cnbc--2020-10-07--BuzzFeed pulls White House reporter over coronavirus concern, saying Trump aides largely not wearing

BuzzFeed pulls White House reporter over coronavirus concern, saying Trump aides largely not wearing masks

Members of the White House press corps work outside the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington , D.C. , U.S. , on Wednesday , Oct. 7 , 2020 .
BuzzFeed News pulled its political reporter out of the White House press pool on Wednesday , saying that Trump administration aides in the facility have `` largely not worn masks '' or abided by other basic coronavirus protections .
The news site 's decision to withdraw journalist Kadia Goba from the press pool came after images showed White House aides standing outside the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ composed of a rotating group of journalists who share details of presidential and facility events with their White House colleagues .
`` We will not put our reporters at needless risk of getting a deadly disease — and neither should anyone else , '' BuzzFeed Editor Mark Schoofs said in a Twitter post .
President Donald Trump , first lady Melania Trump , Trump aide Hope Hicks and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany all have tested positive for Covid-19 since last Thursday , along with multiple other people connected to the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House journalists also have been diagnosed with the coronavirus since last week .
BuzzFeed News deputy editor-in-chief Tom Namako , in his own Twitter post wrote : `` The Trump administration aides working in the White House have largely not worn masks or adhered to basic precautions around the coronavirus , including in their contacts with the press . ''
`` The safety of our reporters is paramount , '' Namako added .
BuzzFeed spokesman Matt Mittenthal said that the news site is awaiting guidance from the White House Correspondents ' Association on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the health of reporters there would be protected .
Politico reporter Meridith McGraw was dispatched to the White House to replace Goba in the press pool .

Members of the White House press corps work outside the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020.
BuzzFeed News pulled its political reporter out of the White House press pool on Wednesday, saying that Trump administration aides in the facility have "largely not worn masks" or abided by other basic coronavirus protections.
The news site's decision to withdraw journalist Kadia Goba from the press pool came after images showed White House aides standing outside the White House not wearing masks. The pool is composed of a rotating group of journalists who share details of presidential and facility events with their White House colleagues.
"We will not put our reporters at needless risk of getting a deadly disease — and neither should anyone else," BuzzFeed Editor Mark Schoofs said in a Twitter post.
President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Trump aide Hope Hicks and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany all have tested positive for Covid-19 since last Thursday, along with multiple other people connected to the White House and the president.
Three White House journalists also have been diagnosed with the coronavirus since last week.
BuzzFeed News deputy editor-in-chief Tom Namako, in his own Twitter post wrote: "The Trump administration aides working in the White House have largely not worn masks or adhered to basic precautions around the coronavirus, including in their contacts with the press."
"The safety of our reporters is paramount," Namako added.
BuzzFeed spokesman Matt Mittenthal said that the news site is awaiting guidance from the White House Correspondents' Association on future pool duty rotations, and on how the health of reporters there would be protected.
Politico reporter Meridith McGraw was dispatched to the White House to replace Goba in the press pool.


cnbc--2020-10-07--Plexiglass barriers at Pence-Harris debate 'are a joke,' won't stop coronavirus, medical experts say

Workers make adjustments to newly installed plexiglass barriers on the stage ahead of the vice presidential debate in Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah on October 06 , 2020 in Salt Lake City , Utah .
The Commission on Presidential Debates is taking extra precautions at Wednesday night 's vice presidential debate given the coronavirus outbreak in the White House , but pictures of two curved plexiglass barriers they plan to use has some epidemiologists and airborne pathogen specialists scratching their heads .
Vice President Mike Pence , a Republican , and Sen. Kamala Harris , a Democrat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apart and separated by two plexiglass barriers .
But those barriers are `` entirely symbolic , '' according to Dr. Bill Schaffner , an epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University .
The commission became worried after President Donald Trump and several White House staff contracted Covid-19 shortly after last Tuesday 's presidential debate .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Pence was not in `` close contact '' with Trump , who announced that he was infected with the virus early Friday morning .
Nonetheless , a person familiar with the debate planning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked for the plexiglass to be used at the event at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City .
The plexiglass is `` minimal protection , '' Schaffner said in a phone interview , adding that the barriers are mostly `` cosmetic . ''
However , he added that barriers are one part of a `` layered approach '' that includes testing and distancing of everyone on stage .
Those in the debate hall are required to wear a mask and there will be no handshake or physical greeting between Pence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Altogether , he said , the steps have likely reduced the risk of spread occurring .
The plexiglass barriers are just one `` part of the CPD 's overall approach to health and safety , '' according to a fact sheet distributed by the commission .
The debate is due to take place indoors and , of course , plenty of talking is expected .
That 's important because the CDC released new guidance on Monday that said the virus can spread through particles in the air between people who are further than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The CDC said the risk of that occurring increases indoors and when people are doing certain activities , including speaking .
Jeff Siegel , a professor of civil engineering at the University of Toronto and a specialist in indoor air quality , ventilation and filtration , said the risk of virus-carrying particles going airborne in an environment like a debate when people are talking loudly is `` huge . ''
`` On the plus side , it 's a pretty big space , so there 's a big dilution effect , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris , Pence and the moderator , Susan Page , Washington bureau chief of USA Today , will be spaced out appropriately .
The high ceiling and large room will also help to reduce risk , he said .
`` But they 're not addressing things like ventilation , '' Siegel said , adding that he hopes the debate hall has appropriately up-to-date air filtration and ventilation systems .
`` If I was Vice President Pence 's staff or Harris ' staff , I would certainly want to get a portable HEPA filter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-performing air filters that capture very small particles in the air .
The commission did not return CNBC 's request for comment on the building 's filtration and ventilation system .
Kimberly Prather , a distinguished professor of atmospheric chemistry at the University of California at San Diego , said that if Pence is infectious right now , the risk of him spreading it to Harris will increase as the debate goes on .
`` Imagine being in a room with one smoker , '' Prather , who has briefed White House coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of airborne spread , said in a phone interview .
`` Over time , the longer you sit in that room , you just see the haze build up . ''
Prather explained that the risk of airborne spread is due to virus-carrying aerosols , very small particles that can remain suspended in the air and even travel by currents .
The CDC maintains that most transmission occurs through larger respiratory droplets , but Prather has long warned of the risk of aerosol spread .
`` The louder you talk , the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aerosols , adding that without proper ventilation , those plexiglass barriers wo n't do much to stop the particles .
`` When I saw it I laughed , but it 's not funny . ''
Prather added that she and her colleagues are concerned about what kind of message the barriers send to the public .
She said people and businesses should focus more on air filtration and ventilation than on erecting barriers , though the two strategies can be implemented together .
Prather hopes that Harris and Pence opt to wear a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's no reason not to , '' she said .
Jose-Luis Jimenez , a chemistry professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder who studies how aerosols spread the virus , shared Prather 's concern about what message this sends to the public .
He said the debate should be moved outdoors to send the message that `` every activity that can be moved outdoors , should be done outdoors , with enough distance . ''
`` Perhaps the ventilation rate is very high in that debate hall , and thus the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But they are sending the message to millions of people that talking indoors without a mask is safe , as long as enough distance is kept , '' he said in an email .
`` Those barriers are a joke .
It is just theater , to make it look like they are taking some precautions . ''

