theguardian--2020-04-18--Caught in a superpower struggle: the inside story of the WHO's response to coronavirus

When a pandemic strikes , the world ’ s leading experts convene – physically or virtually – in a hi-tech chamber in the basement of the Geneva headquarters of the World Health Organization .
It is called the “ strategic health operations centre ” , or SHOC , an appropriately urgent acronym for a place where life and death decisions are taken , and it is where critical choices were made in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak .
“ We ’ re mostly like a 1950s , never-been-upgraded place , except for the SHOC room , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the desks with computers that rise up .
The whole thing does look like something that Hollywood set up , imagining a pandemic , ” a WHO official said .
“ You sit there and you hear these experts from all over the world and they ’ re really leading people .
The best expertise available to get the best advice possible , it ’ s a very impressive sense that hey , this is really how it is supposed to work.
” On 22 January , it was in this setting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pivotal decision on whether to advise the organisation to declare a “ public health emergency of international concern ” ( PHEIC ) – a formal red alert for the world .
The WHO had been sharing information with member states constantly since the first cluster of pneumonia cases was first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December , but declaring a PHEIC still had huge symbolic importance .
The WHO director general , Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , sat in the SHOC with his top advisers watching as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the screens in front of them .
First there were reports from China , and then Japan and Thailand where cases had been recently confirmed .
Then it was the turn of the 15 members and six advisers on the emergency committee , drawn from around the world .
The debate was highly technical but it had one critical issue at its heart .
It was known by then that the virus had spread from person to person , but the question was how easily ?
If human-to-human transmission was only happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or between patients and health workers , then perhaps it could be largely contained without a worldwide alert , and all the global economic disruption that entailed .
If the virus was spreading freely among communities , there was not a moment to lose .
The emergency committee was split down the middle on the question .
So Tedros told it to convene again the next day , in the hope new data might create a consensus .
“ Tedros ’ s only obligation under the law is to convene a committee but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels that politically he needs to get a unanimous decision before he acts or at least an overwhelming majority , ” Lawrence Gostin , a professor of public health law at Georgetown University , said .
The second day ’ s meeting however , changed no one ’ s mind , and the impasse remained .
Tedros had the committee adjourn pending further study and put it on notice to reconvene at short notice .
A international health emergency was declared a week later , on 30 January , after clear evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The events of January were always destined for scrutiny .
The WHO conducts an after-action report in wake of every pandemic .
But by seeking to make the global body the scapegoat for the debacle of the US response , Donald Trump has ensured each detail will become exhibits in a highly-politicised show-trial , likely to last as long as the election campaign .
Furthermore , the president has used claims of WHO ’ s dysfunction to justify cutting off US funding to it , worth over $ 400m a year , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help counter the spread of the pandemic in fragile and poor countries around the world .
In a hail of accusations hurled at the WHO in recent days , Trump has accused it of withholding critical information about the danger of Covid-19 , and being under the control of China .
None of the accusations are supported by the facts .
China argued against declaring an emergency on 22 January , but could not have carried the argument alone .
The other emergency members and advisers came were experts from the US , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea , Canada , Japan , Netherlands , Australia , Senegal , Singapore , Saudi Arabia , Sweden , and New Zealand .
Their advice is confidential , but for the vote to have been split , several western , or western-aligned , representatives must have voted with Beijing .
While the emergency committee took a week to decide to declare a PHEIC , Trump spent more than a month after that playing down the threat to the US , during which the country fell weeks behind the rest of the world in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no evidence to support Trump ’ s claim that the WHO hid information at China ’ s behest .
The US is well represented in the top ranks of the organisation .
There were more than a dozen officials from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) embedded in the WHO in January and February .
US health leaders were part of regular conference calls , weekly or twice weekly , beginning on 7 January .
From 10 January those calls included warnings about the risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent line of attack has been that the WHO ignored vital warnings from Taiwan .
“ Why did the WHO Ignore an email from Taiwanese health officials in late December alerting them to the possibility that coronvirus could be transmitted between humans ?
” the president asked in a tweet on Friday , echoing a claim made by Taipei .
However , the Taiwanese email appears to have made no such warning .
It was sent from Taiwan ’ s CDC to its WHO liaison officer on 31 December , hours after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pneumonia cases in Wuhan were published online .
According to the text provided to the Guardian , the email said : “ News resources today indicate that at least seven , atypical pneumonia cases were reported in China.
” It restates the details of Chinese report , adding “ I would greatly appreciate it if you have relevant information to share with us.
” The email did not contain new information , and certainly nothing about human-to-human transmission .
The WHO had picked up the same report on the night of 30 December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On 1 January it activated its incident management support team , putting the organisation on an emergency footing .
The Taiwanese government has claimed that it did not receive a reply to its inquiry and was generally shut out from WHO deliberations .
Since the UN voted to recognise the People ’ s Republic as the sole representative of China in 1971 and the World Health Assembly followed suit in 1972 , Taiwan has not had full member status in the WHO , but it is involved in the organisation ’ s work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entities that have access to expert deliberations through an information network established by the International Health Regulations ( IHR ) , a pact on collective action against infectious disease with roots stretching back to the nineteenth century .
The latest version was agreed in 2005 by 196 countries , and it provides the legal framework for the work of the WHO .
However , Taiwan says its participation is fragmentary and selective , largely because Chinese obstruction .
A Taipei government statement pointed out that it reported its first confirmed coronavirus case on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but was not invited to participate in the three emergency committee meetings held in January , where its voice may have made a difference .
Taiwanese experts were among the first to visit Wuhan , in the first half of January , and its containment measures later proved effective .
Singapore , meanwhile , had two representatives on the committee .
“ The Covid-19 outbreak is a reminder to all the world once again , that politics has barred Taiwan from contact and communication with WHO and global public health experts , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in epidemic prevention and control , ” the statement said .
Tedros has also drawn criticism for his tireless praise of China and Xi Jinping ’ s leadership , hailing Beijing ’ s transparency despite the critical early weeks left when the authorities tried to cover up the extent of the problem in Wuhan .
The director general ’ s defenders say such diplomatic flattery is the price of ensuring Chinese cooperation with information and WHO site visits .
Tedros also complimented Trump in a March 23 tweet , claiming he was doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Covid-19 ” , and Trump was also effusive in praising Xi in the first weeks of the pandemic .
“ They ’ re making it seem like he ’ s a crony of China , but he ’ s caught in the middle of a super power struggle competition , ” Gostin said .
The WHO also provided ammunition to its detractors when , on 14 January , it put out a tweet citing preliminary Chinese studies finding “ no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission ” .
It was issued on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead on Covid-19 , Maria Van Kerkhove ( a US immunologist ) gave a press briefing in Geneva warning of precisely the opposite – the potential for rapid spread .
Concerned that her briefing conflicted with the initial Chinese findings , a middle-ranking official told the social media team to put out a tweet to balance the Van Kerkhove briefing .
In so doing , the WHO exposed itself to the charge of contributing to an air of complacency .
But the tweet was factually true and does not appear to have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and again , the events of January reflected the difficulties Tedros and his organisation faced in negotiating a path between two hostile superpowers , and the egos of their leaders , without any independent powers to enforce compliance and information sharing .
However , what mistakes that may have been made in charting that course have little to do with the lethal fiasco that unfolded in the US in the two months after the WHO raised an international alarm .

