thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-13--Coronavirus Fears Could Depress Voter Turnout In Coming Primaries

The growing coronavirus pandemic is affecting every facet of American life , and it could soon have a serious impact on U.S. elections too .
On Friday , Louisiana became the first state to postpone its 2020 primary over the outbreak , moving it from April 4 to June 20 .
The state ’ s top election official said he was doing so out of an abundance of caution to protect both poll workers and voters themselves , adding that moving entirely to absentee ballots was not possible this close to the election .
Meanwhile , officials in Arizona , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which are holding primaries on March 17 , this coming Tuesday ― said that they do not plan to delay their elections .
“ Americans have participated in elections during challenging times in the past , ” the secretaries of state said in a joint statement on Friday , “ and based on the best information we have from public health officials , we are confident that voters in our states can safely and securely cast their ballots in this election.
” Voters in all four states can still cast their vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Illinois and Florida has already passed .
Still , there are growing concerns that some voters , particularly older people , may stay home on Election Day to avoid long lines and crowded rooms .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that older people , especially , are more vulnerable to COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
The health agency has urged people to avoid gatherings and crowds to help fight the spread of the disease .
David Barker , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said he expected lower voter turnout in coming primaries this year due to fears of the coronavirus and the fact that former Vice President Joe Biden appears to have a commanding delegate lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) in the race for the Democratic nomination .
“ It will be impossible to know what combination of those factors is responsible for what I expect to be substantially reduced turnout on Tuesday ( and especially beyond ) , ” Barker , who studies voting behavior , told HuffPost in an email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which saw a particularly large number of coronavirus cases at nursing homes and senior facilities , are expecting to confirm a record voter turnout in its primary earlier this week .
But many of the state ’ s ballots were mailed in weeks before the outbreak worsened across the country and before the cancellations of major sporting and cultural events and other public gatherings .
There is evidence that Biden ’ s campaign is paying attention to how coronavirus fears may impact the election .
Exit poll after exit poll has shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmingly supporting Biden in recent primaries .
On Friday , senior Biden campaign adviser Kate Bedingfield issued a statement urging individuals who may be at risk for the virus or who may present a risk to others to vote by absentee ballot .
“ If voters are feeling healthy , not exhibiting symptoms , and don ’ t believe they ’ ve been exposed to COVID-19 , please vote on Tuesday .
If voters are members of an at-risk population , exhibiting symptoms , or have been exposed to a diagnosed case of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee ballots and vote by mail options , ” Bedingfield said in a statement .
Lawmakers and election experts are also starting to call for instituting an automatic vote-by-mail program in all 50 states ahead of the November general election .
On Wednesday , Sen. Ron Wyden ( D-Ore. ) proposed allowing all Americans to vote by mail in case of an emergency , asking $ 500 million to help states get ready for any voter disruptions caused by the coronavirus .
“ If we think of the country as at war with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the war effort we should put plans in place to insure that voters may cast their ballots easily and freely in November , ” Hasen wrote in Slate on Friday .
“ If Congress does not act , millions of people who live in states without no-excuse absentee balloting face the risk of disenfranchisement .
”

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The growing coronavirus pandemic is affecting every facet of American life, and it could soon have a serious impact on U.S. elections too.
On Friday, Louisiana became the first state to postpone its 2020 primary over the outbreak, moving it from April 4 to June 20. The state’s top election official said he was doing so out of an abundance of caution to protect both poll workers and voters themselves, adding that moving entirely to absentee ballots was not possible this close to the election.
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Meanwhile, officials in Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio ― all of which are holding primaries on March 17, this coming Tuesday ― said that they do not plan to delay their elections.
“Americans have participated in elections during challenging times in the past,” the secretaries of state said in a joint statement on Friday, “and based on the best information we have from public health officials, we are confident that voters in our states can safely and securely cast their ballots in this election.” Voters in all four states can still cast their vote by mail-in ballot ― although the official deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Illinois and Florida has already passed.
Still, there are growing concerns that some voters, particularly older people, may stay home on Election Day to avoid long lines and crowded rooms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that older people, especially, are more vulnerable to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. The health agency has urged people to avoid gatherings and crowds to help fight the spread of the disease.
David Barker, a professor of government at American University, said he expected lower voter turnout in coming primaries this year due to fears of the coronavirus and the fact that former Vice President Joe Biden appears to have a commanding delegate lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the race for the Democratic nomination.
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“It will be impossible to know what combination of those factors is responsible for what I expect to be substantially reduced turnout on Tuesday (and especially beyond),” Barker, who studies voting behavior, told HuffPost in an email Friday.
Election officials in Washington state, which saw a particularly large number of coronavirus cases at nursing homes and senior facilities, are expecting to confirm a record voter turnout in its primary earlier this week. But many of the state’s ballots were mailed in weeks before the outbreak worsened across the country and before the cancellations of major sporting and cultural events and other public gatherings.
There is evidence that Biden’s campaign is paying attention to how coronavirus fears may impact the election. Exit poll after exit poll has shown older voters ― 65 and up ― overwhelmingly supporting Biden in recent primaries.
On Friday, senior Biden campaign adviser Kate Bedingfield issued a statement urging individuals who may be at risk for the virus or who may present a risk to others to vote by absentee ballot.
“If voters are feeling healthy, not exhibiting symptoms, and don’t believe they’ve been exposed to COVID-19, please vote on Tuesday. If voters are members of an at-risk population, exhibiting symptoms, or have been exposed to a diagnosed case of COVID-19, we encourage them to explore absentee ballots and vote by mail options,” Bedingfield said in a statement.
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Lawmakers and election experts are also starting to call for instituting an automatic vote-by-mail program in all 50 states ahead of the November general election. On Wednesday, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) proposed allowing all Americans to vote by mail in case of an emergency, asking $500 million to help states get ready for any voter disruptions caused by the coronavirus.
Instituting such a program would be complicated and take time, meaning Congress should act now in order to prepare state voting systems, University of California, Irvine law professor Rick Hasen said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-14--Brazilian Ambassador Who Dined With Trump Is Third Mar-a-Lago Guest With Coronavirus

Brazil ’ s acting ambassador to the United States is the third Mar-a-Lago guest last weekend to test positive for coronavirus .
Nestor Forster dined with Donald Trump last Saturday night at the president ’ s golf resort in West Palm Beach .
Bolsonaro tweeted Friday that he had tested negative , adding : “ DON ’ T BELIEVE IN THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA.
” But Brazil ’ s Estado de S.Paulo newspaper reported later that he will be tested again .
Bolsonaro ’ s communications secretary , Fabio Wajngarten , who was a guest at Mar-a-Lago the same weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t dine with Trump , but posed with the president .
Yet another guest who tested positive attended a Sunday fundraising lunch hosted by Trump Victory , a committee that raises money for Trump ’ s re-election campaign and the Republican Party , according to an email from GOP officials , The Washington Post reported .
Party officials said the person had no direct contact with Trump .
Forster will extend his self-quarantine for an additional two weeks , according to a statement from the embassy .
He apparently began the quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chargé d'Affaires Ambassador Nestor Forster has learned tonight that he has tested positive for Covid-19 .
Following medical advice , Amb .
Forster will extend his self-quarantine , which he had already placed himself into as a precautionary measure , for another two weeks .
— Embassy of Brazil in the USA 🇧🇷 ( @ BrazilinUSA ) March 14 , 2020 Trump has acted as if his exposure coronavirus at Mar-a-Lago is no big deal .
He said Thursday he was “ not concerned ” and he wouldn ’ t be tested .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from reporters after declaring a national emergency in the fight against coronavirus that he would “ likely ” get tested .
White House physician Sean Conley issued a memo Friday , however , saying that Trump doesn ’ t require testing or a self-quarantine , even though he was exposed to at least two people who have test positive for coronavirus .
The president has no symptoms , Conley noted , adding that he will closely monitor Trump .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people consider restricting their movements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed case of COVID-19 , even if they show no symptoms .
Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) and Sen. Rick Scott ( R-Fla. ) are both under self-quarantine after coming into contact with Wajngarten at Mar-a-Lago last weekend .

