theguardian--2020-03-06--Family separations at US border plagued by problems, watchdog finds

The Trump administration ’ s effort to track children the US authorities separated from their families at the US-Mexico border is plagued by communication problems that raise questions about the accuracy of the data , a watchdog reported on Thursday .
The administration created the tracking system following its “ zero tolerance ” policy on immigration in 2018 where more than 2,500 children were forcibly separated from their parents at the southern border – though the watchdog has estimated that figure could be much higher .
Immigration officials have continued to separate some children from their parents at the border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s suspected criminal history , and have said the tracking system will help avoid some of the chaos , confusion and trauma suffered by separated children .
According to court figures at least 955 children were separated between June 2018 and July 2019 .
But that tracking system is flawed , in part because details about whether separation from parents occurred are not automatically transmitted between federal agencies , from US Customs and Border Protection , which manages the border , to Health and Human Services ( HHS ) , which deals with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Inspector General , reported .
The report found that Health and Human Services only discovered the 2018 separations were occurring through media reports – in part because there was no communication between agencies .
The result was chaos , with some children languishing in detention well beyond legal limits , others inconsolable in the hands of care providers who had no answers on when parents were returning .
Some children were kept waiting in vans for hours in parking lots amid delays in reunification .
“ Not knowing what happened to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care provider told investigators , according to the report .
“ We couldn ’ t tell them whether they would ultimately be reunited .
“ It was challenging .
We weren ’ t notified initially about how to connect parents with their kids .
The kids had lots of questions , but we had no answers for them.
” Health and Human Services officials said in a letter to the watchdog that it had the best interest of children at heart and was committed to improving , but that family separation is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Homeland Security and HHS , and there isn ’ t a simple fix for some issues .
Staff members interviewed by the watchdog team reported problems ranging from being unprepared with suitable facilities and personnel to care for young children in detention and difficulties matching parents back with their parents after they had been separated by the authorities .
There was no plan in place to reunited children with their parents after they had been separated , inspectors found .
One government employee said they “ called [ the DHS detention center ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11-year-old child .
They could not reach anyone .
The child cried every day.
” The 2018 separations occurred in part because some migrant parents were charged criminally with illegal entry and jailed – while legally the children could not be put in jail and so were detained separately .
Curbing immigration is Trump ’ s signature policy and with more families coming to the border and turning themselves in , while traditionally unlawful crossings had more typically been lone males looking for work and trying to evade the authorities , the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort in part to dissuade migrants from making the dangerous trek north , with families separated and tortuous court procedures , policy efforts critics decried as intentionally based on cruel intentions .
The Associated Press contributed to this report

The Trump administration’s effort to track children the US authorities separated from their families at the US-Mexico border is plagued by communication problems that raise questions about the accuracy of the data, a watchdog reported on Thursday.
The administration created the tracking system following its “zero tolerance” policy on immigration in 2018 where more than 2,500 children were forcibly separated from their parents at the southern border – though the watchdog has estimated that figure could be much higher.
Immigration officials have continued to separate some children from their parents at the border for certain reasons including a parent’s suspected criminal history, and have said the tracking system will help avoid some of the chaos, confusion and trauma suffered by separated children.
According to court figures at least 955 children were separated between June 2018 and July 2019.
But that tracking system is flawed, in part because details about whether separation from parents occurred are not automatically transmitted between federal agencies, from US Customs and Border Protection, which manages the border, to Health and Human Services (HHS), which deals with migrant children, the HHS Office of the Inspector General, reported.
The report found that Health and Human Services only discovered the 2018 separations were occurring through media reports – in part because there was no communication between agencies.
The result was chaos, with some children languishing in detention well beyond legal limits, others inconsolable in the hands of care providers who had no answers on when parents were returning. Some children were kept waiting in vans for hours in parking lots amid delays in reunification.
“Not knowing what happened to their parents haunted the children,“ one care provider told investigators, according to the report. “We couldn’t tell them whether they would ultimately be reunited.
“It was challenging. We weren’t notified initially about how to connect parents with their kids. The kids had lots of questions, but we had no answers for them.”
Health and Human Services officials said in a letter to the watchdog that it had the best interest of children at heart and was committed to improving, but that family separation is a thorny subject involving the Justice Department, Homeland Security and HHS, and there isn’t a simple fix for some issues.
Staff members interviewed by the watchdog team reported problems ranging from being unprepared with suitable facilities and personnel to care for young children in detention and difficulties matching parents back with their parents after they had been separated by the authorities.
There was no plan in place to reunited children with their parents after they had been separated, inspectors found.
One government employee said they “called [the DHS detention center] every day seeking the parents of an 11-year-old child. They could not reach anyone. The child cried every day.”
The 2018 separations occurred in part because some migrant parents were charged criminally with illegal entry and jailed – while legally the children could not be put in jail and so were detained separately.
Curbing immigration is Trump’s signature policy and with more families coming to the border and turning themselves in, while traditionally unlawful crossings had more typically been lone males looking for work and trying to evade the authorities, the administration declared itself overwhelmed.
Arrests were an effort in part to dissuade migrants from making the dangerous trek north, with families separated and tortuous court procedures, policy efforts critics decried as intentionally based on cruel intentions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report


theguardian--2020-03-06--The Trump administration ‘brain drain’ is impeding the coronavirus response

The Trump administration ’ s jettisoning of scientific expertise and the president ’ s habit of spreading misinformation means the US is in a much weaker position to deal with the threat of coronavirus , experts have warned .
There are now at least 149 known coronavirus cases across 13 states , with 11 deaths .
US lawmakers have put together an $ 8.3bn emergency bill to help contain the virus , with laboratories set to be allowed to develop their own coronavirus tests without seeking regulatory approval first .
But the efforts to address the outbreak risk being undermined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has seen an exodus of scientists from a variety of agencies , the scrapping and remodeling of scientific panels to favor industry interests and a president who regularly dismisses or distorts scientific facts – from the climate crisis to whether the moon is part of Mars – in public .
“ The US is badly positioned ; the federal government isn ’ t up to the task , ” said Judith Enck , a former regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) .
“ When I learned more about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know the Trump administration doesn ’ t value basic science , it doesn ’ t understand it and it tends to reject it when it conflicts with its political narrative.
” Enck said that Trump “ doesn ’ t seem to understand what a clinical trial is ” , a reference to a White House meeting with pharmaceutical executives and public health officials on Monday where the president urged the attendees to release the anti-coronavirus drugs they are working on .
“ So you have a medicine that ’ s already involved with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see if it ’ s specifically for this , ” Trump said .
“ You can know that tomorrow , can ’ t you ?
” In the meeting , Trump wondered aloud why the flu vaccine can ’ t just be used for coronavirus .
When told by Anthony Fauci , the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , that it could be up to 18 months before a vaccine is available to the public , Trump responded : “ I mean , I like the sound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I must be honest.
” At a political rally in Charlotte later that day , Trump told the crowd that a vaccine will be available “ relatively soon ” before adding that there are “ fringe globalists that would rather keep our borders open than keep our infection – think of it – keep all of the infection , let it come in.
” Trump followed this with an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday in which he said the World Health Organization ’ s figure of a 3.4 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a false number ” and that his “ hunch ” is that the level is “ way under 1 % .
” He offered no evidence for his contradiction of the world ’ s leading health body .
This sort of rhetoric , mixing inaccuracies , wild speculation and blunt nationalism , has raised concerns that many Americans , including ardent Trump supporters , are not getting the right information to deal with the virus outbreak .
“ The scientific ‘ truth ’ about the virus may not match what the administration wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth ’ is at risk of being compromised before it is made public , ” said Wendy Wagner , a University of Texas expert in how policy-makers use science .
Wagner noted there are no requirements that a president provide accurate information about a public health issue , enabling Trump to freely misreport that a vaccine will shortly be available .
This situation is exacerbated by a downsizing of scientific expertise within the US government .
The EPA ’ s staff numbers , for example , are a third smaller than they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first two years of the Trump administration , more than 1,600 federal scientists left various government agencies , according to Office of Personnel Management employment data .
The administration has attempted even deeper cuts : Trump ’ s 2021 budget proposal , submitted just days after international alarm was raised over the coronavirus , included a 16 % reduction in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) .
Trump has said that the CDC and other agencies could rapidly restaff if needed but this concept runs counter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Since Trump has been trying to shrink them , moreover , I worry that the agency directors are currently not well-positioned to act swiftly to expand the staff , ” Wagner said .
“ The agencies may also fail to attract the best scientists going forward because of Trump ’ s poor track record with the ‘ deep state ’ and science more generally.
” Enck said that previous disasters , such as hurricanes , have seen a “ seamless ” response from federal , state and local governments but the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and academia to fill the void where once the federal government provided leadership .
“ There ’ s definitely been a brain drain in this administration , there has been an attack on science that doesn ’ t bode well for what we are seeing now , ” she said .
“ Others are going to have to step up .
The best thing the president could do right now is to stop talking.
” Joel Clement , a former policy director at the Department of Interior who left government after the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the administration had undermined efforts to deal with threats such as pandemics .
Clement said Trump should bolster public trust in the civil servants dealing with the coronavirus outbreak , restore the scientific strength of the federal government and fund programs that will help prevent the spread of threats like the virus .
“ In other words , he needs to do the opposite of what we know he will do , ” Clement said .
“ He is more concerned about the safety of his fragile ego than he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The Trump administration’s jettisoning of scientific expertise and the president’s habit of spreading misinformation means the US is in a much weaker position to deal with the threat of coronavirus, experts have warned.
There are now at least 149 known coronavirus cases across 13 states, with 11 deaths. US lawmakers have put together an $8.3bn emergency bill to help contain the virus, with laboratories set to be allowed to develop their own coronavirus tests without seeking regulatory approval first.
But the efforts to address the outbreak risk being undermined by three years of a Trump administration that has seen an exodus of scientists from a variety of agencies, the scrapping and remodeling of scientific panels to favor industry interests and a president who regularly dismisses or distorts scientific facts – from the climate crisis to whether the moon is part of Mars – in public.
“The US is badly positioned; the federal government isn’t up to the task,” said Judith Enck, a former regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “When I learned more about this virus my heart sank because I know the Trump administration doesn’t value basic science, it doesn’t understand it and it tends to reject it when it conflicts with its political narrative.”
Enck said that Trump “doesn’t seem to understand what a clinical trial is”, a reference to a White House meeting with pharmaceutical executives and public health officials on Monday where the president urged the attendees to release the anti-coronavirus drugs they are working on. “So you have a medicine that’s already involved with the coronaviruses, and now you have to see if it’s specifically for this,” Trump said. “You can know that tomorrow, can’t you?”
In the meeting, Trump wondered aloud why the flu vaccine can’t just be used for coronavirus. When told by Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, that it could be up to 18 months before a vaccine is available to the public, Trump responded: “I mean, I like the sound of a couple months better, if I must be honest.”
At a political rally in Charlotte later that day, Trump told the crowd that a vaccine will be available “relatively soon” before adding that there are “fringe globalists that would rather keep our borders open than keep our infection – think of it – keep all of the infection, let it come in.”
Trump followed this with an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday in which he said the World Health Organization’s figure of a 3.4% death rate from coronavirus is “really a false number” and that his “hunch” is that the level is “way under 1%.” He offered no evidence for his contradiction of the world’s leading health body.
This sort of rhetoric, mixing inaccuracies, wild speculation and blunt nationalism, has raised concerns that many Americans, including ardent Trump supporters, are not getting the right information to deal with the virus outbreak.
“The scientific ‘truth’ about the virus may not match what the administration wants to hear, so the scientific ‘truth’ is at risk of being compromised before it is made public,” said Wendy Wagner, a University of Texas expert in how policy-makers use science.
Wagner noted there are no requirements that a president provide accurate information about a public health issue, enabling Trump to freely misreport that a vaccine will shortly be available.
This situation is exacerbated by a downsizing of scientific expertise within the US government. The EPA’s staff numbers, for example, are a third smaller than they were when Trump took power. In the first two years of the Trump administration, more than 1,600 federal scientists left various government agencies, according to Office of Personnel Management employment data.
The administration has attempted even deeper cuts: Trump’s 2021 budget proposal, submitted just days after international alarm was raised over the coronavirus, included a 16% reduction in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Trump has said that the CDC and other agencies could rapidly restaff if needed but this concept runs counter to the standard practices of government-run research.
“Since Trump has been trying to shrink them, moreover, I worry that the agency directors are currently not well-positioned to act swiftly to expand the staff,” Wagner said. “The agencies may also fail to attract the best scientists going forward because of Trump’s poor track record with the ‘deep state’ and science more generally.”
Enck said that previous disasters, such as hurricanes, have seen a “seamless” response from federal, state and local governments but the current situation may now require states, businesses and academia to fill the void where once the federal government provided leadership.
“There’s definitely been a brain drain in this administration, there has been an attack on science that doesn’t bode well for what we are seeing now,” she said. “Others are going to have to step up. The best thing the president could do right now is to stop talking.”
Joel Clement, a former policy director at the Department of Interior who left government after the Trump administration reassigned him from his climate-focused role, said the administration had undermined efforts to deal with threats such as pandemics.
Clement said Trump should bolster public trust in the civil servants dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, restore the scientific strength of the federal government and fund programs that will help prevent the spread of threats like the virus.
“In other words, he needs to do the opposite of what we know he will do,” Clement said. “He is more concerned about the safety of his fragile ego than he is about the safety of Americans.”


theguardian--2020-03-06--Donald Trump attacks Biden's cognitive health in possible general-election preview

Donald Trump attacked Joe Biden ’ s cognitive abilities on Thursday night during an event in the former-vice president ’ s hometown that could set the tone for an ugly general election .
Appearing at a Fox News town hall in Scranton , Pennsylvania , Trump – who has faced repeated scrutiny over his own mental acuity – said there was “ something going on ” with Biden , in what may prove a rehearsal for Republican attacks during the presidential election .
Thursday marked Trump ’ s first public event since Biden ’ s surprisingly strong performance on Super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 14 states available to propel him into the lead in the Democratic primary .
Trump said he had been “ all set ” to face Biden ’ s rival Bernie Sanders , whom he called a “ communist ” , until the recent vote .
“ Then we have this crazy thing that happened on Tuesday , which [ Biden ] thought was Thursday , but he also said 150 million people were killed with guns and that he was running for the United States Senate .
There ’ s something going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden – who did say those things – has a track record of gaffes and has turned in bumbling debate performances , but Trump ’ s line of attack raised the unedifying spectacle of an election focused on two men in their 70s attacking each other ’ s alleged cognitive decline .
Biden did not immediately respond to Trump , who was speaking at the Scranton Cultural Center , on the same street where Biden grew up , a mile and a half north-east .
The town hall was hosted by the Trump-friendly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vibe than Trump ’ s rallies , with many of the crowd wearing button-up shirts and not a single Make American Great Again hat to be seen .
Trump , who brushed off questions about his handling of the coronavirus epidemic – suggesting the economy could benefit because Americans may choose not to travel abroad – has had his own faculties questioned during his presidency .
In December , 350 psychiatrists and other mental-health professionals sent a letter to Congress warning that Trump ’ s mental health was deteriorating .
The anonymous government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times warning about Trump – and subsequently wrote the book A Warning – claimed people in Trump ’ s administration were concerned about him .
“ Normal people who spend any time with Donald Trump are uncomfortable by what they witness .
He stumbles , slurs , gets confused , is easily irritated , and has trouble synthesizing information , not occasionally but with regularity , ” the anonymous author wrote .
As Trump spoke , Maryland announced three residents had contracted the coronavirus , the first cases in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now died , and the government has been criticized for its slow response to the coronavirus , but on Thursday Trump instead suggested he had been given “ tremendous marks ” for his response .
“ We ’ ve done a great job .
We ’ ve got the highest poll numbers of anybody for this kind of thing , ” Trump said .
“ Mike Pence is working 20 hours a day or more on this and really doing a fantastic job.
” In fact a Public Policy Polling survey found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration ’ s handing of the epidemic , and 53 % of people disagree with Trump ’ s claim that he has done “ a great job ” in handling the coronavirus .
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 3.6 % on Thursday as the US stock market continued to decline amid fears over the epidemic , but Trump claimed the economic damage could be offset by Americans not traveling abroad .
“ I have to say , people are now staying in the United States , spending their money in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump said .
Trump narrowly won Pennsylvania in 2016 , by 48.2 % to Hillary Clinton ’ s 47.5 % , and the state is a key part of his potential path to victory in November .
He has held seven rallies in the state since he was elected , including two in the past year , although the nomination of Biden could provide a fillip to Democrats ’ chances in Pennsylvania .
The exit from the Democratic race over the last week of Mike Bloomberg , Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – has left the Scranton native in a formidable position in the race to take on Trump .
If Biden succeeds , then Thursday provided a rather unsavory glimpse into how that battle could unfold .

Donald Trump attacked Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities on Thursday night during an event in the former-vice president’s hometown that could set the tone for an ugly general election.
Appearing at a Fox News town hall in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Trump – who has faced repeated scrutiny over his own mental acuity – said there was “something going on” with Biden, in what may prove a rehearsal for Republican attacks during the presidential election.
Thursday marked Trump’s first public event since Biden’s surprisingly strong performance on Super Tuesday, when he won 10 out of 14 states available to propel him into the lead in the Democratic primary. Trump said he had been “all set” to face Biden’s rival Bernie Sanders, whom he called a “communist”, until the recent vote.
“Then we have this crazy thing that happened on Tuesday, which [Biden] thought was Thursday, but he also said 150 million people were killed with guns and that he was running for the United States Senate. There’s something going on there,” Trump said.
Biden – who did say those things – has a track record of gaffes, and has turned in bumbling debate performances, but Trump’s line of attack raised the unedifying spectacle of an election focused on two men in their 70s attacking each other’s perceived cognitive decline.
Biden did not immediately respond to Trump, who was speaking at the Scranton Cultural Center, on the street where Biden grew up, a mile and a half north-east. The town hall was hosted by the Trump-friendly Fox News but had a more sedate vibe than Trump’s rallies, with many of the crowd wearing button-up shirts and not a single Make American Great Again hat to be seen.
Trump, who brushed off questions about his handling of the coronavirus outbreak – suggesting the economy could benefit because Americans may choose not to travel abroad – has had his own faculties questioned during his presidency.
In December, 350 psychiatrists and other mental-health professionals sent a letter to Congress warning that Trump’s mental health was deteriorating. The anonymous government official who penned an op-ed in the New York Times warning about Trump – and subsequently wrote the book A Warning – claimed people in Trump’s administration were concerned about him.
This video has been removed. This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Trump questions Biden's cognitive health and calls Sanders a ‘communist’ – video
“Normal people who spend any time with Donald Trump are uncomfortable by what they witness. He stumbles, slurs, gets confused, is easily irritated, and has trouble synthesizing information, not occasionally but with regularity,” the anonymous author wrote.
As Trump spoke, Maryland announced three residents had contracted the coronavirus, the first cases in the state. In the US 12 people have now died, and the government has been criticized for its slow response to the coronavirus, but on Thursday Trump instead suggested he had been given “tremendous marks” for his response.
“We’ve done a great job. We’ve got the highest poll numbers of anybody for this kind of thing,” Trump said.
“Mike Pence is working 20 hours a day or more on this and really doing a fantastic job.”
In fact a Public Policy Polling survey found that 51% of Americans disapprove of the Trump administration’s handing of the epidemic, and 53% of people disagree with Trump’s claim that he has done “a great job” in handling the coronavirus.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 3.6% on Thursday as the US stock market continued to decline amid fears over the epidemic, but Trump claimed the economic damage could be offset by Americans not traveling abroad.
“I have to say, people are now staying in the United States, spending their money in the US – and I like that,” Trump said.
Trump narrowly won Pennsylvania in 2016, by 48.2% to Hillary Clinton’s 47.5%, and the state is a key part of his potential path to victory in November. He has held seven rallies in the state since he was elected, including two in the past year, although the nomination of Biden could provide a fillip to Democrats’ chances in Pennsylvania.
The exit from the Democratic race over the last week of Mike Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar – all of whom subsequently endorsed Biden – has left the Scranton native in a formidable position in the race to take on Trump.
If Biden succeeds, then Thursday provided a rather unsavory glimpse into how that battle could unfold.


theguardian--2020-03-06--Sweep of arrests hits US neo-Nazi group connected to five murders

A sweep of arrests of a neo-Nazi group in the US has dealt a major blow to an organization associated with at least five murders and raised questions as to whether the extreme far-right movement the group is at the center of has been largely undone by pressure from law enforcement , journalists and anti-fascist activists .
Five senior members of Atomwaffen Division ( AWD ) have been charged with federal crimes in the past weeks , including former leaders and a man who was concurrently a member of the similar neo-Nazi terror group the Base .
The recent charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with two separate criminal cases .
In Virginia , a Texas man , John Denton , 26 , was charged over an alleged “ swatting ” conspiracy – a practice involving making false reports about a targets address in the hope police will stage an armed raid on the address .
Denton – reported by ProPublica in 2018 as “ involved in nearly every aspect of the organization ” as its leader – is known inside Atomwaffen by the alias “ Rape ” .
He allegedly coordinated swatting attacks in 2018 and 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a historically black church .
Four more members were charged with conspiracy to threaten journalists and people associated with the Anti-Defamation League ( ADL ) in Washington state .
One of those arrested , Taylor Parker-Dipeppe , 20 , was a former Florida chapter co-leader under the alias “ Azazel ” .
Recent social media materials given to the Guardian by Australian anti-fascist group the White Rose Society show a muscular , bearded young man with fresh neo-Nazi tattoos .
Two more of those charged lived in Washington .
Kaleb Cole , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was the Washington chapter leader , and Cameron Shea , 24 , alias “ Krokodil ” , have long histories in the neo-Nazi movement .
Cole is described in court documents as a former co-leader of the group .
He had guns seized last October under Washington ’ s so-called “ red flag ” laws .
He and another Washington Atomwaffen member and close associate , Aiden Bruce-Umbaugh , 23 , were apprehended in November by Texas police , who found several firearms , thousands of rounds of ammunition , and marijuana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with and pleaded guilty to possessing weapons together with a controlled substance .
Cole visited eastern Europe with Bruce-Umbaugh in 2018 , and the two made pilgrimages to sites associated with Nazism , posing for photographs with an Atomwaffen flag at the Auschwitz death camp .
In 2019 , he was detained for 42 days under Canada ’ s anti-terror laws and banned from the country .
Shea was described in court documents as a “ high-level member and primary recruiter ” for the group .
Information obtained from confidential sources by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the like-minded group the Base for several months in late 2018 .
A fourth arrestee , Johnny Garcia , was known in the movement as “ Roman ” .
According to court documents , the men allegedly cooperated in specifically targeting journalists with lurid violent threats , bearing slogans like “ These people have names and addresses ” , and “ You have been visited by your local Nazis ” .
The plan was in response to reports on the group in late 2018 in outlets including the Seattle Times .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stalking , and postal offenses .
Already , six members of Atomwaffen have been convicted since 2018 on charges including firearms offenses , planning terrorist attacks , hate crimes , and murder .
Not all charged members may stand trial .
Devon Arthurs , accused of killing two other members of Atomwaffen , remains involuntarily in Florida state hospital .
Nicholas Giampa , accused of killing his former girlfriend ’ s parents , has yet to stand trial .
Initially he was unable to stand trial because of the effects of a self-inflicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of Neo-Nazi groups which emerged from 2015 and later that embraced a so-called “ accelerationist ” ideology , which preaches that western society is corrupt and violent acts sowing chaos will speed up its downfall and allow a white supremacist state to be built in its place .
They drew increasingly on the writings of the American neo-Nazi James Mason .
Mason prescribed violent terrorism and a leaderless cellular structure , and praised the convicted murderer Charles Manson .
Mason became an advisor to Atomwaffen , and has appeared in propaganda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups also embraced a distinctive aesthetic which took in half-balaclava skull masks , bold and gruesome graphic design , and slickly edited propaganda videos , frequently depicting armed training camps .
All of those groups have now been subjected to significant legal consequences after their activities , their internal communications , and their identities were repeatedly exposed by antifascist researchers and investigative journalists .
The FBI appeared to be accelerating its efforts to crack down on the groups even before director Christopher Wray defined white supremacist extremists as a “ national threat priority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footing ” as Isis in early February .
There have been at least 13 arrests of members of such groups since last October .
The better part of Atomwaffen ’ s leadership structure is now awaiting trial .
Eight members of the Base have been arrested , and the identity of their leader exposed .
Smaller groups , like Feuerkrieg Division , have now publicly called a halt to recruiting .

A sweep of arrests of a neo-Nazi group in the US has dealt a major blow to an organization associated with at least five murders and raised questions as to whether the extreme far-right movement the group is at the center of has been largely undone by pressure from law enforcement, journalists and anti-fascist activists.
Five senior members of Atomwaffen Division (AWD) have been charged with federal crimes in the past weeks, including former leaders and a man who was concurrently a member of the similar neo-Nazi terror group the Base. The recent charges involve members in four states in connection with two separate criminal cases.
In Virginia, a Texas man, John Denton, 26, was charged over an alleged “swatting” conspiracy – a practice involving making false reports about a targets address in the hope police will stage an armed raid on the address.
Denton – reported by ProPublica in 2018 as “involved in nearly every aspect of the organization” as its leader – is known inside Atomwaffen by the alias “Rape”. He allegedly coordinated swatting attacks in 2018 and 2019 on journalists, Old Dominion University, and a historically black church.
Four more members were charged with conspiracy to threaten journalists and people associated with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in Washington state.
One of those arrested, Taylor Parker-Dipeppe, 20, was a former Florida chapter co-leader under the alias “Azazel”. Recent social media materials given to the Guardian by Australian anti-fascist group the White Rose Society show a muscular, bearded young man with fresh neo-Nazi tattoos. Two more of those charged lived in Washington. Kaleb Cole, 24, alias “Khimaere”, who was the Washington chapter leader, and Cameron Shea, 24, alias “Krokodil”,have long histories in the neo-Nazi movement.
Cole is described in court documents as a former co-leader of the group. He had guns seized last October under Washington’s so-called “red flag” laws. He and another Washington Atomwaffen member and close associate, Aiden Bruce-Umbaugh, 23, were apprehended in November by Texas police, who found several firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and marijuana in their vehicle.
Bruce-Umbaugh was charged with and pleaded guilty to possessing weapons together with a controlled substance.
Cole visited eastern Europe with Bruce-Umbaugh in 2018, and the two made pilgrimages to sites associated with Nazism, posing for photographs with an Atomwaffen flag at the Auschwitz death camp. In 2019, he was detained for 42 days under Canada’s anti-terror laws and banned from the country.
Shea was described in court documents as a “high-level member and primary recruiter” for the group. Information obtained from confidential sources by the Guardian shows he was also a member of the like-minded group the Base for several months in late 2018.
A fourth arrestee, Johnny Garcia, was known in the movement as “Roman”.
According to court documents, the men allegedly cooperated in specifically targeting journalists with lurid violent threats, bearing slogans like “These people have names and addresses”, and “You have been visited by your local Nazis”. The plan was in response to reports on the group in late 2018 in outlets including the Seattle Times.
The men have been charged with conspiracy, stalking, and postal offenses.
Already, six members of Atomwaffen have been convicted since 2018 on charges including firearms offenses, planning terrorist attacks, hate crimes, and murder.
Not all charged members may stand trial. Devon Arthurs, accused of killing two other members of Atomwaffen, remains involuntarily in Florida state hospital. Nicholas Giampa, accused of killing his former girlfriend’s parents, has yet to stand trial. Initially he was unable to stand trial because of the effects of a self-inflicted gunshot wound
Atomwaffen was the first of a number of Neo-Nazi groups which emerged from 2015 and later that embraced a so-called “accelerationist” ideology, which preaches that western society is corrupt and violent acts sowing chaos will speed up its downfall and allow a white supremacist state to be built in its place.
They drew increasingly on the writings of the American neo-Nazi James Mason. Mason prescribed violent terrorism and a leaderless cellular structure, and praised the convicted murderer Charles Manson.
Mason became an advisor to Atomwaffen, and has appeared in propaganda videos made by the group.
Accelerationist groups also embraced a distinctive aesthetic which took in half-balaclava skull masks, bold and gruesome graphic design, and slickly edited propaganda videos, frequently depicting armed training camps.
All of those groups have now been subjected to significant legal consequences after their activities, their internal communications, and their identities were repeatedly exposed by antifascist researchers and investigative journalists.
The FBI appeared to be accelerating its efforts to crack down on the groups even before director Christopher Wray defined white supremacist extremists as a “national threat priority” which was “on the same footing” as Isis in early February. There have been at least 13 arrests of members of such groups since last October.
The better part of Atomwaffen’s leadership structure is now awaiting trial. Eight members of the Base have been arrested, and the identity of their leader exposed. Smaller groups, like Feuerkrieg Division, have now publicly called a halt to recruiting.


theguardian--2020-03-06--'We still have a problem with female authority': how politics sets a trap for American women

“ Gender in this race ?
” Senator Elizabeth Warren said outside her home on Thursday .
“ You know that is the trap question for every woman .
If you say , ‘ Yeah !
There was sexism in this race , ’ everyone says , ‘ Whiner !
’ And if you say , ‘ No , there was no sexism , about a bazillion women think , ‘ What planet do you live on ?
’ ” She added : “ I promise you this .
I will have a lot more to say on that subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the race for US president , leaving the Democratic field with only one female candidate : Tulsi Gabbard , the congresswoman from Hawaii who , with only one delegate toward the nomination , is in effect out of contention .
There have been female leaders all over the world , including two British prime ministers , the current German chancellor and the current prime minister of New Zealand .
But America ’ s glass ceiling , far from being cracked or smashed , appears to have been reinforced with double glazing .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party , which nominated Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 , harnessed women ’ s political energy to regain the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections , and began the 2020 election with the most diverse field of presidential candidates in history .
The New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand , Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar , California senator Kamala Harris and author Marianne Williamson all came and went before the Super Tuesday primaries .
Warren ’ s poor showing that night , including a third-place finish in her home state of Massachusetts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and Bernie Sanders , two septuagenarian white men , will slug it out for the right to take on Donald Trump – another septuagenarian white man .
Bonnie Morris , a history lecturer at University of California , Berkeley , and author of books including The Feminist Revolution , said she was “ flabbergasted ” to wake up on Thursday and discover that Warren , for whom she voted in the California primary two days earlier , was out of the race .
“ I believe we still have a problem in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Morris said .
“ I think in the same way that some people resented the obvious competence of Hillary Clinton because they ascribed to her a schoolteacher or maternal tone , people have applied these kind of terms to Elizabeth Warren .
They do not ascribe them to men .
“ A lot of people are really threatened by super-smart women .
If a woman is trying to make her point by speaking slowly and forcefully , there ’ s always going to be a cohort of men who regard that as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morris agreed with Warren ’ s description of sexism .
“ I believe women are stuck , ” she said .
“ They ’ ll always be subject to comments about their appearance , fashion , tone of voice , style of hair .
They ’ re always asked if they align themselves with women ’ s issues .
If they don ’ t , they ’ re not seen as ‘ sisterly ’ .
And if they use a word like ‘ sisterly ’ , they ’ re seen as an extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ ideological purity tests ” that her fellow progressive Sanders was not , Morris argues .
“ Bernie is able to appeal to a lot of people as the cranky , radical Jewish grandfather , ” said the academic , who is herself Jewish .
“ The cranky Puritanical grandmother is not seen as attractive to young people.
” “ It ’ s devastating and it ’ s going to be frightening for a lot of women to see how , yet again , it was impossible for a woman to emerge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centenary of the 19th amendment to the constitution , which gave women the right to vote , although African American women were denied equal access .
Representation has come in fits and starts .
Geraldine Ferraro was the Democratic nominee for vice-president in 1984 but the presidential candidate Walter Mondale lost to President Ronald Reagan in a landslide .
As recently as 2007 , a Washington Post fashion article began : “ There was cleavage on display Wednesday afternoon on C-SPAN2 .
It belonged to Sen. Hillary Clinton.
” When Clinton first ran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bruising primary to Barack Obama , she told disappointed supporters : “ Although we weren ’ t able to shatter that highest , hardest glass ceiling this time , thanks to you it ’ s got about 18 million cracks in it.
” Eight years later , Clinton made history as the first female nominee of a major party and won the popular vote , only to be thwarted by Trump , who had boasted about grabbing women ’ s genitals , in the electoral college .
She said : “ I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hardest glass ceiling , but someday someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now.
” The huge women ’ s march a day after Trump ’ s inauguration suggested an uprising .
Politically galvanised suburban women , dubbed “ resistance moms ” , were crucial to Democrats ’ sweeping success in the 2018 midterms and elected a record number of female candidates .
When several women ran for president it seemed the momentum for an antidote to Trump ’ s misogyny was unstoppable .
But the dreaded word “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gillibrand , the candidate who most explicitly focused on gender equality – Trump ’ s “ kryptonite is definitely a mother of young children who stands up for herself ” , she told the Guardian – was the first to flame out .
Warren was often the best debater , skewering Bloomberg as “ a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians ” , yet it was not enough .
Many find fault in media coverage .
Shaunna Thomas , a co-founder of UltraViolet Action , a progressive women ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Voters want Trump out .
That ’ s clear .
What ’ s also clear is that there is a glass ceiling held firmly in place for women by a media who relentlessly shape voters ’ perceptions of who is electable through a deeply sexist lens.
” Comparisons between Warren and Sanders are particularly instructive given their alignment on numerous issues .
They were once running neck-and-neck amid fears they would split the progressive vote .
In early debates , they joined forces to defend policies such as Medicare for All , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programme to all Americans .
But in the end , the 78-year-old Vermont senator surged to early primary victories as Warren , 70 , fell away .
Neera Tanden , president of the Center for American Progress thinktank in Washington and a longtime Clinton ally , argues there were double standards at work .
“ We have two candidates that embrace Medicare for All and only one candidate who was hounded for details about how her plan would be paid for .
The other is a male candidate who ’ s run before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press around that set of issues .
“ I can ’ t even come up with an explanation .
He ’ s a frontrunner for the race .
There ’ s only two people left and yet he ’ s never been asked detail .
He was just asked the last week on 60 Minutes and didn ’ t have a good answer .
I find the coverage relatively dumbfounding.
” But just as in 2018 , women continue to have a crucial say as primary voters , Tanden noted .
“ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in South Carolina and Super Tuesday , in Texas and Virginia and Massachusetts and Minnesota , you saw a real surge of suburban voters , a majority of whom are women .
They are powering the primaries .
It ’ s just at this point a majority of women didn ’ t vote for a woman .
I mean , that is a sad fact.
” The endless debate over women and “ electability ” appears to have become a self-fulfilling prophecy .
The sense of national emergency represented by the need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton ’ s defeat in 2016 , may have convinced some voters that nominating a woman or person of colour would be a “ gamble ” .
Tanden said : “ I think Trump is a unique candidate and so he creates extra layers of fear among Democrats over who should go up against him and who ’ s the most electable .
But if a Democrat beats him , then maybe America can reset and hopefully women will be a strong part of a new administration – and the next nominee will @ @ @ @ @

“Gender in this race?” Senator Elizabeth Warren said outside her home on Thursday. “You know that is the trap question for every woman. If you say, ‘Yeah! There was sexism in this race,’ everyone says, ‘Whiner!’ And if you say, ‘No, there was no sexism, about a bazillion women think, ‘What planet do you live on?’”
She added: “I promise you this. I will have a lot more to say on that subject later on.”
Warren had just exited the race for US president, leaving the Democratic field with only one female candidate: Tulsi Gabbard, the congresswoman from Hawaii who, with only one delegate toward the nomination, is in effect out of contention.
There have been female leaders all over the world, including two British prime ministers, the current German chancellor and the current prime minister of New Zealand. But America’s glass ceiling, far from being cracked or smashed, appears to have been reinforced with double glazing.
It is a distressing turn for the Democratic party, which nominated Hillary Clinton for president in 2016, harnessed women’s political energy to regain the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections, and began the 2020 election with the most diverse field of presidential candidates in history.
The New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, California senator Kamala Harris and author Marianne Williamson all came and went before the Super Tuesday primaries. Warren’s poor showing that night, including a third-place finish in her home state of Massachusetts, sealed her fate.
Now Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, two septuagenarian white men, will slug it out for the right to take on Donald Trump – another septuagenarian white man.
Bonnie Morris, a history lecturer at University of California, Berkeley, and author of books including The Feminist Revolution, said she was “flabbergasted” to wake up on Thursday and discover that Warren, for whom she voted in the California primary two days earlier, was out of the race.
Elizabeth Warren makes a pinky promise with Ming’Le Planter, six, at Bertha’s Kitchen in North Charleston, South Carolina, last month. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP
“I believe we still have a problem in the United States with female authority,” Morris said. “I think in the same way that some people resented the obvious competence of Hillary Clinton because they ascribed to her a schoolteacher or maternal tone, people have applied these kind of terms to Elizabeth Warren. They do not ascribe them to men.
“A lot of people are really threatened by super-smart women. If a woman is trying to make her point by speaking slowly and forcefully, there’s always going to be a cohort of men who regard that as being scolded by a mother figure.”
Morris agreed with Warren’s description of sexism. “I believe women are stuck,” she said. “They’ll always be subject to comments about their appearance, fashion, tone of voice, style of hair. They’re always asked if they align themselves with women’s issues. If they don’t, they’re not seen as ‘sisterly’. And if they use a word like ‘sisterly’, they’re seen as an extreme feminist.”
Warren was also subject to “ideological purity tests” that her fellow progressive Sanders was not, Morris argues. “Bernie is able to appeal to a lot of people as the cranky, radical Jewish grandfather,” said the academic, who is herself Jewish. “The cranky Puritanical grandmother is not seen as attractive to young people.”
“It’s devastating and it’s going to be frightening for a lot of women to see how, yet again, it was impossible for a woman to emerge in leadership.”
01:49 Elizabeth Warren: key moments from her 2020 presidential campaign
America is currently marking the centenary of the 19th amendment to the constitution, which gave women the right to vote, although African American women were denied equal access. Representation has come in fits and starts. Geraldine Ferraro was the Democratic nominee for vice-president in 1984 but the presidential candidate Walter Mondale lost to President Ronald Reagan in a landslide.
As recently as 2007, a Washington Post fashion article began: “There was cleavage on display Wednesday afternoon on C-SPAN2. It belonged to Sen. Hillary Clinton.” When Clinton first ran for president in 2008, losing a bruising primary to Barack Obama, she told disappointed supporters: “Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you it’s got about 18 million cracks in it.”
Eight years later, Clinton made history as the first female nominee of a major party and won the popular vote, only to be thwarted by Trump, who had boasted about grabbing women’s genitals, in the electoral college. She said: “I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but someday someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now.”
The huge women’s march a day after Trump’s inauguration suggested an uprising. Politically galvanised suburban women, dubbed “resistance moms”, were crucial to Democrats’ sweeping success in the 2018 midterms and elected a record number of female candidates. When several women ran for president it seemed the momentum for an antidote to Trump’s misogyny was unstoppable.
But the dreaded word “likability” quickly emerged in public discourse. Gillibrand, the candidate who most explicitly focused on gender equality – Trump’s “kryptonite is definitely a mother of young children who stands up for herself”, she told the Guardian – was the first to flame out.
Warren was often the best debater, skewering Bloomberg as “a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians”, yet it was not enough. Many find fault in media coverage. Shaunna Thomas, a co-founder of UltraViolet Action, a progressive women’s group, tweeted on Thursday: “Voters want Trump out. That’s clear. What’s also clear is that there is a glass ceiling held firmly in place for women by a media who relentlessly shape voters’ perceptions of who is electable through a deeply sexist lens.”
Warren and Amy Klobuchar greet people before marching in the annual Bloody Sunday March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on 1 March. Photograph: Joshua Lott/AFP via Getty Images
Comparisons between Warren and Sanders are particularly instructive given their alignment on numerous issues. They were once running neck-and-neck amid fears they would split the progressive vote. In early debates, they joined forces to defend policies such as Medicare for All, which would extend a government-run health insurance programme to all Americans. But in the end, the 78-year-old Vermont senator surged to early primary victories as Warren, 70, fell away.
Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress thinktank in Washington and a longtime Clinton ally, argues there were double standards at work.
“We have two candidates that embrace Medicare for All and only one candidate who was hounded for details about how her plan would be paid for. The other is a male candidate who’s run before and has never been hounded by the press around that set of issues.
“I can’t even come up with an explanation. He’s a frontrunner for the race. There’s only two people left and yet he’s never been asked detail. He was just asked the last week on 60 Minutes and didn’t have a good answer. I find the coverage relatively dumbfounding.”
But just as in 2018, women continue to have a crucial say as primary voters, Tanden noted. “What happened throughout this race so far is in South Carolina and Super Tuesday, in Texas and Virginia and Massachusetts and Minnesota, you saw a real surge of suburban voters, a majority of whom are women. They are powering the primaries. It’s just at this point a majority of women didn’t vote for a woman. I mean, that is a sad fact.”
The endless debate over women and “electability” appears to have become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The sense of national emergency represented by the need to beat Trump, and the trauma of Clinton’s defeat in 2016, may have convinced some voters that nominating a woman or person of colour would be a “gamble”.
Tanden said: “I think Trump is a unique candidate and so he creates extra layers of fear among Democrats over who should go up against him and who’s the most electable. But if a Democrat beats him, then maybe America can reset and hopefully women will be a strong part of a new administration – and the next nominee will be a woman.”


theguardian--2020-03-06--Coronavirus quarantine plans ignite row between South Korea and Japan

The coronavirus outbreak has ignited a diplomatic row between Japan and South Korea , after Tokyo said it would quarantine all passengers arriving from the country , which has the highest number of Covid-19 cases outside China .
In response , the government in Seoul on Friday called the move “ unreasonable , excessive and extremely regrettable ” , threatening retaliatory measures and accusing Japan of not dealing with its own outbreak properly .
From Saturday , anyone arriving in Japan from South Korea will be placed in two weeks ’ quarantine at government-designated sites , the prime minister , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism of his handling of the outbreak just months before the country is due to host the Olympics .
“ It is extremely regrettable Japan took this unreasonable and excessive step without sufficient prior consultation with us , and we strongly urge immediate reconsideration , ” the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement .
Seoul said it would summon Japan ’ s ambassador to explain the measure , hinting that Tokyo had been motivated by politics rather than a desire to contain the spread of the respiratory illness .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan has other motives than containing the outbreak , ” the statement said , without elaborating .
South Korea ’ s criticisms found an echo from the World Health Organisation , which said on Thursday night that some countries were not showing “ the level of political commitment ” needed to “ match the level of the threat we all face ” .
Although he didn ’ t name any culprits , WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters : “ This is not a drill .
This epidemic is a threat for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan ’ s chief government spokesman , Yoshihide Suga , defended the decision saying it was “ the result of a comprehensive review of the information available about the situation in other countries and the effects of other measures .
I think the timing is appropriate.
” The new measures also applied to visitors from China where new cases rose by 143 on Friday .
Another 30 deaths were recorded .
Across the Pacific , as the outbreak continues to spread in the US , the Trump administration was also forced onto the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the virus which has now seen the number of cases rise from 15 to 233 in the past week .
Twelve people have died , 11 of them in Washington state .
The president , who last week claimed that the risk in the US was “ very low ” and that the number of cases would be zero in “ a few days ” , faced questions at an election town hall event in Scranton , Pennsylvania on Thursday night .
His vice-president , Mike Pence , who is charge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country did not have enough testing kits to meet demand .
Asked if the virus would hurt the economy , Trump admitted for the first time that “ it might have an impact ” before declaring : “ It ’ s going to all work out .
Everybody has to be calm .
We have plans for every single possibility and I think that ’ s what we have to do .
We hope it doesn ’ t last too long.
” Trump ’ s hopes for a quick recovery will be tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to another day of losses on US stock markets .
The Dow Jones industrial average lost nearly 1,000 points on Thursday and that sparked another wretched day of trade in Asia on Friday with the Nikkei in Tokyo leading the way down with a drop of more than 3 % .
The Vix volatility index , also known as the “ fear index ” , spiked 24 % to 39.62 and investors continued to rush into the safe haven of US government bonds .
Japan ’ s stock market is now at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant hit from the new travel restrictions .
Big-spending Chinese visitors are a major plank of Shinzo Abe ’ s plan to revitalise the economy .
But Japan will also have to deal with the diplomatic fallout from South Korea .
Seoul ’ s presidential office said the country was starting to see progress from its “ transparent and active quarantine efforts ” to contain the illness , contrasting it with Japan ’ s approach .
“ While our country is sternly dealing with Covid-19 under its scientific and transparent quarantine system that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , Japan is losing its faith from the international community because of its ambiguous and passive quarantine efforts , ” the office said in a statement , according to Yonhap news agency .
South Korea ’ s national security council said it would consider countermeasures against Tokyo .
Those could include designating Japan as a risk area for infectious diseases and placing its own restrictions on travellers from Japan .
South Korea has not , though , imposed corresponding measures on more than 90 other countries that have banned or restricted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s new quarantine requirement would create havoc for thousands of Koreans who had planned to visit Japan , said Park Chul-hyun , a media columnist based in Tokyo who cancelled a three-day trip to Seoul for fear of having to go into quarantine on his return .
“ There are thousands of South Koreans arriving in Tokyo on a daily basis and I bet a majority of them have called off their trips , ” Park told Agence France-Presse , dismissing the measure as a “ pure performance ” ahead of the Tokyo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tokyo 2020 organisers have insisted the Games will open as planned on 24 July , but speculation is growing that they will have to be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak .
Japan ’ s quarantine move has become the source of added friction between Japan and South Korea , whose relations have long been soured by the legacy of Japan ’ s 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula , its use of Korean women as wartime sex slaves and rival claims to islands in the Sea of Japan , which Koreans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tensions stemming from Japan ’ s use of forced labourers from the Korean peninsula before and during the war led to a trade dispute that also damaged tourism , cultural ties and security cooperation .

Justin McCurry in Tokyo and Martin Farrer

The coronavirus outbreak has ignited a diplomatic row between Japan and South Korea, after Tokyo said it would quarantine all passengers arriving from the country, which has the highest number of Covid-19 cases outside China.
In response, the government in Seoul on Friday called the move “unreasonable, excessive and extremely regrettable”, threatening retaliatory measures and accusing Japan of not dealing with its own outbreak properly.
From Monday, anyone arriving in Japan from South Korea will be placed in two weeks’ quarantine at government-designated sites, the prime minister, Shinzo Abe said on Thursday, amid criticism of his handling of the outbreak just months before the country is due to host the Olympics.
“It is extremely regrettable Japan took this unreasonable and excessive step without sufficient prior consultation with us, and we strongly urge immediate reconsideration,” the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement. Seoul said it would summon Japan’s ambassador to explain the measure, hinting that Tokyo had been motivated by politics rather than a desire to contain the spread of the respiratory illness.
“We can’t help but question whether Japan has other motives than containing the outbreak,” the statement said, without elaborating.
South Korea’s criticisms found an echo from the World Health Organisation, which said on Thursday night that some countries were not showing “the level of political commitment” needed to “match the level of the threat we all face”.
Although he didn’t name any culprits, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters: “This is not a drill. This epidemic is a threat for every country, rich and poor.”
Giant Olympic rings on the waterfront in Tokyo. Photograph: Stoyan Nenov/Reuters
Japan’s chief government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, defended the decision saying it was “the result of a comprehensive review of the information available about the situation in other countries and the effects of other measures. I think the timing is appropriate.”
The new measures also applied to visitors from China where new cases rose by 143 on Friday. Another 30 deaths were recorded.
Across the Pacific, as the outbreak continues to spread in the US, the Trump administration was also forced onto the defensive, amid criticism of its approach to the virus which has now seen the number of cases rise from 15 to 233 in the past week. Twelve people have died, 11 of them in Washington state.
The president, who last week claimed that the risk in the US was “very low” and that the number of cases would be zero in “a few days”, faced questions at an election town hall event in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Thursday night. His vice-president, Mike Pence, who is charge of the US response, admitted that the country did not have enough testing kits to meet demand.
Asked if the virus would hurt the economy, Trump admitted for the first time that “it might have an impact” before declaring: “It’s going to all work out. Everybody has to be calm. We have plans for every single possibility and I think that’s what we have to do. We hope it doesn’t last too long.”
Trump’s hopes for a quick recovery will be tested again on Friday with futures trading pointing to another day of losses on US stock markets. The Dow Jones industrial average lost nearly 1,000 points on Thursday and that sparked another wretched day of trade in Asia on Friday with the Nikkei in Tokyo leading the way down with a drop of more than 3%. The Vix volatility index, also known as the “fear index”, spiked 24% to 39.62 and investors continued to rush into the safe haven of US government bonds.
Japan’s stock market is now at a six-month low and the economy faces a significant hit from the new travel restrictions. Big-spending Chinese visitors are a major plank of Shinzo Abe’s plan to revitalise the economy.
But Japan will also have to deal with the diplomatic fallout from South Korea. Seoul’s presidential office said the country was starting to see progress from its “transparent and active quarantine efforts” to contain the illness, contrasting it with Japan’s approach.
“While our country is sternly dealing with Covid-19 under its scientific and transparent quarantine system that is highly evaluated by the rest of the world, Japan is losing its faith from the international community because of its ambiguous and passive quarantine efforts,” the office said in a statement, according to Yonhap news agency.
Medical workers transport a patient who is suspected of having Covid-19, in Daegu, South Korea. Photograph: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
South Korea’s national security council said it would consider countermeasures against Tokyo. Those could include designating Japan as a risk area for infectious diseases and placing its own restrictions on travellers from Japan. South Korea has not, though, imposed corresponding measures on more than 90 other countries that have banned or restricted visitors from the country.
Japan’s new quarantine requirement would create havoc for thousands of Koreans who had planned to visit Japan, said Park Chul-hyun, a media columnist based in Tokyo who cancelled a three-day trip to Seoul for fear of having to go into quarantine on his return.
“There are thousands of South Koreans arriving in Tokyo on a daily basis and I bet a majority of them have called off their trips,” Park told Agence France-Presse, dismissing the measure as a “pure performance” ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 organisers have insisted the Games will open as planned on 24 July, but speculation is growing that they will have to be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Japan’s quarantine move has become the source of added friction between Japan and South Korea, whose relations have long been soured by the legacy of Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula, its use of Korean women as wartime sex slaves and rival claims to islands in the Sea of Japan, which Koreans call the East Sea.
Last year, tensions stemming from Japan’s use of forced labourers from the Korean peninsula before and during the war led to a trade dispute that also damaged tourism, cultural ties and security cooperation.


theguardian--2020-03-06--The supreme court has put the future of abortion rights in doubt. We must organize | Alexis McGill J

The supreme court has put the future of abortion rights in doubt. We must organize | Alexis McGill Johnson

Abortion access in America is hanging by a thread .
On Wednesday , I sat in the US supreme court and listened to the case – June Medical Services v Russo – that could be the beginning of the end of Roe v Wade .
As the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund , it was my privilege to be one of the few listening in the court – but the reality is that this case will affect the rights and lives of millions .
If the court upholds the medically unnecessary Louisiana law at the center of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women of reproductive age in Louisiana with only one health center that provides abortion .
Nationwide , the impact could reach even further : this decision could pave the way for states to in effect ban abortion for more than 25 million women across the country .
The supreme court already ruled – just four years ago – that a nearly identical law was unconstitutional .
The only difference now is the composition of the court : Justice Anthony Kennedy , who voted to strike down the law , has retired , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gorsuch sit on the court .
It ’ s not by accident that the supreme court is in a position to jeopardize abortion for millions of people .
This happened by design .
For decades , anti-abortion politicians have worked to take away our right to control our bodies and access basic healthcare .
Five states have only one healthcare center that provides abortions , forcing women to travel hundreds of miles to see a provider .
Medically unnecessary laws can require patients to wait up to three days between their first appointment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but taking that much time off work , or finding childcare for two trips to the clinic , often makes jumping through those hoops impossible .
And abortion is just one piece of the picture .
At the same time as anti-abortion politicians have been pushing these harmful state policies , the current administration has been carrying out a full-throated attack on our reproductive health .
Officials have tried to make it harder to get birth control by gutting the only national program for affordable birth control , known as Title X ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which granted tens of millions of women access to birth control without a copay ; and given bosses and universities permission to deny their employees or students insurance coverage for birth control for any “ moral ” reason .
In fact , the supreme court will be taking up two of those issues later this year – in cases about access to birth control coverage and healthcare coverage for millions .
To be sure , the fight for access to reproductive healthcare started long before the current administration .
Roe v Wade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is equitable in this country .
For people of color , and black women in particular , the promise of reproductive freedom has never been fully realized .
Our country ’ s history of structural racism and discrimination has meant many people of color have less economic opportunity , and with it , less access to healthcare and health insurance .
It ’ s not an exaggeration to say that the stakes for our reproductive rights have never been higher .
If this administration and their allies have their way , millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to safe and legal abortion .
The irony is that this is all happening against the will of the American people .
The vast majority – 77 % – of Americans support Roe v Wade .
There is no state where the prospect of banning abortion has popular support .
Americans want access to birth control , and they want more access to healthcare , not less .
These are everyday issues that affect our lives : nearly one in four women in this country will have an abortion .
Nearly all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birth control .
We can not stop fighting for everyone ’ s right to access sexual and reproductive healthcare .
That means battling efforts to overturn Roe v Wade and criminalize abortion .
But it also means diminishing the gap between what is a legal right and what is accessible ; legal abortion means nothing if only the privileged have access .
Together , alongside our reproductive justice partners on the ground , we must fight state by state to protect access where it still exists , and to expand access where we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight for justice .
We can not be free to imagine a better world for ourselves , for our children , for our brothers and sisters and non-binary siblings , if we don ’ t have justice .
As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has said , quoting Thomas Jefferson : “ When injustice becomes law , resistance becomes duty.
” To the politicians who aim to rob us of that justice – brace yourselves for the strength of our resistance .
• None Alexis McGill Johnson is the acting president and CEO @ @ @ @ @ @

Abortion access in America is hanging by a thread. On Wednesday, I sat in the US supreme court and listened to the case – June Medical Services v Russo – that could be the beginning of the end of Roe v Wade.
As the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, it was my privilege to be one of the few listening in the court – but the reality is that this case will affect the rights and lives of millions.
If the court upholds the medically unnecessary Louisiana law at the center of the case, it could leave 1 million women of reproductive age in Louisiana with only one health center that provides abortion. Nationwide, the impact could reach even further: this decision could pave the way for states to in effect ban abortion for more than 25 million women across the country.
The supreme court already ruled – just four years ago – that a nearly identical law was unconstitutional. The only difference now is the composition of the court: Justice Anthony Kennedy, who voted to strike down the law, has retired, and now the justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch sit on the court.
It’s not by accident that the supreme court is in a position to jeopardize abortion for millions of people. This happened by design.
For decades, anti-abortion politicians have worked to take away our right to control our bodies and access basic healthcare. Five states have only one healthcare center that provides abortions, forcing women to travel hundreds of miles to see a provider. Medically unnecessary laws can require patients to wait up to three days between their first appointment and going in for the procedure – but taking that much time off work, or finding childcare for two trips to the clinic, often makes jumping through those hoops impossible.
And abortion is just one piece of the picture. At the same time as anti-abortion politicians have been pushing these harmful state policies, the current administration has been carrying out a full-throated attack on our reproductive health. Officials have tried to make it harder to get birth control by gutting the only national program for affordable birth control, known as Title X; tried to destroy the Affordable Care Act, which granted tens of millions of women access to birth control without a copay; and given bosses and universities permission to deny their employees or students insurance coverage for birth control for any “moral” reason. In fact, the supreme court will be taking up two of those issues later this year – in cases about access to birth control coverage and healthcare coverage for millions.
To be sure, the fight for access to reproductive healthcare started long before the current administration. Roe v Wade has not ensured that access to abortion is equitable in this country. For people of color, and black women in particular, the promise of reproductive freedom has never been fully realized. Our country’s history of structural racism and discrimination has meant many people of color have less economic opportunity, and with it, less access to healthcare and health insurance.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the stakes for our reproductive rights have never been higher. If this administration and their allies have their way, millions of people could lose access to birth control and to safe and legal abortion.
To the politicians who aim to rob us of justice – brace yourselves for the strength of our resistance
The irony is that this is all happening against the will of the American people. The vast majority – 77% – of Americans support Roe v Wade. There is no state where the prospect of banning abortion has popular support. Americans want access to birth control, and they want more access to healthcare, not less. These are everyday issues that affect our lives: nearly one in four women in this country will have an abortion. Nearly all women who have had sex have used birth control.
We cannot stop fighting for everyone’s right to access sexual and reproductive healthcare. That means battling efforts to overturn Roe v Wade and criminalize abortion. But it also means diminishing the gap between what is a legal right and what is accessible; legal abortion means nothing if only the privileged have access. Together, alongside our reproductive justice partners on the ground, we must fight state by state to protect access where it still exists, and to expand access where we can.
We have no choice but to fight for justice. We cannot be free to imagine a better world for ourselves, for our children, for our brothers and sisters and non-binary siblings, if we don’t have justice. As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has said, quoting Thomas Jefferson: “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.”
To the politicians who aim to rob us of that justice – brace yourselves for the strength of our resistance.


theguardian--2020-03-06--Trump offers boasts and insults at CDC press conference on coronavirus – live

Deval Patrick , former governor of Massachusetts , who ran a very brief campaign for the 2020 Democratic nomination to be president , has just endorsed Joe Biden .
He will appear with the former vice president at a rally in Jackson , Mississippi , on Sunday , the Boston Globe reports .
Biden ’ s main remaining rival , Bernie Sanders , just pulled out of a rally in Mississippi that was scheduled for today , seemingly being forced to give up on the southern vote to race to Michigan in a last-ditch attempt to grab a mid-western state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Berning out ’ .
Shortly after Cory Booker dropped out of the 2020 race , in January , and Patrick did not cross the party ’ s threshold to be included in the Democratic primary debates , he said at the time , the Guardian reported : “ America will not see herself in full ” when the seventh Democratic debate takes place in Des Moines , Iowa , on Tuesday night , Deval Patrick said , citing an absence of candidates of colour .
Patrick entered late and remains well off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donations , criteria used by the Democratic National Committee to determine debate qualification .
On Monday , he responded to Booker ’ s departure by tweeting : “ Whether it ’ s behind closed doors or screaming it from the rooftops – every candidate in this race needs to say it out loud : women and people of colour can win .
To say otherwise expresses a lack of faith in the American people who deserve more from their leaders .
”

Sam Levin in Los Angeles (now) and Joanna Walters New York (earlier)

7 Mar 2020 01.32 GMT Some more on Mark Meadows, who Trump just announced as his new chief of staff: The conservative four-term congressman from North Carolina previously chaired the Freedom Caucus and has long been a close ally to the president. He’s also been a staunch proponent of Trump’s border wall in Congress. He replaces Mick Mulvaney, who was acting chief, and who will now become the US special envoy for Northern Ireland, Trump said in his Friday evening tweet:
....I want to thank Acting Chief Mick Mulvaney for having served the Administration so well. He will become the United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland. Thank you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 7, 2020 Mulvaney was a key figure during the impeachment proceedings.
7 Mar 2020 01.17 GMT Trump announces Mark Meadows as chief of staff Trump has just announced Congressman Mark Meadows as his new chief of staff, replacing Mick Mulvaney: I am pleased to announce that Congressman Mark Meadows will become White House Chief of Staff. I have long known and worked with Mark, and the relationship is a very good one.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 7, 2020
7 Mar 2020 00.55 GMT Some commentators are calling Trump’s CDC coronavirus press conference today one of his “most frightening” and “disturbing” appearances in recent memory, given his political rants, misinformation, bizarre boasting and callousness: The CDC presser was among the most frightening Trump appearances I’ve ever seen, on the level of Charlottesville — a horrifying and surprising (even for him!) callousness in the face of death and suffering, an inability to see anything through a lens other than his own ratings — Farhad Manjoo (@fmanjoo) March 6, 2020 Ok, the CDC appearance was the most disturbing one yet from Trump. He literally said experts were telling him to take sick Americans off a cruise ship but he doesn't want to do it because it WILL MAKE THE NUMBERS GO UP and it "wasn't our fault." Holy Jesus. — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) March 6, 2020 Tough to decide what the worst part of Trumps CDC visit was
- Saying he wanted to keep sick people on a ship to fudge the numbers
- lashing out at the gov of the worst hit state
- being preoccupied w/ the ratings he got on Fox
- or saying anyone can get tested when they can't — Sam Stein (@samstein) March 7, 2020 He used the press event as an opportunity to attack Democrats, praise his own intelligence, slam CNN and spread false and misleading information about the status of the coronavirus outbreak. While wearing his red “Keep America Great” re-election campaign hat, the president went on a rant criticizing Washington state governor Jay Inslee as a “snake” and saying he disagreed with his vice president’s complimentary remarks toward the Democratic governor. Inslee, who ran for president last year, is overseeing the most serious outbreak in the US. In a moment that has sparked intense scrutiny, the president also said he would prefer that cruise ship passengers exposed to the virus be left abroad so that they don’t add to the number of total infections in the US. “I like the numbers being where they are,” said Trump, who appeared to be explicitly acknowledging his political concerns about the outbreak: “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.” The president further implied that the coronavirus test was available to anyone who needs it, even though his own administration has acknowledged that there is currently a shortage among US health care providers. He called the test “perfect”. More on the latest here: Coronavirus: Trump offers misleading remarks and insults at CDC press conference Read more
7 Mar 2020 00.28 GMT The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), the pro-Israel lobby group, has confirmed that two attendees at their major conference have now tested positive for coronavirus. As reporter Ryan Grim noted, there were 18,000 people in attendance, including two-thirds of Congress, and many of attendees also visited offices on the Hill: AIPAC confirms that two conference attendees have now tested positive for coronavirus. I reported 2 days ago this was likely. There were 18,000 people there, including 2/3rds of Congress. On Tuesday, thousands of conference goers visited Hill offices. https://t.co/pWeQQx2Gp0 — Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) March 6, 2020 From 2 days ago. https://t.co/rLFIWlVKE5 https://t.co/8vDMX4SXS7 — Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) March 6, 2020
7 Mar 2020 00.06 GMT Jay Inslee responds to Trump's attacks Washington state governor Jay Inslee, who is currently overseeing the most serious coronavirus outbreak in the US, has responded to the president’s personal insults and attacks, which Trump made during a rambling tangent at a CDC press conference earlier: My single focus is and will continue to be the health and well-being of Washingtonians.
It's important for leaders to speak with one voice. I just wish the president and vice president could get on the same page. https://t.co/VAzB9nkcRX — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) March 6, 2020 The president also said he disagreed with his vice president’s complimentary remarks toward the Democratic governor. Inslee just tweeted: We appreciate the vice president's visit and our teams are working well together. — Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) March 6, 2020
6 Mar 2020 23.33 GMT Outside of the CDC, an update on the Biden v Sanders race today: -Sanders has directly criticized Biden over recent attacks against Nina Turner, the Sanders campaign co-chair: .@JoeBiden must accept responsibility for his surrogate telling our campaign co-chair Senator @NinaTurner that she doesn't have standing to invoke the words of Dr. King. That is unacceptable and Joe must apologize to Nina and all the people of color supporting our campaign. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 6, 2020 Hilary Rosen, a Democratic strategist and Biden supporter, has faced intense backlash and was forced to apologize after she told Turner, a black woman: “Don’t use Martin Luther King against Joe Biden. You don’t have that stand.” Biden has not tweeted about the dispute, but he did condemn an antisemitic attack against Sanders after a man unfurled a Nazi flag at one of his rallies: I don't care who you're supporting, attacks like this against a man who could be the first Jewish President are disgusting and beyond the pale. Hatred and bigotry have no place in America — and it's up to all of us to root out these evils wherever they're found. https://t.co/Q1Pz3hRUDS — Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) March 6, 2020
6 Mar 2020 23.14 GMT Trump says he wants passengers to stay on cruise: "I don't need the numbers to double" To recap what just happened at this Trump CDC press conference on coronavirus: The president wore his re-election campaign hat and interrupted the event to ask a Fox News reporter if his town hall on the network had good ratings.
He attacked CNN.
He called the governor of Washington state, the epicenter of a major outbreak, a “snake” and “not a good governor”, and said he disagreed with his own vice president saying nice things about the governor while visiting the state.
Trump said he has not considered canceling his rallies and is not worried about risks.
He made false and exaggerated claims about the availability of coronavirus tests, ignoring the reality that his vice president has acknowledged, which is that there is a shortage among US healthcare providers right now.
He said he would prefer if people on the Grand Princess cruise remained on the ship so that US numbers would not go up.
He gloated about his “natural ability” to understand the epidemic. Trump is visiting the CDC lab where materials that go into diagnostic tests are generated. (The lab he’s currently standing in was totally empty before he arrived but he says there are folks down the hall working) pic.twitter.com/CelatKHjjG — Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) March 6, 2020


theguardian--2020-03-06--Bernie Sanders 'disgusted' after man unfurls Nazi flag at Arizona rally

Bernie Sanders has said it was “ beyond disgusting ” that a man unfurled a Nazi swastika flag and shouted anti-Jewish slurs at the Democratic presidential candidate at his rally in Arizona on Thursday night .
Sanders , who would be the first Jewish US president if elected , said he was “ shocked ” by the incident at a rally in Phoenix .
Many of Sanders ’ s relatives were killed in the Holocaust .
“ I heard people booing but I didn ’ t realise [ what happened ] until I left the stage , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only as a Jewish American but on behalf of the US troops who died fighting Nazism .
It ’ s horrific , it ’ s beyond disgusting to see , in the United States of America , that people would show the emblem of Hitler and I was shocked to hear that later , ” he said .
He pointed out that there is sometimes disruption at his campaign events “ with Trump people ” , but added : “ This was something different ” to “ have someone bringing forth the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He congratulated the Phoenix police for dealing with the incident and said he had not felt unsafe .
The man , who has been identified as a local far-right stunt activist who posts offensive material on YouTube , was quickly escorted out of the Sanders rally .
The man is reportedly very active online as a “ stunt activist ” , frequently posting videos of himself infiltrating events for Jewish and Muslim organizations on his eponymous YouTube channel .
A spokesman for YouTube told the Guardian it terminated the channel on Friday for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service agreement , which bans content “ promoting violence or hatred against individuals or groups ” .
The Anti-Defamation League , an organisation that tracks antisemitism , recorded 1,879 acts of antisemitism in 2018 , with a dramatic increase in physical assaults , including the deadliest attack on Jews in US history at synagogue in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania .

Bernie Sanders has said it was “beyond disgusting” that a man unfurled a Nazi swastika flag and shouted anti-Jewish slurs at the Democratic presidential candidate at his rally in Arizona on Thursday night.
Sanders, who would be the first Jewish US president if elected, said he was “shocked” by the incident at a rally in Phoenix. Many of Sanders’ relatives were killed in the Holocaust.
“I heard people booing but I didn’t realise [what happened] until I left the stage,” he said on Friday morning.
“I speak not only as a Jewish American but on behalf of the US troops who died fighting Nazism. It’s horrific, it’s beyond disgusting to see, in the United States of America, that people would show the emblem of Hitler and I was shocked to hear that later,” he said.
He pointed out that there is sometimes disruption at his campaign events “with Trump people”, but added: “This was something different” to “have someone bringing forth the most detestable symbol in modern history”.
He congratulated the Phoenix police for dealing with the incident and said he had not felt unsafe.
The man, who has been identified as a local far-right stunt activist who posts offensive material on YouTube, was quickly escorted out of the Sanders rally.
The man is reportedly very active online as a “stunt activist”, frequently posting videos of himself infiltrating events for Jewish and Muslim organizations on his eponymous YouTube channel. A spokesman for YouTube told the Guardian it had terminated the channel on Friday for violating the platform’s terms of service agreement, which bans content “promoting violence or hatred against individuals or groups”.
The Anti-Defamation League, an organisation that tracks antisemitism, recorded 1,879 acts of antisemitism in 2018, with a dramatic increase in physical assaults, including the deadliest attack on Jews in US history at synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


theguardian--2020-03-06--Trump campaign sues CNN over 'false reporting' in op-ed

Donald Trump ’ s re-election campaign is suing CNN for publishing an opinion piece that argued Trump did not stop Russia from helping the campaign during the presidential election .
The libel lawsuit , filed in the US district court for the northern district of Georgia , argues that CNN published the story on the campaign ’ s Russia ties despite “ an extensive record of statements from the campaign and the administration expressly disavowing any intention to seek Russian assistance ” .
Trump ’ s campaign has also filed libel lawsuits against the Washington Post and the New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those lawsuits , similarly , were over opinion articles about Russian interference in the 2016 election .
The CNN article was written by Larry Noble , a CNN contributor and former general counsel for the Federal Election Commission .
It was published in the opinion section of CNN ’ s website .
It argued that Trump ’ s campaign “ assessed the potential risks and benefits of again seeking Russia ’ s help in 2020 and has decided to leave that option on the table ” .
Fox News first reported the lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team demanded CNN retract the op-ed and issue a correction but the network declined .
The article is still up on CNN ’ s website .
The Trump campaign is seeking millions of dollars in its lawsuit .
“ The campaign therefore was left with no alternative but to file this lawsuit to : publicly establish the truth , properly inform CNN ’ s readers and audience ( and the rest of the world ) of the true facts , and seek appropriate remedies for the harm caused by CNN ’ s false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it , ” the lawsuit says .
The lawsuit is the latest example of the antagonistic relationship Trump ’ s team and the president himself has had with the network and the press at large .
Trump regularly rants about CNN and its “ fake news ” coverage of him and his administration .

Donald Trump’s re-election campaign is suing CNN for publishing an opinion piece that argued Trump did not stop Russia from helping the campaign during the presidential election.
The libel lawsuit, filed in the US district court for the northern district of Georgia, argues that CNN published the story on the campaign’s Russia ties despite “an extensive record of statements from the campaign and the administration expressly disavowing any intention to seek Russian assistance”.
Trump’s campaign has also filed libel lawsuits against the Washington Post and the New York Times in the past few weeks. Those lawsuits, similarly, were over opinion articles about Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The CNN article was written by Larry Noble, a CNN contributor and former general counsel for the Federal Election Commission. It was published in the opinion section of CNN’s website. It argued that Trump’s campaign “assessed the potential risks and benefits of again seeking Russia’s help in 2020 and has decided to leave that option on the table”.
Fox News first reported the lawsuit on Friday. Trump’s legal team demanded CNN retract the op-ed and issue a correction but the network declined. The article is still up on CNN’s website. The Trump campaign is seeking millions of dollars in its lawsuit.
“The campaign therefore was left with no alternative but to file this lawsuit to: publicly establish the truth, properly inform CNN’s readers and audience (and the rest of the world) of the true facts, and seek appropriate remedies for the harm caused by CNN’s false reporting and failure to retract and apologize for it,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit is the latest example of the antagonistic relationship Trump’s team and the president himself has had with the network and the press at large. Trump regularly rants about CNN and its “fake news” coverage of him and his administration.