shareblue--2020-05-11--2,000 former DOJ officials demand Barr resign for 'repeated assaults on the rule of law'

Nearly 2,000 former Department of Justice officials signed a letter on Monday calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign over his decision to drop the case against former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn .
Because the signatories of the letter — including multiple former United States attorneys — said it 's unlikely Barr will resign , they also called on Congress to punish Barr for dropping the case against Flynn , which they said was an assault on the rule of law .
`` We also call upon Congress to formally censure Attorney General Barr for his repeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing the President 's personal bidding rather than acting in the public interest , '' the letter reads .
`` Our democracy depends on a Department of Justice that acts as an independent arbiter of equal justice , not as an arm of the president 's political apparatus . ''
Barr last week confirmed the Justice Department was dropping a case against Flynn that stemmed from the Russia investigation .
Flynn was charged with lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador , which Flynn himself pleaded guilty to .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ case against Flynn , the department said the FBI 's interview with Flynn was `` conducted without any legitimate investigative basis . ''
Barr defended that decision in an interview with CBS News .
`` We feel really that a crime can not be established here because there was not , in our view , a legitimate investigation going on , '' Barr said .
But former acting assistant attorney general for national security Mary McCord — who is cited in the filing to justify the decision to drop the case — said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times that the Justice Department `` twist [ ed ] my words . ''
`` The report of my interview is no support for Mr. Barr ’ s dismissal of the Flynn case , '' McCord wrote in the op-ed .
`` It does not suggest that the F.B.I .
had no counterintelligence reason for investigating Mr. Flynn .
It does not suggest that the F.B.I.
’ s interview of Mr. Flynn — which led to the false-statements charge — was unlawful or unjustified . ''
This is not the first time this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called on Barr to resign .
In February , the former officials called Barr a `` grave threat '' to the country , after Barr intervened in the sentencing of Roger Stone , the longtime Trump ally who was convicted on seven counts of obstruction of justice .
Barr overruled the career prosecutors on the case to ask for a lighter sentence for Stone — leading those prosecutors to resign in protest .
`` Governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the former officials wrote in February .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Nearly 2,000 former Department of Justice officials signed a letter on Monday calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign over his decision to drop the case against former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Because the signatories of the letter — including multiple former United States attorneys — said it’s unlikely Barr will resign, they also called on Congress to punish Barr for dropping the case against Flynn, which they said was an assault on the rule of law.
“We also call upon Congress to formally censure Attorney General Barr for his repeated assaults on the rule of law in doing the President’s personal bidding rather than acting in the public interest,” the letter reads. “Our democracy depends on a Department of Justice that acts as an independent arbiter of equal justice, not as an arm of the president’s political apparatus.”
Barr last week confirmed the Justice Department was dropping a case against Flynn that stemmed from the Russia investigation. Flynn was charged with lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador, which Flynn himself pleaded guilty to.
In the filing seeking to drop the case against Flynn, the department said the FBI’s interview with Flynn was “conducted without any legitimate investigative basis.”
Barr defended that decision in an interview with CBS News.
“We feel really that a crime cannot be established here because there was not, in our view, a legitimate investigation going on,” Barr said.
But former acting assistant attorney general for national security Mary McCord — who is cited in the filing to justify the decision to drop the case — said in an op-ed in the New York Times that the Justice Department “twist[ed] my words.”
“The report of my interview is no support for Mr. Barr’s dismissal of the Flynn case,” McCord wrote in the op-ed. “It does not suggest that the F.B.I. had no counterintelligence reason for investigating Mr. Flynn. It does not suggest that the F.B.I.’s interview of Mr. Flynn — which led to the false-statements charge — was unlawful or unjustified.”
This is not the first time this group of former Justice Department officials has called on Barr to resign.
In February, the former officials called Barr a “grave threat” to the country, after Barr intervened in the sentencing of Roger Stone, the longtime Trump ally who was convicted on seven counts of obstruction of justice. Barr overruled the career prosecutors on the case to ask for a lighter sentence for Stone — leading those prosecutors to resign in protest.
“Governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics; they are autocracies,” the former officials wrote in February.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-11--GOP congresswoman: Helping the post office is 'a recipe for disaster'

Rep. Virginia Foxx ( R-NC ) attacked a new coronavirus relief package put forward by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats that would help shore up the U.S .
Postal Service , provide federal funding to hospitals , and help local governments that are struggling during the crisis .
`` Speaker Pelosi wants Christmas to come early this year , '' Foxx tweeted Monday morning .
`` Instead of assessing what is already working , she 's choosing to advance a new stimulus package with more irresponsible socialist stocking stuffers .
Blindly throwing money at this pandemic is a recipe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the new relief bill would provide $ 25 billion to keep the U.S .
Postal Service from going into bankruptcy .
The New York Times recently reported that the postal service could become bankrupt as soon as September , and such an event would disrupt mail service around the country .
In 2019 , USPS employed more than 630,000 people in the nation .
The new relief package would also provide $ 1 trillion to state and local governments , many of which are struggling because of lost revenue during the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders , groups representing the nation 's mayors and police chiefs warned that cities could be forced to eliminate police officer positions if they do not receive assistance .
`` As a result of COVID-19 we have a public health crisis , a public safety crisis , and a fiscal crisis in our cities , '' the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Major Cities Chiefs Association wrote .
`` As you consider a fourth bill to address the ravages of the pandemic , we urge you to include direct , flexible fiscal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can continue to do everything possible to protect and serve our residents . ''
The package Foxx opposed would also help hospitals struggling during the pandemic .
Hospitals across the country are losing a billion dollars a day , CNBC reported , in large part because elective surgeries have been postponed or canceled during the pandemic .
In Foxx 's home state , the North Carolina Hospital Association estimated that hospitals in the state will lose $ 3 billion in revenue by the end of May .
The package would provide additional direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a previous congressional bill , most Americans were allotted $ 1,200 from the federal government .
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy advocated against Congress moving quickly to provide more relief to Americans .
`` Before we take up any new bill , let 's have hearings , '' McCarthy told USA Today on Monday .
`` As states open up , there will be a difference of what 's needed today than is needed tomorrow . ''
If there is another relief bill , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has demanded provisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get sick when forced back to work .
He described the policy initiative as a `` red line '' for any additional relief .
Foxx 's opposition to additional coronavirus relief comes as the pandemic has led to a major economic crisis that has hit working Americans and small businesses hard .
In April , more than 20 million Americans lost their jobs , making April 's unemployment rate the highest since the Great Depression .
In North Carolina , more than 1 million people have applied for unemployment insurance .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 1 in 5 of the state 's workforce from March has filed for unemployment .
Foxx 's office did not respond to a request for comment .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) attacked a new coronavirus relief package put forward by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats that would help shore up the U.S. Postal Service, provide federal funding to hospitals, and help local governments that are struggling during the crisis.
“Speaker Pelosi wants Christmas to come early this year,” Foxx tweeted Monday morning. “Instead of assessing what is already working, she’s choosing to advance a new stimulus package with more irresponsible socialist stocking stuffers. Blindly throwing money at this pandemic is a recipe for disaster.”
According to Axios, the new relief bill would provide $25 billion to keep the U.S. Postal Service from going into bankruptcy. The New York Times recently reported that the postal service could become bankrupt as soon as September, and such an event would disrupt mail service around the country. In 2019, USPS employed more than 630,000 people in the nation.
The new relief package would also provide $1 trillion to state and local governments, many of which are struggling because of lost revenue during the crisis. In a Saturday letter to congressional leaders, groups representing the nation’s mayors and police chiefs warned that cities could be forced to eliminate police officer positions if they do not receive assistance.
“As a result of COVID-19 we have a public health crisis, a public safety crisis, and a fiscal crisis in our cities,” the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Major Cities Chiefs Association wrote. “As you consider a fourth bill to address the ravages of the pandemic, we urge you to include direct, flexible fiscal assistance to our cities so that we can continue to do everything possible to protect and serve our residents.”
The package Foxx opposed would also help hospitals struggling during the pandemic. Hospitals across the country are losing a billion dollars a day, CNBC reported, in large part because elective surgeries have been postponed or canceled during the pandemic.
In Foxx’s home state, the North Carolina Hospital Association estimated that hospitals in the state will lose $3 billion in revenue by the end of May.
The package would provide additional direct financial assistance to Americans as well. In a previous congressional bill, most Americans were allotted $1,200 from the federal government.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy advocated against Congress moving quickly to provide more relief to Americans.
“Before we take up any new bill, let’s have hearings,” McCarthy told USA Today on Monday. “As states open up, there will be a difference of what’s needed today than is needed tomorrow.”
If there is another relief bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has demanded provisions to protect corporations from lawsuits if workers get sick when forced back to work. He described the policy initiative as a “red line” for any additional relief.
Foxx’s opposition to additional coronavirus relief comes as the pandemic has led to a major economic crisis that has hit working Americans and small businesses hard. In April, more than 20 million Americans lost their jobs, making April’s unemployment rate the highest since the Great Depression.
In North Carolina, more than 1 million people have applied for unemployment insurance. According to the Winston-Salem Journal, that means that more than 1 in 5 of the state’s workforce from March has filed for unemployment.
Foxx’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-11--Majority of Republicans oppose protests against stay-home orders

By a majority of 55 % to 31 % , most Americans disapprove of protests around the country demanding an end to social distancing rules .
Republicans oppose them 51 % to 32 % .
The findings were part of an AP-NORC poll released Monday .
Among Democrats , 67 % oppose the protests and 25 % support them .
The same survey found that 71 % of Americans support requiring people to stay at home in most cases to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic — with 57 % support among Republicans .
The poll comes as Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders as an infringement of rights and economic suicide .
For weeks , Republicans in Congress have prioritized the economy over public health , demanding that businesses be allowed to reopen immediately , even if it means an increase in coronavirus cases and deaths .
Rep. Trey Hollingsworth ( R-IN ) said last month that while there was no `` zero-harm choice , '' it was `` policymakers ' decision to put on our big boy and big girl pants and say , This is the lesser of these two evils .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is the lesser of these evils , and we intend to move forward in that direction .
That is our responsibility , and to abdicate that is to insult the Americans that voted us into office . ''
Sen. John Kennedy ( R-LA ) took a similar view .
`` The American people get it : We got ta reopen , and when we do , the coronavirus is gon na spread faster , and we got ta be ready , '' he told Fox News in mid-April .
Last week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owner of a Texas salon who repeatedly refused to keep her shop closed as required by a stay-at-home order set by Republican Gov .
Greg Abbott .
`` Small-minded 'leaders ' across the country have become drunk with power .
This must end , '' complained Rep. Dan Crenshaw ( R-TX ) after Shelley Luther was sentenced to seven days in jail for refusal to follow a court order .
Lawmakers also accused Illinois Gov .
JB Pritzker of violating `` religious liberty '' by enforcing a limit on gatherings , including at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that stay-at-home orders are essential to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
`` [ T ] he most important thing is to make sure people stay at home , stay six feet away from each other .
That ’ s how you slow the spread , '' Surgeon General Jerome Adams told NBC News in April .
Despite warnings that reopening too quickly could `` backfire , '' some places have already begun easing their rules .
Some of these states , including Texas and Tennessee , have already seen spikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump continues to demand that states reopen immediately and to push for more people to protest against Democratic governors who are maintaining stay-at-home orders .
On Monday , he tweeted falsely that the `` great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now , and they are fully aware of what that entails . ''
He charged , `` Democrats are moving slowly , all over the USA , for political purposes .
They would wait until November 3rd if it were up to them .
Don ’ t play politics .
Be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 1 , Trump expressed support for an armed mob of protesters who stormed Michigan 's Capitol , demanding that Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer give in to their demands .
`` The Governor of Michigan should give a little , and put out the fire , '' he tweeted .
`` These are very good people , but they are angry .
They want their lives back again , safely !
See them , talk to them , make a deal . ''
In April , Trump egged on protesters in states with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberate '' themselves from safety rules .
More than 26,000 new cases of the coronavirus and 1,700 new deaths were reported in the United States on Sunday .
Still , Trump tweeted Monday , `` Coronavirus numbers are looking MUCH better , going down almost everywhere .
Big progress being made ! ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

By a majority of 55% to 31%, most Americans disapprove of protests around the country demanding an end to social distancing rules. Republicans oppose them 51% to 32%.
The findings were part of an AP-NORC poll released Monday. Among Democrats, 67% oppose the protests and 25% support them.
The same survey found that 71% of Americans support requiring people to stay at home in most cases to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic — with 57% support among Republicans.
The poll comes as Republican lawmakers across the country are attacking stay-at-home orders as an infringement of rights and economic suicide.
For weeks, Republicans in Congress have prioritized the economy over public health, demanding that businesses be allowed to reopen immediately, even if it means an increase in coronavirus cases and deaths.
Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN) said last month that while there was no “zero-harm choice,” it was “policymakers’ decision to put on our big boy and big girl pants and say, This is the lesser of these two evils. And it is not zero evil, but it is the lesser of these evils, and we intend to move forward in that direction. That is our responsibility, and to abdicate that is to insult the Americans that voted us into office.”
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) took a similar view. “The American people get it: We gotta reopen, and when we do, the coronavirus is gonna spread faster, and we gotta be ready,” he told Fox News in mid-April.
Last week, several Republican officials rushed to defend the owner of a Texas salon who repeatedly refused to keep her shop closed as required by a stay-at-home order set by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. “Small-minded ‘leaders’ across the country have become drunk with power. This must end,” complained Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) after Shelley Luther was sentenced to seven days in jail for refusal to follow a court order. Lawmakers also accused Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker of violating “religious liberty” by enforcing a limit on gatherings, including at churches, during the crisis.
Experts say that stay-at-home orders are essential to slow the spread of the coronavirus. “[T]he most important thing is to make sure people stay at home, stay six feet away from each other. That’s how you slow the spread,” Surgeon General Jerome Adams told NBC News in April.
Despite warnings that reopening too quickly could “backfire,” some places have already begun easing their rules. Some of these states, including Texas and Tennessee, have already seen spikes in the number of new cases.
Donald Trump continues to demand that states reopen immediately and to push for more people to protest against Democratic governors who are maintaining stay-at-home orders.
On Monday, he tweeted falsely that the “great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now, and they are fully aware of what that entails.” He charged, “Democrats are moving slowly, all over the USA, for political purposes. They would wait until November 3rd if it were up to them. Don’t play politics. Be safe, move quickly!”
On May 1, Trump expressed support for an armed mob of protesters who stormed Michigan’s Capitol, demanding that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer give in to their demands. “The Governor of Michigan should give a little, and put out the fire,” he tweeted. “These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.”
In April, Trump egged on protesters in states with Democratic governors, urging them to “liberate” themselves from safety rules.
More than 26,000 new cases of the coronavirus and 1,700 new deaths were reported in the United States on Sunday. Still, Trump tweeted Monday, “Coronavirus numbers are looking MUCH better, going down almost everywhere. Big progress being made!”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-11--Republicans complain about 'discrimination' against oil companies amid pandemic

