theguardian--2020-04-24--The Guardian view on the EU and Covid-19: better late than never | Editorial

Almost seven weeks after the World Health Organization confirmed the pandemic , Europe remains in the frontline of the battle to contain the Covid-19 virus .
Five of the six countries reporting most cases are in Europe .
Seven of the 10 countries reporting most deaths are in our continent too .
Yet Europe has struggled to make common cause against the virus .
In particular , it has bickered over how to support the most affected European economies against the consequences of the lockdown .
In spite of innumerable acts of cross-border solidarity on the medical front , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backers of the continent ’ s embattled poorer economies .
The good news , relatively speaking , is that this divide has not got worse and may , just possibly , have eased a little .
This week , leaders of the 27 EU nations finally signed off on a €540bn rescue package .
This gives countries such as Italy and Spain , which stand second and third to the United States in Covid-19 cases and deaths , the right to borrow from the eurozone ’ s bailout mechanism .
The problem is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states are reluctant to borrow their way out of the problem , in part because they fear that to take on more debt would deepen the inequality between the EU ’ s south and north .
Instead , France and the southern member states want the EU to make financial transfers to its worst-affected members .
Some rich states , notably Germany , balk at this .
All of them , though , want to avoid a prolongation of the EU ’ s damaging divisions of March and early April .
As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they would pass the parcel to Ursula von der Leyen and the European commission , who have been tasked with creating a recovery fund alongside the EU ’ s next seven-year budget , which is required by the start of 2021 .
No figures have yet been agreed , but the recovery fund device could prove a smart way of allowing the EU and its richer member states to stand by the poorer ones .
In Thursday ’ s virtual summit , Angela Merkel said that Germany , already the EU budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a significantly higher contribution “ in the spirit of solidarity ” .
Ms von der Leyen said afterwards that the EU would be trying to create a funding mechanism that allowed for a balance of grants and loans .
This will be anything but easy .
Familiar disputes about the size of the EU budget have not disappeared .
Indeed , the UK ’ s departure had made them trickier .
Now , in time-honoured fashion , the EU has also kicked the can down the road over the recovery fund .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ long .
Ms von der Leyen has only weeks to come up with a package .
The package is likely to be enormous .
But the economic damage caused by the pandemic means this issue is urgent and could still pose existential questions , as Emmanuel Macron said this week , for the EU itself .
This is a huge moment for the EU .
But it has direct implications for Britain too .
If the Brexit transition was to be extended into 2021 , the UK would have to extend its budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the current British government contributing to the EU recovery fund as well .
Yet there are no easy choices for any government in the wake of the pandemic shutdown .
The EU may be divided over the economic response .
But if the choice for Britain lies between cooperation with a divided EU and cooperation with a United States led by a delinquent president who advocates ingesting disinfectant , it would be a no-brainer .

Almost seven weeks after the World Health Organization confirmed the pandemic, Europe remains in the frontline of the battle to contain the Covid-19 virus. Five of the six countries reporting most cases are in Europe. Seven of the 10 countries reporting most deaths are in our continent too. Yet Europe has struggled to make common cause against the virus. In particular, it has bickered over how to support the most affected European economies against the consequences of the lockdown. In spite of innumerable acts of cross-border solidarity on the medical front, the rich nations of Europe have proved reluctant backers of the continent’s embattled poorer economies.
The good news, relatively speaking, is that this divide has not got worse and may, just possibly, have eased a little. This week, leaders of the 27 EU nations finally signed off on a €540bn rescue package. This gives countries such as Italy and Spain, which stand second and third to the United States in Covid-19 cases and deaths, the right to borrow from the eurozone’s bailout mechanism. The problem is that the EU’s southern member states are reluctant to borrow their way out of the problem, in part because they fear that to take on more debt would deepen the inequality between the EU’s south and north.
Instead, France and the southern member states want the EU to make financial transfers to its worst-affected members. Some rich states, notably Germany, balk at this. All of them, though, want to avoid a prolongation of the EU’s damaging divisions of March and early April. As a result, the EU27 decided on Thursday that they would pass the parcel to Ursula von der Leyen and the European commission, who have been tasked with creating a recovery fund alongside the EU’s next seven-year budget, which is required by the start of 2021.
No figures have yet been agreed, but the recovery fund device could prove a smart way of allowing the EU and its richer member states to stand by the poorer ones. In Thursday’s virtual summit, Angela Merkel said that Germany, already the EU budget’s largest net contributor, would make a significantly higher contribution “in the spirit of solidarity”. Ms von der Leyen said afterwards that the EU would be trying to create a funding mechanism that allowed for a balance of grants and loans.
This will be anything but easy. Familiar disputes about the size of the EU budget have not disappeared. Indeed, the UK’s departure had made them trickier. Now, in time-honoured fashion, the EU has also kicked the can down the road over the recovery fund. But it cannot do that for long. Ms von der Leyen has only weeks to come up with a package. The package is likely to be enormous. But the economic damage caused by the pandemic means this issue is urgent and could still pose existential questions, as Emmanuel Macron said this week, for the EU itself.
This is a huge moment for the EU. But it has direct implications for Britain too. If the Brexit transition was to be extended into 2021, the UK would have to extend its budget contribution too. It is hard to see the current British government contributing to the EU recovery fund as well. Yet there are no easy choices for any government in the wake of the pandemic shutdown. The EU may be divided over the economic response. But if the choice for Britain lies between cooperation with a divided EU and cooperation with a United States led by a delinquent president who advocates ingesting disinfectant, it would be a no-brainer.


theguardian--2020-04-25--There is no point talking to Trump. We need to talk past him | Jan Werner-Muller

Can a man who is both head of state and chief executive somehow not be the center of attention during a national crisis ?
All eyes remain on Trump .
Yet the president has effectively abdicated responsibility , nationally and internationally .
He is just keeping up a nightly theater of leadership – with an eye on the ratings , as opposed to the lived reality of millions of Americans for whom he can not muster even a performance of empathy .
It is time to focus elsewhere .
And it is urgent for Democrats to provide actual guidance for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ( not least journalists ) have for the longest time clung to the hope that somehow the reality TV star would become “ presidential ” .
By contrast , Trump ’ s detractors have been waiting desperately for some “ have you no sense of decency ?
” moment – something akin to the dramatic live-TV confrontation between lawyer Joseph Welch and Senator Joe McCarthy , which precipitated the downfall of the latter .
Others are debating whether the networks and cable channels should carry Trump ’ s daily briefings at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be learned here from a very different period in history .
I mean the strategies adopted by the central European dissidents of the 1970s and 1980s ( which is not to equate authoritarian state socialism with the US today ) .
After the failure of many reform efforts , Adam Michnik and other intellectuals concluded that the oppressive regimes were never going to change .
The dissidents stopped talking to state leaders and resolved instead to “ talk past them ” ( as the historian Tony Judt put it ) , trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spite of restrictions on speech .
They also started to create what Václav Benda called a “ parallel polis ” – a world in which one tried to act as if one was already free .
These civil society initiatives undermined the regimes without ever confronting them head-on .
What is the lesson ?
There is no point talking to Trump , because he will not change ; every seemingly sober presidential moment – cheered by centrist observers – is followed by 10 puerile performances of ranting and raving .
There will never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ base ” is apparently committed to him no matter what ; even his diehard fans ’ most basic interests – such as not dying ( never mind their economic interests ) – will apparently not detract from their identification with a figure who , if nothing else , looks like a trustworthy general in the culture war .
It is possible , to pick up an idea from the media critic Jay Rosen , to “ decenter ” Trump .
True , he is the president , but he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abdicating responsibility for the Covid-19 crisis and turning to polit-entertainment .
The governors are supposed to “ call the shots ” .
The rest of the world already got the message that the United States is no longer interested in cooperating to address global challenges .
Concretely , this means the Democrats should start doing nightly briefings and propose plans ( wasn ’ t there once someone in the primaries who was particularly good at drawing up plans ? )
; governors could turn the fact that Trump has “ authorized ” them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandate for building a parallel polis with better policies , some of which could eventually be scaled up nationally .
The fact that some do not have the resources , because Mitch McConnell would rather have blue states go bankrupt than save lives , should be exposed as further proof that the Republicans have comprehensively turned into the party of cruelty .
To provide alternative leadership – and real facts , as opposed to Trump ’ s mostly “ alternative facts ” – is not the same as disputing the legitimacy of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contested the outcome of the 2006 election in Mexico ( which he narrowly lost ) , he declared himself the “ legitimate president of Mexico ” and had his followers camp out to protest in the middle of Mexico City .
And in the weeks after the shock of November 2016 , plenty of Americans declared Trump “ not my president ” .
That is a dangerous move , and mirrors Republicans who already in the 1990s referred to Bill Clinton as “ your president ” , denying the legitimacy of their political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our president – he ’ s just not acting like it .
Democrats may worry that assertively providing alternative leadership is seen as “ divisive ” or as “ politicizing ” the crisis .
But like it or not , we are already in the campaign ; Trump is being as divisive as ever ; and , most important , an opposition ready to provide comprehensive alternatives is the heart of representative democracy .
This is more obvious in parliamentary systems ; think of how the leader of the opposition in the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the prime Mminister and start rebutting .
Some commentators have suggested Joe Biden put together a “ shadow cabinet ” , following the UK example .
Others have argued that Democrats should not have one spokesperson going up parallel to Trump , but instead feature a revolving set of politicians both charismatic and competent ( Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be a natural choice ) .
What is most important is creating a sense that the opposition , in a time of crisis , is both criticizing the administration and offering something constructive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ often decided more by “ negative identity ” than by positive visions ; citizens vote less for something , than against someone .
Many Americans have made up their mind about Trump by now ; those who haven ’ t are more likely to be impressed by his Kabuki shows of leadership and get the feeling that nobody else has a plan .
It is this fatal sense that must be countered .
• None Jan-Werner Müller is the author of What is Populism ?
His book Democracy Rules will be out next @

