talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-21--Pelosi Slams McConnell’s Latest Coronavirus Package, Says It’s A ‘Non-Starter’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) shot down Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ’ s ( R-KY ) latest emergency response package to the COVID-19 outbreak on Friday .
“ As you know , Senator McConnell has released his proposal for a third coronavirus response package , which is not at all pro-worker and puts corporations ahead of working people , ” Pelosi wrote in a letter to her Democratic colleagues .
“ As written , it is a non-starter.
” The Democratic leader added that the new bill must “ put money directly into the hands of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Republicans ’ package on Thursday .
Under the proposal , individuals would receive cash payments of up to $ 1,200 , while couples would receive up to $ 2,400 .
The payments begin to phase out for those earning $ 75,000 .
However , only $ 600 would go to those with no federal tax liability .
Per the Washington Post , the bill would not assist approximately 22 million Americans who are making less than $ 40,000 .
Additionally , the bill does not address the issue of corporations using bailout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slated to continue negotiations over the bill on Saturday .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) shot down Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) latest emergency response package to the COVID-19 outbreak on Friday.
“As you know, Senator McConnell has released his proposal for a third coronavirus response package, which is not at all pro-worker and puts corporations ahead of working people,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to her Democratic colleagues. “As written, it is a non-starter.”
The Democratic leader added that the new bill must “put money directly into the hands of those who need it most.”
McConnell unveiled Senate Republicans’ package on Thursday. Under the proposal, individuals would receive cash payments of up to $1,200, while couples would receive up to $2,400. The payments begin to phase out for those earning $75,000.
However, only $600 would go to those with no federal tax liability. Per the Washington Post, the bill would not assist approximately 22 million Americans who are making less than $40,000.
Additionally, the bill does not address the issue of corporations using bailout funds for stock buybacks.
Lawmakers are slated to continue negotiations over the bill on Saturday.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-21--Immigration Courts Are Telling Employees to Come to Work — Ignoring Health Risks and Local Shelter-i

Immigration Courts Are Telling Employees to Come to Work — Ignoring Health Risks and Local Shelter-in-Place Orders

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
On Tuesday night — over a day after several Bay Area counties issued shelter-in-place orders barring most people from leaving their homes — the San Francisco immigration court sent an email to staff : Hearings were being postponed nationwide for most immigrants , so the court would be closed starting Wednesday .
( The text of the email was provided to ProPublica . )
On Wednesday , however , employees were directed to get onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participants .
There they were told the Tuesday night email was wrong .
The court wasn ’ t closed .
They would have to come into the office — or use their vacation time to stay home .
When staff asked about the shelter-in-place orders , the response was that the Department of Justice , which runs immigration courts , took the position that those were local laws and didn ’ t apply to federal employees .
The Trump administration has reduced immigration court operations in the past week , by postponing hearings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of courts to the public .
Those actions came after the unions representing immigration prosecutors and judges issued a rare public call for courts to close .
The reduced court operations came after weeks of employees raising concerns privately and , they say , receiving few and unhelpful answers .
And because the closures are determined solely by whether a court is hearing cases of detained immigrants , rather than by the level of health peril , employees still feel they ’ re putting their health at risk every time they come into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the picture that emerges from interviews with 10 federal employees who work at immigration courts across the country .
Most spoke on the condition of anonymity .
Many said they had raised concerns internally about their exposure to COVID-19 to their managers or hadn ’ t been informed of potential exposures .
“ When I signed up for this job , I thought it might be morally compromising at times , ” one immigration court employee told ProPublica , “ but I never thought it would be compromising of my health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Review , the DOJ agency that oversees immigration courts , told ProPublica that agency headquarters was responsible for deciding when courts closed , but it did not confirm or deny specifics of the employees ’ allegations , saying , “ We do not comment on internal communications or internal personnel operations.
” In Denver , one prosecutor interviewed by ProPublica was alarmed by a judge ’ s frequent coughs during a hearing last Friday .
“ Don ’ t mind my coughing , ” the judge said , according to the prosecutor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s coronavirus.
” The following Tuesday , the prosecutor noticed that the judge was out for the rest of the week and emailed a court staffer in concern : Was it the coronavirus ?
Should she be taking precautions ?
The staffer ’ s reply : For privacy reasons , the prosecutor ’ s questions couldn ’ t be answered .
Only after news broke to the public on Tuesday night that a judge at the Denver immigration court had been diagnosed with COVID-19 ( the disease caused by the new coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecutor and confirm her suspicions .
Other attorneys the judge had been in close contact with were notified the next day .
The court remained open through Thursday , when the entire building it was housed in was shut down for deep cleaning by the General Services Administration .
( It ’ s currently set to reopen Monday . )
In New York , legal aid groups sent a letter to immigration court officials saying that two of their attorneys had symptoms of COVID-19 and a third had been exposed to someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three attorneys had appeared in court the past week , and all had hearings scheduled the following day .
The courts didn ’ t say anything to their employees about the letter , according to multiple sources .
Since taking office , the Trump administration has pressured the immigration courts to process as many immigrants as quickly as possible — pressuring judges to hear more cases and complete them within a year , and making it harder for immigrants or attorneys to postpone hearings .
Now , they face a public health crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Immigration court workers have two concerns .
The first is that the courts are often crowded and require close contact with members of the public .
The second is that , like most employees of any type , especially those who take public transit , they are exposed every time they leave their homes to work .
Employees remain concerned about their exposure over the past few weeks , while courts were running as usual .
Employees in New York and California — the states hardest hit by the pandemic to date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ deep cleaning ” were rejected by managers , and that they were bringing their own Clorox wipes and disinfectant spray to the office .
Most immigration court business happens in person .
Even trying to postpone an immigration hearing ( for example , due to illness ) requires an attorney to file a paper form with a clerk .
And if an immigrant doesn ’ t show up for a hearing , they ’ re at risk of getting ordered deported in absentia .
In at least one New York court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the chief judge told employees Monday to issue absentia deportation orders if immigrants weren ’ t showing up , even if the coronavirus was the suspected cause .
Policies the Trump administration introduced before the COVID-19 pandemic put considerable pressure on judges and prosecutors not to allow immigrants to postpone their hearings .
Judges face a “ performance standard ” of completing 80 % of their cases within a year — a standard over 90 % of judges don ’ t meet , according to the National Association of Immigration Judges .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been hired in the past two years are still in their probationary period , where they could be fired for failing to meet performance standards .
While many judges have been lenient in granting coronavirus-related postponements , others have not .
Last week , according to one California immigration court employee , a judge took a break from a hearing to tell colleagues that the immigrant ’ s attorney claimed to be sick , but because he wasn ’ t coughing , the hearing would move forward .
One email sent by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , read to ProPublica , told prosecutors that if an immigrant or her attorney claimed to be sick , any postponement should be counted against the immigrant ( preventing them from requesting another postponement ) .
If the immigrant didn ’ t want to postpone , and the judge wasn ’ t willing to hold the hearing by phone , the prosecutor was instructed to contact her manager — who would assess the claim of illness himself before deciding what to do .
( A call to the chief prosecutor in Miami @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communication , though , has been oral .
In at least two courts , chief judges were asked to put policies in writing and declined .
Employees have been in the dark about who , exactly , is making the decisions about which courts are open and when employees are allowed to work from home or take leave to stay home .
“ The word is that it ’ s out of their hands .
Everything is out of everybody ’ s hands , ” Fanny Behar-Ostrow , president of the union representing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I don ’ t know who ’ s making the calls , but they ’ re wrong.
” An email obtained by the Miami Herald , written by the assistant chief immigration judge in charge of the Miami immigration court on Wednesday , said that closure decisions were ultimately being made by “ the White House ” — something that employees at other courts also said their managers had suggested .
But chief judges gave conflicting explanations about which decisions were subject to White House approval ; one chief judge told employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved in decisions about remote work , while other chief judges made those decisions themselves .
It ’ s not clear who at the White House is involved or how .
Immigration officials told the Herald that the ultimate decision was made by the Office of Management and Budget .
However , according to the employees ProPublica spoke to , some immigration court officials used “ White House ” to refer to policies set by the Office of Personnel Management .
The assistant chief immigration judge ( the judge in charge of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California court told employees on March 12 that they ’ d had a phone call with staff for Vice President Mike Pence , who ’ s running the official coronavirus task force .
But to many employees , the specter of “ White House ” involvement raised concerns that the administration ’ s immigration policy priorities were getting in the way of its public health obligations .
The Department of Justice and White House did not respond to a request for comment .
Judge Amiena Khan , speaking as the executive vice president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told ProPublica on Wednesday that she was “ pleased to see that the agency is taking the correct steps in the right direction.
” But other employees , like the ones in San Francisco , retain acute concerns that simply showing up continues to put them at risk .
Employees have been told that courts are closing in full only if they exclusively hear “ non-detained ” cases — meaning all their hearings have been postponed for the next few weeks .
At courts that hear cases of both detained and non-detained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to work , even in the areas hardest hit by the pandemic .
Two employees noted to ProPublica that they had been deemed “ nonessential ” employees during the 2019 government shutdown , when their pay was at stake , but were now being treated as if they were essential and told to put their health at risk .
“ The government needs to decide , ” one said .
“ Are we essential , or are we not ?
” Some employees have been told they can take “ annual leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wish to stay home .
But most junior attorneys at the DOJ , and many immigration prosecutors , don ’ t have much accumulated vacation time .
Many immigration judges have been staying home , either because of fear of contagion or child care needs .
When a judge is absent , their docket is assigned to another judge .
This week , that docket shuffling has gotten in the way of the DOJ ’ s efforts to wind down operations for “ non-detained ” cases .
At one court that hears both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees who work there , none of the judges scheduled to hear detainees ’ cases showed up on Wednesday — leading the rest of the judges , who were supposed to be shutting down their operations , to have to hear cases instead .
In theory , employees should be able to work remotely .
But the crisis has exposed a nationwide laptop shortage at the Executive Office for Immigration Review .
At some courts that have fully closed , employees have been told to wait at home and laptops will be mailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t enough laptops to go around , who gets to work from home is determined by seniority , not by health needs , according to several employees .
Some courts have redistributed laptops from junior employees to senior ones .
At the Los Angeles court , some employees were given permission to work from home Monday and Tuesday .
The court officially closed to the public Tuesday night .
On Wednesday , according to one worker , employees were suddenly instructed to come into the office — where they were told to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone came by to take their laptops away so they could be given to immigration judges .

