thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-18--Biden Campaign Slams Trump On China And Coronavirus In New Battleground Ad

Former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign on Saturday released a new digital ad in key battleground states meant to counter President Donald Trump ’ s efforts to portray him as soft on China .
The ad is part of a coordinated response on behalf of the Biden campaign aiming to highlight Trump ’ s slow response to the coronavirus pandemic , which has cost over 35,000 lives in the U.S. and ground the economy to a standstill .
Trump in recent days has sought to pin the blame for the spread of the disease on China and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he praised both in the early stages of the outbreak , which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan .
“ When Trump rolled over for the Chinese , he took their word for it .
Trump praised the Chinese 15 times in January and February as the coronavirus spread across the world , ” the narrator in the Biden ad says , as images of various Trump tweets flash on the screen .
Biden ’ s campaign said the ad will run online in the key battleground states of Michigan , Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Florida .
Last week , Trump ’ s reelection campaign released a montage of Biden meeting with Chinese government officials during his time as vice president , claiming that Biden “ stands up for China.
” The ad included Gary Locke , who at the time was the U.S. ambassador to China — falsely implying that Locke , a third-generation Chinese American , is a Chinese government official .
China has emerged as a major campaign issue during the coronavirus pandemic .
Earlier this week , a pro-Trump super PAC announced a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin targeting the former vice president over China .
The pro-Biden group American Bridge responded with its own $ 15 million ad campaign in the same battleground states .

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Former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign on Saturday released a new digital ad in key battleground states meant to counter President Donald Trump’s efforts to portray him as soft on China.
The ad is part of a coordinated response on behalf of the Biden campaign aiming to highlight Trump’s slow response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has cost over 35,000 lives in the U.S. and ground the economy to a standstill.
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Trump in recent days has sought to pin the blame for the spread of the disease on China and the World Health Organization, even though he praised both in the early stages of the outbreak, which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
“When Trump rolled over for the Chinese, he took their word for it. Trump praised the Chinese 15 times in January and February as the coronavirus spread across the world,” the narrator in the Biden ad says, as images of various Trump tweets flash on the screen.
Biden’s campaign said the ad will run online in the key battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, North Carolina and Florida.
Last week, Trump’s reelection campaign released a montage of Biden meeting with Chinese government officials during his time as vice president, claiming that Biden “stands up for China.” The ad included Gary Locke, who at the time was the U.S. ambassador to China — falsely implying that Locke, a third-generation Chinese American, is a Chinese government official.
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China has emerged as a major campaign issue during the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this week, a pro-Trump super PAC announced a $10 million ad campaign in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin targeting the former vice president over China. The pro-Biden group American Bridge responded with its own $15 million ad campaign in the same battleground states.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-18--Nancy Pelosi Hits Donald Trump Where It Hurts Over His Coronavirus Briefings

Pelosi told MSNBC ’ s Ari Melber on Friday that she doesn ’ t “ really watch them ” because Trump ― who frequently brags about the high TV ratings that the news conferences are receiving ― “ is contradicting himself either within the same presentation or from the day before.
” So , that ’ s at least one less viewer .
One example was Trump ’ s false declaration on Monday that as president he had “ total ” authority to reopen the nation .
Trump then backed down from the claim the following day , saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted .
Pelosi had earlier stopped short of telling others not to bother watching the briefings .
“ People can do whatever they wish , ” she said .
“ I think that it would be important for the president to tell the truth and that the American people insist on the truth .
Their lives and livelihoods depend on it.
” Trump has attracted widespread criticism for his briefings , which he frequently uses to repeat falsehoods , tout unproven cures and attack journalists .
He has even drawn scorn from conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Journal editorial board which described the updates as “ boring ” and Fox News ’ Brit Hume , who suggested Trump should give more air time to public health officials .

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is tuning out of President Donald Trump’s daily coronavirus task force briefings.
Pelosi told MSNBC’s Ari Melber on Friday that she doesn’t “really watch them” because Trump ― who frequently brags about the high TV ratings that the news conferences are receiving ― “is contradicting himself either within the same presentation or from the day before.”
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So, that’s at least one less viewer.
One example was Trump’s false declaration on Monday that as president he had “total” authority to reopen the nation. Trump then backed down from the claim the following day, saying it was up to the governors, Pelosi noted.
Pelosi had earlier stopped short of telling others not to bother watching the briefings. “People can do whatever they wish,” she said. “I think that it would be important for the president to tell the truth and that the American people insist on the truth. Their lives and livelihoods depend on it.”
Trump has attracted widespread criticism for his briefings, which he frequently uses to repeat falsehoods, tout unproven cures and attack journalists.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-18--No Plan In Sight: Test Troubles Cloud Trump Recovery Effort

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The United States is struggling to test enough people to track and control the spread of the novel coronavirus , a crucial first step to reopening parts of the economy , which President Donald Trump is pushing to do by May 1 .
But more than a month after he declared , “ Anybody who wants a test , can get a test , ” the reality has been much different .
People report being unable to get tested .
Labs and public officials say critical supply shortages are making it impossible to increase testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep the virus in check .
“ There are places that have enough test swabs , but not enough workers to administer them .
There are places that are limiting tests because of the CDC criteria on who should get tested , ” said Dr. Megan Ranney an emergency doctor and associate professor at Brown University .
“ There ’ s just so many inefficiencies and problems with the way that testing currently happens across this country.
” This week governors , physician groups and laboratory directors called on the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gear and highly specialized laboratory chemicals needed to analyze the virus ’ genetic material .
Hospitals and state health departments report scouring the globe to secure orders , competing against each other and their peers abroad in a system that Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , D-N.Y. , described as “ mayhem.
” Trump has denied that the U.S. has fallen short , asserting that the U.S. has the “ most expansive and accurate testing system anywhere in the world.
” Only in recent days has the U.S. surpassed the rate of testing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one test for every 100 people .
Vice President Mike Pence told reporters Monday that if governors “ would simply activate ” underused high-capacity testing machines , “ we could double the amount of testing in the U.S. literally overnight.
” Democratic Gov .
Laura Kelly of Kansas , whose state has one of the lowest per capita testing rates in the country , told CNN it has been difficult to get testing supplies .
Gov .
Jim Justice , R-W.Va. , a Trump ally , said testing needs to be stepped up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rodriguez , a pharmacy technician at a major retail chain in California , said she was sent home by her employer last week after coming down with symptoms .
Her company would not test her , and she spent hours on the phone trying to find a place that would , she said .
The San Luis Obispo County health department can only test 50 samples per day , and a spokeswoman said those tests are reserved for people who are hospitalized , first responders and those who have had contact with people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t qualify .
Another clinic told her she might have to pay $ 150 if it determined she did not fit its test criteria .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
Lab officials and health expert told The Associated Press that supply shortages have prompted them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That can leave out people who have symptoms but aren ’ t sick enough to be hospitalized , or people who have no symptoms and might unwittingly spread the virus .
Experts say it will be crucial to test those people if the economy is to reopen .
Ed Thornborrow , medical director of the University of California at San Francisco Clinical Microbiology Laboratory , said he wants to run 3,000 tests per day , but he can only do 100 to 250 now because he lacks enough nasal swabs .
He works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , Trump announced a plan for nationwide testing via drive-thru sites at chains such as Walmart and Target , linked by a Google-affiliated website .
Six weeks later , the website is a pilot program available in just four California counties .
Few of the retailers ’ sites have opened , and executives from companies including Walgreens have said they are waiting for direction from the federal government .
Rhode Island received only 120 , much fewer than they were promised .
Raimondo said when the state tried to get more , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cartridges directed her to the federal government , which in turn told her to go directly to the companies .
The state has now received 850 tests , far fewer than it requested , Raimondo said Friday .

