thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--Puerto Rico Halts Primary Voting For Centers That Never Received Ballots

SAN JUAN , Puerto Rico ( AP ) — Puerto Rico on Sunday was forced to partially suspend voting for primaries marred by a lack of ballots as officials called on the president of the U.S. territory ’ s elections commission to resign .
The primaries for voting centers that had not received ballots by early afternoon are expected to be rescheduled , while voting would continue elsewhere , the commission said .
“ I have never seen on American soil something like what just has been done here in Puerto Rico .
It ’ s an embarrassment to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pedro Pierluisi , who is running against Gov .
Wanda Vázquez , to become the nominee for the pro-statehood New Progressive Party .
The president of that party , Thomas Rivera Schatz , along with the president of the main opposition Popular Democratic Party , held a joint press conference and said they agreed the remaining primaries should be held on Aug. 16 .
The two parties are both holding their primary elections with the winning nominees among six gubernatorial candidates in November ’ s general election .
An incredulous Schatz noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parked at the commission ’ s headquarters as they spoke there .
Hundreds of frustrated voters who wore the required face masks and braved a spike in COVID-19 cases were turned away from centers across Puerto Rico as officials told them that no ballots were available .
The situation infuriated voters and politicians of all stripes as they blamed Puerto Rico ’ s elections commission and demanded an explanation for ballots reaching only a handful of voting centers by the afternoon .
“ This is indignant , abusive and an attempt against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marcos Cruz , mayor of the northern town of Vega Baja that was still awaiting ballots .
Meanwhile , officials from the island 's two main parties scrambled to find solutions as they urged voters to still show up at centers that remained open .
Yadira Pizarro , a 44-year-old teacher , ran out of patience at a shuttered voting center in Carolina where she had waited more than four hours under a blistering sun .
One of the most closely watched races on Sunday is that of the pro-statehood Progressive New Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as replacement governors following last year ’ s political turmoil .
Vázquez faces Pierluisi , who represented Puerto Rico in Congress from 2009 to 2017 .
Pierluisi briefly served as governor after Gov .
Ricardo Rosselló resigned in August 2019 following widespread street protests over a profanity-laced chat that was leaked and government corruption .
But Puerto Rico ’ s Supreme Court ruled that Vázquez , then the justice secretary , was constitutionally next in line because there was no secretary of state .
Meanwhile , the main opposition Popular Democratic Party , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political status as a U.S. territory , is holding a primary for the first time in its 82-year history .
Three people are vying to become governor — San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz , known for her public spats with U.S. President Donald Trump following the devastation of Hurricane Maria ; Puerto Rico Sen. Eduardo Bhatia ; and Carlos Delgado , mayor of the northwest coastal town of Isabela .

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico on Sunday was forced to partially suspend voting for primaries marred by a lack of ballots as officials called on the president of the U.S. territory’s elections commission to resign.
The primaries for voting centers that had not received ballots by early afternoon are expected to be rescheduled, while voting would continue elsewhere, the commission said.
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“I have never seen on American soil something like what just has been done here in Puerto Rico. It’s an embarrassment to our government and our people,” said Pedro Pierluisi, who is running against Gov. Wanda Vázquez, to become the nominee for the pro-statehood New Progressive Party.
The president of that party, Thomas Rivera Schatz, along with the president of the main opposition Popular Democratic Party, held a joint press conference and said they agreed the remaining primaries should be held on Aug. 16. The two parties are both holding their primary elections with the winning nominees among six gubernatorial candidates in November’s general election.
Other politicians argued that the entire primary be scrapped and held at another date.
An incredulous Schatz noted that there were still trucks with ballots inside parked at the commission’s headquarters as they spoke there.
“The question is, why haven’t they left?” he said.
Hundreds of frustrated voters who wore the required face masks and braved a spike in COVID-19 cases were turned away from centers across Puerto Rico as officials told them that no ballots were available.
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The situation infuriated voters and politicians of all stripes as they blamed Puerto Rico’s elections commission and demanded an explanation for ballots reaching only a handful of voting centers by the afternoon.
“This is indignant, abusive and an attempt against the democracy of our country,” said Marcos Cruz, mayor of the northern town of Vega Baja that was still awaiting ballots.
Meanwhile, officials from the island's two main parties scrambled to find solutions as they urged voters to still show up at centers that remained open.
Yadira Pizarro, a 44-year-old teacher, ran out of patience at a shuttered voting center in Carolina where she had waited more than four hours under a blistering sun.
“I cannot believe this. This is some serious negligence,” she said.
One of the most closely watched races on Sunday is that of the pro-statehood Progressive New Party, which pits two candidates who served as replacement governors following last year’s political turmoil. Vázquez faces Pierluisi, who represented Puerto Rico in Congress from 2009 to 2017.
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Pierluisi briefly served as governor after Gov. Ricardo Rosselló resigned in August 2019 following widespread street protests over a profanity-laced chat that was leaked and government corruption. But Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court ruled that Vázquez, then the justice secretary, was constitutionally next in line because there was no secretary of state.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--Nancy Pelosi Slams Trump's Coronavirus Executive Actions: 'Absurdly Unconstitutional'

But she stopped short of saying whether Democrats would mount legal challenges to the measures ― one executive order and three memorandums ― signed by Trump on Saturday .
“ Well , the fact is , is that whether they ’ re legal or not takes time to figure out , ” Pelosi told CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” when asked if she would sue to stop the executive actions .
She added : “ Right now we want to address the needs of the American people .
As my constitutional advisers tell me , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the executive actions Saturday as negotiations stalled between congressional Republicans and Democrats on the latest coronavirus stimulus package .
The president ’ s measures focused on extending moratoriums on student loan payments and evictions , suspending the collection of payroll taxes and rolling out additional unemployment aid .
But Democratic leadership criticized the measures as “ weak ” and “ unworkable , ” noting that the actions didn ’ t actually extend the federal eviction moratorium passed in the CARES Act in March .
Trump said that his administration would provide $ 400 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a catch : People must first qualify for $ 100 in jobless aid from their states before the $ 300 in federal aid kicks in .
What ’ s more , the $ 400 payment would be $ 200 less than what unemployed workers received under the CARES Act .
Trump ’ s top economic adviser , Larry Kudlow , told CNN Sunday that he wasn ’ t sure which states would contribute to Trump ’ s unemployment plan or how long it would take for those payments to be disbursed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said ... really shows the weakness and the meagerness of what the president proposed , ” Pelosi told CNN .
“ First of all , he ’ s saying states have the money .
No , they don ’ t .
They have expenses from the coronavirus .
They have lost revenue .
Because of that , they are firing health care workers , first responders , teachers and the rest.
” “ While it has the illusions of saying we ’ re going to have a moratorium on evictions , it says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ folks in charge to study if that ’ s feasible , ” Pelosi said .
“ While he says he ’ s going to do a payroll tax , what he ’ s doing is undermining Social Security and Medicare.
” In response to Sasse ’ s criticism , Kudlow said Sunday that it ’ s possible the White House will be “ going to court ” over the executive actions .

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday tore into President Donald Trump’s decision to sidestep Congress and take executive action on coronavirus relief, calling the measures “absurdly unconstitutional.”
But she stopped short of saying whether Democrats would mount legal challenges to the measures ― one executive order and three memorandums ― signed by Trump on Saturday.
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“Well, the fact is, is that whether they’re legal or not takes time to figure out,” Pelosi told CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked if she would sue to stop the executive actions.
She added: “Right now we want to address the needs of the American people. As my constitutional advisers tell me, they’re absurdly unconstitutional.”
Pelosi said she hopes stimulus talks will resume in Congress.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday also blasted Trump’s executive actions but refrained from weighing in on their legal viability.
“I’ll leave that up to the attorneys,” Schumer told ABC News’ “This Week.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Trump's executive actions: "Something's wrong. Either the President doesn't know what he's talking about. ... Or something's very wrong here about meeting the needs of the American people at this time" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/Id401eeMdc — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 9, 2020
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Trump announced the executive actions Saturday as negotiations stalled between congressional Republicans and Democrats on the latest coronavirus stimulus package. The president’s measures focused on extending moratoriums on student loan payments and evictions, suspending the collection of payroll taxes and rolling out additional unemployment aid.
But Democratic leadership criticized the measures as “weak” and “unworkable,” noting that the actions didn’t actually extend the federal eviction moratorium passed in the CARES Act in March.
Trump said that his administration would provide $400 weekly in enhanced unemployment benefits, but with a catch: People must first qualify for $100 in jobless aid from their states before the $300 in federal aid kicks in. What’s more, the $400 payment would be $200 less than what unemployed workers received under the CARES Act.
Trump’s top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, told CNN Sunday that he wasn’t sure which states would contribute to Trump’s unemployment plan or how long it would take for those payments to be disbursed.
Pelosi told CNN that states don’t have the money to cover the costs outlined in Trump’s unemployment insurance plan.
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“What the president’s advisers said ... really shows the weakness and the meagerness of what the president proposed,” Pelosi told CNN. “First of all, he’s saying states have the money. No, they don’t. They have expenses from the coronavirus. They have lost revenue. Because of that, they are firing health care workers, first responders, teachers and the rest.”
In a separate interview earlier on “Fox News Sunday,” Pelosi said she agreed with Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska’s assessment that Trump’s executive actions amounted to “unconstitutional slop.”
“While it has the illusions of saying we’re going to have a moratorium on evictions, it says I’m going to ask the folks in charge to study if that’s feasible,” Pelosi said. “While he says he’s going to do a payroll tax, what he’s doing is undermining Social Security and Medicare.”
In response to Sasse’s criticism, Kudlow said Sunday that it’s possible the White House will be “going to court” over the executive actions.
″We’re going to go ahead with our actions anyways,” Kudlow told ABC News.
“I appreciate those things. Maybe we’re going to go to court on them. We’re going to go ahead with our actions anyways,” Kudlow tells @GStephanopoulos when pressed on criticism by GOP Sen. Sasse that Trump’s payroll tax deferral is “unconstitutional slop.” https://t.co/UsD0N9aYk0 pic.twitter.com/7PV2NVw2xy — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 9, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--Democratic House Candidate Apologizes After Being Accused Of Inappropriate Behavior

