theguardian--2020-05-11--No quarantine for Mike Pence despite rash of Covid-19 cases in White House

Mike Pence will not enter quarantine despite a rash of coronavirus cases in the White House in recent days , including a positive test for the vice-president ’ s own press secretary .
“ Vice-President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow , ” Devin O ’ Malley , a backup spokesman for Pence , said on Sunday night .
As the Trump administration urges Americans to return to workplaces and Donald Trump touts a “ transition to greatness ” ahead , the White House faces a delicate balancing act in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases spread through the halls of power .
Three members of the White House coronavirus taskforce – Dr Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ; Dr Stephen Hahn , commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration ; and Dr Robert Redfield , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – have entered two weeks of isolation , after having contact with someone who later tested positive .
Senator Lamar Alexander , a Republican from Tennessee who chairs the health committee , is isolating himself after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A senior admiral on Trump ’ s top military advisory committee , chief of naval operations Michael Gilday , is also isolating himself following contact with an infected relative , Bloomberg News reported .
Gen Joseph Lengyel tested positive at the White House on Saturday in a spot check , before he was to meet Trump .
A valet for Trump , who had served the president food without wearing a mask , also recently tested positive .
The White House is considering new rules under which aides must maintain a distance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , ABC News reported .
Pence ’ s spokeswoman , Katie Miller , the wife of Stephen Miller , one of the president ’ s closest aides , who is in frequent close contact with the Trump family , tested positive last week .
It was unclear if Stephen Miller had entered self-isolation .
“ There is extreme sensitivity inside the White House right now at the current state of affairs – officials recognise the contradiction in telling states to reopen while the White House enhances protocols to prevent spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration official as saying .
On Monday morning the number of recorded Covid-19 deaths in the US was close to 80,000 , and while the rate of new cases appears to be slowing in the New York City area and other sites of major outbreaks , elsewhere new infections are rising .
Nowhere is testing and contact-tracing for the virus as thoroughly as the White House , where aides and senior officials including Trump and Pence receive both spot checks and repeated testing in various forms , some on a daily basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go undetected , leading to a potentially wide outbreak .
Yet that is the risk Trump is urging Americans to take in the coming weeks and months as they return to work without the protection of regular testing .
On Sunday , Trump retweeted an announcement by his golf club in Los Angeles of its reopening .
“ So great to see our country starting to open up again !
” he wrote .
“ If we do this carefully , working with the governors , I don ’ t think there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treasury secretary , Steven Mnuchin , told Fox News Sunday .
“ Matter of fact , I think there ’ s a considerable risk of not reopening .
You ’ re talking about what would be permanent economic damage to the American public.
” But such downplaying of the risks the public faces could be undercut as the Senate holds public hearings with social distancing measures in place .
The key committee on health will convene its first public hearing on Tuesday .
Alexander will chair the hearing remotely , senators attending will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apart , and experts including Fauci are scheduled to testify by video link .
Fauci has repeatedly contradicted , gently , Trump ’ s most reckless claims about the coronavirus .
On Monday morning the president claimed : “ Great credit being given for our Coronavirus response , except in the Fake News.
” He also addressed one Democratic-run state seeking to reopen when he wrote : “ The great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now , and they are fully aware of what that entails .
The Democrats are moving slowly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political purposes … Don ’ t play politics .
Be safe , move quickly !
On Sunday , however , the White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CBS ’ s Face the Nation it was “ scary to go work ” .
“ I think that I ’ d be a lot safer if I was sitting at home than I would be going to the West Wing , ” he said .
O ’ Malley , the Pence spokesman , said the vice-president “ will continue to follow the advice of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not in quarantine ” .
Pence himself , who notoriously did not wear a mask when touring the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota recently , was asked by Axios if staff should wear masks in the White House .
“ Some people do , ” he said .
While Trump was reportedly “ spooked ” by the revelation that his valet had the virus , it has also been reported that he told confidants he fears he would look ridiculous in a mask and the image would appear in negative ads .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guess , with him , ” the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , said on MSNBC .
“ You ’ d think , as the president of the United States , you would have the confidence to honor the guidance he ’ s giving the country .
”

Mike Pence will not enter quarantine despite a rash of coronavirus cases in the White House in recent days, including a positive test for the vice-president’s own press secretary.
“Vice-President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow,” Devin O’Malley, a backup spokesman for Pence, said on Sunday night.
As the Trump administration urges Americans to return to workplaces and Donald Trump touts a “transition to greatness” ahead, the White House faces a delicate balancing act in projecting business as usual even as coronavirus cases spread through the halls of power.
Three members of the White House coronavirus taskforce – Dr Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Dr Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration; and Dr Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – have entered two weeks of isolation, after having contact with someone who later tested positive.
Senator Lamar Alexander, a Republican from Tennessee who chairs the health committee, is isolating himself after a member of staff tested positive. A senior admiral on Trump’s top military advisory committee, chief of naval operations Michael Gilday, is also isolating himself following contact with an infected relative, Bloomberg News reported. Gen Joseph Lengyel tested positive at the White House on Saturday in a spot check, before he was to meet Trump.
A valet for Trump, who had served the president food without wearing a mask, also recently tested positive. The White House is considering new rules under which aides must maintain a distance of two metres (6ft) from the president, ABC News reported.
Pence’s spokeswoman, Katie Miller, the wife of Stephen Miller, one of the president’s closest aides, who is in frequent close contact with the Trump family, tested positive last week. It was unclear if Stephen Miller had entered self-isolation.
“There is extreme sensitivity inside the White House right now at the current state of affairs – officials recognise the contradiction in telling states to reopen while the White House enhances protocols to prevent spread of the virus,” CNN quoted an anonymous Trump administration official as saying.
On Monday morning the number of recorded Covid-19 deaths in the US was close to 80,000, and while the rate of new cases appears to be slowing in the New York City area and other sites of major outbreaks, elsewhere new infections are rising.
Nowhere is testing and contact-tracing for the virus as thoroughly as the White House, where aides and senior officials including Trump and Pence receive both spot checks and repeated testing in various forms, some on a daily basis. Without such testing, cases could go undetected, leading to a potentially wide outbreak.
Katie Miller, Vice-President Mike Pence’s press secretary, has tested positive for coronavirus. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Yet that is the risk Trump is urging Americans to take in the coming weeks and months as they return to work without the protection of regular testing.
On Sunday, Trump retweeted an announcement by his golf club in Los Angeles of its reopening. “So great to see our country starting to open up again!” he wrote.
“If we do this carefully, working with the governors, I don’t think there’s a considerable risk,” the treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, told Fox News Sunday. “Matter of fact, I think there’s a considerable risk of not reopening. You’re talking about what would be permanent economic damage to the American public.”
But such downplaying of the risks the public faces could be undercut as the Senate holds public hearings with social distancing measures in place.
The key committee on health will convene its first public hearing on Tuesday. Alexander will chair the hearing remotely, senators attending will wear masks and be seated two metres apart, and experts including Fauci are scheduled to testify by video link.
Fauci has repeatedly contradicted, gently, Trump’s most reckless claims about the coronavirus. On Monday morning the president claimed: “Great credit being given for our Coronavirus response, except in the Fake News.”
He also addressed one Democratic-run state seeking to reopen when he wrote: “The great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now, and they are fully aware of what that entails. The Democrats are moving slowly, all over the USA, for political purposes … Don’t play politics. Be safe, move quickly!
On Sunday, however, the White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CBS’s Face the Nation it was “scary to go work”.
“I think that I’d be a lot safer if I was sitting at home than I would be going to the West Wing,” he said.
O’Malley, the Pence spokesman, said the vice-president “will continue to follow the advice of the White House medical unit and is not in quarantine”. Pence himself, who notoriously did not wear a mask when touring the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota recently, was asked by Axios if staff should wear masks in the White House. “Some people do,” he said.
While Trump was reportedly “spooked” by the revelation that his valet had the virus, it has also been reported that he told confidants he fears he would look ridiculous in a mask and the image would appear in negative ads.
“It’s a vanity thing, I guess, with him,” the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said on MSNBC. “You’d think, as the president of the United States, you would have the confidence to honor the guidance he’s giving the country.”


theguardian--2020-05-11--Trump dismantles environmental protections under cover of coronavirus

The Trump administration is diligently weakening US environment protections even amid a global pandemic , continuing its rollback as the November election approaches .
During the Covid-19 lockdown , US federal agencies have eased fuel-efficiency standards for new cars ; frozen rules for soot air pollution ; proposed to drop review requirements for liquefied natural gas terminals ; continued to lease public property to oil and gas companies ; sought to speed up permitting for offshore fish farms ; and advanced a proposal on mercury pollution from power plants that could make it easier for the government to conclude regulations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The government has also relaxed reporting rules for polluters during the pandemic .
Trump ’ s ambitions reach even to the moon , which he has announced he wants the US to mine .
Gina McCarthy , formerly Barack Obama ’ s environment chief , now runs the Natural Resources Defense Council .
She said the Trump administration was acting to cut public health protections while the American public is distracted by a public health crisis .
“ People right now are hunkered down trying to put food on the table , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , worry about educating their children at home , ” McCarthy said .
“ How many people are going to really be able to sit down and scrutinize these things in any way ?
” McCarthy said the government was “ literally not interested in the law or science ” , and that “ is going to become strikingly clear as people look at how the administration is handling Covid-19 ” .
The Trump administration is playing both offense and defense , rescinding and rewriting some rules and crafting others that would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) has written what critics say will be a weak proposal for climate pollution from airplanes , a placeholder that will hinder stricter regulation .
Trump officials have been attempting to create a coronavirus relief program for oil and gas corporations , a new move in his campaign to back the industry and stymie global climate action .
The president has sown distrust of climate science and vowed to exit the Paris climate agreement , which the US can do after the election .
Historians say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pendulum swing back from the environmental awakening of the 1960s and 70s , when there was bipartisan support for conservation .
Protecting the environment – and particularly the climate – is an issue that has become embroiled in political ideology .
“ What Trump ’ s done is create a blitzkrieg against the environment … trying to dismantle not just Obama ’ s environmental achievements but turn back the clock to a pre-Richard Nixon day , ” said Douglas Brinkley , a history professor at Rice University who is writing a book on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just death by a thousand cuts .
It ’ s not one issue , it ’ s just across the board.
” The administration is under a tight deadline to secure changes before the election .
A US law , the Congressional Review Act , allows lawmakers to more easily rescind regulations or rollbacks issued later in an election year .
“ They ’ re hitting a now or never timeline , ” said Christine Tezak , the managing director at the analysis firm ClearView Energy Partners .
“ There ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election , just in case.
” Some trends are working against Trump – including states advancing environmental goals , and low-cost renewable power and natural gas helping reduce the climate footprint of the electricity sector .
Even Houston , an energy hub , has issued a climate action plan .
Yet such contributions are not expected to be enough to fulfill America ’ s role in stalling the global crisis .
Environmental advocates have challenged many of the Trump changes in court – and won .
The Natural Resources Defense Council has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevailed in about 90 % of lawsuits resolved .
Recently , judges tossed out a permit for the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline and decided the EPA can not bar scientists who receive federal grants from serving as agency advisers .
Jeff Holmstead , a lawyer with the firm Bracewell who represents regulated industries and was a deputy EPA administrator under George W Bush , argued that many of the changes characterized as “ rollbacks ” are actually “ sensible , reasonable regulatory reforms ” or fixes to problems .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s EPA unless you go back and look at the Obama administration , ” he said .
“ In many groups there was a sense that there really had been a great deal of regulatory overreach .
And even if you disagree with that , the regulatory programs created problems that they didn ’ t come back and fix.
” ‘ This is about who we ’ re protecting ’ Trump ’ s deregulatory agenda has addressed some issues industry would rather were left alone .
The agency is changing the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for power plants .
Companies had already complied with the rule and most didn ’ t want it changed .
But the revision is meant to set a precedent for the government to ignore some positive health outcomes of regulation .
Trump ’ s weakened standards often go against science too , critics say .
Last month , for example , the EPA decided not to tighten rules for soot pollution , refuting rebutting guidance from experts that more stringent standards would save lives .
The EPA has also repopulated advisory boards with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is trying to change what science it can consider when developing health protections .
If a Democrat takes the White House , it will take years to reverse some changes .
Moving faster would require Democrats holding both chambers of Congress .
Even then , industry would fight hard .
Christopher Cook , the environment chief for Boston , said Trump ’ s efforts had been “ incongruous with all the actions that major cities are taking ” .
“ The thing I would ask most Americans to consider when they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t about what we ’ re protecting against , this is about who we ’ re protecting , ” Cook said , noting that places with more pollution are faring worse under the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Covid has been a dry run for the climate crisis .
We ’ ve seen the populations that Covid affects because it attacks the respiratory system .
We can ’ t continue with bad air in America .
”

The Trump administration is diligently weakening US environment protections even amid a global pandemic, continuing its rollback as the November election approaches.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, US federal agencies have eased fuel-efficiency standards for new cars; frozen rules for soot air pollution; proposed to drop review requirements for liquefied natural gas terminals; continued to lease public property to oil and gas companies; sought to speed up permitting for offshore fish farms; and advanced a proposal on mercury pollution from power plants that could make it easier for the government to conclude regulations are too costly to justify their benefits.
The government has also relaxed reporting rules for polluters during the pandemic.
Trump’s ambitions reach even to the moon, which he has announced he wants the US to mine.
Gina McCarthy, formerly Barack Obama’s environment chief, now runs the Natural Resources Defense Council. She said the Trump administration was acting to cut public health protections while the American public is distracted by a public health crisis.
“People right now are hunkered down trying to put food on the table, take care of people who are sick, worry about educating their children at home,” McCarthy said. “How many people are going to really be able to sit down and scrutinize these things in any way?”
McCarthy said the government was “literally not interested in the law or science”, and that “is going to become strikingly clear as people look at how the administration is handling Covid-19”.
The Trump administration is playing both offense and defense, rescinding and rewriting some rules and crafting others that would be time-consuming for a Democratic president to reverse.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has written what critics say will be a weak proposal for climate pollution from airplanes, a placeholder that will hinder stricter regulation.
Trump officials have been attempting to create a coronavirus relief program for oil and gas corporations, a new move in his campaign to back the industry and stymie global climate action. The president has sown distrust of climate science and vowed to exit the Paris climate agreement, which the US can do after the election.
Historians say Trump’s presidency has forced a pendulum swing back from the environmental awakening of the 1960s and 70s, when there was bipartisan support for conservation. Protecting the environment – and particularly the climate – is an issue that has become embroiled in political ideology.
The gas-powered Valley Generating Station in the San Fernando Valley on 10 March 2017. Trump officials have been attempting to create a coronavirus relief program for oil and gas corporations. Photograph: David McNew/Getty Images
“What Trump’s done is create a blitzkrieg against the environment … trying to dismantle not just Obama’s environmental achievements but turn back the clock to a pre-Richard Nixon day,” said Douglas Brinkley, a history professor at Rice University who is writing a book on the subject.
“It’s just death by a thousand cuts. It’s not one issue, it’s just across the board.”
The administration is under a tight deadline to secure changes before the election. A US law, the Congressional Review Act, allows lawmakers to more easily rescind regulations or rollbacks issued later in an election year.
“They’re hitting a now or never timeline,” said Christine Tezak, the managing director at the analysis firm ClearView Energy Partners. “There’s a lot they want to get done before the election, just in case.”
Some trends are working against Trump – including states advancing environmental goals, and low-cost renewable power and natural gas helping reduce the climate footprint of the electricity sector. Even Houston, an energy hub, has issued a climate action plan. Yet such contributions are not expected to be enough to fulfill America’s role in stalling the global crisis.
Environmental advocates have challenged many of the Trump changes in court – and won. The Natural Resources Defense Council has sued 110 times and says it has prevailed in about 90% of lawsuits resolved.
Recently, judges tossed out a permit for the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline and decided the EPA cannot bar scientists who receive federal grants from serving as agency advisers.
Jeff Holmstead, a lawyer with the firm Bracewell who represents regulated industries and was a deputy EPA administrator under George W Bush, argued that many of the changes characterized as “rollbacks” are actually “sensible, reasonable regulatory reforms” or fixes to problems.
“It’s impossible to understand the Trump administration’s EPA unless you go back and look at the Obama administration,” he said. “In many groups there was a sense that there really had been a great deal of regulatory overreach. And even if you disagree with that, the regulatory programs created problems that they didn’t come back and fix.”
‘This is about who we’re protecting’
Trump’s deregulatory agenda has addressed some issues industry would rather were left alone. The agency is changing the way it calculates the benefits of mercury controls for power plants. Companies had already complied with the rule and most didn’t want it changed. But the revision is meant to set a precedent for the government to ignore some positive health outcomes of regulation.
Trump’s weakened standards often go against science too, critics say.
Last month, for example, the EPA decided not to tighten rules for soot pollution, refuting rebutting guidance from experts that more stringent standards would save lives. The EPA has also repopulated advisory boards with representatives from industry and conservative states and is trying to change what science it can consider when developing health protections.
If a Democrat takes the White House, it will take years to reverse some changes. Moving faster would require Democrats holding both chambers of Congress. Even then, industry would fight hard.
Christopher Cook, the environment chief for Boston, said Trump’s efforts had been “incongruous with all the actions that major cities are taking”.
“The thing I would ask most Americans to consider when they’re supporting stronger regulation is that this isn’t about what we’re protecting against, this is about who we’re protecting,” Cook said, noting that places with more pollution are faring worse under the coronavirus pandemic.
“Covid has been a dry run for the climate crisis. We’ve seen the populations that Covid affects because it attacks the respiratory system. We can’t continue with bad air in America.”


theguardian--2020-05-11--Midwesterners were already doubting Trump. Covid could seal his political fate

Drake Custer is a union man who , along with about 30 of his buddies , had an Old English “ K ” tattooed on their chests about 15 years ago .
It stands for “ Keokuk ” , a deflated Mississippi River manufacturing town of 10,000 tucked into the south-east corner of Iowa that Washington and Des Moines forgot .
“ We know who we are , ” said Custer .
They make syrup from corn starch , steel wheels and rubber seals at an average wage of $ 18 per hour .
People keep leaving in search of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town was 60 % bigger .
It ’ s the story of the midwest , decline and depopulation , frustration and anxiety .
“ A lot of voters wanted to believe Trump – that out there in Washington it ’ s all BS , and that a savvy businessman could straighten it out , ” Custer said .
It ’ s hard for many to admit that it didn ’ t work out .
A tragic comedy of lawlessness mixed with buffoonery nears its epilogue .
About 10 of those 30 branded Keokuk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , Custer figures maybe five of them will .
“ The vibe is : a lot of people figured out that the boss isn ’ t worried about them .
My veteran friends , they don ’ t like what ’ s going on .
They ’ re looking for leadership in government and the workplace .
Really , everybody is.
” Folks from Milwaukee to Muskegon were having their misgivings before the pandemic shut us down in March .
Trade wars with China , Mexico , Canada and Europe knocked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prices .
Workers at John Deere , the huge tractor builder , were getting pink slips in Davenport .
Ethanol plants were idled .
Farmers in north-west Iowa ’ s Sioux county , where Trump took 90 % of the vote , said last fall they would not vote for him again .
The Iowa Corn Growers proclaimed they were “ fed up ” after Trump ’ s Environmental Protection Agency allowed 31 petroleum refineries to shun ethanol blending requirements .
Ethanol comes from corn .
Corn is a religious totem in these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sank underwater in key midwestern swing states he won : Michigan , Wisconsin and Iowa .
Any number of polls showed Trump and Joe Biden in a dead heat in about a dozen purple states , or with Biden in a comfortable lead .
Bluster and blunder were coming home to roost .
Then the pandemic that Trump ignored hit and the bottom dropped out .
Corn prices dived 19 % since January .
Meatpacking plants are exploding with the coronavirus – 60 % of the pork plant workers in Perry , Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Waterloo , Iowa , said he wanted to stomp a boot on Tyson ’ s plant .
The mayor of Sioux Falls argued with the South Dakota governor to shut down a Smithfield pork facility overrun with the virus .
About 65 % of people polled think folks should stay home and not dine in at the restaurant buffet .
Although the Iowa governor allowed churches to reopen , they aren ’ t taking her up on the offer with Sunday services .
They would just as soon wait until we can get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders are not in tune with voters .
The Michigan governor , Gretchen Whitmer , a Democrat on Biden ’ s VP shortlist , held forth ably against armed men in the capital lobby and remains far more popular than Trump .
In Wisconsin , Democrats were outraged when Republicans forced a primary election involving a key state supreme court race .
Voters stood up for democracy , in line for hours braving Covid-19 infection to cast their vote .
The Democratic-backed court candidate won .
Wisconsin unseated the Republican governor , Scott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gay woman to the US Senate , Democrat Tammy Baldwin , before that .
It is the land of La Follette , after all .
Trump hopes to flip Minnesota in November .
He can forget about the land of Hubert H Humphrey if he can ’ t swing Wisconsin .
Iowa is on the pink side of purple but clearly is in play if the Democrats don ’ t just fly over again as Clinton did .
The Iowa Republican senator Joni Ernst has an approval rating near 37 % for joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routed ag markets .
The Democrats doubtless could screw this up , but … A reckoning is due for incompetence and neglect .
Farmers are disconsolate .
Every dairy worker suicide resonates .
Hogs are backed up when one of the huge , consolidated slaughterhouses goes down for lack of healthy help .
Producers are left to shoot them and bury them .
People in nice SUVs line up for free food .
It makes everyone nauseous .
Everyday people can ’ t understand why NBA players can get tested but packinghouse workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t .
Rural communities prone to vote Republican live under a cloud of fear that virus from immigrant workers will spread to them – that the health of your neighbor is in fact your health .
Immigrants become human , and their treatment is realized as shameful .
We ’ re waking up , all right .
When 30 million people can ’ t get through to the unemployment system , and half of them lose their health insurance by fall , incumbents should cover their flanks .
Polls show that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters are more motivated to vote than rural red voters by fair margins .
Armed people of color escorted an African American legislator into the Michigan capitol last week in response to the white armed men .
Talk about stuff getting real .
Do you think every African American in Flint is not motivated ?
“ The iron is hot , ” Custer said .
“ This is the time to make permanent change.
” Even while sitting in his basement unheard , Biden is winning the midwest for all Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are suckers , but in Iowa we don ’ t ruin good corn liquor with Clorox .
The gig is up .
• None Art Cullen is editor of the Storm Lake Times in north-west Iowa , where he won the Pulitzer prize for editorial writing .
He is a Guardian US columnist and author of the book : Storm Lake : Change , Resilience , and Hope in America ’ s Heartland

Drake Custer is a union man who, along with about 30 of his buddies, had an Old English “K” tattooed on their chests about 15 years ago. It stands for “Keokuk”, a deflated Mississippi River manufacturing town of 10,000 tucked into the south-east corner of Iowa that Washington and Des Moines forgot.
“We know who we are,” said Custer.
They make syrup from corn starch, steel wheels and rubber seals at an average wage of $18 per hour. People keep leaving in search of something better – in 1960, the town was 60% bigger. It’s the story of the midwest, decline and depopulation, frustration and anxiety.
“A lot of voters wanted to believe Trump – that out there in Washington it’s all BS, and that a savvy businessman could straighten it out,” Custer said.
It’s hard for many to admit that it didn’t work out. A tragic comedy of lawlessness mixed with buffoonery nears its epilogue.
About 10 of those 30 branded Keokuk men voted for Donald Trump. This year, Custer figures maybe five of them will.
“The vibe is: a lot of people figured out that the boss isn’t worried about them. My veteran friends, they don’t like what’s going on. They’re looking for leadership in government and the workplace. Really, everybody is.”
Folks from Milwaukee to Muskegon were having their misgivings before the pandemic shut us down in March. Trade wars with China, Mexico, Canada and Europe knocked the wind out of steel wheels and soybean prices. Workers at John Deere, the huge tractor builder, were getting pink slips in Davenport. Ethanol plants were idled. Farmers in north-west Iowa’s Sioux county, where Trump took 90% of the vote, said last fall they would not vote for him again. The Iowa Corn Growers proclaimed they were “fed up” after Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency allowed 31 petroleum refineries to shun ethanol blending requirements. Ethanol comes from corn. Corn is a religious totem in these parts.
Trump’s approval ratings sank underwater in key midwestern swing states he won: Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. Any number of polls showed Trump and Joe Biden in a dead heat in about a dozen purple states, or with Biden in a comfortable lead. Bluster and blunder were coming home to roost.
Then the pandemic that Trump ignored hit and the bottom dropped out.
When 30 million people can’t get through to the unemployment system, and half of them lose their health insurance by fall, incumbents should cover their flanks
Corn prices dived 19% since January. Meatpacking plants are exploding with the coronavirus – 60% of the pork plant workers in Perry, Iowa, are infected. The sheriff for Waterloo, Iowa, said he wanted to stomp a boot on Tyson’s plant. The mayor of Sioux Falls argued with the South Dakota governor to shut down a Smithfield pork facility overrun with the virus. About 65% of people polled think folks should stay home and not dine in at the restaurant buffet. Although the Iowa governor allowed churches to reopen, they aren’t taking her up on the offer with Sunday services. They would just as soon wait until we can get some tests done around here. Republican leaders are not in tune with voters.
The Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat on Biden’s VP shortlist, held forth ably against armed men in the capital lobby and remains far more popular than Trump. In Wisconsin, Democrats were outraged when Republicans forced a primary election involving a key state supreme court race. Voters stood up for democracy, in line for hours braving Covid-19 infection to cast their vote. The Democratic-backed court candidate won. Wisconsin unseated the Republican governor, Scott Walker, in 2018 and elected a gay woman to the US Senate, Democrat Tammy Baldwin, before that. It is the land of La Follette, after all.
Trump hopes to flip Minnesota in November. He can forget about the land of Hubert H Humphrey if he can’t swing Wisconsin. Iowa is on the pink side of purple but clearly is in play if the Democrats don’t just fly over again as Clinton did. The Iowa Republican senator Joni Ernst has an approval rating near 37% for joining at the cranium with Trump while he routed ag markets. The Democrats doubtless could screw this up, but …
A reckoning is due for incompetence and neglect. Farmers are disconsolate. Every dairy worker suicide resonates. Hogs are backed up when one of the huge, consolidated slaughterhouses goes down for lack of healthy help. Producers are left to shoot them and bury them. People in nice SUVs line up for free food. It makes everyone nauseous. Everyday people can’t understand why NBA players can get tested but packinghouse workers ordered to keep the pork loins rolling can’t. Rural communities prone to vote Republican live under a cloud of fear that virus from immigrant workers will spread to them – that the health of your neighbor is in fact your health. Immigrants become human, and their treatment is realized as shameful. We’re waking up, all right. When 30 million people can’t get through to the unemployment system, and half of them lose their health insurance by fall, incumbents should cover their flanks.
Polls show that in the upper midwest, blue urban voters are more motivated to vote than rural red voters by fair margins. Armed people of color escorted an African American legislator into the Michigan capitol last week in response to the white armed men. Talk about stuff getting real. Do you think every African American in Flint is not motivated?
“The iron is hot,” Custer said. “This is the time to make permanent change.”
Even while sitting in his basement unheard, Biden is winning the midwest for all Trump’s blather. The genius may think we are suckers, but in Iowa we don’t ruin good corn liquor with Clorox. The gig is up.


theguardian--2020-05-12--'You know what the crime is': Trump stumped on Obamagate details – video

Days after tweeting about 'Obamagate ' and accusing his predecessor , Barack Obama , of committing crimes , US president @ @ @ @ @ specify what those exactly were .
He replied : 'Obamagate , it 's been going @ @ @ @ @ , it 's being going on from even before I got elected and it 's @ @ @ @ @ gone on . '
He continued : 'some terrible things happened and it should never @ @ @ @ @ our country again . '
When he is again asked what the crime is , @ @ @ @ @ what the crime is . '

Days after tweeting about 'Obamagate' and accusing his predecessor, Barack Obama, of committing crimes, US president Donald Trump was asked to specify what those exactly were. He replied: 'Obamagate, it's been going on for a long time, it's being going on from even before I got elected and it's a disgrace that it's gone on.' He continued: 'some terrible things happened and it should never be allowed to happen in our country again.' When he is again asked what the crime is, Trump says: 'You know what the crime is.'


theguardian--2020-05-12--'It's all rigged': Trump foreshadows how he could undermine presidential election

Donald Trump falsely accused Democrats of trying to “ steal ” Tuesday ’ s special election in California amid the Covid-19 pandemic by adding a polling place in one of the most diverse sections of a district .
But the county actually added the polling location at the request of the area ’ s Republican mayor .
In a move that could foreshadow his approach to November ’ s presidential election , Trump said Democrats were deliberately adding one of the few polling locations over the weekend in Lancaster , where it was likely to benefit Democratic voters .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s all rigged out there .
These votes must not count .
SCAM !
, ” he tweeted .
The election is expected to take place largely by mail , common in California , and the state mailed a ballot to all registered voters in the district .
Still , there will be some opportunity for in-person voting .
But though Democrats complained that the lack of a polling location in Lancaster would harm minority voters , officials added the additional location after R Rex Parris , the city ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Though he thinks it ’ s dangerous to vote in person during the Covid-19 pandemic , Parris told the Guardian he made the request after realizing a nearby city had two polling locations , while his city had none .
While he believes elections can be rigged and understood why it might have appeared that way to Trump , he said adding the polling location was not a Democratic power grab .
“ I got ta take the rap .
I called them up and said I want a vote center , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
The California accusations underscore how the president could take advantage of the way voting procedures are rapidly changing in response to Covid-19 and question the legitimacy of election results in November .
While Trump has long railed , without evidence , that elections are tainted by voter fraud , the increased focus on vote-by-mail amid the pandemic could offer a new thread for him to pull on to undermine confidence in elections this year .
Several studies have shown voter fraud is not a widespread problem .
“ Given that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud comments for years , I expect that these comments will continue , ” said Richard Hasen , a professor of election law at the University of California , Irvine .
“ The comments are very worrisome because they increase the chances that the president ’ s supporters would not accept the election results as legitimate should he lose in November.
” Hasen and other experts helped author a report last month offering guidance on how to shore up confidence in the results of the 2020 election .
The recommendations include getting states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advance and educating the public that election results might not be available on election night as officials count mailed-in ballots .
Democrats and Republicans are already fighting over how aggressively to expand efforts to vote by mail in November , but the fight over the availability of in-person voting is likely to continue to be an explosive issue .
Faced with poll worker shortages and concerns about in-person gathering , election officials have severely cut back in-person voting .
Parties and campaigns are likely to aggressively fight over which polling places close and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ All of those changes allow for someone frankly who wants to undermine our faith in the election system to say ‘ look at what they ’ re doing to you .
This is a corrupt system , ’ ” said Jessica Levinson , a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles .
“ Certainly whenever there ’ s a change in how we vote I think it can be unsettling for people , and they can question whether or not they can have faith in the system , and President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @

Donald Trump falsely accused Democrats of trying to “steal” Tuesday’s special election in California amid the Covid-19 pandemic by adding a polling place in one of the most diverse sections of a district.
But the county actually added the polling location at the request of the area’s Republican mayor.
In a move that could foreshadow his approach to November’s presidential election, Trump said Democrats were deliberately adding one of the few polling locations over the weekend in Lancaster, a city North of Los Angeles, where it was likely to benefit Democratic voters. “They are trying to steal another election. It’s all rigged out there. These votes must not count. SCAM!,” he tweeted.
Dems are trying to steal the Mike Garcia Congressional Race in California. Republicans, get out and VOTE for your terrific candidate, ASAP! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2020
The election is expected to take place largely by mail, common in California, and the state mailed a ballot to all registered voters in the district. Still, there will be some opportunity for in-person voting. But though Democrats complained that the lack of a polling location in Lancaster would harm minority voters, officials added the additional location after R Rex Parris, the city’s Republican mayor, requested it.
Though he thinks it’s dangerous to vote in person during the Covid-19 pandemic, Parris told the Guardian he made the request after realizing a nearby city had two polling locations, while his city had none. While he believes elections can be rigged and understood why it might have appeared that way to Trump, he said adding the polling location was not a Democratic power grab.
“I gotta take the rap. I called them up and said I want a vote center, so they gave it to me,” he said.
The California accusations underscore how the president could take advantage of the way voting procedures are rapidly changing in response to Covid-19 and question the legitimacy of election results in November.
While Trump has long railed, without evidence, that elections are tainted by voter fraud, the increased focus on vote-by-mail amid the pandemic could offer a new thread for him to pull on to undermine confidence in elections this year. Several studies have shown voter fraud is not a widespread problem.
“Given that the president has been making unsubstantiated voter fraud comments for years, I expect that these comments will continue,” said Richard Hasen, a professor of election law at the University of California, Irvine. “The comments are very worrisome because they increase the chances that the president’s supporters would not accept the election results as legitimate should he lose in November.”
Hasen and other experts helped author a report last month offering guidance on how to shore up confidence in the results of the 2020 election. The recommendations include getting states to develop emergency contingency plans well in advance and educating the public that election results might not be available on election night as officials count mailed-in ballots.
Democrats and Republicans are already fighting over how aggressively to expand efforts to vote by mail in November, but the fight over the availability of in-person voting is likely to continue to be an explosive issue. Faced with poll worker shortages and concerns about in-person gathering, election officials have severely cut back in-person voting. Parties and campaigns are likely to aggressively fight over which polling places close and where the new ones are placed.
“All of those changes allow for someone frankly who wants to undermine our faith in the election system to say ‘look at what they’re doing to you. This is a corrupt system,’” said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
“Certainly whenever there’s a change in how we vote I think it can be unsettling for people, and they can question whether or not they can have faith in the system, and President Trump has seized that opening.”


theguardian--2020-05-12--Coronavirus US live: Fauci to testify on 'needless' danger of reopening early as Trump tweets in ang

Coronavirus US live: Fauci to testify on 'needless' danger of reopening early as Trump tweets in anger

…and welcome to another day of coronavirus coverage in the US .
The politics of it in a minute – the president is up and tweeting – but first as ever the figures from Johns Hopkins University : I ’ ve singled out New York as the hardest-hit state but it is getting less hard hit , as Governor Andrew Cuomo said yesterday , outlining reopening plans for some regions , as Lauren Gambino reports here .
There ’ s news this morning too .
As states try to reopen their economies , egged on by the administration , Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is in isolation after an outbreak of cases at the White House , will testify before the Senate today , remotely of course and to senators in masks , sitting six feet apart .
Fauci has told the New York Times : “ The major message that I wish to convey … is the danger of trying to open the country prematurely .
If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines … then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country .
This will not only result in needless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set us back on our quest to return to normal.
” ” Trump ’ s not going to like that , but it ’ s always nice to single out some non-Trump work before I get to him , so here ’ s Tom McCarthy on the race for a vaccine… and how Trump ’ s “ America First ” approach is slowing the global effort .
Try again : Richard Luscombe on the threat to Florida ’ s greyhounds .
And Sam Levin from Los Angeles on a shocking case of death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so to Trump .
He ’ s tweeting this morning on familiar subjects : “ Obamagate ” ( here ’ s David Smith ’ s explainer ) , how Bill Maher “ sucks ” and how NBC host Chuck Todd “ fails again ” , and something about strong borders and “ 182 miles of Border Wall already built ” .
( That ’ s the wall that he said Mexico would pay for and , to put it very simply , isn ’ t being built along the whole border , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key tweets for now : responding to conservative columnist John Solomon , he of the Ukraine affair , noting that Nancy Pelosi would be third in line to the presidency if Trump and Pence fell to Covid-19 – “ Then we must be very careful .
Crazy Nancy would be a total disaster , and the USA will never be a Communist Country !
” – and calling reporters to whom Trump responded in a Rose Garden presser by walking out “ Fake Journalists !
” Those were the salient lines of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rash of cases and with top experts isolated , the White House has instituted new rules including regarding the wearing of masks , but that does not apply to Trump .
And the press conference – a new low in Trump ’ s use of such occasions to bully , browbeat , distort or break the truth and attract accusations of racism , or if you support him , another successful battle with a perfidious foe .
It ’ s an election year , and some reports have Trump worried about his polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will only get hotter from here .

12 May 2020 00.58 BST Summary California is loosening its stay-at-home order for counties that meet certain criteria in containing the virus, allowing them to reopen some offices. But it seems Los Angeles is likely to extend its stay-at-home order through July. and California State University has announced it will cancel most in-person classes this fall.
But it seems Los Angeles is likely to extend its stay-at-home order through July. and California State University has announced it will cancel most in-person classes this fall. Aimee Stephens, the plaintiff in a landmark case about LGBTQ rights that was in the process of being heard by the US Supreme Court has died. She was awaiting the court’s decision on whether federal civil rights law protects transgender people, which is expected in late June.
She was awaiting the court’s decision on whether federal civil rights law protects transgender people, which is expected in late June. The White House coronavirus task force is to be expanded soon, the White House press secretary confirmed. Meanwhile, public health officials Anthony Fauci, Steven Hahn and Robert Redfield announced they would return to the White House despite being exposed to coronavirus, because they are essential workers.
Meanwhile, public health officials Anthony Fauci, Steven Hahn and Robert Redfield announced they would return to the White House despite being exposed to coronavirus, because they are essential workers. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the next $3 trillion financial rescue bill. The White House and Senate Republicans have signaled they won’t support it as is.
The White House and Senate Republicans have signaled they won’t support it as is. At a Senate health committee hearing, Republican Mitt Romney slammed the US’s track record on early coronavirus testing. The CDC’s Redfield admitted that the US failed in its chance to contain the coronavirus at the start of the pandemic, being left instead with only mitigation efforts.
The CDC’s Redfield admitted that the US failed in its chance to the coronavirus at the start of the pandemic, being left instead with only mitigation efforts. Fauci said that coronavirus is not yet under control in the US, months into the crisis, and warned of “serious consequences” if the US rushes to reopen prematurely. Fauci said the US death toll from coronavirus was likely higher than the official toll of 80,000 dead so far.
Fauci said the US death toll from coronavirus was likely higher than the official toll of 80,000 dead so far. The supreme court heard arguments in the cases from the House of Representatives and New York investigators that seek access to Donald Trump’s taxes and other financial records. The court is in its second week of working remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic, hearing arguments through video call.
12 May 2020 00.38 BST Twitter will allow its employees to work from home “forever”, chief executive officer Jack Dorsey said in a company-wide email Tuesday. The Guardian’s Kari Paul reports: A spokesperson from Twitter confirmed the decision to the Guardian, saying the company was “one of the first companies to go to a work-from-home model” due to Covid-19, but does not anticipate being one of the first to return to its offices. “We were uniquely positioned to respond quickly and allow folks to work from home given our emphasis on decentralization and supporting a distributed workforce capable of working from anywhere,” the company said in a blogpost. “The past few months have proven we can make that work. So if our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen.” Twitter has “strongly encouraged” working from home since 2 March and mandated employees to work from home starting 11 March. Employees who prefer to work remotely can now do so indefinitely, Twitter said in its statement. Those who want to return to the office will probably need to wait until at least September. “When we do decide to open offices, it also won’t be a snap back to the way it was before,” the company said. “It will be careful, intentional, office by office and gradual.” Twitter announces employees will be allowed to work from home ‘forever’ Read more
12 May 2020 00.23 BST The FBI inadvertently revealed the identity of a Saudi Embassy official suspected of supporting al-Qaida hijackers involved in the 11 September terror attacks in a court filing. Yahoo News reports: The disclosure came in a new declaration filed in federal court by a senior FBI official in response to a lawsuit brought by families of 9/11 victims that accuses the Saudi government of complicity in the terrorist attacks. The declaration was filed last month but unsealed late last week. According to a spokesman for the 9/11 victims’ families, it represents a major breakthrough in the long-running case, providing for the first time an apparent confirmation that FBI agents investigating the attacks believed they had uncovered a link between the hijackers and the Saudi Embassy in Washington. It’s unclear just how strong the evidence is against the former Saudi Embassy official — it’s been a subject of sharp dispute within the FBI for years. But the disclosure, which a senior U.S. government official confirmed was made in error, seems likely to revive questions about potential Saudi links to the 9/11 plot. It also shines a light on the extraordinary efforts by top Trump administration officials in recent months to prevent internal documents about the issue from ever becoming public. “This shows there is a complete government cover-up of the Saudi involvement,” said Brett Eagleson, a spokesman for the 9/11 families whose father was killed in the attacks. “It demonstrates there was a hierarchy of command that’s coming from the Saudi Embassy to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs [in Los Angeles] to the hijackers.” Still, Eagleson acknowledged he was flabbergasted by the bureau’s slip-up in identifying the Saudi Embassy official in a public filing. Although Justice Department lawyers had last September notified lawyers for the 9/11 families of the official’s identity, they had done so under a protective order that forbade the family members from publicly disclosing it. Now, the bureau itself has named the Saudi official. “This is a giant screwup,” Eagleson said.
12 May 2020 23.52 BST California State University system to cancel in-person classes in fall The California State University system — the largest. in the nation — plans to cancel almost all classes in the fall, chancellor Timothy White announced. Most classes will be taught online, with a few exceptions. “Our university when open without restrictions and fully in person… is a place where over 500,000 people come together in close and vibrant proximity,” White said at a meeting of Cal State’s Board of Trustees. “That approach sadly just isn’t in the cards now.” “Our university, when open without restrictions and fully in person, as is the traditional norm of the past, is a place where over 500,000 people come together in close and vibrant proximity with each other on a daily basis,” White added. “That approach, sadly, just isn’t in the cards now as I have described.” Although many universities have gone out of their way to say that they will hold in-person classes in the fall, CSU’s cautious approach comes as public health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, warn against reopening too soon
12 May 2020 23.25 BST A special election in California’s 25th Congressional district is technically today. But the voting is happening mostly by mail, due to the Pandemic. The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports that the president has contradicted himself and falsely accusing Democrats of trying to “steal” the election: Donald Trump falsely accused Democrats of trying to “steal” Tuesday’s special election in California amid the Covid-19 pandemic by adding a polling place in one of the most diverse sections of a district. But the county actually added the polling location at the request of the area’s Republican mayor. In a move that could foreshadow his approach to November’s presidential election, Trump said Democrats were deliberately adding one of the few polling locations over the weekend in Lancaster, a city North of Los Angeles, where it was likely to benefit Democratic voters. “They are trying to steal another election. It’s all rigged out there. These votes must not count. SCAM!,” he tweeted.
Today’s election is taking place largely by mail, common in California, and the state mailed a ballot to all registered voters in the district. Still, there will be some opportunity for in-person voting. But though Democrats complained that the lack of a polling location in Lancaster would harm minority voters, officials added the additional location after R Rex Parris, the city’s Republican mayor, requested it. Though he thinks it’s dangerous to vote in person during the Covid-19 pandemic, Parris told the Guardian he made the request after realizing a nearby city had two polling locations, while his city had none. While he believes elections can be rigged and understood why it might have appeared that way to Trump, he said adding the polling location was not a Democratic power grab. 'It's all rigged': Trump foreshadows how he could undermine presidential election Read more
12 May 2020 23.07 BST Sam Levin Carlos Ernesto Escobar Mejia had lived in the United States for four decades. Last week, he became the first person to die from Covid-19 in immigration custody.
A protester stands outside Otay Mesa Detention Center during a “Vigil for Carlos” rally on May 9, 2020 in Otay Mesa, California. The vigil was held to commemorate Carlos Ernesto Escobar Mejia, the first illegal immigrant who died of Covid-19 related symptoms while being held at the detention center. Photograph: Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images Mejia’s death in San Diego last week was preventable, his sister says, as coronavirus has infected hundreds in Ice detention. Escobar Mejia, 57, came to the US as a teenager, having fled El Salvador after his brother’s murder during the war. He died on Wednesday in San Diego, after complaining for weeks that he was sick and that his history of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems and an amputated foot put him at high risk of succumbing to Covid-19 inside the Otay Mesa detention center.
“He was weak, he should have been released,” his sister Rosa Escobar told the Guardian. “They were refusing to take him to see a doctor. He was begging and screaming for medical attention. He was so scared.” Escobar Mejia’s death comes as Covid-19 has infected hundreds of detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) jails. A long history of substandard conditions, overcrowding and unsanitary practices in some facilities, as well as the US government’s refusal to release many detainees at particular risk of developing Covid-19 complications, has led to a rapidly escalating crisis, advocates say. “These facilities don’t care about the people or the facts of their lives,” Rosa said by phone days after her brother’s death, speaking in Spanish. “These are private institutions making money off of immigrants.” He lived in the US for 40 years. Then he became the first to die from Covid-19 in immigration jail Read more
Updated at 23.07 BST
12 May 2020 23.00 BST The New York Times’ science and health reporter Donald McNeil was unsparing in his assessment of the US response to the coronavirus in an interview with Chistiane Amanpour. McNeil said the CDC “is a great agency but it’s incompetently led, and I think Dr Redfield should resign”. The federal government’s delayed response to the crisis has been roundly criticized by Democrats and public health experts around the world. But it is unusual for a Times journalist to call for the resignation of a US official and so bluntly share an opinion about the US leaders. Donald G. McNeil Jr: The CDC “is a great agency but it’s incompetently led, and I think Dr Redfield should resign.” pic.twitter.com/7tUPDGsE86 — Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) May 12, 2020 In a statement, the Times said that McNeil had gone “too far in expressing his personal views.” In a statement, The New York Times told me that McNeil had gone "too far in expressing his personal views." But it appears to indicate that a talk was the extent of it. pic.twitter.com/tZDXEXezLa — ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) May 12, 2020
12 May 2020 22.45 BST Fauci, Redfield and Hahn will return to the White House for meetings as needed Although they were exposed to the coronavirus,Dr. Robert Redfield, the CDC director; Dr. Steve Hahn, the FDA commissioner; and Dr. Anthony Fauci, who’s leading the US coronavirus response, will return to work in person, so long as they’re asymptomatic, according to a statement from the officials. Like doctors, nurses and medical staff around the nation, Redfield, Hahn and Fauci are “critical infrastructure workers” and will return to work while wearing face masks and maintaining a six-foot distance from others, according to the statement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have together determined that government entities working in support of the COVID-19 response efforts are providing essential services and the current guidelines for critical infrastructure workers apply. Therefore, providing that they are asymptomatic, screened, and monitored for fever and other symptoms, wear a face covering, and maintain a distance of at least six feet from others, Drs. Redfield, Hahn, and Fauci can and will participate in meetings on the White House complex when their attendance is needed. The announcement is a reversal for Fauci, who earlier this week told CNN he would begin a “modified quarantine” after he made “low risk” contact with a White House staffer who tested positive for Covid-19.
12 May 2020 22.32 BST A federal judge has ruled that Andrew Cuomo should have a sign-language interpreter available for his TV briefings. The New York governor must have “in-frame ASL interpretation” during his daily updates, which garnered national attention as New York became a hotspot for coronavirus cases. Until now, those who needed ASL interpretation needed to go online to access it. Starting Wednesday, Cuomo’s office said an interpreter will be visible on TV as well.
12 May 2020 22.17 BST Vivian Ho California is loosening its stay-at-home order for counties that meet certain criteria in containing the virus, allowing them to reopen some offices, schools and dine-in restaurants, governor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday. As of Tuesday morning, only the rural counties of Butte, north of Sacramento, and El Dorado, south of Tahoe National Forest, have gotten state approval to reopen more of their economy, but Newsom predicted that at least two more would receive the go-ahead by the end of the day. Customers walk past an open sign at Rubio’s Coastal Grill in Long Beach, Calif. Photograph: Ashley Landis/AP Butte county has a population of about 219,000 and El Dorado county has a population of about 193,000. Butte has had a total of 20 cases and El Dorado has had a total of 56. Both counties had to file attestments that they met the state’s readiness criteria. The debate around local variance to modifications to the stay-at-home order has raged around the state even before Newsom brought California into phase two of the crisis on 8 May and reopened 70% of its economy under certain guidelines. It once again highlights the difficulties that come with governing a state as large and varied as California. While rural counties that have not seen high rates of infection argue that they could loosen up restrictions before the rest of the state, harder hit regions are adhering to stricter measures than the state’s order, much to the dismay of business owners like Elon Musk. Los Angeles county’s stay-at-home order, for example, will “with all certainty”be extended through July. Los Angeles has had 32,258 positive cases and 1,569 deaths - more than half the deaths in the entire state.
12 May 2020 22.03 BST Afternoon summary It’s been a busy day in US politics and coronavirus news so far today and there’s more action to come. My colleague Maanvi Singh on the west coast will take over now and bring you the major developments over the next few hours. Here are the most recent items this afternoon: Looks like Los Angeles County will extend its stay-at-home order through July in order to slow the spread of coronavirus .
will extend its stay-at-home order through July in order to slow the spread of . Aimee Stephens , the plaintiff in a landmark case about LGBTQ rights that was in the process of being heard by the US Supreme Court has died.
, the plaintiff in a landmark case about that was in the process of being heard by the US Supreme Court has died. The White House coronavirus task force is to be expanded soon, though no details yet, press sec Kayleigh McEnany confirmed. Donald Trump was going to wind it down, then reversed course after public uproar.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the next $3 trillion financial rescue bill, though the Republican-controlled Senate will flay it alive.
announced the next $3 trillion financial rescue bill, though the Republican-controlled Senate will flay it alive. It was an action-packed morning with a crucial Senate health committee hearing in which top US public health expert Anthony Fauci warned against serious consequences in a hasty reopening, and at the Supreme Court oral arguments were heard on the power to subpoena Donald Trump’s tax records. Here’s the previous summary.


theguardian--2020-05-12--US supreme court tackles politics’ most tantalising mystery: Trump’s tax returns

The US supreme court is in its second week of working by telephone during the coronavirus pandemic .
On Tuesday it will hear the highest-profile arguments so far presented remotely : regarding the release , or not , of Donald Trump ’ s tax returns .
When Trump ran for president in 2016 , he bucked tradition by refusing to release such information .
Saying he was under audit , which would not in fact have precluded action , he promised to release his returns in due course .
He has not .
Details of the president ’ s tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the New York Times winning a Pulitzer in 2019 for a wide-ranging investigation which the prize committee said “ debunked [ Trump ’ s ] claims of self-made wealth and revealed a business empire riddled with tax dodges ” .
But Trump ’ s taxes remain one of the most tantalising mysteries in American politics .
On Tuesday , the supreme court will hear cases originating in Congress and New York state .
Both seek records from Mazars USA , Trump ’ s accountants .
Democrats , who control the House of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s tax returns , records and financial statements , to see if he is violating constitutional safeguards and federal ethics laws by benefiting financially from his occupation of the White House via his business empire .
The New York prosecutor Cyrus Vance Jr wants to know more about Trump ’ s payoffs to women who claimed affairs with him , and whether such hush money payments involved the falsification of business records .
Trump ’ s lawyers contend that the president is not required to release such information , that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office , and that Congress is trying to limit his power .
In a New York appeals court last October , Trump attorney William Consovoy went so far as to say that if the president carried out his famous notion of shooting someone “ on Fifth Avenue ” , to see if it cost him support , he could not be prosecuted by local authorities .
Critics contend that no American citizen is above the law .
Writing for the Washington Post , the Republican lawyer and Trump critic George Conway – who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kellyanne Conway – said : “ Trump ’ s position stupefies .
In essence : authorities can ’ t investigate anything touching his personal affairs – including , ahem , payments to pornographic actresses – because he ’ s president .
“ Think of the logic : Not only does the president enjoy a personal constitutional immunity – his businesses do , too.
” In a column for Bloomberg News , Trump biographer Tim O ’ Brien pointed to the fact that Trump has surrendered tax records before .
When Trump sued O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a suit dismissed in 2011 , he “ resisted releasing his tax returns and other financial records ” .
But , O ’ Brien wrote , “ my lawyers got the returns , and while I can ’ t disclose specifics , I imagine that Trump is hesitant to release them now because they would reveal how robust his businesses actually are and shine a light on some of his foreign sources of income.
” Trump ’ s relationship with Deutsche Bank has been one subject of fascination and investigation , given that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has loaned him money since the 1990s and given its extensive links to money laundering and Russia .
Special counsel Robert Mueller obtained records from Deutsche Bank during his investigation of Russian election interference and links between Trump and Moscow .
Mueller did not establish a criminal conspiracy but also said he was not exonerating the president .
The decision over Trump ’ s tax returns will have dramatic implications , whichever way it falls .
Conservatives hold a 5-4 majority on the court thanks to Trump ’ s appointments of Neil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the death of Antonin Scalia and held open by the Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell , and Brett Kavanaugh , who replaced the retiring Anthony Kennedy .
In an email , the former Clinton aide and Guardian contributor Sidney Blumenthal said : “ The case is potentially an existential threat to Trump .
He ’ s a desperate man on the run , one step ahead of the law .
“ If he were to lose the election he would likely face prosecution for a variety of crimes including financial fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Joe Biden becomes president.
” If the court sides with Trump , presidential power will vastly expand .
Blumenthal said such a ruling “ would exalt the authoritarian theory of the so-called ‘ unitary executive ’ , abdicate the responsibility of an independent judiciary and degrade the court ’ s reputation as little more than a partisan instrument ” .

The US supreme court is in its second week of working by telephone during the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday it will hear the highest-profile arguments so far presented remotely: regarding the release, or not, of Donald Trump’s tax returns.
When Trump ran for president in 2016, he bucked tradition by refusing to release such information. Saying he was under audit, which would not in fact have precluded action, he promised to release his returns in due course. He has not.
Details of the president’s tax affairs have been reported by various outlets, the New York Times winning a Pulitzer in 2019 for a wide-ranging investigation which the prize committee said “debunked [Trump’s] claims of self-made wealth and revealed a business empire riddled with tax dodges”.
But Trump’s taxes remain one of the most tantalising mysteries in American politics.
On Tuesday, the supreme court will hear cases originating in Congress and New York state. Both seek records from Mazars USA, Trump’s accountants.
Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, want access to the Republican president’s tax returns, records and financial statements, to see if he is violating constitutional safeguards and federal ethics laws by benefiting financially from his occupation of the White House via his business empire.
The New York prosecutor Cyrus Vance Jr wants to know more about Trump’s payoffs to women who claimed affairs with him, and whether such hush money payments involved the falsification of business records.
Trump’s lawyers contend that the president is not required to release such information, that he is immune from criminal prosecution while in office, and that Congress is trying to limit his power.
In a New York appeals court last October, Trump attorney William Consovoy went so far as to say that if the president carried out his famous notion of shooting someone “on Fifth Avenue”, to see if it cost him support, he could not be prosecuted by local authorities.
Critics contend that no American citizen is above the law.
Writing for the Washington Post, the Republican lawyer and Trump critic George Conway – who is married to the White House counselor Kellyanne Conway – said: “Trump’s position stupefies. In essence: authorities can’t investigate anything touching his personal affairs – including, ahem, payments to pornographic actresses – because he’s president.
“Think of the logic: Not only does the president enjoy a personal constitutional immunity – his businesses do, too.”
In a column for Bloomberg News, Trump biographer Tim O’Brien pointed to the fact that Trump has surrendered tax records before.
When Trump sued O’Brien for libel in 2006, a suit dismissed in 2011, he “resisted releasing his tax returns and other financial records”.
But, O’Brien wrote, “my lawyers got the returns, and while I can’t disclose specifics, I imagine that Trump is hesitant to release them now because they would reveal how robust his businesses actually are and shine a light on some of his foreign sources of income.”
Trump’s relationship with Deutsche Bank has been one subject of fascination and investigation, given that it is the only major world bank that has loaned him money since the 1990s and given its extensive links to money laundering and Russia.
Special counsel Robert Mueller obtained records from Deutsche Bank during his investigation of Russian election interference and links between Trump and Moscow. Mueller did not establish a criminal conspiracy but also said he was not exonerating the president.
The decision over Trump’s tax returns will have dramatic implications, whichever way it falls.
Conservatives hold a 5-4 majority on the court thanks to Trump’s appointments of Neil Gorsuch, to fill the seat vacated by the death of Antonin Scalia and held open by the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, and Brett Kavanaugh, who replaced the retiring Anthony Kennedy.
In an email, the former Clinton aide and Guardian contributor Sidney Blumenthal said: “The case is potentially an existential threat to Trump. He’s a desperate man on the run, one step ahead of the law.
“If he were to lose the election he would likely face prosecution for a variety of crimes including financial fraud. His immunity would end the moment that Joe Biden becomes president.”
If the court sides with Trump, presidential power will vastly expand.
Blumenthal said such a ruling “would exalt the authoritarian theory of the so-called ‘unitary executive’, abdicate the responsibility of an independent judiciary and degrade the court’s reputation as little more than a partisan instrument”.


theguardian--2020-05-12--Global report: Fauci warns of 'needless death' as WHO urges vigilance in lifting lockdowns

The World Health Organization has called on countries to show “ extreme vigilance ” when loosening Covid-19 restrictions as the top US infectious diseases expert , Anthony Fauci , warned that prematurely reopening the American economy would cause “ needless suffering and death ” .
The WHO ’ s emergencies chief , Michael Ryan , has hailed the gradual lifting of coronavirus lockdowns in some countries whose death and infection rates were dropping , as a sign of “ hope ” , but he cautioned that “ extreme vigilance is required ” .
He urged countries to boost their public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fresh cases , and trace and isolate all contacts , which he said could help “ avoid a major second wave ” .
He also warned that while “ many countries have made very systematic investments in building up their public health capacities during the lockdowns , others have not.
” “ If disease persists in countries at a low level without the capacity to investigate clusters , identify clusters , there is always the risk that the disease will take off again , ” he said .
His statement came amid concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea and China .
Ryan ’ s message was echoed late on Monday by Anthony Fauci , a key member of the US coronavirus taskforce team .
Fauci told the New York Times he intended to tell the Senate health , education , labor and pensions committee on Tuesday that Americans would experience “ needless suffering and death ” if the country opened prematurely .
“ If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to : ‘ Open America Again ’ then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needless suffering and death , but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal , ” Fauci said in an email .
Fauci had been a regular at that podium at White House briefings before Trump reduced his prime-time appearances in favour of set-piece ones .
On Monday in the US , which has the most cases of any country in the world , White House staff were directed to wear face masks .
In New York , Governor Andrew Cuomo said several regions ( not New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend after meeting benchmarks demonstrating that they were “ ready to go ” .
Factory workers began returning to automotive assembly lines in Michigan on Monday , stoking fears of a second wave of infections .
The state has seen some of the most vocal protests against the lockdown , directed by the Democratic mayor , Gretchen Whitmer .
In California , Elon Musk reopened his Tesla factory on Monday afternoon , in defiance of lockdown laws .
In South Korea , cited as a beacon of success in tackling the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cluster in Seoul ’ s nightclub district that was visited on 1-2 May by a man in his late 20s before he tested positive for the virus .
Since mid April , the country had been adding fewer than 15 cases per day , including some days when there were no domestic infections .
China on Monday reported just one new case , and one suspected case .
Concerns had been raised the day before when 17 newly diagnosed cases were announced , the highest number in nearly two weeks .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All mosques can temporarily reopen on Tuesday , the official IRIB news agency reported .
Mohammad Qomi , the director of the Islamic Development Organisation , said they would be open for only three days , commemorating specific nights for the holy month of Ramadan .
The semi-official news agency Fars said it was unclear whether they would stay open .
Mosques opened for Friday prayers last week in 180 cities that were seen as low risk .
Brazil ’ s populist president , Jair Bolsonaro , on Monday declared gyms and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could stay open , despite 5,632 new cases and 396 new deaths being reported .
“ The question of life has to be taken in parallel with jobs , ” Bolsonaro said outside his official residence , in comments reminiscent of Trump .
“ Without the economy there is no life , there are no doctors , there are no hospital supplies.
” Bolsonaro has been strongly criticised for his approach to the pandemic .
In total , Brazil has reported more than 169,000 cases , just behind Germany ( 172,576 ) and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11,625 deaths have been reported , making Brazil the sixth worst affected country , behind the US ( 80,397 ) , UK ( 32,141 ) , Italy ( 30,379 ) , Spain ( 26,744 ) and France ( 26,646 ) .
• None Saudi-backed authorities in Yemen declared Aden an “ infested ” city as the number of cases there rose .
At the same time , Riyadh announced that its major oil producer , Aramco , would cut oil output by another million barrels per day , or nearly 12 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June .
• None The death toll from the novel coronavirus among medical personnel in Mexico has reached 111 , and the virus has infected between 8,500 and 15,000 hospital workers .
• None Japan ’ s Health Ministry is set to approve antigen coronavirus testing kits on Wednesday , a ministry official said on Tuesday , in a move to boost the number of diagnostic tests available to battle the pandemic .
• None New Zealand recorded no new cases on Tuesday .
The country will move to Level 2 lockdown on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treasury has forecasted GDP will fall by over 10 % in the June quarter , which would represent the country ’ s biggest fall on record .
• None Global cases of coronavirus total 4,175,284 , with deaths worldwide at 285,971 , according to the Johns Hopkins tracker .

The World Health Organization has called on countries to show “extreme vigilance” when loosening Covid-19 restrictions as the top US infectious diseases expert, Anthony Fauci, warned that prematurely reopening the American economy would cause “needless suffering and death”.
The WHO’s emergencies chief, Michael Ryan, has hailed the gradual lifting of coronavirus lockdowns in some countries whose death and infection rates were dropping, as a sign of “hope”, but he cautioned that “extreme vigilance is required”.
He urged countries to boost their public health responses, ensuring they could identify fresh cases, and trace and isolate all contacts, which he said could help “avoid a major second wave”.
He also warned that while “many countries have made very systematic investments in building up their public health capacities during the lockdowns, others have not.”
“If disease persists in countries at a low level without the capacity to investigate clusters, identify clusters, there is always the risk that the disease will take off again,” he said.
His statement came amid concern over new spikes of infection in South Korea and China.
Ryan’s message was echoed late on Monday by Anthony Fauci, a key member of the US coronavirus taskforce team. Fauci told the New York Times he intended to tell the Senate health, education, labor and pensions committee on Tuesday that Americans would experience “needless suffering and death” if the country opened prematurely.
“If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to: ‘Open America Again’ then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country. This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal,” Fauci said in an email.
Anthony Fauci will appear before a Senate committee on Tuesday via video link Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Fauci had been a regular at that podium at White House briefings before Trump reduced his prime-time appearances in favour of set-piece ones.
On Monday in the US, which has the most cases of any country in the world, White House staff were directed to wear face masks.
In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said several regions (not New York City) could start reopening their economies this weekend after meeting benchmarks demonstrating that they were “ready to go”. Factory workers began returning to automotive assembly lines in Michigan on Monday, stoking fears of a second wave of infections. The state has seen some of the most vocal protests against the lockdown, directed by the Democratic mayor, Gretchen Whitmer. In California, Elon Musk reopened his Tesla factory on Monday afternoon, in defiance of lockdown laws.
In South Korea, cited as a beacon of success in tackling the virus, 64 cases have now been connected to a cluster in Seoul’s nightclub district that was visited on 1-2 May by a man in his late 20s before he tested positive for the virus. Since mid April, the country had been adding fewer than 15 cases per day, including some days when there were no domestic infections.
China on Monday reported just one new case, and one suspected case. Concerns had been raised the day before when 17 newly diagnosed cases were announced, the highest number in nearly two weeks.
In Iran, lockdown measures were also easing. All mosques can temporarily reopen on Tuesday, the official IRIB news agency reported. Mohammad Qomi, the director of the Islamic Development Organisation, said they would be open for only three days, commemorating specific nights for the holy month of Ramadan. The semi-official news agency Fars said it was unclear whether they would stay open. Mosques opened for Friday prayers last week in 180 cities that were seen as low risk.
Brazil’s populist president, Jair Bolsonaro, on Monday declared gyms and hair salons to be essential services that could stay open, despite 5,632 new cases and 396 new deaths being reported.
“The question of life has to be taken in parallel with jobs,” Bolsonaro said outside his official residence, in comments reminiscent of Trump. “Without the economy there is no life, there are no doctors, there are no hospital supplies.”
Bolsonaro has been strongly criticised for his approach to the pandemic.
In total, Brazil has reported more than 169,000 cases, just behind Germany (172,576) and France (177,547). So far 11,625 deaths have been reported, making Brazil the sixth worst affected country, behind the US (80,397), UK (32,141), Italy (30,379), Spain (26,744) and France (26,646).
In other coronavirus developments:


theguardian--2020-05-12--Trump is making America an obstacle in the global fight against Covid-19 | Michael H Fuchs

