theguardian--2020-06-14--Biden VP contenders in spotlight after Rayshard Brooks police killing

Amid protests across the US over police brutality and racism , the killing of Rayshard Brooks focused a fierce national spotlight on Atlanta .
That harsh glare also fell on two candidates to be Joe Biden ’ s running mate against Donald Trump in November .
Brooks was shot after an arrest became a struggle and the 27-year-old African American took an officer ’ s Taser .
On Saturday , Stacey Abrams , a former Georgia House minority leader and candidate for governor , expressed her thoughts on Twitter .
Brooks ’ s death , she wrote , “ demands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force ” by police .
“ Yes , investigations must be called for – but so too should accountability .
Sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death.
” Later , Keisha Lance Bottoms , the mayor of Atlanta , fired the officer who shot Brooks and accepted the resignation of the city ’ s police chief .
“ While we have a police force full of men and women who work alongside our communities with honor , respect and dignity , ” she said , “ there has been a disconnect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be as it relates to interactions with our officers and the communities in which they are entrusted to protect.
” With her city already the focus of protests and disorder fueled by the killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd , Bottoms has faced weeks of such tough decisions .
How she and Abrams negotiate the next few days , however , may count for a lot when Biden makes his final choice .
Biden has promised to choose a woman .
Many say he should choose an African American , given black voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the push for policing reform .
This week , the Associated Press reported that “ several black women ” were on the campaign ’ s long list , among them Bottoms , the California senator Kamala Harris , former national security adviser Susan Rice and Florida representative Val Demings .
Demings has expressed interest and this week the New York Post quoted an anonymous Biden adviser as saying “ she ’ s fresh and new [ and ] seems better on TV than Kamala ” .
As a former Orlando police chief , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with activists and protesters .
Abrams was not named in the AP report but she remains part of the Democratic conversation .
On Sunday , she spoke to ABC ’ s This Week .
“ The virulence of anger remains , ” she said , about police killings of African Americans .
“ Activists are necessarily calling into question what ’ s actually being done … There ’ s a legitimacy to this anger , there ’ s a legitimacy to this outrage .
[ Brooks ] was murdered because he was asleep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is not an isolated occurrence .
We also know that a man taking a Taser from a police officer in Pennsylvania resulted in his arrest , but because this person [ in Atlanta ] was black , it resulted in his death .
“ Those are conversations that have to be had , not only through speeches but through the decisions made by budget allocations , and I think that ’ s the next conversation we have to have in Atlanta.
” That was a reference to a push from activists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a slogan chanted on the streets but seized by Trump and other Republicans to suggest votes for Democrats in November will result in lawless abandon .
Biden has said he does not support defunding , favouring reform instead .
Abrams followed such careful steps , saying the issue was “ being drawn into this false choice idea ” .
“ The reality is , we need … reformation of how police officers do their jobs , how law enforcement does its job , because what happened to Rayshard Brooks was a function @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that [ the officers ] were either embarrassed or , you know , panicked led them to murder a man who they knew only had a Taser in his hand.
” Abrams continued : “ We know that the murder of Breonna Taylor [ in her own home in Louisville , Kentucky ] means we have to reform no-knock warrants .
We know that in the state of Georgia , we also have to look at the larger judicial issue of the fact that people can use citizen arrest laws to murder men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , reformation is absolutely important .
“ We ’ ll use different language to describe it , ” she said .
“ But , fundamentally , we must have reformation and transformation.
” Vice-presidential contenders usually say little about their hopes to be picked , but Abrams has said she will serve if asked .
On Sunday , she was asked if she was being vetted by the campaign .
“ I will say the vetting conversation needs to be had with the Biden team , ” she said .
Earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaos amid precautions against the coronavirus and efforts by Republican officials to suppress the Democratic vote .
Abrams told ABC her focus , through her voting rights group Fair Fight , was on “ making sure that we have elections that can happen in November ” .
“ There will be no vice-president , ” she said , “ there will be no president if our democracy crumbles under the inefficiencies and the inequities that we see happening .
And we want to have an administration , led by Joe Biden , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and safer nation .
”

Amid protests across the US over police brutality and racism, the killing of Rayshard Brooks focused a fierce national spotlight on Atlanta. That harsh glare also fell on two candidates to be Joe Biden’s running mate against Donald Trump in November.
Brooks was shot after an arrest became a struggle and the 27-year-old African American took an officer’s Taser.
On Saturday, Stacey Abrams, a former Georgia House minority leader and candidate for governor, expressed her thoughts on Twitter. Brooks’s death, she wrote, “demands we severely restrict the use of deadly force” by police.
“Yes, investigations must be called for – but so too should accountability. Sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death.”
Later, Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta, fired the officer who shot Brooks and accepted the resignation of the city’s police chief.
“While we have a police force full of men and women who work alongside our communities with honor, respect and dignity,” she said, “there has been a disconnect with what our expectations are and should be as it relates to interactions with our officers and the communities in which they are entrusted to protect.”
With her city already the focus of protests and disorder fueled by the killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd, Bottoms has faced weeks of such tough decisions. How she and Abrams negotiate the next few days, however, may count for a lot when Biden makes his final choice.
Biden has promised to choose a woman. Many say he should choose an African American, given black voters’ role in his primary victory and the push for policing reform.
This week, the Associated Press reported that “several black women” were on the campaign’s long list, among them Bottoms, the California senator Kamala Harris, former national security adviser Susan Rice and Florida representative Val Demings.
Demings has expressed interest and this week the New York Post quoted an anonymous Biden adviser as saying “she’s fresh and new [and] seems better on TV than Kamala”. As a former Orlando police chief, however, she is not universally popular with activists and protesters.
Abrams was not named in the AP report but she remains part of the Democratic conversation. On Sunday, she spoke to ABC’s This Week.
“The virulence of anger remains,” she said, about police killings of African Americans.
“Activists are necessarily calling into question what’s actually being done … There’s a legitimacy to this anger, there’s a legitimacy to this outrage. [Brooks] was murdered because he was asleep in a drive-thru and we know that this is not an isolated occurrence. We also know that a man taking a Taser from a police officer in Pennsylvania resulted in his arrest, but because this person [in Atlanta] was black, it resulted in his death.
“Those are conversations that have to be had, not only through speeches but through the decisions made by budget allocations, and I think that’s the next conversation we have to have in Atlanta.”
That was a reference to a push from activists and reformers to “defund the police”, a slogan chanted on the streets but seized by Trump and other Republicans to suggest votes for Democrats in November will result in lawless abandon.
Biden has said he does not support defunding, favouring reform instead. Abrams followed such careful steps, saying the issue was “being drawn into this false choice idea”.
“The reality is, we need … reformation of how police officers do their jobs, how law enforcement does its job, because what happened to Rayshard Brooks was a function of excessive force and … the fact that [the officers] were either embarrassed or, you know, panicked led them to murder a man who they knew only had a Taser in his hand.”
Abrams continued: “We know that the murder of Breonna Taylor [in her own home in Louisville, Kentucky] means we have to reform no-knock warrants. We know that in the state of Georgia, we also have to look at the larger judicial issue of the fact that people can use citizen arrest laws to murder men like Ahmaud Arbery in the streets. So, reformation is absolutely important.
“We’ll use different language to describe it,” she said. “But, fundamentally, we must have reformation and transformation.”
Vice-presidential contenders usually say little about their hopes to be picked, but Abrams has said she will serve if asked. On Sunday, she was asked if she was being vetted by the campaign.
“I will say the vetting conversation needs to be had with the Biden team,” she said.
Earlier this week, elections in Georgia descended into chaos amid precautions against the coronavirus and efforts by Republican officials to suppress the Democratic vote. Abrams told ABC her focus, through her voting rights group Fair Fight, was on “making sure that we have elections that can happen in November”.
“There will be no vice-president,” she said, “there will be no president if our democracy crumbles under the inefficiencies and the inequities that we see happening. And we want to have an administration, led by Joe Biden, that transforms America and makes us a stronger and safer nation.”


theguardian--2020-06-14--Trump lashes out after critics highlight unsteady walk down West Point ramp

