cnbc--2020-09-14--'I don't think science knows,' Trump responds when challenged on climate change at wildfire briefing

Trump , with a smirk , shot back : `` OK , well , I do n't think science knows , actually . ''
But Crowfoot responded : `` I wish science agreed with you . ''
Trump 's remark during a roundtable in McLellan Park , California , on the wildfires that have engulfed huge swaths of the state , generated laughs from some of the participants .
`` It 'll start getting cooler .
You just watch , '' Trump said after Wade Crowfoot , California 's secretary for natural resources , urged him and others not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and simply ignore the warming climate .
A California environmental official challenged President Donald Trump to believe and follow the science on climate change after Trump suggested that record-breaking temperatures in the state would cool down on their own .
US President Donald Trump ( C ) listens as FEMA workers speak at Sacramento McClellan Airport in McClellan Park , California on September 14 , 2020 during a briefing on wildfires .
The White House declined CNBC 's request for further comment on the president 's remarks .
Crowfoot tweeted later Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooler Mr. President .
# ClimateChangeIsReal . ''
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , speaking in Wilmington , Delaware , on Monday , struck a very different tone on the issue .
`` With every bout with nature 's fury , caused by our own inaction on climate change , more Americans see and feel the devastation in big cities , small towns , on coastlines and farmlands , '' Biden said , according to his prepared remarks .
`` It is happening everywhere .
It is happening now .
It affects us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president has largely blamed the wildfires , which continue to blaze in parts of California , on poor forest management practices .
He said at the roundtable , which also included Democratic California Gov .
Gavin Newsom , that he had been told by the leader of a `` major country '' in Europe , `` 'We have trees that are far more explosive ' – explosive in terms of fire – ' ... than they have in California , and we do n't have any problem . '
'' Trump in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` hoax . ''
But Crowfoot stressed in his remarks Monday that boiling temperatures in parts of California are part of a larger trend .
`` We 've had temperatures explode this summer .
You may have learned that we broke a world record in the Death Valley – 130 degrees [ Fahrenheit ] .
But even in greater L.A. , 120-plus degrees .
And we 're seeing this warming trend make our summers warmer , but also our winters warmer , as well , '' Crowfoot said .
`` I think one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vegetation management , but I think we want to work with you to really recognize the changing climate and what it means to our forest , and actually work together with that science , that science is going to be key . ''
`` If we ignore that science and sort of put our head in the sand and think it 's all about vegetation management , we 're not going to succeed together protecting Californians , '' Crowfoot said .

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A California environmental official challenged President Donald Trump to believe and follow the science on climate change after Trump suggested that trends of warmer weather year-round that have led to record-breaking temperatures in the state this month would cool down on their own. "It'll start getting cooler. You just watch," Trump said after Wade Crowfoot, California's secretary for natural resources, urged him and others not to "put our head in the sand" and simply ignore the warming climate. Trump's remark during a roundtable in McLellan Park, California, on the wildfires that have engulfed huge swaths of the state, generated laughs from some of the participants. But Crowfoot responded: "I wish science agreed with you." Trump, with a smirk, shot back: "OK, well, I don't think science knows, actually."
US President Donald Trump(C) listens as FEMA workers speak at Sacramento McClellan Airport in McClellan Park, California on September 14, 2020 during a briefing on wildfires. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images
The White House declined CNBC's request for further comment on the president's remarks. Crowfoot tweeted later Monday: "It actually won't get cooler Mr. President. #ClimateChangeIsReal." Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, speaking in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday, struck a very different tone on the issue. "With every bout with nature's fury, caused by our own inaction on climate change, more Americans see and feel the devastation in big cities, small towns, on coastlines and farmlands," Biden said, according to his prepared remarks. "It is happening everywhere. It is happening now. It affects us all," Biden said.
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cnbc--2020-09-14--Democrats investigating Trump officials' alleged meddling with CDC coronavirus reports

Democratic lawmakers launched an investigation Monday into reports that Trump administration appointees tried to interfere with coronavirus reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
A House subcommittee on the pandemic is requesting interviews with officials from the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services , as well as a slew of documents , citing reports showing aides to President Donald Trump `` sought to help him downplay the risks of the coronavirus crisis by attempting to alter , delay , and block critical scientific reports from CDC . ''
The probe , led by House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes after Politico reported HHS communications aides pushed to review or change the CDC 's reports on Covid-19 .
The Democrats said in a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar and CDC Director Robert Redfield that they seek `` to determine the scope of political interference with CDC 's scientific reports and other efforts to combat the pandemic , the impact of this interference on CDC 's mission , whether this interference is continuing , and the steps that Congress may need to take to stop it before more Americans die needlessly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is named in the letter as one of the aides who reportedly sought to meddle in the CDC 's work on Covid-19 , did not immediately respond to CNBC 's request for comment .
But on Sunday , Caputo took to Facebook Live , where he accused scientists of `` sedition '' and claimed that the CDC had a `` resistance unit '' aimed at undermining the president , The New York Times reported .
Caputo also reportedly predicted Trump will win reelection and that `` the shooting will begin '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you carry guns , buy ammunition , ladies and gentlemen , because it 's going to be hard to get , '' Caputo said on Facebook , according to the Times .
The Democrats ' letter on Monday notes Trump himself , according to a bombshell recording of an interview with veteran journalist Bob Woodward , admitted in March that he wanted to downplay the threat of the virus .
`` I wanted to always play it down .
I still like playing it down , because I do n't want to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard saying .
More than 6.52 million Covid-19 cases and at least 194,000 deaths have been reported in the U.S. , according to Johns Hopkins University .
The letter zeroes in on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports , or MMWRs , the CDC 's regular reports that are used by health experts and physicians around the country , especially during the pandemic .
Trump administration officials reportedly began trying to influence the MMWRs in May , when the CDC was set to describe a `` rapid acceleration '' of cases and issue a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission .
HHS officials believed the author of that report was suggesting the administration had been too slow to respond to the outbreak , two people familiar with the matter told Politico .
Caputo and senior advisor Paul Alexander have `` reportedly been especially focused on suppressing truthful CDC reports on risks to children , '' the Democrats wrote in the letter , citing a New York Times article published over the weekend .
Politico reported that Alexander had accused the CDC of `` writing hit pieces on the administration '' and complained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-opening . ''
Alexander had also reportedly demanded an `` immediate stop '' to the MMWR reports pending his personal review .
Following the reports from Politico and other outlets , public health specialists and members of the medical community spoke out against the Trump administration 's alleged interference in the studies .
Caputo over the weekend told CNBC that HHS ' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs `` clears virtually all public facing documents for all of its divisions , including CDC . ''
`` Our intention is to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy through this pandemic—not ulterior deep state motives in the bowels of CDC , '' Caputo said then .

Democratic lawmakers launched an investigation Monday into reports that Trump administration appointees tried to interfere with coronavirus reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A House subcommittee on the pandemic is requesting interviews with officials from the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a slew of documents, citing reports showing aides to President Donald Trump "sought to help him downplay the risks of the coronavirus crisis by attempting to alter, delay, and block critical scientific reports from CDC."
The probe, led by House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., comes after Politico reported HHS communications aides pushed to review or change the CDC's reports on Covid-19.
The Democrats said in a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar and CDC Director Robert Redfield that they seek "to determine the scope of political interference with CDC's scientific reports and other efforts to combat the pandemic, the impact of this interference on CDC's mission, whether this interference is continuing, and the steps that Congress may need to take to stop it before more Americans die needlessly."
HHS public affairs chief Michael Caputo, who is named in the letter as one of the aides who reportedly sought to meddle in the CDC's work on Covid-19, did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
But on Sunday, Caputo took to Facebook Live, where he accused scientists of "sedition" and claimed that the CDC had a "resistance unit" aimed at undermining the president, The New York Times reported. Caputo also reportedly predicted Trump will win reelection and that "the shooting will begin" after his second inauguration.
"If you carry guns, buy ammunition, ladies and gentlemen, because it's going to be hard to get," Caputo said on Facebook, according to the Times.
The Democrats' letter on Monday notes Trump himself, according to a bombshell recording of an interview with veteran journalist Bob Woodward, admitted in March that he wanted to downplay the threat of the virus.
"I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic," Trump can be heard saying.
More than 6.52 million Covid-19 cases and at least 194,000 deaths have been reported in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University.
The letter zeroes in on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, or MMWRs, the CDC's regular reports that are used by health experts and physicians around the country, especially during the pandemic.
Trump administration officials reportedly began trying to influence the MMWRs in May, when the CDC was set to describe a "rapid acceleration" of cases and issue a warning about a potential forthcoming surge in transmission.
HHS officials believed the author of that report was suggesting the administration had been too slow to respond to the outbreak, two people familiar with the matter told Politico.
Caputo and senior advisor Paul Alexander have "reportedly been especially focused on suppressing truthful CDC reports on risks to children," the Democrats wrote in the letter, citing a New York Times article published over the weekend.
Politico reported that Alexander had accused the CDC of "writing hit pieces on the administration" and complained that its reports "will impact school re-opening." Alexander had also reportedly demanded an "immediate stop" to the MMWR reports pending his personal review.
Following the reports from Politico and other outlets, public health specialists and members of the medical community spoke out against the Trump administration's alleged interference in the studies.
Caputo over the weekend told CNBC that HHS' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs "clears virtually all public facing documents for all of its divisions, including CDC."
"Our intention is to make sure that evidence, science-based data drives policy through this pandemic—not ulterior deep state motives in the bowels of CDC," Caputo said then.


