theguardian--2020-05-03--Donald Trump's four-step plan to reopen the US economy – and why it will be lethal | Robert Reich

Donald Trump is getting nervous .
Internal polls show him losing in November unless the economy comes roaring back .
But much of the economy remains closed because of the pandemic .
The number of infections and deaths continue to climb .
So what is Trump ’ s re-election strategy ?
Reopen the economy anyway , despite the risks .
Remove income support , so people have no choice but to return to work .
Trump ’ s labor department has decided that furloughed employees “ must accept ” an employer ’ s offer to return to work and therefore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump ’ s ally , Iowa ’ s Republican governor , Kim Reynolds , says employees can not refuse to return to work for fear of contracting the disease .
“ That ’ s a voluntary quit , ” making someone ineligible for benefits .
GOP officials in Oklahoma are even threatening to withhold the $ 600 a week of extra unemployment benefits Congress has provided workers , if an employer wants to hire them .
Safety is irrelevant .
“ If the employer will contact us … we will cut off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keller of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission .
Forcing people to choose between getting Covid-19 or losing their livelihood is inhumane .
It is also nonsensical .
Public health still depends on as many workers as possible staying home .
That ’ s a big reason why Congress provided the extra benefits .
No one knows how many Americans are infected because the Trump administration continues to drag its heels on testing .
To date only 6.5m tests have been completed in a population of more than 200 million adults .
Florida , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has stopped releasing medical examiners ’ statistics on the number of Covid-19 victims because the figures are higher than the state ’ s official count .
But it ’ s impossible to fight the virus without adequate data .
Dr Anthony Fauci , the administration ’ s leading infectious disease expert , warns that reopening poses “ a really significant risk ” without more testing .
Not surprisingly , the White House has blocked Fauci from testifying before the House .
Weeks ago , Trump called on citizens to “ LIBERATE ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Gretchen Whitmer , imposed strict stay-at-home rules .
Michigan has the third-highest number of Covid-19 deaths in America , although it is 10th in population .
When on Thursday Whitmer extended the rules to 28 May , gun-toting protesters rushed the state house chanting : “ Lock her up !
” Rather than condemn their behavior , Trump suggested Whitmer “ make a deal ” with them .
“ The Governor of Michigan should give a little , and put out the fire , ” he tweeted .
“ These are very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They want their lives back again , safely !
” Meanwhile , the attorney general , William Barr , has directed the justice department to take legal action against any state or local authorities imposing lockdown measures that “ could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens ” .
Making this about “ freedom ” is absurd .
Freedom is meaningless for people who have no choice but to accept a job that risks their health .
Shield businesses against lawsuits for spreading the infection .
Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ liability shield ” against legal action by workers or customers who get infected by the virus .
This week , he announced he would use the Defense Production Act to force meat-processing plants to remain open , despite high rates of Covid-19 infections and deaths among meatpackers .
“ We ’ re going to sign an executive order today , I believe , and that ’ ll solve any liability problems , ” Trump said .
The Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell , insists that proposed legislation giving state and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal immunity for corporations that cause workers or consumers to become infected .
“ We have a red line on liability , ” McConnell said .
“ It won ’ t pass the Senate without it.
” But how can the economy safely reopen if companies don ’ t have an incentive to keep people safe ?
Promises to provide protective gear and other safeguards are worthless absent the threat of damages if workers or customers become infected .
The biggest obstacle to reopening the economy is the pandemic itself .
Any rush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – far more than now under way – will cause a resurgence of the disease and another and longer economic crisis .
Maybe Trump is betting that any resurgence will occur after the election , when the economy appears to be on the road to recovery .
The first responsibility of a president is to keep the public safe .
But Donald Trump couldn ’ t care less .
He was slow to respond to the threat , then he lied about it , then made it hard for states – especially those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment they need .
Now he ’ s trying to force the economy to reopen in order to boost his electoral chances this November , and he ’ s selling out Americans ’ health to seal the deal .
This is beyond contemptible .
• None Robert Reich , a former US secretary of labor , is professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and the author of Saving Capitalism : For the Many , Not the Few and The Common Good .
His new book , The System @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fix It , is out now .
He is a columnist for Guardian US

Donald Trump is getting nervous. Internal polls show him losing in November unless the economy comes roaring back.
But much of the economy remains closed because of the pandemic. The number of infections and deaths continue to climb.
So what is Trump’s re-election strategy? Reopen the economy anyway, despite the risks.
Step 1
Remove income support, so people have no choice but to return to work.
Trump’s labor department has decided that furloughed employees “must accept” an employer’s offer to return to work and therefore forfeit unemployment benefits, regardless of Covid-19.
Trump’s ally, Iowa’s Republican governor, Kim Reynolds, says employees cannot refuse to return to work for fear of contracting the disease. “That’s a voluntary quit,” making someone ineligible for benefits.
GOP officials in Oklahoma are even threatening to withhold the $600 a week of extra unemployment benefits Congress has provided workers, if an employer wants to hire them. Safety is irrelevant.
“If the employer will contact us … we will cut off their benefits,” says Teresa Thomas Keller of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
Forcing people to choose between getting Covid-19 or losing their livelihood is inhumane. It is also nonsensical. Public health still depends on as many workers as possible staying home. That’s a big reason why Congress provided the extra benefits.
Step 2
Hide the facts.
No one knows how many Americans are infected because the Trump administration continues to drag its heels on testing. To date only 6.5m tests have been completed in a population of more than 200 million adults.
Florida, one of the first states to reopen, has stopped releasing medical examiners’ statistics on the number of Covid-19 victims because the figures are higher than the state’s official count.
But it’s impossible to fight the virus without adequate data. Dr Anthony Fauci, the administration’s leading infectious disease expert, warns that reopening poses “a really significant risk” without more testing.
Not surprisingly, the White House has blocked Fauci from testifying before the House.
Step 3
Pretend it’s about “freedom”.
01:01 Armed protesters enter Michigan's state capitol demanding end to coronavirus lockdown – video
Weeks ago, Trump called on citizens to “LIBERATE” states like Michigan, whose Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, imposed strict stay-at-home rules.
Michigan has the third-highest number of Covid-19 deaths in America, although it is 10th in population. When on Thursday Whitmer extended the rules to 28 May, gun-toting protesters rushed the state house chanting: “Lock her up!”
Rather than condemn their behavior, Trump suggested Whitmer “make a deal” with them.
“The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire,” he tweeted. “These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely!”
Meanwhile, the attorney general, William Barr, has directed the justice department to take legal action against any state or local authorities imposing lockdown measures that “could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens”.
Making this about “freedom” is absurd. Freedom is meaningless for people who have no choice but to accept a job that risks their health.
Step 4
Shield businesses against lawsuits for spreading the infection.
Trump is pushing to give businesses that reopen a “liability shield” against legal action by workers or customers who get infected by the virus.
This week, he announced he would use the Defense Production Act to force meat-processing plants to remain open, despite high rates of Covid-19 infections and deaths among meatpackers.
“We’re going to sign an executive order today, I believe, and that’ll solve any liability problems,” Trump said.
The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, insists that proposed legislation giving state and local governments funding they desperately need must include legal immunity for corporations that cause workers or consumers to become infected.
“We have a red line on liability,” McConnell said. “It won’t pass the Senate without it.”
But how can the economy safely reopen if companies don’t have an incentive to keep people safe? Promises to provide protective gear and other safeguards are worthless absent the threat of damages if workers or customers become infected.
The truth
The biggest obstacle to reopening the economy is the pandemic itself.
Any rush to reopen without adequate testing and tracing – far more than now under way – will cause a resurgence of the disease and another and longer economic crisis.
Maybe Trump is betting that any resurgence will occur after the election, when the economy appears to be on the road to recovery.
The first responsibility of a president is to keep the public safe. But Donald Trump couldn’t care less. He was slow to respond to the threat, then he lied about it, then made it hard for states – especially those with Democratic governors – to get the equipment they need.
Now he’s trying to force the economy to reopen in order to boost his electoral chances this November, and he’s selling out Americans’ health to seal the deal. This is beyond contemptible.


theguardian--2020-05-03--'Swastikas and nooses': governor slams 'racism' of Michigan lockdown protest

Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan issued a rebuke of the armed protesters who gathered inside the state capitol last week in defiance of statewide lockdown orders , saying the demonstrators embodied some of the “ worst racism ” of the nation ’ s history .
“ Some of the outrageousness of what happened at our capitol depicted some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history in this country , ” Whitmer said during a Sunday interview on CNN ’ s State of the Union .
Last week Donald Trump had said of the protesters : “ These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters , many not wearing protective face masks and some armed legally with “ long guns ” , gathered inside the statehouse in Lansing on Thursday as lawmakers debated the Democratic governor ’ s request to extend her emergency powers to combat the coronavirus pandemic .
The tightly packed crowd attempted to enter the floor of the legislative chamber and were held back by a line of state police and capitol staff , according to video footage posted by local journalists .
Whitmer highlighted that the number of protesters was relatively small but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a disturbing reminder of ugly elements of America ’ s past .
“ We know that people are not all happy about having to take the stay-home posture , ” Whitmer said on Sunday , “ and you know what , I ’ m not either .
But we have to listen to the public health experts and displays like the one we saw in our state capitol are not representative of who we are in Michigan .
“ There were swastikas and Confederate flags and nooses and people with assault rifles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people when you think that this is a state of almost 10 million people , the vast majority of whom are doing the right thing.
” Displaying the Confederate flag , or other symbols of the slave-owning south during the American civil war , is usually seen as racist .
While some claim they are celebrating southern identity , it is widely seen as a racist symbol deeply offensive to black Americans .
There is also an ongoing campaign to remove Confederate war statues from public display or rename streets and buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last week , the Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib , who represents Michigan ’ s 13th congressional district , condemned the demonstrations at the state Capitol .
“ Black people get executed by police for just existing , while white people dressed like militia members carrying assault weapons are allowed to threaten State Legislators and staff , ” Tlaib wrote in a tweet on Thursday .
The protests continued to draw national attention on Friday when Trump once again threw his support behind the rightwing movement , saying Whitmer should “ make a deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor of Michigan should give a little , and put out the fire , ” the president wrote on Twitter .
“ These are very good people , but they are angry .
They want their lives back again , safely !
See them , talk to them , make a deal.
” When asked if it was appropriate for the president to express support for protests in which “ long guns ” were carried on Friday afternoon , the White House press secretary , Kayleigh McEnany , said the president supported the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while following federal social distancing guidelines .
“ The president says that we must protest lawfully and act within the bounds of the law , ” said McEnany .
The staggering effects of the pandemic among Whitmer ’ s electorate in terms of both illness and unemployment have placed a nationwide focus on Michigan , which is certain to be a key battleground state in the upcoming presidential election .
The state had long been regarded as a Democratic stronghold but went for Trump four years ago , helping to spring his surprise @ @ @

Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan issued a rebuke of the armed protesters who gathered inside the state capitol last week in defiance of statewide lockdown orders, saying the demonstrators embodied some of the “worst racism” of the nation’s history.
“Some of the outrageousness of what happened at our capitol depicted some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history in this country,” Whitmer said during a Sunday interview on CNN’s State of the Union.
Last week Donald Trump had said of the protesters: “These are very good people.”
Hundreds of protesters, many not wearing protective face masks and some armed legally with “long guns”, gathered inside the statehouse in Lansing on Thursday as lawmakers debated the Democratic governor’s request to extend her emergency powers to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The tightly packed crowd attempted to enter the floor of the legislative chamber and were held back by a line of state police and capitol staff, according to video footage posted by local journalists.
“We have to listen to the epidemiologist and health experts and displays like the one we saw at our capitol is not representative of who we are.” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reacts to protesters descending on her state’s capitol, including some who were armed. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/lfPgGnpkGC — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) May 3, 2020
Whitmer highlighted that the number of protesters was relatively small but that the imagery some of them used was a disturbing reminder of ugly elements of America’s past. “We know that people are not all happy about having to take the stay-home posture,” Whitmer said on Sunday, “and you know what, I’m not either. But we have to listen to the public health experts and displays like the one we saw in our state capitol are not representative of who we are in Michigan.
“There were swastikas and Confederate flags and nooses and people with assault rifles. That’s a small group of people when you think that this is a state of almost 10 million people, the vast majority of whom are doing the right thing.”
01:01 Armed protesters enter Michigan's state capitol demanding end to coronavirus lockdown – video
Displaying the Confederate flag, or other symbols of the slave-owning south during the American civil war, is usually seen as racist. While some claim they are celebrating southern identity, it is widely seen as a racist symbol deeply offensive to black Americans. There is also an ongoing campaign to remove Confederate war statues from public display or rename streets and buildings which commemorate Confederate generals or politicians.
Last week, the Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who represents Michigan’s 13th congressional district, condemned the demonstrations at the state Capitol. “Black people get executed by police for just existing, while white people dressed like militia members carrying assault weapons are allowed to threaten State Legislators and staff,” Tlaib wrote in a tweet on Thursday.
Black people get executed by police for just existing, while white people dressed like militia members carrying assault weapons are allowed to threaten State Legislators and staff.
📣Our gun laws are so broken. https://t.co/w6Vw97kTV9 — Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) April 30, 2020
The protests continued to draw national attention on Friday when Trump once again threw his support behind the rightwing movement, saying Whitmer should “make a deal” with the demonstrators.
“The governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire,” the president wrote on Twitter. “These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.”
Demonstrators display a Confederate flag at the anti-lockdown protest in Lansing. Photograph: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images
When asked if it was appropriate for the president to express support for protests in which “long guns” were carried on Friday afternoon, the White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, said the president supported the right to protest within the law and while following federal social distancing guidelines.
“The president says that we must protest lawfully and act within the bounds of the law,” said McEnany.
The staggering effects of the pandemic among Whitmer’s electorate in terms of both illness and unemployment have placed a nationwide focus on Michigan, which is certain to be a key battleground state in the upcoming presidential election. The state had long been regarded as a Democratic stronghold but went for Trump four years ago, helping to spring his surprise electoral victory.


theguardian--2020-05-03--Coronavirus US live: Cuomo says ‘government essential to human life’ – as it happened

More on the Joe Biden-Tara Reade story .
The presumptive Democratic nominee is accused by his former staffer of sexually assaulting her in 1993 .
Biden denies the claim , while Reade has disputed an Associated Press report which says she did not describe a sexual assault or harassment on the complaint she says she filed 27 years ago .
She has also reportedly received threats .
On CNN earlier , Michigan governor and potential Biden running mate Gretchen Whitmer had an instructive exchange , considering the dynamics of the issue as Democrats defend Biden and Republicans , including party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tapper : “ You have said that you believe Vice-President Biden .
I want to compare that to 2018 , when you said you believed Dr Christine Blasey Ford after she accused now ( supreme court ) justice Brett Kavanaugh of assault .
Kavanaugh also , like Biden , categorically denied that accusation .
And Blasey Ford , to be honest , she did not have the contemporaneous accounts of her view of what happened that Tara Reade does .
“ You have spoken movingly about how you ’ re a survivor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , and not Kavanaugh ?
Are they not both entitled to the same presumption of innocence , regardless of their political views ?
Whitmer : “ You know , Jake , as a survivor and as a feminist , I will say this .
We need to give people an opportunity to tell their story .
But then we have a duty to vet it .
And just because you ’ re a survivor doesn ’ t mean that every claim is equal .
It means we give them the ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side as well , and then to make a judgment that is informed .
“ I have read a lot about this current allegation .
I know Joe Biden , and I have watched his defense .
And there ’ s not a pattern that goes into this .
And I think that , for these reasons , I ’ m very comfortable that Joe Biden is who he says he is .
And you know what ?
And that ’ s all I ’ m going to say about it .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every time a case comes up , all of us survivors have to weigh in .
It is reopening wounds … take us at our word , ask us for our opinion , and let ’ s move on .
Tapper : “ Well , just for the record , the reason I ’ m asking you is because you ’ re the only Democrat on the show today , not because you ’ re a survivor , and not because you ’ re a woman.
” Whitmer said she was not criticising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think , some of the simmering anger that we survivors have every time that we have got to confront this from someone else ’ s behavior that we weren ’ t a party to , that we weren ’ t even a part of the reality in the moment .
“ What I think is this .
We owe it to every woman who has a story to listen to that story , and then to vet that story , ask the questions and be critical thinkers , and then make a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pieces .
I have done that in this instance .
“ And I will tell you this .
I don ’ t believe that it ’ s consistent with the Joe Biden that I know .
And I do believe Joe , and I support Joe Biden .
”

