cnbc--2020-04-13--NY Gov. Cuomo says the 'ultimate resolution' of coronavirus will come with vaccine in 18 months

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Monday that the coronavirus crisis will only be solved once an effective vaccine is developed and made widely available – and it could take a year and a half to get there .
`` I do n't think ultimate resolution comes until you have a vaccine , '' Cuomo said during a call-in appearance on infamous shock jock Howard Stern 's radio show .
`` Where someone can say to you , 'Do n't worry , Howard , there 's a vaccine , you take this , you never get it , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus will finally be resolved , Cuomo said .
`` That 's 18 months . ''
Cuomo 's remarks came amid a growing debate over when the U.S. will contain the virus enough to reopen parts of the economy that have been crippled by the pandemic .
President Donald Trump has expressed impatience with states ' draconian social distancing rules , which led to a severe market rout and an unprecedented spike in unemployment .
Still , the White House recently extended its own social distancing guidelines through the end of April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his administration could consider encouraging some parts of the U.S. to bring people back to work .
Cuomo , whose state has been hit harder by Covid-19 than anywhere else in the U.S. , praised New Yorkers for following the strict social distancing rules that he has imposed to try to contain the outbreak .
`` People believed , and they acted responsibly , '' Cuomo said .
Those rules , including a statewide stay-at-home order and closing nonessential businesses , have helped reduce the number of deaths in his state compared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , he said .
`` Remember , all the projections so far have said many more people would die , and many more people would be hospitalized , '' including studies from the White House and numerous universities and organizations , Cuomo said .
`` They all said it was going to be much , much worse , '' he said .
`` The variable was , what government policies would be put in place … and the real variable was , would people listen ? ''
While the problem wo n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Cuomo said , there will be `` waves of resolution '' in the meantime .
`` The first wave will be fewer people dying , and that will be an initial resolution , '' Cuomo said .
`` We 've figured out how to slow down the beast -- that 's a resolution .
We 'll start to phase into an economy again , that 'll be a wave of resolution . ''
But an 18-month battle is `` the ultimate trajectory , '' Cuomo said .
`` I 'm scared , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview .
`` I 'm frightened . ''
Cuomo said he was worried for his mother and for his brother , CNN anchor Chris Cuomo , who tested positive for the disease late last month .
Cuomo added that he has cried over the crisis , `` I ca n't get over the death numbers every day . ''
More than 190,000 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in New York , data from Johns Hopkins University shows .
At least 9,385 people have died in the Empire State , according to @ @ @

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that the coronavirus crisis will only be solved once an effective vaccine is developed and made widely available – and it could take a year and a half to get there.
"I don't think ultimate resolution comes until you have a vaccine," Cuomo said during a call-in appearance on infamous shock jock Howard Stern's radio show.
"Where someone can say to you, 'Don't worry, Howard, there's a vaccine, you take this, you never get it, it's a nonissue,'" then the virus will finally be resolved, Cuomo said. "That's 18 months."
Cuomo's remarks came amid a growing debate over when the U.S. will contain the virus enough to reopen parts of the economy that have been crippled by the pandemic.
President Donald Trump has expressed impatience with states' draconian social distancing rules, which led to a severe market rout and an unprecedented spike in unemployment.
Still, the White House recently extended its own social distancing guidelines through the end of April, making May the earliest time that his administration could consider encouraging some parts of the U.S. to bring people back to work.
Cuomo, whose state has been hit harder by Covid-19 than anywhere else in the U.S., praised New Yorkers for following the strict social distancing rules that he has imposed to try to contain the outbreak.
"People believed, and they acted responsibly," Cuomo said.
Those rules, including a statewide stay-at-home order and closing nonessential businesses, have helped reduce the number of deaths in his state compared with earlier projections of the impact of the coronavirus, he said.
"Remember, all the projections so far have said many more people would die, and many more people would be hospitalized," including studies from the White House and numerous universities and organizations, Cuomo said.
"They all said it was going to be much, much worse," he said. "The variable was, what government policies would be put in place … and the real variable was, would people listen?"
While the problem won't be solved for at least another year, Cuomo said, there will be "waves of resolution" in the meantime.
"The first wave will be fewer people dying, and that will be an initial resolution," Cuomo said. "We've figured out how to slow down the beast -- that's a resolution. We'll start to phase into an economy again, that'll be a wave of resolution."
But an 18-month battle is "the ultimate trajectory," Cuomo said.
"I'm scared," the governor said later in the interview. "I'm frightened."
Cuomo said he was worried for his mother and for his brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, who tested positive for the disease late last month.
Cuomo added that he has cried over the crisis, "I can't get over the death numbers every day."
More than 190,000 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in New York, data from Johns Hopkins University shows. At least 9,385 people have died in the Empire State, according to Johns Hopkins.


cnbc--2020-04-13--Biden mulls VP as ex-rivals work to help him overtake Trump in a race hampered by the coronavirus

Joe Biden had a message for Sen. Kamala Harris at one of his recent virtual fundraisers : `` I 'm coming for you , kid . ''
Harris , once an archrival of Biden 's during the Democratic primary race , was a special guest to that event and has become one of the early favorites to be chosen as the former vice president 's running mate against Donald Trump .
Harris and another former contender , Sen. Amy Klobuchar , have been working behind the scenes to help Biden overtake Trump in a campaign that has been forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The two separately endorsed Biden after they dropped out of the race and have since been in legislative efforts to ease the effects of the coronavirus .
Their work on behalf of Biden includes voter outreach and virtual fundraising events .
They are also looking to make an appearance on Biden 's podcast and are trying to help Democrats making runs for the GOP-controlled Senate , their campaign aides told CNBC .
These advisors were granted anonymity in order to speak freely about how Harris and Klobuchar are trying to assist Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' departure from the presidential race last week .
Biden has said he 's been working with his team to whittle down a list of potential vice presidential choices and is putting together a committee that would be responsible for the vetting .
Betting markets say Harris is the favorite over Klobuchar and Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , who has become a star in the Democratic Party by leading her state 's response to the coronavirus .
Biden previously told MSNBC that Whitmer is on his list of possible VP picks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has found a way to remain in the national spotlight , despite his administration being criticized for its handling of Covid-19 .
Trump 's campaign and the Republican National Committee announced on Monday that they combined to raise more than $ 63 million in March alone and have $ 240 million on hand .
Biden has been trying to stay on voters ' minds by showing how he would handle things differently if he were in charge , making the Harris and Klobuchar efforts to assist him even more imperative .
While he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totals , having Harris and Klobuchar donors aligned with him could be a crucial boost for his campaign .
Biden 's allies in the business community have been pushing his team to look at these three women , plus Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Rep. Val Demings of Florida .
A Wall Street executive backing Biden , who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak freely about the situation , told CNBC late last week that , along with Harris and Klobuchar , he believes New Mexico Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be on the VP list .
`` I think it will be a decision between whether he will make a geographic choice , will it come down to what 's going on in the Midwest , for example , or doing something with Harris where it becomes more of a national campaign , '' the executive said .
Still , the two former primary opponents of Biden have been using their resources to help the Democrats retake the White House and make inroads in Congress .
Klobuchar has been helping the Biden campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to participate in virtual fundraising events and his digital town halls , one of her aides said .
There are also plans in the works for the Minnesota Democrat to join Biden 's new podcast , a platform that has already features Whitmer .
Klobuchar is looking to conduct `` direct voter contact '' in regions of the country Biden will need to overcome Trump in November , especially the Midwest , the aide said .
Targeted states will include Minnesota , Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin , plus women , seniors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a recent SiriusXM interview that she has yet to speak with Biden about her becoming his VP and that she 's primarily focused on voting rights during the coronavirus outbreak .
Harris is likely not done taking part in virtual fundraisers for Biden and will get back on the campaign trail advocating for Biden in person once her home state of California fully lifts its stay-at-home order , an aide said .
She 's been a vocal critic of Trump 's handling of the coronavirus .
She is also putting much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates win in 2020 .
Harris recently started a `` Meet the Candidates '' series in which she touts various Senate candidates and the reason voters should back them over their Republican counterparts .
Her first episode was on Thursday with Jaime Harrison , a Senate candidate in South Carolina taking on Sen. Lindsey Graham .
Cook Political Report recently predicted a likely Graham victory .
In the episode said Harris talked about how Harrison lives by his values and why someone like him is needed in the Senate .
`` He is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should give back , and [ Harris ] highlighted Harrison Helps , '' one of her aides told CNBC in describing the discussion with voters .
`` Harrison Helps '' is a volunteer organization that focuses on service projects around South Carolina , his website says .
Many more events featuring other Senate candidates are planned for the series , although the aide would not say who 's up next .
Harris could be targeting states where Democrats are considered to have a shot at winning Senate seats , such as Arizona , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another decision Harris has made is to start a joint fundraising operation with the Democratic National Committee , a move that often is reserved for candidates running in national elections .
Biden and the DNC have started to lay the groundwork for a joint fundraising committee .
Harris ' allies with knowledge of her efforts believe the efforts are intended to help Biden break through the near-lock of media attention by Trump , governors and members of Congress because of the pandemic , especially after Sanders dropped out of the presidential race .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , Kamala has recognized there needs to be an all-hands-on-deck effort to help the VP breakthrough the noise and raise money , given that Covid issues are going to be with us through the fall to some degree , '' one of Harris ' top financiers told CNBC , speaking on condition of anonymity in order to speak openly .
A spokesman for Biden did not return a request for comment .

