theguardian--2020-05-25--Joe Biden forced to make his fundraisers fully virtual – bar the price tag

The coronavirus pandemic may have driven Joe Biden into his basement and forced his campaign online , but one crucial factor is still the same : his run for the White House still needs to raise giant amounts of money .
But , in these days of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders , campaign fundraisers do not include the usual finger food and wine or fancy parked cars outside a posh home right out of the pages of Architectural Digest .
Instead it has become normal to host a high-dollar fundraiser via online video conferencing services .
The thing that hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tags of what can be tens of thousands of dollars that donors are charged for glorified Zoom meet-ups , or even one-on-one video chats with the candidate himself or his powerful surrogates .
 “ You don ’ t get to go drink wine and eat cheap cheese , but the campaigns are still able to provide access to the candidate , ” said Democratic strategist Connor Farrell , a veteran Democratic fundraising consultant .
“ The campaigns are still able to provide access to the candidate in a different format .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mention your favorite bill , but you still get face time with the candidates and that ’ s ultimately the attraction of in-person events .
“ So I think a lot of the draw is still there.
” According to a set of fundraising invitations for Biden ’ s campaign , obtained by the Guardian , upcoming fundraisers featuring him or high-profile surrogates still include the fundraising levels one would expect for physical high-dollar gatherings .
A Biden campaign event featuring the presumptive Democratic party nominee himself and moderated by the Sacramento mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treasurer Phil Angelides starts out at the guest level of $ 500 and goes all the way up to a co-chair level at $ 41,100 .
A virtual reception on 27 May featuring the former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg starts out at $ 1,000 to be an “ advocate ” , and goes up to $ 50,000 to be a co-chair .
Events are still spotted with celebrities too .
A “ Rock out on a night in with Joe Biden ” virtual fundraising event on 28 May includes performances by Sheryl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Joe Walsh .
Donations for that event start at $ 250 and go all the way to $ 100,000 .
The events are lucrative .
Hillary Clinton is scheduled to headline at least two events between mid-May and June for Biden and the Democratic National Committee .
The first event on Tuesday raised $ 2m .
It ’ s not just the Biden campaign and Democrats , though , or even just presidential candidates .
In Iowa , an invitation for a fundraiser for the Republican senator Joni Ernst on 3 June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to $ 5,000 .
The invitation , reported by Politico , is not contingent on being in person or virtual .
“ If it is not possible to gather in person for this event , we will host a virtual meeting and plan an in-person gathering at a later date , ” the invitation read .
A fundraising invite for a 14 May event for the New Hampshire Republican congressional candidate Matt Mowers featuring the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie starts at $ 250 for the “ individual ” level and goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chair level .
“ A web link for this exclusive video conference will be emailed prior to the event , ” the invitation read .

The coronavirus pandemic may have driven Joe Biden into his basement and forced his campaign online, but one crucial factor is still the same: his run for the White House still needs to raise giant amounts of money.
But, in these days of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, campaign fundraisers do not include the usual finger food and wine or fancy parked cars outside a posh home right out of the pages of Architectural Digest.
Instead it has become normal to host a high-dollar fundraiser via online video conferencing services. The thing that hasn’t changed? The hefty price tags of what can be tens of thousands of dollars that donors are charged for glorified Zoom meet-ups, or even one-on-one video chats with the candidate himself or his powerful surrogates.
“You don’t get to go drink wine and eat cheap cheese, but the campaigns are still able to provide access to the candidate,” said Democratic strategist Connor Farrell, a veteran Democratic fundraising consultant. “The campaigns are still able to provide access to the candidate in a different format. You can’t pull someone aside and mention your favorite bill, but you still get face time with the candidates and that’s ultimately the attraction of in-person events.
“So I think a lot of the draw is still there.”
According to a set of fundraising invitations for Biden’s campaign, obtained by the Guardian, upcoming fundraisers featuring him or high-profile surrogates still include the fundraising levels one would expect for physical high-dollar gatherings.
A Biden campaign event featuring the presumptive Democratic party nominee himself and moderated by the Sacramento mayor, Darrell Steinberg, and former California treasurer Phil Angelides starts out at the guest level of $500 and goes all the way up to a co-chair level at $41,100. A virtual reception on 27 May featuring the former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg starts out at $1,000 to be an “advocate”, and goes up to $50,000 to be a co-chair.
Events are still spotted with celebrities too. A “Rock out on a night in with Joe Biden” virtual fundraising event on 28 May includes performances by Sheryl Crow, Rufus Wainwright, David Crosby and Joe Walsh. Donations for that event start at $250 and go all the way to $100,000.
The events are lucrative. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to headline at least two events between mid-May and June for Biden and the Democratic National Committee. The first event on Tuesday raised $2m.
It’s not just the Biden campaign and Democrats, though, or even just presidential candidates. In Iowa, an invitation for a fundraiser for the Republican senator Joni Ernst on 3 June has fundraising levels ranging from $500 to $5,000. The invitation, reported by Politico, is not contingent on being in person or virtual.
“If it is not possible to gather in person for this event, we will host a virtual meeting and plan an in-person gathering at a later date,” the invitation read.
A fundraising invite for a 14 May event for the New Hampshire Republican congressional candidate Matt Mowers featuring the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie starts at $250 for the “individual” level and goes all the way to $1,000 for the chair level.
“A web link for this exclusive video conference will be emailed prior to the event,” the invitation read.


theguardian--2020-05-25--'We're expendable': black Americans pay the price as states lift lockdowns

Donald Trump recently shared a doctored video of his head superimposed on to actor Bill Pullman ’ s character in the 1996 film Independence Day ’ s crowd-rallying scene , likening frontline workers to warriors .
But it rang hollow for Denita Jones , a Dallas-area call center worker .
For many black , essential workers like her , the message is about reopening the economy , but the real meaning is more subtle .
“ We ’ re not essential , we ’ re expendable , ” she said .
African Americans in Texas are dying of Covid-19 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their share of the population .
Yet across the country , the protesters who became the faces of the race to reopen have been mostly white .
In Michigan , for example , a mostly white militia stormed the state ’ s capitol dressed in tactical gear , armed with guns .
Confederate symbols and swastikas were mixed in with the American flags and signs .
Mostly absent were the black Americans who make up just 14 % of the state ’ s population , but are up 32 % of coronavirus cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dallas area woman defiantly violated the state ’ s stay-at-home order , Republican leaders mostly applauded her .
Salon owner Shelley Luther , who is white , cut Senator Ted Cruz ’ s hair just days after being sentenced to county jail and fined .
Experts have warned lifting stay-at-home orders could have dire consequences on public health , with social advocates warning that it could result in the sacrifice of many for the benefit of few .
Many critics argue that ’ s the point : the meaning behind the message .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of American history , those most likely to be negatively impacted are African American .
According to the Penn Wharton Budget Model , even if US states reopen with social distancing rules in place , an additional 233,000 deaths could result from the outbreak .
Black Americans face greater risk .
Across the country African American populations are concentrated in major cities , where coronavirus cases have so far been highest .
Majority black counties already account for more than half of all coronavirus cases in the US and nearly 60 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disproportionately on the frontlines of life during the pandemic .
An Associated Press analysis of the country ’ s 100 largest cities found more than 60 % of warehouse and delivery workers are people of color .
Janitors are also among the most financially vulnerable , with more than a quarter living below the poverty line and more than 75 % of them are people of color .
After 16 years on the job , Terry Eddy lost her only source of income when the paint company she worked for in Cleveland opted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That job paid my bills , provided for me and my child , because she can ’ t provide for herself , ” she said .
“ If I don ’ t have any money , I don ’ t have a way to live .
I ’ d be out on the streets.
” “ The choice of governments to circumvent science to advance this cause of reopening falls on the backs of people of color , the poor and immigrants .
It is more than reckless , ” said Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the director of the Center for Racism , Social Justice and Health .
“ You can ’ t run a business when you aren ’ t breathing ” .
While the coronavirus had already disproportionately affected black Americans because of the prevalence of underlying health issues such as obesity , high blood pressure and diabetes , the pandemic has also exposed existing racial inequities in the US healthcare and labor system .
Black people are twice as likely to lack health insurance compared with their white counterparts , and more likely to live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health facility closures and caps on public health plans .
“ We have a governmental policy of violence that is producing unnecessary deaths among poor people and people of color , ” said the Rev Dr William Barber of the Poor People ’ s Campaign , a social advocacy group .
“ It is a form of policy mass murder.
” For many , it ’ s no coincidence , then , that a shift in tone from keeping all Americans safe to reopening businesses at all costs occurred after data confirmed blacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The lives of disproportionately black and brown workers are being sacrificed to fuel the engine of a faltering economy , by a president who disdains them , ” the Atlantic ’ s Adam Sewer wrote .
From slavery and experimental medical treatments , to redlining and predatory lending scandals , black history in the US has long entailed laboring , both voluntarily and not , for the benefit of an American society that excluded them .
That history continues well into today ’ s global health crisis .
Despite research indicating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US via European tourists , testing guidelines that required recent foreign travel meant those considered eligible skewed wealthy and white .
“ What we know now is that Covid-19 had been circulating in our communities for much longer than we realized , ” Dr Uché Blackstock said of her black and brown communities in New York City ’ s Brooklyn and Queens boroughs .
Testing at the time was concentrated to the richer , whiter Manhattan .
The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention ( CDC ) have since advised health professionals to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dr Mary Bassett , the director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center of Health and Human Rights at Harvard , rejected selectively opening communities considered less Covid susceptible , noting that fuels biases that result in unequal treatment for black Americans during a pandemic .
“ The idea of racial susceptibility to diseases is longstanding in the US , but is simply inaccurate , ” she said , adding the risk of exposure is defined by how people ’ s lives work , not where they live .
Because the virus doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for New York City warned without substantial improvements to testing , contact tracing and treatments , the US simply isn ’ t ready to reopen anywhere .
Jones was only called back to work at the Dallas call center this month , after a lengthy furlough .
Her colleagues have diverse political views , and some stayed home , others didn ’ t .
At work , there were no temperature checks and masks were optional .
Before heading home , she has to call her two asthmatic children so they can isolate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skin and clothes .
There ’ s no other choice .
If Jones didn ’ t work , she would be not be eligible for unemployment benefits .
“ This is not fair to me , my family or any essential worker who has to return , ” she said .
“ It ’ s frightening that I have to come in to this type of environment .
But it was either feed my family or not return.
” Many black Americans are already feeling the economic pinch .
The Federal Reserve found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40,000 a year , nearly 40 % of those employed in February lost their jobs in March or at the beginning of April .
Nearly half of black households make less than $ 40,000 a year .
Even relief isn ’ t equitable .
A survey found black businesses were less likely to be approved for aid from the federal government ’ s Paycheck Protection Program .
Experts warn that could worsen the financial wealth gap between whites and blacks .
“ When white America catches a cold , black America catches pneumonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute told CNN Business .
“ It ’ s going to be a lot harder for people to dig out once things get stable again.
” A survey by Pew Research found that last month , 44 % of African Americans said that they or someone in their household experienced a job or wage loss due to the coronavirus outbreak , compared to 38 % of white adults .
As nearly three-quarters report not having emergency funds to cover expenses , more than 45 % of black Americans said they “ can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packing plants , which have become coronavirus hotspots , more than 50 % of workers are people of color .
The Trump administration had ordered the facilities to stay open .
Meanwhile , Republican governors , including Greg Abbott of Texas , continue to relax restrictions even as data shows an uptick in the number of confirmed cases .
“ It ’ s disheartening to know my country thinks that I ’ m expendable , ” Jones said .
“ But I have a governor shouting from high that we must reopen ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts , workers have organized walkouts and strikes .
The social justice organizations Black Lives Matter and Barber ’ s Poor People ’ s Campaign are leading digital movements of their own .
He contends that divisions have made the pandemic less personal .
According to YouGov , a London-based research and analytics group , black Americans are twice as likely as white people to know someone who died from Covid-19 .
“ Too many folk seem to see this pandemic as other people ’ s problem .
Those people are the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all races overwhelmingly support stay-at-home orders .
But responses are largely skewed along party lines .
The divide is expected to grow as anti-lockdown protests continue .
While the message of reopening states for the sake of the country is loud , Barber added that , for poor Americans , people of color and immigrants , the real meaning is deadly .
“ We were already a nation of power players too comfortable with people dying from poverty , ineptitude and greed , ” he said .
“ That is a moral movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black folk in the Delta to white folk in Appalachia .
”

