usatoday--2020-05-13--'There's risk in anything': Kushner says Trump weighing Fauci concerns in reopening in pandemic

President Donald Trump 's son-in-law and senior adviser , Jared Kushner , said Dr. Anthony Fauci 's concern that reopening the country too quickly could spark fresh `` suffering and death '' was among many factors the president is considering as he shapes his coronavirus policy moving forward .
On Tuesday , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases warned a Senate panel of the `` real risk that you will trigger an outbreak '' if states ignore the White House coronavirus task force 's guidelines for phased reopenings .
`` There ’ s risk in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burden of the 30 million Americans who have lost their jobs due to this historic effort to save lives , '' Kushner told Time magazine .
The virus has infected more than 1,379,000 people and killed at least 83,000 in the U.S. since the outbreak began .
But the lockdowns imposed to stop the spread of the disease have had devastating economic consequences , driving unemployment levels not seen since the Great Depression .
Kushner said Fauci was `` incredibly knowledgeable '' but his expertise was just one voice in a chorus of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to best manage the crisis .
`` You have a lot of policymakers like the president or the governors who were elected by the people in their states and in their country to take the input of the experts and professionals , and then make decisions weighing a lot of different factors , '' Kushner said .
Trump has turned to Kushner for help on a number of top policy issues , including the opioid crisis , Middle East peace efforts , construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and criminal justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the head of the coronavirus task force , but Kushner has played an influential role in guiding the administration 's response .
Virus curve flattens but death toll rises : What does this mean ?
At an April 2 news briefing , Pence said Kushner was working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to keep supply chains open during the outbreak .
Kushner defined his role somewhat more broadly , saying Trump tasked him with making sure the administration had the best data and `` making sure that we had the right people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to happen to make sure that we can deliver in these unusual times for the American people . ''
Kushner said the wider availability of medical supplies and personal protective equipment would help the country handle its reopening , along with a public more accustomed to regular handwashing , social distancing and mask-wearing .
He also said a `` ton '' of testing for the virus would need to be done as the country resumes activities .
`` We see testing as one of the keys to unlock the opening , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Kushner told Time .
On Monday , Trump declared `` we have prevailed '' when it came to expanding testing for the virus – though experts say the U.S. still has a long way to go .
Trump clarified that he did not mean to say anyone had prevailed over the virus , which is projected to kill nearly 150,000 people .
`` You never prevail when you have ... the kind of death you ’ re talking about , '' Trump said .
But critics said the comment reflected a callousness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge also leveled at Kushner after he called the administration 's response a `` great success story '' on April 29 .
`` I don ’ t want those comments to be taken in a way other than to contextualize how much our hearts break for the people who have passed and their families , '' Kushner told Time when asked about that criticism .
`` We know that it ’ s a terrible tragedy , and one life [ lost ] , as the president said , is too many , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the magnitude of what this pandemic was and what it could have been ... the situation could have been a lot worse .
So we really worked very , very hard to create a better outcome than could have been otherwise . ''
Kushner will once again also play an important role in his father-in-law 's presidential campaign .
He said the reelection campaign had been geared to tout the economic successes of Trump 's first four years but would have to shift focus because of the damage caused by the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , leading the race as `` inaccurate '' and said the election will now be about who voters trust to rebuild the economy .
He added that Trump was `` looking forward '' to debating Biden .
When asked if a second wave of the virus in the fall could cause the Nov. 3 election date to be moved back , Kushner told Time that was `` too far in the future to tell . ''
`` It 's not my decision to make so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commit one way or the other .
But right now that ’ s the plan , '' Kushner said .
`` Hopefully , by the time we get to September , October , November , we ’ ve done enough work with testing and with all the different things we ’ re trying to do to prevent a future outbreak of the magnitude that would make us shut down again . ''
Kushner 's answer that he could not `` commit one way or the other '' on the election date drew sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe I have to write this sentence , but the president 's son-in-law does n't get to decide when the election is , '' said 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton .
`` Kushner ’ s statement reveals amazing ignorance of the Constitution and law , '' tweeted conservative commentator Bill Kristol .
`` It reveals startling arrogance in taking for granted he gets to have some say about when the election is held .
It also reveals an utter lack of understanding of his very subordinate role in our democracy . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ clarification later Tuesday .
`` I have not been involved in , nor am I aware of , any discussions about trying to change the date of the presidential election , '' Kushner said .

'There's risk in anything': Kushner says Trump weighing Fauci concerns in reopening in pandemic
Show Caption Hide Caption Coronavirus: Fauci says more deaths to come if no adequate response Dr. Anthony Fauci told senators "it is without a doubt that there will be infections" in the fall and warned of more deaths without adequate response. Associated Press, USA TODAY
President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, said Dr. Anthony Fauci's concern that reopening the country too quickly could spark fresh "suffering and death" was among many factors the president is considering as he shapes his coronavirus policy moving forward.
On Tuesday, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases warned a Senate panel of the "real risk that you will trigger an outbreak" if states ignore the White House coronavirus task force's guidelines for phased reopenings.
"There’s risk in anything, but the president carries the burden of the 30 million Americans who have lost their jobs due to this historic effort to save lives," Kushner told Time magazine.
The virus has infected more than 1,379,000 people and killed at least 83,000 in the U.S. since the outbreak began. But the lockdowns imposed to stop the spread of the disease have had devastating economic consequences, driving unemployment levels not seen since the Great Depression.
Kushner said Fauci was "incredibly knowledgeable" but his expertise was just one voice in a chorus of advice Trump was listening to on how to best manage the crisis.
"You have a lot of policymakers like the president or the governors who were elected by the people in their states and in their country to take the input of the experts and professionals, and then make decisions weighing a lot of different factors," Kushner said.
Trump has turned to Kushner for help on a number of top policy issues, including the opioid crisis, Middle East peace efforts, construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and criminal justice reform. Vice President Mike Pence is the head of the coronavirus task force, but Kushner has played an influential role in guiding the administration's response.
Virus curve flattens but death toll rises: What does this mean?
At an April 2 news briefing, Pence said Kushner was working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to keep supply chains open during the outbreak. Kushner defined his role somewhat more broadly, saying Trump tasked him with making sure the administration had the best data and "making sure that we had the right people focused on all the things that needed to happen to make sure that we can deliver in these unusual times for the American people."
Kushner said the wider availability of medical supplies and personal protective equipment would help the country handle its reopening, along with a public more accustomed to regular handwashing, social distancing and mask-wearing.
He also said a "ton" of testing for the virus would need to be done as the country resumes activities.
"We see testing as one of the keys to unlock the opening, but it’s not the only key," Kushner told Time.
On Monday, Trump declared "we have prevailed" when it came to expanding testing for the virus – though experts say the U.S. still has a long way to go. Trump clarified that he did not mean to say anyone had prevailed over the virus, which is projected to kill nearly 150,000 people.
"You never prevail when you have ... the kind of death you’re talking about," Trump said.
But critics said the comment reflected a callousness toward the tragic death toll, a charge also leveled at Kushner after he called the administration's response a "great success story" on April 29.
"I don’t want those comments to be taken in a way other than to contextualize how much our hearts break for the people who have passed and their families," Kushner told Time when asked about that criticism.
"We know that it’s a terrible tragedy, and one life [lost], as the president said, is too many," he said. "But faced with the magnitude of what this pandemic was and what it could have been ... the situation could have been a lot worse. So we really worked very, very hard to create a better outcome than could have been otherwise."
'Unrivaled?': Fact-checking Donald Trump's claims about COVID-19 testing
Kushner will once again also play an important role in his father-in-law's presidential campaign. He said the reelection campaign had been geared to tout the economic successes of Trump's first four years but would have to shift focus because of the damage caused by the pandemic.
Kushner dismissed polls that show former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, leading the race as "inaccurate" and said the election will now be about who voters trust to rebuild the economy. He added that Trump was "looking forward" to debating Biden.
When asked if a second wave of the virus in the fall could cause the Nov. 3 election date to be moved back, Kushner told Time that was "too far in the future to tell."
"It's not my decision to make so I’m not sure I can commit one way or the other. But right now that’s the plan," Kushner said. "Hopefully, by the time we get to September, October, November, we’ve done enough work with testing and with all the different things we’re trying to do to prevent a future outbreak of the magnitude that would make us shut down again."
When asked if there was a chance the presidential election could be postponed past November 3 due to the pandemic, Jared Kushner said that isn’t his decision. “I’m not sure I can commit one way or the other, but right now that’s the plan” https://t.co/cyqN8VpHbk #TIME100Talks pic.twitter.com/SrzDbUAcwz — TIME (@TIME) May 12, 2020
Kushner's answer that he could not "commit one way or the other" on the election date drew sharp criticism.
"I can’t believe I have to write this sentence, but the president's son-in-law doesn't get to decide when the election is," said 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
I can’t believe I have to write this sentence, but the president's son-in-law doesn't get to decide when the election is. https://t.co/7CrpHny6TF — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 13, 2020
"Kushner’s statement reveals amazing ignorance of the Constitution and law," tweeted conservative commentator Bill Kristol. "It reveals startling arrogance in taking for granted he gets to have some say about when the election is held. It also reveals an utter lack of understanding of his very subordinate role in our democracy."
The backlash prompted Kushner to issue a clarification later Tuesday.
"I have not been involved in, nor am I aware of, any discussions about trying to change the date of the presidential election," Kushner said.