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is struggling to test enough people to track and control the spread of the novel coronavirus, a crucial first step to reopening parts of the economy, which President Donald Trump is pushing to do by May 1.
Trump on Thursday released a plan to ease business restriction that hinges on a downward trajectory of positive tests.
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But more than a month after he declared, “Anybody who wants a test, can get a test,” the reality has been much different. People report being unable to get tested. Labs and public officials say critical supply shortages are making it impossible to increase testing to the levels experts say is necessary to keep the virus in check.
“There are places that have enough test swabs, but not enough workers to administer them. There are places that are limiting tests because of the CDC criteria on who should get tested,” said Dr. Megan Ranney an emergency doctor and associate professor at Brown University. “There’s just so many inefficiencies and problems with the way that testing currently happens across this country.”
Trump’s plan envisions setting up “sentinel surveillance sites” that would screen people without symptoms in locations that serve older people or minority populations. Experts say testing would have to increase as much as threefold to be effective.
The plan pushes responsibility for testing onto states.
“You know, the federal government shouldn’t be forced to go and do everything,” Trump told reporters Thursday.
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But state and local officials as well as lab managers say they cannot expand testing until there are more supplies.
This week governors, physician groups and laboratory directors called on the Trump administration to address shortages of swabs, protective gear and highly specialized laboratory chemicals needed to analyze the virus’ genetic material. Hospitals and state health departments report scouring the globe to secure orders, competing against each other and their peers abroad in a system that Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., described as “mayhem.”
“The federal government cannot wipe their hands of this and say, ‘Oh, the states are responsible for testing,’” Cuomo said Friday as he complained of a shortage of chemicals manufactured in China. “I don’t do China relations. I don’t do international supply chain.”
Trump has denied that the U.S. has fallen short, asserting that the U.S. has the “most expansive and accurate testing system anywhere in the world.” Only in recent days has the U.S. surpassed the rate of testing in South Korea, which has conducted about one test for every 100 people. Vice President Mike Pence told reporters Monday that if governors “would simply activate” underused high-capacity testing machines, “we could double the amount of testing in the U.S. literally overnight.”
“That is not the experience in Rhode Island,” said Gov. Gina Raimondo, D-R.I.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly of Kansas, whose state has one of the lowest per capita testing rates in the country, told CNN it has been difficult to get testing supplies. Gov. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., a Trump ally, said testing needs to be stepped up before he can lift restrictions.
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Jennifer Rodriguez, a pharmacy technician at a major retail chain in California, said she was sent home by her employer last week after coming down with symptoms. Her company would not test her, and she spent hours on the phone trying to find a place that would, she said.
The San Luis Obispo County health department can only test 50 samples per day, and a spokeswoman said those tests are reserved for people who are hospitalized, first responders and those who have had contact with people who tested positive. Rodriguez didn’t qualify. Another clinic told her she might have to pay $150 if it determined she did not fit its test criteria.
“I just feel like medical workers, or even people on the front line, they should have some kind of priority,” said Rodriguez.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
Lab officials and health expert told The Associated Press that supply shortages have prompted them to limit who can be tested. That can leave out people who have symptoms but aren’t sick enough to be hospitalized, or people who have no symptoms and might unwittingly spread the virus. Experts say it will be crucial to test those people if the economy is to reopen.
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Ed Thornborrow, medical director of the University of California at San Francisco Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, said he wants to run 3,000 tests per day, but he can only do 100 to 250 now because he lacks enough nasal swabs. He works constantly to find more.
“That’s what I spend most of my time on these days,” he said.
Meghan Delaney, chief of pathology and lab medicine at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, says shortages of chemicals known as reagents are constraining how many tests her lab can perform.
Vendors, in response, are restricting what hospitals can buy, said Dr. Robin Patel of the Mayo Clinic’s infectious disease laboratory.
“It’s a little bit like rationing,” Patel said.
In early March, Trump announced a plan for nationwide testing via drive-thru sites at chains such as Walmart and Target, linked by a Google-affiliated website. Six weeks later, the website is a pilot program available in just four California counties. Few of the retailers’ sites have opened, and executives from companies including Walgreens have said they are waiting for direction from the federal government.
Trump also has promoted a 15-minute test developed by Abbott Laboratories as a “game changer.” Federal officials initially distributed 15 machines to public health labs in each of the 50 states and U.S. territories, along with 250 to the Indian Health Service. Alaska received 50.
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But governors say they didn’t get enough cartridges needed to run large numbers of the Abbott tests.
Rhode Island received only 120, much fewer than they were promised. Raimondo said when the state tried to get more, Abbott and others that make the test cartridges directed her to the federal government, which in turn told her to go directly to the companies. The state has now received 850 tests, far fewer than it requested, Raimondo said Friday.
Federal health officials declined to say how many cartridges were initially sent to states, but said more will be available as Abbott increases production. The company says it is currently producing 50,000 cartridges daily.
The U.S. bungled its initial rollout due to flaws with the test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Precious time was wasted in February as the test was corrected and redistributed. Private labs at hospitals, universities and commercial companies weren’t fully enlisted in the effort until March.
The U.S. is currently testing roughly 145,000 people daily, for a total of 3.4 million results reported, according to state data compiled by the Covid Tracking Project. Public health experts say capacity needs to be much higher, in part to repeatedly test essential workers and to isolate those who test positive and to track down their close contacts to prevent new outbreaks.
“We still probably need to be doing three times more testing than we’re doing now,” said Dr. Ashish K. Jha, director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard. “I don’t see America getting by anytime soon with 100,000 to 150,000 tests.”
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Smith reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-18--COVID-19 Protesters Just Like Rosa Parks, Says White House Adviser Stephen Moore

Samuel Corum via Getty Images Stephen Moore pontificates onstage in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference , where several participants were exposed to the coronavirus .
The largely white protesters who oppose social distancing measures to protect the public from COVID-19 are like Rosa Parks , who waged a historic battle for racial equality , right-wing economic commentator and White House adviser Stephen Moore repeatedly insisted Friday .
“ I call these people modern-day Rosa Parks .
They are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties , ” Moore told The Washington Post , in one of at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He also told CBS News : “ It ’ s interesting to me that the right has become more the Rosa Parks of the world than the left is.
” He said in a YouTube video quoted by The New York Times : “ We need to be the Rosa Parks here , and protest against these government injustices.
” Protesters carry rifles near the steps of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing on April 15 .
Flag-waving , honking protesters drove past the Capitol on Wednesday to demonstrate against Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Moore is a member of President Donald Trump ’ s back-to-work council and part of a coalition of conservative leaders called “ Save Our Country , ” working against business shutdowns and stay-at-home measures aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 .
He dropped out of consideration to serve on the Federal Reserve Board last year amid concerns about his qualifications and mounting opposition to his controversial comments about gender and race .
He once quipped that Trump ’ s first act as president would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obamas ) out of public housing ( the White House ) , according to The Atlantic .
Critics were furious that Moore equated protests against health safety measures to the fight against racial injustice sparked by a black activist icon , who was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger 65 years ago .
The largest protest , in Michigan on Wednesday , was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition , which is also known as Michigan Trump Republicans , according to state incorporation papers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s leaders include longtime GOP insiders , according to the newspaper .
A goal of the organizing group was to target Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , who has been repeatedly attacked by Trump for “ complaining ” about the lack of federal aid to battle COVID-19 in her state .
Whitmer has been rumored to be under consideration as a potential running mate for Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee for president .
Columbia University historian Nicole Hemmer , author of book “ Messengers of the Right ” on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the GOP focus on the “ personal freedom ” fight against health measures “ almost seems like an excuse for getting out and rallying against politicians they oppose.
” Trump tweeted an incendiary command to his followers Friday to “ LIBERATE ” Michigan , Minnesota and Virginia — all states with Democratic governors .
He also ominously urged his supporters to fight for their gun rights in Virginia .
Sen. Chris Murphy ( D-Conn. ) accused the president of inciting “ armed rebellion.
” He “ sent this tweet a day after his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state capitols .
He knows what he ’ s doing , ” Murphy tweeted .

