theguardian--2020-03-09--Hillary Clinton says Sanders would not be 'strongest nominee against Trump'

Bernie Sanders would not be the Democrats ’ “ strongest nominee against Donald Trump ” , Hillary Clinton said – as new polling of battleground states backed her up .
Results from Firehouse Strategies ( a firm founded by Republicans ) and 0ptimus found that in Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin , since December , “ Trump ’ s lead has dropped considerably against both Vice-President [ Joe ] Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders ” .
According to the survey , in Michigan – which holds its Democratic primary on Tuesday and where Biden has established a lead over Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Sanders by seven .
In Pennsylvania the lead is one point over Biden and four over Sanders and in Wisconsin it is two points and six .
In general , such head-to-head polling in swing states produces close match-ups .
Clinton lost Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to Trump in 2016 , as the Republican ’ s success in Democratic strongholds swept him to victory in the electoral college despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3m ballots .
Clinton told CNN on Sunday she was not endorsing anyone yet – given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent past , the point was almost moot – but added : “ I think what Joe ’ s victories on Super Tuesday showed is that he is building the kind of coalition that I had basically .
“ It ’ s a broad-based coalition .
[ In 2016 ] I finished , you know , most of the work I needed to do for the nomination on Super Tuesday , and then it kind of lingered on .
And I think Joe is on track to doing exactly the same thing : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are energised.
” The former first lady , senator and secretary of state also said she hoped Sanders would back Biden if the former vice-president wins the nomination .
“ I hope so because his failure and the behaviour of a lot of his top aides , and certainly many of his supporters – up to the convention , at the convention , and even up to election day was not helpful , ” Clinton said of 2016 .
“ I had thought we would unify , that ’ s what we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what I expected .
I certainly tried to do that when I ran against Barack Obama [ in 2008 ] and worked very hard for him.
” Clinton told CNN she would “ support the nominee of the Democratic party ” but did not know if Sanders would ask her to campaign for him if it was him .
As the former Maryland governor and 2016 candidate Martin O ’ Malley made clear to the Guardian last month , Sanders ’ supposed failure to back Clinton properly in 2016 is a running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return , Sanders , who sits in the Senate as an independent , continues to campaign as an outsider , a wedge point Trump continues to seek to exploit .
On Monday , in news sure to rile Sanders supporters , Axios reported that some party insiders , or “ Biden confidants ” , are discussing cabinet appointments .
The report mentioned the usual suspects for vice-president , including Senator Kamala Harris , who endorsed Biden on Sunday , and Stacey Abrams of Georgia .
Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsement of Biden on Monday .
According to Axios , John Kerry , who succeeded Clinton as secretary of state under Obama , “ would love to take a new cabinet position devoted to climate change , or might even accept a curtain call to return as secretary of state ” .
The report also named the billionaire former New York mayor and Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg as a possibility to lead the World Bank and another former challenger , the progressive Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren , as a possible treasury secretary who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Axio cited “ campaign officials ” as saying “ the name game isn ’ t where Biden ’ s head is – he knows he has major primary and general-election fights ahead ” .
But it also pointed to “ sudden optimism around his candidacy ” .
The Biden campaign reacted strongly , a spokesperson saying the Axios report was “ like fantasy football for politics ” and adding : “ It is laughable speculation and should only be treated as such .
”

Bernie Sanders would not be the Democrats’ “strongest nominee against Donald Trump”, Hillary Clinton said – as new polling of battleground states backed her up.
Results from Firehouse Strategies (a firm founded by Republicans) and 0ptimus found that in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, since December, “Trump’s lead has dropped considerably against both Vice-President [Joe] Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders”.
According to the survey, in Michigan – which holds its Democratic primary on Tuesday and where Biden has established a lead over Sanders – Trump leads Biden by two points and Sanders by seven. In Pennsylvania the lead is one point over Biden and four over Sanders and in Wisconsin it is two points and six.
In general, such head-to-head polling in swing states produces close match-ups.
Clinton lost Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to Trump in 2016, as the Republican’s success in Democratic strongholds swept him to victory in the electoral college despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3m ballots.
Clinton told CNN on Sunday she was not endorsing anyone yet – given her harsh comments about Sanders in the recent past, the point was almost moot – but added: “I think what Joe’s victories on Super Tuesday showed is that he is building the kind of coalition that I had basically.
“It’s a broad-based coalition. [In 2016] I finished, you know, most of the work I needed to do for the nomination on Super Tuesday, and then it kind of lingered on. And I think Joe is on track to doing exactly the same thing: putting together a coalition of voters who are energised.”
The former first lady, senator and secretary of state also said she hoped Sanders would back Biden if the former vice-president wins the nomination.
“I hope so because his failure and the behaviour of a lot of his top aides, and certainly many of his supporters – up to the convention, at the convention, and even up to election day was not helpful,” Clinton said of 2016.
“I had thought we would unify, that’s what we’d always done before and that’s what I expected. I certainly tried to do that when I ran against Barack Obama [in 2008] and worked very hard for him.”
Clinton told CNN she would “support the nominee of the Democratic party” but did not know if Sanders would ask her to campaign for him if it was him.
As the former Maryland governor and 2016 candidate Martin O’Malley made clear to the Guardian last month, Sanders’ supposed failure to back Clinton properly in 2016 is a running sore with Democratic party insiders.
In return, Sanders, who sits in the Senate as an independent, continues to campaign as an outsider, a wedge point Trump continues to seek to exploit.
On Monday, in news sure to rile Sanders supporters, Axios reported that some party insiders, or “Biden confidants”, are discussing cabinet appointments.
The report mentioned the usual suspects for vice-president, including Senator Kamala Harris, who endorsed Biden on Sunday, and Stacey Abrams of Georgia. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, another leading African American figure, announced his endorsement of Biden on Monday.
According to Axios, John Kerry, who succeeded Clinton as secretary of state under Obama, “would love to take a new cabinet position devoted to climate change, or might even accept a curtain call to return as secretary of state”.
The report also named the billionaire former New York mayor and Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg as a possibility to lead the World Bank and another former challenger, the progressive Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, as a possible treasury secretary who might “help unite the party”.
Axio cited “campaign officials” as saying “the name game isn’t where Biden’s head is – he knows he has major primary and general-election fights ahead”.
But it also pointed to “sudden optimism around his candidacy”.
The Biden campaign reacted strongly, a spokesperson saying the Axios report was “like fantasy football for politics” and adding: “It is laughable speculation and should only be treated as such.”


theguardian--2020-03-09--The Guardian view on Trump tracking phones: it could happen here | Editorial

Donald Trump uses nativist anger to put his government beyond empirical argument .
His presidency has eroded the norms of political conflict .
He poses an ever-present danger to democracy .
This November , Mr Trump is up for re-election .
His effort is built to an alarming degree on exploiting the United States ’ s lack of privacy safeguards around voting intention .
Digital campaigning in the US is a largely unregulated field with little oversight of the ways in which voters are targeted or manipulated .
Politicians in the US want to target specific voters to increase their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undecided and suppress their opponent ’ s support .
The evidence suggests that Trump ’ s campaign rests on a data-gathering juggernaut that wants “ to know who [ voters ] are and how [ they ] think ” .
Mr Trump ’ s team and other allied conservative groups are focusing on voters ’ smartphones and their location histories .
Phone apps often broadcast their location to data brokers and advertising firms .
It does not take much to work out where the phone ’ s owner lives and works .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or if they go to church , or if they attended an anti-Trump protest on a given day .
While apps ’ privacy policies might say that location information is used for advertising , the use of such data for invasive political purposes is rarely disclosed .
Apps do not make it easy to tell how they collect information and with whom they share it .
As a result , techniques such as “ geofencing ” , which allows campaigns to reach people in a particular area , are becoming widespread .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of CatholicVote.org , a conservative group , claimed its work in Wisconsin identified 91,373 mass-attending Catholics who were “ not even registered to vote ” .
This in a state where Mr Trump defeated Hilary Clinton by only 22,748 votes .
Democrats do it too , but are way behind .
Last year , Beto O ’ Rourke ’ s team was able to identify people ’ s mobile ID numbers during a rally with musician Willie Nelson .
These were used to match people with email addresses to identify “ Beto ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a leading exponent of such campaigning .
In 2018 , it was revealed that the default permission settings of his NaMo app gave it almost full access to the data stored on users ’ phones , including audio , photos and videos , contacts and location services .
Cybersecurity researchers said the app was sending user data to a US-based analytics company – allegedly without users ’ permission .
In the US , data collection from apps is legal as long as it is disclosed .
The European Union forbids the collection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religion , health or political opinions – without explicit consent .
The concern is that although EU law has been imported into UK statute , it may be unwound in the years ahead .
This would open the door to the kind of deceptive practices seen in the US that have undermined user privacy and have given rise to new legal and ethical concerns in this year ’ s presidential campaign .