Keep up with the latest updates on the coronavirus at our live blog.
Brazil’s acting ambassador to the United States is the third Mar-a-Lago guest last weekend to test positive for the coronavirus. Nestor Forster dined with Donald Trump last Saturday night at the president’s golf resort in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The dinner also included Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner.
Bolsonaro tweeted Friday that he had tested negative, adding: “DON’T BELIEVE IN THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA.” But Brazil’s Estado de S.Paulo newspaper reported later that he will be tested again.
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- HFA/SABIN atestam negativo para o COVID-19 o Sr. Pres. da República Jair Bolsonaro. pic.twitter.com/iL3YPGPGXA — Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) March 13, 2020
- NÃO ACREDITE NA MÍDIA FAKE NEWS!
- SÃO ELES QUE PRECISAM DE VOCÊS! — Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) March 13, 2020
Bolsonaro’s communications secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, who was a guest at Mar-a-Lago the same weekend, also tested positive. He didn’t dine with Trump, but posed for a picture with the president.
Yet another guest who tested positive attended a Sunday fundraising lunch hosted by Trump Victory, a committee that raises money for Trump’s reelection campaign and the Republican Party, according to an email from GOP officials, The Washington Post reported. Party officials said the person had no direct contact with Trump.
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Forster will extend his self-quarantine for an additional two weeks, according to a statement from the embassy. He apparently began the quarantine after Wajngarten tested positive.
Brazil's Chargé d'Affaires Ambassador Nestor Forster has learned tonight that he has tested positive for Covid-19. Following medical advice, Amb. Forster will extend his self-quarantine, which he had already placed himself into as a precautionary measure, for another two weeks. — Embassy of Brazil in the USA 🇧🇷 (@BrazilinUSA) March 14, 2020
Trump has acted as if his exposure to the coronavirus at Mar-a-Lago is no big deal. He said Thursday he was “not concerned” and he wouldn’t be tested.
But on Friday, while Trump was taking questions from reporters after declaring a national emergency, he said he would “likely” get tested.
White House physician Sean Conley issued a memo Friday, however, saying that Trump doesn’t require testing or a self-quarantine, even though he was exposed to at least two people who have tested positive for the coronavirus. The president has no symptoms, Conley noted, adding that he will closely monitor Trump.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people consider restricting their movements if they have been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19, even if they show no symptoms.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-14--Donald Trump Says He Took Test For The Coronavirus

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he had finally taken a test for the coronavirus , after he was near multiple people who had tested positive for it .
“ I also took the test last night , ” Trump said .
“ I decided I should based on the press conference yesterday ― people were asking did I take the test.
” The news , announced at a press briefing on the coronavirus response , contradicted a memo from White House physician and Navy Cmdr .
Sean Conley released just before midnight Friday , which said that Trump did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
Vice President Mike Pence , who was also near individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 , said Saturday that he has not been tested but would be “ happy ” to do so .
Pence said he would talk to the White House physician about the matter after the briefing .
Earlier Saturday , the White House also said that it will check the temperatures of anyone who comes in close contact with Trump or Pence .
“ Out of an abundance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performed on any individuals who are in close contact with the president and vice president , ” White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere told reporters .
Reporters found out about the new temperature check practice on Saturday after an individual from Conley ’ s office took their temperatures , according to a pool report .
Trump told reporters that he had his temperature checked before the briefing as well and it was “ totally normal.
” The president has previously strayed from experts ’ advice on how to avoid contracting the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference announcing new steps to combat the spread and impact of the virus , he shook hands with other speakers , touched a microphone others had touched , and was in close proximity to a number of people .
Trump ’ s actions all contrasted with the “ social distancing ” advised by experts in order to stem the spread of COVID-19 .
This means avoiding close contact and large crowds , particularly for individuals in high-risk groups , such as older adults .
( The president is 73 years old . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it was a matter of habit , but he said perhaps the coronavirus outbreak will reduce handshaking in the future .
“ Getting away from shaking hands is a good thing , ” he said .
“ And possibly that ’ s something that comes out of this .
Maybe people shouldn ’ t be shaking hands for the long-term because it does transmit flu and other things.
” Trump had previously repeatedly downplayed the need to be tested , insisting he hadn ’ t been in close contact with Fabio Wajngarten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press secretary , who tested positive for the virus after spending an evening with Trump and Pence at Trump ’ s Mar-a-Lago resort , days before Wajngarten was tested .
Another individual tested positive for the virus after visiting Mar-a-Lago on Sunday for a Trump campaign fundraiser , according to the campaign , although that individual was not in contact with the president .
Conley ’ s Friday memo said another individual at the Brazilian delegation dinner with Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus .
That individual was in closer proximity with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the memo .

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President Donald Trump said Saturday that he had finally taken a test for the coronavirus, after he was near multiple people who had tested positive for it.
Trump said he took the test Friday evening but does not yet have results.
“I also took the test last night,” Trump said. “I decided I should based on the press conference yesterday ― people were asking did I take the test.”
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The news, announced at a press briefing on the coronavirus response, contradicted a memo from White House physician and Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley released just before midnight Friday, which said that Trump did not need to self-quarantine or be tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Vice President Mike Pence, who was also near individuals who tested positive for COVID-19, said Saturday that he has not been tested but would be “happy” to do so. Pence said he would talk to the White House physician about the matter after the briefing.
Earlier Saturday, the White House also said that it will check the temperatures of anyone who comes in close contact with Trump or Pence.
“Out of an abundance of caution, temperature checks are now being performed on any individuals who are in close contact with the president and vice president,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere told reporters.
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Reporters found out about the new temperature check practice on Saturday after an individual from Conley’s office took their temperatures, according to a pool report.
Trump told reporters that he had his temperature checked before the briefing as well and it was “totally normal.”
The president has previously strayed from experts’ advice on how to avoid contracting the coronavirus. On Friday, at a press conference announcing new steps to combat the spread and impact of the virus, he shook hands with other speakers, touched a microphone others had touched, and was in close proximity to a number of people.
Trump’s actions all contrasted with the “social distancing” advised by experts in order to stem the spread of COVID-19. This means avoiding close contact and large crowds, particularly for individuals in high-risk groups, such as older adults. (The president is 73 years old.)
When asked about his behavior, Trump said it was a matter of habit, but he said perhaps the coronavirus outbreak will reduce handshaking in the future.
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“Getting away from shaking hands is a good thing,” he said. “And possibly that’s something that comes out of this. Maybe people shouldn’t be shaking hands for the long-term because it does transmit flu and other things.”
Trump had previously repeatedly downplayed the need to be tested, insisting he hadn’t been in close contact with Fabio Wajngarten, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s press secretary, who tested positive for the virus after spending an evening with Trump and Pence at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, days before Wajngarten was tested.
Another individual tested positive for the virus after visiting Mar-a-Lago on Sunday for a Trump campaign fundraiser, according to the campaign, although that individual was not in contact with the president.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-14--Kentucky’s Coronavirus Response Is What Happens When A Sensible Person Is In Charge