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The largely white protesters who oppose social distancing measures to protect the public from COVID-19 are like Rosa Parks, who waged a historic battle for racial equality, right-wing economic commentator and White House adviser Stephen Moore repeatedly insisted Friday.
“I call these people modern-day Rosa Parks. They are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties,” Moore told The Washington Post, in one of at least three instances of this astonishing comparison.
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He also told CBS News: “It’s interesting to me that the right has become more the Rosa Parks of the world than the left is.” He said in a YouTube video quoted by The New York Times: “We need to be the Rosa Parks here, and protest against these government injustices.”
Protesters carry rifles near the steps of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing on April 15. Flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Capitol on Wednesday to demonstrate against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's social distancing measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Moore is a member of President Donald Trump’s back-to-work council and part of a coalition of conservative leaders called “Save Our Country,” working against business shutdowns and stay-at-home measures aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19. He dropped out of consideration to serve on the Federal Reserve Board last year amid concerns about his qualifications and mounting opposition to his controversial comments about gender and race. He once quipped that Trump’s first act as president would be to kick a Black family (the Obamas) out of public housing (the White House), according to The Atlantic.
Stephen Moore is one of the least qualified people in America to speak on Rosa Parks. https://t.co/66FPaTyFe9 — Max Burns (@themaxburns) April 18, 2020
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Critics were furious that Moore equated protests against health safety measures to the fight against racial injustice sparked by a black activist icon, who was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger 65 years ago.
Unbelievable! Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus to quietly protest institutional racism. Today's radicalized right-wing protests are brazen acts of lawless licentiousness. There are no unfettered rights in America's scheme of ordered liberty. — Michael Box (@xobekim) April 18, 2020
Hey, Stephan Moore, Rosa Parks is an icon. A symbol of the fight against oppression of an entire race. These people are upset because they can't get a haircut and go out to dinner. Two completely different things #jackass — I Don't Have a Middle Name (@michigancheri) April 18, 2020
Rosa Parks was looking out for her fellow citizens. The right wing activists protesting and disregarding stay at home orders (in crowds without social distancing or masks) are jeopardizing the health of friends, family, neighbors and fellow citizens in their community. — True Blue Sea (@true_sea) April 18, 2020
Moore’s astounding claim was part of a new onslaught against Democratic-led states fueled by the Trump campaign.
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The largest protest, in Michigan on Wednesday, was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, which is also known as Michigan Trump Republicans, according to state incorporation papers, the Post reported. The group’s leaders include longtime GOP insiders, according to the newspaper.
The Michigan Freedom Fund, which heavily promoted the Michigan protest, has been linked to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
A goal of the organizing group was to target Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has been repeatedly attacked by Trump for “complaining” about the lack of federal aid to battle COVID-19 in her state. Whitmer has been rumored to be under consideration as a potential running mate for Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.
Swing state Michigan is critical for Trump in November. He won the state by fewer than 11,000 votes last time around.
Columbia University historian Nicole Hemmer, author of book “Messengers of the Right” on the right-wing media, told the Post that the GOP focus on the “personal freedom” fight against health measures “almost seems like an excuse for getting out and rallying against politicians they oppose.”
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Trump tweeted an incendiary command to his followers Friday to “LIBERATE” Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia — all states with Democratic governors. He also ominously urged his supporters to fight for their gun rights in Virginia.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) accused the president of inciting “armed rebellion.” He “sent this tweet a day after his supporters showed up with assault weapons at state capitols. He knows what he’s doing,” Murphy tweeted.
Let’s not normalize this: the President of the United States is encouraging citizens to engage in armed rebellion.
He sent this tweet a day after his supporters showed up with assault weapons at state capitols. He knows what’s he’s doing. https://t.co/25XGY5BbmA — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 17, 2020
Health experts have warned that too hasty a return to normalcy could cause COVID-19 cases — and deaths ― to skyrocket.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-18--The Fight To Stop Fossil Fuel Financing Is Poised To Get Some Powerful New Allies

On Monday , lawmakers in the nation ’ s largest city are set to introduce a resolution to formally demand the banks , asset managers and insurance giants with which the city government does business divest from oil , gas and coal .
The resolution , shared with HuffPost in advance , names banking behemoth JPMorgan Chase , asset manager BlackRock and insurer Liberty Mutual as targets of the statement .
The move comes as top U.S. banks , including JPMorgan Chase , are preparing to seize oil and gas producers crushed by plummeting oil prices .
As New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 pandemic soars past 10,000 , the legislators behind the resolution hope to lay the groundwork for how “ we can emerge more prepared to do what we know we have to do to mitigate and prepare for the devastating consequences of the climate crisis that ’ s coming , ” Brad Lander , the councilman from Brooklyn ’ s Park Slope neighborhood , told HuffPost .
“ We are in the midst of a devastating short-term crisis … but the most devastating long-term risk to New York is the climate crisis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the bill .
“ If we ’ re going to have any chance at actually bending the curve on CO2 emissions , we have to confront the capital that is driving it at its scale.
” The bill ― which already has 10 co-sponsors ― would itself do little beyond taking a principled stand .
But if passed , the resolution would add momentum to a fast-growing campaign to shame and pressure the institutions that climate activist and writer Bill McKibben described in The New Yorker last September as providing the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warming burns.
” The widely-circulated essay signaled the opening of a new front in the decade-long campaign to pressure investors to stop funding the extraction of more oil , gas and coal at a moment when scientists say the world needs to rapidly phase out fossil fuels .
The resolution could open the door to policy ideas that once seemed fringe in the capital of global finance .
The city would likely face new pressure to redirect its banking services from JPMorgan Chase to an alternative such as Amalgamated Bank , which in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuel free ” portfolios .
It could spur new calls for the city to establish its own municipal public bank , which would , in theory , fund clean infrastructure in poor neighborhoods where traditional investment historically displaces residents , if it happens at all .
“ It ’ s a different and , in some ways , much harder problem , where to put money in and not just take money out , ” said Pete Sikora , a senior adviser to the climate and housing nonprofit New York Communities for Change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a contradiction here , because capitalism isn ’ t set up to fund fair and just results .
It ’ s set up to make money for people who own capital.
” A public bank , he said , would help to “ use the system to produce better results.
” But it ’ s a complicated and costly proposition in a city whose resources are already stretched thin battling both the pandemic and an openly hostile president with little support among voters in his hometown .
If we ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curve on CO2 emissions , we have to confront the capital that is driving it at its scale .
“ There ’ s a unique role around finance that the comptroller ’ s office of New York City has in particular , this being the headquarters of massive amounts of corporate finance , ” Lander said , noting that Stringer made significant progress but could have “ moved faster.
” During his time as the city ’ s chief fiscal and auditing officer , Stringer began the byzantine process of divesting roughly $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds from fossil fuel companies , a step he ’ s likely to highlight early next year when campaigning begins in earnest .
Council Speaker Corey Johnson , another top mayoral contender , shepherded several major climate bills through the legislature last year , an achievement he ’ s also likely to promote as he pitches himself to voters still scarred by the memory of 2012 ’ s deadly Superstorm Sandy .

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The fight to force financiers and insurers to abandon fossil fuels may soon get some powerful new recruits: the New York City Council.
On Monday, lawmakers in the nation’s largest city are set to introduce a resolution to formally demand the banks, asset managers and insurance giants with which the city government does business divest from oil, gas and coal.
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The resolution, shared with HuffPost in advance, names banking behemoth JPMorgan Chase, asset manager BlackRock and insurer Liberty Mutual as targets of the statement. The move comes as top U.S. banks, including JPMorgan Chase, are preparing to seize oil and gas producers crushed by plummeting oil prices.
As New York City’s death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic soars past 10,000, the legislators behind the resolution hope to lay the groundwork for how “we can emerge more prepared to do what we know we have to do to mitigate and prepare for the devastating consequences of the climate crisis that’s coming,” Brad Lander, the councilman from Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, told HuffPost.
“We are in the midst of a devastating short-term crisis … but the most devastating long-term risk to New York is the climate crisis,” said Lander, the lead author of the bill. “If we’re going to have any chance at actually bending the curve on CO2 emissions, we have to confront the capital that is driving it at its scale.”
The sun sets over Manhattan. Gary Hershorn via Getty Images
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The bill ― which already has 10 co-sponsors ― would itself do little beyond taking a principled stand. But if passed, the resolution would add momentum to a fast-growing campaign to shame and pressure the institutions that climate activist and writer Bill McKibben described in The New Yorker last September as providing the “oxygen on which the fire of global warming burns.” The widely-circulated essay signaled the opening of a new front in the decade-long campaign to pressure investors to stop funding the extraction of more oil, gas and coal at a moment when scientists say the world needs to rapidly phase out fossil fuels.
The resolution could open the door to policy ideas that once seemed fringe in the capital of global finance. The city would likely face new pressure to redirect its banking services from JPMorgan Chase to an alternative such as Amalgamated Bank, which in 2018 started offering “100% fossil fuel free” portfolios. It could spur new calls for the city to establish its own municipal public bank, which would, in theory, fund clean infrastructure in poor neighborhoods where traditional investment historically displaces residents, if it happens at all.
“It’s a different and, in some ways, much harder problem, where to put money in and not just take money out,” said Pete Sikora, a senior adviser to the climate and housing nonprofit New York Communities for Change. “There’s something of a contradiction here, because capitalism isn’t set up to fund fair and just results. It’s set up to make money for people who own capital.”
A public bank, he said, would help to “use the system to produce better results.” But it’s a complicated and costly proposition in a city whose resources are already stretched thin battling both the pandemic and an openly hostile president with little support among voters in his hometown.
The resolution, then, could serve as a “shot across the bow” at the financial giants that benefit from New York City’s “colossal business purchasing,” Sikora said.
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“If we’re going to have any chance at actually bending the curve on CO2 emissions, we have to confront the capital that is driving it at its scale.” - New York City Councilman Brad Lander
The resolution offers a preview of New York City’s major election next year, suggesting climate change will be a major campaign theme in open races for positions including mayor, comptroller and 35 of the City Council’s 51 seats.
Lander, a progressive firebrand, is considered a top candidate to succeed Comptroller Scott Stringer, who is himself one of three leading candidates for mayor.
“There’s a unique role around finance that the comptroller’s office of New York City has in particular, this being the headquarters of massive amounts of corporate finance,” Lander said, noting that Stringer made significant progress but could have “moved faster.”
“I would make the climate crisis the number one issue focus of the office,” Lander added.
During his time as the city’s chief fiscal and auditing officer, Stringer began the byzantine process of divesting roughly $5 billion in city workers’ pension funds from fossil fuel companies, a step he’s likely to highlight early next year when campaigning begins in earnest. Council Speaker Corey Johnson, another top mayoral contender, shepherded several major climate bills through the legislature last year, an achievement he’s also likely to promote as he pitches himself to voters still scarred by the memory of 2012’s deadly Superstorm Sandy.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-18--Grieving At Home, Kids Face Their Teachers' Deaths

