thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Isaias Brings Tornadoes, Heavy Rain During Inland March Up East Coast

SOUTHPORT , N.C. ( AP ) — Tropical Storm Isaias spawned tornadoes and dumped rain during an inland march up the U.S. East Coast on Tuesday after making landfall as a hurricane in North Carolina , where it piled boats against the docks and caused floods and fires that displaced dozens of people .
At least one person was killed when one of its twisters hit a mobile home park .
Royce Potter , a fifth-generation seafood purveyor and owner of Potter ’ s Seafood in Southport , said he rode out the storm on a boat docked near his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forecasters that his area would be spared .
The predicted storm surge and wind gusts left dozens of boats piled up against the docks , and many decks facing out on the water were smashed .
People were out Tuesday morning raking debris or picking it up with their hands and dropping it in trash cans .
Isaias spawned multiple tornadoes , including one that caused at least one death and multiple injuries as it flattened a mobile home park in Windsor , North Carolina , according to Bertie County Sheriff John Holley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and crews are searching for several people who are unaccounted for .
An aerial shot by WRAL-TV showed debris littered over a several-block area where rescue workers in brightly colored shirts picked through splintered boards and other wreckage where homes had stood .
Nearby , a vehicle was flipped onto its roof , its tires pointed up in the air .
“ It doesn ’ t look real , it looks like something on TV .
Nothing is there , ” Holley told reporters .
“ All my officers are down there at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trailer park is gone.
” The hurricane ’ s eye moved over land near Ocean Isle Beach , North Carolina , just after 11 p.m. on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph ( 136 km/h ) , and its top winds dropped to 70 miles per hour ( 117 km/h ) by early Tuesday .
But forecasters said hurricane-force gusts were likely in the Chesapeake Bay region , and tropical storm conditions were expected across New England Tuesday night .
“ We don ’ t think there is going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still think there ’ s going to be very strong and gusty winds that will affect much of the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast over the next day or two , ” hurricane specialist Robbie Berg told The Associated Press .
Other tornadoes were confirmed by the national weather service in Virginia , Maryland and Delaware .
Power outages also spread as trees fell , with more than 700,000 customers losing electricity , most of them in North Carolina and Virginia , according to PowerOutage.US , which tracks utility reports .
Isaias ( pronounced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurricane strength throughout its path to the U.S. coast , killing two people in the Caribbean and trashing the Bahamas before brushing past Florida .
Eileen and David Hubler were out early Tuesday cleaning up in North Myrtle Beach , where the storm surge topped four feet ( 1.2 meters ) , flooding cars , unhinging docks and etching a water line into the side of their home .
“ When the water started coming , it did not stop , ” she told the Associated Press .
They had moved most items @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a mattress and washing machine were unexpected storm casualties .
Eileen Hubler said Isaias ’ incoming wrath was downplayed , and she wishes she would have followed her gut .
“ We keep thinking we ’ ve learned our lesson .
And each time there ’ s a hurricane , we learn a new lesson .
The new lesson is you never trust that you ’ re going to have a two-foot ( 0.6 meter ) storm surge , ” she said .
On North Carolina ’ s Oak Island , deputies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children after the storm hit , causing damage along the beachfront and knocking electricity and sewer facilities offline , authorities said .
The storm set off flooding and sparked five home fires in Ocean Isle Beach , North Carolina , Mayor Debbie Smith told WECT-TV , and firefighters from Horry County , South Carolina crossed the state line to help out , their spokesman , Tony Casey , told The Associated Press .
Further up the coast , about 30 people were displaced by a fire at a condominium complex in Surf City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t immediately clear if the fires were connected to the storm .
No injuries have been reported .
Coastal shops and restaurants had closed early in the Carolinas , where power began to flicker at oceanfront hotels and even the most adventurous of beachgoers abandoned the sand Monday night .
The Hurricane Center warned oceanside home dwellers to brace for storm surge up to 5 feet ( 1.5 meters ) and up to 8 inches ( 20 centimeters ) of rain in spots .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
SOUTHPORT, N.C. (AP) — Tropical Storm Isaias spawned tornadoes and dumped rain during an inland march up the U.S. East Coast on Tuesday after making landfall as a hurricane in North Carolina, where it piled boats against the docks and caused floods and fires that displaced dozens of people. At least one person was killed when one of its twisters hit a mobile home park.
Royce Potter, a fifth-generation seafood purveyor and owner of Potter’s Seafood in Southport, said he rode out the storm on a boat docked near his business after he got the impression from forecasters that his area would be spared.
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“They got this wrong,” he said, visibly shaken. “I’ve ridden storms out here for years.”
The predicted storm surge and wind gusts left dozens of boats piled up against the docks, and many decks facing out on the water were smashed. People were out Tuesday morning raking debris or picking it up with their hands and dropping it in trash cans.
Tropical storm force winds from #Isaias, with gusts to hurricane force, are expected to spread northward along the Mid-Atlantic coast and into New England today and tonight. These winds could cause downed trees and power outages. https://t.co/8sD0LxJH7C pic.twitter.com/vPvz32decl — National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 4, 2020
Isaias spawned multiple tornadoes, including one that caused at least one death and multiple injuries as it flattened a mobile home park in Windsor, North Carolina, according to Bertie County Sheriff John Holley. He said 10 homes were destroyed and crews are searching for several people who are unaccounted for.
An aerial shot by WRAL-TV showed debris littered over a several-block area where rescue workers in brightly colored shirts picked through splintered boards and other wreckage where homes had stood. Nearby, a vehicle was flipped onto its roof, its tires pointed up in the air.
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“It doesn’t look real, it looks like something on TV. Nothing is there,” Holley told reporters. “All my officers are down there at this time. Pretty much the entire trailer park is gone.”
The hurricane’s eye moved over land near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, just after 11 p.m. on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (136 km/h), and its top winds dropped to 70 miles per hour (117 km/h) by early Tuesday. But forecasters said hurricane-force gusts were likely in the Chesapeake Bay region, and tropical storm conditions were expected across New England Tuesday night.
“Potentially life-threatening urban flooding is possible in D.C., Baltimore and elsewhere along and just west of the I-95 corridor today,” the National Hurricane Center also warned.
“We don’t think there is going to be a whole lot of weakening, we still think there’s going to be very strong and gusty winds that will affect much of the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast over the next day or two,” hurricane specialist Robbie Berg told The Associated Press.
A look at the aftermath of a possible tornado that killed one person overnight in Bertie County. This is at the Cedar Creek Mobile Home Park near Windsor. Absolutely heartbreaking. #Isaias pic.twitter.com/jQ3UvSJFhu — Liz Bateson (@LizBatesonTV) August 4, 2020
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Other tornadoes were confirmed by the national weather service in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Power outages also spread as trees fell, with more than 700,000 customers losing electricity, most of them in North Carolina and Virginia, according to PowerOutage.US, which tracks utility reports.
Isaias (pronounced ees-ah-EE-ahs) toggled between tropical storm and hurricane strength throughout its path to the U.S. coast, killing two people in the Caribbean and trashing the Bahamas before brushing past Florida.
Most of the significant damage seemed to be east and north of where the hurricane’s eye struck land.
Eileen and David Hubler were out early Tuesday cleaning up in North Myrtle Beach, where the storm surge topped four feet (1.2 meters), flooding cars, unhinging docks and etching a water line into the side of their home.
“When the water started coming, it did not stop,” she told the Associated Press. They had moved most items of value to their second floor, but a mattress and washing machine were unexpected storm casualties. Eileen Hubler said Isaias’ incoming wrath was downplayed, and she wishes she would have followed her gut.
“We keep thinking we’ve learned our lesson. And each time there’s a hurricane, we learn a new lesson. The new lesson is you never trust that you’re going to have a two-foot (0.6 meter) storm surge,” she said.
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On North Carolina’s Oak Island, deputies had to rescue five adults and three children after the storm hit, causing damage along the beachfront and knocking electricity and sewer facilities offline, authorities said.
The storm set off flooding and sparked five home fires in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, Mayor Debbie Smith told WECT-TV, and firefighters from Horry County, South Carolina crossed the state line to help out, their spokesman, Tony Casey, told The Associated Press.
#Isaias has been spawning tornadoes up and down the Mid-Atlantic coast. Here's a rotating wall cloud I intercepted an hour ago west of Ocean City, Maryland. Impossible to see what's going on at ground, but this storm was strongly spinning. @capitalweather pic.twitter.com/7phNIGnq3g — Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) August 4, 2020
Further up the coast, about 30 people were displaced by a fire at a condominium complex in Surf City, news outlets reported. It wasn’t immediately clear if the fires were connected to the storm. No injuries have been reported.
And in Suffolk, Virginia, near the coast, multiple homes were damaged by falling trees, and city officials received reports of a possible tornado. A fire station downtown sustained damage including broken window. A photo posted by city officials showed a pile of bricks lying next to a damaged business.
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Coastal shops and restaurants had closed early in the Carolinas, where power began to flicker at oceanfront hotels and even the most adventurous of beachgoers abandoned the sand Monday night. The Hurricane Center warned oceanside home dwellers to brace for storm surge up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) and up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain in spots.
As the storm neared the shore, a gauge on a pier in Myrtle Beach recorded its third highest water level since it was set up in 1976. Only Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016 pushed more salt water inland.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Isaias Slams North Carolina And Moves North As A Tropical Storm

