theguardian--2020-04-28--Democrats not confident 2020 US election will be fair, survey finds

As America hurtles towards the critical 2020 presidential election during the Covid-19 pandemic , less than half of Democrats are confident it will be fair and accurate , according to a new national survey from the Pew Research Center .
Just 46 % of Democrats are confident in the fairness and accuracy of the November election , the survey found .
Even fewer are confident all citizens will be able to vote if they want to .
That ’ s a sharp break from Republicans : 75 % of them believe the election will be fair and accurate , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be eligible to vote , the survey found .
The findings underscore the partisan divide over the right to vote .
Democrats across the US generally are pushing to ease restrictions on voting , saying the policies needlessly shut out eligible voters .
Republicans largely have defended those restrictions , saying elections are vulnerable to fraud , though several studies have shown it is exceptionally rare .
Overall , 59 % of Americans are confident the election will be fair and accurate , and 63 % believe all eligible citizens will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has criticized efforts to expand vote by mail during the Covid-19 crisis , claiming it would boost voter fraud and Democratic turnout , the survey found less partisan divide on the topic .
In states where vote by mail is already widely used , nearly 70 % of Republicans support expanding vote by mail .
Even in states where mail-in voting is not widely used , 40 % of Republicans support expanding it .
Overall , 70 % of Americans support allowing any voter to vote with a mail-in ballot if they want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other national polls .
Republicans were nearly evenly divided on whether anyone should be allowed to vote with a mail-in ballot .
“ Those who interact with a vote-by-mail environment and regime understand that it has a lot of advantages , ” said Tammy Patrick , an elections expert at the Democracy Fund and a former Arizona election official .
“ When you have misinformation at the highest levels being dispersed on what will happen … it ’ s very difficult to remove the partisan implications even when they don ’ t exist @ @

As America hurtles towards the critical 2020 presidential election during the Covid-19 pandemic, less than half of Democrats are confident it will be fair and accurate, according to a new national survey from the Pew Research Center.
Just 46% of Democrats are confident in the fairness and accuracy of the November election, the survey found. Even fewer are confident all citizens will be able to vote if they want to.
That’s a sharp break from Republicans: 75% of them believe the election will be fair and accurate, and 87% were confident all eligible citizens will be eligible to vote, the survey found.
The findings underscore the partisan divide over the right to vote. Democrats across the US generally are pushing to ease restrictions on voting, saying the policies needlessly shut out eligible voters. Republicans largely have defended those restrictions, saying elections are vulnerable to fraud, though several studies have shown it is exceptionally rare.
Overall, 59% of Americans are confident the election will be fair and accurate, and 63% believe all eligible citizens will be able to vote.
Though Donald Trump has criticized efforts to expand vote by mail during the Covid-19 crisis, claiming it would boost voter fraud and Democratic turnout, the survey found less partisan divide on the topic.
In states where vote by mail is already widely used, nearly 70% of Republicans support expanding vote by mail. Even in states where mail-in voting is not widely used, 40% of Republicans support expanding it.
Overall, 70% of Americans support allowing any voter to vote with a mail-in ballot if they want to, the survey found, echoing other national polls. Republicans were nearly evenly divided on whether anyone should be allowed to vote with a mail-in ballot.
“Those who interact with a vote-by-mail environment and regime understand that it has a lot of advantages,” said Tammy Patrick, an elections expert at the Democracy Fund and a former Arizona election official. “When you have misinformation at the highest levels being dispersed on what will happen … it’s very difficult to remove the partisan implications even when they don’t exist.”


theguardian--2020-04-28--Trump guidance puts burden on states to reach Covid-19 testing targets

The White House has released guidance pushing responsibility for Covid-19 testing on to state governments in a political strategy that has been criticised as “ terrible ” for public health .
However , under pressure to ramp up testing as several states make moves to reopen , Donald Trump ’ s announcement instead continues to send mixed messaging around testing targets , with most of the burden falling on states .
“ They know that the federal response has been a disaster , and so now their strategy is blame 50 states , ” Ashish K Jha , faculty director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Guardian .
Jha has spoken to White House officials who acknowledge the need for far more testing , which they understand will be difficult to do “ unless the federal government takes direct responsibility ” , he says .
“ If I know that the only way to fix this is federal , and yet I ’ m saying I ’ m gon na make the states responsible , it ’ s another way of saying I know this isn ’ t gon na work , ” Jha said .
Following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to scale up diagnostic testing as part of a strategy to safely reopen the country .
But current testing levels are still far from where they need to be , experts warn , even as restless Americans crowd beaches and parks and states such as Texas and Georgia begin to relax their stay-at-home orders .
Dr Anthony Fauci , an infectious disease expert and key member of the White House ’ s coronavirus taskforce , said on Saturday that the country was performing between 1.5m and 2m diagnostic tests a week .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that as we get into the next several weeks , and I think we will , ” he said , though he added that “ testing is an important part but it ’ s not the only part ” .
Trump and some of his allies are congratulating themselves for efforts they ’ ve already made on testing and predict exponential growth in capacity .
“ We ’ re going with maximum testing , because it ’ s something we ’ re very capable of doing , ” Trump said Monday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubled.
” But another administration official has said the federal government actually means for states to test at least 2 % of their residents monthly , according to the New York Times , a rate not dissimilar from the one now .
CVS Health and Walgreens , two of the US ’ s major pharmacy chains , announced they were expanding free testing , with CVS aiming for as many as 1.5m tests each month , USA Today reported .
More than 190,000 new tests were reported nationwide on Monday , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boost compared with the single digits recorded only two months before .
But as the country steamrolls into May , 500,000 diagnostic tests will represent “ the bare minimum ” per day to capture most infected people and assuage Americans ’ concerns , said Jha , a threshold that still hasn ’ t been reached on any single day so far .
“ Identifying who ’ s infected , who ’ s not is like public health , disease control 101 .
Without that , you ’ ve got nothing , ” Jha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t test people for the virus , you can not figure out who ’ s infected , you can ’ t keep them away from susceptible people , you can ’ t run your economy.
” Not all states will necessarily be equally affected , as an outbreak ’ s size drives testing needs , Jha said .
In an analysis he and his team collaborated on with Stat , projections show that New York will require upwards of 100,000 more tests per day starting in May to catch most infected people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s already impressive infrastructure , where more people have been tested than anywhere else in the US .
Texas , on the other hand , has been disparaged for its lack of testing .
But Jha ’ s analysis shows the state is actually performing enough tests for early May , if social distancing measures remain in place .
The Texas governor , Greg Abbott , has instead announced that he will allow some businesses to reopen on Friday , a move with unclear consequences .
“ This is the key about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today , you won ’ t see the benefits or the costs for several weeks , ” Jha said .
Meanwhile , antibody tests – once touted as a potential measurement for who could safely re-enter society after developing immunity to the disease – have taken on a lesser role as the country actually moves toward reopening .
Such a minuscule proportion of the US population has been exposed to the virus , and false positives on immunity tests abound , Jha said .
But perhaps even more significantly , there is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not get infected again , even if they have antibodies , the World Health Organization wrote on Friday .
“ Most of us believe that having antibodies should be protective for most people , but that ’ s a lot of caveats , ” said Jha .
“ I don ’ t feel like we should make policy based on luck .
”

The White House has released guidance pushing responsibility for Covid-19 testing on to state governments in a political strategy that has been criticised as “terrible” for public health.
However, under pressure to ramp up testing as several states make moves to reopen, Donald Trump’s announcement instead continues to send mixed messaging around testing targets, with most of the burden falling on states.
“They know that the federal response has been a disaster, and so now their strategy is blame 50 states,” Ashish K Jha, faculty director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, told the Guardian.
Jha has spoken to White House officials who acknowledge the need for far more testing, which they understand will be difficult to do “unless the federal government takes direct responsibility”, he says.
“If I know that the only way to fix this is federal, and yet I’m saying I’m gonna make the states responsible, it’s another way of saying I know this isn’t gonna work,” Jha said.
Following early setbacks, the US has scrambled to scale up diagnostic testing as part of a strategy to safely reopen the country. But current testing levels are still far from where they need to be, experts warn, even as restless Americans crowd beaches and parks and states such as Texas and Georgia begin to relax their stay-at-home orders.
Dr Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert and key member of the White House’s coronavirus taskforce, said on Saturday that the country was performing between 1.5m and 2m diagnostic tests a week.
“We probably should get up to twice that as we get into the next several weeks, and I think we will,” he said, though he added that “testing is an important part but it’s not the only part”.
Trump and some of his allies are congratulating themselves for efforts they’ve already made on testing and predict exponential growth in capacity. “We’re going with maximum testing, because it’s something we’re very capable of doing,” Trump said Monday. “We’ll be much more than doubled.”
But another administration official has said the federal government actually means for states to test at least 2% of their residents monthly, according to the New York Times, a rate not dissimilar from the one now.
CVS Health and Walgreens, two of the US’s major pharmacy chains, announced they were expanding free testing, with CVS aiming for as many as 1.5m tests each month, USA Today reported.
More than 190,000 new tests were reported nationwide on Monday, according to the Covid Tracking Project, a gargantuan boost compared with the single digits recorded only two months before. But as the country steamrolls into May, 500,000 diagnostic tests will represent “the bare minimum” per day to capture most infected people and assuage Americans’ concerns, said Jha, a threshold that still hasn’t been reached on any single day so far.
“Identifying who’s infected, who’s not is like public health, disease control 101. Without that, you’ve got nothing,” Jha said. “If you can’t test people for the virus, you cannot figure out who’s infected, you can’t keep them away from susceptible people, you can’t run your economy.”
Not all states will necessarily be equally affected, as an outbreak’s size drives testing needs, Jha said. In an analysis he and his team collaborated on with Stat, projections show that New York will require upwards of 100,000 more tests per day starting in May to catch most infected people in time. This despite the state’s already impressive infrastructure, where more people have been tested than anywhere else in the US.
Texas, on the other hand, has been disparaged for its lack of testing. But Jha’s analysis shows the state is actually performing enough tests for early May, if social distancing measures remain in place. The Texas governor, Greg Abbott, has instead announced that he will allow some businesses to reopen on Friday, a move with unclear consequences.
“This is the key about the virus, is any action you take today, you won’t see the benefits or the costs for several weeks,” Jha said.
Meanwhile, antibody tests – once touted as a potential measurement for who could safely re-enter society after developing immunity to the disease – have taken on a lesser role as the country actually moves toward reopening. Such a minuscule proportion of the US population has been exposed to the virus, and false positives on immunity tests abound, Jha said. But perhaps even more significantly, there is “no evidence” that recovered Covid-19 patients cannot get infected again, even if they have antibodies, the World Health Organization wrote on Friday.
“Most of us believe that having antibodies should be protective for most people, but that’s a lot of caveats,” said Jha. “I don’t feel like we should make policy based on luck.”