Joe Biden had a message for Sen. Kamala Harris at one of his recent virtual fundraisers: "I'm coming for you, kid."
Harris, once an archrival of Biden's during the Democratic primary race, was a special guest to that event and has become one of the early favorites to be chosen as the former vice president's running mate against Donald Trump.
Harris and another former contender, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, have been working behind the scenes to help Biden overtake Trump in a campaign that has been forced to go virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic. The two separately endorsed Biden after they dropped out of the race and have since been in legislative efforts to ease the effects of the coronavirus.
Their work on behalf of Biden includes voter outreach and virtual fundraising events. They are also looking to make an appearance on Biden's podcast and are trying to help Democrats making runs for the GOP-controlled Senate, their campaign aides told CNBC. These advisors were granted anonymity in order to speak freely about how Harris and Klobuchar are trying to assist Biden in the wake of Sen. Bernie Sanders' departure from the presidential race last week.
Biden has said he's been working with his team to whittle down a list of potential vice presidential choices and is putting together a committee that would be responsible for the vetting. Betting markets say Harris is the favorite over Klobuchar and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has become a star in the Democratic Party by leading her state's response to the coronavirus.
Biden previously told MSNBC that Whitmer is on his list of possible VP picks and has not officially named anyone.
Trump has found a way to remain in the national spotlight, despite his administration being criticized for its handling of Covid-19. Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee announced on Monday that they combined to raise more than $63 million in March alone and have $240 million on hand.
Biden has been trying to stay on voters' minds by showing how he would handle things differently if he were in charge, making the Harris and Klobuchar efforts to assist him even more imperative. While he has yet to announce his March fundraising totals, having Harris and Klobuchar donors aligned with him could be a crucial boost for his campaign.
Biden's allies in the business community have been pushing his team to look at these three women, plus Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Rep. Val Demings of Florida.
A Wall Street executive backing Biden, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak freely about the situation, told CNBC late last week that, along with Harris and Klobuchar, he believes New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan and Sen. Elizabeth Warren will be on the VP list.
"I think it will be a decision between whether he will make a geographic choice, will it come down to what's going on in the Midwest, for example, or doing something with Harris where it becomes more of a national campaign," the executive said.
Still, the two former primary opponents of Biden have been using their resources to help the Democrats retake the White House and make inroads in Congress.
Klobuchar has been helping the Biden campaign raise money through telephone calls and plans to participate in virtual fundraising events and his digital town halls, one of her aides said. There are also plans in the works for the Minnesota Democrat to join Biden's new podcast, a platform that has already features Whitmer.
Klobuchar is looking to conduct "direct voter contact" in regions of the country Biden will need to overcome Trump in November, especially the Midwest, the aide said. Targeted states will include Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, plus women, seniors, rural and suburban voters.
Klobuchar said in a recent SiriusXM interview that she has yet to speak with Biden about her becoming his VP and that she's primarily focused on voting rights during the coronavirus outbreak.
Harris is likely not done taking part in virtual fundraisers for Biden and will get back on the campaign trail advocating for Biden in person once her home state of California fully lifts its stay-at-home order, an aide said. She's been a vocal critic of Trump's handling of the coronavirus.
She is also putting much of her political clout into helping Democratic Senate candidates win in 2020.
Harris recently started a "Meet the Candidates" series in which she touts various Senate candidates and the reason voters should back them over their Republican counterparts. Her first episode was on Thursday with Jaime Harrison, a Senate candidate in South Carolina taking on Sen. Lindsey Graham. Cook Political Report recently predicted a likely Graham victory.
In the episode said Harris talked about how Harrison lives by his values and why someone like him is needed in the Senate. "He is someone that believes all publicly elected officials should give back, and [Harris] highlighted Harrison Helps," one of her aides told CNBC in describing the discussion with voters. "Harrison Helps" is a volunteer organization that focuses on service projects around South Carolina, his website says.
Many more events featuring other Senate candidates are planned for the series, although the aide would not say who's up next. Harris could be targeting states where Democrats are considered to have a shot at winning Senate seats, such as Arizona, Colorado, Maine and North Carolina.
Another decision Harris has made is to start a joint fundraising operation with the Democratic National Committee, a move that often is reserved for candidates running in national elections. Biden and the DNC have started to lay the groundwork for a joint fundraising committee.
Harris' allies with knowledge of her efforts believe the efforts are intended to help Biden break through the near-lock of media attention by Trump, governors and members of Congress because of the pandemic, especially after Sanders dropped out of the presidential race.
"With the benefit of Bernie standing down, Kamala has recognized there needs to be an all-hands-on-deck effort to help the VP breakthrough the noise and raise money, given that Covid issues are going to be with us through the fall to some degree," one of Harris' top financiers told CNBC, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to speak openly.
A spokesman for Biden did not return a request for comment.


cnbc--2020-04-16--Schumer, Pelosi staff to continue talks with Treasury on Thursday about interim emergency coronaviru

Schumer, Pelosi staff to continue talks with Treasury on Thursday about interim emergency coronavirus relief bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi leaves with Sen. Chuck Schumer , D-NY , after speaking to the media during her weekly briefing March 12 , 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington , DC .
The talks come as a key component of that package — the $ 349 billion fund for small businesses called the Paycheck Protection Program — is quickly being wiped out : More than 1.3 million loans totaling more than $ 296 billion had been approved by Wednesday afternoon , according to the Small Business Administration .
By Wednesday evening , $ 315 billion had been approved , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNBC .
The meeting follows a similar one Wednesday afternoon , as the leaders seek to hammer out a deal over emergency relief funds for the country , just a few weeks after Congress passed a historic $ 2.2 trillion spending package .
Staffers for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will continue talks with the Treasury Department on Thursday about additional coronavirus relief legislation , a senior Democratic aide told CNBC .
Democrats have pushed for changes to the program and more funds to support local governments battling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats of holding up necessary money for small businesses that are hemorrhaging cash as commerce has come to a halt .
Senate Democrats last week blocked an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , to rush another $ 250 billion in funding for the program through his chamber by a unanimous vote .
Republicans then rejected the Democratic proposal outlined by Pelosi and Schumer allocating another $ 250 billion to small businesses , hospitals , states and food assistance programs .
`` It has been stunning to watch our Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paychecks like a Republican priority which they need to be goaded into supporting , '' McConnell railed Wednesday .
`` The cost of continued Democratic obstruction will be pink slips and shuttered businesses . ''
Meanwhile , Pelosi told CNN 's Jake Tapper on Wednesday the party is still pushing for changes to the program .
One plan the Democrats `` still want to negotiate '' calls for $ 60 billion for community financial institutions , like credit unions or community banks , to help get money into those hands , she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
We all want to facilitate that , '' she said , `` But we can not do it by ossifying the lack of access to credit for smaller businesses in our country . ''
On Wednesday , governors from Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania , three notable swing states , sent a letter to President Donald Trump warning of budget shortfalls .
`` In Michigan , initial estimates suggest state revenues could be reduced by $ 3 billion alone this year– $ 7 billion over the next 18 months , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi leaves with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, after speaking to the media during her weekly briefing March 12, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
The talks come as a key component of that package — the $349 billion fund for small businesses called the Paycheck Protection Program — is quickly being wiped out : More than 1.3 million loans totaling more than $296 billion had been approved by Wednesday afternoon, according to the Small Business Administration. By Wednesday evening, $315 billion had been approved, a person familiar with the situation told CNBC.
The meeting follows a similar one Wednesday afternoon , as the leaders seek to hammer out a deal over emergency relief funds for the country, just a few weeks after Congress passed a historic $2.2 trillion spending package.
Staffers for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will continue talks with the Treasury Department on Thursday about additional coronavirus relief legislation, a senior Democratic aide told CNBC.
Democrats have pushed for changes to the program and more funds to support local governments battling the pandemic. Republicans have accused the Democrats of holding up necessary money for small businesses that are hemorrhaging cash as commerce has come to a halt.
Senate Democrats last week blocked an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to rush another $250 billion in funding for the program through his chamber by a unanimous vote. Republicans then rejected the Democratic proposal outlined by Pelosi and Schumer allocating another $250 billion to small businesses, hospitals, states and food assistance programs.
"It has been stunning to watch our Democratic colleagues treat emergency funding for Americans' paychecks like a Republican priority which they need to be goaded into supporting," McConnell railed Wednesday.
"The cost of continued Democratic obstruction will be pink slips and shuttered businesses."
Meanwhile, Pelosi told CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday the party is still pushing for changes to the program. One plan the Democrats "still want to negotiate" calls for $60 billion for community financial institutions, like credit unions or community banks, to help get money into those hands, she said.
"We all want it to work. We all want to facilitate that," she said, "But we cannot do it by ossifying the lack of access to credit for smaller businesses in our country."
On Wednesday, governors from Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, three notable swing states, sent a letter to President Donald Trump warning of budget shortfalls.
"In Michigan, initial estimates suggest state revenues could be reduced by $3 billion alone this year– $7 billion over the next 18 months," wrote Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.


cnbc--2020-04-16--Trump threatens to adjourn Congress so he can make recess appointments