Workers make adjustments to newly installed plexiglass barriers on the stage ahead of the vice presidential debate in Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah on October 06, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Commission on Presidential Debates is taking extra precautions at Wednesday night's vice presidential debate given the coronavirus outbreak in the White House, but pictures of two curved plexiglass barriers they plan to use has some epidemiologists and airborne pathogen specialists scratching their heads.
Vice President Mike Pence, a Republican, and Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democrat, will be seated more than 12 feet apart and separated by two plexiglass barriers. But those barriers are "entirely symbolic," according to Dr. Bill Schaffner, an epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University.
The commission became worried after President Donald Trump and several White House staff contracted Covid-19 shortly after last Tuesday's presidential debate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Pence was not in "close contact" with Trump, who announced that he was infected with the virus early Friday morning.
Nonetheless, a person familiar with the debate planning told NBC News that Harris' campaign asked for the plexiglass to be used at the event at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
The plexiglass is "minimal protection," Schaffner said in a phone interview, adding that the barriers are mostly "cosmetic."
However, he added that barriers are one part of a "layered approach" that includes testing and distancing of everyone on stage. Those in the debate hall are required to wear a mask and there will be no handshake or physical greeting between Pence and Harris, according to the commission. Altogether, he said, the steps have likely reduced the risk of spread occurring.
The plexiglass barriers are just one "part of the CPD's overall approach to health and safety," according to a fact sheet distributed by the commission.
The debate is due to take place indoors and, of course, plenty of talking is expected. That's important because the CDC released new guidance on Monday that said the virus can spread through particles in the air between people who are further than 6 feet apart in certain environments. The CDC said the risk of that occurring increases indoors and when people are doing certain activities, including speaking.
Jeff Siegel, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Toronto and a specialist in indoor air quality, ventilation and filtration, said the risk of virus-carrying particles going airborne in an environment like a debate when people are talking loudly is "huge."
"On the plus side, it's a pretty big space, so there's a big dilution effect," he said over the phone, adding that Harris, Pence and the moderator, Susan Page, Washington bureau chief of USA Today, will be spaced out appropriately. The high ceiling and large room will also help to reduce risk, he said.
"But they're not addressing things like ventilation," Siegel said, adding that he hopes the debate hall has appropriately up-to-date air filtration and ventilation systems. "If I was Vice President Pence's staff or Harris' staff, I would certainly want to get a portable HEPA filter in there."
HEPA filters are high-performing air filters that capture very small particles in the air. The commission did not return CNBC's request for comment on the building's filtration and ventilation system.
Kimberly Prather, a distinguished professor of atmospheric chemistry at the University of California at San Diego, said that if Pence is infectious right now, the risk of him spreading it to Harris will increase as the debate goes on.
"Imagine being in a room with one smoker," Prather, who has briefed White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci on the risk of airborne spread, said in a phone interview. "Over time, the longer you sit in that room, you just see the haze build up."
Prather explained that the risk of airborne spread is due to virus-carrying aerosols, very small particles that can remain suspended in the air and even travel by currents. The CDC maintains that most transmission occurs through larger respiratory droplets, but Prather has long warned of the risk of aerosol spread.
"The louder you talk, the more you produce," she said of aerosols, adding that without proper ventilation, those plexiglass barriers won't do much to stop the particles. "When I saw it I laughed, but it's not funny."
Prather added that she and her colleagues are concerned about what kind of message the barriers send to the public. She said people and businesses should focus more on air filtration and ventilation than on erecting barriers, though the two strategies can be implemented together. Prather hopes that Harris and Pence opt to wear a mask throughout the debate.
"There's no reason not to," she said.
Jose-Luis Jimenez, a chemistry professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder who studies how aerosols spread the virus, shared Prather's concern about what message this sends to the public. He said the debate should be moved outdoors to send the message that "every activity that can be moved outdoors, should be done outdoors, with enough distance."
"Perhaps the ventilation rate is very high in that debate hall, and thus the risk to the debate participants is low. But they are sending the message to millions of people that talking indoors without a mask is safe, as long as enough distance is kept," he said in an email. "Those barriers are a joke. It is just theater, to make it look like they are taking some precautions."


cnbc--2020-10-07--Trump has dropped TV ad spending in some key states — but he’s still pouring money into Facebook

President Donald Trump 's campaign has largely gone off the air with TV ads in Ohio , Texas , Iowa and Nebraska , which he easily won in 2016 .
But he is outspending Joe Biden with targeted Facebook ads in those states over at least the past week , according to the social media giant 's ad tracker .
Biden 's team has flooded the TV airwaves in the four states over the past two weeks , according to the ad tracking firm Advertising Analytics .
Trump has mostly gone dark in the states , with the exception of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the week of Sept. 27 .
Over the same period , Biden spent more than $ 350,000 on cable and TV ads there .
The Trump campaign 's decision to focus more on targeted social media ads in these areas as opposed to TV messaging comes as polls show the president trailing Biden with just under a month to go until Election Day .
The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Biden ahead of Trump by 14 points .
Facebook ads more effectively target specific blocs of voters than do TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall outspent Biden 's in the 2020 election cycle , the former vice president has been outspending the commander in chief 's operation since early September on TV and digital ads .
Biden and the Democratic National Committee came into September with more cash on hand compared with Trump and the Republican National Committee .
Both campaigns are targeting Facebook users in states that could tip the election .
Between Sept. 29 and Monday , Trump 's campaign edged out Biden 's in Facebook ad spending in Texas , Iowa , Ohio and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Facebook spending going into this week in critical states such as Michigan , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania , and in some cases by wide margins .
Trump won all seven states in 2016 .
Trump 's team , through his Make America Great Again Committee , spent just over $ 195,000 in Texas , while Biden 's Victory Fund put up a notch above $ 173,000 there .
Both joint fundraising committees raise money for the individual campaigns and either the Democratic or Republican National Committees .
In Ohio , the president 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 138,000 just this past week alone , while Trump 's campaign notched over $ 82,000 in the Buckeye State .
Biden 's joint committee has spent a little more than $ 60,000 over the past seven days .
In Iowa , Trump 's joint committee has spent just under $ 90,000 , while the campaign spent another $ 40,000 .
Biden 's Victory Fund put up just over $ 55,000 .
Trump spent a little more than Biden in Nebraska : just over $ 37,000 versus $ 30,000 from the Biden Victory Fund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the electoral vote in Omaha 's congressional district .
Otherwise , Nebraska is a reliably red state , and Trump won its three districts in 2016 .
Trump is also slightly outspending Biden on Facebook ads in Arizona , North Carolina and Nevada , according to data reflecting the past seven days .
Trump won Arizona and North Carolina in 2016 but lost Nevada .

President Donald Trump's campaign has largely gone off the air with TV ads in Ohio, Texas, Iowa and Nebraska, which he easily won in 2016.
But he is outspending Joe Biden with targeted Facebook ads in those states over at least the past week, according to the social media giant's ad tracker.
Biden's team has flooded the TV airwaves in the four states over the past two weeks, according to the ad tracking firm Advertising Analytics. Trump has mostly gone dark in the states, with the exception of a $22,000 TV spend in Nebraska during the week of Sept. 27. Over the same period, Biden spent more than $350,000 on cable and TV ads there.
The Trump campaign's decision to focus more on targeted social media ads in these areas as opposed to TV messaging comes as polls show the president trailing Biden with just under a month to go until Election Day. The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Biden ahead of Trump by 14 points. Facebook ads more effectively target specific blocs of voters than do TV ads.
While Trump's campaign has overall outspent Biden's in the 2020 election cycle, the former vice president has been outspending the commander in chief's operation since early September on TV and digital ads. Biden and the Democratic National Committee came into September with more cash on hand compared with Trump and the Republican National Committee.
Both campaigns are targeting Facebook users in states that could tip the election. Between Sept. 29 and Monday, Trump's campaign edged out Biden's in Facebook ad spending in Texas, Iowa, Ohio and Nebraska. Biden was ahead of Trump in Facebook spending going into this week in critical states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and in some cases by wide margins. Trump won all seven states in 2016.
Trump's team, through his Make America Great Again Committee, spent just over $195,000 in Texas, while Biden's Victory Fund put up a notch above $173,000 there. Both joint fundraising committees raise money for the individual campaigns and either the Democratic or Republican National Committees.
In Ohio, the president's joint committee has spent just over $138,000 just this past week alone, while Trump's campaign notched over $82,000 in the Buckeye State. Biden's joint committee has spent a little more than $60,000 over the past seven days.
In Iowa, Trump's joint committee has spent just under $90,000, while the campaign spent another $40,000. Biden's Victory Fund put up just over $55,000.
Trump spent a little more than Biden in Nebraska: just over $37,000 versus $30,000 from the Biden Victory Fund. Polls show Biden leading the race for the electoral vote in Omaha's congressional district. Otherwise, Nebraska is a reliably red state, and Trump won its three districts in 2016.
Trump is also slightly outspending Biden on Facebook ads in Arizona, North Carolina and Nevada, according to data reflecting the past seven days. Trump won Arizona and North Carolina in 2016 but lost Nevada.


cnbc--2020-10-07--Justices wary of upending tech industry in Google v. Oracle Supreme Court fight