theguardian--2020-04-28--Hillary Clinton endorses Joe Biden for president – video

Former Democratic presidential nominee and secretary of state Hillary Clinton has endorsed Joe Biden for president , saying the former @ @ @ @ @ this moment his whole life' • Quiz : How much do you know about the @ @

Former Democratic presidential nominee and secretary of state Hillary Clinton has endorsed Joe Biden for president, saying the former vice-president has 'been preparing for this moment his whole life'


theguardian--2020-04-29--How will the US reopen? Slowly, bit by bit, but we may never return to 'normal'

“ We ’ re ready to open up the state to get back to work , ” Kathryn Goppelt told reporters last weekend as protesters marched on the Louisiana capitol in Baton Rouge calling for an end to the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns .
Goppelt is one of thousands of people who have taken to the streets in Michigan , Wisconsin , California and other states demanding an end to stay-at-home orders that have brought the US economy to a standstill and so far cost 26m jobs .
On Tuesday Donald Trump rolled out a new blueprint , dubbed Opening up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing and a partnership with drugstore chains to expand access to tests nationwide .
“ We are doing everything in our power to heal the sick and to gradually reopen our nation and to safely get our people back to work , ” Trump said .
“ There is a hunger for getting our country back , and it is happening.
” But the real truth is that the reopening of America will happen slowly , bit by bit , state by state , city by city , business by business , building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as large a say as Trump as to when things will really reopen .
So will the state governors .
And as the US contemplates getting back to normal , it is also becoming clear our definition of “ normal ” may have changed forever .
Several states have now begun unwinding the quarantine initiatives introduced as the pandemic hit the US .
Texas started reopening this week .
Georgia ’ s stay-at-home order expires on 30 April but Governor Brian Kemp has already allowed some businesses , including hair salons , gyms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen .
Alaska , Oklahoma , Colorado , Tennessee and some other states are also relaxing their quarantine orders or preparing to .
Big business is watching carefully and some – notably Boeing – have started up again .
But big business is not yet rushing to open its doors in a post Covid-19 world .
Joanna Daly , vice-president of human resources at IBM , said she has never been busier .
With 325,000 employees across 170 countries IBM has witnessed firsthand the global response to the pandemic and is taking a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own offices .
Some 95 % of its staff are now working from home .
States can begin to lift stay-at-home orders , she said .
“ But that doesn ’ t mean we will immediately return to the workplace.
” IBM has set up a set of global standards that includes governments and states lifting those orders , but also looks at the clinical data in the community and individual workplaces .
“ Workplaces weren ’ t designed for an environment that requires social distancing .
There is a lot of detail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes , decisions , so that the workplace is one that is safe for people to come back to.
” The company is looking at office layouts , removing desks that are too close together , visual reminders to keep your distance , rethinking bathrooms , cafeterias , reassessing cleaning .
“ We are entering a workplace where we will have to behave differently , move differently , we have to be more aware.
” IBM ’ s experience tallies with the wider business community .
A PriceWaterHouseCoopers survey found 77 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are anticipating changing workplace safety measures upon returning to on-site work and 65 % anticipate reconfiguring work sites to promote physical distancing .
The very nature of work-life is being rethought : some 49 % of CFOs see remote working as a permanent solution for some workers .
A widespread reopening will have to take all these factors into account .
Country by city , building by building , job by job .
A federal or local order to reopen will be just one part of this incredibly complex puzzle and all these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty of plans for reopening but one of the most often quoted is from the American Enterprise Institute co-authored by Scott Gottlieb , a physician and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration .
Trump ’ s plan seems to be a slightly watered down version of the AEI ’ s .
The AEI roadmap offers a three-phase plan to reopening : • None Phase I ( the phase we are currently in ) focuses on using stay-at-home orders and the closure of businesses and public spaces to slow the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reopening in a state-by-state basis , “ When they are able to safely diagnose , treat , and isolate Covid-19 cases and their contacts.
” Much of normal life can begin to resume but we would have to maintain physical-distancing measures and more stringent public hygiene measures while protecting the vulnerable .
• None Phase III and a return to “ normal ” would come only after testing , tracing , treatment and vaccines become widely available .
The current reopenings come while most of the US is still in phase I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down to the states .
The pressure to get America working again is intense and growing but opening up too soon , too fast could trigger a second wave of Covid-19 infections , said Saskia Popescu , a hospital epidemiologist in Phoenix , Arizona .
“ The sentiment is everybody wants to move forward , of course , but ultimately we in public health and global health security know that it is not something that can be rolled out in one sweeping movement , ” Popescu said .
The Business Roundtable , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wrote to Vice-President Mike Pence and all 50 governors last week outlining its recommendations for reopening .
The lobby group , whose members include Amazon , Apple , AT & T , General Motors and Walmart , set out guidelines for different environments including offices , retail , construction and manufacturing .
Overall the plan calls for careful control of public spaces , more monitoring and testing of staff , more personal protection equipment and consistent guidelines .
“ Americans want to feel confident returning to work and being in public spaces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states and want to keep their employees and customers safe need the clarity that consistent guidelines provide , ” said Joshua Bolten , the president of Business Roundtable .
The problem is that while some suggestions the lobby group made are in the control of businesses ( such as limiting the number of people in an office ) others are in control of the government –especially testing and monitoring .
But so far the US has shown itself to be woefully underprepared to deal with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both Bolten and the Amazon chief , Jeff Bezos , have said widespread testing is needed for businesses to reopen around the world .
So far just 5.4m tests have been administered across the US , about 1.6 % of the population .
An analysis by Harvard researchers and the health news website Stat found more than half of US states need to significantly step up testing in order to even consider starting to relax stay-at-home orders after 1 May .
More worrying still , some of the states now relaxing their quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still well behind the level of testing they will need in order to identify and close down new hotspots .
“ How can we really gauge how things are going if we can ’ t get accurate case counts ?
” Popescu said .
For all the shouting and hectoring at protests , polls show most people , as well as businesses , agree with the need for caution and are putting safety first .
New York City barber Justin Virgil Gramelspacher left the city shortly after his East Village shop , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its doors .
“ I ’ m getting a lot of calls from clients .
I think when we do open , we are going to be slammed for weeks , ” he said .
But he said he wouldn ’ t be comfortable about opening back up anytime soon .
“ When the governor says we can open up again , I ’ d do it .
Right now , it ’ s too soon.
” But he worries about what a lengthy closure will mean for the US and for New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were already struggling with the rent .
Social distancing will make it hard for bars and restaurants .
The longer closures go on , he worries , the more damage will be done .
“ It ’ s going to be like the Twilight Zone , ” he said .