Donald Trump recently shared a doctored video of his head superimposed on to actor Bill Pullman’s character in the 1996 film Independence Day’s crowd-rallying scene, likening frontline workers to warriors.
But it rang hollow for Denita Jones, a Dallas-area call center worker. For many black, essential workers like her, the message is about reopening the economy, but the real meaning is more subtle.
“We’re not essential, we’re expendable,” she said.
African Americans in Texas are dying of Covid-19 at a rate more than one-third higher than their share of the population. Yet across the country, the protesters who became the faces of the race to reopen have been mostly white.
In Michigan, for example, a mostly white militia stormed the state’s capitol dressed in tactical gear, armed with guns. Confederate symbols and swastikas were mixed in with the American flags and signs. Mostly absent were the black Americans who make up just 14% of the state’s population, but are up 32% of coronavirus cases.
Jones points out that when another Dallas area woman defiantly violated the state’s stay-at-home order, Republican leaders mostly applauded her. Salon owner Shelley Luther, who is white, cut Senator Ted Cruz’s hair just days after being sentenced to county jail and fined.
Experts have warned lifting stay-at-home orders could have dire consequences on public health, with social advocates warning that it could result in the sacrifice of many for the benefit of few.
Many critics argue that’s the point: the meaning behind the message. As it has been the case throughout much of American history, those most likely to be negatively impacted are African American.
Protesters demonstrate at the state capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Across the country, the protesters who became the faces of the race to reopen have been mostly white. Photograph: Matt Slocum/AP
According to the Penn Wharton Budget Model, even if US states reopen with social distancing rules in place, an additional 233,000 deaths could result from the outbreak.
Black Americans face greater risk. Across the country African American populations are concentrated in major cities, where coronavirus cases have so far been highest.
Majority black counties already account for more than half of all coronavirus cases in the US and nearly 60% of deaths. African Americans are also disproportionately on the frontlines of life during the pandemic.
An Associated Press analysis of the country’s 100 largest cities found more than 60% of warehouse and delivery workers are people of color.
Janitors are also among the most financially vulnerable, with more than a quarter living below the poverty line and more than 75% of them are people of color. After 16 years on the job, Terry Eddy lost her only source of income when the paint company she worked for in Cleveland opted for non-union contractors to cut costs.
“That job paid my bills, provided for me and my child, because she can’t provide for herself,” she said. “If I don’t have any money, I don’t have a way to live. I’d be out on the streets.”
“The choice of governments to circumvent science to advance this cause of reopening falls on the backs of people of color, the poor and immigrants. It is more than reckless,” said Dr Chandra Ford, a UCLA professor and the director of the Center for Racism, Social Justice and Health. “You can’t run a business when you aren’t breathing”.
We have a governmental policy of violence that is producing unnecessary deaths among poor people and people of color Reverend Dr William Barber
While the coronavirus had already disproportionately affected black Americans because of the prevalence of underlying health issues such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, the pandemic has also exposed existing racial inequities in the US healthcare and labor system.
Black people are twice as likely to lack health insurance compared with their white counterparts, and more likely to live in medically underserved areas where they face health facility closures and caps on public health plans.
“We have a governmental policy of violence that is producing unnecessary deaths among poor people and people of color,” said the Rev Dr William Barber of the Poor People’s Campaign, a social advocacy group. “It is a form of policy mass murder.”
For many, it’s no coincidence, then, that a shift in tone from keeping all Americans safe to reopening businesses at all costs occurred after data confirmed blacks and Latinos are primarily contracting the virus.
“The lives of disproportionately black and brown workers are being sacrificed to fuel the engine of a faltering economy, by a president who disdains them,” the Atlantic’s Adam Sewer wrote.
A history of sacrifice
From slavery and experimental medical treatments, to redlining and predatory lending scandals, black history in the US has long entailed laboring, both voluntarily and not, for the benefit of an American society that excluded them.
That history continues well into today’s global health crisis. Despite research indicating the virus made its way to the US via European tourists, testing guidelines that required recent foreign travel meant those considered eligible skewed wealthy and white.
“What we know now is that Covid-19 had been circulating in our communities for much longer than we realized,” Dr Uché Blackstock said of her black and brown communities in New York City’s Brooklyn and Queens boroughs. Testing at the time was concentrated to the richer, whiter Manhattan.
Majority black counties already account for more than half of all US Covid-19 cases. African Americans are also disproportionately on the frontlines of life during the pandemic. Photograph: Curtis Compton/AP
The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) have since advised health professionals to be on the lookout for medical bias.
Dr Mary Bassett, the director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center of Health and Human Rights at Harvard, rejected selectively opening communities considered less Covid susceptible, noting that fuels biases that result in unequal treatment for black Americans during a pandemic.
“The idea of racial susceptibility to diseases is longstanding in the US, but is simply inaccurate,” she said, adding the risk of exposure is defined by how people’s lives work, not where they live.
Because the virus doesn’t discriminate, the former health commissioner for New York City warned without substantial improvements to testing, contact tracing and treatments, the US simply isn’t ready to reopen anywhere.
Economic strain
Jones was only called back to work at the Dallas call center this month, after a lengthy furlough. Her colleagues have diverse political views, and some stayed home, others didn’t. At work, there were no temperature checks and masks were optional.
Before heading home, she has to call her two asthmatic children so they can isolate in their bedrooms while she disinfects her skin and clothes. There’s no other choice. If Jones didn’t work, she would be not be eligible for unemployment benefits.
“This is not fair to me, my family or any essential worker who has to return,” she said. “It’s frightening that I have to come in to this type of environment. But it was either feed my family or not return.”
Many black Americans are already feeling the economic pinch. The Federal Reserve found that of households making less than $40,000 a year, nearly 40% of those employed in February lost their jobs in March or at the beginning of April. Nearly half of black households make less than $40,000 a year.
People wait for a distribution of masks and food in Harlem, New York. Many black Americans are already feeling the economic pinch of the coronavirus. Photograph: Bebeto Matthews/AP
Even relief isn’t equitable. A survey found black businesses were less likely to be approved for aid from the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program. Experts warn that could worsen the financial wealth gap between whites and blacks.
“When white America catches a cold, black America catches pneumonia,” Steven Brown of the Urban Institute told CNN Business. “It’s going to be a lot harder for people to dig out once things get stable again.”
A survey by Pew Research found that last month, 44% of African Americans said that they or someone in their household experienced a job or wage loss due to the coronavirus outbreak, compared to 38% of white adults.
As nearly three-quarters report not having emergency funds to cover expenses, more than 45% of black Americans said they “cannot pay some bills ”.
In meat packing plants, which have become coronavirus hotspots, more than 50% of workers are people of color. The Trump administration had ordered the facilities to stay open.
Meanwhile, Republican governors, including Greg Abbott of Texas, continue to relax restrictions even as data shows an uptick in the number of confirmed cases.
“It’s disheartening to know my country thinks that I’m expendable,” Jones said. “But I have a governor shouting from high that we must reopen”.
Communities push back
As the Trump administration escalates reopening efforts, workers have organized walkouts and strikes. The social justice organizations Black Lives Matter and Barber’s Poor People’s Campaign are leading digital movements of their own.
He contends that divisions have made the pandemic less personal. According to YouGov, a London-based research and analytics group, black Americans are twice as likely as white people to know someone who died from Covid-19.
It’s disheartening to know my country thinks that I’m expendable Denita Jones
“Too many folk seem to see this pandemic as other people’s problem. Those people are the issue,” he said.
Americans of all races overwhelmingly support stay-at-home orders. But responses are largely skewed along party lines. The divide is expected to grow as anti-lockdown protests continue.
While the message of reopening states for the sake of the country is loud, Barber added that, for poor Americans, people of color and immigrants, the real meaning is deadly.
“We were already a nation of power players too comfortable with people dying from poverty, ineptitude and greed,” he said. “That is a moral movement that impacts every poor person, from black folk in the Delta to white folk in Appalachia.”