“ Now that the center has moved further inland into east North Carolina , the winds are now coming back down , so it has been downgraded back to a tropical storm , ” Robbie Berg , a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center , told The Associated Press .
About 80 miles ( 128 kilometers ) north of Ocean Isle Beach , about 30 people were displaced due to a fire at a condominium complex in Surf City , news outlets reported .
It is not clear if the fires were connected to the storm .
No injuries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think there is going to be a whole lot of weakening , we still think there ’ s going to be very strong and gusty winds that will affect much of the mid-atlantic and the Northeast over the next day or two , ” Berg said .
Rainfall will continue to be a big issue , he added .
The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned oceanside home dwellers to brace for storm surge up to 5 feet ( 1.5 meters ) and up to 8 inches ( 20 centimeters ) of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the coast .
The Carolinas weren ’ t the only states at risk .
“ All those rains could produce flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and mid-Atlantic , and even in the northeast U.S. , ” said Daniel Brown , senior hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center .
A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine , where flash flooding was possible in some areas on Wednesday .
Isaias ( pronounced ees-ah-EE-ahs ) was upgraded again from a tropical storm to a Category 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm , downgraded again , was centered about 25 miles ( 40 kilometers ) northwest of Greenville , North Carolina .
It was moving quickly north northeast over eastern North Carolina at 26 mph ( 41 kph ) and this general motion accompanied by an increase in forward speed is expected through Tuesday .
The center will move into southeastern Virginia around daybreak , near or along the coast of mid-Atlantic states and continue across the northeastern United States later into the evening .
Strong winds and heavy rainfall were expected to spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Isaias killed two people in the Caribbean and roughed up the Bahamas but remained at sea as it brushed past Florida over the weekend , providing some welcome relief to emergency managers who had to accommodate mask-wearing evacuees in storm shelters .
Authorities in Myrtle Beach , South Carolina , ordered swimmers out of the water to avoid rough surf and strong rip currents .
By nightfall , power began to flicker at beachfront hotels as Isaias crossed the last bit of warm water on its path toward the U.S. mainland .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gauge on a pier in Myrtle Beach recorded its third highest water level since it was set up in 1976 .
Only Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016 pushed more salt water inland .
North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper warned residents on Monday that the storm could be dangerous regardless of its strength .
He urged those evacuating to turn to shelters as a last resort , citing coronavirus risks and the need to operate shelters at reduced capacity to allow for social distancing .
Ferry operators wrapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina ’ s Outer Banks on Monday , moving more than 3,500 people and 1,700 vehicles off the island over four days .
Island officials were taking no chances after taking a beating less than a year ago from Hurricane Dorian .
Evacuation orders also have been issued for Hatteras Island north of Ocracoke .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Hurricane Isaias has been downgraded down to a tropical storm after making landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, according to an official with the National Hurricane Center.
The hurricane had touched down just after 11 p.m. on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (136 km/h). The storm now has maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (117 km/h).
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“Now that the center has moved further inland into east North Carolina, the winds are now coming back down, so it has been downgraded back to a tropical storm,” Robbie Berg, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, told The Associated Press.
The storm set off flooding and sparked five home fires in Ocean Isle Beach, Debbie Smith, the town’s Mayor, told WECT-TV. Firefighters from the town’s fire department were battling the blaze with assistance from Horry County firefighters in South Carolina, Tony Casey, a spokesperson for Horry County Fire Rescue, told The Associated Press.
About 80 miles (128 kilometers) north of Ocean Isle Beach, about 30 people were displaced due to a fire at a condominium complex in Surf City, news outlets reported. It is not clear if the fires were connected to the storm. No injuries have been reported.
A woman walks through floodwaters on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Monday. Sean Rayford via Getty Images
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The storm could continue to bring down trees and cause power outages as it moves north along the mid-Atlantic and New England coastline, Berg said.
“We don’t think there is going to be a whole lot of weakening, we still think there’s going to be very strong and gusty winds that will affect much of the mid-atlantic and the Northeast over the next day or two,” Berg said. Rainfall will continue to be a big issue, he added.
Duke Energy reported hundreds of thousands of power outages as heavy rains and winds battered areas including Wrightsville, Kure, and Carolina beaches in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Coastal shops and restaurants closed early, power began to flicker at oceanfront hotels and even the most adventurous of beachgoers abandoned the sand Monday night as newly restrengthened Hurricane Isaias sped toward the Carolinas.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned oceanside home dwellers to brace for storm surge up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) and up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain in spots, as Isaias moved up the coast. The Carolinas weren’t the only states at risk.
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“All those rains could produce flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and mid-Atlantic, and even in the northeast U.S.,” said Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine, where flash flooding was possible in some areas on Wednesday.
The center also warned of possible tornadoes in North Carolina early Tuesday, and from eastern Virginia to southern New England later Tuesday.
David Carter owns the Brandon Furniture House store in Downtown #Suffolk.
This is one of several damaged buildings in the area.
City leaders confirm a possible tornado touched down around 3:45a.m.@WAVY_News pic.twitter.com/1A6Bvj2k6X — Kiahnna Patterson (@KPattersonWAVY) August 4, 2020
A look at the damage in Downtown #Suffolk pic.twitter.com/IMyLz1whg9 — Kiahnna Patterson (@KPattersonWAVY) August 4, 2020
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Isaias (pronounced ees-ah-EE-ahs) was upgraded again from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane Monday evening. Early Tuesday the storm, downgraded again, was centered about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Greenville, North Carolina. It was moving quickly north northeast over eastern North Carolina at 26 mph (41 kph) and this general motion accompanied by an increase in forward speed is expected through Tuesday.
The center will move into southeastern Virginia around daybreak, near or along the coast of mid-Atlantic states and continue across the northeastern United States later into the evening. Strong winds and heavy rainfall were expected to spread northward along the mid-Atlantic coast Tuesday morning.
Terry Crabtree finishes boarding up the entrance to Downeast Marine in Otway, N.C. as Tropical Storm Isaias approaches on Monday, Aug. 3, 2020. (Julia Wall/The News & Observer via AP) ASSOCIATED PRESS
The storm’s maximum sustained winds dropped from when it hit land to 75 mph with higher gusts but only a gradual weakening is anticipated.
Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 25 miles (40 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles (201 km). A wind gust to 64 mph (102 km/h) was recently reported near Bogue, North Carolina.
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Isaias killed two people in the Caribbean and roughed up the Bahamas but remained at sea as it brushed past Florida over the weekend, providing some welcome relief to emergency managers who had to accommodate mask-wearing evacuees in storm shelters.
Authorities in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, ordered swimmers out of the water to avoid rough surf and strong rip currents. By nightfall, power began to flicker at beachfront hotels as Isaias crossed the last bit of warm water on its path toward the U.S. mainland.
Still, on this part of the South Carolina and North Carolina coasts that has been affected to varying degrees by seven tropical storms or hurricanes since 2014, residents weren’t panicking.
“It’s just going to be a lot of wind and high tide,” said Mike Fuller, who has lived along the coast for more than a decade.
As the storm neared the shore, a gauge on a pier in Myrtle Beach recorded its third highest water level since it was set up in 1976. Only Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016 pushed more salt water inland.
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North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned residents on Monday that the storm could be dangerous regardless of its strength. He urged those evacuating to turn to shelters as a last resort, citing coronavirus risks and the need to operate shelters at reduced capacity to allow for social distancing.
“Whether it’s labeled a tropical storm or a hurricane, you should take this storm seriously, and make sure your family is ready,” Cooper said.
Ferry operators wrapped up evacuations from Ocracoke Island in North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Monday, moving more than 3,500 people and 1,700 vehicles off the island over four days. Island officials were taking no chances after taking a beating less than a year ago from Hurricane Dorian. Evacuation orders also have been issued for Hatteras Island north of Ocracoke.
Since forming last week, Isaias has been buffeted by competing forces both trying to kill and strengthen it, said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy.
“Of all the places it could be, it found the warmest water it could,” which fuels storm development, McNoldy said. “And yet it is struggling.”
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That’s because dry air kept working its way into the storm at low and mid-levels, which chokes storms.
Isaias’ passage near Florida over the weekend was particularly unwelcome to authorities already dealing with surging coronavirus caseloads. The storm brought heavy rain and flooding to the state, forcing authorities to close outdoor virus testing sights, as well as beaches and parks. Officials lashed signs to palm trees so they wouldn’t blow away.
About 150 people had to keep masks on while sheltering in Palm Beach County, which had a voluntary evacuation order for people living in homes that can’t withstand dangerous winds, said emergency management spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Many Countries See The Pandemic As A Crisis. Authoritarians Spot An Opportunity.

There is sort of an open war against doctors and health care workers who try to voice an independent opinion @ @ @ @ @ of equipment or training .
Amr Magdi , Human Rights Watch expert on the Middle @ @ @ @ @ Rise Of New Authoritarians Trump has sought to bring down Maduro and , to a @ @ @ @ @ since the beginning of his presidency , and has implemented brutal economic sanctions against both @ @ @ @ @ to relax during the pandemic , further complicating both nations ’ approach to the virus @ @ @ @ @ , has given a new model of authoritarians ― including Trump himself and far-right Brazil @ @ @ @ @ opportunity to act on their most autocratic and conspiratorial desires , and they have adopted @ @ @ @ @ as Ortega and Maduro , two men they ostensibly oppose .

