talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--Oyster, Air Fryer And Bicycle Companies Say Their Goods Are Essential To Fighting Coronavirus So The

Oyster, Air Fryer And Bicycle Companies Say Their Goods Are Essential To Fighting Coronavirus So They Can Get Tariff Relief

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 .
What ’ s essential in a pandemic ?
Pretty much everything , if you read the tariff appeals of companies that import goods from China .
Canned tuna , which an importer argues is a perfect food to stock up on during infrequent grocery trips .
Dietary supplements like ginkgo biloba , needed to bolster immune systems .
Fitness machines , now essential equipment for home workouts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and individuals have filed comments with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative seeking relief from steep tariffs now in place for imports from China .
The special comment period has been running throughout the coronavirus crisis and ends Thursday .
Plenty of the filers made their appeals based on medical reasons — hand sanitizers , surgical gloves and syringes that are critical to the public health crisis — but others took a more expansive view to convince the agency that their products are essential to the country ’ s well-being .
Skechers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wascana-Athas tactical boots , describing them as ideal for first responders and law enforcement personnel .
The Fragrance Creators Association requested exemptions for essential oils and other aromatic compounds , making the case that some are used in disinfectants ( although they are also widely used in cosmetics and perfumes ) .
The duties are known as Section 301 tariffs , after the provision of the 1974 Trade Act that justifies them in retaliation for unfair trade practices .
At the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak in late February , levies of 7.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on about $ 330 billion worth of Chinese imports , including critically needed personal protective equipment .
A signature effort of the Trump administration designed to push businesses to reduce their dependence on Chinese imports , the tariffs have largely been absorbed by U.S. retailers and consumers in the form of lower margins and higher prices .
Along with duties on steel and aluminum , they now cost consumers approximately $ 57 billion annually , according to one estimate .
Some companies have responded to the tariffs by moving production back to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found suppliers outside of China , in countries such as Vietnam and Mexico .
Over the past few years , USTR has undertaken an extensive and laborious process to evaluate individual requests for relief , assessing factors such as the difficulty of obtaining products from other countries .
Through four rounds of tariffs , the agency has received nearly 53,000 submissions , of which about 6,400 were approved , with 8,600 still pending as of early June .
In early March , USTR issued narrow exclusions for items such as face masks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an analysis by the Peterson Institute for International Economics , tariffs remained on about $ 5 billion worth of medical goods needed to fight the pandemic .
So , under pressure from the business community , USTR also put out a call for companies to make their case for items needed at a time when infection is everywhere , offices are virtual and America ’ s children are stuck at home indefinitely .
A flooring company called Cali Bamboo , for example , asked for exclusions on types of artificial wood planks that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it also markets on its website for general use .
A chemical company called Lubrizol requested relief for a highly toxic compound called glutaraldehyde that it says could help disinfect potentially coronavirus-infected facilities , but which is also sold as an ingredient in fracking fluids .
In what could be one of the most lucrative exclusions , Pfizer asked for tariffs to go away on Phthalimidopropionaldehyde , an active ingredient in its blockbuster blood pressure drug Lipitor .
Pfizer said that it was needed to help Americans maintain their cardiovascular health since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lipitor also happens to generate hundreds of millions of dollars a year even without a pandemic .
Some companies interpreted the request for COVID-19-related exclusions even more liberally .
City of Industry , California-based Crown Prince Oysters , for example , asked for an exemption for its smoked oysters from China .
The sanitary and shelf-stable shellfish has been in high demand , Chief Financial Officer Chris Bruno wrote in an impassioned letter , but tariffs have sucked away profits and the 28-person company may fold by the end of the year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ business , Americans will be losing a food source high in protein and undeniably safe to eat during the pandemic , ” wrote Bruno , who declined to comment further .
Bumble Bee Foods — the same company that pled guilty to federal price fixing charges in 2017 and has since been acquired by a Taiwanese conglomerate — made a pitch for tuna loins to be considered a “ necessary commodity.
” “ In the current climate , where Americans are increasingly homebound and concerned with regular access to healthy , affordable food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ canned tuna is crucial to the health of American communities , ” wrote CEO Jan Tharp , who didn ’ t reply to a request for further comment .
Requests for goods needed during stay-at-home orders included Nautilus exercise machines , kitchen appliances such as air fryers , coloring books to keep fractious kids occupied and laptop stands to set up home-based workstations .
Carson Optical , based on Long Island , asked for an exemption for optical aids .
“ Our magnifying products are a lifeline for many people , especially in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from people who may assist them with their daily needs , ” wrote Sharon Barnhart , an employee .
The RV Industry Association also appealed for help , saying that more people are taking vacations on the road instead of renting hotel rooms , and that trailers are also needed for first responders .
The trade association for the elevator and escalator industry reasoned that money not spent on elevator tariffs could be spent instead on COVID-19 response .
“ If USTR removes these tariffs , the decrease in the cost to install @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associated parts encourages hospitals and other medical facilities to make investments into critical equipment and apply savings directly towards combatting COVID-19 , ” wrote Dylan Isenberg , director of government affairs for National Elevator Industry Inc .
Some companies didn ’ t attempt to make much of a COVID-19 connection , using the docket as a chance to make a more general case for clemency during an economic downturn .
“ China is not stealing our go-kart technology or doing anything wrong except supplying affordable parts as part of a globalized economy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carlie Laves , advocating for the tariff reduction on go-kart parts .
“ For an AMERICAN small business to pay 25 % in tariffs to help kids enjoy everyday outdoor play is absolutely ridiculous.
” Sydney Mintzer , an attorney with Mayer Brown who handles tariff exclusion cases , said he doubts the Trump administration will look favorably upon the nonmedical , more tangentially COVID-19-related products .
“ I think they probably will be less sensitive to those , and more sensitive to the more health related issues , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ period was also just a chance to make their case publicly and perhaps bolster their chances with still-pending exclusion requests .
A coalition of bicycle manufacturers and retailers has already won exemptions for children ’ s bikes , long made almost exclusively in China .
Now it ’ s asking for broader relief for lower-end adult-sized bikes that are flying off shelves as commuters seek an alternative to public transportation , and because tariffs depressed bicycle imports last year , draining inventories .
“ It ’ s an opportunity for our industry to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 are going to be on our members , ” Alex Logemann , PeopleForBikes ’ policy counsel , told ProPublica .
“ That ’ s not a thing that ’ s underlined in the exclusion process very well , there ’ s not a lot of space to explain those factors.
” Many of the products had already been denied for exclusions earlier , such as truck chassis , which a company called CIE Manufacturing argued are necessary during the pandemic to move essential goods .
( Federal statistics show that highway freight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Every container that sits idle as a result of a shortage of chassis products could delay lifesaving equipment , pharmaceuticals or other life necessities from reaching communities , first responders , medical professionals and other individuals who desperately need those shipments to be made , ” wrote CIE ’ s attorney Ronnie Miller , who did not respond to an email seeking further explanation .
Some companies expressed renewed frustration with the exclusion process , which typically requires hiring expensive lawyers and often has arbitrary , unpredictable results .
Danaher , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as IDT , which made the original COVID-19 test commissioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — complained that asking staff to beg for tariff relief drained precious time .
Industry associations have advocated for blanket tariff relief on medical products , rather than forcing each company to formulate complex justifications .
“ The vast majority of Danaher ’ s original petitions for diagnostic , medical and other life sciences equipment were denied in 2018 and 2019 , which is particularly discouraging given products such as iPhones and salad spinners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Danaher is concerned about the potentially unnecessary expenditure of additional resources on a petition process with such an uncertain outcome.
” But the comments weren ’ t all from importers .
The docket also includes vehement objections from some domestic producers , such as manufacturers of cotton swabs and washing machines , which argue that USTR shouldn ’ t let COVID-19 be used as an excuse to abandon its stated goal of pushing companies to restore supply chains in the U.S. Scott Paul , who as head of the Alliance for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes that USTR will stick to the plan and send consistent signals that critical products should be American-made — especially with so many people still out of work .
“ I don ’ t believe that enough businesses have made good faith efforts to try to realign their supply chains , ” Paul said .
“ There ’ s a lot of capacity in the U.S. to make products .
If these importers wanted to help spur an economic recovery , they should take a look domestically .
”

