inquisitr--2020-03-12--White House & U.S. Capitol Tours Canceled As Fears Of Coronavirus Spread

The White House and the U.S. Capitol have halted all public tours of the historic government buildings as concerns over the spreading coronavirus pandemic reach a new high .
The White House issued a statement and is informing callers that the building is closed to the public until further notice , as Fox News reports .
“ Out of an abundance of caution , all White House tours have been temporarily suspended , effective immediately , ” the message says .
The U.S. Capitol is also ending tours until at least the end of March , Politico reveals .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to help prevent the COVID-19 virus , as the coronavirus is officially known , from spreading .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi informed Congress about the decision , which will see all non-official visitors banned from the building as of the end of the week .
Lawmakers have been expressing concerns about the number of public visitors , which includes lobbyists and tourists , moving through the buildings .
Rep. Dean Philips , a Democrat from Minnesota , argued that Congress appeared to be setting a bad precedent .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ We should encourage people to not travel here right now .
I would argue we are part of the problem.
” “ I think it would be prudent at this point to stop the tours until a time when we feel that those can be done in a way that doesn ’ t affect the health of the tourists at risk , ” agreed Liz Cheney , a Republican from Wyoming .
Pelosi , meanwhile , has argued that the Capitol should remain open for public business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have about the virus impacting government and business in the U.S. At the same time , the Centers for Disease Control has urged people to avoid large crowds .
The Capitol ’ s doctor echoed this advice , even as tour groups were being led around the building .
“ There ’ s some value to projecting confidence , and , but there ’ s also some value to being smart , prudent and diligent .
We are the nerve center of the world .
Sometimes you have to act , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louisiana .
The World Health Organization officially recognized coronavirus as a pandemic on Wednesday , as The Inquisitr previously reported .
While the organization has hesitated to use the word because of its potential emotional and political impact , with nearly 1,000 cases in the U.S. and more than 118,000 worldwide , and close to 4,300 deaths as of Wednesday , the organization was facing pressure to act .


inquisitr--2020-03-12--Donald Trump’s European Travel Ban Excludes Countries Where He Has Struggling Golf Courses

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday night a ban on travel from the European Union to the United States .
Despite the fact that they have more cases of the novel coronavirus than countries like Poland and Portugal , he exempted the United Kingdom and Ireland .
Business Insider points out that the U.K. happens to be where several of Trump ’ s properties are located .
Trump has golf courses in the U.K. and Ireland , including Turnberry and Trump International Golf Links in Scotland as well as a course in Doonbeg , Ireland .
All of those properties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Business Insider .
In a televised address from the Oval Office , Trump announced that there would be a 30-day ban on travel from most of Europe for European nationals .
During the speech , he called the COVID-19 virus a “ foreign ” virus and suggested that banning travel would limit its spread in the U.S .
Hundreds of cases of the virus have been reported within the U.S. , which suggests that the disease has already established a foothold in the country .
The travel ban includes the 26 countries that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which encompasses Austria , Belgium , Czech Republic , Denmark , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , Hungary , Iceland , Italy , Latvia , Liechtenstein , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Malta , the Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Portugal , Slovakia , Slovenia , Spain , Sweden , and Switzerland .
The U.K. , Ireland , Bulgaria , Croatia , and Romania are not part of the area .
“ Taking early intense action , we have seen dramatically fewer cases of the virus in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe , ” Trump said during his speech .
“ The European Union failed to take the same precautions and restrict travel from China and other hot spots.
” The ban was met with confusion and the stock market tanked in early morning trading on Thursday , dropping to the lowest levels in over a decade .
Because of the rapid drop , trading was halted temporarily to give traders time to reevaluate , though the market continued its fall after trading reopened , as The Inquisitr previously reported .
Questions were immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said “ all ” travel from these countries would be banned .
However , it was later clarified that U.S. citizens and their immediate family members can travel .
Trade is also exempt .
The president has repeatedly urged calm as fears over the pandemic grow , suggesting that it will naturally fade as the warmer temperatures return in the Northern Hemisphere .
“ It will go away .
Just stay calm .
It will go away , ” he said this week .

Oops! Page Not Found
The page you were looking for doesn’t exist,
isn’t available or was loaded incorrectly.


inquisitr--2020-03-11--Donald Trump Reportedly Won’t Declare A National Emergency Because It Contradicts Coronavirus-As-Flu

Donald Trump Reportedly Won’t Declare A National Emergency Because It Contradicts Coronavirus-As-Flu Message

President Donald Trump has decided not to declare a national emergency yet because it would contradict the message that his administration is hoping to send .
According to sources with inside knowledge , the president is worried that declaring a national emergency would cause panic and could make people think that the coronavirus is more concerning than the flu .
According to Politico , Trump will likely sign a declaration this week that will be more limited in scope than a national emergency .
The limited designation will allow for small measures to help protect the economy , like paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work because of the disease , or to delay taxes this year to ease the time burden on taxpayers .
The economic stimulus package would allow Trump to push through with his effort to help nudge the rapidly-falling economy without the approval of Congress .
On the other hand , if the president were to declare a national emergency over the COVID-19 virus , as the coronavirus is officially known , more funding would immediately be made available for assisting states that are facing the growing risk from the pandemic .
This funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , emergency medical funding , transportation , mobile hospitals , and public communication efforts .
The White House has sought to downplay the risk of the virus , and this latest move appears to be in line with that effort .
Trump has attempted to paint the pandemic as something akin to the flu , reportedly in an effort to help mitigate the impact that the disease is having on the stock market and global economy .
“ We ’ re prepared and we ’ re doing a great job with it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed surprise on Wednesday that anyone could have predicted how much the virus would impact the country even as the World Health Organization warned of the potential for a pandemic just last year .
Trump reportedly fears to contradict his administration ’ s message would further harm the economy .
“ The president isn ’ t persuaded because [ an emergency declaration ] contradicts his message that this is the flu , ” said one GOP insider .
Part of Trump ’ s concern is allegedly over his chances of being re-elected if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern than he suggests it is at this point .
“ Everything is about the election now , ” said one former Trump adviser .
The decision comes as the stock market dropped to its lowest level in 11 years as fears about the economy prompt a softening market .


inquisitr--2020-03-11--Donald Trump Says ‘Nobody Ever Thought’ Coronavirus Would Be ‘A Problem,’ But WHO Warned Of Pandemic

Donald Trump Says ‘Nobody Ever Thought’ Coronavirus Would Be ‘A Problem,’ But WHO Warned Of Pandemic In 2019

Ahead of a speech to the nation he has set for Wednesday evening to address the fast-moving coronavirus pandemic , Donald Trump told media assembled at the White House earlier in the day that as recently as four weeks ago , “ nobody ever thought ” that a new pandemic “ would be a problem.
” “ You read about them from 1917 , and you read about them from lots of other times , ” the president said , as seen in the video below .
Trump added that the coronavirus pandemic “ came out of nowhere.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years that governments remain unprepared for the inevitability of new pandemics .
In September 2019 , a World Health Organization group , the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board , delivered a report to the United Nations General Assembly warning that the world was due for a new pandemic — one that could kill up to 80 million people , according to a Voice of America account .
“ We need to have a stronger preparedness across the board to avoid unnecessary loss of life and large economic losses , ” the group ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harlem Brundtland said , urging that countries prepare for health threats with the same intensity that they prepare for military threats .
But in 2018 , Trump fired the top National Security Council official in charge of health security , Tom Bossert , who oversaw coordinating the response to global pandemics and biological weapons threats .
Trump has made a series of public statements that appeared to downplay or ignore the seriousness of the outbreak , which has now killed more than 4,200 people worldwide .
On February 26 , the president claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , and the number of coronavirus cases was then on the way down .
He said that the number “ within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero , ” as quoted by CNN .
At the time , there were 60 cases in the U.S. , and Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said that experts expected “ more cases , ” according to the CNN report .
The following day , Trump claimed that the coronavirus outbreak would soon simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as quoted by CNN .
And on March 5 , the president said that the virus arrived in the United States “ three weeks ago.
” But according to the outlet , the first known case in the U.S. came on January 21 , about six weeks before the aforementioned comment .
As the number of U.S. coronavirus deaths hit 33 and the stock market plummeted more than 1,400 points , Trump said that his Wednesday evening address would deal with both the economic and health aspects of the pandemic .


inquisitr--2020-03-11--Bernie Sanders Vows To Stay In The Race, Prepares For Arizona Debate Amid Calls For Him To Drop Out

Bernie Sanders isn ’ t ready to give up just yet .
After a string of major losses in Tuesday ’ s presidential primaries that left the Vermont senator far behind former Vice President Joe Biden in the race for the Democratic Party ’ s nomination , Sanders vowed to stay in contention , adding that he is preparing for this weekend ’ s one-on-on debate with Biden in Arizona .
The debate will be the first with just the two frontrunners on stage and will take a sit-down format .
As Axios reported , Sanders resisted growing calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as his path to the nomination looks nearly impossible .
During this week , he shifted away from southern states that looked favorable to Biden to instead focus on Michigan , where he pulled off a major upset of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary .
But despite showing confidence that his campaign would take Michigan , Sanders was instead soundly defeated on Tuesday while suffering other big losses in Missouri and Mississippi .
With Sanders now needing an almost-impossible turnaround given that Biden still has many favorable states to come , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to drop out and end the primary so the former vice president can begin shifting his focus toward Donald Trump .
Congressman Jim Clyburn , whose endorsement helped spark Biden to a big win in South Carolina that kicked off his comeback against Sanders , said on Tuesday night that it is time for the party to bring the primary to an end .
“ I think when the night is over , Joe Biden will be the prohibitive favorite to win the Democratic nomination , and , quite frankly , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begun , I think it is time for us to shut this primary down , it is time for us to cancel the rest of these debates — because you don ’ t do anything but get yourself in trouble if you continue in this contest when it ’ s obvious that the numbers will not shake out for you , ” Clyburn said , via The Hill .
Others have said that if Sanders does choose to remain in the race , he should focus on pushing his progressive platform and avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only hurt him against Trump .
But there are signs that the Vermont senator will still plan an aggressive push , saying he wants to press the Democratic front-runner on his plans to address medical debt and those dealing with high health care costs .

