thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-28--Donald Trump Is Using An Insanely Sketchy Newsletter To Find Campaign Donors

For months , members of the president ’ s inner circle — including Donald Trump Jr. , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and even Trump himself — have been issuing calls for donations through the newsletter , which typically goes out five or more times per day .
Many recipients were likely unwittingly subscribed ; I Love My Freedom , the group that runs the eponymous newsletter , has acquired a growing list of Americans ’ contact information through a covert email harvesting scheme involving a web of pro-Trump Facebook pages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as if they ’ re sent directly from Trump and his allies , though they ’ re actually distributed via support @ ilovemyfreedom-email.org .
At the bottom , they bear disclaimers noting they were paid for by either the National Republican Senatorial Committee , its House counterpart , the McConnell Senate Committee , or the Trump Make America Great Again Committee ( which is jointly run by the Republican National Committee and Trump ’ s reelection campaign ) .
Renting out access to harvested email lists is a common and highly lucrative practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , often for political fundraising purposes .
But things get ethically murky when email distributors don ’ t vet their sponsors — which can result in email recipients being inundated with ripoffs and hoaxes , like the phony cancer cure .
In this case , however , the real question is whether Trump ’ s team bothered to vet I Love My Freedom .
Through the newsletter alone , I Love My Freedom has amplified a litany of predatory scams — including some that misleadingly implicate Trump , despite its dealings with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email from the McConnell Senate Committee this month , I Love My Freedom fired off a sponsored message promoting a “ breakthrough ” stem cell treatment — which it baselessly implied Trump is receiving .
“ This has got Liberals jumping out of their seats , ” the email reads .
“ President Trump is in perfect health ... how is it that he ’ s so seemingly immune to old age ?
Well in recent years , billionaires like President Trump have increasingly turned to the power of Stem Cells.
” Titled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email links to a rambling product pitch that touts $ 67 bottles of “ stem cell ” pills as “ the Holy Grail of aging backwards.
” These pills make “ cells inside your body become physically younger , ” it claims , without offering a shred of scientific evidence .
I Love My Freedom has also spammed its subscribers with sponsors ’ get-rich-quick schemes including a “ secret IRS loophole , ” and has directed them to videos suggesting seniors should swap their prescribed medications for swindlers ’ supplements — even warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t .
One such ad features the text “ Royal Family Mourns As Tragedy Is Confirmed , ” alongside a photo of Meghan Markle , the Duchess of Sussex .
Clicking on it leads to a website mimicking USA Today that raves about a skincare line , which it falsely claims Markle launched .
Another , bearing the headline “ [ BREAKING NEWS ] Prayers Go Out to Oprah Winfrey , ” links to a bogus news site peddling a “ Brain Booster ” supplement , which it brazenly says is responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We rented this list to prospect new donors .
We do our best to vet each vendor , but similar to renting a car , it is impossible to know or control what every other renter does with a list they too are renting , ” spokesman Chris Pack told HuffPost .
I Love My Freedom built its cash-cow email empire by investing nearly $ 2 million into Facebook ads , which draw people in with clickbait polls or promises of “ free ” MAGA gear , and lead to pages instructing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This automatically signs them up to receive the newsletter , along with its many sponsored messages .
Ferretti launched ilovemyfreedom.org along with the Facebook page Trump for President Fan Club ( now President Donald Trump Fan Club , which has 1.6 million followers ) in the summer of 2015 , as journalist April Glaser reported last fall in an article about I Love My Freedom ’ s viral growth on Facebook .

Alex Wong via Getty Images
The digital newsletter “I Love My Freedom” regularly blasts out emails hawking flagrant scams and snake oil, such as a dementia-reversing “miracle” treatment, a “diabetes destroyer” substance and a “life-saving” cancer therapy that a Nazi chemist supposedly developed at Hitler’s command. Peppered between these messages sponsored by third-party hucksters are official ads from Donald Trump’s presidential reelection campaign.
For months, members of the president’s inner circle — including Donald Trump Jr., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and even Trump himself — have been issuing calls for donations through the newsletter, which typically goes out five or more times per day. Many recipients were likely unwittingly subscribed; I Love My Freedom, the group that runs the eponymous newsletter, has acquired a growing list of Americans’ contact information through a covert email harvesting scheme involving a web of pro-Trump Facebook pages.
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Right-wing politicians, organizations and media outlets have a history of working with shady entities behind the scenes to make money and push their agendas. The Trump campaign’s business with I Love My Freedom is no exception.
I Love My Freedom (email details magnified by HuffPost)
By design, its emails look as if they’re sent directly from Trump and his allies, though they’re actually distributed via support@ilovemyfreedom-email.org. At the bottom, they bear disclaimers noting they were paid for by either the National Republican Senatorial Committee, its House counterpart, the McConnell Senate Committee, or the Trump Make America Great Again Committee (which is jointly run by the Republican National Committee and Trump’s reelection campaign).
Renting out access to harvested email lists is a common and highly lucrative practice exercised by conservative and liberal groups alike, often for political fundraising purposes. But things get ethically murky when email distributors don’t vet their sponsors — which can result in email recipients being inundated with ripoffs and hoaxes, like the phony cancer cure. In this case, however, the real question is whether Trump’s team bothered to vet I Love My Freedom.
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The campaign did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Fraud, Scams And Trump Ads
I Love My Freedom, which comprises the newsletter and a right-wing blog called Trending Politics, is part of Making Web LLC, an obscure marketing firm that’s registered in Minnesota to a 51-year-old man named Allan G. Ferretti.
Through the newsletter alone, I Love My Freedom has amplified a litany of predatory scams — including some that misleadingly implicate Trump, despite its dealings with his campaign. Hours before distributing a fundraising email from the McConnell Senate Committee this month, I Love My Freedom fired off a sponsored message promoting a “breakthrough” stem cell treatment — which it baselessly implied Trump is receiving.
“This has got Liberals jumping out of their seats,” the email reads. “President Trump is in perfect health ... how is it that he’s so seemingly immune to old age? Well in recent years, billionaires like President Trump have increasingly turned to the power of Stem Cells.”
Titled “Trump Health Bombshell,” the email links to a rambling product pitch that touts $67 bottles of “stem cell” pills as “the Holy Grail of aging backwards.” These pills make “cells inside your body become physically younger,” it claims, without offering a shred of scientific evidence. I Love My Freedom has also spammed its subscribers with sponsors’ get-rich-quick schemes including a “secret IRS loophole,” and has directed them to videos suggesting seniors should swap their prescribed medications for swindlers’ supplements — even warning that they could die if they don’t.
Recent newsletter editions have propagated literal fake news, too, embedding ads disguised as articles that link to websites deceptively imitating legitimate media outlets.
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I Love My Freedom newsletters have featured deceptive ads leading to fake news sites imitating legitimate outlets.
One such ad features the text “Royal Family Mourns As Tragedy Is Confirmed,” alongside a photo of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. Clicking on it leads to a website mimicking USA Today that raves about a skincare line, which it falsely claims Markle launched. Another, bearing the headline “[BREAKING NEWS] Prayers Go Out to Oprah Winfrey,” links to a bogus news site peddling a “Brain Booster” supplement, which it brazenly says is responsible for Winfrey’s career success.
In addition to Trump, his eldest son, McConnell and Gingrich, I Love My Freedom has also sent out fundraising emails on behalf of former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio), former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Emmer.
All were paid for by the NRCC, NRSC, McConnell Senate Committee or the Trump Make America Great Again Committee. Only the NRCC responded to a request for comment.
“We rented this list to prospect new donors. We do our best to vet each vendor, but similar to renting a car, it is impossible to know or control what every other renter does with a list they too are renting,” spokesman Chris Pack told HuffPost.
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“We will not be using this vendor going forward.”
Inside The Machine
I Love My Freedom built its cash-cow email empire by investing nearly $2 million into Facebook ads, which draw people in with clickbait polls or promises of “free” MAGA gear, and lead to pages instructing them to submit their email addresses. This automatically signs them up to receive the newsletter, along with its many sponsored messages.
The group also makes money by selling Trump-themed merchandise such as “Make Liberals Cry Again” hats, and hosting third-party ads on Trending Politics — which was visited a million times last month alone, according to digital analytics tool SimilarWeb.
I Love My Freedom did not agree to HuffPost’s requests for an interview.
I Love My Freedom uses clickbait Facebook ads to harvest people's emails, then subscribes them to its newsletter.
Ferretti launched ilovemyfreedom.org along with the Facebook page Trump for President Fan Club (now President Donald Trump Fan Club, which has 1.6 million followers) in the summer of 2015, as journalist April Glaser reported last fall in an article about I Love My Freedom’s viral growth on Facebook.
It’s one of more than a dozen popular pages the group operates to run its thousands of Facebook ads, including Donald Trump Is My President, Donald Trump 2020 Voters, President Trump Has My Vote, Donald Trump’s Americans, Team Trump Fan Club, The President Trump Fan Club, We Need Trump 2020 and President Trump’s Patriot Army.
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These pages churn out a stream of hyper-partisan memes and Trending Politics blog posts to their audience of millions. Boosted by Facebook’s algorithm, the ads — which primarily target seniors — are sometimes viewed hundreds of thousands of times each.
“This looks like an operation that’s got a very highly engaged audience that would be a prime target for a lot of conservative politicians to try to raise grassroots money from,” said Michael Beckel, research director at the political reform group Issue One.
“When you operate a pro-Trump Facebook group with more than a million members, that can make your [email] list an alluring asset.”
Trump’s campaign has already accumulated a voter email list that’s so large it rents it out to outside parties. So why would his team want to fundraise through I Love My Freedom’s list — especially given the group’s longstanding ties to grifters and con artists?
“It’s kind of striking that the Trump campaign is making an investment in ... [I Love My Freedom’s] list,” noted Beckel. But at the end of the day, he said, more emails “still means more potential voters or donors for them.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-28--New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Moves State's Presidential Primary To Late June

One potential problem for New York , however is that , June 23 is after June 9 , the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ states to hold nominating contests .
States that move outside the window could face a @ @ @ @ @ 50 % reduction in delegates .
New York has the second-most delegates of any state @ @ @ @ @ Kentucky have also moved their elections outside the approved window .