usatoday--2020-05-13--Ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort released from prison amid coronavirus pandemic

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump 's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been released from prison and is now in home confinement as the coronavirus pandemic spreads in the federal corrections system .
Todd Blanche , one of Manafort 's attorneys , said the 71-year-old was released Wednesday morning .
Manafort is serving a combined sentence of 7½ years in prison from two criminal cases that resulted from the special counsel investigation on Russia 's election meddling in 2016 .
Manafort was convicted in Virginia for a scheme to defraud banks and taxpayers out of millions of dollars he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges of not disclosing his lobbying work and tampering with witnesses in a related Washington , D.C. , case .
Last month , Attorney General William Barr announced a plan to expedite the release of vulnerable prisoners to home confinement as infections and fatalities mounted .
Manafort asks to be sent home : Ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort asks to serve sentence from home during coronavirus “ Given the speed with which this disease has spread through the general public , it is clear that time is of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr asked Bureau of Prison officials to grant home confinement based on factors including prisoners ' age and vulnerability to COVID-19 , their conduct in prison , and the crimes for which they were convicted .
Last month , Manafort 's attorneys asked prison officials to release him to home confinement , saying his old age and health conditions put him at `` high risk '' of a COVID-19 infection .
`` It is imperative that Mr. Manafort be transferred to home confinement immediately in order to minimize the likelihood of Mr. Manafort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' attorney Kevin Downing wrote .
Manafort ’ s attorneys said their client would serve his confinement with his wife in a three-bedroom apartment in Northern Virginia .
On Wednesday , photographers showed up outside Manafort 's home in Alexandria , Virginia , just outside Washington , D.C .
Transferring Manafort there `` will not increase – and would likely decrease – his risk of contracting the potentially fatal disease , '' they said .
They said Manafort , who was forced to surrender assets estimated to be worth more than $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be `` able to support himself financially during home confinement . ''
Manafort suffers numerous health conditions that could make him more vulnerable to the coronavirus , including high blood pressure , liver disease and respiratory illness , his attorneys said .
He takes 11 daily prescriptions to treat those conditions .
The lawyers said he was hospitalized for a heart condition in December and had the flu and bronchitis in February .
Barr orders home confinement : AG William Barr expediting release of vulnerable inmates at federal prisons swamped by coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an official said the Bureau of Prisons is prioritizing inmates who have served 50 % of their punishment .
Officials are also prioritizing inmates with short prison sentences : those who have 18 months or less left and have served 25 % of their time .
Manafort has served only about 25 % of a 47-month sentence and was scheduled for release in November 2024 .
The prison where he was held also is n't among the facilities where Barr said officials should prioritize releasing inmates .
But prison officials have wide discretion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since late March , 2,471 inmates have been designated for home confinement , the Bureau of Prisons said .
As of Wednesday , 2,818 inmates and 262 staffers have been infected with COVID-19 across the federal prison system .
Fifty inmates have died .
The pandemic has not reached the low-security prison in Loretto , Pennsylvania , where Manafort was held .
His attorneys said it 's only a matter of time before the infection spreads in the facility .
Manafort is one of a half a dozen former Trump aides and associates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of crimes as a result of former special counsel Robert Mueller 's Russia investigation .
Last month , U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson suspended a jail sentence for Manafort 's former partner , Rick Gates , noting the coronavirus threat .
Gates , a former Trump campaign aide who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements about his status as a foreign agent , received a 45-day jail sentence that he must serve intermittently over three years of probation .
“ The gravity of the virus and its potential impact on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ lawyers argued in the request to ease Gates ' jail sentence .
“ If Mr. Gates were to return to his home carrying the virus , it could create serious ramifications for his wife .
Due to her cancer treatment , her immune system is compromised , placing her at heightened risk for serious side effects or worse if she were to be infected with the coronavirus.
” Another former Trump aide , Michael Cohen , had been approved for home confinement last month and had been due for release May 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Wednesday that the president ’ s one-time personal lawyer remains in federal prison for `` unexplained '' reasons .
Davis said he was `` glad '' Manafort had secured a release to his home .
“ But I am hoping that ( Cohen ) is allowed the same , ” he tweeted .
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to charges that included campaign finance violations for paying hush money to women who claimed to have had sex with Trump and for lying to Congress .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Kristine Phillips and Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY

Ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort released from prison amid coronavirus pandemic
Show Caption Hide Caption Paul Manafort is released from prison due to coronavirus fears Paul Manafort has been released from a minimum security Pennsylvania prison to home confinement due to coronavirus fears. He was convicted of fraud and conspiracy charges in 2018. Wibbitz - News, Wibbitz - News
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been released from prison and is now in home confinement as the coronavirus pandemic spreads in the federal corrections system.
Todd Blanche, one of Manafort's attorneys, said the 71-year-old was released Wednesday morning. Manafort is serving a combined sentence of 7½ years in prison from two criminal cases that resulted from the special counsel investigation on Russia's election meddling in 2016.
Manafort was convicted in Virginia for a scheme to defraud banks and taxpayers out of millions of dollars he had amassed through illicit lobbying. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges of not disclosing his lobbying work and tampering with witnesses in a related Washington, D.C., case.
Last month, Attorney General William Barr announced a plan to expedite the release of vulnerable prisoners to home confinement as infections and fatalities mounted.
Manafort asks to be sent home: Ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort asks to serve sentence from home during coronavirus
“Given the speed with which this disease has spread through the general public, it is clear that time is of the essence,” Barr said then.
Barr asked Bureau of Prison officials to grant home confinement based on factors including prisoners' age and vulnerability to COVID-19, their conduct in prison, and the crimes for which they were convicted.
Last month, Manafort's attorneys asked prison officials to release him to home confinement, saying his old age and health conditions put him at "high risk" of a COVID-19 infection.
"It is imperative that Mr. Manafort be transferred to home confinement immediately in order to minimize the likelihood of Mr. Manafort contracting or spreading the potentially fatal disease," attorney Kevin Downing wrote.
Manafort’s attorneys said their client would serve his confinement with his wife in a three-bedroom apartment in Northern Virginia. On Wednesday, photographers showed up outside Manafort's home in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.
Transferring Manafort there "will not increase – and would likely decrease – his risk of contracting the potentially fatal disease," they said. They said Manafort, who was forced to surrender assets estimated to be worth more than $20 million because of his crimes, would be "able to support himself financially during home confinement."
Manafort suffers numerous health conditions that could make him more vulnerable to the coronavirus, including high blood pressure, liver disease and respiratory illness, his attorneys said. He takes 11 daily prescriptions to treat those conditions. The lawyers said he was hospitalized for a heart condition in December and had the flu and bronchitis in February.
Barr orders home confinement: AG William Barr expediting release of vulnerable inmates at federal prisons swamped by coronavirus
In a court filing last month, an official said the Bureau of Prisons is prioritizing inmates who have served 50% of their punishment. Officials are also prioritizing inmates with short prison sentences: those who have 18 months or less left and have served 25% of their time.
Manafort has served only about 25% of a 47-month sentence and was scheduled for release in November 2024. The prison where he was held also isn't among the facilities where Barr said officials should prioritize releasing inmates. But prison officials have wide discretion over who is granted home confinement.
Since late March, 2,471 inmates have been designated for home confinement, the Bureau of Prisons said.
Coronavirus: Fauci says more deaths to come if no adequate response Dr. Anthony Fauci told senators "it is without a doubt that there will be infections" in the fall and warned of more deaths without adequate response. Associated Press, USA TODAY
As of Wednesday, 2,818 inmates and 262 staffers have been infected with COVID-19 across the federal prison system. Fifty inmates have died. The pandemic has not reached the low-security prison in Loretto, Pennsylvania, where Manafort was held. His attorneys said it's only a matter of time before the infection spreads in the facility.
Manafort is one of a half a dozen former Trump aides and associates who either pleaded guilty or were convicted of crimes as a result of former special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson suspended a jail sentence for Manafort's former partner, Rick Gates, noting the coronavirus threat. Gates, a former Trump campaign aide who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements about his status as a foreign agent, received a 45-day jail sentence that he must serve intermittently over three years of probation.
Probes of prisons: DOJ team reviewing conditions at virus-plagued federal prisons; IG leading separate probe
“The gravity of the virus and its potential impact on Mrs. Gates are substantial,” Gates’ lawyers argued in the request to ease Gates' jail sentence. “If Mr. Gates were to return to his home carrying the virus, it could create serious ramifications for his wife. Due to her cancer treatment, her immune system is compromised, placing her at heightened risk for serious side effects or worse if she were to be infected with the coronavirus.”
Another former Trump aide, Michael Cohen, had been approved for home confinement last month and had been due for release May 1. But his attorney, Lanny Davis, said Wednesday that the president’s one-time personal lawyer remains in federal prison for "unexplained" reasons.
Davis said he was "glad" Manafort had secured a release to his home. “But I am hoping that (Cohen) is allowed the same,” he tweeted.
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to charges that included campaign finance violations for paying hush money to women who claimed to have had sex with Trump and for lying to Congress. He was scheduled for release in 2021.


usatoday--2020-05-13--DOJ: China attempting to hijack COVID-19 research; FBI investigating

The Trump administration warned Wednesday that the Chinese government is seeking to hijack U.S. research aimed at the COVID-19 pandemic and urged organizations to tighten cyber-security defenses .
The public caution issued by the Justice Department indicated that the FBI had opened an investigation into suspected targeting by hackers linked to the PRC .
`` These actors have been observed attempting to identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property ... and public health data related to vaccines , treatments , and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with COVID-19-related research , '' the Justice bulletin stated .
`` The potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of secure , effective , and efficient treatment options . ''
The administration 's warning is all but certain to ratchet up tensions between Washington and Beijing .
President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed China for failing to control the coronavirus outbreak that has claimed more than 80,000 lives in the U.S. Trump was back on the attack Wednesday , asserting that the mounting casualties far outweighed any benefit of the trade agreement reached between the countries earlier this year .
`` As I have said for a long time , dealing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do , '' Trump tweeted .
`` We just made a great Trade Deal , the ink was barely dry , and the World was hit by the Plague from China .
100 Trade Deals wouldn ’ t make up the difference - and all those innocent lives lost ! ''
Justice advised research institutions to be aware of possible `` insider '' threats that could facilitate the `` surreptitious review or theft of COVID-19-related material . ''
Officials said the FBI was working with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation 's critical infrastructure .
`` Assume that press attention affiliating your organization with COVID-19-related research will lead to increased interest and cyber activity , '' the bulletin stated , urging that organizations begin `` patching '' systems to guard against potential vulnerabilities .
Meg King , director of the Science and Technology Innovation Program at The Wilson Center in Washington , said virus research provides new and potentially valuable targets for U.S. adversaries .
`` Both nation-states and criminals seek this information for geopolitical advantage or financial gain , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cybersecurity vulnerability at all levels - from startups to pharmaceutical giants - is critical , '' King said in a written statement .
`` Just as the medical community protects patient data , research advances must also be safeguarded . ''

DOJ: China attempting to hijack COVID-19 research; FBI investigating
Show Caption Hide Caption Pompeo steadfast in blaming China for virus Secretary of State Mike Pompeo remains steadfast in blaming China for keeping the truth about the coronavirus origin hidden from the rest of the world. (May 6) AP
The Trump administration warned Wednesday that the Chinese government is seeking to hijack U.S. research aimed at the COVID-19 pandemic and urged organizations to tighten cyber-security defenses.
The public caution issued by the Justice Department indicated that the FBI had opened an investigation into suspected targeting by hackers linked to the PRC.
"These actors have been observed attempting to identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property... and public health data related to vaccines, treatments, and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with COVID-19-related research," the Justice bulletin stated. "The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options."
The administration's warning is all but certain to ratchet up tensions between Washington and Beijing. President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed China for failing to control the coronavirus outbreak that has claimed more than 80,000 lives in the U.S.
Trump was back on the attack Wednesday, asserting that the mounting casualties far outweighed any benefit of the trade agreement reached between the countries earlier this year.
"As I have said for a long time, dealing with China is a very expensive thing to do," Trump tweeted. "We just made a great Trade Deal, the ink was barely dry, and the World was hit by the Plague from China. 100 Trade Deals wouldn’t make up the difference - and all those innocent lives lost!"
Justice advised research institutions to be aware of possible "insider" threats that could facilitate the "surreptitious review or theft of COVID-19-related material."
Officials said the FBI was working with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is responsible for guarding the nation's critical infrastructure.
"Assume that press attention affiliating your organization with COVID-19-related research will lead to increased interest and cyber activity," the bulletin stated, urging that organizations begin "patching" systems to guard against potential vulnerabilities.
Meg King, director of the Science and Technology Innovation Program at The Wilson Center in Washington, said virus research provides new and potentially valuable targets for U.S. adversaries.
"Both nation-states and criminals seek this information for geopolitical advantage or financial gain, and the... warning to the industry to address cybersecurity vulnerability at all levels - from startups to pharmaceutical giants - is critical," King said in a written statement. "Just as the medical community protects patient data, research advances must also be safeguarded."
Contributing: David Jackson


usatoday--2020-05-13--Pandemic protocols vary from the White House to the Supreme Court as Trump pushes states to reopen

WASHINGTON – As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prepared to take his first international trip in nearly seven weeks , his staff drew up a set of detailed `` risk mitigation '' steps to protect him and his entourage from infection amid the coronavirus pandemic .
But when Pompeo boarded his flight Tuesday , he was not wearing a mask – one of the only people on the plane without one , according to reporters who were traveling with the secretary .
A top State Department physician told reporters Friday that masks would be used on the trip according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain .
Pompeo 's decision to forgo a face covering highlights the mixed messages across the federal government as President Donald Trump pushes for states to ease stay-at-home restrictions and encourage Americans to get back to work .
The dangers of that have become clear even inside the White House , where two administration aides tested positive for the coronavirus last week : a valet to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence ’ s press secretary .
Federal agencies in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for employees who may soon find themselves back at their desks , even as coronavirus infections in the Washington region remain on the rise .
On Tuesday , the nation 's top three public health leaders issued an unusual joint statement detailing the circumstances under which they would participate in White House meetings .
All three – CDC Director Robert Redfield , FDA Commissioner Steve Hahn , and infectious disease director Anthony Fauci – are in self-quarantine after coming into contact with an infected person at the White House .
The three will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they are asymptomatic , screened , and monitored for fever and other symptoms , wear a face covering , and maintain a distance of at least six feet from others . ''
At the White House , new rules were put in place on Monday and expanded on Tuesday .
The White House now administers daily coronavirus testing for people who come into contact with the president and requires masks and social distancing , when feasible , for West Wing staff .
At a news briefing Monday in the Rose Garden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Services Secretary Alex Azar and HHS testing czar Brett Giroir , wore masks , removing them only to speak .
Reporters , seated in socially distanced folding chairs , kept their masks on as they took turns approaching fixed boom microphones to ask questions .
Trump did not wear a mask , and Pence did not attend the briefing .
Asked whether he was keeping his distance from his No .
2 , Trump said that he had not seen the vice president since “ the quarantine period ” but that the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pentagon , officials are requiring cloth face masks inside the complex “ to the extent practical ” when people can not maintain 6 feet of distance from one another .
The military is following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding frequent hand washing and disinfecting surfaces such as keyboards and elevator buttons .
In addition , teleworking has been encouraged to minimize face-to-face meetings .
Moreover , senior officials self-quarantine after coming in contact with people suspected of having the infection .
On Sunday , Adm. Mike Gilday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that he would quarantine himself after coming into contact with a family member who tested positive for COVID-19 .
Gilday has tested negative for the virus but remains isolated as a precautionary measure .
At the State Department , employees are not required to wear masks – at least not yet .
Dr. William Walters , deputy chief medical officer for operations , said the agency has rolled out a `` stepwise phased plan for return to work '' that is based on trends in the Washington region and around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at U.S. embassies and consulates .
`` Whether it ’ s in D.C. or around the world , we ’ re looking at where are we in the epidemiology curve and then taking an assertive but not overly aggressive approach to bringing people back , '' he told reporters in a briefing May 5 .
`` We don ’ t have a timeline established for that at this point . ''
At the Capitol , the House hasn ’ t been in regular session since March .
The Senate is back to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a health committee hearing on returning safely to work was held via videoconference .
The chairman , Sen. Lamar Alexander , R-Tenn. , and three of the four witnesses were participating under self-quarantine after coming into contact with infected people .
At that hearing , Sen. Chris Murphy , D-Conn. , blasted the Trump administration for withholding more detailed guidance from states about how to reopen their economies .
Portions of the plan have been leaked , but officials have said it remains under review .
“ The guidance you have provided is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of the CDC , Dr. Robert Redfield , who said the new recommendations would be released “ soon.
” At the Supreme Court , the pandemic protocols have prompted the nine justices to conduct high-stakes oral arguments by telephone – a historic change for an institution that has resisted previous efforts to adopt greater transparency and technology advancements .
The high court initially closed its building in mid-March , conducting its private conferences remotely and postponing further hearings .
But on May 4 , the justices began hearing cases again – via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its 230-year history .
Last month , Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen directed Justice Department employees to wear masks in the agency 's common or public areas .
Employees are permitted to remove face coverings in individual offices or workspaces when they can maintain social distancing , or 6 feet of separation , from others .
Justice also implemented a broad-based teleworking policy , allowing employees to work from home when they can .
The teleworking policy , however , is limited , as thousands of Justice employees are law enforcement officers whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At NASA headquarters , the space agency is using a “ risk-based ” approach to getting its staff back on-site , said spokeswoman Karen Northon .
The agency is “ strongly recommending ” that its employees wear a face covering when they 're in public and will issue personal protective equipment to employees returning to work if they are in a high-risk or vulnerable group , and to those in offices where social distancing is not practicable , she said .
NASA also has established a Clean Team Task Force , she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to clean workspaces and ways to ensure optimal air filtration .
The task force is looking at what 's used in the hotel and airline industries , among other settings , to develop a benchmark and make recommendations to the agency ’ s leadership .
A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said officials are examining which facilities and operations will return to normal and when .
`` Decisions are highly specific based on functions , duty and location , '' the spokesman said .
A spokesman with the Department of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inquiries about what pandemic precautions the agency has in place .