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to do what no American president before him has done : Unilaterally adjourn Congress so that he can appoint his nominees to senior positions and the federal bench without Senate approval .
But according to legal scholars , the president only has the authority to adjourn Congress if — and only if — the House and the Senate disagree with one another over when to adjourn .
Currently , there is no such disagreement .
`` The Senate 's practice of gaveling into so-called pro forma sessions where no one is even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitutional authority that we 're given under the recess provisions , '' Trump said during Wednesday 's coronavirus pandemic briefing .
`` The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees , or it should formally adjourn so that I can make recess appointments . ''
During congressional recess periods , both chambers hold extremely brief parliamentary sessions every few days , known as pro forma sessions , precisely so that the legislature is never officially adjourned , and no president can bypass the Senate 's confirmation process to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ability to make recess appointments in order to appoint key officials to aid in the response to the coronavirus pandemic .
`` We have a tremendous number of people that have to come into government and now more so than ever before because of the virus , '' Trump said in the Rose Garden .
`` If the House will not agree to that adjournment , I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress , '' the president said .
`` The current practice of leaving town while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of duty that the American people can not afford during this crisis .
It is a scam that they do . ''
No president before has ever forcibly adjourned Congress .
And while the Constitution does give the president that power , it only applies in limited circumstances , all of which are nearly unimaginable .
Even if the GOP controlled Senate agreed to adjourn , formal adjournment resolutions must be adopted by both chambers of Congress , and it 's hard to envision a scenario in which Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could appoint his nominees .
Not only would the Democratic controlled House surely object to such an adjournment , but shortly after Trump issued his threat Wednesday , a spokesman for Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated that the Senate would likewise not adjourn .
`` Leader McConnell had a conversation today with the president to discuss Senate Democrats ' unprecedented obstruction of the president 's well-qualified nominees , and shared his continued frustration with the process . ''
the spokesperson said .
`` The Leader pledged to find ways to confirm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but under Senate rules will take consent from Leader Schumer . ''
It 's not clear precisely why Trump chose Wednesday to unleash his frustration over stalled nominees , especially while so much of his administration is currently focused on the coronavirus response .
But one clue may lie in the stalled nominee who Trump repeatedly mentioned during the briefing : Michael Pack , Trump 's pick to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media , formerly known as the Broadcasting Board of Governors .
The agency oversees the Voice of America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services .
`` He 's been stuck in committee for two years , and it 's preventing us from managing the Voice of America , '' Trump said , before launching a broadside at the internationally respected VOA .
`` If you heard what 's coming out of the Voice of America , it 's disgusting , '' Trump said .
`` The things they say are disgusting toward our country .
Michael Pack , he would do a great job but he 's been waiting for two years , because we ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a controversial nominee whose ties to former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon have done little to endear him to either Republican or Democratic senators .
Pack 's nomination was further imperiled last year when CNBC 's Brian Schwartz reported that Pack had been funneling money from a nonprofit group he ran into a private media company that he owned .
Yet even the president himself seemed to acknowledge that he was pushing the boundaries of constitutional law with his threat to adjourn Congress .
`` Perhaps it 's never been done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has .
But we 're going to do it , '' Trump said .
Asked whether there was a deadline for the Senate to approve more nominees , Trump dodged the question .
`` They know they 've been warned and they 've been warned right now , '' Trump said .
`` If they do n't approve it , then we 're going to go this route .
And we 'll probably be challenged in court , and we 'll see who wins . ''

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to do what no American president before him has done: Unilaterally adjourn Congress so that he can appoint his nominees to senior positions and the federal bench without Senate approval.
But according to legal scholars, the president only has the authority to adjourn Congress if — and only if — the House and the Senate disagree with one another over when to adjourn. Currently, there is no such disagreement.
"The Senate's practice of gaveling into so-called pro forma sessions where no one is even there has prevented me from using the constitutional authority that we're given under the recess provisions," Trump said during Wednesday's coronavirus pandemic briefing. "The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees, or it should formally adjourn so that I can make recess appointments."
During congressional recess periods, both chambers hold extremely brief parliamentary sessions every few days, known as pro forma sessions, precisely so that the legislature is never officially adjourned, and no president can bypass the Senate's confirmation process to make recess appointments.
Trump said he needed the ability to make recess appointments in order to appoint key officials to aid in the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
"We have a tremendous number of people that have to come into government and now more so than ever before because of the virus," Trump said in the Rose Garden.
"If the House will not agree to that adjournment, I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress," the president said. "The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro-forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis. It is a scam that they do."
No president before has ever forcibly adjourned Congress. And while the Constitution does give the president that power, it only applies in limited circumstances, all of which are nearly unimaginable.
Even if the GOP controlled Senate agreed to adjourn, formal adjournment resolutions must be adopted by both chambers of Congress, and it's hard to envision a scenario in which Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would agree to adjourn so that Trump could appoint his nominees.
Not only would the Democratic controlled House surely object to such an adjournment, but shortly after Trump issued his threat Wednesday, a spokesman for Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated that the Senate would likewise not adjourn.
"Leader McConnell had a conversation today with the president to discuss Senate Democrats' unprecedented obstruction of the president's well-qualified nominees, and shared his continued frustration with the process." the spokesperson said. "The Leader pledged to find ways to confirm nominees considered mission-critical to the COVID-19 pandemic, but under Senate rules will take consent from Leader Schumer."
It's not clear precisely why Trump chose Wednesday to unleash his frustration over stalled nominees, especially while so much of his administration is currently focused on the coronavirus response.
But one clue may lie in the stalled nominee who Trump repeatedly mentioned during the briefing: Michael Pack, Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, formerly known as the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The agency oversees the Voice of America news service, among other government-run media services.
"He's been stuck in committee for two years, and it's preventing us from managing the Voice of America," Trump said, before launching a broadside at the internationally respected VOA.
"If you heard what's coming out of the Voice of America, it's disgusting," Trump said. "The things they say are disgusting toward our country. Michael Pack, he would do a great job but he's been waiting for two years, because we can't get him approved."
Pack is a controversial nominee whose ties to former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon have done little to endear him to either Republican or Democratic senators.
Pack's nomination was further imperiled last year when CNBC's Brian Schwartz reported that Pack had been funneling money from a nonprofit group he ran into a private media company that he owned.
The White House declined to comment.
Yet even the president himself seemed to acknowledge that he was pushing the boundaries of constitutional law with his threat to adjourn Congress. "Perhaps it's never been done before. Nobody's even sure if it has. But we're going to do it," Trump said.
Asked whether there was a deadline for the Senate to approve more nominees, Trump dodged the question. "They know they've been warned and they've been warned right now," Trump said. "If they don't approve it, then we're going to go this route. And we'll probably be challenged in court, and we'll see who wins."


cnbc--2020-04-16--Robert Mercer starts big money effort for Trump and RNC after cutting back support

Robert Mercer speaks on the phone during the 12th International Conference on Climate Change hosted by The Heartland Institute on March 23 , 2017 in Washington , D.C. President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee have one of their old allies back in the big money fundraising game after he stepped back from helping the commander-in-chief .
Robert Mercer , one of Trump 's original financiers during his first run for president , gave his first six-figure check of the 2020 election cycle to the Trump Victory committee in February , according to a new financial disclosure report .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundraising committee , which raises money for both the Trump campaign and RNC , comes after Mercer was relatively silent since assisting Trump get to the White House .
The committee finished the quarter raising $ 63 million .
Representatives for the RNC , Trump campaign and Mercer did not return a request for comment .
During the 2016 presidential election , Mercer funneled millions of dollars into supporting Trump 's run , including investing at least $ 15 million into the now-shuttered data-gathering firm Cambridge Analytica , which was used to harvest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook profiles .
His daughter , Rebekah Mercer , was on the board of the data-gathering company , which also boasted former Breitbart News boss and top Trump advisor Steve Bannon as an executive .
The information that was gathered was used by the Trump campaign to create social media ads in an attempt to influence voters .
A year before the recent congressional midterms , Mercer stepped down as CEO of hedge fund Renaissance Technologies and sold his stake in Breitbart News , the conservative online news platform , to his daughters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mercer had retreated in leading the way in financially backing the president after a wave of public scrutiny for his assistance just two years earlier .
During the 2018 election cycle , him and his wife combined to contribute just over $ 6 million , according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics [ CRP ] , including $ 400,000 to pro-Trump super PAC , the Great America PAC .
None of that money went to Trump Victory .
Mercer and his family foundation did spend millions backing conservative causes that same year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed two separate $ 2,700 checks to the Trump campaign and $ 5,400 to the RNC but the data from CRP shows the contributions to the president 's campaign may have been refunded .
There have been no other contributions to Trump-related entities this year .
Still , having Mercer potentially getting ready to give more six-figure donations to Trump and the RNC is yet another boost to a growing campaign war chest .
It comes as apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden is trying to raise more money to keep up with Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their joint fundraising committees combined to raise over $ 212 million in the first quarter of 2020 .
The two combined to raise $ 63 million in the month of March .
As part their expanded efforts , Trump Victory is deploying finance chairs to all 50 states in the build up to the November general election .