When a pandemic strikes, the world’s leading experts convene – physically or virtually – in a hi-tech chamber in the basement of the Geneva headquarters of the World Health Organization.
It is called the “strategic health operations centre”, or SHOC, an appropriately urgent acronym for a place where life and death decisions are taken, and it is where critical choices were made in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak.
“We’re mostly like a 1950s, never-been-upgraded place, except for the SHOC room, which was built with all the screens everywhere and the desks with computers that rise up. The whole thing does look like something that Hollywood set up, imagining a pandemic,” a WHO official said.
“You sit there and you hear these experts from all over the world and they’re really leading people. The best expertise available to get the best advice possible, it’s a very impressive sense that hey, this is really how it is supposed to work.”
On 22 January, it was in this setting that the WHO emergency committee convened to make a pivotal decision on whether to advise the organisation to declare a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC) – a formal red alert for the world.
The WHO had been sharing information with member states constantly since the first cluster of pneumonia cases was first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December, but declaring a PHEIC still had huge symbolic importance.
The WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, sat in the SHOC with his top advisers watching as a succession of speakers gave their views on the screens in front of them.
First there were reports from China, and then Japan and Thailand where cases had been recently confirmed. Then it was the turn of the 15 members and six advisers on the emergency committee, drawn from around the world.
The debate was highly technical but it had one critical issue at its heart. It was known by then that the virus had spread from person to person, but the question was how easily?
If human-to-human transmission was only happening in close quarters, in families, or between patients and health workers, then perhaps it could be largely contained without a worldwide alert, and all the global economic disruption that entailed. If the virus was spreading freely among communities, there was not a moment to lose.
The emergency committee was split down the middle on the question. So Tedros told it to convene again the next day, in the hope new data might create a consensus.
WHO declares coronavirus a global health emergency – video
“Tedros’s only obligation under the law is to convene a committee but not to follow it. But he feels that politically he needs to get a unanimous decision before he acts or at least an overwhelming majority,” Lawrence Gostin, a professor of public health law at Georgetown University, said.
The second day’s meeting however, changed no one’s mind, and the impasse remained. Tedros had the committee adjourn pending further study and put it on notice to reconvene at short notice. A international health emergency was declared a week later, on 30 January, after clear evidence of community spread of Covid-19 had emerged.
WHO under fire
The events of January were always destined for scrutiny. The WHO conducts an after-action report in wake of every pandemic. But by seeking to make the global body the scapegoat for the debacle of the US response, Donald Trump has ensured each detail will become exhibits in a highly-politicised show-trial, likely to last as long as the election campaign.
01:34 Trump halts US payments to World Health Organization – video
Furthermore, the president has used claims of WHO’s dysfunction to justify cutting off US funding to it, worth over $400m a year, and hindering the organisation’s ability to help counter the spread of the pandemic in fragile and poor countries around the world.
In a hail of accusations hurled at the WHO in recent days, Trump has accused it of withholding critical information about the danger of Covid-19, and being under the control of China.
None of the accusations are supported by the facts.
They’re making it seem like he’s (Tedros) a crony of China, but he’s caught in the middle of a super power struggle competition Lawrence Gostin
China argued against declaring an emergency on 22 January, but could not have carried the argument alone. The other emergency members and advisers were experts from the US, Thailand, Russia, France, South Korea, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, Australia, Senegal, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and New Zealand.
Their advice is confidential, but for the vote to have been split, several western, or western-aligned, representatives must have voted with Beijing.
While the emergency committee took a week to decide to declare a PHEIC, Trump spent more than a month after that playing down the threat to the US, during which the country fell weeks behind the rest of the world in diagnostic testing and stockpiling essential equipment.
There is no evidence to support Trump’s claim that the WHO hid information at China’s behest. The US is well represented in the top ranks of the organisation. There were more than a dozen officials from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) embedded in the WHO in January and February.
US health leaders were part of regular conference calls, weekly or twice weekly, beginning on 7 January. From 10 January those calls included warnings about the risk of human-to-human transmission.
Commuters in Taipei wear face masks. Taiwan has been one of the most successful countries in controlling the coronavirus epidemic. Photograph: Ann Wang/Reuters
Trump’s Taiwan angle
Trump’s most recent line of attack has been that the WHO ignored vital warnings from Taiwan.
“Why did the WHO Ignore an email from Taiwanese health officials in late December alerting them to the possibility that coronvirus could be transmitted between humans?” the president asked in a tweet on Friday, echoing a claim made by Taipei.
However, the Taiwanese email appears to have made no such warning. It was sent from Taiwan’s CDC to its WHO liaison officer on 31 December, hours after the first official report of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan were published online.
According to the text provided to the Guardian, the email said: “News resources today indicate that at least seven, atypical pneumonia cases were reported in China.”
It restates the details of Chinese report, adding “I would greatly appreciate it if you have relevant information to share with us.”
The email did not contain new information, and certainly nothing about human-to-human transmission. The WHO had picked up the same report on the night of 30 December and was urgently seeking more information. On 1 January it activated its incident management support team, putting the organisation on an emergency footing.
The Taiwanese government has claimed that it did not receive a reply to its inquiry and was generally shut out from WHO deliberations. Since the UN voted to recognise the People’s Republic as the sole representative of China in 1971 and the World Health Assembly followed suit in 1972, Taiwan has not had full member status in the WHO, but it is involved in the organisation’s work.
It is one of 15 non-state entities that have access to expert deliberations through an information network established by the International Health Regulations (IHR), a pact on collective action against infectious disease with roots stretching back to the nineteenth century. The latest version was agreed in 2005 by 196 countries, and it provides the legal framework for the work of the WHO.
However, Taiwan says its participation is fragmentary and selective, largely because Chinese obstruction. A Taipei government statement pointed out that it reported its first confirmed coronavirus case on 21 January through the IHR system, but was not invited to participate in the three emergency committee meetings held in January, where its voice may have made a difference.
Taiwanese experts were among the first to visit Wuhan, in the first half of January, and its containment measures later proved effective. Singapore, meanwhile, had two representatives on the committee.
“The Covid-19 outbreak is a reminder to all the world once again, that politics has barred Taiwan from contact and communication with WHO and global public health experts, and this can only gravely damage global cooperation in epidemic prevention and control,” the statement said.
Tedros has also drawn criticism for his tireless praise of China and Xi Jinping’s leadership, hailing Beijing’s transparency despite the critical early weeks left when the authorities tried to cover up the extent of the problem in Wuhan. The director general’s defenders say such diplomatic flattery is the price of ensuring Chinese cooperation with information and WHO site visits. Tedros also complimented Trump in a March 23 tweet, claiming he was doing “a great job in the fight against Covid-19”, and Trump was also effusive in praising Xi in the first weeks of the pandemic.
“They’re making it seem like he’s a crony of China, but he’s caught in the middle of a super power struggle competition,” Gostin said.
The WHO also provided ammunition to its detractors when, on 14 January, it put out a tweet citing preliminary Chinese studies finding “no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission”.
It was issued on the same day the WHO’s technical lead on Covid-19, Maria Van Kerkhove (a US immunologist) gave a press briefing in Geneva warning of precisely the opposite – the potential for rapid spread. Concerned that her briefing conflicted with the initial Chinese findings, a middle-ranking official told the social media team to put out a tweet to balance the Van Kerkhove briefing. In so doing, the WHO exposed itself to the charge of contributing to an air of complacency. But the tweet was factually true and does not appear to have been part of a deliberate strategy.
Again and again, the events of January reflected the difficulties Tedros and his organisation faced in negotiating a path between two hostile superpowers, and the egos of their leaders, without any independent powers to enforce compliance and information sharing.
However, what mistakes that may have been made in charting that course have little to do with the lethal fiasco that unfolded in the US in the two months after the WHO raised an international alarm.


theguardian--2020-04-18--'They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video

The US president urged supporters to 'liberate ' three states led by Democratic governors on Friday , apparently encouraging protests @ @ @ @ @ are people expressing their views , ' Trump said during his daily White House coronavirus @ @

The US president urged supporters to 'liberate' three states led by Democratic governors on Friday, apparently encouraging protests against stay-at-home restrictions. 'These are people expressing their views,' Trump said during his daily White House coronavirus briefing.


theguardian--2020-04-19--Coronavirus live news: Trump warns of consequences if China 'knowingly responsible' for pandemic

Hundreds of people denouncing pandemic lockdown measures opposed by President Jair Bolsonaro snarled traffic in major Brazilian cities on Saturday , AP reports .
Protesters in trucks , cars and motorcycles , some wrapped in the country ’ s green and yellow flag , honked horns in the streets of Rio de Janeiro , Sao Paulo and the capital of Brasilia , calling for governors to resign over measures that have forced most businesses to close for weeks .
Bolsonaro has been a fierce critic of the states ’ stay-at-home measures , arguing that the economic harm could be more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took place a day after Bolsonaro fired his health minister , who had been promoting isolation measures .
In Rio de Janeiro , about 100 vehicles took part in the gridlock , cruising down Atlantica Avenue , along the iconic and temporarily shut-down Copacabana beach .
In Brasilia , Bolsonaro reiterated his intention to start reopening the economy .
The fear was excessive , he said Saturday , denouncing the greed of politicians who have shut down everything and created panic .
Brazil has the most confirmed Covid-19 cases in Latin America more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That is a relatively low number in relation to the country ’ s population of 211 million , but the outbreak is expected to peak in May .

