theguardian--2020-04-03--Trump gets help from Kushner and rails against new 'witch-hunt' at coronavirus briefing

Donald Trump sparked fresh criticism on Thursday by deploying his son-in-law at a White House coronavirus taskforce briefing and accusing Democrats of launching a fresh “ witch-hunt ” .
Jared Kushner , a senior adviser to the US president who is married to his daughter , Ivanka , made a surprise appearance on the podium and said Trump had instructed him to “ break down every barrier needed to make sure the teams can succeed ” .
He added : “ The president also wanted us to make sure that we think outside the box , make sure we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country , making sure we ’ re getting all the best ideas.
” But by way of example , Kushner said Trump became concerned about supply shortages after hearing about them “ just this morning ” from “ friends of his in New York ” – implying the president responds to anecdotes rather than the state governor or public health officials .
“ We went to the president today , ” Kushner continued .
“ And earlier today , the president called Mayor [ Bill ] de Blasio to inform him that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of supply to New York public hospital system.
” The vice-president , Mike Pence , later said there would 200,000 masks sent to New York .
Kushner said : “ We ’ ll be doing similar things with all the different public hospitals that are in the hotspot zones and making sure that we ’ re constantly in communications with the local communities.
” Media reports have suggested that Kushner , a property developer with no medical expertise , is running a “ shadow taskforce ” – a rival power base that conflicts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence .
He said : “ I ’ ve been serving really at the direction of the vice-president .
He ’ s asked me to get involved in different projects .
The vice-president and I speak , probably , sometimes five , 10 times a day , but everything that I ’ m doing is at the direction of the vice-president.
” He glanced over at Pence , who smiled benignly .
Earlier on Thursday , Nancy Pelosi , the House speaker , announced a new House committee would oversee “ all aspects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic and did not rule out an investigation in the style of the commission on the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks .
Such a prospect clearly stung Trump , who compared it to the special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation and the congressional hearings into his dealings with Ukraine that led to his impeachment .
“ This is not the time for politics , ” he told reporters .
“ Endless partisan investigations – here we go again – have already done extraordinary damage to our country in recent years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s witch-hunt after witch-hunt after witch-hunt and , in the end , the people doing the witch-hunt have been losing , and they ’ ve been losing by a lot .
It ’ s not any time for witch-hunts.
” Yet even as the president spoke , the White House was releasing a letter in which he assailed Senator Chuck Schumer , the Democratic minority leader from New York .
“ Thank you for your Democrat public relations letter and incorrect sound bites , which are wrong in every way , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less time on your ridiculous impeachment hoax , which went haplessly on forever and ended up going nowhere ( except increasing my poll numbers ) and instead focused on helping the people of New York , then New York would not have been so completely unprepared for the ‘ invisible enemy ’ .
” Along with Kushner , Trump introduced Peter Navarro , the national Defense Production Act ( DPA ) policy coordinator .
Navarro claimed there was a “ black market springing up ” to drive up prices of protective gear , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are going to crack down on the hoarders , ” he said .
Navarro , a hardliner on trade , also used the opportunity claim the pandemic showed “ we ’ re over-dependent on a global supply chain ” and was a “ vindication ” of Trump ’ s stance on buying American goods and strengthening borders .
More than once he praised “ Trump time ” – shorthand for getting things done fast .
The president said he was again invoking the DPA to ensure parts were available for the mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in charge of the supply chain , said the federal government had now produced 22.4m pairs of protective gloves , 5.2m face shields and 7,600 ventilators .
But distributing the supplies to the places most in need has been a problem .
Trump became defensive under questioning , seeking to shift blame to individual states .
Some were well prepared , he said , but “ in some cases their shelves were bare ” .
He went on : “ By the way , the states should have been building their stockpiles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re not an ordering clerk .
Whoever heard of a governor calling up the federal government and saying , ‘ Sir , we need a hospital ?
’ ” Trump also faced queries about the economy on a day that saw the number of people filing claims for unemployment benefits surge to a record of more than 6.6 million .
He made the astonishing claim : “ I will always protect your Social Security , your Medicare and your Medicaid ” – despite having supported cuts in the past .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second test for coronavirus and , like the first , it came back negative .
The second test was much simpler and took about 15 minutes .
“ I ’ ve done them both and the second one is much more pleasant , ” he said .
America now has more than 236,000 confirmed cases of the virus , according to Johns Hopkins , the highest in the world , and more than 5,600 fatalities .
Deborah Birx , the taskforce response coordinator , warned that Americans are not yet taking the risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen the slope in the United States vs the slope in Italy , ” she said .
“ We have to change that slope ... we see country after country having done that .
I can tell by the curve as it is today that not everyone is following the social distancing guidance .
We can bend our curve , but everyone has to take responsibility as Americans.
” Earlier , the treasury secretary , Steven Mnuchin , rejected reports that some Americans might have to wait months for direct payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulus package .
“ I don ’ t know where you ’ re hearing these things , ” Mnuchin said .
“ I told you this would be three weeks ; I ’ m now committing to two weeks .
We ’ re delivering on our commitments to the IRS , which I oversee , within two weeks .
”

Donald Trump sparked fresh criticism on Thursday by deploying his son-in-law Jared Kushner at a White House coronavirus taskforce briefing and accusing Democrats of launching a fresh “witch-hunt”.
Kushner, a senior adviser to the US president who is married to his daughter Ivanka, made a surprise appearance on the podium and said Trump had instructed him to “break down every barrier needed to make sure the teams can succeed”.
Kushner added: “The president also wanted us to make sure that we think outside the box, make sure we’re finding all the best thinkers in the country, making sure we’re getting all the best ideas.”
But by way of example, Kushner said Trump became concerned about supply shortages after hearing about them “just this morning” from “friends of his in New York” – implying the president responds to anecdotes rather than the state governor or public health officials.
“We went to the president today,” Kushner continued. “And earlier today, the president called Mayor [Bill] de Blasio to inform him that we are going to send a month of supply to New York public hospital system.”
The vice-president, Mike Pence, later said there would 200,000 masks sent to New York.
Kushner said: “We’ll be doing similar things with all the different public hospitals that are in the hotspot zones and making sure that we’re constantly in communications with the local communities.”
Media reports have suggested that Kushner, a property developer with no medical expertise, is running a “shadow taskforce” – a rival power base that conflicts with the official task force led by Pence.
He said: “I’ve been serving really at the direction of the vice-president. He’s asked me to get involved in different projects. The vice-president and I speak, probably, sometimes five, 10 times a day, but everything that I’m doing is at the direction of the vice-president.”
He glanced over at Pence, who smiled benignly.
Earlier on Thursday, Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, announced a new House committee would oversee “all aspects” of the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic and did not rule out an investigation in the style of the commission on the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Such a prospect clearly stung Trump, who compared it to the special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and the congressional hearings into his dealings with Ukraine that led to his impeachment.
“This is not the time for politics,” he told reporters. “Endless partisan investigations – here we go again – have already done extraordinary damage to our country in recent years. You see what happens. It’s witch-hunt after witch-hunt after witch-hunt and, in the end, the people doing the witch-hunt have been losing, and they’ve been losing by a lot. It’s not any time for witch-hunts.”
Yet even as the president spoke, the White House was releasing a letter in which he assailed Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader from New York. “Thank you for your Democrat public relations letter and incorrect sound bites, which are wrong in every way,” Trump wrote.
Shortages of equipment have roiled healthcare facilities in New York and across the US. Photograph: Vanessa Carvalho/REX/Shutterstock
“If you spent less time on your ridiculous impeachment hoax, which went haplessly on forever and ended up going nowhere (except increasing my poll numbers) and instead focused on helping the people of New York, then New York would not have been so completely unprepared for the ‘invisible enemy’.”
Along with Kushner, Trump introduced Peter Navarro, the national Defense Production Act (DPA) policy coordinator. Navarro claimed there was a “black market springing up” to drive up prices of protective gear, involving brokers and middle men.
“We are going to crack down on the hoarders,” he said.
Navarro, a hardliner on trade, also used the opportunity claim the pandemic showed “we’re over-dependent on a global supply chain” and was a “vindication” of Trump’s stance on buying American goods and strengthening borders. More than once he praised “Trump time” – shorthand for getting things done fast.
Trump said he was again invoking the DPA to ensure parts were available for the mass production of ventilators. Adm John Polowczyk, in charge of the supply chain, said the federal government had now produced 22.4m pairs of protective gloves, 5.2m face shields and 7,600 ventilators.
But distributing the supplies to the places most in need has been a problem. Trump became defensive under questioning, seeking to shift blame to individual states.
Some were well prepared, he said, but “in some cases their shelves were bare”. He went on: “By the way, the states should have been building their stockpiles. We’re a backup, we’re not an ordering clerk. Whoever heard of a governor calling up the federal government and saying, ‘Sir, we need a hospital?’”
Trump also faced queries about the economy on a day that saw the number of people filing claims for unemployment benefits surge to a record of more than 6.6 million. He made the astonishing claim: “I will always protect your social security, your Medicare and your Medicaid” – despite having supported cuts in the past.
The president announced that he had taken a second test for coronavirus and, like the first, it came back negative. The second test was much simpler and took about 15 minutes. “I’ve done them both and the second one is much more pleasant,” he said.
America now has more than 236,000 confirmed cases of the virus, according to Johns Hopkins, the highest in the world, and more than 5,600 fatalities. Deborah Birx, the taskforce response coordinator, warned that Americans are not yet taking the risks seriously enough.
“I know you’ve seen the slope in the United States vs the slope in Italy,” she said. “We have to change that slope. We see country after country having done that. I can tell by the curve as it is today that not everyone is following the social distancing guidance. We can bend our curve, but everyone has to take responsibility as Americans.”
Earlier, the treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, rejected reports that some Americans might have to wait months for direct payments in the $2.2tn emergency rescue package stimulus package.
“I don’t know where you’re hearing these things,” Mnuchin said. “I told you this would be three weeks; I’m now committing to two weeks. We’re delivering on our commitments to the IRS, which I oversee, within two weeks.”


