theguardian--2020-04-16--Coronavirus US live: Trump threatens to close Congress over 'obstruction'

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday it is unlikely concerts and sporting events will resume until at least 2021 @ @ @ @ @ to fight the coronavirus pandemic .
“ It ’ s difficult to imagine us getting @ @ @ @ @ soon , so I think we should be prepared for that this year , ” @ @ @ @ @ The Situation Room .
“ Until there ’ s either a vaccine , some sort @ @ @ @ @ herd immunity , the science is the science .
And public health officials have made @ @ @ @ @ and miles to walk before we can be back in those environments.
” Garcetti ’ @ @ @ @ @ New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and California governor Gavin Newsom , both of @ @ @ @ @ a long time before gatherings of 100 or more people are commonplace again .
President @ @ @ @ @ desire to reopen the country by May 1 , but governors and city officials have @ @ @ @ @ .

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

16 Apr 2020 01.03 BST Evening Summary Kari Paul here, logging out for the night. Below are some top stories to be aware of from the last few hours: In a presser on Wednesday, Trump threatened to close both chambers of Congress for “obstructing” his ability to appoint judges and other positions. He is legally able to do so, but it would be quite unprecedented.
Trump also claimed states may be reopened before the May 1 deadline he initially put forth, and said he will be announcing more information about restarting the country tomorrow at a presser.
Los Angeles’ mayor said we may not be able to have group events until as late as 2021. His language echoes that of governor Gavin Newsom and NYC mayor Bill de Blasio.
Updated at 09.06 BST
15 Apr 2020 00.56 BST For those of us on the West Coast wondering “what’s next?” here is a pretty comprehensive look at what needs to be done to reopen California, written by two medical doctors. In short, to reopen we will need much more access to testing so we can localize and isolate new cases of the virus, and restrictions on large gatherings will likely persist for awhile. In other words, we are all going to be working from home and washing our hands constantly for the foreseeable future.
15 Apr 2020 00.51 BST The death count for coronavirus may be much higher than initially thought, a study published by ProPublica on Wednesday found. That is because many people are dying at home, suggesting current numbers that come primarily from hospitals are “just the tip of the iceberg”, one expert cited said. From the report: As of Tuesday afternoon, the United States had logged more than 592,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 24,000 deaths, the most in the world, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. But the official COVID-19 death count may, at least for now, be missing fatalities that are occurring outside of hospitals, data and interviews show. Cities are increasingly showing signs of Americans succumbing to the coronavirus in their own beds.
15 Apr 2020 00.31 BST Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday it is unlikely concerts and sporting events will resume until at least 2021, as the city continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s difficult to imagine us getting together in the thousands anytime soon, so I think we should be prepared for that this year,” he told Wolf Blitzer on The Situation Room. “Until there’s either a vaccine, some sort of pharmaceutical intervention, or herd immunity, the science is the science. And public health officials have made very clear we have miles and miles to walk before we can be back in those environments.” Garcetti’s comments echo those of New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and California governor Gavin Newsom, both of whom said it will be a long time before gatherings of 100 or more people are commonplace again. President Donald Trump has expressed the desire to reopen the country by May 1, but governors and city officials have increasingly put forward longer timelines.
15 Apr 2020 23.57 BST Bryan Armen Graham Fact check: Trump says the United States “rarely if ever” won cases at the World Trade Organization before his administration. According to his own White House, the US “won 85.7% of the cases it has initiated before the WTO since 1995, compared with a global average of 84.4%.”
15 Apr 2020 23.56 BST Fact Check: Did the coronavirus originally escape from a laboratory in Wuhan, infecting a lab assistant, his girlfriend, and then finding its way to a wet market where it started the pandemic? Trump answered a long-winded question from a Fox News reporter on Wednesday suggesting as much. Rather than shutting down the widely-debunked theory, Trump said “I don’t want to say” and “We’ll see”. “I will tell you more and more we’re hearing that story”, Trump said. “We are doing a very thorough examination of how this horrible situation that happened”. Conspiracy theories have circulated since the origins of coronavirus that the virus originated in a lab, giving rise to theories it was engineered as a bioweapon. In fact, epidemiologists say there is no evidence the virus was created in a lab. A statement published in scientific journal the Lancet said the virus appears to have come from wildlife and another analysis of the virus by scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology suggests that the virus’s genome is 96% similar to a coronavirus found in bats.
15 Apr 2020 23.43 BST Bryan Armen Graham Fact check: Trump says “we have approved record numbers of federal judges.” As of 1 April, the Senate has confirmed 193 Article III judges nominated by Trump. The record is held by Ronald Reagan with 383, followed by Bill Clinton (378) then Barack Obama (329). Trump does rank second in terms of judges confirmed at this point in his presidency behind only Jimmy Carter (212).
Updated at 23.47 BST
15 Apr 2020 23.40 BST Fact check: Trump once again says “we’ve done more testing now than any country in the world by far”. Over all, the US had administered almost three million coronavirus tests by Easter, April 12,, according to the Covid Tracking Project. But compared to some other nations with high testing rates, including South Korea and Germany, we have tested a much smaller proportion of our population. From a very slow start, the US, with a population of 329 million, had ramped up to a testing rate of one in every 138 people as of the first week of April. In comparison, South Korea, has administered 486,003 tests overall, according to the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With a population of 51.5m, the country has tested about 1 in every 102 people. Germany has done even better, testing every 1 in 63 people. The UK, however, is behind, having tested only 1 in 230 people.
15 Apr 2020 23.40 BST Fact check: Trump says, “We have the best tests in the world”. In fact, some of the initial coronavirus tests sent out to states were seriously flawed. Part of the problem came from the CDC shunning the World Health Organization (WHO) template for tests, and insisted on developing a more complicated version that correctly identified Covid-19, but also flagged other viruses – resulting in false positives. Other countries – after their first coronavirus case – swiftly asked private companies to develop their own tests. South Korea, which recorded its first case on the same day as the US, did so within a week. The US only allowed laboratories and hospitals to conduct their own tests on February 29, almost six weeks after the first case was confirmed.
15 Apr 2020 23.33 BST Vice president Mike Pence said some areas of the country need to “continue with strong mitigation efforts” while others will be given “guidance for greater flexibility.” These decisions are, in fact, largely up to governors. In general Trump’s insistence that governors grovel to him personally in order to obtain life-saving equipment, and his claims to fiat power over the states in contradiction of the US Constitution, has rattled the federalist compact, experts say. “These governors are more like provincial chiefs under this system, and if we want to restore federalism in this country we will have to make some very dramatic changes after this is over,” David Super, a professor at Georgetown Law school, told the Guardian. “If we don’t, federalism is dead.”
15 Apr 2020 23.29 BST Bryan Armen Graham Fact check: Trump says he will execute constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress so he can make recess appointments to fill vacancies. “If the House will not agree to that adjournment, I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress,” Trump said. No president has ever used that authority. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in NLRB v. Noel Canning that the president cannot use his or her authority under the Recess Appointment Clause of the Constitution to appoint public officials unless the Senate is in recess and not able to transact Senate business. The Senate is in recess until May 4. When asked more details about this plan, Trump said the following: Very simple. If they don’t act on getting these people approved that we need – we need them anyway, but we especially need them now because of the pandemic – we are going to do something that will be ... something I’d prefer not doing, but which I should do and I will do if have to.
Updated at 23.34 BST
15 Apr 2020 23.25 BST Sonny Perdue, the secretary of agriculture, is speaking about the effects of coronavirus on the food system. “For Americans who be may be worried about access to good food because of this I want to assure you that American food supply is strong, resilient and safe”, he said. As my colleague Susie Cagle recently reported, effects on the supply chain from the pandemic have left mountains of foods being wasted as grocery store aisles remain bare in many places. Perdue said the administration is working to address the issue. “It has taken us a few days to relocate the misalignment”, he said. “But that does not mean that we don’t have enough food in this country to feed the American people”.
15 Apr 2020 23.16 BST White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx is speaking now. She echoed what Trump said, that numbers are declining over the last five to six days. Still, she said Americans should hold off on any social gatherings for the foreseeable future. “To all of you out there that would like to join together and just have that dinner party for 20, don’t do it yet”, she said. “Continue to follow the presidential guidelines.
15 Apr 2020 23.12 BST Trump repeated that tomorrow he will be speaking with governors regarding when states can be reopened. “We’ll be opening up some states much sooner than others,” he said. “And we think some of the states can actually open up before the deadline of May 1.”
Updated at 23.22 BST
15 Apr 2020 23.10 BST Fact check: WHO Trump again disparaged the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday. “I have a feeling they knew exactly what was going on”, he said. “The US government has put a hold on funding to the World Health Organization pending a review of the organization’s cover up and mismanagement of the coronavirus outbreak”. He has previously accused the organization of initially “minimizing the threat” of coronavirus and getting everything “wrong”. The WHO has been criticized for a 14 January tweet, which Trump has referenced, that noted that a preliminary investigation by Chinese officials found no evidence of human-to-human transmission. However, by 30 January, the organization declared coronavirus a “public health emergency”, and went on to declare a pandemic on 11 March after numerous countries - including the US and UK - failed to follow its advice. WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke of “alarming levels of inaction” from many countries. The WHO “has been drained of power and resources”, said Richard Horton, editor of the influential medical journal the Lancet. “Its coordinating authority and capacity are weak. Its ability to direct an international response to a life-threatening epidemic is non-existent.” The Trump administration and the president himself repeatedly played down the crisis - specifically downplaying the threat to the US, inaccurately compared it to the flu and told his supporters that growing worries about the coronavirus was a “hoax”.