President Donald Trump ’ s incompetent handling of the Covid-19 pandemic is not only exacerbating the death and destruction caused by the virus in the US .
It is also crippling the global response to the crisis , and the costs could be even deadlier .
When global crises hit , American leadership is essential .
Whether it was launching the President ’ s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief ( Pepfar ) or marshaling efforts to respond to the 2014 Ebola outbreak , the US has played a central role in tackling many of the world ’ s deadliest health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect , but it is necessary to tackle threats of a global magnitude .
This pandemic is one of the greatest challenges the world has faced since the second world war .
America has lost more people to Covid-19 than it has lost in all of its military conflicts since the beginning of the Vietnam war .
The outbreak has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives around the world , and the crisis has just begun .
As the death toll rises and the path out of the pandemic remains uncertain , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful global effort to defeat the pandemic will require a robust American response .
Instead , Trump is making it harder for the world to address the crisis .
Trump does not seem to recognize that the only effective solution to the pandemic is to counter it everywhere .
Without a universally administered vaccine , the virus could continue to cycle through country after country .
And as desperate as the situation is in the US , other countries could fare far worse .
The UN recently tripled its assessment of the immediate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said trillions of dollars in rescue packages would be necessary for developing economies .
In addition to the unimaginable number of people who could die from the virus itself , the pandemic could cause famines of “ biblical proportions ” , according to the World Food Programme , and an economic collapse that could cost countless more lives .
While the US would normally be leading calls for assistance to developing countries to help them deal with the pandemic , the Trump administration is barely noticing the desperate need around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would gather allies and partners to develop common solutions ; this time , the Trump administration blocked the G20 from taking action .
Trump has attacked the primary international governmental organization dedicated to responding to pandemics .
Early in the outbreak , long before Trump claimed that the virus would “ disappear ” , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) was sounding the alarm and warning countries to prepare .
But instead of working with the WHO , the Trump administration has turned the organization into a battleground with China and halted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way of efforts to aid those who could be devastated by the pandemic .
When the UN secretary general pushed for a global ceasefire during the pandemic – which numerous groups involved in armed conflicts indicated they would support – the US held up efforts because of squabbling with China over language referring to the WHO .
Meanwhile , the Trump administration has continued to pressure Iran and Venezuela with sanctions despite how vulnerable their people are .
Trump seems to view the race for a vaccine as a zero-sum game .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ buy a German company that had made progress in developing a vaccine , with the intent of securing credit and access for the US .
On 4 May , leaders from around the world convened to raise funds to find a vaccine and treatments and clear the way for mass production and distribution .
But the US was missing in action – not only did Trump fail to attend , but the US didn ’ t even send an official or any funds .
One of the threads running through all this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese Communist party ( CCP ) initially responded to the outbreak by trying to censor those speaking out about it , many in the US blame China for allowing the pandemic to spread .
Whatever culpability China deserves , no one gains right now from a US-China feud over the pandemic at the expense of collective efforts to beat the disease .
Yet that ’ s exactly what the Trump administration and the CCP are doing .
Trump ’ s deadly mishandling of the pandemic at home also threatens to make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international pariah .
With more cases and deaths than any other country , and with a president who seems uninterested in doing what it takes to safely reopen the economy , the rest of the world is unlikely to take American policies for addressing the pandemic seriously .
Even worse , as other countries begin to safely reopen their economies , the US may become the target of travel bans , as China was early in the pandemic .
In moments of global crisis , America is still the indispensable nation .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump is making America an obstacle to success .

President Donald Trump’s incompetent handling of the Covid-19 pandemic is not only exacerbating the death and destruction caused by the virus in the US. It is also crippling the global response to the crisis, and the costs could be even deadlier.
When global crises hit, American leadership is essential. Whether it was launching the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) or marshaling efforts to respond to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the US has played a central role in tackling many of the world’s deadliest health crises. American leadership is far from perfect, but it is necessary to tackle threats of a global magnitude.
This pandemic is one of the greatest challenges the world has faced since the second world war. America has lost more people to Covid-19 than it has lost in all of its military conflicts since the beginning of the Vietnam war. The outbreak has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives around the world, and the crisis has just begun. As the death toll rises and the path out of the pandemic remains uncertain, the economic catastrophe will be enormous.
A successful global effort to defeat the pandemic will require a robust American response. Instead, Trump is making it harder for the world to address the crisis.
Trump does not seem to recognize that the only effective solution to the pandemic is to counter it everywhere. Without a universally administered vaccine, the virus could continue to cycle through country after country. And as desperate as the situation is in the US, other countries could fare far worse. The UN recently tripled its assessment of the immediate need for aid to the most vulnerable and said trillions of dollars in rescue packages would be necessary for developing economies. In addition to the unimaginable number of people who could die from the virus itself, the pandemic could cause famines of “biblical proportions”, according to the World Food Programme, and an economic collapse that could cost countless more lives.
While the US would normally be leading calls for assistance to developing countries to help them deal with the pandemic, the Trump administration is barely noticing the desperate need around the world. In past crises, the US would gather allies and partners to develop common solutions; this time, the Trump administration blocked the G20 from taking action.
Trump has stood in the way of efforts to aid those who could be devastated by the pandemic
Trump has attacked the primary international governmental organization dedicated to responding to pandemics. Early in the outbreak, long before Trump claimed that the virus would “disappear”, the World Health Organization (WHO) was sounding the alarm and warning countries to prepare. But instead of working with the WHO, the Trump administration has turned the organization into a battleground with China and halted US funding.
Trump has stood in the way of efforts to aid those who could be devastated by the pandemic. When the UN secretary general pushed for a global ceasefire during the pandemic – which numerous groups involved in armed conflicts indicated they would support – the US held up efforts because of squabbling with China over language referring to the WHO. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has continued to pressure Iran and Venezuela with sanctions despite how vulnerable their people are.
Trump seems to view the race for a vaccine as a zero-sum game. In March, he reportedly tried to buy a German company that had made progress in developing a vaccine, with the intent of securing credit and access for the US. On 4 May, leaders from around the world convened to raise funds to find a vaccine and treatments and clear the way for mass production and distribution. But the US was missing in action – not only did Trump fail to attend, but the US didn’t even send an official or any funds.
04:30 How Trump has berated, insulted and demeaned female reporters – video
One of the threads running through all this is a deadly US-China blame game. Since the Chinese Communist party (CCP) initially responded to the outbreak by trying to censor those speaking out about it, many in the US blame China for allowing the pandemic to spread. Whatever culpability China deserves, no one gains right now from a US-China feud over the pandemic at the expense of collective efforts to beat the disease. Yet that’s exactly what the Trump administration and the CCP are doing.
Trump’s deadly mishandling of the pandemic at home also threatens to make the world’s most powerful country an international pariah. With more cases and deaths than any other country, and with a president who seems uninterested in doing what it takes to safely reopen the economy, the rest of the world is unlikely to take American policies for addressing the pandemic seriously. Even worse, as other countries begin to safely reopen their economies, the US may become the target of travel bans, as China was early in the pandemic.
In moments of global crisis, America is still the indispensable nation. But in today’s moment of need, Trump is making America an obstacle to success.


theguardian--2020-05-12--'You know what the crime is': Trump stumped on 'Obamagate' details – video


theguardian--2020-05-12--Coronavirus US live: Fauci testifies pandemic is not 'under control' in America – as it happened

Twitter will allow its employees to work from home “ forever ” , chief executive officer Jack Dorsey said in a company-wide email Tuesday .
A spokesperson from Twitter confirmed the decision to the Guardian , saying the company was “ one of the first companies to go to a work-from-home model ” due to Covid-19 , but does not anticipate being one of the first to return to its offices .
“ We were uniquely positioned to respond quickly and allow folks to work from home given our emphasis on decentralization and supporting a distributed workforce capable of working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a blogpost .
“ The past few months have proven we can make that work .
So if our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever , we will make that happen.
” Twitter has “ strongly encouraged ” working from home since 2 March and mandated employees to work from home starting 11 March .
Employees who prefer to work remotely can now do so indefinitely , Twitter said in its statement .
Those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably need to wait until at least September .
“ When we do decide to open offices , it also won ’ t be a snap back to the way it was before , ” the company said .
“ It will be careful , intentional , office by office and gradual .
”

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now) and Joanna Walters and Martin Pengelly (earlier) in New York