theguardian--2020-04-03--Coronavirus US live: Trump blames states for lack of supplies – as it happened

The project , launched by the U.S. Agency for International Development in 2009 , identified 1,200 different viruses that had @ @ @ @ @ pandemics , including more than 160 novel coronaviruses .
The initiative , called PREDICT , @ @ @ @ @ in 60 foreign laboratories — including the Wuhan lab that identified 2019-nCoV , the new @ @ @ @ @ Field work ceased when the funding ran out in September , and organizations that worked @ @ @ @ @ off dozens of scientists and analysts , said Peter Daszak , president of EcoHealth Alliance @ @ @ @ @ the program .
On Wednesday , USAID granted an emergency extension to the program , @ @ @ @ @ the next six months to send experts who will help foreign labs squelch the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ the funding will do little to further the initiative ’ s original mission .

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now) and Joan E Greve in Washington (earlier)

3 Apr 2020 01.32 BST Summary During the daily coronavirus task force briefing, Donald Trump blamed states for the shortages of medical equipment. He repeatedly noted that he saw aid from the federal government as a “last resort” for states. Of course, many governors have said they’re desperate.
He repeatedly noted that he saw aid from the federal government as a “last resort” for states. Of course, many governors have said they’re desperate. Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law made an appearance at the briefing. Kushner, a real estate developer with no medical expertise, said he is coordinating between federal agencies, hospitals and the White House.
Kushner, a real estate developer with no medical expertise, said he is coordinating between federal agencies, hospitals and the White House. Dr. Deborah Birx said that masks and face coverings should not give people a false sense of security. Although covering one’s mouth and nose while in public can help protect others from infection, physical distancing and hand washing are the best ways to protect oneself. Today, New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio was one of the latest officials to recommend that people wear masks in public.
Although covering one’s mouth and nose while in public can help protect others from infection, physical distancing and hand washing are the best ways to protect oneself. Today, New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio was one of the latest officials to recommend that people wear masks in public. Trump revealed that he tested negative for coronavirus after the White House physician administered a newly approved rapid test that produces results within 15 minutes.
after the White House physician administered a newly approved rapid test that produces results within 15 minutes. The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 1m, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. The global death toll of the pandemic passed 50,000 earlier today.
according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. The global death toll of the pandemic passed 50,000 earlier today. New York is expected to run out of ventilators in six days, governor Andrew Cuomo said. The state has 2,200 ventilators in its stockpile, and officials are trying to expand their capacity by splitting ventilator tubes and converting BIPAP machines.
governor said. The state has 2,200 ventilators in its stockpile, and officials are trying to expand their capacity by splitting ventilator tubes and converting BIPAP machines. Trump issued an order to use the Defense Production Act to make ventilators. The president has resisted a broad implementation of the law for weeks, even as Democrats have called on him to press companies to speed up the production of medical equipment.
The president has resisted a broad implementation of the law for weeks, even as Democrats have called on him to press companies to speed up the production of medical equipment. The Democratic convention has been postponed until August because of the pandemic. The Democratic National Committee announced the nominating convention would take place the week of 17 August, instead of 13 July, in Milwaukee.
The Democratic National Committee announced the nominating convention would take place the week of 17 August, instead of 13 July, in Milwaukee. The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, announced the formation of a select committee on coronavirus. Pelosi said the bipartisan panel would ensure the $2tn allocated in the stimulus bill will be “spent wisely”. During the briefing, Trump derided the effort as “ridiculous” and cast it as a “witch hunt” designed specifically to antagonize him.
2 Apr 2020 00.54 BST Report: Trump administration ended a pandemic early-warning program last year Just months before the coronavirus outbreak began, the administration ended a $200m early-warning program for infectious disease, the Los Angeles Times reports. The program was designed to help scientists in China and other nations monitor and respond to disease threats. From the LA Times: The project, launched by the U.S. Agency for International Development in 2009, identified 1,200 different viruses that had the potential to erupt into pandemics, including more than 160 novel coronaviruses. The initiative, called PREDICT, also trained and supported staff in 60 foreign laboratories — including the Wuhan lab that identified 2019-nCoV, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Field work ceased when the funding ran out in September, and organizations that worked on the PREDICT program laid off dozens of scientists and analysts, said Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance, a key player in the program. On Wednesday, USAID granted an emergency extension to the program, issuing $2.26 million over the next six months to send experts who will help foreign labs squelch the pandemic. But program leaders say the funding will do little to further the initiative’s original mission.
2 Apr 2020 00.48 BST Trump’s long musing about the Spanish influenza was in response to a question about 6m unemployment claims in the US. “We’re saying don’t go to work, and we’ll pay you,” he finally said, addressing the high unemployment rates. “Everything is the opposite.” The current plant to provide between $600 and $1200 for many, but not all Americans who are unemployed is likely to help, but wouldn’t cover rent for many families.
The president said regardless, people will soon return to work. “I think it’s going to be boom times,” he said. “I think it’s going to be great.”
2 Apr 2020 00.42 BST Jessica Glenza Fact check: There are a lot of young people in prison Trump said there are “a lot of young people in prison,” when asked about their risk of Covid-19 In fact, the US prison population has been consistently aging for the last decade. As of 2016, 12% of the prison population is 55 or older, surpassing the number of people between 18 and 24 for the first time. Here’s an article from the Marshall Project on the “greying” of US prisons.
2 Apr 2020 00.41 BST Fact check: Spanish flu Trump repeatedly referred to the pandemic in “1917” - he is likely referring to the Spanish Influenza outbreak, which lasted from 1918-1919. In the US, it was first identified among military personnel in the spring of 1918. “They just noticed they were dying all over the place,” Trump said, of the pandemic. He said the number of people who died of the disease during the pandemic, 75-100m people died. “I’ve heard 50 to 75, 75 to a 100,” he said. Per the CDC: “The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States.” Trump mused that during the pandemic a century ago, people didn’t have computers and TVs to connect and stay entertained while stuck at home. “We can read on the internet,” he said. “But in 1917, they didn’t have that option.”
Updated at 00.42 BST
2 Apr 2020 00.32 BST Jessica Glenza Fact check: Flatliners Trump referred to states with “no bump” as “flatliners”, apparently arguing residents in some states have done a better job staying home than others, thereby flattening the curve. However, it’s difficult to tell whether those states are, in fact, experiencing fewer cases, because of the huge difference in how states are testing. For example, Arizona has tested only 13 residents per 100,000, compared to New York, which is testing 627 residents per 100,000.
Updated at 00.35 BST
2 Apr 2020 00.31 BST Trump also repeatedly referred to states with fewer cases, and states where the number of cases has increased slowly as “flatliners”. “Flatliner” is a term for patients who show no sign of a heartbeat or brain activity, meaning they are dying or have died.
2 Apr 2020 00.28 BST Fact check: California Donald Trump said that California is “very flat” referring to graphs showing the increase in the number of reported infections. In fact, California is one of the worst affected by the pandemic, with cases sharply increased over the past week – resulting in a very steeply curved “line” on a graph. Moreover, California has lagged in testing. Public health experts expect that the state will see many more cases as more people are tested for the disease. California appears to be flattening the curve. But its testing lags behind other states Read more
Updated at 00.35 BST
2 Apr 2020 00.21 BST Jared Kushner denied that he was running a shadow task force, complicating the work of public health experts. “Everything that I am doing is at the direction of the Vice President,” the president’s son-in-law said. “ I talk to the VP sometimes five times a day. I also talk to Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci.”
Kushner earlier mentioned that he was able to secure PPE for a New York hospital after a friend of the president complained about a lack of supplies.
2 Apr 2020 00.15 BST Jessica Glenza Fact check: 85% of states have stay at home orders. Trump said 85% of states have issued stay-at-home orders. There are 50 states and 11 have not issued statewide stay-at-home orders. That means 78% of states have stay-at-home orders. Dividing any number of states by 50 wouldn’t produce 85%.
Updated at 00.16 BST
2 Apr 2020 00.07 BST Fact check: Travel restrictions The president touted the administration’s travel restrictions in response to criticisms that the administration was late to act on the coronavirus crisis. “I cut off China very early,” Trump said. “I cut off Europe very early.” In fact, the administration’s travel restrictions did not “cut off” travel — from Europe or China. The policies included several exemptions for American citizens and other groups of travelers. The administration’s restrictions came too late to make a significant difference, epidemiologists told the Guardian, as they were enacted after the virus was already spreading within the US. Still, the president boasted, “We had bans long before we thought of bans,” referring to prior travel bans on mostly Muslim counties. “We’re looking at a lot of things and a lot of different bans.”
Updated at 05.17 BST
2 Apr 2020 00.02 BST Birx: 'Not everyone is following the social distancing guidance' The climbing rate of infection in the US compared to the rate of infections in Italy is worrying, Dr. Birx said. “I can tell by the curve as it is today that not everyone is following the social distancing guidance,” Birx said. “We can bend our curve, but everyone has to take responsibility as Americans.”
2 Apr 2020 00.00 BST The newly approved coronavirus tests that can provide results within 15 minutes are being sent to Indian country and rural areas, according to Dr. Birx. A total of 18,000 tests going to be sent out, she said, to areas with limited infrastructure and ability to process tests, that are set away from big processing centers.
Updated at 00.00 BST
2 Apr 2020 23.57 BST Jessica Glenza Fact check: Scarves are better than masks A reporter asked whether the White House would recommend all Americans wear face masks, such as N95 respirators. In response, Trump said Americans could decide for themselves, and added: “In many cases the scarf is better, it’s thicker”. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers bandanas and scarves a last resort measure. Their efficacy is not studied. They do not come standard, like N95 masks, which under ideal circumstances are fitted specifically to people’s faces. They should not be considered an effective way to prevent coronavirus infection. They should be used only when there is no other option.
2 Apr 2020 23.56 BST “We don’t want people to get a false sense of security.” from masks, said Dr Deborah Birx. Masks are good for protecting others, Birx said – but they aren’t as useful for protecting yourself. Social distancing, and maintaining a 6ft distance between yourself, washing and disinfecting hands are much better ways of keeping safe, she said.
Updated at 00.01 BST
2 Apr 2020 23.49 BST Mike Pence said that the task force has proposed using some of the $100bn allocated to hospitals, to compensate them for caring for uninsured payments. Of course, that’s not the same as directly providing funds to uninsured families, which is what Trump mentioned. The vice-president said that the government will “find a way” to pay for the coronavirus treatment of uninsured people, and more details are forthcoming. Simply reopening the exchanges to allow uninsured people to become insured still doesn’t seem to be under consideration.
Updated at 00.01 BST


