thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--John Cornyn Encourages People To Sign Up For Obamacare After Fighting To Repeal It

ASSOCIATED PRESS Sen. John Cornyn says it 's `` good news '' that people can sign up for the Affordable Care Act if they lose their jobs and health insurance amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
Well , there 's something we were n't expecting him to say !
WASHINGTON ― After voting more than a dozen times to repeal the Affordable Care Act and leading Senate Republican efforts to dismantle it , Sen. John Cornyn ( R-Texas ) said Monday that the “ good news ” is that people can sign up for President Barack Obama ’ s signature health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their jobs and need health insurance amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ The good news is that if you lose your employer-provided coverage , which covers about a 180 million Americans , that is a significant life event , which makes you then eligible to sign up for the Affordable Care Act , ” Cornyn said in a PBS Austin interview .
“ As you know , it has a sliding scale of subsidies up to 400 % of poverty .
So that ’ s an option for people.
” It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who voted to repeal or defund the ACA ( or to move forward with bills to do so ) here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here .
Cornyn ’ s job was to secure the votes to repeal the ACA in 2017 when he was the Senate GOP Whip , the third-highest-ranking Republican .
He spoke confidently for months about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the bill ultimately failed at the hands of Senate Democrats and three Republicans .
Texas Democratic Party spokesman Abhi Rahman praised Cornyn for “ finally supporting the Affordable Care Act ” and welcomed him to join the party ’ s efforts to protect the law from people trying to overturn it in court .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is currently leading a coalition of 20 Republican states challenging the ACA before the Supreme Court .
“ Cornyn can ’ t have it both ways , ” Rahman said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where does Cornyn stand on the Paxton lawsuit to repeal Affordable Care for Texans who have recently lost their job ?
” CORRECTION : A previous version of this article said Cornyn tried to secure votes to repeal the ACA in 2007 .
He did so in 2017 .

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WASHINGTON ― After voting more than a dozen times to repeal the Affordable Care Act and leading Senate Republican efforts to dismantle it, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Monday that the “good news” is that people can sign up for President Barack Obama’s signature health care law if they’ve lost their jobs and need health insurance amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“The good news is that if you lose your employer-provided coverage, which covers about a 180 million Americans, that is a significant life event, which makes you then eligible to sign up for the Affordable Care Act,” Cornyn said in a PBS Austin interview. “As you know, it has a sliding scale of subsidies up to 400% of poverty. So that’s an option for people.”
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Here’s a video of the interview. His ACA comments are around the 6-minute mark.
It’s quite a change of tune for Cornyn, who voted to repeal or defund the ACA (or to move forward with bills to do so) here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here.
Cornyn’s job was to secure the votes to repeal the ACA in 2017 when he was the Senate GOP Whip, the third-highest-ranking Republican. He spoke confidently for months about having the votes to do it. But the bill ultimately failed at the hands of Senate Democrats and three Republicans.
A Cornyn spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Texas Democratic Party spokesman Abhi Rahman praised Cornyn for “finally supporting the Affordable Care Act” and welcomed him to join the party’s efforts to protect the law from people trying to overturn it in court. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is currently leading a coalition of 20 Republican states challenging the ACA before the Supreme Court.
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“Cornyn can’t have it both ways,” Rahman said in a statement. “The question now becomes, where does Cornyn stand on the Paxton lawsuit to repeal Affordable Care for Texans who have recently lost their job?”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) seemed stunned to hear of Cornyn’s comments.
“Can you imagine? One of the leading people who is trying to dismantle health care now confronted with the crisis of corona, saying ‘Here’s good news, we have ACA?’ What hypocrisy,” Schumer said on a Wednesday call with Protect Our Care, a group focused on protecting the ACA. “But it also shows you where the public is ... If you ever wanted evidence that corona has strengthened people’s desire for health care despite what this Trump administration is trying to do, there it is.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--The Strange Origins Of Trump’s Hydroxychloroquine Obsession

Trump has touted hydroxychloroquine as potentially “ one of the biggest game-changers in the history of medicine ” and repeatedly promoted its use on the coronavirus .
He has asked about it both in public and privately , until recently mentioning it on a nearly daily basis , and the Trump administration has allegedly pressured health officials to distribute it despite their concerns about its safety .
The drug ’ s bizarre path to Trump ’ s embrace highlights a dangerous information pipeline from questionable sources in right-wing media to the president .
On March 11 , cryptocurrency investors Gregory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatments and potential death tolls on Twitter to their then-small number of followers .
Bye , who says he has been living in the Wudang Mountains in central China for the past few years and formerly interviewed tech “ thought leaders ” for his startup , responded to one of Todaro ’ s tweets about the virus .
On March 13 , Rigano and Todaro touted chloroquine in a self-published , non-peer-reviewed Google doc falsely claiming to be affiliated with Stanford University School of Medicine , the National Academy of Sciences and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicine .
( All three institutions told HuffPost that they had no connection to the document , and Google later removed it from its platform for violating its terms of service . )
The paper largely cited a French study that scientists and the publisher of the journal it appeared in have subsequently criticized for its shaky methodology .
Bye complained to Todaro and Rigano on Twitter that their paper didn ’ t acknowledge him , saying , “ I told you both about Chloroquine , and you didn ’ t even bother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his hesitation about the paper ’ s findings .
Rigano replied minutes later that he wanted Bye ’ s permission to include him but “ time was of the essence , ” telling Bye to send him his email address .
The Google doc was updated to include an acknowledgment of Bye .
The Google doc , with its grand claims and the help of its false affiliation with Stanford and other institutions , quickly went viral and was tweeted out to millions by prominent venture capitalists and Tesla CEO Musk ― none @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or sources .
Fox News and other right-wing media jumped on the paper and touted the drug as a potential quick fix for the virus .
Fox News host and informal Trump adviser Tucker Carlson had Rigano on his prime-time show , with Rigano falsely identified as an adviser to Stanford and claiming “ what we ’ re here to announce is the second cure to a virus of all time.
” Rigano made a similar appearance on right-wing radio host Glenn Beck ’ s program and with Fox News host Laura Ingraham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in early April to promote the drug .
The day after Rigano appeared on Carlson ’ s show , Trump mentioned the drug during a briefing for the first time and in the following days heavily promoted it .
He called himself a “ big fan ” and heralded it as a potential “ game-changer , ” though Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , cautioned against the anecdotal evidence surrounding the drug .
Although Rigano and Todaro may have pushed hydroxychloroquine into Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studied and evaluated before they made radical claims about its effectiveness that skewed the public discourse on it .
Hydroxychloroquine is currently being tested in clinical trials , but its effectiveness is still unclear and there is no solid evidence for claims it is the “ cure ” some have promoted .
One recent study by Veterans Affairs and academic researchers that is pending peer review linked the drug to higher death rates in coronavirus patients than those who did not receive it , raising concern about its use and leading to complaints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association found no benefit to patients hospitalized in New York .
Other research is looking into whether it is effective in treating COVID-19 at earlier stages of the disease .
The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in late April that hydroxychloroquine should not be used outside of a clinical trial or hospital setting while it assessed the risk of adverse effects , including abnormal heart rhythms .
A top U.S. government scientist has filed a whistleblower complaint saying that he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was removed from his position when he resisted .
The Men Behind The ‘ Miracle Cure ’ In addition to his lack of medical expertise , Bye also appears to repeatedly engage with bigoted ideology and far-right extremists .
Bye has repeatedly tweeted anti-Semitic ramblings , has replied to white nationalists such as Richard Spencer and once tweeted a link to an Australian website that has promoted Holocaust denial .
In one thread , he complained about Jews taking over “ major power centers ” and speculated about “ Jewish verbal IQ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even read Mein Kampf ?
” He has stated “ my hobby is researching Jews .
It is very enjoyable.
” “ I ’ m not a white nationalist , not at all .
I have a lot of friends who are and I like white nationalists , but I ’ m not one .
I learned from them because there ’ s important ideas there that we need to understand , ” Bye told Gariepy .
Bye claimed that he researched chloroquine “ using philosophy ” and that coronavirus would “ destroy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been diagnosed with autism .
“ I believe both white nationalists and Jews have important ideas , and it is necessary to understand the truth directly from them , not just soundbites labeling one side or the other as ‘ evil.
’ I am critical of Jewish power , and will continue to be so , ” Bye told HuffPost .
Meanwhile , Rigano falsely claimed to be an adviser to Stanford , appearing on multiple right-wing news shows with that title and including it in his Twitter bio .
Rigano also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zelenko , a small-town New York doctor popular in right-wing media and with Trump associates .
Federal prosecutors are reportedly scrutinizing Zelenko over his false claims that he received federal approval for a drug study to treat coronavirus .
As questions mount about hydroxychloroquine ’ s use and potential side effects , some right-wing media has pulled back from its breathless coverage of the drug .
Fox News and the Fox Business Network ― which mentioned chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine more than 1,300 times between mid-March and late April , according to The Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the drug .
Rigano never appeared on Carlson or Ingraham ’ s show again .