The U.S. Supreme Court stands in Washington , D.C. , U.S. on Tuesday , Oct. 6 , 2020 .
Alphabet Inc. 's Google and Oracle Corp .
Things got technical at the Supreme Court on Wednesday as the justices heard arguments from Google and Oracle in a blockbuster copyright dispute that has captivated Silicon Valley for a decade .
The dispute concerns about 11,500 lines of code that Google used to build its popular Android mobile operating system , which were replicated from the Java application programming interface developed by Sun Microsystems .
Oracle , which acquired Sun in 2010 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Google 's use of the code violates its ownership rights .
Google , on the other hand , has said the code it copied was purely functional , and that its own engineers authored all of Android 's code that could be said to be creative and subject to copyright protection .
At the end of an hour and a half of arguments , Justice Stephen Breyer , who at one point read aloud some code , seemed to be the only sure vote .
The liberal justice appeared to lean toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Chief Justice John Roberts , suggested they were sympathetic to Oracle 's copyright claims .
Still , they appeared reluctant to rule in Oracle 's favor because of arguments made by leading computer scientists and Microsoft , in friend-of-the-court briefs , that doing so could upend the industry .
Several of the court 's conservatives , including Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito , noted that Google 's allies had warned that the `` sky will fall '' if Oracle won .
`` We are told if we agree with Oracle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , '' Roberts said at one point to Malcolm Stewart , a Justice Department attorney who represented the United States and argued in favor of Oracle .
But those comments were also peppered with skepticism .
`` I 'm not aware that the sky has fallen in the last five or six years , '' Kavanaugh said , noting that Google had lost its first appeals court battle in the case in 2014 .
`` I think the judges were really trying to ascertain whether or not that was actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Brian Michalek , a partner at the law firm Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr , in an interview after arguments wrapped up .
`` I sensed a little bit of skepticism and a little bit of sensationalism . ''
Justice Neil Gorsuch also repeatedly raised questions about whether a lower court that sided with Oracle was sufficiently deferential to a jury 's finding in favor of Google , suggesting the top court could send the case back without a definitive ruling .
The case was among the first to be heard by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which began Monday , and also among the first to be heard since Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died last month .
Based on her prior writings , Ginsburg was expected to side with Oracle in the matter .
Arguments were conducted by telephone and streamed live to the public as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic .
The dueling conceptions of the code at issue fueled much of the legal dispute .
At stake is not just the $ 9 billion that Oracle has said that it is owed but also the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and which types of code will be subject to protection .
Google 's attorney Thomas Goldstein stressed during arguments that the company had written all of the code that could be expressed differently from the way that Oracle had done .
But , he said , for some purposes the code must be identical — `` there are no substitutes . ''
`` The long settled practice of reusing software interfaces is critical to modern software development , '' Goldstein argued .
`` Because there is only one way , there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney , Joshua Rosenkranz , countered that Google did have options that did not involve using Oracle 's code , albeit expensive ones .
`` The Copyright Act does not give Google a pass just because it would be expensive to recreate our expression , '' he said .
Justice Sonia Sotomayor , who asked tough questions of both sides , noted to Goldstein that Apple `` spent the billions of dollars that were necessary . ''
`` Presumably you could have , '' she said .
A key distinction that the justices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the difference between two different types of code , known as declaring code and implementing code .
Google used Oracle 's declaring code , which it has likened to a QWERTY keyboard , but not its implementing code , which it says is more like a word processor .
Oracle prefers a different analogy , saying that its declaring code is more like the chapter headings and topic sentences of a novel .
For their part , the justices tried out a host of new comparisons .
Roberts , for instance , asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone to copy the headings used on his legal briefs if they swapped out rest of the text .
Applying a similar brand of skepticism to Rosenkranz , he pointed out that someone opening a restaurant is going to have `` appetizers first , and entrees and desserts '' on the menu .
`` You should n't have to worry about whether that organization is copyrighted , '' Roberts said .
`` Why is n't that exactly what Google is saying here ? ''
Breyer seemed to agree with the keyboard analogy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastating consequences .
`` You did n't have to have a QWERTY keyboard at the beginning , '' he said .
`` But if you let someone have a copyright on that now they would control all typewriters . ''
Google won twice before a district court in California , but both of those decisions were later reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit .
The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the case last term before it was delayed , along with a set of other cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a statement after arguments , Oracle 's general counsel Dorian Daley said she was `` extremely pleased '' with how they went .
Kent Walker , Google 's senior vice president for global affairs , said in a post on Twitter that the `` argument confirmed the importance of the legal rules that make that possible , and we look forward to the Court 's decision . ''
A decision is expected by the end of June .
The case is formally known as Google v. Oracle America , No .
18-956 @

The U.S. Supreme Court stands in Washington, D.C., U.S. on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Oracle Corp.
Things got technical at the Supreme Court on Wednesday as the justices heard arguments from Google and Oracle in a blockbuster copyright dispute that has captivated Silicon Valley for a decade.
The dispute concerns about 11,500 lines of code that Google used to build its popular Android mobile operating system, which were replicated from the Java application programming interface developed by Sun Microsystems.
Oracle , which acquired Sun in 2010, sued Google shortly afterward, arguing that Google's use of the code violates its ownership rights. Google, on the other hand, has said the code it copied was purely functional, and that its own engineers authored all of Android's code that could be said to be creative and subject to copyright protection.
At the end of an hour and a half of arguments, Justice Stephen Breyer, who at one point read aloud some code, seemed to be the only sure vote. The liberal justice appeared to lean toward Google.
Several of the other justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts, suggested they were sympathetic to Oracle's copyright claims.
Still, they appeared reluctant to rule in Oracle's favor because of arguments made by leading computer scientists and Microsoft , in friend-of-the-court briefs, that doing so could upend the industry.
Several of the court's conservatives, including Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito, noted that Google's allies had warned that the "sky will fall" if Oracle won.
"We are told if we agree with Oracle we will ruin the tech industry in the United States," Roberts said at one point to Malcolm Stewart, a Justice Department attorney who represented the United States and argued in favor of Oracle.
But those comments were also peppered with skepticism. "I'm not aware that the sky has fallen in the last five or six years," Kavanaugh said, noting that Google had lost its first appeals court battle in the case in 2014.
"I think the judges were really trying to ascertain whether or not that was actually going to be the case," said Brian Michalek, a partner at the law firm Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, in an interview after arguments wrapped up. "I sensed a little bit of skepticism and a little bit of sensationalism."
Justice Neil Gorsuch also repeatedly raised questions about whether a lower court that sided with Oracle was sufficiently deferential to a jury's finding in favor of Google, suggesting the top court could send the case back without a definitive ruling.
The case was among the first to be heard by the Supreme Court in its 2020 term, which began Monday, and also among the first to be heard since Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died last month. Based on her prior writings, Ginsburg was expected to side with Oracle in the matter.
Arguments were conducted by telephone and streamed live to the public as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The dueling conceptions of the code at issue fueled much of the legal dispute. At stake is not just the $9 billion that Oracle has said that it is owed but also the law of copyright in the internet era, and which types of code will be subject to protection.
Google's attorney Thomas Goldstein stressed during arguments that the company had written all of the code that could be expressed differently from the way that Oracle had done. But, he said, for some purposes the code must be identical — "there are no substitutes."
"The long settled practice of reusing software interfaces is critical to modern software development," Goldstein argued. "Because there is only one way, there is no copyright protection."
Oracle's attorney, Joshua Rosenkranz, countered that Google did have options that did not involve using Oracle's code, albeit expensive ones.
"The Copyright Act does not give Google a pass just because it would be expensive to recreate our expression," he said.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who asked tough questions of both sides, noted to Goldstein that Apple "spent the billions of dollars that were necessary."
"Presumably you could have," she said.
A key distinction that the justices sought to wrap their heads around was the difference between two different types of code, known as declaring code and implementing code.
Google used Oracle's declaring code, which it has likened to a QWERTY keyboard, but not its implementing code, which it says is more like a word processor.
Oracle prefers a different analogy, saying that its declaring code is more like the chapter headings and topic sentences of a novel.
For their part, the justices tried out a host of new comparisons.
Roberts, for instance, asked Goldstein if it would be permissible for someone to copy the headings used on his legal briefs if they swapped out rest of the text. Applying a similar brand of skepticism to Rosenkranz, he pointed out that someone opening a restaurant is going to have "appetizers first, and entrees and desserts" on the menu.
"You shouldn't have to worry about whether that organization is copyrighted," Roberts said. "Why isn't that exactly what Google is saying here?"
Breyer seemed to agree with the keyboard analogy and warned that allowing a copyright would have devastating consequences.
"You didn't have to have a QWERTY keyboard at the beginning," he said. "But if you let someone have a copyright on that now they would control all typewriters."
Google won twice before a district court in California, but both of those decisions were later reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the case last term before it was delayed, along with a set of other cases, as a result of the pandemic.
In a statement after arguments, Oracle's general counsel Dorian Daley said she was "extremely pleased" with how they went.
Kent Walker, Google's senior vice president for global affairs, said in a post on Twitter that the "argument confirmed the importance of the legal rules that make that possible, and we look forward to the Court's decision."
A decision is expected by the end of June. The case is formally known as Google v. Oracle America, No. 18-956.


cnbc--2020-10-07--Trump returns to Oval Office after doctor says he's been free of coronavirus symptoms