Can a man who is both head of state and chief executive somehow not be the center of attention during a national crisis? All eyes remain on Trump. Yet the president has effectively abdicated responsibility, nationally and internationally. He is just keeping up a nightly theater of leadership – with an eye on the ratings, as opposed to the lived reality of millions of Americans for whom he cannot muster even a performance of empathy. It is time to focus elsewhere. And it is urgent for Democrats to provide actual guidance for a country in disarray.
Plenty of people (not least journalists) have for the longest time clung to the hope that somehow the reality TV star would become “presidential”. By contrast, Trump’s detractors have been waiting desperately for some “have you no sense of decency?” moment – something akin to the dramatic live-TV confrontation between lawyer Joseph Welch and Senator Joe McCarthy, which precipitated the downfall of the latter. Others are debating whether the networks and cable channels should carry Trump’s daily briefings at all.
There is an important lesson to be learned here from a very different period in history. I mean the strategies adopted by the central European dissidents of the 1970s and 1980s (which is not to equate authoritarian state socialism with the US today). After the failure of many reform efforts, Adam Michnik and other intellectuals concluded that the oppressive regimes were never going to change. The dissidents stopped talking to state leaders and resolved instead to “talk past them” (as the historian Tony Judt put it), trying to reach as many citizens as possible in spite of restrictions on speech. They also started to create what Václav Benda called a “parallel polis” – a world in which one tried to act as if one was already free. These civil society initiatives undermined the regimes without ever confronting them head-on.
What is the lesson? There is no point talking to Trump, because he will not change; every seemingly sober presidential moment – cheered by centrist observers – is followed by 10 puerile performances of ranting and raving. There will never be a Gotcha moment, because Trump’s “base” is apparently committed to him no matter what; even his diehard fans’ most basic interests – such as not dying (never mind their economic interests) – will apparently not detract from their identification with a figure who, if nothing else, looks like a trustworthy general in the culture war.
It is possible, to pick up an idea from the media critic Jay Rosen, to “decenter” Trump. True, he is the president, but he has basically informed the country that he is abdicating responsibility for the Covid-19 crisis and turning to polit-entertainment. The governors are supposed to “call the shots”. The rest of the world already got the message that the United States is no longer interested in cooperating to address global challenges.
Concretely, this means the Democrats should start doing nightly briefings and propose plans (wasn’t there once someone in the primaries who was particularly good at drawing up plans?); governors could turn the fact that Trump has “authorized” them to do what they want into a mandate for building a parallel polis with better policies, some of which could eventually be scaled up nationally. The fact that some do not have the resources, because Mitch McConnell would rather have blue states go bankrupt than save lives, should be exposed as further proof that the Republicans have comprehensively turned into the party of cruelty.
Democrats may worry that providing alternative leadership is seen as divisive. But we are already in the campaign
To provide alternative leadership – and real facts, as opposed to Trump’s mostly “alternative facts” – is not the same as disputing the legitimacy of the president. When Andrés Manuel López Obrador contested the outcome of the 2006 election in Mexico (which he narrowly lost), he declared himself the “legitimate president of Mexico” and had his followers camp out to protest in the middle of Mexico City. And in the weeks after the shock of November 2016, plenty of Americans declared Trump “not my president”. That is a dangerous move, and mirrors Republicans who already in the 1990s referred to Bill Clinton as “your president”, denying the legitimacy of their political adversaries. Trump, alas, is our president – he’s just not acting like it.
Democrats may worry that assertively providing alternative leadership is seen as “divisive” or as “politicizing” the crisis. But like it or not, we are already in the campaign; Trump is being as divisive as ever; and, most important, an opposition ready to provide comprehensive alternatives is the heart of representative democracy. This is more obvious in parliamentary systems; think of how the leader of the opposition in the House of Commons is supposed to rise immediately after the prime minister and start rebutting.
Some commentators have suggested Joe Biden put together a “shadow cabinet”, following the UK example. Others have argued that Democrats should not have one spokesperson going up parallel to Trump, but instead feature a revolving set of politicians both charismatic and competent (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be a natural choice). What is most important is creating a sense that the opposition, in a time of crisis, is both criticizing the administration and offering something constructive.
It is true that elections are today often decided more by “negative identity” than by positive visions; citizens vote less for something, than against someone. Many Americans have made up their mind about Trump by now; those who haven’t are more likely to be impressed by his Kabuki shows of leadership and get the feeling that nobody else has a plan. It is this fatal sense that must be countered.


theguardian--2020-04-25--Trump says briefings 'not worth the effort' amid fallout from disinfectant comments

After more than a month of near-daily White House coronavirus press briefings , Donald Trump stayed behind closed doors on Saturday after advisers reportedly warned the president that his appearances were hurting his campaign .
Trump himself referenced his absence when he wrote on Twitter that the briefings are “ not worth the time & effort ” .
The president wrote the tweet on Saturday evening , when he would usually be taking the podium to address journalists .
“ What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or facts accurately , ” he wrote .
“ They get record ratings , & the American people get nothing but Fake News .
Not worth the time & effort !
” In recent weeks Trump has used the briefings to dole out unproven and debunked medical advice , suggesting that things like sunlight and an anti-malaria drug are cures to Covid-19 , often causing his own medical experts to try to correct the record .
But on Friday Trump surprised observers by taking no questions and stalking out of the room after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes .
Some took the move as an acknowledgement from Trump himself that he may have taken things too far when he said on Thursday that disinfectant could be used to cure Covid-19 .
Those comments sparked shock and ridicule – and warnings from healthcare experts – and prompted Trump to make a ham-fisted attempt at a clawback when he later said he had made the remarks sarcastically – despite video proving he had not .
While the press briefings are meant to give members of the coronavirus task force an opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country , the attention around the briefings has been centered on Trump ’ s use of the podium as his bully pulpit .
The president has used the briefings as uncensored airtime , praising his administration for its response to the crisis while criticizing the media and Democrats for any negative comeback .
Advisers close to the president told him to stop making appearances at the briefings unless special announcements needed to be made , according to multiple reports published Saturday morning .
The advice comes as Trump trails Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his advisers believe , because his appearances are overkill .
“ I told him it ’ s not helping him , ” one adviser told Axios .
“ Seniors are scared .
And the spectacle of him fighting with the press isn ’ t what people want to see.
” Trump has reportedly been hesitant to end his briefing appearances , Axios reported , because he said they bring in good television ratings .
The president has also used the briefings as an opportunity to rile up his base in a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies .
Trump has criticized Democrats and attacked Biden , referring to him as “ Sleepy Joe ” during briefings , veering far away from the subject of Covid-19 .
It is unclear whether Trump can stay away from the podium , or whether his instincts as a reality television star will kick in and the show will go on .
“ He ’ s going to want to get media attention and control his message , ” Sam Nunberg , a political consultant who briefly worked on Trump ’ s campaign in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the only one who thinks he can do his message best , and that ’ s just the reality .
That ’ s how he works .
”