Alex Morse , a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts , apologized Friday after a prominent college group accused him of having inappropriate contact with students .
Morse , who has served as mayor of Holyoke , Massachusetts , since 2012 , “ used his position of power for romantic or sexual gain , ” according to a letter sent by the College Democrats of Massachusetts to Morse on Thursday .
The allegations were first reported by The Massachusetts Daily Collegian .
The group accused Morse , 31 , of regularly matching on dating apps with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 ― and having sexual contact with students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst , where he taught classes .
“ Numerous incidents over the course of several years have shown that it is no longer appropriate to encourage interaction between College Democrats and Alex Morse , ” the group , which has 25 chapters across the state , wrote in its letter .
In a statement , Morse acknowledged having had “ consensual adult relationships ” with some college students and apologized to anyone he has made feel “ uncomfortable.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship I ’ ve had has been consensual .
However , I also recognize that I have to be cognizant of my position of power , ” Morse said in response to the allegations .
He added : “ As I ’ ve become more comfortable with myself and my sexuality , like any young , single , openly gay man , I have had consensual adult relationships , including some with college students .
Navigating life as both a young gay man and an elected official can be difficult , but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The University of Massachusetts Amherst on Saturday announced a review of the allegations .
The university said it has no plans to rehire Morse , who worked as an adjunct instructor between 2014 and fall 2019 .
Morse became the youngest and first openly gay mayor of Holyoke after he was elected in 2011 at the age of 22 .
The allegations against him come as he wages a progressive campaign to unseat 16-term incumbent Rep. Richard Neal in Massachusetts ’ Democratic primary .
Morse garnered the support of several high-profile progressive groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped elect Democratic firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York to Congress in 2018 .
Justice Democrats did not immediately respond to HuffPost ’ s request for comment .
Some on Twitter noted that the known allegations against Morse involved consensual sex between adults and accused the College Democrats of Massachusetts of essentially weaponizing the mayor ’ s sexual activity .
“ This was the left ’ s last big chance to remove a hideous reactionary incumbent from Congress and replace him with a progressive , and they blew it all up over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desire to control how **adults** consent to have sex with each other , ” tweeted Greenwald , who is openly gay .
The House candidate ’ s actions are “ unacceptable ” even if his sexual relations with college students were “ mutually consensual , ” the College Democrats of Massachusetts said in its letter to Morse .
“ Many young people around the state and around the country , especially those involved in College Democrats , view Morse as a role model , which renders it unacceptable for Morse to routinely make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or explicitly , ” the group wrote .

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Alex Morse, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts, apologized Friday after a prominent college group accused him of having inappropriate contact with students.
Morse, who has served as mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, since 2012, “used his position of power for romantic or sexual gain,” according to a letter sent by the College Democrats of Massachusetts to Morse on Thursday. The allegations were first reported by The Massachusetts Daily Collegian.
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The group accused Morse, 31, of regularly matching on dating apps with college students ― some as young as 18 ― and having sexual contact with students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he taught classes.
“Numerous incidents over the course of several years have shown that it is no longer appropriate to encourage interaction between College Democrats and Alex Morse,” the group, which has 25 chapters across the state, wrote in its letter.
In a statement, Morse acknowledged having had “consensual adult relationships” with some college students and apologized to anyone he has made feel “uncomfortable.”
“I want to be clear that every relationship I’ve had has been consensual. However, I also recognize that I have to be cognizant of my position of power,” Morse said in response to the allegations.
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He added: “As I’ve become more comfortable with myself and my sexuality, like any young, single, openly gay man, I have had consensual adult relationships, including some with college students. Navigating life as both a young gay man and an elected official can be difficult, but that doesn’t excuse poor judgment.”
Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse was accused of sexual misconduct by the College Democrats of Massachusetts. Melanie Stetson Freeman via Getty Images
The University of Massachusetts Amherst on Saturday announced a review of the allegations. The university said it has no plans to rehire Morse, who worked as an adjunct instructor between 2014 and fall 2019.
Morse became the youngest and first openly gay mayor of Holyoke after he was elected in 2011 at the age of 22. The allegations against him come as he wages a progressive campaign to unseat 16-term incumbent Rep. Richard Neal in Massachusetts’ Democratic primary.
Morse garnered the support of several high-profile progressive groups, including the Justice Democrats, which helped elect Democratic firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York to Congress in 2018. Justice Democrats did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
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Some on Twitter noted that the known allegations against Morse involved consensual sex between adults and accused the College Democrats of Massachusetts of essentially weaponizing the mayor’s sexual activity.
The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald called the attacks against Morse “pathetic.”
“This was the left’s last big chance to remove a hideous reactionary incumbent from Congress and replace him with a progressive, and they blew it all up over Victorian sexual moralizing, homophobia and a desire to control how **adults** consent to have sex with each other,” tweeted Greenwald, who is openly gay.
The House candidate’s actions are “unacceptable” even if his sexual relations with college students were “mutually consensual,” the College Democrats of Massachusetts said in its letter to Morse.
“Many young people around the state and around the country, especially those involved in College Democrats, view Morse as a role model, which renders it unacceptable for Morse to routinely make sexual or romantic advances, whether implicitly or explicitly,” the group wrote.
My statement on the last 48 hours. pic.twitter.com/2RU5ht6jZ8 — Alex Morse (@AlexBMorse) August 10, 2020
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On Sunday evening, Morse released a lengthy statement on the allegations against him, reiterating his position that his relationships were consensual and that he did not abuse his power as a lecturer. The statement confirmed that Morse plans to stay in the House race, saying that “working people in this district and around the country still need a government that looks out for them.”
“While I am staying in the race, I also fully understand that some of my supporters and endorsers have legitimate concerns about these allegations, and I understand if they feel they need to rescind their support,” Morse said in his statement. “I am officially releasing any endorsers who feel it is in their interests to no longer support my campaign. For my part, I intend to take our campaign’s progressive, inclusive message to the voters of the First District.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--Kodak's $765 Million Federal Loan Held Up Over 'Serious Concerns'

A massive $ 765 million federal government loan to help Eastman Kodak Co. retool to speed production of ingredients for COVID-19 drugs — including controversial hydroxychloroquine — has been held up over “ serious concerns ” following allegations of “ wrongdoing , ” a federal agency announced .
“ Recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns , ” the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation said in a tweet late Friday of the company that once dominated the camera and film industry .
“ We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared.
” The Securities and Exchange Commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s board also said Friday that it ’ s launching a review of the loan , Bloomberg reported .
The Wall Street Journal first reported Tuesday that the SEC was investigating Kodak stock purchases by company board members and stock options granted to them before the deal was announced July 28 .
Company shares jumped more than 2,000 % in the days after the deal was reported , according to Bloomberg .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
called for an SEC investigation into potential insider trading concerning options the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her letter to SEC Chair Jay Clayton , she also asked the commission to examine purchases in June of “ substantial amounts of company stock ” by Kodak CEO James Continenza and another board member “ at a time when Kodak and the Trump administration were negotiating the deal in secret.
” The development bank loan was the first of its kind under the Defense Production Act in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense .
When President Donald Trump announced the massive loan , he called the arrangement “ one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. pharmaceutical industries.
” But after news broke of an SEC review of Kodak stock trading , Trump said of the deal at a news conference : “ I wasn ’ t involved in it.
” The money was intended to transform Kodak into a pharmaceutical operation to produce ingredients for drugs in short supply — including those to treat COVID-19 .
According to the Journal , one of those drugs was to be hydroxychloroquine , the controversial anti-malarial drug frequently pitched by Trump .
A number of recent studies have shown the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can cause fatal heart arrhythmia .
Despite the hype surrounding the Kodak loan , the DFC told Bloomberg that it had only signed a “ letter of interest ” regarding work with the company .
Critics raised concerns about Kodak ’ s ability to run a massive pharmaceutical operation .
“ We are puzzled by the Trump Administration ’ s decision , ” analysts at SVB Leerink wrote in a research note , Bloomberg reported .
“ In particular , we find it puzzling why generic pharmaceutical companies who have the capabilities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awarded such contracts.
” The DFC tweeted after its Kodak message Friday that it was “ committed ” to working with other government agencies to address pharmaceutical manufacturing shortfalls .