Pandemic protocols vary from the White House to the Supreme Court as Trump pushes states to reopen
Show Caption Hide Caption The White House adopts new coronavirus safety measures Aides and reporters wore face masks at President Trump's Rose Garden briefing as part of new safety measures. Associated Press, Wochit
WASHINGTON – As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prepared to take his first international trip in nearly seven weeks, his staff drew up a set of detailed "risk mitigation" steps to protect him and his entourage from infection amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But when Pompeo boarded his flight Tuesday, he was not wearing a mask – one of the only people on the plane without one, according to reporters who were traveling with the secretary. A top State Department physician told reporters Friday that masks would be used on the trip according to CDC guidelines, which calls for face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Pompeo's decision to forgo a face covering highlights the mixed messages across the federal government as President Donald Trump pushes for states to ease stay-at-home restrictions and encourage Americans to get back to work.
The dangers of that have become clear even inside the White House, where two administration aides tested positive for the coronavirus last week: a valet to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary.
Federal agencies in Washington seem to have a mishmash of protocols for employees who may soon find themselves back at their desks, even as coronavirus infections in the Washington region remain on the rise.
On Tuesday, the nation's top three public health leaders issued an unusual joint statement detailing the circumstances under which they would participate in White House meetings. All three – CDC Director Robert Redfield, FDA Commissioner Steve Hahn, and infectious disease director Anthony Fauci – are in self-quarantine after coming into contact with an infected person at the White House.
The three will attend coronavirus White House meetings "providing that they are asymptomatic, screened, and monitored for fever and other symptoms, wear a face covering, and maintain a distance of at least six feet from others."
Mask, tests at the White House
At the White House, new rules were put in place on Monday and expanded on Tuesday. The White House now administers daily coronavirus testing for people who come into contact with the president and requires masks and social distancing, when feasible, for West Wing staff.
At a news briefing Monday in the Rose Garden, administration officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and HHS testing czar Brett Giroir, wore masks, removing them only to speak. Reporters, seated in socially distanced folding chairs, kept their masks on as they took turns approaching fixed boom microphones to ask questions.
Trump did not wear a mask, and Pence did not attend the briefing. Asked whether he was keeping his distance from his No. 2, Trump said that he had not seen the vice president since “the quarantine period” but that the two could talk on the phone.
Pentagon: Wear masks when 'practical'
At the Pentagon, officials are requiring cloth face masks inside the complex “to the extent practical” when people cannot maintain 6 feet of distance from one another.
The military is following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding frequent hand washing and disinfecting surfaces such as keyboards and elevator buttons. In addition, teleworking has been encouraged to minimize face-to-face meetings.
Moreover, senior officials self-quarantine after coming in contact with people suspected of having the infection. On Sunday, Adm. Mike Gilday, the chief of naval operations, announced that he would quarantine himself after coming into contact with a family member who tested positive for COVID-19. Gilday has tested negative for the virus but remains isolated as a precautionary measure.
State Dept. rolls out 'stepwise' return to work plan
At the State Department, employees are not required to wear masks – at least not yet.
Dr. William Walters, deputy chief medical officer for operations, said the agency has rolled out a "stepwise phased plan for return to work" that is based on trends in the Washington region and around the world, where thousands of staff are employed at U.S. embassies and consulates.
"Whether it’s in D.C. or around the world, we’re looking at where are we in the epidemiology curve and then taking an assertive but not overly aggressive approach to bringing people back," he told reporters in a briefing May 5. "We don’t have a timeline established for that at this point."
Congress: Virtual testimony, limited work
At the Capitol, the House hasn’t been in regular session since March. The Senate is back to work – sort of.
On Tuesday, a health committee hearing on returning safely to work was held via videoconference. The chairman, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and three of the four witnesses were participating under self-quarantine after coming into contact with infected people.
At that hearing, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., blasted the Trump administration for withholding more detailed guidance from states about how to reopen their economies. Portions of the plan have been leaked, but officials have said it remains under review.
“The guidance you have provided is criminally vague,” Murphy told the head of the CDC, Dr. Robert Redfield, who said the new recommendations would be released “soon.”
Justices go remote in historic change
At the Supreme Court, the pandemic protocols have prompted the nine justices to conduct high-stakes oral arguments by telephone – a historic change for an institution that has resisted previous efforts to adopt greater transparency and technology advancements.
The high court initially closed its building in mid-March, conducting its private conferences remotely and postponing further hearings.
But on May 4, the justices began hearing cases again – via live audio for the first time in its 230-year history.
Justice Dept. requires masks in common areas
Last month, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen directed Justice Department employees to wear masks in the agency's common or public areas.
Employees are permitted to remove face coverings in individual offices or workspaces when they can maintain social distancing, or 6 feet of separation, from others. Justice also implemented a broad-based teleworking policy, allowing employees to work from home when they can.
The teleworking policy, however, is limited, as thousands of Justice employees are law enforcement officers whose work often requires their physical presence.
NASA looks at optimal air flow, industrial cleaning measures
At NASA headquarters, the space agency is using a “risk-based” approach to getting its staff back on-site, said spokeswoman Karen Northon.
The agency is “strongly recommending” that its employees wear a face covering when they're in public and will issue personal protective equipment to employees returning to work if they are in a high-risk or vulnerable group, and to those in offices where social distancing is not practicable, she said.
NASA also has established a Clean Team Task Force, she said, that is researching industrial sanitation measures to clean workspaces and ways to ensure optimal air filtration. The task force is looking at what's used in the hotel and airline industries, among other settings, to develop a benchmark and make recommendations to the agency’s leadership.
Homeland Security: Protocols depend on location
A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said officials are examining which facilities and operations will return to normal and when. "Decisions are highly specific based on functions, duty and location," the spokesman said.
A spokesman with the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to inquiries about what pandemic precautions the agency has in place.
Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook, Courtney Subramanian, Rich Wolf and Kevin Johnson


usatoday--2020-05-14--As Gov. Andrew Cuomo's right hand, Melissa DeRosa is 'unapologetically fierce'

On most days during Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s widely watched televised briefings on the coronavirus crisis , Melissa DeRosa , New York 's first female secretary to the governor , can be seen sitting next to him ( 6 feet apart as per social distancing guidelines , of course ) .
In a statement to The Journal News/lohud , the governor 's office said this about DeRosa 's role : `` Melissa is the proverbial right hand to the governor .
All work streams end with her and she is overseeing the monumental task of coordinating the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war room of senior administration officials and their teams dedicated to the effort , helping craft emergency executive orders , coordinating with elected officials and strategizing with hospital leadership and business executives across the state to ensure frontline workers have the resources they need . ''
Below is a profile of DeRosa originally published May 28 , 2019 .
WHITE PLAINS , N.Y. – Two years ago , at age 34 , Melissa DeRosa made history when Gov .
Andrew Cuomo named her New York 's first female secretary to the governor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She was also one of the youngest to be named to the post , but when it came to the idea of motherhood , she was becoming acutely aware of her ticking biological clock .
Six months into her high-pressure job , DeRosa visited her doctor to explore the possibility of freezing her eggs .
She ’ d just turned 35 .
“ A lot of my girlfriends in their mid-to-late-30s were having trouble having kids , ” she said , sitting in her office on the 39th floor of a Manhattan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right across the hall from Cuomo ’ s private office .
“ And they were sort of saying to me , ‘ If this is something you 're not going to do right away , you want to make sure to preserve your options . '
” In a wide-ranging interview , DeRosa , who also chairs the state ’ s Council on Women and Girls , discussed her experiences with sexual harassment , gender bias , working to advance policy with a feminist mindset and dealing with questions about members of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Republican Chairman Edward F. Cox calling her a “ petty thug ” on Twitter right after she was appointed to the position of secretary .
“ It 's pretty funny actually , '' she said .
`` I 'd only met him once at the Quogue Field Club in the Hamptons .
I ’ d never interacted with him.
” Her meeting with her doctor that day to explore the possibility of freezing her eggs , she said , led her down the “ rabbit hole ” of learning about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The thing that you learn when you 're going through this process is that if you have to take the extraordinary step of doing IVF ( in vitro fertilization ) , it is very expensive – to the tune of $ 20,000 or somewhere in that range , ” she said .
“ Having fertility issues is a medical problem , right ?
I was outraged by it personally , and in my opinion , if this was about a man 's ability to reproduce , then insurance companies would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
And so we wanted to put the muscle of the administration behind it.
” Last month , as part of the 2020 budget , a bill requiring large group insurance providers to cover the cost of in vitro fertilization was signed into law by Cuomo .
The bill also covers egg-freezing services for women with certain medical conditions .
The fertility rate in the United States last year dipped to its lowest in 32 years , according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include delays in marriage , more women joining the workplace , economic uncertainty and an absence of supportive family policies .
Fertility in women decreases gradually but significantly at age 32 and rapidly after 37 , according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists .
So for women delaying childbirth , access to assisted reproductive technology – of which IVF is considered to be the most effective – becomes a crucial part of the journey to motherhood .
Since 1996 , more than 1 million U.S. babies have been born as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pew Research Center .
DeRosa , who joined the Cuomo administration as director of communications in 2013 and was promoted to chief of staff in 2015 , is credited with being the force behind several of the governor 's key legislative victories , such as paid family leave , a $ 15 minimum wage , the IVF/egg freezing insurance coverage requirement and free college tuition .
In an interview , Cuomo said the fact that DeRosa was the first woman to serve in the position of secretary to the governor was merely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a star .
She has the formula for success – intelligent , hardworking , right values and she embodies that , ” said Cuomo .
“ She deserves it on the merits .
I appointed her to that position because she was better than anyone else.
” When President Donald Trump decided to disband the White House Council on Women and Girls , which was set up to make sure federal agencies would consider the unique needs of women and girls when crafting policy and creating regulations , DeRosa , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor ’ s office , convinced the governor to establish the NYS Council on Women and Girls in 2017 .
Since its establishment , the state Council on Women and Girls has taken up issues such as maternal mortality in the African-American community and created a pilot program to provide doulas to women going through childbirth , as well as expanding access to venture capital for women-led companies .
During her conversation with her doctor about egg freezing services and her own health insurance coverage , DeRosa got a glimpse into how society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ She was saying , well , if you fertilize the egg and freeze it , that 's covered by your insurance .
If you do n't and you 're just freezing your eggs , it 's not covered by insurance , ” DeRosa said referring to her doctor .
“ And I was like , 'Whoa , whoa , whoa .
So what you 're telling me is because I 'm married , or because I know who I would want to have children with , my insurance would cover it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was single it wouldn ’ t be ?
that 's crazy . '
'' Risa Levine , a board member of RESOLVE , the National Infertility Association and longtime activist , said having a woman in a position of power as an ally in the legislative battle for IVF coverage made a big difference .
“ Melissa worked to make things happen .
Not loudly by pounding on a podium , but behind the scenes to make sure that IVF coverage was included in the governor ’ s Women ’ s Justice Agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then in the governor ’ s budget.
” DeRosa ’ s deal-making and negotiating abilities were on display from a young age .
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik , R-N.Y. , recalls joining political forces as a sixth-grader with DeRosa , then an eighth-grader at the Albany Academy for Girls .
Both were running for class representative for their respective grades to be part of the student council .
Stefanik ’ s platform was to bring a snack machine to school .
To DeRosa ’ s credit , she recognized a good idea and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It was a pretty popular idea for every student , ” recalled Stefanik , who in 2014 became the youngest woman at the time to be elected to Congress , at age 30 .
DeRosa is still proud of her early political prowess .
“ She was my ticket mate and we cut a deal where I was like , ‘ I 'll bring you the eighth-grade vote , you bring me to sixth-grade vote , and we ’ ll both win , ” DeRosa said with a laugh .
“ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a snack machine to school.
” DeRosa was entrenched in politics and government from a very young age .
She is thedaughter of an influential Albany lobbyist and a high school math teacher who once served as a union liaison to New York State United Teachers .
Her father , Giorgio DeRosa , a senior partner at Bolton-St. John ’ s , began his career with the United Auto Workers as a union organizer and later served as district director for Rep. Louise Slaughter , D-N.Y. “ I was 4 years old and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I have pictures of myself marching in parades for Louise Slaughter .
We used to go door to door , ” said DeRosa .
“ I was exposed to politics and campaigning from a very , very young age and I just fell in love with it immediately .
I was hooked.
” DeRosa was fascinated by her father ’ s world .
Her third-grade assignment , titled “ Day in the Life of a Lobbyist , ” is framed on a wall in her office and it references “ the late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home . ''
Her father ’ s passion for politics has rubbed off on her siblings , too .
Both her older sister , Jessica , and her younger brother , Joseph , work at Bolton-St. Johns , the lobbying firm where their father is a partner .
Those connections , coupled with the fact that her husband , Matt Wing , a former Cuomo press secretary who now serves as a senior communications executive with Uber , have raised questions of potential conflicts of interest .
Common Cause released a statement soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ family 's extensive business interests before the state raise serious questions ” and to “ avoid even the appearance of a conflict ” the administration should disclose , among other things , the meetings she ’ s “ recused ” herself from and her role in the ride-hailing expansion in New York .
Two years in , Susan Lerner , executive director of Common Cause New York , said they had received no further information on the matter from either DeRosa or the governor ’ s office .
“ The same concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an email .
DeRosa said she has worked with the Joint Commission on Public Ethics , which oversees and regulates lobbying in the state , for years .
`` My father went into this line of work nearly 30 years ago , and I have been involved in government and politics for a decade and a half , ” said DeRosa in an email .
“ I have fully complied with the Public Officers Law recusal policy for years and worked with JCOPE to ensure the highest standards are met to avoid even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s spokeswoman Dani Lever said the list of bill and budget items on which DeRosa ’ s family is lobbying is publicly available on JCOPE ’ s website .
When he worked as a press secretary to Cuomo , DeRosa , in her position as director of communications , was his boss .
“ Initially she didn ’ t want to date me because she was worried about the fact that she was my boss , ” said Wing .
“ And I literally went out and got an outside attorney to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to convince her that there was no violation of the state Public Officers Law.
” But he acknowledged the concerns about the subject were understandable .
“ It doesn ’ t mean that there can ’ t be a very fair question of conflict or people who are concerned about that , ” said Wing .
“ It is impossible to live a life with no conflict .
It is about taking the issue seriously .
It ’ s about being accountable and being responsible.
” DeRosa ’ s first experience working in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intern for the political director of the New York State AFL-CIO .
That was in 1999 , when Hillary Clinton , then first lady , was launching her Senate bid from New York .
The union was preparing to endorse Clinton , gaming out what the campaign was going to look like , how they would organize and what tactics they would use .
“ And I remember thinking while I was doing the envelope stuffing and answering the phones that someday I want to be the person who 's sitting in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out strategy and being a part of it in a meaningful way , '' DeRosa said .
`` And so that ’ s what I 've set out to do . ''
After graduating from the school of industrial and labor relations at Cornell University , and a brief detour as a fashion publicist ( `` it was moment of rebellion , '' she said ) , she joined Bolton-St. John ’ s as a lobbyist , seeking out another partner at the firm so as not to directly work under her father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work on a campaign for a $ 2.9 billion bond act to finance transportation projects statewide .
The referendum had been defeated twice by voters .
“ I loved moving around the state and setting up press conferences and gaming out who could be the people against this and how to get out in front of them , pitching the editorial boards , regionalizing data and how to make the best argument , ” said DeRosa .
“ We won .
And something about politics that I love is election day comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loser.
” After working on congressional campaigns and public relations , including on Capitol Hill for Brooklyn Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez , she returned to New York to pursue a master ’ s degree from Cornell in public administration .
After graduation , she was tapped to lead then-President Barack Obama ’ s national political action organization for New York .
From there , she moved on to work as the deputy chief of staff to state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for two years .
Asked if she had any inkling of the # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former boss , she said she was “ as surprised as everyone else.
” At the same time , she said she had dealt with her share of harassment and gender bias .
When she was 26 and working as a lobbyist , she heard a client – whom she described as a national figure in progressive politics – making a lewd remark about her on a conference call that he didn ’ t know she was on .
“ My boss said , ‘ Melissa will be taking the lead on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Why does n't she take the lead right up to my hotel room ?
’ ” DeRosa recalled .
DeRosa said her boss was horrified .
He apologized to her after the call and told her it was “ wholly inappropriate.
” “ I was like , ‘ I 'm OK , I 'm OK. ' I did n't say anything at the time because I was younger , I was less experienced and I was n't as comfortable in my own skin.
” DeRosa said .
“ I was almost afraid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to be treated differently and for them to say , 'She can ’ t take a joke . '
” But she remembers the feeling well .
“ I remember just thinking to myself what do people think about me when they look at me ?
Is this how people see me ?
How many things do I need to accomplish and how many years do I have to work and how many titles do I have to hold before they will look at me the same way that they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the same level of respect and treat me the same way ?
, ” said DeRosa , as her eyes glistened with tears .
Months after her appointment as secretary , DeRosa said she had accompanied the governor to the 9/11 ceremony at ground zero with several dignitaries lined up in front of the memorial .
“ This person who had known the governor for years looked up and said , ‘ Oh , Andrew , who 's this cute person ? '
And he 's like , 'She runs the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ But would anyone ever say that to a male aide who 's talking to the governor ?
” DeRosa said being in the same industry as her father has posed additional challenges .
“ I feel like I 've spent the last 15 years trying to convince people that I 'm not daddy 's little girl , which feels entirely unfair because men do n't have to do that , ” DeRosa said .
For example , she said , when she was appointed to the position of secretary after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then chief of staff to Cuomo , the print headline for the New York Times story said , “ Cuomo ’ s Chief of Staff , Daughter of Powerful Lobbyist , is Promoted to Secretary.
” “ The New York Times took 15 years of my professional life away from me because they defined me not in the context of my accomplishments or my experience or my capacity , ” said DeRosa .
“ But they defined me through my father and it was terrible , and it should n't have happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to anyone else.
” DeRosa 's skills as a political operative have earned her the respect of her counterparts in opposing camps .
Bill O'Reilly , a political consultant who served as communications director for Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro , the Republican candidate for governor who ran against Cuomo last year , said he was not surprised by DeRosa ’ s career trajectory .
`` Melissa is super smart , super tough and super loyal , '' O'Reilly said .
`` She does n't suffer fools lightly , and that 's exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or her .
Cross her boss at your peril . ''
Emma Wolfe , chief of staff to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio , who 's had a famously testy relationship with Cuomo over the years , called her a `` tenacious fighter for her boss . ''
`` We ’ ve had our share of knock-down-drag-outs , but she 's always honest with me about where they are , which means a lot in this business , ” said Wolfe .
“ She doesn ’ t take the job for granted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I mean , at all , hours . ''
Asked if she would ever consider running for elected office , DeRosa demurred .
`` I get asked all the time , which I think is hysterical , '' said DeRosa .
`` This is all I 'm focused on right now .
I applaud all the women who are running and who knows what the future holds . ''
But if she does decide to run one day , she would n't have to look far for a communications adviser .
`` She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything in a heartbeat if Melissa ever decided to run for office , '' said Lis Smith , who worked on Cuomo 's reelection campaign with DeRosa and now serves as a senior communications adviser to presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg .
`` She 'd be great . ''
In the coming years , DeRosa wants to make sure insurance coverage would extend to egg freezing for non-medical reasons .
“ The reality is when you have children , you 're leaving the workforce for a period , at least six weeks .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deciding at a critical point in your career that you 're taking a timeout , ” said DeRosa .
“ So the ability to be able to say , I want to preserve the ability to have children later on and not give up what I 'm doing right now because I 'm not financially able or I 'm not married or I have n't found my partner yet is important.
” Companies such as Facebook and Apple offer up to $ 20,000 for egg freezing for female employees .
“ Going through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's something that makes you think about the broader picture and why diversity of leadership is so important , ” said DeRosa .
“ Why you need to have women at the deciding table , why you should have equal representation .
You take your own life experiences to everything that you 're doing .
”

