washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Inside the Ring: Pompeo: China withholding virus samples

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused China on Wednesday of failing to provide samples of the new coronavirus needed by scientists to track the evolution of the pathogen .
Beijing continues to deny international virus investigators access to laboratories in China that are still conducting dangerous research on deadly pathogens , he said .
Despite making official appeals to China ’ s government since January , “ we still do not have a sample of the virus , nor has the world had access to the facilities or other locations where the virus may have originated in Wuhan , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department .
The secretary also criticized the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) for failing to notify the World Health Organization of the disease outbreak in a timely fashion , and said the WHO failed to properly alert the world to the pandemic that began in December .
“ Nations that desire to be part of the global landscape have an obligation for truthful information — obligations to share , to be transparent and open , ” he said , noting China ’ s use of disinformation about the origin of the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source of the outbreak as a natural viral mutation from a wild animal at Wuhan market that infected humans .
Later , the government attempted to blame the United States and other nations for banning the virus to China .
“ You have to remember these labs are still open inside of China , these labs that contain complex pathogens that were being studied , ” Mr. Pompeo said .
“ It ’ s not just the Wuhan Institute of Virology , multiple labs inside China that are handling these things .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being handled in a safe and secure way such that there isn ’ t an accidental release.
” Mr. Pompeo declined to say what action the U.S. government may take against China for its mishandling of the virus outbreaks .
But he said an effort to hold China accountable will be undertaken in the future .
International rules governing members of the WHO , which includes China , are required to alert the world body within 24 hours regarding information on disease outbreaks .
Even after China provided a notification , Beijing failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pompeo “ Instead it covered up how dangerous the disease is .
It didn ’ t report sustained human-to-human transmission for a month until it was in every province inside China .
It censored those who tried to warn the world .
It ordered a halt to testing of new samples and it destroyed existing samples.
” The government “ still has not shared the virus sample from inside China with the outside world , making it impossible to track the disease ’ s evolution , ” he said .
Similarly , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 stating that China was handling the outbreak and that the virus was not being spread among humans .
Travel , the agency experts said at the time , should not be restricted .
The WHO ’ s regulatory unit “ clearly failed during this pandemic , ” Mr. Pompeo said .
Robert Soofer , deputy assistant defense secretary for nuclear and missile defense policy , outlined plans for expanding U.S. missile defenses this week .
The recent Missile Defense Review shifted the focus of missile defenses from limited regional defenses to preparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missile threats .
The change was the result of the spread of a growing array of missiles of differing ranges and types .
The types include short- , medium- and intermediate-range missiles and intercontinental missiles — and not solely ballistic missiles but cruise missiles and emerging ultra-high speed hypersonic missiles .
“ This was a threat posed not only by rogue regional potential adversaries but also in the context of great-power competition , by China and Russia , ” Mr. Soofer said during a webinar hosted by the Hudson Institute .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developed a concept for missile defense that included not only active defense and passive defense but also attack operations … to try to eliminate the threat before it ’ s launched to the best that we could , ” he said .
To counter large numbers of regional missile threats , the Pentagon moved to what is called integrated air and missile defense that combine sensors and interceptors in more efficient ways .
The new system also seeks to integrate the different military services ’ capabilities as well as those of allies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not focused on countering Chinese and Russian missiles , but that has changed .
“ The defenses that we are building in a regional context are meant to address not only the rogue states but also China and Russia , and it is in the context of their aerial denial and anti-access capabilities , ” Mr. Soofer said .
“ If we end up in a conflict either in Europe or in Asia , the objective of Russia or China will be to deny us access , to keep us from reinforcing our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to overcome those denial strategies , missile defenses are being integrated into the forces to protect bases and ports for resupply efforts .
For North Korean missiles , the Pentagon is working on a version of the Navy SM-3 Block IIA anti-missile system capable of intercepting North Korean long-range missiles .
Details from the civil lawsuit filed against the Chinese Communist Party by Missouri ’ s government reveal that the state believes the lawsuit can go forward because the party is not immune from lawsuits the way a sovereign state would be .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ organ or political subdivision of the [ People ’ s Republic of China ] , nor is it owned by the PRC or a political subdivision of the PRC , and thus it is not protected by sovereign immunity , ” the lawsuit states .
In addition to the Chinese government , the suit names as defendants the China National Health Commission ; the Ministry of Emergency Management ; the Ministry of Civil Affairs ; the Hubei regional government and Wuhan city government ; the Wuhan Institute of Virology and Chinese Academy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schmitt , who is leading the lawsuit , stated that since the party controls all the defendants , the suit is valid .
“ The United States is currently conducting ‘ a full-scale investigation into whether the novel coronavirus , which went on to morph into a global pandemic that has brought the global economy to its knees , escaped from ’ the Wuhan Institute , ” the lawsuit states .
The suit says the damage to Missouri includes loss of life from those who died from the disease outbreak and billions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese are guilty of being public nuisance and engaging in dangerous activities and breach of duty for allowing the spread , the suit also alleges .
In Beijing , Chinese President Xi Jinping told a meeting of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee , the seven-member collective dictatorship that rules China , that both the pandemic and economic situation have caused the leadership to adopt worst-case planning .
“ Everyone must adhere to bottom-line thinking [ worst scenarios ] and have the mental and work preparation to deal with changes in the external environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr. Xi said , according to state media .
“ The coronavirus prevention and control work against importing the virus from abroad and reinfection internally must not be relaxed.
” One expert said Mr. Xi ’ s language suggests China is bracing itself for more lawsuits seeking damages caused by the pandemic .
“ Many people said that 120 years ago , in 1900 , eight countries sent a joint army to China ” and forced the Qing Dynasty to pay a huge indemnity , ” Mr. Zhang said .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ join forces to hold China accountable .
”

NEWS AND ANALYSIS:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused China on Wednesday of failing to provide samples of the new coronavirus needed by scientists to track the evolution of the pathogen.
Beijing continues to deny international virus investigators access to laboratories in China that are still conducting dangerous research on deadly pathogens, he said.
Despite making official appeals to China’s government since January, “we still do not have a sample of the virus, nor has the world had access to the facilities or other locations where the virus may have originated in Wuhan,” Mr. Pompeo told reporters at the State Department.
The secretary also criticized the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for failing to notify the World Health Organization of the disease outbreak in a timely fashion, and said the WHO failed to properly alert the world to the pandemic that began in December.
“Nations that desire to be part of the global landscape have an obligation for truthful information — obligations to share, to be transparent and open,” he said, noting China’s use of disinformation about the origin of the outbreak.
The Chinese government initially identified the source of the outbreak as a natural viral mutation from a wild animal at Wuhan market that infected humans. Later, the government attempted to blame the United States and other nations for banning the virus to China.
“You have to remember these labs are still open inside of China, these labs that contain complex pathogens that were being studied,” Mr. Pompeo said.
“It’s not just the Wuhan Institute of Virology, multiple labs inside China that are handling these things. It’s important that those materials are being handled in a safe and secure way such that there isn’t an accidental release.”
Mr. Pompeo declined to say what action the U.S. government may take against China for its mishandling of the virus outbreaks. But he said an effort to hold China accountable will be undertaken in the future.
International rules governing members of the WHO, which includes China, are required to alert the world body within 24 hours regarding information on disease outbreaks.
Even after China provided a notification, Beijing failed to provide important information, said Mr. Pompeo
“Instead it covered up how dangerous the disease is. It didn’t report sustained human-to-human transmission for a month until it was in every province inside China. It censored those who tried to warn the world. It ordered a halt to testing of new samples and it destroyed existing samples.”
The government “still has not shared the virus sample from inside China with the outside world, making it impossible to track the disease’s evolution,” he said.
Similarly, the WHO also provided false information on Jan. 12 stating that China was handling the outbreak and that the virus was not being spread among humans. Travel, the agency experts said at the time, should not be restricted.
The WHO’s regulatory unit “clearly failed during this pandemic,” Mr. Pompeo said.
Shift in U.S. missile defense
Robert Soofer, deputy assistant defense secretary for nuclear and missile defense policy, outlined plans for expanding U.S. missile defenses this week.
The recent Missile Defense Review shifted the focus of missile defenses from limited regional defenses to preparing to counter a much wide range of missile threats.
The change was the result of the spread of a growing array of missiles of differing ranges and types.
The types include short-, medium- and intermediate-range missiles and intercontinental missiles — and not solely ballistic missiles but cruise missiles and emerging ultra-high speed hypersonic missiles.
“This was a threat posed not only by rogue regional potential adversaries but also in the context of great-power competition, by China and Russia,” Mr. Soofer said during a webinar hosted by the Hudson Institute.
“In order to address that problem, we developed a concept for missile defense that included not only active defense and passive defense but also attack operations … to try to eliminate the threat before it’s launched to the best that we could,” he said.
To counter large numbers of regional missile threats, the Pentagon moved to what is called integrated air and missile defense that combine sensors and interceptors in more efficient ways. The new system also seeks to integrate the different military services’ capabilities as well as those of allies.
In the past, missile defenses were not focused on countering Chinese and Russian missiles, but that has changed.
“The defenses that we are building in a regional context are meant to address not only the rogue states but also China and Russia, and it is in the context of their aerial denial and anti-access capabilities,” Mr. Soofer said.
“If we end up in a conflict either in Europe or in Asia, the objective of Russia or China will be to deny us access, to keep us from reinforcing our allies.”
Because the U.S. military has to overcome those denial strategies, missile defenses are being integrated into the forces to protect bases and ports for resupply efforts.
For North Korean missiles, the Pentagon is working on a version of the Navy SM-3 Block IIA anti-missile system capable of intercepting North Korean long-range missiles.
Missouri v. CCP
Details from the civil lawsuit filed against the Chinese Communist Party by Missouri’s government reveal that the state believes the lawsuit can go forward because the party is not immune from lawsuits the way a sovereign state would be.
“The Communist Party is not an organ or political subdivision of the [People’s Republic of China], nor is it owned by the PRC or a political subdivision of the PRC, and thus it is not protected by sovereign immunity,” the lawsuit states.
In addition to the Chinese government, the suit names as defendants the China National Health Commission; the Ministry of Emergency Management; the Ministry of Civil Affairs; the Hubei regional government and Wuhan city government; the Wuhan Institute of Virology and Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Missouri Attorney General Eric S. Schmitt, who is leading the lawsuit, stated that since the party controls all the defendants, the suit is valid.
“The United States is currently conducting ‘a full-scale investigation into whether the novel coronavirus, which went on to morph into a global pandemic that has brought the global economy to its knees, escaped from’ the Wuhan Institute,” the lawsuit states.
The suit says the damage to Missouri includes loss of life from those who died from the disease outbreak and billions in losses to the economic disruption. The Chinese are guilty of being public nuisance and engaging in dangerous activities and breach of duty for allowing the spread, the suit also alleges.
In Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping told a meeting of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, the seven-member collective dictatorship that rules China, that both the pandemic and economic situation have caused the leadership to adopt worst-case planning.
“Everyone must adhere to bottom-line thinking [worst scenarios] and have the mental and work preparation to deal with changes in the external environment for a long period of time,” Mr. Xi said, according to state media. “The coronavirus prevention and control work against importing the virus from abroad and reinfection internally must not be relaxed.”
One expert said Mr. Xi’s language suggests China is bracing itself for more lawsuits seeking damages caused by the pandemic.
Zhang Lifan, an independent historian told Radio Free Asia that Chinese leaders fear lawsuits.
“Many people said that 120 years ago, in 1900, eight countries sent a joint army to China” and forced the Qing Dynasty to pay a huge indemnity,” Mr. Zhang said. “This time it might be 80 countries that join forces to hold China accountable.”
• Contact Bill Gertz on Twitter @BillGertz.
• Bill Gertz can be reached at bgertz@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Fire at North Dakota saltwater disposal well spills brine

