theguardian--2020-05-22--Black Americans are in an abusive relationship with the Democratic party | Derecka Purnell

I am very tired of Joe Biden .
My vote for him was already hanging by a thread before his disastrous interview with Charlamagne tha God on Friday .
Interrupting the Breakfast Club host ’ s explanation that black people needed assurances that our communities will benefit from his presidency , Biden asserted : “ If you ’ ve got a problem figuring out whether you ’ re for me or for Trump , then you ain ’ t black.
” Again , I am very tired of Joe Biden .
Not because I am a purist , or have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take to remove Donald Trump from office .
But rather because Biden ’ s condescension towards black communities is intolerable .
I want to believe that Biden ’ s condescension started after the respected senator James Clyburn called the former vice-president an “ honorary black man ” at a private dinner in March .
But his mistreatment of black people , verbally and politically , is decades old , and is a reflection of the Democratic party in general .
Throughout Biden ’ s career , he has boasted about his ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of black people and poor people in the name of “ compromise ” .
For the last 30 years , Biden has repeatedly talked about freezing , cutting , or raising the age for social security and other benefits – as much as $ 2tn one time .
His response to concerns that these cuts would hurt the poor ?
“ We ’ re going to do lots of hard things … we might as well do this.
” Social security is an important program for black people , especially as we age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 35 % of elderly married couples and 58 % of unmarried elderly persons relied on it for 90 % or more of their income .
The reliance is not due to laziness or spending habits – people of color and white people make similar choices and contributions to retirement – but due to racism , lack of workplace retirement plans and barriers to accessing high-paying jobs .
“ They know where my heart is , ” Biden has said , of black voters .
But do we ?
Senator Kamala Harris was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black women as a prosecutor – yet Biden ’ s criminal justice record makes Harris look like Thurgood Marshall .
Biden authored and successfully passed the $ 30bn 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act .
Besides putting 100,000 additional police officers in the streets , the crime bill distributed funding for new prison construction , encouraged prosecutors to charge children as adults , and even added the death penalty for 28 new areas , including drug-related offenses .
Pushing for further criminalization , then senator Biden argued that George HW Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far enough because it did not “ include enough police officers to catch the violent thugs , not enough prosecutors to convict them , not enough judges to sentence them , and not enough prison cells to put them away for a long time ” .
An older black generation fought through Jim Crow only for Biden to help make sure that their children and grandchildren lived through a new Jim Crow .
On the House floor , Biden compared his criminal justice approach to Richard Nixon ’ s law and order stance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lock the SOBs up.
’ ” Black people were arrested in droves following this bill , despite comparable drug use rates to white people ; many are still sitting in prison today .
Biden has since acknowledged flaws in the bill , but last summer he reiterated his support for the bill .
The law spent $ 30bn but contributed to only a 1.3 % decline in violent crime .
He has yet to call for it to be repealed .
Today , some cities plan to expunge marijuana records and hope to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for marijuana offenses .
But Biden can ’ t seem to let go ; he is inconsistent and ambivalent about marijuana legalization .
He has argued it may be a gateway drug , a statement he has since dialed back .
Of course , keeping marijuana illegal at the federal level does not mean that people will not use it , but rather that the extra police that he put on the street will send people of color to jail for using it .
Ironically , the police were probably nowhere to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ W Bush and Barack Obama used marijuana .
If anything , the drug seems to be a gateway to the White House .
Despite attempting to cut social programs and increasing mass incarceration , Biden claims to care about black families .
But he doesn ’ t seem to know many .
During the September 2019 Democratic debate he claimed that poor families should put on a record player so their children will know more words .
Recently , during an interview with the New York Times editorial board , he argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not read and skip parent-teacher conferences .
He was hoping to encourage them to be better parents .
But his assertion is incorrect .
Black and white parents have comparable participation rates overall and attend parent-teacher conferences at the exact same rates .
In fact , black parents and poor parents are the most likely to check their children ’ s homework and meet with guidance counselors .
Biden instead relied on stereotypes that black people are not involved in their children ’ s lives .
Harris forced Biden to confront his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integration efforts using school busing .
That was not his only education mistake .
Biden played a significant role in creating the student debt crisis , including making student loan discharge “ nearly impossible ” .
This is devastating to black people , who disproportionately carry school debt .
While the average school debt for black women with a bachelor ’ s degree is about $ 25,000 , that level of education does not provide the same level of financial security for black women as it does other groups , including white people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexism and racism ) .
Again and again , Biden ’ s relationship with black Americans , like the Democratic National Committee ’ s relationship , has been patronizing at best and actively harmful at worst .
Some black people will support Biden because of his association with Barack Obama – even though Obama himself doesn ’ t seem especially excited about Biden becoming president .
The Obama days feel distant yet warm compared to Donald Trump ’ s current presidency .
But remember : Biden cycled millions of black people in and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers of poor people to go to war in Iraq , threw Anita Hill under the bus to confirm a conservative justice to the US supreme court , and , under Obama ’ s administration , helped to deport millions of immigrants and bombed brown countries .
When Biden was vice-president , black home ownership and wealth declined significantly , even as it rose for other races .
Biden ’ s friendship with one black person does not mean that he ’ s a friend to black people .
The Democratic party holds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says you can not leave because the other option is more abusive .
That ’ s why I don ’ t believe that a vote against Biden solely means a vote for Trump .
Perhaps it is a vote against being captured by the party that makes empty promises every four years when it is election time , and delivers nothing .
Perhaps it is a vote against the crime bill , drones and deportations .
Perhaps it is a vote against covert and overt racism .
Biden and others will rightfully argue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree .
But what can Biden actually deliver ?
Will there be fewer drones if he ’ s president ?
Maybe not .
Fewer deportations ?
Maybe not .
Less money to police departments ?
No .
Will fewer black people die from police ?
Unlikely .
Will black people have healthcare ?
Unlikely .
Will black wealth increase ?
Unlikely .
Will Palestinian lives be safer ?
Unlikely .
Commitments to preserving our climate ?
Doubtful .
If black people have a hard time figuring out the differences between Trump and Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem , not ours .
Joe Biden refuses to reckon with the harm that he has caused to people all over the world .
His best line is that he is better than the other guy , and that is exactly how abusive relationships function .
Black people – all people – deserve better than Biden and the Democratic party .
And yes , we are still black .
• None Derecka Purnell is a social movement lawyer and writer based in Washington , DC .
Guardian US columnist

