstein described how his hospital pursued a “ lead ” and located the PPE cache .
He agreed to pay “ more than five times the amount we would normally pay for a similar shipment.
” Three members of the supply-chain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a small airport near an industrial warehouse in the mid-Atlantic region .
I arrived by car to make the final call on whether to execute the deal .
Two semi-trailer trucks , cleverly marked as food-service vehicles , met us at the warehouse .
… Upon arrival , we were jubilant to see pallets of KN95 respirators and face masks being unloaded .
… Before we could send the funds by wire transfer , two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrived , showed their badges , and started questioning me .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resale or the black market .
Artenstein said the agents released the shipment .
But then he learned the Department of Homeland Security was considering whether it could redirect the protective equipment .
Artenstein said he called a congressional representative in order to prevent that outcome .
“ Did I foresee , as a health-system leader working in a rich , highly developed country with state-of-the-art science and technology and incredible talent , that my organization would ever be faced with such a set of circumstances ?
Of course not , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality we face in the time of Covid-19.
” The coronavirus continues to spread in the U.S. , which has the most cases and deaths of any country in the world .
At the same time , the White House has insisted doctors have all the supplies they need .
President Donald Trump said earlier this month some hospitals were “ complainers ” with “ insatiable appetites ” and has questioned where supplies of masks are going , at times alluding health care workers may be misusing them .
The president has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as possible , releasing a three-phase plan that governors could use to kickstart their states .
The move has prompted warnings from the nation ’ s top medical advisers that doing so too soon , however , could be disastrous .
Artenstein ’ s article has attracted the attention of some lawmakers .
Rep. Ted Lieu ( D-Calif ) , tweeted at Trump and Vice President Mike Pence asking if they had any knowledge of federal agencies organizing seizures of personal protective equipment , “ taking them away from states and hospitals .
@

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A hospital executive detailed the extreme measures he took to secure basic personal protective equipment for doctors and nurses in Massachusetts, paying exorbitant prices, transporting masks in trucks marked as food service vehicles and fending off the federal government’s attempt to seize the items at the last moment.
Dr. Andrew Artenstein, a chief physician executive at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, told a story he described as “like something out of a movie” in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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In his article that the prestigious journal published on Friday, Artenstein wrote that his hospital spent weeks wrangling “large sums of money” for gloves, face masks, goggles and N95 respirators to protect workers, and “got lucky” locating a broker representing a supplier from China.
Medical professionals around the country have struggled for weeks to find adequate protective equipment to treat a wave of patients infected with COVID-19, some resorting to reusing single-use masks, wearing trash bags or using scarves and bandanas to try and protect themselves. States have complained that the federal stockpile of PPE gear was inadequate.
“As a chief physician executive, I rarely get involved in my health system’s supply-chain activities,” Artenstein wrote. “Protecting our caregivers is essential so that these talented professionals can safely provide compassionate care to our patients. Yet we continue to be stymied by a lack of personal protective equipment.”
“Two semi-trailer trucks, cleverly marked as food-service vehicles, met us at the warehouse. When fully loaded, the trucks would take two distinct routes back to Massachusetts to minimize the chances that their contents would be detained or redirected.” #COVID19 — NEJM (@NEJM) April 18, 2020
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Artenstein described how his hospital pursued a “lead” and located the PPE cache. He agreed to pay “more than five times the amount we would normally pay for a similar shipment.”
But the deal’s conclusion sounded more like a spy story than the acquisition of medical supplies:
Three members of the supply-chain team and a fit tester were flown to a small airport near an industrial warehouse in the mid-Atlantic region. I arrived by car to make the final call on whether to execute the deal. Two semi-trailer trucks, cleverly marked as food-service vehicles, met us at the warehouse. … Upon arrival, we were jubilant to see pallets of KN95 respirators and face masks being unloaded. … Before we could send the funds by wire transfer, two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrived, showed their badges, and started questioning me. No, this shipment was not headed for resale or the black market.
Artenstein said the agents released the shipment. But then he learned the Department of Homeland Security was considering whether it could redirect the protective equipment. Artenstein said he called a congressional representative in order to prevent that outcome.
“Did I foresee, as a health-system leader working in a rich, highly developed country with state-of-the-art science and technology and incredible talent, that my organization would ever be faced with such a set of circumstances? Of course not,” he wrote. “This is the unfortunate reality we face in the time of Covid-19.”