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Rockland/Westchester Journal News

As Gov. Andrew Cuomo's right hand, Melissa DeRosa is 'unapologetically fierce'
Show Caption Hide Caption Gov. Andrew Cuomo's top aide explains her role in state government 2019 interview: Melissa DeRosa talks about her role as the top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Seth Harrison/lohud, The Journal News/lohud
On most days during Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s widely watched televised briefings on the coronavirus crisis, Melissa DeRosa, New York's first female secretary to the governor, can be seen sitting next to him (6 feet apart as per social distancing guidelines, of course).
In a statement to The Journal News/lohud, the governor's office said this about DeRosa's role: "Melissa is the proverbial right hand to the governor. All work streams end with her and she is overseeing the monumental task of coordinating the state’s COVID-19 response including managing the war room of senior administration officials and their teams dedicated to the effort, helping craft emergency executive orders, coordinating with elected officials and strategizing with hospital leadership and business executives across the state to ensure frontline workers have the resources they need."
Below is a profile of DeRosa originally published May 28, 2019.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Two years ago, at age 34, Melissa DeRosa made history when Gov. Andrew Cuomo named her New York's first female secretary to the governor, the highest unelected position in the state. She was also one of the youngest to be named to the post, but when it came to the idea of motherhood, she was becoming acutely aware of her ticking biological clock.
Six months into her high-pressure job, DeRosa visited her doctor to explore the possibility of freezing her eggs. She’d just turned 35.
“A lot of my girlfriends in their mid-to-late-30s were having trouble having kids,” she said, sitting in her office on the 39th floor of a Manhattan skyscraper with views of the Chrysler Building right across the hall from Cuomo’s private office. “And they were sort of saying to me, ‘If this is something you're not going to do right away, you want to make sure to preserve your options.'”
In a wide-ranging interview, DeRosa, who also chairs the state’s Council on Women and Girls, discussed her experiences with sexual harassment, gender bias, working to advance policy with a feminist mindset and dealing with questions about members of her family working as lobbyists.
She addressed New York Republican Chairman Edward F. Cox calling her a “petty thug” on Twitter right after she was appointed to the position of secretary.
“It's pretty funny actually," she said. "I'd only met him once at the Quogue Field Club in the Hamptons. I’d never interacted with him.”
Her meeting with her doctor that day to explore the possibility of freezing her eggs, she said, led her down the “rabbit hole” of learning about the woefully inadequate insurance coverage for fertility treatments.
“The thing that you learn when you're going through this process is that if you have to take the extraordinary step of doing IVF (in vitro fertilization), it is very expensive – to the tune of $20,000 or somewhere in that range,” she said. “Having fertility issues is a medical problem, right? I was outraged by it personally, and in my opinion, if this was about a man's ability to reproduce, then insurance companies would have figured out long ago how to cover it. And so we wanted to put the muscle of the administration behind it.”
It worked.
Last month, as part of the 2020 budget, a bill requiring large group insurance providers to cover the cost of in vitro fertilization was signed into law by Cuomo. The bill also covers egg-freezing services for women with certain medical conditions.
The fertility rate in the United States last year dipped to its lowest in 32 years, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among a range of reasons cited by experts include delays in marriage, more women joining the workplace, economic uncertainty and an absence of supportive family policies.
Fertility in women decreases gradually but significantly at age 32 and rapidly after 37, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. So for women delaying childbirth, access to assisted reproductive technology – of which IVF is considered to be the most effective – becomes a crucial part of the journey to motherhood.
Since 1996, more than 1 million U.S. babies have been born as a result of these techniques, according to the Pew Research Center.
DeRosa, who joined the Cuomo administration as director of communications in 2013 and was promoted to chief of staff in 2015, is credited with being the force behind several of the governor's key legislative victories, such as paid family leave, a $15 minimum wage, the IVF/egg freezing insurance coverage requirement and free college tuition.
In an interview, Cuomo said the fact that DeRosa was the first woman to serve in the position of secretary to the governor was merely an "aside."
“She’s a star. She has the formula for success – intelligent, hardworking, right values and she embodies that,” said Cuomo. “She deserves it on the merits. I appointed her to that position because she was better than anyone else.”
When President Donald Trump decided to disband the White House Council on Women and Girls, which was set up to make sure federal agencies would consider the unique needs of women and girls when crafting policy and creating regulations, DeRosa, in concert with other senior women in the governor’s office, convinced the governor to establish the NYS Council on Women and Girls in 2017.
Since its establishment, the state Council on Women and Girls has taken up issues such as maternal mortality in the African-American community and created a pilot program to provide doulas to women going through childbirth, as well as expanding access to venture capital for women-led companies.
During her conversation with her doctor about egg freezing services and her own health insurance coverage, DeRosa got a glimpse into how society views the rights of single women.
“She was saying, well, if you fertilize the egg and freeze it, that's covered by your insurance. If you don't and you're just freezing your eggs, it's not covered by insurance,” DeRosa said referring to her doctor. “And I was like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa. So what you're telling me is because I'm married, or because I know who I would want to have children with, my insurance would cover it, but if I didn't and I was single it wouldn’t be? that's crazy.'"
Risa Levine, a board member of RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association and longtime activist, said having a woman in a position of power as an ally in the legislative battle for IVF coverage made a big difference.
“Melissa worked to make things happen. Not loudly by pounding on a podium, but behind the scenes to make sure that IVF coverage was included in the governor’s Women’s Justice Agenda,” said Levine. “And then in the governor’s budget.”
DeRosa’s deal-making and negotiating abilities were on display from a young age.
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., recalls joining political forces as a sixth-grader with DeRosa, then an eighth-grader at the Albany Academy for Girls.
Both were running for class representative for their respective grades to be part of the student council.
Stefanik’s platform was to bring a snack machine to school. To DeRosa’s credit, she recognized a good idea and persuaded Stefanik to join her ticket.
“It was a pretty popular idea for every student,” recalled Stefanik, who in 2014 became the youngest woman at the time to be elected to Congress, at age 30.
DeRosa is still proud of her early political prowess.
“She was my ticket mate and we cut a deal where I was like, ‘I'll bring you the eighth-grade vote, you bring me to sixth-grade vote, and we’ll both win,” DeRosa said with a laugh. “And we did. We negotiated to bring a snack machine to school.”
DeRosa was entrenched in politics and government from a very young age. She is the daughter of an influential Albany lobbyist and a high school math teacher who once served as a union liaison to New York State United Teachers.
Her father, Giorgio DeRosa, a senior partner at Bolton-St. John’s, began his career with the United Auto Workers as a union organizer and later served as district director for Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y.
“I was 4 years old and my father would take me to rallies. I have pictures of myself marching in parades for Louise Slaughter. We used to go door to door,” said DeRosa. “I was exposed to politics and campaigning from a very, very young age and I just fell in love with it immediately. I was hooked.”
DeRosa was fascinated by her father’s world. Her third-grade assignment, titled “Day in the Life of a Lobbyist,” is framed on a wall in her office and it references “the late budget and the senate which keeps going home."
Her father’s passion for politics has rubbed off on her siblings, too.
Both her older sister, Jessica, and her younger brother, Joseph, work at Bolton-St. Johns, the lobbying firm where their father is a partner. Those connections, coupled with the fact that her husband, Matt Wing, a former Cuomo press secretary who now serves as a senior communications executive with Uber, have raised questions of potential conflicts of interest.