Bryan Armen Graham, Martin Pengelly and Tom Lutz  in New York

3 May 2020 23.22 BST The Associated Press has news of an incident that will concern those who believe social distancing patrols can lead to police exercising too much force on the public. From the AP’s report: A New York City police officer who was caught on video on Saturday pointing a stun gun at a man and violently taking him to the ground over an alleged social distancing violation has been stripped of his gun and badge and placed on desk duty pending an internal investigation. NYPD Officers continue to terrorize us amid the Covid-19 Epidemic, WE WANT JUSTICE. Asking leaders to stand up for us
Avenue D and 9th st, Lower East Side@NYCMayor @NYPDCommAffairs @CMCarlinaRivera @NYCMayorsOffice @NBCNewYork @ABC@PIX11News @NYDailyNews @HarveyforNY pic.twitter.com/3p2MbEZ1w0 — Temitope Johnson 🇳🇬 (@afroshaped) May 3, 2020 Bystander video showed the plainclothes officer, who was not wearing a protective face mask, slapping 33-year-old Donni Wright in the face, punching him in the shoulder and dragging him to a sidewalk after leveling him in a crosswalk in Manhattan’s East Village. “There will unquestionably be a careful look at what happened there,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Sunday. Police spokeswoman Sgt Mary Frances O’Donnell said Wright “took a fighting stance against the officer” when he was ordered to disperse and was arrested on charges including assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.
3 May 2020 22.55 BST Joe Biden further reasserted his status as the presumptive challenger to Donald Trump for the presidency after winning a Democratic presidential primary in Kansas that the state party conducted exclusively through mail-in voting due to the coronavirus pandemic. The former vice-president earned 77% of the vote and 29 of the state’s delegates in a primary that employed a new ranked choice system and saw three times the standard turnout, according to the Topeka Capital Journal. The change from a caucus format and an aggressive push for mail-in ballots while the state was on lockdown for Covid-19 led to a dramatic increase in turnout for the party, which typically sees 8-10% participation in presidential primaries. Four years ago, the total turnout was 39,230. This year, the vote total more than tripled as 34.7% of registered Kansas Democrats participated. “The KDP offers its congratulations to former Vice President Joseph Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders for receiving delegates from the Sunflower State,” said party chairwoman Vicki Hiatt. “Kansas Democrats made history in this election with record participation levels along with demonstrating how a vote-by-mail election can protect voters and our democracy, even in the most uncertain of times. We are confident the enthusiasm and engagement seen during the 2020 Primary will only continue to grow and translate into Democratic victories up and down the ballot in November.” Biden won 69% of votes in the first round of a ranked choice system. The candidate receiving the least votes is eliminated every round, with those votes going to the next choice on the ballot. Sanders won 18% with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren getting 8% and 1% going to Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. About 3% declined to commit to a top choice. Gabbard, uncommitted and Warren votes were redistributed over the course of three additional rounds. “The Kansas Democratic Party will carry this record-breaking momentum into our robust coordinated campaign to elect Democrats who will fight for working families, healthcare reform, and a future we all can be proud of in November,” said Ben Meers, the party’s executive director.
3 May 2020 22.22 BST Kenya Evelyn While presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is already confronting allegations of sexual assault on one front, the vice-president must also now combat a growing campaign of misinformation.
Rumors quickly circulated online over the weekend claiming that, in 2008, Biden made inappropriate comments toward Eva Murray. The niece of one-time Republican senate hopeful Christine O’Donnell then claimed to be just 14 at the time of the incident. Event organizers immediately worked to prove the claims false, providing evidence Biden wasn’t in attendance. ABC News reporter Sasha Pezenik faced mounting backlash for first tweeting the unverified claim on Saturday night. While she has apologized, claiming the tweet was misguided, critics have called on the reporter to be sacked. Termination, not apology. It was a deliberate hit job where she had the facts in hand but decided to print a patently false story anyway. It’s not journalism. #FirePezenik https://t.co/EnQXxWqUzR — Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) May 3, 2020 Snopes, the non-profit fact-finding group, is calling foul on a photo that appeared to show the then-senator awkwardly meeting with congressional staffer Tara Reade. Reade has accused Biden of sexually assaulting her in a senate corridor in 1993. Over the weekend, social media postings popped up claiming to show a lost image of Biden with a woman users suggested was Reade. The vice-president has asserted he “never met” her. The photo is obviously fake. According to Snopes: Such posts were wrong on two fronts. First, Biden has not maintained that he “never met” Reade, who worked as a staff assistant in his Senate office from December 1992 to August 1993 (and it’s unclear whether he has even averred that he “doesn’t remember” Reade). Second, and more important, although this photograph dates from the correct time period (i.e., January 1993) to potentially be a picture of Biden with Tara Reade, it is actually a photograph of Biden posing with Zoë Baird, who had then just been nominated for the position of U.S. Attorney General by President Bill Clinton.
3 May 2020 21.54 BST Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to erase any perception of negligence from the timeline of his administration’s coronavirus response continued on Sunday afternoon as he fired off a pair of tweets shortly after returning to the White House following a working weekend at Camp David and ahead of his Fox News virtual town hall tonight at the Lincoln Memorial. “Intelligence has just reported to me that I was correct, and that they did NOT bring up the CoronaVirus subject matter until late into January, just prior to my banning China from the U.S. Also, they only spoke of the Virus in a very non-threatening, or matter of fact, manner,” Trump tweeted. “Fake News got it wrong again, as always, and tens of thousands of lives were saved by my EARLY BAN of China into our Country. The people that we’re allowed were heavily scrutinized and tested U.S. citizens, and as such, I welcome them with open arms!” Intelligence has just reported to me that I was correct, and that they did NOT bring up the CoronaVirus subject matter until late into January, just prior to my banning China from the U.S. Also, they only spoke of the Virus in a very non-threatening, or matter of fact, manner... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2020 ....Fake News got it wrong again, as always, and tens of thousands of lives were saved by my EARLY BAN of China into our Country. The people that we’re allowed were heavily scrutinized and tested U.S. citizens, and as such, I welcome them with open arms! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2020 These assertions are inconsistent with a Washington Post report from March which stated Trump ignored early warnings as early as January from US intelligence agencies about the threat posed by the outbreak.
3 May 2020 20.56 BST Florida’s department of health has reported the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has climbed past 36,000. But the hotbed of south Florida has seen a drop in known positive test results and now accounts for less than half of the state’s increase in new novel coronavirus cases and deaths, the Miami Herald reports: Of Florida’s 615 new confirmed Covid-19 cases from Saturday’s update, putting the state at 36,078, 248 (40.3%) came from Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties. The 15 newly reported deaths around the state, raising the state death toll to 1,379, include six (40%) from South Florida. As for number of people tested, the state reported 12,208 new tests have been administered and 1,881 people are now awaiting test results. But that results-pending number includes only state labs. As reported earlier in the month by the Miami Herald, it doesn’t include the private labs doing an overwhelming majority of the testing. The state’s official numbers also conflict with work from by a University of Miami group that extrapolated from a study of 1,400 people that about 165,000 Miami-Dade residents or 6% of the population, have antibodies indicating a past novel coronavirus infection. About 3.4% of Miami-Dade’s population has been tested for Covid-19. The breakdown by county: ▪ Miami-Dade had 143 new cases and two deaths, leaving it at 12,775 and 369 respectively, both state highs. The number of people hospitalized at some point by Covid-19 is 1,664, an increase of 13 from Saturday. The positive test rate is 13.7, down from 13.8 at Saturday’s update. ▪ Broward added 55 cases, which now total 5,312; and three deaths, which now total 207; and 12 hospitalizations, which now total 1056. Like Miami-Dade, the county’s positive test rate edged down 0.1 of a percent, to 10.2% from 10.3%. ▪ In Palm Beach, 50 new cases raised that total to 3,130 and one death pushed that total to 196. Another three hospitalizations were reported for a total of 474. The positive test rate moved a breath, from 10.32% to 10.27%. ▪ Monroe County saw no changes in cases (80), hospitalizations (11) or deaths (3) and it’s positive test rate dropped from 5.9% to 5.7%.
The latest figures were reported amid the incremental re-opening of Florida’s beaches, to which Death himself took objection on Friday. Florida man stalks beach as Grim Reaper to protest reopening amid pandemic Read more
3 May 2020 20.39 BST Martin Pengelly Gun sales may be up in the US during the pandemic, as has been widely noted, but here’s an interesting report from the Associated Press on problems facing the normally hugely powerful National Rifle Association. “The NRA has laid off dozens of employees, canceled its national convention and scuttled fundraising, membership and shooting events that normally would be key to rallying its base in an election year,” the AP reports. The lobbying group has also “imposed a four-day work week for some employees and cut salaries across the board, including for CEO Wayne LaPierre. The financial issues … have complicated its ability to influence the 2020 election.” According to the AP, “LaPierre earned about $2m, according to the group’s most-recent tax filings. The NRA would not say how much of a pay cut he’s taking”. Robert J Spitzer, chairman of political science at the State University of New York at Cortland, told the AP: “Everybody’s in the same boat as the NRA. The NRA’s real problem is they had real existing financial problems before this happened. It simply does not bode well for their impact on the upcoming election.” Gun-control groups “contend the NRA’s financial troubles will leave it incapable of playing a significant role in Trump’s campaign”. “I would be shocked if the NRA were able to sustain the investment in support of Trump in 2020 that it made in 2016,” Peter Ambler, executive director of the Giffords group, named after former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was seriously wounded after being shot in 2011, told the AP. Meanwhile, in related reading, here’s a report about how Canada has reacted to its latest mass shooting: Trudeau announces Canada is banning assault-style weapons Read more