The coronavirus continues to spread in the U.S., which has the most cases and deaths of any country in the world.
Advertisement
At the same time, the White House has insisted doctors have all the supplies they need. President Donald Trump said earlier this month some hospitals were “complainers” with “insatiable appetites” and has questioned where supplies of masks are going, at times alluding health care workers may be misusing them.
The president has been urging the country to reopen as soon as possible, releasing a three-phase plan that governors could use to kickstart their states. The move has prompted warnings from the nation’s top medical advisers that doing so too soon, however, could be disastrous.
Artenstein’s article has attracted the attention of some lawmakers. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif), tweeted at Trump and Vice President Mike Pence asking if they had any knowledge of federal agencies organizing seizures of personal protective equipment, “taking them away from states and hospitals.”
The FBI told The Boston Globe it is working “to ensure PPE is not being unlawfully distributed or hoarded.”
Dear @POTUS & @VP: Multiple Governors and hospitals are saying the federal government has seized protective equipment they ordered. Are your agencies making these seizures of PPE and taking them away from states and hospitals? If so, why? https://t.co/B5woT6nRgI — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) April 19, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--Congress Actually Wanted Huge Restaurant Chains To Get Small Business Loans

WASHINGTON ― The fast-food chain Shake Shack on Sunday said it would return a $ 10 million forgivable loan it received through a new federal program that is supposed to help small businesses hit hard by the coronavirus downturn .
But the giant company did not receive the loan by mistake .
The program was intended to reduce job losses from the economic shutdown undertaken to slow the spread of the virus , but the inequitable distribution of funds among businesses has become a political flashpoint .
And the complaints about bigger companies getting the money echo other criticisms that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to corporate America with too few restrictions and too little oversight .
“ The big corporations got all the money , ” said Tosha Kelly , who owns a child care center in Chicago with room for about 20 kids .
Kelly said she applied for a loan for her center , but learned on Friday that the program was out of money .
“ I never understood how they can compare us with companies that have 15 , 20 , 30 , 40 stores .
That right there was not fair .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were written for small businesses , how is it possible that so many independent restaurants whose employees needed just as much help were unable to receive funding ?
” Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer and CEO Randy Garutti said in a statement .
“ Everyone agreed that we wanted to open this up to more than the traditional small business , ” Rubio said Monday in a Twitter video , noting that independent contractors and nonprofits are also eligible .
“ And that ’ s why we expanded this to include restaurants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
Nevertheless , Rubio said , some of the companies that qualified for loans “ were not what we intended.
” He said that the program was put together in a matter of days and that he hoped things would work better with the second tranche of money Congress is contemplating .
The program ’ s guidance for borrowers stated that they must certify in good faith that “ economic uncertainty makes the loan necessary to support your ongoing operations , ” which turned out not to be the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the chain , which is publicly traded and employs 8,000 people in 189 restaurants , was able to raise $ 75 million from shareholders .
“ That ’ s the point of being publicly traded ― you don ’ t have to rely on people you know or a bank loan .
You got out and you sell shares , ” Fischer said .
“ Everybody invested in the stock market can get a piece of you.
” She said that if Congress pours more funding into this program , it should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fischer also pointed out that some hedge funds have also applied for loans , and she suggested that any financial institutions should be blocked from getting government grants and loans .
Congressional leaders are racing to hammer out a deal this week that would add billions more to the Paycheck Protection Program .
Their tentative agreement would offer another $ 300 billion in loans with a portion set aside for rural and minority-owned businesses , as well as funds for hospitals , coronavirus testing and disaster relief .
But key sticking points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include aid for states and cities , whose budgets have been badly hit by the crisis , while Republicans and the White House prefer doing so in the next relief package .
The Paycheck Protection Program covers two months of payroll costs through a forgivable loan of up to $ 10 million per company .
If the borrower avoids layoffs and uses at least 75 % of the funds for payroll during those two months , then it doesn ’ t have to pay the money back .

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WASHINGTON ― The fast-food chain Shake Shack on Sunday said it would return a $10 million forgivable loan it received through a new federal program that is supposed to help small businesses hit hard by the coronavirus downturn. But the giant company did not receive the loan by mistake.
When Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program, a $350 billion anti-layoff initiative, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, lawmakers made specific accommodations for the hospitality and food service industries.