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A massive $765 million federal government loan to help Eastman Kodak Co. retool to speed production of ingredients for COVID-19 drugs — including controversial hydroxychloroquine — has been held up over “serious concerns” following allegations of “wrongdoing,” a federal agency announced.
“Recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns,” the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation said in a tweet late Friday of the company that once dominated the camera and film industry. “We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared.”
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The Securities and Exchange Commission is already investigating the deal. Kodak’s board also said Friday that it’s launching a review of the loan, Bloomberg reported.
On July 28, we signed a Letter of Interest with Eastman Kodak. Recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns. We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared. — DFCgov (@DFCgov) August 7, 2020
The Wall Street Journal first reported Tuesday that the SEC was investigating Kodak stock purchases by company board members and stock options granted to them before the deal was announced July 28. Company shares jumped more than 2,000% in the days after the deal was reported, according to Bloomberg.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called for an SEC investigation into potential insider trading concerning options the day before the deal was announced. In her letter to SEC Chair Jay Clayton, she also asked the commission to examine purchases in June of “substantial amounts of company stock” by Kodak CEO James Continenza and another board member “at a time when Kodak and the Trump administration were negotiating the deal in secret.”
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The development bank loan was the first of its kind under the Defense Production Act in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense. When President Donald Trump announced the massive loan, he called the arrangement “one of the most important deals in the history of U.S. pharmaceutical industries.” But after news broke of an SEC review of Kodak stock trading, Trump said of the deal at a news conference: “I wasn’t involved in it.”
The money was intended to transform Kodak into a pharmaceutical operation to produce ingredients for drugs in short supply — including those to treat COVID-19.
According to the Journal, one of those drugs was to be hydroxychloroquine, the controversial anti-malarial drug frequently pitched by Trump. A number of recent studies have shown the drug is ineffective in treating COVID-19 and can cause fatal heart arrhythmia.
Kodak nailed the massive loan after spending a company record $870,000 lobbying lawmakers and officials in the Trump administration, The Daily Beast reported Wednesday
Despite the hype surrounding the Kodak loan, the DFC told Bloomberg that it had only signed a “letter of interest” regarding work with the company. Critics raised concerns about Kodak’s ability to run a massive pharmaceutical operation.
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“We are puzzled by the Trump Administration’s decision,” analysts at SVB Leerink wrote in a research note, Bloomberg reported. “In particular, we find it puzzling why generic pharmaceutical companies who have the capabilities and know-how for this have not yet been awarded such contracts.”
The DFC tweeted after its Kodak message Friday that it was “committed” to working with other government agencies to address pharmaceutical manufacturing shortfalls.
Kodak could not immediately be reached for comment.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--The Right Begins A Reckoning With Globalization

Across the world , the pandemic has broken supply chains and strained old trade partnerships .
The great economic alliance at the center of globalization ― the relationship between the United States ― the world ’ s great consumer powerhouse ― and China ― the world ’ s great manufacturing center ― is crumbling .
It is far too early to foresee exactly how these two superpowers will reach new terms of coexistence , but whatever the ultimate result , the rest of the world is already preparing for a new order .
Last month , Sen. Josh Hawley ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Certification Act , a short bill that would require American corporations to investigate their supply chains for slave labor , publicly report their findings , detail any corrective measures being taken , and make the CEO of the company personally certify all of it .
Nearly every item Americans purchase , after all , is the product of international inputs ― chemicals and raw materials from one part of the world , factories and works in another , and shipping routes that criss-cross oceans and borders before arriving on the shelves of American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a simple quest for cheap labor .
Lower wages for workers bring higher profits for shareholders .
And while it would be unconscionable for American executives to use forced labor within American borders , most workers in their supply chains are not official employees of the companies whose brands are emblazoned on the things we buy .
They ’ re subcontractors , international joint ventures , subcontractors of international joint venture partners , and on and on .
By forcing companies to examine the labor practices of their business partners , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ degree to which modern slavery is endemic to the modern global economy .
If forced to audit their supply chains , Cowen argues , companies that rely on cheap foreign labor will just stop working in low-wage countries altogether .
Instead of getting seafood from Thailand , where human rights activists have long decried slavery on shrimp boats , they ’ ll get it from some expensive place like Norway where they can be sure people are in fact paid .
That means no more international investment for Thailand , according to Cowen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This style of argumentation ― if you try to solve a problem , you ’ ll only end up making it worse ― has been de rigueur among conservative economists for nearly a century .
But Cowen has taken it to delirious new heights by applying to to slavery .
It ’ s one thing to argue that low-wage workers could lose their jobs if international investment dries up .
But Hawley ’ s bill is specifically addressed to slave labor .
What do slaves stand to lose in this equation ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its face , but his legal argument is no more impressive .
While slavery is bad , Cowen says , determining how to uproot it is a delicate foreign policy decision that demands years of scrutiny .
That foreign policy debate happened years ago .
It is settled law .
The United States imposed an outright ban on the importation of any product made with forced labor or child labor in 2016 .
Hawley ’ s bill merely seeks to enforce that consensus .
Once it became clear that much of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , globalization advocates changed their arguments .
It was true that many of the gains from globalization came at the expense of U.S. workers , but the gains for the global poor more than made up for the loss of wealth stateside .
That newer story has been under pressure for years .
Most of the wealth gains for the global poor have come in China , where they must be enjoyed in an authoritarian surveillance state that currently holds 1 million Uyghur in detention camps .
A devastating new report from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Human Rights Philip Alston reveals that extreme poverty is not being eradicated in poor countries , and that triumphalism on this point has been due largely to faulty metrics .
Shocking though it is to see an economist argue for corporate complacency on slavery , Cowen ’ s attack on the Hawley bill is part of a conservative adjustment to reality .
Instead of insisting that the world keeps getting better and that globalization is bringing progress and harmony , Cowen frankly acknowledges that after nearly three decades , slavery remains “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” citing well-publicized abuses in North Korea , Turkmenistan and Haiti .
And though it is not his intention to do so , Cowen indirectly illustrates the role of domestic inequality in global misery .
Cowen is mathematically correct to note that “ the losers ” in a quest to eradicate international slavery “ will be U.S. consumers , who will face higher prices and less choice.
” But higher prices only carry a sting for those on the lower rungs of the U.S. economic ladder .
In a more equal America ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been stagnant for three decades as gains for the super-rich exploded ― the prospect of modestly higher prices would be a very welcome price to pay for the eradication of slavery around the world .
For Hawley , the trade bill is an extension of a yearslong effort to brand himself as a Big Thinker ready to move beyond the failures of neoliberalism .
To date , it is an inconsistent brand .
Hawley opposed a 2018 ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage in his home state ( it passed easily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of his time as Missouri Attorney General trying to take away health care from poor people .
He relishes dishonest attacks on journalists and defends just about anything President Donald Trump does , including the president ’ s 2017 tax bill that lavished benefits on the super-rich .
He has earned every bit of skepticism he receives from progressives .
But there is a crop of young intellectuals trying to foster a new direction among Republicans .
They include Oren Cass , executive director of American Compass , a new conservative think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host Saagar Enjeti , and Marshall Kosloff of the Hudson Institute , another conservative think tank .
Much of what this group is producing is very much in tune with what liberal scholars like Obama State Department alum Jennifer Harris and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz have been saying about globalization for years .
But the geopolitical order is changing , whether Republican and Democratic leaders want it to or not .
The dysfunction the pandemic has exposed can not be resolved without significant changes to the way goods are manufactured and distributed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already examining alternatives .
The question is whether American leaders will have the courage to help shape a new order , or continue clinging to the broken past .