theguardian--2020-05-25--Extra $600 in jobless pay offers many a lifeline – but will it be renewed?

James Phillips is someone the Republican party would rather people not know about .
The 31-year-old is doing all he can to find work despite making 25 % more money from unemployment benefits than he was paid in his last job as an administrative specialist .
The March coronavirus stimulus package provided an extra $ 600 in weekly unemployment benefits for four months for the now 39 million people who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic , inspiring Republicans to make bogeymen of the people earning more than before .
Senator Bernie Sanders ridiculed Republicans for opposing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were more than happy to cut taxes for the rich but wanted to stop aid for low-income workers .
“ Oh my God !
The universe is collapsing , ” Sanders mocked .
But opposition remains .
“ I promise you , over our dead bodies will this get reauthorized , ” the South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham said last month .
Donald Trump privately expressed opposition to it last week in a closed-door meeting with Republican senators , according to the Washington Post .
The most common argument against it , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a line the party used to knock unemployment insurance well before the crisis .
And yet Phillips estimates that he ’ s applied to 120 jobs since he was laid off a month ago because of coronavirus closures .
To improve his chances of getting hired , he ’ s learning how to code and use Excel .
Phillips doesn ’ t have much of a choice .
His father , whose hours have been cut , can ’ t get unemployment benefits .
The extra money is going to his father , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ savings , for when the benefit expansion expires in July .
When that extra $ 600 runs out in July , said Phillips , “ I don ’ t know what ’ s going to happen with our situation .
We might be able to last until September – maybe.
” Those in support of the boost aren ’ t arguing that it ’ s perfect .
But many economists agree the $ 600 fix was the best option available in a country with an antiquated unemployment system that can ’ t handle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still waiting for tens of billions of dollars in benefits because the system is overwhelmed .
Heidi Shierholz , director of policy at the Economic Policy Institute , said because the US had decided to rely on unemployment insurance rather than the government-backed earnings replacement schemes favored in Europe , the extra cash was the best option .
“ It is the absolutely the right thing to do at a time like this , ” she said .
Congress settled on $ 600 because it is roughly what the average worker makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 % and 68 % of US workers could make more in unemployment than they did in their jobs with this benefit .
But the situation for each of those people is not cut and dry .
Nearly one in four people are out of work in the US and others are facing cuts to their pay or hours .
This means families , such as Phillips ’ s , could see any extra money being spent to recoup other income losses .
Low-wage workers are also more likely to work in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uber and Lyft , where work has plummeted .
Nearly one in three Americans who have a side hustle said that second job was necessary to pay their living expenses – work that is not accounted for in the analyses .
Democrats have proposed renewing the $ 600 boost , but if their efforts are unsuccessful , Shierholz said things could be “ brutal ” in August .
At the macro level , it would mean pulling income out of the economy .
“ It will also mean incredible suffering for people and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making it so they could survive in these extremely difficult times and now have it yanked out from under them , ” Shierholz said .
“ There will just be an economic crisis for families .
But it will also make the recession we are in now way worse and longer.
” Shierholz said she was concerned about how deeply some lawmakers were obsessed with the expansion .
“ People have been wringing their hands over this horror that lower-income people are getting more , but they ignore the fact that people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are getting less and that hurts the economy , ” Shierholz said .
Mark Harris , 64 , was furloughed from his sales job at an international airline in Houston and is making 60 % less with unemployment .
He received unemployment only after calling Texas ’ s unemployment office at least 300 times , three days in a row .
He is OK for now – unemployment insurance is enough to help cover groceries and bills .
His biggest concern is the bleak projections for the airline industry and the prospect that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his job , or any other job , at his age .
And of course , he is worried about what happens when enhanced unemployment expires and he is forced to dip into his savings .
“ I ’ ll be making less than now even – it ’ s going to be very difficult , ” Harris said .
Last year , the weekly payment for unemployment was on average nearly $ 378 , according to the US labor department .
Come August , the workers who aren ’ t making more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigger drop in pay .
‘ Welcome to the world of your employees ’ Outside of politicians , some small businesses who are struggling to hire back workers have complained that their employees won ’ t return to work because they are making more on unemployment .
This is a particular concern because to qualify for forgiveness from the government ’ s Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP ) loan , designed to encourage businesses to keep staff on payroll , companies must spend 75 % on payroll .
But John Pepper , founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burrito restaurant , is skeptical this is as big a problem as it is being made out to be .
He doesn ’ t know if his company can weather the crisis , but he is certain it won ’ t be the unemployment boost that brings it down .
“ I ’ m not worried about it because I think it ’ s right , it ’ s good for the people , ” Pepper said .
“ If they don ’ t have to go right back to work for whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine.
” He compared the unemployment boost to a paid sabbatical , something typically reserved for higher-income , white-collar jobs .
People who are making more money can look at other career opportunities or just take care of their family and health .
And if people are struggling to bring their workers back , a problem Pepper hasn ’ t encountered , he said it could be an indicator about the work conditions .
“ You are going to know if you have a good culture or not – this is where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Boloco has been able to keep paying 120 staff – who have received an additional $ 2 an hour in hazard pay since March – with help from the PPP loan .
That money runs out after eight weeks , which for Pepper is early June .
He said he has never felt as unstable as he does right now .
But he said that uncertainty puts him , and other restaurant owners , in a similar position to the one low-wage employees have been living for years .
“ All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in many business owners ’ lives , they were day-to-day , they were literally one day at a time in March , when this thing started coming in , ” Pepper said .
“ I thought to myself : ‘ Welcome to the world of your employees.
’ ” The tensions around paying low wage workers more reflects the broader problem of inequality in the US .
The extra $ 600 works out to $ 15 an hour for a 40-hour work week – the same figure labor activists have been pushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The people who stand to benefit the most from the boost are those in the hardest-hit industries , such as hospitality , where wages were already low .
These are also people facing uncertainty about when , and how many , jobs will be available .
Justin Wafer went from making about $ 550 a week as a bartender in Portland , Oregon , to about $ 1,000 a week on unemployment .
He said he would be fine without the boost because of his partner ’ s income – though he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing debts .
“ I ’ m 36 years old , I ’ m tired of being behind a bar , so I have this complex feeling about it .
I am happier now than I have been in years … I am happy to be getting the money , but I also am thinking I ’ m going to need to stockpile it because , well , there ’ s the possibility there won ’ t be any restaurant work for me when we open back up.
” Mary Kay Henry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( SEIU ) , said the $ 600 was “ a small step in the right direction ” .
“ But we also need to think bigger than boosting one particular benefit , ” Henry said .
“ How are we going to make sure this level of crisis never happens again ?
How can we enact an equitable recovery plan that addresses the needs of all communities , especially communities of color ?
” That includes helping those who don ’ t benefit from the unemployment boost – essential workers keeping grocery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic .
“ As we reckon with what a post-Covid world looks like , we can not forget who kept our country running in our moment of need , ” Henry said .
“ Our healthcare workers , food-service workers and janitors , who are overwhelmingly black and brown workers , women and immigrants , deserve more than praise .
They deserve nothing less than family-sustaining wages of at least $ 15 an hour and the right to form a union to lift up individuals and communities – both now and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s and Mark ’ s last names were changed at their request