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Before it ran out of money last week, the program was open to any business with fewer than 500 employees, and that employee count was per location for businesses like hotels and restaurants. That meant individual restaurants that are part of large publicly owned companies and locally owned outlets with deep-pocketed franchisors qualified for loans.
Franchises of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Potbelly and Taco Cabana and chains like Shake Shack got millions of dollars in loans. Millions of true small businesses were locked out of the program.
“It’s just bad public policy to allow these deep-pocketed franchise operations to get access to this money,” said Amanda Fischer, policy director at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.
Banks and large corporations used the program as written, she emphasized. “Congress contemplated this and wrote it into the legislation and now these businesses are taking advantage of it,” Fischer said.
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The program was intended to reduce job losses from the economic shutdown undertaken to slow the spread of the virus, but the inequitable distribution of funds among businesses has become a political flashpoint. And the complaints about bigger companies getting the money echo other criticisms that the CARES Act has unduly funneled money to corporate America with too few restrictions and too little oversight.
Small business owners who are actually on their own are up in arms.
“The big corporations got all the money,” said Tosha Kelly, who owns a child care center in Chicago with room for about 20 kids. Kelly said she applied for a loan for her center, but learned on Friday that the program was out of money. “I never understood how they can compare us with companies that have 15, 20, 30, 40 stores. That right there was not fair. Really misleading.“
Even executives at some bigger firms agreed.
“If this act were written for small businesses, how is it possible that so many independent restaurants whose employees needed just as much help were unable to receive funding?” Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer and CEO Randy Garutti said in a statement.
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) were the two lawmakers in charge of drafting the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides relief to small businesses. Barcroft Media via Getty Images
As Republicans and Democrats fight over whether to attach new rules to a fresh round of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), one of its main architects, has been trying to explain what happened.
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“Everyone agreed that we wanted to open this up to more than the traditional small business,” Rubio said Monday in a Twitter video, noting that independent contractors and nonprofits are also eligible. “And that’s why we expanded this to include restaurants and hotels who are part of chains,” he said.
Nevertheless, Rubio said, some of the companies that qualified for loans “were not what we intended.” He said that the program was put together in a matter of days and that he hoped things would work better with the second tranche of money Congress is contemplating.
The program’s guidance for borrowers stated that they must certify in good faith that “economic uncertainty makes the loan necessary to support your ongoing operations,” which turned out not to be the case for Shake Shack. In the end, the chain, which is publicly traded and employs 8,000 people in 189 restaurants, was able to raise $75 million from shareholders.
That’s precisely why franchise chains and public companies should have been left out of this program, critics argue. Those companies have other ways of raising money.
“That’s the point of being publicly traded ― you don’t have to rely on people you know or a bank loan. You got out and you sell shares,” Fischer said. “Everybody invested in the stock market can get a piece of you.”
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She said that if Congress pours more funding into this program, it should specify that public companies do not qualify. Fischer also pointed out that some hedge funds have also applied for loans, and she suggested that any financial institutions should be blocked from getting government grants and loans.
Florida’s junior Republican senator, Rick Scott, sounded less sanguine than Rubio about the situation, saying millions of dollars are being wasted.
“Right now, companies that are not being harmed at all by the Coronavirus crisis have the ability to receive taxpayer-funded loans that can be forgiven,” Scott said in a statement.
Congressional leaders are racing to hammer out a deal this week that would add billions more to the Paycheck Protection Program. Their tentative agreement would offer another $300 billion in loans with a portion set aside for rural and minority-owned businesses, as well as funds for hospitals, coronavirus testing and disaster relief.
But key sticking points remain. Democrats are still pushing to include aid for states and cities, whose budgets have been badly hit by the crisis, while Republicans and the White House prefer doing so in the next relief package.
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Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has urged Congress to immediately replenish the aid to small businesses under the CARES Act. Pool via Getty Images
The Paycheck Protection Program covers two months of payroll costs through a forgivable loan of up to $10 million per company. If the borrower avoids layoffs and uses at least 75% of the funds for payroll during those two months, then it doesn’t have to pay the money back.
But Congress put banks in charge of taking applications and has allowed them to set some rules of their own, such as restricting these paycheck loans to existing customers.
And despite the program’s first-come, first-served design, some companies that applied on the first day said they’re still waiting to be approved.
Tony Roug, owner of a San Francisco bakery, said he applied to Bank of America as soon as the program opened and has no idea whether he’ll receive the funds.
