theguardian--2020-03-16--Joe Biden pledges to choose a woman as his running mate

Joe Biden has vowed to choose a woman as his running mate if he wins the Democratic presidential nomination .
“ There are a number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow , ” Biden said during the first one-on-one Democratic presidential debate on Sunday night , where the former vice-president faced off against the progressive candidate Bernie Sanders .
“ I would pick a woman to be my vice-president , ” Biden said .
It has been more than 35 years since the last time a woman was the running mate on a Democratic presidential ticket .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Geraldine Ferraro ran alongside Minnesota senator Walter Mondale , who lost to incumbent Ronald Reagan in a landslide .
Biden also reiterated his promise to make his first nominee to the supreme court an African American woman , which would be a first for the country .
Sanders declined to explicitly commit to choosing a woman as his running mate after Biden said he would .
“ In all likelihood , I will , ” Sanders said when asked .
“ My very strong tendency is to move in that direction.
” Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose a progressive running mate , and said there were progressive women to choose from .
He and Sanders have been under pressure to consider a woman or person of color as a running mate as the once historically diverse field of Democratic presidential candidates has dwindled to two white men .
Though Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard officially remains in the race , she has won just two delegates , and is not considered a serious challenger .

Joe Biden has vowed to choose a woman as his running mate if he wins the Democratic presidential nomination.
“There are a number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow,” Biden said during the first one-on-one Democratic presidential debate on Sunday night, where the former vice-president faced off against the progressive candidate Bernie Sanders.
“I would pick a woman to be my vice-president,” Biden said.
It has been more than 35 years since the last time a woman was the running mate on a Democratic presidential ticket. It was 1984 when New York congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro ran alongside Minnesota senator Walter Mondale, who lost to incumbent Ronald Reagan in a landslide.
Biden also reiterated his promise to make his first nominee to the supreme court an African American woman, which would be a first for the country.
Sanders declined to explicitly commit to choosing a woman as his running mate after Biden said he would.
“In all likelihood, I will,” Sanders said when asked. “My very strong tendency is to move in that direction.”
This video has been removed. This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Biden and Sanders bump elbows in 'hands-off' Democratic debate – video
Sanders said it was important to him to choose a progressive running mate, and said there were progressive women to choose from.
He and Sanders have been under pressure to consider a woman or person of color as a running mate as the once historically diverse field of Democratic presidential candidates has dwindled to two white men.
Though Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard officially remains in the race, she has won just two delegates, and is not considered a serious challenger.


theguardian--2020-03-16--Who won the Biden-Sanders debate? Our panelists weigh in

Jessa Crispin : ‘ Sanders was too gentle on Biden ’ Throughout this primary , I ’ ve heard supporters of other candidates complain about Bernie Sanders ’ tendency to raise his voice .
Where the hell was that yelling Bernie on Sunday night ?
His tendency to try to keep an undignified process dignified and his discomfort with going for Joe Biden ’ s throat were on clear display .
If Biden wins the nomination , he ’ s going to have to debate the least classy man ever to appear in World Wrestling Entertainment .
Bernie would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe as well – a favor by channeling gay rights king Stone Cold Steve Austin and pinning Biden on issues like how the 2008 bank bailout was disastrous for homeowners , or how his warmongering has stuck us in an endless war , or how the Violence Against Women Act that he loves to brag about did basically nothing to prevent violence in relationships .
For a while , I felt like I was watching a Beckett play , with two old men on stage talking about totally different realities , talking past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even exist within the same space and time .
Here was Bernie Sanders , acknowledging how our flawed and deteriorated health system could enable coronavirus to kill hundreds of thousands of Americans .
And here was Biden , convinced he was in Independence Day , saying the coronavirus “ is like we ’ re being attacked from abroad ” – although a bunch of people getting sick because the government is too timid to ask people not to go to a goddamn St Patrick ’ s Day bar crawl is not exactly an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the military in to deal with it , as if it were a foreign country of brown people , with oil reserves .
Once again the moderators may as well not have existed .
Jake Tapper , looking weirdly waxy and like his make-up person had dumped a bottle of 1985 Cover Girl foundation on his face and smeared it around a little , couldn ’ t even be bothered to step in when a squabble arose about whether or not Biden had made statements about cutting social security on the floor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there !
Couldn ’ t he have pulled out his phone and gone “ to the YouTube ” , as Sanders implored , to fact-check that one ?
The division between Sanders and Biden is clearer than ever .
Sanders wants lasting change , Biden wants to respond to everything as if it were a “ crisis ” and keep things pretty much the same .
But Sanders wasted the opportunity tonight to take his opponent out , and Biden managed to get through an entire conversation without glitching and threatening to punch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win for him , then .
• None Jessa Crispin is the host of the Public Intellectual podcast .
She is a Guardian US columnist Art Cullen : ‘ The debate was a first step to bringing the Democratic party together ’ Bernie Sanders did Joe Biden and the nation a great favor by serving as an amiable sparring partner Sunday evening , exposing the former vice-president ’ s weaknesses as this race is about to turn to the general election .
On healthcare , the Middle East and the power of corporate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open himself up to the progressive wing – while at the same time showing Biden the areas where he may be vulnerable to the Trump assault .
Biden opened with a strong command of the coronavirus crisis and how to marshal the world to corral it .
He was reassuring and confident in his fealty to science and facts .
Voters crave it .
Sanders reminded viewers that comprehensive healthcare would go a long ways to helping control epidemics .
Sanders challenged Biden to go farther on climate change – a major threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden did not resist .
This debate took a first step to bringing the Democratic party together , and it reminded the general electorate that competence is at hand .
Especially when Biden names a female running mate , as he pledged .
• None Art Cullen is editor of the Storm Lake Times in north-west Iowa , where he won the Pulitzer prize for editorial writing .
He is a Guardian US columnist and author of Storm Lake : Change , Resilience , and Hope , now out in paperback Benjamin Dixon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question above all others ’ Coronavirus weighed heavily on the entirety of the Democratic debate this evening .
Both Biden and Sanders gave their best suggestions for fighting the pandemic .
The approach of each candidate shows you why their campaigns are fundamentally different , even though both candidates are running under the banner of the Democratic party .
Covid-19 is uncannily tuned to expose the fundamental problems of our system – especially the fact that millions of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck working for industries that do not provide paid sick leave .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from work because of the fear that they won ’ t be able to pay their bills .
This amid a pandemic for which we have no immunity and the only way we can halt its progress is by staying home .
There is no coronavirus question discussed by the candidates tonight that doesn ’ t involve a radical transformation of the American capitalist system .
Unless the government immediately begins providing a universal basic income and places a moratorium on evictions , foreclosures , vehicle repossessions and utility disconnects , we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curve and save potentially millions of lives .
There was only one candidate on the stage who understood this , and that was Bernie Sanders .
• None Benjamin Dixon is the host of The Benjamin Dixon show Jill Filipovic : ‘ Americans deserve leadership .
Instead they got an embarrassing squabble ’ Well , that was possibly the worst debate of the entire Democratic primary .
The United States is experiencing an unprecedented crisis .
We are facing down a pandemic that could kill more than a million Americans .
A great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , made even more anxious by the fact that our current government has totally botched the coronavirus response , putting us all at tremendous and unnecessary risk .
We don ’ t have the most basic faith that , despite living in one of the most prosperous societies in the history of the world , our leaders will keep us safe .
We have a president who has failed us at every turn , and then throws up his hands and says he does not take responsibility .
In the face of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present a unified , dignified and trustworthy front .
We need them to show leadership , which means demonstrating that they can read the room ( even when there ’ s no audience ) .
And right now , the room is freaking out .
Instead , we got two old guys squabbling like they were trying to break a tie in a particularly cutthroat game of Bingo .
Much of the debate was spent bickering over who voted for what bill back when , instead of outlining what both men propose going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he squandered an opportunity to act like it .
Bernie Sanders has a newly resonant moral authority as someone long pushing for all of the policies that would patch up the holes in the American safety net – holes that have become glaringly , terrifyingly apparent as we face down this new pandemic .
Biden could have acted like the gracious and venerable leader he tells us he would be .
Sanders could have held Biden ’ s feet to the fire on what he will do if elected , instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s done in the past .
As this crisis has made astoundingly clear , we have a dangerously unqualified man in the White House , and he is already costing American lives .
Either of these candidates would be miles better than Donald Trump .
That message – if not one of unity , then at least of alignment against a mutual foe – should have been front and center .
We didn ’ t get that .
We got two angry men getting defensive and sniping at each other .
America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at this moment , we needed better , and both men failed us .
• None Jill Filipovic is the author of the The H-Spot : The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness Lloyd Green : ‘ Sanders ’ luster is gone .
The Democrats must rally around Biden ’ On Sunday , America caught a glimpse of the coming campaign : two septuagenarians battling each other without a live audience applauding and goading .
The debate changed nothing , but at the end of the evening Joe Biden was sitting on the cusp of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former vice-president is poised for lopsided wins in Arizona , Florida , Illinois and Ohio .
Without Hillary Clinton as a foil and target , Sanders ’ luster appears gone .
It is no longer his time , if it ever was .
As Biden put it : “ We have problems we have to solve now .
What ’ s a revolution going to do ?
Disrupt everything in the meantime ?
” Faced with a pestilential presidency , the Democrats are ready to rally to around the Delaware Democrat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be the rest of the country .
Nationally , the latest polls give Biden a nine-point lead over Donald Trump .
Whether Biden can sustain that edge remains to be seen .
Amid a pandemic , a battered stock market and zero-interest rates , a president disclaiming his own responsibility is more than America can afford or bear .
Unalloyed self-absolution and the Oval Office are a toxic brew .
A Biden presidency would not be flashy but it would definitely be engaged .
• None Lloyd Green was opposition research counsel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign and served in the Department of Justice from 1990 to 1992