I am very tired of Joe Biden. My vote for him was already hanging by a thread before his disastrous interview with Charlamagne tha God on Friday. Interrupting the Breakfast Club host’s explanation that black people needed assurances that our communities will benefit from his presidency, Biden asserted: “If you’ve got a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or for Trump, then you ain’t black.”
Again, I am very tired of Joe Biden. Not because I am a purist, or have inflexible ideological commitments of what it will take to remove Donald Trump from office. But rather because Biden’s condescension towards black communities is intolerable.
I want to believe that Biden’s condescension started after the respected Representative James Clyburn called the former vice-president an “honorary black man” at a private dinner in March. But his mistreatment of black people, verbally and politically, is decades old, and is a reflection of the Democratic party in general.
Throughout Biden’s career, he has boasted about his ability to bridge partisan divides by sacrificing the needs of black people and poor people in the name of “compromise”. For the last 30 years, Biden has repeatedly talked about freezing, cutting, or raising the age for social security and other benefits – as much as $2tn one time. His response to concerns that these cuts would hurt the poor? “We’re going to do lots of hard things … we might as well do this.”
Social security is an important program for black people, especially as we age. Among African Americans receiving social security, 35% of elderly married couples and 58% of unmarried elderly persons relied on it for 90% or more of their income. The reliance is not due to laziness or spending habits – people of color and white people make similar choices and contributions to retirement – but due to racism, lack of workplace retirement plans and barriers to accessing high-paying jobs.
“They know where my heart is,” Biden has said, of black voters.
But do we?
Senator Kamala Harris was severely scrutinized for her treatment of poor black women as a prosecutor – yet Biden’s criminal justice record makes Harris look like Thurgood Marshall. Biden authored and successfully passed the $30bn 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Besides putting 100,000 additional police officers in the streets, the crime bill distributed funding for new prison construction, encouraged prosecutors to charge children as adults, and even added the death penalty for 28 new areas, including drug-related offenses. Pushing for further criminalization, then senator Biden argued that George HW Bush’s crime plan did not go far enough because it did not “include enough police officers to catch the violent thugs, not enough prosecutors to convict them, not enough judges to sentence them, and not enough prison cells to put them away for a long time”. An older black generation fought through Jim Crow only for Biden to help make sure that their children and grandchildren lived through a new Jim Crow.
On the House floor, Biden compared his criminal justice approach to Richard Nixon’s law and order stance: “I would say, ‘Lock the SOBs up.’” Black people were arrested in droves following this bill, despite comparable drug use rates to white people; many are still sitting in prison today. Biden has since acknowledged flaws in the bill, but last summer he reiterated his support for the bill. The law spent $30bn but contributed to only a 1.3% decline in violent crime. He has yet to call for it to be repealed.
Today, some cities plan to expunge marijuana records and hope to pay reparations to black people formerly incarcerated for marijuana offenses. But Biden can’t seem to let go; he is inconsistent and ambivalent about marijuana legalization. He has argued it may be a gateway drug, a statement he has since dialed back. Of course, keeping marijuana illegal at the federal level does not mean that people will not use it, but rather that the extra police that he put on the street will send people of color to jail for using it. Ironically, the police were probably nowhere to be found when Biden’s friends George W Bush and Barack Obama used marijuana. If anything, the drug seems to be a gateway to the White House.
Despite attempting to cut social programs and increasing mass incarceration, Biden claims to care about black families. But he doesn’t seem to know many. During the September 2019 Democratic debate he claimed that poor families should put on a record player so their children will know more words. Recently, during an interview with the New York Times editorial board, he argued that poor black parents feel ashamed because they cannot read and skip parent-teacher conferences. He was hoping to encourage them to be better parents. But his assertion is incorrect. Black and white parents have comparable participation rates overall and attend parent-teacher conferences at the exact same rates. In fact, black parents and poor parents are the most likely to check their children’s homework and meet with guidance counselors. Biden instead relied on stereotypes that black people are not involved in their children’s lives.
Harris forced Biden to confront his work with racist elected officials to stop integration efforts using school busing. That was not his only education mistake. Biden played a significant role in creating the student debt crisis, including making student loan discharge “nearly impossible”. This is devastating to black people, who disproportionately carry school debt. While the average school debt for black women with a bachelor’s degree is about $25,000, that level of education does not provide the same level of financial security for black women as it does other groups, including white people with less education (primarily because of sexism and racism).
Again and again, Biden’s relationship with black Americans, like the Democratic National Committee’s relationship, has been patronizing at best and actively harmful at worst.
Biden’s friendship with one black person does not mean that he’s a friend to black people
Some black people will support Biden because of his association with Barack Obama – even though Obama himself doesn’t seem especially excited about Biden becoming president. The Obama days feel distant yet warm compared to Donald Trump’s current presidency. But remember: Biden cycled millions of black people in and out of jail, voted for massive numbers of poor people to go to war in Iraq, threw Anita Hill under the bus to confirm a conservative justice to the US supreme court, and, under Obama’s administration, helped to deport millions of immigrants and bombed brown countries. When Biden was vice-president, black home ownership and wealth declined significantly, even as it rose for other races. Biden’s friendship with one black person does not mean that he’s a friend to black people.
The Democratic party holds black people in an abusive relationship but says you cannot leave because the other option is more abusive. That’s why I don’t believe that a vote against Biden solely means a vote for Trump. Perhaps it is a vote against being captured by the party that makes empty promises every four years when it is election time, and delivers nothing. Perhaps it is a vote against the crime bill, drones and deportations. Perhaps it is a vote against covert and overt racism.
Biden and others will rightfully argue that Trump is worse, and I agree. But what can Biden actually deliver? Will there be fewer drones if he’s president? Maybe not. Fewer deportations? Maybe not. Less money to police departments? No. Will fewer black people die from police? Unlikely. Will black people have healthcare? Unlikely. Will black wealth increase? Unlikely. Will Palestinian lives be safer? Unlikely. Commitments to preserving our climate? Doubtful. If black people have a hard time figuring out the differences between Trump and Biden, then that is Biden’s problem, not ours.
Joe Biden refuses to reckon with the harm that he has caused to people all over the world. His best line is that he is better than the other guy, and that is exactly how abusive relationships function. Black people – all people – deserve better than Biden and the Democratic party. And yes, we are still black.
Derecka Purnell is a social movement lawyer and writer based in Washington, DC. Guardian US columnist


theguardian--2020-05-22--The Guardian view on Hong Kong: a broken promise | Editorial

The end of one country , two systems is now clearly in sight .
Though Beijing promised to respect Hong Kong ’ s freedoms and autonomy for a full half-century , it has chipped and then hacked away at them since the handover in 1997 .
Almost a year ago , the people of Hong Kong startled themselves and the world with their all-out rejection of the growing encroachments .
About one in four took to the streets to protest against the extradition law .
Now , less than halfway through the 50-year pledge , China has taken a bulldozer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Congress is proposing a national security law for Hong Kong prohibiting acts of “ treason , secession , sedition , or subversion ” .
Should anyone doubt the implications , official sources have helpfully briefed that this would cover acts such as defacing the national flag .
National security bodies will be able to set up agencies in the city .
The manner of this move is as alarming as its substance .
The city ’ s mini-constitution requires its government to enact such a law , but an attempt 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backlash .
This time , Beijing is imposing it from on high .
The aim is probably to force it through the Legislative Council – stacked with pro-Beijing loyalists – to give the thinnest veneer of legitimacy , promulgating it only if necessary .
But this is an undeniable declaration of intent .
Further unrest is inevitable .
The last year suggests it will only be fuelled by brutal policing .
Beijing does not care about hearts and minds .
It has done more to radicalise Hong Kong than any dissident could .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some have turned to violence : a survey in March suggested 58 % of residents backed them and only 28 % opposed .
The question is whether burgeoning hostility to Beijing overseas , fuelled by its handling of coronavirus , will translate into support for Hong Kong ’ s protesters .
As the other signatory of the joint declaration , a legally binding international treaty , Britain must vigorously defend it .
That will require working with other nations : though the foreign secretary ’ s criticism was muted , making it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian counterparts was sensible .
Individuals too need support ; those forced to flee political persecution should be able to make their home here .
In the US , the secretary of state , Mike Pompeo , described the proposed law as a death knell for Hong Kong ’ s autonomy – upon which rests the special economic status it enjoys with the US .
Though a full-scale revocation might be unlikely , stripping protections from the technology sector would chime with the Trump administration ’ s broader agenda .
Since Beijing understands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that other interests will prevail , or regards the resulting economic damage – even as it struggles with the impact of the coronavirus – as an acceptable price to pay for its political victory .
What is now at stake is bigger than the future of Hong Kong , as important as that is .
Other nations should ask themselves whether they want China to believe that it can trample on its pledges and renege on international treaties with impunity .

The end of one country, two systems is now clearly in sight. Though Beijing promised to respect Hong Kong’s freedoms and autonomy for a full half-century, it has chipped and then hacked away at them since the handover in 1997. Almost a year ago, the people of Hong Kong startled themselves and the world with their all-out rejection of the growing encroachments. About one in four took to the streets to protest against the extradition law.
Now, less than halfway through the 50-year pledge, China has taken a bulldozer to its foundations. The National People’s Congress is proposing a national security law for Hong Kong prohibiting acts of “treason, secession, sedition, or subversion”. Should anyone doubt the implications, official sources have helpfully briefed that this would cover acts such as defacing the national flag. National security bodies will be able to set up agencies in the city.
The manner of this move is as alarming as its substance. The city’s mini-constitution requires its government to enact such a law, but an attempt 17 years ago was dropped due to the backlash. This time, Beijing is imposing it from on high. The aim is probably to force it through the Legislative Council – stacked with pro-Beijing loyalists – to give the thinnest veneer of legitimacy, promulgating it only if necessary. But this is an undeniable declaration of intent.
Further unrest is inevitable. The last year suggests it will only be fuelled by brutal policing. Beijing does not care about hearts and minds. It has done more to radicalise Hong Kong than any dissident could. Support for protesters has grown even as some have turned to violence: a survey in March suggested 58% of residents backed them and only 28% opposed.
The question is whether burgeoning hostility to Beijing overseas, fuelled by its handling of coronavirus, will translate into support for Hong Kong’s protesters. As the other signatory of the joint declaration, a legally binding international treaty, Britain must vigorously defend it. That will require working with other nations: though the foreign secretary’s criticism was muted, making it in a joint statement with his Australian and Canadian counterparts was sensible. Individuals too need support; those forced to flee political persecution should be able to make their home here.
In the US, the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, described the proposed law as a death knell for Hong Kong’s autonomy – upon which rests the special economic status it enjoys with the US. Though a full-scale revocation might be unlikely, stripping protections from the technology sector would chime with the Trump administration’s broader agenda. Since Beijing understands the risks, it is either gambling that other interests will prevail, or regards the resulting economic damage – even as it struggles with the impact of the coronavirus – as an acceptable price to pay for its political victory.
What is now at stake is bigger than the future of Hong Kong, as important as that is. Other nations should ask themselves whether they want China to believe that it can trample on its pledges and renege on international treaties with impunity.