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A spokesman for the bank told HuffPost last week that it has “a team of more than 3,000 people working full-time to process those applications as quickly as possible, including reviewing documents to verify the information provided by each applicant.”
Roug, meanwhile, has dipped into his own savings to pay his 20 employees. He thinks Democratic lawmakers should hold firm on setting more conditions for the loans since banks seem to be setting their own priorities.
“Start from the smallest ones and go up from there,” Roug said. “That would have been a simple way to solve the problem.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--Supreme Court Rules Criminal Juries Must Be Unanimous To Convict

ASSOCIATED PRESS The Supreme Court has ruled that juries in state criminal trials must be unanimous to convict .
WASHINGTON @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court ruled Monday that juries in state criminal trials must be unanimous to convict @ @ @ @ @ quirk of constitutional law that had allowed divided votes to result in convictions in Louisiana @ @ @ @ @ ’ vote overturned the conviction of Evangelisto Ramos .
He is serving a life sentence @ @ @ @ @ woman after a jury voted 10-2 to convict him .
Oregon is the only other @ @ @ @ @ convictions for some crimes .
Louisiana voters changed the law for crimes committed beginning in @ @ @ @ @ rules will apply in all 50 states and in the federal system : Juries must @ @ @ @ @ The outcome will affect defendants who are still appealing their convictions .
But for defendants @ @ @ @ @ it will take another round of lawsuits to figure out whether the high court ruling @ @ @ @

The Supreme Court has ruled that juries in state criminal trials must be unanimous to convict. ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that juries in state criminal trials must be unanimous to convict a defendant, settling a quirk of constitutional law that had allowed divided votes to result in convictions in Louisiana and Oregon.
The justices’ vote overturned the conviction of Evangelisto Ramos. He is serving a life sentence in Louisiana for killing a woman after a jury voted 10-2 to convict him. Oregon is the only other state that allows for non-unanimous convictions for some crimes.
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Louisiana voters changed the law for crimes committed beginning in 2019.
Now the same rules will apply in all 50 states and in the federal system: Juries must vote unanimously for conviction.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--An Early Look At Who Bernie Sanders Wants To Join Joe Biden's Policy Task Forces

Sanders and Biden are creating six task forces — on the economy , education , criminal justice , immigration , climate change and health care — as a core part of Biden ’ s outreach to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party , Sanders announced when he endorsed the former vice president last week .
The goal is to present a united platform before the convention , influence the kind of personnel who would fill a possible Biden administration and arm Biden with possible executive orders that he could enact quickly should he be elected president .
HuffPost obtained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people Sanders is considering .
Everything is still in early stages , and the two campaigns have been negotiating who will be in these six policy groups and how big the groups will be .
The list includes progressive policy experts who heavily influenced Sanders ’ campaign platform over the last year , such as Darrick Hamilton , The Ohio State University economist who has become one of the leading academics on the racial wealth gap in the United States , and Stephanie Kelton , an economist at Stony Brook University who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that governments can never run out of money , and that deficit spending on major domestic programs would lead to economic growth .
Though not exhaustive , some other names on the Sanders campaign ’ s early list include Heather Boushey , an inequality expert with the Washington Center for Equitable Growth ; Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman , two leading economists in the world of wealth inequality and progressive taxation ; Jeffrey Sachs , who runs Columbia University ’ s Center for Sustainable Development ; Josh Bivens , an economist with progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kammen , who runs the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Lab at University of California , Berkeley ; Tara Raghuveer , an affordable housing activist who runs the Kansas City Tenants group ; and Bonnie Castillo , the executive director with the National Nurses Union .
Faiz Shakir , Sanders ’ campaign manager who has been negotiating with the Biden campaign for weeks , would not confirm that the campaign was considering these individuals .
These task forces are not yet finalized and could consist of a mix of campaign staff and outside experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the preliminary list .
Sachs and Kammen said they had not heard from either campaign .
Boushey and Kelton declined to comment .
The others did not respond .
These people , if included on the task forces , would represent a significant shift in the kind of policy thinking surrounding Biden .
The former vice president ’ s close-knit inner circle includes people such as Bruce Reed , who oversaw President Bill Clinton ’ s 1996 welfare reform push and , as The American Prospect ’ s Robert Kuttner said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton and Obama administrations.
” Sanders ’ campaign compiled its list internally with the intention of representing the voices of the progressive activist community , labor unions and progressive academics that their policy team often relied on during the campaign .
