theguardian--2020-10-07--Fit for office? From Trump to Abbott, 'vitality' is too often conflated with character in politics |

Fit for office? From Trump to Abbott, 'vitality' is too often conflated with character in politics | Eleanor Gordon-Smith

It was important to US president Donald Trump to beat Covid-19 .
Not to recover from it , or to be successfully treated for it , but to beat it , as you would a wrestling enemy with the back of a chair .
Already he has begun reframing his hospital discharge as a sign of strength .
On Monday , campaign adviser Mercedes Schlapp told Fox News : “ We ’ re going to defeat this virus .
We ’ re not going to surrender to it like Joe Biden would surrender , ” deliberately leaving open the interpretation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting sick and dying .
The president retweeted columnist Miranda Devine ’ s characterisation of him as an “ invincible hero , who not only survived every dirty trick the Democrats threw at him , but the Chinese virus as well ” .
It is the latest instalment in a long history of the conflation between physical fitness and fitness for office , as though facts about a person ’ s character can be deduced from whether they get sick .
Rightwing , authority-hungry leaders often make this move .
From the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deduce things about the state of their person .
Vladimir Putin rides horses shirtless ; shoots tigers ; hugs bears .
Jair Bolsonaro removed his mask after his Covid-19 diagnosis to show reporters how little it affected him .
“ Just look at my face , I ’ m fine ” , he said .
When these are the characters who voice a connection between physical wellness and moral character , the falsity of that connection is obvious .
It is cartoonish , even – Trump himself is so obviously unfit ( apparently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born with finite heartbeats and to exercise is to waste them ) that it ’ s almost impossible to take the position seriously .
But the presumed link between physical health and strength and worthiness is far more politically widespread .
In March a staffer for Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren tweeted a photograph of her jogging jauntily up a set of stairs , hair springing with her gait , while fellow candidate Bernie Sanders trailed behind her on an escalator , paunched and balding .
“ This hits me so hard , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection between physical mobility and leadership .
The character endorsements for “ fighters ” who make it through disease are common ; Gabrielle Giffords ’ recovery from a cranial gunshot wound was used to show her strength of character , and Barack Obama –in his own right a good athlete – took many photographed opportunities to play basketball in shirtsleeves .
Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott was possessed of genuine physical strength , which the public was seldom able to forget , as his rivals needed help to do a pull-up or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assumption in all cases is that the visual impression of a person ’ s body is a reasonable guide to their character , or that since certain traits express themselves physically , the physical lack of those things shows they are lacking in the person ’ s character .
This is just a bad and backwards deduction ; intellectually energetic people are often physically spry but not all un-spry people lack intellectual energy .
But this does not stop candidates leveraging physical wellness as a sign of some deeper strength .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office has to be well enough to do the job .
There are reasonable criticisms of an ageing political class and of specific individuals who stay in their jobs past the point where they can do them well .
When your job involves working on other people ’ s behalf , you have to be able to do it better than the next best candidate , and there are some forms of physical wellness that bear on whether that ’ s true .
But the broader connection between vitality , power and physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of Trump ’ s mouth or the Warren campaign ’ s .
It should be seen with special suspicion by those committed to accessible healthcare , a policy built on the idea that whether you are sick is not a function of what you deserve and that usual interventions of character will not save us .
If – as most of us do – we believe that physical illness is not a sign of decrepit character or weakness , then we have to be careful about the photonegative thought that physical wellness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strength .
It is not only Trump and his fellow rightwing personality-leaders who seek to leverage that thought .
Political positioning everywhere leverages the idea of physical health as strength , which in turn licenses the associated thought that physical illness is weakness .
Whichever side of politics it appears on , that thought hurts millions of people .
As any sufferer of chronic illness will tell you , the presumed connection between character and body runs deep in society , in the glances of strangers , the minds of loved ones .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus is just the latest and most visible expression of that thought .
Perhaps seeing it in such an extreme form can help us identify its more pedestrian , creeping , insidiously ordinary forms .
We would do well to regard them , too , with the same sense of absurdity .
• Eleanor Gordon-Smith is a writer and ethicist currently at Princeton University

It was important to US president Donald Trump to beat Covid-19. Not to recover from it, or to be successfully treated for it, but to beat it, as you would a wrestling enemy with the back of a chair. Already he has begun reframing his hospital discharge as a sign of strength. On Monday, campaign adviser Mercedes Schlapp told Fox News: “We’re going to defeat this virus. We’re not going to surrender to it like Joe Biden would surrender,” deliberately leaving open the interpretation that the relevant “surrender” was getting sick and dying. The president retweeted columnist Miranda Devine’s characterisation of him as an “invincible hero, who not only survived every dirty trick the Democrats threw at him, but the Chinese virus as well”.
It is the latest instalment in a long history of the conflation between physical fitness and fitness for office, as though facts about a person’s character can be deduced from whether they get sick.
Rightwing, authority-hungry leaders often make this move. From the state of their bodies we are supposed to deduce things about the state of their person. Vladimir Putin rides horses shirtless; shoots tigers; hugs bears. Jair Bolsonaro removed his mask after his Covid-19 diagnosis to show reporters how little it affected him. “Just look at my face, I’m fine”, he said.
When these are the characters who voice a connection between physical wellness and moral character, the falsity of that connection is obvious. It is cartoonish, even – Trump himself is so obviously unfit (apparently owing to a belief that humans are born with finite heartbeats and to exercise is to waste them) that it’s almost impossible to take the position seriously.
But the presumed link between physical health and strength and worthiness is far more politically widespread. In March a staffer for Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren tweeted a photograph of her jogging jauntily up a set of stairs, hair springing with her gait, while fellow candidate Bernie Sanders trailed behind her on an escalator, paunched and balding. “This hits me so hard,” said the staffer, assuming an obvious connection between physical mobility and leadership.
The character endorsements for “fighters” who make it through disease are common; Gabrielle Giffords’ recovery from a cranial gunshot wound was used to show her strength of character, and Barack Obama –in his own right a good athlete – took many photographed opportunities to play basketball in shirtsleeves. Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott was possessed of genuine physical strength, which the public was seldom able to forget, as his rivals needed help to do a pull-up or failed to sink a basket.
The assumption in all cases is that the visual impression of a person’s body is a reasonable guide to their character, or that since certain traits express themselves physically, the physical lack of those things shows they are lacking in the person’s character. This is just a bad and backwards deduction; intellectually energetic people are often physically spry but not all un-spry people lack intellectual energy. But this does not stop candidates leveraging physical wellness as a sign of some deeper strength.
Now, of course, a candidate for political office has to be well enough to do the job. There are reasonable criticisms of an ageing political class and of specific individuals who stay in their jobs past the point where they can do them well. When your job involves working on other people’s behalf, you have to be able to do it better than the next best candidate, and there are some forms of physical wellness that bear on whether that’s true.
But the broader connection between vitality, power and physical health is damagingly false whether it comes out of Trump’s mouth or the Warren campaign’s. It should be seen with special suspicion by those committed to accessible healthcare, a policy built on the idea that whether you are sick is not a function of what you deserve and that usual interventions of character will not save us.
If – as most of us do – we believe that physical illness is not a sign of decrepit character or weakness, then we have to be careful about the photonegative thought that physical wellness is a sign of burnished character or strength. It is not only Trump and his fellow rightwing personality-leaders who seek to leverage that thought. Political positioning everywhere leverages the idea of physical health as strength, which in turn licenses the associated thought that physical illness is weakness. Whichever side of politics it appears on, that thought hurts millions of people. As any sufferer of chronic illness will tell you, the presumed connection between character and body runs deep in society, in the glances of strangers, the minds of loved ones.
The president’s bizarre machismo around the virus is just the latest and most visible expression of that thought. Perhaps seeing it in such an extreme form can help us identify its more pedestrian, creeping, insidiously ordinary forms. We would do well to regard them, too, with the same sense of absurdity.


theguardian--2020-10-06--Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani coughs his way through anti-mask interview

Days after being diagnosed with the coronavirus – a highly infectious airborne virus that has already killed over a million people around the world , the US president was out of his hospital bed .
Despite 12 of his inner circle already testing positive for the virus and presumably more to come , Trump was out waving at fans on Sunday .
He returned to the White House last night from the hospital , mask-free again , claiming he might already be immune , despite his chief physician warning that he ’ s not out of the woods yet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal lawyer , who decided to spend Monday night coughing through an interview with Martha MacCallum on Fox News , announcing that the science on Covid is in fact baloney , and with it the science on mask-wearing , too .
That Giuliani is anti-mask is not surprising .
He did , after all , spend the last week indoors with the president , sans mask , as he helped Trump prep for the presidential debates .
But you ’ d think Giuliani might soften his stance on masks , considering that since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a room with the president , that Christie has since tested positive for the virus , and that he and the president were both hospitalized .
Giuliani has , at least , taken heed and gotten a test – he confirmed on MacCallum ’ s show that he is awaiting the results of a second coronavirus test .
But the fact the interview took place just two hours after his test ( and without the results yet in ) did not stop Giuliani gloating that he had not yet contracted Covid-19 and dishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Just to play devil ’ s advocate , [ Biden ] would probably say , ‘ I haven ’ t gotten Covid and the president did , and he ’ s not a big fan of wearing masks ’ , ” pointed out MacCallum , before being interjected by Giuliani .
“ And I haven ’ t either , and I don ’ t wear masks as much as probably I should … What they claim is science is nonsense , ” said Giuliani .
Moments later , Giuliani again began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close with well wishes .
“ Mayor Giuliani , thank you so much for your time , and we look forward to having you back .
And I hope that cough is not anything bad while you are waiting for your test to come back , ” she said , adding : “ We hope you will be healthy and well.
” “ I hope so , too , ” said Giuliani .
“ I will let you know tomorrow .
”

Days after being diagnosed with the coronavirus – a highly infectious airborne virus that has already killed over a million people around the world, the US president was out of his hospital bed.
Despite 12 of his inner circle already testing positive for the virus and presumably more to come, Trump was out waving at fans on Sunday. He returned to the White House last night from the hospital, mask-free again, claiming he might already be immune, despite his chief physician warning that he’s not out of the woods yet.
Enter Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, who decided to spend Monday night coughing through an interview with Martha MacCallum on Fox News, announcing that the science on Covid is in fact baloney, and with it the science on mask-wearing, too.
Rudy Giuliani is on Fox News preaching nihilism about medical science pic.twitter.com/SGxGAEAAt7 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 5, 2020
That Giuliani is anti-mask is not surprising. He did, after all, spend the last week indoors with the president, sans mask, as he helped Trump prep for the presidential debates. But you’d think Giuliani might soften his stance on masks, considering that since he and Chris Christie were trapped in a room with the president , that Christie has since tested positive for the virus, and that he and the president were both hospitalized.
Giuliani has, at least, taken heed and gotten a test – he confirmed on MacCallum’s show that he is awaiting the results of a second coronavirus test. But the fact the interview took place just two hours after his test (and without the results yet in) did not stop Giuliani gloating that he had not yet contracted Covid-19 and dishing out advice to Fox’s viewership.
“Just to play devil’s advocate, [Biden] would probably say, ‘I haven’t gotten Covid and the president did, and he’s not a big fan of wearing masks’,” pointed out MacCallum, before being interjected by Giuliani.
“And I haven’t either, and I don’t wear masks as much as probably I should … What they claim is science is nonsense,” said Giuliani.
Moments later, Giuliani again began coughing and hacking, prompting MacCallum to close with well wishes.
OMG. Every member of Trump’s debate prep team is known to be infected with the #coronavirus, except for Rudy Giuliani...
...who clearly needs a test for #coronavirus.😷#WhiteHouseVirus #TrumpVirus #GOPSuperSpreaders
pic.twitter.com/K0aNbVFeua — Dr. Dena Grayson (@DrDenaGrayson) October 6, 2020
“Mayor Giuliani, thank you so much for your time, and we look forward to having you back. And I hope that cough is not anything bad while you are waiting for your test to come back,” she said, adding: “We hope you will be healthy and well.”
“I hope so, too,” said Giuliani. “I will let you know tomorrow.”


theguardian--2020-10-07--Joe Biden calls for unity in Gettysburg speech: 'Again we are a house divided' – video

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has called for the US to put politics aside and unite as the country faces @ @ @ @ @ Speaking at Gettysburg , the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the US @ @ @ @ @ he decided to run for president after the far-right rally and resulting violence in Charlottesville @ @ @ @ @ .
'It was hate on the march in the open .
In America , ' @ @ @ @ @ goes away .
It only hides .
And when it 's given oxygen , when @ @ @ @ @ to spread , when it 's treated as normal and acceptable behaviour , we 've @ @ @ @ @ country that we must move quickly to close' • 'Again we are a house divided @ @ @ @ @ for unity in Gettysburg speech

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has called for the US to put politics aside and unite as the country faces 'too many crises'. Speaking at Gettysburg, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the US civil war, Biden said he decided to run for president after the far-right rally and resulting violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. 'It was hate on the march in the open. In America,' he said. 'Hate never goes away. It only hides. And when it's given oxygen, when it's given an opportunity to spread, when it's treated as normal and acceptable behaviour, we've opened a door in this country that we must move quickly to close'


theguardian--2020-10-08--VP debate 2020: Kamala Harris slams Mike Pence over coronavirus handling – live

Asked what they would do in their states if Roe v Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court , Pence @ @ @ @ @ and Harris pivoted to healthcare .
Pence began by responding to a previous topic and @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett – a conservative who is expected to overturn American @ @ @ @ @ right to abortion – based on her faith .
Harris said she will “ always @ @ @ @ @ s right to make choices about her body.
” She then pointed out that abortion @ @ @ @ @ issue that could be decided by Barrett – the future of the ACA is currently @ @ @ @ @ Court .
Neither directly said what they ’ d do in Indiana and California , @ @

8 Oct 2020 05.33 BST Tonight's takeaways Both candidates dodged questions. Pence, who is known for his evasiveness – and has even earned praise from Trump for his ability to avoid answers to journalists direct questions – often changed the topic set by moderator Susan Page. He did not to explain the administration’s decision to hold an event at the Rose Garden with unmasked guests, shortly before an outbreak of coronavirus at White House. He didn’t say what he’d do if Republicans lose the presidential election, and Trump refuses to accept the results. Asked about healthcare protections for people with preexisting conditions, Pence pivoted to a discussion of abortion and then demanded that Harris respond to whether she and Biden support packing the supreme court. Harris avoided answering the latter and avoided addressing what she and Biden would do if Trump contests election results.
Pence, who is known for his evasiveness – and has even earned praise from Trump for his ability to avoid answers to journalists direct questions – often changed the topic set by moderator Susan Page. He did not to explain the administration’s decision to hold an event at the Rose Garden with unmasked guests, shortly before an outbreak of coronavirus at White House. He didn’t say what he’d do if Republicans lose the presidential election, and Trump refuses to accept the results. Asked about healthcare protections for people with preexisting conditions, Pence pivoted to a discussion of abortion and then demanded that Harris respond to whether she and Biden support packing the supreme court. Harris avoided answering the latter and avoided addressing what she and Biden would do if Trump contests election results. Harris condemned the administration’s coronavirus response, as expected. With the president recovering Covid-19 and the coronavirus death toll ticking past 200,000 – Harris was expected to excoriate Pence’s record as the head of the White House coronavirus task force. And she delivered. The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country,” Harris said. “This administration has forfeited their right to re-election.”
With the president recovering Covid-19 and the coronavirus death toll ticking past 200,000 – Harris was expected to excoriate Pence’s record as the head of the White House coronavirus task force. And she delivered. The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country,” Harris said. “This administration has forfeited their right to re-election.” Moderator Susan Page was often unable to rein in Pence, who barreled over her pleas that he respect the time limits. “I did not create the rules for tonight,” she said at one point, after Pence talked over her. “I’m here to enforce them.” Harris also pushed back when the vice-president interrupted. “Mr Vice-president, I’m speaking. I’m speaking,” she said firmly and continued to make her point about Trump’s tax cuts.
“I did not create the rules for tonight,” she said at one point, after Pence talked over her. “I’m here to enforce them.” Harris also pushed back when the vice-president interrupted. “Mr Vice-president, I’m speaking. I’m speaking,” she said firmly and continued to make her point about Trump’s tax cuts. One of Harris’ strongest moments was when she addressed the Trump administrations efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA). “If you have a pre-existing condition, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, they’re coming for you.” she said. “If you love someone who has a pre-existing condition, they’re coming for you.” Pre-existing conditions are currently protected by the ACA.
“If you have a pre-existing condition, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, they’re coming for you.” she said. “If you love someone who has a pre-existing condition, they’re coming for you.” Pre-existing conditions are currently protected by the ACA. Pence proved himself to be a loyal soldier for the president. In calm, measured tones that contrasted sharply with Trump’s approach to the presidential debate, Pence nonetheless repeated many of the same lines as Trump: touting the president’s travel restrictions, bragging about – and exaggerating – economic gains, and painting moderates Biden and Harris as lefty progressives who want to ban fracking. (Much to the dismay of lefty progressives, they don’t.)
In calm, measured tones that contrasted sharply with Trump’s approach to the presidential debate, Pence nonetheless repeated many of the same lines as Trump: touting the president’s travel restrictions, bragging about – and exaggerating – economic gains, and painting moderates Biden and Harris as lefty progressives who want to ban fracking. (Much to the dismay of lefty progressives, they don’t.) A fly landed on Pence’s head and stayed there for two minutes. Jokes and memes abounded. That’s all from me, tonight. Read a full recap of the debate here: Kamala Harris and Mike Pence clash over coronavirus response in vice-presidential debate Read more
Updated at 05.43 BST
8 Oct 2020 05.10 BST It’s unclear how much tonight’s debate will sway voters, many of whom have already cast their ballots. At least 5.6 million people have already voted in states where early voting has begun. Elections officials in Texas collect mail-in ballots. Photograph: Bob Daemmrich/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock Ahead of the debate, polls showed Harris was the only candidate at the top oof the ticket with a net-positive favorability rating – on average in national polls, more Americans new her positively than negatively. Pence’s favorability is lagging – an average of 48% view him unfavorably, and 43% favorably per an average from Real Clear Politics.
8 Oct 2020 04.52 BST Here’s the reaction from Pete Buttigieg, who played fellow Indianan Pence during debate prep: So proud of @KamalaHarris tonight.
She powerfully made the case for why we must end the chaos and restore decency by electing Joe Biden.
It was reality vs fantasy on health care, the economy, Covid, racial justice, climate and so much more.
We’re going to win this. — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) October 8, 2020
8 Oct 2020 04.45 BST The Trump campaign’s first reaction to the debate: “Vice President Mike Pence made clear tonight that President Trump is the clear choice to continue to rebuild the American economy.” The rest of the statement is riddled with false and misleading claims. The campaign’s Marc Short said Pence “exposed Joe Biden’s plan to raise taxes by $4 trillion, strangle the economy with Green New Deal regulations, ban fracking, abolish fossil fuels, and kill millions of jobs in the process.” Biden, in fact, does not aim to ban fracking (only restrict new fracking permits) and he has not said he will abolish fossil fuels. And although it’s unclear how Biden’s climate plan (which my colleague Emily Holden has reviewed here), he has largely angled it as a job creator. Short added: “Senator Harris is the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate and it showed, as she continued to push Joe Biden to the left. President Trump built the world’s best economy once and is already doing it a second time.” The website GovTrack ranked Harris the most liberal senator in 2019, but that’s based on the bills and resolutions she sponsored. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are arguably progressive in their ideology - and Sanders was ranked more liberal than Harris by Govtrack in previous years.
8 Oct 2020 04.21 BST On climate change, I wanted to quickly circle back to something Pence said: That there were no more hurricanes than there were 100 years ago. The vice president made this point as evidence that Democrats were exaggerating the impacts of climate change – and it was a bit misleading. My colleague Oliver Milman addressed this during last year’s hurricane season: While the overall number of hurricanes has remained roughly the same in recent decades, there is evidence they are intensifying more quickly, resulting in a greater number of the most severe category four and five storms. The proportion of tropical storms that rapidly strengthen into powerful hurricanes has tripled over the past 30 years, according to recent research. A swift increase in pace over a 24-hour period makes hurricanes less predictable, despite improving hurricane forecasting systems, and more likely to cause widespread damage. The devastation unleashed by recent hurricanes has led to warnings that premiums may rise as insurers face ballooning claims. A record $135bn was paid out by insurers in North America in 2017, mostly as a result of hurricane damages. “We have a new normal,” says Ernst Rauch, a senior executive at insurance company Munich Re. “We must have on our radar the trend of new magnitudes.” Are hurricanes getting stronger – and is climate breakdown to blame? Read more
8 Oct 2020 04.17 BST Pence – in contrast to Donald Trump – delivered his message in a calm, measured tone. But he repeated many of the false claims made by the president. Most notably, he misconstrued and overplayed the impact of travel restrictions on the US’ coronavirus case count, and misleading Americans on the administration’s stance on healthcare protections for people with preexisting protections. In other cases, Pence declined to correct Trump’s record. Asked if Pence would accept the results if Republicans lose the presidential election, Pence dodged. “First and foremost, I think we’re going to win this election,” he said. “When you talk about accepting the outcome of the election, I must tell you, Senator, your party has spent the last three and a half years trying to overturn the results of the last election. It’s amazing.” Harris didn’t directly respond when asked what she and Biden would do if Pence and Trump refused to step aside, Harris urged: “Please vote. Vote early, come up with a plan to vote.”
8 Oct 2020 04.07 BST When discussion turned to the police and the nationwide protests against police brutality, Pence broached Harris’ record as attorney general of California and her prosecutorial record. It’s an issue that often came up during the Democratic primaries, and took on new relevance after the police killing of George Floyd triggered protests across the nation. As the Guardian has reported before, while Harris has sought to present herself as a “progressive prosecutor”, her record is more complicated. Her approach to sex work, police reform, prisoners’ rights and truancy have drawn criticism from activists in her home state. Kamala Harris: can a 'top cop' win over progressives in 2020? Read more Though she initially disregarded calls to investigate a series of police shootings in San Francisco after the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, she did begin to evolve by the end of her tenure as attorney general - and in 2016 suggested some reforms to increase her office’s power to investigate police. But these criticisms are odd coming from Pence – and Trump, who has brought them up before – given the administration’s harsh “law and order” rhetoric.
Updated at 04.11 BST
8 Oct 2020 03.55 BST The fly on Mike Pence’s head seems to be the breakout star of this debate. Both vice-presidential candidates, meanwhile, swatted away direct questions – pivoting to topics they wanted to discuss rather than what was actually asked. The 90 minutes flew by, as the candidates buzzed over the moderator’s pleas to stick to time limits. Sorry ... (not sorry)
Updated at 04.11 BST


theguardian--2020-10-08--Trump calls Covid diagnosis 'blessing from God' amid false treatment claims

Donald Trump has called his Covid-19 infection “ a blessing from God ” as he returned to the Oval Office on Wednesday despite concerns that he should be self-isolating , as the virus continued to spread among senior White House figures .
In a video message posted to Twitter , Trump said that an experimental drug cocktail from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals was key to recovering from his infection .
He said it was his suggestion to be treated with the drug , which has rarely been used outside clinical trials .
“ I feel great .
I feel , like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video .
“ I think this was a blessing from God , that I caught it .
This was a blessing in disguise .
I caught it , I heard about this drug , I said let me take it .
It was my suggestion.
” The president also promised to bring the drug to the American people for free , hawking it – falsely – as a “ cure ” .
There is no cure for Covid-19 .
Trump ’ s latest claims echoed his previous endorsements of unapproved treatments – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the drug is effective , it has not yet been granted emergency authorization for use by the general public .
Trump , recently returned from several days at Walter Reed national military medical center , was back in the Oval Office for the first time on Wednesday , where he received a briefing about Hurricane Delta , which has been belting Mexico and is heading for the US later this week , and on economic stimulus prospects .
A coronavirus outbreak among numerous figures in the president ’ s orbit has created a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At least 27 people across the White House , election campaign and military leadership have tested positive for the virus , with ABC reporting the figure could be as high as 34 , according to an internal government memo .
One of Trump ’ s closest advisers , Stephen Miller , was diagnosed on Tuesday .
Questions were raised about the safety of the president ’ s decision to return to the Oval Office despite having announced a positive test less than a week ago .
Speaking to reporters , the deputy White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited “ CDC guidelines ” as being among tools available to make sure his presence in the office was safe .
“ Well , we can do it in a safe way , we can disinfect regularly , ” said Brian Morgenstern .
“ We have PPE that we can use .
And we can interact with him standing back.
” According to CDC guidelines , it would seem Trump should not be in the Oval Office .
The CDC has that anyone “ sick or infected ” with Covid-19 “ should separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific ‘ sick room ’ ” – meaning they should not go to and from an office in which they interact with others .
The guidelines add that those who test positive for Covid can be with others “ at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared and after at least 24 hours with no fever without fever-reducing medication and if other symptoms of Covid-19 are improving ” .
Access to Trump for White House aides has been extremely limited since his discharge .
The White House chief of staff , Mark Meadows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among those with the president in the Oval Office .
Those meeting with Trump are required to wear full personal protective gear to minimize their risk .
Trump could have received his briefings elsewhere in the complex , but the president believed it was important that he be seen working from the office , according to a White House official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity .
Dr Sean Conley , the White House physician , said Trump had declared : “ I feel great !
” Conley added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptom-free for over 24 hours , and that his oxygen saturation level and respiratory rate were normal .
The memo also said a blood test on Monday showed Trump had coronavirus antibodies .
However , some were swift to point out that Trump recently received a large dose of the Regeneron cocktail , which contains such antibodies .
Regeneron says it is not possible for this type of blood test to distinguish between antibodies Trump ’ s body may be making and those supplied by the company ’ s drug .
Most likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test are from the drug , the company said .

Donald Trump has called his Covid-19 infection “a blessing from God” as he returned to the Oval Office on Wednesday despite concerns that he should be self-isolating, as the virus continued to spread among senior White House figures.
In a video message posted to Twitter, Trump said that an experimental drug cocktail from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals was key to recovering from his infection. He said it was his suggestion to be treated with the drug, which has rarely been used outside clinical trials.
“I feel great. I feel, like, perfect,” the president says in the video. “I think this was a blessing from God, that I caught it. This was a blessing in disguise. I caught it, I heard about this drug, I said let me take it. It was my suggestion.”
The president also promised to bring the drug to the American people free, hawking it – falsely – as a “cure”. There is no cure for Covid-19.
Hours later, Regeneron filed an application to the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency approval for the treatment, the New York Times reported. Following Trump’s video, stocks in the company climbed by 3.73% in after-hours trading. Trump has ties to Regeneron CEO Leonard Schleifer, who is a member of the president’s golf club in Westchester. Trump also used to own Regeneron shares, according to his 2017 filing with the Office of Government Ethics. However, the shares were not listed on his most recent filing.
Regeneron has so far been given more than $500m in government funding to manufacture the treatment, as part of Operation Warp Speed.
Trump’s latest claims echoed his previous endorsements of unapproved treatments – from hydroxychloroquine to bleach. Even if the drug is effective, it has not yet been granted emergency authorization for use by the general public.
Trump, recently returned from several days at Walter Reed national military medical center, was back in the Oval Office for the first time on Wednesday, where he received a briefing about Hurricane Delta, which has been belting Mexico and is heading for the US later this week, and on economic stimulus prospects.
A coronavirus outbreak among numerous figures in the president’s orbit has created a dramatic situation in the Trump administration. At least 27 people across the White House, election campaign and military leadership have tested positive for the virus, with ABC reporting the figure could be as high as 34, according to an internal government memo. One of Trump’s closest advisers, Stephen Miller, was diagnosed on Tuesday.
Questions were raised about the safety of the president’s decision to return to the Oval Office despite having announced a positive test less than a week ago. Speaking to reporters, the deputy White House press secretary, Brian Morgenstern, cited “CDC guidelines” as being among tools available to make sure his presence in the office was safe.
“Well, we can do it in a safe way, we can disinfect regularly,” said Brian Morgenstern. “We have PPE that we can use. And we can interact with him standing back.”
According to CDC guidelines, it would seem Trump should not be in the Oval Office. The CDC has that anyone “sick or infected” with Covid-19 “should separate themselves from others by staying in a specific ‘sick room’” – meaning they should not go to and from an office in which they interact with others.
The guidelines add that those who test positive for Covid can be with others “at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared and after at least 24 hours with no fever without fever-reducing medication and if other symptoms of Covid-19 are improving”.
Access to Trump for White House aides has been extremely limited since his discharge. The White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and senior adviser Dan Scavino were among those with the president in the Oval Office. Those meeting with Trump are required to wear full personal protective gear to minimize their risk.
Trump could have received his briefings elsewhere in the complex, but the president believed it was important that he be seen working from the office, according to a White House official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Dr Sean Conley, the White House physician, said Trump had declared: “I feel great!”
Conley added in a memo that Trump had been symptom-free for over 24 hours, and that his oxygen saturation level and respiratory rate were normal. The memo also said a blood test on Monday showed Trump had coronavirus antibodies. However, some were swift to point out that Trump recently received a large dose of the Regeneron cocktail, which contains such antibodies.
Regeneron says it is not possible for this type of blood test to distinguish between antibodies Trump’s body may be making and those supplied by the company’s drug. Most likely, the ones detected in the Monday test are from the drug, the company said.


theguardian--2020-10-08--Kamala Harris and Mike Pence face off in highly anticipated vice-presidential debate

Vice-President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris clashed over the Trump administration ’ s handling of the coronavirus in the only vice-presidential debate of the 2020 election , at a moment of extraordinary uncertainty for the US in the wake of the president ’ s hospitalization for Covid-19 .
“ The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country , ” Harris said in her opening comments to Pence , who leads the White House ’ s coronavirus task force .
“ This administration has forfeited their right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has gone through a “ very challenging time this year ” , but forcefully defended the Trump administration ’ s handling of the pandemic that has killed more than 210,000 Americans and infected millions more , including the president of the United States and many top White House officials .
“ I want the American people to know , from the very first day , President Trump has put the health of America first , ” he said .
Promising a vaccine for the virus before the end of the year , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential treatment and “ playing politics with people ’ s lives ” .
Harris said she would take the vaccine if it was endorsed by public health experts , but “ if Donald Trump tells us to take it , I ’ m not taking it ” .
In a sign of the extent to which the outbreak has reshaped the 2020 campaign , the candidates were seated 12ft apart and separated by plexiglass dividers , a request by the Biden-Harris campaign that the Pence team initially objected to .
In the auditorium @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guest who refused to wear a mask was to be removed .
The debate unfolded in the shadow of Trump ’ s diagnosis with a potentially fatal disease , which renewed focus on the advanced age of the septuagenarian presidential candidates ahead of Wednesday night ’ s debate in Salt Lake City .
Trump is 74 and his Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , is 77 .
As such , the forum served not only as a preview of the leading presidential contenders in 2024 , but as a grim reminder that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president should he become incapacitated or die while in office .
Neither Pence nor Harris directly answered a question about whether they had discussions about taking over the presidency .
Given the uncertainty hanging over future presidential debates due to the president ’ s infection , Pence and Harris were under additional pressure to articulate their campaign messages .
Polls show that a majority of Americans no longer trust Trump to handle the virus and blame his administration for failing to control it .
Trump , who claimed he had “ learned a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own experience with it , has since downplayed its severity , likening it to the flu and urging Americans not to be afraid of it .
In a video shared shortly before the debate on Wednesday , Trump called his infection a “ blessing from God ” and said everyone should have access to the experimental treatment he was given during his hospitalization .
Harris , who was elected to the Senate in 2016 and unsuccessfully ran for president against Biden last year , is the first woman of color to participate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 90 minutes , she will attempt to make the case that the Trump administration has failed in its response to the coronavirus , and the economic fallout , without going too far to antagonize the president while his prognosis remains unclear .
The vice-president has tested negative for Covid , but there was some question about whether he should participate in the debate given his potential exposure .
The virus has now infected several members of the White House staff , as well as several US senators and military officials .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former prosecutor , has gained a national reputation for her sharp cross-examination of powerful men – from administration officials who came before the Senate judiciary committee to Biden , whom she confronted during a primary debate last year .
In 2016 , Pence delivered a clean performance , skillfully defending Trump while relentlessly attacking Hillary Clinton .
Since then , he has proven to be a loyal lieutenant of the president and a more disciplined messenger of the administration ’ s agenda .

Kamala Harris accused the Trump-Pence White House of presiding over the “greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country” in its handling of the coronavirus during the first and only vice-presidential debate of the 2020 election.
Vice-president Mike Pence forcefully defended Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis that has killed more than 210,000 Americans, as Wednesday night’s debate in Salt Lake City unfolded in the shadow of the president’s hospitalization for Covid-19, which has thrown the government into upheaval and upended the presidential race four weeks before election day.
02:27 Harris calls Trump's coronavirus response 'greatest failure' of any administration – video
Over the course of 90 minutes, Harris, the California senator and running mate of Democratic nominee Joe Biden, assailed Trump over his stewardship of the American government, denouncing his administration’s response to the various crises affecting the nation, from the racial injustice protests to the wildfires devastating the west coast, as well as his taxes and personal conduct in office.
But she said no failure was as great as the president’s mismanagement of the pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout.
Harris charged that the president misled the country about the severity of the virus when it first began to spread earlier this year: “They knew, and they covered it up.”
“Frankly, this administration has forfeited their right to re-election based on this,” Harris concluded in her opening comments to Pence, who leads the White House’s coronavirus task force.
Pence acknowledged that the nation has gone through a “very challenging time this year” as a result of the outbreak, which has infected millions of Americans, including the president and many top White House officials.
“I want the American people to know, from the very first day, President Trump has put the health of America first,” he said. He insisted, in defiance of the facts, that the president had a clear national strategy for addressing the pandemic.
“Clearly it hasn’t worked, when you’re looking at over 210,000 dead bodies in our country,” Harris retorted.
Distanced 12-feet apart and separated by plexiglass barriers, the coronavirus framed much of the debate even before the candidates stepped on to the stage. The Pence campaign initially objected to a request for a physical barrier, but ultimately agreed. In the auditorium at the University of Utah, any guest who refused to wear a mask was to be removed.
01:05 'They're coming for you': Harris slams Trump and Pence on healthcare – video
Against this backdrop, the forum served not only as a preview of two leading presidential contenders in 2024, but as a grim reminder that the role of vice-president is to succeed the president should he become incapacitated or die while in office.
Trump, 74, has said he is “feeling GREAT” though questions remain about his the severity of his infection. At 77, his Biden would be the oldest US president ever to serve in office.
Neither Pence nor Harris directly answered a question about whether they had discussions about taking over the presidency.
Polls show that a majority of Americans have lost faith in Trump’s handling of the virus and blame his administration for failing to control it. Trump, who claimed he had “learned a lot” about the virus from his own experience with it, has since downplayed its severity, likening it to the flu and urging Americans not to be afraid of it.
Given the uncertainty hanging over future presidential debates due to the president’s infection, Pence and Harris were under additional pressure to articulate their campaign messages.
Pence attempted to cast the Biden-Harris ticket as extreme, while Harris accused the administration of attempting to strip Americans of their healthcare and stoking racial division.
00:32 'I'm speaking': Kamala Harris reins in Mike Pence during VP debate – video
After the first presidential debate in Ohio devolved into a chaotic shouting match last week, moderator Susan Page of USA Today pleaded for a “civil” discussion. Though there were sharp exchanges over issues of racism, climate and health care, there were far fewer personal insults and a much more robust discussion of the issues.
Harris, who is the first Black woman to participate in a vice-presidential debate, was cheered by supporters online when she responded to Pence’s repeated interruptions. “Mr Vice-president, I’m speaking,” she said, flashing a wide smile.
In a show of civility absent from the first debate, Pence commended Harris, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, on the “historic nature of your candidacy.
Asked whether justice had been done in the case of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old medical technician who was killed in her Louisville home during a police raid and whose death has sparked nationwide protests, Harris said she did not believe it had after a grand jury declined to bring charges against the officers involved.
Pence disagreed. Extending his sympathies to her family, he said: “I trust our justice system, a grand jury that reviews the evidence.”
In an exchange on the climate crisis, Harris said that unlike Trump, Biden “believes in science” and defended Biden’s economic plan which would create new jobs in the renewable energy industry.
“We have seen a pattern with this administration which is they don’t believe in science, and Joe’s plan is about saying we’re going to deal with it, but we’re also going to create jobs,” she said.
Conceding that the climate was changing, Pence pushed back and said he was proud of the administration’s environmental record. He said Biden’s climate plan was the the Green New Deal by another name, and accused the former vice president of wanting to ban fracking, a particularly sensitive issue in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. Harris repeated that Biden does not, in fact, intend to ban fracking but Pence refused to concede the point.
In a segment focused on the supreme court nomination of conservative Amy Coney Barrett following the death of celebrated liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Pence pressed Harris on whether a Biden administration would expand the court as some liberals have suggested.
Harris, like Biden, did not answer the question directly, but argued Republicans had effectively packed the court by refusing to hold a hearing for Barack Obama’s supreme court nominee in 2016 because it was a presidential election year, but are now pushing through the president’s pick weeks before election day.
“She never answered the question,” Pence said.
Both campaigns appeared pleased with their candidate’s performances. “Mike Pence WON BIG!” tweeted Trump, while Biden tweeted: “Kamala Harris, you made us all proud tonight.”
Yet in a volatile election season already overshadowed by compounding national crises, it appears unlikely this debate will fundamentally reset the contours of a race in which national and battleground state polls show the contest slipping away from the president, and more than five million Americans have already voted early, largely due to the pandemic.
Trump’s pronouncements about his health and the news that he would bring American troops home from Afghanistan by Christmas pre-empted the evening’s debate. Next week, the nation’s focus will turn to the Senate, which will begin the confirmation hearings for Barrett, and then to a potential presidential debate rematch in Miami between Trump and Biden.
If this debate has little impact on this election, however, it may yet have consequences for the future political ambitions of both candidates on stage in 2024.


theguardian--2020-10-08--Trump returns to Oval Office against CDC's isolation guidelines – as it happened

There was a school of thought that Donald Trump might be humbled by becoming infected himself with the coronavirus , see the light and encourage Americans to stay safe .
It lasted about as long as the hope that he would “ pivot ” to a traditional presidency after his inauguration .
Instead Trump has sought to project the strongman image , flying to the White House by helicopter at sunset , standing on the balcony and taking off his face mask while still contagious , bragging that he feels better than he did 20 years ago and urging the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let it dominate their lives .
His campaign has sent out fundraising emails preaching a similar if-I-can-beat-it-so-can-you-message , hoping to turn personal and political disaster to their electoral advantage against the cautious Joe Biden .
It is very on-brand for a president who views illness as a weakness and seeks each day to make himself the hero of his own reality TV show .
“ He ’ s operated in kind of cartoon icons his entire career , with iconic images and symbols of being a magnate , owning a football team , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Gwenda Blair , a Trump biographer .
“ All these symbols of unbelievable riches were really powerful – that was a very successful manoeuvre and he ’ s kept it up .
So now these photo ops that look ridiculous and dangerous have a certain resonance .
Of course he ’ ll keep doing that .
“ Now he is going to be an ‘ expert ’ : he ’ s had it so nobody can tell him anything .
If he ever even paused for a second for any medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He knows more about wars than the generals ; he will now know more about the coronavirus than any doctors .
”

Maanvi Singh (now), Martin Pengelly, Kenya Evelyn and Martin Belam (earlier)

7 Oct 2020 00.44 BST Kari Paul Facebook has announced significant changes to its advertising and misinformation policies, saying it will stop running political ads in the United States after polls close on 3 November for an undetermined period of time. The changes, announced Wednesday, come in an effort to “protect the integrity” of the upcoming election “by fighting foreign interference, misinformation and voter suppression”, the company said in a blog post. Facebook’s chief executive, officer Mark Zuckerberg, had previously defended the controversial decision not to fact check political advertising on the platform, but in recent weeks Facebook has begun to remove political ads that feature dangerous and misleading claims. In early September, the company pledged to stop running new political ads one week before 3 November, the day of the United States elections, to prevent last-minute misinformation. Now it will disallow political advertising entirely following election day “to reduce opportunities for confusion or abuse”. The company did not say whether the previous ban on new ads remains, or give a timeline for if and when political advertising could return.
7 Oct 2020 00.27 BST Oliver Milman Although Donald Trump again promised in his video that a vaccine would come this year, that’s looking increasingly unlikely. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told coronavirus vaccine developers on Tuesday it wants at least two months of safety data before authorizing any emergency use, a requirement likely to push any US vaccine availability past the 3 November presidential election. A senior administration official confirmed that the White House had approved the plan, which undercuts Donald Trump’s hopes of getting a vaccine before the majority of voters go to polls. The president had been hinting at a rapid announcement on a successful vaccine in recent weeks despite the fact that a candidate has yet to emerge from clinical trials and there have been growing fears that political pressure on regulators could result in a compromised process and the undermining of public confidence in a vaccine. The FDA on Tuesday released the guidance laying out more stringent recommendations for drugmakers hoping to apply for an emergency use authorization (EUA) for their experimental vaccines. “Being open and clear about the circumstances under which the issuance of an emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine would be appropriate and is critical to building public confidence and ensuring the use of COVID-19 vaccines once available,” Peter Marks, director of the FDA division responsible for approving vaccines, said in a statement. US Covid vaccine unlikely to arrive before election following FDA move Read more
7 Oct 2020 23.57 BST David Smith There was a school of thought that Donald Trump might be humbled by becoming infected himself with the coronavirus, see the light and encourage Americans to stay safe. It lasted about as long as the hope that he would “pivot” to a traditional presidency after his inauguration. Instead Trump has sought to project the strongman image, flying to the White House by helicopter at sunset, standing on the balcony and taking off his face mask while still contagious, bragging that he feels better than he did 20 years ago and urging the public to neither fear the virus nor let it dominate their lives. His campaign has sent out fundraising emails preaching a similar if-I-can-beat-it-so-can-you-message, hoping to turn personal and political disaster to their electoral advantage against the cautious Joe Biden. It is very on-brand for a president who views illness as a weakness and seeks each day to make himself the hero of his own reality TV show. “He’s operated in kind of cartoon icons his entire career, with iconic images and symbols of being a magnate, owning a football team, an airline, casinos, Mar-a-Lago,” said Gwenda Blair, a Trump biographer. “All these symbols of unbelievable riches were really powerful – that was a very successful manoeuvre and he’s kept it up. So now these photo ops that look ridiculous and dangerous have a certain resonance. Of course he’ll keep doing that. “Now he is going to be an ‘expert’: he’s had it so nobody can tell him anything. If he ever even paused for a second for any medical advice before, that’s over. He knows more about wars than the generals; he will now know more about the coronavirus than any doctors.” 'I'm back': Trumpworld shows no sign of changing after Covid-19 diagnosis | Analysis Read more
7 Oct 2020 23.48 BST Here’s a quick overview of some of the most confounding bits of the president’s video message: In his video, Trump said he’s authorized Regeneroon’s and Eli Lilly’s treatments for emergency use – though it’s unclear whether he actually has. He also said the therapeutics would be available for free – though it’s unclear how given that the president unilaterally ended negotiations over a coronavirus relief bill with Congressional democrats. He also said a vaccine will be available “right after the election” – contradicting his own CDC director, who said last month one wouldn’t be widely available until next Spring. And he suggested that the military would distribute the vaccine, even though officials have indicated that the plan would be to distribute through local public health departments.
7 Oct 2020 23.39 BST Last week, Regeneron said its REGN-COV2 treatment improved symptoms in those with mild or moderate Covid-19, based on results from 275 trial patients. The drug is an experimental shot of antibodies, generated in a lab to mimic the immune system’s response to the virus. Early results have also indicated that the treatment could reduce the levels of virus in the body, and reduce hospital stays. However, these are early results – and the drug has not yet authorized for general use. Another drugmaker, Eli Lilly, is developing another antibody treatment, which is also being tested on patients in the US/
Updated at 23.40 BST
7 Oct 2020 23.30 BST News that the president has been treated with Regeneron’s experimental cocktail caused the company’s stock to rise sharply. Donald Trump has ties to Regeneron’s CEO, Dr. Leonard Schleifer, who is a member of the president’s golf club in Westchester. Schleifer’s company received $450m in government funding this summer as part of the president’s program to encourage the development of a vaccine and treatment. Trump ownsed shares of Regeneron and Gilead Sciences – maker of the antiviral remdesivir, which the president is also said to be taking – per his 2017 filing with the Office of Government Ethics. Neither holdings were listed on the president’s most recent filing.
Updated at 00.05 BST
7 Oct 2020 23.23 BST Trump: 'It was a blessing from God that I caught it' In a video message, Donald Trump said that Regeneron was key to recovering from his infection. He said it was his suggestion to be treated with an experimental cocktail from the drug company, which has rarely been used outside clinical trials. “I feel great. I feel like, perfect,” the president says in the video. “I think this was a blessing from God, that I caught it. This was a blessing in disguise. I caught it, I heard about this drug, I said let me take it, it was my suggestion.” He promised to bring the drug to the American people for free, hawking it – falsely – as a “cure”. There is no cure for Covid-19. The president, who has often talked up unproven, unapproved treatments – from hydroxychloroquine (which he has claimed to take as a prophylactic) to bleach – is doing so once again. Even if the drug is effective, it has not yet been granted emergency authorization for use by the general public.
Updated at 23.58 BST
7 Oct 2020 23.09 BST During tonight’s debate, Mike Pence and Kamala Harris will be positioned 12 feet apart, separated by plexiglass barriers – which scientists say are woefully ineffective. Pence and his aides had initially protested the plexiglass but eventually acquiesced. Although the barriers would block any spit that the candidates spray as they speak, it wouldn’t stop the virus from being carried in the air. As the CDC acknowledged this week, coronavirus can be carried by aerosols – tiny airborne droplets – that can move over and around a sheet of plexiglass. Although Pence has cited multiple negative tests – and has been cleared by the White House physician to participate in the debates. But tests for Covid-19 can come up negative up to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Though the CDC has said Pence has not been in close contact with anyone suspected of being infected, Pence himself said he’d met with Donald Trump – who has been infected.
Updated at 10.39 BST


theguardian--2020-10-07--McConnell hits out at Guardian and other media over Amy Coney Barrett scrutiny

Top Republican Mitch McConnell lashed out on Wednesday at reports about Amy Coney Barrett ’ s background in a strict religious group which the Senate majority leader claimed “ demean the [ supreme court ] confirmation process , disrespect the constitution and insult millions of American believers ” .
Among McConnell ’ s targets was a Guardian report which said Barrett “ lived in the home of one of the founders of the People of Praise while she was a law student , raising new questions about the supreme court nominee ’ s involvement with the secretive Christian faith group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives of its members and subjugating women ” .
Barrett is an Indiana-based appeals court judge whose strict Catholic views are the subject of concern among progressives , particularly over the fate of Roe v Wade , the 1973 supreme court ruling which made abortion legal across the US .
People of Praise , a charismatic religious group , was recently revealed to have scrubbed its website of mentions of Barrett .
McConnell wants to confirm Barrett as a replacement for the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before the presidential election on 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favour of conservatives as key decisions loom on healthcare , abortion , gay rights and more .
Democrats have little power to stop the process , even with Republican members of the Senate judiciary committee infected with the coronavirus , potentially as a result of attending Barrett ’ s introduction at the White House on Saturday 26 September .
The Guardian was not the only outlet to publish a story about Barrett on Tuesday .
Citing records which People of Praise has taken off its website , the Washington Post said : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the title of ‘ handmaid ’ , a leadership position for women in the community ” .
Other outlets have erroneously reported that People of Praise was an inspiration for The Handmaid ’ s Tale , the Canadian author Margaret Atwood ’ s dystopian novel which depicts a society in which women are property of the state , and which was adapted for a hit TV series .
“ The word ‘ handmaid ’ appears dozens of times in the King James Bible , ” McConnell said .
“ It was good enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because one liberal author put it in the title of an anti-religious novel in the 1980s , the press tries to imply that one of the most brilliant and powerful women in the legal world is anti-women.
” The Post quoted a former member of the group as saying a “ handmaid ” was a leadership position , though subordinate to male leadership in People of Praise .
As the Guardian reported in September , “ Interviews with experts who have studied charismatic Christian groups such as People of Praise , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plus a review of the group ’ s own literature , reveal an organization that appears to dominate some members ’ everyday lives , in which so-called ‘ heads ’ – or spiritual advisers – make big life decisions , and in which members are expected to financially support one another .
“ Married women – such as Barrett – count their husbands as their ‘ heads ’ and all members are expected to donate 5 % of their income to the organization.
” Barrett has said she does not allow her religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law .
After voicing a key Republican talking point , comparing supposed progressive anti-Catholic bigotry to attacks on President John F Kennedy , a liberal hero , McConnell added : “ Our coastal elites are so disconnected from their own country that they treat religious Americans like animals in a menagerie.
” Many Democrats contend McConnell is disconnected from public opinion when it comes to the question of whether the Barrett confirmation should be rammed through so close to the election , which polls show is an unpopular move .
McConnell has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other senior Republicans ’ statements in 2016 , another election year , when they refused to even hold hearings for Merrick Garland , a moderate nominated by Barack Obama to replace the conservative Antonin Scalia .

Top Republican Mitch McConnell lashed out on Wednesday at reports about Amy Coney Barrett’s background in a strict religious group which the Senate majority leader claimed “demean the [supreme court] confirmation process, disrespect the constitution and insult millions of American believers”.
Among McConnell’s targets was a Guardian report which said Barrett “lived in the home of one of the founders of the People of Praise while she was a law student, raising new questions about the supreme court nominee’s involvement with the secretive Christian faith group that has been criticized for dominating the lives of its members and subjugating women”.
Barrett is an Indiana-based appeals court judge whose strict Catholic views are the subject of concern among progressives, particularly over the fate of Roe v Wade, the 1973 supreme court ruling which made abortion legal across the US.
People of Praise, a charismatic religious group, was recently revealed to have scrubbed its website of mentions of Barrett.
McConnell wants to confirm Barrett as a replacement for the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before the presidential election on 3 November, tilting the court 6-3 in favour of conservatives as key decisions loom on healthcare, abortion, gay rights and more.
Democrats have little power to stop the process, even with Republican members of the Senate judiciary committee infected with the coronavirus, potentially as a result of attending Barrett’s introduction at the White House on Saturday 26 September.
The Guardian was not the only outlet to publish a story about Barrett on Tuesday. Citing records which People of Praise has taken off its website, the Washington Post said: “A 2010 directory states that she held the title of ‘handmaid’, a leadership position for women in the community”.
Other outlets have erroneously reported that People of Praise was an inspiration for The Handmaid’s Tale, the Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel which depicts a society in which women are property of the state, and which was adapted for a hit TV series.
“The word ‘handmaid’ appears dozens of times in the King James Bible,” McConnell said. “It was good enough for the Virgin Mary. But now, because one liberal author put it in the title of an anti-religious novel in the 1980s, the press tries to imply that one of the most brilliant and powerful women in the legal world is anti-women.”
The Post quoted a former member of the group as saying a “handmaid” was a leadership position, though subordinate to male leadership in People of Praise.
As the Guardian reported in September, “Interviews with experts who have studied charismatic Christian groups such as People of Praise, and with former members of the group, plus a review of the group’s own literature, reveal an organization that appears to dominate some members’ everyday lives, in which so-called ‘heads’ – or spiritual advisers – make big life decisions, and in which members are expected to financially support one another.
“Married women – such as Barrett – count their husbands as their ‘heads’ and all members are expected to donate 5% of their income to the organization.”
Barrett has said she does not allow her religious beliefs to influence her decisions on constitutional law.
After voicing a key Republican talking point, comparing supposed progressive anti-Catholic bigotry to attacks on President John F Kennedy, a liberal hero, McConnell added: “Our coastal elites are so disconnected from their own country that they treat religious Americans like animals in a menagerie.”
Many Democrats contend McConnell is disconnected from public opinion when it comes to the question of whether the Barrett confirmation should be rammed through so close to the election, which polls show is an unpopular move.
McConnell has the votes to succeed, regardless of his and other senior Republicans’ statements in 2016, another election year, when they refused to even hold hearings for Merrick Garland, a moderate nominated by Barack Obama to replace the conservative Antonin Scalia.


theguardian--2020-10-07--At least 27 in Trump’s circle have tested positive for coronavirus

Covid-19 has created a dramatic situation in the Trump administration best summed up as “ all the president ’ s men and women ” .
At least 27 people across Donald Trump ’ s White House , election campaign and military leaders have now tested positive for coronavirus .
On Tuesday , Stephen Miller , the controversial policy adviser to the US president , became the latest to confirm that he has Covid-19 and will enter quarantine .
Miller has become the latest in a lengthy list of people connected to the White House to contract the virus in recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump himself , who left the Walter Reed hospital on Monday after receiving state-of-the-art medical treatment for the virus .
Trump , who has routinely downplayed the virus and disparaged the wearing of masks , posed for cameras without a mask after returning to the White House and tweeted : “ Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t let it dominate your life.
” Public health experts have criticized Trump ’ s comments , noting that people with the virus can still spread it to others for about 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 210,000 people in the US have died from the coronavirus pandemic , by far the worst death toll in the world .
Covid-19 reached into the heart of the Trump administration last week .
A swath of Trump ’ s inner circle of family and allies has recently tested positive for the virus , including Melania Trump , press secretary Kayleigh McEnany , assistant press staffers Chad Gilmartin , Karoline Leavitt and Jalen Drummond , aide Nick Luna , adviser Hope Hicks and former White House counsel Kellyanne Conway , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistant press staffer , both unnamed so far , have also been infected .
Meanwhile , a number of prominent Republicans have also contracted the virus , including the Republican National Committee chief , Ronna McDaniel , former New Jersey governor and unofficial Trump adviser Chris Christie , Utah senator Mike Lee , North Carolina senator Thom Tillis , Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson and Bill Stepien , head of Trump ’ s 2020 re-election campaign .
At least nine of these people , including Trump , attended a White House event on 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s nominee for the US supreme court .
Assembled guests , most of them not wearing masks , were seated close together for the event , with some then mingling inside the White House , again without masks , afterwards .
An outbreak of Covid-19 has also swept through senior US military leaders , including Gen Mark Milley , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , and Gen John Hyten , vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff .
Gen Gary Thomas , a senior marine corps leader , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ W Ray , the vice-commandant of the US coast guard .
Other military figures including Gen Daniel Hokanson , the chief of the national guard ; Gen James McConville , the army chief of staff ; Adm Michael Gilday , naval operations chief ; Gen Charles Brown , air force chief of staff ; Gen Paul Nakasone , the cyber command chief ; and Gen Jay Raymond , the space force chief , are in self-quarantine as a result .
White House staff have reportedly expressed fears that their workplace has been allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask-wearing discouraged and even mocked .
The day after the event for Barrett , the White House held a gathering for Gold Star military mothers , the name given to families who have lost military members to combat , with pictures again showing the president and other officials not socially distancing or wearing masks while indoors .
Those working in the White House are regularly tested for the virus , but officials have been opaque on when the president had his last negative test , before testing positive late last Thursday .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been infected during a Friday meeting in the “ tank ” , a secure Pentagon room for top military brass .
Contact tracing and further precautions are being taken to “ to protect the force and the mission ” , according to a Pentagon spokesman .
The infections have occurred within a broader context where the pandemic is still barely under control across much of the US .
Half of all states are reporting an increasing trend in recent Covid-19 cases , according to Johns Hopkins University .
In total , more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for the virus .
• None This piece was amended on Wednesday 7 October .
An earlier version wrongly referred to some military leaders in self-quarantine as having been infected .

Covid-19 has created a dramatic situation in the Trump administration best summed up as “all the president’s men and women”.
At least 22 people across Donald Trump’s White House, election campaign and military leaders have tested positive for coronavirus in a flurry of recent infections.
On Tuesday, Stephen Miller, the controversial policy adviser to the US president, became the latest to confirm that he has Covid-19 and will enter quarantine.
The group is headed by Trump himself, who left the Walter Reed hospital on Monday after receiving state-of-the-art medical treatment for the virus.
Trump, who has routinely downplayed the virus and disparaged the wearing of masks, posed for cameras without a mask after returning to the White House and tweeted: “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.”
Public health experts have criticized Trump’s comments, noting that people with the virus can still spread it to others for about 10 days after becoming infected.
More than 210,000 people in the US have died from the coronavirus pandemic, by far the worst death toll in the world.
Covid-19 reached into the heart of the Trump administration last week.
A swath of Trump’s inner circle of family and allies has recently tested positive for the virus, including Melania Trump; the White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany; the assistant press staffers Chad Gilmartin, Karoline Leavitt and Jalen Drummond; the aide Nick Luna; the adviser Hope Hicks and the former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, as well as Miller. A military valet and a military aide, along with another assistant press staffer, none officially named, have also been infected.
Meanwhile, a number of prominent Republicans have also contracted the virus, including the Republican National Committee chief, Ronna McDaniel, the former New Jersey governor and unofficial Trump adviser Chris Christie, the Utah senator Mike Lee, the North Carolina senator Thom Tillis, the Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson and Bill Stepien, head of Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign.
At least nine of these people, including Trump, attended a White House event on 26 September for Amy Coney Barrett, the president’s nominee for the US supreme court. Assembled guests, most of them not wearing masks, were seated close together for the event, with some then mingling inside the White House, again without masks. Also at the event was the Rev John James, president of the University of Notre Dame, where Barrett was a law professor. James has tested positive.
The outbreak of Covid-19 has also affected senior US military leaders, including Gen Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and Gen John Hyten, vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, who are self-isolating after at least two senior colleagues tested positive in recent days.
Gen Gary Thomas, a senior marine corps leader, has tested positive, as has Adm Charles W Ray, the vice-commandant of the US coast guard. Other military figures including Gen Daniel Hokanson, the chief of the national guard; Gen James McConville, the army chief of staff; Adm Michael Gilday, naval operations chief; Gen Charles Brown, air force chief of staff; Gen Paul Nakasone, the cyber command chief; and Gen Jay Raymond, the space force chief, are also in self-quarantine as a result.
White House staff have reportedly expressed fears that their workplace has been allowed to become an unsafe environment, with mask-wearing discouraged and even mocked.
The day after the event for Barrett, the White House held a gathering for Gold Star military families, who have lost relatives to combat, with pictures again showing the president and other officials not socially distancing or wearing masks while indoors. Those working in the White House are regularly tested for the virus, but officials have been opaque on when the president had his last negative test, before testing positive late last Thursday.
The senior military leaders are believed to have been infected during a Friday meeting in the “tank”, a secure Pentagon room for top military brass. Contact tracing and further precautions are being taken to “to protect the force and the mission”, according to a Pentagon spokesman.
The infections have occurred while the pandemic is still barely under control across much of the US. Half of all states are reporting an increasing trend in recent Covid-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. In total, more than 7.5 million people in the US have tested positive for the virus.


theguardian--2020-10-07--'I'm back': Trumpworld shows no sign of changing after Covid-19 diagnosis | Analysis

There was a school of thought that Donald Trump might be humbled by becoming infected himself with the coronavirus , see the light and encourage Americans to stay safe .
It lasted about as long as the hope that he would “ pivot ” to a traditional presidency after his inauguration .
Instead Trump has sought to project the strongman image , flying to the White House by helicopter at sunset , standing on the balcony and taking off his face mask while still contagious , bragging that he feels better than he did 20 years ago and urging the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let it dominate their lives .
His campaign has sent out fundraising emails preaching a similar if-I-can-beat-it-so-can-you-message , hoping to turn personal and political disaster to their electoral advantage against the cautious Joe Biden .
It is very on-brand for a president who views illness as a weakness and seeks each day to make himself the hero of his own reality TV show .
“ He ’ s operated in kind of cartoon icons his entire career , with iconic images and symbols of being a magnate , owning a football team , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Gwenda Blair , a Trump biographer .
“ All these symbols of unbelievable riches were really powerful – that was a very successful manoeuvre and he ’ s kept it up .
So now these photo ops that look ridiculous and dangerous have a certain resonance .
Of course he ’ ll keep doing that .
“ Now he is going to be an ‘ expert ’ : he ’ s had it so nobody can tell him anything .
If he ever even paused for a second for any medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He knows more about wars than the generals ; he will now know more about the coronavirus than any doctors.
” Trump , a disciple of the book The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale , seems determined to wish his own serious condition away even if it means endangering his staff , Blair added .
“ All the people that he ’ s exposing by this , the poor Secret Service , the medical personnel , the pilots on the helicopter , all the White House staff .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discharged from Walter Reed military hospital in Bethesda , Maryland , on Monday night , his campaign sent fundraising emails with the subject headings , “ I ’ M BACK !
” , “ Did you miss me ?
” and “ Best I ’ ve felt in 20 years !
” They told supporters : “ I ’ m telling you : Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t let it dominate your life !
” The messaging was , as so often , amplified by Republican allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Florida tweeted : “ President Trump won ’ t have to recover from COVID .
COVID will have to recover from President Trump .
# MAGA.
” Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia tweeted an old video clip of Trump body-slamming a man outside a wrestling ring , but with a Covid-19 image superimposed on the man ’ s head .
She added later : “ @ realdonaldtrump has shown he ’ s a FIGHTER and a WINNER He fought the Russia hoax and WON .
He fought the sham impeachment and WON @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus and he ’ s still WINNING.
” And Sean Hannity , a Fox News host , even compared Trump to the wartime leaders Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt , suggesting that the president was offering a new version of “ the only thing we have to fear is fear itself ” .
Trump himself , still receiving treatment and with the potential to suffer a relapse , returned to old form on Tuesday with a barrage of tweets , from “ FEELING GREAT !
” to promising to take part in next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Mini Mike Bloomberg ” to abruptly calling off negotiations with Democrats over Covid economic relief funding until after the election .
Stocks plummeted .
As a public health example , it has been described as irresponsible to the point of criminal , the exact opposite of what a medical professional would advise .
Zac Petkanas , director of the coronavirus war room at the health pressure group Protect Our Care , said : “ What ’ s so shocking to me is that not only are the signals that Donald Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaging in social distancing clearly bad for public health , sending a terrible example to people , but it ’ s also bad politics .
“ The American people overwhelmingly side with experts and science ; they want their leaders to encourage them to make smart decisions to keep their families safe .
And so Donald Trump is not only prolonging the pandemic by telling his supporters that wearing a mask is a political statement instead of a public health necessity , he is in fact hurting himself with voters he should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep his job.
” Petkanas added : “ It ’ s baffling on all fronts and I would chalk it up to the medication that he was given – except this is the way he has been behaving since he descended from the escalator in 2015 .
This is just who he is.
” Trump has spent much of the year downplaying the virus , holding campaign rallies with little physical distancing and mocking Biden for wearing a mask .
But the former vice-president has a 16-point lead over Trump among likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll published on Tuesday .
Larry Sabato , director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia , said : “ You ’ re going to have potentially his supporters getting more energetic on account of this .
One of his big problems is getting blue-collar whites who support him out to the polls ; they don ’ t have a high turnout record and that ’ s where his vote is .
“ So maybe this helps with them but you don ’ t win votes on this basis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sees it .
The whole year has been of a piece .
I think he is angry at the virus for ruining his re-election chances.
” Moe Vela , a former senior adviser to Biden at the White House , added : “ It ’ s just another part of their divisive , hateful , them-versus-us mentality .
But it alienates the rest and I have bad news for them : the rest is a lot larger number than his base .
”

There was a school of thought that Donald Trump might be humbled by becoming infected himself with the coronavirus, see the light and encourage Americans to stay safe. It lasted about as long as the hope that he would “pivot” to a traditional presidency after his inauguration.
Instead Trump has sought to project the strongman image, flying to the White House by helicopter at sunset, standing on the balcony and taking off his face mask while still contagious, bragging that he feels better than he did 20 years ago and urging the public to neither fear the virus nor let it dominate their lives.
His campaign has sent out fundraising emails preaching a similar if-I-can-beat-it-so-can-you-message, hoping to turn personal and political disaster to their electoral advantage against the cautious Joe Biden. It is very on-brand for a president who views illness as a weakness and seeks each day to make himself the hero of his own reality TV show.
“He’s operated in kind of cartoon icons his entire career, with iconic images and symbols of being a magnate, owning a football team, an airline, casinos, Mar-a-Lago,” said Gwenda Blair, a Trump biographer. “All these symbols of unbelievable riches were really powerful – that was a very successful manoeuvre and he’s kept it up. So now these photo ops that look ridiculous and dangerous have a certain resonance. Of course he’ll keep doing that.
He knows more about wars than the generals; he will now know more about the coronavirus than any doctors Gwenda Blair, Trump biographer
“Now he is going to be an ‘expert’: he’s had it so nobody can tell him anything. If he ever even paused for a second for any medical advice before, that’s over. He knows more about wars than the generals; he will now know more about the coronavirus than any doctors.”
Trump, a disciple of the book The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale, seems determined to wish his own serious condition away even if it means endangering his staff, Blair added. “All the people that he’s exposing by this, the poor Secret Service, the medical personnel, the pilots on the helicopter, all the White House staff. It’s mind-boggling.”
After Trump was discharged from Walter Reed military hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, on Monday night, his campaign sent fundraising emails with the subject headings, “I’M BACK!”, “Did you miss me?” and “Best I’ve felt in 20 years!” They told supporters: “I’m telling you: Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life!”
The messaging was, as so often, amplified by Republican allies and conservative media. Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida tweeted: “President Trump won’t have to recover from COVID. COVID will have to recover from President Trump. #MAGA.”
Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia tweeted an old video clip of Trump body-slamming a man outside a wrestling ring, but with a Covid-19 image superimposed on the man’s head. She added later: “@realdonaldtrump has shown he’s a FIGHTER and a WINNER He fought the Russia hoax and WON. He fought the sham impeachment and WON. Now he’s fighting the virus and he’s still WINNING.”
And Sean Hannity, a Fox News host, even compared Trump to the wartime leaders Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, suggesting that the president was offering a new version of “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.
Trump himself, still receiving treatment and with the potential to suffer a relapse, returned to old form on Tuesday with a barrage of tweets, from “FEELING GREAT!” to promising to take part in next week’s presidential debate to mocking “Mini Mike Bloomberg” to abruptly calling off negotiations with Democrats over Covid economic relief funding until after the election. Stocks plummeted.
As a public health example, it has been described as irresponsible to the point of criminal, the exact opposite of what a medical professional would advise.
Zac Petkanas, director of the coronavirus war room at the health pressure group Protect Our Care, said: “What’s so shocking to me is that not only are the signals that Donald Trump is sending by removing a mask and not engaging in social distancing clearly bad for public health, sending a terrible example to people, but it’s also bad politics.
“The American people overwhelmingly side with experts and science; they want their leaders to encourage them to make smart decisions to keep their families safe. And so Donald Trump is not only prolonging the pandemic by telling his supporters that wearing a mask is a political statement instead of a public health necessity, he is in fact hurting himself with voters he should be trying to woo right now in order to keep his job.”
Petkanas added: “It’s baffling on all fronts and I would chalk it up to the medication that he was given – except this is the way he has been behaving since he descended from the escalator in 2015. This is just who he is.”
Trump has spent much of the year downplaying the virus, holding campaign rallies with little physical distancing and mocking Biden for wearing a mask. But the former vice-president has a 16-point lead over Trump among likely voters nationwide, according to a CNN poll published on Tuesday.
Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said: “You’re going to have potentially his supporters getting more energetic on account of this. One of his big problems is getting blue-collar whites who support him out to the polls; they don’t have a high turnout record and that’s where his vote is.
“So maybe this helps with them but you don’t win votes on this basis. He has been so irresponsible and everyone sees it. The whole year has been of a piece. I think he is angry at the virus for ruining his re-election chances.”
Moe Vela, a former senior adviser to Biden at the White House, added: “It’s just another part of their divisive, hateful, them-versus-us mentality. But it alienates the rest and I have bad news for them: the rest is a lot larger number than his base.”