Jessa Crispin, Art Cullen, Benjamin Dixon, Jill Filipovic and Lloyd Green

Jessa Crispin: ‘Sanders was too gentle on Biden’
Throughout this primary, I’ve heard supporters of other candidates complain about Bernie Sanders’ tendency to raise his voice. Where the hell was that yelling Bernie on Sunday night? His tendency to try to keep an undignified process dignified and his discomfort with going for Joe Biden’s throat were on clear display. If Biden wins the nomination, he’s going to have to debate the least classy man ever to appear in World Wrestling Entertainment. Bernie would have been doing us – and frankly, Joe as well – a favor by channeling gay rights king Stone Cold Steve Austin and pinning Biden on issues like how the 2008 bank bailout was disastrous for homeowners, or how his warmongering has stuck us in an endless war, or how the Violence Against Women Act that he loves to brag about did basically nothing to prevent violence in relationships.
For a while, I felt like I was watching a Beckett play, with two old men on stage talking about totally different realities, talking past one another as if they did not even exist within the same space and time. Here was Bernie Sanders, acknowledging how our flawed and deteriorated health system could enable coronavirus to kill hundreds of thousands of Americans. And here was Biden, convinced he was in Independence Day, saying the coronavirus “is like we’re being attacked from abroad” – although a bunch of people getting sick because the government is too timid to ask people not to go to a goddamn St Patrick’s Day bar crawl is not exactly an alien invasion. He talked about sending the military in to deal with it, as if it were a foreign country of brown people, with oil reserves.
Once again the moderators may as well not have existed. Jake Tapper, looking weirdly waxy and like his makeup person had dumped a bottle of 1985 Cover Girl foundation on his face and smeared it around a little, couldn’t even be bothered to step in when a squabble arose about whether or not Biden had made statements about cutting social security on the floor of the Senate. He was just sitting there! Couldn’t he have pulled out his phone and gone “to the YouTube”, as Sanders implored, to factcheck that one?
The division between Sanders and Biden is clearer than ever. Sanders wants lasting change, Biden wants to respond to everything as if it were a “crisis” and keep things pretty much the same. But Sanders wasted the opportunity tonight to take his opponent out, and Biden managed to get through an entire conversation without glitching and threatening to punch someone in the face. So a win for him, then.
Jessa Crispin is the host of the Public Intellectual podcast. She is a Guardian US columnist
Art Cullen: ‘The debate was a first step to bringing the Democratic party together’
Bernie Sanders did Joe Biden and the nation a great favor by serving as an amiable sparring partner on Sunday evening, exposing the former vice-president’s weaknesses as this race is about to turn to the general election. On healthcare, the Middle East and the power of corporate influence, Sanders tried to help Biden open himself up to the progressive wing – while at the same time showing Biden the areas where he may be vulnerable to the Trump assault.
It reminded the general electorate that competence is at hand
Biden opened with a strong command of the coronavirus crisis and how to marshal the world to corral it. He was reassuring and confident in his fealty to science and facts. Voters crave it. Sanders reminded viewers that comprehensive healthcare would go a long ways to helping control epidemics. Sanders challenged Biden to go farther on climate change – a major threat in terms of infectious disease – and Biden did not resist. This debate took a first step to bringing the Democratic party together, and it reminded the general electorate that competence is at hand. Especially when Biden names a female running mate, as he pledged.
Art Cullen is editor of the Storm Lake Times in north-west Iowa, where he won the Pulitzer prize for editorial writing. He is a Guardian US columnist and author of Storm Lake: Change, Resilience, and Hope, now out in paperback
Benjamin Dixon: ‘The coronavirus crisis was the question above all others’
Coronavirus weighed heavily on the entirety of the Democratic debate this evening. Both Biden and Sanders gave their best suggestions for fighting the pandemic. The approach of each candidate shows you why their campaigns are fundamentally different, even though both candidates are running under the banner of the Democratic party.
Covid-19 is uncannily tuned to expose the fundamental problems of our system – especially the fact that millions of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck working for industries that do not provide paid sick leave. American workers cannot fathom staying home from work because of the fear that they won’t be able to pay their bills. This amid a pandemic for which we have no immunity and the only way we can halt its progress is by staying home.
There is no coronavirus question discussed by the candidates tonight that doesn’t involve a radical transformation of the American capitalist system. Unless the government immediately begins providing a universal basic income and places a moratorium on evictions, foreclosures, vehicle repossessions and utility disconnects, we will not be able to flatten the pandemic curve and save potentially millions of lives. There was only one candidate on the stage who understood this, and that was Bernie Sanders.
Benjamin Dixon is the host of The Benjamin Dixon show
Jill Filipovic: ‘Americans deserve leadership. Instead they got an embarrassing squabble’
Well, that was possibly the worst debate of the entire Democratic primary.
The United States is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. We are facing down a pandemic that could kill more than a million Americans. A great many of us are self-isolating at home, made even more anxious by the fact that our current government has totally botched the coronavirus response, putting us all at tremendous and unnecessary risk. We don’t have the most basic faith that, despite living in one of the most prosperous societies in the history of the world, our leaders will keep us safe. We have a president who has failed us at every turn, and then throws up his hands and says he does not take responsibility.
We need Democrats to present a unified, dignified and trustworthy front
In the face of all of this, we need Democrats to present a unified, dignified and trustworthy front. We need them to show leadership, which means demonstrating that they can read the room (even when there’s no audience). And right now, the room is freaking out.
Instead, we got two old guys squabbling like they were trying to break a tie in a particularly cutthroat game of bingo.
Much of the debate was spent bickering over who voted for what bill back when, instead of outlining what both men propose going forward. Joe Biden is the frontrunner and he squandered an opportunity to act like it. Bernie Sanders has a newly resonant moral authority as someone long pushing for all of the policies that would patch up the holes in the American safety net – holes that have become glaringly, terrifyingly apparent as we face down this new pandemic. Biden could have acted like the gracious and venerable leader he tells us he would be. Sanders could have held Biden’s feet to the fire on what he will do if elected, instead of rehashing the minute details of what he’s done in the past.
As this crisis has made astoundingly clear, we have a dangerously unqualified man in the White House, and he is already costing American lives. Either of these candidates would be miles better than Donald Trump. That message – if not one of unity, then at least of alignment against a mutual foe – should have been front and center.
We didn’t get that. We got two angry men getting defensive and sniping at each other. America didn’t just deserve better – at this moment, we needed better, and both men failed us.
Jill Filipovic is the author of the The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness
Lloyd Green: ‘Sanders’ luster is gone. The Democrats must rally around Biden’
On Sunday, America caught a glimpse of the coming campaign: two septuagenarians battling each other without a live audience applauding and goading. The debate changed nothing, but at the end of the evening Joe Biden was sitting on the cusp of the Democratic nomination. Come Tuesday, the former vice-president is poised for lopsided wins in Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio.
Without Hillary Clinton as a foil and target, Sanders’ luster appears gone. It is no longer his time, if it ever was. As Biden put it: “We have problems we have to solve now. What’s a revolution going to do? Disrupt everything in the meantime?”
Faced with a pestilential presidency, the Democrats are ready to rally to around the Delaware Democrat. Even better for Biden, so too may be the rest of the country. Nationally, the latest polls give Biden a nine-point lead over Donald Trump. Whether Biden can sustain that edge remains to be seen.
Amid a pandemic, a battered stock market and zero-interest rates, a president disclaiming his own responsibility is more than America can afford or bear. Unalloyed self-absolution and the Oval Office are a toxic brew. A Biden presidency would not be flashy but it would definitely be engaged.


theguardian--2020-03-16--Sanders and Biden were far apart on how to survive the disaster ahead | Richard Wolffe