( That said , Sanders was not the only candidate to turn to these experts throughout the campaign cycle ; Hamilton , for example , consulted on Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren ’ s higher education plan and was behind New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker ’ s proposal to give most Americans government-backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose campaign primary did not emphasize policy in the last year , hasn ’ t come close to adopting any of those ideas , though his platform remains far more progressive than that of Hillary Clinton ’ s in 2016 .
He has signaled an openness to making some adjustments , crediting Warren and Sanders — two candidates often considered the progressive wing of the Democratic presidential field .
In the last two months , Biden has backed making public colleges and universities tuition-free for those from families with incomes less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debt for those making less than under $ 125,000 a year , and lowering the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60 .
Shakir said the Sanders team has not consulted with Warren ’ s staff on the task forces , but did not rule out the possibility that Biden ’ s staff has been reaching out to those that worked on other Democratic campaigns in the last year .
Among those negotiating on Biden ’ s side are veteran Democratic operatives and Obama administration veterans Ron Klain and Anita Dunn , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her work in the private sector at political communications firm SKDKnickerbocker and for her recent comments dismissing Sanders as a “ protester who often shows up at campaign events.
” Shakir and Sanders adviser Jeff Weaver have been representing Sanders ’ side of negotiations .

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The campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says it won’t appoint any “shrinking violets” to the joint task forces developing a compromise policy platform with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Sanders and Biden are creating six task forces — on the economy, education, criminal justice, immigration, climate change and health care — as a core part of Biden’s outreach to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, Sanders announced when he endorsed the former vice president last week.
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The goal is to present a united platform before the convention, influence the kind of personnel who would fill a possible Biden administration and arm Biden with possible executive orders that he could enact quickly should he be elected president.
HuffPost obtained a preliminary list of some of the people Sanders is considering. Everything is still in early stages, and the two campaigns have been negotiating who will be in these six policy groups and how big the groups will be.
The list includes progressive policy experts who heavily influenced Sanders’ campaign platform over the last year, such as Darrick Hamilton, The Ohio State University economist who has become one of the leading academics on the racial wealth gap in the United States, and Stephanie Kelton, an economist at Stony Brook University who has championed Modern Monetary Theory — the idea that governments can never run out of money, and that deficit spending on major domestic programs would lead to economic growth.
Though not exhaustive, some other names on the Sanders campaign’s early list include Heather Boushey, an inequality expert with the Washington Center for Equitable Growth; Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, two leading economists in the world of wealth inequality and progressive taxation; Jeffrey Sachs, who runs Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development; Josh Bivens, an economist with progressive think tank Economic Policy Institute; Daniel Kammen, who runs the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Lab at University of California, Berkeley; Tara Raghuveer, an affordable housing activist who runs the Kansas City Tenants group; and Bonnie Castillo, the executive director with the National Nurses Union.
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Faiz Shakir, Sanders’ campaign manager who has been negotiating with the Biden campaign for weeks, would not confirm that the campaign was considering these individuals. These task forces are not yet finalized and could consist of a mix of campaign staff and outside experts. HuffPost reached out to every person on the preliminary list. Sachs and Kammen said they had not heard from either campaign. Boushey and Kelton declined to comment. The others did not respond.
Shakir said the Sanders campaign will put forward “people who are experts that are going to represent the ideologies of the respective candidates.”
“There are no shrinking violets here,” he said, adding that Biden’s team has been very “receptive” to their suggestions.
A Biden campaign aide echoed the sentiment, saying the task force will “represent the diverse viewpoints of the Democratic Party.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Vice President Joe Biden are working together on joint task forces. AP Photo/Matt Rourke
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These people, if included on the task forces, would represent a significant shift in the kind of policy thinking surrounding Biden. The former vice president’s close-knit inner circle includes people such as Bruce Reed, who oversaw President Bill Clinton’s 1996 welfare reform push and, as The American Prospect’s Robert Kuttner said, “epitomized the right wing of the Clinton and Obama administrations.”
Sanders’ campaign compiled its list internally with the intention of representing the voices of the progressive activist community, labor unions and progressive academics that their policy team often relied on during the campaign. (That said, Sanders was not the only candidate to turn to these experts throughout the campaign cycle; Hamilton, for example, consulted on Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s higher education plan and was behind New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s proposal to give most Americans government-backed savings account at birth.)