Robert Mercer speaks on the phone during the 12th International Conference on Climate Change hosted by The Heartland Institute on March 23, 2017 in Washington, D.C.
President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee have one of their old allies back in the big money fundraising game after he stepped back from helping the commander-in-chief.
Robert Mercer, one of Trump's original financiers during his first run for president, gave his first six-figure check of the 2020 election cycle to the Trump Victory committee in February, according to a new financial disclosure report. The $355,200 contribution to the joint fundraising committee, which raises money for both the Trump campaign and RNC, comes after Mercer was relatively silent since assisting Trump get to the White House. The committee finished the quarter raising $63 million.
Representatives for the RNC, Trump campaign and Mercer did not return a request for comment.
During the 2016 presidential election, Mercer funneled millions of dollars into supporting Trump's run, including investing at least $15 million into the now-shuttered data-gathering firm Cambridge Analytica, which was used to harvest private information of more than 50 million Facebook profiles.
His daughter, Rebekah Mercer, was on the board of the data-gathering company, which also boasted former Breitbart News boss and top Trump advisor Steve Bannon as an executive. The information that was gathered was used by the Trump campaign to create social media ads in an attempt to influence voters.
A year before the recent congressional midterms, Mercer stepped down as CEO of hedge fund Renaissance Technologies and sold his stake in Breitbart News, the conservative online news platform, to his daughters.
CNBC first reported in 2018 that Mercer had retreated in leading the way in financially backing the president after a wave of public scrutiny for his assistance just two years earlier. During the 2018 election cycle, him and his wife combined to contribute just over $6 million, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics [CRP], including $400,000 to pro-Trump super PAC, the Great America PAC. None of that money went to Trump Victory.
Mercer and his family foundation did spend millions backing conservative causes that same year.
Mercer has since appeared to have contributed two separate $2,700 checks to the Trump campaign and $5,400 to the RNC but the data from CRP shows the contributions to the president's campaign may have been refunded. There have been no other contributions to Trump-related entities this year.
Still, having Mercer potentially getting ready to give more six-figure donations to Trump and the RNC is yet another boost to a growing campaign war chest. It comes as apparent Democratic nominee Joe Biden is trying to raise more money to keep up with Trump's operation.
Trump, the RNC and their joint fundraising committees combined to raise over $212 million in the first quarter of 2020. The two combined to raise $63 million in the month of March.
As part their expanded efforts, Trump Victory is deploying finance chairs to all 50 states in the build up to the November general election.


cnbc--2020-04-16--Trump says US has 'passed the peak' of coronavirus outbreak

`` My administration is using every available authority to accelerate the development , study and delivery of therapies , '' he said , adding that at least 35 clinical trials of treatments are underway .
Trump said he will discuss guidelines for reopening the country on Thursday .
The governors of seven states on the East Coast and three states on the West Coast have announced regional working groups to coordinate the reopening of the regions .
`` Some states are looking at other states and they 're saying I ca n't imagine what they 're going through because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're in very good shape , '' he said .
`` I would say that we have 20 states , at least , but you really have 29 that are in extremely good shape .
You have others that are getting much better . ''
Trump said new cases are `` declining '' in New York , which has more confirmed cases than any country outside the U.S .
He added that cases are `` flat '' in Denver and Detroit , while other cities including Baltimore and Philadelphia `` are showing great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we must remain vigilant , it is clear that our aggressive strategy is working , '' Trump said at a White House news briefing with coronavirus task force on Wednesday .
`` The battle continues , but the data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases . ''
President Donald Trump said the U.S. has `` passed the peak '' of the coronavirus outbreak , which has infected more than 632,000 people in America .
Over the past six days , the rate of new cases has declined across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deborah Birx said , adding that nine states have less than 1,000 cases each and report fewer than 30 new cases per day .
However , she said the administration is concerned about Providence , Rhode Island , which is in a `` unique situation , '' caught between two hot spots , New York and Boston .
She added that now is the time to continue practicing social distancing .
`` Social gatherings , coming together , there is always a chance that an asymptomatic person can spread the virus unknowingly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of you that are out there that would like to join together and just have that dinner party for 20 , do n't do it yet .
Continue to follow the presidential guidelines . ''
More than 3.3 million tests have been `` conducted and completed , '' Vice President Mike Pence said , adding that 24 % of all counties in the country have not reported a single case of Covid-19 .
He also said half of all states in the country have fewer than 2,500 cases each .
`` We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the president said , there will be areas of the country that will require continued mitigation and strong efforts and there will be other areas of the country that will be given guidance for greater flexibility , the president has so directed our team , '' Pence said .
Even as the infection rate appears to fall across the country , according to the White House , New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged earlier Wednesday that the city is likely undercounting Covid-19 deaths as the city struggles to test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City officials said they would begin counting `` probable '' Covid-19 deaths , which are people `` who had no known positive laboratory test , '' but are believed to have died due to Covid-19 .
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene estimates that there have been 3,778 probable Covid-19 deaths since March 11 that were n't previously counted in the city 's official tally .
There have been 6,589 confirmed Covid-19 deaths in New York City so far .
`` I want the whole truth out .
Wherever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whole truth out , '' de Blasio said Wednesday at a news briefing .
`` Absolutely , I believe there are more people who died because of Covid-19 , in one way or another , because of something that happened to them related to Covid-19 . ''

"My administration is using every available authority to accelerate the development, study and delivery of therapies," he said, adding that at least 35 clinical trials of treatments are underway.
Trump said he will discuss guidelines for reopening the country on Thursday. The governors of seven states on the East Coast and three states on the West Coast have announced regional working groups to coordinate the reopening of the regions.
"Some states are looking at other states and they're saying I can't imagine what they're going through because they're not in that position. They're in very good shape," he said. "I would say that we have 20 states, at least, but you really have 29 that are in extremely good shape. You have others that are getting much better."
Trump said new cases are "declining" in New York, which has more confirmed cases than any country outside the U.S. He added that cases are "flat" in Denver and Detroit, while other cities including Baltimore and Philadelphia "are showing great signs of success."
"While we must remain vigilant, it is clear that our aggressive strategy is working," Trump said at a White House news briefing with coronavirus task force on Wednesday. "The battle continues, but the data suggests that nationwide we have passed the peak on new cases."
President Donald Trump said the U.S. has "passed the peak" of the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 632,000 people in America.
Over the past six days, the rate of new cases has declined across the country, Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said, adding that nine states have less than 1,000 cases each and report fewer than 30 new cases per day. However, she said the administration is concerned about Providence, Rhode Island, which is in a "unique situation," caught between two hot spots, New York and Boston.
She added that now is the time to continue practicing social distancing.
"Social gatherings, coming together, there is always a chance that an asymptomatic person can spread the virus unknowingly," she said. "To all of you that are out there that would like to join together and just have that dinner party for 20, don't do it yet. Continue to follow the presidential guidelines."
More than 3.3 million tests have been "conducted and completed," Vice President Mike Pence said, adding that 24% of all counties in the country have not reported a single case of Covid-19. He also said half of all states in the country have fewer than 2,500 cases each.
"We're going to reflect on the fact that, as the president said, there will be areas of the country that will require continued mitigation and strong efforts and there will be other areas of the country that will be given guidance for greater flexibility, the president has so directed our team," Pence said.
Even as the infection rate appears to fall across the country, according to the White House, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged earlier Wednesday that the city is likely undercounting Covid-19 deaths as the city struggles to test everyone.
On Tuesday, New York City officials said they would begin counting "probable" Covid-19 deaths, which are people "who had no known positive laboratory test," but are believed to have died due to Covid-19. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene estimates that there have been 3,778 probable Covid-19 deaths since March 11 that weren't previously counted in the city's official tally. There have been 6,589 confirmed Covid-19 deaths in New York City so far.
"I want the whole truth out. Wherever the facts take us, I want the whole truth out," de Blasio said Wednesday at a news briefing. "Absolutely, I believe there are more people who died because of Covid-19, in one way or another, because of something that happened to them related to Covid-19."


cnbc--2020-01-07--Elizabeth Warren unveils plan to overhaul bankruptcy laws, spotlighting disagreements with Biden

Democratic presidential hopefuls Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren ( L ) and former Vice President Joe Biden take part in the sixth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by PBS NewsHour & Politico at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles , California on December 19 , 2019 .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren unveiled a proposal to overhaul the nation 's bankruptcy laws on Tuesday , a direct challenge to her leading rival Joe Biden , the former vice president , over landmark legislation from more than a decade ago that Warren opposed and Biden supported .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harmful provisions in the 2005 bankruptcy bill and overhaul consumer bankruptcy rules in this country to give Americans a better chance of getting back on their feet , '' Warren wrote in the plan , which the campaign posted on the blogging platform Medium .
The plan does not mention Biden by name .
Warren was as an academic one of the nation 's leading scholars of bankruptcy law , teaching at Harvard Law School and other universities , before she won her seat in the Senate .
The Massachusetts progressive vigorously opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under consideration in Congress , while Biden helped to shepherd its passage .
The fight over the law was one of the precipitating factors behind Warren 's transition from academia into public office , and is one of the central policy differences animating the clash between her and Biden , who is more moderate on most issues .
The day after Biden entered the race in April , Warren accused Biden of having been on the `` side of the credit card companies . ''
`` Our disagreement is a matter of public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
In her plan released on Tuesday , Warren wrote that she `` lost that fight in 2005 '' but `` did n't stop fighting to hold the financial industry accountable , '' noting her role in creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , a federal regulator established in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis .

Democratic presidential hopefuls Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (L) and former Vice President Joe Biden take part in the sixth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by PBS NewsHour & Politico at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California on December 19, 2019. Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images
Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren unveiled a proposal on Tuesday to overhaul the nation's personal bankruptcy laws, a direct challenge to rival Joe Biden over landmark legislation from more than a decade ago that she opposed and he supported. "I'm announcing my plan to repeal the harmful provisions in the 2005 bankruptcy bill and overhaul consumer bankruptcy rules in this country to give Americans a better chance of getting back on their feet," Warren wrote in the plan, which the campaign posted on the blogging platform Medium. The plan does not mention former Vice President Biden by name. Warren was one of the nation's leading scholars of bankruptcy law, teaching at Harvard Law School and other universities, before she won her seat in the Senate. The Massachusetts progressive vigorously opposed the 2005 bankruptcy bill while it was under consideration in Congress, while then-Sen. Biden helped to shepherd its passage. The fight over the law was one of the precipitating factors behind Warren's transition from academia into public office and is one of the central policy differences animating the clash between her and Biden, who is more moderate on most issues.
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Read more: 'Don't threaten me': Court records show Elizabeth Warren turned down lucrative job after hearing from consumer group The day after Biden entered the race in April, Warren accused him of having been on the "side of the credit card companies." "Our disagreement is a matter of public record," she said at the time. In her plan, Warren said she "lost that fight in 2005" but "didn't stop fighting to hold the financial industry accountable," noting her role in creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the federal regulator established in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The CFPB has returned nearly $12 billion to consumers since it was created, according to government figures. She wrote in her plan that the 2005 bill made that crisis "significantly worse." While bankruptcy has not been one of the top issues that Democrats have seized on in the primary, it is a topic central to Warren's political identity.
"I spent most of my career studying one simple question: why do American families go broke?" she wrote. Warren is in third place in the Democratic presidential race, according to national surveys, behind front-runner Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Warren has fallen in the polls since early October, when she at times was polling narrowly ahead of Biden. Biden did not respond to a request for comment. But in May, the campaign responded to a similar critique by saying in a statement that in 2005 it was "a certainty that the Republican-controlled Congress and White House would turn the bankruptcy bill into law." Biden "fought for and won important concessions for middle class families in it, including protecting access to Chapter 7 forgiveness for working people, making child support and alimony the number one priority for debt payments — in front of big banks and credit card companies — and forcing credit card companies to warn borrowers about their interest rates," the campaign said at the time.
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Warren said her bankruptcy plan will make it easier for those who are in debt to obtain relief through bankruptcy, including by ending "the absurd rules that make it nearly impossible to discharge student loan debt." She said the plan will address racial and gender disparities in the personal bankruptcy system and make it easier for people to take care of themselves and their children during the bankruptcy process. "Thanks in part to the 2005 bankruptcy bill, our current system makes it far too hard for people in need to start the bankruptcy process so they can get back on their feet," Warren wrote. "My plan streamlines the process, reduces costs, and gives people more flexibility in bankruptcy to find solutions that match their financial problems." The plan targets provisions of the 2005 legislation that Warren says made the bankruptcy process more complicated and expensive for individuals. She would do away with paperwork requirements in the bill that she said "imposed the same onerous paperwork requirements on a middle-class American filing bankruptcy that it did on a wealthy real-estate developer." The plan would do away with filing fees for those who are below the federal poverty line and allow Chapter 7 filers to pay attorneys' fees during or after bankruptcy, rather than just up front. Warren said the plan would also reduce the cost of hiring a consumer bankruptcy attorney by doing away with rules imposed on those lawyers by the 2005 legislation. That legislation requires personal bankruptcy lawyers to certify the accuracy of financial disclosures and provide financial advice, among other obligations, Warren said. The plan takes particular aim at Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which Warren characterizes as "longer and less generous" than Chapter 7. Warren noted that black bankruptcy filers are disproportionately drawn to Chapter 13, citing data reported by the investigative outlet ProPublica. Chapter 7 bankruptcies cost about $1,200 while Chapter 13 bankruptcies cost about $3,200, Warren wrote, but Chapter 7 bankruptcy requires filers to have the cash up front, while those in Chapter 13 can pay over time. Under Chapter 7, a bankrupt individual's assets, such as their homes, are sold by a trustee, while Chapter 13 allows for them to stop foreclosure proceedings. But Warren wrote in the plan that many opt for Chapter 13 because it's "the only way they can afford to pay their bankruptcy lawyer." "Forcing people into Chapter 13 because they cannot afford to pay their lawyer up front is a ridiculous way to run a consumer debt relief system," Warren wrote. Warren said that in contrast, her plan "offers a single system available to all consumers." "When people file for bankruptcy, they would disclose all of their debts, assets, and income, just as they do now," Warren wrote. "And just as under the current system, creditors must stop all collection actions against the debtor outside of bankruptcy court." Rather than opting for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, though, Warren wrote that filers would "choose from a menu of options for addressing their debts." "The menu of options available would include a Chapter 7-type option of surrendering all non-exempt property in exchange for having their unpaid debts 'discharged,' as well as options that allow people to deal with specific financial problems without involving all of their obligations," she wrote. Warren said her proposals will make the bankruptcy process "cheaper and quicker."
"And speed is important. Research has shown that the 'sweatbox' period when consumers wrestle with the decision to file for bankruptcy is particularly damaging to families and their financial health," Warren said. "The 2005 law benefited credit card companies by extending the sweatbox period." Warren also pledged to close what she characterized as "loopholes" in federal bankruptcy law, such as the "Millionaire's Loophole," which exempts certain trusts from bankruptcy claims. Her plan would also block individuals from using bankruptcy as a shield against civil rights claims, such as debts arising from police brutality, while eliminating some of the protections for local government fines, which disproportionately affect black and low-income communities.


cnbc--2020-01-07--Cyberattack and proxy violence warnings as Iran threatens 'nightmare' revenge against US

Weeping over the coffin of slain Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani , killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad , Iran 's supreme leader vowed severe revenge on America , echoing the anger of more than a million mourners in the streets of Tehran .
`` Harsh revenge '' awaited the `` criminals '' who killed Soleimani , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared .
The U.S. assassination of Soleimani , the leader of Iran 's elite Quds force , the foreign arm of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps , has prompted `` 13 revenge scenarios , '' Iran 's Supreme National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even if there is consensus on the weakest scenario , carrying it out can be a historic nightmare for the Americans , '' the secretary said .
And the world appears to be taking it seriously : Markets fell on the news and money is moving into safe havens like gold in the face of potentially greater conflict in the Middle East .
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has warned of `` homeland-based plots '' against infrastructure targets including cyberattacks by Iranian proxies like Lebanese militant group Hezbollah .
`` The Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into already extremely tense region , '' Ellie Geranmayeh , a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations , told CNBC .
`` This move has exposed every American boot on the ground to a possible retaliatory attack . ''
Soleimani 's killing followed the storming of the American Embassy in Baghdad by Iran-backed Iraqi Shiite militias in the last week of December , reportedly at the Soleimani 's direction .
The violent demonstration was prompted by U.S. airstrikes that killed 25 of those militia members in retaliation for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an American contractor on Dec. 28 .
Washington has called on all U.S. citizens in Iraq to leave the country immediately , and it 's sending 3,500 additional troops to the region .
But as speculation mounts over Iran 's next moves , analysts say Tehran does not want to provoke an actual war with the U.S. despite it calls for vengeance .
Iran `` will still try to avoid provoking an all-out war , but it will be challenging for them to retaliate in a way that allows them domestically to save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some sort of military response , '' Aniseh Tabrizi , a Middle East research fellow and Iran expert at London 's Royal United Services Institute , told CNBC on Monday .
She noted that with an economy buckling under American sanctions and a military far less equipped than that of the U.S. , the country is not in the position economically or militarily to fight a conventional war .
The drone strike on Soleimani on Friday ( late Thursday ET ) was a blow to Iran — not just because the general was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his role in leading Iran 's regional expansion and resistance against the U.S. , but also because it now completely upends Iran 's calculations in terms of prospects for U.S. military confrontation , Tabrizi said .
Khamenei `` has to respond in a way which is pretty forceful or else they risk losing face , '' Karim Sajadpour , a Carnegie Endowment senior fellow , told CNBC 's `` Squawk Box '' on Monday .
`` But with the erraticness of Trump , they have to be very careful how they respond , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ayatollah 's approach as `` calibrated . ''
`` Iran 's responses could come across a spectrum of measures , whether that 's on the Middle East or on its nuclear program , or through covert direct actions like cyberattacks on U.S. territory , '' Geranmayeh said , highlighting the risk of attacks in third-country territory like Iraq and noting that Iran and the U.S. are practically neighbors in their theaters of operation in Syria , Iraq and Afghanistan .
Former CIA acting director John McLaughlin issued the same warning , writing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran will retaliate in some major way and probably turn loose its proxies such as the terrorist wing of Hezbollah and is militias in Iraq and Syria . ''
The last year has seen a series of escalations including attacks on commercial tankers and oil facilities in the Gulf widely blamed on Iran .
It also saw Washington 's designation of the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group , Iran 's seizures of foreign tankers and its shooting down of a U.S. drone amid mounting U.S. sanctions .
`` We 're dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proven to be very capable at executing kinetic responses across the field , '' Geranmayeh said , citing the drone downing and the Sept. 14 attack on Saudi Aramco that instantly knocked out half of the Saudis ' oil production .
`` We 're not just dealing with a third-rate country that 's incapable of responding . ''
...
But WWIII hype is 'asinine ' and 'hyperbolic' Regional experts maintain that the Iranian state 's response is likely to remain somewhat measured , as war is in neither country 's interest .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter on Friday and through the weekend , but is `` one of the most hyperbolic , stupid things I 've heard , '' according to Phillip Smyth , a Washington Institute expert on Shiite militarism .
`` This is n't World War 3 , '' he told CNBC .
`` That 's not how any of this works ... it 's asinine . ''
And Iran 's supreme leader did n't stay in power for the last 30 years by getting into impulsive wars with the U.S. , noted Ray Takeyh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Council of Foreign Relations .
`` For all the fears already circulating that the United States just started World War 3 , Iran 's reaction is likely to be a calibrated one , '' Takeyh said in a Politico piece on Friday .
`` The Islamic Republic had already pledged to retreat further from its nuclear obligations by next week .
A move in that direction seems more likely at this point , as opposed to blowing up American diplomatic and military outposts . ''
Indeed , the most immediate action from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would suspend its compliance to 2015 Iranian nuclear deal .
But Tehran also maintained that it would keep working with the International Atomic Energy Agency 's inspectors , and left the door open for a return to full compliance if economic sanctions are lifted .
What about attacks in the US ?
DHS said in a bulletin Saturday that `` At this time we have no information indicating a specific , credible threat to the Homeland , '' but added that `` Iran and its partners , such as Hizballah , have demonstrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States . ''
But the experts surveyed by CNBC believe operations on the U.S. mainland outside of cyberattacks are highly unlikely , as Iran does n't want to draw attacks on its own mainland .
The regional proxy risk , however , remains very real especially since Tehran does n't always have control over those groups — like the Shiite militias in Iraq or the Houthi rebels in Yemen — and they have acted out on their own in the past .