President Donald Trump’s obsession with the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus may have started in part because of a self-described philosopher in China who is a fan of white nationalists, tweets anti-Semitic rhetoric and calls chloroquine “a Nazi drug that is here to teach a lesson to leftists about bias.”
Weeks before Trump first promoted the drug, a Twitter conversation about hydroxychloroquine between “philosopher” Adrian Bye and two cryptocurrency investors set off a chain of events that would bring the unproven drug to the attention of Elon Musk, Fox News pundits and Trump.
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Trump has touted hydroxychloroquine as potentially “one of the biggest game-changers in the history of medicine” and repeatedly promoted its use on the coronavirus. He has asked about it both in public and privately, until recently mentioning it on a nearly daily basis, and the Trump administration has allegedly pressured health officials to distribute it despite their concerns about its safety. The drug’s bizarre path to Trump’s embrace highlights a dangerous information pipeline from questionable sources in right-wing media to the president.
On March 11, cryptocurrency investors Gregory Rigano and James Todaro mused about coronavirus treatments and potential death tolls on Twitter to their then-small number of followers. Bye, who says he has been living in the Wudang Mountains in central China for the past few years and formerly interviewed tech “thought leaders” for his startup, responded to one of Todaro’s tweets about the virus.
“Chloroquine will keep most people out of hospital. The US hasn’t learned about that yet,” Bye replied to Todaro.
The three briefly discussed medical studies and a YouTube video about chloroquine’s use. As Politico has reported, Rigano asked Bye for more information about chloroquine and data on its uses before telling Todaro and Bye on March 12 that he would be “publishing a report tomorrow [with an] eminent scientist, peer reviewed.”
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“thank u james and adrian. next level humans,” Rigano tweeted.
On March 13, Rigano and Todaro touted chloroquine in a self-published, non-peer-reviewed Google doc falsely claiming to be affiliated with Stanford University School of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences and the University of Alabama, Birmingham School of Medicine. (All three institutions told HuffPost that they had no connection to the document, and Google later removed it from its platform for violating its terms of service.) The paper largely cited a French study that scientists and the publisher of the journal it appeared in have subsequently criticized for its shaky methodology.
Bye complained to Todaro and Rigano on Twitter that their paper didn’t acknowledge him, saying, “I told you both about Chloroquine, and you didn’t even bother to mention me.” He also expressed his hesitation about the paper’s findings. Rigano replied minutes later that he wanted Bye’s permission to include him but “time was of the essence,” telling Bye to send him his email address. The Google doc was updated to include an acknowledgment of Bye.
The Google doc, with its grand claims and the help of its false affiliation with Stanford and other institutions, quickly went viral and was tweeted out to millions by prominent venture capitalists and Tesla CEO Musk ― none of whom appeared to vet its methods or sources. Fox News and other right-wing media jumped on the paper and touted the drug as a potential quick fix for the virus. Fox News host and informal Trump adviser Tucker Carlson had Rigano on his prime-time show, with Rigano falsely identified as an adviser to Stanford and claiming “what we’re here to announce is the second cure to a virus of all time.” Rigano made a similar appearance on right-wing radio host Glenn Beck’s program and with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who then privately met with Trump in early April to promote the drug.
The day after Rigano appeared on Carlson’s show, Trump mentioned the drug during a briefing for the first time and in the following days heavily promoted it. He called himself a “big fan” and heralded it as a potential “game-changer,” though Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, cautioned against the anecdotal evidence surrounding the drug.
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Although Rigano and Todaro may have pushed hydroxychloroquine into Trump’s view, the drug was being studied and evaluated before they made radical claims about its effectiveness that skewed the public discourse on it. Hydroxychloroquine is currently being tested in clinical trials, but its effectiveness is still unclear and there is no solid evidence for claims it is the “cure” some have promoted. One recent study by Veterans Affairs and academic researchers that is pending peer review linked the drug to higher death rates in coronavirus patients than those who did not receive it, raising concern about its use and leading to complaints from veterans advocate groups. Another study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association found no benefit to patients hospitalized in New York. Other research is looking into whether it is effective in treating COVID-19 at earlier stages of the disease.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in late April that hydroxychloroquine should not be used outside of a clinical trial or hospital setting while it assessed the risk of adverse effects, including abnormal heart rhythms. A top U.S. government scientist has filed a whistleblower complaint saying that he was pressured to distribute the drug and then was removed from his position when he resisted.
The Men Behind The ‘Miracle Cure’
Bye, Rigano and Todaro are questionable sources for medical advice on coronavirus treatment and public health. Neither Bye nor Rigano is a doctor ― Bye has openly stated he’s not qualified to talk about medicine ― and Todaro is a medical school graduate who became a tech entrepreneur.
In addition to his lack of medical expertise, Bye also appears to repeatedly engage with bigoted ideology and far-right extremists. Bye has repeatedly tweeted anti-Semitic ramblings, has replied to white nationalists such as Richard Spencer and once tweeted a link to an Australian website that has promoted Holocaust denial. In one thread, he complained about Jews taking over “major power centers” and speculated about “Jewish verbal IQ” while asking if another user had “even read Mein Kampf?” He has stated “my hobby is researching Jews. It is very enjoyable.”
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Bye also talked about chloroquine in late March on the podcast of Jean-Francois Gariepy, a Canadian white nationalist who The Daily Beast reported is accused of luring and trying to impregnate a developmentally disabled teenager while his U.S. immigration status was being contested.
“I’m not a white nationalist, not at all. I have a lot of friends who are and I like white nationalists, but I’m not one. I learned from them because there’s important ideas there that we need to understand,” Bye told Gariepy. Bye claimed that he researched chloroquine “using philosophy” and that coronavirus would “destroy feminism.” He also stated that he had been diagnosed with autism.
In a lengthy email to HuffPost, Bye denied that he was anti-Semitic or a white nationalist, asserted the existence of the Holocaust and condemned violence.
“I believe both white nationalists and Jews have important ideas, and it is necessary to understand the truth directly from them, not just soundbites labeling one side or the other as ‘evil.’ I am critical of Jewish power, and will continue to be so,” Bye told HuffPost.
“I stopped publishing on hydroxychloroquine some time ago because I am not a doctor or scientist, and I think the validity of the evidence must be in the hands of doctors and scientists to determine.”
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Meanwhile, Rigano falsely claimed to be an adviser to Stanford, appearing on multiple right-wing news shows with that title and including it in his Twitter bio. Rigano also claims to have been working with Vladimir Zelenko, a small-town New York doctor popular in right-wing media and with Trump associates. Federal prosecutors are reportedly scrutinizing Zelenko over his false claims that he received federal approval for a drug study to treat coronavirus.
As questions mount about hydroxychloroquine’s use and potential side effects, some right-wing media has pulled back from its breathless coverage of the drug. Fox News and the Fox Business Network ― which mentioned chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine more than 1,300 times between mid-March and late April, according to The Washington Post ― both dialed down their focus on the drug. Rigano never appeared on Carlson or Ingraham’s show again.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--White Supremacist Steve King Claims GOP House Leader Will Give Him ‘Exoneration’

Tom Williams via Getty Images Rep. Steve King , R-Iowa , is interviewed on the floor of the Quicken Loans Arena on first day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland , Ohio , July 18 , 2016 .
( Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call ) Rep. Steve King ( R-Iowa ) claims he and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( Calif. ) have agreed to a process that will see King be reinstated to committee seats he lost last year as punishment for making remarks condoning white supremacy .
“ On April 20 , Kevin McCarthy and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the steering committee to put all of my committees back , all of my seniority , ” King said at a Monday debate with his Republican primary opponents , according to the Sioux City Journal .
“ When Congress comes back into session , when the steering committee can ( inaudible ) together , I have Kevin McCarthy ’ s word that that will be my time for exoneration , ” King said .
McCarthy ’ s office didn ’ t respond to a HuffPost request for comment Wednesday as to whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deal with King .
McCarthy and GOP leadership in the House stripped King of all his committee assignments last year in response to comments King made to The New York Times .
“ White nationalist , white supremacist , Western civilization — how did that language become offensive ?
” King told the Times during a January interview about immigration .
“ Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization ?
” King — a white supremacist with a long history of associating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overseas — has since claimed the Times misquoted him , even though he made almost identical comments to an Iowa TV station months earlier .
Rep. Steve Stivers ( R-Ohio ) , a member of the GOP steering committee in the House , tweeted Wednesday that he won ’ t allow for King ’ s political comeback .
“ Rep .
Steve King claims he will get his committees back next year , ” Stivers tweeted .
“ As long as I am a member of the Republican Steering Committee , I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legislation passed by Congress .
He will not be serving on any committee.
” Rep. Steve King claims he will get his committees back next year .
As long as I am a member of the Republican Steering Committee , I will not allow hate & bigotry to influence the legislation passed by Congress .
He will not be serving on any committee .
https : //t.co/OLjkKrSS4L — Steve Stivers ( @ stevestivers ) May 13 , 2020 King hasn ’ t exactly been a pariah in conservative circles since he made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HuffPost reported , he was warmly received at a private GOP fundraiser where President Donald Trump was speaking last summer in Iowa .
And in March of this year , King was invited to speak on a panel at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference ( CPAC ) .
King , who ’ s served in the House for nine terms , is facing one of the toughest primary battles of his long congressional career .
Polls show Republican Iowa state Sen. Randy Feenstra gaining on King ahead of the June 2 election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign cash than King .
After a series of stories from HuffPost exposing King ’ s history of white supremacy in 2018 , King narrowly won reelection in his district , one of the most conservative in the country .
He beat Democratic opponent J.D .
Scholten by only three points .

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Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) claims he and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) have agreed to a process that will see King be reinstated to committee seats he lost last year as punishment for making remarks condoning white supremacy.
“On April 20, Kevin McCarthy and I reached an agreement that he would advocate to the steering committee to put all of my committees back, all of my seniority,” King said at a Monday debate with his Republican primary opponents, according to the Sioux City Journal.
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“When Congress comes back into session, when the steering committee can (inaudible) together, I have Kevin McCarthy’s word that that will be my time for exoneration,” King said.
McCarthy’s office didn’t respond to a HuffPost request for comment Wednesday as to whether the House minority leader has struck such a deal with King.
McCarthy and GOP leadership in the House stripped King of all his committee assignments last year in response to comments King made to The New York Times.
“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King told the Times during a January interview about immigration. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”
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Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, is interviewed on the floor of the Quicken Loans Arena on first day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, July 18, 2016. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) Tom Williams via Getty Images
King — a white supremacist with a long history of associating with fascist figures in the U.S. and overseas — has since claimed the Times misquoted him, even though he made almost identical comments to an Iowa TV station months earlier.
Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), a member of the GOP steering committee in the House, tweeted Wednesday that he won’t allow for King’s political comeback.
“Rep. Steve King claims he will get his committees back next year,” Stivers tweeted. “As long as I am a member of the Republican Steering Committee, I will not allow hate & bigotry to influence the legislation passed by Congress. He will not be serving on any committee.”
Rep. Steve King claims he will get his committees back next year. As long as I am a member of the Republican Steering Committee, I will not allow hate & bigotry to influence the legislation passed by Congress. He will not be serving on any committee. https://t.co/OLjkKrSS4L — Steve Stivers (@stevestivers) May 13, 2020
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King hasn’t exactly been a pariah in conservative circles since he made his comments to the Times. As HuffPost reported, he was warmly received at a private GOP fundraiser where President Donald Trump was speaking last summer in Iowa.
And in March of this year, King was invited to speak on a panel at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
King, who’s served in the House for nine terms, is facing one of the toughest primary battles of his long congressional career. Polls show Republican Iowa state Sen. Randy Feenstra gaining on King ahead of the June 2 election. Feenstra has also raised significantly more campaign cash than King.
After a series of stories from HuffPost exposing King’s history of white supremacy in 2018, King narrowly won reelection in his district, one of the most conservative in the country. He beat Democratic opponent J.D. Scholten by only three points.
If he wins in the primary next month, he’ll face Scholten again in the general election this fall.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--Judge Weighs Holding Michael Flynn In Contempt, Keeping Guilty Plea In Place

Alex Wroblewski via Getty Images President Donald Trump ’ s former national security adviser Michael Flynn leaves a federal courthouse on June 24 , 2019 , in Washington , D.C. , before his sentencing .
The federal judge overseeing the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn is considering holding him in criminal contempt for perjury and has appointed a former judge to argue against the Trump administration ’ s attempt to drop the case against him .
In an order on Wednesday evening , U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan exercised his “ inherent authority ” to appoint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in opposition to the Justice Department ’ s motion to dismiss the case against the former Trump administration official .
Gleeson co-authored a Washington Post op-ed titled “ The Flynn Case Isn ’ t Over Until the Judge Says It ’ s Over.
” Sullivan asked the Gleeson to write up a brief to address whether Sullivan “ should issue an Order to Show Cause why Mr. Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury.
” Sullivan ’ s order points to the glaring issue with the Trump administration ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man who twice pleaded guilty in federal court to lying to the FBI about his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States : If Flynn didn ’ t , in fact , lie to the FBI about his communications with the ambassador , then he lied to the judge when he repeatedly swore in court that he was guilty of that crime .
The New York Times reported earlier Wednesday that a former FBI official whose notes the Justice Department used as an excuse for dropping the Flynn charges told FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his notes wrong .
Bill Priestap , the Times reported , told members of his former bureau that notes about the “ goal ” of an FBI interview with Flynn were about his thoughts ahead of a meeting with FBI leadership about the Flynn interview .
The Justice Department painted those notes as evidence of a perjury trap .

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The federal judge overseeing the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn is considering holding him in criminal contempt for perjury and has appointed a former judge to argue against the Trump administration’s attempt to drop the case against him.
In an order on Wednesday evening, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan exercised his “inherent authority” to appoint former judge John Gleeson to present arguments in opposition to the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the case against the former Trump administration official. Gleeson co-authored a Washington Post op-ed titled “The Flynn Case Isn’t Over Until the Judge Says It’s Over.”
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President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn leaves a federal courthouse on June 24, 2019, in Washington, D.C., before his sentencing. Alex Wroblewski via Getty Images
Sullivan asked the Gleeson to write up a brief to address whether Sullivan “should issue an Order to Show Cause why Mr. Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury.”
Sullivan’s order points to the glaring issue with the Trump administration’s attempt to dismiss the charges against a man who twice pleaded guilty in federal court to lying to the FBI about his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States: If Flynn didn’t, in fact, lie to the FBI about his communications with the ambassador, then he lied to the judge when he repeatedly swore in court that he was guilty of that crime.
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The New York Times reported earlier Wednesday that a former FBI official whose notes the Justice Department used as an excuse for dropping the Flynn charges told FBI officials last week that DOJ was interpreting his notes wrong.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--Fox News Hosts Freak Out Over Anthony Fauci's Coronavirus Lockdown Warning

Fox News ’ prime time personalities lashed out Tuesday after Dr. Anthony Fauci warned during a Senate Health Committee hearing against the premature reopening of the country while the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage .
Fauci , the country ’ s top infectious disease expert who is a member of President Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus task force , told lawmakers earlier in the day that the true death toll from COVID-19 is likely underreported .
Tucker Carlson , Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham ― whose coverage of the public health crisis has garnered widespread criticism for downplaying the threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disdain .
Carlson , in a lengthy monologue , ranted about Fauci being an unelected official , asked whether he should be entrusted with the power to make long-term health recommendations and called him out for what the host said were past contradictory statements .
“ He ’ s had the same job for nearly 40 years , ” complained Carlson .
“ That means the majority of American voters never even indirectly picked him for the role he has now.
” “ This is not the result of any kind of democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he continued .
“ Yet , in the last four months , Fauci has become one of the most powerful people in the world .
And some , particularly in our media and in our Democratic establishment , are clamoring to give Dr. Fauci even more power.
” Carlson suggested “ some people ” think Fauci should be “ dictator for the duration of this crisis , ” which he declared as “ insanity.
” “ Fauci , like every other human being , is flawed , ” Carlson ranted , and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average epidemiologist.
” Ingraham also seized on Fauci ’ s unelected status , claiming Democrats want to “ keep this panic parade going ” until the 2020 election .
Hannity , meanwhile , accused Fauci of siding with “ the left ” to favor “ massive restrictions with no end in sight.
” “ There is no secret that Dr. Fauci , like so many others , has been wrong a lot , ” said Hannity , after expressing respect for the scientist .
“ It ’ s time to reopen our country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
“ Americans are a free people .
It is up to all of us to calculate the risk and make our own decisions .
”

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Fox News’ prime time personalities lashed out Tuesday after Dr. Anthony Fauci warned during a Senate Health Committee hearing against the premature reopening of the country while the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage.
Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert who is a member of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, told lawmakers earlier in the day that the true death toll from COVID-19 is likely underreported.
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Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham ― whose coverage of the public health crisis has garnered widespread criticism for downplaying the threat and promoting bogus treatments ― responded with disdain.
Carlson, in a lengthy monologue, ranted about Fauci being an unelected official, asked whether he should be entrusted with the power to make long-term health recommendations and called him out for what the host said were past contradictory statements.
“He’s had the same job for nearly 40 years,” complained Carlson. “That means the majority of American voters never even indirectly picked him for the role he has now.”
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“This is not the result of any kind of democratic process at work at all,” he continued. “Yet, in the last four months, Fauci has become one of the most powerful people in the world. And some, particularly in our media and in our Democratic establishment, are clamoring to give Dr. Fauci even more power.”
Carlson suggested “some people” think Fauci should be “dictator for the duration of this crisis,” which he declared as “insanity.”
“Fauci, like every other human being, is flawed,” Carlson ranted, and “maybe even more off base than your average epidemiologist.”
Tucker Carlson goes after Dr. Fauci and says he wasn’t elected pic.twitter.com/ncEqZq0d6R — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) May 13, 2020
Carlson also appeared to call Fauci the “chief buffoon of the professional class.”
Tucker Carlson calls Dr. Fauci the Chief Buffoon? pic.twitter.com/hv9ZVQmWbf — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) May 13, 2020
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Ingraham also seized on Fauci’s unelected status, claiming Democrats want to “keep this panic parade going” until the 2020 election.
Hannity, meanwhile, accused Fauci of siding with “the left” to favor “massive restrictions with no end in sight.”
“There is no secret that Dr. Fauci, like so many others, has been wrong a lot,” said Hannity, after expressing respect for the scientist.
“It’s time to reopen our country and our economy safely,” Hannity added. “Americans are a free people. It is up to all of us to calculate the risk and make our own decisions.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--Senate Rejects Bid To Prevent Warrantless Government Surveillance Of Internet Use

The Senate on Wednesday narrowly defeated a measure seeking to prevent Americans ’ internet browsing and search histories from warrantless surveillance by the federal government .
The vote was 59 in favor , 37 opposed ― short of the necessary 60 votes needed for adoption .
Offered as an amendment by Sens .
Ron Wyden ( D-Ore. ) and Steve Daines ( R-Mont . )
to the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) , the vote on it was marked by a scrambling of the Senate ’ s partisan divide .
Backing the proposal were 34 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But , with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) a prime opponent , voting against it were 27 Republicans and 10 Democrats .
“ Is it right at this unique time when millions of law-abiding citizens are at home , for the government to be able to spy on their internet searches and web browsing without a warrant ?
” Wyden , a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee , asked on Wednesday , referring to the coronavirus epidemic .
“ That ’ s exactly what the government has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wyden , saying the Senate should stop “ further eroding Americans ’ privacy and civil liberties , ” pinned the blame for the amendment ’ s defeat on McConnell , But also key were the “ no ” votes by the 10 national security-minded Democrats : Tom Carper of Delaware , Bob Casey of Pennsylvania , Dianne Feinstein of California , Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire , Doug Jones of Alabama , Tim Kaine of Virginia , Joe Manchin of West Virginia , Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire , Mark Warner of Virginia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carper said he opposed the amendment because of concerns expressed by House leaders , including Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) , that it would threaten the entire law from being reauthorized by requiring the lower chamber to sign off on the change .
Shaheen said she believes the secretive FISA court , which oversees requests for surveillance warrants , will act as a sufficient check on the government ’ s requests for Internet browsing history .
Whitehouse said private companies have “ far greater ” access to Internet search history and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the matter .
“ I actually trust the U.S. government more than I trust Google Inc. , ” he added , referring to Google ’ s parent company , Alphabet .
Four senators were absent for the vote : Lamar Alexander ( R-Tenn. ) , Ben Sasse ( R-Neb . )
, Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Patty Murray ( D-Wash. ) As the vote broke , support from just one of them would have passed the amendment .

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The Senate on Wednesday narrowly defeated a measure seeking to prevent Americans’ internet browsing and search histories from warrantless surveillance by the federal government.
The vote was 59 in favor, 37 opposed ― short of the necessary 60 votes needed for adoption.
Offered as an amendment by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) to the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the vote on it was marked by a scrambling of the Senate’s partisan divide.
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Backing the proposal were 34 Democrats, 24 Republicans and one independent. But, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) a prime opponent, voting against it were 27 Republicans and 10 Democrats.
“Is it right at this unique time when millions of law-abiding citizens are at home, for the government to be able to spy on their internet searches and web browsing without a warrant?” Wyden, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, asked on Wednesday, referring to the coronavirus epidemic. “That’s exactly what the government has the power to do without our amendment.”
Wyden, saying the Senate should stop “further eroding Americans’ privacy and civil liberties,” pinned the blame for the amendment’s defeat on McConnell,
But also key were the “no” votes by the 10 national security-minded Democrats: Tom Carper of Delaware, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Dianne Feinstein of California, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Doug Jones of Alabama, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Mark Warner of Virginia and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.
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Carper said he opposed the amendment because of concerns expressed by House leaders, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), that it would threaten the entire law from being reauthorized by requiring the lower chamber to sign off on the change.
Shaheen said she believes the secretive FISA court, which oversees requests for surveillance warrants, will act as a sufficient check on the government’s requests for Internet browsing history.
Whitehouse said private companies have “far greater” access to Internet search history and he was not inclined to hamstring federal officials on the matter.
“I actually trust the U.S. government more than I trust Google Inc.,” he added, referring to Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
Four senators were absent for the vote: Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) As the vote broke, support from just one of them would have passed the amendment.
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The vote on reauthorizing FISA, which expired in March, is expected later this week.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--Liz Cheney Praises Dr. Fauci, Urges Americans To Thank Him: 'He Is Not A Partisan'

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming strongly defended White House coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci as one of the “ finest public servants we have ever had ” and urged Americans to thank him “ every day.
” Cheney tweeted her praise of the U.S. government ’ s top infectious disease expert on Tuesday after Fauci testified in the Senate ’ s first hearing on the coronavirus outbreak since March .
Cheney is the third-highest-ranking representative in GOP House leadership .
Dr. Fauci is one of the finest public servants we have ever had .
He is not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives .
We need his expertise and his judgment to defeat this virus .
All Americans should be thanking him .
Every day .
— Liz Cheney ( @ Liz_Cheney ) May 13 , 2020 “ My concern that if some areas ― cities , states or what have you ― jump over those various checkpoints and prematurely open up , without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently , my concern is we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks , ” Fauci testified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labor and Pensions Committee .
Fauci added that there is “ real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control , which in fact , paradoxically , will set you back , not only leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery.
” Cheney ’ s tweet directly contradicted comments by Sen. Rand Paul ( R-Ky. ) challenging Fauci ’ s testimony .
Paul argued that , outside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ relatively benign course ” and that schools must reopen in the fall .
“ As much as I respect you , Dr. Fauci , I don ’ t think you ’ re the end-all , ” Paul said .
“ I don ’ t think you ’ re the one person that gets to make a decision .
We can listen to your advice , but there are people on the other side saying there ’ s not going to be a surge and that we can safely open the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
But if we keep kids out of school for another year , what ’ s going to happen is , the poor and unprivileged kids who don ’ t have a parent that ’ s able to teach them at home are not going to learn for a full year.
” Fauci responded to Paul ’ s remarks by saying that he “ never made myself out to be the end-all ” or the “ only voice ” during the pandemic .
“ I ’ m a scientist , a physician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci said .
“ I give advice according to the best scientific evidence.
” He added that he only gives advice on public health and not “ economic things.
” Fauci stressed that we don ’ t know everything about COVID-19 and that we need to be “ very careful , particularly when it comes to children.
” “ I think we better be careful if we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects , ” Fauci said .
Fauci added that while he thinks Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus does not affect young people as badly as older or immunocompromised people , he stressed that he is “ very careful ” because of the unknowns .
“ You ’ re right , in the numbers that children , in general , do much , much better than adults and the elderly , and particularly those with underlying conditions , ” Fauci said .
“ But I am very careful and hopefully humble that I don ’ t know everything about this disease , and that ’ s why I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

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Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming strongly defended White House coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci as one of the “finest public servants we have ever had” and urged Americans to thank him “every day.”
Cheney tweeted her praise of the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert on Tuesday after Fauci testified in the Senate’s first hearing on the coronavirus outbreak since March. Cheney is the third-highest-ranking representative in GOP House leadership.
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Dr. Fauci is one of the finest public servants we have ever had. He is not a partisan. His only interest is saving lives. We need his expertise and his judgment to defeat this virus. All Americans should be thanking him. Every day. — Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 13, 2020
Fauci offered guidance about stay-at-home orders and expressed his concerns in the hearing, which was titled “COVID-19: Safely Getting Back to Work and School.”
“My concern that if some areas ― cities, states or what have you ― jump over those various checkpoints and prematurely open up, without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently, my concern is we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks,” Fauci testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Fauci added that there is “real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control, which in fact, paradoxically, will set you back, not only leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery.”
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Cheney’s tweet directly contradicted comments by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) challenging Fauci’s testimony. Paul argued that, outside of New England, the virus has had a “relatively benign course” and that schools must reopen in the fall.
“As much as I respect you, Dr. Fauci, I don’t think you’re the end-all,” Paul said. “I don’t think you’re the one person that gets to make a decision. We can listen to your advice, but there are people on the other side saying there’s not going to be a surge and that we can safely open the economy. And the facts will bear this out. But if we keep kids out of school for another year, what’s going to happen is, the poor and unprivileged kids who don’t have a parent that’s able to teach them at home are not going to learn for a full year.”
Sen. Paul argues school decisions should be made district by district, tells Dr. Fauci: “I don't think you're the end all.”
Fauci: "I'm a scientist... I think we better be careful if we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects." pic.twitter.com/GQuDXkPR3N — MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 12, 2020
Fauci responded to Paul’s remarks by saying that he “never made myself out to be the end-all” or the “only voice” during the pandemic.
“I’m a scientist, a physician and a public health official,” Fauci said. “I give advice according to the best scientific evidence.” He added that he only gives advice on public health and not “economic things.”
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Fauci stressed that we don’t know everything about COVID-19 and that we need to be “very careful, particularly when it comes to children.”
“I think we better be careful if we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects,” Fauci said.
Fauci added that while he thinks Paul is correct in his thinking that the virus does not affect young people as badly as older or immunocompromised people, he stressed that he is “very careful” because of the unknowns.
“You’re right, in the numbers that children, in general, do much, much better than adults and the elderly, and particularly those with underlying conditions,” Fauci said. “But I am very careful and hopefully humble that I don’t know everything about this disease, and that’s why I’m very reserved in making broad predictions.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--Ex-Labor Secretary Exposes Donald Trump's 'Lethal' Plan To Reopen Economy Amid Pandemic

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich has broken down what he believes is President Donald Trump ’ s “ lethal four-point plan ” to boost his 2020 election chances by reopening the economy “ at all costs ” amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The Clinton-era official explained in a video released on his YouTube channel Tuesday how Trump was trying to “ remove income support , so people have no choice but to return to work , ” “ hide the facts ” about testing for the contagion , “ push a false narrative about ‘ freedom ’ and ‘ liberation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses against lawsuits for spreading the infection.
” “ The biggest obstacle to reopening the economy is the pandemic itself , ” noted Reich , as the nationwide death toll from the public health crisis topped 83,000 .
“ Any rush to reopen without adequate testing and tracing , a massive increase from what we ’ re now doing , will cause even more deaths and a longer economic crisis , ” he warned .
It echoed the concerns expressed by Dr. Anthony Fauci , the country ’ s top infectious disease expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee hearing .
“ He ’ s trying to force the economy to reopen to boost his electoral chances , and he ’ s selling out Americans ’ health to seal the deal , ” Reich concluded .
“ No matter the cost , Donald Trump ’ s chief concern is and will always be himself .
”

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Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich has broken down what he believes is President Donald Trump’s “lethal four-point plan” to boost his 2020 election chances by reopening the economy “at all costs” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Clinton-era official explained in a video released on his YouTube channel Tuesday how Trump was trying to “remove income support, so people have no choice but to return to work,” “hide the facts” about testing for the contagion, “push a false narrative about ‘freedom’ and ‘liberation’” and seeking to “shield businesses against lawsuits for spreading the infection.”
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“The biggest obstacle to reopening the economy is the pandemic itself,” noted Reich, as the nationwide death toll from the public health crisis topped 83,000.
“Any rush to reopen without adequate testing and tracing, a massive increase from what we’re now doing, will cause even more deaths and a longer economic crisis,” he warned.
It echoed the concerns expressed by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, during Tuesday’s Senate Health Committee hearing.
“He’s trying to force the economy to reopen to boost his electoral chances, and he’s selling out Americans’ health to seal the deal,” Reich concluded. “No matter the cost, Donald Trump’s chief concern is and will always be himself.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--Family Of Breonna Taylor, EMT Killed By Police, Hires Attorney From Ahmaud Arbery Case

The family of a Black woman who was shot to death by police officers in Louisville , Kentucky , in March has hired a prominent attorney who also represents the family of Ahmaud Arbery , a Black man fatally shot while jogging in Georgia .
Breonna Taylor , a 26-year-old EMT , was shot eight times by Louisville Metro police officers on March 13 after they entered her apartment with a drug warrant looking for someone else .
Her family filed suit on April 27 , saying the warrant didn ’ t include either Taylor or her boyfriend and alleging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or announcing themselves.
” Taylor ’ s family this week hired noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump , who also represents the family of Ahmaud Arbery .
Two white men were charged this week in Arbery ’ s February killing after outrage that followed the release of a video showing the shooting .
Crump , who also represented the family of Trayvon Martin , said this week that Taylor ’ s slaying had simmered beneath the headlines for as long as the Arbery case , and he linked the lack of attention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing our sisters just like they ’ re killing our brothers , but for whatever reason , we have not given our sisters the same attention , ” Crump told The Washington Post , listing the names of prominent Black men killed by police officers .
“ Breonna ’ s name should be known by everybody in America who said those other names , because she was in her own home , doing absolutely nothing wrong.
” According to the lawsuit filed by Taylor ’ s family , her boyfriend , Kenneth Walker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into during the police raid .
He fired a legally owned firearm , hitting one of the officers .
Officers then opened fire and killed Taylor .
At least 20 shots were fired .
The Louisville Courier Journal notes no drugs were found .
The lawsuit says the person police were looking for had already been arrested 10 miles from Taylor ’ s home earlier that day .
The paper reported this week that a judge had signed a warrant with a “ no-knock ” provision , meaning officers could enter without announcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knocked multiple times before entering .
No charges have been filed against the officers involved .
Walker , 27 , was arrested and charged with assault and attempted murder of a police officer , NBC News reported .
He remains jailed , according to Crump .
“ Breonna had posed no threat to the officers and did nothing to deserve to die at their hands , ” the suit says .
“ Neither of the two had any criminal history for drugs or violence.
” “ She had a whole plan on becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then starting a family , ” Palmer said of her daughter .
“ Breonna had her head on straight , and she was a very decent person.
” “ As always , my priority is that the truth comes out , and door justice to follow the path of truth , ” Fischer said in a statement .
“ Police work can involve incredibly difficult situations .
Additionally , residents have rights .
These two concepts will and must be weighed by our justice system as the case proceeds .
”

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The family of a Black woman who was shot to death by police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, in March has hired a prominent attorney who also represents the family of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man fatally shot while jogging in Georgia.
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was shot eight times by Louisville Metro police officers on March 13 after they entered her apartment with a drug warrant looking for someone else. Her family filed suit on April 27, saying the warrant didn’t include either Taylor or her boyfriend and alleging the officers entered “without knocking … or announcing themselves.”
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Taylor’s family this week hired noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who also represents the family of Ahmaud Arbery. Two white men were charged this week in Arbery’s February killing after outrage that followed the release of a video showing the shooting.
Crump, who also represented the family of Trayvon Martin, said this week that Taylor’s slaying had simmered beneath the headlines for as long as the Arbery case, and he linked the lack of attention to gender bias.
“They’re killing our sisters just like they’re killing our brothers, but for whatever reason, we have not given our sisters the same attention,” Crump told The Washington Post, listing the names of prominent Black men killed by police officers. “Breonna’s name should be known by everybody in America who said those other names, because she was in her own home, doing absolutely nothing wrong.”
According to the lawsuit filed by Taylor’s family, her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, believed the apartment was being broken into during the police raid. He fired a legally owned firearm, hitting one of the officers. Officers then opened fire and killed Taylor. At least 20 shots were fired.
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The Louisville Courier Journal notes no drugs were found. The lawsuit says the person police were looking for had already been arrested 10 miles from Taylor’s home earlier that day. The paper reported this week that a judge had signed a warrant with a “no-knock” provision, meaning officers could enter without announcing themselves, although the department says officers knocked multiple times before entering.
No charges have been filed against the officers involved. Walker, 27, was arrested and charged with assault and attempted murder of a police officer, NBC News reported. He remains jailed, according to Crump.
Louisville Police fatally shot #BreonnaTaylor. They had the wrong address AND their real suspect was already in custody. 2 months later, no one has been held accountable for her death... but we will change that! #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor #SayHerName pic.twitter.com/wytTAozY5l — Benjamin Crump, Esq. (@AttorneyCrump) May 11, 2020
“Breonna had posed no threat to the officers and did nothing to deserve to die at their hands,” the suit says. “Neither of the two had any criminal history for drugs or violence.”
Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, told the Courier Journal on Tuesday she wasn’t sure officers “understand what they took from my family.”
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“She had a whole plan on becoming a nurse and buying a house and then starting a family,” Palmer said of her daughter. “Breonna had her head on straight, and she was a very decent person.”
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said he would demand a “thorough investigation” into Taylor’s death.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--Wisconsin Supreme Court Blocks Governor's Stay-At-Home Order Extension

MADISON , Wis. ( AP ) — Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers ’ administration overstepped its authority when it extended the governor ’ s stay-at-home order through the end of May , the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday .
The 4-3 ruling marks a defeat for Evers as Republican legislators , in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and with the aid of the conservative-controlled high court , continue to chip away at the Democratic governor ’ s powers .
Evers issued a stay-at-home order in March that closed schools and nonessential businesses .
The closures battered the state economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to slow the virus ’ spread .
The order was supposed to lift on April 24 , but Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Andrea Palm , an Evers appointee , extended it to May 26 .
Evers ’ administration countered that state law clearly gives the executive branch broad authority to quickly enact emergency measures to control communicable diseases .
Attorney General Josh Kaul also noted that Evers ’ order was similar to that in at least 42 other states and has saved many lives .
Nearly seven out of 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safer at home ” order , based on a Marquette University Law School poll released Tuesday .
However , the support had dropped from 86 % in March to 69 % in May , driven by increasing opposition from Republicans , the poll showed .
The ruling doesn ’ t mean that Evers ’ order is immediately void .
Republicans had sought a temporary injunction to block the extension , with a six-day stay to give state health officials time to go through the rule-making process .
The court , controlled 5-2 by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the six-day stay .
The order will remain in effect until May 20 .
The GOP has not offered any alternative plans .
The state ’ s chamber of commerce has suggested allowing all businesses to open at once while compelling higher-risk establishments and operations to take increasingly strict mitigation measures such as requiring employees to use protective gear .
The GOP move against Evers mirrors actions taken by Republican-controlled legislatures in other states , most notably against the Democratic governors in nearby “ blue wall ” states Michigan and Pennsylvania .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
During Walker ’ s final weeks in office , Republicans adopted a set of laws that prohibited Evers from ordering the attorney general to withdraw from lawsuits , a move designed to prevent the governor from pulling Wisconsin out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Care Act .
The state Supreme Court has upheld those laws .
The high court also backed Republicans over Evers in the GOP ’ s insistence on holding in-person voting for April ’ s presidential primary despite the health risks of the coronavirus .
Separately , the court is considering a lawsuit from conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty that seeks to to rein in the governor ’ s partial veto powers .

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ administration overstepped its authority when it extended the governor’s stay-at-home order through the end of May, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
The 4-3 ruling marks a defeat for Evers as Republican legislators, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and with the aid of the conservative-controlled high court, continue to chip away at the Democratic governor’s powers.
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Evers issued a stay-at-home order in March that closed schools and nonessential businesses. The closures battered the state economy, but Evers argued they were necessary to slow the virus’ spread. The order was supposed to lift on April 24, but Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Andrea Palm, an Evers appointee, extended it to May 26.
Evers’ administration countered that state law clearly gives the executive branch broad authority to quickly enact emergency measures to control communicable diseases. Attorney General Josh Kaul also noted that Evers’ order was similar to that in at least 42 other states and has saved many lives.
Nearly seven out of 10 Wisconsin residents still back Evers’ “safer at home” order, based on a Marquette University Law School poll released Tuesday. However, the support had dropped from 86% in March to 69% in May, driven by increasing opposition from Republicans, the poll showed.
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The ruling doesn’t mean that Evers’ order is immediately void. Republicans had sought a temporary injunction to block the extension, with a six-day stay to give state health officials time to go through the rule-making process. The court, controlled 5-2 by conservative justices, granted the injunction and the six-day stay. The order will remain in effect until May 20.
The GOP has not offered any alternative plans. The state’s chamber of commerce has suggested allowing all businesses to open at once while compelling higher-risk establishments and operations to take increasingly strict mitigation measures such as requiring employees to use protective gear.
The GOP move against Evers mirrors actions taken by Republican-controlled legislatures in other states, most notably against the Democratic governors in nearby “blue wall” states Michigan and Pennsylvania. All three are critical presidential battlegrounds in November.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
The GOP has been working to weaken Evers’ powers since he ousted incumbent Republican Gov. Scott Walker in 2018.
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During Walker’s final weeks in office, Republicans adopted a set of laws that prohibited Evers from ordering the attorney general to withdraw from lawsuits, a move designed to prevent the governor from pulling Wisconsin out of a multistate lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act. The state Supreme Court has upheld those laws.
The high court also backed Republicans over Evers in the GOP’s insistence on holding in-person voting for April’s presidential primary despite the health risks of the coronavirus.
Separately, the court is considering a lawsuit from conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty that seeks to to rein in the governor’s partial veto powers.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--The Deadly Spread Of Coronavirus Is Hitting Women's Prisons

Courtesy of Rhonda Dupree Andrea Circle Bear , who was in federal prison on a drug charge , gave birth on a ventilator before dying of COVID-19 .
“ She was asking about her children , and I told her not to worry about them , that they were well taken care of , ” LeBeau said in a phone call with HuffPost .
“ We prayed together and told each other we loved each other , and that was the last time I spoke with her.
” The following day , Circle Bear had an emergency caesarean section while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On April 28 , almost a month later , she became the first woman to die from coronavirus while in federal custody .
Since the outbreak ’ s start , the virus has spread stealthily inside jails and prisons .
More than 27,000 prisoners have been infected and 370 have died , according to a tally kept by the COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project , though it is unknown how many of those impacted are female .
Social distancing is essentially futile as people are housed in confined spaces , eat and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to cleaning supplies or personal protective gear .
Incarcerated women across the country have reported rampant illness , subpar medical care and chronic undertesting .
In a statement , Tina Luongo , an attorney at the Legal Aid Society , welcomed the release of the women , but called on the state to act swiftly to release their other pregnant clients .
“ There is no justification to hold these women in custody further as the COVID-19 infection rate continues to climb , endangering the lives of everyone in prison , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is heartless and will keep our clients and their unborn children in serious danger.
” When women do kill , their victims are often their family members , and in some cases , women who use violence are victims of severe violence themselves .
Although there is no national data on the number of women imprisoned for defending themselves or their children , a 2005 study in New York found that two-thirds of women sent to prison for killing someone close to them were abused by that person .
“ Many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed the crime and they were there and they may have had a hand in it but usually it ’ s very minor , if at all .
And now they ’ re serving sentences that are often as much as the killer themselves , ” Jacobsen said .
Her prison makes masks , she said , and she was given two .
While the facility was attempting to practice social distancing , the rules were often contradictory .
In the cafeteria , the women were spaced out , but they had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter .
Greene said she was especially worried about contracting the virus because she has heart conditions .