The staggering death toll of the coronavirus pandemic and the deep dysfunction it has exposed will forever alter American politics. But lost in the flood of daily domestic tragedies is a shift that may prove as consequential as the pandemic itself: the death of the international political order commonly known as “globalization.”
Across the world, the pandemic has broken supply chains and strained old trade partnerships. The great economic alliance at the center of globalization ― the relationship between the United States ― the world’s great consumer powerhouse ― and China ― the world’s great manufacturing center ― is crumbling. It is far too early to foresee exactly how these two superpowers will reach new terms of coexistence, but whatever the ultimate result, the rest of the world is already preparing for a new order.
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And the political struggle to shape what comes next has already begun on Capitol Hill. A quiet battle currently being waged among Republicans reveals much of what is broken in the current international economic system, and helps illuminate what might replace it.
Last month, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Slave-Free Business Certification Act, a short bill that would require American corporations to investigate their supply chains for slave labor, publicly report their findings, detail any corrective measures being taken, and make the CEO of each company personally certify all of it. Nearly every item Americans purchase, after all, is the product of international inputs ― chemicals and raw materials from one part of the world, factories and workers in another, and shipping routes that criss-cross oceans and borders before arriving on the shelves of American retailers.
Much of this complexity results from a simple quest for cheap labor. Lower wages for workers bring higher profits for shareholders. And while it would be unconscionable for American executives to use forced labor within American borders, most workers in their supply chains are not official employees of the companies whose brands are emblazoned on the things we buy. They’re subcontractors, international joint ventures, subcontractors of international joint venture partners, and on and on. By forcing companies to examine the labor practices of their business partners, the bill would shine a light on the degree to which modern slavery is endemic to the modern global economy.
Hawley’s legislation is what’s known around Washington as a “message bill” ― one designed to get some press attention rather than actually become law. But it has clearly touched a nerve within conservative intellectual circles. Last week, economist Tyler Cowen attacked Hawley’s bill as a misguided attempt to restrict trade that would hurt “low-wage, exploited labor just about everywhere” and could ultimately “increase slavery worldwide.”
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If forced to audit their supply chains, Cowen argues, companies that rely on cheap foreign labor will just stop working in low-wage countries altogether. Instead of getting seafood from Thailand, where human rights activists have long decried slavery on shrimp boats, they’ll get it from some expensive place like Norway where they can be sure people are in fact paid. That means no more international investment for Thailand, according to Cowen, and higher prices for U.S. consumers.
This style of argumentation ― if you try to solve a problem, you’ll only end up making it worse ― has been de rigueur among conservative economists for nearly a century. But Cowen has taken it to delirious new heights by applying it to slavery. It’s one thing to argue that low-wage workers could lose their jobs if international investment dries up. But Hawley’s bill is specifically addressed to slave labor. What do slaves stand to lose in this equation?
The United States has the largest consumer market on the planet. Cutting off access to American capital and consumption has been an effective tool in pushing for political reform in the past (see Apartheid South Africa).
Cowen’s economic argument is ridiculous on its face, but his legal argument is no more impressive. While slavery is bad, Cowen says, determining how to uproot it is a delicate foreign policy decision that demands years of scrutiny.
That foreign policy debate happened years ago. It is settled law. The United States imposed an outright ban on the importation of any product made with forced labor or child labor in 2016. Hawley’s bill merely seeks to enforce that consensus.
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Nevertheless, Cowen is breaking important new ground in the debate over the globalization project that began in the 1990s. Its early champions described the coming era of globalization as a win for citizens everywhere ― more trade would bring more jobs and more prosperity all over the world.
Once it became clear that much of the American middle class was losing out, however, globalization advocates changed their arguments. It was true that many of the gains from globalization came at the expense of U.S. workers, but the gains for the global poor more than made up for the loss of wealth stateside.
That newer story has been under pressure for years. Most of the wealth gains for the global poor have come in China, where they must be enjoyed in an authoritarian surveillance state that currently holds 1 million Uyghur in detention camps. A devastating new report from United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights Philip Alston reveals that extreme poverty is not being eradicated in poor countries, and that triumphalism on this point has been due largely to faulty metrics.
“The result is a Pyrrhic victory, an undue sense of immense satisfaction, and dangerous complacency. Using more realistic measures, the extent of global poverty is vastly higher and the trends extremely discouraging,” Alston said. “Even before the pandemic, 3.4 billion people, nearly half the world, lived on less than $5.50 a day. That number has barely declined since 1990.”
Shocking though it is to see an economist argue for corporate complacency on slavery, Cowen’s attack on the Hawley bill is part of a conservative adjustment to reality. Instead of insisting that the world keeps getting better and that globalization is bringing progress and harmony, Cowen frankly acknowledges that after nearly three decades, slavery remains “by no means a rare phenomenon,” citing well-publicized abuses in North Korea, Turkmenistan and Haiti.
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And though it is not his intention to do so, Cowen indirectly illustrates the role of domestic inequality in global misery. Cowen is mathematically correct to note that “the losers” in a quest to eradicate international slavery “will be U.S. consumers, who will face higher prices and less choice.” But higher prices only carry a sting for those on the lower rungs of the U.S. economic ladder. In a more equal America ― one in which middle class incomes had not been stagnant for three decades as gains for the super-rich exploded ― the prospect of modestly higher prices would be a very welcome price to pay for the eradication of slavery around the world.
Cowen’s argument turns the old defense of globalization on its head. The global poor are not advancing at the expense of the American middle class ― the decimation of the American middle class makes it necessary for American trade policy to drive down living standards abroad. This is indeed the way the world works.
For Hawley, the trade bill is an extension of a yearslong effort to brand himself as a Big Thinker ready to move beyond the failures of neoliberalism. To date, it is an inconsistent brand. Hawley opposed a 2018 ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage in his home state (it passed easily without his support), and spent much of his time as Missouri Attorney General trying to take away health care from poor people. He relishes dishonest attacks on journalists and defends just about anything President Donald Trump does, including the president’s 2017 tax bill that lavished benefits on the super-rich. He has earned every bit of skepticism he receives from progressives.
But there is a crop of young intellectuals trying to foster a new direction among Republicans. They include Oren Cass, executive director of American Compass, a new conservative think tank that eschews free-market fundamentalism, Hill.TV host Saagar Enjeti, and Marshall Kosloff of the Hudson Institute, another conservative think tank. Much of what this group is producing is very much in tune with what liberal scholars like Obama State Department alum Jennifer Harris and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz have been saying about globalization for years.
At the moment, neither of these intellectual factions appear to have much purchase within their respective parties. The fury with which Republicans have attacked unemployment benefits during the coronavirus crash suggests that whatever is happening in conservative op-ed pages, the old guard remains very much in control over policymaking.
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And while there are lawmakers on the Democratic side ― particularly Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) ― who have put forward serious plans for a new kind of globalization, Joe Biden, whose legislative record on trade policy is in lockstep with that of Mitch McConnell, crushed all three in the 2020 presidential primary.
But the geopolitical order is changing, whether Republican and Democratic leaders want it to or not. The dysfunction the pandemic has exposed cannot be resolved without significant changes to the way goods are manufactured and distributed in the global economy and other countries are already examining alternatives. The question is whether American leaders will have the courage to help shape a new order, or continue clinging to the broken past.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--'The Lord' Created Executive Orders, Proclaims White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro

That probably wouldn ’ t hold up against a court challenge to controversial executive actions President Donald Trump signed Saturday .
House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) called the orders “ absurdly unconstitutional.
” Navarro told Chuck Todd on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press ” that The “ Lord and the Founding Fathers created executive orders because of partisan bickering and divided government .
That ’ s what we have here , but the president has taken action.
” Trump on Saturday signed four executive actions that he said would help Americans weather the COVID-19 crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the payroll tax , which is the sole source of funding for Social Security .
He said he is also considering “ permanent cuts ” to the tax and may “ terminate ” it , though Congress has the sole authority to cut taxes .
Trump also signed orders to provide $ 400 a week in enhanced unemployment benefits — less than the $ 600 weekly benefit that expired last month — and to extend a moratorium on some evictions .
Navarro said he was convinced that “ statutory authority ” existed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m confident that every single one of those orders which cleared through the office of legal counsel will stand up , ” he said .
Todd asked Navarro why the president spent the weekend golfing during critical negotiations over help for Americans struggling amid the COVID-19 crisis .
Navarro insisted that Trump is the “ hardest working president in history.
” He slammed Pelosi , whom he complained “ goes out every day with her scarves flying and just beats the heck out of us for being cruel people.
” Critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency actions as cover to kill funding for Social Security and Medicare when they ’ re more important than ever .
Pay attention .
Donald Trump is using the pandemic as cover to defund Social Security and Medicare in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression .
— Robert Reich ( @ RBReich ) August 9 , 2020

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White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Sunday that “the Lord” created executive orders to trump partisan bickering.
That probably wouldn’t hold up against a court challenge to controversial executive actions President Donald Trump signed Saturday. House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the orders “absurdly unconstitutional.”
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Navarro told Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that The “Lord and the Founding Fathers created executive orders because of partisan bickering and divided government. That’s what we have here, but the president has taken action.”
Trump on Saturday signed four executive actions that he said would help Americans weather the COVID-19 crisis. They included an action to defer the payroll tax, which is the sole source of funding for Social Security. He said he is also considering “permanent cuts” to the tax and may “terminate” it, though Congress has the sole authority to cut taxes.
Trump also signed orders to provide $400 a week in enhanced unemployment benefits — less than the $600 weekly benefit that expired last month — and to extend a moratorium on some evictions.
Navarro said he was convinced that “statutory authority” existed to uphold Trump’s actions. “I’m confident that every single one of those orders which cleared through the office of legal counsel will stand up,” he said.
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Todd asked Navarro why the president spent the weekend golfing during critical negotiations over help for Americans struggling amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Navarro insisted that Trump is the “hardest working president in history.” He slammed Pelosi, whom he complained “goes out every day with her scarves flying and just beats the heck out of us for being cruel people.”
Critics accused Trump of cynically using the COVID-19 emergency actions as cover to kill funding for Social Security and Medicare when they’re more important than ever.
Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden accused Trump of “laying out his road map” to cut the programs.
Pay attention. Donald Trump is using the pandemic as cover to defund Social Security and Medicare in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. — Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 9, 2020
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tbh I did not see “Cut Medicare and Social Security” coming as Trump’s election year pivot. — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) August 9, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--North Carolina Rocked With 5.1 Magnitude Earthquake

earthquake.usgs.gov North Carolina woke to a 5.1 magnitude earthquake Sunday — the strongest to hit the state since 1916 .
A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook North Carolina early Sunday morning , authorities said , creating tremors that were felt throughout multiple surrounding states .
No injuries or damage were immediately reported from the quake , which struck around 8:07 a.m .
ET .
Its epicenter was about 2.5 miles southeast of Sparta , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake ’ s size was considered moderate by the USGS , which advised that there ’ s a low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Did You Feel It ?
?
?
According to the USGS , North Carolina just experienced a 5.1 magnitude earthquake with the epicenter at 2 km SSE of Sparta , North Carolina .
For more info click here https : //t.co/cq5bMmUcJD pic.twitter.com/pzAt8tvuRP — NWS Raleigh ( @ NWSRaleigh ) August 9 , 2020 It was still the strongest earthquake to hit North Carolina since 1916 , when a 5.2 magnitude quake was reported near Skyland , North Carolina , according to the USGS .
Damage to windows and chimneys were reported from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in South Carolina , Tennessee , Georgia , Virginia , Alabama , Kentucky and West Virginia , according to North Carolina ’ s Department of Environmental Quality .
There are no active fault zones in North Carolina , though the state , particularly the western part , is known to experience “ relatively small , random and scattered events ” according to the DEQ ’ s website , which notes that an area known as the Eastern Tennessee seismic zone , or earthquake zone , stretches from Tennessee through the edge of western @ @ @ @ @ @