cnbc--2020-09-14--'Now is not the time to worry' about the fiscal deficit or the Fed's balance sheet, Mnuchin says

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC on Monday that lawmakers should not allow fears over the size of the nation 's deficit or the Federal Reserve 's balance sheet to delay additional Covid-19 relief .
Mnuchin , who with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has led the administration 's Covid-19 relief negotiations , said the economic crisis warrants extraordinary stimulus from Congress and the Fed .
`` Now is not the time to worry about shrinking the deficit or shrinking the Fed balance sheet , '' Mnuchin told CNBC 's `` Squawk Box '' from the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Fed was shrinking the balance sheet and coming back to normal .
The good news is that gave them a lot of room to increase the balance sheet , which they did . ''
`` And I think both the monetary policy working with fiscal policy and what we were able to get done in an unprecedented way with Congress is the reason the economy is doing better , '' he added .
Mnuchin 's comments critiqued his fellow Republicans who argue that improving jobs data and strong housing figures relax the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact of the coronavirus .
Sen. Rand Paul , R-Ky. , for example , voted against a GOP `` skinny '' stimulus plan last week and has repeatedly attacked his own party for what he views as prodigal spending .
`` The majority of Republicans are now no different than socialist Democrats when it comes to debt , '' Paul wrote on Twitter in July .
`` They simply do n't care about debt and are preparing to add at least another trillion dollars in debt this month , combined with the trillions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cumulative federal budget deficit for the first 11 months of fiscal year 2020 was $ 3 trillion , according to the Congressional Budget Office , a byproduct of intensified government spending to get the economy through the pandemic-associated shutdown .
Mnuchin , who argues that more stimulus is needed to help the U.S. economy , said Monday that `` we are rebounding in a very , very significant way . ''
Paul 's vote helped sink the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 's plan , which fell short of the 60 votes needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passage .
All Democrats present and Paul voted against the bill in a 52-47 vote .
That legislation would have reimposed enhanced federal unemployment insurance at a rate of $ 300 per week , half of the $ 600 weekly payment that expired at the end of July .
The Democrats said it did n't go far enough .
Mnuchin struck a more compromising tone Monday and said he 's still willing to work with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a new deal .
`` I think there 's many areas of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Republicans , and some of the areas we do have differences on the amounts , '' he said .
`` But I will continue to work on this : I 've told the speaker I 'm available any time to negotiate . ''
The Treasury Secretary said he expects the Problem Solvers Caucus to produce a stimulus proposal later Monday .

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC on Monday that lawmakers should not allow fears over the size of the nation's deficit or the Federal Reserve's balance sheet to delay additional Covid-19 relief.
Mnuchin, who with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has led the administration's Covid-19 relief negotiations, said the economic crisis warrants extraordinary stimulus from Congress and the Fed.
"Now is not the time to worry about shrinking the deficit or shrinking the Fed balance sheet," Mnuchin told CNBC's "Squawk Box" from the White House. "There was a time when the Fed was shrinking the balance sheet and coming back to normal. The good news is that gave them a lot of room to increase the balance sheet, which they did."
"And I think both the monetary policy working with fiscal policy and what we were able to get done in an unprecedented way with Congress is the reason the economy is doing better," he added.
Mnuchin's comments critiqued his fellow Republicans who argue that improving jobs data and strong housing figures relax the need for additional spending to combat the impact of the coronavirus.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for example, voted against a GOP "skinny" stimulus plan last week and has repeatedly attacked his own party for what he views as prodigal spending.
"The majority of Republicans are now no different than socialist Democrats when it comes to debt," Paul wrote on Twitter in July. "They simply don't care about debt and are preparing to add at least another trillion dollars in debt this month, combined with the trillions from earlier this summer."
The cumulative federal budget deficit for the first 11 months of fiscal year 2020 was $3 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office, a byproduct of intensified government spending to get the economy through the pandemic-associated shutdown.
Mnuchin, who argues that more stimulus is needed to help the U.S. economy, said Monday that "we are rebounding in a very, very significant way."
Paul's vote helped sink the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's plan, which fell short of the 60 votes needed on a procedural step to move toward passage.
All Democrats present and Paul voted against the bill in a 52-47 vote. That legislation would have reimposed enhanced federal unemployment insurance at a rate of $300 per week, half of the $600 weekly payment that expired at the end of July. The Democrats said it didn't go far enough.
Mnuchin struck a more compromising tone Monday and said he's still willing to work with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a new deal.
"I think there's many areas of this where is an agreement between the Democrats and the Republicans, and some of the areas we do have differences on the amounts," he said. "But I will continue to work on this: I've told the speaker I'm available any time to negotiate."
The Treasury Secretary said he expects the Problem Solvers Caucus to produce a stimulus proposal later Monday.


cnbc--2020-09-14--Former top Trump economic advisor Gary Cohn hasn't decided whether to vote for Biden or the presiden

Former top Trump economic advisor Gary Cohn hasn't decided whether to vote for Biden or the president

Gary Cohn , who once served as President Donald Trump 's top economic advisor , said Monday that he 's still unsure whether he will support the president 's reelection bid or back former Vice President Joe Biden .
Cohn said that even though he 's a Democrat , he tends to vote for whichever candidate he believes will have the most positive impact on the U.S. economy .
`` I honestly have n't made up my mind .
I 'm really eager to see an economic debate between the two of them , '' Cohn told CNBC 's `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island , New York .
`` I actually vote on issues . ''
The former Goldman Sachs president was Trump 's first director of the National Economic Council until April 2018 , when disagreements over policy priorities and a protectionist trade agenda led to Cohn 's departure .
Larry Kudlow , a former CNBC contributor , now holds that position .
Neither the Trump campaign nor the Biden campaign immediately responded to CNBC 's request for comment .
Asked what types of policies he would like to see from Congress and the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more-targeted approach to another round of Covid-19 stimulus .
Many small businesses across the U.S. are still in dire straits and in need of additional relief from government legislation to prevent larger corporations from crushing mom and pop shops .
`` The first set of fiscal stimulus was a blunt instrument : We sort of spread it everywhere .
Which at the time was the right thing to do .
I think at this point we need a much more detailed , or scalpel-like approach , '' he said .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most is in the small business community . ''
`` Our small businesses in this country — they are key to our success , they are key to our economic growth and they are key to jobs — they still are hurting , '' he added .
`` They 're really in need of more stimulus , they 're in need of more help . ''
Cohn said that the small business support could come from either the federal government via direct payments or through state or local governments backed by Washington support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or how much — additional fiscal stimulus is necessary after Congress passed the $ 2 trillion CARES Act in March .
Most Democrats argue that Republicans do n't appreciate the severity of the economic downturn and that efforts to pass `` skinny '' relief bills are n't sufficient .
All Senate Democrats present last week voted against such a watered-down GOP bill that would have reimposed enhanced federal unemployment insurance at a rate of $ 300 per week , half of the $ 600 weekly payment that expired at the end of July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier Monday that he does n't think now is the time to worry about the size of the federal deficit or the Federal Reserve 's balance sheet .

Gary Cohn, who once served as President Donald Trump's top economic advisor, said Monday that he's still unsure whether he will support the president's reelection bid or back former Vice President Joe Biden.
Cohn said that even though he's a Democrat, he tends to vote for whichever candidate he believes will have the most positive impact on the U.S. economy.
"I honestly haven't made up my mind. I'm really eager to see an economic debate between the two of them," Cohn told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" from Long Island, New York. "I actually vote on issues."
The former Goldman Sachs president was Trump's first director of the National Economic Council until April 2018, when disagreements over policy priorities and a protectionist trade agenda led to Cohn's departure. Larry Kudlow, a former CNBC contributor, now holds that position.
Neither the Trump campaign nor the Biden campaign immediately responded to CNBC's request for comment.
Asked what types of policies he would like to see from Congress and the White House, Cohn said he'd favor a more-targeted approach to another round of Covid-19 stimulus. Many small businesses across the U.S. are still in dire straits and in need of additional relief from government legislation to prevent larger corporations from crushing mom and pop shops.
"The first set of fiscal stimulus was a blunt instrument: We sort of spread it everywhere. Which at the time was the right thing to do. I think at this point we need a much more detailed, or scalpel-like approach," he said. "And the place where we need it the most is in the small business community."
"Our small businesses in this country — they are key to our success, they are key to our economic growth and they are key to jobs — they still are hurting," he added. "They're really in need of more stimulus, they're in need of more help."
Cohn said that the small business support could come from either the federal government via direct payments or through state or local governments backed by Washington support.
Lawmakers remain split over whether — or how much — additional fiscal stimulus is necessary after Congress passed the $2 trillion CARES Act in March. Most Democrats argue that Republicans don't appreciate the severity of the economic downturn and that efforts to pass "skinny" relief bills aren't sufficient.
All Senate Democrats present last week voted against such a watered-down GOP bill that would have reimposed enhanced federal unemployment insurance at a rate of $300 per week, half of the $600 weekly payment that expired at the end of July.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC earlier Monday that he doesn't think now is the time to worry about the size of the federal deficit or the Federal Reserve's balance sheet.