One potential problem for New York, however is that, June 23 is after June 9, the Democratic National Committee cutoff date for states to hold nominating contests. States that move outside the window could face a penalty of up to a 50% reduction in delegates.
New York has the second-most delegates of any state with 274. Louisiana and Kentucky have also moved their elections outside the approved window.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-28--As Shelters Struggle To Stay Open, Housing The Homeless Becomes Increasingly Urgent

On Monday , members of the Santa Cruz Homeless Union and Food Not Bombs did what they say local California governments have failed to do : secure hotel and motel rooms for dozens of people experiencing homelessness .
As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps through all 50 states , it ’ s hitting vulnerable people particularly hard .
People experiencing homelessness , like those in Santa Cruz , already have limited access to health care , hygiene , food and overall safety .
The pandemic is worsening what was already a national tragedy of 4 million people living without homes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with limited beds and volunteers due to social distancing , advocates are struggling to keep up .
The stakes are high .
A recent study from the National Alliance to End Homelessness found that , for the 500,000 adults who experience homelessness on any given night in the U.S. , coronavirus is likely to cause around 21,000 hospitalizations and 3,400 deaths .
In California , Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) pledged a $ 150 million emergency fund to aid the state ’ s more than 150,000 homeless residents during the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporary ban on evictions for residents affected by the coronavirus .
Legislators in Washington state voted to set aside $ 170 million earlier this month to address the state ’ s homelessness crisis during the pandemic .
Over a dozen states have also temporarily halted evictions and eviction hearings , including New York , Texas , Virginia and Maryland .
“ It ’ s frustrating … We have heard this for years ― large , significant amounts of money get allocated and we don ’ t see any of it , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to police , administration … It lines the pockets of the homeless industrial complex .
We don ’ t see any of it on the streets.
” As shelters take a hit across the country , it ’ s up to groups like the National Homeless Union and other nonprofits to do the heavy lifting .
But the pandemic has made that difficult or , in some cases , impossible for shelters .
The facilities are also often run by volunteers , and with several cities and states operating under shelter-in-place orders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them operating .
Local officials in Washington state , Illinois , Virginia and New York have already called for the shuttering of some shelters , with cities all over the country struggling to provide quality services amid social distancing measures and a shortage of volunteer staff .
The Puyallup shelter was largely run by volunteers , many of whom are over 65 and currently advised not to leave their homes , in an effort to curb the spread of the virus .
Not having volunteers made it especially difficult to continue serving members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee ( D ) prohibited social gatherings over 50 people , there was no choice but to halt the shelter altogether .
“ Our staff are strained .
We have staff with chronic health conditions who need to be removed from direct contact , we also have staff struggling with childcare , ” said Gerrit Nyland , director of client information systems at Catholic Community Services of Western Washington .
Nyland is also a member of the Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness .
There are 21,000 estimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocates are trying to find places to house them .
Nyland is currently working to move 60 of his most vulnerable residents into individual hotel rooms , much like the Homeless Union did in Santa Cruz .
But it ’ s difficult to make the call on which susceptible members will fare well with that much independence .
One 94-year-old woman , for example , suffers from dementia and incontinence .
Nyland said he ’ s worried about her health in a hotel room as well .
In California , local governments in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to secure hundreds of hotel rooms ― but in other cities and towns with fewer resources , people experiencing homelessness are at a loss , especially as the rates of coronavirus in the state skyrocket .
The Santa Cruz Homeless Union is still waiting to be reimbursed for housing its community members in hotel and motels rooms , and they have also had to call on local police to quit harassing and threatening to arrest members of their community who are living in encampments .

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On Monday, members of the Santa Cruz Homeless Union and Food Not Bombs did what they say local California governments have failed to do: secure hotel and motel rooms for dozens of people experiencing homelessness.
The groups found rooms for 81 people in Santa Cruz, said Anthony Prince, the lead national organizer and general counsel at the National Homeless Union.
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“We’re just getting it done,” he said.
As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps through all 50 states, it’s hitting vulnerable people particularly hard. People experiencing homelessness, like those in Santa Cruz, already have limited access to health care, hygiene, food and overall safety. The pandemic is worsening what was already a national tragedy of 4 million people living without homes. And as they face heavy demand along with limited beds and volunteers due to social distancing, advocates are struggling to keep up.
The stakes are high. A recent study from the National Alliance to End Homelessness found that, for the 500,000 adults who experience homelessness on any given night in the U.S., coronavirus is likely to cause around 21,000 hospitalizations and 3,400 deaths.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) pledged a $150 million emergency fund to aid the state’s more than 150,000 homeless residents during the pandemic. On Friday, Newsom ordered a temporary ban on evictions for residents affected by the coronavirus. Legislators in Washington state voted to set aside $170 million earlier this month to address the state’s homelessness crisis during the pandemic. Over a dozen states have also temporarily halted evictions and eviction hearings, including New York, Texas, Virginia and Maryland.
But the process of finding housing for the homeless is moving too slowly, Prince said.
“It’s frustrating … We have heard this for years ― large, significant amounts of money get allocated and we don’t see any of it,” he said. “Most of it goes to police, administration … It lines the pockets of the homeless industrial complex. We don’t see any of it on the streets.”
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) speaks in Los Angeles on Friday. CAROLYN COLE via Getty Images
As shelters take a hit across the country, it’s up to groups like the National Homeless Union and other nonprofits to do the heavy lifting. But the pandemic has made that difficult or, in some cases, impossible for shelters.
The facilities are also often run by volunteers, and with several cities and states operating under shelter-in-place orders, it’s been difficult to keep them operating. Local officials in Washington state, Illinois, Virginia and New York have already called for the shuttering of some shelters, with cities all over the country struggling to provide quality services amid social distancing measures and a shortage of volunteer staff.
Freezing Nights, a seasonal overnight shelter in Puyallup, Washington, closed last week. “It was an extremely difficult decision,” Mike Boisture told The News Tribune and The Puyallup Herald.
The Puyallup shelter was largely run by volunteers, many of whom are over 65 and currently advised not to leave their homes, in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. Not having volunteers made it especially difficult to continue serving members of the homeless community. But once Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) prohibited social gatherings over 50 people, there was no choice but to halt the shelter altogether.
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But even shelters run by full-time, nonprofit staff, like nearby Nativity House, which is run by Catholic Community Services in Tacoma, are struggling to maintain their services.
“Our staff are strained. We have staff with chronic health conditions who need to be removed from direct contact, we also have staff struggling with childcare,” said Gerrit Nyland, director of client information systems at Catholic Community Services of Western Washington. Nyland is also a member of the Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness.
There are 21,000 estimated homeless people in Washington state, and advocates are trying to find places to house them. Nyland is currently working to move 60 of his most vulnerable residents into individual hotel rooms, much like the Homeless Union did in Santa Cruz.
“The benefit is that they’re isolated from people who could get them sick,” he said.
But it’s difficult to make the call on which susceptible members will fare well with that much independence. One 94-year-old woman, for example, suffers from dementia and incontinence. Nyland said he’s worried about her health in a hotel room as well.
The risk of spreading the coronavirus is a constant struggle. After a confirmed COVID-19 case, the Tacoma shelter had to quarantine everyone who slept near that person, Nyland said.
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“Smaller shelters can’t muster that up,” he said.
In California, local governments in Los Angeles and San Francisco have worked to secure hundreds of hotel rooms ― but in other cities and towns with fewer resources, people experiencing homelessness are at a loss, especially as the rates of coronavirus in the state skyrocket.
The Santa Cruz Homeless Union is still waiting to be reimbursed for housing its community members in hotel and motels rooms, and they have also had to call on local police to quit harassing and threatening to arrest members of their community who are living in encampments.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-28--Anthony Fauci Debunks The Biggest Coronavirus Myths For Lilly Singh

Anthony Fauci separated fact from fiction about the coronavirus in a lengthy myth-busting interview with Lilly Singh .
In a @ @ @ @ @ night host Singh shared online Friday , Fauci debunked common misconceptions and rumors about the @ @ @ @ @ virus that has now sickened more than half a million people worldwide .
Fauci , @ @ @ @ @ Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , also discussed the development of a vaccine , @ @ @ @ @ not going to be available for at least a year , or a year and @ @ @ @ @ cautioned there is still “ no definitely proven drug that is effective against this disease @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s claims to the contrary .
Check out the full clip here :