theguardian--2020-05-22--Biden tells voters 'you ain't black' if you're still deciding between him and Trump – video

Joe Biden has been criticised after saying , 'If you have a problem figuring out whether you ’ re for @ @ @ @ @ you ain ’ t black ' .
The former vice-president made the comment in an @ @ @ @ @ , a co-host of the radio show 'The Breakfast Club ' .
After a campaign @ @ @ @ @ wrap up the conversation , Charlamagne said : 'Listen , you ’ ve got to @ @ @ @ @ come to New York , VP Biden .
It ’ s a long way until @ @ @ @ @ got more questions . '
'You ’ ve got more questions ? '
Biden replied @ @ @ @ @ what , if you have a problem figuring out whether you ’ re for me @ @ @ @ @ ain ’ t black . '
He said Charlamagne and voters should 'take a look @ @ @ @ @ ! '
• Get a fresh perspective on America – sign up to our First @ @

Joe Biden has been criticised after saying,'If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black'. The former vice-president made the comment in an interview with Charlamagne tha God, a co-host of the radio show 'The Breakfast Club'.
After a campaign aide said Biden had to wrap up the conversation, Charlamagne said: 'Listen, you’ve got to come see us when you come to New York, VP Biden. It’s a long way until November. We’ve got more questions.'
'You’ve got more questions?' Biden replied. 'Well I tell you what, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.' He said Charlamagne and voters should 'take a look at my record, man!'


theguardian--2020-05-23--Barack Obama poised to add his star appeal to Joe Biden's campaign

Former president Barack Obama has dipped his toes into the 2020 presidential campaign recently and is positioned to do more in the coming months as Joe Biden ’ s effort to defeat Donald Trump gathers steam .
Interviews with about a dozen Democratic strategists , party officials and people close to Obama want the popular former president utilizing his powerful online presence and focusing on rallying key Democrat constituencies that are critical to a Biden victory .
Obama is regarded as one of the most popular politicians in American politics and a huge asset within the Democratic party .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % approval rating .
His endorsement for any candidate is the political campaign equivalent of an oilman and hitting a gusher .
Obama would be most effective , interviewees said , in highlighting his former vice-president ’ s résumé , rallying key Democratic voting groups like African American women , and pushing voters to register .
The situation is unique .
There hasn ’ t been a popular former two-term president eager to hit the trail for his former running mate for years .
On top of that , the coronavirus pandemic limits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strategists interviewed say Obama is valuable and should be used everywhere .
“ You rarely have a former president that is more popular than the now-sort-of-nominee , ” Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher said .
“ Barack Obama is the most popular political figure in America right now.
” Valerie Jarrett , who served as a senior adviser to Obama during his time in the White House , said Obama is “ committed to helping Vice-President Biden in any way the Biden campaign thinks is helpful .
The pandemic is forcing everyone to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of doing business , including campaigning , are not possible.
” Obama has a robust social media presence with millions of followers on his Twitter account and Jarrett pointed to Obama ’ s endorsement of Biden , which was an online video now that campaign rallies have become a thing of the pre-pandemic past .
“ I think you can tell from the video that he rolled out with his endorsement , one very useful platform is President Obama ’ s social media platform where he has more followers than any other politician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategist familiar with Obama ’ s thinking , the former president is eager to campaign for Democrats “ up and down the ballot ” in 2020 .
He plans to follow the lead of the Biden campaign as well as that of the main Democratic campaign arms – the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and other umbrella organizations .
Obama was an active surrogate to boost Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections but since then has taken a more restrained approach to the national spotlight .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times and mostly on an indirect basis .
Most recently , though , he delivered a commencement speech for college graduates where he said the coronavirus pandemic had “ finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they ’ re doing ” .
Obama didn ’ t mention Trump by name but the speech was widely regarded as a direct allusion to the president .
It could also herald what Obama ’ s public appearances in the final months of the 2020 presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a closed event with thousands of supporters and Obama alumni , the former president warned that the justice department ’ s decision to drop charges against the former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn put the rule of law at risk .
Campaign veterans and strategists say Obama is useful less as an attack dog going head to head with Trump and more as one who highlights a positive vision of why voters should elect Biden .
“ To me , Obama is the world ’ s best character witness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digital director for Obama ’ s second presidential campaign .
“ Yeah , he can make the case that Trump is bad .
He can certainly validate the case for Biden ’ s policies .
But essentially he ’ s the most popular political figure on planet Earth and the one guy he entrusted with the single most important appointment of his life was Joe Biden.
” But Obama could also persuade more people to vote .
Meg Ansara , who was national regional director for Obama ’ s first presidential campaign and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton ’ s 2016 presidential campaign , said one of the key priorities , especially in this environment , is voter registration .
“ I think voter registration is a huge place , ” Ansara said , adding that persuading undecided voters is important for someone like Obama as well .
“ I ’ m a big believer that you need to do both in the bulk of these battleground states.
” There have been moments during the last three years when Democrats had wondered why Obama didn ’ t speak out more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic primary .
That ’ s actually an asset now and adds weight to when Obama does speak out , said Guy Cecil , who runs the Priorities USA Super Pac .
“ I think in some respects the Biden campaign benefits from the fact that Obama has not spent three and a half years in the political limelight , attacking the president , attacking the administration , engaging in a back-and-forth with [ Trump ] , ” Cecil said .
Corey Platt , a veteran Democratic strategist and campaign manager , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good job of appearing together so far and he should keep doing that rather than just focusing on going head-to-head with Trump .
“ I think he if continues to remind people about competency and progress under his administration it will make people feel good about Biden , change and sanity .
If he engages Trump I think that could backfire , ” Platt said .
“ He can help articulate Biden ’ s vision for what happens next year and promote confidence in getting through this crisis together .
”