Common Cause released a statement soon after DeRosa’s appointment saying the “family's extensive business interests before the state raise serious questions” and to “avoid even the appearance of a conflict” the administration should disclose, among other things, the meetings she’s “recused” herself from and her role in the ride-hailing expansion in New York.
Two years in, Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, said they had received no further information on the matter from either DeRosa or the governor’s office.
“The same concerns still stand," said Lerner in an email.
DeRosa said she has worked with the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, which oversees and regulates lobbying in the state, for years.
"My father went into this line of work nearly 30 years ago, and I have been involved in government and politics for a decade and a half,” said DeRosa in an email. “I have fully complied with the Public Officers Law recusal policy for years and worked with JCOPE to ensure the highest standards are met to avoid even the appearance of impropriety."
Cuomo’s spokeswoman Dani Lever said the list of bill and budget items on which DeRosa’s family is lobbying is publicly available on JCOPE’s website.
Wing defended his wife as “an incredibly ethical person.”
When he worked as a press secretary to Cuomo, DeRosa, in her position as director of communications, was his boss.
“Initially she didn’t want to date me because she was worried about the fact that she was my boss,” said Wing. “And I literally went out and got an outside attorney to draw up an ethics opinion in order to convince her that there was no violation of the state Public Officers Law.”
But he acknowledged the concerns about the subject were understandable.
“It doesn’t mean that there can’t be a very fair question of conflict or people who are concerned about that,” said Wing. “It is impossible to live a life with no conflict. It is about taking the issue seriously. It’s about being accountable and being responsible.”
DeRosa’s first experience working in politics came at age 16 as an intern for the political director of the New York State AFL-CIO. That was in 1999, when Hillary Clinton, then first lady, was launching her Senate bid from New York.
The union was preparing to endorse Clinton, gaming out what the campaign was going to look like, how they would organize and what tactics they would use.
“And I remember thinking while I was doing the envelope stuffing and answering the phones that someday I want to be the person who's sitting in that room and driving those conversations and mapping out strategy and being a part of it in a meaningful way," DeRosa said. "And so that’s what I've set out to do."
After graduating from the school of industrial and labor relations at Cornell University, and a brief detour as a fashion publicist ("it was moment of rebellion," she said), she joined Bolton-St. John’s as a lobbyist, seeking out another partner at the firm so as not to directly work under her father.
One of her first assignments was to work on a campaign for a $2.9 billion bond act to finance transportation projects statewide. The referendum had been defeated twice by voters.
“I loved moving around the state and setting up press conferences and gaming out who could be the people against this and how to get out in front of them, pitching the editorial boards, regionalizing data and how to make the best argument,” said DeRosa. “We won. And something about politics that I love is election day comes and there's a winner and a loser.”
After working on congressional campaigns and public relations, including on Capitol Hill for Brooklyn Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, she returned to New York to pursue a master’s degree from Cornell in public administration. After graduation, she was tapped to lead then-President Barack Obama’s national political action organization for New York.
From there, she moved on to work as the deputy chief of staff to state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for two years.
Asked if she had any inkling of the #MeToo allegations that subsequently surfaced against her former boss, she said she was “as surprised as everyone else.”
At the same time, she said she had dealt with her share of harassment and gender bias.
When she was 26 and working as a lobbyist, she heard a client – whom she described as a national figure in progressive politics – making a lewd remark about her on a conference call that he didn’t know she was on.
“My boss said, ‘Melissa will be taking the lead on the project’, and he said, ‘Why doesn't she take the lead right up to my hotel room?’” DeRosa recalled.
DeRosa said her boss was horrified. He apologized to her after the call and told her it was “wholly inappropriate.”
“I was like, ‘I'm OK, I'm OK.' I didn't say anything at the time because I was younger, I was less experienced and I wasn't as comfortable in my own skin.” DeRosa said. “I was almost afraid to say something because I didn’t want to be treated differently and for them to say, 'She can’t take a joke.' ”
But she remembers the feeling well.
“I remember just thinking to myself what do people think about me when they look at me? Is this how people see me? How many things do I need to accomplish and how many years do I have to work and how many titles do I have to hold before they will look at me the same way that they would look at a man in this position with the same level of respect and treat me the same way?,” said DeRosa, as her eyes glistened with tears.
Months after her appointment as secretary, DeRosa said she had accompanied the governor to the 9/11 ceremony at ground zero with several dignitaries lined up in front of the memorial.
“This person who had known the governor for years looked up and said, ‘Oh, Andrew, who's this cute person?' And he's like, 'She runs the state of New York,' ” DeRosa said. “But would anyone ever say that to a male aide who's talking to the governor?”
DeRosa said being in the same industry as her father has posed additional challenges.
“I feel like I've spent the last 15 years trying to convince people that I'm not daddy's little girl, which feels entirely unfair because men don't have to do that,” DeRosa said.
For example, she said, when she was appointed to the position of secretary after spending four years as director of communications and then chief of staff to Cuomo, the print headline for the New York Times story said, “Cuomo’s Chief of Staff, Daughter of Powerful Lobbyist, is Promoted to Secretary.”
“The New York Times took 15 years of my professional life away from me because they defined me not in the context of my accomplishments or my experience or my capacity,” said DeRosa. “But they defined me through my father and it was terrible, and it shouldn't have happened to me. It shouldn't happen to anyone else.”
DeRosa's skills as a political operative have earned her the respect of her counterparts in opposing camps.
Bill O'Reilly, a political consultant who served as communications director for Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, the Republican candidate for governor who ran against Cuomo last year, said he was not surprised by DeRosa’s career trajectory.
"Melissa is super smart, super tough and super loyal," O'Reilly said. "She doesn't suffer fools lightly, and that's exactly who a governor would want around him or her. Cross her boss at your peril."
Emma Wolfe, chief of staff to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who's had a famously testy relationship with Cuomo over the years, called her a "tenacious fighter for her boss."
"We’ve had our share of knock-down-drag-outs, but she's always honest with me about where they are, which means a lot in this business,” said Wolfe. “She doesn’t take the job for granted and she works at all, and I mean, at all, hours."
Asked if she would ever consider running for elected office, DeRosa demurred.
"I get asked all the time, which I think is hysterical," said DeRosa."This is all I'm focused on right now. I applaud all the women who are running and who knows what the future holds."
But if she does decide to run one day, she wouldn't have to look far for a communications adviser.
"She's unapologetically fierce. I would drop everything in a heartbeat if Melissa ever decided to run for office," said Lis Smith, who worked on Cuomo's reelection campaign with DeRosa and now serves as a senior communications adviser to presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg. "She'd be great."
In the coming years, DeRosa wants to make sure insurance coverage would extend to egg freezing for non-medical reasons.
“The reality is when you have children, you're leaving the workforce for a period, at least six weeks. For women, that means that you're deciding at a critical point in your career that you're taking a timeout,” said DeRosa. “So the ability to be able to say, I want to preserve the ability to have children later on and not give up what I'm doing right now because I'm not financially able or I'm not married or I haven't found my partner yet is important.”
Companies such as Facebook and Apple offer up to $20,000 for egg freezing for female employees.
“Going through it on a personal level, it's something that makes you think about the broader picture and why diversity of leadership is so important,” said DeRosa. “Why you need to have women at the deciding table, why you should have equal representation. You take your own life experiences to everything that you're doing.”


usatoday--2020-05-14--Health experts tell House coronavirus committee that millions more tests per week are needed

WASHINGTON – As many as 6 million Americans could be tested for the coronavirus every week by September – and it still might not be enough to allow the entire country to reopen safely .
A panel of health experts on Wednesday told a congressional panel monitoring the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic that the progress being made on ramping up testing remains far short considering that states are beginning to loosen social distancing restrictions enacted over the past two months .
`` It was inadequate testing that precipitated the national shutdown .
We must not make the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation , '' Ashish Jha , director of the Harvard Global Health Institute , told the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis .
`` The U.S. needs more than 900,000 tests every day to safely open up again .
We are doing about a third of that . ''
Jha and other experts urged more transparency at the federal level and better coordination on the strategic deployment of existing tests to gauge a community 's vulnerability .
More : Pelosi names seven Democratic lawmakers to committee tasked with overseeing coronavirus stimulus money Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicare & Medicaid Services under President George W. Bush , said 2 million to 3 million tests were done in the past week .
`` That 's a significant increase of where we 've been , '' he told the committee .
Based on the administration 's expectations about testing increases this month , McClellan said the nation should be on track for 3½ million a week by the end of the month and `` maybe 6 million per week by September . ''
That still would be about 300,000 tests a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute is calling for .
And , McLellan said , current testing could be improved through more strategic distribution of available kits .
Scott Gottlieb , former Food and Drug Administration commissioner under President Donald Trump , said flattening case numbers show an improving situation and technological advances will boost testing capacity in the coming weeks .
But he also cautioned about moving too quickly .
`` We 're seeing signs of a slowing epidemic nationally but we 're still going to be reopening against a backdrop of more spread than we anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Red states , most of them in the South , have led efforts to reopen their economies , cheered on by Trump , whose administration released a reopening plan that reportedly excluded more restrictive measures than government health experts recommended .
`` The question that is being discussed at every kitchen table in America right now ( is ) how will we know when we are ready to safely reopen our country ?
To answer that question , we should be informed by history and guided by science , '' said Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we all want to reopen as soon as possible , doing so before the proper safeguards are in place would cause more sickness and death . ''
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi created the panel to monitor the spending of more than $ 2 trillion – so far – to combat the crisis and help the U.S. economy battered by a virus that has upended daily life .
Republicans opposed the creation of the commission , viewing it as a partisan effort to tarnish the president .
Republicans on the committee spent much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panel when the House already has eight standing committees to conduct oversight .
`` This is crazy , '' said Indiana GOP Rep. Jackie Walorski , comparing the panel to the efforts by Democrats to impeach Trump last year .
`` The last thing this coronavirus effort needed was another committee . ''

Health experts tell House coronavirus committee that millions more tests per week are needed
Show Caption Hide Caption Coronavirus: Fauci says more deaths to come if no adequate response Dr. Anthony Fauci told senators "it is without a doubt that there will be infections" in the fall and warned of more deaths without adequate response. Associated Press, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – As many as 6 million Americans could be tested for the coronavirus every week by September – and it still might not be enough to allow the entire country to reopen safely.
A panel of health experts on Wednesday told a congressional panel monitoring the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic that the progress being made on ramping up testing remains far short considering that states are beginning to loosen social distancing restrictions enacted over the past two months.
"It was inadequate testing that precipitated the national shutdown. We must not make the same mistake again as we open up our nation," Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, told the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. "The U.S. needs more than 900,000 tests every day to safely open up again. We are doing about a third of that."
Jha and other experts urged more transparency at the federal level and better coordination on the strategic deployment of existing tests to gauge a community's vulnerability.
More: Pelosi names seven Democratic lawmakers to committee tasked with overseeing coronavirus stimulus money
Mark McClellan, who ran the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services under President George W. Bush, said 2 million to 3 million tests were done in the past week.
"That's a significant increase of where we've been," he told the committee.
Based on the administration's expectations about testing increases this month, McClellan said the nation should be on track for 3½ million a week by the end of the month and "maybe 6 million per week by September."
That still would be about 300,000 tests a week short of what the Harvard Global Health Institute is calling for. And, McLellan said, current testing could be improved through more strategic distribution of available kits.
Scott Gottlieb, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner under President Donald Trump, said flattening case numbers show an improving situation and technological advances will boost testing capacity in the coming weeks. But he also cautioned about moving too quickly.
"We're seeing signs of a slowing epidemic nationally but we're still going to be reopening against a backdrop of more spread than we anticipated," he told the House committee.
Red states, most of them in the South, have led efforts to reopen their economies, cheered on by Trump, whose administration released a reopening plan that reportedly excluded more restrictive measures than government health experts recommended.
"The question that is being discussed at every kitchen table in America right now (is) how will we know when we are ready to safely reopen our country? To answer that question, we should be informed by history and guided by science," said Committee Chairman James Clyburn, D-S.C. "While we all want to reopen as soon as possible, doing so before the proper safeguards are in place would cause more sickness and death."
More: US coronavirus map: Tracking the outbreak
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi created the panel to monitor the spending of more than $2 trillion – so far – to combat the crisis and help the U.S. economy battered by a virus that has upended daily life. Republicans opposed the creation of the commission, viewing it as a partisan effort to tarnish the president.
Republicans on the committee spent much of their time questioning the validity of the panel when the House already has eight standing committees to conduct oversight.
"This is crazy," said Indiana GOP Rep. Jackie Walorski, comparing the panel to the efforts by Democrats to impeach Trump last year. "The last thing this coronavirus effort needed was another committee."


usatoday--2020-05-14--Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida will partially reopen on Saturday

WEST PALM BEACH , Fla. – President Donald Trump ’ s Mar-a-Lago Club will reopen on Saturday , almost two months after it closed because of the coronavirus pandemic .
In a letter sent to club members on Thursday , managing director Bernd Lembcke announced the opening and schedule .
The club will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily , with lunch served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. , through May 25 –Memorial Day .
It will close May 26 and reopen the next day , after which it will remain open through June 28 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ time of COVID-19 , guests will find themselves making some sacrifices .
For one thing , it ’ s BYOT – Bring Your Own Towel .
There will be no towel service .
Germ-y noodles , floats and any other pool toys will be banned .
Also , the main house , tennis courts , spa , gym , and locker rooms will remain closed .
Restrooms will be sanitized hourly and sanitizing stations will be spread throughout the pool deck .
“ Do not come to the club if you are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with someone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19 .
... Do not shake hands with others , ” the letter said .
Reservations must be made no later than a day in advance , and use of the Beach Club is limited to members with their families .
No guests will be allowed .
Tables and lounge chairs will be placed 6 feet apart , and no congregating is allowed .
The 6-foot social distancing rule will be enforced on both the pool deck and in the pool/Jacuzzi , the letter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , spa , salon , fitness and accommodations services on March 19 and the Beach Club and tennis operations on March 20 .

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida will partially reopen on Saturday
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club will reopen on Saturday, almost two months after it closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter sent to club members on Thursday, managing director Bernd Lembcke announced the opening and schedule.
The club will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with lunch served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., through May 25 –Memorial Day.
It will close May 26 and reopen the next day, after which it will remain open through June 28.
But, like everything else in the time of COVID-19, guests will find themselves making some sacrifices.
For one thing, it’s BYOT – Bring Your Own Towel. There will be no towel service.
Germ-y noodles, floats and any other pool toys will be banned.
Also, the main house, tennis courts, spa, gym, and locker rooms will remain closed.
Mar-a-Lago: Trump resort furloughs all 153 'nonessential' employees during coronavirus pandemic
Restrooms will be sanitized hourly and sanitizing stations will be spread throughout the pool deck.
“Do not come to the club if you are not feeling well or have come in contact with someone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19. ... Do not shake hands with others,” the letter said.
Reservations must be made no later than a day in advance, and use of the Beach Club is limited to members with their families. No guests will be allowed.
Tables and lounge chairs will be placed 6 feet apart, and no congregating is allowed. The 6-foot social distancing rule will be enforced on both the pool deck and in the pool/Jacuzzi, the letter to members said.
Mar-a-Lago closed its kitchen, spa, salon, fitness and accommodations services on March 19 and the Beach Club and tennis operations on March 20.
Want to talk more about politics?: Join our Facebook group: ‘Across the Aisle, Across the Nation.’