thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-25--Dominic Cummings Has No Regrets Over Alleged Lockdown Breaches

LONDON ― Dominic Cummings , a senior aide to U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson , said at an extraordinary briefing in Downing Street he “ acted reasonably ” by driving to Durham during lockdown , and has no regrets .
Cummings was under intense pressure to resign after he drove some 260 miles to Durham and made another trip to the town of Barnard Castle while there .
A string of Tory MPs have called on the PM to sack his adviser , after they were inundated with complaints from the public who have been obeying the ‘ stay at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said fears over a lack of childcare for his four-year-old son , as well as concern that he and his ill wife were possibly infected with COVID-19 , drove the decision .
Asked if he felt he owed an apology to the public , he said , “ I don ’ t think I ’ m so different , and I don ’ t think there ’ s one rule for me and one rule for other people .
“ As I said , I knew what the guidance was .
It talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I think that in all the circumstances I behaved reasonably and legally as I said.
” He went on to say , “ I do not regret what I did ” but added that “ reasonable people may well disagree.
” The former Vote Leave boss also confirmed that he went on a “ short drive ” to Barnard Castle because his eyesight had been affected by the disease and his wife did not want to risk the long drive back to London .
He said : “ My wife was very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have been affected by the disease.
” Cummings said that during his time in Durham “ at no point did any of the three of us enter my parents ’ house or sister ’ s house.
” Addressing criticism from scores of families who felt they had to stick to the ‘ stay at home ’ advice issued by government , and Cummings said : “ I know that millions of people in this country have been suffering , thousands have died , many are angry about what they have seen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he also had concerns about his family ’ s safety as his home in London had become “ a target.
” “ The truth is that I had argued for lockdown , I did not oppose it but these stories had created a very bad atmosphere around my home , I was subjected to threats of violence , people came to my house shouting threats , there were posts on social media encouraging attacks.
” Cummings said he was worried that “ this situation would get worse ” and that he “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my wife and child at home all day and often into the night while I worked in Number 10 .
”

LONDON ― Dominic Cummings, a senior aide to U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said at an extraordinary briefing in Downing Street he “acted reasonably” by driving to Durham during lockdown, and has no regrets.
Cummings was under intense pressure to resign after he drove some 260 miles to Durham and made another trip to the town of Barnard Castle while there.
A string of Tory MPs have called on the PM to sack his adviser, after they were inundated with complaints from the public who have been obeying the ‘stay at home regulations’ stringently.
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But Cummings attempted to bat down criticism of his actions on Monday, telling reporters “I have not offered to resign,” adding, “I have not considered it.”
The adviser said fears over a lack of childcare for his four-year-old son, as well as concern that he and his ill wife were possibly infected with COVID-19, drove the decision.
He denies breaking the rules or the spirit of the rules.
Asked if he felt he owed an apology to the public, he said, “I don’t think I’m so different, and I don’t think there’s one rule for me and one rule for other people.
“As I said, I knew what the guidance was. It talks about exceptional circumstances with small children, and I think that in all the circumstances I behaved reasonably and legally as I said.”
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He went on to say, “I do not regret what I did” but added that “reasonable people may well disagree.”
The press conference was hastily organized on Monday afternoon after Johnson refusing to sack Cummings and claiming his aide acted “responsibly, legally and with integrity” stoked further fury.
The former Vote Leave boss also confirmed that he went on a “short drive” to Barnard Castle because his eyesight had been affected by the disease and his wife did not want to risk the long drive back to London.
He said: “My wife was very worried, particularly as my eyesight seemed to have been affected by the disease.”
He added: “We did not visit the castle, we did not walk around the town.”
Cummings said that during his time in Durham “at no point did any of the three of us enter my parents’ house or sister’s house.”
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He said their only exchanges were “shouted conversations at a distance” and his sister left shopping outside for them.
Addressing criticism from scores of families who felt they had to stick to the ‘stay at home’ advice issued by government, and Cummings said: “I know that millions of people in this country have been suffering, thousands have died, many are angry about what they have seen in the media about my actions.”
He said he also had concerns about his family’s safety as his home in London had become “a target.”
“The truth is that I had argued for lockdown, I did not oppose it but these stories had created a very bad atmosphere around my home, I was subjected to threats of violence, people came to my house shouting threats, there were posts on social media encouraging attacks.”
He also admitted he did not tell the prime minister, who had tested positive for coronavirus, about his decision.
Cummings said he was worried that “this situation would get worse” and that he “was worried about the possibility of leaving my wife and child at home all day and often into the night while I worked in Number 10.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Exposes Trump's 'Colossal' Lie About Obama

President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed former President Barack Obama for his administration ’ s shortcomings in dealing with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic .
“ The last administration left us nothing , ” Trump said last month .
But the St. Louis Post-Dispatch found that Trump ’ s own budget documents show the opposite ― exposing what it called “ a lie of colossal Trumpian proportions.
” The newspaper ’ s editorial board said the Trump administration told Congress that the Obama administration left it with everything needed for a pandemic ― and sought big budget cuts from the programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 budget asked Congress to cut the pandemic preparedness budget by $ 102.9 million , part of $ 595.5 million in requested cuts to public health preparedness and response outlay .
“ Obama left office with an unblemished record of building up the nation ’ s pandemic preparedness , ” the newspaper said .
“ Trump systematically sought to dismantle it.
” Trump has since blamed his predecessor for lack of personal protective equipment and testing supplies , saying “ our cupboards were bare .
We had very little in our stockpile.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Trump administration with the budget shows that by 2016 ― Obama ’ s final year in office ― the nation ’ s public health emergency preparedness was at between 98 % and 100 % by every key measure .
“ That ’ s by the Trump administration ’ s own assessment , ” the Post-Dispatch said .
“ If the cupboard was bare , it ’ s because Trump swept it clean .
”

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President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed former President Barack Obama for his own administration’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The last administration left us nothing,” Trump said last month.
But the St. Louis Post-Dispatch found that Trump’s own budget documents show the opposite ― exposing what it called “a lie of colossal Trumpian proportions.”
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The newspaper’s editorial board said the Trump administration told Congress that the Obama administration left it with everything needed for a pandemic ― and sought big budget cuts from the programs as a result.
Trump’s 2020 budget asked Congress to cut the pandemic preparedness budget by $102.9 million, part of $595.5 million in requested cuts to public health preparedness and response outlay.
“Obama left office with an unblemished record of building up the nation’s pandemic preparedness,” the newspaper said. “Trump systematically sought to dismantle it.”
Trump has since blamed his predecessor for lack of personal protective equipment and testing supplies, saying “our cupboards were bare. We had very little in our stockpile.”
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But the newspaper said a chart provided by the Trump administration with the budget shows that by 2016 ― Obama’s final year in office ― the nation’s public health emergency preparedness was at least 98% on every key measure.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-25--Fox News' Brit Hume Face-Mask Shames Joe Biden; Twitter Goes Bonkers

Fox News commentator Brit Hume on Monday tried to face-mask shame Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden .
He indicated that Biden doesn ’ t look good wearing one ― as if that ’ s more important than any safety considerations about spreading a virus that has killed nearly 100,000 Americans .
“ This might help explain why Trump doesn ’ t like to wear a mask in public , ” wrote Hume , who posted a photo on Twitter of a masked Biden from Agence France-Presse .
This might help explain why Trump doesn ’ t like to wear a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pic.twitter.com/9l1gw1ljBE — Brit Hume ( @ brithume ) May 25 , 2020 So apparently the “ cool factor ” is of primary importance to Hume — and Trump .
You can imagine how well that went over on Twitter .
North Dakota ’ s Republican governor , Doug Burgum , counseled his voters on Friday : “ There should be no mask shaming ” for those who opt to wear the protective coverings to help stop the spread of the coronavirus .
“ Dial up your empathy and your understanding , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this together , and there ’ s only one battle we ’ re fighting , and that ’ s the battle of the virus , ” Burgum said .
It ’ s not about looking good , it ’ s about setting a good example which used to be something presidents did — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 ( @ MollyJongFast ) May 25 , 2020 He looks like a man who is respectful of human life and knows how to model proper behavior .
A leader .
He also looks cool as hell .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 26 , 2020 Looks like @ brithume has a problem with leadership and Biden demonstrating for Americans how to stay safe .
Brit , maybe you have not lost anyone you love or maybe you have nobody to love , but as someone who has lost people he loves I am thankful that @ JoeBiden is doing this .
— Fred Guttenberg ( @ fred_guttenberg ) May 25 , 2020 Me : Siri , Who is Brit Hume ?
Siri : Brit is the co-chair of trump death panels — Baligubadle ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden is wearing one because science says it stops the spread , and he is being respectful of his fellow Americans .
This saddens me honestly Brit , because I do n't agree with your politics , but I respected your PoV before Trump .
You have gone down the conspiracy theorist hole .
— Amy Siskind 🏳🌈 ( @ Amy_Siskind ) May 26 , 2020 99,804 Americans are DEAD and you 're complaining that Biden tried to set an example today ?
Perhaps he should have gone golfing ?
pic.twitter.com/WCSUT1odbp — D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 , 2020 Is this not an attractive enough look for you Brit ?
Would a ventilator be better ?
— Brian Tyler Cohen ( @ briantylercohen ) May 25 , 2020