theguardian--2020-04-03--Jared Kushner's coronavirus overreach puts more American lives on the line | Lloyd Green

Jared Kushner is not a guy to turn to for sound political advice .
Most recently , he reportedly told the president that Andrew Cuomo , New York ’ s governor , was being “ alarmist ” after he announced that his state required 30,000 ventilators to help get through the pandemic .
To add insult to injury , Kushner also bragged of his own wisdom and told those assembled that Cuomo was wrong .
According to Vanity Fair , Kushner declared : “ I have all this data about ICU capacity .
I ’ m doing my own projections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot smarter about this .
New York doesn ’ t need all the ventilators.
” The princeling has helped place American lives and bodies on the line .
New York ’ s hospitals have become combat zones , its morgues and funeral homes look like abattoirs .
Meanwhile , the US is locked down and the administration is projecting up to a quarter-million dead even if everything goes right .
American carnage is now .
We may witness more deaths in months than its troops suffered in Iraq , Afghanistan and Vietnam after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compares the US to Italy , we have a problem whose glaring scars will be felt long after Donald Trump leaves office .
Coronavirus won ’ t be disappearing in a matter of days despite the president ’ s earlier assurances .
Trump ignored the intelligence community and his national security staff , and now we must pay a collective price .
Unfortunately , Kushner doesn ’ t only suffer from intellectual overreach .
Self-dealing may have made a cameo too in the middle of crisis , and we have seen this movie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempted to attract capital from China , by touting EB-5 visas in exchange for investments and looked to Anbang , a Chinese conglomerate , to bail them out of their real estate positions .
When Kushner was boasting about data and Trump was going on about testing websites , they were probably referring to Oscar Health , an insurance company tied to the Kushner family .
In turn , Oscar appears to have been involved in the government ’ s efforts to map the spread of the disease .
According to reports and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s brother , still owns a piece of Oscar , and Jared belatedly divested his interest after entering government .
If the Trump Organization can bill the Secret Service when they guard the president at his personal properties , why can ’ t the Kushner kids make a few dimes off the taxpayer ?
Sadly , none of this should come as a surprise .
Kushner never deigned to come clean on his SF-86 , his federal disclosure form , a prerequisite for obtaining a security clearance , until he was squeezed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaks , headlines and hearings .
Reportedly , the delays surrounding Kushner obtaining a security clearance stemmed from more than his inability to properly complete the pertinent paperwork .
Questions swirled about ties to overseas investors , foreign governments and contacts .
Ultimately , Kushner received his White House security clearance the same way he got into Harvard – “ Daddy ” pulled some very expensive strings .
To be sure , this is not the first time Kushner put his father-in-law ’ s political career at risk .
In 2017 , Ivanka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Comey , the FBI director .
As he saw it , career FBI agents , Democrats and Trump ’ s base would applaud the dismissal .
Wrong .
The “ rid me of this meddlesome priest ” thing didn ’ t work so well the first time .
Ask Henry II .
In death , Thomas Becket was venerated .
The president acceded to Kushner and political wreckage ensued .
Against this backdrop , Steve Bannon , the brains behind Trump ’ s 2016 campaign , compared Kushner to “ air ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
In case anyone forgot , Bob Mueller dogged Trump and his campaign staff for two years .
Paul Manafort sits in prison while Mike Flynn and Roger Stone await sentencing .
To further complicate things , Trump can no longer deliver a speech to Congress without Nancy Pelosi smirking over his shoulder or ripping up his texts .
Viewed in this light , Jared helped cost the GOP its control of the House of Representatives .
If Kushner weren ’ t married to the boss ’ s daughter he would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Trump treats the presidency like a family business , and we know how that has ended before : a passel of bankruptcies and a pile of debt .
These days , the sun is setting later but darkness will be casting its broad shadow earlier .

Jared Kushner is not a guy to turn to for sound political advice. Most recently, he reportedly told the president that Andrew Cuomo, New York’s governor, was being “alarmist” after he announced that his state required 30,000 ventilators to help get through the pandemic.
To add insult to injury, Kushner also bragged of his own wisdom and told those assembled that Cuomo was wrong. According to Vanity Fair, Kushner declared: “I have all this data about ICU capacity. I’m doing my own projections, and I’ve gotten a lot smarter about this. New York doesn’t need all the ventilators.”
The princeling has helped place American lives and bodies on the line. New York’s hospitals have become combat zones, its morgues and funeral homes look like abattoirs. Meanwhile, the US is locked down and the administration is projecting up to a quarter-million dead even if everything goes right.
American carnage is now. We may witness more deaths in months than its troops suffered in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam after years of fighting.
When Mike Pence compares the US to Italy, we have a problem whose glaring scars will be felt long after Donald Trump leaves office. Coronavirus won’t be disappearing in a matter of days despite the president’s earlier assurances. Trump ignored the intelligence community and his national security staff, and now we must pay a collective price.
Unfortunately, Kushner doesn’t only suffer from intellectual overreach. Self-dealing may have made a cameo too in the middle of crisis, and we have seen this movie before. Earlier, the Kushners had attempted to attract capital from China, by touting EB-5 visas in exchange for investments and looked to Anbang, a Chinese conglomerate, to bail them out of their real estate positions.
When Kushner was boasting about data and Trump was going on about testing websites, they were probably referring to Oscar Health, an insurance company tied to the Kushner family. In turn, Oscar appears to have been involved in the government’s efforts to map the spread of the disease.
According to reports and filings, Josh Kushner, Jared’s brother, still owns a piece of Oscar, and Jared belatedly divested his interest after entering government. If the Trump Organization can bill the Secret Service when they guard the president at his personal properties, why can’t the Kushner kids make a few dimes off the taxpayer?
Sadly, none of this should come as a surprise. Kushner never deigned to come clean on his SF-86, his federal disclosure form, a prerequisite for obtaining a security clearance, until he was squeezed by external events, the drip of incessant leaks, headlines and hearings.
Reportedly, the delays surrounding Kushner obtaining a security clearance stemmed from more than his inability to properly complete the pertinent paperwork. Questions swirled about ties to overseas investors, foreign governments and contacts. Ultimately, Kushner received his White House security clearance the same way he got into Harvard – “Daddy” pulled some very expensive strings.
To be sure, this is not the first time Kushner put his father-in-law’s political career at risk. In 2017, Ivanka’s husband urged Trump to fire James Comey, the FBI director. As he saw it, career FBI agents, Democrats and Trump’s base would applaud the dismissal.
Wrong. The “rid me of this meddlesome priest” thing didn’t work so well the first time. Ask Henry II. In death, Thomas Becket was venerated.
The president acceded to Kushner and political wreckage ensued. Against this backdrop, Steve Bannon, the brains behind Trump’s 2016 campaign, compared Kushner to “air” and derided him as a “dope”.
In case anyone forgot, Bob Mueller dogged Trump and his campaign staff for two years. Paul Manafort sits in prison while Mike Flynn and Roger Stone await sentencing.
To further complicate things, Trump can no longer deliver a speech to Congress without Nancy Pelosi smirking over his shoulder or ripping up his texts. Viewed in this light, Jared helped cost the GOP its control of the House of Representatives.
If Kushner weren’t married to the boss’s daughter he would not be anywhere near the Oval Office. But Trump treats the presidency like a family business, and we know how that has ended before: a passel of bankruptcies and a pile of debt.
These days, the sun is setting later but darkness will be casting its broad shadow earlier.


theguardian--2020-04-03--Coronavirus US live: Trump undermines CDC masks guidance at combative briefing

Well , that ’ s all the briefing we ’ re getting today .
My colleague Joanna Walters has one last fact check for us : A reporter at the White House briefing asked Trump why Jared Kushner , the president ’ s son-in-law and senior adviser , referred to “ our stockpile ” yesterday when asked about states struggling to get key medical supplies , especially ventilators , from the federal government .
( Kushner had said : “ The notion of the federal stockpile was it ’ s supposed to be our stockpile .
It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they then use.
” ) Trump just gave a very confusing response , saying : “ You know what ‘ our ’ means ?
The United States of America .
Our , our , and then we take that ‘ our ’ and we distribute it to the states.
” The reporter responded : “ So why did he say it ’ s not supposed to be states ’ stockpiles ?
” Trump : “ Because we need it for the government , we need it for the federal government .
To keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs it , too , not just the states .
But out of that we choose oftentimes , as an example , we have almost 10,000 ventilators and we are ready to rock ... we are going to bring them to various areas of the country that need them .
But when he says ‘ our ’ he is talking about “ our country ” he is talking about the federal government .
You should be ashamed of yourself ... don ’ t make it sound bad ... you just asked your question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , yesterday reporters quickly noted the stockpile is indeed meant as a resource for the states , as noted on the department of health and human services ’ website .
“ When state , local , tribal , and territorial responders request federal assistance to support their response efforts , the stockpile ensures that the right medicines and supplies get to those who need them most during an emergency , ” the website read .
But this morning , that language had been removed from the HHS website .
“ The Strategic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplement state and local supplies during public health emergencies , ” the website now says .
“ Many states have products stockpiled , as well .
”

Maanvi Singh (now) and Joan E Greve in Washington (earlier)

4 Apr 2020 01.51 BST Summary The CDC issued new recommendations for people to wear masks or face coverings while in public. The president undermined the guidelines almost immediately after announcing them, insisting that he wouldn’t wear masks because “they’re not for me”.
The president undermined the guidelines almost immediately after announcing them, insisting that he wouldn’t wear masks because “they’re not for me”. During the daily coronavirus task force briefing, Donald Trump attacked the idea of voting by mail, despite having requested an absentee ballot in 2020. The president said, citing no evidence, that mail-in voting encouraged cheating.
The president said, citing no evidence, that mail-in voting encouraged cheating. Asked whether he could reassure New Yorkers that the state would receive enough ventilators, the president said, “No.”. The state is seeking 15,000 ventilators before the peak of cases hits. Today, New York reported the largest single-day increase in its coronavirus death toll, with nearly 3,000 residents having already lost their lives.
The state is seeking 15,000 ventilators before the peak of cases hits. Today, New York reported the largest single-day increase in its coronavirus death toll, with nearly 3,000 residents having already lost their lives. Nancy Pelosi said Congress should pass another economic relief bill. The House speaker said Congress should build upon the $2tn stimulus package passed last month.
The House speaker said Congress should build upon the $2tn stimulus package passed last month. The unemployment rate rose to 4.4% last month, according to the US jobs report released this morning. Economists expect that figure to rise steeply as more companies lay off workers amid the pandemic.
according to the US jobs report released this morning. Economists expect that figure to rise steeply as more companies lay off workers amid the pandemic. The supreme court announced it will postpone oral arguments scheduled for this month. The court had already delayed cases that were scheduled to be argued in March.
The court had already delayed cases that were scheduled to be argued in March. Congressman Adam Schiff drafted a bill to establish a commission to probe the coronavirus response. The Democratic lawmaker said the commission would seek to gather lessons for future crises, but Trump dismissed the idea of a commission yesterday as a “witch-hunt”. Coronavirus live news: Trump says he won't wear face mask despite new US advice Read more
Updated at 01.57 BST
3 Apr 2020 00.27 BST Here’s more from the reporter who Trump attacked during the briefing. The president told Weijia Jiang of CBS that she “oughtta be ashamed” for asking what the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner meant when he said that the federal stockpile was “ours”. Jared Kushner is in charge of the medical supply chain that delivers critical items to the doctors and nurses who are on the frontlines everyday. Yesterday he said it was “OURS”, so I asked what he meant. Trump did not like the question. https://t.co/pZfQiNVWne — Weijia Jiang (@weijia) April 3, 2020 The president has habitually lashed out at reporters of color, and particularly women. The Guardian’s David Smith has also found that the pattern extends to lawmakers and public figures of color. Trump's tactic to attack black people and women: insult their intelligence Read more
3 Apr 2020 00.13 BST As Donald Trump was explaining that he won’t be wearing a mask, because he doesn’t want to greet “presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings queens,” with his face covered, Melania Trump tweeted an appeal for “everyone” to take the CDC guidelines seriously: As the weekend approaches I ask that everyone take social distancing & wearing a mask/face covering seriously. #COVID19 is a virus that can spread to anyone - we can stop this together. — Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 3, 2020
3 Apr 2020 00.02 BST I missed this moment, from earlier, when Trump discusses models: One for the history books. “I want to come way under the models. The professionals did the models. I was never involved in a model. But—at least this kind of a model,” Trump says at the coronavirus briefing. pic.twitter.com/nIICDFUS3y — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 3, 2020
3 Apr 2020 23.54 BST Well, that’s all the briefing we’re getting today. My colleague Joanna Walters has one last fact check for us: Fact check: the federal stockpile A reporter at the White House briefing asked Trump why Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, referred to “our stockpile” yesterday when asked about states struggling to get key medical supplies, especially ventilators, from the federal government. (Kushner had said: “The notion of the federal stockpile was it’s supposed to be our stockpile. It’s not supposed to be states’ stockpiles that they then use.”)
Trump just gave a very confusing response, saying: “You know what ‘our’ means? The United States of America. Our, our, and then we take that ‘our’ and we distribute it to the states.” The reporter responded: “So why did he say it’s not supposed to be states’ stockpiles?” Trump: “Because we need it for the government, we need it for the federal government. To keep for our country because the federal government needs it, too, not just the states. But out of that we choose oftentimes, as an example, we have almost 10,000 ventilators and we are ready to rock...we are going to bring them to various areas of the country that need them. But when he says ‘our’ he is talking about “our country” he is talking about the federal government. You should be ashamed of yourself...don’t make it sound bad...you just asked your question in a very nasty way.”
In fact, yesterday reporters quickly noted the stockpile is indeed meant as a resource for the states, as noted on the department of health and human services’ website. “When state, local, tribal, and territorial responders request federal assistance to support their response efforts, the stockpile ensures that the right medicines and supplies get to those who need them most during an emergency,” the website read. But this morning, that language had been removed from the HHS website. “The Strategic National Stockpile’s role is to supplement state and local supplies during public health emergencies,” the website now says. “Many states have products stockpiled, as well.”
Updated at 00.47 BST
3 Apr 2020 23.51 BST Fact check: Mail-in voting “A lot of people cheat” with mail-in voting, Trump said. People should go to the voting booth, “proudly display yourself” and have an ID, he added. “All sorts of bad things can happen”, when people vote by mail, the president said. But there is no evidence of widespread cheating when people vote by mail, and on the contrary, there is evidence that removing barriers to voting by mail can make it easier for many people – including those with disabilities, and work and childcare responsibilities – to vote. Still, Trump has long-opposed measures to expand vote by mail. My colleague Sam Levine reported earlier this week: Donald Trump admitted on Monday that making it easier to vote in America would hurt the Republican party. The president made the comments as he dismissed a Democratic-led push for reforms such as vote-by-mail, same-day registration and early voting as states seek to safely run elections amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Democrats had proposed the measures as part of the coronavirus stimulus. They ultimately were not included in the $2.2tn final package, which included only $400m to states to help them run elections. “The things they had in there were crazy. They had things, levels of voting that if you’d ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,” Trump said during an appearance on Fox & Friends. “They had things in there about election days and what you do and all sorts of clawbacks. They had things that were just totally crazy and had nothing to do with workers that lost their jobs and companies that we have to save.” Trump says Republicans would ‘never’ be elected again if it was easier to vote Read more
Updated at 00.48 BST


theguardian--2020-04-03--Which states have done the least to contain coronavirus?