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Weeping over the coffin of slain Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad, Iran's supreme leader vowed severe revenge on America, echoing the anger of more than a million mourners in the streets of Tehran. "Harsh revenge" awaited the "criminals" who killed Soleimani, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared. The U.S. assassination of Soleimani, the leader of Iran's elite Quds force, the foreign arm of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has prompted "13 revenge scenarios," Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary announced Tuesday. "Even if there is consensus on the weakest scenario, carrying it out can be a historic nightmare for the Americans," Ali Shamkhani said.
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And the world appears to be taking it seriously: Markets fell on the news and money is moving into safe havens like gold in the face of potentially greater conflict in the Middle East. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has warned of "homeland-based plots" against infrastructure targets including cyberattacks by Iranian proxies like Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. "The Trump administration has essentially thrown a hand grenade into already extremely tense region," Ellie Geranmayeh, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told CNBC. "This move has exposed every American boot on the ground to a possible retaliatory attack."
Thousands of mourners pay homage to assassinated Iranian Major General Soleimani in US Airstrike. The Pentagon announced that Iran's Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed on 03 January 2020 following a US airstrike at Baghdad's international airport. Mazyar Asadi | Pacific Press | LightRocket via Getty Images
Soleimani's killing followed the storming of the American Embassy in Baghdad by Iran-backed Iraqi Shiite militias in the last week of December, reportedly at the Soleimani's direction. The violent demonstration was prompted by U.S. airstrikes that killed 25 of those militia members in retaliation for the group's launch of rockets that killed an American contractor on Dec. 28. Washington has called on all U.S. citizens in Iraq to leave the country immediately, and it's sending 3,500 additional troops to the region.
Revenge versus war
But as speculation mounts over Iran's next moves, analysts say Tehran does not want to provoke an actual war with the U.S. despite it calls for vengeance. Iran "will still try to avoid provoking an all-out war, but it will be challenging for them to retaliate in a way that allows them domestically to save face without at the same time triggering some sort of military response," Aniseh Tabrizi, a Middle East research fellow and Iran expert at London's Royal United Services Institute, told CNBC on Monday. She noted that with an economy buckling under American sanctions and a military far less equipped than that of the U.S., the country is not in the position economically or militarily to fight a conventional war.
Demonstrators burn the U.S. and British flags during a protest against the assassination of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis who were killed in an air strike in Baghdad airport, in Tehran, Iran January 3, 2020. Nazanin Tabatabaee | Reuters
The drone strike on Soleimani on Friday (late Thursday ET) was a blow to Iran — not just because the general was revered across much of the country for his role in leading Iran's regional expansion and resistance against the U.S., but also because it now completely upends Iran's calculations in terms of prospects for U.S. military confrontation, Tabrizi said.
Potential proxy violence and cyberattacks
Khamenei "has to respond in a way which is pretty forceful or else they risk losing face," Karim Sadjadpour, a Carnegie Endowment senior fellow, told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. "But with the erraticness of Trump, they have to be very careful how they respond," he said, describing the supreme ayatollah's approach as "calibrated." "Iran's responses could come across a spectrum of measures, whether that's on the Middle East or on its nuclear program, or through covert direct actions like cyberattacks on U.S. territory," Geranmayeh said, highlighting the risk of attacks in third-country territory like Iraq and noting that Iran and the U.S. are practically neighbors in their theaters of operation in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Former CIA acting director John McLaughlin issued the same warning, writing in intelligence newsletter the Cipher Brief: "Iran will retaliate in some major way and probably turn loose its proxies such as the terrorist wing of Hezbollah and its militias in Iraq and Syria."
Iran will retaliate in some major way and probably turn loose its proxies such as the terrorist wing of Hezbollah and its militias in Iraq and Syria. John McLaughlin Former acting director, CIA
Iran's cyber capabilities have increased rapidly in recent years, and while the state has never been publicly tied to an attack on industrial control systems, cybersecurity professionals warn it is likely working to develop those capabilities. Iranian hackers have already carried out destructive digital attacks, paralyzing computer networks around the Middle East like Saudi Arabia's state oil giant Aramco in 2012 and hitting several U.S. targets, including banks, a dam and a major Vegas casino.
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The last year has seen a series of escalations including attacks on commercial tankers and oil facilities in the Gulf widely blamed on Iran. It also saw Washington's designation of the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group, Iran's seizures of foreign tankers and its shooting down of a U.S. drone amid mounting U.S. sanctions. "We're dealing with an actor like Iran that has proven to be very capable at executing kinetic responses across the field," Geranmayeh said, citing the drone downing and the Sept. 14 attack on Saudi Aramco that instantly knocked out half of the Saudis' oil production. "We're not just dealing with a third-rate country that's incapable of responding."
...But WWIII hype is 'asinine' and 'hyperbolic'
Regional experts maintain that the Iranian state's response is likely to remain somewhat measured and gradual, as war is in neither country's interest and regime survival is paramount for Tehran. The hashtag "WW3" was trending on Twitter on Friday and through the weekend, but is "one of the most hyperbolic, stupid things I've heard," according to Phillip Smyth, a Washington Institute expert on Shiite militarism. "This isn't World War 3," he told CNBC. "That's not how any of this works ... it's asinine." And Iran's supreme leader didn't stay in power for the last 30 years by getting into impulsive wars with the U.S., noted Ray Takeyh, an Iranian-American former U.S. diplomat now at the Council of Foreign Relations.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei makes a speech regarding Trump's withdrawal decision from Iran nuclear deal during a press conference in Tehran, Iran on May 09, 2018. Iranian Leader's Press Office | Handout | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
"For all the fears already circulating that the United States just started World War 3, Iran's reaction is likely to be a calibrated one," Takeyh wrote in a Politico piece on Friday. "The Islamic Republic had already pledged to retreat further from its nuclear obligations by next week. A move in that direction seems more likely at this point, as opposed to blowing up American diplomatic and military outposts." Indeed, the most immediate action from Iran was the announcement Sunday that it would suspend its compliance to 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. But notably, Tehran maintained that it would keep working with the International Atomic Energy Agency's inspectors, and left the door open for a return to full compliance if economic sanctions are lifted. "My guess is they will be very careful in calibrating whatever decisive move they make," former Defense Secretary William Cohen, who served under the Clinton administration, told CNBC. "The Iranians will want to get their amount of blood back in terms of striking the U.S., but I don't think it will be a major strike because they'd be inviting a much more overwhelming strike against them."
What about attacks in the US?
DHS said in a bulletin Saturday that "At this time we have no information indicating a specific, credible threat to the Homeland," but added that "Iran and its partners, such as Hizballah, have demonstrated the intent and capability to conduct operations in the United States." But the experts surveyed by CNBC believe operations on the U.S. mainland outside of cyberattacks are highly unlikely, as Iran doesn't want to draw attacks on its own mainland. The regional proxy risk, however, remains very real especially since Tehran doesn't always have control over those groups — like the Shiite militias in Iraq or the Houthi rebels in Yemen — and they have acted out on their own in the past.
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cnbc--2020-01-07--Pentagon rejects Trump's pledge to strike Iranian cultural sites