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/HuffPost; Photo: Getty
At first glance, Venezuela looks like one of the world’s biggest coronavirus success stories. Amid rampant worries in the pandemic’s earliest stages that COVID-19 would overwhelm the crisis-stricken state, socialist President Nicolás Maduro locked down the country and seemingly stopped the spread. As of Monday, Venezuelan authorities had reported just more than 20,000 cases and 174 deaths, among the lowest numbers in Latin America ― a region the virus has hit harder than any other.
For months, though, there have been abundant signs that the situation is actually very dire. Doctors have reported that case numbers are far higher than the government asserts and that the country’s beleaguered health system is on the brink of collapse. Journalists have reported their own, higher figures, or shown up outside hospitals to observe the situation for themselves.
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Maduro has reacted with a crackdown against anyone who may expose the state’s faults. In imprisoning doctors and journalists, he joins a roster of authoritarian leaders who have sought to cover up their own inadequacies and failing responses to the pandemic through censorship and repression.
“They don’t want anybody giving alternative numbers. They want to keep control of the message,” said Phil Gunson, a Venezuela-based researcher at the International Crisis Group, an NGO. “There hasn’t really been a comprehensive response [in Venezuela] ― all we’ve had is propaganda.”
Globally, the world’s most authoritarian governments, in Venezuela and Nicaragua, Egypt, China and elsewhere, have treated the pandemic similarly: By using it as cover to broaden and intensify their efforts to clamp down on dissent and thwart the free spread of information — and not just about the pandemic.
For authoritarian governments, the coronavirus outbreak has provided an opening to target some of the last remaining freedoms in their countries, and in Maduro’s case, it has sapped an opposition seeking to oust him of any remaining momentum it had. In other nations, meanwhile, the virus has presented an opportunity for aspiring authoritarians to act on their most autocratic whims.
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That approach isn’t just a threat to democratic norms and human rights ― it has likely also further obscured the true scope of the global pandemic and made it harder for health experts to adequately respond to it.
“The countries that are taking these measures are making it difficult to effectively control the epidemic,” said Domingos Alves, a professor of social medicine at the University of São Paulo in Brazil. “And they may, from now on, be the effective cause of a worsening of this epidemic in other countries in the coming months.”
Silencing Reporters And Doctors
During a mid-May campaign stop, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that the public health problem wasn’t the coronavirus itself, but that testing was finding too many cases of it.
“When you test, you have a case,” Trump said. “When you test, you find something is wrong with people. If we didn’t do any testing we would have very few cases.”
He was roundly mocked for the absurdity of the statement, but a lack of testing has proved a key way for governments to limit the collection of coronavirus data.
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Venezuela has a relatively low number of COVID-19 cases, but human rights groups, journalists and doctors have questioned the official figures. President Nicolás Maduro has cracked down in response, strengthening his autocratic grip on the country. AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos
Venezuela, which was credited for its aggressive early response to the virus, has closed all but two official testing sites and prevented private labs from conducting their own exams.
In Nicaragua, where President Daniel Ortega largely denied the existence of the virus, civil society organizations have suggested that the country’s relatively low counts of COVID-19 cases and deaths are due to a lack of testing and the government’s deliberate attempts to obscure data: “There are reasons to believe” the official estimates are “far lower than the actual number” of infections and deaths, said Tiziano Breda, a Guatemala-based Central America analyst for the International Crisis Group.
In the pandemic’s earliest stages, China’s efforts to control its data ― which included the suppression of medical experts and a crackdown on reporting ― robbed international health organizations and governments of valuable information and time they could have used to prepare for outbreaks. Whistleblower Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist, died of COVID-19 months after authorities silenced his warnings. And social media discussion of the virus is censored in China, where the government has expelled foreign journalists exposing the dark reality of the crisis.
Those repressive practices have spread alongside the virus. Venezuelan authorities arrested a journalist for reporting alternative coronavirus figures in March, just days after confirming the country’s first case. The Committee to Protect Journalists has said at least 10 reporters were arrested in the country between late March and early May.
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“If you’re a journalist ... and you’re in the vicinity of a hospital and you look like you’re reporting, you risk getting picked up and held and your material taken, and you may get roughed up,” Gunson said. “You may get a call in the middle of the night from the secret police and get disappeared for a few days, and then charged with offenses under what’s called the law against hate.”
Cambodia jailed a journalist simply for quoting the prime minister, while Thailand has criminalized reporting that authorities deem to be “false” news about coronavirus. Police in India have arrested and harassed members of the press who have written critical stories, and the government has reportedly pressured media outlets to publish positive stories about its coronavirus response. In Zimbabwe, journalists have gone into hiding to avoid reprisal from the government: “I am hiding like a rat in my own country for doing nothing more than my job,” one Zimbabwean reporter told The Associated Press this week.
“There is sort of an open war against doctors and health care workers who try to voice an independent opinion or complain about the lack of equipment or training.” - Amr Magdi, Human Rights Watch expert on the Middle East and North Africa
Medical workers have also become an increasingly prominent target of authoritarians: In June, Egyptian authorities arrested Alaa Shaaban Hamida, a pregnant 26-year-old doctor, at her office and charged her with terrorism offenses and “spreading false news” after a nurse used Hamida’s phone to report a coronavirus case directly to the Health Ministry instead of telling her managers. At least a dozen other health care workers and journalists have been held on draconian charges.
The Egyptian government has failed to provide protective equipment and shares questionable information about the scale of the crisis, and rights groups say the country’s outbreak is almost certainly worse than official figures suggest. But President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly have publicly criticized physicians for not containing the virus, and when the country’s largest doctors’ organization planned a press conference to object to the accusations, rights groups say security forces seized the organization’s headquarters to silence them.
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“There is sort of an open war against doctors and health care workers who try to voice an independent opinion or complain about the lack of equipment or training,” said Amr Magdi, a Middle East and North Africa expert at Human Rights Watch.
In Russia, infectious disease experts have faced intimidation after questioning whether the government is manipulating statistics and death tolls. And while Venezuelan doctors questioned the Maduro government’s official data early in the summer, health officials now “are very, very careful not to give alternative numbers,” Gunson said.
“It’s been made absolutely clear to them,” Gunson said, “that they will be treated very severely.”
Medical professionals in Nicaragua have repeatedly pushed back against Ortega’s handling of the pandemic: In a May letter, more than 700 doctors warned that “the deliberate concealment and manipulation of the actual number of people affected” had prevented Nicaragua from implementing “appropriate epidemiological measures of containment and mitigation.”
Ortega’s government has also faced criticism from human rights groups that have accused his government of purposefully obscuring the number of COVID-19 cases by classifying deaths as a result of pneumonia or other common respiratory illnesses, and for holding “express burials” in the middle of the night.
As of last week, at least 21 Nicaraguan doctors had been fired for disputing the government’s official line on the virus, The Wall Street Journal reported.
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The targeting of reporters and doctors is part of broader human rights crackdowns: Turkey’s government reportedly arrested hundreds of people over social media posts, offering only vague explanations for their offenses, while it also detained numerous journalists for reporting on the virus. Zimbabwean human rights groups said the government arrested more than 60 people after a protest this weekend. And between the end of March and early June, the Venezuelan nonprofit Center for Justice and Peace documented at least 184 “systematic human rights violations” under Maduro.
The Rise Of New Authoritarians
In many of these countries, the attacks on dissent and the limiting of official data are continuations of long-standing practices: The Venezuelan government hasn’t published epidemiological data for the last five years, Gunson said.
“We’re in a black hole in terms of official statistics,” he said. “It’s not that they’re just suppressing information about COVID-19. They are across the board suppressing information.”
Ortega’s government in Nicaragua has for years limited access to official figures on homicides and other vital public information, and his actions during the pandemic are almost indistinguishable from the sort of repression that drew international attention in April 2018, when mass protests broke out against his government in Managua, the capital city.
“The repression, the crackdowns and the threats against journalists have been basically constant since the outbreak of the April 2018 crisis,” Breda said. “The topic now has shifted: We’re talking less about civil liberties and the right to protest, or the narrowing of the democratic state. Now it’s all centered around information related to COVID-19. So the topic is a shift, but the practice has remained the same.”
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Trump has sought to bring down Maduro and, to a lesser extent, Ortega, since the beginning of his presidency, and has implemented brutal economic sanctions against both governments that he has refused to relax during the pandemic, further complicating both nations’ approach to the virus. The pandemic, however, has given a new model of authoritarians ― including Trump himself and far-right Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro ― the opportunity to act on their most autocratic and conspiratorial desires, and they have adopted many of the same practices as Ortega and Maduro, two men they ostensibly oppose.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have presided over the world's two worst coronavirus outbreaks, and have each adopted increasingly authoritarian approaches to their countries amid the pandemic. AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File
The U.S. and Brazil rank first and second, respectively, on the list of largest coronavirus outbreaks, but a lack of reliable testing ― and their presidents’ lack of interest in facilitating it ― has likely obscured the true scope of the pandemic in both nations.
Alves, of the University of São Paulo, authored a study in April that showed Brazil’s outbreak was likely at least 12 times larger than official figures showed, while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the actual number of infections in the U.S. is likely anywhere from six to 24 times the confirmed total.
Trump and Bolsonaro have both dismissed rising death counts, politicized the use of masks and falsely framed efforts to control the virus’ spread as motivated attempts to crater their economies and bring down their governments.
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Bolsonaro and Trump have each faced accusations of trying to block the public from accessing coronavirus-related data on government websites. They have both used the pandemic to undermine faith in the press and democratic institutions. And the two right-wing leaders, who are friendly with each other, have targeted top public health experts for offering dissenting views, either by firing them, driving them to quit or essentially sidelining them.
Trump has responded to his declining popularity with an authoritarian response to racial justice protests, while Bolsonaro has tried to expand his influence over Brazil’s impartial institutions, including its law enforcement and judicial bodies. Before he tested positive in early July, Bolsonaro appeared at small, weekly protests where some supporters called on him to close Brazil’s national Congress.
Bolivia's interim President Jeanine Añez took power after the ouster of former President Evo Morales last year. During the pandemic, Bolivia has repeatedly delayed elections to determine a legitimate leader, driving increased fears about the future of the country's tumultuous democracy. AP Photo/Juan Karita
Other leaders have gone even farther than Trump and Bolsonaro. Hungary, for example, passed measures that allowed far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban to effectively rule by decree for months, a time he used to undercut opposition parties.
In Bolivia, far-right evangelical leader Jeanine Añez, who took control after an effective coup against former socialist President Evo Morales, has used the outbreak to strengthen her grip on power, which was cemented with rampant human rights abuses. Bolivia’s electoral court twice delayed presidential elections early in the pandemic, allowing Añez, a supposedly temporary leader who is running despite promising not to, to remain in power even longer. In late July, the country’s top electoral court pushed the presidential vote back again, raising concerns about the future of a democracy that has been on the brink for months.
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Under Añez, who is trailing in election polls, “state-sponsored violence, restrictions on free speech, and arbitrary detentions have all contributed to a climate of fear and misinformation that has undermined the rule of law as well as the prospects of fair and open elections,” a Harvard Law School report released last week said.
Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno, meanwhile, decried criticism of his government’s slow response to the pandemic as “fake news,” even as The New York Times reported that the country’s death toll was roughly 15 times higher than the government’s official figures suggested. In July, a major Ecuadorian opposition party led by former President Rafael Correa was suspended from the 2021 elections in a move prominent regional leaders called an “act of political bias” that “calls into question the legitimacy” of the upcoming contests. (A court recently reinstated the party.)
And in Guatemala, President Alejandro Giammattei, who human rights activists feared would cement the country’s turn away from democracy when he won election last year, has taken advantage of pandemic-era lockdowns to further weaken the country’s democratic institutions.
Giammattei, a doctor and former police officer, initially responded with strong measures to prevent the spread of the virus, including a curfew. But in recent weeks, it has become “really obvious that the curfew is a way of controlling social unrest,” especially as rising poverty rates and anger over government corruption threaten to bring Guatemalans back into the streets, said Frank La Rue, a Guatemalan human rights expert and the president of the Central American Institute for the Study of Social Democracy.
The majority coalition in Guatemalan Congress, which includes Giammattei’s party, has also attempted to undermine the country’s supreme and constitutional courts during the pandemic as it continues to roll back efforts to combat institutionalized corruption in a country where major parties have long been linked to organized crime.
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“Guatemala is a tragedy moving from bad to worse,” La Rue said of his native country, although his warning seemingly applies to countless other nations across the globe.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Progressive Challenger Cori Bush Unseats Rep. Lacy Clay In Missouri

Progressive challenger Cori Bush defeated Rep. William Lacy Clay in the Democratic primary for Missouri ’ s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday , adding to the activist left ’ s winning streak .
The primary win in one of the most Democratic House seats in the country assures Bush ’ s spot in the next Congress .
“ It is historic that this year of all years , we ’ re sending a Black , working-class single mother … all the way to the halls of Congress !
” she said over cheers and chants of “ good trouble.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cash and name recognition ― a star turn in the Netflix documentary “ Knock Down the House ” helped ― Bush appears to have caught Clay by surprise .
She outspent him on the TV airwaves in the final two weeks of the campaign .
Bush ’ s victory is likely to have far-reaching effects within the Democratic Party as more incumbents wonder whether they too are vulnerable to a primary challenge from their left .
Justice Democrats , the left-wing group that recruited Bush for her first run in 2017 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election cycle with the possibility of one more in the coming weeks .
Perhaps more important , Clay ’ s loss marks the first time that Justice Democrats has knocked off a member of the Congressional Black Caucus .
The CBC , filled as it is with moderate incumbents in solid blue seats , has been especially wary of Justice Democrats , arguing that the group represents a privileged , white fringe .
Bush ’ s win both validates the CBC ’ s fears and complicates Black lawmakers ’ simplistic characterization of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is a huge upset and another groundbreaking win for our movement against a corporate-backed political dynasty , ” Alexandra Rojas , executive director of Justice Democrats , said in a statement noting that Clay is the fifth candidate unseated by one of the group ’ s challengers since 2018 .
“ She organized a movement through pepper spray and rioting police in the streets of Ferguson .
Her tenacity and unbreakable pursuit of justice is desperately needed in Congress today.
” In an attack ad , Clay sought to make an issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay state taxes in a timely fashion , which resulted in her nursing license being temporarily revoked .
Clay ’ s TV spot also hit her for using campaign funds to pay herself a salary since April , a practice that is increasingly common among non-rich candidates .
In a TV ad of her own , in which Bush features images of herself marching in anti-racism protests , she casts herself as the change agent that a district with a substantial poverty rate needs .
Bush ran in the mold of other left-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She is a proponent of “ Medicare for All , ” student debt cancellation , the Green New Deal initiative and national rent control .
Like Jamaal Bowman , the Bronx middle school principal who unseated Rep. Eliot Engel ( D-N.Y. ) in the June primary and subsequently endorsed Bush , Bush can be expected to join the “ Squad ” of progressive young House members who have been willing to break with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) to advance their agenda .
Clay is a member of the Congressional Progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he is also a major recipient of corporate PAC money , and critics insist that that cash has swayed him to take the side of business in key cases .
For example , Clay opposed the Obama administration ’ s “ fiduciary rule , ” which forced wealth managers to give advice that is in their clients ’ financial interest .
Clay may have also been hampered by his reliance on family members to perform essential campaign functions .
His campaign paid his sister ’ s law firm $ 180,000 this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his total fundraising haul .

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Progressive challenger Cori Bush defeated Rep. William Lacy Clay in the Democratic primary for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, adding to the activist left’s winning streak. The primary win in one of the most Democratic House seats in the country assures Bush’s spot in the next Congress.
In remarks to supporters late Tuesday night, Bush characterized her win as the culmination of activist work that began when a white police officer killed Black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014.
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“It is historic that this year of all years, we’re sending a Black, working-class single mother … all the way to the halls of Congress!” she said over cheers and chants of “good trouble.”
“Today, the people of St. Louis made a decision ― from all corners of Missouri’s 1st District, our communities have embraced a bold, fearless vision of real change where regular, everyday people like us can feel it. Today, the people won.”
Bush’s success follows an attempt to unseat Clay in 2018, when he won by nearly 20 percentage points.
But this cycle, with more endorsements, cash and name recognition ― a star turn in the Netflix documentary “Knock Down the House” helped ― Bush appears to have caught Clay by surprise. She outspent him on the TV airwaves in the final two weeks of the campaign.
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“It’s a seismic shift in St. Louis politics,” said Jeff Smith, a former Missouri state senator who now runs the Missouri Workforce Housing Association. “Clay raised very little for an incumbent facing a serious challenge, and he paid the price.”
Bush’s victory is likely to have far-reaching effects within the Democratic Party as more incumbents wonder whether they too are vulnerable to a primary challenge from their left. Justice Democrats, the left-wing group that recruited Bush for her first run in 2017, has now ousted three House incumbents this election cycle with the possibility of one more in the coming weeks.
Perhaps more important, Clay’s loss marks the first time that Justice Democrats has knocked off a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. The CBC, filled as it is with moderate incumbents in solid blue seats, has been especially wary of Justice Democrats, arguing that the group represents a privileged, white fringe. Bush’s win both validates the CBC’s fears and complicates Black lawmakers’ simplistic characterization of the movement that drove her victory.
“This is a huge upset and another groundbreaking win for our movement against a corporate-backed political dynasty,” Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, said in a statement noting that Clay is the fifth candidate unseated by one of the group’s challengers since 2018. “She organized a movement through pepper spray and rioting police in the streets of Ferguson. Her tenacity and unbreakable pursuit of justice is desperately needed in Congress today.”
The outcome in Missouri’s 1st District bears many of the same David vs. Goliath dynamics of other major progressive upsets in the past two years.
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Clay, who has represented the St. Louis area in the House since 2001, is a descendant of regional royalty. His father, Bill Clay, a labor organizer and civil rights leader, held the seat from 1969 to 2001.
Bush, by contrast, is a nurse, ordained minister and single mother of two who has experienced her share of economic hardships.
In an attack ad, Clay sought to make an issue out of Bush’s failure to pay state taxes in a timely fashion, which resulted in her nursing license being temporarily revoked. Clay’s TV spot also hit her for using campaign funds to pay herself a salary since April, a practice that is increasingly common among non-rich candidates.
But Bush chalked up her tax debts to the financial difficulties she faced as a working-class mom paying down student debt, effectively turning the charge into a populist selling point.
In a TV ad of her own, in which Bush features images of herself marching in anti-racism protests, she casts herself as the change agent that a district with a substantial poverty rate needs.
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“Lacy Clay hasn’t risen up to meet this moment,” she says in the ad. “He’s presided over 20 years of decline.”
Bush ran in the mold of other left-wing House members and soon-to-be House members. She is a proponent of “Medicare for All,” student debt cancellation, the Green New Deal initiative and national rent control. Like Jamaal Bowman, the Bronx middle school principal who unseated Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) in the June primary and subsequently endorsed Bush, Bush can be expected to join the “Squad” of progressive young House members who have been willing to break with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to advance their agenda.
Clay is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus with a relatively liberal voting record. But he is also a major recipient of corporate PAC money, and critics insist that that cash has swayed him to take the side of business in key cases. For example, Clay opposed the Obama administration’s “fiduciary rule,” which forced wealth managers to give advice that is in their clients’ financial interest.
The group Fight Corporate Monopolies invested nearly $100,000 in an ad blasting Clay for his opposition to the rule. And Justice Democrats, a left-wing group backing Bush, spent $150,000 on TV advertising promoting Bush.
Clay may have also been hampered by his reliance on family members to perform essential campaign functions. His campaign paid his sister’s law firm $180,000 this cycle alone ― more than one-quarter of his total fundraising haul.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Jonathan Swan Names The Most ‘Stunning’ Moment Of His Wild Trump Interview

But Swan said on MSNBC on Tuesday that the moment that stood out to him was the wild back-and-forth they had on the coronavirus pandemic .
“ He is not confronting reality when it comes to the virus , ” Swan said .
“ And he is reaching for data points that are good for publicity or sound good , but are not actually the best metrics for revealing what ’ s going on in this country.
” Trump argued that the U.S. had the best coronavirus numbers in the world because of the extensive testing , despite nearly 160,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there can be too much testing .
“ You know there are those that say , you can test too much , ” Trump said .
“ You do know that.
” Speaking on MSNBC on Tuesday , Swan said Trump never named the books or manuals , and added that there ’ s “ no credible public health expert who is suggesting that there is a danger to testing too much.
” He also said Trump ’ s claim that the United States is doing the most testing isn ’ t particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. has had to do all these tests is because the virus spread undetected like wildfire through this country in February , March , April , and it took a very long time to get the testing working and effective , ” Swan pointed out .
“ And we ’ re still not there with these delays , so people are walking around for , in some cases 10 , 11 days , spreading the virus.
” Swan said public health experts agree that , without a vaccine , the best way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rapid testing as well as isolation , contact tracing and quarantining .
“ The fact that he ’ s ... still expressing ambivalence over the value of testing is stunning , ” he said .

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But Swan said on MSNBC on Tuesday that the moment that stood out to him was the wild back-and-forth they had on the coronavirus pandemic.
“He is not confronting reality when it comes to the virus,” Swan said. “And he is reaching for data points that are good for publicity or sound good, but are not actually the best metrics for revealing what’s going on in this country.”
Trump argued that the U.S. had the best coronavirus numbers in the world because of the extensive testing, despite nearly 160,000 deaths, and repeated his claim that there can be too much testing.
“You know there are those that say, you can test too much,” Trump said. “You do know that.”
“Who says that?” Swan asked.
“Oh, just read the manuals,” Trump said. “Read the books.”
Speaking on MSNBC on Tuesday, Swan said Trump never named the books or manuals, and added that there’s “no credible public health expert who is suggesting that there is a danger to testing too much.”
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He also said Trump’s claim that the United States is doing the most testing isn’t particularly meaningful in context.
“The reason the U.S. has had to do all these tests is because the virus spread undetected like wildfire through this country in February, March, April, and it took a very long time to get the testing working and effective,” Swan pointed out. “And we’re still not there with these delays, so people are walking around for, in some cases 10, 11 days, spreading the virus.”
Swan said public health experts agree that, without a vaccine, the best way to control the virus is with aggressive and rapid testing as well as isolation, contact tracing and quarantining.
“The fact that he’s ... still expressing ambivalence over the value of testing is stunning,” he said.
See more of Swan’s comments above.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Eric Trump Gets Blunt Reality Check Over ‘America Is Roaring Back To Life’ Boast

Eric Trump faced a wave of criticism on Tuesday after he boasted on Twitter that “ America is roaring back to life ” with a soaring stock market .
Twitter users immediately reminded President Donald Trump ’ s son of the coronavirus pandemic that continues to ravage the U.S .
The public health crisis has now killed more than 150,000 people nationwide and many states continue to see record numbers of daily infections .
Today the NASDAQ closed at an all time record high .
America is roaring back to life .
NASDAQ +0.35 % 10,941 🔥🔥 DOW +0.62 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,306 — Eric Trump ( @ EricTrump ) August 4 , 2020 “ 1000 people a day are dying , ” one critic tweeted at Trump , whose father ’ s administration has been widely condemned for mishandling the pandemic .
Added another : “ There are more than 150,000 Americans and their loved ones who ’ d beg to differ.
” Eric Trump was similarly criticized in May when he hailed the rising stock market as U.S. deaths passed the grim landmark figure of 100,000 .
Gee , that 's wonderful news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who survive paycheck to paycheck .
Must you always parade your tone-deafness ?
https : //t.co/m1ttSk1bwC — Nasty Woman ( @ HandToForehead ) August 5 , 2020 Dude , I 'm calling it now that this tweet wo n't age well .
There 's the litter matter of 160K ( and still counting ) dead , and tens of millions unemployed .
pic.twitter.com/66q9uVHYaY — AndyPopeInTheWoods ( @ AndyPopeInTheW1 ) August 4 , 2020 The # COVID body count is higher than the NASDAQ by 14x .
Still # winning ?
https : //t.co/PQ6au8hdVa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August 4 , 2020 The stock market is not the economy .
— Paul 👻 ( @ pablo_honey1 ) August 4 , 2020 There are more than 150,000 Americans and their loved ones who 'd beg to differ https : //t.co/zORcBFxSBX — Jeff Timmer ( @ jefftimmer ) August 4 , 2020 I know 158,000 human beings who are not `` roaring back to life . ''
https : //t.co/Ko7vAmLLKj — Michael J. Stern ( @ MichaelJStern1 ) August 5 , 2020 Using the stock market to determine the economical health of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass unemployment , wages that do not contribute to a happy lifestyle of living , improper social services and a poorly trained police force .
— JayBee ( @ jalexanderb ) August 4 , 2020 The stock market is not the economy moron .
https : //t.co/8w5FBTsDr5 — Devin Nunes Mom ( @ NotDevinsMom ) August 4 , 2020

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Eric Trump faced a wave of criticism on Tuesday after he boasted on Twitter that “America is roaring back to life” with a soaring stock market.
Twitter users immediately reminded President Donald Trump’s son of the coronavirus pandemic that continues to ravage the U.S. The public health crisis has now killed more than 150,000 people nationwide and many states continue to see record numbers of daily infections.
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Today the NASDAQ closed at an all time record high. America is roaring back to life.
NASDAQ +0.35% 10,941 🔥🔥
DOW +0.62% 26,829
S&P 500 +0.36% 3,306 — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) August 4, 2020
“1000 people a day are dying,” one critic tweeted at Trump, whose father’s administration has been widely condemned for mishandling the pandemic.
Added another: “There are more than 150,000 Americans and their loved ones who’d beg to differ.”
Eric Trump was similarly criticized in May when he hailed the rising stock market as U.S. deaths passed the grim landmark figure of 100,000.
1000 people a day are dying. — SarahI (@sarah_ironside) August 4, 2020
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Gee, that's wonderful news for all the poor and middle-class Americans who survive paycheck to paycheck.
Must you always parade your tone-deafness? https://t.co/m1ttSk1bwC — Nasty Woman (@HandToForehead) August 5, 2020
Dude, I'm calling it now that this tweet won't age well. There's the litter matter of 160K (and still counting) dead, and tens of millions unemployed. pic.twitter.com/66q9uVHYaY — AndyPopeInTheWoods (@AndyPopeInTheW1) August 4, 2020
The #COVID body count is higher than the NASDAQ by 14x. Still #winning? https://t.co/PQ6au8hdVa — Aquatic Ecologist (@H2OEcologist) August 4, 2020
The stock market is not the economy. — Paul 👻 (@pablo_honey1) August 4, 2020
There are more than 150,000 Americans and their loved ones who'd beg to differ https://t.co/zORcBFxSBX — Jeff Timmer (@jefftimmer) August 4, 2020
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I know 158,000 human beings who are not "roaring back to life." https://t.co/Ko7vAmLLKj — Michael J. Stern (@MichaelJStern1) August 5, 2020
Using the stock market to determine the economical health of a country is contrary. We still have mass unemployment, wages that do not contribute to a happy lifestyle of living, improper social services and a poorly trained police force. — JayBee (@jalexanderb) August 4, 2020
The stock market is not the economy moron. https://t.co/8w5FBTsDr5 — Devin Nunes Mom (@NotDevinsMom) August 4, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Biden Turns Trump's Most Callous Comment About Coronavirus Against Him In New Ad

President Donald Trump ’ s insensitive “ it is what it is ” dismissal of the soaring U.S. coronavirus death toll is turned against him in presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden ’ s new campaign video .
The clip released by the Biden campaign on Tuesday begins with footage of Trump making the callous comment during an interview with Jonathan Swan of Axios that aired on HBO .
It was one of several eyebrow-raising statements made by the president in the sit-down .
The Biden campaign ’ s 27-second spot then cuts to a montage of images of medical professionals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed by COVID-19 .
The virus has now claimed the lives of almost 160,000 people in the U.S. Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic has been fiercely criticized .
He downplayed the severity of the contagion for months , then prematurely pushed to reopen schools and businesses while the outbreak raged .
“ Thousands of Americans are dying every week .
The President ’ s response ?
‘ It is what it is , ’ ” the Biden campaign captioned its clip .
As of Wednesday morning , the video had garnered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone : Biden last week revealed how his use of the social media platform would differ from Trump , should he win the 2020 election .
“ You won ’ t have to worry about my tweets when I ’ m president , ” Biden posted after Trump floated the idea of delaying the election because of unfounded concerns about mail-in voter fraud .

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The clip released by the Biden campaign on Tuesday begins with footage of Trump making the callous comment during an interview with Jonathan Swan of Axios that aired on HBO. It was one of several eyebrow-raising statements made by the president in the sit-down.
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The Biden campaign’s 27-second spot then cuts to a montage of images of medical professionals in protective equipment and people mourning those killed by COVID-19. The virus has now claimed the lives of almost 160,000 people in the U.S.
Trump’s handling of the pandemic has been fiercely criticized. He downplayed the severity of the contagion for months, then prematurely pushed to reopen schools and businesses while the outbreak raged.
“Thousands of Americans are dying every week. The President’s response? ‘It is what it is,’” the Biden campaign captioned its clip. As of Wednesday morning, the video had garnered more than 1.8 million views on Twitter alone:
Thousands of Americans are dying every week. The President's response?
"It is what it is." pic.twitter.com/GT59hr14kb — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 4, 2020
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Biden last week revealed how his use of the social media platform would differ from Trump, should he win the 2020 election.
“You won’t have to worry about my tweets when I’m president,” Biden posted after Trump floated the idea of delaying the election because of unfounded concerns about mail-in voter fraud.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Kris Kobach Loses Kansas GOP Senate Race, To Republican Relief

Mark Reinstein via Getty Images Rep. Roger Marshall defeated former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach , to the relief of national Republicans who feared Kobach would virtually guarantee a loss to Democrat Barbara Bollier .
Rep. Roger Marshall defeated anti-immigration hardliner Kris Kobach to claim the GOP nomination for Kansas ’ open U.S. Senate seat , a result that will bring relief to national Republicans who feared a Kobach nomination would guarantee a Democratic victory in November .
The Republican will face Barbara Bollier , a state senator who switched parties from Republican to Democrat in 2018 , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Democrats have not won a Senate seat from Kansas since the 1930s , but hope Bollier ’ s financial advantage and moderate views , combined with an increasingly Democrat-friendly suburban electorate , can make the race competitive .
Marshall narrowly defeated Kobach for the GOP nomination in a race that also included Bob Hamilton , a plumbing company owner who poured millions of dollars of his own money into the race , and Dave Lindstrom , a former player for the Kansas City Chiefs .
Republicans feared Kobach , who first rose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strict anti-immigration law in Arizona and later served as Kansas ’ Secretary of State before losing the governor ’ s race to Laura Kelly in 2018 , would put a GOP-held seat at risk .
Senate Leadership Fund , a super PAC controlled by allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( Ky. ) , teamed up with the Chamber of Commerce and other establishment groups to spend millions boosting Marshall and attacking Kobach as unelectable .
Meanwhile , a super PAC with ties to national Democrats spent millions of dollars on ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader ” while bashing Marshall as an ethically compromised career politician .
Republicans believed the ads were the work of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ’ s ( N.Y. ) political operation , but the group won ’ t have to reveal their donors to the Federal Election Commission until later this month .
Marshall ’ s nomination is unlikely to totally eliminate Republican concerns about losing the seat .
Democratic groups say they are still planning to spend heavily to boost Bollier , who already has a significant financial advantage , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Marshall ’ s $ 1 million .
Still , a significant margin of victory for Trump in the state could easily lift Marshall over the finish line .
Trump won Kansas by 21 percentage points in 2016 , and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will likely need to keep the margin within single digits to give Bollier a chance at victory .
A Marshall loss is unlikely to directly cost the GOP control of the Senate .
Republicans have a 53-47 advantage in Congress ’ upper chamber , and Democrats are targeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more likely to triumph .
But in the event of a strong Democratic year in 2020 , a victory in Kansas could prove crucial to building a larger Democratic majority .

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Rep. Roger Marshall defeated anti-immigration hardliner Kris Kobach to claim the GOP nomination for Kansas’ open U.S. Senate seat, a result that will bring relief to national Republicans who feared a Kobach nomination would guarantee a Democratic victory in November.
The Republican will face Barbara Bollier, a state senator who switched parties from Republican to Democrat in 2018, in what should be a competitive general election. Democrats have not won a Senate seat from Kansas since the 1930s, but hope Bollier’s financial advantage and moderate views, combined with an increasingly Democrat-friendly suburban electorate, can make the race competitive.
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Marshall narrowly defeated Kobach for the GOP nomination in a race that also included Bob Hamilton, a plumbing company owner who poured millions of dollars of his own money into the race, and Dave Lindstrom, a former player for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Republicans feared Kobach, who first rose to fame as the author of a strict anti-immigration law in Arizona and later served as Kansas’ Secretary of State before losing the governor’s race to Laura Kelly in 2018, would put a GOP-held seat at risk.
Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC controlled by allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), teamed up with the Chamber of Commerce and other establishment groups to spend millions boosting Marshall and attacking Kobach as unelectable.
Meanwhile, a super PAC with ties to national Democrats spent millions of dollars on ads praising Kobach as a “pro-Trump conservative leader” while bashing Marshall as an ethically compromised career politician. Republicans believed the ads were the work of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (N.Y.) political operation, but the group won’t have to reveal their donors to the Federal Election Commission until later this month.
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Marshall’s nomination is unlikely to totally eliminate Republican concerns about losing the seat. Democratic groups say they are still planning to spend heavily to boost Bollier, who already has a significant financial advantage, with $4 million cash on hand compared to Marshall’s $1 million.
Still, a significant margin of victory for Trump in the state could easily lift Marshall over the finish line. Trump won Kansas by 21 percentage points in 2016, and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will likely need to keep the margin within single digits to give Bollier a chance at victory.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--ER Doc Taunts Trump By Preparing A Coronavirus 'Manual' Just For Him

President Donald Trump claims there are coronavirus manuals that warn against too much testing .
So emergency room physician Dr. @ @ @ @ @ Indiana , created a mock “ How To ’ Rona ” manual collecting that and @ @ @ @ @ , showing it off on MSNBC on Tuesday night .
Trump repeated his baseless argument @ @ @ @ @ an interview with Jonathan Swan of Axios that aired on HBO on Monday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ , you can test too much , ” Trump said in the interview .
“ @ @ @ @ @ read the books.
” Swan asked what manuals or books , but didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ clearly inspired Samples , who created a “ manual ” based on things Trump has @ @ @ @ @ Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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President Donald Trump claims there are coronavirus manuals that warn against too much testing.
So emergency room physician Dr. Stephen Sample of Jasper, Indiana, created a mock “How To ’Rona” manual collecting that and other claims by the president, showing it off on MSNBC on Tuesday night.
Trump repeated his baseless argument of too much testing in an interview with Jonathan Swan of Axios that aired on HBO on Monday.
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“There are those that say, you can test too much,” Trump said in the interview. “Just read the manuals, read the books.”
Swan asked what manuals or books, but didn’t get an answer.
That clearly inspired Sample, who created a “manual” based on things Trump has said about the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Lincoln Project Trolls GOP Senators With Biting Trump Impersonator Endorsements

Three Republican senators are getting an endorsement they won ’ t exactly want as a President Donald Trump impersonator gives each one the treatment in a series of new videos .
The Lincoln Project ― a group of conservative never-Trumpers ― recruited comic J-L Cauvin , who is known for his uncanny presidential impersonation , to “ endorse ” senators Susan Collins ( Maine ) Dan Sullivan ( Alaska ) and Steve Daines ( Montana ) , all up for reelection .
Collins in particular has tried to distance herself from Trump , saying she would not appear at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
“ As I said , I have a difficult race , ” Collins told CNN last month .
“ And I am concentrating my efforts on that race.
” But critics say Collins likes to talk a good game about being independent from the president , but ultimate sides with him ― including her vote to acquit him of all impeachment charges earlier this year .
“ I feel like The Rock being added to the Fast and Furious franchise , ” he cracked on Twitter .
The Lincoln Project ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conway , Jennifer Horn , Rick Wilson and Steve Schmidt ― has vowed to not only work against Trump , but also his enablers in Congress .
“ This past January , Senator Collins , Daines and Sullivan all voted to acquit President Donald trump from the bogus Russian Witch Hunt , ” The Lincoln Project said in a news release .
“ They ’ ve always had our President ’ s back , and he ’ ll always fight for them , too .
Because of them , our great Republican Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group offered a reminder of what ’ s on the line in November .
“ President Trump wants you to remember that a vote for them is a vote for him and four more years of America First !
” the organization said .
Given Trump ’ s popularity within the Republican Party ― he has a 91 percent approval rating among GOPers , according to Gallup ― it ’ s unclear how effective such ads will be in persuading voters .

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Three Republican senators are getting an endorsement they won’t exactly want as a President Donald Trump impersonator gives each one the treatment in a series of new videos.
The Lincoln Project ― a group of conservative never-Trumpers ― recruited comic J-L Cauvin, who is known for his uncanny presidential impersonation, to “endorse” senators Susan Collins (Maine) Dan Sullivan (Alaska) and Steve Daines (Montana), all up for reelection in November.
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Cook Political Report rates both Collins and Daines as reelection toss-ups, with Sullivan listed as a “Likely R” seat.
Collins has tried to distance herself from Trump, saying she would not appear at the Republican National Convention and did not endorse him.
“As I said, I have a difficult race,” Collins told CNN last month. “And I am concentrating my efforts on that race.”
Critics say Collins likes to talk about being independent from the president, but ultimately sides with him ― including her vote to acquit him of all impeachment charges earlier this year.
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Cauvin as Trump sums up that relationship in this spot:
Cauvin celebrated his participation in a Lincoln Project video.
“I feel like The Rock being added to the Fast and Furious franchise,” he cracked on Twitter.
The Lincoln Project ― co-founded by longtime GOP insiders including George Conway, Jennifer Horn, Rick Wilson and Steve Schmidt ― has vowed to not only work against Trump, but also his enablers in Congress.
“This past January, Senator Collins, Daines and Sullivan all voted to acquit President Donald trump from the bogus Russian Witch Hunt,” The Lincoln Project said in a news release. “They’ve always had our President’s back, and he’ll always fight for them, too. Because of them, our great Republican Party is stronger than ever.”
Then the group offered a reminder of what’s on the line in November.
“President Trump wants you to remember that a vote for them is a vote for him and four more years of America First!” the organization said.
Given Trump’s popularity within the Republican Party ― he has a 91% approval rating among GOPers, according to Gallup ― it’s unclear how effective such ads will be in persuading voters.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Kim Gardner, Progressive St. Louis Prosecutor Targeted By Trump, Fends Off Dem Challenger

The incumbent St. Louis circuit attorney deflected a Democratic primary challenge from Mary Pat Carl , a former assistant circuit attorney who was among a wave of St. Louis prosecutors who departed after Gardner ’ s election .
Carl ’ s campaign focused on violent crime and Gardner ’ s lower conviction rate , but she also said she ’ d take a “ smart on crime ” approach to her job and divert cases from the criminal justice system when possible .
Gardner , 44 , first came to office in 2016 along with a wave of progressive prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and order ” politics and rethink the role of prosecutors in the United States , which has the highest incarceration rate in the world , even as jail and prison populations have contracted in recent years .
She quickly became a target of controversy , including for her decision to charge former Missouri Gov .
Eric Greitens ( R ) with felony invasion of privacy in connection with a photo he snapped of a woman during an extramarital affair , as well as for her list of St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon because of integrity concerns .
The St. Louis circuit attorney more recently grabbed national headlines when she charged a white couple who pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters marching past their home , a decision that came under criticism from President Donald Trump .
Gardner said the couple could participate in a diversion program that would resolve the case , but the charges garnered attention from Republican politicians on the state and national level who said they infringed upon the couple ’ s Second Amendment rights .
Trump ’ s press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an “ egregious abuse of power , ” while Missouri ’ s Republican governor said the president would like to get involved in the case .
The couple , personal injury attorneys Mark McCloskey and Patricia McCloskey , starred in a Trump campaign video .
Gardner said the attacks from the president inspired a wave of racist hate against her , calling the campaign against her “ a modern-day night ride ” in an interview with The Washington Post .
Earlier this year , Gardner filed suit against the city of St. Louis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using a provision of the law known as the Ku Klux Klan Act .
The complaint alleged the city — along with its infamous local police union — was conducting “ a racially-motivated conspiracy to deny the civil rights of racial minorities by obstructing a government official ’ s efforts to ensure equal justice under law for all.
” In her 2016 race , Gardner had the backing of some activists who rose to prominence in the 2014 unrest in nearby Ferguson , which brought national attention to criminal justice issues and laid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swept the nation after the killing of George Floyd in May .
Like many progressive prosecutors in primary races across the nation , Gardner also received a boost both in 2016 and in 2020 from a PAC funded by liberal billionaire George Soros , an 89-year-old major funder of progressive causes who frequently draws scrutiny from conservatives .
After Trump ’ s attack on Gardner , a number of current and former elected prosecutors came to her defense , writing a letter calling for an end to the “ hateful and dangerous ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried out the duties she was elected to perform .
Miriam Krinsky , executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution , which helped organize the letter , said that Gardner had come under “ incredibly aggressive and divisive ” attacks during her first term as she dealt with high turnover in her office from prosecutors used to the status quo .
Krinsky said that even as Trump and Attorney General William Barr ―who spoke out against progressive district attorneys even as a reform-minded prosecutor was elected in Barr ’ s own home county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in “ tough on crime ” rhetoric , many Americans are open to rethinking how they want to approach crime .
“ We ’ ve seen with each passing election a growing number of candidates calling for a reset of the justice system , ” Krinsky said .
“ It ’ s a wave that started in 2016 , and with each new election more and more voters have come to understand the impact of these elections and have made choices to move away from past ‘ tough-on-crime ’ approaches that have failed @ @

St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner recently grabbed headlines when she charged a white couple who pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters marching past their home. Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Top St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner, the city’s first Black circuit attorney, defeated a former city homicide prosecutor in her Democratic primary race on Tuesday, all but ensuring her reelection in the general election this fall.
Gardner received over 60% of the vote — more than 43,000 votes, compared to challenger Mary Pat Carl’s 28,000.
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The incumbent St. Louis circuit attorney deflected a Democratic primary challenge from Carl, a former assistant circuit attorney who was among a wave of St. Louis prosecutors who departed after Gardner’s election. Carl’s campaign focused on violent crime and Gardner’s lower conviction rate, but she also said she’d take a “smart on crime” approach to her job and divert cases from the criminal justice system when possible.
Gardner, 44, first came to office in 2016 along with a wave of progressive prosecutors who sought to break from “law and order” politics and rethink the role of prosecutors in the United States, which has the highest incarceration rate in the world, even as jail and prison populations have contracted in recent years.
She quickly became a target of controversy, including for her decision to charge former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R) with felony invasion of privacy in connection with a photo he snapped of a woman during an extramarital affair, as well as for her list of St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers whose testimony her office wouldn’t rely upon because of integrity concerns.
The St. Louis circuit attorney more recently grabbed national headlines when she charged a white couple who pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters marching past their home, a decision that came under criticism from President Donald Trump. Gardner said the couple could participate in a diversion program that would resolve the case, but the charges garnered attention from Republican politicians on the state and national level who said they infringed upon the couple’s Second Amendment rights.
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Trump’s press secretary said the president considered the case an “egregious abuse of power,” while Missouri’s Republican governor said the president would like to get involved in the case. The couple, personal injury attorneys Mark McCloskey and Patricia McCloskey, starred in a Trump campaign video.
Gardner said the attacks from the president inspired a wave of racist hate against her, calling the campaign against her “a modern-day night ride” in an interview with The Washington Post.
Earlier this year, Gardner filed suit against the city of St. Louis for its opposition to her reforms, using a provision of the law known as the Ku Klux Klan Act. The complaint alleged the city — along with its infamous local police union — was conducting “a racially-motivated conspiracy to deny the civil rights of racial minorities by obstructing a government official’s efforts to ensure equal justice under law for all.”
In her 2016 race, Gardner had the backing of some activists who rose to prominence in the 2014 unrest in nearby Ferguson, which brought national attention to criminal justice issues and laid the foundation for the broader movement that swept the nation after the killing of George Floyd in May. Like many progressive prosecutors in primary races across the nation, Gardner also received a boost both in 2016 and in 2020 from a PAC funded by liberal billionaire George Soros, an 89-year-old major funder of progressive causes who frequently draws scrutiny from conservatives.
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After Trump’s attack on Gardner, a number of current and former elected prosecutors came to her defense, writing a letter calling for an end to the “hateful and dangerous” attacks on an elected official as she carried out the duties she was elected to perform.
Miriam Krinsky, executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution, which helped organize the letter, said that Gardner had come under “incredibly aggressive and divisive” attacks during her first term as she dealt with high turnover in her office from prosecutors used to the status quo.
“Those challenges run deep, and changing institutions that have done things one way for a long time doesn’t happen overnight,” Krinsky said.
Krinsky said that even as Trump and Attorney General William Barr ―who spoke out against progressive district attorneys even as a reform-minded prosecutor was elected in Barr’s own home county in Virginia last year ― have engaged in “tough on crime” rhetoric, many Americans are open to rethinking how they want to approach crime.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Anderson Cooper: ‘Have You Ever Heard Someone Whine As Much’ As Donald Trump?

Anderson Cooper on Tuesday ripped President Donald Trump for complaining that he ’ s not getting enough credit for his administration ’ s coronavirus failings .
“ For a man who seems to have strength and power , have you heard someone as allegedly powerful and strong as he claims to be — have you ever heard someone whine as much as this man ?
” asked the host of CNN ’ s “ Anderson Cooper 360.
” In his stinging monologue , Cooper referred to an interview between Trump and Axios ’ Jonathan Swan , in which the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said , “ It is what it is.
” The news anchor took Trump to task over his claim that the virus is “ under control , as much as you can control it.
” “ Mr .
President , no , it is not , ” Cooper said .
“ It is not under control and certainly not as much as you can control it.
” “ An entire block of your voters think that mask mandates are an affront to personal freedom .
And this president has encouraged that thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If it was anybody other than the president of the United States doing that , you would think that ’ s criminal .
”

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Anderson Cooper on Tuesday ripped President Donald Trump for complaining that he’s not getting enough credit for his administration’s coronavirus failings.
“For a man who seems to have strength and power, have you heard someone as allegedly powerful and strong as he claims to be — have you ever heard someone whine as much as this man?” asked the host of CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360.”
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In his stinging monologue, Cooper referred to an interview between Trump and Axios’ Jonathan Swan, in which the president callously dismissed the U.S. coronavirus death toll and said, “It is what it is.”
The news anchor took Trump to task over his claim that the virus is “under control, as much as you can control it.”
“Mr. President, no, it is not,” Cooper said. “It is not under control and certainly not as much as you can control it.”
“An entire block of your voters think that mask mandates are an affront to personal freedom. And this president has encouraged that thinking,” he continued, adding, “If it was anybody other than the president of the United States doing that, you would think that’s criminal.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--'Straight Out Of North Korea': Chris Hayes Rips Trump's 'Deceitful Propaganda'

MSNBC ’ s Chris Hayes called out President Donald Trump and his allies for “ waging a war ” on the upcoming election with their constant attempts to undermine voting by mail .
Hayes said Trump , his reelection campaign and the Republican Party are engaged in legal actions against voting by mail in at least 17 states and that Trump ’ s handpicked postmaster general is slowing mail service in ways “ that could potentially create huge problems for mail-in voting.
” In the swing state of Pennsylvania , he noted , the Trump campaign is asking a judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Think about that , ” Hayes said .
“ You can ’ t use the drop boxes , so you ’ ve got to use the mail , which we ’ re slowing down .
That ’ s the play.
” Hayes called it “ a full , concerted effort by the entire Trump administration ” and the Republican Party “ to undermine the legitimacy of the election.
” Trump , Hayes noted , has constantly spoken out against voting by mail .
“ It isn ’ t just baseless .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t even make any sense , ” he said .
“ It ’ s just pure deceitful propaganda .
It ’ s like something straight out of North Korea.
” Earlier in the day , Trump suddenly changed his tune on voting by mail in at least one state : Florida .
Hayes had a theory for that , as well , which is both in the clip above and shared earlier in the day on Twitter : Allow me to translate : someone told him that he 's scaring his elderly supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's gon na hurt him so hence this .
https : //t.co/mPAlUlfpiV — Chris Hayes ( @ chrislhayes ) August 4 , 2020

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MSNBC’s Chris Hayes called out President Donald Trump and his allies for “waging a war” on the upcoming election with their constant attempts to undermine voting by mail.
Hayes said Trump, his reelection campaign and the Republican Party are engaged in legal actions against voting by mail in at least 17 states and that Trump’s handpicked postmaster general is slowing mail service in ways “that could potentially create huge problems for mail-in voting.”
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In the swing state of Pennsylvania, he noted, the Trump campaign is asking a judge to bar drop boxes for ballots.
“Think about that,” Hayes said. “You can’t use the drop boxes, so you’ve got to use the mail, which we’re slowing down. That’s the play.”
Hayes called it “a full, concerted effort by the entire Trump administration” and the Republican Party “to undermine the legitimacy of the election.”
Trump, Hayes noted, has constantly spoken out against voting by mail.
“It isn’t just baseless. It’s ludicrous. It doesn’t even make any sense,” he said. “It’s just pure deceitful propaganda. It’s like something straight out of North Korea.”
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Earlier in the day, Trump suddenly changed his tune on voting by mail in at least one state: Florida.
Hayes had a theory for that, as well, which is both in the clip above and shared earlier in the day on Twitter:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Missouri Voters Approve Medicaid Expansion For 460,000 People

Almost half a million Missourians will become eligible for health care coverage as voters in this conservative state bucked the Republican Party and approved an amendment to the state ’ s constitution to expand Medicaid on Tuesday .
The final vote was 52 % in favor of the amendment , according to figures from The Associated Press , which called the election for supporters of Medicaid expansion late Tuesday .
The vote was the culmination of a grassroots effort backed by health care and business interests .
Now , Missouri will join most other states in expanding Medicaid to anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal poverty level , which is about $ 17,000 a year for a single person .
Twelve states have not adopted the expansion , which funding from the Affordable Care Act made possible by covering 90 % of the costs .
A Washington University in St. Louis analysis found as many as 458,000 people could be eligible for Medicaid coverage as a result of expansion , including 190,000 Missourians who currently are uninsured .
That ’ s a big change from the status quo in Missouri .
Under current law , adults without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disabilities can ’ t qualify for Medicaid , no matter how little they earn .
Parents and adults with disabilities must have incomes far below poverty to be eligible .
Missouri also became the sixth state to expand Medicaid ― called MO HealthNet in the Show-Me State ― via the ballot box .
Oklahoma voters approved a similar constitutional amendment last month , following successful Medicaid expansion campaigns over the past three years in Idaho , Maine , Nebraska and Utah .
A ballot measure to expand Medicaid in Montana failed in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the same effect .
Medicaid expansion supporters won despite significant obstacles .
Republicans dominate Missouri politics , holding the governor ’ s office and supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature .
Three-quarters of Missouri ’ s eight-person delegation to the U.S. Congress are Republicans , and President Donald Trump won 57 % of the vote in the state four years ago .
In addition , Republican Gov .
Mike Parson scheduled the vote on a primary day instead of on Election Day in November , a move that was expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans than Democrats were likely to turn out to vote .
Yet supporters went into Tuesday ’ s vote confident in their chances .
Despite Missouri voters ’ preferences for Republican elected officials , they have approved several progressive ballot initiatives in recent years , including measures to raise the minimum wage , legalize medical marijuana , reform congressional redistricting and undo a “ right to work ” law that would have weakened labor unions .
Parson and the state ’ s Republican Party establishment opposed the Medicaid expansion measure with the support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the campaign , opponents of the measure aired a television ad and distributed a mailer to voters falsely claiming that Medicaid expansion would benefit undocumented immigrants .

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Almost half a million Missourians will become eligible for health care coverage as voters in this conservative state bucked the Republican Party and approved an amendment to the state’s constitution to expand Medicaid on Tuesday.
The final vote was 52% in favor of the amendment, according to figures from The Associated Press, which called the election for supporters of Medicaid expansion late Tuesday.
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The vote was the culmination of a grassroots effort backed by health care and business interests. Now, Missouri will join most other states in expanding Medicaid to anyone earning up to 133% of the federal poverty level, which is about $17,000 a year for a single person.
Twelve states have not adopted the expansion, which funding from the Affordable Care Act made possible by covering 90% of the costs.
A Washington University in St. Louis analysis found as many as 458,000 people could be eligible for Medicaid coverage as a result of expansion, including 190,000 Missourians who currently are uninsured.
That’s a big change from the status quo in Missouri. Under current law, adults without children living at home and adults without disabilities can’t qualify for Medicaid, no matter how little they earn. Parents and adults with disabilities must have incomes far below poverty to be eligible.
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Missouri also became the sixth state to expand Medicaid ― called MO HealthNet in the Show-Me State ― via the ballot box. Oklahoma voters approved a similar constitutional amendment last month, following successful Medicaid expansion campaigns over the past three years in Idaho, Maine, Nebraska and Utah. A ballot measure to expand Medicaid in Montana failed in 2018, but state leaders later enacted legislation to the same effect.
Medicaid expansion supporters won despite significant obstacles. Republicans dominate Missouri politics, holding the governor’s office and supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Three-quarters of Missouri’s eight-person delegation to the U.S. Congress are Republicans, and President Donald Trump won 57% of the vote in the state four years ago.
In addition, Republican Gov. Mike Parson scheduled the vote on a primary day instead of on Election Day in November, a move that was expected to disadvantage the Medicaid initiative because more Republicans than Democrats were likely to turn out to vote.
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