theguardian--2020-03-20--‘Timing is critical’: Native Americans warn virus may overwhelm underfunded health services

Native American health leaders are urging the US government to distribute urgently needed equipment and funding to help contain the spread of coronavirus among tribal members , amid mounting concerns that the pandemic could overwhelm chronically underresourced tribal health services .
Tribes are reporting shortages of essential protective gear and testing services , as well as medical manpower and emergency planning expertise which were already severely lacking in many communities due to insufficient federal investment .
There are 574 federally recognized sovereign tribal nations located across almost 40 states within the geographic borders of the United States .
Native communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has specifically identified increase the risk of serious complications from Covid-19 .
On Tuesday , the Navajo Nation , the largest territorial tribe with 350,000 members , shut down its casinos and resorts as part of broad emergency measures after a 46-year-old tribe member was diagnosed with the virus in Arizona .
So far , only a handful of Covid-19 cases have been confirmed on tribal lands , but limited access to testing and real-time surveillance means the true number is likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase rapidly in coming days .
In Washington , amid pressure from a handful of lawmakers to include Native Americans in the coronavirus aid package , $ 40m was designated for tribal health and Urban Indian Health Organizations ( UIHO ) as part of last week ’ s emergency federal relief legislation .
The money , which is far lower than health leaders had requested , is to beef up surveillance , infection control and mitigation measures to confront the rapidly evolving Covid-19 crisis .
But while the states received the emergency funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive a cent as it must go through the CDC .
“ It ’ s not enough … a lot more funding is going to be needed across Indian country … we need resources , and supplies as quickly as possible , distributed directly to the tribes , ” said Dr Thomas Kim , medical director of the California Rural Indian Health Board ( CRIHB ) .
“ During the H1N1 crisis , it was awkward , delayed and cumbersome to access supplies from the national stockpile .
We hope this doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical , ” added Kim .
Tribal health organizations are not guaranteed access to drugs and medical supplies in the federal national stockpile .
“ Lives are at stake , ” said Francys Crevier , executive director of the National Council of Urban Indian Health ( NCUIH ) .
“ We are gravely concerned about the timeline for funds and resources to Indian country … organizations are already seeing significant impacts to their already chronically underfunded budgets.
” At least 70 % of American Indian and Alaska Natives reside in urban or suburban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington – the state with the second-highest number of confirmed cases – estimates monthly costs to rise by three-quarters of a million dollars during the pandemic .
Despite the Trump administration dismantling federal pandemic units , important steps have been made to improve community resilience in recent years .
In the wake of 9/11 , the CDC created the public health emergency preparedness ( PHEP ) program to help states plan and prepare for unpredictable crises such as terrorist attacks and disease outbreaks .
The program has been a roaring success , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 % of states ready to mobilize staff during an emergency , operate an incident command system , and have sufficient storage and distribution capacity for critical medical supplies .
But tribal nations have been excluded from PHEP program funds – despite pleas from the CDC ’ s own senior tribal representatives .
“ Many tribes won ’ t have adequate , well-rehearsed emergency plans because the CDC repeatedly refused to include them in PHEP , ” said Dean Seneca , a former senior health scientist in the CDC ’ s office for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support .
“ It was an ongoing battle , we fought tooth and nail to make tribes directly eligible for this support but the CDC always said no … too many tribes aren ’ t ready for this [ pandemic ] .
” Last week , congresswoman Deb Haaland , vice-chair of the House committee on natural resources , co-sponsored legislation to overturn this inequality , which some fear could prove catastrophic for smaller tribes during the pandemic .
“ The CDC is not working well with the tribes at all … we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a national crisis and coronavirus is not going to discriminate against anyone and it ’ s vital every nation has the help it needs to weather this storm , ” Haaland told the Guardian .
Haaland , the first Native woman to be elected to Congress , also lobbied for designated money for tribes in the multibillion-dollar aid package : “ The $ 40m is an emergency supplement which the tribes needed yesterday … of course it ’ s not enough because the Indian Health Service ( IHS ) has been underfunded for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sure tribes are specifically included in every federal package so people get the help they need.
” Covid-19 is exposing gaping political and healthcare chasms in countries across the globe .
The deep-seated deficiencies in tribal health services in the US – and inequalities in Native health outcomes – were already stark .
The US government is required to ensure adequate healthcare , education , housing , economic development and agricultural assistance for tribal nations , as part of its treaty obligations .
But it has never adequately funded these treaty provisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Indians .
In 2016 , the government spent $ 8,602 per capita on healthcare for federal inmates compared with $ 2,843 per patient within the IHS .
A quarter of medical positions within the IHS – including doctors , dentists and nurses – are vacant , according to an investigation by the New York Times .
In some areas , the vacancy rate is as high as 50 % .
The mortality rates for chronic preventable diseases such as diabetes and lower respiratory conditions like asthma , emphysema and bronchitis are three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribal IHS hospitals than the rest of the US population .
The data from Asia and Europe clearly shows the elderly and those with these sort of pre-existing medical conditions are most likely to suffer serious complications – including death – from Covid-19 .
The elderly play a unique role in tribal communities , according to Vanesscia Cresci , research and public health director at CRIHB .
“ Our elders are the keepers of culture and tradition , and often the last speaker of native languages , to lose them could mean losing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them safe.
” In South Dakota , a housing officer in the Yankton Sioux tribe tested positive last week after traveling to Las Vegas with four other tribal members .
He came into close contact with at least 14 colleagues and numerous community members before seeking medical help .
His travel companions tested negative ; others he had contact with were advised to self-quarantine , but weren ’ t tested .
“ We don ’ t have a medical emergency plan … we ’ re taking precautionary measures on the fly , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribe declared a state of emergency , and shutdown schools , tribal offices and social gatherings for the elderly .
The precarious situation has community elder Joan Jones , 58 , a diabetic whose furnace the housing officer fixed a day before being diagnosed , scared .
As well as caring for her diabetic husband , children and grandchildren , Jones works in a nursing home and helps coordinate a free meal service for the community ’ s poorest families still reeling from last year ’ s devastating floods .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to infect anyone else , especially my family , we ’ re all worried .
”

Native American health leaders are urging the US government to distribute urgently needed equipment and funding to help contain the spread of coronavirus among tribal members, amid mounting concerns that the pandemic could overwhelm chronically underresourced tribal health services.
Tribes are reporting shortages of essential protective gear and testing services, as well as medical manpower and emergency planning expertise which were already severely lacking in many communities due to insufficient federal investment.
There are 574 federally recognized sovereign tribal nations located across almost 40 states within the geographic borders of the United States.
Native communities are disproportionately affected by health conditions that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has specifically identified increase the risk of serious complications from Covid-19.
On Tuesday, the Navajo Nation, the largest territorial tribe with 350,000 members, shut down its casinos and resorts as part of broad emergency measures after a 46-year-old tribe member was diagnosed with the virus in Arizona. By Friday, 14 cases had been confirmed.
So far, only a handful of Covid-19 cases have been confirmed on tribal lands, but limited access to testing and real-time surveillance means the true number is likely to be much higher – and expected to increase rapidly in coming days.
In Washington, amid pressure from a handful of lawmakers to include Native Americans in the coronavirus aid package, $40m was designated for tribal health and Urban Indian Health Organizations (UIHO) as part of last week’s emergency federal relief legislation. The money, which is far lower than health leaders had requested, is to beef up surveillance, infection control and mitigation measures to confront the rapidly evolving Covid-19 crisis.
But while the states received the emergency funds immediately, the tribes are yet to receive a cent as it must go through the CDC.
“It’s not enough … a lot more funding is going to be needed across Indian country … we need resources, and supplies as quickly as possible, distributed directly to the tribes,” said Dr Thomas Kim, medical director of the California Rural Indian Health Board (CRIHB).
“During the H1N1 crisis, it was awkward, delayed and cumbersome to access supplies from the national stockpile. We hope this doesn’t happen again, because timing is critical,” added Kim.
A lot more funding is going to be needed. We need resources, and supplies as quickly as possible, distributed directly to the tribes Dr Thomas Kim
Tribal health organizations are not guaranteed access to drugs and medical supplies in the federal national stockpile.
“Lives are at stake,” said Francys Crevier, executive director of the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH). “We are gravely concerned about the timeline for funds and resources to Indian country … organizations are already seeing significant impacts to their already chronically underfunded budgets.”
At least 70% of American Indian and Alaska Natives reside in urban or suburban areas. One program in Seattle, Washington – the state with the second-highest number of confirmed cases – estimates monthly costs to rise by three-quarters of a million dollars during the pandemic.
Despite the Trump administration dismantling federal pandemic units, important steps have been made to improve community resilience in recent years.
In the wake of 9/11, the CDC created the public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) program to help states plan and prepare for unpredictable crises such as terrorist attacks and disease outbreaks.
The program has been a roaring success, according to the CDC website, with almost 100% of states ready to mobilize staff during an emergency, operate an incident command system, and have sufficient storage and distribution capacity for critical medical supplies.
But tribal nations have been excluded from PHEP program funds – despite pleas from the CDC’s own senior tribal representatives.
“Many tribes won’t have adequate, well-rehearsed emergency plans because the CDC repeatedly refused to include them in PHEP,” said Dean Seneca, a former senior health scientist in the CDC’s office for state, tribal, local and territorial support. “It was an ongoing battle, we fought tooth and nail to make tribes directly eligible for this support but the CDC always said no … too many tribes aren’t ready for this [pandemic].”
Last week, congresswoman Deb Haaland, vice-chair of the House committee on natural resources, co-sponsored legislation to overturn this inequality, which some fear could prove catastrophic for smaller tribes during the pandemic.
“The CDC is not working well with the tribes at all … we have to fix this. This is a national crisis and coronavirus is not going to discriminate against anyone and it’s vital every nation has the help it needs to weather this storm,” Haaland told the Guardian.
Congresswoman Deb Haaland lobbied for money to be designated to tribes in the multibillion-dollar coronavirus aid package. Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/Associated Press
Haaland, the first Native woman to be elected to Congress, also lobbied for designated money for tribes in the multibillion-dollar aid package: “The $40m is an emergency supplement which the tribes needed yesterday … of course it’s not enough because the Indian Health Service (IHS) has been underfunded for decades, but we are determined to make sure tribes are specifically included in every federal package so people get the help they need.”
Covid-19 is exposing gaping political and healthcare chasms in countries across the globe.
The deep-seated deficiencies in tribal health services in the US – and inequalities in Native health outcomes – were already stark.
The US government is required to ensure adequate healthcare, education, housing, economic development and agricultural assistance for tribal nations, as part of its treaty obligations. But it has never adequately funded these treaty provisions, according to the National Congress of American Indians.
In 2016, the government spent $8,602 per capita on healthcare for federal inmates compared with $2,843 per patient within the IHS. A quarter of medical positions within the IHS – including doctors, dentists and nurses – are vacant, according to an investigation by the New York Times. In some areas, the vacancy rate is as high as 50%.
The mortality rates for chronic preventable diseases such as diabetes and lower respiratory conditions like asthma, emphysema and bronchitis are three to five times higher for Indians using tribal IHS hospitals than the rest of the US population.
The data from Asia and Europe clearly shows the elderly and those with these sort of pre-existing medical conditions are most likely to suffer serious complications – including death – from Covid-19.
The elderly play a unique role in tribal communities, according to Vanesscia Cresci, research and public health director at CRIHB. “Our elders are the keepers of culture and tradition, and often the last speaker of native languages, to lose them could mean losing a language, we have to keep them safe.”
In South Dakota, a housing officer in the Yankton Sioux tribe tested positive last week after traveling to Las Vegas with four other tribal members. He came into close contact with at least 14 colleagues and numerous community members before seeking medical help. His travel companions tested negative; others he had contact with were advised to self-quarantine, but weren’t tested.
“We don’t have a medical emergency plan … we’re taking precautionary measures on the fly,” said council member Derrick Marks. The tribe declared a state of emergency, and shutdown schools, tribal offices and social gatherings for the elderly.
The precarious situation has community elder Joan Jones, 58, a diabetic whose furnace the housing officer fixed a day before being diagnosed, scared. As well as caring for her diabetic husband, children and grandchildren, Jones works in a nursing home and helps coordinate a free meal service for the community’s poorest families still reeling from last year’s devastating floods.
“I’m staying home. I don’t want to infect anyone else, especially my family, we’re all worried.”


theguardian--2020-03-20--Coronavirus tightens grip on US as China reports second day with no domestic cases

The coronavirus pandemic continued to tighten its grip on the US on Friday , as China reported the second day in a row of no new domestic cases of the virus .
California ’ s Governor , Gavin Newsom , expanded a “ take shelter order to cover the entire state , ordering all residents to remain indoors and limit movements .
The decision affects nearly 40 million people .
At a press conference on Thursday evening , Newsom acknowledged the severity of the order and urged Californians to band together .
“ This is not a permanent state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
In a letter to President Donald Trump , Newsom estimated 25.5 million people in California , more than half the population , were likely to get the virus .
The case rate is doubling every four days in some parts of the state , he said .
The governor has previously said the state might need about 20,000 hospital beds , a situation he hopes to address by renting two hospitals at each end of the state and docking a navy hospital ship near Los Angeles to help meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have spent a week preparing camper vans to isolate confirmed cases of Covid-19 who do not need hospitalisation but are unable to find shelter .
The vehicles are to be placed around the city as required .
The US has confirmed more than 14,500 cases of the virus , with 205 deaths .
Worldwide , there have been more than 244,500 people confirmed to have Covid-19 , with 10,030 deaths .
According to Johns Hopkins University , more than 86,000 people have recovered .
The developments in the US came as China ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases it confirmed on Thursday were all imported , with 14 in Guangdong , eight in Shanghai , six in Beijing , three in Fujian , and one each in Tianjin , Liaoning , Heilongjiang , Zhejiang , Shandong , Guangxi , Sichuan and Gansu .
China is among a number of countries where stringent measures appear to have brought the virus under control , but where concerns are now mounting of a fresh wave brought in by travellers .
In other developments around the world : • None In South America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday night the entire country would go into lockdown until the end of the month , in a bid to stop the spread of the virus , which has infected at least 128 people , three fatally .
• None Haiti has also closed its borders , and Chile has delayed a constitutional referendum .
• None Australia , which closed its borders to foreigners on Thursday , advised against non-essential domestic travel during the Easter holidays .
• None Chinese investigators have exonerated Li Wenliang , the 34-year-old doctor who was reprimanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus in December .
A report found police acted inappropriately and that Li was not seeking to disturb social order as he had been accused of .
Li died in hospital in January after contracting the virus .
• None The head of the World Health Organization reiterated his warning for Africa to take urgent steps now while their case numbers are low .
“ The best advice for Africa is to prepare for the worst and prepare today , ” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus .
• None Infections continue to appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three people on the Ruby Princess , currently docked in Sydney , testing positive .
Authorities fear the nearly 2,700 people onboard may not have known Covid-19 was present and have told all passengers to self-isolate .
• None In Brazil , hundreds of British , European , Australian and New Zealand citizens stranded on a cruise-liner in the port of Recife , will began flying home on Friday .
Passengers have been confined to their cabins for the past eight days after a 78-year-old passenger fell ill and later tested positive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olympic Committee urged a delay of the Tokyo 2020 Games .
“ It should be postponed under the current situation where athletes can ’ t be well prepared , ” Kaori Yamaguchi , a JOC executive board member , told the Nikkei daily .
It comes as the Olympic flame arrives in Japan , where the deputy prime minister said on Thursday the games are “ cursed ” by world events every 40 years .
US Republicans have proposed giving each American $ 1,200 to help weather the economic impact of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1tn package introduced by senate majority leader Mitch McConnell , and would also include relief for small businesses and their employees , steps to stabilise the economy and new support for healthcare professionals and coronavirus patients .
The US is among a number of countries stepping up their stimulus response as the world braces for a credit crunch which investors warned would make the 2008 global financial crisis look like “ child ’ s play ” .
The Bank of England has cut rates to 0.1 % , and European governments are rolling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of deaths in Italy has passed the total in China to make it the worst-affected country in the world with 3,405 fatalities compared with 3,245 .
Southern and central Italy are braced for a “ tsunami ” of cases as the outbreak spreads from the badly hit northern regions .
Italy ’ s Civil Protection Agency said on Thursday the total number of infections had risen to 41,035 from 35,713 – a near 15 % increase .