Former president Barack Obama has dipped his toes into the 2020 presidential campaign recently and is positioned to do more in the coming months as Joe Biden’s effort to defeat Donald Trump gathers steam.
Interviews with about a dozen Democratic strategists, officials and people close to Obama indicated members of the party want the popular former president to use his powerful online presence and focus on rallying key Democrat constituencies that are critical to a Biden victory.
Obama is regarded as one of the most popular figures in American politics and a huge asset within the Democratic party. He left the White House with a near-60% approval rating. His endorsement for any candidate is the political campaign equivalent of an oilman and hitting a gusher.
Obama would be most effective, interviewees said, in highlighting his former vice-president’s résumé, rallying key Democratic groups like African American women, and pushing voters to register.
The situation is unique. There hasn’t been a popular former two-term president eager to hit the trail for his former running mate for years. On top of that, the coronavirus pandemic limits in-person campaigning and rallies. Still, the strategists interviewed say Obama is valuable and should be used everywhere.
“You rarely have a former president that is more popular than the now-sort-of-nominee,” Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher said. “Barack Obama is the most popular political figure in America right now.”
Joe Biden and Barack Obama before a presidential primary debate in 2007. Photograph: Jim Young/Reuters
Valerie Jarrett, who served as a senior adviser to Obama during his time in the White House, said Obama is “committed to helping Vice-President Biden in any way the Biden campaign thinks is helpful. The pandemic is forcing everyone to be more creative since the conventional ways of doing business, including campaigning, are not possible.”
Obama has a robust social media presence with millions of Twitter followers, and Jarrett pointed to Obama’s endorsement of Biden, which took the form of an online video now that campaign rallies have become a thing of the pre-pandemic past.
“I think you can tell from the video that he rolled out with his endorsement, one very useful platform is President Obama’s social media platform where he has more followers than any other politician by far.”
According to a Democratic strategist familiar with Obama’s thinking, the former president is eager to campaign for Democrats “up and down the ballot” in 2020. He plans to follow the lead of the Biden campaign as well as that of the main Democratic campaign arms – the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and other umbrella organizations.
Obama was an active surrogate to boost Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections but since then has taken a more restrained approach to the national spotlight. He has only waded into current politics a few times and mostly on an indirect basis.
Most recently, though, he delivered a commencement speech for college graduates where he said the coronavirus pandemic had “finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing”. Obama didn’t mention Trump by name but the speech was widely regarded as a direct allusion to the president. It could also herald what Obama’s public appearances in the final months of the 2020 presidential campaign would be like.
Separately, during a closed event with thousands of supporters and Obama alumni, the former president warned that the justice department’s decision to drop charges against the former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn put the rule of law at risk.
Campaign veterans and strategists say Obama is useful less as an attack dog going head to head with Trump and more as someone who highlights a positive vision of why voters should elect Biden.
President Obama endorses Joe Biden via online video link. Photograph: Brian Cahn/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock
“To me, Obama is the world’s best character witness,” said Teddy Goff, who was digital director for Obama’s second presidential campaign. “Yeah, he can make the case that Trump is bad. He can certainly validate the case for Biden’s policies. But essentially he’s the most popular political figure on planet Earth and the one guy he entrusted with the single most important appointment of his life was Joe Biden.”
But Obama could also persuade more people to vote.
Meg Ansara, who was national regional director for Obama’s first presidential campaign and more recently battleground states director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, said one of the key priorities, especially in this environment, is voter registration.
“I think voter registration is a huge place,” Ansara said, adding that persuading undecided voters is important for someone like Obama as well. “I’m a big believer that you need to do both in the bulk of these battleground states.”
There have been moments during the last three years when Democrats had wondered why Obama didn’t speak out more against Trump or weigh in more during the Democratic primary. That’s actually an asset now and adds weight to when Obama does speak out, said Guy Cecil, who runs the Priorities USA Super Pac.
“I think in some respects the Biden campaign benefits from the fact that Obama has not spent three and a half years in the political limelight, attacking the president, attacking the administration, engaging in a back-and-forth with [Trump],” Cecil said.
Corey Platt, a veteran Democratic strategist and campaign manager, said that Obama and Biden have done a good job of appearing together so far and he should keep doing that rather than just focusing on going head-to-head with Trump.
“I think he if continues to remind people about competency and progress under his administration it will make people feel good about Biden, change and sanity. If he engages Trump I think that could backfire,” Platt said. “He can help articulate Biden’s vision for what happens next year and promote confidence in getting through this crisis together.”


theguardian--2020-05-23--Thousands of run-down US dams would kill people if they failed, study finds

More than 15,000 dams in the US would likely kill people if they failed , and at least 2,300 of them are in poor or unsatisfactory condition , according to recent data from the federal government ’ s National Inventory of Dams .
The country ’ s neglected and deteriorating dam infrastructure is coming to light as heavy rains and two dam failures in Michigan have caused catastrophic flooding and forced thousands to evacuate their homes in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic .
The problem will only become more serious as the climate crisis disrupts rain patterns , experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US dam is 57 years , and many – like the Michigan dams – were built in the early 20th century , when states had not yet set safety standards .
US dams received a “ D ” rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers in its most recent review in 2017 .
About 70 % of dams are regulated by states , and another 5 % are regulated by the federal government .
But many are not being forced to make needed repairs , said Mark Ogden , who co-authored the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager at the Association of State Dam Safety Officials .
“ Unfortunately , some state programs don ’ t have the resources they need to follow through , ” Ogden said .
“ These can be very expensive repairs … so if the owner is unable or unwilling to do that , it takes a lot of time and resources to go through the enforcement process.
” Many dams , for example , were built by neighborhood developers who wanted to create bodies of water for recreation , Ogden said .
Then they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprepared to maintain them .
In total , there are more than 91,000 dams in the US , according to the National Inventory of Dams , a project of the US army corps of engineers .
About 17 % of them are classified as having high hazard potential , meaning the loss of human life is likely if the dam falls .
Another 12 % have significant hazard potential , meaning a failure probably wouldn ’ t kill people but could cause “ economic loss , environmental damage , disruption of lifeline facilities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ About 20 % of state-regulated high hazard dams do not have emergency action plans , Ogden said .
Those plans would dictate how an owner should monitor for possible failures and warn officials downstream .
Ogden said repairing dams and preparing emergency plans will become even more important with more frequent intense rainfall .
If the ground is already saturated with rain before a heavy downpour , a dam could overtop or even burst .
“ Over time hopefully we ’ ll see improvements in specific dams that may be vulnerable to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfortunately will take expense and cost for owners to be able to upgrade , ” Ogden said .

More than 15,000 dams in the US would likely kill people if they failed, and at least 2,300 of them are in poor or unsatisfactory condition, according to recent data from the federal government’s National Inventory of Dams.
The country’s neglected and deteriorating dam infrastructure is coming to light as heavy rains and two dam failures in Michigan have caused catastrophic flooding and forced thousands to evacuate their homes in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
The problem will only become more serious as the climate crisis disrupts rain patterns, experts warn.
The average age of a US dam is 57 years, and many – like the Michigan dams – were built in the early 20th century, when states had not yet set safety standards. US dams received a “D” rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers in its most recent review in 2017.
About 70% of dams are regulated by states, and another 5% are regulated by the federal government. But many are not being forced to make needed repairs, said Mark Ogden, who co-authored the 2017 dam report and is a project manager at the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.
“Unfortunately, some state programs don’t have the resources they need to follow through,” Ogden said. “These can be very expensive repairs … so if the owner is unable or unwilling to do that, it takes a lot of time and resources to go through the enforcement process.”
Many dams, for example, were built by neighborhood developers who wanted to create bodies of water for recreation, Ogden said. Then they were turned over to homeowners’ associations unprepared to maintain them.
In total, there are more than 91,000 dams in the US, according to the National Inventory of Dams, a project of the US army corps of engineers. About 17% of them are classified as having high hazard potential, meaning the loss of human life is likely if the dam falls. Another 12% have significant hazard potential, meaning a failure probably wouldn’t kill people but could cause “economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns”.
About 20% of state-regulated high hazard dams do not have emergency action plans, Ogden said. Those plans would dictate how an owner should monitor for possible failures and warn officials downstream.
Ogden said repairing dams and preparing emergency plans will become even more important with more frequent intense rainfall.
If the ground is already saturated with rain before a heavy downpour, a dam could overtop or even burst.
“Over time hopefully we’ll see improvements in specific dams that may be vulnerable to this, but it will take time and unfortunately will take expense and cost for owners to be able to upgrade,” Ogden said.


theguardian--2020-05-23--America begins to unlock for summer – but is it inviting a disastrous second wave?