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
On Tuesday night — over a day after several Bay Area counties issued shelter-in-place orders barring most people from leaving their homes — the San Francisco immigration court sent an email to staff: Hearings were being postponed nationwide for most immigrants, so the court would be closed starting Wednesday. (The text of the email was provided to ProPublica.)
On Wednesday, however, employees were directed to get onto a conference call, according to two participants. There they were told the Tuesday night email was wrong. The court wasn’t closed. They would have to come into the office — or use their vacation time to stay home. When staff asked about the shelter-in-place orders, the response was that the Department of Justice, which runs immigration courts, took the position that those were local laws and didn’t apply to federal employees.
The Trump administration has reduced immigration court operations in the past week, by postponing hearings for non-detained immigrants and closing a handful of courts to the public. Those actions came after the unions representing immigration prosecutors and judges issued a rare public call for courts to close.
The reduced court operations came after weeks of employees raising concerns privately and, they say, receiving few and unhelpful answers. And because the closures are determined solely by whether a court is hearing cases of detained immigrants, rather than by the level of health peril, employees still feel they’re putting their health at risk every time they come into the office as instructed.
That’s the picture that emerges from interviews with 10 federal employees who work at immigration courts across the country. Most spoke on the condition of anonymity. Many said they had raised concerns internally about their exposure to COVID-19 to their managers or hadn’t been informed of potential exposures.
“When I signed up for this job, I thought it might be morally compromising at times,” one immigration court employee told ProPublica, “but I never thought it would be compromising of my health and safety.”
The Executive Office for Immigration Review, the DOJ agency that oversees immigration courts, told ProPublica that agency headquarters was responsible for deciding when courts closed, but it did not confirm or deny specifics of the employees’ allegations, saying, “We do not comment on internal communications or internal personnel operations.”
In Denver, one prosecutor interviewed by ProPublica was alarmed by a judge’s frequent coughs during a hearing last Friday. “Don’t mind my coughing,” the judge said, according to the prosecutor. “I don’t think it’s coronavirus.” The following Tuesday, the prosecutor noticed that the judge was out for the rest of the week and emailed a court staffer in concern: Was it the coronavirus? Should she be taking precautions? The staffer’s reply: For privacy reasons, the prosecutor’s questions couldn’t be answered.
Only after news broke to the public on Tuesday night that a judge at the Denver immigration court had been diagnosed with COVID-19 (the disease caused by the new coronavirus) did court officials follow up with the prosecutor and confirm her suspicions. Other attorneys the judge had been in close contact with were notified the next day. The court remained open through Thursday, when the entire building it was housed in was shut down for deep cleaning by the General Services Administration. (It’s currently set to reopen Monday.)
In New York, legal aid groups sent a letter to immigration court officials saying that two of their attorneys had symptoms of COVID-19 and a third had been exposed to someone who’d tested positive. All three attorneys had appeared in court the past week, and all had hearings scheduled the following day. The courts didn’t say anything to their employees about the letter, according to multiple sources.
Since taking office, the Trump administration has pressured the immigration courts to process as many immigrants as quickly as possible — pressuring judges to hear more cases and complete them within a year, and making it harder for immigrants or attorneys to postpone hearings. Now, they face a public health crisis that requires everyone to reduce person-to-person contact.
Immigration court workers have two concerns. The first is that the courts are often crowded and require close contact with members of the public. The second is that, like most employees of any type, especially those who take public transit, they are exposed every time they leave their homes to work.
Employees remain concerned about their exposure over the past few weeks, while courts were running as usual. Employees in New York and California — the states hardest hit by the pandemic to date — told ProPublica that their requests for “deep cleaning” were rejected by managers, and that they were bringing their own Clorox wipes and disinfectant spray to the office.
Most immigration court business happens in person. Even trying to postpone an immigration hearing (for example, due to illness) requires an attorney to file a paper form with a clerk. And if an immigrant doesn’t show up for a hearing, they’re at risk of getting ordered deported in absentia. In at least one New York court, according to two people who work there, the chief judge told employees Monday to issue absentia deportation orders if immigrants weren’t showing up, even if the coronavirus was the suspected cause.
Policies the Trump administration introduced before the COVID-19 pandemic put considerable pressure on judges and prosecutors not to allow immigrants to postpone their hearings. Judges face a “performance standard” of completing 80% of their cases within a year — a standard over 90% of judges don’t meet, according to the National Association of Immigration Judges. But the more than 150 judges who have been hired in the past two years are still in their probationary period, where they could be fired for failing to meet performance standards.
While many judges have been lenient in granting coronavirus-related postponements, others have not. Last week, according to one California immigration court employee, a judge took a break from a hearing to tell colleagues that the immigrant’s attorney claimed to be sick, but because he wasn’t coughing, the hearing would move forward.
One email sent by the chief prosecutor at the Miami court Tuesday, read to ProPublica, told prosecutors that if an immigrant or her attorney claimed to be sick, any postponement should be counted against the immigrant (preventing them from requesting another postponement). If the immigrant didn’t want to postpone, and the judge wasn’t willing to hold the hearing by phone, the prosecutor was instructed to contact her manager — who would assess the claim of illness himself before deciding what to do. (A call to the chief prosecutor in Miami was not immediately returned.)
Most communication, though, has been oral. In at least two courts, chief judges were asked to put policies in writing and declined.
Employees have been in the dark about who, exactly, is making the decisions about which courts are open and when employees are allowed to work from home or take leave to stay home. “The word is that it’s out of their hands. Everything is out of everybody’s hands,” Fanny Behar-Ostrow, president of the union representing immigration prosecutors, told ProPublica Wednesday. “I don’t know who’s making the calls, but they’re wrong.”
An email obtained by the Miami Herald, written by the assistant chief immigration judge in charge of the Miami immigration court on Wednesday, said that closure decisions were ultimately being made by “the White House” — something that employees at other courts also said their managers had suggested. But chief judges gave conflicting explanations about which decisions were subject to White House approval; one chief judge told employees that the White House had to be involved in decisions about remote work, while other chief judges made those decisions themselves.
It’s not clear who at the White House is involved or how. Immigration officials told the Herald that the ultimate decision was made by the Office of Management and Budget. However, according to the employees ProPublica spoke to, some immigration court officials used “White House” to refer to policies set by the Office of Personnel Management. The assistant chief immigration judge (the judge in charge of a given immigration court location) for one California court told employees on March 12 that they’d had a phone call with staff for Vice President Mike Pence, who’s running the official coronavirus task force.
But to many employees, the specter of “White House” involvement raised concerns that the administration’s immigration policy priorities were getting in the way of its public health obligations.
The Department of Justice and White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Judge Amiena Khan, speaking as the executive vice president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, told ProPublica on Wednesday that she was “pleased to see that the agency is taking the correct steps in the right direction.” But other employees, like the ones in San Francisco, retain acute concerns that simply showing up continues to put them at risk.
Employees have been told that courts are closing in full only if they exclusively hear “non-detained” cases — meaning all their hearings have been postponed for the next few weeks. At courts that hear cases of both detained and non-detained immigrants, all employees are expected to continue to work, even in the areas hardest hit by the pandemic.
Two employees noted to ProPublica that they had been deemed “nonessential” employees during the 2019 government shutdown, when their pay was at stake, but were now being treated as if they were essential and told to put their health at risk. “The government needs to decide,” one said. “Are we essential, or are we not?”
Some employees have been told they can take “annual leave” (vacation time) if they wish to stay home. But most junior attorneys at the DOJ, and many immigration prosecutors, don’t have much accumulated vacation time.
Many immigration judges have been staying home, either because of fear of contagion or child care needs. When a judge is absent, their docket is assigned to another judge. This week, that docket shuffling has gotten in the way of the DOJ’s efforts to wind down operations for “non-detained” cases. At one court that hears both types of cases, according to two employees who work there, none of the judges scheduled to hear detainees’ cases showed up on Wednesday — leading the rest of the judges, who were supposed to be shutting down their operations, to have to hear cases instead.
In theory, employees should be able to work remotely. But the crisis has exposed a nationwide laptop shortage at the Executive Office for Immigration Review. At some courts that have fully closed, employees have been told to wait at home and laptops will be mailed to them.
Where there aren’t enough laptops to go around, who gets to work from home is determined by seniority, not by health needs, according to several employees. Some courts have redistributed laptops from junior employees to senior ones.
At the Los Angeles court, some employees were given permission to work from home Monday and Tuesday. The court officially closed to the public Tuesday night. On Wednesday, according to one worker, employees were suddenly instructed to come into the office — where they were told to continue working, at their desks, until someone came by to take their laptops away so they could be given to immigration judges.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-21--The White House Asked Manufacturers for Help, Then Gave Them No Clear Instructions

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
As hospitals across the country face drastic shortages of masks , respirators and other vital equipment , the White House has sent out a plea for donations that ’ s left many recipients confused and full of questions .
In at least one instance this week , Vice President Mike Pence , who heads the Trump administration ’ s coronavirus task force , blindsided private industry by requesting that construction companies donate face masks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide guidance when directly asked .
Pence asked builders on Tuesday to donate the N95 masks used at many construction sites to local hospitals and refrain from ordering more .
Within minutes , Stephen Sandherr , chief executive officer of the trade group Associated General Contractors of America , contacted the White House for more details , said Brian Turmail , a group spokesman .
After receiving no reply from the White House , Sandherr sent an email to AGC ’ s local chapters on Tuesday telling them that Pence ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As we received no advance notice of this announcement and we have received no additional guidance from the Administration , it is our view that this should be considered as a voluntary gesture and not a mandate , ” Sandherr wrote .
Turmail said several AGC members have donated equipment to their local hospitals .
On Thursday , Sandherr finally heard back from the Department of Health and Human Services , speaking on behalf of the White House , and his group ’ s members were asked not to donate equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instead , he was told the group should collect an inventory of available equipment from members , including masks , booties and protective suits , and share it with the administration .
“ It isn ’ t clear to us , yet , how they intend to use this information , but obviously we are happy to collect the info and share it , ” Turmail said .
Recently , the National Association of Manufacturers , a prominent business group , sent its members a White House request asking for “ volunteers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within two weeks large-scale quantities of critical supplies to help the nation respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
” The notice — which consisted of a short questionnaire prepared through Survey Monkey — did not explain how the White House would distribute donated equipment to states demanding urgent help , including distributions from the national stockpile of emergency supplies and medications .
The problem with that strategy , said Dr. Tom Inglesby , director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , is that it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a demand for protective equipment that is likely to persist for months .
“ Good ideas can come from everywhere , but this seems like the wrong scale of effort by orders of magnitude , ” Inglesby said .
He noted that producing enough masks , gloves and other supplies will require complicated analyses of shortages and manufacturing capabilities as well as negotiating new contracts and large financial commitments to incentivize businesses to retool production lines .
“ That to me suggests we should have a large professional logistics organization running things in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the country , ” Inglesby said .
Jeremy Konyndyk , a former official at the U.S. Agency for International Development who worked on the Ebola virus response , said the government ’ s efforts to reach out to trade associations are “ not a bad idea ” and would reach many potential private sector partners .
But he said given how the virus is spreading , voluntary donations “ will be a month out of sync with transmission.
” The donation request was circulated widely and made its way to some small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health crisis escalates .
“ I was troubled , ” said Tsan Abrahamson , a California attorney who is a member of the Women ’ s Business Enterprise National Council , which certifies women-owned businesses .
WBENC sent out a plea to members on Wednesday saying the White House had asked for donations of supplies .
The WBENC email directed members to fill out the NAM questionnaire .
Abrahamson said women-owned companies are “ traditionally marginalized businesses who are being asked to donate not to those in specific need , like hospitals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , the survey asks respondents for their contact information so they can be reached directly by the White House for follow-up .
The request was part of a “ whole of America ” approach pushed by Pence to combat the coronavirus , emphasizing robust , voluntary partnerships with the private sector .
The White House and WBENC did not respond to questions , and a NAM spokesman declined to respond to questions .
Health care workers are growing desperate for gear to protect them from airborne particles and liquids that can spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disease Control and Prevention has downgraded its guidance for how health workers should protect themselves , saying they “ might use homemade masks ” like a bandanna or scarf if no masks are available .
Elizabeth Zimmerman , a former associate administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency , said FEMA has coordinated with the private sector to identify supply shortfalls in past emergencies , but she was not sure if that coordination included online surveys of the type sent out by NAM .
On Wednesday , Trump signed an executive order invoking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president broad authority to require companies to prioritize government contracts and incentivize companies to expand production of critical goods .
The executive order granted Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar additional powers to allocate medical supplies .
But the president has contradicted himself several times on whether he has actually triggered the DPA .
In a Thursday press conference , he said “ we hope we ’ re not going to need that ” and put the onus on individual states .
“ The federal government is not supposed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then shipping .
You know , we ’ re not a shipping clerk , ” Trump said .
Just hours later , governors on a teleconference with Trump , Pence , Azar and other senior officials complained that their efforts to get crucial supplies on the private market were floundering .
Pence said during that teleconference that although Trump had “ activated ” the DPA , “ he has not initiated any other action underneath it ” and suggested that voluntary decisions by American businesses would be sufficient to meet the critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s perception and the team ’ s perception is now ” that “ American industry is stepping forward very aggressively , ” Pence said .
Then on Friday , in response to a question about whether Trump was using the DPA to “ tell businesses they need to make ventilators , masks , respirators , ” Trump nodded and said , “ We are using it.
” “ We are using the act , the act is very good for things like this , ” Trump said .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal government to help the states get things that they need , like the masks , like the ventilators.
” Minutes later , Trump appeared to backtrack , saying that “ when we need something , we will use the act .
”

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
As hospitals across the country face drastic shortages of masks, respirators and other vital equipment, the White House has sent out a plea for donations that’s left many recipients confused and full of questions.
In at least one instance this week, Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force, blindsided private industry by requesting that construction companies donate face masks to hospitals. The White House then failed to provide guidance when directly asked.
Pence asked builders on Tuesday to donate the N95 masks used at many construction sites to local hospitals and refrain from ordering more. Within minutes, Stephen Sandherr, chief executive officer of the trade group Associated General Contractors of America, contacted the White House for more details, said Brian Turmail, a group spokesman.
After receiving no reply from the White House, Sandherr sent an email to AGC’s local chapters on Tuesday telling them that Pence’s statement had taken the group by surprise.
“As we received no advance notice of this announcement and we have received no additional guidance from the Administration, it is our view that this should be considered as a voluntary gesture and not a mandate,” Sandherr wrote. Turmail said several AGC members have donated equipment to their local hospitals.
On Thursday, Sandherr finally heard back from the Department of Health and Human Services, speaking on behalf of the White House, and his group’s members were asked not to donate equipment to hospitals, as Pence had instructed. Instead, he was told the group should collect an inventory of available equipment from members, including masks, booties and protective suits, and share it with the administration.
“It isn’t clear to us, yet, how they intend to use this information, but obviously we are happy to collect the info and share it,” Turmail said.
Recently, the National Association of Manufacturers, a prominent business group, sent its members a White House request asking for “volunteers who can donate and provide and/or produce within two weeks large-scale quantities of critical supplies to help the nation respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The notice — which consisted of a short questionnaire prepared through Survey Monkey — did not explain how the White House would distribute donated equipment to states demanding urgent help, including distributions from the national stockpile of emergency supplies and medications.
The problem with that strategy, said Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is that it is far too small and piecemeal to meet a demand for protective equipment that is likely to persist for months.
“Good ideas can come from everywhere, but this seems like the wrong scale of effort by orders of magnitude,” Inglesby said. He noted that producing enough masks, gloves and other supplies will require complicated analyses of shortages and manufacturing capabilities as well as negotiating new contracts and large financial commitments to incentivize businesses to retool production lines.
“That to me suggests we should have a large professional logistics organization running things in a centralized manner that can help states around the country,” Inglesby said.
Jeremy Konyndyk, a former official at the U.S. Agency for International Development who worked on the Ebola virus response, said the government’s efforts to reach out to trade associations are “not a bad idea” and would reach many potential private sector partners. But he said given how the virus is spreading, voluntary donations “will be a month out of sync with transmission.”
The donation request was circulated widely and made its way to some small businesses struggling to stay afloat as the health crisis escalates.
“I was troubled,” said Tsan Abrahamson, a California attorney who is a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, which certifies women-owned businesses. WBENC sent out a plea to members on Wednesday saying the White House had asked for donations of supplies. The WBENC email directed members to fill out the NAM questionnaire.
Abrahamson said women-owned companies are “traditionally marginalized businesses who are being asked to donate not to those in specific need, like hospitals, nursing homes, grocery stock warehouses.” Instead, the survey asks respondents for their contact information so they can be reached directly by the White House for follow-up.
The request was part of a “whole of America” approach pushed by Pence to combat the coronavirus, emphasizing robust, voluntary partnerships with the private sector.
The White House and WBENC did not respond to questions, and a NAM spokesman declined to respond to questions.
Health care workers are growing desperate for gear to protect them from airborne particles and liquids that can spread the coronavirus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has downgraded its guidance for how health workers should protect themselves, saying they “might use homemade masks” like a bandanna or scarf if no masks are available.
Elizabeth Zimmerman, a former associate administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said FEMA has coordinated with the private sector to identify supply shortfalls in past emergencies, but she was not sure if that coordination included online surveys of the type sent out by NAM.
On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act, which gives the president broad authority to require companies to prioritize government contracts and incentivize companies to expand production of critical goods. The executive order granted Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar additional powers to allocate medical supplies.
But the president has contradicted himself several times on whether he has actually triggered the DPA. In a Thursday press conference, he said “we hope we’re not going to need that” and put the onus on individual states.
“The federal government is not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping. You know, we’re not a shipping clerk,” Trump said.
Just hours later, governors on a teleconference with Trump, Pence, Azar and other senior officials complained that their efforts to get crucial supplies on the private market were floundering.
Pence said during that teleconference that although Trump had “activated” the DPA, “he has not initiated any other action underneath it” and suggested that voluntary decisions by American businesses would be sufficient to meet the critical needs.
“I think the president’s perception and the team’s perception is now” that “American industry is stepping forward very aggressively,” Pence said.
Then on Friday, in response to a question about whether Trump was using the DPA to “tell businesses they need to make ventilators, masks, respirators,” Trump nodded and said, “We are using it.”
“We are using the act, the act is very good for things like this,” Trump said. “We’re invoking it to use the powers of the federal government to help the states get things that they need, like the masks, like the ventilators.”
Minutes later, Trump appeared to backtrack, saying that “when we need something, we will use the act.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-21--A Medical Worker Describes Terrifying Lung Failure From COVID-19 — Even in His Young Patients

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
As of Friday , Louisiana was reporting 479 confirmed cases of COVID-19 , one of the highest numbers in the country .
Ten people had died .
The majority of cases are in New Orleans , which now has one confirmed case for every 1,000 residents .
New Orleans had held Mardi Gras celebrations just two weeks before its first patient , with more than a million revelers on its streets .
I spoke to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to ensure that patients are breathing well .
He works in a medium-sized city hospital ’ s intensive care unit .
( We are withholding his name and employer , as he fears retaliation . )
Before the virus came to New Orleans , his days were pretty relaxed , nebulizing patients with asthma , adjusting oxygen tubes that run through the nose or , in the most severe cases , setting up and managing ventilators .
His patients were usually older , with chronic health conditions and bad lungs .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running ventilators for the sickest COVID-19 patients .
Many are relatively young , in their 40s and 50s , and have minimal , if any , preexisting conditions in their charts .
He is overwhelmed , stunned by the manifestation of the infection , both its speed and intensity .
The ICU where he works has essentially become a coronavirus unit .
He estimates that his hospital has admitted dozens of confirmed or presumptive coronavirus patients .
About a third have ended up on ventilators .
His hospital had not prepared for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One physician had tried to raise alarms , asking about negative pressure rooms and ventilators .
Most staff concluded that he was overreacting .
“ They thought the media was overhyping it , ” the respiratory therapist told me .
“ In retrospect , he was right to be concerned.
” He spoke to me by phone on Thursday about why , exactly , he has been so alarmed .
His account has been condensed and edited for clarity .
“ Reading about it in the news , I knew it was going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the flu every year so I was thinking : Well , it ’ s probably not that much worse than the flu .
But seeing patients with COVID-19 completely changed my perspective , and it ’ s a lot more frightening.
” “ I have patients in their early 40s and , yeah , I was kind of shocked .
I ’ m seeing people who look relatively healthy with a minimal health history , and they are completely wiped out , like they ’ ve been hit by a truck .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfectly fit , healthy people .
Patients will be on minimal support , on a little bit of oxygen , and then all of a sudden , they go into complete respiratory arrest , shut down and can ’ t breathe at all.
” “ We have an observation unit in the hospital , and we have been admitting patients that had tested positive or are presumptive positive — these are patients that had been in contact with people who were positive .
We go and check vitals on patients every four hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cardiac monitor , so we see that their heart rate has a sudden increase or decrease , or someone goes in and sees that the patient is struggling to breathe or is unresponsive .
That seems to be what happens to a lot of these patients : They suddenly become unresponsive or go into respiratory failure.
” “ It ’ s called acute respiratory distress syndrome , ARDS .
That means the lungs are filled with fluid .
And it ’ s notable for the way the X-ray looks : The entire lung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patients with ARDS are extremely difficult to oxygenate .
It has a really high mortality rate , about 40 % .
The way to manage it is to put a patient on a ventilator .
The additional pressure helps the oxygen go into the bloodstream .
“ Normally , ARDS is something that happens over time as the lungs get more and more inflamed .
But with this virus , it seems like it happens overnight .
When you ’ re healthy , your lung is made up of little balloons .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bunch of little leaves , the lung is made of little air sacs that are called the alveoli .
When you breathe in , all of those little air sacs inflate , and they have capillaries in the walls , little blood vessels .
The oxygen gets from the air in the lung into the blood so it can be carried around the body .
“ Typically with ARDS , the lungs become inflamed .
It ’ s like inflammation anywhere : If you have a burn on your arm , the skin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flow .
The body is sending it additional nutrients to heal .
The problem is , when that happens in your lungs , fluid and extra blood starts going to the lungs .
Viruses can injure cells in the walls of the alveoli , so the fluid leaks into the alveoli .
A telltale sign of ARDS in an X-ray is what ’ s called ‘ ground glass opacity , ’ like an old-fashioned ground glass privacy window in a shower .
And lungs look that way because fluid is white on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white ground glass , or sometimes pure white , because the lung is filled with so much fluid , displacing where the air would normally be.
” “ With our coronavirus patients , once they ’ re on ventilators , most need about the highest settings that we can do .
About 90 % oxygen , and 16 of PEEP , positive end-expiratory pressure , which keeps the lung inflated .
This is nearly as high as I ’ ve ever seen .
The level we ’ re at means we are running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience , this severity of ARDS is usually more typical of someone who has a near drowning experience — they have a bunch of dirty water in their lungs — or people who inhale caustic gas .
Especially for it to have such an acute onset like that .
I ’ ve never seen a microorganism or an infectious process cause such acute damage to the lungs so rapidly .
That was what really shocked me.
” “ It first struck me how different it was when I saw my first coronavirus patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holy shit , this is not the flu .
Watching this relatively young guy , gasping for air , pink frothy secretions coming out of his tube and out of his mouth .
The ventilator should have been doing the work of breathing but he was still gasping for air , moving his mouth , moving his body , struggling .
We had to restrain him .
With all the coronavirus patients , we ’ ve had to restrain them .
They really hyperventilate , really struggle to breathe .
When you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breathe and delirious with fever , you don ’ t know when someone is trying to help you , so you ’ ll try to rip the breathing tube out because you feel it is choking you , but you are drowning .
“ When someone has an infection , I ’ m used to seeing the normal colors you ’ d associate with it : greens and yellows .
The coronavirus patients with ARDS have been having a lot of secretions that are actually pink because they ’ re filled with blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are essentially drowning in their own blood and fluids because their lungs are so full .
So we ’ re constantly having to suction out the secretions every time we go into their rooms.
” “ Before this , we were all joking .
It ’ s grim humor .
If you are exposed to the virus and test positive and go on quarantine , you get paid .
We were all joking : I want to get the coronavirus because then I get a paid vacation from work .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I was like , Holy shit , I do not want to catch this and I don ’ t want anyone I know to catch this .
“ I worked a long stretch of days last week , and I watched it go from this novelty to a serious issue .
We had one or two patients at our hospital , and then five to 10 patients , and then 20 patients .
Every day , the intensity kept ratcheting up .
More patients , and the patients themselves are starting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first started , we all had tons of equipment , tons of supplies , and as we started getting more patients , we started to run out .
They had to ration supplies .
At first we were trying to use one mask per patient .
Then it was just : You get one mask for positive patients , another mask for everyone else .
And now it ’ s just : You get one mask .
“ I work 12-hour shifts .
Right now , we are running about four times the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going .
We have such a large volume of patients , but it ’ s really hard to find enough people to fill all the shifts .
The caregiver-to-patient ratio has gone down , and you can ’ t spend as much time with each patient , you can ’ t adjust the vent settings as aggressively because you ’ re not going into the room as often .
And we ’ re also trying to avoid going into the room as much as possible to reduce infection risk of staff and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are trying to wean down the settings on the ventilator as much as possible , because you don ’ t want someone to be on the ventilator longer than they need to be .
Your risk of mortality increases every day that you spend on a ventilator .
The high pressures from high vent settings is pushing air into the lung and can overinflate those little balloons .
They can pop .
It can destroy the alveoli .
Even if you survive ARDS , although some damage can heal , it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They can get filled up with scar tissue .
ARDS can lead to cognitive decline .
Some people ’ s muscles waste away , and it takes them a long time to recover once they come off the ventilator .
“ There is a very real possibility that we might run out of ICU beds and at that point I don ’ t know what happens if patients get sick and need to be intubated and put on a ventilator .
Is that person going to die because we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
What if it goes on for months and dozens of people die because we don ’ t have the ventilators ?
“ Hopefully we don ’ t get there , but if you only have one ventilator , and you have two patients , you ’ re going to have to go with the one who has a higher likelihood of surviving .
And I ’ m afraid we ’ ll get to that point .
I ’ ve heard that ’ s happening in Italy .
”