Andrea Circle Bear, who was in federal prison on a drug charge, gave birth on a ventilator before dying of COVID-19. Courtesy of Rhonda Dupree
When Andrea Circle Bear, a heavily pregnant 30-year-old from South Dakota, was sentenced to 26 months in prison for a drug-related offense, the prosecutor held her up as an example. “Don’t let yourself or your property get mixed up in the world of illegal drugs,” the U.S. attorney involved in the case warned in a press release. “It ends badly.”
For Circle Bear, the prison stint was ultimately a death sentence. Eleven days after arriving at a federal prison in Texas, she was transported to a hospital with a dry cough and fever. Her grandmother, Clara LeBeau, said Circle Bear called her from her hospital bed, sounding confused and afraid.
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“She was asking about her children, and I told her not to worry about them, that they were well taken care of,” LeBeau said in a phone call with HuffPost. “We prayed together and told each other we loved each other, and that was the last time I spoke with her.” The following day, Circle Bear had an emergency caesarean section while on a ventilator, gasping for breath. On April 28, almost a month later, she became the first woman to die from coronavirus while in federal custody.
Her tragic death has brought sharp attention to the plight of incarcerated women during the coronavirus pandemic. Like Circle Bear, most women in prison are mothers of young children, their pathways into the criminal justice system marked by substance abuse, poverty and trauma. Though there are many more men behind bars than women, female incarceration has grown at twice the pace of men’s in recent decades.
Since the outbreak’s start, the virus has spread stealthily inside jails and prisons. More than 27,000 prisoners have been infected and 370 have died, according to a tally kept by the COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project, though it is unknown how many of those impacted are female. Social distancing is essentially futile as people are housed in confined spaces, eat and bathe in shared rooms and have limited access to cleaning supplies or personal protective gear. Incarcerated women across the country have reported rampant illness, subpar medical care and chronic undertesting.
Andrea Circle Bear with various members of her family. Her grandmother said she was a talented baker and loving mother. Courtesy of Rhonda Dupree
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“Being told to separate is impossible,” one incarcerated woman in Florida told the Miami Herald. “We are sleeping 12 inches from other inmates in a dorm of 86 women who share 12 toilets and nine showers.”
While federal and state officials have begun releasing some women to address the health crisis, activists say they’re not moving fast or thinking big enough.
“Women are afraid that they’re going to die in prison,” said Donna Hylton, a prison reform activist who served over 20 years at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, New York’s maximum-security prison for women. “They’re afraid like everybody else.”
Many incarcerated women have preexisting conditions after years of inadequate health care, entering prison with diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases and heart issues, she said. About two-thirds of women in prison report having a chronic health condition.
Inside Bedford Hills, 42 women have tested positive for the coronavirus. In early May, at least 10 women in the facility were pregnant, leaving them particularly vulnerable to the virus. After the Legal Aid Society called on state officials to release them, eight were sent home.
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In a statement, Tina Luongo, an attorney at the Legal Aid Society, welcomed the release of the women, but called on the state to act swiftly to release their other pregnant clients. “There is no justification to hold these women in custody further as the COVID-19 infection rate continues to climb, endangering the lives of everyone in prison,” she said. “Any further delay is heartless and will keep our clients and their unborn children in serious danger.”
Bedford Hills has seen one death from the virus, 61-year-old Darlene “Lulu” Benson-Seay. She was a survivor of domestic violence who had hoped to be released under a new state law that allows judges to take a second look at cases where abuse played a significant role in the conviction.
The mood in the prison was grim after her death, Hylton said.
“She made everyone laugh, you know, she was a joy,” she said. “Lots of people were fighting to get her out.”
Much of the states and federal effort to release prisoners due to the coronavirus has focused on nonviolent offenders with short sentences as well as the elderly, who are at the highest risk from dying from the infection.
But in many cases, the elderly are barred for release because they are serving decades or life for violent crime convictions ― even though research suggests that people age out of crime.
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In New York, for example, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that prisoners who are at least 55 years old and have less than 90 days remaining on their sentence may be released. But those who committed a violent felony, like Benson-Seay, were not eligible.
“We continue to have this narrative about the separation between nonviolent and violent crimes, and it’s only doing more harm,” Hylton said.
Susan Farrell, 74, had served more than 30 years in Michigan for the death of her abusive husband, who she maintained she did not kill. She was the first female prisoner in the state to die from COVID-19. Michigan Department of Corrections
While the majority of women are in prison for drugs and property offenses, about 37% are convicted of “violent crimes,” a nebulous category that can include acts like purse-snatching or manufacturing methamphetamine, depending on the state.
When women do kill, their victims are often their family members, and in some cases, women who use violence are victims of severe violence themselves. Although there is no national data on the number of women imprisoned for defending themselves or their children, a 2005 study in New York found that two-thirds of women sent to prison for killing someone close to them were abused by that person.
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In Michigan, the first female prisoner to die from COVID-19 was an elderly domestic violence survivor named Susan Farrell. The 74-year-old had served more than 30 years for the death of her abusive husband, who she maintained she did not kill.
She was held at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, the state’s only prison for women, where inmates have complained about severe overcrowding for years. Two other women have died of the virus in the prison since, a spokesperson for the department told HuffPost.
“For so many women, their crimes are connected to acts of survival,” said Carol Jacobsen, the director of the Michigan Women’s Justice & Clemency Project, who advocated for Farrell’s unsuccessful clemency bid. “These women are no threat to anyone. They were acting the way any reasonable person would act in a situation where they thought their life was under threat.”
Others are in prison for crimes connected to male co-defendants, she added.
“Many of the women are in because of men who committed the crime and they were there and they may have had a hand in it but usually it’s very minor, if at all. And now they’re serving sentences that are often as much as the killer themselves,”Jacobsen said.
Faye Brown, the first female prisoner to die of COVID-19 in North Carolina, was convicted of murder for her role in the 1975 shooting death of a state trooper during a bank robbery. She was in the car when a male acquaintance shot the trooper. NC DPS
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That was the case for Faye Brown, the first female prisoner to die of COVID-19 in North Carolina. She was convicted of murder for her role in the 1975 shooting death of a state trooper during a bank robbery. While she didn’t fire the gun, she was in the car when a male acquaintance shot the trooper.
In 2009, she almost won her release after her lawyers argued that when she was sent to prison, a life sentence meant no longer than 80 years. The credits she earned for good behavior should have reduced her time so she could go free. She ultimately lost the court battle.
Brown should have been released back then, Mary Pollard, executive director of the nonprofit N.C. Prisoner Legal Services, told The State. “This is a woman who was immediately parole ready,” she said. “There was really no public safety reason to keep her in prison, and now she’s dead.”
Jails and prisons have suspended visitations to stop the spread of infection. For the families of incarcerated women, it has become increasingly difficult to check in on the safety of their loved ones or assess prison conditions.
When Tiffany Mofield, a 43-year-old woman serving time in New Jersey’s Edna Mahan Correctional Facility For Women, began experiencing extreme fatigue and respiratory distress, her family was led to believe that she was receiving care at a local hospital. Only after her death did they learn that she was never hospitalized, according to a lawsuit filed by her family.
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“We want to know what happened,” said the woman’s daughter, Shatifia Cooke, in a press release. “I feel like my mother was crying out for help and instead of being taken to a hospital, she was just ignored.”
Female prisoners are also suffering from the lack of communication from the outside world. Stephanie Greene, an incarcerated woman in South Carolina, said she was feeling more isolated than usual due to the canceled visits.
“Quite depressing not even getting to see my kids today,” she wrote to HuffPost on Mother’s Day. “This place is just soul-sucking and spirit crushing and erodes the psyche day after day, week after week.”
Her prison makes masks, she said, and she was given two. While the facility was attempting to practice social distancing, the rules were often contradictory. In the cafeteria, the women were spaced out, but they had to form a crowd in the lobby to enter. Greene said she was especially worried about contracting the virus because she has heart conditions.
“Of course we are frightened,” she wrote in another email. “I do not want to die in a disease infested cage.”
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Clara LeBeau, the grandmother of Circle Bear, is now caring for a newborn baby girl. A few weeks after Circle Bear gave birth, LeBeau drove 16 hours from South Dakota to Texas to pick up her great-granddaughter from the hospital.
LeBeau was not allowed to see Circle Bear, who was struggling for her life on a ventilator. “It was very hurtful when I drove all the way down there and I couldn’t see her,” LeBeau said, crying.
The baby is healthy and thriving, she said. Circle Bear’s other children — she had five — are being cared for by their grandfather. Her family is raising money for the kids on GoFundMe.
LeBeau described her granddaughter as a loving mother and a talented baker who used to sell fresh cinnamon rolls to local office buildings. “I taught her how to bake,” she said. “She was so good at it.”
She said she hoped that Circle Bear’s death would spur new examination of the laws around pregnant women in prison.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--Paul Manafort Released To Home Confinement Amid Coronavirus Concerns

Paul Manafort , convicted felon and former campaign manager to President Donald Trump , has been released to home confinement amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus in prisons , his attorney told multiple news outlets Wednesday .
The 71-year-old former lawyer was let out of FCI Loretto , a federal correctional facility in central Pennsylvania , early Wednesday .
Manafort will spend the remainder of his roughly 7.5-year sentence in home confinement after serving just under 30 % of the time in prison .
ABC News was the first to report his release .
Manafort was convicted of eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in August 2018 by a federal jury in Virginia .
He reached a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s team in September 2018 and pleaded guilty to two counts , one of conspiracy against the U.S. and another of conspiracy to obstruct justice .
Manafort is one of six Trump associates charged as a result of Mueller ’ s investigation to into Russian interference in the 2016 election .
Michael Cohen , Trump ’ s former personal lawyer who pleaded guilty in 2018 to tax fraud , campaign finance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be released from prison because of coronavirus concerns , but was denied .
Cohen had been set for home confinement on May 1 after a 14-day quarantine , but the release was rescinded , his lawyer told CNBC .
Cohen is serving his three-year sentence in a federal prison camp in Otisville , New York .
He is scheduled for release in November 2021 .
CORRECTION : An earlier version incorrectly stated Michael Cohen had been released to home confinement .
His request was denied .

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Paul Manafort, convicted felon and former campaign manager to President Donald Trump, has been released to home confinement amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus in prisons, his attorney told multiple news outlets Wednesday.
The 71-year-old former lawyer was let out of FCI Loretto, a federal correctional facility in central Pennsylvania, early Wednesday. Manafort will spend the remainder of his roughly 7.5-year sentence in home confinement after serving just under 30% of the time in prison. ABC News was the first to report his release.
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Manafort was convicted of eight counts, including tax and bank fraud, in August 2018 by a federal jury in Virginia. He reached a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team in September 2018 and pleaded guilty to two counts, one of conspiracy against the U.S. and another of conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Manafort is one of six Trump associates charged as a result of Mueller’s investigation to into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer who pleaded guilty in 2018 to tax fraud, campaign finance violations and lying to Congress, asked to be released from prison because of coronavirus concerns, but was denied.
Cohen had been set for home confinement on May 1 after a 14-day quarantine, but the release was rescinded, his lawyer told CNBC.
Cohen is serving his three-year sentence in a federal prison camp in Otisville, New York. He is scheduled for release in November 2021.
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CORRECTION: An earlier version incorrectly stated Michael Cohen had been released to home confinement. His request was denied.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--Trump Cites Virus As Reason To Expel Migrant Youths, Asylum Seekers

