theguardian--2020-05-14--CDC releases reopening guidelines for businesses, schools and transit – as it happened

Women are the less visible victims of Covid-19 behind bars – as they are so often overlooked in a criminal justice system that was not designed for them .
Though only a small number have died – at least 13 had been reported by Wednesday – their stories illuminate the unique problems women face in prison .
They also reflect the all too common ways they get there in the first place : drug addiction and violence involving the men in their lives .
One of the victims was days away from giving birth to her sixth child , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles away from her South Dakota home , for a federal drug conviction .
Another was a 61-year-old New York woman who survived a life marred by trauma and violence , only to die from the virus .
A third was a North Carolina prisoner with a model record , who had served decades of a life sentence for a murder committed by a male accomplice in the aftermath of an armed robbery .
Far more men are locked up in prisons in the US and far more of them have died from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Marshall Project .
But women in crowded prisons are as much at risk .
The Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women , south of Baton Rouge , now has more than 165 Covid-19 positive prisoners , the most of any facility in that state .
Two women have died , and nearly every prisoner in one dormitory has the virus .
And in Connecticut on Tuesday , a federal judge ordered Bureau of Prison officials to speed up their process to release prisoners at risk , including women at Danbury prison .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have highlighted pre-existing medical conditions that made the women easier targets for the virus .
But few prison officials appear to be considering those same risk factors and actually releasing many women before an outbreak .

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now) and Daniel Strauss in Washington and Joanna Walters in New York (earlier)

14 May 2020 00.50 BST Summary Donald Trump traveled to a medical equipment distribution facility in Pennsylvania, to tout a plan to replenish the federal stockpile. He did not wear a mask. Prior to the event, Trump announced that he had signed a new Defense Production Act authority to invest in US-based pharmaceutical producers.
He did not wear a mask. Prior to the event, Trump announced that he had signed a new Defense Production Act authority to invest in US-based pharmaceutical producers. Rick Bright, the ousted federal scientist who was in charge of efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine, told a congressional committee that the “window is closing to address this pandemic” because the Trump administration still lacks a comprehensive plan. Bright was reassigned from his role after he raised concerns about the administration’s touting hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19 despite a lack of evidence.
because the Trump administration still lacks a comprehensive plan. Bright was reassigned from his role after he raised concerns about the administration’s touting hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19 despite a lack of evidence. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell announced that senator Richard Burr would step down from his post as Senate intelligence committee chair. But Burr will remain on the committee while his stock purchases amid the coronavirus pandemic are being investigated.
Burr will remain on the committee while his stock purchases amid the coronavirus pandemic are being investigated. The CDC finally released an abridged, edited version of guidance for states to reopen businesses. An earlier, heftier version of the guidelines was shelved. The White House told scientists the initial version step-by-step guidance would “never see the light of day”, according to reporting by AP.
An earlier, heftier version of the guidelines was shelved. The White House told scientists the initial version step-by-step guidance would “never see the light of day”, according to reporting by AP. Only about half the small businesses that applied for loans through the Paycheck Protection Program received them, according to a survey from the Census Bureau. Most of those surveyed anticipated it would take months before they could return to normal levels of operations. Three-fourths said revenue had dropped.
14 May 2020 00.36 BST Only about half the small businesses who applied for PPP loans have recieved them According to a new survey from the Census Bureau, about 75% of small businesses applied for a forgivable loan through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). But only 38% received the aid. About three-quarters of businesses said revenues had deceased. The majority of those surveyed said it would take at least two months if not 4-6 months or more before their business would return to normal levels of operation.
14 May 2020 00.25 BST The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has written to the Federal Reserve, asking that its $600b lending program is made available to nonprofits that serve Latino and immigrant communities. Here’s the full @HispanicCaucus letter to the @federalreserve ⬇ pic.twitter.com/q8RtAs6nJv — Hispanic Caucus (@HispanicCaucus) May 14, 2020 Main Street is a loan program designed to help companies make it through the lockdown. Businesses that receive loans have a year before they need to start paying back loans ranging from $500,000 to $400m. But the minimum loan amounts are too high for most small businesses like mom-and-pop restaurants and local boutiques hit hard by the economic fallout from the pandemic.
14 May 2020 23.49 BST The Supreme Court has rejected a request to require that a Texas prison for elderly inmates provide coronavirus protections. After a district judge ordered the prison to provide hand sanitizer, disinfect common areas every 30 minutes and provide all inmates and staff members with masks, a federal appeals court blocked the order while the case was appealed. Texas officials said they were already complying with the CDC recommendation for prisons. But inmates at the geriatric prison said the policies were inadequate to protect the elderly, who were more at risk for complications from Covid-19. One inmate at the facility died hours after being taken to the hospital for difficulty breathing. It was later confirmed that he had contracted coronavirus. In a dissenting argument, Justices Sonya Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsberg wrote: It has long been said that a society’s worth can be judged by taking stock of its prisons. That is all the truer in this pandemic, where inmates everywhere have been rendered vulnerable and often powerless to protect themselves from harm. May we hope that our country’s facilities serve as models rather than cautionary tales.
14 May 2020 23.25 BST The French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi walked back a promise to prioritize the US market if the company develops a coronavirus vaccine. The company’s CEO Paul Hudson sparked controversy by saying the US had “the right to the largest pre-order because it’s invested in taking the risk”. The US Department of Health and Human Services has paid Sanofi $30m, Hudson said. But French prime minister Edouard Philippe said that everyone has equal access to a potential vaccine is “non-negotiable”. Sanofi chairman Serge Weinberg told France 2 TV that Hudson’s comments had been misconstrued. “I am going to be extremely clear: there will be no particular advance for any country,” he said.
14 May 2020 23.16 BST Nicola Slawson The global toll from Covid-19 has just passed 300,000, with nearly 4.5 million people infected. According to data collected by Johns Hopkins University, at least 300,074 people have now died as a result of the outbreak. The institution says it has counted 4,405,688 confirmed cases worldwide. It’s important to point out that the actual death toll is believed to be far higher than the tally compiled from government figures. Coronavirus live news: Confirmed global death toll passes 300,000 Read more
14 May 2020 22.57 BST Texas officials reported 58 new deaths since yesterday. The state began the process of reopening businesses on 1 May. BREAKING: Texas officials report 58 new deaths since yesterday - single largest death toll in one day since this started. We have had 116 deaths over three days. Worst three day total this month. — Jeremy Wallace (@JeremySWallace) May 14, 2020 Since the state began reopening, there have been more than 1,000 new cases reported each day, almost every day. Dr Anthony Fauci warned on Tuesday that the official coronavirus death toll in the US is an undercount, and “the consequences could be really serious” if America reopens businesses, schools and other establishments too quickly. Fauci says US reopening could trigger outbreak 'you might not be able to control' Read more
Updated at 23.32 BST
14 May 2020 22.43 BST Gregory McMichael, the white retired law enforcement officer who helped chase down and kill Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old African American man, failed to complete sufficient basic law enforcement training for years, a deficiency that led to him losing his power of arrest. The Guardian’s Oliver Laughland and Sam Levine report: McMichael, who worked as an investigator in the Brunswick judicial circuit district attorney’s office from 1995 to 2019, lost his power of arrest in January 2006 for failing to complete the required 20 hours of training the previous year, according to personnel records obtained by the Guardian. He continued to be deficient in his training for the years that followed and didn’t get the waiver required to reinstate his power of arrest authority. Some of the training McMichael lacked included required courses on use of force and firearms. The personnel records, which have been reported by local media, come to light as McMichael faces murder charges for chasing down Arbery, who was jogging through a residential neighborhood. McMichael and his son Travis claimed they believed Arbery looked like a suspect in a string of neighborhood break-ins. The records also shed light on McMichael’s close relationship with Jackie Johnson, the district attorney for the Brunswick judicial circuit, who recused herself from the case and is now subject to a federal investigation of how the case was handled. ‘A great embarrassment’: records offer insight into Ahmaud Arbery suspect Read more
14 May 2020 22.25 BST CDC releases reopening guidelines The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted guidelines for businesses and other establishments looking to reopen, even after many states have already begun the process. The CDC initially shelved an earlier, more extensive version of the reopening guidelines. The longer document, which the Associated Press obtained, would have given organizations specifics about how to limit the spread of disease, including suggestions like keeping employees six feet apart and closing break rooms and communal kitchens. The guidance that CDC released today includes six one-page documents for schools, workplaces, camps, childcare centers, mass transit systems, and bars, and restaurants. The agency has yet to release any guidelines specifically for churches and other religious centers.
Updated at 22.29 BST
14 May 2020 21.53 BST Summary That’s it for me. I’m handing the blog baton over to my colleague Maanvi Singh. To recap: Donald Trump was relatively mum on Dr. Rick Bright ’s congressional testimony save for one tweet just before the hearing began.
was relatively mum on Dr. ’s congressional testimony save for one tweet just before the hearing began. Bright warned that time is running out on coordinating a sufficient response to prevent the coronavirus from spreading any more.
Trump once again predicted lackluster unemployment numbers for the next few quarters.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell announced that senator Richard Burr would step down from his post as Senate intelligence committee chairman while an investigation is conducted into his stock purchases amid the coronavirus pandemic. Burr will remain on the committee.
14 May 2020 21.42 BST Mario Koran “These are not normal times” said California’s governor Gavin Newsom as he took off his face mask and stepped to the podium. “And this is not a normal budget presentation.” In January, when Newsom projected a budget based on the moment’s economic forecast, California was looking at record-low unemployment rates, 120 consecutive months of job growth and a projected surplus of $5.6 billion. Today, the state is staring down a budget deficit of $54.3 billion — a shortfall that will force cuts to programs across the state. To keep the impact away from schools and public safety services, California will need more help from the federal government, Newsom said. “The enormity of the task at hand can’t just be borne by a state. The federal government has a moral, ethical and economic [duty] to support the states. What’s the point of government, if not to protect people and the wellbeing of citizens? This is the opportunity to make our purpose real”, said Newsom. Without extra funding, and fast, the state is looking at cancelling billions in program expansions. One likely casualty of a paired-down budget: an expansion to the state’s health care program for undocumented immigrants over 65. To help close some of the budget gap, the state will draw from $16 m in “rainy-day” funds over three years. It will also attempt to negotiate a 10% pay cut with government workers -- cuts that will also impact Newsom and his staff. But throughout the presentation, Newsom implored the federal government to take action, calling for support for the sprawling Heroes Act package, which includes $875 billion for cash for state and local governments “The federal government, we need you. Our cuts can be mitigated with your support. I encourage my Republican friends in the Senate to help support the states, cities, counties, America, and Americans. The Heroes Act is the best approach. Everything is negotiable”, Newsom said.
14 May 2020 21.12 BST Lauren Gambino Donald Trump traveled to a medical equipment distribution facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Thursday to tout a new plan to replenish and upgrade the nation’s vital stockpile of medical equipment. Trump vowed to “create a stockpile that is not only the best resourced in the world but also evolved to meet all of the new threats that can happen things that you’re not even thinking about right now.” He also announced that on the flight to Pennsylvania, he signed a new Defense Production Act authority to invest in US based pharmaceutical producers. But the event also had the unmistakable trappings of a campaign rally. He approached the podium as “God Bless the USA” blared. “All that social distancing. Look at you people,” he said, noting that the facility’s employees were spaced six feet apart. Trump did not wear a mask during his tour of the facility. “That’s pretty impressive,” he continued of their efforts to socially distance themselves. “But we like it the old way a little bit better don’t we? And we’ll be back, we’ll be back to that soon. I really believe it.” But he also appeared to go off script to assail the media – “They’re a disaster” – and Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, who he mocked as “Sleepy Joe.” Referring to an occasion in which Biden garbled the name of the H1N1 virus, Biden asked the crowd: “N1H1, who said that?” “Sleepy Joe!” he replied, eliciting a ripple of nervous laughter. Trump went on to argue that the Obama administration mishandled the response to the H1N1 virus, though the scale and scope of the outbreak was nothing compared to the death toll and social disruption that has been made worse, critics say, by Trump’s mismanagement.
14 May 2020 21.04 BST Former vice president Joe Biden is currently doing a live stream with three Democratic governors on how they have handled the coronavirus pandemic. Notably, Biden is not broadcasting from his basement, as he’s done previously. He’s outside. Joe Biden appears to not be in the basement for this livestream. pic.twitter.com/NyYznpjLPS — Daniel Strauss (@DanielStrauss4) May 14, 2020 Biden is interviewing governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, and Ned Lamont of Connecticut. Whitmer has been mentioned as a possible runningmate for Biden. Biden alluded to the selection process for his runningmate on Thursday night during a fundraiser. “They’re now in the process of thoroughly examining a group of women, all of whom are capable in my view of being president,” Biden said of the search committee set up to help Biden pick a runningmate. “And there’s about a dozen of them. We’re keeping the names quiet because if anyone isn’t chosen I don’t want anybody to think it’s because there was something that was a -- some liability that existed.”
Updated at 21.21 BST
14 May 2020 20.38 BST Joanna Walters New York opens rural parts as cases decline Summer in the Adirondacks? Photograph: Leon Werdinger/Alamy Stock Photo/Alamy Stock Photo New York’s North Country, a sprawling, rural swath that includes the Adirondack Mountains, has been added to the regions of the state poised to restart some economic activity in the days ahead as the state slowly relaxes pandemic-induced social restrictions, governor Andrew Cuomo said a little earlier. The region, which draws hikers, boaters and campers up from New York City and beyond during warmer months, met all seven benchmarks the state requires before selected businesses can be approved for reopening, according to the administration, The Associated Press reported. It joins New York’s Southern Tier, along the Pennsylvania border, the Mohawk Valley and the Finger Lakes regions in preparing to reopen in phases as early as tomorrow. None of those parts of the state have been particularly hard hit by the virus, but all are within a few hours drive of still locked-down metropolitan areas where the virus has killed thousands of people. New York’s 10 regions can start reopening once they demonstrate that Covid-19-related deaths and hospitalizations are consistently down; that there are enough hospital beds to meet any new surge in cases; and that there is sufficient local testing and contact-tracing efforts. New York state recorded 166 new deaths from the virus Tuesday, bringing the total since March to more than 22,000. New York City is launching an ad campaign to educate parents about a rare and serious inflammatory syndrome that is thought to be linked to Covid-19 and has been diagnosed in more than 80 children in the city, the mayor, Bill de Blasio, said. Latest statistics: There are now 1.4 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US and the death toll will surpass 85,000 today (with those deaths occurring in just two months). Worldwide there are 4.4 million cases and an official toll so far of 300,000 deaths.
14 May 2020 20.19 BST As Donald Trump and his team were lead around the Owens & Minor facility reporters noted that the president and chief of staff Mark Meadows were the only two people of the entourage not wearing masks. "Much of this is made in the USA," says Pres Trump of the medical supplies being distributed by the Owens & Minor Company he's visiting in Allentown, PA. Nearly all the company and US officials are wearing face masks including @SecAzar, but not Pres Trump. pic.twitter.com/qHZaoa4rP1 — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 14, 2020 And according to The Huffington Post’s S.V. Date, the pool reporter during the Allentown trip, “The president and his entourage were led around by Owens and Minor employees, who explained their distribution system and the products they handle. Trump and COS Mark Meadows did not wear masks. Everyone else did.” It’s become common for lawmakers (both Republican and Democratic) to wear masks during work and public appearances to prevent spreading the coronavirus.
Updated at 20.39 BST
14 May 2020 20.09 BST Lauren Gambino Donald Trump has arrived in Allentown, Pennsylvania, for a tour of Owens and Minor, a medical equipment distribution company where he plans to tout his administration’s efforts ramping up testing and boosting production of vital protective equipment. The Pennsylvania jaunt marks the second time in as many weeks that Trump has visited a battleground state at a time when campaign travel has been almost entirely suspended. On a tour of the facility, Trump did not wear a mask, though nearly everyone else in his entourage was spotted wearing a face covering. Trump approached reporters as Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean played over the loudspeaker, part of what appeared to be a playlist similar to the ones featured at his signature campaign rallies. “Most of this equipment is made in the USA,” he told them. “That’s the way we like it.”
14 May 2020 19.54 BST More details about Burr’s decision to step down, from the congressional reporters at Politico: The North Carolina Republican told reporters he stepped aside because the investigation is a “distraction to the hard work of the committee, and the members and I think that the security of the country is too important to have a distraction.” He will remain on the committee, a source familiar with the situation said, and his decision to step down for now is not required by the Senate Republican Conference. [...] It’s unclear who will take the helm of the powerful committee, but Thune predicted it could be Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who currently chairs the Small Business Committee. Sens. Jim Risch of Idaho and Susan Collins of Maine are also senior members of the panel, though Risch chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and may not want to take on the Intel chairmanship. [...] A senior Justice Department official confirmed on Thursday that a warrant was served on Burr’s lawyer for the senator’s cell phone. The warrant was approved at the highest levels of the Justice Department, the official said, adding that authorities did not conduct a raid. It was first reported by the Los Angeles Times. It’s also important to note that it’s extremely rare for a sitting senator to be the target of a federal investigation. Politico noted it’s also very rare for such a lawmaker to be served a search warrant.


theguardian--2020-05-14--Donald Trump goes maskless to tour medical equipment facility

Donald Trump traveled to a medical equipment distribution facility in Allentown , Pennsylvania , on Thursday , to tout a plan to replenish and upgrade the vital federal stockpile .
According to the pool report , “ the president and his entourage were led around by Owens and Minor employees , who explained their distribution system and the products they handle .
“ Trump and [ White House chief of staff ] Mark Meadows did not wear masks .
Everyone else did.
” Last week in Arizona , which like Pennsylvania will be a battleground state in November , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toured a facility which made masks .
Then , to widespread comment , the James Bond theme song Live and Let Die played in the background .
The Pennsylvania event had the trappings of a campaign rally .
For his remarks , Trump approached the podium to the sound of God Bless the USA .
He promised to “ create a stockpile [ of medical equipment ] that is not only the best-resourced in the world but also evolved to meet all of the new threats that can happen , things that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now ” .
He also announced that on the flight to Pennsylvania , he signed a new Defense Production Act authority to invest in US-based pharmaceutical producers .
“ All that social distancing , ” he said , noting that the facility ’ s employees were spaced 6ft apart .
“ Look at you people .
That ’ s pretty impressive .
But we like it the old way a little bit better don ’ t we ?
And we ’ ll be back , we ’ ll be back to that soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president also assailed the media – “ a disaster ” – and Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee .
Referring to an occasion on which Biden garbled the name of the H1N1 virus , Biden asked the crowd : “ N1H1 , who said that ?
” “ Sleepy Joe !
” he said , answering himself to a ripple of nervous laughter .
Trump argued that the Obama administration mishandled the response to H1N1 , though the scale of that 2009 outbreak was nothing compared to the death toll and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to figures from Johns Hopkins University , more than 1.4m cases have been confirmed in the US and nearly 85,000 people have died .
The outbreak appears to be receding in New York , by far the worst-hit state , but new hotspots are being reported , some in traditionally Republican states .
Critics charge that the situation in the US has been made worse by Trump ’ s mismanagement .

Donald Trump traveled to a medical equipment distribution facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, to tout a plan to replenish and upgrade the vital federal stockpile.
According to the pool report, “the president and his entourage were led around by Owens and Minor employees, who explained their distribution system and the products they handle.
“Trump and [White House chief of staff] Mark Meadows did not wear masks. Everyone else did.”
Last week in Arizona, which like Pennsylvania will be a battleground state in November, Trump did not wear a mask while he toured a facility which made masks.
Then, to widespread comment, the James Bond theme song Live and Let Die played in the background.
The Pennsylvania event had the trappings of a campaign rally. For his remarks, Trump approached the podium to the sound of God Bless the USA.
Trump commented on the employees’ social distancing: ‘That’s pretty impressive. But we like it the old way a little bit better, don’t we?’ Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP
He promised to “create a stockpile [of medical equipment] that is not only the best-resourced in the world but also evolved to meet all of the new threats that can happen, things that you’re not even thinking about right now”.
He also announced that on the flight to Pennsylvania, he signed a new Defense Production Act authority to invest in US-based pharmaceutical producers.
“All that social distancing,” he said, noting that the facility’s employees were spaced 6ft apart. “Look at you people. That’s pretty impressive. But we like it the old way a little bit better, don’t we? And we’ll be back, we’ll be back to that soon. I really believe it.”
The president also assailed the media – “a disaster” – and Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Referring to an occasion on which Biden garbled the name of the H1N1 virus, Trump asked the crowd: “N1H1, who said that?”
“Sleepy Joe!” he said, answering himself to a ripple of nervous laughter.
Trump argued that the Obama administration mishandled the response to H1N1, though the scale of that 2009 outbreak was nothing compared to the death toll and social disruption from Covid-19 this year.
According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, more than 1.4m cases have been confirmed in the US and nearly 85,000 people have died. The outbreak appears to be receding in New York, by far the worst-hit state, but new hotspots are being reported, some in traditionally Republican states.
Critics charge that the situation in the US has been made worse by Trump’s mismanagement.


theguardian--2020-05-14--'They threw us into chaos': Wisconsin lockdown ruling is latest in partisan war

conservative majority on the Wisconsin supreme court struck down a stay-at-home order from the state ’ s Democratic governor on Wednesday , further illustrating the remarkable amount of power Republicans have in the state and the way they have been able to curb the authority of their Democratic rivals .
The Wisconsin decision is the most significant legal victory for conservatives , egged on by Donald Trump , who are beginning to challenge stay-at-home orders across the country through protests and legal actions .
Republican lawmakers in Michigan , where the legislature is extremely gerrymandered , are also challenging the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the state ’ s Democratic governor there .
Other suits from businesses challenging stay-at-home orders in other states have been largely unsuccessful , so far .
The decision was the latest in a nasty partisan battle in Wisconsin between Republicans and Democrats that has shaped the last decade .
The state is narrowly divided politically and seen as a crucial state to win for both campaigns in the November presidential election .
The case also shows the extreme significance of state supreme court races , long overlooked , in shaping state policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the court , lost his seat to Jill Karofsky , a liberal challenger , last month .
Kelly , who is set to leave the court this summer , cast the deciding vote in the Wednesday ruling .
In Wisconsin , conservatives hold a 5-2 majority on the state supreme court , and all but one of the conservative justices voted to strike down the order on Wednesday , saying Tony Evers , the Democratic governor , didn ’ t follow proper procedure when he issued the order .
Some businesses immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were flooded with patrons .
“ Republican legislators have convinced four justices to throw our state into chaos , ” Evers said in a statement .
In a remarkable passage in a concurring opinion , Justice Rebecca Bradley drew comparisons between the case and Korematsu v United States , the 1946 US supreme court decision allowing the internment of Japanese-Americans during the second world war .
She cited the case “ to remind the state that urging courts to approve the exercise of extraordinary power during times of emergency may lead to extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2012 , Republicans have held significant majorities in both chambers of the state legislature , in large part because they drew boundaries for districts at the beginning of the decade that gave them a severe political advantage .
They have maintained that advantage even though the state is extremely competitive politically – Trump narrowly won the state in 2016 , but Evers and other Democrats swept statewide races in 2018 .
Republicans have been trying to strip Evers of power even before he took office .
During a 2018 lame duck session , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the state ’ s incoming attorney general of some of their power .
The move was ultimately upheld by the state supreme court in a 4-3 vote along partisan lines .
The state supreme court also voted along partisan lines last month to override a last-minute order from Evers to cancel in-person voting for the state ’ s 7 April election .
The decision was widely seen as a partisan effort to boost Kelly , who was on the ballot , but he wound up losing handily to Karofsky .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near future to take up a closely watched case deciding whether Wisconsin election officials need to remove more than 200,000 people from the voter rolls ahead of the November election – a decision that could have huge political consequences in the state .
Justice Rebecca Dallet , a liberal on the court , wrote in a dissenting opinion on Wednesday that the supreme court had done “ the legislature ’ s bidding ” in striking down the measure .
“ This decision will undoubtedly go down as one of the most blatant examples @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s history , ” she wrote .
“ And it will be Wisconsinites who pay the price .
“ A majority of this court falls hook , line and sinker for the legislature ’ s tactic to rewrite a duly enacted statute through litigation rather than legislation .
”

A conservative majority on the Wisconsin supreme court struck down a stay-at-home order from the state’s Democratic governor on Wednesday, further illustrating the remarkable amount of power Republicans have in the state and the way they have been able to curb the authority of their Democratic rivals.
The Wisconsin decision is the most significant legal victory for conservatives, egged on by Donald Trump, who are beginning to challenge stay-at-home orders across the country through protests and legal actions. Republican lawmakers in Michigan, where the legislature is extremely gerrymandered, are also challenging the legal authority of a similar order issued by the state’s Democratic governor there. Other suits from businesses challenging stay-at-home orders in other states have been largely unsuccessful, so far.
The decision was the latest in a nasty partisan battle in Wisconsin between Republicans and Democrats that has shaped the last decade. The state is narrowly divided politically and seen as a crucial state to win for both campaigns in the November presidential election.
The case also shows the extreme significance of state supreme court races, long overlooked, in shaping state policy. Justice Daniel Kelly, a conservative on the court, lost his seat to Jill Karofsky, a liberal challenger, last month. Kelly, who is set to leave the court this summer, cast the deciding vote in the Wednesday ruling.
In Wisconsin, conservatives hold a 5-2 majority on the state supreme court, and all but one of the conservative justices voted to strike down the order on Wednesday, saying Tony Evers, the Democratic governor, didn’t follow proper procedure when he issued the order. Some businesses immediately opened after the ruling and some bars were flooded with patrons.
Dairyland Brew Pub opens following the Wisconsin supreme court’s decision to strike down Tony Evers’ safer-at-home order amid the coronavirus pandemic. Photograph: William Glasheen/AP
“Republican legislators have convinced four justices to throw our state into chaos,” Evers said in a statement.
In a remarkable passage in a concurring opinion, Justice Rebecca Bradley drew comparisons between the case and Korematsu v United States, the 1946 US supreme court decision allowing the internment of Japanese-Americans during the second world war. She cited the case “to remind the state that urging courts to approve the exercise of extraordinary power during times of emergency may lead to extraordinary abuses of its citizens”.
Since 2012, Republicans have held significant majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, in large part because they drew boundaries for districts at the beginning of the decade that gave them a severe political advantage. They have maintained that advantage even though the state is extremely competitive politically – Trump narrowly won the state in 2016, but Evers and other Democrats swept statewide races in 2018.
Republicans have been trying to strip Evers of power even before he took office. During a 2018 lame duck session, Republicans quickly passed laws that stripped Evers and the state’s incoming attorney general of some of their power. The move was ultimately upheld by the state supreme court in a 4-3 vote along partisan lines.
The state supreme court also voted along partisan lines last month to override a last-minute order from Evers to cancel in-person voting for the state’s 7 April election. The decision was widely seen as a partisan effort to boost Kelly, who was on the ballot, but he wound up losing handily to Karofsky.
The state supreme court is also expected in the near future to take up a closely watched case deciding whether Wisconsin election officials need to remove more than 200,000 people from the voter rolls ahead of the November election – a decision that could have huge political consequences in the state.
Justice Rebecca Dallet, a liberal on the court, wrote in a dissenting opinion on Wednesday that the supreme court had done “the legislature’s bidding” in striking down the measure.
“This decision will undoubtedly go down as one of the most blatant examples of judicial activism in this court’s history,” she wrote. “And it will be Wisconsinites who pay the price.
“A majority of this court falls hook, line and sinker for the legislature’s tactic to rewrite a duly enacted statute through litigation rather than legislation.”


theguardian--2020-05-14--Richard Burr steps down as Senate committee chair over FBI investigation

A Republican US senator stepped down from a key committee leadership role in Congress on Thursday after his phone was seized overnight by investigators with a warrant looking into allegations that he used private briefings as inside information to dump shares before the market plummeted over the coronavirus crisis .
Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina will “ step aside ” from his post as the chair of the Senate intelligence committee , the majority leader , Mitch McConnell , a fellow Republican of Kentucky , announced on Thursday afternoon .
“ Senator Burr contacted me this morning to inform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as chairman of the intelligence committee during the pendency of the investigation .
We agreed that this decision would be in the best interests of the committee and will be effective at the end of the day tomorrow , ” at statement from McConnell said .
Burr ’ s phone was seized by the FBI on Wednesday night , when investigators served him a warrant at his Washington home amid an ongoing investigation into whether he engaged in insider trading .
Burr previously denied he had kept the public in the dark about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and also denied insider trading , saying he was relying on publicly available information when he dumped stock as the pandemic hit the US .
Burr and his wife sold between around $ 628,000 and $ 1.7m in more than 30 separate transactions in late January and mid-February .
Burr faced calls for his resignation when the news emerged in late March .
Burr denied any impropriety and called for an ethics investigation on Capitol Hill in order to establish his innocence .
Several of the stocks he and his wife sold were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators receiving confidential briefings on the seriousness of the approaching pandemic even as the public was not yet fully aware of what was about to hit the US .
More than 80,000 Americans died of Covid-19 between 11 March and 11 May , and the death toll continues to rise .
Burr said in late March : “ I relied solely on public news reports to guide my decision on the sale of stocks February 13 , ” he said in a statement .
He told reporters at the US Capitol on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not want the investigation to distract the intelligence committee from its work .
“ I thought this was the best thing to do , ” Burr said .
The warrant marked a significant step-up in the investigation .
Donald Trump said , as he departed the White House for a visit to Pennsylvania , that he did not know anything about Burr ’ s decision , but added : “ That ’ s too bad.
” A senior justice department official said the FBI did not conduct a raid , but paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to collect his cellphone .
Approval of the warrant – a significant development because it was served on a sitting senator – was obtained at the “ highest levels ” of the justice department , the official said .

Daniel Strauss in Washington and Joanna Walters in New York

A Republican US senator stepped down from a key committee leadership role in Congress on Thursday after his phone was seized overnight by investigators with a warrant looking into allegations that he used private briefings as inside information to dump shares before the market plummeted over the coronavirus crisis.
Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina will “step aside” from his post as the chair of the Senate intelligence committee, the majority leader, Mitch McConnell, a fellow Republican of Kentucky, announced on Thursday afternoon.
“Senator Burr contacted me this morning to inform me of his decision to step aside as chairman of the intelligence committee during the pendency of the investigation. We agreed that this decision would be in the best interests of the committee and will be effective at the end of the day tomorrow,” at statement from McConnell said.
Burr’s phone was seized by the FBI on Wednesday night, when investigators served him a warrant at his Washington home amid an ongoing investigation into whether he engaged in insider trading.
Burr previously denied he had kept the public in the dark about the scale of the threat of coronavirus and also denied insider trading, saying he was relying on publicly available information when he dumped stock as the pandemic hit the US.
Burr and his wife sold between around $628,000 and $1.7m in more than 30 separate transactions in late January and mid-February.
Burr faced calls for his resignation when the news emerged in late March. Burr denied any impropriety and called for an ethics investigation on Capitol Hill in order to establish his innocence.
Several of the stocks he and his wife sold were in companies that own hotels and followed senators receiving confidential briefings on the seriousness of the approaching pandemic even as the public was not yet fully aware of what was about to hit the US. More than 80,000 Americans died of Covid-19 between 11 March and 11 May, and the death toll continues to rise.
Burr said in late March: “I relied solely on public news reports to guide my decision on the sale of stocks February 13,” he said in a statement.
He told reporters at the US Capitol on Thursday he decided to step aside because he did not want the investigation to distract the intelligence committee from its work. “I thought this was the best thing to do,” Burr said.
The warrant marked a significant step-up in the investigation.
Donald Trump said, as he departed the White House for a visit to Pennsylvania, that he did not know anything about Burr’s decision, but added: “That’s too bad.”
A senior justice department official said the FBI did not conduct a raid, but paid a visit to Burr’s home to collect his cellphone. Approval of the warrant – a significant development because it was served on a sitting senator – was obtained at the “highest levels” of the justice department, the official said.
Reuters contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-05-14--'Obamagate': Fox News focuses on conspiracy theory rather than Covid-19

On his primetime show on Wednesday night , the Fox News host Sean Hannity addressed a federal judge who has put a hold on a justice department attempt to drop its case against the former Trump aide Michael Flynn .
“ You reek of ignorance , ” he said .
“ You reek of political bias.
” Hannity might have been aware of the irony at play .
In recent days , the US president ’ s favourite network has elevated the spurious “ Obamagate ” scandal over all other subjects , most obviously the deaths of more than 84,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration has failed to contain .
According to research compiled by the Internet Archive , analysed by GDELT and released on Wednesday , since last week Fox News and Fox Business have mentioned Flynn , the FBI and Obama far more often than the coronavirus .
Nor has such coverage just been pursued by opinion hosts like Hannity , Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson .
Hosts of supposedly straight news content have happily followed suit .
Critics and other media outlets have been quick to call out the supposed scandal , which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ sideshow to distract from the shitshow ” .
But Trump and his supporters at Fox and in Congress are firing on all cylinders .
They are seeking to turn Flynn ’ s plight – fired as national security adviser for lying to the vice-president , pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations with a Russian ambassador who was a target of an investigation into election interference – into a scandal to ensnare Barack Obama and Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee in November .
To do this , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routine intelligence process by which American citizens speaking to surveilled foreign nationals are identified by official request – as part of a sinister plot meant to kill Trump ’ s presidency in its cradle .
Never mind that if such a sinister plot was mounted , it evidently didn ’ t work .
Never mind that Trump himself has struggled to say what it is Obama is supposed to have done .
The president , as usual , has willing Republican allies in Congress .
Senior Republican senators have released the names of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Biden prominent among them .
Ron Johnson of Wisconsin , Rand Paul of Kentucky , Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and others have now demanded Biden and other Obama aides be called to testify .
On Thursday , startlingly , Trump said Obama himself should be called .
The analyst Matthew Gertz , of Media Matters for America , said that tweet from the president was evidence of “ frog boiling ” , meaning an attempt to increase the violation of political norms in stages so the public , like a frog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , might not notice that boiling point was close .
Forced to respond , a Biden spokesman accused the senators of “ abusing their congressional powers to act as arms of the Trump campaign ” and said the released documents “ confirm that all normal procedures were followed – any suggestion otherwise is a flat-out lie ” .
But Trump insisted to the Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo : “ It was the greatest political crime in the history of our country .
If I were a Democrat instead of a Republican , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jail a long time ago , and I ’ m talking with 50-year sentences .
It is a disgrace what ’ s happened .
This is the greatest political scam , hoax in the history of our country.
” Bartiromo , of course , was happy to nod along .
The Flynn case was proceeding to sentencing before the attorney general , William Barr , intervened .
Judge Emmet Sullivan responded , asking a former federal judge to look at whether Flynn should face a criminal contempt charge for perjury , given that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plea , saying he had not lied to the FBI after all .
“ So Judge Sullivan , you and you alone from this day forward are responsible for continuing what has been a travesty of justice that destroyed four years of an American hero ’ s life , and it ’ s time for a new venue and a new judge and someone unlike you that doesn ’ t have political bias , ” he raged .
 “ Obamagate ” has shallow roots .
Only last Thursday , the US justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Flynn .
On Friday , a leaked conversation showed Obama saying the rule of law was under threat – and saying he would campaign hard for Biden .
Trump went into Twitter overdrive , retweeting conspiracy-tinged accounts and making his own grandiose statements .
He has regularly claimed “ Obamagate ” is bigger than Watergate , the 1970s scandal which brought down Richard Nixon .
Fox News and Fox Business swiftly followed his lead .
Writing in his Reliable Sources email , the CNN analyst Brian Stelter said : “ That Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Trump ’ s political opponents is reprehensible , but not surprising .
The network has been pumping poison into the national conversation for quite some time .
“ But that Fox is engaging in such behavior as more than 83,000 Americans lay dead from a virus that has upended American life is particularly repugnant.
” In a statement on Thursday , Senator Graham pointed perhaps inadvertently to both Trump and Fox ’ s real motivation , and the negative effects their behaviour may well have .
“ Both presidents , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ are welcome to come before the [ judiciary ] committee and share their concerns about each other .
“ If nothing else it would make for great television .
However , I have great doubts about whether it would be wise for the country .
”

On his primetime show on Wednesday night, the Fox News host Sean Hannity addressed a federal judge who has put a hold on a justice department attempt to drop its case against the former Trump aide Michael Flynn.
“You reek of ignorance,” he said. “You reek of political bias.”
Hannity might have been aware of the irony at play. In recent days, the US president’s favourite network has elevated the spurious “Obamagate” scandal over all other subjects, most obviously the deaths of more than 84,000 Americans in a pandemic which the Trump administration has failed to contain.
According to research compiled by the Internet Archive, analysed by GDELT and released on Wednesday, since last week Fox News and Fox Business have mentioned Flynn, the FBI and Obama far more often than the coronavirus.
Nor has such coverage just been pursued by opinion hosts like Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson. Hosts of supposedly straight news content have happily followed suit.
Critics and other media outlets have been quick to call out the supposed scandal, which the former Obama adviser David Plouffe called a “sideshow to distract from the shitshow”.
But Trump and his supporters at Fox and in Congress are firing on all cylinders. They are seeking to turn Flynn’s plight – fired as national security adviser for lying to the vice-president, pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations with a Russian ambassador who was a target of an investigation into election interference – into a scandal to ensnare Barack Obama and Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee in November.
To do this, they are portraying “unmasking” – a routine intelligence process by which American citizens speaking to surveilled foreign nationals are identified by official request – as part of a sinister plot meant to kill Trump’s presidency in its cradle.
Never mind that if such a sinister plot was mounted, it evidently didn’t work. Never mind that Trump himself has struggled to say what it is Obama is supposed to have done. The president, as usual, has willing Republican allies in Congress.
Senior Republican senators have released the names of people who requested the unmasking of Flynn with Biden prominent among them. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and others have now demanded Biden and other Obama aides be called to testify.
On Thursday, startlingly, Trump said Obama himself should be called.
The analyst Matthew Gertz, of Media Matters for America, said that tweet from the president was evidence of “frog boiling”, meaning an attempt to increase the violation of political norms in stages so the public, like a frog in a beaker of gradually heated water, might not notice that boiling point was close.
Donald Trump has suggested Barack Obama and Joe Biden should testify before Congress. Senator Lindsey Graham said ‘it would make for great television’. Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Forced to respond, a Biden spokesman accused the senators of “abusing their congressional powers to act as arms of the Trump campaign” and said the released documents “confirm that all normal procedures were followed – any suggestion otherwise is a flat-out lie”.
But Trump insisted to the Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo: “It was the greatest political crime in the history of our country. If I were a Democrat instead of a Republican, I think everybody would have been in jail a long time ago, and I’m talking with 50-year sentences. It is a disgrace what’s happened. This is the greatest political scam, hoax in the history of our country.”
Bartiromo, of course, was happy to nod along.
The Flynn case was proceeding to sentencing before the attorney general, William Barr, intervened. Judge Emmet Sullivan responded, asking a former federal judge to look at whether Flynn should face a criminal contempt charge for perjury, given that he had sought to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he had not lied to the FBI after all.
On Wednesday night Hannity attacked Judge Sullivan.
“So Judge Sullivan, you and you alone from this day forward are responsible for continuing what has been a travesty of justice that destroyed four years of an American hero’s life, and it’s time for a new venue and a new judge and someone unlike you that doesn’t have political bias,” he raged.
“Obamagate” has shallow roots. Only last Thursday, the US justice department announced its intent to drop proceedings against Flynn. On Friday, a leaked conversation showed Obama saying the rule of law was under threat – and saying he would campaign hard for Biden.
Trump went into Twitter overdrive, retweeting conspiracy-tinged accounts and making his own grandiose statements. He has regularly claimed “Obamagate” is bigger than Watergate, the 1970s scandal which brought down Richard Nixon.
Fox News and Fox Business swiftly followed his lead.
Writing in his Reliable Sources email, the CNN analyst Brian Stelter said: “That Fox News would push a dishonest disinformation campaign against Trump’s political opponents is reprehensible, but not surprising. The network has been pumping poison into the national conversation for quite some time.
“But that Fox is engaging in such behavior as more than 83,000 Americans lay dead from a virus that has upended American life is particularly repugnant.”
In a statement on Thursday, Senator Graham pointed perhaps inadvertently to both Trump and Fox’s real motivation, and the negative effects their behaviour may well have.
“Both presidents,” he said, referring to Trump and Obama, “are welcome to come before the [judiciary] committee and share their concerns about each other.
“If nothing else it would make for great television. However, I have great doubts about whether it would be wise for the country.”


theguardian--2020-05-14--US could face 'darkest winter in modern history', warns former vaccine official – video highlights

Rick Bright , a former top vaccine official , has told a Congressional committee that the US faces its 'darkest @ @ @ @ @ if it does not develop a coordinated response to the pandemic .
Bright has turned @ @ @ @ @ from his federal government role last month was retaliation by the Trump administration for his @ @ @ @ @ unproven drugs to treat Covid-19 • Coronavirus US live : whistleblower testifies on need for @ @ @ @ @ '

Rick Bright, a former top vaccine official, has told a Congressional committee that the US faces its 'darkest winter in modern history' if it does not develop a coordinated response to the pandemic. Bright has turned whistleblower and claims his removal from his federal government role last month was retaliation by the Trump administration for his resistance to the promotion of unproven drugs to treat Covid-19


theguardian--2020-05-15--Trump campaign focuses fire on Biden as pandemic undermines strategy

onald Trump had planned to run on a pledge to “ Keep America great ” .
But with a global pandemic claiming the lives of more than 85,000 Americans and causing economic devastation , the slogan does not seem to hold the same promise it did at the start of the year – even for his most ardent fans .
In a recently released campaign ad titled American Comeback , the president instead returned to the “ Make America great again ” slogan that first brought him to power and whose Maga initials have become global shorthand for Trumpism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built the greatest economy the world has ever seen and we ’ re going to do it again , ” Trump says in the ad .
“ With the grace of God , we will win this war , and we will win this war quickly , and we will make America great again.
” With few positive messages available to them amid a once-in-a-century pandemic , the president ’ s advisers now appear to have replaced their plans with a multi-pronged attack strategy against Trump ’ s presumptive Democratic opponent , Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former vice-president ’ s support enough to propel Trump to victory .
This approach was on vivid display in a Trump campaign statement to the Guardian .
“ This election will be about the contrast between President Trump ’ s proven record and Joe Biden ‘ s decades of failure , ” Sarah Matthews , the campaign ’ s deputy press secretary , said .
“ From his job-killing Green New Deal to his support for TPP and Nafta to his repeated denials that China is a threat to American jobs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t fight for America ’ s interests.
” Several campaign communications experts said the pandemic had left Trump with few options but to attack his Democratic opponent in any way possible , including repeatedly mocking Biden as “ Sleepy Joe ” to question his mental acuity .
“ They can ’ t run on the economy , and despite all their efforts to blame everyone else , they can ’ t run on their handling of the pandemic , ” said the longtime Democratic strategist Bob Shrum .
“ Right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go after Biden .
… They ’ re just throwing up everything against the wall and hoping something sticks.
” Trump and his allies appear to be taking a localized approach , criticizing Biden on everything from trade to China relations to climate policy depending on which battleground state is the focus .
As the president visited Pennsylvania on Thursday , the Republican National Committee went after Biden over the Green New Deal , whose framework the Democratic candidate has endorsed .
The president ’ s campaign was also eager to pounce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a March primary debate when he appeared to endorse a ban on all fracking , a comment that the former vice-president ’ s team was forced to quickly clarify .
Local strategists say the president attacking Biden over fracking could prove effective in Pennsylvania , which Trump won by less than one point in 2016 , because the state economy is propped up by fossil fuels .
“ Hillary Clinton lost in 2016 largely because she was unpopular , but if there was a single issue that worked against her in Pennsylvania , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Charlie Gerow , a veteran Republican strategist based in Harrisburg , the state capital .
But several recent polls show Trump losing ground in key battleground states that were critical to his 2016 victory , including Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
Four years ago , Hillary Clinton ’ s primary losses to Bernie Sanders in Michigan and Wisconsin were “ a sign of things to come ” , said Ben Tulchin , a pollster for Sanders ’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns .
“ They exposed weaknesses that her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ But Biden doesn ’ t have those same kind of vulnerabilities.
” In 2020 , Biden dominated Sanders in the primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin .
Though Pennsylvania hasn ’ t held its primary yet , it is the state where Biden has headquartered his campaign and where he was born , factors that could hinder a localized attack strategy from the president and his allies .
Other presidential campaign alumni added that Trump ’ s localized attacks would only prove successful if he could find a centralized message uniting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The attacks the president ’ s team are making to try to chip away at [ Biden ’ s ] advantages in those critical states [ are ] absolutely smart , absolutely make sense , but they need to be part of an overall structure , ” said Michael Steel , who served as a senior adviser on Jeb Bush ’ s 2016 presidential campaign .
Steel suggested the Trump campaign ’ s criticism of China might fuel the “ likeliest effective attack ” against Biden , as the president tries to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Trump campaign released a new ad last week featuring some of Biden ’ s past comments on China to depict the former vice-president as too cozy with Beijing .
The pro-Trump America First Action PAC has also launched a $ 10m ad buy in Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as part of its “ Beijing Biden ” ad campaign .
“ He ’ s been very successful at identifying an enemy and so that ’ s his formula , ” Paul Maslin , a longtime Democratic pollster based in Wisconsin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And right now , what other choice does he have ?
” But despite the president ’ s efforts to deflect blame , Maslin predicted the November election would ultimately come down to voters ’ opinion on Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic .
“ In a time of unbelievable national angst and worry , of economic dislocation and with concerns about health and everything that this virus has become , if he can ’ t win back voters on his own merit , then all the rest of it is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .

Donald Trump had planned to run on a pledge to “Keep America great”. But with a global pandemic claiming the lives of more than 85,000 Americans and causing economic devastation, the slogan does not seem to hold the same promise it did at the start of the year – even for his most ardent fans.
In a recently released campaign ad titled American Comeback, the president instead returned to the “Make America great again” slogan that first brought him to power and whose Maga initials have become global shorthand for Trumpism and its adherents.
“We’ve built the greatest economy the world has ever seen and we’re going to do it again,” Trump says in the ad. “With the grace of God, we will win this war, and we will win this war quickly, and we will make America great again.”
With few positive messages available to them amid a once-in-a-century pandemic, the president’s advisers now appear to have replaced their plans with a multi-pronged attack strategy against Trump’s presumptive Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, hoping to chip away at the former vice-president’s support enough to propel Trump to victory.
This approach was on vivid display in a Trump campaign statement to the Guardian. “This election will be about the contrast between President Trump’s proven record and Joe Biden‘s decades of failure,” Sarah Matthews, the campaign’s deputy press secretary, said. “From his job-killing Green New Deal to his support for TPP and Nafta to his repeated denials that China is a threat to American jobs, Biden’s record proves he won’t fight for America’s interests.”
Several campaign communications experts said the pandemic had left Trump with few options but to attack his Democratic opponent in any way possible, including repeatedly mocking Biden as “Sleepy Joe” to question his mental acuity.
“They can’t run on the economy, and despite all their efforts to blame everyone else, they can’t run on their handling of the pandemic,” said the longtime Democratic strategist Bob Shrum. “Right now, I think that their only message is to go after Biden. … They’re just throwing up everything against the wall and hoping something sticks.”
Trump and his allies appear to be taking a localized approach, criticizing Biden on everything from trade to China relations to climate policy depending on which battleground state is the focus. As the president visited Pennsylvania on Thursday, the Republican National Committee went after Biden over the Green New Deal, whose framework the Democratic candidate has endorsed.
The president’s campaign was also eager to pounce on Biden’s verbal slip during a March primary debate when he appeared to endorse a ban on all fracking, a comment that the former vice-president’s team was forced to quickly clarify.
Local strategists say the president attacking Biden over fracking could prove effective in Pennsylvania, which Trump won by less than one point in 2016, because the state economy is propped up by fossil fuels.
“Hillary Clinton lost in 2016 largely because she was unpopular, but if there was a single issue that worked against her in Pennsylvania, it was her war on fossil fuels,” said Charlie Gerow, a veteran Republican strategist based in Harrisburg, the state capital.
But several recent polls show Trump losing ground in key battleground states that were critical to his 2016 victory, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Joe Biden in Philadelphia in March. He has headquartered his campaign in the city. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP
Four years ago, Hillary Clinton’s primary losses to Bernie Sanders in Michigan and Wisconsin were “a sign of things to come”, said Ben Tulchin, a pollster for Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns.
“They exposed weaknesses that her campaign never really addressed,” he said. “But Biden doesn’t have those same kind of vulnerabilities.”
In 2020, Biden dominated Sanders in the primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin. Though Pennsylvania hasn’t held its primary yet, it is the state where Biden has headquartered his campaign and where he was born, factors that could hinder a localized attack strategy from the president and his allies.
Other presidential campaign alumni added that Trump’s localized attacks would only prove successful if he could find a centralized message uniting all the various pieces of criticism.
“The attacks the president’s team are making to try to chip away at [Biden’s] advantages in those critical states [are] absolutely smart, absolutely make sense, but they need to be part of an overall structure,” said Michael Steel, who served as a senior adviser on Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Steel suggested the Trump campaign’s criticism of China might fuel the “likeliest effective attack” against Biden, as the president tries to blame Beijing for the spread of coronavirus.
The Trump campaign released a new ad last week featuring some of Biden’s past comments on China to depict the former vice-president as too cozy with Beijing. The pro-Trump America First Action Pac has also launched a $10m ad buy in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as part of its “Beijing Biden” ad campaign.
“He’s been very successful at identifying an enemy and so that’s his formula,” Paul Maslin, a longtime Democratic pollster based in Wisconsin, said of the attack ads. “And right now, what other choice does he have?”
But despite the president’s efforts to deflect blame, Maslin predicted the November election would ultimately come down to voters’ opinion on Trump’s handling of the pandemic.
“In a time of unbelievable national angst and worry, of economic dislocation and with concerns about health and everything that this virus has become, if he can’t win back voters on his own merit, then all the rest of it is going to be mostly irrelevant,” Maslin said.


theguardian--2020-05-15--Global report: Trump threat to cut trade ties over Covid-19 branded 'lunacy' by Chinese media

An escalation of rhetoric between Donald Trump and China over the coronavirus pandemic has sparked concerns that a trade deal between the nations is in peril , as Chinese state media dismissed as “ lunacy ” a suggestion by the US president that he could “ cut off relations ” with Beijing .
The US president said he was very disappointed with China ’ s failure to contain Covid-19 in an interview with Fox Business news .
Trump said the pandemic had cast a pall over his January trade deal with Beijing and that he had no interest in speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They should have never let this happen , ” Trump said .
“ So I make a great trade deal and now I say this doesn ’ t feel the same to me .
The ink was barely dry and the plague came over .
And it doesn ’ t feel the same to me.
” Trump has previously often said he has a good relationship with Xi , and has been reluctant to single him out personally for criticism over coronavirus .
“ But I just , right now I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , ” Trump said .
Asked what measures he intended to take against China , he said : “ There are many things we could do … We could cut off the whole relationship.
” “ Now , if you did , what would happen ?
You ’ d save $ 500bn , ” Trump said , referring to estimated US annual imports from China , which he has previously referred to as lost money .
The state-backed Global Times responded with an editorial titled : “ Trump turns up election strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ The very idea should not come as a surprise for those who remember when Trump speculated if disinfectants could be used on humans ‘ by injection ’ to wipe out the novel coronavirus [ Covid-19 ] , ” it said .
“ Such lunacy is a clear byproduct , first and foremost , of the proverbial anxiety that the US has suffered from since China began its global ascension , ” it said on Friday .
“ Trump seems insane right now or may have some psychological problems , ” another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two countries came as China marked one month with no deaths from Covid-19 and just four newly confirmed cases in the 24 hours to Friday .
Global cases have passed 4.438 million , with more than 302,000 deaths .
The US ranked first in cases ( 1.47 million ) and deaths ( 85,884 ) , according to the Johns Hopkins university tracker .
Analysts fear the increasingly heated rhetoric on both sides could endanger the US-China trade deal .
“ What we may be watching is the convergence of the more hawkish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the domestic political stream that now sees more value in blowing up the trade deal than keeping it , ” said China-watcher , Bill Bishop , from Sinocism .
Scott Kennedy from Washington ’ s Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank called Trump ’ s remarks “ dangerous bravado ” .
The growing war of words between China and the US came as Brazil passed the grim milestone of 200,000 infections , with just under 14,000 deaths .
President Jair Bolsonaro urged business leaders to push for the lifting of lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help the economy .
He has been widely criticised for his approach to the pandemic .
Mexico also reported a deteriorating situation , with 2,409 new infections , the biggest one-day rise in cases since the pandemic began .
It also confirmed 257 additional coronavirus deaths , bringing the total to just under 4,500 .
More than 42,595 people have been infected .
In Russia , which currently has the second most infections worldwide with 252,245 , authorities in Moscow said clinics would begin mass random testing of residents for coronavirus antibodies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the official death toll from the virus of 2,305 , after authorities ascribed the deaths of more than 60 % of coronavirus patients in April to other causes .
The Baltic states of Lithuania , Latvia and Estonia , on Russia ’ s western edge , opened their borders to each other at the stroke of midnight on Friday , creating the first “ travel bubble ” within the European Union in a bid to jump-start economies broken down by the coronavirus pandemic .
Citizens and residents of the three generally sparsely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the region , though anyone entering from outside will need to self-isolate for 14 days .
“ The Baltic travel bubble is an opportunity for businesses to reopen , and a glimmer of hope for the people that life is getting back to normal , ” Lithuanian prime minister Saulius Skvernelis said in a statement .
• None Qatar has made wearing a face mask compulsory for anyone who steps outside their home , with violators facing jail time and fines of up to $ 55,000 .
• None Vietnam reported 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which were imported cases involving Vietnamese citizens returning from Russia who were placed under quarantine on arrival , the country ’ s health ministry said .
• None Coronavirus has reached one of the world ’ s biggest refugee camps in Bangladesh .
• None The US has voiced alarm at the targeting of religious minorities in India and Pakistan , warning against a search for internal scapegoats during the pandemic .
• None Residents in Australia ’ s most populous state of New South Wales experienced slightly relaxed Covid-19 restrictions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , up from two .
Bars , cafes and restaurants have reopened , but only 10 people can be inside at any one time , with strict distancing rules enforced .
• None New Zealand residents have embraced newfound freedoms , including eating out , seeing friends , and a lot of haircuts , after restrictions were reduced .

An escalation of rhetoric between Donald Trump and China over the coronavirus pandemic has sparked concerns that a trade deal between the nations is in peril, as Chinese state media dismissed as “lunacy” a suggestion by the US president that he could “cut off relations” with Beijing.
The US president said he was very disappointed with China’s failure to contain Covid-19 in an interview with Fox Business news. Trump said the pandemic had cast a pall over his January trade deal with Beijing and that he had no interest in speaking to President Xi Jinping at the moment.
“They should have never let this happen,” Trump said. “So I make a great trade deal and now I say this doesn’t feel the same to me. The ink was barely dry and the plague came over. And it doesn’t feel the same to me.”
Trump has previously often said he has a good relationship with Xi, and has been reluctant to single him out personally for criticism over coronavirus. “But I just, right now I don’t want to speak to him,” Trump said.
Asked what measures he intended to take against China, he said: “There are many things we could do … We could cut off the whole relationship.”
“Now, if you did, what would happen? You’d save $500bn,” Trump said, referring to estimated US annual imports from China, which he has previously referred to as lost money.
This video has been removed. This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Trump: 'We could cut off relationship with China' - video
The state-backed Global Times responded with an editorial titled: “Trump turns up election strategy nonsense with China ‘cut-off’ threat.”
“The very idea should not come as a surprise for those who remember when Trump speculated if disinfectants could be used on humans ‘by injection’ to wipe out the novel coronavirus [Covid-19],” it said.
“Such lunacy is a clear byproduct, first and foremost, of the proverbial anxiety that the US has suffered from since China began its global ascension,” it said on Friday. “Trump seems insane right now or may have some psychological problems,” another editorial wrote.
The escalating row between the two countries came as China marked one month with no deaths from Covid-19 and just four newly confirmed cases in the 24 hours to Friday. Global cases have passed 4.438 million, with more than 302,000 deaths. The US ranked first in cases (1.47 million) and deaths (85,884), according to the Johns Hopkins university tracker.
Analysts fear the increasingly heated rhetoric on both sides could endanger the US-China trade deal.
“What we may be watching is the convergence of the more hawkish [US] national security stream with the domestic political stream that now sees more value in blowing up the trade deal than keeping it,” said China-watcher, Bill Bishop, from Sinocism.
Scott Kennedy from Washington’s Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank called Trump’s remarks “dangerous bravado”.
The growing war of words between China and the US came as Brazil passed the grim milestone of 200,000 infections, with just under 14,000 deaths. President Jair Bolsonaro urged business leaders to push for the lifting of lockdown orders in financial centre of Sao Paulo to help the economy. He has been widely criticised for his approach to the pandemic.
Mexico also reported a deteriorating situation, with 2,409 new infections, the biggest one-day rise in cases since the pandemic began. It also confirmed 257 additional coronavirus deaths, bringing the total to just under 4,500. More than 42,595 people have been infected.
In Russia, which currently has the second most infections worldwide with 252,245, authorities in Moscow said clinics would begin mass random testing of residents for coronavirus antibodies on Friday. There have been doubts over the official death toll from the virus of 2,305, after authorities ascribed the deaths of more than 60% of coronavirus patients in April to other causes.
The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, on Russia’s western edge, opened their borders to each other at the stroke of midnight on Friday, creating the first “travel bubble” within the European Union in a bid to jump-start economies broken down by the coronavirus pandemic.
Citizens and residents of the three generally sparsely populated countries will be free to travel within the region, though anyone entering from outside will need to self-isolate for 14 days.
“The Baltic travel bubble is an opportunity for businesses to reopen, and a glimmer of hope for the people that life is getting back to normal,” Lithuanian prime minister Saulius Skvernelis said in a statement.
Other coronavirus developments include:


theguardian--2020-05-14--Trump says Fauci coronavirus lockdown easing warning 'surprising' – video

Donald Trump accused Dr Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top public health expert , of 'playing all sides @ @ @ @ @ Fauci warned in the Senate that reopening the US economy too early could cause a @ @ @ @ @ .
'To me , it 's not an acceptable answer , ' Trump said , @ @ @ @ @ in the young and healthy returning to work and education • Fauci says US reopening @ @ @ @ @ not be able to control '

Donald Trump accused Dr Anthony Fauci, the government’s top public health expert, of 'playing all sides of the equation' after Fauci warned in the Senate that reopening the US economy too early could cause a spike in new coronavirus cases. 'To me, it's not an acceptable answer,' Trump said, suggesting there was little risk in the young and healthy returning to work and education


theguardian--2020-05-15--Trump says US will beat out Russia and China with 'super duper missile'

Unveiling the flag for his new space force in the Oval Office on Friday , Donald Trump said the US was developing a “ super duper missile ” to outpace military rivals including Russia and China .
“ We have no choice , we have to do it with the adversaries we have out there .
We have , I call it the super duper missile and I heard the other night [ it ’ s ] 17 times faster than what they have right now , ” the president said , sitting at the Resolute Desk .
“ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense secretary , Mark Esper , standing to Trump ’ s right .
“ You take the fastest missile we have right now , ” Trump said .
“ You heard Russia has five times and China ’ s working on five or six times , we have one 17 times and it ’ s just got the go-ahead.
” Vladimir Putin , the Russian president , has indeed announced a hypersonic nuclear missile , meaning one that flies at five times the speed of sound ( 767mph ) or faster .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Avangard missiles can “ travel at up to 20 times the speed of sound , like a ‘ meteorite ’ or a ‘ fireball ’ ” .
“ Not a single country possesses hypersonic weapons , let alone continental-range hypersonic weapons , ” Putin told military chiefs in December , according to Bloomberg .
“ They ’ re trying to catch up with us.
” The US tested its own hypersonic missile last year but on Friday Trump , whose public rhetoric and withdrawal from key treaties have fuelled fears of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allude to new technology .
A report released this week detailed accelerated US spending on nuclear weapons .
Trump ’ s desire to build a new and cosmic arm of the US military has attracted widespread criticism and satire .
In perhaps the most extreme example , Netflix will soon release an eponymous comedy starring Steve Carell and John Malkovich .
The fallout from Friday ’ s event in the Oval Office might have been more reminiscent of HBO ’ s hit satire Veep .
According to the Hill , reporters raised the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pentagon press call .
Despite Esper ’ s apparent confirmation of the “ super duper missile ” , a spokesman referred questions back to the White House .

Unveiling the flag for his new space force in the Oval Office on Friday, Donald Trump said the US was developing a “super duper missile” to outpace military rivals including Russia and China.
“We have no choice, we have to do it with the adversaries we have out there. We have, I call it the super duper missile and I heard the other night [it’s] 17 times faster than what they have right now,” the president said, sitting at the Resolute Desk.
“That’s right,” said the defense secretary, Mark Esper, standing to Trump’s right.
“You take the fastest missile we have right now,” Trump said. “You heard Russia has five times and China’s working on five or six times, we have one 17 times and it’s just got the go-ahead.”
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has indeed announced a hypersonic nuclear missile, meaning one that flies at five times the speed of sound (767mph) or faster.
According to Bloomberg News, Putin has said his Avangard missiles can “travel at up to 20 times the speed of sound, like a ‘meteorite’ or a ‘fireball’”.
“Not a single country possesses hypersonic weapons, let alone continental-range hypersonic weapons,” Putin told military chiefs in December, according to Bloomberg. “They’re trying to catch up with us.”
The US tested its own hypersonic missile last year but on Friday Trump, whose public rhetoric and withdrawal from key treaties have fuelled fears of a new nuclear arms race, seemed to allude to new technology. A report released this week detailed accelerated US spending on nuclear weapons.
Trump’s desire to build a new and cosmic arm of the US military has attracted widespread criticism and satire. In perhaps the most extreme example, Netflix will soon release an eponymous comedy starring Steve Carell and John Malkovich.
The fallout from Friday’s event in the Oval Office might have been more reminiscent of HBO’s hit satire Veep.
According to the Hill, reporters raised the “super duper missile” during a Pentagon press call. Despite Esper’s apparent confirmation of the “super duper missile”, a spokesman referred questions back to the White House.


theguardian--2020-05-15--Does the justice department work for the Trump campaign now? Barr thinks so | Austin Sarat and Denni

Does the justice department work for the Trump campaign now? Barr thinks so | Austin Sarat and Dennis Aftergut

t was enough that last week , the US Department of Justice did something completely unheard of : it moved to dismiss the guilty plea of a cabinet level officer , former national security adviser Michael Flynn , for lying to the FBI .
The department ’ s argument was so preposterous that within days , nearly 2,000 former department officials signed a letter in protest of William Barr ’ s “ assault on the rule of law ” .
A week before the motion to dismiss in the Flynn case , Trump had tweeted that a prosecution like Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to happen … again ” .
The day that the motion was filed , Trump told reporters that the Obama administration officials had targeted Flynn to try to “ take down a president ” .
In co-ordination , Trump campaign manager BradParscale issued a statement saying : “ [ T ] he Obama-Biden officials responsible for these misdeeds must be held accountable.
” Immediately after the filing in the Flynn case , Barr went on national television and attacked the FBI , pointedly disparaging its 2016 investigation into Russian interference and letting it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were under examination for prosecution : “ [ J ] ust because something may even stink to high heaven and … appear to everyone to be bad we still have to apply the right standard and be convinced that there ’ s a violation of a criminal statute.
” Then on Wednesday , Barr ’ s press spokeswoman , Kerri Kupec , upped the ante in the high-stakes effort to lend political support to Gen Flynn and to Trump ’ s partisan political interests .
Kupec complained about an allegedly nefarious effort involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s identity during the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election .
She said this to the Fox news correspondent Martha MacCallum : “ Martha , what happened to candidate Trump and then President Trump was one of the greatest political injustices in American history and should never happen again.
” It is remarkable how quickly Flynn ’ s fate is put aside and the focus shifted to the president .
When has a justice department press person ever issued so nakedly political a statement ?
Biden was among several people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identify the unnamed American who had been recorded in a conversation with the Russian ambassador , Sergey Kislyak , about Obama ’ s newly imposed sanctions in December 2016 .
It apparently doesn ’ t matter to the Barr justice department that the rules were scrupulously adhered to in this “ unmasking ” .
It also doesn ’ t matter that such requests are permitted if the identity unmasked is necessary to understand the information , and that such requests are hardly unusual .
The National Security Agency handles such unmasking requests in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nearly 17,000 in 2018 .
Kupec ’ s statement tracks perfectly with Mr Trump ’ s partisan campaign messaging and with the president ’ s efforts to present himself and his most loyal followers as victims of a conspiracy .
The DoJ has now been let loose in search of nefarious activity by Biden , and in the hope it can cast his way a McCarthyite shadow of suspicion .
Barr , the attorney general , is by no means the first occupant of that office to do political work for or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president who appointed him .
Indeed , Edmund Randolph , the first attorney general of the United States , was a close ally of George Washington , having served as the general ’ s chief of staff and personal secretary .
During Randolph ’ s term , Washington relied on him for support on matters that went well beyond the formal duties of his office .
Other attorneys general have followed in Randolph ’ s footsteps , serving as close political allies of the president .
Examples from the early years of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general , Roger Taney , who worked hand-in-hand with Jackson to end funding for the Bank of the United States .
In the 20th century , Franklin Roosevelt ’ s attorneys general regularly helped him in political battles .
Some of those battles involved the justice department and some did not .
Other close political allies of the president who appointed them include Robert Kennedy , who was appointed at 35 by his brother John , and widely criticized as unqualified for the job .
President Reagan ’ s second attorney general , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of , and political operative for , Reagan .
But throughout American history , when presidents have appointed political cronies to be attorney general , they were looking for people only to help them pursue a policy agenda .
Nixon ’ s efforts to enlist John Mitchell in the Watergate cover-up and get one of Mitchell ’ s successors , Elliot Richardson , to fire the Watergate special prosecutor stand out as important , but rare , exceptions .
Other presidents have neither expected nor asked their attorneys general to use the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department itself to intervene in criminal cases to help cronies , to buy the silence of those who might threaten him , or to discredit political adversaries .
That is a new and dangerous ballgame .
Using the justice department in this way undermines the integrity and professionalism of the lawyers and prosecutors who work there .
It turns law into an arena for gaining partisan advantage and settling political grudges .
Having gotten away with doing the same in his dealings with Ukraine , the president has an attorney general who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicizing the DoJ .
He seems determined to turn it into a full-fledged arm of the Trump campaign .

It was enough that last week, the US Department of Justice did something completely unheard of: it moved to dismiss the guilty plea of a cabinet level officer, former national security adviser Michael Flynn, for lying to the FBI. The department’s argument was so preposterous that within days, nearly 2,000 former department officials signed a letter in protest of William Barr’s “assault on the rule of law”.
A week before the motion to dismiss in the Flynn case, Trump had tweeted that a prosecution like Flynn’s “should never be allowed to happen … again”. The day that the motion was filed, Trump told reporters that the Obama administration officials had targeted Flynn to try to “take down a president”. In co-ordination, Trump campaign manager BradParscale issued a statement saying: “[T]he Obama-Biden officials responsible for these misdeeds must be held accountable.”
Immediately after the filing in the Flynn case, Barr went on national television and attacked the FBI, pointedly disparaging its 2016 investigation into Russian interference and letting it be known that FBI officials or ex-officials were under examination for prosecution: “[J]ust because something may even stink to high heaven and … appear to everyone to be bad we still have to apply the right standard and be convinced that there’s a violation of a criminal statute.”
Then on Wednesday, Barr’s press spokeswoman, Kerri Kupec, upped the ante in the high-stakes effort to lend political support to Gen Flynn and to Trump’s partisan political interests. Kupec complained about an allegedly nefarious effort involving Joe Biden to “unmask” Flynn’s identity during the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
She said this to the Fox news correspondent Martha MacCallum: “Martha, what happened to candidate Trump and then President Trump was one of the greatest political injustices in American history and should never happen again.”
It is remarkable how quickly Flynn’s fate is put aside and the focus shifted to the president.
When has a justice department press person ever issued so nakedly political a statement?
Biden was among several people who asked that the intelligence committee to identify the unnamed American who had been recorded in a conversation with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, about Obama’s newly imposed sanctions in December 2016. It apparently doesn’t matter to the Barr justice department that the rules were scrupulously adhered to in this “unmasking”. It also doesn’t matter that such requests are permitted if the identity unmasked is necessary to understand the information, and that such requests are hardly unusual. The National Security Agency handles such unmasking requests in thousands of cases: 10,000 in 2019 and nearly 17,000 in 2018.
Using the department in this way undermines the integrity of the lawyers and prosecutors who work there
Kupec’s statement tracks perfectly with Mr Trump’s partisan campaign messaging and with the president’s efforts to present himself and his most loyal followers as victims of a conspiracy. The DoJ has now been let loose in search of nefarious activity by Biden, and in the hope it can cast his way a McCarthyite shadow of suspicion.
Barr, the attorney general, is by no means the first occupant of that office to do political work for or serve as a political ally of the president who appointed him. Indeed, Edmund Randolph, the first attorney general of the United States, was a close ally of George Washington, having served as the general’s chief of staff and personal secretary. During Randolph’s term, Washington relied on him for support on matters that went well beyond the formal duties of his office.
Other attorneys general have followed in Randolph’s footsteps, serving as close political allies of the president. Examples from the early years of the country include Andrew Jackson’s attorney general, Roger Taney, who worked hand-in-hand with Jackson to end funding for the Bank of the United States.
In the 20th century, Franklin Roosevelt’s attorneys general regularly helped him in political battles. Some of those battles involved the justice department and some did not. Other close political allies of the president who appointed them include Robert Kennedy, who was appointed at 35 by his brother John, and widely criticized as unqualified for the job. President Reagan’s second attorney general, Edwin Meese, was a longtime friend of, and political operative for, Reagan.
But throughout American history, when presidents have appointed political cronies to be attorney general, they were looking for people only to help them pursue a policy agenda.
Nixon’s efforts to enlist John Mitchell in the Watergate cover-up and get one of Mitchell’s successors, Elliot Richardson, to fire the Watergate special prosecutor stand out as important, but rare, exceptions.
Other presidents have neither expected nor asked their attorneys general to use the vast investigatory and prosecutorial power of the justice department itself to intervene in criminal cases to help cronies, to buy the silence of those who might threaten him, or to discredit political adversaries. That is a new and dangerous ballgame.
Using the justice department in this way undermines the integrity and professionalism of the lawyers and prosecutors who work there. It turns law into an arena for gaining partisan advantage and settling political grudges.
Having gotten away with doing the same in his dealings with Ukraine, the president has an attorney general who is only too happy to go beyond merely politicizing the DoJ. He seems determined to turn it into a full-fledged arm of the Trump campaign.