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures on the Truman Balcony after returning to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Oct. 5 , 2020 .
Trump , who had returned to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center just two days earlier , was briefed in the Oval Office on stimulus talks and Hurricane Delta , a press aide told reporters .
President Donald Trump was briefed in the Oval Office on Wednesday after one of the doctors treating him for the coronavirus said the president has been `` symptom-free '' for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior administration official , reported that chief of staff Mark Meadows and social media aide Dan Scavino were present in the room with the president during the briefing .
Earlier Wednesday , White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said in a memo that Trump had been `` symptom-free '' for more than 24 hours and `` fever-free for more than 4 days . ''
The president has not required supplemental oxygen since leaving the hospital on Monday , Conley said .
`` Of note today , the President 's labs demonstrated detectable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , '' the White House physician added .
Later in the afternoon , Trump 's account posted a nearly five-minute video of the president speaking from outside the Oval Office about his health and his administration 's response to the pandemic .
He said he had `` pushed '' the Food and Drug Administration to make virus-related approvals , and suggested that a vaccine would not come before the election due to `` politics . ''
`` I think we should have it before the election , but frankly the politics gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they want to play their games , it 's going to be right after the election , '' Trump said .
Conley 's brief memo did not include any specific updates on the president 's drug regimen .
Trump , since testing positive for the coronavirus last week , has taken numerous treatments , including the steroid dexamethasone , the antiviral therapy remdesivir and an antibody cocktail from Regeneron .
The memo did include remarks from Trump himself .
`` The President this morning says ' I feel great ! '
'' Conley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted that he `` was just briefed on Hurricane Delta , and spoke with [ Gov .
Greg Abbot ] of Texas and [ Louisiana Gov . ]
John Bel Edwards . ''
Trump was hospitalized Friday evening , hours after he announced on Twitter that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19 .
He was discharged three days later and flown back to the White House on Marine One .
The president , who is possibly still contagious , raised eyebrows and drew criticism when he took off his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday night .
Larry Kudlow , Trump 's top economic advisor , refused to tell CNBC if Trump has been wearing a mask as he returns to work .
Kudlow , who appeared on CNBC `` Squawk Box '' on Wednesday morning , also said Trump had been in the Oval Office a day earlier — but other White House officials quickly contradicted him .
The White House confirmed later Wednesday , however , that Trump was being briefed in the Oval Office .
In the wake of Trump 's diagnosis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the White House have also tested positive for Covid-19 .
The list includes top domestic aide Stephen Miller and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and some of her deputies , as well as multiple members of the press corps .
Some Republican lawmakers who recently attended an event on the White House South Lawn — which defied some of the recommended social-distancing guidelines issued by health experts in the Trump administration — have also tested positive .
After returning from the hospital , Trump revived his active Twitter presence .
On Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his aides to cease negotiations with Democrats on a deal for additional coronavirus stimulus money until after the Nov. 3 election .
The move baffled Wall Street investors and political pundits alike .
He later prodded Capitol Hill to approve additional coronavirus relief in separate bills .
On Wednesday , he tweeted or retweeted more than a dozen times as of early afternoon .

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures on the Truman Balcony after returning to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Oct. 5, 2020.
Trump, who had returned to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center just two days earlier, was briefed in the Oval Office on stimulus talks and Hurricane Delta, a press aide told reporters.
President Donald Trump was briefed in the Oval Office on Wednesday after one of the doctors treating him for the coronavirus said the president has been "symptom-free" for more than 24 hours.
NBC News, citing a senior administration official, reported that chief of staff Mark Meadows and social media aide Dan Scavino were present in the room with the president during the briefing.
Earlier Wednesday, White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said in a memo that Trump had been "symptom-free" for more than 24 hours and "fever-free for more than 4 days."
The president has not required supplemental oxygen since leaving the hospital on Monday, Conley said.
"Of note today, the President's labs demonstrated detectable levels of SARS-CoV-2-IgG antibodies from labs drawn Monday," the White House physician added.
Later in the afternoon, Trump's account posted a nearly five-minute video of the president speaking from outside the Oval Office about his health and his administration's response to the pandemic.
He said he had "pushed" the Food and Drug Administration to make virus-related approvals, and suggested that a vaccine would not come before the election due to "politics."
"I think we should have it before the election, but frankly the politics gets involved, and that's OK, they want to play their games, it's going to be right after the election," Trump said.
Conley's brief memo did not include any specific updates on the president's drug regimen. Trump, since testing positive for the coronavirus last week, has taken numerous treatments, including the steroid dexamethasone, the antiviral therapy remdesivir and an antibody cocktail from Regeneron.
The memo did include remarks from Trump himself. "The President this morning says 'I feel great!'" Conley wrote.
After the briefing, Trump tweeted that he "was just briefed on Hurricane Delta, and spoke with [Gov. Greg Abbot] of Texas and [Louisiana Gov.] John Bel Edwards."
Trump was hospitalized Friday evening, hours after he announced on Twitter that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19.
He was discharged three days later and flown back to the White House on Marine One. The president, who is possibly still contagious, raised eyebrows and drew criticism when he took off his mask upon returning to the White House on Monday night.
Larry Kudlow, Trump's top economic advisor, refused to tell CNBC if Trump has been wearing a mask as he returns to work. Kudlow, who appeared on CNBC "Squawk Box" on Wednesday morning, also said Trump had been in the Oval Office a day earlier — but other White House officials quickly contradicted him.
The White House confirmed later Wednesday, however, that Trump was being briefed in the Oval Office.
In the wake of Trump's diagnosis, a growing number of people who work at the White House have also tested positive for Covid-19. The list includes top domestic aide Stephen Miller and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and some of her deputies, as well as multiple members of the press corps.
Some Republican lawmakers who recently attended an event on the White House South Lawn — which defied some of the recommended social-distancing guidelines issued by health experts in the Trump administration — have also tested positive.
After returning from the hospital, Trump revived his active Twitter presence. On Tuesday, the president tweeted that he had ordered his aides to cease negotiations with Democrats on a deal for additional coronavirus stimulus money until after the Nov. 3 election. The move baffled Wall Street investors and political pundits alike. He later prodded Capitol Hill to approve additional coronavirus relief in separate bills. On Wednesday, he tweeted or retweeted more than a dozen times as of early afternoon.


cnbc--2020-10-07--Kudlow refuses to say whether Trump wore a mask in his return to work

Larry Kudlow , President Donald Trump 's top economic advisor , told CNBC on Wednesday the president returned to the Oval Office on Tuesday , a comment later denied by the White House .
`` The president actually showed up in the Oval Office yesterday with extra precautions with respect to his Covid-19 , '' Kudlow said .
`` And he 's getting a lot better , he 's much stronger .
So there was some limited activity . ''
Asked by `` Squawk Box '' co-host Joe Kernen whether the president donned a mask while in the Oval Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council said he `` ca n't be specific , Joe .
It 's the work of the top rung of the federal government . ''
But Kudlow was quickly contradicted by the White House , which in a tweet said Trump had not visited the Oval Office .
`` While the President wanted to be in the Oval Office yesterday , he was not there—he stayed back in the residence working from there , '' Ben Williamson , a White House spokesman , said in a tweet .
`` Safety preparations have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working out of the Oval in the coming days . ''
The comments from Trump 's top economic advisor came less than 48 hours after Trump was discharged from Walter Reed hospital , where the president spent the weekend being treated for the coronavirus .
`` The president , as you 've seen , has been masking quite a bit .
And everyone else who comes into contact in the Oval – the traffic is limited as you might expect – but there are additional precautions , additional measures that have been taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House said later Wednesday afternoon that Trump had finally returned to the Oval Office to be briefed on stimulus talks and hurricane developments .
Kudlow 's remarks , though contested by the White House , rekindled concerns that Trump could pose a risk to others .
That caution was on full display Tuesday , when Trump 's challenger in the 2020 election , former Vice President Joe Biden , said the two should hold off on their second scheduled debate if the president is still infectious .
`` I think if he still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a debate , '' Biden told reporters in Maryland .
`` I think we 're going to have to follow very strict guidelines .
Too many people have been infected and it 's a very serious problem . ''
`` I 'll be guided by the guidelines of the Cleveland Clinic , and what the docs say is the right thing to do -- if and when he shows up for debate , '' the Democratic nominee added .
But concerns are n't isolated to the Biden campaign after more than a dozen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 in the past week .
`` In the White House , there 's a good deal of contract tracing , and we 're doing the absolute best we can , '' Kudlow told CNBC .
`` We 've added additional precautions to try to protect against any further positive testing and so forth .
So we 'll see how that runs . ''
Someone is considered contagious for 10 to 20 days from onset of symptoms , depending on the severity of the infection , according to the Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are regularly testing him to determine his viral load , which can help determine when he 's no longer contagious .
Trump announced early Friday that he and his wife tested positive .
Among the most recent White House staff members who have announced positive tests in top domestic aide Stephen Miller .
Editor 's note : This article was updated to reflect the White House 's assertion that while President Trump has returned to work , he has not returned to the Oval Office .

Larry Kudlow, President Donald Trump's top economic advisor, told CNBC on Wednesday the president returned to the Oval Office on Tuesday, a comment later denied by the White House.
"The president actually showed up in the Oval Office yesterday with extra precautions with respect to his Covid-19," Kudlow said. "And he's getting a lot better, he's much stronger. So there was some limited activity."
Asked by "Squawk Box" co-host Joe Kernen whether the president donned a mask while in the Oval Office, the Director of the National Economic Council said he "can't be specific, Joe. It's the work of the top rung of the federal government."
But Kudlow was quickly contradicted by the White House, which in a tweet said Trump had not visited the Oval Office.
"While the President wanted to be in the Oval Office yesterday, he was not there—he stayed back in the residence working from there," Ben Williamson, a White House spokesman, said in a tweet. "Safety preparations have been underway in the event he moves to working out of the Oval in the coming days."
The comments from Trump's top economic advisor came less than 48 hours after Trump was discharged from Walter Reed hospital, where the president spent the weekend being treated for the coronavirus.
"The president, as you've seen, has been masking quite a bit. And everyone else who comes into contact in the Oval – the traffic is limited as you might expect – but there are additional precautions, additional measures that have been taken," Kudlow said.
The White House said later Wednesday afternoon that Trump had finally returned to the Oval Office to be briefed on stimulus talks and hurricane developments.
Kudlow's remarks, though contested by the White House, rekindled concerns that Trump could pose a risk to others.
That caution was on full display Tuesday, when Trump's challenger in the 2020 election, former Vice President Joe Biden, said the two should hold off on their second scheduled debate if the president is still infectious.
"I think if he still has Covid, we shouldn't have a debate," Biden told reporters in Maryland. "I think we're going to have to follow very strict guidelines. Too many people have been infected and it's a very serious problem."
"I'll be guided by the guidelines of the Cleveland Clinic, and what the docs say is the right thing to do -- if and when he shows up for debate," the Democratic nominee added.
But concerns aren't isolated to the Biden campaign after more than a dozen Trump administration officials have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the past week.
"In the White House, there's a good deal of contract tracing, and we're doing the absolute best we can," Kudlow told CNBC. "We've added additional precautions to try to protect against any further positive testing and so forth. So we'll see how that runs."
Someone is considered contagious for 10 to 20 days from onset of symptoms, depending on the severity of the infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The president's physicians are regularly testing him to determine his viral load, which can help determine when he's no longer contagious. Trump announced early Friday that he and his wife tested positive. Among the most recent White House staff members who have announced positive tests in top domestic aide Stephen Miller.
Editor's note: This article was updated to reflect the White House's assertion that while President Trump has returned to work, he has not returned to the Oval Office.


cnbc--2020-10-06--Supreme Court opens politically charged term with major business cases involving Google, Oracle and

Supreme Court opens politically charged term with major business cases involving Google, Oracle and Ford

The political spotlight is shining brightly on the Supreme Court as the Senate weighs the nomination of President Donald Trump 's nominee , Judge Amy Coney Barrett , but on Wednesday , the court will be all business .
Three giants of industry — Google , Oracle and Ford — will press their cases before the justices in a pair of disputes that are expected to have broad impacts on American businesses and consumers .
Decisions are expected by the end of June .
The arguments come in the first week of the court 's 2020 term and will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 pandemic .
They are among the first to be argued since the Sept. 18 death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a liberal and perhaps the court 's most worker-friendly jurist .
First up will be Google v. Oracle , a potentially $ 9 billion copyright case that 's been a decade in the making , including a several month delay after the Supreme Court pushed the case off the docket last term as a result of the pandemic .
The case has to do with code that Google used to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Oracle claims Google stole .
Google says the code should not be subject to copyright protection in the first place , citing the Copyright Act 's exception for fair use .
In dispute are 11,500 lines of code originally written by Sun Microsystems for its Java application programming interface .
Oracle purchased Sun in 2010 and brought this suit shortly after .
The dispute is somewhat obscure , as it involves competing arguments over whether the code that Google used was creative in nature or merely technical .
Essential to Google 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argument that the code it used is analogous to a QWERTY keyboard — helpful for making something creative , but not in itself a kind of original expression .
On the other hand , Oracle says its code is `` like the chapter headings and topic sentences of an elaborate literary work . ''
The case has already pingponged around the lower courts , with Google notching two victories in a federal district court in California and two defeats before the specialized U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit .
If the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the appeals court decision will stand .
The case has attracted a great deal of attention , and some big names in business and technology and some start-ups have warned that the appeals court decision threatens future innovation .
Microsoft , which wrote a brief in support of Google , said the appeals court 's decision `` elevates functional code to the same level of copyright protection as the creative expression in a novel '' and `` threatens modern paradigms of software development . ''
On the other hand , the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has weighed in on the side of Oracle , noting that Google competitors Apple and Microsoft were able to create mobile operating systems without using Oracle 's code .
The case has also drawn some interest outside of the tech sphere .
The American Library Association told the justices in a brief siding with Google that new restrictions on fair use could interfere with research and learning tools , including those used for virtual classrooms and in the digitization of print materials for people with disabilities .
Siding with Oracle , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of media organizations , wrote that it identified with the software maker 's arguments .
Its members often create `` valuable content that a third party then incorporates in a larger , highly valuable commercial product claiming that this act is 'transformative , ' even though it has not altered or built upon the original news content , '' the alliance wrote .
After Google v. Oracle , the justices will turn to a pair of consolidated cases in which Ford is fending off liability suits brought by individuals who say they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just as in the first case of the day , the Ford cases could have implications far beyond their immediate facts , stretching from state efforts to hold companies liable for abuses linked to the U.S. opioid epidemic to a consumer 's legal options if they get injured by an exploding toaster .
The cases involve Markkaya Jean Gullett , a Montana resident who died in 2015 after an accident in her Ford Explorer , and Adam Bandemer , a Minnesota resident , who claims he suffered a severe brain injury after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed to deploy in an accident .
Bandemer and a representative for Gullett sued Ford in state courts .
In response , Ford said it could not be sued in Montana or Minnesota because the Michigan-based company did n't make or sell the cars in question in either state and did n't have any connection to the states that was directly related to the injuries .
The supreme courts of both states rejected that argument .
The case , which features high-profile attorneys on both sides , has divided the business community and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political spectrum .
For those opposing Ford , a main concern is that large manufacturers will be able to effectively evade liability while smaller businesses end up holding the bag .
`` In a lot of states they actually have immunity for sellers , but if you ca n't get jurisdiction over the manufacturer , that immunity goes away , '' said Deepak Gupta , who will be presenting the argument against Ford .
`` I think people often think about these access-to-justice cases and tort reform cases as pitting the little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case it 's more complicated , '' Gupta said in an interview .
Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia , including perennial antagonists at the court like Texas and California , submitted a brief saying that a win for Ford could allow opioid manufacturers to skirt liability , `` shifting liability to local distributors and doctors . ''
The National Association of Home Builders wrote that there was `` perhaps a perception '' that the business community was in favor of Ford 's position .
`` If so , that perception is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The NAHB wrote that Ford 's position `` particularly helps manufacturers or designers of defective products , many of whom are now located abroad '' but `` harms other businesses — particularly those businesses that lie between consumers and initial manufacturers . ''
On Ford 's side , the Chamber of Commerce has urged the Supreme Court to step in to stop a situation in which businesses have `` no ability to predict where , and to what extent , they might be hauled into court . ''
Calling the approach of Ford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the organization said it would impose `` new and unwarranted burdens on businesses , the courts , and the federal system . ''

A man with the pro-life organization Bound4Life raises his hands in prayer outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on October 5, 2020 in Washington, DC. With 8 justices currently on the bench, the Supreme Court begins a new term on Monday. Drew Angerer | Getty Images
The political spotlight is shining brightly on the Supreme Court as the Senate weighs the nomination of President Donald Trump's nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, but on Wednesday, the court will be all business. Three giants of industry — Google , Oracle and Ford — will press their cases before the justices in a pair of disputes that are expected to have broad impacts on American businesses and consumers. Decisions are expected by the end of June. The arguments come in the first week of the court's 2020 term and will be heard virtually as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. They are among the first to be argued since the Sept. 18 death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal and perhaps the court's most worker-friendly jurist.
watch now
Google v. Oracle
First up will be Google v. Oracle, a potentially $9 billion copyright case that's been a decade in the making, including a several month delay after the Supreme Court pushed the case off the docket last term as a result of the pandemic. The case has to do with code that Google used to create its popular Android mobile operating system, which Oracle claims Google stole. Google says the code should not be subject to copyright protection in the first place, citing the Copyright Act's exception for fair use. In dispute are 11,500 lines of code originally written by Sun Microsystems for its Java application programming interface. Oracle purchased Sun in 2010 and brought this suit shortly after. The dispute is somewhat obscure, as it involves competing arguments over whether the code that Google used was creative in nature or merely technical. Essential to Google's claim, for instance, is its argument that the code it used is analogous to a QWERTY keyboard — helpful for making something creative, but not in itself a kind of original expression. On the other hand, Oracle says its code is "like the chapter headings and topic sentences of an elaborate literary work." The case has already pingponged around the lower courts, with Google notching two victories in a federal district court in California and two defeats before the specialized U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. If the court, missing Ginsburg, deadlocks 4-4, the appeals court decision will stand. The case has attracted a great deal of attention, and some big names in business and technology and some start-ups have warned that the appeals court decision threatens future innovation. Microsoft , which wrote a brief in support of Google, said the appeals court's decision "elevates functional code to the same level of copyright protection as the creative expression in a novel" and "threatens modern paradigms of software development." On the other hand, the Trump administration, via the Department of Justice, has weighed in on the side of Oracle, noting that Google competitors Apple and Microsoft were able to create mobile operating systems without using Oracle's code. The case has also drawn some interest outside of the tech sphere. The American Library Association told the justices in a brief siding with Google that new restrictions on fair use could interfere with research and learning tools, including those used for virtual classrooms and in the digitization of print materials for people with disabilities. Siding with Oracle, the News Media Alliance, which represents thousands of media organizations, wrote that it identified with the software maker's arguments. Its members often create "valuable content that a third party then incorporates in a larger, highly valuable commercial product claiming that this act is 'transformative,' even though it has not altered or built upon the original news content," the alliance wrote.
Ford fends off liability suits


cnbc--2020-10-07--Trump's 'illogical' move to end stimulus talks baffles Wall Street and Washington

