theguardian--2020-05-12--Reality check: Fauci offers coded rebuke to Trump’s rush to reopen

The sight of mild-mannered Tim Kaine , senator for Virginia , wearing a red-and-black bandanna that made him look like a character from Mad Max , said everything about how much has changed .
Kaine was among members of the Senate health committee , some masked , some not , gathered on Tuesday in a bigger-than-usual committee room on Capitol Hill , where hand sanitiser abounded , to discuss getting Americans back to work and school .
But in a sign that the coronavirus is far from beaten , committee chair Lamar Alexander was running the show by video , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that an aide tested positive .
Members of the White House coronavirus taskforce , and several senators , also took part remotely .
The hearing thus resembled far-flung family members holding a Zoom call , complete with distracting backdrops and interlopers but without the technical glitches of Mother ’ s Day or a Joe Biden virtual rally .
Although some partisan points were scored , the participants displayed more discipline and sobriety than the anarchy down the road at the White House .
Behind Alexander ’ s green chair was a wooden beam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bare brick fireplace , two bookcases and what looked like sepia photos from a Ken Burns documentary .
The chairman ’ s pet dog , Rufus , could be heard barking but like many who have endured Senate hearings , by the end he was curled up on a blanket , snoozing .
Alexander ’ s technology worked OK , although he admitted : “ I don ’ t want to cut senators off but it ’ s hard to see the time clock.
” Bernie Sanders ’ backdrop had red walls with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Power Generation artwork .
Elizabeth Warren had white walls with a painting of what appeared to be green fruit , along with a table bearing a small flower pot and high-backed chairs .
It had the feel of a corporate serviced apartment .
Pat Roberts of Kansas , by contrast , materialised in front of a giant painting of horses pulling a wagon , flanked by old-fashioned lampshades and a pile of books .
“ That ’ s a stagecoach coming into Dodge as opposed to coming out of Dodge , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home town.
” It ’ s also a virus hotspot , after an outbreak at a meat packing plant .
Mitt Romney of Utah , in glasses , white shirt and blue patterned tie , sat before two dozen family photos .
Stephen Hahn , commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration , was the tech-savvy family member : he blurred his background .
But the star witness was Dr Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and champion truth-teller .
The last time he appeared in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Brad Pitt on Saturday Night Live .
On Tuesday , with neatly cut hair , grey suit jacket , blue shirt and blue tie , it was the real thing sitting in a busy office , a big plant outside his window , books piled high .
Another man was briefly visible in an adjoining room but , perhaps after seeing himself on TV , soon disappeared .
Fauci did not offer the searing denunciation of Donald Trump some craved .
But in his diplomatic way , he offered plenty of reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s headlong rush to reopen .
What are the dangers of reopening too quickly without following task force guidelines , he was asked .
“ My concern is that if some areas , city , states , or what have you , jump over those various checkpoints , and prematurely open up without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently , my concern is that we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks … The consequences could be really serious.
” And as Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus going to disappear ?
“ That is just not going to happen.
” During Fauci ’ s testimony , Rand Paul , bearded , rocked back and forth in his chair with hands folded .
When his turn came , he indulged in some media bashing and , like a man trying to win a pub argument , insisted people who have recovered from the virus are probably immune .
Paul has recovered and does not wear a mask .
Fauci agreed it is likely but noted that proper scientific studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The senator wondered why many states are deferring to Fauci on reopening without consideration for local conditions .
“ I think we ought to have a little bit of humility in our belief that we know what ’ s best for the economy , ” he said .
“ And as much as I respect you , Dr Fauci , I don ’ t think you ’ re the end-all .
I don ’ t think you ’ re the one person that gets to make a decision .
We can listen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other side who say there ’ s not going to be a surge.
” Fauci responded : “ I have never made myself out to be the end-all and only voice in this .
I ’ m a scientist , a physician and a public health official.
” Trump ’ s narrative of a virus in retreat suffered a major blow .
Warren declared “ the time for magical thinking is over ” and asked if the virus was contained .
Fauci replied : “ I think we ’ re going in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not mean , by any means , we have it under total control.
” Kaine , Hillary Clinton ’ s running mate in 2016 , asked tough questions about why the US had fared so poorly compared to South Korea .
He seemed determined to live up to the apocalyptic vision of his bandanna .
Social media loved it .
Veterans advocate Travis Akers tweeted : “ Tim Kaine currently looks like a movie character that was a once an outstanding citizen in the community , but got mistakenly caught up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rob a bank to save his family.
” Patrick Dillon , former deputy director of political affairs for Barack Obama , added : “ It ’ s so rare to see Tim Kaine ’ s evil twin , the notorious highway bandit Tom Kaine , out in public like this .
Scramble the US Marshals , this may be our only chance to finally nab him .
”

The sight of mild-mannered Tim Kaine, senator for Virginia, wearing a red-and-black bandanna that made him look like a character from Mad Max, said everything about how much has changed.
Kaine was among members of the Senate health committee, some masked, some not, gathered on Tuesday in a bigger-than-usual committee room on Capitol Hill, where hand sanitiser abounded, to discuss getting Americans back to work and school.
But in a sign that the coronavirus is far from beaten, committee chair Lamar Alexander was running the show by video, having entered self-quarantine in Tennessee after learning that an aide tested positive. Members of the White House coronavirus taskforce, and several senators, also took part remotely.
The hearing thus resembled far-flung family members holding a Zoom call, complete with distracting backdrops and interlopers but without the technical glitches of Mother’s Day or a Joe Biden virtual rally. Although some partisan points were scored, the participants displayed more discipline and sobriety than the anarchy down the road at the White House.
Behind Alexander’s green chair was a wooden beam, a big landscape painting above a bare brick fireplace, two bookcases and what looked like sepia photos from a Ken Burns documentary.
The chairman’s pet dog, Rufus, could be heard barking but like many who have endured Senate hearings, by the end he was curled up on a blanket, snoozing. Alexander’s technology worked OK, although he admitted: “I don’t want to cut senators off but it’s hard to see the time clock.”
My concern is that we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks Dr Anthony Fauci
Bernie Sanders’ backdrop had red walls with framed Red Hot Chili Peppers and New Power Generation artwork. Elizabeth Warren had white walls with a painting of what appeared to be green fruit, along with a table bearing a small flower pot and high-backed chairs. It had the feel of a corporate serviced apartment.
Pat Roberts of Kansas, by contrast, materialised in front of a giant painting of horses pulling a wagon, flanked by old-fashioned lampshades and a pile of books.
“That’s a stagecoach coming into Dodge as opposed to coming out of Dodge,” he explained. “Dodgy City is my home town.”
It’s also a virus hotspot, after an outbreak at a meat packing plant.
Mitt Romney of Utah, in glasses, white shirt and blue patterned tie, sat before two dozen family photos. Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, was the tech-savvy family member: he blurred his background.
But the star witness was Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and champion truth-teller.
The last time he appeared in such a format he was being played by Brad Pitt on Saturday Night Live. On Tuesday, with neatly cut hair, grey suit jacket, blue shirt and blue tie, it was the real thing sitting in a busy office, a big plant outside his window, books piled high. Another man was briefly visible in an adjoining room but, perhaps after seeing himself on TV, soon disappeared.
Fauci did not offer the searing denunciation of Donald Trump some craved. But in his diplomatic way, he offered plenty of reality checks and coded rebukes to the president’s headlong rush to reopen.
What are the dangers of reopening too quickly without following task force guidelines, he was asked.
“My concern is that if some areas, city, states, or what have you, jump over those various checkpoints, and prematurely open up without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently, my concern is that we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks … The consequences could be really serious.”
And as Trump has claimed more than once, is the virus going to disappear? “That is just not going to happen.”
During Fauci’s testimony, Rand Paul, bearded, rocked back and forth in his chair with hands folded. When his turn came, he indulged in some media bashing and, like a man trying to win a pub argument, insisted people who have recovered from the virus are probably immune. Paul has recovered and does not wear a mask. Fauci agreed it is likely but noted that proper scientific studies are yet to prove it so.
The senator wondered why many states are deferring to Fauci on reopening without consideration for local conditions.
“I think we ought to have a little bit of humility in our belief that we know what’s best for the economy,” he said. “And as much as I respect you, Dr Fauci, I don’t think you’re the end-all. I don’t think you’re the one person that gets to make a decision. We can listen to your advice but there are people on the other side who say there’s not going to be a surge.”
Fauci responded: “I have never made myself out to be the end-all and only voice in this. I’m a scientist, a physician and a public health official.”
Trump’s narrative of a virus in retreat suffered a major blow. Warren declared “the time for magical thinking is over” and asked if the virus was contained. Fauci replied: “I think we’re going in the right direction but the right direction does not mean, by any means, we have it under total control.”
Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016, asked tough questions about why the US had fared so poorly compared to South Korea. He seemed determined to live up to the apocalyptic vision of his bandanna. Social media loved it.
Veterans advocate Travis Akers tweeted: “Tim Kaine currently looks like a movie character that was a once an outstanding citizen in the community, but got mistakenly caught up in a white-collar crime and now has to rob a bank to save his family.”
Patrick Dillon, former deputy director of political affairs for Barack Obama, added: “It’s so rare to see Tim Kaine’s evil twin, the notorious highway bandit Tom Kaine, out in public like this. Scramble the US Marshals, this may be our only chance to finally nab him.”


theguardian--2020-05-12--Fauci says US reopening could trigger outbreak 'you might not be able to control'