James Phillips is someone the Republican party would rather people not know about. The 31-year-old is doing all he can to find work despite making 25% more money from unemployment benefits than he was paid in his last job as an administrative specialist.
The March coronavirus stimulus package provided an extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits for four months for the now 39 million people who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, inspiring Republicans to make bogeymen of the people earning more than before.
Senator Bernie Sanders ridiculed Republicans for opposing the emergency measure, pointing out that they were more than happy to cut taxes for the rich but wanted to stop aid for low-income workers. “Oh my God! The universe is collapsing,” Sanders mocked. But opposition remains. “I promise you, over our dead bodies will this get reauthorized,” the South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham said last month.
02:25 'The universe is collapsing': Bernie Sanders mocks Republicans over coronavirus aid – video
Donald Trump privately expressed opposition to it last week in a closed-door meeting with Republican senators, according to the Washington Post. The most common argument against it, that it “disincentivizes” workers, is a line the party used to knock unemployment insurance well before the crisis.
And yet Phillips estimates that he’s applied to 120 jobs since he was laid off a month ago because of coronavirus closures. To improve his chances of getting hired, he’s learning how to code and use Excel.
Phillips doesn’t have much of a choice. His father, whose hours have been cut, can’t get unemployment benefits. The extra money is going to his father, who he lives with, and to savings, for when the benefit expansion expires in July.
When that extra $600 runs out in July, said Phillips, “I don’t know what’s going to happen with our situation. We might be able to last until September – maybe.”
Those in support of the boost aren’t arguing that it’s perfect. But many economists agree the $600 fix was the best option available in a country with an antiquated unemployment system that can’t handle the current crisis. Even now millions are still waiting for tens of billions of dollars in benefits because the system is overwhelmed.
Heidi Shierholz, director of policy at the Economic Policy Institute, said because the US had decided to rely on unemployment insurance rather than the government-backed earnings replacement schemes favored in Europe, the extra cash was the best option. “It is the absolutely the right thing to do at a time like this,” she said.
Congress settled on $600 because it is roughly what the average worker makes each week. Researchers estimate somewhere between 40% and 68% of US workers could make more in unemployment than they did in their jobs with this benefit.
But the situation for each of those people is not cut and dry. Nearly one in four people are out of work in the US and others are facing cuts to their pay or hours. This means families, such as Phillips’s, could see any extra money being spent to recoup other income losses.
Low-wage workers are also more likely to work in the gig economy, such as driving for Uber and Lyft, where work has plummeted. Nearly one in three Americans who have a side hustle said that second job was necessary to pay their living expenses – work that is not accounted for in the analyses.
Democrats have proposed renewing the $600 boost, but if their efforts are unsuccessful, Shierholz said things could be “brutal” in August. At the macro level, it would mean pulling income out of the economy.
“It will also mean incredible suffering for people and families for whom that $600 was making it so they could survive in these extremely difficult times and now have it yanked out from under them,” Shierholz said. “There will just be an economic crisis for families. But it will also make the recession we are in now way worse and longer.”
‘I promise you, over our dead bodies will this get reauthorized,’ Lindsey Graham said last month. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock
Shierholz said she was concerned about how deeply some lawmakers were obsessed with the expansion.
“People have been wringing their hands over this horror that lower-income people are getting more, but they ignore the fact that people who were making more than the average worker are getting less and that hurts the economy,” Shierholz said.
Mark Harris, 64, was furloughed from his sales job at an international airline in Houston and is making 60% less with unemployment. He received unemployment only after calling Texas’s unemployment office at least 300 times, three days in a row.
He is OK for now – unemployment insurance is enough to help cover groceries and bills. His biggest concern is the bleak projections for the airline industry and the prospect that he might not be called back to his job, or any other job, at his age.
And of course, he is worried about what happens when enhanced unemployment expires and he is forced to dip into his savings. “I’ll be making less than now even – it’s going to be very difficult,” Harris said.
Last year, the weekly payment for unemployment was on average nearly $378, according to the US labor department. Come August, the workers who aren’t making more on unemployment will suddenly face an even bigger drop in pay.
‘Welcome to the world of your employees’
Outside of politicians, some small businesses who are struggling to hire back workers have complained that their employees won’t return to work because they are making more on unemployment. This is a particular concern because to qualify for forgiveness from the government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, designed to encourage businesses to keep staff on payroll, companies must spend 75% on payroll.
But John Pepper, founder and CEO of Boloco, a fast-casual burrito restaurant, is skeptical this is as big a problem as it is being made out to be. He doesn’t know if his company can weather the crisis, but he is certain it won’t be the unemployment boost that brings it down.
“I’m not worried about it because I think it’s right, it’s good for the people,” Pepper said. “If they don’t have to go right back to work for whatever reason, I think that’s fine.”
He compared the unemployment boost to a paid sabbatical, something typically reserved for higher-income, white-collar jobs. People who are making more money can look at other career opportunities or just take care of their family and health.
And if people are struggling to bring their workers back, a problem Pepper hasn’t encountered, he said it could be an indicator about the work conditions. “You are going to know if you have a good culture or not – this is where the rubber hits the road,” Pepper said.
An unemployment form in Virginia. The pandemic has cost 39 million people their jobs. Photograph: Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images
Boloco has been able to keep paying 120 staff – who have received an additional $2 an hour in hazard pay since March – with help from the PPP loan.
That money runs out after eight weeks, which for Pepper is early June. He said he has never felt as unstable as he does right now.
But he said that uncertainty puts him, and other restaurant owners, in a similar position to the one low-wage employees have been living for years.
“All of a sudden, for the first time in many business owners’ lives, they were day-to-day, they were literally one day at a time in March, when this thing started coming in,” Pepper said. “I thought to myself: ‘Welcome to the world of your employees.’”
Thinking bigger than $600
The tensions around paying low wage workers more reflects the broader problem of inequality in the US. The extra $600 works out to $15 an hour for a 40-hour work week – the same figure labor activists have been pushing to be the national minimum wage.
The people who stand to benefit the most from the boost are those in the hardest-hit industries, such as hospitality, where wages were already low. These are also people facing uncertainty about when, and how many, jobs will be available.
Justin Wafer went from making about $550 a week as a bartender in Portland, Oregon, to about $1,000 a week on unemployment.
He said he would be fine without the boost because of his partner’s income – though he is using the extra money to pay off existing debts.
“I’m 36 years old, I’m tired of being behind a bar, so I have this complex feeling about it. I am happier now than I have been in years … I am happy to be getting the money, but I also am thinking I’m going to need to stockpile it because, well, there’s the possibility there won’t be any restaurant work for me when we open back up.”
Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), said the $600 was “a small step in the right direction”.
“But we also need to think bigger than boosting one particular benefit,” Henry said. “How are we going to make sure this level of crisis never happens again? How can we enact an equitable recovery plan that addresses the needs of all communities, especially communities of color?”
That includes helping those who don’t benefit from the unemployment boost – essential workers keeping grocery stores and factories running on the frontlines of the pandemic.
“As we reckon with what a post-Covid world looks like, we cannot forget who kept our country running in our moment of need,” Henry said. “Our healthcare workers, food-service workers and janitors, who are overwhelmingly black and brown workers, women and immigrants, deserve more than praise. They deserve nothing less than family-sustaining wages of at least $15 an hour and the right to form a union to lift up individuals and communities – both now and in the post-pandemic world.”
James’s and Mark’s last names were changed at their request


theguardian--2020-05-25--Why is Trump so quiet about the Biden sexual assault allegation?

Sometimes Donald Trump portrays his election rival , Joe Biden , as a sleepy geriatric who should be in a care home because “ he doesn ’ t know he ’ s alive ” .
At others , the president speaks of Biden as a wily manipulator who conspired with the deep state and China .
But in this scattergun approach , the US president has been uncharacteristically reluctant to use what , in normal times , would seem standard political ammunition : an allegation of sexual assault .
It took more than a month after Tara Reade , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ podcast that Biden sexually assaulted her in a Capitol Hill basement in 1993 , for Trump to publicly address the matter .
Even then , the US president ’ s comments on 30 April were unusually milquetoast .
“ I don ’ t know anything about it , ” Trump said .
“ I don ’ t know exactly – I think he should respond .
You know , it could be false accusations .
I know all about false accusations .
I ’ ve been falsely charged numerous times .
And there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking on Fox News ’ s Fox & Friends , usually a comfort zone , he again declined to go for Biden ’ s jugular .
“ Look , he ’ s got to fight that battle , ” he said .
“ I ’ ve had battles , too , where I ’ ve had false accusations , many times .
I ’ ve had many false accusations made , I can tell you that .
Many .
And maybe it is a false accusation .
Frankly , I hope it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and most obvious explanation for the president ’ s reticence is that he himself has been accused of assault and unwanted touching by a long list of women , some far more recently than Reade ’ s account .
He also denies the allegations .
On the other hand , Trump has never allowed perceived double standards to get in the way of his scorched earth tactics in the past .
Monika McDermott , a political science professor at Fordham University in New York , said : “ It ’ s surprising in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t pull back on things even when they do seem hypocritical or ironic or choose your adjective .
Yet he is in this particular instance .
I don ’ t know if he ’ s waiting for something to happen or whether he ’ s waiting to see how it plays out before he does anything .
He seems to be finding what seem to him more fruitful attack routes against Obama and other things and people than against Biden right now.
” In 2016 Trump ’ s campaign was rocked by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he could heard bragging about using his fame to grab women ’ s private parts .
Instead of quitting , he went on the offensive against his rival Hillary Clinton by highlighting sexual assault allegations against her husband , former president Bill Clinton , and even inviting those accusers to a press conference before a presidential debate .
But this November will witness the first presidential election since the rise of the # MeToo movement , which has encouraged women to come forward with allegations of sexual assault against prominent men in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden has committed to picking a woman as his running mate and frequently cites his work as lead sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act .
Both candidates are keenly aware that suburban women could be a pivotal demographic in the final vote .
While Trump remains taciturn , Republicans have instead focused much of their response on Brett Kavanaugh , the supreme court justice whose nomination was nearly derailed by sexual misconduct allegations .
The Trump campaign pointed to statements made by Democrats during the Kavanaugh episode to portray them as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communications director at the Trump campaign , said : “ During Justice Kavanaugh ’ s hearings , Biden made clear that all women should be believed when they come forward with allegations of sexual assault .
Biden ’ s own work during the Obama administration lowered standards for such accusations on college campuses as to effectively institute a presumption of guilt .
In a dramatic shift , Biden now says ‘ believe women ’ doesn ’ t actually mean ‘ believe women.
’ ” Trump himself , however , has preferred to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implicate Biden in a so-called “ Obamagate ” conspiracy that many seen as an attempt to deflect attention from the coronavirus pandemic – likely to prove a more significant issue in November .
Amid Democratic alarm that the Reade allegation could dent Biden ’ s support among women , the former vice-president vehemently denied it in an interview on the MSNBC network on 1 May and repeated that position in a series of media appearances .
The story has faded from prominence in recent days , especially after the PBS NewsHour interviewed 74 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were women , and found none said that they had experienced sexual harassment , assault or misconduct by Biden , nor ever heard rumors or allegations to that effect .
By pushing the case , Trump may have more to lose than to gain .
Rich Galen , a former Republican strategist , said : “ The case against Biden keeps getting thinner and thinner so I ’ m not sure that there ’ s much there .
And all the people who ’ s accused Trump , it would be like listing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Vietnam every night.
” Michael Steele , former chairman of the Republican National Committee , added : “ Trump , if nothing else , knows how to read his audience : ‘ No , they ’ re not going to buy anything I sell on this point.
’ There ’ s no need to even open that Pandora ’ s box because it ’ s a Pandora ’ s box for him , not Joe Biden .
I think that ’ s why the president has largely decided not to engage at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now , despite what others in the campaign may want to do , there is no energy from the president himself to open up that door and go through it .
”