Eighth grader Kiara Dokes in Detroit never knew her father , and she usually has a hard time getting along with adult men , her mom said .
But at the beginning of the school year , Kiara met Thomas Fields , the culture facilitator at her school .
He became “ like another father to me , ” Kiara said .
Hundreds of miles away , in New Jersey , high school senior Que ’ jon Malawo has spent years turning to case manager Javiera Rodriguez for help .
They first met his freshman year , and since then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go-to ” person for all things academic and personal , her office a haven of warmth and safety .
“ She was like a second mother to me , ” he said .
Fields and Rodriguez both passed away in recent weeks , falling victim to the coronavirus .
There is no official number on how many teachers and school staff members have passed .
The American Federation of Teachers , the nation ’ s second largest teachers union , has lost at least 65 of its educators and 10 retirees , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City , the American epicenter of the outbreak , at least 50 school staff members have passed away , according to the New York City Department of Education .
When teachers and school staff members die , they leave behind friends , family , colleagues .
They also leave behind hundreds of children and teenagers whom they see nearly everyday .
With widespread school closures , children have been left to grieve in isolation , sometimes experiencing the tragedy of death for the first time .
HuffPost spoke with 15 students , parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how these losses are impacting their school communities .
Sometimes , parents have been the ones to tell their kids that their favorite teacher passed .
Sometimes kids have found out on social media .
Kiara Dokes was with a friend when her mom called to tell her about the passing of Fields , a 32-year-old who worked at Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy .
But Kiara already knew .
Word spreads fast among kids .
Both mother and daughter had difficulty finding the words .
It took them two days to talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning by the door .
Parents described him as a gentle giant , and his smiling face at the entrance of the building grew to symbolize safety .
As the school culture facilitator , he was firm , but always kind .
His expectations were clear , but he laughed easily .
Parents had voted him employee of the month in February , just a few weeks before he died .
He didn ’ t live long enough to receive the plaque .
His face is now the screensaver of Kiara ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there for motivation .
When she gets upset , her mom says to look at his picture and imagine what he would do in the situation .
Another parent , Melissa Redmond , is fashioning her 13-year-old son a tag to wear around his neck with Fields ’ face on it , so that he ’ ll remember Fields as an angel watching over him .
When her son found out from social media that Fields had died , he couldn ’ t believe it and started lashing out in anger .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell him that God wanted [ Fields ] more than we did , ” said Redmond , speaking through tears .
“ I try to tell him [ Fields ] is a light now .
He ’ s always going to shine down on you.
” Fields used to play basketball with Redmond ’ s son .
Sometimes Fields would drive him home .
They would talk about grades and girls and college .
If her son got in trouble , Fields would push him to do better .
For Fields , discipline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be going on in students ’ lives that might be causing the behavior .
He was always trying to better someone , said Redmond .
Saying Goodbye To Second Families The best way Malawo can think to honor Rodriguez is to refuse to let this grief define his future decisions ; to live up to the example she set ; to make the woman who he said had a contagious smile proud from her resting place .
“ I ’ m going to be thinking about her every time I ’ m doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get there , ” said Malawo , who is set to graduate this year .
“ I ’ m going to keep going for her.
” Rodriguez started working in the district 10 years ago and counseled students with special needs or who were struggling in school .
Her students and peers call her bright , strong , charismatic and tireless , possessing a unique ability to light up any room .
She had a gift for connecting students and colleagues alike with the resources they needed and making them feel like part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leyna Ventoso recalls a time when Rodriguez called her into her office to discuss her grades .
Ventoso was on the edge of failing .
She thought Rodriguez was calling to yell at her , but it was the opposite .
Rodriguez was calling to offer a hand .
Together , they went to Ventoso ’ s teachers to work through the issues she was having .

Eighth grader Kiara Dokes in Detroit never knew her father, and she usually has a hard time getting along with adult men, her mom said. But at the beginning of the school year, Kiara met Thomas Fields, the culture facilitator at her school. He became “like another father to me,” Kiara said.
Hundreds of miles away, in New Jersey, high school senior Que’jon Malawo has spent years turning to case manager Javiera Rodriguez for help. They first met his freshman year, and since then, she’s become his “go-to” person for all things academic and personal, her office a haven of warmth and safety. “She was like a second mother to me,” he said.
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Fields and Rodriguez both passed away in recent weeks, falling victim to the coronavirus. There is no official number on how many teachers and school staff members have passed. The American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s second largest teachers union, has lost at least 65 of its educators and 10 retirees, a spokesperson told HuffPost. In New York City, the American epicenter of the outbreak, at least 50 school staff members have passed away, according to the New York City Department of Education.
When teachers and school staff members die, they leave behind friends, family, colleagues. They also leave behind hundreds of children and teenagers whom they see nearly everyday. With widespread school closures, children have been left to grieve in isolation, sometimes experiencing the tragedy of death for the first time.
Schools have been offering counseling and holding online vigils. But without face-to-face interaction, it’s hard to know which students are struggling.
“We worry constantly that a student is going to be in need and we wouldn’t know it,” said Todd Minichello, the school counseling coordinator for Rockwood School District in Missouri. The district recently lost guidance counselor Sandy Kearney, who worked in its schools for over 30 years.
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The current crisis has only further illuminated the role that schools play in neighborhoods: They feed hungry children, they provide medical and mental health care. Vigilant educators and staff members make sure that children are clean, clothed and safe. Schools are mini-universes, with classrooms providing the structure of artificial families.
When schools reopen, students’ returns may be marked by the gaping holes they find at the center of their school communities, their second mothers and fathers gone.
Tokens Of Grief
HuffPost spoke with 15 students, parents and school employees around the country about how these losses are impacting their school communities. Sometimes, parents have been the ones to tell their kids that their favorite teacher passed. Sometimes kids have found out on social media.
Kiara Dokes was with a friend when her mom called to tell her about the passing of Fields, a 32-year-old who worked at Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy. But Kiara already knew. Word spreads fast among kids. Both mother and daughter had difficulty finding the words. It took them two days to talk without crying.
Fields attended Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy as a kid. He went to college and served in the Navy before returning to work at his alma mater at the beginning of this school year. He quickly became a community staple.
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He greeted children every morning by the door. Parents described him as a gentle giant, and his smiling face at the entrance of the building grew to symbolize safety. As the school culture facilitator, he was firm, but always kind. His expectations were clear, but he laughed easily. Parents had voted him employee of the month in February, just a few weeks before he died. He didn’t live long enough to receive the plaque.
His face is now the screensaver of Kiara’s phone. She’s keeping it there for motivation. When she gets upset, her mom says to look at his picture and imagine what he would do in the situation.
“He just loved Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy. And we loved him just as much as he loved us,” said Katherine Dokes, Kiara’s mom, who works as a lunch aide at the school and is active in the PTA.
Another parent, Melissa Redmond, is fashioning her 13-year-old son a tag to wear around his neck with Fields’ face on it, so that he’ll remember Fields as an angel watching over him. When her son found out from social media that Fields had died, he couldn’t believe it and started lashing out in anger.
“I had to sit him down and tell him that God wanted [Fields] more than we did,” said Redmond, speaking through tears. “I try to tell him [Fields] is a light now. He’s always going to shine down on you.”
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Fields used to play basketball with Redmond’s son. Sometimes Fields would drive him home. They would talk about grades and girls and college. If her son got in trouble, Fields would push him to do better. For Fields, discipline was about figuring out what else could be going on in students’ lives that might be causing the behavior. He was always trying to better someone, said Redmond.
Next year, returning to school without Fields, is “going to be a struggle. The children feel like they were stripped of him. And a lot of them don’t understand,” Redmond said.
Saying Goodbye To Second Families
In New Jersey, school was never easy for Becton Regional High School senior Que’jon Malawo. The teen, at times, found himself on the edge of expulsion. But Javiera Rodriguez, a case manager on the school’s child study team, “broke her back” toiling late into the night to make sure it never happened.
The 43-year-old advocated for Malawo. She helped him find a job. She worked with him on his relationship with his father.
She was a “second mother,” a confidant, an “inspiration.”
“She taught me how to be strong,” said Malawo.
The best way Malawo can think to honor Rodriguez is to refuse to let this grief define his future decisions; to live up to the example she set; to make the woman who he said had a contagious smile proud from her resting place.
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“I’m going to be thinking about her every time I’m doing something right. How she helped me get there,” said Malawo, who is set to graduate this year. “I’m going to keep going for her.”
Rodriguez started working in the district 10 years ago and counseled students with special needs or who were struggling in school. Her students and peers call her bright, strong, charismatic and tireless, possessing a unique ability to light up any room. She had a gift for connecting students and colleagues alike with the resources they needed and making them feel like part of a close-knit family.
Tenth grader Leyna Ventoso recalls a time when Rodriguez called her into her office to discuss her grades. Ventoso was on the edge of failing. She thought Rodriguez was calling to yell at her, but it was the opposite. Rodriguez was calling to offer a hand. Together, they went to Ventoso’s teachers to work through the issues she was having.
“She was always there for everyone,” Ventoso said.
Ventoso spent nearly every lunch period in Rodriguez’s office with a group of about eight other students. Rodriguez would serve students tea; they would play board games and relax. It became a safe space amid the organized chaos of high school.
It’s hard to imagine what school will be like when it reopens without Rodriguez’s magnetic presence, said Ventoso.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-18--Idaho's Transgender Sports Ban Challenged In Federal Lawsuit