Dominic Rushe and Amanda Holpuch in New York

“We’re ready to open up the state to get back to work,” Kathryn Goppelt told reporters last weekend as protesters marched on the Louisiana capitol in Baton Rouge calling for an end to the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.
Goppelt is one of thousands of people who have taken to the streets in Michigan, Wisconsin, California and other states demanding an end to stay-at-home orders that have brought the US economy to a standstill and so far cost 26m jobs.
On Tuesday Donald Trump rolled out a new blueprint, dubbed Opening up America Again, that included ramping up testing and a partnership with drugstore chains to expand access to tests nationwide.
“We are doing everything in our power to heal the sick and to gradually reopen our nation and to safely get our people back to work,” Trump said. “There is a hunger for getting our country back, and it is happening.”
People hold signs during a protest against the coronavirus shutdown in front of the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, on 24 April. Photograph: Kamil Krzaczyński/AFP via Getty Images
But the real truth is that the reopening of America will happen slowly, bit by bit, state by state, city by city, business by business, building by building. Corporate America will have as large a say as Trump as to when things will really reopen. So will the state governors. And as the US contemplates getting back to normal, it is also becoming clear our definition of “normal” may have changed forever.
Several states have now begun unwinding the quarantine initiatives introduced as the pandemic hit the US.
Texas started reopening this week. Georgia’s stay-at-home order expires on 30 April but Governor Brian Kemp has already allowed some businesses, including hair salons, gyms, tattoo parlors and bowling alleys to reopen. Alaska, Oklahoma, Colorado, Tennessee and some other states are also relaxing their quarantine orders or preparing to. Big business is watching carefully and some – notably Boeing – have started up again. But big business is not yet rushing to open its doors in a post Covid-19 world.
Some 49% of CFOs see remote working as a permanent solution for some workers
Joanna Daly, vice-president of human resources at IBM, said she has never been busier. With 350,000 employees across 170 countries IBM has witnessed firsthand the global response to the pandemic and is taking a cautious, case-by-case approach to opening its own offices. Some 95% of its staff are now working from home.
States can begin to lift stay-at-home orders, she said. “But that doesn’t mean we will immediately return to the workplace.”
IBM has set up a set of global standards that includes governments and states lifting those orders, but also looks at the clinical data in the community and individual workplaces.
A stylist wearing a protective mask cuts a customer’s hair while another customer has their temperate checked at a barbershop in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday. Photograph: Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg via Getty Images
“Workplaces weren’t designed for an environment that requires social distancing. There is a lot of detail going into redesigning the workplace, making changes, decisions, so that the workplace is one that is safe for people to come back to.”
The company is looking at office layouts, removing desks that are too close together, visual reminders to keep your distance, rethinking bathrooms, cafeterias, reassessing cleaning. “We are entering a workplace where we will have to behave differently, move differently, we have to be more aware.”
IBM’s experience tallies with the wider business community. A PriceWaterHouseCoopers survey found 77% of US chief financial officers (CFOs) are anticipating changing workplace safety measures upon returning to on-site work and 65% anticipate reconfiguring work sites to promote physical distancing.
The very nature of work-life is being rethought: some 49% of CFOs see remote working as a permanent solution for some workers.
A widespread reopening will have to take all these factors into account. Country by city, building by building, job by job. A federal or local order to reopen will be just one part of this incredibly complex puzzle and all these changes will take time.
There are plenty of plans for reopening but one of the most often quoted is from the American Enterprise Institute co-authored by Scott Gottlieb, a physician and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Trump’s plan seems to be a slightly watered down version of the AEI’s. The AEI roadmap offers a three-phase plan to reopening:
Phase I (the phase we are currently in) focuses on using stay-at-home orders and the closure of businesses and public spaces to slow the spread of Covid-19.
Phase II starts the reopening in a state-by-state basis, “When they are able to safely diagnose, treat, and isolate Covid-19 cases and their contacts.” Much of normal life can begin to resume but we would have to maintain physical-distancing measures and more stringent public hygiene measures while protecting the vulnerable.
Phase III and a return to “normal” would come only after testing, tracing, treatment and vaccines become widely available.
The current reopenings come while most of the US is still in phase I and Trump has said those decisions are down to the states.
The pressure to get America working again is intense and growing but opening up too soon, too fast could trigger a second wave of Covid-19 infections, said Saskia Popescu, a hospital epidemiologist in Phoenix, Arizona.
“The sentiment is everybody wants to move forward, of course, but ultimately we in public health and global health security know that it is not something that can be rolled out in one sweeping movement,” Popescu said.
The Business Roundtable, the US’s most powerful business lobby, wrote to Vice-President Mike Pence and all 50 governors last week outlining its recommendations for reopening.
Donald Trump attends a teleconference with governors at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington DC on 19 March. Photograph: Evan Vucci/Getty Images
The lobby group, whose members include Amazon, Apple, AT&T, General Motors and Walmart, set out guidelines for different environments including offices, retail, construction and manufacturing. Overall the plan calls for careful control of public spaces, more monitoring and testing of staff, more personal protection equipment and consistent guidelines.
“Americans want to feel confident returning to work and being in public spaces, and employers who operate in multiple states and want to keep their employees and customers safe need the clarity that consistent guidelines provide,” said Joshua Bolten, the president of Business Roundtable.
How can we really gauge how things are going if we can’t get accurate case counts? Saskia Popescu, a hospital epidemiologist
The problem is that while some suggestions the lobby group made are in the control of businesses (such as limiting the number of people in an office) others are in control of the government –especially testing and monitoring. But so far the US has shown itself to be woefully underprepared to deal with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic as it was to deal with its arrival.
Both Bolten and the Amazon chief, Jeff Bezos, have said widespread testing is needed for businesses to reopen around the world. So far just 5.4m tests have been administered across the US, about 1.6% of the population.
An analysis by Harvard researchers and the health news website Stat found more than half of US states need to significantly step up testing in order to even consider starting to relax stay-at-home orders after 1 May. More worrying still, some of the states now relaxing their quarantine order, including Georgia and Florida, are still well behind the level of testing they will need in order to identify and close down new hotspots.
A Waffle House Inc restaurant open for take-out only in Cartersville, Georgia. The state’s stay-at-home order expires on 30 April. Photograph: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images
“How can we really gauge how things are going if we can’t get accurate case counts?” Popescu said.
For all the shouting and hectoring at protests, polls show most people, as well as businesses, agree with the need for caution and are putting safety first.
New York City barber Justin Virgil Gramelspacher left the city shortly after his East Village shop, The Blind Barber, decided to close its doors. “I’m getting a lot of calls from clients. I think when we do open, we are going to be slammed for weeks,” he said. But he said he wouldn’t be comfortable about opening back up anytime soon. “When the governor says we can open up again, I’d do it. Right now, it’s too soon.”
But he worries about what a lengthy closure will mean for the US and for New York City in particular. Neighboring businesses were already struggling with the rent. Social distancing will make it hard for bars and restaurants. The longer closures go on, he worries, the more damage will be done.
“It’s going to be like the Twilight Zone,” he said.


theguardian--2020-04-29--Trump v Fox News: why the president is furious at the conservative network

Donald Trump ’ s longtime close relationship with Fox News , like so many other unions in the time of lockdown , is beginning to buckle under pressure , with an increasingly sensitive president furious at the conservative media channel .
Trump has attacked the conservative channel in recent days , accusing the usually uncritical network of being “ fed Democratic talking points ” , with some observers suggesting his ire may have been caused in part by a string of anti-Trump ads due to run on Fox News this week .
The breakdown between president and news channel was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Trump on Sunday evening .
Trump has occasionally criticized Fox News in recent months , but this attack went further , as Trump declared he wants “ an alternative now ” .
“ [ Fox News ] just doesn ’ t get what ’ s happening !
They are being fed Democrat talking points , and they play them without hesitation or research , ” he tweeted .
“ They forgot that Fake News @ CNN & MSDNC [ a term Trump has used for MSNBC ] wouldn ’ t let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the poor ratings Democrat Debates.
” Trump president continued his criticism by attacking prominent Fox News personalities including the Democratic strategist Donna Brazile , before concluding : “ The people who are watching @ FoxNews , in record numbers ( thank you President Trump ) , are angry .
They want an alternative now .
So do I !
” Trump did not give a specific reason for his upset , but it could be linked to a critical advert a group of anti-Trump Republicans are running on Fox News this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Law , a group opposed to the president , paid for an ad spot during Fox & Friends – one of Trump ’ s favorite shows – which highlights his response to the coronavirus .
“ 50,000 people have died , ” reads capitalized text at the start of the advert .
The advert then cuts to Trump musing about the potential ability of “ very powerful light ” in curing coronavirus .
The advert ends with the words “ Unfit , unwell , unacceptable ” appearing on screen .
Despite Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has remained largely supportive of his administration and performance during the coronavirus outbreak .
After Trump suggested the possibility of injecting coronavirus patients with disinfectant , Fox News ’ website billed the ensuing criticism as a matter of “ twisted words ” .
Hosts Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity have praised Trump ’ s performance , with the latter suggesting : “ New York would be dead without Donald Trump ’ s help.
” The Trump-Fox fracture comes as the profile of One America News Network ( OANN ) , a news outlet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is regarded as even more rightwing than Fox News , continues to rise .
In early April the then White House press secretary , Stephanie Grisham , personally invited an OANN reporter to a coronavirus briefing .
The same reporter has been called on repeatedly by Trump to ask questions – frequently questions that tee Trump up to praise his own performance – at the briefings .
On Monday it was reported that Fox News had also cut ties with Diamond and Silk , two outspoken Trump supporters who have peddled misinformation about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influential pair , whose loyalty has won repeated praise from Trump , is unlikely to have pleased the president .
If the Trump-Fox News rift proves to be permanent , it could have a substantial impact on Trump ’ s public statements , given he has repeatedly been guided by Fox News on his reactions to crises and policies .
As recently as mid-April , Trump tweeted messages of support for anti-stay-at-home protesters just two minutes after Fox News ran a favorable segment on the protests .