BISMARCK , N.D. ( AP ) - A fire at a saltwater disposal well in McKenzie County caused brine to @ @ @ @ @ North Dakota Oil and Gas Division .
The fire was reported Wednesday at the J.W @ @ @ @ @ well about four miles northwest of Watford City .
BNN North Dakota , LLC reported @ @ @ @ @ of brine were released because of the fire .
The cause of the fire has @ @ @ @ @ brine was contained on site .
A state inspector has been to the location and @ @ @ @ @ .
Brine is a byproduct of oil production .

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A fire at a saltwater disposal well in McKenzie County caused brine to spill, according to the North Dakota Oil and Gas Division.
The fire was reported Wednesday at the J.W. Fisketjon 1 saltwater disposal well about four miles northwest of Watford City. BNN North Dakota, LLC reported that an estimated 23,100 gallons of brine were released because of the fire.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. The brine was contained on site.
A state inspector has been to the location and will monitor response and cleanup. Brine is a byproduct of oil production.


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Trump 'shoot down' tweet, Iran satellite launch increase tensions

Iran ratcheted up tensions with its neighbors and with the U.S. Wednesday with the successful launch of its first-ever military satellite , even as Tehran pleads for U.S. sanctions relief and help from the international community to help battle one of the world ’ s worst coronavirus outbreaks .
Officials in Washington harshly criticized the Iranian move , which came even as President Trump himself was escalating the clash with a 23-word tweet saying he was giving the U.S. Navy new orders to “ shoot down and destroy ” Iranian vessels that harass U.S. military ships in the tense Persian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tweet as an additional “ warning ” to Iran to back off on its recent provocations , while the top general at Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hailed the Iranian-made military intelligence satellite launch as a potential game-changer .
“ Today , we can observe the world from the space , ” Gen. Hossein Salami told Iran ’ s Tasnim news agency , “ which means the expansion of the strategic data of the IRGC ’ s mighty defense power.
” In Washington , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launch was technically equivalent to a ballistic missile and thus a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions .
He said the mission also undermined Iran ’ s claims that its space programs were for civilian uses only .
“ The Iranians have consistently said that these missile programs were disconnected from their military — that these were purely commercial enterprises , ” Mr. Pompeo said .
“ I think today ’ s launch proves what we ’ ve been saying all along here in the United States : The IRGC , a designated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SEE ALSO : Pompeo : Iran must be held accountable for military satellite launch “ Every nation has an obligation to go to the United Nations and evaluate whether this missile launch was consistent with that Security Council resolution , ” he added .
“ I don ’ t think it remotely is and I think Iran needs to be held accountable.
” Iranian state media said the “ Noor-1 ” satellite was thrust into space by a “ domestically-built launcher ” called the “ Qassed , ” a three-stage system that uses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s official Fars News Agency said Wednesday also marked the 41st anniversary of the founding of the IRGC by Iran ’ s late leader , Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini .
An image of the rocket that carried the satellite showed it bore a Quranic verse typically recited when going on a journey , as well as a drawing of the Earth with the word Allah in Farsi wrapped around it .
The IRGC has been a prime focus of the Trump administration ’ s “ maximum pressure ” on Iran since President Trump pulled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear deal with the Islamic republic .
The Trump administration last year designated the organization as a terrorist organization and U.S.-Iran tensions skyrocketed in January when an American drone strike killed IRGC special “ Quds Force ” commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani while on a visit to Iraq .
While the administration accused Gen. Soleimani of exporting terror around the Middle East by backing Shia Muslim proxy militias in Iraq and other nations , a separate U.S. concern about the IRGC has centered on organization ’ s weapons capabilities .
U.S. officials have for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warheads that could be mounted on intercontinental ballistic missiles or ICBMs .
To date , Iran has not shown a clear ICBM capability .
However , Wednesday ’ s satellite launch amplified such fears , with some claiming the technology used in the launch — at a minimum — shows the IRGC is actively using such technology .
Analysts have long warned that if Tehran gains ICBM capability , it could put Europe and even the United States in range .
Israel ’ s capital city is roughly 1,200 miles from Tehran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration for provoking Iran by pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal , Iranian officials have in recent months been deliberately going past limitations set by the deal .
And , as the world now grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and historically low price of oil — a commodity Tehran depends upon to fund itself — Wednesday ’ s launch may indicate a rising IRGC appetite for provocation .
“ This raises a lot of red flags , ” said Fabian Hinz , a researcher at the James Martin Center for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Studies in Monterey , California .
“ Now that you have the maximum pressure campaign , Iran doesn ’ t have that much to lose anymore , ” Mr. Hinz told The Associated Press .
Former Trump administration National Security Advisor John R. Bolton , an avowed Iran hawk , went further , claiming Wednesday ’ s launch was “ proof we are still not applying enough pressure.
” “ Deterrence has not been restored , & coronavirus is not slowing down the ayatollahs .
Iran ’ s goal remains ICBMs capable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolton tweeted .
“ They can not be trusted.
” Iran denies engaging in any military provocations .
Iranian Information and Communications Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi wrote on Twitter Wednesday that the IRGC ’ s space program was “ defensive ” in nature and “ peaceful.
” However Iranian state media appeared to offering deliberately provocative messages about the country ’ s military — and specifically missile — capabilities .
A Fars news report described the satellite launch as part of a “ chain of achievements and breakthroughs ” by Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited IRGC Navy Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri as saying earlier in the week that Iran had increased the range of its naval missiles to roughly 430 miles .
On its official website , the IRGC claimed Wednesday ’ s satellite reached an orbit of 264 miles above the Earth ’ s surface .
U.S. Army Maj .
Rob Lodewick , a Pentagon spokesman , said American officials were monitoring Iran ’ s program .
“ While Tehran does not currently have intercontinental ballistic missiles , ” he said , “ its desire to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States could drive it to develop an ICBM.
” Iran had suffered several high-profile launch failures in recent months .
The latest came in February , when a Zafar 1 communications satellite failed to reach its intended orbit .
Wednesday ’ s launch came after a U.S. Navy video last week showed small Iranian fast boats coming close to American warships as they operated in the northern Persian Gulf near Kuwait , with U.S. Army Apache helicopters .
On Sunday , the IRGC acknowledged it had a tense encounter with U.S. warships in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American forces sparked the incident .
A television report with footage of the incident apparently sparked Mr. Trump ’ s Twitter threat Wednesday .
Officials at the Pentagon echoed Mr. Trump ’ s stern rhetoric about Tehran , but sidestepped questions of whether a formal change in the rules of military engagement with Iran and the IRGC was in the works .
Air Force Gen. John Hyten , vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , told a Pentagon briefing Wednesday said the president ’ s intention was to emphasize that any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I like that the president warned an adversary .
That ’ s what he ’ s doing : He ’ s providing a warning , ” Gen. Hyten said .
“ If you want to go down that path , we will come and we will come large .
So don ’ t go down that path , ” Gen. Hyten added .
“ We understand that direction and every commander deployed has the ability to execute.
” Gen. Hyten and Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist repeatedly declined to answer whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formalized as an actual order changing the rules of engagement with the IRGC .
Mr. Norquist also described the president ’ s tweet a warning , and suggested it gave greater force to the authority U.S. commanders already have in the escalating confrontation with Iran .
“ What he was emphasizing is all of our ships retain the right of self-defense and people need to be very careful in their interactions to understand the inherent right of self-defense , ” Mr. Norquist said .
Mr. Pompeo said the satellite launch was one more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mishandled the COVID-19 threat , with Iran having by far the deadliest outbreak in the region .
“ One of the things that they ’ ve said is , ‘ Boy we need resources in order to take care of the virus at home , ’ and all the while they are launching satellites , driving ships around the Arabian Gulf , coming and harassing U.S .
Naval vessels [ and ] they continue to underwrite Shia militias , ” Mr. Pompeo said .
Noting that the regime turned down a U.S. offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in February , Mr. Pompeo remarked , “ I only wish that the Iranian regime cared about its people as much as the rest of the world has demonstrated.
” ⦁ Lauren Meier contributed to this story , which was based in part on wire service reports .