AP Photo/Bruce Schreiner Kentucky Gov .
Andy Beshear ( D ) announces the state ’ s first confirmed case of the new coronavirus at a press conference on March 6 , 2020 , in Frankfort , Kentucky .
As President Donald Trump takes intense criticism for his hamfisted response to the rapidly worsening coronavirus crisis , many are lamenting what might have been if the United States were led by an experienced and rational executive , rather than a conspiratorial buffoon .
Kentucky offers the same stark contrast ― but in reverse .
The state is not the epicenter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or even the site of that many cases ― there were 14 confirmed as of Friday evening .
But since then , Gov .
Andy Beshear , a Democrat who is only four months into his term , has held near-daily news conferences to update reporters and Kentucky residents on the state ’ s response to the COVID-19 outbreak .
He has struck a calm but urgent tone and empowered Kentucky ’ s public health officials to speak frankly and clearly about the depth of the outbreak in the Bluegrass State , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the steps his government is taking to mitigate it .
Beshear has called on public schools to close , warned Kentuckians to avoid large crowds , and even urged them to avoid going to church ― which he acknowledged was risky in a deeply religious state .
The moves might seem drastic , especially to those who still believe this is all a result of media-driven panic or a conspiracy to bring down Trump .
But they follow the recommendations of national public health officials and experts who have warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limiting people-to-people contact is currently the best way to deal with it .
Bevin faced plenty of criticism during his four years as governor , most of which he earned himself thanks to his bullying approach to the job .
But it was another public health crisis that might have marked the low point of Bevin ’ s single term in office and his shoot-from-the-hip style of governing .
The comment was unrelated to the hepatitis A outbreak , but it came amid scrutiny of the state ’ s handling of the epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentuckians getting hepatitis A vaccines .
“ Is a time when Kentucky is in the grips of the worst hepatitis A outbreak in the nation and already 44 people have died from the disease , which is also preventable by a vaccine , the best time to be arguing against mandated vaccinations ?
” one newspaper editorial board in Kentucky asked .
Kentucky ’ s health secretary said at the time that there was no “ hesitancy ” to “ recommend , purchase or distribute ” vaccinations for hepatitis A , despite Bevin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself didn ’ t publicly urge Kentuckians to get vaccinated against hepatitis A until a week later .
At that point , the crisis had already reached its peak : By June 2019 , more than 4,000 Kentuckians had been infected and nearly 60 had died .
The Bluegrass State alone was home to one-third of the nationwide deaths tied to the hepatitis A outbreak .
Kentucky faced widespread criticism for its response , or lack thereof .
The state was too slow to act at the outset , critics alleged , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an outbreak that could have been contained was turning into an epidemic .
Kentucky didn ’ t act strongly enough once it did respond : In 2018 , the state ’ s head of infectious diseases requested $ 10 million to supplement vaccination programs and local health departments , which had actually earned praise for their response but needed help .
Bevin ’ s administration provided just $ 3 million to combat the crisis , according to the Louisville Courier-Journal .
Kentucky never declared a state of emergency .
Trump has entertained conspiracies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The drastic action necessary to combat COVID-19 never happened , meaning even more drastic measures are necessary now .
The current outbreak is only going to get worse , but even as Trump has begun to realize that , he ’ s incapable of delivering anything resembling a clear , coherent or calming message to the public .
The United States still isn ’ t conducting enough tests or providing enough funding to strapped local health departments that are doing their best .
Trump ’ s slow response will put countless Americans at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and has left more responsible public officials ― including both Republican and Democratic governors ― to deliver the sort of response the president isn ’ t capable of .
And the man Trump put in charge ?
Vice President Mike Pence , as governor of Indiana , once oversaw an HIV outbreak that his response only made worse .
Beshear won November ’ s election by fewer than 5,000 votes , a margin so thin that it ’ s impossible to attribute to any one factor , especially in a state rattled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s term in office .
Regardless , it meant that when COVID-19 hit the United States , Kentuckians didn ’ t have to worry that their governor had already botched the response to one outbreak and would only respond to this one with more conspiratorial innuendo , blame for the media and a bad joke about toilet paper .

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announces the state’s first confirmed case of the new coronavirus at a press conference on March 6, 2020, in Frankfort, Kentucky. AP Photo/Bruce Schreiner
As President Donald Trump takes intense criticism for his hamfisted response to the rapidly worsening coronavirus crisis, many are lamenting what might have been if the United States were led by an experienced and rational executive, rather than a conspiratorial buffoon.
Kentucky offers the same stark contrast ― but in reverse. The state is not the epicenter of the United States’ novel coronavirus outbreak, or even the site of that many cases ― there were 14 confirmed as of Friday evening. But since then, Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat who is only four months into his term, has held near-daily news conferences to update reporters and Kentucky residents on the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
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He has struck a calm but urgent tone and empowered Kentucky’s public health officials to speak frankly and clearly about the depth of the outbreak in the Bluegrass State, the potential for it to get worse, and the steps his government is taking to mitigate it.
Beshear has called on public schools to close, warned Kentuckians to avoid large crowds, and even urged them to avoid going to church ― which he acknowledged was risky in a deeply religious state. The moves might seem drastic, especially to those who still believe this is all a result of media-driven panic or a conspiracy to bring down Trump. But they follow the recommendations of national public health officials and experts who have warned that the crisis will get worse and that limiting people-to-people contact is currently the best way to deal with it.
Beshear’s response has earned praise even from top Republicans in the state, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported this week.
The man Beshear just defeated in a tight election last November, meanwhile, reacted to the COVID-19 outbreak like this:
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BREAKING NEWS:
Chicken Little has just confirmed that the sky IS indeed falling...
Everyone is advised to take cover immediately and to bring lots of toilet paper with them when they do so... — Matt Bevin (@MattBevin) March 11, 2020
Bevin faced plenty of criticism during his four years as governor, most of which he earned himself thanks to his bullying approach to the job. But it was another public health crisis that might have marked the low point of Bevin’s single term in office and his shoot-from-the-hip style of governing.
From 2017 to 2019, a nationwide outbreak of hepatitis A hammered Kentucky, which by mid-2018 had experienced the worst of the epidemic.
In the middle of the crisis, Bevin peddled anti-vaccination conspiracies on a local radio show, saying in March 2019 that he had taken his nine children to a “pox party” in order to intentionally expose them to chickenpox.
The comment was unrelated to the hepatitis A outbreak, but it came amid scrutiny of the state’s handling of the epidemic and efforts to expand the number of Kentuckians getting hepatitis A vaccines. “Is a time when Kentucky is in the grips of the worst hepatitis A outbreak in the nation and already 44 people have died from the disease, which is also preventable by a vaccine, the best time to be arguing against mandated vaccinations?” one newspaper editorial board in Kentucky asked.
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Kentucky’s health secretary said at the time that there was no “hesitancy” to “recommend, purchase or distribute” vaccinations for hepatitis A, despite Bevin’s remark. But the then-governor himself didn’t publicly urge Kentuckians to get vaccinated against hepatitis A until a week later.
At that point, the crisis had already reached its peak: By June 2019, more than 4,000 Kentuckians had been infected and nearly 60 had died. The Bluegrass State alone was home to one-third of the nationwide deaths tied to the hepatitis A outbreak.
Kentucky faced widespread criticism for its response, or lack thereof. The state was too slow to act at the outset, critics alleged, even though it had plenty of warning that an outbreak that could have been contained was turning into an epidemic. Kentucky didn’t act strongly enough once it did respond: In 2018, the state’s head of infectious diseases requested $10 million to supplement vaccination programs and local health departments, which had actually earned praise for their response but needed help. Bevin’s administration provided just $3 million to combat the crisis, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. Kentucky never declared a state of emergency.
The medical official Bevin’s administration put in charge of infectious diseases, meanwhile, had previously been fired from the Department of Veterans Affairs for “egregious” medical misconduct that the VA said had raised “reasonable concern for the safety of patients.”
There was plenty of blame to go around, but it’s hard to ignore the parallels to the current situation, even if they aren’t exact.
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Trump has entertained conspiracies instead of developing an actual response. The drastic action necessary to combat COVID-19 never happened, meaning even more drastic measures are necessary now. The current outbreak is only going to get worse, but even as Trump has begun to realize that, he’s incapable of delivering anything resembling a clear, coherent or calming message to the public. The United States still isn’t conducting enough tests or providing enough funding to strapped local health departments that are doing their best.
Trump’s slow response will put countless Americans at increased risk of illness and even death, and has left more responsible public officials ― including both Republican and Democratic governors ― to deliver the sort of response the president isn’t capable of. And the man Trump put in charge? Vice President Mike Pence, as governor of Indiana, once oversaw an HIV outbreak that his response only made worse.
Beshear won November’s election by fewer than 5,000 votes, a margin so thin that it’s impossible to attribute to any one factor, especially in a state rattled by protests and upheaval throughout Bevin’s term in office. Regardless, it meant that when COVID-19 hit the United States, Kentuckians didn’t have to worry that their governor had already botched the response to one outbreak and would only respond to this one with more conspiratorial innuendo, blame for the media and a bad joke about toilet paper.
Maybe there’s a lesson there.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-14--White House Widens European Travel Ban To Include U.K., Ireland

Moments before , President Donald Trump told reporters that he was considering domestic travel restrictions but did not offer additional details .
Pence later reiterated that the administration was considering a wide range of domestic options .
Public health officials have repeatedly stressed that social distancing is crucial to helping prevent the health care system from being overloaded .
The coronavirus is already a grave public health danger in the U.S. , with thousands of people infected and dozens of deaths ― and the numbers are only going to increase as the virus spreads through communities .
But at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address the primary problem : a catastrophic lack of available testing .
Both the president and vice president have made varying claims about the availability of tests ; Trump claimed Friday that a million tests would be available by “ early next week.
” Late Friday night , White House and congressional leadership finally came to an agreement on a coronavirus relief bill to deal with the testing gap and some of the financial fallout many American families are facing amid the crisis .
Both Trump and Pence praised the coronavirus relief deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pass the Senate next week .
“ If you ’ re sick , stay home .
You ’ re not going to miss a paycheck because of the legislation moving through the Congress , ” Pence said .
The bill , however , does not apply to a significant portion of American workers .
It creates a national paid sick leave program for one year , providing two weeks ’ leave for workers affected by the coronavirus and reimbursing 100 % of the cost to employers .
But it does not help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It also makes it easier for people to be tested for COVID-19 , which is the name of the illness caused by the coronavirus , regardless of insurance status .
“ This legislation is about testing , testing , testing , ” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said in a statement Friday night .
The White House has also claimed to be working on a website for Americans worried they might have the virus that would provide health care information .
Trump said Friday that his team was working with Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company later said in a statement that such a website was only in the early stages of development and would only serve people living in the Bay Area of California .
On Saturday , Pence once again asserted that a website was in the works , promising more details Sunday evening .
White House data counts 2,226 official reported COVID-19 cases across the country , with 50 deaths .
“ We have not reached our peak , ” said Dr. Anthony Fauci , the infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he added .
“ We will see more suffering and death.
” Trump declared a national emergency over the outbreak on Friday , allocating $ 50 million in disaster relief funding .
He spent much of the press conference , however , explicitly refusing to take responsibility for testing failures and the federal government ’ s sluggish initial response .