The American Civil Liberties Union and Legal Voice filed the lawsuit contending the law violates the U.S. Constitution because it is discriminatory and an invasion of privacy .
The ban applies to all sports teams sponsored by public schools , colleges and universities .
A girls ’ or women ’ s team will not be open to transgender students who identify as female .
Specifically , the lawsuit contends the law violates the 14th Amendment ’ s Equal Protection Clause because it is discriminatory and the 4th Amendment ’ s protections against invasion of privacy because of tests required should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two plaintiffs are bringing the lawsuit .
One is an unnamed Boise area high school student who is cisgender .
Cisgender refers to someone whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person was identified as having at birth .
The other is Lindsay Hecox , 19 , who will be a sophomore this fall at Boise State University and hopes to qualify for the women ’ s cross-country team .
She competed on the boys ’ team at a Moorpark , California , high school before transitioning after graduating .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ female , ” she said in an interview with The Associated Press .
“ We shouldn ’ t have our privacy invaded .
If people started questioning me , I wouldn ’ t want to be subjected to multiple tests.
” Ehardt has said that allowing transgender athletes on girls ’ and women ’ s teams would negate nearly 50 years of progress women have made since the 1972 Title IX legislation that ’ s credited with opening up sports to female athletes , and along with it scholarships and other opportunities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ families of three female high school runners filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block transgender athletes from participating in girls sports .
The families contend that allowing athletes with male anatomy to compete has deprived their daughters of track titles and scholarship opportunities .
Opponents of the Idaho law said it codified in state statute a government-mandated gynecological exam , likely causing some potential athletes to avoid sports .
They argued that anyone from a parent to an opposing player or someone with a grudge could require a student to take a humiliating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women and girls who are transgender and intersex and subjects all female athletes to the possibility of invasive genital and genetic screenings , ” said Gabriel Arkles , senior staff attorney with the ACLU .
The Idaho law is one of two anti-transgender bills signed into law by Little in March , making Idaho the first among states that introduced some 40 such bills this year to enact them .
The other Idaho law taking effect this summer prohibits transgender people from changing the sex listed on their birth certificates , and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The judge scrapped the ban and warned against new rules .
The Idaho attorney general ’ s office , which didn ’ t appeal the ruling , said it could cost $ 1 million if the state had to defend the ban again and lost .

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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two civil rights groups filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging a new Idaho law banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports, the first such law in the nation.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Legal Voice filed the lawsuit contending the law violates the U.S. Constitution because it is discriminatory and an invasion of privacy.
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The groups also said the law scheduled to take effect July 1 is a violation of Title IX, the 1972 law that bars sex discrimination in education.
The groups in the 60-page lawsuit ask the court to permanently prevent Idaho from enforcing the law.
Republican Gov. Brad Little late last month signed into law the measure that received overwhelming support in the Republican-dominated House and Senate, but no support from Democrats.
The ban applies to all sports teams sponsored by public schools, colleges and universities. A girls’ or women’s team will not be open to transgender students who identify as female.
Backers said the law, called the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, is needed because transgender female athletes have physical advantages.
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Specifically, the lawsuit contends the law violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause because it is discriminatory and the 4th Amendment’s protections against invasion of privacy because of tests required should an athlete’s gender be challenged.
Two plaintiffs are bringing the lawsuit. One is an unnamed Boise area high school student who is cisgender. Cisgender refers to someone whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person was identified as having at birth.
The other is Lindsay Hecox, 19, who will be a sophomore this fall at Boise State University and hopes to qualify for the women’s cross-country team. She competed on the boys’ team at a Moorpark, California, high school before transitioning after graduating.
“I would like to compete as a female,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We shouldn’t have our privacy invaded. If people started questioning me, I wouldn’t want to be subjected to multiple tests.”
The NCAA has a policy allowing transgender athletes to compete. But the sponsor of the Idaho law, Republican Barbara Ehardt, has called the NCAA policy “permissive.”
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Ehardt has said that allowing transgender athletes on girls’ and women’s teams would negate nearly 50 years of progress women have made since the 1972 Title IX legislation that’s credited with opening up sports to female athletes, and along with it scholarships and other opportunities.
Earlier this year in Connecticut, the families of three female high school runners filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block transgender athletes from participating in girls sports. The families contend that allowing athletes with male anatomy to compete has deprived their daughters of track titles and scholarship opportunities.
Opponents of the Idaho law said it codified in state statute a government-mandated gynecological exam, likely causing some potential athletes to avoid sports. They argued that anyone from a parent to an opposing player or someone with a grudge could require a student to take a humiliating test.
The law “illegally targets women and girls who are transgender and intersex and subjects all female athletes to the possibility of invasive genital and genetic screenings,” said Gabriel Arkles, senior staff attorney with the ACLU.
“Alongside Idahoans throughout the state, we have been fighting this hateful, unconstitutional legislation since it was introduced,” said ACLU of Idaho Legal Director Ritchie Eppink.
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The Idaho law is one of two anti-transgender bills signed into law by Little in March, making Idaho the first among states that introduced some 40 such bills this year to enact them.
The other Idaho law taking effect this summer prohibits transgender people from changing the sex listed on their birth certificates, and is almost certain to be challenged in court.
The birth certificate law ignores a 2018 federal court ruling that a past law barring transgender people from making the birth certificate changes violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The judge scrapped the ban and warned against new rules. The Idaho attorney general’s office, which didn’t appeal the ruling, said it could cost $1 million if the state had to defend the ban again and lost.
Peter Renn of Lambda Legal, the law firm that represented two transgender women whose lawsuit led to the court ruling, said Idaho can’t enforce that new law without violating a court order.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-18--Trump Dings Social Distancing At Air Force Academy Commencement As 'Politically Correct'

President Donald Trump appeared to take a stealthy swipe at social distancing arrangements at the Air Force Academy commencement Saturday by referring to them as “ politically correct.
” Social distancing is also a prudent safety measure that ’ s recommended by the Trump administration ’ s own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Trump uses the term “ politically correct ” to belittle actions that he believes are unnecessary and demanded by progressives .
“ I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct , ” he said during his campaign .
Trump claimed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Pence as the commencement speaker , required 10 feet between people for social distancing .
In fact , organizers required at least 6 feet , as recommended by the CDC .
Chairs for the 30-minute ceremony were placed 8 feet apart .
Family and friends of the 1,000 graduates watched the live-streamed event in Colorado Springs online .
Graduates will all be tested for COVID-19 before their postings , according to an Air Force statement .
Pence is “ making the commencement address right now at the Air Force Academy where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone standing not 6 feet , but 10 feet apart , okay ?
” Trump said at his press briefing .
`` Mike Pence is a phenomenal guy .
He is making the commencement address right now at the Air Force Academy where they are being very politically correct .
10 feet apart . ''
-- Trump pic.twitter.com/YEwjUDrMS5 — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) April 18 , 2020 Though Trump has appeared increasingly unconcerned about the risk of COVID-19 as he clamors for Americans to get back to work ( he claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billions ” of lives ) , the military is continuing to take the risk of COVID-19 seriously .
The Department of Defense announced Saturday its travel ban for military personnel has been extended to at least June 30 , The Military Times reported .
A secret military task force is also preparing to “ secure ” the nation ’ s capital in the event of a heightened COVID-19 emergency as cases there surge , Newsweek reported this week .
Trump , on the other hand , is calling for his followers to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — all headed by Democratic governors — because of their social distancing restrictions and business closures .
He also ominously told supporters in a tweet Friday to fight in Virginia for gun rights , which he claimed were “ under siege.
” He reiterated his call to “ liberate Virginia ” at his press briefing .
“ They ’ re trying to take your guns away in Virginia , ” he said , which is not the case .
New gun control laws in the state include background checks for all firearm sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to confiscate weapons from people who are deemed a danger to themselves or others .
Let ’ s not normalize this : the President of the United States is encouraging citizens to engage in armed rebellion .
He sent this tweet a day after his supporters showed up with assault weapons at state capitols .
He knows what ’ s he ’ s doing .
https : //t.co/25XGY5BbmA — Chris Murphy ( @ ChrisMurphyCT ) April 17 , 2020