A group of 14 Republican senators and 22 Republican representatives wrote a letter to the Trump administration on Thursday to complain that some banks are not making loans to the fossil fuel industry .
They accused the financial industry of `` discriminatory tactics '' against `` America 's energy sector and the hard working families that support it '' and asked for government intervention on their behalf .
The lawmakers complained that some banks , which are able to make government-backed loans under the Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act , are not making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil , and gas companies .
`` As every sector of our economy struggles to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks financial stability from the federal government , environmental extremists are using the pandemic to accelerate their goal of putting America ’ s energy jobs in the grave , '' their letter charged .
`` We urge you and your Administration to use every administrative and regulatory tool at your disposal to prevent America ’ s financial institutions from discriminating against America ’ s energy sector while they simultaneously enjoy the benefits of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that , `` Wall Street 's big banks , for example , should not be able to reap the benefits of participating in federally guaranteed loan programs laid out in the CARES Act , such as the Paycheck Protection Program or the trillion dollar 13 ( 3 ) Federal Reserve facility lending programs , while simultaneously targeting American energy companies and workers ... '' Over the past several years , several financial institutions have announced they would take steps to curb their investment in dirty energy , following pressure from both environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO of investment management company BlackRock , noted in a letter to CEOs in January that climate change has `` become a defining factor in companies ' long-term prospects . ''
`` The evidence on climate risk is compelling investors to reassess core assumptions about modern finance .
Research from a wide range of organizations — including the UN 's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , the BlackRock Investment Institute , and many others , '' he wrote , `` including new studies from McKinsey on the socioeconomic implications of physical climate risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate risk will impact both our physical world and the global system that finances economic growth . ''
`` There 's cold , hard economic arguments to be made for reducing and stopping investments in fossil fuels , '' the Sierra Club 's Ben Cushing told the American Banker in February .
`` Even if you 're only looking to make a buck , I think big banks and financial institutions around the world are recognizing that this is not even a good way to make money , let alone what their responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP lawmakers , who receive significant campaign contributions from the fossil fuel sector , are now mad that those companies are facing increased scrutiny from lenders — including those that are collecting 1 % to 5 % in fees from the coronavirus response loans .
`` Across the United States , and particularly in Alaska , energy workers are being laid off , rigs are shutting down and future investments are being drastically cut .
At that same time , some of America ’ s Big Banks—bending to a radical environmentalist lobby—have chosen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy projects and further harm our energy workers—all the while reaping the benefits of federal funding intended to help these workers , '' Sen. Dan Sullivan ( R-AK ) complained in a Friday press release .
`` As every sector of our economy struggles to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks financial stability from the federal government , environmental extremists are using the pandemic to accelerate their goal of putting America ’ s energy jobs in the grave , '' Sen. Kevin Cramer ( R-ND ) wrote .
The already struggling energy sector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as oil prices have dropped in the face of increased global supply and decreased demand .
But the pandemic has been hugely damaging to the U.S. economy overall .
Unemployment is at its highest rate since the Great Depression and more than 33 million Americans have lost jobs since March .
In the first quarter of 2020 , the nation 's GDP fell 4.8 % and experts expect that number to be much higher for April , May , and June .
`` The decline in the second quarter is much bigger than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's somewhere around 40 % , '' economist Paul Ashworth told Minnesota Public Radio 's `` Marketplace '' last month .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A group of 14 Republican senators and 22 Republican representatives wrote a letter to the Trump administration on Thursday to complain that some banks are not making loans to the fossil fuel industry.
They accused the financial industry of “discriminatory tactics” against “America’s energy sector and the hard working families that support it” and asked for government intervention on their behalf.
The lawmakers complained that some banks, which are able to make government-backed loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, are not making those or other loans to coal, oil, and gas companies.
“As every sector of our economy struggles to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks financial stability from the federal government, environmental extremists are using the pandemic to accelerate their goal of putting America’s energy jobs in the grave,” their letter charged. “We urge you and your Administration to use every administrative and regulatory tool at your disposal to prevent America’s financial institutions from discriminating against America’s energy sector while they simultaneously enjoy the benefits of federal government programs.”
The lawmakers added that, “Wall Street’s big banks, for example, should not be able to reap the benefits of participating in federally guaranteed loan programs laid out in the CARES Act, such as the Paycheck Protection Program or the trillion dollar 13(3) Federal Reserve facility lending programs, while simultaneously targeting American energy companies and workers…”
Over the past several years, several financial institutions have announced they would take steps to curb their investment in dirty energy, following pressure from both environmental groups and investors.
Larry Fink, CEO of investment management company BlackRock, noted in a letter to CEOs in January that climate change has “become a defining factor in companies’ long-term prospects.”
“The evidence on climate risk is compelling investors to reassess core assumptions about modern finance. Research from a wide range of organizations — including the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the BlackRock Investment Institute, and many others,” he wrote, “including new studies from McKinsey on the socioeconomic implications of physical climate risk — is deepening our understanding of how climate risk will impact both our physical world and the global system that finances economic growth.”
“There’s cold, hard economic arguments to be made for reducing and stopping investments in fossil fuels,” the Sierra Club’s Ben Cushing told the American Banker in February. “Even if you’re only looking to make a buck, I think big banks and financial institutions around the world are recognizing that this is not even a good way to make money, let alone what their responsibility is for protecting the planet.”
GOP lawmakers, who receive significant campaign contributions from the fossil fuel sector, are now mad that those companies are facing increased scrutiny from lenders — including those that are collecting 1% to 5% in fees from the coronavirus response loans.
“Across the United States, and particularly in Alaska, energy workers are being laid off, rigs are shutting down and future investments are being drastically cut. At that same time, some of America’s Big Banks—bending to a radical environmentalist lobby—have chosen this moment of national crisis to target energy projects and further harm our energy workers—all the while reaping the benefits of federal funding intended to help these workers,” Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) complained in a Friday press release.
“As every sector of our economy struggles to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks financial stability from the federal government, environmental extremists are using the pandemic to accelerate their goal of putting America’s energy jobs in the grave,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) wrote.
The already struggling energy sector has faced a particularly rough few months as oil prices have dropped in the face of increased global supply and decreased demand.
But the pandemic has been hugely damaging to the U.S. economy overall. Unemployment is at its highest rate since the Great Depression and more than 33 million Americans have lost jobs since March. In the first quarter of 2020, the nation’s GDP fell 4.8% and experts expect that number to be much higher for April, May, and June.
“The decline in the second quarter is much bigger than the first quarter. We’re thinking it’s somewhere around 40%,” economist Paul Ashworth told Minnesota Public Radio’s “Marketplace” last month.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-11--Liz Cheney claims China is 'infiltrating' US media

Rep. Liz Cheney ( R-WY ) claimed in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Monday that the Chinese Communist Party is `` infiltrating '' the media and entertainment industries .
Republicans have sought to blame China for the coronavirus outbreak as a way to deflect criticism targeting Donald Trump and other Republicans .
Cheney serves as Republican Conference chair , the third most powerful position in GOP House leadership .
From the May 11 edition of `` The Hugh Hewitt Show '' : HUGH HEWITT , host : Why in the world is American media taking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party ] in this ?
REP. LIZ CHENEY ( R-WY ) : Yeah , it is a really troubling question and a really good point Hugh , and I think there are several reasons for it .
I think first of all , they 're clearly liberal , I think they clearly do not want to see the administration succeed .
As we saw during impeachment , they hate president Trump more than they 're willing to come together and work together to defeat this virus .
And so , I also think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extent to which the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government have been very successful , very effective at providing funding , resources , infiltrating Hollywood , infiltrating media , infiltrating our entertainment companies .
And I think that people have always got to question the extent to which there 's influence coming from the Chinese Communist Party in this regard .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) claimed in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Monday that the Chinese Communist Party is “infiltrating” the media and entertainment industries.
Republicans have sought to blame China for the coronavirus outbreak as a way to deflect criticism targeting Donald Trump and other Republicans.
Cheney serves as Republican Conference chair, the third most powerful position in GOP House leadership.
From the May 11 edition of “The Hugh Hewitt Show”:
HUGH HEWITT, host: Why in the world is American media taking the side of the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] in this? REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): Yeah, it is a really troubling question and a really good point Hugh, and I think there are several reasons for it. I think first of all, they’re clearly liberal, I think they clearly do not want to see the administration succeed. As we saw during impeachment, they hate president Trump more than they’re willing to come together and work together to defeat this virus. And so, I also think that we do have to question the extent to which the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government have been very successful, very effective at providing funding, resources, infiltrating Hollywood, infiltrating media, infiltrating our entertainment companies. And I think that people have always got to question the extent to which there’s influence coming from the Chinese Communist Party in this regard.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-12--Democrats in Congress introduce bill to stop GOP voter suppression

Democrats in Congress introduced legislation on Tuesday to prevent Republican voter suppression efforts and protect the ballot box in November .
Sen. Kamala Harris of California joined Reps. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Marcia Fudge of Ohio to introduce the VoteSafe Act .
`` It is critical that we meet voters where they are and ensure that all forms of voting are safe and accessible , '' Harris said in a Tuesday press statement .
Harris had announced her intent to put forward the legislation in April .
The bill would require states to offer no-excuse absentee ballots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot without having to provide a reason .
In addition , every state would be required to allow 20 days of early voting .
`` While the health and safety of voters is a top priority during the current public health emergency , we must make sure the pandemic does not impede full , unfettered access to the ballot box , '' Fudge said in a press release about the bill .
The VoteSafe Act would also provide funding for states to improve voter registration efforts , implement curbside voting , make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those with disabilities , and provide training for poll workers .
The bill would authorize a total of $ 5 billion to ensure safer and healthier elections .
Seventeen senators , have already joined her as cosponsors , including former presidential candidates Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , as well as independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont .
On the House side , 49 Democrats joined Clyburn and Fudge .
No Republicans in Congress have cosponsored the bill .
Republicans have spent years making it harder for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like Donald Trump , have even made false allegations of voter fraud .
After the Supreme Court struck down major parts of the Voting Rights Act in 2013 , several Republican-led states began changing their voting laws to make it more difficult for people to vote .
A 2013 voter suppression law by Republicans in North Carolina was so egregious and racist that a federal court ruled it unconstitutional , saying it tried to `` target African-Americans with almost surgical precision . ''
During the coronavirus crisis , Republicans have continued such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought a plan by the state 's Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers to postpone an April 7 election to allow more time for voters to send in absentee ballots .
A conservative court sided with Republican lawmakers , forcing thousands of Wisconsin citizens to risk their health in order to vote .
Missouri Republican Gov .
Mike Parson said that the coronavirus crisis was not a good enough excuse for residents to request an absentee ballot , adding the attempt to make voting safer `` is more a political issue than it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocked an effort to expand absentee voting because the plan would allow too many people to vote .
Despite casting an absentee ballot earlier this year , Trump has spoken out against voting by mail , saying that the process is `` dangerous '' and `` fraudulent '' despite no evidence to support the claim .
`` The right to vote is a basic American right , '' Clyburn said in a statement about the new legislation , `` and our democracy depends on our citizens having access to the ballot box .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Independent Foundation .

Democrats in Congress introduced legislation on Tuesday to prevent Republican voter suppression efforts and protect the ballot box in November. Sen. Kamala Harris of California joined Reps. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Marcia Fudge of Ohio to introduce the VoteSafe Act.
“It is critical that we meet voters where they are and ensure that all forms of voting are safe and accessible,” Harris said in a Tuesday press statement.
Harris had announced her intent to put forward the legislation in April.
The bill would require states to offer no-excuse absentee ballots, meaning any person can receive a mail-in ballot without having to provide a reason. In addition, every state would be required to allow 20 days of early voting.
“While the health and safety of voters is a top priority during the current public health emergency, we must make sure the pandemic does not impede full, unfettered access to the ballot box,” Fudge said in a press release about the bill.
The VoteSafe Act would also provide funding for states to improve voter registration efforts, implement curbside voting, make sure ballots are accessible in different languages and to those with disabilities, and provide training for poll workers. The bill would authorize a total of $5 billion to ensure safer and healthier elections.
Seventeen senators, have already joined her as cosponsors, including former presidential candidates Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, as well as independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
On the House side, 49 Democrats joined Clyburn and Fudge.
No Republicans in Congress have cosponsored the bill.
Republicans have spent years making it harder for citizens to vote. Many of them, like Donald Trump, have even made false allegations of voter fraud.
After the Supreme Court struck down major parts of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, several Republican-led states began changing their voting laws to make it more difficult for people to vote.
A 2013 voter suppression law by Republicans in North Carolina was so egregious and racist that a federal court ruled it unconstitutional, saying it tried to “target African-Americans with almost surgical precision.”
During the coronavirus crisis, Republicans have continued such efforts.
In Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers fought a plan by the state’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to postpone an April 7 election to allow more time for voters to send in absentee ballots. A conservative court sided with Republican lawmakers, forcing thousands of Wisconsin citizens to risk their health in order to vote.
Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson said that the coronavirus crisis was not a good enough excuse for residents to request an absentee ballot, adding the attempt to make voting safer “is more a political issue than it is anything.”
In Louisiana, Republicans blocked an effort to expand absentee voting because the plan would allow too many people to vote.
Despite casting an absentee ballot earlier this year, Trump has spoken out against voting by mail, saying that the process is “dangerous” and “fraudulent” despite no evidence to support the claim.
“The right to vote is a basic American right,” Clyburn said in a statement about the new legislation, “and our democracy depends on our citizens having access to the ballot box.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-12--Some sheriffs are refusing to enforce virus safety orders

Shiawassee County Sheriff Brian BeGole , a Republican in central Michigan , announced on Monday that he and his deputies will not enforce Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer 's stay-at-home order .
He is the latest of a growing number of law enforcement officials who say they will simply ignore the social distancing rules instituted by governors and aimed at reducing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in their states .
`` With limited resources , staffing and facilities , our priority focus will be on enforcing duly passed laws for the protection of Shiawassee County citizens , '' BeGole wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Sheriff 's Office 's official Facebook page .
`` I have decided , within my authority , that our office can not and will not divert our primary resources and efforts towards enforcement of ...
Governor Whitmer 's executive orders . ''
Other sheriffs have in recent years taken it upon themselves to announce they will not enforce rules and laws they disagree with .
The Southern Poverty Law Center notes the existence of a right-wing anti-government organization called the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association , which claims to have backing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is `` the last line of defense standing between the overreaching government and your Constitutionally guaranteed rights . ''
More recently , as states have enacted gun safety measures and red-flag laws to temporarily disarm those deemed a danger to themselves or others , some sheriffs have declared their communities to be `` Second Amendment sanctuaries '' where those laws will not be upheld .
Now , as right-wing activists mobilize to end stay-at-home orders and business closures , several sheriffs are standing in opposition to the orders of their governors .
Blount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month he will not enforce Gov .
Kay Ivey 's `` Safer-at-Home '' rules temporarily limiting large gatherings and closing nonessential businesses .
`` I 've told my deputies not to go into businesses and churches and stop either , '' he told a local media outlet .
Mohave County Sheriff Doug Schuster and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb both announced earlier this month that they will not enforce what they say is Gov .
Doug Ducey 's `` unconstitutional '' stay-at-home order .
`` I think people want to know that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Lamb told the Arizona Republic .
He added that he believes the state 's 300 coronavirus-related deaths at that point were `` not a significant enough number to continue to ruin the economy . ''
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said Friday that he will not enforce Gov .
Gavin Newsom 's stay-at-home orders and that Californians `` do n't need the government being our parents . ''
He argued that the state wants him `` to make criminals out of law-abiding citizens that are , you know , trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheriff Ronny Anderson and Perry County Sheriff David Hammar both announced this month that they will not enforce Gov .
Tom Wolf 's stay-at-home orders .
`` Our Office will stand with the citizens in defense of all of our Constitutional Rights ! ''
Hammar posted on his department 's Facebook page .
`` Our Office will not be enforcing any 'order ' that violates our Constitutional Rights . ''
Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond and Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney announced last month that they would refuse to enforce Gov .
Jay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a violation of the First Amendment .
`` As your Snohomish County Sheriff , yes I believe that preventing business owners to operate their businesses and provide for their families intrudes on our right to life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness , '' Fortney wrote on his personal campaign 's Facebook page .
`` As your elected Sheriff I will always put your constitutional rights above politics or popular opinion .
We have the right to peaceably assemble .
We have the right to keep and bear arms .
We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any denomination .
The impacts of COVID 19 no longer warrant the suspension of our constitutional rights . ''
Public health experts say it is essential that stay-at-home orders remain in effect as the nation continues to battle the pandemic .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation 's top epidemiologist , told Congress on Tuesday that if cities and states `` prematurely open up , without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently , my concern is we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control , which in fact , paradoxically , will set you back , not only leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery , '' Fauci said .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Shiawassee County Sheriff Brian BeGole, a Republican in central Michigan, announced on Monday that he and his deputies will not enforce Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order. He is the latest of a growing number of law enforcement officials who say they will simply ignore the social distancing rules instituted by governors and aimed at reducing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in their states.
“With limited resources, staffing and facilities, our priority focus will be on enforcing duly passed laws for the protection of Shiawassee County citizens,” BeGole wrote in a letter posted to the Shiawassee County Sheriff’s Office’s official Facebook page. “I have decided, within my authority, that our office cannot and will not divert our primary resources and efforts towards enforcement of … Governor Whitmer’s executive orders.”
Other sheriffs have in recent years taken it upon themselves to announce they will not enforce rules and laws they disagree with. The Southern Poverty Law Center notes the existence of a right-wing anti-government organization called the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, which claims to have backing from hundreds of sheriffs and says it is “the last line of defense standing between the overreaching government and your Constitutionally guaranteed rights.” More recently, as states have enacted gun safety measures and red-flag laws to temporarily disarm those deemed a danger to themselves or others, some sheriffs have declared their communities to be “Second Amendment sanctuaries” where those laws will not be upheld.
Now, as right-wing activists mobilize to end stay-at-home orders and business closures, several sheriffs are standing in opposition to the orders of their governors.
Alabama
Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon said earlier this month he will not enforce Gov. Kay Ivey’s “Safer-at-Home” rules temporarily limiting large gatherings and closing nonessential businesses. “I’ve told my deputies not to go into businesses and churches and stop either,” he told a local media outlet.
Arizona
Mohave County Sheriff Doug Schuster and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb both announced earlier this month that they will not enforce what they say is Gov. Doug Ducey’s “unconstitutional” stay-at-home order. “I think people want to know that we’re going to support their constitutional rights,” Lamb told the Arizona Republic. He added that he believes the state’s 300 coronavirus-related deaths at that point were “not a significant enough number to continue to ruin the economy.”
California
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said Friday that he will not enforce Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home orders and that Californians “don’t need the government being our parents.” He argued that the state wants him “to make criminals out of law-abiding citizens that are, you know, trying to support a family.”
Pennsylvania
Cumberland County Sheriff Ronny Anderson and Perry County Sheriff David Hammar both announced this month that they will not enforce Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home orders. “Our Office will stand with the citizens in defense of all of our Constitutional Rights!” Hammar posted on his department’s Facebook page. “Our Office will not be enforcing any ‘order’ that violates our Constitutional Rights.”
Washington
Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond and Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney announced last month that they would refuse to enforce Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order, calling it a violation of the First Amendment. “As your Snohomish County Sheriff, yes I believe that preventing business owners to operate their businesses and provide for their families intrudes on our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Fortney wrote on his personal campaign’s Facebook page. “As your elected Sheriff I will always put your constitutional rights above politics or popular opinion. We have the right to peaceably assemble. We have the right to keep and bear arms. We have the right to attend church service of any denomination. The impacts of COVID 19 no longer warrant the suspension of our constitutional rights.”
Public health experts say it is essential that stay-at-home orders remain in effect as the nation continues to battle the pandemic.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top epidemiologist, told Congress on Tuesday that if cities and states “prematurely open up, without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently, my concern is we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks.”
“There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control, which in fact, paradoxically, will set you back, not only leading to some suffering and death that could be avoided but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery,” Fauci said.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-12--Latest House relief bill includes $25 billion for Postal Service

A new coronavirus aid package released by House Democrats includes $ 25 billion for the cash-strapped U.S .
Postal Service , which is expected to run out of money by the end of September without additional support from Congress because it 's losing so much revenue during the pandemic .
The bill released Tuesday also would repeal several restrictions on a $ 10 billion line of credit for the Postal Service authorized in a previous economic rescue law .
The House is expected to vote on the package as soon as Friday , but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Republican-controlled Senate to act .
Donald Trump has publicly threatened to block the $ 10 billion loan unless the Postal Service significantly raises rates for packages delivered for Amazon and other big shippers .
Trump has complained for years that the Postal Service was being exploited by Amazon and other shippers , but Democrats say his real target is Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos , who owns The Washington Post .
Trump has feuded with what he 's termed the `` Amazon Washington Post '' and other news organizations that have reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rep. Gerry Connolly ( D-VA ) said Trump 's refusal to approve the loan without huge rate hikes was misguided .
`` He is willing to sacrifice the U.S .
Postal Service and its 630,000 employees because of petty vindictiveness and personal retaliation against Jeff Bezos , '' Connolly said of Trump .
`` That would be a tragic outcome . ''
Connolly , who chairs a House subcommittee that oversees the Postal Service , said Trump 's claim that the Postal Service loses money on package delivery is `` utterly false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decadeslong decline in mail volume and a federal law that requires the Postal Service to prepay pension benefits , Connolly and other lawmakers said .
The financial woes have been exacerbated by the pandemic , which has pushed mail volume down by more than 30 % from the same period last year .
Lawmakers from both parties have defended the Postal Service , saying it is even more important during the COVID-19 crisis as millions of people receive relief checks through the mail , as well as prescription medicine , food and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States Postal Service is not only constitutionally mandated but serves as a vital lifeline to countless Alaskans in rural communities .
It is an institution that must be preserved , '' said Rep. Don Young ( R-AK ) .
Polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support federal government funding to help the Postal Service survive the pandemic .
In a letter last week , 30 Democratic senators said they were concerned at Trump 's repeated invocation of Bezos and Amazon as he threatens to withhold aid from the Postal Service .
The comments `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this matter , '' the senators wrote , adding : `` It would be highly inappropriate and unacceptable for the Department of Treasury to act on such motivations when considering the USPS loan or other USPS relief . ''
The letter said raising prices on shipping companies or attempting to privatize the Postal Service , as some Republicans advocate , would lead to `` increased prices for everyday consumers , as well as the huge numbers of businesses that depend on the mail service . ''
The conditions Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 billion loan `` stand in stark contrast with the relative lack of strings placed on monies made available to corporations in recent relief efforts , '' the letter said .

A new coronavirus aid package released by House Democrats includes $25 billion for the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service, which is expected to run out of money by the end of September without additional support from Congress because it’s losing so much revenue during the pandemic.
The bill released Tuesday also would repeal several restrictions on a $10 billion line of credit for the Postal Service authorized in a previous economic rescue law.
The House is expected to vote on the package as soon as Friday, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said there is no “urgency” for the Republican-controlled Senate to act.
Donald Trump has publicly threatened to block the $10 billion loan unless the Postal Service significantly raises rates for packages delivered for Amazon and other big shippers. Trump has complained for years that the Postal Service was being exploited by Amazon and other shippers, but Democrats say his real target is Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who owns The Washington Post. Trump has feuded with what he’s termed the “Amazon Washington Post” and other news organizations that have reported unfavorable developments during his campaign and presidency.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) said Trump’s refusal to approve the loan without huge rate hikes was misguided.
“He is willing to sacrifice the U.S. Postal Service and its 630,000 employees because of petty vindictiveness and personal retaliation against Jeff Bezos,” Connolly said of Trump. “That would be a tragic outcome.”
Connolly, who chairs a House subcommittee that oversees the Postal Service, said Trump’s claim that the Postal Service loses money on package delivery is “utterly false.” Financial losses are due to a decadeslong decline in mail volume and a federal law that requires the Postal Service to prepay pension benefits, Connolly and other lawmakers said. The financial woes have been exacerbated by the pandemic, which has pushed mail volume down by more than 30% from the same period last year.
Lawmakers from both parties have defended the Postal Service, saying it is even more important during the COVID-19 crisis as millions of people receive relief checks through the mail, as well as prescription medicine, food and other crucial items.
“The United States Postal Service is not only constitutionally mandated but serves as a vital lifeline to countless Alaskans in rural communities. It is an institution that must be preserved,” said Rep. Don Young (R-AK).
Polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support federal government funding to help the Postal Service survive the pandemic.
In a letter last week, 30 Democratic senators said they were concerned at Trump’s repeated invocation of Bezos and Amazon as he threatens to withhold aid from the Postal Service. The comments “strongly suggest personal and political motivations on this matter,” the senators wrote, adding: “It would be highly inappropriate and unacceptable for the Department of Treasury to act on such motivations when considering the USPS loan or other USPS relief.”
The letter said raising prices on shipping companies or attempting to privatize the Postal Service, as some Republicans advocate, would lead to “increased prices for everyday consumers, as well as the huge numbers of businesses that depend on the mail service.”
The conditions Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin seek to impose on the $10 billion loan “stand in stark contrast with the relative lack of strings placed on monies made available to corporations in recent relief efforts,” the letter said.


shareblue--2020-05-12--6 transgender women have been killed in the past 5 weeks alone

Last week , two transgender women were killed only a few days apart .
Both women were stabbed to death .
Their deaths are the latest in a string of killings of trans women , many of them women of color , over the past five weeks .
At least six trans women have died during that time period , which LGBTQ advocacy groups say is alarming .
One of the most recent victims is Nina Pop , a black transgender woman who was found dead on May 3 in her Sikeston , Missouri , apartment .
She had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into whether her killing was a hate crime but they have n't established a motive yet and no arrests have been made , according to the Associated Press .
Another trans woman , Helle Jae O ’ Regan , died on May 6 after being stabbed while working at a barbershop in San Antonio .
As employees planned to reopen the shop last Wednesday , a man told workers that he wanted to make an appointment .
He then left and came back to the barbershop with a gun and knife .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shop , choked O'Regan , who passed out , and stabbed one of the other workers .
According to News4SanAntonio , two of the workers managed to escape .
The man eventually stabbed O'Regan to death .
Surveillance video caught the violence .
According to the barbershop 's CEO , the man allegedly told the workers during the attack , `` What have you done wrong ?
What have you done wrong ?
God sent me here to kill you because you have done something wrong !
What have you done wrong ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have since charged him with murder .
At least 11 transgender or gender non-conforming people have been killed in 2020 so far , according to the Human Rights Campaign , which tracks these deaths .
In 2019 , at least 26 trans people were victims of fatal violence , and most of them were black trans women .
At least 26 transgender or gender non-conforming people died in 2018 .
Tori Cooper , director of community engagement for the Human Rights Campaign 's Transgender Justice Initiative , said in an email that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate that should be shocking and horrifying to every single person . ''
Cooper added that the pandemic had put marginalized people in even more danger , both in terms of their personal health and the violence they face .
`` LGBTQ people are likely to face greater economic hardship during COVID-19 , and the most marginalized communities are the most at risk .
We have seen the health impact of this virus on communities of color , and HRC has the data to show how the LGBTQ community is struggling , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For those of us at the intersections of these identities , especially Black transgender women , it is even more profound . ''
The dangers are real : As the American Psychological Association noted recently , psychologists are concerned that intimate partner violence could ramp up during the pandemic , and the Human Rights Campaign published a research brief in March that shows LGBTQ people are more likely to work in industries with more exposure to the virus .
They are also at greater economic sensitivity to the virus , have more barriers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to have conditions that put them at higher risk for serious illnesses from COVID-19 .
The discrimination transgender people face puts them at increased risk of violence , advocates for transgender equality have argued , which is partly why they 're pushing Congress to pass explicit nondiscrimination protections for transgender people .
The Equality Act , which the House passed last year , would provide stronger protections for LGBTQ people against discrimination in housing , employment , education , federal programs , jury service , public accommodations , and credit and lending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two territories , and the District of Columbia explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity .
Donald Trump has opposed the bill and the Senate has not taken up the legislation .
In testimony to the House Judiciary Committee last year , the National Center for Transgender Equality noted that `` denying transgender people equal opportunities to thrive , stigmatizing them , and pushing them to the margins of society '' caused `` profound harm '' and `` contribute [ d ] to economic hardships , to health disparities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence . ''
Victoria Kirby York , deputy director for the Advocacy & Action Department at the National LGBTQ Task Force , said there must be more honest and nuanced conversations about the lived realities of trans people when trans people are found murdered .
`` Because legal discrimination can happen in employment , it pushes so many of my friends into having to do survival sex work in order to pay their bills and in order to move from shelters to actual homes and apartments and that ’ s not always the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic , '' she said .
`` People are turning even more to dating apps for hookups and also for sex work to hire someone , '' she added .
`` I 'm not saying that was the case in Nina Pop 's murder but that certainly increases the amount of those situations because there are less people outside who would see a tense situation and be able to help to de-escalate .
And you have more and more people dealing with intimate partner violence , which has already been high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high amongst black women , cis and trans . ''
There is n't any formal data collection effort to understand the frequency , nature of , or extent of transgender homicides , researchers say .
A 2017 article on on the subject , however , found that young transgender women of color `` almost certainly face a higher chance of being murdered . ''
`` There are currently very few explicit federal legal protections for transgender or gender non-conforming people , '' Cooper noted .
`` We must demand better from our elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the local , state and federal levels because it is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color . ''
Kirby York said there 's also a need to seek and enforce justice when trans women are murdered .
She said more organizations and community groups need to take to the streets , as has been the case following the death of Ahmaud Arbery , a black man who was attacked by two white men while he was out jogging in Georgia .
`` Far too often , police investigations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` [ J ] ustice is never received or found and if people are getting away with murdering black trans women without any real justice or organized outrage .
People will go ahead and do it . ''
She added , `` If they already see black trans women as inhuman , and see society and our laws are reflecting that as well , they have no reason to stop themselves when they attack or shoot or murder or any of the other heinous acts we 've seen happen to black trans women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Independent Foundation .

Last week, two transgender women were killed only a few days apart. Both women were stabbed to death.
Their deaths are the latest in a string of killings of trans women, many of them women of color, over the past five weeks. At least six trans women have died during that time period, which LGBTQ advocacy groups say is alarming.
One of the most recent victims is Nina Pop, a black transgender woman who was found dead on May 3 in her Sikeston, Missouri, apartment.
She had been stabbed several times. Police are looking into whether her killing was a hate crime but they haven’t established a motive yet and no arrests have been made, according to the Associated Press.
Another trans woman, Helle Jae O’Regan, died on May 6 after being stabbed while working at a barbershop in San Antonio.
As employees planned to reopen the shop last Wednesday, a man told workers that he wanted to make an appointment. He then left and came back to the barbershop with a gun and knife. He forced employees into the back of the shop, choked O’Regan, who passed out, and stabbed one of the other workers.
According to News4SanAntonio, two of the workers managed to escape. The man eventually stabbed O’Regan to death.
Surveillance video caught the violence. According to the barbershop’s CEO, the man allegedly told the workers during the attack, “What have you done wrong? What have you done wrong? God sent me here to kill you because you have done something wrong! What have you done wrong?”
Police later arrested the man and have since charged him with murder.
At least 11 transgender or gender non-conforming people have been killed in 2020 so far, according to the Human Rights Campaign, which tracks these deaths. In 2019, at least 26 trans people were victims of fatal violence, and most of them were black trans women.
At least 26 transgender or gender non-conforming people died in 2018.
Tori Cooper, director of community engagement for the Human Rights Campaign’s Transgender Justice Initiative, said in an email that the the deaths were occurring “at a rate that should be shocking and horrifying to every single person.”
Cooper added that the pandemic had put marginalized people in even more danger, both in terms of their personal health and the violence they face.
“LGBTQ people are likely to face greater economic hardship during COVID-19, and the most marginalized communities are the most at risk. We have seen the health impact of this virus on communities of color, and HRC has the data to show how the LGBTQ community is struggling,” Cooper said.
She added, “For those of us at the intersections of these identities, especially Black transgender women, it is even more profound.”
The dangers are real: As the American Psychological Association noted recently, psychologists are concerned that intimate partner violence could ramp up during the pandemic, and the Human Rights Campaign published a research brief in March that shows LGBTQ people are more likely to work in industries with more exposure to the virus.
They are also at greater economic sensitivity to the virus, have more barriers to health care, and are more likely to have conditions that put them at higher risk for serious illnesses from COVID-19.
The discrimination transgender people face puts them at increased risk of violence, advocates for transgender equality have argued, which is partly why they’re pushing Congress to pass explicit nondiscrimination protections for transgender people.
The Equality Act, which the House passed last year, would provide stronger protections for LGBTQ people against discrimination in housing, employment, education, federal programs, jury service, public accommodations, and credit and lending. Currently, only 22 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Donald Trump has opposed the bill and the Senate has not taken up the legislation.
In testimony to the House Judiciary Committee last year, the National Center for Transgender Equality noted that “denying transgender people equal opportunities to thrive, stigmatizing them, and pushing them to the margins of society” caused “profound harm” and “contribute[d] to economic hardships, to health disparities, and to transgender people’s vulnerabilities to violence.”
Victoria Kirby York, deputy director for the Advocacy & Action Department at the National LGBTQ Task Force, said there must be more honest and nuanced conversations about the lived realities of trans people when trans people are found murdered.
“Because legal discrimination can happen in employment, it pushes so many of my friends into having to do survival sex work in order to pay their bills and in order to move from shelters to actual homes and apartments and that’s not always the safest work to do especially now because of the pandemic,” she said.
“People are turning even more to dating apps for hookups and also for sex work to hire someone,” she added. “I’m not saying that was the case in Nina Pop’s murder but that certainly increases the amount of those situations because there are less people outside who would see a tense situation and be able to help to de-escalate. And you have more and more people dealing with intimate partner violence, which has already been high in the LGBTQ community and is already high amongst black women, cis and trans.”
There isn’t any formal data collection effort to understand the frequency, nature of, or extent of transgender homicides, researchers say. A 2017 article on on the subject, however, found that young transgender women of color “almost certainly face a higher chance of being murdered.”
“There are currently very few explicit federal legal protections for transgender or gender non-conforming people,” Cooper noted. “We must demand better from our elected officials and reject harmful anti-transgender legislation appearing at the local, state and federal levels because it is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color.”
Kirby York said there’s also a need to seek and enforce justice when trans women are murdered. She said more organizations and community groups need to take to the streets, as has been the case following the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was attacked by two white men while he was out jogging in Georgia.
“Far too often, police investigations stop short,” she said. “[J]ustice is never received or found and if people are getting away with murdering black trans women without any real justice or organized outrage. People will go ahead and do it.”
She added, “If they already see black trans women as inhuman, and see society and our laws are reflecting that as well, they have no reason to stop themselves when they attack or shoot or murder or any of the other heinous acts we’ve seen happen to black trans women.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-12--Mitt Romney: Trump's failed virus testing is 'nothing to celebrate'

Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) scolded the Trump administration on Tuesday for its celebration of the nation 's coronavirus testing numbers a day earlier .
The comments came at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health , Education , Labor , and Pensions titled `` COVID-19 : Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School . ''
Romney complained that Adm. Brett Giroir , Trump 's coronavirus testing czar and an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services , participated in a White House celebration on Monday of what Trump called the `` unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the most advanced and robust testing system anywhere in the world , by far . ''
In recent days , Republican lawmakers and Trump have been claiming that the United States has now tested more people for the coronavirus than other countries have .
But until Romney said it , they had not put those numbers in context , nor acknowledged that experts say the lack of testing is the reason for the COVID-19 crisis in the country .
Sen. Mitt Romney : I understand that politicians are gon na frame data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politically .
Of course I do n't expect that from admirals .
But yesterday , you celebrated that we had done more tests — and more tests per capita even — than South Korea .
But you ignored the fact that they accomplished theirs at the beginning of the outbreak , while we treaded water during February and March and , as a result , by March 6 , the U.S. had completed just 2,000 tests , whereas South Korea had conducted more than 140,000 tests .
So partially as a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have almost 80,000 deaths .
I find our testing record nothing to celebrate whatsoever .
The fact is , their test numbers are going down , down , down , down now because they do n't have the kind of outbreak we have .
Ours are going up , up , up as they have to .
I think that 's an important lesson for us , as we think about the future .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) scolded the Trump administration on Tuesday for its celebration of the nation’s coronavirus testing numbers a day earlier.
The comments came at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions titled “COVID-19: Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School.”
Romney complained that Adm. Brett Giroir, Trump’s coronavirus testing czar and an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, participated in a White House celebration on Monday of what Trump called the “unprecedented testing capacity developed by the United States — the most advanced and robust testing system anywhere in the world, by far.”
In recent days, Republican lawmakers and Trump have been claiming that the United States has now tested more people for the coronavirus than other countries have. But until Romney said it, they had not put those numbers in context, nor acknowledged that experts say the lack of testing is the reason for the COVID-19 crisis in the country.
From the hearing:
Sen. Mitt Romney: I understand that politicians are gonna frame data in a way that’s most positive politically. Of course I don’t expect that from admirals. But yesterday, you celebrated that we had done more tests — and more tests per capita even — than South Korea. But you ignored the fact that they accomplished theirs at the beginning of the outbreak, while we treaded water during February and March and, as a result, by March 6, the U.S. had completed just 2,000 tests, whereas South Korea had conducted more than 140,000 tests. So partially as a result of that, they have 256 deaths and we have almost 80,000 deaths. I find our testing record nothing to celebrate whatsoever. The fact is, their test numbers are going down, down, down, down now because they don’t have the kind of outbreak we have. Ours are going up, up, up as they have to. I think that’s an important lesson for us, as we think about the future.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-12--GOP official admits the economy 'presents serious problems' for Trump

On Monday , a top Republican official admitted that the awful state of the economy is a serious danger to Donald Trump 's reelection chances .
`` If the economy continues to crater , I think that presents serious problems for the president , '' Michael McAdams , the press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee , told PBS on Monday .
After PBS published the statement , McAdams was forced to contact PBS and clarify his comments .
McAdams insisted that `` hands down Republicans win the issue of the economy overwhelmingly '' and that Republicans and Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the record highs we saw before the pandemic . ''
Even though he inherited a recovering economy from President Obama , Trump has long touted his economic gains as the greatest of any administration in the history of the nation .
However , Factcheck.org labeled Trump 's claim from the 2020 State of the Union address , that `` our economy is the best it has ever been , '' as false .
The outlet noted that Trump `` twisted the facts '' in order to make a case that was not true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had created millions of jobs , yet job growth under his administration slowed compared to the growth at the end of Obama 's second term .
Trump has also lied about wage growth under his watch , falsely stating , `` After decades of flat and falling incomes , wages are rising fast . ''
But wages increased more for workers under Presidents Barack Obama , George W. Bush , and Bill Clinton than they have under Trump .
The economic situation in the country is now much worse .
The current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highest the country has seen since the Great Depression .
And even Trump administration officials have said they expect it to get worse .
`` The reported numbers are probably going to get worse before they get better , '' Steve Mnuchin , Trump 's Treasury secretary , said on Sunday .
The combination of Trump 's inadequate crisis response and a struggling economy has many Republicans worried .
According to the Washington Post , Republican strategists are concerned that the current situation will make it more likely the GOP will lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently holds a narrow 53-47 majority .
`` It is a bleak picture right now all across the map , to be honest with you , '' a GOP strategist involved in Senate races told the Post .
A different Republican strategist added , `` The political environment is not as favorable as it was a few months ago . ''
Economists predict a long and slow recovery as consumers may be hesitant to re-engage in pre-crisis activities such as going to the movies , MarketWatch reported .
To remedy the fears of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have pushed to reopen many parts of the economy , even against the advice of health experts .
And Trump has encouraged protestors — even armed protestors — who are demanding states lift stay-at-home orders .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the country 's leading infectious disease expert , warned Congress on Tuesday that reopening the economy too quickly might lead to `` suffering and death that could be avoided . ''
In addition to the death toll — which is already more than 80,000 people — economists have warned that reopening the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an even longer recession .
`` Prematurely loosening [ safety ] policies could backfire , '' Bart van Ark and Erik Lundh , senior economists with the Conference Board , wrote in an April 3 CNN op-ed .
The pair said that doing so would mean `` the severity of the economic contraction intensifies during the second quarter , '' which runs from April through June .
They also warned that , `` if the outbreak runs out of control , the outcome could be much worse than we predict . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation .

On Monday, a top Republican official admitted that the awful state of the economy is a serious danger to Donald Trump’s reelection chances.
“If the economy continues to crater, I think that presents serious problems for the president,” Michael McAdams, the press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee, told PBS on Monday.
After PBS published the statement, McAdams was forced to contact PBS and clarify his comments.
McAdams insisted that “hands down Republicans win the issue of the economy overwhelmingly” and that Republicans and Trump can “steer the economy back to the record highs we saw before the pandemic.”
Even though he inherited a recovering economy from President Obama, Trump has long touted his economic gains as the greatest of any administration in the history of the nation.
However, Factcheck.org labeled Trump’s claim from the 2020 State of the Union address, that “our economy is the best it has ever been,” as false.
The outlet noted that Trump “twisted the facts” in order to make a case that was not true. For instance, Trump claimed that he had created millions of jobs, yet job growth under his administration slowed compared to the growth at the end of Obama’s second term.
Trump has also lied about wage growth under his watch, falsely stating, “After decades of flat and falling incomes, wages are rising fast.” But wages increased more for workers under Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton than they have under Trump.
The economic situation in the country is now much worse.
The current unemployment rate — 14.7% — is the highest the country has seen since the Great Depression.
And even Trump administration officials have said they expect it to get worse.
“The reported numbers are probably going to get worse before they get better,” Steve Mnuchin, Trump’s Treasury secretary, said on Sunday.
The combination of Trump’s inadequate crisis response and a struggling economy has many Republicans worried.
According to the Washington Post, Republican strategists are concerned that the current situation will make it more likely the GOP will lose control of the Senate, where it currently holds a narrow 53-47 majority.
“It is a bleak picture right now all across the map, to be honest with you,” a GOP strategist involved in Senate races told the Post. A different Republican strategist added, “The political environment is not as favorable as it was a few months ago.”
Economists predict a long and slow recovery as consumers may be hesitant to re-engage in pre-crisis activities such as going to the movies, MarketWatch reported.
To remedy the fears of a sluggish recovery, Republicans and Trump have pushed to reopen many parts of the economy, even against the advice of health experts. And Trump has encouraged protesters — even armed protesters — who are demanding states lift stay-at-home orders.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease expert, warned Congress on Tuesday that reopening the economy too quickly might lead to “suffering and death that could be avoided.”
In addition to the death toll — which is already more than 80,000 people — economists have warned that reopening the economy with the virus under control will lead to an even longer recession.
“Prematurely loosening [safety] policies could backfire,” Bart van Ark and Erik Lundh, senior economists with the Conference Board, wrote in an April 3 CNN op-ed. The pair said that doing so would mean “the severity of the economic contraction intensifies during the second quarter,” which runs from April through June.
They also warned that, “if the outbreak runs out of control, the outcome could be much worse than we predict.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-12--GOP senator suddenly changes his tune on individual stock sales

Sen. David Perdue ( R-GA ) , under fire for stock trades made in his portfolio after lawmakers were given a closed-door briefing in January on the coming pandemic , shifted his story on the trades Friday .
After previously indicating all his individual stock holdings were managed independently by an outside adviser , he admitted that that is only true of some of his investments .
Perdue announced Friday that he has voluntarily instructed his financial advisers to stop buying and selling individual stocks .
`` Since 2005 , we have retained outside , independent financial advisors like Goldman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fund managers they identify , handle the majority of our stock investments , '' Perdue said in a statement .
`` Goldman Sachs or these independent fund managers bought and sold individual stocks without consulting with us .
In addition , we continue to own three specific stocks I earned as compensation for my service as a board member of those companies before I joined the U.S. Senate in traditional brokerage accounts . ''
Perdue 's statement that advisers `` handle the majority of our stock investments '' would appear to contradict what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since coming to the U.S. Senate in 2015 , Sen. Perdue has always had an outside adviser managing his personal finances , and he is not involved in day-to-day decisions . ''
The difference between whether all or just `` the majority '' of Perdue 's stock decisions were made independently by his advisers is particularly relevant given his controversial stock trades in recent months .
In January , senators were given private briefings by Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation 's top epidemiologist , and other Trump administration officials about the looming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perdue invested heavily in Pfizer ( a pharmaceutical giant active in vaccine research ) and DuPont de Nemours ( a company that makes personal protective equipment ) .
Perdue also sold stock in Caesars Entertainment , weeks before the company temporarily shut down its North American casinos .
In March , Perdue disclosed the transactions in his mandatory periodic financial disclosures .
A spokesperson told a local news outlet on Monday that Perdue did not personally attend the January briefing and denied that he acted on any `` nonpublic '' information .
Perdue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inquiries about the contradictory explanations and whether Perdue was aware of the substance of the private briefings before making the trades .
Several other senators have also come under scrutiny after similar disclosures of post-briefing stock trades .
The Wall Street Journal reported in March that Sen. Richard Burr ( R-NC ) and his wife `` sold shares of companies worth as much as $ 1.7 million '' and that the shares in those companies lost at least $ 250,000 in value in the weeks following the sales .
Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to $ 3.1 million worth of stocks , according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , while purchasing stock in two companies `` whose software technology is now in demand as Americans are forced to work from home to stem the rise of the coronavirus . ''
Both have denied any wrongdoing .
Common Cause , a nonpartisan government watchdog , filed ethics and legal complaints and requested investigations into possible violations of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge ( STOCK ) Act by Burr , Loeffler , and some of their colleagues .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their staffs from using nonpublic information for their personal benefit .
While Perdue was not named in the initial complaint , Common Cause 's vice president for policy and litigation , Paul Seamus Ryan , said in an email at the time that his trades `` raise similar questions of possible insider trading . ''
On March 30 , CNN reported that the Department of Justice had launched a probe into some of the lawmakers ' stock trades .
This included an FBI inquiry into Burr .
While some individual stocks have seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 15 % of its value over the past three months .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. David Perdue (R-GA), under fire for stock trades made in his portfolio after lawmakers were given a closed-door briefing in January on the coming pandemic, shifted his story on the trades Friday. After previously indicating all his individual stock holdings were managed independently by an outside adviser, he admitted that that is only true of some of his investments.
Perdue announced Friday that he has voluntarily instructed his financial advisers to stop buying and selling individual stocks.
“Since 2005, we have retained outside, independent financial advisors like Goldman Sachs who themselves, or through outside fund managers they identify, handle the majority of our stock investments,” Perdue said in a statement. “Goldman Sachs or these independent fund managers bought and sold individual stocks without consulting with us. In addition, we continue to own three specific stocks I earned as compensation for my service as a board member of those companies before I joined the U.S. Senate in traditional brokerage accounts.”
Perdue’s statement that advisers “handle the majority of our stock investments” would appear to contradict what his office said in April: “Since coming to the U.S. Senate in 2015, Sen. Perdue has always had an outside adviser managing his personal finances, and he is not involved in day-to-day decisions.”
The difference between whether all or just “the majority” of Perdue’s stock decisions were made independently by his advisers is particularly relevant given his controversial stock trades in recent months.
In January, senators were given private briefings by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top epidemiologist, and other Trump administration officials about the looming coronavirus threat.
After those briefings, Perdue invested heavily in Pfizer (a pharmaceutical giant active in vaccine research) and DuPont de Nemours (a company that makes personal protective equipment).
Perdue also sold stock in Caesars Entertainment, weeks before the company temporarily shut down its North American casinos.
In March, Perdue disclosed the transactions in his mandatory periodic financial disclosures.
A spokesperson told a local news outlet on Monday that Perdue did not personally attend the January briefing and denied that he acted on any “nonpublic” information.
Perdue’s office did not respond to multiple inquiries about the contradictory explanations and whether Perdue was aware of the substance of the private briefings before making the trades.
Several other senators have also come under scrutiny after similar disclosures of post-briefing stock trades. The Wall Street Journal reported in March that Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) and his wife “sold shares of companies worth as much as $1.7 million” and that the shares in those companies lost at least $250,000 in value in the weeks following the sales.
Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and her husband sold up to $3.1 million worth of stocks, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, while purchasing stock in two companies “whose software technology is now in demand as Americans are forced to work from home to stem the rise of the coronavirus.”
Both have denied any wrongdoing.
Common Cause, a nonpartisan government watchdog, filed ethics and legal complaints and requested investigations into possible violations of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act by Burr, Loeffler, and some of their colleagues.
That 2012 law prohibits members of Congress and their staffs from using nonpublic information for their personal benefit.
While Perdue was not named in the initial complaint, Common Cause’s vice president for policy and litigation, Paul Seamus Ryan, said in an email at the time that his trades “raise similar questions of possible insider trading.”
On March 30, CNN reported that the Department of Justice had launched a probe into some of the lawmakers’ stock trades. This included an FBI inquiry into Burr.
While some individual stocks have seen gains, the stock market has lost about 15% of its value over the past three months.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-12--Rand Paul: Huge number of meatpacking plant infections is actually a good thing

Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) claimed Monday that there is a `` silver lining '' when it come to the `` many infections '' that occurred at meat processing plants across the country , claiming that those workers are now immune to the virus .
But there is n't clear evidence that Paul 's statement is true .
While experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci say that historically once someone recovers from a virus they are immune from getting reinfected , the World Health Organization says they do not know whether the coronavirus will behave the same way .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the use of a serologic test can show that an individual is immune or is protected from reinfection , '' WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove said in April , according to STAT news .
Here is Paul 's comment from a May 12 hearing on the coronavirus : RAND PAUL : We have no evidence that survivors of coronavirus do n't have immunity and a great deal of evidence to suggest that they do .
The question of immunity is linked to health policy in that workers who have gained immunity can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery .
The silver lining to so many infections in the meat processing industry is that a large portion of these workers now have immunity .
Those workers should be reassured that they likely wo n't get it again instead of being alarmed by media reports that there is no evidence of immunity .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) claimed Monday that there is a “silver lining” when it come to the “many infections” that occurred at meat processing plants across the country, claiming that those workers are now immune to the virus.
But there isn’t clear evidence that Paul’s statement is true.
While experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci say that historically once someone recovers from a virus they are immune from getting reinfected, the World Health Organization says they do not know whether the coronavirus will behave the same way.
“Right now, we have no evidence that the use of a serologic test can show that an individual is immune or is protected from reinfection,” WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove said in April, according to STAT news.
Here is Paul’s comment from a May 12 hearing on the coronavirus:
RAND PAUL: We have no evidence that survivors of coronavirus don’t have immunity and a great deal of evidence to suggest that they do. The question of immunity is linked to health policy in that workers who have gained immunity can be a strong part of our economic recovery. The silver lining to so many infections in the meat processing industry is that a large portion of these workers now have immunity. Those workers should be reassured that they likely won’t get it again instead of being alarmed by media reports that there is no evidence of immunity.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.