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Fox News commentator Brit Hume on Monday tried to face-mask shame Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden. He indicated that Biden doesn’t look good wearing one ― as if that’s more important than any safety considerations about spreading a virus that has killed nearly 100,000 Americans.
“This might help explain why Trump doesn’t like to wear a mask in public,” wrote Hume, who posted a photo on Twitter of a masked Biden from Agence France-Presse.
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This might help explain why Trump doesn’t like to wear a mask in public. Biden today. pic.twitter.com/9l1gw1ljBE — Brit Hume (@brithume) May 25, 2020
So apparently the “cool factor” is of primary importance to Hume — and Trump.
You can imagine how well that went over on Twitter.
North Dakota’s Republican governor, Doug Burgum, counseled his voters on Friday: “There should be no mask shaming” for those who opt to wear the protective coverings to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. “Dial up your empathy and your understanding,” he urged.
“We’re all in this together, and there’s only one battle we’re fighting, and that’s the battle of the virus,” Burgum said.
As for Hume’s attitude:
I mean it’s not like there’s a pandemic raging and killing Americans. — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) May 25, 2020
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It’s not about looking good, it’s about setting a good example which used to be something presidents did — Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) May 25, 2020
He looks like a man who is respectful of human life and knows how to model proper behavior. A leader. He also looks cool as hell. — Lisa Glass (@LMplusG) May 26, 2020
Looks like @brithume has a problem with leadership and Biden demonstrating for Americans how to stay safe. Brit, maybe you have not lost anyone you love or maybe you have nobody to love, but as someone who has lost people he loves I am thankful that @JoeBiden is doing this. — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) May 25, 2020
This is a perfect and perfectly revealing tweet. Thank you! — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) May 25, 2020
Me: Siri, Who is Brit Hume?
Siri: Brit is the co-chair of trump death panels — Baligubadle (@Baligubadle1) May 25, 2020
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Biden is wearing one because science says it stops the spread, and he is being respectful of his fellow Americans.
This saddens me honestly Brit, because I don't agree with your politics, but I respected your PoV before Trump. You have gone down the conspiracy theorist hole. — Amy Siskind 🏳🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) May 26, 2020
99,804 Americans are DEAD and you're complaining that Biden tried to set an example today?
Perhaps he should have gone golfing? pic.twitter.com/WCSUT1odbp — D Villella ❄ (@dvillella) May 25, 2020
Is this not an attractive enough look for you Brit? Would a ventilator be better? — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) May 25, 2020
Looks to me like the next Commander-in-Chief. pic.twitter.com/7lSX2O5JsI — Eric Columbus (@EricColumbus) May 25, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-25--Trump Bashes Marine Vet Congressman As An 'American Fraud' On Memorial Day

Drew Angerer via Getty Images Conor Lamb celebrates his election win in Pennsylvania in 2018 after snagging a longtime GOP congressional seat from Republican candidate Rick Saccone , who had been endorsed by Donald Trump .
Donald Trump picked Memorial Day to attack Rep. Conor Lamb ( D-Pa. ) , a Marine Corps veteran , as an “ American fraud ” and “ puppet for Crazy Nancy Pelosi ” as the president endorsed the lawmaker ’ s rival on Monday .
Trump goofed up the attack , referring to Conor Lamb as “ Connor Lamm ” as he pitched Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lamb ’ s Pennsylvania seat .
Trump appeared to be unaware that Lamb , far from being Pelosi ’ s “ puppet , ” was one of only 15 Democrats in the House who did not vote for her to become speaker in 2019 .
Lamb won his seat in March 2018 in a contest with Republican Rick Saccone , who was endorsed by Trump .
It was a stunning Democratic upset in a longtime Republican district that faced the special election after Republican Rep. Tim Murphy resigned over an extramarital affair .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Connor Lamm has proven to be an American fraud , and a puppet for Crazy Nancy Pelosi .
He said he would NOT vote for her for Speaker , and did .
Will kill 2A .
Voted to impeach ( on nothing ) .
A TOTAL & COMPLETE Sean Parnell Endorsement !
https : //t.co/v1OnY0MI8m — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 25 , 2020 What really got to critics on Twitter was Trump ’ s attack on a veteran on Memorial Day from a president who dodged the Vietnam War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ bone spurs.
” It ’ s not known why Trump would call Lamb a “ fraud.
” Lamb , who was a captain in the Marine Corps , suggested the best revenge will be at the ballot box .
Conor Lamb was a Marine and today is Memorial Day , so perhaps now is not the best time to insult our veterans Cadet Bone Spurs .
— TrumpsTaxes ( @ TrumpsTaxes ) May 25 , 2020 Conor Lamb is who you are referring to and he served in the US Military .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to smear a US Veteran .
— Ms. Krassenstein ( @ HKrassenstein ) May 25 , 2020 What disgraceful way to talk about a U.S. vet !
Conor Lamb was a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps .
He completed active duty service in 2013 .
He supports bold campaign finance reform , & does n't take contributions from corporate PACs .
Learn more.https : //t.co/KQYNrRDxS8 — Sally Deal ( @ SallyDeal4 ) May 25 , 2020 SHAMEFUL CONDUCT Even on this day , Memorial Day , the president of the USA can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ atrocious behavior via Twitter .
What has happened in this nation that a person in public office - the highest office - is allowed to behave so abominably ?
— MURRAY ( @ murray_nyc ) May 25 , 2020 Parnell also got socked on Twtter for gushing about the “ shoutout ” that bashed a fellow veteran from Trump , the same president who berated the late Sen. John McCain for getting captured in Vietnam , and demeaned a Muslim gold star family that lost a son in Iraq .
He slurred a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he praised you in .
Classy .
You should be ashamed to enjoy it .
— Lu Who ( @ LuWho2You ) May 25 , 2020

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Donald Trump picked Memorial Day to attack Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), a Marine Corps veteran, as an “American fraud” and “puppet for Crazy Nancy Pelosi” as the president endorsed the lawmaker’s rival on Monday.
Trump goofed up the attack, referring to Conor Lamb as “Connor Lamm” as he pitched Republican candidate Sean Parnell in the election for Lamb’s Pennsylvania seat.
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Trump appeared to be unaware that Lamb, far from being Pelosi’s “puppet,” was one of only 15 Democrats in the House who did not vote for her to become speaker in 2019.
Lamb won his seat in March 2018 in a contest with Republican Rick Saccone, who was endorsed by Trump. It was a stunning Democratic upset in a longtime Republican district that faced the special election after Republican Rep. Tim Murphy resigned over an extramarital affair.
Sean Parnell is an American Hero. Connor Lamm has proven to be an American fraud, and a puppet for Crazy Nancy Pelosi. He said he would NOT vote for her for Speaker, and did. Will kill 2A. Voted to impeach (on nothing). A TOTAL & COMPLETE Sean Parnell Endorsement! https://t.co/v1OnY0MI8m — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 25, 2020
What really got to critics on Twitter was Trump’s attack on a veteran on Memorial Day from a president who dodged the Vietnam War draft with a suspect medical complaint of “bone spurs.” It’s not known why Trump would call Lamb a “fraud.”
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Lamb, who was a captain in the Marine Corps, suggested the best revenge will be at the ballot box.
Conor Lamb was a Marine and today is Memorial Day, so perhaps now is not the best time to insult our veterans Cadet Bone Spurs. — TrumpsTaxes (@TrumpsTaxes) May 25, 2020
Conor Lamb is who you are referring to and he served in the US Military. Of course Trump would use Memorial Day to smear a US Veteran. — Ms. Krassenstein (@HKrassenstein) May 25, 2020
to disrespect an armed forces veteran on Memorial Day. this is truly, truly shameful. — Mike Majlak (@mikemajlak) May 25, 2020
What disgraceful way to talk about a U.S. vet!
Conor Lamb was a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. He completed active duty service in 2013.
He supports bold campaign finance reform, & doesn't take contributions from corporate PACs.
Learn more.https://t.co/KQYNrRDxS8 — Sally Deal (@SallyDeal4) May 25, 2020
SHAMEFUL CONDUCT
Even on this day, Memorial Day, the president of the USA cannot refrain from engaging in abusive & atrocious behavior via Twitter.
What has happened in this nation that a person in public office - the highest office - is allowed to behave so abominably? — MURRAY (@murray_nyc) May 25, 2020
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Parnell also got socked on Twtter for gushing about the “shoutout” that bashed a fellow veteran from Trump, the same president who berated the late Sen. John McCain for getting captured in Vietnam, and demeaned a Muslim gold star family that lost a son in Iraq.
He slurred a US Veteran Marine Captain in a tweet he praised you in. Classy. You should be ashamed to enjoy it. — Lu Who (@LuWho2You) May 25, 2020
Is it damn cool? to insult your fellow serviceman, gold star family, war hero who spent 5 years as a POW .... — JeanneD 🐘 (@JeanneSofia) May 25, 2020
He also gives “shoutouts” to Communist Totalitarian regimes.
So there’s that. https://t.co/MPrPgYLtt9 — 𝚔𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚗 (@KevINthe406) May 25, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--Fox News Doctor Points Out Major Flaw With Trump’s Plan To Hold RNC Amid Pandemic

Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier on Monday called out President Donald Trump ’ s plan to pack the upcoming Republican National Convention with up to 50,000 people , during the coronavirus pandemic , as “ not smart.
” Trump had earlier in the day threatened to move the convention in August from Charlotte , North Carolina , if the state ’ s Democratic governor did not allow “ full attendance.
” “ If not , we will be reluctantly forced to find , with all of the jobs and economic development it brings , another Republican National Convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , appearing on the conservative network ’ s “ Outnumbered ” show , ” acknowledged “ we ’ re talking about several months from now ” but noted how North Carolina on Sunday reported its “ highest single-day increase to date ” in cases of the virus that has now killed almost 100,000 people nationwide .
“ They ’ re still seeing rising cases and if they ’ re following that White House blueprint that was put forth by the experts , then they ’ re not ready to say that they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50,000 people in indoor settings come end of August , ” she explained .
Saphier , the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New Jersey , warned “ we can ’ t just go back to the business of usual ” of packing people in “ like a herd of cows ” and potentially spreading the virus , pointing out how it could have serious repercussions for schools .
“ If they have this massive rise of cases just at the end of August , then all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be completely disrupted , ” she said .
“ If our goal is to try and get children back to school , that ’ s not smart .
But moving it somewhere else isn ’ t necessarily the right answer either.
” “ The bottom line is putting a lot of people in a small area is definitely not good for us right now , ” Saphier added .
“ Not for our long term goal of COVID-19 .
”

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Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier on Monday called out President Donald Trump’s plan to pack the upcoming Republican National Convention with up to 50,000 people during the coronavirus pandemic as “not smart.”
Earlier in the day, Trump threatened to relocate the August convention from Charlotte, North Carolina, if the state’s Democratic governor does not allow “full attendance.”
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“If not, we will be reluctantly forced to find, with all of the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site,” Trump tweeted.
During an appearance on Fox News’ “Outnumbered” show, Saphier acknowledged that “we’re talking about several months from now” but noted how North Carolina on Sunday reported its “highest single-day increase to date” in cases of the coronavirus, which has now killed almost 100,000 people nationwide.
“They’re still seeing rising cases and if they’re following that White House blueprint that was put forth by the experts, then they’re not ready to say that they’re going to be able to accommodate 50,000 people in indoor settings come end of August,” she said.
Saphier, the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, said “we can’t just go back to the business of usual” of packing people in “like a herd of cows” and potentially spreading the virus. She also pointed out that doing so could have serious repercussions for schools.
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“If they have this massive rise of cases just at the end of August, then all of a sudden the fall school year is going to be completely disrupted,” she said. “If our goal is to try and get children back to school, that’s not smart. But moving it somewhere else isn’t necessarily the right answer either.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-25--WHO Warns Of ‘Second Peak’ In Coronavirus Infections If Restrictions Lifted Too Soon

GENEVA ― Countries where coronavirus infections are declining could still face an “ immediate second peak ” if they let up too soon on measures to halt the outbreak , the World Health Organization said on Monday .
The world is still in the middle of the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak , WHO emergencies head Dr Mike Ryan told an online briefing , noting that while cases are declining in many countries they are still increasing in Central and South America , South Asia and Africa .
Ryan said epidemics often come in waves , which means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in places where the first wave has subsided .
There was also a chance that infection rates could rise again more quickly if measures to halt the first wave were lifted too soon .
“ When we speak about a second wave classically what we often mean is there will be a first wave of the disease by itself , and then it recurs months later .
And that may be a reality for many countries in a number of months ’ time , ” Ryan said .
“ But we need also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease can jump up at any time .
We can not make assumptions that just because the disease is on the way down now it is going to keep going down and we are get a number of months to get ready for a second wave .
We may get a second peak in this wave.
” He said countries in Europe and North America should “ continue to put in place the public health and social measures , the surveillance measures , the testing measures and a comprehensive strategy to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we don ’ t have an immediate second peak.
” Many European countries and U.S. states have taken steps in recent weeks to lift lockdown measures that curbed the spread of the disease but caused severe harm to economies .

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GENEVA ― Countries where coronavirus infections are declining could still face an “immediate second peak” if they let up too soon on measures to halt the outbreak, the World Health Organization said on Monday.
The world is still in the middle of the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak, WHO emergencies head Dr Mike Ryan told an online briefing, noting that while cases are declining in many countries they are still increasing in Central and South America, South Asia and Africa.
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Ryan said epidemics often come in waves, which means that outbreaks could come back later this year in places where the first wave has subsided. There was also a chance that infection rates could rise again more quickly if measures to halt the first wave were lifted too soon.
“When we speak about a second wave classically what we often mean is there will be a first wave of the disease by itself, and then it recurs months later. And that may be a reality for many countries in a number of months’ time,” Ryan said.
“But we need also to be cognizant of the fact that the disease can jump up at any time. We cannot make assumptions that just because the disease is on the way down now it is going to keep going down and we are get a number of months to get ready for a second wave. We may get a second peak in this wave.”
He said countries in Europe and North America should “continue to put in place the public health and social measures, the surveillance measures, the testing measures and a comprehensive strategy to ensure that we continue on a downwards trajectory and we don’t have an immediate second peak.”
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Many European countries and U.S. states have taken steps in recent weeks to lift lockdown measures that curbed the spread of the disease but caused severe harm to economies.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--RNC Accused Of Attempting To Monetize Memorial Day With Donald Trump Shop Tweet

# MemorialDay is an important day for Americans & Pres .
Trump wanted to do something extra special for his @ @ @ @ @ .
Until 11:59 PM TONIGHT , take 25 % OFF your order at the ONLY @ @ @ @ @ code USA25 .
Shop NOW : https : //t.co/whks8RRVz7 pic.twitter.com/zl4iNlrSMb

#MemorialDay is an important day for Americans & Pres. Trump wanted to do something extra special for his best supporters, like YOU.
Until 11:59 PM TONIGHT, take 25% OFF your order at the ONLY Official Trump Campaign Store with code USA25.
Shop NOW: https://t.co/whks8RRVz7 pic.twitter.com/zl4iNlrSMb


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-25--Justice Department Investigating Ahmaud Arbery Killing As Possible Hate Crime: Reports

The Department of Justice is investigating the death of Ahmaud Arbery as a possible hate crime after the man was shot and killed while jogging in Georgia earlier this year , according to multiple reports .
An attorney for Arbery ’ s family first told CBS News that the Justice Department would launch a federal hate crime investigation and look into why local officials took more than two months to file charges in the case .
The move comes amid nationwide outrage over the shooting death .
Arbery , a 25-year-old Black man , was confronted by two white men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Georgia neighborhood in late February .
The pair , Gregory and Travis McMichael , said they believed he was a burglar before they confronted him with guns .
Travis McMichael shot Arbery three times during a confrontation , killing him .
No one was arrested , however , until a graphic video of the encounter was released earlier this month .
Attorneys for Arbery ’ s family said Monday they had met last week with Bobby Christine , the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia , noting that officials at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months for charges to be filed .
The lawyers also said the Justice Department was weighing civil and criminal charges against state officials .
“ [ Christine ’ s ] office is investigating why it took so long to arrest the individuals responsible for Mr. Arbery ’ s death , ” the Arberys ’ attorneys said in a statement Monday .
“ This would involve the consideration of both civil and criminal charges against state officials and other conspirators involved in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.
” They added : “ We left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would do their part to fully investigate all players involved in this murder and that they would hold those responsible accountable.
” The Justice Department said earlier this month that it was weighing federal hate crime charges to determine if they were “ appropriate ” following the arrest of the men in Georgia .
A third man who filmed the encounter was arrested last week on charges of felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment .
Georgia does not have state-level hate crime statutes , but the DOJ is able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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The Department of Justice is investigating the death of Ahmaud Arbery as a possible hate crime after the man was shot and killed while jogging in Georgia earlier this year, according to multiple reports.
An attorney for Arbery’s family first told CBS News that the Justice Department would launch a federal hate crime investigation and look into why local officials took more than two months to file charges in the case.
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The move comes amid nationwide outrage over the shooting death. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was confronted by two white men while he was jogging in a coastal South Georgia neighborhood in late February. The pair, Gregory and Travis McMichael, said they believed he was a burglar before they confronted him with guns. Travis McMichael shot Arbery three times during a confrontation, killing him.
No one was arrested, however, until a graphic video of the encounter was released earlier this month.
Confirmed: DOJ is officially investigating shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery as a possible hate crime, according to Arbery’s family’s attorney. US Attorney met w/ the parents Thurs & told them DOJ also investigating county & state response for possible equal protection violations. — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) May 25, 2020
Attorneys for Arbery’s family said Monday they had met last week with Bobby Christine, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, noting that officials at the DOJ would investigate why it took months for charges to be filed. The lawyers also said the Justice Department was weighing civil and criminal charges against state officials.
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“[Christine’s] office is investigating why it took so long to arrest the individuals responsible for Mr. Arbery’s death,” the Arberys’ attorneys said in a statement Monday. “This would involve the consideration of both civil and criminal charges against state officials and other conspirators involved in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.”
They added: “We left that meeting feeling satisfied that the DOJ would do their part to fully investigate all players involved in this murder and that they would hold those responsible accountable.”
The Justice Department said earlier this month that it was weighing federal hate crime charges to determine if they were “appropriate” following the arrest of the men in Georgia. A third man who filmed the encounter was arrested last week on charges of felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--WHO Suspends Trial Of Drug Touted By Trump Over Safety Fears For COVID-19 Patients

Tedros emphasized that concerns about the drug — and chloroquine , which is also being studied — is limited to its use as a treatment for COVID-19 .
The drugs are “ accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases [ lupus and rheumatoid arthritis ] or malaria , ” for which they ’ re usually prescribed .
WHO did not detail specific concerns about hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 patients , but one of its side effects is fatal heart arrhythmia .
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned against using the drug to treat COVID-19 outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ serious heart rhythm problems.
” Trump has dismissed negative findings about hydroxychloroquine .
He called the recent findings that the drug showed no benefit for American veterans and a higher rate of death a “ Trump enemy statement , ” insisting that the study ’ s researchers were politically motivated .
Former top federal vaccine official Rick Bright testified before Congress early this month that he was demoted for refusing to make potentially dangerous hydroxychloroquine more widely available , which was being pushed by Trump .
The Trump administration ordered 29 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trials for COVID-19 treatment .
The VA also bulk-ordered some 6.3 million tablets , according to Wilkie ’ s letter .