After more than a month of near-daily White House coronavirus press briefings, Donald Trump stayed behind closed doors on Saturday after advisers reportedly warned the president that his appearances were hurting his campaign.
Trump himself referenced his absence when he wrote on Twitter that the briefings are “not worth the time & effort”. The president wrote the tweet on Saturday evening, when he would usually be taking the podium to address journalists.
What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2020
“What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately,” he wrote. “They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!”
In recent weeks Trump has used the briefings to dole out unproven and debunked medical advice, suggesting that things like sunlight and an anti-malaria drug are cures to Covid-19, often causing his own medical experts to try to correct the record.
But on Friday Trump surprised observers by taking no questions and stalking out of the room after an unusually short briefing of just 22 minutes. Some took the move as an acknowledgement from Trump himself that he may have taken things too far when he said on Thursday that disinfectant could be used to cure Covid-19.
01:58 Trump floats dangerous coronavirus treatment ideas as Dr Birx looks on – video
Those comments sparked shock and ridicule – and warnings from healthcare experts – and prompted Trump to make a ham-fisted attempt at a clawback when he later said he had made the remarks sarcastically – despite video proving he had not.
While the press briefings are meant to give members of the coronavirus task force an opportunity to provide updates on the state of Covid-19 in the country, the attention around the briefings has been centered on Trump’s use of the podium as his bully pulpit.
The president has used the briefings as uncensored airtime, praising his administration for its response to the crisis while criticizing the media and Democrats for any negative comeback.
Advisers close to the president told him to stop making appearances at the briefings unless special announcements needed to be made, according to multiple reports published Saturday morning. The advice comes as Trump trails Joe Biden in polls from swing states. Perhaps, his advisers believe, because his appearances are overkill.
“I told him it’s not helping him,” one adviser told Axios. “Seniors are scared. And the spectacle of him fighting with the press isn’t what people want to see.”
Trump has reportedly been hesitant to end his briefing appearances, Axios reported, because he said they bring in good television ratings.
The president has also used the briefings as an opportunity to rile up his base in a way that would typically be done at his rallies. Trump has criticized Democrats and attacked Biden, referring to him as “Sleepy Joe” during briefings, veering far away from the subject of Covid-19.
It is unclear whether Trump can stay away from the podium, or whether his instincts as a reality television star will kick in and the show will go on.
“He’s going to want to get media attention and control his message,” Sam Nunberg, a political consultant who briefly worked on Trump’s campaign in 2016, told Politico. “He is the only one who thinks he can do his message best, and that’s just the reality. That’s how he works.”


theguardian--2020-04-25--Coronavirus US live: Cuomo calls quarantining this generation's challenge – as it happened

Michigan state senator Dale Zorn has apologized after wearing a facemask that appeared to depict the Confederate flag .
Zorn , a Republican , wore the mask during a senate vote at the Michigan capitol in Lansing on Friday .
He initially defended his actions , saying his wife had made the mask and that it depicted the flag of Tennessee or Kentucky .
“ I told my wife it probably will raise some eyebrows , but it was not a Confederate flag , ” Zorn told Lansing TV station WLNS on Friday .
“ Even if it was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be talking about teaching our national history in schools and that ’ s part of our national history and it ’ s something we can ’ t just throw away because it is part of our history.
” When Zorn was asked what the meaning of the Confederate flag is , he replied , “ The Confederacy ” .
1/2 : I ’ m sorry for my choice of pattern on the face mask I wore yesterday on the Senate floor .
I did not intend to offend anyone ; however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that I am sorry .
Those who know me best know that I do not support the things this pattern represents .
However , after receiving criticism from both Republicans and Democrats in the Michigan senate , Zorn issued an apology on Saturday .
“ I ’ m sorry for my choice of pattern on the face mask I wore yesterday on the Senate floor .
I did not intend to offend anyone ; however , I realize that I did , and for that I am sorry .
Those who know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support the things this pattern represents , ” he wrote on Twitter .
“ My actions were an error in judgment for which there are no excuses and I will learn from this episode.
” Earlier , a spokesperson for Michigan ’ s senate majority leader , Republican Mike Shirkey said Shirkey “ would not support or encourage any senator to display an insensitive symbol on the Senate floor.
” The leader of the Democrats in the Michigan senate , Jim Ananich , said : “ I ’ m just really disappointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply hurtful to so many people .
When he was called out for it , he didn ’ t seem to even understand or acknowledge what the problem was.
” Zorn was in Lansing on Friday to vote on measures that would increase oversight of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer ’ s powers during the Covid-19 pandemic .
Michigan is one of a number of states that have attracted protests against stay-at-home orders during the pandemic .
Zorn said he supported bipartisan oversight of Whitmer ’ s actions .
“ The founding idea of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people should not be tossed aside lightly , even in cases of a public health emergency , ” Zorn said in a statement on Friday .
“ I supported this legislation to give the Michigan people more input into the governor ’ s use of emergency powers that limit their freedom and affect their lives .
“ Emergency actions were necessary to protect the public when the coronavirus came to Michigan .
This reform is about speeding up the process for ensuring that elected officials listen to the people and work together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when appropriate , enable people to live their lives .
”

Bryan Armen Graham in New York (now), Tom Lutz and Lauren Aratani (earlier)

Key events 25 Apr 2020 Summary
25 Apr 2020 Michigan senator sorry for wearing 'Confederate' facemask Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
25 Apr 2020 22.46 BST Dr Anthony Fauci, White House coronavirus task force member and infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health, said on Saturday that a randomized controlled trial is the only way to prove whether any of the drugs being explored as Covid-19 treatments in fact work. “We need something out there, but safety and efficacy is something we owe to the global population,” Fauci said during an online meeting of the National Academy of Sciences. He added that caution must be of paramount importance as economies re-open, lest areas wounded by infections experience a resurgence. “Any attempt to leapfrog over these almost certainly will result in a rebound, and then we can set ourselves back,” he said. “If we don’t get control of it we will never get back to normal. I know we will, but we’ve got to do it correctly.” He added: “We don’t want to get fixated on how many tests you need. ... Instead, places must “have enough tests to respond to the outbreaks that will inevitably occur.”
25 Apr 2020 21.58 BST Florida governor Ron DeSantis said the re-opening of his state’s economy will begin with “a very, very small step forward”. DeSantis said decisions on which businesses and activities will be permitted when the statewide stay-at-home order ends on Thursday will be made “based on data, where trends are” during a news conference. Orthopedic surgeon Wael Barsoum, speaking alongside the governor at Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston, said any changes will be evaluated daily. “I think that there is a lot of excitement about seeing what happens as we move forward, as we start slowly seeing changes with the requirements that we’ve had put in place,” Barsoum said. “But please recognize that we will learn every day, and we may have to step back from some of those decisions as a society.” The state’s department of health released data on Saturday showing that 612 people have died from Covid-19 in south Florida – including Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties – an increase of 28 people from Friday. Statewide, 1,055 people have died and 30,839 individuals have tested positive.
25 Apr 2020 21.24 BST While many Los Angeles area beaches remain closed to the public due to Covid-19, a handful are permitting visitors in a limited capacity amid California governor Gavin Newsom’s pleas to practice social distancing. One such beach is in San Clemente, where the local council voted to reopen the beach for recreational activity such as walking, running, swimming and surfing, but it also said residents should not bring a blanket and hang out. The early returns have been mixed. According to the Orange County Register: This weekend, with a heat wave hitting the region, will be a test to see if keeping the beach open is possible. Will people be able to keep moving and use the sand and surf just for exercise, as San Clemente requires? Can they remember to space out 6-feet away from others to adhere to social distancing rules? Newport Beach had tens of thousands of beachgoers Friday afternoon as the hot weather hit, an influx that concerned residents who worry about out-of-towners and careless beachgoers flooding into the tourist town. The sentiment from residents was mixed – some griping on social media that the sand looked like a hot summer day or the Fourth of July holiday with careless crowds disregarding stay-at-home orders — while others said beachgoers seemed to be mindful of other people’s space and, for the most part, adhered to the rules. “It was extremely crowded, it was the biggest crowd we have seen since last summer,” said Brian O’Roarke, Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief. “With the boardwalks and parking lots closed, it’s kept the activity more to people on the beach.” With closures of other beaches in Los Angeles, San Diego and next door in Laguna – as well as regular visitors from inland, the crowds have been “pretty thick,” he said. “We’re getting people coming from other counties, without a doubt,” O’Roarke said. “Our message is that the beaches are open, we are encouraging social distancing and discouraging gathering points — that’s why the parking lots, the Wedge and boardwalks and piers are closed. “We want people to follow Gov. Newsom’s stay-at-home order, go out and get exercise, jump in the water, but we’re saying it’s essential to keep up with our social distancing.” Lifeguards are beefing up staffing for the weekend, though a thick, cool coastal fog on Saturday may help ease crowds. Authorities are approaching groups of six or more to remind them about social distancing, he said. “They understand what’s going on,” O’Roarke said.
25 Apr 2020 20.39 BST Mike Pence’s office has announced the vice president will lead a White House coronavirus task force meeting at 4pm today in the Situation Room, suggesting there will be no press briefing today. According to reports, Trump is planning to ‘pare back’ the daily briefings after falsely claiming his suggestion to inject cleaning products had been ‘sarcastic’. Yesterday’s presser offered one of the strangest twists of the pandemic so far: the president gave a short pre-written statement and then exited the stage without taking a single question.
Updated at 20.41 BST
25 Apr 2020 19.58 BST Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has said the country’s economy should not reopen until there is enough personal protection equipment for workers. “I don’t think we should be reopening any sector of the economy until we have enough material to protect Canadians and ensure that we are stopping the spread of Covid-19,” said Trudeau during a press conference on Saturday. The prime minister said he expected “plane loads” of PPE to arrive next week. “We know we have to take a gradual and progressive approach and be very careful about reopening the economy,” he said. Canada had recorded 2,350 fatalities from Covid-19 as of Saturday morning.
Updated at 20.18 BST
25 Apr 2020 19.52 BST Donald Trump has dipped his toes into Twitter, boasting about the US’s testing program. “We have now Tested more than 5 Million People. That is more than any other country in the World, and even more than all major countries combined!,” he wrote. That’s not quite right. Russia, Italy and Germany alone have issued more than 5.5m tests. We have now Tested more than 5 Million People. That is more than any other country in the World, and even more than all major countries combined! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2020 Trump also went back to an old theme: China’s place in the pandemic. “The Do Nothing Democrats are spending much of their money on Fake Ads. I never said that the CoronaVirus is a “Hoax”, I said that the Democrats, and the way they lied about it, are a Hoax. Also, it did start with “one person from China”, and then grew, & will be a “Miracle” end!,” he wrote. Trump is correct when he says he did not refer to the virus as a “hoax”. However, as Snopes reports, he “likened the Democrats’ criticism of his administration’s response to the new coronavirus outbreak to their efforts to impeach him, saying ‘this is their new hoax.’”
25 Apr 2020 19.34 BST Miami is considering how it will handle a planned easing of restrictions in the city next week, according to a story in the Miami Herald. Some parks are expected to reopen but measures will be in place to maintain social distancing. For example, people will be able to shoot baskets on basketball courts but not play full games, while tennis will be allowed but only if people play singles rather than doubles. Enforcement of the new rules will require huge amounts of manpower, and security staff from Miami’s sports stadiums could be used, reports the Herald. Stadium workers have found themselves out of jobs during the shutdown, which has effectively suspended professional sports in the US. You can read some of the workers’ stories here: 'Everything went to hell': stadium workers on the US sports shutdown Read more
25 Apr 2020 19.21 BST Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, eased some of the state’s lockdown measures on Friday. That included the reopening of nail salons and barber shops. Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta, clearly does not agree with that policy and tweeted out statistics on death rates in Georgia on Saturday, along with a message for people to stay home. “If you’re getting your nails done right now, please share these noon numbers with your manicurist #StayHomeGeorgia,” the mayor wrote. If you’re getting your nails done right now, please share these noon numbers with your manicurist. #StayHomeGeorgia pic.twitter.com/NObL3gI5ZL — Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) April 25, 2020
25 Apr 2020 19.07 BST New Jersey has the second-highest death toll from Covid-19 for any state other than New York. The state’s governor, Phil Murphy, reported 249 deaths over the last 24 hours, bringing the total deaths in New Jersey to 5,863 since the start of the pandemic. However, Murphy said the number of deaths now appear to be flattening. “We need to see more progress and more slowing before we can begin implementing any effort to get ourselves on the road to the new normal that awaits our state on the other side of this pandemic,” he said. “Those curves are all going largely in the right direction.” We’ve lost more New Jerseyans to coronavirus than we lost in World War I, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War COMBINED.
When we say we’re in a war, we mean it. This is literally a war. — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 25, 2020 He also called the state’s efforts against the virus “a war”. He wrote on Twitter: “We’ve lost more New Jerseyans to coronavirus than we lost in World War I, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War COMBINED. When we say we’re in a war, we mean it. This is literally a war.” Some have debated how useful war metaphors are during the pandemic. Here’s our own Marina Hyde on language and coronavirus: The horror of coronavirus is all too real. Don't turn it into an imaginary war | Marina Hyde Read more
Updated at 19.09 BST