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A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook North Carolina early Sunday morning, authorities said, creating tremors that were felt throughout multiple surrounding states.
No injuries or damage were immediately reported from the quake, which struck around 8:07 a.m. ET. Its epicenter was about 2.5 miles southeast of Sparta, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
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The earthquake’s size was considered moderate by the USGS, which advised that there’s a low likelihood of casualties and damage from it.
Did You Feel It??? According to the USGS, North Carolina just experienced a 5.1 magnitude earthquake with the epicenter at 2 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina. For more info click here https://t.co/cq5bMmUcJD pic.twitter.com/pzAt8tvuRP — NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) August 9, 2020
It was still the strongest earthquake to hit North Carolina since 1916, when a 5.2 magnitude quake was reported near Skyland, North Carolina, according to the USGS.
Damage to windows and chimneys were reported from that earthquake, which was also felt in South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky and West Virginia, according to North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--Georgia School Reports 9 Coronavirus Cases After Photos Of Packed Hallways Go Viral

Nine people at a Georgia high school have tested positive for the coronavirus , the principal wrote in a letter to parents first obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday .
Photos that went viral last week showed the school ’ s hallways packed with students in the first days of the school year .
“ At this time , we know there were six students and three staff members who were in school for at least some time last week who have since reported to us that they have tested positive , ” North Paulding High School Principal Gabe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the school were suspended for tweeting now-viral photos of students not wearing masks and packing a hallway , though district officials lifted the suspension of at least one of them after the student ’ s parents filed a grievance and the story received national attention .
Day two at North Paulding High School .
It is just as bad .
We were stopped because it was jammed .
We are close enough to the point where I got pushed multiple go to second block .
This is not ok. Not to mention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — hannah ( @ ihateiceman ) August 4 , 2020 North Paulding ’ s football team was already facing a coronavirus outbreak before school reopened , as multiple players tested positive and showed symptoms of the disease .
Still , after photos of the crowded hallways went viral , the superintendent of the Paulding County School District said schools can ’ t force students to wear masks , a practice recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“ Wearing a mask is a personal choice , and there is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear them , ” Superintendent Brian Otott said .
Georgia ’ s Paulding and Cherokee counties reopened schools last week , as the number of reported cases in the state continues to rise .
Georgia is among several states failing to curb the spread of the coronavirus , in part because Gov .
Brian Kemp ( R ) has opposed mandating protective masks and allowed indoor attractions like restaurants and salons to reopen as Georgia was surging in cases and deaths .
In July , Kemp sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in the state ’ s largest city comply with CDC guidelines by wearing protective masks in public .
According to Johns Hopkins University , 4,186 Georgians have died from COVID-19 and more than 200,000 people in Georgia have been infected with the disease , which has lingering health effects on some .

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Nine people at a Georgia high school have tested positive for the coronavirus, the principal wrote in a letter to parents first obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday. Photos that went viral last week showed the school’s hallways packed with students in the first days of the school year.
“At this time, we know there were six students and three staff members who were in school for at least some time last week who have since reported to us that they have tested positive,” North Paulding High School Principal Gabe Carmona said.
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At least two students at the school were suspended for tweeting now-viral photos of students not wearing masks and packing a hallway, though district officials lifted the suspension of at least one of them after the student’s parents filed a grievance and the story received national attention.
Day two at North Paulding High School. It is just as bad. We were stopped because it was jammed. We are close enough to the point where I got pushed multiple go to second block. This is not ok. Not to mention the 10% mask rate. pic.twitter.com/JKbGYqG9RS — hannah (@ihateiceman) August 4, 2020
North Paulding’s football team was already facing a coronavirus outbreak before school reopened, as multiple players tested positive and showed symptoms of the disease. Still, after photos of the crowded hallways went viral, the superintendent of the Paulding County School District said schools can’t force students to wear masks, a practice recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Wearing a mask is a personal choice, and there is no practical way to enforce a mandate to wear them,” Superintendent Brian Otott said.
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Georgia’s Paulding and Cherokee counties reopened schools last week, as the number of reported cases in the state continues to rise.
Georgia is among several states failing to curb the spread of the coronavirus, in part because Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has opposed mandating protective masks and allowed indoor attractions like restaurants and salons to reopen as Georgia was surging in cases and deaths. In July, Kemp sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the city council over local requirements that people in the state’s largest city comply with CDC guidelines by wearing protective masks in public.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--Shooting At Washington, D.C., Street Event Leaves 1 Dead, 20 Wounded: Police

A 17-year-old boy is dead and 20 others wounded following a shooting at what appeared to be a street party in a southeast Washington , D.C. , neighborhood early Sunday , authorities said .
Police were called to the scene around 12:30 a.m. after multiple shooters opened fire into a crowd of people .
An off-duty police officer was among those most seriously wounded in the attack , police said .
“ She ’ s struggling for her life right now at a local hospital , ” Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham said at a news conference .
No arrests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning , he said .
Newsham described the scene leading up to the violence as “ some kind of a social gathering.
” “ There was some kind of dispute , and multiple weapons were produced , and multiple shots were fired , ” he said , describing the shooting as an “ isolated incident.
” The mass gathering violated current health protocols in place because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a morning news conference .
“ It ’ s very important that as a community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
She also condemned the use of alcohol and marijuana on public streets .
“ We had a lot of people who were in a dangerous situation last night , and , sadly , several people who had no regard for human life opened fire at what had been , it looked like , people together enjoying themselves , ” she added .

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A 17-year-old boy is dead and 20 others wounded following a shooting at what appeared to be a street party in a southeast Washington, D.C., neighborhood early Sunday, authorities said.
Police were called to the scene around 12:30 a.m. after multiple shooters opened fire into a crowd of people. An off-duty police officer was among those most seriously wounded in the attack, police said.
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“She’s struggling for her life right now at a local hospital,” Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham said at a news conference.
No arrests had been made as of late Sunday morning, he said.
Newsham described the scene leading up to the violence as “some kind of a social gathering.”
“There was some kind of dispute, and multiple weapons were produced, and multiple shots were fired,” he said, describing the shooting as an “isolated incident.”
“Hundreds” of people packed the street for the social event, a neighbor told WUSA9.
The mass gathering violated current health protocols in place because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a morning news conference.
“It’s very important that as a community we have a zero-tolerance for this activity,” she said. She also condemned the use of alcohol and marijuana on public streets.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-10--Iran Shutters Newspaper After Expert Questions Official Coronavirus Numbers

TEHRAN , Iran ( AP ) — Iran shut down a newspaper on Monday after it published remarks by an expert who said the official figures on coronavirus cases and deaths in the country account for only 5 % of the real toll .
Mohammad Reza Sadi , the editor-in-chief of Jahane Sanat , told the official IRNA news agency that authorities closed his newspaper , which began publishing in 2004 and was mainly focused on business news .
On Sunday , the daily quoted Mohammad Reza Mahboobfar , an epidemiologist the paper said had worked on the government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true number of cases and deaths in Iran could be 20 times the number reported by the Health Ministry .
Iranian daily Jahan Sanat suspended a day after it published an interview with an expert who said Iran ’ s official coronavirus figures can not be trusted .
pic.twitter.com/cX708v0bs1 — Golnaz Esfandiari ( @ GEsfandiari ) August 10 , 2020 He also said the virus was detected in Iran a month earlier than Feb. 19 , when authorities announced the first confirmed case .
He said they held up the announcement until after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1979 Islamic Revolution and parliamentary elections earlier that month .
“ The administration resorted to secrecy for political and security reasons , ” he said , and only provided “ engineered statistics ” to the public .
He also criticized testing efforts and warned of a renewed outbreak next month as universities hold entrance exams and people mark major Shiite holidays .
Iran ’ s Health Ministry has reported a total of nearly 330,000 cases and 18,616 deaths , including 189 fatalities in the last 24 hours .
Authorities in Iran have come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic because of their reluctance to impose the kind of sweeping restrictions seen elsewhere in the region .
Iran is home to the deadliest outbreak in the Middle East .

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TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran shut down a newspaper on Monday after it published remarks by an expert who said the official figures on coronavirus cases and deaths in the country account for only 5% of the real toll.
Mohammad Reza Sadi, the editor-in-chief of Jahane Sanat, told the official IRNA news agency that authorities closed his newspaper, which began publishing in 2004 and was mainly focused on business news.
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On Sunday, the daily quoted Mohammad Reza Mahboobfar, an epidemiologist the paper said had worked on the government’s anti-coronavirus campaign, as saying the true number of cases and deaths in Iran could be 20 times the number reported by the Health Ministry.
Iranian daily Jahan Sanat suspended a day after it published an interview with an expert who said Iran’s official coronavirus figures cannot be trusted. pic.twitter.com/cX708v0bs1 — Golnaz Esfandiari (@GEsfandiari) August 10, 2020
He also said the virus was detected in Iran a month earlier than Feb. 19, when authorities announced the first confirmed case. He said they held up the announcement until after the commemorations of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and parliamentary elections earlier that month.
“The administration resorted to secrecy for political and security reasons,” he said, and only provided “engineered statistics” to the public.
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He also criticized testing efforts and warned of a renewed outbreak next month as universities hold entrance exams and people mark major Shiite holidays.
Iran’s Health Ministry has reported a total of nearly 330,000 cases and 18,616 deaths, including 189 fatalities in the last 24 hours.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-10--Bill Gates: America Offers The Most Worthless COVID-19 Test Results In The World

Bill Gates continued his unbridled criticism of the United States ’ response to the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday , calling America ’ s testing system “ insanity ” and stressing that the country was now facing “ a pretty dramatic price ” both in human death and wasted money .
“ You can ’ t get the federal government to improve the testing because they just want to say how great it is , ” the Microsoft co-founder-turned-philanthropist said .
“ I ’ ve said to them , look , have a CDC website that prioritizes who gets tested .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ They won ’ t pay attention to that .
I ’ ve said don ’ t reimburse any tests where the result goes back after three days .
You ’ re paying billions of dollars in this very inequitable way to get the most worthless test results of any country in the world.
” On the topic of America ’ s lockdowns , Gates pointed to countries in the European Union that faced the coronavirus outbreak earlier than the U.S. and instituted more coordinated lockdowns .
“ What ’ s impressive is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a wave before us ― managed as they fell off to keep even the parts of the country that hadn ’ t had the intense epidemic from creating a second wave , ” Gates said .
” In the case of the United States , they opened up their bars .
They didn ’ t do much in the way of wearing masks .
And so those areas became this second wave , ” he added .
Gates has pledged $ 1.6 billion to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccines .
Most recently , he argued that the CDC ’ s COVID-19 response was “ muzzled ” by a White House that refused to offer proper leadership during a time of crisis .

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Bill Gates continued his unbridled criticism of the United States’ response to the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, calling America’s testing system “insanity” and stressing that the country was now facing “a pretty dramatic price” both in human death and wasted money.
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“You can’t get the federal government to improve the testing because they just want to say how great it is,” the Microsoft co-founder-turned-philanthropist said. “I’ve said to them, look, have a CDC website that prioritizes who gets tested. That’s trivial to do. They won’t pay attention to that. I’ve said don’t reimburse any tests where the result goes back after three days. You’re paying billions of dollars in this very inequitable way to get the most worthless test results of any country in the world.”
On the topic of America’s lockdowns, Gates pointed to countries in the European Union that faced the coronavirus outbreak earlier than the U.S. and instituted more coordinated lockdowns.
“What’s impressive is that Italy, France, Spain ― who had a wave before us ― managed as they fell off to keep even the parts of the country that hadn’t had the intense epidemic from creating a second wave,” Gates said.
”In the case of the United States, they opened up their bars. They didn’t do much in the way of wearing masks. And so those areas became this second wave,” he added.
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Gates has pledged $1.6 billion to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, with $100 million going towards coronavirus vaccines. Most recently, he argued that the CDC’s COVID-19 response was “muzzled” by a White House that refused to offer proper leadership during a time of crisis.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-10--Touched A Nerve? Trump Flips Out After Anthony Scaramucci Delivers Warning On Fox News

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci , who was fired by President Donald Trump after just 10 days on the job in 2017 , delivered a warning to Republicans on Fox News on Sunday night .
And Trump was not happy about it , kicking off a Twitter feud between the two ex-allies .
The fireworks began when Scaramucci appeared on Steve Hilton ’ s show “ The Next Revolution ” to rip into Trump ’ s presidency for an “ upside-down ” economy and politicizing the coronavirus pandemic .
Then , he warned that the Republican Party under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that would have repercussions for years to come .
“ The current demographic base of the Republican Party under President Trump ’ s control will become a minority party for a generation if we don ’ t broaden that tent and start including people that don ’ t look like you and me , ” Scaramucci said .
Trump , who watches Hilton ’ s show and has been influenced by it , fired off an angry tweet : .
@ Scaramucci , who just made a fool of himself as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only lasted 11 days in his favorite of all time Administration , before being fired for , again , making a fool of himself .
Anthony is a loser who begged to come back .
I said “ No Thanks ” .
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) August 10 , 2020 Scaramucci , who initially remained loyal to Trump after being fired but has since turned on the president and vowed to work against his reelection , shot back : The Loser is you : 162,000 dead , 40 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are tired of all of the losing .
We wanted you to succeed but you are an abject failure .
Thankfully it will be over on 11/3 .
America will heal and rebuild .
https : //t.co/zRvJQzJo6k — Anthony Scaramucci ( @ Scaramucci ) August 10 , 2020 Although Trump now calls his former communications director a “ fool ” and a “ loser , ” he once promised to hire only “ the best and most serious people.
” But he ’ s since attacked many of those hand-selected hires ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also lashed out at former Defense Secretary James Mattis , former Chief of Staff John Kelly , former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson , former Attorney General Jeff Sessions , former national security advisor John Bolton , former chief strategist Steve Bannon , among others .
Trump ’ s attack on Scaramucci caused his nickname ― The Mooch ― to trend on Twitter as Trump ’ s critics joined the fray : It 's reassuring to know that between all the golfing , watching TV , making up mean-girl nicknames for political rivals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic while being the most incompetent # POTUS ever , he still finds time to be petty & vindictive .
# TremendousMultiTasker https : //t.co/wGOiSpUVfl — Mark Hamill ( @ HamillHimself ) August 10 , 2020 But @ Scaramucci has a Harvard degree and you never will , nor your kids ( I only say this bc I know how much the Ivy League means to you ! )
BTW , your debate prep team ’ s resumes are ... pedestrian .
https : //t.co/v0k6RfJg6x — A.J .
Delgado ( @ AJDelgado13 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporter stands with @ Scaramucci , @ ProjectLincoln @ TheRickWilson @ SteveSchmidtSES and @ gtconway3d .
We will work our ass off like we ’ ve been doing and elect Joe Biden to be our next president .
https : //t.co/VUOI88Of9p — David Weissman ( @ davidmweissman ) August 10 , 2020 Boy , you 've really got your finger on the national pulse there , do n't you chuckles ?
162,000 dead , a looming depression , and all you do is offer illegal executive orders you know will be tied up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bitch about ...
The Mooch ?
That 's leadership .
— Max Burbank ( @ max_burbank ) August 10 , 2020 I can not get over the fact that Fox has taken a British expat establishment corpartist Tory who is worth tens of millions and is married to a big tech executive and remade him as a MAGA populist who calls other people dilettantes .
https : //t.co/ExSfb2iUV2 — Tim Miller ( @ Timodc ) August 10 , 2020

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Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who was fired by President Donald Trump after just 10 days on the job in 2017, delivered a warning to Republicans on Fox News on Sunday night. And Trump was not happy about it, kicking off a Twitter feud between the two ex-allies.
The fireworks began when Scaramucci appeared on Steve Hilton’s show “The Next Revolution” to rip into Trump’s presidency for an “upside-down” economy and politicizing the coronavirus pandemic.
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Then, he warned that the Republican Party under Trump was shrinking its own base ― and that would have repercussions for years to come.
“The current demographic base of the Republican Party under President Trump’s control will become a minority party for a generation if we don’t broaden that tent and start including people that don’t look like you and me,” Scaramucci said.
See the full interview here.
Trump, who watches Hilton’s show and has been influenced by it, fired off an angry tweet:
.@Scaramucci, who just made a fool of himself as he got taken apart by @SteveHiltonx, only lasted 11 days in his favorite of all time Administration, before being fired for, again, making a fool of himself. Anthony is a loser who begged to come back. I said “No Thanks”. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2020
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Scaramucci, who initially remained loyal to Trump after being fired but has since turned on the president and vowed to work against his reelection, shot back:
The Loser is you: 162,000 dead, 40 million American jobs lost on your watch. We are tired of all of the losing. We wanted you to succeed but you are an abject failure. Thankfully it will be over on 11/3. America will heal and rebuild. https://t.co/zRvJQzJo6k — Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) August 10, 2020
Although Trump now calls his former communications director a “fool” and a “loser,” he once promised to hire only “the best and most serious people.” But he’s since attacked many of those hand-selected hires ― and not just Scaramucci. Trump has also lashed out at former Defense Secretary James Mattis, former Chief of Staff John Kelly, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, former national security advisor John Bolton, former chief strategist Steve Bannon, among others.
Trump’s attack on Scaramucci caused his nickname ― The Mooch ― to trend on Twitter as Trump’s critics joined the fray:
It's reassuring to know that between all the golfing, watching TV, making up mean-girl nicknames for political rivals, botching the response to the Covid pandemic while being the most incompetent #POTUS ever, he still finds time to be petty & vindictive. #TremendousMultiTasker https://t.co/wGOiSpUVfl — Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) August 10, 2020
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But @Scaramucci has a Harvard degree and you never will, nor your kids (I only say this bc I know how much the Ivy League means to you!) BTW, your debate prep team’s resumes are... pedestrian. https://t.co/v0k6RfJg6x — A.J. Delgado (@AJDelgado13) August 10, 2020
Mooch won’t visit you in prison if you keep doing this https://t.co/aCFZSzaE4a — George Conway (@gtconway3d) August 10, 2020
But you picked him. "The best people" — Claudia Jordan (@claudiajordan) August 10, 2020
5 million COVID cases in US as we move ever closer to 170k death. But sure, strafe the Mooch. pic.twitter.com/pjFhBqfeU3 — Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) August 10, 2020
This former Trump supporter stands with @Scaramucci, @ProjectLincoln @TheRickWilson @SteveSchmidtSES and @gtconway3d. We will work our ass off like we’ve been doing and elect Joe Biden to be our next president. https://t.co/VUOI88Of9p — David Weissman (@davidmweissman) August 10, 2020
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Boy, you've really got your finger on the national pulse there, don't you chuckles? 162,000 dead, a looming depression, and all you do is offer illegal executive orders you know will be tied up in court until after the election and bitch about... The Mooch? That's leadership. — Max Burbank (@max_burbank) August 10, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-10--Trump’s Old Words About Obama’s Executive Orders Come Back To Haunt Him