Sometimes Donald Trump portrays his election rival, Joe Biden, as a sleepy geriatric who should be in a care home because “he doesn’t know he’s alive”. At others, the president speaks of Biden as a wily manipulator who conspired with the deep state and China.
But in this scattergun approach, the US president has been uncharacteristically reluctant to use what, in normal times, would seem standard political ammunition: an allegation of sexual assault.
It took more than a month after Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer, alleged on a podcast that Biden sexually assaulted her in a Capitol Hill basement in 1993, for Trump to publicly address the matter.
Even then, the US president’s comments on 30 April were unusually milquetoast. “I don’t know anything about it,” Trump said. “I don’t know exactly – I think he should respond. You know, it could be false accusations. I know all about false accusations. I’ve been falsely charged numerous times. And there is such a thing.”
Then, speaking on Fox News’s Fox & Friends, usually a comfort zone, he again declined to go for Biden’s jugular. “Look, he’s got to fight that battle,” he said. “I’ve had battles, too, where I’ve had false accusations, many times. I’ve had many false accusations made, I can tell you that. Many. And maybe it is a false accusation. Frankly, I hope it is, for his sake.”
The first and most obvious explanation for the president’s reticence is that he himself has been accused of assault and unwanted touching by a long list of women, some far more recently than Reade’s account. He also denies the allegations. On the other hand, Trump has never allowed perceived double standards to get in the way of his scorched earth tactics in the past.
Monika McDermott, a political science professor at Fordham University in New York, said: “It’s surprising in a way because usually Trump doesn’t pull back on things even when they do seem hypocritical or ironic or choose your adjective. Yet he is in this particular instance. I don’t know if he’s waiting for something to happen or whether he’s waiting to see how it plays out before he does anything. He seems to be finding what seem to him more fruitful attack routes against Obama and other things and people than against Biden right now.”
In 2016 Trump’s campaign was rocked by the release of an Access Hollywood tape in which he could heard bragging about using his fame to grab women’s private parts. Instead of quitting, he went on the offensive against his rival Hillary Clinton by highlighting sexual assault allegations against her husband, former president Bill Clinton, and even inviting those accusers to a press conference before a presidential debate.
But this November will witness the first presidential election since the rise of the #MeToo movement, which has encouraged women to come forward with allegations of sexual assault against prominent men in politics, show business and other industries.
A screen grab of Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden hosting a family town hall on the Covid-19 pandemic from their home in Wilmington, Delaware, last month. Photograph: Brian Cahn/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock
Biden has committed to picking a woman as his running mate and frequently cites his work as lead sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act. Both candidates are keenly aware that suburban women could be a pivotal demographic in the final vote.
While Trump remains taciturn, Republicans have instead focused much of their response on Brett Kavanaugh, the supreme court justice whose nomination was nearly derailed by sexual misconduct allegations. The Trump campaign pointed to statements made by Democrats during the Kavanaugh episode to portray them as hypocritical.
Erin Perrine, principal deputy communications director at the Trump campaign, said: “During Justice Kavanaugh’s hearings, Biden made clear that all women should be believed when they come forward with allegations of sexual assault. Biden’s own work during the Obama administration lowered standards for such accusations on college campuses as to effectively institute a presumption of guilt. In a dramatic shift, Biden now says ‘believe women’ doesn’t actually mean ‘believe women.’”
Trump himself, however, has preferred to take aim at other targets, seeking to implicate Biden in a so-called “Obamagate” conspiracy that many seen as an attempt to deflect attention from the coronavirus pandemic – likely to prove a more significant issue in November.
Amid Democratic alarm that the Reade allegation could dent Biden’s support among women, the former vice-president vehemently denied it in an interview on the MSNBC network on 1 May and repeated that position in a series of media appearances.
The story has faded from prominence in recent days, especially after the PBS NewsHour interviewed 74 former Biden staffers, of whom 62 were women, and found none said that they had experienced sexual harassment, assault or misconduct by Biden, nor ever heard rumors or allegations to that effect.
By pushing the case, Trump may have more to lose than to gain. Rich Galen, a former Republican strategist, said: “The case against Biden keeps getting thinner and thinner so I’m not sure that there’s much there. And all the people who’s accused Trump, it would be like listing the names of the people who died in Vietnam every night.”
Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, added: “Trump, if nothing else, knows how to read his audience: ‘No, they’re not going to buy anything I sell on this point.’ There’s no need to even open that Pandora’s box because it’s a Pandora’s box for him, not Joe Biden. I think that’s why the president has largely decided not to engage at that level.
“My sense is right now, despite what others in the campaign may want to do, there is no energy from the president himself to open up that door and go through it.”


theguardian--2020-05-25--US judge rules Florida felons can vote without paying legal fees

A law in Florida requiring felons to pay legal fees as part of their sentences before regaining the vote is unconstitutional for those unable to pay , or unable to find out how much they owe , a federal judge has ruled .
The 125-page ruling , issued by US district court Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee on Sunday , involves a state law to implement a 2016 ballot measure approved by voters to automatically restore the right to vote for many felons who have completed their sentence .
The Republican-led legislature stipulated that fines and legal fees must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in addition to serving any prison time .
Hinkle has acknowledged he is unlikely to have the last word in the case , expecting the administration of Republican governor Ron DeSantis to launch an appeal .
The case could have deep ramifications in the crucial electoral battleground given that Florida has an estimated 774,000 disenfranchised felons who are barred because of financial obligations .
Many of those felons are African Americans and statistically more likely to vote for the Democratic party .
Florida was also the scene of the infamous “ hanging chad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The judge called the Florida rules a “ pay-to-vote system ” that were unconstitutional when applied to felons who were otherwise eligible to vote but genuinely unable to pay the required amount .
A further complication was how to set the exact amount in fines and other kinds of legal fees owed by felons seeking the vote .
Hinkle said it was unconstitutional to bar any voter whose amount owed “ could not be determined with diligence ” .
Hinkle ordered the state to require election officials to allow felons to request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owe , essentially placing the burden on election officials to seek that information from court systems .
If there was no response within three weeks , then the applicant should not be barred from registering to vote , the ruling said .
Hinkle said the requirement to pay fines and restitution as ordered in a sentence is constitutional for those who are able to pay if the amount can be determined .
The case , Kelvin Jones vs Ron DeSantis , consolidates five lawsuits filed by advocates of disenfranchised felons , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People .
“ This is a tremendous victory for voting rights , ” Julie Ebenstein , senior staff attorney with ACLUs voting rights project , said in a statement .
“ The court recognized that conditioning a persons right to vote on their ability to pay is unconstitutional .
This ruling means hundreds of thousands of Floridians will be able to rejoin the electorate and participate in upcoming elections.
” The 2018 ballot measure , known as amendment four , does not apply @ @ @ @ @ @

A law in Florida requiring felons to pay legal fees as part of their sentences before regaining the vote is unconstitutional for those unable to pay, or unable to find out how much they owe, a federal judge has ruled.
The 125-page ruling, issued by US district court Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee on Sunday, involves a state law to implement a 2016 ballot measure approved by voters to automatically restore the right to vote for many felons who have completed their sentence.
The Republican-led legislature stipulated that fines and legal fees must be paid as part of the sentence, in addition to serving any prison time.
Hinkle has acknowledged he is unlikely to have the last word in the case, expecting the administration of Republican governor Ron DeSantis to launch an appeal.
The case could have deep ramifications in the crucial electoral battleground given that Florida has an estimated 774,000 disenfranchised felons who are barred because of financial obligations. Many of those felons are African Americans and statistically more likely to vote for the Democratic party. Florida was also the scene of the infamous “hanging chad” controversy in the 2000 US election.
The judge called the Florida rules a “pay-to-vote system” that were unconstitutional when applied to felons who were otherwise eligible to vote but genuinely unable to pay the required amount.
A further complication was how to set the exact amount in fines and other kinds of legal fees owed by felons seeking the vote. Hinkle said it was unconstitutional to bar any voter whose amount owed “could not be determined with diligence”.
Hinkle ordered the state to require election officials to allow felons to request an advisory opinion on how much they owe, essentially placing the burden on election officials to seek that information from court systems. If there was no response within three weeks, then the applicant should not be barred from registering to vote, the ruling said.
Hinkle said the requirement to pay fines and restitution as ordered in a sentence is constitutional for those who are able to pay if the amount can be determined.
The case, Kelvin Jones vs Ron DeSantis, consolidates five lawsuits filed by advocates of disenfranchised felons, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Brennan Center and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
“This is a tremendous victory for voting rights,” Julie Ebenstein, senior staff attorney with ACLUs voting rights project, said in a statement. “The court recognized that conditioning a persons right to vote on their ability to pay is unconstitutional. This ruling means hundreds of thousands of Floridians will be able to rejoin the electorate and participate in upcoming elections.”
The 2018 ballot measure, known as amendment four, does not apply to convicted murderers and rapists.