3 May 2020 20.02 BST Katherine Viner, editor-in-chief of the Guardian, spoke about imperative nature of open journalism in the age of coronavirus on CNN’s Reliable Sources today on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. “Whenever there is a shock to the system, governments will try to use that, unless we keep an eye on them, to crack down,” Viner said. “And it’s essential that we try and stop that from happening, or at least draw attention to the fact that freedom of expression and freedom of the press is crucial to any democratic society. And I think transparency matters a lot right now when good information and how you come to it, how you come to the facts, can really help save lives.” Viner went on to discuss Lost on the frontline, the ongoing project from the Guardian and Kaiser Health News that aims to document the life of every healthcare worker in America who dies from Covid-19 during the pandemic. “We should be holding authorities to account, wherever they are,” she said. “It’s usually governments but it might also be health authorities. We have to ask difficult questions even if people don’t like it. We have to show empathy and humanity for the victims of this really frightening disease and tell their stories. Often these are from very marginalized communities. And we try to give visibility and humanity to them.” Coronavirus: the Guardian's promise to our readers Read more
3 May 2020 18.42 BST The Guardian’s Kenya Evelyn reports on how some New Yorkers are calling foul on the city’s enforcement of stay-at-home restrictions. Community advocates across New York’s Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn boroughs have called out city and state officials or what they claim are racial and ethnic double standards in its application of social distancing orders. Both pictures are from today. One is from the park in Harlem, the other is from the park in West Village. Guess which neighborhood has police enforcing social distancing? pic.twitter.com/25vEKhVLPo — Achmat X (@AchmatX) May 2, 2020 Images of wealthier, white residents in Manhattan disregarding stay-at-home orders in neighborhood parks have gone viral throughout much of the weekend. But many residents have said that so far, it is neighborhoods in the city’s less affluent communities that have been targeted for ticketing and arrests. Rode my bike for 30 miles from The #Bronx to #Queens, #Brooklyn, & #Manhattan, everyone was mostly being safe by practicing #SocialDistancing until I arrived at the the Christopher St Pier...
This is APPALLING.
It's going to be warmer tomorrow. Police enforce social distancing? pic.twitter.com/0qdw09z5Uk — Welcome2theBronx™ (@Welcome2theBX) May 3, 2020 New York City mayor Bill de Blasio was forced to apologize this week for personally overseeing the dispersal of a Hasidic Jewish funeral in Brooklyn on Wednesday after lashing out at the conduct of mourners. But crowds in Manhattan gathered that same day to watch a city flyover by the US navy’s Blue Angels and the air force’s Thunderbirds planes in honor of healthcare workers. “Only bigots have a problem when a few 100 Hasidim do what thousands of people in the same city have done the same day: not social distance,” the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council tweeted. This is the @NYCMayor’s famous “TALE OF TWO CITIES”:
No mask? No mask?
No problem! Summons! pic.twitter.com/CubTvdfNoB — Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) May 3, 2020 The mayor’s actions renewed focus from community leaders on the city’s unequal application of stay-at-home orders, especially as other groups have also been violating restrictions without consequence. I’m confused...when do you give out a mask and when do you give out a summons? https://t.co/ixz3y68kwO pic.twitter.com/Ilhgq4dQVR — Councilman Deutsch (@ChaimDeutsch) May 3, 2020 While social distancing is meant to curb the spread, health experts say racial disparities have influenced the outbreak from the beginning. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testing requirements, including recent foreign travel, meant that guidelines skewed heavily affluent and white in early weeks. That meant low-income, mostly black and brown areas of Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens were not tested as quickly, leading to the city’s stark racial disparities among cases. More than 18,500 people have died in the city, with nearly two-thirds being black or Latino. New York state’s mandatory stay-at-home order expires 15 May but is expected to be extended.
3 May 2020 18.15 BST Martin Pengelly More on the Joe Biden-Tara Reade story. The presumptive Democratic nominee is accused by his former staffer of sexually assaulting her in 1993. Biden denies the claim, while Reade has disputed an Associated Press report which says she did not describe a sexual assault or harassment on the complaint she says she filed 27 years ago. She has also reportedly received threats. On CNN earlier, Michigan governor and potential Biden running mate Gretchen Whitmer had an instructive exchange, considering the dynamics of the issue as Democrats defend Biden and Republicans, including party chair Ronna McDaniel, attack. Gretchen Whitmer. Photograph: Brian Cahn/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock Jake Tapper: “You have said that you believe Vice-President Biden. I want to compare that to 2018, when you said you believed Dr Christine Blasey Ford after she accused now (supreme court) justice Brett Kavanaugh of assault. Kavanaugh also, like Biden, categorically denied that accusation. And Blasey Ford, to be honest, she did not have the contemporaneous accounts of her view of what happened that Tara Reade does. “You have spoken movingly about how you’re a survivor of assault yourself. Why do you believe Biden, and not Kavanaugh? Are they not both entitled to the same presumption of innocence, regardless of their political views? Whitmer: “You know, Jake, as a survivor and as a feminist, I will say this. We need to give people an opportunity to tell their story. But then we have a duty to vet it. And just because you’re a survivor doesn’t mean that every claim is equal. It means we give them the ability to make their case, and the other side as well, and then to make a judgment that is informed. “I have read a lot about this current allegation. I know Joe Biden, and I have watched his defense. And there’s not a pattern that goes into this. And I think that, for these reasons, I’m very comfortable that Joe Biden is who he says he is. And you know what? And that’s all I’m going to say about it. “I really resent the fact that, every time a case comes up, all of us survivors have to weigh in. It is reopening wounds … take us at our word, ask us for our opinion, and let’s move on. Tapper: “Well, just for the record, the reason I’m asking you is because you’re the only Democrat on the show today, not because you’re a survivor, and not because you’re a woman.” Whitmer said she was not criticising Tapper, but “just sharing, I think, some of the simmering anger that we survivors have every time that we have got to confront this from someone else’s behavior that we weren’t a party to, that we weren’t even a part of the reality in the moment. “What I think is this. We owe it to every woman who has a story to listen to that story, and then to vet that story, ask the questions and be critical thinkers, and then make a judgment, based on all of those pieces. I have done that in this instance. “And I will tell you this. I don’t believe that it’s consistent with the Joe Biden that I know. And I do believe Joe, and I support Joe Biden.”
3 May 2020 17.56 BST Cuomo says “people expect more from government than ever before” and discusses the “transformative” effective of this pandemic. “I believe this has been transformative for a generation,” he says. “Think about when was the last time government was this vital. I don’t know, maybe in a war? World War II, when government had to mobilize overnight? But literally for decades you haven’t seen government this essential to human life. Literally. And government has to work and it has to work well, and it’s not for the faint of heart. And people want government to perform. And government is making decisions every day that affect their lives and they deserve the best government. They’re paying for it, they deserve it. And they deserve competence and expertise and smarts and for government to be doing creative things and learning like we doing here today.” The New York governor then goes on to stress the importance of individual responsibility in the ongoing fight, reiterating the necessity of social distancing. “An individual’s role is responsibly and intelligently for yourself for your family and for your community,” he says. “You want to honor the healthcare workers and the people who literally gave their lives in some cases for what they did here? Act responsibly. Wear a mask. I know the weather is getting warmer, I know people want to get out of the house. Fine. Wear a mask and socially distance. That is your social responsibility in the middle of this overall pandemic. And when we talk about New Yorkers together and the spirit of unity and how people are helping one another and how tough we are and how smart we are and how disciplined we are and how we love one other? Show it. You know how you show love? By wearing a mask.”
Updated at 18.12 BST
3 May 2020 17.36 BST After noting that New York state has spent more than $2 billion on medical equipment this year alone, Cuomo announces the formation of a regional buying consortium with seven neighboring states to “increase market power and bring down prices” in the pursuit of PPE, ventilators and other medical equipment. The governor says the mutual-aid agreement “will make us more competitive in the international marketplace and I believe it will save taxpayers money”. “We will come up with a regional identification of all the equipment we need,” Cuomo says. “Let’s come up with the total amount that we need. Let’s stop doing business with vendors we found to be irresponsible and we found out the hard way – I can’t tell you how many orders we placed with vendors who are acting basically as brokers, who just started businesses in the middle of this pandemic because they saw an opportunity – so let’s compare notes among the states to find out who is good to do business with [and] who was not good to do business with. Let’s see if we can’t do the purchasing in this country and let’s see if we can’t do the purchasing in this region. Why we buying all this material from China? “
Updated at 17.50 BST
3 May 2020 17.17 BST Cuomo hold press briefing New York governor Andrew Cuomo says the number of current Covid-19 hospitalizations statewide has dropped below 10,000 for the first time since mid-March in his daily coronavirus briefing from Albany. The number of new hospitalizations over the last 24-hour period has also fallen to 789, though Cuomo warns this could be an anomaly. Cuomo says 280 people died yesterday, lifting the total death toll to 19,189. “The overall direction is good even though it’s very painful,” Cuomo says. NEW: Total hospitalizations for COVID-19 in New York State dips below 10,000 for first time since March, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. https://t.co/BDo8ZObGLI pic.twitter.com/rUx0NHcshT — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 3, 2020
Updated at 17.25 BST
3 May 2020 16.34 BST Tom Lutz Democrats have been accused of brushing aside an allegation of sexual assault against Joe Biden from former Senate staffer Tara Reade. Reade says the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate assaulted her in 1993. On ABC’s This Week, the chair of the DNC, Tom Perez, defended Biden. “Joe Biden has been very clear that this did not happen,” Perez said on Sunday. “He was forceful in that, and he’s been equally clear that when women come forward with complaints of this nature, they should be taken seriously, their complaints should investigate, they should be treated with dignity, and he’s done exactly that. He called for the Senate to release any documents they have, she indicated that she filed a complaint. Joe Biden wants that complaint released. He is an open book. He understands that it’s important for the information to get out.” Perez also attacked Donald Trump’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. “This president has been chronically inept at handling this coronavirus,” said Perez. “We have less than 5% of the world’s population. We have one-third of the world’s coronavirus cases and 25 % of the world’s deaths from coronavirus. His inattention, his ineptitude, he needs to be the commander in chief, not the Tweeter in chief. He needs to understand that the buck stops with him. And that’s what we’re going to talk about in this campaign, accountability, we’re going to talk about leadership.”