President Donald Trump appeared to take a stealthy swipe at social distancing arrangements at the Air Force Academy commencement Saturday by referring to them as “politically correct.”
Social distancing is also a prudent safety measure that’s recommended by the Trump administration’s own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Trump uses the term “politically correct” to belittle actions that he believes are unnecessary and demanded by progressives. “I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct,” he said during his campaign.
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Trump claimed the graduation ceremony, which featured Vice President Mike Pence as the commencement speaker, required 10 feet between people for social distancing. In fact, organizers required at least 6 feet, as recommended by the CDC. Chairs for the 30-minute ceremony were placed 8 feet apart. Family and friends of the 1,000 graduates watched the live-streamed event in Colorado Springs online. Graduates will all be tested for COVID-19 before their postings, according to an Air Force statement.
Pence is “making the commencement address right now at the Air Force Academy where they’re being very politically correct — everyone standing not 6 feet, but 10 feet apart, okay?” Trump said at his press briefing.
"Mike Pence is a phenomenal guy. He is making the commencement address right now at the Air Force Academy where they are being very politically correct. 10 feet apart." -- Trump pic.twitter.com/YEwjUDrMS5 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 18, 2020
Trump calls the Air Force Academy ceremony procedure of standing 10 feet apart, "very politically correct", rather than "medically sound" or "at recommended social distancing", etc.
Trump is politicizing and belittling sound medical advice.#Coronavirus #COVID19 #TrumpPressConf — Dr. Jack Brown (@DrGJackBrown) April 18, 2020
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Though Trump has appeared increasingly unconcerned about the risk of COVID-19 as he clamors for Americans to get back to work (he claimed Saturday he has already saved possibly “billions” of lives), the military is continuing to take the risk of COVID-19 seriously. The Department of Defense announced Saturday its travel ban for military personnel has been extended to at least June 30, The Military Times reported.
A secret military task force is also preparing to “secure” the nation’s capital in the event of a heightened COVID-19 emergency as cases there surge, Newsweek reported this week.
Trump, on the other hand, is calling for his followers to “liberate” Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia — all headed by Democratic governors — because of their social distancing restrictions and business closures. He also ominously told supporters in a tweet Friday to fight in Virginia for gun rights, which he claimed were “under siege.”
He reiterated his call to “liberate Virginia” at his press briefing. “They’re trying to take your guns away in Virginia,” he said, which is not the case. New gun control laws in the state include background checks for all firearm sales, and and power by enforcement officers to confiscate weapons from people who are deemed a danger to themselves or others.
Let’s not normalize this: the President of the United States is encouraging citizens to engage in armed rebellion.
He sent this tweet a day after his supporters showed up with assault weapons at state capitols. He knows what’s he’s doing. https://t.co/25XGY5BbmA — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 17, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-18--Lawmakers Demand To Know Where Business Stimulus Funds Are Going

Democratic senators have fired off a letter demanding to know basic details about where billions of dollars in business stimulus funds from America ’ s Treasury have been paid .
The Trump administration has so far stonewalled on information about recipients of its massive stimulus package .
The Paycheck Protection Program already ran out of money Thursday , and President Donald Trump and the GOP are pressing for more funds to distribute to businesses .
Much of the loans granted in the small business programs that are part of the $ 2 trillion Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economy Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as long as recipients follow certain requirements , such as keeping workers on the payroll .
The payouts then become grants to private companies from U.S. taxpayers .
The letter from Democratic senators calls for details about basic fund dispersal from PPP , the Economic Injury Disaster Loan and the Emergency Grants Program , amounting to some $ 359 billion in payouts .
It was signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) and Democratic Sens .
Ron Wyden ( Oregon ) , Jeanne Shaheen ( New Hampshire ) and Benjamin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information on amounts paid out to businesses broken out by state , demographics , industry and loan size .
It calls for similar information on money going to non-profit and religious organizations .
It doesn ’ t ask for the identities of recipients .
A watchdog of CARES payments has been clamoring for information as well .
So far , Americans have no idea where the money is going .
The “ key question ” about the trillions in federal money going out is “ whether that money ends up helping working people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executives and investors who have already taken so much of the income gains in the past decade , ” Bharat Ramamurti wrote in a New York Times op-ed Thursday .
Ramamurti , a former economic adviser to Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
, was the first appointee of the five-member Congressional Oversight Commission charged with tracking the payouts .
Sen. Pat Toomey ( R-Penn . )
and Reps. French Hill ( R-Ark . )
and Donna Shalala ( D-Fla. ) were appointed Friday .
“ The only way we can figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families is if we figure out which American companies are getting money and what they ’ re doing with it , ” Ramamurti told the Times in an interview .
He warned in his op-ed that there ’ s “ no time to waste ” determining where the money is going as “ trillions fly out the door.
” “ At a time when millions of people are filing for unemployment each week , why would the Treasury and the Fed use public money to support companies that could turn around and slash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directing billions to shareholders ?
” he asked .
Ramamurti is tracking his requests and responses on his Twitter account for the public to follow .
So far , officials have only begun to outline some information they say they ’ ll provide , but have yet to offer specifics .

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Democratic senators have fired off a letter demanding to know basic details about where billions of dollars in business stimulus funds from America’s Treasury have been paid.
The Trump administration has so far stonewalled on information about recipients of its massive stimulus package. The Paycheck Protection Program already ran out of money Thursday, and President Donald Trump and the GOP are pressing for more funds to distribute to businesses.
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Much of the loans granted in the small business programs that are part of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economy Security Act (CARES) will be forgiven as long as recipients follow certain requirements, such as keeping workers on the payroll. The payouts then become grants to private companies from U.S. taxpayers.
The letter from Democratic senators calls for details about basic fund dispersal from PPP, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan and the Emergency Grants Program, amounting to some $359 billion in payouts. It was signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden (Oregon), Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) and Benjamin Cardin (Maryland).
It requests information on amounts paid out to businesses broken out by state, demographics, industry and loan size. It calls for similar information on money going to non-profit and religious organizations. It doesn’t ask for the identities of recipients.
A watchdog of CARES payments has been clamoring for information as well. So far, Americans have no idea where the money is going.
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The “key question” about the trillions in federal money going out is “whether that money ends up helping working people or flows instead to the managers, executives and investors who have already taken so much of the income gains in the past decade,” Bharat Ramamurti wrote in a New York Times op-ed Thursday.
Ramamurti, a former economic adviser to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), was the first appointee of the five-member Congressional Oversight Commission charged with tracking the payouts. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) and Reps. French Hill (R-Ark.) and Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) were appointed Friday.
“The only way we can figure out what the effect is on American families is if we figure out which American companies are getting money and what they’re doing with it,” Ramamurti told the Times in an interview. He warned in his op-ed that there’s “no time to waste” determining where the money is going as “trillions fly out the door.”
Ramamurti is particularly concerned about massive loans going to big business with essentially no strings attached.
“At a time when millions of people are filing for unemployment each week, why would the Treasury and the Fed use public money to support companies that could turn around and slash payroll while paying giant executive bonuses and directing billions to shareholders?” he asked.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-18--Contamination Likely Caused Critical Delay Of CDC Coronavirus Testing: Report

A contamination of the first round of COVID-19 testing kits made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention slowed the U.S. government ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic , The Washington Post and CNN confirmed Saturday .
The Food and Drug Administration told CNN that the CDC did not manufacture its tests under the agency ’ s standard protocol .
“ CDC made its test in one of its laboratories , rather than in its manufacturing facilities , ” an FDA spokesperson said .
“ CDC did not manufacture its test consistent with its own protocol.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kits in was also handling synthetic coronavirus material , which likely led to the contamination , the Post reported , citing federal regulators and scientists who knew of the situation .
The Post was the first to report on the contamination of the test kits .
The botched tests were found to be problematic in late January after the CDC sent the test kits to 26 public health labs across the U.S. Twenty-four of the labs found that some of the tests produced false positive results , according to the Post .
Reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major delay in the CDC ’ s distribution of coronavirus tests because of a problem with one ingredient .
“ I certainly do wish that the testing was available sooner , ” Becker said at the time .
“ There was this very unfortunate challenge in the production process and it did put us a few weeks behind.
” A senior federal scientist who reviewed the development and manufacturing process told the Post that the false positives suggested that the testing kits were cross-contaminated .
It ’ s unclear exactly how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 labs that received the tests were producing false positive results , indicating the extent of the problem .
Even after the problem was identified , it still took the CDC more than a month to fix the test kits , triggering a delay in them being used around the country .
A spokesman for the CDC confirmed to the Post that there was an issue with “ quality control ” when the agency was manufacturing the tests , describing it as “ not sufficient.
” He went on to say that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to address the issue .
”

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A contamination of the first round of COVID-19 testing kits made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention slowed the U.S. government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, The Washington Post and CNN confirmed Saturday.
The Food and Drug Administration told CNN that the CDC did not manufacture its tests under the agency’s standard protocol.
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“CDC made its test in one of its laboratories, rather than in its manufacturing facilities,” an FDA spokesperson said. “CDC did not manufacture its test consistent with its own protocol.”
The Atlanta lab that the CDC manufactured the kits in was also handling synthetic coronavirus material, which likely led to the contamination, the Post reported, citing federal regulators and scientists who knew of the situation.
The Post was the first to report on the contamination of the test kits.
Exclusive: Contamination at CDC lab delayed rollout of coronavirus tests. This account confirms for the first time the contamination’s role in undermining the test and the CDC’s failure to meets its lab standards. @DWillmanNews https://t.co/LbOLfaIKYB — Washington Post Investigations (@wpinvestigates) April 18, 2020
One of the three test components was contaminated during that process.
The FDA officially determined that the CDC violated its own protocol, an administration official told CNN.
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The botched tests were found to be problematic in late January after the CDC sent the test kits to 26 public health labs across the U.S. Twenty-four of the labs found that some of the tests produced false positive results, according to the Post.
Reports in late February showed that there was a major delay in the CDC’s distribution of coronavirus tests because of a problem with one ingredient.
Scott Becker, executive director of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, told NPR on March 1 that the issue put labs “a few weeks behind” in testing patients.
“I certainly do wish that the testing was available sooner,” Becker said at the time. “There was this very unfortunate challenge in the production process and it did put us a few weeks behind.”
A senior federal scientist who reviewed the development and manufacturing process told the Post that the false positives suggested that the testing kits were cross-contaminated.
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It’s unclear exactly how many tests were affected but 24 of the 26 labs that received the tests were producing false positive results, indicating the extent of the problem.
Even after the problem was identified, it still took the CDC more than a month to fix the test kits, triggering a delay in them being used around the country.
The Department of Health and Human Services is investigating the botched process and delay in implementing the tests.
A spokesman for the CDC confirmed to the Post that there was an issue with “quality control” when the agency was manufacturing the tests, describing it as “not sufficient.”
He went on to say that the CDC has “implemented enhanced quality control to address the issue.”
The CDC did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-19--Trump Boasts He Likely Saved 'Billions' Of Lives In A Nation With 330 Million People

President Donald Trump busted his boastful exaggeration record Saturday when he claimed he likely saved “ billions ” of lives with his measures against COVID-19 .
The entire population of the U.S. is just 330 million .
Trump claimed Monday he saved “ tens of thousands ” or possibly “ hundreds of thousands ” of lives because in late January he restricted foreign nationals from entering the country if they had been in China the previous two weeks .
The restrictions did not apply to Americans , however , allowing a conduit for the disease to enter the U.S. Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press briefing Saturday .
Based on some models , the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. was predicted to reach 100,000 to 220,000 , he noted .
“ I really believe it could have been billions of people [ who died ] had we not done what we did , ” he added .
“ We made a lot of good decisions , ” he claimed .
`` It could have been billions of people if we had not done what we did '' -- Trump absurdly claims that his move to restrict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more lives pic.twitter.com/GbkI4ozs8F — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) April 18 , 2020 There are 8 billion people in the entire world , so it ’ s possible Trump was taking credit for saving an extraordinary number of lives around the world for some unknown reason .
The U.S. has nearly a third of the 2.3 million COVID-19 cases around the globe — the highest in the world — but only 4.2 % of the Earth ’ s population .
The U.S. also has the highest number of deaths — 36,000 — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation is taking don ’ t appear to be particularly successful .
Trump , however , declared Saturday that the U.S. has “ produced dramatically better health outcomes than any other country with the possible exception of Germany.
” It ’ s uncertain what an accurate COVID-19 death toll prediction will prove to be , or how many will ultimately die .
But several experts have said that Trump ’ s months of inaction with a lack of testing , disease contact isolation and early social distancing measures likely cost countless lives @ @ @

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President Donald Trump busted his boastful exaggeration record Saturday when he claimed he likely saved “billions” of lives with his measures against COVID-19. The entire population of the U.S. is just 330 million.
Trump had claimed Monday that he saved “tens of thousands” or possibly “hundreds of thousands” of lives because in late January he restricted foreign nationals from entering the country if they’d been in China the previous two weeks. The restrictions did not apply to Americans, however, allowing a conduit for the disease to enter the U.S.
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Trump made his outlandish “billions” claim at his press briefing Saturday. Based on some models, the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. was predicted to reach 100,000 to 220,000, he noted. “I really believe it could have been billions of people [who died] had we not done what we did,” he added. “We made a lot of good decisions.”
"It could have been billions of people if we had not done what we did" -- Trump absurdly claims that his move to restrict travel from China saved a billion or more lives pic.twitter.com/GbkI4ozs8F — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 18, 2020
There are 8 billion people in the world, so it’s possible Trump was taking credit for saving an extraordinary number of lives around the world for some unknown reason. The U.S. has nearly a third of the 2.3 million COVID-19 cases around the globe — the highest number in the world — but only 4.2% of the Earth’s population. The U.S. also has the highest number of deaths — over 36,000 — of any country. So whatever measures the nation is taking don’t appear to be particularly successful.
Trump, however, declared Saturday that the U.S. has “produced dramatically better health outcomes than any other country with the possible exception of Germany.”
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It’s uncertain how many people will ultimately die of COVID-19. But several experts have said that Trump’s months of inaction, with a lack of testing, disease contact isolation and early social distancing measures, likely cost countless lives in America.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-19--Critics Appalled Trump Adviser Compared Gun-Packing White Guys To Rosa Parks

Critics were reeling after right-wing White House adviser and economist Stephen Moore compared gun-toting white guys protesting COVID-19 safety measures to Rosa Parks and her historic battle for racial equality .
The comments were particularly galling because Moore once crowed that Donald Trump was evicting a black family ( the Obamas ) from public housing ( the White House ) in a dig widely reviled as racist .
Moore told various publications Friday that those protesting COVID-19 social distancing measures , many of them Trump supporters and some packing guns , were just like Parks , the black activist icon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1955 after refusing to give up her seat on a bus for a white passenger .
When challenged about Moore ’ s comment Saturday at his press briefing , Trump dodged the question and claimed he didn ’ t know what Moore said .
But he agreed with Moore that there was a “ lot of injustice ” regarding regulations intended to help stem the surge of COVID-19 .
Some opposed to COVID-19 safety measures have also compared their struggle with stay-at-home restrictions to the plight of Jewish teenage Holocaust victim Anne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for two years until she was captured by the Nazis .
Anne Frank spent 2 years hiding in an attic and we ’ ve been home for just over a month with Netflix , food delivery & video games and there are people risking viral death by storming state capital buildings & screaming , “ Open Fuddruckers !
” — Patton Oswalt ( @ pattonoswalt ) April 18 , 2020 no the quarantine is not the same as anne frank hiding from the nazis in the secret annex for two years , i @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up — samantha✡🏳🌈🌹🔥 ( @ koshersemite ) April 19 , 2020 Congratulations to Trump adviser Stephen Moore on a comment at once strikingly stupid and deeply offensive .
“ I call these people the modern-day Rosa Parks — they are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties.
” https : //t.co/2V1mhWFDC9 pic.twitter.com/TJIa4EZnap — Bill Kristol ( @ BillKristol ) April 18 , 2020 .
@ StephenMoore is a dangerous charlatan and fool .
He calls the protesters he 's egging on , modern-day Rosa Parks .
Seems he knows less about history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus — Gregg Gonsalves ( @ gregggonsalves ) April 18 , 2020 I don ’ t know who needs to hear this .
But the right to eat inside an Applebee ’ s should not be and never compared to Rosa Parks and the Civil Right ’ s Movement .
No innocent person got lynched by a racist mob because you couldn ’ t get fucking Fiesta Lime Chicken .
— Solomon Balaam-Reed ( @ ReedBalaam ) April 19 , 2020 Rosa Parks showed genuine courage in risking her life to pursue equal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist mobs who terrorized and lynched black Americans .
How arrogant and ignorant it is for @ StephenMoore to try to equate his Trump-fueled mobs with her .
https : //t.co/zbZL5nfdlO — Lisa Graves ( @ thelisagraves ) April 18 , 2020 Dear protesters : You 're not Rosa Parks .
You 're not Anne Frank .
You 're that infectious dead guy in the overalls at the gas station store in Zombieland .
Go the fuck home .
— BrinaStarler ( @ BrinaStarler ) April 19 , 2020 A guy who said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kicking a black family ( the Obamas ) out of public housing says right-wing activists protesting social distancing measures to protect the public from a deadly virus are like Rosa Parks .
Just let that one set in .
https : //t.co/IJt23zUtXC — Jennifer Bendery ( @ jbendery ) April 18 , 2020 When Rosa Parks wouldn ’ t give up her seat on a bus in 1955 , she wasn ’ t risking the lives of every person within six feet of her .
Just saying .
— Nicholas Ponticello ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RosaParks couldn ’ t eat where she wanted , sit where she wanted , get jobs she was qualified for or vote .
The right-wing protesters incited by # Trump demand the right to endanger everyone so they lawn fertilizer and get their roots dyed .
# Coronavirus https : //t.co/CxjA50a9Fx — Maya Wiley ( @ mayawiley ) April 18 , 2020 Stephen Moore is a despicable , ignorant ass who insults generations of suffering that led to the courage and sacrifice of Rosa Parks and many many more .
Yet another reflection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low life , unqualified , zealot morons !
# VoteBlueNoMatterWho — Charlie Adler ( @ charlie_adler ) April 18 , 2020 Could you have imagined the outcome if Rosa brought a gun to the bus ?
White House adviser Stephen Moore repeatedly compared right-wing protesters who oppose coronavirus safety measures to Rosa Parks , the civil rights icon who fought for racial equality .
https : //t.co/u9ozzAtXpO — Scott Huffman For Congress ( @ HuffmanForNC ) April 18 , 2020 When people like Stephen Moore make comparisons to Ross Parks we should treat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of race baiting that it is .
Enslavers said *they* were in fact the slaves .
Segregationists adopted Civil Rights mvmt language to fight policies to help black people .
— Ida Bae Wells ( @ nhannahjones ) April 18 , 2020 Stephen Moore calls them “ modern-day Rosa Parks.
” But Parks desired different freedoms .
These folk want the freedom to infect , like they have wanted the freedom to enslave , lynch , deport , exclude , rob .
They have always protested the `` loss of liberties . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ DrIbram ) April 18 , 2020 Moore is a member of President Donald Trump ’ s get-back-to-work council and part of a coalition of conservatives called “ Save Our Country , ” working against business shutdowns and stay-at-home measures aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 .
He dropped out of consideration to serve on the Federal Reserve Board last year amid concerns about his qualifications and mounting opposition to his controversial comments about women and race .