Monday is Memorial Day – the traditional start of the American summer .
Shutters are going up , doors are being unlocked , barriers removed .
Every state is relaxing quarantine rules to some extent , betting that the country finally has Covid-19 under control .
There are signs that for some Americans quarantine fatigue is overcoming fear of infection .
With the economy reeling , others have dismissed the pandemic as a political plot – for them relaxing quarantine rules can ’ t come soon enough .
But people on the front line are worried , and experts warn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster ” that could have devastating consequences .
On Friday , White House coronavirus taskforce member Dr Anthony Fauci said new localized outbreaks were “ inevitable ” as mitigation measures are relaxed .
He said a full-blown second wave could be avoided if the holy grail of containment measures – testing , quarantine and contact tracing – continued to be adhered to .
Fauci said he was hopeful that the US would be ready , though a recent study by Harvard University found that only nine states were conducting , or near to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hours after Fauci spoke , Donald Trump ignored health guidance and ordered houses of worship to open for in-person services at the weekend .
These disparate responses to the pandemic are not just happening in the White House , but across America .
After 51 days on lockdown , Minnesota ended its statewide stay-at-home order on Monday .
A new order , dubbed “ Stay Safe MN ” , will allow more flexibility and social interaction amid the pandemic .
For nurses in Minneapolis , it ’ s too soon .
In emotional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they told lawmakers they feared that a surge in cases would cost more lives , including those of health workers .
A surge of Covid-19 infections would exhaust the state ’ s personal protection equipment ( PPE ) supplies , warned Mary Turner , a critical care nurse at North Memorial Health Hospital and president of the Minnesota Nurses Association .
“ We are approaching the surge point very fast , ” Turner said .
Some 17,700 cases have been reported in the state , and 777 deaths .
It is far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – but numbers are still rising .
In the meantime , hospitals have been reusing N95 masks that technically expired in 2001 and 2002 .
Supplies of gowns ran so short last month that some local hospitals ordered rain ponchos as a backup .
Even governor Tim Walz believes worse is to come .
“ It is going to get worse here before it gets better .
That is an absolute guarantee , ” Walz , a Democrat , told reporters as he outlined his cautious reopening plan .
Social scientists at Northwestern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since mid-March , and have found that unlike in other disasters , the US is not unifying in response to this crisis .
“ It has been a solidarity- and trust-destroying disaster , ” said Beth Redbird , the primary researcher .
“ We usually see disasters as unifying .
They bring us together , they unite us , they increase support for our neighbors , to help each other out .
But while we see anecdotal stories of that in the press , we haven ’ t actually seen a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going on.
” The majority of Americans still seem to oppose Trump ’ s attempts to downplay the crisis .
Northwestern ’ s surveys last week showed 64 % of people are still in support of stay-at-home orders , and they are mostly avoiding seeing friends and eating out at restaurants .
But while Northwestern ’ s survey found 86 % said they trusted scientists to tell them what to eat for a healthy diet , those who said they trust a scientist to tell them how Covid-19 works was only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here before .
The threats of a second wave were borne out in the 1918 influenza pandemic , in which a third of the world ’ s population were infected with the virus .
The spread was successfully curtailed in San Francisco thanks to the prompt implementation of mitigation measures including a city-wide shutdown and requirement to wear masks in public .
As the infection rate dwindled , city leaders relaxed the lockdown measures in November 1918 ; bars , restaurants and sports arenas reopened , and people poured out onto the streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process .
A month later , the second wave hit San Francisco , but this time much of the public – including the Anti-Mask League – resisted public health mandates .
The city ended up with nearly 45,000 cases and over 3,200 reported deaths .
San Francisco ended up being one of the country ’ s worst-hit major cities .
Stephen Morse , director of the infectious disease epidemiology program at Columbia University medical center , said as long as the virus is circulating in humans , there will be flare-ups as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a street , town or county with enough susceptible people .
“ It ’ s like adding kindling to embers , ” said Morse .
Whether these inevitable localized outbreaks are contained or will multiply depends on the golden trio of testing , quarantine and contact tracing .
If enough places implement these measures comprehensively , the chain of transmission could be broken , and the flare-ups snuffed out .
“ We don ’ t know what ’ s going to happen next , we have to proceed with caution and we could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The big fear is that with the virus still in circulation , if we allow it to have unfettered access to people , then we certainly have the makings of a second pandemic of even larger proportions.
” It ’ s not all about timing .
The country ’ s patchwork response to the outbreak has also played an important role – and will likely continue to do so .
“ For the first time in my lifetime , there ’ s been an almost total lack of global coordination and US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messages have been counterproductive and very destructive , ” Morse said .
‘ To think the virus has changed is a fantasy ’ It ’ s unclear whether the US has even fully emerged from the first wave , but the virus remains as infectious and lethal as it was when it emerged .
And the conditions that have left low-income groups , communities of colour and Native Americans the hardest-hit remain , with infections and complications including death .
“ To think the virus must have changed just because we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fantasy , ” said Chandra Ford , founding director of the center for the study of racism , social justice and health at UCLA ’ s Jonathan and Karin Fielding school of public health .
Ford warned subsequent outbreaks are likely to disproportionately affect these same communities .
“ The US response to the pandemic at the federal level has lacked a meaningful public health response , ” said Ford .
“ So it ’ s not surprising that the push to reopen isn ’ t driven by public health indicators .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ driven against public health indicators , in the interest of political or economic gains.
” From the beginning , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ’ s most basic guidelines to stem the spread of Covid-19 ran up against some fundamental injustices in the US system .
Workers are not guaranteed paid sick leave and healthcare is not universal .
Prisons , meatpacking plants and nursing homes have seen a disproportionate amount of cases .
In New York City , the impact has overwhelmingly been felt in poorer communities where mostly immigrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Historical and current experiences of discrimination and medical racism provide fodder for people to be willing to accept explanations that are not true , ” Ford said .
“ Trust matters tremendously .
Mistrust of healthcare providers and public health messages will fuel the pandemic itself and disparities in the pandemic.
” In Georgia , one of the first states to start reopening , even business owners are worried .
Brian Maloof , owner of the Atlanta ’ s famous Manuel ’ s Tavern , said : “ The attitude is that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the population density .
This is where the predominance of the cases are.
” He lives in the outskirts of the city and said there , parking lots are jammed with cars and people are packing into shopping malls and restaurants .
He doesn ’ t expect the same crush of people inside the city .
Maloof said : “ There is a tremendous amount of fear here in Atlanta .
”

