cnbc--2020-10-16--Pennsylvania's Erie County will test the Rust Belt's loyalty to Trump in the 2020 election

Democratic presidential nominees had not set foot in Erie , Pennsylvania , in a dozen years .
When Joe Biden spoke at a union building there on Saturday , his very presence showed how one election turned the Rust Belt city from an afterthought into a priority for Democrats .
President Barack Obama and his running mate Biden trounced their GOP opponents in Erie County in 2008 and 2012 .
Then in 2016 , Republican President Donald Trump carried the area by about 2,000 votes as he leveraged concerns about manufacturing job losses and promised to revamp U.S. trade deals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will award 20 electoral votes as one of the country 's top prizes .
Erie County will help to test whether Biden 's economic message can break through in the Keystone State 's former Democratic strongholds — and others across the Midwest — that gave a Republican political newcomer a try four years ago .
`` I really look at Erie County as a bellwether county not just for Pennsylvania , but for counties like it across the United States , particularly the Rust Belt area throughout the Midwest , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science department at Mercyhurst University in Erie .
`` It is just so typical of counties in the Midwest that once had an industrial base that has seen that industrial base evaporate in three decades . ''
Erie County will offer one of the better tests in Pennsylvania of how effectively the rivals can tailor their messages to working-class people , according to political observers in the area .
With an 87 % White population and a lower percentage of college graduates than the country as a whole , the area is home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump had success reaching in 2016 .
Low turnout in the area among people of color — whom exit polls found overwhelmingly backed Clinton in Pennsylvania — also reflects the struggles Democrats had winning over non-White voters in the Midwest in 2016 .
In Erie on Saturday , Biden depicted an out-of-touch `` Park Avenue '' president who broke his promises to the working class and presided over an `` unequal recovery '' from the post-pandemic economic crisis .
He questioned what the `` bottom half '' got while investors and corporate titans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held a rally Tuesday in the former steel and iron hub of Johnstown , which sits east of Pittsburgh , and delivered a message familiar to Erie County 's voters .
He said free-trade policies backed by Biden `` decimated entire towns in your area , '' arguing `` China wins '' if the Democrat prevails on Nov. 3 .
Biden chose to focus on the economy in an area that has recovered more slowly from the coronavirus-related shutdowns than the country as a whole .
Erie County had an 11.1 % unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania and national marks of 10.3 % and 8.4 % , respectively .
The Democrat touted his recovery plan , which aims to boost the economy by promoting American-made products , revamping U.S. infrastructure , investing in clean energy , enacting a $ 15-per-hour minimum wage and putting in place stronger workplace safety requirements .
Meanwhile , in a Pennsylvania speech interspersed with horror stories about what the country would become under Biden 's watch , Trump highlighted his efforts to reduce regulations , update the North American Free Trade Agreement and cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2017 GOP law .
He highlighted the health of the U.S. economy before the virus hit — a point local Republicans aim to stress as they try to hold the ground gained in 2016 .
`` People look for results , and they got results that were great at least until the Covid impact took place , '' said Verel Salmon , chairman of the Erie County Republican Party .
The county had a much lower unemployment rate of 5.8 % in February , though it still stood higher than the statewide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll of Erie County voters taken in February found 58 % of respondents approved of how Trump was handling the economy at the time .
But a majority or plurality of voters disapproved of how Trump was handling 10 of the 14 issues included in the survey .
`` They may be really satisfied with what he 's doing with the economy , but with everything else , they have a great deal of concern , '' Morris said .
Why Erie is in play Before 2016 , Democrats had not lost Erie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ century .
Obama won it by about 20 percentage points in 2008 .
His margin narrowed in 2012 , but to a still-commanding 16 percentage points .
Then , Trump won Erie County by about 1.5 percentage points in a dramatic shift .
His edge of nearly 2,000 votes , which followed Obama 's roughly 19,000-vote victory , came during a 2016 election in which he won Pennsylvania by an overall margin of only about 44,000 votes .
Erie County Democratic Party Chair Jim Wertz , who did not lead the party in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw low turnout in precincts with high shares of people of color and immigrants during that election .
He added that the party saw a `` momentary lapse '' in Democratic commitment to nominee Hillary Clinton , especially in a county where about 47 % of primary voters supported Sen. Bernie Sanders over her in 2016 .
When many county voters saw an `` outsider '' in Trump , `` they gave him a shot , '' Wertz said .
Wariness of Clinton contributed to Trump 's success in Erie County , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science at Gannon University in Erie .
`` Industrial decline '' and Trump 's pledges to jolt the manufacturing sector again compounded problems for Democrats , she added .
`` I think people were just ready for a change , '' Sahay said .
The manufacturing drain has continued , despite overall economic improvements in Erie before the coronavirus hit .
General Electric , once a driver of Erie 's economy , moved hundreds of jobs to Texas in recent years .
Wabtec ultimately merged with GE Transportation , and still runs a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward the GOP did not hold in the 2018 midterms .
Both Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Gov .
Tom Wolf won the county by at least 18 percentage points during a strong year for the party in Pennsylvania .
During the Trump presidency , `` the No .
1 issue that really resonates with everybody is the effect this administration has had on democratic institutions and the democratic process , '' said Wertz , the county Democratic Party chair .
He added that the party has focused on health care , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runup to the Nov. 3 election .
But Republicans have seen recent trends that make them hopeful about a Trump repeat in Erie County .
Democrats held a voter registration advantage of 98,319 to 73,238 in the county as of earlier this week , according to state records , but Republicans have narrowed the gap .
The number of registered Republicans in the county has jumped by more than 5,700 since November 2016 , while the number of Democrats on the rolls has increased by only 722 .
It reflects a broader climb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We see it as a positive indicator of the way the county is moving , '' said Salmon of the county GOP .
Where Erie County will be decided Morris said people in Erie County generally divide the area politically by Interstate 90 , which runs roughly parallel to the shore of Lake Erie as it cuts from Ohio to New York .
The Democratic-leaning city of Erie and some of its most populated suburbs sit north of the highway , while rural areas and smaller cities and boroughs with a higher concentration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For Trump to repeat his 2016 success , he likely has to take as many votes from Biden as he can in the northern part of the county , while running up the margins below I-90 , Morris said .
The local parties ' strategies reflect how their calculus in Erie County has changed .
Wertz said the county Democratic Party set up field offices outside of the city of Erie for the first time ever this year .
It established an arm in Millcreek Township , the city 's most populous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swing area within the battleground county .
Democrats have also focused on North East , a borough near the state 's border with New York , and Union City , a borough in the southern part of the county .
Trump outperformed Republican Mitt Romney 's 2012 campaign in all of those areas .
Biden 's messaging in his Erie stop offered a view of the message he will use to try to win back the states of Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin .
He argued Trump 's difficulty in containing the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic pain for Americans .
He raised the threat of Republicans repealing the Affordable Care Act .
Pennsylvania , which expanded Medicaid under the ACA , had one of the lower uninsured rates in the nation at about 6 % in 2018 .
Erie does not rely on the natural gas industry and the divisive practice of fracking in the way southwestern Pennsylvania does .
Even so , he stressed in Erie that he is `` not banning fracking , period . ''
Trump and his allies have tried to use prominent Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the areas surrounding Pittsburgh , which helped to make Pennsylvania the second-largest natural gas-producing state last year .
Many Democrats have pushed to stop the practice due to concerns about water and air pollution from chemicals used in the process .
The focus on those issues shows Biden 's and Trump 's effort to appeal to the working-class people who drove Trump 's success in Erie County .
`` The working man , the working woman , the working families and so forth are certainly the major thing .
Those are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ' and have continued to say that , '' Salmon said .
But in an election year shaped in every way by the devastation wrought by the pandemic , the winner may well be the candidate who offers the most compelling case that they can create some semblance of normal life .
For Biden , it means containing the virus and shaping what he calls a fairer and cleaner economy .
For Trump , it means returning to what the country and economy looked like in February .
`` That is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whether it 's an end to the pandemic , an end to unemployment .
... Whoever can do that I think is going to be the winner , '' Gannon 's Sahay said .

Former Vice President and presidential nominee Joe Biden gives remarks at UA Plumbers Local 27 Erie Training Center in Erie, PA on October 10, 2020. Demetrius Freeman | The Washington Post | Getty Images
Democratic presidential nominees had not set foot in Erie, Pennsylvania, in a dozen years. When Joe Biden spoke at a union building there on Saturday, his very presence showed how one election turned the Rust Belt city from an afterthought into a priority for Democrats. President Barack Obama and his running mate Biden trounced their GOP opponents in Erie County in 2008 and 2012. Then in 2016, Republican President Donald Trump carried the area by about 2,000 votes as he leveraged concerns about manufacturing job losses and promised to revamp U.S. trade deals. Pennsylvania, where Biden was born, will award 20 electoral votes as one of the country's top prizes. Erie County will help to test whether Biden's economic message can break through in the Keystone State's former Democratic strongholds — and others across the Midwest — that gave a Republican political newcomer a try four years ago. "I really look at Erie County as a bellwether county not just for Pennsylvania, but for counties like it across the United States, particularly the Rust Belt area throughout the Midwest," said Joseph Morris, chair of the political science department at Mercyhurst University in Erie. "It is just so typical of counties in the Midwest that once had an industrial base that has seen that industrial base evaporate in three decades." Erie County will offer one of the better tests in Pennsylvania of how effectively the rivals can tailor their messages to working-class people, according to political observers in the area. With an 87% White population and a lower percentage of college graduates than the country as a whole, the area is home to some of the White working class Trump had success reaching in 2016. Low turnout in the area among people of color — whom exit polls found overwhelmingly backed Clinton in Pennsylvania — also reflects the struggles Democrats had winning over non-White voters in the Midwest in 2016.
In Erie on Saturday, Biden depicted an out-of-touch "Park Avenue" president who broke his promises to the working class and presided over an "unequal recovery" from the post-pandemic economic crisis. He questioned what the "bottom half" got while investors and corporate titans saw their net worth balloon. Trump held a rally Tuesday in the former steel and iron hub of Johnstown, which sits east of Pittsburgh, and delivered a message familiar to Erie County's voters. He said free-trade policies backed by Biden "decimated entire towns in your area," arguing "China wins" if the Democrat prevails on Nov. 3. Biden chose to focus on the economy in an area that has recovered more slowly from the coronavirus-related shutdowns than the country as a whole. Erie County had an 11.1% unemployment rate in August — higher than the Pennsylvania and national marks of 10.3% and 8.4%, respectively. The Democrat touted his recovery plan, which aims to boost the economy by promoting American-made products, revamping U.S. infrastructure, investing in clean energy, enacting a $15-per-hour minimum wage and putting in place stronger workplace safety requirements. Meanwhile, in a Pennsylvania speech interspersed with horror stories about what the country would become under Biden's watch, Trump highlighted his efforts to reduce regulations, update the North American Free Trade Agreement and cut taxes for many Americans as part of the 2017 GOP law. He highlighted the health of the U.S. economy before the virus hit — a point local Republicans aim to stress as they try to hold the ground gained in 2016. "People look for results, and they got results that were great at least until the Covid impact took place," said Verel Salmon, chairman of the Erie County Republican Party. The county had a much lower unemployment rate of 5.8% in February, though it still stood higher than the statewide rate of 4.7%. A Mercyhurst poll of Erie County voters taken in February found 58% of respondents approved of how Trump was handling the economy at the time. But a majority or plurality of voters disapproved of how Trump was handling 10 of the 14 issues included in the survey. "They may be really satisfied with what he's doing with the economy, but with everything else, they have a great deal of concern," Morris said.
Why Erie is in play
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Before 2016, Democrats had not lost Erie County in a presidential election in this century. Obama won it by about 20 percentage points in 2008. His margin narrowed in 2012, but to a still-commanding 16 percentage points. Then, Trump won Erie County by about 1.5 percentage points in a dramatic shift. His edge of nearly 2,000 votes, which followed Obama's roughly 19,000-vote victory, came during a 2016 election in which he won Pennsylvania by an overall margin of only about 44,000 votes. Erie County Democratic Party Chair Jim Wertz, who did not lead the party in 2016, said the city of Erie saw low turnout in precincts with high shares of people of color and immigrants during that election. He added that the party saw a "momentary lapse" in Democratic commitment to nominee Hillary Clinton, especially in a county where about 47% of primary voters supported Sen. Bernie Sanders over her in 2016. When many county voters saw an "outsider" in Trump, "they gave him a shot," Wertz said. Wariness of Clinton contributed to Trump's success in Erie County, said Anjali Sahay, program director of political science at Gannon University in Erie. "Industrial decline" and Trump's pledges to jolt the manufacturing sector again compounded problems for Democrats, she added. "I think people were just ready for a change," Sahay said. The manufacturing drain has continued, despite overall economic improvements in Erie before the coronavirus hit. General Electric, once a driver of Erie's economy, moved hundreds of jobs to Texas in recent years. Wabtec ultimately merged with GE Transportation, and still runs a manufacturing facility in Erie. The shift toward the GOP did not hold in the 2018 midterms. Both Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Gov. Tom Wolf won the county by at least 18 percentage points during a strong year for the party in Pennsylvania. During the Trump presidency, "the No. 1 issue that really resonates with everybody is the effect this administration has had on democratic institutions and the democratic process," said Wertz, the county Democratic Party chair. He added that the party has focused on health care, jobs, education and infrastructure in the runup to the Nov. 3 election. But Republicans have seen recent trends that make them hopeful about a Trump repeat in Erie County. Democrats held a voter registration advantage of 98,319 to 73,238 in the county as of earlier this week, according to state records, but Republicans have narrowed the gap. The number of registered Republicans in the county has jumped by more than 5,700 since November 2016, while the number of Democrats on the rolls has increased by only 722. It reflects a broader climb in Republican registrations across Pennsylvania. "We see it as a positive indicator of the way the county is moving," said Salmon of the county GOP.
Where Erie County will be decided


cnbc--2020-10-16--Treasury encouraged banks to prioritize PPP loans for existing clients, hurting minority- and women-

Treasury encouraged banks to prioritize PPP loans for existing clients, hurting minority- and women-owned small businesses, House report says

US President Donald Trump shows a signed Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington , DC , on April 24 , 2020 .
The Treasury Department privately encouraged banks to prioritize existing clients when implementing the federal government 's Paycheck Protection Program that provided coronavirus relief to small businesses , according to a report Friday from a House oversight panel .
The Trump administration 's directive to favor existing clients in PPP lending decisions disproportionately hurt minority and women-owned business , the Democratic-led Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a result , small businesses that were truly in need of financial support during the economic crisis often faced longer waits and more obstacles to receiving PPP funding than larger , wealthier companies , '' the congressional panel said in statement .
Congress established the PPP as a part of the CARES Act , designed to provide forgivable loans to small businesses and non-profit organizations to help them weather the Covid-19 pandemic and preserve jobs .
The Small Business Administration relied on banks and other private lenders to process the funds .
Documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Treasury told banks to `` go to their existing customer base '' when issuing loans , according to an email sent by the CEO of the American Bankers Association , Rob Nichols , to the group 's board of directors on March 28 .
`` From early on there was an understanding from Treasury that banks were working with existing clients , '' Jennifer Roberts , a senior banker from JPMorgan Chase & Co , told the subcommittee in July , according to the report .
Nichols said in a statement Friday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ context in its assessment of banks ' involvement in the PPP program .
`` Banks of all sizes were always encouraged by the administration to process loans for both new and existing customers at the onset of the PPP program .
They were also encouraged to start processing loans as quickly as possible to support the deteriorating economy , '' Nichols wrote .
`` To achieve that goal , many banks processed applications from existing borrowers first since they already had the necessary borrower information needed to meet regulatory requirements , including Know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panel found however that seven of the eight banks involved in its investigation limited PPP lending to existing clients .
This tactic hurt underserved groups , the House panel found .
Research shows minority and women-owned businesses are less likely to have existing relationships with lenders .
An August report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that 41 % of Black-owned businesses closed between February and April 2020 — higher than any other demographic group .
The New York Fed pointed to `` racial disparities in access to federal relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage gaps . ''
In the CARES Act , Congress specified `` the Administrator should issue guidance to lenders and agents to ensure that the processing and disbursement of covered loans prioritizes small business concerns and entities in underserved and rural markets . ''
The reported concluded neither the Treasury nor SBA offered `` meaningful '' directives for lenders to prioritize underserved groups , according to financial institutions interviewed by the subcommittee .
The congressional panel also found that several banks in its investigation processed PPP funds for larger commercial clients at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different channels and levels of assistance for customers depending on the type of customer .
`` JPMorgan processed loans above $ 5 million almost four times faster than loans under $ 1 million , '' the report detailed .
`` PNC processed loans above $ 5 million more than twice as fast as loans under $ 1 million . ''
The Treasury and the ABA did not immediately respond to CNBC 's request for comment .
A spokesperson for the SBA said in a statement , `` PPP loans have ... been broadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the funds going to low and moderate income communities , which is in proportion to their percentage of the population . ''
A Republican Select Subcommittee spokesperson said in a statement , `` PPP helped support more than 51 million jobs across the country , including tens of millions of jobs in minority and rural communities .
Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have harmed minority-owned small businesses and underserved populations by blocking an extension of PPP nearly 40 times on the House floor . ''
The report comes as efforts to pass a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump , Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Senate leaders at odds .

US President Donald Trump shows a signed Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 24, 2020.
The Treasury Department privately encouraged banks to prioritize existing clients when implementing the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program, which provided coronavirus relief to small businesses, according to a report Friday from a House oversight panel.
The Trump administration's directive to favor existing clients in PPP lending decisions disproportionately hurt minority- and women-owned business, the Democratic-led Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said in its report.
"As a result, small businesses that were truly in need of financial support during the economic crisis often faced longer waits and more obstacles to receiving PPP funding than larger, wealthier companies," the congressional panel said in a statement.
Congress established the PPP as a part of the CARES Act, designed to provide forgivable loans to small businesses and nonprofit organizations to help them weather the Covid-19 pandemic and preserve jobs. The Small Business Administration relied on banks and other private lenders to process the funds.
Documents obtained by the subcommittee revealed that the Treasury told banks to "go to their existing customer base" when issuing loans, according to an email sent by the CEO of the American Bankers Association, Rob Nichols, to the group's board of directors on March 28.
"From early on there was an understanding from Treasury that banks were working with existing clients," Jennifer Roberts, a senior banker at JPMorgan Chase & Co , told the subcommittee in July, according to the report.
Nichols said in a statement Friday that the House panel's report missed key context in its assessment of banks' involvement in the PPP program.
"Banks of all sizes were always encouraged by the administration to process loans for both new and existing customers at the onset of the PPP program. They were also encouraged to start processing loans as quickly as possible to support the deteriorating economy," Nichols wrote.
"To achieve that goal, many banks processed applications from existing borrowers first since they already had the necessary borrower information needed to meet regulatory requirements, including Know Your Customer rules."
The congressional panel found, however, that seven of the eight banks involved in its investigation limited PPP lending to existing clients.
This tactic hurt underserved groups, the House panel found. Research shows minority- and women-owned businesses are less likely to have existing relationships with lenders.
An August report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that 41% of Black-owned businesses closed between February and April 2020 — higher than any other demographic group. The New York Fed pointed to "racial disparities in access to federal relief funds," including "stark PPP coverage gaps."
In the CARES Act, Congress specified "the Administrator should issue guidance to lenders and agents to ensure that the processing and disbursement of covered loans prioritizes small business concerns and entities in underserved and rural markets."
The report concluded neither the Treasury nor SBA offered "meaningful" directives for lenders to prioritize underserved groups, according to financial institutions interviewed by the subcommittee.
The congressional panel also found that several banks in its investigation processed PPP funds for larger commercial clients at a faster rate than smaller loans, offering different channels and levels of assistance for customers depending on the type of customer.
"JPMorgan processed loans above $5 million almost four times faster than loans under $1 million," the report detailed. "PNC processed loans above $5 million more than twice as fast as loans under $1 million."
The Treasury in a statement sent to CNBC denied the subcommittee's claims. "From the outset of the Paycheck Protection Program, Treasury and SBA consistently urged PPP lenders to serve all eligible businesses. We encouraged all banks to offer loans to their existing small business customers, but no Treasury official ever suggested that banks should do so to the exclusion of new customers. The Subcommittee's conclusion to the contrary is false and unsupported by its own record," a spokesperson for the Treasury said.
A spokesperson for the SBA said in a statement, "PPP loans have ... been broadly distributed, with about 27 percent of the funds going to low and moderate income communities, which is in proportion to their percentage of the population."
A Republican Select Subcommittee spokesperson said in a statement, "PPP helped support more than 51 million jobs across the country, including tens of millions of jobs in minority and rural communities. Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have harmed minority-owned small businesses and underserved populations by blocking an extension of PPP nearly 40 times on the House floor."
The report comes as efforts to pass a new coronavirus stimulus package continue, with President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Senate leaders at odds.


cnbc--2020-10-16--U.S. aims to lower troop level in Afghanistan to 2,500 by early 2021, Trump advisor says

U.S .
Soldiers and Airmen from Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul return to base after a quality assurance , quality control patrol near the city of Qalat , Zabul province , Afghanistan , Nov. 1 , 2010 .
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump 's national security advisor said Friday that the administration has set a timeline for bringing U.S. service members home from America 's longest war , but moved the goal post into early next year .
Speaking to a virtual audience at the Aspen Institute , national security advisor Robert O'Brien explained that Trump 's long-held campaign promise to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endless wars '' in the Middle East was in the works .
O'Brien said Trump has ordered the Pentagon to draw down to approximately 2,500 service members in Afghanistan by early 2021 .
`` I can guarantee that 's the order of the commander in chief , '' O'Brien said , adding that Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was fully on board with Trump 's policy .
O'Brien 's comments came a week after he and Trump publicly laid out different timelines for pulling troops out of the war-weary country .
Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for bringing U.S. service members home by Christmas .
`` The troops always want to be home on Christmas , '' O'Brien began when asked to clarify the varying timetables .
`` The president wants them home by Christmas , and what I 've said on this and I think the president has said as well is that we 'd like the troops out as soon as possible . ''
Trump , who is running for reelection , campaigned in 2016 on withdrawing the U.S. military from Afghanistan , Iraq and Syria .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden has called for leaving a residual U.S. military presence as well as intelligence assets in Afghanistan .
`` We need to stop spending the kind of money that we 're spending in Afghanistan , '' O'Brien said , adding that it was `` unsustainable for us to be in these countries forever . ''
The war in Afghanistan , which has dragged on to become America 's longest conflict , began 19 years ago and has cost U.S. taxpayers $ 193 billion , according to a Defense Department report .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria have cost taxpayers more than $ 1.57 trillion since Sept. 11 , 2001 , according to the same report .
Of the three current operations , Operation Freedom 's Sentinel in Afghanistan takes the lion 's share of costs at $ 193 billion .
Earlier this year , the United States brokered a peace deal with the Taliban that would usher in a permanent cease-fire and reduce the U.S. military 's footprint from approximately 13,000 to 8,600 by mid-July .
And by May 2021 , all foreign forces would leave the war-torn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of Afghanistan , '' O'Brien said .
`` Ultimately Afghanistan has to be run by the Afghans and the Afghan people have to come together and come up with a solution for Afghanistan . ''

U.S. Soldiers and Airmen from Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul return to base after a quality assurance, quality control patrol near the city of Qalat, Zabul province, Afghanistan, Nov. 1, 2010.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's national security advisor said Friday that the administration has set a timeline for bringing U.S. service members home from America's longest war, but moved the goal post into early next year.
Speaking to a virtual audience at the Aspen Institute, national security advisor Robert O'Brien explained that Trump's long-held campaign promise to bring U.S. troops home from "ridiculous endless wars" in the Middle East was in the works.
O'Brien said Trump has ordered the Pentagon to draw down to approximately 2,500 service members in Afghanistan by early 2021.
"I can guarantee that's the order of the commander in chief," O'Brien said, adding that Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was fully on board with Trump's policy.
O'Brien's comments came a week after he and Trump publicly laid out different timelines for pulling troops out of the war-weary country. Trump's announcement, made via tweet, called for bringing U.S. service members home by Christmas.
"The troops always want to be home on Christmas," O'Brien began when asked to clarify the varying timetables. "The president wants them home by Christmas, and what I've said on this and I think the president has said as well is that we'd like the troops out as soon as possible."
Trump, who is running for reelection, campaigned in 2016 on withdrawing the U.S. military from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. His Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden has called for leaving a residual U.S. military presence as well as intelligence assets in Afghanistan.
"We need to stop spending the kind of money that we're spending in Afghanistan," O'Brien said, adding that it was "unsustainable for us to be in these countries forever."
The war in Afghanistan, which has dragged on to become America's longest conflict, began 19 years ago and has cost U.S. taxpayers $193 billion, according to a Defense Department report.
The collective wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have cost taxpayers more than $1.57 trillion since Sept. 11, 2001, according to the same report.
Of the three current operations, Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan takes the lion's share of costs at $193 billion.
Earlier this year, the United States brokered a peace deal with the Taliban that would usher in a permanent cease-fire and reduce the U.S. military's footprint from approximately 13,000 to 8,600 by mid-July. And by May 2021, all foreign forces would leave the war-torn country.
"We need to get out of Afghanistan," O'Brien said. "Ultimately Afghanistan has to be run by the Afghans and the Afghan people have to come together and come up with a solution for Afghanistan."


cnbc--2020-10-16--Michigan bans open carry of guns at Election Day polling places on heels of Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot

Armed protesters take part in an `` American Patriot Rally , '' organized on April 30 , 2020 , by Michigan United for Liberty on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing , demanding the reopening of businesses .
`` Prohibiting the open-carry of firearms in areas where citizens cast their ballots is necessary to ensure every voter is protected.
” “ I am committed to ensuring all eligible Michigan citizens can freely exercise their fundamental right to vote without fear of threats , intimidation or harassment , '' said Benson , who is Michigan 's top election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secure elections are the foundation of our democracy , ” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in announcing the open carry ban , which will be backed by the state attorney general and State Police .
Michigan 's secretary of state on Friday banned the open carry of guns at polling places and other official voting locations on Election Day in the state , a move that comes on the heels of an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer and after armed protests at the statehouse .
The ban on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , clerk 's offices and absent voter counting boards on Election Day , Nov. 3 , and extends out 100 feet from those locations .
That guidance said that `` the presence of firearms at '' those locations `` may cause disruption , fear , or intimidation for voters , election workers , and others present . ''
State Attorney General Dana Nessel said , “ Michigan voters have the right to vote in person on Election Day free from threat and intimidation . ''
`` An armed presence at the polls is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy .
I stand with the Secretary in her commitment to ensure that every eligible voter who wants to vote in person can do so safely and without fear or intimidation.
” Michigan has 16 electoral votes at stake in the contest between incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and the Democratic challenger , former Vice President Joe Biden .
Trump barely won Michigan in his 2016 contest against Hillary Clinton , edging the Democrat out by just 0.23 % of the votes cast .
The state was one of several in the Rust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving Trump enough votes to defeat the former U.S. secretary of State in the Electoral College .
But recent polls show Biden leading Trump by an average of more than 6 percentage points in Michigan .
Trump has been critical of Whitmer for her response to the Covid-19 outbreak since last spring .
Earlier this month , federal authorities arrested six men in connection with allegedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer , with one of those defendants allegedly saying the group would try the governor for `` treason . ''
State terrorism charges have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allegedly offering aid to that scheme and to efforts to ignite a civil war and commit violent acts against law enforcement officials in the state .
All fourteen defendants are alleged to be members or associates of militia groups , including one called the Wolverine Watchmen .
The alleged plot to kidnap Whitmer , and discussions about also kidnapping Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam , another Democrat , were fueled by anger over their Covid-19 lockdown measures .
In April , after armed protests at the state capitol by members of militia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberate Michigan ! ''
Whitmer and Nessel have said Trump 's rhetoric could have played a role in sparking the alleged plot .
Whitmer has called Trump `` complicit , '' while Nessel has said of Trump and state Republican elected officials , `` When they say these things , people not only listen , they respond .
...
It 's not just a dog whistle , but a rallying cry . ''
However , at least one of the men charged with the kidnap plot , Brandon Caserta , has reportedly posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president as a `` tyrant . ''
`` Trump is not your friend , dude .
It amazes me that people actually , like , believe that when he 's shown over and over and over again that he 's a tyrant , '' Caserta said on a video being circulated online , The Detroit News reported .
`` Every single person that works for government is your enemy , dude . ''
Several of Caserta 's co-defendants reportedly posted pro-Trump messages on social media .
Trump has continued attacking Whitmer for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was exposed .
Trump on Thursday during a Fox Business interview blasted Whitmer , accusing her of aspiring to be a `` dictator . ''
`` Michigan , she has to open up , '' Trump said .
`` She wants to be a dictator in Michigan , and the people ca n't stand her . ''

Armed protesters take part in an "American Patriot Rally," organized on April 30, 2020, by Michigan United for Liberty on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, demanding the reopening of businesses.
"Prohibiting the open-carry of firearms in areas where citizens cast their ballots is necessary to ensure every voter is protected.”
“I am committed to ensuring all eligible Michigan citizens can freely exercise their fundamental right to vote without fear of threats, intimidation or harassment," said Benson, who is Michigan's top election official.
“Fair, free and secure elections are the foundation of our democracy, ” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in announcing the open carry ban, which will be backed by the state attorney general and State Police.
Michigan's secretary of state on Friday banned the open carry of guns at polling places and other official voting locations on Election Day in the state, a move that comes on the heels of an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and after armed protests at the statehouse.
The ban on openly carrying firearms applies to polling places, clerk's offices and absent voter counting boards on Election Day, Nov. 3, and extends out 100 feet from those locations.
That guidance said that "the presence of firearms at" those locations "may cause disruption, fear, or intimidation for voters, election workers, and others present."
State Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “Michigan voters have the right to vote in person on Election Day free from threat and intimidation."
"An armed presence at the polls is inconsistent with our notion of a free democracy. I stand with the Secretary in her commitment to ensure that every eligible voter who wants to vote in person can do so safely and without fear or intimidation.”
Michigan has 16 electoral votes at stake in the contest between incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and the Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Trump barely won Michigan in his 2016 contest against Hillary Clinton, edging the Democrat out by just 0.23% of the votes cast. The state was one of several in the Rust Belt which played a crucial role in giving Trump enough votes to defeat the former U.S. secretary of State in the Electoral College.
But recent polls show Biden leading Trump by an average of more than 6 percentage points in Michigan.
Trump has been critical of Whitmer for her response to the Covid-19 outbreak since last spring.
Earlier this month, federal authorities arrested six men in connection with allegedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer, with one of those defendants allegedly saying the group would try the governor for "treason."
State terrorism charges have been filed against eight other men related to allegedly offering aid to that scheme and to efforts to ignite a civil war and commit violent acts against law enforcement officials in the state. All fourteen defendants are alleged to be members or associates of militia groups, including one called the Wolverine Watchmen.
The alleged plot to kidnap Whitmer, and discussions about also kidnapping Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, another Democrat, were fueled by anger over their Covid-19 lockdown measures.
In April, after armed protests at the state capitol by members of militia groups and others, Trump tweeted "Liberate Michigan!"
Whitmer and Nessel have said Trump's rhetoric could have played a role in sparking the alleged plot.
Whitmer has called Trump "complicit," while Nessel has said of Trump and state Republican elected officials, "When they say these things, people not only listen, they respond. ... It's not just a dog whistle, but a rallying cry."
However, at least one of the men charged with the kidnap plot, Brandon Caserta, has reportedly posted messages criticizing Trump, referring to the president as a "tyrant."
"Trump is not your friend, dude. It amazes me that people actually, like, believe that when he's shown over and over and over again that he's a tyrant," Caserta said on a video being circulated online, The Detroit News reported. "Every single person that works for government is your enemy, dude."
Several of Caserta's co-defendants reportedly posted pro-Trump messages on social media.
Trump has continued attacking Whitmer for her policies even after the alleged kidnap plot was exposed.
Trump on Thursday during a Fox Business interview blasted Whitmer, accusing her of aspiring to be a "dictator."
"Michigan, she has to open up," Trump said. "She wants to be a dictator in Michigan, and the people can't stand her."


cnbc--2020-10-16--Wall Street donors line up behind Biden in massive third-quarter fundraising haul

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden smiles during a Voter Mobilization Event campaign stop at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal in Cincinnati , Ohio , October 12 , 2020 .
Joe Biden 's joint fundraising committees benefited from big money contributions from finance leaders on Wall Street and across the country during the third quarter .
Biden 's fundraising strength has grown as the election draws closer and his polling lead over President Donald Trump remains consistent .
The Democratic nominee raised $ 383 million in September , with $ 203 million coming from small-dollar donors .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million going into October .
Democrats have largely crushed Republicans in fundraising over the past three months , mirroring the struggles they have in the polls .
The joint committees , which raise money for the Biden campaign , the Democratic National Committee and state parties , are being fueled , at least in part , by Wall Street executives .
Those committees accept six-figure contributions .
This surge of donations from people in the finance and investment industry comes even as Biden calls for raising taxes on those making over $ 400,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the corporate tax rate .
It also comes as Biden faces pressure from progressive activists not to allow Wall Street leaders to join his Cabinet if he were to defeat Trump .
Tim Geithner , former Treasury secretary under President Barack Obama and current president of private equity firm Warburg Pincus , contributed $ 150,000 to the Biden Action Fund in August .
Antonio Gracias , founder of Valor Equity Partners , and Jonathan Shulkin , a partner at the same firm , each shelled out more than $ 300,000 that same month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairman of venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins , gave over $ 355,000 to the Biden Action Fund last quarter .
Stephen Mandel , founder of Connecticut-based hedge fund Lone Pine Capital , contributed more than $ 310,000 .
Pete Muller , founder of investment manager PDT Partners , gave the committee $ 360,000 .
Jonathan Soros , an investor and son of billionaire George Soros , gave just under $ 145,000 .
Biden Action also saw large contributions from leaders at Blackstone , JPMorgan Chase , The Carlyle Group and Kohlberg Kravis & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden Action Fund raised more than $ 4 million from those in the finance industry in the third quarter of 2020 .
The fund raised over $ 30 million overall last quarter .
People in the financial industry have largely favored Biden , spending more than $ 50 million to back his candidacy , according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics , compared with more than $ 10 million for Trump .
Several finance executives privately say that they 're tired of dealing with the impact of Trump 's tweets on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convinced of a sweep by Democrats come Election Day .
Wall Street donors ' lack of enthusiasm for Trump comes even after the industry benefited from corporate and individual tax cuts passed during his administration .
Trump Victory , a joint fundraising committee between the campaign and the Republican National Committee , saw very little from Wall Street executives during the third quarter .
Big contributions came from several Trump allies , including $ 765,000 from Geoff Palmer , owner of Los Angeles-based real estate company G.H .
Palmer Associates .
David Fischer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , donated $ 250,000 .
Joe Ricketts , founder of TD Ameritrade , gave $ 315,000 .
Several previous Trump allies and supporters – including billionaire and the president 's longtime friend Ronald Lauder , Silicon Valley executive and investor Peter Thiel , and conservative financier Robert Mercer – were notably absent , however .
All three have noticeably scaled back their support for the president and many other leading Republicans .
Trump Victory ended up raising close to $ 120 million in the third quarter .
The president 's other joint fundraising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee , brought in $ 235 million .
Yet , Biden 's other joint fundraising committee , known as the Biden Victory Fund , raked in nearly $ 420 million over the same time period .