HOUSTON ( AP ) — The young migrants and asylum seekers swim across the Rio Grande and clamber into the dense brush of Texas .
Many are teens who left Central America on their own ; others were sent along by parents from refugee camps in Mexico .
They are as young as 10 .
Under U.S. law they would normally be allowed to live with relatives while their cases wind through immigration courts .
Instead the Trump administration is quickly expelling them under an emergency declaration citing the coronavirus pandemic , with 600 minors expelled in April alone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two recently expelled teens said border agents told them they wouldn ’ t be allowed to request asylum .
They were placed in cells , fingerprinted and given a medical exam .
Then , after four days , they were flown back to their home country of Guatemala .
The AP is withholding the teens ’ last names to protect their privacy .
“ I did ask to talk to my brother because he wanted to get a lawyer , because he wanted to fight for my case , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not letting people talk to anyone .
No matter how much I fought , they were not letting anyone stay.
” Similarly , Osvaldo , 17 , said agents wouldn ’ t let him call his father .
He was held with other children in a cold room and issued a foil blanket as well as a new mask and pair of gloves each of the four days he was in custody .
Someone took his temperature before he was deported , but he wasn ’ t tested for the coronavirus until he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given no immigration paperwork , just the medical report from his examination .
A 10-year-old boy and his mother , whom the AP is not identifying because she fears retribution for speaking publicly , spent months at a squalid camp in Matamoros , Mexico , across from Brownsville , Texas , waiting for their immigration court dates under the Trump administration program known as “ Remain in Mexico.
” The woman expected he would be be treated the same as before , when such children were picked up by the U.S. Border Patrol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Human Services facilities for eventual placement with a sponsor , usually a relative .
The boy now lives with a family member in the capital , Tegucigalpa .
Another relative has agreed to take him back to the family ’ s rural village , if the mother returns to care for him .
But she fears her former partner , who abused and threatened both of them .
“ This boy has gone through multiple traumas , ending with the experience of being placed on a plane by himself and flown to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming , ” she said .
Under a 2008 anti-trafficking law and a federal court settlement known as the Flores agreement , children from countries other than Canada and Mexico must have access to legal counsel and can not be immediately deported .
They are also supposed to be released to family in the U.S. or otherwise held in the least restrictive setting possible .
The rules are intended to prevent children from being mistreated or falling into the hands of criminals .
U.S. Customs and Border Protection began the expulsions in late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for disregarding the Flores rules .
CBP said it processed 166 children last month as “ unaccompanied ” minors , meaning they would be taken to HHS youth holding facilities and allowed to stay in the U.S. at least temporarily , and the remaining 600 were expelled .

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HOUSTON (AP) — The young migrants and asylum seekers swim across the Rio Grande and clamber into the dense brush of Texas. Many are teens who left Central America on their own; others were sent along by parents from refugee camps in Mexico. They are as young as 10.
Under U.S. law they would normally be allowed to live with relatives while their cases wind through immigration courts. Instead the Trump administration is quickly expelling them under an emergency declaration citing the coronavirus pandemic, with 600 minors expelled in April alone.
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The expulsions are the latest administration measure aimed at preventing the entry of migrant children, following other programs such as the since-rescinded “zero tolerance” policy that resulted in thousands of family separations.
Border agencies say they have to restrict asylum claims and border crossings during the pandemic to prevent the virus’ spread. Migrants’ advocates call that a pretext to dispense with federal protections for children.
In interviews with The Associated Press, two recently expelled teens said border agents told them they wouldn’t be allowed to request asylum. They were placed in cells, fingerprinted and given a medical exam. Then, after four days, they were flown back to their home country of Guatemala. The AP is withholding the teens’ last names to protect their privacy.
Brenda, 16, left Guatemala in hopes of reaching the U.S. to eventually work and help her family. Her father works on a farm, but it’s not enough.
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“We barely eat,” she said.
Her family borrowed $13,000 to pay a smuggler and months later she crossed illegally. Authorities later took her into custody in April at a Texas stash house, she said.
“I did ask to talk to my brother because he wanted to get a lawyer, because he wanted to fight for my case,” she said. “But they told me they were not letting people talk to anyone. No matter how much I fought, they were not letting anyone stay.”
She is now under quarantine at her family’s home.
Similarly, Osvaldo, 17, said agents wouldn’t let him call his father. He was held with other children in a cold room and issued a foil blanket as well as a new mask and pair of gloves each of the four days he was in custody.
Someone took his temperature before he was deported, but he wasn’t tested for the coronavirus until he was back in Guatemala. Osvaldo was given no immigration paperwork, just the medical report from his examination.
“I thought they would help me or let me fight my case,” Osvaldo said, “but no.”
A 10-year-old boy and his mother, whom the AP is not identifying because she fears retribution for speaking publicly, spent months at a squalid camp in Matamoros, Mexico, across from Brownsville, Texas, waiting for their immigration court dates under the Trump administration program known as “Remain in Mexico.”
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When she lost an initial decision, she decided he would be better off temporarily with her brother in the United States. She watched him swim across the Rio Grande.
The woman expected he would be be treated the same as before, when such children were picked up by the U.S. Border Patrol and taken to Department of Health and Human Services facilities for eventual placement with a sponsor, usually a relative.
But the mother heard nothing until six days later, when her family received a call from a shelter in Honduras.
“They had thrown him out to Honduras,” she said. “We didn’t know anything.”
The boy now lives with a family member in the capital, Tegucigalpa. Another relative has agreed to take him back to the family’s rural village, if the mother returns to care for him. But she fears her former partner, who abused and threatened both of them.
“He doesn’t want to eat. All he does is cry,” the woman said. “I never imagined they would send him back there.”
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Their case was first reported by CBS News.
Amy Cohen, a psychiatrist who works with the family and leads the advocacy group Every Last One, criticized the government’s treatment of the boy and other children.
“This boy has gone through multiple traumas, ending with the experience of being placed on a plane by himself and flown to a country where no one knew he was coming,” she said.
Under a 2008 anti-trafficking law and a federal court settlement known as the Flores agreement, children from countries other than Canada and Mexico must have access to legal counsel and cannot be immediately deported. They are also supposed to be released to family in the U.S. or otherwise held in the least restrictive setting possible. The rules are intended to prevent children from being mistreated or falling into the hands of criminals.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection began the expulsions in late March, using the emergency as justification for disregarding the Flores rules. CBP said it processed 166 children last month as “unaccompanied” minors, meaning they would be taken to HHS youth holding facilities and allowed to stay in the U.S. at least temporarily, and the remaining 600 were expelled.
But HHS says it received just 58 unaccompanied minors in April. Spokesmen for both agencies were not immediately able to address the discrepancy.
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CBP says it exempts children from expulsion on a “case-by-case basis, such as when return to the home country is not possible or an agent suspects trafficking or sees signs of illness.” An agency spokesman declined to provide more specifics.
CBP acting Commissioner Mark Morgan said last week that the U.S. may keep expelling migrants even as states begin to ease coronavirus restrictions.
Meanwhile, as the virus has spread through immigration detention facilities, the U.S. has deported at least 100 people with COVID-19 to Guatemala, including minors.
Michelle Brané, director of migrant rights at the Women’s Refugee Commission, said the virus is an excuse for expelling children, and the Trump administration could admit them and still counter its spread through measures like temperature checks and quarantines.
“At the very heart of it,” she said, “it has always been about trying to block access to protection for children and families and asylum seekers.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-13--Andrew Cuomo Finally Provides Sign Language Interpreter After Deaf New Yorkers Sue

In the lawsuit , Disability Rights New York said it had received “ a large number of complaints from deaf @ @ @ @ @ to understand Governor Cuomo ’ s daily briefings due to the lack of in frame @ @ @ @ @ of the plaintiffs represented by the lawsuit cited these difficulties in receiving accurate and prompt @ @ @ @ @ s response to the pandemic , such as not finding out about Cuomo ’ s @ @ @ @ @ wear masks in public , and not being able to inform other deaf community members @ @ @ @ @ than 3.4 million Americans identify as deaf , and about 17 million report having “ @ @ @ @ @ according to a 2014 Census survey of Americans with disabilities .
At least 200,000 residents @ @ @ @ @ by far the U.S area hit hardest by the pandemic , are deaf or hard @ @ @

In the lawsuit, Disability Rights New York said it had received “a large number of complaints from deaf New Yorkers who are unable to understand Governor Cuomo’s daily briefings due to the lack of in frame televised ASL interpretation.”
Several of the plaintiffs represented by the lawsuit cited these difficulties in receiving accurate and prompt information about the state’s response to the pandemic, such as not finding out about Cuomo’s stay-at-home order or requirement to wear masks in public, and not being able to inform other deaf community members of such directives.
More than 3.4 million Americans identify as deaf, and about 17 million report having “serious difficulty hearing,” according to a 2014 Census survey of Americans with disabilities. At least 200,000 residents of New York City, by far the U.S area hit hardest by the pandemic, are deaf or hard of hearing.