Donald Trump uses nativist anger to put his government beyond empirical argument. His presidency has eroded the norms of political conflict. He poses an ever-present danger to democracy. This November, Mr Trump is up for re-election. His effort is built to an alarming degree on exploiting the United States’s lack of privacy safeguards around voting intention.
Digital campaigning in the US is a largely unregulated field with little oversight of the ways in which voters are targeted or manipulated. Politicians in the US want to target specific voters to increase their base’s turnout, convert the undecided and suppress their opponent’s support. The evidence suggests that Trump’s campaign rests on a data-gathering juggernaut that wants “to know who [voters] are and how [they] think”.
Mr Trump’s team and other allied conservative groups are focusing on voters’ smartphones and their location histories. Phone apps often broadcast their location to data brokers and advertising firms. It does not take much to work out where the phone’s owner lives and works. The data can show where they going jogging or if they go to church, or if they attended an anti-Trump protest on a given day. While apps’ privacy policies might say that location information is used for advertising, the use of such data for invasive political purposes is rarely disclosed. Apps do not make it easy to tell how they collect information and with whom they share it.
As a result, techniques such as “geofencing”, which allows campaigns to reach people in a particular area, are becoming widespread. Last year, Brian Burch, the president of CatholicVote.org, a conservative group, claimed its work in Wisconsin identified 91,373 mass-attending Catholics who were “not even registered to vote”. This in a state where Mr Trump defeated Hilary Clinton by only 22,748 votes. Democrats do it too, but are way behind. Last year, Beto O’Rourke’s team was able to identify people’s mobile ID numbers during a rally with musician Willie Nelson. These were used to match people with email addresses to identify “Beto” supporters.
India’s Narendra Modi is a leading exponent of such campaigning. In 2018, it was revealed that the default permission settings of his NaMo app gave it almost full access to the data stored on users’ phones, including audio, photos and videos, contacts and location services. Cybersecurity researchers said the app was sending user data to a US-based analytics company – allegedly without users’ permission. In the US, data collection from apps is legal as long as it is disclosed. The European Union forbids the collection of sensitive data – like that of religion, health or political opinions – without explicit consent. The concern is that although EU law has been imported into UK statute, it may be unwound in the years ahead. This would open the door to the kind of deceptive practices seen in the US that have undermined user privacy and have given rise to new legal and ethical concerns in this year’s presidential campaign.


theguardian--2020-03-10--Joe Biden hopes to cement lead in crucial Democratic primaries

Joe Biden is hoping to cement his position as frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for president on Tuesday , as millions of voters in six states have their say in the next round of primary election contests .
For Bernie Sanders – the second of two major remaining candidates in the race – the six primaries in Michigan , Washington , Missouri , Mississippi , Idaho and North Dakota will be a crucial test of whether he can reverse the momentum the former vice-president enjoys coming out of his victories in the Super Tuesday states last week , and prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sanders and his surrogates have been doggedly campaigning across Michigan , a state he unexpectedly won when he ran for president in 2016 against Hillary Clinton .
The state has the most delegates of any of the voting states on Tuesday , making it a top priority for the Vermont senator to win again .
“ You can ’ t go backwards and winning four years ago and not winning now would be going backwards , ” Democratic strategist Scott Kozar said .
“ Especially now that it ’ s a binary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also a wildcard .
However , in Washington , the epicenter of the outbreak in the US where 22 people have died so far , officials believe new rules that mean the primary uses mail-in and drop-off ballots rather than a caucus system should prevent disruption , and may even break turnout records as a result .
Sanders held a rally in Ann Arbor with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , the young liberal icon , on Sunday .
The rally drew an estimated 10,000 people , underscoring Sanders ’ support in the more progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceded the importance of winning Michigan again during his speech .
“ Michigan is the most important state coming up on Tuesday , ” Sanders said .
A EPIC-MRA poll conducted for the Detroit Free Press between Wednesday and Friday found Biden leading Sanders in Michigan by 24 percentage points .
Four years ago the same pollster found Clinton leading Sanders by almost the exact same margin .
Sanders ended up winning the state by less than 2 percentage points .
However , the Michigan poll also seems to reflect the widening chasm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate CNN national poll found the former vice-president leading Sanders by 16 points .
“ Michigan would be a great win for Biden , ” said former Michigan governor James Blanchard , a Biden supporter .
“ It ’ s a must win for Bernie.
” Biden ’ s lead came as a result of his decisive victory in the South Carolina primary .
Since then the Biden campaign has rapidly gained support from former Democratic primary rivals and other elected officials .
Former presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Cory Booker endorsed Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held an event with him in Detroit .
An analysis by the polling website FiveThirtyEight forecast Biden leading Sanders in all the voting states on Tuesday except Washington state , which Sanders won by over 40 percentage points in 2016 .
Forebodingly for the Vermont senator , a last minute King 5 News poll conducted by Survey USA found Biden and Sanders essentially tied in the state .
The Biden campaign also announced an endorsement by Washington State Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz , a rising Democratic star in the state who briefly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The endorsement and poll shows that even in liberal states that Sanders won handily , the tides appeared to be shifting in Biden ’ s direction .
Biden does not have large campaign operation in any of the states voting on Tuesday , but supporters are still hosting fundraisers for him .
In Michigan for example , former Michigan governor James Blanchard and Detroit mayor Mike Duggan were slated as headliners for two Biden campaign fundraisers on Monday , according to invitations obtained by the Guardian .
Paul Maslin , a Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could affect turnout in future contests .
“ I think we ’ re still days away from the stage where large numbers of people will conclude ‘ I don ’ t want to leave the house ’ but clearly we ’ re heading in that direction , ” Maslin said .
“ I think next week might be the bigger test when all of a sudden you ’ ve got Florida , Illinois , Ohio , Arizona and another week of news .
”

Joe Biden secured a key victory in the Democratic presidential nomination race on Tuesday by winning the vital state of Michigan and delivering a major blow to his rival, the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders.
The former vice-president also notched wins in the primaries in Mississippi, Missouri and Idaho. North Dakota went to Sanders, and Washington is still to declare.
Speaking from Philadelphia, Biden sounded confident about Tuesday’s election results and struck a tone that hinted his race against Donald Trump might be beginning.
“Just over a week ago, many of the pundits declared that this candidacy was dead. Now we’re very much alive,” Biden said. “Although there’s a way to go, it looks like we’re going to have another good night.”
Biden’s remarks sounded at times like a general election speech rather than one for a candidate who has not yet secured the Democratic nomination.
“Tonight, we are a step closer to restoring decency, dignity, and honor to the White House, that’s our ultimate goal,” Biden said. “At this moment when there’s so much fear in the country, when there’s so much fear across the world, we need American leadership. We need presidential leadership that’s honest, trusted, truthful, and steady.”
When he mentioned Sanders, Biden didn’t contrast himself with the Vermont senator, but instead thanked him and reached out to his supporters.
“I want to thank Bernie Sanders and his supporters for their tireless passion,” Biden said. “We share a common goal and together we’ll defeat Donald Trump.”
Both the Biden campaign and the Sanders campaign had cancelled scheduled election night rallies in Ohio as a precaution against spreading the coronavirus. In a sign of the seriousness of his defeat Sanders opted against offering remarks and instead returned to his home in Burlington, Vermont.
Michigan was the most delegate-rich state of the night and a state that Bernie Sanders won four years ago in an upset over Hillary Clinton. Even before half of the states on Tuesday were called it was clear that Sanders’ path to the nomination had become imperiled. Biden had grown his delegate lead over Sanders to 715 over 584, a remarkable sea change in the race from just a month ago when Sanders’ trajectory was toward being the frontrunner in the primary.
After Michigan though Sanders has to win more than 55% of the remaining delegates to get the nomination, a near herculean feat.
Democrats began to argue that Biden’s ascension to being the presumptive nominee was close.
“I just think this is a great signal going forward that people are ready to put someone in there to beat Donald Trump,” said the former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm on CNN.
Guy Cecil, the chairman of the Priorities USA super Pac, announced on Tuesday after Missouri and Mississippi was called that his organization would throw its weight behind Biden.
The math is now clear. Joe Biden is going to be the Democratic nominee for President and @prioritiesUSA is going to do everything we can to help him defeat Donald Trump in November. I hope others will join us in the fight. — Guy Cecil (@guycecil) March 11, 2020
Sanders and his surrogates have been doggedly campaigning across Michigan, a state he unexpectedly won when he ran for president in 2016 against Hillary Clinton. The state has the most delegates of any of the voting states on Tuesday, making it a top priority for the Vermont senator to win again and the focus of the night’s results.
Biden campaigned in the state on election day. At one stop in Detroit he got into a heated exchange with an autoworker who spoke about gun rights and accused the former vice-president of “actively trying to end the second amendment”.
“You’re full of shit,” Biden snapped, going on to say": “I support the second amendment … I have a shotgun, a 20-gauge, a 12-gauge.”
Biden supports universal background checks for gun purchases as well as an assault weapons ban.
The ongoing coronavirus crisis is also a wildcard. Just a few hours before polls opened on Tuesday afternoon both the Sanders campaign and Biden campaign cancelled planned election night events in Ohio as a precautionary measure in response to the coronavirus.
However, in Washington state, the center of the outbreak in the US where 22 people have died so far, officials believe new rules that mean the primary uses mail-in and drop-off ballots rather than a caucus system should prevent disruption, and may even break turnout records as a result. Election officials instructed staff to take extra precautionary steps to avoid spreading germs. They urged staffers to wash their hands frequently and to cough into tissues to avoid possibly spreading the virus.
At election centers in Washington, some people wore latex gloves as they counted votes as a precaution to the coronavirus.
Sanders had held a rally in Ann Arbor with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the young liberal congresswoman, on Sunday. The rally drew an estimated 10,000 people, underscoring Sanders’ support in the more progressive quarters of the state. Sanders himself conceded the importance of winning Michigan again during his speech. “Michigan is the most important state coming up on Tuesday,” Sanders said.
But as results came in on Tuesday night and showed Biden’s lead widening beyond reach, Sanders’ Michigan campaign coordinator, Michael Fasullo, addressed supporters and volunteers gathering in Detroit and characterized the night as “difficult, frustrating”.
“This work is not easy,” he said. “It’s hard for many reasons. There are entrenched interests and there’s an establishment that wants to see us not succeed, but we continue on throughout this process no matter what.”
Sanders’ loss in Idaho was another blow; not only did the Vermont senator win the Idaho caucuses in a landslide in 2016, but western states have also been one of his few strong points in recent weeks.
Biden’s victories on Tuesday night came after his decisive victory in the South Carolina primary, which then boosted him to a remarkable comeback performance last week on Super Tuesday, where he swept a number of states Sanders had been expected to do well in. Since then the Biden campaign has rapidly gained support from former Democratic primary rivals and other elected officials. Former presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Cory Booker endorsed Biden on Sunday and Monday respectively, and held an event with him in Detroit.
Joan E Greve contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-03-10--Coronavirus: US pledges more testing as Trump hints at aid for workers

