theguardian--2020-05-06--Raging at China over coronavirus won't help – scrutinising our own governments might | Sam Geall

He was once fearful of endangering the country ’ s deep economic relationship with China , but the Australian prime minister , Scott Morrison , has now begun to campaign for an international inquiry into the Covid-19 outbreak .
The call comes amid claims from the Trump administration that China covered up a laboratory leak in Wuhan , or even released the novel coronavirus on purpose .
The tenor of debate in the United States gives an indication of the stakes .
The Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson – a favourite of the president – has been drawing on reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a supposed secret dossier linking the outbreak to the Wuhan lab .
“ We are squabbling about lockdowns … that is the debate in this country , ” said Carlson .
“ That is not the debate in China , why ?
Because they have bigger plans .
By the time this pandemic has played out , China plans to rule the world.
” The dossier has been contradicted by intelligence sources , who believe it was based on freely available material and was most likely to have come from the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a counter-narrative and [ apply ] pressure to China ” .
Meanwhile , the scientific community says there is no evidence for the claim that the virus originated in a Wuhan lab – even Morrison has poured cold water on that particular idea .
And a US intelligence community statement on the origins of Covid-19 was agnostic .
Whether they can resist pressure from the Trump administration to produce a politically convenient narrative , as reported in the New York Times , is an open question .
But given that anti-Chinese sentiment so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US , a blame-shifting operation seems to be under way .
Even so , there is a good case for an inquiry .
From the shameful cover-up of the initial outbreak , such as the silencing of the heroic doctor Li Wenliang , to the subsequent censorship , the disappearance of critics and sowing of disinformation , there ’ s still a lot to learn .
China has seen a litany of food and agriculture scandals ( amazingly , it is still not well understood why 16,000 pig carcasses floated down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens certainly deserve to know more about the role of intensified animal agriculture and environmental destruction in propelling new pathogens into human population centres .
Greater understanding may help societies across the world to better rebuild economies and improve public health and preparedness systems .
But US and Australian demands get us no closer to solving these problems in China or anywhere else .
International inquiries do happen ( into Venezuela and Myanmar , most recently ) , but great powers don ’ t play by the same rules as small countries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by such an inquiry , any more than the US would have accepted a China-led inquiry into its role in sowing the 2008 global financial crisis .
And even if it went ahead , China would likely give an inquiry the same heed it gave a critical 2016 UN ruling on the South China Sea , calling it “ nothing more than a piece of waste paper ” .
Instead of spurring learning or action , this type of aggressive diplomacy will only lead to the further emboldening of hardline nationalist and protectionist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escalating sabre-rattling that keeps us as far as ever from the cooperation required to handle the pandemic and its aftermath .
Chinese elites may indeed be fearful of international pressure , with one intelligence-linked thinktank warning of the global fallout from anti-Chinese opprobrium .
But punishing China will not improve international cooperation , any more than it will bring freedom of speech , encourage China to share information on future health crises , or improve supply-chain coordination on medical supplies .
After the outbreak , China banned eating wildlife and stepped up efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It can go much further , and next year it will rightly be under scrutiny when it hosts the UN Convention on Biological Diversity talks in Kunming – this aims to reduce the destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity , which helps pathogens to pass between animals and people .
In many other negotiations – such as the Paris climate agreement , and debt relief for the world ’ s poorest – the sheer size of its economy means China plays a critical role .
And while many Chinese citizens were initially furious about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a widespread assumption in the country that “ accusations from western governments are in bad faith ” – as the academic Chenchen Zhang put it .
This has only grown in recent weeks , especially since these same “ international actors were silent ” about China ’ s plight in late January and early February .
Carlson may dislike Americans “ squabbling about lockdowns ” , but criticising one ’ s government ’ s response is the right of citizens in open societies .
Of course , the Chinese government will silence its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It took brave , independent journalists in China to break the story of the Covid-19 cover-up , despite fears of reprisals , and pressure from the authorities to spread “ positive energy ” that hews to the official government line .
But in countries like the US , Australia and the UK , citizens have a choice .
We can scrutinise our governments and societies – for the glaring failures of the pandemic response ; the debasement of scientific inquiry and media freedom ; the politicisation of intelligence ; attacks on the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or we can fall into line , direct our ire at the foreign enemy , and jettison the possibility of progress into the grinding gears of a great power conflict .
• Sam Geall is executive director at China Dialogue and associate fellow at Chatham House , a thinktank in London

He was once fearful of endangering the country’s deep economic relationship with China, but the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has now begun to campaign for an international inquiry into the Covid-19 outbreak. The call comes amid claims from the Trump administration that China covered up a laboratory leak in Wuhan, or even released the novel coronavirus on purpose.
The tenor of debate in the United States gives an indication of the stakes. The Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson – a favourite of the president – has been drawing on reports in the Australian tabloid the Daily Telegraph of a supposed secret dossier linking the outbreak to the Wuhan lab. “We are squabbling about lockdowns … that is the debate in this country,” said Carlson. “That is not the debate in China, why? Because they have bigger plans. By the time this pandemic has played out, China plans to rule the world.”
The dossier has been contradicted by intelligence sources, who believe it was based on freely available material and was most likely to have come from the US to help Washington “[build] a counter-narrative and [apply] pressure to China”.
Meanwhile, the scientific community says there is no evidence for the claim that the virus originated in a Wuhan lab – even Morrison has poured cold water on that particular idea. And a US intelligence community statement on the origins of Covid-19 was agnostic. Whether they can resist pressure from the Trump administration to produce a politically convenient narrative, as reported in the New York Times, is an open question. But given that anti-Chinese sentiment so evidently plays into ramping election rhetoric in the US, a blame-shifting operation seems to be under way.
Even so, there is a good case for an inquiry. From the shameful cover-up of the initial outbreak, such as the silencing of the heroic doctor Li Wenliang, to the subsequent censorship, the disappearance of critics and sowing of disinformation, there’s still a lot to learn. China has seen a litany of food and agriculture scandals (amazingly, it is still not well understood why 16,000 pig carcasses floated down the Huangpu river in 2013); its citizens certainly deserve to know more about the role of intensified animal agriculture and environmental destruction in propelling new pathogens into human population centres. Greater understanding may help societies across the world to better rebuild economies and improve public health and preparedness systems.
But US and Australian demands get us no closer to solving these problems in China or anywhere else. International inquiries do happen (into Venezuela and Myanmar, most recently), but great powers don’t play by the same rules as small countries. China will not accept being singled out by such an inquiry, any more than the US would have accepted a China-led inquiry into its role in sowing the 2008 global financial crisis. And even if it went ahead, China would likely give an inquiry the same heed it gave a critical 2016 UN ruling on the South China Sea, calling it “nothing more than a piece of waste paper”.
Instead of spurring learning or action, this type of aggressive diplomacy will only lead to the further emboldening of hardline nationalist and protectionist narratives in Beijing, along with the escalating sabre-rattling that keeps us as far as ever from the cooperation required to handle the pandemic and its aftermath.
Chinese elites may indeed be fearful of international pressure, with one intelligence-linked thinktank warning of the global fallout from anti-Chinese opprobrium. But punishing China will not improve international cooperation, any more than it will bring freedom of speech, encourage China to share information on future health crises, or improve supply-chain coordination on medical supplies.
After the outbreak, China banned eating wildlife and stepped up efforts to disrupt the illegal wildlife trade. It can go much further, and next year it will rightly be under scrutiny when it hosts the UN Convention on Biological Diversity talks in Kunming – this aims to reduce the destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity, which helps pathogens to pass between animals and people. In many other negotiations – such as the Paris climate agreement, and debt relief for the world’s poorest – the sheer size of its economy means China plays a critical role.
And while many Chinese citizens were initially furious about the government cover-up, there is also a widespread assumption in the country that “accusations from western governments are in bad faith” – as the academic Chenchen Zhang put it. This has only grown in recent weeks, especially since these same “international actors were silent” about China’s plight in late January and early February.
Carlson may dislike Americans “squabbling about lockdowns”, but criticising one’s government’s response is the right of citizens in open societies. Of course, the Chinese government will silence its critics and engage in blame-shifting rhetoric. It took brave, independent journalists in China to break the story of the Covid-19 cover-up, despite fears of reprisals, and pressure from the authorities to spread “positive energy” that hews to the official government line.
But in countries like the US, Australia and the UK, citizens have a choice. We can scrutinise our governments and societies – for the glaring failures of the pandemic response; the debasement of scientific inquiry and media freedom; the politicisation of intelligence; attacks on the “dual loyalties” of ethnic Chinese – or we can fall into line, direct our ire at the foreign enemy, and jettison the possibility of progress into the grinding gears of a great power conflict.


theguardian--2020-05-07--Global report: deaths are price of reopening, says Trump, as China warns risks remain

Donald Trump has again suggested the US may need to accept the reality of more deaths in order to start reopening the economy , as governments around the world continued to ease out of lockdown restrictions .
After backtracking on earlier indications that he would wind up the White House coronavirus taskforce , the Trump spelled out a potentially brutal approach to kickstarting the world ’ s biggest economy .
“ We have to be warriors , ” Trump told Fox News when asked if Americans should expect additional deaths as the country looks to reopen .
“ We can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years.
” The president added : “ Hopefully that won ’ t be the case … but it could very well be the case.
” By Thursday morning the number of cases in the US stood at more than 1.2 million and 73,431 deaths , with infections still on the rise in some states .
Worldwide there were more than 3.75 million cases and 263,831 people had died from the disease , according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker .
But there were more signs of light at the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constrained by lockdown rules .
New Zealanders have been celebrating the potential widespread relaxation of restrictions and a return to normal life next week after the prime minister , Jacinda Ardern , said she could allow bars , offices and hairdressers to reopen .
Her cabinet will meet on Monday to decide whether to ease restrictions , which could also see gatherings of up to 100 people allowed for the first since March and the resumption of professional sport , albeit behind closed doors .
The easing would go much further than relaxations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where large gatherings are still prohibited .
Ardern said the country , which on Thursday had one new case of Covid-19 , two people in hospital and no new deaths , was “ halfway down Everest ” in its bid to exit what has been one of the world ’ s toughest lockdown regimes .
But she warned : “ There is a much higher level of individual responsibly required at level two to prevent the spread of the virus .
Even though the economy will be significantly opened up we still need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act like you and those around you have the virus.
” Australia ’ s prime minister , Scott Morrison , is widely expected to announce similar relaxations after a scheduled meeting of the national cabinet on Friday .
In the UK , Boris Johnson has also signalled that some restrictions could be lifted from Monday allowing people to go sunbathing and to have picnics as long as they stay a safe distance from people not in their household .
Despite recording more than 6,000 new cases on Tuesday , the government was preparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stay Safe , Save Lives ” – compared with the “ Stay Home , Save Lives ” slogan used during the lockdown so far .
However a picture of the continuing threat of the disease emerged from China .
President Xi Jinping reportedly told a meeting of the ruling standing committee that the virus was still spreading overseas and the battle against Covid-19 was continuing , especially in Hubei province where the disease is believed to have originated .
Announcing improved healthcare structures , reform of disease prevention and control systems , increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xi called for “ unrelenting epidemic containment measures in Hubei province even as it has switched to epidemic control and prevention efforts on a regular basis ” .
In other developments around the world : • None Trump said on Wednesday he would be able to report in about a week or two whether China was fulfilling its obligations under a phase-one trade deal signed in January before coronavirus spread globally .
The two nations are embroiled in a war of words about the origins of the virus , with Trump warning that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world could jeopardise their trade .
• None All 400,000 protective gowns shipped to Britain from Turkey failed to meet NHS standards , it has emerged .
The Department for Health and Social Care confirmed on Wednesday evening that the items were being held in a facility near Heathrow airport and would likely be sent back .
• None Share markets in Asia were subdued on Thursday after warnings that the eurozone could see its worst ever recession .
The FTSE100 is expected to open flat in London while Wall Street was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials in Washington state have condemned a rise in so-called “ Covid ” parties where people gather in numbers with the idea of contracting the disease and gaining immunity .

Donald Trump has again suggested the US may need to accept the reality of more deaths in order to start reopening the economy, as governments around the world continued to ease out of lockdown restrictions.
After backtracking on earlier indications that he would wind up the White House coronavirus taskforce, the Trump spelled out a potentially brutal approach to kickstarting the world’s biggest economy. “We have to be warriors,” Trump told Fox News when asked if Americans should expect additional deaths as the country looks to reopen. “We can’t keep our country closed down for years.”
The president added: “Hopefully that won’t be the case … but it could very well be the case.”
By Thursday morning the number of cases in the US stood at more than 1.2 million and 73,431 deaths, with infections still on the rise in some states. Worldwide there were more than 3.75 million cases and 263,831 people had died from the disease, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
But there were more signs of light at the end of the tunnel for people around the world still constrained by lockdown rules.
New Zealanders have been celebrating the potential widespread relaxation of restrictions and a return to normal life next week after the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said she could allow bars, offices and hairdressers to reopen.
Her cabinet will meet on Monday to decide whether to ease restrictions, which could also see gatherings of up to 100 people allowed for the first since March and the resumption of professional sport, albeit behind closed doors.
04:41 Why are coronavirus mortality rates so different? – video explainer
The easing would go much further than relaxations in countries such as Germany and Spain where large gatherings are still prohibited.
Ardern said the country, which on Thursday had one new case of Covid-19, two people in hospital and no new deaths, was “halfway down Everest” in its bid to exit what has been one of the world’s toughest lockdown regimes.
But she warned: “There is a much higher level of individual responsibly required at level two to prevent the spread of the virus. Even though the economy will be significantly opened up we still need everyone to remain vigilant and continue to act like you and those around you have the virus.”
Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, is widely expected to announce similar relaxations after a scheduled meeting of the national cabinet on Friday.
In the UK, Boris Johnson has also signalled that some restrictions could be lifted from Monday allowing people to go sunbathing and to have picnics as long as they stay a safe distance from people not in their household.
Despite recording more than 6,000 new cases on Tuesday, the government was preparing to push a new message – “Stay Safe, Save Lives” – compared with the “Stay Home, Save Lives” slogan used during the lockdown so far.
However a picture of the continuing threat of the disease emerged from China. President Xi Jinping reportedly told a meeting of the ruling standing committee that the virus was still spreading overseas and the battle against Covid-19 was continuing, especially in Hubei province where the disease is believed to have originated.
Announcing improved healthcare structures, reform of disease prevention and control systems, increased epidemic monitoring and early warning capabilities, Xi called for “unrelenting epidemic containment measures in Hubei province even as it has switched to epidemic control and prevention efforts on a regular basis”.
In other developments around the world:


theguardian--2020-05-08--Biden accuser Tara Reade calls for him to drop out of presidential race

Controversial former television news anchor Megyn Kelly announced on Thursday that she has conducted the first on-camera interview with Tara Reade , almost a week after Joe Biden was directly confronted in another interview with Reade ’ s allegation of sexual assault , which he denied .
Reade has claimed Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993 , when she was working as a staffer in his Senate office .
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for the 2020 election denied the claim last week .
“ I ’ m saying unequivocally , it never , never happened , ” Biden told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday , Kelly released the first clip from the interview , in which she asked Reade if she thought Biden should drop out .
“ I wish he would , ” Reade said .
“ He won ’ t , but I wish he would.
” Asked what she would like to say to Biden , Reade replied : “ I want to say , you and I were there , Joe Biden .
Please step forward and be held accountable .
You should not be running on character for the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not yet been announced when and in what form the full interview will run , although it is expected to be broadcast soon .
Biden spoke out further on Thursday afternoon , telling a Florida news channel : “ Nothing ever happened with Tara Reade.
” Meanwhile , Kelly previously worked for Fox News and famously grilled Donald Trump on his frequently offensive comments about women , during a 2015 Republican primary debate , prompting the then candidate to later say Kelly had “ blood coming out of her eyes , blood coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left Fox for NBC News , but she was removed from her hosting role after making offensive comments about blackface .
She left the network last year .
Kelly accused the late Roger Ailes , the disgraced chairman of Fox News , of sexual harassment , as did many other women , the story of which became the basis for a feature film last year , Bombshell .
The New York Times reported last week that Fox News was the only major news network who had offered to interview Reade on camera about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Once the Times published its piece , Reade said at least two networks – CNN and CBS – had reached out about a potential interview .
But the former Senate staffer has apparently rejected all those offers to sit down with Kelly , who is not currently affiliated with a network .
In her interview with Reade , Kelly noted that Biden has previously said an accuser should be treated with “ the presumption that at least the essence of what she is talking about is real ” .
Kelly asked Reade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with that presumption .
She said no and went on to criticize his surrogates for siding with the former vice-president in the matter .
“ It ’ s been stunning actually how some of his surrogates with the blue checks ... have been saying really horrible things about me and to me on social media , ” Reade said .
The former Senate staffer added that she has been hacked and received a death threat since accusing Biden of sexual assault .
“ Every person that maybe has a gripe against me – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is – has been able to have a platform rather than me , ” Reade said .
The interview came as new evidence emerged in support of Reade ’ s case .
A 1996 court document obtained by the Tribune in San Luis Obispo , California , indicated that Reade told her ex-husband she was sexually harassed while working for Joe Biden in 1993 .
The court declaration , written by Reade ’ s ex-husband while contesting a restraining order during their divorce , “ does not say Biden committed the harassment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more recent allegations of sexual assault ” , the Tribune reported .
But it appears to be the first physical documentation to corroborate Reade ’ s account of sexual harassment .

Tara Reade, the woman who has accused Joe Biden of sexual assault, has said she would like him to drop out of the race for president.
In a clip from an interview with Megyn Kelly, the controversial former television news anchor asks Reade if she thought the former vice president should drop out of the election race. “I wish he would,” Reade said. “He won’t, but I wish he would.”
Asked what she would like to say to Biden, Reade said: “I want to say, you and I were there, Joe Biden. Please step forward and be held accountable. You should not be running on character for the president of the United States.”
The full interview is expected to be published on social media on Friday. It comes almost a week after Biden was directly confronted in another interview with Reade’s allegation of sexual assault, which he denied.
Reade has claimed Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993, when she was working as a staffer in his Senate office.
“I’m saying, unequivocally, it never, never happened,” Biden told MSNBC’s Morning Joe.
MK EXCLUSIVE: Former Biden staffer #TaraReade, who accuses FMR VP #JoeBiden of sexually assaulting her in 1993, sits down w/me in her first on-camera interview since Mr. Biden denied her accusations. Her story & some tough Q’s in a riveting exchange. A ton of news coming ... pic.twitter.com/8bvTntUIm8 — Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 7, 2020
Biden spoke out further on Thursday afternoon, telling a Florida news channel: “Nothing ever happened with Tara Reade.”
MK EXCLUSIVE: #TaraReade responds to #JoeBiden; calls for him to drop out pic.twitter.com/jxHAUYaWVU — Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 7, 2020
But the former Senate staffer has apparently rejected all those offers to sit down with Kelly, who is not currently affiliated with a network.
In her interview with Reade, Kelly noted that Biden has previously said an accuser should be treated with “the presumption that at least the essence of what she is talking about is real”.
Kelly asked Reade if she thought Biden had treated her with that presumption. She said no and went on to criticize his surrogates for siding with the former vice-president in the matter.
“It’s been stunning actually how some of his surrogates with the blue checks ... have been saying really horrible things about me and to me on social media,” Reade said.
.@JoeBiden reacts to Reade's call for him to drop out of the race, telling @BN9 "nothing ever happened with Tara Reade." He reiterated the need to take "women's claim seriously when she steps forward & then vetting it." In this case, "the truth is these claims are flat out false" https://t.co/JLQBUjho5S — Marianna Sotomayor (@MariannaNBCNews) May 7, 2020
The former Senate staffer added that her online accounts have been hacked and she has received a death threat since accusing Biden of sexual assault.
“Every person that maybe has a gripe against me – an ex-boyfriend or an ex-landlord or whatever it is – has been able to have a platform rather than me,” Reade said.
The interview came as new evidence emerged in support of Reade’s case. A 1996 court document obtained by the Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California, indicated that Reade told her ex-husband she was sexually harassed while working for Joe Biden in 1993.
The court declaration, written by Reade’s ex-husband while contesting a restraining order during their divorce, “does not say Biden committed the harassment nor does it mention Reade’s more recent allegations of sexual assault”, the Tribune reported.
Kelly previously worked for Fox News and famously grilled Donald Trump on his frequently offensive comments about women, during a 2015 Republican primary debate, prompting the then candidate to later say Kelly had “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever”.
Kelly left Fox for NBC News, but she was removed from her hosting role after making offensive comments about blackface. She left the network last year.
Kelly accused the late Roger Ailes, the disgraced chairman of Fox News, of sexual harassment, as did many other women, the story of which became the basis for a feature film last year, Bombshell.
The New York Times reported last week that Fox News was the only major news network who had offered to interview Reade on camera about her allegation of sexual assault against Biden.
Once the New York Times published its piece, Reade said at least two networks – CNN and CBS – had got in touch about a potential interview.


theguardian--2020-05-08--Biden sexual assault accuser Tara Reade calls on him to drop out of 2020 race – as it happened

Outbreaks of coronavirus around the United States have been linked to people flying from New York City , a report @ @ @ @ @ today showed .
“ We now have enough data to feel pretty confident that New @ @ @ @ @ for the rest of the country , ” said Nathan Grubaugh , an epidemiologist at @ @ @ @ @ Health .
Some 72 % of the cases in Minnesota , 78 % of cases @ @ @ @ @ % of cases in Iowa are genetically similar to those of New York City , @ @ @ @ @ from that hotspot .
New York ’ s failure to act quickly meant the virus @ @ @ @ @ before it could be contained , the report showed :

Kari Paul in San Francisco (now) and Joan E Greve in Washington (earlier)

8 May 2020 01.16 BST Evening Summary That’s all from me, Kari Paul, for today. Here are the top news stories to be aware of as you go into the evening. The US death toll has surpassed 75,000 people, making it more than twice the second highest death toll in the UK of 30,000 deaths.
On Thursday, senator and former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren joined New York City officials in calling for better protections of frontline workers, including sick pay and protection for whistleblowers.
In a vote of 49 to 45 on Thursday, the Senate failed to override a veto from Donald Trump of a war powers resolution limiting his authority to use military force in Iran which was proposed in response to Trump’s killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
After being tapped today by Republican representative Kevin McCarthy to chair a new China task force, top GOP lawmaker Mike McCaul disclosed hundreds of thousands of dollars of family holdings in a major Chinese tech company that has been linked to censorship and surveillance.
A 1996 court document obtained by The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California indicates former Senate staffer Tara Reade told her ex-husband she was sexually harassed while working for Joe Biden in 1993. It is the first physical corroboration of Reade’s accusations.
Outbreaks of coronavirus around the United States have been linked to people flying from New York City, a report from the New York Times today showed.
7 May 2020 00.53 BST Outbreaks of coronavirus around the United States have been linked to people flying from New York City, a report from the New York Times today showed. “We now have enough data to feel pretty confident that New York was the primary gateway for the rest of the country,” said Nathan Grubaugh, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health. Some 72% of the cases in Minnesota, 78% of cases in Wisconsin, and 100% of cases in Iowa are genetically similar to those of New York City, implying that it was spread from that hotspot. New York’s failure to act quickly meant the virus was spread far and wide before it could be contained, the report showed: By mid-March, when President Trump restricted travel from Europe, the restrictions were essentially pointless, the data suggest, as the disease was already spreading widely within the country.
7 May 2020 00.49 BST A 1996 court document obtained by The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California indicates former Senate staffer Tara Reade told her ex-husband she was sexually harassed while working for Joe Biden in 1993. She did not specifically accuse Biden of the harassment, according to the document, nor did she make any mention of sexual assault. The document comes from Reade’s then-husband Theodore Dronen, who at the time was contesting a restraining order Reade had filed against him days after he filed for divorce. Drone wrote that Reade told him of “a problem she was having at work regarding sexual harassment, in U.S. Senator Joe Biden’s office.” The filing marks the only known written record corroborating Reade’s account of sexual harassment by Biden. According to the document, Reade told Dronen she had “eventually struck a deal with the chief of staff of the Senator’s office and left her position.” “It was obvious that this event had a very traumatic effect on (Reade), and that she is still sensitive and effected (sic) by it today,” Dronen wrote. Read the full report here.
7 May 2020 00.40 BST Wearing a mask in public to stop the spread of coronavirus, a precaution that is the official recommendation of the Centers of Disease control and prevention, has suddenly become a political statement in our strange times. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say they’re wearing a mask when leaving home, 76% to 59%, according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. From the Associated Press: While not yet as loaded as a “Make America Great Again” hat, the mask is increasingly a visual shorthand for the debate pitting those willing to follow health officials’ guidance and cover their faces against those who feel it violates their freedom or buys into a threat they think is overblown. Inconsistent messaging from various government officials and health departments have contributed to the conflict over whether to wear a mask. Health officials initially said wearing masks was unnecessary, but weeks later the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending wearing cloth masks in crowded public situations. For weeks Donald Trump has refused to wear a mask, even while touring a mask factory that requires the use of masks. “I don’t think that I’m going to be doing it,” he said of the mask recommendation, when it was first announced.
7 May 2020 00.33 BST After being tapped today by Republican representative Kevin McCarthy to chair a new China task force, top GOP lawmaker Mike McCaul disclosed hundreds of thousands of dollars of family holdings in a major Chinese tech company that has been linked to censorship and surveillance. The lawmaker disclosed ties to Tencent Holdings under Congressional ethics rules. The company owns Chinese social media platforms WeChat and QQ and signed a deal in Marchto collaborate with Huawei, a firm that has essentially been blacklisted by the Trump administration over security concerns. “Companies like Tencent and Huawei are espionage operations for the Chinese Communist party, masquerading as telecom companies for the 21st century,” Republican Senator Ted Cruz said previously. McCaul’s wife has purchased shares in the company as recent as late February, the disclosure revealed. An attorney for McCaul said that the lawmaker is not the owner of the shares. “Congressman McCaul did not purchase any shares in China’s Tencent Holdings or any other Chinese company,” the attorney said. “Congressman McCaul’s wife has assets she solely owns and a third party manager made the purchase without her direction.” The ties to Tencent have called into question McCaul’s ability to impartially lead a panel focused on scrutinizing China. In a statement, McCaul described his mission in being on the task force as developing “new and enduring policy solutions that, among others, enhance our economic strength and create jobs, protect our national security, rethink our supply chains and grow our competitive edge in technology.”
7 May 2020 00.17 BST Officials say at least 138 employees at a meat packing plant in Hanford, California have tested positive for coronavirus. The company, which employs about 900 workers at two plants in Hanford and Vernon, is continuing to operate, according to the LA Times. The meat industry is facing scrutiny as more Covid-19 outbreaks emerge from factories where employees work long hours in close contact with one another, putting them at higher risk for infection. Relatives of workers are calling on the plant to close due to the high number of cases, the LA Times reported.
7 May 2020 00.06 BST In a vote of 49 to 45 on Thursday, the Senate failed to override a veto from Donald Trump of a war powers resolution limiting his authority to use military force in Iran. The bill was introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine in February, and later passed in the House in March and came as a response to Trump killing Iranian general Qassem Soleimani without Congressional approval, leading to escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Trump vetoed the bill Wednesday night, calling it a “very insulting resolution” introduced by Democrats “as part of a strategy to win an election on November 3 by dividing the Republican Party.”
Updated at 00.11 BST
7 May 2020 23.47 BST On Thursday, senator and former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren joined New York City officials in calling for better protections of frontline workers. “If these essential workers are willing to get out there and put their own health at risk — sometimes putting their families’ health at risk — then the very least the rest of us can do is make sure that they have some genuine protection,” Warren said during a virtual town hall. “That means both medical protection and it means economic protection.” Warren joined the lawmakers to push for frontline workers to receive paid sick leave, increased pay and whistleblower protections. Some @Amazon warehouses closed for deep cleaning after employees tested positive for COVID-19, but that’s not good enough. According to United @ForRespect’s tracker, more than 100 warehouses have reportedly had positive cases. At least 3 workers have died. https://t.co/cvu28kd0uG pic.twitter.com/JPxXHcr4DC — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) May 7, 2020 She specifically cited Amazon’s firing of several whistleblowers who protested frontline conditions in recent weeks, including Chris Smalls, who staged a walk out from a New York City area warehouse to protest lack of protections. A worker from that warehouse has since died from Covid-19. “One of the things that this Covid-19 crisis has shown us is truly who are the essential workers in our country and, guess what, it turns out it’s not the investment bankers,” Warren said. “It turns out it’s the doctors and nurses — bless them all — but it’s also the people who are mopping the floors in the hospitals, the people who are making deliveries, the people who are stocking the grocery store shelves.”
7 May 2020 23.24 BST In some lighter news, US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has jumped on the bandwagon and started to play Animal Crossing, the Nintendo game that has taken our quarantined nation by storm. Hi there! Very new to this.
I would like to visit random people’s islands and leave a doodle or note on their bulletin board.
Can I do that? If so, how?
Should I open my DMs for the first time since the Zuckerberg hearing for the Dodo codes?? https://t.co/pQlm0ES1cM — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 7, 2020 After it was reported she had joined the app, Ocasio-Cortez opened up her direct messages on Twitter to allow users to give her tips on the game and invite her to their virtual “islands”. She said the process has granted her “faith in humanity” as users took the opportunity to ask her to surprise spouses and loved ones with a virtual visit.
7 May 2020 23.16 BST Jessica Glenza Nurses are protesting the federal government’s failure to protect frontline healthcare workers outside the White House, with lines of 88 pairs of white nurse’s shoes to represent workers who have died on the job. Right now, @NationalNurses RNs are leaving empty pairs of shoes in front of the White House to represent each nurse who has died from #COVID19 in an incredibly moving and powerful protest this morning during #NursesWeek. pic.twitter.com/HKuXK8YYzQ — Bonnie Castillo (@NNUBonnie) May 7, 2020 The protest, organized by National Nurses United, comes as nurse appreciation week has fallen in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic in America. How many of these nurses died … bc our government failed to act, to lead, to protect them,” protesters said, wearing masks and standing six feet apart. “We stand here today, our hearts full of pain, but also with determination and demanding action. It is past time for this president and Congress to act.” Right now at the White House:
Nurses from National Nurses United protest for PPE, with 88 pairs of shoes to represent each nurse who has died from coronavirus.
pic.twitter.com/CjaVs37rRN — Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) May 7, 2020
7 May 2020 22.54 BST US death toll passes 75,000 The US death toll from coronavirus has now surpassed 75,000 people, according to the counter from Johns Hopkins University, marking a grim milestone in the global pandemic. Deaths in the US are the highest globally, followed by the UK at 30,000 deaths. The proceeding countries with the highest numbers of deaths are Italy with 29,958 and Spain with 26,000. The death toll is expected to continue to rise as the US begins to reopen, with up to 3,000 deaths a day forecasted.
Updated at 23.49 BST


theguardian--2020-05-07--Trump administration buries CDC guidance on reopening amid pandemic

The Trump administration shelved a document created by the nation ’ s top disease investigators with step-by-step advice to local authorities on how and when to reopen restaurants and other public places during the still-raging coronavirus outbreak .
The 17-page report by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team , titled Guidance for Implementing the Opening Up America Again Framework , was researched and written to help faith leaders , business owners , educators and state and local officials as they begin to reopen .
It was supposed to be published last Friday , but agency scientists were told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light of day ” , according to a CDC official .
The official was not authorized to talk to reporters and spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity .
The AP obtained a copy from a second federal official who was not authorized to release it .
The guidance was described in AP stories last week , prior to the White House decision to shelve it .
The Trump administration has been closely controlling the release of guidance and information during the coronavirus pandemic that scientists are still trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freewheeling daily briefings until last week .
Traditionally , it ’ s been the CDC ’ s role to give the public and local officials guidance and science-based information during public health crises .
During this one , however , the CDC has not had a regular , pandemic-related news briefing in nearly two months .
Dr Robert Redfield , the CDC director , has been a member of the White House coronavirus task force , but largely absent from public appearances .
The dearth of real-time , public information from the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and former government health officials as dangerous .
“ CDC has always been the public health agency Americans turn to in a time of crisis , ” said Dr Howard Koh , a Harvard professor and former health official in the Obama administration during the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009 .
“ The standard in a crisis is to turn to them for the latest data and latest guidance and the latest press briefing .
That has not occurred , and everyone sees that.
” A person close to the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the condition of anonymity , said the CDC documents were never cleared by CDC leadership for public release .
The person said that White House officials have refrained from offering detailed guidance for how specific sectors should reopen because the virus is affecting various parts of the country differently .
The guidance contained detailed advice for making site-specific decisions related to reopening schools , restaurants , summer camps , churches , day care centers and other institutions .
Some of the report ’ s suggestions already appear on federal websites .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for reopening in one place .
For example , the report suggested restaurants and bars should install sneeze guards at cash registers and avoid having buffets , salad bars and drink stations .
Similar tips appear on the CDC ’ s site and a Food and Drug Administration page .
But the shelved report also said that as restaurants start seating diners again , they should space tables at least 6 feet ( 1.8m ) apart and try to use phone app technology to alert a patron when their table is ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s not on the CDC ’ s site now .
“ States and local health departments do need guidance on a lot of the challenges around the decision to reopen , ” said Dr Marcus Plescia , the chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials .
“ You can say that restaurants can open and you need to follow social distancing guidelines .
But restaurants want to know , ‘ What does that look like ?
’ ” The White House ’ s own Opening Up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more vague than the CDC ’ s unpublished report .
They instructed state and local governments to reopen in accordance with federal and local “ regulations and guidance ” and to monitor employees for symptoms of Covid-19 .
The agency still employs hundreds of the world ’ s most respected epidemiologists and doctors , who are looked to in times of crisis for their expertise , said former CDC director Tom Frieden .
People have clicked on the CDC ’ s coronavirus website more than 1.2bn times .

The Trump administration shelved a document created by the nation’s top disease investigators with step-by-step advice to local authorities on how and when to reopen restaurants and other public places during the still-raging coronavirus outbreak.
The 17-page report by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team, titled Guidance for Implementing the Opening Up America Again Framework, was researched and written to help faith leaders, business owners, educators and state and local officials as they begin to reopen.
It was supposed to be published last Friday, but agency scientists were told the guidance “would never see the light of day”, according to a CDC official. The official was not authorized to talk to reporters and spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
The AP obtained a copy from a second federal official who was not authorized to release it. The guidance was described in AP stories last week, before the White House decision to shelve it.
The Trump administration has been closely controlling the release of guidance and information during the coronavirus pandemic that scientists are still trying to understand, with the president himself leading freewheeling daily briefings until last week.
Traditionally, it has been the CDC’s role to give the public and local officials guidance and science-based information during public health crises. During this one, however, the CDC has not had a regular, pandemic-related news briefing in nearly two months. Dr Robert Redfield, the CDC director, has been a member of the White House coronavirus taskforce, but largely absent from public appearances.
The dearth of real-time, public information from the nation’s experts has struck many current and former government health officials as dangerous.
“CDC has always been the public health agency Americans turn to in a time of crisis,” said Dr Howard Koh, a Harvard professor and former health official in the Obama administration during the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009. “The standard in a crisis is to turn to them for the latest data and latest guidance and the latest press briefing. That has not occurred, and everyone sees that.”
A person close to the White House’s coronavirus taskforce, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the CDC documents were never cleared by CDC leadership for public release. The person said that White House officials have refrained from offering detailed guidance for how specific sectors should reopen because the virus is affecting various parts of the country differently.
The guidance contained detailed advice for making site-specific decisions related to reopening schools, restaurants, summer camps, churches, day care centers and other institutions. Some of the report’s suggestions already appear on federal websites. But the guidance offered specific, tailored recommendations for reopening in one place.
For example, the report suggested restaurants and bars should install sneeze guards at cash registers and avoid having buffets, salad bars and drink stations. Similar tips appear on the CDC’s site and a Food and Drug Administration page.
But the shelved report also said that as restaurants start seating diners again, they should space tables at least 6 feet (1.8m) apart and try to use phone app technology to alert a patron when their table is ready to avoid touching and use of buzzers. That’s not on the CDC’s site now.
“States and local health departments do need guidance on a lot of the challenges around the decision to reopen,” said Dr Marcus Plescia, the chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “You can say that restaurants can open and you need to follow social distancing guidelines. But restaurants want to know, ‘What does that look like?’”
The White House’s own Opening Up America Again guidelines released last month were more vague than the CDC’s unpublished report. They instructed state and local governments to reopen in accordance with federal and local “regulations and guidance” and to monitor employees for symptoms of Covid-19.
The agency still employs hundreds of the world’s most respected epidemiologists and doctors, who are looked to in times of crisis for their expertise, said the former CDC director Tom Frieden. People have clicked on the CDC’s coronavirus website more than 1.2bn times.


theguardian--2020-05-07--Michael Flynn: justice department moves to drop criminal case against ex-Trump aide

The US justice department on Thursday said it is dropping the criminal case against Donald Trump ’ s first national security adviser , Michael Flynn , abandoning a prosecution that became a rallying cry for the US president and his supporters in attacking the FBI ’ s Trump-Russia investigation .
The move was a stunning reversal for one of the signature cases brought by special counsel Robert Mueller .
It came even though prosecutors for the past three years have maintained that Flynn lied to the FBI in a January 2017 interview about his conversations with the Russian ambassador .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ guilty before asking to withdraw the plea , and became a key cooperator for Mueller , the special counsel who investigated ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign .
On Thursday afternoon , the chairman of the House judiciary committee , Jerry Nadler , a New York Democrat , complained that the decision was “ outrageous ” and said he intended to call the attorney general , Bill Barr , to testify about the decision to drop Flynn ’ s case .
It was not immediately clear how the federal judge overseeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the DoJ ’ s motion to drop the case .
Flynn had been awaiting sentencing , the date for which had been repeatedly postponed .
However , at an event at the White House , Trump said : “ What they did , what the Obama administration did , is unprecedented … and I hope a lot of people will pay a big price because they are dishonest , crooked people .
They are scum , human scum.
” The president added : “ He was targeted by the Obama administration , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take down a president.
” But Trump himself acknowledged in 2017 that Flynn had lied to the vice-president and the FBI about his interactions with the Russian ambassador to the US , prompting his ousting prior to prosecution .
In court documents filed on Thursday , the DoJ said it was dropping the case “ after a considered review of all the facts and circumstances of this case , including newly discovered and disclosed information ” .
The department said it had concluded that Flynn ’ s interview by the FBI was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the FBI ’ s counterintelligence investigation into Mr Flynn ” and that the interview was “ conducted without any legitimate investigative basis ” .
The US attorney reviewing the Flynn case , Jeff Jensen , recommended dropping the case to Barr last week and formalized the recommendation this week .
Also on Thursday , DoJ prosecutor Brandon Van Grack removed himself from the criminal case .
In a court filing , he did not explain , but the action drew speculation that he opposed the DoJ decision .
The action comes amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case and an aggressive effort by Flynn ’ s lawyers to challenge the basis for the prosecution .
The lawyers cited newly disclosed FBI emails and notes last week to allege that Flynn was improperly trapped into lying when agents interviewed him at the White House days after Trump ’ s January 2017 inauguration .
Though none of the documents appeared to undercut the central allegation that Flynn had lied to the FBI , Trump last week pronounced him “ exonerated ” .
The decision comes as Barr has increasingly challenged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview last month that it was started “ without any basis ” .
In February , he overruled a decision by prosecutors in the case of Roger Stone , another convicted former Trump adviser , in favor of a more lenient sentence for the self-proclaimed fixer for the Republicans .
Earlier this year , Barr appointed Jensen , the US attorney of St Louis to investigate the handling of Flynn ’ s case .
As part of that process , the justice department gave Flynn ’ s attorneys a series of emails and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior FBI official that mapped out internal deliberations about the purpose of the Flynn interview : “ What ’ s our goal ?
Truth/admission or to get him to lie , so we can prosecute him or get him fired ?
” the official wrote .
Other documents show that the FBI had been prepared weeks before its interview of Flynn to drop its investigation into whether he was acting at the direction of Russia .
Later that month , though , as the White House insisted that Flynn had never discussed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kislyak , FBI officials grew more concerned .
The investigation remained open , and agents went to visit him in the White House on 24 January 2017 .
Justice department officials visited the White House two days later to warn officials that they feared that Flynn was compromised and vulnerable to blackmail by Russia because of his account of what was said on the call .
White House officials concluded that Flynn had lied to them and fired him .
Flynn pleaded guilty that December , among the first of the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s investigation into allegations that the Trump campaign collaborated with Moscow during the 2016 election .
He acknowledged that he lied about his conversations with Kislyak , in which he encouraged Russia not to retaliate against the US for sanctions imposed by the Obama administration over election interference .
He provided such extensive cooperation that prosecutors said he was entitled to a sentence of probation instead of prison .
As it turned out , that sentencing hearing was abruptly cut short after Flynn , facing a stern rebuke from US district judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue cooperating and earn credit toward a more lenient sentence .
Since then , he has hired new attorneys .

The US justice department on Thursday said it is dropping the criminal case against Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, abandoning a prosecution that became a rallying cry for the US president and his supporters in attacking the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation.
The move was a stunning reversal for one of the signature cases brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. It came even though prosecutors for the past three years have maintained that Flynn lied to the FBI in a January 2017 interview about his conversations with the Russian ambassador.
Flynn himself admitted as much, pleading guilty before asking to withdraw the plea, and became a key cooperator for Mueller, the special counsel who investigated ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.
On Thursday afternoon, the chairman of the House judiciary committee, Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, complained that the decision was “outrageous” and said he intended to call the attorney general, Bill Barr, to testify about the decision to drop Flynn’s case.
This is outrageous!
Flynn PLEADED GUILTY to lying to investigators. The evidence against him is overwhelming. Now, a politicized DOJ is dropping the case.
The decision to overrule the special counsel is without precedent and warrants an immediate explanation.
1/2 https://t.co/MxRyWkCMPw — (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) May 7, 2020
It was not immediately clear how the federal judge overseeing Flynn’s case would react to the DoJ’s motion to drop the case. Flynn had been awaiting sentencing, the date for which had been repeatedly postponed.
My big question is whether Judge Sullivan will agree to DOJ's motion. This is the same judge who in 2018 hinted he may sentence Flynn with jail time, more than the prosecution was calling for at the time. Sentencing was delayed to give Flynn time to consider further cooperation. — Julia E. Ainsley (@JuliaEAinsley) May 7, 2020
However, at an event at the White House, Trump said: “What they did, what the Obama administration did, is unprecedented … and I hope a lot of people will pay a big price because they are dishonest, crooked people. They are scum, human scum.”
The president added: “He was targeted by the Obama administration, and he was targeted in order to try to take down a president.”
But Trump himself acknowledged in 2017 that Flynn had lied to the vice-president and the FBI about his interactions with the Russian ambassador to the US, prompting his ousting prior to prosecution.
I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2017
In court documents filed on Thursday, the DoJ said it was dropping the case “after a considered review of all the facts and circumstances of this case, including newly discovered and disclosed information”.
The department said it had concluded that Flynn’s interview by the FBI was “untethered to, and unjustified by, the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into Mr Flynn” and that the interview was “conducted without any legitimate investigative basis”.
The US attorney reviewing the Flynn case, Jeff Jensen, recommended dropping the case to Barr last week and formalized the recommendation this week.
Also on Thursday, DoJ prosecutor Brandon Van Grack removed himself from the criminal case. In a court filing, he did not explain, but the action drew speculation that he opposed the DoJ decision.
The action comes amid an internal review into the handling of the case and an aggressive effort by Flynn’s lawyers to challenge the basis for the prosecution.
The lawyers cited newly disclosed FBI emails and notes last week to allege that Flynn was improperly trapped into lying when agents interviewed him at the White House days after Trump’s January 2017 inauguration. Though none of the documents appeared to undercut the central allegation that Flynn had lied to the FBI, Trump last week pronounced him “exonerated”.
The decision comes as Barr has increasingly challenged the Russia investigation, saying in a television interview last month that it was started “without any basis”. In February, he overruled a decision by prosecutors in the case of Roger Stone, another convicted former Trump adviser, in favor of a more lenient sentence for the self-proclaimed fixer for the Republicans.
Earlier this year, Barr appointed Jensen, the US attorney of St Louis to investigate the handling of Flynn’s case. As part of that process, the justice department gave Flynn’s attorneys a series of emails and notes, including one handwritten note from a senior FBI official that mapped out internal deliberations about the purpose of the Flynn interview: “What’s our goal? Truth/admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?” the official wrote.
Other documents show that the FBI had been prepared weeks before its interview of Flynn to drop its investigation into whether he was acting at the direction of Russia. Later that month, though, as the White House insisted that Flynn had never discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, FBI officials grew more concerned. The investigation remained open, and agents went to visit him in the White House on 24 January 2017.
Justice department officials visited the White House two days later to warn officials that they feared that Flynn was compromised and vulnerable to blackmail by Russia because of his account of what was said on the call. White House officials concluded that Flynn had lied to them and fired him.
Flynn pleaded guilty that December, among the first of the president’s aides to admit guilt in Mueller’s investigation into allegations that the Trump campaign collaborated with Moscow during the 2016 election.
He acknowledged that he lied about his conversations with Kislyak, in which he encouraged Russia not to retaliate against the US for sanctions imposed by the Obama administration over election interference.
He provided such extensive cooperation that prosecutors said he was entitled to a sentence of probation instead of prison.
As it turned out, that sentencing hearing was abruptly cut short after Flynn, facing a stern rebuke from US district judge Emmet Sullivan, asked to be able to continue cooperating and earn credit toward a more lenient sentence.
Since then, he has hired new attorneys.


theguardian--2020-05-07--Trump's 'juggernaut' re-election bid like the Death Star, campaign boss boasts

Donald Trump ’ s 2020 campaign manager raised eyebrows on Thursday by comparing Trump ’ s re-election efforts to a massive space weapon designed to obliterate peaceful planets .
Brad Parscale , a digital marketing expert turned Trump champion , used Twitter to declare that the Trump re-election campaign had constructed a “ Death Star ” , a reference to the fictional Star Wars space station capable of destroying planets with a big laser .
“ For nearly three years we have been building a juggernaut campaign ( Death Star ) .
It is firing on all cylinders .
Data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Surrogates , Coalitions , etc , ” Parscale said .
He added , ominously : “ In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time.
” The tweet contained a gif of the Star Wars Death Star – a sprawling spherical construction capable of housing more than a million military personnel , and another 400,000 droids – apparently preparing to fire its laser at an unknown target .
In a follow-up tweet , Parscale said the Trump campaign had assembled an “ enormous lead in cash ” .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee “ won ’ t know what hit him ” .
It is not the first time the Trump campaign has drawn parallels between the president and a movie .
In December 2019 the “ Trump War Room ” – Trump ’ s re-election effort – cut together a picture of Trump as Thanos , a fictional comic-book super villain who erased 50 % of the world ’ s population .
For a while last year , some of his online policy presentations mimicked the TV series Game of Thrones .
Parscale ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump to four more years in office and a terrifyingly powerful space weapon designed to cow any potential resisters into obedience drew intrigue .
“ Nicknaming your presidential reelection campaign ‘ Death Star ’ in the middle of a pandemic that has already killed 70k+ people is an interesting choice , ” wrote journalist Jedd Legum .
The fictional Death Star , which was built using forced labor , was capable of moving at light speed and actually had thousands of weapons besides the large , planet-destroying laser .
For all its perceived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was actually destroyed , as many pointed out on Twitter , while Gary Whitta , a screenwriter who co-wrote the movie Rogue One : A Star Wars Story , offered further information .
“ You do understand that the people who built the Death Star were the bad guys , right ?
” Whitta wrote .

Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign manager raised eyebrows on Thursday by comparing Trump’s re-election efforts to a massive space weapon designed to obliterate peaceful planets.
Brad Parscale, a digital marketing expert turned Trump champion, used Twitter to declare that the Trump re-election campaign had constructed a “Death Star”, a reference to the fictional Star Wars space station capable of destroying planets with a big laser.
“For nearly three years we have been building a juggernaut campaign (Death Star). It is firing on all cylinders. Data, Digital, TV, Political, Surrogates, Coalitions, etc,” Parscale said.
He added, ominously: “In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time.”
The tweet contained a gif of the Star Wars Death Star – a sprawling spherical construction capable of housing more than a million military personnel, and another 400,000 droids – apparently preparing to fire its laser at an unknown target.
In a follow-up tweet, Parscale said the Trump campaign had assembled an “enormous lead in cash”. He said that Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee “won’t know what hit him”.
It is not the first time the Trump campaign has drawn parallels between the president and a movie. In December 2019 the “Trump War Room” – Trump’s re-election effort – cut together a picture of Trump as Thanos, a fictional comic-book super villain who erased 50% of the world’s population.
For a while last year, some of his online policy presentations mimicked the TV series Game of Thrones.
Parscale’s comparison between the effort to elect Trump to four more years in office and a terrifyingly powerful space weapon designed to cow any potential resisters into obedience drew intrigue.
“Nicknaming your presidential reelection campaign ‘Death Star’ in the middle of a pandemic that has already killed 70k+ people is an interesting choice,” wrote journalist Jedd Legum.
The fictional Death Star, which was built using forced labor, was capable of moving at light speed and actually had thousands of weapons besides the large, planet-destroying laser.
For all its perceived might, however, the Death Star was actually destroyed, as many pointed out on Twitter, while Gary Whitta, a screenwriter who co-wrote the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, offered further information.
“You do understand that the people who built the Death Star were the bad guys, right?” Whitta wrote.
“Also they lost.”


theguardian--2020-05-08--US senators propose renaming street outside Chinese embassy after Wuhan whistleblower

US lawmakers have proposed renaming the street in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington after the late Wuhan doctor punished for warning about the spread of coronavirus , a step sure to outrage Beijing .
The measure would rechristen the section of the Washington street in front of the embassy “ Li Wenliang Plaza ” , instead of the innocuous current name of International Place .
Li was one of a group of doctors who shared posts on social media in December warning that a virus was spreading in Wuhan .
He was reprimanded by police and made to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any more “ law-breaking actions.
” He died from the illness in February , triggering a nationwide outpouring of grief and a rare apology by police for his treatment .
“ We ’ ll ensure the name Li Wenliang is never forgotten – by placing it permanently outside the embassy of the nation responsible for the deaths Dr Li tried to prevent , ” said Tom Cotton , a Republican senator known for his hawkish views on China .
The measure , also backed by senator Marco Rubio , was introduced simultaneously in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposed in 2014 to rename the street after Liu Xiaobo , the Nobel prize-winning writer who was imprisoned after calling for democratic reforms .
China denounced that effort and the proposal died in the House of Representatives after then president Barack Obama ’ s administration indicated he would veto it for the sake of cooperation with Beijing .
The US relationship with China has sharply deteriorated since then , with lawmakers of both parties backing a tough stance against the Pacific power .
Donald Trump ’ s administration has repeatedly sought to blame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has since killed more than 250,000 people worldwide .
Critics say the US president is trying to deflect attention from his handling of the crisis in the United States , which has suffered by far the highest number of COVID-19 deaths of any country .
China is not the only nation targeted by such symbolic action .
In 2018 , Washington city council named a block outside the Russian embassy after Boris Nemtsov , one of president Vladimir Putin ’ s most vocal critics , who was shot dead in Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Liu Xiaobo , some Chinese proposed naming the street outside the US embassy in Beijing after Edward Snowden , the former intelligence contractor who fled the United States to unveil government snooping on its citizens .
The US consulate in the Indian city of Kolkata , a stronghold of communists , lies on a street named after Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh .

US lawmakers have proposed renaming the street in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington after the late Wuhan doctor punished for warning about the spread of coronavirus, a step sure to outrage Beijing.
The measure would rechristen the section of the Washington street in front of the embassy “Li Wenliang Plaza”, instead of the innocuous current name of International Place.
Li was one of a group of doctors who shared posts on social media in December warning that a virus was spreading in Wuhan.
He was reprimanded by police and made to sign a statement promising not to commit any more “law-breaking actions.”
He died from the illness in February, triggering a nationwide outpouring of grief and a rare apology by police for his treatment.
“We’ll ensure the name Li Wenliang is never forgotten – by placing it permanently outside the embassy of the nation responsible for the deaths Dr Li tried to prevent,” said Tom Cotton, a Republican senator known for his hawkish views on China.
The measure, also backed by senator Marco Rubio, was introduced simultaneously in both chambers of Congress.
Lawmakers similarly proposed in 2014 to rename the street after Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel prize-winning writer who was imprisoned after calling for democratic reforms.
China denounced that effort and the proposal died in the House of Representatives after then president Barack Obama’s administration indicated he would veto it for the sake of cooperation with Beijing.
The US relationship with China has sharply deteriorated since then, with lawmakers of both parties backing a tough stance against the Pacific power.
Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly sought to blame China for the spread of the pandemic, which has since killed more than 250,000 people worldwide.
Critics say the US president is trying to deflect attention from his handling of the crisis in the United States, which has suffered by far the highest number of COVID-19 deaths of any country.
China is not the only nation targeted by such symbolic action.
In 2018, Washington city council named a block outside the Russian embassy after Boris Nemtsov, one of president Vladimir Putin’s most vocal critics, who was shot dead in Moscow in 2015.
After the US proposal on Liu Xiaobo, some Chinese proposed naming the street outside the US embassy in Beijing after Edward Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who fled the United States to unveil government snooping on its citizens.
The US consulate in the Indian city of Kolkata, a stronghold of communists, lies on a street named after Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh.


theguardian--2020-05-09--Mike Pence's press secretary is second White House staffer to test positive for Covid-19 this week

Vice-president Mike Pence ’ s press secretary tested positive for the coronavirus , the White House said Friday , making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week .
Katie Miller is married to Stephen Miller , a top Trump advisor .
She has been in recent contact with Pence but not with the president .
Trump said he was “ not worried ” about the virus spreading in the White House .
Regardless , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said the administration was stepping up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts and taking other unspecified precautions to ensure the safety of the president .
One of Trump ’ s personal valets tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this week .
Also on Friday , a trove of international emails obtained by the Associated Press appeared to show that the decision to shelve detailed advice from the nation ’ s top disease control experts for reopening communities during the coronavirus pandemic came from the highest levels of the White House .
The document , titled Guidance for Implementing the Opening Up America Again Framework , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders , business owners , educators and state and local officials as they begin to reopen .
It included detailed “ decision trees , ” or flow charts aimed at helping local leaders navigate the difficult decision of whether to reopen or remain closed .
This new CDC guidance – a mix of advice already released along with newer information – had been approved and promoted by the highest levels of its leadership , including Robert Redfield , the CDC director .
Despite this , the administration shelved it on 30 April .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued inquiring for days about the guidance that officials had hoped to post by 1 May , the day Trump had targeted for reopening some businesses , according to a source who was granted anonymity because they were not permitted to speak to the press .
White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said Friday that the documents had not been approved by Redfield .
The new emails , however , show that Redfield cleared the guidance .
The files also show that after the news service first reported that the guidance document had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of it to be fast-tracked for approval .
The White House called the CDC and ordered them to refile all of the decision trees , except one that targeted churches .
An email obtained by the AP confirmed the agency resent the documents late Thursday , hours after news broke .
“ Attached per the request from earlier today are the decision trees previously submitted to both OIRA and the WH Task Force , minus the communities of faith tree , ” read the email .
“ Please let us know if/when/how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Vice-president Mike Pence’s press secretary tested positive for the coronavirus, the White House said Friday, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week.
Katie Miller is married to Stephen Miller, a top Trump advisor. She has been in recent contact with Pence but not with the president. The White House had no immediate comment on whether Stephen Miller had been tested or if he was still working out of the White House.
Katie Miller had tested negative on Thursday. A senior White House official said staff in the West Wing are tested regularly but much of Pence’s staff, which works next door in the Executive Office building, are tested less frequently.
Trump said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. Regardless, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said the administration was stepping up mitigation efforts already recommended by public health experts and taking other unspecified precautions to ensure the safety of the president. The president and vice-president will now be tested daily, as well as some staffers who closely interact with Trump.
One of Trump’s personal valets tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this week. The case marked the first known instance where a person who has come in close proximity to the president has tested positive since several people present at his private Florida club were diagnosed with Covid-19 in early March.
Donald Trump reveals name of White House staff member with Covid-19 – video
Also on Friday, a trove of international emails obtained by the Associated Press appeared to show that the decision to shelve detailed advice from the nation’s top disease control experts for reopening communities during the coronavirus pandemic came from the highest levels of the White House.
The document, titled Guidance for Implementing the Opening Up America Again Framework, was researched and written to help faith leaders, business owners, educators and state and local officials as they begin to reopen. It included detailed “decision trees,” or flow charts aimed at helping local leaders navigate the difficult decision of whether to reopen or remain closed.
This new CDC guidance – a mix of advice already released along with newer information – had been approved and promoted by the highest levels of its leadership, including Robert Redfield, the CDC director. Despite this, the administration shelved it on 30 April.
According to the documents, the CDC continued inquiring for days about the guidance that officials had hoped to post by 1 May, the day Trump had targeted for reopening some businesses, according to a source who was granted anonymity because they were not permitted to speak to the press.
White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said Friday that the documents had not been approved by Redfield. The new emails, however, show that Redfield cleared the guidance.
The files also show that after the news service first reported that the guidance document had been buried, the Trump administration ordered key parts of it to be fast-tracked for approval.
The White House called the CDC and ordered them to refile all of the decision trees, except one that targeted churches. An email obtained by the AP confirmed the agency resent the documents late Thursday, hours after news broke.
“Attached per the request from earlier today are the decision trees previously submitted to both OIRA and the WH Task Force, minus the communities of faith tree,” read the email. “Please let us know if/when/how we are able to proceed from here.”
Guardian staff contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-05-08--Revealed: major anti-lockdown group's links to America's far right

Leaked audio recordings and online materials obtained by the Guardian reveal that one of the most prominent anti-lockdown protest groups , American Revolution 2.0 ( AR2 ) , has received extensive assistance from well-established far-right actors , some with extremist connections .
AR2 presents itself as a grassroots network , but the recordings and other materials reveal its allies include a well-connected Tea Party co-founder and a family of serial online activists who have rolled out dozens of “ reopen ” websites and Facebook groups .
Its website was built and is hosted by a web designer long active in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bespoke social media network for the militia movement .
One of that website ’ s previous users bombed a mosque , and another user , now memorialized on the site , was recently shot dead by police in Maryland during a firearms raid .
Josh Ellis is the leader of AR2 , which has driven anti-lockdown protests across the country , and presented itself as a spontaneous uprising .
In videos posted to YouTube , the AR2 website , and across anti-lockdown Facebook groups , Ellis has presented the movement as inclusive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative everyman .
In the most widely watched video , Ellis , who runs a home-repair business in suburban Chicago , describes himself as “ an average American citizen ” , concerned to “ defend what America was founded on and what America is about ” .
But in recordings of Ellis speaking to an inner circle of AR2 members last week , he detailed the help he had received from other players , including radical pro-gun and militia activists .
Ellis told the group , whose Facebook profile picture is the logo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent days he had “ talked to the Dorr brothers ” .
The Dorr brothers – Chris , Ben , Aaron and Matthew – are rightwing activists whose methods have been roundly criticized by conservative groups and legislators .
The Dorr brothers have orchestrated online campaigns which stake out positions to the right of established pro-gun groups such as the NRA , and state-based right-to-life groups .
The campaigns then encourage rank-and-file conservatives to donate money and sign petitions on websites that harvest their data .
An analysis in late April by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen ” related domains had been registered during that month ; that scores could be connected to the Dorr brothers ; and that “ Facebook groups spun up by the Dorr brothers use these groups to direct traffic to these domains ” .
Some of these sites acted as major hubs for disinformation about the pandemic , and many were suspended by Facebook .
But the Guardian was able to establish that as of Monday , at least 20 “ reopen ” or “ American Revolution 2 ” pages for cities and states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were running as private groups .
The pages viewed by the Guardian featured content promoting “ deep state ” or anti-China conspiracy theories , anti-vaccination beliefs and denialism about the danger of Covid-19 .
Some , such as “ ReopenNC ” , had tens of thousands of members .
Aaron Dorr did not respond to requests for comment about his relationship with AR2 .
In a telephone conversation , Ellis confirmed the contact , saying that in advance of the 1 May anti-lockdown protests , he did “ talk to one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help spread the word ” .
Asked if he had initiated contact , Ellis said : “ One of our members did , and then [ the Dorrs ] reached out to me.
” In a subsequent call , Ellis confirmed the authenticity of the audio recording .
In the recording , Ellis specified further help he had received , telling his inner circle : “ One of the Utah guys got me hooked up with the owner of mymilitia.com.
” According to internet registration records and My Militia ’ s affiliated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mymilitia.com domain is Chad Embrey of New Lexington , Ohio .
According to DNS records and two website “ manifestos ” archived on mymilitia.com , Embrey has registered at least 20 domains related to the militia movement like “ militiaregistry.com ” , gun rights like “ progungroup.com ” or specific militia groups like “ iiiers.com ” , a reference to the Three Percent militia .
My Militia offers a catalog of existing militias and promotes a program for setting up a militia for every telephone area code .
The site ’ s extensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manual on ambushes , a guide to destroying tanks , and a treatise outlining justifications and strategies for an insurgency in the US .
Recent posts include examining the short-term prospect of civil war .
There is some evidence neo-Nazis and racist activists have attempted to spread propaganda to My Militia users .
In his second , 2017 manifesto for the site , Embrey wrote he hoped the site would “ spearhead ” the militia movement , and offered movement goals such as “ to augment our local authorities in dire times and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign or domestic ” , and “ to change the negative perception of the Militia by becoming a welcomed force , one that is preferred over militarized police ” .
My Militia had brief prominence in 2017 when a site user , Michael Hari , and other members of his Illinois-based militia , bombed a mosque in Bloomington , Minnesota , and plotted to do the same to a second mosque in Champaign , Illinois .
In March 2018 , after he and his fellow militia members ’ weapons were seized by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others around the country to rally to their defense .
Embrey ’ s own militia-related site and pages are just part of a web design portfolio that includes work for other extremist movements .
His website , Embrey Enterprise , features work done for mostly local Ohio businesses , but it also includes the website of a a record label , Tinnitus Records , that almost wholly sells white supremacist skinhead and heavy metal music .
Howard Graves , a senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center said : “ Tinnitus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop.
” He said it features “ a number of racist skinhead bands that have represented and held membership in terror networks ” .
Asked in a telephone conversation about whether he knew about Embrey or My Militia before the website was built , Ellis said , “ Not really ” , but having looked at the website , since added : “ It definitely seems like a group that is pretty simple in their belief in just defending the second amendment.
” Asked about Tinnitus Records , he said that Embrey ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me ” .
He added : “ I ’ ll have to look into that a bit more .
I ’ ve been very clear with Chad from the beginning that as far as I ’ m concerned , this movement is a very inclusive movement.
” In a telephone conversation , Embrey said he hosted the Tinnitus website on his server .
Embrey conceded : “ I ’ ll be straightforward with you : if I knew that it was a racist website and promoted racism , I would have never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s all , it ’ s just a job .
I ’ m not a racist person.
” On AR2 , Embrey said : “ Josh had his groups shut down by Facebook , and I ’ ve been there .
They did the same thing to me .
So I was like , yeah , I can help you out , but I ’ m not one to fix your website .
It would be easier for me to just throw you up a quick website on my server.
” Ellis also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection to a co-founder of a group that was a prime mover in the Tea Party movement .
In the recording , Ellis is heard to say he has spoken with “ Mark Meckler , he ’ s the one who owns the openthestates.com website , and he ’ s super connected with [ Sean ] Hannity , Tucker [ Carlson ] , [ Mark ] Levin , [ Ben ] Shapiro , Charlie Kirk ” – implying Meckler could help him to connect with prominent conservative media figures .
Meckler ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in receipt of money from funds connected to the Koch brothers , the Coors foundation , and other rightwing mega-donors .
In an email , Meckler ’ s assistant passed on his comment that “ everything he knows about Josh is in the podcast ” and declined further comment .

Leaked audio recordings and online materials obtained by the Guardian reveal that one of the most prominent anti-lockdown protest groups, American Revolution 2.0 (AR2), has received extensive assistance from well-established far-right actors, some with extremist connections.
AR2 presents itself as a grassroots network, but the recordings and other materials reveal its allies include a well-connected Tea Party co-founder and a family of serial online activists who have rolled out dozens of “reopen” websites and Facebook groups.
Its website was built and is hosted by a web designer long active in far-right circles online, and who runs a bespoke social media network for the militia movement. One of that website’s previous users bombed a mosque, and another user, now memorialized on the site, was recently shot dead by police in Maryland during a firearms raid.
Josh Ellis is the leader of AR2, which has driven anti-lockdown protests across the country, and presented itself as a spontaneous uprising. In videos posted to YouTube, the AR2 website, and across anti-lockdown Facebook groups, Ellis has presented the movement as inclusive and bipartisan, and himself as a conservative everyman.
In the most widely watched video, Ellis, who runs a home-repair business in suburban Chicago, describes himself as “an average American citizen”, concerned to “defend what America was founded on and what America is about”.
But in recordings of Ellis speaking to an inner circle of AR2 members last week, he detailed the help he had received from other players, including radical pro-gun and militia activists.
Ellis told the group, whose Facebook profile picture is the logo of the Three Percent militia, that in recent days he had “talked to the Dorr brothers”.
The Dorr brothers – Chris, Ben, Aaron and Matthew – are rightwing activists whose methods have been roundly criticized by conservative groups and legislators.
The Dorr brothers have orchestrated online campaigns which stake out positions to the right of established pro-gun groups such as the NRA, and state-based right-to-life groups. The campaigns then encourage rank-and-file conservatives to donate money and sign petitions on websites that harvest their data.
An analysis in late April by internet security researchers found hundreds of “reopen” related domains had been registered during that month; that scores could be connected to the Dorr brothers; and that “Facebook groups spun up by the Dorr brothers use these groups to direct traffic to these domains”.
Some of these sites acted as major hubs for disinformation about the pandemic, and many were suspended by Facebook. But the Guardian was able to establish that as of Monday, at least 20 “reopen” or “American Revolution 2” pages for cities and states including Virginia, Florida and Los Angeles were running as private groups.
The pages viewed by the Guardian featured content promoting “deep state” or anti-China conspiracy theories, anti-vaccination beliefs and denialism about the danger of Covid-19. Some, such as “ReopenNC”, had tens of thousands of members.
Aaron Dorr did not respond to requests for comment about his relationship with AR2.
In a telephone conversation, Ellis confirmed the contact, saying that in advance of the 1 May anti-lockdown protests, he did “talk to one of the Dorr brothers early on, asking them to help spread the word”.
Asked if he had initiated contact, Ellis said: “One of our members did, and then [the Dorrs] reached out to me.”
In a subsequent call, Ellis confirmed the authenticity of the audio recording.
In the recording, Ellis specified further help he had received, telling his inner circle: “One of the Utah guys got me hooked up with the owner of mymilitia.com.”
According to internet registration records and My Militia’s affiliated Facebook group, the owner of the mymilitia.com domain is Chad Embrey of New Lexington, Ohio.
Pages viewed by the Guardian featured content promoting 'deep state' or anti-China conspiracy theories
According to DNS records and two website “manifestos” archived on mymilitia.com, Embrey has registered at least 20 domains related to the militia movement like “militiaregistry.com”, gun rights like “progungroup.com” or specific militia groups like “iiiers.com”, a reference to the Three Percent militia.
My Militia offers a catalog of existing militias and promotes a program for setting up a militia for every telephone area code.
The site’s extensive library of PDFs includes a Canadian army manual on ambushes, a guide to destroying tanks, and a treatise outlining justifications and strategies for an insurgency in the US. Recent posts include examining the short-term prospect of civil war.
There is some evidence neo-Nazis and racist activists have attempted to spread propaganda to My Militia users.
In his second, 2017 manifesto for the site, Embrey wrote he hoped the site would “spearhead” the militia movement, and offered movement goals such as “to augment our local authorities in dire times and assist in our communities from all threats foreign or domestic”, and “to change the negative perception of the Militia by becoming a welcomed force, one that is preferred over militarized police”.
My Militia had brief prominence in 2017 when a site user, Michael Hari, and other members of his Illinois-based militia, bombed a mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota, and plotted to do the same to a second mosque in Champaign, Illinois.
In March 2018, after he and his fellow militia members’ weapons were seized by the FBI, Hari appealed on mymilitia.com for others around the country to rally to their defense.
Embrey’s own militia-related site and pages are just part of a web design portfolio that includes work for other extremist movements.
His website, Embrey Enterprise, features work done for mostly local Ohio businesses, but it also includes the website of a a record label, Tinnitus Records, that almost wholly sells white supremacist skinhead and heavy metal music.
If I knew that it was a racist website and a promoted racism, I would have never have took this job. It’s just a job. Chad Embry
Howard Graves, a senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center said: “Tinnitus is a hate music label, full stop.” He said it features “a number of racist skinhead bands that have represented and held membership in terror networks”.
Asked in a telephone conversation about whether he knew about Embrey or My Militia before the website was built, Ellis said, “Not really”, but having looked at the website, since added: “It definitely seems like a group that is pretty simple in their belief in just defending the second amendment.”
Asked about Tinnitus Records, he said that Embrey’s apparent links were “very surprising to me”.
He added: “I’ll have to look into that a bit more. I’ve been very clear with Chad from the beginning that as far as I’m concerned, this movement is a very inclusive movement.”
In a telephone conversation, Embrey said he hosted the Tinnitus website on his server. Embrey conceded: “I’ll be straightforward with you: if I knew that it was a racist website and promoted racism, I would have never have took this job. That’s all, it’s just a job. I’m not a racist person.”
On AR2, Embrey said: “Josh had his groups shut down by Facebook, and I’ve been there. They did the same thing to me. So I was like, yeah, I can help you out, but I’m not one to fix your website. It would be easier for me to just throw you up a quick website on my server.”
On Friday night after the publication of this article, Embrey announced on the Mymilitia.com website that he had cut ties with Tinnitus records, and that he was handing the website over to Ellis as a result of The Guardian’s reporting.
In an email to The Guardian on Saturday, Embrey said: “I have separated myself from all the rightwing stuff as i do not want to be viewed as you have viewed me”.
Ellis also boasted in the audio recordings of his connection to a co-founder of a group that was a prime mover in the Tea Party movement.
In the recording, Ellis is heard to say he has spoken with “Mark Meckler, he’s the one who owns the openthestates.com website, and he’s super connected with [Sean] Hannity, Tucker [Carlson], [Mark] Levin, [Ben] Shapiro, Charlie Kirk” – implying Meckler could help him to connect with prominent conservative media figures.
Meckler’s non-profits have been widely reported as being in receipt of money from funds connected to the Koch brothers, the Coors foundation, and other rightwing mega-donors.
In an email, Meckler’s assistant passed on his comment that “everything he knows about Josh is in the podcast” and declined further comment.