The coronavirus pandemic continued to tighten its grip on the US on Friday, as China reported the second day in a row of no new domestic cases of the virus.
California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, expanded a “take shelter order to cover the entire state, ordering all residents to remain indoors and limit movements. The decision affects nearly 40 million people.
At a press conference on Thursday evening, Newsom acknowledged the severity of the order and urged Californians to band together. “This is not a permanent state, this is a moment in time,” he said.
In a letter to President Donald Trump, Newsom estimated 25.5 million people in California, more than half the population, were likely to get the virus. The case rate is doubling every four days in some parts of the state, he said.
The governor has previously said the state might need about 20,000 hospital beds, a situation he hopes to address by renting two hospitals at each end of the state and docking a navy hospital ship near Los Angeles to help meet demand.
In San Francisco, authorities have spent a week preparing camper vans to isolate confirmed cases of Covid-19 who do not need hospitalisation but are unable to find shelter. The vehicles are to be placed around the city as required.
The US has confirmed more than 14,500 cases of the virus, with 205 deaths. Worldwide, there have been more than 244,500 people confirmed to have Covid-19, with 10,030 deaths. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 86,000 people have recovered.
California’s Orinda theatre puts out a message amid the ‘shelter-in-place’ order. Photograph: John G Mabanglo/EPA
The developments in the US came as China’s national health commission said the 39 new cases it confirmed on Thursday were all imported, with 14 in Guangdong, eight in Shanghai, six in Beijing, three in Fujian, and one each in Tianjin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Shandong, Guangxi, Sichuan and Gansu.
China is among a number of countries where stringent measures appear to have brought the virus under control, but where concerns are now mounting of a fresh wave brought in by travellers.
In other developments around the world:
In South America, Peru’s leaders announced on Thursday night the entire country would go into lockdown until the end of the month, in a bid to stop the spread of the virus, which has infected at least 128 people, three fatally.
Haiti has also closed its borders, and Chile has delayed a constitutional referendum.
Australia, which closed its borders to foreigners on Thursday, advised against non-essential domestic travel during the Easter holidays.
Chinese investigators have exonerated Li Wenliang, the 34-year-old doctor who was reprimanded after trying to raise the alarm about the virus in December. A report found police acted inappropriately and that Li was not seeking to disturb social order as he had been accused of. Li died in hospital in January after contracting the virus.
The head of the World Health Organization reiterated his warning for Africa to take urgent steps now while their case numbers are low. “The best advice for Africa is to prepare for the worst and prepare today,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Infections continue to appear in passengers on cruise ships, with three people on the Ruby Princess, currently docked in Sydney, testing positive. Authorities fear the nearly 2,700 people onboard may not have known Covid-19 was present and have told all passengers to self-isolate.
In Brazil, hundreds of British, European, Australian and New Zealand citizens stranded on a cruise-liner in the port of Recife, will began flying home on Friday.
Passengers have been confined to their cabins for the past eight days after a 78-year-old passenger fell ill and later tested positive.
An official from the Japan Olympic Committee urged a delay of the Tokyo 2020 Games. “It should be postponed under the current situation where athletes can’t be well prepared,” Kaori Yamaguchi, a JOC executive board member, told the Nikkei daily. It comes as the Olympic flame arrives in Japan, where the deputy prime minister said on Thursday the games are “cursed” by world events every 40 years.
The Ruby Princess sits docked at Circular Quay in Sydney. Thousands of passengers have been told to self-isolate after three cases of coronavirus were confirmed onboard. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP
US Republicans have proposed giving each American $1,200 to help weather the economic impact of the virus. It is part of a $1tn package introduced by senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, and would also include relief for small businesses and their employees, steps to stabilise the economy and new support for healthcare professionals and coronavirus patients.
The US is among a number of countries stepping up their stimulus response as the world braces for a credit crunch which investors warned would make the 2008 global financial crisis look like “child’s play”. The Bank of England has cut rates to 0.1%, and European governments are rolling out packages worth €1.7tn.
In Europe the number of deaths in Italy has passed the total in China to make it the worst-affected country in the world with 3,405 fatalities compared with 3,245.
Southern and central Italy are braced for a “tsunami” of cases as the outbreak spreads from the badly hit northern regions. Italy’s Civil Protection Agency said on Thursday the total number of infections had risen to 41,035 from 35,713 – a near 15% increase.


theguardian--2020-03-20--Republican coronavirus stimulus proposes up to $1,200 direct payments to individuals

The US Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell , has introduced emergency legislation to stem the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic , saying on Thursday that Republicans were ready to meet their Democratic counterparts to seek an agreement .
The $ 1tn-plus package will include direct financial help for Americans , relief for small businesses and their employees , steps to stabilize the economy and new support for healthcare professionals and coronavirus patients , McConnell said .
“ We are ready to act as soon as agreement with our colleagues across the aisle can be reached , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Senate is not going anywhere until we take action.
” McConnell ’ s proposal for a stimulus package would issue direct payments of as much as $ 1,200 to individual Americans , in an effort to provide economic relief .
The plan , which is similar to the White House ’ s stimulus plan , would be one of the largest in modern history .
In a joint statement , Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer said they looked “ forward to working in a bipartisan way to deliver for the American people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But they also implicitly highlighted the differences between the Republican and Democratic recovery plans , underlining that “ Democrats support a plan that puts ‘ workers first ’ ” .
“ To earn Democratic support in the Congress , any economic stimulus proposal must include new , strong and strict provisions that prioritize and protect workers , such as banning the recipient companies from buying back stock , rewarding executives and laying off workers , ” the statement reads .
There are a few notable gaps in the Republican proposal .
Those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 would receive a smaller rebate , at a minimum of $ 600 .
Some of the nation ’ s poorest families fall into that category .
Those who earn more than $ 75,000 would also receive a smaller rebate , and people who earn more than $ 99,000 won ’ t receive any benefit .
The package bases relief rebates on peoples ’ 2018 tax returns .
If someone made more than $ 99,000 in 2018 , but much less in 2019 , they would not get the benefit .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-time check , while a counterpoint from the Democrats offered recurring checks for the duration of the crisis .
The Democrats ’ proposed plan , which Chuck Schumer presented on the Senate floor , includes a “ Marshall Plan ” – which borrows its name from the stimulus plan the US developed in the aftermath of the second world war – for hospitals and the healthcare system .
It includes broader paid sick leave mandates , help for small businesses , bailouts for workers and full pay for those out of work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people at the top .
The money should go to the workers , ” Schumer said .
In a surprising moment of bipartisanship , the Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi said he agreed with “ so much ” of Schumer ’ s proposal , including that “ we need to put workers first ” .
“ I simply rise today to say this is a time for us to come together as patriots , as Americans and take on the task that has come before us , ” he added .
Schumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include a “ massive infusion of resources ” for hospitals , and there had to be worker protections in any industry bailouts .
As for the prospect of direct cash payments to individual Americans , Schumer said they needed to be “ bigger , more generous , and more frequent ” than he had heard Republicans describe .
Michael Tubbs , the 29-year-old mayor of Stockton , California , which launched a universal basic income trial program last year , criticized the McConnell plan , saying that payments should be “ closer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact everyone ” .
“ I don ’ t know what the difference between [ an income cutoff of ] $ 99,000 and $ 100,000 is , especially at at time when we ’ re laying people off and shutting down industries.
” “ We ’ re in an unprecedented crisis , so we have to have big thinking , ” Tubbs said .
“ This is a New Deal-type moment , in terms of the recession that ’ s bound to come from this public health epidemic , which we haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A vote could still be days away , said Lamar Alexander , a senior Republican lawmaker .
Leaders in the House of Representatives , meanwhile , are trying to work out new voting procedures that would allow them to reconvene without endangering members after two congressmen , the Utah Democrat Ben McAdams and Florida Republican Mario Díaz-Balart , tested positive for the virus .
Several other House lawmakers , including the Republican whip , Steve Scalise , were in self-quarantine after having been in contact with someone who had tested positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8.3bn measure earlier this month to combat the coronavirus outbreak and develop vaccines for the highly contagious disease .
On Wednesday , lawmakers approved and Trump signed another $ 105bn-plus plan to limit the damage through free testing , paid sick leave , and expanded safety-net spending .

The US Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, has introduced emergency legislation to stem the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, saying on Thursday that Republicans were ready to meet their Democratic counterparts to seek an agreement.
The $1tn-plus package will include direct financial help for Americans, relief for small businesses and their employees, steps to stabilize the economy and new support for healthcare professionals and coronavirus patients, McConnell said.
“We are ready to act as soon as agreement with our colleagues across the aisle can be reached,” he said on the Senate floor. “The Senate is not going anywhere until we take action.”
McConnell’s proposal for a stimulus package would issue direct payments of as much as $1,200 to individual Americans, in an effort to provide economic relief. The plan, which is similar to the White House’s stimulus plan, would be one of the largest in modern history.
In a joint statement, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer said they looked “forward to working in a bipartisan way to deliver for the American people as soon as humanly possible”.
But they also implicitly highlighted the differences between the Republican and Democratic recovery plans, underlining that “Democrats support a plan that puts ‘workers first’”.
“To earn Democratic support in the Congress, any economic stimulus proposal must include new, strong and strict provisions that prioritize and protect workers, such as banning the recipient companies from buying back stock, rewarding executives and laying off workers,” the statement reads.
There are a few notable gaps in the Republican proposal. Those who paid less than $1,200 in taxes in 2018 would receive a smaller rebate, at a minimum of $600. Some of the nation’s poorest families fall into that category.
Those who earn more than $75,000 would also receive a smaller rebate, and people who earn more than $99,000 won’t receive any benefit.
The package bases relief rebates on peoples’ 2018 tax returns. If someone made more than $99,000 in 2018, but much less in 2019, they would not get the benefit. The GOP plan also only calls for a one-time check, while a counterpoint from the Democrats offered recurring checks for the duration of the crisis.
The Democrats’ proposed plan, which Chuck Schumer presented on the Senate floor, includes a “Marshall Plan” – which borrows its name from the stimulus plan the US developed in the aftermath of the second world war – for hospitals and the healthcare system. It includes broader paid sick leave mandates, help for small businesses, bailouts for workers and full pay for those out of work.
“No bailout that goes to the people at the top. The money should go to the workers,” Schumer said.
In a surprising moment of bipartisanship, the Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi said he agreed with “so much” of Schumer’s proposal, including that “we need to put workers first”.
“I simply rise today to say this is a time for us to come together as patriots, as Americans and take on the task that has come before us,” he added.
Schumer said whatever package was developed had to include a “massive infusion of resources” for hospitals, and there had to be worker protections in any industry bailouts.
As for the prospect of direct cash payments to individual Americans, Schumer said they needed to be “bigger, more generous, and more frequent” than he had heard Republicans describe.
Michael Tubbs, the 29-year-old mayor of Stockton, California, which launched a universal basic income trial program last year, criticized the McConnell plan, saying that payments should be “closer to universal” since “the crisis will impact everyone”.
“I don’t know what the difference between [an income cutoff of] $99,000 and $100,000 is, especially at at time when we’re laying people off and shutting down industries.”
“We’re in an unprecedented crisis, so we have to have big thinking,” Tubbs said. “This is a New Deal-type moment, in terms of the recession that’s bound to come from this public health epidemic, which we haven’t seen in at least a century.”
A vote could still be days away, said Lamar Alexander, a senior Republican lawmaker.
Leaders in the House of Representatives, meanwhile, are trying to work out new voting procedures that would allow them to reconvene without endangering members after two congressmen, the Utah Democrat Ben McAdams and Florida Republican Mario Díaz-Balart, tested positive for the virus.
Several other House lawmakers, including the Republican whip, Steve Scalise, were in self-quarantine after having been in contact with someone who had tested positive for the virus.
Congress passed an $8.3bn measure earlier this month to combat the coronavirus outbreak and develop vaccines for the highly contagious disease.
On Wednesday, lawmakers approved and Trump signed another $105bn-plus plan to limit the damage through free testing, paid sick leave, and expanded safety-net spending.


theguardian--2020-03-20--Republican stimulus package proposes up to $1,200 for individuals – as it happened

Richard Burr , the Senate Intelligence chair who sold off stocks in February despite public assurances that the coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ to a report that he warned a small group of well-connected constituents to prepare for @ @ @ @ @ that Burr , at a luncheon held at a social club in DC , said @ @ @ @ @ one thing that I can tell you about this : It is much more aggressive @ @ @ @ @ that we have seen in recent history ...
It is probably more akin to the @ @ @ @ @ a secret recording of the remarks .
Meanwhile , he told Covid-19 was “ going @ @ @ @ @ In a series of tweets , Burr accused NPR of writing “ a tabloid-style hit @ @ @ @ @ not addressed reporting from ProPublica that he sold off stocks .
A reporter for Politico @ @ @ @ @ Burr ’ s defense .

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now) and Joan E Greve in Washington (earlier)

20 Mar 2020 00.02 GMT Summary Donald Trump has moved to hold the June G-7 summit over teleconference. The meeting of world leaders was scheduled to be held in person at Camp David, and prioritize discussion of the economy.
The meeting of world leaders was scheduled to be held in person at Camp David, and prioritize discussion of the economy. The Senate Intelligence chair, Republican Richard Burr, sold off stocks in February and warned a select group of people of the deepening coronavirus crisis even as he publicly implied it would pass quickly, according to reports.
and warned a select group of people of the deepening coronavirus crisis even as he publicly implied it would pass quickly, according to reports. Kirsten Gillibrand, who ran against Joe Biden in the 2020 primary, is the latest Democrat to endorse the former Vice President. Despite clashes on the debate stage, Gillibrand said she believed Biden would prioritize women, families and workers.
Despite clashes on the debate stage, Gillibrand said she believed Biden would prioritize women, families and workers. Republicans presented their ‘Phase 3’ plan in response to the coronavirus crisis. The plan would provide up to $1,200 in rebates for many American s, but provides less for the poorest families and leaves out the provisions to protect workers that Democrats have endorsed.
s, but provides less for the poorest families and leaves out the provisions to protect workers that Democrats have endorsed. The Democratic proposal provides relief for workers, expands paid sick leave and a “Marshall Plan” to provide a stimulus for hospitals and the healthcare system. Democratic leaders have said that any plan they endorse will have to prioritize workers over corporate interests.
Democratic leaders have said that any plan they endorse will have to prioritize workers over corporate interests. The State Department has issued a Level 4 advisory for all international travel, urging all Americans to avoid leaving the country or return as quickly as possible if they are abroad.
urging all Americans to avoid leaving the country or return as quickly as possible if they are abroad. Italy has overtaken China as the country with the most reported coronavirus deaths. Italy has now registered 3,405 deaths from the pandemic, while China has 3,245 deaths.
Italy has now registered 3,405 deaths from the pandemic, while China has 3,245 deaths. Trump sowed confusion by saying a drug to treat Covid-19 would be fast0-tracked. His remarks were disputed by the FDA commissioner minutes later.
His remarks were disputed by the FDA commissioner minutes later. Connecticut announced it was delaying its presidential primary until June/ Several other states, including Kentucky and Georgia, have already announced plans to postpone their primaries in order to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Several other states, including Kentucky and Georgia, have already announced plans to postpone their primaries in order to mitigate the spread of the virus. Tulsi Gabbard dropped out of the race. Bernie Sanders reassessed his campaign. Coronavirus map of the US: latest cases state by state Read more
Updated at 00.21 GMT
19 Mar 2020 23.35 GMT Richard Burr, the Senate Intelligence chair who sold off stocks in February despite public assurances that the coronavirus crisis was overblown, has responded to a report that he warned a small group of well-connected constituents to prepare for economic fallout. NPR reported that Burr, at a luncheon held at a social club in DC, said: “There’s one thing that I can tell you about this: It is much more aggressive in its transmission than anything that we have seen in recent history... It is probably more akin to the 1918 pandemic.” NPR obtained a secret recording of the remarks. Meanwhile, he told Covid-19 was “ going to disappear” quickly. In a series of tweets, Burr accused NPR of writing “a tabloid-style hit piece”. In a tabloid-style hit piece today, NPR knowingly and irresponsibly misrepresented a speech I gave last month about the coronavirus threat.
Let me set the record straight. 1/ — Richard Burr (@SenatorBurr) March 19, 2020 He has not addressed reporting from ProPublica that he sold off stocks. A reporter for Politico pointed out one issue with Burr’s defense. To defend the Trump administration from accusations that it covered up the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, Burr cites a quote from a CDC official...who was subsequently muzzled because her quote contradicted the president's reassurances (https://t.co/o1ZvMCQO8U). https://t.co/lzprkUiusA — Eric Geller (@ericgeller) March 19, 2020
Updated at 23.44 GMT
19 Mar 2020 23.19 GMT Countries usually send large delegations along with leaders to G7 summits. By holding the June meeting over teleconference, the administration has signaled that it acknowledges — as public health professionals have already done — that the crisis could continue for months. The G07 consists of the United States, Italy, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Britain as well as the European Union. Trump had intended to focus the upcoming meeting on the economy. Initially, he’d planned to host it at one of his properties in Florida, but changed course after facing criticism for seeking to profit financially.
19 Mar 2020 23.13 GMT Donald Trump made the G-7 meeting a teleconference The president has canceled plans to hold the meeting of world leaders in person, at Camp David, in June. “In order for each country to focus all of its resources on responding to the health and economic challenges of COVID-19 and at President Trump’s direction, National Economic Council Director and U.S. Sherpa for the 2020 G7 Larry Kudlow has informed his Sherpa colleagues that the G7 Leaders’ Summit the U.S. was set to host in June at Camp David will now be done by video-teleconference,” said White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere in a statement. Reuters first reported the news.
Updated at 23.14 GMT
19 Mar 2020 23.03 GMT How to cope with anxiety and isolation during the coronavirus crisis 05:52 Coronavirus: how to cope with anxiety and self-isolation – video explainer
19 Mar 2020 22.56 GMT Kirsten Gillibrand endorses Joe Biden Gillibrand, alongside fellow 2020 presidential candidates and senators Cory Booke and Kamala Harris spoke during a coronavirus press conference. The three senators are working on legislation that would ensure paid sick leave to deal with the Coronavirus. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock Gillibrand, a senator of New York and a former presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, has endorsed Biden.
“Not only does Joe have the experience to lead our country, but he has the empathy and character to go with it,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to working with him to take back the White House, and to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.”
Gillibrand is the latest primary dropout to get behind Biden. The two have previously clashed on the debate stage. In July, she confronted the former vice president about a nearly 30-year-old op-ed in which Biden criticized a plan to expand a childcare tax credit. Biden distanced himself from his position in that piece, titled “Congress is Subsidizing Deterioration of Family.” Biden “will be a champion for women and families, workers, and young people,” Gillibrand said in her endorsement.
Updated at 22.58 GMT
19 Mar 2020 22.39 GMT The Guardian’s Mario Koran in Oakland reports: An estimated 25.5 million people — roughly 56% of California’s population — will be infected with the coronavirus, California governor Gavin Newsom wrote in a letter to Donald Trump. Newsom called on Trump to deploy a Navy hospital ship, the USNS Mercy, and station it in the port of Los Angeles to help the giant metro area deal with a fast-moving health crisis. “In the last 24 hours, we had 126 new Covid-19 cases, a 21% increase. In some parts of our state, the case rate is doubling every four days” Newsom wrote. Evidence of community-transmission has been found in at least 23 counties, he said. The USNS Mercy would provide much-needed hospital beds, a resource Newsom warned this week will become increasingly scarce, as the state looks to add 19,500 new beds to meet projected demand. Experts worry that demand from patients who need treatment for coronavirus, could overwhelm available resources and make it more difficult to treat patients who need care for trauma, heart attacks or car accidents.
Confirmed coronavirus cases in California are now nearing 900, including 412 in the Bay-area and 358 in Socal, according to most recent tally from the S.F. Chronicle.
19 Mar 2020 22.36 GMT Democratic leaders Pelosi and Schumer say stimulus should 'prioritize and protect workers' Congressional Democrats are united in our commitment to using all tools available to fight the coronavirus outbreak like the health crisis it is & make sure workers are protected from the loss of a paycheck or that no family falls into financial ruin because of this pandemic. — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) March 19, 2020 In a joint statement, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer said they look “forward to working in a bipartisan way to deliver for the American people as soon as humanly possible”. But they also implicitly highlighted the differences between the Republican and Democratic recovery plans, underlining that “Democrats support a plan that puts ‘Workers First’.” “To earn Democratic support in the Congress, any economic stimulus proposal must include new, strong and strict provisions that prioritize and protect workers, such as banning the recipient companies from buying back stock, rewarding executives and laying off, workers,” the statement reads.
19 Mar 2020 22.29 GMT A group that wouldn’t benefit from the stimulus package is undocumented immigrants. In order to receive a rebate, people have to have a social security or tax identification number. The package also explicitly excludes “any nonresident alien individual”.
19 Mar 2020 22.14 GMT In a surprising moment of bipartisanship, Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi said he agrees with “so much” of Schumer’s proposal, including that “we need to put workers first”. “I simply rise today to say this is a time for us to come together as patriots, as Americans and take on the task that has come before us,” he added.
19 Mar 2020 22.11 GMT The GOP plan also only calls for a one-time check. A counterpoint from the Democrats offered recurring checks for the duration of the crisis. The Democrats have proposed another plan, which Chuck Schumer presented on the Senate floor. The proposal includes a “Marshall Plan” — which borrows its name from the stimulus plan the US developed in the aftermath of World War II — for the hospitals and the health care system. It includes broader paid sick leave mandates, help for small businesses, bailouts for workers and full pay for those out of work. “No bailout that goes to the people at the top. The money should go to the workers,” Schumer said.
19 Mar 2020 22.03 GMT There are a few notable gaps in the Republican proposal. The package bases relief rebates on peoples’ 2018 tax returns. If you made more than $99,000 in 2018, but much less in 2019, you wouldn’t get the benefit.
Another key point: low-income families, who would have paid less than $1200 in taxes, would receive less money.
19 Mar 2020 21.47 GMT A few more details from the Republican stimulus package: The financial relief will come to eligible individuals as tax rebates. The rebates will be $1200 per individual, plus $500 per child.
Those with a tax liability under $1,200 for tax year 2018 will get smaller checks, but at a minimum $600
Those diagnosed with Covid-19 or those who suffer “adverse financial consequences” due to it, can tap into their 401(k)s and IRAs without a penalty
Taxpayers get up $300 in charitable deductions for 2020
The benefit it phases out for people who made more than $75,000 in 2018, and doesn’t apply to people who made more than $99,000.
Updated at 00.14 GMT
19 Mar 2020 21.39 GMT Republican 'Phase 3' plan proposes up to $1,200 for individuals Mitch McConnell’s proposal for a stimulus package would issue direct payments of as much as $1,200 to individual Americans, in an effort to provide economic relief. The plan, which is similar to the White House’s stimulus plan, would be one of the largest in modern history. The four part plan includes: 1. Checks of as much as $1200 for individuals, or $2400 for couples. 2. Assistance for small businesses 3. Steps to stabilize the economy 4. Additional relief for patients and health workers Read the plan here.
Updated at 22.12 GMT
19 Mar 2020 21.29 GMT Senate Intelligence chair sold off stocks despite public reassurances about coronavirus Richard Burr sold off between $582,029 and $1.56 million of his holdings even after reassuring the public that the government had a handle on the coronavirus outbreak, according to a ProPublica investigation. From ProPublica: As the head of the intelligence committee, Burr, a North Carolina Republican, has access to the government’s most highly classified information about threats to America’s security. His committee was receiving daily coronavirus briefings around this time, according to a Reuters story. A week after Burr’s sales, the stock market began a sharp decline and has lost about 30% since. On Thursday, Burr came under fire after NPR obtained a secret recording from Feb. 27, in which the lawmaker gave a VIP group at an exclusive social club a much more dire preview of the economic impact of the coronavirus than what he had told the public. “Senator Burr filed a financial disclosure form for personal transactions made several weeks before the U.S. and financial markets showed signs of volatility due to the growing coronavirus outbreak,” his spokesperson said. “As the situation continues to evolve daily, he has been deeply concerned by the steep and sudden toll this pandemic is taking on our economy.” Burr is not a particularly wealthy member of the Senate: Roll Call estimated his net worth at $1.7 million in 2018, indicating that the February sales significantly shaped his financial fortunes and spared him from some of the pain that many Americans are now facing.
Updated at 21.29 GMT
19 Mar 2020 21.04 GMT Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague Maanvi Singh will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands: The State Department has issued a Level 4 advisory for all international travel, urging all Americans to avoid leaving the country or return as quickly as possible if they are abroad. The apparently unprecedented move comes a week after the State Department issued a Level 3 advisory, which encouraged Americans to reconsider their travel plans, to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.
urging all Americans to avoid leaving the country or return as quickly as possible if they are abroad. The apparently unprecedented move comes a week after the State Department issued a Level 3 advisory, which encouraged Americans to reconsider their travel plans, to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. Italy has overtaken China as the country with the most reported coronavirus deaths. Italy has now registered 3,405 deaths from the pandemic, while China has 3,245 deaths.
Italy has now registered 3,405 deaths from the pandemic, while China has 3,245 deaths. Trump said he has talked to a cruise company about potentially using its ships in the coronavirus response. The president did not provide many details about how the ships could be used, but his comment comes a day after he announced two Navy hospital ships would be used to free up hospital beds for coronavirus patients.
The president did not provide many details about how the ships could be used, but his comment comes a day after he announced two Navy hospital ships would be used to free up hospital beds for coronavirus patients. Trump lashed out against the “very dishonest” press at the daily coronavirus briefing. The president criticized reporters for their coverage of his administration’s response to the virus, specifically denouncing outlets like the New York Times and the Washington Post, even as millions of Americans have turned to such outlets for information about the pandemic.
The president criticized reporters for their coverage of his administration’s response to the virus, specifically denouncing outlets like the New York Times and the Washington Post, even as millions of Americans have turned to such outlets for information about the pandemic. Connecticut announced it was delaying its presidential primary until June 2. Several other states, including Kentucky and Georgia, have already announced plans to postpone their primaries in order to mitigate the spread of the virus. Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
19 Mar 2020 20.53 GMT Republican senator Mitt Romney shared a video from the Capitol as the Senate prepares to release its stimulus package to buoy the economy amid the coronavirus crisis. My colleagues and I are working on the next relief package—one that helps American families, workers, and small businesses deal with the financial implications of #COVID19 and shores up our economy. More to come. Stay safe out there—note that we are practicing social distancing! pic.twitter.com/lGLHZZs5oU — Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) March 19, 2020 Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has said Republican leadership would release its proposal, which is expected to cost upwards of $1 trillion, later today.


theguardian--2020-03-20--America is in crisis. We need universal basic income now | Karl Widerquist