Moments before, President Donald Trump told reporters that he was considering domestic travel restrictions but did not offer additional details. Pence later reiterated that the administration was considering a wide range of domestic options. Public health officials have repeatedly stressed that social distancing is crucial to helping prevent the health care system from being overloaded.
The coronavirus is already a grave public health danger in the U.S., with thousands of people infected and dozens of deaths ― and the numbers are only going to increase as the virus spreads through communities. But at this point a travel ban does nothing to address the primary problem: a catastrophic lack of available testing.
Both the president and vice president have made varying claims about the availability of tests; Trump claimed Friday that a million tests would be available by “early next week.”
Late Friday night, White House and congressional leadership finally came to an agreement on a coronavirus relief bill to deal with the testing gap and some of the financial fallout many American families are facing amid the crisis.
Both Trump and Pence praised the coronavirus relief deal on Saturday, signaling they expected it to pass the Senate next week.
“If you’re sick, stay home. You’re not going to miss a paycheck because of the legislation moving through the Congress,” Pence said.
The bill, however, does not apply to a significant portion of American workers. It creates a national paid sick leave program for one year, providing two weeks’ leave for workers affected by the coronavirus and reimbursing 100% of the cost to employers. But it does not help companies with more than 500 employees.
It also makes it easier for people to be tested for COVID-19, which is the name of the illness caused by the coronavirus, regardless of insurance status.
“This legislation is about testing, testing, testing,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement Friday night. The White House has also claimed to be working on a website for Americans worried they might have the virus that would provide health care information. Trump said Friday that his team was working with Google to develop the site, but the company later said in a statement that such a website was only in the early stages of development and would only serve people living in the Bay Area of California. On Saturday, Pence once again asserted that a website was in the works, promising more details Sunday evening.
White House data counts 2,226 official reported COVID-19 cases across the country, with 50 deaths.
“We have not reached our peak,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health.
“We will see more cases,” he added. “We will see more suffering and death.”
Trump declared a national emergency over the outbreak on Friday, allocating $50 million in disaster relief funding. He spent much of the press conference, however, explicitly refusing to take responsibility for testing failures and the federal government’s sluggish initial response.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-14--Big Business Gets A Pass On Sick Leave In White House-Dem Coronavirus Aid Deal

The problem is , there ’ s a fairly huge exemption in the bill : Big businesses don ’ t have to comply .
Companies with more than 500 employees are not required to give workers sick leave or family leave under the bill .
And small companies with 50 employers or fewer can seek hardship exemptions from the policy , narrowing its impact even more .
Millions of workers are left out , increasing the risk that they ’ ll do their jobs while sick and further the spread of this virus .
“ Republicans didn ’ t support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for everyone .
It was a clear nonstarter for them , ” the source , who requested anonymity to comment on the discussions .
“ Democrats preferred to have something rather than nothing .
That was the choice we faced.
” The private sector has played an outsize role in President Donald Trump ’ s so far haphazard and inadequate response to the pandemic .
At a press conference about the coronavirus on Friday , Trump seemed to be actively promoting large companies , applauding them for their response to the public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s response in big business ’ s hands .
It ’ s clear the fingerprints of the business lobby are all over the exclusions in the bill .
It ’ s a real wake-up call about the power the big business lobby has in our politics and our policymaking .
Vicki Shabo , a senior fellow at New America and a longtime advocate for paid leave .
About 47 % of workers in the private sector in the U.S. are employed by companies with 500 employees or more , according to data from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 % of those companies do not offer paid sick leave , leaving out about 6.5 million workers .
McDonald ’ s for example is only offering emergency leave to workers in its corporate stores , but that covers only about 10 % of its restaurants .
It ’ s unclear if franchise restaurants will be included in sick leave provisions .
Other large employers , like Waffle House , Subway , Chick-fil-A , Cracker Barrel , Outback Steakhouse and the Cheesecake Factory , don ’ t have a policy , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times .
The compromise reached Friday would offer 10 days ’ emergency paid sick leave for those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 , have symptoms , need to be tested , or who are under quarantine .
( Democrats had originally proposed 14 days . )
Sick leave would also be available for those exposed to someone else with the disease .
However , the bill would not cover leave for high-risk workers who wish to avoid exposure to the virus on the job .
“ On sick days and paid leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Rep. Rosa DeLauro ( D-Conn. ) , one of the most die-hard leave advocates in the House , in a statement .
“ While this will help millions , millions are still left out .
So , I will build on these programs .
It should not , and must not , take a pandemic to get working people the economic relief and stability they need.
” The bill is also not as good for female workers as it is for male ones .
Workers who take the sick leave for themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those who take time off for caregiving ― a majority of whom will likely be women ― because a loved one is sick or their child ’ s school is closed would only get two-thirds wage replacement .

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The U.S. took a step closer to the rest of the world early Saturday morning when the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan coronavirus emergency bill that includes provisions for 10 days of paid sick leave and 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for those affected by COVID-19.
Even though the leave guarantees would be temporary, it was still a significant move for the U.S., which has long stood alone as the only wealthy country that doesn’t require paid time off for sick workers.
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The problem is, there’s a fairly huge exemption in the bill: Big businesses don’t have to comply. Companies with more than 500 employees are not required to give workers sick leave or family leave under the bill. And small companies with 50 employers or fewer can seek hardship exemptions from the paid family and medical leave policy, narrowing its impact even more. Millions of workers are left out, increasing the risk that they’ll do their jobs while sick and further the spread of this virus.
The leave issue gained momentum as the epidemic worsened and health experts urged people to self-isolate to slow the spread of the virus. While some lucky higher-income workers can telecommute, many others don’t have that luxury.
Democrats compromised on their original proposal, which would have mandated leave for everyone, under pressure from the White House, a Democratic source close to the negotiations told HuffPost.
“Republicans didn’t support the mandate nor did they support leave for everyone. It was a clear nonstarter for them,” said the source, who requested anonymity to comment on the discussions. “Democrats preferred to have something rather than nothing. That was the choice we faced.”
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) negotiated closely with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to work out a deal palatable to the president and Republicans in the Senate, which is expected to vote on the measure Monday.
Pelosi said in a tweet late Saturday that she doesn’t support taxpayer money “subsidizing corporations to provide benefits to workers that they should already be providing.”
I don’t support U.S. taxpayer money subsidizing corporations to provide benefits to workers that they should already be providing. House Democrats will continue to prioritize strong emergency leave policies as we fight to put #FamiliesFirst. https://t.co/GIoCJAKE1M — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) March 15, 2020
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why large employers were left out.
The private sector has played an outsize role in President Donald Trump’s so far haphazard and inadequate response to the pandemic. At a press conference about the coronavirus on Friday, Trump seemed to be actively promoting large companies, applauding them for their response to the public health crisis and leaving the federal government’s response in big business’s hands.
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“It’s clear the fingerprints of the business lobby are all over the exclusions in the bill. It’s a real wake-up call about the power the big business lobby has in our politics and our policymaking.” - Vicki Shabo, a senior fellow at New America and a longtime advocate for paid leave
Leave advocates told HuffPost they were pleased to see bipartisan support for some kind of paid leave, but disappointed that so few Americans would see coverage.
About 47% of workers in the private sector in the U.S. are employed by companies with 500 employees or more, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 11% of those companies do not offer paid sick leave, leaving out about 6.5 million workers.
While that’s not a huge percentage, the lack of leave falls disproportionately on low-wage workers. While 94% of Americans who hold management jobs have paid sick leave, only 58% of service-sector workers (think retail and fast-food) have access.
At large companies that do offer sick leave, the median number of days on offer is eight, according to labor department data compiled by the Center for American Progress. That hardly seems enough to recover from COVID-19.
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Paid family and medical leave is far less common. Only 27% of private sector companies offer paid time off for caregiving leave, according to data from the group Paid Leave for the United States, which tracks private companies’ policies.
“It’s clear the fingerprints of the business lobby are all over the exclusions in the bill,” said Vicki Shabo, a senior fellow at New America and a longtime advocate for paid leave. “It’s a real wake-up call about the power the big business lobby has in our politics and our policymaking.”
A few large companies have put coronavirus emergency sick leave policies in place, giving workers paid time off if they’re diagnosed or quarantined. But these policies aren’t as good as they might seem in press releases.
McDonald’s for example is only offering emergency leave to workers in its corporate stores, but that covers only about 10% of its restaurants. It’s unclear if franchise restaurants will be included in sick leave provisions. Other large employers, like Waffle House, Subway, Chick-fil-A, Cracker Barrel, Outback Steakhouse and the Cheesecake Factory, don’t have a policy, according to a Saturday editorial in The New York Times.
Many workers must first test positive for COVID-19 to obtain paid leave or officially be placed under quarantine, but getting a test in the U.S. is still difficult.
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The compromise reached Friday would offer 10 days’ emergency paid sick leave for those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, have symptoms, need to be tested, or who are under quarantine. (Democrats had originally proposed 14 days.) Sick leave would also be available for those exposed to someone else with the disease. However, the bill would not cover leave for high-risk workers who wish to avoid exposure to the virus on the job.
The bill would also provide the time off to workers regardless of how long they’ve been with their firms. That’s different from many corporate policies that require workers to “earn” paid time off by working.
Workers would also be able to tap 12 weeks’ paid leave for themselves or a sick family member, and receive two-thirds of their wages. The provisions would be paid for through tax credits for businesses.
This is a short-term bill only meant to offer relief to families dealing with the coronavirus. Other provisions include money for making coronavirus tests more widely available and expanded unemployment insurance.
The leave provisions would also only last for one year to deal with the crisis. Then the U.S. will go back to guaranteeing workers nothing.
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“On sick days and paid leave, these are temporary measures,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), one of the most die-hard leave advocates in the House, in a statement. “While this will help millions, millions are still left out. So, I will build on these programs. It should not, and must not, take a pandemic to get working people the economic relief and stability they need.”
The bill is also not as good for female workers as it is for male ones. Workers who take the sick leave for themselves would get 100% wage replacement. Those who take time off for caregiving ― a majority of whom will likely be women ― because a loved one is sick or their child’s school is closed would only get two-thirds wage replacement.
Still, advocates are applauding Pelosi for negotiating something with this White House, and pushing for the bill’s passage.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-14--How Scammers Are Spreading Horrifying Coronavirus Disinformation To Millions