While most states in the US have ordered their citizens to stay home as they deal with the coronavirus outbreak , some are stubbornly defying expert advice – even as cases continue to rise .
The urgent need for action was made clear on Thursday , when Dr Anthony Fauci , the government ’ s top infectious disease expert , issued a plea for states to force people not to leave their homes .
“ I don ’ t understand why it ’ s not happening , ” said Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have taken the least action : The deep south state of Alabama has resisted implementing a statewide stay-at-home order , despite it having , as of Friday , 1,270 confirmed coronavirus cases .
The lack of action is particularly troubling as Alabama ’ s population is especially vulnerable to infectious disease .
The state had the third-most deaths from flu in 2018 .
As one of the poorest states in the US , Alabama would be ill-placed to deal with prolonged economic hardship due to the virus .
The state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evasive when asked about a stay-at-home order .
“ Each state has to weigh their own set of factors , ” she responded during a Q & A on Thursday .
Ivey has defied Alabama ’ s US senator , Doug Jones , who has urged officials to act .
Arkansas is another southern state yet to order residents to stay at home , despite parts of the state experiencing soaring rates of infection – Cleburne county has 253.7 cases per 100,000 people , among the highest in the nation .
Yet while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been ordered to close , some clothing stores remain open , US News reported .
Asa Hutchinson , the governor , cited clothing stores on Thursday when he said people could lose their jobs if a wider order was put in place .
Mississippi , another deep south state , has chronically low income , and a poverty rate of 19.5 % .
Of the southern states , Mississippi has the second-highest rate of coronaviruses cases per capita , yet the state ’ s governor , Tate Reeves , has been sluggish with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home order on Wednesday 1 April , after weeks of confusion where the governor overruled cities and towns which had attempted their own orders , then defended his inaction by stating : “ Mississippi ’ s never going to be North Korea ” .
The order came into effect on Friday .
A Wallethub survey which considered each states ’ prevention and containment measures to gauge the aggressiveness of their response , ranked Mississippi dead last .
Oklahoma has added more than 100 new cases of coronavirus on each of the past four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stay-at-home order .
Governor Kevin Stitt has instead ordered a “ Safer-At-Home ” measure , which asks Oklahomans over 65 or those with a compromised immune system to only leave their homes for essential needs , like food shopping or collecting prescriptions .
Epidemiologists have said extending social distancing orders to only the vulnerable , and not the wider population , is not effective .
“ In my opinion , I can not shut things down and bunker in place , ” Stitt said .
Missouri saw a 600 % rise in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of March – the largest increase in the country , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Despite that , Governor Mike Parson has said he will not introduce a stay-at-home order : “ It ’ s very difficult sometimes to just put a blanket order in place , ” Parson said on Thursday .
Parson did not order schools to close as the seriousness of the coronavirus became apparent , instead leaving it to school districts to decide whether to close .
All 555 did so .
Some cities in Missouri , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have issued their own stay-at-home orders , but leaders there have pleaded with Parson to introduce a statewide measure to prevent spread from rural communities .
On Thursday , a column in the Kansas City Star summed up the governor ’ s lackadaisical response .
It was headlined : “ Missouri ’ s Mike Parson in contention for governor who ’ s done the least to contain Covid-19 .
”

While most states in the US have ordered their citizens to stay home as they deal with the coronavirus outbreak, some are stubbornly defying expert advice – even as cases continue to rise.
The urgent need for action was made clear on Thursday, when Dr Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, issued a plea for states to force people not to leave their homes.
“I don’t understand why it’s not happening,” said Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “We really should be.”
Here are five states who have taken the least action:
Alabama
The deep south state of Alabama has resisted implementing a statewide stay-at-home order, despite it having, as of Friday, 1,270 confirmed coronavirus cases. The lack of action is particularly troubling as Alabama’s population is especially vulnerable to infectious disease. The state had the third-highest death rate from flu in 2018.
As one of the poorest states in the US, Alabama would be ill-placed to deal with prolonged economic hardship due to the virus. The state’s governor, Kay Ivey, has been evasive when asked about a stay-at-home order. “Each state has to weigh their own set of factors,” she responded during a Q&A on Thursday.
Ivey has defied Alabama’s US senator, Doug Jones, who has urged officials to act.
Arkansas
Arkansas is another southern state yet to order residents to stay at home, despite parts of the state experiencing soaring rates of infection – Cleburne county has 253.7 cases per 100,000 people, among the highest in the nation. Yet while many businesses including gyms and casinos have been ordered to close, some clothing stores remain open, US News reported. Asa Hutchinson, the governor, cited clothing stores on Thursday when he said people could lose their jobs if a wider order was put in place.
Asa Hutchinson, the Arkansas governor, has resisted issuing a broad stay-at-home order to curb the coronavirus outbreak. Photograph: Staton Breidenthal/AP
Mississippi
Mississippi, another deep south state, has chronically low income, and a poverty rate of 19.5%. Of the southern states, Mississippi has the second-highest rate of coronaviruses cases per capita, yet the state’s governor, Tate Reeves, has been sluggish with his response.
Reeves finally implemented a stay-at-home order on Wednesday 1 April, after weeks of confusion where the governor overruled cities and towns which had attempted their own orders, then defended his inaction by stating: “Mississippi’s never going to be North Korea”. The order came into effect on Friday.
A Wallethub survey which considered each states’ prevention and containment measures to gauge the aggressiveness of their response, ranked Mississippi dead last.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma has added more than 100 new cases of coronavirus on each of the past four days, but is yet to implement a stay-at-home order. Governor Kevin Stitt has instead ordered a “Safer-At-Home” measure, which asks Oklahomans over 65 or those with a compromised immune system to only leave their homes for essential needs, like food shopping or collecting prescriptions.
Epidemiologists have said extending social distancing orders to only the vulnerable, and not the wider population, is not effective. “In my opinion, I cannot shut things down and bunker in place,” Stitt said.
Missouri
Missouri saw a 600% rise in coronavirus cases over seven days at the end of March – the largest increase in the country, according to Johns Hopkins University. Despite that, Governor Mike Parson has said he will not introduce a stay-at-home order: “It’s very difficult sometimes to just put a blanket order in place,” Parson said on Thursday.
Parson did not order schools to close as the seriousness of the coronavirus became apparent, instead leaving it to school districts to decide whether to close. All 555 did so.
Some cities in Missouri, including St Louis and Kansas City, have issued their own stay-at-home orders, but leaders there have pleaded with Parson to introduce a statewide measure to prevent spread from rural communities. On Thursday, a column in the Kansas City Star summed up the governor’s lackadaisical response. It was headlined: “Missouri’s Mike Parson in contention for governor who’s done the least to contain Covid-19.”


theguardian--2020-04-03--The Guardian view on Trump and coronavirus: endangering American lives | Editorial

Even in these extraordinary times , the sight of the president of the United States presenting a slide which announced as a “ goal ” the death of up to 240,000 of its citizens was almost beyond belief .
To hit the lowest end of the target , a staggering 100,000 American deaths , would show that his administration had done “ a very good job ” , Donald Trump claimed this week .
The highest end would be more than double the US casualties in the first world war .
This could only be considered a positive outcome because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mitigation measures , if people fail to stay at home as advised , the US could be heading for between 1.5 million and 2.2 million deaths .
The US is now the new centre of the pandemic , with more than a fifth of the million cases reported worldwide , and more than 5,000 deaths .
The vast majority of Americans – more than 300 million – are now under some form of lockdown , though the stringency of restrictions varies greatly and a few states are still holding out .
Those measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from being overwhelmed .
The richest country in the world is structurally ill-equipped to cope with such a crisis .
The lack of universal healthcare or basic employment rights such as statutory sick pay , and the low incomes on which so many Americans survive , are conducive to the spread of disease and to it having the most serious consequences .
But an utter failure of leadership – the lack of will , intelligence , basic competence or even consistency on the part of the Trump administration – has turbocharged the problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors and institutions , who have pre-empted the administration and gone far beyond it in taking action , matters would be even worse .
Mr Trump has at best left them to fend for themselves and at worst actively hindered the fight against coronavirus .
His culpability actually predates the virus ’ s emergence in China .
The administration got rid of most of the staff who worked on identifying global health problems in China , while repeatedly attempting to slash funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
A comprehensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the Obama administration , was “ thrown on to a shelf ” by its successor .
Only last October , an internal federal government report warned that the US was woefully underprepared and underfunded to tackle a virus without a cure .
Even after the virus was confirmed to have reached the US , Mr Trump downplayed the crisis at every opportunity , fearing the impact on the economy .
As late as 25 February he called it “ very well under control ” .
He has touted unproven remedies .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen large sections of the country by Easter and to see “ packed churches all over our country ” – though he has , thankfully , since extended the federal “ stay at home ” guidance until the end of this month .
The federal government should have mobilised long ago to acquire an appropriate supply of testing kits , protective equipment and ventilators .
It did not .
This week , he was forced to acknowledge that the government ’ s emergency stockpile of protective equipment is almost exhausted .
The economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans signed on for unemployment welfare last week .
The emergency $ 2tn relief package , while necessary and welcome , offers more to corporate America than those on the breadline .
Some wonder if this could finally break his spell .
So far , people are rallying around the flag : a national crisis tends to prompt people to support the leadership .
Despite his dereliction of duty , Mr Trump ’ s approval ratings have actually increased , as they have for leaders in almost every democratic nation .
He may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have of him .
And he is already trying to rewrite the facts and pin the blame on others , attacking governors both for failing to prepare and for hoarding equipment .
These efforts may yet succeed .
But the truth is that , as he has finally acknowledged , the coming weeks will be “ very , very painful ” – and that his inaction has made them much more so .

Even in these extraordinary times, the sight of the president of the United States presenting a slide which announced as a “goal” the death of up to 240,000 of its citizens was almost beyond belief. To hit the lowest end of the target, a staggering 100,000 American deaths, would show that his administration had done “a very good job”, Donald Trump claimed this week. The highest end would be more than double the US casualties in the first world war. This could only be considered a positive outcome because the alternative is so shocking: without mitigation measures, if people fail to stay at home as advised, the US could be heading for between 1.5 million and 2.2 million deaths.
The US is now the new centre of the pandemic, with more than a fifth of the million cases reported worldwide, and more than 5,000 deaths. The vast majority of Americans – more than 300 million – are now under some form of lockdown, though the stringency of restrictions varies greatly and a few states are still holding out. Those measures have come too late to stop hospitals from being overwhelmed.
The richest country in the world is structurally ill-equipped to cope with such a crisis. The lack of universal healthcare or basic employment rights such as statutory sick pay, and the low incomes on which so many Americans survive, are conducive to the spread of disease and to it having the most serious consequences.
But an utter failure of leadership – the lack of will, intelligence, basic competence or even consistency on the part of the Trump administration – has turbocharged the problem. And without the work of state governors and institutions, who have pre-empted the administration and gone far beyond it in taking action, matters would be even worse. Mr Trump has at best left them to fend for themselves and at worst actively hindered the fight against coronavirus.
His culpability actually predates the virus’s emergence in China. The administration got rid of most of the staff who worked on identifying global health problems in China, while repeatedly attempting to slash funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A comprehensive document on battling pandemics, drawn up under the Obama administration, was “thrown on to a shelf” by its successor. Only last October, an internal federal government report warned that the US was woefully underprepared and underfunded to tackle a virus without a cure.
Even after the virus was confirmed to have reached the US, Mr Trump downplayed the crisis at every opportunity, fearing the impact on the economy. As late as 25 February he called it “very well under control”. He has touted unproven remedies. Last week, he said he wanted to reopen large sections of the country by Easter and to see “packed churches all over our country” – though he has, thankfully, since extended the federal “stay at home” guidance until the end of this month. The federal government should have mobilised long ago to acquire an appropriate supply of testing kits, protective equipment and ventilators. It did not. This week, he was forced to acknowledge that the government’s emergency stockpile of protective equipment is almost exhausted.
The economy is reeling. An astonishing 6.6 million Americans signed on for unemployment welfare last week. The emergency $2tn relief package, while necessary and welcome, offers more to corporate America than those on the breadline.
Some wonder if this could finally break his spell. So far, people are rallying around the flag: a national crisis tends to prompt people to support the leadership. Despite his dereliction of duty, Mr Trump’s approval ratings have actually increased, as they have for leaders in almost every democratic nation. He may also benefit from the rock-bottom expectations people have of him. And he is already trying to rewrite the facts and pin the blame on others, attacking governors both for failing to prepare and for hoarding equipment.
These efforts may yet succeed. But the truth is that, as he has finally acknowledged, the coming weeks will be “very, very painful” – and that his inaction has made them much more so.


theguardian--2020-04-04--The US presidential election is frozen in time – can it survive?

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a wrecking ball to the Olympics , Edinburgh Festival and UN ’ s Cop26 climate conference .
In America , presidential primary elections have gone down like skittles , the Democratic national convention has been postponed and campaigns are frozen in time .
All of which raises the question : can the 2020 general election itself survive ?
The presidential vote is due to take place on 3 November .
The date is set by federal law and Donald Trump has no power to delay it alone .
That would require legislation enacted by Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an outcome still remains unthinkable to most .
But many unthinkable events have unfolded in the last month .
“ We ’ re in completely uncharted waters here and I don ’ t think anybody knows what ’ s going to happen , ” said Monika McDermott , a political science professor at Fordham University in New York .
“ By November the picture might be completely unrecognisable .
We don ’ t even know if the election is going to happen as scheduled .
There ’ s talk out there about postponing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only election.
” The profound uncertainty has upended political campaigns like nothing else in living memory .
It was a month ago – 3 March – that the former vice-president Joe Biden won 10 states on Super Tuesday , the biggest day in the primary calendar , and took firm control of the Democratic race .
Trump , meanwhile , was holding regular campaign rallies in packed arenas .
Now , Biden finds himself holed up in his basement in Wilmington , Delaware , struggling to break into the national conversation through TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been denied the lifeblood of rallies but switched to his other favourite medium – television – with daily coronavirus taskforce briefings from the White House .
Polls suggest he is benefiting moderately from a “ rally around the flag effect ” .
Media coverage that would normally be all about the race for the White House is dominated instead by an extraordinary public health and economic crisis , with the US death toll from the virus expected to top 100,000 .
Trump and Biden continue to work on the assumption that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic will be over .
The US held midterm elections in 1918 even in the grip of the Spanish flu that killed 675,000 people nationwide .
Fifteen states and one territory have postponed their primaries already this year , denying Biden the chance to knock out his rival , the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders , sooner rather than later .
But Wisconsin intends to go ahead next week , despite legal challenges , an objection from Sanders and shortages of poll workers that could force the national guard to step in .
June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with nearly 700 delegates up for grabs in 10 states and the District of Columbia on 2 June alone – assuming the primaries can go ahead .
On Thursday the Democratic National Committee announcing it was delaying its presidential nominating convention in Milwaukee by a month until the week of 17 August .
But changing general election day would be much more difficult .
Faced with the inconsistency of states voting on different dates , Congress passed a law in 1845 that stipulated federal elections must be held on the Tuesday after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and time of year were chosen to suit farmers ) .
Congress would have to pass a new law to postpone the 2020 election and even then would run into constitutional hurdles stating the new Congress must be sworn in on 3 January and the new president ’ s term must begin on 20 January .
The inauguration date was set in 1933 when the 20th amendment to the constitution was ratified .
There have only been 27 amendments in all .
To make another , revising the inauguration date , would require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House of Representatives and Senate , then ratification by three-quarters of the states .
If the election does go ahead as expected on 3 November , states that already allow early and absentee voting will be well placed .
Washington state , for example , has carried out elections by mail for years and its primary last month went ahead as planned .
But 17 states require some kind of excuse for requesting an absentee ballot .
Many would need to change their rules at huge cost to run a mail-only election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief executive of the Public Religion Research Institute ( PRRI ) , said : “ There is a patchwork of state constitutions .
The west coast is ahead of the curve whereas other states might have to scramble .
One challenge is the United States postal service is economically unstable , so vote by mail may not be as simple as it seems right now.
” Such logistical problems could fuel concerns over the result in what is expected to be another very close election , Jones added .
“ We could end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
Last time it was only 10,000 votes in Michigan .
It ’ s not hard to think we might have votes misdirected or ‘ return to sender ’ .
” Party politics are already a factor .
Democrats sought $ 2bn in funding for absentee and vote-by-mail options in the recent coronavirus emergency relief bill but only got $ 400m .
Trump admitted on Fox News : “ The things they had in there were crazy .
They had things – levels of voting that , if you ever agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a Republican elected in this country again.
” At Friday ’ s White House coronavirus taskforce briefing he elaborated by claiming without evidence : “ I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in voting .
I think people should vote with ID – voter ID .
I think voter ID is very important and the reason they don ’ t want voter ID is because they intend to cheat .
“ It shouldn ’ t be mail-in voting .
It should be : you go to a booth and you proudly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send it in the mail where people pick up – all sorts of bad things can happen by the time they signed that , if they signed that by the time it gets in and is tabulated.
” Republicans have long stoked fears of fraud in mail-in voting .
But according to the Washington Post , in Washington state ’ s last election , 4.4m ballots were cast but fewer than a hundred were flagged and none led to a criminal fraud investigation .
What remains unknown is whether the pandemic will help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He declared a national emergency on 13 March but has been fiercely condemned for previously downplaying the virus , squandering crucial weeks and leaving the country unprepared .
The president has “ has blood on his hands ” , argued the Boston Globe editorial board this week , while Biden ’ s supporters say the former vice-president would bring precisely the stable leadership the country needs .
The PRRI says that , in less than three weeks , Trump has seen the highest increase in his favourability rating since the institute began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 1,008 adults polled between 17 and 22 March found that overall Trump ’ s favorability increased from 40 % in February to 49 % in March , with unfavorable opinion decreasing 10 points .
Favourability in the battleground states of Arizona , Florida , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin jumped 13 points .
Jones explained : “ We ’ re seeing a typical American reaction at times of national crisis , a ‘ rally around the flag effect ’ .
It happened with George W Bush after 9/11 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bin Laden .
But on this one , we ’ re looking at something different , the very front edge of the US finally taking this seriously .
“ That ’ s what we ’ re registering : people saying he ’ s stepping up and taking it seriously after months of playing it down .
Trump is getting points for showing up ; he was largely absent in January and February .
The real test will be : what will it look like a month from now ?
” Robert Griffin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Study Group , agreed that the “ rally around the flag effect ” is benefiting the president but noted that , after the September 11 , 2001 terrorist attacks , it was not only Bush but also state governors who saw a rise in their approval ratings .
“ The effect is not necessarily related to performance or what the government is doing , ” he said .
“ By historical standards , the effect for Trump is smaller than you ’ d expect and smaller than we ’ ve seen for other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not really changed that much and , for the 2020 election , it ’ s not moved the needle at all.
” Trump ’ s central re-election argument was the economy , but the coronavirus outbreak has caused the quickest collapse the US job market has ever seen , throwing 10 million people out of work in just two weeks , and destroyed countless businesses .
Griffin said : “ Economic shocks in an election year are about as bad as it could get in terms of timing for a president seeking re-election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to interpret the action of this administration ?
” Trump ’ s critics believe that , pandemic or no pandemic , he was always doomed to defeat .
Elaine Kamarck , a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington , said : “ Trump was in trouble and I still think he is .
As the autopsies go down on his handling of this , it ’ s not a good story .
“ Trump does not have discipline and that has been the case all through his presidency .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s headstrong and he insists on what his gut tells him to do .
He ’ s in a precarious position and I don ’ t think this pandemic changes it .
If anything , it illustrates why he ’ s in that precarious position .
”

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a wrecking ball to the Olympics, Edinburgh Festival and UN’s Cop26 climate conference. In America, presidential primary elections have gone down like skittles, the Democratic national convention has been postponed and campaigns are frozen in time.
All of which raises the question: can the 2020 general election itself survive?
The presidential vote is due to take place on 3 November. The date is set by federal law and Donald Trump has no power to delay it alone. That would require legislation enacted by Congress and signed by the president. Such an outcome still remains unthinkable to most. But many unthinkable events have unfolded in the last month.
“We’re in completely uncharted waters here and I don’t think anybody knows what’s going to happen,” said Monika McDermott, a political science professor at Fordham University in New York. “By November the picture might be completely unrecognisable. We don’t even know if the election is going to happen as scheduled. There’s talk out there about postponing it or changing it to a mail-in only election.”
The profound uncertainty has upended political campaigns like nothing else in living memory. It was a month ago – 3 March – that the former vice-president Joe Biden won 10 states on Super Tuesday, the biggest day in the primary calendar, and took firm control of the Democratic race. Trump, meanwhile, was holding regular campaign rallies in packed arenas.
Now, Biden finds himself holed up in his basement in Wilmington, Delaware, struggling to break into the national conversation through TV interviews and virtual campaign events. Trump has been denied the lifeblood of rallies but switched to his other favourite medium – television – with daily coronavirus taskforce briefings from the White House. Polls suggest he is benefiting moderately from a “rally around the flag effect”.
Media coverage that would normally be all about the race for the White House is dominated instead by an extraordinary public health and economic crisis, with the US death toll from the virus expected to top 100,000. Trump and Biden continue to work on the assumption that, come November, the worst of the pandemic will be over. The US held midterm elections in 1918 even in the grip of the Spanish flu that killed 675,000 people nationwide.
Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus pandemic in Wilmington, Delaware, on 12 March. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters
Fifteen states and one territory have postponed their primaries already this year, denying Biden the chance to knock out his rival, the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, sooner rather than later. But Wisconsin intends to go ahead next week, despite legal challenges, an objection from Sanders and shortages of poll workers that could force the national guard to step in.
June will now be a bumper month, with nearly 700 delegates up for grabs in 10 states and the District of Columbia on 2 June alone – assuming the primaries can go ahead. On Thursday the Democratic National Committee announcing it was delaying its presidential nominating convention in Milwaukee by a month until the week of 17 August.
But changing general election day would be much more difficult. Faced with the inconsistency of states voting on different dates, Congress passed a law in 1845 that stipulated federal elections must be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November (the day and time of year were chosen to suit farmers).
Congress would have to pass a new law to postpone the 2020 election and even then would run into constitutional hurdles stating the new Congress must be sworn in on 3 January and the new president’s term must begin on 20 January.
The inauguration date was set in 1933 when the 20th amendment to the constitution was ratified. There have only been 27 amendments in all. To make another, revising the inauguration date, would require approval by a two-thirds majority of both the House of Representatives and Senate, then ratification by three-quarters of the states.
If the election does go ahead as expected on 3 November, states that already allow early and absentee voting will be well placed. Washington state, for example, has carried out elections by mail for years and its primary last month went ahead as planned. But 17 states require some kind of excuse for requesting an absentee ballot. Many would need to change their rules at huge cost to run a mail-only election.
Robert P Jones, founder and chief executive of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), said: “There is a patchwork of state constitutions. The west coast is ahead of the curve whereas other states might have to scramble. One challenge is the United States postal service is economically unstable, so vote by mail may not be as simple as it seems right now.”
Such logistical problems could fuel concerns over the result in what is expected to be another very close election, Jones added. “We could end up with concerns about the legitimacy of the election. Last time it was only 10,000 votes in Michigan. It’s not hard to think we might have votes misdirected or ‘return to sender’.”
Bernie Sanders walks near the Senate chamber during the coronavirus relief bill at Capitol Hill in Washington DC on 25 March. Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPA
Party politics are already a factor. Democrats sought $2bn in funding for absentee and vote-by-mail options in the recent coronavirus emergency relief bill but only got $400m. Trump admitted on Fox News: “The things they had in there were crazy. They had things – levels of voting that, if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
At Friday’s White House coronavirus taskforce briefing he elaborated by claiming without evidence: “I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in voting. I think people should vote with ID – voter ID. I think voter ID is very important and the reason they don’t want voter ID is because they intend to cheat.
“It shouldn’t be mail-in voting. It should be: you go to a booth and you proudly display yourself. You don’t send it in the mail where people pick up – all sorts of bad things can happen by the time they signed that, if they signed that by the time it gets in and is tabulated.”
Republicans have long stoked fears of fraud in mail-in voting. But according to the Washington Post, in Washington state’s last election, 4.4m ballots were cast but fewer than a hundred were flagged and none led to a criminal fraud investigation.
What remains unknown is whether the pandemic will help or hurt Trump at the ballot box. He declared a national emergency on 13 March but has been fiercely condemned for previously downplaying the virus, squandering crucial weeks and leaving the country unprepared. The president has “has blood on his hands”, argued the Boston Globe editorial board this week, while Biden’s supporters say the former vice-president would bring precisely the stable leadership the country needs.
The PRRI says that, in less than three weeks, Trump has seen the highest increase in his favourability rating since the institute began tracking it in 2015. Its analysis of 1,008 adults polled between 17 and 22 March found that overall Trump’s favorability increased from 40% in February to 49% in March, with unfavorable opinion decreasing 10 points. Favourability in the battleground states of Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin jumped 13 points.
Jones explained: “We’re seeing a typical American reaction at times of national crisis, a ‘rally around the flag effect’. It happened with George W Bush after 9/11 and Barack Obama after the killing of Osama bin Laden. But on this one, we’re looking at something different, the very front edge of the US finally taking this seriously.
Trump is getting points for showing up; he was largely absent in January and February Robert P Jones
“That’s what we’re registering: people saying he’s stepping up and taking it seriously after months of playing it down. Trump is getting points for showing up; he was largely absent in January and February. The real test will be: what will it look like a month from now?”
Robert Griffin, research director of the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group, agreed that the “rally around the flag effect” is benefiting the president but noted that, after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, it was not only Bush but also state governors who saw a rise in their approval ratings.
“The effect is not necessarily related to performance or what the government is doing,” he said. “By historical standards, the effect for Trump is smaller than you’d expect and smaller than we’ve seen for other world leaders. His approval rating has not really changed that much and, for the 2020 election, it’s not moved the needle at all.”
Trump’s central re-election argument was the economy, but the coronavirus outbreak has caused the quickest collapse the US job market has ever seen, throwing 10 million people out of work in just two weeks, and destroyed countless businesses. Griffin said: “Economic shocks in an election year are about as bad as it could get in terms of timing for a president seeking re-election. How are the American people going to interpret the action of this administration?”
Trump’s critics believe that, pandemic or no pandemic, he was always doomed to defeat. Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington, said: “Trump was in trouble and I still think he is. As the autopsies go down on his handling of this, it’s not a good story.
“Trump does not have discipline and that has been the case all through his presidency. He does not take advice. He’s headstrong and he insists on what his gut tells him to do. He’s in a precarious position and I don’t think this pandemic changes it. If anything, it illustrates why he’s in that precarious position.”


theguardian--2020-04-04--Revealed: food bank shortages expected to hit Washington state by mid-April

Agencies and organisations tasked with feeding children , the poor and the elderly in Washington state during the coronavirus crisis will experience shortages of food and supplies as early as mid-April , according to state government emergency planning documents obtained by the Guardian .
A 27 March situation report ( SitRep ) document produced by the Unified Command of Washington ’ s State Emergency Operations Center ( SEOC ) projects that a combination of acute demand at food banks and schools , supply problems for food and cleaning supplies , plus staffing shortages , will mean government and NGOs will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incomes have disappeared as the state ’ s economy stutters .
This raises the prospect of food bank shortages in Washington but also nationwide , as food banks across the US are being increasingly utilized by unprecedented numbers of people in an economy that has been abruptly slowed to fight the spreading pandemic .
Washington state has experienced one of the earliest and most serious outbreaks of Covid-19 in the US .
Governor Jay Inslee has received praise in recent days for his decisive response , which is thought to have prevented an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggests that at the predicted peak of the epidemic , which has already infected at least 4,896 Washingtonians and killed at least 195 , the state will need to head off a parallel humanitarian crisis .
The SitRep document , produced by the emergency agency coordinated by Washington state ’ s military department and distributed to state and local agencies involved in the emergency response , details emerging problems and frantic efforts to solve them across a range of numbered emergency support functions ( ESF ) , including communications , firefighting , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agriculture and Natural Resources ” , the SitRep details the growing problems in food security .
Many of the problems involve food banks – non-governmental organizations that deliver food to needy people .
The document says there is already a “ shortage of food at food banks ” , which is projected to become worse .
It says : “ NGOs have food on hand .
However , burn rate is increasing fast .
Demand is growing dramatically so supply is quickly being used up.
” It goes on to warn : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the food supply across the whole system by mid-April ( April 10-20 ) .
” It then offers insight into spiking demand at specific NGOs delivering food in Washington : “ Northwest Harvest ( a statewide food bank service ) reported they are distributing 450,000lbs of food this week.
” It continues : “ The burn rate and demand are rising sharply .
These NGOs are seeing 30 percent to 100 % increases in the number of people served.
” In a telephone conversation , Northwest Harvest chief executive Thomas Reynolds said of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t predict peak demand for another three weeks and then we anticipate peak demand for 12 to 20 weeks.
” He added : “ I worked for 15 years for Care International .
So what it reminds me of is earthquakes in Nepal , the tsunami in Japan , food crises in Yemen .
And the difference is there ’ s a lot more experience in a place like Nepal or Yemen to respond to emergencies.
” The document says rural counties are already moving to rationalize food delivery in the face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving away from using small distribution centers .
Instead they are going to start using a single , mass-distribution site for emergency food , ” it says .
It continues with a prediction : “ It ’ s a model we will likely see more of in the days and weeks to come.
” On Wednesday , Inslee , announced he had mobilized 130 National Guard members to provide support for food banks in Chelan and four other counties , with potentially more to follow .
The problems are being compounded by supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service , such as supplies used to clean kitchens .
As in other states , Washington has closed schools , but many districts have maintained school lunch delivery as a way of feeding needy children .
These programs , too , are under strain , according to the SitRep .
One issue is in the workforce , which “ is a growing issue because schools rely on older people to work in food service and as bus drivers .
These are two job categories important to food assistance.
” The document says “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of Covid concerns ” and that schools are also experiencing supply problems .
The document does offer some hope that solutions to shortages are emerging , but leaves open the question of whether they will arrive in time .
Chris McGann , a spokesman for the Washington state department of agriculture , said in an email : “ The current situation with its rapidly increasing demand and limited resources is putting incredible strain on the social safety net .
Hunger relief is no different.
” He added : “ We have called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to identify and commit additional resources to help us make sure families have the nutritional support they need to make it through this crisis.
” He also said that the problem was so far confined to food banks .
“ The food supply chain is otherwise operational and functional .
People will still be able to get food at the grocery store.
” Reynolds stressed that Northwest Harvest was working well with the state and has “ good relationship with our local elected officials ” .
But he said he hoped food security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I think we should be asking people who are running for office .
What is your food policy ?
”

Agencies and organisations tasked with feeding children, the poor and the elderly in Washington state during the coronavirus crisis will experience shortages of food and supplies as early as mid-April, according to state government emergency planning documents obtained by the Guardian.
A 27 March situation report (SitRep) document produced by the Unified Command of Washington’s State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) projects that a combination of acute demand at food banks and schools, supply problems for food and cleaning supplies, plus staffing shortages, will mean government and NGOs will struggle to provide for hungry people whose incomes have disappeared as the state’s economy stutters.
This raises the prospect of food bank shortages in Washington but also nationwide, as food banks across the US are being increasingly utilized by unprecedented numbers of people in an economy that has been abruptly slowed to fight the spreading pandemic.
Washington state has experienced one of the earliest and most serious outbreaks of Covid-19 in the US. Governor Jay Inslee has received praise in recent days for his decisive response, which is thought to have prevented an even worse crisis.
But the document suggests that at the predicted peak of the epidemic, which has already infected at least 4,896 Washingtonians and killed at least 195, the state will need to head off a parallel humanitarian crisis.
The SitRep document, produced by the emergency agency coordinated by Washington state’s military department and distributed to state and local agencies involved in the emergency response, details emerging problems and frantic efforts to solve them across a range of numbered emergency support functions (ESF), including communications, firefighting, and energy.
Under the heading “ESF11 Agriculture and Natural Resources”, the SitRep details the growing problems in food security. Many of the problems involve food banks – non-governmental organizations that deliver food to needy people.
The document says there is already a “shortage of food at food banks”, which is projected to become worse. It says: “NGOs have food on hand. However, burn rate is increasing fast. Demand is growing dramatically so supply is quickly being used up.”
It goes on to warn: “Food banks expect a significant gap in the food supply across the whole system by mid-April (April 10-20).”
It then offers insight into spiking demand at specific NGOs delivering food in Washington: “Northwest Harvest (a statewide food bank service) reported they are distributing 450,000lbs of food this week.”
It continues: “The burn rate and demand are rising sharply. These NGOs are seeing 30 percent to 100% increases in the number of people served.”
In a telephone conversation, Northwest Harvest chief executive Thomas Reynolds said of his food banks: “We don’t predict peak demand for another three weeks and then we anticipate peak demand for 12 to 20 weeks.”
He added: “I worked for 15 years for Care International. So what it reminds me of is earthquakes in Nepal, the tsunami in Japan, food crises in Yemen. And the difference is there’s a lot more experience in a place like Nepal or Yemen to respond to emergencies.”
The document says rural counties are already moving to rationalize food delivery in the face of demand.
“Chelan county is moving away from using small distribution centers. Instead they are going to start using a single, mass-distribution site for emergency food,” it says.
It continues with a prediction: “It’s a model we will likely see more of in the days and weeks to come.”
On Wednesday, Inslee, announced he had mobilized 130 National Guard members to provide support for food banks in Chelan and four other counties, with potentially more to follow.
The problems are being compounded by supply problems in other goods necessary for food service, such as supplies used to clean kitchens.
As in other states, Washington has closed schools, but many districts have maintained school lunch delivery as a way of feeding needy children.
These programs, too, are under strain, according to the SitRep.
One issue is in the workforce, which “is a growing issue because schools rely on older people to work in food service and as bus drivers. These are two job categories important to food assistance.”
The document says “older workers are opting not to work because of Covid concerns” and that schools are also experiencing supply problems.
The document does offer some hope that solutions to shortages are emerging, but leaves open the question of whether they will arrive in time.
Chris McGann, a spokesman for the Washington state department of agriculture, said in an email: “The current situation with its rapidly increasing demand and limited resources is putting incredible strain on the social safety net. Hunger relief is no different.”
He added: “We have called on the federal government and private industry to identify and commit additional resources to help us make sure families have the nutritional support they need to make it through this crisis.”
He also said that the problem was so far confined to food banks. “The food supply chain is otherwise operational and functional. People will still be able to get food at the grocery store.”
Reynolds stressed that Northwest Harvest was working well with the state and has “good relationship with our local elected officials”. But he said he hoped food security will become more central to political debate.
“I think we should be asking people who are running for office. What is your food policy?”