theguardian--2020-04-25--Michigan senator apologizes for wearing Confederate flag face mask

A Republican politician in Michigan has apologized after wearing a face mask that appeared to depict the Confederate flag , an image offensive to many Americans as a symbol of racism and slavery .
Michigan state Senator Dale Zorn wore the mask during a Senate vote at the state capitol in Lansing on Friday .
He initially defended his actions , saying his wife had made the mask and that it depicted the flag of Tennessee or Kentucky .
“ I told my wife it probably will raise some eyebrows , but it was not a Confederate flag , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
He went on to add : “ Even if it was a Confederate flag , you know , we should be talking about teaching our national history in schools and that ’ s part of our national history and it ’ s something we can ’ t just throw away because it is part of our history.
” When Zorn was asked what the meaning of the Confederate flag is , he replied “ the Confederacy ” .
In fact , displaying the Confederate flag , or other symbols of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is usually seen as racist .
While some advocates claim they are celebrating southern identity and heritage , it is widely seen as a racist symbol deeply offensive to black Americans .
Nor is it just flags .
There is an ongoing campaign to remove Confederate war statues from public display or rename streets and buildings which commemorate Confederate generals or politicians .
After sparking widespread outrage , Zorn issued an apology on Saturday .
“ I ’ m sorry for my choice of pattern on the face mask I wore yesterday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not intend to offend anyone ; however , I realize that I did , and for that I am sorry .
Those who know me best know that I do not support the things this pattern represents , ” he wrote on Twitter .
“ My actions were an error in judgment for which there are no excuses and I will learn from this episode.
” A spokesperson for Michigan ’ s senate majority leader , Republican Mike Shirkey , said that Shirkey “ would not support or encourage any senator to display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
The leader of the Democrats in the Michigan senate , Jim Ananich , said : “ I ’ m just really disappointed to see him make a choice that is deeply hurtful to so many people .
When he was called out for it , he didn ’ t seem to even understand or acknowledge what the problem was.
” Zorn was in Lansing on Friday to vote on measures that would increase oversight of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer ’ s powers during the Covid-19 pandemic .
Michigan is one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests against stay-at-home orders during the pandemic .
Zorn said he supported bipartisan oversight of Whitmer ’ s actions .

A Republican politician in Michigan has apologized after wearing a face mask that appeared to depict the Confederate flag, an image offensive to many Americans as a symbol of racism and slavery.
Michigan state Senator Dale Zorn wore the mask during a Senate vote at the state capitol in Lansing on Friday. He initially defended his actions, saying his wife had made the mask and that it depicted the flag of Tennessee or Kentucky.
“I told my wife it probably will raise some eyebrows, but it was not a Confederate flag,” Zorn told Lansing TV station WLNS on Friday.
He went on to add: “Even if it was a Confederate flag, you know, we should be talking about teaching our national history in schools and that’s part of our national history and it’s something we can’t just throw away because it is part of our history.”
When Zorn was asked what the meaning of the Confederate flag is, he replied “the Confederacy”.
This is Dale Zorn. He is an elected member of the Michigan Senate. He wore a Confederate Flag mask on the floor of the Michigan Senate. Then he tried to tell us he didn't.
THIS IS MICHIGAN, NOT MISSISSIPPI!
Get that trash outta here. pic.twitter.com/uTOaBzweTO — Bryan Newland (@RealBNewland) April 25, 2020
In fact, displaying the Confederate flag, or other symbols of the slave-owning south during the American civil war, is usually seen as racist. While some advocates claim they are celebrating southern identity and heritage, it is widely seen as a racist symbol deeply offensive to black Americans. Nor is it just flags. There is an ongoing campaign to remove Confederate war statues from public display or rename streets and buildings which commemorate Confederate generals or politicians.
After sparking widespread outrage, Zorn issued an apology on Saturday.
“I’m sorry for my choice of pattern on the face mask I wore yesterday on the Senate floor. I did not intend to offend anyone; however, I realize that I did, and for that I am sorry. Those who know me best know that I do not support the things this pattern represents,” he wrote on Twitter. “My actions were an error in judgment for which there are no excuses and I will learn from this episode.”
A spokesperson for Michigan’s senate majority leader, Republican Mike Shirkey, said that Shirkey “would not support or encourage any senator to display an insensitive symbol on the Senate floor”.
The leader of the Democrats in the Michigan senate, Jim Ananich, said: “I’m just really disappointed to see him make a choice that is deeply hurtful to so many people. When he was called out for it, he didn’t seem to even understand or acknowledge what the problem was.”
Zorn was in Lansing on Friday to vote on measures that would increase oversight of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer’s powers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Michigan is one of a number of states that have attracted protests against stay-at-home orders during the pandemic. Zorn said he supported bipartisan oversight of Whitmer’s actions.


theguardian--2020-04-25--Debacle of Trump's coronavirus disinfectant comments could be tipping point

For Donald Trump , it was the strangest and most news-making thing he could have done : instead of taking questions from journalists , dominating the nation ’ s airwaves yet again , the US president gave a short pre-written statement and then stalked off the stage .
The abrupt end of Friday night ’ s daily press conference , which has become a ribald , unruly and often shocking ritual in America during the coronavirus pandemic , was probably the clearest sign yet of how badly Trump ’ s bizarre statements over disinfectant have shaken his administration .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world reacted with shock and horror to his Thursday night suggestion that the coronavirus might be treated by injecting disinfectant into a human body , Trump claimed he was being “ sarcastic ” and then retreated from public view .
The New York Times reported that some officials in the White House thought “ it was one of the worst days in one of the worst weeks of his presidency.
” But it was Trump ’ s silence on Friday night that spoke volumes .
White House coronavirus taskforce briefings are often two-hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his heel as reporters shouted questions in vain .
Perhaps it was a fit of pique , or perhaps revenge on the reporters that he sees as persecutors .
He may also have reached a tipping point , with his own advisers warning that the televised briefings are hurting him far more than they help .
Right on cue , minutes later , the Axios website reported that Trump plans to “ pare back ” his coronavirus press conferences , according to four of its sources .
Next week , it said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and make shorter appearances when he does ” .
If he does that then Trump ’ s remarks over disinfectant will have been the straw that broke the camel ’ s back over the nightly ritual of the virus briefings .
For weeks they have dominated the US headlines as the nation struggles to come to terms with a pandemic that has cost 50,000 American lives .
They have provided a canvas for Trump ’ s rage , a platform from which he can attack his enemies and – only occasionally – a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reassure a scared and besieged public enduring stay-at-home orders to curb the virus .
But Trump ’ s remarks over disinfectant changed all that .
On Thursday , Trump had suggested that doctors study the idea of people receiving injections of disinfectant to combat the virus .
He also extolled the potential and unproven benefits of ultraviolet light .
Medical experts , politicians and even disinfectant makers denounced the suggestion and warned the public against consuming the product .
Trump ’ s comments generated internet memes and headlines around the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton , chimed in with a quick jab on Twitter .
“ Please don ’ t poison yourself because Donald Trump thinks it could be a good idea , ” she said .
His new rival for the 2020 election , former vice-president Joe Biden , also pitched in .
“ I can ’ t believe I have to say this , but please don ’ t drink bleach , ” he said , mixing mockery with a public service announcement .
From almost the moment the words left Trump ’ s mouth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limitation was needed .
But , as shock and amazement traversed the globe , it was slow in coming .
When it did arrive , on Friday lunchtime , it was a clean-up attempt that clearly could have gone better .
At a White House event Trump tried to justify his dangerous comments , falsely claiming that he was “ asking a question sarcastically to reporters ” .
On Friday , even as the US death toll topped 50,000 and the grim milestone of 1 million coronavirus cases grows nearer , Trump tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperate and dishonest U-turn .
“ I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen , ” the president , sitting at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office , told reporters as he signed emergency funding legislation .
“ When I was asking a sarcastic – a very sarcastic question – to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside , but it does kill it , and it would kill it on the hands and that would make things much better .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sarcastic question to a reporter.
” But video of the briefings clearly demonstrated otherwise .
There was no hint of sarcasm and Trump ’ s attempts to rewrite the immediate past were undermined by the evidence just a simple Google search away .
When Trump posed the question about the efficacy of disinfectant injections , he had turned to his right and was looking in the direction of Bill Bryan , the acting homeland security undersecretary for science and technology , and Deborah Birx , the coronavirus taskforce coordinator .
But Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – gamely pressed on .
The Reuters reporter Jeff Mason asked if Trump wanted to clarify that he was being sarcastic and ensure no one misunderstood him .
He replied : “ Yes .
I do think that disinfectant on the hands could have a very good effect .
Now , Bill is going back to check that in the laboratory .
You know , it ’ s an amazing laboratory , by the way .
It ’ s amazing the work they do.
” One more time , Mason gamely pressed : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not encouraging Americans to inject disinfectant ?
” Trump : “ No .
Of course not .
Interior-wise , it was said sarcastically .
It was put in the form of a question to a group of extraordinarily hostile people , namely the fake news media.
” But Trump ’ s familiar turf of attacking the media was not working .
In the middle of a pandemic , with Americans dying in their hundreds every day , the leader of the administration trying to guide the nation back to safety and normality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His jumbled , inaccurate assertions only deepened concerns about Trump ’ s embrace of flawed science that could endanger public health .
Scott Gottlieb , Trump ’ s own former Food and Drug Administration director , was among those many people now forced to warn Americans not to follow their own president ’ s advice .
He told a CNBC interviewer : “ I think we need to speak very clearly .
There ’ s no circumstance under which you should take a disinfectant or inject a disinfectant for the treatment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus.
” The scandal exploded just a day after a New York Times report that detailed how Trump is coping with the pressures and isolation caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
In a lengthy piece it portrayed a US president who has become cut off from many of his former friends and associates as he lives and works in the White House , unable to leave and travel and hold the campaign rallies that he appears to crave .
It described Trump bingeing on cable news for many hours each morning and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wreckage of a once-booming economy that he had planned on being the main plank of his reelection strategy .

For Donald Trump, it was the strangest and most news-making thing he could have done: instead of taking questions from journalists, dominating the nation’s airwaves yet again, the US president gave a short pre-written statement and then stalked off the stage.
The abrupt end of Friday night’s daily press conference, which has become a ribald, unruly and often shocking ritual in America during the coronavirus pandemic, was probably the clearest sign yet of how badly Trump’s bizarre statements over disinfectant have shaken his administration.
Instead of going on the offensive after the world reacted with shock and horror to his Thursday night suggestion that the coronavirus might be treated by injecting disinfectant into a human body, Trump claimed he was being “sarcastic” and then retreated from public view.
The New York Times reported that some officials in the White House thought “it was one of the worst days in one of the worst weeks of his presidency.”
But it was Trump’s silence on Friday night that spoke volumes.
White House coronavirus taskforce briefings are often two-hour primetime marathons but on Friday Trump turned on his heel as reporters shouted questions in vain. Perhaps it was a fit of pique, or perhaps revenge on the reporters that he sees as persecutors. He may also have reached a tipping point, with his own advisers warning that the televised briefings are hurting him far more than they help.
Right on cue, minutes later, the Axios website reported that Trump plans to “pare back” his coronavirus press conferences, according to four of its sources. Next week, it said, “he may stop appearing daily and make shorter appearances when he does”.
If he does that then Trump’s remarks over disinfectant will have been the straw that broke the camel’s back over the nightly ritual of the virus briefings. For weeks they have dominated the US headlines as the nation struggles to come to terms with a pandemic that has cost 50,000 American lives. They have provided a canvas for Trump’s rage, a platform from which he can attack his enemies and – only occasionally – a place where an American president can seek to reassure a scared and besieged public enduring stay-at-home orders to curb the virus.
But Trump’s remarks over disinfectant changed all that.
On Thursday, Trump had suggested that doctors study the idea of people receiving injections of disinfectant to combat the virus. He also extolled the potential and unproven benefits of ultraviolet light. Medical experts, politicians and even disinfectant makers denounced the suggestion and warned the public against consuming the product. Trump’s comments generated internet memes and headlines around the world.
His old rival from 2016, Hillary Clinton, chimed in with a quick jab on Twitter. “Please don’t poison yourself because Donald Trump thinks it could be a good idea,” she said. His new rival for the 2020 election, former vice-president Joe Biden, also pitched in. “I can’t believe I have to say this, but please don’t drink bleach,” he said, mixing mockery with a public service announcement.
From almost the moment the words left Trump’s mouth it was clear some sort of damage limitation was needed.
But, as shock and amazement traversed the globe, it was slow in coming. When it did arrive, on Friday lunchtime, it was a clean-up attempt that clearly could have gone better. At a White House event Trump tried to justify his dangerous comments, falsely claiming that he was “asking a question sarcastically to reporters”.
On Friday, even as the US death toll topped 50,000 and the grim milestone of 1 million coronavirus cases grows nearer, Trump tried to make what critics saw as a desperate and dishonest U-turn.
“I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen,” the president, sitting at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, told reporters as he signed emergency funding legislation.
“When I was asking a sarcastic – a very sarcastic question – to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside, but it does kill it, and it would kill it on the hands and that would make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to a reporter.”
But video of the briefings clearly demonstrated otherwise. There was no hint of sarcasm and Trump’s attempts to rewrite the immediate past were undermined by the evidence just a simple Google search away.
When Trump posed the question about the efficacy of disinfectant injections, he had turned to his right and was looking in the direction of Bill Bryan, the acting homeland security undersecretary for science and technology, and Deborah Birx, the coronavirus taskforce coordinator.
Donald Trump turns to the DHS official William Bryan during the briefing at which the president extolled the virtues of ingesting disinfectant. Photograph: White House/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock
But Trump – in his attempt at damage limitation – gamely pressed on. The Reuters reporter Jeff Mason asked if Trump wanted to clarify that he was being sarcastic and ensure no one misunderstood him.
He replied: “Yes. I do think that disinfectant on the hands could have a very good effect. Now, Bill is going back to check that in the laboratory. You know, it’s an amazing laboratory, by the way. It’s amazing the work they do.”
One more time, Mason gamely pressed: “Just to clarify, you’re not encouraging Americans to inject disinfectant?”
Trump: “No. Of course not. Interior-wise, it was said sarcastically. It was put in the form of a question to a group of extraordinarily hostile people, namely the fake news media.”
But Trump’s familiar turf of attacking the media was not working. In the middle of a pandemic, with Americans dying in their hundreds every day, the leader of the administration trying to guide the nation back to safety and normality had put even more lives at risk. His jumbled, inaccurate assertions only deepened concerns about Trump’s embrace of flawed science that could endanger public health.
Scott Gottlieb, Trump’s own former Food and Drug Administration director, was among those many people now forced to warn Americans not to follow their own president’s advice. He told a CNBC interviewer: “I think we need to speak very clearly. There’s no circumstance under which you should take a disinfectant or inject a disinfectant for the treatment of anything, and certainly not the treatment of coronavirus.”
The scandal exploded just a day after a New York Times report that detailed how Trump is coping with the pressures and isolation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In a lengthy piece it portrayed a US president who has become cut off from many of his former friends and associates as he lives and works in the White House, unable to leave and travel and hold the campaign rallies that he appears to crave.
It described Trump bingeing on cable news for many hours each morning and often late into the night, surveying the wreckage of a once-booming economy that he had planned on being the main plank of his reelection strategy.


theguardian--2020-04-25--Michigan conservatives hail protest success – and set sights on Trump's re-election

Five members of the Michigan Conservative Coalition – a rightwing non-profit with ties to the Trump administration – decided they needed to do something to protest against Michigan ’ s stay-at-home order , designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Over a video chat in mid-April , they conceived a “ gridlock ” protest outside Michigan ’ s state capitol .
It led to thousands of people blocking streets with their cars and hundreds assembling , in contravention of social distancing guidelines .
The rally had a bigger impact than they could have imagined .
Promoted by wealthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and tacitly endorsed by Donald Trump , the Michigan protest has sparked copycat rallies across the US with further protests planned , and is spiraling into a movement which one conservative activist said could “ dwarf the Tea Party ” .
“ We were blown away , ” said Meshawn Maddock , a co-founder of the Michigan Conservative Coalition and a member of the advisory board for Women for Trump – an official arm of Trump ’ s re-election campaign .
“ We ’ ve organized some pretty big things , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t know that the nation has seen anything like what just happened.
” The rally was also supported by the Michigan Freedom Fund – which has received more than half a million dollars from the family of Trump ’ s education secretary , Betsy DeVos – but soon even bigger groups were jumping on board , each with their own rightwing agendas to promote .
FreedomWorks , a conservative special interest group which pushed the Tea Party movement , opposed Barack Obama ’ s healthcare reforms , and has downplayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the movement .
The group now hopes to turn the anti-lockdown protests into a movement which could help re-elect Trump in November .
The Tea Party Patriots , another group forged amid the Tea Party movement of 2009 , has also weighed in , promoting the rallies to its 3 million members nationwide , while a group of gun-enthusiast activist brothers bought up webpages in an effort to further the movement ’ s aims .
The Tea Party supported lower taxes , but was also accused of representing a racist reaction to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is also a prime example of “ astroturfing ” – where corporations jumped on to an activist group presented as a grassroots movement .
It had some undoubted success , particularly in electing a number of extremely rightwing Republicans to office during the midterm elections , but some of those behind the current protests say this movement could eclipse it .
“ This movement that ’ s starting right now has the potential to even dwarf the size of Tea Party , ” said Noah Wall , the vice-president of advocacy at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started in response to excessive government spending and bailouts in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis .
This is affecting Americans across the board .
You don ’ t have to have an opinion on government spending to not want to be forced to stay at home and not be able to work.
” Wall stressed that activists are organizing the protests , but FreedomWorks is pulling out all the stops to help them do so .
The organization has set up an online “ planning guide ” for people to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs and tips on promoting the events online .
Meanwhile , it has promoted the events to its 5 million members through emails and social media posts .
The influence of rightwing groups has rarely been made clear to the aggrieved Americans heading out to the protests .
Maddock and her Michigan Conservative Coalition co-founder Marian Sheridan claimed the Michigan rally was bipartisan , despite scores of protesters waving Trump 2020 campaign signs and sporting Maga hats .
Others paraded Confederate flags .
Sheridan is the grassroots vice-chair of the Michigan Republican party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t an official Republican protest , “ I ’ m sure that the party supports this ” .
“ There were lots of our legislators at the rally , ” Sheridan pointed out .
Tony Daunt , the executive director of the DeVos-backed Michigan Freedom Fund , downplayed the group ’ s involvement in the rally – saying it was limited to spending $ 250 to advertise the event – but he did attend the protest .
“ The rally was , I think , a huge success , ” Daunt said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had supported Governor Gretchen Whitmer ’ s initial stay-at-home order until she introduced stricter measures on 10 April , including limiting the number of people allowed in stores .
Polls show a majority of Michiganders support Whitmer ’ s handling of the crisis .
More than 2,800 people have died from coronavirus in the state – the third highest tally in the US – with African Americans accounting for 40 % of the deaths .
Despite minorities having been most affected by coronavirus in the state , the Michigan crowd appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Michigan event throughout the day , with hosts including Laura Ingraham and Jeanine Pirro – neither of whom have risked abandoning social distancing to attend a protest – championing the effort .
Fox News ’ s bombardment of anti-lockdown messaging soon reached a particularly influential audience member .
“ Liberate Michigan !
” Trump tweeted two days after the Michigan protest , minutes after another favorable report by Fox News .
On Sunday , he denied the protesters had put people at risk .
“ They ’ ve got cabin fever , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House briefing .
“ They want their lives back .
These people love our country .
They want to get back to work.
” As Trump and Fox News , plus other rightwing outlets , cheered the Michiganders , plans for rallies in other states began to emerge .
Since the Michigan effort , protests have taken place in Maryland , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania and Virginia – a rally organized , in part , by a Virginia gun rights group .
Other protests , promoted by FreedomWorks and Tea Party Patriots , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jenny Beth Martin , honorary chairman of Tea Party Patriots , stressed that the protests had not been organized by the top of the organization , but by Tea Party Patriots activists in different states .
“ They let us know about reopen events that are happening in their own state , ” Martin said .
“ As long as the event is listing that the social distancing guidelines must be followed then we are sharing the event with our supporters in the geographic area by email.
” That possibly underplays the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has 3 million supporters and hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers .
Wall , at FreedomWorks , was also keen to stress it did not organize events , but the organization ’ s ability to reach its 5 million members is hardly a small matter in promoting the events .
In any case , the protests and the fawning news coverage by the rightwing media serve as a handy shot in the arm for less-publicized work both organizations are doing behind the scenes .
FreedomWorks and Tea Party Patriots have joined with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversial rightwing network that pushes policies by creating model legislation , to create a “ Save Our Country ” coalition , which is quietly lobbying Trump to reopen the economy .
The protests are likely to help them make their case – potentially having consequences that far outweigh the few thousand who have turned out to defy stay-at-home orders .
In the meantime , FreedomWorks is hoping to turn the rallies into a force in electoral politics , another avenue the original organizers did not conceive .
“ We train activists on how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are interested we will absolutely be providing training and resources for them to get involved and be able to affect the elections , ” Wall said .
“ What ’ s happening in the coming weeks will absolutely affect the November elections .
”