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
As of Friday, Louisiana was reporting 479 confirmed cases of COVID-19, one of the highest numbers in the country. Ten people had died. The majority of cases are in New Orleans, which now has one confirmed case for every 1,000 residents. New Orleans had held Mardi Gras celebrations just two weeks before its first patient, with more than a million revelers on its streets.
I spoke to a respiratory therapist there, whose job is to ensure that patients are breathing well. He works in a medium-sized city hospital’s intensive care unit. (We are withholding his name and employer, as he fears retaliation.) Before the virus came to New Orleans, his days were pretty relaxed, nebulizing patients with asthma, adjusting oxygen tubes that run through the nose or, in the most severe cases, setting up and managing ventilators. His patients were usually older, with chronic health conditions and bad lungs.
Since last week, he’s been running ventilators for the sickest COVID-19 patients. Many are relatively young, in their 40s and 50s, and have minimal, if any, preexisting conditions in their charts. He is overwhelmed, stunned by the manifestation of the infection, both its speed and intensity. The ICU where he works has essentially become a coronavirus unit. He estimates that his hospital has admitted dozens of confirmed or presumptive coronavirus patients. About a third have ended up on ventilators.
His hospital had not prepared for this volume before the virus first appeared. One physician had tried to raise alarms, asking about negative pressure rooms and ventilators. Most staff concluded that he was overreacting. “They thought the media was overhyping it,” the respiratory therapist told me. “In retrospect, he was right to be concerned.”
He spoke to me by phone on Thursday about why, exactly, he has been so alarmed. His account has been condensed and edited for clarity.
“Reading about it in the news, I knew it was going to be bad, but we deal with the flu every year so I was thinking: Well, it’s probably not that much worse than the flu. But seeing patients with COVID-19 completely changed my perspective, and it’s a lot more frightening.”
“I have patients in their early 40s and, yeah, I was kind of shocked. I’m seeing people who look relatively healthy with a minimal health history, and they are completely wiped out, like they’ve been hit by a truck. This is knocking out what should be perfectly fit, healthy people. Patients will be on minimal support, on a little bit of oxygen, and then all of a sudden, they go into complete respiratory arrest, shut down and can’t breathe at all.”
“We have an observation unit in the hospital, and we have been admitting patients that had tested positive or are presumptive positive — these are patients that had been in contact with people who were positive. We go and check vitals on patients every four hours, and some are on a continuous cardiac monitor, so we see that their heart rate has a sudden increase or decrease, or someone goes in and sees that the patient is struggling to breathe or is unresponsive. That seems to be what happens to a lot of these patients: They suddenly become unresponsive or go into respiratory failure.”
“It’s called acute respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS. That means the lungs are filled with fluid. And it’s notable for the way the X-ray looks: The entire lung is basically whited out from fluid. Patients with ARDS are extremely difficult to oxygenate. It has a really high mortality rate, about 40%. The way to manage it is to put a patient on a ventilator. The additional pressure helps the oxygen go into the bloodstream.
“Normally, ARDS is something that happens over time as the lungs get more and more inflamed. But with this virus, it seems like it happens overnight. When you’re healthy, your lung is made up of little balloons. Like a tree is made out of a bunch of little leaves, the lung is made of little air sacs that are called the alveoli. When you breathe in, all of those little air sacs inflate, and they have capillaries in the walls, little blood vessels. The oxygen gets from the air in the lung into the blood so it can be carried around the body.
“Typically with ARDS, the lungs become inflamed. It’s like inflammation anywhere: If you have a burn on your arm, the skin around it turns red from additional blood flow. The body is sending it additional nutrients to heal. The problem is, when that happens in your lungs, fluid and extra blood starts going to the lungs. Viruses can injure cells in the walls of the alveoli, so the fluid leaks into the alveoli. A telltale sign of ARDS in an X-ray is what’s called ‘ground glass opacity,’ like an old-fashioned ground glass privacy window in a shower. And lungs look that way because fluid is white on an X-ray, so the lung looks like white ground glass, or sometimes pure white, because the lung is filled with so much fluid, displacing where the air would normally be.”
“With our coronavirus patients, once they’re on ventilators, most need about the highest settings that we can do. About 90% oxygen, and 16 of PEEP, positive end-expiratory pressure, which keeps the lung inflated. This is nearly as high as I’ve ever seen. The level we’re at means we are running out of options.
“In my experience, this severity of ARDS is usually more typical of someone who has a near drowning experience — they have a bunch of dirty water in their lungs — or people who inhale caustic gas. Especially for it to have such an acute onset like that. I’ve never seen a microorganism or an infectious process cause such acute damage to the lungs so rapidly. That was what really shocked me.”
“It first struck me how different it was when I saw my first coronavirus patient go bad. I was like, Holy shit, this is not the flu. Watching this relatively young guy, gasping for air, pink frothy secretions coming out of his tube and out of his mouth. The ventilator should have been doing the work of breathing but he was still gasping for air, moving his mouth, moving his body, struggling. We had to restrain him. With all the coronavirus patients, we’ve had to restrain them. They really hyperventilate, really struggle to breathe. When you’re in that mindstate of struggling to breathe and delirious with fever, you don’t know when someone is trying to help you, so you’ll try to rip the breathing tube out because you feel it is choking you, but you are drowning.
“When someone has an infection, I’m used to seeing the normal colors you’d associate with it: greens and yellows. The coronavirus patients with ARDS have been having a lot of secretions that are actually pink because they’re filled with blood cells that are leaking into their airways. They are essentially drowning in their own blood and fluids because their lungs are so full. So we’re constantly having to suction out the secretions every time we go into their rooms.”
“Before this, we were all joking. It’s grim humor. If you are exposed to the virus and test positive and go on quarantine, you get paid. We were all joking: I want to get the coronavirus because then I get a paid vacation from work. And once I saw these patients with it, I was like, Holy shit, I do not want to catch this and I don’t want anyone I know to catch this.
“I worked a long stretch of days last week, and I watched it go from this novelty to a serious issue. We had one or two patients at our hospital, and then five to 10 patients, and then 20 patients. Every day, the intensity kept ratcheting up. More patients, and the patients themselves are starting to get sicker and sicker. When it first started, we all had tons of equipment, tons of supplies, and as we started getting more patients, we started to run out. They had to ration supplies. At first we were trying to use one mask per patient. Then it was just: You get one mask for positive patients, another mask for everyone else. And now it’s just: You get one mask.
“I work 12-hour shifts. Right now, we are running about four times the number of ventilators than we normally have going. We have such a large volume of patients, but it’s really hard to find enough people to fill all the shifts. The caregiver-to-patient ratio has gone down, and you can’t spend as much time with each patient, you can’t adjust the vent settings as aggressively because you’re not going into the room as often. And we’re also trying to avoid going into the room as much as possible to reduce infection risk of staff and to conserve personal protective equipment.”
“But we are trying to wean down the settings on the ventilator as much as possible, because you don’t want someone to be on the ventilator longer than they need to be. Your risk of mortality increases every day that you spend on a ventilator. The high pressures from high vent settings is pushing air into the lung and can overinflate those little balloons. They can pop. It can destroy the alveoli. Even if you survive ARDS, although some damage can heal, it can also do long-lasting damage to the lungs. They can get filled up with scar tissue. ARDS can lead to cognitive decline. Some people’s muscles waste away, and it takes them a long time to recover once they come off the ventilator.
“There is a very real possibility that we might run out of ICU beds and at that point I don’t know what happens if patients get sick and need to be intubated and put on a ventilator. Is that person going to die because we don’t have the equipment to keep them alive? What if it goes on for months and dozens of people die because we don’t have the ventilators?
“Hopefully we don’t get there, but if you only have one ventilator, and you have two patients, you’re going to have to go with the one who has a higher likelihood of surviving. And I’m afraid we’ll get to that point. I’ve heard that’s happening in Italy.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-22--Romney Expresses Senators’ Concerns After Paul Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) expressed his and other senators ’ concerns following the news that Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) tested positive for the coronavirus earlier Sunday .
Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill Sunday afternoon , Romney said he was “ very unhappy ” to hear about Paul ’ s diagnosis and that he wishes him the “ very best.
” “ He ’ s compromised , given health conditions he ’ s had in the past , so we ’ ll be praying for him and thinking about him , ” Romney said .
Romney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice regarding what action should be taken to ensure that they don ’ t spread the coronavirus themselves .
When asked about having lunch with Paul during a Senate GOP lunch on Friday , Romney responded that “ we have to determine whether any of us should self-quarantine as a result of being in the same room.
” Later Sunday , Romney announced in a tweet that he is self-quarantining due to sitting next to Paul for “ extended periods in recent days.
” Romney ’ s announcement followed Sen. Mike Lee ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in reaction to Paul ’ s diagnosis .
Romney ’ s remarks came shortly before Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) delayed a procedural vote on a trillion-dollar coronavirus stimulus package until later Sunday .
McConnell ’ s move came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) said that House Democrats would introduce their own coronavirus stimulus bill after congressional leaders failed to reach a deal on the package .
Shortly after Romney ’ s remarks aired , NBC News reported that senators are contemplating whether they need to depart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported that Sen. Jerry Moran ( R-KS ) said in a GOP lunch Sunday that he saw Paul swimming at the Senate gym pool in the morning , shortly before his office announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus .
CNN ’ s Manu Raju also reported on Moran ’ s remarks during the GOP lunch .
Paul ’ s office responded to reports of Moran ’ s remark in a Sunday afternoon tweet , clarifying that the Kentucky senator departed the Senate “ IMMEDIATELY ” upon learning that he tested positive @ @ @ @

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) expressed his and other senators’ concerns following the news that Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) tested positive for the coronavirus earlier Sunday.
Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill Sunday afternoon, Romney said he was “very unhappy” to hear about Paul’s diagnosis and that he wishes him the “very best.”
“He’s compromised, given health conditions he’s had in the past, so we’ll be praying for him and thinking about him,” Romney said.
Romney added that all senators will seek medical advice regarding what action should be taken to ensure that they don’t spread the coronavirus themselves.
When asked about having lunch with Paul during a Senate GOP lunch on Friday, Romney responded that “we have to determine whether any of us should self-quarantine as a result of being in the same room.”
Later Sunday, Romney announced in a tweet that he is self-quarantining due to sitting next to Paul for “extended periods in recent days.” Romney’s announcement followed Sen. Mike Lee‘s (R-UT) decision to self-quarantine in reaction to Paul’s diagnosis.
Senator Romney’s office issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/tBSx03ZlTr — Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) March 22, 2020
Romney’s remarks came shortly before Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delayed a procedural vote on a trillion-dollar coronavirus stimulus package until later Sunday. McConnell’s move came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that House Democrats would introduce their own coronavirus stimulus bill after congressional leaders failed to reach a deal on the package.
Watch Romney’s remarks below:
.@senatorromney: "Very, very unhappy to hear that Rand Paul has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Wish him the very best. He's compromised given health conditions he's had in the past, so we'll be praying for him…all the senators are going to seek medical advice…" pic.twitter.com/tUVuaKBLMm — CSPAN (@cspan) March 22, 2020
Shortly after Romney’s remarks aired, NBC News reported that senators are contemplating whether they need to depart Capitol Hill immediately and self-quarantine.
Politico reported that Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) said in a GOP lunch Sunday that he saw Paul swimming at the Senate gym pool in the morning, shortly before his office announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus.
CNN’s Manu Raju also reported on Moran’s remarks during the GOP lunch.
Paul’s office responded to reports of Moran’s remark in a Sunday afternoon tweet, clarifying that the Kentucky senator departed the Senate “IMMEDIATELY” upon learning that he tested positive for the coronavirus.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-22--Wolf Suggests Russia May Be Spreading National Quarantine Rumors

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf dismissed the notion of an impending national lockdown or quarantine in the U.S. during an interview on Fox News Sunday morning .
After saying that he ’ s been contacted numerous times about text messages and screenshots warning of a national lockdown or a national quarantine , Wolf said the messages are “ absolutely false ” and that it ’ s “ part of a disinformation campaign.
” “ What we know — whether it ’ s Russia or whether it ’ s other cyber actors — they like to sow discord on any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ So , it doesn ’ t just have to be elections .
It can be any issue .
And we ’ re seeing that now with the coronavirus.
” Wolf went on to urge Americans to not believe or spread the rumors and to get information from state and federal officials .
On Friday , the White House ’ s National Security Council tweeted that text messages and emails about an impending national shutdown are “ absolutely false.
” Last month , the World Health Organization , which classified the coronavirus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the response to the outbreak has been accompanied by an “ infodemic ” — an overabundance of accurate and inaccurate information that impedes the public ’ s ability to find reliable guidance .

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf dismissed the notion of an impending national lockdown or quarantine in the U.S. during an interview on Fox News Sunday morning.
After saying that he’s been contacted numerous times about text messages and screenshots warning of a national lockdown or a national quarantine, Wolf said the messages are “absolutely false” and that it’s “part of a disinformation campaign.”
“What we know — whether it’s Russia or whether it’s other cyber actors — they like to sow discord on any controversial issue,” Wolf said. “So, it doesn’t just have to be elections. It can be any issue. And we’re seeing that now with the coronavirus.”
Wolf went on to urge Americans to not believe or spread the rumors and to get information from state and federal officials.
On Friday, the White House’s National Security Council tweeted that text messages and emails about an impending national shutdown are “absolutely false.”
Last month, the World Health Organization, which classified the coronavirus outbreak as a “pandemic,” acknowledged that the response to the outbreak has been accompanied by an “infodemic” — an overabundance of accurate and inaccurate information that impedes the public’s ability to find reliable guidance.
Watch Wolf’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-22--Rand Paul Is The First Senator To Test Positive For Coronavirus

Sen. Rand Paul ’ s ( R-KY ) office announced Sunday afternoon that he has tested positive for COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ and the third known member of Congress to test positive for the coronavirus .
In @ @ @ @ @ s account , the Kentucky senator ’ s office said that after being tested out @ @ @ @ @ caution ” in light of his extensive travel and events , he is asymptomatic while @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office added that the Kentucky senator was unaware of being in direct contact @ @ @ @ @ .
The news comes after two House members , Reps. Ben McAdams ( D-UT ) @ @ @ @ @ ) , announced last week that they contracted COVID-19 , making them the first members @ @ @ @ @ with the coronavirus .

Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) office announced Sunday afternoon that he has tested positive for COVID-19, making him the first senator and the third known member of Congress to test positive for the coronavirus.
In a tweet via Paul’s account, the Kentucky senator’s office said that after being tested out of “an abundance of caution” in light of his extensive travel and events, he is asymptomatic while being in quarantine.
Paul’s office added that the Kentucky senator was unaware of being in direct contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19.
He expects to be back in the Senate after his quarantine period ends and will continue to work for the people of Kentucky at this difficult time. Ten days ago, our D.C. office began operating remotely, hence virtually no staff has had contact with Senator Rand Paul. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 22, 2020
The news comes after two House members, Reps. Ben McAdams (D-UT) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), announced last week that they contracted COVID-19, making them the first members of Congress to come down with the coronavirus.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-22--Fauci On Differing With Trump: He’s Coming From A ‘Hope Layperson Standpoint’

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director and White House coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci acknowledged his differences with President Trump in response to the coronavirus outbreak , but stopped short of criticizing him during a Sunday morning interview on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation.
” When asked by CBS ’ Margaret Brennan about differing from Trump in his attempt to offer medical advice — saying that a combination of two drugs , hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin , could possibly help with treating the coronavirus — and whether he sees a concern that those drugs could become oversubscribed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue of where he and the President are coming from .
Fauci said that Trump was basing his remarks off of “ anecdotal reports ” to express hope that if those drugs work , it ’ s worth trying to push their usage .
“ I , on the other side , have said I ’ m not disagreeing with the fact anecdotally they might work , but my job is to prove definitively from a scientific standpoint that they do work , ” Fauci said .
“ So I was taking a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president was trying to bring hope to the people.
” Fauci added that he disagrees with the notion that he has a fundamental difference with Trump , saying that the President was “ coming from it from a hope layperson standpoint.
” Fauci echoed similar sentiments during a New York Times report Saturday evening , saying that he ’ s “ publicly had to say something different with what [ Trump ] states ” but added that the President is a “ smart guy ” who has listened to his remarks.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
I don ’ t want to act like a tough guy , like I stood up to the President .
I just want to get the facts out , ” Fauci told the Times .
“ And instead of saying , ‘ You ’ re wrong , ’ all you need to do is continually talk about what the data are and what the evidence is .
And he gets that .
He ’ s a smart guy .
He ’ s not a dummy .
So he doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — he doesn ’ t take it in a way that I ’ m confronting him in any way .
He takes it in a good way .
”

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director and White House coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci acknowledged his differences with President Trump in response to the coronavirus outbreak, but stopped short of criticizing him during a Sunday morning interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
When asked by CBS’ Margaret Brennan about differing from Trump in his attempt to offer medical advice — saying that a combination of two drugs, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, could possibly help with treating the coronavirus — and whether he sees a concern that those drugs could become oversubscribed, Fauci responded that’s an issue of where he and the President are coming from.
Fauci said that Trump was basing his remarks off of “anecdotal reports” to express hope that if those drugs work, it’s worth trying to push their usage.
“I, on the other side, have said I’m not disagreeing with the fact anecdotally they might work, but my job is to prove definitively from a scientific standpoint that they do work,” Fauci said. “So I was taking a purely medical, scientific standpoint and the president was trying to bring hope to the people.”
Fauci added that he disagrees with the notion that he has a fundamental difference with Trump, saying that the President was “coming from it from a hope layperson standpoint.”
Fauci echoed similar sentiments during a New York Times report Saturday evening, saying that he’s “publicly had to say something different with what [Trump] states” but added that the President is a “smart guy” who has listened to his remarks.”
“I don’t want to embarrass him. I don’t want to act like a tough guy, like I stood up to the President. I just want to get the facts out,” Fauci told the Times. “And instead of saying, ‘You’re wrong,’ all you need to do is continually talk about what the data are and what the evidence is. And he gets that. He’s a smart guy. He’s not a dummy. So he doesn’t take it — certainly up to now — he doesn’t take it in a way that I’m confronting him in any way. He takes it in a good way.”
Watch Fauci’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-22--Mnuchin Says Recession Is A ‘Technical Question’ That’s ‘Not Terribly Relevant’

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin denied that the U.S. is currently in a recession amid the coronavirus outbreak during an interview on Fox News Sunday morning .
When Fox News ’ John Roberts asked Mnuchin whether we ’ re in a recession amid the coronavirus outbreak , Mnuchin responded that ’ s “ a technical question ” and is “ not terribly relevant ” in this situation .
“ Are we going to have reduced economic activity this quarter ?
Absolutely , ” Mnuchin said .
“ I think , next quarter , a lot depends on how quickly the curve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people focus on recessions , it ’ s normally because of prolonged economic environment.
” Mnuchin acknowledged how the outbreak is a “ very unique situation ” and that the government has self-imposed shutting down large parts of the economy , but argued that as soon as the “ medical situation is under control , ” the economy will be reopened and “ bounce back significantly.
” Mnuchin made the remarks on the heels of marathon negotiations between Republicans and Democrats for the $ 1.5 trillion stimulus legislation to combat the coronavirus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it will include two weeks of loans to small businesses and an average payment of $ 3,000 to a family of four .
“ The first part are what I call small business retention loans .
If you ’ re a small business , you ’ ll get two weeks of cash flow to pay your workers .
You ’ ll also get some overhead , and if you do that , your loans will be forgiven , ” Mnuchin said .
“ The second part is direct deposits .
The average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of four will be approximately $ 3,000 — a bridge for them to get through this quickly .
The third component is enhanced unemployment .
The fourth component is a significant package working with the federal reserve .
We ’ ll have up to $ 4 trillion to support liquidity that we can use to support the economy.
” When asked how about the timeframe in which the stimulus package is designed to work , Mnuchin said that he hopes the stimulus package gets passed on Monday and that the administration is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12-week scenario.
” Mnuchin added that he thinks President Trump expects the situation to “ look a lot better four or eight weeks from now ” before arguing that “ this isn ’ t the financial crisis that ’ s going to go on for years .
”

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin denied that the U.S. is currently in a recession amid the coronavirus outbreak during an interview on Fox News Sunday morning.
When Fox News’ John Roberts asked Mnuchin whether we’re in a recession amid the coronavirus outbreak, Mnuchin responded that’s “a technical question” and is “not terribly relevant” in this situation.
“Are we going to have reduced economic activity this quarter? Absolutely,” Mnuchin said. “I think, next quarter, a lot depends on how quickly the curve of the medical situation works. When people focus on recessions, it’s normally because of prolonged economic environment.”
Mnuchin acknowledged how the outbreak is a “very unique situation” and that the government has self-imposed shutting down large parts of the economy, but argued that as soon as the “medical situation is under control,” the economy will be reopened and “bounce back significantly.”
Mnuchin made the remarks on the heels of marathon negotiations between Republicans and Democrats for the $1.5 trillion stimulus legislation to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Previewing the stimulus package, Mnuchin said it will include two weeks of loans to small businesses and an average payment of $3,000 to a family of four.
“The first part are what I call small business retention loans. If you’re a small business, you’ll get two weeks of cash flow to pay your workers. You’ll also get some overhead, and if you do that, your loans will be forgiven,” Mnuchin said. “The second part is direct deposits. The average direct deposit or check for a family of four will be approximately $3,000 — a bridge for them to get through this quickly. The third component is enhanced unemployment. The fourth component is a significant package working with the federal reserve. We’ll have up to $4 trillion to support liquidity that we can use to support the economy.”
When asked how about the timeframe in which the stimulus package is designed to work, Mnuchin said that he hopes the stimulus package gets passed on Monday and that the administration is “looking at anywhere from a 10- to 12-week scenario.”
Mnuchin added that he thinks President Trump expects the situation to “look a lot better four or eight weeks from now” before arguing that “this isn’t the financial crisis that’s going to go on for years.”
Watch Mnuchin’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-22--FEMA Admin Repeatedly Dodges Questions On Hospital Supply Shortages

FEMA administrator Pete Gaynor couldn ’ t give a clear-cut answer when asked about key supply shortages as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to overwhelm hospitals , during his Sunday morning TV appearances .
After telling CNN that FEMA has been shipping from the national stockpile for weeks , Jake Tapper pressed Gaynor on specific numbers on how many masks the federal government has been able to acquire and whether the masks have been shipped to hospitals .
“ It is a dynamic and fluid operation , ” Gaynor said .
“ The President appointed FEMA five days ago to manage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been here , we ’ ve been shipping continuously from federal warehouses , and again , connecting , you know , those governors that need supplies to those who have it in the commercial sector.
” When asked if he has an estimate , Gaynor responded that he can ’ t give a rough number , but that “ it ’ s happening every day.
” Tapper then pointed out how the inability of the federal government to give a number in terms of masks alarms doesn ’ t fill people with confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ not sure it ’ s about an exact number , ” before urging the public against getting tested for the coronavirus if they ’ re not exhibiting symptoms .
“ I ask every American : if you have symptoms , go get a test , ” Gaynor said .
“ If you don ’ t need a test because you don ’ t have symptoms , don ’ t do it .
That helps us .
It helps governors , it helps your local community.
” Gaynor similarly couldn ’ t provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning , saying that masks have been distributed without providing details regarding timeline and quantity .
After telling ABC News ’ Martha Raddatz that there are “ millions of things ” being shipped from the national stockpile , Gaynor said he can ’ t give details about what every single state or what every single city is doing .
Pressed about how many masks were in the strategic stockpile , Gaynor reiterated that “ there are still supplies ” in it and that “ we ’ re prepared to go to zero in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then went on to urge the public to not get tested for coronavirus if they ’ re not exhibiting symptoms .

FEMA administrator Pete Gaynor couldn’t give a clear-cut answer when asked about key supply shortages as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to overwhelm hospitals, during his Sunday morning TV appearances.
After telling CNN that FEMA has been shipping from the national stockpile for weeks, Jake Tapper pressed Gaynor on specific numbers on how many masks the federal government has been able to acquire and whether the masks have been shipped to hospitals.
“It is a dynamic and fluid operation,” Gaynor said. “The President appointed FEMA five days ago to manage federal operations and since I’ve been here, we’ve been shipping continuously from federal warehouses, and again, connecting, you know, those governors that need supplies to those who have it in the commercial sector.”
When asked if he has an estimate, Gaynor responded that he can’t give a rough number, but that “it’s happening every day.”
Tapper then pointed out how the inability of the federal government to give a number in terms of masks alarms doesn’t fill people with confidence.
Gaynor replied that he’s “not sure it’s about an exact number,” before urging the public against getting tested for the coronavirus if they’re not exhibiting symptoms.
“I ask every American: if you have symptoms, go get a test,” Gaynor said. “If you don’t need a test because you don’t have symptoms, don’t do it. That helps us. It helps governors, it helps your local community.”
Watch Gaynor’s remarks on CNN below:
FEMA administrator Pete Gaynor can't give a rough number on how many masks the federal government has been able to acquire pic.twitter.com/421ZYiXvcY — Talking Points Memo (@TPM) March 22, 2020
Gaynor similarly couldn’t provide a clear answer to ABC News Sunday morning, saying that masks have been distributed without providing details regarding timeline and quantity.
After telling ABC News’ Martha Raddatz that there are “millions of things” being shipped from the national stockpile, Gaynor said he can’t give details about what every single state or what every single city is doing.
Pressed about how many masks were in the strategic stockpile, Gaynor reiterated that “there are still supplies” in it and that “we’re prepared to go to zero in the stockpile to meet demand.”
Gaynor then went on to urge the public to not get tested for coronavirus if they’re not exhibiting symptoms.
Watch Gaynor’s remarks on ABC below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-22--Pence And Wife Test Negative For Coronavirus

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen tested negative for COVID-19 , according to Pence ’ s press secretary @ @ @ @ @ night tweet .
Pence previously announced that he and his wife would be tested later @ @ @ @ @ White House press briefing Saturday .
The Pences ’ negative test results come on the @ @ @ @ @ VP ’ s staffers testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday .
Pence denied that neither @ @ @ @ @ direct contact with the staffer , saying during the White House press briefing Saturday that @ @ @ @ @ him that he “ has no reason to believe I have been exposed.
” Pence @ @ @ @ @ confirmed that the staffer had last been in the office on Monday .

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen tested negative for COVID-19, according to Pence’s press secretary Katie Miller in a Saturday night tweet.
Pleased to report that the COVID-19 test results came back negative for both Vice President @Mike_Pence and Second Lady @KarenPence. — Katie Miller (@VPPressSec) March 22, 2020
Pence previously announced that he and his wife would be tested later in the afternoon during a White House press briefing Saturday.
The Pences’ negative test results come on the heels of one of the VP’s staffers testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Pence denied that neither he nor President Trump had direct contact with the staffer, saying during the White House press briefing Saturday that the White House physician advised him that he “has no reason to believe I have been exposed.”
Pence chief of staff Marc Short confirmed that the staffer had last been in the office on Monday.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-22--Trump Activates National Guard In Three States Hit Hard By Coronavirus Outbreak

President Trump announced that he is activating the National Guard in California , New York and Washington state in an effort to combat the coronavirus outbreak during a briefing at the White House Sunday evening .
Trump added that through FEMA , the federal government will fully fund the cost of deploying national guard units to “ carry out approved missions to stop the virus while those governors remain in command.
” After describing the federal government as a “ backup ” to state leaders , Trump said that his administration will follow governors and hopes “ they can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all three of the governors today , just a little while ago and they ’ re very happy with what we ’ re going to be doing , ” Trump said .
Trump added that his administration is “ dealing also with other states ” but that the National Guard is being activated in the states that were hit the hardest .
The President ’ s latest remarks come after he approved disaster declarations for New York and Washington .
During the briefing , Trump said he plans to approve one for California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deployed hundreds of tons of supplies from our national stocks pile to locations with the greatest need in order to assist in those areas , ” Trump said .
Trump also addressed Sen. Mitt Romney ’ s ( R-UT ) decision to self-quarantine shortly after Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) announced that he tested positive for coronavirus earlier Sunday .
“ Romney ’ s in isolation ?
” Trump said .
“ Gee , that ’ s too bad.
” When asked if he was being sarcastic , Trump replied “ none @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump was asked whether lawmakers like Romney opting to self-quarantine poses a threat to the function of the Senate .
After saying that he hopes his administration won ’ t have to extend his administration ’ s aim to slow the coronavirus ’ spread within 15 days , Trump added that he doesn ’ t see “ any threat at all ” to lawmakers choosing to self-quarantine .
“ Honestly I don ’ t see any threats at all .
It will all work out , ” Trump said , as the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a key Senate procedural vote Sunday evening .
Trump added that his administration is looking “ very strongly ” at figuring out how lawmakers can start voting remotely .
“ It is a question , a very good question , ” Trump said .
“ I don ’ t know if you can do it constitutionally , but we are considering letting people vote — senators , congressmen and women — from a separate location .
”

President Trump announced that he is activating the National Guard in California, New York and Washington state in an effort to combat the coronavirus outbreak during a briefing at the White House Sunday evening.
Trump added that through FEMA, the federal government will fully fund the cost of deploying national guard units to “carry out approved missions to stop the virus while those governors remain in command.”
After describing the federal government as a “backup” to state leaders, Trump said that his administration will follow governors and hopes “they can do the job.”
“I spoke with all three of the governors today, just a little while ago and they’re very happy with what we’re going to be doing,” Trump said.
Trump added that his administration is “dealing also with other states” but that the National Guard is being activated in the states that were hit the hardest.
The President’s latest remarks come after he approved disaster declarations for New York and Washington. During the briefing, Trump said he plans to approve one for California soon.
“The federal government has deployed hundreds of tons of supplies from our national stocks pile to locations with the greatest need in order to assist in those areas,” Trump said.
Trump also addressed Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R-UT) decision to self-quarantine shortly after Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) announced that he tested positive for coronavirus earlier Sunday.
“Romney’s in isolation?” Trump said. “Gee, that’s too bad.”
When asked if he was being sarcastic, Trump replied “none whatsoever.”
Later in the briefing, Trump was asked whether lawmakers like Romney opting to self-quarantine poses a threat to the function of the Senate. After saying that he hopes his administration won’t have to extend his administration’s aim to slow the coronavirus’ spread within 15 days, Trump added that he doesn’t see “any threat at all” to lawmakers choosing to self-quarantine.
“Honestly I don’t see any threats at all. It will all work out,” Trump said, as the coronavirus stimulus bill failed to get enough votes in a key Senate procedural vote Sunday evening.
Trump added that his administration is looking “very strongly” at figuring out how lawmakers can start voting remotely.
“It is a question, a very good question,” Trump said. “I don’t know if you can do it constitutionally, but we are considering letting people vote — senators, congressmen and women — from a separate location.”
Watch Trump’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-03-23--Trump-Branded Mailer Of Coronavirus Guidance Crops Up In California

When Todd Lando , a resident of Marin County , California , opened his P.O .
box Monday morning , one piece of mail struck him immediately .
It was a blue and white mailer titled : “ President Trump ’ s Coronavirus Guidelines for America.
” Below the title , logos for the White House and Centers for Disease Control sit side by side .
“ I was shocked to see it , ” Lando , a wildfire and vegetation management specialist , told TPM .
“ The messaging is important of course , but they wasted a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from.
” White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere confirmed that the mailer is an official White House/CDC document .
“ It ’ s the president ’ s 15-day guidelines to stop the spread , ” he told TPM in an email .
Lando did note that the mailer bore no address , adding that he ’ s never seen another piece of mail “ quite like it.
” It appears to be a bulk mailing , though it is unclear how widely it ’ s been disseminated .
Marin County , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmingly Democratic-voting area .
The contents are in line with what experts have been saying for weeks : work from home when possible , wash your hands , avoid gatherings .
But the choice to slap the President ’ s name on the guidelines is notable , given the stark polarization in people ’ s trust in Trump , as well as his own mercurial response to the pandemic .
In an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll published late last week , 37 percent of Americans said that they had a good amount or great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been saying about COVID-19 , in comparison to the 60 percent who said they had not very much or no trust in it .
The same poll found that Democrats are three times as likely as Republicans to be “ very concerned ” that the virus will affect their community .
That partisan breakdown in reactions to the disease also appears in other polling , including a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted from March 11-13 and a Pew Research survey put into the field from March 10-16 .
While much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some of the negative response to Trump ’ s trustworthiness on the disease likely stems from his rapidly shifting tone on the severity of the crisis .
In late January , he told CNBC in Davos , Switzerland that “ we have it totally under control ” and that “ it ’ s going to be just fine.
” In late February , he promised that “ one day , ” the disease would just “ disappear.
” March 2 , he said that he expected a vaccine “ relatively soon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year and a half away .
It wasn ’ t until March 17 that Trump started claiming at a press briefing he had always known that the risk posed by COVID-19 is “ real , ” a “ pandemic.
” In the meantime , per CDC statistics , the United States has grown to a total of 33,404 cases of coronavirus , with 400 dead from the disease .
When a reporter asked Trump if his positive characterizations were giving Americans a “ false sense of hope ” Friday , the President answered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the journalist , calling him a “ terrible reporter ” wielding a “ nasty question .
”

When Todd Lando, a resident of Marin County, California, opened his P.O. box Monday morning, one piece of mail struck him immediately.
It was a blue and white mailer titled: “President Trump’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America.”
Below the title, logos for the White House and Centers for Disease Control sit side by side.
“I was shocked to see it,” Lando, a wildfire and vegetation management specialist, told TPM. “The messaging is important of course, but they wasted a lot of space on who it’s from.”
White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere confirmed that the mailer is an official White House/CDC document. “It’s the president’s 15-day guidelines to stop the spread,” he told TPM in an email.
Judd added that the mailers were disseminated “nationwide.”
The contents are in line with what experts have been saying for weeks: work from home when possible, wash your hands, avoid gatherings.
But the choice to slap the President’s name on the guidelines is notable, given the stark polarization in people’s trust in Trump, as well as his own mercurial response to the pandemic.
In an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll published late last week, 37 percent of Americans said that they had a good amount or great deal of trust in what the President has been saying about COVID-19, in comparison to the 60 percent who said they had not very much or no trust in it.
The same poll found that Democrats are three times as likely as Republicans to be “very concerned” that the virus will affect their community. That partisan breakdown in reactions to the disease also appears in other polling, including a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted from March 11-13 and a Pew Research survey put into the field from March 10-16.
While much of the partisan split is likely baked in, some of the negative response to Trump’s trustworthiness on the disease likely stems from his rapidly shifting tone on the severity of the crisis.
In late January, he told CNBC in Davos, Switzerland that “we have it totally under control” and that “it’s going to be just fine.” In late February, he promised that “one day,” the disease would just “disappear.” March 2, he said that he expected a vaccine “relatively soon,” while experts peg it at a year and a half away.
It wasn’t until March 17 that Trump started claiming at a press briefing he had always known that the risk posed by COVID-19 is “real,” a “pandemic.”
In the meantime, per CDC statistics, the United States has grown to a total of 33,404 cases of coronavirus, with 400 dead from the disease.
When a reporter asked Trump if his positive characterizations were giving Americans a “false sense of hope” Friday, the President answered in the negative before lashing out at the journalist, calling him a “terrible reporter” wielding a “nasty question.”