talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-22--Lower-Than-Expected Turnout At Comeback Rally Leaves Trump Fuming

NEW YORK ( AP ) — President Donald Trump ’ s return to the campaign trail was designed to show strength and enthusiasm heading into the critical final months before an election that will decide whether he remains in the White House .
Instead , his weekend rally in Oklahoma highlighted growing vulnerabilities and crystallized a divisive reelection message that largely ignores broad swaths of voters — independents , suburban women and people of color — who could play a crucial role in choosing Trump or Democratic challenger Joe Biden .
The lower-than-expected turnout at the comeback rally , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s really only one strategy left for him , and that is to propel that rage and anger and try to split the society and see if he can have a tribal leadership win here , ” former Trump adviser-turned-critic Anthony Scaramucci said on CNN ’ s “ Reliable Sources.
” The president did not offer even a token reference to national unity in remarks that spanned more than an hour and 40 minutes at his self-described campaign relaunch as the nation grappled with surging coronavirus infections , the worst unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unrest .
Nor did Trump mention George Floyd , the African American man whose death at the hands of Minnesota police late last month sparked a national uprising over police brutality .
But he did add new fuel to the nation ’ s culture wars , defending Confederate statues while making racist references to the coronavirus , which originated in China and which he called “ kung flu.
” He also said Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar , who came to the U.S. as a refugee , “ would like to make the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from where she came , Somalia.
” Trump won the presidency in 2016 with a similar red-meat message aimed largely at energizing conservatives and white working-class men .
But less than four months before early voting begins in some states , there are signs that independents and educated voters — particularly suburban women — have turned against him .
Republican strategists increasingly believe that only a dramatic turnaround in the economy can revive his reelection aspirations .
“ It ’ s bad , ” said Republican operative Rick Tyler , a frequent Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing to run on .
The only thing he can say is that Biden is worse.
” But the day after Trump ’ s Tulsa rally , the president ’ s message was almost an afterthought as aides tried to explain away a smaller-than-expected crowd that left the president outraged .
The campaign had been betting big on Tulsa .
Trump ’ s political team spent days proclaiming that more than 1 million people had requested tickets .
They also ignored health warnings from the White House coronavirus task force and Oklahoma officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would help him move past the civil rights protests and the coronavirus itself .
His first rally in 110 days was meant to be a defiant display of political force to help energize Trump ’ s spirits , try out some attacks on Biden and serve as a powerful symbol of American ’ s re-opening .
Instead , the city fire marshal ’ s office reported a crowd of just less than 6,200 in the 19,000-seat BOK Center , and at least six staff members who helped set up the event tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the attendees , including Trump , did not wear face masks as recommended by the Trump administration ’ s health experts .
After the rally , the president berated aides over the turnout .
He fumed that he had been led to believe he would see huge crowds in deep-red Oklahoma , according to two White House and campaign officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations .
There was no sign of an imminent staff shakeup , but members of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign manager Brad Parscale and other senior aides could so wildly overpromise and underdeliver , according to the officials .
Publicly , Trump ’ s team scrambled to blame the crowd size on media coverage and protesters outside the venue , but the small crowds of pre-rally demonstrators were largely peaceful .
Tulsa police reported just one arrest Saturday afternoon .
It ’ s unclear when Trump will hold his next rally .
Before Oklahoma , the campaign had planned to finalize and announce its next rally this week .
Trump is already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Thursday in Wisconsin .
Both are major general election battlegrounds .
At least one swing state governor , meanwhile , says Trump would not be welcome to host a rally in her state amid the pandemic .
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , a Democrat , said she “ would think very seriously about ” trying to block Trump from hosting a rally there if he wanted to .
“ We know that congregating without masks , especially at an indoor facility , is the worst thing to do in the midst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in an interview before the Oklahoma event , conceding that she wasn ’ t aware of the specific legal tools she had available to block a prospective Trump rally .
“ I just know we have limitations on the number of people that can gather and that we ’ re taking this seriously.
” Biden ’ s campaign , meanwhile , seized on a fresh opportunity to poke at the incumbent president , suggesting that Trump “ was already in a tailspin ” because of his mismanagement of the pandemic and civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abdicated leadership and it is no surprise that his supporters have responded by abandoning him , ” Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates said .
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report .

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s return to the campaign trail was designed to show strength and enthusiasm heading into the critical final months before an election that will decide whether he remains in the White House.
Instead, his weekend rally in Oklahoma highlighted growing vulnerabilities and crystallized a divisive reelection message that largely ignores broad swaths of voters — independents, suburban women and people of color — who could play a crucial role in choosing Trump or Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
The lower-than-expected turnout at the comeback rally, in particular, left Trump fuming.
“There’s really only one strategy left for him, and that is to propel that rage and anger and try to split the society and see if he can have a tribal leadership win here,” former Trump adviser-turned-critic Anthony Scaramucci said on CNN’s “Reliable Sources.”
The president did not offer even a token reference to national unity in remarks that spanned more than an hour and 40 minutes at his self-described campaign relaunch as the nation grappled with surging coronavirus infections, the worst unemployment since the Great Depression and sweeping civil unrest.
Nor did Trump mention George Floyd, the African American man whose death at the hands of Minnesota police late last month sparked a national uprising over police brutality. But he did add new fuel to the nation’s culture wars, defending Confederate statues while making racist references to the coronavirus, which originated in China and which he called “kung flu.” He also said Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who came to the U.S. as a refugee, “would like to make the government of our country just like the country from where she came, Somalia.”
Trump won the presidency in 2016 with a similar red-meat message aimed largely at energizing conservatives and white working-class men. But less than four months before early voting begins in some states, there are signs that independents and educated voters — particularly suburban women — have turned against him. Republican strategists increasingly believe that only a dramatic turnaround in the economy can revive his reelection aspirations.
“It’s bad,” said Republican operative Rick Tyler, a frequent Trump critic. “There’s literally nothing to run on. The only thing he can say is that Biden is worse.”
But the day after Trump’s Tulsa rally, the president’s message was almost an afterthought as aides tried to explain away a smaller-than-expected crowd that left the president outraged.
The campaign had been betting big on Tulsa.
Trump’s political team spent days proclaiming that more than 1 million people had requested tickets. They also ignored health warnings from the White House coronavirus task force and Oklahoma officials, eager to host an event that would help him move past the civil rights protests and the coronavirus itself.
His first rally in 110 days was meant to be a defiant display of political force to help energize Trump’s spirits, try out some attacks on Biden and serve as a powerful symbol of American’s re-opening.
Instead, the city fire marshal’s office reported a crowd of just less than 6,200 in the 19,000-seat BOK Center, and at least six staff members who helped set up the event tested positive for the coronavirus. The vast majority of the attendees, including Trump, did not wear face masks as recommended by the Trump administration’s health experts.
After the rally, the president berated aides over the turnout. He fumed that he had been led to believe he would see huge crowds in deep-red Oklahoma, according to two White House and campaign officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.
There was no sign of an imminent staff shakeup, but members of Trump’s inner circle angrily questioned how campaign manager Brad Parscale and other senior aides could so wildly overpromise and underdeliver, according to the officials.
Publicly, Trump’s team scrambled to blame the crowd size on media coverage and protesters outside the venue, but the small crowds of pre-rally demonstrators were largely peaceful. Tulsa police reported just one arrest Saturday afternoon.
It’s unclear when Trump will hold his next rally.
Before Oklahoma, the campaign had planned to finalize and announce its next rally this week. Trump is already scheduled to make appearances Tuesday in Arizona and Thursday in Wisconsin. Both are major general election battlegrounds.
At least one swing state governor, meanwhile, says Trump would not be welcome to host a rally in her state amid the pandemic.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said she “would think very seriously about” trying to block Trump from hosting a rally there if he wanted to.
“We know that congregating without masks, especially at an indoor facility, is the worst thing to do in the midst of a global pandemic,” Whitmer said in an interview before the Oklahoma event, conceding that she wasn’t aware of the specific legal tools she had available to block a prospective Trump rally. “I just know we have limitations on the number of people that can gather and that we’re taking this seriously.”
Biden’s campaign, meanwhile, seized on a fresh opportunity to poke at the incumbent president, suggesting that Trump “was already in a tailspin” because of his mismanagement of the pandemic and civil rights protests.
“Donald Trump has abdicated leadership and it is no surprise that his supporters have responded by abandoning him,” Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates said.
___
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-22--Two More Trump Campaign Staffers Test Positive For Coronavirus After Tulsa Rally

Two more Trump campaign staffers tested positive for the novel coronavirus after attending the President ’ s first re-election campaign rally on Saturday .
Trump ’ s campaign confirmed to TPM in a statement on Monday that two additional members of the re-election campaign tested positive for coronavirus “ after another round of testing for campaign staff in Tulsa.
” “ These staff members attended the rally but were wearing masks during the entire event , ” Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told TPM in a statement .
“ Upon the positive tests , the campaign immediately activated established @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two more Trump campaign members testing positive for the novel coronavirus brings the total number of its advance team staffers who attended the Tulsa rally to eight .
Hours before the President ’ s re-election rally kicked off on Saturday , the Trump campaign confirmed that six members who worked at the rally tested positive for the coronavirus .
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement ahead of the rally on Saturday that “ per safety protocols , campaign staff are tested for COVID-19 before events.
” “ Six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of hundreds of tests performed , and quarantine procedures were immediately implemented , ” Murtaugh said on Saturday .
“ No COVID-positive staffers or anyone in immediate contact will be at today ’ s rally or near attendees and elected officials , ” he said .
On Sunday , Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale and Murtaugh blamed the media for the Tulsa rally ’ s embarrassingly low turnout .
Parscale claimed that “ a week ’ s worth of the fake news media warning people away from the rally because of COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of American cities on fire , had a real impact on people bringing their families and children to the rally.
” Murtaugh echoed Parscale soon after , tweeting that the “ real factor was media-stoked fear.
” In the days leading up to the rally , Parscale touted that more than a million people had registered for the event how it was being held in an arena with 19,000 seats .
Fewer than 6,200 people attended the rally , however , which reportedly infuriated the President .

Two more Trump campaign staffers tested positive for the novel coronavirus after attending the President’s first re-election campaign rally on Saturday.
Trump’s campaign confirmed to TPM in a statement on Monday that two additional members of the re-election campaign tested positive for coronavirus “after another round of testing for campaign staff in Tulsa.”
“These staff members attended the rally but were wearing masks during the entire event,” Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told TPM in a statement. “Upon the positive tests, the campaign immediately activated established quarantine and contact tracing protocols.”
News of two more Trump campaign members testing positive for the novel coronavirus brings the total number of its advance team staffers who attended the Tulsa rally to eight.
Hours before the President’s re-election rally kicked off on Saturday, the Trump campaign confirmed that six members who worked at the rally tested positive for the coronavirus.
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement ahead of the rally on Saturday that “per safety protocols, campaign staff are tested for COVID-19 before events.”
“Six members of the advance team tested positive out of hundreds of tests performed, and quarantine procedures were immediately implemented,” Murtaugh said on Saturday. “No COVID-positive staffers or anyone in immediate contact will be at today’s rally or near attendees and elected officials,” he said.
On Sunday, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale and Murtaugh blamed the media for the Tulsa rally’s embarrassingly low turnout. Parscale claimed that “a week’s worth of the fake news media warning people away from the rally because of COVID and protestors, coupled with recent images of American cities on fire, had a real impact on people bringing their families and children to the rally.” Murtaugh echoed Parscale soon after, tweeting that the “real factor was media-stoked fear.”
In the days leading up to the rally, Parscale touted that more than a million people had registered for the event how it was being held in an arena with 19,000 seats. Fewer than 6,200 people attended the rally, however, which reportedly infuriated the President.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-22--Army Private Accused Of Planning Ambush On His Unit With Occult Neo-Nazi Group

An Army private was charged Monday with helping an occult neo-Nazi group to plan an attack on his unit .
The private allegedly shared information with the occult group about his unit ’ s weaponry , movements and location , in hopes that members of the group would facilitate an attack on his fellow troops , the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the Southern District of New York said Monday .
And when confronted with the evidence against him in late May , authorities alleged , the private confessed and declared himself a traitor against the United States .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Metzer , the result of a global inter-agency investigation , was unveiled by the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office on Monday afternoon .
“ As alleged , Ethan Melzer , a private in the U.S. Army , was the enemy within , ” the acting U.S. attorney in the district , Audrey Strauss , said in a statement .
According to the grand jury indictment against him , Melzer joined the Satanic neo-Nazi group “ Order of the Nine Angles , ” or “ O9A , ” in 2019 , while he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founded in the UK , and has been linked to modern “ accelerationist ” neo-Nazi groups like Atomwaffen , which seek to hasten societal conflict through violence .
Melzer consumed propaganda from O9A and the Islamic State , according to the indictment , including an Islamic State document called “ Harvest of the Soldiers.
” According to the complaint against Melzer , authorities found an image of the document in his iCloud account after obtaining a warrant to search it .
Another photo in the account included a book on “ The Sinister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Seen above . )
After learning in April that his unit would be deployed to guard an overseas military installation , Melzer allegedly shared the assignment with O9A associates as well as a group called “ RapeWaffen Division ” for the purpose of “ facilitating an attack on the unit , ” according to the indictment .
Authorities say that in May , an alleged co-conspirator asked Melzer in a chat room associated with the group whether Melzer had deployed to Turkey yet , because “ we are literally organizing a jihadi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably , ” Melzer allegedly replied .
“ As long as I get the info I need to give you all.
” In the exchange , Melzer appeared to accept the possibility that he would be shot in the attack , according to the complaint against him .
“ Who gives a fuck , ” he allegedly said .
“ The after effects of a convoy getting attacked would cover it…It would be another war…I would ’ ve died successfully…Cause if another 10 year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this exchange , May 17 , Melzer “ passed information regarding the deployment to a purported member of al Qaeda , ” according to the indictment .
Of course , things aren ’ t always so simple in ( alleged ) international occult neo-Nazi plots .
At one point , according to the conversation quoted in the complaint , Melzer appeared to lose his temper .
“ Okay let me direct as possible , ” he allegedly wrote on May 23 .
“ IF YOU KNOW ANYONE IN TURKEY TELL THEM THIS INFO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was referring to information about “ a convoy coming through Turkey soon and date and time will be given soon .
Goddamn.
” According to the conversations listed in the complaint , Melzer was thorough , repeatedly listing the firepower and defensive capabilities of his unit and gaming out possible attacks .
All the while , a confidential source fed information to law enforcement .
“ [ A ] well hidden plt [ platoon ] size element or even some mortar team could absolutely reek havoc , ” Melzer wrote at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the land .
When confronted on May 30 about his plans , Melzer allegedly fessed up to sharing the information and admitted his role in plotting the attack .
In the same interview , per the indictment , he “ declared himself to be a traitor against the United States whose conduct was tantamount to treason.
” “ We agree ” with that assessment , FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said in a statement Monday .
Ultimately , a federal grand jury approved six counts against Melzer : Conspiracy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. nationals , conspiracy to Murder U.S. service members , attempted murder of U.S. service members , provision and attempted provision of material support to terrorists , and conspiracy to murder and main in a foreign country .
Combined , the charges could mean life in prison .

An Army private was charged Monday with helping an occult neo-Nazi group to plan an attack on his unit.
The private allegedly shared information with the occult group about his unit’s weaponry, movements and location, in hopes that members of the group would facilitate an attack on his fellow troops, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said Monday. And when confronted with the evidence against him in late May, authorities alleged, the private confessed and declared himself a traitor against the United States.
The laundry list of charges against Ethan Metzer, the result of a global inter-agency investigation, was unveiled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Monday afternoon.
“As alleged, Ethan Melzer, a private in the U.S. Army, was the enemy within,” the acting U.S. attorney in the district, Audrey Strauss, said in a statement.
According to the grand jury indictment against him, Melzer joined the Satanic neo-Nazi group “Order of the Nine Angles,” or “O9A,” in 2019, while he was an Army private. The group was founded in the UK, and has been linked to modern “accelerationist” neo-Nazi groups like Atomwaffen, which seek to hasten societal conflict through violence.
Melzer consumed propaganda from O9A and the Islamic State, according to the indictment, including an Islamic State document called “Harvest of the Soldiers.” According to the complaint against Melzer, authorities found an image of the document in his iCloud account after obtaining a warrant to search it. Another photo in the account included a book on “The Sinister Tradition: Order of Nine Angles.” (Seen above.)
After learning in April that his unit would be deployed to guard an overseas military installation, Melzer allegedly shared the assignment with O9A associates as well as a group called “RapeWaffen Division” for the purpose of “facilitating an attack on the unit,” according to the indictment.
Authorities say that in May, an alleged co-conspirator asked Melzer in a chat room associated with the group whether Melzer had deployed to Turkey yet, because “we are literally organizing a jihadi attack.”
“[Y]es probably,” Melzer allegedly replied. “As long as I get the info I need to give you all.”
In the exchange, Melzer appeared to accept the possibility that he would be shot in the attack, according to the complaint against him.
“Who gives a fuck,” he allegedly said. “The after effects of a convoy getting attacked would cover it…It would be another war…I would’ve died successfully…Cause if another 10 year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a mark.”
On the same day as this exchange, May 17, Melzer “passed information regarding the deployment to a purported member of al Qaeda,” according to the indictment.
Of course, things aren’t always so simple in (alleged) international occult neo-Nazi plots. At one point, according to the conversation quoted in the complaint, Melzer appeared to lose his temper.
“Okay let me direct as possible,” he allegedly wrote on May 23. “IF YOU KNOW ANYONE IN TURKEY TELL THEM THIS INFO there.” He later clarified yet again that he was referring to information about “a convoy coming through Turkey soon and date and time will be given soon. Goddamn.”
According to the conversations listed in the complaint, Melzer was thorough, repeatedly listing the firepower and defensive capabilities of his unit and gaming out possible attacks. All the while, a confidential source fed information to law enforcement.
“[A] well hidden plt [platoon] size element or even some mortar team could absolutely reek havoc,” Melzer wrote at one point, after describing the lay of the land.
When confronted on May 30 about his plans, Melzer allegedly fessed up to sharing the information and admitted his role in plotting the attack. In the same interview, per the indictment, he “declared himself to be a traitor against the United States whose conduct was tantamount to treason.”
“We agree” with that assessment, FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said in a statement Monday.
Ultimately, a federal grand jury approved six counts against Melzer: Conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, attempted murder of U.S. nationals, conspiracy to Murder U.S. service members, attempted murder of U.S. service members, provision and attempted provision of material support to terrorists, and conspiracy to murder and main in a foreign country. Combined, the charges could mean life in prison.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-22--Church Hosting Trump Celebrates Air Filters That Kill ‘99.9% Of COVID’ In Minutes!