theguardian--2020-05-25--Corona rage is boiling over. To ease tensions, masks should be mandatory | Jessa Crispin

A man shot a cook at a Waffle House in Colorado , after the customer was told he must have a face mask to enter the restaurant .
When his childish attempt to re-enter holding the mask in his hand was rebuffed – I literally have a face mask , what is your problem – he created an altercation that ended in a non-fatal shooting .
A church was burned down in Mississippi , after the pastor tried to sue the city because of its interference with its services .
The pastor was still gathering people for worship , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
After the church burned , someone found graffiti that read : “ Bet you stay home now you hypokrits [ sic ] .
” A man was arrested in Missouri after he licked a bunch of items at the Walmart while yelling : “ Who ’ s scared of coronavirus ?
” A woman was arrested in California for licking groceries .
A woman coughed on some produce in Pennsylvania as a “ prank ” .
A cop “ jokingly ” coughed on residents in Baltimore .
So people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus very well .
The threat is real , people are dying , and even some early Covid-19 deniers have been brought around by witnessing sickness and death .
But the messaging about what to do about it has been inconsistent and contradictory , with rules changing from city to city , state to state .
To cut through the confusion , the simplest thing should be immediately required in every public setting : masks should be made mandatory .
I know that making a nationwide order to wear masks in public is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shootings – no law yet created has been able to stop such an inevitability .
But during times of uncertainty , we look to our leaders to tell us what we should do .
And where are all of our agents of authority ?
Our president says to wear a mask , but he ’ s not wearing a mask .
He says we should keep our distance , then he shakes everyone ’ s hand at the press conference .
Mike Pence doesn ’ t wear a mask during a visit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he regrets it .
Cops are walking the streets all the time without masks .
The people we usually look to for guidance are either being deliberately confusing or at best cavalier and reckless .
People are having to rethink every aspect of their lives right now .
How do I make my six-year-old watch this video about math while also attending a Zoom call while also constantly refreshing Instacart to see if a delivery window has opened up for groceries ?
How do I navigate the unemployment benefits registration system when millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same time ?
How do I get from one place to another when even the thought of getting on a subway causes nervous collapse ?
We should help people out by establishing one certainty : when you go outside , you put on a mask .
Please do not talk to me about science right now .
I ’ ve read the science .
It is contradictory , and official announcements about the science are constantly changing .
Plus , when you are outside on your one daily reminder that the sun still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are holding the hand of your child whose mask is always somehow sticky and slipping , and a jogger is coming at you and not getting off the sidewalk and sweating and puffing all over you as he passes without a shirt on , is that really the time to start Googling “ coronavirus transmission risk from joggers ” , read five or six different sources , and determine what the chances are that maybe you just got infected ?
Joggers : you are freaking people out .
Wear a mask .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ science , I just want to take some things for granted , so I can use my brain for other things .
Like wondering about whether or not my cat knows he is a cat .
Or , how are his feet are so small .
These are the important things of life .
People are clearly anxious about reopening .
And one of the easiest ways to ease that anxiety is to require everyone to wear a mask .
( And pay everyone a monthly stimulus , and create Medicare for All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they were furloughed or laid off , and organize workplaces to reduce hours and provide adequate protective gear and avoid physical contact with people or potentially infected surfaces . )
People love their “ freedom ” in this country , by which of course I mean the freedom to freak people out by wearing a gun in public , or trolling people with death threats just for the giggles , and they will want to argue about the order to wear a mask .
“ Debate me , bro , ” they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trot out the one piece of “ scientific ” information they misread in passing on social media between a video of a parrot dancing to a Nicki Minaj song and a stranger ’ s tearful and heartfelt defense of some multimillionaire celebrity whose feelings were recently hurt by mean comments .
But no , actually , I don ’ t want to debate you about whether masks protect you or the people around you , in the same way as I don ’ t want to debate about whether the Earth is round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Can ’ t you just feel smug about being right deep down in your heart ?
You can even talk about it , if you want , as long as the sound of your voice is being muffled by layers of fabric featuring your favorite Disney character .
The jerks and trolls will always be with us , but if everyone else is wearing a mask at least they ’ ll be easier to spot .
Mandatory orders need to be enforced , and that creates its own issues in contemporary American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black men and women in the name of “ enforcing social distancing ” and throwing people into crowded cells without soap or hand sanitizer shows , we can not rely on our traditional means of maintaining order to make people wear those masks .
We can not rely on a president who freely tells the nation to drink bleach to establish moral authority .
So we have to do it ourselves , even when grumbling , even with a “ Well , actually ” stuck in our throats .
You are freaking people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None Jessa Crispin is a Guardian US columnist .
She is the host of the Public Intellectual podcast

A man shot a cook at a Waffle House in Colorado, after the customer was told he must have a face mask to enter the restaurant. When his childish attempt to re-enter holding the mask in his hand was rebuffed – I literally have a face mask, what is your problem – he created an altercation that ended in a non-fatal shooting.
A church was burned down in Mississippi, after the pastor tried to sue the city because of its interference with its services. The pastor was still gathering people for worship, despite the stay-at-home order and the spread of the coronavirus. After the church burned, someone found graffiti that read: “Bet you stay home now you hypokrits [sic].”
A man was arrested in Missouri after he licked a bunch of items at the Walmart while yelling: “Who’s scared of coronavirus?” A woman was arrested in California for licking groceries. A woman coughed on some produce in Pennsylvania as a “prank”. A cop “jokingly” coughed on residents in Baltimore.
So people are not really managing their anxiety about the coronavirus very well. The threat is real, people are dying, and even some early Covid-19 deniers have been brought around by witnessing sickness and death. But the messaging about what to do about it has been inconsistent and contradictory, with rules changing from city to city, state to state. To cut through the confusion, the simplest thing should be immediately required in every public setting: masks should be made mandatory.
The jerks and trolls will always be with us, but if everyone else is wearing a mask at least they’ll be easier to spot
I know that making a nationwide order to wear masks in public is not going to prevent all Waffle House shootings – no law yet created has been able to stop such an inevitability. But during times of uncertainty, we look to our leaders to tell us what we should do. And where are all of our agents of authority? Our president says to wear a mask, but he’s not wearing a mask. He says we should keep our distance, then he shakes everyone’s hand at the press conference. Mike Pence doesn’t wear a mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic, but later says he regrets it. Cops are walking the streets all the time without masks. The people we usually look to for guidance are either being deliberately confusing or at best cavalier and reckless.
People are having to rethink every aspect of their lives right now. How do I make my six-year-old watch this video about math while also attending a Zoom call while also constantly refreshing Instacart to see if a delivery window has opened up for groceries? How do I navigate the unemployment benefits registration system when millions of others are all calling at the same time? How do I get from one place to another when even the thought of getting on a subway causes nervous collapse? We should help people out by establishing one certainty: when you go outside, you put on a mask.
Please do not talk to me about science right now. I’ve read the science. It is contradictory, and official announcements about the science are constantly changing. Plus, when you are outside on your one daily reminder that the sun still shines and flowers are in bloom and you are holding the hand of your child whose mask is always somehow sticky and slipping, and a jogger is coming at you and not getting off the sidewalk and sweating and puffing all over you as he passes without a shirt on, is that really the time to start Googling “coronavirus transmission risk from joggers”, read five or six different sources, and determine what the chances are that maybe you just got infected? Joggers: you are freaking people out. Wear a mask.
And I am tired of reading the science, I just want to take some things for granted, so I can use my brain for other things. Like wondering about whether or not my cat knows he is a cat. Or, how are his feet are so small. These are the important things of life.
People are clearly anxious about reopening. And one of the easiest ways to ease that anxiety is to require everyone to wear a mask. (And pay everyone a monthly stimulus, and create Medicare for All to help everyone who just lost benefits when they were furloughed or laid off, and organize workplaces to reduce hours and provide adequate protective gear and avoid physical contact with people or potentially infected surfaces.)
People love their “freedom” in this country, by which of course I mean the freedom to freak people out by wearing a gun in public, or trolling people with death threats just for the giggles, and they will want to argue about the order to wear a mask. “Debate me, bro,” they’ll all shout, as they trot out the one piece of “scientific” information they misread in passing on social media between a video of a parrot dancing to a Nicki Minaj song and a stranger’s tearful and heartfelt defense of some multimillionaire celebrity whose feelings were recently hurt by mean comments.
But no, actually, I don’t want to debate you about whether masks protect you or the people around you, in the same way as I don’t want to debate about whether the Earth is round or flat or whether vaccines cause autism. Can’t you just feel smug about being right deep down in your heart? You can even talk about it, if you want, as long as the sound of your voice is being muffled by layers of fabric featuring your favorite Disney character. The jerks and trolls will always be with us, but if everyone else is wearing a mask at least they’ll be easier to spot.
Mandatory orders need to be enforced, and that creates its own issues in contemporary American society. As the cops tackling mostly black men and women in the name of “enforcing social distancing” and throwing people into crowded cells without soap or hand sanitizer shows, we cannot rely on our traditional means of maintaining order to make people wear those masks. We cannot rely on a president who freely tells the nation to drink bleach to establish moral authority. So we have to do it ourselves, even when grumbling, even with a “Well, actually” stuck in our throats. You are freaking people out. Wear a mask.