19 Apr 2020 00.40 BST He’s just told the next reporter that she is “one of the most inaccurate reporters”. This anger at the press is sadly so common at these press conferences.
19 Apr 2020 00.37 BST Trump is now getting a question about why he didn’t warn Americans about the virus earlier. Trump responds by asking the reporter which network she is from (CBS). She follows up her question and he tells her to “relax”. He doesn’t answer and goes to his stock answer that he put a ban on flights from China in the end of January. He’s getting quite angry now. In a back and forth with the reporter, Trump tells her to “keep your voice down”. Now he is shouting at her and telling her she should say to him “thank you very much for (my) good judgement”. Another female reporter is asking a question now. He talks over her and it’s hard to hear her question.
19 Apr 2020 00.31 BST Trump is asked what advice he would give to the many protestors who are against the government’s restrictions.
“You’re allowed to protest,” he says, adding that “some governors have gone too far”. He says he watched footage of the protests and was happy they were all practicing social distancing, which is very much not true. You can follow our detailed coverage of the press conference on our US live blog.
19 Apr 2020 00.25 BST Trump is asked about Iran and if he would help them in the pandemic. Trump says he would be happy to consider it. “They have been hit very hard,” he says.
19 Apr 2020 00.22 BST Trump has gone off script and appears to be in full stream-of-consciousness mode ... very much in the spirit of his campaign rallies. He says the coronavirus has taught the nation and important less about the “supply chain” and the need to not have to rely on other countries in times of crisis. He then spends a few minutes criticising trade policies with hard words for Nafta and the World Trade Organization. “I want to read something I saw on television,” he says, before reading his own tweet from 19 Feburary off a large printed page.
19 Apr 2020 00.07 BST Hello, this is Alison Rourke picking up our live coverage of coronavirus as Donald Trump gives his daily White House briefing. The president began the briefing by saying a deal with the Democrats is “close” on the latest relief bill for small businesses and workers ... and could be resolved as soon as tomorrow.
He says 4.18 million Americans have been tested for the coronavirus. “That’s a record anywhere in the world,” Trump says. “More total tests than all the following nations combined: France, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, India, Austria, Australia, Sweden and Canada.” Trump says there is a “tremendous capacity” for testing before showing off a medical swab, likening it to a Q-tip. “We have ordered a lot of them,” he said, but notes that some states “don’t know where they are”. Then a return to what’s become a recurring motif over the past few days: “We are now the king of ventilators,” he says. “We have so many ventilators.”
19 Apr 2020 23.22 BST Lockdowns across Europe have had a dramatic impact on air traffic, with 90% fewer flights taking off from the continent’s largest airports compared to a year ago 02:03 Air traffic before and after Europe's coronavirus lockdowns – video
Updated at 23.24 BST
19 Apr 2020 22.43 BST Wearing face masks, waving black flags and keeping two yards apart, thousands of Israelis demonstrated against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu under strict coronavirus restrictions on Sunday. Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing, is under criminal indictment in three corruption cases. He is also negotiating a power-sharing deal with his rival Benny Gantz to form a coalition government that would end a year of political deadlock after three inconclusive elections. Demonstrations are allowed under Israel’s coronavirus restrictions, as long as participants maintain distance from each other and wear face masks. Under the banner of “Save the Democracy,” protesters called on Gantz’s Blue and White party not to join in a coalition led by a premier charged with corruption. Israelis demonstrate against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under strict restrictions made to slow down the coronavirus spread, on Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, Israel April 19, 2020 REUTERS/Corinna Kern TPX Photograph: Corinna Kern/Reuters
19 Apr 2020 22.36 BST Dan Collyns Ten Britons and a UK resident who had been stranded by the coronavirus lockdown in the Peruvian city of Cusco for more than a month have left Lima on a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt after successfully being transferred from the Andean city to the capital. The group, which included UK citizens who had tested positive for Covid-19, were among more than 30 travellers who boarded the German Boeing-747 to Frankfurt on Sunday afternoon. Among the UK nationals Chris Ramsay, 29, an engineer from Salisbury, and Ian Lindsay, 68, a retired general practitioner living in Dublin, had both been diagnosed with Covid-19 but Peruvian authorities allowed them to leave as they had completed the quarantine and were no longer considered to be infectious. “It was a great relief,” said Lindsay’s sister, Patricia Pacheco, who had been travelling with him along with their partners. “I honestly thought the Peruvian authorities would block it again.” Ten Britons and a UK resident who had been stranded by the coronavirus lockdown in the Peruvian city of Cusco for more than a month have now left Lima Photograph: Alexander Foulkes The group had been turned away from a military flight sent to transfer them to Lima for the last UK repatriation flight on Wednesday following health screening. The acting UK ambassador in Peru, Andrew Soper tweeted : “Pleased we were able to help another group of British travellers start their journey home today, including those who had been stranded in Cusco.”
“Thanks to our German partners for organising the flights. We will continue to do everything we can to support those UK nationals who remain in Peru.” Other travellers who were on the flight to Frankfurt included citizens from Canada, Sweden, Norway, Austria, the Netherlands and Germany.
Updated at 22.55 BST
19 Apr 2020 22.15 BST Tunisia is extending its lockdown to 4 May, then it will ease restrictions gradually on some economic activities, prime minister Elyes Fakhfakh has said. The government has said it expected Tunisia’s economy would shrink by up to 4.3%, the steepest drop since independence in 1956, because of the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. Shops are closed in the Medina of Tunis (old city of Tunis) to prevent the outbreak of the Covid-19, in Tunisia, April 16, 2020. Photo by Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock “The situation is relatively under control, but more caution is required,” Fakhfakh told state-run TV. He added that the pace of normal life will not return quickly even after 4 May. Tunisia’s vital tourism sector could lose $1.4 billion and 400,000 jobs this year, an official letter sent to the IMF showed.
The North African country has confirmed 866 cases of the coronavirus and 37 people have died, according to Reuters.


theguardian--2020-04-18--Protesters decry stay-at-home orders in Maryland, Texas and Ohio capitals

A day after Donald Trump encouraged Americans to protest against strict public health measures aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus , rallies were held in state capitals in Maryland , Texas and Ohio , with more planned for next week in other states .
Hundreds of people stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the Texas Capitol on Saturday , chanting “ Fire Fauci !
” as part of a protest organized by the conspiracy theory site InfoWars .
Anthony Fauci is the top public health expert on the White House coronavirus taskforce .
In Maryland , protesters stayed inside their cars and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital , Annapolis , to demand that Governor Larry Hogan “ reopen Maryland ” .
In Columbus , Ohio , hundreds of protesters gathered , some chanting “ We are not sheep ” .
The protests demanding governors reverse shutdown orders have been boosted by rightwing media outlets and by the president , who tweeted on Friday “ Liberate Minnesota !
” and “ Liberate Michigan !
” in the wake of a protest in Michigan that drew thousands of people .
Widespread shutdowns to prevent the spread of coronavirus have left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small businesses will not survive the next few months of the crisis , and afraid of deepening economic problems .
But those actually taking to the streets to protest against public health measures represent a minority opinion , according to a recent poll .
Two-thirds of Americans fear that state governments will lift restrictions on public activity too quickly , compared with only one third who worry they will not do so quickly enough , according to a recent Pew Research Center survey of nearly 5,000 American adults .
Republicans were evenly divided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying they were concerned about restrictions being lifted too quickly , the poll found .
In Texas , even the InfoWars contributor who organized the rally estimated that it had attracted , at most , a few hundred people .
In Maryland , organizers of the “ Reopen Maryland ” protest asked supporters to stay in their cars and keep their messaging respectful .
Local news outlets shared footage of streets in Annapolis filled bumper-to-bumper with cars , many of them honking their horns .
Some participants flew American flags and many scrawled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are petitioning our governor , Larry Hogan , to immediately reopen our state ’ s business , educational and religious institutions , ” the protest organizers wrote in an online letter , arguing that , while coronavirus was a serious public health concern , “ the economic , social and educational disruption caused by shutdowns is guaranteed to cause significant , even greater , harm ” .
One local resident who participated in the protest wrote that he wanted to show up so the governor “ hears both sides ” of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures in place , and said he had seen hundreds of other cars participating .
“ Right now it seems to be all shutdown , without consideration for those who are hurt by it .
That does include me , ” Tony , a 35-year-old personal trainer from Elkridge , Maryland , told the Guardian in a Twitter message .
He declined to give his last name .
With gyms closed for weeks , Tony said , he has not been able to work , and as an independent contractor , he and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shutdown .
If public parks had remained open , he said , he could hold socially distant fitness training sessions outside .
“ It just seems like nonsense that spaces are closed that would be really minimal risk to open , ” he wrote , saying the choice showed “ a lack of balance ” .
Tony wrote he believed some shutdown measures should stay in place , like keeping crowded club and stadium venues closed , but he wanted to see some businesses reopen , perhaps at reduced capacity .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organized by conspiracy theorists , the rhetoric was more extreme , with an organizer referring to the “ coronavirus hoax , ” and the “ narratives ” of the “ Deep State ” .
Alex Jones , the InfoWars founder , stood at the center of a packed crowd of hundreds of people on Saturday afternoon and bellowed into a bullhorn , praising attendees for resisting tyranny .
Few of the Texas protesters were wearing masks .
“ I see a bunch of healthy Americans out here who don ’ t seem to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Owen Shroyer , the InfoWars personality who organized the protest , according to footage of the protest livestreamed on Periscope .
Shroyer ’ s Twitter account was reportedly suspended this week after he shared posts about the protest .
“ If I want to go out to the gym or the club , or a restaurant , I ’ m not going to wear a mask , ” Shroyer said .
“ Neither am I !
” a woman shouted back at him .
Shroyer suggested that if thousands of Americans held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , they would be able to see that “ the the virus doesn ’ t spread like they told us ” .
He referred to “ the coronavirus hoax ” on the livestream , then added that while there was a real virus , “ the hysteria , the shutdown , ” was the hoax .
A spokesperson for the Texas state police did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether there had been any arrests or citations at the rally .