Tedros emphasized that concerns about the drug — and chloroquine, which is also being studied — is limited to its use as a treatment for COVID-19. The drugs are “accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases [lupus and rheumatoid arthritis] or malaria,” for which they’re usually prescribed.
WHO did not detail specific concerns about hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 patients, but one of its side effects is fatal heart arrhythmia. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned against using the drug to treat COVID-19 outside of a clinical trial or hospital because of “serious heart rhythm problems.”
Trump has dismissed negative findings about hydroxychloroquine. He called the recent findings that the drug showed no benefit for American veterans and a higher rate of death a “Trump enemy statement,” insisting that the study’s researchers were politically motivated.
Former top federal vaccine official Rick Bright testified before Congress early this month that he was demoted for refusing to make potentially dangerous hydroxychloroquine more widely available, which was being pushed by Trump.
The Trump administration ordered 29 million doses of hydroxychloroquine before it underwent trials for COVID-19 treatment. The VA also bulk-ordered some 6.3 million tablets, according to Wilkie’s letter.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--4 Minneapolis Police Officers Fired Over George Floyd Death

The statement said no weapons were used during the encounter .
It did not mention that an officer had pinned @ @ @ @ @ by kneeling on his neck .
Attorney Ben Crump identified the man as George Floyd @ @ @ @ @ retained by Floyd ’ s family to represent them .
“ We all watched the @ @ @ @ @ on video as witnesses begged the police officer to take him into the police car @ @ @ @ @ , ” Crump said in a statement .
“ This abusive , excessive and inhumane @ @ @ @ @ life of a man who was being detained by the police for questioning about a @ @ @ @ @ will seek justice for the family of George Floyd , as we demand answers from @ @ @ @ @ ” he added .
“ How many ‘ white black ’ deaths will it take @ @ @ @ @ undervaluing of black lives by police finally ends ?
” A protest in response to @ @ @ @ @ been planned for Tuesday evening at the intersection where he was killed .

The statement said no weapons were used during the encounter. It did not mention that an officer had pinned the man to the street by kneeling on his neck.
Attorney Ben Crump identified the man as George Floyd after announcing he had been retained by Floyd’s family to represent them.
“We all watched the horrific death of George Floyd on video as witnesses begged the police officer to take him into the police car and get off his neck,” Crump said in a statement. “This abusive, excessive and inhumane use of force cost the life of a man who was being detained by the police for questioning about a non-violent charge.”
“We will seek justice for the family of George Floyd, as we demand answers from the [Minneapolis] Police Department,” he added. “How many ‘white black’ deaths will it take until the racial profiling and undervaluing of black lives by police finally ends?”
A protest in response to Floyd’s death has been planned for Tuesday evening at the intersection where he was killed.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--White Woman Fired From Job After Calling Cops On Black Man In Central Park

Amy Cooper , the white woman who called the cops on a Black man in Central Park over the weekend as seen in a now-viral video , was fired on Tuesday .
Cooper ’ s employer , Franklin Templeton , announced on Twitter that it made the decision to terminate her after conducting an internal review of the incident in the park , adding , “ We do not tolerate racism of any kind.
” Following our internal review of the incident in Central Park yesterday , we have made the decision to terminate the employee involved , effective immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any kind at Franklin Templeton .
— Franklin Templeton ( @ FTI_US ) May 26 , 2020 Earlier on Monday , Christian Cooper ( no relation to Amy ) posted a video on Facebook of Amy Cooper calling the police on him after he reportedly asked her to place her dog on its leash .
They were in an area called the Ramble , where off-leash dogs are not permitted .
In the video , Amy Cooper threatens to call the cops , saying , “ I ’ m going to tell them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatening my life.
” She then places the call , repeatedly identifying Christian Cooper , who is Black , as an “ African American man ” and saying he was recording and “ threatening ” her .
Cooper , who is a board member of the conservation group the Audubon Society and was birding in the park at the time , said in his Facebook post that Amy Cooper ’ s “ inner Karen fully emerged and took a dark turn.
” As HuffPost ’ s Zeba Blay wrote , when Amy Cooper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly what she was doing ” by wielding the power of law enforcement , which has a long racist history in the United States of unjust killings of Black people .
Oh , when Karens take a walk with their dogs off leash in the famous Bramble in NY ’ s Central Park , where it is clearly posted on signs that dogs MUST be leashed at all times , and someone like my brother ( an avid birder ) politely asks her to put her dog on the leash .
pic.twitter.com/3YnzuATsDm — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 , 2020 In turn , Christian Cooper told CNN on Tuesday that if her apology was “ genuine ” and “ if she plans on keeping her dog on a leash in the Ramble going forward , then we have no issues with each other.
” The Audubon Society said in a statement Tuesday that the outdoors “ should be safe and welcoming for all people.
” “ Black Americans often face terrible daily dangers in outdoor spaces , where they are subjected to unwarranted suspicion , confrontation , and violence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Audubon , said .
“ We unequivocally condemn racist sentiments , behavior , and systems that undermine the humanity , rights , and freedom of Black people .
We are grateful Christian Cooper is safe .
He takes great delight in sharing New York City ’ s birds with others .
”

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Amy Cooper, the white woman who called the cops on a Black man in Central Park over the weekend as seen in a now-viral video, was fired on Tuesday.
Cooper’s employer, Franklin Templeton, announced on Twitter that it made the decision to terminate her after conducting an internal review of the incident in the park, adding, “We do not tolerate racism of any kind.”
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The asset management firm had placed Cooper on administrative leave late Monday during its investigation.
Following our internal review of the incident in Central Park yesterday, we have made the decision to terminate the employee involved, effective immediately. We do not tolerate racism of any kind at Franklin Templeton. — Franklin Templeton (@FTI_US) May 26, 2020
Earlier on Monday, Christian Cooper (no relation to Amy) posted a video on Facebook of Amy Cooper calling the police on him after he reportedly asked her to place her dog on its leash. They were in an area called the Ramble, where off-leash dogs are not permitted.
In the video, Amy Cooper threatens to call the cops, saying, “I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life.” She then places the call, repeatedly identifying Christian Cooper, who is Black, as an “African American man” and saying he was recording and “threatening” her.
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Cooper, who is a board member of the conservation group the Audubon Society and was birding in the park at the time, said in his Facebook post that Amy Cooper’s “inner Karen fully emerged and took a dark turn.”
As HuffPost’s Zeba Blay wrote, when Amy Cooper called the police, she “knew exactly what she was doing” by wielding the power of law enforcement, which has a long racist history in the United States of unjust killings of Black people.
Oh, when Karens take a walk with their dogs off leash in the famous Bramble in NY’s Central Park, where it is clearly posted on signs that dogs MUST be leashed at all times, and someone like my brother (an avid birder) politely asks her to put her dog on the leash. pic.twitter.com/3YnzuATsDm — Melody Cooper (@melodyMcooper) May 25, 2020
Amy Cooper apologized on Monday, telling NBC News that her behavior was “unacceptable.”
In turn, Christian Cooper told CNN on Tuesday that if her apology was “genuine” and “if she plans on keeping her dog on a leash in the Ramble going forward, then we have no issues with each other.”
The Audubon Society said in a statement Tuesday that the outdoors “should be safe and welcoming for all people.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--ABC News Reporter's Question About Biden's Coronavirus Mask Does Not Go Well

I 'm not sure about `` looks , '' but I do think it 's a tragedy that the incompetence @ @ @ @ @ that the next President -- and all the rest of us -- are still fighting @ @ @ @ @ countries have licked it . )
https : //t.co/ONV4Dm2SdN

I'm not sure about "looks," but I do think it's a tragedy that the incompetence of the current President means that the next President -- and all the rest of us -- are still fighting this epidemic (when other countries have licked it.) https://t.co/ONV4Dm2SdN


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--Widower Pleads With Twitter To Delete Trump's Conspiratorial Tweets About Late Wife