Dr Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top public health expert , warned in Senate testimony on Tuesday that the official coronavirus death toll in the US is an undercount , and that “ the consequences could be really serious ” if America relaxes safeguards against Covid-19 too abruptly .
“ My concern it that we will start to see little spikes that will turn into outbreaks , ” Fauci said .
Fauci appeared before the Senate as Donald Trump declared that the US had “ prevailed ” in the struggle to stand up its testing program , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci warned against reopening the country before local benchmarks , including robust testing and contact tracing , had been put in place .
In most areas in the US , testing for asymptomatic people is rare , and contact tracing is extremely limited .
He said : “ There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you might not be able to control .
Not only leading to some suffering and death , but it could even set you back on the road to get economic recovery.
” Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984 and has become a trusted public figure .
In response to a question from the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders , Fauci said the official death toll of about 80,000 in the US was probably low .
“ Most of us feel that the number of deaths are likely higher than that number , ” he said .
In New York City in particular , he said : “ There may have been people who died at home , who did have Covid , who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got to the hospital.
” As part of Trump ’ s urging American schools and businesses to reopen , the White House has set a target of having 100m vaccine doses by the autumn .
Fauci dismissed that goal , saying neither a vaccine nor drug treatment would be available in time to facilitate the reopening of schools in the fall .
Fauci said : “ In this case , the idea of having treatments available , or a vaccine , to facilitate re-entry would be something that would be a bit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top speed we ’ re going , we don ’ t see a vaccine playing a role in the ability of individuals in going back to school this term.
” He warned against opening schools on the assumption that children are safe from the disease , noting the recent documentation of a strange inflammatory syndrome in some child cases .
Fauci said : “ I think we better be very careful , if we are not cavalier , in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects.
” The hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which conducted business via videoconference .
It did not always go smoothly : Senator Rand Paul momentarily fell victim to noisy feedback and multiple senators had to repeat questions for the witnesses .
The health committee chair , Lamar Alexander , ran the meeting from his home in Tennessee , with a backdrop of heavy exposed timber beams and a large stone hearth , having self-isolated on news of a staffer testing positive .
Sanders spoke from a home office with a poster for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the background @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half wearing face coverings , were spaced 6ft apart from one another and from aides .
Large bottles of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes were close at hand .
Fauci testified remotely , after placing himself in a form of quarantine over the weekend .
He said he had come into contact with a White House staffer who tested positive for the coronavirus .
A valet to the president and Mike Pence ’ s press spokeswoman have tested positive for the virus in recent days , as have senior military advisers .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary , Kayleigh McEnany , confirmed that Pence will “ keep his distance ” from Trump “ for a few days ” .
“ I would just note that that ’ s his personal decision , ” McEnany said , adding that how long Pence will continue to keep his distance will be up to him .
In the Senate hearing , Dr Stephen Hahn of the Food and Drug Administration and Dr Robert Redfield of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also testified remotely .

Tom McCarthy, Lauren Gambino  and Adam Gabbatt

Dr Anthony Fauci, the government’s top public health expert, warned in Senate testimony on Tuesday that the official coronavirus death toll in the US is an undercount, and that “the consequences could be really serious” if America relaxes safeguards against Covid-19 too abruptly.
“My concern it that we will start to see little spikes that will turn into outbreaks,” Fauci said.
Fauci appeared before the Senate as Donald Trump declared that the US had “prevailed” in the struggle to stand up its testing program, and encouraged businesses and schools to reopen.
Fauci warned against reopening the country before local benchmarks, including robust testing and contact tracing, had been put in place. In most areas in the US, testing for asymptomatic people is rare, and contact tracing is extremely limited.
He said: “There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you might not be able to control. Not only leading to some suffering and death, but it could even set you back on the road to get economic recovery.”
Fauci, 79, has led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984 and has become a trusted public figure.
In response to a question from the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, Fauci said the official death toll of about 80,000 in the US was probably low.
“Most of us feel that the number of deaths are likely higher than that number,” he said.
In New York City in particular, he said: “There may have been people who died at home, who did have Covid, who were not counted as Covid because they never got to the hospital.”
As part of Trump’s urging American schools and businesses to reopen, the White House has set a target of having 100m vaccine doses by the autumn. Fauci dismissed that goal, saying neither a vaccine nor drug treatment would be available in time to facilitate the reopening of schools in the fall.
Fauci said: “In this case, the idea of having treatments available, or a vaccine, to facilitate re-entry would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far. Even at the top speed we’re going, we don’t see a vaccine playing a role in the ability of individuals in going back to school this term.”
He warned against opening schools on the assumption that children are safe from the disease, noting the recent documentation of a strange inflammatory syndrome in some child cases.
Fauci said: “I think we better be very careful, if we are not cavalier, in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects.”
The hearing was an unprecedented experiment by the Senate, which conducted business via videoconference. It did not always go smoothly: Senator Rand Paul momentarily fell victim to noisy feedback and multiple senators had to repeat questions for the witnesses.
The health committee chair, Lamar Alexander, ran the meeting from his home in Tennessee, with a backdrop of heavy exposed timber beams and a large stone hearth, having self-isolated on news of a staffer testing positive. Sanders spoke from a home office with a poster for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the background.
Senators in the room, about half wearing face coverings, were spaced 6ft apart from one another and from aides. Large bottles of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes were close at hand.
Fauci testified remotely, after placing himself in a form of quarantine over the weekend. He said he had come into contact with a White House staffer who tested positive for the coronavirus. A valet to the president and Mike Pence’s press spokeswoman have tested positive for the virus in recent days, as have senior military advisers.
On Monday afternoon, the White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, confirmed that Pence will “keep his distance” from Trump “for a few days”.
“I would just note that that’s his personal decision,” McEnany said, adding that how long Pence will continue to keep his distance will be up to him.
In the Senate hearing, Dr Stephen Hahn of the Food and Drug Administration and Dr Robert Redfield of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also testified remotely.


theguardian--2020-05-12--Trump accused of racism after clash with Asian American reporter

Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to seek to continue a confrontation with a CBS News reporter which led to the president being accused of being racist towards Asian Americans .
Seeming to tweet in response to the incident involving Weijia Jiang on Monday evening , Trump wrote without offering evidence : “ Asian Americans are VERY angry at what China has done to our Country , and the World .
Chinese Americans are the most angry of all .
I don ’ t blame them !
” At a briefing in the White House Rose Garden , Jiang asked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrongly , as he did again on Tuesday – that the US is performing better than other countries in terms of testing for coronavirus .
“ Why does that matter ?
” asked the reporter , who was born in China and came to the US at the age of two .
“ Why is this a global competition when , every day , Americans are still losing their lives ?
” “ They ’ re losing their lives everywhere in the world , ” Trump said .
“ And maybe that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Don ’ t ask me , ask China that question , OK ?
” The president called on another reporter but she paused as Jiang interjected : “ Sir , why are you saying that to me , specifically ?
” The president replied : “ I am not saying it specifically to anybody .
I am saying it to anybody who would ask a nasty question like that.
” The CBS reporter said : “ That is not a nasty question.
” His comment was condemned as racist by some commentators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from California , tweeted : “ Asian Americans are Americans .
Some of us served on active duty in the US military .
Some are on the frontlines fighting this pandemic as paramedics and healthcare workers .
Some are reporters like [ Jiang ] .
Stop dividing our nation.
” Trump has clashed with Jiang before , and has been widely criticised for attacking female reporters , women of colour among them .
On Tuesday , CBS News said in a statement : “ We fully support Weijia Jiang , the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News .
Their work is critical to democracy and furthers understanding for the American public every day.
” The coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan province , in China .
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland , there have been around 4.3 m cases worldwide and 287,000 deaths .
More than 80,000 have died in the US but Trump is seeking to reopen shuttered state economies , even as his top public health adviser warns that to do so “ will only result in needless suffering and death ” .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame China for the crisis , referring to the virus , known as Sars-CoV-2 , as the Wuhan or Chinese virus .
Aides including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and supporters of the president have also claimed without offering evidence that the virus originated in a Chinese government laboratory .
World health experts think it much more likely the virus originated in bats and reached humans via consumption .
Civil rights groups have expressed concern about Trump ’ s comments about China and the virus and the effect they may have on public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , American Civil Liberties Union deputy legal director Cecillia Wang wrote that attempts to blame China “ run against the advice of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control [ and Prevention ] that such labels lead to dangerous scapegoating and widespread ignorance , just when accurate public health information is critically needed .
“ In propagating this smear , these officials have fomented racism and overt acts of harassment and violence against Asian Americans .
”