Sanders’ team published a momentously left-wing agenda that called for an aggressive wealth tax, as well as a suite of expansive social programs such as universal child care, family leave, tuition-free public school from pre-kindergarten to college and university, government-run health insurance, and student and medical debt cancellation.
Biden, whose campaign primary did not emphasize policy in the last year, hasn’t come close to adopting any of those ideas, though his platform remains far more progressive than that of Hillary Clinton’s in 2016. He has signaled an openness to making some adjustments, crediting Warren and Sanders — two candidates often considered the progressive wing of the Democratic presidential field. In the last two months, Biden has backed making public colleges and universities tuition-free for those from families with incomes less than $125,000 a year, eliminating student debt for those making less than under $125,000 a year, and lowering the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60.
Sanders and his allies, however, have said those changes are not going far enough.
Shakir said the Sanders team has not consulted with Warren’s staff on the task forces, but did not rule out the possibility that Biden’s staff has been reaching out to those that worked on other Democratic campaigns in the last year.
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Among those negotiating on Biden’s side are veteran Democratic operatives and Obama administration veterans Ron Klain and Anita Dunn, who has come under scrutiny in the left for her work in the private sector at political communications firm SKDKnickerbocker and for her recent comments dismissing Sanders as a “protester who often shows up at campaign events.” Shakir and Sanders adviser Jeff Weaver have been representing Sanders’ side of negotiations.
Outside progressive groups like Demand Progress, the Roosevelt Institute and the Revolving Door Project are also working to influence those staffing decisions. Biden told donors at a fundraiser that he is open to unveiling his picks for Cabinet appointments during the general election.
“We are starting the process of the platform conversation much earlier than certainly 2016, but earlier than ever before,” Shakir said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--More People Can Use Food Benefits Online Due To Coronavirus

Low-income households in more and more states will soon be able to use food benefit debit cards to shop online for groceries , thanks to a pilot project that the government is expanding due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has allowed online benefits redemptions in Alabama , Iowa , Nebraska , New York and Oregon as a precursor to making online benefits available nationwide .
Since the economy has been essentially shut down while people have been urged to remain in their homes , however , the USDA has added Arizona , California , Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District of Columbia and West Virginia to the program .
“ Enabling people to purchase foods online will go a long way in helping Americans follow [ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ] social distancing guidelines and help slow the spread of the coronavirus , ” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue .
The benefits , which average about $ 235 per month per household , typically can only be used for food items in grocery stores .
For online orders , any delivery fees have to be paid separately .
The only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are Amazon and Walmart , while Wrights Market is participating in Alabama and ShopRite is in New York .
It ’ s a potentially big change .
Decades ago , the government distributed benefits as booklets of stamps that had to be taken out in a cumbersome process at the cash register .
( The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is still widely known as “ food stamps.
” ) But since the mid-2000s , states have distributed benefits on electronic benefit transfer cards .
Expanding online delivery is one of several changes USDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other changes include handing out school lunches at schools that are closed , as well as replacing and suspending work requirements for unemployed adults receiving SNAP benefits .
Roughly 18 million households received benefits at the beginning of the year , but enrollment is likely to surge as incomes shrink with schools and businesses closed .
Democrats have demanded a 15 % increase in monthly SNAP benefits in the next coronavirus relief package Congress considers .
“ We shouldn ’ t be picking and choosing which families can and can not get to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a press release last week .
HuffPost readers : Do you receive SNAP benefits ?
Have you been able to buy food online ?
Do you have any other tips about SNAP in pandemic times ?
Tell us about it ― email arthur @ huffpost.com .
Please include your phone number if you ’ re willing to be interviewed .

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Low-income households in more and more states will soon be able to use food benefit debit cards to shop online for groceries, thanks to a pilot project that the government is expanding due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has allowed online benefits redemptions in Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, New York and Oregon as a precursor to making online benefits available nationwide. Since the economy has been essentially shut down while people have been urged to remain in their homes, however, the USDA has added Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, North Carolina, the District of Columbia and West Virginia to the program.
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“Enabling people to purchase foods online will go a long way in helping Americans follow [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] social distancing guidelines and help slow the spread of the coronavirus,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.
The benefits, which average about $235 per month per household, typically can only be used for food items in grocery stores. For online orders, any delivery fees have to be paid separately. The only retailers approved for use in each state are Amazon and Walmart, while Wrights Market is participating in Alabama and ShopRite is in New York.