President Donald Trump 's decision on Tuesday to end negotiations over additional Covid-19 stimulus left many on Wall Street and in Washington baffled .
Why , they wondered , would the White House would make such an abrupt move away from an economic boost in the home stretch of his reelection campaign ?
Observers saw the president 's tweet as a self-inflicted wound .
One senior Wall Street banker called Trump 's move to torpedo talks `` illogical , '' especially just weeks until Election Day .
`` Why would you concede to this and lose ? ''
said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's not like Donald Trump gives a s -- - about the deficit , and he would n't be against putting his name on the checks , '' this person added .
More stimulus has support from a litany of unusual bedfellows : The Federal Reserve , Wall Street , Democrats in both houses of Congress , some Republicans and the American public .
Economists and investors pointed out that the U.S. economy , by many metrics , remains fragile following a recession earlier this year .
Some lawmakers pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until after the election to reach an agreement on the next Covid-19 relief package is a huge mistake , '' said GOP Sen. Susan Collins , who faces a tough reelection battle in Maine .
`` I have already been in touch with the Secretary of the Treasury , one of the chief negotiators , and with several of my Senate colleagues . ''
Trump 's Democratic challenger in the 2020 election , former Vice President Joe Biden , said the decision to suspend talks shows the president 's does n't care about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result of the coronavirus .
`` He ended talks that would get help for our businesses and schools , for families struggling and for those unemployed — that would have preserved hundreds of thousands of jobs , '' Biden said in a statement .
`` Make no mistake : if you are out of work , if your business is closed , if your child 's school is shut down , if you are seeing layoffs in your community , Donald Trump decided today that none of that — none of it — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The uproar began with a series of tweets at 2:48 p.m .
ET , when the president announced that he 'd directed his negotiators to abandon talks with Democrats until after the election .
`` I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when , immediately after I win , we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business , '' Trump tweeted on Tuesday .
The president added in subsequent tweets that he asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Supreme Court , Judge Amy Coney Barrett .
Markets quickly sold off on the president 's announcement , with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing all its gains and ending the session down 375 points .
The S & P 500 also reversed course and dropped 1.4 % on the day .
Millions of Americans remain unemployed or furloughed as a direct result of the virus .
The pace of job gains is slowing .
A growing number of brokerages and economists are cutting their projections for fourth-quarter economic activity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ report , released on Friday , showed the U.S. added 661,000 positions last month , fewer than the 800,000 expected .
The unemployment rate inched lower to 7.9 % , its highest level since 2013 excluding worse readings from earlier in the Covid-19 crisis .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , who had been leading Democrats in negotiations with the White House , spoke with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin later Tuesday afternoon and confirmed that the president had walked away from the talks .
The chamber passed a $ 2.2 trillion stimulus bill last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 600 per week in extra jobless benefits through January , send another $ 1,200 direct payment to most Americans , direct $ 436 billion in aid to states and municipalities , and authorize a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans .
Some were confused as to why the market did n't sell off even more since so many strategists and investors are positioning their equity portfolios as if another stimulus deal is inevitable .
Dennis DeBusschere , an equity strategist at Evercore ISI , said in an email that selling may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased the odds of a Democratic sweep of the White House and Congress .
Under that election outcome , it 's likely top Democrats would force an even larger stimulus anyway , he wrote .
`` Market returns will now come down to who sweeps , how much stimulus we get and what it looks like under either a Republican or Democratic Congress/President , '' DeBusschere wrote .
`` For now , the sweep scenario clearly favors the Democrats .
That is why an unwind stimulus trades should not be taken too far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate sweep odds are a coin flip ( 57 % according to Predictit ) , so trading will be extremely volatile near term , '' he added .
Additional economic stimulus remains one of just a few bipartisan issues even if the two parties ca n't agree on how much , or how to allocate , further relief aid .
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell , a Trump appointee and one of the nation 's top economic officials , said just hours before the president 's tweets that the U.S. economic outlook could deteriorate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal to release more relief .
Failing to reach a deal could `` lead to a weak recovery , creating unnecessary hardship for households and businesses '' and thwart a rebound that thus far has progressed more quickly than expected .
`` By contrast , the risks of overdoing it seem , for now , to be smaller , '' Powell added in remarks to the National Association for Business Economics .
`` Even if policy actions ultimately prove to be greater than needed , they will not go to waste .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if monetary policy and fiscal policy continue to work side by side to provide support to the economy until it is clearly out of the woods . ''
Trump sowed more confusion later Thursday , when he tweeted that he had agreed with Powell 's assessment that there would be low risk to `` overdoing '' stimulus .
The lost economic opportunity might have cost the president a much-needed political win , as well .
According to the latest CNBC/Change Research poll , coronavirus relief remains a critical issue for many voters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they tended to agree with the statement that `` the economy is struggling and we need more financial relief from Washington '' versus the 34 % who tended to agree with the view that `` the economy is recovering and we do not need any more financial relief from Washington . ''
Charles Myers , the founder of financial advisory firm Signum Global and former vice chair at Evercore , was puzzled by the president 's decision .
Myers told CNBC that while he thinks there 's still a chance for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about cancelling talks was stunning .
`` He knew the market would sell off , so it 's a little surprising that he would fold and walk away , '' he said on Tuesday .

watch now
President Donald Trump's decision on Tuesday to end negotiations over additional Covid-19 stimulus left many on Wall Street and in Washington baffled. Why, they wondered, would the White House would make such an abrupt move away from an economic boost in the home stretch of his reelection campaign? Observers saw the president's tweet as a self-inflicted wound. One senior Wall Street banker called Trump's move to torpedo talks "illogical," especially just weeks until Election Day. "Why would you concede to this and lose?" said the banker, who declined to be named. "It's not like Donald Trump gives a s--- about the deficit, and he wouldn't be against putting his name on the checks," this person added. More stimulus has support from a litany of unusual bedfellows: The Federal Reserve, Wall Street, Democrats in both houses of Congress, some Republicans and the American public.
watch now
Economists and investors pointed out that the U.S. economy, by many metrics, remains fragile following a recession earlier this year. Some lawmakers pushed for talks to resume. "Waiting until after the election to reach an agreement on the next Covid-19 relief package is a huge mistake," said GOP Sen. Susan Collins, who faces a tough reelection battle in Maine. "I have already been in touch with the Secretary of the Treasury, one of the chief negotiators, and with several of my Senate colleagues." Trump's Democratic challenger in the 2020 election, former Vice President Joe Biden, said the decision to suspend talks shows the president's doesn't care about the plight of those struggling as a result of the coronavirus. "He ended talks that would get help for our businesses and schools, for families struggling and for those unemployed — that would have preserved hundreds of thousands of jobs," Biden said in a statement. "Make no mistake: if you are out of work, if your business is closed, if your child's school is shut down, if you are seeing layoffs in your community, Donald Trump decided today that none of that — none of it — matters to him," he added. The White House declined to comment. The uproar began with a series of tweets at 2:48 p.m. ET, when the president announced that he'd directed his negotiators to abandon talks with Democrats until after the election. "I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business," Trump tweeted on Tuesday. The president added in subsequent tweets that he asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to instead focus on efforts to approve his nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Markets quickly sold off on the president's announcement, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing all its gains and ending the session down 375 points. The S&P 500 also reversed course and dropped 1.4% on the day. Millions of Americans remain unemployed or furloughed as a direct result of the virus. The pace of job gains is slowing. A growing number of brokerages and economists are cutting their projections for fourth-quarter economic activity.
watch now
The Labor Department's most recent jobs report, released on Friday, showed the U.S. added 661,000 positions last month, fewer than the 800,000 expected. The unemployment rate inched lower to 7.9%, its highest level since 2013 excluding worse readings from earlier in the Covid-19 crisis. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had been leading Democrats in negotiations with the White House, spoke with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin later Tuesday afternoon and confirmed that the president had walked away from the talks. The chamber passed a $2.2 trillion stimulus bill last week that would have included the $600 per week in extra jobless benefits through January, send another $1,200 direct payment to most Americans, direct $436 billion in aid to states and municipalities, and authorize a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans.
Some were confused as to why the market didn't sell off even more since so many strategists and investors are positioning their equity portfolios as if another stimulus deal is inevitable. Dennis DeBusschere, an equity strategist at Evercore ISI, said in an email that selling may have been contained since the president's tweet increased the odds of a Democratic sweep of the White House and Congress. Under that election outcome, it's likely top Democrats would force an even larger stimulus anyway, he wrote. "Market returns will now come down to who sweeps, how much stimulus we get and what it looks like under either a Republican or Democratic Congress/President," DeBusschere wrote. "For now, the sweep scenario clearly favors the Democrats. That is why an unwind stimulus trades should not be taken too far." "That being said, Senate sweep odds are a coin flip (57% according to Predictit), so trading will be extremely volatile near term," he added.
watch now


cnbc--2020-10-07--Trump says he's calling off stimulus negotiations with Democrats 'until after the election'