A voice booms over dramatic music and footage of mass graves : “ You ’ ve been lied to about the coronavirus , ” it cautions .
“ Will you have the knowledge you need to be a hero to your family ?
Or will you panic and wind up just another body that loved ones are afraid to bury ?
” Right-wing news outlets including Newsmax , Townhall and Conservative Buzz have been quietly dispersing the virus-themed marketing materials through sponsored posts in their email newsletters .
These third-party ads are often disguised to look like actual news articles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outlets ’ own readerships — thanks in large part to a covert email harvesting enterprise directly involving Google .
It works like this : The news outlet runs a Google ad featuring a clickbait poll such as , “ Trump vs Biden 2020 ?
Vote Here.
” To vote , people must enter their email addresses , which will then be spammed with bogus coronavirus treatments , survival guides and so on .
This has been going on for weeks , and the messaging is often terrifying and factually inaccurate .
Newsmax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Google , where its email-harvesting polls are sometimes viewed in excess of 10 million times each .
It has employed a similar strategy on Facebook , and has paid the platforms a total of more than $ 2.5 million .
On its website , Newsmax boasts that it has more than 6 million newsletter subscribers , most of whom are “ information-hungry baby boomer readers.
” Lately , it has been hammering them with sponsored content warning of financial ruin and death while hawking COVID-19 inspired stock market hacks , a book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even an immunity-boosting “ miracle ” mushroom from Japan .
It sent out the government conspiracy video in an email alert on Wednesday titled , “ Virus Plan : 50,000 Graves.
” A former longtime Agora employee who asked not to be identified for privacy reasons told HuffPost that “ probably 100 % ” of Agora ’ s advertising is done through outside newsletters , because most major social media sites have refused to run the company ’ s own ads .
But even without direct Google ad space , Agora is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ massive reach to capitalize on the coronavirus crisis .
“ The Agora people know exactly how Newsmax and other sites use clickbait Google ads to build up their [ email distribution lists ] , ” which means a larger audience for Agora ’ s content , the former employee said .
And by advertising through newsletters , Agora can “ make the messaging more aggressive and fear-mongering ” than what could run on Google .
However , Newsmax and Conservative Buzz newsletters link to that now-empty page using alarmist text specifically relating to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here to see the disturbing truth about the coronavirus ( that they ’ re not telling us . )
” Agora declined to answer almost all of HuffPost ’ s questions , including who wrote the newsletters ’ ad copy .
“ After a few days , we decided to stop promoting that report/book , ” it said as part of a lengthy statement .
“ We were uncomfortable with the idea that it could be seen as an attempt to capitalize on a tragic situation.
” Conservative Buzz has spent more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ads , many of which have been viewed as many as 10 million times each .
Most , if not all , feature clickbait polls designed to procure people ’ s emails .
Its newsletter sponsors have been exploiting panic over COVID-19 to promote the Japanese mushroom , the immunity course , face masks , “ bank failure ” kits and even precious metals — often while using hysterical language and making unsupported claims about the products ’ abilities .
Townhall ’ s parent company , Salem Web Network , has spent nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 119 of which include polls that automatically sign voters up for Townhall ’ s newsletter .
In Thursday ’ s edition , a Townhall sponsor warned seniors that the virus was “ hemorrhaging ” their retirement funds , and urged them to buy its investment guide “ before it ’ s too late.
” HuffPost first wrote about this email-harvesting scheme in January — warning that some of Google ’ s major political advertisers were buying ads to boost their newsletter subscriber counts , then inundating those subscribers with sponsored emails containing harmful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer and other deadly diseases .
Google did not take action at the time , noting that the actual ads and landing pages complied with its rules .
“ All ads that run on our platforms have to comply with our ads policies .
If we find ads that violate these policies , we remove them , ” said a Google spokesperson .
“ We are committed to bringing greater transparency to political advertising , and for political advertisers , we have additional requirements , such as verification of the advertiser , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ads Transparency Report.
” Tech giants are working in stride to tackle the coronavirus crisis .
For its part , Google has set up a 24-hour incident response team to engage with the World Health Organization , and is giving the group free advertising credit .
Google is also granting free access to some of its video-conferencing services to make it easier for people to work remotely , among other measures .
Most importantly , it ’ s working to promote authoritative sources while reducing the spread of false information .