Adam Gabbatt in New York and David Smith in Washington

Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to seek to continue a confrontation with a CBS News reporter which led to the president being accused of being racist towards Asian Americans.
Seeming to tweet in response to the incident involving Weijia Jiang on Monday evening, Trump wrote without offering evidence: “Asian Americans are VERY angry at what China has done to our Country, and the World. Chinese Americans are the most angry of all. I don’t blame them!”
At a briefing in the White House Rose Garden, Jiang asked the president why he continues to claim – wrongly, as he did again on Tuesday – that the US is performing better than other countries in terms of testing for coronavirus.
“Why does that matter?” asked the reporter, who was born in China and came to the US at the age of two. “Why is this a global competition when, every day, Americans are still losing their lives?”
“They’re losing their lives everywhere in the world,” Trump said. “And maybe that’s a question you should ask China. Don’t ask me, ask China that question, OK?”
The president called on another reporter but she paused as Jiang interjected: “Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically?”
The president replied: “I am not saying it specifically to anybody. I am saying it to anybody who would ask a nasty question like that.”
The CBS reporter said: “That is not a nasty question.”
Trump then abruptly ended the briefing.
His comment was condemned as racist by some commentators.
The Democratic congressman Ted Lieu, from California, tweeted: “Asian Americans are Americans. Some of us served on active duty in the US military. Some are on the frontlines fighting this pandemic as paramedics and healthcare workers. Some are reporters like [Jiang]. Stop dividing our nation.”
Trump has clashed with Jiang before, and has been widely criticised for attacking female reporters, women of colour among them.
On Tuesday, CBS News said in a statement: “We fully support Weijia Jiang, the White House team, and every journalist at CBS News. Their work is critical to democracy and furthers understanding for the American public every day.”
The coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan province, in China. According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, there have been around 4.3 m cases worldwide and 287,000 deaths.
More than 80,000 have died in the US but Trump is seeking to reopen shuttered state economies, even as his top public health adviser warns that to do so “will only result in needless suffering and death”.
The president and his administration have sought to blame China for the crisis, referring to the virus, known as Sars-CoV-2, as the Wuhan or Chinese virus.
Aides including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and supporters of the president have also claimed without offering evidence that the virus originated in a Chinese government laboratory. World health experts think it much more likely the virus originated in bats and reached humans via consumption.
04:30 How Trump has berated, insulted and demeaned female reporters – video
Civil rights groups have expressed concern about Trump’s comments about China and the virus and the effect they may have on public behaviour towards minority groups.
In April, American Civil Liberties Union deputy legal director Cecillia Wang wrote that attempts to blame China “run against the advice of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control [and Prevention] that such labels lead to dangerous scapegoating and widespread ignorance, just when accurate public health information is critically needed.
“In propagating this smear, these officials have fomented racism and overt acts of harassment and violence against Asian Americans.”


theguardian--2020-05-12--McConnell tells Obama to 'keep his mouth shut' after Trump criticism

In an extraordinary statement against a former president , the Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has told Barack Obama to “ keep his mouth shut ” over criticism of Donald Trump , calling him “ classless ” .
Last week , remarks by Obama were leaked to Yahoo News that were highly critical about Trump and his administration , seeming to break a convention in US politics that former occupants of the White House rarely criticize their successors .
Speaking to alumni of his administration , Obama said he was worried about the “ rule of law ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s decision to drop its case against the former national security adviser Michael Flynn .
That ’ s the issue at the heart of Trump ’ s attempts to gin up an “ Obamagate ” scandal , which on Tuesday morning he again claimed “ makes Watergate look small time !
” Obama also said the response to the coronavirus pandemic had been “ an absolute chaotic disaster ” .
McConnell was speaking to Trump ’ s daughter-in-law Lara Trump in an online fundraiser on Monday night .
Asked about Obama “ slamming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus outbreak , he said : “ I think President Obama should have kept his mouth shut .
“ You know , we know he doesn ’ t like much this administration is doing .
That ’ s understandable .
But I think it ’ s a little bit classless frankly to critique an administration that comes after you.
” He added : “ You had your shot .
You were there for eight years .
I think the tradition that the Bushes set up of not critiquing the president who comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a tradition of former presidents not commenting on or attacking their successors in the Oval Office , but Trump is not part of the informal club which currently includes Obama , George W Bush , Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter , and he has regularly attacked those who went before him .
Plus , Obama ’ s views of Trump are pretty well known , if usually by indirect routes and leaks to the press .
For example , in a Hulu documentary about Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 campaign against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is seen to say the then president thinks Trump is a fascist .
In the remarks leaked to Yahoo News , Obama said he would be hitting the campaign trail for Joe Biden this fall to help him try to unseat Trump and make him a one-term president .
Biden leads Trump in key swing states and national polling and McConnell is also presiding over a Senate majority that now looks increasingly at risk as Republican popularity dips .

In an extraordinary statement against a former president, the Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has told Barack Obama to “keep his mouth shut” over criticism of Donald Trump, calling him “classless”.
Last week, remarks by Obama were leaked to Yahoo News that were highly critical about Trump and his administration, seeming to break a convention in US politics that former occupants of the White House rarely criticize their successors.
Speaking to alumni of his administration, Obama said he was worried about the “rule of law”, in light of the justice department’s decision to drop its case against the former national security adviser Michael Flynn. That’s the issue at the heart of Trump’s attempts to gin up an “Obamagate” scandal, which on Tuesday morning he again claimed “makes Watergate look small time!”
Obama also said the response to the coronavirus pandemic had been “an absolute chaotic disaster”.
McConnell was speaking to Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump in an online fundraiser on Monday night.
Asked about Obama “slamming” the administration for its response to the coronavirus outbreak, he said: “I think President Obama should have kept his mouth shut.
“You know, we know he doesn’t like much this administration is doing. That’s understandable. But I think it’s a little bit classless frankly to critique an administration that comes after you.”
He added: “You had your shot. You were there for eight years. I think the tradition that the Bushes set up of not critiquing the president who comes after you is a good tradition.”
There is a tradition of former presidents not commenting on or attacking their successors in the Oval Office, but Trump is not part of the informal club which currently includes Obama, George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, and he has regularly attacked those who went before him.
Plus, Obama’s views of Trump are pretty well known, if usually by indirect routes and leaks to the press. For example, in a Hulu documentary about Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign against Trump, the Virginia senator Tim Kaine is seen to say the then president thinks Trump is a fascist.
In the remarks leaked to Yahoo News, Obama said he would be hitting the campaign trail for Joe Biden this fall to help him try to unseat Trump and make him a one-term president. Biden leads Trump in key swing states and national polling and McConnell is also presiding over a Senate majority that now looks increasingly at risk as Republican popularity dips.


theguardian--2020-05-12--Anthony Fauci: 'serious consequences' if US exits lockdown too early – video

Dr Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , has warned of serious @ @ @ @ @ before building capacity to deal with new Covid-19 outbreaks • Global report : Anthony Fauci @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 taskforce members to self-quarantine

Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has warned of serious consequences if US states reopen before building capacity to deal with new Covid-19 outbreaks


theguardian--2020-05-13--'Big Gretch': how the pandemic pushed Michigan's governor into the spotlight

On Monday morning , Detroit local media reported on assassination threats made by members of rightwing Facebook groups against Michigan ’ s governor , Gretchen Whitmer .
That afternoon , Whitmer addressed the tense situation by taking aim at largely silent Republicans in the legislature .
“ This could be avoided if Republican leadership in the legislature would step up and denounce that kind of activity , if there was anyone on the other side of the aisle that would do that , ” Whitmer said .
Whitmer ’ s tough response to Republicans represented a dramatic shift in approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known for a centrist governing style and political compromises – not confrontation – with her opponents .
But Whitmer now finds herself thrust into the national spotlight , the target of attacks from the White House and at the center of a storm of protest by armed groups , some of whom have taken their weapons right into the state capitol .
As Whitmer ’ s state has been hit hard by the pandemic , she has become a rising figure in the Democratic party , mentioned as a possible running mate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump ’ s Twitter rants .
Of course , Michigan ’ s position as a key battleground state in the 2020 election also helps boost her profile .
The governor ’ s strict stay-at-home order was implemented to lower one of the nation ’ s highest Covid-19 rates and drew strong criticism from some conservatives .
However , it successfully flattened the curve of the pandemic .
Her success , and the threats against her , have made her name .
“ She ’ s thriving , she relishes the challenge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political analyst .
“ The fact is , most of the population at this point is behind her and is giving her the benefit of the doubt .
She ’ s been strong , forceful , and articulate , but will they feel that way six months from now ?
There ’ s a lot more water to flow over the dam before we can reach that conclusion.
” Whitmer was born into a Michigan political family and abandoned an early desire to go into TV journalism for a career in government .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislature in 2000 and became the first woman to head a party caucus in the state senate .
She won the governor ’ s race in 2018 , campaigning to “ fix the damn roads ” and promising to work with Republicans .
For now , Whitmer ’ s policies and relatively bold approach to the coronavirus crisis are popular among her constituents .
The latest polling shows 72 % of Michiganders approve of how she ’ s handled the situation .
That point might get a little lost in the loud protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her orders amid complaints about economic stress .
Protesters at recent demonstrations waved Confederate flags and held up Nazi imagery and nooses .
But even as Whitmer criticized Republican leaders , she has defended protesters ’ right to demonstrate .
She did so as Trump fanned the flames of the anti-lockdown movement .
The president praised the protesters as “ very good people ” and urged Whitmer to “ make a deal ” with them ; in March he attempted to denigrate her as “ that woman from Michigan ” .
The effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped propel Whitmer further into the national conversation .
Last week , the governor , who has spoken about being a survivor of sexual assault , raised some eyebrows when she defended Biden from sexual assault allegations .
Meanwhile , she has become something of a media darling , with regular appearances on late night television and cable news programs .
Some of her fans in Detroit affectionately dubbed her “ Big Gretch ” , including the hip-hop artist GmacCash , who penned a song about Whitmer ’ s response .
Is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national Democratic figure who ’ s viewed as a villain by Trump ?
No , she told the the Daily podcast in late April , because she fears that the president will withhold resources for Michigan .
“ I was thrown into the spotlight by being criticized or attacked by the president of the United States .
I didn ’ t ask for that .
I didn ’ t like it , ” she said .
“ I would hate for anyone in Michigan to not have the help they need because I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

On Monday morning, Detroit local media reported on assassination threats made by members of rightwing Facebook groups against Michigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer. That afternoon, Whitmer addressed the tense situation by taking aim at largely silent Republicans in the legislature.
“This could be avoided if Republican leadership in the legislature would step up and denounce that kind of activity, if there was anyone on the other side of the aisle that would do that,” Whitmer said.
Whitmer’s tough response to Republicans represented a dramatic shift in approach for a mostly conservative Democratic leader previously known for a centrist governing style and political compromises – not confrontation – with her opponents.
But Whitmer now finds herself thrust into the national spotlight, the target of attacks from the White House and at the center of a storm of protest by armed groups, some of whom have taken their weapons right into the state capitol.
As Whitmer’s state has been hit hard by the pandemic, she has become a rising figure in the Democratic party, mentioned as a possible running mate to Joe Biden and a frequent subject of Donald Trump’s Twitter rants. Of course, Michigan’s position as a key battleground state in the 2020 election also helps boost her profile.
The governor’s strict stay-at-home order was implemented to lower one of the nation’s highest Covid-19 rates and drew strong criticism from some conservatives. However, it successfully flattened the curve of the pandemic. Her success, and the threats against her, have made her name.
“She’s thriving, she relishes the challenge,” said Bill Ballenger, a state political analyst. “The fact is, most of the population at this point is behind her and is giving her the benefit of the doubt. She’s been strong, forceful, and articulate, but will they feel that way six months from now? There’s a lot more water to flow over the dam before we can reach that conclusion.”
Whitmer was born into a Michigan political family and abandoned an early desire to go into TV journalism for a career in government. She was first elected to the local legislature in 2000 and became the first woman to head a party caucus in the state senate. She won the governor’s race in 2018, campaigning to “fix the damn roads” and promising to work with Republicans.
For now, Whitmer’s policies and relatively bold approach to the coronavirus crisis are popular among her constituents. The latest polling shows 72% of Michiganders approve of how she’s handled the situation.
That point might get a little lost in the loud protests of conservative and militia groups who oppose her orders amid complaints about economic stress. Protesters at recent demonstrations waved Confederate flags and held up Nazi imagery and nooses. But even as Whitmer criticized Republican leaders, she has defended protesters’ right to demonstrate.
Protesters at the Michigan state capitol in Lansing on 30 April. Photograph: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images
She did so as Trump fanned the flames of the anti-lockdown movement. The president praised the protesters as “very good people” and urged Whitmer to “make a deal” with them; in March he attempted to denigrate her as “that woman from Michigan”. The effort, however, largely backfired as it helped propel Whitmer further into the national conversation. Last week, the governor, who has spoken about being a survivor of sexual assault, raised some eyebrows when she defended Biden from sexual assault allegations.
Meanwhile, she has become something of a media darling, with regular appearances on late night television and cable news programs. Some of her fans in Detroit affectionately dubbed her “Big Gretch”, including the hip-hop artist GmacCash, who penned a song about Whitmer’s response.
Is the governor enjoying her newfound status as a national Democratic figure who’s viewed as a villain by Trump? No, she told the the Daily podcast in late April, because she fears that the president will withhold resources for Michigan.
“I was thrown into the spotlight by being criticized or attacked by the president of the United States. I didn’t ask for that. I didn’t like it,” she said. “I would hate for anyone in Michigan to not have the help they need because I’m not popular with the president.”


theguardian--2020-05-13--US nursing homes seek legal immunity as Covid-19 spreads ‘like brushfire’

The US nursing home industry is clamoring for legal immunity during the coronavirus pandemic , even as horror stories from hard-hit facilities enrage families , consumer advocates and the American public .
Healthcare organizations insist liability protections are essential for under-resourced nursing homes fighting against Covid-19 , while an already staggering death toll continues to climb .
Tricia Neuman , senior vice-president of the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation , said : “ The liability issue is exposing a longstanding tension between consumer advocates , who want to see the standards enforced , and owners , who are worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The US “ ground zero ” for the virus was a nursing home outside of Seattle .
Once the country became a global hotspot , elderly Americans suffered .
In some states , nursing homes have accounted for a majority of Covid-19 deaths as facilities scrambled to adapt .
Critics say the virus has ravaged nursing homes “ like a brushfire ” , partly because of the industry ’ s disastrous track record with infection control , but also because of staffing and resource deficiencies that long predate Covid-19 .
Toby Edelman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Medicare Advocacy , said : “ It ’ s a population at risk , but this industry has a lot of serious problems that led to these enormous outbreaks in nursing homes .
So I don ’ t think they can just say : ‘ It ’ s not our fault , we didn ’ t have equipment.
’ “ They were supposed to have that equipment .
This isn ’ t new.
” Some nursing homes have also faced criticism for their responses to Covid-19 that have only fanned the outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform , said : “ Facilities mostly don ’ t want to flag that they have the virus even when it ’ s killing residents , because it ’ s such a publicity problem , it ’ s such a business problem , and they are for-profit enterprises.
” Nearly 70 % of US nursing homes are for-profit , and the industry has a reputation for lackluster performance around infection control .
In all longterm care facilities , which include nursing homes , somewhere between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annually , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Hundreds of thousands of people die from infections each year , even when not in the grip of a pandemic .
“ Our members are working hard to do the right thing and are focused on their missions of providing care .
They are on the front lines of fighting coronavirus and are full partners with hospitals and other providers , ” Katie Smith Sloan , the president and CEO of LeadingAge , an association for nonprofits providing services to older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards of care evolve and change rapidly ; providers ’ access to needed personal protective equipment and testing is limited and often insufficient.
” State officials have been quick to let nursing homes off the hook for decisions made in the midst of the public health emergency .
Through a hodgepodge of laws and executive orders , at least 21 states have granted some form of civil immunity to healthcare providers , according to a tally sent to the Guardian by National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care – though in a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunity extends to nursing homes .
Smith Sloan wrote : “ States recognize that providers require legal protection as a result of actions related to combating the Covid-19 pandemic .
LeadingAge … is pursuing protections on the federal level with a coalition asking for uniform and consistent relief as well.
” Some states are including immunity from criminal liability , but policies do generally make exceptions for especially egregious treatment , including willful misconduct or gross negligence .
Richard Mollot , executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition , said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area of potential accountability when residents are most vulnerable to me is dumbfounding and dangerous.
” For some public health experts , however , the issue is not so cut and dried .
They describe nursing homes as a sector in chronic need of reform that is nevertheless “ the safety net of the safety net ” for vulnerable people .
Experts acknowledge that the industry is filled with deficiencies , and is based upon a broken business model that struggles in the face of a pandemic .
But they also say nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a public health crisis that has disproportionately targeted their patient populations .
Michael L Barnett , a professor at the Harvard school of public health , said : “ Putting a nursing home out of business because somebody died is really punishing at the wrong level , because certainly there are nursing homes that probably did not act responsibly , or they may have ignored the threat .
But so did many government agencies.
” Instead of lawsuits , experts are advocating for immediate reinforcements in testing , personal protective equipment ( PPE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fixes for longterm care .
They suggest payment reform , so nursing homes are not dependent on fickle revenue streams to subsidize their Medicaid patients .
Mildred Solomon , president of the Hastings Center , warned against the “ blitzkrieg of lawsuits ” that these immunity measures mean to avoid .
She said : “ I think we have to hold our fire , not put our energy into finger-wagging and blaming .
And put more emphasis on stronger regulations , with teeth .
”

The US nursing home industry is clamoring for legal immunity during the coronavirus pandemic, even as horror stories from hard-hit facilities enrage families, consumer advocates and the American public.
Healthcare organizations insist liability protections are essential for under-resourced nursing homes fighting against Covid-19, while an already staggering death toll continues to climb.
Tricia Neuman, senior vice-president of the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation, said: “The liability issue is exposing a longstanding tension between consumer advocates, who want to see the standards enforced, and owners, who are worried about the financial implications of a lawsuit.”
The US “ground zero” for the virus was a nursing home outside of Seattle. Once the country became a global hotspot, elderly Americans suffered. In some states, nursing homes have accounted for a majority of Covid-19 deaths as facilities scrambled to adapt.
Critics say the virus has ravaged nursing homes “like a brushfire”, partly because of the industry’s disastrous track record with infection control, but also because of staffing and resource deficiencies that long predate Covid-19.
Toby Edelman, a senior policy attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy, said: “It’s a population at risk, but this industry has a lot of serious problems that led to these enormous outbreaks in nursing homes. So I don’t think they can just say: ‘It’s not our fault, we didn’t have equipment.’
“They were supposed to have that equipment. This isn’t new.”
Some nursing homes have also faced criticism for their responses to Covid-19 that have only fanned the outbreaks’ flames.
Mike Dark, a staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, said: “Facilities mostly don’t want to flag that they have the virus even when it’s killing residents, because it’s such a publicity problem, it’s such a business problem, and they are for-profit enterprises.”
Cheyenne Pipkin (left) with her mother Loraine Franks visits her grandfather Jerry Hogan, a Vietnam veteran, at Lindsey Gardens in California. Photograph: Barcroft Media/via Getty Images
Nearly 70% of US nursing homes are for-profit, and the industry has a reputation for lackluster performance around infection control. In all longterm care facilities, which include nursing homes, somewhere between 1m and 3m serious infections are contracted annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hundreds of thousands of people die from infections each year, even when not in the grip of a pandemic.
“Our members are working hard to do the right thing and are focused on their missions of providing care. They are on the front lines of fighting coronavirus and are full partners with hospitals and other providers,” Katie Smith Sloan, the president and CEO of LeadingAge, an association for nonprofits providing services to older people, said.
“Regulations about standards of care evolve and change rapidly; providers’ access to needed personal protective equipment and testing is limited and often insufficient.”
State officials have been quick to let nursing homes off the hook for decisions made in the midst of the public health emergency. Through a hodgepodge of laws and executive orders, at least 21 states have granted some form of civil immunity to healthcare providers, according to a tally sent to the Guardian by National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care – though in a few cases it is not clear if the immunity extends to nursing homes.
Smith Sloan wrote: “States recognize that providers require legal protection as a result of actions related to combating the Covid-19 pandemic. LeadingAge … is pursuing protections on the federal level with a coalition asking for uniform and consistent relief as well.”
Some states are including immunity from criminal liability, but policies do generally make exceptions for especially egregious treatment, including willful misconduct or gross negligence.
Richard Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, said: “To basically take away the one area of potential accountability when residents are most vulnerable to me is dumbfounding and dangerous.”
For some public health experts, however, the issue is not so cut and dried. They describe nursing homes as a sector in chronic need of reform that is nevertheless “the safety net of the safety net” for vulnerable people.
Experts acknowledge that the industry is filled with deficiencies, and is based upon a broken business model that struggles in the face of a pandemic. But they also say nursing homes have been under-prioritized by officials in a public health crisis that has disproportionately targeted their patient populations.
Michael L Barnett, a professor at the Harvard school of public health, said: “Putting a nursing home out of business because somebody died is really punishing at the wrong level, because certainly there are nursing homes that probably did not act responsibly, or they may have ignored the threat. But so did many government agencies.”
Instead of lawsuits, experts are advocating for immediate reinforcements in testing, personal protective equipment (PPE) and staff, followed by permanent fixes for longterm care. They suggest payment reform, so nursing homes are not dependent on fickle revenue streams to subsidize their Medicaid patients.
Mildred Solomon, president of the Hastings Center, warned against the “blitzkrieg of lawsuits” that these immunity measures mean to avoid.
She said: “I think we have to hold our fire, not put our energy into finger-wagging and blaming. And put more emphasis on stronger regulations, with teeth.”


theguardian--2020-05-13--Michael Flynn: judge pauses justice department effort to dismiss case

A federal judge has put the justice department ’ s decision to dismiss a criminal case against Michael Flynn , Donald Trump ’ s former national security adviser , on hold – opening the door for legal experts and other outside parties to oppose the administration ’ s motion to exonerate Flynn of lying to the FBI .
Judge Emmet Sullivan ’ s order is the latest development in the high-profile case , which has led critics , including Barack Obama and hundreds of former FBI and justice department officials , to question whether William Barr , the attorney general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn , a retired general and a close Trump ally , pleaded guilty to a felony charge amid the special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 US election .
The former administration official was charged with lying to the FBI about conversations with the Russian ambassador to the US during the presidential transition period .
In exchange for leniency , Flynn cooperated with Mueller ’ s investigation as part of his plea agreement .
But Flynn sought to change his plea while awaiting sentencing , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The justice department said last week that the FBI had had no basis to question him , and federal prosecutors asked Sullivan to throw out their case against Flynn .
None of the line prosecutors supervising the case signed the motion and one withdrew from the case .
Though lawyers for Flynn asked Sullivan to immediately toss out the charges , Sullivan said he wanted to hear more arguments .
“ Given the posture of the case , ” he said , he anticipated that many outside parties would want to weigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court before .
During a 2018 hearing , he rejected a motion supported by the administration for probation , telling Flynn : “ Arguably , you sold your country out.
” Flynn ’ s defense team said Sullivan ’ s order on Tuesday was prompted by a filing from a group that called itself “ Watergate prosecutors ” that questioned the justice department ’ s actions and suggested that political influence was at play .
Disputing the order , Flynn ’ s defense lawyer Sidney Powell and her co-counsel wrote in a court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for third parties to meddle in the dispute , and certainly not to usurp the role of the government ’ s counsel .
“ This travesty of justice has already consumed three or more years of an innocent man ’ s life – and that of his entire family , ” Powell wrote .
“ No further delay should be tolerated.
” In a leaked web talk , Obama reportedly said the “ rule of law is at risk ” because the justice department dropped charges against Flynn .
The chair of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a New York Democrat , called the decision “ outrageous ” and said he intended to call Barr to testify about the handling of the case .
“ We do not believe this case should have been brought , we are correcting that and we certainly hope that in the interest of true justice , that the judge ultimately agrees and drops the case against Gen Flynn , ” said Kerri Kupec , a justice department spokesperson , in an interview Fox News on Tuesday evening .
The justice department did not immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment .

A federal judge has put the justice department’s decision to dismiss a criminal case against Michael Flynn, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, on hold – opening the door for legal experts and other outside parties to oppose the administration’s motion to exonerate Flynn of lying to the FBI.
Judge Emmet Sullivan’s order is the latest development in the high-profile case, which has led critics, including Barack Obama and hundreds of former FBI and justice department officials, to question whether William Barr, the attorney general, was orchestrating favors for Trump.
Flynn, a retired general and a close Trump ally, pleaded guilty to a felony charge amid the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 US election. The former administration official was charged with lying to the FBI about conversations with the Russian ambassador to the US during the presidential transition period. In exchange for leniency, Flynn cooperated with Mueller’s investigation as part of his plea agreement.
But Flynn sought to change his plea while awaiting sentencing, as the president floated the idea of a pardon.
The justice department said last week that the FBI had had no basis to question him, and federal prosecutors asked Sullivan to throw out their case against Flynn. None of the line prosecutors supervising the case signed the motion and one withdrew from the case.
When Flynn was forced from the White House, Vice-President Mike Pence said he was disappointed the national security adviser had misled him about his talks with the Russian ambassador. President Donald Trump called the deception unacceptable.
Now Pence says he would welcome Flynn back to the administration, calling him a “patriot”, as Trump pronounces him exonerated.
And the DoJ’s move to dismiss the criminal case against Flynn marks another step in his transformation, in the eyes of Trump and his allies, from rogue adviser to victim of runaway law enforcement.
The dismissal rewrites the narrative of the case that Trump’s own justice department had advanced for the last three years in a way that former law enforcement officials say downplays the legitimate national security concerns they believe Flynn posed and the consequences of the lies he pleaded guilty to telling.
It’s been swept up in a broader push by Trump and his Republican allies to reframe the Russia investigation as a “deep state” plot to sabotage his administration, setting the stage for a fresh onslaught of election year attacks on past and present Democratic officials and law enforcement leaders.
“His goal is that by the end of this, you’re just not really sure what happened and at some gut level enough Americans say, ‘It’s kind of messy,’” said the Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer.
Scrambling to manage the coronavirus crisis and economic crash, Trump has been eager to shift the focus elsewhere.
He has repeatedly called Flynn “exonerated” and pushed the development as evidence of what he deemed “Obamagate”, an allegation the previous administration tried to undermine him during the presidential transition.
Though lawyers for Flynn asked Sullivan to immediately toss out the charges, following the DoJ’s move, Sullivan said he wanted to hear more arguments. “Given the posture of the case,” he said, he expected that many outside parties would want to weigh in.
Sullivan has questioned Flynn in court before. During a 2018 hearing, he rejected a motion supported by the administration for probation, telling Flynn: “Arguably, you sold your country out.”
Flynn’s defense team said Sullivan’s order on Tuesday was prompted by a filing from a group that called itself “Watergate prosecutors” that questioned the justice department’s actions and suggested that political influence was at play.
Disputing the order, Flynn’s defense lawyer Sidney Powell and her co-counsel wrote in a court filing: “There is no place for third parties to meddle in the dispute, and certainly not to usurp the role of the government’s counsel.
“This travesty of justice has already consumed three or more years of an innocent man’s life – and that of his entire family,” Powell wrote. “No further delay should be tolerated.”
In a leaked web talk, Obama reportedly said the “rule of law is at risk” because the justice department dropped charges against Flynn. The chair of the House judiciary committee, Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, called the decision “outrageous” and said he intended to call Barr to testify about the handling of the case.
“We do not believe this case should have been brought, we are correcting that and we certainly hope that in the interest of true justice, that the judge ultimately agrees and drops the case against Gen Flynn,” said Kerri Kupec, a justice department spokeswoman, in an interview Fox News on Tuesday evening.
The justice department did not immediately respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.
Trump has increasingly lashed out in the year since Robert Mueller’s report did not exonerate the president but also did not accuse him of a crime or allege a criminal conspiracy between his campaign and Russia.
The acting director of national intelligence, Richard Grenell, declassified a list of names of Obama officials who reportedly asked for Flynn’s identity to be un-redacted in intelligence documents.
Republicans have generated a “thick fog of propaganda,” said the Democratic representative Jamie Raskin.
“Trump and his enablers in Congress have a strategy of never admitting anything and always going on the attack,” he said.
Agencies contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-05-14--Trump deepens 'Obamagate' conspiracy theory with Biden unmasking move

Donald Trump has ratcheted up his “ Obamagate ” conspiracy theory to implicate Joe Biden and other former White House officials in what critics say is a desperate attempt to distract from the coronavirus pandemic .
Ric Grenell , the acting director of national intelligence , on Wednesday sent Congress a list of high-ranking Obama administration members he alleged were involved in the “ unmasking ” of retired general Michael Flynn , in intelligence reports dating from the presidential transition .
“ Sideshow to distract from the shitshow , ” tweeted David Plouffe , a former Obama campaign manager .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” observed Matthew Miller , an ex-justice department spokesperson .
Trump ’ s aggressive tactic looks set to deepen fears that he will stop at nothing to damage Obama and his vice-president , Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee .
It also provides a counter-narrative to criticism of Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic , which has killed more than 80,000 in the US .
Fox News and Fox Business have mentioned Flynn and the FBI more frequently than the virus in recent days , according to data compiled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GDELT .
Grenell , a Trump ally , declassified and sent the list of names to Republican senators .
“ I am providing a revised list of identities of any officials who submitted requests to the National Security Agency at any point between 8 November 2016 and 31 January 2017 to unmask the identity of former National Security Adviser , Lieutenant General Michael T Flynn , ” read a memo from Gen Paul Nakasone , director of the National Security Agency , released by Grenell .
Unmasking is a routine practice used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an intelligence document .
It takes place hundreds of times a year , without controversy .
Flynn was under scrutiny because of his conversations with the Russian ambassador about sanctions .
The list of officials released by Grenell includes former ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power , former director of national intelligence James Clapper , former FBI director James Comey and former CIA director John Brennan .
The last name on the list , from 12 January 2017 , is Biden .
The Trump campaign seized on the document .
Brad Parscale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We already knew Biden was briefed on the Flynn case before President Trump took office and now we know that he wanted Flynn unmasked .
Americans have a right to know the depth of Biden ’ s involvement in the setup of Gen Flynn to further the Russia collusion hoax.
” Republicans demanded further investigation .
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said : “ The unmasking of Gen Flynn by the Obama administration regarding conversations during the presidential transition [ is ] deeply troubling and smell [ s ] of politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I specifically want to know how many unmasking requests were made , if any , beyond Gen Flynn regarding members of the Trump campaign team , family , or associates.
” Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said : “ I am greatly disturbed by the shocking information my office received today that gives a window into possible abuses of power motivated by political decisions … “ I call upon the Senate to immediately hold hearings .
Clapper , Comey , Brennan and even Joe Biden owe it to the American people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump himself has struggled to articulate his “ Obamagate ” conspiracy theory .
Essentially it holds that Obama , Biden , Clapper , Comey and others plotted against Trump by concocting a hoax allegation that he colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election .
Among those it contends were “ framed ” is Flynn .
Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about discussing sanctions with the Russian ambassador between the election and Trump ’ s inauguration .
He was fired as national security adviser for lying to Vice-President Mike Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seized on disclosed FBI documents .
One handwritten note from the FBI ’ s then director of counterintelligence said : “ What ’ s our goal ?
Truth/Admission or to get him to lie , so we can prosecute him or get him fired ?
” Last week the justice department said it would seek to drop charges against Flynn , contending that the FBI had insufficient grounds for interviewing him and that any imperfect statements he made were not material to the broader counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign .
The decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule of law is at risk ” , in a leaked tape which may partly explain Trump ’ s current crusade .
In a statement , a Biden spokesman , Andrew Bates , said : “ Donald Trump ’ s attempt at dishonest media manipulation to distract from his response to the worst public health crisis in 100 years has backfired .
“ These documents simply indicate the breadth and depth of concern across the American government – including among career officials – over intelligence reports of Michael Flynn ’ s attempts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused Republicans of “ abusing their congressional powers to act as arms of the Trump campaign after having [ documents ] provided by a partisan official installed for this very purpose ” .
While the the investigation into links between Moscow and the Trump campaign started under Obama , the special counsel Robert Mueller was appointed by Rod Rosenstein , Trump ’ s own deputy attorney general .
While he did not establish a conspiracy , Mueller did find evidence of numerous contacts between the campaign and Russia and did not exonerate Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s claim that Obama and the FBI tried to take him down .
The president ’ s allies have struggled to explain why the FBI reopened a damaging investigation into his opponent Hillary Clinton just before the election .
Nevertheless , Trump has spent the past few days pushing the word “ OBAMAGATE ” and describing it as “ the biggest political crime in American history ” .
Asked by a Washington Post reporter on Monday to define his predecessor ’ s exact offence , he answered : “ You know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very obvious to everybody .
All you have to do is read the newspapers , except yours.
” David Frum , a former speechwriter for George W Bush , tweeted : “ ‘ Obama-gate ’ is basically Al Capone trying to indict the IRS for tax evasion.
” Susan Hennessey , a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington , tweeted : “ The latest right-wing attempt to gin up a fictitious scandal would be laughable if it weren ’ t actually a grotesque attempt to distract from 83,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inept president rage tweets and interjects helpful suggestions like drinking bleach .
”

Donald Trump has ratcheted up his “Obamagate” conspiracy theory to implicate Joe Biden and other former White House officials in what critics say is a desperate attempt to distract from the coronavirus pandemic.
Richard Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence, on Wednesday sent Congress a list of high-ranking Obama administration members he alleged were involved in the “unmasking” of retired general Michael Flynn, in intelligence reports dating from the presidential transition.
Alumni of Barack Obama’s staff gave the move short shrift.
“Sideshow to distract from the shitshow,” tweeted David Plouffe, a former Obama campaign manager.
“Rather talk about unmasking than masks,” observed Matthew Miller, an ex-justice department spokesman.
Trump’s aggressive tactic looks set to deepen fears that he will stop at nothing to damage Obama and his vice-president, Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
It also provides a counter-narrative to criticism of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, which has killed more than 80,000 in the US. Fox News and Fox Business have mentioned Flynn and the FBI more frequently than the virus in recent days, according to data compiled by the Internet Archive and analysed by GDELT.
Grenell, a Trump ally, declassified and sent the list of names to Republican senators.
“I am providing a revised list of identities of any officials who submitted requests to the National Security Agency at any point between 8 November 2016 and 31 January 2017 to unmask the identity of former National Security Adviser, Lieutenant General Michael T Flynn,” read a memo from Gen Paul Nakasone, director of the National Security Agency, released by Grenell.
Unmasking is a routine practice used to identify a person anonymously referred to in an intelligence document. It takes place hundreds of times a year, without controversy.
Flynn was under scrutiny because of his conversations with the Russian ambassador about sanctions.
The list of officials released by Grenell includes the former ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, former director of national intelligence James Clapper, former FBI director James Comey and former CIA director John Brennan. The last name on the list, from 12 January 2017, is Biden.
The Trump campaign seized on the document. Brad Parscale, his campaign manager, said: “We already knew Biden was briefed on the Flynn case before President Trump took office and now we know that he wanted Flynn unmasked. Americans have a right to know the depth of Biden’s involvement in the set-up of Gen Flynn to further the Russia collusion hoax.”
Republicans demanded further investigation. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said: “The unmasking of Gen Flynn by the Obama administration regarding conversations during the presidential transition [is] deeply troubling and smell[s] of politics, not national security.”
He added: “I specifically want to know how many unmasking requests were made, if any, beyond Gen Flynn regarding members of the Trump campaign team, family or associates.”
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said: “I am greatly disturbed by the shocking information my office received today that gives a window into possible abuses of power motivated by political decisions …
“I call upon the Senate to immediately hold hearings. Clapper, Comey, Brennan and even Joe Biden owe it to the American people. They should testify under oath.”
Trump himself has struggled to articulate his “Obamagate” conspiracy theory. Essentially it holds that Obama, Biden, Clapper, Comey and others plotted against Trump by concocting a hoax allegation that he colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. Among those it contends were “framed” is Flynn.
01:01 'You know what the crime is': Trump stumped on 'Obamagate' details – video
Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about discussing sanctions with the Russian ambassador between the election and Trump’s inauguration. He was fired as national security adviser for lying to Vice-President Mike Pence.
But Trump and his allies have seized on disclosed FBI documents. One handwritten note from the FBI’s then director of counterintelligence said: “What’s our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?”
Last week the justice department said it would seek to drop charges against Flynn, contending that the FBI had insufficient grounds for interviewing him and that any imperfect statements he made were not material to the broader counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign.
The decision prompted Obama to warn that the “rule of law is at risk”, in a leaked tape which may partly explain Trump’s current crusade.
In a statement, a Biden spokesman, Andrew Bates, said: “Donald Trump’s attempt at dishonest media manipulation to distract from his response to the worst public health crisis in 100 years has backfired.
“These documents simply indicate the breadth and depth of concern across the American government – including among career officials – over intelligence reports of Michael Flynn’s attempts to undermine … national security policy.”
Bates accused Republicans of “abusing their congressional powers to act as arms of the Trump campaign after having [documents] provided by a partisan official installed for this very purpose”.
While the the investigation into links between Moscow and the Trump campaign started under Obama, the special counsel Robert Mueller was appointed by Rod Rosenstein, Trump’s own deputy attorney general. While he did not establish a conspiracy, Mueller did find evidence of numerous contacts between the campaign and Russia and did not exonerate Trump.
There is no evidence to support Trump’s claim that Obama and the FBI tried to take him down. The president’s allies have struggled to explain why the FBI reopened a damaging investigation into his opponent Hillary Clinton just before the election.
Nevertheless, Trump has spent the past few days pushing the word “OBAMAGATE” and describing it as “the biggest political crime in American history”.
Asked by a Washington Post reporter on Monday to define his predecessor’s exact offence, he answered: “You know what the crime is. The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours.”
David Frum, a former speechwriter for George W Bush, tweeted: “‘Obama-gate’ is basically Al Capone trying to indict the IRS for tax evasion.”
Susan Hennessey, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington, tweeted: “The latest right-wing attempt to gin up a fictitious scandal would be laughable if it weren’t actually a grotesque attempt to distract from 83,000 American deaths and counting while a criminally inept president rage tweets and interjects helpful suggestions like drinking bleach.”