A few members of Congress recently have suggested that the United States government institute an emergency Universal Basic Income ( UBI ) in response to the twin crises of coronavirus and the stock market collapse , which many economists believe could signal the start of a significant recession .
UBI provides an unconditional sum of money from the government for permanent residents whether or not they work .
Proposals for an emergency UBI vary .
One common suggestion from lawmakers is $ 1,000 a month for adults and $ 500 a month for children for four months or more if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be an enormous help in this crisis .
I ’ ve studied UBI for more than 20 years , and I find that opposition to it usually comes down to two main arguments : that everyone should work or that we simply can ’ t afford it .
Whether these are valid or invalid arguments against UBI in normal times has been debated for decades , but they simply don ’ t apply to the emergency UBI during the current situation .
Right now , we don ’ t need everyone to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of people to stop working .
We don ’ t want food service and healthcare workers who might be sick to go into work and infect people because they can ’ t afford to stay home .
In an economy where millions of people live paycheck-to-paycheck , an emergency UBI would give non-essential employees the opportunity to stay home during the coronavirus outbreak , slowing the spread of the disease .
The more people we have who can afford to stay home the better off we ’ ll be , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most economists will agree that the economy needs injections of cash right now .
When economies slide into recession , there is a “ multiplier effect ” as people lose their jobs and businesses contract , they spend less .
Other people then lose their jobs or contract their businesses , and this multiplier effect continues .
The economy shrinks , income declines , and money literally disappears from circulation .
Governments can help stop this process by creating money and injecting it into circulation .
After the 2008-2009 economic meltdown , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world created trillions of dollars worth of currency out of thin air and injected it into the economy , usually by buying back their own debt , in an effort to stimulate demand and reverse the multiplier effect .
Buying back government debt isn ’ t necessarily the best way to stimulate the economy , however .
The money goes mostly to people who are already rich , and they have very little incentive to invest that money when everyone else is losing income .
An emergency UBI is just about the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it gets money in the hands of everyone .
No one ’ s income would go to zero due to stock market-related layoffs or corona-related precautions .
That income helps people maintain some of their spending , which helps prevent others from losing their jobs through the multiplier effect .
Congress should act now .
An emergency UBI , providing $ 1,000 per adult and $ 500 per child , per month , for four months or as long as the outbreak lasts , can help everyone get through this critical time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sooner we start to recover .
We don ’ t know how bad coronavirus will get .
We shouldn ’ t have to worry about how we will be able to buy food and pay rent as well .
The economy needs more money and less labor .
We need people to spend money .
And we don ’ t need them to work for it .
• None Karl Widerquist , an associate professor of philosophy at Georgetown University ’ s School of Foreign Service in Qatar , is a founding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He is the author of eight books including , A Critical Analysis of Basic Income Experiments , Prehistoric Myths in Modern Political Philosophy , and Independence , Propertylessness , and Basic Income : A Theory of Freedom as the Power to Say No

A few members of Congress recently have suggested that the United States government institute an emergency Universal Basic Income (UBI) in response to the twin crises of coronavirus and the stock market collapse, which many economists believe could signal the start of a significant recession. UBI provides an unconditional sum of money from the government for permanent residents whether or not they work. Proposals for an emergency UBI vary. One common suggestion from lawmakers is $1,000 a month for adults and $500 a month for children for four months or more if the coronavirus persists. This amount would be an enormous help in this crisis.
I’ve studied UBI for more than 20 years, and I find that opposition to it usually comes down to two main arguments: that everyone should work or that we simply can’t afford it. Whether these are valid or invalid arguments against UBI in normal times has been debated for decades, but they simply don’t apply to the emergency UBI during the current situation.
Right now, we don’t need everyone to work. In fact, we need a lot of people to stop working. We don’t want food service and healthcare workers who might be sick to go into work and infect people because they can’t afford to stay home. In an economy where millions of people live paycheck-to-paycheck, an emergency UBI would give non-essential employees the opportunity to stay home during the coronavirus outbreak, slowing the spread of the disease. The more people we have who can afford to stay home the better off we’ll be, at least for the duration of the outbreak.
Most economists will agree that the economy needs injections of cash right now. When economies slide into recession, there is a “multiplier effect” as people lose their jobs and businesses contract, they spend less. Other people then lose their jobs or contract their businesses, and this multiplier effect continues. The economy shrinks, income declines, and money literally disappears from circulation.
Governments can help stop this process by creating money and injecting it into circulation. After the 2008-2009 economic meltdown, the United States government and governments around the world created trillions of dollars worth of currency out of thin air and injected it into the economy, usually by buying back their own debt, in an effort to stimulate demand and reverse the multiplier effect. Buying back government debt isn’t necessarily the best way to stimulate the economy, however. The money goes mostly to people who are already rich, and they have very little incentive to invest that money when everyone else is losing income.
An emergency UBI is just about the best economic stimulator that exists in modern times because it gets money in the hands of everyone. No one’s income would go to zero due to stock market-related layoffs or corona-related precautions. That income helps people maintain some of their spending, which helps prevent others from losing their jobs through the multiplier effect.
Congress should act now. An emergency UBI, providing $1,000 per adult and $500 per child, per month, for four months or as long as the outbreak lasts, can help everyone get through this critical time. The sooner our government acts, the sooner we start to recover. We don’t know how bad coronavirus will get. We shouldn’t have to worry about how we will be able to buy food and pay rent as well.
The economy needs more money and less labor. We need people to spend money. And we don’t need them to work for it.


theguardian--2020-03-20--US coronavirus news: Mexican border closed to non-essential travel as New York ordered to stay at ho

US coronavirus news: Mexican border closed to non-essential travel as New York ordered to stay at home – live

Wisconsin elections officials do not currently have enough cleaning supplies or poll workers to adequately run the state ’ s April 7 primary , election officials warned on Friday .
The officials asked Governor Tony Evers , a Democrat , to help them acquire hand sanitizer , as well as with assistance recruiting poll workers in a Friday letter .
They also asked him to assign a public health expert to the commission to assist with guidance for local officials and messaging .
“ As of today , local election officials do not have access to the people or supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and poll workers to make difficult choices , ” Megan Wolfe , the commission ’ s administrator , wrote on Friday .
“ Voters should not have to choose between voting or staying healthy.
” Florida and Illinois , two states that held primaries this week faced criticism for moving ahead with their primary contests despite health concerns .
In both states , poll workers didn ’ t show up on election day and some of those who did lacked adequate cleaning supplies .
A handful of states have already moved their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s April 7 election includes many local contests in addition to its presidential preference primary , including a crucial statewide state supreme court race .
The state does not require an excuse to vote absentee , and election officials there have already received more than 300,000 requests for absentee ballots .
Democrats are suing the state to try and give voters more time to register online or by mail and to waive the requirement that voters submit photo ID with their request for a ballot .

Julia Carrie Wong in San Francisco (now) and Joan E Greve in Washington (earlier)

21 Mar 2020 00.15 GMT That’s all from me today. Here’s a summary of the top stories of the day: New York, Illinois and Connecticut told residents to stay home except for essential activities in order to mitigate the spread of coronavirus . The announcements come one day after California issued a similar order to its 40 million residents.
in order to mitigate the spread of coronavirus The announcements come one day after California issued a similar order to its 40 million residents. The US-Mexico border is closing to all non-essential travel, secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced. The same restrictions will take affect at the US-Canadian border tonight at midnight.
secretary of state announced. The same restrictions will take affect at the US-Canadian border tonight at midnight. The Dow closed down 900 points, extending its weekly loss to 17%. Overall, the markets suffered their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis.
extending its weekly loss to 17%. Overall, the markets suffered their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. Senators are negotiating over the stimulus package, which is meant to bolster the economy through the coronavirus crisis. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said he wants an “agreement in principle” on the bill, which will likely cost more than $1 trillion, by tonight in order to set up a Monday vote.
which is meant to bolster the economy through the coronavirus crisis. Senate majority leader said he wants an “agreement in principle” on the bill, which will likely cost more than $1 trillion, by tonight in order to set up a Monday vote. Senator Richard Burr called for a Senate ethics investigation into his recent stock trades. The North Carolina Republican is facing calls for his resignation after reports revealed he sold up to $1.7 million in stock last month while receiving briefings on coronavirus, sparking accusations he tried to profit off the pandemic.
The North Carolina Republican is facing calls for his resignation after reports revealed he sold up to $1.7 million in stock last month while receiving briefings on coronavirus, sparking accusations he tried to profit off the pandemic. Trump attacked the press for the second day in a row during the daily coronavirus briefing. Asked what he would say to Americans who are scared about the pandemic right now, Trump told NBC’s Peter Alexander, “I say that you’re a terrible reporter.”
during the daily coronavirus briefing. Asked what he would say to Americans who are scared about the pandemic right now, Trump told NBC’s “I say that you’re a terrible reporter.” A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff tested positive for the coronavirus. Contact tracing is under way, and the White House says neither Pence nor Trump had close contact with the individual. My west coast colleagues have a comprehensive report on Day One of California under lockdown: A shadow of itself: 40m Californians wake up to life under lockdown Read more And you can stay on top of all the latest developments with our global coronavirus live blog here: Coronavirus live updates: global cases top quarter of a million, as Italy sees biggest daily rise in deaths Read more
20 Mar 2020 23.38 GMT Hallie Golden Guardian contributor Hallie Golden reports from Seattle: Washington state residents have taken to Twitter to broadcast their frustration over local leaders not implementing a shelter-in-place order to address the rapidly growing coronavirus outbreak.
They are using the hashtag #ShutItDownJay and #SHUTDOWNSEATTLE, with some posting about the many people in parks and at stores not practicing social distancing. One user posted a photo of a group of people sitting together in a truck bed.
Some Twitter users wrote about how amazed they were that the governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, had not yet instructed residents to shelter-in-place, while others shared their experience still having to go to work.
“What if our workplace is still requiring us (including seniors and those with underlying health conditions) to work in crowded rooms with groups of more than ten where there is no possibility of being six feet apart?” Sarah Ann posted Friday on Twitter.
Other people remarked on the fact that California residents have already been ordered to shelter-in-place, and New York and Illinois locals have been instructed to stay home except for essential activities, but Washington leaders have still not implemented similar policies.
Washington has the second highest number of cases in the U.S., reporting 1,524 cases, including 83 deaths.
20 Mar 2020 23.19 GMT Senator Bernie Sanders is holding another “virtual roundtable” on the coronavirus pandemic, this time with Sara Nelson, president of the flight attendent’s union, and Saru Jayaraman, director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. You can tune in here: I’m hosting a virtual roundtable on the economic and health crises created by the coronavirus outbreak. Join me, musical guests @andrecymone @NahkoBear, and two leaders on the frontlines of the crisis - @FlyingWithSara and @SaruJayaraman. https://t.co/8JUyqTHsKV — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 20, 2020
20 Mar 2020 23.05 GMT Residents of Washington state call on governor to impose 'shelter-in-place' Hallie Golden Guardian contributor Hallie Golden reports from Seattle: As the number of coronavirus cases in Washington continues to increase, people across the state have called on local leaders to implement a shelter-in-place order to curb the spread.
Washington has the second highest number of cases in the U.S., reporting 1,376 cases, including 74 deaths.
When the governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, was asked during a press conference on Wednesday whether he’s getting close to calling for a shelter-in-place, he called that a “futile” thing to think about.
“We can’t just try to speculate what may happen, 30, 40, 60 days from now,” he said. “It’s just a futile exercise of chasing our tail. We got to pull together, be calm, be rational and make good decisions today.”
A Change.org petition pushing for a shelter-in-place order from Washington’s governor has received over 500 signatures.
In a tweet posted Friday, Lauren Deacon wrote, “Get it together and #ShutItDownJay! If you wait any longer the blood is on your hands!”
In California, residents have been ordered to shelter-in-place, while New York and Illinois have instructed locals to stay home except for essential activities.
On Monday, Inslee ordered a ban on gatherings of 50 people or more, as well as a two-week closure of all restaurants, bars, and entertainment and recreational facilities.
Jason Rantz, who hosts a local radio show, wrote on local news site MyNorthwest.com that a shelter order may be painful, but is necessary in Washington.
“The sooner we get to extreme self-isolating, the faster we’ll get back to a normal life,” he wrote.
20 Mar 2020 22.59 GMT Localized shutdowns continue to expand across the country. The city of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County are shutting down hotels, and the city is imposing a nightly curfew. The message? Spring break is over. Miami Beach is closing down hotels — guests must leave by Monday — and imposing a nightly citywide curfew beginning Tuesday from midnight to 5 a.m. pic.twitter.com/Dni93lY8py — Patricia Mazzei (@PatriciaMazzei) March 20, 2020 In the past 24 hours we have also seen governors of the following states impose stay-at-home orders: California – population 40m
New York - population 20m
Illinois – population 12.5m
Connecticut – population 3.5m Altogether, those four states account for approximately 76m people, or more than 20% of the US population.
20 Mar 2020 22.42 GMT Member of Vice President's staff tests positive for coronavirus A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for coronavirus, according to a statement by the VP’s press secretary. According to the statement, neither the president nor Pence was in “close contact” with the individual. Breaking: Member of @VP's Staff Tested Positive for Coronavirus. Statement by @VPPressSec: pic.twitter.com/COOY0jB0Os — Fin Gomez (@finnygo) March 20, 2020
20 Mar 2020 22.20 GMT The Guardian’s Kathleen Caulderwood and Tom Silverstone spoke to American doctors and nurses from around the country about what it’s like to treat patients as Covid-19 spreads. 04:50 'This is going to be a marathon': US health workers on the coronavirus frontline – video They say they’re frustrated with a lack of testing ability, and a lack of protective equipment they need to fight Covid-19. They say the US isn’t prepared for the spike of patients suffering from the virus in the coming weeks.
20 Mar 2020 22.06 GMT A distinct partisan divide still exists in how seriously Americans are taking the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll by ABC News/Ipsos. The survey found that 87% of Democrats are concerned about getting coronavirus, compared to just 66% of Republicans. The divide is somewhat narrower than last week, when just 56% of Republicans reported concern about the virus. Strikingly, nearly three fourths of respondents (72%) said their lives had been disrupted by the coronavirus in some way – a huge jump from the previous week’s poll when only 26% of Americans reported the same. The poll also found growing numbers of people working from home (17%, from 3% last week), and that the highest rates of concern for Americans came from 18-29 year olds (83%). People over 65 reported similarly high rates of concern (82%).
20 Mar 2020 21.52 GMT When billionaire Mike Bloomberg launched his ill-fated presidential campaign in late 2019, he promised staffers that they would be employed through November, whether or not he won the Democratic nomination. But since dropping out after failing to win a single state on Super Tuesday (he did win American Samoa, a US territory), the former New York City mayor has reneged on that promise. Today, the Bloomberg campaign announced that it is donating $18m to the Democratic National Committee – and laying off staff in six swing states, BuzzFeed News reports. The newly unemployed staffers will lose their healthcare at the end of April. “He’s chopping his employees in a pandemic,” one staffer told BuzzFeed. The $18m donation to the DNC is large, and could enable the committee to hire the laid-off organizers, but there are no guarantees of employment.
20 Mar 2020 21.35 GMT Sam Levine The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports: Wisconsin elections officials do not currently have enough cleaning supplies or poll workers to adequately run the state’s April 7 primary, election officials warned on Friday. The officials asked Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, to help them acquire hand sanitizer, as well as with assistance recruiting poll workers in a Friday letter. They also asked him to assign a public health expert to the commission to assist with guidance for local officials and messaging. “As of today, local election officials do not have access to the people or supplies needed. This leaves voters, clerks, and poll workers to make difficult choices,” Megan Wolfe, the commission’s administrator, wrote on Friday. “Voters should not have to choose
between voting or staying healthy.” Florida and Illinois, two states that held primaries this week faced criticism for moving ahead with their primary contests despite health concerns. In both states, poll workers didn’t show up on election day and some of those who did lacked adequate cleaning supplies. A handful of states have already moved their primaries amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Wisconsin’s April 7 election includes many local contests in addition to its presidential preference primary, including a crucial statewide state supreme court race. The state does not require an excuse to vote absentee, and election officials there have already received more than 300,000 requests for absentee ballots. Democrats are suing the state to try and give voters more time to register online or by mail and to waive the requirement that voters submit photo ID with their request for a ballot. Closures and confusion as US voters go to the polls amid coronavirus concerns Read more
20 Mar 2020 21.21 GMT Connecticut to order "nonessential" workers stay home Hello everyone, this is Julia Carrie Wong in Oakland, California, taking over the blog for the rest of the day. Connecticut governor Ned Lamont plans to order employees of “non-essential” businesses to stay home due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Hartford Courant reports. The order is akin to that of New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who ordered non-essential businesses in his state closed earlier on Friday. Businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations will remain open, but offices, malls and clothing stores will close. Construction and manufacturing can continue, according to the Courant.
20 Mar 2020 21.04 GMT Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Julia Carrie Wong, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: New York and Illinois told residents to stay home except for essential activities in order to mitigate the spread of coronavirus . The announcements come one day after California issued a similar order to its 40 million residents.
in order to mitigate the spread of coronavirus The announcements come one day after California issued a similar order to its 40 million residents. The US-Mexico border is closing to all non-essential travel, secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced. The same restrictions will take affect at the US-Canadian border tonight at midnight.
secretary of state announced. The same restrictions will take affect at the US-Canadian border tonight at midnight. The Dow closed down 900 points, extending its weekly loss to 17%. Overall, the markets suffered their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis.
extending its weekly loss to 17%. Overall, the markets suffered their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. Senators are negotiating over the stimulus package, which is meant to bolster the economy through the coronavirus crisis. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said he wants an “agreement in principle” on the bill, which will likely cost more than $1 trillion, by tonight in order to set up a Monday vote.
which is meant to bolster the economy through the coronavirus crisis. Senate majority leader said he wants an “agreement in principle” on the bill, which will likely cost more than $1 trillion, by tonight in order to set up a Monday vote. Senator Richard Burr called for a Senate ethics investigation into his recent stock trades. The North Carolina Republican is facing calls for his resignation after reports revealed he sold up to $1.7 million in stock last month while receiving briefings on coronavirus, sparking accusations he tried to profit off the pandemic.
The North Carolina Republican is facing calls for his resignation after reports revealed he sold up to $1.7 million in stock last month while receiving briefings on coronavirus, sparking accusations he tried to profit off the pandemic. Trump attacked the press for the second day in a row during the daily coronavirus briefing. Asked what he would say to Americans who are scared about the pandemic right now, Trump told NBC’s Peter Alexander, “I say that you’re a terrible reporter.” Julia will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated at 21.11 GMT


theguardian--2020-03-20--Trump throws tantrum over question about coronavirus fears: 'You're a terrible reporter'