theguardian--2020-04-15--Protesters chant 'lock her up' after Michigan governor's stay-at-home order

Thousands of people protested Michigan ’ s stay-at-home order at the state capitol on Wednesday , with protesters chanting “ Lock her up !
” to show their displeasure with Governor Gretchen Whitmer ’ s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the coronavirus outbreak .
Hundreds of flag-waving , honking demonstrators drove past the capitol .
As snow fell , others got out of their vehicles and raised signs , one of which read , “ Gov Whitmer We Are Not Prisoners ” .
Another said “ Michigander Against Gretchens Abuses ” .
The protest , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan Conservative Coalition , who have dubbed the effort “ Operation gridlock ” , with the slogan : “ She ’ s driving us out of business .
We ’ re driving to Lansing.
” Hours later , Whitmer shot back , telling reporters that the rally put health at risk .
“ The sad irony here was the protest is they don ’ t like being in this stay-at-home order and they may have just caused a need to lengthen it , ” Whitmer said .
The ripples of the protest were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for miles in some areas of Lansing .
“ This arbitrary blanket spread of shutting down businesses , about putting all of these workers out of business , is just a disaster .
It ’ s an economic disaster for Michigan , ” a coalition member , Meshawn Maddock , said .
“ And people are sick and tired of it.
” Whitmer , a Democrat , extended a stay-at-home order through 30 April and has shut down schools and businesses deemed non-essential .
The governor acknowledged the pain but said the restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , which causes a respiratory illness that has killed more than 1,900 Michigan residents and overwhelmed hospitals in the Detroit area .
Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Whitmer , a popular Democratic governor , in recent days as she has requested emergency medical supplies for Michigan .
The “ lock her up ” chant echoes those leveled by Trump supporters against his 2016 rival Hillary Clinton .
The protesters appear to be a vocal minority ; Whitmer ’ s handling of the crisis receives a favorable review from 71 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the thousands of people who attended the protest may have jeopardized their own health by participating in close proximity without masks .
“ We know this demonstration is going to come at a cost to people ’ s health , ” Whitmer said .
“ That ’ s how Covid-19 spreads.
” The Democratic governor added that ignoring the social distancing guidelines would probably only serve to extend the stay-at-home order .
“ I saw someone handing out candy to little kids barehanded , ” the governor told reporters .
“ People are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers who gassed up on the way here or grabbed a bite on the way home .
We know that this rally endangered people .
This kind of activity will put more people at risk and , sadly , it could prolong the amount of time we have to be in this posture.
” Four sheriffs in the north-western Lower Peninsula called Whitmer ’ s orders a “ vague framework of emergency laws ” that are frustrating citizens .
The Leelanau county sheriff , Mike Borkovich , said people did not understand why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a motorboat but they could use a kayak .
“ We ’ re trying to keep the peace with people ...
The economy is coming apart in northern Michigan .
People are upset , ” Borkovich told the Associated Press .
“ People are frantic to get back to work .
They have been very edgy .
”

Thousands of people protested against Michigan’s stay-at-home order at the state capitol on Wednesday, with protesters chanting “Lock her up!” to show their displeasure with Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s orders to keep people at home and businesses locked during the coronavirus outbreak.
Hundreds of flag-waving, honking demonstrators drove past the capitol. As snow fell, others got out of their vehicles and raised signs, one of which read, “Gov Whitmer We Are Not Prisoners”. Another said “Michigander Against Gretchens Abuses”.
The protest, in Lansing, was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, who have dubbed the effort “Operation gridlock”, with the slogan: “She’s driving us out of business. We’re driving to Lansing.”
Hours later, Whitmer shot back, telling reporters that the rally put health at risk.
“The sad irony here was the protest is they don’t like being in this stay-at-home order and they may have just caused a need to lengthen it,” Whitmer said.
The ripples of the protest were widely felt: traffic was barely moving for miles in some areas of Lansing.
“This arbitrary blanket spread of shutting down businesses, about putting all of these workers out of business, is just a disaster. It’s an economic disaster for Michigan,” a coalition member, Meshawn Maddock, said. “And people are sick and tired of it.”
Whitmer, a Democrat, extended a stay-at-home order through 30 April and has shut down schools and businesses deemed non-essential. The governor acknowledged the pain but said the restrictions were necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which causes a respiratory illness that has killed more than 1,900 Michigan residents and overwhelmed hospitals in the Detroit area.
People protest against the state’s stay-at-home order as the spread of the coronavirus continues. Photograph: Seth Herald/Reuters
Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Whitmer, a popular Democratic governor, in recent days as she has requested emergency medical supplies for Michigan. The “lock her up” chant echoes those leveled by Trump supporters against his 2016 rival Hillary Clinton.
The protesters appear to be a vocal minority; Whitmer’s handling of the crisis receives a favorable review from 71% of Michigan residents.
Whitmer expressed sadness that the thousands of people who attended the protest may have jeopardized their own health by participating in close proximity without masks.
“We know this demonstration is going to come at a cost to people’s health,” Whitmer said. “That’s how Covid-19 spreads.”
The Democratic governor added that ignoring the social distancing guidelines would probably only serve to extend the stay-at-home order.
“I saw someone handing out candy to little kids barehanded,” the governor told reporters. “People are flying the Confederate flag, and untold numbers who gassed up on the way here or grabbed a bite on the way home. We know that this rally endangered people. This kind of activity will put more people at risk and, sadly, it could prolong the amount of time we have to be in this posture.”
Four sheriffs in the north-western Lower Peninsula called Whitmer’s orders a “vague framework of emergency laws” that are frustrating citizens. The Leelanau county sheriff, Mike Borkovich, said people did not understand why they could not take a child fishing in a motorboat but they could use a kayak.
“We’re trying to keep the peace with people ... The economy is coming apart in northern Michigan. People are upset,” Borkovich told the Associated Press. “People are frantic to get back to work. They have been very edgy.”


theguardian--2020-04-15--Elizabeth Warren endorses Joe Biden for president as Democrats unite

Elizabeth Warren has endorsed Joe Biden , the third major endorsement for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in as many days as the party comes together in the run-up to the November general election .
Warren exited the race last month after a disappointing showing on Super Tuesday , where she finished third in primary voting in her home state of Massachusetts .
As other former rivals quickly aligned behind Biden , most notably Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg , Warren waited , declining to immediately throw her support behind him or Bernie Sanders , an ideological ally .
Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden on Monday .
Barack Obama , who remained publicly neutral during the primary , endorsed Biden on Tuesday .
“ Joe Biden has spent nearly his entire life in public service .
He knows that a government run with integrity , competence , and heart will save lives and save livelihoods , ” Warren wrote in a fundraising email sent to donors on Biden ’ s behalf .
“ And we can ’ t afford to let Donald Trump continue to endanger the lives and livelihoods of every American , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus crisis .
Warren was the last of Biden ’ s major opponents to endorse him and her support helps the party present a united front against Trump as it prepares for what will probably be a historically divisive general election .
Unlike in 2016 , when the Democratic primary race extended late into the summer , the process of choosing the party ’ s nominee was relatively short , despite a record field .
Though Biden likely won ’ t accumulate enough delegates to officially claim the nomination until June , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in early March and within weeks was the party ’ s presumptive standard-bearer .
The swift backing of his rivals will help ease the often-fraught process of bringing the party together after a hard-fought primary .
Her endorsement comes as speculation builds around who Biden will choose as a running mate .
Biden has been unusually forthcoming in discussing his search , vowing to choose a woman and many party leaders are urging him to consider his former rivals , Warren among them .
Warren was the last major female candidate in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demise led to vocal calls for Biden to choose a woman .
Some of the party ’ s more liberal members believe choosing Warren would help Biden appeal to progressives and young voters who remain deeply skeptical of his campaign .
In her endorsement , Warren sought notes of unity , assuring liberal supporters that Biden is listening .
“ When you disagree , he ’ ll listen – not just listen , but really hear you , ” she said .
“ And treat you with respect , no matter where you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has shown throughout this campaign that when you come with new facts or a good argument , he ’ s not too afraid or too proud to be persuaded.
” In a email to her supporters , Biden said bluntly : “ You ’ re needed.
” The former vice president assured them that he , too , intended to fight for the “ big , structural change ” that Warren championed and insisted that he is looking forward and “ not trying to take us back to a country that never existed.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of you , that you might be skeptical of me or my campaign .
I understand that , ” he wrote .
“ But I intend to earn your votes .
And I intend to earn your trust.
” In an early overture to progressive voters , Biden adopted Warren ’ s plan to overhaul the bankruptcy system , an issue over which they had clashed more than a decade ago , when she was a Harvard law professor and he was a senator from Delaware .
The plan would roll back key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported and Warren vocally opposed , even testifying against it before his committee .
In the email to donors , Warren recalled being sworn in to the Senate in 2013 .
As vice-president , he presided over the swearing in ceremony .
“ Joe Biden was there the very moment I became a senator – he swore me in , ” she wrote .
“ And when he did , he said , “ You gave me hell !
And you ’ re gon na do a great job.
’ ” Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee to help him vet possible running mates by the end of the month .
The selection process , which is typically shrouded in secrecy , will include between six and a dozen candidates , all women , and he will make his choice before the Democratic convention in Milwaukee , which was postponed to August because of the coronavirus pandemic .
If elected , Biden ’ s running mate would be the first female vice-president in history .
Only two women have ever been chosen as running mates : the Alaska governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 .
Biden has spoken on several occasions about the partnership that he shared with Obama as his vice-president and has told donors and voters that he is seeking a similar dynamic with his future running mate , who he believes should complement his experience .
At a virtual fundraising event earlier this month , Biden said : “ I ’ m going to need a woman vice-president who has capacities , has strengths where I have weaknesses .
”

Elizabeth Warren has endorsed Joe Biden, the third major endorsement for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in as many days as the party comes together in the run-up to the November general election.
Warren exited the race last month after a disappointing showing on Super Tuesday, where she finished third in primary voting in her home state of Massachusetts. As other former rivals quickly aligned behind Biden, most notably Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg, Warren waited, declining to immediately throw her support behind him or Bernie Sanders, an ideological ally.
Sanders ended his campaign last week and endorsed Biden on Monday. Barack Obama, who remained publicly neutral during the primary, endorsed Biden on Tuesday.
“Joe Biden has spent nearly his entire life in public service. He knows that a government run with integrity, competence, and heart will save lives and save livelihoods,” Warren wrote in a fundraising email sent to donors on Biden’s behalf.
“And we can’t afford to let Donald Trump continue to endanger the lives and livelihoods of every American,” she added, in a strong statement amid the coronavirus crisis.
Warren was the last of Biden’s major opponents to endorse him and her support helps the party present a united front against Trump as it prepares for what will probably be a historically divisive general election.
Unlike in 2016, when the Democratic primary race extended late into the summer, the process of choosing the party’s nominee was relatively short, despite a record field. Though Biden likely won’t accumulate enough delegates to officially claim the nomination until June, he started to build an insurmountable lead in early March and within weeks was the party’s presumptive standard-bearer.
The swift backing of his rivals will help ease the often-fraught process of bringing the party together after a hard-fought primary.
Her endorsement comes as speculation builds around who Biden will choose as a running mate. Biden has been unusually forthcoming in discussing his search, vowing to choose a woman and many party leaders are urging him to consider his former rivals, Warren among them.
Warren was the last major female candidate in a historic field of Democratic women and her demise led to vocal calls for Biden to choose a woman. Some of the party’s more liberal members believe choosing Warren would help Biden appeal to progressives and young voters who remain deeply skeptical of his campaign.
In her endorsement, Warren sought notes of unity, assuring liberal supporters that Biden is listening.
“When you disagree, he’ll listen – not just listen, but really hear you,” she said. “And treat you with respect, no matter where you’re coming from. And he has shown throughout this campaign that when you come with new facts or a good argument, he’s not too afraid or too proud to be persuaded.”
In a email to her supporters, Biden said bluntly: “You’re needed.”
The former vice president assured them that he, too, intended to fight for the “big, structural change” that Warren championed and insisted that he is looking forward and “not trying to take us back to a country that never existed.”
“I know, for some of you, that you might be skeptical of me or my campaign. I understand that,” he wrote. “But I intend to earn your votes. And I intend to earn your trust.”
In an early overture to progressive voters, Biden adopted Warren’s plan to overhaul the bankruptcy system, an issue over which they had clashed more than a decade ago, when she was a Harvard law professor and he was a senator from Delaware. The plan would roll back key provisions of a 2005 bankruptcy law Biden supported and Warren vocally opposed, even testifying against it before his committee.
06:07 Could Trump delay the 2020 US election due to coronavirus? – video explainer
In the email to donors, Warren recalled being sworn in to the Senate in 2013. As vice-president, he presided over the swearing in ceremony.
“Joe Biden was there the very moment I became a senator – he swore me in,” she wrote. “And when he did, he said, “You gave me hell! And you’re gonna do a great job.’”
Biden, 77, said he would create a committee to help him vet possible running mates by the end of the month. The selection process, which is typically shrouded in secrecy, will include between six and a dozen candidates, all women, and he will make his choice before the Democratic convention in Milwaukee, which was postponed to August because of the coronavirus pandemic.
If elected, Biden’s running mate would be the first female vice-president in history. Only two women have ever been chosen as running mates: the Alaska governor Sarah Palin in 2008 and the New York congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro in 1984.
Biden has spoken on several occasions about the partnership that he shared with Obama as his vice-president and has told donors and voters that he is seeking a similar dynamic with his future running mate, who he believes should complement his experience.
At a virtual fundraising event earlier this month, Biden said: “I’m going to need a woman vice-president who has capacities, has strengths where I have weaknesses.”


theguardian--2020-04-15--Sanders warns his loyalists it would be ‘irresponsible’ not to support Biden

Bernie Sanders has warned that it would be “ irresponsible ” for his loyalists not to support Joe Biden , warning that progressives who “ sit on their hands ” in the months ahead would simply enable Donald Trump ’ s re-election in November .
Sanders endorsed Biden on Monday and was quickly followed by the crucial endorsement on Tuesday by Barack Obama of his former vice-president .
Meanwhile , Sanders , the 78-year-old Vermont senator confirmed that “ it ’ s probably a very fair assumption ” that he would not run for president again , after his failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 and in this cycle .
He added with a laugh , however , in an interview with the Associated Press : “ One can ’ t predict the future.
” Sanders suspended his presidential campaign last week , setting the stage for a November general election battle between two candidates , Trump and Biden , with radically different visions of presidential leadership and America ’ s role in the world .
The contest will unfold in a political landscape transformed beyond all recognition by the coronavirus pandemic that has already claimed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs .
On Tuesday night , Sanders criticized his own supporters who have so far resisted his vow to do whatever it takes to help Biden win the presidency .
He seemed to distance himself from his campaign ’ s former national press secretary , Briahna Joy Gray , when asked about her recent statement on social media refusing to endorse Biden .
“ She is my former press secretary – not on the payroll , ” Sanders noted .
A spokesman later clarified that all campaign staffers were no longer on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will get a severance check in May .
Sanders said his supporters have a simple choice now that Biden has emerged as the presumptive nominee : “ Do we be as active as we can in electing Joe Biden and doing everything we can to move Joe and his campaign in a more progressive direction ?
Or do we choose to sit it out and allow the most dangerous president in modern American history to get re-elected ?
” He continued : “ I believe that it ’ s irresponsible for anybody to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Joe Biden ’ – I disagree with Joe Biden !
– ‘ and therefore I ’ m not going to be involved.
’ ” Sanders said he would not actively campaign or spend money on advertising in the primary contests that are still on the calendar in the coming months .
But he still encouraged Democrats in those states to vote for him , hoping to amass as many delegates as possible for leverage to shape the party platform and the direction of Biden ’ s campaign .
He also vowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his signature “ Medicare for All ” as a senator , even though Biden has refused to embrace the government-backed single-payer healthcare system .
“ If people want to vote for me , we ’ d appreciate it , ” Sanders said of the roughly 20 primary contests that remain where his name will appear on the ballot .
He later added , “ I think you ’ re going to see significant movement on the part of the Biden campaign into a more progressive direction on a whole lot of issues.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said : “ You ’ ve been the most powerful voice for a fair and more just America .
You don ’ t get enough credit , Bernie , for being the voice that forces us to take a hard look in the mirror.
” He continued : “ If I am the nominee – which it looks like now you just made me – I really need you , not just to win the campaign but to govern.
” Biden has previously said of Sanders ’ most fervent supporters “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned that he is paying lip service more than shifting to the left in his platform .
Sanders did not outline any specific plans to begin helping Biden in earnest , though he noted that he held dozens of rallies for former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton four years ago and would be at least as active for Biden .
In the short term , he said he ’ s essentially “ incarcerated in his home ” because of coronavirus social distancing guidelines and did not know when he would return to the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can to help elect Joe , ” Sanders continued .
“ We had a contentious campaign .
We disagree on issues .
But my job now is to not only rally my supporters , but to do everything I can to bring the party together to see that [ Trump ] is not elected president .
”

Joanna Walters in New York, Lauren Gambino in Washington and agencies

Bernie Sanders has warned that it would be “irresponsible” for his loyalists not to support Joe Biden, warning that progressives who “sit on their hands” in the months ahead would simply enable Donald Trump’s re-election in November.
Sanders endorsed Biden on Monday and was quickly followed by the crucial endorsement on Tuesday by Barack Obama of his former vice-president.
Meanwhile, Sanders, the 78-year-old Vermont senator confirmed that “it’s probably a very fair assumption” that he would not run for president again, after his failed attempts to win the Democratic nomination in 2016 and in this cycle. He added with a laugh, however, in an interview with the Associated Press: “One can’t predict the future.”
Sanders suspended his presidential campaign last week, setting the stage for a November general election battle between two candidates, Trump and Biden, with radically different visions of presidential leadership and America’s role in the world. The contest will unfold in a political landscape transformed beyond all recognition by the coronavirus pandemic that has already claimed at least 14,000 American lives and nearly 10m jobs.
On Tuesday night, Sanders criticized his own supporters who have so far resisted his vow to do whatever it takes to help Biden win the presidency.
He seemed to distance himself from his campaign’s former national press secretary, Briahna Joy Gray, when asked about her recent statement on social media refusing to endorse Biden.
“She is my former press secretary – not on the payroll,” Sanders noted. A spokesman later clarified that all campaign staffers were no longer on the payroll as of Tuesday, though they will get a severance check in May.
02:07 Bernie Sanders endorses Joe Biden for president: 'We need you in the White House' – video
Sanders said his supporters have a simple choice now that Biden has emerged as the presumptive nominee: “Do we be as active as we can in electing Joe Biden and doing everything we can to move Joe and his campaign in a more progressive direction? Or do we choose to sit it out and allow the most dangerous president in modern American history to get re-elected?”
He continued: “I believe that it’s irresponsible for anybody to say, ‘Well, I disagree with Joe Biden’ – I disagree with Joe Biden! – ‘and therefore I’m not going to be involved.’”
Sanders said he would not actively campaign or spend money on advertising in the primary contests that are still on the calendar in the coming months. But he still encouraged Democrats in those states to vote for him, hoping to amass as many delegates as possible for leverage to shape the party platform and the direction of Biden’s campaign.
He also vowed to continue fighting for progressive priorities such as his signature “Medicare for All” as a senator, even though Biden has refused to embrace the government-backed single-payer healthcare system.
“If people want to vote for me, we’d appreciate it,” Sanders said of the roughly 20 primary contests that remain where his name will appear on the ballot. He later added, “I think you’re going to see significant movement on the part of the Biden campaign into a more progressive direction on a whole lot of issues.”
Upon gaining his endorsement on Monday, Biden said: “You’ve been the most powerful voice for a fair and more just America. You don’t get enough credit, Bernie, for being the voice that forces us to take a hard look in the mirror.”
He continued: “If I am the nominee – which it looks like now you just made me – I really need you, not just to win the campaign but to govern.” Biden has previously said of Sanders’ most fervent supporters “I hear you.” But some progressives are concerned that he is paying lip service more than shifting to the left in his platform.
06:07 Could Trump delay the 2020 US election due to coronavirus? – video explainer
Sanders did not outline any specific plans to begin helping Biden in earnest, though he noted that he held dozens of rallies for former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton four years ago and would be at least as active for Biden.
In the short term, he said he’s essentially “incarcerated in his home” because of coronavirus social distancing guidelines and did not know when he would return to the campaign trail.
“I will do everything I can to help elect Joe,” Sanders continued. “We had a contentious campaign. We disagree on issues. But my job now is to not only rally my supporters, but to do everything I can to bring the party together to see that [Trump] is not elected president.”


theguardian--2020-04-15--‘Designed for us to fail’: Floridians upset as unemployment system melts down

Lynne Reback developed a rote routine while trying to file for unemployment in her home state of Florida : log into the system , watch the loading bar slowly inch across the screen , get kicked out .
Then she would start over .
It took three days for Reback to get her application through Connect , Florida ’ s online portal for unemployment insurance applications .
Though it has been almost a month since her application was submitted , it is still “ pending ” whenever she checks its status .
“ I ’ ve gone on every day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just to go on and get logged in takes sometimes 45 minutes to an hour .
You have to keep hitting refresh , ” said Reback , who was laid off from her job as a bartender at a restaurant at Orlando international airport .
She considers herself lucky .
The state at least has her application .
Hundreds of thousands of unemployed people in Florida have been unable to file their unemployment claims because the state ’ s system has been so clogged .
Residents in the state are reporting a meltdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US ’ s unemployment figures rise to unprecedented levels .
Nearly 17 million people have lost their hobs across the US .
Officially 472,000 people in Florida filed for unemployment within the last three weeks .
The true number , thanks to failing Connect , is much higher .
And in this swing state the mess has handed the Trump administration a giant headache ahead of November ’ s elections .
Florida residents who successfully file for unemployment are eligible for a maximum $ 275 weekly benefit to compensate for the loss in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulus package , also guaranteed an additional $ 600 a week starting whenever a person filed their claim .
But a person can not get either payout unless they have been processed and approved by the state ’ s system .
Unable to file an application , many are left without compensation and fear they will miss out on weeks of essential paychecks .
People have been lining up for miles to receive food from food banks .
Florida issued a lockdown on 1 April after the number of positive Covid-19 cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-essential businesses were ordered to close .
Residents were told to stay home and visitors were instructed to leave , devastating the state ’ s huge tourism industry .
While many other states across the country are facing similar technical issues , Florida ’ s system appears to be the most hard-hit by the influx of applicants .
Ron DeSantis , Florida ’ s Republican governor , and his administration have been scrambling to increase the capacity of the state ’ s online system after a massive wave of layoffs .
But as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s online portal to file for unemployment , the system shut thousands of people out .
Furious Florida residents angrily tweeted about their unsuccessful attempts to file their application using # floridaunemployment .
“ Been sitting on the unemployment screen for a whole week but the website crashes anytime I input my work history , ” one Twitter user wrote .
“ The system is designed for us to fail.
” Last week , the state rolled out measures to control the flood of applications .
The state added 72 servers to allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at once and introduced a second mobile-friendly site .
DeSantis said that 750 new call operators were deployed to take calls .
Paper applications were also released online for people to download and send via mail , but dozens of residents lined up at a distribution center , risking exposure to Covid-19 to get paper applications .
Some residents told a local news outlet they showed up not for the application , but to ask questions since the hotline was flooded with callers .
Even with the new measures , many residents are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was laid off from her job at a food service company that operates at Walt Disney World , has been unsuccessfully trying to get in her application since 2 April .
She has been unable to access the application itself because the system keeps booting her out .
“ I could try at one o ’ clock in the morning , I could try at two o ’ clock in the morning .
I could try at three o ’ clock , four o ’ clock in the afternoon .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s so frustrating , ” said Cruz .
A delay in payments hurts many families , like Cruz , who have little to no savings .
Cruz is particularly worried about the mortgage on her house .
Her mortgage company told her that payment can be delayed for the next three months , but she will need to pay those months in full once those three months have passed .
“ It ’ s not fair for me to wait so long ... because their system is overwhelmed and not up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this situation they ’ ll be in was going to get crazy , ” Cruz said .
The loss in income , with no relief , has also put a strain on Reback and her family as they eat into their savings , which will last the family about a month .
They cancelled cable and Netflix and are having to cut back on other expenses , like groceries .
“ I have five children that we ’ re responsible for .
I ’ ve had to call every one of my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call my mortgage company .
I have a car loan , I ’ ve had to call them , ” Reback said .
“ You have to kind of prioritize if this does continue and go on , what can you lose versus what can you not lose .
Florida ’ s unemployment insurance system was largely considered broken even before the Covid-19 crisis began .
How much unemployment insurance a state offers a person is mandated entirely by the state – the federal government does not have any guidelines for how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a state like Hawaii , a person can get 55 % of their paycheck each week if they successfully file a claim .
In Florida , all claims are maxed out at $ 275 a week – a ceiling that was set at least two decades ago .
“ Florida ’ s system has been ungenerous for a long time , ” said Wayne Vroman , an associate at the Urban Institute who has researched unemployment insurance .
Most notable is the maximum duration that Florida allows its residents to access benefits , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Florida decreased its maximum duration from 26 weeks – the standard across multiple states – down to 12 weeks , with a sliding scale that will increase depending on the state ’ s unemployment rate .
The state also has a strict work search requirement , asking people to prove they have made five contacts with a potential employer a week , while most states ask for one or two .
Multiple state Democrats have called for the state to increase the maximum benefit cap and duration of benefits , but neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s administration has made any serious moves to change benefits .
An anonymous DeSantis adviser told Politico there is concern over how the handling of unemployment in the state will have political consequences .
“ If we have to look past the crisis , it ’ s bad for the president and it ’ s bad for the governor , ” the adviser said .
Adding fuel to the fire , the adviser blamed the broken system on Rick Scott , a Republican US senator for Florida who served as governor of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser did not sugarcoat how bad the situation has become for Floridians , or the Republicans .
“ It ’ s a shit sandwich , and it was designed that way by Scott , ” the unnamed adviser told Politico .

Lynne Reback developed a rote routine while trying to file for unemployment in her home state of Florida: log into the system, watch the loading bar slowly inch across the screen, get kicked out. Then she would start over.
It took three days for Reback to get her application through Connect, Florida’s online portal for unemployment insurance applications. Though it has been almost a month since her application was submitted, it is still “pending” whenever she checks its status.
“I’ve gone on every day since and checked my application status. Just to go on and get logged in takes sometimes 45 minutes to an hour. You have to keep hitting refresh,” said Reback, who was laid off from her job as a bartender at a restaurant at Orlando international airport.
She considers herself lucky. The state at least has her application. Hundreds of thousands of unemployed people in Florida have been unable to file their unemployment claims because the state’s system has been so clogged.
Residents in the state are reporting a meltdown in its safety net just as the US’s unemployment figures rise to unprecedented levels. Nearly 17 million people have lost their jobs across the US. Officially 472,000 people in Florida filed for unemployment within the last three weeks. The true number, thanks to failing Connect, is much higher. And in this swing state the mess has handed the Trump administration a giant headache ahead of November’s elections.
Florida residents who successfully file for unemployment are eligible for a maximum $275 weekly benefit to compensate for the loss in pay. Congress, in its recent stimulus package, also guaranteed an additional $600 a week starting whenever a person filed their claim.
But a person cannot get either payout unless they have been processed and approved by the state’s system. Unable to file an application, many are left without compensation and fear they will miss out on weeks of essential paychecks. People have been lining up for miles to receive food from food banks.
An aerial view of vehicles passing through as they receive food from a food bank in Sunrise, Florida, on 6 April. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Florida issued a lockdown on 1 April after the number of positive Covid-19 cases in the state began to climb. All non-essential businesses were ordered to close. Residents were told to stay home and visitors were instructed to leave, devastating the state’s huge tourism industry.
While many other states across the country are facing similar technical issues, Florida’s system appears to be the most hard-hit by the influx of applicants.
Ron DeSantis, Florida’s Republican governor, and his administration have been scrambling to increase the capacity of the state’s online system after a massive wave of layoffs. But as people logged on to the state’s online portal to file for unemployment, the system shut thousands of people out.
Furious Florida residents angrily tweeted about their unsuccessful attempts to file their application using #floridaunemployment. “Been sitting on the unemployment screen for a whole week but the website crashes anytime I input my work history,” one Twitter user wrote. “The system is designed for us to fail.”
Last week, the state rolled out measures to control the flood of applications. The state added 72 servers to allow more people to be on the website at once and introduced a second mobile-friendly site. DeSantis said that 750 new call operators were deployed to take calls.
Paper applications were also released online for people to download and send via mail, but dozens of residents lined up at a distribution center, risking exposure to Covid-19 to get paper applications. Some residents told a local news outlet they showed up not for the application, but to ask questions since the hotline was flooded with callers.
Paper unemployment forms are distributed at a drive-thru collection point in Hialeah, Florida, on 8 April. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
Even with the new measures, many residents are still facing problems. Ivette Cruz, who was laid off from her job at a food service company that operates at Walt Disney World, has been unsuccessfully trying to get in her application since 2 April. She has been unable to access the application itself because the system keeps booting her out.
“I could try at one o’clock in the morning, I could try at two o’clock in the morning. I could try at three o’clock, four o’clock in the afternoon. I’ve been trying different times, and it’s so frustrating,” said Cruz.
A delay in payments hurts many families, like Cruz, who have little to no savings.
Cruz is particularly worried about the mortgage on her house. Her mortgage company told her that payment can be delayed for the next three months, but she will need to pay those months in full once those three months have passed.
“It’s not fair for me to wait so long ... because their system is overwhelmed and not up to date. They should have known that this situation they’ll be in was going to get crazy,” Cruz said.
The loss in income, with no relief, has also put a strain on Reback and her family as they eat into their savings, which will last the family about a month. They cancelled cable and Netflix and are having to cut back on other expenses, like groceries.
“I have five children that we’re responsible for. I’ve had to call every one of my creditors. I’ve had to call my mortgage company. I have a car loan, I’ve had to call them,” Reback said. “You have to kind of prioritize if this does continue and go on, what can you lose versus what can you not lose.
Florida’s unemployment insurance system was largely considered broken even before the Covid-19 crisis began.
How much unemployment insurance a state offers a person is mandated entirely by the state – the federal government does not have any guidelines for how much support needs to be given. In a state like Hawaii, a person can get 55% of their paycheck each week if they successfully file a claim. In Florida, all claims are maxed out at $275 a week – a ceiling that was set at least two decades ago.
Florida’s system has been ungenerous for a long time Wayne Vroman
“Florida’s system has been ungenerous for a long time,” said Wayne Vroman, an associate at the Urban Institute who has researched unemployment insurance.
Most notable is the maximum duration that Florida allows its residents to access benefits, Vroman said. After the 2009 recession, Florida decreased its maximum duration from 26 weeks – the standard across multiple states – down to 12 weeks, with a sliding scale that will increase depending on the state’s unemployment rate.
The state also has a strict work search requirement, asking people to prove they have made five contacts with a potential employer a week, while most states ask for one or two.
Multiple state Democrats have called for the state to increase the maximum benefit cap and duration of benefits, but neither the state legislature nor the governor’s administration has made any serious moves to change benefits.
An anonymous DeSantis adviser told Politico there is concern over how the handling of unemployment in the state will have political consequences. “If we have to look past the crisis, it’s bad for the president and it’s bad for the governor,” the adviser said.
Adding fuel to the fire, the adviser blamed the broken system on Rick Scott, a Republican US senator for Florida who served as governor of the state between 2011 and 2019. The adviser did not sugarcoat how bad the situation has become for Floridians, or the Republicans. “It’s a shit sandwich, and it was designed that way by Scott,” the unnamed adviser told Politico.


theguardian--2020-04-15--Trump halts World Health Organization funding over coronavirus 'failure'

Donald Trump was condemned for putting countless lives at risk on Tuesday when he announced the US is freezing payments to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
The US president said funding would be on hold for 60 to 90 days pending a review of the WHO ’ s warnings about the coronavirus and China .
He accused the global body of “ severely mismanaging and covering up ” the threat , even though it declared a public health emergency on 30 January – after which he continued to hold rallies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the common flu .
Critics were stunned at the move to cut money from a critical UN agency during a global pandemic .
António Guterres , the UN secretary general , declared now was “ not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus .
“ As I have said before , now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
Lawrence Gostin , a professor of global health at Georgetown University , told the MSNBC network : “ Without a WHO that ’ s empowered there will be many , many more deaths , and not just as it marches through sub-Saharan Africa , which is next , but also here in the United States.
” America contributed more than $ 400m to the WHO last year , making it by far the biggest donor .
The organization ’ s budget for 2018-2019 was around $ 6bn .
Speaking in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic , we have deep concerns whether America ’ s generosity has been put to the best use possible .
The reality is that the WHO failed to adequately obtain , vet and share information in a timely and transparent fashion.
” He added : “ If we can not trust them , if this is what we will receive from the WHO , our country will be forced to find other ways to work with other nations to achieve public health goals.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and must be held accountable ” , the president went on .
But critics said the move fit two distinct Trump patterns .
One is his long antipathy towards multilateral organisations ; for example , he also used a Rose Garden event to announce the US departure from the Paris climate accords .
The other is an attempt to blame others for his own inaction in combatting the coronavirus ; on Monday , he accused the media of downplaying the dangers .
Trump ’ s main criticism of the WHO was its “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from sources in Wuhan about the outbreak of the virus .
“ Through the middle of January , it parroted and publicly endorsed the idea that there was not human to human transmission happening , despite reports and clear evidence to the contrary , ” he told reporters .
“ The delays the WHO experienced in declaring a public health emergency cost valuable time – tremendous amounts of time.
” But this critique is at odds with the actual timeline .
It emerged last week that in technical guidance notes , the WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of human-to-human transmission as early as 10 January .
On Tuesday Jeremy Konyndyk , the former head of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAid , noted that although on 14 January the WHO tweeted that “ preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission ” , by 23 January it had published an official report warning of human-to-human transmission and transmissibility higher than seasonal flu .
Konyndyk , now a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development , wrote on Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on WHO for this , you have to believe that somehow those 9 days between 14 and 23 January were critical to the lack of US preparedness .
It ’ s lunacy .
The administration spent the whole month of February doing nothing to meaningfully prepare the homeland.
” On Tuesday , Trump complained that the WHO “ defended the actions of the Chinese government , even praising its so-called transparency ” .
Yet on 24 January , Trump tweeted : “ China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and transparency .
It will all work out well .
In particular , on behalf of the American People , I want to thank President Xi !
” And on 7 February , by which time the WHO had declared a public health emergency , Trump was asked if China was engaged in a cover up .
“ No , China ’ s working very hard ... and I think they ’ re doing a very professional job .
They ’ re in touch with World Health.
” And even by 27 February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies and his own advisers , he was still minimising the virus , stating : “ It ’ s going to disappear .
One day – it ’ s like a miracle – it will disappear.
” By the end of the month , the US had only conducted around 4,000 tests for coronavirus while other countries tested tens of thousands of people .
Leslie Dach , the chair of the pressure group Protect Our Care , said of the WHO defunding : “ This is nothing more than a transparent attempt by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downplaying the severity of the coronavirus crisis and his administration ’ s failure to prepare our nation .
Dach , who served as the global Ebola coordinator for the health department , added : “ To be sure , the World Health Organization is not without fault but it is beyond irresponsible to cut its funding at the height of a global pandemic .
This move will undoubtedly make Americans less safe.
” At Tuesday ’ s briefing , Trump backed away from his Monday claim of “ total ” authority over states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the New York governor , to note that Trump is not a king .
“ I will be speaking to all 50 governors very shortly , ” the president said .
“ And I will then be authorising each individual governor of each individual state to implement a reopening , very powerful reopening plan of their estate in a time in a manner which is most appropriate.
” He added : “ The governors will be very , very respectful of the presidency ... You can talk about constitution .
You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about whatever you want .
But the best way , I am talking now from a managerial standpoint , to let individual governors run individual states and come to us if they have difficulty and we will help them .
”

Donald Trump was condemned for putting countless lives at risk on Tuesday when he announced the US is freezing payments to the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The US president said funding would be on hold for 60 to 90 days pending a review of the WHO’s warnings about the coronavirus and China. He accused the global body of “severely mismanaging and covering up” the threat, even though it declared a public health emergency on 30 January – after which he continued to hold rallies, play golf and compare the coronavirus to the common flu.
Critics were stunned at the move to cut money from a critical UN agency during a global pandemic. António Guterres, the UN secretary general, declared now was “not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus.
“As I have said before, now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” he said in a statement.
Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health at Georgetown University, told the MSNBC network: “Without a WHO that’s empowered there will be many, many more deaths, and not just as it marches through sub-Saharan Africa, which is next, but also here in the United States.”
America contributed more than $400m to the WHO last year, making it by far the biggest donor. The organization’s budget for 2018-2019 was around $6bn.
Speaking in the White House rose garden, Trump said: “With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether America’s generosity has been put to the best use possible. The reality is that the WHO failed to adequately obtain, vet and share information in a timely and transparent fashion.”
He added: “If we cannot trust them, if this is what we will receive from the WHO, our country will be forced to find other ways to work with other nations to achieve public health goals.”
The WHO failed in its “basic duty and must be held accountable”, the president went on.
But critics said the move fit two distinct Trump patterns. One is his long antipathy towards multilateral organisations; for example, he also used a Rose Garden event to announce the US departure from the Paris climate accords. The other is an attempt to blame others for his own inaction in combatting the coronavirus; on Monday, he accused the media of downplaying the dangers.
Trump’s main criticism of the WHO was its “China-centric” failure to investigate credible reports from sources in Wuhan about the outbreak of the virus. “Through the middle of January, it parroted and publicly endorsed the idea that there was not human to human transmission happening, despite reports and clear evidence to the contrary,” he told reporters.
“The delays the WHO experienced in declaring a public health emergency cost valuable time – tremendous amounts of time.”
But this critique is at odds with the actual timeline. It emerged last week that in technical guidance notes, the WHO warned the US and other countries about the risk of human-to-human transmission as early as 10 January.
On Tuesday Jeremy Konyndyk, the former head of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAid, noted that although on 14 January the WHO tweeted that “preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission”, by 23 January it had published an official report warning of human-to-human transmission and transmissibility higher than seasonal flu.
Konyndyk, now a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, wrote on Twitter: “So to pin the blame on WHO for this, you have to believe that somehow those 9 days between 14 and 23 January were critical to the lack of US preparedness. It’s lunacy. The administration spent the whole month of February doing nothing to meaningfully prepare the homeland.”
Donald Trump departs after speaking in the Rose Garden. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP
On Tuesday, Trump complained that the WHO “defended the actions of the Chinese government, even praising its so-called transparency”. Yet on 24 January, Trump tweeted: “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”
And on 7 February, by which time the WHO had declared a public health emergency, Trump was asked if China was engaged in a cover up. “No, China’s working very hard ... and I think they’re doing a very professional job. They’re in touch with World Health.”
And even by 27 February, despite multiple warnings from the intelligence agencies and his own advisers, he was still minimising the virus, stating: “It’s going to disappear. One day – it’s like a miracle – it will disappear.” By the end of the month, the US had only conducted around 4,000 tests for coronavirus while other countries tested tens of thousands of people.
Leslie Dach, the chair of the pressure group Protect Our Care, said of the WHO defunding: “This is nothing more than a transparent attempt by President Trump to distract from his history downplaying the severity of the coronavirus crisis and his administration’s failure to prepare our nation.
Dach, who served as the global Ebola coordinator for the health department, added: “To be sure, the World Health Organization is not without fault but it is beyond irresponsible to cut its funding at the height of a global pandemic. This move will undoubtedly make Americans less safe.”
At Tuesday’s briefing, Trump backed away from his Monday claim of “total” authority over states, a remark that prompted Andrew Cuomo, the New York governor, to note that Trump is not a king. “I will be speaking to all 50 governors very shortly,” the president said. “And I will then be authorising each individual governor of each individual state to implement a reopening, very powerful reopening plan of their estate in a time in a manner which is most appropriate.”
He added: “The governors will be very, very respectful of the presidency... You can talk about constitution. You can talk about federalism. You can talk about whatever you want. But the best way, I am talking now from a managerial standpoint, to let individual governors run individual states and come to us if they have difficulty and we will help them.”


theguardian--2020-04-14--Joe Biden needs to do a lot more if he wants to win over Sanders voters | Nathan Robinson

Joe Biden has a problem : the young people who fueled Bernie Sanders ’ second-place campaign are not very interested in Joe Biden .
Biden has a well-known enthusiasm gap and even though he has dominated recent primary states , younger voters tended to prefer Sanders or Elizabeth Warren .
Progressive student groups around the country are declining to endorse Biden .
A group of leftwing youth organizations sent an open letter to Biden demanding better policies if he wants their support .
On Monday , Sanders endorsed Biden , as he has long said he would .
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to be made “ uncomfortable ” before there can be any kind of party unity .
Many younger people share Ocasio-Cortez ’ s perspective ; they are waiting to see what Biden can offer rather than reflexively supporting him because he is the Democrat .
Why is Biden struggling with young progressives ?
Well , one reason is that he has spent a lifetime opposing key progressive goals , and used to be proud of his reputation as one of the Senate ’ s “ most conservative ” Democrats .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pocket of big banks .
Even today , Biden says he has “ no empathy ” for young people who complain about indebtedness and precarity .
He has told millennials who raise concerns about his environmental policies that they should “ go vote for someone else ” .
Plenty have been willing to do just that .
So while some commentators , such as Vox ’ s Matthew Yglesias , have suggested that activists and left media are responsible for Biden ’ s “ unity problem ” , the more blameworthy culprit is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t seem as if Biden has much interest in solving his “ unity problem ” .
In an ostensible effort to reach out to the left , Biden recently debuted new policies on healthcare and education .
Did he adopt the policies recommended in the activists ’ letter , namely Medicare for All and canceling all outstanding student debt ?
No , he did not .
Instead , he merely proposed lowering the existing Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60 and canceling tuition-related debt for students who attended public colleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The first of these policies almost seems like a deliberate insult .
Biden ’ s response to those young people demanding a better health policy is to offer a policy that won ’ t help any of them for decades .
And to understand just how pitifully stingy this “ concession ” is , remember that dozens of Democratic senators , including plenty of “ moderates ” , have already endorsed lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 55 .
You can find an op-ed in Forbes ( not exactly the Democratic Socialists of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a better age .
Bill Clinton proposed 55 in 1998 , and Hillary Clinton advocated 55 in 2016 .
So Biden ’ s big concession to the left is actually more conservative than a centrist Democratic proposal !
It ’ s not nothing , but it ’ s about as close to nothing as a policy can get without literally being nothing , and it shows that Biden isn ’ t serious about courting the left .
Remember , too , that we ’ re only talking about the platform .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a proposal has gone through the political process , it inevitably gets watered down .
Maybe , if we ’ re lucky , we ’ ll get the Medicare age dropped from 65 to 63 by the year 2030 or something .
And even that prospect assumes that Biden is serious about fighting for his platform .
At election time , politicians have an unfortunate habit of promising voters whatever they think voters want to hear .
Needless to say , they don ’ t always follow through , and you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than their rhetoric .
From Biden ’ s record , it ’ s more plausible that he ’ ll follow through on his reported plan to put Michael Bloomberg and JPMorgan ’ s CEO , Jamie Dimon , in his cabinet than that he ’ ll overhaul the healthcare system .
The student debt plan is a disappointment , too .
Why only public colleges , when so much unsustainable debt comes from private universities ?
Why only tuition-related expenses ?
Why is it means-tested ?
If Biden wants to impress the left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sweeping plan , not a plan with dozens of qualifiers and caveats that recalls Kamala Harris ’ s infamous proposal to forgive debt only for “ Pell grant recipients who start a business that operates for three years in disadvantaged communities ” .
I actually really hope Biden embraces one of the big left policy proposals such as Medicare for All or the Green New Deal , because he can ’ t afford to write off progressive votes , and the stakes of this election are high .
If Donald Trump is re-elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will be emboldened and more powerful , and will end his second term with almost complete control of the courts .
Democracy as we know it may disappear altogether ; US militarism will escalate ; carbon emissions will spiral out of control ; and brutal new immigration policies will be introduced .
Trump needs to lose , but Biden is already a weak candidate , and he will be even weaker if he can ’ t turn out the progressive base .
Many progressives are going to have a difficult time voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them and betrayed many of the causes they care about .
To make matters worse , Tara Reade ’ s credible sexual assault allegation against Biden will make it difficult for those who consider themselves allies of women and supporters of # MeToo to vote for him in good conscience .
Biden has a long way to go to convince the left he ’ s worth supporting .
So far , though , it seems as if Biden is mostly concerned with reassuring rich Democratic donors and party bigwigs that he will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundamentally change ” .
That could almost be Biden ’ s campaign slogan at this point .
But it doesn ’ t seem like a winner .
He will need to do better if he ’ s going to stand a chance of beating Trump .
• None Nathan Robinson is the founding editor of Current Affairs .
He is a Guardian US columnist

Joe Biden has a problem: the young people who fueled Bernie Sanders’ second-place campaign are not very interested in Joe Biden. Biden has a well-known enthusiasm gap and even though he has dominated recent primary states, younger voters tended to prefer Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. Progressive student groups around the country are declining to endorse Biden. A group of leftwing youth organizations sent an open letter to Biden demanding better policies if he wants their support.
On Monday, Sanders endorsed Biden, as he has long said he would. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has remained skeptical, saying that Biden needs to be made “uncomfortable” before there can be any kind of party unity. Many younger people share Ocasio-Cortez’s perspective; they are waiting to see what Biden can offer rather than reflexively supporting him because he is the Democrat.
Why is Biden struggling with young progressives? Well, one reason is that he has spent a lifetime opposing key progressive goals, and used to be proud of his reputation as one of the Senate’s “most conservative” Democrats. He was anti-abortion, pro-Iraq war and in the pocket of big banks. Even today, Biden says he has “no empathy” for young people who complain about indebtedness and precarity. He has told millennials who raise concerns about his environmental policies that they should “go vote for someone else”. Plenty have been willing to do just that. So while some commentators, such as Vox’s Matthew Yglesias, have suggested that activists and left media are responsible for Biden’s “unity problem”, the more blameworthy culprit is Biden himself.
In fact, it doesn’t seem as if Biden has much interest in solving his “unity problem”. In an ostensible effort to reach out to the left, Biden recently debuted new policies on healthcare and education. Did he adopt the policies recommended in the activists’ letter, namely Medicare for All and canceling all outstanding student debt? No, he did not. Instead, he merely proposed lowering the existing Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60 and canceling tuition-related debt for students who attended public colleges who earn under a certain income.
The first of these policies almost seems like a deliberate insult. Biden’s response to those young people demanding a better health policy is to offer a policy that won’t help any of them for decades. And to understand just how pitifully stingy this “concession” is, remember that dozens of Democratic senators, including plenty of “moderates”, have already endorsed lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 55. You can find an op-ed in Forbes (not exactly the Democratic Socialists of America newsletter) suggesting 50 would be a better age. Bill Clinton proposed 55 in 1998, and Hillary Clinton advocated 55 in 2016. So Biden’s big concession to the left is actually more conservative than a centrist Democratic proposal! It’s not nothing, but it’s about as close to nothing as a policy can get without literally being nothing, and it shows that Biden isn’t serious about courting the left.
Remember, too, that we’re only talking about the platform. This is where negotiations start. By the time a proposal has gone through the political process, it inevitably gets watered down. Maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll get the Medicare age dropped from 65 to 63 by the year 2030 or something. And even that prospect assumes that Biden is serious about fighting for his platform. At election time, politicians have an unfortunate habit of promising voters whatever they think voters want to hear. Needless to say, they don’t always follow through, and you’re often better off looking at their record than their rhetoric. From Biden’s record, it’s more plausible that he’ll follow through on his reported plan to put Michael Bloomberg and JPMorgan’s CEO, Jamie Dimon, in his cabinet than that he’ll overhaul the healthcare system.
Many progressives are going to have a difficult time voting for Biden
The student debt plan is a disappointment, too. Why only public colleges, when so much unsustainable debt comes from private universities? Why only tuition-related expenses? Why is it means-tested? If Biden wants to impress the left, he will need a big, sweeping plan, not a plan with dozens of qualifiers and caveats that recalls Kamala Harris’s infamous proposal to forgive debt only for “Pell grant recipients who start a business that operates for three years in disadvantaged communities”.
I actually really hope Biden embraces one of the big left policy proposals such as Medicare for All or the Green New Deal, because he can’t afford to write off progressive votes, and the stakes of this election are high. If Donald Trump is re-elected, it will be a disaster: he will be emboldened and more powerful, and will end his second term with almost complete control of the courts. Democracy as we know it may disappear altogether; US militarism will escalate; carbon emissions will spiral out of control; and brutal new immigration policies will be introduced. Trump needs to lose, but Biden is already a weak candidate, and he will be even weaker if he can’t turn out the progressive base.
Many progressives are going to have a difficult time voting for Biden. He has shown contempt for them and betrayed many of the causes they care about. To make matters worse, Tara Reade’s credible sexual assault allegation against Biden will make it difficult for those who consider themselves allies of women and supporters of #MeToo to vote for him in good conscience. Biden has a long way to go to convince the left he’s worth supporting.
So far, though, it seems as if Biden is mostly concerned with reassuring rich Democratic donors and party bigwigs that he will keep his promise that “nothing would fundamentally change”. That could almost be Biden’s campaign slogan at this point. But it doesn’t seem like a winner. He will need to do better if he’s going to stand a chance of beating Trump.


theguardian--2020-04-14--Trump can't cancel the election – but he will try to stop people voting | Arwa Mahdawi

‘ Let ’ s be clear , ” Hillary Clinton tweeted this month .
“ Trump does not have the power to cancel or postpone the November election.
” That tweet did not come out of nowhere .
Covid-19 has already disrupted the Democratic primaries , with 16 states postponing their primary elections because of public health concerns .
There has been some worried speculation in recent weeks that Donald Trump may exploit the coronavirus crisis to indefinitely delay the US presidential election .
While you imagine Trump would love to unilaterally crown himself king of the US , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postpone an election , as Clinton noted .
Since 1845 , federal law has mandated that presidential elections be held on “ the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November ” .
Only Congress can change that – and it would be an arduous process , even before you factor in the House of Representatives being controlled by Democrats .
Even if Congress did postpone the election , there would still be an expiry date on Trump ’ s term .
The 20th amendment to the constitution dictates that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Trump refuses to step down , his presidency will automatically end on 20 January 2021 .
The House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , would then become acting president .
Trump does not have the power to cancel the election , but he does have the power to corrupt it .
Indeed , there are already signs that the Republican party will do everything it can to ensure a low turnout in November – it is well established that fewer people voting means a higher chance of that party winning .
Most Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter-suppression advantage , but Trump , who has a well-documented problem with keeping his mouth shut , recently said the quiet part out loud .
Last month , he went on the Fox News programme Fox & Friends to talk about the Democrats ’ attempts to push through measures that would make voting easier during the pandemic .
“ The things [ Democrats were proposing ] were crazy , ” Trump exclaimed .
“ They had … levels of voting that , if you ’ d ever agreed to it , you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country again.
” Unless a miracle happens and the coronavirus disappears , only the implementation of measures such as voting by mail and expanding early voting can ensure a free and fair election in November .
This may be why Trump and the Republicans are fighting such reforms tooth and nail .
If you want a preview of the pandemonium that could characterise the general election , look at the entirely preventable chaos that unfolded recently in Wisconsin ’ s Democratic primary .
Last Monday , the US supreme court ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have extended the window to return absentee ballots .
This forced people to go out to vote in person , which resulted in dangerously long lines at the five polling places that were open – there should have been 180 .
( Happily , a liberal judge , Jill Karofsky , defeated the conservative incumbent for a seat on the state ’ s supreme court a week later , which could prove important in future voting rights cases in the swing state . )
Republicans are not only trying to make voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discredit postal votes .
“ Mail in ballots substantially increases the risk of crime and VOTER FRAUD !
” Trump tweeted on Saturday .
This is a lie : voting fraud via mail ballots is rare .
Never mind that Trump voted by mail in Florida ’ s primary in March .
But that does not count , because inconvenient facts never count .
Anyway , if undermining confidence in mail ballots does not work , there is also the option of underfunding the US Postal Service ( USPS ) .
The USPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Trump administration is refusing to bail it out .
It is hard to vote by mail if there is no public mail service , after all .
Let ’ s be clear : Trump can ’ t cancel November ’ s election , but that does not mean we should rest easy .
The Republicans will weaponise coronavirus in whatever way they can .
The US loves invading countries in order to “ install democracy ” .
But who , one wonders , is going to save the US from itself @

‘Let’s be clear,” Hillary Clinton tweeted this month. “Trump does not have the power to cancel or postpone the November election.” That tweet did not come out of nowhere. Covid-19 has already disrupted the Democratic primaries, with 16 states postponing their primary elections because of public health concerns. There has been some worried speculation in recent weeks that Donald Trump may exploit the coronavirus crisis to indefinitely delay the US presidential election.
While you imagine Trump would love to unilaterally crown himself king of the US, he doesn’t have the power to postpone an election, as Clinton noted. Since 1845, federal law has mandated that presidential elections be held on “the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November”. Only Congress can change that – and it would be an arduous process, even before you factor in the House of Representatives being controlled by Democrats. Even if Congress did postpone the election, there would still be an expiry date on Trump’s term. The 20th amendment to the constitution dictates that if an election does not happen, or Trump refuses to step down, his presidency will automatically end on 20 January 2021. The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, would then become acting president.
Trump does not have the power to cancel the election, but he does have the power to corrupt it. Indeed, there are already signs that the Republican party will do everything it can to ensure a low turnout in November – it is well established that fewer people voting means a higher chance of that party winning. Most Republicans don’t like admitting to their voter-suppression advantage, but Trump, who has a well-documented problem with keeping his mouth shut, recently said the quiet part out loud. Last month, he went on the Fox News programme Fox & Friends to talk about the Democrats’ attempts to push through measures that would make voting easier during the pandemic. “The things [Democrats were proposing] were crazy,” Trump exclaimed. “They had … levels of voting that, if you’d ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
Unless a miracle happens and the coronavirus disappears, only the implementation of measures such as voting by mail and expanding early voting can ensure a free and fair election in November. This may be why Trump and the Republicans are fighting such reforms tooth and nail.
If you want a preview of the pandemonium that could characterise the general election, look at the entirely preventable chaos that unfolded recently in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary. Last Monday, the US supreme court’s conservative majority blocked a court order that would have extended the window to return absentee ballots. This forced people to go out to vote in person, which resulted in dangerously long lines at the five polling places that were open – there should have been 180. (Happily, a liberal judge, Jill Karofsky, defeated the conservative incumbent for a seat on the state’s supreme court a week later, which could prove important in future voting rights cases in the swing state.)
Republicans are not only trying to make voting harder, they are also trying to discredit postal votes. “Mail in ballots substantially increases the risk of crime and VOTER FRAUD!” Trump tweeted on Saturday. This is a lie: voting fraud via mail ballots is rare. Never mind that Trump voted by mail in Florida’s primary in March. But that does not count, because inconvenient facts never count.
Anyway, if undermining confidence in mail ballots does not work, there is also the option of underfunding the US Postal Service (USPS). The USPS is on the brink of financial collapse and the Trump administration is refusing to bail it out. It is hard to vote by mail if there is no public mail service, after all.
Let’s be clear: Trump can’t cancel November’s election, but that does not mean we should rest easy. The Republicans will weaponise coronavirus in whatever way they can. The US loves invading countries in order to “install democracy”. But who, one wonders, is going to save the US from itself?


theguardian--2020-04-13--With working Americans' survival at stake, the US is bailing out the richest

Amid a humanitarian crisis compounded by mass layoffs and collapsing economic activity , the last course our legislators should be following is the one they appear to be on right now : bailing out shareholders and executives who , while enriching themselves , spent the past decade pushing business corporations to the edge of insolvency .
The very survival of working-class households is now at stake .
Yet the $ 500bn dollars of public money that Congress ’ s relief bill provides will be used for a corporate bailout , with the only oversight in the hands of an independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2008 financial crisis .
While that body was able to report misuses of taxpayer money , it could do nothing to stop them .
Moving forward , we need a guarantee from Congress that public money will not help billionaire shareholders or corporate executives protect , and even augment , their personal wealth .
As currently structured , there is nothing to keep this bailout from , like its predecessor , putting cash directly into the hands of those at the top rather than into the hands of workers .
Without strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preserve jobs with these funds will be nothing more than a simple suggestion , leaving millions of everyday Americans in financial peril .
Productive work and consumer spending are the dual engines that keep our economy running , which is why this pandemic poses such an acute threat .
Therefore , the purpose of further government support must be to keep as many employees working as long and as productively as possible .
Working people were not prepared for this disaster .
There are still tens of millions of American households that haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; nearly 50 % of Americans were already living paycheck to paycheck before millions lost their jobs in the last few weeks , and 40 % did not have enough savings accrued to cover a $ 400 emergency .
It ’ s imperative that they be given the lifelines that they desperately need to survive .
Keeping Americans indoors to reduce their risk of spreading Covid-19 has almost completely shut down our massive service economy .
It is fundamental that we ensure every company ’ s employees are able to be both productive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that only by using every cent of corporate cash to put paychecks into their hands .
America ’ s working class , not corporate executives , are the ones on the frontlines of America ’ s factories and service industries ; they produce what these companies sell and make up the majority of our consumer economy .
America ’ s workers will be the ones to resuscitate our economy long before excessively paid executives do .
When the House and Senate return to write the next stimulus package , they need to institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any of the corporations that accept this bailout , rather than the temporary restrictions in last week ’ s bailout .
“ Buying back shares ” is just another term for shareholders extracting value from a company .
After Trump ’ s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act went into effect in 2018 , corporations took the windfall and collectively spent over $ 1tn on buybacks , for the sole purpose of adding to the incomes of shareholders and executives .
Over the past five years alone , airline executives – who were first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent $ 52bn in corporate cash on buybacks , at the expense of employee wage increases , capital expenditures and investments in innovation .
Now that these businesses are being handed government funds , we need to make sure that top executives and wealthy shareholders don ’ t do this again : channel money into their own bank accounts while leaving employees wondering how they are going to pay their bills .
If not properly managed , this economic disaster has the potential to be the worst in American history .
Our country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executives and shareholders to profit from taxpayer funds that we have injected into these corporations for reasons of pure emergency .
We need to stop this rot at the core of our economic system and realign the priorities of government with those of workers and consumers .
Even in normal times , America ’ s extreme economic inequality was a festering sore .
Now , this previously unimaginable public-health disaster is pulling back the curtain to reveal how this inequality can make victims of all of us .
As we join together in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is vital that we protect vulnerable Americans against further harm .
• None Morris Pearl is chair of Patriotic Millionaires , which focuses on promoting public policy solutions that encourage political equality , guarantee a sustaining wage for working Americans , and ensure that wealthy individuals and corporations pay their fair share of taxes .
He previously was a managing director at BlackRock , one of the world ’ s largest investment firms • None William Lazonick is professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts , and president of The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was amended on 14 April 2020 to update and clarify the positions held by William Lazonick .

Amid a humanitarian crisis compounded by mass layoffs and collapsing economic activity, the last course our legislators should be following is the one they appear to be on right now: bailing out shareholders and executives who, while enriching themselves, spent the past decade pushing business corporations to the edge of insolvency.
The very survival of working-class households is now at stake. Yet the $500bn dollars of public money that Congress’s relief bill provides will be used for a corporate bailout, with the only oversight in the hands of an independent council similar to the one used in the 2008 financial crisis. While that body was able to report misuses of taxpayer money, it could do nothing to stop them.
Moving forward, we need a guarantee from Congress that public money will not help billionaire shareholders or corporate executives protect, and even augment, their personal wealth. As currently structured, there is nothing to keep this bailout from, like its predecessor, putting cash directly into the hands of those at the top rather than into the hands of workers. Without strong regulation and accountability, asking corporations to preserve jobs with these funds will be nothing more than a simple suggestion, leaving millions of everyday Americans in financial peril.
America’s working class, not corporate executives, are the ones on the frontlines
Productive work and consumer spending are the dual engines that keep our economy running, which is why this pandemic poses such an acute threat. Therefore, the purpose of further government support must be to keep as many employees working as long and as productively as possible.
Working people were not prepared for this disaster. There are still tens of millions of American households that haven’t recovered from the Great Recession; nearly 50% of Americans were already living paycheck to paycheck before millions lost their jobs in the last few weeks, and 40% did not have enough savings accrued to cover a $400 emergency. It’s imperative that they be given the lifelines that they desperately need to survive.
Keeping Americans indoors to reduce their risk of spreading Covid-19 has almost completely shut down our massive service economy. It is fundamental that we ensure every company’s employees are able to be both productive and safe, and we can do that only by using every cent of corporate cash to put paychecks into their hands. America’s working class, not corporate executives, are the ones on the frontlines of America’s factories and service industries; they produce what these companies sell and make up the majority of our consumer economy. America’s workers will be the ones to resuscitate our economy long before excessively paid executives do.
When the House and Senate return to write the next stimulus package, they need to institute a total ban on share buybacks for any of the corporations that accept this bailout, rather than the temporary restrictions in last week’s bailout. “Buying back shares” is just another term for shareholders extracting value from a company. After Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act went into effect in 2018, corporations took the windfall and collectively spent over $1tn on buybacks, for the sole purpose of adding to the incomes of shareholders and executives.
Over the past five years alone, airline executives – who were first in line clamoring for a bailout – spent $52bn in corporate cash on buybacks, at the expense of employee wage increases, capital expenditures and investments in innovation. Now that these businesses are being handed government funds, we need to make sure that top executives and wealthy shareholders don’t do this again: channel money into their own bank accounts while leaving employees wondering how they are going to pay their bills.
If not properly managed, this economic disaster has the potential to be the worst in American history
If not properly managed, this economic disaster has the potential to be the worst in American history. Our country cannot allow a small number of executives and shareholders to profit from taxpayer funds that we have injected into these corporations for reasons of pure emergency. We need to stop this rot at the core of our economic system and realign the priorities of government with those of workers and consumers.
Even in normal times, America’s extreme economic inequality was a festering sore. Now, this previously unimaginable public-health disaster is pulling back the curtain to reveal how this inequality can make victims of all of us. As we join together in the struggle to defeat the coronavirus, it is vital that we protect vulnerable Americans against further harm.
Morris Pearl is chair of Patriotic Millionaires, which focuses on promoting public policy solutions that encourage political equality, guarantee a sustaining wage for working Americans, and ensure that wealthy individuals and corporations pay their fair share of taxes. He previously was a managing director at BlackRock, one of the world’s largest investment firms
William Lazonick is professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, and president of The Academic-Industry Research Network.