It’s a potentially big change. Decades ago, the government distributed benefits as booklets of stamps that had to be taken out in a cumbersome process at the cash register. (The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is still widely known as “food stamps.”) But since the mid-2000s, states have distributed benefits on electronic benefit transfer cards.
Expanding online delivery is one of several changes USDA has made to its food programs. Other changes include handing out school lunches at schools that are closed, as well as replacing and suspending work requirements for unemployed adults receiving SNAP benefits.
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Roughly 18 million households received benefits at the beginning of the year, but enrollment is likely to surge as incomes shrink with schools and businesses closed. Democrats have demanded a 15% increase in monthly SNAP benefits in the next coronavirus relief package Congress considers.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has proposed legislation to allow all states to participate in the online SNAP pilot program.
“We shouldn’t be picking and choosing which families can and cannot get to order food online,” Omar said in a press release last week.
HuffPost readers: Do you receive SNAP benefits? Have you been able to buy food online? Do you have any other tips about SNAP in pandemic times? Tell us about it ― email arthur@huffpost.com. Please include your phone number if you’re willing to be interviewed.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--More Than 100 Women Left Texas To Get An Abortion Under Coronavirus Ban

After Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott ( R ) issued an executive order in late March that banned abortion amid the coronavirus pandemic , more than 100 women left the state to access the procedure elsewhere .
That ’ s according to new data released by Planned Parenthood showing the real-world impact of the state ban , which officials have defended as necessary to preserve medical supplies for patients with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
Between March 23 and April 14 , the first three weeks of the executive order , Planned Parenthood clinics in Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients from Texas , a more than seven-fold increase than the month before .
This is likely an undercount of Texas women traveling out of state for abortions , as the data only includes patients seen at Planned Parenthood clinics .
The findings , shared with HuffPost on Monday , align with research from the Guttmacher Institute that found earlier this month that under the Texas abortion ban , the average one-way driving distance to a clinic would increase from 12 miles to 243 miles .
Texas is among a handful of states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that must be paused in order to save personal protective equipment for health workers during the coronavirus outbreak .
Arkansas , Alabama , Iowa , Louisiana , Ohio , Oklahoma , Tennessee and Texas have all been sued over similar orders halting abortion as part of emergency responses to the pandemic.The abortion bans have been blocked in almost every state where they have been challenged .
Last week , a federal appeals court ruled that Texas clinics can continue to provide medication abortion while the legal challenge advances , but most surgical abortions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that when individuals aren ’ t able to access abortion care in their own state , they will travel — or at least the patients who have the means to travel will do so , ” Kristina Tocce , vice president and medical director at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains , said in a statement emailed to HuffPost .
“ As a doctor , I can tell you Gov .
Abbott ’ s order is at odds with the best public health guidance during this pandemic .
Forcing patients to travel long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19 .
... People ’ s lives are on the line.
” One college student in Texas told HuffPost she was forced to drive to Colorado for an abortion after her appointment in Texas was canceled .
She was scared to travel across state lines during a pandemic , the student said , and she felt as though her home state had put her in unnecessary danger .
“ Frankly , I feel like my constitutional rights were violated when I needed them the most , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anonymous for privacy reasons .
“ I was forced to drive across the country , to stop at nasty gas stations , to stay in an unfamiliar home , just to get health care .
”

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After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order in late March that banned abortion amid the coronavirus pandemic, more than 100 women left the state to access the procedure elsewhere.
That’s according to new data released by Planned Parenthood showing the real-world impact of the state ban, which officials have defended as necessary to preserve medical supplies for patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
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Between March 23 and April 14, the first three weeks of the executive order, Planned Parenthood clinics in Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada saw 129 patients from Texas, a more than seven-fold increase than the month before. This is likely an undercount of Texas women traveling out of state for abortions, as the data only includes patients seen at Planned Parenthood clinics.
The findings, shared with HuffPost on Monday, align with research from the Guttmacher Institute that found earlier this month that under the Texas abortion ban, the average one-way driving distance to a clinic would increase from 12 miles to 243 miles.
Texas is among a handful of states arguing that abortion is a nonessential procedure that must be paused in order to save personal protective equipment for health workers during the coronavirus outbreak.
Arkansas, Alabama, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas have all been sued over similar orders halting abortion as part of emergency responses to the pandemic.The abortion bans have been blocked in almost every state where they have been challenged. Last week, a federal appeals court ruled that Texas clinics can continue to provide medication abortion while the legal challenge advances, but most surgical abortions are still prohibited.