Donald Trump has thrown an extraordinary temper tantrum on live television , lambasting a reporter who challenged him for raising hopes about a coronavirus treatment .
Peter Alexander , White House correspondent at NBC News , asked the US president : “ What do you say to Americans , who are watching you right now , who are scared ?
” Erupting in anger , Trump unleashed a tirade : “ I say that you ’ re a terrible reporter .
That ’ s what I say .
I think it ’ s a very nasty question and I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you ’ re putting out to the American people.
” The outburst came at Friday ’ s White House coronavirus taskforce briefing , at which Trump announced a restriction on non-essential travel across the US-Mexico border as well as stricter controls on undocumented migrants .
The president – who repeatedly downplayed the threat early in the global outbreak – has this week been hyping an anti-malarial drug , chloroquine , as a possible therapeutic treatment .
“ It may work , it may not work , ” he said on Friday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s just a feeling .
I ’ m a smart guy … We have nothing to lose .
You know the expression , ‘ What the hell do you have to lose ?
’ ” This was originally his campaign pitch to African Americans .
Yet Trump ’ s “ feeling ” , on which he so often relies , was confronted by science when Dr Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , cautioned that evidence of chloroquine ’ s benefits against coronavirus is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be viewed as a miracle cure .
“ Fundamentally , I think it probably is going to be safe , but I like to prove things first , ” Fauci said .
Alexander asked the president : “ Is it possible that your impulse to put a positive spin on things may be giving Americans a false sense of hope ?
” The president retorted : “ No I don ’ t think so … It may work , it may not work .
I feel good about it .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a feeling.
” It was then Alexander asked for Trump ’ s message to people who are feeling scared and the president snapped : “ I say that you ’ re a terrible reporter.
” He added : “ You ’ re doing sensationalism … That ’ s really bad reporting .
You ought to get back to reporting.
” Trump claimed , “ I ’ ve been right a lot , ” and barked at Alexander : “ You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
” Other correspondents asked Trump why he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
Trump replied : “ I think Peter is – you know , I ’ ve dealt with Peter for a long time .
And I think Peter is not a good journalist when it comes to fairness .
This is the time to come together .
But coming together is much harder when we have dishonest journalists.
” Mike Pompeo , the secretary of state , was asked what message such criticism sends to the rest of the world .
He merely echoed his boss ’ s dissatisfaction with the media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phrase “ Chinese virus ” .
Introducing Pompeo , Trump referred to “ the deep state department ” , referring to a favourite conspiracy theory which holds that a network of bureaucrats and intelligence officials exists to frustrate the president ’ s agenda , but which Steve Bannon , who has promoted the theory , has said is for “ nut cases ” .
On the podium , Dr Fauci glanced at the president , smiled ruefully , brushed his brow and rubbed his jaw in thought .
Adding to the strange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House press secretary , was sitting in the briefing room in a seat normally occupied by the Guardian and asked a couple of questions .
Trump ’ s daughter and senior adviser , Ivanka , was also looking on after testing negative for the virus .
Pompeo spoke about the new restrictions on the US-Mexico border , which follows a similar agreement with Canada .
He said of Mexico : “ Both our countries know the importance of working together to limit the spread of the virus and ensuring the commerce that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The US , Mexico and Canada have agreed that anyone who tries to illegally cross a border will immediately be returned to their native country .
Officials said asylum seekers would not be held in a US facility nor be given due process , because of the health risk to other migrants and border patrol agents .
They would instead be returned to Canada , Mexico or their country of origin .
Trump , who has long touted a border wall , said : “ Every week our border agents encounter thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from dozens of countries .
We ’ ve had this problem for decades .
You know the story .
But now with the national emergencies and all of the other things that we ’ ve declared , we can actually do something about it .
“ We ’ re taking a very strong hold of that .
We have before but this is now at a level that nobody ’ s ever approached .
In normal times these massive flows place a vast burden on our healthcare system but , during a global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect storm that would spread the infection to our border agents , migrants and the public at large.
” Amid some confusion , the president confirmed that he had put the Defense Production Act “ into gear ” , to mandate the production of masks and ventilators .
“ We have millions of masks which are coming and which will be distributed to the states , ” he said .
“ … They will be here soon .
We ’ re having them shipped directly to states.
” Trump also announced a waive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – which he said would “ make a lot of students very happy ” – and noted that the US treasury had postponed the tax filing date to 15 July .

Donald Trump has thrown an extraordinary temper tantrum on live television, lambasting a reporter who challenged him for raising hopes about a coronavirus treatment.
Peter Alexander, White House correspondent at NBC News, asked the US president: “What do you say to Americans, who are watching you right now, who are scared?”
Erupting in anger, Trump unleashed a tirade: “I say that you’re a terrible reporter. That’s what I say. I think it’s a very nasty question and I think it’s a very bad signal that you’re putting out to the American people.”
The outburst came at Friday’s White House coronavirus taskforce briefing, at which Trump announced a restriction on non-essential travel across the US-Mexico border as well as stricter controls on undocumented migrants.
The president – who repeatedly downplayed the threat early in the global outbreak – has this week been hyping an anti-malarial drug, chloroquine, as a possible therapeutic treatment.
“It may work, it may not work,” he said on Friday. “I feel good about it. It’s just a feeling. I’m a smart guy … We have nothing to lose. You know the expression, ‘What the hell do you have to lose?’”
This was originally his campaign pitch to African Americans.
Yet Trump’s “feeling”, on which he so often relies, was confronted by science when Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, cautioned that evidence of chloroquine’s benefits against coronavirus is “anecdotal” and it should not be viewed as a miracle cure.
“Fundamentally, I think it probably is going to be safe, but I like to prove things first,” Fauci said.
Alexander asked the president: “Is it possible that your impulse to put a positive spin on things may be giving Americans a false sense of hope?”
The president retorted: “No I don’t think so … It may work, it may not work. I feel good about it. That’s all it is, it’s a feeling.”
It was then Alexander asked for Trump’s message to people who are feeling scared and the president snapped: “I say that you’re a terrible reporter.”
He added: “You’re doing sensationalism … That’s really bad reporting. You ought to get back to reporting.”
Trump claimed, “I’ve been right a lot,” and barked at Alexander: “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
Other correspondents asked Trump why he was assailing a reporter during a national crisis.
Trump replied: “I think Peter is – you know, I’ve dealt with Peter for a long time. And I think Peter is not a good journalist when it comes to fairness. This is the time to come together. But coming together is much harder when we have dishonest journalists.”
Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, was asked what message such criticism sends to the rest of the world. He merely echoed his boss’s dissatisfaction with the media. He also joined Trump in using the phrase “Chinese virus”.
Introducing Pompeo, Trump referred to “the deep state department”, referring to a favourite conspiracy theory which holds that a network of bureaucrats and intelligence officials exists to frustrate the president’s agenda, but which Steve Bannon, who has promoted the theory, has said is for “nut cases”.
Note Fauci’s reaction when Trump makes a deep state joke at the podium pic.twitter.com/cbNBxgqhRO — Brandon Wall (@Walldo) March 20, 2020
On the podium, Dr Fauci glanced at the president, smiled ruefully, brushed his brow and rubbed his jaw in thought.
Adding to the strange atmosphere, Sean Spicer, the former White House press secretary, was sitting in the briefing room in a seat normally occupied by the Guardian and asked a couple of questions. Trump’s daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka, was also looking on after testing negative for the virus.
Pompeo spoke about the new restrictions on the US-Mexico border, which follows a similar agreement with Canada. He said of Mexico: “Both our countries know the importance of working together to limit the spread of the virus and ensuring the commerce that supports our economy continues to keep flowing.”
The US, Mexico and Canada have agreed that anyone who tries to illegally cross a border will immediately be returned to their native country.
Officials said asylum seekers would not be held in a US facility nor be given due process, because of the health risk to other migrants and border patrol agents. They would instead be returned to Canada, Mexico or their country of origin.
00:55 US-Mexico border closes to non-essential travel due to coronavirus outbreak – video
Trump, who has long touted a border wall, said: “Every week our border agents encounter thousands of unscreened, unvetted and unauthorised entries from dozens of countries. We’ve had this problem for decades. You know the story. But now with the national emergencies and all of the other things that we’ve declared, we can actually do something about it.
“We’re taking a very strong hold of that. We have before but this is now at a level that nobody’s ever approached. In normal times these massive flows place a vast burden on our healthcare system but, during a global pandemic, they threaten to create a perfect storm that would spread the infection to our border agents, migrants and the public at large.”
Amid some confusion, the president confirmed that he had put the Defense Production Act “into gear”, to mandate the production of masks and ventilators.
“We have millions of masks which are coming and which will be distributed to the states,” he said. “… They will be here soon. We’re having them shipped directly to states.”
Trump also announced a waive on all interest on federal-held student loans – which he said would “make a lot of students very happy” – and noted that the US treasury had postponed the tax filing date to 15 July.