Warning that the number of coronavirus cases in the United States was expected to grow , the Trump administration on Monday said that testing for the virus would ramp up quickly in the coming weeks while declining to estimate how many Americans had already been tested for the virus .
The evening news conference at the White House came as the stock market plunged and an increasing number of Americans wondered how the official count of virus cases in the country , still in the mid-three-figures , could remain so low despite the aggressive spread of coronavirus elsewhere .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration would ask Congress to pass payroll tax relief and other quick measures .
He also said he was seeking help for hourly-wage workers to ensure they ’ re “ not going to miss a paycheck ” and “ don ’ t get penalized for something that ’ s not their fault ” .
“ There will be more cases , ” the vice-president , Mike Pence , said .
“ But we simply ask today for the American people to engage in the common sense practices.
” Donald Trump appeared briefly at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announce that the administration was considering a relief package for American workers harmed by the outbreak .
Trump did not repeat claims he has made on Twitter that political opponents were exaggerating the health risks posed by the virus to antagonize him .
“ This blindsided the world , and I think we ’ ve handled it very , very well , they ’ ve done a great job , ” Trump said of the virus .
Over 500 cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in 35 states and the District of Columbia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or contained on a cruise ship that docked in California , Trump administration officials said .
But the number of actual cases could be much higher , owing to a lag in testing in the US .
Trump convened the news conference as Americans expressed fears that disorganization in federal agencies and mixed messages from the White House about the dangers posed by the virus were delaying an effective response .
Trump addressed economic concerns , telling reporters his administration would ask Congress to pass payroll tax relief and other quick measures .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for hourly-wage workers to ensure they ’ re “ not going to miss a paycheck ” and “ don ’ t get penalized for something that ’ s not their fault ” .
The US health secretary , Alex Azar , said he could not estimate how many Americans had been tested for the virus because different tests had originated from and been released to both private and public agencies .
“ I could not give you a number of how many Americans have received a test because many have received a test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Azar said .
He said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and two private contractors had so far shipped 1m tests to state laboratories , and he said that by end of week 4m tests per week would be made available .
“ We ’ ve been moving progressively to bring that test closer and closer and closer to the patient , ” Azar said .
Leaving the news conference , Trump did not reply to shouted questions about whether he had been tested .
At least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has recently been in close contact have announced a self-quarantine because they were in contact with a known carrier of the virus .
Pence said he did not know whether Trump had been tested .
“ I just simply don ’ t know what the White House physician has recommended to the president , ” Pence said .
“ We ’ ll let you know tonight.
” The public was encouraged to visit coronavirus.gov for information about how to combat the virus .
“ The risk of contracting the coronavirus to the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of serious disease to the American public also remains low , ” Pence said .
The surgeon general , Jerome Adams , advised the public to wash their hands , cover coughs and keep a distance from people who are sick .
People over the age of 60 are most at risk from the virus , he said , and they are “ much more likely to develop complications ” .
The average age of death from the virus is age 80 , he said , while children and young adults are “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
“ There is something about being young that is protective , ” he said .
“ We ’ re asking every American to look after our seniors who have underlying health issues , ” he said .
“ They are clearly the most vulnerable.
” The CDC director advised seniors and those with underlying conditions against going on cruise ships .
“ If you have underlying conditions , ” he said , “ I would recommend strongly that they do not go on a cruise ship.
” The treasury secretary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blamed the market slide on oil prices and said the “ United States has the most resilient economy in the world ” .
Pence praised Trump ’ s leadership in the early stages of the outbreak and said “ the vast majority of people who contract the coronavirus will get better ” .
“ Together we ’ ll get through the coronavirus , ” he said .

Warning that the number of coronavirus cases in the United States was expected to grow, the Trump administration on Monday said that testing for the virus would ramp up quickly in the coming weeks while declining to estimate how many Americans had already been tested for the virus.
The evening news conference at the White House came as the stock market plunged and an increasing number of Americans wondered how the official count of virus cases in the country, still in the mid-three-figures, could remain so low despite the aggressive spread of coronavirus elsewhere.
Trump addressed economic concerns, telling reporters his administration would ask Congress to pass payroll tax relief and other quick measures. He also said he was seeking help for hourly-wage workers to ensure they’re “not going to miss a paycheck” and “don’t get penalized for something that’s not their fault”.
“There will be more cases,” the vice-president, Mike Pence, said. “But we simply ask today for the American people to engage in the commonsense practices.”
Donald Trump appeared briefly at the start of the news conference to announce that the administration was considering a relief package for American workers harmed by the outbreak. Trump did not repeat claims he has made on Twitter that political opponents were exaggerating the health risks posed by the virus to antagonize him.
“This blindsided the world, and I think we’ve handled it very, very well, they’ve done a great job,” Trump said.
More than 500 cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in 35 states and the District of Columbia, not counting cases stemming from repatriation or contained on a cruise ship that docked in California, Trump administration officials said. But the number of actual cases could be much higher, owing to a lag in testing in the US.
Trump convened the news conference as Americans expressed fears that disorganization in federal agencies and mixed messages from the White House about the dangers posed by the virus were delaying an effective response.
The US health secretary, Alex Azar, said he could not estimate how many Americans had been tested for the virus because different tests had originated from and been released to both private and public agencies.
“I could not give you a number of how many Americans have received a test because many have received a test through hospitals or public health labs,” Azar said. He said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and two private contractors had so far shipped 1m tests to state laboratories, and he said that by end of week 4m tests per week would be made available.
“We’ve been moving progressively to bring that test closer and closer and closer to the patient,” Azar said.
Leaving the news conference, Trump did not reply to shouted questions about whether he had been tested. At least two members of Congress with whom Trump has recently been in close contact have announced a self-quarantine because they were in contact with a known carrier of the virus.
Pence said he did not know whether Trump had been tested. “I just simply don’t know what the White House physician has recommended to the president,” Pence said. “We’ll let you know tonight.”
The public was encouraged to visit coronavirus.gov for information about how to combat the virus. “The risk of contracting the coronavirus to the American public remains low, and the risk of serious disease to the American public also remains low,” Pence said.
The surgeon general, Jerome Adams, advised the public to wash their hands, cover coughs and keep a distance from people who are sick. People over the age of 60 are most at risk from the virus, he said, and they are “much more likely to develop complications”. The average age of death from the virus is 80, he said, while children and young adults are “more likely to die from the flu”.
“There is something about being young that is protective,” he said.
Pence urged a protective focus on seniors.
“We’re asking every American to look after our seniors who have underlying health issues,” he said. “They are clearly the most vulnerable.”
The CDC director advised seniors and those with underlying conditions against going on cruise ships. “If you have underlying conditions,” he said, “I would recommend strongly that they do not go on a cruise ship.”
The treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, also on hand, blamed the market slide on oil prices and said the “United States has the most resilient economy in the world”.
Pence praised Trump’s leadership in the early stages of the outbreak and said “the vast majority of people who contract the coronavirus will get better”.
“Together we’ll get through the coronavirus,” he said.
Agencies contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-03-10--Trump proposes small business loans and guaranteed time off amid coronavirus outbreak – as it happen

Trump proposes small business loans and guaranteed time off amid coronavirus outbreak – as it happened

Donald Trump spoke at a press briefing regarding coronavirus response on Monday .
He said his administration is proposing measures @ @ @ @ @ earners to ensure they can take time off and creating loans for small businesses so @ @ @ @ @ outbreak .
“ This is something we were thrown into and we have been handling @ @ @ @ @ .
The moves come as the economy has been in a nosedive and coronavirus spreads @ @ @ @ @ also proposed a payroll tax he said he will discuss on Tuesday with the Senate @ @ @ @ @ to take care of , and have been taking care of , the American public @ @ @ @ @ , he said .
Trump said he will hold another press conference on Tuesday to @ @ @ @ @ measures he will work with the Senate to create .
“ They will be very @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We have a very strong economy but this has blindsided the world , @ @ @ @ @ it very well , ” he said .

Kari Paul in San Francisco (now) and Joan E Greve and Martin Belam (earlier)