This is no time for presidential debates and wild promises from the candidates .
It ’ s also no time for presidential tweets and wild promises from the incumbent .
The split screen of Sunday ’ s debate was not between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders ; it was between the cold hard reality of a global pandemic and the cold dead arguments about negative TV ads .
There is only one issue in front of American voters , and it is the reason they are emptying supermarket shelves and wondering how they will pay their bills this month and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past votes in the Senate , who supported the war in Iraq , or how to unite the Democratic party .
It ’ s about how to survive the health and financial disaster that lies ahead .
On that issue , Biden and Sanders were even further apart than their socially-distanced podiums on CNN ’ s debate set .
Biden ’ s reaction to the pandemic was a glimpse into what Obama ’ s staffers called the shit sandwich they were handed by their predecessors : notably the financial collapse and great recession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swine flu pandemic and the Ebola crisis .
Sanders ’ reaction was a critique of the system , a big picture view of the structural reforms needed for long-term change : from campaign finance reform to a nationalized healthcare system .
Biden spoke like a man who had worked in the Situation Room to marshal the forces of the federal government .
Sanders spoke like a man who wanted to build a new federal government .
“ This is like a war , and in a war you do whatever is needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , ” said the former vice-president .
That meant widespread testing , deploying the military to set up hundreds of temporary hospital beds , and rapid economic support for the whole country .
For his part , Sanders sounded less interested in waging war on the coronavirus , and more determined to wage war on the political system .
“ It ’ s clear this crisis is only making a bad situation worse , ” said the Vermont senator .
“ In a good year , without the epidemic , we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die every year because they don ’ t get to a doctor on time.
” This was a strangely obtuse debate between two disputatious old men .
Quite apart from the urgent need to talk about the pandemic , their own argument has already been resolved by the voters who gave Joe Biden a wide delegate lead over the last few weeks .
“ As much as we can , we hope this will be a conversation between the two of you , ” said CNN ’ s moderator , Jake Tapper , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If they were genuine , CNN ’ s hopes were dashed within minutes .
Biden knew that Sanders would turn the coronavirus conversation towards his favorite topic of a socialized healthcare system known as Medicare For All .
So Biden pointed out early and often that Italy ’ s socialized system had not stopped the pandemic .
“ With all due respect to Medicare For All , you have a single payer system in Italy , ” Biden said .
“ It doesn ’ t work there .
It has nothing to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not solve the problem at all.
” But the debate about healthcare was really an argument about something much bigger : was this the time to turn the government around or to blow it up ?
“ People are looking for results , not a revolution , ” Biden said about the response to the pandemic .
“ They want to deal with the results they need right now.
” The candidate formerly considered an insurgent did a fine job of pinning Biden down on his past readiness to include social security in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of details about how he would address the climate crisis .
But scoring points doesn ’ t count for much when the economy is in freefall and America ’ s cities are shutting down to slow the pandemic ’ s spread .
And it counts for even less when Biden has all but won the nomination already .
Sanders tried to make the case that Biden was propped up by big money and the party establishment .
“ You need to take on Wall Street .
You need to take on the drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fossil fuel industry , ” he said .
“ You don ’ t take campaign contributions from them .
You take them on and create an economy that works for all.
” Biden ’ s response amounted to turning his pockets inside out .
“ Bernie ’ s implication is somehow I am being funded by millionaires , ” he said .
“ In the last Super Tuesday and before that , Bernie outspent me two , three , four , five , six-to-one .
I didn ’ t have any money , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear : both the surviving Democratic candidates sounded more pandemically plausible than a president who was still tweeting yesterday about Hillary Clinton ’ s emails , his former national security adviser ( who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI ) , and the Senate Democratic leader ’ s comments about the US supreme court .
It ’ s almost as if Donald Trump spends his days trying to distract the nation from the fact that he is fundamentally useless at his job .
In the meantime , both the septuagenarian candidates face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus that appears to be most life-threatening to people of their own age group .
“ I ’ m very careful about the people I ’ m interacting with , ” Sanders said , ignoring the question about his recent heart attack .
“ I ’ m using a lot of soap and hand sanitizers to make sure that I do not get the infection.
” “ Well fortunately I don ’ t have any of the underlying conditions you talked about and have to worry about , ” observed Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while also saying he was washing his hands all day .
It was that kind of night : a desperately personal debate about all the small stuff we used to care about , and a desperately small debate about all the personal stuff we currently obsess about .

This is no time for presidential debates and wild promises from the candidates. It’s also no time for presidential tweets and wild promises from the incumbent.
The split screen of Sunday’s debate was not between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders; it was between the cold hard reality of a global pandemic and the cold dead arguments about negative TV ads.
There is only one issue in front of American voters, and it is the reason they are emptying supermarket shelves and wondering how they will pay their bills this month and next.
That issue is not about past votes in the Senate, who supported the war in Iraq, or how to unite the Democratic party. It’s about how to survive the health and financial disaster that lies ahead.
On that issue, Biden and Sanders were even further apart than their socially distanced podiums on CNN’s debate set.
Biden’s reaction to the pandemic was a glimpse into what Obama’s staffers called the shit sandwich they were handed by their predecessors: notably the financial collapse and great recession of 2009. Not to mention the swine flu pandemic and the Ebola crisis.
Sanders’ reaction was a critique of the system, a big picture view of the structural reforms needed for long-term change: from campaign finance reform to a nationalized healthcare system.
Biden spoke like a man who had worked in the Situation Room to marshal the forces of the federal government. Sanders spoke like a man who wanted to build a new federal government.
“This is like a war, and in a war you do whatever is needed to be done to take care of your people,” said the former vice-president. That meant widespread testing, deploying the military to set up hundreds of temporary hospital beds, and rapid economic support for the whole country.
For his part, Sanders sounded less interested in waging war on the coronavirus, and more determined to wage war on the political system.
“It’s clear this crisis is only making a bad situation worse,” said the Vermont senator. “In a good year, without the epidemic, we’re losing up to 60,000 people who die every year because they don’t get to a doctor on time.”
This was a strangely obtuse debate between two disputatious old men. Quite apart from the urgent need to talk about the pandemic, their own argument has already been resolved by the voters who gave Joe Biden a wide delegate lead over the last few weeks.
“As much as we can, we hope this will be a conversation between the two of you,” said CNN’s moderator, Jake Tapper, as he kicked off the debate.
If they were genuine, CNN’s hopes were dashed within minutes.
Biden knew that Sanders would turn the coronavirus conversation towards his favorite topic of a socialized healthcare system known as Medicare for All. So Biden pointed out early and often that Italy’s socialized system had not stopped the pandemic.
“With all due respect to Medicare for All, you have a single-payer system in Italy,” Biden said. “It doesn’t work there. It has nothing to do with Medicare for All. That would not solve the problem at all.”
But the debate about healthcare was really an argument about something much bigger: was this the time to turn the government around or to blow it up?
“People are looking for results, not a revolution,” Biden said about the response to the pandemic. “They want to deal with the results they need right now.”
The candidate formerly considered an insurgent did a fine job of pinning Biden down on his past readiness to include social security in budget debates, and on his lack of details about how he would address the climate crisis.
But scoring points doesn’t count for much when the economy is in freefall and America’s cities are shutting down to slow the pandemic’s spread. And it counts for even less when Biden has all but won the nomination already.
Sanders tried to make the case that Biden was propped up by big money and the party establishment. “You need to take on Wall Street. You need to take on the drug companies and the insurance companies and the fossil fuel industry,” he said. “You don’t take campaign contributions from them. You take them on and create an economy that works for all.”
Biden’s response amounted to turning his pockets inside out. “Bernie’s implication is somehow I am being funded by millionaires,” he said. “In the last Super Tuesday and before that, Bernie outspent me two, three, four, five, six-to-one. I didn’t have any money, and I still won.”
To be clear: both the surviving Democratic candidates sounded more pandemically plausible than a president who was still tweeting yesterday about Hillary Clinton’s emails, his former national security adviser (who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI), and the Senate Democratic leader’s comments about the US supreme court.
It’s almost as if Donald Trump spends his days trying to distract the nation from the fact that he is fundamentally useless at his job.
In the meantime, both the septuagenarian candidates face a more pressing challenge: keeping clear of the virus that appears to be most life-threatening to people of their own age group.
“I’m very careful about the people I’m interacting with,” Sanders said, ignoring the question about his recent heart attack. “I’m using a lot of soap and hand sanitizers to make sure that I do not get the infection.”
“Well fortunately I don’t have any of the underlying conditions you talked about and have to worry about,” observed Biden, swiping at his slightly older rival, while also saying he was washing his hands all day.
It was that kind of night: a desperately personal debate about all the small stuff we used to care about, and a desperately small debate about all the personal stuff we currently obsess about.


theguardian--2020-03-16--US coronavirus live: millions of Californians told to 'shelter-in-place'

California is prepared to spend $ 1bn on emergency coronavirus aid , governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday .
Newsom has @ @ @ @ @ immediately free up $ 500 million to address coronavirus , a fund that will be @ @ @ @ @ needed until reaching a maximum of $ 1bn .
These funds will also go towards @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus among homeless communities , providing hotel beds for the unsheltered .
“ Our state @ @ @ @ @ our world are facing a challenge unprecedented in modern times , ” Newsom said in @ @ @ @ @ and Senate .
“ The COVID-19 pandemic compels us all to find new ways of @ @ @ @ @ we must also seek out new ways of staying apart .

Kari Paul (now), Joan E Greve, Kenya Evelyn and Martin Belam (earlier)