Amanda Holpuch and Nina Lakhani in New York and Khushbu Shah in Atlanta

Monday is Memorial Day – the traditional start of the American summer. Shutters are going up, doors are being unlocked, barriers removed. Every state is relaxing quarantine rules to some extent, betting that the country finally has Covid-19 under control.
There are signs that for some Americans quarantine fatigue is overcoming fear of infection. With the economy reeling, others have dismissed the pandemic as a political plot – for them relaxing quarantine rules can’t come soon enough. But people on the front line are worried, and experts warn the outbreak has proved a “trust-destroying disaster” that could have devastating consequences.
On Friday, White House coronavirus taskforce member Dr Anthony Fauci said new localized outbreaks were “inevitable” as mitigation measures are relaxed. He said a full-blown second wave could be avoided if the holy grail of containment measures – testing, quarantine and contact tracing – continued to be adhered to.
Fauci said he was hopeful that the US would be ready, though a recent study by Harvard University found that only nine states were conducting, or near to conducting, the minimum recommended testing. Hours after Fauci spoke, Donald Trump ignored health guidance and ordered houses of worship to open for in-person services at the weekend.
These disparate responses to the pandemic are not just happening in the White House, but across America.
After 51 days on lockdown, Minnesota ended its statewide stay-at-home order on Monday. A new order, dubbed Stay Safe MN, will allow more flexibility and social interaction amid the pandemic.
For nurses in Minneapolis, it’s too soon. In emotional testimony at the state capitol last week, they told lawmakers they feared that a surge in cases would cost more lives, including those of health workers.
It is going to get worse here before it gets better. That is guaranteed Tim Walz
A surge of Covid-19 infections would exhaust the state’s personal protection equipment (PPE) supplies, warned Mary Turner, a critical care nurse at North Memorial Health hospital and president of the Minnesota Nurses Association.
“We are approaching the surge point very fast,” Turner said.
About 17,700 cases have been reported in the state, and 777 deaths. It is far from the worst outbreak in the US – but numbers are still rising. In the meantime, hospitals have been reusing N95 masks that technically expired in 2001 and 2002. Supplies of gowns ran so short last month that some local hospitals ordered rain ponchos as a backup.
Even Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, believes worse is to come. “It is going to get worse here before it gets better. That is an absolute guarantee,” Walz, a Democrat, told reporters as he outlined his cautious reopening plan.
Social scientists at Northwestern University have surveyed 200 people a day since mid-March, and have found that unlike in other disasters, the US is not unifying in response to this crisis.
“It has been a solidarity- and trust-destroying disaster,” said Beth Redbird, the primary researcher. “We usually see disasters as unifying. They bring us together, they unite us, they increase support for our neighbors, to help each other out. But while we see anecdotal stories of that in the press, we haven’t actually seen a lot of data supporting that that’s what’s going on.”
The majority of Americans still seem to oppose Trump’s attempts to downplay the crisis. Northwestern’s surveys last week showed 64% of people are still in support of stay-at-home orders, and they are mostly avoiding seeing friends and eating out at restaurants.
But while Northwestern’s survey found 86% said they trusted scientists to tell them what to eat for a healthy diet, those who said they trust a scientist to tell them how Covid-19 works was only at 55%.
‘Like adding kindling to embers’
We have been here before. The threats of a second wave were borne out in the 1918 influenza pandemic, in which a third of the world’s population were infected with the virus.
The spread was successfully curtailed in San Francisco thanks to the prompt implementation of mitigation measures including a city-wide shutdown and requirement to wear masks in public.
As the infection rate dwindled, city leaders relaxed the lockdown measures in November 1918; bars, restaurants and sports arenas reopened, and people poured out onto the streets in celebration, tossing their masks in the process. A month later, the second wave hit San Francisco, but this time much of the public – including the Anti-Mask League – resisted public health mandates. The city ended up with nearly 45,000 cases and over 3,200 reported deaths. San Francisco ended up being one of the country’s worst-hit major cities.
Soldiers are quarantined while recovering from the Spanish flu at Camp Funston in Kansas in 1918. Photograph: Us Army/Reuters
Stephen Morse, director of the infectious disease epidemiology program at Columbia University medical center, said as long as the virus is circulating in humans, there will be flare-ups as soon as it’s introduced to a street, town or county with enough susceptible people.
“It’s like adding kindling to embers,” said Morse.
Whether these inevitable localized outbreaks are contained or will multiply depends on the golden trio of testing, quarantine and contact tracing. If enough places implement these measures comprehensively, the chain of transmission could be broken, and the flare-ups snuffed out.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen next, we have to proceed with caution and we could get lucky,” Morse said. “The big fear is that with the virus still in circulation, if we allow it to have unfettered access to people, then we certainly have the makings of a second pandemic of even larger proportions.”
It’s not all about timing. The country’s patchwork response to the outbreak has also played an important role – and will likely continue to do so.
“For the first time in my lifetime, there’s been an almost total lack of global coordination and US federal leadership, whose confusing and contradictory messages have been counterproductive and very destructive,” Morse said.
‘To think the virus has changed is a fantasy’
It’s unclear whether the US has even fully emerged from the first wave, but the virus remains as infectious and lethal as it was when it emerged.
And the conditions that have left low-income groups, communities of colour and Native Americans the hardest-hit remain, with infections and complications including death.
“To think the virus must have changed just because we’re tired of being at home is almost a fantasy,” said Chandra Ford, founding director of the center for the study of racism, social justice and health at UCLA’s Jonathan and Karin Fielding school of public health.
Ford warned subsequent outbreaks are likely to disproportionately affect these same communities.
“The US response to the pandemic at the federal level has lacked a meaningful public health response,” said Ford. “So it’s not surprising that the push to reopen isn’t driven by public health indicators. In fact, it appears to be driven against public health indicators, in the interest of political or economic gains.”
From the beginning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most basic guidelines to stem the spread of Covid-19 ran up against some fundamental injustices in the US system. Workers are not guaranteed paid sick leave and healthcare is not universal.
Mistrust of healthcare providers and public health messages will fuel the pandemic itself Chandra Ford
Prisons, meatpacking plants and nursing homes have seen a disproportionate amount of cases. In New York City, the impact has overwhelmingly been felt in poorer communities where mostly immigrants and people of color live.
“Historical and current experiences of discrimination and medical racism provide fodder for people to be willing to accept explanations that are not true,” Ford said. “Trust matters tremendously. Mistrust of healthcare providers and public health messages will fuel the pandemic itself and disparities in the pandemic.”
In Georgia, one of the first states to start reopening, even business owners are worried.
Brian Maloof, owner of the Atlanta’s famous Manuel’s Tavern, said: “The attitude is that it’s too early to open with the population density. This is where the predominance of the cases are.”
He lives in the outskirts of the city and said there, parking lots are jammed with cars and people are packing into shopping malls and restaurants. He doesn’t expect the same crush of people inside the city. Maloof said: “There is a tremendous amount of fear here in Atlanta.”


theguardian--2020-05-23--CDC reports more than 1.5 million cases – as it happened

In normal times , basketball fans would be fearing up for the start of the NBA finals .
However , the season has been on hiatus since March as the sports world has shut down during the pandemic .
The latest plan to restart involves the NBA playing at Disney ’ s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando , Florida in late July .
The complex has three arenas as well as several hotels that could house players , coaches and support staff , enabling them to isolate from the general population .
“ The NBA , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is engaged in exploratory conversations with The Walt Disney Company about restarting the 2019-20 NBA season in late July at Disney ’ s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida as a single site for an NBA campus for games , practices and housing , ” Bass said .
“ Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved , and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ subject to regular testing to ensure Covid-19 did not spread through the league .
A few sports in the US have started to resume already : Nascar and UFC have held events without live audiences , while Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will team up with NFL legends Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in a charity golf tournament tomorrow .
Elsewhere , Hall of Fame player and current Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing confirmed he is being treated in hospital after contracting Covid-19 .
“ I want to share that I have tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and should not be taken lightly , ” the 57-year-old Ewing said in a statement .
“ I want to encourage everyone to stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones .
Now more than ever , I want to thank the health care workers and everyone on the front lines .
I ’ ll be fine , and we will all get through this.
” Ewing was one of the most dominant players of his generation , and played for the New York Knicks from 1985 to 2000 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the US , including as a member of the famed 1992 Dream Team .