The move was also inconsistent with the president ’ s own comments on executive orders .
When Barack Obama was @ @ @ @ @ other Republicans ― railed against executive orders .
Rolling Stone ’ s Peter Wade put @ @ @ @ @ condemning the very action he himself is now taking :

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--White House Reportedly Asked How To Get A New President's Face On Mount Rushmore

A White House aide asked South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem ( R ) last year how an interested party might go about adding another giant presidential face to Mount Rushmore , a source told The New York Times .
Here ’ s a hint : Noem greeted President Donald Trump with a four-foot replica of Mount Rushmore that included his face when he traveled to the monument for a speech on July 3 .
The tidbit was part of a Times story about how Noem — and others — appeared to be sniffing around for Vice President Mike Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first to publicly reveal Trump ’ s desire to add his image alongside the 60-foot faces of Presidents George Washington , Thomas Jefferson , Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt carved into the mountain .
Noem spilled on a 2018 South Dakota version of Carpool Karaoke that the first time Trump shared his dream with her in the Oval Office , she thought he was joking , the Argus Leader reported .
“ Do you know it ’ s my dream to have my face on Mount Rushmore ?
” he asked Noem , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time and running for governor .
“ I started laughing .
He wasn ’ t laughing , so he was totally serious , ” she recalled .
During a rally in Youngstown , Ohio , in 2017 , Trump also raised the possibility of his face set in stone — but didn ’ t quite commit so people wouldn ’ t laugh at him .
“ I ’ d ask whether or not you think I will someday be on Mount Rushmore , but here ’ s the problem : If I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fun — the fake news media will say , ‘ He believes he should be on Mount Rushmore , ’ ” Trump explained .
Trump denied the Times story in a tweet Sunday — but said that his face on Mount Rushmore “ sounds like a good idea to me !
” This is Fake News by the failing @ nytimes & bad ratings @ CNN .
Never suggested it although , based on all of the many things accomplished during the first 3 1/2 years , perhaps more than any other Presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me !
https : //t.co/EHrA9yUsAw — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) August 10 , 2020 For anyone concerned about Mount Rushmore changes , there ’ s no room for another president , according to officials .
As an alternative , Trump might want to consider some other ideas from Twitter critics :

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A White House aide asked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) last year how an interested party might go about adding another giant presidential face to Mount Rushmore, a source told The New York Times.
Which president?
Here’s a hint: Noem greeted President Donald Trump with a four-foot replica of Mount Rushmore that included his face when he traveled to the monument for a speech on July 3. The tidbit was part of a Times story about how Noem — and others — appeared to be sniffing around for Vice President Mike Pence’s job.
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SAUL LOEB via Getty Images
Noem was the first to publicly reveal Trump’s desire to add his image alongside the 60-foot faces of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt carved into the mountain.
Noem spilled on a 2018 South Dakota version of Carpool Karaoke that the first time Trump shared his dream with her in the Oval Office, she thought he was joking, the Argus Leader reported.
“Do you know it’s my dream to have my face on Mount Rushmore?” he asked Noem, who was still in Congress at the time and running for governor. “I started laughing. He wasn’t laughing, so he was totally serious,” she recalled.
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A Tulsa World cartoonist had even envisioned Trump on the mountain the previous year:
trump on mount rushmore pic.twitter.com/UMsNVNCP5l — vera kowalska (@dialtfortrouble) July 26, 2017
During a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, in 2017, Trump also raised the possibility of his face set in stone — but didn’t quite commit so people wouldn’t laugh at him.
“I’d ask whether or not you think I will someday be on Mount Rushmore, but here’s the problem: If I did it joking — totally joking, having fun — the fake news media will say, ‘He believes he should be on Mount Rushmore,’” Trump explained.
“So I won’t say it, okay? I won’t say it.”
Trump denied the Times story in a tweet Sunday — but said that his face on Mount Rushmore “sounds like a good idea to me!”
This is Fake News by the failing @nytimes & bad ratings @CNN. Never suggested it although, based on all of the many things accomplished during the first 3 1/2 years, perhaps more than any other Presidency, sounds like a good idea to me! https://t.co/EHrA9yUsAw — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2020
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For anyone concerned about Mount Rushmore changes, there’s no room for another president, according to officials.
As an alternative, Trump might want to consider some other ideas from Twitter critics:
#MountRushmore reaction when someone explained why it was trending. pic.twitter.com/yF5HUxFzkd — Kevin Fisher 🌊 ⚾🏈🏀 (@kfishercanton) August 9, 2020
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The Grifters seems to be a popular reply for some reason. pic.twitter.com/34pTAXx7Z5 — D Villella ❄ (@dvillella) August 3, 2020
First good laugh of the day😂😂😂😂👇🏻 this guy on Mount Rushmore👇🏻😂😂😂😂This guy👇🏻😂😂😂 seriously this guy👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/sVYmPwcKtz — adrienne (@adriennerourke) August 8, 2020
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Trump (and Epstein, et al) finally makes it to Mount Rushmore … pic.twitter.com/YUnOu7qWxY — Philip Cohen (@PhilipCohen5) August 3, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-10--Paul Krugman: Trump's Executive Orders Are The Hydroxychloroquine Of Economic Policy

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman is so unimpressed with President Donald Trump ’ s latest efforts to boost the economy amid the coronavirus crisis that he has declared it to be the hydroxychloroquine of economic policy .
The four executive actions Trump signed on Saturday included deferring payroll taxes — which fund Social Security and Medicare — from Sept. 1 until the end of the year for workers earning less than $ 100,000 annually .
Trump also warned that he might terminate the tax if he ’ s reelected , which would kill the longstanding social service programs .
Deferring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad idea ” that it had already been dismissed by the GOP in the Senate , Krugman explained on CNN Sunday .
“ Even Senate Republicans basically said , ‘ Let ’ s forget about that .
That ’ s a really stupid idea.
’ And then Trump comes out with it , ” Krugman said .
Krugman also warned that hobbling the payroll tax would starve Social Security and Medicare of much-needed funds .
I do n't know if anyone else has said this , but payroll tax cuts are the hydroxychloroquine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do anything to solve the employment crisis , but will have dangerous side effects .
Yet Trump remains obsessed with them as a cure 1/ — Paul Krugman ( @ paulkrugman ) August 9 , 2020 We 've lost millions of jobs , not because employers lack incentives to hire , but because many activities , like bars , indoor dining , inessential travel , elective medical care have been put on hold because of the risk of contagion 2/ — Paul Krugman ( @ paulkrugman ) August 9 , 2020 Letting employers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paying into Social Security and Medicare — no good reason to believe they 'll pass the savings on to workers — does nothing to remedy this problem 3/ — Paul Krugman ( @ paulkrugman ) August 9 , 2020 It will , however , undermine the finances of programs that are absolutely crucial to the lives of older Americans .
If you measure the quality of policy ideas on a scale of 1 to 10 , this is a minus 5 or worse 4/ — Paul Krugman ( @ paulkrugman ) August 9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment insurance from $ 600 to $ 400 a week .
His order would also require cash-strapped states to cover 25 % of the enhanced payments , which will be unworkable , Krugman warned .
“ This is just not going to happen , ” Krugman said .
“ This is something that was thrown together by somebody who has paid no attention to how these things actually work , what it actually takes to get out money to people in need .
”

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman is so unimpressed with President Donald Trump’s latest efforts to boost the economy amid the coronavirus crisis that he has declared it to be the hydroxychloroquine of economic policy.
The four executive actions Trump signed on Saturday included deferring payroll taxes — which fund Social Security and Medicare — from Sept. 1 until the end of the year for workers earning less than $100,000 annually. Trump also warned that he might terminate the tax if he’s reelected, which would kill the longstanding social service programs.
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Deferring payroll taxes was such a “known bad idea” that it had already been dismissed by the GOP in the Senate, Krugman explained on CNN Sunday.
“Even Senate Republicans basically said, ‘Let’s forget about that. That’s a really stupid idea.’ And then Trump comes out with it,” Krugman said.
Krugman also warned that hobbling the payroll tax would starve Social Security and Medicare of much-needed funds.
I don't know if anyone else has said this, but payroll tax cuts are the hydroxychloroquine of economic policy. They won't do anything to solve the employment crisis, but will have dangerous side effects. Yet Trump remains obsessed with them as a cure 1/ — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) August 9, 2020
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We've lost millions of jobs, not because employers lack incentives to hire, but because many activities, like bars, indoor dining, inessential travel, elective medical care have been put on hold because of the risk of contagion 2/ — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) August 9, 2020
Letting employers keep money they were supposed to be paying into Social Security and Medicare — no good reason to believe they'll pass the savings on to workers — does nothing to remedy this problem 3/ — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) August 9, 2020
It will, however, undermine the finances of programs that are absolutely crucial to the lives of older Americans. If you measure the quality of policy ideas on a scale of 1 to 10, this is a minus 5 or worse 4/ — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) August 9, 2020
Trump also reduced the enhanced unemployment insurance from $600 to $400 a week. His order would also require cash-strapped states to cover 25% of the enhanced payments, which will be unworkable, Krugman warned.
“This is just not going to happen,” Krugman said. “This is something that was thrown together by somebody who has paid no attention to how these things actually work, what it actually takes to get out money to people in need.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-10--Nearly 100,000 Children In U.S. Tested Positive For COVID-19 In Last 2 Weeks Of July