theguardian--2020-05-25--Mike Pompeo is the number one evangelist of Trumpism in the world | Michael H Fuchs

Donald Trump ’ s disdain for the people , country and values his office is supposed to represent is unmatched in recent memory .
And he has found in the secretary of state , Mike Pompeo , a kindred spirit who has embraced his role as Trumpism ’ s number one proselytizer to the world .
Pompeo doesn ’ t wield nearly as much power or have the jurisdiction to inflict damage on as wide a range of issues as the president .
He ’ s not as crass or erratic as Trump , and his Twitter feed seems dedicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But when it comes to foreign policy , Pompeo ’ s penchant for undermining America ’ s credibility is top-notch .
At Pompeo ’ s recommendation , Trump fired the state department ’ s inspector general , who is supposed to be an independent investigator charged with looking into potential wrongdoing inside the department .
Steve Linick was just the latest in a series of inspectors general across the government that Trump had fired in an attempt to hide the misconduct of his administration – but it also shone a spotlight on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to news reports , Pompeo was being investigated by the inspector general for bypassing Congress and possibly breaking the law in sending weapons to Saudi Arabia , even though his own department and the rest of the US government advised against the decision .
He was also supposedly organizing fancy dinners – paid for by taxpayers – with influential businesspeople and TV personalities that seemed geared more towards supporting Pompeo ’ s political career than advancing US foreign policy goals .
And he was reportedly being scrutinized for using department personnel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dry cleaning and walking his dog .
But these revelations merely reaffirm a pattern of activities by Pompeo unbecoming of the nation ’ s top diplomat .
When the House of Representatives was in the process of impeaching Trump over his attempt to extort Ukraine for personal political purposes – an act that Pompeo was aware of – Pompeo defended Trump while throwing under the bus career state department officials , like the ousted US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch , who spoke out .
Pompeo has regularly ignored Congress , withholding documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeachment investigation – and refusing to appear for testimony .
In 2019 , the IG released a report detailing political retaliation against career state department officials being perpetrated by Trump officials .
And Pompeo has spent considerable time traveling to Kansas and conducting media interviews there , fueling speculation that he has been using his position to tee up a run for the Senate , a violation of the Hatch Act .
Pompeo is a natural Trumpist .
In her fantastic profile of the secretary of state , Susan Glasser notes of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nasty race against the Democrat , an Indian-American state legislator named Raj Goyle , who , unlike Pompeo , had grown up in Wichita .
Pompeo ’ s campaign tweeted praise for an article calling Goyle a ‘ turban topper ’ , and a supporter bought billboards urging residents to ‘ Vote American – Vote Pompeo ’ .
” Later , as a member of Congress , Pompeo made a name for himself by helping to fabricate the Benghazi conspiracy theories that shamelessly used the memory of a deceased foreign service officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump ’ s assault on US values , Pompeo ’ s role as top Trump lackey may seem insignificant .
But the secretary of state is often the most senior US official that other countries and publics hear from on any number of issues .
Even with Trump in the Oval Office , a secretary of state that was committed to the constitution - not Trump - would at least be able to fight for the values that US foreign policy should embody , and shield the department ’ s day-to-day business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work that department professionals conduct around the world – helping American citizens abroad get home in the early days of the pandemic or coordinating assistance to other countries to cope with the coronavirus – is vital to American national security , and at the core of the image that America projects abroad .
The world today needs principled and active US leadership as much as ever .
In a normal world , the US secretary of state would be working through international organizations like the WHO to lead the response to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global body .
The secretary would be pushing for robust foreign assistance to help other countries fight the pandemic , not cutting funding .
They would be trying to find a path that balances working with China on responding to the pandemic with pushing back on the Chinese Communist party ’ s disturbing behavior – like signaling it may end Hong Kong ’ s autonomy – instead of scapegoating China .
But Trump is undermining American leadership in incalculable ways , and Pompeo has weaponized the state department on the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s behavior is sending signals to other countries that the US government is acting more like the autocratic and corrupt regimes that Pompeo so regularly calls out .
As Trump hurls daily attacks on the media , Pompeo has taken to berating journalists .
These assaults by America ’ s leaders on the free press are giving cover to dictators around the world to criticize their countries ’ media .
Firing government watchdogs who are investigating top officials is exactly the kind of behavior that the United States would normally criticize in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they say , rots from the head .
And Pompeo , like his boss , is actively undermining the values embodied by the state department , its professionals and the Americans they represent .

Donald Trump’s disdain for the people, country and values his office is supposed to represent is unmatched in recent memory. And he has found in the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, a kindred spirit who has embraced his role as Trumpism’s number one proselytizer to the world.
Pompeo doesn’t wield nearly as much power or have the jurisdiction to inflict damage on as wide a range of issues as the president. He’s not as crass or erratic as Trump, and his Twitter feed seems dedicated more to childish mockery than outright attacks. But when it comes to foreign policy, Pompeo’s penchant for undermining America’s credibility is top-notch.
At Pompeo’s recommendation, Trump fired the state department’s inspector general, who is supposed to be an independent investigator charged with looking into potential wrongdoing inside the department. Steve Linick was just the latest in a series of inspectors general across the government that Trump had fired in an attempt to hide the misconduct of his administration – but it also shone a spotlight on how Pompeo has undermined his agency.
According to news reports, Pompeo was being investigated by the inspector general for bypassing Congress and possibly breaking the law in sending weapons to Saudi Arabia, even though his own department and the rest of the US government advised against the decision. He was also supposedly organizing fancy dinners – paid for by taxpayers – with influential businesspeople and TV personalities that seemed geared more towards supporting Pompeo’s political career than advancing US foreign policy goals. And he was reportedly being scrutinized for using department personnel to conduct personal business, such as getting dry cleaning and walking his dog.
But these revelations merely reaffirm a pattern of activities by Pompeo unbecoming of the nation’s top diplomat. When the House of Representatives was in the process of impeaching Trump over his attempt to extort Ukraine for personal political purposes – an act that Pompeo was aware of – Pompeo defended Trump while throwing under the bus career state department officials, like the ousted US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who spoke out. Pompeo has regularly ignored Congress, withholding documents from lawmakers – including during the Ukraine impeachment investigation – and refusing to appear for testimony. In 2019, the IG released a report detailing political retaliation against career state department officials being perpetrated by Trump officials. And Pompeo has spent considerable time traveling to Kansas and conducting media interviews there, fueling speculation that he has been using his position to tee up a run for the Senate, a violation of the Hatch Act.
Pompeo is a natural Trumpist. In her fantastic profile of the secretary of state, Susan Glasser notes of his first congressional race: “Pompeo ran a nasty race against the Democrat, an Indian-American state legislator named Raj Goyle, who, unlike Pompeo, had grown up in Wichita. Pompeo’s campaign tweeted praise for an article calling Goyle a ‘turban topper’, and a supporter bought billboards urging residents to ‘Vote American – Vote Pompeo’.” Later, as a member of Congress, Pompeo made a name for himself by helping to fabricate the Benghazi conspiracy theories that shamelessly used the memory of a deceased foreign service officer to undermine the state department.
‘Trump is undermining American leadership in incalculable ways, and Pompeo has weaponized the state department on the president’s behalf.’ Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Next to Trump’s assault on US values, Pompeo’s role as top Trump lackey may seem insignificant. But the secretary of state is often the most senior US official that other countries and publics hear from on any number of issues. Even with Trump in the Oval Office, a secretary of state that was committed to the constitution - not Trump - would at least be able to fight for the values that US foreign policy should embody, and shield the department’s day-to-day business from Trump’s outbursts. The work that department professionals conduct around the world – helping American citizens abroad get home in the early days of the pandemic or coordinating assistance to other countries to cope with the coronavirus – is vital to American national security, and at the core of the image that America projects abroad.
Trump is undermining American leadership in incalculable ways, and Pompeo has weaponized the state department on his behalf
The world today needs principled and active US leadership as much as ever. In a normal world, the US secretary of state would be working through international organizations like the WHO to lead the response to the coronavirus, not threatening to withdraw from the global body. The secretary would be pushing for robust foreign assistance to help other countries fight the pandemic, not cutting funding. They would be trying to find a path that balances working with China on responding to the pandemic with pushing back on the Chinese Communist party’s disturbing behavior – like signaling it may end Hong Kong’s autonomy – instead of scapegoating China.
But Trump is undermining American leadership in incalculable ways, and Pompeo has weaponized the state department on the president’s behalf. Like Trump, Pompeo’s behavior is sending signals to other countries that the US government is acting more like the autocratic and corrupt regimes that Pompeo so regularly calls out. As Trump hurls daily attacks on the media, Pompeo has taken to berating journalists. These assaults by America’s leaders on the free press are giving cover to dictators around the world to criticize their countries’ media. Firing government watchdogs who are investigating top officials is exactly the kind of behavior that the United States would normally criticize in its annual human rights reports.
The fish, they say, rots from the head. And Pompeo, like his boss, is actively undermining the values embodied by the state department, its professionals and the Americans they represent.