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

23 May 2020 22.27 BST After Donald Trump said on Friday that he believes places of worship should be deemed as essential services, Minnesota’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz, issued an executive order addressing the issue. Places of worship in the state will now be able to open at 25% of capacity. Individuals or households in the buildings must maintain six feet distance. Walz said he still encouraged citizens to worship remotely. “I am under no illusion whatsoever: Every move we make that loosens up increases the risk,” Walz said.
23 May 2020 22.05 BST President Trump’s slapdash order to temporarily suspend most travel from Europe to the US in an effort to contain the spread of Covid-19 in March was widely criticized for the mayhem it prompted at airports and border entry points. But a new Washington Post story reveals how that decision and the muddled messaging surrounding it may well have sealed the country’s coronavirus fate. While Trump points to his travel ban of China as evidence of his proactive response, mounting evidence indicates the outbreak was “driven overwhelmingly” by Europe: The images [of airport chaos] showed how a policy intended to block the pathogen’s entry into the United States instead delivered one final viral infusion. As those exposed travelers fanned out into U.S. cities and suburbs, they became part of an influx from Europe that went unchecked for weeks and helped to seal the country’s coronavirus fate. Epidemiologists contend the U.S. outbreak was driven overwhelmingly by viral strains from Europe rather than China. More than 1.8 million travelers entered the United States from Europe in February alone as that continent became the center of the pandemic. Infections reached critical mass in New York and other cities well before the White House took action, according to studies mapping the virus’s spread. The crush of travelers triggered by Trump’s announcement only added to that viral load. And about that China ban, which has become the bulwark of Trump’s defense of his administration’s response: When Trump moved to block travel from China in January, there were few indications of disruption at affected airports. But while the president has depicted that decision as one he made before anyone else recognized it was necessary, in reality major airlines were forcing his hand. Delta and American had announced on Jan. 31 they were suspending routes to China before Trump announced the restrictions. United informed the White House it had already decided to do the same but was willing to hold off on announcing it publicly if Trump was prepared to act swiftly in issuing an order, officials said. Eager to claim credit for acting to contain the virus, Trump’s announcement came within hours. Trump arrived back at the White House following this morning’s golf outing at 2.41pm, according to a pool report.
23 May 2020 20.52 BST The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported 1,595,885 cases of coronavirus, an increase of 24,268. The number of deaths had risen by 1,852 to 96,002. The figures, which have just been announced, were correct as of 4pm ET on Friday, and compared with the same count a day earlier. If you’re wondering about any discrepancies, it’s possible that the CDC figures do not reflect cases reported by individual states.
23 May 2020 20.29 BST Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson has warned of a second peak of Covid-19 in the southern state nearly 30 days after the first during his coronavirus response media briefing on Saturday in Little Rock. The state’s health department reported 163 new coronavirus cases with two more lives lost in the last 24 hours, he said. That’s the third straight single-day increase of 150 or more, which includes a single-day high of 455 new cases on Thursday. The Republican governor has come under criticism in recent weeks from critics who claim the state is rushing to reopen, though on Saturday he stressed the second peak can be attributed to record levels of testing across the state.
23 May 2020 19.44 BST Much has been made of armed protesters descending on state capitols in the US, demanding the easing of lockdown restrictions. But there is unrest in Europe too, with protests against the prospect of mass vaccinations against Covid-19 (should one be developed) and the tightening of civil liberties. The Guardian’s Philip Oltermann has more details: For the ninth week running, thousands gathered in European cities to vent their anger at social distancing restrictions they believe to be a draconian ploy to suspend basic civil rights and pave the way for “enforced vaccinations” that will do more harm than the Covid-19 virus itself. Walking towards the focal point of the protests down the Straße des 17. Juni boulevard, one woman said she believed the Covid-19 pandemic to be a hoax thought up by the pharmaceutical industry. “I’d never let myself be vaccinated,” said the woman, who would give her name only as Riot Granny. “I didn’t get a jab for the flu either, and I am still alive.” The alliance of anti-vaxxers, neo-Nazi rabble-rousers and esoteric hippies, which has in recent weeks been filling town squares in cities such as Berlin, Vienna and Zurich is starting to trouble governments as they map out scenarios for re-booting their economies and tackling the coronavirus long term. Even before an effective vaccine against Covid-19 has been developed, national leaders face a dilemma: should they aim to immunise as large a part of the population as possible as quickly as possible, or does compulsory vaccination risk boosting a street movement already prone to conspiracy theories about “big pharma” and its government’s authoritarian tendencies? You can read the full article below: Europe's Covid predicament – how do you solve a problem like the anti-vaxxers? Read more
23 May 2020 19.34 BST The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized China’s handling of the pandemic and the vice-president, Mike Pence, continued with that line today during an interview with Breitbart News. “China let the world down and the World Health Organization was their willing partner in withholding from the United States and the wider world vital information about the coronavirus that would have made it possible to stand up a national response sooner,” Pence said. “... Make no mistake about it that China will be held accountable for what the world has gone through because of their lack of transparency.” Trump has already threatened to withhold funding for the WHO unless it makes unspecified reforms. Most countries have pushed back against Trump’s criticisms, many of which were later proved to be incorrect. “This is the time for solidarity,” said the European commission’s spokeswoman Virginie Battu-Henriksson. “It is not the time for finger-pointing or undermining multilateral cooperation.
23 May 2020 19.13 BST In normal times, basketball fans would be fearing up for the start of the NBA finals. However, the season has been on hiatus since March as the sports world has shut down during the pandemic. The latest plan to restart involves the NBA playing at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida in late July. The complex has three arenas as well as several hotels that could house players, coaches and support staff, enabling them to isolate from the general population. “The NBA, in conjunction with the National Basketball Players Association, is engaged in exploratory conversations with The Walt Disney Company about restarting the 2019-20 NBA season in late July at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida as a single site for an NBA campus for games, practices and housing,” Bass said. “Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved, and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place.” Players and other staff would be subject to regular testing to ensure Covid-19 did not spread through the league. A few sports in the US have started to resume already: Nascar and UFC have held events without live audiences, while Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will team up with NFL legends Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in a charity golf tournament tomorrow. Elsewhere, Hall of Fame player and current Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing confirmed he is being treated in hospital after contracting Covid-19. “I want to share that I have tested positive for Covid-19. This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly,” the 57-year-old Ewing said in a statement. “I want to encourage everyone to stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Now more than ever, I want to thank the health care workers and everyone on the front lines. I’ll be fine, and we will all get through this.” Ewing was one of the most dominant players of his generation, and played for the New York Knicks from 1985 to 2000. He also won two Olympic gold medals for the US, including as a member of the famed 1992 Dream Team.
23 May 2020 18.56 BST Hertz is the latest high-profile company to file for bankruptcy during the pandemic. The car-rental company’s business has been hit by the downturn in travel during the pandemic, particularly at airports, where it does much of its trade. Hertz said it hoped that by declaring bankruptcy it can continue to operate. “The impact of Covid-19 on travel demand was sudden and dramatic, causing an abrupt decline in the company’s revenue and future bookings,” said the company in a statement. Hertz added that it did not know when activity would return to normal. Hertz has been in the car rental business since 1918, when it began offering Model Ts to customers. Other well known business that have declared bankruptcy during the pandemic and subsequent economic problems include JC Penney and clothing company J Crew.
23 May 2020 18.42 BST Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, has issued an exemption for some foreign athletes who compete in professional sporting events in the United States from entry bans imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. “In today’s environment, Americans need their sports,” Wolf said in a statement issued by the department announcing the exemption. “It’s time to reopen the economy and it’s time we get our professional athletes back to work.” Reopening the economy in a safe manner is a critical part of the United States’ response to the COVID19 pandemic. United States professional sports leagues and associations either suspended their seasons or postponed the start of their seasons in response to the spread of COVID-19, but now certain professional sporting groups organizing the United States’ largest sporting events, including Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Professional Golfers’ Association Tour (PGA Tour), the National Hockey League (NHL), the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), are prepared to resume sporting events with limited attendance and other public safety measures. Professional sporting events provide powerful first- and second-order benefits to the national economy, even if attendance is curtailed, due to advertising and broadcasting revenue, hospitality and food service requirements, and commercial cleaning needs. In addition, the sporting organizations that manage the professional leagues are situated to do so in a controlled manner, as they act as a single point of contact to manage player movement and the scheduling of events, and can take other measures to ensure player, staff, and fan safety is appropriately addressed. Professional live sporting events also provide intangible benefits to the national interest, including civic pride and national unity. Based on the benefit live sporting events provide to the national economy, and the need for these sporting events to have full access to their athletes, support staff, and team and league leadership, I hereby determine that it is in the national interest to except from Proclamations 9984, 9992, 9993, and 9996, aliens who compete in professional sporting events organized by certain professional sporting groups, including their professional staff, team and league leadership, spouses, and dependents. I will work with the professional sporting groups, including MLB, the NBA, the PGA Tour, the NHL, the ATP and the WTA, to identify the specific athletes, essential staff, team and league leadership, spouses, and dependents covered by this exemption. This exemption does not exempt those identified individuals from inspection by Customs and Border Protection or any other agency requirements, to include flight funneling enhanced medical screening if applicable as outlined in previously issued Federal Register Notices, when applying for entry into the United States. I may add or remove athletes, essential staff, team and league leadership, spouses, and dependents from the list to which this exemption applies based on my assessment of whether an exemption for such individuals is in the national interest, including the plans of the relevant professional sporting groups to support sporting events in the United States that do not cause an unnecessary risk to the public health.


theguardian--2020-05-23--North Dakota governor on brink of tears as he decries ‘mask shaming’

In North Dakota on Friday , the Republican governor , Doug Burgum , decried a “ senseless dividing line ” between US citizens over whether masks should be worn in public during the coronavirus pandemic .
As he pleaded with citizens of his state to “ try to dial up your empathy and your understanding ” , Burgum was moved to the brink of tears .
“ We ’ re all in this together and there ’ s only one battle we ’ re fighting , ” he said .
“ And that ’ s the battle of the virus.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen their battered economies , federal authorities are recommending covering the face in public when social distancing is difficult , for example in grocery stores .
Some states require residents to wear masks in public settings .
North Dakota , where Burgum allowed reopening to start from 1 May , does not .
The president has notably refused to wear a mask in public , although he was photographed wearing one on a visit to a Ford plant in Michigan this week .
On Saturday , Secret Service officers who were with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course were pictured wearing masks .
Trump was not .
Some rightwing protesters have attracted publicity by refusing to wear masks , while some shopkeepers have reportedly sought to deny service to people wearing face coverings .
Speaking to reporters at the state capitol in Bismarck on Friday , Bergum said he “ would really love to see in North Dakota that we could just skip this thing that other parts of the nation are going through , that they ’ re creating a divide .
Either it ’ s ideological or political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is I would say a senseless dividing line and I would ask people to try to dial up your empathy and your understanding .
If someone is wearing a mask , they ’ re not doing it to represent what political party they ’ re in or what candidates they support.
” As he continued , Burgum struggled not to break down in tears .
“ They might be doing it because they ’ ve got a five-year-old who ’ s been going through cancer treatments , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their life who currently have Covid-19 and are fighting .
“ So again , I would just love to see our state , as part of being ‘ North Dakota smart ’ , also be ‘ North Dakota kind ’ , ‘ North Dakota empathetic ’ , ‘ North Dakota understanding ’ , to do this thing .
Because if somebody wants to wear a mask , there should be no mask shaming.
” According to Johns Hopkins University , by Saturday North Dakota had recorded 2,317 coronavirus cases and 52 deaths @