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden smiles during a Voter Mobilization Event campaign stop at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 12, 2020.
Joe Biden's joint fundraising committees benefited from big money contributions from finance leaders on Wall Street and across the country during the third quarter.
Biden's fundraising strength has grown as the election draws closer and his polling lead over President Donald Trump remains consistent. The Democratic nominee raised $383 million in September, with $203 million coming from online small-dollar donors. Biden's campaign had more than $400 million going into October. Democrats have largely crushed Republicans in fundraising over the past three months, mirroring the struggles they have in the polls.
The joint committees, which raise money for the Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties, are being fueled, at least in part, by Wall Street executives. Those committees accept six-figure contributions.
This surge of donations from people in the finance and investment industry comes even as Biden calls for raising taxes on those making over $400,000, as well as an increase in the corporate tax rate. It also comes as Biden faces pressure from progressive activists not to allow Wall Street leaders to join his Cabinet if he were to defeat Trump.
Tim Geithner, former Treasury secretary under President Barack Obama and current president of private equity firm Warburg Pincus, contributed $150,000 to the Biden Action Fund in August. Antonio Gracias, founder of Valor Equity Partners, and Jonathan Shulkin, a partner at the same firm, each shelled out more than $300,000 that same month to the committee.
John Doerr, chairman of venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, gave over $355,000 to the Biden Action Fund last quarter. Stephen Mandel, founder of Connecticut-based hedge fund Lone Pine Capital, contributed more than $310,000. Pete Muller, founder of investment manager PDT Partners, gave the committee $360,000. Jonathan Soros, an investor and son of billionaire George Soros, gave just under $145,000.
Biden Action also saw large contributions from leaders at Blackstone, JPMorgan Chase, The Carlyle Group and Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts, among other firms. The Biden Action Fund raised more than $4 million from those in the finance industry in the third quarter of 2020. The fund raised over $30 million overall last quarter.
People in the financial industry have largely favored Biden, spending more than $50 million to back his candidacy, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, compared with more than $10 million for Trump.
Several finance executives privately say that they're tired of dealing with the impact of Trump's tweets on their investments. They are starting to be convinced of a sweep by Democrats come Election Day.
Wall Street donors' lack of enthusiasm for Trump comes even after the industry benefited from corporate and individual tax cuts passed during his administration.
Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee between the campaign and the Republican National Committee, saw very little from Wall Street executives during the third quarter.
Big contributions came from several Trump allies, including $765,000 from Geoff Palmer, owner of Los Angeles-based real estate company G.H. Palmer Associates. David Fischer, the president's ambassador to Morocco, donated $250,000. Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade, gave $315,000.
Several previous Trump allies and supporters – including billionaire and the president's longtime friend Ronald Lauder, Silicon Valley executive and investor Peter Thiel, and conservative financier Robert Mercer – were notably absent, however. All three have noticeably scaled back their support for the president and many other leading Republicans.
Trump Victory ended up raising close to $120 million in the third quarter. The president's other joint fundraising group, Trump Make America Great Again Committee, brought in $235 million.
Yet, Biden's other joint fundraising committee, known as the Biden Victory Fund, raked in nearly $420 million over the same time period.


cnbc--2020-10-16--GOP pollster: Americans who are still undecided say they dislike Trump but fear Biden's policies

American voters who remain undecided about the upcoming presidential election are weighing their dislike of President Donald Trump against their concern about Democratic nominee Joe Biden 's policies , longtime Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz told CNBC on Friday .
`` They are nervous about Trump 's persona and they are nervous about Joe Biden 's policies , and that 's what is holding them back , '' Luntz said on `` Squawk Box . ''
`` It 's not that they ca n't see a difference between the two candidates .
They see a tremendous difference . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 election , Luntz said the task before voters is making up their mind about which of those differences is most important : `` The fact they really do n't like Donald Trump as a person or they are really scared about what Joe Biden might do if he became president ? ''
Luntz 's comments Friday came after he held a 16-person focus group with undecided voters following Trump and Biden 's opposing town halls Thursday night .
The events were in place of the presidential debate that was supposed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was initially moved to a virtual format after Trump 's coronavirus diagnosis , but the president objected to that format .
ABC News booked Biden for a town hall instead , and then NBC News later scheduled one with Trump to start at the same time on the same day .
Luntz , who thought the first cantankerous debate between Trump and Biden encouraged people not to vote , said Friday he did not believe the town halls helped deliver more clarity to undecided Americans .
At this point in the race , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Trump .
`` Our history tells us , that in the end , if they have n't decided to support the incumbent , that they end up 2-to-1 supporting the challenger , '' said Luntz .
Trump 's economic message is critical , given it 's one issue where polling has routinely shown voters trust him more than Biden .
Indeed , one member of Luntz 's focus group who identified as a financial advisor specifically expressed concerns about Biden 's tax proposals .
Yet Luntz said the president failed to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said undecided voters are looking for more than vague platitudes about how well the economy will be again after it digs out of the coronavirus-induced hole .
`` They remember the economy before Covid , and they give Trump a lot of credit for that but they want to know the details .
How can he do it again under this current circumstance ? ''
Luntz said .
`` They do n't want these generalities .
They want to know exactly what he 's doing to do .
They 're never going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

American voters who remain undecided about the upcoming presidential election are weighing their dislike of President Donald Trump against their concern about Democratic nominee Joe Biden's policies, longtime Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz told CNBC on Friday.
"They are nervous about Trump's persona and they are nervous about Joe Biden's policies, and that's what is holding them back," Luntz said on "Squawk Box." "It's not that they can't see a difference between the two candidates. They see a tremendous difference."
But with 18 days until the Nov. 3 election, Luntz said the task before voters is making up their mind about which of those differences is most important: "The fact they really don't like Donald Trump as a person or they are really scared about what Joe Biden might do if he became president?"
Luntz's comments Friday came after he held a 16-person focus group with undecided voters following Trump and Biden's opposing town halls Thursday night. The events were in place of the presidential debate that was supposed to be held that night. The canceled debate was initially moved to a virtual format after Trump's coronavirus diagnosis, but the president objected to that format. ABC News booked Biden for a town hall instead, and then NBC News later scheduled one with Trump to start at the same time on the same day.
Luntz, who thought the first cantankerous debate between Trump and Biden encouraged people not to vote, said Friday he did not believe the town halls helped deliver more clarity to undecided Americans. At this point in the race, he said that could spell bad news for Trump.
"Our history tells us, that in the end, if they haven't decided to support the incumbent, that they end up 2-to-1 supporting the challenger," said Luntz.
Trump's economic message is critical, given it's one issue where polling has routinely shown voters trust him more than Biden.
Indeed, one member of Luntz's focus group who identified as a financial advisor specifically expressed concerns about Biden's tax proposals. Yet Luntz said the president failed to deliver a compelling economic case Thursday night. He said undecided voters are looking for more than vague platitudes about how well the economy will be again after it digs out of the coronavirus-induced hole.
"They remember the economy before Covid, and they give Trump a lot of credit for that but they want to know the details. How can he do it again under this current circumstance?" Luntz said. "They don't want these generalities. They want to know exactly what he's doing to do. They're never going to endorse him in his persona."


cnbc--2020-10-16--U.S. blocked Chinese purchase of San Diego fertility clinic over medical data security concerns

The United States government , using a confidential process , has blocked a Chinese entity from purchasing a fertility clinic in San Diego , CNBC has learned .
The action to protect a U.S. fertility clinic reveals previously unknown concerns about Chinese access to American medical data stored in fertility clinics , which can include families ' most intimate biological and personal information .
It comes against a backdrop of increasing tensions between the two countries after a summer in which each country closed consulates of the other and accused each other of negligence in allowing the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told CNBC the action was taken by the secretive Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States , which typically oversees transactions involving the buying and selling of companies that have national security implications .
Officials would not say exactly when CFIUS took this action but said it happened during the Trump administration .
CFIUS is an interagency committee that reviews transactions involving foreign investment in American companies .
The committee is housed inside the Treasury Department , but it is also made up of representatives from various agencies and the Departments of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The CFIUS review process is cloaked in secrecy .
The committee rarely comments on actions it takes or publicly explains the reasons for blocking certain deals .
CFIUS is most often associated with the defense sector , but in recent years , Congress has significantly bolstered the committee 's legal authority to review a wider range of transactions .
Experts say the committee has become more focused on the question of access to U.S. data .
Officials declined to provide the name of the Chinese entity that attempted to acquire the fertility clinic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt .
But the reasons for the government 's concerns go to the heart of the great power competition between the United States and China and to the cutting edges of medical science .
John Demers , head of the DOJ 's National Security Division and one of the nation 's top spy hunters , declined to confirm the specific CFIUS action .
Yet he did speak in general terms in an interview with CNBC about why the U.S. government is wary of Chinese ownership of American fertility clinics .
`` Your genetic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the most intimate information about you , who you are , what your vulnerabilities may be , what your illnesses have been in the past , what your family medical history is , '' he said .
He also said the United States has two concerns when it comes to Chinese ownership of U.S. fertility clinics .
First , officials believe the Chinese could use the data from fertility clinics to amass a large database of biological information that can be used against Americans .
`` That can be used from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convince you to help the Chinese , '' Demers said .
`` I 'd be worried that the Chinese were going to get sensitive personal information about individual Americans , whether it 's their financial information , their health-care information , their genetic information , all of which they could use , from an intelligence perspective , to target that person . ''
Second , Demers worries that the Chinese could use data from fertility clinics to create a military threat .
`` I 'm not saying that we 've seen this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development of some kind of biological weapon , '' Demers said .
`` If you had all of the data of a population , you might be able to see what the population is most vulnerable to , '' he said , `` and then develop something that 's taking advantage of that vulnerability . ''
While Demers declined to confirm the blocked acquisition , former deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel told CNBC that CFIUS has taken action .
`` These are not things that are reported , '' said Ricardel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council in 2018 .
`` It 's a confidential process .
But I understand there 's been at least one case . ''
Asked whether the Chinese were trying to buy a fertility clinic , Ricardel said : `` Correct . ''
She said the U.S. had many potential reasons to reject such a deal .
`` They would say no because they have concerns about the way the data is handled , or whose data it might be , or perhaps the location of the clinic , how big it is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we may not have visibility into , '' Ricardel said .
Yet despite this U.S. government concern , a CNBC investigation found that four of the roughly dozen fertility clinics in the San Diego area already have investors with links to China .
The San Diego region is replete with some of the nation 's most sensitive military facilities , such as Marine Corps Air Station Miramar — the `` Fighter Town USA '' made famous in the movie `` Top Gun '' — and Naval Base San Diego , home port @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investors have plenty of legitimate business reasons to be interested in American fertility clinics .
Fertility treatments are hugely popular in China after the repeal of its policy of restricting couples from having more than one child .
In the years before Covid-19 , Chinese customers flocked to American clinics , which are seen as among the best in the world .
The fertility business , in which high net worth clients often pay cash for expensive procedures , can be extraordinarily lucrative .
In vitro fertilization cycles alone can cost well over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge additional fees for other procedures .
That makes American clinics ripe takeover targets .
Several people involved in the industry say the U.S. government is overreacting to the presence of Chinese ownership groups .
Asked whether he shares the government 's concern , Dr. Samuel Wood , president of Gen 5 Fertility in San Diego , said , `` I really do n't .
Remember , the only reason that these investors became interested in this is because Chinese patients were coming to the U.S. '' Wood has practiced medicine at two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said Chinese investors are attracted to the lucrative business model of the clinics themselves .
`` I really do n't see any security risk at all , '' Wood said .
He said Gen 5 has a Chinese investor who owns a share of the management company that operates the business side of his practice .
He also said Gen 5 keeps all medical data in house .
`` We control everything .
All the staff here work for me .
And none work for the investment company . ''
Still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cautious about the influx of Chinese money into the industry .
`` I think overall the net effect has n't been negative , '' he said .
`` But we do need to be careful going forward that all of us behave in an ethical way with our patients and we do n't let the money affect what we do . ''
The 2019 annual report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission offers some context around why the government might be focused on fertility clinics .
Chinese investment in fertility comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making a concerted effort to acquire American data more broadly .
The commission found that `` the acquisition of U.S. personal and health data by the Chinese government and companies presents national security risks . ''
The report detailed an intensive Chinese effort to gain data through partnerships with U.S. companies and universities as well as using illegal techniques such as the 2015 hacking of the health-care company Anthem .
That attack allowed the hackers to gain access to up to 80 million patient records .
`` China 's access to U.S. health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploit Americans ' personal health records and displace U.S. leadership in biotechnology and other fields , '' the commission found .
`` Protecting U.S. health data is a serious concern , particularly due to the Chinese government-linked cyberespionage and hacking campaigns aimed at obtaining sensitive U.S. personally identifiable information , including personal health data and clinical trial data . ''
In 2017 , China passed a national intelligence law mandating that Chinese people and organizations work with Chinese state intelligence services .
That worries U.S. critics , who say it means Chinese business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese intelligence if the government asks them for data , analysis or other support .
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to an email request for comment .
In September , The Washington Post reported that a Chinese company connected with the People 's Liberation Army is collecting `` open source '' information on high-ranking individual members of the U.S. military , including `` biographies and service records of aircraft carrier captains and up and coming officers in the U.S. Navy '' and `` profiles and family maps '' of leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complexity of the law , interlocking ownership and cutting-edge science , the challenge for the U.S. government is to work out which fertility-center transactions are legitimate business deals and which ones might not be .
At the Justice Department , Demers said the government is focused on the possibility of Chinese acquisition of U.S. data .
`` If all they were doing was then running that company as a going concern , and earning the profits from it , that would be fine , '' Demers said .
But when it comes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The Chinese approach is to gather [ the genetic information ] now , and then figure out what to do with it later . ''
As the Chinese efforts to obtain sensitive U.S. personal information have been underway in recent years , a wave of Chinese investment was following Chinese customers into U.S. fertility clinics .
CNBC 's analysis shows that several fertility clinics in the San Diego area already have links to China – links that are not necessarily apparent to their customers in California .
Take the example of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not evident from the practice 's website or its offices , the corporate entity behind the medical practice has a convoluted and global ownership chain that winds all the way back to China and a top executive who is a member of the Chinese Communist Party .
One of HRC 's offices is in Oceanside , California , just a 14-minute drive from the front gate of Camp Pendleton , the main U.S. Marine Corps base on the West Coast .
In 2017 , management rights to HRC Fertility were purchased by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islands that was itself owned by a Chinese coal company .
Later , a new entity called Jinxin Fertility scooped up those assets , combined them with a number of mainland Chinese medical facilities and took the new company public on the Hong Kong stock exchange in a $ 390 million initial public offering in 2019 .
The chairman of the board of Jinxin is Wang Bin , a member of the ruling Chinese Communist Party and a former executive of a Chinese state-owned enterprise .
HRC said the subsidiary of the coal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investment vehicle . ''
The company said the coal company was in turn owned by yet another Chinese entity , Yongtai Group Co , Ltd. , which owns a wide array of companies .
In a statement , HRC told CNBC the company complies with `` all relevant federal and state laws and regulations regarding patient data security .
We take patient information and data security seriously , and do not share any patient information with our parent company .
In fact , we go beyond the requirements and use third-party experts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a regular basis . ''
The company said in recent months it has done `` significant restructuring to allay China related concerns '' and that it keeps all U.S. patient data on servers in the United States .
As for the clinic 's location near a military base , the company said that is a `` meaningless coincidence . ''
Nonetheless , companies making acquisitions of other firms with little connection to the underlying business are the kinds of transactions that can be concerning to the U.S. government .
Demers explained that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are legitimate business deals from others that could be more menacing by looking at the business rationale for the transaction .
`` If there 's something strange about it , you have a company that 's in one area of the markets buying something in a completely unrelated area to their current business , that 's not usually something businesses do .
Right ?
So that 's something that we would look harder at , '' he said .
Asked what he would make of a subsidiary of a Chinese mining company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he could n't comment on any individual transaction .
But , he said , `` that 's the kind of dissonance that would be very interesting to us . ''
CNBC 's Bria Cousins , Jennifer Schlesinger , Scott Zamost and Karina Hernandez contributed to this report .

watch now
The United States government, using a confidential process, has blocked a Chinese entity from purchasing a fertility clinic in San Diego, CNBC has learned. The action to protect a U.S. fertility clinic reveals previously unknown concerns about Chinese access to American medical data stored in fertility clinics, which can include families' most intimate biological and personal information. It comes against a backdrop of increasing tensions between the two countries after a summer in which each country closed consulates of the other and accused each other of negligence in allowing the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Current and former officials told CNBC the action was taken by the secretive Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which typically oversees transactions involving the buying and selling of companies that have national security implications. Officials would not say exactly when CFIUS took this action but said it happened during the Trump administration. CFIUS is an interagency committee that reviews transactions involving foreign investment in American companies. The committee is housed inside the Treasury Department, but it is also made up of representatives from various agencies and the Departments of Justice, Defense and Homeland Security. The CFIUS review process is cloaked in secrecy. The committee rarely comments on actions it takes or publicly explains the reasons for blocking certain deals. CFIUS is most often associated with the defense sector, but in recent years, Congress has significantly bolstered the committee's legal authority to review a wider range of transactions. Experts say the committee has become more focused on the question of access to U.S. data. Officials declined to provide the name of the Chinese entity that attempted to acquire the fertility clinic, or the target of the acquisition attempt.
John Demers, the head of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice. Source: CNBC
But the reasons for the government's concerns go to the heart of the great power competition between the United States and China and to the cutting edges of medical science. John Demers, head of the DOJ's National Security Division and one of the nation's top spy hunters, declined to confirm the specific CFIUS action. Yet he did speak in general terms in an interview with CNBC about why the U.S. government is wary of Chinese ownership of American fertility clinics. "Your genetic material, your biological material, is among the most intimate information about you, who you are, what your vulnerabilities may be, what your illnesses have been in the past, what your family medical history is," he said. He also said the United States has two concerns when it comes to Chinese ownership of U.S. fertility clinics. First, officials believe the Chinese could use the data from fertility clinics to amass a large database of biological information that can be used against Americans. "That can be used from a counterintelligence perspective to either coerce you or convince you to help the Chinese," Demers said. "I'd be worried that the Chinese were going to get sensitive personal information about individual Americans, whether it's their financial information, their health-care information, their genetic information, all of which they could use, from an intelligence perspective, to target that person." Second, Demers worries that the Chinese could use data from fertility clinics to create a military threat. "I'm not saying that we've seen this, but the worst case would be the development of some kind of biological weapon," Demers said. "If you had all of the data of a population, you might be able to see what the population is most vulnerable to," he said, "and then develop something that's taking advantage of that vulnerability." While Demers declined to confirm the blocked acquisition, former deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel told CNBC that CFIUS has taken action. "These are not things that are reported," said Ricardel, who served on Trump's National Security Council in 2018. "It's a confidential process. But I understand there's been at least one case." Asked whether the Chinese were trying to buy a fertility clinic, Ricardel said: "Correct."
Former Deputy National Security Advisor Mira Ricardel Source: CNBC
She said the U.S. had many potential reasons to reject such a deal. "They would say no because they have concerns about the way the data is handled, or whose data it might be, or perhaps the location of the clinic, how big it is, whether it's plugged into other organizations that we may not have visibility into," Ricardel said. Yet despite this U.S. government concern, a CNBC investigation found that four of the roughly dozen fertility clinics in the San Diego area already have investors with links to China. The San Diego region is replete with some of the nation's most sensitive military facilities, such as Marine Corps Air Station Miramar — the "Fighter Town USA" made famous in the movie "Top Gun" — and Naval Base San Diego, home port of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
A lucrative business model
Chinese investors have plenty of legitimate business reasons to be interested in American fertility clinics. Fertility treatments are hugely popular in China after the repeal of its policy of restricting couples from having more than one child. In the years before Covid-19, Chinese customers flocked to American clinics, which are seen as among the best in the world. The fertility business, in which high net worth clients often pay cash for expensive procedures, can be extraordinarily lucrative. In vitro fertilization cycles alone can cost well over $10,000, and the clinics can charge additional fees for other procedures. That makes American clinics ripe takeover targets. Several people involved in the industry say the U.S. government is overreacting to the presence of Chinese ownership groups.
Dr. Samuel Wood is the director of Fertility Services and President at Gen5 Fertility, a fertility clinic in San Diego. Source: CNBC
Asked whether he shares the government's concern, Dr. Samuel Wood, president of Gen 5 Fertility in San Diego, said, "I really don't. Remember, the only reason that these investors became interested in this is because Chinese patients were coming to the U.S." Wood has practiced medicine at two San Diego-area fertility clinics with Chinese-linked ownership. He said Chinese investors are attracted to the lucrative business model of the clinics themselves. "I really don't see any security risk at all," Wood said. He said Gen 5 has a Chinese investor who owns a share of the management company that operates the business side of his practice. He also said Gen 5 keeps all medical data in house. "We control everything. All the staff here work for me. And none work for the investment company." Still, Wood said American doctors should be cautious about the influx of Chinese money into the industry. "I think overall the net effect hasn't been negative," he said. "But we do need to be careful going forward that all of us behave in an ethical way with our patients and we don't let the money affect what we do."
Seeking American data
The 2019 annual report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission offers some context around why the government might be focused on fertility clinics. Chinese investment in fertility comes as investors with connections to Beijing are making a concerted effort to acquire American data more broadly. The commission found that "the acquisition of U.S. personal and health data by the Chinese government and companies presents national security risks." The report detailed an intensive Chinese effort to gain data through partnerships with U.S. companies and universities as well as using illegal techniques such as the 2015 hacking of the health-care company Anthem. That attack allowed the hackers to gain access to up to 80 million patient records. "China's access to U.S. health data provides China with the tools to exploit Americans' personal health records and displace U.S. leadership in biotechnology and other fields," the commission found. "Protecting U.S. health data is a serious concern, particularly due to the Chinese government-linked cyberespionage and hacking campaigns aimed at obtaining sensitive U.S. personally identifiable information, including personal health data and clinical trial data."
Gen5 fertility clinic in San Diego. Source: CNBC
In 2017, China passed a national intelligence law mandating that Chinese people and organizations work with Chinese state intelligence services. That worries U.S. critics, who say it means Chinese business people are now legally obligated to assist Chinese intelligence if the government asks them for data, analysis or other support. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to an email request for comment. In September, The Washington Post reported that a Chinese company connected with the People's Liberation Army is collecting "open source" information on high-ranking individual members of the U.S. military, including "biographies and service records of aircraft carrier captains and up and coming officers in the U.S. Navy" and "profiles and family maps" of leaders including relatives and children. With the complexity of the law, interlocking ownership and cutting-edge science, the challenge for the U.S. government is to work out which fertility-center transactions are legitimate business deals and which ones might not be. At the Justice Department, Demers said the government is focused on the possibility of Chinese acquisition of U.S. data. "If all they were doing was then running that company as a going concern, and earning the profits from it, that would be fine," Demers said. But when it comes to fertility clinics, he has specific concerns. "The Chinese approach is to gather [the genetic information] now, and then figure out what to do with it later."
Chinese government links
As the Chinese efforts to obtain sensitive U.S. personal information have been underway in recent years, a wave of Chinese investment was following Chinese customers into U.S. fertility clinics. CNBC's analysis shows that several fertility clinics in the San Diego area already have links to China – links that are not necessarily apparent to their customers in California. Take the example of HRC Fertility in California. Although it is not evident from the practice's website or its offices, the corporate entity behind the medical practice has a convoluted and global ownership chain that winds all the way back to China and a top executive who is a member of the Chinese Communist Party. One of HRC's offices is in Oceanside, California, just a 14-minute drive from the front gate of Camp Pendleton, the main U.S. Marine Corps base on the West Coast.
HRC Fertility's office in Oceanside, CA. Source: CNBC


cnbc--2020-10-16--Biden holds a large lead over Trump nationally, while swing-state polls show a closer race

RealClearPolitics ' gauge of polls in six crucial battleground states — Florida , Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin , Arizona and North Carolina — currently shows Biden with a 4.9-point lead over Trump .
Yet Biden holds a narrower advantage in states that will likely decide an Electoral College victory .
With just 19 days left until the Nov. 3 election , Biden 's position on a national level looks strong , according to major polling trackers .
Joe Biden is holding on to his sizable lead over President Donald Trump in the national polls , but there are reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the handful of key states that could ultimately decide the election .
Those same states showed a larger gap in the polls for former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton at this point in the 2016 race against Trump , which she lost .
On Oct. 15 , 2016 , Clinton was 5.4 percentage points over Trump in those key swing states , according to RealClearPolitics .
Republicans are also outpacing Democrats in voter registration in swing states .
In North Carolina , for example , Democrats lead Republicans in registered voters by a difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the same reporting period in 2016 , when Democrats had about 645,000 more voters registered in the state .
Clinton was widely favored to win the 2016 election .
While she walked away with nearly 3 million more votes overall than her Republican rival , a series of narrow upsets in rust-belt swing states ultimately helped Trump net 306 electoral votes , leaving 232 for Clinton .
There are other factors at play this time around .
Both major party candidates in 2016 were historically unpopular , and voter turnout was historically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump , whose rock-solid base of supporters helped him overcome low favorability ratings nationally .
In 2020 , fewer voters say they strongly dislike Biden , while Trump 's unpopularity has been fairly consistent throughout his first term in office .
Crucially for Biden , that could pay dividends in the form of turnout among independents , who support the former vice president more than the incumbent president .
Biden is also raising monstrous amounts of money in the final leg of the race — and he 's focusing his spending on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 500 million on TV , digital and radio ads so far this year , according to ad tracking firm Advertising Analytics .
Trump 's campaign , meanwhile , has gone dark in certain states and shifted TV ad spending toward Florida , Georgia , Pennsylvania and North Carolina .
He has , however , outspent Biden on Facebook ads in several key states .
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the race , as well .
The Covid-19 crisis , which has killed more than 216,000 people in the U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a catalyst for a massive change in the way Americans are voting .
More than 10.6 million voters have already cast their ballots in the November election as of Tuesday morning , according to data from the U.S .
Elections Project — more than 10 times higher than at roughly that point in 2016 .
The expected flood of mail-in ballots could increase turnout among different demographics , but concerns have grown over the U.S .
Postal Service 's ability to promptly handle the influx of election mail .
There 's another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be revealed yet : a potential October surprise .
Voters have learned to expect the unexpected in the month before a presidential election .
FiveThirtyEight 's Nate Silver has said that a late-October letter from then-FBI Director James Comey , which announced that the FBI had found `` pertinent '' emails on Clinton 's private email server , likely cost the Democrat the election .
A New York Post report published Wednesday , which claims to show `` smoking gun '' emails related to Biden and his son , Hunter Biden , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has yet to be matched by other news outlets , and many journalists have expressed strong skepticism about the story .
It alleges Hunter Biden attempted to set up a meeting between his father and a top executive at a Ukrainian company he worked for while Joe Biden was vice president .
It 's unclear whether the Post 's report will have a noticeable impact on the race .
But the president and his supporters have railed against the decisions by Facebook and Twitter to limit distribution of the story on their platforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motivated censorship .
Biden 's son was at the center of Trump 's impeachment fight , which revolved in large part around a phone call in which Trump asked Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to `` look into '' the Bidens .
Trump was impeached in the House and acquitted in the Senate .
Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates pushed back hard on the Post 's report .
`` Investigations by the press , during impeachment , and even by two Republican-led Senate committees whose work was decried as 'not legitimate ' and political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same conclusion : that Joe Biden carried out official U.S. policy toward Ukraine and engaged in no wrongdoing .
Trump Administration officials have attested to these facts under oath , '' Bates said .
`` The New York Post never asked the Biden campaign about the critical elements of this story , '' he added .
`` They certainly never raised that Rudy Giuliani -- whose discredited conspiracy theories and alliance with figures connected to Russian intelligence have been widely reported -- claimed to have such materials . ''
`` Moreover , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schedules from the time and no meeting , as alleged by the New York Post , ever took place , '' Bates said .