10 Mar 2020 00.31 GMT Evening Summary Thanks for reading on this busy afternoon of coronavirus and politics news. Here are some stories to be aware of: Trump has been in close contact with members of Congress who have been exposed to coronavirus.
Mike Pence declined to answer in a press conference on Monday if Trump had been tested for the illness.
Rep Julia Brownley, a Democrat from California, locked down her Washington, DC offices and is staying home for the next week after potentially coming in contact with the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Rep Gohmert has declined to quarantine himself, despite having potentially been in contact with someone who had coronavirus.
Trump announced in a press conference “major” economic measures to address the impact of coronavirus, including a potential payroll tax. That’s all from me, take care.
Updated at 00.34 GMT
10 Mar 2020 00.19 GMT Former candidate Mike Bloomberg is firing staffers across the country, despite guaranteeing them they would be paid by his campaign into November. Bloomberg is reportedly encouraging workers to reapply for jobs with his new independent committee and allowing them to keep their Bloomberg-issued iPhones and MacBooks. The campaign of the former New York City mayor has stated it will start a new independent expenditure to keep staffers in six battleground states and work towards electing Biden. It is unclear how many of his former staffers he will retain for that effort.
9 Mar 2020 23.48 GMT Election officials in St Louis, Missouri, are taking measures to stop the spread of coronavirus as they await tomorrow’s elections there. All 357 polling places in the St Louis area have been sent additional hand sanitizing wipes and liquids, according to STL Today. There are six states slated to hold Democratic elections on Tuesday: Missouri, Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota, Washington and Michigan.
Updated at 23.52 GMT
9 Mar 2020 23.35 GMT The former wife of George Papadopoulos tweeted on Monday she is leaving the disgraced former Trump administration member, alleging abuse. Officially divorcing @GeorgePapa19 after the months of abuses and ultimately the huge disrespect he showed this morning in his podcast. I am tired of him and playing his wife . He is a monster t — Simona Mangiante (@simonamangiante) March 9, 2020 Papadopoulos sparked the US inquiry into Russia election meddling and served 14 days in prison for lying to the FBI during the probe of his meetings with Russia. The final straw appeared to be being insulted on his podcast this week.
9 Mar 2020 23.21 GMT As Trump and Pence held their press conference regarding coronavirus response Monday evening, the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, released a list of priorities Democrats have related to the virus. Those priorities include paid sick leave and enhanced unemployment insurance for those who cannot work or lose work because of the epidemic, measures to support food security, and anti-price gouging protections for medical and non-medical essentials during the emergency. She also advocated to increase the capacity of the medical system and provide affordable treatment for all as the virus continues to spread.
Updated at 23.39 GMT
9 Mar 2020 22.39 GMT Trump announces 'major' economic measures to address impact of coronavirus Donald Trump spoke at a press briefing regarding coronavirus response on Monday. He said his administration is proposing measures including working with hourly wage earners to ensure they can take time off and creating loans for small businesses so they can weather the coronavirus outbreak. “This is something we were thrown into and we have been handling it”, Trump said. The moves come as the economy has been in a nosedive and coronavirus spreads around the globe. Trump also proposed a payroll tax he said he will discuss on Tuesday with the Senate. “We are going to take care of, and have been taking care of, the American public and the American economy”, he said. Trump said he will hold another press conference on Tuesday to announce “major” economic measures he will work with the Senate to create. “They will be very dramatic,” he said. “We have a very strong economy but this has blindsided the world, I think we have handled it very well,” he said.
Updated at 22.57 GMT
9 Mar 2020 21.55 GMT Republican Rep Gohmert of Texas is refusing to quarantine himself despite interacting with someone at CPAC who has been diagnosed with coronavirus. This comes despite several of his colleagues quarantining out of an abundance of caution. He said a CDC doctor told him he “shouldn’t be at any risk” so he is returning to Congress and observing “basic hygienic processes” instead of enforcing a quarantine. He said he would return if he were me and advised that my staff and I should just be careful to observe proper hygiene protocols. I took the advice of the expert and returned to work. No one is panicking and we are observing the recommended precautions." (3/3) — Louie Gohmert (@replouiegohmert) March 9, 2020
Updated at 22.58 GMT
9 Mar 2020 21.54 GMT More members of Congress are now quarantining themselves after potentially being put in contact with the coronavirus. Rep. Julia Brownley, a Democrat from California is locking down her Washington, D.C. office and remaining at home for the next week after she discovered an individual who tested positive attended her office last week.
9 Mar 2020 21.34 GMT The White House is about to hold a press briefing about coronavirus and the task force being used to address it. Stay tuned for updates.
9 Mar 2020 20.57 GMT Coronavirus is encroaching on Donald Trump. The president has had close contact with a number of people exposed to the virus, the Associated Press reported on Monday. Close congressional confidants — including one who traveled on Air Force One with Trump Monday — have moved to quarantine themselves after exposure to a person infected with the virus. The potential contact comes after the White House said it was “conducting business as usual,” and Trump sought to project calm as the epidemic poses one of the greatest tests yet to his administration. On Capitol Hill, at least five lawmakers were in self-quarantine as discussions were underway on how to address the virus outbreak and economic volatility and keep the government functioning.
9 Mar 2020 20.34 GMT Hello readers! Kari Paul here, taking over the blog from our West Coast bureau in San Francisco. Stand by for updates.
9 Mar 2020 20.30 GMT Today so far That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Kari Paul, will take over the blog for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: The Dow suffered its worst day since 2008, dropping more than 2,000 points amid intensifying fears about the spread of coronavirus.
dropping more than 2,000 points amid intensifying fears about the spread of coronavirus. Trump downplayed the severity of coronavirus, comparing it to the “common Flu” and suggesting the economy was humming along even as markets nosedived.
comparing it to the “common Flu” and suggesting the economy was humming along even as markets nosedived. Two Republican lawmakers who have recently interacted with Trump are self-quarantining. Congressmen Doug Collins and Matt Gaetz said they interacted with a person who tested positive for coronavirus at CPAC and would self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution.
Congressmen and said they interacted with a person who tested positive for coronavirus at CPAC and would self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris will appear at Joe Biden’s Detroit rally tonight. The two Democratic senators, both of whom endorsed Biden in recent days, have been listed as potential running mates to the former vice president.
The two Democratic senators, both of whom endorsed Biden in recent days, have been listed as potential running mates to the former vice president. Polls show Biden leading Bernie Sanders in Michigan, which will hold its primary tomorrow. With 125 pledged delegates up for grabs, Michigan is the most delegate-rich state voting tomorrow and could increase Biden’s lead over Sanders. Kari will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
9 Mar 2020 20.09 GMT Congressman Matt Gaetz is now also self-quarantining after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for the coronavirus. While the Congressman is not experiencing symptoms, he received testing today and expects results soon.
Under doctor's usual precautionary recommendations, he'll remain self-quarantined until the 14-day period expires this week. — Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 9, 2020 The Florida Republican and close Trump ally attracted attention last week for wearing a gas mask on to the House floor to vote on the $8 billion coronavirus bill. Reviewing the coronavirus supplemental appropriation and preparing to go vote. pic.twitter.com/wjJ4YY4VZz — Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 4, 2020 But Gaetz’s statement on his self-quarantine claimed he wore the gas mask to illustrate the depth of his concern around the spread of the virus. “Congressman Gaetz had expected COVID-19 to impact Congress, given the elevated frequency of travel and human contact, and demonstrated his concern last week on the House Floor,” the statement reads. Gaetz also flew back to Washington with Trump on Air Force One today, marking another interaction between the president and someone who has since gone into self-quarantine.


theguardian--2020-03-10--Neil Young endorses Bernie Sanders: 'Every point he makes is what I believe in'

Neil Young has endorsed Bernie Sanders for president , saying the Vermont senator is “ the real deal ” to win the Democratic nomination .
Writing on his personal website , the 74-year-old musician said that Sanders ’ policies on climate change , student debt , healthcare and the minimum wage were the “ big changes ” required to beat Donald Trump in the 2020 election .
“ I support Bernie because I listen to what he says , ” he wrote .
“ Every point he makes is what I believe in .
Every one .
In 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton , I think we would not have the incompetent mess we have now .
“ The DNC will spread their talking point that ‘ Bernie is divisive ’ … That ’ s because Bernie is not with the DNC .
Bernie is with you … I believe Bernie Sanders .
I believe Bernie is the Real Deal.
” Young became a dual US-Canadian citizen in January .
He told the LA Times last year that his main reason for applying for US citizenship was in order to vote against Trump in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inaction on climate change .
Young ’ s praise for Sanders follows other musical endorsements from the rapper Cardi B , the pop stars Lizzo , Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande , the indie musicians Weyes Blood and Jeff Magnum from Neutral Milk Hotel , and Young ’ s former bandmate David Crobsy .
The Strokes , Vampire Weekend and Bon Iver performed at various campaign rallies for Sanders last month .
But the legendary rap group Public Enemy parted ways with their longtime hypeman Flavour Flav following a dispute after they agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Sanders this month .
Both parties said the dispute was not about to Sanders ’ politics , but what Flav saw as an unauthorised use of his “ likeness , image , and trademarked clock ” in promotional material .
Flav clarified to the Guardian : “ I don ’ t have anything against Bernie .
I think he ’ s a good person and I wish him luck.
” Sanders has also been endorsed by the director Spike Lee , the actor Danny DeVito , the author Naomi Klein , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ academic Cornel West .
In politics , the Vermont senator has been endorsed by the congressional representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Ilhan Omar , Rashida Tlaib and the civil rights activist and former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson Sr. Sanders ’ main remaining opponent in the Democratic race , Joe Biden , has been endorsed by the former presidential candidates Kamala Harris , Amy Klobuchar , Cory Booker and Pete Buttigieg , the actor Alec Baldwin , the musician Cher and the fantasy author George RR Martin .

Neil Young has endorsed Bernie Sanders for president, saying the Vermont senator is “the real deal” to win the Democratic nomination.
Writing on his personal website, the 74-year-old musician said that Sanders’ policies on climate change, student debt, healthcare and the minimum wage were the “big changes” required to beat Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
“I support Bernie because I listen to what he says,” he wrote. “Every point he makes is what I believe in. Every one. In 2016, if Bernie had run instead of Hilary Clinton, I think we would not have the incompetent mess we have now.
“The DNC will spread their talking point that ‘Bernie is divisive’ … That’s because Bernie is not with the DNC. Bernie is with you … I believe Bernie Sanders. I believe Bernie is the Real Deal.”
Young became a dual US-Canadian citizen in January. He told the LA Times last year that his main reason for applying for US citizenship was in order to vote against Trump in the election, specifically because of US government inaction on climate change.
Young’s praise for Sanders follows other musical endorsements from the rapper Cardi B, the pop stars Lizzo, Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande, the indie musicians Weyes Blood and Jeff Mangum from Neutral Milk Hotel, and Young’s former bandmate David Crosby.
Instead of doing what the pundits say I voted my conscience I voted for Bernie — David Crosby (@thedavidcrosby) March 3, 2020
Ok ....gonna say it
I support Bernie Sanders
I'm going to vote for him
I like him — David Crosby (@thedavidcrosby) August 30, 2015
The Strokes, Vampire Weekend and Bon Iver performed at various campaign rallies for Sanders last month.
But the legendary rap group Public Enemy parted ways with their longtime hypeman Flavour Flav following a dispute after they agreed to perform in a Los Angeles rally for Sanders this month.
Both parties said the dispute was not about to Sanders’ politics, but what Flav saw as an unauthorised use of his “likeness, image, and trademarked clock” in promotional material. Flav clarified to the Guardian: “I don’t have anything against Bernie. I think he’s a good person and I wish him luck.”
Sanders has also been endorsed by the director Spike Lee, the actor Danny DeVito, the author Naomi Klein, the journalist Glenn Greenwald and the philosopher and academic Cornel West.
Bernie’s gonna do it! — Danny DeVito (@DannyDeVito) March 5, 2020
Bernie...Bernie...Bernie...Bernie... Bernie...Bernie...Bernie...Bernie... Bernie...Bernie...Bernie...Bernie...Bernie...Bernie...Bernie... — Danny DeVito (@DannyDeVito) May 9, 2017
how do you get a video as a tattoo? https://t.co/Oha7zTnkAC — Lucy Dacus (@lucydacus) February 27, 2020
In politics, the Vermont senator has been endorsed by the congressional representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and the civil rights activist and former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson Sr.
Sanders’ main remaining opponent in the Democratic race, Joe Biden, has been endorsed by the former presidential candidates Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker and Pete Buttigieg, the actor Alec Baldwin, the musician Cher and the fantasy author George RR Martin.


theguardian--2020-03-10--White House says 'business as usual' as Trump plays down coronavirus threat

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has advised elderly and unwell Americans to avoid crowds in order to limit the impact of the coronavirus – but the White House said it was “ business as usual ” as the 73-year-old Donald Trump attended a fundraising event in Florida .
The president played down the threat of Covid-19 , saying many more people had died of the flu in the US than have been reported killed by coronavirus – despite warnings from his own officials that , unlike flu , the current outbreak concerns a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no natural immunity in the population .
Covid-19 has also only just begun to spread in the US .
Nancy Messonnier , head of the CDC ’ s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases , said more than 500 cases of the virus had been reported in 34 states and Washington DC as of Sunday night .
Nineteen people had died , according to the CDC , 18 of them in Washington state with the other fatality in California .
According to the World Health Organization , about 106,000 cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This seems to be a disease that affects adults and most seriously older adults , ” Messonnier said .
“ Starting at age 60 , there is an increasing risk of disease , and the risk increases with age .
“ The data really says that as you get older , the risk goes up and so in the broader age category of over 60 or over 65 , over-80-year-olds have the greatest risk and so I would recommend that people make their own decisions based on an understanding of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or those who have an underlying disease , “ we are recommending avoiding crowds because those are places where in general , there ’ s lots of transmission of respiratory diseases ” .
Despite reports of an attendee at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference ( CPAC ) near Washington falling sick with coronavirus after interacting with senior Republicans including the Texas senator Ted Cruz – who placed himself in quarantine – the White House denied reports that the nation ’ s top officials would change their routine .
“ Reports that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to staff instructing them to limit in-person interactions and meetings are completely false , ” said Stephanie Grisham , Trump ’ s White House press secretary .
“ While we have asked all Americans to exercise common-sense hygiene measures , we are conducting business as usual .
I want to remind the media once again to be responsible with all reporting.
” Trump attended CPAC , where he was pictured shaking hands with organiser Matt Schlapp , who said he had contact with the infected individual early in the conference .
The Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Arizona in announcing that he was also self-quarantining , after it emerged he had been in contact with the infected person at CPAC .
Collins accompanied Trump in a tour of CDC headquarters in Atlanta on Friday .
A second congressman who had been in contact with the Covid-19 patient at CPAC , Matt Gaetz , said he would self-quarantine .
Gaetz partied with Trump in the president ’ s Mar-a-Lago resort over the weekend and flew back with him to Washington .
According to the New York Times , the congressman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coronavirus patient when he was already on Air Force One with Trump and he went to a separate part of the plane to sit alone .
On Monday Trump spent the day in Florida , where he attended a fundraising meeting in a private residence .
Aides said 300 supporters would attend , expecting to raise $ 4m for Trump ’ s re-election campaign .
Handshakes and selfies are customary for those attending such events , and Trump was pictured shaking hands with well-wishers along the way .
The White House told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not worried about contracting or spreading coronavirus , which experts say can be spread via coughs or sneezes and by physical contact .
Jeremy Konyndyk , who as head of foreign disaster assistance led the Obama administration ’ s response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014 , said on Twitter : “ I can not overstate how risky it is to be exposing the president of the United States to events like this right now .
”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised elderly and unwell Americans to avoid crowds in order to limit the impact of the coronavirus – but the White House said it was “business as usual” as the 73-year-old Donald Trump attended a fundraising event in Florida.
The president played down the threat of Covid-19, saying many more people had died of the flu in the US than have been reported killed by coronavirus – despite warnings from his own officials that, unlike flu, the current outbreak concerns a new virus for which there is no vaccine and no natural immunity in the population. Covid-19 has also only just begun to spread in the US.
Nancy Messonnier, head of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said more than 500 cases of the virus had been reported in 34 states and Washington DC as of Sunday night. Nineteen people had died, according to the CDC, 18 of them in Washington state with the other fatality in California.
According to the World Health Organization, about 106,000 cases and around 3,500 deaths have been confirmed worldwide.
“This seems to be a disease that affects adults and most seriously older adults,” Messonnier said. “Starting at age 60, there is an increasing risk of disease, and the risk increases with age.
While we have asked all Americans to exercise commonsense hygiene measures, we are conducting business as usual Stephanie Grisham
“The data really says that as you get older, the risk goes up and so in the broader age category of over 60 or over 65, over-80-year-olds have the greatest risk and so I would recommend that people make their own decisions based on an understanding of that risk.”
Messonnier said for the elderly, or those who have an underlying disease, “we are recommending avoiding crowds because those are places where in general, there’s lots of transmission of respiratory diseases”.
Despite reports of an attendee at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington falling sick with coronavirus after interacting with senior Republicans including the Texas senator Ted Cruz – who placed himself in quarantine – the White House denied reports that the nation’s top officials would change their routine.
“Reports that the White House has issued formal guidelines to staff instructing them to limit in-person interactions and meetings are completely false,” said Stephanie Grisham, Trump’s White House press secretary.
“While we have asked all Americans to exercise commonsense hygiene measures, we are conducting business as usual. I want to remind the media once again to be responsible with all reporting.”
This video has been removed. This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Crowd laughs as Bernie Sanders questions Trump's ‘natural ability' to understand coronavirus – video
Trump attended CPAC, where he was pictured shaking hands with organiser Matt Schlapp, who said he had contact with the infected individual early in the conference.
The Georgia Republican congressman Doug Collins followed Paul Gosar of Arizona in announcing that he was also self-quarantining, after it emerged he had been in contact with the infected person at CPAC.
Collins accompanied Trump in a tour of CDC headquarters in Atlanta on Friday.
A second congressman who had been in contact with the Covid-19 patient at CPAC, Matt Gaetz, said he would self-quarantine. Gaetz partied with Trump in the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort over the weekend and flew back with him to Washington. According to the New York Times, the congressman found out he had had contact with a coronavirus patient when he was already on Air Force One with Trump and he went to a separate part of the plane to sit alone.
On Monday Trump spent the day in Florida, where he attended a fundraising meeting in a private residence.
Aides said 300 supporters would attend, expecting to raise $4m for Trump’s re-election campaign. Handshakes and selfies are customary for those attending such events, and Trump was pictured shaking hands with well-wishers along the way.
The White House told reporters traveling with Trump that he was not worried about contracting or spreading coronavirus, which experts say can be spread via coughs or sneezes and by physical contact.
Jeremy Konyndyk, who as head of foreign disaster assistance led the Obama administration’s response to the Ebola outbreak in west Africa in 2014, said on Twitter: “I cannot overstate how risky it is to be exposing the president of the United States to events like this right now.”


theguardian--2020-03-10--Trump works harder than the Democrats to reach black voters. That's worrying | Steve Phillips

Donald Trump understands the importance of African American voters much better than Democrats and progressives do .
Trump and his team are making sizable and smart investments in efforts to chip away at black support for Democrats .
Yet those who want to oust Trump from the Oval Office are spraying millions of dollars in election spending in every direction except the African American community .
Had African Americans turned out to vote in 2016 like they did in 2012 , Hillary Clinton would be the president of the United States .
Instead , Democrats overlooked and underinvested in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in black voter turnout .
The percentage of eligible African Americans who voted dropped to its lowest level in nearly 20 years , allowing Trump to eke out his razor-thin electoral college victory .
I titled the penultimate chapter of my book “ Conservatives Can Count , ” and Republicans have indeed done the math and are working overtime to reduce the margins by which they lose the black vote .
During the Super Bowl , Trump ’ s re-election campaign spent $ 11m on a very effective ad featuring an African American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison after criminal justice reform legislation .
She says in heartfelt fashion to the millions of people watching the ad : “ I want to thank President Donald John Trump.
” That ad is not the sole foray into what was once forbidden territory .
Trump ’ s campaign is opening field offices in 15 cities with large black communities .
Conservative donors have bankrolled the creation of The Black News Channel , a new 24/7 news station with reach into tens of millions of homes .
On the other side of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Investment in black-focused political outreach is nearly non-existent .
While Trump spent $ 11m on a single television ad , Democrats can ’ t even cough up a fraction of that for a voter mobilization program targeting African Americans , 90 % of whom vote Democratic .
The largest Democratic Super Pac , Priorities USA , has announced plans to spend $ 150m on ads trying to convince Trump voters of the error of their ways .
Another Democratic Super Pac , American Bridge , has launched a $ 10m initiative also focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to switch allegiances .
Billionaire Mike Bloomberg spent hundreds of millions of dollars to defeat Trump , but he has not announced plans to back a major , at-scale , black-focused voter effort .
( To his credit , Bloomberg has given $ 5m to Stacey Abrams ’ s Fair Fight Initiative , which is combating voter suppression across the country . )
The consequences of continuing to overlook the cornerstone of the progressive coalition could be catastrophic in November .
It may be tempting to dismiss Trump ’ s efforts to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmingly rejects Republicans ; that , however , misses the real goal of Trump ’ s strategy .
Its objective is not to win majority support , but rather to bring down the amount of black support for Democrats just enough to tip a close contest .
Lost in all the analytical obsession over white working-class voters is the fact that black male support for Hillary Clinton was 5 % lower than that for Obama in 2012 .
The other objective of black-specific messaging is to reassure white voters that Trump isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By showing ads with diverse communities and inclusive content to those more moderate suburban Republicans who defected to the Democrats in 2018 , it softens the edges of the most repulsive and racially-charged components of this administration .
The Democrats , on the other hand , completely let Trump off the hook for his attacks on communities of color – putting brown children in cages at the border , banning Muslim travel , etc – by refusing to even bring up the issue of racism , for fear of alienating the chimera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not too late for progressives to course correct and intercept Trump ’ s plan .
The first and most important thing they can do is make sure that whichever old white man wins the Democratic nomination is joined by a black woman as his running mate .
Second , progressives must insist that African American civic engagement efforts receive hundreds of millions of dollars – as opposed to the hundreds of thousands typically given as an afterthought .
One thing is crystal clear – Republicans are not waiting around to see if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election hangs in the balance , and the clock is ticking .
• None Steve Phillips is the host of Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips , a color-conscious podcast about politics , and is the author of Brown Is the New White : How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority

Donald Trump understands the importance of African American voters much better than Democrats and progressives do. Trump and his team are making sizable and smart investments in efforts to chip away at black support for Democrats. Yet those who want to oust Trump from the Oval Office are spraying millions of dollars in election spending in every direction except the African American community.
Had African Americans turned out to vote in 2016 like they did in 2012, Hillary Clinton would be the president of the United States. Instead, Democrats overlooked and underinvested in the community, resulting in a cataclysmic drop-off in black voter turnout. The percentage of eligible African Americans who voted dropped to its lowest level in nearly 20 years, allowing Trump to eke out his razor-thin electoral college victory.
I titled the penultimate chapter of my book “Conservatives Can Count”, and Republicans have indeed done the math and are working overtime to reduce the margins by which they lose the black vote. During the Super Bowl, Trump’s re-election campaign spent $11m on a very effective ad featuring an African American woman who’d been released from prison after criminal justice reform legislation. She says in heartfelt fashion to the millions of people watching the ad: “I want to thank President Donald John Trump.”
That ad is not the sole foray into what was once forbidden territory. Trump’s campaign is opening field offices in 15 cities with large black communities. Conservative donors have bankrolled the creation of The Black News Channel, a new 24/7 news station with reach into tens of millions of homes.
On the other side of the aisle, the silence is deafening. Investment in black-focused political outreach is nearly non-existent. While Trump spent $11m on a single television ad, Democrats can’t even cough up a fraction of that for a voter mobilization program targeting African Americans, 90% of whom vote Democratic. (African American voters make up nearly a quarter of all Democratic voters, 23%.)
The largest Democratic Super Pac, Priorities USA, has announced plans to spend $150m on ads trying to convince Trump voters of the error of their ways. Another Democratic Super Pac, American Bridge, has launched a $10m initiative also focused on ads designed to persuade Trump voters to switch allegiances. Billionaire Mike Bloomberg spent hundreds of millions of dollars to defeat Trump, but he has not announced plans to back a major, at-scale, black-focused voter effort. (To his credit, Bloomberg has given $5m to Stacey Abrams’s Fair Fight Initiative, which is combating voter suppression across the country and just announced an additional $2m for black voter registration work.)
The consequences of continuing to overlook the cornerstone of the progressive coalition could be catastrophic in November
The consequences of continuing to overlook the cornerstone of the progressive coalition could be catastrophic in November. It may be tempting to dismiss Trump’s efforts to make inroads into a community that regularly, overwhelmingly rejects Republicans; that, however, misses the real goal of Trump’s strategy. Its objective is not to win majority support, but rather to bring down the amount of black support for Democrats just enough to tip a close contest. Lost in all the analytical obsession over white working-class voters is the fact that black male support for Hillary Clinton was 5% lower than that for Obama in 2012.
The other objective of black-specific messaging is to reassure white voters that Trump isn’t racist (which he is). By showing ads with diverse communities and inclusive content to those more moderate suburban Republicans who defected to the Democrats in 2018, it softens the edges of the most repulsive and racially charged components of this administration. The Democrats, on the other hand, completely let Trump off the hook for his attacks on communities of color – putting brown children in cages at the border, banning Muslim travel, etc – by refusing to even bring up the issue of racism, for fear of alienating the chimera of the white swing voter.
It is not too late for progressives to course correct and intercept Trump’s plan. The first and most important thing they can do is make sure that whichever old white man wins the Democratic nomination is joined by a black woman as his running mate. Second, progressives must insist that African American civic engagement efforts receive hundreds of millions of dollars – as opposed to the hundreds of thousands typically given as an afterthought.
One thing is crystal clear – Republicans are not waiting around to see if Democrats enthusiastically embrace black voters. The election hangs in the balance, and the clock is ticking.


theguardian--2020-03-10--Biden and Sanders cancel rallies over coronavirus concerns – live

Election officials around the country are rushing to make last-minute changes to address coronavirus concerns – seeking to avoid panic , staff shortages and delays that could impose additional hurdles for primary voters on election day .
Many of the changes have to do with protecting older people , the demographic most at risk for having serious complications from the virus .
In Ohio Frank LaRose , the secretary of state , ordered all polling stations located in senior centers and nursing homes to be moved .
The change is expected to affect 128 of the state ’ s polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and local officials are identifying alternative sites .
Election officials in Chicago , also holding its primary next week , announced the city was relocating polling stations out of nursing homes .
It ’ s not just voters , however , who are at risk .
In 2016 , about 56 % of poll workers across the country were over 61 years old , according to the US Election Assistance Commission , which collected data from about half of the workers that year .
Tammy Patrick , a former election official in Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll workers and overstaff to prepare for cancellations .
The county clerk in Travis county , Texas , said election day last week got off to a “ rocky start ” with long lines at the polls , in part because poll workers didn ’ t show up for work in an attempt to avoid exposure to coronavirus .
Reductions in public transit and dial-a-ride services could also create additional obstacles to people getting to the polls , said Patrick .

Maanvi Singh (now), Kenya Evelyn and Martin Belam (earlier)

10 Mar 2020 22.49 GMT Virginia representative Don Beyer said he and his wife will “self-quarantine” after interacting with a friend who tested positive for the coronavirus. This afternoon my wife Megan and I were contacted by the Virginia Department of Health about the illness of a friend who tested positive for COVID-19 after dining with us. They told us the timeline of his infection began shortly after our contact on February 28. 1/ pic.twitter.com/ct37gVii1w — Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) March 10, 2020 Beyer, a Democrat, will join seven representatives who have already taken precautions after potential exposure to the virus.
10 Mar 2020 22.44 GMT The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which had backed Elizabeth Warren before she dropped out and encouraged voters to support Bernie Sanders, said that Sanders should stay in the race “until the March 15th debate at the earliest”. A new statement from @BoldProgressive, which backed Warren and has encouraged Michigan voters to support Sanders, urges Sanders to stay in the race whatever happens tonight: "Win or lose tonight, Bernie should stay in the race until the March 15th debate at the earliest." — Lauren Gambino (@laurenegambino) March 10, 2020 Regardless of how Sanders tonight, the group indicated it doesn’t want a “quick Biden coronation”. Sanders and Biden are scheduled to face off during a televised debate in Phoenix on Saturday. The event, which will take place before a live audience, will continue as planned despite speculation that it would be derailed by efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Updated at 23.05 GMT
10 Mar 2020 22.28 GMT Asked whether Trump — a self-described germaphobe — would continue to shake hands with people amidst the spread of coronavirus, the vice president said he expects so. “Well, look as the president has said, in our line of work, you shake hands when someone wants to shake your hand,” Pence told reporters. “I expect the president will continue to do that”
10 Mar 2020 22.20 GMT Where will Trump get $1tn to cover a payroll tax cut? The White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow was short on details. Speaking to press at the White House, he said, “Let us put the proposal out and flush that out in concrete details.” Kudlow said the tax relief package under consideration includes a payroll tax “holiday”. Asked about whether Trump wants the tax eliminated completely, Kudlow responded that Trump makes “bold” moves. It’s unclear how the administration would make up the revenue from the elimination of the 12.4% payroll tax, which is split evenly by workers and their employers and used to fund Medicare and Social Security.
Updated at 22.24 GMT
10 Mar 2020 22.08 GMT Speaking at the White House, Pence said the question of whether Donald Trump will cancel rallies will “be a decision that’s made literally on a day-to-day basis.” He said he’s “very confident” the Trump campaign will make the “best decisions”.
10 Mar 2020 22.03 GMT Mike Pence said there will be 4m more coronavirus tests made available by the end of the week. Top health insurance companies have joined Medicare and Medicaid and agreed “to waive all copays, cover the cost of all treatment for those who contract the coronavirus,” Pence said.
Tony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the number of cases is “guaranteed” go up.
Updated at 22.05 GMT
10 Mar 2020 21.54 GMT Although both Sanders and Biden’s have canceled campaign events, they are still planning to attend the debate on Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona. The network still plans to hold the debate, as planned, in front of a live audience despite speculation that the coronavirus threat would derail the event. The debate, which will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern will resemble a town hall, with each candidate answering questions from voters. Sanders and Biden will face off one-on-one before the votes are cast in Arizona, as well as Florida, Illinois and Ohio.
10 Mar 2020 21.39 GMT The Michigan secretary of state has said that election results won’t be available until Wednesday, due to high voter turnout. “Michigan clerks and their teams will have significantly more work to do today than on previous election days, and that the results of today’s elections may not be known until well into Wednesday,” Jocelyn Benson wrote in an op-ed for USA Today. Since the 2018 elections, the state has made it easier for more people to vote, expanding vote by mail and allowing voters to register up to and on Election Day. “It is a new day for democracy in our state, with new rights for voters and greater security measures in place than ever before,” Benson wrote.
Updated at 21.41 GMT


theguardian--2020-03-10--Democratic primaries results: follow live as they come in

There are 20 pledged delegates available in Idaho ’ s Democratic presidential primary vote , where infrastructure , healthcare and the economy rank among the issues voters care most about .
Bernie Sanders heavily defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary here , but Donald Trump won convincingly in the general election .
There are 125 pledged delegates available in Michigan ’ s Democratic presidential primary vote , where candidates have been campaigning on healthcare , the economy and jobs .
Access to clean air and water are also key issues , especially following the Flint water crisis .
Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 against Hillary Clinton , but Donald Trump won the state by a narrow 0.2 % margin in the November general election .
There are 68 pledged delegates available in Missouri ’ s Democratic presidential primary vote , where voters say they care most about defeating Donald Trump , access to healthcare , the economy and jobs .
Bernie Sanders lost the Democratic primary here in 2016 against Hillary Clinton by a whisker , but Trump won the state in the November general election by a landslide .
There are 36 pledged delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary vote , where voters say they care most about immigration , access to healthcare , the economy and jobs .
Bernie Sanders was heavily defeated in the Democratic primary here in 2016 against Hillary Clinton , but Donald Trump won the state convincingly in the November general election .
The state is the smallest prize on Tuesday , with just 14 pledged delegates at stake in North Dakota ’ s Democratic presidential caucuses .
Fewer than 3,400 people voted in the contest in 2016 , which Bernie Sanders won handily , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significantly .
Donald Trump won the state decisively in the November general election .
There are 89 pledged delegates available in Washington ’ s Democratic presidential primary vote , where key voter issues include homelessness , taxes , income inequality , healthcare , education , the economy and jobs .
Bernie Sanders won the Democratic primary here in 2016 against Hillary Clinton by a landslide , and Clinton won the state convincingly in the November general election .

Juweek Adolphe, Peter Andringa, Seán Clarke, Niko Kommenda and Enjoli Liston

Idaho
There are 20 pledged delegates available in Idaho’s Democratic presidential primary vote, where infrastructure, healthcare and the economy rank among the issues voters care most about. Bernie Sanders heavily defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary here, but Donald Trump won convincingly in the general election.
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Michigan
There are 125 pledged delegates available in Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary vote, where candidates have been campaigning on healthcare, the economy and jobs. Access to clean air and water are also key issues, especially following the Flint water crisis. Bernie Sanders won the Democratic primary here in 2016 against Hillary Clinton, but Donald Trump won the state by a narrow 0.2% margin in the November general election.
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Missouri
There are 68 pledged delegates available in Missouri’s Democratic presidential primary vote, where voters say they care most about defeating Donald Trump, access to healthcare, the economy and jobs. Bernie Sanders lost the Democratic primary here in 2016 against Hillary Clinton by a whisker, but Trump won the state in the November general election by a landslide.
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Mississippi
There are 36 pledged delegates available in Mississippi’s Democratic presidential primary vote, where voters say they care most about immigration, access to healthcare, the economy and jobs. Bernie Sanders was heavily defeated in the Democratic primary here in 2016 against Hillary Clinton, but Donald Trump won the state convincingly in the November general election.
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North Dakota
The state is the smallest prize on Tuesday, with just 14 pledged delegates at stake in North Dakota’s Democratic presidential caucuses. Fewer than 3,400 people voted in the contest in 2016, which Bernie Sanders won handily, but new rules this time could boost turnout significantly. Donald Trump won the state decisively in the November general election.
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Washington state
There are 89 pledged delegates available in Washington’s Democratic presidential primary vote, where key voter issues include homelessness, taxes, income inequality, healthcare, education, the economy and jobs. Bernie Sanders won the Democratic primary here in 2016 against Hillary Clinton by a landslide, and Clinton won the state convincingly in the November general election.


theguardian--2020-03-10--Republicans face backlash over racist labeling of coronavirus

Senior Republican figures are facing backlash over an apparent effort to label Covid-19 as “ Chinese coronavirus ” – as China accused some US politicians of “ disrespecting science ” in order to “ stigmatize ” the country .
Kevin McCarthy , the House minority leader , and Mike Pompeo , the secretary of state , are among those to add a geographical marker to the coronavirus in recent days .
Pompeo called the virus the “ Wuhan coronavirus ” on Friday , referring to the Chinese city where the outbreak started , and McCarthy used the term “ Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted out a link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the federal agency that has led the US effort to fight the virus .
The CDC website specifically avoids the phrase when talking about Covid-19 , the novel strain of coronavirus at the heart of the global outbreak .
Other Republicans , including Senator Tom Cotton and Representative Paul Gosar – who is in self-quarantine – have used similar terms .
China reacted furiously on Monday , with a spokesman for the foreign ministry criticizing US elected officials .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organization ] has officially named this novel type of coronavirus , certain American politician [ s ] , disrespecting science and the WHO decision , jumped at the first chance to stigmatize China and Wuhan with it .
We condemn this despicable practice , ” said Geng Shuang .
Republicans ’ attempts to associate Covid-19 overtly with China repeats a common theme of associating epidemics with certain countries , such as 1918 influenza pandemic being branded “ Spanish flu ” .
Academics have warned the practice leads to stigma and racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a memo to governments and media organizations at the end of February , urging people not to use the terms “ Wuhan Virus ” , “ Chinese Virus ” or “ Asian Virus ” .
“ Governments , citizens , media , key influencers and communities have an important role to play in preventing and stopping stigma surrounding people from China and Asia in general , ” the WHO said .
The branding fits neatly with Donald Trump ’ s anti-China rhetoric and ongoing trade war , however – as Democratic congressman Ted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referring to Trump as Potus , the president of the United States .
“ One reason @ POTUS & his enablers failed to contain # COVID2019 is due to the myopic focus on China .
The virus was also carried into the US from other countries & US travelers .
Calling it Chinese coronavirus is scientifically wrong & as stupid as calling it the Italian coronavirus .
”

Senior Republican figures are facing backlash over an apparent effort to label Covid-19 as “Chinese coronavirus” – as China accused some US politicians of “disrespecting science” in order to “stigmatize” the country.
Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, and Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, are among those to add a geographical marker to the coronavirus in recent days.
Pompeo called the virus the “Wuhan coronavirus” on Friday, referring to the Chinese city where the outbreak started, and McCarthy used the term “Chinese coronavirus” on Monday, when he tweeted out a link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal agency that has led the US effort to fight the virus.
The CDC website specifically avoids the phrase when talking about Covid-19, the novel strain of coronavirus at the heart of the global outbreak.
Other Republicans, including Senator Tom Cotton and Representative Paul Gosar – who is in self-quarantine – have used similar terms.
China reacted furiously on Monday, with a spokesman for the foreign ministry criticizing US elected officials.
“Despite the fact that the WHO [World Health Organization] has officially named this novel type of coronavirus, certain American politician[s], disrespecting science and the WHO decision, jumped at the first chance to stigmatize China and Wuhan with it. We condemn this despicable practice,” said Geng Shuang.
Republicans’ attempts to associate Covid-19 overtly with China repeats a common theme of associating epidemics with certain countries, such as 1918 influenza pandemic being branded “Spanish flu”.
Academics have warned the practice leads to stigma and racism, and the World Health Organization sent a memo to governments and media organizations at the end of February, urging people not to use the terms “Wuhan Virus”, “Chinese Virus” or “Asian Virus”.
“Governments, citizens, media, key influencers and communities have an important role to play in preventing and stopping stigma surrounding people from China and Asia in general,” the WHO said.
The branding fits neatly with Donald Trump’s anti-China rhetoric and ongoing trade war, however – as Democratic congressman Ted Lieu pointed out in a tweet, referring to Trump as Potus, the president of the United States.
“One reason @POTUS & his enablers failed to contain #COVID2019 is due to the myopic focus on China. The virus was also carried into the US from other countries & US travelers. Calling it Chinese coronavirus is scientifically wrong & as stupid as calling it the Italian coronavirus.”


theguardian--2020-03-10--Which states have Democratic primaries today – and who's running?

Some people call this Tuesday Super Tuesday II , as its slate of primaries forms a sequel of sorts to the mammoth run of contests held on the first such day in March .
Others refer to Mega Tuesday , Big Tuesday or even , in 2016 at least , the Ides of March Primaries .
Either way , it ’ s another brutal day in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination .
Here ’ s a quick guide to what ’ s happening : Michigan is the richest prize on offer , with 125 delegates .
Washington state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 36 , Idaho 20 and North Dakota 14 .
Polls close in Michigan , Mississippi and Missouri at 8pm ET , in Idaho and North Dakota at 10pm ET and in Washington at 11pm ET .
Former vice-president Joe Biden , Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and , lest the national media forget , Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard .
Most eyes have been on Michigan , where Biden has opened a lead north of 20 points over Sanders in recent polls .
According to the forecasting site fivethirtyeight.com , the former vice-president is favourite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expects most races to be tight .
After his Super Tuesday surge , Biden has garnered 670 delegates to the Democratic national convention , Sanders has 573 and Gabbard has two .
To win the nomination outright at the event in Milwaukee in July , a candidate will require 1,991 of the pledged party delegates who typically anoint the nominee , a plain majority .

Some people call this Tuesday Super Tuesday II, as its slate of primaries forms a sequel of sorts to the mammoth run of contests held on the first such day in March. Others refer to Mega Tuesday, Big Tuesday or even, in 2016 at least, the Ides of March Primaries.
Either way, it’s another brutal day in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Here’s a quick guide to what’s happening:
Who’s voting
Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Idaho, North Dakota and Washington state all host primaries.
Who’s giving
Michigan is the richest prize on offer, with 125 delegates. Washington state offers 89, Missouri 68, Mississippi 36, Idaho 20 and North Dakota 14.
Who’s closing
Polls close in Michigan, Mississippi and Missouri at 8pm ET, in Idaho and North Dakota at 10pm ET and in Washington at 11pm ET.
Who’s running
Former vice-president Joe Biden, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and, lest the national media forget, Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
Who’s polling
Most eyes have been on Michigan, where Biden has opened a lead north of 20 points over Sanders in recent polls. According to the forecasting site fivethirtyeight.com, the former vice-president is favourite to sweep the board – though it expects most races to be tight.
Who’s winning
After his Super Tuesday surge, Biden has garnered 670 delegates to the Democratic national convention, Sanders has 573 and Gabbard has two. To win the nomination outright at the event in Milwaukee in July, a candidate will require 1,991 of the pledged party delegates who typically anoint the nominee, a plain majority.


theguardian--2020-03-10--Joe Biden positions himself as ‘bridge’ to next generation at Michigan rally

Democratic comeback candidate Joe Biden boasted on the eve of the crucial “ mini Super Tuesday ” primaries in Michigan and elsewhere of how he will vanquish his leftwing rival Bernie Sanders – but also appeared to acknowledge his place as an ageing party grandee by calling himself “ a bridge ” to a future generation of leaders .
Turning to his newest high-profile endorsers at a raucous rally in Detroit on Monday night , Biden indicated the younger African American senators Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey onstage with him , who both recently saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dashed .
“ Look , I view myself as a bridge , not as anything else , ” Biden said .
“ There ’ s an entire generation of leaders you saw stand behind me .
They are the future of this country.
” Biden , newly confident since an unexpected landslide in the South Carolina primary and a convincing sweep of almost all the states from Virginia to Texas that voted on Super Tuesday – with Sanders picking up Colorado , Utah and California – appeared buoyed .
“ Senator Sanders likes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only going to beat Donald Trump by generating excitement and turning out more voters.
’ Well guess what ?
On Super Tuesday we turned out 70 % more voters … and in South Carolina we turned out 22 % more voters , ” Biden said , eliciting chants from the elated crowd of “ Let ’ s go Joe !
” “ He ’ s right , ” the moderate Biden added , but indicated those present .
“ We are going to turn out the Democratic party.
” Michigan is the big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state with the support of 125 pledged delegates up for grabs , the party figures who ultimately anoint the party nominee .
The rally came as evidence mounted that the party is coalescing behind him and Sanders ’ path to the nomination as a democratic socialist is petering out .
Michigan ’ s primary is closely watched because it is viewed as Sanders ’ best shot to turn around his struggling campaign , and his 2016 surprise upset of Hillary Clinton in the state dramatically shifted that race ’ s momentum .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeating that success .
In the days leading up to the election , Sanders crisscrossed the state , making three times as many Michigan stops as Biden .
The campaign rolled out key endorsements from supporters including Jesse Jackson and progressive Michigan leaders , while surrogates such as the effervescent freshman congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , together with the popular Ivy League public philosopher Cornel West , joined Sanders on stage .
Despite the effort , five Michigan polls released on Monday showed Biden with commanding leads of between 12 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s polling numbers are similarly strong in several other states holding Tuesday primaries .
He ’ s expected to win by a landslide in Mississippi , while the latest Missouri poll put the former vice-president up 30 points .
Washington state polling shows a tight race , an important one for Sanders to win , but even a narrow Biden loss there would do little to trip him up .
Biden already leads Sanders by about 90 delegates and he would tally an all but insurmountable lead with five or six strong wins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of the end of Trump ” , said Detroit resident Tia Simmonds , among the exuberant crowd .
“ The wind is at his back , baby .
The wind is at his back , ” she said .
“ He understands Detroit .
He understands America , all of us , and no – there ’ s no going back .
He ’ s gon na win it.
” The crowd loved Harris and Booker joining Biden onstage .
Both have been floated as potential running mates .
Some Democrats are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joining the ticket .
Biden has said he will probably choose a woman , and Harris , who ended her presidential bid in December , could help turn out black voters .
In her brief speech , Harris told the audience that “ we ’ re celebrating ” and focused on Trump and Biden ’ s electability .
“ There ’ s one man who is ready to go to the center of the arena , and our best shot to beat Trump , to heal the soul of America , to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best one to stand up for all in America – his name is Joe Biden , ” she said .
Booker also focused on Trump , who he accused of trying to “ tear America apart ” .
“ It seems like the president takes great pleasure in pitting Americans against Americans , ” Booker said .
Biden ’ s confidence in his position also showed in his speech to the roughly 1,000 supporters .
He touted the Obama administration ’ s contributions to Michigan , then pivoted to Trump .
He spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the approximately seven minutes he clocked at some recent stops .
Critics have said the Biden campaign is limiting his speaking time to avoid gaffes .
In recent weeks , Trump and Republicans have increasingly claimed that Biden is suffering from mental decline , foreshadowing their strategy should Biden secure the nomination .
The former vice-president ’ s decision to hold the primary eve rally in a city that ’ s 80 % black probably stems from Clinton ’ s failures here in the state .
Sanders in 2016 won a larger share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Clinton did not campaign in Detroit ahead of the general election .
The significant drop in black voters in Michigan between 2012 and 2016 partly contributed to her stunning loss to Trump .

Democratic comeback candidate Joe Biden boasted on the eve of the crucial “mini Super Tuesday” primaries in Michigan and elsewhere of how he will vanquish his leftwing rival Bernie Sanders – but also appeared to acknowledge his place as an ageing party grandee by calling himself “a bridge” to a future generation of leaders.
Turning to his newest high-profile endorsers at a raucous rally in Detroit on Monday night, Biden indicated the younger African American senators Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey onstage with him, who both recently saw their hopes of becoming the 2020 nominee dashed.
“Look, I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else,” Biden said. “There’s an entire generation of leaders you saw stand behind me. They are the future of this country.”
Biden, newly confident since an unexpected landslide in the South Carolina primary and a convincing sweep of almost all the states from Virginia to Texas that voted on Super Tuesday – with Sanders picking up Colorado, Utah and California – appeared buoyed.
“Senator Sanders likes to say: ‘We’re only going to beat Donald Trump by generating excitement and turning out more voters.’ Well guess what? On Super Tuesday we turned out 70% more voters … and in South Carolina we turned out 22% more voters,” Biden said, eliciting chants from the elated crowd of “Let’s go Joe!”
“He’s right,” the moderate Biden added, but indicated those present. “We are going to turn out the Democratic party.”
Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally in Detroit, Michigan, on 9 March. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Michigan is the big prize on Tuesday, a vital swing state with the support of 125 pledged delegates up for grabs, the party figures who ultimately anoint the party nominee.
The rally came as evidence mounted that the party is coalescing behind him and Sanders’ path to the nomination as a democratic socialist is petering out.
Michigan’s primary is closely watched because it is viewed as Sanders’ best shot to turn around his struggling campaign, and his 2016 surprise upset of Hillary Clinton in the state dramatically shifted that race’s momentum.
The Vermont senator has thrown heavy resources into repeating that success.
In the days leading up to the election, Sanders crisscrossed the state, making three times as many Michigan stops as Biden.
The campaign rolled out key endorsements from supporters including Jesse Jackson and progressive Michigan leaders, while surrogates such as the effervescent freshman congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, together with the popular Ivy League public philosopher Cornel West, joined Sanders on stage.
Despite the effort, five Michigan polls released on Monday showed Biden with commanding leads of between 12 and 41 points over Sanders.
Biden’s polling numbers are similarly strong in several other states holding Tuesday primaries. He’s expected to win by a landslide in Mississippi, while the latest Missouri poll put the former vice-president up 30 points.
Washington state polling shows a tight race, an important one for Sanders to win, but even a narrow Biden loss there would do little to trip him up.
Biden already leads Sanders by about 90 delegates and he would tally an all but insurmountable lead with five or six strong wins.
The Michigan primary is “the start of the end of Trump”, said Detroit resident Tia Simmonds, among the exuberant crowd.
“The wind is at his back, baby. The wind is at his back,” she said. “He understands Detroit. He understands America, all of us, and no – there’s no going back. He’s gonna win it.”
The crowd loved Harris and Booker joining Biden onstage. Both have been floated as potential running mates.
Some Democrats are especially enthusiastic about the possibility of Harris joining the ticket. Biden has said he will probably choose a woman, and Harris, who ended her presidential bid in December, could help turn out black voters.
Kamala Harris and Cory Booker during a rally for Joe Biden in Detroit, Michigan, on 9 March. Photograph: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images
In her brief speech, Harris told the audience that “we’re celebrating” and focused on Trump and Biden’s electability.
“There’s one man who is ready to go to the center of the arena, and our best shot to beat Trump, to heal the soul of America, to bring dignity back to that office, the best one to stand up for all in America – his name is Joe Biden,” she said.
Booker also focused on Trump, who he accused of trying to “tear America apart”.
“It seems like the president takes great pleasure in pitting Americans against Americans,” Booker said.
Biden’s confidence in his position also showed in his speech to the roughly 1,000 supporters. He touted the Obama administration’s contributions to Michigan, then pivoted to Trump.
He spoke for about 20 minutes – longer than the approximately seven minutes he clocked at some recent stops. Critics have said the Biden campaign is limiting his speaking time to avoid gaffes. In recent weeks, Trump and Republicans have increasingly claimed that Biden is suffering from mental decline, foreshadowing their strategy should Biden secure the nomination.
The former vice-president’s decision to hold the primary eve rally in a city that’s 80% black probably stems from Clinton’s failures here in the state. Sanders in 2016 won a larger share of the black vote than expected, while Clinton did not campaign in Detroit ahead of the general election. The significant drop in black voters in Michigan between 2012 and 2016 partly contributed to her stunning loss to Trump.