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“We know that when individuals aren’t able to access abortion care in their own state, they will travel — or at least the patients who have the means to travel will do so,” Kristina Tocce, vice president and medical director at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, said in a statement emailed to HuffPost. “As a doctor, I can tell you Gov. Abbott’s order is at odds with the best public health guidance during this pandemic. Forcing patients to travel long distances only puts them at a greater risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19. ... People’s lives are on the line.”
One college student in Texas told HuffPost she was forced to drive to Colorado for an abortion after her appointment in Texas was canceled.
She was scared to travel across state lines during a pandemic, the student said, and she felt as though her home state had put her in unnecessary danger.
“Frankly, I feel like my constitutional rights were violated when I needed them the most,” said the student, who asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons. “I was forced to drive across the country, to stop at nasty gas stations, to stay in an unfamiliar home, just to get health care.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-20--U.S. Appeals Court Lets Texas Curb Medication Abortions During Pandemic

NEW YORK , April 20 ( Reuters ) - A U.S. appeals court on Monday allowed Texas to enforce curbs on medication-induced abortions as part of the Republican-governed state ’ s restrictions aimed at postponing medical procedures not deemed urgent during the coronavirus pandemic .
The New Orleans-based 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals threw out a federal judge ’ s order blocking the state from applying restrictions to abortions induced through medication , in the early stages of a pregnancy .
About half of all abortions in the state are performed through medication , which involves taking two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also prevented the state from banning surgical abortions for women who would be past the legal limit for the procedure by the time the coronavirus-related emergency order is set to expire , at the end of the day on Tuesday .
The 5th Circuit allowed that portion of the judge ’ s order to remain in effect .
Texas is one of several conservative states that have tried to impose limits on abortion during the pandemic , saying they are seeking to ensure that medical resources including protective equipment are available to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the respiratory disease caused by the virus .
Abortion rights advocates have accused the states of political opportunism by using the pandemic to advance anti-abortion policies .
The abortion providers - including Whole Woman ’ s Health and Planned Parenthood - sued Texas on March 25 , calling the restrictions a violation of the right to abortion under the U.S. Constitution as recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision .
The abortion providers said medication abortion should not be halted because it is not a procedure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of protective equipment .
The state disputed that contention , saying that medication abortion is a procedure and that protective equipment is used as part of the physical exams and follow-up exams or if there are complications requiring an emergency room visit .
In Monday ’ s ruling , the 5th Circuit said that in blocking the state ’ s actions to postpone abortions during the pandemic , U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel in Austin usurped the state ’ s authority “ to craft emergency public health measures.
” ( Reporting by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hurley in Washington ; Editing by Will Dunham )

NEW YORK, April 20 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Monday allowed Texas to enforce curbs on medication-induced abortions as part of the Republican-governed state’s restrictions aimed at postponing medical procedures not deemed urgent during the coronavirus pandemic.
The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out a federal judge’s order blocking the state from applying restrictions to abortions induced through medication, in the early stages of a pregnancy. About half of all abortions in the state are performed through medication, which involves taking two pills by mouth.
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The judge had also prevented the state from banning surgical abortions for women who would be past the legal limit for the procedure by the time the coronavirus-related emergency order is set to expire, at the end of the day on Tuesday. The 5th Circuit allowed that portion of the judge’s order to remain in effect.
Texas is one of several conservative states that have tried to impose limits on abortion during the pandemic, saying they are seeking to ensure that medical resources including protective equipment are available to help healthcare facilities cope with people with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.
Abortion rights advocates have accused the states of political opportunism by using the pandemic to advance anti-abortion policies.
The abortion providers - including Whole Woman’s Health and Planned Parenthood - sued Texas on March 25, calling the restrictions a violation of the right to abortion under the U.S. Constitution as recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
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The abortion providers said medication abortion should not be halted because it is not a procedure at all and does not require the use of protective equipment.
The state disputed that contention, saying that medication abortion is a procedure and that protective equipment is used as part of the physical exams and follow-up exams or if there are complications requiring an emergency room visit.
In Monday’s ruling, the 5th Circuit said that in blocking the state’s actions to postpone abortions during the pandemic, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel in Austin usurped the state’s authority “to craft emergency public health measures.” (Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York and Lawrence Hurley in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham)