thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-26--White House Coronavirus Official: Social Distancing 'Will Be With Us' Through Summer

Dr. Deborah Birx , a leading infectious disease expert on the White House ’ s coronavirus task force , warned Sunday that social distancing will be a necessary practice through the coming summer .
During an appearance on NBC ’ s “ Meet The Press , ” Birx was asked if Vice President Mike Pence ’ s prediction Friday that the coronavirus epidemic will be largely “ behind us ” by Memorial Day on May 25 was realistic .
“ It gives us great hope when you project out Boston and Chicago and certainly the New York metro , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , ” Birx said , slightly dodging the question .
“ We continue to watch this very closely but that ’ s where the projections take us.
” She added , however , that “ social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases.
” Birx ’ s statement about social distancing comes as governors weigh whether to begin easing coronavirus restrictions .
Over 300 million people across 42 states are under statewide stay-at-home orders as of Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump announced a three-phase set of guidelines for reopening parts of the country .
States and local officials must confirm a two-week downward trend in new coronavirus cases , as well as ensure adequate hospital capacity , medical supplies and testing capabilities .
So far , three states ― Georgia , Tennessee and South Carolina ― have announced plans to at least partially reopen despite not having met the federal government ’ s suggested criteria for doing so .
Though Trump has encouraged protests of stay-at-home orders — gatherings that have gone against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states , public health experts have warned against easing restrictions too soon .
On Wednesday , Trump denounced the decision by Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp ( R ) to reopen businesses in that state .
When asked Sunday if she ’ s concerned that states failing to follow the federal guidelines will reverse the progress that ’ s been made in curbing the spread of the virus , Birx danced around the question .
“ I ’ ve had really very good conversations with a series of governors and they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re looking at this , ” Birx said .
“ They understand the risk and they talk about this not as turning on a light switch but slowly turning up the dimmer ― very slowly.
” “ That ’ s why these are in phases and each phase carries a very specific piece , ” she continued .
“ To all the American people , please read those phases because it was very clear that if you have preexisting conditions or you ’ re elderly with preexisting conditions ... we strongly recommended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

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Dr. Deborah Birx, a leading infectious disease expert on the White House’s coronavirus task force, warned Sunday that social distancing will be a necessary practice through the coming summer.
During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Birx was asked if Vice President Mike Pence’s prediction Friday that the coronavirus epidemic will be largely “behind us” by Memorial Day on May 25 was realistic.
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“It gives us great hope when you project out Boston and Chicago and certainly the New York metro, which we’re all still very focused on,” Birx said, slightly dodging the question. “We continue to watch this very closely but that’s where the projections take us.”
She added, however, that “social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases.”
WATCH: Vice President Mike Pence said COVID-19 will be largely “behind us” by Memorial Day. #MTP #IfItsSunday
Dr. Birx: “Social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another.” pic.twitter.com/PvxDMXtMwG — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 26, 2020
Birx’s statement about social distancing comes as governors weigh whether to begin easing coronavirus restrictions. Over 300 million people across 42 states are under statewide stay-at-home orders as of Sunday.
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Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced a three-phase set of guidelines for reopening parts of the country. States and local officials must confirm a two-week downward trend in new coronavirus cases, as well as ensure adequate hospital capacity, medical supplies and testing capabilities.
So far, three states ― Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina ― have announced plans to at least partially reopen despite not having met the federal government’s suggested criteria for doing so.
Though Trump has encouraged protests of stay-at-home orders — gatherings that have gone against his own guidelines — in three Democratic-led states, public health experts have warned against easing restrictions too soon. On Wednesday, Trump denounced the decision by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) to reopen businesses in that state.
When asked Sunday if she’s concerned that states failing to follow the federal guidelines will reverse the progress that’s been made in curbing the spread of the virus, Birx danced around the question.
“I’ve had really very good conversations with a series of governors and they’ve really been very insightful of how they’re looking at this,” Birx said. “They understand the risk and they talk about this not as turning on a light switch but slowly turning up the dimmer ― very slowly.”
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“That’s why these are in phases and each phase carries a very specific piece,” she continued. “To all the American people, please read those phases because it was very clear that if you have preexisting conditions or you’re elderly with preexisting conditions ... we strongly recommended that you continue to shelter in place.”
WATCH: Dr. Deborah Birx says some governors have been insightful about reopening states as if they're "slowly turning up the dimmer," not flipping on a light switch. #MTP #IfItsSunday pic.twitter.com/awiBlgwuTN — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 26, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-26--Infectious Disease Expert: FDA Has 'All But Given Up' Oversight On Antibody Testing

The Food and Drug Administration has “ all but given up ” its oversight responsibility on coronavirus antibody tests , one the country ’ s top infectious disease experts said Sunday .
“ We have the wild , wild West for testing right now , ” Dr. Michael Osterholm , the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota , told NBC ’ s “ Meet The Press.
” “ The FDA has all but given up its oversight responsibility for the tests we have on the market , ” he added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a disaster.
” WATCH : Dr. Michael Osterholm says COVID-19 testing is in crisis right now .
# MTP # IfItsSunday Dr. Osterholm : “ The FDA has all but given up its oversight responsibility for the tests we have on the market .
Many of them are nothing short of a disaster .
” pic.twitter.com/MAXySI9q5D — Meet the Press ( @ MeetThePress ) April 26 , 2020 Blood tests for coronavirus antibodies are viewed by many public health experts as a potential key for assessing the reach of the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovered from COVID-19 , and ultimately reopening the country .
But officials have sounded the alarm about the efficacy of tests currently on the market , criticizing the FDA for greenlighting the products too quickly .
The federal government temporarily stripped some of its regulatory barriers after it was scrutinized for its slow rollout of diagnostic tests .
On Friday , the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy released preliminary findings that showed “ wide gaps ” in the Trump administration ’ s handling of antibody testing , also known as serological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any coronavirus ‘ rapid ’ antibody test kits before they went on the market , and a lack of enforcement by FDA has allowed manufacturers to make fraudulent claims about their efficacy , ” according to the panel ’ s findings .
During a White House briefing later Friday , FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said President Donald Trump asked his agency to “ cut down as many barriers as we possibly could to get medical products out to the medical community.
” “ They have to validate their tests , they have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and in the package insert they have to let people know ... those tests are not authorized by FDA , ” he said .
“ We ’ ve authorized four .
As I mention , more in the pipeline.
” During an earlier interview on “ Meet The Press , ” Dr. Deborah Birx , an infectious disease expert on the White House coronavirus task force , said the country needs a “ breakthrough ” in testing .
“ We have to have a breakthrough innovation in testing , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to detect antigen rather than constantly try to detect the actual live virus.
” Osterholm said Sunday that Birx is “ partially right.
” He said among the major problems with testing in the U.S. right now are a shortage of chemicals needed to perform the tests and the abundance of “ bad ” antibody tests currently on the market .
“ These tests just don ’ t perform well in low prevalent populations , meaning that right now if you were to test for antibody in most places in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false positives , ” Osterholm said .
“ So what we need is a major new initiative on testing that gets away from every day just saying how many people got tested , ” he continued .
“ We ’ re missing the mark in a big way right now .
”

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The Food and Drug Administration has “all but given up” its oversight responsibility on coronavirus antibody tests, one the country’s top infectious disease experts said Sunday.
“We have the wild, wild West for testing right now,” Dr. Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told NBC’s “Meet The Press.”
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“The FDA has all but given up its oversight responsibility for the tests we have on the market,” he added. “Many of them are nothing short of a disaster.”
WATCH: Dr. Michael Osterholm says COVID-19 testing is in crisis right now. #MTP #IfItsSunday
Dr. Osterholm: “The FDA has all but given up its oversight responsibility for the tests we have on the market. Many of them are nothing short of a disaster. ” pic.twitter.com/MAXySI9q5D — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 26, 2020
Blood tests for coronavirus antibodies are viewed by many public health experts as a potential key for assessing the reach of the virus, determining potential immunity in individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, and ultimately reopening the country.
But officials have sounded the alarm about the efficacy of tests currently on the market, criticizing the FDA for greenlighting the products too quickly. The federal government temporarily stripped some of its regulatory barriers after it was scrutinized for its slow rollout of diagnostic tests.
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On Friday, the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy released preliminary findings that showed “wide gaps” in the Trump administration’s handling of antibody testing, also known as serological testing.
“FDA did not review any coronavirus ‘rapid’ antibody test kits before they went on the market, and a lack of enforcement by FDA has allowed manufacturers to make fraudulent claims about their efficacy,” according to the panel’s findings.
During a White House briefing later Friday, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said President Donald Trump asked his agency to “cut down as many barriers as we possibly could to get medical products out to the medical community.”
Asked about the subcommittee’s concerns, Hahn told reporters that their policy provides a “flexibility” to manufacturers.
“They have to validate their tests, they have to tell us that they validated their tests, and in the package insert they have to let people know ... those tests are not authorized by FDA,” he said. “We’ve authorized four. As I mention, more in the pipeline.”
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During an earlier interview on “Meet The Press,” Dr. Deborah Birx, an infectious disease expert on the White House coronavirus task force, said the country needs a “breakthrough” in testing.
“We have to have a breakthrough innovation in testing,” she said. “We have to be able to detect antigen rather than constantly try to detect the actual live virus.”
Osterholm said Sunday that Birx is “partially right.” He said among the major problems with testing in the U.S. right now are a shortage of chemicals needed to perform the tests and the abundance of “bad” antibody tests currently on the market.
“These tests just don’t perform well in low prevalent populations, meaning that right now if you were to test for antibody in most places in the United States, over half the tests would be false positives,” Osterholm said.
“So what we need is a major new initiative on testing that gets away from every day just saying how many people got tested,” he continued. “We’re missing the mark in a big way right now.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-26--White House Wants Trump To Pivot From Coronavirus To The Economy

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — After two months of frantic response to the coronavirus , the White House is planning to shift President Donald Trump ’ s public focus to the burgeoning efforts aimed at easing the economic devastation caused by the pandemic .
Days after he publicly mused that scientists should explore the injection of toxic disinfectants as a potential virus cure , Trump has now rejected the utility of his daily task force briefings , where he has time and again clashed with scientific experts .
Trump ’ s aides are aiming to move the president onto more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — ground : talking up the economy , in tighter controlled settings .
It ’ s a political imperative as allies have seen an erosion in support for the president .
What had been his greatest asset in the reelection campaign , his ability to blanket news headlines with freewheeling performances , has become a daily liability .
At the same time , new Republican Party polling shows Trump ’ s path to a second term depends on the public ’ s perception of how quickly the economic rebounds from the state-by-state shutdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
Some states have started to ease closure orders , and Trump is expected to begin to highlight his administration 's work in helping businesses and employees .
Aides said the president would hold more frequent roundtables with CEOs , business owners and beneficiaries of the trillions of dollars in federal aid already approved by Congress , and begin to outline what he hopes to see in a future recovery package .
Trump last left the White House grounds a month ago , and plans are being drawn up for a limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , aide said .
It would be a symbolic show that the nation is beginning to reopen .
The shift comes in conjunction with what the White House sees as encouraging signs across the country , with the pace of new infections stabilizing and deaths declining .
Still , medical experts warn that the virus will remain until at least a vaccine is developed and that the risk of a severe second wave is high if social distancing is relaxed too quickly or if testing and contact tracing schemes aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The White House is deliberating whether to continue to hold news briefings in a modified form without Trump , potentially at a different location .
Before Trump said in a tweet Saturday that they were “ Not worth the time & effort , ” aides had been eager to use the briefings to highlight positive trends and to overwhelm Americans with statistics .
It was an effort to restore confidence in the response so that the public would be comfortable resuming more normal activities .
Few Americans regularly look to or trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , according to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released last week .
On Monday , the White House was expected to release a recap of what the federal government has done so far to improve the availability of COVID-19 testing , personal protective equipment and ventilators .
Still , governors in both parties say much more is needed , particularly in testing , in the coming months , as they deliberate how and when to reopen their states .
“ I want to get our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can , but I want to do so in a safe way so we don ’ t have a spike , we don ’ t cause more deaths , or an overloading of our health care system , ” Gov .
Larry Hogan , R-Md.
, told ABC ’ s “ This Week.
” “ As a scientist and a public health official and a researcher , sometimes , I worry that we don ’ t get the information to the American people that they need , when we continue to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said on CNN 's “ State of the Union.
” As the White House hopes it has turned a corner , it is also beginning to assess responsibility for critical missteps .
Two senior administration officials said Trump has begun discussions about replacing Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar , who led the coronavirus task force during its initial weeks and has been blamed for a culture of bureaucratic infighting during that period .
Azar has been largely sidelined since Vice President Mike Pence took charge of the task @ @ @ @ @

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WASHINGTON (AP) — After two months of frantic response to the coronavirus, the White House is planning to shift President Donald Trump’s public focus to the burgeoning efforts aimed at easing the economic devastation caused by the pandemic.
Days after he publicly mused that scientists should explore the injection of toxic disinfectants as a potential virus cure, Trump has now rejected the utility of his daily task force briefings, where he has time and again clashed with scientific experts. Trump’s aides are aiming to move the president onto more familiar — and safer, they hope — ground: talking up the economy, in tighter controlled settings.
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It’s a political imperative as allies have seen an erosion in support for the president. What had been his greatest asset in the reelection campaign, his ability to blanket news headlines with freewheeling performances, has become a daily liability. At the same time, new Republican Party polling shows Trump’s path to a second term depends on the public’s perception of how quickly the economic rebounds from the state-by-state shutdowns meant to slow the spread of the virus.
Some states have started to ease closure orders, and Trump is expected to begin to highlight his administration's work in helping businesses and employees. Aides said the president would hold more frequent roundtables with CEOs, business owners and beneficiaries of the trillions of dollars in federal aid already approved by Congress, and begin to outline what he hopes to see in a future recovery package.
Trump last left the White House grounds a month ago, and plans are being drawn up for a limited schedule of travel within the next few weeks, aide said. It would be a symbolic show that the nation is beginning to reopen.
The shift comes in conjunction with what the White House sees as encouraging signs across the country, with the pace of new infections stabilizing and deaths declining.
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Still, medical experts warn that the virus will remain until at least a vaccine is developed and that the risk of a severe second wave is high if social distancing is relaxed too quickly or if testing and contact tracing schemes aren’t developed before people return to normal behaviors.
The White House is deliberating whether to continue to hold news briefings in a modified form without Trump, potentially at a different location. Before Trump said in a tweet Saturday that they were “Not worth the time & effort,” aides had been eager to use the briefings to highlight positive trends and to overwhelm Americans with statistics. It was an effort to restore confidence in the response so that the public would be comfortable resuming more normal activities.
“We know that’s important,” Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, told Fox News Channel's “Sunday Morning Futures.” “We understand those messages of science and policy need to be brought forward to the American people in a nonpolitical way.”
Few Americans regularly look to or trust Trump as a source of information on the pandemic, according to a survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released last week.
On Monday, the White House was expected to release a recap of what the federal government has done so far to improve the availability of COVID-19 testing, personal protective equipment and ventilators.
Advertisement
Still, governors in both parties say much more is needed, particularly in testing, in the coming months, as they deliberate how and when to reopen their states.
“I want to get our economy back opened just as soon as we can, but I want to do so in a safe way so we don’t have a spike, we don’t cause more deaths, or an overloading of our health care system,” Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., told ABC’s “This Week.”
Birx expressed frustration that Trump’s injection comments were still in the headlines, illustrating the tensions that have emerged between the president and his medical advisers.
“As a scientist and a public health official and a researcher, sometimes, I worry that we don’t get the information to the American people that they need, when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night,” she said on CNN's “State of the Union.”
As the White House hopes it has turned a corner, it is also beginning to assess responsibility for critical missteps. Two senior administration officials said Trump has begun discussions about replacing Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who led the coronavirus task force during its initial weeks and has been blamed for a culture of bureaucratic infighting during that period. Azar has been largely sidelined since Vice President Mike Pence took charge of the task force in late February.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-26--Furious Trump Strikes Wildly At Fox News And Other Media, Insists Reporters Return 'Noble' Prizes

President Donald Trump launched another Twitter tirade against the media Sunday , slamming a days-old story about his lax work habits and even bashing his usual favorite Fox News , calling for an “ alternative.
” Trump also called on reporters who wrote about Russia ’ s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to return their “ Noble ” prizes .
There are no Noble prizes for reported stories , nor are there Nobel Prizes .
There are Pulitzer Prizes for journalism ; there is a Nobel Prize for literature .
That particular three-tweet rant about Noble prizes subsequently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called his comments “ sarcasm ” — insisting he meant to say “ Noble ” prizes all along ( even though he had earlier called on the “ Noble Committee ” to rescind the awards ) .
Trump ’ s 10-tweet media attack ( as of Sunday evening ) first scorched The New York Times for what he called its “ phony story ” Thursday reporting that he often doesn ’ t arrive in the Oval Office until noon after spending the morning watching TV news — and enjoys eating Diet Coke and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ hardest-working president in history , ” who hasn ’ t left the White House in “ many months.
” He held a campaign rally just last month and several in February .
“ I work from early in the morning until late at night , haven ’ t left the White House in many months ( except to launch Hospital Ship Comfort ) in order to take care of Trade Deals , Military Rebuilding etc .
... anything to demean !
” he tweeted .
Trump originally misspelled hamburger as “ hamberger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The people that know me and know the history of our Country say that I am the hardest working President in history .
I don ’ t know about that , but I am a hard worker and have probably gotten more done in the first 3 1/2 years than any President in history .
The Fake News hates it !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) April 26 , 2020 I work from early in the morning until late at night , haven ’ t left the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospital Ship Comfort ) in order to take care of Trade Deals , Military Rebuilding etc.
, and then I read a phony story in the failing @ nytimes about my work ... .
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) April 26 , 2020 ... .schedule and eating habits , written by a third rate reporter who knows nothing about me .
I will often be in the Oval Office late into the night & read & see that I am angrily eating a hamburger & Diet Coke in my bedroom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Anything to demean !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) April 26 , 2020 Trump also attacked reporters who covered the Russian election interference scandal , insisting they had been “ proven totally wrong ” and should return their “ Nobles ” to “ the REAL REPORTERS & JOURNALISTS who got it right.
” Reporters weren ’ t proven wrong .
The GOP-led Senate Intelligence Committee last week determined after an investigation that evidence supported the U.S. intelligence community ’ s determination that Russia did interfere in the American election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward Trump .
Though the original Noble tweets were removed , Trump later added another tweet claiming he was simply being sarcastic — the same explanation he used Friday after he suggested at a news briefing the previous day that a disinfectant “ injection ” might work against COVID-19 .
Those reporters are indeed noble .
You are ignoble .
You are also ignorant .
You refer to the wrong prize , and have misspelled it , to boot .
You ’ re so far in over your head you can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ //t.co/1lkcL1tnoM — George Conway ( @ gtconway3d ) April 26 , 2020 I logged back in to see if things were as dumb as I remembered , and I saw Trump writing about the `` Noble '' prize for journalism and remembered this idiot has the nuclear codes .
— Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) April 26 , 2020 Does anybody get the meaning of what a so-called Noble ( not Nobel ) Prize is , especially as it pertains to Reporters and Journalists ?
Noble is defined as , “ having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moral principles and ideals.
” Does sarcasm ever work ?
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) April 26 , 2020 Then Trump came for Fox News , charging the network with trying to be “ politically correct.
” He accused Fox News host Chris Wallace of being “ nastier to Republicans ” than the CBS news program “ Face the Nation ” — which he referred to as “ Deface the Nation ” — or “ Sleepy Eyes ” Chuck Todd of NBC .
“ The people who are watching Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you President Trump ) , are angry , ” he tweeted .
“ They want an alternative now .
So do I !
” .
@ FoxNews just doesn ’ t get what ’ s happening !
They are being fed Democrat talking points , and they play them without hesitation or research .
They forgot that Fake News @ CNN & MSDNC wouldn ’ t let @ FoxNews participate , even a little bit , in the poor ratings Democrat Debates ... .. — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Left Do Nothing Democrats laughed at the Fox suggestion .
No respect for the people running @ FoxNews .
But Fox keeps on plugging to try and become politically correct .
They put RINO Paul Ryan on their Board .
They hire “ debate questions to Crooked Hillary ” ... .
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) April 26 , 2020 ... .fraud @ donnabrazile ( and others who are even worse ) .
Chris Wallace is nastier to Republicans than even Deface the Nation or Sleepy Eyes .
The people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record numbers ( thank you President Trump ) , are angry .
They want an alternative now .
So do I !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) April 26 , 2020

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President Donald Trump launched another Twitter tirade against the media Sunday, slamming a days-old story about his lax work habits and even bashing his usual favorite Fox News, calling for an “alternative.”
Trump also called on reporters who wrote about Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to return their “Noble” prizes. There are no Noble prizes for reported stories, nor are there Nobel Prizes. There are Pulitzer Prizes for journalism; there is a Nobel Prize for literature.
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That particular three-tweet rant about Noble prizes subsequently vanished. But hours later, Trump called his comments “sarcasm” — insisting he meant to say “Noble” prizes all along (even though he had earlier called on the “Noble Committee” to rescind the awards).
Donald Trump on another rant. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Trump’s 10-tweet media attack (as of Sunday evening) first scorched The New York Times for what he called its “phony story” Thursday reporting that he often doesn’t arrive in the Oval Office until noon after spending the morning watching TV news — and enjoys eating Diet Coke and French fries.
He called himself the “hardest-working president in history,” who hasn’t left the White House in “many months.” He held a campaign rally just last month and several in February.
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“I work from early in the morning until late at night, haven’t left the White House in many months (except to launch Hospital Ship Comfort) in order to take care of Trade Deals, Military Rebuilding etc. ... anything to demean!” he tweeted. Trump originally misspelled hamburger as “hamberger,” but it was later corrected.
The people that know me and know the history of our Country say that I am the hardest working President in history. I don’t know about that, but I am a hard worker and have probably gotten more done in the first 3 1/2 years than any President in history. The Fake News hates it! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020
I work from early in the morning until late at night, haven’t left the White House in many months (except to launch Hospital Ship Comfort) in order to take care of Trade Deals, Military Rebuilding etc., and then I read a phony story in the failing @nytimes about my work.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020
....schedule and eating habits, written by a third rate reporter who knows nothing about me. I will often be in the Oval Office late into the night & read & see that I am angrily eating a hamburger & Diet Coke in my bedroom. People with me are always stunned. Anything to demean! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020
Trump also attacked reporters who covered the Russian election interference scandal, insisting they had been “proven totally wrong” and should return their “Nobles” to “the REAL REPORTERS & JOURNALISTS who got it right.”
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He also asked: “When will the Noble Committee DEMAND the Prizes back?”
Reporters weren’t proven wrong. The GOP-led Senate Intelligence Committee last week determined after an investigation that evidence supported the U.S. intelligence community’s determination that Russia did interfere in the American election in a bid to sway the vote toward Trump.
Though the original Noble tweets were removed, Trump later added another tweet claiming he was simply being sarcastic — the same explanation he used Friday after he suggested at a news briefing the previous day that a disinfectant “injection” might work against COVID-19.
For the record pic.twitter.com/m5VXKRExTk — Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) April 26, 2020
Those reporters are indeed noble. You are ignoble. You are also ignorant. You refer to the wrong prize, and have misspelled it, to boot.
You’re so far in over your head you can’t even see the surface. https://t.co/1lkcL1tnoM — George Conway (@gtconway3d) April 26, 2020
I logged back in to see if things were as dumb as I remembered, and I saw Trump writing about the "Noble" prize for journalism and remembered this idiot has the nuclear codes. — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) April 26, 2020
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Does anybody get the meaning of what a so-called Noble (not Nobel) Prize is, especially as it pertains to Reporters and Journalists? Noble is defined as, “having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.” Does sarcasm ever work? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020
Then Trump came for Fox News, charging the network with trying to be “politically correct.” He accused Fox News host Chris Wallace of being “nastier to Republicans” than the CBS news program “Face the Nation” — which he referred to as “Deface the Nation” — or “Sleepy Eyes” Chuck Todd of NBC.
“The people who are watching Fox News, in record numbers (thank you President Trump), are angry,” he tweeted. “They want an alternative now. So do I!”
.@FoxNews just doesn’t get what’s happening! They are being fed Democrat talking points, and they play them without hesitation or research. They forgot that Fake News @CNN & MSDNC wouldn’t let @FoxNews participate, even a little bit, in the poor ratings Democrat Debates..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020
....Even the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats laughed at the Fox suggestion. No respect for the people running @FoxNews. But Fox keeps on plugging to try and become politically correct. They put RINO Paul Ryan on their Board. They hire “debate questions to Crooked Hillary”.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020
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....fraud @donnabrazile (and others who are even worse). Chris Wallace is nastier to Republicans than even Deface the Nation or Sleepy Eyes. The people who are watching @FoxNews, in record numbers (thank you President Trump), are angry. They want an alternative now. So do I! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020
Finally, the president lashed out at press reports that he is considering firing Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-27--Governor Ron DeSantis Calls Florida 'God's Waiting Room' For Seniors

Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) on Sunday characterized his state as “ God ’ s waiting room ” for seniors during an update on COVID-19 .
“ Florida is ground zero for the nursing home ; I mean we ’ re God ’ s waiting room , ” DeSantis said at a press briefing in Orlando .
“ We have a huge number of facilities , a huge number of residents.
” DeSantis commented on Florida ’ s vulnerable nursing home population while discussing plans to reopen the state for business .
As of Sunday , Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,074 deaths .
However , DeSantis said that parts of the state were now on “ the other side ” of the coronavirus outbreak .
The number of daily new cases in Florida in the last week peaked last Thursday at 1,232 , but the tally appeared to be climbing again Saturday with 823 cases , up significantly from the previous day .
Statistics had not yet been released for Sunday at the time of this writing .
Thomas Unnasch , co-director for the Center for Global Health Infectious Disease Research at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be difficult to determine if cases have peaked without more data .
“ We will really not know if we ’ re past it until we actually see a week or two of steadily declining case numbers across the Tampa Bay area , and the entire state , before we can really say we ’ re on the downslope , ” Unnasch told WUSF Public Media on Friday .
Although DeSantis claimed the dire predictions for Florida had not materialized , he also emphasized that he was not in a rush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said he did not envision movie theaters or bars reopening any time soon nor allowing sporting events with fans until “ far in the future.
” Earlier this month , he deemed World Wrestling Entertainment an “ essential ” business during the outbreak , and said that other sports and entertainment operations could be considered essential on a case-by-case basis .
DeSantis has come under fire for being slow to react to the coronavirus crisis .
He didn ’ t institute a statewide stay-at-home order until April .
DeSantis claimed he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which never came .
The order expires on Thursday , and it ’ s not yet clear what he will do then .
More than a week ago DeSantis told local officials they were free to reopen beaches when they saw fit .
He encouraged continued social distancing on the beaches , but that was clearly ignored on Jacksonville Beach :

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Sunday characterized his state as “God’s waiting room” for seniors during an update on COVID-19.
“Florida is ground zero for the nursing home; I mean we’re God’s waiting room,” DeSantis said at a news briefing in Orlando. “We have a huge number of facilities, a huge number of residents.”
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Watch the video above.
“God’s waiting room” is a decades-old derogatory phrase about the large number of retirees in the state, noted WPLG Local 10 TV.
DeSantis commented on Florida’s vulnerable nursing home population while discussing plans to reopen the state for business. As of Sunday, Florida had recorded 31,500 cases of COVID-19 and 1,074 deaths. However, DeSantis said that parts of the state were now on “the other side” of the coronavirus outbreak.
The number of daily new cases in Florida in the last week peaked last week at 1,232, but the tally appeared to be climbing again Saturday with 823 cases, up significantly from the previous day.
Thomas Unnasch, co-director for the Center for Global Health Infectious Disease Research at the University of South Florida, cautioned that it will be difficult to determine if cases have peaked without more data.
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“We will really not know if we’re past it until we actually see a week or two of steadily declining case numbers across the Tampa Bay area, and the entire state, before we can really say we’re on the downslope,” Unnasch told WUSF Public Media on Friday.
Although DeSantis claimed the dire predictions for Florida had not materialized, he also emphasized that he was not in a rush to move the state back to normal. He said he did not envision movie theaters or bars reopening any time soon, or allowing sporting events with fans until “far in the future.”
Earlier this month, he deemed World Wrestling Entertainment an “essential” business during the outbreak, and said that other sports and entertainment operations could be considered essential on a case-by-case basis.
DeSantis has come under fire for being slow to react to the coronavirus crisis. He didn’t institute a statewide stay-at-home order until April. DeSantis claimed he was awaiting instructions from the Trump administration, which never came. The order expires on Thursday, and it’s not yet clear what he will do then.
More than a week ago DeSantis told local officials they were free to reopen beaches when they saw fit. He encouraged continued social distancing on the beaches, but that was clearly ignored on Jacksonville Beach:
People flock to newly opened beach in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Sam Greenwood via Getty Images
Critics on Twitter were taken aback by DeSantis’ characterization of the state’s population of retirees, particularly during such a deadly outbreak:
This is an awful thing to say, especially now.
Gov. Ron DeSantis calls Florida 'God's waiting room' for seniors.https://t.co/k7mZu70KkG — Covie (@roper_93) April 26, 2020
Florida is "God's waiting room?" Well, Seniors? Do you enjoy bein' the punchline in the Republican stand-up routine?https://t.co/h0NxMaflqr — Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) April 26, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-27--GOP Governor Warns Trump: Stop Spreading 'Misinformation' About Coronavirus

Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan ( R ) is urging Donald Trump to be more careful about what he says just days after the president claimed that light and disinfectant injected into the body could be possible treatments for the coronavirus infection .
“ This has been important to me from day one , about communicating very clearly on the facts , because people listen to these press conferences , ” Hogan said on “ This Week ” on Sunday .
Hogan said people listen to his own news conferences as governor so they certainly pay attention when Trump speaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , or you just say something that pops in your head , it does send a wrong message , ” he said .
One result of Trump ’ s comments : The Maryland Emergency Management Agency received hundreds of calls from people asking about Clorox or any other cleaning products .
The agency then had to send a message warning “ that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection , ingestion or any other route.
” “ We had to put out that warning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something like that , which would kill people , actually , to do it , ” Hogan said .
He also urged Trump to make sure information shared at future press conferences was “ fact-based.
” Some on the right defended Trump after he made the suggestion on Thursday .
However , Trump later claimed he was being “ sarcastic ” and had suggested disinfectant and light treatments to the media “ just to see what would happen .
”

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“This has been important to me from day one, about communicating very clearly on the facts, because people listen to these press conferences,” Hogan said on “This Week” Sunday.
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Hogan said people listen to his own news conferences as governor, so they certainly pay attention when Trump speaks.
“I think when misinformation comes out, or you just say something that pops in your head, it does send a wrong message,” he said.
One result of Trump’s comments: The Maryland Emergency Management Agency received hundreds of calls from people asking about Clorox or any other cleaning products. The agency then had to send a message warning “that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.”
The Maryland Emergency Management Agency warned that “under no circumstance” should disinfectants be ingested.
Gov. Larry Hogan says they received “hundreds of calls” seeking guidance following Trump’s comments and it’s important to communicate “facts.” https://t.co/zB7Ch1H4ND pic.twitter.com/RrFpJqmllo — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 26, 2020
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“We had to put out that warning to make sure that people were not doing something like that, which would kill people, actually, to do it,” Hogan said.
He also urged Trump to make sure information shared at future press conferences was “fact-based.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-26--Bernie Sanders Challenges His Possible Removal From New York Primary Ballot

Malcolm Seymour , an attorney representing the Sanders campaign , argued in the letter to the board that the provision should not apply to Sanders “ retroactively , ” since he might have acted differently if it had been in effect when he decided to suspend his campaign .
The legislature would not have given the Board this discretion if the legislature had not anticipated that situations would arise in which a candidate ’ s removal would be improper .
Malcolm Seymour , a lawyer for the Sanders campaign “ The legislature would not have given the Board this discretion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situations would arise in which a candidate ’ s removal would be improper , ” the lawyer said .
“ This is clearly one such situation ― Senator Sanders has publicly stated that he wishes to remain a candidate and has formally objected to his removal.
” HuffPost reported last Tuesday that the two Democratic members of the board , co-chair Douglas Kellner and commissioner Andrew Spano , were due to meet the following day to decide on Sanders ’ potential removal .
The two men must reach a unanimous decision in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prior to that meeting , Kellner told HuffPost that he thinks he is legally obligated to remove Sanders .
Spano expressed ambivalence , however , weighing the inconvenience to county governments against the desire of Sanders supporters for a “ voice at the convention.
” Remaining on the ballot in New York is a priority for Sanders because he hopes to win enough convention delegates nationwide for his allies to receive at least 25 % of the seats on the three key convention committees in August : those concerning rules and bylaws , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A quarter share of the committees ’ membership ensures that Sanders ’ bloc will have the opportunity to submit a minority report to the convention floor for a vote on matters such as permanently disempowering the party insiders and elected officials known as “ superdelegates.
” ( Sanders ’ allies previously helped shepherd through rule changes barring the superdelegates from voting for a presidential candidate on the first convention ballot , but that move applies only to the 2020 nominating contest . )
But the Biden campaign , which believes that mollifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president defeat President Donald Trump in November , has already shown a willingness to negotiate with Sanders over delegate allocation .
The two campaigns are in talks over how to divvy up the one-third of convention delegates awarded based on statewide primary and caucus results .
Normally , candidates who are no longer running can hold on to their share of the two-thirds of delegates awarded based on their primary performance in each congressional district but are not eligible to keep statewide delegates they ’ ve won .
Currently , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ballot in New York : Biden ; Sanders ; Sens .
Michael Bennet ( Colo. ) , Amy Klobuchar ( Minn. ) and Elizabeth Warren ( Mass . )
; billionaire businessmen Mike Bloomberg and Tom Steyer ; former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg ; Rep. Tulsi Gabbard ( Hawaii ) ; and entrepreneur Andrew Yang .
Aside from Sanders , none of the other candidates who have dropped out of the race have asked to remain on the ballot .
Should the board decide to remove all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential primary would be canceled .
Some 20 of the state ’ s 62 counties would not hold any primary elections at all as a result .
In late March , Cuomo postponed the New York presidential primary from April 28 to June 23 because of the coronavirus pandemic .
That made the presidential primary coincide with New York ’ s congressional and state legislative primaries .
Some left-wing activists in the state hoped that Sanders ’ continued presence on the ballot would benefit progressive candidates running for lesser offices who might get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not otherwise turn out .
Those activists now fear the effort to remove Sanders is motivated by a desire to undermine primary challengers .
New York state will face issues of its own if it decides to remove Sanders .
It will have to get the Democratic National Committee ’ s approval for a new plan to allocate convention delegates who would otherwise be awarded based on the outcome of the primary .
If necessary , Cohen told HuffPost , he is prepared to try to challenge the legitimacy of the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credentials committee .

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The presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) submitted a letter to the New York State Board of Elections on Sunday challenging a looming decision on whether to keep him on the ballot for the state’s primary.
Sanders formally suspended his campaign earlier this month, but said that he planned to stay on the ballot in upcoming primaries in order to maximize his influence on the Democratic Party’s platform and rules.
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Five days later, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a budget bill with an obscure provision authorizing the state’s board of elections to remove from the primary ballot those candidates who have withdrawn from the presidential campaign.
Though he's withdrawn from the presidential race, Sen. Bernie Sanders still wants the chance to shape Democratic Party rules at the convention. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
Malcolm Seymour, an attorney representing the Sanders campaign, argued in the letter to the board that the provision should not apply to Sanders “retroactively,” since he might have acted differently if it had been in effect when he decided to suspend his campaign.
“The retroactive application of [the change in election law] would severely impact Senator Sanders’ core substantive rights,” Seymour wrote in the letter obtained by HuffPost. “Because of the severity of this potential deprivation, the presumption against retroactive application must operate with maximum force.”
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Seymour further noted that the new law merely states that the board of elections “may,” rather than “must,” decide to remove from the ballot candidates who have ended their campaigns for the nomination.
“The legislature would not have given the Board this discretion if the legislature had not anticipated that situations would arise in which a candidate’s removal would be improper.” - Malcolm Seymour, a lawyer for the Sanders campaign
“The legislature would not have given the Board this discretion if the legislature had not anticipated that situations would arise in which a candidate’s removal would be improper,” the lawyer said. “This is clearly one such situation ― Senator Sanders has publicly stated that he wishes to remain a candidate and has formally objected to his removal.”
Seymour noted that no interested party ― including former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic National Committee and the New York State Democratic Party ― has asked the board of elections to remove Sanders.
“His involuntary erasure from the ballot, on grounds of a law that was not in effect when he announced his campaign’s limited suspension, would sow needless strife and distrust, impeding Senator Sanders’ efforts to unify the Democratic Party in advance of November elections,” Seymour added.
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HuffPost reported last Tuesday that the two Democratic members of the board, co-chair Douglas Kellner and commissioner Andrew Spano, were due to meet the following day to decide on Sanders’ potential removal. The two men must reach a unanimous decision in order to cut Sanders from the ballot. Prior to that meeting, Kellner told HuffPost that he thinks he is legally obligated to remove Sanders. Spano expressed ambivalence, however, weighing the inconvenience to county governments against the desire of Sanders supporters for a “voice at the convention.”
Following HuffPost’s reporting, which brought to light the complaints of a select group of local Sanders supporters, a larger contingent of Sanders activists and allies escalated their calls to keep him on the ballot. The board of elections announced that it was delaying its decision until Monday.
The Sanders campaign’s letter to the board on Sunday marks its first official intervention into the deliberations in New York.
Remaining on the ballot in New York is a priority for Sanders because he hopes to win enough convention delegates nationwide for his allies to receive at least 25% of the seats on the three key convention committees in August: those concerning rules and bylaws, the party platform, and convention credentials. A quarter share of the committees’ membership ensures that Sanders’ bloc will have the opportunity to submit a minority report to the convention floor for a vote on matters such as permanently disempowering the party insiders and elected officials known as “superdelegates.” (Sanders’ allies previously helped shepherd through rule changes barring the superdelegates from voting for a presidential candidate on the first convention ballot, but that move applies only to the 2020 nominating contest.)
It is unusual, if not unprecedented, for presidential candidates to continue to compete for convention delegates after formally suspending their campaign.
But the Biden campaign, which believes that mollifying Sanders’ base would help the former vice president defeat President Donald Trump in November, has already shown a willingness to negotiate with Sanders over delegate allocation. The two campaigns are in talks over how to divvy up the one-third of convention delegates awarded based on statewide primary and caucus results. Normally, candidates who are no longer running can hold on to their share of the two-thirds of delegates awarded based on their primary performance in each congressional district but are not eligible to keep statewide delegates they’ve won.
Currently, there are 11 Democratic presidential candidates who remain on the ballot in New York: Biden; Sanders; Sens. Michael Bennet (Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.); billionaire businessmen Mike Bloomberg and Tom Steyer; former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg; former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick; Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii); and entrepreneur Andrew Yang. Aside from Sanders, none of the other candidates who have dropped out of the race have asked to remain on the ballot. Should the board decide to remove all of those candidates, the state’s presidential primary would be canceled. Some 20 of the state’s 62 counties would not hold any primary elections at all as a result.
In late March, Cuomo postponed the New York presidential primary from April 28 to June 23 because of the coronavirus pandemic. That made the presidential primary coincide with New York’s congressional and state legislative primaries. Some left-wing activists in the state hoped that Sanders’ continued presence on the ballot would benefit progressive candidates running for lesser offices who might get the support of Sanders voters who would not otherwise turn out. Those activists now fear the effort to remove Sanders is motivated by a desire to undermine primary challengers.
Larry Cohen, a top Sanders ally and chairman of Our Revolution, which emerged from Sanders’ 2016 bid, is urging the board of elections to give Sanders supporters in New York a chance to make their views known.
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“Your mission is democracy. Your mission is to let people vote, not to come up with some scheme to stop them,” he said of the board’s responsibility.
New York state will face issues of its own if it decides to remove Sanders. It will have to get the Democratic National Committee’s approval for a new plan to allocate convention delegates who would otherwise be awarded based on the outcome of the primary. If necessary, Cohen told HuffPost, he is prepared to try to challenge the legitimacy of the state’s delegates in the convention’s credentials committee.
Cohen, who previously led the Communications Workers of America union, also cautioned Biden that Sanders’ removal could hinder efforts to rally the Democratic Party’s progressive wing behind the presumptive nominee.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-26--Trump Says HHS Secretary Azar Doing ‘Excellent Job,’ Has No Plans To Fire Him