theguardian--2020-05-14--Wisconsin supreme court strikes down state's stay-at-home order – as it happened

Are children less susceptible to coronavirus ?
There is now a wealth of evidence that children generally experience milder symptoms when they are infected – although there have been rare cases of children becoming seriously ill or even dying .
However , it is not yet clear whether they have a lower chance of catching Covid-19 .
Although fewer children have been picked up in national testing programs , this could be due to fewer being tested .
During the early phase of the epidemic in Europe , adult travelers played a dominant role in seeding infections , which also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that children would have played a less significant role in spreading infections .
Studies on this question give a mixed picture .
One analysis , in the Lancet Infectious Diseases , of households with confirmed Covid-19 in Shenzhen , China , found that children younger than 10 were just as likely as adults to get infected .
However , there is other evidence from South Korea , Italy and Iceland suggesting lower infection rates among children .
Some of the difference could also be down to differences in social mixing .
Why do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many infectious diseases , there is a U-shaped risk curve , with the youngest and oldest in society being most vulnerable .
Covid-19 does not follow this pattern – even toddlers and newborn babies typically only experience mild symptoms .
One theory is that children ’ s lungs might contain fewer of the ACE2 receptors that the virus uses to enter cells .
To confirm this , researchers would need to study tissue samples from children .
Another possibility is that children ’ s immune systems respond in a more optimal way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to get rid of the infection , but without going into overdrive and flooding the body with inflammatory proteins , which are known to sometimes cause problems in adult patients .
Asymptomatic transmission is known to play an important role in the spread of Covid-19 – studies have shown that in general people appear to be at their most infectious in the day or so before symptoms start .
This raises the question of whether children are silent spreaders of the virus .
A recent German study , which compared the viral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one to 100 years old , added weight to this idea .
It found that regardless of age , people appeared to shed a similar level of virus , suggesting they could be equally infectious .
However , a caveat is that the study did not measure real-life transmission in children .
As schools reopen and community transmission is tracked closely in some European countries , a clearer answer on this is likely to emerge in the coming months .