More than 97,000 children in the U.S. tested positive for the coronavirus in the last two weeks of July , underscoring the difficulty for schools considering if or how they can reopen in the fall , according to a new report .
The findings , compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children ’ s Hospital Association , included data from 49 states , Washington D.C. , Puerto Rico and Guam .
But the report didn ’ t include complete data from Texas — which has seen a surge in cases — or parts of New York , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher .
Officials have long warned that the true coronavirus toll may be much higher than reported due to insufficient testing and the lack of symptoms in many people who are infected .
The U.S. has seen more than 5 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus .
Of those , more than 338,000 were children , according to the new study .
The results from the last weeks of July show that one-fourth of all of the confirmed infections in kids happened during that two-week period , even though the pandemic has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as children in the study usually are younger than 19 , although some states included people up to age 24 . )
The data adds to growing concern for parents and students as the start of the school year approaches .
Many schools and colleges have said they will operate remotely or with an in-person and online hybrid .
But other districts have faced pressure from to reopen as soon as possible , including from President Donald Trump .
Some schools have already resumed in-person classes , to mixed results .
A high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after photos showed dozens of students crowding a hallway between classes , many without masks .
The school said it would move temporarily online on Sunday after officials said nine people had tested positive for COVID-19 .
In New York , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced that schools across the state would be allowed to reopen in the fall based on individual regions ’ infection rates .
“ New York State is in the best possible situation right now .
If anybody can open schools , we can open schools .
We do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve kept that infection rate down , and we can bring the same level of intelligence to the school reopening that we brought to the economic reopening , ” the governor said in a statement .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said evidence shows children are at lower risk from developing severe cases of COVID-19 .
But the agency warned that a coronavirus-repeated condition known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children disproportionately impacted Black and Hispanic children .

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More than 97,000 children in the U.S. tested positive for the coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, underscoring the difficulty for schools considering if or how they can reopen in the fall, according to a new report.
The findings, compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, included data from 49 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam. But the report didn’t include complete data from Texas — which has seen a surge in cases — or parts of New York, meaning the number of infections could be higher.
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Officials have long warned that the true coronavirus toll may be much higher than reported due to insufficient testing and the lack of symptoms in many people who are infected.
The U.S. has seen more than 5 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Of those, more than 338,000 were children, according to the new study. The results from the last weeks of July show that one-fourth of all of the confirmed infections in kids happened during that two-week period, even though the pandemic has been raging since March. (Those defined as children in the study usually are younger than 19, although some states included people up to age 24.)
The data adds to growing concern for parents and students as the start of the school year approaches. Many schools and colleges have said they will operate remotely or with an in-person and online hybrid. But other districts have faced pressure from to reopen as soon as possible, including from President Donald Trump.
Some schools have already resumed in-person classes, to mixed results. A high school in Georgia sparked controversy last week after photos showed dozens of students crowding a hallway between classes, many without masks. The school said it would move temporarily online on Sunday after officials said nine people had tested positive for COVID-19.
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Paul Adamus, 7, climbs the stairs of a bus before the fist day of school on Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, in Dallas, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) ASSOCIATED PRESS
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that schools across the state would be allowed to reopen in the fall based on individual regions’ infection rates.
“New York State is in the best possible situation right now. If anybody can open schools, we can open schools. We do masks, we do social distancing, we’ve kept that infection rate down, and we can bring the same level of intelligence to the school reopening that we brought to the economic reopening,” the governor said in a statement.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said evidence shows children are at lower risk from developing severe cases of COVID-19. But the agency warned that a coronavirus-repeated condition known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children disproportionately impacted Black and Hispanic children.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-10--Massachusetts’ COVID-19 Hotline Gets Slammed With Calls -- And A Dick Pic

A new Massachusetts hotline for residents to report violations of COVID-19 safety standards has been flooded by calls and emails that include profanity-laden tirades against Gov .
Charlie Baker and a picture of a man ’ s penis .
The hotline , part of a state compliance portal that encourages residents to report businesses violating safety orders to the Department of Labor Standards , received over 900 responses in the first week after it launched in mid-July , according to MassLive .
Many were disgruntled customers complaining about workers failing to wear face masks , or wearing them improperly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported , with complaints targeting 18 doughnut shop locations .
The majority of calls and emails were legitimate grievances , officials said .
A “ small fraction , ” however , sought to send other messages .
Some ranted against Baker ( R ) as a “ Republican In Name Only ” who failed to wear a mask during his media briefings .
Others targeted Black Lives Matter protests .
One was a dick pic sent on the day the hotline opened from a mysterious account named “ Good German.
” The Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow up on the complaints within 72 hours .
But the initial volume was so heavy that it sent an automated reply to many complainants .

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A new Massachusetts hotline for residents to report violations of COVID-19 safety standards has been flooded by calls and emails that include profanity-laden tirades against Gov. Charlie Baker and a picture of a man’s penis.
The hotline, part of a state compliance portal that encourages residents to report businesses violating safety orders to the Department of Labor Standards, received over 900 responses in the first week after it launched in mid-July, according to MassLive.
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Many were disgruntled customers complaining about workers failing to wear face masks, or wearing them improperly. Dunkin’ franchises figured prominently, MassLive reported, with complaints targeting 18 doughnut shop locations.
The majority of calls and emails were legitimate grievances, officials said. A “small fraction,” however, sought to send other messages. Some ranted against Baker (R) as a “Republican In Name Only” who failed to wear a mask during his media briefings. Others targeted Black Lives Matter protests. One was a dick pic sent on the day the hotline opened from a mysterious account named “Good German.”
The Department of Labor Standards said it aims to follow up on the complaints within 72 hours. But the initial volume was so heavy that it sent an automated reply to many complainants.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-10--Shots Fired As Crowds Clash With Police In Downtown Chicago

CHICAGO ( AP ) — Hundreds of people smashed windows , stole from stores and clashed with police early Monday in Chicago ’ s Magnificent Mile shopping district and other parts of the city ’ s downtown .
At one point , shots were fired at police and officers returned fire , police spokesman Tom Ahern said on Twitter .
No officers were injured in the shooting .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear what led to the unrest , which began shortly after midnight , but anti-police graffiti was seen in the area .
Hours earlier , dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers shot and wounded a person Sunday in the city ’ s Englewood neighborhood .
Asked for updates on the situation , Ahern told The Associated Press in an email that police planned to hold a news conference Monday morning .
Mass chaos in downtown Chicago .
Hundred of people looting stores .
Looters broke into a bank and ripped out the atm .
They are trying to break into it .
This is at State and Lake .
@ cbschicago pic.twitter.com/oKGrMHGADP — Vi Nguyen ( @ ViNguyen ) August 10 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen going in and out of stores carrying shopping bags full of merchandise as well as at a bank , the Chicago Tribune reported , and as the crowd grew vehicles dropped off more people in the area .
One officer was seen slumped against a building , several arrests were made and a rock was thrown at a police vehicle , the newspaper said .
Police worked early Monday to disperse the crowds .
In the earlier shooting in Englewood , police said in a statement that they responded about 2:30 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a gun and tried to confront someone matching his description in an alley .
He fled from officers on foot and shot at officers , police said .
Officers returned fire , wounding him , and a gun was recovered , police said .
He was taken to a hospital for treatment and three officers involved also were taken to a hospital for observation , the statement said .
More than an hour after the shooting , police and witnesses said a crowd faced off with police after someone reportedly told people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child .
That crowd eventually dispersed .

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CHICAGO (AP) — Hundreds of people smashed windows, stole from stores and clashed with police early Monday in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile shopping district and other parts of the city’s downtown.
At one point, shots were fired at police and officers returned fire, police spokesman Tom Ahern said on Twitter. No officers were injured in the shooting.
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It wasn’t immediately clear what led to the unrest, which began shortly after midnight, but anti-police graffiti was seen in the area. Hours earlier, dozens of people had faced off with police after officers shot and wounded a person Sunday in the city’s Englewood neighborhood.
Asked for updates on the situation, Ahern told The Associated Press in an email that police planned to hold a news conference Monday morning.
Mass chaos in downtown Chicago. Hundred of people looting stores. Looters broke into a bank and ripped out the atm. They are trying to break into it. This is at State and Lake. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/oKGrMHGADP — Vi Nguyen (@ViNguyen) August 10, 2020
All bridges up in Chicago to prevent access to downtown. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/KutdT8Nbc6 — Vi Nguyen (@ViNguyen) August 10, 2020
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Along the Magnificent Mile, people were seen going in and out of stores carrying shopping bags full of merchandise as well as at a bank, the Chicago Tribune reported, and as the crowd grew vehicles dropped off more people in the area.
One officer was seen slumped against a building, several arrests were made and a rock was thrown at a police vehicle, the newspaper said. Police worked early Monday to disperse the crowds.
In the earlier shooting in Englewood, police said in a statement that they responded about 2:30 p.m. Sunday to a call about a person with a gun and tried to confront someone matching his description in an alley. He fled from officers on foot and shot at officers, police said.
Officers returned fire, wounding him, and a gun was recovered, police said. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and three officers involved also were taken to a hospital for observation, the statement said.