Timothy Klausutis , the widowed husband of the woman who Donald Trump has baselessly suggested was killed by MSNBC ’ s Joe Scarborough , has written a powerful letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey calling for the deletion of the president ’ s tweets promoting the conspiracy theory .
Trump has this month insinuated in multiple tweets that Scarborough , a former GOP representative , may have been responsible for the 2001 death of Lori Klausutis , when she was an intern in his congressional office .
Authorities ruled 28-year-old Klausutis ’ death an accident : She hit her head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously undiagnosed heart condition .
No foul play was suspected .
“ My request is simple : Please delete these tweets , ” Timothy Klausutis wrote in his letter to Dorsey last week that Kara Swisher , a New York Times opinion writer , shared online Tuesday alongside her latest column , headlined “ Twitter Must Cleanse the Trump Stain.
” In the letter to Dorsey , Klausutis lamented the “ constant barrage of falsehoods , half-truths , innuendo and conspiracy theories ” surrounding the death of his wife .
He also slammed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ continue to spread their bile and misinformation on your platform disparaging the memory of my wife and our marriage.
” Klausutis acknowledged he is “ a research engineer and not a lawyer , ” but said Trump ’ s unfounded accusations were in violation of Twitter ’ s terms of service .
“ An ordinary user like me would be banished from the platform for such a tweet , ” he noted .
“ But I am only asking that these tweets be removed.
” I ’ m asking you to intervene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States has taken something that does not belong him — the memory of my dead wife and perverted it for perceived political gain .
I would also ask that you consider Lori ’ s niece and two nephews who will eventually come across this filth in the future .
They have never met their Aunt and it pains me to think they would ever have to about her this way .
My wife deserves better .
Thank you for your consideration .
“ We are deeply sorry about the pain these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawing , are causing the family , ” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement to HuffPost .
“ We ’ ve been working to expand existing product features and policies so we can more effectively address things like this going forward , and we hope to have those changes in place shortly.
” Trump ’ s unfounded tweets about Scarborough , who has been a fierce critic of the president , have drawn widespread ire from both sides of the aisle .
Mika Brzezinski , Scarborough ’ s wife and “ Morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump as “ a sick person , ” later claiming she was in talks with Dorsey about the issue .
“ ‘ There has been a constant barrage of falsehoods , half-truths , innuendo and conspiracy theories since the day she died .
Because of this , I have struggled to move forward with my life.
’ It ’ s long past time to let him do that and , most of all , to let Lori Klausutis rest in peace.
” — Joe Scarborough ( @ JoeNBC ) May 26 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning that he would not be giving up promoting the theory anytime soon .
He launched a renewed attack on Scarborough , describing him as “ a total Nut Job.
” The opening of a Cold Case against Psycho Joe Scarborough was not a Donald Trump original thought , this has been going on for years , long before I joined the chorus .
In 2016 when Joe & his wacky future ex-wife , Mika , would endlessly interview me , I would always be thinking ... .
— Donald J. Trump ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... .about whether or not Joe could have done such a horrible thing ?
Maybe or maybe not , but I find Joe to be a total Nut Job , and I knew him well , far better than most .
So many unanswered & obvious questions , but I won ’ t bring them up now !
Law enforcement eventually will ?
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 26 , 2020

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Timothy Klausutis, the widowed husband of the woman who Donald Trump has baselessly suggested was killed by MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, has written a powerful letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey calling for the deletion of the president’s tweets promoting the conspiracy theory.
Trump has this month insinuated in multiple tweets that Scarborough, a former GOP representative, may have been responsible for the 2001 death of Lori Klausutis, when she was an aide in his congressional office.
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Authorities ruled 28-year-old Klausutis’ death an accident: She hit her head on a desk after collapsing from a previously undiagnosed heart condition. No foul play was suspected.
“My request is simple: Please delete these tweets,” Timothy Klausutis wrote in his letter to Dorsey last week that Kara Swisher, a New York Times opinion writer, shared online Tuesday alongside her latest column, headlined “Twitter Must Cleanse the Trump Stain.”
In the letter to Dorsey, Klausutis lamented the “constant barrage of falsehoods, half-truths, innuendo and conspiracy theories” surrounding the death of his wife.
He also slammed conspiracy theorists, including Trump, who “continue to spread their bile and misinformation on your platform disparaging the memory of my wife and our marriage.”
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Klausutis acknowledged he is “a research engineer and not a lawyer,” but said Trump’s unfounded accusations were in violation of Twitter’s terms of service.
“An ordinary user like me would be banished from the platform for such a tweet,” he noted. “But I am only asking that these tweets be removed.”
Concluded Klausutis:
I’m asking you to intervene in this instance because the President of the United States has taken something that does not belong him — the memory of my dead wife and perverted it for perceived political gain. I would also ask that you consider Lori’s niece and two nephews who will eventually come across this filth in the future. They have never met their Aunt and it pains me to think they would ever have to about her this way. My wife deserves better. Thank you for your consideration.
“We are deeply sorry about the pain these statements, and the attention they are drawing, are causing the family,” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement to HuffPost. “We’ve been working to expand existing product features and policies so we can more effectively address things like this going forward, and we hope to have those changes in place shortly.”
Trump’s unfounded tweets about Scarborough, who has been a fierce critic of the president, have drawn widespread ire from both sides of the aisle.
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Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) on Sunday told Trump to “just stop” promoting the “completely unfounded conspiracy.”
“Just stop,” he tweeted. “Stop spreading it, stop creating paranoia. It will destroy us.”
Mika Brzezinski, Scarborough’s wife and “Morning Joe” co-host, on Wednesday slammed Trump as “a sick person,” later claiming she was in talks with Dorsey about the issue.
Brzezinski and Scarborough on Tuesday tweeted excerpts from the letter:
“‘There has been a constant barrage of falsehoods, half-truths, innuendo and conspiracy theories since the day she died. Because of this, I have struggled to move forward with my life.’
It’s long past time to let him do that and, most of all, to let Lori Klausutis rest in peace.” — Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) May 26, 2020
Trump, meanwhile, indicated on Tuesday morning that he would not be giving up promoting the theory anytime soon. He launched a renewed attack on Scarborough, describing him as “a total Nut Job.”
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The opening of a Cold Case against Psycho Joe Scarborough was not a Donald Trump original thought, this has been going on for years, long before I joined the chorus. In 2016 when Joe & his wacky future ex-wife, Mika, would endlessly interview me, I would always be thinking.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2020
....about whether or not Joe could have done such a horrible thing? Maybe or maybe not, but I find Joe to be a total Nut Job, and I knew him well, far better than most. So many unanswered & obvious questions, but I won’t bring them up now! Law enforcement eventually will? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--White House Press Secretary Defends Trump's Joe Scarborough Claims

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended President Donald Trump ’ s pushing of a conspiracy theory about Joe Scarborough on Tuesday and encouraged reporters to go after the MSNBC host , too .
McEnany faced several questions about Trump ’ s posting of a series of tweets Sunday and Tuesday that strongly implied Scarborough killed Lori Klausutis , who worked for him when he was a Republican congressman .
She was found dead in his Florida office in 2001 while he was in Washington .
The cause of her death was determined to be an undiagnosed heart condition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her head .
When a reporter noted that Klausutis ’ s husband was pleading with Twitter to remove Trump ’ s tweets because of the pain they were causing , McEnany fired off a claim that Scarborough once joked about killing her with the late radio host Don Imus .
“ I would note that the president said this morning that this is not an original Trump thought .
...
In fact , in 2003 on Don Imus ’ show , it was Don Imus and Joe Scarborough that joked about killing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so that was , I ’ m sure , pretty hurtful to Lori ’ s family , and Joe Scarborough himself brought this up with Don Imus.
” That ’ s not entirely true .
It was Imus who made the joke on air , but he attributed it to Scarborough , who laughed in response .
Mika Brzezinski , an MSNBC host married to Scarborough , tweeted shortly after McEnany ’ s press briefing that it was Imus who made the joke during a break and then repeated it on air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IMUS made the callous joke in 2003 during a break and then repeated it on air .
Joe was embarrassed and said , “ What are you going to do ?
” trying to move on to talk about the show .
No lies can cover up the hatefulness of Donald Trump .
— Mika Brzezinski ( @ morningmika ) May 26 , 2020 But a reporter at the briefing called out McEnany on another point : President Trump should be held to a higher standard than Scarborough .
“ If we want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have quite a few we can go through about Mika , ” she said , adding , “ Mika accused the president of being responsible for 100,000 deaths in this country .
That ’ s incredibly irresponsible.
” Brzezinski ’ s comments were about the nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. who have died of COVID-19 under Trump ’ s administration , which has dismissed advice from public health officials on how to stop the spread of the disease .
Trump has also come under fire for pushing the use of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite no evidence that it works and its links to deadly heart conditions .
But McEnany managed to turn that criticism back on Scarborough on Thursday .
“ Joe Scarborough should be held to account for saying people will die by taking hydroxychloroquine , ” she said .
“ Never mind the millions of Americans and people across the world who take it for rheumatory arthritis and other reasons.
” But days earlier , a study of nearly 100,000 people found that the drug was linked to a higher risk of death when @ @ @ @ @