Bernie Sanders isn’t ready to give up just yet.
After a string of major losses in Tuesday’s presidential primaries that left the Vermont senator far behind former Vice President Joe Biden in the race for the Democratic Party’s nomination, Sanders vowed to stay in contention, adding that he is preparing for this weekend’s one-on-on debate with Biden in Arizona. The debate will be the first with just the two frontrunners on stage and will take a sit-down format.
As Axios reported, Sanders resisted growing calls for him to drop out of the race as his path to the nomination looks nearly impossible. During this week, he shifted away from southern states that looked favorable to Biden to instead focus on Michigan, where he pulled off a major upset of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary. But despite showing confidence that his campaign would take Michigan, Sanders was instead soundly defeated on Tuesday while suffering other big losses in Missouri and Mississippi.
With Sanders now needing an almost-impossible turnaround given that Biden still has many favorable states to come, many around the party are calling for him to drop out and end the primary so the former vice president can begin shifting his focus toward Donald Trump.
Congressman Jim Clyburn, whose endorsement helped spark Biden to a big win in South Carolina that kicked off his comeback against Sanders, said on Tuesday night that it is time for the party to bring the primary to an end.
“I think when the night is over, Joe Biden will be the prohibitive favorite to win the Democratic nomination, and, quite frankly, if the night ends the way it has begun, I think it is time for us to shut this primary down, it is time for us to cancel the rest of these debates — because you don’t do anything but get yourself in trouble if you continue in this contest when it’s obvious that the numbers will not shake out for you,” Clyburn said, via The Hill.
Others have said that if Sanders does choose to remain in the race, he should focus on pushing his progressive platform and avoid direct attacks on Biden, which could only hurt him against Trump. But there are signs that the Vermont senator will still plan an aggressive push, saying he wants to press the Democratic front-runner on his plans to address medical debt and those dealing with high health care costs.


inquisitr--2020-03-11--Fox News Analyst Thinks Joe Biden May Choose A ‘Surprising’ Running Mate

Andrew Napolitano , a senior judicial analyst at Fox News , thinks presidential candidate Joe Biden may choose a “ surprising ” running mate should he win the Democratic Party nomination for the 2020 election .
According to HuffPost , Napolitano was on Fox News Radio ’ s All Across America with Jimmy Failla on Tuesday when he began to speculate on Biden ’ s choice of running mate .
“ If it were up to me , I would choose a female , ” he said .
“ And the decision might be a little surprising.
” He added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competing factors ” and former presidential candidates who have different levels of experience and influence .
Napolitano also said Biden might do something “ off the wall ” by reaching across the aisle and selecting a Republican running mate .
One possibility could be John Kasich , who the Fox News analyst said “ probably agrees with Biden on everything ” and just happens to have “ an ‘ R ’ after his name.
” The legal analyst also said that if Biden chose Kasich , it would ensure that he won Ohio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mate is not far-fetched .
According to NBC News , at a town hall in New Hampshire , Biden was asked if he thought selecting a Republican running mate would help unite the country .
Biden said he would , adding that there are “ some really decent Republicans out there.
” However , he clarified that many of the notable ones need to “ step up.
” He also said that he would be open to selecting a female running mate and/or a running mate of color .
On Tuesday , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him closer to the presidential nomination .
Biden won the Mississippi , Missouri , and Michigan primaries by large margins , capping off his Super Tuesday victories from last week .
Biden ’ s wins in both Mississippi and Missouri have been attributed to African American voters .
In Mississippi , the former vice president won 86 percent of black voters .
The HuffPost reported that Biden celebrated his primary win in Michigan during a rally in Detroit .
He was joined by Sens .
Kamala Harris and Cory Booker — who both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer .
Though Washington and North Dakota also voted on Tuesday , the results have not yet been calculated .

Andrew Napolitano, a senior judicial analyst at Fox News, thinks presidential candidate Joe Biden may choose a “surprising” running mate should he win the Democratic Party nomination for the 2020 election. According to HuffPost, Napolitano was on Fox News Radio’s All Across America with Jimmy Failla on Tuesday when he began to speculate on Biden’s choice of running mate.
“If it were up to me, I would choose a female,” he said. “And the decision might be a little surprising.”
He added that there were a lot of “competing factors” and former presidential candidates who have different levels of experience and influence.
Napolitano also said Biden might do something “off the wall” by reaching across the aisle and selecting a Republican running mate. One possibility could be John Kasich, who the Fox News analyst said “probably agrees with Biden on everything” and just happens to have “an ‘R’ after his name.” The legal analyst also said that if Biden chose Kasich, it would ensure that he won Ohio.
“Trump can’t win without Ohio,” Napolitano said.
The idea of a Republican running mate is not far-fetched. According to NBC News, at a town hall in New Hampshire, Biden was asked if he thought selecting a Republican running mate would help unite the country. Biden said he would, adding that there are “some really decent Republicans out there.” However, he clarified that many of the notable ones need to “step up.” He also said that he would be open to selecting a female running mate and/or a running mate of color.
“Whomever I would pick were I fortunate enough to be your nominee, I’d pick somebody who was simpatico with me, who knew what my priorities were and knew what I wanted to do.”
On Tuesday, Biden claimed another set of victories that brought him closer to the presidential nomination. Biden won the Mississippi, Missouri, and Michigan primaries by large margins, capping off his Super Tuesday victories from last week.
Biden’s wins in both Mississippi and Missouri have been attributed to African American voters. In Mississippi, the former vice president won 86 percent of black voters.
The HuffPost reported that Biden celebrated his primary win in Michigan during a rally in Detroit. He was joined by Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker — who both endorsed him over the weekend — as well as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Though Washington and North Dakota also voted on Tuesday, the results have not yet been calculated.


inquisitr--2020-03-11--Donald Trump Won’t Meet With Nancy Pelosi On Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Because He’s Mad At Her, Repo

Donald Trump Won’t Meet With Nancy Pelosi On Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Because He’s Mad At Her, Report Says

Donald Trump paid a visit to Congress this week to discuss a stimulus bill to counteract the impact of the coronavirus , but the trip reportedly didn ’ t include any time with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , as Trump is still upset with her and doesn ’ t want to negotiate .
As The Week noted , Trump reached out to Senate Republicans on a bill that would include a number of economic measures to ease the burden of the coronavirus .
But , as the report also noted , he failed to meet with the top Democrat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bill passed in the House .
As a source told Politico , Trump is not happy with Pelosi and thus is refusing to meet with her .
“ Trump and Nancy Pelosi aren ’ t exactly on speaking terms , ” the report noted , “ so he ’ s deputized Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to handle talks with the speaker.
” Some reports claim that Trump ’ s hurt feelings stem back to his State of the Union speech , which ended with Pelosi ripping up a copy of his speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eamon Javers said that the White House appears ready to blame Pelosi for the impasse on the coronavirus bill , not Trump .
“ What the White House would say is , that ’ s Pelosi ’ s fault , ” Javers said , via Daily Kos .
“ Because she ripped up his speech , she ’ s been tough on him , she impeached him , and therefore the president has every right to not want to be in a room with her.
” Trump would need the support of House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulus bill .
It was unclear if Trump would be able to win over enough members of Congress to get support for his proposals , The Week noted .
Senate Republicans have appeared wary of passing a new payroll tax cut , with reports that the president wanted Social Security and Medicare taxes cut to zero .
Pelosi is working on her own bill that includes paid sick leave for workers and free lunches for school children , who may be out of school for an extended period as districts close to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
The disease has already had a widespread economic impact , causing the stock market to plummet and erase more than two years of gains .
It has also led to communities canceling public events , including a conference scheduled for later this week in New York City that would have discussed how to counteract the economic impact of the virus .


inquisitr--2020-03-11--CNN Accidentally Calls Mississippi For Bernie Sanders Instead Of Joe Biden

During CNN ‘ s election coverage Tuesday night , sometimes called Super Tuesday II , network host Wolf Blitzer found himself in the middle of a graphic that mistakenly called Bernie Sanders as the projected winner of the Mississippi Democratic primary , as reported by Mediaite .
“ We have our first projection of the night , ” Blitzer said before realizing the mistake on the graphic behind him .
At this point , the screen behind Blitzer went black before showing Joe Biden as the winner for a brief moment , until it again went black .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see it ?
Maybe you can ’ t see it , ” Blitzer continued .
“ We ’ ll fix that technical problem .
But the most important thing is Joe Biden is the winner , Joe Biden is the winner in Mississippi.
” As reported by CNBC , NBC News projected that Biden will win 21 of Mississippi ’ s 36 delegates .
The former vice president reportedly trounced Sanders among both the state ’ s black electorate and voters over the age of 45 .
Specifically , Biden won 84 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly two-thirds of the state , while Sanders gained the support of only 13 percent .
Among voters over 45 , Biden earned 86 percent of the votes while Sanders earned 12 .
Before the election , Biden gained the support of many Mississippi elected officials , including Rep. Bennie Thompson , chair of the House Homeland Security Committee , as well as 16 members of the state ’ s Senate Democratic Caucus .
As reported by The Hill , exit polls suggested that 75 percent of voters in The Hospitality State believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns of people of color .
In addition , the state ’ s Democratic electorate swings conservative , with 50 percent describing themselves as moderates , 35 as somewhat liberal , and 25 percent as very liberal , suggesting the majority of voters are not aligned with the Vermont senator ’ s platform .
Aside from Mississippi , the states of Idaho , Missouri , Michigan , Washington , and North Dakota are also holding elections on Tuesday .
As of now , NBC News projected that Biden will win Missouri , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victories come after award-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald suggested that former President Barack Obama was the unseen hand that ensured the Democratic Party rallied around the 77-year-old politician .
The former vice president ’ s wins also come despite concerns of his mental fitness , which were voiced early on in the primary by Julian Castro , Tim Ryan , and Cory Booker , the latter of whom has since endorsed Biden .

During CNN‘s election coverage Tuesday night, sometimes called Super Tuesday II, network host Wolf Blitzer found himself in the middle of a graphic that mistakenly called Bernie Sanders as the projected winner of the Mississippi Democratic primary, as reported by Mediaite.
“We have our first projection of the night,” Blitzer said before realizing the mistake on the graphic behind him.
“Bernie Sanders…not, not, not happening right now. Joe Biden, Joe Biden is the winner of Mississippi. There we have it right there.”
At this point, the screen behind Blitzer went black before showing Joe Biden as the winner for a brief moment, until it again went black.
“There we have it right…oh, can you see it? Maybe you can’t see it,” Blitzer continued. “We’ll fix that technical problem. But the most important thing is Joe Biden is the winner, Joe Biden is the winner in Mississippi.”
As reported by CNBC, NBC News projected that Biden will win 21 of Mississippi’s 36 delegates. The former vice president reportedly trounced Sanders among both the state’s black electorate and voters over the age of 45. Specifically, Biden won 84 percent of black voters, who make up nearly two-thirds of the state, while Sanders gained the support of only 13 percent. Among voters over 45, Biden earned 86 percent of the votes while Sanders earned 12.
Before the election, Biden gained the support of many Mississippi elected officials, including Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, as well as 16 members of the state’s Senate Democratic Caucus.
.@CNN mistakenly put a graphic up saying Bernie Sanders was projected to win Mississippi. Bit of a rough start on coverage. pic.twitter.com/dyNMX5myfh — Katherine Klingseis (@Katkling) March 11, 2020
As reported by The Hill, exit polls suggested that 75 percent of voters in The Hospitality State believe Biden has the best grasp of the concerns of people of color. In addition, the state’s Democratic electorate swings conservative, with 50 percent describing themselves as moderates, 35 as somewhat liberal, and 25 percent as very liberal, suggesting the majority of voters are not aligned with the Vermont senator’s platform.
Aside from Mississippi, the states of Idaho, Missouri, Michigan, Washington, and North Dakota are also holding elections on Tuesday. As of now, NBC News projected that Biden will win Missouri, as reported by CNBC.
Biden’s victories come after award-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald suggested that former President Barack Obama was the unseen hand that ensured the Democratic Party rallied around the 77-year-old politician. The former vice president’s wins also come despite concerns of his mental fitness, which were voiced early on in the primary by Julian Castro, Tim Ryan, and Cory Booker, the latter of whom has since endorsed Biden.


inquisitr--2020-03-11--Joe Biden Wins Michigan Primary, ‘NBC News’ Projects, Bernie Sanders Fails To Repeat 2016 Upset In S

Joe Biden Wins Michigan Primary, ‘NBC News’ Projects, Bernie Sanders Fails To Repeat 2016 Upset In State

Former Vice President Joe Biden is projected to win Michigan according to 'NBC News , ' , a victory that could effectively seal the Democratic nomination .
Former Vice President Joe Biden scored a huge victory in the 2020 Democratic primary on Tuesday according to a projection by election expert Dave Wasserman , an editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report .
NBC News also called the Michigan race for Biden .
In 2016 , Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders scored a stunning upset over Hillary Clinton despite trailing in most polls by at least 20 percentage points .
But according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to overcome a similar polling deficit to Biden in the 2020 primary .
“ I ’ ve seen enough , ” Wasserman wrote on his Twitter account at 8:32 p.m. EDT on Tuesday .
At about 9 p.m. EDT , according to The New York Times , Biden led the raw vote total with 52.1 percent , to 41.7 percent for Sanders , with 17 percent of voting precincts reporting their results .
Wasserman made his call before polls had actually closed in Michigan , which did not occur until 9 p.m. NBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state just moments after the polls closed .
Michigan is the big prize among the six states voting on March 10 , with 125 delegates .
But though Sanders appears to be losing the state , he also appears poised to take a share of those delegates , with a vote percentage well above the 15 percent cutoff for “ viability.
” According to a count by The Wall Street Journal , Biden gained 45 delegates as of 9 p.m. on Tuesday , giving him a total of 715 .
Sanders had picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for an aggregate of 584 — a Biden lead of 131 .
To win the Democratic nomination , a candidate must win 1,991 delegates .
Biden also won primaries in Missouri and Mississippi on Tuesday , thanks largely to support from African-American voters .
But he also performed well with other demographics .
In Mississippi , Biden won a whopping 86 percent of black voters , nearly nine of every 10 who voted , according to The Wall Street Journal .
But the former vice president also won 60 percent of white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of precincts reporting as of 9:30 p.m. EDT , Biden was running away with the state , taking 81.6 percent of the vote overall , to just 14.6 percent for Sanders .
Multiple news agencies also called the state of Missouri for Biden .
With 10 percent reporting , Biden was leading with 55.1 percent of the vote to 31.8 for the Vermont senator .
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg , despite dropping out of the presidential race last week , picked up 5.4 percent of the vote in Missouri .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and North Dakota had not yet come in .
All three states also voted on Tuesday .
According to The Journal , exit polls showed that in Missouri and Mississippi , voters tended to be older and more ideologically moderate than voters in those two states four years ago .
That makeup of the voter pool clearly worked against Sanders , whose base of support comes largely from young voters , and those who describe themselves as “ very liberal.
” Exit polls in Michigan also showed a similar trend , with older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday , The Journal reported .
In 2016 , those voters — over 45 years of age — were only 55 percent of the Michigan voter pool .
But Biden won about 67 percent of the older voters , while Sanders won 69 percent of voters under 45 years old .

Former Vice President Joe Biden scored a huge victory in the 2020 Democratic primary on Tuesday according to a projection by election expert Dave Wasserman, an editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. NBC News also called the Michigan race for Biden.
In 2016, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders scored a stunning upset over Hillary Clinton despite trailing in most polls by at least 20 percentage points.
But according to the projections, Sanders was unable to overcome a similar polling deficit to Biden in the 2020 primary.
“I’ve seen enough,” Wasserman wrote on his Twitter account at 8:32 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.
“Joe Biden wins the Michigan primary.”
At about 9 p.m. EDT, according to The New York Times, Biden led the raw vote total with 52.1 percent, to 41.7 percent for Sanders, with 17 percent of voting precincts reporting their results.
Wasserman made his call before polls had actually closed in Michigan, which did not occur until 9 p.m. NBC News projected that Biden will win the state just moments after the polls closed.
Michigan is the big prize among the six states voting on March 10, with 125 delegates. But though Sanders appears to be losing the state, he also appears poised to take a share of those delegates, with a vote percentage well above the 15 percent cutoff for “viability.”
According to a count by The Wall Street Journal, Biden gained 45 delegates as of 9 p.m. on Tuesday, giving him a total of 715. Sanders had picked up just 10 delegates by the same time for an aggregate of 584 — a Biden lead of 131. To win the Democratic nomination, a candidate must win 1,991 delegates.
Biden also won primaries in Missouri and Mississippi on Tuesday, thanks largely to support from African-American voters. But he also performed well with other demographics. In Mississippi, Biden won a whopping 86 percent of black voters, nearly nine of every 10 who voted, according to The Wall Street Journal. But the former vice president also won 60 percent of white voters in Mississippi.
With 17 percent of precincts reporting as of 9:30 p.m. EDT, Biden was running away with the state, taking 81.6 percent of the vote overall, to just 14.6 percent for Sanders.
Multiple news agencies also called the state of Missouri for Biden. With 10 percent reporting, Biden was leading with 55.1 percent of the vote to 31.8 for the Vermont senator. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, despite dropping out of the presidential race last week, picked up 5.4 percent of the vote in Missouri.
Results from Washington state, Idaho, and North Dakota had not yet come in. All three states also voted on Tuesday.
According to The Journal, exit polls showed that in Missouri and Mississippi, voters tended to be older and more ideologically moderate than voters in those two states four years ago. That makeup of the voter pool clearly worked against Sanders, whose base of support comes largely from young voters, and those who describe themselves as “very liberal.”
Exit polls in Michigan also showed a similar trend, with older voters comprising 64 percent of the electorate on Tuesday, The Journal reported. In 2016, those voters — over 45 years of age — were only 55 percent of the Michigan voter pool. But Biden won about 67 percent of the older voters, while Sanders won 69 percent of voters under 45 years old.


inquisitr--2020-03-11--The Next Democratic Debate Will Not Have A Live Audience Amid Coronavirus Concerns

The first debate between just Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders will forgo a studio audience .
The next Democratic debate , which is set to take place in Phoenix , Arizona , on Sunday , will forgo a live audience .
CNN ’ s Wolf Blitzer announced that the event will no longer include a crowd of live spectators because of a request from both Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders ’ campaigns , according to Deadline .
The announcement comes as fears about the spread of coronavirus continue to escalate .
Originally , both candidates were supposed to take questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate .
The debate is scheduled just days before the Arizona primary , as well as additional contests in Ohio , Florida , and Illinois .
Jake Tapper , Dana Bash , and Univision ’ s Jorge Ramos are still slated to moderate the debate .
CNN and Univision are co-hosting the debate , which is also sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee and CHC Bold , the political action committee of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus .
The debate will still take place at the Arizona Federal Theatre .
The announcement that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes just hours after both Sanders and Biden announced that they would be canceling their rallies scheduled for Tuesday night because of fears about spreading coronavirus , according to NBC News .
“ Out of concern for public health and safety , we are canceling tonight ’ s rally in Cleveland .
We are heeding the public warnings from Ohio state officials , who have communicated concern about holding large , indoor events during the coronavirus outbreak , ” said Sanders ’ communications director Mike Casca in a statement .
Sanders and Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio , but following warnings from the governor to avoid indoor events , both presidential contenders reconsidered .
“ We will continue to consult with public health officials and public health guidance and make announcements about future events in the coming days .
Vice President Biden thanks all of his supporters who wanted to be with us , ” Biden ’ s deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement .
These events mark the first campaign stops that have been canceled in response to the coronavirus outbreak .
Outside the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has led shows like Wheel of Fortune , Jeopardy !
and Dr. Phil to announce that they will no longer be taping in front of live audiences .
That announcement emphasized that the health of the audience and crew members was the most important factor in the production company ’ s decision .
The shows were reportedly particularly concerned about their audiences , which tend to skew older , and are therefore more likely to die from the disease if they become infected .