A day after Donald Trump encouraged Americans to protest against strict public health measures aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus, rallies were held in state capitals in Maryland, Texas and Ohio, with more planned for next week in other states.
Hundreds of people stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the Texas Capitol on Saturday, chanting “Fire Fauci!” as part of a protest organized by the conspiracy theory site InfoWars. Anthony Fauci is the top public health expert on the White House coronavirus taskforce.
In Maryland, protesters stayed inside their cars and honked their horns as they drove around the capital, Annapolis, to demand that Governor Larry Hogan “reopen Maryland”. In Columbus, Ohio, hundreds of protesters gathered, some chanting “We are not sheep”.
The protests demanding governors reverse shutdown orders have been boosted by rightwing media outlets and by the president, who tweeted on Friday “Liberate Minnesota!” and “Liberate Michigan!” in the wake of a protest in Michigan that drew thousands of people.
Widespread shutdowns to prevent the spread of coronavirus have left many Americans unemployed, worried that their small businesses will not survive the next few months of the crisis, and afraid of deepening economic problems. But those actually taking to the streets to protest against public health measures represent a minority opinion, according to a recent poll.
Two-thirds of Americans fear that state governments will lift restrictions on public activity too quickly, compared with only one third who worry they will not do so quickly enough, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey of nearly 5,000 American adults.
Republicans were evenly divided on the issue, with 51% saying they were concerned about restrictions being lifted too quickly, the poll found.
In Texas, even the InfoWars contributor who organized the rally estimated that it had attracted, at most, a few hundred people.
In Maryland, organizers of the “Reopen Maryland” protest asked supporters to stay in their cars and keep their messaging respectful. Local news outlets shared footage of streets in Annapolis filled bumper-to-bumper with cars, many of them honking their horns. Some participants flew American flags and many scrawled protest messages on their windows.
“We are petitioning our governor, Larry Hogan, to immediately reopen our state’s business, educational and religious institutions,” the protest organizers wrote in an online letter, arguing that, while coronavirus was a serious public health concern, “the economic, social and educational disruption caused by shutdowns is guaranteed to cause significant, even greater, harm”.
Demonstrators drive though downtown Annapolis, Maryland. Photograph: Tom Brenner/Reuters
One local resident who participated in the protest wrote that he wanted to show up so the governor “hears both sides” of the debate over how long to keep shutdown measures in place, and said he had seen hundreds of other cars participating.
“Right now it seems to be all shutdown, without consideration for those who are hurt by it. That does include me,” Tony, a 35-year-old personal trainer from Elkridge, Maryland, told the Guardian in a Twitter message. He declined to give his last name.
With gyms closed for weeks, Tony said, he has not been able to work, and as an independent contractor, he and similar workers have few support systems during the shutdown. If public parks had remained open , he said, he could hold socially distant fitness training sessions outside.
“It just seems like nonsense that spaces are closed that would be really minimal risk to open,” he wrote, saying the choice showed “a lack of balance”.
Tony wrote he believed some shutdown measures should stay in place, like keeping crowded club and stadium venues closed, but he wanted to see some businesses reopen, perhaps at reduced capacity.
In Texas, where the anti-shutdown protest was organized by conspiracy theorists, the rhetoric was more extreme, with an organizer referring to the “coronavirus hoax,” and the “narratives” of the “Deep State”.
Alex Jones, the InfoWars founder, stood at the center of a packed crowd of hundreds of people on Saturday afternoon and bellowed into a bullhorn, praising attendees for resisting tyranny. Few of the Texas protesters were wearing masks.
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones speaking to a crowd of hundreds of people in Austin, Texas, at a protest organized by another InfoWars personality. Theme: "You Can't Close America." pic.twitter.com/0onNIZvj3O — Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) April 18, 2020
“I see a bunch of healthy Americans out here who don’t seem to be afraid of a virus,” said Owen Shroyer, the InfoWars personality who organized the protest, according to footage of the protest livestreamed on Periscope.
Shroyer’s Twitter account was reportedly suspended this week after he shared posts about the protest.
“If I want to go out to the gym or the club, or a restaurant, I’m not going to wear a mask,” Shroyer said. “Neither am I!” a woman shouted back at him.
Shroyer suggested that if thousands of Americans held protests against the shutdown all over the country, they would be able to see that “the the virus doesn’t spread like they told us”. He referred to “the coronavirus hoax” on the livestream, then added that while there was a real virus, “the hysteria, the shutdown,” was the hoax.
A spokesperson for the Texas state police did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether there had been any arrests or citations at the rally.


theguardian--2020-04-19--Briefing or rally? Trump shifts to campaign mode as he rails against the media