Keep up with the latest updates on the coronavirus at our live blog.
A voice booms over dramatic music and footage of mass graves: “You’ve been lied to about the coronavirus,” it cautions. “Will you have the knowledge you need to be a hero to your family? Or will you panic and wind up just another body that loved ones are afraid to bury?”
The video, titled “Military Source Exposes Shocking TRUTH About Coronavirus,” baselessly warns of a secret government cover-up surrounding COVID-19, and is filled with increasingly brazen falsehoods — all to peddle a course on becoming “coronavirus-proof.”
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It’s one of many dangerous scams reaching millions of people amid the global pandemic, and a blind spot in Google’s sweeping crackdown on virus-related disinformation. The groups circulating these hoaxes are no small-fry hucksters: They are among the platform’s biggest political advertisers.
Right-wing news outlets including Newsmax, Townhall and Conservative Buzz have been quietly dispersing the virus-themed marketing materials through sponsored posts in their email newsletters. These third-party ads are often disguised to look like actual news articles, and the newsletters reach far beyond the outlets’ own readerships — thanks in large part to a covert email harvesting enterprise directly involving Google.
It works like this: The news outlet runs a Google ad featuring a clickbait poll such as, “Trump vs Biden 2020? Vote Here.” To vote, people must enter their email addresses, which will then be spammed with bogus coronavirus treatments, survival guides and so on. This has been going on for weeks, and the messaging is often terrifying and factually inaccurate.
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Newsmax is one of the top-spending political advertisers on Google, where its email-harvesting polls are sometimes viewed in excess of 10 million times each. It has employed a similar strategy on Facebook, and has paid the platforms a total of more than $2.5 million.
On its website, Newsmax boasts that it has more than 6 million newsletter subscribers, most of whom are “information-hungry baby boomer readers.” Lately, it has been hammering them with sponsored content warning of financial ruin and death while hawking COVID-19 inspired stock market hacks, a book promising “surefire” infection protection, and even an immunity-boosting “miracle” mushroom from Japan. It sent out the government conspiracy video in an email alert on Wednesday titled, “Virus Plan: 50,000 Graves.”
The firm behind the Japanese mushroom post is the Health Sciences Institute (HSI) — a group that’s notorious for pushing medical misinformation. The Federal Trade Commission is already suing HSI’s parent company, Agora Financial, for allegedly targeting seniors with unsupported claims about a 28-day cure for Type 2 diabetes.
A former longtime Agora employee who asked not to be identified for privacy reasons told HuffPost that “probably 100%” of Agora’s advertising is done through outside newsletters, because most major social media sites have refused to run the company’s own ads. But even without direct Google ad space, Agora is still strategically leveraging the platform’s massive reach to capitalize on the coronavirus crisis.
“The Agora people know exactly how Newsmax and other sites use clickbait Google ads to build up their [email distribution lists],” which means a larger audience for Agora’s content, the former employee said. And by advertising through newsletters, Agora can “make the messaging more aggressive and fear-mongering” than what could run on Google.
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This indirect advertising approach also allows grifters to escape public scrutiny for the claims spread through their promotional materials; many Google ads are cataloged through the platform’s public ad library, making them accessible to journalists and watchdogs.
A short time after HuffPost contacted Agora to seek comment for this article, HSI wiped all mentions of the Japanese mushroom from its website. Agora claimed that HSI’s webpage detailing the mushroom’s alleged benefits, including “some anti-cancer effects,” originally promoted an alternative medicine report and book.
However, Newsmax and Conservative Buzz newsletters link to that now-empty page using alarmist text specifically relating to the virus, including, “Click here to see the disturbing truth about the coronavirus (that they’re not telling us.)” Agora declined to answer almost all of HuffPost’s questions, including who wrote the newsletters’ ad copy.
“After a few days, we decided to stop promoting that report/book,” it said as part of a lengthy statement. “We were uncomfortable with the idea that it could be seen as an attempt to capitalize on a tragic situation.”
Scammers are using fear-mongering tactics to manipulate consumers amid the pandemic.
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Conservative Buzz has spent more than $4.3 million to run 4,567 Google ads, many of which have been viewed as many as 10 million times each. Most, if not all, feature clickbait polls designed to procure people’s emails. Its newsletter sponsors have been exploiting panic over COVID-19 to promote the Japanese mushroom, the immunity course, face masks, “bank failure” kits and even precious metals — often while using hysterical language and making unsupported claims about the products’ abilities.
Townhall’s parent company, Salem Web Network, has spent nearly $450,000 on Google ads, all 119 of which include polls that automatically sign voters up for Townhall’s newsletter. In Thursday’s edition, a Townhall sponsor warned seniors that the virus was “hemorrhaging” their retirement funds, and urged them to buy its investment guide “before it’s too late.”
Newsmax, Conservative Buzz and Salem Web Network did not respond to requests for comment.
HuffPost first wrote about this email-harvesting scheme in January — warning that some of Google’s major political advertisers were buying ads to boost their newsletter subscriber counts, then inundating those subscribers with sponsored emails containing harmful medical hoaxes, including supposed cures for cancer and other deadly diseases. Google did not take action at the time, noting that the actual ads and landing pages complied with its rules.
The company’s position has not changed.
“All ads that run on our platforms have to comply with our ads policies. If we find ads that violate these policies, we remove them,” said a Google spokesperson. “We are committed to bringing greater transparency to political advertising, and for political advertisers, we have additional requirements, such as verification of the advertiser, a paid-for-by disclosure and inclusion in our political ads Transparency Report.”
Tech giants are working in stride to tackle the coronavirus crisis. For its part, Google has set up a 24-hour incident response team to engage with the World Health Organization, and is giving the group free advertising credit. Google is also granting free access to some of its video-conferencing services to make it easier for people to work remotely, among other measures. Most importantly, it’s working to promote authoritative sources while reducing the spread of false information.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-14--White House Says Donald Trump Tests Negative For Coronavirus

The White House said late Saturday that President Donald Trump tested negative for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
In a memo , Trump ’ s doctor said he received confirmation that the president ’ s COVID-19 test was negative , adding that Trump was “ symptom free.
” The president told reporters on Saturday that he took a test the previous evening for COVID-19 , after individuals who had been near him tested positive .
Trump said on Saturday that his temperature was “ totally normal.
” Trump has come into contact with several individuals who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and met with at least one person who was later diagnosed with it : Fabio Wajngarten , an aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro , who posed for a photo with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence while at Mar-a-Lago for meetings with the U.S. president .
Other lawmakers who came in contact with Wajngarten , including Sens .
Rick Scott ( R-Fla. ) and Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) , self-quarantined out of an abundance of caution .
On Saturday , the White House announced that it would check the temperatures of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump or Vice President Mike Pence .
Pence , who was also near individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 , said Saturday that he had not yet been tested but would be “ happy ” to do so and would consult with the White House physician .
The president has recently strayed from experts ’ advice on how to avoid contracting or spreading the virus .
On Friday , at a press conference about coronavirus , Trump shook hands with other speakers and stood in close proximity to many people — despite health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing ” to stem the spread of COVID-19 .
Read live updates from HuffPost reporters around the world who are tracking the pandemic and the measures being taken to flatten the curve of transmission .

The White House said late Saturday that President Donald Trump tested negative for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
In a memo, Trump’s doctor said he received confirmation that the president’s COVID-19 test was negative, adding that Trump was “symptom free.”
President Trump’s doctor says the president tested negative for coronavirus pic.twitter.com/6Edpd4HPHS — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) March 14, 2020
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The president told reporters on Saturday that he took a test the previous evening for COVID-19, after individuals who had been near him tested positive. Trump said on Saturday that his temperature was “totally normal.”
Trump has come into contact with several individuals who’ve been around those with coronavirus and met with at least one person who was later diagnosed with it: Fabio Wajngarten, an aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who posed for a photo with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence while at Mar-a-Lago for meetings with the U.S. president.
Other lawmakers who came in contact with Wajngarten, including Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), self-quarantined out of an abundance of caution.
On Saturday, the White House announced that it would check the temperatures of anyone who comes in close contact with Trump or Vice President Mike Pence. Pence, who was also near individuals who tested positive for COVID-19, said Saturday that he had not yet been tested but would be “happy” to do so and would consult with the White House physician.
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The president has recently strayed from experts’ advice on how to avoid contracting or spreading the virus. On Friday, at a press conference about coronavirus, Trump shook hands with other speakers and stood in close proximity to many people — despite health experts’ recommendations that Americans practice “social distancing” to stem the spread of COVID-19.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-14--Lying, Tweeting and Wishing A Pandemic Away Doesn’t Work, It Turns Out

On Feb. 26 , the day after a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that life in the United States was likely to change very quickly , Trump claimed that there were only 15 cases here , and that number would soon fall to zero .
Two days later , he called the virus the latest “ hoax ” that Democrats and the media were using to hurt the economy and , in turn , his chances for reelection .
Indeed , over the course of February , he spoke and posted on Twitter repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease it causes , had not killed as many as the seasonal flu and suggested that Americans should buy stocks .
It was not until Friday that Trump declared a national emergency , sending the official signal that local governments and hospitals around the country should take the problem seriously and ensuring that federal money would help reimburse their costs .
In the meantime , only a tiny fraction of Americans have been tested for the disease , meaning officials do not have enough data to allocate resources most efficiently .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Konyndyk said , should have been alarmed on Jan. 23 upon hearing of the mass quarantine in Hubei Province .
“ That right there should have been a huge warning sign , ” he said .
“ And there was no good reason to think if that could happen in China , it couldn ’ t happen somewhere else.
” That was the date the CDC should have started a crash program to develop and widely disseminate a test for the virus , the genetic code of which had been published by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospitals should have been alerted to prepare for a crush of intensive care patients suffering from the disease , and first responders should have been notified and equipped with enough supplies to handle sick patients safely .
From the onset of the crisis , Trump has boasted about having imposed restrictions on foreigners — but not Americans — from entering the country from China back on Jan. 31 .
“ This is urgent for me right from the beginning .
You know that because I closed up our country to China , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House .
But just two weeks earlier , Trump had defended the action , saying he did not like having people on staff if they weren ’ t needed at that moment : “ Some of the people we cut , they haven ’ t been used for many , many years .
And if ― if we have a need , we can get them very quickly.
” “ Someone should have been looking at the big picture , and that someone should have been at the White House .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Konyndyk said , adding that instead of preparing to deal with the pandemic here , Trump and his top officials fixated on the idea they could keep it from entering the country , despite knowing how contagious it was and how long an incubation period it had .
“ There was no reason to think we could keep this out.
” Trump ’ s own behavior , meanwhile , continued to undermine the warnings and advice put out by experts in his own administration .
At Friday ’ s news conference , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nose , and then shook hands with other participants and adjusted the microphone at the lectern even though he has come into contact with individuals who have subsequently tested positive for the virus .
And while members of Congress have self-quarantined after being exposed to people who have tested positive , Trump refused to do so .
For days , he also declined to be tested .
When asked about being tested on Friday , Trump said all he did was shake hands and have a photograph taken with an infected person and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even know the individual .