cnbc--2020-09-14--Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who considered 2020 presidential bid, endorses Joe Biden

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Monday in a message to his email list that warned that `` what is at risk is democracy itself . ''
The coffee titan had publicly mulled the possibility of running in the 2020 race as a `` centrist independent '' but dropped the plan last September .
The prospect of a Schultz bid outside the two-party system spooked Democrats who worried that he could take away votes from the Democratic nominee and potentially throw the race to President Donald Trump .
`` While my exploration revealed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best way for me to give back to a country that has given me so much , I continue to believe that our nation can live up to our ideals , and that we all must envision and fight for a new American future , '' Schultz wrote in the email .
Schultz wrote that he and his wife , Sheri Schultz , will vote for Biden and donate to his campaign .
Schultz , who has an estimated net worth of more than $ 4 billion , also wrote that he and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aimed at ensuring the legitimacy of the vote and organizations geared toward mobilizing infrequent voters and minorities .
Schultz is among the last of Biden 's rivals or would-be rivals to line up behind him .
The bulk of the Democratic primary field endorsed Biden months ago , including progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , who placed second .
Schultz did not gain any traction as a potential candidate in his own right , so whether his political backing will make any difference in the race is uncertain .
But his support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to show support across ideological lines , given Schultz 's moderate positioning .
`` Trump 's defeat is but the first step to repair and rebuild our country , '' Schultz wrote .
`` The months and years to follow are a time not for Democrats to exact revenge and enact a far-left agenda . ''
The announcement comes as another one of the 2020 race 's several billionaires , former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg , steps up his support for Biden .
Bloomberg announced Sunday that he would spend at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win in Florida , a key battleground .
Schultz joined Starbucks in the 1980s and served two stints as the company 's CEO , from 1986 to 2000 and again after the financial crisis , from 2008 to 2017 .

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Monday in a message to his email list that warned that "what is at risk is democracy itself."
The coffee titan had publicly mulled the possibility of running in the 2020 race as a "centrist independent" but dropped the plan last September. The prospect of a Schultz bid outside the two-party system spooked Democrats who worried that he could take away votes from the Democratic nominee and potentially throw the race to President Donald Trump.
"While my exploration revealed that a run for office was not the best way for me to give back to a country that has given me so much, I continue to believe that our nation can live up to our ideals, and that we all must envision and fight for a new American future," Schultz wrote in the email.
Schultz wrote that he and his wife, Sheri Schultz, will vote for Biden and donate to his campaign.
Schultz, who has an estimated net worth of more than $4 billion, also wrote that he and his wife will support nonpartisan democracy initiatives aimed at ensuring the legitimacy of the vote and organizations geared toward mobilizing infrequent voters and minorities.
Schultz is among the last of Biden's rivals or would-be rivals to line up behind him. The bulk of the Democratic primary field endorsed Biden months ago, including progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who placed second.
Schultz did not gain any traction as a potential candidate in his own right, so whether his political backing will make any difference in the race is uncertain. But his support does lend further credence to Biden's efforts to show support across ideological lines, given Schultz's moderate positioning.
"Trump's defeat is but the first step to repair and rebuild our country," Schultz wrote. "The months and years to follow are a time not for Democrats to exact revenge and enact a far-left agenda."
The announcement comes as another one of the 2020 race's several billionaires, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, steps up his support for Biden. Bloomberg announced Sunday that he would spend at least $100 million to help Biden win in Florida, a key battleground.
Schultz joined Starbucks in the 1980s and served two stints as the company's CEO, from 1986 to 2000 and again after the financial crisis, from 2008 to 2017.


cnbc--2020-09-14--EBay founder Pierre Omidyar's philanthropic investment group calls for a new version of capitalism

Pierre Omidyar , , looks on during the final session of the annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York .
The philanthropic investment group created by eBay 's founder hopes to convince business leaders and policy makers that it 's time to redefine capitalism .
Omidyar Network , founded by Pierre Omidyar , is issuing a blueprint that calls on investors to start taking a new and seemingly more progressive approach to understanding capitalism .
Omidyar 's group is encouraging leaders across the country to look at the economic system as a way to `` equally ensure that people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by structural racism , colonialism , paternalism , and indifference will have opportunity , power , and the self determination that comes from economic prosperity and a vibrant , fair , and responsive democracy , '' the report says .
It also argues that capitalism should still be about rewarding individual success .
Omidyar has a net worth of just over $ 17 billion , according to Forbes .
He recently retired from the board of eBay .
Omidyar 's wife , Pam , co-founded the Omidyar Network .
The network aims to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about capitalism , using experience in the corporate , philanthropic and policy spaces to convince leaders that they should follow their proposal for the U.S. economic system .
The organization has previously announced it intends to spend $ 35 million over the course of three years into 2021 on philanthropic initiatives .
The move comes in the wake of millions or people losing their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic and a time of civil unrest .
The proposal appears to go further than what 's been defined as stakeholder capitalism , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond just their shareholders and also focus on local communities .
This outline is being published , at least in part , with the hope that essential workers , including health workers , will get increased collective bargaining power following their fight on the front lines of Covid-19 .
`` We think if anything it ( the coronavirus ) illustrates the need for this blueprint even more so , '' Mike Kubzansky , CEO of the organization , told CNBC on Sunday .
`` We think it 's absolutely critical the focus is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment people are focused on , essential workers , and try to increase their bargaining power , '' he added .
The Omidyar group 's proposal is organized through five pillars .
`` The pillars are not specific policy proposals , but rather core elements that any new economic settlement must take into account , '' the network argues .
The operation describes the pillars as grounding the economy in new ideas , shared values and inalienable rights ; building an explicitly anti-racist and inclusive economy ; creating forms of counterweight to economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and communities ; and building a resilient economy .
Omidyar 's group suggests that the economy should reject `` any historical justifications for slavery or racism , as well as bigotry in all its forms . ''
The group also thinks the economy should address racial barriers that it believes are embedded into American society .
Their third pillar , about counterweights to economic power , calls for pushback against monopolies and the strengthening of grassroots organizations and labor unions .

Pierre Omidyar, , looks on during the final session of the annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York.
The philanthropic investment group created by eBay's founder hopes to convince business leaders and policy makers that it's time to redefine capitalism.
Omidyar Network, founded by Pierre Omidyar, is issuing a blueprint that calls on investors to start taking a new and seemingly more progressive approach to understanding capitalism.
Omidyar's group is encouraging leaders across the country to look at the economic system as a way to "equally ensure that people who have been historically and systematically marginalized by structural racism, colonialism, paternalism, and indifference will have opportunity, power, and the self determination that comes from economic prosperity and a vibrant, fair, and responsive democracy," the report says. It also argues that capitalism should still be about rewarding individual success.
Omidyar has a net worth of just over $17 billion, according to Forbes. He recently retired from the board of eBay. Omidyar's wife, Pam, co-founded the Omidyar Network.
The network aims to be a voice in the larger debate about capitalism, using experience in the corporate, philanthropic and policy spaces to convince leaders that they should follow their proposal for the U.S. economic system. The organization has previously announced it intends to spend $35 million over the course of three years into 2021 on philanthropic initiatives.
The move comes in the wake of millions or people losing their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic and a time of civil unrest. The proposal appears to go further than what's been defined as stakeholder capitalism, which is the notion that businesses should help those beyond just their shareholders and also focus on local communities.
This outline is being published, at least in part, with the hope that essential workers, including health workers, will get increased collective bargaining power following their fight on the front lines of Covid-19.
"We think if anything it (the coronavirus) illustrates the need for this blueprint even more so," Mike Kubzansky, CEO of the organization, told CNBC on Sunday. "We think it's absolutely critical the focus is on, and take advantage of the moment people are focused on, essential workers, and try to increase their bargaining power," he added.
The Omidyar group's proposal is organized through five pillars.
"The pillars are not specific policy proposals, but rather core elements that any new economic settlement must take into account," the network argues.
The operation describes the pillars as grounding the economy in new ideas, shared values and inalienable rights; building an explicitly anti-racist and inclusive economy; creating forms of counterweight to economic power; rebalancing the relationship between markets and communities; and building a resilient economy.
Omidyar's group suggests that the economy should reject "any historical justifications for slavery or racism, as well as bigotry in all its forms." The group also thinks the economy should address racial barriers that it believes are embedded into American society.
Their third pillar, about counterweights to economic power, calls for pushback against monopolies and the strengthening of grassroots organizations and labor unions.


cnbc--2020-09-14--Mike Bloomberg will spend at least $100 million in Florida for Joe Biden

Former Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg addresses his staff and the media after announcing that he will be ending his campaign on March 04 , 2020 in New York City .
WASHINGTON — Former New York Mayor and ex-2020 presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is slated to spend $ 100 million in Florida to help Democratic nominee Joe Biden win the state .
The money `` will be used to turn out voters for former Vice President Biden in Florida '' by financing television and digital ads in both English and Spanish , a spokeswoman for Bloomberg told NBC News .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ camp more flexibility to spend money in other key states , like Pennsylvania , Nevada and Minnesota .
The move may also put pressure on Republicans and the Trump campaign to spend more in Florida , leaving less money to spend elsewhere .
In August , Biden eclipsed Trump 's reelection campaign and raised a colossal $ 364 million compared to the president 's reelection campaign raising $ 210 million .
So far this year , the Trump campaign has spent more than $ 800 million , according to a recent New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Read more : Trump campaign raises hefty $ 210 million in August , but it ’ s well short of Biden ’ s record haul Trump and Biden are in a dead heat in Florida with 48 % support each among likely voters , according to a recent NBC News/Marist poll .
Trump was leading among Latinos , while Biden was doing better among seniors than Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
Trump leads on the economy , while Biden performs better on responding to the coronavirus pandemic and race relations .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage point in 2016 .