In North Dakota on Friday, the Republican governor, Doug Burgum, decried a “senseless dividing line” between US citizens over whether masks should be worn in public during the coronavirus pandemic.
As he pleaded with citizens of his state to “try to dial up your empathy and your understanding”, Burgum was moved to the brink of tears.
“We’re all in this together and there’s only one battle we’re fighting,” he said. “And that’s the battle of the virus.”
As Donald Trump encourages states to reopen their battered economies, federal authorities are recommending covering the face in public when social distancing is difficult, for example in grocery stores.
Some states require residents to wear masks in public settings. North Dakota, where Burgum allowed reopening to start from 1 May, does not.
The president has notably refused to wear a mask in public, although he was photographed wearing one on a visit to a Ford plant in Michigan this week.
On Saturday, Secret Service officers who were with the president on a trip to a golf course were pictured wearing masks. Trump was not.
Some rightwing protesters have attracted publicity by refusing to wear masks, while some shopkeepers have reportedly sought to deny service to people wearing face coverings.
Speaking to reporters at the state capitol in Bismarck on Friday, Bergum said he “would really love to see in North Dakota that we could just skip this thing that other parts of the nation are going through, that they’re creating a divide. Either it’s ideological or political or something around mask versus no mask.
“This is I would say a senseless dividing line and I would ask people to try to dial up your empathy and your understanding. If someone is wearing a mask, they’re not doing it to represent what political party they’re in or what candidates they support.”
As he continued, Burgum struggled not to break down in tears.
“They might be doing it because they’ve got a five-year-old who’s been going through cancer treatments,” he said.
“They might have vulnerable adults in their life who currently have Covid-19 and are fighting.
“So again, I would just love to see our state, as part of being ‘North Dakota smart’, also be ‘North Dakota kind’, ‘North Dakota empathetic’, ‘North Dakota understanding’, to do this thing. Because if somebody wants to wear a mask, there should be no mask shaming.”
According to Johns Hopkins University, by Saturday North Dakota had recorded 2,317 coronavirus cases and 52 deaths.


theguardian--2020-05-23--Jeff Sessions snaps back after Trump tells Alabama not to trust him

After Donald Trump told supporters in Alabama “ do not trust ” Jeff Sessions and backed his opponent for the Republican Senate nomination , the man Trump trusted to be his first attorney general did something rare : he snapped back .
The president was “ damned fortunate ” , Sessions said on Friday night , that he recused himself from the Russia investigation .
Sessions , 73 , said his March 2017 decision , forced because he did not disclose to Congress contacts with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 election , “ protected the rule of law and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , special counsel Robert Mueller , appointed by then deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein on 17 May 2017 , said in his report that though he had not found evidence of criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the president , he was not exonerating Trump .
Sessions ’ claim otherwise was consistent with that of Trump and his supporters .
Sessions was fired after the midterm elections in 2018 and replaced by William Barr , an attorney general who has proved much more to Trump ’ s liking , working to protect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premise of the justice department investigation into Russian election interference .
Sessions is an immigration hardliner and mentor to the hard-right Trump adviser Stephen Miller .
He was the first senator to endorse Trump in 2016 .
He is now running in the Republican primary to contest his old seat , which the Republicans lost to the Democrat Doug Jones in December 2017 after nominating Roy Moore , a hardline judge who spoke favourably of Vladimir Putin but was accused of , and denied , sexual misconduct involving girls as young as 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump endorsed a string of congressional candidates , among them Ronny Jackson , a doctor who left the White House engulfed in scandal and is now running for the House in Texas .
Turning to Alabama , Trump wrote : “ Three years ago , after Jeff Sessions recused himself , the Fraudulent Mueller Scam began .
Alabama , do not trust Jeff Sessions .
He let our Country down .
That ’ s why I endorsed Coach Tommy Tuberville , the true supporter of our # MAGA agenda !
” Tuberville is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tigers , a leading name in college football , a near-holy institution in the deep-red state .
Tuberville won the first round of the primary , which Moore also entered .
He and Sessions will contest a runoff in July , the winner facing Jones in November .
In polling , Tuberville maintains a healthy lead .
Sessions has been so determined in his support of the president who humiliated him and fired him that many critics likened one early campaign ad to a hostage video .
On Friday , he wrote : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but recusal was required by law .
I did my duty and you ’ re damn fortunate I did .
It protected the rule of law and resulted in your exoneration .
“ Your personal feelings don ’ t dictate who Alabama picks as their senator , the people of Alabama do.
” If Sessions ’ response to Trump seemed made more in sorrow than anger , he was more aggressive towards his opponent .
Still addressing his former master , Sessions said Tuberville was “ a coward who is rightly too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re wrong on China and trade .
He wants to bring in even more foreign workers to take American jobs .
That ’ s not your agenda and it ’ s not mine or Alabama ’ s .
I know Alabama .
Tuberville doesn ’ t. ” Tuberville retweeted and echoed Trump , and turned Sessions ’ accusation of cowardice back the other way .
“ Jeff Sessions threw Donald Trump to the wolves with the Mueller appointment , ” he said , in a tweet first sent on 17 May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the special counsel .
“ When faced with supporting [ Trump ] or running scared , Jeff Sessions chose the easy way out and recused himself .
I won ’ t ever run from a fight in the US Senate .
”

After Donald Trump told supporters in Alabama “do not trust” Jeff Sessions and backed his opponent for the Republican Senate nomination, the man Trump trusted to be his first attorney general did something rare: he snapped back.
The president was “damned fortunate”, Sessions said on Friday night, that he recused himself from the Russia investigation.
Sessions, 73, said his March 2017 decision, forced because he did not disclose to Congress contacts with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 election, “protected the rule of law and resulted in your exoneration”.
In fact, special counsel Robert Mueller, appointed by then deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein on 17 May 2017, said in his report that though he had not found evidence of criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the president, he was not exonerating Trump.
Sessions’ claim otherwise was consistent with that of Trump and his supporters.
Your personal feelings don’t dictate who Alabama picks as their senator, the people of Alabama do Jeff Sessions
Sessions was fired after the midterm elections in 2018 and replaced by William Barr, an attorney general who has proved much more to Trump’s liking, working to protect the president and to reject the findings and premise of the justice department investigation into Russian election interference.
Sessions is an immigration hardliner and mentor to the hard-right Trump adviser Stephen Miller. He was the first senator to endorse Trump in 2016.
He is now running in the Republican primary to contest his old seat, which the Republicans lost to the Democrat Doug Jones in December 2017 after nominating Roy Moore, a hardline judge who spoke favourably of Vladimir Putin but was accused of, and denied, sexual misconduct involving girls as young as 14.
On Twitter on Friday night, Trump endorsed a string of congressional candidates, among them Ronny Jackson, a doctor who left the White House engulfed in scandal and is now running for the House in Texas.
Turning to Alabama, Trump wrote: “Three years ago, after Jeff Sessions recused himself, the Fraudulent Mueller Scam began. Alabama, do not trust Jeff Sessions. He let our Country down. That’s why I endorsed Coach Tommy Tuberville, the true supporter of our #MAGA agenda!”
Tuberville is a revered former coach of the Auburn Tigers, a leading name in college football, a near-holy institution in the deep-red state.
Tuberville won the first round of the primary, which Moore also entered. He and Sessions will contest a runoff in July, the winner facing Jones in November. In polling, Tuberville maintains a healthy lead.
Sessions has been so determined in his support of the president who humiliated him and fired him that many critics likened one early campaign ad to a hostage video.
On Friday, he wrote: “Look, I know your anger, but recusal was required by law. I did my duty and you’re damn fortunate I did. It protected the rule of law and resulted in your exoneration.
“Your personal feelings don’t dictate who Alabama picks as their senator, the people of Alabama do.”
If Sessions’ response to Trump seemed made more in sorrow than anger, he was more aggressive towards his opponent.
Still addressing his former master, Sessions said Tuberville was “a coward who is rightly too afraid to debate me. He says you’re wrong on China and trade. He wants to bring in even more foreign workers to take American jobs. That’s not your agenda and it’s not mine or Alabama’s. I know Alabama. Tuberville doesn’t.”
Tuberville retweeted and echoed Trump, and turned Sessions’ accusation of cowardice back the other way.
“Jeff Sessions threw Donald Trump to the wolves with the Mueller appointment,” he said, in a tweet first sent on 17 May, the anniversary of the naming of the special counsel.
“When faced with supporting [Trump] or running scared, Jeff Sessions chose the easy way out and recused himself. I won’t ever run from a fight in the US Senate.”