The president added that he has asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to `` focus full time '' on confirming Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett , which Senate Republicans have pushed to do before the election amid several Covid-19 cases within their ranks .
Trump spoke with Republican congressional leaders about stimulus plans earlier in the day .
`` I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when , immediately after I win , we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business , '' Trump tweeted Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ send trillions of dollars more in relief to Americans as the outbreak rampages through the U.S. and the economy struggles to recover from virus-related shutdowns .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke for an hour about a relief package on Monday and planned to talk about a possible agreement again Tuesday .
Trump , who has Covid-19 himself , had only three days ago urged the sides to complete a deal after taking no direct role in the talks for months .
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus stimulus talks with Democrats until after the Nov. 3 election .
In a statement responding to Trump 's tweets , Pelosi said the president `` showed his true colors : putting himself first at the expense of the country , with the full complicity of the GOP Members of Congress . ''
She added that `` walking away from coronavirus talks demonstrates that President Trump is unwilling to crush the virus . ''
Pelosi and Mnuchin talked Tuesday afternoon , and the Treasury secretary confirmed that Trump pulled out of the discussions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a tweet .
Pelosi `` expressed her disappointment in the President 's decision , '' Hammill wrote .
Trump appeared to contradict his earlier message in a tweet Tuesday night .
Responding to a headline about Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell calling for more fiscal stimulus and saying Congress has a low risk of `` overdoing it , '' the president wrote , `` True ! ''
Investors punished stocks in response to Trump 's tweets .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed more than 300 points , or 1.3 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talks made little progress for months , traders had grown more hopeful that the sides could reach a deal before the election as many individuals and businesses struggle during the ongoing outbreak .
Congress has failed to deliver new relief money to Americans for months as millions of people left jobless by the pandemic struggle to pay for food and housing .
Lifelines that sustained the economy throughout the early stages of the pandemic , including the $ 600 per week unemployment benefit and the window to apply for Paycheck Protection Program small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his tweets Tuesday , Trump appeared to argue the U.S. economy does not need any more stimulus .
He wrote that `` we are leading the World in Economic Recovery , and THE BEST IS YET TO COME ! ''
While the U.S. quickly regained many of the jobs lost earlier this year , a weaker-than-expected nonfarm payrolls gain of 661,000 in September fueled more concerns about the U.S. economic recovery slowing .
The unemployment rate fell to 7.9 % , still significantly higher than before the pandemic hit .
Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Powell urged Congress to approve more fiscal stimulus .
He said a lack of sustained support from the federal government could `` lead to a weak recovery , creating unnecessary hardship for households and businesses . ''
The president decided to pull away from negotiations only weeks before an election in which his struggle to contain the virus outbreak and curb the economic damage from it have harmed his chances of winning a second term in the White House .
While Congress faced an uphill path to passing aid before the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off active talks shocked political and business observers alike .
`` Nobody gets it , '' a senior Wall Street executive who declined to be named told CNBC of the decision .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , who has supported more stimulus as the Democratic presidential nominee , has targeted Trump for failing to limit the economic destruction caused by the coronavirus .
Jared Bernstein , a former economic advisor to Biden and an informal advisor to his presidential campaign , criticized Trump for postponing the talks .
`` With literally millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and with job growth downshifting , this is no time for the president to stop negotiating , '' he said .
`` His lack of leadership throughout the process has been and continues to be a huge stumbling block . ''
Democrats and the Trump administration had struggled to agree on what provisions a fifth aid package would include and how much the proposal would cost .
Democrats passed a $ 2.2 trillion relief bill last week , while Republicans had offered a $ 1.6 trillion package .
Democratic leaders repeatedly argued the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crisis .
Republicans , who grew wary of spending federal money , insisted Democrats proposed an unnecessarily expensive plan that embraced liberal priorities unrelated to the pandemic .
After Trump 's announcement , McConnell told reporters that `` I think his view was that they were not going to produce a result and that we needed to concentrate on what 's achievable . ''
Asked if he supported the decision , the senator responded , `` I do . ''
Democrats and the White House appeared to have agreed on a range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,200 direct payment to most Americans , funds for a second round of small business loans , money for schools and $ 25 billion to help cover airline payrolls as companies plan tens of thousands of furloughs .
But the sides failed to overcome fundamental disputes about several other issues .
Democrats most recently proposed $ 436 billion in relief for state and local governments , while Mnuchin offered $ 250 billion in aid .
Pelosi pushed to reinstate the $ 600 per week jobless benefit until January , but the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted liability protections for businesses and schools , which Democrats oppose .
In his tweets , Trump claimed the proposed state and municipal aid is a `` bailout '' of Democratic-run states that is `` in no way related to COVID-19 . ''
The bipartisan National Governors Association has pushed for at least $ 500 billion more in federal relief as governments consider cuts to education and essential services while they face increased costs and lower revenue during the pandemic .
The president also said Pelosi `` is not negotiating in good faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1.6 trillion offer .
Polls have consistently found voters want Congress to pass more aid ahead of the election .
A new CNBC/Change Research poll released Tuesday asked likely voters whether one of two statements came closer to their views : `` The economy is struggling and we need more financial relief from Washington , '' or `` The economy is recovering and we do not need any more financial relief from Washington . ''
Nationally , 66 % of respondents said the country needs more aid , while 34 % answered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In six swing states — Arizona , Florida , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — 63 % of likely voters said America needs more financial relief from the federal government , while 37 % said it does not .
At least three GOP members of Congress quickly questioned Trump 's decision .
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine , who faces one of the Senate 's toughest reelection bids , called for lawmakers to pass another aid bill before Nov. 3 .
`` Waiting until after the election to reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package is a huge mistake , '' she said in a statement .
`` I have already been in touch with the Secretary of the Treasury , one of the chief negotiators , and with several of my Senate colleagues . ''
Sen. Lisa Murkowski , R-Alaska , said in a statement that `` I strongly believe negotiations should continue . ''
Rep. John Katko , a New York Republican running in a potentially competitive race in November , tweeted that he wants the president `` to rethink this move . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives at stake , we can not afford to stop negotiations on a relief package , '' he wrote .