Maanvi Singh, Lauren Aratani and Joanna Walters in New York

13 May 2020 00.56 BST Summary Republicans released a list of officials of high-ranking Obama administration members allegedly involved in the “unmasking” of retired general Michael Flynn, in intelligence reports dating from the presidential transition. Joe Biden, former ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, and former FBI director James Comey were on the list. Democrats criticized the move as a ploy to distract from Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Joe Biden, former ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, and former FBI director James Comey were on the list. Democrats criticized the move as a ploy to distract from Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. A Republican took back the California congressional seat vacated by Katie Hill. Mike Garcia will replace Hill, who resigned amid scandal in 2019 after securing the first Democratic victory in the district in decades. The race gained national attention due to the circumstances around Hill’s departure and because Donald Trump waded into the debate about how to conduct fair elections amid a pandemic.
Mike Garcia will replace Hill, who resigned amid scandal in 2019 after securing the first Democratic victory in the district in decades. The race gained national attention due to the circumstances around Hill’s departure and because Donald Trump waded into the debate about how to conduct fair elections amid a pandemic. The Wisconsin supreme court struck down the governor’s extension of stay-at-home orders through March. Republican legislators challenged the state’s Democratic governor’s decision to keep schools and businesses closed in order to limit the spread of disease, raising concerns about the economic toll. Lawmakers and the governor have until next week to come up with an alternative plan to mitigate the coronavirus crisis.
Republican legislators challenged the state’s Democratic governor’s decision to keep schools and businesses closed in order to limit the spread of disease, raising concerns about the economic toll. Lawmakers and the governor have until next week to come up with an alternative plan to mitigate the coronavirus crisis. New Mexico’s government mandated that all residents wear masks while allowing many retailers and faith centers to reopen as long as they adhere to certain safety measures. Retailers will have to keep the number of customers to 25% of the fire code limits and ensure that employees are wearing masks.
Retailers will have to keep the number of customers to 25% of the fire code limits and ensure that employees are wearing masks. Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountain national park will reopen later this month. The reopenings will be partial and phased according to the National Parks Service.
Updated at 01.05 BST
13 May 2020 00.35 BST Analysis: Trump deepened 'Obamagate' conspiracy theory with Biden unmasking move David Smith Donald Trump has ratcheted up his “Obamagate” conspiracy theory to implicate Joe Biden and other former White House officials in what critics say is a desperate attempt to distract from the coronavirus pandemic. Ric Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence, on Wednesday sent Congress a list of high-ranking Obama administration members he alleged were involved in the “unmasking” of retired general Michael Flynn, in intelligence reports dating from the presidential transition. Alumni of Barack Obama’s staff gave the move short shrift. “Sideshow to distract from the shitshow,” tweeted David Plouffe, a former Obama campaign manager. “Rather talk about unmasking than masks,” observed Matthew Miller, an ex-justice department spokesperson. Trump’s aggressive tactic looks set to deepen fears that he will stop at nothing to damage Obama and his vice-president, Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. It also provides a counter-narrative to criticism of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, which has killed more than 80,000 in the US. Fox News and Fox Business have mentioned Flynn and the FBI more frequently than the virus in recent days, according to data compiled by the Internet Archive and analysed by GDELT.
13 May 2020 00.17 BST Oliver Laughland Former US congressman and Democratic US Senate candidate for Texas, Beto O’Rourke, has just hosted an online Q+A with leaders of the Students for Biden group. The meeting, hosted on Zoom, saw O’Rourke talk about the importance of the youth vote in the November election, citing his 2018 senate run against Ted Cruz, which mobilized thousands of young people and bring O’Rourke within a small, 200,000 vote margin of claiming victory.
O’Rourke, who endorsed Biden just before the Texas primary on Super Tuesday in early March, ambitiously predicted that the former VP would win Texas in November and urged Democrats to prioritize the state along with other established swing states in the midwest. “This will be the first since 1976 since a Democrat has won Texas,” he said, describing Trump as “the most corrupt president in history”. The former congressman, who also ran a short and unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, argued that Donald Trump would do “everything in his power to steal” the election. He said losing Texas would be a “cataclysmic event for the Republican party” and would signal categorically that Trump had lost. The online event did not permit questions from reporters.
Updated at 01.06 BST
13 May 2020 00.00 BST New Mexico's governor mandates all residents to wear masks Everyone in New Mexico will be required to wear a face mask in public, starting this weekend, the state’s governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced. Retailers and faith centers will be allowed to reopen, as long as they keep occupancy to 25 percent of the fire code capacity, she said. Employees will have to wear masks and maintain physical distancing whenever possible, Lujan Grisham said. But these new guidelines will not apply in the northwest portion of the state, where “the risk of spread still remains too high,” she said. Wholesalers and entertainment venues like movie theatres and concert halls will remain closed, for now. Today's #COVID19 update:
- 155 new cases, totaling 5,364 positive tests statewide
- 12 new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total to 231
- 200 individuals currently hospitalized
Stay home. Don't gather with people. Wear a mask.
More info here: https://t.co/0kaiRnhCbR pic.twitter.com/pdUtREcCpN — Michelle Lujan Grisham (@GovMLG) May 13, 2020
Updated at 00.01 BST
13 May 2020 23.52 BST Wisconsin's Supreme Court struck down the state's stay-at-home orders The state’s highest court ruled that governor Tony Evers overstepped his authority by extending Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order through the end of May. The 4-3 decision, written by the court’s conservative justices, chips away at Evers authority to slow the spread of coronavirus, and will force the Democratic governor to work with the Republican legislature as the state continues to grapple with the outbreak. The sheltering orders will remain in place until May 20 to give lawmakers time to develop a new coronavirus plan.
Evers issued a stay-at-home order in March, and extended it in late April. Republicans asked the Supreme Court to block the extension, arguing that move required legislative approval.
Nearly seven out of 10 Wisconsin residents support the governor’s “safer at home” order, according to a Marquette University Law School poll. But Republican lawmakers in the state worried about the economic impacts of an extended shutdown. GOB lawmakers have yet to offer an alternative outbreak response plan.The GOP has not offered any alternative plans. The state’s chamber of commerce proposed allowing all the state’s businesses to open at once, while asking high-risk establishments to take some safety measures. But top health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have warned against reopening too quickly.
13 May 2020 23.30 BST Coronavirus could sweep through camps where firefighting crews are stationed, ready to fight wildfires, according to a federal document obtained by the Associated Press. From the AP: The U.S. Forest Service’s draft risk assessment predicts that even in a best-case scenario — with social distancing followed and plenty of tests and protective equipment available — nearly two dozen firefighters could be infected with COVID-19 at a camp with hundreds of people who come in to combat a fire that burns for months. The worst-case scenario? More than 1,000 infections. Forest Service officials have declined to answer questions about the document other than saying it’s outdated and being redone. They didn’t immediately respond to additional questions Wednesday. “The report is being reviewed and updated with the most current data and is not ready to share,” the agency said Monday in an email. The Forest Service declined to release a copy of the draft or say what changes are being made. The AP obtained the document from an official who has access to it and didn’t want to be named.
Updated at 23.53 BST
13 May 2020 23.20 BST After a bitter political battle complicated and constrained by the pandemic, Garcia’s win was a blow for Democrats who in 2018 had secured the suburban Los Angeles district for the first time in since 1990. But the candidates will soon have a rematch. Garcia will serve only five months before the seat is up for a vote again in November.
In the election based almost entirely on mailed-in ballots amid stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic, the full results likely won’t be clear for days. Officials will accept ballots postmarked by election day, even if they arrive up to three days later.
Special elections are usually plagued with low voter turnout, though early numbers indicated that more people voted in this election than expected. All registered voters were automatically mailed a ballot, making this election a test case for November. California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, recently announced that all Californians would have the option to mail in their ballots during the general election, amid uncertainty over how long the coronavirus crisis will limit people’s ability to safely leave their homes. But it is wise to avoid projecting too much about the November elections based on this race, said Paul Mitchell, with the campaign research firm Political Data Inc. “To do so would be like predicting the championship based on the results of two-on-two basketball game before the finals,” Mitchell said. He expects the same district will have 80% turnout in November, compared with less than half of that in the special election. California special election: Republicans take back Katie Hill’s House seat Read more
13 May 2020 23.18 BST More on Republican Mike Garcia's win in California As victory appeared assured in California’s special congressional election, Mike Garcia said his campaign’s “message of lower taxes and ensuring we don’t take liberal Sacramento dysfunction to Washington prevailed”. This is Garcia’s first time taking public office. He ran unencumbered by a voting record, on a typically conservative platform. Though Democrats tried to paint him as a mini-Trump, Garcia more closely aligns with a new guard of young, moderate Republicans the party has sent out to woo the typically blue state. “California Republicans have to learn to adapt to the local climate,” said Bill Whalen, a Republican campaign strategist based in Sacramento. Garcia’s victory may not guarantee he’ll win a rematch against Smith in November, but it does give him a leg up, Whalen said. People vote at a voting station for the special election between Democratic state assemblywoman Christy Smith and Republican businessman and ex-Navy pilot Mike Garcia to replace former Democratic Congresswoman Katie Hill in the state’s 25th Congressional District. Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images Garcia’s opponent Christy Smith, a state assembly member, lost despite earning the endorsements of Barack Obama and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Hill’s unpopularity in the district, post-scandal, was a hurdle. Prior to the election, the Cook Political Report changed its assessment of the race from “lean Democratic” to a “tossup” as the pandemic shut down traditional campaigning through door-knocking and town halls. Despite the challenges of campaigning, Democrats are still hopeful about Smith’s chances in the general election. “The electorate will be very different then,” said Rose Kapolczynski, a Democratic strategist based in Los Angeles. “And I still think Smith will have a strong chance.” California special election: Republicans take back Katie Hill’s House seat Read more
Updated at 23.48 BST
13 May 2020 23.09 BST Joe Biden’s campaign has responded to Republicans’ list of former Obama officials believed to be involved in efforts to “unmask” ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn. Biden along with other officials, including the former FBI director James Comey and the former director of national intelligence James Clapper were included in the list that Trump’s acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell sent Republican senators. “These documents simply indicate the breadth and depth of concern across the American government – including among career officials – over intelligence reports of Michael Flynn’s attempts to undermine ongoing American national security policy through discussions with Russian officials or other foreign representatives,” said Andrew Bates, a Biden campaign spokesperson. He continued: Importantly, none of these individuals could have known Flynn’s identity beforehand. These documents have absolutely nothing to do with any FBI investigation and they confirm that all normal procedures were followed – any suggestion otherwise is a flat out lie. What’s more, it’s telling that these documents were selectively leaked by Republicans abusing their congressional powers to act as arms of the Trump campaign after having them provided by a partisan official installed for this very purpose. The only people with questions to answer are Grenell, Sen Grassley, and Sen Johnson for their gross politicization of the intelligence process.
Updated at 23.50 BST
13 May 2020 23.01 BST Virus may never be eradicated – WHO Kevin Rawlinson The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 could become endemic like HIV, the World Health Organization has said, warning against any attempt to predict how long it would keep circulating and calling for a “massive effort” to counter it. The organization’s emergencies expert, Mike Ryan, said: It is important to put this on the table: This virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away. I think it is important we are realistic and I don’t think anyone can predict when this disease will disappear. I think there are no promises in this and there are no dates. This disease may settle into a long problem, or it may not be. However, he said the world had some control over how it copes with the disease, although this would take a “massive effort” even if a vaccine was found – a prospect he described as a “massive moonshot”. More than 100 potential vaccines are being developed, including several in clinical trials, but experts have underscored the difficulties of finding vaccines that are effective against coronaviruses. Ryan noted that vaccines exist for other illnesses, such as measles, that have not been eliminated.
Updated at 23.35 BST
13 May 2020 22.46 BST Hannah Devlin Are children less susceptible to coronavirus? There is now a wealth of evidence that children generally experience milder symptoms when they are infected – although there have been rare cases of children becoming seriously ill or even dying. However, it is not yet clear whether they have a lower chance of catching Covid-19. Although fewer children have been picked up in national testing programs, this could be due to fewer being tested. During the early phase of the epidemic in Europe, adult travelers played a dominant role in seeding infections, which also meant, purely for circumstantial reasons, that children would have played a less significant role in spreading infections. Studies on this question give a mixed picture. One analysis, in the Lancet Infectious Diseases, of households with confirmed Covid-19 in Shenzhen, China, found that children younger than 10 were just as likely as adults to get infected. However, there is other evidence from South Korea, Italy and Iceland suggesting lower infection rates among children. Some of the difference could also be down to differences in social mixing. Why do children react differently to adults? For many infectious diseases, there is a U-shaped risk curve, with the youngest and oldest in society being most vulnerable. Covid-19 does not follow this pattern – even toddlers and newborn babies typically only experience mild symptoms. One theory is that children’s lungs might contain fewer of the ACE2 receptors that the virus uses to enter cells. To confirm this, researchers would need to study tissue samples from children. Another possibility is that children’s immune systems respond in a more optimal way to the virus – mounting a strong enough response to get rid of the infection, but without going into overdrive and flooding the body with inflammatory proteins, which are known to sometimes cause problems in adult patients. Are children invisible transmitters?
Asymptomatic transmission is known to play an important role in the spread of Covid-19 – studies have shown that in general people appear to be at their most infectious in the day or so before symptoms start. This raises the question of whether children are silent spreaders of the virus. A recent German study, which compared the viral load of nearly 4,000 people aged from one to 100 years old, added weight to this idea. It found that regardless of age, people appeared to shed a similar level of virus, suggesting they could be equally infectious. However, a caveat is that the study did not measure real-life transmission in children. As schools reopen and community transmission is tracked closely in some European countries, a clearer answer on this is likely to emerge in the coming months. Are children less susceptible to coronavirus? Read more
Updated at 23.43 BST
13 May 2020 22.37 BST Per White House press pool reporters, the president also called Dr Anthony Fauci’s message yesterday cautioning against opening schools too soon “unacceptable”. “I was surprised by his answer,” Trump said. “To me it’s not an acceptable answer especially when it comes to schools.”
Pres Trump: The "only thing" that would be acceptable is teachers staying home a bit longer bc the coronavirus "attacks age."
Dr. Fauci yesterday: "I think we better be careful if we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects." — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) May 13, 2020 Yesterday, the top public health official contradicted Trump, who urged schools and businesses to reopen and said the White House has set a target of having 100m vaccine doses by the autumn. Fauci disputed that timeline, indicating that neither a vaccine nor treatment could be developed and distributed in time to facilitate the reopening of schools in the fall. “I think they should open the schools, absolutely,” the president said. “I think they should. It’s had very little impact on young people. And I think that if you’re an instructor, if you’re a teacher, a professor over a certain age like let’s say 65 or maybe even if you want to be conservative, 60, perhaps you want to stay out for a little while longer. But I think you should absolutely open the schools. Our country has got to get back and it’s got to get back as soon as possible, and I don’t consider our country coming back if the schools are closed.”
Updated at 23.45 BST
13 May 2020 22.30 BST Hi there, it’s Maanvi Singh – blogging from the west coast. Donald Trump told reporters that he’s missing Mike Pence. “I haven’t seen Mike Pence and I miss him," Trump says during meeting in Cabinet Room with ND and CO govs. “I guess for a little while we’ll stay apart."
"We speak a lot on the phone," he says of @VP. — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 13, 2020 Trump was speaking with the officials from North Dakota and Colorado in the White House Cabinet Room, where reporters were also present.
Updated at 23.46 BST
13 May 2020 22.09 BST Summary Here’s what has happened so far today:
Republicans released a list of officials, including Joe Biden, who “unmasked” – a term used to describe the routine process of revealing an individual who took part of a conversation subject to surveillance – former national security advisor Michael Flynn.
A Democrat candidate in a special House election in California conceded to her Republican opponent, flipping the district from blue to red.
Though the politics of the day may suggest a feeling of normalcy, coronavirus is still in the news. Yellowstone National Park announced that it will experiment with a partial reopen.
The New York attorney general announced an investigation into whether NYPD has been equally enforcing social distancing measures across the city after reports of racial discrepancies in arrests.
Updated at 22.18 BST