Iran ratcheted up tensions with its neighbors and with the U.S. Wednesday with the successful launch of its first-ever military satellite, even as Tehran pleads for U.S. sanctions relief and help from the international community to help battle one of the world’s worst coronavirus outbreaks.
Officials in Washington harshly criticized the Iranian move, which came even as President Trump himself was escalating the clash with a 23-word tweet saying he was giving the U.S. Navy new orders to “shoot down and destroy” Iranian vessels that harass U.S. military ships in the tense Persian Gulf.
Pentagon officials characterized Mr. Trump’s tweet as an additional “warning” to Iran to back off on its recent provocations, while the top general at Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hailed the Iranian-made military intelligence satellite launch as a potential game-changer.
“Today, we can observe the world from the space,” Gen. Hossein Salami told Iran’s Tasnim news agency, “which means the expansion of the strategic data of the IRGC’s mighty defense power.”
In Washington, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that Iran’s satellite launch was technically equivalent to a ballistic missile and thus a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. He said the mission also undermined Iran’s claims that its space programs were for civilian uses only.
“The Iranians have consistently said that these missile programs were disconnected from their military — that these were purely commercial enterprises,” Mr. Pompeo said. “I think today’s launch proves what we’ve been saying all along here in the United States: The IRGC, a designated terrorist organization, launched a missile.”
SEE ALSO: Pentagon vice chairman: Navy will respond with force to Iran’s harassment if necessary
“Every nation has an obligation to go to the United Nations and evaluate whether this missile launch was consistent with that Security Council resolution,” he added. “I don’t think it remotely is and I think Iran needs to be held accountable.”
Iranian state media said the “Noor-1” satellite was thrust into space by a “domestically-built launcher” called the “Qassed,” a three-stage system that uses “compound solid-liquid fuel.”
Iran’s official Fars News Agency said Wednesday also marked the 41st anniversary of the founding of the IRGC by Iran’s late leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. An image of the rocket that carried the satellite showed it bore a Quranic verse typically recited when going on a journey, as well as a drawing of the Earth with the word Allah in Farsi wrapped around it.
Prime focus
The IRGC has been a prime focus of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” on Iran since President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 international nuclear deal with the Islamic republic. The Trump administration last year designated the organization as a terrorist organization and U.S.-Iran tensions skyrocketed in January when an American drone strike killed IRGC special “Quds Force” commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani while on a visit to Iraq.
While the administration accused Gen. Soleimani of exporting terror around the Middle East by backing Shia Muslim proxy militias in Iraq and other nations, a separate U.S. concern about the IRGC has centered on organization’s weapons capabilities. U.S. officials have for years worried that Iran might develop nuclear warheads that could be mounted on intercontinental ballistic missiles or ICBMs.
SEE ALSO: Pompeo: Iran must be held accountable for military satellite launch
To date, Iran has not shown a clear ICBM capability. However, Wednesday’s satellite launch amplified such fears, with some claiming the technology used in the launch — at a minimum — shows the IRGC is actively using such technology.
Analysts have long warned that if Tehran gains ICBM capability, it could put Europe and even the United States in range. Israel’s capital city is roughly 1,200 miles from Tehran.
While some in the international community blame the Trump administration for provoking Iran by pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal, Iranian officials have in recent months been deliberately going past limitations set by the deal. And, as the world now grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and historically low price of oil — a commodity Tehran depends upon to fund itself — Wednesday’s launch may indicate a rising IRGC appetite for provocation.
“This raises a lot of red flags,” said Fabian Hinz, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.
“Now that you have the maximum pressure campaign, Iran doesn’t have that much to lose anymore,” Mr. Hinz told The Associated Press.
Former Trump administration National Security Advisor John R. Bolton, an avowed Iran hawk, went further, claiming Wednesday’s launch was “proof we are still not applying enough pressure.”
“Deterrence has not been restored, & coronavirus is not slowing down the ayatollahs. Iran’s goal remains ICBMs capable of carrying nuclear weapons,” Mr. Bolton tweeted. “They cannot be trusted.”
Iran denies engaging in any military provocations. Iranian Information and Communications Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi wrote on Twitter Wednesday that the IRGC’s space program was “defensive” in nature and “peaceful.”
However Iranian state media appeared to offering deliberately provocative messages about the country’s military — and specifically missile — capabilities. A Fars news report described the satellite launch as part of a “chain of achievements and breakthroughs” by Iran’s armed forces.
The report cited IRGC Navy Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri as saying earlier in the week that Iran had increased the range of its naval missiles to roughly 430 miles. On its official website, the IRGC claimed Wednesday’s satellite reached an orbit of 264 miles above the Earth’s surface.
U.S. Army Maj. Rob Lodewick, a Pentagon spokesman, said American officials were monitoring Iran’s program. “While Tehran does not currently have intercontinental ballistic missiles,” he said, “its desire to have a strategic counter to the United States could drive it to develop an ICBM.”
Iran had suffered several high-profile launch failures in recent months. The latest came in February, when a Zafar 1 communications satellite failed to reach its intended orbit.
Policy change?
Wednesday’s launch came after a U.S. Navy video last week showed small Iranian fast boats coming close to American warships as they operated in the northern Persian Gulf near Kuwait, with U.S. Army Apache helicopters. On Sunday, the IRGC acknowledged it had a tense encounter with U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf, but said that American forces sparked the incident.
A television report with footage of the incident apparently sparked Mr. Trump’s Twitter threat Wednesday. Officials at the Pentagon echoed Mr. Trump’s stern rhetoric about Tehran, but sidestepped questions of whether a formal change in the rules of military engagement with Iran and the IRGC was in the works.
Air Force Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Pentagon briefing Wednesday said the president’s intention was to emphasize that any warship has the inherent right of self-defense.
“I like that the president warned an adversary. That’s what he’s doing: He’s providing a warning,” Gen. Hyten said.
“If you want to go down that path, we will come and we will come large. So don’t go down that path,” Gen. Hyten added. “We understand that direction and every commander deployed has the ability to execute.”
Gen. Hyten and Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist repeatedly declined to answer whether Mr. Trump’s tweet was being formalized as an actual order changing the rules of engagement with the IRGC.
Mr. Norquist also described the president’s tweet a warning, and suggested it gave greater force to the authority U.S. commanders already have in the escalating confrontation with Iran.
“What he was emphasizing is all of our ships retain the right of self-defense and people need to be very careful in their interactions to understand the inherent right of self-defense,” Mr. Norquist said.
Mr. Pompeo said the satellite launch was one more sign of how the Tehran regime had mishandled the COVID-19 threat, with Iran having by far the deadliest outbreak in the region.
“One of the things that they’ve said is, ‘Boy we need resources in order to take care of the virus at home,’ and all the while they are launching satellites, driving ships around the Arabian Gulf, coming and harassing U.S. Naval vessels [and] they continue to underwrite Shia militias,” Mr. Pompeo said.
Noting that the regime turned down a U.S. offer of humanitarian aid for the Iranian people in February, Mr. Pompeo remarked, “I only wish that the Iranian regime cared about its people as much as the rest of the world has demonstrated.”
⦁ Lauren Meier contributed to this story, which was based in part on wire service reports.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com. • Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Giants DL Leonard Williams inks non-exclusive franchise deal

New York Giants defensive tackle Leonard Williams has signed his non-exclusive franchise tag .
The Giants announced the signing on Wednesday , a day before the NFL draft .
The team placed the franchise tag on Williams on March 16 .
Williams will earn a salary in the 2020 season based on the average of the top five salaries from his position .
The two sides can negotiate a long-term contract during the season .
The Giants acquired Williams on Oct. 29 from the Jets for two draft choices , including a third-round selection on Friday and a fifth-round choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in eight games for the Giants with five starts .
He had 26 tackles , a half-sack , two tackles for loss , 11 quarterback hits , two passes defended and a forced fumble .
The sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft out of Southern California , Williams has played in 79 games with 75 starts .
He has 266 tackles , 17 1/2 sacks , three forced fumbles and six passes defended .
The Giants ’ defensive line for next season is led by Williams , Dalvin Tomlinson , B.J .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ choice last year .
New York posted a 4-12 record last season .
It has the No .
4 overall pick in the draft .

New York Giants defensive tackle Leonard Williams has signed his non-exclusive franchise tag.
The Giants announced the signing on Wednesday, a day before the NFL draft. The team placed the franchise tag on Williams on March 16.
Williams will earn a salary in the 2020 season based on the average of the top five salaries from his position. The two sides can negotiate a long-term contract during the season.
The Giants acquired Williams on Oct. 29 from the Jets for two draft choices, including a third-round selection on Friday and a fifth-round choice in 2021.
The 25-year-old Williams played in eight games for the Giants with five starts. He had 26 tackles, a half-sack, two tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, two passes defended and a forced fumble.
The sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft out of Southern California, Williams has played in 79 games with 75 starts. He has 266 tackles, 17 1/2 sacks, three forced fumbles and six passes defended.
The Giants’ defensive line for next season is led by Williams, Dalvin Tomlinson, B.J. Hill and Dexter Lawrence, a first-round choice last year.
New York posted a 4-12 record last season. It has the No. 4 overall pick in the draft.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Jay Inslee endorses Joe Biden for president

Joseph R. Biden ’ s top rivals for the Democratic Party ’ s presidential nomination have gone from criticizing the former vice president ’ s record and vision for the future to casting him as the Superman of empathy — ready to comfort and heal a divided nation .
Jay Inslee is the latest Biden convert , with the Washington governor pivoting away Wednesday from his previous disdain for Mr. Biden ’ s “ middle-ground ” approach on climate change to focus instead on what he said was Mr. Biden ’ s natural ability to connect with people and feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of great anxiety and suffering , I think you are perfect for the moment to give people comfort and confidence , ” Mr. Inslee told the presumptive nominee on the Earth Day-edition of the Biden campaign ’ s podcast , “ Here ’ s The Deal.
” Mr. Inslee , who pulled the plug on his own bid for the White House last year , said he was impressed when he heard Mr. Biden speak at a memorial service in the governor ’ s home state honoring soldiers killed in Afghanistan .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how the grief that you had in your life has , over time , turned to the joy of memories , ” Mr. Inslee said .
“ When I talked to those families , that meant a lot to them , and we need someone with that human connection right now in this position and … I just want to tell you I can ’ t wait until you start providing that to America , ” he said .
Christopher P. Borick , a professor of political science and director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the governor ’ s comments reflect what many see as a Biden strength — an empathy that helps paper over some of the ideological differences in the Democratic Party .
“ Even folks who are not enamored with Biden generally identify him as a decent guy , and that he is empathic and shines in those moments where empathy is valued , ” Mr. Borick said .
“ If I am Elizabeth Warren on health care or Jay Inslee on climate , you may not be completely aboard with Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can much more earnestly and authentically speak to his character , ” he said .
Empathy , or at least the perception of empathy , the professor said , also could help Mr. Biden draw a favorable contrast with the tough-talking President Trump .
“ Often in times of turmoil and hardship , empathy is elevated as a character trait that people want to see in their leaders , and I think whereas Joe Biden has largely been recognized as someone who has those qualities , the president has struggled on that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Mr. Borick said .
Empathy has become a must-have in Democratic Party circles .
Former President Barack Obama said empathy was one of the key traits he was hunting for when he was looking to fill seats on the Supreme Court .
Former Bill Clinton also has been praised for his capacity to convince people he understood their common hardships .
“ Whether it was comforting mourners at a funeral or talking to a person suffering from an illness , Clinton knew how to convey his empathy , ” Colleen J. Shogan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History , a private nonprofit group , said in the 39th volume of the Presidential Studies Quarterly .
“ As president , Clinton ’ s understanding of African Americans ’ plight led him to be described as the ‘ first black president.
’ ” His wife , Hillary Clinton , struggled in this department in 2016 .
Whether Mr. Biden can recreate a Bill Clintonesque magic in a no-holds-barred contest with Mr. Trump remains to be seen .
But his former rivals have come around .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren of Massachusetts pulled no punches while bashing Mr. Biden ’ s support of credit card companies and opposition to “ Medicare for All.
” These days , the former presidential candidate lauds Mr. Biden for facing personal tragedy — the 1972 car crash that killed his wife and baby daughter and his adult son Beau ’ s death from brain cancer in 2015 — with “ fortitude and grace .
“ These experiences animate the empathy he extends to Americans who are struggling — no matter what their story , ” Ms. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
“ Empathy matters , and in this moment of crisis , it is more important than ever that the next president restores America ’ s faith in good effective government.
” She said those qualities were on display in 2013 when he helped the city of Boston heal after the marathon bombings killed three people and injured dozens more .
“ One year to the day after the Boston Marathon bombings tore up bodies and tore up a sense of safety and community , he was here , ” Ms. Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt , people who were afraid , he gave them peace and he gave them grace .
I watched it up close.
” Sen. Kamala D. Harris echoed a similar sentiment in her endorsement last month .
“ I believe in Joe , I really believe in him and I ’ ve known him for a long time , ” she said in a video announcement .
“ One of the things we need right now is a leader who really does care about the people and therefore can unify the people.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U-turn from the first Democratic debate in July when she suggested Mr. Biden didn ’ t know what it was like to live in her shoes , was less enamored with his ability to what it is like to stand in something else ’ s shoes .
She attacked Mr. Biden for being friends with segregationists and opposing federal busing to integrate public schools in the 1970s — a program that she benefited from as a student in California .
“ There are moments in history when states fail to preserve the civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said at the time , sparking a massive round of applause .

What a difference a few months make.
Joseph R. Biden’s top rivals for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination have gone from criticizing the former vice president’s record and vision for the future to casting him as the Superman of empathy — ready to comfort and heal a divided nation.
Jay Inslee is the latest Biden convert, with the Washington governor pivoting away Wednesday from his previous disdain for Mr. Biden’s “middle-ground” approach on climate change to focus instead on what he said was Mr. Biden’s natural ability to connect with people and feel their emotions.
“At this time of great anxiety and suffering, I think you are perfect for the moment to give people comfort and confidence,” Mr. Inslee told the presumptive nominee on the Earth Day-edition of the Biden campaign’s podcast, “Here’s The Deal.”
Mr. Inslee, who pulled the plug on his own bid for the White House last year, said he was impressed when he heard Mr. Biden speak at a memorial service in the governor’s home state honoring soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
“I watched you tell … the story about how the grief that you had in your life has, over time, turned to the joy of memories,” Mr. Inslee said.
“When I talked to those families, that meant a lot to them, and we need someone with that human connection right now in this position and … I just want to tell you I can’t wait until you start providing that to America,” he said.
Christopher P. Borick, a professor of political science and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, said the governor’s comments reflect what many see as a Biden strength — an empathy that helps paper over some of the ideological differences in the Democratic Party.
“Even folks who are not enamored with Biden generally identify him as a decent guy, and that he is empathic and shines in those moments where empathy is valued,” Mr. Borick said.
“If I am Elizabeth Warren on health care or Jay Inslee on climate, you may not be completely aboard with Biden’s policy approach to those issues, but you can much more earnestly and authentically speak to his character,” he said.
Empathy, or at least the perception of empathy, the professor said, also could help Mr. Biden draw a favorable contrast with the tough-talking President Trump.
“Often in times of turmoil and hardship, empathy is elevated as a character trait that people want to see in their leaders, and I think whereas Joe Biden has largely been recognized as someone who has those qualities, the president has struggled on that since he has been in office,” Mr. Borick said.
Empathy has become a must-have in Democratic Party circles.
Former President Barack Obama said empathy was one of the key traits he was hunting for when he was looking to fill seats on the Supreme Court.
Former Bill Clinton also has been praised for his capacity to convince people he understood their common hardships.
“Whether it was comforting mourners at a funeral or talking to a person suffering from an illness, Clinton knew how to convey his empathy,” Colleen J. Shogan, now the director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History, a private nonprofit group, said in the 39th volume of the Presidential Studies Quarterly. “As president, Clinton’s understanding of African Americans’ plight led him to be described as the ‘first black president.’”
His wife, Hillary Clinton, struggled in this department in 2016.
Whether Mr. Biden can recreate a Bill Clintonesque magic in a no-holds-barred contest with Mr. Trump remains to be seen.
But his former rivals have come around.
On the campaign trail, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts pulled no punches while bashing Mr. Biden’s support of credit card companies and opposition to “Medicare for All.”
These days, the former presidential candidate lauds Mr. Biden for facing personal tragedy — the 1972 car crash that killed his wife and baby daughter and his adult son Beau’s death from brain cancer in 2015 — with “fortitude and grace.
“These experiences animate the empathy he extends to Americans who are struggling — no matter what their story,” Ms. Warren said in her endorsement earlier this month. “Empathy matters, and in this moment of crisis, it is more important than ever that the next president restores America’s faith in good effective government.”
She said those qualities were on display in 2013 when he helped the city of Boston heal after the marathon bombings killed three people and injured dozens more.
“One year to the day after the Boston Marathon bombings tore up bodies and tore up a sense of safety and community, he was here,” Ms. Warren said. “People who had been hurt, people who were afraid, he gave them peace and he gave them grace. I watched it up close.”
Sen. Kamala D. Harris echoed a similar sentiment in her endorsement last month.
“I believe in Joe, I really believe in him and I’ve known him for a long time,” she said in a video announcement. “One of the things we need right now is a leader who really does care about the people and therefore can unify the people.”
That comment marked a bit of a U-turn from the first Democratic debate in July when she suggested Mr. Biden didn’t know what it was like to live in her shoes, was less enamored with his ability to what it is like to stand in something else’s shoes.
She attacked Mr. Biden for being friends with segregationists and opposing federal busing to integrate public schools in the 1970s — a program that she benefited from as a student in California.
“There are moments in history when states fail to preserve the civil rights of all people,” she said at the time, sparking a massive round of applause.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Indiana meat plant closing after workers contract virus

LOGANSPORT , Ind .
( AP ) - Tyson Foods Inc. announced Wednesday that it will temporarily close its meatpacking plant in north-central Indiana after 146 employees tested positive for cornavirus .
The Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Logansport produced 3 million pounds of pork daily .
Tyson suspended production Monday to allow for cleaning and sanitizing .
The plant reopened Tuesday and is running at limited capacity because of decreased worker attendance .
The company will stop all production by Saturday .
“ The combination of worker absenteeism , COVID-19 cases and community concerns has resulted in a collective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stouffer , of Tyson ’ s beef-and-pork subsidiary .
Cass County officials said 47 people in the county have tested positive for the virus , with some of those traced back to Tyson employees .
Testing of all remaining plant workers will start Thursday , said Cass County Health Department Administrator Serenity Alter .
She said officials are hopeful that the test results back within several days so the plant can resume production .
Employers have struggled to contain the virus in meatpacking plants , where workers toil side by side on production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cafeterias and rides to work .
Several facilities have temporarily closed due to virus outbreaks , including a Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls , South Dakota , a JBS USA plant in Worthington , Minnesota , and a Redwood Farms Meat Processors in Estherville , Iowa .
Others have stayed open or resumed production after pauses for testing and cleaning .
An estimated 25 % of U.S. pork processing capacity has been closed or idled due to reduced operating speed over the past two days , said Steve Meyer , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Iowa .
“ Closing facilities have serious implications to the national food supply for American families , local communities , growers and farmers , ” Stouffer said .
” When a facility closes , the availability of protein for consumers across the nation will only decrease.
” Prices are starting to rise as a result , with analysts warning of an upcoming shortage of certain products at grocery stores .
At the same time , hog prices are plummeting due to excess supply , which is hurting farmers .

LOGANSPORT, Ind. (AP) - Tyson Foods Inc. announced Wednesday that it will temporarily close its meatpacking plant in north-central Indiana after 146 employees tested positive for cornavirus.
The Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Logansport produced 3 million pounds of pork daily. Tyson suspended production Monday to allow for cleaning and sanitizing. The plant reopened Tuesday and is running at limited capacity because of decreased worker attendance. The company will stop all production by Saturday.
“The combination of worker absenteeism, COVID-19 cases and community concerns has resulted in a collective decision to close,” said Steve Stouffer, of Tyson’s beef-and-pork subsidiary.
Cass County officials said 47 people in the county have tested positive for the virus, with some of those traced back to Tyson employees. Testing of all remaining plant workers will start Thursday, said Cass County Health Department Administrator Serenity Alter. She said officials are hopeful that the test results back within several days so the plant can resume production.
Employers have struggled to contain the virus in meatpacking plants, where workers toil side by side on production lines and often share crowded locker rooms, cafeterias and rides to work.
Several facilities have temporarily closed due to virus outbreaks, including a Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a JBS USA plant in Worthington, Minnesota, and a Redwood Farms Meat Processors in Estherville, Iowa. Others have stayed open or resumed production after pauses for testing and cleaning.
An estimated 25% of U.S. pork processing capacity has been closed or idled due to reduced operating speed over the past two days, said Steve Meyer, an economist with Kerns and Associates in Ames, Iowa.
“Closing facilities have serious implications to the national food supply for American families, local communities, growers and farmers,” Stouffer said. ”When a facility closes, the availability of protein for consumers across the nation will only decrease.”
Prices are starting to rise as a result, with analysts warning of an upcoming shortage of certain products at grocery stores. At the same time, hog prices are plummeting due to excess supply, which is hurting farmers.


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Argentina doesn't make payment, starting default countdown

BUENOS AIRES , Argentina ( AP ) - Argentina said it didn ’ t make $ 500 million in debt payments due Wednesday , starting a 30-day countdown to a possible default unless the government and bondholders can reach a deal on restructuring its massive foreign debt .
The failure to pay came a week after the government of President Alberto Fernández presented a proposal to restructure roughly $ 70 billion in debt involving the suspension of its debt obligations for three years and a 62 % reduction for interest payments .
Argentina will use the period to seek creditor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said will remain in force until May 8 and aims at “ restoring the sustainability of public debt in foreign currency.
” If creditors do not accept the offer - and at least three groups of bondholders have said they will not - Argentina will officially be in default by the end of May , the second default in two decades .
Argentina is under a mandatory quarantine due to COVID-19 and was in a recession with high inflation and 35.5 % of its population in poverty even before the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s government highlighted “ its willingness to pay even in the most serious international context ” and said it is looking for a debt profile “ compatible with a path of sustainable growth in the medium and long term , which improves future repayment capacity future and basic social indicators .
”

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - Argentina said it didn’t make $500 million in debt payments due Wednesday, starting a 30-day countdown to a possible default unless the government and bondholders can reach a deal on restructuring its massive foreign debt.
The failure to pay came a week after the government of President Alberto Fernández presented a proposal to restructure roughly $70 billion in debt involving the suspension of its debt obligations for three years and a 62% reduction for interest payments.
Argentina will use the period to seek creditor acceptance of its proposal, which it has said will remain in force until May 8 and aims at “restoring the sustainability of public debt in foreign currency.”
If creditors do not accept the offer - and at least three groups of bondholders have said they will not - Argentina will officially be in default by the end of May, the second default in two decades.
Argentina is under a mandatory quarantine due to COVID-19 and was in a recession with high inflation and 35.5% of its population in poverty even before the pandemic.
Wednesday’s statement from Argentina’s government highlighted “its willingness to pay even in the most serious international context” and said it is looking for a debt profile “compatible with a path of sustainable growth in the medium and long term, which improves future repayment capacity future and basic social indicators.”


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Earth Day climate activists: Treat climate like coronavirus crisis

Climate activists point to the reorder of society and the economy to resolve the coronavirus crisis and say the same thing can be done to fight global warming .
Even as Americans chafe under job losses and social restrictions , environmentalists see a “ silver lining ” of falling global emissions while drawing comparisons between the pandemic and the “ climate crisis , ” a campaign that surged Wednesday with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day .
“ Today is Earth Day , and that reminds us that the climate and environmental emergency is still ongoing , ” said Swedish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to tackle both the corona pandemic , this crisis , at the same time as we tackle the climate and environmental emergency because we need to be able to tackle two crises at once.
” The World Meteorological Organization said Wednesday that the pandemic shutdown is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions this year by 6 % , the biggest one-year decline since World War II and a decrease in line with a recommendation from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change .
“ This is roughly the same pace that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year until 2030 to be on pace to limit global warming to 1.5C and hit the Paris climate goals , ” tweeted meteorologist and climate activist Eric Holthaus .
“ This is what ‘ far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society ’ looks like.
” Now that people know what it takes to plug global emissions , will they be willing to do it again ?
Don ’ t count on it , said JunkScience ’ s Steve Milloy .
He said the pandemic is likely to kill the public ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ People are willing to endure this temporarily , but people are getting tired of it already , and it ’ s only been three weeks , ” said Mr. Milloy .
“ [ The activists ] would like to take the coronavirus police state and turn it into the climate police state , and I ’ m just not sure the public is going to want to go from this police state into the next one.
” In a special report released Tuesday , Climate Depot ’ s Marc Morano warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a “ dress rehearsal for the ‘ climate emergency.
’ ” He pointed out that many of the movement ’ s goals — reduced air travel , driving and manufacturing — have been achieved by lockdowns to slow transmissions of the coronavirus .
“ One thing Greta and all the other climate activists know is that their alleged ‘ solutions ’ to climate change require many of the massive expansions of governmental power that is occurring under the virus lockdowns , ” Mr. Morano said in an email .
“ They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking their ‘ climate emergency ’ seriously but are taking COVID-19 seriously.
” Climate advocates argue that such a transition should be planned well in advance to avoid the sudden upheaval with the pandemic .
“ What we need isn ’ t a rapid , unplanned recession to avert a pandemic , it ’ s degrowth — it ’ s abandoning the concept of growth entirely .
It ’ s prioritizing life , health , happiness above money , ” Mr. Holthaus tweeted .
“ On a finite planet , growth was always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , founder of the climate group 350.org , said the “ clear skies of this spring , and the overall reckoning of a deathly pandemic ” may have strengthened the public ’ s resolve .
“ Who , once they ’ ve seen the mountains in sharp relief , wants to go back to the haze ?
” Mr. McKibben asked in a Tuesday op-ed in the Los Angeles Times .
“ Who , now that they have to focus on the health of their lungs , wants to breathe that crap ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen how fast good governments can move , wouldn ’ t want to use this moment to help avert the even more dangerous crises that global warming is sending our way ?
” The lockdowns may have cleared the air , but the crisis also has taken its toll on the climate movement .
Like other political causes , climate change has been pushed to the back burner as the world struggles to control a disease that has killed more than 183,000 people since emerging in December in Wuhan , China .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public events , climate activists celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Day online with livestreams and teleconferences in observance of social distancing rules .
“ It ’ s going to be a lot less visible .
It ’ s going to be all online , ” said Mr. Milloy .
“ We have a real crisis .
We don ’ t have time for the climate hoax .
And Earth Day really now is all about the climate hoax.
” Comparisons to the COVID-19 pandemic were replete during Earth Day events .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the pandemic was an “ unprecedented wake-up call ” that could become a “ real opportunity to do things right for the future.
” “ The impact of the coronavirus is both immediate and dreadful .
But there is another , deep emergency : the planet ’ s unfolding environmental crisis , ” Mr. Guterres said .
“ Climate disruption is approaching a point of no return .
We must act decisively to protect our planet from both the coronavirus and the existential threat of climate disruption.
” Numerous articles have referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change , the same language used to describe a plan to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases .
As Newsweek put it in an April 11 headline : “ Scientists cite pollution decrease in calls to ‘ flatten the curve ’ of climate change post-coronavirus.
” “ Scientists , activists and religious leaders ranging from Pope Francis to filmmaker Spike Lee are highlighting lockdown reductions in air pollution and nature ‘ coming alive ’ as part of a larger call to permanently change industrial and economic behavior after COVID-19 , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for investing coronavirus stimulus funding in infrastructure projects designed to prepare society for climate change , such as building higher sea walls , upgrading buildings to make them more energy efficient , and replacing fossil fuel plants with green energy .
The author of the Green New Deal resolution , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , New York Democrat , said in a now-deleted tweet that “ it ’ s the right time for a worker-led mass investment in green infrastructure to save our planet.
” Former U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres said last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incredible responsibility ” to “ converge the solutions — at least the financial solutions — to coronavirus to the financial solutions for climate.
” “ Because what we can not afford to do is to jump out of the frying pan of COVID and into the raging fire of climate change , ” she said .
Former Vice President Al Gore and others have sought to link the coronavirus and climate change by noting that air pollution can worsen COVID-19 symptoms .
“ The scientists have warned us about the coronavirus , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate crisis , and we ’ ve seen the dangers of waiting too late to heed the warnings of the doctors and scientists on this virus , ” Mr. Gore said last week on HBO ’ s “ Real Time ” with Bill Maher .
Now that Americans understand what it costs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions , however , the question becomes whether they are willing to pay .
“ There are trade-offs , ” said Southern Methodist University economist Bernard Weinstein .
“ If we shut down industrial enterprises all over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , we will see improved air and water quality .
But at what human and economic cost ?
That ’ s really the underlying debate going on right now about how and when to open the economy in the U.S .
”

Climate activists point to the reorder of society and the economy to resolve the coronavirus crisis and say the same thing can be done to fight global warming.
Even as Americans chafe under job losses and social restrictions, environmentalists see a “silver lining” of falling global emissions while drawing comparisons between the pandemic and the “climate crisis,” a campaign that surged Wednesday with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
“Today is Earth Day, and that reminds us that the climate and environmental emergency is still ongoing,” said Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg. “We need to tackle both the corona pandemic, this crisis, at the same time as we tackle the climate and environmental emergency because we need to be able to tackle two crises at once.”
The World Meteorological Organization said Wednesday that the pandemic shutdown is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions this year by 6%, the biggest one-year decline since World War II and a decrease in line with a recommendation from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
“This is roughly the same pace that the IPCC says we need to sustain every year until 2030 to be on pace to limit global warming to 1.5C and hit the Paris climate goals,” tweeted meteorologist and climate activist Eric Holthaus. “This is what ‘far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society’ looks like.”
Now that people know what it takes to plug global emissions, will they be willing to do it again? Don’t count on it, said JunkScience’s Steve Milloy. He said the pandemic is likely to kill the public’s appetite for social and economic restrictions.
“People are willing to endure this temporarily, but people are getting tired of it already, and it’s only been three weeks,” said Mr. Milloy. “[The activists] would like to take the coronavirus police state and turn it into the climate police state, and I’m just not sure the public is going to want to go from this police state into the next one.”
In a special report released Tuesday, Climate Depot’s Marc Morano warned that climate activists view the coronavirus crisis as a “dress rehearsal for the ‘climate emergency.’”
He pointed out that many of the movement’s goals — reduced air travel, driving and manufacturing — have been achieved by lockdowns to slow transmissions of the coronavirus.
“One thing Greta and all the other climate activists know is that their alleged ‘solutions’ to climate change require many of the massive expansions of governmental power that is occurring under the virus lockdowns,” Mr. Morano said in an email. “They are perplexed as to why people are not taking their ‘climate emergency’ seriously but are taking COVID-19 seriously.”
Climate advocates argue that such a transition should be planned well in advance to avoid the sudden upheaval with the pandemic.
“What we need isn’t a rapid, unplanned recession to avert a pandemic, it’s degrowth — it’s abandoning the concept of growth entirely. It’s prioritizing life, health, happiness above money,” Mr. Holthaus tweeted. “On a finite planet, growth was always a dangerous illusion anyway.”
Bill McKibben, founder of the climate group 350.org, said the “clear skies of this spring, and the overall reckoning of a deathly pandemic” may have strengthened the public’s resolve.
“Who, once they’ve seen the mountains in sharp relief, wants to go back to the haze?” Mr. McKibben asked in a Tuesday op-ed in the Los Angeles Times. “Who, now that they have to focus on the health of their lungs, wants to breathe that crap? Who, now that we’ve seen how fast good governments can move, wouldn’t want to use this moment to help avert the even more dangerous crises that global warming is sending our way?”
The lockdowns may have cleared the air, but the crisis also has taken its toll on the climate movement.
Like other political causes, climate change has been pushed to the back burner as the world struggles to control a disease that has killed more than 183,000 people since emerging in December in Wuhan, China.
Instead of worldwide marches, rallies and other public events, climate activists celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Day online with livestreams and teleconferences in observance of social distancing rules.
“It’s going to be a lot less visible. It’s going to be all online,” said Mr. Milloy. “We have a real crisis. We don’t have time for the climate hoax. And Earth Day really now is all about the climate hoax.”
‘Unprecedented wake-up call’
Comparisons to the COVID-19 pandemic were replete during Earth Day events. In his statement, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the pandemic was an “unprecedented wake-up call” that could become a “real opportunity to do things right for the future.”
“The impact of the coronavirus is both immediate and dreadful. But there is another, deep emergency: the planet’s unfolding environmental crisis,” Mr. Guterres said. “Climate disruption is approaching a point of no return. We must act decisively to protect our planet from both the coronavirus and the existential threat of climate disruption.”
Numerous articles have referred to “flattening the curve” on climate change, the same language used to describe a plan to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases.
As Newsweek put it in an April 11 headline: “Scientists cite pollution decrease in calls to ‘flatten the curve’ of climate change post-coronavirus.”
“Scientists, activists and religious leaders ranging from Pope Francis to filmmaker Spike Lee are highlighting lockdown reductions in air pollution and nature ‘coming alive’ as part of a larger call to permanently change industrial and economic behavior after COVID-19,” the article said.
Some climate advocates have called for investing coronavirus stimulus funding in infrastructure projects designed to prepare society for climate change, such as building higher sea walls, upgrading buildings to make them more energy efficient, and replacing fossil fuel plants with green energy.
The author of the Green New Deal resolution, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat, said in a now-deleted tweet that “it’s the right time for a worker-led mass investment in green infrastructure to save our planet.”
Former U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres said last month that the world has an “incredible responsibility” to “converge the solutions — at least the financial solutions — to coronavirus to the financial solutions for climate.”
“Because what we cannot afford to do is to jump out of the frying pan of COVID and into the raging fire of climate change,” she said.
Former Vice President Al Gore and others have sought to link the coronavirus and climate change by noting that air pollution can worsen COVID-19 symptoms.
“The scientists have warned us about the coronavirus, and they’ve warned us about the climate crisis, and we’ve seen the dangers of waiting too late to heed the warnings of the doctors and scientists on this virus,” Mr. Gore said last week on HBO’s “Real Time” with Bill Maher.
Now that Americans understand what it costs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, however, the question becomes whether they are willing to pay.
“There are trade-offs,” said Southern Methodist University economist Bernard Weinstein. “If we shut down industrial enterprises all over the world for a long period of time, we will see improved air and water quality. But at what human and economic cost? That’s really the underlying debate going on right now about how and when to open the economy in the U.S.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Mitch McConnell, Republicans reject 'blank check' for governors

Republican lawmakers objected Wednesday to giving governors a “ blank check ” that could end up in chronically underfunded union pension plans , as Washington tees up another massive coronavirus stimulus package with an eye toward bailing out hard-hit state budgets .
“ We ’ ll certainly insist that anything we ’ d borrow to send down to the states is not spent on solving problems that they created for themselves over the years with their pension programs , ” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , Kentucky Republican , told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt .
He said Congress should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more emergency aid .
Governors are seeking at least $ 500 billion from Washington , saying the COVID-19 crisis has left gaping holes in their budgets .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that President Trump agreed in a meeting with him a day earlier that states must receive more aid .
“ The states are all basically in a deficit situation , and we need funding from Washington , ” Mr. Cuomo said .
“ The president gets it .
He says he ’ s going to work very hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president , who has been encouraging governors to reopen their states for business , told Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp Wednesday that he “ disagrees strongly ” with Mr. Kemp ’ s decision to allow hair salons , tattoo parlors and bowling alleys to reopen Friday .
Mr. Trump said it ’ s “ too soon ” for those businesses to reopen but added that he won ’ t stop the move , saying governors must make their own decisions .
“ He must do what he thinks is right , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait a little bit longer .
Safety has to predominate.
” On Wall Street , stocks rose Wednesday as oil prices stabilized .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 456 points , or 1.99 % , to close at 23,475 .
But the economy could get another shock Thursday when the government reports weekly jobless claims .
In the previous four weeks , 22 million Americans lost their jobs because of shutdowns to curb the transmission of the coronavirus .
The House is scheduled to vote Thursday on a nearly $ 500 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses , plus $ 60 billion for injury disaster loans and grants , $ 75 billion for hospitals and $ 25 billion for coronavirus testing .
But the measure , approved Tuesday in the Senate , doesn ’ t include aid for states , which Democrats were demanding .
Some Republican lawmakers say they are wary of sending states money that could be used to fund freewheeling programs that often are legacies of Democratic Party machines .
“ Floridians are concerned that we would see our tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus in other states , but to solve some of their other problems , ” Rep. Matt Gaetz , Florida Republican , said after emerging from a meeting with Mr. Trump this week .
“ I think the state of New York had some very significant budget challenges well before the first instance of coronavirus .
We don ’ t want to see a bailout of irresponsible decisions at the state level before the coronavirus , masquerading as a coronavirus response.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that a “ major package @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government will be included in the next recovery bill addressed by Congress .
She said she had support from the president to include it in the $ 2.2 trillion rescue package that Mr. Trump signed into law on March 27 , but Mr. McConnell blocked her proposal .
Bonded debt for the 50 states totaled about $ 1.16 trillion in 2019 , while unfunded public pension liabilities totaled nearly $ 5 trillion , according to the American Legislative Exchange Council .
States with some of the highest unfunded liabilities include California , Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Alaska .
The Democratic bastion of Philadelphia has one of the most notorious public pension gravy trains in a program called the Deferred Retirement Option Plan .
It ’ s a retirement double-dip that allows city employees to collect their full salaries and their pensions simultaneously during their final four years on the job .
During a voter revolt in 2011 against City Council members enrolled in the pension program , council member Marian B. Tasco was the only incumbent who survived .
She won reelection , “ retired ” for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 478,057 under the Deferred Retirement Option Plan , and then served another four-year term with a six-figure salary , all courtesy of taxpayers .
Enrollment in the program has increased in the city , where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a margin of about 6-to-1 .
As of April 2019 , the program awarded more than 12,400 municipal employees a total of $ 1.5 billion in cash bonuses over 20 years , or an average of $ 122,359 each , Philadelphia magazine reported .
The city ’ s pension plan is funded at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ severely distressed.
” It owes pension payments to more than 60,000 active and retired employees and their beneficiaries .
It ’ s exactly the kind of largesse that Republican leaders in Congress say they don ’ t want to reward with emergency disaster aid .
“ We ’ re not interested in solving their pension problems for them , we ’ re not interested in rescuing them from bad decisions they ’ ve made in the past , ” Mr. McConnell said on Fox News .
“ We ’ re not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic to solve a lot of problems that they created for themselves with bad decisions in the past.
” Given the roughly $ 2.8 trillion that Congress has spent on coronavirus relief for workers and employers , Mr. McConnell said , lawmakers must decide “ whether there needs to be another tranche ” of emergency aid .
He said Congress needs to “ clearly weigh ” the impact of the amount of money lawmakers have already added to the national debt .
Some Republicans , such as Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bailout if the economy is to recover anytime soon .
“ Clearly , we ’ re worried about the debt , ” Mr. Cassidy said Wednesday on CNBC .
“ On the other hand , if we go into a depression , we ’ re going to really have debt .
If we don ’ t have police departments and EMTs and fire departments and garbage pickup , none of that will matter .
This is about helping cities which have totally lost their tax base because of COVID-19 to recover to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Cassidy said he is advocating a plan that would award each state a base amount of aid , plus extra determined by a formula that takes into account a state ’ s population , its tax revenue loss and the level of harm to its economy from the pandemic .
“ We will not grow if our cities can not provide police , garbage and fire services for small businesses , which are the keystone of our economy , ” he said .
“ And so this is another piece of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president , who is coming under fire from some black leaders over higher death rates among minorities , said he directed the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council led by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson to “ focus its efforts on supporting under-served communities impacted by COVID.
” “ I ’ m committed to restoring black and Hispanic communities to full economic health , ” Mr. Trump said .

Dave Boyer, David Sherfinski and Dave Boyer, David Sherfinski

Republican lawmakers objected Wednesday to giving governors a “blank check” that could end up in chronically underfunded union pension plans, as Washington tees up another massive coronavirus stimulus package with an eye toward bailing out hard-hit state budgets.
“We’ll certainly insist that anything we’d borrow to send down to the states is not spent on solving problems that they created for themselves over the years with their pension programs,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. He said Congress should “push the pause button” on more emergency aid.
Governors are seeking at least $500 billion from Washington, saying the COVID-19 crisis has left gaping holes in their budgets. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that President Trump agreed in a meeting with him a day earlier that states must receive more aid.
“The states are all basically in a deficit situation, and we need funding from Washington,” Mr. Cuomo said. “The president gets it. He says he’s going to work very hard in the next piece of legislation.”
The president, who has been encouraging governors to reopen their states for business, told Republican Gov. Brian Kemp Wednesday that he “disagrees strongly” with Mr. Kemp’s decision to allow hair salons, tattoo parlors and bowling alleys to reopen Friday. Mr. Trump said it’s “too soon” for those businesses to reopen but added that he won’t stop the move, saying governors must make their own decisions.
“He must do what he thinks is right,” Mr. Trump said. “They can wait a little bit longer. Safety has to predominate.”
On Wall Street, stocks rose Wednesday as oil prices stabilized. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 456 points, or 1.99%, to close at 23,475.
But the economy could get another shock Thursday when the government reports weekly jobless claims. In the previous four weeks, 22 million Americans lost their jobs because of shutdowns to curb the transmission of the coronavirus.
The House is scheduled to vote Thursday on a nearly $500 billion package that includes $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses, plus $60 billion for injury disaster loans and grants, $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for coronavirus testing. But the measure, approved Tuesday in the Senate, doesn’t include aid for states, which Democrats were demanding.
Some Republican lawmakers say they are wary of sending states money that could be used to fund freewheeling programs that often are legacies of Democratic Party machines.
“Floridians are concerned that we would see our tax dollars maybe go not in response to coronavirus in other states, but to solve some of their other problems,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida Republican, said after emerging from a meeting with Mr. Trump this week. “I think the state of New York had some very significant budget challenges well before the first instance of coronavirus. We don’t want to see a bailout of irresponsible decisions at the state level before the coronavirus, masquerading as a coronavirus response.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that a “major package” of aid for state and local government will be included in the next recovery bill addressed by Congress. She said she had support from the president to include it in the $2.2 trillion rescue package that Mr. Trump signed into law on March 27, but Mr. McConnell blocked her proposal.
Bonded debt for the 50 states totaled about $1.16 trillion in 2019, while unfunded public pension liabilities totaled nearly $5 trillion, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council. States with some of the highest unfunded liabilities include California, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut, Kentucky and Alaska.
The Democratic bastion of Philadelphia has one of the most notorious public pension gravy trains in a program called the Deferred Retirement Option Plan. It’s a retirement double-dip that allows city employees to collect their full salaries and their pensions simultaneously during their final four years on the job.
During a voter revolt in 2011 against City Council members enrolled in the pension program, council member Marian B. Tasco was the only incumbent who survived. She won reelection, “retired” for a day, collected a cash bonus of $478,057 under the Deferred Retirement Option Plan, and then served another four-year term with a six-figure salary, all courtesy of taxpayers.
Enrollment in the program has increased in the city, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a margin of about 6-to-1. As of April 2019, the program awarded more than 12,400 municipal employees a total of $1.5 billion in cash bonuses over 20 years, or an average of $122,359 each, Philadelphia magazine reported.
The city’s pension plan is funded at about 45% and is classified as “severely distressed.” It owes pension payments to more than 60,000 active and retired employees and their beneficiaries.
It’s exactly the kind of largesse that Republican leaders in Congress say they don’t want to reward with emergency disaster aid.
“We’re not interested in solving their pension problems for them, we’re not interested in rescuing them from bad decisions they’ve made in the past,” Mr. McConnell said on Fox News. “We’re not going to let them take advantage of this pandemic to solve a lot of problems that they created for themselves with bad decisions in the past.”
Given the roughly $2.8 trillion that Congress has spent on coronavirus relief for workers and employers, Mr. McConnell said, lawmakers must decide “whether there needs to be another tranche” of emergency aid. He said Congress needs to “clearly weigh” the impact of the amount of money lawmakers have already added to the national debt.
Some Republicans, such as Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, agree with Democrats that states need a bailout if the economy is to recover anytime soon.
“Clearly, we’re worried about the debt,” Mr. Cassidy said Wednesday on CNBC. “On the other hand, if we go into a depression, we’re going to really have debt. If we don’t have police departments and EMTs and fire departments and garbage pickup, none of that will matter. This is about helping cities which have totally lost their tax base because of COVID-19 to recover to provide those essential [services].”
Mr. Cassidy said he is advocating a plan that would award each state a base amount of aid, plus extra determined by a formula that takes into account a state’s population, its tax revenue loss and the level of harm to its economy from the pandemic.
“We will not grow if our cities cannot provide police, garbage and fire services for small businesses, which are the keystone of our economy,” he said. “And so this is another piece of what we do to restore our economy.”
The president, who is coming under fire from some black leaders over higher death rates among minorities, said he directed the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council led by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson to “focus its efforts on supporting under-served communities impacted by COVID.”
“I’m committed to restoring black and Hispanic communities to full economic health,” Mr. Trump said.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com. • David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Banks: New $310B for small businesses likely already used up

NEW YORK ( AP ) - The more than $ 300 billion set aside to replenish the emergency loan program for small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic is likely already all spoken for , banking industry groups said Wednesday .
The initial $ 349 billion set aside for the Paycheck Protection Program ran out on April 16 , after being available for less than two weeks .
The Senate has approved an additional $ 310 billion for the program , which the House of Representatives is expected to vote in favor of later this week .
But banking groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Small Business Administration makes it likely that much , if not all , the new money will go to those already in the queue .
Any new applicants would likely miss out on this funding round .
“ The majority if not all of the funding Congress is considering right now is already exhausted , ” said Nick Simpson , a spokesman with the Consumer Bankers Association .
Roughly a third of the new money has been set aside for smaller banks , which may allow a few new applicants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small banks have said for the last two weeks that they have been swamped with applications - doing an entire year ’ s worth of loans in a weekend - so it ’ s likely most of that money is now spoken for as well .
There were more than 1.7 million loans approved in the first round of the program .
But the law that created the program has been criticized because it made loans available to large , publicly traded companies like restaurant and hotel chains because the loans were based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s individual locations .
Those loans sapped hundreds of millions of dollars from the available pool .
The SBA appeared to be approving smaller loans as the first round progressed , an indication that more loans to smaller companies were being approved .
As of April 13 , the average size of a loan was nearly $ 240,000 and on April 16 it was $ 206,000 .
The loans , which can be up to $ 10 million , are based on a company ’ s payroll size and offer forgiveness if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rehire laid-off workers .
Many companies that have loans are starting to bring back their staffers , and some states are easing their restrictions on non-essential work , allowing businesses to reopen .

NEW YORK (AP) - Small business owners still applying for loans under the government’s coronavirus relief program may end up disappointed - the $310 billion being added to the program may already be spoken for.
Banking industry groups say the volume of applications already sent to the Small Business Administration makes it likely that much, if not all, the new money will go to those already in the queue.
The initial $349 billion set aside for the Paycheck Protection Program ran out on April 16, after being available for less than two weeks. The House gave final approval to an additional $310 billion for the program late Thursday. The bill extending the loan money now goes to the White House..
“The majority if not all of the funding Congress is considering right now is already exhausted,” Nick Simpson, a spokesman with the Consumer Bankers Association, said before the House vote.
It’s not known whether Congress would consider a third round of funding. Analysts at Bank of America say businesses will ultimately need as much as $900 billion in aid.
Roughly a third of the new money has been set aside for smaller banks, which may allow a few new applicants to squeeze into the queue. However, small banks have said for the last two weeks that they have been swamped with applications - doing an entire year’s worth of loans in a weekend - so it’s likely most of that money is now spoken for as well.
There were more than 1.7 million loans approved in the first round of the program. But the law that created the program has been criticized because it made loans available to large, publicly traded companies like restaurant and hotel chains because the loans were based on workforce size at a company’s individual locations. Those loans sapped hundreds of millions of dollars from the available pool.
The SBA appeared to be approving smaller loans as the first round progressed, an indication that more loans to smaller companies were being approved. As of April 13, the average size of a loan was nearly $240,000 and on April 16 it was $206,000.
The loans, which can be up to $10 million, are based on a company’s payroll size and offer forgiveness if the money is spent to retain workers or rehire laid-off workers. Some companies that have loans are starting to bring back their staffers, and some states are easing their restrictions on non-essential work, allowing businesses to reopen.


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--State Patrol: Man arrested for threats to governor, staff

OLYMPIA , Wash. ( AP ) - A man has been arrested in connection with threats made to Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee and his staff , authorities said .
Troopers arrested Shawn C. Rowland Tuesday evening at his home south of Everett in Mill Creek , Washington State Patrol spokesman Chris Loftis said in a news release .
Earlier Tuesday , Loftis said a threatening message was left on the voicemail of the Governor ’ s Office of Constituent Services by someone using a phone associated with Rowland .
An investigation showed the same phone had been used in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legislature in February , Loftis said .
Specifics about the threats were not released .
It wasn ’ t immediately known if Rowland has a lawyer to comment for him .
“ These are indeed troubling times for all of us , ” said Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste , “ and there are certainly points of consideration and debate in this unprecedented pandemic environment .
But… ” he added , “ no one has the right to threaten the life of the Governor , or any of the people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address the myriad of important considerations associated with this unique period in our history.
” The Washington State Patrol , by state law , is charged with protecting the governor and his family .

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - A man has been arrested in connection with threats made to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and his staff, authorities said.
Troopers arrested Shawn C. Rowland Tuesday evening at his home south of Everett in Mill Creek, Washington State Patrol spokesman Chris Loftis said in a news release.
Earlier Tuesday, Loftis said a threatening message was left on the voicemail of the Governor’s Office of Constituent Services by someone using a phone associated with Rowland.
An investigation showed the same phone had been used in a threat made to the Virginia State Legislature in February, Loftis said.
The Olympian reported Rowland told investigators he was upset with the governor for violating people’s constitutional rights, according to Loftis. Loftis added that the man’s concerns were directed to the restrictions regarding COVID-19.
It wasn’t immediately known if Rowland has a lawyer to comment for him.
“These are indeed troubling times for all of us,” said Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste, “and there are certainly points of consideration and debate in this unprecedented pandemic environment. But…” he added, “no one has the right to threaten the life of the Governor, or any of the people who work for or with him as they address the myriad of important considerations associated with this unique period in our history.”
The Washington State Patrol, by state law, is charged with protecting the governor and his family.


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Donald Trump: Air Force, Navy pilots to perform air shows around U.S. as tribute to medical workers

President Trump announced Tuesday night that the Air Force Thunderbirds and Navy Blue Angels will perform shows over several U.S. @ @ @ @ @ front-line healthcare workers in the COVID-19 crisis .
“ We ’ ll be performing air @ @ @ @ @ major cities , and some of the cities that aren ’ t major cities , @ @ @ @ @ “ They ’ re going to be doing a lot of very dangerous flying.
” @ @ @ @ @ be “ tremendous .
”

President Trump announced Tuesday night that the Air Force Thunderbirds and Navy Blue Angels will perform shows over several U.S. cities as a tribute to front-line healthcare workers in the COVID-19 crisis.
“We’ll be performing air shows over America’s major cities, and some of the cities that aren’t major cities,” Mr. Trump said. “They’re going to be doing a lot of very dangerous flying.”
He said the shows will be “tremendous.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.


washingtontimes--2020-04-22--Alabama prison system reports fourth COVID-19 case

MONTGOMERY , Ala. ( AP ) - The Alabama prison system on Wednesday reported its fourth case of COVID-19 in a state inmate .
The Department of Corrections announced the positive test in a news release .
The inmate was at the Elba Community Based Facility/Community Work Center .
The prison system said the inmate was moved to the Easterling Correctional Facility and placed in an isolation cell , where he will receive medical treatment .
Inmates at the Elba facility have been quarantined and will be monitored with temperature checks for signs of illness .
The prison system has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One inmate who tested positive for the virus has died .
Inmate advocates and health experts have expressed concerns that the state ’ s overcrowded prisons would become a breeding ground for a deadly outbreak and urged the state to make additional changes .
Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn said the prison system is distributing masks to inmates and taking other precautions .
Alabamians for Fair Justice , an advocacy group , donated more than 3,200 bars of antibacterial soap and others hygiene supplies to the prison system .
The prison system thanked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ items will be distributed to inmates deemed at high risk .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in weeks .
For some , especially older adults and those with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and be life-threatening .
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak .

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama prison system on Wednesday reported its fourth case of COVID-19 in a state inmate.
The Department of Corrections announced the positive test in a news release. The inmate was at the Elba Community Based Facility/Community Work Center.
The prison system said the inmate was moved to the Easterling Correctional Facility and placed in an isolation cell, where he will receive medical treatment. Inmates at the Elba facility have been quarantined and will be monitored with temperature checks for signs of illness.
The prison system has so far reported four COVID-19 cases. One inmate who tested positive for the virus has died.
Inmate advocates and health experts have expressed concerns that the state’s overcrowded prisons would become a breeding ground for a deadly outbreak and urged the state to make additional changes.
Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn said the prison system is distributing masks to inmates and taking other precautions.
Alabamians for Fair Justice, an advocacy group, donated more than 3,200 bars of antibacterial soap and others hygiene supplies to the prison system. The prison system thanked the group for the donation and said the items will be distributed to inmates deemed at high risk.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in weeks. For some, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and be life-threatening.
___
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.