Donald Trump’s longtime close relationship with Fox News, like so many other unions in the time of lockdown, is beginning to buckle under pressure, with an increasingly sensitive president furious at the conservative media channel.
Trump has attacked the conservative channel in recent days, accusing the usually uncritical network of being “fed Democratic talking points”, with some observers suggesting his ire may have been caused in part by a string of anti-Trump ads due to run on Fox News this week.
The breakdown between president and news channel was laid bare in a string of tweets from Trump on Sunday evening. Trump has occasionally criticized Fox News in recent months, but this attack went further, as Trump declared he wants “an alternative now”.
“[Fox News] just doesn’t get what’s happening! They are being fed Democrat talking points, and they play them without hesitation or research,” he tweeted.
“They forgot that Fake News @CNN & MSDNC [a term Trump has used for MSNBC] wouldn’t let @FoxNews participate, even a little bit, in the poor ratings Democrat Debates.”
Trump continued his criticism by attacking prominent Fox News personalities including the Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, before concluding: “The people who are watching @FoxNews, in record numbers (thank you President Trump), are angry. They want an alternative now. So do I!”
Trump did not give a specific reason for his upset, but it could be linked to a critical advert a group of anti-Trump Republicans are running on Fox News this week. Republicans for the Rule of Law, a group opposed to the president, paid for an ad spot during Fox & Friends – one of Trump’s favorite shows – which highlights his response to the coronavirus.
“50,000 people have died,” reads capitalized text at the start of the advert.
“This is our president.”
The advert then cuts to Trump musing about the potential ability of “very powerful light” in curing coronavirus. The advert ends with the words “Unfit, unwell, unacceptable” appearing on screen.
Despite Trump’s objections and insults, Fox News has remained largely supportive of his administration and performance during the coronavirus outbreak.
After Trump suggested the possibility of injecting coronavirus patients with disinfectant, Fox News’ website billed the ensuing criticism as a matter of “twisted words”. Hosts Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity have praised Trump’s performance, with the latter suggesting: “New York would be dead without Donald Trump’s help.”
The Trump-Fox fracture comes as the profile of One America News Network (OANN), a news outlet which has repeatedly pushed conspiracy theories and is regarded as even more rightwing than Fox News, continues to rise. In early April the then White House press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, personally invited an OANN reporter to a coronavirus briefing. The same reporter has been called on repeatedly by Trump to ask questions – frequently questions that tee Trump up to praise his own performance – at the briefings.
On Monday it was reported that Fox News had also cut ties with Diamond and Silk, two outspoken Trump supporters who have peddled misinformation about the coronavirus. The booting of the influential pair, whose loyalty has won repeated praise from Trump, is unlikely to have pleased the president.
If the Trump-Fox News rift proves to be permanent, it could have a substantial impact on Trump’s public statements, given he has repeatedly been guided by Fox News on his reactions to crises and policies. As recently as mid-April, Trump tweeted messages of support for anti-stay-at-home protesters just two minutes after Fox News ran a favorable segment on the protests.


theguardian--2020-04-29--Has Trump's coronavirus response sunk him? Don't bet on it | Cas Mudde

Many liberal and centrist pundits seem to believe that the Covid-19 crisis is the dawn of a new progressive era – or at least the end of the populist wave that has swept the world in recent years .
The New York Times columnist Paul Krugman recently argued that President Trump ’ s handling of this crisis , particularly his “ Lysol moment ” , has caused a “ psychological turning point ” that could force even “ Trump diehards ” to “ face up to his essential unfitness ” .
We ’ ve been here before .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been declared newly presidential , but pundits somehow believe this time is different .
After all , “ populists ” can not lie and cheat their way out of a deadly pandemic – right ?
Maybe they don ’ t have to .
While Trump clearly botched his response to the pandemic , he has found a successful way out of it : refocusing the debate on “ Reopening America ” .
By downplaying the health costs of the pandemic and emphasizing the economic costs , Trump hopes to come out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US economy .
While the grim unemployment numbers might not seem to support this strategy , there are reasons to believe it might work .
It is true that , compared with other democratic leaders , Trump has received a smaller and shorter electoral bump from this pandemic .
He has , however , benefited from the usual rallying-around-the-flag effect .
He has also benefited from the relative invisibility of the Democrats , most notably the party ’ s presumptive presidential nominee , Joe Biden , who has a hard time establishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no political office at the moment .
Many anti-Trump pundits take hope from public opinion polls that show that a majority of Americans , including a plurality of Republicans , support the current lockdown measures and oppose the anti-lockdown protests .
But , as time passes , the US will inevitably have to “ reopen ” – as even Democratic governors like Andrew Cuomo have argued – and Trump will be able to claim , with some credibility , that he was the one to put this on the political agenda .
Moreover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the details of “ reopening ” America that he can easily distance himself from possible outbreaks of new cases in the most irresponsible states .
For example , he criticized Georgia ’ s governor , Brian Kemp , who , ironically in an attempt to please Trump , reopened the state in defiance of both the data and the White House ’ s recommendations .
Recent polls already show that the mood is shifting , particularly among Republicans .
Three weeks ago , 55 % of Republicans were more concerned about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economic impact ; that number has dropped to 44 % .
Although majorities of Democrats ( 72 % ) and independents ( 57 % ) are still more concerned about the public health impact , we are starting to see some shifts there , too .
There is no doubt that Biden will make Trump ’ s poor handling of the Covid-19 crisis a key part of his campaign .
The opening salvo was a much-praised , but also criticized , video that argues that Trump ’ s incompetence , ignorance and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis worse than it should have been – and would have been , under a President Biden .
Although this is probably true , I doubt this message will resonate much beyond the Democratic base .
Even with over a million Covid-19 cases in the US , and almost 60,000 deaths , Trump will find a way to argue that he prevented a worse disaster , perhaps by pointing to actual predictions of millions of deaths .
And if that does not work , there is always Trump ’ s most effective backup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians , the president has emphasized the “ foreignness ” of the virus from the beginning .
He has consistently used the term “ China virus ” and increasingly blames China for the whole pandemic – a strategy enthusiastically endorsed by the Republican party .
But it could get uglier .
With a disproportionate number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in New York and California , the far right is working hard to characterize coronavirus as an urban , coastal disease that does not threaten so-called Heartland America .
This fits perfectly into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and New York as multicultural dystopias .
The Democrats are caught in a classic catch-22 .
Faced with a misinformation campaign from the White House and conservative media , they might be tempted to overemphasize the Covid-19 threat in an attempt to ensure that even reluctant Americans follow public health guidelines .
Yet Democrats have to be careful not to raise the bar too high , and thereby give Trump an opening to trumpet his “ Reopen America ” policy despite severe casualties .
After all , populists don ’ t need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians to not be correct either .
• None Cas Mudde is a Guardian US columnist and the Stanley Wade Shelton UGAF professor in the school of public and international affairs at the University of Georgia .
His latest book is The Far Right Today

Many liberal and centrist pundits seem to believe that the Covid-19 crisis is the dawn of a new progressive era – or at least the end of the populist wave that has swept the world in recent years. The New York Times columnist Paul Krugman recently argued that President Trump’s handling of this crisis, particularly his “Lysol moment”, has caused a “psychological turning point” that could force even “Trump diehards” to “face up to his essential unfitness”.
We’ve been here before. Trump has been declared dead as often as he’s been declared newly presidential, but pundits somehow believe this time is different. After all, “populists” cannot lie and cheat their way out of a deadly pandemic – right?
While Trump clearly botched his response to the pandemic, he has found a successful way out of it
Maybe they don’t have to. While Trump clearly botched his response to the pandemic, he has found a successful way out of it: refocusing the debate on “Reopening America”. By downplaying the health costs of the pandemic and emphasizing the economic costs, Trump hopes to come out of the crisis as the savior of the US economy. While the grim unemployment numbers might not seem to support this strategy, there are reasons to believe it might work.
It is true that, compared with other democratic leaders, Trump has received a smaller and shorter electoral bump from this pandemic. He has, however, benefited from the usual rallying-around-the-flag effect. He has also benefited from the relative invisibility of the Democrats, most notably the party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Joe Biden, who has a hard time establishing himself in the debate as he holds no political office at the moment.
Many anti-Trump pundits take hope from public opinion polls that show that a majority of Americans, including a plurality of Republicans, support the current lockdown measures and oppose the anti-lockdown protests. But, as time passes, the US will inevitably have to “reopen” – as even Democratic governors like Andrew Cuomo have argued – and Trump will be able to claim, with some credibility, that he was the one to put this on the political agenda.
Moreover, Trump has always been vague enough about the details of “reopening” America that he can easily distance himself from possible outbreaks of new cases in the most irresponsible states. For example, he criticized Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, who, ironically in an attempt to please Trump, reopened the state in defiance of both the data and the White House’s recommendations.
Recent polls already show that the mood is shifting, particularly among Republicans. Three weeks ago, 55% of Republicans were more concerned about the pandemic’s public health impact than the economic impact; that number has dropped to 44%. Although majorities of Democrats (72%) and independents (57%) are still more concerned about the public health impact, we are starting to see some shifts there, too.
There is no doubt that Biden will make Trump’s poor handling of the Covid-19 crisis a key part of his campaign. The opening salvo was a much-praised, but also criticized, video that argues that Trump’s incompetence, ignorance and soft position on China has made the crisis worse than it should have been – and would have been, under a President Biden.
There is always Trump’s most effective backup card: racism
Although this is probably true, I doubt this message will resonate much beyond the Democratic base. Even with over a million Covid-19 cases in the US, and almost 60,000 deaths, Trump will find a way to argue that he prevented a worse disaster, perhaps by pointing to actual predictions of millions of deaths.
And if that does not work, there is always Trump’s most effective backup card: racism. Like all far-right politicians, the president has emphasized the “foreignness” of the virus from the beginning. He has consistently used the term “China virus” and increasingly blames China for the whole pandemic – a strategy enthusiastically endorsed by the Republican party.
But it could get uglier. With a large number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in New York and California, the far right is working hard to characterize coronavirus as an urban, coastal disease that does not threaten so-called Heartland America. This fits perfectly into an existing far-right narrative that casts California and New York as multicultural dystopias.
The Democrats are caught in a classic catch-22. Faced with a misinformation campaign from the White House and conservative media, they might be tempted to overemphasize the Covid-19 threat in an attempt to ensure that even reluctant Americans follow public health guidelines. Yet Democrats have to be careful not to raise the bar too high, and thereby give Trump an opening to trumpet his “Reopen America” policy despite severe casualties. After all, populists don’t need to be correct. They just need mainstream politicians to not be correct either.


theguardian--2020-04-30--Trump says distancing guidelines will 'fade out' as US deaths pass 60,000 – as it happened

Daniel Kelly , the conservative Wisconsin supreme court justice who lost his re-election bid earlier this month , will participate in a controversial case before he leaves the court over whether more than 200,000 voters should be removed from the state ’ s voter rolls .
The Wisconsin supreme court is currently considering whether to hear the case , which was brought by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty , a conservative legal group .
The group wants to force the state to immediately remove voters it suspects have moved from the voter rolls .
The state has refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not confident enough the voters have moved and wants to give voters until after the 2020 election to confirm their voter registration .
Last year a circuit court judge ordered the state to remove the voters , but an appeals court reversed the ruling .
The suit is being closely watched because it is believed to be an obvious effort to benefit Donald Trump , who won the state by just under 23,000 votes in 2016 .
Voters who lived in zip codes that were predominantly students or African Americans were more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for removal , a Guardian analysis found .
Kelly recused himself in November when the court considered a request to hear the case on an expedited basis .
His recusal made a difference – the court wound up deadlocking 3-3 .
Kelly lost his election to Jill Karofsky , a liberal challenger , by more than 163,000 votes .
But now that the election had passed , Kelly said he saw no ethical obstacle preventing him from hearing the case .
“ In light of the fact that this case can not now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a candidate while the case is being decided , there is no ethical bar to my participation in the consideration of the petition for review or the merits of the case if the petition for review is granted , ” Kelly wrote in a Wednesday order .
Karofsky ’ s 10-year term begins on 1 August , and she will narrow the conservative majority on the court from 5-2 to 4-3 .
Stephen Gillers , a law professor at NYU and an expert on judicial ethics , said he did not see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It is rare but not unheard of for a judge who recuses to unrecuse , ” he wrote in an email .
“ Judge Kelly is still a judge and the matter is before his court .
The reason for the prior recusal , which was correct at the time , is no longer present .
So it is fine to reverse his position .
”

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco and Joan E Greve in Washington

29 Apr 2020 00.53 BST Summary Joan E Greve The US coronavirus death toll has surpassed 60,000. The US has also confirmed more than 1m cases of coronavirus, representing about a third of all cases from around the world.
The US has also confirmed more than 1m cases of coronavirus, representing about a third of all cases from around the world. Trump said federal guidelines aimed at limiting the spread of the virus would be “fading out”. The guidelines are set to expire tomorrow, and Trump signaled he was looking ahead to reopening the country, applauding governors who have started to allow some businesses to reopen with restrictions. “I am very much in favor of what they’re doing,” Trump said. “They’re getting it going.”
The guidelines are set to expire tomorrow, and Trump signaled he was looking ahead to reopening the country, applauding governors who have started to allow some businesses to reopen with restrictions. “I am very much in favor of what they’re doing,” Trump said. “They’re getting it going.” Dr Anthony Fauci expressed cautious optimism about the results of a trial of the drug remdesivir to treat coronavirus. The results indicated the drug reduced patients’ recovery time and had an impact on patients’ survival rate. “This will be the standard of care,” Fauci said. “What it has proven is a drug can block this virus.”
The results indicated the drug reduced patients’ recovery time and had an impact on patients’ survival rate. “This will be the standard of care,” Fauci said. “What it has proven is a drug can block this virus.” The US economy shrank by 4.8% last quarter, according to new data from the commerce department. The figure is the latest indication of the devastating impact the pandemic is having on the economy.
according to new data from the commerce department. The figure is the latest indication of the devastating impact the pandemic is having on the economy. A new poll indicates most Americans are not ready to reopen the country. The PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll showed large majorities of Americans are uncomfortable with reopening schools or restaurants unless coronavirus testing is significantly expanded. Coronavirus live news: more cases of ‘Covid-linked’ syndrome in children as UK deaths top Spain and France Read more
Updated at 01.23 BST
29 Apr 2020 00.49 BST The Guardian’s technology reporter Kari Paul writes from California: Tesla founder Elon Musk went off script in the company’s Q1 earnings call on Wednesday, calling San Francisco’s shelter-in-place orders “fascist” as his frustration over the closure of his Bay Area factory continues. “We are a bit worried about not being able to resume production in the Bay Area,” he began. “The extension of shelter in place -- or as I would call it, forcibly imprisoning people in their homes, against all constitutional right - and in my opinion infringing on people’s freedoms in ways that are horrible and wrong, and not why people came to America or pulled this country - what the fuck?” he trailed off. He said shelter in place will cause “great harm” to companies. This comes after Musk sent a series of erratic tweets calling on the government to relax social distancing restrictions, sharing articles and praising examples of places relaxing their orders. “FREE AMERICA NOW,” one tweet read. Tesla reported stronger than expected earnings for quarter one, despite disruptions from coronavirus. Shares of the company were up nearly 2% at $813.77 in extended trade.
29 Apr 2020 00.25 BST Jessica Glenza Online demand for the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine surged by more than 1,000% after Donald Trump endorsed it as a potential treatment for Covid-19 without providing evidence it worked, a new study has found. There are no proven prescription therapies to treat Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Despite the lack of evidence, the presidential endorsement drove up online searches for buying hydroxychloroquine, and its chemical cousin chloroquine, by 1,389% and 442% respectively. Internet searches remained high, researchers said, even after NBC News reported an American couple had accidentally poisoned themselves by taking a liquid containing chloroquine meant to treat parasites in fish tanks, following a Trump press briefing in which he promoted the drug. “We know that high-profile endorsements matter in advertising, so it stands to reason that these endorsements could spur people to seek out these medications,” said Michael Liu, a graduate student at Oxford University and the study’s first author, in a statement. Online demand for hydroxychloroquine surged 1,000% after Trump backed it, study finds Read more
29 Apr 2020 23.48 BST CDC survey of Georgia hospitals found more than 80% of Covid-19 patients were black As Georgia governor Brian Kemp moves to reopen businesses in the state, against the advice of public health officials and the president, Black Georgians are disproportionately getting sick. In a survey of eight Georgia hospitals, researchers found that out of 305 Covid-19 patients, 247 were Black. The results were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today. African Americans, who make up 30% of Georgia’s population, overall account for 36% of confirmed cases, according to state data. Why is coronavirus taking such a deadly toll on black Americans? Read more
29 Apr 2020 23.34 BST The Guardian’s Vivian Ho reports from California: As coronavirus tore through jails and prisons across the United States, California reduced bail for most low-level offenses to $0, allowing thousands of defendants to wait out their court dates at home instead of in custody. The response across the criminal justice system in the state has been disparate, echoing longstanding tensions about reform. Prosecutors in Tulare county have “worked around the clock” to oppose the early release of more than 1,000 defendants, according to the district attorney there. In Los Angeles, leaked emails showed the district attorney’s office instructing prosecutors to seek a loophole in the new bail schedule for some cases. And police unions in cities across California have argued the emergency schedule will lead to an uptick in crime. Hanging over the bail schedule debate is a referendum in November, when Californians will get to decide whether the state should eliminate its bail system moving forward. The success or failure of the emergency guideline, beyond the infection rate of the state’s inmate population, has the very real possibility of becoming a talking point in all future debates for bail reform for years to come, criminal justice reform advocates say. Read more: 'Outdated, unsafe, unfair:' coronavirus renews battle over California's cash bail system Read more
Updated at 00.31 BST
29 Apr 2020 23.28 BST Here’s what you need to know about Justin Amash, the Michigan congressman who announced plans to jump into the presidential race as a Libertarian candidate, from the Guardian’s Daniel Strauss: Who is Amash? Amash, 40, is a lawyer by trade who first served in the Michigan statehouse before ascending to the US Congress in 2010 during the Tea Party wave. Amash, in his first campaign, benefited from support from major Tea Party groups. In 2019 Amash left the Republican party in protest of its seemingly immovable support for Donald Trump. He decided to join the Libertarian party and has served as one of the few members of Congress not part of the Republican or Democratic party. Justin Amash
Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP Could Amash’s candidacy have an impact in the 2020 presidential election? It’s possible. Amash, a fiscal conservative, could siphon away right-leaning voters disinclined to vote for Trump from former vice-president Joe Biden. Or his candidacy could attract small-government Republicans away from Trump to the benefit of Biden. His chances of winning the presidency are slim. Amash is getting into the race late and no presidential candidate running on the Libertarian party has ever actually been elected president. They usually perform poorly. What is his relationship with Trump? Contentious. Amash has been a vocal critic of the president and the feeling is mutual. When Amash announced he was leaving the Republican party, Trump tweeted: “Great news for the Republican Party as one of the dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress is ‘quitting’ the Party. No Collusion, No Obstruction! Knew he couldn’t get the nomination to run again in the Great State of Michigan. Already being challenged for his seat. A total loser!” (Amash, at times, has been mentioned as a potential candidate for statewide office but has never actually run for Senate or governor.) Read more: Who is Justin Amash and does he have a chance in the US presidential election? Read more
Updated at 00.30 BST
29 Apr 2020 22.54 BST The White House meeting with business executives – which in many ways resembled a coronavirus briefing – just ended. As he’s done at briefings, Trump took questions from reporters, alongside Mike Pence and Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary. The president made many of the same claims he’s made at press briefings, blithely repeating that the pandemic will soon “be gone”, without explaining why. But there were a few key differences between the press briefings and today’s live-streamed meeting. Trump’s public health advisers were absent. And notably, the camera was continuously focused on Trump – there was no footage of the reporters in the room asking questions.
Updated at 23.07 BST
29 Apr 2020 22.37 BST Trump said he’s planning a trip to Arizona next week, and Ohio soon. “Hopefully in the not too distant future we’ll have some massive rallies and people will be sitting next to each other,” Trump said. “I can’t imagine a rally where you have every fourth seat full, every six seats are empty for everyone you have full. That wouldn’t look too good.”
29 Apr 2020 22.34 BST The president suggested that a vaccine may not be needed as part of a recovery from the pandemic. “If you don’t have a vaccine, if the virus is gone, you’re like where we were before,” he said.
At least 89 coronavirus vaccines are in development, according to the World Health Organization, but even the most promising options still need to undergo rigorous safety testing, which could take a year to 18 months.
But without a vaccine, why does Trump think the pandemic will just go away? He dodged the question. “It’s gonna go, it’s gonna leave,” Trump said, without explaining his thinking. “It’s gonna be eradicated.”
29 Apr 2020 22.25 BST The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports: Daniel Kelly, the conservative Wisconsin supreme court justice who lost his re-election bid earlier this month, will participate in a controversial case before he leaves the court over whether more than 200,000 voters should be removed from the state’s voter rolls. The Wisconsin supreme court is currently considering whether to hear the case, which was brought by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative legal group. The group wants to force the state to immediately remove voters it suspects have moved from the voter rolls. The state has refused to remove the voters, saying it is not confident enough the voters have moved and wants to give voters until after the 2020 election to confirm their voter registration. Last year a circuit court judge ordered the state to remove the voters, but an appeals court reversed the ruling. The suit is being closely watched because it is believed to be an obvious effort to benefit Donald Trump, who won the state by just under 23,000 votes in 2016. Voters who lived in zip codes that were predominantly students or African Americans were more than twice as likely to be flagged for removal, a Guardian analysis found. Kelly recused himself in November when the court considered a request to hear the case on an expedited basis. His recusal made a difference – the court wound up deadlocking 3-3. Kelly lost his election to Jill Karofsky, a liberal challenger, by more than 163,000 votes. But now that the election had passed, Kelly said he saw no ethical obstacle preventing him from hearing the case. “In light of the fact that this case cannot now affect any election in which I would be a candidate while the case is being decided, there is no ethical bar to my participation in the consideration of the petition for review or the merits of the case if the petition for review is granted,” Kelly wrote in a Wednesday order. Karofsky’s 10-year term begins on 1 August, and she will narrow the conservative majority on the court from 5-2 to 4-3. Stephen Gillers, a law professor at NYU and an expert on judicial ethics, said he did not see anything improper in Kelly’s decision. “It is rare but not unheard of for a judge who recuses to unrecuse,” he wrote in an email. “Judge Kelly is still a judge and the matter is before his court. The reason for the prior recusal, which was correct at the time, is no longer present. So it is fine to reverse his position.” Wisconsin judge orders 200,000 voters be purged in blow to Democrats Read more
Updated at 23.15 BST
29 Apr 2020 22.21 BST “I see the new normal being what it was three months ago,” Trump said. I think we want to go back to where it was.” So far, his public health advisers have disagreed. The new normal, per Dr Anthony Fauci and Dr Deborah Birx, as well as the president’s own plan to reopen the economy, suggest that distancing will have to be scaled back slowly. Nevertheless, Trump insisted, “the target date” to reopen “is as soon as possible,” Trump said. “If I watch Alabama play LSU, I don’t want to see 20,000 people instead of 120,000 people.”
Updated at 23.15 BST
29 Apr 2020 22.15 BST Hi, it’s Maanvi Singh – blogging from the west coast. The president is speaking at a White House with industry executives. “I don’t see protecting cities and states if they’re going to be sanctuaries,” Trump said. Municipalities that prevent their law enforcement from cooperating with immigration authorities shouldn’t get federal coronavirus aid, he said.
Updated at 23.15 BST
29 Apr 2020 22.03 BST Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: The US coronavirus death toll has surpassed 60,000. The US has also confirmed more than 1 million cases of coronavirus, representing about a third of all cases from around the world.
The US has also confirmed more than 1 million cases of coronavirus, representing about a third of all cases from around the world. Trump said federal guidelines aimed at limiting the spread of the virus would be “fading out.” The guidelines are set to expire tomorrow, and Trump signaled he was looking ahead to reopening the country, applauding governors who have started to allow some businesses to reopen with restrictions. “I am very much in favor of what they’re doing,” Trump said. “They’re getting it going.”
The guidelines are set to expire tomorrow, and Trump signaled he was looking ahead to reopening the country, applauding governors who have started to allow some businesses to reopen with restrictions. “I am very much in favor of what they’re doing,” Trump said. “They’re getting it going.” Dr Anthony Fauci expressed cautious optimism about the results of a trial of the drug remdesivir to treat coronavirus. The results indicated the drug reduced patients’ recovery time and had an impact on patients’ survival rate. “This will be the standard of care,” Fauci said. “What it has proven is a drug can block this virus.”
The results indicated the drug reduced patients’ recovery time and had an impact on patients’ survival rate. “This will be the standard of care,” Fauci said. “What it has proven is a drug can block this virus.” The US economy shrank by 4.8% last quarter, according to new data from the commerce department. The figure is the latest indication of the devastating impact the pandemic is having on the economy.
according to new data from the commerce department. The figure is the latest indication of the devastating impact the pandemic is having on the economy. A new poll indicates most Americans are not ready to reopen the country. The PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll showed large majorities of Americans are uncomfortable with reopening schools or restaurants unless coronavirus testing is significantly expanded. Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
29 Apr 2020 21.54 BST Vice President Mike Pence said he expects the US to be conducting 2 million tests a week next month. “We’re doing more than a million tests a week now, 5.8 million tests total,” Pence said moments ago during a White House event with industry executives. “We expect by next month very quickly to be at a capacity to do more than 2 million tests a week.” That would work out to about 285,000 tests being conducted every day, but some health experts have said the country will need to conduct millions of tests a day to effectively limit the spread of the virus.


theguardian--2020-04-29--Trump says he won't extend distancing guidelines as death toll passes 60,000

Donald Trump has said the federal government will not be extending its coronavirus social distancing guidelines once they expire on Thursday , even as the number of Americans who have died of coronavirus surpassed 60,000 .
The country has recorded 60,207 deaths from coronavirus , and 1,030,487 cases of the virus have been confirmed in the US according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
The US accounts for around one-third of all confirmed cases worldwide .
The US has now lost more people to coronavirus than the Vietnam war .
Over the country ’ s nearly two decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were killed .
The death toll will continue to climb in the coming weeks , and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates the current death toll may represent an undercount .
Putting a positive face on the latest grim numbers , Trump delivered his daily upbeat update and his son-in-law and adviser , Jared Kushner , described the administration ’ s much-criticized response to the pandemic as “ a great success story ” .
Trump also talked up hopeful preliminary results for the experimental drug remdesivir as a possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial markets soar .
That came on the same day the government announced dismal new economic numbers .
The figures revealed the US economy shrank at a 4.8 % annual rate in the first quarter of the year – a precursor to far grimmer reports that are expected this summer from the severe recession triggered by the pandemic .
The White House has been trying to pivot to a new stage of the crisis , focused on efforts to reopen the nation ’ s economy state-by-state amid concerns that lifting restrictions too quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will spur a resurgence .
As part of that effort , Trump , who has both threatened to force states to reopen and said decisions will be left to them , said the White House will not be extending its “ 30 Days to Slow the Spread ” guidelines when they expire on Thursday .
“ They ’ ll be fading out because now the governors are doing it , ” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he met with John Bel Edwards , the Democratic governor of Louisiana .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 15 days and were then extended an additional 30 – encouraged Americans to work from home and avoid restaurants and discretionary travel and advised older Americans and those with serious underlying health conditions to isolate themselves .
Vice-President Mike Pence said the guidelines have been incorporated into the new guidance issued by the White House earlier this month that lays out how states can gradually ease restrictions and begin to reopen as the rate of new cases slows .
Edwards , who recently extended Louisiana ’ s stay-at-home order through 15 May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers in his state after he extended the order .
But Trump commended Edwards on the job he has done after New Orleans became one of the nation ’ s coronavirus hotspots .
“ I just wanted to congratulate you , ” Trump said .
The White House on Wednesday was also pointing to remdesivir , which proved effective against the virus in a new preliminary study run by the National Institutes of Health , which found that it shortened the time it took for coronavirus patients to recover by four days on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ’ s top infectious diseases expert , said the drug reduced the time it takes patients to recover by 31 % – 11 days on average versus 15 days for those just given usual care .
Fauci warned the results of the study still need to be properly peer-reviewed , but expressed unusual optimism , saying that Remdesivir would become “ the standard of care ” for Covid-19 patients .
“ It ’ s highly significant , ” said the usually cautious doctor .
“ What it has proven is that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese trial had previously demonstrated no “ significant clinical benefits ” to administering the antiviral drug Remdesivir to Covid-19 patients .
Fauci said the Chinese test , which had to be halted early for a lack of subjects , was “ not an adequate study ” .
The US-led trial is the largest to investigate remdesivir .
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , which Fauci leads , is expected to release a detailed summary of the results soon .
While it is not yet possible to quantify the drug ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time any medication has been shown to improve outcomes .
Despite the positive messaging from the White House , a new poll indicated most Americans are still not ready to reopen the country .
The PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll showed large majorities are uncomfortable with reopening schools or restaurants unless coronavirus testing is significantly expanded .
The US has dramatically increased its testing after a slow and rocky start , many health experts say the country still must do more – as many as 5m a day – to safely reopen the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases will rise sharply as Americans return to work , creating another deadly spike .
Trump has dismissed that recommended number , calling it unnecessary and a “ media trap ” .
Meanwhile Kushner , who has been helping with the effort to get medical supplies to states that need them , suggested in an interview with Fox & Friends that the federal government has accomplished its mission .
“ We ’ re on the other side of the medical aspect of this .
And I think that we ’ ve achieved all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So the federal government rose to the challenge , and this is a great success story , ” he said .
The administration , he added , is preparing the country to “ get as close back to normal as possible as quickly as possible ” , and said that by July the country would be “ really rocking again ” .
• None The Associated Press contributed to this report

Donald Trump has said the federal government will not be extending its coronavirus social distancing guidelines once they expire on Thursday, even as the number of Americans who have died of coronavirus surpassed 60,000.
The country has recorded 60,207 deaths from coronavirus, and 1,030,487 cases of the virus have been confirmed in the US according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The US accounts for around one-third of all confirmed cases worldwide.
The US has now lost more people to coronavirus than the Vietnam war. Over the country’s nearly two decades of involvement in Vietnam, 58,220 Americans were killed.
The death toll will continue to climb in the coming weeks, and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates the current death toll may represent an undercount.
Putting a positive face on the latest grim numbers, Trump delivered his daily upbeat update and his son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, described the administration’s much-criticized response to the pandemic as “a great success story”.
Trump also talked up hopeful preliminary results for the experimental drug remdesivir as a possible Covid-19 treatment, news of which saw financial markets soar. That came on the same day the government announced dismal new economic numbers.
The figures revealed the US economy shrank at a 4.8% annual rate in the first quarter of the year – a precursor to far grimmer reports that are expected this summer from the severe recession triggered by the pandemic.
The White House has been trying to pivot to a new stage of the crisis, focused on efforts to reopen the nation’s economy state-by-state amid concerns that lifting restrictions too quickly and without sufficient testing and contact tracing will spur a resurgence.
As part of that effort, Trump, who has both threatened to force states to reopen and said decisions will be left to them, said the White House will not be extending its “30 Days to Slow the Spread” guidelines when they expire on Thursday.
“They’ll be fading out because now the governors are doing it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he met with John Bel Edwards, the Democratic governor of Louisiana.
Those guidelines – which were originally supposed to last 15 days and were then extended an additional 30 – encouraged Americans to work from home and avoid restaurants and discretionary travel and advised older Americans and those with serious underlying health conditions to isolate themselves.
Vice-President Mike Pence said the guidelines have been incorporated into the new guidance issued by the White House earlier this month that lays out how states can gradually ease restrictions and begin to reopen as the rate of new cases slows.
Edwards, who recently extended Louisiana’s stay-at-home order through 15 May, is currently under fire from Republican lawmakers in his state after he extended the order .
But Trump commended Edwards on the job he has done after New Orleans became one of the nation’s coronavirus hotspots. “I just wanted to congratulate you,” Trump said.
The White House on Wednesday was also pointing to remdesivir, which proved effective against the virus in a new preliminary study run by the National Institutes of Health, which found that it shortened the time it took for coronavirus patients to recover by four days on average.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, said the drug reduced the time it takes patients to recover by 31% – 11 days on average versus 15 days for those just given usual care. Fauci warned the results of the study still need to be properly peer-reviewed, but expressed unusual optimism, saying that remdesivir would become “the standard of care” for Covid-19 patients.
“It’s highly significant,” said the usually cautious doctor. “What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus.”
A Chinese trial had previously demonstrated no “significant clinical benefits” to administering the antiviral drug remdesivir to Covid-19 patients. Fauci said the Chinese test, which had to be halted early for a lack of subjects, was “not an adequate study”. The US-led trial is the largest to investigate remdesivir.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which Fauci leads, is expected to release a detailed summary of the results soon. While it is not yet possible to quantify the drug’s effectiveness, the trial would represent the first time any medication has been shown to improve outcomes.
Despite the positive messaging from the White House, a new poll indicated most Americans are still not ready to reopen the country. The PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll showed large majorities are uncomfortable with reopening schools or restaurants unless coronavirus testing is significantly expanded.
The US has dramatically increased its testing after a slow and rocky start, many health experts say the country still must do more – as many as 5m a day – to safely reopen the economy. Otherwise, they warn, cases will rise sharply as Americans return to work, creating another deadly spike. Trump has dismissed that recommended number, calling it unnecessary and a “media trap”.
Meanwhile Kushner, who has been helping with the effort to get medical supplies to states that need them, suggested in an interview with Fox & Friends that the federal government has accomplished its mission.
“We’re on the other side of the medical aspect of this. And I think that we’ve achieved all the different milestones that are needed. So the federal government rose to the challenge, and this is a great success story,” he said.
The administration, he added, is preparing the country to “get as close back to normal as possible as quickly as possible”, and said that by July the country would be “really rocking again”.


theguardian--2020-04-29--Who is Justin Amash and does he have a chance in the US presidential election?

Michigan congressman Justin Amash late on Tuesday announced plans to jump into the 2020 presidential race .
Amash , a former Republican turned Libertarian , had toyed with the idea for a while .
His argument has been that he could rally voters disaffected by Donald Trump but uninterested in voting for a Democrat .
Amash , a five-term congressman , is known as a gadfly who has bucked Republican leadership and eagerly skirmished with his colleagues when he was a Republican .
In July 2019 Amash , the only Republican congressman to vocally support impeaching Trump , left the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his presidential exploratory committee , a largely ceremonial step in American politics , Amash said on Twitter : “ We ’ re ready for a presidency that will restore respect for our Constitution and bring people together .
I ’ m excited and honored to be taking these first steps toward serving Americans of every background as president.
” Here ’ s what you need to know about the Libertarian presidential candidate .
Amash , 40 , is a lawyer by trade who first served in the Michigan statehouse before ascending to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tea Party wave .
Amash , in his first campaign , benefited from support from major Tea Party groups .
In 2019 Amash left the Republican party in protest of its seemingly immovable support for Donald Trump .
He decided to join the Libertarian party and has served as one of the few members of Congress not part of the Republican or Democratic party .
Could Amash ’ s candidacy have an impact in the 2020 presidential election ?
It ’ s possible .
Amash , a fiscal conservative , could siphon away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from former vice-president Joe Biden .
Or his candidacy could attract small-government Republicans away from Trump to the benefit of Biden .
His chances of winning the presidency are slim .
Amash is getting into the race late and no presidential candidate running on the Libertarian party has ever actually been elected president .
They usually perform poorly .
What is his relationship with Trump ?
Contentious .
Amash has been a vocal critic of the president and the feeling is mutual .
When Amash announced he was leaving the Republican party , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican Party as one of the dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress is ‘ quitting ’ the Party .
No Collusion , No Obstruction !
Knew he couldn ’ t get the nomination to run again in the Great State of Michigan .
Already being challenged for his seat .
A total loser !
” It ’ s unclear what impact Amash will have in this election .
The coronavirus pandemic has already upended some of the normal rules of presidential campaigning .
Amash himself is a relative unknown compared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year ago a poll for the Detroit News found that Amash would draw about 10 % of the vote to him in a three-way race .
Biden , the poll found , would have the plurality with Trump trailing the former vice-president by just a few percentage points .
But more recently data from Morning Consult suggested that Amash ’ s presence in the race would have essentially no impact at all .
What happens next ?
Amash will have to move quickly to assemble a presidential campaign .
That includes not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of support to have any impact at all .
Amash has already been in contact with the Libertarian party ’ s chairman .
But Amash will also have to devote a significant amount of time to ballot access , making efforts to appear on voters ’ ballots as a libertarian presidential candidate alongside Trump and Biden .
That ’ s been a persistent hurdle for third-party candidates .
The Libertarian party is on the ballot of 35 states , meaning there ’ s room for growth in a candidate like Amash .

Michigan congressman Justin Amash late on Tuesday announced plans to jump into the 2020 presidential race. Amash, a former Republican turned Libertarian, had toyed with the idea for a while. His argument has been that he could rally voters disaffected by Donald Trump but uninterested in voting for a Democrat.
Amash, a five-term congressman, is known as a gadfly who has bucked Republican leadership and eagerly skirmished with his colleagues when he was a Republican. In July 2019 Amash, the only Republican congressman to vocally support impeaching Trump, left the Republican party.
In announcing the creation of his presidential exploratory committee, a largely ceremonial step in American politics, Amash said on Twitter: “We’re ready for a presidency that will restore respect for our Constitution and bring people together. I’m excited and honored to be taking these first steps toward serving Americans of every background as president.”
Here’s what you need to know about the Libertarian presidential candidate.
Who is Amash?
Amash, 40, is a lawyer by trade who first served in the Michigan statehouse before ascending to the US Congress in 2010 during the Tea Party wave. Amash, in his first campaign, benefited from support from major Tea Party groups.
In 2019 Amash left the Republican party in protest of its seemingly immovable support for Donald Trump. He decided to join the Libertarian party and has served as one of the few members of Congress not part of the Republican or Democratic party.
Could Amash’s candidacy have an impact in the 2020 presidential election?
It’s possible. Amash, a fiscal conservative, could siphon away right-leaning voters disinclined to vote for Trump from former vice-president Joe Biden. Or his candidacy could attract small-government Republicans away from Trump to the benefit of Biden.
His chances of winning the presidency are slim. Amash is getting into the race late and no presidential candidate running on the Libertarian party has ever actually been elected president. They usually perform poorly.
What is his relationship with Trump?
Contentious. Amash has been a vocal critic of the president and the feeling is mutual. When Amash announced he was leaving the Republican party, Trump tweeted: “Great news for the Republican Party as one of the dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress is ‘quitting’ the Party. No Collusion, No Obstruction! Knew he couldn’t get the nomination to run again in the Great State of Michigan. Already being challenged for his seat. A total loser!”
(Amash, at times, has been mentioned as a potential candidate for statewide office but has never actually run for Senate or governor.)
Does Amash have a chance?
It’s unclear what impact Amash will have in this election. The coronavirus pandemic has already upended some of the normal rules of presidential campaigning. Amash himself is a relative unknown compared with Trump or Biden as well.
Almost a year ago a poll for the Detroit News found that Amash would draw about 10% of the vote to him in a three-way race. Biden, the poll found, would have the plurality with Trump trailing the former vice-president by just a few percentage points.
But more recently data from Morning Consult suggested that Amash’s presence in the race would have essentially no impact at all.
What happens next?
Amash will have to move quickly to assemble a presidential campaign. That includes not just staffers but also the requisite amount of support to have any impact at all. Amash has already been in contact with the Libertarian party’s chairman.
But Amash will also have to devote a significant amount of time to ballot access, making efforts to appear on voters’ ballots as a libertarian presidential candidate alongside Trump and Biden. That’s been a persistent hurdle for third-party candidates. The Libertarian party is on the ballot of 35 states, meaning there’s room for growth in a candidate like Amash.
Still, it’s an uphill battle.


theguardian--2020-04-29--Justin Amash explores running for US president as Libertarian

A rebel member of the US Congress , Justin Amash , has signalled an expected run for the White House as a Libertarian in a move that could disrupt the November presidential election .
On Tuesday night he unveiled his website outlining his campaign , and announced the launch of an exploratory committee , the traditional forerunner to an official candidacy , later tweeting : “ Let ’ s do this ” and also saying that he would seek the nomination of the Libertarian party .
“ Americans are ready for practical approaches based in humility and trust of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re ready for a presidency that will restore respect for our constitution and bring people together.
” Amash defected from the Republican party last summer , continuing in office as an independent .
The announcement was met with an immediate flurry of comments from across the political spectrum that ridiculed Amash ’ s move .
The US system is dominated by two parties , Donald Trump ’ s Republican party , and the opposition Democratic party , for which Joe Biden is the presumptive nominee to challenge for the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fringe parties , such as the Libertarians and the Green party , but none have any members holding national office , although fielding a candidate for the White House can arguably prove decisive in a close election .
Amash had previously told several reporters he would only run as a third-party candidate if he had a realistic chance to win .
Critics noted that his White House ambitions are a long shot , and could instead sway votes away from would-be supporters of Biden .
“ He could wind up going in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeach Trump one year , then tipped the election to him 11 months later , ” Joe Walsh , a Republican Trump critic , wrote in a Washington Post opinion article .
Amash appeared to balk at the backlash , however .
In an interview with MSNBC , he likened pushback to his presidential run to “ anti-American ” voter suppression .
“ This is about democracy , this is about representative government , ” he said .
“ The idea that we ’ re going to tell people ‘ we can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it might upset one or the other candidate ’ , that ’ s ridiculous.
” The congressman is perhaps most known as one of two non-Democratic votes to impeach Donald Trump , marking a political career defined by Republican favor that fell nearly as quickly as it rose .
First elected to Michigan ’ s third congressional district in the 2010 amid the rise of the conservative grassroots movement that solidified into the rightwing Tea Party wing of the Republican party , aimed at disrupting business as usual on Capitol Hill .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrant mother immediately earned the ire of more moderate Republican colleagues with disagreements over foreign intervention by the US and surveillance of the public .
Amash then founded the House Freedom Caucus , a group of ultra-conservatives who often voted to the right of party initiatives .
As a staunch critic of Trump , he ultimately left the Republican party in 2019 , symbolically on the Fourth of July , after becoming “ disenchanted with party politics and frightened by what [ he ] see [ s ] from it ” .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existential threat to American principles and institutions , ” he wrote at the time .
Meanwhile today ’ s Freedom Caucus members are known as some of the president ’ s most loyal supporters .
Trump weighed in , sarcastically noting Amash “ would make a wonderful candidate ” .
“ Especially since he is way behind in his district and has no chance of maintaining his congressional seat , ” Trump tweeted .
“ He almost always votes for the Do Nothing Dems anyway.
” The congressman faces a tough re-election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the viability of a third-party candidate is low , high-profile figures have played spoiler in historic races .
The most successful third-party bid , Ross Perot ’ s 1992 run , resulted in the billionaire gaining 19 % of the popular tally without winning a single electoral college vote .
The Libertarian party ’ s most recent nominee , however , former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson , only won slightly more than 3 % of the national vote in 2016 .
Third parties received 6 % of the popular vote overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s upset win over Democrat and former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton .
“ The way we got Donald Trump is because every Republican who didn ’ t like [ him ] were told , incessantly , ‘ You must vote for Donald Trump because he ’ s the Republican nominee and you have to vote for the Republican , ’ ” he said .
“ There are millions of Americans who aren ’ t represented by either Donald Trump or Joe Biden , who aren ’ t represented by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he added .
“ And those Americans deserve a choice on the ballot .
”

A rebel member of the US Congress, Justin Amash, has signalled an expected run for the White House as a Libertarian in a move that could disrupt the November presidential election.
On Tuesday night he unveiled his website outlining his campaign, and announced the launch of an exploratory committee, the traditional forerunner to an official candidacy, later tweeting: “Let’s do this” and also saying that he would seek the nomination of the Libertarian party.
“Americans are ready for practical approaches based in humility and trust of the people,” Amash announced. “We’re ready for a presidency that will restore respect for our constitution and bring people together.”
Amash defected from the Republican party last summer, continuing in office as an independent.
The announcement was met with an immediate flurry of comments from across the political spectrum that ridiculed Amash’s move.
The US system is dominated by two parties, Donald Trump’s Republican party, and the opposition Democratic party, for which Joe Biden is the presumptive nominee to challenge for the White House in November.
There are some small fringe parties, such as the Libertarians and the Green party, but none have any members holding national office, although fielding a candidate for the White House can arguably prove decisive in a close election.
Amash had previously told several reporters he would only run as a third-party candidate if he had a realistic chance to win.
Critics noted that his White House ambitions are a long shot, and could instead sway votes away from would-be supporters of Biden.
“He could wind up going in the books as the guy who voted to impeach Trump one year, then tipped the election to him 11 months later,” Joe Walsh, a Republican Trump critic, wrote in a Washington Post opinion article.
Amash appeared to balk at the backlash, however. In an interview with MSNBC, he likened pushback to his presidential run to “anti-American” voter suppression.
“This is about democracy, this is about representative government,” he said. “The idea that we’re going to tell people ‘we can’t have another choice on the ballot because it might upset one or the other candidate’, that’s ridiculous.”
The congressman is perhaps most known as one of two non-Democratic votes to impeach Donald Trump, marking a political career defined by Republican favor that fell nearly as quickly as it rose.
First elected to Michigan’s third congressional district in the 2010 amid the rise of the conservative grassroots movement that solidified into the rightwing Tea Party wing of the Republican party, aimed at disrupting business as usual on Capitol Hill.
The son of a refugee father and immigrant mother immediately earned the ire of more moderate Republican colleagues with disagreements over foreign intervention by the US and surveillance of the public.
Amash then founded the House Freedom Caucus, a group of ultra-conservatives who often voted to the right of party initiatives. As a staunch critic of Trump, he ultimately left the Republican party in 2019, symbolically on the Fourth of July, after becoming “disenchanted with party politics and frightened by what [he] see[s] from it”.
“The two-party system has evolved into an existential threat to American principles and institutions,” he wrote at the time.
Meanwhile today’s Freedom Caucus members are known as some of the president’s most loyal supporters. Trump weighed in, sarcastically noting Amash “would make a wonderful candidate”.
“Especially since he is way behind in his district and has no chance of maintaining his congressional seat,” Trump tweeted. “He almost always votes for the Do Nothing Dems anyway.”
The congressman faces a tough re-election, with several Republicans running against him.
While the viability of a third-party candidate is low, high-profile figures have played spoiler in historic races. The most successful third-party bid, Ross Perot’s 1992 run, resulted in the billionaire gaining 19% of the popular tally without winning a single electoral college vote.
The Libertarian party’s most recent nominee, however, former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, only won slightly more than 3% of the national vote in 2016.
Third parties received 6% of the popular vote overall, one of many factors considered in Trump’s upset win over Democrat and former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Amash characterized Trump’s win another way.
“The way we got Donald Trump is because every Republican who didn’t like [him] were told, incessantly, ‘You must vote for Donald Trump because he’s the Republican nominee and you have to vote for the Republican,’” he said.
“There are millions of Americans who aren’t represented by either Donald Trump or Joe Biden, who aren’t represented by the Republicans or the Democrats,” he added. “And those Americans deserve a choice on the ballot.”