theguardian--2020-05-03--Gretchen Whitmer backs Joe Biden on alleged assault: 'not every claim is equal'

Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan has spoken out in support of Joe Biden , telling CNN that when it comes to accusations of sexual assault , “ not every claim is equal ” .
“ We need to give people an opportunity to tell their story , ” Whitmer said .
“ Then we have a duty to vet it.
” Tara Reade , a former congressional aide , alleges Biden assaulted her in a Senate corridor in 1993 .
Last month , she filed a complaint with police in Washington DC .
Biden , 79 , the presumptive Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegation and called for Reade ’ s original complaint to a congressional personnel office to be located .
He has also committed to naming a woman as his running mate for the campaign against Donald Trump .
Whitmer is thought to be in the frame .
Pressed on CNN ’ s State of the Union over whether her support for Biden was hypocritical , given her view of allegations against the supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh , Whitmer said “ there is not a pattern ” of sexual abuse allegations against Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s framing of the question around her being a woman and a survivor of sexual assault .
“ Just because you ’ re a survivor doesn ’ t mean that every claim is equal , ” she argued .
“ It means we give them the ability to make their case .
And then to make a judgment that is informed.
” Tapper said the question was asked because Whitmer was the only Democrat on his show .
On Saturday , Reade disputed an Associated Press report in which she is reported as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referenced sexual harassment or assault in her original complaint .
She maintains that she neither has a copy of the complaint nor remembers specific details of its content , telling NBC News she is “ not sure ” what wording she used .
Reade did not provide any information about what , if anything , in the AP report was false .
Skeptics have focused on other inconsistencies in her story , including evolving details of the alleged assault .
Former colleagues have also disputed her claims to have reported the incident to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of her job for speaking up .
Senior Democrats continue to rally round Biden .
On Sunday the party chair , Tom Perez , dismissed calls for the Democratic National Committee to launch an investigation .
Biden is an “ open book ” who has been thoroughly vetted , the former labor secretary told ABC ’ s This Week , adding : “ [ The Obama administration ] looked at the entire history of Joe Biden , his entire career .
If Barack Obama had any indication that there was an issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him as his vice-president .
“ Barack Obama trusted Joe Biden .
I trust Joe Biden .
And those investigations have been done.
” Biden has refused to authorize the release of Senate documents stored at the University of Delaware , where some critics say a record of Reade ’ s complaint may be stored .
In an interview with MSNBC ’ s Morning Joe on Friday , Biden argued the files would not contain personnel records .
Some observers said Biden ’ s response was only fueling the fire Republicans are determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ronna McDaniel , chair of the Republican National Committee , said Biden ’ s denials were not enough .
“ We ’ ve seen him really be challenged for the first time in five weeks on allegations that many in the media have ignored , and finally , those are coming to light , ” she told ABC .
McDaniel did not address allegations against Trump , who was memorably recorded bragging about grabbing women ’ s genitals without consent .
Trump denies claims of sexual misconduct and assault made by more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report in the Daily Beast , he appears to doubt Reade ’ s claim .

Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan has spoken out in support of Joe Biden, telling CNN that when it comes to accusations of sexual assault, “not every claim is equal”.
“We need to give people an opportunity to tell their story,” Whitmer said. “Then we have a duty to vet it.”
Tara Reade, a former congressional aide, alleges Biden assaulted her in a Senate corridor in 1993. Last month, she filed a complaint with police in Washington DC.
Biden, 77, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, has denied the allegation and called for Reade’s original complaint to a congressional personnel office to be located.
He has also committed to naming a woman as his running mate for the campaign against Donald Trump. Whitmer is thought to be in the frame.
Pressed on CNN’s State of the Union over whether her support for Biden was hypocritical, given her view of allegations against the supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh, Whitmer said “there is not a pattern” of sexual abuse allegations against Biden.
She then disputed anchor Jake Tapper’s framing of the question around her being a woman and a survivor of sexual assault.
“Just because you’re a survivor doesn’t mean that every claim is equal,” she argued. “It means we give them the ability to make their case. And then to make a judgment that is informed.”
Tapper said the question was asked because Whitmer was the only Democrat on his show.
On Saturday, Reade disputed an Associated Press report in which she is reported as having said that she had not explicitly referenced sexual harassment or assault in her original complaint.
“This is false,” Reade tweeted.
She maintains that she neither has a copy of the complaint nor remembers specific details of its content, telling NBC News she is “not sure” what wording she used.
Reade did not provide any information about what, if anything, in the AP report was false.
Skeptics have focused on other inconsistencies in her story, including evolving details of the alleged assault. Former colleagues have also disputed her claims to have reported the incident to them directly and to have been forced out of her job for speaking up.
Senior Democrats continue to rally round Biden. On Sunday the party chair, Tom Perez, dismissed calls for the Democratic National Committee to launch an investigation.
Biden is an “open book” who has been thoroughly vetted, the former labor secretary told ABC’s This Week, adding: “[The Obama administration] looked at the entire history of Joe Biden, his entire career. If Barack Obama had any indication that there was an issue, Barack Obama would not have had him as his vice-president.
“Barack Obama trusted Joe Biden. I trust Joe Biden. And those investigations have been done.”
Biden has refused to authorize the release of Senate documents stored at the University of Delaware, where some critics say a record of Reade’s complaint may be stored. In an interview with MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Friday, Biden argued the files would not contain personnel records.
Some observers said Biden’s response was only fueling the fire Republicans are determined to turn his way. On Sunday Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, said Biden’s denials were not enough.
“We’ve seen him really be challenged for the first time in five weeks on allegations that many in the media have ignored, and finally, those are coming to light,” she told ABC.
McDaniel did not address allegations against Trump, who was memorably recorded bragging about grabbing women’s genitals without consent.
Trump denies claims of sexual misconduct and assault made by more than a dozen women. According to a report in the Daily Beast, he appears to doubt Reade’s claim.


theguardian--2020-05-03--Trump adviser: coronavirus relief aid threat to ‘sanctuary cities’ could happen

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow has not ruled out any element in the next potential coronavirus relief bill , including more money for state and local governments and the small business programme .
But he added that the White House was in “ kind of a pause period ” , while hinting that Donald Trump ’ s threat to link aid to concessions on immigration policy could yet be attempted .
“ Regarding the states , ” Kudlow told CNN ’ s State of the Union , “ as you know , the president has from time to time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I don ’ t think anything ’ s been decided yet.
” Sanctuary cities , mostly run by Democratic authorities , do not comply with federal attempts to detain and deport undocumented migrants under Trump ’ s hardline immigration approach .
Speaking at the White House this week , the president said : “ If you ’ re going to get aid to the cities and states for the kind of numbers you ’ re talking about – billions of dollars – I don ’ t think you should have sanctuary cities.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House would be legally able to mandate such compliance .
Observers have also questioned the propriety of tying economic aid to states and cities to policy priorities , particularly in a time of national crisis .
The US has recorded more than 1.1m coronavirus cases and the death toll has passed 66,000 .
More than 30 million people have filed for unemployment in the past six weeks .
Lawmakers are discussing a fourth coronavirus relief bill .
Democrats are calling for aid to cities and states and some governors have warned of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murphy told Fox News Sunday federal help would be “ about firefighters , police , EMS , teachers at the point of attack ” .
“ We ’ re already seeing some layoffs in New Jersey , ” he said .
“ We need a big slug of federal , direct cash assistance.
” Illinois governor JB Pritzker , another Democrat , rejected Trump ’ s argument that states with budget problems before the coronavirus outbreak should not be bailed out .
All 50 states are suffering from the lack of revenue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nation , and “ coronavirus has caused that .
All of us are having to spend more on social services and healthcare to take care of people.
” Some Trump advisers have said the need for another stimulus bill is not yet clear .
Kudlow said “ there may well be additional legislation ” .
“ We know the economy is still in a terrible , contractionary phase , tremendous hardships everywhere , ” he said .
“ We ’ re trying to work through this .
I don ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are in discussions internally and with leading members of Congress.
” The White House , Kudlow said , was “ just trying to stabilise things and get folks through this , and then we ’ ll see , we will see in a couple of weeks , what needs to be done and perhaps how to do it ” .
Kudlow was asked if aid to small businesses would be increased again , given how quickly the money is being claimed .
“ It may be , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision yet .
This has been an extremely popular and effective programme .
Keeping folks on the payroll is extremely important.
” While Democrats support more money for state , local and tribal governments , Mitch McConnell , the Republican leader of the Senate , has demanded protection for businesses from Covid-19-related lawsuits .
Also on CNN , Maryland governor Larry Hogan , a Republican , chastised the White House , the Senate and the Democratic-held House for tying “ divisive politics ” to the need for coronavirus relief .
“ Stop and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump is focused on the stalled US economy , seeing its recovery as vital in a re-election year as polls put him behind Joe Biden , his presumptive challenger , in key states .
Kudlow said : “ We had a very strong economy during the Trump years and even during the first few months of this year .
We ’ d like to apply the same free enterprise principles .
Besides [ a ] second-half rebound [ this year ] , I think 2021 could be a spectacular year in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The president has backed protesters demanding an end to social restrictions , even when those protesters were armed and entered a statehouse , as in Michigan this week .
That state has seen more than 43,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths from Covid-19 .
More than half the 50 US states are now relaxing their social distancing guidelines , even as public health experts caution against moving too fast .
On Sunday , senior Michigan adviser Dr Joneigh Khaldun told NBC ’ s Meet the Press : “ If we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing measures , more people will die and that is just the facts .
”

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow has not ruled out any element in the next potential coronavirus relief bill, including more money for state and local governments and the small business programme.
But he added that the White House was in “kind of a pause period”, while hinting that Donald Trump’s threat to link aid to concessions on immigration policy could yet be attempted.
“Regarding the states,” Kudlow told CNN’s State of the Union, “as you know, the president has from time to time spoken about linking that to sanctuary cities. I don’t think anything’s been decided yet.”
Sanctuary cities, mostly run by Democratic authorities, do not comply with federal attempts to detain and deport undocumented migrants under Trump’s hardline immigration approach.
Speaking at the White House this week, the president said: “If you’re going to get aid to the cities and states for the kind of numbers you’re talking about – billions of dollars – I don’t think you should have sanctuary cities.”
It is not clear that the White House would be legally able to mandate such compliance. Observers have also questioned the propriety of tying economic aid to states and cities to policy priorities, particularly in a time of national crisis.
The US has recorded more than 1.1m coronavirus cases and the death toll has passed 66,000. More than 30 million people have filed for unemployment in the past six weeks.
Lawmakers are discussing a fourth coronavirus relief bill. Democrats are calling for aid to cities and states and some governors have warned of massive layoffs.
New Jersey governor Phil Murphy told Fox News Sunday federal help would be “about firefighters, police, EMS, teachers at the point of attack”.
“We’re already seeing some layoffs in New Jersey,” he said. “We need a big slug of federal, direct cash assistance.”
Illinois governor JB Pritzker, another Democrat, rejected Trump’s argument that states with budget problems before the coronavirus outbreak should not be bailed out.
All 50 states are suffering from the lack of revenue, Pritzker told CBS’s Face the Nation, and “coronavirus has caused that. All of us are having to spend more on social services and healthcare to take care of people.”
Some Trump advisers have said the need for another stimulus bill is not yet clear. Kudlow said “there may well be additional legislation”.
“We know the economy is still in a terrible, contractionary phase, tremendous hardships everywhere,” he said. “We’re trying to work through this. I don’t want to rule in or out anything right now. We are in discussions internally and with leading members of Congress.”
The White House, Kudlow said, was “just trying to stabilise things and get folks through this, and then we’ll see, we will see in a couple of weeks, what needs to be done and perhaps how to do it”.
Kudlow was asked if aid to small businesses would be increased again, given how quickly the money is being claimed.
“It may be,” he said. “We haven’t made a decision yet. This has been an extremely popular and effective programme. Keeping folks on the payroll is extremely important.”
While Democrats support more money for state, local and tribal governments, Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate, has demanded protection for businesses from Covid-19-related lawsuits.
Also on CNN, Maryland governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, chastised the White House, the Senate and the Democratic-held House for tying “divisive politics” to the need for coronavirus relief.
“Stop and focus on helping,” he said.
Trump is focused on the stalled US economy, seeing its recovery as vital in a re-election year as polls put him behind Joe Biden, his presumptive challenger, in key states.
Kudlow said: “We had a very strong economy during the Trump years and even during the first few months of this year. We’d like to apply the same free enterprise principles. Besides [a] second-half rebound [this year], I think 2021 could be a spectacular year in the economy with the right set of policies.”
The president has backed protesters demanding an end to social restrictions, even when those protesters were armed and entered a statehouse, as in Michigan this week. That state has seen more than 43,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths from Covid-19.
More than half the 50 US states are now relaxing their social distancing guidelines, even as public health experts caution against moving too fast.
On Sunday, senior Michigan adviser Dr Joneigh Khaldun told NBC’s Meet the Press: “If we don’t do well with these social distancing measures, more people will die and that is just the facts.”


theguardian--2020-05-03--Justin Amash laments 'partisan death spiral' but insists White House run won't help Trump

Justin Amash left the Republican party because it was in a “ partisan death spiral ” but insists his White House run as a Libertarian won ’ t help Donald Trump maintain the GOP ’ s grip on the White House .
“ Washington is totally dysfunctional , ” Amash told CNN ’ s State of the Union on Sunday .
“ That ’ s why I left the Republican party , because there was this partisan death spiral .
“ We need someone who ’ s going to come in as president , respect our constitution , defend our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of government so that people will actually feel represented at home .
And I know that millions of Americans want that.
” The former member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus left the Republicans in 2019 .
He then voted to impeach Trump and remove him from office , as the GOP stayed ranged behind the president .
Amash announced his third-party run this week , to criticism that he risked taking voters from Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic challenger who leads the president in many national and key-state polls .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional candidate changes a race , ” Amash insisted on Sunday .
“ It ’ s too impossible to figure out .
There are too many calculations involved .
So , the most important thing is that we have a ballot .
If you want to vote for someone , you vote for that person.
” In 1992 , for example , Ross Perot ran as an independent and won 19 % of the vote as a Democratic challenger , Bill Clinton , beat incumbent Republican George HW Bush .
Green candidate Ralph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is perhaps the most famous third-party campaign , given that George W Bush beat Al Gore in a desperately tight race .
Nader told the Guardian this week “ there are all kinds of other reasons that the Democrats lost ” in 2000 , not least that Bush “ was selected by five out of nine supreme court justices in a judicial coup d ’ etat ” .
But the political strategist Bob Shrum countered that Nader “ hurt because he attacked Gore from the left : that was his argument.
” Shrum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that Amash is in the same position .
The assumption that he would take votes from Biden rather than Trump seems dubious to me at best.
” Amash is a stringent conservative , unlikely to appeal to many supporters of a centrist Democrat pushed left on policy by the challenge of Bernie Sanders and committed to naming a woman , quite possibly an African American , as his proposed vice-president .
In 2016 , the Libertarian Gary Johnson took nearly 4.5m votes nationally .
Trump however lost the popular vote to Hillary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House was won , as it always is , in the electoral college .
In that fight Amash ’ s home state , Michigan , was a key win for Trump over Clinton by just 10,704 votes , less than 0.25 % , while Johnson won the support of 172,136 Michiganders – or 3.6 % of turnout .
The Green candidate , Jill Stein , won 51,463 votes , or 1.1 % .
Rejecting criticism from the former congressman Joe Walsh , who ran against Trump in the Republican primary and told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a huge mistake ” , Amash insisted “ there ’ s an opening for a Libertarian party to become a major party in this country ” .
“ I think we ’ re at a crossroads .
There is a difference over the last decade or so , where people are more polarized , more upset , but , actually , most Americans are delightful people , are polite people , want to work with each other , respect each other .
“ And these two factions that really control our political system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible for the rest of us to , frankly , enjoy our lives .
”

Justin Amash left the Republican party because it was in a “partisan death spiral” but insists his White House run as a Libertarian won’t help Donald Trump maintain the GOP’s grip on the White House.
“Washington is totally dysfunctional,” Amash told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday. “That’s why I left the Republican party, because there was this partisan death spiral.
“We need someone who’s going to come in as president, respect our constitution, defend our rights, and fix our representative system of government so that people will actually feel represented at home. And I know that millions of Americans want that.”
The former member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus left the Republicans in 2019. He then voted to impeach Trump and remove him from office, as the GOP stayed ranged behind the president.
Amash announced his third-party run this week, to criticism that he risked taking voters from Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic challenger who leads the president in many national and key-state polls.
“We don’t know how the additional candidate changes a race,” Amash insisted on Sunday. “It’s too impossible to figure out. There are too many calculations involved. So, the most important thing is that we have a ballot. If you want to vote for someone, you vote for that person.”
Many observers suggest third-party candidates can change presidential elections.
In 1992, for example, Ross Perot ran as an independent and won 19% of the vote as a Democratic challenger, Bill Clinton, beat incumbent Republican George HW Bush.
Green candidate Ralph Nader’s run eight years later is perhaps the most famous third-party campaign, given that George W Bush beat Al Gore in a desperately tight race.
Nader told the Guardian this week “there are all kinds of other reasons that the Democrats lost” in 2000, not least that Bush “was selected by five out of nine supreme court justices in a judicial coup d’etat”.
But the political strategist Bob Shrum countered that Nader “hurt because he attacked Gore from the left: that was his argument.”
Shrum added: “I don’t know that Amash is in the same position. The assumption that he would take votes from Biden rather than Trump seems dubious to me at best.”
Amash is a stringent conservative, unlikely to appeal to many supporters of a centrist Democrat pushed left on policy by the challenge of Bernie Sanders and committed to naming a woman, quite possibly an African American, as his proposed vice-president.
In 2016, the Libertarian Gary Johnson took nearly 4.5m votes nationally. Trump however lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3m ballots.
The White House was won, as it always is, in the electoral college.
In that fight Amash’s home state, Michigan, was a key win for Trump over Clinton by just 10,704 votes, less than 0.25%, while Johnson won the support of 172,136 Michiganders – or 3.6% of turnout. The Green candidate, Jill Stein, won 51,463 votes, or 1.1%.
Rejecting criticism from the former congressman Joe Walsh, who ran against Trump in the Republican primary and told the Guardian his friend was making “a huge mistake”, Amash insisted “there’s an opening for a Libertarian party to become a major party in this country”.
“I think we’re at a crossroads. There is a difference over the last decade or so, where people are more polarized, more upset, but, actually, most Americans are delightful people, are polite people, want to work with each other, respect each other.
“And these two factions that really control our political system are destroying our system and making it impossible for the rest of us to, frankly, enjoy our lives.”


theguardian--2020-05-04--Coronavirus US live: Trump says 'we may have to put out a fire' if second wave hits as deaths reach

Coronavirus US live: Trump says 'we may have to put out a fire' if second wave hits as deaths reach 67,000

…and welcome to another day of coverage of the coronavirus outbreak , and the politics around it , in the US .
I always start with the basic figures , from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland : New York is the hotspot , other states are badly hit : New Jersey ( 7,871 ) and Michigan ( 4,053 ) and Massachusetts ( 4,004 ) have had the next most deaths .
The weekend saw Donald Trump lead his country through the crisis mostly by retweeting conspiracy theories and tweeting complaints before staging on Sunday night a Fox News town hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox News put the event at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall , prompting the 45th president to complain that he had been treated worse by the press than the 16th – who , remember , guided the Union through a horrific civil war , managed to legislate slavery out of existence and was shot dead on a trip to the theatre .
Among other points , Trump boosted efforts in more than half of the states to reopen their economies despite warnings from public health experts that it could well be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said there would no more stimulus aid for struggling states without a payroll tax cut , a controversial move to say the least ; and said he had “ saved hundreds of thousands of lives ” before projecting a final death toll of around 100,000 , up from his previous estimate of 65,000 ( see 67,677 figure above ) .
Earlier , White House task force member Dr Deborah Birx told Fox News Sunday : “ Our projections have always been between 100,000 and 240,000 American lives lost , and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other of how to social distance ” .
Trump also said “ We may have to put out a fire ” , when asked if he was worried about a coronavirus resurgence in the fall .
And he said the administration would present evidence for its claim the virus originated in a Chinese laboratory “ at the right time ” .
The right time obviously wasn ’ t ABC ’ s Sunday talkshow earlier , where secretary of state Mike Pompeo made the claim and said he ’ d seen evidence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any .
Later the vice-president , Mike Pence , admitted his mistake in not wearing a mask while visiting the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota last week – a rare enough step in this administration .
Anyway , that Lincoln quote .
I ’ m a Lincolnhead , so indulge me .
But it ’ s quite something : Here ’ s some more reading as the day gets going : Bryan Armen Graham on what Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer had to say about anti-lockdown protests which Trump has supported .
It ’ s @ @ @

4 May 2020 00.28 BST Arizona has also announced moves to ease the state’s coronavirus restrictions, with the governor announcing that barbers, salons and additional retailers can reopen this Friday. Indoor service at restaurants will resume on Monday, 11 May. Gyms, pools and bars remain closed. MORE ARIZONA BUSINESSES GETTING THE GREEN LIGHT.
- Barbers and salons can reopen this Friday, May 8th.
- Remaining retailers can open this Friday, May 8th.
- Dine-in service can resume at restaurants on Monday, May 11th.
- Still talking about how to reopen pubs, pools, and gyms. — Christina Carilla (@ChristinaCFox10) May 4, 2020 The state has released guidances for restaurants, saying they should accommodate physical distancing, limit parties to no more than 10 people and operate at reduced capacity.
Updated at 01.13 BST
4 May 2020 00.16 BST Field organizers for Joe Biden’s campaign have ratified a union contract, the first time in history that a major party’s presumptive nominee has a union agreement for staff. The contract covers organizers across the country and gives workers a $15 minimum wage, overtime pay and a grievance process, HuffPost reported today. The campaign said the agreement would lead organizers’ annual pay to increase by an average of $1,900 and that it currently covers roughly 100 staffers, according to the news site.
4 May 2020 23.53 BST Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, has defended her decision not to expand rapid testing for members of Congress in a CNN interview, saying the tests will remain prioritized for frontline workers. Following criticism about the fact that rapid testing was not available to Congress, Trump told Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, and Pelosi that Capitol Hill could have access to rapid testing. But the two leaders declined. “Our country’s testing capacities are continuing to scale up nationwide and Congress wants to keep directing resources to the frontline facilities where they can do the most good the most quickly,” McConnell and Pelosi said in a joint statement over the weekend. The White House has access to rapid testing.
Updated at 00.18 BST
4 May 2020 22.45 BST Joanna Walters The influential Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington (IHME), has revised a key piece of coronavirus modeling - almost doubling its prediction of the number of Americans likely to be killed by coronavirus, forecasting at least 134,000 deaths in the US by early August. Previously it had predicted just over 74,000 deaths. The IHME’s modeling has been cited by the White House coronavirus task force at its once-frequent briefings, which petered out last week. Christopher Murray, director of the IHME, said the team is gathering data about Americans’ mobility and pointed out that, among other factors influencing the upward trajectory, key data are being studied and processed to “reflect the effect of premature relaxation of social distance, which has a substantial effect”. The university is planning to issue further details, as many states coast to coast plan partial a reopening of society and business. The IHME revision comes as reports on the White House’s internal projections have raised questions about the safety of reopening strategies across the country. More from the Guardian on coronavirus modeling: How can coronavirus models get it so wrong? Read more
4 May 2020 22.25 BST In the last two weeks, Trump’s public death toll predictions have jumped from 50,000 to 60,000 to 70,000 to potentially as high as 100,000, CNN notes in this helpful timeline: 50,000 to 60,000
To
60,000 to 70,000
To
Hopefully under 100,000
To
Anywhere from 75,000 to 100,000 (but specifically 80,000 or 90,000)
Tracking Trump’s death toll predictions...over the last two weeks: https://t.co/7i6FlE7XSF — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 4, 2020 While death toll predictions can be challenging for experts, who are often forced to revise projections as the pandemic continues, Trump’s public statements suggest he is “more concerned with shaping perceptions in the current moment than with how something might be perceived in the future”, CNN noted. That means “offering projections that seem unrealistically low from the moment he utters them”.
Notably, in late February, the president said the spread of Covid-19 in the US was not inevitable and the danger to Americans “remains very low”. He predicted that the number of cases diagnosed in the country, just 15 that time, could fall to zero in “a few days”.
4 May 2020 21.52 BST Joanna Walters French president Emmanuel Macron said he is confident that the United States will join a global pledge for research to find a vaccine against the new coronavirus. World leaders, organizations and banks on Monday pledged to give 7.4 billion euros ($8 billion) during a videoconference summit hosted by the European Union. The US, along with Russia, were notably absent from the event, the AP writes. Macron, who donated 500 million euros on behalf of France, noted that the US “are on the sidelines” but added that it doesn’t compromise or slow down the initiative.
Speaking from the Elysee palace in Paris, he said he discussed the issue with President Donald Trump and is convinced that the US will at some point join the initiative, consisting in finding a vaccine as quickly as possible and making it available to all countries. Macron added that his government is in permanent dialogue with the Trump administration and with American companies. The Guardian has covered more on this topic in our global coronavirus live blog.
4 May 2020 21.50 BST Hi all - Sam Levin here in Los Angeles, taking over our live coverage for the rest of the day. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scaling back its policy of allowing Covid-19 blood tests to hit the market without first proving that they worked. The FDA is now requiring that companies show their tests or could otherwise have them pulled from the market, the AP reports. The move comes amid growing concerns that some sellers have made false or misleading claims about the accuracy of their tests: Under pressure to increase testing options, the FDA in March essentially allowed companies to begin selling tests as long as they notified the agency of their plans and provided disclaimers, including that they were not FDA approved. The policy was intended to allow “flexibility” needed to quickly ramp up production, officials said. “However, flexibility never meant we would allow fraud,” Dr. Anand Shah, an FDA deputy commissioner, said in a statement. “We unfortunately see unscrupulous actors marketing fraudulent test kits and using the pandemic as an opportunity to take advantage of Americans.” Here’s my colleague Maanvi Singh’s recent explainer on the coronavirus antibody tests and how they work: Coronavirus antibody tests explained: what are they and do they work? Read more


theguardian--2020-05-04--Mitch McConnell could yet pay price for 'tone deaf' coronavirus response

It was , New York ’ s governor , Andrew Cuomo observed , “ one of the really dumb ideas of all time ” .
Larry Hogan , his counterpart in Maryland , called it “ complete nonsense ” .
Congressman Pete King of New York said it was the work of the “ Marie Antoinette of the Senate ” .
It would be an understatement to say Mitch McConnell ’ s suggestion that state and local governments should declare bankruptcy rather than seek more federal funding went down like a lead balloon .
It was a rare instance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It also showed that Donald Trump is not the only figure embodying liberal nightmares in the time of coronavirus .
When historians contemplate a death toll in the tens of thousands and an economy fallen off a cliff , they will pay close attention to the president ’ s most important ally .
“ I think Mitch McConnell is the guy to be watching and focusing on in terms of what ’ s going on , ” said Larry Jacobs , director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His messaging around the coronavirus has been tone deaf .
“ It ’ s not just the fact that McConnell was remarkably brutal in pairing Americans into red and blue states at a time of national crisis – that is pretty shameless – but I think it was also politically inept because he ’ s got his colleagues in tough races in blue states.
” McConnell ’ s role in the pandemic drama has been criticised .
On 12 March , just before Trump declared a national emergency , the senator flew back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walker , a young rightwing judge nominated to America ’ s second highest court .
The ill-timed absence was noted .
“ # WheresMitch ?
” trended on Twitter .
With the economy in a tailspin , Senate Republicans came up with emergency funding .
But it was skewed in favour of corporate executives and shareholders .
Democrats refused it .
A New York Times editorial was headlined : “ The Coronavirus Bailout Stalled .
And It ’ s Mitch McConnell ’ s Fault.
” Democrats forced concessions in a record $ 2.2tn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduced handouts to business , though these still amounted to what critics called a $ 500bn “ corporate slush fund ” .
Trump was earning global opprobrium for his bungling of the pandemic , but it was apparently too late for McConnell to untether himself from the president , even if he so desired .
Instead , he blamed Democrats for impeaching Trump .
“ [ The coronavirus ] came up while we were tied down in the impeachment trial , ” McConnell told the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt .
“ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government because everything every day was all about impeachment.
” Opponents saw that as a feeble attempt to excuse the inexcusable .
Moe Vela , a former senior adviser to Joe Biden , said : “ Almost any good Mitch McConnell did by cooperating and collaborating on the legislative side is undone by his enabling of the president at a time when he could have been a real leader and called out the president on his lack of responsiveness and leadership .
“ It ’ s disappointing because he had the chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and enabling and divisiveness of the past several years as the majority leader and he didn ’ t take it .
Vela , a board director of TransparentBusiness , added : “ Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump are battling for who is the greatest hypocrite in our nation – it ’ s like they ’ re competing for the hypocrisy trophy .
It ’ s not about unity , it ’ s not about bringing the American people together at a time of crisis .
For McConnell and Trump , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week McConnell retreated from his much-derided position on “ blue state bailouts ” and bankruptcy , indicating he would consider funds in the next relief bill for state and local governments struggling to pay police and firefighters .
“ There ’ s no question all governors , regardless of party , would like to have more money , I ’ m open to discussing that , ” he said on Fox News Radio .
But he sailed into fresh controversy by insisting that senators , unlike their counterparts in the House , return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains a virus hotspot .
At least one senator , eight Capitol police officers and 11 workers have tested positive .
Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland warned that “ without effective safeguards in place , Mitch McConnell is endangering the lives of the staff ” .
Chuck Schumer , the minority leader , condemned McConnell for priorities that include confirming Walker and demanded oversight hearings into the White House ’ s “ dreadful response to this public health crisis ” .
Schumer said : “ The American people are demanding answers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate ’ s work on the crises caused by Covid-19 , not rightwing judges or fulfilling his ‘ pre-existing partisan wishlist ’ of protecting big business from any harm done to the American people.
” Another confrontation is looming , over the next stimulus package .
McConnell is insisting on protections for businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits as states reopen .
Democrats warn workers ’ health could be jeopardised .
Public Citizen , a corporate and government watchdog , tweeted : “ McConnell is now refusing to pass ANY stimulus bill that doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporations that get people sick [ with ] the coronavirus .
It ’ s abhorrent .
It ’ s also totally impractical .
How can we reopen the economy if companies have no incentive to keep us safe ?
” Trump and McConnell appear bound together .
Should the president lose in November , he could bring down Senate Republicans – perhaps even McConnell in Kentucky .
Challenger Amy McGrath , a fighter pilot , outraised McConnell in the first three months of this year .
Defeat would be an ignominious end to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former senior adviser for the House oversight committee , said : “ History will not look back on Mitch McConnell kindly .
He has been the most effective enabler of Donald Trump .
“ Everything Trump has inflicted on the American people has been done with the blessing of McConnell .
Through this entire coronavirus pandemic , McConnell has displayed he is a soulless person who is willing to let people suffer so he can continue to wield power .
”

It was, New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo observed, “one of the really dumb ideas of all time”. Larry Hogan, his counterpart in Maryland, called it “complete nonsense”. Congressman Pete King of New York said it was the work of the “Marie Antoinette of the Senate”.
It would be an understatement to say Mitch McConnell’s suggestion that state and local governments should declare bankruptcy rather than seek more federal funding went down like a lead balloon. It was a rare instance of the Senate majority leader overplaying his hand.
It also showed that Donald Trump is not the only figure embodying liberal nightmares in the time of coronavirus. When historians contemplate a death toll in the tens of thousands and an economy fallen off a cliff, they will pay close attention to the president’s most important ally.
“I think Mitch McConnell is the guy to be watching and focusing on in terms of what’s going on,” said Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. “His messaging around the coronavirus has been tone deaf.
“It’s not just the fact that McConnell was remarkably brutal in pairing Americans into red and blue states at a time of national crisis – that is pretty shameless – but I think it was also politically inept because he’s got his colleagues in tough races in blue states.”
McConnell’s role in the pandemic drama has been criticised. On 12 March, just before Trump declared a national emergency, the senator flew back to Kentucky for a celebration for Justin Walker, a young rightwing judge nominated to America’s second highest court. The ill-timed absence was noted. “#WheresMitch?” trended on Twitter.
04:30 'Just dumb': Cuomo slams Mitch McConnell over 'reckless' state bankruptcy proposal – video
With the economy in a tailspin, Senate Republicans came up with emergency funding. But it was skewed in favour of corporate executives and shareholders. Democrats refused it. A New York Times editorial was headlined: “The Coronavirus Bailout Stalled. And It’s Mitch McConnell’s Fault.”
Democrats forced concessions in a record $2.2tn bill that increased support to workers and reduced handouts to business, though these still amounted to what critics called a $500bn “corporate slush fund”.
Trump was earning global opprobrium for his bungling of the pandemic, but it was apparently too late for McConnell to untether himself from the president, even if he so desired. Instead, he blamed Democrats for impeaching Trump.
“[The coronavirus] came up while we were tied down in the impeachment trial,” McConnell told the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. “And I think it diverted the attention of the government because everything every day was all about impeachment.”
Opponents saw that as a feeble attempt to excuse the inexcusable.
Moe Vela, a former senior adviser to Joe Biden, said: “Almost any good Mitch McConnell did by cooperating and collaborating on the legislative side is undone by his enabling of the president at a time when he could have been a real leader and called out the president on his lack of responsiveness and leadership.
“It’s disappointing because he had the chance to redeem himself from all the negative and enabling and divisiveness of the past several years as the majority leader and he didn’t take it.
Vela, a board director of TransparentBusiness, added: “Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump are battling for who is the greatest hypocrite in our nation – it’s like they’re competing for the hypocrisy trophy. It’s not about unity, it’s not about bringing the American people together at a time of crisis. For McConnell and Trump, it’s all about politics and power.”
Last week McConnell retreated from his much-derided position on “blue state bailouts” and bankruptcy, indicating he would consider funds in the next relief bill for state and local governments struggling to pay police and firefighters.
“There’s no question all governors, regardless of party, would like to have more money, I’m open to discussing that,” he said on Fox News Radio.
But he sailed into fresh controversy by insisting that senators, unlike their counterparts in the House, return to work on Monday. Washington DC remains a virus hotspot. At least one senator, eight Capitol police officers and 11 workers have tested positive. Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland warned that “without effective safeguards in place, Mitch McConnell is endangering the lives of the staff”.
Chuck Schumer, the minority leader, condemned McConnell for priorities that include confirming Walker and demanded oversight hearings into the White House’s “dreadful response to this public health crisis”.
Schumer said: “The American people are demanding answers and solutions – Senator McConnell ought to focus the Senate’s work on the crises caused by Covid-19, not rightwing judges or fulfilling his ‘pre-existing partisan wishlist’ of protecting big business from any harm done to the American people.”
Another confrontation is looming, over the next stimulus package. McConnell is insisting on protections for businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits as states reopen. Democrats warn workers’ health could be jeopardised.
Public Citizen, a corporate and government watchdog, tweeted: “McConnell is now refusing to pass ANY stimulus bill that doesn’t include TOTAL LEGAL IMMUNITY for corporations that get people sick [with] the coronavirus. It’s abhorrent. It’s also totally impractical. How can we reopen the economy if companies have no incentive to keep us safe?”
Trump and McConnell appear bound together. Should the president lose in November, he could bring down Senate Republicans – perhaps even McConnell in Kentucky. Challenger Amy McGrath, a fighter pilot, outraised McConnell in the first three months of this year.
Defeat would be an ignominious end to a divisive career. Kurt Bardella, a former senior adviser for the House oversight committee, said: “History will not look back on Mitch McConnell kindly. He has been the most effective enabler of Donald Trump.
“Everything Trump has inflicted on the American people has been done with the blessing of McConnell. Through this entire coronavirus pandemic, McConnell has displayed he is a soulless person who is willing to let people suffer so he can continue to wield power.”


theguardian--2020-05-05--California to reopen some businesses this week as lockdowns ease across US – as it happened

Senator Elizabeth Warren said today she believed Joe Biden ’ s comments on the sexual assault allegation were “ credible @ @ @ @ @ I saw the reports of what Ms [ Tara ] Reade said , I saw @ @ @ @ @ .
I appreciate that the vice-president took a lot of questions , tough questions .
@ @ @ @ @ and respectfully .
The vice-president ’ s answers were credible and convincing , ” the @ @ @ @ @ said , according to a CNN reporter .
Warren has said she would accept an @ @ @ @ @ s running mate .
The latest from the Guardian ’ s David Smith on Tara @ @

Sam Levin in Los Angeles, Joan E Greve in Washington and Martin Pengelly in New York