Amid widespread comment about his apparent difficulty walking down a ramp at West Point on Saturday , Donald Trump tweeted a predictably angry and dismissive response .
“ The ramp that I descended after my West Point commencement speech was very long and steep , ” the president wrote , “ had no handrail and , most importantly , was very slippery .
The last thing I was going to do is ‘ fall ’ for the Fake News to have fun with .
Final ten feet I ran down to level ground .
Momentum !
” In equally familiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flames , prompting observers to note that the West Point superintendent , Darryl A Williams , did not seem to find the ramp difficult , and that Trump did not in fact run its last section , instead taking just a few quicker steps .
Others noted that , as so often , Trump had previously tweeted a complaint about his predecessor … running down a slope .
“ The way President Obama runs down the stairs of Air Force 1 , ” Trump wrote on 22 April 2014 , “ hopping & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inelegant and unpresidential .
Do not fall !
Footage was also uncovered of Obama walking confidently up a ramp at West Point .
Trump , who turned 74 on Sunday , was the oldest person ever to assume the presidency , after an election in which he questioned the health of his opponent , Hillary Clinton , notably mockingly imitating her stumble at a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York .
Speculation about Trump ’ s health has duly dogged his time in office .
Such speculation continued on Saturday with regard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which the White House said at the time was for Trump ’ s annual physical .
No such results have yet been published .
Observers focused on Trump ’ s familiar use of two hands to drink from a bottle of water during his West Point visit .
Bandy Lee , a Yale psychiatrist and editor of The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump , wrote on Twitter : “ This is a persistent neurological sign that , combined with others , would be concerning enough to require a brain scan.
” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ echoed scenes from January 2017 , shortly after his inauguration , when he seemed unsteady while walking on a gentle slope at the White House and took the then British prime minister , Theresa May , awkwardly by the hand .
Of Trump ’ s walk down the ramp at West Point , Lee added : “ The uneven gait is something I have remarked at least since his fall visit to Walter Reed , and a forward-leaning posture is associated with the difficulty holding a cup .
Note that there has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year.
” Trump was due for a restful birthday on Sunday , spent at his golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey .
He was due to return to Washington in the late afternoon .

Amid widespread comment about his apparent difficulty walking down a ramp at West Point on Saturday, Donald Trump tweeted a predictably angry and dismissive response.
“The ramp that I descended after my West Point commencement speech was very long and steep,” the president wrote, “had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery. The last thing I was going to do is ‘fall’ for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!”
In equally familiar fashion, the tweet only stoked the flames, prompting observers to note that the West Point superintendent, Darryl A Williams, did not seem to find the ramp difficult, and that Trump did not in fact run its last section, instead taking just a few quicker steps.
Others noted that, as so often, Trump had previously tweeted a complaint about his predecessor … running down a slope.
“The way President Obama runs down the stairs of Air Force 1,” Trump wrote on 22 April 2014, “hopping & bobbing all the way, is so inelegant and unpresidential. Do not fall!
Footage was also uncovered of Obama walking confidently up a ramp at West Point.
Trump, who turned 74 on Sunday, was the oldest person ever to assume the presidency, after an election in which he questioned the health of his opponent, Hillary Clinton, notably mockingly imitating her stumble at a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York. Speculation about Trump’s health has duly dogged his time in office.
Such speculation continued on Saturday with regard to an unscheduled visit to hospital last November, which the White House said at the time was for Trump’s annual physical. No such results have yet been published.
Observers focused on Trump’s familiar use of two hands to drink from a bottle of water during his West Point visit.
Bandy Lee, a Yale psychiatrist and editor of The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, wrote on Twitter: “This is a persistent neurological sign that, combined with others, would be concerning enough to require a brain scan.”
Trump’s apparent struggles with the ramp echoed scenes from January 2017, shortly after his inauguration, when he seemed unsteady while walking on a gentle slope at the White House and took the then British prime minister, Theresa May, awkwardly by the hand.
Of Trump’s walk down the ramp at West Point, Lee added: “The uneven gait is something I have remarked at least since his fall visit to Walter Reed, and a forward-leaning posture is associated with the difficulty holding a cup. Note that there has not been an annual report on his health this year.”
Trump was due for a restful birthday on Sunday, spent at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He was due to return to Washington in the late afternoon.


theguardian--2020-06-15--As virus cases rise in states where Trump won, Republican attitudes may shift

Skepticism among some Republicans about the real threat of the coronavirus pandemic , that may have been influenced by racial attitudes , could shift as positive cases of infection are now climbing in areas with strong support for Donald Trump , research suggests .
Vulnerable populations in rural , conservative-leaning areas of the country , meanwhile , where health infrastructure is poor and public spending on health is low , could face increasing risks from Covid-19 at a time when job losses have led millions to lose health insurance .
A well-documented partisan split in attitudes about coronavirus emerged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican men were less likely to wear protective masks than other groups , and Republicans were more likely to say their states were moving too slowly to reopen their economies .
The discrepancy was attributed to factors including support for Trump , who downplayed the coronavirus threat , and even to gender differences in health-related conduct .
But research suggests that racial attitudes , which strongly correlate with party affiliation in the United States , might also have reinforced an empathy gap for the early victims of Covid-19 , who were disproportionately African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Ohio recently expressed that gap in shocking terms at an official hearing this week .
“ Could it just be that African Americans , the colored population , do not wash their hands as well as other groups ?
” the official , Steve Huffman , said in remarks captured on video .
Jody Armour , a University of Southern California law professor and author of the forthcoming N*gga Theory : Race , Language , Unequal Justice , and the Law , said : “ One of the dominant kinds of discrimination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who don ’ t look like you , who are outside your in-group.
” “ When people are looking at out-group members , at an unconscious level , they don ’ t have the same level of care and concern for them , they don ’ t have a panic of empathy for them when they see them in distress.
” Leonie Huddy , a professor of political science at Stony Brook University in New York , said that Trump ’ s message to supporters downplaying coronavirus had a racial subtext .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sort of winking and nodding about the fact that the African American community has been more heavily affected , ” Huddy said .
“ And so there ’ s a bit of , you know , ‘ Maybe we ’ re OK ’ , because Trump ’ s supporters are largely white.
” “ Trump ’ s not going to say that out loud , that ’ s a little too much even for him , but he ’ s good at alluding to that kind of thing.
” In the early stages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Covid-19 at three times the rate of white people , according to figures compiled by the non-partisan APM Research Lab .
Only 21 % of Covid-19 deaths by late May were recorded in counties won by Trump in 2016 , according to a New York Times analysis .
But coronavirus cases are now growing quickly in some rural and exurban areas with strong Trump support .
Covid-19 cases are climbing in Arizona , Florida , South Carolina and Arkansas , and in Texas hospitalizations for Covid-19 are up 42 % since Memorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure in parts of rural America and economic devastation from the Covid-19 closures mean that already vulnerable communities could be overwhelmed .
Older , rural voters in Republican-led states that declined to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are more likely to lack health insurance than the urban poor , according to a 2018 study .
Residents of rural areas tend to be older and sicker than their urban counterparts , according to the Centers for Disease Control , and they have longer travel distances to specialty and emergency care .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical Covid-19 patients are unequally distributed across the country .
Public attitudes can confound predictions based on race and income level .
White non-college grads , a group that broke 64-28 for Trump in the 2016 election , think that protests about the police killing of George Floyd are “ mostly legitimate ” by a 51-39 margin , according to Marist polling .
But conservative political beliefs have been found to correlate with reliance on federal aid in states such as Kentucky , where residents counted on the federal government for at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 out of 120 counties , as of 2014 .
Conservatives can both disproportionately rely on social welfare programs and oppose such programs owing to inaccurate perceptions about whom the programs benefit – perceptions once again informed by race , Huddy said .
“ I think that people that live in some of these areas would be surprised to find that in fact their area is a major recipient of federal transfer from more Democratic states to more Republican states , ” said Huddy .
“ I think it would be surprising information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality .
”