Former Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg addresses his staff and the media after announcing that he will be ending his campaign on March 04, 2020 in New York City.
WASHINGTON — Former New York Mayor and ex-2020 presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is slated to spend $100 million in Florida to help Democratic nominee Joe Biden win the state.
The money "will be used to turn out voters for former Vice President Biden in Florida" by financing television and digital ads in both English and Spanish, a spokeswoman for Bloomberg told NBC News. The latest financial push gives the Biden camp more flexibility to spend money in other key states, like Pennsylvania, Nevada and Minnesota.
The move may also put pressure on Republicans and the Trump campaign to spend more in Florida, leaving less money to spend elsewhere.
In August, Biden eclipsed Trump's reelection campaign and raised a colossal $364 million compared to the president's reelection campaign raising $210 million. So far this year, the Trump campaign has spent more than $800 million, according to a recent New York Times probe of the campaign's spending.
Read more: Trump campaign raises hefty $210 million in August, but it’s well short of Biden’s record haul
Trump and Biden are in a dead heat in Florida with 48% support each among likely voters, according to a recent NBC News/Marist poll. Trump was leading among Latinos, while Biden was doing better among seniors than Hillary Clinton in 2016. Trump leads on the economy, while Biden performs better on responding to the coronavirus pandemic and race relations.
Trump won Florida by just over a single percentage point in 2016.


cnbc--2020-09-14--Woodward: 'The president of the U.S. possessed specific knowledge that could have saved lives'

U.S. President Donald President Trump faces reporters after it was announced Bahrain has joined the United Arab Emirates in striking an agreement to normalize relations with Israel during a brief appearance in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington , U.S. , September 11 , 2020 .
Journalist Bob Woodward said Monday that he was shocked when he learned that President Donald Trump `` possessed the specific knowledge that could have saved lives '' in January .
In an interview with Savannah Guthrie on NBC 's `` TODAY '' show , Woodward said he found out about a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security advisers on Jan. 28 about the pandemic coming to the United States and , only a few days later , Trump did n't share that information in his State of the Union address to Congress on Feb. 4 , which 40 million people watched .
Woodward said Trump missed an opportunity that night to convey that warning , but the president said only that the U.S. was doing everything possible .
Woodward said it 's like if President Franklin Delano Roosevelt told the American people the truth after Pearl Harbor that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It is one of those shocks , for me , having written about nine presidents , that the president of the United States possessed the specific knowledge that could have saved lives and historians are going to be writing about the lost month of February for tens of years , '' Woodward said .
Woodward also released a new audio clip on `` TODAY '' from one of his 18 interviews with Trump for his book `` Rage , '' which is set to be released Tuesday .
In the recording , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders like Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , one of many strongmen the president has praised .
`` I get along very well with Erdogan , even though you 're not supposed to because everyone says , 'What a horrible guy . '
But , you know , for me it works out good .
It 's funny the relationships I have , the tougher and meaner they are , the better I get along with them .
You 'll explain that to me someday , OK ?
But maybe it 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the ones I maybe do n't like as much or do n't get along with as much , '' Trump told Woodward .
Asked for his reaction to those comments Monday , Woodward said added that Dan Coats , when he served as Trump 's director of national intelligence , came to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin had something on Trump and suspected the worst .
`` Dan Coats , who was the number one intelligence officer in the country , did not have proof .
They went through all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspicion , '' Woodward said .

U.S. President Donald President Trump faces reporters after it was announced Bahrain has joined the United Arab Emirates in striking an agreement to normalize relations with Israel during a brief appearance in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 11, 2020.
Journalist Bob Woodward said Monday that he was shocked when he learned that President Donald Trump "possessed the specific knowledge that could have saved lives" in January.
In an interview with Savannah Guthrie on NBC's "TODAY" show, Woodward said he found out about a briefing the president received from his national security advisers on Jan. 28 about the pandemic coming to the United States and, only a few days later, Trump didn't share that information in his State of the Union address to Congress on Feb. 4, which 40 million people watched.
Woodward said Trump missed an opportunity that night to convey that warning, but the president said only that the U.S. was doing everything possible. Woodward said it's like if President Franklin Delano Roosevelt told the American people the truth after Pearl Harbor that a lot more could have been done.
"It is one of those shocks, for me, having written about nine presidents, that the president of the United States possessed the specific knowledge that could have saved lives and historians are going to be writing about the lost month of February for tens of years," Woodward said.
Woodward also released a new audio clip on "TODAY" from one of his 18 interviews with Trump for his book "Rage," which is set to be released Tuesday. In the recording, Trump talks about having positive relationships with leaders like Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of many strongmen the president has praised.
"I get along very well with Erdogan, even though you're not supposed to because everyone says, 'What a horrible guy.' But, you know, for me it works out good. It's funny the relationships I have, the tougher and meaner they are, the better I get along with them. You'll explain that to me someday, OK? But maybe it's not a bad thing. The easy ones are the ones I maybe don't like as much or don't get along with as much," Trump told Woodward.
Asked for his reaction to those comments Monday, Woodward said added that Dan Coats, when he served as Trump's director of national intelligence, came to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin had something on Trump and suspected the worst.
"Dan Coats, who was the number one intelligence officer in the country, did not have proof. They went through all the intelligence, but he indeed harbored that suspicion," Woodward said.


cnbc--2020-09-17--Former Pence aide slams Trump administration's coronavirus response, says she's voting for Biden

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence look on during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus , COVID-19 , in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on April 2 , 2020 , in Washington , DC .
A former aide to Vice President Mike Pence slammed the Trump administration 's response to the coronavirus pandemic and said she will vote for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as a result of her experience in the White House .
Olivia Troye , who was Pence 's leading aide on the White House 's coronavirus task force , cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Against Trump in which she claimed the president cares about no one but himself .
`` Towards the middle of February , we knew it was n't a matter of if Covid would become a big pandemic here in the United States , it was a matter of when , '' Troye says in the ad .
`` But the president did n't want to hear that because his biggest concern was that we were in an election year and how is this going to affect what he considers to be his record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , White House spokesperson Judd Deere characterized Troye as a `` disgruntled '' former employee .
`` Outside of generally watching the White House Coronavirus Taskforce from the overflow staff room , this disgruntled former detailee was never in private meetings with the President and her assertions have no basis in reality and are flat out inaccurate , '' Deere said in the statement .
`` The truth is President Trump always put the well-being of the American people first as evidenced by his shutdown of the country , which saved millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the private sector since World War II to deliver critical supplies , the development of a never-before-seen testing system that is the envy of the world , and an unending focus on the rapid research and approval of scientifically proven therapeutics and an eventual vaccine . ''
Pence said Thursday that he had n't read the comments in detail .
`` Reads to me like one more disgruntled employee who 's left the White House decided to play politics during an election year , '' he told reporters at the White House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed in the video that Trump once said in a meeting that the virus might be `` a good thing '' because he would no longer need to shake hands with `` these disgusting people . ''
Deere referred back to his statement when asked about the veracity of those remarks .
`` Those disgusting people are the same people that he claims to care about , '' she said in the video .
Troye 's statement adds to criticism of the president 's early response to the pandemic that has been reignited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's interviews with Trump from early 2020 .
In February , Trump told Woodward in a recorded interview that the coronavirus was `` deadly stuff , '' CNN reported based on Woodward 's forthcoming book .
He said in mid-March he wanted to `` play it down '' so as not to cause a panic .
`` It was shocking to see the president saying that the virus was a hoax , saying that everything 's OK when we know that it 's not , '' Troye said in the ad .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually care about anyone else but himself . ''
Troye said she has been a lifelong Republican but that she plans to vote for Biden because `` it 's country over party . ''
Shortly after the ad was released , Politico reported that another former Trump administration staffer had also joined a group of Republicans seeking to unseat the president .
Josh Venable , the former chief of staff to Education Secretary Betsy Devos , was named an advisor to the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform , the outlet reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks may provide more protection than coronavirus vaccine

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence look on during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on April 2, 2020, in Washington, DC.
A former aide to Vice President Mike Pence slammed the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic and said she will vote for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as a result of her experience in the White House.
Olivia Troye, who was Pence's leading aide on the White House's coronavirus task force, cut an ad for the group Republican Voters Against Trump in which she claimed the president cares about no one but himself.
"Towards the middle of February, we knew it wasn't a matter of if Covid would become a big pandemic here in the United States, it was a matter of when," Troye says in the ad. "But the president didn't want to hear that because his biggest concern was that we were in an election year and how is this going to affect what he considers to be his record of success?"
In a statement, White House spokesperson Judd Deere characterized Troye as a "disgruntled" former employee.
"Outside of generally watching the White House Coronavirus Taskforce from the overflow staff room, this disgruntled former detailee was never in private meetings with the President and her assertions have no basis in reality and are flat out inaccurate," Deere said in the statement. "The truth is President Trump always put the well-being of the American people first as evidenced by his shutdown of the country, which saved millions of lives, activating the greatest mobilization of the private sector since World War II to deliver critical supplies, the development of a never-before-seen testing system that is the envy of the world, and an unending focus on the rapid research and approval of scientifically proven therapeutics and an eventual vaccine."
Pence said Thursday that he hadn't read the comments in detail.
"Reads to me like one more disgruntled employee who's left the White House decided to play politics during an election year," he told reporters at the White House, according to a pool report.
Troye claimed in the video that Trump once said in a meeting that the virus might be "a good thing" because he would no longer need to shake hands with "these disgusting people." Deere referred back to his statement when asked about the veracity of those remarks.
"Those disgusting people are the same people that he claims to care about," she said in the video.
Troye's statement adds to criticism of the president's early response to the pandemic that has been reignited by the release of journalist Bob Woodward's interviews with Trump from early 2020. In February, Trump told Woodward in a recorded interview that the coronavirus was "deadly stuff," CNN reported based on Woodward's forthcoming book. He said in mid-March he wanted to "play it down" so as not to cause a panic.
"It was shocking to see the president saying that the virus was a hoax, saying that everything's OK when we know that it's not," Troye said in the ad. "The truth is, he doesn't actually care about anyone else but himself."
Troye said she has been a lifelong Republican but that she plans to vote for Biden because "it's country over party."
Shortly after the ad was released, Politico reported that another former Trump administration staffer had also joined a group of Republicans seeking to unseat the president. Josh Venable, the former chief of staff to Education Secretary Betsy Devos, was named an advisor to the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform, the outlet reported.
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WATCH: CDC director: Face masks may provide more protection than coronavirus vaccine


cnbc--2020-09-17--FBI Director Wray warns of 'very active efforts' by Russians to influence the 2020 election

Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) Director Christopher Wray testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee during a hearing about 'worldwide threats to the homeland ' in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington , September 17 , 2020 .
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Christopher Wray warned lawmakers Thursday that Russia is actively interfering in the upcoming U.S. presidential election by spreading misinformation about Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Wray described Russian efforts as a `` steady drumbeat of misinformation '' that he said could undercut American voters ' confidence in the democratic process .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that Russia continues to try to influence our elections , '' Wray told the Democratic-led House Homeland Security Committee , adding that the FBI found similarities in Russian behavior against the backdrop of the 2016 election .
U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow acted to undermine then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in order to help then-Republican nominee Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election .
Trump and Russia deny that Moscow 's involvement affected the outcome in 2016 .
`` We certainly have seen very active efforts by the Russians to influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would call more the malign foreign influence side of things like social media , use of proxies , state media , online journals , '' Wray said , adding that the Russians are particularly focused on smearing Biden because they view him as `` kind of an anti-Russian establishment . ''
The latest warning comes less than 50 days before Election Day , although voters have already begun voting early through mail and other means .
On Thursday , Trump bristled at the mail-in ballot process on Twitter saying `` the Nov. 3rd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
In August , the nation 's top U.S. counterintelligence official warned in a rare public statement that Russia , China and Iran were all trying to influence the Nov. 3 election through a slew of methods .
`` Foreign states will continue to use covert and overt influence measures in their attempts to sway U.S. voters ' preferences and perspectives , shift U.S. policies , increase discord in the United States , and undermine the American people 's confidence in our democratic process , '' William Evanina , director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an Aug. 7 statement .
`` They may also seek to compromise our election infrastructure for a range of possible purposes , such as interfering with the voting process , stealing sensitive data , or calling into question the validity of the election results , '' the statement added .

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee during a hearing about 'worldwide threats to the homeland' in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, September 17, 2020.
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Christopher Wray warned lawmakers Thursday that Russia is actively interfering in the upcoming U.S. presidential election by spreading misinformation about Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Wray described Russian efforts as a "steady drumbeat of misinformation" that he said could undercut American voters' confidence in the democratic process.
"I think the intelligence community's consensus is that Russia continues to try to influence our elections," Wray told the Democratic-led House Homeland Security Committee, adding that the FBI found similarities in Russian behavior against the backdrop of the 2016 election.
U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow acted to undermine then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in order to help then-Republican nominee Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election. Trump and Russia deny that Moscow's involvement affected the outcome in 2016.
"We certainly have seen very active efforts by the Russians to influence our election in 2020 through what I would call more the malign foreign influence side of things like social media, use of proxies, state media, online journals," Wray said, adding that the Russians are particularly focused on smearing Biden because they view him as "kind of an anti-Russian establishment."
The latest warning comes less than 50 days before Election Day, although voters have already begun voting early through mail and other means. On Thursday, Trump bristled at the mail-in ballot process on Twitter saying "the Nov. 3rd election result may NEVER BE ACCURATELY DETERMINED."
"Another election disaster yesterday. Stop Ballot Madness!," Trump tweeted.
In August, the nation's top U.S. counterintelligence official warned in a rare public statement that Russia, China and Iran were all trying to influence the Nov. 3 election through a slew of methods.
"Foreign states will continue to use covert and overt influence measures in their attempts to sway U.S. voters' preferences and perspectives, shift U.S. policies, increase discord in the United States, and undermine the American people's confidence in our democratic process," William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said in an Aug. 7 statement.
"They may also seek to compromise our election infrastructure for a range of possible purposes, such as interfering with the voting process, stealing sensitive data, or calling into question the validity of the election results," the statement added.


cnbc--2020-09-17--Biden's national polling lead shrinks slightly, but swing states show signs of trouble for Trump

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is still leading President Donald Trump in the polls , though averages of national surveys show a trend toward a slightly tightening race with less than seven weeks until Election Day .
But Biden continues to hold his edge over the incumbent in a handful of crucial swing states , including some that Trump won in 2016 .
• The RealClearPolitics general election polling average on Thursday morning showed Biden with a 5.8-point lead over Trump .
That spread has shrunk from the 7.2-point lead RCP displayed for Biden just two weeks earlier .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sept. 3 had Biden 7.3 points above Trump , now gives the Democratic challenger a 6.7-point advantage .
Individual polls of the race for the White House show a much wider variance .
National surveys released this week from The Economist/YouGov and Reuters/Ipsos both put Biden up 9 points on Trump among likely voters .
But Rasmussen — the president 's favorite pollster , which has consistently found higher levels of support for him than other outfits — on Wednesday gave Trump his first-ever polling lead over Biden , by 1 point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ error of plus or minus 2 percentage points .
But national polls are only part of the story , as any number of anxious Democratic voters will be quick to point out .
In 2016 , Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton trounced Trump in the popular vote by more than 2.8 million votes , but still lost the Electoral College .
That race came down to a series of upset victories by Trump in key swing states , including Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania and Florida .
Trump walked away with 306 electoral votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swing-state tracker , however , shows Biden leading to varying degrees in all of those battleground states , as well as in North Carolina and Arizona , which Trump also won in 2016 .
That polling tracker now gives Biden an overall spread of 3.7 points over Trump — a wider lead than it showed at the start of the month .
That shift appears to be driven by recent surveys of voters in Wisconsin and Arizona , both of which show Biden furthering his gains over Trump since the end of August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a 4.7-point lead over Trump , who in 2016 beat Clinton in the Grand Canyon State by about 3.5 percentage points .
The Trump campaign appears to be taking notice , announcing Thursday that it would air a new ad , featuring a business owner praising the president and attacking Biden 's record , specifically in Arizona .
Still , the race in Arizona remains tight , according to a survey of the state released Thursday morning by the Monmouth University Polling Institute .
While Biden in that poll holds a 4-point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , 48 % -44 % , the gap shrinks to just 2 percentage points under a model of likely voters with high turnout , with Biden at 48 % and Trump at 46 % .
In a low-turnout model , Monmouth finds Trump and Biden tied at 47 % among likely voters .
Monmouth surveyed 420 registered voters in Arizona by phone between Friday and Tuesday .
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points .
Cook Political Report , meanwhile , moved Arizona 's election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Lean Democrat '' earlier Thursday morning , citing in part Biden 's support among Latinos in the state .
The same ca n't be said for Florida , where recent polls showed Biden underperforming among Latinos .
The Biden campaign has reacted quickly .
The former vice president himself visited South Florida on Tuesday , and his campaign over the weekend announced new ads in the state targeting different groups of Hispanic voters .
The shifting polls come as the economy , health care and the coronavirus pandemic take center stage in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
More than 6.63 million Covid-19 cases and at least 196,831 deaths from the disease have been reported in the U.S. , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Trump , eager to recover the devastating economic losses from the pandemic before the election , has proclaimed that his administration has done a `` great job '' on the crisis and has repeatedly floated the possibility of a vaccine being developed and distributed before Election Day .
His own health experts , however , have suggested the timeline would be much slower .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ response as being tragically mishandled .
The president in recent weeks has also weathered a series of potentially damaging news stories related to the coronavirus , including revelations from veteran journalist Bob Woodward that Trump admitted downplaying the dangers of the virus .
The polling averages , however , do n't reflect any dramatic change following these reports , offering further evidence for the view among political watchers that Trump 's core base of support is simply unshakable .
But that 's a blessing and a curse , analyst Charlie Cook noted last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be said or written , nothing that Trump can say or do , that would crack his base .
Those expecting Trump to drop at the next negative story forget that it is hard to take a drop if you 've never risen in the first place , '' Cook wrote .
`` But this is also why those who are convinced that he will make a spectacular comeback are likely to be wrong as well .
His standing is impervious to events . ''

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign stop in Warren, Michigan, September 9, 2020. Leah Millis | Reuters
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is still leading President Donald Trump in the polls, though averages of national surveys show a trend toward a slightly tightening race with less than seven weeks until Election Day. But Biden continues to hold his edge over the incumbent in a handful of crucial swing states, including some that Trump won in 2016. The RealClearPolitics general election polling average on Thursday morning showed Biden with a 5.8-point lead over Trump. That spread has shrunk from the 7.2-point lead RCP displayed for Biden just two weeks earlier.
FiveThirtyEight's own polling tracker, which on Sept. 3 had Biden 7.3 points above Trump, now gives the Democratic challenger a 6.7-point advantage. Individual polls of the race for the White House show a much wider variance. National surveys released this week from The Economist/YouGov and Reuters/Ipsos both put Biden up 9 points on Trump among likely voters. But Rasmussen — the president's favorite pollster, which has consistently found higher levels of support for him than other outfits — on Wednesday gave Trump his first-ever polling lead over Biden, by 1 point, which falls within its margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
watch now
But national polls are only part of the story, as any number of anxious Democratic voters will be quick to point out. In 2016, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton trounced Trump in the popular vote by more than 2.8 million votes, but still lost the Electoral College. That race came down to a series of upset victories by Trump in key swing states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida. Trump walked away with 306 electoral votes to Clinton's 232. RCP's swing-state tracker, however, shows Biden leading to varying degrees in all of those battleground states, as well as in North Carolina and Arizona, which Trump also won in 2016. That polling tracker now gives Biden an overall spread of 3.7 points over Trump — a wider lead than it showed at the start of the month. That shift appears to be driven by recent surveys of voters in Wisconsin and Arizona, both of which show Biden furthering his gains over Trump since the end of August.
The battle for Latino voters
In Arizona, RCP shows Biden with a 4.7-point lead over Trump, who in 2016 beat Clinton in the Grand Canyon State by about 3.5 percentage points. The Trump campaign appears to be taking notice, announcing Thursday that it would air a new ad, featuring a business owner praising the president and attacking Biden's record, specifically in Arizona. Still, the race in Arizona remains tight, according to a survey of the state released Thursday morning by the Monmouth University Polling Institute. While Biden in that poll holds a 4-point lead among all registered voters in the state, 48%-44%, the gap shrinks to just 2 percentage points under a model of likely voters with high turnout, with Biden at 48% and Trump at 46%. In a low-turnout model, Monmouth finds Trump and Biden tied at 47% among likely voters. Monmouth surveyed 420 registered voters in Arizona by phone between Friday and Tuesday. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points. Cook Political Report, meanwhile, moved Arizona's election rating from "Toss Up" to "Lean Democrat" earlier Thursday morning, citing in part Biden's support among Latinos in the state. The same can't be said for Florida, where recent polls showed Biden underperforming among Latinos. The Biden campaign has reacted quickly. The former vice president himself visited South Florida on Tuesday, and his campaign over the weekend announced new ads in the state targeting different groups of Hispanic voters.
Consistent numbers for Trump


cnbc--2020-09-17--Eric Trump says he will comply with New York attorney general's subpoena but only after the 2020 ele

Eric Trump says he will comply with New York attorney general's subpoena but only after the 2020 election

US businessman and son of the US president Eric Trump .
Lawyers for Eric Trump said Thursday that he is willing to be deposed as part of the New York Attorney General 's office 's probe of the Trump Organization , but only after the 2020 presidential election .
In a court filing in New York State Supreme Court , the lawyers for President Donald Trump 's son said they were requesting the delay in part to `` avoid the use of his deposition attendance for political purposes . ''
The lawyers also denied that he had previously refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as New York Attorney General Letitia James ' office had alleged .
James , in a statement to CNBC , said that `` while we can not comment on the particular steps we 're taking on specific litigation , we wo n't allow any entity or individual to dictate how our investigation will proceed or allow anyone to evade a lawful subpoena . ''
`` No one is above the law , period , '' James said .
The AG 's office last month revealed a civil investigation into Trump and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assets on annual financial statements that were used to obtain loans , as well as to get economic and tax benefits .
In an August court filing , the AG 's office said that the Trump Organization had `` refused entirely to comply with a subpoena for Eric Trump 's testimony . ''
`` Eric Trump 's categorical refusal to appear is unlawful , and he should be compelled to testify , '' James ' office wrote .
But lawyers for Eric Trump , the executive vice president of the Trump Organization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time indicated that he was refusing to comply '' with the subpoena .
`` Rather , counsel simply requested certain assurances first '' from the attorney general 's office , the lawyers said .
Those conditions include confirmation from the AG that it `` has not provided , and will not provide any materials , information or transcripts developed or collected in the course of its investigation to any other law enforcement authority , agency or regulator . ''
Regardless , Eric Trump 's counsel wrote , they have since made clear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subpoena .
The lawyers proposed four possible dates after Nov. 3 , when the president faces reelection against Democratic challenger Joe Biden .
The lawyers said they proposed that timeline `` because of Mr. Trump 's extreme travel schedule and related unavailability between now and the election , and to avoid the use of his deposition attendance for political purposes . ''
`` It is well known that most , if not all , law enforcement and regulatory agencies studiously avoid certain actions within the 60-day period prior to a major election @ @ @ @ @ @

US businessman and son of the US president Eric Trump.
Lawyers for Eric Trump said Thursday that he is willing to be deposed as part of the New York Attorney General's office's probe of the Trump Organization but only after the 2020 presidential election.
In a court filing in New York State Supreme Court, the lawyers for President Donald Trump's son said they were requesting the delay in part to "avoid the use of his deposition attendance for political purposes."
The lawyers also denied that he had previously refused to comply with the subpoena for his testimony, as New York Attorney General Letitia James' office had alleged.
James, in a statement to CNBC, said that "while we cannot comment on the particular steps we're taking on specific litigation, we won't allow any entity or individual to dictate how our investigation will proceed or allow anyone to evade a lawful subpoena."
"No one is above the law, period," James said.
The AG's office last month revealed a civil investigation into Trump and his company over how they valued multiple Trump assets on annual financial statements that were used to obtain loans, as well as to get economic and tax benefits.
In an August court filing, the AG's office said that the Trump Organization had "refused entirely to comply with a subpoena for Eric Trump's testimony."
"Eric Trump's categorical refusal to appear is unlawful, and he should be compelled to testify," James' office wrote.
But lawyers for Eric Trump, the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, replied Thursday that he "at no time indicated that he was refusing to comply" with the subpoena.
"Rather, counsel simply requested certain assurances first" from the attorney general's office, the lawyers said.
Those conditions include confirmation from the AG that it "has not provided, and will not provide any materials, information or transcripts developed or collected in the course of its investigation to any other law enforcement authority, agency or regulator."
Regardless, Eric Trump's counsel wrote, they have since made clear that their client is willing to comply with the subpoena. The lawyers proposed four possible dates after Nov. 3, when the president faces reelection against Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
The lawyers said they proposed that timeline "because of Mr. Trump's extreme travel schedule and related unavailability between now and the election, and to avoid the use of his deposition attendance for political purposes."
"It is well known that most, if not all, law enforcement and regulatory agencies studiously avoid certain actions within the 60-day period prior to a major election," the lawyers said.
The earliest proposed date is Nov. 19.


cnbc--2020-09-17--Pennsylvania Supreme Court sides with Democrats on absentee ballot deadline and drop boxes

A woman wearing a mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) casts her ballot in the primary election in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , June 2 , 2020 .
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday extended the state 's absentee ballot deadline and approved of the use of mail-in ballot drop boxes , giving Democrats a win in the battleground state .
The case , which was brought by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party , is similar to another one being litigated in federal court , which was put on pause while the state 's supreme court considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essentially a reverse of the state case , was brought by President Donald Trump 's reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee .
Battles over voting rules have taken on a heightened significance amid the Covid-19 pandemic , which has forced states to adjust to millions more voters casting ballots by mail .
The legal fight in Pennsylvania is particularly fierce , given the state 's role in possible paths to victory for Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden , the Democratic nominee .
Trump won the state in 2016 , marking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential race since 1988 .
The state supreme court 's ruling pushed the deadline for receiving absentee ballots to Nov. 6 , or three days after Election Day , if they are postmarked by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 .
It also held that the election code permitted drop boxes for submitting mail-in ballots .
The previous deadline for receiving absentee ballots was 8 p.m. on Election Day , but Democrats argued that enforcing that deadline would lead to widespread voter disenfranchisement given the pandemic and delays with the United States Postal Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a state requirement that poll watchers live in the county where they serve is constitutional .
The court ruling , authored by Justice Max Baer , did contain some bad news for Democrats .
It rejected their argument that election boards should have to notify voters whose ballots contained minor defects to allow them to `` cure '' the errors .
The court also rejected the argument from Democrats that so-called `` naked ballots , '' or those that are submitted with no outer envelope shielding the ballot , should be counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirement , the command that the mail-in elector utilize the secrecy envelope and leave it unblemished by identifying information is neither ambiguous nor unreasonable , '' Baer wrote for the court 's majority .
Following the ruling , both sides claimed partial victories .
Marc Elias , a lawyer fighting on behalf of the Democratic Party in a number of suits around the country , said on Twitter that the ruling was `` a very good result for those of us fighting for voting rights . ''
Trump took to Twitter to cheer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and touted a separate case , also decided Thursday by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court , that rejected a request by four retired Pennsylvania voters to allow for third-party assistance in returning their mail-in ballots .
Trump has labeled the practice ballot `` harvesting , '' although others call it ballot collection .
`` Waiting for the BIG Federal decisions in Pennsylvania , Nevada , and elsewhere ! ''
he wrote .
The federal judge overseeing the Pennsylvania case , District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan , is a Trump appointee .
In his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ranjan said he would `` apply the brakes '' to the lawsuit until state courts could weigh in .
The relevant state election law was passed in 2019 , Ranjan wrote , meaning that until this case no Pennsylvania state court had interpreted the provisions at issue .
But , he said , the pause did not mean he was abdicating his responsibility in deciding any potential constitutional or federal questions that were presented .
In a third case decided by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday , the court ruled that Green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the state 's ballots because of problems with his election paperwork .
The ruling cleared the way for the state to begin mailing out absentee ballots .

A woman wearing a mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) casts her ballot in the primary election in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 2, 2020.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday extended the state's absentee ballot deadline and approved of the use of mail-in ballot drop boxes, giving Democrats a win in the battleground state.
The case, which was brought by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, is similar to another one being litigated in federal court, which was put on pause while the state's supreme court considered the matter. The federal case, essentially a reverse of the state case, was brought by President Donald Trump's reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee.
Battles over voting rules have taken on a heightened significance amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which has forced states to adjust to millions more voters casting ballots by mail.
The legal fight in Pennsylvania is particularly fierce, given the state's role in possible paths to victory for Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee. Trump won the state in 2016, marking the first Republican victory there in a presidential race since 1988.
The state supreme court's ruling pushed the deadline for receiving absentee ballots to Nov. 6, or three days after Election Day, if they are postmarked by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. It also held that the election code permitted drop boxes for submitting mail-in ballots.
The previous deadline for receiving absentee ballots was 8 p.m. on Election Day, but Democrats argued that enforcing that deadline would lead to widespread voter disenfranchisement given the pandemic and delays with the United States Postal Service.
The court also agreed with Democrats that a state requirement that poll watchers live in the county where they serve is constitutional.
The court ruling, authored by Justice Max Baer, did contain some bad news for Democrats. It rejected their argument that election boards should have to notify voters whose ballots contained minor defects to allow them to "cure" the errors.
The court also rejected the argument from Democrats that so-called "naked ballots," or those that are submitted with no outer envelope shielding the ballot, should be counted.
"Whatever the wisdom of the requirement, the command that the mail-in elector utilize the secrecy envelope and leave it unblemished by identifying information is neither ambiguous nor unreasonable," Baer wrote for the court's majority.
Following the ruling, both sides claimed partial victories. Marc Elias, a lawyer fighting on behalf of the Democratic Party in a number of suits around the country, said on Twitter that the ruling was "a very good result for those of us fighting for voting rights."
Trump took to Twitter to cheer the win for Republicans on ballot curing, and touted a separate case, also decided Thursday by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, that rejected a request by four retired Pennsylvania voters to allow for third-party assistance in returning their mail-in ballots. Trump has labeled the practice ballot "harvesting," although others call it ballot collection.
"Waiting for the BIG Federal decisions in Pennsylvania, Nevada, and elsewhere!" he wrote.
The federal judge overseeing the Pennsylvania case, District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan, is a Trump appointee. In his August opinion temporarily halting the case, Ranjan said he would "apply the brakes" to the lawsuit until state courts could weigh in.
The relevant state election law was passed in 2019, Ranjan wrote, meaning that until this case no Pennsylvania state court had interpreted the provisions at issue. But, he said, the pause did not mean he was abdicating his responsibility in deciding any potential constitutional or federal questions that were presented.
In a third case decided by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday, the court ruled that Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins will not appear on the state's ballots because of problems with his election paperwork. The ruling cleared the way for the state to begin mailing out absentee ballots.


cnbc--2020-09-17--Former DNI Dan Coats recommends social media execs help oversee election legitimacy

Social media executives should play a key role in ensuring the legitimacy of the 2020 election , former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats suggested in a New York Times op-ed Thursday .
In the article , Coats , a former Trump administration official , recommended the U.S. create a new nonpartisan commission that would help reassure the American public that their votes would be counted and would aim to monitor forces attempting to undermine the election .
Coats said such a panel should include `` national leaders personally committed — by oath — to put partisan politics aside even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of such importance . ''
He suggested those members could include `` congressional leaders , current and former governors , 'elder statespersons , ' former national security leaders , perhaps the former Supreme Court justices David Souter and Anthony Kennedy , and business leaders from social media companies . ''
Those companies have already played a significant role in how voters view the elections .
American officials and Congress found that Russian agents used social media platforms in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to sow disinformation and division .
Since then , tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have taken steps to counter misinformation on their sites and inject greater transparency and accountability into their ads platforms .
Twitter has stopped offering political advertisements altogether .
But as the 2020 election rapidly approaches , social media companies have continued to grapple with many of the same — and new — challenges that they faced in 2016 .
Twitter has begun to ramp up its use of a new policy allowing it to flag messages that violate its standards from world leaders including President Donald Trump , without removing them .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting for the first time in May , Trump soon introduced an executive order seeking to undermine a key legal shield that protects social media companies from liability for their moderation practices and users ' posts .
Facebook has come under fire from even its own employees for taking a more conservative approach to moderating the president 's speech on its platform .
The coronavirus pandemic has created a new opportunity to introduce doubt in voters ' minds about whether their votes will be counted if they mail in their ballots .
Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved his message suggesting mail-in ballots would likely be subject to fraud , even though there is little evidence that mail-in ballots are linked to voter fraud .
Social media platforms will also have to remain vigilant about claims of victory in the days and weeks after the election , as the expected increase in mail-in voting will likely delay results past Election Day .
Coats said the commission he envisions would be created by an emergency legislative action that would define the exact mandate and composition of the panel .
Coats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as Trump 's DNI from March 2017 until August 2019 .
WATCH : Can the U.S. economy survive a delayed election ?

Social media executives should play a key role in ensuring the legitimacy of the 2020 election, former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats suggested in a New York Times op-ed Thursday.
In the article, Coats, a former Trump administration official, recommended the U.S. create a new nonpartisan commission that would help reassure the American public that their votes would be counted and would aim to monitor forces attempting to undermine the election.
Coats said such a panel should include "national leaders personally committed — by oath — to put partisan politics aside even in the midst of an electoral contest of such importance." He suggested those members could include "congressional leaders, current and former governors, 'elder statespersons,' former national security leaders, perhaps the former Supreme Court justices David Souter and Anthony Kennedy, and business leaders from social media companies."
Those companies have already played a significant role in how voters view the elections. American officials and Congress found that Russian agents used social media platforms in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to sow disinformation and division. Since then, tech platforms including Facebook , Google and Twitter have taken steps to counter misinformation on their sites and inject greater transparency and accountability into their ads platforms. Twitter has stopped offering political advertisements altogether.
But as the 2020 election rapidly approaches, social media companies have continued to grapple with many of the same — and new — challenges that they faced in 2016. Twitter has begun to ramp up its use of a new policy allowing it to flag messages that violate its standards from world leaders including President Donald Trump, without removing them. After it fact-checked Trump's tweets about mail-in voting for the first time in May, Trump soon introduced an executive order seeking to undermine a key legal shield that protects social media companies from liability for their moderation practices and users' posts.
Facebook has come under fire from even its own employees for taking a more conservative approach to moderating the president's speech on its platform.
The coronavirus pandemic has created a new opportunity to introduce doubt in voters' minds about whether their votes will be counted if they mail in their ballots. Twitter's first fact-check of Trump's tweets involved his message suggesting mail-in ballots would likely be subject to fraud, even though there is little evidence that mail-in ballots are linked to voter fraud.
Social media platforms will also have to remain vigilant about claims of victory in the days and weeks after the election, as the expected increase in mail-in voting will likely delay results past Election Day.
Coats said the commission he envisions would be created by an emergency legislative action that would define the exact mandate and composition of the panel.
Coats, a Republican former senator from Indiana, served as Trump's DNI from March 2017 until August 2019.
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WATCH: Can the U.S. economy survive a delayed election?