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White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended President Donald Trump’s pushing of a conspiracy theory about Joe Scarborough on Tuesday and encouraged reporters to go after the MSNBC host, too.
McEnany faced several questions about Trump’s posting of a series of tweets Sunday and Tuesday that strongly implied Scarborough killed Lori Klausutis, who worked for him when he was a Republican congressman. She was found dead in his Florida office in 2001 while he was in Washington. The cause of her death was determined to be an undiagnosed heart condition, which caused her to collapse and hit her head.
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When a reporter noted that Klausutis’s husband was pleading with Twitter to remove Trump’s tweets because of the pain they were causing, McEnany fired off a claim that Scarborough once joked about killing her with the late radio host Don Imus.
“I would note that the president said this morning that this is not an original Trump thought. ... In fact, in 2003 on Don Imus’ show, it was Don Imus and Joe Scarborough that joked about killing an intern, joked and laughed about it, so that was, I’m sure, pretty hurtful to Lori’s family, and Joe Scarborough himself brought this up with Don Imus.”
That’s not entirely true. It was Imus who made the joke on air, but he attributed it to Scarborough, who laughed in response. Mika Brzezinski, an MSNBC host married to Scarborough, tweeted shortly after McEnany’s press briefing that it was Imus who made the joke during a break and then repeated it on air.
The Press Secretary is lying. IMUS made the callous joke in 2003 during a break and then repeated it on air. Joe was embarrassed and said, “What are you going to do?”trying to move on to talk about the show. No lies can cover up the hatefulness of Donald Trump. — Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) May 26, 2020
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But a reporter at the briefing called out McEnany on another point: President Trump should be held to a higher standard than Scarborough.
“This is different,” the reporter said. “He’s not a private citizen. He’s the president.”
McEnany replied by going after Brzezinski.
“If we want to start talking about false accusations, we have quite a few we can go through about Mika,” she said, adding, “Mika accused the president of being responsible for 100,000 deaths in this country. That’s incredibly irresponsible.”
Brzezinski’s comments were about the nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. who have died of COVID-19 under Trump’s administration, which has dismissed advice from public health officials on how to stop the spread of the disease.
Trump has also come under fire for pushing the use of the antimalaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus treatment despite no evidence that it works and its links to deadly heart conditions. But McEnany managed to turn that criticism back on Scarborough on Thursday.
“Joe Scarborough should be held to account for saying people will die by taking hydroxychloroquine,” she said. “Never mind the millions of Americans and people across the world who take it for rheumatory arthritis and other reasons.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--Coronavirus Relief Fund Watchdog Who Was Ousted By Trump Resigns From Pentagon

Glenn Fine , who was set to monitor the government ’ s $ 2 trillion in coronavirus relief spending until President Donald Trump abruptly removed him last month , has resigned from the Defense Department .
Fine announced his departure from the department in a statement on Tuesday , Politico was the first to report .
He had been serving as the Pentagon ’ s acting inspector general when Trump suddenly ousted him from that role in early April .
Fine had been selected on March 30 to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee , which is a panel of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wrongdoing and mismanagement in the spending of more than $ 2 trillion in emergency coronavirus funds allocated by Congress in the CARES Act .
One week later , Trump removed him as acting IG , a role he had since the final year of the Obama administration .
He was replaced with Sean O ’ Donnell , the inspector general of the Environmental Protection Agency .
Because of his removal , Fine was no longer eligible to serve as the PRAC ’ s chairperson .
“ It has been an honor to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both as the Inspector General of the Department of Justice and the DoD Acting Inspector General and Principal Deputy Inspector General performing the duties of the DoD Inspector General , ” Fine said in a statement obtained by HuffPost .
“ The role of Inspectors General is a strength of our system of government .
They provide independent oversight to help improve government operations in a transparent way .
They are a vital component of our system of checks and balances , and I am grateful to have been part of that system.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State Department ’ s inspector general earlier this month .
At the time of his removal , Linick had reportedly been investigating why Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had fast-tracked more than $ 8 billion in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and its allies in May 2019 .
In early April , Trump also fired Michael Atkinson as inspector general of the intelligence community .
Atkinson has said he believes he was removed because of his handling of the whistleblower complaint that led to Trump ’ s impeachment .
Michael Horowitz , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General on Integrity and Efficiency and the inspector general at the Department of Justice , defended Atkinson upon his termination and cited Atkinson ’ s known “ integrity , professionalism and commitment to the rule of law and independent oversight.
” “ That includes his actions in handling the Ukraine whistleblower complaint , which the then Acting Director of National Intelligence stated in congressional testimony was done ‘ by the book ’ and consistent with the law , ” Horowitz said .

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Glenn Fine, who was set to monitor the government’s $2 trillion in coronavirus relief spending until President Donald Trump abruptly removed him last month, has resigned from the Defense Department.
Fine announced his departure from the department in a statement on Tuesday, Politico was the first to report. He had been serving as the Pentagon’s acting inspector general when Trump suddenly ousted him from that role in early April.
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Fine had been selected on March 30 to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which is a panel of 10 inspectors general tasked with limiting fraud, wrongdoing and mismanagement in the spending of more than $2 trillion in emergency coronavirus funds allocated by Congress in the CARES Act.
One week later, Trump removed him as acting IG, a role he had since the final year of the Obama administration. He was replaced with Sean O’Donnell, the inspector general of the Environmental Protection Agency. Because of his removal, Fine was no longer eligible to serve as the PRAC’s chairperson.
Then-U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn Fine is seen testifying before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 2003. Reuters Photographer / Reuters
“It has been an honor to serve in the Inspector General community, both as the Inspector General of the Department of Justice and the DoD Acting Inspector General and Principal Deputy Inspector General performing the duties of the DoD Inspector General,” Fine said in a statement obtained by HuffPost. “The role of Inspectors General is a strength of our system of government. They provide independent oversight to help improve government operations in a transparent way. They are a vital component of our system of checks and balances, and I am grateful to have been part of that system.”
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Fine is just the latest federal watchdog to be removed by Trump in recent months.
The president fired Steve Linick as the State Department’s inspector general earlier this month. At the time of his removal, Linick had reportedly been investigating why Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had fast-tracked more than $8 billion in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and its allies in May 2019.
In early April, Trump also fired Michael Atkinson as inspector general of the intelligence community. Atkinson has said he believes he was removed because of his handling of the whistleblower complaint that led to Trump’s impeachment.
Michael Horowitz, chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency and the inspector general at the Department of Justice, defended Atkinson upon his termination and cited Atkinson’s known “integrity, professionalism and commitment to the rule of law and independent oversight.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--Trump Dismisses Widower's Removal Request Of Tweets About How The Man's Wife Died

“ Did he get away with murder ?
Some people think so , ” Trump tweeted earlier this month of @ @ @ @ @ of his who has become a fierce critic of the president .
Kalusutis ’ widower @ @ @ @ @ letter to Twitter last week pleading with the company to remove tweets by the president @ @ @ @ @ to the conspiracy .
Klausutis wrote that the misinformation was disparaging to his late wife @ @ @ @ @ vicious lie.
” “ My request is simple : Please delete these tweets , ” @ @ @

“Did he get away with murder? Some people think so,” Trump tweeted earlier this month of Scarborough, a one-time friend of his who has become a fierce critic of the president.
Klausutis’s widower, Timothy, wrote a letter to Twitter last week pleading with the company to remove tweets by the president and Trump Jr. that alluded to the conspiracy. Klausutis wrote that the misinformation was disparaging to his late wife, calling it a “vicious lie.”
“My request is simple: Please delete these tweets,” Klausutis said.
Twitter declined to take action.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--Trump Takes Heat For Golfing During Pandemic, Blames Obama For Some Reason

The activity prompted plenty of criticism , which he pushed back against in a handful of tweets Tuesday by blaming former President Barack Obama .
Didn ’ t Obama , whose Administration has now been caught cold illegally spying on the Trump campaign , recently also get caught playing golf on a course in Virginia , despite his wife Michelle urging people to stay home , before and after his round , in a major public service message ?
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 26 , 2020 ... .A total double standard .
The only thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their very close relationship with the Fake News Lamestream Media !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 26 , 2020 Trump apparently feels he ’ s being held to an unfair “ double standard ” since Obama also recently went golfing .
But one of these men is currently the U.S. president ; the other is not .
Obama ’ s golf game has preoccupied Trump for years , long before Trump even took office .
In December 2011 , Trump accused then-President Obama of playing golf “ to escape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In 2014 he tweeted , “ Can you believe that , with all of the problems and difficulties facing the U.S. , President Obama spent the day playing golf.
” As with so many of Trump ’ s tweets , they ’ re now starkly hypocritical .
The amount of days Trump has spent on a golf course is more than two and a half times Obama ’ s total at the same point in his first term .
Worse , Trump ’ s insistence on playing at his own courses means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ expense every time he hits the links .
To date , Trump ’ s golf tab has cost taxpayers more than $ 133.8 million ― equal to 334 years of the presidential salary that Trump and his supporters frequently boast he isn ’ t taking .

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The activity prompted plenty of criticism, which he pushed back against in a handful of tweets Tuesday by blaming former President Barack Obama.
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Didn’t Obama, whose Administration has now been caught cold illegally spying on the Trump campaign, recently also get caught playing golf on a course in Virginia, despite his wife Michelle urging people to stay home, before and after his round, in a major public service message? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2020
....A total double standard. The only thing the Dems have going for them is their very close relationship with the Fake News Lamestream Media! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2020
Trump apparently feels he’s being held to an unfair “double standard” since Obama also recently went golfing. But one of these men is currently the U.S. president; the other is not.
Obama’s golf game has preoccupied Trump for years, long before Trump even took office.
In December 2011, Trump accused then-President Obama of playing golf “to escape work while America goes down the drain.”
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In 2014 he tweeted, “Can you believe that, with all of the problems and difficulties facing the U.S., President Obama spent the day playing golf.”
As with so many of Trump’s tweets, they’re now starkly hypocritical. The amount of days Trump has spent on a golf course is more than two and a half times Obama’s total at the same point in his first term.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--Twitter Applies Fact-Check Labels To Trump Tweets For First Time

Twitter labeled two of President Donald Trump ’ s tweets with a fact-check label on Tuesday for the first time , prompting the president to accuse the platform of “ stifling free speech.
” The social media platform applied the label on two of Trump ’ s tweets that made claims , without evidence , that voting with mail-in ballots would be “ substantially fraudulent.
” The Twitter labels say “ Get the facts about mail-in ballots ” and direct users to a collection of news reports and articles debunking the tweets .
Near the top of Twitter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Trump falsely claimed that mail-in ballots would lead to ‘ a Rigged Election.
’ However , fact-checkers say there is no evidence that mail-in ballots are linked to voter fraud.
” The president has ramped up his attacks to discredit the integrity of mail-in voting in recent weeks , despite substantial evidence to the contrary .
Twitter spokesperson Katie Rosborough said the tweets were labeled because they contain “ potentially misleading information about voting processes and have been labeled to provide additional context around mail-in ballots.
” Shortly after the labels were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform was attempting to interfere in the 2020 presidential election .
.
@ Twitter is now interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election .
They are saying my statement on Mail-In Ballots , which will lead to massive corruption and fraud , is incorrect , based on fact-checking by Fake News CNN and the Amazon Washington Post ... .
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 26 , 2020 The platform had rolled out a new policy earlier this month that it would label misleading information about COVID-19 .
The company said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this effort to other areas .
“ Moving forward , we may use these labels and warning messages to provide additional explanations or clarifications in situations where the risks of harm associated with a Tweet are less severe but where people may still be confused or misled by the content , ” a company post read at the time .
Twitter said this would make it easier for users to “ find facts and make informed decisions ” about what they see on the platform .
Rosborough said Tuesday ’ s move was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed it was the first time one of Trump ’ s tweets had been labeled .
The social media giant has faced mounting pressure to take responsibility for the president ’ s persistent use of the platform to spread misinformation and baseless conspiracy theories .
Earlier on Tuesday , Twitter was criticized for declining to remove Trump ’ s tweets suggesting MSNBC ’ s Joe Scarborough , a former Republican congressman , might have killed 28-year-old intern Lori Klausutis when she worked in his Florida office .
She died in 2001 after hitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determined she fainted due to a previously undiagnosed heart condition and ruled her death an accident .
Lori Klausutis ’ s widower , Timothy Klausutis , wrote a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey last week imploring Twitter to take down the president ’ s tweets .
It was dated last week but gained attention Tuesday when the New York Times ’ Kara Swisher published it in an op-ed .
Twitter issued a statement Tuesday , saying : “ We are deeply sorry about the pain these statements , and the attention they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ ve been working to expand existing product features and policies so we can more effectively address things like this going forward , and we hope to have those changes in place shortly .
”

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Twitter labeled two of President Donald Trump’s tweets with a fact-check warning on Tuesday for the first time, prompting the president to accuse the platform of “stifling free speech.”
The social media platform applied the tag on two of Trump’s tweets that made claims, without evidence, that voting with mail-in ballots would be “substantially fraudulent.” The labels say “Get the facts about mail-in ballots” and direct users to a collection of news reports and articles debunking the tweets.
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Near the top of Twitter’s fact-check page, a statement reads: “Trump falsely claimed that mail-in ballots would lead to ‘a Rigged Election.’ However, fact-checkers say there is no evidence that mail-in ballots are linked to voter fraud.”
The president has ramped up his attacks to discredit the integrity of mail-in voting in recent weeks, despite substantial evidence to the contrary.
Twitter spokesperson Katie Rosborough said the tweets were labeled because they contain “potentially misleading information about voting processes and have been labeled to provide additional context around mail-in ballots.”
Twitter applied fact-check labels to two of Trump's tweets about mail-in ballots. Twitter
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Shortly after the labels were added, Trump tweeted claims that the platform was attempting to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.
....Twitter is completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2020
.@Twitter is now interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election. They are saying my statement on Mail-In Ballots, which will lead to massive corruption and fraud, is incorrect, based on fact-checking by Fake News CNN and the Amazon Washington Post.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2020
The platform had rolled out a new policy earlier this month that it would label misleading information about COVID-19. The company said at the time it would potentially expand this effort to other areas.
“Moving forward, we may use these labels and warning messages to provide additional explanations or clarifications in situations where the risks of harm associated with a Tweet are less severe but where people may still be confused or misled by the content,” a company post read at the time.
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Twitter said this would make it easier for users to “find facts and make informed decisions” about what they see on the platform.
Rosborough said Tuesday’s move was in line with the new policy and confirmed it was the first time one of Trump’s tweets had been labeled.
The social media giant has faced mounting pressure to take responsibility for the president’s persistent use of the platform to spread misinformation and baseless conspiracy theories. Earlier on Tuesday, Twitter was criticized for declining to remove Trump’s tweets suggesting MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, might have killed 28-year-old staffer Lori Klausutis when she worked in his Florida office. She died in 2001 after hitting her head on a desk. Authorities determined she fainted due to a previously undiagnosed heart condition and ruled her death an accident.
Lori Klausutis’s widower, Timothy Klausutis, wrote a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey last week imploring Twitter to take down the president’s tweets. It was dated last week but gained attention Tuesday when the New York Times’ Kara Swisher published it in an op-ed.
Twitter issued a statement Tuesday, saying: “We are deeply sorry about the pain these statements, and the attention they are drawing, are causing the family.
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“We’ve been working to expand existing product features and policies so we can more effectively address things like this going forward, and we hope to have those changes in place shortly.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--Inside A Federal Prison With A Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak, Compromised Men Beg For Help

Nine inmates incarcerated at Butner have died since the pandemic began .
The latest was Eric Spiwak , a 73-year-old man serving a 15-year sentence for possession of photos of child sexual exploitation , who had been at Butner since 2009 .
Like most other Butner inmates who died , Spiwak was not brought to the hospital until Friday , after he had experienced respiratory failure .
Spiwak was pronounced dead on Monday .
“ The situation inside [ Federal Correctional Complex ] Butner is dire , ” the lawsuit states .
“ Plaintiffs , many of whom are medically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical conditions , must not be forced to sit helpless , hoping that chance favors them while Defendants ’ combined inaction and defective practices roll the dice with their lives.
” Declarations from Butner inmates describe a dirty environment where social distancing is impossible .
The lawsuit states that inmates “ are housed in close quarters and forced to eat , bathe , and perform all daily life activities in a communal setting where they can not adequately social distance and protect themselves from this dangerous disease.
” Both staff members and inmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must line up multiple times a day for food and medicine .
Inmates with symptoms are only removed if they meet certain conditions ― including requesting a sick call , which they have to pay for .
Michael Harrington , a 40-year-old inmate at Butner on a sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony , said he has stage IV colorectal cancer that spread to his liver .
Doctors told him he has 13 months to live , and he has a bit over two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a floor housing other inmates with cancer .
He says he ’ s one of the youngest on the floor , and that most are older than 65 .
Since mid-March , Harrington says he ’ s been locked down in his cell “ essentially 24 hours a day.
” He shares the 12-foot-by-12-foot cell with another man , and says it is impossible for them to stay 6 feet away from each other when their beds are 4 feet apart .
“ At the last pill call that I can recall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer telling the man in the cell next to me that he was going to be quarantined because his cellmate had tested positive for the coronavirus and passed away , ” Harrington said .
He recalled speaking to the man in the cell next door a few days prior , and worried that the coronavirus would spread through the vents through which they communicate .
“ I know that I do not have much time left , and I want to spend the remainder of my time at home with my family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fearful that , if I remain at [ Butner ] , my time will be cut even shorter by the coronavirus and I will never see my family again.
” Roger Goodwin , a 61-year-old serving an eight-year sentence for mail fraud , was transferred to Butner because of a rare immunodeficiency disorder .
He also has type II diabetes , high blood pressure and heart issues , but was denied compassionate release by the warden .
Days later , after he passed out twice , Goodwin tested positive for COVID-19 .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said the floors were filthy and “ looked as if they had not been mopped in ages.
” While he was told to drink plenty of fluids , he says he wasn ’ t given a cup for three days .
He started urinating blood in late April , and when he was allowed to meet with a doctor he was told that his kidney might be failing .
He wants out so he doesn ’ t lose his kidney transplant , but the warden rejected his request for compassionate release .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , but I am still very concerned for the health and lives of those who remain at Butner .
I fear that remaining in prison with so many people sick will be a death sentence for them , ” Huntley said .
The lawsuit seeks an injunction that would force the identification of inmates who are particularly medically vulnerable so that they could be released .
It seeks mandatory COVID-19 testing and better quarantines of the infected , as well as better sanitation and mandatory mask usage from Butner staff .