President Donald Trump on Sunday dismissed reports that Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar could soon be replaced , saying he was doing “ an excellent job ” as the nation continues to reel from the coronavirus pandemic .
Reports that H.H.S .
Secretary @ AlexAzar is going to be “ fired ” by me are Fake News .
The Lamestream Media knows this , but they are desperate to create the perception of chaos & havoc in the minds of the public .
They never even called to ask .
Alex is doing an excellent job !
— @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 26 , 2020 “ Reports that H.H.S .
Secretary [ Alex Azar ] is going to be ‘ fired ’ by me are Fake News , ” Trump wrote on Twitter .
“ The Lamestream Media knows this , but they are desperate to create the perception of chaos & havoc in the minds of the public.
” The president ’ s assurances came just a day after The Wall Street Journal first reported that officials in the White House were weighing Azar ’ s removal over his department ’ s mismanagement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States .
More than 965,000 people have now tested positive for COVID-19 and the death toll topped 50,000 earlier this week .
Trump , reportedly growing frustrated and isolated as his administration is engulfed in controversy , has been reaching for anyone and anything to blame for his botched response to the virus , lashing out at the World Health Organization , the media , China and officials both outside and inside his own orbit .
But the president has been hesitant to shake up the medical leadership behind the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend .
Trump has regularly pushed back against allegations he is frustrated with Dr. Anthony Fauci or Dr. Deborah Birx , top advisers often forced to undercut the president ’ s claims that contravene medical advice .
Azar promptly retweeted Trump ’ s missive on Sunday , reiterating the claim that reports of his imminent dismissal were “ fake news ” while championing the administration ’ s work to rein in the spread of the virus .
“ While the # FakeNews media and their leaker allies collude to destroy this President , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect Americans and end a global health crisis , ” Azar wrote .
“ POTUS took bold , early , decisive action for which he was heavily criticized by the same media outlets that continue attacking today.
” Reports of President Trump looking to replace me are # FakeNews .
The media continues to smear @ POTUS and his Administration ’ s fight against # COVID19 and grossly overlook the historic whole-of-government response that we ’ ve been delivering under the President ’ s leadership .
https : //t.co/xTqePeR3Cu — Secretary Alex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 The White House has faced an onslaught of criticism throughout the pandemic over the availability of medical supplies , pleas that testing capacity be increased and the length of time it took for Trump himself to appear concerned that cases of the virus had even made it to American shores .
Trump has regularly replaced Cabinet members and other administration officials he ’ s grown unhappy with .
Azar is the president ’ s second HHS secretary after Tom Price was forced to resign amid scrutiny over his billing of taxpayers @ @ @ @

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President Donald Trump on Sunday dismissed reports that Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar could soon be replaced, saying he was doing “an excellent job” as the nation continues to reel from the coronavirus pandemic.
Reports that H.H.S. Secretary @AlexAzar is going to be “fired” by me are Fake News. The Lamestream Media knows this, but they are desperate to create the perception of chaos & havoc in the minds of the public. They never even called to ask. Alex is doing an excellent job! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2020
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“Reports that H.H.S. Secretary [Alex Azar] is going to be ‘fired’ by me are Fake News,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “The Lamestream Media knows this, but they are desperate to create the perception of chaos & havoc in the minds of the public.”
The president’s assurances came just a day after The Wall Street Journal first reported that officials in the White House were weighing Azar’s removal over his department’s mismanagement of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. More than 965,000 people have now tested positive for COVID-19 and the death toll topped 50,000 earlier this week.
Trump, reportedly growing frustrated and isolated as his administration is engulfed in controversy, has been reaching for anyone and anything to blame for his botched response to the virus, lashing out at the World Health Organization, the media, China and officials both outside and inside his own orbit.
But the president has been hesitant to shake up the medical leadership behind the nation’s coronavirus response, the Journal reported this weekend. Trump has regularly pushed back against allegations he is frustrated with Dr. Anthony Fauci or Dr. Deborah Birx, top advisers often forced to undercut the president’s claims that contravene medical advice.
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Azar promptly retweeted Trump’s missive on Sunday, reiterating the claim that reports of his imminent dismissal were “fake news” while championing the administration’s work to rein in the spread of the virus.
“While the #FakeNews media and their leaker allies collude to destroy this President, his Administration is following his leadership 24/7 to protect Americans and end a global health crisis,” Azar wrote. “POTUS took bold, early, decisive action for which he was heavily criticized by the same media outlets that continue attacking today.”
Reports of President Trump looking to replace me are #FakeNews. The media continues to smear @POTUS and his Administration’s fight against #COVID19 and grossly overlook the historic whole-of-government response that we’ve been delivering under the President’s leadership. https://t.co/xTqePeR3Cu — Secretary Alex Azar (@SecAzar) April 26, 2020
The White House has faced an onslaught of criticism throughout the pandemic over the availability of medical supplies, pleas that testing capacity be increased and the length of time it took for Trump himself to appear concerned that cases of the virus had even made it to American shores.
Trump has regularly replaced Cabinet members and other administration officials he’s grown unhappy with. Azar is the president’s second HHS secretary after Tom Price was forced to resign amid scrutiny over his billing of taxpayers for chartered flights.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-27--Nancy Pelosi Endorses Joe Biden For President

April 27 ( Reuters ) — U.S. House Of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed Joe Biden for president , joining a list of top Democrats who have recently thrown their support behind the former vice president .
Pelosi ’ s endorsement of the Democratic presidential candidate follows that of U.S .
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders , former president Barack Obama and former vice president Al Gore , who all threw their weight behind Biden earlier this month .
In a video statement released on Monday , Pelosi cited Biden ’ s experience in government , including his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as evidence of his leadership qualities .
She said Biden is well-positioned to lead the country amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak .
“ As we face coronavirus , Joe has been a voice of reason and resilience , with a clear path to lead us out of this crisis , ” Pelosi said in her endorsement .
The endorsement comes at an opportune time for Biden , who has struggled to maintain a high profile during the COVID-19 pandemic and sustain the momentum he had built up in his lightning-quick run toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and past Democratic leaders , Biden has also won endorsements from some other key stakeholders like Washington state Governor Jay Inslee , a prominent climate change campaigner , and the 400,000-member United Auto Workers union .
The endorsements have given Biden a series of headlines at a time when his campaign is effectively on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak — and when U.S. President Donald Trump has captured media attention with his combative White House briefings .
The Democrats are eager to project unity heading into the presidential race against Trump for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent weeks , the more moderate Biden has made attempts to win the support of the liberal backers of Sanders and Warren .

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April 27 (Reuters) — U.S. House Of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed Joe Biden for president, joining a list of top Democrats who have recently thrown their support behind the former vice president.
Pelosi’s endorsement of the Democratic presidential candidate follows that of U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, former president Barack Obama and former vice president Al Gore, who all threw their weight behind Biden earlier this month.
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In a video statement released on Monday, Pelosi cited Biden’s experience in government, including his role in passing the Affordable Care Act, as evidence of his leadership qualities. She said Biden is well-positioned to lead the country amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
“As we face coronavirus, Joe has been a voice of reason and resilience, with a clear path to lead us out of this crisis,” Pelosi said in her endorsement.
The endorsement comes at an opportune time for Biden, who has struggled to maintain a high profile during the COVID-19 pandemic and sustain the momentum he had built up in his lightning-quick run toward becoming the Democratic nominee.
Besides current and past Democratic leaders, Biden has also won endorsements from some other key stakeholders like Washington state Governor Jay Inslee, a prominent climate change campaigner, and the 400,000-member United Auto Workers union.
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The endorsements have given Biden a series of headlines at a time when his campaign is effectively on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak — and when U.S. President Donald Trump has captured media attention with his combative White House briefings.
The Democrats are eager to project unity heading into the presidential race against Trump for the Nov. 3 general election. In recent weeks, the more moderate Biden has made attempts to win the support of the liberal backers of Sanders and Warren.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-27--Woman Says Tara Reade Told Her In Mid-1990s That Joe Biden Sexually Assaulted Her

A former neighbor of Tara Reade , the former Senate aide who has accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her when she worked in his office in 1993 , has come forward to corroborate part of Reade ’ s allegation .
Reade was one of at least eight women last year to publicly accuse Biden of inappropriate touching .
She said at the time that she worked in his Senate office when she was in her mid-20s and that he would make her uncomfortable by running his fingers up her neck or putting his hand on her shoulder .
Reade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate interviews with The Intercept and with podcast host Katie Halper .
She said Biden pushed her against a wall in a Senate office building , reached up her skirt and penetrated her with his fingers while she was delivering a duffel bag to him at her manager ’ s request .
“ Vice President Biden has dedicated his public life to changing the culture and the laws around violence against women , ” Bedingfield said in her statement .
“ He authored and fought for the passage and reauthorization of the landmark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes that women have a right to be heard ― and heard respectfully.
” Reade worked for Biden ’ s office from December 1992 to August 1993 and helped manage the office ’ s interns , The New York Times reported earlier this month .
She said she complained to several of Biden ’ s senior aides about the senator ’ s behavior toward her at the time and also filed a complaint with the Senate .
Reade said she was subsequently stripped of most of her duties .
She said Ted Kaufman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time , later told her she wasn ’ t a good fit for the job and gave her a month to find a new one .
Kaufman told the Times he “ did not know her ” and that Reade did not complain to him about Biden ’ s behavior .
The Biden campaign told the newspaper it does not have the complaint that Reade allegedly filed .
“ I remember her saying , here was this person that she was working for and she idolized him , ” LaCasse told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was assaulted , and she really didn ’ t feel there was anything she could do.
” Reade has alleged that Biden became annoyed with her when she resisted his advances .
“ I heard you liked me , ” he told her , according to Reade .
She said he then told her she was “ nothing ” to him before touching her shoulders , telling her she was “ OK , ” and then walking away .
“ I ’ m wondering what a staffer would do besides go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caller said .
“ My daughter has just left there , after working for a prominent senator , and could not get through with her problems at all , and the only thing she could have done was go to the press , and she chose not to do it out of respect for him .
”

