talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-17--Trump’s Own Officials Depended on WHO to Fight Coronavirus. Then He Turned Against It.

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ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
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As President Donald Trump publicly bashed the World Health Organization over its response to the coronavirus pandemic last week , American aid officials tried to delicately sidestep the political tensions , internal documents shared with ProPublica show .
And Trump ’ s campaign upended weeks of partnership between his own administration and the WHO , which provides advice and support for health officials in developing countries .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to funnel much of its pandemic response through the WHO .
Even as they dealt with the fallout of Trump ’ s decision to cut off WHO funding , his administration leaned on it for expert advice .
“ Given the political dynamics , I do not recommend reference to WHO here or below , ” wrote one U.S. Agency for International Development career official in a comment on a draft report about how emergency funding would be spent .
“ Recommend deleting.
” The April 10 comment on the document prompted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career official , one of many who argued that the WHO ’ s role in the health crisis should not be caught up in a political spat .
“ It ’ s actually important to reference WHO standards during this type of emergency pandemic response – even with current political dynamics , ” wrote the official , who argued for leaving in the mention of the WHO .
It ’ s unclear which wording made it into the final version of the document .
The exchange was just one example of the angst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that Trump would follow through with his April 10 threat to cut off WHO funding , and it was indicative of efforts by officials to downplay the role of an important public health partner .
Just a few days later , on Tuesday , Trump paused all U.S. funding for the WHO , upending crucial plans for containing the virus in developing countries and bolstering China ’ s narrative that it is stepping into the traditional U.S. role of global leader .
Interviews with current and former U.S. officials and the internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s recent disparagement of the WHO , his administration was for weeks relying heavily on its expertise and global reach to fight the pandemic .
And in a public relations battle between China and the U.S. over global leadership , American diplomats and aid officials have cited robust U.S. funding of the WHO as a key supporting argument .
The WHO ’ s expertise is a critical resource for developing countries that lack their own strong public health sectors , said Jeremy Konyndyk , a former USAID official during the Obama administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means the U.S. is eliminating its own ability to control the pandemic in those countries , he said .
“ If you want to try and fight a public health crisis in a developing country without the WHO , you are lost from the outset , ” Konyndyk said .
Particularly in conflict zones where the U.S. has limited or no reach , such as Syria , Yemen and Libya , working with the WHO is crucial , one U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity .
Just one day after Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO staff held a presentation for USAID ’ s Global Health Bureau on health care in conflict settings , according to a description of the meeting seen by ProPublica .
USAID , the State Department and the White House did not respond to requests for comment .
The WHO referred ProPublica to comments on Wednesday by its director general , Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , saying that his organization hopes the U.S. will continue to be a “ generous friend ” and that his agency “ works to improve the health of many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most vulnerable people.
” The State Department and USAID turned to the WHO soon after the agencies received nearly $ 1.3 billion in new funding from Congress to address the pandemic in March .
That funding had few strings attached , meaning officials could disburse it largely as they saw fit and did not have to channel it through the WHO or any other specific entity .
In a March memo outlining the administration ’ s global pandemic response , obtained by ProPublica , officials wrote that the U.S. would work “ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several strategy elements mentioned the WHO .
In a March 31 public statement , the State Department highlighted U.S. assistance to the WHO , boasting that the agency ’ s “ broad-based effort would not be possible without U.S. support.
” The statement made repeated swipes at China , comparing U.S. funding of multilateral organizations to China ’ s much lower contributions .
That view was also reflected in an internal document dated April 13 and titled “ Countering People ’ s Republic of China ( PRC ) Propaganda on Health and Humanitarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” from the U.S. to “ the World Health Organization , UNICEF , the World Food Program and dozens of other organizations.
” Internal State Department guidance sent in early April , with diplomatic talking points about U.S. assistance , encouraged “ Ministries of Health to reach out to the local WHO representative and other local partners to inquire about laboratory test kits , reagents , and supplies , laboratory supplies , and test kit availability in your region.
” The guidance also served as an endorsement of the WHO ’ s unique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its vast network of procurement mechanisms to purchase tests on behalf of countries that can not afford them , ” it said .
The U.S. quickly funneled nearly $ 700,000 each to Morocco and Iraq via the WHO last month .
In response to a White House query this week , USAID officials compiled information on several grants they had made to the WHO that were supporting coronavirus relief and detection efforts in South Africa , India , Angola and elsewhere , according to a spreadsheet seen by ProPublica .
U.S. officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry about how they can help countries if they can ’ t channel the assistance via the WHO .
“ For several countries , the WHO is the only way we can help them , ” one official said .
“ We know nothing about anyone else who ’ s operating there.
” The significant U.S. reliance on the WHO in the Middle East prompted officials in the State Department ’ s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs to write a memo to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warning of the consequences of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draft version of which was seen by ProPublica , warned of undermining the global response to the pandemic , threatening American lives , and ceding ground to China .
Indeed , Trump officials have been preoccupied with the idea that China is winning the global PR battle .
On Thursday morning , White House , State Department , USAID and Pentagon officials held a conference call to discuss the issue , focusing on the Middle East .
Several diplomats in the region said that talking points against China gain little traction in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the call .
Privately , USAID officials acknowledge that China is well ahead of the U.S. in pushing the narrative that it is the leading humanitarian actor responding to the pandemic , according to meeting notes and emails seen by ProPublica .
One U.S. embassy in North Africa reported to officials in Washington this week that the Chinese had until recently avoided bashing the U.S. in favor of boosting their own donations of medical equipment .
There was one exception , they noted : The Chinese took the opportunity to highlight the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO .
Do you have access to information about the U.S. government response to the coronavirus that should be public ?
Email yeganeh.torbati @ propublica.org .
Here ’ s how to send tips and documents to ProPublica securely .

This story first appeared at ProPublica. 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 President Donald Trump publicly bashed the World Health Organization over its response to the coronavirus pandemic last week, American aid officials tried to delicately sidestep the political tensions, internal documents shared with ProPublica show.
And Trump’s campaign upended weeks of partnership between his own administration and the WHO, which provides advice and support for health officials in developing countries. The U.S. Agency for International Development had chosen to funnel much of its pandemic response through the WHO.
Even as they dealt with the fallout of Trump’s decision to cut off WHO funding, his administration leaned on it for expert advice.
“Given the political dynamics, I do not recommend reference to WHO here or below,” wrote one U.S. Agency for International Development career official in a comment on a draft report about how emergency funding would be spent. “Recommend deleting.”
The April 10 comment on the document prompted a rebuttal a few days later from another career official, one of many who argued that the WHO’s role in the health crisis should not be caught up in a political spat.
“It’s actually important to reference WHO standards during this type of emergency pandemic response – even with current political dynamics,” wrote the official, who argued for leaving in the mention of the WHO. It’s unclear which wording made it into the final version of the document.
The exchange was just one example of the angst that spread throughout USAID as it became clear that Trump would follow through with his April 10 threat to cut off WHO funding, and it was indicative of efforts by officials to downplay the role of an important public health partner. Just a few days later, on Tuesday, Trump paused all U.S. funding for the WHO, upending crucial plans for containing the virus in developing countries and bolstering China’s narrative that it is stepping into the traditional U.S. role of global leader.
Interviews with current and former U.S. officials and the internal documents and communications show that despite Trump’s recent disparagement of the WHO, his administration was for weeks relying heavily on its expertise and global reach to fight the pandemic. And in a public relations battle between China and the U.S. over global leadership, American diplomats and aid officials have cited robust U.S. funding of the WHO as a key supporting argument.
The WHO’s expertise is a critical resource for developing countries that lack their own strong public health sectors, said Jeremy Konyndyk, a former USAID official during the Obama administration. Cutting the WHO out of funding means the U.S. is eliminating its own ability to control the pandemic in those countries, he said.
“If you want to try and fight a public health crisis in a developing country without the WHO, you are lost from the outset,” Konyndyk said.
Particularly in conflict zones where the U.S. has limited or no reach, such as Syria, Yemen and Libya, working with the WHO is crucial, one U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity.
Just one day after Trump’s announcement, on Wednesday, WHO staff held a presentation for USAID’s Global Health Bureau on health care in conflict settings, according to a description of the meeting seen by ProPublica.
USAID, the State Department and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. The WHO referred ProPublica to comments on Wednesday by its director general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, saying that his organization hopes the U.S. will continue to be a “generous friend” and that his agency “works to improve the health of many of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.”
The State Department and USAID turned to the WHO soon after the agencies received nearly $1.3 billion in new funding from Congress to address the pandemic in March. That funding had few strings attached, meaning officials could disburse it largely as they saw fit and did not have to channel it through the WHO or any other specific entity.
In a March memo outlining the administration’s global pandemic response, obtained by ProPublica, officials wrote that the U.S. would work “in close coordination with” the WHO. Several strategy elements mentioned the WHO.
In a March 31 public statement, the State Department highlighted U.S. assistance to the WHO, boasting that the agency’s “broad-based effort would not be possible without U.S. support.” The statement made repeated swipes at China, comparing U.S. funding of multilateral organizations to China’s much lower contributions.
That view was also reflected in an internal document dated April 13 and titled “Countering People’s Republic of China (PRC) Propaganda on Health and Humanitarian Aid.” It cited “critical support” from the U.S. to “the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Food Program and dozens of other organizations.”
Internal State Department guidance sent in early April, with diplomatic talking points about U.S. assistance, encouraged “Ministries of Health to reach out to the local WHO representative and other local partners to inquire about laboratory test kits, reagents, and supplies, laboratory supplies, and test kit availability in your region.”
The guidance also served as an endorsement of the WHO’s unique capabilities. “WHO uses existing agreements and its vast network of procurement mechanisms to purchase tests on behalf of countries that cannot afford them,” it said.
The U.S. quickly funneled nearly $700,000 each to Morocco and Iraq via the WHO last month. In response to a White House query this week, USAID officials compiled information on several grants they had made to the WHO that were supporting coronavirus relief and detection efforts in South Africa, India, Angola and elsewhere, according to a spreadsheet seen by ProPublica.
U.S. officials working on the response said they now worry about how they can help countries if they can’t channel the assistance via the WHO.
“For several countries, the WHO is the only way we can help them,” one official said. “We know nothing about anyone else who’s operating there.”
The significant U.S. reliance on the WHO in the Middle East prompted officials in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs to write a memo to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warning of the consequences of a funding halt. The memo, a draft version of which was seen by ProPublica, warned of undermining the global response to the pandemic, threatening American lives, and ceding ground to China.
Indeed, Trump officials have been preoccupied with the idea that China is winning the global PR battle. On Thursday morning, White House, State Department, USAID and Pentagon officials held a conference call to discuss the issue, focusing on the Middle East. Several diplomats in the region said that talking points against China gain little traction in their countries, according to someone with knowledge of the call.
Privately, USAID officials acknowledge that China is well ahead of the U.S. in pushing the narrative that it is the leading humanitarian actor responding to the pandemic, according to meeting notes and emails seen by ProPublica.
One U.S. embassy in North Africa reported to officials in Washington this week that the Chinese had until recently avoided bashing the U.S. in favor of boosting their own donations of medical equipment. There was one exception, they noted: The Chinese took the opportunity to highlight the U.S. decision to halt funding to the WHO.
Do you have access to information about the U.S. government response to the coronavirus that should be public? Email [email protected]. Here’s how to send tips and documents to ProPublica securely.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-17--2,400 Deaths? 60,000? Fox News’ TV Doctor Guests Muse On Cost Of Ending COVID Orders

Fox News ’ TV doctors have something to say : Come on , what ’ s the worst that could happen !
That was the word this week from high-profile guests on the network who just happen to be trusted sources of mental and physical health advice for millions of people .
“ Dr .
Phil , ” or Phil McGraw , hasn ’ t been a licensed psychologist for years , but that didn ’ t stop him from wondering aloud about the medical implications of COVID-19 isolation measures on Thursday .
“ There ’ s a point at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lock down that it will actually create more destruction and , actually , more death , across time , than the actual virus will itself , ” he told Fox News ’ Laura Ingraham Thursday .
“ 45,000 people a year die from automobile accidents , ” McGraw said .
“ 480,000 from cigarettes , 360,000 a year from swimming pools , but we don ’ t shut the county down from that !
” “ Yet we ’ re doing it for this ?
” he wondered .
“ And the fallout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ’ s lives are being destroyed !
” As The Washington Post noted , McGraw ’ s numbers were off .
Around 4,000 people have died of drowning annually in the United States , so it ’ s not clear what he meant by 360,000 “ swimming pool ” deaths .
He also overstated the automobile fatalities .
McGraw bills his opinions as coming from a PhD in clinical psychology — he relinquished his license to practice in 2006 — but he went well beyond that on Thursday .
“ We think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by keeping them locked up .
You keep them locked up long enough , there ’ s a paradoxical effect , ” he said , noting the physical effects of isolation .
“ You actually destroy more lives than you do by letting them go out and protect themselves and opt in to their lives to fight for what they believe in.
” Phil wasn ’ t alone in calculating just how many COVID-19 deaths “ reopening ” society was worth .
Two nights earlier , the surgeon and TV personality Mehmet Oz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s show , where he estimated that the country needed “ our mojo back.
” “ Let ’ s start with things that are really critical to the nation where we think we might be able to open without getting into a lot of trouble , ” Oz said .
“ I tell you , schools are a very appetizing opportunity.
” He cited an article in The Lancet , a prominent medical journal , that Oz said found that “ the opening of schools may only cost us 2–3 % in terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ Recent modelling studies of COVID-19 predict that school closures alone would prevent only 2–4 % of deaths , much less than other social distancing interventions.
” If around 60,000 Americans ultimately die of COVID-19 , as the government ’ s infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci estimated last week , that would mean an additional 1,200–2,400 people dying as a result of the disease .
Calling that trade-off “ a theoretical risk on the back side , ” Oz said “ it might be a trade-off some folks would consider.
” Neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News , and a Fox News spokesperson pointed to several other doctors that are paid contributors on the network — including Dr. Janette Nesheiwat , the medical director of CityMD , Dr. Martin Makary , of Johns Hopkins .
But McGraw and Oz joined the swelling ranks of pundits , many on Fox News ’ airwaves , laying out the cold calculation in lives that it would take to “ reopen ” the country .
Oz , slammed for his comments Tuesday night , apologized on Thursday .
“ I ’ ve realized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have confused and upset people , which was never my intention , ” he said .
“ I misspoke.
” “ Last night , I said we as a society have chosen to live with certain controllable deadly risks every day : smoking , auto crashes , swimming , ” he said Friday .
“ And yes , I know that those are not contagious , so probably bad examples .
”

Fox News’ TV doctors have something to say: Come on, what’s the worst that could happen!
That was the word this week from high-profile guests on the network who just happen to be trusted sources of mental and physical health advice for millions of people.
“Dr. Phil,” or Phil McGraw, hasn’t been a licensed psychologist for years, but that didn’t stop him from wondering aloud about the medical implications of COVID-19 isolation measures on Thursday.
“There’s a point at which people start having enough problems in lock down that it will actually create more destruction and, actually, more death, across time, than the actual virus will itself,” he told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham Thursday.
“45,000 people a year die from automobile accidents,” McGraw said. “480,000 from cigarettes, 360,000 a year from swimming pools, but we don’t shut the county down from that!”
“Yet we’re doing it for this?” he wondered. “And the fallout is going to last for years because people’s lives are being destroyed!”
Phil McGraw: "There's a tipping point. There's a point at which people start having enough problems in lock down that it will actually create more destruction and, actually, more death, across time, than the actual virus will itself." pic.twitter.com/lOP1vkaJjV — Talking Points Memo (@TPM) April 17, 2020
As The Washington Post noted, McGraw’s numbers were off. Around 4,000 people have died of drowning annually in the United States, so it’s not clear what he meant by 360,000 “swimming pool” deaths. He also overstated the automobile fatalities.
McGraw bills his opinions as coming from a PhD in clinical psychology — he relinquished his license to practice in 2006 — but he went well beyond that on Thursday.
“We think we’re protecting peoples’ lives by keeping them locked up. You keep them locked up long enough, there’s a paradoxical effect,” he said, noting the physical effects of isolation. “You actually destroy more lives than you do by letting them go out and protect themselves and opt in to their lives to fight for what they believe in.”
“Dr. Phil, I could not agree more,” Ingraham replied.
Phil wasn’t alone in calculating just how many COVID-19 deaths “reopening” society was worth. Two nights earlier, the surgeon and TV personality Mehmet Oz was a guest on Sean Hannity’s show, where he estimated that the country needed “our mojo back.”
“Let’s start with things that are really critical to the nation where we think we might be able to open without getting into a lot of trouble,” Oz said. “I tell you, schools are a very appetizing opportunity.”
DR OZ: "Schools are a very appetizing opportunity. I just saw a nice piece in The Lancet arguing the opening of schools may only cost us 2 to 3%, in terms of total mortality. Any, you know, any life is a life lost, but … that might be a tradeoff some folks would consider." ? pic.twitter.com/aifMeKTsIv — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 16, 2020
He cited an article in The Lancet, a prominent medical journal, that Oz said found that “the opening of schools may only cost us 2–3% in terms of total mortality.”
The article found that “Recent modelling studies of COVID-19 predict that school closures alone would prevent only 2–4% of deaths, much less than other social distancing interventions.”
If around 60,000 Americans ultimately die of COVID-19, as the government’s infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci estimated last week, that would mean an additional 1,200–2,400 people dying as a result of the disease.
Calling that trade-off “a theoretical risk on the back side,” Oz said “it might be a trade-off some folks would consider.”
Neither guest is a paid contributor on Fox News, and a Fox News spokesperson pointed to several other doctors that are paid contributors on the network — including Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, the medical director of CityMD, Dr. Martin Makary, of Johns Hopkins.
But McGraw and Oz joined the swelling ranks of pundits, many on Fox News’ airwaves, laying out the cold calculation in lives that it would take to “reopen” the country.
Oz, slammed for his comments Tuesday night, apologized on Thursday.
“I’ve realized my comments on risks around opening schools have confused and upset people, which was never my intention,” he said. “I misspoke.”
McGraw also addressed the uproar.
“Last night, I said we as a society have chosen to live with certain controllable deadly risks every day: smoking, auto crashes, swimming,” he said Friday.
“And yes, I know that those are not contagious, so probably bad examples.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-17--Loeffler Suggests Critics Of Her Million-Dollar Stock Dump Are Enemies Of Capitalism

Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) painted herself as a protector of the free market on Friday while defending the enormous ( and shady ) stock dump she made shortly after a private Senate meeting in January about the looming COVID-19 threat .
During an interview with Fox News , the senator said that she and her husband had liquidated their stocks to “ make sure that we can ’ t be attacked for our success.
” “ This gets at the very heart of why I came to Washington : to defend free enterprise , to defend capitalism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a socialist attack.
” Loeffler came under fire in March after the Daily Beast reported that she had sold millions in stock beginning on the day of the closed-door session on the coronavirus outbreak in January through mid-February .
The stock market began to plummet shortly thereafter as a result of the pandemic , and Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced the biggest one-day drop in history on March 16 .
But even after her stock dump , Loeffler downplayed the outbreak and claimed the economy was “ strong ” on March 10 @

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) painted herself as a protector of the free market on Friday while defending the enormous (and shady) stock dump she made shortly after a private Senate meeting in January about the looming COVID-19 threat.
During an interview with Fox News, the senator said that she and her husband had liquidated their stocks to “make sure that we can’t be attacked for our success.”
“This gets at the very heart of why I came to Washington: to defend free enterprise, to defend capitalism,” she said. “And this is a socialist attack.”
Loeffler came under fire in March after the Daily Beast reported that she had sold millions in stock beginning on the day of the closed-door session on the coronavirus outbreak in January through mid-February.
The stock market began to plummet shortly thereafter as a result of the pandemic, and Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced the biggest one-day drop in history on March 16.
But even after her stock dump, Loeffler downplayed the outbreak and claimed the economy was “strong” on March 10.
Watch Loeffler below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-17--TX Judge Forces Prison To Provide Sanitary Supplies In ‘Very Significant Win’ For Inmates

A district judge ordered that a Texas prison holding geriatric inmates provide unfettered access to hand soap , as well as hand sanitizer and masks after finding the prison population to be at “ high risk of serious illness or death from exposure to COVID-19.
” Judge Keith Ellison also mandated in his preliminary injunction that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice present a comprehensive plan for testing inmates , and forbade the intake of new inmates into the prison , called the Pack Unit , for the duration of the pandemic .
Jeremy Desel , the Texas Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told TPM that they are reviewing the decision , which was handed down in the Southern District of Texas ’ Houston Division .
“ It will be appealed , ” he said .
For now at least , Michele Deitch , senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin ’ s law school and school of public affairs , considers the decision a “ significant win ” for inmate rights .
“ Though there are legal actions across the country right now , this is one of the very few focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she told TPM .
She conceded that what constitutes such an outstanding victory may seem like fairly “ obvious ” protective measures to those of us not behind bars .
“ What ’ s so stunning is that there are so many correctional agencies that are not doing this most basic of stuff , ” she said .
“ I mean , you need a lawsuit to tell people they can wash their hands ?
That ’ s what we ’ ve come to in this country : you need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights.
” The lawsuit was originally brought by Laddy Curtis Valentine and Richard Elvin King , two inmates in the Pack Unit aged 69 and 73 , respectively .
“ While it has always been a matter of when , not if , COVID-19 hits the state ’ s prisons , that time is now , ” the lawsuit said .
Emphasizing the advanced age of most of the Pack Unit ’ s prison population , the lawsuit cautioned that the inmates are the type of people “ most at risk ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An outbreak at the Pack Unit could easily spread to the surrounding communities , and vice versa , ” it said .
“ Time is running out for proper protections to be put into place.
” At least one Pack Unit inmate , Leonard Clerkly , died from pneumonia that the preliminary autopsy found resulted from COVID-19 infection .
While Deitch sees the preliminary injunction as a critical step , she said that it ’ s not enough to effectively quash the spread of the disease .
Nonviolent offenders , those who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their age or illness and those only in jail because they can ’ t afford their bail should be let out to reduce the prison population , she said .
Sanitizing measures like those mandated in the injunction should then be applied to what inmates remain .
“ When you ’ re head-to-foot in a crowded room with people coughing , hand sanitizer is not gon na protect you , ” she said .

A district judge ordered that a Texas prison holding geriatric inmates provide unfettered access to hand soap, as well as hand sanitizer and masks after finding the prison population to be at “high risk of serious illness or death from exposure to COVID-19.”
Judge Keith Ellison also mandated in his preliminary injunction that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice present a comprehensive plan for testing inmates, and forbade the intake of new inmates into the prison, called the Pack Unit, for the duration of the pandemic.
Jeremy Desel, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s director of communications, told TPM that they are reviewing the decision, which was handed down in the Southern District of Texas’ Houston Division.
“It will be appealed,” he said.
For now at least, Michele Deitch, senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin’s law school and school of public affairs, considers the decision a “significant win” for inmate rights.
“Though there are legal actions across the country right now, this is one of the very few focused on conditions rather than asking for release,” she told TPM.
She conceded that what constitutes such an outstanding victory may seem like fairly “obvious” protective measures to those of us not behind bars.
“What’s so stunning is that there are so many correctional agencies that are not doing this most basic of stuff,” she said. “I mean, you need a lawsuit to tell people they can wash their hands? That’s what we’ve come to in this country: you need to sue to protect your most basic of rights.”
The lawsuit was originally brought by Laddy Curtis Valentine and Richard Elvin King, two inmates in the Pack Unit aged 69 and 73, respectively.
“While it has always been a matter of when, not if, COVID-19 hits the state’s prisons, that time is now,” the lawsuit said. Emphasizing the advanced age of most of the Pack Unit’s prison population, the lawsuit cautioned that the inmates are the type of people “most at risk” for illness or death from COVID-19.
“An outbreak at the Pack Unit could easily spread to the surrounding communities, and vice versa,” it said. “Time is running out for proper protections to be put into place.”
At least one Pack Unit inmate, Leonard Clerkly, died from pneumonia that the preliminary autopsy found resulted from COVID-19 infection.
While Deitch sees the preliminary injunction as a critical step, she said that it’s not enough to effectively quash the spread of the disease. Nonviolent offenders, those who are no longer a threat to society due to their age or illness and those only in jail because they can’t afford their bail should be let out to reduce the prison population, she said. Sanitizing measures like those mandated in the injunction should then be applied to what inmates remain.
“When you’re head-to-foot in a crowded room with people coughing, hand sanitizer is not gonna protect you,” she said.
Read the preliminary injunction here:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-17--Coronavirus Death Toll In Africa Could Hit 300,000 This Year

JOHANNESBURG ( AP ) — Africa could see 300,000 deaths from the coronavirus this year even under the best-case scenario , according to a new report released Friday that cites modeling from Imperial College London .
Under the worst-case scenario with no interventions against the virus , Africa could see 3.3 million deaths and 1.2 billion infections , the report by the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa said .
Even with “ intense social distancing.
” under the best-case scenario the continent could see more than 122 million infections , the report said .
Any of the scenarios would overwhelm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health systems , experts have warned .
Under the best-case scenario , $ 44 billion would be needed for testing , personal protective equipment and treatment , the report said , citing UNECA estimates .
The worst-case scenario would cost $ 446 billion .
The continent as of Friday had more than 18,000 confirmed virus cases , but experts have said Africa is weeks behind Europe in the pandemic and the rate of increase has looked alarmingly similar .
The new report is the most detailed public projection yet for coronavirus infections and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.3 billion people are bracing for the pandemic .
Poverty , crowded urban conditions and widespread health problems make Africa “ particularly susceptible ” to the virus , the U.N. report said .
“ Of all the continents Africa has the highest prevalence of certain underlying conditions , like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
” On Thursday , a World Health Organization official said one projection over the next six months shows more than 10 million severe cases of the virus .
“ But these are still to be fine-tuned , ” said Michel Yao @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager in Africa , adding that public health measures could have an impact in limiting cases .
He did not give the source of the projection .
The new report also warns of severe economic pain across Africa amid the pandemic , with growth contracting 2.6 % in the worst-case scenario and an estimated 27 million people pushed into extreme poverty .
The World Bank has said sub-Saharan Africa could fall into its first recession in a quarter-century .
“ Collapsed businesses may never recover , ” the new report said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing control and facing unrest.
” Nearly 20 European and African leaders called this week for an immediate moratorium on all African debt payments , public and private , until the pandemic is over , as well as at least $ 100 billion in immediate financial help so countries can focus on fighting the virus .
The U.N. report said the continent has no fiscal space to deal with shocks from the pandemic and recommended a “ complete temporary debt standstill for two years for all African countries , low and middle income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African officials launch a new initiative to dramatically accelerate testing for the new virus .
More than 1 million coronavirus tests are being rolled out starting next week to address a major gap in assessing the true number of cases on the continent .
It ’ s possible that 15 million tests will be required in Africa over the next three months , the head of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , John Nkengasong , told reporters Thursday .
Africa has suffered in the global competition for badly needed medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continental platform so its 54 countries can team up to bulk-buy items at more reasonable prices .
One major shipment of equipment , including more than 400 ventilators , arrived this week for sharing among all 54 countries .
For most people , the coronavirus causes mild to moderate symptoms such as fever and cough .
But for some , especially older adults and those with other health problems , it can cause pneumonia and death .
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http : //apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Africa could see 300,000 deaths from the coronavirus this year even under the best-case scenario, according to a new report released Friday that cites modeling from Imperial College London.
Under the worst-case scenario with no interventions against the virus, Africa could see 3.3 million deaths and 1.2 billion infections, the report by the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa said.
Even with “intense social distancing.” under the best-case scenario the continent could see more than 122 million infections, the report said.
Any of the scenarios would overwhelm Africa’s largely fragile and underfunded health systems, experts have warned. Under the best-case scenario, $44 billion would be needed for testing, personal protective equipment and treatment, the report said, citing UNECA estimates. The worst-case scenario would cost $446 billion.
The continent as of Friday had more than 18,000 confirmed virus cases, but experts have said Africa is weeks behind Europe in the pandemic and the rate of increase has looked alarmingly similar.
The new report is the most detailed public projection yet for coronavirus infections and deaths in Africa, where more than 1.3 billion people are bracing for the pandemic.
Poverty, crowded urban conditions and widespread health problems make Africa “particularly susceptible” to the virus, the U.N. report said. “Of all the continents Africa has the highest prevalence of certain underlying conditions, like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.”
On Thursday, a World Health Organization official said one projection over the next six months shows more than 10 million severe cases of the virus.
“But these are still to be fine-tuned,” said Michel Yao, the WHO’s emergency operations manager in Africa, adding that public health measures could have an impact in limiting cases. He did not give the source of the projection.
The new report also warns of severe economic pain across Africa amid the pandemic, with growth contracting 2.6% in the worst-case scenario and an estimated 27 million people pushed into extreme poverty. The World Bank has said sub-Saharan Africa could fall into its first recession in a quarter-century.
“Collapsed businesses may never recover,” the new report said. “Without a rapid response, governments risk losing control and facing unrest.”
Nearly 20 European and African leaders called this week for an immediate moratorium on all African debt payments, public and private, until the pandemic is over, as well as at least $100 billion in immediate financial help so countries can focus on fighting the virus.
The U.N. report said the continent has no fiscal space to deal with shocks from the pandemic and recommended a “complete temporary debt standstill for two years for all African countries, low and middle income included.”
The report comes days before African officials launch a new initiative to dramatically accelerate testing for the new virus. More than 1 million coronavirus tests are being rolled out starting next week to address a major gap in assessing the true number of cases on the continent.
It’s possible that 15 million tests will be required in Africa over the next three months, the head of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong, told reporters Thursday.
Africa has suffered in the global competition for badly needed medical equipment but in recent days created a continental platform so its 54 countries can team up to bulk-buy items at more reasonable prices.
One major shipment of equipment, including more than 400 ventilators, arrived this week for sharing among all 54 countries.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild to moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. But for some, especially older adults and those with other health problems, it can cause pneumonia and death.
___
Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-17--Mail-In Elections Can’t Be Built Overnight. Here’s What Will Happen If Every State Tries.

On Thursday , a niche trade organization called the National Association of Presort Mailers held the first of what is expected to be a regularly scheduled organization-wide teleconference .
The call was to discuss a daunting task with which its members will be deeply involved : printing , packaging and mailing ballots for a general election in the midst of a pandemic .
On the call , the companies with the most experience working in the election space issued a dire warning to their colleagues , according to the leader of the trade group : with longstanding orders from established @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they were already at capacity for printing and mailing operations for November ’ s election .
If more states and localities sought to expand their mail-in voting operations , those vendors — who typically work with the western states that already conduct massive absentee voting operations — would need to purchase more equipment .
But obtaining that equipment takes several months , National Association of Presort Mailers president Richard Gebbie told TPM after the call , and vendors wouldn ’ t make that seven-figure investment without the contracts to justify it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is that if election officials wait even more than a few weeks to put in those orders , it would be too late for those vendors to scale up their own capacity .
“ Those folks who were on the phone said , ‘ For us , we can ’ t take one more piece of mail unless we buy gear , ’ ” Gebbie told TPM , adding that the other vendors who don ’ t normally work on elections weren ’ t in place yet to carry any extra weight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in the fall , I just don ’ t know what that ’ s going to look like if more than several states decide to do vote-by-mail , from a capacity standpoint , ” Gebbie , who also runs the Ohio-based mail service vendor Midwest Direct , said .
Most voters have probably never heard of the National Association of Presort Mailers .
They might not even know such an industry exists .
But if you live in a place where the most common way to cast a ballot is by mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these vendors play a crucial role in the success of your elections .
They ’ re often one part of an extremely complicated supply chain that allows large-scale vote-by-mail elections to run smoothly .
In the handful of states where a majority of voters cast ballots by mail , that infrastructure took years to build .
States with large-scale absentee operations rely on an intricate web of vendors and sophisticated equipment to make the system work .
With the pandemic , states and localities everywhere are looking to scale up their absentee voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry needs to figure out if it will have the capacity to meet the surge in demand for services like printing ballots , stuffing envelopes , sending ballots , and tracking them through the mail .
Policymakers who think they can wait until the summer to decide how much absentee voting their election officials need to prepare won ’ t be giving vendors enough time to build that infrastructure , experts worry .
“ All these procurement decisions , if they ’ re made in the next month , jurisdictions will be fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it will be a disaster , ” said Nate Persily , a Stanford Law professor who served as research director for President ’ s Obama ’ s Commission on Election Administration .
Local election officials have mostly realized the decisions need to be made soon , said Amber McReynolds , the CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute , which works with administrators to expand absentee voting .
Wisconsin ’ s chaotic primary in particular “ raised the alert level.
” The “ biggest problem , ” she said , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state level who , due to the “ partisan political fight , ” have been slow to OK the preparations .
“ This isn ’ t an August decision , this isn ’ t even a July decision , this an April decision that needs to occur now , ” she said .
‘ When Everybody Is Surging , What Does This Look Like ?
’ Much focus has been on the springtime elections that were rescheduled for the coming months , and those too pose serious logistical challenges because of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chain perspective , the November elections present the greater risk for shortages and backorders , according Ben Hovland , a member of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission , “ There ’ s a little bit more leeway with these staggered primaries for a vendor or a mailhouse or whoever , ” Hovland told TPM .
“ But when everybody is surging , what does this look like ?
” For the process of printing and mailing out ballots — known as the “ outbound ” phase — election officials in places where absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to physically selecting the appropriate ballot for the person requesting it and putting it in an envelope that they address by hand , according to Tammy Patrick , a senior advisor at the Democracy Fund .
“ So , when you have a million of those [ requests ] coming in , that ’ s where everyone gets really overwhelmed , ” Patrick , a former elections administrator in the high-absentee voting state of Arizona , said .
Those officials now have to consider whether to rework that approach for the upcoming election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buying new equipment , seeking new vendors and changing up what levels of government are responsible for each step of the absentee voting process .
“ You probably have a print vendor that can do your ballots , ” said Judd Choate , director of elections of Colorado , a vote-by-mail state .
“ But you need to find one that could do your ballots plus , do your envelopes — and it ’ s the exterior envelope and the interior envelope — and then can do the inserts , and can assemble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a postal vendor that can get those out.
” Exactly what an election official needs will depend on the size of her jurisdiction and how big of a jump this year ’ s expected absentee voting levels will be from normal practices .
The staff in smaller , more rural counties might opt to handle the bulk of outbound operations themselves .
But they should consider tools that can help on the “ inbound ” side , i.e .
the handling of ballots once they come in , veterans of mail-by-vote elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ envelope opener , which can run around $ 1,000 , can vastly speed up the inbound process .
Larger jurisdictions might want to invest in specialized sorting machines that organize incoming ballots before they are counted .
Those cost $ 500,000 or more , according to Hovland .
Then there ’ s the actual counting of absentee ballots .
Election officials need to think about buying special high-speed tabulators that can count several ballots at time .
Such tabulators usually aren ’ t used during in-person voting , when ballots can be counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak started scrambling elections , local officials in Lansing , Michigan — where absentee voting was already being scaled up due to 2018 changes to voting law — were unable to get a high-speed tabulator they ordered for their March 10 primary because their vendor was on backorder .
The experience has the county clerk , Barb Byrum thinking about buying an extra high speed tabulator to have available in case one of the local officials needs one , as she urges the legislature to make other changes to the procedures to speed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I see the train coming , ” Byrum said , worrying that “ unofficial election night results are going to be delayed significantly at the county level.
” “ When there ’ s a delay , then people start questioning , ” she said .
“ And I worry about the public confidence in our elections , as a result of no fault of the clerk , but rather lack of resources and lack of focus by our elected officials whose names appear on the ballot .
”

On Thursday, a niche trade organization called the National Association of Presort Mailers held the first of what is expected to be a regularly scheduled organization-wide teleconference. The call was to discuss a daunting task with which its members will be deeply involved: printing, packaging and mailing ballots for a general election in the midst of a pandemic.
On the call, the companies with the most experience working in the election space issued a dire warning to their colleagues, according to the leader of the trade group: with longstanding orders from established mail-in voting states, these companies said, they were already at capacity for printing and mailing operations for November’s election.
If more states and localities sought to expand their mail-in voting operations, those vendors — who typically work with the western states that already conduct massive absentee voting operations — would need to purchase more equipment. But obtaining that equipment takes several months, National Association of Presort Mailers president Richard Gebbie told TPM after the call, and vendors wouldn’t make that seven-figure investment without the contracts to justify it.
The conundrum, Gebbie fretted to TPM, is that if election officials wait even more than a few weeks to put in those orders, it would be too late for those vendors to scale up their own capacity.
“Those folks who were on the phone said, ‘For us, we can’t take one more piece of mail unless we buy gear,’” Gebbie told TPM, adding that the other vendors who don’t normally work on elections weren’t in place yet to carry any extra weight.
“Looking at the presidential coming up in the fall, I just don’t know what that’s going to look like if more than several states decide to do vote-by-mail, from a capacity standpoint,” Gebbie, who also runs the Ohio-based mail service vendor Midwest Direct, said.
Most voters have probably never heard of the National Association of Presort Mailers. They might not even know such an industry exists. But if you live in a place where the most common way to cast a ballot is by mail, there’s a good chance these vendors play a crucial role in the success of your elections.
They’re often one part of an extremely complicated supply chain that allows large-scale vote-by-mail elections to run smoothly. In the handful of states where a majority of voters cast ballots by mail, that infrastructure took years to build. States with large-scale absentee operations rely on an intricate web of vendors and sophisticated equipment to make the system work.
With the pandemic, states and localities everywhere are looking to scale up their absentee voting operations. And now the presort mailing industry needs to figure out if it will have the capacity to meet the surge in demand for services like printing ballots, stuffing envelopes, sending ballots, and tracking them through the mail.
Policymakers who think they can wait until the summer to decide how much absentee voting their election officials need to prepare won’t be giving vendors enough time to build that infrastructure, experts worry.
“All these procurement decisions, if they’re made in the next month, jurisdictions will be fine. But if they wait until August, it will be a disaster,” said Nate Persily, a Stanford Law professor who served as research director for President’s Obama’s Commission on Election Administration.
Local election officials have mostly realized the decisions need to be made soon, said Amber McReynolds, the CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, which works with administrators to expand absentee voting. Wisconsin’s chaotic primary in particular “raised the alert level.”
The “biggest problem,” she said, is the lack of urgency among those at the state level who, due to the “partisan political fight,” have been slow to OK the preparations.
“This isn’t an August decision, this isn’t even a July decision, this an April decision that needs to occur now,” she said.
‘When Everybody Is Surging, What Does This Look Like?’
Much focus has been on the springtime elections that were rescheduled for the coming months, and those too pose serious logistical challenges because of their quick turnaround. But from a supply chain perspective, the November elections present the greater risk for shortages and backorders, according Ben Hovland, a member of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission,
“There’s a little bit more leeway with these staggered primaries for a vendor or a mailhouse or whoever,” Hovland told TPM. “But when everybody is surging, what does this look like?”
For the process of printing and mailing out ballots — known as the “outbound” phase — election officials in places where absentee voting is less common may be used to physically selecting the appropriate ballot for the person requesting it and putting it in an envelope that they address by hand, according to Tammy Patrick, a senior advisor at the Democracy Fund.
“So, when you have a million of those [requests] coming in, that’s where everyone gets really overwhelmed,” Patrick, a former elections administrator in the high-absentee voting state of Arizona, said.
Those officials now have to consider whether to rework that approach for the upcoming election cycle. Such a rework could include buying new equipment, seeking new vendors and changing up what levels of government are responsible for each step of the absentee voting process.
“You probably have a print vendor that can do your ballots,” said Judd Choate, director of elections of Colorado, a vote-by-mail state. “But you need to find one that could do your ballots plus, do your envelopes — and it’s the exterior envelope and the interior envelope — and then can do the inserts, and can assemble them, and then has a relationship with a postal vendor that can get those out.”
‘When There’s A Delay, Then People Start Questioning’
Exactly what an election official needs will depend on the size of her jurisdiction and how big of a jump this year’s expected absentee voting levels will be from normal practices.
The staff in smaller, more rural counties might opt to handle the bulk of outbound operations themselves. But they should consider tools that can help on the “inbound” side, i.e. the handling of ballots once they come in, veterans of vote-by-mail elections say. Even something like an automated envelope opener, which can run around $1,000, can vastly speed up the inbound process.
Larger jurisdictions might want to invest in specialized sorting machines that organize incoming ballots before they are counted. Those cost $500,000 or more, according to Hovland.
Then there’s the actual counting of absentee ballots. Election officials need to think about buying special high-speed tabulators that can count several ballots at time. Such tabulators usually aren’t used during in-person voting, when ballots can be counted more slowly.
Just before the COVID-19 outbreak started scrambling elections, local officials in Lansing, Michigan — where absentee voting was already being scaled up due to 2018 changes to voting law — were unable to get a high-speed tabulator they ordered for their March 10 primary because their vendor was on backorder.
The experience has the county clerk, Barb Byrum thinking about buying an extra high speed tabulator to have available in case one of the local officials needs one, as she urges the legislature to make other changes to the procedures to speed up the absentee counting process.
“I see the train coming,” Byrum said, worrying that “unofficial election night results are going to be delayed significantly at the county level.”
“When there’s a delay, then people start questioning,” she said. “And I worry about the public confidence in our elections, as a result of no fault of the clerk, but rather lack of resources and lack of focus by our elected officials whose names appear on the ballot.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-17--Trump Fires Off Calls To ‘LIBERATE’ Michigan, Minnesota And Virginia Amid Protests

President Donald Trump posted several bellicose tweets on Friday about the states where some people , including his supporters , are protesting their governors ’ stay at home orders .
Trump first tweeted “ LIBERATE MINNESOTA , ” followed by “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN , ” then “ LIBERATE VIRGINIA.
” “ And save your great 2nd Amendment .
It is under siege !
” he added in his tweet about Virginia .
Over the past several days , all three states have seen protests against the stay at home orders issued by Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D ) , and Virginia Gov .
Ralph Northam ( D ) during the COVID-19 crisis .
The demonstration in Michigan was led by two conservative groups , and several protesters in attendance were seen waving pro-Trump and Confederate flags .
“ As the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia , I ’ m fighting a biological war , ” the governor said .
“ I do not have time to involve myself in Twitter wars.
” “ We are all on the same team when it comes to defeating COVID-19 , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press secretary , told TPM via email in response to Trump ’ s tweet .
“ Right now the governor is focused on saving lives and protecting Michigan families , ” Leddy said .
“ As the governor has said , we ’ re not going to reopen Michigan ’ s economy via tweet.
” Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee ( D ) blasted the tweet as protesters prepare to rally in his state as well , saying that Trump ’ s comments “ encourage illegal and dangerous acts.
” “ The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even while his own administration says the virus is real and is deadly , and that we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted , ” Inslee said in a statement .
After first falsely claiming he had the “ total authority ” to force states to end their orders and reopen the economy , Trump backed down and admitted the decisions were up to the governors .
However , he has maintained his desperate push for businesses to open shop again by May 1 in order to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Michigan , Minnesota , and Virginia all happen to be key states .

President Donald Trump posted several bellicose tweets on Friday about the states where some people, including his supporters, are protesting their governors’ stay at home orders.
Trump first tweeted “LIBERATE MINNESOTA,” followed by “LIBERATE MICHIGAN,” then “LIBERATE VIRGINIA.”
“And save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!” he added in his tweet about Virginia.
Over the past several days, all three states have seen protests against the stay at home orders issued by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) during the COVID-19 crisis. The demonstration in Michigan was led by two conservative groups, and several protesters in attendance were seen waving pro-Trump and Confederate flags.
Northam addressed Trump’s missive during a daily press conference.
“As the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, I’m fighting a biological war,” the governor said. “I do not have time to involve myself in Twitter wars.”
“We are all on the same team when it comes to defeating COVID-19,” Bobby Leddy, Whitmer’s deputy press secretary, told TPM via email in response to Trump’s tweet.
“Right now the governor is focused on saving lives and protecting Michigan families,” Leddy said. “As the governor has said, we’re not going to reopen Michigan’s economy via tweet.”
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) blasted the tweet as protesters prepare to rally in his state as well, saying that Trump’s comments “encourage illegal and dangerous acts.”
“The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies even while his own administration says the virus is real and is deadly, and that we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted,” Inslee said in a statement.
After first falsely claiming he had the “total authority” to force states to end their orders and reopen the economy, Trump backed down and admitted the decisions were up to the governors.
However, he has maintained his desperate push for businesses to open shop again by May 1 in order to protect his chances of reelection this year, and Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia all happen to be key states.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-18--Trump Adviser Takes Heat For Likening Stay-At-Home Protesters To Rosa Parks

Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore faces backlash for recently comparing protesters defying stay-at-home orders in Michigan , Minnesota and Virginia to civil rights icon Rosa Parks .
Moore , who is a member of the White House council to reopen the country , told The Washington Post in a Friday night report that the stay-at-home order protesters indicate “ a boiling point that has been reached and exceeded ” and that he likens them to Park .
“ I call these people the modern-day Rosa Parks — they are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties , ” Moore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his remarks shortly after the Post published its report .
However , Moore ’ s comments to the Post weren ’ t the first to invoke Parks when discussing protesters defying stay-at-home orders .
In a video posted to a libertarian think tank ’ s YouTube page on Tuesday , Moore indicated that he ’ s assisting an effort to plan a “ drive-in ” to protest Wisconsin ’ s stay-at-home orders .
“ They ’ re going to shut down the Capitol — shh , don ’ t tell anybody , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the Rosa Parks here and protest against these government injustices.
” Moore then predicted in the video that there will be “ a lot more ” of the stay-at-home order protests , before arguing that “ this is a great time , gentleman and ladies , for civil disobedience.
” Moore ’ s latest remarks aren ’ t far off from the remarks President Trump made during Friday ’ s White House coronavirus task force briefing when he argued that Michigan , Minnesota and Virginia have done “ too much ” with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in those states “ seem to be very responsible people.
” Moore also told CBS in a Friday interview that the Trump administration should have begun the process to reopen the economy “ a week or two ago.
” “ I think we lean way too much in the direction of keeping the economy shut down to try to save every life , not realizing that we ’ re causing huge hardship for citizens — again , people at the bottom and businesses — and we ’ re going to suffer a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Moore said .

Trump economic adviser Stephen Moore faces backlash for recently comparing protesters defying stay-at-home orders in Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia to civil rights icon Rosa Parks.
Moore, who is a member of the White House council to reopen the country, told The Washington Post in a Friday night report that the stay-at-home order protesters indicate “a boiling point that has been reached and exceeded” and that he likens them to Park.
“I call these people the modern-day Rosa Parks — they are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties,” Moore said.
Moore was swiftly derided for his remarks shortly after the Post published its report.
Congratulations to Trump adviser Stephen Moore on a comment at once strikingly stupid and deeply offensive.
“I call these people the modern-day Rosa Parks — they are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties.” https://t.co/2V1mhWFDC9 pic.twitter.com/TJIa4EZnap — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 18, 2020
When people like Stephen Moore make comparisons to Ross Parks we should treat it as the cynical, calculated form of race baiting that it is. Enslavers said *they* were in fact the slaves. Segregationists adopted Civil Rights mvmt language to fight policies to help black people. — Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) April 18, 2020
Could you have imagined the outcome if Rosa brought a gun to the bus? White House adviser Stephen Moore repeatedly compared right-wing protesters who oppose coronavirus safety measures to Rosa Parks, the civil rights icon who fought for racial equality. https://t.co/u9ozzAtXpO — Scott Huffman For Congress (@HuffmanForNC) April 18, 2020
Yes, Stephen Moore invoked Rosa Parks to praise those who violate stay-at-home guidelines, advocating for their revocation. Ironic, since the way this virus spreads makes such “protests" violent. (And he is on the White House council to “re-open" the U.S.) https://t.co/3OSKYg6bYo — Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) April 18, 2020
Alas, unqualified Trump Fed picks comparing right-wing idiots to Rosa Parks is not at all a new thing, nor unique to Stephen Moore. Here's Judy Shelton, whose nomination is still pending before Senate, comparing a currency counterfeiter to Rosa Parks https://t.co/ECVKX2J16i — Catherine Rampell (@crampell) April 18, 2020
However, Moore’s comments to the Post weren’t the first to invoke Parks when discussing protesters defying stay-at-home orders.
In a video posted to a libertarian think tank’s YouTube page on Tuesday, Moore indicated that he’s assisting an effort to plan a “drive-in” to protest Wisconsin’s stay-at-home orders.
“They’re going to shut down the Capitol — shh, don’t tell anybody,” Moore said. “We need to be the Rosa Parks here and protest against these government injustices.”
Moore then predicted in the video that there will be “a lot more” of the stay-at-home order protests, before arguing that “this is a great time, gentleman and ladies, for civil disobedience.”
Moore’s latest remarks aren’t far off from the remarks President Trump made during Friday’s White House coronavirus task force briefing when he argued that Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia have done “too much” with social distancing and that the stay-at-home protesters in those states “seem to be very responsible people.”
Moore also told CBS in a Friday interview that the Trump administration should have begun the process to reopen the economy “a week or two ago.”
“I think we lean way too much in the direction of keeping the economy shut down to try to save every life, not realizing that we’re causing huge hardship for citizens — again, people at the bottom and businesses — and we’re going to suffer a big loss of living standards because of this,” Moore said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-18--Canada And US Agree To Extend Border Closures For Another Month

TORONTO ( AP ) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday the U.S. and Canada have agreed to keep their border closed to nonessential travel for another 30 days .
Trudeau said it will keep people on both sides of the border safe amid the pandemic .
“ The agreement is the same terms .
It ’ s just extended for another 30 days .
It will ensure we continue to get essential goods and services back and forth across the border , ” Trudeau said .
U.S. President Donald Trump said this past Wednesday that the U.S.-Canada border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open and said the U.S. and Canada are doing well in handling the pandemic .
The U.S. has more confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 than any country in the world .
The U.S. and Canada agreed last month to limit border crossings to essential travel amid the pandemic , but that agreement was due to expire this coming week .
Nearly 200,000 people cross that border daily in normal times .
Essential cross-border workers like healthcare professionals , airline crews and truck drivers will still be permitted to cross .
Truck drivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and medical goods in both directions .
Much of Canada ’ s food supply comes from or via the U.S. Canadians who live in the U.S. for part of the year and are returning to Canada are among those who are also exempted from the current travel ban .
Canada sends 75 % of its exports to the U.S. and about 18 % of American exports go to Canada .
The U.S. Canada border is world ’ s longest between two nations .

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday the U.S. and Canada have agreed to keep their border closed to nonessential travel for another 30 days.
Trudeau said it will keep people on both sides of the border safe amid the pandemic.
“The agreement is the same terms. It’s just extended for another 30 days. It will ensure we continue to get essential goods and services back and forth across the border,” Trudeau said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said this past Wednesday that the U.S.-Canada border will be among the first borders to open and said the U.S. and Canada are doing well in handling the pandemic. The U.S. has more confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 than any country in the world.
The U.S. and Canada agreed last month to limit border crossings to essential travel amid the pandemic, but that agreement was due to expire this coming week. Nearly 200,000 people cross that border daily in normal times.
Essential cross-border workers like healthcare professionals, airline crews and truck drivers will still be permitted to cross. Truck drivers are critical as they supply grocery stores and medical goods in both directions. Much of Canada’s food supply comes from or via the U.S.
Canadians who live in the U.S. for part of the year and are returning to Canada are among those who are also exempted from the current travel ban.
Canada sends 75% of its exports to the U.S. and about 18% of American exports go to Canada. The U.S. Canada border is world’s longest between two nations.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-18--Former Treasury Secretary Who Broke With Bush Tax Policy Dies At Age 84

Paul O ’ Neill , a former Treasury secretary who broke with George W. Bush over tax policy and then produced a book critical of the administration , died Saturday .
He was 84 .
O ’ Neill ’ s son , Paul O ’ Neill Jr. confirmed that his father died at his home in Pittsburgh after battling lung cancer for the last couple of years .
After a few surgeries and chemotherapy , he decided against any further intervention four or five months ago , he said .
“ There was some family here and he died peacefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Based on his situation , it was a good exit.
” Tony Fratto , who served as O ’ Neill ’ s Treasury spokesman , posted on Facebook , “ Very sad that our friend Paul O ’ Neill passed away today .
He was a friend , a good man , and I loved working with him.
” A former head of aluminum giant Alcoa , O ’ Neill served as Treasury secretary from 2001 to late 2002 .
He was forced to resign after he objected to a second round of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deficits .
After leaving the administration , O ’ Neill worked with author Ron Suskind on an explosive book covering his two years in the administration .
O ’ Neill contended that the administration began planning the overthrow of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein right after Bush took office , eight months before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks .
O ’ Neill depicted Bush as a disengaged president who didn ’ t encourage debate either at Cabinet meetings or in one-on-one discussions with Cabinet members .
He said the lack of discussion in Cabinet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ was like a blind man in a roomful of deaf people.
” He said major decisions were often made by Bush ’ s political team and Vice President Dick Cheney .
O ’ Neill had been recruited to join the Cabinet by Cheney , his old friend from the Gerald Ford administration .
But it was Cheney who told O ’ Neill that the president wanted his resignation .
It was part of a move by Bush to shake up his economic team and find a better salesman for a new round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulate a sluggish economy .
When the book , “ The Price of Loyalty : George W. Bush , the White House and the Education of Paul O ’ Neill ” came out in early 2004 , Bush spokesman Scott McClellan discounted O ’ Neill ’ s descriptions of White House decision-making and said the president was “ someone that leads and acts decisively on our biggest priorities.
” O ’ Neill said his purpose in collaborating on the book , for which he turned over 19,000 government documents to Suskind , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ current state of our political process and raise our expectations for what is possible.
” After leaving the Cabinet , O ’ Neill returned to Pittsburgh , where he had headed Alcoa from 1987 to 1999 .
He resumed working with the Pittsburgh Regional Health Care Initiative , a consortium of hospitals , medical societies and businesses studying ways to improve health care delivery in Western Pennsylvania .
The subject had interested him since his days as a budget analyst in Washington with the Office of Management and Budget .
He also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would deliver clean drinking water to Africa .
As Treasury secretary , O ’ Neill had focused attention on poverty and combating diseases such as AIDS in Africa , touring the continent with Irish rock star Bono .
Before joining Alcoa , O ’ Neill had been president from 1985 to 1987 of International Paper Co. , a firm he had joined in 1977 after leaving OMB .
After graduating with an economics degree from California State University in Fresno in 1961 , O ’ Neill joined the Veterans Administration in Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He later moved to OMB and rose to become deputy director of the budget agency from 1974 to 1977 , providing budget guidance to then-President Gerald Ford .
It was at OMB that O ’ Neill developed close working relationships with Cheney , who served as Ford ’ s chief of staff , and Alan Greenspan , who was head of Ford ’ s Council of Economic Advisers .
Greenspan was chairman of the Federal Reserve during the time O ’ Neill was Treasury secretary .
O ’ Neill ’ s blunt speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble as Treasury secretary , sending the dollar into a tailspin briefly in his early days at Treasury when his comments about foreign exchange rates surprised markets .
In the spring of 2001 , O ’ Neill jolted markets again when during Wall Street ’ s worst week in 11 years , he blandly declared “ markets go up and markets go down.
” He was more focused on the traditional Treasury secretary ’ s job of instilling confidence during times of turbulence later that year when he led the effort to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terror attacks .
O ’ Neill was also instrumental following the attacks in beefing up the government ’ s programs to disrupt financing to terrorist groups .
O ’ Neill is survived by his wife , four children , 12 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren .

Paul O’Neill, a former Treasury secretary who broke with George W. Bush over tax policy and then produced a book critical of the administration, died Saturday. He was 84.
O’Neill’s son, Paul O’Neill Jr. confirmed that his father died at his home in Pittsburgh after battling lung cancer for the last couple of years. After a few surgeries and chemotherapy, he decided against any further intervention four or five months ago, he said.
“There was some family here and he died peacefully,” the son said. “Based on his situation, it was a good exit.”
Tony Fratto, who served as O’Neill’s Treasury spokesman, posted on Facebook, “Very sad that our friend Paul O’Neill passed away today. He was a friend, a good man, and I loved working with him.”
A former head of aluminum giant Alcoa, O’Neill served as Treasury secretary from 2001 to late 2002. He was forced to resign after he objected to a second round of tax cuts because of their impact on deficits.
After leaving the administration, O’Neill worked with author Ron Suskind on an explosive book covering his two years in the administration. O’Neill contended that the administration began planning the overthrow of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein right after Bush took office, eight months before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
O’Neill depicted Bush as a disengaged president who didn’t encourage debate either at Cabinet meetings or in one-on-one discussions with Cabinet members. He said the lack of discussion in Cabinet meetings gave him the feeling that Bush “was like a blind man in a roomful of deaf people.”
He said major decisions were often made by Bush’s political team and Vice President Dick Cheney. O’Neill had been recruited to join the Cabinet by Cheney, his old friend from the Gerald Ford administration. But it was Cheney who told O’Neill that the president wanted his resignation. It was part of a move by Bush to shake up his economic team and find a better salesman for a new round of tax cuts the president hoped would stimulate a sluggish economy.
When the book, “The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House and the Education of Paul O’Neill” came out in early 2004, Bush spokesman Scott McClellan discounted O’Neill’s descriptions of White House decision-making and said the president was “someone that leads and acts decisively on our biggest priorities.”
O’Neill said his purpose in collaborating on the book, for which he turned over 19,000 government documents to Suskind, was to generate a public discussion about the “current state of our political process and raise our expectations for what is possible.”
After leaving the Cabinet, O’Neill returned to Pittsburgh, where he had headed Alcoa from 1987 to 1999. He resumed working with the Pittsburgh Regional Health Care Initiative, a consortium of hospitals, medical societies and businesses studying ways to improve health care delivery in Western Pennsylvania. The subject had interested him since his days as a budget analyst in Washington with the Office of Management and Budget.
He also devoted time in retirement to projects that would deliver clean drinking water to Africa. As Treasury secretary, O’Neill had focused attention on poverty and combating diseases such as AIDS in Africa, touring the continent with Irish rock star Bono.
Before joining Alcoa, O’Neill had been president from 1985 to 1987 of International Paper Co., a firm he had joined in 1977 after leaving OMB.
After graduating with an economics degree from California State University in Fresno in 1961, O’Neill joined the Veterans Administration in Washington, working as a computer systems analyst. He later moved to OMB and rose to become deputy director of the budget agency from 1974 to 1977, providing budget guidance to then-President Gerald Ford.
It was at OMB that O’Neill developed close working relationships with Cheney, who served as Ford’s chief of staff, and Alan Greenspan, who was head of Ford’s Council of Economic Advisers. Greenspan was chairman of the Federal Reserve during the time O’Neill was Treasury secretary.
O’Neill’s blunt speaking style more than once got him in trouble as Treasury secretary, sending the dollar into a tailspin briefly in his early days at Treasury when his comments about foreign exchange rates surprised markets. In the spring of 2001, O’Neill jolted markets again when during Wall Street’s worst week in 11 years, he blandly declared “markets go up and markets go down.”
He was more focused on the traditional Treasury secretary’s job of instilling confidence during times of turbulence later that year when he led the effort to get Wall Street re-opened after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. O’Neill was also instrumental following the attacks in beefing up the government’s programs to disrupt financing to terrorist groups.
O’Neill is survived by his wife, four children, 12 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-18--Trump Hotels Aren’t Housing Healthcare Workers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Despite the White House ’ s praise for the thousands of hotels across the country that are housing healthcare workers at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic , President Trump ’ s own hotels reportedly aren ’ t participating in the effort .
According to a Washington Post report Saturday , local officials in the five U.S. cities where Trump ’ s company operates hotels — New York , Chicago , Miami , Washington and Honolulu — say that the hotel has yet to provide housing for medical workers for no-cost or at reduced rates .
“ They did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , ” Frank Rollason , the head of emergency management for the fire department in Florida ’ s Miami-Dade County — which is home to Trump ’ s Doral resort — told the Post .
The Post — which reached out to the Trump Organization and to officials in five cities that where a Trump hotel and a hotels-for-medical personnel program are located — noted that the President-owned company could have possibly offered hotel rooms to medical workers in private transactions without notifying local officials .
Earlier this month , the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for providing housing to healthcare workers and first responders as they work to combat the COVID-19 pandemic .

Despite the White House’s praise for the thousands of hotels across the country that are housing healthcare workers at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump’s own hotels reportedly aren’t participating in the effort.
According to a Washington Post report Saturday, local officials in the five U.S. cities where Trump’s company operates hotels — New York, Chicago, Miami, Washington and Honolulu — say that the hotel has yet to provide housing for medical workers for no-cost or at reduced rates.
“They did not volunteer, and we did not ask them,” Frank Rollason, the head of emergency management for the fire department in Florida’s Miami-Dade County — which is home to Trump’s Doral resort — told the Post.
The Post — which reached out to the Trump Organization and to officials in five cities that where a Trump hotel and a hotels-for-medical personnel program are located — noted that the President-owned company could have possibly offered hotel rooms to medical workers in private transactions without notifying local officials.
Earlier this month, the White House in a tweet thanked hotels nationwide for providing housing to healthcare workers and first responders as they work to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the Post’s report here.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-18--Trump: Protesters Defying Stay-At-Home Orders ‘Seem To Be Very Responsible’

President Trump didn ’ t back away from his tweets to “ LIBERATE ” protesters defying stay-at-home orders in Michigan , Minnesota and Virginia during Friday ’ s White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing .
On Friday morning , Trump tweeted “ LIBERATE MINNESOTA , ” followed by “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN , ” then “ LIBERATE VIRGINIA , ” which appeared to be in response to all three states seeing protests against the stay-at-home orders issued by Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) , Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz ( D ) , and Virginia Gov .
Ralph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
Trump seemed to double down on his calls during last night ’ s White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing when asked about how critics such as Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee ( D ) said that he was “ fomenting rebellion ” with his tweets .
“ I think we do have a sobering guidance but I think some things are too tough , ” Trump said , before slamming Northam for the “ horrible thing ” he did with the Second Amendment — which is presumably about his recent signing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for firearm sales — and saying that the Virginia governor is “ under a cloud to start off with.
” Trump then added that Michigan , Minnesota , and Virginia have done “ too much ” with social distancing before denying that he ’ s concerned about protestors potentially spreading the coronavirus .
“ No , these are people expressing their views , ” Trump said .
“ I see where they are and I see the way they ’ re working .
They seem to be very responsible people to me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little bit rough .
”

President Trump didn’t back away from his tweets to “LIBERATE” protesters defying stay-at-home orders in Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia during Friday’s White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing.
On Friday morning, Trump tweeted “LIBERATE MINNESOTA,” followed by “LIBERATE MICHIGAN,” then “LIBERATE VIRGINIA,” which appeared to be in response to all three states seeing protests against the stay-at-home orders issued by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) during the COVID-19 crisis.
Trump seemed to double down on his calls during last night’s White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing when asked about how critics such as Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) said that he was “fomenting rebellion” with his tweets.
“I think we do have a sobering guidance but I think some things are too tough,” Trump said, before slamming Northam for the “horrible thing” he did with the Second Amendment — which is presumably about his recent signing of a bill to expand background checks for firearm sales — and saying that the Virginia governor is “under a cloud to start off with.”
Trump then added that Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia have done “too much” with social distancing before denying that he’s concerned about protestors potentially spreading the coronavirus.
“No, these are people expressing their views,” Trump said. “I see where they are and I see the way they’re working. They seem to be very responsible people to me, but they’ve been treated a little bit rough.”
Watch Trump’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-19--WATCH LIVE: Trump Holds Coronavirus Briefing At 5:45 PM ET

US President Donald Trump looks on during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus , which causes COVID-19 , in @ @ @ @ @ the White House on April 17 , 2020 , in Washington , DC .
- @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump looks on during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus , which @ @ @ @ @ Brady Briefing Room of the White House on April 17 , 2020 , in Washington @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump on April 17 , 2020 announced a $ 19 billion financial rescue package @ @ @ @ @ weather the staggering economic downturn sparked by measures to defeat the coronavirus .
( Photo @ @ @ @ @ ) ( Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images )

US President Donald Trump looks on during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House on April 17, 2020, in Washington, DC. - President Donald Tru...
US President Donald Trump looks on during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House on April 17, 2020, in Washington, DC. - President Donald Trump on April 17, 2020 announced a $19 billion financial rescue package to help the agriculture industry weather the staggering economic downturn sparked by measures to defeat the coronavirus. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
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talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-19--Governors Call Out Trump For Siding With Stay-At-Home Protesters

Governors took issue with President Trump ’ s call for states with stay-at-home orders to “ LIBERATE ” residents from social distancing guidelines , during Sunday morning interviews .
While sympathizing with the public ’ s frustration as many Americans continue to comply with social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19 , governors across the country criticized Trump for defending stay-at-home order protesters — who the President said “ seem to be very responsible people ” during Friday ’ s White House coronavirus task force briefing — soon after releasing federal guidelines for governors to begin reopening their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what they had to say about Trump ’ s call : After saying that he understands the frustration among “ the people that want to get things open right away ” and that he ’ s also frustrated , Hogan told CNN ’ s Jake Tapper that he doesn ’ t think it ’ s helpful for the President to “ encourage demonstrations and encourage people to go against ” his own policy .
“ It just doesn ’ t make any sense , ” Hogan said .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governors and to the people , as if we should ignore federal policy and federal recommendations.
” After MSNBC ’ s Chuck Todd asked her whether she regrets any of the social distancing restrictions that she implemented in light of the protesters swarming the Michigan State Capitol recently , Whitmer replied that she doesn ’ t due to her state holding the third highest number of death from COVID-19 .
“ That ’ s precisely why we have to take a more aggressive stand , ” Whitmer said .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start to flatten .
But as people come in from across the state and gather and congregate without masks , without standing six feet apart , without those important protections , it means that they might have gone back to these parts of our state and perhaps brought COVID-19 along with them.
” Whitmer then added that Michigan ’ s rural hospitals are not equipped to handle “ a big surge.
” When pressed by CNN ’ s Jake Tapper about Trump ’ s attacks against him , Northam first hit back at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on tests ” before criticizing the President for now turning his focus on protests .
“ This is not the time for protest .
This is not the time for divisiveness , ” Northam said .
“ This is time for leadership that will stand up and provide empathy , that will understand what ’ s going on in this country of ours with this pandemic.
” Northam later added that the country is in the middle of both a health and economic crisis .
“ As soon as we can get this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to address the economic crisis , get back to where we were in , and let people get back to their normal lives , ” Northam said .
Asked by ABC News ’ George Stephanopolous to elaborate on how he believes that Trump ’ s “ LIBERATE ” tweets are dangerous , Inslee responded that Trump ’ s support of stay-at-home order protests encourages “ insubordination ” and “ illegal activity ” due to how the orders are the law of states .
“ To have an American president to encourage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing , ” Inslee said .
“ And it is dangerous , because it can inspire people to ignore things that actually can save their lives .
And I don ’ t know there ’ s another way to characterize it.
” Inslee added that the protests are “ doubly frustrating ” to governors because “ this is such a schizophrenia ” where the President is asking people to ignore his own guidelines , which White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx have advocated for .

Governors took issue with President Trump’s call for states with stay-at-home orders to “LIBERATE” residents from social distancing guidelines, during Sunday morning interviews.
While sympathizing with the public’s frustration as many Americans continue to comply with social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19, governors across the country criticized Trump for defending stay-at-home order protesters — who the President said “seem to be very responsible people” during Friday’s White House coronavirus task force briefing — soon after releasing federal guidelines for governors to begin reopening their states at their discretion.
Here’s what they had to say about Trump’s call:
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R)
After saying that he understands the frustration among “the people that want to get things open right away” and that he’s also frustrated, Hogan told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he doesn’t think it’s helpful for the President to “encourage demonstrations and encourage people to go against” his own policy.
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” Hogan said. “We’re sending completely conflicting messages out to the governors and to the people, as if we should ignore federal policy and federal recommendations.”
Hogan: "I don't think it's helpful to encourage demonstrations and encourage people to go against the President's own policy." pic.twitter.com/WpvVjHFgn6 — Talking Points Memo (@TPM) April 19, 2020
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D)
After MSNBC’s Chuck Todd asked her whether she regrets any of the social distancing restrictions that she implemented in light of the protesters swarming the Michigan State Capitol recently, Whitmer replied that she doesn’t due to her state holding the third highest number of death from COVID-19.
“That’s precisely why we have to take a more aggressive stand,” Whitmer said. “It’s working. We are seeing the curve start to flatten. But as people come in from across the state and gather and congregate without masks, without standing six feet apart, without those important protections, it means that they might have gone back to these parts of our state and perhaps brought COVID-19 along with them.”
Whitmer then added that Michigan’s rural hospitals are not equipped to handle “a big surge.”
Whitmer says she has no regrets on restrictions she put into place pic.twitter.com/jQnEn5EpbB — Talking Points Memo (@TPM) April 19, 2020
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D)
When pressed by CNN’s Jake Tapper about Trump’s attacks against him, Northam first hit back at Trump for being “unable to deliver on tests” before criticizing the President for now turning his focus on protests.
“This is not the time for protest. This is not the time for divisiveness,” Northam said. “This is time for leadership that will stand up and provide empathy, that will understand what’s going on in this country of ours with this pandemic.”
Northam later added that the country is in the middle of both a health and economic crisis.
“As soon as we can get this health crisis behind us, we will be able to address the economic crisis, get back to where we were in, and let people get back to their normal lives,” Northam said.
Northam: "This is not the time for protest. This is not the time for divisiveness." pic.twitter.com/rHRS853OV4 — Talking Points Memo (@TPM) April 19, 2020
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D)
Asked by ABC News’ George Stephanopolous to elaborate on how he believes that Trump’s “LIBERATE” tweets are dangerous, Inslee responded that Trump’s support of stay-at-home order protests encourages “insubordination” and “illegal activity” due to how the orders are the law of states.
“To have an American president to encourage people to violate the law, I can’t remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing,” Inslee said. “And it is dangerous, because it can inspire people to ignore things that actually can save their lives. And I don’t know there’s another way to characterize it.”
Inslee added that the protests are “doubly frustrating” to governors because “this is such a schizophrenia” where the President is asking people to ignore his own guidelines, which White House coronavirus task force members such as Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx have advocated for.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-04-19--Tim Scott Thinks Trump Foreshadowed The COVID-19 Pandemic In SOTU Speech

Sen. Tim Scott ( R-SC ) thinks that President Trump saw the COVID-19 pandemic coming when he delivered his State of the Union speech in early February .
During an interview on Fox News ’ “ Sunday Morning Futures , ” Scott lamented that the country is in a position of economic “ devastation ” in light of 22 million unemployment claims filed in the past month , which he said is “ consistent throughout this nation.
” Scott went on to say that the President “ has got to balance living and livelihood ” because poverty has “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not generations.
” “ He is understandably concerned not simply about our health — he ’ s done a great job of trying to balance that — but he ’ s also concerned about the economic health of this nation , ” Scott said .
“ We both know that poverty kills , and so what he ’ s trying to do is to position this economy to come back with a vengeance.
” Scott then off-handedly theorized that Trump foreshadowed the pandemic during his State of the Union speech .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech , when he was talking about the great American comeback , he was talking foreshadowing the necessity of a v-shaped recovery coming out of this virus before we even knew about a virus , ” Scott said .
“ So it ’ s really important for us to get back to work.
” Scott ’ s latest remarks come as Trump faces increasing scrutiny over his downplaying of the novel coronavirus early into the outbreak , which included accusing Democrats of “ politicizing ” COVID-19 by creating a “ new hoax.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Scott ’ s newly released book in a tweet .

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) thinks that President Trump saw the COVID-19 pandemic coming when he delivered his State of the Union speech in early February.
During an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Scott lamented that the country is in a position of economic “devastation” in light of 22 million unemployment claims filed in the past month, which he said is “consistent throughout this nation.”
Scott went on to say that the President “has got to balance living and livelihood” because poverty has “a negative consequence that lingers for decades if not generations.”
“He is understandably concerned not simply about our health — he’s done a great job of trying to balance that — but he’s also concerned about the economic health of this nation,” Scott said. “We both know that poverty kills, and so what he’s trying to do is to position this economy to come back with a vengeance.”
Scott then off-handedly theorized that Trump foreshadowed the pandemic during his State of the Union speech.
“I think during his State of the Union speech, when he was talking about the great American comeback, he was talking foreshadowing the necessity of a v-shaped recovery coming out of this virus before we even knew about a virus,” Scott said. “So it’s really important for us to get back to work.”
Scott’s latest remarks come as Trump faces increasing scrutiny over his downplaying of the novel coronavirus early into the outbreak, which included accusing Democrats of “politicizing” COVID-19 by creating a “new hoax.”
Later Sunday, Trump re-upped his praise for Scott’s newly released book in a tweet.
Watch Scott’s remarks below: