thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-08--Coronavirus Evictions Are Starting, With Millions More Expected By The End Of 2020

There are 30 million to 40 million people in the United States at risk of being evicted by the end of the year , according to a report released Friday by the National Low Income Housing Coalition .
Unless Congress acts to reimpose a moratorium on certain evictions , extend unemployment benefits or offer some other relief , these people could be forced out of their homes in the middle of an economic downturn and a pandemic .
More than a third of renters said at the end of July that they had little confidence they ’ d be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a nationwide survey by the U.S. Census Bureau .
Millions of Americans have returned to work since state and local governments imposed coronavirus lockdowns in March , but the pace of job growth has slowed ― just as federal stimulus policies are expiring .
Renters with children , like Robinson , are likely to be hit hardest .
There are 14 million renters across the U.S. with children , and research shows that they are more likely to receive an eviction judgment .
All renters also face disparities within the legal system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have access to legal counsel compared with 90 % of landlords , making it that much harder to fight an eviction judgment .
Experts have pointed out that this unprecedented public health crisis hit amid a preexisting crisis that has already affected millions of Americans .
From 2006 to 2016 , 61 million eviction cases were filed in the U.S. , with more than 3 million evictions occurring annually , according to the Eviction Lab at Princeton University .
Robinson had relied on an extra $ 600 in weekly unemployment benefits that Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus Aid , Relief and Economic Security Act ( CARES ) .
The law also imposed a moratorium on evictions in federally subsidized properties ; both provisions have expired , as lawmakers failed to anticipate that the coronavirus would be spreading wildly four months after passing the $ 2 trillion stimulus package .
Robinson got laid off as a technician for a telecommunications company in May .
She was already behind on rent , having just started the job in March following a month of being unemployed .
She received an eviction notice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that landlord and tenant court would reopen on Aug. 22 .
“ As such , we have prepared all necessary documentation necessary with our lawyer to obtain the earliest possible court date to address your unpaid rent balance , ” the letter said .
It ’ s not clear if the landlord would be able to throw Robinson out .
She doesn ’ t live in a federally subsidized property covered by the federal moratorium , but New York state has paused evictions .
On Thursday , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moratorium through September .
But the fine print of Cuomo ’ s extension means that thousands of renters in New York may still be at risk of eviction ― according to the executive order , tenants may have to prove that they weren ’ t facing eviction before the pandemic hit .
“ Unless the United States immediately invests in eviction prevention , we can expect the pillars of resiliency ― employment , education , health care and housing ― to splinter across the country , especially among communities of color who entered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic and structural racial discrimination , ” Emily Benfer , a law professor at Wake Forest University School of Law and co-creator of the Eviction Lab COVID-19 Housing Policy Scorecard said in a statement Friday .
The long-term solution is twofold , said Yentel of the NLIHC .
Implementing a uniform national eviction moratorium for the entirety of the pandemic is essential , as is addressing back pay for when the pandemic is over .
The NLIHC has worked with Congress to push for $ 100 billion in rental assistance .
“ Either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to evict people in a pandemic , or we don ’ t , ” she said .
“ And if it is , it shouldn ’ t be a lucky draw if you live in a state where the governor agrees .
Why does a renter in Texas deserve to be evicted but not someone in New York ?
That ’ s completely unjust .
”

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Mary Robinson could lose her apartment if she can’t come up with a pile of money, but her unemployment benefits shrank from nearly $900 to $247 last week.
The 39-year-old mother of two in Rochester, New York, could face eviction as the economy sputters and Congress dithers over whether to pass another coronavirus relief bill.
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“People that are working and trying to maintain get the shit end of the stick,” she said.
There are 30 million to 40 million people in the United States at risk of being evicted by the end of the year, according to a report released Friday by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Unless Congress acts to reimpose a moratorium on certain evictions, extend unemployment benefits or offer some other relief, these people could be forced out of their homes in the middle of an economic downturn and a pandemic.
“The urgency of the situation really can’t be overstated,” Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the NLIHC, told HuffPost. “It’s keeping people very confused and anxious about what’s next.”
More than a third of renters said at the end of July that they had little confidence they’d be able to make their August rent, according to a nationwide survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. Millions of Americans have returned to work since state and local governments imposed coronavirus lockdowns in March, but the pace of job growth has slowed ― just as federal stimulus policies are expiring.
Renters with children, like Robinson, are likely to be hit hardest. There are 14 million renters across the U.S. with children, and research shows that they are more likely to receive an eviction judgment. All renters also face disparities within the legal system; fewer than 10% of renters have access to legal counsel compared with 90% of landlords, making it that much harder to fight an eviction judgment.
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Experts have pointed out that this unprecedented public health crisis hit amid a preexisting crisis that has already affected millions of Americans. From 2006 to 2016, 61 million eviction cases were filed in the U.S., with more than 3 million evictions occurring annually, according to the Eviction Lab at Princeton University.
Robinson had relied on an extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits that Congress created in March as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES). The law also imposed a moratorium on evictions in federally subsidized properties; both provisions have expired, as lawmakers failed to anticipate that the coronavirus would be spreading wildly four months after passing the $2 trillion stimulus package.
That extra $600 was crucial for so many, particularly renters ― that same amount is usually around what tenants owe when they’re evicted.
“These people in Congress who have money, they don’t understand what the middle and lower class is going through,” Robinson said.
Robinson got laid off as a technician for a telecommunications company in May. She was already behind on rent, having just started the job in March following a month of being unemployed.
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“These people in Congress who have money, they don’t understand what the middle and lower class is going through.” - Mary Robinson
She received an eviction notice at the end of July telling her that landlord and tenant court would reopen on Aug. 22. “As such, we have prepared all necessary documentation necessary with our lawyer to obtain the earliest possible court date to address your unpaid rent balance,” the letter said.
It’s not clear if the landlord would be able to throw Robinson out. She doesn’t live in a federally subsidized property covered by the federal moratorium, but New York state has paused evictions. On Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) extended the state’s eviction moratorium through September.
“No evictions as long as we are in the middle of the epidemic,” Cuomo said.
But the fine print of Cuomo’s extension means that thousands of renters in New York may still be at risk of eviction ― according to the executive order, tenants may have to prove that they weren’t facing eviction before the pandemic hit.
For this reason, housing and law experts are calling for more long-term solutions rather than month-by-month extensions.
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“Unless the United States immediately invests in eviction prevention, we can expect the pillars of resiliency ― employment, education, health care and housing ― to splinter across the country, especially among communities of color who entered the pandemic at a deficit due to systemic and structural racial discrimination,” Emily Benfer, a law professor at Wake Forest University School of Law and co-creator of the Eviction Lab COVID-19 Housing Policy Scorecard said in a statement Friday.
“Ultimately, only a long-term solution to housing precarity can protect the millions of Americans who are accruing significant amounts of back rent and the landlords and communities who rely on rent payments.”
The long-term solution is twofold, said Yentel of the NLIHC. Implementing a uniform national eviction moratorium for the entirety of the pandemic is essential, as is addressing back pay for when the pandemic is over. The NLIHC has worked with Congress to push for $100 billion in rental assistance.
“Eviction moratoriums aren’t enough, and they create a financial cliff for renters and landlords,” Yentel said. “We don’t want to end this crisis having saddled more low-income people with more debt.”
It should not matter what state a person lives in, either, Yentel said. There are currently 30 states that have not extended their eviction moratoriums.
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“Either we agree that it’s cruel to evict people in a pandemic, or we don’t.” - Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition
“Either we agree that it’s cruel to evict people in a pandemic, or we don’t,” she said. “And if it is, it shouldn’t be a lucky draw if you live in a state where the governor agrees. Why does a renter in Texas deserve to be evicted but not someone in New York? That’s completely unjust.”
Robinson said she’s been offered a new job as a broadband installer, but she’s waiting on a background check and the position pays about $15 an hour, which is $10 less than her previous job. She’s not confident her landlord won’t still try to throw her out over unpaid rent.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-08--RNC Gets Reality Check Over ‘Expectations Exceeded’ Praise Of Donald Trump

Twitter users were quick to fact-check the Republican National Committee ’ s praise of President Donald Trump on Friday .
“ Expectations EXCEEDED ( once again ) thanks to President Trump !
” the RNC declared on its Twitter account with a video proclaiming “ the great American comeback is underway ” after the U.S. added 1.8 million jobs in July .
Critics , however , noted the number of jobs added was actually less than in May and June and that the unemployment rate still stands at more than 10 % .
Others highlighted how the United States had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in terms of the death toll from the coronavirus .
Trump at one point said 60,000 people in total could die from COVID-19 .
More than 160,000 Americans have now been killed by the contagion and health experts from the University of Washington this week forecast up to 300,000 lives could be claimed by the virus by the beginning of December .
True .
None of us expected it to be this bad .
— Rogue POTUS Staff ( @ RoguePOTUSStaff ) August 8 , 2020 164,094 dead Americans .
You are right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once again , thanks to Trump .
— Lee Young ( @ Lee1865 ) August 8 , 2020 Can one explain how you gain 1.4 million jobs when 40 million are unemployed — William Buecker ( @ wcbuecker ) August 7 , 2020 160,000 dead Americans as we descend further into the abyss under the leadership of # PresidentDeath https : //t.co/J682bXvQpG — Al Stewart ( @ trawetsla ) August 7 , 2020 It 's basic math here ... You have $ 500 .
You lose $ 800 .
You now have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You gain $ 100 .
You still have a negative balance of - $ 200 .
You want a parade for the recovery of the $ 100 , when you are the ones who lost the $ 800 ?
No .
That is recovery .
Not gain .
— Boz ( @ oddboz ) August 7 , 2020 Really ?
Is 1.8 million jobs added something to celebrate when we still have over 30 million Americans unemployed ?
# TrumpDestroyedTheEconomy # GOPCorruptionOverCountry # VoteOutEveryRepublican https : //t.co/PoZYrqjGW1 — Eric Takamiya ( @ ektaka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NOT new jobs .
People who were laid off returning to work .
We 've had 20 straight weeks of over 1 million unemployment claims per week.
# GOPLies https : //t.co/1TjyS6olYe — ( p ) Resident Clown ( @ 4YearNightmare ) August 8 , 2020 Exceeded only if you are trying to kill US VOTERS https : //t.co/Xq0HZgYUK8 — Dale E Hayes ( @ Dale_E_Hayes ) August 7 , 2020

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Twitter users were quick to fact-check the Republican National Committee’s praise of President Donald Trump on Friday.
“Expectations EXCEEDED (once again) thanks to President Trump!” the RNC declared on its Twitter account with a video proclaiming “the great American comeback is underway” after the U.S. added 1.8 million jobs in July.
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Expectations EXCEEDED (once again) thanks to President Trump! pic.twitter.com/GeikvWfdRb — GOP (@GOP) August 7, 2020
Critics, however, noted the number of jobs added was actually less than in May and June and that the unemployment rate still stands at more than 10%.
Others highlighted how the United States had indeed “exceeded expectations,” but in terms of the death toll from the coronavirus.
Trump at one point said 60,000 people in total could die from COVID-19. More than 160,000 Americans have now been killed by the contagion and health experts from the University of Washington this week forecast up to 300,000 lives could be claimed by the virus by the beginning of December.
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COVID-19 deaths exceeded expectations. Thanks to impeached President Trump. — FordDude (@Ford_Dude6) August 7, 2020
True. None of us expected it to be this bad. — Rogue POTUS Staff (@RoguePOTUSStaff) August 8, 2020
the real numbers: 156,000 DEAD AMERICANS!!! https://t.co/BTvugA8cu2 — Angry Nat’l Park (@AngryNatlPark) August 7, 2020
You can’t call people going back to their old jobs job growth — susan (@suesoria) August 8, 2020
2,000 Americans are dying per day from coronavirus
150,000 Americans have died https://t.co/kLGeZSmrVV — Philip “Gear Guy” Germain (@Philip_Germain) August 7, 2020
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164,094 dead Americans. You are right. You have exceeded all expectations, once again, thanks to Trump. — Lee Young (@Lee1865) August 8, 2020
Can one explain how you gain 1.4 million jobs when 40 million are unemployed — William Buecker (@wcbuecker) August 7, 2020
Technically, you're correct. 160,000 dead from COVID-19 is far higher than expectations. — erin_writes (@wombat_writes) August 7, 2020
160,000 dead Americans as we descend further into the abyss under the leadership of #PresidentDeath https://t.co/J682bXvQpG — Al Stewart (@trawetsla) August 7, 2020
It's basic math here...
You have $500.
You lose $800.
You now have a negative balance of -$300.
You gain $100.
You still have a negative balance of -$200.
You want a parade for the recovery of the $100, when you are the ones who lost the $800? No. That is recovery. Not gain. — Boz (@oddboz) August 7, 2020
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And, how many people returned unwillingly to unsafe jobs?
1.7M
What horseshit. https://t.co/ySniwHTnFl — ~ kiddle (Mask it, Dammit!) (@kiddle) August 8, 2020
Really? Is 1.8 million jobs added something to celebrate when we still have over 30 million Americans unemployed?#TrumpDestroyedTheEconomy #GOPCorruptionOverCountry #VoteOutEveryRepublican https://t.co/PoZYrqjGW1 — Eric Takamiya (@ektaka) August 7, 2020
LIES.
NOT new jobs. People who were laid off returning to work.
We've had 20 straight weeks of over 1 million unemployment claims per week.#GOPLies https://t.co/1TjyS6olYe — (p)Resident Clown (@4YearNightmare) August 8, 2020
Exceeded only if you are trying to kill US VOTERS https://t.co/Xq0HZgYUK8 — Dale E Hayes (@Dale_E_Hayes) August 7, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-08--'Yo Semite' T-Shirts Sell Bigly At Jewish Museum After Trump Gaffe

President Donald Trump ’ s embarrassing blooper mispronouncing “ Yosemite ” earlier this week is paying off hugely for a U.S. Jewish museum , sparking eye-popping online sales for its “ Yo Semite ” T-shirts .
Trump struggled Tuesday in a speech as he mistakenly referred — twice — to Yosemite ( yoh-SEM-i-tee ) National Park as “ YO-semite.
” ( Twitter wags referred to it as “ Yo !
Semites !
” — which could be a weird Trump greeting to Jews . )
As it happens , the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ redwood trees over the words “ Yo Semite ” since 2011 .
Trump ’ s gaffe sent sales skyrocketing .
Online shoppers spent $ 30,000 on the shirts and other merchandise in the first 30 hours after the blooper .
That ’ s nearly the entire amount the museum collected in sales for all of June .
“ It just keeps gathering momentum , ” said Kristen Kreider , the museum ’ s director of retail and visitor experience , to the Philadelphia Business Journal .
“ I just keep thinking , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over in the next couple of hours .
It ’ ll die down.
’ And it doesn ’ t .
It just keeps on going , and we ’ ll take it.
” The fast-thinking Kreider reached out on social media to hype the shirts after Trump ’ s remarks , and it worked .
The museum usually sells about 100 of the shirts annually , but some 1,500 flew off the shelf in just three days , Kreider told the Business Journal .
The windfall comes at an auspicious time for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early March as it struggled to pay creditors .
Shoppers drawn by the T-shirts are also purchasing other merchandise from the museum ’ s online store and donating funds as well , Kreider said .
“ It ’ s just a win-win for the museum , any way you look at it , ” she added .

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President Donald Trump’s embarrassing blooper mispronouncing “Yosemite” earlier this week is paying off hugely for a U.S. Jewish museum, sparking eye-popping online sales for its “Yo Semite” T-shirts.
Trump struggled Tuesday in a speech as he mistakenly referred — twice — to Yosemite (yoh-SEM-i-tee) National Park as “YO-semite.” (Twitter wags referred to it as “Yo! Semites!” — which could be a weird Trump greeting to Jews.)
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As it happens, the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia has been selling T-shirts with images of two sequoia redwood trees over the words “Yo Semite” since 2011. Trump’s gaffe sent sales skyrocketing.
Online shoppers spent $30,000 on the shirts and other merchandise in the first 30 hours after the blooper. That’s nearly the entire amount the museum collected in sales for all of June.
Gaze upon Yo-semite’s towering Sequoias with our "Yo Semite" t-shirt! 😉🌲 Get 'em while they're hot: https://t.co/PGNaXqbiwi #Yosemite pic.twitter.com/TXxs5nJ1oR — National Museum of American Jewish History (@NMAJH) August 4, 2020
“It just keeps gathering momentum,” said Kristen Kreider, the museum’s director of retail and visitor experience, to the Philadelphia Business Journal. “I just keep thinking, ‘OK, this is going to be over in the next couple of hours. It’ll die down.’ And it doesn’t. It just keeps on going, and we’ll take it.”
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The fast-thinking Kreider reached out on social media to hype the shirts after Trump’s remarks, and it worked.
The museum usually sells about 100 of the shirts annually, but some 1,500 flew off the shelf in just three days, Kreider told the Business Journal.
The windfall comes at an auspicious time for the museum, which shut down months ago. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early March as it struggled to pay creditors.
Shoppers drawn by the T-shirts are also purchasing other merchandise from the museum’s online store and donating funds as well, Kreider said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-08--Donald Trump's Long History Of Racism Laid Bare In New Ad

President Donald Trump ’ s decadeslong history of racism comes under the microscope in a new attack ad .
The spot released by the progressive PAC MeidasTouch late Friday highlights some of Trump ’ s many offensive comments and actions before and during his time in the White House ― including his promotion of the racist “ birther ” conspiracy theory about former President Barack Obama and his attacks on the five teenagers falsely convicted in the so-called Central Park Five case .
MeidasTouch , founded by the Meiselas brothers earlier this year , is one of multiple groups on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videos slamming Trump with the aim of defeating him in the 2020 election .
Anti-Trump GOP groups The Lincoln Project and Republican Voters Against Trump , made up of disaffected and disillusioned Republicans , have released a slew of clips in recent weeks , many garnering millions of views .
But the effect they are having on swaying voters remains unclear .
Bestselling author Don Winslow , a prominent critic of the president , has also joined the fray .
On Friday , his “ TrumpsFakeChristianity ” video showed how Trump “ uses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” MY NEW FILM SHORT # TrumpsFakeChristianity Donald Trump uses God the way he uses everyone else .
pic.twitter.com/VUMSdZZ8hZ — Don Winslow ( @ donwinslow ) August 7 , 2020

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President Donald Trump’s decadeslong history of racism comes under the microscope in a new attack ad.
The spot released by the progressive PAC MeidasTouch late Friday highlights some of Trump’s many offensive comments and actions before and during his time in the White House ― including his promotion of the racist “birther” conspiracy theory about former President Barack Obama and his attacks on the five teenagers falsely convicted in the so-called Central Park Five case.
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Check out the ad here:
MeidasTouch, founded by the Meiselas brothers earlier this year, is one of multiple groups on both sides of the aisle creating viral videos slamming Trump with the aim of defeating him in the 2020 election.
Anti-Trump GOP groups The Lincoln Project and Republican Voters Against Trump, made up of disaffected and disillusioned Republicans, have released a slew of clips in recent weeks, many garnering millions of views.
But the effect they are having on swaying voters remains unclear.
Bestselling author Don Winslow, a prominent critic of the president, has also joined the fray. On Friday, his “TrumpsFakeChristianity” video showed how Trump “uses God the way he uses everyone else.”
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Check out that video here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-08--'I Don't Care': Trump Responds To Intel That Russia Is Working To Get Him Elected Again

The Kremlin is using a “ range of measures ” to “ denigrate ” and “ undermine ” Biden as Russian officials maneuver again to interfere in the U.S. presidential election , William Evanina , director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center , said in a statement released Friday .
“ Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trump ’ s candidacy on social media and Russian television , ” the statement added .
When asked by a reporter about Evanina ’ s statement at his Bedminster golf resort in New Jersey , Trump responded : “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see in office is Donald Trump , because nobody ’ s been tougher on Russia — ever.
” “ I don ’ t care what anybody says , ” he added .
“ Nobody with any common sense would say ... look at what we ’ re doing with our military ... look at all of the things we ’ ve done with NATO , where I ’ ve raised $ 130 billion a year from countries that were delinquent and now they ’ re paying all of this money ... that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia.
” Trump hasn ’ t “ raised ” any money at NATO .
Countries in NATO also aren ’ t “ delinquent ” — nations are encouraged to contribute 2 % of their GDP .
Trump ’ s refusal to complain to or punish Russia for anti-American actions continues to confound observers .
Trump has said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s denials that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election , even though the U.S. intelligence community has concluded that it did so in a “ sweeping and systematic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s favor .
The president has also recently failed to take any action to punish Russia following revelations that the country was paying bounties to Taliban-linked militia members to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan .
He failed to even raise the issue in a recent conversation with Putin .
Evanina ’ s statement Friday also noted that China does not want “ unpredictable ” Trump reelected .
But actions Evanina cited concerning China regarded officials “ harshly ” criticizing the president ’ s statements on TikTok and Hong Kong , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. officials more thoroughly briefed on the intelligence were told that Russia is a far graver threat to the election , The New York Times reported .
China seeks to gain influence in American politics but has yet to take more decisive action .
As part of the Russian campaign to aid Trump , snippets of leaked Biden phone calls are being characterized by Derkach as as an attempt by the former vice president to block investigations into corruption at a Ukrainian energy company , where his son held a board position .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of Biden ’ s efforts as vice president to force a corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor from office for failing to investigate criminal activity , The Washington Post has reported .

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President Donald Trump shrugged off the latest intelligence warning Friday that Russia is “denigrating” presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to get Trump elected again.
“I don’t care what anybody says,” Trump responded to the new information.
The Kremlin is using a “range of measures” to “denigrate” and “undermine” Biden as Russian officials maneuver again to interfere in the U.S. presidential election, William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said in a statement released Friday. “Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trump’s candidacy on social media and Russian television,” the statement added.
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When asked by a reporter about Evanina’s statement at his Bedminster golf resort in New Jersey, Trump responded: “I think that the last person Russia wants to see in office is Donald Trump, because nobody’s been tougher on Russia — ever.”
“I don’t care what anybody says,” he added. “Nobody with any common sense would say ... look at what we’re doing with our military ... look at all of the things we’ve done with NATO, where I’ve raised $130 billion a year from countries that were delinquent and now they’re paying all of this money ... that’s all money to protect against Russia.”
Trump hasn’t “raised” any money at NATO. Countries in NATO also aren’t “delinquent” — nations are encouraged to contribute 2% of their GDP.
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"I don't care what anybody says" -- Trump dismisses the intelligence community's announcement today that Russia is once again helping him pic.twitter.com/dCHTbJctN6 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 8, 2020
Trump’s refusal to complain to or punish Russia for anti-American actions continues to confound observers. Trump has said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denials that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, even though the U.S. intelligence community has concluded that it did so in a “sweeping and systematic fashion” to sway the vote in Trump’s favor.
The president has also recently failed to take any action to punish Russia following revelations that the country was paying bounties to Taliban-linked militia members to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan. He failed to even raise the issue in a recent conversation with Putin.
Evanina’s statement Friday also noted that China does not want “unpredictable” Trump reelected. But actions Evanina cited concerning China regarded officials “harshly” criticizing the president’s statements on TikTok and Hong Kong, and didn’t mention any subterfuge.
U.S. officials more thoroughly briefed on the intelligence were told that Russia is a far graver threat to the election, The New York Times reported. China seeks to gain influence in American politics but has yet to take more decisive action.
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As part of the Russian campaign to aid Trump, snippets of leaked Biden phone calls are being characterized by Derkach as as an attempt by the former vice president to block investigations into corruption at a Ukrainian energy company, where his son held a board position. In fact, they appear to be part of Biden’s efforts as vice president to force a corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor from office for failing to investigate criminal activity, The Washington Post has reported.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-08--NRA's 'From Our Cold, Dead Hands' Attack On Shutdown Threat Does Not Go Well

This is what they always do they always try to scare people into supporting the NRA and not other gun @ @ @ @ @ private jets and Exotic vacations for their families .
There ’ s a reason so @ @ @ @ @ NRA in recent years over the corruption .
https : //t.co/qeQLgQ17Ke

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The National Rifle Association drew resentment and ridicule over its response to the news that New York Attorney General Letitia James is looking to disband the gun lobbying group over alleged financial misconduct.
Following James’ announcement Thursday, the NRA tweeted:
From our cold, dead hands. — NRA (@NRA) August 7, 2020
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Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, turned the tweet back on the group:
It is the cold, dead hands of my daughter and other innocent Americans that are never letting up on the @NRA. Your illegal terrorist business enterprise that engaged in money laundering and fraud with its victims treated as a cost of doing business is over. YOUR TIME IS UP!!! https://t.co/NU863Vyq29 — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) August 7, 2020
Parkland survivor Cameron Kasky said the NRA’s hands “seem pretty cold and dead right now tbh.”
I mean they seem pretty cold and dead right now tbh https://t.co/St92mzk8bk — Cam Kasky (@cameron_kasky) August 7, 2020
David Hogg, also a survivor of the Parkland shooting, called out the organization’s CEO and executive vice president Wayne LaPierre with these posts:
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This is what they always do they always try to scare people into supporting the NRA and not other gun groups because they want more private jets and Exotic vacations for their families.
There’s a reason so many people have left the NRA in recent years over the corruption. https://t.co/qeQLgQ17Ke — David Hogg Text “our power” to 954-954 🌊 (@davidhogg111) August 7, 2020
Wayne tweeted this— not about guns but about the NRA donations that he no longer gets to use for private jets 🤣 https://t.co/qeQLgQ17Ke — David Hogg Text “our power” to 954-954 🌊 (@davidhogg111) August 7, 2020
* I bet Wayne tweeted this from his private jet that the NRA paid for — David Hogg Text “our power” to 954-954 🌊 (@davidhogg111) August 7, 2020
Other critics noted the irony of the tweet, which is part of the “I’ll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands” slogan popularized by the NRA especially after its late president, the actor Charlton Heston, referenced it in a speech at the group’s 2000 convention.
No one is taking away your guns, just your ability to run a fraudulent charity. https://t.co/9AC9HsR1tI — Nate Igor Smith (@drivenbyboredom) August 7, 2020
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How about the cold, dead hands of the children who have died in school shootings? https://t.co/cg7A3WylAT — Samuel Scott (@samueljscott) August 7, 2020
Yeah, the NRA's hands are definitely cold and dead. RIP @NRA. https://t.co/fptJQKRItB — Touré (@Toure) August 7, 2020
The guns? Or the money? https://t.co/iXCaj8c7B8 — Andrew Crespo (@AndrewMCrespo) August 7, 2020
From your lips to god’s ears. https://t.co/YLrmqznFTC — Jonathan Gitlin (@drgitlin) August 7, 2020
No problem! Usually, you make other people's hands that way https://t.co/GdhRrYLIr8 — Chase Mitchell (@ChaseMit) August 7, 2020
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The irony behind this tweet is fucking insane lmaooo https://t.co/nnzOGESiqO — Matt Will Post (@MattPostSaysHi) August 7, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-08--New York City's Hottest New Energy Fight

The peakers are used infrequently but are expensive .
The stations run for an average of 6 % of the year , or about 500 hours , the clean-energy research group Strategen Consulting estimated .
The city paid the plants ’ owners $ 4.5 billion from 2010 to 2019 just to keep the units on standby , according to another analysis , from the newly formed PEAK Coalition , an alliance of five clean-energy and environmental justice groups .
The vast majority ― $ 3.9 billion ― went to three out-of-state companies : Houston-based NRG , the Boston-based private equity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equity firm LS Power Group .
But renewables like wind and solar aren ’ t viable on their own .
The sun doesn ’ t always shine , and wind is intermittent .
And the city has limited space to build out the number of solar panels and turbines that would be needed to match the generating capacity of a fuel-burning peaker .
That is what makes battery storage appealing .
Last October , the state utility regulator approved construction of a 316-megawatt battery at the LS Power-owned Ravenswood Generating Station in Long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ south of Astoria .
Once completed , the unit will be the largest utility battery in the state , and the first major foray into energy storage in the Northeast .
New York is aiming to build 1,500 megawatts of battery storage by 2025 as part of its efforts to adhere to a major new climate law passed last year .
The legislation , known as the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act , or CLCPA , mandated that New York generate 100 % of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ proven and prices have come down , ” said Dennis Wamsted , an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis .
One solution would be to bring more renewables generated outside the city limits onto the grid , which is divided in the state .
The upstate region generates 88 % of its power from zero-emissions sources , primarily hydroelectric dams and nuclear reactors , according to NYISO data .
Downstate in the city , Hudson Valley and Long Island , that figure is just 29 % .
And that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when the Indian Point nuclear power plant shuts down .
You could make a very good argument that we should be replacing the oil-fired peakers and most of the gas ones with storage .
It is totally within the realm of possibility to make it happen .
Dennis Wamsted , analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis Offshore wind turbines offer what some see as an easier route , since transmission lines would run under open waters .
Last year , the state granted contracts to build two massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to generate a combined 1,700 megawatts of electricity .
The projects have vast potential to both transform the industrial waterfront in Brooklyn and Queens with thousands of wind service and maintenance jobs and to provide much of the city ’ s electricity needs .
But the turbines aren ’ t expected to come online until 2024 , and that assumes none of the hiccups and delays that notoriously dog infrastructure projects in the Empire State .
“ We need to reach the ( CLCPA ) goals , but we also need to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we work to get there , ” said John Reese , the senior vice president of Astoria Generating Co. , the ArcLight-owned firm that runs the peaker plant in Gowanus .
“ Electric reliability is critical ― as everyone who lost power during the recent storm can attest to ― and building new infrastructure in New York is difficult , expensive and time-consuming .
”

A new storm is brewing over New York City's dirty electricity. Gary Hershorn via Getty Images
NEW YORK ― A chain-link fence runs along 20th Avenue through northwest Queens. To the South are blocks of brick multifamily homes, where grandmothers tend fig trees in verdant front yards and proud immigrant parents celebrate high school graduations with gaudy banners hung from balconies. North of the fence, power plants burn the oil and natural gas that feeds New York City’s insatiable thirst for electricity.
That fence is about to become a battle line in the fight over the city’s energy future.
One of the companies on the complex, NRG Energy, has quietly revived plans to replace its 50-year-old oil-burning generators with new gas-fired units, part of a $1.5 billion makeover the utility giant says will allow it to comply with state pollution rules while meeting electricity demand.
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But the new cadre of climate-change hard-liners who unseated incumbents in this summer’s primary wants to upend that. The group of more than half a dozen campaigned for the New York State Legislature on platforms that included shutting down fossil fuel generation and bringing private utilities under government control.
“This is what it means to live out your belief in the Green New Deal,” said Zohran Mamdani as he squinted through the fence on a sunny recent Saturday morning. The 28-year-old democratic socialist unseated 10-year incumbent Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas in the Democratic primary for the 36th Assembly District last month.
New York City’s roughly 15 “peaker” plants ― which produce extra generating capacity when the city’s demand eclipses the regular supply, like during a heatwave ― are aging, and they run primarily on oil and gas. As the city looks to shrink its output of planet-heating gases, the plants seem like low-hanging fruit.
The peakers are used infrequently but are expensive. The stations run for an average of 6% of the year, or about 500 hours, the clean-energy research group Strategen Consulting estimated. The city paid the plants’ owners $4.5 billion from 2010 to 2019 just to keep the units on standby, according to another analysis, from the newly formed PEAK Coalition, an alliance of five clean-energy and environmental justice groups. The vast majority ― $3.9 billion ― went to three out-of-state companies: Houston-based NRG, the Boston-based private equity fund ArcLight Capital and New Jersey-based private equity firm LS Power Group.
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Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who won the Democratic primary for New York's 36th Assembly District, canvasses in one of the Astoria neighborhood's parks near the utility complex. Kara McCurdy
Some of the peaker plants are more than 50 years old. State regulators estimate the older combustion turbines emit at least 30 times more nitrogen oxide, a smog-causing gas that causes respiratory problems, than do new units.
Air quality concerns are particularly acute in western Queens. The area, belted with highways and rimmed by power plants, already suffers higher rates of tiny but dangerous air pollution particles, known as particulate matter 2.5, that lodge in soft lung tissue and trigger asthma and cancer. The blocks that slope down toward the utility complex in Astoria have long been known as “Asthma Alley.”
Power companies say those concerns highlight the need to update old oil-fired peakers with new, more efficient gas-burning models. NRG also pointed to the tropical storm that battered New York last Tuesday, causing the worst outages since 2012′s Superstorm Sandy.
The primary election added new political star power to that fight. State Senate nominee Jabari Brisport and Assembly hopeful Marcela Mitaynes ― two democratic socialists and activists whose districts overlap with a separate project in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood ― won stunning upsets, securing the Democratic slot on ballots that haven’t gone for Republicans in generations. Both candidates last week joined a rally outside the Gowanus plant to demand a stop to the gas repowering.
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“We shouldn’t be building any new fossil fuel infrastructure,” Brisport said by phone Friday. “The fact that these peakers are trying to expand their footprint just flies in the face of our attempts to decarbonize our economy.”
Brisport and other opponents say building new gas units guarantees their use for decades to come, making it harder and more expensive to end the city’s dependence on fossil fuels.
But renewables like wind and solar aren’t viable on their own. The sun doesn’t always shine, and wind is intermittent. And the city has limited space to build out the number of solar panels and turbines that would be needed to match the generating capacity of a fuel-burning peaker. That is what makes battery storage appealing. Last October, the state utility regulator approved construction of a 316-megawatt battery at the LS Power-owned Ravenswood Generating Station in Long Island City, the Queens neighborhood just south of Astoria. Once completed, the unit will be the largest utility battery in the state, and the first major foray into energy storage in the Northeast.
A chart from NYISO shows the vast gap between electricity sources in New York's two major regions. NYISO
New York is aiming to build 1,500 megawatts of battery storage by 2025 as part of its efforts to adhere to a major new climate law passed last year. The legislation, known as the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, or CLCPA, mandated that New York generate 100% of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040. Meanwhile, battery technologies “have been proven and prices have come down,” said Dennis Wamsted, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
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“You could make a very good argument that we should be replacing the oil-fired peakers and most of the gas ones with storage,” Wamsted said by phone. “It is totally within the realm of possibility to make it happen.”
Fears Over Reliability
But the law doesn’t bar new fossil fuel construction outright and remains open-ended about how to reach its targets. The New York Independent System Operator, the nonprofit that manages the state’s electrical grid, warned last year that a system devoid of fossil fuels is significantly more fragile. When a single fossil fuel plant goes down, its outage generally doesn’t impair the ability of other plants to burn fuels and produce electricity.
“On the contrary, individual wind and solar generators may be simultaneously affected by regional weather conditions, such as extended periods of low wind,” NYISO concluded in its 2020 Power Trends report.
Storage resources, meanwhile, “are currently limited in their ability to supply the grid for such durations on a daily basis due, in part, to the time needed for recharging,” it said.
“To ensure reliability, you need to have some kind of system that will turn on very quickly to meet those peak load hours in case the wind dies or clouds reduce the amount of solar output,” Casey Kopp, a regional power market analyst at the energy research firm Wood Mackenzie, said by phone. “Storage is such a new product that it’s hard to understand whether it can really serve that peaking capability.”
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A growing body of research projects how the country could rapidly transition off fossil-fueled electricity production. One recent study from the group Rewiring America found that the United States could generate virtually all its electricity from wind, solar and nuclear by 2035 and keep global warming within the range the Paris Agreement hoped to set, even without drastically altering other facets of American life.
But that assumes a grand federal program on the scale of the World War II-era New Deal ― something even a rich state like New York could not do on its own.
One solution would be to bring more renewables generated outside the city limits onto the grid, which is divided in the state. The upstate region generates 88% of its power from zero-emissions sources, primarily hydroelectric dams and nuclear reactors, according to NYISO data. Downstate in the city, Hudson Valley and Long Island, that figure is just 29%. And that percentage could decrease even more next year, when the Indian Point nuclear power plant shuts down.
Laying new transmission lines from the sparsely populated upstate region to the metropolitan downstate could balance out the problem and make the city less reliant on fossil fuels. But building transmission lines, like fossil fuel pipelines, is costly and difficult, as the projects cross multiple jurisdictions and offer property owners ample recourse to block construction.
“You could make a very good argument that we should be replacing the oil-fired peakers and most of the gas ones with storage. It is totally within the realm of possibility to make it happen.” - Dennis Wamsted, analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis
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Developers first pitched the Champlain Hudson Power Express, once described as “essentially a 333-mile extension cord down the Hudson River from Quebec to New York City,” in 2008. In 2020, a year before it was scheduled to come online, the proposal remains the subject of heated debate. Last November, Riverkeeper, a state environmental group, withdrew its support for the project. In June, the Sierra Club called for more reviews of the proposal.
Offshore wind turbines offer what some see as an easier route, since transmission lines would run under open waters. Last year, the state granted contracts to build two massive wind farms off Long Island, set to generate a combined 1,700 megawatts of electricity. The projects have vast potential to both transform the industrial waterfront in Brooklyn and Queens with thousands of wind service and maintenance jobs and to provide much of the city’s electricity needs. But the turbines aren’t expected to come online until 2024, and that assumes none of the hiccups and delays that notoriously dog infrastructure projects in the Empire State.
Peaker plant owners, meanwhile, are up against a deadline. New state regulations on nitrogen oxide emissions come into force in May 2023. The rules would require older, oil-fired units to shut down or obtain a waiver to continue operating.
“We need to reach the (CLCPA) goals, but we also need to keep the lights and air conditioning on as we work to get there,” said John Reese, the senior vice president of Astoria Generating Co., the ArcLight-owned firm that runs the peaker plant in Gowanus. “Electric reliability is critical ― as everyone who lost power during the recent storm can attest to ― and building new infrastructure in New York is difficult, expensive and time-consuming.”
New, More Hawkish Legislators
On its website, NRG said the repowering in Astoria would lower peak emissions by “up to 99% per hour” and “use technology that can be fully converted to zero-carbon fuel in the future.” That could mean the company plans to eventually run the gas turbines on hydrogen, a cleaner fuel that is increasingly popular in Europe but that the federal Department of Energy describes as “still in its infancy.”
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A view of the Ravenswood Generating Station from the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge. The power plant is building New York State's largest battery. Cindy Ord via Getty Images
In a letter urging state regulators to halt the project, four groups ― 350.org Brooklyn, New York Communities for Change, Food & Water Watch and the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America ― accused NRG of promoting the potential of hydrogen “in an attempt to obfuscate” the near-term plans.
The groups asked the state Department of Environmental Conservation to submit the project to review under a provision of a 2011 law requiring power plants to study pollution effects and hold public hearings on repowering proposals.
But NRG received its initial approval for the project before that law was in place. At the time, there was strong support for the repowering project. Last year, the state Department of Public Service ruled that the project did not require additional review.
It’s unclear how much legal leverage Mamdani, Brisport and others would have in the state Legislature. But they’re already considering potential approaches. Mamdani and Brisport said they’d consider bills to prohibit new fossil fuel infrastructure in the state. Both also support the Democratic Socialists of America’s campaign to bring New York City’s electric utility, Consolidated Edison, and gas provider, National Grid, under government control, a process that would likely mean buying out the local infrastructure.
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Mamdani and Brisport see clear mandates from voters to go big.
Brisport campaigned hard on climate issues and beat Tremaine Wright, a party-backed assemblywoman, in the race to replace legislative stalwart Velmanette Montgomery, the retiring 35-year Senate incumbent.
Unlike other democratic socialists who unseated dynastic Assembly legislators entrenched in outer-borough political machines, Mamdani defeated Simotas, a telegenic 41-year-old with a liberal voting record. It marked perhaps the first major example of a democratic socialist triumphing over a mainline progressive ― and, in his view, showed voters’ appetite for dramatic change.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-08--TikTok Threatens Suit Over Trump's 'Dangerous' Order To Ban The App

TikTok is threatening to sue to block Donald Trump ’ s executive order effectively banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app in the U.S. in 45 days , calling the president ’ s action a “ dangerous precedent ” threatening “ open markets.
” TikTok said in blog post it was “ shocked ” by the order , and slammed the Trump administration ’ s lack of “ due process or adherence to the law.
” It warned that the sudden edict risks undermining global business “ trust in the United States ’ commitment to the rule of law , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spurred decades of American economic growth.
” It sets a “ dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets , ” the statement added .
TikTok vowed to pursue “ all remedies ” to “ ensure that the rule of law is not discarded , and that our company and our users are treated fairly — if not by the Administration , then by the US courts.
” Trump ’ s order , if it is carried out , will ban any U.S. transaction with TikTok ’ s Beijing-based owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a security risk to the U.S. , which gives him the power to order it shut down .
TikTok data collection “ threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans ’ personal and proprietary information , ” the order states .
Microsoft is currently negotiating to buy TikTok from ByteDance , but it ’ s now under an extremely tight timeline to reach a deal .
In an unprecedented move involving an American company , Trump this week demanded that a percentage of any sale be given the to U.S. Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or both .
Trump demanded in a second executive order that U.S. transactions with popular messaging app WeChat also be banned in 45 days .
WeChat , owned by Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent , is used by millions of people around the globe .
The company owns or invests in several major American gaming companies , including Activision Blizzard , Riot Games and Epic Games , reports CNBC .
Action against WeChat could hurt all the companies just as the U.S. is reeling under the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis .
TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has forged an anti-Trump reputation , which many users are convinced is playing a role in the president ’ s crackdown on the company .
TikTok users in June flooded the Trump campaign with fake requests for seat reservations at the president ’ s Tulsa , Oklahoma , rally , and proudly took a bow for the thousands of empty seats on the big day .

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TikTok is threatening to sue to block Donald Trump’s executive order effectively banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app in the U.S. in 45 days, calling the president’s action a “dangerous precedent” threatening “open markets.”
TikTok said in blog post it was “shocked” by the order, and slammed the Trump administration’s lack of “due process or adherence to the law.”
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It warned that the sudden edict risks undermining global business “trust in the United States’ commitment to the rule of law, which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth.” It sets a “dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets,” the statement added.
TikTok vowed to pursue “all remedies” to “ensure that the rule of law is not discarded, and that our company and our users are treated fairly — if not by the Administration, then by the US courts.”
Trump’s order, if it is carried out, will ban any U.S. transaction with TikTok’s Beijing-based owner ByteDance. Trump claims the app is a security risk to the U.S., which gives him the power to order it shut down. TikTok data collection “threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information,” the order states.
Microsoft is currently negotiating to buy TikTok from ByteDance, but it’s now under an extremely tight timeline to reach a deal. In an unprecedented move involving an American company, Trump this week demanded that a percentage of any sale be given the to U.S. Treasury, to be paid by either party or both.
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Trump demanded in a second executive order that U.S. transactions with popular messaging app WeChat also be banned in 45 days.
WeChat, owned by Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent, is used by millions of people around the globe. The company owns or invests in several major American gaming companies, including Activision Blizzard, Riot Games and Epic Games, reports CNBC. Action against WeChat could hurt all the companies just as the U.S. is reeling under the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-07--Trump Calls Maskless Country Club Audience At Press Conference A 'Peaceful Protest'

President Donald Trump had dozens of guests at a press conference at his club in New Jersey , most of whom didn ’ t socially distance and some who didn ’ t wear masks for a time — appearing to flout state rules limiting indoor gatherings amid the pandemic and putting at risk the health of members of the media .
At the news conference held at Trump ’ s private golf club in Bedminster , which Trump announced late Friday , a reporter noted that Americans continue to die of COVID-19 nationwide , and yet , “ in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you ’ re not following the guidelines of New Jersey.
” New Jersey ’ s latest order limits indoor gatherings to 25 people in an effort to curb the spread of the virus .
More than 40 people can be counted in photos from the news conference .
As the guests booed the reporter , Trump responded : “ This is a political activity .
You ’ re wrong on that .
They have exceptions , political activity .
And it ’ s also a peaceful protest.
” Under the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funerals , religious services and political activity , which can have up to 100 people .
Yet Trump had announced this as a news conference , not a campaign rally .
“ And to me , they look like they all have — pretty much all have — masks on , ” Trump added .
“ You could call it political activity , but I ’ d call it peaceful protest , because they heard you were coming up and they know the news is fake , ” the president went on , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If the press in this country were honest , it wasn ’ t corrupt , if it wasn ’ t fake , our country would be so much further ahead .
But we ’ re doing really great.
” Trump then left , to more cheers from his guests .
New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy ’ s office declined to comment .
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The U.S. continues to lead the world in coronavirus cases and deaths , with more than 4.9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far .

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President Donald Trump had dozens of guests at a press conference at his club in New Jersey, most of whom didn’t socially distance and some who didn’t wear masks for a time — appearing to flout state rules limiting indoor gatherings amid the pandemic and putting at risk the health of members of the media.
At the news conference held at Trump’s private golf club in Bedminster, which Trump announced late Friday, a reporter noted that Americans continue to die of COVID-19 nationwide, and yet, “in this room, you have dozens of people, you’re not following the guidelines of New Jersey.” New Jersey’s latest order limits indoor gatherings to 25 people in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. More than 40 people can be counted in photos from the news conference.
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As the guests booed the reporter, Trump responded: “This is a political activity. You’re wrong on that. They have exceptions, political activity. And it’s also a peaceful protest.”
Under the state’s order, there are exceptions for funerals, religious services and political activity, which can have up to 100 people. Yet Trump had announced this as a news conference, not a campaign rally.
“And to me, they look like they all have — pretty much all have — masks on,” Trump added.
“You could call it political activity, but I’d call it peaceful protest, because they heard you were coming up and they know the news is fake,” the president went on, to cheers from the guests. “If the press in this country were honest, it wasn’t corrupt, if it wasn’t fake, our country would be so much further ahead. But we’re doing really great.” Trump then left, to more cheers from his guests.
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this is the scene pic.twitter.com/SbO20iBxa4 — Justin Sink (@justinsink) August 7, 2020
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s office declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-07--Larry Kudlow Again Discredits Jobless Workers, Gets Slammed For Misreading Study

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Friday again trotted out the Trump administration story that American workers would like nothing better than to sit at home collecting unemployment benefits .
He even cited an academic study to back him up — except he completely “ misinterpreted ” the research , according to the lead author of the study .
Kudlow repeated on CNN the administration ’ s attack on continuing the $ 600 a week extra unemployment benefit for American workers that expired last month .
He argued that the money is a disincentive to work , refusing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the newly unemployed has dramatically shrunk amid the COVID-19 crisis , which prompted the stimulus measure in the first place .
“ But , Larry , the University of Chicago survey , it doesn ’ t conclude what you ’ re arguing , ” Harlow said , adding that she ’ d talked to the study ’ s lead author , Peter Ganong , who told her it was a “ mistake to draw the conclusion as you have been and the White House has been that right now it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Well , look , whoever that chap is , he or she ... .
we can argue one academic versus another , ” Kudlow responded .
Harlow reminded him : “ You brought up the University of Chicago ” study .
She added : “ You ’ ve read the study , right ?
” Kudlow insisted that he ’ s “ seen the work.
” He then named an economist from the University of Chicago who had nothing to do with the study .
HARLOW : What evidence do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people to go back to work ?
KUDLOW : This University of Chicago study H : I talked to the author of the study last night .
It does n't say that KUDLOW : Well , we can argue one academic versus another pic.twitter.com/NkgabFntXS — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) August 7 , 2020 In fact , none of the recent five studies of the enhanced unemployment benefits support the administration ’ s claims .
Evidence shows the extra money has kept many families out of poverty during the COVID-19 crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as people spend the much-needed funds .
The University of Chicago study in May found that in some cases workers were collecting more in enhanced unemployment benefits than they had been earning .
But payments likely won ’ t create a disincentive to work “ until the public health threat diminishes and businesses again look to hire , ” the study noted .
A Yale study released early this month concluded that there is “ no evidence ” that enhanced unemployment benefits have decreased employment .
People who were collecting enhanced benefits actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quicker rate than others who were not eligible for the extra aid once work was available , according to the study , “ Employment Effects of Unemployment Insurance Generosity During the Pandemic.
” Ganong praised Harlow on Friday for taking the time to learn the facts of the study and to explain to Kudlow how he had “ misinterpreted ” the findings .
She then called Kudlow out for all the times he has been wrong about the economy and the pandemic , including in February when he declared COVID-19 containment was “ @ @ @ @ @ @

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Friday again trotted out the Trump administration story that American workers would like nothing better than to sit at home collecting unemployment benefits. He even cited an academic study to back him up — except he completely “misinterpreted” the research, according to the lead author of the study.
Kudlow repeated on CNN the administration’s attack on continuing the $600 a week extra unemployment benefit for American workers that expired last month. He argued that the money is a disincentive to work, refusing to recognize that the number of available jobs for the newly unemployed has dramatically shrunk amid the COVID-19 crisis, which prompted the stimulus measure in the first place.
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“What evidence do you have?” CNN host Poppy Harlow asked Kudlow.
“What evidence?” asked an exasperated Kudlow, who cited a University of Chicago study.
“But, Larry, the University of Chicago survey, it doesn’t conclude what you’re arguing,” Harlow said, adding that she’d talked to the study’s lead author, Peter Ganong, who told her it was a “mistake to draw the conclusion as you have been and the White House has been that right now it’s a disincentive to go back to work.”
Ganong has estimated that without some enhanced unemployment benefits, aggregate spending could fall 4.3% — a steeper economic decline than during the Great Recession.
“Well, look, whoever that chap is, he or she .... we can argue one academic versus another,” Kudlow responded. Harlow reminded him: “You brought up the University of Chicago” study.
She added: “You’ve read the study, right?” Kudlow insisted that he’s “seen the work.” He then named an economist from the University of Chicago who had nothing to do with the study.
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HARLOW: What evidence do you have that unemployment benefits are a disincentive for people to go back to work?
KUDLOW: This University of Chicago study
H: I talked to the author of the study last night. It doesn't say that
KUDLOW: Well, we can argue one academic versus another pic.twitter.com/NkgabFntXS — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 7, 2020
Study researcher Ganong responded to the interview on Twitter, noting that Kudlow never cited another study — nor challenged the study’s findings.
Note: Larry did not actually cite another academic either as (a) saying that our study was wrong or (b) saying that we had misinterpreted our own study. — Peter Ganong (@p_ganong) August 7, 2020
In fact, none of the recent five studies of the enhanced unemployment benefits support the administration’s claims. Evidence shows the extra money has kept many families out of poverty during the COVID-19 crisis and created a stimulus to the economy as people spend the much-needed funds.
The University of Chicago study in May found that in some cases workers were collecting more in enhanced unemployment benefits than they had been earning. But payments likely won’t create a disincentive to work “until the public health threat diminishes and businesses again look to hire,” the study noted.
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When Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin earlier this month claimed the study found that enhanced benefits discouraged work, Ganong instantly tweeted: “That is not what we find.”
A Yale study released early this month concluded that there is “no evidence” that enhanced unemployment benefits have decreased employment. People who were collecting enhanced benefits actually resumed working at a similar and even quicker rate than others who were not eligible for the extra aid once work was available, according to the study, “Employment Effects of Unemployment Insurance Generosity During the Pandemic.”
Ganong praised Harlow on Friday for taking the time to learn the facts of the study and to explain to Kudlow how he had “misinterpreted” the findings.
👏👏👏 for @PoppyHarlowCNN
Many journalists would have turned our UI replacement rates work into a he-said, she-said story.
She took the time to reach out, understand how our study was misinterpreted, and explain that to Larry Kudlow. https://t.co/oFdWZMhih1 — Peter Ganong (@p_ganong) August 7, 2020
Harlow also reminded Kudlow that American workers take pride in their work.
She then called Kudlow out for all the times he has been wrong about the economy and the pandemic, including in February when he declared COVID-19 containment was “pretty close to airtight.”
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Kudlow responded: “I kind of resent your little nitpicking here.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-07--Joe Arpaio Loses Primary For His Old Job As Sheriff

ASSOCIATED PRESS Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio , who ran for Maricopa County Sheriff again .
He lost the comeback bid to his former deputy , Jerry Sheridan .
America ’ s most infamous — former — sheriff , Joe Arpaio , won ’ t be getting his old job back , after losing the Republican primary race to his former deputy , Jerry Sheridan , in Maricopa County , Arizona .
Arpaio , 88 , who has dubbed himself “ America ’ s toughest sheriff ” for his hardline anti-immigrant stances , was previously the sheriff in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing his seat in a landslide defeat in 2016 .
Arpaio was best known for his “ immigration stops , ” where he ’ d illegally detain Latino residents on suspicion of immigration law violations — a practice the courts ordered him to cease .
He was convicted of criminal contempt in 2017 for violating that court order , after years of allegations that Arpaio ’ s policing tactics amounted to racial profiling and unconstitutionally targeted Latinos .
President Donald Trump pardoned his sentence .
It was a tight four-way primary , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served under Arpaio for much of his career and held a leadership position in the sheriff ’ s department during the racial profiling lawsuit .
The court ruled that Sheridan also acted in contempt of the court order , but ultimately didn ’ t charge him criminally .
As sheriff , Arpaio was known for establishing an outdoor jail — a “ Tent City ” that Arpaio himself once proudly referred to as a “ concentration camp ” — where inmates were forced to walk around in chains , endure extreme temperatures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a big supporter of the baseless conspiracy theory , popularized by Trump , that former President Barack Obama was not an American citizen .
Arpaio announced he would be running for his old seat in 2019 , vowing to bring back the outdoor jails and immigration crackdowns that his successor , Democrat Paul Penzone , a retired Phoenix police sergeant , did away with .
Sheridan ran on an agenda similar to Arpaio ’ s , calling for a return of “ Tent City , in some form.
” His campaign platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ an effective deterrent for many first-time offenders.
” Penzone is running for reelection and was unopposed in the Democratic primary .
This is Arpaio ’ s second failed bid at elected office since badly losing to Penzone by nearly 13 points in 2016 .
In 2018 , Arpaio came in third in the Republican Senate primary , in which he lost Maricopa County .

Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who ran for Maricopa County Sheriff again. He lost the comeback bid to his former deputy, Jerry Sheridan. ASSOCIATED PRESS
America’s most infamous — former — sheriff, Joe Arpaio, won’t be getting his old job back, after losing the Republican primary race to his former deputy, Jerry Sheridan, in Maricopa County, Arizona.
Arpaio, 88, who has dubbed himself “America’s toughest sheriff” for his hardline anti-immigrant stances, was previously the sheriff in the Phoenix metro area for 24 years before losing his seat in a landslide defeat in 2016.
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Arpaio was best known for his “immigration stops,” where he’d illegally detain Latino residents on suspicion of immigration law violations — a practice the courts ordered him to cease. He was convicted of criminal contempt in 2017 for violating that court order, after years of allegations that Arpaio’s policing tactics amounted to racial profiling and unconstitutionally targeted Latinos. President Donald Trump pardoned his sentence.
It was a tight four-way primary, with Arpaio and Sheridan as favorites. Sheridan served under Arpaio for much of his career and held a leadership position in the sheriff’s department during the racial profiling lawsuit. The court ruled that Sheridan also acted in contempt of the court order, but ultimately didn’t charge him criminally.
As sheriff, Arpaio was known for establishing an outdoor jail — a “Tent City” that Arpaio himself once proudly referred to as a “concentration camp” — where inmates were forced to walk around in chains, endure extreme temperatures, and wear pink underwear. He also was a big supporter of the baseless conspiracy theory, popularized by Trump, that former President Barack Obama was not an American citizen.
Arpaio announced he would be running for his old seat in 2019, vowing to bring back the outdoor jails and immigration crackdowns that his successor, Democrat Paul Penzone, a retired Phoenix police sergeant, did away with.
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Sheridan ran on an agenda similar to Arpaio’s, calling for a return of “Tent City, in some form.” His campaign platform said Sheridan considers the outdoor jail as “an effective deterrent for many first-time offenders.”
Penzone is running for reelection and was unopposed in the Democratic primary.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-08--Utah Protesters Who Allegedly Vandalized District Attorney's Office Could Face Life In Prison

McNeil is facing several felony charges in connection with allegedly buying the red paint used to deface the building and @ @ @ @ @ police officer , according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Daily Beast .
“ @ @ @ @ @ because I think that I did anything wrong , because I know that I didn @ @ @ @ @ told The Daily Beast .
“ But it would be very foolish of me to @ @ @ @ @ life in prison and not be scared .
When I heard about that [ the @ @ @ @ @ that in the eyes of the state , I had become an enemy for exercising @ @ @ @ @ a protected right .
”

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A group of Utah protesters accused of splashing red paint on and smashing the windows of a federal building could face life in prison after a local prosecutor elevated their charges.
A group of protesters allegedly vandalized the office of Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill in Salt Lake City last month after Gill cleared two officers of wrongdoing in the police killing of Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal.
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Carbajal was fatally shot running away from police on May 23. Officers fired at Carbajal 34 times, but Gill determined they were justified because Carbajal repeatedly dropped and picked up a gun while fleeing, according to Gill’s investigation.
The lack of charges against the officers sparked multiple protests, culminating in a standoff between riot police and around 300 protesters on July 9. Someone smashed windows and threw red paint on Gill’s office. Riot police eventually showed up and dispersed the crowd, The Washington Post reported.
Gill has now charged seven people with felony rioting, which carries a sentence of five years to life behind bars under a gang enhancement upgrade.
Critics accused Gill of filing excessive charges and questioned why he was allowed to file the charges, given the conflict of interest. The vandalism was carried out against Gill’s office building, and Gill was called out by name that night by protesters, The Salt Lake Tribune pointed out:
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So far, Alcalá, Marvin Oliveros, Madalena McNeil, Madison Alleman, Viviane Turman, Michelle Mower and Emanuel Hill have been charged with criminal mischief, which normally tops out as a second-degree felony, but prosecutors argued the charge should be upgraded using a “gang enhancement.” The seventh defendant, Hurija Mustafic, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of alleged assault against a police officer.
Brent Huff, a lawyer who represents Alleman, argued that the charges were “retaliatory.”
Jesse Nix, a lawyer who represents Turman, called the charges “despicable” and “an absolute conflict.” “I’m disappointed that they didn’t recognize the conflict and send it out to someone else to decide what to charge,” Nix told the Tribune. “Because right now, it feels like Sim Gill is upset at the damage to his beautiful building so he’s going to do everything he can to scare protesters.”
Gill told The Daily Beast he was handling the case because of staff shortages but said other prosecutors would handle the case going forward. He added that those prosecutors could decide to remove the enhancements.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--Fire Kills 11 Patients In Southern India COVID-19 Facility