17 Mar 2020 00.47 GMT Thanks for reading our blog on this exhausting news day! Here are some news points to keep in mind: San Francisco’s “shelter-in-place” lockdown leaves room for Californians to do outdoor activities like hike and walk.
The CDC announced its first employee sick with coronavirus.
California is set to spend up to $1bn on coronavirus relief. That’s all from me folks! Stay home if you can, and stay safe.
17 Mar 2020 00.40 GMT Evening Summary Thanks for reading our blog on this exhausting news day! Here are some news points to keep in mind: San Francisco’s “shelter-in-place lockdown leaves room for Californians to do outdoor activities like hike and walk.
The CDC announced its first employee sick with coronavirus.
California is set to pay up to $1bn in corona relief. That’s all from me folks! Stay home if you can, and stay safe.
Updated at 00.43 GMT
17 Mar 2020 00.26 GMT Chris McGreal The mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, has ordered the closure of all bars and restaurants except for pick-up and delivery, and barred gatherings of more than 10 people in line with the president’s recommendation. Quinton Lucas also announced extensive school closures from Wednesday and stopped visits to retirement homes and long term care facilities. Although concerts and other events had already been cancelled, many Kansas City bars and restaurants remained open although with a sharp fall in regular business. “We understand these drastic measures will have unprecedented impacts on our local businesses and working families and recognize that this is one of the most challenging periods our city and nation has ever faced,” Lucas said in a tweet. There have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Kansas City, Missouri, but there has been one death of a 70-year-old man in a long term care facility in Kansas City, Kansas, as well as five confirmed cases in nearby Johnston county.
Updated at 00.48 GMT
17 Mar 2020 00.02 GMT Donald Trump tweeted about Covid-19 on Monday calling it “the Chinese virus” and promising to take steps to mitigate its effects on US industries. The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 16, 2020
Updated at 00.03 GMT
16 Mar 2020 23.48 GMT California is being forced to halt census outreach due to coronavirus, threatening the state’s ability to get an accurate count of its population, according to a report from Cal Matters. From the report: State and community organizers are particularly concerned about this year’s survey. California faces powerful headwinds, not only from the mounting threat of COVID-19, the infection caused by the virus, but also from widespread distrust sowed by the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies, including a failed push to include a citizenship question on the census. For California, the stakes have never been higher: A low turnout could jeopardize one of the state’s 53 congressional seats, along with billions in federal funding.
16 Mar 2020 23.39 GMT California is prepared to spend $1bn on emergency coronavirus aid, Gavin Newsom announced Monday. The state’s governor has asked the state legislature to immediately free up $500m to address coronavirus, a fund that will be increased by $50m as needed until reaching a maximum of $1bn. These funds will also go towards local governments to help address coronavirus among homeless communities, providing hotel beds for the unsheltered. “Our state, our nation, and our world are facing a challenge unprecedented in modern times,” Newsom said in a letter to the assembly and senate. “The Covid-19 pandemic compels us all to find new ways of coming together, even as we must also seek out new ways of staying apart.
Updated at 23.58 GMT
16 Mar 2020 23.18 GMT The California governor, Gavin Newsom, posted on Monday a number of measures residents of the state can take to help during the coronavirus epidemic. A few ways you can help out your community 👇 pic.twitter.com/Sd5RlgRy11 — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 16, 2020 It suggests donating to a shelter, delivering meals to seniors and creating hygiene kits to drop off to people experiencing homelessness.
Updated at 23.58 GMT
16 Mar 2020 23.14 GMT Health secretary announces Covid-19 vaccine trial A trial evaluating a vaccine to protect against Covid-19 has begun at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is funding the trial, announced. The trial is the first of its kind in the world, the HHS secretary, Alex Azar, said in a statement. “When the world faces a new public health threat, so often, American scientists and entrepreneurs have been the first to start uncovering ways to fight back”, he said. “The president’s whole-of-government, whole-of-America approach is using our best minds and all the resources we have to protect the American people from this unprecedented threat.”
The study is evaluating different doses of the experimental vaccine for safety and its ability to induce an immune response in participants. The vaccine was developed by NIAID scientists and their collaborators at the biotechnology company Moderna, Inc.; the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) supported the clinical manufacturing of the vaccine candidate.
Updated at 00.00 GMT
16 Mar 2020 23.02 GMT William Barr, the US attorney general, sent out a directive on Monday to US attorneys telling them to focus investigating and prosecuting criminals taking advantage of the Covid-19 crisis to scam Americans. This includes fake cures for the coronavirus being peddled online and phishing emails from scammers posing as the World Health organization or the CDC. “This pandemic is dangerous enough without wrongdoers seeking to profit from public panic and this sort of conduct cannot be tolerated”, Barr wrote.
Updated at 23.07 GMT


theguardian--2020-03-16--Trump says coronavirus upheaval could last beyond August

Subdued into realism , Donald Trump has warned that social upheaval caused by the coronavirus outbreak could last beyond August .
The US president , who previously claimed the virus would soon disappear “ like a miracle ” , struck a less bombastic tone on Monday and sought to manage expectations when asked how long “ the new normal ” will be in place .
“ We ’ ll see what happens but they think August , could be July , ” Trump told reporters at the White House , “ Could be longer than that.
” He added : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my son .
He said : ‘ How bad is this ?
’ It ’ s bad .
It ’ s bad.
” On another day of nationwide upheaval and tumbling stocks , with US confirmed cases of coronavirus surpassing 4,000 , Trump unveiled aggressive new guidelines for the next 15 days in a bid to slow the spread of the virus .
He urged Americans to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people and said citizens should avoid discretionary travel and not go to bars , restaurants , food courts or gyms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home .
The advice came after weeks of criticism that federal government inaction has created a vacuum , notably with lack of testing kits , forcing state and local leaders to step in by cancelling events and closing schools .
“ We ’ ve made the decision to further toughen the guidelines and blunt the infection now , ” Trump said .
“ We ’ d much rather be ahead of the curve than behind it .
“ If everyone makes these critical changes and sacrifices now , we will rally together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus.
” The White House coronavirus taskforce pleaded with young people to follow the new guidelines even though they were at lesser risk of suffering if they contract the virus .
Older people , especially those with underlying health problems , are at the greatest risk .
Dr Deborah Birx , White House coronavirus response coordinator , told reporters : “ If everybody in America does what we ask for over the next 15 days , we will see a dramatic difference , ” If one person in a household becomes infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 days , Birx added .
As financial markets suffered their worst day since 1987 , Trump acknowledged that a recession is possible but promised the economy will eventually rebound .
Facing a tough re-election contest in November , Trump has long tied his own political fortunes to the stock market .
Calling the virus an “ invisible enemy ” , he said : “ We ’ re not thinking in terms of recession , we ’ re thinking in terms of the virus … The market will take care of itself.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 % ” but offered no details on support for the industry which has been hit suddenly and hard , especially by the US banning most travel from the UK and the EU .
Trump denied that a nationwide curfew is under consideration and said he was not in favour of postponing the election .
It should still be possible for G7 leaders to meet at the Camp David retreat in Maryland in June , he added .
The US supreme court postponed oral arguments for the first time in more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1918 , due to the Spanish flu epidemic .
On Capitol Hill , a nearly empty House of Representatives met to adopt a resolution to make what were described as technical changes to a coronavirus response measure .
It will probably pass the Senate this week .
Hospitals are bracing for an influx of coronavirus patients that could expose shortages of beds and equipment and leave them overwhelmed .
Trump was criticised for again abandoning state governors when he reportedly told them to get their own ventilators for coronavirus sufferers during a conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of the equipment – try getting it yourselves , ” he told the governors , according to a recording obtained by the New York Times .
“ We will be backing you , but try getting it yourselves .
Point of sales , much better , much more direct if you can get it yourself.
” After the call , Trump painted a rosy picture but took a swipe at Andrew Cuomo , the Democratic governor of New York , where the president was born and built his business .
He tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tele-conference with Nation ’ s Governors .
Went very well .
Cuomo of New York has to ‘ do more ’ .
” Cuomo , also on Twitter , snapped back : “ I have to do more ?
No YOU have to do something !
You ’ re supposed to be the President.
” He added : “ Happy to do your job , too .
Just give me control of the Army Corps of Engineers and I ’ ll take it from there.
” Earlier Cuomo had announced a regional agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Connecticut to shut all cinemas , casinos and gyms as of 8pm .
Restaurants and bars in the three states - home to more than 22 million – will serve takeout and delivery only .
Trump was asked about the Twitter spat with Cuomo at Monday ’ s White House briefing .
“ I think he can do more , ” he told reporters .
“ It ’ s an area of the country that ’ s very hot right now .
New Rochelle , a place I know very well , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it ’ s an area that has to be tamped down even more cause it ’ s a hotbed , there ’ s no question about it , ” he said , referring to a suburb of New York City that became a coronavirus cluster and was put under restrictions last week .
Reporters at the briefing staggered their seating , sitting in every other seat in the White House briefing room , to follow social distancing recommendations .
Although Trump ’ s tone had appreciably shifted , some of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One journalist asked him to give himself marks out of 10 for his response to the outbreak .
“ I ’ d rate it a 10 , ” Trump said .
“ I think we ’ ve done a great job .
”

Subdued into realism, Donald Trump has warned that social upheaval caused by the coronavirus outbreak could last beyond August.
The US president, who previously claimed the virus would soon disappear “like a miracle”, struck a less bombastic tone on Monday and sought to manage expectations when asked how long “the new normal” will be in place.
“We’ll see what happens but they think August, could be July,” Trump told reporters at the White House, “Could be longer than that.”
He added: “I’ve spoken actually with my son. He said: ‘How bad is this?’ It’s bad. It’s bad.”
On another day of nationwide upheaval and tumbling stocks, with US confirmed cases of coronavirus surpassing 4,000, Trump unveiled aggressive new guidelines for the next 15 days in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
He urged Americans to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people and said citizens should avoid discretionary travel and not go to bars, restaurants, food courts or gyms. Older people are asked to stay at home.
The advice came after weeks of criticism that federal government inaction has created a vacuum, notably with lack of testing kits, forcing state and local leaders to step in by cancelling events and closing schools.
“We’ve made the decision to further toughen the guidelines and blunt the infection now,” Trump said. “We’d much rather be ahead of the curve than behind it.
“If everyone makes these critical changes and sacrifices now, we will rally together as one nation and we will defeat the virus.”
In a tweet late on Monday, Trump joined other Republicans in labeling the Covid-19 “the Chinese virus”, an effort that has drawn widespread criticism for its stigmatizing of the country.
The White House coronavirus taskforce pleaded with young people to follow the new guidelines even though they were at lesser risk of suffering if they contract the virus. Older people, especially those with underlying health problems, are at the greatest risk.
Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, told reporters: “If everybody in America does what we ask for over the next 15 days, we will see a dramatic difference.”
If one person in a household becomes infected, the whole household should self-quarantine for 14 days, Birx added.
As financial markets suffered their worst day since 1987, Trump acknowledged that a recession is possible but promised the economy will eventually rebound. Facing a tough re-election contest in November, Trump has long tied his own political fortunes to the stock market.
Calling the virus an “invisible enemy”, he said: “We’re not thinking in terms of recession, we’re thinking in terms of the virus … The market will take care of itself.”
He promised to “back the airlines 100%” but offered no details on support for the industry which has been hit suddenly and hard, especially by the US banning most travel from the UK and the EU.
Trump denied that a nationwide curfew is under consideration and said he was not in favour of postponing the election. It should still be possible for G7 leaders to meet at the Camp David retreat in Maryland in June, he added.
The US supreme court postponed oral arguments for the first time in more than a century; the last time was in 1918, due to the Spanish flu epidemic. On Capitol Hill, a nearly empty House of Representatives met to adopt a resolution to make what were described as technical changes to a coronavirus response measure. It will probably pass the Senate this week.
Hospitals are bracing for an influx of coronavirus patients that could expose shortages of beds and equipment and leave them overwhelmed. Trump was criticised for again abandoning state governors when he reportedly told them to get their own ventilators for coronavirus sufferers during a conference call.
“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment – try getting it yourselves,” he told the governors, according to a recording obtained by the New York Times. “We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Point of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself.”
After the call, Trump painted a rosy picture but took a swipe at Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic governor of New York, where the president was born and built his business. He tweeted: “Just had a very good tele-conference with Nation’s Governors. Went very well. Cuomo of New York has to ‘do more’.”
Cuomo, also on Twitter, snapped back: “I have to do more? No YOU have to do something! You’re supposed to be the President.”
He added: “Happy to do your job, too. Just give me control of the Army Corps of Engineers and I’ll take it from there.”
Earlier Cuomo had announced a regional agreement with New Jersey, New York and Connecticut to shut all cinemas, casinos and gyms as of 8pm. Restaurants and bars in the three states - home to more than 22 million – will serve takeout and delivery only.
Trump was asked about the Twitter spat with Cuomo at Monday’s White House briefing. “I think he can do more,” he told reporters. “It’s an area of the country that’s very hot right now. New Rochelle, a place I know very well, I grew up right near New Rochelle. I think it’s an area that has to be tamped down even more cause it’s a hotbed, there’s no question about it,” he said, referring to a suburb of New York City that became a coronavirus cluster and was put under restrictions last week.
Reporters at the briefing staggered their seating, sitting in every other seat in the White House briefing room, to follow social distancing recommendations.
Although Trump’s tone had appreciably shifted, some of his more typical braggadocio style was still evident. One journalist asked him to give himself marks out of 10 for his response to the outbreak. “I’d rate it a 10,” Trump said. “I think we’ve done a great job.”