Skepticism among some Republicans about the real threat of the coronavirus pandemic, that may have been influenced by racial attitudes, could shift as positive cases of infection are now climbing in areas with strong support for Donald Trump, research suggests.
Vulnerable populations in rural, conservative-leaning areas of the country, meanwhile, where health infrastructure is poor and public spending on health is low, could face increasing risks from Covid-19 at a time when job losses have led millions to lose health insurance.
A well-documented partisan split in attitudes about coronavirus emerged in the early months of the pandemic. Republican men were less likely to wear protective masks than other groups, and Republicans were more likely to say their states were moving too slowly to reopen their economies.
The discrepancy was attributed to factors including support for Trump, who downplayed the coronavirus threat, and even to gender differences in health-related conduct.
But research suggests that racial attitudes, which strongly correlate with party affiliation in the United States, might also have reinforced an empathy gap for the early victims of Covid-19, who were disproportionately African American.
A white Republican state senator from Ohio recently expressed that gap in shocking terms at an official hearing this week. “Could it just be that African Americans, the colored population, do not wash their hands as well as other groups?” the official, Steve Huffman, said in remarks captured on video.
Jody Armour, a University of Southern California law professor and author of the forthcoming N*gga Theory: Race, Language, Unequal Justice, and the Law, said: “One of the dominant kinds of discrimination today is actually unconscious indifference toward people who don’t look like you, who are outside your in-group.”
“When people are looking at out-group members, at an unconscious level, they don’t have the same level of care and concern for them, they don’t have a panic of empathy for them when they see them in distress.”
Leonie Huddy, a professor of political science at Stony Brook University in New York, said that Trump’s message to supporters downplaying coronavirus had a racial subtext.
“Very much under the surface is a sort of winking and nodding about the fact that the African American community has been more heavily affected,” Huddy said. “And so there’s a bit of, you know, ‘Maybe we’re OK’, because Trump’s supporters are largely white.”
“Trump’s not going to say that out loud, that’s a little too much even for him, but he’s good at alluding to that kind of thing.”
In the early stages of the pandemic, African Americans died of Covid-19 at three times the rate of white people, according to figures compiled by the non-partisan APM Research Lab. Only 21% of Covid-19 deaths by late May were recorded in counties won by Trump in 2016, according to a New York Times analysis.
But coronavirus cases are now growing quickly in some rural and exurban areas with strong Trump support. Covid-19 cases are climbing in Arizona, Florida, South Carolina and Arkansas, and in Texas hospitalizations for Covid-19 are up 42% since Memorial Day.
A relative lack of health infrastructure in parts of rural America and economic devastation from the Covid-19 closures mean that already vulnerable communities could be overwhelmed. Older, rural voters in Republican-led states that declined to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are more likely to lack health insurance than the urban poor, according to a 2018 study.
Residents of rural areas tend to be older and sicker than their urban counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and they have longer travel distances to specialty and emergency care. The intensive care unit beds needed to ventilate critical Covid-19 patients are unequally distributed across the country.
Public attitudes can confound predictions based on race and income level. White non-college grads, a group that broke 64-28 for Trump in the 2016 election, think that protests about the police killing of George Floyd are “mostly legitimate” by a 51-39 margin, according to Marist polling.
But conservative political beliefs have been found to correlate with reliance on federal aid in states such as Kentucky, where residents counted on the federal government for at least 40% of their personal income in 28 out of 120 counties, as of 2014.
Conservatives can both disproportionately rely on social welfare programs and oppose such programs owing to inaccurate perceptions about whom the programs benefit – perceptions once again informed by race, Huddy said.
“I think that people that live in some of these areas would be surprised to find that in fact their area is a major recipient of federal transfer from more Democratic states to more Republican states,” said Huddy. “I think it would be surprising information to them. But that is the reality.”


theguardian--2020-06-15--Corona in Corona: deadly toll in a New York neighborhood tells a story of race, poverty and inequali

Corona in Corona: deadly toll in a New York neighborhood tells a story of race, poverty and inequality

Each morning , when Cathy Rojas logs in to teach her students in Corona , Queens , she faces a crowd of students more worried about their next meal than their US history homework .
Rojas gives lectures about century-old race riots and labor movements to teenagers who have watched their families step out to work in a pandemic when most everyone else has been told to stay home .
Their families have little choice .
Covid-19 hit Corona , a district in the borough of Queens New York , hard .
The first , deadly , wave is over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely shake the neighborhood for years to come .
The toll the coronavirus has taken on the coincidentally-named Corona tells a story of race , poverty and inequality in modern America .
Rojas ’ s high school is 98 % Latino and is meant for teenagers who have been in the US less than four years .
Many of their parents or guardians are undocumented immigrants , who have either been working through the pandemic or lost their jobs without access to government relief .
Several students have been sick themselves or lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What we have seen is that some students who were high flyers , who were excellent students throughout the school year , have actually stopped handing in work or have been handing in minimal work , ” Rojas said .
The high school is on the border of Corona , home to the New York City zip code which has seen the highest number of deaths in the city , 392 , and the highest number of identified coronavirus cases : 4,014 .
Roughly 10 miles from whiter and wealthier Manhattan neighborhoods where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness , Corona sits at the crux of the economic and health toll Covid-19 has had on undocumented , Latino immigrant communities across the US .
More than half the neighborhood is Latino and it has one of the highest foreign-born populations of any district in the city – 63 % of its residents were born outside the US .
Nationally , Latinos are overrepresented among people who have caught the virus in 43 of the 44 states that provide information on the group , according to research by demographer Rogelio Sáenz for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 34 % of deaths were Latinos though they make up 29 % of the city ’ s residents .
Black people account for 28 % of deaths but make up 22 % of the city ’ s population ; white people account for 27 % of deaths but are 32 % of the population and Asians account for 7 % of deaths and are 14 % of the city ’ s residents .
Corona is 36 % Asian , which includes undocumented people , but there have been fewer deaths in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is that Covid-19 began in east Asia .
Queens residents with ties to the region said they were able to prepare earlier because of warnings from family and friends .
Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who represents the district , said Covid-19 “ poured gasoline ” on the neighborhood ’ s existing problems .
And under the most openly anti-immigrant president in modern history , government negligence have left people struggling to get food and financial aid in a pandemic which has killed more than 110,000 Americans .
Community groups are filling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on tight budgets .
And teachers like Rojas have seen their jobs shift to also include linking students and their families with food and rent assistance , while exploring the minutiae of government policy .
On calls about grades , Rojas asks parents if they know how to access healthcare depending on their immigration status .
“ Because that ’ s what my students need more than a history lesson , ” she said .
The center of the city ’ s Covid-19 crisis The daughter of Colombian immigrants , Rojas was raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatives who rented rooms in apartments with people who had Covid-19 .
“ For all of April , every day I was saying rest in peace to somebody , ” she said .
Corona is often grouped together with Elmhurst , its demographically similar neighbor to its west .
The main hospital for both areas is Elmhurst hospital – which saw an “ apocalyptic ” surge in coronavirus patients in March .
On a hazy , hot weekday in early June , the streets winding through the neighborhood were filled with small groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pushing strollers along the neighborhood ’ s grand , green tree-lined streets .
The constant sound of sirens in the preceding months had finally been exchanged for a soundtrack of chirping birds .
But coronavirus still casts its shadow over the neighborhood .
For more than a half mile along 57th Avenue people lined up for Covid-19 testing , some had brought out chairs and sun umbrellas to endure the long wait .
Similar lines are evident at food donation centers in the neighborhood , with one stretching more than 20 blocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put hunger centre stage for residents , whose homes are also some of the most crowded in the city .
Social epidemiologist Sandra Albrecht studies socio-cultural and environmental factors that affect the health of immigrants , particularly Latinos , in the US .
She said Corona was an obvious candidate for the spread of the respiratory illness because of the crowding and issues such as limited access to health insurance .
In Corona , 25 % of people don ’ t have health insurance , while the average across the city is 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was essential workers from neighborhoods such as Corona who kept things running .
“ Family members may have remained at home this entire time , but if they have even just one person in the household that needs to work , that one person can bring back the virus , ” Albrecht said .
Another worrying factor for the long-term is that Corona has the most cases of uncontrolled diabetes in the city and people with diabetes have higher rates of serious complications and death from Covid-19 .
“ The fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially of Corona , is quite limited in terms of the resources , ” Albrecht said .
“ Whether or not it looks bad now , the point is because of the limited resources in these neighborhoods , they are going to be experiencing a disproportionate number of deaths from here on and forward in the future , especially if there are no resources deployed to these neighborhoods to help minimize the impact of Covid.
” Albrecht , an assistant professor at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health , said the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an equal opportunity virus and will impact all populations ” .
She said resources did not seem to be deployed with the special conditions in low-income or immigrant communities in mind .
Scrambling to get food and funeral arrangements César has lived undocumented in the US since 1996 and learned a long time ago how to operate without the state ’ s support .
The Guardian is withholding his last name because of his immigration status .
César said what his community needs most is clear communication and leadership from the government .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends and family have created their own support network .
In weekly phone calls , or socially-distanced in-person conversations , he checks in to see what people need , then figures out how to get it .
“ Some places they have food , so what I do , is I share it in our community , ” César said .
“ I call them , ‘ what are you doing , what do you need ?
’ We try to help everyone.
” Covid-19 has impacted each facet of his life , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t worked since 15 March , when the restaurant he worked at closed .
His wife also lost her job and they have been draining their savings to help support their two daughters .
“ We have no money to pay the bills , ” he said .
César said his inability to pay rent hasn ’ t been a problem yet because the building owner has been understanding .
Legally , the owner doesn ’ t have a choice – New York City has a rent moratorium .
But even before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undocumented status to threaten them .
Despite the myriad challenges , César was optimistic .
“ No matter what happened before or now , it is never too late to start again , ” César said .
“ You got ta do what you got ta do.
” Diana Moreno , worker rights director at the not-for-profit New Immigrant Community Empowerment ( Nice ) , said many of their members were anxious to return to work , in part because of the international flow of people ’ s paychecks .
The World Bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 % this year , the sharpest decline in recent history .
“ The impact on our community is international , really , ” she said .
Before the pandemic , Nice was focused on fighting worker exploitation and the lack of access to things such as affordable housing for members primarily in Corona , Elmhurst and Jackson Heights .
Now , it and other community groups have been thrust into the role of disaster relief agency .
Volunteers described how they have scrambled to get food to hungry families and to navigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US .
“ I didn ’ t think we would have to be in contact with the Mexican consulate to talk about repatriation of people ’ s remains , ” Moreno said .
“ That is something that is now part of our jobs .
” Moreno said the disaster-relief work she ’ s been doing eroded the progressive , immigrant-friendly reputation of New York City .
“ That has really for me , and I think a lot of people , lifted the veil of how the longstanding inequity is absolutely hitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a city or state , ” Moreno said .
That longstanding inequity is why the community group Centro Corona describes its current aid relief operations as a political movement , not charity .
“ It is building with people and letting them know their needs are valuable , ” said Mauricio Piratova , a Centro Corona volunteer .
Early on , Piratova said they realized an on-call doctor would be needed because so many people they work with don ’ t have health insurance .
They ’ ve introduced activities like weekly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have moved their homework help programs to phone or video chat .
They provide direct cash assistance for people facing eviction .
And like at Nice , they are helping people transport remains from one country to another .
“ The city abandoned people of color and immigrant communities , ” said Piratova .
“ And it shouldn ’ t be that non-profit organizations , little organizations with no funds , have to start doing things .
It shouldn ’ t be the reality we are living .
What we need is basically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone .
If you ’ re telling people they can ’ t go out , they can ’ t go to work , just give them food.
” Even with these efforts to help , people are slipping through the cracks .
Invisible need in an invisible crisis Hundreds of indigenous and minority languages are spoken in Corona and an analysis by the Endangered Language Alliance found the city ’ s most multilingual communities have been most affected by the virus .
Corona is one of the most linguistically diverse parts of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of migration from Mexico , Guatemala , Ecuador and Peru to New York City in the 1990s included a substantial Indigenous population .
A study ELA published with the city health department in 2019 found that while indigenous Latin American communities were substantial and growing , they “ often remain dispersed , invisible , and without access to services ” .
Don , a 51-year-old undocumented immigrant , like César is from an indigenous community in Pueblo , Mexico , and speaks Spanish as well as Nahuatl , which was spoken by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard about food assistance programs but the demand was so high that his family was not expecting any help soon .
He has lived in Corona for about eight years and shares an apartment there with his three brothers and four young nieces and nephews .
With each adult in the family ’ s hours cut or work shut down all together , the family is struggling to get food .
“ It is difficult because we can ’ t tell our kids if we are not going to eat or if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , through a translator .
Though he ’ s worried about getting sick , all he wants is more work .
“ Rent is not going to wait for us , ” Don said .
“ That ’ s what ’ s more worrying for us.
” Cuomo said in early May that there would be no additional Covid-19 assistance for undocumented immigrants without federal funding after California established its own $ 125m fund to aid undocumented people in the state .
New York state ’ s department of health said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other low-income , minority neighborhoods hard hit by the virus .
It has also given $ 25m to food pantries and provides services at no cost in multiple languages .
The pandemic has not halted the Trump administration ’ s attack on immigrant communities .
Undocumented people don ’ t qualify for unemployment aid or the federal stimulus checks and because of their status , their US citizen spouses are also denied the assistance .
It took a month for authorities to clarify that immigrants seeking permanent residence wouldn ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Covid-19 .
The government has ignored public health warnings to take people out of immigration detention , where they are held on civil immigration violations , not criminal charges .
The spread of coronavirus in Guatemala has been directly tied to US deportation flights .
This oppression isn ’ t lost on the students in Rojas ’ s US history class , who ended the school year learning about the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s .
Rojas said one standout essay this semester drew parallels between the century-old Triangle Shirtwaist Factory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 146 workers , mostly young women who had recently immigrated from Eastern Europe – and the lack of PPE made available to essential workers .
Another student connected race riots which followed the first world war to the New York Police Department ’ s over-policing of communities of color to enforce social distancing guidelines .
Students managed this work from crowded apartments and while caring for younger brothers , sisters and cousins .
Some had only just got internet access at the end of May .
Rojas hopes in-person classes return in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to two meals per day and a safe learning environment .
Rojas said : “ Even as a historian , I did not expect this amount of neglect ”

Each morning, when Cathy Rojas logs in to teach her students in Corona, Queens, she faces a crowd of students more worried about their next meal than their US history homework.
Rojas gives lectures about century-old race riots and labor movements to teenagers who have watched their families step out to work in a pandemic when most everyone else has been told to stay home.
Their families have little choice. Covid-19 hit Corona, a district in the borough of Queens New York, hard. The first, deadly, wave is over but the economic and health consequences will probably shake the neighborhood for years to come. The toll the coronavirus has taken on the coincidentally named Corona tells a story of race, poverty and inequality in modern America.
Rojas’s high school is 98% Latino and is meant for teenagers who have been in the US less than four years. Many of their parents or guardians are undocumented immigrants, who have either been working through the pandemic or lost their jobs without access to government relief. Several students have been sick themselves or lost a family member to Covid-19.
“What we have seen is that some students who were high flyers, who were excellent students throughout the school year, have actually stopped handing in work or have been handing in minimal work,” Rojas said.
The high school is on the border of Corona, home to the New York City zip code which has seen the highest number of deaths in the city, 392 , and the highest number of identified coronavirus cases: 4,014.
Roughly 10 miles from whiter and wealthier Manhattan neighborhoods where there were almost no deaths from the illness, Corona sits at the crux of the economic and health toll Covid-19 has had on undocumented, Latino immigrant communities across the US.
People wait in line for a bus in Corona, Queens. Photograph: Ryan Christopher Jones/The Guardian
More than half the neighborhood is Latino and it has one of the highest foreign-born populations of any district in the city – 63% of its residents were born outside the US.
Nationally, Latinos are overrepresented among people who have caught the virus in 43 of the 44 states that provide information on the group, according to research by demographer Rogelio Sáenz for Latino Decisions.
In New York City, 34% of deaths were Latinos though they make up 29% of the city’s residents. Black people account for 28% of deaths but make up 22% of the city’s population; white people account for 27% of deaths but are 32% of the population and Asians account for 7% of deaths and are 14% of the city’s residents.
Corona is 36% Asian, which includes undocumented people, but there have been fewer deaths in that population citywide. One possible factor for this is that Covid-19 began in east Asia. Queens residents with ties to the region said they were able to prepare earlier because of warnings from family and friends.
The Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents the district, said Covid-19 “poured gasoline” on the neighborhood’s existing problems. And under the most openly anti-immigrant president in modern history, government negligence has left people struggling to get food and financial aid in a pandemic which has killed more than 110,000 Americans.
Community groups are filling in the gaps as best they can on tight budgets.
And teachers like Rojas have seen their jobs shift to also include linking students and their families with food and rent assistance, while exploring the minutiae of government policy. On calls about grades, Rojas asks parents if they know how to access healthcare depending on their immigration status. “Because that’s what my students need more than a history lesson,” she said.
The center of the city’s Covid-19 crisis
The daughter of Colombian immigrants, Rojas was raised in Queens. The 28-year-old is housing relatives who rented rooms in apartments with people who had Covid-19. “For all of April, every day I was saying rest in peace to somebody,” she said.
Corona is often grouped together with Elmhurst, its demographically similar neighborhood to its west. The main hospital for both areas is Elmhurst hospital – which saw an “apocalyptic” surge in coronavirus patients in March.
On a hazy, hot weekday in early June, the streets winding through the neighborhood were filled with small groups of runners and multi-generation families walking dogs and pushing strollers along the neighborhood’s grand, green tree-lined streets. The constant sound of sirens in the preceding months had finally been exchanged for a soundtrack of chirping birds.
Cathy Rojas near her home in Elmhurst, Queens. She is a teacher in Corona and local activist. Photograph: Ryan Christopher Jones/The Guardian
But coronavirus still casts its shadow over the neighborhood. For more than a half-mile along 57th Avenue people lined up for Covid-19 testing, some had brought out chairs and sun umbrellas to endure the long wait. Similar lines are evident at food donation centers in the neighborhood, with one stretching more than 20 blocks.
The economic crisis from Covid-19 has put hunger centre stage for residents, whose homes are also some of the most crowded in the city.
Social epidemiologist Sandra Albrecht studies socio-cultural and environmental factors that affect the health of immigrants, particularly Latinos, in the US. She said Corona was an obvious candidate for the spread of the respiratory illness because of the crowding and issues such as limited access to health insurance. In Corona, 25% of people don’t have health insurance, while the average across the city is 12%.
When New York closed down, it was essential workers from neighborhoods such as Corona who kept things running. “Family members may have remained at home this entire time, but if they have even just one person in the household that needs to work, that one person can bring back the virus,” Albrecht said.
Another worrying factor for the long term is that Corona has the most cases of uncontrolled diabetes in the city and people with diabetes have higher rates of serious complications and death from Covid-19.
“The fact of that matter is the neighborhood, especially of Corona, is quite limited in terms of the resources,” Albrecht said. “Whether or not it looks bad now, the point is because of the limited resources in these neighborhoods, they are going to be experiencing a disproportionate number of deaths from here on and forward in the future, especially if there are no resources deployed to these neighborhoods to help minimize the impact of Covid.”
Albrecht, an assistant professor at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, said the early Covid-19 narrative was that it is “an equal opportunity virus and will impact all populations”. She said resources did not seem to be deployed with the special conditions in low-income or immigrant communities in mind.
Volunteers for the Covid Care Neighborhood Network pack meals at the Queensboro restaurant in Jackson Heights. The organization packs and delivers food to nearly 600 families every week in the neighborhoods of Corona, Jackson Heights, Woodside and Elmhurst. Photograph: Ryan Christopher Jones/The Guardian
Scrambling to get food and funeral arrangements
César has lived undocumented in the US since 1996 and learned a long time ago how to operate without the state’s support. The Guardian is withholding his last name because of his immigration status.
César said what his community needs most is clear communication and leadership from the government. Without it, he, his close friends and family have created their own support network.
In weekly phone calls, or socially distanced in-person conversations, he checks in to see what people need, then figures out how to get it.
“Some places they have food, so what I do, is I share it in our community,” César said. “I call them, ‘what are you doing, what do you need?’ We try to help everyone.”
Covid-19 has affected each facet of his life, he said. The 42-year-old hasn’t worked since 15 March, when the restaurant he worked at closed. His wife also lost her job and they have been draining their savings to help support their two daughters. “We have no money to pay the bills,” he said.
César said his inability to pay rent hasn’t been a problem yet because the building owner has been understanding.
Legally, the owner doesn’t have a choice – New York City has a rent moratorium. But even before the pandemic, some landlords used tenants’ undocumented status to threaten them.
Despite the myriad challenges, César was optimistic.
“No matter what happened before or now, it is never too late to start again,” César said. “You gotta do what you gotta do.”
Diana Moreno, worker rights director at the not-for-profit New Immigrant Community Empowerment (Nice), said many of their members were anxious to return to work, in part because of the international flow of people’s paychecks.
The World Bank projected global remittances would decline by about 20% this year, the sharpest decline in recent history. “The impact on our community is international, really,” she said.
Before the pandemic, Nice was focused on fighting worker exploitation and the lack of access to things such as affordable housing for members primarily in Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights.
Now, it and other community groups have been thrust into the role of disaster relief agency. Volunteers described how they have scrambled to get food to hungry families and to navigate funeral arrangements for people born outside the US.
“I didn’t think we would have to be in contact with the Mexican consulate to talk about repatriation of people’s remains,” Moreno said. “That is something that is now part of our jobs. ”
Moreno said the disaster-relief work she’s been doing eroded the progressive, immigrant-friendly reputation of New York City. “That has really for me, and I think a lot of people, lifted the veil of how the longstanding inequity is absolutely hitting our communities regardless of the particular reputation of a city or state,” Moreno said.
That longstanding inequity is why the community group Centro Corona describes its current aid relief operations as a political movement, not charity. “It is building with people and letting them know their needs are valuable,” said Mauricio Piratova, a Centro Corona volunteer.
Tristan Mulvihill, 17, delivers a bag of food to a family in Corona. Photograph: Ryan Christopher Jones/The Guardian
Early on, Piratova said they realized an on-call doctor would be needed because so many people they work with don’t have health insurance. They have introduced activities like weekly, virtual movie nights for children and have moved their homework help programs to phone or video chat. They provide direct cash assistance for people facing eviction. And like at Nice, they are helping people transport remains from one country to another.
“The city abandoned people of color and immigrant communities,” said Piratova. “And it shouldn’t be that non-profit organizations, little organizations with no funds, have to start doing things. It shouldn’t be the reality we are living. What we need is basically essentials, we need food available for everyone. If you’re telling people they can’t go out, they can’t go to work, just give them food.”
Even with these efforts to help, people are slipping through the cracks.
Invisible need in an invisible crisis
A church sign on National Street is posted in four different languages in Corona one of the most diverse neighborhoods in New York City. Photograph: Ryan Christopher Jones/The Guardian
Hundreds of indigenous and minority languages are spoken in Corona and an analysis by the Endangered Language Alliance found the city’s most multilingual communities have been most affected by the virus.
Corona is one of the most linguistically diverse parts of the city – in part because a wave of migration from Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador and Peru to New York City in the 1990s included a substantial Indigenous population.
A study ELA published with the city health department in 2019 found that while indigenous Latin American communities were substantial and growing, they “often remain dispersed, invisible, and without access to services”.
Don, a 51-year-old undocumented immigrant, like César is from an indigenous community in Pueblo, Mexico, and speaks Spanish as well as Nahuatl, which was spoken by the Aztecs.
He said he had heard about food assistance programs but the demand was so high that his family was not expecting any help soon.
He has lived in Corona for about eight years and shares an apartment there with his three brothers and four young nieces and nephews. With each adult in the family’s hours cut or work shut down all together, the family is struggling to get food. “It is difficult because we can’t tell our kids if we are not going to eat or if we are going to eat,” Don said, through a translator.
A group of children play in a stream of water from an uncapped fire hydrant in Corona, Queens. Photograph: Ryan Christopher Jones/The Guardian
Though he’s worried about getting sick, all he wants is more work.
“Rent is not going to wait for us,” Don said. “That’s what’s more worrying for us.”
Cuomo said in early May that there would be no additional Covid-19 assistance for undocumented immigrants without federal funding after California established its own $125m fund to aid undocumented people in the state.
New York state’s department of health said it had opened two testing sites in Corona and other low-income, minority neighborhoods hard hit by the virus. It has also given $25m to food pantries and provides services at no cost in multiple languages.
The pandemic has not halted the Trump administration’s attack on immigrant communities.
Undocumented people don’t qualify for unemployment aid or the federal stimulus checks and because of their status, their US citizen spouses are also denied the assistance. It took a month for authorities to clarify that immigrants seeking permanent residence wouldn’t be penalized if they sought treatment and testing for Covid-19. The government has ignored public health warnings to take people out of immigration detention, where they are held on civil immigration violations, not criminal charges. The spread of coronavirus in Guatemala has been directly tied to US deportation flights.
This oppression isn’t lost on the students in Rojas’s US history class, who ended the school year learning about the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
Rojas said one standout essay this semester drew parallels between the century-old Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire – which claimed the lives of 146 workers, mostly young women who had recently immigrated from eastern Europe – and the lack of PPE made available to essential workers. Another student connected race riots which followed the first world war to the New York police department’s over-policing of communities of color to enforce social distancing guidelines.
Students managed this work from crowded apartments and while caring for younger brothers, sisters and cousins. Some had only just got internet access at the end of May. Rojas hopes in-person classes return in the fall, so she knows students have access to two meals per day and a safe learning environment.
Rojas said: “Even as a historian, I did not expect this amount of neglect”


theguardian--2020-06-15--The gap between Trump's world and reality is widening. It's disturbing to watch | Francine Prose

Given how busy most Americans are these days – home-schooling their kids , dealing with unemployment , waiting on line at food banks , protesting systemic racism , worrying about our economy and our educational system – few of us have the time , the energy or inclination to wonder what it ’ s like to be Donald Trump , to imagine how his mind works , what he really thinks and believes .
But over the past few weeks , the increasingly strange , intentionally provocative , inappropriate and frankly delusional tweets and pronouncements issuing from the Oval Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the president ’ s inner life .
We ’ ve grown accustomed to his shortcomings , the regular failures of decency , common sense , and good taste .
Yet the gap between what the president is saying – and the reality we observe around us – appears to be widening .
Does Trump truly believe that Martin Gugino , the 75-year-old protester shoved to the ground by Buffalo police officers , was an Antifa insurrectionist plotting to block the communications equipment of the officers who shoved him and left him bleeding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , somewhat hesitant Gugino really look to anyone like a dangerous thug ?
How could someone have watched that video and floated the idea that the attack on Gugino , still hospitalized with a brain injury , “ could be a set-up ?
” Is it possible that a president who has spent four years lying to the American people now assumes that everyone is lying ?
Or can he simply no longer distinguish between fact and fiction , between conspiracy theories spread by fringe “ news ” outlets such as the One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What sane human being could imagine that America wanted to hear that George Floyd was smiling down from heaven at the day ’ s modestly improved job reports ?
Lately , I ’ ve been thinking of the 8,000 word “ long telegram ” that George Kennan , then the American chargé d ’ affaires in Moscow and later an architect of the Cold War , sent to the State Department in 1946 – a document in which Kennan described the methods of an authoritarian dictatorship , “ so strange to our form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote Kennan , “ The very disrespect of Russians for objective truth – indeed , their disbelief in its existence – leads them to view all stated facts as instruments for furtherance of one ulterior purpose or another.
” It ’ s remarkable , how much one can get used to , with a president who has made over 18,000 false or misleading claims since taking office .
But all that seems more disturbing now , not only because the tweets and speculations have gotten more aggressive and outlandish , but because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we face – the continuing Covid-19 pandemic , the tanking economy , the unrest inspired by the early stages of a necessary reckoning with racism – have made us wish , more than ever , for a leader who shows some honesty , common sense , or who just ( we ’ re setting the bar quite low here ) behaves like a responsible adult .
Now , when we most need stability , when we have never felt more uncertain about the future – will school reopen in the fall ?
Will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will life look like after the pandemic ?
– we have a president who seems to enjoy destabilizing us further .
How could anyone think that what we need now is more chaos , disorder and ill will , filtering down from the top ?
These days , when I think of Trump , I only rarely picture a guy with an orange face , weird hair and an absurdly long tie .
I ’ ve instead begun to imagine Cerberus , the many-headed dog-monster from Greek mythology .
One of this creature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s , but there are others , snarling and yapping and bickering , all offering wrong opinions and bad advice as they try to keep Trump in line and do damage control when he strikes out on his own .
Trump ’ s head may be the monster ’ s public face , but there are also the heads of Ivanka and Jared ; of Attorney General William Barr subverting the rule of law and orchestrating the vile photo op in front of St John ’ s church ; of Mitch McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fanning Trump ’ s racism and implementing his inhuman anti-immigration policies .
I ’ ve heard it said that the decision to stage a Republican campaign rally on 19 June ( Juneteenth , the date when the last of the Confederate slaves were freed ) in Tulsa , Oklahoma ( where more than 300 Black people were killed by white mob in 1921 ) “ has Stephen Miller written all over it ” .
That supposition seems likely , given Trump ’ s notoriously weak grasp of American history in general and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when , in 2017 , he spoke as if abolitionist Frederick Douglass , who died in 1895 , were still alive “ and is being recognized more and more ” .
( On Saturday Trump agreed to change the date of the campaign rally in Tulsa . )
Let ’ s not forget who Cerberus was , in Greek mythology .
Perpetually angry and snarling , Cerberus acted as the guardian of the underworld .
His ferocious multiple dog heads were forever twisting , showing their teeth , and barking at the newly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • None Francine Prose is a novelist and the former president of PEN America

Given how busy most Americans are these days – home-schooling their kids, dealing with unemployment, waiting on line at food banks, protesting systemic racism, worrying about our economy and our educational system – few of us have the time, the energy or inclination to wonder what it’s like to be Donald Trump, to imagine how his mind works, what he really thinks and believes. But over the past few weeks, the increasingly strange, intentionally provocative, inappropriate and frankly delusional tweets and pronouncements issuing from the Oval Office have once again caused us to reflect on the president’s inner life. We’ve grown accustomed to his shortcomings, the regular failures of decency, common sense and good taste. Yet the gap between what the president is saying – and the reality we observe around us – appears to be widening.
Does Trump truly believe that Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old protester shoved to the ground by Buffalo police officers, was an antifa insurrectionist plotting to block the communications equipment of the officers who shoved him and left him bleeding from the ear? Does the courtly, somewhat hesitant Gugino really look to anyone like a dangerous thug? How could someone have watched that video and floated the idea that the attack on Gugino, still hospitalized with a brain injury, “could be a set-up?”
Is it possible that a president who has spent four years lying to the American people now assumes that everyone is lying? Or can he simply no longer distinguish between fact and fiction, between conspiracy theories spread by fringe “news” outlets such as the One America News Network and observable reality? What sane human being could imagine that America wanted to hear that George Floyd was smiling down from heaven at the day’s modestly improved job reports?
Lately, I’ve been thinking of the 8,000-word “long telegram” that George Kennan, then the American chargé d’affaires in Moscow and later an architect of the cold war, sent to the state department in 1946 – a document in which Kennan described the methods of an authoritarian dictatorship, “so strange to our form of thought”. Under Stalin, wrote Kennan, “The very disrespect of Russians for objective truth – indeed, their disbelief in its existence – leads them to view all stated facts as instruments for furtherance of one ulterior purpose or another.”
It’s remarkable, how much one can get used to, with a president who has made over 18,000 false or misleading claims since taking office. But all that seems more disturbing now, not only because the tweets and speculations have gotten more aggressive and outlandish, but because the upheavals in our country, the crises we face – the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, the tanking economy, the unrest inspired by the early stages of a necessary reckoning with racism – have made us wish, more than ever, for a leader who shows some honesty, common sense, or who just (we’re setting the bar quite low here) behaves like a responsible adult.
Now, when we most need stability, when we have never felt more uncertain about the future – will school reopen in the fall? Will we get our jobs back? What will life look like after the pandemic? – we have a president who seems to enjoy destabilizing us further. How could anyone think that what we need now is more chaos, disorder and ill will, filtering down from the top?
These days, when I think of Trump, I only rarely picture a guy with an orange face, weird hair and an absurdly long tie. I’ve instead begun to imagine Cerberus, the many-headed dog-monster from Greek mythology.
One of this creature’s heads is obviously Donald Trump’s, but there are others, snarling and yapping and bickering, all offering wrong opinions and bad advice as they try to keep Trump in line and do damage control when he strikes out on his own. Trump’s head may be the monster’s public face, but there are also the heads of Ivanka and Jared; of the attorney general, William Barr, subverting the rule of law and orchestrating the vile photo op in front of St John’s church; of Mitch McConnell; and of senior adviser Stephen Miller, fanning Trump’s racism and implementing his inhuman anti-immigration policies.
I’ve heard it said that the decision to stage a Republican campaign rally on 19 June (Juneteenth, the date when the last of the Confederate slaves were freed) in Tulsa, Oklahoma (where more than 300 Black people were killed by white mob in 1921) “has Stephen Miller written all over it”. That supposition seems likely, given Trump’s notoriously weak grasp of American history in general and African American history in particular; recall when, in 2017, he spoke as if abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who died in 1895, were still alive “and is being recognized more and more”. (On Saturday Trump agreed to change the date of the campaign rally in Tulsa.)
Let’s not forget who Cerberus was, in Greek mythology. Perpetually angry and snarling, Cerberus acted as the guardian of the underworld. His ferocious multiple dog heads were forever twisting, showing their teeth, and barking at the newly damned approaching the gates of hell.


theguardian--2020-06-16--Coronavirus live news: global Covid-19 cases pass 8 million as Beijing closes sports halls

New Zealand has broken a 24-day streak of no new cases of Covid-19 in the country , recording two new @ @ @ @ @ .
Both of the new cases , which are related , have been diagnosed “ @ @ @ @ @ travel from the UK , ” health officials have just announced .
More details will @ @ @ @ @ conference in two hours .
New Zealand ’ s government reported that it was free @ @ @ @ @ the last remaining sufferer from the virus recovered .
However , the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ the time that there would inevitably be more cases as new arrivals entered the country @ @ @ @ @ families , and particular essential workers , are the only people currently permitted to enter @ @ @ @ @ stay in government-run quarantine for two weeks , during which time they will be tested @ @ @ @ @ The country has recorded less than 1,500 confirmed cases of Covid-19 , and 22 deaths @ @ @ @ @ early national lockdown .

16 Jun 2020 00.12 BST More than 100,000 carers 'forced to use food banks in UK lockdown' In the UK, elderly spouses caring for each other and parents caring for disabled children are twice as likely as the general public to have used a food bank since lockdown, research has shown. The report, which experts said should “shock the nation”, found that more than 100,000 people doing unpaid caring for older, disabled or seriously ill relatives had been forced to use food banks since start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The figures paint a worrying picture of carers, especially those aged between 17 and 30, being under intolerable pressure. Almost 229,000 told researchers they have had someone in their household go hungry during lockdown. Christie, who is in her 30s, cares for her 76-year-old mother who has epilepsy, physical needs and struggles with her mental health. More than 100,000 carers 'forced to use food banks in UK lockdown' Read more
16 Jun 2020 23.40 BST Here are this week’s Covid-19-related developments throughout the Pacific Islands, with Dan McGarry in Port Vila and Tess Newton Cain: The total number of Covid-19 cases across the Pacific stands at 314, with new cases reported this week in New Caledonia, Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. New Zealand is under increasing pressure, both internally and from across the region, to consider Pacific countries as part of its proposed travel ‘bubble’, alongside, or even in place of, Australia. The foreign minister, Winston Peters, initially rejected including Pacific island nations, but later backtracked. There are growing concerns in some Pacific countries that measures designed to safeguard public health are being used to undermine civil rights and democratic principles. Pacific countries plead for inclusion in ‘trans-Tasman bubble’ as travel restrictions easeRead more The Samoa Observer argues the prime minister is using emergency powers to push his own ideological preoccupations by seeking to ban all commercial activity on Sundays. In Papua New Guinea, the new – but retrospective – public health emergency bill may be the subject of a constitutional appeal by the opposition. The government stands accused of wasting millions of kina in the early days of the crisis and the bill would make oversight of government expenditure more difficult. A three-country study by Plan International Australia has shown supplies of pads and tampons have dropped, and prices increased, during the coronavirus pandemic, leading women to have to decide between their sanitary needs and food: Coronavirus in the Pacific: weekly briefing Read more
16 Jun 2020 22.48 BST Brazil suffers record increase in cases Brazil has had its worst day for new confirmed cases, recording 34,918 in 24 hours to bring its overall total to 923,189 total infections. The health ministry said the country has also suffered 1,282 deaths since the last update on Monday, bringing the number of confirmed fatalities there to 45,241. In nominal terms, Brazil is the second-worst hit country in the world in both respects.
Updated at 23.00 BST
16 Jun 2020 22.18 BST French nursing unions have called for a national strike to ask for better working conditions and to demand the government keep its promise to overhaul France’s hospital system in response to the pandemic. Police fired teargas after being pelted with objects by a small minority that overturned a car during the demonstration led by healthcare workers. Police fire teargas at largely peaceful healthcare protest in Paris – video
16 Jun 2020 21.37 BST The Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte has sought to reassure Europe that forthcoming post-pandemic recovery funds will be spent wisely to revive the battered economy after a crippling lockdown, Agence France-Presse (AFP) has reported. The leader of Europe’s third-largest economy told AFP Italy’s share of the €750bn (£671bn) recovery plan agreed by the European commission would be the impetus to fix longstanding problems at home. Economists say entrenched structural problems have put the brakes on progress for decades. They include Italy’s burdensome public bureaucracy, sub-par infrastructure, including slow adoption of digital technology, and widespread tax evasion. Conte said: It’s an opportunity for us to design a better Italy, to work on a serious, comprehensive investment plan that will make the country more modern, greener, and more socially inclusive. Italy is reeling from the economic effects of its lockdown. Conte added: I often say it’s not a handout to benefit the current government, it’s an investment we must make in Italy and in Europe for our children and grandchildren.
16 Jun 2020 20.21 BST In the UK, the prime minister Boris Johnson has claimed the biggest breakthrough yet in treating patients has been made by a team of British scientists after the biggest controlled trial of treatments in the world. Dexamethasone, a cheap steroid, is widely available for use in the NHS already. Coronavirus 'breakthrough': Boris Johnson announces cheap steroid will help treat patients – video


theguardian--2020-06-15--Trump reportedly to take legal action to block John Bolton's tell-all book

Donald Trump is set to sue to stop the publication of a tell-all book by John Bolton , his third national security adviser , ABC News reported on Monday .
At an event in the White House later in the day , Trump said it would be up to the attorney general , William Barr , to issue any charges , but he hinted that the matter would end up in court .
“ We ’ ll see what happens .
They ’ re in court or they ’ ll soon be in court , ” Trump said about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completing a pre-publication review to make sure the book does not contain classified material .
That contradicts statements from Bolton ’ s attorney , Chuck Cooper , who says his client worked painstakingly for months with classification specialists at the White House National Security Council to make changes to avoid releasing classified material .
Barr echoed Trump ’ s accusation .
The attorney general said administration officials who have access to sensitive information typically sign non-disclosure agreements that require them to go through a clearance process before they can publish something based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We don ’ t believe that Bolton went through that process , hasn ’ t completed the process , and , therefore , is in violation of that agreement , ” Barr said .
The Trump administration is “ trying to get them to complete the process – go through the process – and make the necessary deletions of classified information , ” he added .
The Room Where It Happened was initially scheduled for publication earlier this year but was delayed when the White House said it contained classified information .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced the 23 June release of “ the book Donald Trump doesn ’ t want you to read ” .
Bolton has already recorded an interview with the ABC anchor Martha Raddatz , which is due to be broadcast on Sunday night .
Bolton , a former ambassador to the United Nations , was national security adviser between April 2018 and September 2019 .
Controversially , Bolton did not testify in impeachment proceedings against Trump which focused on Ukraine and Trump ’ s attempts to bully the government there to investigate his political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Republican-controlled Senate in February .
“ What Bolton saw astonished him , ” his publisher said .
“ A president for whom getting re-elected was the only thing that mattered , even if it meant endangering or weakening the nation .
“ Bolton argues that the House committed impeachment malpractice by keeping their prosecution focused narrowly on Ukraine when Trump ’ s Ukraine-like transgressions existed across the full range of his foreign policy – and Bolton documents exactly what those were , and attempts by him and others in the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news of Bolton ’ s book plans first broke , Trump reportedly called him a “ traitor ” and said he wanted to sue to stop publication .
It is not clear the current threat will work .
In January 2018 , Trump threatened to sue to stop the publication of Fire and Fury , a book by Michael Wolff , after the Guardian broke news of its sensational content .
Publisher Henry Holt responded by rushing the book to the public .
Bolton ’ s lawyer , Chuck Cooper , wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a transparent attempt to use national security as a pretext to censor Mr Bolton , in violation of his constitutional right to speak on matters of the utmost public import .
“ This attempt will not succeed , and Mr Bolton ’ s book will be published [ on ] 23 June.
” His predecessor as national security adviser , HR McMaster , has a book due out in September .
Trump books have become big business .
On Sunday night , the Daily Beast reported that the president ’ s niece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August .
It is expected to contain revelations about Trump family relationships and its tax affairs .
The Associated Press contributed to this report

Donald Trump is set to sue to stop the publication of a tell-all book by John Bolton, his third national security adviser, ABC News reported on Monday.
At an event in the White House later in the day, Trump said it would be up to the attorney general, William Barr, to issue any charges, but he hinted that the matter would end up in court. “We’ll see what happens. They’re in court or they’ll soon be in court,” Trump said about the book.
Trump accused Bolton of not completing a pre-publication review to make sure the book does not contain classified material. That contradicts statements from Bolton’s attorney, Chuck Cooper, who says his client worked painstakingly for months with classification specialists at the White House National Security Council to make changes to avoid releasing classified material.
Barr echoed Trump’s accusation. The attorney general said administration officials who have access to sensitive information typically sign non-disclosure agreements that require them to go through a clearance process before they can publish something based on information they accessed in the job.
“We don’t believe that Bolton went through that process, hasn’t completed the process, and, therefore, is in violation of that agreement,” Barr said. The Trump administration is “trying to get them to complete the process – go through the process – and make the necessary deletions of classified information,” he added.
The Room Where It Happened was initially scheduled for publication earlier this year but was delayed when the White House said it contained classified information.
Last week, publisher Simon & Schuster announced the 23 June release of “the book Donald Trump doesn’t want you to read”. Bolton has already recorded an interview with the ABC anchor Martha Raddatz, which is due to be broadcast on Sunday night.
Bolton, a former ambassador to the United Nations, was national security adviser between April 2018 and September 2019. Controversially, Bolton did not testify in impeachment proceedings against Trump which focused on Ukraine and Trump’s attempts to bully the government there to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. Trump was acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate in February.
“What Bolton saw astonished him,” his publisher said. “A president for whom getting re-elected was the only thing that mattered, even if it meant endangering or weakening the nation.
“Bolton argues that the House committed impeachment malpractice by keeping their prosecution focused narrowly on Ukraine when Trump’s Ukraine-like transgressions existed across the full range of his foreign policy – and Bolton documents exactly what those were, and attempts by him and others in the administration to raise alarms about them.”
When news of Bolton’s book plans first broke, Trump reportedly called him a “traitor” and said he wanted to sue to stop publication.
It is not clear the current threat will work. In January 2018, Trump threatened to sue to stop the publication of Fire and Fury, a book by Michael Wolff, after the Guardian broke news of its sensational content. Publisher Henry Holt responded by rushing the book to the public.
Bolton’s lawyer, Chuck Cooper, wrote in the Wall Street Journal last week of “a transparent attempt to use national security as a pretext to censor Mr Bolton, in violation of his constitutional right to speak on matters of the utmost public import.
“This attempt will not succeed, and Mr Bolton’s book will be published [on] 23 June.”
His predecessor as national security adviser, HR McMaster, has a book due out in September.
Trump books have become big business. On Sunday night, the Daily Beast reported that the president’s niece, Mary Trump, will publish one in August. It is expected to contain revelations about Trump family relationships and its tax affairs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report


theguardian--2020-06-15--EU to discuss greater defence cooperation in face of US-China tensions

EU ministers are to discuss the need for greater defence cooperation and a renewed intelligence assessment in the face of a heightened risk of a China-US military confrontation .
The call for greater EU defence cooperation comes in a Franco-German joint paper and , although familiar , has been given added urgency by fears in the bloc that the US and China will become locked in a permanent big power confrontation .
The paper , due to be discussed by EU defence ministers on Tuesday and first obtained by Bloomberg News , says defence integration is necessitated by “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ensuing threat to the rules-based international order ” .
The memo proposes that the EU ’ s intelligence arm should produce a classified threat assessment by the end of the year , on the basis of which it can decide on how to enhance its joint capabilities in the future , in areas ranging from peacekeeping to space and cybersecurity .
The EU has launched several initiatives to deepen its defence integration in the past , including by encouraging greater joint defence procurement , so reducing duplication , but the shift towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bloc ’ s initially stumbling joint response to coronavirus .
The intelligence assessment will mark a moment after the US presidential elections for the EU to assess the risk of a deep strategic conflict .
The EU foreign affairs chief , Josep Borrell , at the same time said the bloc would launch a bilateral dialogue with the US on the challenges posed by a more assertive China in an effort to reach a common understanding .
Borrell was speaking after EU foreign ministers held a virtual two-hour meeting with the US secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the main points of dispute between them including China and the potential Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory on the West Bank .
Borrell has said the tension between China and the US has become the main axis of current global politics and the pressure on the EU to “ select a side ” among the two is increasing .
Borrell said : “ We as Europe must find our own independent way of doing things , even though this will bring various challenges.
” But some EU states say it is inconceivable in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be equidistant between China and the US .
Borrell is known to be resistant to talk of a new cold war , arguing all the big issues on trade and the climate crisis require Chinese cooperation .
At the same time , the EU shares US frustration at the lack of access to Chinese markets , and the role of Chinese state companies .
EU policymakers are also worried that the US is about to impose a form of extra-territorial sanction by blacklisting European companies that cooperate with the Chinese state telecommunications company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dialogue will instead try to find more limited areas of cooperation by pressing China to do more to open access to markets and by resisting sensitive security investments .
Borrell said the mood of the meeting was not one in which Pompeo either accepted or rejected the EU point of view , adding he was sure the secretary of state would have been aware of the internal differences within the union .

EU ministers are to discuss the need for greater defence cooperation and a renewed intelligence assessment in the face of a heightened risk of a China-US military confrontation.
The call for greater EU defence cooperation comes in a Franco-German joint paper and, although familiar, has been given added urgency by fears in the bloc that the US and China will become locked in a permanent big power confrontation.
The paper, due to be discussed by EU defence ministers on Tuesday and first obtained by Bloomberg News, says defence integration is necessitated by “the return of power competition and confrontation and the ensuing threat to the rules-based international order”.
The memo proposes that the EU’s intelligence arm should produce a classified threat assessment by the end of the year, on the basis of which it can decide on how to enhance its joint capabilities in the future, in areas ranging from peacekeeping to space and cybersecurity.
The EU has launched several initiatives to deepen its defence integration in the past, including by encouraging greater joint defence procurement, so reducing duplication, but the shift towards integration has become more pronounced after the bloc’s initially stumbling joint response to coronavirus.
The intelligence assessment will mark a moment after the US presidential elections for the EU to assess the risk of a deep strategic conflict.
The EU foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, at the same time said the bloc would launch a bilateral dialogue with the US on the challenges posed by a more assertive China in an effort to reach a common understanding. Borrell was speaking after EU foreign ministers held a virtual two-hour meeting with the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, covering the main points of dispute between them including China and the potential Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory on the West Bank.
Borrell has said the tension between China and the US has become the main axis of current global politics and the pressure on the EU to “select a side” among the two is increasing.
Borrell said: “We as Europe must find our own independent way of doing things, even though this will bring various challenges.” But some EU states say it is inconceivable in terms of values for the EU to be equidistant between China and the US.
Borrell is known to be resistant to talk of a new cold war, arguing all the big issues on trade and the climate crisis require Chinese cooperation. At the same time, the EU shares US frustration at the lack of access to Chinese markets, and the role of Chinese state companies.
EU policymakers are also worried that the US is about to impose a form of extra-territorial sanction by blacklisting European companies that cooperate with the Chinese state telecommunications company Huawei.
The US and EU bilateral dialogue will instead try to find more limited areas of cooperation by pressing China to do more to open access to markets and by resisting sensitive security investments.
Borrell said the mood of the meeting was not one in which Pompeo either accepted or rejected the EU point of view, adding he was sure the secretary of state would have been aware of the internal differences within the union.