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Critics were reeling after right-wing White House adviser and economist Stephen Moore compared gun-toting white guys protesting COVID-19 safety measures to Rosa Parks and her historic battle for racial equality.
The comments were particularly galling because Moore once commented that when President Donald Trump took office, he was evicting the Obamas from public housing — a dig that was widely considered racist.
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Moore said Friday that those protesting COVID-19 social distancing measures — many of whom were also brandishing pro-Trump signs and carrying assault rifles — were just like Parks, whose refusal to give her bus seat to a white passenger was a seminal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.
When asked about the comment at his Saturday press briefing, Trump claimed he didn’t know what Moore said. But he agreed with Moore that there was a “lot of injustice” regarding regulations intended to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
The President gets a chance to distance himself from Stephen Moore’s Rosa Parks statements and doesn’t take it pic.twitter.com/XSLYgha7n6 — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) April 18, 2020
Some opposed to COVID-19 safety measures have also compared their struggle with stay-at-home restrictions to the plight of Anne Frank, who hid in her home for two years until she was captured by the Nazis.
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Comedian Patton Oswalt quickly turned that one around:
Anne Frank spent 2 years hiding in an attic and we’ve been home for just over a month with Netflix, food delivery & video games and there are people risking viral death by storming state capital buildings & screaming, “Open Fuddruckers!” — Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) April 18, 2020
Many other Twitter users joined Oswalt in expressing their horror at Moore’s comments:
no the quarantine is not the same as anne frank hiding from the nazis in the secret annex for two years, i am begging you to shut the fuck up — samantha✡🏳🌈🌹🔥 (@koshersemite) April 19, 2020
Congratulations to Trump adviser Stephen Moore on a comment at once strikingly stupid and deeply offensive.
“I call these people the modern-day Rosa Parks — they are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties.” https://t.co/2V1mhWFDC9 pic.twitter.com/TJIa4EZnap — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 18, 2020
.@StephenMoore is a dangerous charlatan and fool. He calls the protesters he's egging on, modern-day Rosa Parks. Seems he knows less about history than he does about economics. #coronavirus — Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) April 18, 2020
I don’t know who needs to hear this.
But the right to eat inside an Applebee’s should not be and never compared to Rosa Parks and the Civil Right’s Movement.
No innocent person got lynched by a racist mob because you couldn’t get fucking Fiesta Lime Chicken. — Solomon Balaam-Reed (@ReedBalaam) April 19, 2020
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Rosa Parks showed genuine courage in risking her life to pursue equal justice in an era of violent, racist mobs who terrorized and lynched black Americans. How arrogant and ignorant it is for @StephenMoore to try to equate his Trump-fueled mobs with her. https://t.co/zbZL5nfdlO — Lisa Graves (@thelisagraves) April 18, 2020
When Rosa Parks wouldn’t give up her seat on a bus in 1955, she wasn’t risking the lives of every person within six feet of her. Just saying. — Nicholas Ponticello (@NickPonticello) April 19, 2020
#RosaParks couldn’t eat where she wanted, sit where she wanted, get jobs she was qualified for or vote. The right-wing protesters incited by #Trump demand the right to endanger everyone so they lawn fertilizer and get their roots dyed. #Coronavirus https://t.co/CxjA50a9Fx — Maya Wiley (@mayawiley) April 18, 2020
Stephen Moore is a despicable, ignorant ass who insults generations of suffering that led to the courage and sacrifice of Rosa Parks and many many more. Yet another reflection of Trump’s vile admiration of low life,unqualified,zealot morons! #VoteBlueNoMatterWho — Charlie Adler (@charlie_adler) April 18, 2020
Could you have imagined the outcome if Rosa brought a gun to the bus?
White House adviser Stephen Moore repeatedly compared right-wing protesters who oppose coronavirus safety measures to Rosa Parks, the civil rights icon who fought for racial equality. https://t.co/u9ozzAtXpO — Scott Huffman For Congress (@HuffmanForNC) April 18, 2020
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When people like Stephen Moore make comparisons to Ross Parks we should treat it as the cynical, calculated form of race baiting that it is. Enslavers said *they* were in fact the slaves. Segregationists adopted Civil Rights mvmt language to fight policies to help black people. — Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) April 18, 2020
Well, they’re close to Rosa Parks. They would have been driving the bus. https://t.co/GIC52px7RA — Peter Sagal (@petersagal) April 18, 2020
Moore is a member of Trump’s council focused on reopening the economy, and is also part of a coalition of conservatives called “Save Our Country,” which has been opposing coronavirus-related business shutdowns and stay-at-home measures. He dropped out of consideration to serve on the Federal Reserve Board last year due to concerns about his qualifications — and his controversial comments about women and race.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-19--Michelle Obama And Laura Bush Share Message Of Hope In COVID-19 Dark Days

Former first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush joined up Saturday to offer a virtual bipartisan message of hope amid the COVID-19 crisis as part of the “ One World : Together at Home ” international concert Saturday .
The women hailed the courage of first-line workers amid the pandemic , from health-care staff to police , grocery store clerks , pharmacists , veterinarians and sanitation workers as part of the event organized by the World Health Organization and the nonprofit organization Global Citizen .
“ You ’ re the fabric of our country and your strength will carry us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The spirit and courage of the American people is most evident in times of crisis , and during this period of physical separation , we ’ ve never been closer .
Not just in our great country , but tonight we stand with the people of the world , ” she added .
Obama warned that the “ coming days will not be easy.
” But she assured “ this global family of ours is strong .
We will continue to be here for one another and we will get through @ @ @ @ @

Former first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush joined forces to offer a virtual bipartisan message of hope during the COVID-19 crisis, as part of the “One World: Together at Home” international concert on Saturday evening.
The women hailed the courage of front-line workers — including health care staff, grocery store clerks, pharmacists and sanitation workers — during the event organized by the World Health Organization and the nonprofit organization Global Citizen. “You’re the fabric of our country and your strength will carry us through this crisis,” said Bush.
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“The spirit and courage of the American people is most evident in times of crisis, and during this period of physical separation, we’ve never been closer. Not just in our great country, but tonight we stand with the people of the world,” she added.
Obama warned that the “coming days will not be easy,” but assured viewers that “this global family of ours is strong. We will continue to be here for one another and we will get through this crisis. Together.”
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