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.
What’s essential in a pandemic? Pretty much everything, if you read the tariff appeals of companies that import goods from China.
Canned tuna, which an importer argues is a perfect food to stock up on during infrequent grocery trips. Dietary supplements like ginkgo biloba, needed to bolster immune systems. Fitness machines, now essential equipment for home workouts.
More than 900 businesses, trade associations and individuals have filed comments with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative seeking relief from steep tariffs now in place for imports from China. The special comment period has been running throughout the coronavirus crisis and ends Thursday.
Plenty of the filers made their appeals based on medical reasons — hand sanitizers, surgical gloves and syringes that are critical to the public health crisis — but others took a more expansive view to convince the agency that their products are essential to the country’s well-being.
Skechers USA asked for an exemption for its Wascana-Athas tactical boots, describing them as ideal for first responders and law enforcement personnel. The Fragrance Creators Association requested exemptions for essential oils and other aromatic compounds, making the case that some are used in disinfectants (although they are also widely used in cosmetics and perfumes).
The duties are known as Section 301 tariffs, after the provision of the 1974 Trade Act that justifies them in retaliation for unfair trade practices. At the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak in late February, levies of 7.5% to 25% remained in place on about $330 billion worth of Chinese imports, including critically needed personal protective equipment.
A signature effort of the Trump administration designed to push businesses to reduce their dependence on Chinese imports, the tariffs have largely been absorbed by U.S. retailers and consumers in the form of lower margins and higher prices. Along with duties on steel and aluminum, they now cost consumers approximately $57 billion annually, according to one estimate.
Some companies have responded to the tariffs by moving production back to the U.S., but far more have simply found suppliers outside of China, in countries such as Vietnam and Mexico.
Over the past few years, USTR has undertaken an extensive and laborious process to evaluate individual requests for relief, assessing factors such as the difficulty of obtaining products from other countries. Through four rounds of tariffs, the agency has received nearly 53,000 submissions, of which about 6,400 were approved, with 8,600 still pending as of early June.
In early March, USTR issued narrow exclusions for items such as face masks and single-use stethoscope covers. But according to an analysis by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, tariffs remained on about $5 billion worth of medical goods needed to fight the pandemic. So, under pressure from the business community, USTR also put out a call for companies to make their case for items needed at a time when infection is everywhere, offices are virtual and America’s children are stuck at home indefinitely.
A flooring company called Cali Bamboo, for example, asked for exclusions on types of artificial wood planks that have been used in hospitals, but that it also markets on its website for general use. A chemical company called Lubrizol requested relief for a highly toxic compound called glutaraldehyde that it says could help disinfect potentially coronavirus-infected facilities, but which is also sold as an ingredient in fracking fluids.
In what could be one of the most lucrative exclusions, Pfizer asked for tariffs to go away on Phthalimidopropionaldehyde, an active ingredient in its blockbuster blood pressure drug Lipitor. Pfizer said that it was needed to help Americans maintain their cardiovascular health since heart conditions complicate COVID-19 cases — but Lipitor also happens to generate hundreds of millions of dollars a year even without a pandemic.
Some companies interpreted the request for COVID-19-related exclusions even more liberally.
City of Industry, California-based Crown Prince Oysters, for example, asked for an exemption for its smoked oysters from China. The sanitary and shelf-stable shellfish has been in high demand, Chief Financial Officer Chris Bruno wrote in an impassioned letter, but tariffs have sucked away profits and the 28-person company may fold by the end of the year.
“lf Crown Prince goes out of business, Americans will be losing a food source high in protein and undeniably safe to eat during the pandemic,” wrote Bruno, who declined to comment further.
Bumble Bee Foods — the same company that pled guilty to federal price fixing charges in 2017 and has since been acquired by a Taiwanese conglomerate — made a pitch for tuna loins to be considered a “necessary commodity.”
“In the current climate, where Americans are increasingly homebound and concerned with regular access to healthy, affordable food, a reliable and plentiful supply of canned tuna is crucial to the health of American communities,” wrote CEO Jan Tharp, who didn’t reply to a request for further comment.
Requests for goods needed during stay-at-home orders included Nautilus exercise machines, kitchen appliances such as air fryers, coloring books to keep fractious kids occupied and laptop stands to set up home-based workstations.
Carson Optical, based on Long Island, asked for an exemption for optical aids. “Our magnifying products are a lifeline for many people, especially in times like this when they are quarantined from people who may assist them with their daily needs,” wrote Sharon Barnhart, an employee.
The RV Industry Association also appealed for help, saying that more people are taking vacations on the road instead of renting hotel rooms, and that trailers are also needed for first responders.
The trade association for the elevator and escalator industry reasoned that money not spent on elevator tariffs could be spent instead on COVID-19 response. “If USTR removes these tariffs, the decrease in the cost to install and repair elevators and escalators and their associated parts encourages hospitals and other medical facilities to make investments into critical equipment and apply savings directly towards combatting COVID-19,” wrote Dylan Isenberg, director of government affairs for National Elevator Industry Inc.
Some companies didn’t attempt to make much of a COVID-19 connection, using the docket as a chance to make a more general case for clemency during an economic downturn. “China is not stealing our go-kart technology or doing anything wrong except supplying affordable parts as part of a globalized economy,” wrote a commenter using the name Carlie Laves, advocating for the tariff reduction on go-kart parts. “For an AMERICAN small business to pay 25% in tariffs to help kids enjoy everyday outdoor play is absolutely ridiculous.”
Sydney Mintzer, an attorney with Mayer Brown who handles tariff exclusion cases, said he doubts the Trump administration will look favorably upon the nonmedical, more tangentially COVID-19-related products.
“I think they probably will be less sensitive to those, and more sensitive to the more health related issues,” he said.
But for some importers, the comment period was also just a chance to make their case publicly and perhaps bolster their chances with still-pending exclusion requests.
A coalition of bicycle manufacturers and retailers has already won exemptions for children’s bikes, long made almost exclusively in China. Now it’s asking for broader relief for lower-end adult-sized bikes that are flying off shelves as commuters seek an alternative to public transportation, and because tariffs depressed bicycle imports last year, draining inventories.
“It’s an opportunity for our industry to explain what we think the effects of COVID-19 are going to be on our members,” Alex Logemann, PeopleForBikes’ policy counsel, told ProPublica. “That’s not a thing that’s underlined in the exclusion process very well, there’s not a lot of space to explain those factors.”
Many of the products had already been denied for exclusions earlier, such as truck chassis, which a company called CIE Manufacturing argued are necessary during the pandemic to move essential goods. (Federal statistics show that highway freight transportation has been saggingfor months.)
“Every container that sits idle as a result of a shortage of chassis products could delay lifesaving equipment, pharmaceuticals or other life necessities from reaching communities, first responders, medical professionals and other individuals who desperately need those shipments to be made,” wrote CIE’s attorney Ronnie Miller, who did not respond to an email seeking further explanation.
Some companies expressed renewed frustration with the exclusion process, which typically requires hiring expensive lawyers and often has arbitrary, unpredictable results.
Danaher, a holding company for medically focused businesses — such as IDT, which made the original COVID-19 test commissioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — complained that asking staff to beg for tariff relief drained precious time. Industry associations have advocated for blanket tariff relief on medical products, rather than forcing each company to formulate complex justifications.
“The vast majority of Danaher’s original petitions for diagnostic, medical and other life sciences equipment were denied in 2018 and 2019, which is particularly discouraging given products such as iPhones and salad spinners received approval,” the company wrote. “Danaher is concerned about the potentially unnecessary expenditure of additional resources on a petition process with such an uncertain outcome.”
But the comments weren’t all from importers. The docket also includes vehement objections from some domestic producers, such as manufacturers of cotton swabs and washing machines, which argue that USTR shouldn’t let COVID-19 be used as an excuse to abandon its stated goal of pushing companies to restore supply chains in the U.S.
Scott Paul, who as head of the Alliance for American Manufacturing has supported some tariffs, hopes that USTR will stick to the plan and send consistent signals that critical products should be American-made — especially with so many people still out of work.
“I don’t believe that enough businesses have made good faith efforts to try to realign their supply chains,” Paul said. “There’s a lot of capacity in the U.S. to make products. If these importers wanted to help spur an economic recovery, they should take a look domestically.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--More Than 1 Million Stimulus Payments Issued To Deceased, Watchdog Finds