theguardian--2020-05-25--Kentucky lockdown protesters condemned for hanging effigy of governor from tree

Political leaders in Kentucky have condemned rightwing protesters against the state ’ s measures to fight the coronavirus , after the demonstrators hanged an effigy of Democratic state governor Andy Beshear from a tree .
The incident happened on Sunday during a protest in favor of gun rights and other mostly conservative causes .
Several men produced a rope and an effigy and strung it from a tree outside the state capitol building in Frankfort .
The state representative Charles Booker , who is African American and the Democratic party challenger for the Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the representation as “ vile and traumatic ” .
“ It ’ s not just the threat on his life , it ’ s the fact that they demonstrated an act rooted in our history of racism .
I ’ ve had family lynched in Kentucky , ” Booker added .
“ The act that was displayed on Capitol grounds today , near where the Governor and his young children live , was wrong and offensive .
This type of behavior must be condemned , ” Beshear ’ s communications director , Crystal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN .
“ As Kentuckians we should be able to voice our opinions without turning to hate and threats of violence .
Put simply – we are and should be better than this.
” McConnell and the state Republican party issued their own condemnations .
“ As a strong defender of the First Amendment , I believe Americans have the right to peacefully protest , ” McConnell ’ s press office posted on Twitter .
“ However , today ’ s action toward Governor Beshear is unacceptable .
There is no place for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Kentucky echoed that condemnation , posting : “ What occurred at today ’ s rally was unacceptable and has no place in Kentucky ’ s political discourse.
” The rally , which drew about 100 people , soon turned into a protest against Beshear ’ s lockdown directives , according to the journalist Gerry Seavo James , who passed an image of the mayor ’ s effigy to CNN .
According to James , the rally was wrapping up when someone pulled the effigy of Beshear out of a bag and hanged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around its neck with the words “ sic semper tyrannis ” – Latin for “ thus always to tyrants ” .
The phrase is generally attributed to Julius Caesar ’ s assassin Brutus but was also uttered by John Wilkes Booth as he shot Abraham Lincoln .
It remains the state motto of Virginia .
“ It ’ s a very chilling image to see in modern America .
And especially as an African American man , ” said James , who has been documenting gun rights rallies across the south .
James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There ’ s a gentleman that came up .
He was pretty upset about it , and he cut it down .
And he was like , ‘ This has no place at this rally .
We ’ re trying to be peaceful .
’ ”

Political leaders in Kentucky have condemned rightwing protesters against the state’s measures to fight the coronavirus, after the demonstrators hanged an effigy of Democratic state governor Andy Beshear from a tree.
The incident happened on Sunday during a protest in favor of gun rights and other mostly conservative causes. Several men produced a rope and an effigy and strung it from a tree outside the state capitol building in Frankfort.
The state representative Charles Booker, who is African American and one of several Democratic party challengers vying to take the Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell’s seat in Kentucky in November, described the representation as “ vile and traumatic”.
“It’s not just the threat on his life, it’s the fact that they demonstrated an act rooted in our history of racism. I’ve had family lynched in Kentucky,” Booker added.
“The act that was displayed on Capitol grounds today, near where the Governor and his young children live, was wrong and offensive. This type of behavior must be condemned,” Beshear’s communications director, Crystal Staley, said in an email to CNN.
“As Kentuckians we should be able to voice our opinions without turning to hate and threats of violence. Put simply – we are and should be better than this.”
McConnell and the state Republican party issued their own condemnations.
“As a strong defender of the First Amendment, I believe Americans have the right to peacefully protest,” McConnell’s press office posted on Twitter. “However, today’s action toward Governor Beshear is unacceptable. There is no place for hate in Kentucky.”
A demonstrator hangs an effigy of the Kentucky governor, Andy Beshear, during the rally. Photograph: Bryan Woolston/Reuters
The Republican party of Kentucky echoed that condemnation, posting: “What occurred at today’s rally was unacceptable and has no place in Kentucky’s political discourse.”
The rally, which drew about 100 people, soon turned into a protest against Beshear’s lockdown directives, according to the journalist Gerry Seavo James, who passed an image of the mayor’s effigy to CNN.
According to James, the rally was wrapping up when someone pulled the effigy of Beshear out of a bag and hanged it. The figure included a note around its neck with the words “sic semper tyrannis” – Latin for “thus always to tyrants”.
The phrase is generally attributed to Julius Caesar’s assassin Brutus but was also uttered by John Wilkes Booth as he shot Abraham Lincoln. It remains the state motto of Virginia.
“It’s a very chilling image to see in modern America. And especially as an African American man,” said James, who has been documenting gun rights rallies across the south.
James said the effigy was removed soon after. “There’s a gentleman that came up. He was pretty upset about it, and he cut it down. And he was like, ‘This has no place at this rally. We’re trying to be peaceful.’”


theguardian--2020-05-25--'Feels good to be out of my house': Biden lays Memorial Day wreath in Delaware

Joe Biden left his Delaware home to lay a wreath on Monday to mark Memorial Day , emerging from a two-month quarantine .
After departing the ceremony at the Delaware Memorial Bridge Veterans Memorial Park , Biden told reporters : “ Never forget the sacrifices that these men and women made .
Never , ever forget.
” But he also added : “ It feels good to be out of my house.
” The former vice-president ’ s trip came a day after he criticized Donald Trump for spending part of his Memorial Day holiday weekend tweeting and golfing as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The presidency is about a lot more than tweeting from your golf cart , ” Biden tweeted on Sunday , saying that Trump was not “ prepared ” for “ taking on the ultimate responsibility for the biggest decisions in the world .
“ I promise you I will be , ” he wrote .
Since abruptly canceling a campaign rally in Cleveland on 10 March , Biden has made no appearances in public .
Instead he has adjusted to coronavirus lockdown by building a television studio in his home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on news programs , late-night shows and campaign fundraising events .
His Memorial Day event follows Trump ’ s repeated mockery , which has included referring to him as the “ sleepy guy in a basement ” .
But at 77 , Biden is especially vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus , which heavily impacts the elderly – though so is Trump , who turns 74 next month .
Biden ’ s quarantine has included technical glitches and other moments that have left him vulnerable to questions surrounding his age , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from medical health experts that it is safer to cough into the elbow , and making the claim that just 88,000 Americans had been infected with Covid-19 .
In fact , more than 1.6 million have contracted the virus .
When Biden emerged into the open air on Monday , he wore a face mask , in contrast to Trump , who has refused to cover his face in public as health officials suggest .
Biden and his wife , Jill , laid a wreath of white flowers and bowed their heads in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategists have openly worried Biden ’ s efforts to position himself as a political leader with the experience and judgment to lead the country out of the crisis have been hampered by staying home and following health experts ’ social distancing recommendations .
However , he is currently beating Trump in national polls and most key battleground states .
“ We will never make any choices that put our staff or voters in harm ’ s way , ” Biden ’ s campaign manager , Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , said recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more traditional activities “ when safety allows , and we will not do that a day sooner ” .

Joe Biden left his Delaware home to lay a wreath on Monday to mark Memorial Day, emerging from a two-month quarantine.
After departing the ceremony at the Delaware Memorial Bridge Veterans Memorial Park, Biden told reporters: “Never forget the sacrifices that these men and women made. Never, ever forget.”
But he also added: “It feels good to be out of my house.”
The former vice-president’s trip came a day after he criticized Donald Trump for spending part of his Memorial Day holiday weekend tweeting and golfing as the US coronavirus death toll nears 100,000.
“The presidency is about a lot more than tweeting from your golf cart,” Biden tweeted on Sunday, saying that Trump was not “prepared” for “taking on the ultimate responsibility for the biggest decisions in the world.
“I promise you I will be,” he wrote.
Since abruptly canceling a campaign rally in Cleveland on 10 March, Biden has made no appearances in public. Instead he has adjusted to coronavirus lockdown by building a television studio in his home, which he has used to make appearances on news programs, late-night shows and campaign fundraising events.
His Memorial Day event follows Trump’s repeated mockery, which has included referring to him as the “sleepy guy in a basement”. But at 77, Biden is especially vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus, which heavily impacts the elderly – though so is Trump, who turns 74 next month.
Joe Biden and Jill Biden depart after placing a wreath at the Delaware Memorial Bridge Veterans Memorial Park. Photograph: Patrick Semansky/AP
Biden’s quarantine has included technical glitches and other moments that have left him vulnerable to questions surrounding his age, including coughing into his hand, despite advice from medical health experts that it is safer to cough into the elbow, and making the claim that just 88,000 Americans had been infected with Covid-19. In fact, more than 1.6 million have contracted the virus.
When Biden emerged into the open air on Monday, he wore a face mask, in contrast to Trump, who has refused to cover his face in public as health officials suggest. Biden and his wife, Jill, laid a wreath of white flowers and bowed their heads in silence at the park.
Some Democratic strategists have openly worried Biden’s efforts to position himself as a political leader with the experience and judgment to lead the country out of the crisis have been hampered by staying home and following health experts’ social distancing recommendations. However, he is currently beating Trump in national polls and most key battleground states.
“We will never make any choices that put our staff or voters in harm’s way,” Biden’s campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, said recently, adding that the campaign would resume more traditional activities “when safety allows, and we will not do that a day sooner”.