The president added that he has asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to "focus full time" on confirming Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, which Senate Republicans have pushed to do before the election amid several Covid-19 cases within their ranks. Trump spoke with Republican congressional leaders about stimulus plans earlier in the day.
"I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business," Trump tweeted Tuesday.
The declaration halts an ongoing push to send trillions of dollars more in relief to Americans as the outbreak rampages through the U.S. and the economy struggles to recover from virus-related shutdowns. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke for an hour about a relief package on Monday and planned to talk about a possible agreement again Tuesday. Trump, who has Covid-19 himself, had only three days ago urged the sides to complete a deal after taking no direct role in the talks for months.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has told his administration's negotiators to end coronavirus stimulus talks with Democrats until after the Nov. 3 election.
In a statement responding to Trump's tweets, Pelosi said the president "showed his true colors: putting himself first at the expense of the country, with the full complicity of the GOP Members of Congress." She added that "walking away from coronavirus talks demonstrates that President Trump is unwilling to crush the virus."
Pelosi and Mnuchin talked Tuesday afternoon, and the Treasury secretary confirmed that Trump pulled out of the discussions, the speaker's spokesman Drew Hammill said in a tweet. Pelosi "expressed her disappointment in the President's decision," Hammill wrote.
Trump appeared to contradict his earlier message in a tweet Tuesday night. Responding to a headline about Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell calling for more fiscal stimulus and saying Congress has a low risk of "overdoing it," the president wrote, "True!"
Investors punished stocks in response to Trump's tweets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed more than 300 points, or 1.3%, lower after the announcement.
Though talks made little progress for months, traders had grown more hopeful that the sides could reach a deal before the election as many individuals and businesses struggle during the ongoing outbreak.
Congress has failed to deliver new relief money to Americans for months as millions of people left jobless by the pandemic struggle to pay for food and housing. Lifelines that sustained the economy throughout the early stages of the pandemic, including the $600 per week unemployment benefit and the window to apply for Paycheck Protection Program small business loans, lapsed weeks ago.
In his tweets Tuesday, Trump appeared to argue the U.S. economy does not need any more stimulus. He wrote that "we are leading the World in Economic Recovery, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!"
While the U.S. quickly regained many of the jobs lost earlier this year, a weaker-than-expected nonfarm payrolls gain of 661,000 in September fueled more concerns about the U.S. economic recovery slowing. The unemployment rate fell to 7.9%, still significantly higher than before the pandemic hit.
Trump's push to stop negotiations came only hours after Powell urged Congress to approve more fiscal stimulus. He said a lack of sustained support from the federal government could "lead to a weak recovery, creating unnecessary hardship for households and businesses."
The president decided to pull away from negotiations only weeks before an election in which his struggle to contain the virus outbreak and curb the economic damage from it have harmed his chances of winning a second term in the White House. While Congress faced an uphill path to passing aid before the election, Trump's decision to suddenly call off active talks shocked political and business observers alike.
"Nobody gets it," a senior Wall Street executive who declined to be named told CNBC of the decision.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, who has supported more stimulus as the Democratic presidential nominee, has targeted Trump for failing to limit the economic destruction caused by the coronavirus. Jared Bernstein, a former economic advisor to Biden and an informal advisor to his presidential campaign, criticized Trump for postponing the talks.
"With literally millions of people facing hunger and evictions, and with job growth downshifting, this is no time for the president to stop negotiating," he said. "His lack of leadership throughout the process has been and continues to be a huge stumbling block."
Democrats and the Trump administration had struggled to agree on what provisions a fifth aid package would include and how much the proposal would cost. Democrats passed a $2.2 trillion relief bill last week, while Republicans had offered a $1.6 trillion package.
Democratic leaders repeatedly argued the GOP did not recognize the gravity of the crisis. Republicans, who grew wary of spending federal money, insisted Democrats proposed an unnecessarily expensive plan that embraced liberal priorities unrelated to the pandemic.
After Trump's announcement, McConnell told reporters that "I think his view was that they were not going to produce a result and that we needed to concentrate on what's achievable." Asked if he supported the decision, the senator responded, "I do."
Democrats and the White House appeared to have agreed on a range of relief provisions, including another $1,200 direct payment to most Americans, funds for a second round of small business loans, money for schools and $25 billion to help cover airline payrolls as companies plan tens of thousands of furloughs. But the sides failed to overcome fundamental disputes about several other issues.
Democrats most recently proposed $436 billion in relief for state and local governments, while Mnuchin offered $250 billion in aid. Pelosi pushed to reinstate the $600 per week jobless benefit until January, but the White House proposed $400 weekly. Republicans also wanted liability protections for businesses and schools, which Democrats oppose.
In his tweets, Trump claimed the proposed state and municipal aid is a "bailout" of Democratic-run states that is "in no way related to COVID-19." The bipartisan National Governors Association has pushed for at least $500 billion more in federal relief as governments consider cuts to education and essential services while they face increased costs and lower revenue during the pandemic.
The president also said Pelosi "is not negotiating in good faith" after the White House made its $1.6 trillion offer.
Polls have consistently found voters want Congress to pass more aid ahead of the election. A new CNBC/Change Research poll released Tuesday asked likely voters whether one of two statements came closer to their views: "The economy is struggling and we need more financial relief from Washington," or "The economy is recovering and we do not need any more financial relief from Washington."
Nationally, 66% of respondents said the country needs more aid, while 34% answered that it does not need more assistance. In six swing states — Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — 63% of likely voters said America needs more financial relief from the federal government, while 37% said it does not.
At least three GOP members of Congress quickly questioned Trump's decision. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who faces one of the Senate's toughest reelection bids, called for lawmakers to pass another aid bill before Nov. 3.
"Waiting until after the election to reach an agreement on the next Covid-19 relief package is a huge mistake," she said in a statement. "I have already been in touch with the Secretary of the Treasury, one of the chief negotiators, and with several of my Senate colleagues."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said in a statement that "I strongly believe negotiations should continue."
Rep. John Katko, a New York Republican running in a potentially competitive race in November, tweeted that he wants the president "to rethink this move."
"I disagree with the President. With lives at stake, we cannot afford to stop negotiations on a relief package," he wrote.
— CNBC's Brian Schwartz contributed to this report.


cnbc--2020-10-07--Trump joined in a call with top lawmakers to discuss coronavirus stimulus

President Donald Trump joined top GOP lawmakers on a phone call earlier Tuesday to discuss the next round of Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ he 's directed his top negotiators to postpone talks until after the election .
The @ @ @ @ @ has relied on White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin @ @ @ @ @ participated in the call during his first full day back from the hospital , an @ @ @ @ @ .
Other GOP leaders on the phone call included Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , @ @ @ @ @ and Mnuchin .
Trump later Tuesday said he has told his administration 's negotiators to @ @ @ @ @ Democrats until after the Nov. 3 election .
The declaration , if the White House @ @ @ @ @ would halt an ongoing push to send trillions of dollars more in relief to Americans @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. and the economy struggles to recover from virus-related shutdowns .

President Donald Trump joined top GOP lawmakers on a phone call earlier Tuesday to discuss the next round of Covid-19 stimulus before ultimately announcing that he's directed his top negotiators to postpone talks until after the election.
The president, who thus far has relied on White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to lead the negotiations, participated in the call during his first full day back from the hospital, an administration official confirmed to CNBC.
Other GOP leaders on the phone call included Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Mnuchin.
Trump later Tuesday said he has told his administration's negotiators to end coronavirus stimulus talks with Democrats until after the Nov. 3 election.
The declaration, if the White House follows through on it, would halt an ongoing push to send trillions of dollars more in relief to Americans as the outbreak rampages through the U.S. and the economy struggles to recover from virus-related shutdowns.


cnbc--2020-10-07--Mike Pence and Kamala Harris vice presidential debate will have plexiglass barrier because of corona

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris vice presidential debate will have plexiglass barrier because of coronavirus concerns

A worker hangs a banner as preparations take place for the vice presidential debate outside Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah , Monday , Oct. 5 , 2020 , in Salt Lake City .
A plexiglass barrier will separate Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris at their vice presidential debate Wednesday , the second such measure taken to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission on the heels of President Donald Trump contracting Covid-19 .
A person familiar with the debate planning told NBC News that the California Democrat Harris ' campaign asked for the plexiglass to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Utah in Salt Lake City , and that the Commission on Presidential Debates approved the request .
A fact sheet distributed by the commission said , `` Plexiglass will be used as part of the CPD 's overall approach to health and safety . ''
The sheet also said that `` everyone in the debate hall will be subject to a variety of health safety protocols , including COVID testing and mask use . ''
`` If anyone does not wear a mask , they will be escorted out , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first presidential debate at Cleveland Clinic between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden , the Democratic nominee , members of Trump 's family , including first lady Melania Trump and his adult children , and others in his entourage did not wear masks , despite masks being mandated by rules agreed to by both mens ' campaign .
Politico first reported that the plexiglass would be used at the vice presidential debate .
The news outlet said that the Pence campaign opposed the precaution .
Pence 's spokeswoman , Katie Miller , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Politico , `` If Sen. Harris wants to use a fortress around herself , have at it . ''
Miller herself was diagnosed with the coronavirus in May .
The debate commission said that the centers of the chairs for Pence and Harris would be positioned slightly more than 12 feet away from one another , as opposed to the original plan to have them seated 7 feet from each other for their first and only face-to-face showdown .
Trump disclosed Friday that he and Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative for the virus since then .
In addition to the Trumps , at least 16 other people in the White House or who have attended the Trump-Biden debate or Trump-related events have been diagnosed with the coronavirus , including the president 's campaign manager , Bill Stepien , top Trump advisors Hope Hicks and Kellyanne Conway , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel .
Over the weekend , Jaime Harrison , the Democratic nominee for the Senate in South Carolina , brought his own plexiglass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Lindsay Graham .

A worker hangs a banner as preparations take place for the vice presidential debate outside Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, in Salt Lake City.
A plexiglass barrier will separate Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris at their vice presidential debate Wednesday, the second such measure taken to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission on the heels of President Donald Trump contracting Covid-19.
A person familiar with the debate planning told NBC News that the California Democrat Harris' campaign asked for the plexiglass to be used at the showdown at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and that the Commission on Presidential Debates approved the request.
A fact sheet distributed by the commission said, "Plexiglass will be used as part of the CPD's overall approach to health and safety."
The sheet also said that "everyone in the debate hall will be subject to a variety of health safety protocols, including COVID testing and mask use."
"If anyone does not wear a mask, they will be escorted out," the sheet warned.
At last week's first presidential debate at Cleveland Clinic between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, members of Trump's family, including first lady Melania Trump and his adult children, and others in his entourage did not wear masks, despite masks being mandated by rules agreed to by both mens' campaign.
Politico first reported that the plexiglass would be used at the vice presidential debate.
The news outlet said that the Pence campaign opposed the precaution.
Pence's spokeswoman, Katie Miller, told NBC News, as she told Politico, "If Sen. Harris wants to use a fortress around herself, have at it."
Miller herself was diagnosed with the coronavirus in May.
The debate commission said that the centers of the chairs for Pence and Harris would be positioned slightly more than 12 feet away from one another, as opposed to the original plan to have them seated 7 feet from each other for their first and only face-to-face showdown.
Trump disclosed Friday that he and Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Biden and Pence both jave tested negative for the virus since then.
In addition to the Trumps, at least 16 other people in the White House or who have attended the Trump-Biden debate or Trump-related events have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, including the president's campaign manager, Bill Stepien, top Trump advisors Hope Hicks and Kellyanne Conway, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.
Over the weekend, Jaime Harrison, the Democratic nominee for the Senate in South Carolina, brought his own plexiglass barrier for his debate with incumbent Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham.