usatoday--2020-08-19--Joe Biden secures Democratic presidential nomination during night of attacks on Trump and messages o

WASHINGTON – Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden for president during the second night of a virtual convention Tuesday that started with scathing criticism of President Donald Trump ’ s administration and ended with personal reflections on the former vice president ’ s decades of service .
More than three decades after he first ran for president , Biden clinched the nomination following a virtual “ roll call ” featuring party luminaries from all 50 states and lesser-known Democrats who described Biden as ready to lead the nation through the twin crises of a pandemic and economic uncertainty .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation still beats with kindness and courage , ” said Dr. Jill Biden , who delivered the evening ’ s marquee address .
“ We just need leadership worthy of our nation – worthy of you.
” The second night of the convention began with several high-profile Democrats slamming President Donald Trump .
Former President Bill Clinton recited statistics about the number of infections and deaths from the pandemic , which he and others asserted could have been lowered if the Trump administration had acted differently or more quickly It ’ s was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other Democrats are certain to reprise between now and the Nov. 3 election .
“ Did it have to be this way ?
No , ” Clinton argued .
“ We deserve a person with integrity and judgement , ” former President Jimmy Carter said in a video .
Despite the heavy line of attacks , the final minutes of the second night became far lighter as the party conveyed Biden as a man who had endured tremendous hardship in his own life and brokered friendships with those – like the late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side of the aisle .
Minutes after he clinched the nomination , Biden appeared briefly in a video with his grandchildren and family , promising to say more later .
The former vice president reappeared to embrace his wife after her remarks , which became personal and emotional as she recalled how Biden handled the death of their son , Beau Biden , who died in 2015 .
“ I wondered if I would ever smile or feel joy again , ” Jill Biden said .
But , she said , four days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watched her husband put on a suit , take a deep breath and “ walk out into a world empty of our son.
” “ He went back to work .
That ’ s just who he is , ” she said .
“ He and Kamala ( Harris ) will work as hard as you do every day to make this nation better.
” Biden is set to formally accept the nomination Thursday .
Jill Biden ends Day 2 by saying her husband will make the nation whole Jill Biden spoke as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife when she addressed the Democratic National Convention on the night her husband was formally nominated to challenge President Donald Trump .
The former Second Lady described her husband as a man who has gone through the unimaginable while still managing to keep putting one front in front of the other .
“ He does it for you , ” she said of Joe Biden .
“ His faith is in you , in us.
” And she shared her own pain from the 2015 death of Beau Biden , the family ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be applied to a broken nation .
“ How do you make a broken family whole ?
The same way you make a nation whole , ” she said .
“ With love and understanding – and with small acts of kindness .
With bravery .
With unwavering faith.
” Biden spoke from Room 232 of the high school in Wilmington , Delaware , where she taught English when her husband served in the Senate .
While she did n't mention Trump in her 10-minute speech , Biden used the backdrop of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying she ’ s heartbroken by the magnitude of the nation ’ s loss of life and the “ failure to protect our communities.
” She said she feels the frustration of parents juggling work while supporting their children ’ s learning or fearful they ’ ll get sick at school .
`` Like so many of you , '' she said , `` I ’ m left asking : how do I keep my family safe ? ''
As she ’ s done at past conventions , Biden on Tuesday told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife and baby daughter in a 1972 car crash .
His two sons , Beau and Hunter , were badly injured .
“ I feel in love with a man and two little boys standing in the wreckage of unthinkable loss , ” Biden said .
“ We found that love holds a family together.
” After Jill and Joe married in 1977 , they had a daughter , Ashley .
Beau Biden , who introduced his father at the 2008 and 2012 conventions , died of brain cancer in 2015 at 46 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever smile or feel joy again , ” Jill Biden said Tuesday .
But , four days after Beau ’ s funeral , she watched her husband put on a suit , take a deep breath and “ walk out into a world empty of our son.
” “ He went back to work .
That ’ s just who he is , ” she said .
“ I know that if we entrust this nation to Joe , he will do for your family what he did for ours : bring us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Former GOP Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke in support of Joe Biden , saying he would bring the country together and not coddle dictators .
“ Today , we are a country divided , and we have a president doing everything in his power to make it that way and keep us that way , ” Powell said without mentioning Trump by name .
“ What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us , who restores our strength and our soul.
” Powell ’ s decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden makes him one of the most prominent Republicans to play a part in the process of nominating the former vice president .
Powell , who served in President George W. Bush ’ s cabinet , said in 2016 he would vote for Hillary Clinton , partly because of Trump ’ s leading role in the “ birther ” movement questioning the legitimacy of Barack Obama ’ s citizenship .
Then in June , Powell , the first African-American secretary of state , said he planned to vote for Biden while chiding Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few days before to clear Lafayette Square in Washington D.C. of mostly peaceful protestors so he could stage a photo op in front of St. John ’ s Episcopal Church with a bible .
On Tuesday , Powell said Biden will be a president “ we will all be proud to salute.
” “ With Joe Biden in the White House , you will never doubt that he will stand with our friends and stand up to our adversaries—never the other way around , ” he said .
“ He will trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the flattery of dictators and despots .
He will make it his job to know when anyone dares to threaten us .
He will stand up to our adversaries with strength and experience .
They will know he means business.
” Ady Barkan : Put Biden in office , then fight for progressive causes After video segments highlighting Biden ’ s health care plan , progressive activist Ady Barkan delivered a speech on the importance of access to health care for all Americans , particularly during the coronavirus pandemic .
Barkan was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 shortly after the birth of his son and has become a prominent voice for single-payer health care .
Biden has said he wants a Medicare-like option and to strengthen the Affordable Care Act .
“ We live in the richest country in history and yet we do not guarantee this most basic human right .
Everyone living in America should get the health care they need regardless of their employment status or ability to pay , ” Barkan said .
Barkan made headlines in 2017 when he was filmed confronting former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill .
Barkan initially supported Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president and then backed Sen. Bernie Sanders .
Barkan and Biden disagree on Medicare for All , but Barkan has urged progressives not to sit out of the November election .
In July , Barkan announced his endorsement of Biden .
The two discussed their differences in a video interview , and Barkan said he would take Biden up on an offer to help “ figure out what ’ s enough ” on health care should Biden be elected .
“ Although he & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , winning this election is essential , ” Barkan said at the time .
Barkan said Tuesday that with Biden as president , progressives can continue advocating for further action on health care .
“ We must elect Joe Biden .
Each of us must be a hero for our communities , for our country , and then , with a compassionate and intelligent president , we must act together and put on his desk a bill that guarantees us all the health care we deserve , ” Barkan said .
John Kerry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2004 Democratic nominee for president , slammed President Donald Trump for failing to confront Russia over interfering with the 2016 election or over bounties allegedly put on U.S. troops .
“ When this president goes overseas , it isn ’ t a goodwill mission , it ’ s a blooper reel , ” Kerry said .
“ Our troops can ’ t get out of harm ’ s way by hiding in the White House bunker.
” Republicans blasted Kerry for negotiating a deal aimed at hindering Iran ’ s nuclear program during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deal .
Trump has focused his foreign policy on securing the borders and renegotiating trade deals with Canada and Mexico , and with China .
Kerry served in the Senate from Massachusetts with the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge Trump , Joe Biden of Delaware .
Kerry said Biden , a former chairman of the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees , for having the steely grit to deal with international crises such as genocide in the Balkans or apartheid in South Africa .
Kerry also promoted the Obama administration ’ s support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 195 nations and stopped ebola before it became a pandemic .
“ Joe ’ s moral compass has always pointed in the right direction , ” Kerry said .
“ Joe understands that none of the issues of this world – not nuclear weapons , not the challenge of building back better after COVID , not terrorism and certainly not the climate crisis – none can be resolved without bringing nations together.
” Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday formally secured enough Democratic delegates to become the party 's nominee to challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highest prizes in U.S. politics more than three decades after he first campaigned for it .
Though presidential nominating conventions haven ’ t been contested for decades and Biden demonstrated he had enough support for the nomination months ago , the formal roll call is nevertheless a symbolic milestone and an expression of the party ’ s support for their candidate .
During the state primaries and caucuses , Biden collected 2,687 delegates -- more than twice the 1,073 earned by his closest rival , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders .
The nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - objective of the convention : Choosing the candidate that will be on the November presidential ballot .
But it ’ s also done with fanfare and celebration , a moment where party rivals who vied for the nomination united behind the nominee .
Few moments have underscored the unusual nature of the Democrats ' virtual convention as the roll call Tuesday that is expected to lead to Joe Biden 's nomination .
All 57 states and territories are participating in the “ Roll Call Across America , ” which included video montages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to announce their delegate allocations .
The various party activists announcing those delegate pledges were n't just governors , senators and congressmen but also parents , teachers , and small business owners .
That meant local delegates could make their announcements with symbols of the state ’ s beauty or important landmarks , such as a fire station in Connecticut , the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma , Alabama or the Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington , D.C. Marisol Garcia , a high school parent and a union organizer for the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes with cacti in the background .
“ Arizona casts 29 votes for Bernie Sanders and 51 for our next president Joe Biden , ” she said with cacti in the background .
The display marked a major departure from past years and underscored the challenges convention planners have endured because of the coronavirus pandemic .
In normal election years , delegates gather on the floor of the hall and formally announce -- state by state -- how their delegation will vote .
Though the results are almost always preordained , the roll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's party a chance to offer a short speech espousing the soon-to-be-nominee and promote their areas while building a sense of drama until the candidate formally crosses the threshold of delegates needed to seize the nomination .
National conventions usually feature politicians and party stars – but not always .
“ I could tell he really saw me , ” Jacquelyn Brittany , a security guard at the New York Times who operated the elevator during a Biden visit there last year , said during the convention .
“ Nominating someone like that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good place to start , ” she said .
Jacquelyn has declined to publicize her last name .
Brittany is her middle name , according to the Washington Post .
Brittany was one of several people who seconded Biden ’ s nomination before the formal roll call of delegates .
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , one of the most outspoken progressives in Congress , delivered a nomination speech for Sen. Bernie Sanders ahead of the official roll call that will nominate Joe Biden as the party ’ s candidate .
Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the primary race , suspended his run for the Democratic nomination in April and has supported Biden .
Ocasio-Cortez ’ s roughly 90-second speech didn ’ t mention Biden but established the ideals of the progressive wing of the party .
The progressive movement is “ striving to recognize and repair the wounds of racial injustice , colonization , misogyny and homophobia , ” Ocasio-Cortez said , adding that it “ realizes the unsustainable brutality of an economy that rewards explosive inequalities of wealth for the few at the expense of long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the length of her speech was first reported at one minute , some viewed it as a snub to progressives , noting that some Republicans were given more time to speak .
Others saw her inclusion as a sign Democrats are hoping to unify progressives and centrists against Trump .
Ocasio-Cortez was a prominent backer and surrogate for Sanders ’ campaign and has since said she will vote for Biden but hopes to influence his platform to the left .
She co-chaired the climate task force to advise Biden on policy .
Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Democratic Convention , has asked his supporters to back Biden despite their differences in ideology .
He said during his speech Monday that the country can not withstand another Trump term .
“ The future of our democracy is at stake , ” Sanders said .
“ The price of failure is just too great to imagine.
” Bob King , former president of the United Auto Workers , also delivered a symbolic nominating speech for Sanders on Tuesday .
Former President Bill Clinton sought to recapture some of his “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday that were highly critical of President Donald Trump ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Did it have to be this way ?
No , ” Clinton said of coronavirus infection rates and deaths , after relating several of those statistics .
“ COVID hit us much harder than it had to.
” Clinton blamed Trump for ignoring the advice of scientists and spending too much time on social media blaming others for the crisis : “ The buck never stops there , ” he said .
The 42nd president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of disfavor since leaving the White House in 2001 .
His 48-minute speech at the 2012 convention was viewed by some Democrats as a more cogent argument for President Barack Obama ’ s second term than anything Obama had offered himself at that point in the campaign , and it earned Clinton the nickname “ explainer in chief.
” But while Clinton has remained popular among the Democratic establishment , the controversies of his presidency and allegations of sexual assault and harassment have come into harsher light during a MeToo movement that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workplace .
And so while Clinton played an extensive role on stage at the 2016 convention when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the nominee , his speaking time was limited to just a few minutes Tuesday and his slot fell in the 9 p.m. hour before major networks began carrying the convention in its entirety .
Clinton has addressed every Democratic convention since 1980 .
With no direct stake in this year ’ s election , Clinton , who turns 74 on Wednesday , has remained out of the fray of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives him an opportunity to deliver more of a direct attack on Trump without running the risk of firing up Trump ’ s core Republican supporters .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , whose middle name Ellis stems from the iconic New York immigration facility Ellis Island , stood Tuesday in front of the Statue of Liberty as a beacon of hope for the world .
“ America , Donald Trump has quit on you , ” Schumer said .
“ We need a president with dignity , integrity the experience to lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter ’ s middle name is Emma after Emma Lazarus , whose poem graces the statue .
“ Beckoned by the lady behind us , we will reform our immigration system so that immigrants yearning to breathe free will at last become American citizens , ” Schumer said .
Schumer said Tuesday that Democrats must elect presumptive nominee Joe Biden president and regain control of the Senate in order to pursue affordable healthcare , protect voting rights and take decisive action against climate change .
“ Democrats must take back the Senate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this long national nightmare , America will finally awaken to a brighter future and a new day.
” Democrats controlled half of Congress under Trump by leading the House of Representatives .
But Schumer of New York could begin leading the Senate – setting the agenda for floor debate on legislation and nominations to courts and federal agencies – if Biden wins and his coattails are long enough to flip three seats from Republican to Democratic .
In campaign speeches , Trump promotes the confirmation of nearly 300 federal judges , including two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first term .
He warns that if he loses , Democrats would pursue gun control that he would not .
Schumer said a variety of Democrats oppose Trump , Biden ’ s former primary rivals in the Sens .
Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts .
Schumer said the opposition ranges to more moderate Sens .
Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Mark Warner of Virginia .
“ We will stay united , from Sanders and Warren to Manchin and Warner – and together , we will bring bold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Schumer said .
Jimmy Carter : Biden is the right person for this moment in our nation ’ s history Former President Jimmy Carter said Joe Biden had the “ experience , character and decency to bring us together and restore America ’ s greatness ” in his first appearance at a presidential nominating convention in eight years .
`` We deserve a person with integrity and judgement , someone who is honest and fair , someone who is committed to what is best for the American people , '' the 95-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that kind of leader , and he is the right person for this moment in our nation ’ s history . ''
Carter appeared with his wife , Rosalynn Carter , who marked her 93rd birthday on Tuesday .
She spoke about working with both Biden and his wife , Dr. Jill Biden on tackling the demands faced by more than 53 million unpaid caregivers who are juggling work and family responsibilities .
`` Joe knows well , too well , the sorrows and struggles of being a family caregiver , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widower thrust into single parenthood with a demanding job to he and Jill caring for their own parents and their son Beau at the end of their lives , '' she said .
`` He knows caregiving is hard even on the good days . ''
Carter , the 39th president , declined to attend the 2016 convention in Philadelphia , revealing after the election that he backed Sen. Bernie Sanders .
His last appearance at a nominating convention was in 2012 when he delivered prime time remarks that were broadcast on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-term Democratic president has mostly stayed out of domestic politics and focused much of his post-presidency on humanitarian work , which landed him a Nobel Peace Prize since he left office in 1981 .
Carter has been sheltering at his home in Plains , Georgia , amid the ongoing pandemic , and was notably absent from Congressman John Lewis ’ funeral in Atlanta last month .
The Georgia Democrat instead sent a letter of condolences that was read aloud at the funeral .
The former president recalled Biden as his `` first and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his bid for the White House in 1976 .
`` For decades , he has been my loyal and dedicated friend , '' Carter said .
`` He understands that honesty and dignity are essential traits that determine not only our vision but our actions .
More than ever , that 's what we need . ''
Yates slams Trump for treating U.S. ‘ like his family business ’ Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates accused President Donald Trump of trampling on constitutional norms in one of the first addresses of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday .
“ From the moment President Trump took office , he ’ s used his position to benefit himself rather than our country , ” Yates asserted .
“ Put simply , he treats our country like it ’ s his family business.
” Yates , who gained prominence among Democrats after defying Trump at the Justice Department , was considered a potential running mate for Biden and some have speculated she remains in the running to serve as Attorney General should he win .
Yates served as deputy attorney general under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney general in the chaotic early days of the Trump administration .
Her profile was elevated dramatically when she instructed the department ’ s attorneys not to defend the administration ’ s hastily crafted travel ban on majority-Muslim nations , calling it unlawful .
On Tuesday , Yates added the word “ shameless ” to describe the ban .
Her defiance was the first high profile case of a Justice Department staff member -- including some career officials and other political appointments made by Trump – questioning the president ’ s authority to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loyalists have used the episodes to dismiss any pushback with the administration as evidence of a “ deep state ” conspiracy .
Yates later testified that she warned the White House early in Trump ’ s administration that their incoming national security adviser , Michael Flynn , had misled senior officials about his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States .
Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his communications with the ambassador but later reversed course , arguing investigators entrapped him .
Trump has argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and hasn ’ t ruled out a pardon for his former adviser .
Stacey Abrams had hoped for a larger role at the Democratic National Convention , namely a spot on the presidential ticket that Joe Biden gave to California Sen. Kamala Harris .
But the former Georgia gubernatorial candidate still got a prime-time slot Tuesday , one of 17 “ rising stars ” the party tapped to give a keynote address leading up to the roll call vote that will officially elevate Biden as the party ’ s presidential nominee .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is clear , she said : “ A leader who cares about our families or a president who only cares about himself.
” Abrams , who was among those Biden was said to consider for his running mate at one point , narrowly lost the 2018 race for governor .
She now chairs Fair Fight Action , an organization aimed at mobilizing Black voters and eliminating obstacles to voter access nationwide .
The virtual nature of the convention has also changed the format a bit .
Instead of one up-and-rising Democrat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose to showcase 17 , all of whom heralded Biden ’ s positions to expand health care , fight climate change and grow the economy .
The other 16 keynote speakers kicking off the second day of the convention included federal and state officeholders from across the country including key battleground states such as Florida ( State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried ) , Michigan ( State Rep. Mari Manoogian ) , and Pennsylvania ( Congressmen Brendan Boyle and Conor Lamb , and State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta ) .
Also on the roster were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas Congressman Colin Allred , Nevada State Sen. Yvanna Cancela , Former Ohio State Rep. Kathleen Clyde , Long Beach , California , Mayor Robert Garcia , South Carolina State Sen. Marlon Kimpson , Texas State Rep. Victoria Neave , Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez , Georgia State Rep. Sam Park , Georgia , New Hampshire State Rep. Denny Ruprecht , and Birmingham , Alabama , Mayor Randall Woodfin .
“ There ’ s a lot riding on this election , ” Nez said in a video message that includes separately recorded sound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When we ’ re facing the biggest economic and health crisis in generations because our president didn ’ t and still doesn ’ t have a plan , ” Garcia added .
Most Americans might not be familiar with those names but they well could be over the next decade as they climb the party ranks , said Lara Brown , director of the Graduate School of Political Management ( GSPM ) at George Washington University .
“ If you are interested in creating essentially a national profile , you need to become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ Even if they don ’ t generate a tremendous amount of celebrity or name recognition , what it does do is put them on the radar screen of democratic party activists who will start supporting them in their current race , in the next race or on policy issues they ’ d like to advance … this is an opportunity for more than 15 minutes of fame.
” President Donald Trump spent much of Tuesday attacking former first lady Michelle Obama for delivering prerecorded remarks to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebuke of his administration .
“ Unlike Michelle Obama , I ’ m doing it live , ” Trump said of his plans for his Republican nomination acceptance speech after a briefing on border wall construction in Yuma , Arizona .
“ Live , by the way , is always much more exciting than tape , especially once you made the tape long before the event.
” Trump , who flew from Washington to Iowa to Arizona as part of a jam-packed schedule of counter-programming during the DNC , criticized the former first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll and failing to mention Sen. Kamala Harris as Biden ’ s historic pick as his running mate during taped remarks on the opening night of the convention .
During her speech , Obama said “ more than 150,000 ” Americans had died from the coronavirus , a number that has since topped 170,000 .
Trump dismissed her speech as “ divisive ” and “ devoid of facts.
” “ She didn ’ t even have the accurate facts and then they say , ‘ what a wonderful job.
’ What was wonderful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama delivered a blistering attack on Trump , calling him “ the wrong president for our country ” who is “ clearly in over his head.
” While urging Americans to vote for Biden , Obama said Trump ’ s failure to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and his response to the Black Lives Matter protests underscored his inability to lead the country through crisis .
“ You simply can not fake your way through this job , ” she said .
The speech appeared to rankle Trump , who tweeted about it multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took aim at the Obama administration , slamming his predecessor for his handling of the swine flu outbreak and insisting he “ would not be here , in the beautiful White House , if it weren ’ t for the job done by your husband , Barack Obama.
” Trump also blasted the DNC for “ very bad ” ratings after it was revealed that the first night of the convention drew about 25 % fewer views across six networks compared to 2016 , according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ across six networks during the 10 p.m. hour when most networks carried the event .
The figures do not include viewers on other networks , streaming services , or social media platforms .
“ Well their ratings were very bad , ” Trump told reporters .
“ I thought it was not the best television I ’ ve ever watched .
It was brutal actually.
” Guard who met Biden in elevator to nominate him A security guard who gushed over meeting Joe Biden in an elevator during his visit with The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first person to put his name into nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention .
Jacquelyn Brittany is one of three people putting Biden ’ s name into nomination on Tuesday night .
She ’ ll be joined by Sen. Chris Coons and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester , both from Delaware .
The 31-year-old , who has declined to share her last name publicly , was filmed telling the former vice president “ I love you ” as she escorted him to the newspaper ’ s editorial board meeting .
While Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his team elevated the clip of Brittany as evidence that Biden appeals to average working Americans rather than elites .
Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield tweeted that Jacquelyn ’ s was “ the most powerful endorsement of the 2020 cycle.
” In a pre-recorded video , Cindy McCain highlights the late Sen. John McCain 's close friendship with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in another high-profile instance of a Republican lending her voice to the Democratic National Convention .
In the video , first reported on by the Associated Press , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friendship , with photos and video clips of the two men .
A snippet of the video on YouTube does not contain an explicit endorsement of Biden over Republican President Donald Trump .
In the video , Cindy McCain talks about the two families that grew close , as her husband and Biden worked together and traveled thousands of miles together .
In the teaser on YouTube , McCain says the two men grew close when Biden , a senator from Delaware at the time , met John McCain when McCain was assigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an overseas trip .
Trump will accept nomination at the White House President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will formally accept his party 's nomination in a speech delivered at the White House , ending weeks of speculation about what will be one of the most closely watched events of the presidential election .
Trump , speaking in Yuma , Arizona , said he would deliver the remarks from the South Lawn .
Jill Biden will take from her time as a teacher Jill Biden is expected to speak about being a teacher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school classroom where she taught while Joe Biden was a senator .
“ You can hear the anxiety that echoes down empty hallways , '' she said in prepared remarks .
`` There ’ s no scent of new notebooks or freshly waxed floors .
The rooms are dark and the bright young faces that should fill them are confined to boxes on a computer screen.
” Clinton expected to go after Trump Clinton is expected to criticize Trump over the high unemployment rate at a time when he should be leading the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , the Oval Office should be a command center , '' Clinton said in prepared remarks .
`` Instead , it ’ s a storm center .
There ’ s only chaos .
Just one thing never changes—his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame .
The buck never stops there.
” The theme of the night is : `` Leadership Matters , '' John Kerry , the 2004 Democratic nominee and former secretary of state , is among the speakers .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be speaking .
Kerry is expected to criticize Trump for pretending that Russia did n't try to influence the 2016 election and for failing to act against bounties that Russia allegedly put on U.S. troops .
`` So he won ’ t defend our country , '' Kerry said in a prepared remarks .
`` He doesn ’ t know how to defend our troops .
The only person he ’ s interested in defending is himself .
”

Bart Jansen, John Fritze, Courtney Subramanian, Ledyard King and Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY

Joe Biden secures Democratic presidential nomination during night of attacks on Trump and messages of unity
Show Caption Hide Caption AP Top Stories August 19 A Here's the latest for Wednesday August 19th: Democratic Party formally nominates Joe Biden; Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Colin Powell hammer President Trump; Australia to produce possible coronavirus vaccine; Wildfires in California. AP
WASHINGTON – Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden for president during the second night of a virtual convention Tuesday that started with scathing criticism of President Donald Trump’s administration and ended with personal reflections on the former vice president’s decades of service.
More than three decades after he first ran for president, Biden clinched the nomination following a virtual “roll call” featuring party luminaries from all 50 states and lesser-known Democrats who described Biden as ready to lead the nation through the twin crises of a pandemic and economic uncertainty.
“We have shown that the heart of this nation still beats with kindness and courage,” said Dr. Jill Biden, who delivered the evening’s marquee address. “We just need leadership worthy of our nation – worthy of you.”
The second night of the convention began with several high-profile Democrats slamming President Donald Trump. Former President Bill Clinton recited statistics about the number of infections and deaths from the pandemic, which he and others asserted could have been lowered if the Trump administration had acted differently or more quickly
It’s was a preview of a tough message Biden and other Democrats are certain to reprise between now and the Nov. 3 election.
“Did it have to be this way? No,” Clinton argued.
“America, Donald Trump has quit on you,” claimed Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
“We deserve a person with integrity and judgement,” former President Jimmy Carter said in a video.
Despite the heavy line of attacks, the final minutes of the second night became far lighter as the party conveyed Biden as a man who had endured tremendous hardship in his own life and brokered friendships with those – like the late Sen. John McCain – on the other side of the aisle.
Minutes after he clinched the nomination, Biden appeared briefly in a video with his grandchildren and family, promising to say more later. The former vice president reappeared to embrace his wife after her remarks, which became personal and emotional as she recalled how Biden handled the death of their son, Beau Biden, who died in 2015.
“I wondered if I would ever smile or feel joy again,” Jill Biden said.
But, she said, four days after Beau’s funeral, she watched her husband put on a suit, take a deep breath and “walk out into a world empty of our son.”
“He went back to work. That’s just who he is,” she said. “He and Kamala (Harris) will work as hard as you do every day to make this nation better.”
Biden is set to formally accept the nomination Thursday.
— John Fritze
Jill Biden ends Day 2 by saying her husband will make the nation whole
Jill Biden spoke as a teacher, a mother and a wife when she addressed the Democratic National Convention on the night her husband was formally nominated to challenge President Donald Trump.
The former Second Lady described her husband as a man who has gone through the unimaginable while still managing to keep putting one front in front of the other.
“He does it for you,” she said of Joe Biden. “His faith is in you, in us.”
And she shared her own pain from the 2015 death of Beau Biden, the family’s oldest child, drawing larger lessons to be applied to a broken nation.
“How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole,” she said. “With love and understanding – and with small acts of kindness. With bravery. With unwavering faith.”
Biden spoke from Room 232 of the high school in Wilmington, Delaware, where she taught English when her husband served in the Senate.
A sign on the bulletin board read: “Welcome back Dr. Jill Biden.”
While she didn't mention Trump in her 10-minute speech, Biden used the backdrop of the school to address the pandemic, saying she’s heartbroken by the magnitude of the nation’s loss of life and the “failure to protect our communities.” She said she feels the frustration of parents juggling work while supporting their children’s learning or fearful they’ll get sick at school.
"Like so many of you," she said, "I’m left asking: how do I keep my family safe?"
As she’s done at past conventions, Biden on Tuesday told the story of Joe Biden losing his first wife and baby daughter in a 1972 car crash. His two sons, Beau and Hunter, were badly injured.
Democratic Convention speaker: Jill Biden Dr. Jill Biden delivers a speech from a school in Wilmington, Delaware about COVID and closed schools for the Democratic National Convention. USA TODAY
“I feel in love with a man and two little boys standing in the wreckage of unthinkable loss,” Biden said. “We found that love holds a family together.”
After Jill and Joe married in 1977, they had a daughter, Ashley.
Beau Biden, who introduced his father at the 2008 and 2012 conventions, died of brain cancer in 2015 at 46.
“I wondered if I would ever smile or feel joy again,” Jill Biden said Tuesday.
But, four days after Beau’s funeral, she watched her husband put on a suit, take a deep breath and “walk out into a world empty of our son.”
“He went back to work. That’s just who he is,” she said. “I know that if we entrust this nation to Joe, he will do for your family what he did for ours: bring us together and make us whole."
— Maureen Groppe
Colin Powell speaks up for Biden
Former GOP Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke in support of Joe Biden, saying he would bring the country together and not coddle dictators.
“Today, we are a country divided, and we have a president doing everything in his power to make it that way and keep us that way,” Powell said without mentioning Trump by name. “What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul.”
Powell’s decision to address the virtual convention on behalf of Biden makes him one of the most prominent Republicans to play a part in the process of nominating the former vice president.
Powell, who served in President George W. Bush’s cabinet, said in 2016 he would vote for Hillary Clinton, partly because of Trump’s leading role in the “birther” movement questioning the legitimacy of Barack Obama’s citizenship.
Then in June, Powell, the first African-American secretary of state, said he planned to vote for Biden while chiding Trump for his behavior, notably the decision a few days before to clear Lafayette Square in Washington D.C. of mostly peaceful protestors so he could stage a photo op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church with a bible.
On Tuesday, Powell said Biden will be a president “we will all be proud to salute.”
“With Joe Biden in the White House, you will never doubt that he will stand with our friends and stand up to our adversaries—never the other way around,” he said. “He will trust our diplomats and our intelligence community, not the flattery of dictators and despots. He will make it his job to know when anyone dares to threaten us. He will stand up to our adversaries with strength and experience. They will know he means business.”
— Ledyard King
Ady Barkan: Put Biden in office, then fight for progressive causes
After video segments highlighting Biden’s health care plan, progressive activist Ady Barkan delivered a speech on the importance of access to health care for all Americans, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. Barkan was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disease ALS in 2016 shortly after the birth of his son and has become a prominent voice for single-payer health care.
Biden has said he wants a Medicare-like option and to strengthen the Affordable Care Act.
“We live in the richest country in history and yet we do not guarantee this most basic human right. Everyone living in America should get the health care they need regardless of their employment status or ability to pay,” Barkan said.
Barkan made headlines in 2017 when he was filmed confronting former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake over a tax bill. Barkan initially supported Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president and then backed Sen. Bernie Sanders. Barkan and Biden disagree on Medicare for All, but Barkan has urged progressives not to sit out of the November election.
In July, Barkan announced his endorsement of Biden. The two discussed their differences in a video interview, and Barkan said he would take Biden up on an offer to help “figure out what’s enough” on health care should Biden be elected.
“Although he & I have different perspectives on the world, winning this election is essential,” Barkan said at the time.
Barkan said Tuesday that with Biden as president, progressives can continue advocating for further action on health care.
“We must elect Joe Biden. Each of us must be a hero for our communities, for our country, and then, with a compassionate and intelligent president, we must act together and put on his desk a bill that guarantees us all the health care we deserve,” Barkan said.
— Jeanine Santucci
DNC speaker: Ady Barkan, health care activist dying of ALS Ady Barkan, who confronted Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake on the Trump tax cuts effect on health care, spoke at the Democratic National Convention. USA TODAY
John Kerry: Trump heading overseas is a ‘blooper reel’
John Kerry, the former secretary of state and 2004 Democratic nominee for president, slammed President Donald Trump for failing to confront Russia over interfering with the 2016 election or over bounties allegedly put on U.S. troops.
“When this president goes overseas, it isn’t a goodwill mission, it’s a blooper reel,” Kerry said. “Our troops can’t get out of harm’s way by hiding in the White House bunker.”
Republicans blasted Kerry for negotiating a deal aimed at hindering Iran’s nuclear program during the Obama administration and Trump withdrew from the deal. Trump has focused his foreign policy on securing the borders and renegotiating trade deals with Canada and Mexico, and with China.
Kerry served in the Senate from Massachusetts with the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge Trump, Joe Biden of Delaware. Kerry said Biden, a former chairman of the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees, for having the steely grit to deal with international crises such as genocide in the Balkans or apartheid in South Africa. Kerry also promoted the Obama administration’s support of the Paris climate change agreement with 195 nations and stopped ebola before it became a pandemic.
“Joe’s moral compass has always pointed in the right direction,” Kerry said. “Joe understands that none of the issues of this world – not nuclear weapons, not the challenge of building back better after COVID, not terrorism and certainly not the climate crisis – none can be resolved without bringing nations together.”
— Bart Jansen
Democratic Convention speaker: Former Secretary of State John Kerry Former Massachusetts senator and former Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, John Kerry addresses the Democratic National Convention. USA TODAY
Biden formally seizes Democratic nomination
Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday formally secured enough Democratic delegates to become the party's nominee to challenge President Donald Trump, winning one of the highest prizes in U.S. politics more than three decades after he first campaigned for it.
Though presidential nominating conventions haven’t been contested for decades and Biden demonstrated he had enough support for the nomination months ago, the formal roll call is nevertheless a symbolic milestone and an expression of the party’s support for their candidate.
During the state primaries and caucuses, Biden collected 2,687 delegates -- more than twice the 1,073 earned by his closest rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Biden will formally accept the nomination Thursday.
The nomination completes the chief – and least suspenseful - objective of the convention: Choosing the candidate that will be on the November presidential ballot. But it’s also done with fanfare and celebration, a moment where party rivals who vied for the nomination united behind the nominee.
An unconventional roll call to nominate Joe Biden
Few moments have underscored the unusual nature of the Democrats' virtual convention as the roll call Tuesday that is expected to lead to Joe Biden's nomination.
All 57 states and territories are participating in the “Roll Call Across America,” which included video montages from each area when their turn came to announce their delegate allocations. The various party activists announcing those delegate pledges weren't just governors, senators and congressmen but also parents, teachers, and small business owners.
That meant local delegates could make their announcements with symbols of the state’s beauty or important landmarks, such as a fire station in Connecticut, the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama or the Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C.
Marisol Garcia, a high school parent and a union organizer for the National Education Association, announced Arizona’s votes with cacti in the background.
“Arizona casts 29 votes for Bernie Sanders and 51 for our next president Joe Biden,” she said with cacti in the background.
The display marked a major departure from past years and underscored the challenges convention planners have endured because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In normal election years, delegates gather on the floor of the hall and formally announce -- state by state -- how their delegation will vote. Though the results are almost always preordained, the roll call gives a member of a state's party a chance to offer a short speech espousing the soon-to-be-nominee and promote their areas while building a sense of drama until the candidate formally crosses the threshold of delegates needed to seize the nomination.
— John Fritze and Ledyard King
Elevator operator touts Biden
National conventions usually feature politicians and party stars – but not always.
“I could tell he really saw me,” Jacquelyn Brittany, a security guard at the New York Times who operated the elevator during a Biden visit there last year, said during the convention.
“Nominating someone like that to be in the White House is a good place to start,” she said.
Jacquelyn has declined to publicize her last name. Brittany is her middle name, according to the Washington Post.
Brittany was one of several people who seconded Biden’s nomination before the formal roll call of delegates.
— John Fritze
How the DNC changed its rules since Sanders, Clinton in 2016 The primaries are here! How does one get elected in the first place and what is in store for the Democratic National Convention in 2020? We explain. Just the FAQs
AOC gives nominating speech for Bernie Sanders
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most outspoken progressives in Congress, delivered a nomination speech for Sen. Bernie Sanders ahead of the official roll call that will nominate Joe Biden as the party’s candidate.
Sanders, Biden’s last standing opponent in the primary race, suspended his run for the Democratic nomination in April and has supported Biden. Ocasio-Cortez’s roughly 90-second speech didn’t mention Biden but established the ideals of the progressive wing of the party.
The progressive movement is “striving to recognize and repair the wounds of racial injustice, colonization, misogyny and homophobia,” Ocasio-Cortez said, adding that it “realizes the unsustainable brutality of an economy that rewards explosive inequalities of wealth for the few at the expense of long term stability for the many.”
When the length of her speech was first reported at one minute, some viewed it as a snub to progressives, noting that some Republicans were given more time to speak. Others saw her inclusion as a sign Democrats are hoping to unify progressives and centrists against Trump.
Ocasio-Cortez was a prominent backer and surrogate for Sanders’ campaign and has since said she will vote for Biden but hopes to influence his platform to the left. She co-chaired the climate task force to advise Biden on policy.
Sanders, who spoke on the first night of the Democratic Convention, has asked his supporters to back Biden despite their differences in ideology. He said during his speech Monday that the country cannot withstand another Trump term.
“The future of our democracy is at stake,” Sanders said. “The price of failure is just too great to imagine.”
Bob King, former president of the United Auto Workers, also delivered a symbolic nominating speech for Sanders on Tuesday.
-Jeanine Santucci
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez seconds Sanders nomination Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emphasized progressive causes as she seconded the presidential nomination of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders during the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night. The party formally nominated Joe Biden. (Aug. 19) AP
‘The buck never stops.’ Clinton hits Trump on COVID-19
Former President Bill Clinton sought to recapture some of his “explainer in chief” mojo during remarks Tuesday that were highly critical of President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Did it have to be this way? No,” Clinton said of coronavirus infection rates and deaths, after relating several of those statistics. “COVID hit us much harder than it had to.”
Clinton blamed Trump for ignoring the advice of scientists and spending too much time on social media blaming others for the crisis: “The buck never stops there,” he said.
The 42nd president has ridden peaks of popularity between troughs of disfavor since leaving the White House in 2001. His 48-minute speech at the 2012 convention was viewed by some Democrats as a more cogent argument for President Barack Obama’s second term than anything Obama had offered himself at that point in the campaign, and it earned Clinton the nickname “explainer in chief.”
But while Clinton has remained popular among the Democratic establishment, the controversies of his presidency and allegations of sexual assault and harassment have come into harsher light during a MeToo movement that has exposed similar, systemic problems in the workplace.
And so while Clinton played an extensive role on stage at the 2016 convention when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the nominee, his speaking time was limited to just a few minutes Tuesday and his slot fell in the 9 p.m. hour before major networks began carrying the convention in its entirety.
Clinton has addressed every Democratic convention since 1980.
With no direct stake in this year’s election, Clinton, who turns 74 on Wednesday, has remained out of the fray of the race. But the distance also gives him an opportunity to deliver more of a direct attack on Trump without running the risk of firing up Trump’s core Republican supporters.
-- John Fritze
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton speaks at the Democratic Convention Former President Bill Clinton addresses the Democratic National Convention to talk about the dangers of President Trump and what Joe Biden offers. USA TODAY
Schumer: Trump has quit on America
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, whose middle name Ellis stems from the iconic New York immigration facility Ellis Island, stood Tuesday in front of the Statue of Liberty as a beacon of hope for the world.
“America, Donald Trump has quit on you,” Schumer said. “We need a president with dignity, integrity the experience to lead us out of this crisis.”
His daughter’s middle name is Emma after Emma Lazarus, whose poem graces the statue.
“Beckoned by the lady behind us, we will reform our immigration system so that immigrants yearning to breathe free will at last become American citizens,” Schumer said.
Schumer said Tuesday that Democrats must elect presumptive nominee Joe Biden president and regain control of the Senate in order to pursue affordable healthcare, protect voting rights and take decisive action against climate change.
“Democrats must take back the Senate,” Schumer said. “Out of this long national nightmare, America will finally awaken to a brighter future and a new day.”
Democrats controlled half of Congress under Trump by leading the House of Representatives. But Schumer of New York could begin leading the Senate – setting the agenda for floor debate on legislation and nominations to courts and federal agencies – if Biden wins and his coattails are long enough to flip three seats from Republican to Democratic.
In campaign speeches, Trump promotes the confirmation of nearly 300 federal judges, including two members of the Supreme Court, during his first term. He warns that if he loses, Democrats would pursue gun control that he would not.
Schumer said a variety of Democrats oppose Trump, Biden’s former primary rivals in the Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Schumer said the opposition ranges to more moderate Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Mark Warner of Virginia.
“We will stay united, from Sanders and Warren to Manchin and Warner – and together, we will bring bold and dramatic change to our country,” Schumer said.
--Bart Jansen
Democratic Convention speaker: U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer delivers remarks contrasting President Trump with the Democratic Party nomiinee, Joe Biden. USA TODAY
Jimmy Carter: Biden is the right person for this moment in our nation’s history
Former President Jimmy Carter said Joe Biden had the “experience, character and decency to bring us together and restore America’s greatness” in his first appearance at a presidential nominating convention in eight years.
"We deserve a person with integrity and judgement, someone who is honest and fair, someone who is committed to what is best for the American people," the 95-year-old said in prerecorded remarks. “Joe is that kind of leader, and he is the right person for this moment in our nation’s history."
Carter appeared with his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who marked her 93rd birthday on Tuesday. She spoke about working with both Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden on tackling the demands faced by more than 53 million unpaid caregivers who are juggling work and family responsibilities.
"Joe knows well, too well, the sorrows and struggles of being a family caregiver, from Joe’s time as a young widower thrust into single parenthood with a demanding job to he and Jill caring for their own parents and their son Beau at the end of their lives," she said. "He knows caregiving is hard even on the good days."
Carter, the 39th president, declined to attend the 2016 convention in Philadelphia, revealing after the election that he backed Sen. Bernie Sanders. His last appearance at a nominating convention was in 2012 when he delivered prime time remarks that were broadcast on the convention’s second night. The one-term Democratic president has mostly stayed out of domestic politics and focused much of his post-presidency on humanitarian work, which landed him a Nobel Peace Prize since he left office in 1981.
Carter has been sheltering at his home in Plains, Georgia, amid the ongoing pandemic, and was notably absent from Congressman John Lewis’ funeral in Atlanta last month. The Georgia Democrat instead sent a letter of condolences that was read aloud at the funeral.
The former president recalled Biden as his "first and most effective supporter in the Senate" in his bid for the White House in 1976.
"For decades, he has been my loyal and dedicated friend," Carter said. "He understands that honesty and dignity are essential traits that determine not only our vision but our actions. More than ever, that's what we need."
— Courtney Subramanian
Democratic Convention speakers: Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter Former President Jimmy Carter and former fist lady Rosalynn Carter discuss Joe Biden for the Democratic National Convention USA TODAY
Yates slams Trump for treating U.S. ‘like his family business’
Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates accused President Donald Trump of trampling on constitutional norms in one of the first addresses of the second night of the Democratic convention on Tuesday.
“From the moment President Trump took office, he’s used his position to benefit himself rather than our country,” Yates asserted. “Put simply, he treats our country like it’s his family business.”
Yates, who gained prominence among Democrats after defying Trump at the Justice Department, was considered a potential running mate for Biden and some have speculated she remains in the running to serve as Attorney General should he win.
Yates served as deputy attorney general under former President Barack Obama and became acting attorney general in the chaotic early days of the Trump administration. Her profile was elevated dramatically when she instructed the department’s attorneys not to defend the administration’s hastily crafted travel ban on majority-Muslim nations, calling it unlawful.
On Tuesday, Yates added the word “shameless” to describe the ban.
Trump immediately fired Yates.
Her defiance was the first high profile case of a Justice Department staff member -- including some career officials and other political appointments made by Trump – questioning the president’s authority to carry out his early agenda. Trump loyalists have used the episodes to dismiss any pushback with the administration as evidence of a “deep state” conspiracy.
Yates later testified that she warned the White House early in Trump’s administration that their incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had misled senior officials about his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States. Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his communications with the ambassador but later reversed course, arguing investigators entrapped him.
Trump has argued that Flynn was “treated him very unfairly” and hasn’t ruled out a pardon for his former adviser.
— John Fritze
Convention gets started by featuring diverse voices attacking Trump
Stacey Abrams had hoped for a larger role at the Democratic National Convention, namely a spot on the presidential ticket that Joe Biden gave to California Sen. Kamala Harris.
But the former Georgia gubernatorial candidate still got a prime-time slot Tuesday, one of 17 “rising stars” the party tapped to give a keynote address leading up to the roll call vote that will officially elevate Biden as the party’s presidential nominee.
The choice is clear between Biden and Trump is clear, she said: “A leader who cares about our families or a president who only cares about himself.”
Abrams, who was among those Biden was said to consider for his running mate at one point, narrowly lost the 2018 race for governor. She now chairs Fair Fight Action, an organization aimed at mobilizing Black voters and eliminating obstacles to voter access nationwide.
The virtual nature of the convention has also changed the format a bit. Instead of one up-and-rising Democrat to deliver the keynote speech, the party chose to showcase 17, all of whom heralded Biden’s positions to expand health care, fight climate change and grow the economy.
The other 16 keynote speakers kicking off the second day of the convention included federal and state officeholders from across the country including key battleground states such as Florida (State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried), Michigan (State Rep. Mari Manoogian), and Pennsylvania (Congressmen Brendan Boyle and Conor Lamb, and State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta).
Also on the roster were: Tennessee State Sen. Raumesh Akbari, Texas Congressman Colin Allred, Nevada State Sen. Yvanna Cancela, Former Ohio State Rep. Kathleen Clyde, Long Beach, California, Mayor Robert Garcia, South Carolina State Sen. Marlon Kimpson, Texas State Rep. Victoria Neave, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, Georgia State Rep. Sam Park, Georgia, New Hampshire State Rep. Denny Ruprecht, and Birmingham, Alabama, Mayor Randall Woodfin.
“There’s a lot riding on this election,” Nez said in a video message that includes separately recorded sound bites from his fellow keynoters.
“When we’re facing the biggest economic and health crisis in generations because our president didn’t and still doesn’t have a plan,” Garcia added.
Most Americans might not be familiar with those names but they well could be over the next decade as they climb the party ranks, said Lara Brown, director of the Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) at George Washington University.
“If you are interested in creating essentially a national profile, you need to become known among the activists within your party,” she said. “Even if they don’t generate a tremendous amount of celebrity or name recognition, what it does do is put them on the radar screen of democratic party activists who will start supporting them in their current race, in the next race or on policy issues they’d like to advance … this is an opportunity for more than 15 minutes of fame.”
-- Ledyard King
Trump blasts Michelle Obama for taped speech, DNC’s ‘very bad’ ratings
President Donald Trump spent much of Tuesday attacking former first lady Michelle Obama for delivering prerecorded remarks to the Democratic National Convention that included a searing rebuke of his administration.
“Unlike Michelle Obama, I’m doing it live,” Trump said of his plans for his Republican nomination acceptance speech after a briefing on border wall construction in Yuma, Arizona. “Live, by the way, is always much more exciting than tape, especially once you made the tape long before the event.”
Trump, who flew from Washington to Iowa to Arizona as part of a jam-packed schedule of counter-programming during the DNC, criticized the former first lady for citing an outdated COVID-19 death toll and failing to mention Sen. Kamala Harris as Biden’s historic pick as his running mate during taped remarks on the opening night of the convention.
During her speech, Obama said “more than 150,000” Americans had died from the coronavirus, a number that has since topped 170,000.
Trump dismissed her speech as “divisive” and “devoid of facts.”
“She didn’t even have the accurate facts and then they say, ‘what a wonderful job.’ What was wonderful about it?” Trump asked.
Obama delivered a blistering attack on Trump, calling him “the wrong president for our country” who is “clearly in over his head.” While urging Americans to vote for Biden, Obama said Trump’s failure to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and his response to the Black Lives Matter protests underscored his inability to lead the country through crisis.
“You simply cannot fake your way through this job,” she said.
Michelle Obama, wearing 'VOTE' necklace, calls Trump 'wrong president' Michelle Obama called President Donald Trump the "wrong president for our country" during her speech at the Democratic National Convention. Associated Press, USA TODAY
The speech appeared to rankle Trump, who tweeted about it multiple times earlier on Tuesday. He later took aim at the Obama administration, slamming his predecessor for his handling of the swine flu outbreak and insisting he “would not be here, in the beautiful White House, if it weren’t for the job done by your husband, Barack Obama.”
Trump also blasted the DNC for “very bad” ratings after it was revealed that the first night of the convention drew about 25% fewer views across six networks compared to 2016, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research. The convention averaged about 19 million viewers across six networks during the 10 p.m. hour when most networks carried the event. The figures do not include viewers on other networks, streaming services, or social media platforms.
“Well their ratings were very bad,” Trump told reporters. “I thought it was not the best television I’ve ever watched. It was brutal actually.”
— Courtney Subramanian
Guard who met Biden in elevator to nominate him
A security guard who gushed over meeting Joe Biden in an elevator during his visit with The New York Times editorial board will be the first person to put his name into nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention.
Jacquelyn Brittany is one of three people putting Biden’s name into nomination on Tuesday night. She’ll be joined by Sen. Chris Coons and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, both from Delaware.
The 31-year-old, who has declined to share her last name publicly, was filmed telling the former vice president “I love you” as she escorted him to the newspaper’s editorial board meeting. While Biden lost the paper’s endorsement, his team elevated the clip of Brittany as evidence that Biden appeals to average working Americans rather than elites.
Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield tweeted that Jacquelyn’s was “the most powerful endorsement of the 2020 cycle.”
- Associated Press
Cindy McCain talks about John McCain's friendship with Joe Biden
In a pre-recorded video, Cindy McCain highlights the late Sen. John McCain's close friendship with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in another high-profile instance of a Republican lending her voice to the Democratic National Convention.
In the video, first reported on by the Associated Press, McCain narrates key moments of the Biden-McCain friendship, with photos and video clips of the two men. A snippet of the video on YouTube does not contain an explicit endorsement of Biden over Republican President Donald Trump.
In the video, Cindy McCain talks about the two families that grew close, as her husband and Biden worked together and traveled thousands of miles together.
In the teaser on YouTube, McCain says the two men grew close when Biden, a senator from Delaware at the time, met John McCain when McCain was assigned as a Navy aide for him on an overseas trip.
— Yvonne Sanchez, Arizona Republic
Democratic Convention video: John McCain Cindy McCain voices a video about the decades-long friendship between Joe Biden and her late husband, Sen. John McCain. USA TODAY
Trump will accept nomination at the White House
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will formally accept his party's nomination in a speech delivered at the White House, ending weeks of speculation about what will be one of the most closely watched events of the presidential election.
Trump, speaking in Yuma, Arizona, said he would deliver the remarks from the South Lawn.
- John Fritze
Jill Biden will take from her time as a teacher
Jill Biden is expected to speak about being a teacher during the pandemic from the Delaware high school classroom where she taught while Joe Biden was a senator.
“You can hear the anxiety that echoes down empty hallways," she said in prepared remarks. "There’s no scent of new notebooks or freshly waxed floors. The rooms are dark and the bright young faces that should fill them are confined to boxes on a computer screen.”
Clinton expected to go after Trump
Clinton is expected to criticize Trump over the high unemployment rate at a time when he should be leading the world.
"At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command center," Clinton said in prepared remarks. "Instead, it’s a storm center. There’s only chaos. Just one thing never changes—his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. The buck never stops there.”
A theme of leadership
The theme of the night is: "Leadership Matters," John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee and former secretary of state, is among the speakers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, a vocal critic of Trump, will also be speaking.
Kerry is expected to criticize Trump for pretending that Russia didn't try to influence the 2016 election and for failing to act against bounties that Russia allegedly put on U.S. troops.
"So he won’t defend our country," Kerry said in a prepared remarks. "He doesn’t know how to defend our troops. The only person he’s interested in defending is himself.”


usatoday--2020-08-20--Trump says QAnon conspiracy theorists 'like me very much' and 'love our country'

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed he did n't know much about the right-wing conspiracy theory QAnon but offered praise for its believers , adding that he heard they `` like me very much '' and `` love our country . ''
`` Well I do n't know much about the movement , other than I understand they like me very much , which I appreciate , '' Trump told reporters during a White House briefing .
`` These are people that do n't like seeing what 's going on in places like Portland , Chicago and New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ...
I 've heard these are people that love our country and they just do n't like seeing it . ''
The QAnon conspiracy theory is based on unfounded claims that there is a `` deep state '' apparatus run by political elites , business leaders and Hollywood celebrities who are also pedophiles and actively working against Trump .
When a reporter explained the theory , including the belief that Trump is secretly saving the world from a satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals , the president responded : `` Is that supposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can help save the world from problems I 'm willing to do it , I 'm willing to put myself out there . ''
`` And we are actually , we 're saving the world from radical left philosophy that will destroy this country , '' he added .
The once fringe movement has led to some violent incidents , while social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook have taken action to suspend accounts and groups associated with QAnon .
Trump has previously sidestepped questions about the theory , which is promoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has retweeted accounts that promote the QAnon conspiracy at least 185 times , according to Media Matters for America , a progressive watchdog group .
The president has even extended his support to GOP candidates who promote the theory .
Trump hailed Marjorie Taylor Greene , a GOP House candidate in Georgia who is a QAnon supporter and made national headlines for making racist remarks , as a “ future Republican Star . ''
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany dismissed the idea that the president supported the theory earlier on Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she `` never heard of that from the president . ''
When asked whether the president supports Greene and other controversial candidates he 's tweeted about , McEnany said Trump `` routinely congratulates '' Republicans who are nominated for Congress .
`` He hasn ’ t done a deep dive into the statements by these two particular women .
I don ’ t know if he ’ s even seen that , but he supports the Muslim community , '' she said of Greene and Laura Loomer , another GOP candidate the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for making anti-Muslim remarks .
More : What is QAnon ?
What to know about the far-right conspiracy theory More : Twitter removes , bans and suspends thousands of accounts associated with QAnon conspiracy theory group After Greene and several Republican candidates who espouse QAnon won congressional primaries earlier this month , Rep. Adam Kinzinger , R-Ill. , declared the theory `` had no place in Congress . ''
`` Qanon is a fabrication , '' Kinzinger wrote on Twitter , after Greene won a Republican primary runoff election in Georgia .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clay Aiken on his podcast earlier on Wednesday that he had not discussed the conspiracy theories with the president “ other than to say it ’ s junk.
” Andrew Bates , a spokesman for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Trump 's comments about QAnon are `` giving voice to violence . ''
`` Donald Trump just sought to legitimize a conspiracy theory that the FBI has identified as a domestic terrorism threat .
Our country needs leadership that will bring us together more than ever to form a more perfect union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the soul of our nation , '' Bates said .
The online movement started in the fall of 2017 on internet message boards , with posts from a self-proclaimed government insider who calls himself “ Q '' and shares cryptic tips that followers then decode to learn the ways in which the `` deep state '' controls the world ,  There are a wide range of conspiracy theories that QAnon supporters believe .
Many falsely believe that mainstream U.S. media outlets receive an email at 4 a.m. every morning dictating what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was recently the target of an unsubstantiated QAnon belief that the company was trafficking children through listings of products with inflated prices .

Trump says QAnon conspiracy theorists 'like me very much' and 'love our country'
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump on QAnon conspiracy theory: 'They like me very much' QAnon has been classified by the FBI as a domestic terror threat, according to an internal memo first published by Yahoo! News. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed he didn't know much about the right-wing conspiracy theory QAnon but offered praise for its believers, adding that he heard they "like me very much" and "love our country."
"Well I don't know much about the movement, other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate," Trump told reporters during a White House briefing. "These are people that don't like seeing what's going on in places like Portland, Chicago and New York and other cities and states. ... I've heard these are people that love our country and they just don't like seeing it."
The QAnon conspiracy theory is based on unfounded claims that there is a "deep state" apparatus run by political elites, business leaders and Hollywood celebrities who are also pedophiles and actively working against Trump.
When a reporter explained the theory, including the belief that Trump is secretly saving the world from a satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals, the president responded: "Is that supposed to be a bad thing? If I can help save the world from problems I'm willing to do it, I'm willing to put myself out there."
"And we are actually, we're saving the world from radical left philosophy that will destroy this country," he added.
The once fringe movement has led to some violent incidents, while social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook have taken action to suspend accounts and groups associated with QAnon.
Trump has previously sidestepped questions about the theory, which is promoted by some of his supporters, but has retweeted accounts that promote the QAnon conspiracy at least 185 times, according to Media Matters for America, a progressive watchdog group.
The president has even extended his support to GOP candidates who promote the theory. Trump hailed Marjorie Taylor Greene, a GOP House candidate in Georgia who is a QAnon supporter and made national headlines for making racist remarks, as a “future Republican Star."
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany dismissed the idea that the president supported the theory earlier on Wednesday, telling reporters at a separate briefing that she "never heard of that from the president."
When asked whether the president supports Greene and other controversial candidates he's tweeted about, McEnany said Trump "routinely congratulates" Republicans who are nominated for Congress.
"He hasn’t done a deep dive into the statements by these two particular women. I don’t know if he’s even seen that, but he supports the Muslim community," she said of Greene and Laura Loomer, another GOP candidate the president has endorsed who was banned from Twitter for making anti-Muslim remarks.
More: What is QAnon? What to know about the far-right conspiracy theory
More: Twitter removes, bans and suspends thousands of accounts associated with QAnon conspiracy theory group
QAnon adds conspiracy theories to Trump support Who is Q? A look at the Internet political conspiracy theory that is emerging at Donald Trump rallies. (Aug. 3) AP
After Greene and several Republican candidates who espouse QAnon won congressional primaries earlier this month, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., declared the theory "had no place in Congress."
"Qanon is a fabrication," Kinzinger wrote on Twitter, after Greene won a Republican primary runoff election in Georgia.
More: Republican lawmaker slams far-right conspiracy theory QAnon. Trump's team fires back.
Qanon is a fabrication. This “insider” has predicted so much incorrectly (but people don’t remember PAST predictions) so now has switched to vague generalities. Could be Russian propaganda or a basement dweller. Regardless, no place in Congress for these conspiracies. — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) August 12, 2020
Trump campaign press secretary Hogan Gidley told singer Clay Aiken on his podcast earlier on Wednesday that he had not discussed the conspiracy theories with the president “other than to say it’s junk.”
Andrew Bates, a spokesman for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Trump's comments about QAnon are "giving voice to violence."
"Donald Trump just sought to legitimize a conspiracy theory that the FBI has identified as a domestic terrorism threat. Our country needs leadership that will bring us together more than ever to form a more perfect union. We have to win this battle for the soul of our nation," Bates said.
The online movement started in the fall of 2017 on internet message boards, with posts from a self-proclaimed government insider who calls himself “Q" and shares cryptic tips that followers then decode to learn the ways in which the "deep state" controls the world,
There are a wide range of conspiracy theories that QAnon supporters believe.
Many falsely believe that mainstream U.S. media outlets receive an email at 4 a.m. every morning dictating what to cover. The furniture retailer Wayfair was recently the target of an unsubstantiated QAnon belief that the company was trafficking children through listings of products with inflated prices.
Contributing: Michael Collins, Ryan Miller, Nicholas Wu and Jason Lalljee


usatoday--2020-08-19--COVID-19 hit Northeast states hard. Here's what they're doing to prepare for a surge

In early April , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo warned that the state had only enough ventilators to last six days , despite waves of seriously ill coronavirus patients flooding into hospitals .
He revealed a plan to take the lifesaving breathing machines from upstate communities with limited outbreaks to aid the New York City-area hospitals hit hardest by the virus .
`` I ’ m not going to let people die because we didn ’ t redistribute ventilators , '' Cuomo said , announcing the National Guard would be deployed to take the ventilators .
It ignited a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortages of medical supplies .
New York narrowly avoided running out of ventilators after getting an 11th-hour shipment of 1,000 devices from China , but the episode revealed the consequences of U.S. over-reliance on overseas manufacturing .
A dearth of personal protective equipment , which is also often made in China , underscored the problem and contributed to the coronavirus death tolls in New York and New Jersey of about 32,800 and 15,900 , respectively , the highest nationally .
After all the death and suffering , the Northeast has the lowest infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is bracing for a second surge of COVID-19 , the respiratory disease caused by the virus .
'We saw a spike in every borough throughout the city ' : NYPD creates Asian Hate Crimes Task Force after spike in verbal , physical assaults amid pandemic Record-high COVID-19 infection rates in other parts of the country renewed reports of medical supply shortages , spanning from personal protective equipment ( PPE ) and testing supplies to disinfectant wipes and drugs .
Some health care workers and experts asserted all levels of government have failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chains heading into the fall , complicating debates over reopening schools .
“ We have not done enough , and I am deeply concerned that we will have ongoing COVID with influenza as well , ” said Dr. Lewis Kaplan , president of the Society of Critical Care Medicine .
“ I am very concerned that we will reach that same place … where we will perhaps not have enough PPE again , and we will not have enough ventilators , ” he said .
Dr. Aliaksei Pustavoitau , a critical care expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the Northeast ’ s response during the pandemic peak this spring exposed gaping holes in emergency preparedness in American medicine .
“ The magnitude of what happened was not matched in the plans , ” he said , adding the “ supply chain was designed , in general , to move things just in time.
” “ When those supply chains started breaking down , everyone started getting short , ” he said .
How did the stock market hit a record amid COVID-19-fueled recession ?
Here 's what experts say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state and federal officials announced measures to boost domestic production of medical supplies .
About $ 11 million in grants have been awarded to 20 New York-based companies to retool operations and manufacture COVID-19 supplies .
The deals aim to produce millions of N-95 protective masks , testing supplies and a broad range of other gear .
In announcing the grants , Cuomo said , “ The nation has learned a hard lesson about not having a supply chain for vital supplies based here at home in the U.S. , and as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for livesaving products .
“ That wo n't happen again in New York , ” he added , citing the in-state manufacturing push .
Less than 10 % of the masks used in the USA are made here .
China makes almost half the world ’ s masks , gowns , gloves and other PPE .
New York state health officials issued orders July 21 requiring hospitals to maintain at least a 90-day supply of PPE by Sept. 30 , and a similar directive mandated nursing homes maintain a 60-day supply .
Any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could have their operating licenses suspended or revoked .
Many hospital operators reported struggles this month in obtaining protective gear .
'These spaces need to be saved ' : LGBTQ bars work to survive COVID-19 “ There is limited supply available , and prices remain very high , ” said Bea Grause , president of the Healthcare Association of New York State , the Albany-based group that represents hospitals and nursing homes .
Grause said health care operators work toward meeting the new stockpile mandate .
Efforts to replenish state and federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise nationally , she said .
As federal efforts to boost PPE production are expected to fall short , the status of many state stockpiles of medical supplies remain shrouded in secrecy .
Jill Montag , spokeswoman for the New York Department of Health , said the agency ’ s policy prohibits commenting on its stockpile .
Similarly , New Jersey state officials refused to disclose many details of their PPE strategy , including how many days ’ supply of protective gear the state aims to have on hand or how close it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials cited “ homeland security concerns ” as the reason for not publicly revealing the information .
What health care workers say about COVID-19 surge , PPE shortages Reports of PPE shortages triggered pushback from nurses across the county .
Health care unions demanded state governments and hospitals disclose PPE supply information and improve safety standards and training for workers .
Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez , president of the New York State Nurses Association , said the situation evoked memories of hospitals and health care leaders ignoring nurses ’ concerns about unsafe conditions at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basically say we have a supply of PPE and we ’ re prepared , but that ’ s what they said six months ago , ” she said .
Many nurses “ didn ’ t feel protected at work , and a lot of us got sick.
” Nationally , 24 % of nurses say their employer provides a safe workplace , according to a National Nurses United survey in July , which noted that more than 165 nurses have died in connection to COVID-19 .
The Health Professionals and Allied Employees union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proper protective gear , inadequate training and lax government enforcement of safety requirements caused hundreds of health workers to be infected with coronavirus .
The union members said a massive PPE shortage remains as the state reopens and braces for a possible resurgence in cases .
“ We know if we are not safe , neither are our patients , ” said Debbie White , the union president .
New York ’ s desperate scramble to find ventilators , in many ways , prompted federal officials to pay nine companies $ 2.9 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boost national stockpiles during the pandemic .
Some health care experts expressed concerns that problems with distributing the ventilators , as well as deploying clinicians trained to use the devices across the country , remain unresolved .
“ Globally , the ventilator supply is good , ” Pustavoitau said .
“ But the problem that we have seen is how they were distributed to the areas of greatest need.
” Democratic lawmakers have pushed legislation seeking to federalize management of the medical supply chain , citing shortages throughout the pandemic .
The White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventilator distribution and touted efforts to produce medical goods stateside , such as the $ 765 million government loan going to Rochester , New York-based Eastman Kodak to help expedite the domestic production of generic drugs .
Mounting concerns about surging COVID-19 cases have some health experts , unions and hospital trade groups warning that local and state leaders could lack the tools to contain the virus this fall .
New York 's nation-leading COVID-19 testing infrastructure surpassed 6 million diagnostic tests since March , but challenges remain for contact-tracing programs to identify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convince them to quarantine .
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey last month found 54 % of people infected with coronavirus were unable to pinpoint who may have infected them .
Experts said the survey results underscored how community and asymptomatic spread complicates contact tracing .
In New Jersey , officials said this week people do not want to give information to contact tracers , hampering efforts to control the spread of the virus .
It all comes together as renewed strains on medical supplies and interstate travel endanger outbreak mitigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really needs to be a federal effort , ” Kaplan said , which would entail better coordinating the flow of drugs and ventilators to doctors and nurses .
“ We have a national health care crisis , ” he said .
“ And I 'd like to hear someone say we don ’ t have a national health care system , but in these key and important ways , we ’ re going to weld one together for all of us .
”

COVID-19 hit Northeast states hard. Here's what they're doing to prepare for a surge
Show Caption Hide Caption COVID: Is the Northeast ready for a second spike? Reporters from the USA TODAY NETWORK Northeast discuss what the region got right and wrong during the first coronavirus spike and where we go from here. Michael V. Pettigano, NorthJersey
In early April, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that the state had only enough ventilators to last six days, despite waves of seriously ill coronavirus patients flooding into hospitals.
He revealed a plan to take the lifesaving breathing machines from upstate communities with limited outbreaks to aid the New York City-area hospitals hit hardest by the virus.
"I’m not going to let people die because we didn’t redistribute ventilators," Cuomo said, announcing the National Guard would be deployed to take the ventilators.
It ignited a firestorm over the chaotic response to dire shortages of medical supplies.
New York narrowly avoided running out of ventilators after getting an 11th-hour shipment of 1,000 devices from China, but the episode revealed the consequences of U.S. over-reliance on overseas manufacturing.
A dearth of personal protective equipment, which is also often made in China, underscored the problem and contributed to the coronavirus death tolls in New York and New Jersey of about 32,800 and 15,900, respectively, the highest nationally.
After all the death and suffering, the Northeast has the lowest infection rates in the country, but it is bracing for a second surge of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.
'We saw a spike in every borough throughout the city': NYPD creates Asian Hate Crimes Task Force after spike in verbal, physical assaults amid pandemic
Record-high COVID-19 infection rates in other parts of the country renewed reports of medical supply shortages, spanning from personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing supplies to disinfectant wipes and drugs.
Some health care workers and experts asserted all levels of government have failed to sufficiently shore up medical supply and distribution chains heading into the fall, complicating debates over reopening schools.
“We have not done enough, and I am deeply concerned that we will have ongoing COVID with influenza as well,” said Dr. Lewis Kaplan, president of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
“I am very concerned that we will reach that same place … where we will perhaps not have enough PPE again, and we will not have enough ventilators,” he said.
Dr. Aliaksei Pustavoitau, a critical care expert at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the Northeast’s response during the pandemic peak this spring exposed gaping holes in emergency preparedness in American medicine.
“The magnitude of what happened was not matched in the plans,” he said, adding the “supply chain was designed, in general, to move things just in time.”
“When those supply chains started breaking down, everyone started getting short,” he said.
How did the stock market hit a record amid COVID-19-fueled recession? Here's what experts say about the rebound
PPE challenges remain amid COVID-19 surge
In New York, state and federal officials announced measures to boost domestic production of medical supplies.
About $11 million in grants have been awarded to 20 New York-based companies to retool operations and manufacture COVID-19 supplies. The deals aim to produce millions of N-95 protective masks, testing supplies and a broad range of other gear.
In announcing the grants, Cuomo said, “The nation has learned a hard lesson about not having a supply chain for vital supplies based here at home in the U.S., and as a result we had to scour the globe for livesaving products.
“That won't happen again in New York,” he added, citing the in-state manufacturing push.
Less than 10% of the masks used in the USA are made here. China makes almost half the world’s masks, gowns, gloves and other PPE.
New York state health officials issued orders July 21 requiring hospitals to maintain at least a 90-day supply of PPE by Sept. 30, and a similar directive mandated nursing homes maintain a 60-day supply.
Any facilities that fail to meet the requirements could have their operating licenses suspended or revoked.
Many hospital operators reported struggles this month in obtaining protective gear.
'These spaces need to be saved': LGBTQ bars work to survive COVID-19
“There is limited supply available, and prices remain very high,” said Bea Grause, president of the Healthcare Association of New York State, the Albany-based group that represents hospitals and nursing homes.
Grause said health care operators work toward meeting the new stockpile mandate. Efforts to replenish state and federal government PPE stockpiles could prove crucial as cases rise nationally, she said.
As federal efforts to boost PPE production are expected to fall short, the status of many state stockpiles of medical supplies remain shrouded in secrecy.
Jill Montag, spokeswoman for the New York Department of Health, said the agency’s policy prohibits commenting on its stockpile.
Similarly, New Jersey state officials refused to disclose many details of their PPE strategy, including how many days’ supply of protective gear the state aims to have on hand or how close it is to achieving that goal.
State officials cited “homeland security concerns” as the reason for not publicly revealing the information.
What health care workers say about COVID-19 surge, PPE shortages
Reports of PPE shortages triggered pushback from nurses across the county.
Health care unions demanded state governments and hospitals disclose PPE supply information and improve safety standards and training for workers.
Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, president of the New York State Nurses Association, said the situation evoked memories of hospitals and health care leaders ignoring nurses’ concerns about unsafe conditions at the beginning of the pandemic.
“They basically say we have a supply of PPE and we’re prepared, but that’s what they said six months ago,” she said. Many nurses “didn’t feel protected at work, and a lot of us got sick.”
Nationally, 24% of nurses say their employer provides a safe workplace, according to a National Nurses United survey in July, which noted that more than 165 nurses have died in connection to COVID-19.
The Health Professionals and Allied Employees union in New Jersey said the lack of proper protective gear, inadequate training and lax government enforcement of safety requirements caused hundreds of health workers to be infected with coronavirus.
The union members said a massive PPE shortage remains as the state reopens and braces for a possible resurgence in cases.
“We know if we are not safe, neither are our patients,” said Debbie White, the union president.
COVID-19 requires more than boosting testing, ventilator supply
New York’s desperate scramble to find ventilators, in many ways, prompted federal officials to pay nine companies $2.9 billion for 187,000 of the breathing machines to boost national stockpiles during the pandemic.
Some health care experts expressed concerns that problems with distributing the ventilators, as well as deploying clinicians trained to use the devices across the country, remain unresolved.
“Globally, the ventilator supply is good,” Pustavoitau said. “But the problem that we have seen is how they were distributed to the areas of greatest need.”
Democratic lawmakers have pushed legislation seeking to federalize management of the medical supply chain, citing shortages throughout the pandemic.
The White House defended its handling of PPE and ventilator distribution and touted efforts to produce medical goods stateside, such as the $765 million government loan going to Rochester, New York-based Eastman Kodak to help expedite the domestic production of generic drugs.
Mounting concerns about surging COVID-19 cases have some health experts, unions and hospital trade groups warning that local and state leaders could lack the tools to contain the virus this fall.
New York's nation-leading COVID-19 testing infrastructure surpassed 6 million diagnostic tests since March, but challenges remain for contact-tracing programs to identify people potentially exposed to the virus and convince them to quarantine.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey last month found 54% of people infected with coronavirus were unable to pinpoint who may have infected them.
Experts said the survey results underscored how community and asymptomatic spread complicates contact tracing. In New Jersey, officials said this week people do not want to give information to contact tracers, hampering efforts to control the spread of the virus.
It all comes together as renewed strains on medical supplies and interstate travel endanger outbreak mitigation strategies across the country.
“This really needs to be a federal effort,” Kaplan said, which would entail better coordinating the flow of drugs and ventilators to doctors and nurses.
“We have a national health care crisis,” he said. “And I'd like to hear someone say we don’t have a national health care system, but in these key and important ways, we’re going to weld one together for all of us.”
Contributing: Lindy Washburn, Terrence McDonald and Alexis Shanes, USA TODAY Network
Follow reporter David Robinson on Twitter: @DrobinsonLoHud