Great news from the Phoenix church where President Donald Trump is scheduled to address a large crowd on Tuesday amid a COVID-19 spike in the area : You ’ re safe here !
That ’ s the word from the senior pastor and chief operations officer of Dream City Church , whose Phoenix location will host the President and a long list of GOP stars , including two governors and several members of Congress , for a “ Students for Trump ” event that could draw 3,000 people .
“ When you come into our auditorium , 99 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was there in the first place .
So you can know when you come here you ’ ll be safe and protected , ” Dream City Church Senior Pastor Luke Barnett said in a Facebook video on Sunday , standing alongside the church ’ s COO .
“ Thank God for great technology and thank God for being proactive !
” Barnett added .
Why the confidence amid a global pandemic ?
Well , it ’ s the church ’ s new air purification system .
Experts have dismissed the notion that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 .
But why let that get in the way of a heartwarming story ?
“ We ’ ve installed these units , and it kills 99.9 % of COVID within 10 minutes — from independent testing , ” church COO Brendan Zastrow said in the same Facebook video Sunday .
“ Ionization ?
Is that what it is ?
” Barnett prodded .
“ Ionization of the air , ” Zastrow agreed .
“ And it takes particulates out , and COVID can not live in that environment.
” TMZ first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the church might not want to hang its hopes on air purifiers , cautioned Linsey Marr , a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech who studies the airborne transmission of infectious disease .
“ They can reduce the background level , but that doesn ’ t help when we ’ re in close proximity to others , ” she told TPM .
In other words , unless every rally attendee has their own personal purification system , the church isn ’ t going to stop 99.9 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim has not been demonstrated in any peer-reviewed independent forum that I am aware of , ” added Jeffrey Siegel , a professor of civil engineering at the University of Toronto who specializes in air quality .
Speaking generally , Siegel said manufacturers often “ take idealized lab results and assume the same performance in a real building , when in fact , for every air cleaning device , in-situ performance is very different from lab performance.
” The church and Students for Trump have faced criticism for hosting the event given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego ( D ) on Sunday urged Trump to consider “ whether it ’ s appropriate to have this event in Phoenix while we are increasing the amount of COVID in our community ” — but she said the city would not be “ focused ” on enforcing its recently instituted mask rule at the rally .
CleanAir EXP , the company whose filtration system the church said it had installed , writes on its website that the product “ eliminates 99.9 % of coronavirus from the air in less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lab analysis was performed with a “ surrogate ” virus .
The company didn ’ t return TPM ’ s request for comment .
“ It may kill [ coronavirus ] within 10 minutes , but it has to get there first , ” Marr said of the purification system .
Marr pictured two attendees at the Tuesday event , one infected with COVID-19 but not showing any symptoms , and the other healthy .
In order for the air purification system to to work , she said , the droplets coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have to travel through the purification system before the healthy neighbor breathed them in — an unlikely feat in a large , crowded space .
“ When I ’ m in a crowd and I ’ m close to people , I ’ m going to end up breathing their exhalations before they have a chance to get to that purifier and come back , ” she said , adding that no air purification system would be able to prevent transmission “ between people who are in a crowded environment.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added , is “ if they get pranked again ” and no one actually shows up to the event .

Great news from the Phoenix church where President Donald Trump is scheduled to address a large crowd on Tuesday amid a COVID-19 spike in the area: You’re safe here!
That’s the word from the senior pastor and chief operations officer of Dream City Church, whose Phoenix location will host the President and a long list of GOP stars, including two governors and several members of Congress, for a “Students for Trump” event that could draw 3,000 people.
“When you come into our auditorium, 99% of COVID is gone! Killed! If it was there in the first place. So you can know when you come here you’ll be safe and protected,” Dream City Church Senior Pastor Luke Barnett said in a Facebook video on Sunday, standing alongside the church’s COO.
“Thank God for great technology and thank God for being proactive!” Barnett added.
Why the confidence amid a global pandemic? Well, it’s the church’s new air purification system. Experts have dismissed the notion that air purifiers alone can eliminate the risk of COVID-19. But why let that get in the way of a heartwarming story?
“We’ve installed these units, and it kills 99.9% of COVID within 10 minutes — from independent testing,” church COO Brendan Zastrow said in the same Facebook video Sunday.
“Ionization? Is that what it is?” Barnett prodded.
“Ionization of the air,” Zastrow agreed. “And it takes particulates out, and COVID cannot live in that environment.”
@dreamcitychurch deployed new technology that kills 99% of Coronavirus through ionization!! Check out this video from @pastorlukebarnett and our CFO @brendonzastrow Posted by Dream City Church on Sunday, June 21, 2020
TMZ first reported on the church’s claims.
But the church might not want to hang its hopes on air purifiers, cautioned Linsey Marr, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech who studies the airborne transmission of infectious disease.
“They can reduce the background level, but that doesn’t help when we’re in close proximity to others,” she told TPM.
In other words, unless every rally attendee has their own personal purification system, the church isn’t going to stop 99.9% of coronavirus, she said.
“This claim has not been demonstrated in any peer-reviewed independent forum that I am aware of,” added Jeffrey Siegel, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Toronto who specializes in air quality.
Speaking generally, Siegel said manufacturers often “take idealized lab results and assume the same performance in a real building, when in fact, for every air cleaning device, in-situ performance is very different from lab performance.”
The church and Students for Trump have faced criticism for hosting the event given the recent spike of COVID-19 in Arizona. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego (D) on Sunday urged Trump to consider “whether it’s appropriate to have this event in Phoenix while we are increasing the amount of COVID in our community” — but she said the city would not be “focused” on enforcing its recently instituted mask rule at the rally.
CleanAir EXP, the company whose filtration system the church said it had installed, writes on its website that the product “eliminates 99.9% of coronavirus from the air in less than 10 minutes,” noting that a lab analysis was performed with a “surrogate” virus. The company didn’t return TPM’s request for comment.
“It may kill [coronavirus] within 10 minutes, but it has to get there first,” Marr said of the purification system.
Marr pictured two attendees at the Tuesday event, one infected with COVID-19 but not showing any symptoms, and the other healthy. In order for the air purification system to to work, she said, the droplets coming from the infected person’s mouth would have to travel through the purification system before the healthy neighbor breathed them in — an unlikely feat in a large, crowded space.
“When I’m in a crowd and I’m close to people, I’m going to end up breathing their exhalations before they have a chance to get to that purifier and come back,” she said, adding that no air purification system would be able to prevent transmission “between people who are in a crowded environment.”
The only hope on that front, she added, is “if they get pranked again” and no one actually shows up to the event.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-22--Schumer: Trump Has ‘Still Failed’ To Distribute Critical Coronavirus Relief Funding

Two top Senate Democrats said the Trump administration has “ still failed ” to distribute more than $ 14 billion out of $ 25 billion relief bill that had been appropriated by Congress as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ While it has been months since these funds were first appropriated , the Administration has failed to disburse significant amounts of this funding , leaving communities without the resources they need to address the significant challenges presented by the virus , ” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-NY ) and Sen. Patty Murray ( D-WA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Sunday .
$ 8 billion from the bill had been set aside to expand testing and contact tracing for the virus as spikes continue to pop up around the country , the senators said .
The Democrats ’ letter comes after Trump said in a rally speech in Tulsa on Saturday that he had requested of his staff to “ slow down the testing ” for COVID-19 .
Trump has railed against increased testing showing an increase in COVID cases as he has come under intense criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has killed more than 120,000 Americans .
Although his campaign team said that the comments were made in jest , the president also dodged when asked whether he directed members of his administration to stifle testing .
“ We do more testing than any other country by far , ” Trump told a reporter in an interview of Monday .
Amid growing concerns about the racial and ethnic disparities brought into focus by the pandemic , the letter pointed at the need to fund data collection that would better identify communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better support could be provided in those areas .
The letter also said that $ 4 billion in funding had not yet been awarded by the CDC to efforts in public health surveillance , and additional and contact tracing .
The remaining $ 2 billion from the relief pot had been designated solely to guarantee testing for the uninsured , by paying claims made by providers for tests .
As the funds go largely unused – and in some cases are otherwise slowed by disbursement issues in the claims process – Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black people who are among the hardest hit by the virus , than any administration preceding him .
“ This Administration will put our country at grave risk if it tries to declare an early victory , leave lifesaving work undone , and leave resources our communities desperately need sitting untouched , ” the lawmakers wrote .

Two top Senate Democrats said the Trump administration has “still failed” to distribute more than $14 billion out of $25 billion relief bill that had been appropriated by Congress as part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“While it has been months since these funds were first appropriated, the Administration has failed to disburse significant amounts of this funding, leaving communities without the resources they need to address the significant challenges presented by the virus,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said in letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Sunday.
$8 billion from the bill had been set aside to expand testing and contact tracing for the virus as spikes continue to pop up around the country, the senators said.
The Democrats’ letter comes after Trump said in a rally speech in Tulsa on Saturday that he had requested of his staff to “slow down the testing” for COVID-19.
Trump has railed against increased testing showing an increase in COVID cases as he has come under intense criticism for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 120,000 Americans.
Although his campaign team said that the comments were made in jest, the president also dodged when asked whether he directed members of his administration to stifle testing.
“We do more testing than any other country by far,” Trump told a reporter in an interview of Monday.
Amid growing concerns about the racial and ethnic disparities brought into focus by the pandemic, the letter pointed at the need to fund data collection that would better identify communities hard hit by the virus so that better support could be provided in those areas.
The letter also said that $4 billion in funding had not yet been awarded by the CDC to efforts in public health surveillance, and additional and contact tracing.
The remaining $2 billion from the relief pot had been designated solely to guarantee testing for the uninsured, by paying claims made by providers for tests. As the funds go largely unused – and in some cases are otherwise slowed by disbursement issues in the claims process – Trump has repeatedly applauded himself for doing more for Black people who are among the hardest hit by the virus, than any administration preceding him.
“This Administration will put our country at grave risk if it tries to declare an early victory, leave lifesaving work undone, and leave resources our communities desperately need sitting untouched,” the lawmakers wrote.
Read the full letter below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-22--Nigel Farage Scores Entry To US For Trump’s Rally Under ‘National Interest’ Allowance

Nigel Farage , leader of the U.K. ’ s Brexit party , gained entry to the United States to attend President Donald Trump ’ s Tulsa rally despite the current ban on Britons entering the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Per the Department of Homeland Security , Farage was able to skirt the ban after his visit was designated to be “ in the national interest.
” “ On June 19 , Mr. Nigel Farage , the leader of the United Kingdom ’ s Brexit Party , was denied boarding while attempting to fly from the United Kingdom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DHS spokesperson told TPM in a statement .
“ The initial denial of boarding was made pursuant to a March 14 Presidential Proclamation that , due to the COVID-19 pandemic , suspends the entry into the United States of certain foreign nationals who recently have been present in the United Kingdom.
” “ After conducting a thorough review of the relevant facts and circumstances , DHS determined Mr. Farage ’ s travel to be permissible under Section 2 ( a ) ( xi ) of the Presidential Proclamation : any alien whose entry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as determined by the Secretary of State , the Secretary of Homeland Security , or their designees authorizing Mr. Farage to board his flight , ” the spokesperson added .
DHS did not answer TPM ’ s questions about why attending a Trump rally is in the national interest , or who designated it as such .
Bennie Thompson ( D-MS ) , chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security , sent a letter to acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf Monday requesting a tranche of documents related to Farage ’ s trip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Administration to admit Mr. Farage to the United States to enable him to attend a campaign rally at a time when most travel from the United Kingdom to the U.S. has been suspended raises numerous troubling questions , as does the claim that such travel was in the national interest , ” he wrote .
He ’ s requesting the information , including who designated Farage ’ s trip as in the national interest and what justification he or she gave , by June 26 .
Farage posted a picture of himself Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ only twenty four hours from Tulsa.
” A Washington Post reporter snapped a picture of Farage backstage before the rally began .
Trump and Farage ’ s friendliness is no secret — Farage appeared onstage with Trump at a rally in Jackson , Mississippi in 2016 , where he addressed the nonplussed crowd about the Brexit debate and U.S. election .
“ I will say this : if I was an American citizen , I wouldn ’ t vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me !
” Farage told the crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard of him .

Nigel Farage, leader of the U.K.’s Brexit party, gained entry to the United States to attend President Donald Trump’s Tulsa rally despite the current ban on Britons entering the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Per the Department of Homeland Security, Farage was able to skirt the ban after his visit was designated to be “in the national interest.”
“On June 19, Mr. Nigel Farage, the leader of the United Kingdom’s Brexit Party, was denied boarding while attempting to fly from the United Kingdom to the United States,” a DHS spokesperson told TPM in a statement. “The initial denial of boarding was made pursuant to a March 14 Presidential Proclamation that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, suspends the entry into the United States of certain foreign nationals who recently have been present in the United Kingdom.”
“After conducting a thorough review of the relevant facts and circumstances, DHS determined Mr. Farage’s travel to be permissible under Section 2 (a)(xi) of the Presidential Proclamation: any alien whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their designees authorizing Mr. Farage to board his flight,” the spokesperson added.
DHS did not answer TPM’s questions about why attending a Trump rally is in the national interest, or who designated it as such.
Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, sent a letter to acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf Monday requesting a tranche of documents related to Farage’s trip.
“The decision of the Trump Administration to admit Mr. Farage to the United States to enable him to attend a campaign rally at a time when most travel from the United Kingdom to the U.S. has been suspended raises numerous troubling questions, as does the claim that such travel was in the national interest,” he wrote.
He’s requesting the information, including who designated Farage’s trip as in the national interest and what justification he or she gave, by June 26.
Farage posted a picture of himself Saturday giving a grin and thumbs up, “only twenty four hours from Tulsa.”
A Washington Post reporter snapped a picture of Farage backstage before the rally began.
Nigel Farage backstage at the “Team Trump on Tour” part of the rally, a series of panel discussions for the crowd outside pic.twitter.com/OvnRscaEuQ — Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) June 20, 2020
Trump and Farage’s friendliness is no secret — Farage appeared onstage with Trump at a rally in Jackson, Mississippi in 2016, where he addressed the nonplussed crowd about the Brexit debate and U.S. election.
“I will say this: if I was an American citizen, I wouldn’t vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me!” Farage told the crowd, many of whom had never before heard of him.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-22--Biden Campaign Commits To Three Debates After Trump, Giuliani Push For More

“ Joe Biden looks forward to facing Donald Trump in a multi-debate series that the American people have come to expect from their leaders ; we hope that President Trump would not break that tradition or make excuses for a refusal to participate , ” O ’ Malley Dillon wrote in the letter addressed to the Commission on Presidential debates and obtained by the Post .
The Biden campaign and the CPD did not immediately respond to TPM ’ s request for comment .
The Biden campaign ’ s later was issued a week after Politico first reported that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge of advocating for more debates against Biden this fall , contradicting the President ’ s threat to boycott the debates last year .
Both Giuliani and Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale are demanding that the debates begin prior to the start of early voting , a fourth debate be added to the schedule and both campaigns have input on vetting moderators .
In its new letter to the CPD , the Biden campaign slammed the “ new position ” of President ’ s re-election campaign as a “ debate distraction , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing questions from a neutral moderator ” given how he will only debate if he can pick the moderators .
‘ The Trump campaign proposal for elaborate negotiations is merely an effort to dodge fair , even-handed debates , ” O ’ Malley Dillon wrote , according to the Post .
The Post reported that O ’ Malley Dillon also requested that the CPD confirm debate arrangements in an effort to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus and to have one of the debates conducted in a town hall format .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden welcomed direct questions from uncommitted voters on a frequent basis , and we think it is time that President Trump faced such questioning himself , ” O ’ Malley Dillon wrote , according to the Post .
“ We know that voters have many , many questions for the President .
”

“Joe Biden looks forward to facing Donald Trump in a multi-debate series that the American people have come to expect from their leaders; we hope that President Trump would not break that tradition or make excuses for a refusal to participate,” O’Malley Dillon wrote in the letter addressed to the Commission on Presidential debates and obtained by the Post.
The Biden campaign and the CPD did not immediately respond to TPM’s request for comment.
The Biden campaign’s later was issued a week after Politico first reported that the Trump campaign is putting Rudy Giuliani in charge of advocating for more debates against Biden this fall, contradicting the President’s threat to boycott the debates last year. Both Giuliani and Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale are demanding that the debates begin prior to the start of early voting, a fourth debate be added to the schedule and both campaigns have input on vetting moderators.
In its new letter to the CPD, the Biden campaign slammed the “new position” of President’s re-election campaign as a “debate distraction,” adding that Trump is “afraid of facing questions from a neutral moderator” given how he will only debate if he can pick the moderators.
‘The Trump campaign proposal for elaborate negotiations is merely an effort to dodge fair, even-handed debates,” O’Malley Dillon wrote, according to the Post.
The Post reported that O’Malley Dillon also requested that the CPD confirm debate arrangements in an effort to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus and to have one of the debates conducted in a town hall format.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-22--WH Says Berman Was Canned Because His Replacement Wants To Live In NYC

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed on Monday that now-former U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman was removed because his replacement , current Security and Exchange Commission chair Jay Clayton , wanted to live in the Big Apple .
“ Mr .
Clayton wanted to go back to New York City .
We wanted to keep him in government and therefore he was given the position at SDNY , ” McEnany told reporters during a White House press briefing .
President Donald Trump holds Clayton , who has no experience as a prosecutor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the press secretary said .
McEnany claimed that Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr were “ very much in sync ” over Berman ’ s firing , despite the fact that Barr had told Berman that Trump had ordered his ouster while the President claimed he had nothing to do with it .
The press secretary said Berman , who initially refused to step down after Barr suddenly announced his departure , had disrupted the “ smooth transition ” the attorney general was working on to install Clayton in the SDNY .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way that he did , [ Barr ] came to the President and the president agreed and fired this individual , ” McEnany said .
Trump was involved “ in the signoff capacity , ” according to the press secretary .
Berman resigned on Saturday evening , leaving all of the SDNY ’ s investigations , including the probe into Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani , in the hands of Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss and then Clayton , if he is confirmed .
McEnany denied that Berman had been fired due to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s allies .
Rep. Don Beyer ( D-VA ) didn ’ t buy the White House ’ s explanation for Berman ’ s removal , calling it “ one of the stupidest and least believable excuses for government corruption I ’ ve ever heard.
” The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that right before his ouster , Berman had refused to sign Justice Department officials ’ letter to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that trashed him for restricting religious gatherings with his stay-at-home order amid COVID-19 .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney ’ s objection to the letter led to his firing .

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed on Monday that now-former U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman was removed because his replacement, current Security and Exchange Commission chair Jay Clayton, wanted to live in the Big Apple.
“Mr. Clayton wanted to go back to New York City. We wanted to keep him in government and therefore he was given the position at SDNY,” McEnany told reporters during a White House press briefing.
President Donald Trump holds Clayton, who has no experience as a prosecutor, “in very high regard,” the press secretary said.
McEnany claimed that Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr were “very much in sync” over Berman’s firing, despite the fact that Barr had told Berman that Trump had ordered his ouster while the President claimed he had nothing to do with it.
The press secretary said Berman, who initially refused to step down after Barr suddenly announced his departure, had disrupted the “smooth transition” the attorney general was working on to install Clayton in the SDNY.
“When Berman chose to respond in the way that he did, [Barr] came to the President and the president agreed and fired this individual,” McEnany said.
Trump was involved “in the signoff capacity,” according to the press secretary.
Berman resigned on Saturday evening, leaving all of the SDNY’s investigations, including the probe into Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, in the hands of Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss and then Clayton, if he is confirmed.
McEnany denied that Berman had been fired due to his Giuliani investigation or any others related to Trump’s allies.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) didn’t buy the White House’s explanation for Berman’s removal, calling it “one of the stupidest and least believable excuses for government corruption I’ve ever heard.”
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that right before his ouster, Berman had refused to sign Justice Department officials’ letter to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that trashed him for restricting religious gatherings with his stay-at-home order amid COVID-19. However, it is unknown whether the U.S. attorney’s objection to the letter led to his firing.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-22--New Revelations About Stone And Wikileaks Cast Mueller As ‘Hamlet’

Newly revealed portions of the Mueller report serve as a reminder of where the investigation stopped short in its probe of GOP operative Roger Stone .
The portions — which had been redacted last year due to secrecy surrounding Stone ’ s then-ongoing prosecution — reveal both that Stone told President Trump and other high-ranking members of Trump ’ s 2016 election bid that Wikileaks intended to release unspecified , embarrassing information about Hillary Clinton , and that the special prosecutor was unsure whether to conclude that President Trump lied about it .
Former federal prosecutors familiar with the newly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TPM how the sections highlight the value that a direct interview of President Trump would have had , and perhaps point to the special counsel ’ s own lack of willingness to push the issue .
Patrick Cotter , a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan , described Mueller as “ Hamlet , ” noting that “ he ’ s so conflicted and he respects the presidency so much.
” President Trump agreed to answer a series of questions submitted by the special counsel , in which he claimed to have no recollection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Stone has also attributed his statements about Wikileaks to “ puffery , ” saying that he had no special knowledge of what was to come .
The sequence of events went to the heart of what Mueller was investigating : Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential cooperation in that by the Trump campaign .
But the special counsel wasn ’ t so sure of how to construe President Trump ’ s response .
In one passage released on Friday , prosecutors wavered between concluding that President Trump had simply forgotten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter .
“ It is possible that , by the time the president submitted his written answers two years after the relevant events had occurred , he no longer had clear recollections of his discussions with Stone or his knowledge of Stone ’ s asserted communications with WikiLeaks , ” the Mueller report reads .
“ But the president ’ s conduct could also be viewed as reflecting his awareness that Stone could provide evidence that would run counter to the president ’ s denials and would link the president to Stone ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cotter told TPM that interviewing President Trump could have provided a resolution to the dilemma .
“ What they ’ re indicating is that they had an open question , ” Cotter said .
“ Either the President lied — in which case it could be a crime , obstruction — or , on the other hand , if he just made an honest mistake , that ’ s not a crime , ” Cotter added , saying that in similar situations , prosecutors typically gather corroborating accounts before confronting the subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The newly revealed sections provide corroborating accounts from former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and deputy campaign manager Rick Gates .
Both recalled Trump , starting in early June 2016 , holding phone calls with Stone in which the longtime GOP provocateur told the candidate that Wikileaks would bring something “ big ” to the campaign .
The revelations suggest that Trump and his inner circle were aware of efforts to damage the Clinton campaign , and of Stone as a potential facilitator of that effort .
Cotter described Mueller as “ Hamlet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s so conflicted and he respects the presidency so much.
” He added that if charging the President is off the table , “ you might say to yourself , is it worth trying to get more interviews with the President ?
” “ As a practical matter , it would have been futile , ” Cotter added .
Nick Akerman , a former Watergate prosecutor who interviewed Stone as part of that investigation , noted that the record showed “ multiple calls between Trump and Roger Stone over that period of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Wikileaks issue throughout the entire campaign , ” Akerman added , saying that he did not understand why the investigation did not push further on Trump ’ s answers regarding Stone and Wikileaks .
The stakes remain high for Stone .
He ’ s scheduled to report to prison in eight days , on June 30 .
The longtime political trickster said on Sunday night that he intends to ask for a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic , while President Trump has publicly suggested that he may grant Stone a @ @

Newly revealed portions of the Mueller report serve as a reminder of where the investigation stopped short in its probe of GOP operative Roger Stone.
The portions — which had been redacted last year due to secrecy surrounding Stone’s then-ongoing prosecution — reveal both that Stone told President Trump and other high-ranking members of Trump’s 2016 election bid that Wikileaks intended to release unspecified, embarrassing information about Hillary Clinton, and that the special prosecutor was unsure whether to conclude that President Trump lied about it.
Former federal prosecutors familiar with the newly revealed portions of the report described to TPM how the sections highlight the value that a direct interview of President Trump would have had, and perhaps point to the special counsel’s own lack of willingness to push the issue.
Patrick Cotter, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan, described Mueller as “Hamlet,” noting that “he’s so conflicted and he respects the presidency so much.”
President Trump agreed to answer a series of questions submitted by the special counsel, in which he claimed to have no recollection of discussing Wikileaks with Stone during the campaign.
Stone has also attributed his statements about Wikileaks to “puffery,” saying that he had no special knowledge of what was to come.
The sequence of events went to the heart of what Mueller was investigating: Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential cooperation in that by the Trump campaign.
But the special counsel wasn’t so sure of how to construe President Trump’s response. In one passage released on Friday, prosecutors wavered between concluding that President Trump had simply forgotten, or that he lied about the matter.
“It is possible that, by the time the president submitted his written answers two years after the relevant events had occurred, he no longer had clear recollections of his discussions with Stone or his knowledge of Stone’s asserted communications with WikiLeaks,” the Mueller report reads. “But the president’s conduct could also be viewed as reflecting his awareness that Stone could provide evidence that would run counter to the president’s denials and would link the president to Stone’s efforts to reach out to WikiLeaks.”
Cotter told TPM that interviewing President Trump could have provided a resolution to the dilemma.
“What they’re indicating is that they had an open question,” Cotter said. “Either the President lied — in which case it could be a crime, obstruction — or, on the other hand, if he just made an honest mistake, that’s not a crime,” Cotter added, saying that in similar situations, prosecutors typically gather corroborating accounts before confronting the subject with what they believe to be true.
The newly revealed sections provide corroborating accounts from former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and deputy campaign manager Rick Gates. Both recalled Trump, starting in early June 2016, holding phone calls with Stone in which the longtime GOP provocateur told the candidate that Wikileaks would bring something “big” to the campaign.
The revelations suggest that Trump and his inner circle were aware of efforts to damage the Clinton campaign, and of Stone as a potential facilitator of that effort.
Cotter described Mueller as “Hamlet,” noting that “he’s so conflicted and he respects the presidency so much.”
He added that if charging the President is off the table, “you might say to yourself, is it worth trying to get more interviews with the President?”
“As a practical matter, it would have been futile,” Cotter added.
Nick Akerman, a former Watergate prosecutor who interviewed Stone as part of that investigation, noted that the record showed “multiple calls between Trump and Roger Stone over that period of the campaign.”
“Trump was so engaged on the Wikileaks issue throughout the entire campaign,” Akerman added, saying that he did not understand why the investigation did not push further on Trump’s answers regarding Stone and Wikileaks.
The stakes remain high for Stone. He’s scheduled to report to prison in eight days, on June 30.
The longtime political trickster said on Sunday night that he intends to ask for a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while President Trump has publicly suggested that he may grant Stone a pardon.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-22--IN Councilman Who Made Comment About BLM Protesters ‘Breeding’ Resigns

Larry Brown , the councilman in Allen County , Indiana who said that “ unfortunately , ” Black Lives Matter protesters “ breed ” resigned on Monday .
Council President Joel Benz , who did not respond to TPM ’ s request for comment , told local CBS affiliate WANE that Brown ’ s resignation was “ the only way forward.
” “ But Mr. Brown ’ s resignation does not solve the challenge laid bare by Thursday ’ s meeting , ” he said , pointing out the lack of diversity in local government .
“ Council will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even though Mr. Brown is no longer a member of Council , ” he added .
“ It is important that it become a part of the permanent record that these comments are and will always be unacceptable and not representative of the values of this community or of Allen County government.
” The seat is currently listed as “ vacant ” on the council ’ s website .
Allen County includes Fort Wayne , the second-largest city in Indiana .
Brown apologized for the comments , which sparked immediate backlash , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regards to protesters breeding was wrong , and totally out of line , ” he said .
He made the offensive statement at a filmed council meeting last Thursday , while discussing his frustration with constituents threatening to vote the members of the council out of office .
The conversation got heated as Shiela Curry-Campbell , the only Democratic council member and president of the local NAACP chapter , defended the protesters .
“ These kids are out there for a reason .
They are angry , ” she said , after Councilman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property deserved a “ spanking.
” “ We ’ re all being threatened with votes , ” Brown interjected .
“ As uneducated as they are , obviously , on local government , they do vote .
And , unfortunately , they also breed .
But they do vote , and they ’ re gon na be an uneducated voter.
” The response to his comments was swift and outraged in a usually very red part of the country that has seen recent protests after the police killing of George Floyd brought anger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Larry Brown, the councilman in Allen County, Indiana who said that “unfortunately,” Black Lives Matter protesters “breed” resigned on Monday.
Council President Joel Benz, who did not respond to TPM’s request for comment, told local CBS affiliate WANE that Brown’s resignation was “the only way forward.”
“But Mr. Brown’s resignation does not solve the challenge laid bare by Thursday’s meeting,” he said, pointing out the lack of diversity in local government.
“Council will also continue to consider the question of censure, even though Mr. Brown is no longer a member of Council,” he added. “It is important that it become a part of the permanent record that these comments are and will always be unacceptable and not representative of the values of this community or of Allen County government.”
The seat is currently listed as “vacant” on the council’s website. Allen County includes Fort Wayne, the second-largest city in Indiana.
Brown apologized for the comments, which sparked immediate backlash, last week. “My comments in regards to protesters breeding was wrong, and totally out of line,” he said.
He made the offensive statement at a filmed council meeting last Thursday, while discussing his frustration with constituents threatening to vote the members of the council out of office.
The conversation got heated as Shiela Curry-Campbell, the only Democratic council member and president of the local NAACP chapter, defended the protesters.
“These kids are out there for a reason. They are angry,” she said, after Councilman Ken Fries said that protesters who destroyed property deserved a “spanking.”
“We’re all being threatened with votes,” Brown interjected. “As uneducated as they are, obviously, on local government, they do vote. And, unfortunately, they also breed. But they do vote, and they’re gonna be an uneducated voter.”
The response to his comments was swift and outraged in a usually very red part of the country that has seen recent protests after the police killing of George Floyd brought anger at racial injustice to a boiling point.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-22--Trump Refuses To Confirm Whether He Asked Staff To ‘Slow The Testing Down’ For COVID-19

Amid ongoing attempts to save face as the number of positive coronavirus cases continues to rise around the country , President Trump would not say whether or not he had requested that his staff “ slow the testing down.
” Trump originally made the remark during a poorly attended reelection rally in Tulsa on Saturday , in a speech that also ridiculed health experts and mocked the coronavirus ’ Chinese origins .
Joe St. George , a reporter for “ Scripps ” confronted the president in an interview on Monday about the claim , asking if it meant fewer tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result .
Trump responded with a familiar groan about how more testing means more cases .
“ We do more testing than any other country by far , ” he said .
When pushed again on the question and whether or not the President had pushed for a slow-down of testing , Trump again demurred .
“ We ’ re so far advanced , ” the President said touting both the “ quality ” and “ the amount ” of tests .
Trump ’ s latest comments come after his repeated gripes over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ As you do more tests it shows more and more cases , ” Trump told St. George .
Put simply , more testing digs up more cases of infection — a fact that does not bode well for a president who is getting back on the campaign trail for reelection and has been criticized for his mishandling of the pandemic .
“ If it did slow down , frankly , I think we ’ re way ahead of ourselves , if you want to know the truth we ’ ve done too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the interview .

Amid ongoing attempts to save face as the number of positive coronavirus cases continues to rise around the country, President Trump would not say whether or not he had requested that his staff “slow the testing down.”
VIDEO: Just asked President Trump if he actually ordered testing to be slowed down. He said in his Saturday speech he did. He didn't answer the direct question. pic.twitter.com/aDKGu6F2Ok — Joe St. George (@JoeStGeorge) June 22, 2020
Trump originally made the remark during a poorly attended reelection rally in Tulsa on Saturday, in a speech that also ridiculed health experts and mocked the coronavirus’ Chinese origins. Joe St. George, a reporter for “Scripps” confronted the president in an interview on Monday about the claim, asking if it meant fewer tests would be available to Americans as a result.
Trump responded with a familiar groan about how more testing means more cases. “We do more testing than any other country by far,” he said.
When pushed again on the question and whether or not the President had pushed for a slow-down of testing, Trump again demurred.
“We’re so far advanced,” the President said touting both the “quality” and “the amount” of tests.
Trump’s latest comments come after his repeated gripes over the bad PR optics of testing. “As you do more tests it shows more and more cases,” Trump told St. George.
Put simply, more testing digs up more cases of infection — a fact that does not bode well for a president who is getting back on the campaign trail for reelection and has been criticized for his mishandling of the pandemic.
“If it did slow down, frankly, I think we’re way ahead of ourselves, if you want to know the truth we’ve done too good a job,” Trump added in the interview.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-23--Gidley Is Moving To The Trump Campaign After Nearly Three Years At WH

Top White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley will depart his role to become the national press secretary for President Trump ’ s re-election campaign .
Gidley is set to fill the vacancy left in the Trump campaign after Kayleigh McEnany moved to the White House in April to become its press secretary .
Trump aides told Politico in a report published Tuesday that they were seeking someone who could help coordinate between the White House and campaign .
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh will continue spearheading the campaign press office .
Politico reported that Gidley had been in talks with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gidley said in a statement that he is “ overwhelmingly humbled and deeply appreciative ” to the President for his tenure at the White House and that he “ can ’ t wait to get over to the campaign and fight for his re-election.
” Both the White House and Trump campaign praised the move as well .
The President had an enthusiastic reaction to Gidley ’ s move in a tweet .
McEnany told TPM in a statement that she considers Gidley to be “ an invaluable member ” of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ praised him for being an “ expert at communicating ” the President ’ s message to Americans .
“ His skills and experience will be missed at the White House but will excel in his new role , ” McEnany wrote .
Jared Kushner , Trump ’ s adviser and son-in law , told TPM in a statement that Gidley ’ s “ two decades of prior campaign experience combined with his deep knowledge of the Administration make him an invaluable addition.
” Gidley worked in campaign politics for decades prior to serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly three years .
He previously worked on the presidential campaigns of Mike Huckabee — the father of former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders — and Rick Santorum as well as the Senate campaign for Elizabeth Dole .
Gidley also served as executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party .

Top White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley will depart his role to become the national press secretary for President Trump’s re-election campaign.
Gidley is set to fill the vacancy left in the Trump campaign after Kayleigh McEnany moved to the White House in April to become its press secretary.
Trump aides told Politico in a report published Tuesday that they were seeking someone who could help coordinate between the White House and campaign. Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh will continue spearheading the campaign press office.
Politico reported that Gidley had been in talks with the Trump campaign for around a month.
Gidley said in a statement that he is “overwhelmingly humbled and deeply appreciative” to the President for his tenure at the White House and that he “can’t wait to get over to the campaign and fight for his re-election.”
Both the White House and Trump campaign praised the move as well.
The President had an enthusiastic reaction to Gidley’s move in a tweet.
Hogan Gidley will be leaving the White House on July 1 and heading over to my campaign to be the National Press Secretary. He is a strong, loyal and trusted member of the team that I know will do an outstanding job! We must WIN this election! Follow him at @JHoganGidley. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 23, 2020
McEnany told TPM in a statement that she considers Gidley to be “an invaluable member” of the White House’s press team and praised him for being an “expert at communicating” the President’s message to Americans.
“His skills and experience will be missed at the White House but will excel in his new role,” McEnany wrote.
Jared Kushner, Trump’s adviser and son-in law, told TPM in a statement that Gidley’s “two decades of prior campaign experience combined with his deep knowledge of the Administration make him an invaluable addition.”
Gidley worked in campaign politics for decades prior to serving as a top White House spokesperson for nearly three years. He previously worked on the presidential campaigns of Mike Huckabee — the father of former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders — and Rick Santorum as well as the Senate campaign for Elizabeth Dole. Gidley also served as executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-23--Biden Calls Trump’s Visit To Arizona ‘Reckless And Irresponsible’

Joe Biden called President Donald Trump ’ s planned events in Arizona on Tuesday a “ distraction ” from the President ’ s failure to handle the devastating COVID-19 crisis and a “ reckless and irresponsible ” move amid evidence that Arizona has become an emerging hotspot for the virus as it hits daily records in hospitalizations for the infection .
“ Make no mistake : this visit is a distraction .
It ’ s a distraction from Donald Trump ’ s failed response to combat the spread of COVID-19 , ” Biden said in a statement .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get Americans — including many in Arizona — the testing we need.
” The comments come amid questions from reporters on Tuesday regarding whether or not Trump was joking when he said in a rally speech in Tulsa on Saturday that he had told his administration staff to “ slow down the testing ” for COVID-19 because more tests meant the discovery of more infections .
Trump insisted “ I don ’ t kid.
” Biden rebuked Trump for his “ inability ” to provide a reopening plan for the country that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health expertise .
During much of the pandemic relief effort , the president has left states to scramble for themselves , meanwhile flouting CDC recommendations to cover his face in public spaces and events like his own rally on Saturday , which resulted in eight new cases of infection among his own campaign staff .
Biden also criticized what he called Trump ’ s “ corrupt recovery ” effort that has failed at getting critical resources to small businesses and working families catapulting many Americans into economic ruin as he celebrates his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very high unemployment rates .
Trump is scheduled to make two stops in Arizona , including a viewing of the border wall construction in Yuma that was a major campaign promise when he was first elected in 2016 and a stop at a “ Students for Trump ” event in Phoenix where Mayor Kate Gallego has urged him to wear a mask before addressing local crowds .

Joe Biden called President Donald Trump’s planned events in Arizona on Tuesday a “distraction” from the President’s failure to handle the devastating COVID-19 crisis and a “reckless and irresponsible” move amid evidence that Arizona has become an emerging hotspot for the virus as it hits daily records in hospitalizations for the infection.
“Make no mistake: this visit is a distraction. It’s a distraction from Donald Trump’s failed response to combat the spread of COVID-19,” Biden said in a statement. “It’s a distraction from his failure to get Americans — including many in Arizona — the testing we need.”
The comments come amid questions from reporters on Tuesday regarding whether or not Trump was joking when he said in a rally speech in Tulsa on Saturday that he had told his administration staff to “slow down the testing” for COVID-19 because more tests meant the discovery of more infections. Trump insisted “I don’t kid.”
Biden rebuked Trump for his “inability” to provide a reopening plan for the country that’s rooted in scientific data and public health expertise.
During much of the pandemic relief effort, the president has left states to scramble for themselves, meanwhile flouting CDC recommendations to cover his face in public spaces and events like his own rally on Saturday, which resulted in eight new cases of infection among his own campaign staff.
Biden also criticized what he called Trump’s “corrupt recovery” effort that failed at getting critical resources to small businesses and working families and catapulted many Americans into economic ruin as he celebrated his own administration’s handling of still very high unemployment rates.
Trump is scheduled to make two stops in Arizona, including a stop to view the border wall construction in Yuma that was a major campaign promise when he was first elected in 2016 and a stop at a “Students for Trump” event in Phoenix where Mayor Kate Gallego has urged him to wear a mask before addressing local crowds.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-23--Fauci Denies Being Told To Slow Down Testing For Coronavirus

Dr. Anthony Fauci denied being told to slow down on testing for the coronavirus while appearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Tuesday regarding the Trump administration ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
During his campaign rally Saturday in Tulsa , President Trump told attendees that that he asked his administration to “ slow the testing down , please ” on the novel coronavirus .
On Tuesday morning , Trump doubled down on his claim by telling reporters “ I don ’ t kid ” when pressed on whether he was joking when he made the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s latest comments contradict White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany ’ s explanation the day before when she said that the President made the comment at the rally “ in jest.
” Fauci ’ s testimony starkly contrasted remarks that the President made just hours before .
“ To my knowledge , none of us have ever been told to slow down on testing , ” Fauci said .
“ That just is a fact .
In fact , we will be doing more testing as you ’ ve heard from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health at the Department of Health and Human Services ) .
” Fauci added that in addition to testing , more efforts will be made to identify , isolate and contact trace .
“ But also much more surveillance if you want to get your arms around and understand exactly what ’ s going on in community spread , ” Fauci said .
“ So it ’ s the opposite .
We ’ re going to be doing more testing , not less.
” Robert Redfield , director of the Centers for Disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortly after , saying that “ we ’ re continuing to increase testing ” because “ it ’ s a critical underpinning to our response .
”

Dr. Anthony Fauci denied being told to slow down on testing for the coronavirus while appearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Tuesday regarding the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During his campaign rally Saturday in Tulsa, President Trump told attendees that that he asked his administration to “slow the testing down, please” on the novel coronavirus.
On Tuesday morning, Trump doubled down on his claim by telling reporters “I don’t kid” when pressed on whether he was joking when he made the claim at his poorly attended rally. Trump’s latest comments contradict White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s explanation the day before when she said that the President made the comment at the rally “in jest.”
Fauci’s testimony starkly contrasted remarks that the President made just hours before.
“To my knowledge, none of us have ever been told to slow down on testing,” Fauci said. “That just is a fact. In fact, we will be doing more testing as you’ve heard from Adm. Brett Giroir (assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services).”
Fauci added that in addition to testing, more efforts will be made to identify, isolate and contact trace.
“But also much more surveillance if you want to get your arms around and understand exactly what’s going on in community spread,” Fauci said. “So it’s the opposite. We’re going to be doing more testing, not less.”
Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, agreed with Fauci shortly after, saying that “we’re continuing to increase testing” because “it’s a critical underpinning to our response.”
Watch Fauci’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-23--EXCLUSIVE: Feds About To Bail On Supporting COVID Testing Sites In Texas And Other States

The Trump administration is ending funding and support for local COVID-19 testing sites around the country this month , as cases and hospitalizations are skyrocketing in many states .
The federal government will stop providing money and support for 13 sites across five states which were originally set up in the first months of the pandemic to speed up testing at the local level .
Local officials and public health experts expressed a mixture of frustration , resignation , and horror at the decision to let federal support lapse .
Texas will be particularly hard hit by the decision .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and laboratory access to seven testing sites around Texas .
But in the state , which is seeing new peaks in cases , people still face long lines for testing that continues to fail to meet overwhelming demand .
In Dallas County , Texas , the federal government will end support on June 30 for two testing sites it has been been supporting since March , Rocky Vaz , the director of emergency management for the city of Dallas , confirmed to TPM .
“ Cases are continuing to rise in Dallas County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the testing , ” Vaz said .
The city of Dallas asked the federal government for an extension beyond June 30 , but was refused , Vaz said .
“ They told us very clearly that they are not going to extend it , ” Vaz said .
“ We are not expecting it to continue beyond June 30 , but things change.
” As the pandemic began to batter the United States in March , the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency began to deploy Community-Based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites provide testing kits and laboratories , and notify patients of their results .
The federal government covers costs , while providing staff and signing its own contracts with third-party vendors .
The Trump administration previously attempted to end support for the testing sites running under the same program in early April .
The government reversed the move after a public outcry , extending the sites .
The extension is now coming to an end .
Out of a starting number of 41 sites , 13 remain in operation across five states .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois and New Jersey each have two , while Colorado and Pennsylvania each have one .
The aid for testing takes a financial burden off of cities and states already buckling under a budget crunch from the pandemic , while boosting testing capacity .
An HHS spokeswoman told TPM that the program aimed to “ develop and bring initial testing capabilities to socially vulnerable locations across the country ” and said that states were expected to “ transition ” to control testing by June 30 .
She added that the federal government is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by continuing existing policies , including partnering with pharmacies and offering COVID-19 testing at federally qualified health centers .
A FEMA spokesman directed TPM to press releases that the agency had issued about “ transitioning ” the testing sites from federal to state control .
When TPM asked whether FEMA would adjust extension of the sites in areas where cases have skyrocketed recently , a spokesman acknowledged the inquiry and did not reply further .
President Trump has expressed his opposition to expanding testing , most recently in a tweet Tuesday morning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Trump administration said that it intended to place responsibility for COVID-19 testing on the states .
Testing is an area “ where the federal government has the greatest capacity to be helpful , ” Gary Slutkin , a former WHO epidemiologist and the CEO Of CURE Violence , told TPM .
“ Testing is absolutely essential to everything from diagnosis and treatment to management of the epidemic itself , ” Slutkin added .
“ The withholding of this essential tool for controlling this problem is cruel — it inhibits the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a community or a person or healthcare provider to know what to do.
” Like Texas , Colorado will lose its federally supported testing site at the end of June , with testing kits and personnel leaving .
“ When it was initially offered to us , the thought process was that this was a stopgap until we could get enough of our own supplies , ” Lisa Powell , the program manager for public health emergency preparedness and response for El Paso County , Colorado , told TPM .
Powell added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and flattened curve make its situation less dire than that of some other states .
Vaz told TPM that the city of Dallas would likely be forced to dip into CARES Act funding to hire a private contractor to replace the federal help .
“ The personnel , the site , the tents , the generators , the kits , the lab work , the patient notification , all of that , ” Vaz said , saying that the city of Dallas would end up paying between $ 130 and $ 150 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Each site can perform 1,000 COVID tests per day .
Slutkin , the epidemiologist , pointed out to TPM that testing is crucial not only for hotspot areas .
“ Testing is important not just in places where cases have expanded , it ’ s important everywhere in the world regardless of prevalence , ” he said .
“ It is the absolute essential for epidemic control .
”

The Trump administration is ending funding and support for local COVID-19 testing sites around the country this month, as cases and hospitalizations are skyrocketing in many states.
The federal government will stop providing money and support for 13 sites across five states which were originally set up in the first months of the pandemic to speed up testing at the local level.
Local officials and public health experts expressed a mixture of frustration, resignation, and horror at the decision to let federal support lapse.
Texas will be particularly hard hit by the decision. The federal government gives much-needed testing kits and laboratory access to seven testing sites around Texas. But in the state, which is seeing new peaks in cases, people still face long lines for testing that continues to fail to meet overwhelming demand.
In Dallas County, Texas, the federal government will end support on June 30 for two testing sites it has been been supporting since March, Rocky Vaz, the director of emergency management for the city of Dallas, confirmed to TPM.
“Cases are continuing to rise in Dallas County, and we want to continue with the testing,” Vaz said.
The city of Dallas asked the federal government for an extension beyond June 30, but was refused, Vaz said.
“They told us very clearly that they are not going to extend it,” Vaz said. “We are not expecting it to continue beyond June 30, but things change.”
As the pandemic began to batter the United States in March, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency began to deploy Community-Based Testing Sites around the country.
The sites provide testing kits and contract with laboratories and a call center to notify patients of their results. The federal government covers the costs of the contracts, while providing staff.
The Trump administration previously attempted to end support for the testing sites running under the same program in early April. The government reversed the move after a public outcry, extending the sites. The extension is now coming to an end.
Out of a starting number of 41 sites, 13 remain in operation across five states. In addition to Texas’ seven, Illinois and New Jersey each have two, while Colorado and Pennsylvania each have one.
The aid for testing takes a financial burden off of cities and states already buckling under a budget crunch from the pandemic, while boosting testing capacity.
An HHS spokeswoman told TPM that the program aimed to “develop and bring initial testing capabilities to socially vulnerable locations across the country” and said that states were expected to “transition” to control testing by June 30.
She added that the federal government is “broadening” its support for testing by continuing existing policies, including partnering with pharmacies and offering COVID-19 testing at federally qualified health centers.
A FEMA spokesman directed TPM to press releases that the agency had issued about “transitioning” the testing sites from federal to state control.
When TPM asked whether FEMA would adjust extension of the sites in areas where cases have skyrocketed recently, a spokesman acknowledged the inquiry and did not reply further.
President Trump has expressed his opposition to expanding testing, most recently in a tweet Tuesday morning.
Cases are going up in the U.S. because we are testing far more than any other country, and ever expanding. With smaller testing we would show fewer cases! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 23, 2020
In a May report released to Congress, the Trump administration said that it intended to place responsibility for COVID-19 testing on the states.
Testing is an area “where the federal government has the greatest capacity to be helpful,” Gary Slutkin, a former WHO epidemiologist and the CEO Of CURE Violence, told TPM.
“Testing is absolutely essential to everything from diagnosis and treatment to management of the epidemic itself,” Slutkin added. “The withholding of this essential tool for controlling this problem is cruel — it inhibits the ability of a country or a city or a community or a person or healthcare provider to know what to do.”
Like Texas, Colorado will lose its federally supported testing site at the end of June, with testing kits and personnel leaving.
“When it was initially offered to us, the thought process was that this was a stopgap until we could get enough of our own supplies,” Lisa Powell, the program manager for public health emergency preparedness and response for El Paso County, Colorado, told TPM. Powell added that the state’s lower case counts and flattened curve make its situation less dire than that of some other states.
Vaz told TPM that the city of Dallas would likely be forced to dip into CARES Act funding to hire a private contractor to replace the federal help.
“The personnel, the site, the tents, the generators, the kits, the lab work, the patient notification, all of that,” Vaz said, saying that the city of Dallas would end up paying between $130 and $150 per test once the federal help ends. Each site can perform 1,000 COVID tests per day.
“These things cost money,” he added.
Slutkin, the epidemiologist, pointed out to TPM that testing is crucial not only for hotspot areas.
“Testing is important not just in places where cases have expanded, it’s important everywhere in the world regardless of prevalence,” he said. “It is the absolute essential for epidemic control.”
Read about reactions to this story here.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-23--Senate Dems Call GOP Police Reform Bill ‘Not Salvageable’

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Top Democratic leaders in the Senate say the Republican policing bill is “ not salvageable , ” as they signal an intent to block it and demand negotiations on a new , more bipartisan package in response to the killing of Black Americans .
That ’ s according to a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from the Democrats obtained by The Associated Press .
“ This bill is not salvageable and we need bipartisan talks to get to a constructive starting point , ” write Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and the co-authors of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kamala Harris , D-Calif. , and Sen. Cory Booker , D-N.J .
The Republican legislation would create a national database of police use-of-force incidents , restrict police chokeholds and set up new training procedures .
It is not as sweeping as a Democratic proposal , but has similar provisions .
The opposition from Democrats is being backed by the nation ’ s leading civil rights organizations and the lawyer , Benjamin Crump , representing the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor , two African Americans whose deaths in police interactions sparked worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement , “ The Black community is tired of the lip service.
” He said the GOP package is “ in direct contrast to the demands of the people , who have taken to the streets , to call for the reallocation of resources in order to improve social safety nets and public mental health programs.
” The NAACP Legal Defense and Fund is urging senators to vote against advancing the GOP package .
The procedural vote is set for Wednesday .
“ In this moment , we can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong accountability framework for police officers and other law enforcement who engage in misconduct as well as needed reforms to policing practices , ” the organization wrote to senators , according to a letter obtained by AP .
McConnell is pushing ahead with the Justice Act in a test vote Wednesday , but without Democratic backing the bill is not expected to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to advance .
“ We ’ re ready to make a law , not just make a point , ” McConnell said as he opened the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ deserve better than a partisan stalemate.
” McConnell said , “ We ’ ll find out whether our Democratic colleagues share our ambition or whether they chose to duck the issue and leave the country in the lurch.
” Congress is under enormous pressure to establish new oversight and accountability of the police as demonstrations spill into cities large and small nationwide .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Democratic leaders in the Senate say the Republican policing bill is “not salvageable,” as they signal an intent to block it and demand negotiations on a new, more bipartisan package in response to the killing of Black Americans.
That’s according to a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from the Democrats obtained by The Associated Press.
“This bill is not salvageable and we need bipartisan talks to get to a constructive starting point,” write Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and the co-authors of the party’s bill, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
The Republican legislation would create a national database of police use-of-force incidents, restrict police chokeholds and set up new training procedures. It is not as sweeping as a Democratic proposal, but has similar provisions.
The opposition from Democrats is being backed by the nation’s leading civil rights organizations and the lawyer, Benjamin Crump, representing the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, two African Americans whose deaths in police interactions sparked worldwide protest over law enforcement procedures.
Crump said in a statement, “The Black community is tired of the lip service.”
He said the GOP package is “in direct contrast to the demands of the people, who have taken to the streets, to call for the reallocation of resources in order to improve social safety nets and public mental health programs.”
The NAACP Legal Defense and Fund is urging senators to vote against advancing the GOP package. The procedural vote is set for Wednesday.
“In this moment, we cannot support legislation that does not embody a strong accountability framework for police officers and other law enforcement who engage in misconduct as well as needed reforms to policing practices,” the organization wrote to senators, according to a letter obtained by AP.
McConnell is pushing ahead with the Justice Act in a test vote Wednesday, but without Democratic backing the bill is not expected to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to advance.
“We’re ready to make a law, not just make a point,” McConnell said as he opened the Senate on Tuesday. He said Americans “deserve better than a partisan stalemate.”
McConnell said, “We’ll find out whether our Democratic colleagues share our ambition or whether they chose to duck the issue and leave the country in the lurch.”
Congress is under enormous pressure to establish new oversight and accountability of the police as demonstrations spill into cities large and small nationwide.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-23--Presidential Debate To Be Moved To Miami After UMich Withdraws Commitment To Host

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced on Tuesday that the second presidential debate will be held at a performing arts center in Miami , Florida , replacing the University of Michigan which withdrew its commitment to host , citing health concerns .
“ This debate was originally scheduled for the University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , and the University has concluded that it is not feasible to host the presidential debate as planned , ” the CPD wrote in the announcement .
University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel said in a letter to the CPD that the “ scale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is undertaking to assure the health of its students and faculty for a safe fall opening that is expected to resume face-to-face instruction precluded the institution from hosting the debate as planned .
In his letter , Schlissel , who is the first physician-scientist to lead the university , also noted that advice from the university ’ s own health experts , in addition to state safety guidelines , made a debate at the campus no longer feasible .
The Detroit Free Press first reported the school ’ s decision on Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ second time a presidential debate was held in the state ; the last was hosted by Michigan State University in 1992 .
Now the debate will take place at the Adrienne Arsht Center , a non-profit performing arts organization and venue in Miami .
The October 15 debate will mark the second time the CPD has conducted a presidential debate in Miami .
The first was held at the University of Miami during the 2004 presidential debates .

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced on Tuesday that the second presidential debate will be held at a performing arts center in Miami, Florida, replacing the University of Michigan which withdrew its commitment to host, citing health concerns.
“This debate was originally scheduled for the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and the University has concluded that it is not feasible to host the presidential debate as planned,” the CPD wrote in the announcement.
University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel said in a letter to the CPD that the “scale and complexity” of the work it is undertaking to assure the health of its students and faculty for a safe fall opening that is expected to resume face-to-face instruction precluded the institution from hosting the debate as planned. In his letter, Schlissel, who is the first physician-scientist to lead the university, also noted that advice from the university’s own health experts, in addition to state safety guidelines, made a debate at the campus no longer feasible. The Detroit Free Press first reported the school’s decision on Monday.
The Michigan debate would have marked the second time a presidential debate was held in the state; the last was hosted by Michigan State University in 1992.
Now the debate will take place at the Adrienne Arsht Center, a non-profit performing arts organization and venue in Miami. The October 15 debate will mark the second time the CPD has conducted a presidential debate in Miami. The first was held at the University of Miami during the 2004 presidential debates.