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman , Army General Mark Milley looks on after a briefing from senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room at the White House on October 7 , 2019 in Washington , DC .
The U.S. has no plans to target Iranian cultural sites in potential strikes , Pentagon chiefs told reporters , despite threats from President Donald Trump issued after Iran vowed retaliation for the U.S. killing of its top general , Qasem Soleimani .
Asked during a press gaggle if the U.S. military would follow Trump 's announced plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley replied , `` We will follow the laws of armed conflict . ''
Asked if that meant `` no '' because targeting cultural sites constitutes a war crime under those laws , the general replied , `` That 's the laws of armed conflict . ''
Trump on Sunday vowed to hit 52 targets in Iran `` very hard '' if the country retaliates for the assassinating Soleimani in drone strike in Baghdad on Friday ( late Thursday ET ) .
Soleimani was head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing , the elite Quds Force and was considered the second-most powerful leader in Iran , credited with expanding Iran 's influence through proxy networks all over the Middle East .
The laws of armed conflict represent a branch of international law that governs relationships between states and is meant to regulate armed conflict .
Trump tweeted Sunday that Iran `` is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets '' in response to Soleimani 's death , and said that the U.S. had `` targeted 52 Iranian sites , '' some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture , and those targets , and Iran itself , WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD . ''
Trump did not specify what the sites were , but said that the number chosen was meant to represent the 52 American hostages held by the Islamic Republic for 444 days after the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979 .
Michael Knights , a Gulf and security expert at the Washington Institute , wrote on Twitter on Sunday that `` there would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. target list .
Such sites are on a 'no-strike list ' and/or a 'restricted target list ' including all UNESCO sites and many others , incl mosques , schools , etc . ''

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Army General Mark Milley looks on after a briefing from senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room at the White House on October 7, 2019 in Washington, DC. Mark Wilson | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The U.S. has no plans to target Iranian cultural sites in potential strikes, Pentagon chiefs told reporters, despite threats from President Donald Trump issued after Iran vowed retaliation for the U.S. killing of its top general, Qasem Soleimani. Asked during a press gaggle if the U.S. military would follow Trump's announced plan to target cultural sites in Iran, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley replied, "We will follow the laws of armed conflict." Asked if that meant "no" because targeting cultural sites constitutes a war crime under those laws, the general replied, "That's the laws of armed conflict."
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Trump on Sunday vowed to hit 52 targets in Iran "very hard" if the country retaliates for the assassinating Soleimani in drone strike in Baghdad on Friday (late Thursday ET). Soleimani was head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' external wing, the elite Quds Force and was considered the second-most powerful leader in Iran, credited with expanding Iran's influence through proxy networks all over the Middle East. The laws of armed conflict represent a branch of international law that governs relationships between states and is meant to regulate armed conflict. Trump tweeted Sunday that Iran "is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets" in response to Soleimani's death, and said that the U.S. had "targeted 52 Iranian sites," some of which were "at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD." Tweet1 Trump did not specify what the sites were, but said that the number chosen was meant to represent the 52 American hostages held by the Islamic Republic for 444 days after the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979. Michael Knights, a Gulf and security expert at the Washington Institute, wrote on Twitter on Sunday that "there would not be 'cultural' targets on any U.S. target list. Such sites are on a 'no-strike list' and/or a 'restricted target list' including all UNESCO sites and many others, incl mosques, schools, etc." Tweet2
US raises alert as Iranian mourners vow revenge
Millions of people have poured into the streets of Iran and Iraq for three days of mourning led by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has vowed "harsh revenge" against the "criminals" who carried out the strike. Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary on Tuesday announced "13 revenge scenarios," against the U.S., warning that "even if there is consensus on the weakest scenario, carrying it out can be a historic nightmare for the Americans."
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cnbc--2020-01-06--US military says general's letter announcing Iraq withdrawal was a mistake: 'This is not what's happ

US military says general's letter announcing Iraq withdrawal was a mistake: 'This is not what's happening'

A U.S. Army armored vehicle flies an American flag as it provides security escort for a convoy in this file photo from 2011 .
The Pentagon on Monday said that a U.S. general 's letter informing Iraq 's Defense Ministry that U.S.-led coalition troops would leave Iraq `` was a mistake , '' and American Defense officials insisted that the troops would remain there .
`` That letter is a draft , it was a mistake , it was unsigned , it should never have been released , '' Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley told reporters hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Marine Brig .
Gen. William Seely were published by the Reuters and AFP wire services .
`` That is not what 's happening , '' he continued .
The general 's comments came after the top U.S. Defense official appeared to be confused about the letter Monday .
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters earlier , `` We are repositioning forces throughout the region , No .
1 . ''
`` Beyond that with regard to the letter , which I 've read once , I ca n't tell you the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` That letter is inconsistent of where we are right now . ''
`` There has been no decision whatsoever to leave , '' he said .
The letter to Iraq 's Defense Ministry came to light a day after Iraq 's parliament voted to expel all foreign forces from the country .
Neither Esper nor Milley would clarify how the letter was made public , or who directed it to be drafted .
Neither Seely nor Pentagon spokesmen responded to questions about the letter 's origin .

A U.S. Army armored vehicle flies an American flag as it provides security escort for a convoy in this file photo from 2011.
The Pentagon on Monday said that a U.S. general's letter informing Iraq's Defense Ministry that U.S.-led coalition troops would leave Iraq "was a mistake," and American Defense officials insisted that the troops would remain there.
"That letter is a draft, it was a mistake, it was unsigned, it should never have been released," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley told reporters hours after reports about the letter ostensibly written by Marine Brig. Gen. William Seely were published by the Reuters and AFP wire services.
"Poorly worded, implies withdrawal," Milley said.
"That is not what's happening," he continued.
The general's comments came after the top U.S. Defense official appeared to be confused about the letter Monday. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters earlier, "We are repositioning forces throughout the region, No. 1."
"Beyond that with regard to the letter, which I've read once, I can't tell you the veracity of that letter," Esper said. "That letter is inconsistent of where we are right now."
"There has been no decision whatsoever to leave," he said.
The letter to Iraq's Defense Ministry came to light a day after Iraq's parliament voted to expel all foreign forces from the country.
Neither Esper nor Milley would clarify how the letter was made public, or who directed it to be drafted.
Neither Seely nor Pentagon spokesmen responded to questions about the letter's origin.


cnbc--2020-01-06--A timeline: How US-Iran tensions led to the death of Qasem Soleimani

As the U.S. braces for more conflict with Iran , Tehran says it is backing further away from a landmark @ @ @ @ @ development of nuclear weapons .
The state announced Sunday that it would not follow a @ @ @ @ @ following the U.S. killing of its top general , Qasem Soleimani , on Thursday .
@ @ @ @ @ abide by the deal 's caps on the number of uranium enrichment centrifuges it can @ @ @ @ @ only the latest blow to an international agreement that world powers hoped would reduce the @ @ @ @ @ and normalize Tehran 's relations around the globe .
Even after Trump announced he would @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , the other countries that signed on — China , France , Germany , @ @ @ @ @ — aimed to keep it in place .
The latest spike in tensions follows decades @ @ @ @ @ and Iran .
The timeline below outlines some of the major events in the U.S.-Iran @ @ @ @ @ and how the nuclear deal fits into it .

President Donald Trump appeared to call for dialogue with Iran only a day after it blasted American targets in Iraq.
The strikes, which did not kill any American or Iraqi forces, follow the U.S. killing of the top Iran general, Qasem Soleimani, last week. After Soleimani's death, Tehran said it would back away from another key provision landmark 2015 deal to limit its development of nuclear weapons by blowing past limits on enriching uranium.
Trump said the U.S. would ratchet up economic sanctions on Iran as it tries to avoid armed conflict with the state. The president first reimposed sanctions on Tehran after he withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018. The international agreement aimed to reduce the chances of nuclear conflict and normalize Iran's relations with the world.
The latest tensions follow decades of enmity between the U.S. and Iran. The timeline below outlines some of the major events in the U.S.-Iran relationship since the mid-20th century and how the nuclear deal fits into it.
— Timeline summaries by Reuters, with CNBC edits.


cnbc--2020-01-06--Tech firm helping Bloomberg campaign lands former Goldman Sachs executive, ex-Facebook employees in

Tech firm helping Bloomberg campaign lands former Goldman Sachs executive, ex-Facebook employees in hiring blitz

2020 Democratic presidential hopeful and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks during an event to open a campaign office at Eastern Market in Detroit , Michigan , on December 21 , 2019 .
Mike Bloomberg 's tech company is bolstering its ranks as it starts to assist the billionaire 's campaign for president .
Hawkfish has picked up at least 50 employees from a wide range of backgrounds .
Those who have signed on to work with the digital start-up were initially discovered by CNBC after a review of the company 's new LinkedIn page , which says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company was first described to CNBC as the `` primary digital agency and technology services provider '' for the billionaire 's presidential campaign .
The hirings come as the campaign moves more resources into delegate-rich battleground states .
A Real Clear Politics polling average has Bloomberg in fifth place , behind former Vice President Joe Biden , Sen. Bernie Sanders , Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
Those hired include Elisha Wiesel , who was the co-chief information officer at Goldman Sachs for three years before joining Hawkfish .
Wiesel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consultant , and in a post that was published last week on the site , he says he 's `` volunteering '' his time to `` learn from them , and to contribute however I can . ''
Bloomberg News recently reported that Wiesel , the son of the late Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Weisel , was joining the campaign and helping the technology efforts , but the story had no mention of Hawkfish .
Others who have joined have experience with tech giants Facebook and Google .
Vinay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Facebook , is now with Hawkfish .
Kumar says on his page that he spent his time at Facebook building algorithms that `` improved the quality of news on Facebook around the world . ''
A former senior producer at Google , Namik Hawkins , is now an executive producer at Hawkfish , her LinkedIn page says .
Hawkfish 's leadership ranks include longtime Facebook Chief Marketing Officer Gary Briggs and Jeff Glueck , former CEO of location-tracking firm Foursquare .
Bloomberg , who has a net worth of $ 56 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His campaign has said it helped groups looking to make inroads in state races within Virginia and Kentucky .
Democrats in November won control of the Virginia statehouse for the first time in over two decades , while Democrat Andy Beshear narrowly defeated GOP Gov .
Matt Bevin in Kentucky .
Even though the company has yet to disclose which specific organizations it assisted last year , its LinkedIn page says its clients are political action committees , NGO advocacy groups and political campaigns .
The company 's LinkedIn page also gives a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Bloomberg himself .
It says it is supporting candidates in favor of many causes that Bloomberg has championed for well over a decade , including gun safety .
`` Hawkfish aims to support candidates and causes who will advance progress on climate change , gun safety , women 's rights , education , access to healthcare , and more , '' the page says .
A spokesperson for the Bloomberg campaign did not return a request for comment .
The hiring spree just over a month after Bloomberg entered the race comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground game with 500 organizers and field staff in 30 states .
He has put many of his resources into all of the Super Tuesday states scheduled for March 3 .
Bloomberg 's ability to quickly hire matches the efforts he 's making to push out his message through TV and digital ads .
He has invested over $ 147 million in broadcast TV spots , with at least $ 15 million going into delegate-rich California and Texas , the nation 's top two Electoral College states .
As for digital ads , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million in Google and Facebook ads .

2020 Democratic presidential hopeful and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks during an event to open a campaign office at Eastern Market in Detroit, Michigan, on December 21, 2019.
Mike Bloomberg's tech company is bolstering its ranks as it starts to assist the billionaire's campaign for president.
Hawkfish has picked up at least 50 employees from a wide range of backgrounds. Those who have signed on to work with the digital start-up were initially discovered by CNBC after a review of the company's new LinkedIn page, which says it has 51 to 200 employees.
The company was first described to CNBC as the "primary digital agency and technology services provider" for the billionaire's presidential campaign.
The hirings come as the campaign moves more resources into delegate-rich battleground states. A Real Clear Politics polling average has Bloomberg in fifth place, behind former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
Those hired include Elisha Wiesel, who was the co-chief information officer at Goldman Sachs for three years before joining Hawkfish. Wiesel's LinkedIn page labels him as a consultant, and in a post that was published last week on the site, he says he's "volunteering" his time to "learn from them, and to contribute however I can."
Bloomberg News recently reported that Wiesel, the son of the late Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Weisel, was joining the campaign and helping the technology efforts, but the story had no mention of Hawkfish.
Others who have joined have experience with tech giants Facebook and Google. Vinay Satish Kumar, a former engineering manager at Facebook, is now with Hawkfish. Kumar says on his page that he spent his time at Facebook building algorithms that "improved the quality of news on Facebook around the world." A former senior producer at Google, Namik Hawkins, is now an executive producer at Hawkfish, her LinkedIn page says.
Hawkfish's leadership ranks include longtime Facebook Chief Marketing Officer Gary Briggs and Jeff Glueck, former CEO of location-tracking firm Foursquare.
Bloomberg, who has a net worth of $56 billion, started the company last spring. His campaign has said it helped groups looking to make inroads in state races within Virginia and Kentucky. Democrats in November won control of the Virginia statehouse for the first time in over two decades, while Democrat Andy Beshear narrowly defeated GOP Gov. Matt Bevin in Kentucky. Even though the company has yet to disclose which specific organizations it assisted last year, its LinkedIn page says its clients are political action committees, NGO advocacy groups and political campaigns.
The company's LinkedIn page also gives a glimpse into how connected the organization is to Bloomberg himself. It says it is supporting candidates in favor of many causes that Bloomberg has championed for well over a decade, including gun safety.
"Hawkfish aims to support candidates and causes who will advance progress on climate change, gun safety, women's rights, education, access to healthcare, and more," the page says.
A spokesperson for the Bloomberg campaign did not return a request for comment.
The hiring spree just over a month after Bloomberg entered the race comes as his campaign is pushing out its ground game with 500 organizers and field staff in 30 states. He has put many of his resources into all of the Super Tuesday states scheduled for March 3.
Bloomberg's ability to quickly hire matches the efforts he's making to push out his message through TV and digital ads. He has invested over $147 million in broadcast TV spots, with at least $15 million going into delegate-rich California and Texas, the nation's top two Electoral College states.
As for digital ads, Bloomberg has invested just over $20 million in Google and Facebook ads.


cnbc--2020-01-06--Adam Schiff calls for open hearings as Trump's Iran moves stoke tensions

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , conducts news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on the transcript of a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday , September 25 , 2019 .
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , is wading into the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump 's Middle East military action by calling for Congress to hold open hearings .
Schiff , who led the way during Trump 's impeachment in the House , told Washington Post opinion writer Greg Sargent that the president 's surprise decision to authorize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soleimani could have dire consequences .
`` I think there should be open hearings on this subject , '' Schiff told Sargent in the interview published Monday .
`` The president has put us on a path where we may be at war with Iran .
That requires the Congress to fully engage , '' Schiff said .
If the House follows through on Schiff 's call for open hearings , Trump administration officials could be brought forward to testify about the planning and timing behind the airstrike .
Schiff told Sargent that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence he 's seen so far `` supports the conclusion that the killing of Soleimani was going to either prevent attacks on the United States or reduce the risk to American lives . ''
Democrats in Congress — and most of the presidential primary field — responded with alarm after the Trump administration announced that Soleimani had been killed by a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad on Thursday .
While they acknowledged that Soleimani has been blamed for the deaths of hundreds of Americans , many feared that the move to kill the high-ranking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an already tense region .
`` President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox , and he owes the American people an explanation , '' former Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement .
Only a handful of political leaders , including Trump 's close ally Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , said they were notified in advance of the airstrike .
None of the four top Democrats on the so-called Gang of Eight said they had been warned before Soleimani was killed .
Trump 's surrogates and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death saved Americans from imminent threats .
But U.S. officials told The New York Times that the evidence for such imminent attacks is `` razor thin . ''
In accordance with the law , the Trump administration sent Congress a letter of notification after the strike was carried out .
But it was completely classified , Democrats said .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , announced that the House would soon vote on a War Powers resolution that would stop all U.S. military hostilities toward Iran within 30 days `` if no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBC News reported that senators will be briefed Wednesday on the Baghdad airstrike by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , Defense Secretary Mark Esper , Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley and CIA Director Gina Haspel .
Iran , meanwhile , has vowed revenge on the U.S. and says it will no longer abide by any of the restrictions in the 2015 nuclear deal struck during the Obama administration .
Iraq 's parliament voted for a resolution to essentially expel U.S. troops by ending all foreign military presence in the country .

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., conducts news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on the transcript of a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, September 25, 2019.
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is wading into the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump's Middle East military action by calling for Congress to hold open hearings.
Schiff, who led the way during Trump's impeachment in the House, told Washington Post opinion writer Greg Sargent that the president's surprise decision to authorize the killing of top Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani could have dire consequences.
"I think there should be open hearings on this subject," Schiff told Sargent in the interview published Monday.
"The president has put us on a path where we may be at war with Iran. That requires the Congress to fully engage," Schiff said.
If the House follows through on Schiff's call for open hearings, Trump administration officials could be brought forward to testify about the planning and timing behind the airstrike.
Schiff told Sargent that he's "not satisfied" that intelligence he's seen so far "supports the conclusion that the killing of Soleimani was going to either prevent attacks on the United States or reduce the risk to American lives."
Democrats in Congress — and most of the presidential primary field — responded with alarm after the Trump administration announced that Soleimani had been killed by a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad on Thursday. While they acknowledged that Soleimani has been blamed for the deaths of hundreds of Americans, many feared that the move to kill the high-ranking official was ill-conceived and could escalate tensions in an already tense region.
"President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox, and he owes the American people an explanation," former Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement.
Only a handful of political leaders, including Trump's close ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said they were notified in advance of the airstrike. None of the four top Democrats on the so-called Gang of Eight said they had been warned before Soleimani was killed.
Trump's surrogates and Cabinet members have said that Soleimani's death saved Americans from imminent threats. But U.S. officials told The New York Times that the evidence for such imminent attacks is "razor thin."
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In accordance with the law, the Trump administration sent Congress a letter of notification after the strike was carried out. But it was completely classified, Democrats said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced that the House would soon vote on a War Powers resolution that would stop all U.S. military hostilities toward Iran within 30 days "if no further Congressional action is taken."
NBC News reported that senators will be briefed Wednesday on the Baghdad airstrike by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley and CIA Director Gina Haspel.
Iran, meanwhile, has vowed revenge on the U.S. and says it will no longer abide by any of the restrictions in the 2015 nuclear deal struck during the Obama administration. Iraq's parliament voted for a resolution to essentially expel U.S. troops by ending all foreign military presence in the country.