cnbc--2020-09-17--Anti-Lindsey Graham super PAC launching first TV ad in 2020 as polls show tight South Carolina Senat

Anti-Lindsey Graham super PAC launching first TV ad in 2020 as polls show tight South Carolina Senate race

A super PAC targeting Lindsey Graham is rolling out its first television ad against the longtime South Carolina lawmaker as polls show a tight race for the Republican 's U.S. Senate seat .
The PAC , called Lindsey Must Go , is teaming up with NRDC Action Votes , an independent expenditure political committee , to launch the ad next week in the Charleston market .
The buy is worth $ 300,000 and will be on air for 10 days .
A PAC spokesman said the group is looking to do more TV ads with just under 50 days until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new Quinnipiac poll showed Graham tied with his Democratic opponent , Jaime Harrison .
The Cook Political Report marks the race as `` lean Republican . ''
The PAC says the ad will highlight Graham 's previous ties to the oil and gas industry .
`` Lindsey Graham has shown us his entire career that he 's nothing but another politician whose loyalty is for sale to the highest bidder , '' Lauren Harper , a spokeswoman for the PAC , said in a statement provided to CNBC .
`` And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He 's been bought and paid for by big oil and has caved to their every demand .
That is , until Trump says otherwise . ''
`` The people of South Carolina do n't want oil production posing threats to their beaches , but [ Lindsey ] Graham 's big money donors are salivating at the chance to drill offshore , '' said Jossie Steinberg , director of NRDC Action Votes .

A super PAC targeting Lindsey Graham is rolling out its first television ad against the longtime South Carolina lawmaker as polls show a tight race for the Republican's U.S. Senate seat.
The PAC, called Lindsey Must Go, is teaming up with NRDC Action Votes, an independent expenditure political committee, to launch the ad next week in the Charleston market. The buy is worth $300,000 and will be on air for 10 days. A PAC spokesman said the group is looking to do more TV ads with just under 50 days until Election Day.
The announcement comes after a new Quinnipiac poll showed Graham tied with his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison. The Cook Political Report marks the race as "lean Republican."
The PAC says the ad will highlight Graham's previous ties to the oil and gas industry.
"Lindsey Graham has shown us his entire career that he's nothing but another politician whose loyalty is for sale to the highest bidder," Lauren Harper, a spokeswoman for the PAC, said in a statement provided to CNBC. "And it's no different for offshore drilling. He's been bought and paid for by big oil and has caved to their every demand. That is, until Trump says otherwise."
"The people of South Carolina don't want oil production posing threats to their beaches, but [Lindsey] Graham's big money donors are salivating at the chance to drill offshore," said Jossie Steinberg, director of NRDC Action Votes.


cnbc--2020-09-17--White House abandoned plan to send 650 million face masks across the U.S. in April, report says

A USPS mail worker wearing a mask poses in his truck while it rains as the state of New Jersey continues Stage 2 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on August 13 , 2020 in Ventnor City , New Jersey .
The U.S .
Postal Service had drafted a press release announcing plans to send 650 million masks out across the U.S. early in the coronavirus crisis , but the White House ultimately abandoned the plan , The Washington Post reported Thursday .
The plan would have sent a pack of five reusable masks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Post reported , citing one of thousands of internal post office documents obtained by watchdog group American Oversight .
`` Our organization is uniquely suited to undertake this historic mission of delivering face coverings to every American household in the fight against the COVID-19 virus , '' then-Postmaster General and CEO Megan J. Brennan said in the scrapped news release , which was dated to be released in April .
Brennan was succeeded in the summer by Louis DeJoy , whose drastic cost-cutting measures at the government agency have sparked controversy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea to have USPS ship out personal protective equipment came from the Department of Health and Human Services , the Post reported .
The reported plan was to start distributing masks in April , with Covid-19 hot spots getting first priority .
The newly uncovered documents suggest the government had initially intended to utilize the Postal Service in early pandemic response plans .
The distribution program would have come at a time when President Donald Trump largely resisted wearing a mask .
The White House ultimately canceled the program , senior administration officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern from some in the White House Domestic Policy Council and the office of the vice president that households receiving masks might create concern or panic , '' one administration official told the newspaper .
Trump had told journalist Bob Woodward in March that he sought to downplay the virus because he did n't want to create a panic , according to recently released recordings .
HHS later launched Project : America Strong , a $ 675 million program to distribute face masks across the country .
An HHS spokesperson told the Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the 650 million set aside .
The USPS declined to comment on the reports .
HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

A USPS mail worker wearing a mask poses in his truck while it rains as the state of New Jersey continues Stage 2 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on August 13, 2020 in Ventnor City, New Jersey.
The U.S. Postal Service had drafted a press release announcing plans to send 650 million masks out across the U.S. early in the coronavirus crisis, but the White House ultimately abandoned the plan, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
The plan would have sent a pack of five reusable masks to every residential address in the country, the Post reported, citing one of thousands of internal post office documents obtained by watchdog group American Oversight.
"Our organization is uniquely suited to undertake this historic mission of delivering face coverings to every American household in the fight against the COVID-19 virus," then-Postmaster General and CEO Megan J. Brennan said in the scrapped news release, which was dated to be released in April.
Brennan was succeeded in the summer by Louis DeJoy, whose drastic cost-cutting measures at the government agency have sparked controversy in advance of the 2020 election.
The idea to have USPS ship out personal protective equipment came from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Post reported. The reported plan was to start distributing masks in April, with Covid-19 hot spots getting first priority.
The newly uncovered documents suggest the government had initially intended to utilize the Postal Service in early pandemic response plans. The distribution program would have come at a time when President Donald Trump largely resisted wearing a mask.
The White House ultimately canceled the program, senior administration officials told the Post.
"There was concern from some in the White House Domestic Policy Council and the office of the vice president that households receiving masks might create concern or panic," one administration official told the newspaper. Trump had told journalist Bob Woodward in March that he sought to downplay the virus because he didn't want to create a panic, according to recently released recordings.
HHS later launched Project: America Strong, a $675 million program to distribute face masks across the country. An HHS spokesperson told the Post around 600 million masks have been distributed out of the 650 million set aside.
The USPS declined to comment on the reports. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


cnbc--2020-09-16--Flush with cash, Joe Biden hammers Trump on health care and coronavirus

Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden speaks during a press conference after meeting with public health experts on a Covid-19 vaccine in Wilmington , Delaware on September 16 , 2020 .
WASHINGTON -- Armed with a record-setting August campaign fundraising haul of $ 364.5 million , Democratic nominee Joe Biden is hammering President Donald Trump this week both on the airwaves and on the campaign trail over health care .
On Wednesday morning , the Biden campaign announced it will spend $ 65 million this week alone on ads across TV , radio and digital .
It also unveiled four new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Later in the day , Biden delivered a speech in Wilmington , Delaware , where he lambasted Trump over his handling of the pandemic , specifically Trump 's insistence that a coronavirus vaccine will be finalized before the Nov. 3 election .
`` The American people right now do n't trust what the president says about things related to science , '' said Biden , because of Trump 's `` incompetence and dishonesty when it came to testing and personal protective equipment '' in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those fiascos when it comes to a vaccine . ''
In order to shore up public trust in a government vaccine , said Biden , its rollout will need to be accompanied by `` total transparency '' about the research process and a review by an independent panel of scientists .
`` So let me be clear , I trust vaccines .
I trust the scientists .
But I do n't trust Donald Trump — and the American people ca n't either . ''
Public polling shows that most Americans do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that more than 60 % of registered voters are worried that political pressure from the White House will `` lead the FDA to rush to approve a coronavirus vaccine without making sure that it is safe and effective . ''
Several large surveys report similar levels of concern .

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks during a press conference after meeting with public health experts about a Covid-19 vaccine in Wilmington, Delaware.
WASHINGTON -- Armed with a record-setting August campaign fundraising haul of $364.5 million, Democratic nominee Joe Biden is hammering President Donald Trump this week both on the airwaves and on the campaign trail over health care.
On Wednesday morning, the Biden campaign announced it will spend $65 million this week alone on ads across TV, radio and digital. It also unveiled four new ads focused on Obamacare and the pandemic.
Later in the day, Biden delivered a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, where he lambasted Trump over his handling of the pandemic, specifically Trump's insistence that a coronavirus vaccine will be finalized before the Nov. 3 election.
"The American people right now don't trust what the president says about things related to science," said Biden, because of Trump's "incompetence and dishonesty when it came to testing and personal protective equipment" in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. "We cannot afford a repeat of those fiascos when it comes to a vaccine."
In order to shore up public trust in a government vaccine, said Biden, its rollout will need to be accompanied by "total transparency" about the research process and a review by an independent panel of scientists.
"So let me be clear, I trust vaccines. I trust the scientists. But I don't trust Donald Trump — and the American people can't either."
Public polling shows that most Americans don't trust what Trump says about a vaccine.
A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that more than 60% of registered voters are worried that political pressure from the White House will "lead the FDA to rush to approve a coronavirus vaccine without making sure that it is safe and effective." Several large surveys report similar levels of concern.