theguardian--2020-03-16--Joe Biden's pledge to name a woman as running mate fires speculation

Joe Biden has long been expected to pick a woman or a minority figure – or someone who is both – as his pick for vice-president , should he win the Democratic nomination to face Donald Trump in November .
During his debate with Bernie Sanders in Washington on Sunday , the former vice-president made it official .
He would name a woman as his running mate , he said – and also put an African American woman on the supreme court .
“ I ’ ll pick a woman to be vice-president , ” Biden said .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ qualified to be president tomorrow.
” The California senator Kamala Harris and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams are two names most commonly mentioned in Democratic circles .
Harris ran against Biden in the primary and landed memorable blows on him in an early debate , but endorsed him after dropping out .
Neither she nor Abrams has said they would turn down an offer to join a Biden ticket .
However , Biden ’ s comments during the debate , and those of senior campaign officials in a post-debate call with reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar and Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren , also former rivals for the nomination , could also be selected .
The hard criterion is that the pick will be a woman who both works well with Biden and balances the ticket .
“ He has to balance out who he is , ” said Steve Phillips , a top party donor and the founder of Democracy in Color .
“ He ’ s an old white man so logically he should have a young woman of color to balance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have some strength with some of the white suburban voters but he ’ s going to need turnout with young people , that was the cornerstone of the Obama-Biden ticket .
So if there ’ s one thing people are not about Joe Biden , it ’ s enthusiastic .
But if he has someone like a Stacey Abrams on his ticket , the level of enthusiasm there would just be dramatically different.
” Phillips said his organization and a number of others had been discussing sending a letter to Biden and Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person of color .
Biden advisers , as any advisers would with the nomination still to be won , are loth to go into more detail about their candidate ’ s thinking .
But in the post-debate call , Symone Sanders , a senior adviser , said : “ He has said that the qualification for vice-president for him would be someone that is simpatico with him , as he would like to say.
” She added , unequivocally : “ It will be a woman.
” Abrams has arguably been the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ticket .
She met with the former vice-president in the early days of the campaign , as his advisers floated the idea of naming a running mate early .
“ Leader Abrams would be honored to be asked to join the ticket , ” Seth Bringman , a spokesman for Fair Fight , Abrams ’ voting rights group , said in a statement after Sunday ’ s debate , referring to her former position in the Georgia state house .
“ For now , she is focused on leading national efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accurate census.
” Biden ’ s comments ignited a new level of speculation .
On Monday , the Michigan governor , Gretchen Whitmer , who is seen as a rising star in the Democratic party , said she did not expect to join Biden in the general election .
Biden endorsed Whitmer during her 2018 campaign and on Monday she said she would “ help him vet and make sure he ’ s got a great running mate ” .
“ It is not going to be me but I ’ m going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sure that he has got a roundabout ticket that can win , ” Whitmer said .
Picking a woman cuts out contenders including Cory Booker , a senator from New Jersey , and the former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg , both of whom mounted their own presidential campaigns .
During Sunday ’ s debate , Sanders was also asked about his thinking .
The Vermont senator ’ s path to the nomination is increasingly narrow but it has not closed entirely .
After digressing , he said he was moving in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In all likelihood , I will , ” Sanders said .
“ For me , it ’ s not just nominating a woman , it is making sure that we have a progressive woman and there are progressive women out there .
So my very strong tendency is to move in that direction .
”

Joe Biden has long been expected to pick a woman or a minority figure – or someone who is both – as his pick for vice-president, should he win the Democratic nomination to face Donald Trump in November.
During his debate with Bernie Sanders in Washington on Sunday, the former vice-president made it official. He would name a woman as his running mate, he said – and also put an African American woman on the supreme court.
“I’ll pick a woman to be vice-president,” Biden said. “There are a number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow.”
The California senator Kamala Harris and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams are two names most commonly mentioned in Democratic circles.
Harris ran against Biden in the primary and landed memorable blows on him in an early debate, but endorsed him after dropping out. Neither she nor Abrams has said they would turn down an offer to join a Biden ticket.
However, Biden’s comments during the debate, and those of senior campaign officials in a post-debate call with reporters, made it clear that the likes of the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar and Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, also former rivals for the nomination, could also be selected. The hard criterion is that the pick will be a woman who both works well with Biden and balances the ticket.
“He has to balance out who he is,” said Steve Phillips, a top party donor and the founder of Democracy in Color. “He’s an old white man so logically he should have a young woman of color to balance the ticket out.
“He will have some strength with some of the white suburban voters but he’s going to need turnout with young people, that was the cornerstone of the Obama-Biden ticket. So if there’s one thing people are not about Joe Biden, it’s enthusiastic. But if he has someone like a Stacey Abrams on his ticket, the level of enthusiasm there would just be dramatically different.”
Phillips said his organization and a number of others had been discussing sending a letter to Biden and Sanders, urging them to commit to a person of color.
Biden advisers, as any advisers would with the nomination still to be won, are loth to go into more detail about their candidate’s thinking. But in the post-debate call, Symone Sanders, a senior adviser, said: “He has said that the qualification for vice-president for him would be someone that is simpatico with him, as he would like to say.”
She added, unequivocally: “It will be a woman.”
Stacey Abrams, pictured with Joe Biden, in Selma, Alabama, on 1 March, indicated she would be honoured to join the ticket. Photograph: Curtis Compton/AP
Abrams has arguably been the most open about her willingness to join Biden on the ticket. She met with the former vice-president in the early days of the campaign, as his advisers floated the idea of naming a running mate early.
“Leader Abrams would be honored to be asked to join the ticket,” Seth Bringman, a spokesman for Fair Fight, Abrams’ voting rights group, said in a statement after Sunday’s debate, referring to her former position in the Georgia state house.
“For now, she is focused on leading national efforts to stop voter suppression and ensure an accurate census.”
Biden’s comments ignited a new level of speculation. On Monday, the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, who is seen as a rising star in the Democratic party, said she did not expect to join Biden in the general election.
Biden endorsed Whitmer during her 2018 campaign and on Monday she said she would “help him vet and make sure he’s got a great running mate”.
“It is not going to be me but I’m going to have a hand in helping him make sure that he has got a roundabout ticket that can win,” Whitmer said.
Picking a woman cuts out contenders including Cory Booker, a senator from New Jersey, and the former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, both of whom mounted their own presidential campaigns.
During Sunday’s debate, Sanders was also asked about his thinking. The Vermont senator’s path to the nomination is increasingly narrow but it has not closed entirely. After digressing, he said he was moving in the direction of picking a woman.
“In all likelihood, I will,” Sanders said. “For me, it’s not just nominating a woman, it is making sure that we have a progressive woman and there are progressive women out there. So my very strong tendency is to move in that direction.”


theguardian--2020-03-16--Florida primary will test impact of former felons' new right to vote