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Anthony Fauci separated fact from fiction about the coronavirus in a lengthy myth-busting interview with Lilly Singh.
In a 17-minute segment that Canadian YouTuber-turned-late night host Singh shared online Friday, Fauci debunked common misconceptions and rumors about the strength and spread of the virus that has now sickened more than half a million people worldwide.
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Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also discussed the development of a vaccine, which he said was “not going to be available for at least a year, or a year and a half.”
And he cautioned there is still “no definitely proven drug that is effective against this disease,” despite President Donald Trump’s claims to the contrary.
Check out the full clip here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-28--Washington Post Hits Donald Trump With Chilling Reality Check About Reopening For Easter

The Washington Post editorial board made a chilling prediction about what would happen if U.S. businesses that have been shuttered amid the coronavirus pandemic were to reopen by Easter , as hoped by President Donald Trump .
The newspaper ’ s board — in a column titled “ Why ‘ choosing ’ between the elderly and the economy is a phony , barbaric choice ” — warned Friday that “ many elderly Americans would get sick and die in the ensuing weeks and months — maybe hundreds of thousands , very likely millions.
” And “ so would countless other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a point made by Anthony Fauci ( the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ) who earlier this week warned young people are “ not absolutely invulnerable ” to suffering complications arising from COVID-19 , the illness caused by the virus .
The quick and certain result of a damn-the-torpedoes approach would be to overwhelm and break the health-care system .
Hospitals would fill to overflowing .
Those in need of ventilators would be out of luck — not only covid-19 patients but also babies , children , tweens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People who suffer strokes , heart attacks , broken bones and gunshot wounds would arrive at hospitals — if they were lucky or rich enough to find ambulances — to find emergency rooms resembling Grand Central Terminal at rush hour .
Doctors , nurses and medical technicians would face extraordinary risks ; many would not be spared .
Worldwide , the virus has sickened more than 600,000 people and killed almost 27,500 .
The U.S. now has the highest number of confirmed cases ― 104,000 .
As of Saturday morning , the nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The costs of the pandemic-induced shutdown are colossal — to the economy , society and the nation ’ s collective emotional and mental health , ” the board concluded .
“ As dangerous as that is , it is more dangerous still to pretend the pandemic can be harnessed by diktat and wishful thinking .
”

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The Washington Post editorial board made a chilling prediction about what would happen if U.S. businesses that have been shuttered amid the coronavirus pandemic were to reopen by Easter, as hoped by President Donald Trump.
The newspaper’s board — in a column titled “Why ‘choosing’ between the elderly and the economy is a phony, barbaric choice” — warned Friday that “many elderly Americans would get sick and die in the ensuing weeks and months — maybe hundreds of thousands, very likely millions.”
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And “so would countless other people,” it added, echoing a point made by Anthony Fauci (the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) who earlier this week warned young people are “not absolutely invulnerable” to suffering complications arising from COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.
The board imagined “a social, political, moral — and economic — cataclysm” in worrying detail:
The quick and certain result of a damn-the-torpedoes approach would be to overwhelm and break the health-care system. Hospitals would fill to overflowing. Those in need of ventilators would be out of luck — not only covid-19 patients but also babies, children, tweens and anyone else in respiratory distress. People who suffer strokes, heart attacks, broken bones and gunshot wounds would arrive at hospitals — if they were lucky or rich enough to find ambulances — to find emergency rooms resembling Grand Central Terminal at rush hour. Doctors, nurses and medical technicians would face extraordinary risks; many would not be spared.
Worldwide, the virus has sickened more than 600,000 people and killed almost 27,500. The U.S. now has the highest number of confirmed cases ― 104,000. As of Saturday morning, the nationwide death toll stood at 1,700.
“The costs of the pandemic-induced shutdown are colossal — to the economy, society and the nation’s collective emotional and mental health,” the board concluded. “As dangerous as that is, it is more dangerous still to pretend the pandemic can be harnessed by diktat and wishful thinking.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-28--Chris Cuomo Names The Donald Trump Character Traits That Are 'Literally Making Us Sick'

Donald Trump ’ s “ two defining flaws ” are “ literally making us sick ” during the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ Cuomo argued Friday night .
The “ Cuomo Prime Time ” host broke down why @ @ @ @ @ arrogance are compromising the federal response to the public health crisis that nationwide has sickened @ @ @ @ @ killed almost 1,700 .
Cuomo scorned Trump ’ s expressed wish to reopen shuttered businesses @ @ @ @ @ “ asinine ” and noting “ no expert anywhere says anything like it.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ , here is a sure thing , ” said Cuomo .
“ If the federal @ @ @ @ @ ’ t get it together better , you will see sickness and death in this @ @ @ @ @ before.
” “ And while there are a growing number of mayors and governors in @ @ @ @ @ persistent problem at the top : Trump , ” he added .
“ His two @ @ @ @ @ display .
They are literally making us sick .
”

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Donald Trump’s “two defining flaws” are “literally making us sick” during the coronavirus pandemic, CNN’s Chris Cuomo argued Friday night.
The “Cuomo Prime Time” host broke down why Trump’s ignorance and arrogance are compromising the federal response to the public health crisis that nationwide has sickened more than 100,000 people and killed almost 1,700.
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Cuomo scorned Trump’s expressed wish to reopen shuttered businesses by Easter, calling it “asinine” and noting “no expert anywhere says anything like it.”
“In a world of doubt, here is a sure thing,” said Cuomo. “If the federal government and the states don’t get it together better, you will see sickness and death in this country like you never have before.”
“And while there are a growing number of mayors and governors in need, there is one persistent problem at the top: Trump,” he added. “His two defining flaws are on flagrant display. They are literally making us sick.”
Check out the clip here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-28--Twitter Users Point Out Major Flaw With Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Bill Photo Op

Can you all please keep six feet apart from each other ?
To set an example for the rest of @ @ @ @ @ not get the memo ?
https : //t.co/R32WTo8H1V

Can you all please keep six feet apart from each other? To set an example for the rest of the nation? Did you not get the memo? https://t.co/R32WTo8H1V


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-27--Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Says Medical Vendors Told Not To 'Send Stuff' To Michigan

Whitmer , a Democrat , didn ’ t say if the orders were coming from the White House or if vendors may have been intimidated by Trump ’ s feud with the governor .
But she did appear to link the problem to the president because she told WWJ-AM in Detroit that she tried Thursday night to call the White House to discuss the issue .
She couldn ’ t get through to Trump , who was at the time trashing Whitmer — whom he referred to as “ that young ... woman governor from Michigan ” — to Sean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t like to see the complaints , ” Trump said in a phone interview .
Whitmer told WWJ : “ When the federal government told us that we needed to go it ourselves [ on medical supplies ] , we started procuring every item we could get our hands on .
But what I ’ ve gotten back is that vendors with whom we had contracts are now being told not to send stuff here to Michigan.
” She added : “ It ’ s really concerning .
I reached out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked for a phone call with the president , ironically at the time that all this other stuff was going on.
” Whitmer told CNN later in the day that the state ’ s shipments of personal protective equipment are being “ canceled ” or “ delayed ” — and sent instead to the federal government .
She said it ’ s happening to other states as well .
Trump ’ s willingness to punish a state ’ s residents amid a pandemic over a feud with a governor appeared evident in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president said he had instructed Vice President Mike Pence , who heads up the president ’ s coronavirus task force , not to call the governors of Washington or Michigan .
The two states have among the highest number of coronavirus cases in the nation , and Michigan is experiencing a dramatic spike in cases from 350 a week ago to nearly 3,000 Friday .
Whitmer told WWJ that she has been critical of the weak federal response to her state ’ s needs amid the fight against rising COVID-19 cases but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lack of “ federal preparation.
” She complained earlier this week that the number of masks and gowns sent to her state by the federal government was barely enough to cover a single shift at a besieged hospital .
The state hasn ’ t received a single ventilator despite a critical need .
“ I ’ ve been uniquely singled out , ” Whitmer said .
“ I don ’ t go into personal attacks .
I don ’ t have time for that , I don ’ t have energy for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus has to be on COVID-19 right now.
” Whitmer has asked the president for an emergency declaration in her state , which frees up funds and other aid .
But the president told Hannity : “ She doesn ’ t get it done , and we send her a lot .
Now she wants a declaration of emergency , and , you know , we ’ ll have to make a decision on that.
” He claimed , though , that he “ loves ” the people of Michigan , a swing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 by less than 11,000 votes .
Whitmer ’ s office could not immediately be reached by the HuffPost to provide more details on the governor ’ s comment about vendors .
A spokesperson declined to comment further to Crain ’ s Detroit Business .

President Donald Trump’s latest target, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, told a radio station Friday that medical supply vendors informed her they’ve been told “not to send stuff” to her state amid the battle against COVID-19.
Whitmer, a Democrat, didn’t say if the orders were coming from the White House or if vendors may have been intimidated by Trump’s feud with the governor. But she did appear to link the problem to the president because she told WWJ-AM in Detroit that she tried Thursday night to call the White House to discuss the issue.
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Whitmer told WWJ: “When the federal government told us that we needed to go it ourselves [on medical supplies], we started procuring every item we could get our hands on. But what I’ve gotten back is that vendors with whom we had contracts are now being told not to send stuff here to Michigan.”
She added: “It’s really concerning. I reached out to the White House last night, asked for a phone call with the president, ironically at the time that all this other stuff was going on.”
Whitmer told CNN later in the day that the state’s shipments of personal protective equipment are being “canceled” or “delayed” — and sent instead to the federal government. She said it’s happening to other states as well.
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Trump’s willingness to punish a state’s residents amid a pandemic over a feud with a governor appeared evident in a statement at his press briefing Friday. The president said he had instructed Vice President Mike Pence, who heads up the president’s coronavirus task force, not to call the governors of Washington or Michigan. The two states have among the highest number of coronavirus cases in the nation, and Michigan is experiencing a dramatic spike in cases from 350 a week ago to nearly 3,000 Friday.
“I say, ‘Mike, don’t call ... the woman in Michigan. It doesn’t make any difference what happens,’” Trump said.
Whitmer told WWJ that she has been critical of the weak federal response to her state’s needs amid the fight against rising COVID-19 cases but that other governors have also complained about the lack of “federal preparation.” She complained earlier this week that the number of masks and gowns sent to her state by the federal government was barely enough to cover a single shift at a besieged hospital. The state hasn’t received a single ventilator despite a critical need.
“I’ve been uniquely singled out,” Whitmer said. “I don’t go into personal attacks. I don’t have time for that, I don’t have energy for that, frankly. All of our focus has to be on COVID-19 right now.”
She said she remained thankful to Pence, with whom she has a “really good working relationship.”
Trump said at his press briefing that he expects governors to be “appreciative” for any federal help.
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Whitmer has asked the president for an emergency declaration in her state, which frees up funds and other aid. But the president told Hannity: “She doesn’t get it done, and we send her a lot. Now she wants a declaration of emergency, and, you know, we’ll have to make a decision on that.” He claimed, though, that he “loves” the people of Michigan, a swing state where Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 by less than 11,000 votes.
Whitmer’s office could not immediately be reached by the HuffPost to provide more details on the governor’s comment about vendors. A spokesperson declined to comment further to Crain’s Detroit Business.
Michigan emergency room doctor Rob Davidson posted an angry video on Twitter before his shift Thursday defending Whitmer and attacking Trump.
Heading in for my night shift in the ER here in #Michigan and while @realDonaldTrump is attacking @GovWhitmer on cable news, I’m still using 1 paper mask/shift because Trump won’t use the #DPANow to get me #PPE. Still not enough tests. #NeveraHoax pic.twitter.com/HhYWWpdd5k — Dr. Rob Davidson (@DrRobDavidson) March 27, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-28--Trump Claims Power To Gag Watchdog Overseeing New $500 Billion Bailout

President Donald Trump has issued a signing statement declaring that he can block a watchdog from telling Congress when information is withheld about payouts to businesses in the massive new $ 2 trillion economic relief law .
Democrats fought hard for provisions in the measure to ensure transparency and accountability regarding $ 500 billion in payouts to businesses to help them survive the coronavirus crisis .
In an early draft of the measure , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was granted enormous discretion to dole out payments with no oversight for a minimum of six months .
Creation of a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a key concession by Senate Republicans in order to win Democratic support to get the law passed .
The IG was granted authority to seek information from government agencies about payouts , and to inform Congress if such requests were not met .
But on Friday , Trump wrote in a statement to accompany his signature making the measure law that the new Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery can not go to Congress — as the law states — if refused information about loans and investments made by the treasury secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provision authorizing the IG to unilaterally inform Congress is “ unreasonable , ” Trump said in his statement .
“ My administration will not treat this provision as permitting the SIGPR to issue reports to Congress without ... presidential supervision , ” according to the statement .
Trump ’ s statement also said he would not follow the law ’ s requirement to consult with congressional committees about any reallocation of funds , because this would be an “ impermissible form of congressional aggrandizement.
” And he won ’ t consult Congress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the staffing of the new Pandemic Response Accountability Committee .
Former White House ethics chief Walter Shaub dismissed the signing statement as “ just a note saying ‘ I will fight you.
’ And what does Trump want to fight over ?
He says he wants to fight to keep Congress and regular Americans from knowing about fraud , waste and abuse in implementing the bailout , ” Shaub added .
Exactly !
A signing statement is just a note saying `` I will fight you . ''
And what does Trump want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to to fight to keep Congress and regular Americans from knowing about fraud , waste and abuse in implementing the bailout .
Congress must fight back !
https : //t.co/85463Vziat — Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) March 28 , 2020 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said on MSNBC Friday that Trump ’ s tactics to undermine spending supervision were “ not a surprise.
” But she vowed that Congress “ will exercise its oversight ” of the law through a panel .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that , the Congressional oversight provisions for the 1/2 TRILLION dollar Wall St slush fund ( which were *already* too weak ) are tossed away the day the bill is signed .
”

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President Donald Trump has issued a signing statement declaring that he can block a watchdog from telling Congress when information is withheld about payouts to businesses in the massive new $2 trillion economic relief law.
Democrats fought hard for provisions in the measure to ensure transparency and accountability regarding $500 billion in payouts to businesses to help them survive the coronavirus crisis.
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In an early draft of the measure, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was granted enormous discretion to dole out payments with no oversight for a minimum of six months. Creation of a special inspector general oversight post to supervise funding was a key concession by Senate Republicans in order to win Democratic support to get the law passed. The IG was granted authority to seek information from government agencies about payouts, and to inform Congress if such requests were not met.
But on Friday, Trump wrote in a statement to accompany his signature making the measure law that the new Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery cannot go to Congress — as the law states — if refused information about loans and investments made by the treasury secretary, unless the president approves.
The provision authorizing the IG to unilaterally inform Congress is “unreasonable,” Trump said in his statement. “My administration will not treat this provision as permitting the SIGPR to issue reports to Congress without ... presidential supervision,” according to the statement.
JUST IN: Trump signing statement on coronavirus bill says he’ll override a provision requiring the newly created inspector general to report to Congress any time agencies refuse to give him/her requested info. pic.twitter.com/XhbYKMGaGq — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) March 27, 2020
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Trump’s statement also said he would not follow the law’s requirement to consult with congressional committees about any reallocation of funds, because this would be an “impermissible form of congressional aggrandizement.” And he won’t consult Congress, as required by the law, about the staffing of the new Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.
Former White House ethics chief Walter Shaub dismissed the signing statement as “just a note saying ‘I will fight you.’ And what does Trump want to fight over? He says he wants to fight to keep Congress and regular Americans from knowing about fraud, waste and abuse in implementing the bailout,” Shaub added.
Exactly! A signing statement is just a note saying "I will fight you." And what does Trump want to fight over? He says he wants to to fight to keep Congress and regular Americans from knowing about fraud, waste and abuse in implementing the bailout. Congress must fight back! https://t.co/85463Vziat — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) March 28, 2020
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on MSNBC Friday that Trump’s tactics to undermine spending supervision were “not a surprise.” But she vowed that Congress “will exercise its oversight” of the law through a panel.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said in a tweet: “And just like that, the Congressional oversight provisions for the 1/2 TRILLION dollar Wall St slush fund (which were *already* too weak) are tossed away the day the bill is signed.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--Trump Credits Himself For Cuomo’s Approval Ratings: ‘We’ve Helped Make Him Successful’

“ You say he ’ s gotten good marks but I ’ ve gotten great marks on what we ’ ve done , ” Trump boasted on Fox & Friends when asked about Cuomo ’ s rising popularity amid the coronavirus pandemic that has hit New York especially hard .
The results of a Siena College poll released Monday gave the Democratic governor a 78 % approval rating among New Yorkers , his highest level since early 2013 .
Among the Republicans polled , Cuomo earned a 70 % approval rating .
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approval rating among New Yorkers for his response to the crisis .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) waves on Friday after he gave what has become daily briefings on the state 's battle against the coronavirus pandemic .
His Friday briefing took place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center , which is being turned into a hospital .
“ One of the reasons why his numbers are so high in handling it is because of the federal government , ” Trump said during his Fox News appearance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we give him ventilators , and we give him all of the things that we ’ re giving him.
” A U.S. Navy hospital ship with 1,000 beds docked in New York Harbor on Monday to help relieve New York medical facilities in treating patients with ailments other than COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
Trump said “ wouldn ’ t mind running against ” Cuomo in this year ’ s presidential race , saying he thought the governor would be a stronger contender than former Vice President Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nomination .
Cuomo , despite easily winning a third term in 2018 , had been seeing his popularity flagging .
A Siena College poll taken in early February showed his favorability rating at 43 % ― his lowest mark in office .
But as governor ’ s performance and prominence in dealing with the coronavirus crisis has spurred the turnaround in public opinion , his actions have also sparked talk of a presidential bid by him , but he has consistently said that will not happen ― a stance he reiterated at his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in any back-and-forth with Trump about a White House race , saying , “ As far as the president ’ s comment about having a political contest with me , I am not engaging the president in politics .
My only goal is to engage the president in partnership .
This is no time for politics , ” The governor and the president have generally praised their communication amid the health crisis , though they have also publically sparred at times , particularly over Cuomo ’ s request for thousands of ventilators for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen at a White House briefing last week , earned an approval rating of just 41 % among his fellow New Yorkers for his handling of the coronavirus crisis .
As of Monday , over 59,000 COVID-19 cases had been confirmed across New York .
That ’ s four times more than the next highest amount reported ― roughly 13,400 ― in New Jersey .
“ I don ’ t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators , ” Trump told Fox News ’ Sean Hannity on Thursday .
“ You know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ll have two ventilators .
And now all of a sudden they ’ re saying can we order 30,000 ventilators ?
”

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President Donald Trump took credit for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s high poll numbers on Monday, saying “one of the reasons why he’s successful is we’ve helped make him successful.”
“You say he’s gotten good marks, but I’ve gotten great marks on what we’ve done,” Trump boasted on “Fox & Friends” when asked about Cuomo’s rising popularity amid the coronavirus pandemic that has hit New York especially hard.
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The results of a Siena College poll released Monday gave the Democratic governor a 78% approval rating among New Yorkers, his highest level since early 2013. Among the Republicans polled, Cuomo earned a 70% approval rating. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) also scored a 61% approval rating among New Yorkers for his response to the crisis.
In contrast, Trump’s approval rating among New Yorkers was just 41%.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) waves on Friday after he gave what has become daily briefings on the state's battle against the coronavirus pandemic. His Friday briefing took place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which is being turned into a hospital. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez via Getty Images
“One of the reasons why his numbers are so high in handling it is because of the federal government,” Trump said during his Fox News appearance. “Because we give him ships, and we give him ventilators and we give him all of the things that we’re giving him.”
A U.S. Navy hospital ship with 1,000 beds docked in New York Harbor on Monday to help relieve New York medical facilities in treating patients with ailments other than COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
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Trump said “wouldn’t mind running against” Cuomo in this year’s presidential race, saying he thought the governor would be a stronger contender than former Vice President Joe Biden, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.
But Trump expressed confidence he would beat Cuomo, saying, “Every poll says I’m going to win.”
Cuomo, despite easily winning a third term in 2018, had been seeing his popularity flagging. A Siena College poll taken in early February showed his favorability rating at 43% ― his lowest mark in office.
But as the governor’s performance and prominence in dealing with the coronavirus crisis have spurred the turnaround in public opinion, his actions have also sparked talk of a presidential bid, but he has consistently said that will not happen ― a stance he reiterated at his Monday briefing.
He also declined to get into any back-and-forth with Trump about a White House race, saying, “As far as the president’s comment about having a political contest with me, I am not engaging the president in politics. My only goal is to engage the president in partnership. This is no time for politics,”
The governor and the president have generally praised their communication amid the health crisis, though they have also publically sparred at times, particularly over Cuomo’s request for thousands of ventilators for his state.
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President Donald Trump, seen at a White House briefing last week, earned an approval rating of just 41% among his fellow New Yorkers for his handling of the coronavirus crisis. Drew Angerer via Getty Images
As of Monday, over 59,000 COVID-19 cases had been confirmed across New York. That’s four times more than the next highest state figures reported ― roughly 13,400 ― in New Jersey.
Trump, when asked about Cuomo’s ventilator request last week, brushed it off as unnecessary.
“I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators,” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Thursday. “You know, you go into major hospitals sometimes, they’ll have two ventilators. And now all of a sudden they’re saying can we order 30,000 ventilators?”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--Here's What Democrats Want In The Next Coronavirus Bill

House Democrats largely took a backseat during negotiations with the Trump administration over the massive $ 2 trillion bill aimed at reducing the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic .
The next round of talks will likely look a lot different .
On Monday , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) laid out Democrats ’ priorities in the “ Phase 4 ” legislation Congress is expected to take up once it returns from recess by April 20 .
During a conference call with reporters , the speaker said her party would be fighting for added assistance to hospitals and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals suffering amid the crisis , requirements that hospitals cover the cost of treatment in addition to testing of those diagnosed with COVID-19 , bigger paid family and medical leave benefits , and help for state pension funds at risk because of the economic crisis .
“ Our first bills were about addressing the emergency , ” Pelosi said on the call , referring to smaller bills Congress passed earlier this month .
“ Our third was about mitigation to the economy .
This fourth bill will be about recovery.
” Pelosi said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s aging infrastructure because making the Internet more widely available would help Americans teleworking from home , those who are remote-learning and those who are using telemedicine to communicate with a doctor .
She said more funding was also needed to overhaul the nation ’ s water systems to ensure access to clean sources of drinking water .
“ As the president said in the campaign and since infrastructure was a priority for him , that ’ s why in terms of recovery that ’ s probably the most bipartisan path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the call .
Democrats want the next coronavirus emergency bill to set new federal workplace protections for frontline health care workers , who have been dealing with shortages of critical supplies at crowded hospitals and care centers .
“ There is no legal requirement for health care facilities ― not just hospitals , but nursing homes , mental health institutions , ambulatory care facilities and others ― to take necessary steps to protect frontline health care workers , ” Rep. Bobby Scott ( D-Va. ) said on the Monday call .
Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money to states and localities who are struggling to respond to the pandemic , including specifically the District of Columbia , which has a bigger population than some states and contributes more to federal tax coffers than many more .
D.C. is due to receive significantly less money , however , than any state in the relief bill moving through Congress last week .
Republicans seem more resistant to the idea of another massive spending bill right now , especially one authored by Pelosi .
Given how hard it was to get last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s desk , the next measure will prove even more difficult .
“ I would hope anybody that ’ s talking about a Phase 4 would pause right now , ” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif. ) said Friday on Fox News .
“ Let ’ s make sure this is actually working in the process and be smart , get the data back of where — if — we do need more help.
” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin did not rule out the possibility of needing another financial aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Face the Nation ” on Sunday , saying , “ If this takes longer , we will go back to Congress and get more support for the American economy , but I hope that ’ s not needed .
”

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House Democrats largely took a backseat during negotiations with the Trump administration over the massive $2 trillion bill aimed at reducing the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic. The next round of talks will likely look a lot different.
On Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) laid out Democrats’ priorities in the “Phase 4” legislation Congress is expected to take up once it returns from recess by April 20. During a conference call with reporters, the speaker said her party would be fighting for added assistance to hospitals and nursing homes, more direct payments to individuals suffering amid the crisis, requirements that hospitals cover the cost of treatment in addition to testing of those diagnosed with COVID-19, bigger paid family and medical leave benefits, and help for state pension funds at risk because of the economic crisis.
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“Our first bills were about addressing the emergency,” Pelosi said on the call, referring to smaller bills Congress passed earlier this month. “Our third was about mitigation to the economy. This fourth bill will be about recovery.”
Pelosi said the bill ought to specifically address the country’s aging infrastructure because making the Internet more widely available would help Americans teleworking from home, those who are remote-learning and those who are using telemedicine to communicate with a doctor. She said more funding was also needed to overhaul the nation’s water systems to ensure access to clean sources of drinking water.
“As the president said in the campaign and since infrastructure was a priority for him, that’s why in terms of recovery that’s probably the most bipartisan path we can take,” Pelosi added on the call.
Democrats want the next coronavirus emergency bill to set new federal workplace protections for frontline health care workers, who have been dealing with shortages of critical supplies at crowded hospitals and care centers.
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“There is no legal requirement for health care facilities ― not just hospitals, but nursing homes, mental health institutions, ambulatory care facilities and others ― to take necessary steps to protect frontline health care workers,” Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said on the Monday call.
Pelosi said she also wants to provide more money to states and localities who are struggling to respond to the pandemic, including specifically the District of Columbia, which has a bigger population than some states and contributes more to federal tax coffers than many more. D.C. is due to receive significantly less money, however, than any state in the relief bill moving through Congress last week.
Republicans seem more resistant to the idea of another massive spending bill right now, especially one authored by Pelosi. Given how hard it was to get last week’s bill to the president’s desk, the next measure will prove even more difficult.
“I would hope anybody that’s talking about a Phase 4 would pause right now,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Friday on Fox News. “Let’s make sure this is actually working in the process and be smart, get the data back of where — if — we do need more help.”
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin did not rule out the possibility of needing another financial aid package in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, saying, “If this takes longer, we will go back to Congress and get more support for the American economy, but I hope that’s not needed.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--Small Businesses Face Extinction-Level Event, Congress Ensures Big Corporations Survive