Butner Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, North Carolina. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
Inmates locked up in a complex that houses some of the federal prison system’s most medically vulnerable prisoners say decrepit conditions and failed social distancing policies have allowed COVID-19 to spread throughout the facility in an outbreak that has already claimed the lives of nine men.
A new class action lawsuit filed on behalf of the inmates at federal facilities in Butner, North Carolina, gives the public an inside look at what life is like as the coronavirus pandemic ripped through a federal prison complex that houses inmates with severe medical needs.
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Nine inmates incarcerated at Butner have died since the pandemic began. The latest was Eric Spiwak, a 73-year-old man serving a 15-year sentence for possession of photos of child sexual exploitation, who had been at Butner since 2009. Like most other Butner inmates who died, Spiwak was not brought to the hospital until Friday, after he had experienced respiratory failure. Spiwak was pronounced dead on Monday.
“The situation inside [Federal Correctional Complex] Butner is dire,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiffs, many of whom are medically vulnerable because of their age or serious medical conditions, must not be forced to sit helpless, hoping that chance favors them while Defendants’ combined inaction and defective practices roll the dice with their lives.”
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday on behalf of Butner’s prisoners by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of North Carolina, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and the law firm of Winston & Strawn. The suit names Butner warden Thomas Scarantino, Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal and BOP Medical Director Jeffery Allen.
Declarations from Butner inmates describe a dirty environment where social distancing is impossible. The lawsuit states that inmates “are housed in close quarters and forced to eat, bathe, and perform all daily life activities in a communal setting where they cannot adequately social distance and protect themselves from this dangerous disease.” Both staff members and inmates travel throughout the complex, and inmates must line up multiple times a day for food and medicine. Inmates with symptoms are only removed if they meet certain conditions ― including requesting a sick call, which they have to pay for.
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Michael Harrington, a 40-year-old inmate at Butner on a sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony, said he has stage IV colorectal cancer that spread to his liver. Doctors told him he has 13 months to live, and he has a bit over two years left on his sentence.
Harrington lives on a floor housing other inmates with cancer. He says he’s one of the youngest on the floor, and that most are older than 65. Since mid-March, Harrington says he’s been locked down in his cell “essentially 24 hours a day.” He shares the 12-foot-by-12-foot cell with another man, and says it is impossible for them to stay 6 feet away from each other when their beds are 4 feet apart.
“Prison officials have said that my floor is covered with coronavirus and that is why they have us locked in our cells,” Harrington said in his declaration.
“At the last pill call that I can recall before lockdown, I overheard a correctional officer telling the man in the cell next to me that he was going to be quarantined because his cellmate had tested positive for the coronavirus and passed away,” Harrington said. He recalled speaking to the man in the cell next door a few days prior, and worried that the coronavirus would spread through the vents through which they communicate.
“I know that I do not have much time left, and I want to spend the remainder of my time at home with my family,” Harrington said. “I am fearful that, if I remain at [Butner], my time will be cut even shorter by the coronavirus and I will never see my family again.”
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Roger Goodwin, a 61-year-old serving an eight-year sentence for mail fraud, was transferred to Butner because of a rare immunodeficiency disorder. He also has type II diabetes, high blood pressure and heart issues, but was denied compassionate release by the warden. Days later, after he passed out twice, Goodwin tested positive for COVID-19. He was moved to a solitary cell where he said the floors were filthy and “looked as if they had not been mopped in ages.” While he was told to drink plenty of fluids, he says he wasn’t given a cup for three days.
Phone access was cut off for several days. When Goodwin eventually was allowed to reach his wife, she told him that she thought the prison was calling to tell her he had died.
Jorge Maldonado, a 52-year-old who has served roughly half of a 84-month sentence for conspiracy, wire fraud, theft of government property and aggravated identity theft, said he had two kidney transplants before his incarceration, but hasn’t been allowed to go for his regular kidney checkups since lockdown.
He started urinating blood in late April, and when he was allowed to meet with a doctor he was told that his kidney might be failing. He wants out so he doesn’t lose his kidney transplant, but the warden rejected his request for compassionate release.
Charles Hallinan, a 79-year-old prisoner serving 14 years on racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud charges, said he was previously diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer, and has hypertension and severe celiac disease. He’s been sleeping within 6 feet of five people, and his scheduled treatment in April for his bladder cancer was canceled.
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Lewis Huntley, a 44-year-old wheelchair-bound paraplegic who was held at Butler until May 7, said the government opposed his compassionate release “at every stage” before he was eventually ordered released.
“I am relieved to be at home, but I am still very concerned for the health and lives of those who remain at Butner. I fear that remaining in prison with so many people sick will be a death sentence for them,” Huntley said.
The federal lawsuit accuses BOP officials of failing to take responsible steps to mitigate the risk posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Butner’s efforts to increase home confinement, as directed by Attorney General William Barr, have been “sluggish and ineffective.” The “deliberate indifference” of federal officials has left prisoners “at imminent risk of serious harm and death,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction that would force the identification of inmates who are particularly medically vulnerable so that they could be released. It seeks mandatory COVID-19 testing and better quarantines of the infected, as well as better sanitation and mandatory mask usage from Butner staff.
Maria Morris, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU’s National Prison Project, called the outbreak at Butner “a tragic result of the Trump administration’s failure” to heed warnings about the “devastating consequences” of coronavirus outbreaks in prisons. “People’s lives are at stake, and we’re asking for immediate action to stem the outbreak.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-26--Biden Says Trump Is An ‘Absolute Fool’ For Ridiculing His Mask-Wearing

Former Vice President Joe Biden called President Donald Trump a “ fool ” for belittling his wearing a mask , following public health guidelines for not further spreading coronavirus .
CNN reporter Dana Bash interviewed the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee on Tuesday , while sitting 12 feet apart in his yard .
Bash brought up Trump ’ s retweeting a post Monday by a Fox News analyst appearing to mock a photo of Biden donning a mask , with the caption : “ This might help explain why Trump doesn ’ t like to wear a mask in public.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to belittle ” Biden , implying masks were a “ sign of weakness.
” “ He ’ s a fool , an absolute fool to talk that way , ” Biden said of Trump , noting public health experts ’ recommendations to wear a mask to prevent COVID-19 from spreading .
Biden called the deaths so far from coronavirus a “ tragedy.
” The U.S. continues to lead the world in coronavirus cases and deaths , with over 1.6 million confirmed cases as of Tuesday and over 98,000 dead so far .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public appearance in months on Monday , while laying a wreath at Delaware Memorial Bridge Veterans Memorial Park on Memorial Day .
The state asks residents to wear a face covering in public to avoid spreading coronavirus .
Meanwhile , President Donald Trump has made a point of not wearing a mask in his public appearances .
After Bash noted that wearing masks had become a “ political flashpoint ” and the president was “ stoking ” this , Biden said Trump was “ stoking deaths.
” Earlier Tuesday , White House press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peculiar ” for Biden to wear a mask outdoors when he does not wear one “ in his basement , ” where the candidate has been campaigning online following coronavirus restrictions .
Public health experts recommend wearing masks when outside one ’ s household , particularly within 6 feet of others .
In response to McEnany ’ s remarks , Biden ’ s spokesperson told HuffPost earlier Tuesday that Trump ’ s “ historic disregard for the guidance of public health experts is responsible for a failed response that has led to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his CNN interview later Tuesday , Biden said he hopes to do more campaign events soon but that his team was “ going to do it by the numbers , ” referring to data on the coronavirus .

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Former Vice President Joe Biden called President Donald Trump a “fool” for belittling his wearing a mask, following public health guidelines for not further spreading coronavirus.
CNN reporter Dana Bash interviewed the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee on Tuesday, while sitting 12 feet apart in his yard. Bash brought up Trump’s retweeting a post Monday by a Fox News analyst appearing to mock a photo of Biden donning a mask, with the caption: “This might help explain why Trump doesn’t like to wear a mask in public.” Bash said the president was “trying to belittle” Biden, implying masks were a “sign of weakness.”
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“He’s a fool, an absolute fool to talk that way,” Biden said of Trump, noting public health experts’ recommendations to wear a mask to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.
“This macho stuff, for a guy ... I shouldn’t get going,” Biden added. “It’s costing people’s lives.”
Biden called the deaths so far from coronavirus a “tragedy.” The U.S. continues to lead the world in coronavirus cases and deaths, with over 1.6 million confirmed cases as of Tuesday and over 98,000 dead so far.
Biden wore a face mask in his first public appearance in months on Monday, while laying a wreath at Delaware Memorial Bridge Veterans Memorial Park on Memorial Day. The state asks residents to wear a face covering in public to avoid spreading coronavirus.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has made a point of not wearing a mask in his public appearances.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
After Bash noted that wearing masks had become a “political flashpoint” and the president was “stoking” this, Biden said Trump was “stoking deaths.”
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“He’s a fool. An absolute fool to talk that way,” former Vice President Joe Biden reacts to President Trump criticizing him for wearing a mask. "It's cost peoples lives." pic.twitter.com/taEYGVQjkY — CNN (@CNN) May 26, 2020
Earlier Tuesday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said it was “peculiar” for Biden to wear a mask outdoors when he does not wear one “in his basement,” where the candidate has been campaigning online following coronavirus restrictions. Public health experts recommend wearing masks when outside one’s household, particularly within 6 feet of others.
In response to McEnany’s remarks, Biden’s spokesperson told HuffPost earlier Tuesday that Trump’s “historic disregard for the guidance of public health experts is responsible for a failed response that has led to the deaths of nearly 100,000 Americans.”
In his CNN interview later Tuesday, Biden said he hopes to do more campaign events soon but that his team was “going to do it by the numbers,” referring to data on the coronavirus.
“It’s important because this is not over,” Biden added of the virus.