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A former neighbor of Tara Reade, the former Senate aide who has accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her when she worked in his office in 1993, has come forward to corroborate part of Reade’s allegation.
Lynda LaCasse told Business Insider in a report published Monday that Reade confided in her about the alleged assault in 1995 or 1996, when the two women lived in the same apartment complex in Morro Bay, California.
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“This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it,” LaCasse told the outlet.
Reade was one of at least eight women last year to publicly accuse Biden of inappropriate touching. She said at the time that she worked in his Senate office when she was in her mid-20s and that he would make her uncomfortable by running his fingers up her neck or putting his hand on her shoulder.
In response to the allegations of inappropriate touching, Biden acknowledged last year that “social norms are changing.” He said he would be “more mindful about respecting personal space in the future.”
Reade expanded on her allegation last month in separate interviews with The Intercept and with podcast host Katie Halper. She said Biden pushed her against a wall in a Senate office building, reached up her skirt and penetrated her with his fingers while she was delivering a duffel bag to him at her manager’s request.
Biden’s presidential campaign has vehemently denied Reade’s allegation of assault.
Asked for comment for this story, a spokesman for Biden’s campaign referred HuffPost to a statement Kate Bedingfield, the campaign’s communications director, issued April 13.
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“Vice President Biden has dedicated his public life to changing the culture and the laws around violence against women,” Bedingfield said in her statement. “He authored and fought for the passage and reauthorization of the landmark Violence Against Women Act. He firmly believes that women have a right to be heard ― and heard respectfully.”
“Such claims should also be diligently reviewed by an independent press,” her statement continued. “What is clear about this claim: it is untrue. This absolutely did not happen.”
Reade worked for Biden’s office from December 1992 to August 1993 and helped manage the office’s interns, The New York Times reported earlier this month. She said she complained to several of Biden’s senior aides about the senator’s behavior toward her at the time and also filed a complaint with the Senate.
Reade said she was subsequently stripped of most of her duties. She said Ted Kaufman, Biden’s chief of staff at the time, later told her she wasn’t a good fit for the job and gave her a month to find a new one.
Kaufman told the Times he “did not know her” and that Reade did not complain to him about Biden’s behavior. The Biden campaign told the newspaper it does not have the complaint that Reade allegedly filed.
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Marianne Baker, who served as Biden’s executive assistant between 1982 and 2000, said in a statement last month that she “never once” witnessed or received any reports of inappropriate conduct.
The Times reported no other person accused Biden of sexual assault during its investigation into Reade’s allegation.
“I remember her saying, here was this person that she was working for and she idolized him,” LaCasse told Business Insider. “She felt like she was assaulted, and she really didn’t feel there was anything she could do.”
LaCasse said Reade became emotional when she detailed the alleged assault.
“She was crying,” LaCasse said. “She was upset. And the more she talked about it, the more she started crying. I remember saying that she needed to file a police report.”
Reade has alleged that Biden became annoyed with her when she resisted his advances. “I heard you liked me,” he told her, according to Reade. She said he then told her she was “nothing” to him before touching her shoulders, telling her she was “OK,” and then walking away.
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LaCasse told Insider she couldn’t remember all the details, including where Reade said the alleged assault occurred or what Biden may have said.
“I remember the skirt,” LaCasse said. “I remember the fingers. I remember she was devastated.”
LaCasse told Insider she’s a Democrat and plans to vote for Biden despite Reade’s allegation. Still, she felt compelled to stick up for her friend, who has faced a wave of criticism and death threats since accusing Biden of assault.
“I have to support her just because that’s what happened,” LaCasse said. “We need to stand up and tell the truth.”
Reade told Vox News last month that she initially supported Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in the presidential race and then supported Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) after she dropped out. It’s unclear who Reade plans to vote for now that Sanders has exited the race. Lorraine Sanchez, who worked alongside Reade in California state Sen. Jack O’Connell’s office from 1994 to 1996, told Insider that Reade had told her at the time that she’d had a boss in Washington who sexually harassed her. Reade said she was fired after speaking up about the harassment, according to Sanchez.
Sanchez said she does not remember if Reade offered details about the harassment or if she named Biden as the perpetrator.
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Reade’s brother Collin Moulton told Insider that he recalled his sister telling him that Biden “had his hand under her clothes at some point.”
Reade said she also told her mother about the alleged assault at the time. Last week, video surfaced of a woman, who Reade said is her mother, calling into a live broadcast of “Larry King Live” on CNN in 1993. King was airing a segment called “Washington: The Cruelest City on Earth?”
“I’m wondering what a staffer would do besides go to the press in Washington,” the caller said. “My daughter has just left there, after working for a prominent senator, and could not get through with her problems at all, and the only thing she could have done was go to the press, and she chose not to do it out of respect for him.”
Neither King nor the panel directly addressed the caller’s question and instead discussed whether they would ever consider leaking damaging information about a rival to the press.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-27--Trump's Focus On His Base Amid Coronavirus Crisis Complicates Path To Reelection

While the coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 54,000 Americans , eliminated more than 20 million jobs and dashed the routines of daily life for nearly everyone , Trump has leveled attacks on Democrats .
He ’ s blamed former President Barack Obama ’ s team for his own administration ’ s failures , picked fights with reporters and thrown rhetorical bombs meant to thrill his hardcore supporters .
During a particularly rough stretch last week , Trump pledged to bar foreigners from entering the country .
The executive order Trump ultimately signed was less severe than he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance to highlight action on an issue that ’ s central to his political brand .
Four years after Trump captured the White House by perfectly threading narrow victories in critical battleground states , he is betting that a relentless focus on his base will yield a repeat performance .
It ’ s a risky strategy because Trump ’ s standing in some of those states shows signs of weakening .
And there ’ s little evidence to suggest he has significantly broadened his appeal in other places to offset those vulnerabilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frankly , because part of being the president is to rise above , to ignore certain things , ” said Ari Fleischer , who served as White House press secretary under President George W. Bush , whose lukewarm approval ratings soared after his handling of the Sept. 11 attacks .
“ And I think at a time like this he should leave a lot of the gauntlets on the ground and rise above .
But that ’ s not him.
” Fleischer said that , while the virus puts limits on the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political environment is far more polarized today than it was in the early 2000s , Trump ’ s White House could be appealing to the country as a whole with events honoring doctors , nurses and front-line workers that “ send helpful , meaningful signals that we are one nation and we can play a meaningful part.
” Other Republicans , however , believe Trump is playing it right .
Stephen Bannon , the president ’ s former chief strategist , believes 2020 is a “ base election ” year and thinks Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ new nationalism ” born in the wake of a pandemic that began in China .
He predicted Americans would rally around their president during a period of crisis .
Trump ’ s approval rating has remained remarkably steady over the course of his presidency , with about 42 % of poll respondents saying they approve of the job he ’ s doing as president , according to a new The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .
That ’ s even as many question the veracity of his statements and believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough during the crisis .
But the coronavirus has threatened to rewrite the Electoral College map , and Trump ’ s campaign has become concerned about losing support in several key swing states , particularly Florida and Wisconsin .
Some advisers have all but written off Michigan , which Trump captured in 2016 by fewer than 11,000 votes .
He is now locked in a feud with the state ’ s Democratic governor .
Trump campaign officials who requested anonymity to describe campaign strategy stressed that the election is still six months away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted polls can be be wrong or change , especially if the pandemic wanes or the economy rebounds .
And they said the campaign believes that voters will credit Trump for the strong economy before the pandemic hit , even as they have expressed worry that he could be pushing to open things too quickly and that any resulting deaths will not be forgiven by voters in November .
Jason Miller , communications director for Trump ’ s 2016 campaign , countered that last week ’ s immigration executive order may appeal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also aimed at helping African Americans , Hispanics , women and immigrants already in the U.S. legally who typically hold lower-wage jobs at a higher percentage than those in what is typically viewed as the president ’ s base .
Trump ’ s campaign has been trying to chip away at Democrats ’ advantage with those demographic groups , even as advocates counter that minority immigrants will suffer by being prevented from having their parents and other family members join them in the country .
Miller also defended the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time of national crisis , arguing that some fights are worth picking and that Trump will be judged , not on his daily briefings , but on how the country eventually recovers from the crisis .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WASHINGTON (AP) — During times of war and strife, national leaders often aim to unite a broken country and, in the process, broaden their appeal beyond their most loyal supporters. Not President Donald Trump.
Confronting a pandemic that has upended his presidency and threatened his reelection prospects, Trump has focused almost exclusively on tending to his base.
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While the coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 54,000 Americans, eliminated more than 20 million jobs and dashed the routines of daily life for nearly everyone, Trump has leveled attacks on Democrats. He’s blamed former President Barack Obama’s team for his own administration’s failures, picked fights with reporters and thrown rhetorical bombs meant to thrill his hardcore supporters.
During a particularly rough stretch last week, Trump pledged to bar foreigners from entering the country. The executive order Trump ultimately signed was less severe than he suggested, but it still gave him a chance to highlight action on an issue that’s central to his political brand.
Four years after Trump captured the White House by perfectly threading narrow victories in critical battleground states, he is betting that a relentless focus on his base will yield a repeat performance. It’s a risky strategy because Trump’s standing in some of those states shows signs of weakening. And there’s little evidence to suggest he has significantly broadened his appeal in other places to offset those vulnerabilities.
The pandemic hasn’t changed that.
“It drives me crazy, frankly, because part of being the president is to rise above, to ignore certain things,” said Ari Fleischer, who served as White House press secretary under President George W. Bush, whose lukewarm approval ratings soared after his handling of the Sept. 11 attacks. “And I think at a time like this he should leave a lot of the gauntlets on the ground and rise above. But that’s not him.”
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Fleischer said that, while the virus puts limits on the president’s ability to travel and the political environment is far more polarized today than it was in the early 2000s, Trump’s White House could be appealing to the country as a whole with events honoring doctors, nurses and front-line workers that “send helpful, meaningful signals that we are one nation and we can play a meaningful part.”
Other modern presidents have looked to transcend partisan boundaries at a time of crisis or tragedy, including Bill Clinton in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, Ronald Reagan after the Challenger space shuttle explosion and Lyndon Johnson after John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
“I’m surprised the administration isn’t doing this as well,” Fleischer said.
Other Republicans, however, believe Trump is playing it right. Stephen Bannon, the president’s former chief strategist, believes 2020 is a “base election” year and thinks Trump can broaden his support because of a “new nationalism” born in the wake of a pandemic that began in China. He predicted Americans would rally around their president during a period of crisis.
“Trump is a wartime president,” Bannon said.
Trump’s approval rating has remained remarkably steady over the course of his presidency, with about 42% of poll respondents saying they approve of the job he’s doing as president, according to a new The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s even as many question the veracity of his statements and believe he is not listening to health experts enough during the crisis.
But the coronavirus has threatened to rewrite the Electoral College map, and Trump’s campaign has become concerned about losing support in several key swing states, particularly Florida and Wisconsin. Some advisers have all but written off Michigan, which Trump captured in 2016 by fewer than 11,000 votes. He is now locked in a feud with the state’s Democratic governor.
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In former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump faces a presumptive Democratic nominee whose promises of across-the-aisle outreach and pragmatic, experienced-based management may play well in several battlegrounds states. That includes Arizona, which has a vast suburban population uneasy with the constant Trump drama, tweets and base plays.
“People are going to look for stability,” said Doug Cole, a veteran Republican operative in Arizona who worked on John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. “Biden can capitalize on that.”
Trump campaign officials who requested anonymity to describe campaign strategy stressed that the election is still six months away, an eternity in politics. They noted polls can be be wrong or change, especially if the pandemic wanes or the economy rebounds. And they said the campaign believes that voters will credit Trump for the strong economy before the pandemic hit, even as they have expressed worry that he could be pushing to open things too quickly and that any resulting deaths will not be forgiven by voters in November.
But there are warning signs. Several Republicans who mimicked Trump’s 2016 strategy by focusing on immigration failed to win congressional or governors’ races.
“Whatever impact it has in boosting turnout among core supporters, it boosts the backlash vote even more,” said Frank Sharry, the executive director of the liberal immigration advocacy group America’s Voice.
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He noted the 2017 Virginia’s governor’s race, in which GOP nominee Ed Gillespie tried to feather candidate Ralph Northam with ads on immigration. The strategy backfired, as it did in many 2018 midterm races.
Jason Miller, communications director for Trump’s 2016 campaign, countered that last week’s immigration executive order may appeal to the base. But he said it was also aimed at helping African Americans, Hispanics, women and immigrants already in the U.S. legally who typically hold lower-wage jobs at a higher percentage than those in what is typically viewed as the president’s base.
Trump’s campaign has been trying to chip away at Democrats’ advantage with those demographic groups, even as advocates counter that minority immigrants will suffer by being prevented from having their parents and other family members join them in the country.
Miller also defended the president’s refusal to put petty political riffs aside at a time of national crisis, arguing that some fights are worth picking and that Trump will be judged, not on his daily briefings, but on how the country eventually recovers from the crisis.
“He is bringing the country together with determinative action and results,” he said.
___
Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writer Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.
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Follow Colvin and Lemire on Twtter at https://twitter.com/colvinj and https://twitter.com/JonLemire.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-27--Supreme Court Throws Out Gun Rights Case

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The Supreme Court sidestepped a major decision on gun rights Monday in a dispute over New York City ’ s former ban on transporting guns .
The justices threw out a challenge from gun rights groups .
It ruled that the city ’ s move to ease restrictions on taking licensed , locked and unloaded guns outside the city limits , coupled with a change in state law to prevent New York from reviving the ban , left the court with nothing to decide .
The court asked a lower court to consider whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems for gun owners .
The anti-climactic end to the Supreme Court case is a disappointment to gun rights advocates and relief to gun control groups who thought a conservative Supreme Court majority fortified by two appointees of President Donald Trump , Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh , might use the case to expand on landmark decisions from a decade ago that established a right to keep a gun at home for self-defense .
But other guns cases remain in the high court ’ s pipeline and the justices could decide to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term .
Although the opinion was unsigned , the court was split , 6-3 , over the outcome .
Gorsuch joined Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas in dissenting from the dismissal .
Kavanaugh wrote a brief concurring opinion in which he agreed with the result , but also said the court should take up another guns case soon .
Lower courts upheld the regulation , but the Supreme Court ’ s decision early in 2019 to step into the case signaled a revived interest in gun rights from a court with two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city and state level scrambled to find a way to remove the case from the justices ’ grasp .
Not only did the city change its regulation to allow licensed gun owners to transport their weapons to locations outside New York ’ s five boroughs , but the state enacted a law barring cities from imposing the challenged restrictions .
Those moves failed to get the court to dismiss the case before arguments in December .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court sidestepped a major decision on gun rights Monday in a dispute over New York City’s former ban on transporting guns.
The justices threw out a challenge from gun rights groups. It ruled that the city’s move to ease restrictions on taking licensed, locked and unloaded guns outside the city limits, coupled with a change in state law to prevent New York from reviving the ban, left the court with nothing to decide. The court asked a lower court to consider whether the city’s new rules still pose problems for gun owners.
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The anti-climactic end to the Supreme Court case is a disappointment to gun rights advocates and relief to gun control groups who thought a conservative Supreme Court majority fortified by two appointees of President Donald Trump, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, might use the case to expand on landmark decisions from a decade ago that established a right to keep a gun at home for self-defense.
But other guns cases remain in the high court’s pipeline and the justices could decide to hear one or more of those next term.
Although the opinion was unsigned, the court was split, 6-3, over the outcome.
Gorsuch joined Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas in dissenting from the dismissal. Kavanaugh wrote a brief concurring opinion in which he agreed with the result, but also said the court should take up another guns case soon.
Lower courts upheld the regulation, but the Supreme Court’s decision early in 2019 to step into the case signaled a revived interest in gun rights from a court with two new justices.
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Officials at both the city and state level scrambled to find a way to remove the case from the justices’ grasp. Not only did the city change its regulation to allow licensed gun owners to transport their weapons to locations outside New York’s five boroughs, but the state enacted a law barring cities from imposing the challenged restrictions.