The U.S. may already be in a recession that could become a full-blown depression , with unemployment numbers not seen since the 1930s .
Millions of businesses ― restaurants , stores , bars , nightclubs , gyms and more ― are shuttered , and millions more workers have no jobs with the economy in an induced coma .
Hersh estimates that 84.2 million Americans are employed at businesses with fewer than 1,000 workers at a single location .
A study by the JPMorgan Chase & Co. Institute found that in 2014 , 48 % of all U.S. employees worked in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As many as 47 million people will be unemployed by the virus shutdown and the recession it causes , according to estimates from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis .
To blunt the shock , Congress passed a third coronavirus bill on March 27 to provide relief to large corporations and financial institutions , small businesses and the unemployed .
It includes , among other things , a massive expansion of unemployment insurance , $ 425 billion with few strings attached to aid large firms , tens of billions to bail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 377 billion to support small businesses , with $ 360 billion of that going out as loans that can turn into grants if businesses maintain payroll .
This will almost certainly not be enough to help small businesses survive , according to both conservative and progressive economists , and the funds are also unlikely to go out fast enough to save them .
Meanwhile , the imbalance will likely give big businesses a leg up whenever the economy comes out of its coma .
Not Enough Money For Small Businesses This money will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a small agency that mostly backs bank loans to help support small businesses .
Although the bill contains provisions to speed up delivery , the SBA is known for its bureaucracy and complicated loan application processes , and has never handled a pile of money this large .
( The large corporate relief , meanwhile , is funneled through the Treasury Department and can be leveraged for trillions more from the Federal Reserve . )
Small businesses do not maintain large capital reserves and do not have access to the same markets as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let alone access to the Federal Reserve ’ s secret bailout operations .
Most are unlikely to have ever dealt with the SBA to obtain a loan before .
An added problem is that the funds will also be available to some larger corporations like Starbucks , Darden Restaurants — and maybe even the Trump Organization ’ s small chain of hotels .
That ’ s because franchises and large businesses with multiple locations that each have fewer than 500 employees successfully lobbied to be included in the SBA loan program .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Neitzel officially shuttered her eight ice cream shops on March 22 , firing her 90 employees .
Small businesses like hers operate on the daily , weekly and monthly margins .
Closing even for one week is a real challenge .
Closing for weeks at a time is devastating .
“ I ’ ve run out of most of the cash of the company , ” she said .
For businesses like Severin ’ s , the damage from the shutdown will last longer than a month or two .
Music venues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business throughout the year or longer as bands cancel tours and the virus ’ potential return makes it nearly impossible to plan crowded gatherings months in the future .
Congress needs to plan for much longer-term damage to some small businesses .
“ This is going to be a feeding frenzy.
” Meanwhile , large corporations have access to an unprecedented tranche of money that the Treasury Department can dole out as needed or use to back trillions in lending from the Federal Reserve that will keep them alive for much longer than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business afloat .
( The Federal Reserve announced a Main Street Business Lending Program for small businesses , but few details have emerged . )
“ If the government effort to shore up the economy doesn ’ t really take care of the Main Street businesses , life in America won ’ t be the same , ” Neitzel said .
“ It will be permanent damage to the way our communities work .
”

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America’s small businesses may not survive the economic shutdown enacted by federal, state and local governments to stop the spread of the coronavirus — and Congress’ $2.2 trillion relief passage is unlikely to save them.
The U.S. may already be in a recession that could become a full-blown depression, with unemployment numbers not seen since the 1930s. Millions of businesses ― restaurants, stores, bars, nightclubs, gyms and more ― are shuttered, and millions more workers have no jobs with the economy in an induced coma.
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“In my view, they are all at risk from the shock because small businesses are really facing an extinction-level event,” said Adam Hersh, an economist at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Hersh estimates that 84.2 million Americans are employed at businesses with fewer than 1,000 workers at a single location. A study by the JPMorgan Chase & Co. Institute found that in 2014, 48% of all U.S. employees worked in small businesses with fewer than 500 workers. As many as 47 million people will be unemployed by the virus shutdown and the recession it causes, according to estimates from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
To blunt the shock, Congress passed a third coronavirus bill on March 27 to provide relief to large corporations and financial institutions, small businesses and the unemployed. It includes, among other things, a massive expansion of unemployment insurance, $425 billion with few strings attached to aid large firms, tens of billions to bail out airlines and Boeing — and $377 billion to support small businesses, with $360 billion of that going out as loans that can turn into grants if businesses maintain payroll.
This will almost certainly not be enough to help small businesses survive, according to both conservative and progressive economists, and the funds are also unlikely to go out fast enough to save them. Meanwhile, the imbalance will likely give big businesses a leg up whenever the economy comes out of its coma.
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Not Enough Money For Small Businesses
Peck's Food owner Theodore Peck stands outside his closed business on March 18, 2020, in Brooklyn's Clinton Hill neighborhood in New York City. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Small businesses will need at least $1 trillion in support to survive a three-month shutdown, according to Glenn Hubbard, head of the Council of Economic Advisers in the George W. Bush administration, and Michael Strain, at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
The $377 billion Congress has approved is much less than half of that ― and that’s assuming small businesses can easily access the money and it isn’t gobbled up by much bigger corporations also eligible for the funds.
This money will run through the Small Business Administration, a small agency that mostly backs bank loans to help support small businesses. Although the bill contains provisions to speed up delivery, the SBA is known for its bureaucracy and complicated loan application processes, and has never handled a pile of money this large. (The large corporate relief, meanwhile, is funneled through the Treasury Department and can be leveraged for trillions more from the Federal Reserve.)
Small businesses do not maintain large capital reserves and do not have access to the same markets as large corporations do to obtain capital ― let alone access to the Federal Reserve’s secret bailout operations. Most are unlikely to have ever dealt with the SBA to obtain a loan before.
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An added problem is that the funds will also be available to some larger corporations like Starbucks, Darden Restaurants — and maybe even the Trump Organization’s small chain of hotels. That’s because franchises and large businesses with multiple locations that each have fewer than 500 employees successfully lobbied to be included in the SBA loan program.
“Taking a loan right now is ludicrous.”
Pedestrians walk past Neumos music club in Seattle on April 10, 2014. “Taking a loan right now is ludicrous until everybody understands it,” said Steven Severin, owner and operator of Neumos. JASON REDMOND / Reuters
Some small- and medium-sized businesses understandably fear taking out a loan, even if it may turn into a grant, in these wildly uncertain times.
“Signing a loan doc when you don’t know how much money you’ll make or you don’t know what the loan terms will be is irresponsible,” said Molly Moon Neitzel, founder and CEO of Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream, a small business with eight locations in the Seattle area.
Neitzel officially shuttered her eight ice cream shops on March 22, firing her 90 employees. Small businesses like hers operate on the daily, weekly and monthly margins. Closing even for one week is a real challenge. Closing for weeks at a time is devastating. “I’ve run out of most of the cash of the company,” she said.
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She would have preferred Congress to have made the small business relief into a grant program instead.
“I have no idea what my business will do in terms of revenue this year and no one will know,” Neitzel said. “Signing loan terms in such uncertainty feels very unwise.”
“Signing a loan doc when you don’t know how much money you’ll make or you don’t know what the loan terms will be is irresponsible.” - Molly Moon Neitzel, founder and CEO of Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream
Neitzel is now pushing Seattle’s city government to provide educational services for small businesses to help them navigate the loan program. State and local governments are launching programs to support their small business communities, but they can’t reach the needed scale.
“Taking a loan right now is ludicrous until everybody understands it,” said Steven Severin, owner and operator of the music venue Neumos and the bar Life on Mars, both in Seattle.
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A host of small business advocacy groups and local associations called for grants in lieu of loans before Congress passed the bill. Some economists have instead called for zero-interest loans. There is, however, no bureaucracy currently set up aside from the SBA and its long-standing loan program.
“We wanted to see that as a grant program that is then converted to a loan or penalized if misused,” said Amanda Ballantyne, national director for the Main Street Alliance, a progressive small business trade group.
For businesses like Severin’s, the damage from the shutdown will last longer than a month or two. Music venues can expect to see a loss of business throughout the year or longer as bands cancel tours and the virus’ potential return makes it nearly impossible to plan crowded gatherings months in the future. Congress needs to plan for much longer-term damage to some small businesses.
“They better be working on a fourth [relief bill] fast,” Severin said. “There’s going to be so many businesses that just don’t make it.”
“This is going to be a feeding frenzy.”
A sign on an Indianapolis liquor store announces its closure due to the coronavirus on March 28, 2020. AP Photo/Michael Conroy
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Meanwhile, large corporations have access to an unprecedented tranche of money that the Treasury Department can dole out as needed or use to back trillions in lending from the Federal Reserve that will keep them alive for much longer than the SBA loan program can keep small business afloat. (The Federal Reserve announced a Main Street Business Lending Program for small businesses, but few details have emerged.)
“For the bigger players, it will be easier to go back to business as normal of late last year,” said Mike Konczal, a fellow with the progressive Roosevelt Institute.
This could present a perfect opportunity for big businesses to swoop in and consolidate their market power since even the small businesses that survive a recession are likely to come out of it with considerable debt.
Big businesses have already been on a merger-and-acquisition binge since the last recession in 2008-09. This crisis event could put them into an even more dominant position as they build up cash for future expenses while minimizing payroll, unlike small businesses. Private equity firms are already looking at struggling businesses to purchase, according to CNBC.
“This is going to be a feeding frenzy,” said Sarah Miller, executive director of the American Economic Liberties Project, an anti-monopoly group.
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For now, small businesses are just trying to understand the loan program they’ve been offered and are hoping that more help is on the way.
“If the government effort to shore up the economy doesn’t really take care of the Main Street businesses, life in America won’t be the same,” Neitzel said. “It will be permanent damage to the way our communities work.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--Instacart Workers Go On Strike For Better Protections Amid Coronavirus