RealClearPolitics' gauge of polls in six crucial battleground states — Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and North Carolina — currently shows Biden with a 4.9-point lead over Trump.
Yet Biden holds a narrower advantage in states that will likely decide an Electoral College victory.
With just 19 days left until the Nov. 3 election , Biden's position on a national level looks strong, according to major polling trackers.
Joe Biden is holding on to his sizable lead over President Donald Trump in the national polls, but there are reasons for the Democratic nominee to worry about the handful of key states that could ultimately decide the election.
Those same states showed a larger gap in the polls for former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton at this point in the 2016 race against Trump, which she lost. On Oct. 15, 2016, Clinton was 5.4 percentage points over Trump in those key swing states, according to RealClearPolitics.
Republicans are also outpacing Democrats in voter registration in swing states. In North Carolina, for example, Democrats lead Republicans in registered voters by a difference of nearly 400,000. That's down from the same reporting period in 2016, when Democrats had about 645,000 more voters registered in the state.
Clinton was widely favored to win the 2016 election. While she walked away with nearly 3 million more votes overall than her Republican rival, a series of narrow upsets in rust-belt swing states ultimately helped Trump net 306 electoral votes, leaving 232 for Clinton.
There are other factors at play this time around.
Both major party candidates in 2016 were historically unpopular, and voter turnout was historically low. That was a huge benefit to Trump, whose rock-solid base of supporters helped him overcome low favorability ratings nationally.
In 2020, fewer voters say they strongly dislike Biden, while Trump's unpopularity has been fairly consistent throughout his first term in office. Crucially for Biden, that could pay dividends in the form of turnout among independents, who support the former vice president more than the incumbent president.
Biden is also raising monstrous amounts of money in the final leg of the race — and he's focusing his spending on swing states. The campaign has spent more than $500 million on TV, digital and radio ads so far this year, according to ad tracking firm Advertising Analytics.
Trump's campaign, meanwhile, has gone dark in certain states and shifted TV ad spending toward Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. He has, however, outspent Biden on Facebook ads in several key states.
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the race, as well. The Covid-19 crisis, which has killed more than 216,000 people in the U.S., is not only an election-defining political issue but a catalyst for a massive change in the way Americans are voting.
More than 10.6 million voters have already cast their ballots in the November election as of Tuesday morning, according to data from the U.S. Elections Project — more than 10 times higher than at roughly that point in 2016. The expected flood of mail-in ballots could increase turnout among different demographics, but concerns have grown over the U.S. Postal Service's ability to promptly handle the influx of election mail.
There's another confounding variable, which may not even be revealed yet: a potential October surprise.
Voters have learned to expect the unexpected in the month before a presidential election. FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver has said that a late-October letter from then-FBI Director James Comey, which announced that the FBI had found "pertinent" emails on Clinton's private email server, likely cost the Democrat the election.
A New York Post report published Wednesday, which claims to show "smoking gun" emails related to Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, has already caused a stir.
The report has yet to be matched by other news outlets, and many journalists have expressed strong skepticism about the story. It alleges Hunter Biden attempted to set up a meeting between his father and a top executive at a Ukrainian company he worked for while Joe Biden was vice president.
It's unclear whether the Post's report will have a noticeable impact on the race. But the president and his supporters have railed against the decisions by Facebook and Twitter to limit distribution of the story on their platforms, accusing the tech giants of politically motivated censorship.
Biden's son was at the center of Trump's impeachment fight, which revolved in large part around a phone call in which Trump asked Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to "look into" the Bidens. Trump was impeached in the House and acquitted in the Senate.
Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates pushed back hard on the Post's report.
"Investigations by the press, during impeachment, and even by two Republican-led Senate committees whose work was decried as 'not legitimate' and political by a GOP colleague have all reached the same conclusion: that Joe Biden carried out official U.S. policy toward Ukraine and engaged in no wrongdoing. Trump Administration officials have attested to these facts under oath," Bates said.
"The New York Post never asked the Biden campaign about the critical elements of this story," he added. "They certainly never raised that Rudy Giuliani -- whose discredited conspiracy theories and alliance with figures connected to Russian intelligence have been widely reported -- claimed to have such materials."
"Moreover, we have reviewed Joe Biden's official schedules from the time and no meeting, as alleged by the New York Post, ever took place," Bates said.


cnbc--2020-10-16--Mnuchin says he'll give ground in stimulus talks while Trump says he would raise his offer

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that the White House wo n't let differences over funding targets for Covid-19 testing derail stimulus talks with top Democrats .
Later , President Donald Trump said that he would raise his offer for a stimulus package above his current level of $ 1.8 trillion .
House Democrats have passed a $ 2.2 trillion bill .
`` I would .
Absolutely I would .
I would say more .
I would go higher .
Go big or go home , I said it yesterday , '' the president told Fox Business .
`` Nancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She thinks it helps her with the election , '' Trump continued .
`` And I do n't think so .
I think it hurts her with the election because everyone knows she 's holding it up .
We 're not holding it up .
She 's holding it up . ''
The president also took a swipe at his Treasury secretary , `` So far he has n't come home with the bacon . ''
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , the lead negotiator for Democrats , had identified testing as one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mnuchin appeared to cede ground to the speaker in an interview on CNBC 's `` Squawk Box . ''
`` That issue is getting overblown , '' Mnuchin said .
`` We 've agreed to $ 178 billion overall for health .
It 's an extraordinary amount of money .
We 'd agreed with the Democrats with $ 75 billion going to testing , contact tracing . ''
`` What we have been focused on is the language around testing , '' he added .
`` When I speak to Pelosi today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we 're not going to let the testing issue stand in the way .
We 'll fundamentally agree with their testing language subject to some minor issues .
This issue is being overblown . ''

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that the White House won't let differences over funding targets for Covid-19 testing derail stimulus talks with top Democrats.
Later, President Donald Trump said that he would raise his offer for a stimulus package above his current level of $1.8 trillion. House Democrats have passed a $2.2 trillion bill.
"I would. Absolutely I would. I would say more. I would go higher. Go big or go home, I said it yesterday," the president told Fox Business.
"Nancy Pelosi doesn't want to give anything. She thinks it helps her with the election," Trump continued. "And I don't think so. I think it hurts her with the election because everyone knows she's holding it up. We're not holding it up. She's holding it up."
The president also took a swipe at his Treasury secretary, "So far he hasn't come home with the bacon."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the lead negotiator for Democrats, had identified testing as one of the main sticking points in talks. Mnuchin appeared to cede ground to the speaker in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box."
"That issue is getting overblown," Mnuchin said. "We've agreed to $178 billion overall for health. It's an extraordinary amount of money. We'd agreed with the Democrats with $75 billion going to testing, contact tracing."
"What we have been focused on is the language around testing," he added. "When I speak to Pelosi today, I'm going to tell her that we're not going to let the testing issue stand in the way. We'll fundamentally agree with their testing language subject to some minor issues. This issue is being overblown."