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WASHINGTON ― What happens when the president of the United States tries to lie, wish and tweet a pandemic away?
As it turns out, it puts a government response four to six weeks behind schedule, possibly resulting in thousands — or even tens or hundreds of thousands — more Americans getting seriously ill and dying.
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“They underprepared, and now we have to catch up,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, who worked on the widely praised 2014 Ebola outbreak response under former President Barack Obama. “We could have been in a dramatically different place at this point.”
On Jan. 22, the day before China imposed a draconian quarantine on the province where the virus originated, Donald Trump claimed the disease was “totally under control,” that it was just in a single patient who had come from China. “It’s going to be just fine.”
On Feb. 10, as the virus was starting to spread in Italy and Iran, Trump told a meeting of the nation’s governors at the White House: “A lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat.”
On Feb. 26, the day after a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that life in the United States was likely to change very quickly, Trump claimed that there were only 15 cases here, and that number would soon fall to zero.
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Two days later, he called the virus the latest “hoax” that Democrats and the media were using to hurt the economy and, in turn, his chances for reelection. Indeed, over the course of February, he spoke and posted on Twitter repeatedly that the coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes, had not killed as many as the seasonal flu and suggested that Americans should buy stocks.
It was not until Friday that Trump declared a national emergency, sending the official signal that local governments and hospitals around the country should take the problem seriously and ensuring that federal money would help reimburse their costs. In the meantime, only a tiny fraction of Americans have been tested for the disease, meaning officials do not have enough data to allocate resources most efficiently.
“He’s just failing miserably,” said Juliette Kayyam, who helped handle the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak and the British Petroleum oil spill for Obama’s Department of Homeland Security and now lectures on emergency management at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. “It’s about a president who saw a category five hurricane coming ashore, and just let it come.”
President Donald Trump speaks in the press briefing room at the White House on Saturday. Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images
Trump’s comments set the tone
Although Trump may not specifically have told administration officials to focus on travel bans and downplay the coronavirus threat to avoid spooking the financial markets, he did not need to, disaster response experts said. His public statements and tweets made clear what he wanted.
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“It’s hard to go against the president,” Konyndyk said. “People in government are very attuned to what the president does and does not want to hear.”
Trump’s top national security and health officials, Konyndyk said, should have been alarmed on Jan. 23 upon hearing of the mass quarantine in Hubei Province. “That right there should have been a huge warning sign,” he said. “And there was no good reason to think if that could happen in China, it couldn’t happen somewhere else.”
That was the date the CDC should have started a crash program to develop and widely disseminate a test for the virus, the genetic code of which had been published by Chinese scientists nearly two weeks earlier. Hospitals should have been alerted to prepare for a crush of intensive care patients suffering from the disease, and first responders should have been notified and equipped with enough supplies to handle sick patients safely.
“That’s like basic crisis management 101,” Kayyam said. “The federal apparatus is just not ready.”
On Friday, though, Trump refused to accept any blame for his administration’s response: “I don’t take responsibility at all.” He then added, evidence notwithstanding, that his own performance has been superb. “We’re doing a great job.”
From the onset of the crisis, Trump has boasted about having imposed restrictions on foreigners — but not Americans — from entering the country from China back on Jan. 31. “This is urgent for me right from the beginning. You know that because I closed up our country to China,” he told reporters again on Saturday at the White House.
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In fact, by that point, as later evidence would show, the virus had already entered the United States, and “community spread” — which expands the circle of infection far more rapidly than entry of foreigners — had already begun.
“We don’t have a travel ban. We have a travel Band-Aid right now,” Ron Klain, who led Obama’s Ebola response, told lawmakers on Feb. 5. “First, before it was imposed, 300,000 people came here from China in the previous month. So, the horse is out of the barn.”
Undoing Obama at all costs
While Trump’s shaky effort with coronavirus began in January, its seeds were sewn nearly two years earlier, when his administration dismantled the pandemic response team that Obama created following the Ebola outbreak.
It was designed to streamline the federal government’s ability to deal with subsequent epidemics and was led by a member of the National Security Council, with direct access to the national security adviser.
Trump, who has made it a top priority to undo all of Obama’s accomplishments, claimed Friday that he didn’t have anything to do with eliminating the office and knew nothing about it.
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But just two weeks earlier, Trump had defended the action, saying he did not like having people on staff if they weren’t needed at that moment: “Some of the people we cut, they haven’t been used for many, many years. And if ― if we have a need, we can get them very quickly.”
Konyndyk said that in doing so, Trump had lost a lot of expertise from government. More important, it meant no one was in place at the NSC to see what was happening in China and immediately set a coordinated response in motion here.
“Someone should have been looking at the big picture, and that someone should have been at the White House. But they dissolved the directorate,” Konyndyk said, adding that instead of preparing to deal with the pandemic here, Trump and his top officials fixated on the idea they could keep it from entering the country, despite knowing how contagious it was and how long an incubation period it had. “There was no reason to think we could keep this out.”
Trump’s own behavior, meanwhile, continued to undermine the warnings and advice put out by experts in his own administration. At Friday’s news conference, he repeatedly touched his face, including his nose, and then shook hands with other participants and adjusted the microphone at the lectern even though he has come into contact with individuals who have subsequently tested positive for the virus.
And while members of Congress have self-quarantined after being exposed to people who have tested positive, Trump refused to do so. For days, he also declined to be tested. When asked about being tested on Friday, Trump said all he did was shake hands and have a photograph taken with an infected person and that, besides, he did not even know the individual.
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“I have no idea who he is, but I take pictures and it lasts for, literally, seconds,” Trump said. “I don’t know the gentleman that we’re talking about. I have no idea who he is.”
Friday night, just before midnight, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham released a letter from Trump’s White House doctor claiming that the president’s situation did not warrant getting a coronavirus test. But during a Saturday news briefing, Trump claimed he had, in fact, been tested the previous night, but the results weren’t yet available.
“I decided I should, based on the press conference yesterday. People were asking that I take the test,” Trump said Saturday. “Only because the press is going crazy.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-14--Mike Pence Scrambles After Google Contradicts Trump On Coronavirus Website

Vice President Mike Pence promised Saturday “ specific ” clarifying information after a Google statement flatly contradicted President Donald Trump ’ s earlier tout that the tech giant would “ quickly ” have a national website up to help the public with coronavirus screening .
“ We ’ re working 24/7 on this , ” Pence told reporters at a White House news conference .
“ We ’ re going to have very specific details on the rollout of this new public-private partnership and testing at 5 o ’ clock tomorrow.
” The “ objective here is to have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
Pence said Google would launch a “ pilot project ” website Monday for “ risk assessment.
” Trump ’ s announcement Friday in the Rose Garden apparently took Google by surprise .
The company shortly afterward issued a statement from Verily — a subsidiary of Google ’ s parent Alphabet — that it has a site in “ early development ” that would be rolled out for testing in the San Francisco Bay Area , with the “ hope of expanding more broadly over time.
” Statement from Verily : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ triage individuals for Covid-19 testing .
Verily is in the early stages of development , and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area , with the hope of expanding more broadly over time .
— Google Communications ( @ Google_Comms ) March 13 , 2020 Trump had thanked Google Friday for developing a website that would help people “ determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location.
” It ’ s “ going to be very quickly done , unlike websites of the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparent dig at a jammed website used for the government ’ s health insurance exchange during the Obama administration .
Dr. Deborah Birx , the White House coronavirus response coordinator , held up a cardboard mock-up of a website home page after Trump ’ s comments to reporters showing where “ consumers ” could click on a label saying “ no coronavirus symptoms , ” which would then advise users not to be tested .
Verily representative Carolyn Wang described the operation to The Verge Friday as a “ triage website ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the general public , but that ’ s now being changed .
The site was also intended to primarily be a mapping aid so users can type in their address and find the closest location for testing .
It will only be able to direct people to “ pilot sites ” for testing in the Bay Area , though Verily hopes to expand that beyond California “ over time , ” she said .
As for Trump ’ s talk of 1,700 engineers working on the site , a Verily employee told The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely not 1,700 engineers at Verily .
I ’ m not even sure there are 1,700 people at Verily.
” Google did note on Twitter that employees from outside Verily were “ volunteering ” on the project .