He bashed “ Sleepy Joe ” Biden .
He railed against the Russia investigation and “ fake people ” in the media .
He predicted that had he not been elected , the world might have ended .
And somewhere along the way , he talked about the coronavirus .
The past few weeks have seen a battle between Donald Trump , the president , and Donald Trump , the candidate .
He has always been more comfortable in campaign mode and , slowly but surely , Trump the candidate is winning the struggle .
Saturday was one of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the James S Brady briefing room , not the James S Brady rally room , but today it was hard to tell the difference , ” Robert Gibbs , a former White House press secretary , told the MSNBC network .
I was among an unlucky 13 reporters sitting in that room on Saturday , along with one standing at the back from Trump ’ s beloved One America News Network which , having flouted reporters ’ agreed physical distancing guidelines , is there at the invitation of the White House .
Laptops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to maintain physical distancing , we were hardly a typical Make America Great Again crowd .
But tellingly , while there was no sign of Dr Anthony Fauci ’ s reassuring presence , the seats to Trump ’ s right included Mark Meadows , a vocal ally in Congress recently appointed White House chief of staff , and Kayleigh McEnany , the Trump 2020 campaign national spokesperson turned White House press secretary .
Both gazed up at their boss reverently and smiled at his jokes .
Meanwhile Dr Deborah Birx , response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the podium and spent long periods staring expressionless into the middle distance as Trump reeled off some golden oldies .
“ We had the best economy in the history of the world , better than China , better than any country in the world , better than any country ’ s ever had , ” he said , waving his hand at what was ostensibly a coronavirus taskforce briefing .
“ We had the highest stock market in history by far , and I ’ m honoured by the fact it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Wearing a blue suit , white shirt and red tie , Trump added : “ We have a big election coming up but I think we have tremendous momentum .
First we get rid of the plague.
” Across the country , the Trump movement is stirring again .
Protests against the “ tyranny ” of lockdown measures have featured Trump campaign regalia , Confederate flags , guns and placards such as “ Social distancing = communism ” .
The Trump adviser Stephen Moore has compared the protesters to Rosa Parks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to surrender her seat on a crowded bus to a white passenger in Montgomery , Alabama , in 1955 .
What did Trump think of that ?
“ Well , there is a lot of injustice .
When you look at Virginia , where they want to take your guns away , they want to violate your second amendment ...
I just think some of the governors have gotten carried away … It ’ s a strong statement but I can see where he ’ s coming from.
” As at a rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice-president , Mike Pence , then went after Democratic senators who were on a call to Pence on Friday as “ rude and nasty ” , adding : “ All you have to do is look at the big V for victory , or V for ventilator .
Take a look at it .
Everybody said they had us on that .
They thought they had us but we got ’ em done in numbers that nobody would believe.
” The comment suggested Trump viewed the race for ventilators as a political trap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a humanitarian emergency .
But Democrats are also concerned about Trump ’ s you ’ re-on-your-own message to states when it comes to testing .
He complained : “ You hear so much about testing .
What we ’ ve done has been incredible on testing.
” And in a swipe at Barack Obama : “ I inherited broken junk.
” No Trump rally is complete without him playing the victim – one sure to prevail heroically in the final act – and goading the media , usually a cue for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press pen .
This time the president took aim at a reporter who was not in the room : Maggie Haberman of the New York Times .
“ She ’ s a third-rate reporter , ” he lamented , going on a long riff to make the baseless allegation that a Haberman story , which said Meadows had cried during meetings with White House staff , was motivated by “ retribution ” .
Trump insisted : “ He ’ s not a cryer.
” Extraordinarily , the president of the United States spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a journalist with whom he has a long history than on the unimaginable scale of death and grief across the nation .
On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing , it was quite a contrast from the days when Bill Clinton was hailed the “ consoler-in-chief ” .
When Birx finally got her turn , she praised “ the amazing work of the American people ” , particularly in cities such as Detroit , to observe social distancing .
But when she pointed to a graphic of international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump could not resist butting in and pointing to China ’ s claim of 0.33 deaths per 100,000 people ( America ’ s is 11.24 , the UK ’ s is 21.97 ) .
“ Excuse me , does anybody really believe this number ?
” he demanded , later asking the same about Iran .
It was another cudgel with which to beat the media .
“ Why didn ’ t you people figure that out , though ?
” he demanded .
Unfortunately for Trump , the Biden campaign had just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump rolled over for the Chinese , he took their word for it .
Trump praised the Chinese 15 times in January and February as the coronavirus spread across the world.
” The president ended the briefing-cum-rally as he began , talking about anything but the coronavirus .
He attacked the Democratic congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as having a “ very strong anti-Israel bent ” .
He said of North Korea : “ Look , if I wasn ’ t elected , you would right now – maybe the world – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for good measure : “ When I first came in , we didn ’ t have ammunition , not a good way to fight a war .
President Obama left us no ammunition.
” He declared that no one had been tougher on Russia ’ s Vladimir Putin than he has been and recycled old gripes about the Iran nuclear deal and Chinese tariffs .
“ Maybe Sleepy Joe Biden ’ s gon na win , ” he said .
“ And if Sleepy Joe Biden wins you ’ ll own the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States.
” With mendacity and menace , the 2020 election campaign was back under way .
The president is eager to become a candidate again and move on .
With nearly 40,000 Americans dead from the virus , perhaps no one should be surprised .

He bashed “Sleepy Joe” Biden. He railed against the Russia investigation and “fake people” in the media. He predicted that had he not been elected, the world might have ended.
And somewhere along the way, he talked about the coronavirus.
The past few weeks have seen a battle between Donald Trump, the president, and Donald Trump, the candidate. He has always been more comfortable in campaign mode and, slowly but surely, Trump the candidate is winning the struggle. Saturday was one of those days.
“It’s called the James S Brady briefing room, not the James S Brady rally room, but today it was hard to tell the difference,” Robert Gibbs, a former White House press secretary, told the MSNBC network.
I was among an unlucky 13 reporters sitting in that room on Saturday, along with one standing at the back from Trump’s beloved One America News Network which, having flouted reporters’ agreed physical distancing guidelines, is there at the invitation of the White House.
Laptops on knees, with several seats between us to maintain physical distancing, we were hardly a typical Make America Great Again crowd. But tellingly, while there was no sign of Dr Anthony Fauci’s reassuring presence, the seats to Trump’s right included Mark Meadows, a vocal ally in Congress recently appointed White House chief of staff, and Kayleigh McEnany, the Trump 2020 campaign national spokesperson turned White House press secretary.
Both gazed up at their boss reverently and smiled at his jokes. Meanwhile Dr Deborah Birx, response coordinator on the coronavirus taskforce, stood on the podium and spent long periods staring expressionless into the middle distance as Trump reeled off some golden oldies.
“We had the best economy in the history of the world, better than China, better than any country in the world, better than any country’s ever had,” he said, waving his hand at what was ostensibly a coronavirus taskforce briefing. “We had the highest stock market in history by far, and I’m honoured by the fact it’s started to go up very substantially.”
Wearing a blue suit, white shirt and red tie, Trump added: “We have a big election coming up but I think we have tremendous momentum. First we get rid of the plague.”
Across the country, the Trump movement is stirring again. Protests against the “tyranny” of lockdown measures have featured Trump campaign regalia, Confederate flags, guns and placards such as “Social distancing = communism”. The Trump adviser Stephen Moore has compared the protesters to Rosa Parks, the civil rights activist arrested for refusing to surrender her seat on a crowded bus to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955.
What did Trump think of that? “Well, there is a lot of injustice. When you look at Virginia, where they want to take your guns away, they want to violate your second amendment ... I just think some of the governors have gotten carried away … It’s a strong statement but I can see where he’s coming from.”
As at a rally, he hymned the praise of his vice-president, Mike Pence, then went after Democratic senators who were on a call to Pence on Friday as “rude and nasty”, adding: “All you have to do is look at the big V for victory, or V for ventilator. Take a look at it. Everybody said they had us on that. They thought they had us but we got ’em done in numbers that nobody would believe.”
The comment suggested Trump viewed the race for ventilators as a political trap that he had managed to avoid, not a humanitarian emergency. But Democrats are also concerned about Trump’s you’re-on-your-own message to states when it comes to testing. He complained: “You hear so much about testing. What we’ve done has been incredible on testing.” And in a swipe at Barack Obama: “I inherited broken junk.”
No Trump rally is complete without him playing the victim – one sure to prevail heroically in the final act – and goading the media, usually a cue for his supporters to turn and and jeer the press pen. This time the president took aim at a reporter who was not in the room: Maggie Haberman of the New York Times.
“She’s a third-rate reporter,” he lamented, going on a long riff to make the baseless allegation that a Haberman story, which said Meadows had cried during meetings with White House staff, was motivated by “retribution”. Trump insisted: “He’s not a cryer.”
Extraordinarily, the president of the United States spent more time on this personal grievance against a journalist with whom he has a long history than on the unimaginable scale of death and grief across the nation. On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, it was quite a contrast from the days when Bill Clinton was hailed the “consoler-in-chief”.
When Birx finally got her turn, she praised “the amazing work of the American people”, particularly in cities such as Detroit, to observe social distancing. But when she pointed to a graphic of international comparisons on screens behind the podium, Trump could not resist butting in and pointing to China’s claim of 0.33 deaths per 100,000 people (America’s is 11.24, the UK’s is 21.97). “Excuse me, does anybody really believe this number?” he demanded, later asking the same about Iran.
It was another cudgel with which to beat the media. “Why didn’t you people figure that out, though?” he demanded. Unfortunately for Trump, the Biden campaign had just released a video stating: “When Trump rolled over for the Chinese, he took their word for it. Trump praised the Chinese 15 times in January and February as the coronavirus spread across the world.”
The president ended the briefing-cum-rally as he began, talking about anything but the coronavirus. He attacked the Democratic congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as having a “very strong anti-Israel bent”. He said of North Korea: “Look, if I wasn’t elected, you would right now – maybe the world – would be over.”
He added falsely, for good measure: “When I first came in, we didn’t have ammunition, not a good way to fight a war. President Obama left us no ammunition.” He declared that no one had been tougher on Russia’s Vladimir Putin than he has been and recycled old gripes about the Iran nuclear deal and Chinese tariffs.
“Maybe Sleepy Joe Biden’s gonna win,” he said. “And if Sleepy Joe Biden wins you’ll own the United States. And China will own the United States.”
With mendacity and menace, the 2020 election campaign was back under way. The president is eager to become a candidate again and move on. With nearly 40,000 Americans dead from the virus, perhaps no one should be surprised.


theguardian--2020-04-18--Federalism has become another casualty of Trump and the coronavirus | Andrew Gawthorpe

Many American institutions and traditions have been challenged in the era of Donald Trump .
The latest is federalism , the idea that power should be shared between the federal government and the states .
The president ’ s response to the coronavirus epidemic has had a curious impact , overturning the historical preferences of both parties .
Put simply , coronavirus has meant federalism for Democrats who have been abandoned in the face of the pandemic , and slavish devotion to federal authority for Republicans .
Federalism provides a logical way for the United States to respond to epidemics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their citizens ’ health – about which they have the best information – but the federal government needs to take the lead in coordinating a national response .
Supplies need to be sent where they are needed most , and measures like lockdowns have to be implemented and lifted in accordance with a national plan rather than haphazardly at the state level – because , as Andrew Cuomo has said , “ state boundaries mean very little to the virus ” .
Yet a vacuum of responsible leadership from the White House has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as intended .
Rather than seeing it as his role to work with the states to develop a national plan , Trump instead spent months denying that a problem even existed and stating that he took “ no responsibility ” for fighting the virus .
When the prospect of emerging as the hero who restarted the economy beckoned , he swung to the other extreme , claiming “ total authority ” to supersede decisions made by the states and suggesting that governors who wanted to lift lockdowns at their own pace rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Friday , Trump went on a bizarre , all-caps Twitter rampage , calling on citizens to “ LIBERATE ” Minnesota , Michigan and Virginia from state quarantine measures .
Many Republican governors have responded by following the president ’ s lead .
Even as the government ’ s top infectious diseases expert was pleading for a nationwide lockdown , governors like Florida ’ s Ron DeSantis chose to sacrifice the health of their constituents on the altar of their desire to please the president .
When DeSantis did eventually issue a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s changing “ demeanor ” as his reason for doing so .
Other Republican governors took their cues from the federal government too , for instance by waiting for Trump to issue a national emergency declaration before they issued their own .
Some Republican governors – such as Mike DeWine of Ohio and Larry Hogan of Maryland – acted earlier , but they represent states in which Trump ’ s popularity is much lower than average among Republican-governed states .
Democratic governors have been more in tune with the needs of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moods , issuing emergency declarations and lockdown orders sooner than their Republican counterparts .
When their pleas for a more effective federal response were ignored , they turned to self-help instead .
As it becomes clear that Trump is pushing for an irresponsible reopening of the economy , Democratic governors in the west and north-east have established working groups consisting of public health experts and economists to plot their own way forward .
Why did Republican governors stick with the president while Democratic governors went their own way ?
Much of the explanation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partisanship , and the nationalization of state politics .
Trump ’ s grip on the Republican base is so absolute that the governors of red states value their relationship with him above almost any other .
And so much of local politics is now filtered through a national lens that Republican governors must be seen to be toeing the president ’ s line even on local issues in order to please that base .
The particular way that Trump exercises power has also contributed to the reaction of governors from both parties .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dole out federal largesse according to political loyalty , even preventing Colorado ’ s Democratic-led government from purchasing ventilators on the open market and later sending a hundred units “ at the request ” of the state ’ s Republican senator , who is facing a tough re-election battle .
The message is clear : Democratic governors need to help themselves , because Trump sure won ’ t .
And Republican governors need to stick close to a president who sees himself as his party ’ s feudal patron rather than the leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been an inversion of what the Founders intended , with some states slavishly following federal dictate in flagrant disregard of local needs , and others hung out to dry as a national crisis looms and Washington does little to shepherd a national response .
Democratic governors can not rely on the president to protect the lives of their citizens , and Republican governors find themselves acting more as the lackeys of a monarch than representatives of the interests of their states .
Taken together , these developments suggest that federalism has become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his disregard for everything which truly makes America great .
• None Andrew Gawthorpe is a historian of the United States at Leiden University in the Netherlands

Many American institutions and traditions have been challenged in the era of Donald Trump. The latest is federalism, the idea that power should be shared between the federal government and the states. The president’s response to the coronavirus epidemic has had a curious impact, overturning the historical preferences of both parties. Put simply, coronavirus has meant federalism for Democrats who have been abandoned in the face of the pandemic, and slavish devotion to federal authority for Republicans.
Federalism provides a logical way for the United States to respond to epidemics. States have the primary responsibility for their citizens’ health – about which they have the best information – but the federal government needs to take the lead in coordinating a national response. Supplies need to be sent where they are needed most, and measures like lockdowns have to be implemented and lifted in accordance with a national plan rather than haphazardly at the state level – because, as Andrew Cuomo has said, “state boundaries mean very little to the virus”.
Yet a vacuum of responsible leadership from the White House has meant that the system has not worked as intended. Rather than seeing it as his role to work with the states to develop a national plan, Trump instead spent months denying that a problem even existed and stating that he took “no responsibility” for fighting the virus. When the prospect of emerging as the hero who restarted the economy beckoned, he swung to the other extreme, claiming “total authority” to supersede decisions made by the states and suggesting that governors who wanted to lift lockdowns at their own pace rather than his direction were committing “mutiny”. On Friday, Trump went on a bizarre, all-caps Twitter rampage, calling on citizens to “LIBERATE” Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia from state quarantine measures.
Many Republican governors have responded by following the president’s lead. Even as the government’s top infectious diseases expert was pleading for a nationwide lockdown, governors like Florida’s Ron DeSantis chose to sacrifice the health of their constituents on the altar of their desire to please the president.
When DeSantis did eventually issue a stay-at-home order, he explicitly cited Trump’s changing “demeanor” as his reason for doing so. Other Republican governors took their cues from the federal government too, for instance by waiting for Trump to issue a national emergency declaration before they issued their own. Some Republican governors – such as Mike DeWine of Ohio and Larry Hogan of Maryland – acted earlier, but they represent states in which Trump’s popularity is much lower than average among Republican-governed states.
Democratic governors have been more in tune with the needs of their localities than the president’s shifting moods, issuing emergency declarations and lockdown orders sooner than their Republican counterparts. When their pleas for a more effective federal response were ignored, they turned to self-help instead. As it becomes clear that Trump is pushing for an irresponsible reopening of the economy, Democratic governors in the west and north-east have established working groups consisting of public health experts and economists to plot their own way forward.
Why did Republican governors stick with the president while Democratic governors went their own way? Much of the explanation can be found in the power of partisanship, and the nationalization of state politics. Trump’s grip on the Republican base is so absolute that the governors of red states value their relationship with him above almost any other. And so much of local politics is now filtered through a national lens that Republican governors must be seen to be toeing the president’s line even on local issues in order to please that base.
The particular way that Trump exercises power has also contributed to the reaction of governors from both parties. Trump has made clear that he will dole out federal largesse according to political loyalty, even preventing Colorado’s Democratic-led government from purchasing ventilators on the open market and later sending a hundred units “at the request” of the state’s Republican senator, who is facing a tough re-election battle. The message is clear: Democratic governors need to help themselves, because Trump sure won’t. And Republican governors need to stick close to a president who sees himself as his party’s feudal patron rather than the leader of the entire nation.
The result has been an inversion of what the Founders intended, with some states slavishly following federal dictate in flagrant disregard of local needs, and others hung out to dry as a national crisis looms and Washington does little to shepherd a national response. Democratic governors cannot rely on the president to protect the lives of their citizens, and Republican governors find themselves acting more as the lackeys of a monarch than representatives of the interests of their states. Taken together, these developments suggest that federalism has become another casualty of a president unprecedented in his disregard for everything which truly makes America great.


theguardian--2020-04-18--Trump's performances are terrifying – but I can't stop myself watching them | Emma Brockes

For the last month in New York , the self-care rules of lockdown have lurched wildly as we figure out how to be at home without going mad .
In my house , we ’ ve been through schedules , no schedules , dressing in the morning , not dressing in the morning , hours of school work to no school work .
As soon as we get used to one thing , it becomes oppressive and we unravel and start again .
In all of this , however , there has been one , consistent tenet of self-preservation : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House briefings .
It ’ s not always possible .
He ’ s always on , somewhere , pecking the air with his hands , calling reporters who asks tough questions “ loud mouths ” and lashing out , before retreating into reflexive self-praise .
It is strange to remember a time , before the virus , when some aspect of these performances was compelling , the car-crash quality of “ what ’ s this guy going to say next ?
” so hard to pull away from .
Now , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sense of physical revulsion so extreme it ’ s like a prelude to violence .
And yet .
The decision to tune out the president in times like these also feels like a dereliction of duty .
We know by now there will never be a gotcha moment with Trump ; that however aggressive or canny a reporter ’ s questioning , he ’ ll never concede to the slightest error .
The only satisfaction we ’ ll get is to watch aspects of what , until recently , has been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adapt their approach to get under his skin ; keep to one question , keep it short , push back when he blathers and , when he stands down one reporter , ensure the mic is passed back to her by another .
None of it lands .
But it has been instructive to watch Trump slide into meltdown practically every day as these tactics unhinge him .
His need for attention is so vast and his self-awareness so stunted , that he keeps coming out , standing at the podium for what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , apparently untroubled by the possibility that his daily performance is the most terrifying aspect of the whole crisis .
Actually there is one , even more terrifying aspect of Trump ’ s briefings , which is that , with his uncanny ability to play on the fears and prejudices of his base , nothing he has done will undermine his popularity .
Why would it ?
The joke at election time was this guy ’ s going to get us all killed , and now a version of that prediction is actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his blame-shifting to the Chinese , or the World Health Organization , or Europe , or the Democrats , will be accepted by the same people who shrugged off all his other lunatic assessments .
Joe Biden , a daffy centrist with what appeared , during the primary debates , to be a nasty temper , poses a serious threat to Trump to the extent that he can ’ t reduce him to a single minority category .
In his way , Biden , with his lounge-singer swagger and air of total self-confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He doesn ’ t sweat the details , is peevish when challenged and has been known to talk absolute garbage – all expressions , to a greater or lesser degree , of the licence give to certain white men in politics .
At this stage , the stakes are so high that all of this has to be swallowed or parked for better times .
All that matters is getting Trump off the podium .

For the last month in New York, the self-care rules of lockdown have lurched wildly as we figure out how to be at home without going mad. In my house, we’ve been through schedules, no schedules, dressing in the morning, not dressing in the morning, hours of school work to no school work. As soon as we get used to one thing, it becomes oppressive and we unravel and start again. In all of this, however, there has been one, consistent tenet of self-preservation: avoid watching Donald Trump at his White House briefings.
It’s not always possible. He’s always on, somewhere, pecking the air with his hands, calling reporters who asks tough questions “loud mouths” and lashing out, before retreating into reflexive self-praise. It is strange to remember a time, before the virus, when some aspect of these performances was compelling, the car-crash quality of “what’s this guy going to say next?” so hard to pull away from. Now, it’s impossible to watch Trump without jump-starting a sense of physical revulsion so extreme it’s like a prelude to violence.
And yet. The decision to tune out the president in times like these also feels like a dereliction of duty. We know by now there will never be a gotcha moment with Trump; that however aggressive or canny a reporter’s questioning, he’ll never concede to the slightest error. The only satisfaction we’ll get is to watch aspects of what, until recently, has been the criminally tame White House press corps finally adapt their approach to get under his skin; keep to one question, keep it short, push back when he blathers and, when he stands down one reporter, ensure the mic is passed back to her by another.
His need for attention is so vast and his self-awareness so stunted that he keeps coming out
None of it lands. But it has been instructive to watch Trump slide into meltdown practically every day as these tactics unhinge him. His need for attention is so vast and his self-awareness so stunted, that he keeps coming out, standing at the podium for what feel like Fidel Castro stretches of time, apparently untroubled by the possibility that his daily performance is the most terrifying aspect of the whole crisis.
Actually there is one, even more terrifying aspect of Trump’s briefings, which is that, with his uncanny ability to play on the fears and prejudices of his base, nothing he has done will undermine his popularity. Why would it? The joke at election time was this guy’s going to get us all killed, and now a version of that prediction is actually coming to pass, still one imagines his blame-shifting to the Chinese, or the World Health Organization, or Europe, or the Democrats, will be accepted by the same people who shrugged off all his other lunatic assessments.
Joe Biden, a daffy centrist with what appeared, during the primary debates, to be a nasty temper, poses a serious threat to Trump to the extent that he can’t reduce him to a single minority category. In his way, Biden, with his lounge-singer swagger and air of total self-confidence, is as Teflon-coated as Trump. He doesn’t sweat the details, is peevish when challenged and has been known to talk absolute garbage – all expressions, to a greater or lesser degree, of the licence give to certain white men in politics. At this stage, the stakes are so high that all of this has to be swallowed or parked for better times. All that matters is getting Trump off the podium.


theguardian--2020-04-19--Coronavirus live news: Europe fatalities approach 100,000 as China reports no daily deaths

Denmark ’ s ambassador to the UK , Lars Thuesen , has said it helps to be honest with the public about lockdown exit strategies .
“ It does work , ” Thuesen said on the Sophy Ridge on Sunday TV programme .
“ Before Easter , the prime minister told the Danes that it would be possible to ease some of the restrictions if they behaved during Easter time , during these wonderful summer temperatures , if they behaved responsibly , if they continued what they had done the first weeks , then we would be able to open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pact between the government and the population.
” He said Denmark had been able to lift some lockdown restrictions as the numbers for people in hospital , the numbers for people in intensive care , and the numbers for people on ventilators had been stable or have been coming down over the last two weeks .
“ We are definitely not out of the woods yet but we are moving in the right direction and we can ’ t stay in a lockdown forever , so this decision about the schools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which reopened this week ] is based on scientific advice to the government as such.
” “ It might sound strange but the children in this country is not a vulnerable group and that is probably the reason why they chose to open the schools .
It is vital for our economy , ” he added .
He revealed Denmark was about to widen its testing strategy from only testing people with symptoms .
“ We are going to test a large proportion of the population in the future , in the days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are building more testing facilities , ” Thuesen said .

Jedidajah Otte (now) and Helen Sullivan (earlier)


theguardian--2020-04-19--Biden courts Ocasio-Cortez – but will he go bold enough to win her support?

Progressive favorite Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hasn ’ t made an appearance on Joe Biden ’ s live stream .
The New York congresswoman hasn ’ t cut a video message for the man Democrats will send out to defeat Donald Trump in November , and she hasn ’ t sent out fundraising emails on his behalf .
As the party aligned behind Biden last week in a show of unity , with endorsements from Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren and Barack Obama , Ocasio-Cortez has yet to offer a full-throated endorsement of his presidential bid .
While the 30-year-old politician intends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her active support will be harder won .
“ Unity isn ’ t a feeling , ” Ocasio-Cortez said in an interview on ABC ’ s The View this week .
“ It ’ s a process and I think that Biden can go further.
” Yet Biden has for more than a year resisted calls to embrace liberal policies like universal healthcare and the Green New Deal .
He won anyway .
Now as the presumptive nominee , Biden is considering policy overtures to the left while courting leaders like Ocasio-Cortez , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters of color – one of the constituencies he is struggling to win over .
Winning the endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez , a freshman member of Congress and the heir apparent to Sanders ’ leftwing political movement , could go a long way to unlocking their support .
As a top surrogate for Sanders ’ presidential campaign , she drew larger crowds in Iowa than many of his top rivals , including Biden .
She has a bigger online presence than Biden and , as a congresswoman representing some of the New York communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a prominent voice on a crisis that is reshaping American politics .
Her social media stardom and young followers could be particularly helpful to Biden , as the coronavirus outbreak forces his campaign to pivot to an all-digital strategy .
Biden , an old-school , retail politician , has at times struggled to break through online , eclipsed by Trump ’ s expansive internet operation .
At the same time , Ocasio-Cortez has been demonized on the right , cast as an extremist who wants to turn the US into Venezuela .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign ’ s attacks on Biden as a Sanders-style Democrat in disguise .
“ AOC is one of the many young people who were inspired by Senator Sanders , ” said Sarah Audelo , executive director of Alliance for Youth Action , referring to Ocasio-Cortez by her nickname .
“ The power of her endorsement , if she is able to get to the place of endorsing Joe Biden , will be in the story of how she got there – how a Biden presidency is going to move us closer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues and how supporting Biden is key to advancing our movement.
” In a January interview with New York Magazine , Ocasio-Cortez said that “ in any other country , Joe Biden and I would not be in the same party ” .
Now that he is her party ’ s presumptive nominee , she is wagering her political capital to see how far she can push him .
In interviews last week , she argued that the response to the coronavirus demands sweeping economic reforms that will help the nation recover from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the future .
“ This pandemic has just exposed us , ” Ocasio-Cortez explained on the Daily .
“ People tell me , ‘ I can not believe I didn ’ t see this before .
I can not believe I didn ’ t see this before.
’ I ’ m just thankful that people are seeing it now.
” Ocasio-Cortez believes the crisis has created more room for compromise , contending that the success of party unification efforts – and possibly the outcome of the presidential election – may depend on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just about this boding well for progressives , ” she said .
“ It ’ s about us having a goddamn planet to live on in 10 years or in 20 years .
It ’ s about making sure that babies don ’ t get put in a cage again .
It ’ s about making sure that we end the scourge of mass incarceration.
” As of Friday , Ocasio-Cortez and Biden had yet to speak directly since Biden ’ s last rival in the primary race , Sanders – a mentor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week Biden ’ s team reached out to her staff , days after she told the New York Times that she had yet to hear from his campaign .
The discussions , she said , revolved around his policy positions on healthcare , immigration and climate change .
These discussions are part of a wider effort by the Biden campaign to engage progressive leaders and organizers .
During a joint livestream this week , when Sanders endorsed Biden , they announced that their teams were developing six policy taskforces to find common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare , education , criminal justice , immigration and climate change .
Biden has also recently embraced proposals to cancel student loan debt for certain middle- and low-income borrowers and to lower the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60 in an effort to expand the federal insurance program .
Ocasio-Cortez , however , called Biden ’ s Medicare proposal “ almost insulting ” in the New York Times interview and said that Hillary Clinton had proposed lowering it to 50 .
Meanwhile , in an online conversation with a women ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it was “ legitimate ” to discuss the recent sexual assault allegation against Biden , which his campaign has denied .
Her role as a leading progressive voice , she explained , was to “ push back against everyone ” , including her own party .
“ That makes people uncomfortable , ” she said .
“ but we ’ re just not where we need to be right now.
” At the same time , Ocasio-Cortez is strident in her resolve to “ rally around ” Biden , calling the November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and death ” for her constituents , primarily people of color and immigrants .
Though there are some progressives resisting calls for party unity , Democrats appear to have little appetite for the drama and infighting that defined the 2016 primary contest .
Fear of a drawn-out nomination battle in 2020 proved unfounded as the primary resolved far sooner and more amicably than most expected .
“ This is an existential moment for Americans – not just with this pandemic , but with this presidency , ” said Addisu Demissie , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential campaign manager until he ended his run in January .
“ There ’ s going to be plenty of time during a Biden presidency – as there was during an Obama presidency – to negotiate within ‘ the family ’ and figure out how far we want to push things.
” Against this backdrop , many Democrats are cautiously optimistic .
But party leaders are under no illusion that defeating Trump will be easy – he has strong support in battleground states , a campaign operation that is larger and better funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with incumbency .
Polls suggest the race will be close and won , once again , on the margins .
Whether Ocasio-Cortez and Biden join forces to defeat Trump or instead continue to march separately in the same direction could be instructive for the rest of the progressive movement .
“ Right now it ’ s a balance between pushing the movement forward – fighting for the most progressive agenda possible – and staying focused on the main goal , ” said Marisa Franco , director and cofounder of Mijente , a Latinx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Removing Trump from office .
”

Progressive favorite Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hasn’t made an appearance on Joe Biden’s live stream. The New York congresswoman hasn’t cut a video message for the man Democrats will send out to defeat Donald Trump in November, and she hasn’t sent out fundraising emails on his behalf.
As the party aligned behind Biden last week in a show of unity, with endorsements from Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Barack Obama, Ocasio-Cortez has yet to offer a full-throated endorsement of his presidential bid. While the 30-year-old politician intends to vote for Biden in November, her active support will be harder won.
“Unity isn’t a feeling,” Ocasio-Cortez said in an interview on ABC’s The View this week. “It’s a process and I think that Biden can go further.”
Yet Biden has for more than a year resisted calls to embrace liberal policies like universal healthcare and the Green New Deal. He won anyway.
Now as the presumptive nominee, Biden is considering policy overtures to the left while courting leaders like Ocasio-Cortez, who is popular with young, progressive voters of color – one of the constituencies he is struggling to win over.
Winning the endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez, a freshman member of Congress and the heir apparent to Sanders’ leftwing political movement, could go a long way to unlocking their support.
As a top surrogate for Sanders’ presidential campaign, she drew larger crowds in Iowa than many of his top rivals, including Biden. She has a bigger online presence than Biden and, as a congresswoman representing some of the New York communities hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, is a prominent voice on a crisis that is reshaping American politics.
Her social media stardom and young followers could be particularly helpful to Biden, as the coronavirus outbreak forces his campaign to pivot to an all-digital strategy. Biden, an old-school, retail politician, has at times struggled to break through online, eclipsed by Trump’s expansive internet operation.
At the same time, Ocasio-Cortez has been demonized on the right, cast as an extremist who wants to turn the US into Venezuela. Her public support may help fuel the Trump campaign’s attacks on Biden as a Sanders-style Democrat in disguise.
Bernie Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez in October in Queens, New York. Photograph: Kena Betancur/Getty Images
“AOC is one of the many young people who were inspired by Senator Sanders,” said Sarah Audelo, executive director of Alliance for Youth Action, referring to Ocasio-Cortez by her nickname. “The power of her endorsement, if she is able to get to the place of endorsing Joe Biden, will be in the story of how she got there – how a Biden presidency is going to move us closer to winning on X, Y and Z issues and how supporting Biden is key to advancing our movement.”
In a January interview with New York Magazine, Ocasio-Cortez said that “in any other country, Joe Biden and I would not be in the same party”.
Now that he is her party’s presumptive nominee, she is wagering her political capital to see how far she can push him.
In interviews last week, she argued that the response to the coronavirus demands sweeping economic reforms that will help the nation recover from the crisis and make it more resilient in the future.
“This pandemic has just exposed us,” Ocasio-Cortez explained on the Daily. “People tell me, ‘I cannot believe I didn’t see this before. I cannot believe I didn’t see this before.’ I’m just thankful that people are seeing it now.”
Ocasio-Cortez believes the crisis has created more room for compromise, contending that the success of party unification efforts – and possibly the outcome of the presidential election – may depend on it.
“It’s not just about this boding well for progressives,” she said. “It’s about us having a goddamn planet to live on in 10 years or in 20 years. It’s about making sure that babies don’t get put in a cage again. It’s about making sure that we end the scourge of mass incarceration.”
As of Friday, Ocasio-Cortez and Biden had yet to speak directly since Biden’s last rival in the primary race, Sanders – a mentor of Ocasio-Cortez – dropped out. But last week Biden’s team reached out to her staff, days after she told the New York Times that she had yet to hear from his campaign. The discussions, she said, revolved around his policy positions on healthcare, immigration and climate change.
These discussions are part of a wider effort by the Biden campaign to engage progressive leaders and organizers.
During a joint livestream this week, when Sanders endorsed Biden, they announced that their teams were developing six policy taskforces to find common solutions on issues involving the economy, healthcare, education, criminal justice, immigration and climate change.
Biden has also recently embraced proposals to cancel student loan debt for certain middle- and low-income borrowers and to lower the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60 in an effort to expand the federal insurance program. Ocasio-Cortez, however, called Biden’s Medicare proposal “almost insulting” in the New York Times interview and said that Hillary Clinton had proposed lowering it to 50.
Meanwhile, in an online conversation with a women’s networking group, the Wing, Ocasio-Cortez said it was “legitimate” to discuss the recent sexual assault allegation against Biden, which his campaign has denied.
01:06 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez decries 'shameful' corporate bailout – video
Her role as a leading progressive voice, she explained, was to “push back against everyone”, including her own party.
“That makes people uncomfortable,” she said. “but we’re just not where we need to be right now.”
At the same time, Ocasio-Cortez is strident in her resolve to “rally around” Biden, calling the November presidential election a “matter of life and death” for her constituents, primarily people of color and immigrants.
Though there are some progressives resisting calls for party unity, Democrats appear to have little appetite for the drama and infighting that defined the 2016 primary contest. Fear of a drawn-out nomination battle in 2020 proved unfounded as the primary resolved far sooner and more amicably than most expected.
“This is an existential moment for Americans – not just with this pandemic, but with this presidency,” said Addisu Demissie, who was New Jersey senator Cory Booker’s presidential campaign manager until he ended his run in January. “There’s going to be plenty of time during a Biden presidency – as there was during an Obama presidency – to negotiate within ‘the family’ and figure out how far we want to push things.”
Against this backdrop, many Democrats are cautiously optimistic.
But party leaders are under no illusion that defeating Trump will be easy – he has strong support in battleground states, a campaign operation that is larger and better funded, and the built-in advantages that come with incumbency. Polls suggest the race will be close and won, once again, on the margins.
Whether Ocasio-Cortez and Biden join forces to defeat Trump or instead continue to march separately in the same direction could be instructive for the rest of the progressive movement.
“Right now it’s a balance between pushing the movement forward – fighting for the most progressive agenda possible – and staying focused on the main goal,” said Marisa Franco, director and cofounder of Mijente, a Latinx advocacy group that endorsed Sanders. “Removing Trump from office.”