Grocery shoppers and drivers working for Instacart went on strike nationwide on Monday to demand better protections — including hazard pay and expanded paid sick leave — from the grocery delivery company , as the coronavirus continues to spread across the country .
Thousands of Instacart grocery shoppers stopped responding to requests for deliveries starting at 8 a.m. local time , insisting they will not go back to work until the company provides them with protective equipment such as hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes , hazard pay of $ 5 per order , and expanded paid sick leave to cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more vulnerable to the coronavirus so they can afford to stay home .
“ They send their CEO in San Francisco home , but they ’ re doing nothing for the backbone of their company .
Without shoppers , they ’ re nothing , ” said Sarah Polito , a 28-year-old part-time shopper for Instacart and strike organizer in Newark , New York .
She is one of more than 200,000 “ full-service ” shoppers who are not employees of Instacart , but contractors with limited benefits .
In response to workers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company announced that a third party would manufacture and distribute hand sanitizer to shoppers .
It did not address workers ’ requests for hazard pay .
The company ’ s coronavirus-related paid sick leave of 14 days only applies to workers who have been infected with the virus or have been ordered to quarantine — providing nothing to workers who are immunocompromised or have respiratory conditions or other health issues that make COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , particularly dangerous for them .
“ They should not be risking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Polito said of more vulnerable workers .
“ Instacart has the money and the means to do this.
” Demand for online shopping and grocery delivery has increased dramatically in recent weeks , as federal and local governments across the country have ordered millions of Americans to stay home to protect themselves and help stem the spread of the virus .
Workers in grocery and other delivery services nationwide are left on the front lines to service Americans during the outbreak since the businesses they work for are deemed “ essential ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their jobs means they ’ re unable to work from home .
Instacart workers on strike are not alone .
Amazon workers at a warehouse in Staten Island , New York , also walked out on the job Monday , demanding that the mammoth company do more to keep them safe , including deep cleaning their facility after a worker there was diagnosed with COVID-19 .
And workers at Whole Foods , owned by Amazon , are also planning a nationwide “ sick out ” on Tuesday to demand more hazard pay and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States has the highest number of confirmed cases of any nation worldwide , with more than 155,000 reported cases as of midday Monday and more than 2,400 people dead .
As demand for its grocery deliveries have shot up , Instacart announced last week that it would be hiring 300,000 additional “ full-service ” ( or contractor ) shoppers across the U.S. and Canada over the next three months .
While strike organizers don ’ t know how many out of the company ’ s more than 200,000 shoppers were striking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a Facebook group dedicated to the national boycott alone , Polito said .
Instacart ’ s president said in a statement Sunday — as workers prepared to strike — that the company will “ continue to operate with a sense of urgency on creative solutions to help ensure Instacart shoppers have access to health and safety supplies as quickly as possible.
” The company told HuffPost that it expected its hand sanitizer spray to be available for free to shoppers later today through a dedicated website , with shoppers received the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Workers have been asking for sanitizer for weeks , Polito said , and only now since the threat of a strike has the company responded saying they ’ re procuring it .
Meanwhile , they still don ’ t have answers on hazard pay or additional paid leave .
They will continue to strike “ until our demands are met , ” she said .

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Grocery shoppers and drivers working for Instacart went on strike nationwide on Monday to demand better protections — including hazard pay and expanded paid sick leave — from the grocery delivery company, as the coronavirus continues to spread across the country.
Thousands of Instacart grocery shoppers stopped responding to requests for deliveries starting at 8 a.m. local time, insisting they will not go back to work until the company provides them with protective equipment such as hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, hazard pay of $5 per order, and expanded paid sick leave to cover those with health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus so they can afford to stay home.
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“They send their CEO in San Francisco home, but they’re doing nothing for the backbone of their company. Without shoppers, they’re nothing,” said Sarah Polito, a 28-year-old part-time shopper for Instacart and strike organizer in Newark, New York. She is one of more than 200,000 “full-service” shoppers who are not employees of Instacart, but contractors with limited benefits.
In response to workers’ demands and their threat to strike, the company announced that a third party would manufacture and distribute hand sanitizer to shoppers. It did not address workers’ requests for hazard pay.
The company’s coronavirus-related paid sick leave of 14 days only applies to workers who have been infected with the virus or have been ordered to quarantine — providing nothing to workers who are immunocompromised or have respiratory conditions or other health issues that make COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, particularly dangerous for them.
“They should not be risking themselves to make ends meet,” Polito said of more vulnerable workers. “Instacart has the money and the means to do this.”
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Asked for comment on its not providing expanded paid leave, an Instacart spokesperson pointed HuffPost back to its 14-day leave policy for those with a “confirmed diagnosis” or “mandatory quarantine order.”
Demand for online shopping and grocery delivery has increased dramatically in recent weeks, as federal and local governments across the country have ordered millions of Americans to stay home to protect themselves and help stem the spread of the virus.
Workers in grocery and other delivery services nationwide are left on the front lines to service Americans during the outbreak since the businesses they work for are deemed “essential” and remain open, but the nature of their jobs means they’re unable to work from home.
Instacart workers on strike are not alone. Amazon workers at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York, also walked out on the job Monday, demanding that the mammoth company do more to keep them safe, including deep cleaning their facility after a worker there was diagnosed with COVID-19. And workers at Whole Foods, owned by Amazon, are also planning a nationwide “sick out” on Tuesday to demand more hazard pay and expanded sick leave.
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So far, the United States has the highest number of confirmed cases of any nation worldwide, with more than 155,000 reported cases as of midday Monday and more than 2,400 people dead.
“They send their CEO in San Francisco home, but they’re doing nothing for the backbone of their company. Without shoppers, they’re nothing.” - Sarah Polito, part-time shopper for Instacart and strike organizer
As demand for its grocery deliveries have shot up, Instacart announced last week that it would be hiring 300,000 additional “full-service” (or contractor) shoppers across the U.S. and Canada over the next three months. While strike organizers don’t know how many out of the company’s more than 200,000 shoppers were striking Monday, more than 10,000 shoppers are part of a Facebook group dedicated to the national boycott alone, Polito said.
Instacart’s president said in a statement Sunday — as workers prepared to strike — that the company will “continue to operate with a sense of urgency on creative solutions to help ensure Instacart shoppers have access to health and safety supplies as quickly as possible.”
The company told HuffPost that it expected its hand sanitizer spray to be available for free to shoppers later today through a dedicated website, with shoppers received the sanitizer ”as early as next week.”
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Instacart strike organizers with the group Gig Workers Collective called the company’s response a “sick joke,” and Polito added that it was “definitely not enough.”
Workers have been asking for sanitizer for weeks, Polito said, and only now since the threat of a strike has the company responded saying they’re procuring it. Meanwhile, they still don’t have answers on hazard pay or additional paid leave. They will continue to strike “until our demands are met,” she said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--Americans Are Split On How U.S. Coronavirus Response Compares To That In Other Nations

Patrick Semansky/ASSOCIATED PRESS Dr. Deborah Birx , the White House coronavirus response coordinator , speaks during a coronavirus task force briefing Sunday at the White House along with President Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci .
Americans are split on how the U.S. is handling the coronavirus outbreak compared with other countries , a HuffPost/YouGov poll conducted last week finds .
Thirty-one percent say the U.S. is doing better than most other countries , 29 % that it ’ s doing about the same and 28 % that it ’ s doing worse .
An additional 12 % aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the U.S. ’ handling of the pandemic compares to other countries ' efforts , a HuffPost/YouGov poll conducted last week finds .
Nearly half say the U.S. has been more successful than Italy , which has been ravaged by the virus .
Just 20 % think the U.S. has done better than South Korea , which implemented an early program of widespread testing .
NEW : Monday 30 March update of coronavirus mortality trajectories • US deaths doubling every 3 days , as Fauci predicts over 100k US deaths .
How different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locked down like China ?
• UK still tracking Italy Live version : https : //t.co/VcSZISFxzF pic.twitter.com/13ry61K7FI — John Burn-Murdoch ( @ jburnmurdoch ) March 30 , 2020 Opinions on how the U.S. response compares with others ’ is sharply polarized , with 62 % of Republicans and 12 % of Democrats saying the country has done better than most other nations .
Americans are about evenly split on how the U.S. should envision its role internationally , the poll finds , with 42 % saying it ’ s best for the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world affairs and 41 % that the U.S. should pay less attention to problems overseas and concentrate on problems at home .
Those numbers are within the range of other polling taken in the past three years and suggest that the country ’ s appetite for isolationism remains lower than it was in 2016 .
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey , using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducted March 23-25 among U.S. adults , using a sample selected from YouGov ’ s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population .
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls .
You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov ’ s nationally representative opinion polling .
More details on the polls ’ methodology are available here .
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors .
YouGov ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling .
If these assumptions are wrong , the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate .
Click here for a more detailed explanation of the model-based margin of error .