Tonia Martinez doesn ’ t remember the last time she voted – she guesses it was about two decades ago .
The Florida native ’ s first brush with the prison system was in 1992 but she said her real struggle started in 2010 when she was convicted of a felony and sentenced to 19 months in a Broward county facility .
When she was released she did everything she was supposed to do : she paid her court fees and got a job at an Ihop closer to her hometown in Palmetto , Florida .
Getting her voting rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as people in her situation are known , had to fill out paperwork and be individually granted clemency from the governor .
Martinez , who is now 51 , spent months trying to get her voting rights back .
“ This is something my ancestors fought for , ” she said .
But every time she sent in a form , or wrote an email , she was told there was another step or another problem .
“ I read somewhere about even if you ’ ve did your time , paid your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an active part of the community , the chances of the governor granting you clemency was little to none , ” she said .
“ That ’ s when I gave up.
” That changed at the end of 2018 , when Florida passed a constitutional amendment granting people with prior felony convictions the right to vote after they complete their sentence , including parole and probation .
Amendment 4 , as it often called , gives an estimated 1.4 million people the right to vote .
This Tuesday , as millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential primary , the impact of amendment 4 will be visible for the first time on such a scale .
In a state where elections are often won by razor-thin margins , that could mean changing the political makeup of Florida , as well as offering another pathway for people leaving the prison system to re-entering their community .
“ I expect there to be an increase in the 2020 primary turnout , ” said US representative Darren Soto , who represents a swath of central Florida that includes Orlando .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers.
” But there are still barriers for people with prior felony convictions .
For one , the Republican legislature ’ s attempts to place restrictions on the law – such as requiring former felons to pay off all court fines and fees associated with their sentence – have created confusion .
“ We ’ ll never know the size of that group that was made eligible but was deterred , ” said Marc Mauer , executive director of The Sentencing Project , a criminal justice advocacy group in Washington DC .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year the Guardian reported that Florida ’ s supervisors of elections were still unclear as to which crimes were exempt from the law .
States with similar laws often decide that some crimes – such as murder or rape – mean losing voting rights permanently .
Some returning citizens are also grappling with the registration process , which can prove confusing for any Florida residents who change address or party affiliation .
Tracey Washington was an avid voter until 2017 , when she was convicted of a fraud-related felony at her workplace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months in prison .
She said it was a particularly difficult time : her father was incarcerated when she was young and she had experienced the trauma her family suffered .
“ That six months was very – I don ’ t know what word to use for it – it was an experience , ” she said .
“ I was away from my kids , from my grandchildren .
It just really drained me mentally.
” When Washington was released earlier this year , she was embarrassed but relieved and started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court fees of $ 646 and started working part-time at a dry cleaners .
She lives with her extended family , is saving money to rent her own apartment again and has started a not-for-profit for children with incarcerated parents .
She has also tried to register to vote , but she hasn ’ t received her voter registration card or any confirmation .
Since she doesn ’ t see any barriers after amendment 4 that would stop her , she plans to go to the polling center in Manatee county in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hoping things go smoothly .
Mauer said it was difficult to tell how many people like Washington and Martinez , who are eligible to vote , will actually be able to vote in this election .
While amendment 4 has garnered lots of attention , he said , turnout may not immediately reflect the change .
“ Even at best , it ’ s going to be a small fraction of the more than 1 million who potentially could be eligible , ” he said .
For Martinez , her new right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She chose her Democratic affiliation by weighing the issues and political platforms and watching the news at home .
And she ’ s going to the polling station on Tuesday to vote for who she thinks will make the country a more humane place to live .
“ For me it ’ s about the treatment of people – millions of people , ” she said .

Tonia Martinez doesn’t remember the last time she voted – she guesses it was about two decades ago. The Florida native’s first brush with the prison system was in 1992 but she said her real struggle started in 2010 when she was convicted of a felony and sentenced to 19 months in a Broward county facility.
When she was released she did everything she was supposed to do: she paid her court fees and got a job at an Ihop closer to her hometown in Palmetto, Florida. Getting her voting rights back was hard. Returning citizens, as people in her situation are known, had to fill out paperwork and be individually granted clemency from the governor.
Martinez, who is now 51, spent months trying to get her voting rights back.
“This is something my ancestors fought for,” she said. But every time she sent in a form, or wrote an email, she was told there was another step or another problem.
“I read somewhere about even if you’ve did your time, paid your fines, and you want to become an active part of the community, the chances of the governor granting you clemency was little to none,” she said. “That’s when I gave up.”
That changed at the end of 2018, when Florida passed a constitutional amendment granting people with prior felony convictions the right to vote after they complete their sentence, including parole and probation. Amendment 4, as it often called, gives an estimated 1.4 million people the right to vote.
This Tuesday, as millions of Floridians head to the polls for the presidential primary, the impact of amendment 4 will be visible for the first time on such a scale. In a state where elections are often won by razor-thin margins, that could mean changing the political makeup of Florida, as well as offering another pathway for people leaving the prison system to re-entering their community.
“I expect there to be an increase in the 2020 primary turnout,” said US representative Darren Soto, who represents a swath of central Florida that includes Orlando. “The returning citizens should be voting in high numbers.”
But there are still barriers for people with prior felony convictions. For one, the Republican legislature’s attempts to place restrictions on the law – such as requiring former felons to pay off all court fines and fees associated with their sentence – have created confusion.
“We’ll never know the size of that group that was made eligible but was deterred,” said Marc Mauer, executive director of The Sentencing Project, a criminal justice advocacy group in Washington DC.
The confusion affects election officials too. Earlier this year the Guardian reported that Florida’s supervisors of elections were still unclear as to which crimes were exempt from the law. States with similar laws often decide that some crimes – such as murder or rape – mean losing voting rights permanently.
Some returning citizens are also grappling with the registration process, which can prove confusing for any Florida residents who change address or party affiliation.
Tracey Washington was an avid voter until 2017, when she was convicted of a fraud-related felony at her workplace in Manatee county and sentenced to six months in prison. She said it was a particularly difficult time: her father was incarcerated when she was young and she had experienced the trauma her family suffered.
“That six months was very – I don’t know what word to use for it – it was an experience,” she said. “I was away from my kids, from my grandchildren. It just really drained me mentally.”
When Washington was released earlier this year, she was embarrassed but relieved and started rebuilding her life. She paid her court fees of $646 and started working part-time at a dry cleaners. She lives with her extended family, is saving money to rent her own apartment again and has started a not-for-profit for children with incarcerated parents.
03:00 Bigger than Trump: John Legend's guide to what matters in the US election – video
She has also tried to register to vote, but she hasn’t received her voter registration card or any confirmation. Since she doesn’t see any barriers after amendment 4 that would stop her, she plans to go to the polling center in Manatee county in order to cast her ballot. She’s hoping things go smoothly.
Mauer said it was difficult to tell how many people like Washington and Martinez, who are eligible to vote, will actually be able to vote in this election. While amendment 4 has garnered lots of attention, he said, turnout may not immediately reflect the change.
“Even at best, it’s going to be a small fraction of the more than 1 million who potentially could be eligible,” he said.
For Martinez, her new right to vote is something she is protecting. She chose her Democratic affiliation by weighing the issues and political platforms and watching the news at home. And she’s going to the polling station on Tuesday to vote for who she thinks will make the country a more humane place to live.
“For me it’s about the treatment of people – millions of people,” she said.


theguardian--2020-03-16--Bernie Sanders lost his last chance to take Joe Biden down | Nathan Robinson

A stark contrast was on display on Sunday night , and both candidates on the Democratic debate stage knew it .
Though Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders were united in their criticism of Donald Trump ’ s response to coronavirus , they clashed repeatedly on policy issues , and even their core messages on the virus were very different .
For Biden , coronavirus is an isolated “ national emergency ” that needs to be dealt with before moving on to issues like poverty , minimum wages and the reform of the health insurance system .
For Sanders , these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency , because they exacerbate the suffering that comes during an epidemic .
Sanders believes the spread of the virus is exposing deep systemic problems in the United States : the homelessness crisis , the need for single payer free-at-point-of-use healthcare , the precariousness of employment and the lack of paid sick leave .
Sanders believes that coronavirus shows exactly why Medicare for All is so necessary : if Americans are having to worry about whether they have enough money to afford treatment , they won ’ t get the care they need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk .
Biden rejected the argument entirely , saying : “ You have a single payer system in Italy .
It doesn ’ t work there .
It has nothing to do with Medicare for All .
That would not solve the problem at all.
” Now Biden was missing the point here : single-payer does not eliminate pandemics or give the medical system infinite treatment capacity , it reduces financial hardship and makes sure people aren ’ t going untreated who could be treated , and one might well prefer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large-scale medical crisis .
But while correct on the issue , Sanders did not make a sufficiently cogent case linking the present crisis to broader systemic problems , sometimes sounding as if he was trying to shoehorn in progressive politics to an “ apolitical ” crisis .
That ’ s a shame , because Sanders ’ policies are exactly what we need in an urgent moment .
On the whole , Sanders delivered the kind of performance that he needed to at this stage , with Biden now the favorite to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden a knockout blow – to do unto Biden as Elizabeth Warren did unto Michael Bloomberg .
He didn ’ t .
The exchanges between the two were often contentious .
But while Sanders raised some concerns about whether Biden could inspire young voters to come to the polls in November , and had harsh words about Biden ’ s legislative record and climate change plans , there was no “ game-changing ” moment that exposed or humiliated Biden .
Sanders did , however , land some punches .
When Biden claimed Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Sanders challenged Biden to “ name ” them .
Biden couldn ’ t , probably because Sanders isn ’ t supported by Super Pacs .
In the night ’ s most memorable exchange , Sanders went after Biden mercilessly for having long signaled his openness to cutting social security benefits .
Biden was evasive , refusing to admit something that is very well-documented , and Sanders wouldn ’ t let the issue go , telling viewers to go and look up the video clips of Biden saying precisely what he claims he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to be said , put in a solid performance .
In order to come out ahead , he simply had to avoid losing , and he did that .
Biden has had a number of embarrassing gaffes and slip-ups over the course of the campaign , that have even raised questions about whether he is fit to take on Donald Trump .
There was none of that on Sunday night .
He was prepared for most of what came at him .
Whatever slip-ups there may have been were minor and were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( Biden accidentally called coronavirus “ Sars ” while Sanders called it “ Ebola ” . )
It didn ’ t hurt that Biden was willing to shamelessly mislead people about his own record .
This is not an exaggeration : Biden claimed to have opposed the infamous bankruptcy bill he was an enthusiastic supporter of and even helped write .
He also falsely claimed to have been duped by George Bush into supporting the Iraq war , and fudged his decidedly mixed record on abortion rights .
After the debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s falsehoods on Twitter , saying “ the truth matters ” .
But just how much it matters remains to be seen .
Biden has long been slippery with the truth , and pretended to have long been a progressive when he once bragged about being one of the most conservative senators .
The moderators at this debate didn ’ t seem to care , and Democratic voters don ’ t really seem to either : current polls show Biden with a significant lead in almost all of the remaining contests .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe choice to take on Donald Trump , and all other considerations should be set aside in favor of “ electability ” .
Tonight ’ s debate reinforced that idea .
Of course , it ’ s not clear that Biden is the more effective candidate to take on Trump , and Democrats might be walking into another disaster like 2016 by nominating a weak establishment politician with a long record of blunders Trump can seize on .
When Biden suggests that Sanders supports authoritarian regimes , and when a Biden adviser compares @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who often shows up at campaign events ” , it becomes more difficult to see how Biden will convince Sanders supporters that he empathizes with them enough to be worth voting for .
It is likely that with tonight ’ s debate , Sanders lost his last shot to take Biden down .
But Biden did show the many vulnerabilities that will inevitably become Trump-fodder in a general election .
Democrats should take note and be warned .

A stark contrast was on display on Sunday night, and both candidates on the Democratic debate stage knew it. Though Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders were united in their criticism of Donald Trump’s response to coronavirus, they clashed repeatedly on policy issues, and even their core messages on the virus were very different.
For Biden, coronavirus is an isolated “national emergency” that needs to be dealt with before moving on to issues like poverty, minimum wages and the reform of the health insurance system. For Sanders, these issues are inextricably tied to the coronavirus emergency, because they exacerbate the suffering that comes during an epidemic. Sanders believes the spread of the virus is exposing deep systemic problems in the United States: the homelessness crisis, the need for single payer free-at-point-of-use healthcare, the precariousness of employment and the lack of paid sick leave.
Sanders believes that coronavirus shows exactly why Medicare for All is so necessary: if Americans are having to worry about whether they have enough money to afford treatment, they won’t get the care they need, and more people will be put at risk. Biden rejected the argument entirely, saying: “You have a single payer system in Italy. It doesn’t work there. It has nothing to do with Medicare for All. That would not solve the problem at all.” Now Biden was missing the point here: single-payer does not eliminate pandemics or give the medical system infinite treatment capacity, it reduces financial hardship and makes sure people aren’t going untreated who could be treated, and one might well prefer to be in Italy than the US during a large-scale medical crisis.
But while correct on the issue, Sanders did not make a sufficiently cogent case linking the present crisis to broader systemic problems, sometimes sounding as if he was trying to shoehorn in progressive politics to an “apolitical” crisis. That’s a shame, because Sanders’ policies are exactly what we need in an urgent moment.
On the whole, Sanders delivered the kind of performance that he needed to at this stage, with Biden now the favorite to win the nomination. He had to deal Biden a knockout blow – to do unto Biden as Elizabeth Warren did unto Michael Bloomberg. He didn’t. The exchanges between the two were often contentious. But while Sanders raised some concerns about whether Biden could inspire young voters to come to the polls in November, and had harsh words about Biden’s legislative record and climate change plans, there was no “game-changing” moment that exposed or humiliated Biden.
Sanders did, however, land some punches. When Biden claimed Sanders was supported by “Super Pacs,” Sanders challenged Biden to “name” them. Biden couldn’t, probably because Sanders isn’t supported by Super Pacs. In the night’s most memorable exchange, Sanders went after Biden mercilessly for having long signaled his openness to cutting social security benefits. Biden was evasive, refusing to admit something that is very well-documented, and Sanders wouldn’t let the issue go, telling viewers to go and look up the video clips of Biden saying precisely what he claims he never said.
But Biden, it has to be said, put in a solid performance. In order to come out ahead, he simply had to avoid losing, and he did that. Biden has had a number of embarrassing gaffes and slip-ups over the course of the campaign, that have even raised questions about whether he is fit to take on Donald Trump. There was none of that on Sunday night. He was prepared for most of what came at him. Whatever slip-ups there may have been were minor and were shared in equal measure by both candidates. (Biden accidentally called coronavirus “Sars” while Sanders called it “Ebola”.)
It didn’t hurt that Biden was willing to shamelessly mislead people about his own record. This is not an exaggeration: Biden claimed to have opposed the infamous bankruptcy bill he was an enthusiastic supporter of and even helped write. He also falsely claimed to have been duped by George Bush into supporting the Iraq war, and fudged his decidedly mixed record on abortion rights. After the debate, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was scathing about Biden’s falsehoods on Twitter, saying “the truth matters”.
But just how much it matters remains to be seen. Biden has long been slippery with the truth, and pretended to have long been a progressive when he once bragged about being one of the most conservative senators. The moderators at this debate didn’t seem to care, and Democratic voters don’t really seem to either: current polls show Biden with a significant lead in almost all of the remaining contests. The Biden pitch is that he is the safe choice to take on Donald Trump, and all other considerations should be set aside in favor of “electability”. Tonight’s debate reinforced that idea.
Of course, it’s not clear that Biden is the more effective candidate to take on Trump, and Democrats might be walking into another disaster like 2016 by nominating a weak establishment politician with a long record of blunders Trump can seize on. When Biden suggests that Sanders supports authoritarian regimes, and when a Biden adviser compares Sanders to the “kind of protester who often shows up at campaign events”, it becomes more difficult to see how Biden will convince Sanders supporters that he empathizes with them enough to be worth voting for. It is likely that with tonight’s debate, Sanders lost his last shot to take Biden down. But Biden did show the many vulnerabilities that will inevitably become Trump-fodder in a general election. Democrats should take note and be warned.


theguardian--2020-03-17--Three Democratic primaries due but Ohio cancelled amid coronavirus crisis - live updates

My colleague Lily Kuo in Shanghai has been following up on Chinese reaction to Trump ’ s decision to refer to the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 as “ the Chinese Virus ” .
China ’ s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Trump should take care of his own matters first .
“ Some US politicians have tried to stigmatise China … which China strongly condemns , ” he said at a press briefing .
“ We urge the US to stop this despicable practice .
We are very angry and strongly oppose it [ the tweet ] .
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing and Washington appeared to be locked in a game of shifting blame .
Last week , outspoken official Zhao Lijian from China ’ s ministry of foreign affairs accused the US military of bringing the virus to Wuhan .
The US summoned Chinese ambassador Cui Tiankai over the comment and issued a “ stern ” warning to Cui .
An editorial by the state news agency Xinhuatoday said : “ Using racist and xenophobic names to cast blame for the outbreak on other countries can only reveal politicians ’ irresponsibility and incompetence @ @

17 Mar 2020 22.04 GMT Summary Officials are telling Americans to “stop going out” to crowded places, in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus .
. Several Bay Area counties have been ordered to shelter in place. South Carolina has announced sweeping social distancing measures, and Navajo Nation has told citizens to stay home after a member tested positive.
counties have been ordered to shelter in place. has announced sweeping social distancing measures, and has told citizens to stay home after a member tested positive. New York ’s mayor has told residents to brace for similar shelter in place orders, even as the state’s government insisted that no quarantine measures will be taken for now.
’s mayor has told residents to brace for similar shelter in place orders, even as the state’s government insisted that no quarantine measures will be taken for now. Coronavirus is in all 50 states now, after West Virginia confirmed its first case.
confirmed its first case. US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin met with Republican senators to discuss a stimulus plan that would cost $1 trillion, and include $250bn in payments to Americans.
met with Republican senators to discuss a stimulus plan that would cost $1 trillion, and include $250bn in payments to Americans. Primary voting is underway in Florida, Arizona and Illinois today. The Ohio democratic party is fighting a state department of health decision to postpone its primary until June. My colleague Joan E Greve in Washington DC will be providing live updates as the results from the primaries roll in. Follow along: Democratic primaries: three states head to polls amid coronavirus crisis – live Read more
Updated at 22.39 GMT
17 Mar 2020 21.51 GMT Ohio democratic party fights decision to delay primary The party has filed a writ of prohibition with the Ohio Supreme Court to ensure that the primaries will move forward despite orders from the state’s department of health. “This primary election must move forward,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper said in a statement. “Today’s action seeks that court order, preserving the primary while also proposing a more workable window for the election to take place, along with multiple opportunities and a reasonable amount of time for voters to vote.” Ohio primary vote halted at last minute amid coronavirus court battle Read more
Updated at 21.52 GMT
17 Mar 2020 21.30 GMT Democratic National Committee urges states to adopt vote by mail and other safety measures In a new statement, the DNC urged states that have yet to hold their primary to use vote by mail and “other critical mechanisms that will make voting easier and safer for voters and election officials alike” rather than reschedule elections. “Where in-person voting can still take place under public health guidelines, states should expand days and hours of early voting to reduce lines,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez. Perez criticized Ohio, which postponed its primary. “What happened in Ohio last night has only bred more chaos and confusion,” he said. “Eligible voters deserve certainty, safety, and accessibility.” Coronavirus exposes absurdity of vote by mail restrictions in US Read more
Updated at 21.32 GMT
17 Mar 2020 21.23 GMT A customer picks up a bag of free pastries from the worker-owned Arizmendi bakery in San Francisco, the morning after the cooperative voted to temporarily shut its doors during day one of the citywide shelter in place order amid the outbreak of coronavirus disease in Photograph: Stephen Lam/Reuters San Francisco’s mayor London Breed has announced a moratorium on commercial evictions through the coronavirus crisis. Small and medium-sized businesses that lose income during the pandemic won’t be evicted if they can’t make rent, Breed announced. “Under normal state law, localities are prohibited from regulating commercial evictions,” Breen said in a statement. “San Francisco is allowed to take this action following Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order that was signed yesterday, and Mayor Breed issued this moratorium under the powers of the Local Emergency she declared on February 25th.” The moratorium will be in effect for 30 days and can be extended for another 30 days through executive order. Businesses that have less than $25 million in annual gross receipts are covered.
Updated at 21.32 GMT
17 Mar 2020 21.05 GMT Navajo Nation reports its first case of Covid-19, and urges social distancing “We call upon our Navajo people to do their best to remain calm and make good decisions by staying home to prevent the spread of the virus among our communities,” said president Jonathan Nez. We have health and emergency experts who have been planning and preparing for this situation for several weeks. We call upon our Navajo people to do their best to remain calm and make good decisions by staying home to prevent the spread of the virus among our communities. pic.twitter.com/kdzqtQAwyf — Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez (@NNPrezNez) March 17, 2020 Last week, Navajo officials made the decision to close parks on the Nation’s land, including the Four Corners. They also announced travel restrictions for executive members and canceled events that take people off the Nation. “We have health and emergency experts who have been planning and preparing for this situation for several weeks,” Nez reassured.
Updated at 21.05 GMT
17 Mar 2020 20.56 GMT South Carolina announces sweeping new social distancing measures Governor Henry McMaster announced executive orders to close all bars and restaurants’ dine-in services, push state tax filing deadlines to June, ban gatherings of 50 or more in public/gov’t-owned facilities and mobilize the National Guard to help hospitals. The governor also requested that insurance companies pay for office visits, tests and procedures for coronavirus patients, that grocery stores limit customer purchases of certain essentials, and have special hours for senior citizens, among other suggestions.
17 Mar 2020 20.42 GMT Elizabeth Warren has laid out a progressive “litmus test” for a bailout package. .@ewarren is laying down progressive markers for a bailout package: “Let me be clear: we’re not doing no-strings-attached bailouts that enrich shareholders or pay CEO bonuses. Period.” pic.twitter.com/hezX7nh6Lv — Lauren Gambino (@laurenegambino) March 17, 2020 Among her suggestions: Companies must maintain their payrolls Companies must provide a $15 minimum wage... no later than one year of the national emergency declaration ending. Companies are permanently prohibited from engaging in share repurchases. Warren has called for a $750 billion economic stimulus package focused “on recovery from the grassroots up, not Wall Street down” her office said in a statement. Though she’s no longer running for president, it seems Warren is using her newfound national platform and leverage as senator to push progressive priorities.
Updated at 20.57 GMT
17 Mar 2020 20.26 GMT As New York mayor Bill de Blasio tells the city to brace for a shelter in place order, a senior advisor to New York governor Andrew Cuomo reiterated what the governor had said earlier: That a city can’t unilaterally declare a quarantine without the state’s approval. A reminder of what @NYGovCuomo said earlier today. Further comment from the administration to come. pic.twitter.com/kIF7kGbk1f — Rich Azzopardi (@RichAzzopardi) March 17, 2020
17 Mar 2020 20.05 GMT Joe Biden campaign memo underscores slim chances for Sanders victory Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden at the 11th Democratic debate. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters “We expect to emerge tonight with a bigger delegate lead than we had going into the night,” said Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager in a memo. “It would take a drastic, historically-incomparable swing for Senator Sanders to win more delegates than Biden today or to close the delegate differential.” Although coronavirus concerns will affect voter turnout today, “we believe that, with early vote and vote by mail, overall turnout will be roughly on pace for 2016 in Arizona and Florida and roughly on pace for 2018 in Illinois, and that voter turnout in all three states will reflect the population at large,” Bedingfield added.
Updated at 20.07 GMT
17 Mar 2020 19.42 GMT What exactly does a shelter in place order entail? The Guardian’s West Coast reporter Vivian Ho explains how it works in California: What happens to retail and restaurants? All businesses considered non-essential, like bars, shops and fitness centers, were ordered to close. Restaurants will remain open in only a takeout and delivery capacity. Grocery stores, hardware stores and pharmacies will stay open. What about transit? All non-essential travel “on foot, bicycle, scooter, automobile or public transit” is prohibited. Under the order, essential travel is categorized as traveling for necessary supplies, accessing healthcare or going to provide aid to family or friends. Airports, taxis, Uber, Lyft and public transit will continue running to service essential travel, but those using any mode of travel are expected to practice social distancing. What does 'shelter in place' mean? California's coronavirus order, explained Read more
17 Mar 2020 19.38 GMT Earlier today, New York governor had said that he would not yet order people to shelter in place. “No city in the state can quarantine itself without state approval, and I have no interest whatsoever and no plan whatsoever to quarantine any city,” said governor Andrew Cuomo. The Guardian’s Amanda Holpuch reported: Cuomo said he would not yet order people to shelter in place in part because such a dramatic decision would need to be made in a uniform fashion. It would not be helpful, he said, if there was a shelter in place in New York City or the state capital, Albany, because it could drive large groups of people to leave. The state would use other measures to reduce transmission, he said, such as a greater reduction in business operations, before it would need to advise a regional quarantine.
New York coronavirus cases jump to 1,374 as governor urges ‘compassion and cooperation’ Read more
17 Mar 2020 19.31 GMT NYC mayor says should prepare for possible "shelter in place" order, contradicting governor Mayor Bill de Blasio said the order could come within the next 48 hours. “It is definitely a possibility at this point,” he said in a briefing. “It is a difficult, difficult decision.” New York governor Andrew Cuomo had said there were no plans to enact such a “drastic” order as yet, and indicated that the state would use other measures to limit the trasmission coronavirus. A shelter in place order in the Bay Area requires people to stay home except for essential activities. De Blasio did not elaborate on what a similar order in New York would look like. He also announced that the city will soon have the capacity to test 5,000 people a day for coronavirus.
Updated at 19.48 GMT
17 Mar 2020 19.21 GMT Department of Defense will deploy national guard and reserve units to help The Department of Defense will make 5m masks available from “strategic reserves” said secretary Mark Esper. One million will be made available immediately. The DOD will also make available 13 laboratories capable of testing for COVID-19, as well as 2000 ventilators. “We are considering activating national guard and reserve units,” he added, to help with coronavirus challenge. He said he’s also willing to make the Army Corps of Engineers available to help if asked. Hospital ships USNS Comfort (in Norfolk, Virginia) and USNS Mercy (in San Diego, California) may also become available to help relieve civilian hospitals. Since these ships are geared toward treating trauma rather than illness, those theoretically could take trauma cases out of hospitals to make room for coronavirus patients. The ventilators that the DOD has are a bit different than civilian ventilators, Esper said, but military personnel could train medical staff on how to use them. “In some ways, we want to be the last resort,” Esper added, in a measured response. He said he wants to be careful and strateguc about how forces are used.
Updated at 19.27 GMT
17 Mar 2020 19.08 GMT Stimulus plan costing $1 trillion is in consideration as Senate moves to pass Phase 2 relief bill During a closed-door lunch with Republican Senators, treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin proposed a stimulus plan that would cost up to $1 trillion. The plan includes $250bn of direct aide to Americans, with a number of Republican senators telling reporters they’d prefer that to tax cuts. Majority leader Mitch McConnell also said the Senate will pass the Phase 2 House coronavirus bill, and begin to work on a Phase 3 bill. “The Senate will not leave” until work on the third relief bill is done, he told reporters.
Updated at 19.11 GMT
17 Mar 2020 18.56 GMT Jessica Glenza After pictures of Florida beaches packed with spring breakers appeared on social media, Florida Governor Rick DeSantis has issued an executive order in an effort to quell critics. However, his new order is muddy at best. BUSY BEACH! This is what @MyClearwater Beach looks like right now as spring break crowds flock to the sand. #Clearwater leaders haven’t decided if they should add a curfew or close beaches but they may vote on measures related to the #coronavirus this Thursday. @abcactionnews pic.twitter.com/jGoxQdYJg5 — Sarah J. Hollenbeck (@SarahHollenbeck) March 16, 2020 The order closes nightclubs and bars for 30 days, but encourages restaurants to stay open while only seating people at half-capacity. Restaurants are also required to stagger seating. The order also asks people not to go to public beaches in groups greater than 10, “per CDC guidance”. However, the CDC has strongly encouraged people to go much further than DeSantis’s order. The CDC has directed people “avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants and food courts,” to “avoid travel, shopping trips, and social visits”.
These practices are part of “social distancing”. Here’s an expert guide on how to practice social distancing and slow the spread of the virus.
17 Mar 2020 18.53 GMT
A Lime scooter is seen on Hollywood Blvd. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images The Guardian’s tech reporter Kari Paul reports: Shared scooter company Lime is suspending services in US markets including California and Washington state, as well as in Italy, France, Spain, due to coronavirus concerns, it said in a statement on Monday evening.
The company, which is partnered with Uber, said it is pausing services to “help people stay put, and stay safe” as a number of states and cities enact shelter in place orders. Uber and other rideshare services are not affected by the shelter in place order in California as they are considered essential businesses, but Lime is still shutting down services.
“In the Bay Area we are temporarily pausing operations and taking scooters offline to comply with government orders, and we ask the Lime community to do their part in protecting themselves and each other”, a spokesman said. “We are committed to quickly reactivating once the coronavirus virus is under control”.
Lyft is still running its scooters, it said in a Monday email, and regularly sanitizing them. Bay Area residents could still be seen riding them Monday, some wearing masks. Bird, another commonly used shared scooter startup in the Bay Area, did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the status of its program.
Updated at 20.12 GMT
17 Mar 2020 18.49 GMT In a meeting with tourism industry executives, Donald Trump previewed the relief plan being considered in Congress, according to the White House press pool. “Thank you very much we have tourism industry executives...the true leaders of our tourism and hospitality industries,” Trump said. “We are going to come out stronger than ever before.” The president said he asked Small Business Administration lending to go up To $50 billion, “and actually more”.