It started with a Zoom call.
Five members of the Michigan Conservative Coalition – a rightwing non-profit with ties to the Trump administration – decided they needed to do something to protest against Michigan’s stay-at-home order, designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Over a video chat in mid-April, they conceived a “gridlock” protest outside Michigan’s state capitol. It led to thousands of people blocking streets with their cars and hundreds assembling, in contravention of social distancing guidelines.
The rally had a bigger impact than they could have imagined. Promoted by wealthy rightwing groups, pushed by Fox News, and tacitly endorsed by Donald Trump, the Michigan protest has sparked copycat rallies across the US with further protests planned, and is spiraling into a movement which one conservative activist said could “dwarf the Tea Party”.
“We were blown away,” said Meshawn Maddock, a co-founder of the Michigan Conservative Coalition and a member of the advisory board for Women for Trump – an official arm of Trump’s re-election campaign.
“We’ve organized some pretty big things, but I don’t think Michigan … I don’t know that the nation has seen anything like what just happened.”
The rally was also supported by the Michigan Freedom Fund – which has received more than half a million dollars from the family of Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos – but soon even bigger groups were jumping on board, each with their own rightwing agendas to promote.
FreedomWorks, a conservative special interest group which pushed the Tea Party movement, opposed Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms, and has downplayed climate change, has directed resources to the movement. The group now hopes to turn the anti-lockdown protests into a movement which could help re-elect Trump in November.
The Tea Party Patriots, another group forged amid the Tea Party movement of 2009, has also weighed in, promoting the rallies to its 3 million members nationwide, while a group of gun-enthusiast activist brothers bought up webpages in an effort to further the movement’s aims.
The Tea Party supported lower taxes, but was also accused of representing a racist reaction to the election of the first black president. It is also a prime example of “astroturfing” – where corporations jumped on to an activist group presented as a grassroots movement. It had some undoubted success, particularly in electing a number of extremely rightwing Republicans to office during the midterm elections, but some of those behind the current protests say this movement could eclipse it.
“This movement that’s starting right now has the potential to even dwarf the size of Tea Party,” said Noah Wall, the vice-president of advocacy at FreedomWorks.
“The Tea Party was started in response to excessive government spending and bailouts in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. This is affecting Americans across the board. You don’t have to have an opinion on government spending to not want to be forced to stay at home and not be able to work.”
Wall stressed that activists are organizing the protests, but FreedomWorks is pulling out all the stops to help them do so. The organization has set up an online “planning guide” for people to hold anti-stay-at-home rallies, complete with printable rally signs and tips on promoting the events online.
Meanwhile, it has promoted the events to its 5 million members through emails and social media posts.
The influence of rightwing groups has rarely been made clear to the aggrieved Americans heading out to the protests.
The Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer. Photograph: AP
Maddock and her Michigan Conservative Coalition co-founder Marian Sheridan claimed the Michigan rally was bipartisan, despite scores of protesters waving Trump 2020 campaign signs and sporting Maga hats. Others paraded Confederate flags.
Sheridan is the grassroots vice-chair of the Michigan Republican party, and said although this wasn’t an official Republican protest, “I’m sure that the party supports this”.
“There were lots of our legislators at the rally,” Sheridan pointed out.
Tony Daunt, the executive director of the DeVos-backed Michigan Freedom Fund, downplayed the group’s involvement in the rally – saying it was limited to spending $250 to advertise the event – but he did attend the protest.
“The rally was, I think, a huge success,” Daunt said.
Daunt and the Michigan Conservative Coalition said they had supported Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s initial stay-at-home order until she introduced stricter measures on 10 April, including limiting the number of people allowed in stores.
Polls show a majority of Michiganders support Whitmer’s handling of the crisis. More than 2,800 people have died from coronavirus in the state – the third highest tally in the US – with African Americans accounting for 40% of the deaths.
Despite minorities having been most affected by coronavirus in the state, the Michigan crowd appeared to be majority white.
Fox News covered the Michigan event throughout the day, with hosts including Laura Ingraham and Jeanine Pirro – neither of whom have risked abandoning social distancing to attend a protest – championing the effort.
Fox News’s bombardment of anti-lockdown messaging soon reached a particularly influential audience member. “Liberate Michigan!” Trump tweeted two days after the Michigan protest, minutes after another favorable report by Fox News. On Sunday, he denied the protesters had put people at risk.
“They’ve got cabin fever,” Trump told reporters at a White House briefing. “They want their lives back. These people love our country. They want to get back to work.”
As Trump and Fox News, plus other rightwing outlets, cheered the Michiganders, plans for rallies in other states began to emerge. Since the Michigan effort, protests have taken place in Maryland, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Virginia – a rally organized, in part, by a Virginia gun rights group.
Other protests, promoted by FreedomWorks and Tea Party Patriots, are planned in Alaska, Delaware and Kansas.
Jenny Beth Martin, honorary chairman of Tea Party Patriots, stressed that the protests had not been organized by the top of the organization, but by Tea Party Patriots activists in different states.
“They let us know about reopen events that are happening in their own state,” Martin said. “As long as the event is listing that the social distancing guidelines must be followed then we are sharing the event with our supporters in the geographic area by email.”
That possibly underplays the Tea Party Patriots’ influence, given it has 3 million supporters and hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers. Wall, at FreedomWorks, was also keen to stress it did not organize events, but the organization’s ability to reach its 5 million members is hardly a small matter in promoting the events.
In any case, the protests and the fawning news coverage by the rightwing media serve as a handy shot in the arm for less-publicized work both organizations are doing behind the scenes.
FreedomWorks and Tea Party Patriots have joined with the American Legislative Exchange Council, a controversial rightwing network that pushes policies by creating model legislation, to create a “Save Our Country” coalition, which is quietly lobbying Trump to reopen the economy. The protests are likely to help them make their case – potentially having consequences that far outweigh the few thousand who have turned out to defy stay-at-home orders.
In the meantime, FreedomWorks is hoping to turn the rallies into a force in electoral politics, another avenue the original organizers did not conceive.
“We train activists on how to influence elections. Any new members who are interested we will absolutely be providing training and resources for them to get involved and be able to affect the elections,” Wall said.
“What’s happening in the coming weeks will absolutely affect the November elections.”


theguardian--2020-04-26--The state we're in: will the pandemic revolutionise the role of government?

Ronald Reagan ’ s 1986 wisecrack – “ The nine most terrifying words in the English language are : I ’ m from the government and I ’ m here to help ” – would not get a lot of laughs today .
In much of the world , people are desperate for the government to show up and rise to the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic .
Reagan ’ s attitude to government solidified into orthodoxy for more than three decades , spreading abroad – particularly in the UK with the help of Margaret Thatcher – and captured the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The antipathy to the state was selective : Reagan , like Donald Trump today , racked up huge deficits , spent heavily on defence and built up a system of corporate welfare through subsidies and tax breaks .
But on both sides of the Atlantic , the prevailing wisdom was the state should wherever possible get out of the business of trying to control inequality and provide services to the less fortunate .
There are already some signs that the Covid-19 shock may challenge those attitudes .
Disease and mass unemployment have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cause of big government than any party manifesto – and this crisis is unlikely to be an exception .
Some social scientists and historians argue that this pandemic could become a turning point in social history – on a par with the New Deal in the US or the post-war Labour government in the UK .
“ We ’ ve been on this kind of trajectory for last 30-odd years where the individual was taking priority over the collective .
And now we ’ re actually back into the kind of spirit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which communities have to pull together , ” Fiona Hill , a British-born historian who served on Trump ’ s national security council .
Hill pointed to the UK , where 750,000 people signed up as volunteers for the National Health Service ( NHS ) and a wave of climate activism on both sides of the Atlantic .
“ I do think there is a huge appetite among younger people , trying to get more government action .
I really do think we could start to see the tide turning here.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion have been in countries where the state ’ s role in social welfare has been in most rapid retreat .
The US and the UK stand out because the pandemic struck as their governments were seeking to roll back longstanding social welfare systems and are now scrambling to reassemble temporary versions of them on the run .
What is not clear yet is whether these stopgap measures will evaporate as soon as Covid-19 is sufficiently contained for people to go back to work – or whether some of them will stick .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of another kind – more Big Brother than Great Society – by providing cover for governments to restrict civil liberties and entrench themselves in power , as Viktor Orbán has done in Hungary .
There are few signs yet that China ’ s leaders will be held accountable for their failure to contain the outbreak at its source , and their response to criticism has been further suppression of dissent and science .
The outbreak has created a surge in digital monitoring of populations that many civil libertarians fear will harden afterwards into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The accretion of state power could accompany wider provision of public services , or take precedence over them .
The less a government does for its people , the more it has to control them .
In the US , the Trump administration is likely to face resistance if it seeks to withdraw forms of social support that have long been standard in most western democracies .
“ The whole pandemic , I think , has laid bare all of the inadequacies of the US social safety net , ” John Schmitt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington , said .
“ A very basic thing every other advanced economy in the world guarantees workers is at least a minimum amount of paid sick days .
The US does not have at the national level any laws like that .
“ It ’ s hard for me to imagine that there won ’ t be significant support when the dust settles for state , local and federal legislation to address that incredibly longstanding policy failure , ” he said .
There are two other areas where Schmitt predicted there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One is unemployment insurance , currently a meagre patchwork of different state systems subject to minimum national standards .
The other is the healthcare system .
As a far broader cross-section of Americans face medical bankruptcy because they have partial or no health insurance , it will be harder for Trump to pursue his effort to obliterate the Obama administration ’ s Affordable Care Act , which extended the scope of health insurance coverage , and could provide support for a more ambitious expansion of government-funded healthcare .
For parallel reasons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boris Johnson to bargain away the fundamentals of the NHS at trade talks with Washington , after it saved his life .
It is too early to predict how the coronavirus shock will affect the outcome of this year ’ s US elections .
All other things being equal , greater popularity for a government-funded social safety net should translate into more votes for Democrats , who have traditionally championed such policies .
But Trump will seek to take that ground , insisting , for example , that his name is on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sending out each week to supplement unemployment benefit .
And the elections could be as much about cultural and political loyalties as social policy .
Arlie Hochschild , a sociologist who has written extensively about the American right , said she had been watching responses to the crisis in Kentucky .
“ Trump supporters are generally older people in poor health , and if they ’ re blue-collar , they ’ re actually less likely to have work that they can do from home , ” Hochschild said .
“ What ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has challenged so much of what they believe in.
” Despite that , she said , the crisis seemed to have had little effect on political identification and affiliation .
“ There is no immediate turnaround in attitude .
I think they ’ re going to vote for Trump , pretty much at the same rate as they did in ’ 16.
” If Trump is re-elected , few believe there will be much lasting change to the role of the state .
His instincts have been to seek to hand leadership during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporations , lining them up in the Rose Garden when he declared a national emergency on 13 March .
Opinions differ on whether a Democratic administration under Joe Biden would be a force for transformational change .
‘ You ’ re seeing a closer alliance between the left and the centre of the Democratic party ” Theda Skocpol , a sociology professor at Harvard University , said .
If Democrats also capture the Senate , she added : “ I think it sets the stage for for a real change in direction – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dean Baker , co-founder of the Centre for Economic and Policy Research in Washington – and one of the first economists to identify the US housing bubble that created the conditions for the global financial meltdown in 2008 – argues that that crisis demonstrated how impervious the economic system was to shocks , no matter who is in government .
“ The thought that we had this horrible experience and now everyone ’ s going to learn from it : it wasn ’ t true really in ’ 08- ’ 09 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of confidence it ’ ll be true this time , ” Baker said .
Much may depend on the depth and duration of the coronavirus shock .
A V-shaped , rapid bounceback is looking less likely with every passing week , and a gradual U-shaped recovery or even an extended depression become real possibilities .
In such circumstances , formerly unthinkable solutions become more palatable .
“ People use the analogy of the financial crisis but I think it ’ s the wrong one .
War is a much better one because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shock , ” said Branko Milanovic , an economist at the City University of New York , adding that a prolonged economic downturn would lead to “ a reassessment of the role of the state ” .
Milanovic cautioned , however , that it was also quite possible that a groundswell of support for a universal healthcare system and a much more robust social safety net might not be reflected in the US political system .
He said : “ What we would actually face in the US is an ever-increasing discrepancy between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total absence of change .
”

Ronald Reagan’s 1986 wisecrack – “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help” – would not get a lot of laughs today. In much of the world, people are desperate for the government to show up and rise to the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic.
Reagan’s attitude to government solidified into orthodoxy for more than three decades, spreading abroad – particularly in the UK with the help of Margaret Thatcher – and captured the centre ground of politics in both countries.
The antipathy to the state was selective: Reagan, like Donald Trump today, racked up huge deficits, spent heavily on defence and built up a system of corporate welfare through subsidies and tax breaks. But on both sides of the Atlantic, the prevailing wisdom was the state should wherever possible get out of the business of trying to control inequality and provide services to the less fortunate.
There are already some signs that the Covid-19 shock may challenge those attitudes. Disease and mass unemployment have always been far better recruiting sergeants for the cause of big government than any party manifesto – and this crisis is unlikely to be an exception.
Some social scientists and historians argue that this pandemic could become a turning point in social history – on a par with the New Deal in the US or the post-war Labour government in the UK.
“We’ve been on this kind of trajectory for last 30-odd years where the individual was taking priority over the collective. And now we’re actually back into the kind of spirit that our parents and grandparents lived through in which communities have to pull together,” Fiona Hill, a British-born historian who served on Trump’s national security council.
Hill pointed to the UK, where 750,000 people signed up as volunteers for the National Health Service (NHS) and a wave of climate activism on both sides of the Atlantic.
“I do think there is a huge appetite among younger people, trying to get more government action. I really do think we could start to see the tide turning here.”
One of several volunteers at Thomas Rae tailors in Glasgow works making free scrubs for NHS nurses and doctors. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Some of the biggest swings in public opinion have been in countries where the state’s role in social welfare has been in most rapid retreat.
The US and the UK stand out because the pandemic struck as their governments were seeking to roll back longstanding social welfare systems and are now scrambling to reassemble temporary versions of them on the run.
What is not clear yet is whether these stopgap measures will evaporate as soon as Covid-19 is sufficiently contained for people to go back to work – or whether some of them will stick.
The coronavirus pandemic could also boost statism of another kind – more Big Brother than Great Society – by providing cover for governments to restrict civil liberties and entrench themselves in power, as Viktor Orbán has done in Hungary. There are few signs yet that China’s leaders will be held accountable for their failure to contain the outbreak at its source, and their response to criticism has been further suppression of dissent and science.
The outbreak has created a surge in digital monitoring of populations that many civil libertarians fear will harden afterwards into a permanently raised level of surveillance.
The accretion of state power could accompany wider provision of public services, or take precedence over them. The less a government does for its people, the more it has to control them.
In the US, the Trump administration is likely to face resistance if it seeks to withdraw forms of social support that have long been standard in most western democracies.
“The whole pandemic, I think, has laid bare all of the inadequacies of the US social safety net,” John Schmitt, the vice-president of the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, said. “A very basic thing every other advanced economy in the world guarantees workers is at least a minimum amount of paid sick days. The US does not have at the national level any laws like that.
“It’s hard for me to imagine that there won’t be significant support when the dust settles for state, local and federal legislation to address that incredibly longstanding policy failure,” he said.
There are two other areas where Schmitt predicted there would be strong demand for lasting change. One is unemployment insurance, currently a meagre patchwork of different state systems subject to minimum national standards.
The other is the healthcare system. As a far broader cross-section of Americans face medical bankruptcy because they have partial or no health insurance, it will be harder for Trump to pursue his effort to obliterate the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act, which extended the scope of health insurance coverage, and could provide support for a more ambitious expansion of government-funded healthcare.
For parallel reasons, it will be even harder politically for Boris Johnson to bargain away the fundamentals of the NHS at trade talks with Washington, after it saved his life.
It is too early to predict how the coronavirus shock will affect the outcome of this year’s US elections. All other things being equal, greater popularity for a government-funded social safety net should translate into more votes for Democrats, who have traditionally championed such policies. But Trump will seek to take that ground, insisting, for example, that his name is on the $600 cheques the federal government is sending out each week to supplement unemployment benefit.
Donald Trump signs the coronavirus stimulus relief package. He has insisted on his name appearing on all stimulus checks being sent to taxpayers. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP
And the elections could be as much about cultural and political loyalties as social policy.
Arlie Hochschild, a sociologist who has written extensively about the American right, said she had been watching responses to the crisis in Kentucky.
“Trump supporters are generally older people in poor health, and if they’re blue-collar, they’re actually less likely to have work that they can do from home,” Hochschild said. “What’s happened in this short period of time has challenged so much of what they believe in.”
Despite that, she said, the crisis seemed to have had little effect on political identification and affiliation. “There is no immediate turnaround in attitude. I think they’re going to vote for Trump, pretty much at the same rate as they did in ’16.”
If Trump is re-elected, few believe there will be much lasting change to the role of the state. His instincts have been to seek to hand leadership during the crisis to the CEOs of big corporations, lining them up in the Rose Garden when he declared a national emergency on 13 March.
Opinions differ on whether a Democratic administration under Joe Biden would be a force for transformational change.
‘You’re seeing a closer alliance between the left and the centre of the Democratic party” Theda Skocpol, a sociology professor at Harvard University, said. If Democrats also capture the Senate, she added: “I think it sets the stage for for a real change in direction – the first important one since Reagan.”
Dean Baker, co-founder of the Centre for Economic and Policy Research in Washington – and one of the first economists to identify the US housing bubble that created the conditions for the global financial meltdown in 2008 – argues that that crisis demonstrated how impervious the economic system was to shocks, no matter who is in government.
“The thought that we had this horrible experience and now everyone’s going to learn from it: it wasn’t true really in ’08-’09, and I don’t have a lot of confidence it’ll be true this time,” Baker said.
Much may depend on the depth and duration of the coronavirus shock. A V-shaped, rapid bounceback is looking less likely with every passing week, and a gradual U-shaped recovery or even an extended depression become real possibilities. In such circumstances, formerly unthinkable solutions become more palatable.
“People use the analogy of the financial crisis but I think it’s the wrong one. War is a much better one because it is both a supply and a demand shock,” said Branko Milanovic, an economist at the City University of New York, adding that a prolonged economic downturn would lead to “a reassessment of the role of the state”.
Milanovic cautioned, however, that it was also quite possible that a groundswell of support for a universal healthcare system and a much more robust social safety net might not be reflected in the US political system. He said: “What we would actually face in the US is an ever-increasing discrepancy between the demand for change, and the total absence of change.”