Vice President Mike Pence promised “specific” clarifying information Saturday after a Google statement flatly contradicted President Donald Trump’s earlier tout that the tech giant would “quickly” have a national website up to help the public with coronavirus screening.
“We’re working 24/7 on this,” Pence told reporters at a White House news conference. “We’re going to have very specific details on the rollout of this new public-private partnership and testing at 5 o’clock tomorrow.” The “objective here is to have a website up very quickly,” he added. Pence said Google would launch a “pilot project” website Monday for “risk assessment.”
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Trump’s announcement Friday in the Rose Garden apparently took Google by surprise. The company shortly afterward issued a statement from Verily — a subsidiary of Google’s parent Alphabet — that it has a site in “early development” that would be rolled out for testing in the San Francisco Bay Area, with the “hope of expanding more broadly over time.”
Statement from Verily: "We are developing a tool to help triage individuals for Covid-19 testing. Verily is in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time. — Google Communications (@Google_Comms) March 13, 2020
Trump had thanked Google Friday for developing a website that would help people “determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location.”
It’s “going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past,” he added, in an apparent dig at a jammed website used for the government’s health insurance exchange during the Obama administration.
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Trump claimed Google had “1,700 engineers” working on the project, making “tremendous progress.”
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, held up a cardboard mock-up of a website page after Trump’s comments to reporters showing where “consumers” could click on a label saying “no coronavirus symptoms,” which would then advise users not to be tested.
Verily representative Carolyn Wang described the operation to The Verge Friday as a “triage website” that was intended for health workers, not the general public, but that’s now being changed. The site was also intended to primarily be a mapping aid so users can type in their address and find the closest location for testing. It will only be able to direct people to “pilot sites” for testing in the Bay Area, though Verily hopes to expand that beyond California “over time,” she said.
As for Trump’s talk of 1,700 engineers working on the site, a Verily employee told The Daily Beast: “There’s absolutely not 1,700 engineers at Verily. I’m not even sure there are 1,700 people at Verily.” Google did note on Twitter that employees from outside Verily were “volunteering” on the project.
Trump’s announcement about a Google health site immediately raised concerns about patient privacy and the company’s controversial use of personal information.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-14--Georgia To Postpone Primaries Over Coronavirus

ATLANTA ( AP ) — Georgia election officials are postponing the state ’ s March 24 presidential primaries until May because of fears over the coronavirus .
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement that in-person early voting , which began statewide March 2 , will be halted and the election will be moved to May 19 , when Georgia ’ s other 2020 primary elections are being held .
The action followed Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp ’ s signature of an emergency declaration that unlocked sweeping powers to fight COVID-19 .
In a speech Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places of worship , schools and others to consider canceling large gatherings as cases in the state rise .
As of Saturday , the virus had infected more than 150,000 people worldwide and killed over 5,600 .
Georgia is reporting 66 confirmed cases , with most concentrated around metro Atlanta .
One death in the state has been caused by the virus .
Election officials said in addition to the safety of the public , one of the biggest considerations was the risk the virus posed to poll workers , who are often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first state to push back its presidential primaries .

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ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia election officials are postponing the state’s March 24 presidential primaries until May because of fears over the coronavirus.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement that in-person early voting, which began statewide March 2, will be halted and the election will be moved to May 19, when Georgia’s other 2020 primary elections are being held.
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The action followed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature of an emergency declaration that unlocked sweeping powers to fight COVID-19. In a speech Saturday, the governor renewed a call for places of worship, schools and others to consider canceling large gatherings as cases in the state rise.
As of Saturday, the virus had infected more than 150,000 people worldwide and killed over 5,600. Georgia is reporting 66 confirmed cases, with most concentrated around metro Atlanta. One death in the state has been caused by the virus.
Election officials said in addition to the safety of the public, one of the biggest considerations was the risk the virus posed to poll workers, who are often older.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-14--Joe Biden Lands Endorsement Of The Nation’s Largest Teachers Union

Barcroft Media via Getty Images Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus on March 12 .
Lily Eskelsen Garcia , the president of the powerful teachers union , called Biden a “ tireless advocate for public education ” and “ the partner that students and educators need now in the White House ” in a statement announcing the union ’ s support .
“ With so much at stake in this election , educators are determined to use their voice to propel Joe Biden to the White House , ” Eskelsen Garcia said .
The NEA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday evening vote , the union said , choosing him over Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , Biden ’ s chief rival for the Democratic nomination .
With more than 3 million members nationwide , the NEA is the country ’ s largest labor union , and its endorsement comes just days before another crucial round of primaries on Tuesday .
The union cited Biden ’ s engagement on education issues , including the “ comprehensive plans ” he released for K-12 and higher education , as the main reasons he won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary , has been among the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos , whom the union has called “ the least qualified secretary of education in history.
” The NEA has wielded considerable political strength over the last four years , backing teacher protests across the country as part of the nationwide movement that became known as “ Red For Ed.
” The movement helped more than 1,000 teachers win election to public office in 2018 , the union said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who ranks among the least popular members of the Trump administration , are its biggest targets .
“ Biden will fire Betsy DeVos and replace her with an education secretary who comes from a public school classroom and believes that educators must have a seat at the table when crafting education policy , ” Eskelsen Garcia said in her statement .
Most of the country ’ s largest unions have yet to weigh in on the Democratic race , in part because many of them angered members four years ago by lining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The NEA was among the unions that faced pushback from members after its early endorsement of Clinton , which came in October 2015 .
Biden ’ s surge to the front of the race this month , though , may be starting to draw labor off the sidelines : After getting off to slow start with unions early in his campaign , Biden has picked up two major national labor endorsements and the backing of several local unions in recent weeks .
The American Federation of Teachers , which represents more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to back Biden , Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
in February .
But AFT ’ s leadership said at the time that it could still choose to formally endorse a single candidate at some point during the primary .

Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus on March 12. Barcroft Media via Getty Images
The National Education Association threw its weight behind former Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday night, handing him another big endorsement from organized labor.
Lily Eskelsen Garcia, the president of the powerful teachers union, called Biden a “tireless advocate for public education” and “the partner that students and educators need now in the White House” in a statement announcing the union’s support.
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“With so much at stake in this election, educators are determined to use their voice to propel Joe Biden to the White House,” Eskelsen Garcia said.
The NEA’s board of directors backed Biden in a Saturday evening vote, the union said, choosing him over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Biden’s chief rival for the Democratic nomination.
With more than 3 million members nationwide, the NEA is the country’s largest labor union, and its endorsement comes just days before another crucial round of primaries on Tuesday.
The union cited Biden’s engagement on education issues, including the “comprehensive plans” he released for K-12 and higher education, as the main reasons he won its endorsement.
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The NEA, which endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary, has been among the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, whom the union has called “the least qualified secretary of education in history.”
The NEA has wielded considerable political strength over the last four years, backing teacher protests across the country as part of the nationwide movement that became known as “Red For Ed.” The movement helped more than 1,000 teachers win election to public office in 2018, the union said.
And in 2020, Trump and DeVos, who ranks among the least popular members of the Trump administration, are its biggest targets.
“Biden will fire Betsy DeVos and replace her with an education secretary who comes from a public school classroom and believes that educators must have a seat at the table when crafting education policy,” Eskelsen Garcia said in her statement.
Most of the country’s largest unions have yet to weigh in on the Democratic race, in part because many of them angered members four years ago by lining up behind Clinton early in the process. The NEA was among the unions that faced pushback from members after its early endorsement of Clinton, which came in October 2015.
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Biden’s surge to the front of the race this month, though, may be starting to draw labor off the sidelines: After getting off to slow start with unions early in his campaign, Biden has picked up two major national labor endorsements and the backing of several local unions in recent weeks.