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Republican Matt Gaetz, Who Voted Against Paid Sick Leave In Florida, Goes On Paid Leave From Congres

Republican Matt Gaetz, Who Voted Against Paid Sick Leave In Florida, Goes On Paid Leave From Congress

Republican Matt Gaetz voted against legislation that would have given paid sick leave in every city and county in Florida back in 2013 .
Now , after coming in contact with a person who has been diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus , Gaetz himself is going on sick leave with pay from the House of Representatives .
The Intercept noted this week that Gaetz — while serving in the Florida state legislature in 2013 — was a backer of legislation that barred municipalities across the state from enacting paid sick leave .
The preemptive effort was backed by a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Disney World and Darden Restaurants .
The Florida Chamber of Commerce also backed the bill , which was eventually signed into law by then-Governor Rick Scott .
The vote has now come under scrutiny as Gaetz has left Congress , missing all votes this week as he went into a self-imposed quarantine .
Members of Congress earn $ 174,000 no matter how many votes they miss , so he will continue to be paid for his work for however long he remains away from the House .
Gaetz was one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into contact with a person who attended this month ’ s Conservative Political Action Conference and was later diagnosed with COVID-19 .
The Florida Republican has also come under fire for his initial reaction to the virus .
He wore a gas mask on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives as lawmakers approved an $ 8.3 billion package to respond to the coronavirus outbreak , and was criticized for appearing to make light of the measures being suggested to help curb its spread .
Gaetz has become one of the fiercest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas-mask incident came after the president had initially tried to downplay the spread of the virus , saying that he believed it would be cleared up in a few days .
Since then , the virus has expanded rapidly across the United States , leading to massive closures of public events and a widespread economic impact that includes a plummeting stock market .
It was not long after this incident that Gaetz announced he was going under self-quarantine .
“ Congressman Gaetz was informed today that he came into contact with a CPAC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID-19 , ” the representative ’ s staff wrote in a series of tweets , via Business Insider .
“ Congressman Gaetz had expected COVID-19 to impact Congress , given the elevated frequency of travel and human contact , and demonstrated his concern last week on the House Floor.
” Gaetz later said that he tested negative for the coronavirus , but would remain under self-quarantine in an abundance of caution .


inquisitr--2020-03-12--Poll Shows Nearly Two-Thirds Of White Evangelicals See Donald Trump As ‘Honest’ And ‘Morally Upstand

Poll Shows Nearly Two-Thirds Of White Evangelicals See Donald Trump As ‘Honest’ And ‘Morally Upstanding’

Close to two-thirds of white evangelicals say that President Donald Trump is “ honest ” and “ morally upstanding , ” a new poll shows .
The Pew Research Center survey found that white evangelicals are the most likely to describe Trump in those terms , putting them far out of line with the rest of Americans .
While the assessment of Trump was not whole-hearted — just 15 percent of white evangelicals say that the term “ morally upstanding ” describes President Trump “ very well ” while another 45 percent said it applies to him “ fairly well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as high as U.S. adults as a whole .
The poll also found that close to two-thirds of white evangelicals say Trump is “ somewhat religious ” despite the president not regularly attending church services .
As NPR noted in its analysis of the poll , the high marks among the religious group could have some other motivations .
“ One explanation for white evangelicals ’ attachment to Trump is that they see him as a political ally , ” the report noted .
“ The Pew survey found that 63 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been ‘ winning politically ’ under the Trump presidency .
That ’ s a dramatic turnaround from 2016 , when less than one in four white evangelicals saw themselves as on the winning side.
” White evangelicals have long been the most dedicated demographic among Trump ’ s base , but support among this group has wavered at times since he took office .
As The Inquisitr reported , a Politico/Morning Consult poll late last year found that there was growing support among all evangelical voters to see Trump removed from office due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up dirt on political rival Joe Biden .
The poll showed that 43 percent of evangelicals supported Trump ’ s removal from office just after the House of Representatives passed two articles of impeachment , but before Trump ’ s trial in the U.S. Senate began early this year .
The poll was taken just after Trump came under fire from one of the most influential evangelical publications , the magazine Christianity Today .
Editor-in-chief Mark Galli wrote in an op-ed that Trump must be impeached and removed from office for abusing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slammed Trump as “ profoundly immoral.
” In turn , Trump slammed the publication as “ left-wing , ” promoting Galli to respond .
“ We consider ourselves and most people consider us a pretty centrist magazine in the evangelical world .
It ’ s factually inaccurate we ’ re far left , ” he said during an appearance on CNN .

Close to two-thirds of white evangelicals say that President Donald Trump is “honest” and “morally upstanding,” a new poll shows.
The Pew Research Center survey found that white evangelicals are the most likely to describe Trump in those terms, putting them far out of line with the rest of Americans. While the assessment of Trump was not whole-hearted — just 15 percent of white evangelicals say that the term “morally upstanding” describes President Trump “very well” while another 45 percent said it applies to him “fairly well” — the results were nearly twice as high as U.S. adults as a whole.
The poll also found that close to two-thirds of white evangelicals say Trump is “somewhat religious” despite the president not regularly attending church services.
As NPR noted in its analysis of the poll, the high marks among the religious group could have some other motivations.
“One explanation for white evangelicals’ attachment to Trump is that they see him as a political ally,” the report noted. “The Pew survey found that 63% of white evangelical Protestants believe their side has been ‘winning politically’ under the Trump presidency. That’s a dramatic turnaround from 2016, when less than one in four white evangelicals saw themselves as on the winning side.”
White evangelicals have long been the most dedicated demographic among Trump’s base, but support among this group has wavered at times since he took office. As The Inquisitr reported, a Politico/Morning Consult poll late last year found that there was growing support among all evangelical voters to see Trump removed from office due to his pressure on Ukraine to dig up dirt on political rival Joe Biden.
The poll showed that 43 percent of evangelicals supported Trump’s removal from office just after the House of Representatives passed two articles of impeachment, but before Trump’s trial in the U.S. Senate began early this year.
The poll was taken just after Trump came under fire from one of the most influential evangelical publications, the magazine Christianity Today. Editor-in-chief Mark Galli wrote in an op-ed that Trump must be impeached and removed from office for abusing the office of the presidency. Galli also slammed Trump as “profoundly immoral.”
In turn, Trump slammed the publication as “left-wing,” promoting Galli to respond.
“We consider ourselves and most people consider us a pretty centrist magazine in the evangelical world. It’s factually inaccurate we’re far left,” he said during an appearance on CNN.


inquisitr--2020-03-12--Bernie Sanders Says Donald Trump’s ‘Incompetence’ May Push Coronavirus Deaths Past World War II Rate

Bernie Sanders Says Donald Trump’s ‘Incompetence’ May Push Coronavirus Deaths Past World War II Rates

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addressed the nation on Thursday to speak about the coronavirus , which was recently labeled a pandemic by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
According to Sanders , Donald Trump ‘ s incompetence in dealing with COVID-19 could cause more deaths than were caused by World War II , which is estimated to be approximately 50 to 56 million people .
“ We have an administration that is largely incompetent and whose incompetence and recklessness have threatened the lives of many , many people in our country , ” Sanders said , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exponential growth of coronavirus both in the United States and across the world , and the “ global economic meltdown ” it has caused .
Sanders continued to warn that the number of casualties from the coronavirus could exceed those experienced by the U.S. armed forces during World War II .
He urged Americans to work together to combat the international crisis , making it clear he believes that the Trump administration is “ largely incompetent ” and exhibiting a level of “ recklessness ” that is threatening the lives of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 150 million Americans could be infected by the coronavirus .
As of now , 4,600 people around the world have died , and 126,000 have been infected .
Johns Hopkins University , which is tracking COVID-19 , claims that 68,000 victims have recovered .
While the World Health Organization ( WHO ) claims the death rate for the coronavirus is 3.5 percent , Trump previously claimed that this number is likely inflated due to undetected cases .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , appeared to agree with Trump that the many individuals who are asymptomatic or show mild symptoms have artificially inflated the death rate .
During a speech in Delaware , Sanders ’ competition in the Democratic primary , Joe Biden , also attacked Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus crisis , CNN reported .
“ Public fears are being compounded by a pervasive lack of trust in this president , fueled by the adversarial relationship with the truth he continues to have , ” he said .
Per CNN , Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” to Trump ’ s , as Biden provided specific steps he would take to give a “ coordinated , global response.
” Conversely , the president ’ s recent Oval Office address contained many inaccuracies that had to be corrected afterward , the outlet added .


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Donald Trump Takes A Swipe At Obamacare Website After Announcing Coronavirus Page

President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the Rose Garden on Friday afternoon amid the coronavirus pandemic .
During the speech , the president announced that Google is developing a coronavirus website before he appeared to take a swipe at the website for the Affordable Care Act ( ACA ) , also known as Obamacare .
The site , HealthCare.gov , was implemented during the administration of former President Barack Obama in 2014 .
“ Google is helping to develop a website , ” Trump said .
“ It ’ s gon na be very quickly done , unlike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to claim that the coronavirus website will help “ determine whether a test is warranted ” and — if so — to help “ facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location.
” Many people on social media noted the veiled jab at the Obamacare website .
“ Trump seems to take a veiled shot at the problems of the…Obamacare website , ” wrote CNN report David Dale .
“ Not even veiled .
His voice inflection changed and reverted back to his gleeful assholedom , ” one user responded .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken aim at the ACA website .
As reported by The Independent ’ s Indy100 , he previously suggesting during a Las Vegas rally that his 13-year-old son could build a better site than the one designed for Obamacare .
According to Snopes , the Obamacare website did not cost $ 5B , as Trump claimed .
Per the publication ’ s Bethania Palma , the Inspector General ’ s office for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that the cost of the Obamacare website was $ 1.7 billion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government claimed that the price was $ 2.1B .
Although Snopes noted “ big problems ” with the launch of the ACA website in 2014 , the publication claimed it did not find evidence that the price was anywhere close to $ 5B .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , Trump has been attempting to shift blame for his administration ’ s controversial response to the COVID-19 pandemic to Obama .
Early Friday morning , Trump raged at Obama for allegedly complicating the Centers for Disease Control ’ s ( CDC ) response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , the lack of available tests is due to decisions that Obama made during his administration .
“ For decades the @ CDCgov looked at , and studied , its testing system , but did nothing about it , ” the president tweeted , adding that the system was “ inadequate ” for a large-scale pandemic .
According to Trump , the Obama administration was hoping a pandemic would never happen .
Trump ’ s comments contradict those of Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Laurie Garrett , who accused the president of destroying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place out of spite .


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Analyst Believes Coronavirus Pandemic Could Lead To War With Iran

Small skirmishes have already broken out and uncertainty in Iranian leadership could cause big problems for the US .
The relationship between Iran and the United States is already quite a bit less than cordial .
If the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the globe for several more months , there is a chance the two countries could enter into a hot war .
That ’ s the opinion of veteran journalist and analyst Paul Wood with Spectator .
Wood first pointed out there have already been some skirmishes between the US and Iran in recent days .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths of two American service personnel as well as a British soldier .
They were killed in a rocket attack in Iraq by Shiite militia loyal to now-deceased Iranian general Qasem Soleimani .
Wednesday was the general ’ s birthday and these militia celebrated by taking “ revenge ” on the US for his killing .
The United States , in retaliation for that attack , launched strikes against five Shiite military sites .
Wood believes these skirmishes could lead to an escalation and no one is paying much attention as the media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has an answer for why it took so long for tensions to turn into fire .
Iran ’ s leadership is currently in a state of “ chaos ” because of the outbreak .
As The Inquistr earlier reported , at least three top lawmakers have died since the COVID-19 virus hit that country .
Wood isn ’ t alone in thinking its possible coronavirus has some forces in Iran off the leash .
US commanders are starting to admit it could be a factor as well .
The chairman of the Joint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was asked why the attack took place .
The general in charge of US forces in the Middle East , Kenneth McKenzie said Iran is handling the outbreak far worse than people realize .
He added coronavirus was “ having an effect on decision making.
” McKenzie also said he believes everything that ’ s going on around the world probably makes Iran more dangerous , not less .
Wood doesn ’ t believe Iranian leadership even wants a war with the United States .
Their response to the killing of Soleimani and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the analyst believes it ’ s possible they don ’ t have full control of Shia forces .
If those forces continue launching attacks against the US , and the Trump administration continues responding with attacks of their own , Wood believes one side or the other could make a “ miscalculation ” and stumble into all-out war .


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Twitter Will Not Penalize Deceptive Joe Biden Video Of Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Comments, Report S

Twitter Will Not Penalize Deceptive Joe Biden Video Of Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Comments, Report Says

Former Vice President Joe Biden ‘ s campaign recently posted an ad to Twitter that attacks Donald Trump and his comments on the coronavirus .
Although the media was deemed “ video manipulation ” by Washington Post fact-checker Meg Kelly , The Daily Caller reports that Twitter refused to label the video under its new “ manipulated media ” policy .
According to The Daily Caller , Twitter ’ s new policy began on March 5 , two days before Biden ’ s video was posted on March 3 .
For this reason , Twitter will reportedly not be tagging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s campaign advertisement is cut to make it appear as if Trump calls coronavirus a hoax , per The Daily Caller .
In reality , the publication notes that Trump referred to the Democratic Party ’ s response to the virus as a hoax , not the virus itself .
A second portion of the Biden campaign ’ s video is cut to suggested that Trump called white supremacists “ very fine people.
” As noted by The Daily Caller , Trump ’ s comments were made during the deadly 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are “ very fine people on both sides ” of the controversy surrounding the Robert E. Lee statue .
As noted by PolitiFact , the president clarified his comments one day later .
In her fact check for The Washington Post , Kelly concluded that the Biden campaign ’ s video was intentionally misleading .
“ Ultimately , the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak , the fact that Trump had clarified his comments on the matter before the ad was released , and the blatant way the Biden camp isolated his remarks about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pinocchios , ” she wrote .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , Twitter first used its manipulated media policy to tag a video that White House social media director Dan Scavino posted .
The video , which appeared to show Biden supporting the re-election of Trump , was later retweeted by the president .
But after Biden ’ s comment in the video , the Democratic frontrunner continued his sentence , which made it clear he was not supporting the re-election of the president .
In response to the tag , Trump campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and claimed that the social media network was trying to silence his campaign as well as conservatives in general .

Former Vice President Joe Biden‘s campaign recently posted an ad to Twitter that attacks Donald Trump and his comments on the coronavirus. Although the media was deemed “video manipulation” by Washington Post fact-checker Meg Kelly, The Daily Caller reports that Twitter refused to label the clip under its new “manipulated media” policy.
According to the outlet, Twitter’s new policy began on March 5, two days before Biden’s video was posted on March 3. For this reason, the platform will reportedly not be tagging the footage as “manipulated media.”
Biden’s campaign advertisement is cut to make it appear as if Trump calls coronavirus a hoax, per The Daily Caller. In reality, the publication notes that Trump referred to the Democratic Party’s response to the virus as a hoax, but not coronavirus itself.
A second portion of the Biden campaign’s video is cut to suggest that Trump called white supremacists “very fine people.” As noted by The Daily Caller, the president’s comments were made during the deadly 2017 Charlottesville rally, when he said there are “very fine people on both sides” of the controversy surrounding the Robert E. Lee statue.
When the White House posted an unedited video of Joe Biden, Twitter marked it as “manipulated media” This video is ACTUALLY deceptively edited and pushes blatant lies about President Trump Will Twitter flag this highly manipulated video from a Democrat?pic.twitter.com/DFTCX3bNT2 — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 9, 2020
As noted by PolitiFact, the president clarified his remarks one day later.
“And I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general. Whether you like it or not, he was one of the great generals.”
In her fact-checking piece for The Washington Post, Kelly concluded that the Biden campaign’s clip was intentionally misleading.
“Ultimately, the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak, the fact that Trump had clarified his comments on the matter before the ad was released, and the blatant way the Biden camp isolated his remarks about the American Dream pushed us to Four Pinocchios,” she wrote.
“Campaigns must be willing to make their case without resorting to video manipulation.”
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Twitter first used its manipulated media policy to tag a video that White House social media director Dan Scavino posted. The footage, which appeared to show Biden supporting the re-election of Trump, was later retweeted by the president. But after Biden’s remark in the clip, the Democratic front-runner continued his sentence, which made it clear he was not supporting the re-election of the president.
In response to the tag, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale lashed out at Twitter and claimed that the platform was trying to silence his campaign, as well as conservatives in general.


inquisitr--2020-03-13--President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence Contradict Each Other With Coronavirus Messagin

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence Contradict Each Other With Coronavirus Messaging

With the number of coronavirus cases increasing across the United States , President Donald Trump and Vice President Pence have both spoken out about the pandemic .
But according to Politico , Trump ’ s statements about COVID-19 have contradicted those by Pence , who the president put in charge of the White House response for coronavirus .
Recently , Trump spoke about testing for the respiratory virus , which has so far infected over 1,700 people in the United States , as Politico reports .
Thus far , less than 10,000 people have been tested for the virus due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When Trump spoke about the tests on March 10 , he said that people are able to get tested for the virus whenever they need it .
“ When the professionals need a test , when they need tests for people , they can get the test , ” he said , adding that “ it ’ s gone really well.
” However , many congress members on both sides of the aisle have expressed their frustration about the status of the U.S. testing abilities .
Republican Senator James Lankford spoke out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was “ not accurate , ” and that there was still a “ long way to go ” before rapid testing is available .
Later that day , Pence addressed the testing issue .
“ By the end of the week , there will be more than 4 million more tests made available in jurisdictions around the country.
” When speaking about the Grand Princess cruise ship which was docked along the San Francisco coast for several days after 21 people tested positive for the virus , Trump said that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay .
“ I don ’ t need to have the numbers double because of one ship.
” Pence , however , said that the priority was to “ get Americans ashore.
” In regards to a vaccine , Trump said that one would roll out “ relatively soon.
” When Pence addressed the possibility of a vaccine , he said that it would first go to human trails within “ five to six weeks.
” Despite the differences in messaging , Pence stated that Trump ’ s highest priority was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in a recent interview on the Today Show with Savannah Gutherie , according to NBC News .
He added that the administration is choosing to focus on areas that have experienced a large amount of community spread of the coronavirus .
In his recent Oval Office address , President Trump spoke about the coronavirus saying that the travel ban he plans to institute will reduce the spread of the virus .
“ We will ultimately and expeditiously defeat this virus .
”


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Donald Trump Jr. Slams Democrats & Media Who Believe China On Coronavirus: ‘Get Your Heads Examined’

Donald Trump Jr. took to Twitter on Friday afternoon to attack Democrats and the media who he claims are taking the word of China amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ The Chinese foreign minsetry [ sic ] now blaming the US for # Wuhan Virus !
” he wrote , linking to a tweet from Lijian Zhao , Spokesperson & Deputy Director General of the Information Department of Chna ’ s Foreign Ministry , in whic he promotes a Global Research article suggesting that COVID-19 originated in the United States .
The Global Research article cites “ Japanese and Taiwanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the coronavirus originated in the U.S .
The article continues to suggest that America is the only country known to have all five types of the coronavirus , which it claims all others “ must have descended ” from .
As reported by CNN , China has been pushing theories about the coronavirus and pushing the notion that it spread from the United States .
Zhao has reportedly been one of the country ’ s prominent officials engaging in such theories and previously suggested that the U.S. military is responsible for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was caught on the spot , ” Zhao tweeted on Thursday in response to a video of CDC director Robert Redfield addressing a U.S. Congressional committee earlier this week .
During the video in question , Redfield claimed that some influenza deaths in the U.S. were later determined to be caused by coronavirus .
As Trump Jr. noted , China has refused help from the CDC and the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , as reported by The New York Times .
According to the publication , former public health officials and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the reluctance comes from the top leaders in China who do not want to create the impression that they need outside help .
As of now , China has not yet revealed how many of its nurses and doctors have died from coronavirus .
Some believe these deaths could be part of the reason the country is shutting out help from other countries .


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Donald Trump Will Swap Mike Pence For Nikki Haley If Joe Biden Picks A Woman As VP, Says ‘The View’

Donald Trump Will Swap Mike Pence For Nikki Haley If Joe Biden Picks A Woman As VP, Says ‘The View’ Co-Host

During Friday ’ s edition of The View , Meghan McCain expressed her belief that President Donald Trump would kick Vice President Mike Pence from his position and swap him for Nikki Haley if Joe Biden — the current Democratic front-runner — picks a woman to be vice president on his 2020 ticket .
“ I still think , though , if he chooses a woman , Trump is going to kick Pence out and put in Nikki Haley , ” McCain said , according to Raw Story .
Co-host Joy Behar claimed that the Republican Party would not agree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCain disagreed .
“ I think they would , ” she said .
“ They need the win.
” Biden has previously hinted that he would select a woman as his vice president .
As for the notion that Trump is replacing Pence with Haley , McCain is not the first person to suggest such a plan .
As reported by CNN , Democratic strategist Paul Begala predicted earlier this month that the president would announce his new running mate at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday , July 16 — the day the Democratic nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to dump Mike Pence and put Nikki Haley on the ticket to try to get those suburban moms , ” he said .
In an analysis for CNN , political commentator Chris Cillizza pushed back against Begala ’ s claim .
Although he acknowledged that Trump is a “ showman and provocateur ” at heart , he said that the president would only make such a political gambit if it were the only option in front of him .
“ But even with all that said , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cillizza wrote .
“ Like very long.
” As reported by Politico , the rivalry between Pence and Haley goes as far back as last year .
The publication claimed that top Republicans revealed that both their teams are keeping a close eye on each other ’ s moves and are “ deeply suspicious ” of each other .
Pence reportedly went as far as to ask senior Republicans to take tabs on Haley ’ s donor outreach .
In addition , as rumors swirled of Haley replacing Pence on Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the finger at Haley as the starting point for such talk .
Reports suggested that Trump was previously considering if Haley could provide him with a more significant boost than Pence .
Regardless , the president has publicly denied that he is considering parting ways with Pence on multiple occasions .

During Friday’s edition of The View, Meghan McCain expressed her belief that President Donald Trump would kick Vice President Mike Pence from his position and swap him for Nikki Haley if Joe Biden — the current Democratic front-runner — picks a woman to be vice president on his 2020 ticket.
“I still think, though, if he chooses a woman, Trump is going to kick Pence out and put in Nikki Haley,” McCain said, according to Raw Story.
“Because I think they’re going to go toe-for-toe. Like you want to identity politics me, I’ll identity politics you. I think they’re gangster.”
Co-host Joy Behar claimed that the Republican Party would not agree to such a move, to which McCain disagreed.
“I think they would,” she said. “They need the win.”
Biden has previously hinted that he would select a woman as his vice president. As for the notion that Trump is replacing Pence with Haley, McCain is not the first person to suggest such a plan. As reported by CNN, Democratic strategist Paul Begala predicted earlier this month that the president would announce his new running mate at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, July 16 — the day the Democratic nominee gives their acceptance address.
“He’s going to dump Mike Pence and put Nikki Haley on the ticket to try to get those suburban moms,” he said.
In an analysis for CNN, political commentator Chris Cillizza pushed back against Begala’s claim. Although he acknowledged that Trump is a “showman and provocateur” at heart, he said that the president would only make such a political gambit if it were the only option in front of him.
“But even with all that said, it’s still a verrrry long shot,” Cillizza wrote. “Like very long.”
Nikki Haley apparently supercharging rumors of……something. My guess is Trump is bored with Pence and thinks a woman on the ticket would be better next year. It would be classic Trump to throw Mike Pence to the trash heap after humiliating Pence for three years. pic.twitter.com/UYZ1ckolPN — Jennifer Hayden (@Scout_Finch) August 21, 2019
As reported by Politico, the rivalry between Pence and Haley goes as far back as last year. The publication claimed that top Republicans revealed that both their teams are keeping a close eye on each other’s moves and are “deeply suspicious” of each other.
Pence reportedly went as far as to ask senior Republicans to take tabs on Haley’s donor outreach. In addition, as rumors swirled of Haley replacing Pence on Trump’s 2020 ticket, top Pence advisers pointed the finger at Haley as the starting point for such talk.
Reports suggested that Trump was previously considering if Haley could provide him with a more significant boost than Pence. Regardless, the president has publicly denied that he is considering parting ways with Pence on multiple occasions.


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Barack Obama’s Chief Economist Says Coronavirus ‘Feels Much Worse’ Than 2008 Financial Crisis

Former President Barack Obama ‘ s chief economist , Jason Furman , recently spoke to Vox ’ s Ezra Klein about the coronavirus crisis and how it compares to the 2008 financial crisis .
Furman notably played an essential role in crafting the Obama administration ’ s response to the financial crisis and the recession that followed .
He currently teaches at Harvard ’ s Kennedy School of Government .
According to Furman , the financial markets and economic data currently paint a darker picture than the 2008 financial crisis .
Furman pointed out that in 2008 , some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending and noted that almost everyone is doing so now .
“ There are entire industries I interact with where I ’ m realizing : ‘ This may be the last time I ’ m paying you for a while , ' ” he said , adding that this wasn ’ t the case in 2008 .
Despite the current outlook , Furman claimed that recovery is possible if things return to normal two months from now .
“ If this lasts six months or longer — and I think that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that just compounds , ” added the former deputy director of the National Economics Council .
Furman said that most financial crises have “ multiple equilibriums ” and claiming , for example , that panic could be eased by injecting capital into the economy or guaranteeing market .
But in the case of the coronavirus crisis , he beieves there is only one equilibrium : “ economic inactivity , ” which he says will be the case “ until the danger passes.
” In response to the crisis , Donald Trump proposed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspension of the Social Security wage tax and Medicare tax .
According to Furman , this proposal would benefit the highest earners the most .
Specifically , Furman claimed a one-year payroll tax cut of 2 percent would provide a high-income couple $ 5,508 in savings but just $ 500 to a single parent surviving on $ 25,000 yearly .
For workers placed on leave without pay , Furman said that the proposal provides them nothing .
As reported by Business Insider , Furman urged Congress to provide every American with a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help the economy .
“ It is absolutely unambiguously the right decision for Congress to make , ” he said .
As The Inquisitr reported , Furman is not the only one to support such a stimulus .
Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has made similar calls , echoing his campaign ’ s signature proposal — a universal basic income ( UBI ) of $ 1,000 per month for all Americans .


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin Says A Deal On The Coronavirus Response Is ‘Very Close’

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke about a possible coronavirus response deal on Friday morning .
According to USA Today , Mnuchin said a deal with Congress was very close to being in place .
“ We ’ re very close to getting it done , ” he said .
Mnuchin , who has been a lead negotiator for the White House , has reportedly been speaking very closely with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi throughout Thursday .
The deal — which would ensure free coronavirus testing , paid emergency leave , and an increase in unemployment insurance coverage — will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Additionally , CNBC reports that Mnuchin has considered suspending student loan payments to help avoid any economic consequences of the coronavirus .
“ I can tell you that ’ s on our list of 50 different items we ’ re bringing to the president for a decision , ” Mnuchin said , as a response to being asked about the option to suspend loan payments for up to three months .
He added that President Trump is all about “ action ” and seemed hopeful that after a deal is agreed upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic stimulus package with Congress .
Mnuchin isn ’ t the only one who has proposed the idea of suspending student loan debt .
Sen. Chuck Schumer sent a letter to President Trump — which was signed by 30 of his fellow Democratic senators — requesting six months of student loan forgiveness .
However , Mnuchin ’ s optimism about the ability to reach a deal with Pelosi comes as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called Pelosi ’ s proposal an “ ideological wish list.
” According to Politico , McConnell said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal if the White House and Pelosi could agree on the terms , but said that he ’ s worried that “ left-wing political messaging ” may have taken precedence over what the country actually needs .
However , the Kentucky congressman canceled next week ’ s intended recess to continue to work on mitigating the outbreak .
If the House passes a bill on Friday , it could be approved by the Senate and on President Trump ’ s desk shortly thereafter .
“ I hope Congress can pass bipartisan legislation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy strong , ” McConnell tweeted , per Politico .
Both parties have acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the coronavirus outbreak , which the World Health Organization recently classified as a pandemic .
Mnuchin echoed messaging by health officials , saying that Americans need to understand the number of cases will increase before decreasing .


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Trump Administration May Suspend Student Loan Payments During Coronavirus Pandemic

On Friday , the Trump administration announced that it may temporarily suspend student loan payments in order to ease the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak .
As Politico reports , Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin spoke with reporters about an upcoming plan to boost the volatile economy .
A reporter from CNBC asked Mnuchin about the possibility of suspending student loan payments for three months .
“ That ’ s on our list of 50 different items we ’ re bringing to the president for a decision , ” he replied .
“ That ’ ll be something we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something on the minds of policymakers as the economy has taken a hit since COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , has started spreading within the United States .
In a statement , Education Department spokesperson Liz Hill said that Secretary Betsy DeVos , “ is proud to work with the President in taking decisive action to help students and parents during this national emergency , ” Politico reports Senate Democrats also attempted to tackle student loans in an economic package concept that they created earlier this week .
In it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the list of things they ’ d like to see addressed .
Mnuchin was light on specifics during the press conference , and it wasn ’ t clear if the plan would require Congressional cooperation or if Trump would use the power of his office to explore economic relief .
Right now , the federal government holds a $ 1.5 trillion portfolio in outstanding student debt , owed by over 40 million Americans .
Borrowers can defer payments if they encounter economic hardship , however , interest can still add up during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t clear if Trump ’ s package would pause interest .
The Trump administration has been scrambling to calm markets and stimulate the economy to prevent a downturn even as the virus stokes fears around the country .
The stock market experienced its worse drop in over 30 years on Thursday , though the market rallied somewhat on Friday .
Meanwhile , many schools across the country have halted classes or moved online .
Business earnings are also threatened after many businesses – Disneyland , sports franchises , and Broadway productions – have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of large crowds .
Trump gave a speech on Wednesday aimed at easing fears over the virus ’ economic impact .
The address was met with confusion and concern after the president announced that all travel from Europe would be banned for 30 days .
It was later clarified that the ban wouldn ’ t apply to American citizens , legal residents or their immediate family .
The president also initially said that trade would be halted as part of the restriction , though that was later clarified to be inaccurate as well @


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Donald Trump And Stephen Miller Reportedly Removed ‘Love And Prayers’ To Coronavirus Victims From Sp

Donald Trump And Stephen Miller Reportedly Removed ‘Love And Prayers’ To Coronavirus Victims From Speech

Donald Trump made a speech on Wednesday to help calm fears in the U.S. over the rapidly spreading coronavirus .
While the speech was derided by critics as dishonest and confusing , Bloomberg News reports that behind the scenes , there was an intense battle over what to say to the world .
In the end , Trump and senior adviser Stephen Miller decided not to wish those suffering from the virus love and prayers .
Trump met with his top advisers , including Miller and his son-in-law Jared Kushner , to draft the speech aimed at calming the skittish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As Bloomberg reports , at the last minute , the other individuals left the room and Trump and Miller began editing the speech , which had been drafted in just 10 minutes .
“ Among the changes they made : deleting a sentence where Trump said he and Melania were sending their prayers and love to people suffering from the illness , ” the report says .
The duo drafted the speech knowing it was a crucial step in Trump rescuing his re-election chances , one aide claimed .
Reportedly , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nearby Cabinet Room and told them to come back with a plan they could all stand behind , said two of the people , who like others asked for anonymity to describe internal deliberations , ” Bloomberg reports .
“ When they returned with almost everyone endorsing the travel restrictions , Trump agreed to do a prime-time address to tell the nation.
” During the speech , Trump announced a 30-day travel ban on all travel from Europe .
He stated that trade would be cut off from the area , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t apply to American citizens , their immediate family , or to trade , though not before causing confusion and panic among Americans in the European Union .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , the president also exempted the United Kingdom and Ireland from the ban , though he didn ’ t state why those two countries were not part of the ban , given that they have more cases of coronavirus than some of the countries that were included .
Some critics argue that his struggling golf courses in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He also said that health insurance providers had agreed to pay for testing and treatment for anyone impacted by the coronavirus .
This was also not factual and quickly denied by the insurance industry .
Trump had originally promised to deliver the speech on Tuesday , but eventually issued it on Wednesday .
After the speech , the markets continued to drop and people had multiple questions after he made statements that were unclear .
Others criticized the speech for spreading misinformation and falsehoods .


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Jair Bolsonaro, Who Dined With Donald Trump Last Weekend, Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Report Say

Jair Bolsonaro, Who Dined With Donald Trump Last Weekend, Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Report Says

Not long after his aide , Fabio Wajngarten , tested positive for coronavirus , local media in Brazil is now reporting that the country ’ s president , Jair Bolsonaro , has also tested positive for the disease , per The Guardian .
According to Eduardo Bolsonaro , a Brazilian congressman who recently traveled to the U.S. along with his father , the elder Bolsonaro is not showing any symptoms of the disease .
As reported by The Guardian , Spanish-language reports claimed Bolsonaro tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday , but they were decried as “ fake news.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s leading media sites did not confirm these reports , but the Brazilian official was alleged to have taken the COVID-19 test and results were reported to be coming Friday .
The news came as Canada ’ s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he would quarantine himself after his wife , Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau , tested positive for the virus .
Bolsonaro had dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday night at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida .
On Wednesday , Bolsonaro appeared to minimize the dangers of the coronavirus .
He claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and called the public reaction to the virus “ oversized.
” The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) claims that the coronavirus can spread between people who are within approximately 6 feet of one another .
The Guardian noted that , like Bolsonaro , Trump has minimized the dangers of the coronavirus .
“ The president has downplayed the dangers posed by the virus , which he has repeatedly compared to the common flu ; predicted it would be killed by warmer weather , which experts say is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when experts say it is not ; and continued to shake hands with supporters in public , against the advice of health experts , ” the report reads .
Despite downplaying his fears , CNN ’ s Jim Acosta said Thursday that Trump is privately worried about contracting the disease .
As reported by Raw Story , Acosta claimed the fears stem from a number of interactions the president has had with people who have tested positive for COVID-19 .
The novel coronavirus is reportedly spread via coughs , sneezes , or physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although most who contract the disease recover , it can be fatal , particularly among those with underlying health conditions and the elderly .
Per the CDC , there have been 29 deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. as of Thursday .

Not long after his aide, Fabio Wajngarten, tested positive for coronavirus, local media in Brazil is now reporting that the country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has also tested positive for the disease, per The Guardian. According to Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian congressman who recently traveled to the U.S. along with his father, the elder Bolsonaro is not showing any symptoms of the disease.
As reported by The Guardian, Spanish-language reports claimed Bolsonaro tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, but they were decried as “fake news.” According to the publication, Brazil’s leading media sites did not confirm these reports, but the Brazilian official was alleged to have taken the COVID-19 test and results were reported to be coming Friday.
The news came as Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he would quarantine himself after his wife, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, tested positive for the virus.
Bolsonaro had dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday night at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. On Wednesday, Bolsonaro appeared to minimize the dangers of the coronavirus. He claimed that “other flus kill more” and called the public reaction to the virus “oversized.”
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims that the coronavirus can spread between people who are within approximately 6 feet of one another. The Guardian noted that, like Bolsonaro, Trump has minimized the dangers of the coronavirus.
“The president has downplayed the dangers posed by the virus, which he has repeatedly compared to the common flu; predicted it would be killed by warmer weather, which experts say is not certain; said a vaccine is imminent when experts say it is not; and continued to shake hands with supporters in public, against the advice of health experts,” the report reads.
"We're going to have a good time tonight, everybody." Earlier, President Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro had dinner together at Mar-a-Lago. pic.twitter.com/c9QCGpxPKV — The Hill (@thehill) March 8, 2020
Despite downplaying his fears, CNN’s Jim Acosta said Thursday that Trump is privately worried about contracting the disease. As reported by Raw Story, Acosta claimed the fears stem from a number of interactions the president has had with people who have tested positive for COVID-19.
“The president told reporters today he’s not concerned, but a source close to the president tells me Mr. Trump is, indeed, concerned he may contract the coronavirus after interacting with people who have tested positive.”
The novel coronavirus is reportedly spread via coughs, sneezes, or physical contact, according to The Guardian. Although most who contract the disease recover, it can be fatal, particularly among those with underlying health conditions and the elderly. Per the CDC, there have been 29 deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. as of Thursday.


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Ivanka Trump Met With An Australian Official Who Tested Positive For Coronavirus

Ivanka Trump and Attorney General William Barr met with an Australian official last week who has tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , making them the latest people close to President Donald Trump to contract the virus .
As The New York Times reports , Ivanka , acting as the president ’ s senior adviser , met with Peter Dutton , Australia ’ s minister for home affairs .
Barr was also present at the meeting .
On Friday , the conservative politician announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t feeling ill .
There has been no word on whether Barr or the self-styled first daughter have been tested for the disease .
However , experts have recommended that anyone who comes in contact with someone that is ill should self-quarantine in order to prevent spreading the disease to the public .
Barr and Ivanka are just the latest individuals close to Trump to have been around someone with the disease .
Trump himself met with a Brazilian official who later tested positive for the virus .
Reports have surfaced that while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public , behind closed doors he is worried that he will contract the disease .
The president , who is a self-described germaphobe , has said that he has no plans to get tested , as The Inquisitr previously reported , and maintained that he isn ’ t concerned about getting sick .
But in private , sources say that he recognizes his contact with infected individuals puts him at a higher risk of getting sick himself .
The Australian government is taking aggressive steps to stop the spread of the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 500 people will be banned and the country is rolling out an economic stimulus package .
However , Prime Minister Scott Morrison has argued that the disease isn ’ t a real risk in the country yet because isolation and testing has allowed them to slow the disease ’ s spread .
“ And that ’ s why Australia right now is in a position where we have low rates of this virus and the number of cases that have presented .
But we ’ ve always known that the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
In the U.S. , the economy has taken a hit after the stock market had its worst day in more than 30 years , though it recovered slightly on Friday after oil prices and European stocks climbed .
The volatile market has been driven by a slow response to contain the disease in the U.S. , prompting uncertainty .

Ivanka Trump and Attorney General William Barr met with an Australian official last week who has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, making them the latest people close to President Donald Trump to contract the virus.
As The New York Times reports, Ivanka, acting as the president’s senior adviser, met with Peter Dutton, Australia’s minister for home affairs. Barr was also present at the meeting.
On Friday, the conservative politician announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for the virus, though he said that he wasn’t feeling ill.
There has been no word on whether Barr or the self-styled first daughter have been tested for the disease. However, experts have recommended that anyone who comes in contact with someone that is ill should self-quarantine in order to prevent spreading the disease to the public.
Barr and Ivanka are just the latest individuals close to Trump to have been around someone with the disease. Trump himself met with a Brazilian official who later tested positive for the virus.
Reports have surfaced that while the president presents a calm face to the public, behind closed doors he is worried that he will contract the disease.
The president, who is a self-described germaphobe, has said that he has no plans to get tested, as The Inquisitr previously reported, and maintained that he isn’t concerned about getting sick. But in private, sources say that he recognizes his contact with infected individuals puts him at a higher risk of getting sick himself.
Yesterday 🇦🇺 Home Affairs @PeterDutton_MP joins @IvankaTrump, Attorney General Barr & our five eyes partners 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦🇳🇿 to fight online child exploitation. We heard from 9 brave survivors & announced principles that technology companies should implement to protect children online pic.twitter.com/3ifeJnGJPI — Australian Embassy, USA 🇦🇺🇺🇸 (@AusintheUS) March 6, 2020
The Australian government is taking aggressive steps to stop the spread of the disease. Next week, all events with more than 500 people will be banned and the country is rolling out an economic stimulus package.
However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has argued that the disease isn’t a real risk in the country yet because isolation and testing has allowed them to slow the disease’s spread.
“And that’s why Australia right now is in a position where we have low rates of this virus and the number of cases that have presented. But we’ve always known that the number of cases will rise,” he said.
In the U.S., the economy has taken a hit after the stock market had its worst day in more than 30 years, though it recovered slightly on Friday after oil prices and European stocks climbed. The volatile market has been driven by a slow response to contain the disease in the U.S., prompting uncertainty.


inquisitr--2020-03-13--Donald Trump Rages At Barack Obama For Delaying Coronavirus Response

President Donald Trump took to Twitter early Friday morning to attack former President Barack Obama for complicating the Centers for Disease Control ’ s ( CDC ) response to the coronavirus pandemic .
As NBC News reports , Trump claimed that the lack of available tests that his administration has been criticized for is due to steps Obama took during his tenure in office .
He claimed that the CDC under Obama studied test kits but failed to act .
“ For decades the @ CDCgov looked at , and studied , its testing system , but did nothing about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and slow for a large scale pandemic , but a pandemic would never happen , they hoped .
President Obama made changes that only complicated things further….. ” he began .
He then went on to say that the issue had been resolved and the testing kits would soon be available .
“ … .
Their response to H1N1 Swine flu was a full scale disaster , with thousands dying , and nothing meaningful done to fix the testing problem , until now .
The changes have been made and testing will soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All Red Tape has been cut , ready to go !
” As of Thursday , the CDC revealed that it had fewer than 10,000 test kits for the virus available , despite the fact that the COVID-19 disease has been a public health risk since January .
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci admitted on Thursday that the U.S. system had failed .
“ That is a failing .
Let ’ s admit it , ” he said .
Test kits in the U.S. were delayed initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC to re-release them , which took some time .
The CDC also put out strict guidelines for who could be tested , which slowed the ability to determine where the disease was spreading .
Both issues , some experts argue , allowed the disease to gain traction in the United States .
The president has been accused of delaying coronavirus testing because it could look bad for him politically if the number of people infected in the country was higher , as The Inquisitr previously reported .
Dan Diamond , a reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Human Services Secretary Alex Azar advised Trump in January to take aggressive action on the disease , but Trump chose not to act because he didn ’ t want to jeopardize his re-election chances .
The Trump administration has also taken heat for cutting funding for the U.S. pandemic response team in 2018 , a step that may have contributed to the delayed response to the growing pandemic .

‘The View’ Stars Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro Live It Up With Lavish Trip During Summer Break
The ladies of 'The View' are off for four weeks of vacation, and you can expect to see them back on your television in early September.
By Priyanka Pandey | 1d ago
The View|Alyssa Farah|Ana Navarro


inquisitr--2020-03-14--Donald Trump Slammed For ‘Stunningly Pathetic’ Dig At Reporter Who Asked About His Disbanding Pandem

Donald Trump Slammed For ‘Stunningly Pathetic’ Dig At Reporter Who Asked About His Disbanding Pandemic Office

A former Obama administration official is slamming Donald Trump for what he called a “ stunningly pathetic ” dig at a reporter who asked about the president ’ s decision to disband the pandemic preparedness office in 2018 .
In remarks to reports after he announced a national state of emergency over the fast-spreading coronavirus , the president was asked about why he dismantled the pandemic office during a reorganization of the National Security Council close to two years ago .
PBS NewsHour reporter Yamiche Alcindor asked whether Trump would take responsibility for the decision , prompting the president to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office was closed during Trump ’ s time as president , he refused to accept responsibility for the decision and called the question “ nasty.
” “ Well , I just think it ’ s a nasty question because what we ’ ve done , and Tony [ Fauci ] had said numerous times that we saved thousands of lives because of the quick closing , ” Trump replied , via AZCentral.com .
“ And when you say me , I didn ’ t do it .
We have a group of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about that because I don ’ t know anything about it .
I mean you say we did that , I don ’ t know anything about it .
It ’ s the administration , perhaps , they do that .
You know people let people go.
” The president ’ s response drew widespread criticism .
Tommy Vietor , a former NSC spokesperson during Barack Obama ’ s time in office and host of the podcast Pod Save the World , slammed the answer as “ stunningly pathetic.
” “ Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most stunningly pathetic things I have ever seen , ” he wrote on Twitter .
While Trump may have been seeing as dodging responsibility for the closure , also saying that his administration has been strong in its fight against the coronavirus , the former leader of the pandemic office wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that the closure cost valuable time and leadership when the outbreak started .
The Trump administration has been criticized for its slow response , including inadequate resources to conduct coronavirus testing on suspected patients .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ making a number of inaccurate statements and contradicting his administration ’ s medical experts .
Alcindor later defended her question , taking to Twitter to say that it was relevant and fair to ask Trump whether closing the office had an effect on the response to the coronavirus .
Trump has clashed with Alcindor in the past , with critics saying that Trump is unusually harsh on her and other black women in the White House press corps .


inquisitr--2020-03-14--Here’s What Donald Trump Can And Can’t Do In A State Of Emergency

Donald Trump declared a national state of emergency on Friday over the coronavirus pandemic , prompting some to question whether or not he can use the presidential powers to benefit himself by declaring that he can stay in office longer and delay the 2020 elections in November .
For instance , Ian Bremmer , a political scientist and columnist for Time Magazine , tweeted on Friday , wondering how long it would be before Trump suggested postponing the upcoming election .
However , the 1988 Stafford Act — which is the provision that enables the president to declare a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the commander-in-chief can use .
“ To unleash the full power of the federal government in this effort today , I am officially declaring a national emergency , ” Trump said .
As USA Today reports , the Stafford Act opens up aid for local and state governments .
Trump ’ s declaration also allowed Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar to waive laws and licensing requirements to make it easier for doctors and hospitals to tackle the virus .
It also allows hospitals to add physicians to their staff temporarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can handle during the emergency .
The Federal Emergency Management Agency opened up over $ 40 billion in funding for areas that need it , despite the fact that Congress hasn ’ t injected money into the public health emergency fund since 1999 .
The Stafford Act requires state officials to request that the president declares a state of emergency .
In this case , Washington Governor Jay Inslee made the request to Vice President Mike Pence .
“ By declaring a national emergency , the federal government can provide states with direct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for health care , shelter , food and cash assistance , and more , ” he said .
While state officials can delay their presidential primaries if they choose , the presidential election is a different matter entirely .
The 20th Amendment says clearly that the presidential term ends on January 20 and their successor takes over .
If a president isn ’ t picked before then , the vice president steps in until a new president is chosen .
If neither a president nor a vice president has been chosen by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country until the electors choose someone .
When it comes to holding an election , the states control the process , not the president , and Congress sets the date of the election .
If there is a failure to hold a nationwide election , the speaker of the house steps in to assume the job .
In this case , that would mean Nancy Pelosi would become president on January 20 , 2021 .