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, speaks during a coronavirus task force briefing Sunday at the White House along with President Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci. Patrick Semansky/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Americans are split on how the U.S. is handling the coronavirus outbreak compared with other countries, a HuffPost/YouGov poll conducted last week finds.
Thirty-one percent say the U.S. is doing better than most other countries, 29% that it’s doing about the same and 28% that it’s doing worse. An additional 12% aren’t sure.
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Americans are split on how the U.S.’ handling of the pandemic compares to other countries' efforts, a HuffPost/YouGov poll conducted last week finds. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
Nearly half say the U.S. has been more successful than Italy, which has been ravaged by the virus. Just 20% think the U.S. has done better than South Korea, which implemented an early program of widespread testing.
NEW: Monday 30 March update of coronavirus mortality trajectories
• US deaths doubling every 3 days, as Fauci predicts over 100k US deaths. How different could things have been if US had locked down like China?
• UK still tracking Italy
Live version: https://t.co/VcSZISFxzF pic.twitter.com/13ry61K7FI — John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) March 30, 2020
Opinions on how the U.S. response compares with others’ is sharply polarized, with 62% of Republicans and 12% of Democrats saying the country has done better than most other nations.
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Americans are about evenly split on how the U.S. should envision its role internationally, the poll finds, with 42% saying it’s best for the future of the country to be active in world affairs and 41% that the U.S. should pay less attention to problems overseas and concentrate on problems at home. Those numbers are within the range of other polling taken in the past three years and suggest that the country’s appetite for isolationism remains lower than it was in 2016.
Americans are closely divided on how the U.S. should envision its role internationally. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups:
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted March 23-25 among U.S. adults, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population.
Advertisement
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors. YouGov’s reports include a model-based margin of error, which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling. If these assumptions are wrong, the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate. Click here for a more detailed explanation of the model-based margin of error.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--Attorneys General Urge FDA To Lift Restrictions On Medication Abortion

A coalition of 21 attorneys general is urging the federal government to lift restrictions on mifepristone , a drug used in medication abortion , so that women who want to terminate a pregnancy do not have to embark on unnecessary travel during the coronavirus outbreak .
Medication abortion , often referred to as the “ abortion pill , ” is a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy before 10 weeks .
Women take a combination of two drugs , usually spaced 24 hours apart , that essentially induce a miscarriage .
About 40 % of abortions in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women must travel in person to an abortion clinic to pick up the medication , even though the termination generally takes place at home .
That ’ s because mifepristone , the first of the two drugs used in medication abortion , is subject to a special set of U.S. Food and Drug Administration restrictions called Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy .
Under the REMS , a person seeking a medication abortion can not obtain the drugs from a pharmacy or in the mail .
The drugs can only be dispensed in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday , the attorneys general urged the Trump administration to allow mifepristone to be prescribed using telemedicine .
“ Due to the REMS , patients have to travel to a designated clinic , medical office or hospital , as opposed to getting a prescription from their doctor using telehealth and then obtaining mifepristone at a local pharmacy or delivered by mail , ” the letter says .
“ The FDA should not mandate this medically unnecessary travel , particularly during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being advised to stay home , but families are faced with additional childcare and financial constraints.
” Since its approval in 2000 , about 3 million women in the U.S. have used mifepristone .
Leading medical groups such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have advised the FDA to ease restrictions on the drug and make it available in retail pharmacies .
A college student in Texas recently described to HuffPost how scary it was to have to drive for 12 hours to pick up the drugs for her medication abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state .
New York Attorney General Letitia James , who signed on to Monday ’ s letter , said that control over one ’ s reproductive freedom should not be limited to those able to leave their homes .
“ As the coronavirus spreads across the country and residents are asked to stay at home , the federal government should be doing everything in its power to ensure women can maintain control of their reproductive choices , ” James said in a press release .
“ Our coalition is calling on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easily accessible so that no woman is forced to risk her health while exercising her constitutional right to an abortion .
”

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A coalition of 21 attorneys general is urging the federal government to lift restrictions on mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortion, so that women who want to terminate a pregnancy do not have to embark on unnecessary travel during the coronavirus outbreak.
Medication abortion, often referred to as the “abortion pill,” is a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy before 10 weeks. Women take a combination of two drugs, usually spaced 24 hours apart, that essentially induce a miscarriage. About 40% of abortions in the U.S. use this method.
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Currently, women must travel in person to an abortion clinic to pick up the medication, even though the termination generally takes place at home. That’s because mifepristone, the first of the two drugs used in medication abortion, is subject to a special set of U.S. Food and Drug Administration restrictions called Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy. Under the REMS, a person seeking a medication abortion cannot obtain the drugs from a pharmacy or in the mail. The drugs can only be dispensed in a medical facility.
In a letter to the FDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday, the attorneys general urged the Trump administration to allow mifepristone to be prescribed using telemedicine.
“Due to the REMS, patients have to travel to a designated clinic, medical office or hospital, as opposed to getting a prescription from their doctor using telehealth and then obtaining mifepristone at a local pharmacy or delivered by mail,” the letter says. “The FDA should not mandate this medically unnecessary travel, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis where not only are women being advised to stay home, but families are faced with additional childcare and financial constraints.”
Since its approval in 2000, about 3 million women in the U.S. have used mifepristone. Leading medical groups such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have advised the FDA to ease restrictions on the drug and make it available in retail pharmacies.
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A college student in Texas recently described to HuffPost how scary it was to have to drive for 12 hours to pick up the drugs for her medication abortion as the coronavirus outbreak was upending life in the state.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who signed on to Monday’s letter, said that control over one’s reproductive freedom should not be limited to those able to leave their homes.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-30--Trump Hands Coronavirus Briefing To MyPillow Exec Who Tells Americans To Read Bible

President Donald Trump used Monday ’ s White House daily briefing on coronavirus to again parade out private company executives — including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell , who used the platform to praise Trump and tell Americans amid a global pandemic to “ read our Bibles.
” During the briefing — meant to inform Americans about COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus — Trump handed the podium to several CEO ’ s of private sector companies to tout their efforts to produce sanitizer , masks and other gear for workers amid the pandemic .
MyPillow CEO Lindell said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of its manufacturing to producing cotton face masks , aiming to get up to 50,000 a day by end of this week .
He then said he would read something he wrote “ off the cuff.
” “ God gave us grace on Nov. 8 , 2016 , to change the course we were on , ” Lindell said , referring to the day Trump was elected .
“ God had been taken out of our schools and lives .
A nation had turned its back on God.
” “ And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home to get back in the ‘ Word , ’ read our Bibles and spend time with our families , ” he added , touting “ our great president ” and “ all the great people in this country praying daily ” as key to getting through the pandemic .
After Lindell finished his remarks , he went to shake Trump ’ s hand , but the president , observing a social distancing practice he had been ignoring earlier this month , did not reciprocate .
When Trump took back the podium , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was going to do that , but he ’ s a friend of mine and I do appreciate it.
” The U.S. currently has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases of any nation worldwide , with more than 155,000 reported as of midday Monday and more than 2,400 people dead .
States and hospitals across the country have been struggling to test , treat and support the ballooning number of people with the illness .
After hyping his company for a few minutes , Mike Lindell , the founder of MyPillow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' by electing Trump .
This is for some reason happening at a White House briefing on the coronavirus that has killed thousands of people in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/CmjAG1mP8o — Chris Sommerfeldt ( @ C_Sommerfeldt ) March 30 , 2020 Others at Monday ’ s briefing included executives from tech company Honeywell , which intends to produce N95 masks in new facilities ; sleepwear company Jockey International , which is donating scrubs to New York doctors ; and Proctor and Gamble , which will make hand sanitizer .
The president cued up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re gon na introduce you to some of the greatest business executives in the world today.
” Earlier this month , Trump also used a White House briefing when he was still downplaying the potential threat posed by the coronavirus to praise various corporations and turn the microphone over to their executives .
In Lindell ’ s “ off the cuff ” remarks on Monday , he complimented Trump for “ just a few short months ago ” having the “ best economy , the lowest unemployment , wages going up ” in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a record 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in one week — more than quadruple the previous record set in 1982 — as businesses nationwide were forced to shutter to combat the further spread of the coronavirus .

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President Donald Trump used Monday’s White House daily briefing on coronavirus to again parade out private company executives — including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who used the platform to praise Trump and tell Americans amid a global pandemic to “read our Bibles.”
During the briefing — meant to inform Americans about COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus — Trump handed the podium to several CEO’s of private sector companies to tout their efforts to produce sanitizer, masks and other gear for workers amid the pandemic.
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MyPillow CEO Lindell said his bedding company would be dedicating 75% of its manufacturing to producing cotton face masks, aiming to get up to 50,000 a day by end of this week. He then said he would read something he wrote “off the cuff.”
“God gave us grace on Nov. 8, 2016, to change the course we were on,” Lindell said, referring to the day Trump was elected. “God had been taken out of our schools and lives. A nation had turned its back on God.”
“And I encourage you to use this time at home to get back in the ‘Word,’ read our Bibles and spend time with our families,” he added, touting “our great president” and “all the great people in this country praying daily” as key to getting through the pandemic.
After Lindell finished his remarks, he went to shake Trump’s hand, but the president, observing a social distancing practice he had been ignoring earlier this month, did not reciprocate. When Trump took back the podium, he said he “did not know he was going to do that, but he’s a friend of mine and I do appreciate it.”
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HuffPost did not immediately get a response from the White House for comment.
The U.S. currently has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases of any nation worldwide, with more than 155,000 reported as of midday Monday and more than 2,400 people dead. States and hospitals across the country have been struggling to test, treat and support the ballooning number of people with the illness.
After hyping his company for a few minutes, Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow, says "God gave us grace" by electing Trump.
This is for some reason happening at a White House briefing on the coronavirus that has killed thousands of people in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/CmjAG1mP8o — Chris Sommerfeldt (@C_Sommerfeldt) March 30, 2020
Others at Monday’s briefing included executives from tech company Honeywell, which intends to produce N95 masks in new facilities; sleepwear company Jockey International, which is donating scrubs to New York doctors; and Procter and Gamble, which will make hand sanitizer.
The president cued up the speakers by saying: “We’re gonna introduce you to some of the greatest business executives in the world today.”
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Earlier this month, Trump also used a White House briefing when he was still downplaying the potential threat posed by the coronavirus to praise various corporations and turn the microphone over to their executives.
In Lindell’s “off the cuff” remarks on Monday, he complimented Trump for “just a few short months ago” having the “best economy, the lowest unemployment, wages going up” in the U.S.