ASSOCIATED PRESS Rescuers in protective suits carry the body of a victim from Hotel Swarna Palace where a fire broke out early morning in Vijayawada , Andhra Pradesh state , India , Sunday , Aug. 9 , 2020 .
( AP Photo ) HYDERABAD , India ( AP ) — A fire killed 11 coronavirus patients early Sunday at a southern Indian hotel being used as a COVID-19 facility , officials said , in the second such incident this month .
The blaze at Hotel Swarna Palace in the city of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh state broke out at 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the multistory building , said Senior police officer Srinivasulu , who uses only one name .
At least 22 people were brought to hospitals , he said .
The fire was brought under control but the smoke was still billowing out from the building , he said .
Srinivasulu said that an electrical short-circuit appeared to be the cause of the fire .
Rescuers and others stand outside Hotel Swarna Palace where a fire broke out early morning in Vijayawada , Andhra Pradesh state , India , Sunday , Aug. 9 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and assured survivors of all possible support .
This the second fire incident at a COVID-19 facility in India this month .
On Thursday , eight people were killed in a fire in the intensive care unit of a private COVID-19 designated hospital in Ahmedabad in Gujarat state .
Fires are common in buildings in India because of poor safety standards with inadequate fire extinguishers , smoke detectors and fire alarm systems .

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HYDERABAD, India (AP) — A fire killed 11 coronavirus patients early Sunday at a southern Indian hotel being used as a COVID-19 facility, officials said, in the second such incident this month.
The blaze at Hotel Swarna Palace in the city of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh state broke out at 5 a.m. Rescue teams evacuated those trapped in the multistory building, said Senior police officer Srinivasulu, who uses only one name.
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At least 22 people were brought to hospitals, he said.
Rescuers in protective suits carry the body of a victim from Hotel Swarna Palace where a fire broke out early morning in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh state, India, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020. (AP Photo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
The fire was brought under control but the smoke was still billowing out from the building, he said.
Srinivasulu said that an electrical short-circuit appeared to be the cause of the fire.
Rescuers and others stand outside Hotel Swarna Palace where a fire broke out early morning in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh state, India, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020. (AP Photo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and assured survivors of all possible support.
This the second fire incident at a COVID-19 facility in India this month. On Thursday, eight people were killed in a fire in the intensive care unit of a private COVID-19 designated hospital in Ahmedabad in Gujarat state.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--U.S. Coronavirus Response Met With Alarm Abroad

Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. is America ’ s bungled virus response viewed with more consternation than in Italy , which was ground zero of Europe ’ s epidemic .
Italians were unprepared when the outbreak exploded in February and the country still has one of the world ’ s highest official death tolls at 35,000 .
Much of the incredulity in Europe stems from the fact that America had the benefit of time , European experience and medical know-how to treat the virus that the continent itself didn ’ t have when the first COVID-19 patients started filling intensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four months into a sustained outbreak , the U.S. is about to hit an astonishing milestone of 5 million confirmed infections , easily the highest in the world .
Health officials believe the actual number is closer to 50 million , given testing limitations and the fact that as many as 40 % of all cases are asymptomatic .
President Donald Trump prepares to sign four executive orders during a news conference at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster , N.J. , Saturday , Aug. 8 , 2020 .
Seizing the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump on Saturday moved to bypass the nation 's elected lawmakers as he claimed the authority to defer payroll taxes and extend an expired unemployment benefit after negotiations with Congress on a new coronavirus rescue package collapsed .
( AP Photo/Susan Walsh ) The virus is still raging in some Balkan countries and thousands of maskless protesters demanded an end to virus restrictions in Berlin earlier this month .
Hard-hit Spain , France and Germany have seen infection rebounds with new cases topping 1,000 a day , and Italy ’ s cases inched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.K. is still seeing an estimated 3,700 new infections daily , and some scientists say the country ’ s beloved pubs might have to close again if schools are to reopen in September without causing a new wave .
In the U.S. , new cases run at about 54,000 a day — an immensely higher number even when taking into account its larger population .
And while that ’ s down from a peak of well over 70,000 last month , cases are rising in nearly 20 states , and deaths are climbing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professionals been allowed to operate in the States , you would have belatedly gotten to a point of getting to grips with this back in March , ” said Scott Lucas , professor of international studies at the University of Birmingham , England .
“ But of course , the medical and public health professionals were not allowed to proceed unchecked , ” he said , referring to Trump ’ s frequent undercutting of his own experts .
When the virus first appeared in the United States , Trump and his supporters quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” or a virus that would quickly disappear once warmer weather arrived .
At one point , Trump suggested that ultraviolet light or injecting disinfectants would eradicate the virus .
( He later said he was being facetious ) .
Trump has defended the U.S. response , blaming China , where the virus was first detected , for America ’ s problems and saying the U.S. numbers are so high because there is so much testing .
Trump supporters and Americans who have refused to wear masks against all medical advice back that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls with counterparts from around the globe , “ Everyone can not believe what they ’ re seeing in the U.S. and they can not believe the words coming out of the leadership , ’ ’ he said .
Even the European Commission president , Ursula von der Leyen , has taken the unusual step of criticizing the U.S. when she urged Washington to reconsider its decision to break ties with the WHO .
She also issued veiled criticism of U.S. efforts to buy up stocks of any vaccine that might prove effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide access to everyone “ irrespective of where they live .
”

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ROME (AP) — With confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. hitting 5 million Sunday, by far the highest of any country, the failure of the most powerful nation in the world to contain the scourge has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe.
Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. is America’s bungled virus response viewed with more consternation than in Italy, which was ground zero of Europe’s epidemic. Italians were unprepared when the outbreak exploded in February, and the country still has one of the world’s highest official death tolls at 35,000.
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But after a strict nationwide, 10-week lockdown, vigilant tracing of new clusters and general acceptance of mask mandates and social distancing, Italy has become a model of virus containment.
“Don’t they care about their health?” a mask-clad Patrizia Antonini asked about people in the United States as she walked with friends along the banks of Lake Bracciano, north of Rome. “They need to take our precautions. ... They need a real lockdown.”
Stephanie Grant, left, and Tiffany Barker joins others during an anti-mask rally Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Much of the incredulity in Europe stems from the fact that America had the benefit of time, European experience and medical know-how to treat the virus that the continent itself didn’t have when the first COVID-19 patients started filling intensive care units.
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Yet, more than four months into a sustained outbreak, the U.S. reached the 5 million mark, according to the running count kept by Johns Hopkins University. Health officials believe the actual number is perhaps 10 times higher, or closer to 50 million, given testing limitations and the fact that as many as 40% of all those who are infected have no symptoms.
“We Italians always saw America as a model,” said Massimo Franco, a columnist with daily Corriere della Sera. “But with this virus we’ve discovered a country that is very fragile, with bad infrastructure and a public health system that is nonexistent.”
President Donald Trump prepares to sign four executive orders during a news conference at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020. Seizing the power of his podium and his pen, Trump on Saturday moved to bypass the nation's elected lawmakers as he claimed the authority to defer payroll taxes and extend an expired unemployment benefit after negotiations with Congress on a new coronavirus rescue package collapsed. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza hasn’t shied away from criticizing the U.S., officially condemning as “wrong” Washington’s decision to withhold funding from the World Health Organization and expressing amazement at President Donald Trump’s virus response.
After Trump finally donned a mask last month, Speranza told La7 television: “I’m not surprised by Trump’s behavior now; I’m profoundly surprised by his behavior before.”
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With America’s world’s-highest death toll of more than 160,000, its politicized resistance to masks and its rising caseload, European nations have barred American tourists and visitors from other countries with growing cases from freely traveling to the bloc.
France and Germany are now imposing tests on arrival for travelers from “at risk” countries, the U.S. included.
“I am very well aware that this impinges on individual freedoms, but I believe that this is a justifiable intervention,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn said last week.
Passengers queue at a Corona test center at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mistakes were made in Europe, too, from delayed lockdowns to insufficient protections for nursing home elderly and critical shortages of tests and protective equipment for medical personnel.
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The virus is still raging in some Balkan countries, and thousands of maskless protesters demanded an end to virus restrictions in Berlin earlier this month. Hard-hit Spain, France and Germany have seen infection rebounds with new cases topping 1,000 a day, and Italy’s cases inched up over 500 on Friday. Britain is still seeing an estimated 3,700 new infections daily, and some scientists say the country’s beloved pubs might have to close again if schools are to reopen in September without causing a new wave.
Europe as a whole has seen over 207,000 confirmed virus deaths, by Johns Hopkins’ count.
In the U.S., new cases are running at about 54,000 a day — an immensely high number even when taking into account the country’s larger population. And while that’s down from a peak of well over 70,000 last month, cases are rising in nearly 20 states, and deaths are climbing in most.
In contrast, at least for now Europe appears to have the virus somewhat under control.
Utah school teacher Emily Johnson protests with other teachers at the Utah State Capitol, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Had the medical professionals been allowed to operate in the States, you would have belatedly gotten to a point of getting to grips with this back in March,” said Scott Lucas, professor of international studies at the University of Birmingham, England. “But of course, the medical and public health professionals were not allowed to proceed unchecked,” he said, referring to Trump’s frequent undercutting of his own experts.
When the virus first appeared in the United States, Trump and his supporters quickly dismissed it as either a “hoax” or a virus that would quickly disappear once warmer weather arrived. At one point, Trump suggested that ultraviolet light or injecting disinfectants would eradicate the virus. (He later said he was being facetious).
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Trump’s frequent complaints about Dr. Anthony Fauci have regularly made headlines in Europe, where the U.S. infectious-disease expert is a respected figure. Italy’s leading COVID-19 hospital offered Fauci a job if Trump fired him.
President Donald tours the Whirlpool Corporation in Clyde, Ohio, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Trump has defended the U.S. response, blaming China, where the virus was first detected, for America’s problems and saying the U.S. numbers are so high because there is so much testing. Trump supporters and Americans who have refused to wear masks against all medical advice back that line.
“There’s no reason to fear any sickness that’s out there,” said Julia Ferjo, a mother of three in Alpine, Texas, who is “vehemently” against wearing a mask. Ferjo, 35, teaches fitness classes in a large gym with open doors. She doesn’t allow participants to wear masks.
“When you’re breathing that hard, I would pass out,” she said. “I do not want people just dropping like flies.”
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And health officials watched with alarm as thousands of bikers gathered Friday in the small South Dakota city of Sturgis for an annual 10-day motorcycle rally. The state has no mask mandates, and many bikers expressed defiance of measures meant to prevent the virus’s spread.
Dr. David Ho, director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, who is leading a team seeking treatments for COVID-19, decried such behavior, as well as the country’s handling of the virus.
“There’s no national strategy, no national leadership, and there’s no urging for the public to act in unison and carry out the measures together,” he said. “That’s what it takes, and we have completely abandoned that as a nation.”
When he gets on Zoom calls with counterparts from around the globe, “everyone cannot believe what they’re seeing in the U.S. and they cannot believe the words coming out of the leadership,’’ he said.
Even the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has taken the unusual step of criticizing the U.S. when she urged Washington to reconsider its decision to break ties with the WHO. She also issued veiled criticism of U.S. efforts to buy up stocks of any vaccine that might prove effective, vowing the EU will work to provide access to everyone “irrespective of where they live.”
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Many Europeans point proudly to their national health care systems that not only test but treat COVID-19 for free, unlike the American system, where the virus crisis has only exacerbated income and racial inequalities in obtaining health care.
“The coronavirus has brutally stripped bare the vulnerability of a country that has been sliding for years,” wrote Italian author Massimo Gaggi in his new book “Crack America” (Broken America), about U.S. problems that long predated COVID-19.
Gaggi said he started writing the book last year and thought then that the title would be taken as a provocative wake-up call. Then the virus hit.
“By March the title wasn’t a provocation any longer,” he said. “It was obvious.”
___
Pane reported from Boise, Idaho. AP reporters from around Europe contributed.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--New Zealand Records 100 Days Without Community Transmission Of COVID-19

New Zealand has marked 100 days without a domestic transmission of the coronavirus , but leaders have warned against complacency as countries like Vietnam and Australia ― which once had the virus under control ― now battle a resurgence in infections .
New Zealand ’ s successful fight against Covid-19 has made the Pacific island nation of 5 million people one of the safest places in the world right now .
Citizens have returned to normal life , but authorities are concerned that people have begun to refuse testing , are avoiding the government contact tracing apps , and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 days without community transmission is a significant milestone , however , as we all know , we can ’ t afford to be complacent , ” said New Zealand Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield .
“ We have seen overseas how quickly the virus can re-emerge and spread in places where it was previously under control , and we need to be prepared to quickly stamp out any future cases in New Zealand , ” he said .
New Zealand currently has 23 active cases in managed isolation facilities , and 1,219 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health authorities have recorded a total of 22 deaths related to the virus .
But other nations such as Vietnam ― which went three months without detecting any domestic transmission ― is now racing to control a new outbreak in Danang , fueling fears in New Zealand that further loosening of measures could spark a similar resurgence .
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses a press conference after the 2020 budget at Parliament in Wellington , New Zealand , Thursday , May 14 , 2020 .
Neighboring Australia ’ s second-biggest city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six week lockdown due to a surge in cases .
The second wave of cases in Melbourne has been largely a result of lapses in quarantining .
“ For countries like Australia and New Zealand the source of such outbreaks is likely to be from managed isolation and quarantine facilities because of the large numbers of people held there and the multiple shifts of staff involved in looking after them , ” said Michael Baker , professor of public health at the University of Otago .
There have been cases of returning New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other security slip ups .
New Zealand last week ramped up testing at quarantine facilities and clinics , and started work on technology to track people using Bluetooth technology .
But a potential resurgence of cases due to “ Covid fatigue ” could spark a backlash against her , and give the opposition a chance to work their way back into the election contest .

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New Zealand has marked 100 days without a domestic transmission of the coronavirus, but leaders have warned against complacency as countries like Vietnam and Australia ― which once had the virus under control ― now battle a resurgence in infections.
New Zealand’s successful fight against Covid-19 has made the Pacific island nation of 5 million people one of the safest places in the world right now.
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Citizens have returned to normal life, but authorities are concerned that people have begun to refuse testing, are avoiding the government contact tracing apps, and even ignoring basic hygiene rules.
“Achieving 100 days without community transmission is a significant milestone, however, as we all know, we can’t afford to be complacent,” said New Zealand Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield.
“We have seen overseas how quickly the virus can re-emerge and spread in places where it was previously under control, and we need to be prepared to quickly stamp out any future cases in New Zealand,” he said.
New Zealand currently has 23 active cases in managed isolation facilities, and 1,219 Covid-19 cases in all so far. Health authorities have recorded a total of 22 deaths related to the virus.
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The nation has attributed its success to stringent border control measures, a strict lockdown and a widespread program of testing and contact tracing.
But other nations such as Vietnam ― which went three months without detecting any domestic transmission ― is now racing to control a new outbreak in Danang, fueling fears in New Zealand that further loosening of measures could spark a similar resurgence.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses a press conference after the 2020 budget at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, Thursday, May 14, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Neighboring Australia’s second-biggest city, Melbourne, has gone into a six week lockdown due to a surge in cases. The second wave of cases in Melbourne has been largely a result of lapses in quarantining.
“For countries like Australia and New Zealand the source of such outbreaks is likely to be from managed isolation and quarantine facilities because of the large numbers of people held there and the multiple shifts of staff involved in looking after them,” said Michael Baker, professor of public health at the University of Otago.
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There have been cases of returning New Zealanders sneaking out of quarantine, and other security slip ups.
New Zealand last week ramped up testing at quarantine facilities and clinics, and started work on technology to track people using Bluetooth technology.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern kicked off her re-election campaign on Saturday calling it a “Covid election.”
But a potential resurgence of cases due to “Covid fatigue” could spark a backlash against her, and give the opposition a chance to work their way back into the election contest.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-09--Trump Ignores Reporter's Challenge On False Claim He Passed Vet Choice Health Law

President Donald Trump flat-out ignored a reporter ’ s challenge Saturday to his often-repeated false claim that he was responsible for passing the Veterans Choice health care law .
He then ended his press conference and walked out .
Trump yet again took credit for the law at his press conference at his Bedminster golf course in New Jersey on Saturday .
“ They ’ ve been trying to get that passed for decades and decades and decades , and no president ’ s ever been able to do it , and we got it done , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false claim by CBS News reporter Paula Reid .
“ Why you do keep saying that you passed Veterans Choice ?
It was passed in 2014.
” Reid asked Trump after he pointed at her to ask a question .
When he apparently tried to cut her off , she persisted : “ It ’ s a false statement , sir.
” Trump responded : “ Okay , thank you very much , everybody.
” He abruptly ended the press conference and walked away from the lectern .
Thank you Paula Reid .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yamiche Alcindor , Kaitlan Collins and Weijia Jiang that we need during these insanely trashy and trying times .
Keep challenging lies.pic.twitter.com/keluoP89Yo — Ricky Davila ( @ TheRickyDavila ) August 8 , 2020 '' That is a false statement , sir . ''
~ Paula Reid , to Trump .
Really nice to hear a reporter fact-check the untruthful president in real time , in front of an audience of his richest 'friends ' and donors .
— Annie Gabston-Howell- ( @ AnnieGabstonH ) August 9 , 2020 REMINDER : The guy who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicare with his Payroll Tax `` executive order '' had NOTHING TO DO with Veterans Choice , as Paula Reid pointed out .
🚨It was President Obama and Joe Biden , in 2014.🚨 TELL YOUR FRIENDS .
— BrooklynDad_Defiant !
( @ mmpadellan ) August 8 , 2020

President Donald Trump flat-out ignored a reporter’s challenge Saturday to his often-repeated false claim that he was responsible for passing the Veterans Choice health care law.
He then ended his press conference and walked out.
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Trump yet again took credit for the law during a press conference at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course on Saturday. “They’ve been trying to get that passed for decades and decades and decades, and no president’s ever been able to do it, and we got it done,” he said.
He was called out on the false claim by CBS News reporter Paula Reid.
“Why you do keep saying that you passed Veterans Choice? It was passed in 2014,” Reid said to Trump after he pointed at her to ask a question. When he appeared to cut her off, she persisted: “It’s a false statement, sir.”
Trump responded: “OK, thank you very much, everybody.” He abruptly ended the press conference and walked away from the lectern.
Reid gained instant praise on Twitter.
Thank you Paula Reid. It’s reporters like you, Yamiche Alcindor, Kaitlan Collins and Weijia Jiang that we need during these insanely trashy and trying times. Keep challenging lies.pic.twitter.com/keluoP89Yo — Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) August 8, 2020
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"That is a false statement, sir." ~ Paula Reid, to Trump.
Really nice to hear a reporter fact-check the untruthful president in real time, in front of an audience of his richest 'friends' and donors. — Annie Gabston-Howell- (@AnnieGabstonH) August 9, 2020
Here it is!! Our hero, Paula Reid! pic.twitter.com/hpb29BG1EL — Jarett (@flopp2024) August 8, 2020