The federal government sent coronavirus stimulus payments to nearly 1.1 million deceased people totaling close to $ 1.4 billion , Congress ’ independent watchdog said Thursday in revelations first reported by The Washington Post .
The U.S. Government Accountability Office , an independent agency that conducts investigations and reports to Congress , submitted the finding as part of a nearly 400-page report on the nearly $ 3 trillion in coronavirus relief spending that was approved by Congress in March and April .
The report is the first of its kind under a Cares Act requirement for the office to issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The finding also comes as President Trump pushes for another round of stimulus checks to bolster the economy , which has been devastated by the ongoing pandemic .
The news could sour support from many of the already-reluctant Republicans for additional direct payments for relief from the pandemic , which has ravaged the financial stability of many Americans as jobs are put on hold and layoffs continue .
The GAO said that payments to the dead were made in error as the Treasury Department and the IRS hurried to disburse some 160.4 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the Cares Act was passed in March .
The problem can be partly attributed to the fact that Social Security Administration has access to a complete set of death records , which were not accessible to Treasury and its Bureau of the Fiscal Service , which are responsible for making the payments .
The report recommended that Congress “ provide Treasury with access to the Social Security Administration ’ s full set of death records , and require that Treasury consistently use it , to help reduce similar types of improper payments.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the report that also said the government agency should consider “ cost-effective options ” to communicate how checks to ineligible recipients could be returned .
On May 6 , the IRS announced on its website that stimulus payments issued to dead or incarcerated individuals should be given back , but according to the Post , the IRS has not taken any further steps to ensure the return of those payments .
The report elucidates that controls and filters were at times bypassed in an effort to quickly to pass legislation to buoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities .
The report says that in an effort to respond urgently “ tradeoffs were made , ” but that “ agencies have made only limited progress so far in achieving transparency and accountability goals .
”

The federal government sent coronavirus stimulus payments to nearly 1.1 million deceased people totaling close to $1.4 billion, Congress’ independent watchdog said Thursday in revelations first reported by The Washington Post.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office, an independent agency that conducts investigations and reports to Congress, submitted the finding as part of a nearly 400-page report on the nearly $3 trillion in coronavirus relief spending that was approved by Congress in March and April.
The report is the first of its kind under a Cares Act requirement for the office to issue bimonthly reports on the coronavirus response. The finding also comes as President Trump pushes for another round of stimulus checks to bolster the economy, which has been devastated by the ongoing pandemic.
The news could sour support from many of the already-reluctant Republicans for additional direct payments for relief from the pandemic, which has ravaged the financial stability of many Americans as jobs are put on hold and layoffs continue.
The GAO said that payments to the dead were made in error as the Treasury Department and the IRS hurried to disburse some 160.4 million of these payments totaling $269 billion after the Cares Act was passed in March. The problem can be partly attributed to the fact that Social Security Administration has access to a complete set of death records, which were not accessible to Treasury and its Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which are responsible for making the payments.
The report recommended that Congress “provide Treasury with access to the Social Security Administration’s full set of death records, and require that Treasury consistently use it, to help reduce similar types of improper payments.”
The IRS agreed with a recommendation in the report that also said the government agency should consider “cost-effective options” to communicate how checks to ineligible recipients could be returned.
On May 6, the IRS announced on its website that stimulus payments issued to dead or incarcerated individuals should be given back, but according to the Post, the IRS has not taken any further steps to ensure the return of those payments.
The report elucidates that controls and filters were at times bypassed in an effort to quickly to pass legislation to buoy the economy amid the shutdown of American cities.
The report says that in an effort to respond urgently “tradeoffs were made,” but that “agencies have made only limited progress so far in achieving transparency and accountability goals.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--WH COVID-19 Task Force To Hold Briefing For First Time In Almost Two Months

Vice President Mike Pence is slated to lead a press briefing with the White House COVID-19 task force on Friday @ @ @ @ @ House ’ s press release , Pence will hold the briefing at the Department of @ @ @ @ @ HHS ) at 12:30 PM ET .
The announcement does not mention whether Dr. Anthony @ @ @ @ @ , the most prominent health experts on the task force , will be present .
@ @ @ @ @ the HHS did not immediately respond when TPM reached out .
Friday ’ s briefing @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 in the U.S. exceeded 124,000 and the number of cases reached nearly 2.5 @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t held a task force media conference since late April , shortly after @ @ @ @ @ would cure the virus .

Vice President Mike Pence is slated to lead a press briefing with the White House COVID-19 task force on Friday.
According to the White House’s press release, Pence will hold the briefing at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at 12:30 PM ET.
The announcement does not mention whether Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, the most prominent health experts on the task force, will be present. Devin O’Malley, a spokesperson for Pence, would not tell TPM who would be at the briefing, saying only that “medical experts will be there.”
Friday’s briefing comes after the death toll from COVID-19 in the U.S. exceeded 124,000 and the number of cases reached nearly 2.5 million.
The White House hasn’t held a task force media conference since late April, shortly after Trump infamously claimed injecting bleach would cure the virus.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--Trump Plays Down Devastation Caused By COVID-19 As An ‘Artificial Problem’

President Donald Trump shrugged off the havoc brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. on Thursday night .
During a town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity , a member of the audience asked Trump what he thought his biggest accomplishment as president was .
Along with claiming his administration has saved a “ tremendous number of lives , ” the President rambled about the number of judges he ’ s appointed and his tax cuts .
“ So we ’ ve done a lot and we ’ re very proud of it and we had the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I call it an artificial problem , ” Trump said .
“ We had to turn off our country to save millions of lives and now we ’ ve turned it back on , ” he continued .
“ And it ’ s coming back much faster than anybody thought possible.
” But the number of COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed in recent days as some states rush to reopen their economies .
According to John Hopkins University ’ s tracker , there are approximately 2,422,000 cases of the virus in the U.S. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19 .

President Donald Trump shrugged off the havoc brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. on Thursday night.
During a town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity, a member of the audience asked Trump what he thought his biggest accomplishment as president was.
Along with claiming his administration has saved a “tremendous number of lives,” the President rambled about the number of judges he’s appointed and his tax cuts.
“So we’ve done a lot and we’re very proud of it and we had the best until this artificial problem ‘cause I call it an artificial problem,” Trump said.
“We had to turn off our country to save millions of lives and now we’ve turned it back on,” he continued. “And it’s coming back much faster than anybody thought possible.”
But the number of COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed in recent days as some states rush to reopen their economies. According to John Hopkins University’s tracker, there are approximately 2,422,000 cases of the virus in the U.S. and over 124,000 deaths.
Additionally, millions of Americans have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19.
Watch Trump below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--House Passes Police Reform Bill Named After George Floyd

The House of Representatives passed a police reform bill named in honor of George Floyd , whose death in police custody has sparked nationwide calls to address police misconduct and racial injustice and prompted weeks of protests and civil unrest .
The bill passed largely along party lines amid Republican opposition with a final tally of 236-181 .
Three Republicans crossed party lines in favor of the bill including Brian Fitzpatrick ( PA ) , Will Hurd ( TX ) and Fred Upton ( MI ) .
The legislation – titled the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caucus .
Its passage comes after Democrats blocked a less-sweeping Republican policing proposal in the Senate headed up by the only Black Republican senator , Tim Scott ( SC ) .
Despite agreement between the parties that action to address police misconduct is sorely needed , each thwarts the efforts of its opposing party and stalls progress for meaningful change .
In a Fox interview on Thursday , Scott accused Democrats of playing “ race politics , ” while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) on Wednesday refused to apologize for accusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get away with murder ” in their policing proposal .
The House package bans chokeholds at the federal level as a civil rights violation and also puts a ban on no-knock warrants in federal drug cases .
The Democrats ’ bill takes on racial profiling among law enforcement which has been a common theme in recent racial justice protests against police violence .
The bill has the teeth to upend qualified immunity for law enforcement and would form a national registry of police misconduct maintained by the Department of Justice .
Ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters at a press conference that the bill was a pledge to honor the life of George Floyd and all of those killed by police brutality .
“ Never again , ” Pelosi said .
“ When we pass this bill , the Senate will have a choice : to honor George Floyd ’ s life or to do nothing , ” Pelosi added .
Last week , Pelosi expressed her hopes of bringing Democrats ’ legislation to conference with the Senate Republicans ’ alternative .
The chances for the passage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Democrats knocked down the GOP proposal on Wednesday .
In advance of any moves to conference Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( KY ) preemptively knocked the House ’ s plan , saying the Democrats ’ Floyd bill was an overreach that would sink in the Senate .

The House of Representatives passed a police reform bill named in honor of George Floyd, whose death in police custody has sparked nationwide calls to address police misconduct and racial injustice and prompted weeks of protests and civil unrest.
The bill passed largely along party lines amid Republican opposition with a final tally of 236-181. Three Republicans crossed party lines in favor of the bill including Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Will Hurd (TX) and Fred Upton (MI).
The legislation – titled the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 – was drafted by the Congressional Black Caucus. Its passage comes after Democrats blocked a less-sweeping Republican policing proposal in the Senate headed up by the only Black Republican senator, Tim Scott (SC).
Despite agreement between the parties that action to address police misconduct is sorely needed, each thwarts the efforts of its opposing party and stalls progress for meaningful change. In a Fox interview on Thursday, Scott accused Democrats of playing “race politics,” while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Wednesday refused to apologize for accusing Republicans in the Senate for “trying to get away with murder” in their policing proposal.
The House package bans chokeholds at the federal level as a civil rights violation and also puts a ban on no-knock warrants in federal drug cases. The Democrats’ bill takes on racial profiling among law enforcement which has been a common theme in recent racial justice protests against police violence. The bill has the teeth to upend qualified immunity for law enforcement and would form a national registry of police misconduct maintained by the Department of Justice.
Ahead of Thursday’s vote, Pelosi told reporters at a press conference that the bill was a pledge to honor the life of George Floyd and all of those killed by police brutality. “Never again,” Pelosi said.
“When we pass this bill, the Senate will have a choice: to honor George Floyd’s life or to do nothing,” Pelosi added.
Last week, Pelosi expressed her hopes of bringing Democrats’ legislation to conference with the Senate Republicans’ alternative. The chances for the passage of wider police reforms remain uncertain however, after Democrats knocked down the GOP proposal on Wednesday. In advance of any moves to conference Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) preemptively knocked the House’s plan, saying the Democrats’ Floyd bill was an overreach that would sink in the Senate.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--Judge Orders That Roger Stone Surrender To Prison By July 14

Stone had a requested a delay until August 30 .
Jackson ’ s order Friday was accompanied by an opinion giving her reasons for only partially granting the delay request that is still under seal , but the judge indicated she would like to make it public at a later date .
The order noted that with the July 14 surrender date , Stone has already been able to delay his prison sentence by 75 days .
She additionally ordered that Stone stay under home confinement until his surrender date .
“ This will address the defendant ’ s stated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported cases in Florida , and Broward County in particular , and it will respect and protect the health of other inmates who share defendant ’ s anxiety over the potential introduction and spread of the virus at this now-unaffected facility , ” Jackson said .
Her order requested that Stone and the government tell her by Monday if they believe there ’ s a reason her underlying opinion can not be released publicly or if there are certain portions they ’ d request be redacted .
Here is her full order : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part [ 381 ] Motion for Extension of Time as to ROGER J .
STONE JR. ( 1 ) .
For the reasons set forth in the sealed memorandum opinion entered on this date , it is hereby ORDERED that defendant ’ s Unopposed Motion to Extend Surrender Date is GRANTED IN PART .
It is ORDERED that the defendant ’ s date to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons will be extended for another fourteen days , until July 14 , 2020 .
This affords the defendant seventy-five days beyond his original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that during that time , defendant ’ s conditions of release will be modified to include the condition of home confinement in accordance with the Attorney General ’ s memorandum and the strong medical recommendation submitted to the Court by the defense .
Pretrial Services may monitor his compliance through any appropriate electronic or nonelectronic means selected in its discretion in accordance with its current practices , which may include such methods as SmartLINK or Voice Recognition .
This will address the defendant ’ s stated medical concerns during the current increase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County in particular , and it will respect and protect the health of other inmates who share defendant ’ s anxiety over the potential introduction and spread of the virus at this now-unaffected facility .
The Court is of the view that the sealed memorandum opinion could be unsealed in its entirety because while it refers to sealed pleadings , it does not identify any medical condition or conditions or contain any private medical information .
The parties must inform the Court by June 29 , 2020 whether they agree that the memorandum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not , what portions should be redacted and why .
SO ORDERED .
Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 6/26/20 .
( DMK )

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson pushed back Roger Stone’s surrender date until July 14.
Stone had a requested a delay until August 30. Jackson’s order Friday was accompanied by an opinion giving her reasons for only partially granting the delay request that is still under seal, but the judge indicated she would like to make it public at a later date.
The order noted that with the July 14 surrender date, Stone has already been able to delay his prison sentence by 75 days. She additionally ordered that Stone stay under home confinement until his surrender date.
“This will address the defendant’s stated medical concerns during the current increase of reported cases in Florida, and Broward County in particular, and it will respect and protect the health of other inmates who share defendant’s anxiety over the potential introduction and spread of the virus at this now-unaffected facility,” Jackson said.
Her order requested that Stone and the government tell her by Monday if they believe there’s a reason her underlying opinion cannot be released publicly or if there are certain portions they’d request be redacted.
Here is her full order:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

• TPM ’ s Josh Kovensky reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration was about to pull support and funding for a number of local COVID-19 testing sites .
• The story set off a public outcry , leading to Texas ’ Republican senators , John Cornyn and Ted Cruz , calling on the Trump administration to continue supporting the testing sites in their state .
• Local officials affected by the administration ’ s decision to bail on testing also called for the government ’ s support to continue .
• TPM also reported that , in some states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a condition : Don ’ t ask for it to be extended .
• On Friday , HHS was forced to reverse course — at least regarding testing sites in Texas .
The U.S. Is Losing Its Fight Against The Coronavirus • The U.S. hit a grim milestone more than three months into the pandemic : A new daily record for new coronavirus cases .
• CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told reporters on Thursday that the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is likely 10 times higher than reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as cases surge in the state .
Gov .
Greg Abbott on Friday ordered bars to be closed and restaurant capacity to be significantly curtailed .
• A day earlier , Abbott announced a pause on moving to further reopening phases .
The Messy Firing Of The U.S. Attorney In NYC • We learned more this week about Attorney General Bill Barr ’ s messy firing of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman .
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that ahead of Barr ’ s shocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Berman clashed with DOJ leadership over a critical letter the department wanted to send to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio .
• The White House made a surprising admission over Berman ’ s firing .
Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that Berman was pushed out because his successor , current SEC Chair Jay Clayton , wanted to live in New York City .
Before joining the Trump administration , Clayton was a longtime corporate lawyer in NYC .
• Clayton , for his part , would not vow to recuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is confirmed .
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Let us know .
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TPM Gets Results!
The U.S. Is Losing Its Fight Against The Coronavirus
The U.S. hit a grim milestone more than three months into the pandemic: A new daily record for new coronavirus cases.
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told reporters on Thursday that the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is likely 10 times higher than reported.
Texas reversed course on its reopening as cases surge in the state. Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday ordered bars to be closed and restaurant capacity to be significantly curtailed.
A day earlier, Abbott announced a pause on moving to further reopening phases.
The Messy Firing Of The U.S. Attorney In NYC
We learned more this week about Attorney General Bill Barr’s messy firing of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that ahead of Barr’s shocking late-night announcement of Berman’s ouster, Berman clashed with DOJ leadership over a critical letter the department wanted to send to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The White House made a surprising admission over Berman’s firing. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that Berman was pushed out because his successor, current SEC Chair Jay Clayton, wanted to live in New York City. Before joining the Trump administration, Clayton was a longtime corporate lawyer in NYC.
Clayton, for his part, would not vow to recuse himself from cases involving the President if he is confirmed.
Is this feature useful? Let us know.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--SCOTUS Rebuffs Dems’ Request To Expand TX Absentee Voting Ahead Of July Primary

The Supreme Court on Friday said it would not reverse an appeals court order that will keep vote-by-mail limited in Texas in the pandemic .
The state Democratic party had sued the state over its absentee voting restrictions that allow only voters 65-and-older to vote by mail without any excuse .
The lawsuit alleges that the policy violates the Constitution ’ s 26th Amendment ban on age-based voter discrimination .
A federal judge agreed with the Democrats ’ argument , but then an appeals court put that judge ’ s order on hold , prompting the Democrats to turn to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No justice publicly dissented from the Supreme Court ’ s refusal to reverse the appeals court ’ s hold .
But the move did come with a statement from Justice Sonia Sotomayor that hinted that she would like to come back to the case at a later stage in its proceedings .
Texas Democrats argued that the Supreme Court should get involved now because the appeals court did not seem to be in a rush to fully resolve the case on its merits .
In a statement , the party said that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court ’ s move Friday , particularly because there is a primary election in Texas next month , but that “ hope remains that the federal courts will restore equal voting rights in time for the November elections.
” Texas is an outlier in its refusal to loosen its restrictions on absentee voting for the pandemic .

The Supreme Court on Friday said it would not reverse an appeals court order that will keep vote-by-mail limited in Texas in the pandemic.
The state Democratic party had sued the state over its absentee voting restrictions that allow only voters 65-and-older to vote by mail without any excuse. The lawsuit alleges that the policy violates the Constitution’s 26th Amendment ban on age-based voter discrimination. A federal judge agreed with the Democrats’ argument, but then an appeals court put that judge’s order on hold, prompting the Democrats to turn to the Supreme Court for an intervention.
No justice publicly dissented from the Supreme Court’s refusal to reverse the appeals court’s hold. But the move did come with a statement from Justice Sonia Sotomayor that hinted that she would like to come back to the case at a later stage in its proceedings.
NEW: Supreme Court turns down request from Texas Democrats to allow everyone in the state to vote by mail, not just those over 65 pic.twitter.com/wuQGXnTJhS — Adam Liptak (@adamliptak) June 26, 2020
Texas Democrats argued that the Supreme Court should get involved now because the appeals court did not seem to be in a rush to fully resolve the case on its merits.
In a statement, the party said that it was “disappointed” with the Supreme Court’s move Friday, particularly because there is a primary election in Texas next month, but that “hope remains that the federal courts will restore equal voting rights in time for the November elections.”
Texas is an outlier in its refusal to loosen its restrictions on absentee voting for the pandemic.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--Trump Cancels NJ Golf Club Getaway Amid Guv’s Travel Restrictions

President Donald Trump suddenly cancelled his plans for a weekend trip to his golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey @ @ @ @ @ s getaway technically would have flouted New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy ’ s ( @ @ @ @ @ mandating that individuals who are traveling from states “ with significant community spread ” of @ @ @ @ @ , must first self-quarantine for 14 days .
The President held a campaign event at @ @ @ @ @ Arizona on Tuesday .
However , White House spokesperson Judd Deere told pool reporters that @ @ @ @ @ Murphy ’ s advisory .
“ It has nothing to do with that , ” @ @ @ @ @ further .
In any event , Trump is exempt from the restrictions , according to @ @ @ @ @ a carve-out for essential workers , and I think by any definition the President of @ @ @ @ @ essential worker , ” the governor said on Friday during an interview on CNBC , @ @ @ @ @ .

President Donald Trump suddenly cancelled his plans for a weekend trip to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey on Friday.
Trump’s getaway technically would have flouted New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D) new travel advisory mandating that individuals who are traveling from states “with significant community spread” of COVID-19, which includes Arizona, must first self-quarantine for 14 days. The President held a campaign event at a megachurch in Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday.
However, White House spokesperson Judd Deere told pool reporters that the cancellation was unrelated to Murphy’s advisory.
“It has nothing to do with that,” he said, without elaborating further.
In any event, Trump is exempt from the restrictions, according to Murphy.
“There is a carve-out for essential workers, and I think by any definition the President of the United States is an essential worker,” the governor said on Friday during an interview on CNBC, before Trump cancelled the trip.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--Where You Been? Pence Tries To Spin Good News On COVID After Task Force Silence

At the first briefing in nearly two months from the White House Coronavirus Task Force Friday , Vice President Mike Pence rushed to assure that the coronavirus pandemic — which has surged anew in several states across the country — will not stop states from reopening safely .
Without addressing the group ’ s longterm absence , Pence insisted that even as the United States has set a new daily record for new COVID-19 cases “ this moment is different.
” “ While you see in the news over the past week or so we have rising cases and outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to assure you that our task force and our entire administration is working continuously with leaders in those states to respond , ” Pence said .
His many words of assurance — insisting that we ’ ve “ reduced ” the number of lives lost and “ we are in a much better place ” — also came with some calls for vigilance , as several states close in on daily records that exceed those first set in states like New York when the virus first made landfall in March and began its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and local officials struggle to identify plans of action , masks have emerged as one scientifically backed method for slowing the spread of the virus .
Yet as one reporter at the briefing pointed out , the Trump administration has not made its position clear on whether or not face coverings should be worn to reduce its spread .
When asked if he thought masks should be worn , the vice president predictably dodged the question , deferring to state officials to make those calls .
“ The first principle is that people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local authorities , ” Pence said , standing at the podium as he so often does without any kind of face covering .
Another reporter grilled Pence again on the question of masks , asking the vice president to offer a more clear directive on the administration ’ s stance on the matter .
Pence again avoided answering , suggesting instead that Americans heed the guidance of local and state officials .
While in one breath Pence acknowledged that some states have offered provisions on “ facial coverings , ” in another he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be worn even in states where a mandate has not been put in place .
While Pence tiptoed the topic of masks , he praised the Trump administration for the progress that was made at the local level in New York , crediting the president for New York ’ s apparent emergence from a staggering outbreak of the virus earlier this spring that is now at least temporarily under control as businesses continue to reopen .
The vice president also defended the Trump campaign ’ s insistence on holding reelection rallies — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unmasked supporters , pointing to the right to assembly enshrined in the Constitution .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , drew on data during the briefing that shows young people increasingly becoming infected .
Despite that , Trump pushed forward with a “ Students for Trump ” event at the Dream City Church in Phoenix on Tuesday night as he delivered a speech to cheering crowds of thousands of largely unmasked young students .

Long time no see!
At the first briefing in nearly two months from the White House Coronavirus Task Force Friday, Vice President Mike Pence rushed to assure that the coronavirus pandemic — which has surged anew in several states across the country — will not stop states from reopening safely.
Without addressing the group’s longterm absence, Pence insisted that even as the United States has set a new daily record for new COVID-19 cases “this moment is different.”
“While you see in the news over the past week or so we have rising cases and outbreaks in several Southern states, I want to assure you that our task force and our entire administration is working continuously with leaders in those states to respond,” Pence said.
His many words of assurance — insisting that we’ve “reduced” the number of lives lost and “we are in a much better place” — also came with some calls for vigilance, as several states close in on daily records that exceed those first set in states like New York when the virus first made landfall in March and began its surge in early April.
As state and local officials struggle to identify plans of action, masks have emerged as one scientifically backed method for slowing the spread of the virus. Yet as one reporter at the briefing pointed out, the Trump administration has not made its position clear on whether or not face coverings should be worn to reduce its spread. When asked if he thought masks should be worn, the vice president predictably dodged the question, deferring to state officials to make those calls.
“The first principle is that people ought to listen to their state and local authorities,” Pence said, standing at the podium as he so often does without any kind of face covering.
Another reporter grilled Pence again on the question of masks, asking the vice president to offer a more clear directive on the administration’s stance on the matter.
Pence again avoided answering, suggesting instead that Americans heed the guidance of local and state officials. While in one breath Pence acknowledged that some states have offered provisions on “facial coverings,” in another he declined to comment directly that face masks should be worn even in states where a mandate has not been put in place.
While Pence tiptoed the topic of masks, he praised the Trump administration for the progress that was made at the local level in New York, crediting the president for New York’s apparent emergence from a staggering outbreak of the virus earlier this spring that is now at least temporarily under control as businesses continue to reopen.
The vice president also defended the Trump campaign’s insistence on holding reelection rallies — often indoors — to crowds of largely unmasked supporters, pointing to the right to assembly enshrined in the Constitution.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, drew on data during the briefing that shows young people increasingly becoming infected. Despite that, Trump pushed forward with a “Students for Trump” event at the Dream City Church in Phoenix on Tuesday night as he delivered a speech to cheering crowds of thousands of largely unmasked young students.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--HHS Forced To Keep Texas COVID Testing Sites Open Following Public Outcry

The Trump administration reversed itself and extended support for COVID-19 testing sites in Texas on Friday .
The extension followed a public outcry after TPM revealed on Tuesday that federal help was set to end on June 30 .
Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir said in a statement that his agency would support five testing sites in Texas for two weeks longer than initially planned .
Sens .
Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) and John Cornyn ( R-TX ) sent a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday requesting an extension of support for the free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Texas attributed the extension to a request from Gov .
Greg Abbott ( R ) .
Texas officials have spent weeks clamoring for the sites to be extended .
The move comes as cases and hospitalizations in the state have skyrocketed , and as Gov .
Abbott has paused the state ’ s reopening .
“ Federal public health officials have been in continuous contact with our public health leaders in Texas , and after receiving yesterday ’ s request for an extension , have agreed to extend support for five Community-Based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
“ We will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 diagnoses and assess the need for further federal support of these sites as we approach the extension date.
” HHS and FEMA have supported the sites by providing test kits and signing contracts with labs and call centers to notify patients of their results .
Local officials told TPM this week that the federal exit would force them to rely on a private contractor to replace the lost capacity .
The cities would then be forced to use a limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the sites , coming as localities around the country already face budget crunches due to the pandemic .
Giroir said in his statement that HHS would “ provide additional resources to assist the State of Texas to prepare for the upcoming transition to these five locations becoming fully state-run testing sites.
” The extension only marks two more weeks of support for the Lone Star state .
It comes as the Trump administration has committed itself to a policy of state-level handling of the pandemic even as states and cities struggle to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initially set up 41 testing sites around the country in March , aimed at offering federal support as the country began to face the COVID-19 pandemic .
This is not the first time that the Trump administration has been forced to reverse itself on the issue .
In early April , HHS abandoned a similar plan to cut support for the sites .
As of this writing , only 13 of the sites remain open .
It ’ s also not clear what extension request Giroir had in mind when issuing his statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first to come to the Trump administration from a Texas official .
Rocky Vaz , the emergency director for the city of Dallas , told TPM on Tuesday that his city had already asked for — and been refused — an extension .
Separately , Houston officials released letters following TPM ’ s initial story showing that they , too , had issued requests to HHS which had gone unheeded .
An HHS spokeswoman told TPM that Texas ’ s request letter was not immediately available , after being asked to produce a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening that the sites for which Texas officials demanded support were both “ antiquated ” and would be improved by a transition to state control .
But in requesting the sites , local officials said that the capacity was needed .
Umair Shah , head of public health for Harris County , where Houston is located , said that the departure of the sites would mean “ less testing.
” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a June 17 letter to Azar that Dallas city and county needed “ more time to establish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing sites at the end of June would be a significant blow to the COVID-19 response efforts in the heart of the country ’ s fourth-largest metropolitan area , ” the letter reads .
Sen. Cruz issued a statement on Friday expressing support for the extension , saying that “ now is not the time to end a program that is successfully increasing testing capacity.
” It ’ s not clear what will happen to the rest of the sites around the country , located in Illinois , Pennsylvania , Colorado , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites is set to expire on Tuesday .
Gov .
Abbott said in a statement that the sites are “ a vital component ” of the state ’ s commitment to testing .
“ I thank our federal partners for extending these operations in Texas , and for their flexibility in allocating their resources to the communities of Dallas and Houston that are experiencing a high number of COVID-19 cases right now , ” the statement reads .
Opposition to ending federal support for the sites was bipartisan .
Democratic lawmakers representing Houston @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesting the move , and were joined by Republican electeds in opposing the end of federal support .

The Trump administration reversed itself and extended support for COVID-19 testing sites in Texas on Friday.
The extension followed a public outcry after TPM revealed on Tuesday that federal help was set to end on June 30.
Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir said in a statement that his agency would support five testing sites in Texas for two weeks longer than initially planned.
Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX) sent a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday requesting an extension of support for the free, drive-through testing sites.
Local reporters in Texas attributed the extension to a request from Gov. Greg Abbott (R).
.@GovAbbott says the federal government has granted his request to extend operations of Community Based Testing Sites across Texas. The federal government will maintain support for the program while surging resources to Dallas and Houston. #COVID19 @FOX4 pic.twitter.com/pLpx6BAuxl — Steven Dial (@StevenDialFox4) June 26, 2020
Texas officials have spent weeks clamoring for the sites to be extended. The move comes as cases and hospitalizations in the state have skyrocketed, and as Gov. Abbott has paused the state’s reopening.
“Federal public health officials have been in continuous contact with our public health leaders in Texas, and after receiving yesterday’s request for an extension, have agreed to extend support for five Community-Based Testing Sites in Texas,” Giroir said in a statement. “We will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 diagnoses and assess the need for further federal support of these sites as we approach the extension date.”
HHS and FEMA have supported the sites by providing test kits and signing contracts with labs and call centers to notify patients of their results.
Local officials told TPM this week that the federal exit would force them to rely on a private contractor to replace the lost capacity. The cities would then be forced to use a limited pool of CARES Act funding to pay for the sites, coming as localities around the country already face budget crunches due to the pandemic.
Giroir said in his statement that HHS would “provide additional resources to assist the State of Texas to prepare for the upcoming transition to these five locations becoming fully state-run testing sites.”
The extension only marks two more weeks of support for the Lone Star state. It comes as the Trump administration has committed itself to a policy of state-level handling of the pandemic even as states and cities struggle to make ends meet.
HHS and FEMA initially set up 41 testing sites around the country in March, aimed at offering federal support as the country began to face the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is not the first time that the Trump administration has been forced to reverse itself on the issue. In early April, HHS abandoned a similar plan to cut support for the sites.
As of this writing, only 13 of the sites remain open.
It’s also not clear what extension request Giroir had in mind when issuing his statement. Abbott’s was not the first to come to the Trump administration from a Texas official. Rocky Vaz, the emergency director for the city of Dallas, told TPM on Tuesday that his city had already asked for — and been refused — an extension.
Separately, Houston officials released letters following TPM’s initial story showing that they, too, had issued requests to HHS which had gone unheeded.
An HHS spokeswoman told TPM that Texas’s request letter was not immediately available, after being asked to produce a copy.
HHS has argued since Tuesday evening that the sites for which Texas officials demanded support were both “antiquated” and would be improved by a transition to state control.
But in requesting the sites, local officials said that the capacity was needed. Umair Shah, head of public health for Harris County, where Houston is located, said that the departure of the sites would mean “less testing.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a June 17 letter to Azar that Dallas city and county needed “more time to establish replacement testing sites.”
“Losing the existing sites at the end of June would be a significant blow to the COVID-19 response efforts in the heart of the country’s fourth-largest metropolitan area,” the letter reads.
Sen. Cruz issued a statement on Friday expressing support for the extension, saying that “now is not the time to end a program that is successfully increasing testing capacity.”
It’s not clear what will happen to the rest of the sites around the country, located in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and New Jersey. Federal support for those sites is set to expire on Tuesday.
Gov. Abbott said in a statement that the sites are “a vital component” of the state’s commitment to testing.
“I thank our federal partners for extending these operations in Texas, and for their flexibility in allocating their resources to the communities of Dallas and Houston that are experiencing a high number of COVID-19 cases right now,” the statement reads.
Opposition to ending federal support for the sites was bipartisan. Democratic lawmakers representing Houston and Dallas sent the Trump administration letters protesting the move, and were joined by Republican electeds in opposing the end of federal support.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--After Voters Show They Want Mail Balloting, GOPers Try To Make It Harder

Republican legislators in several states are responding to the pandemic-prompted surge in vote-by-mail during the primaries by trying to make the process more difficult going forward .
Georgia is the latest state where Republican lawmakers are targeting a practice embraced by election officials from their own party as those officials sought to encourage voters to use mail-in voting .
More than half of Georgia ’ s primary voters cast ballots by mail , a major increase from the state ’ s past absentee voting rate of between 5 and 10 percent .
Election experts have said that the move by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) to mail all registered active voters an absentee ballot request form facilitated that expansion .
And though long in-person voting lines and technology challenges made Georgia ’ s primary a national disaster , those issues would have been much worse had the state not been so effective at increasing the use of vote by mail .
But now , Georgia Republicans are advancing legislation that would prohibit both state and local officials from proactively sending those applications to voters .
The amendment , which was introduced on Wednesday to an already contentious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Raffensperger had already said that he was not planning on sending out absentee applications to all voters again in the fall , and that , instead , his office is creating an online portal for requesting mail ballots .
His office says the shift in approach was due to budget and logistical challenges , and some election experts hope that he ’ ll reconsider sending out the ballot applications if more funding becomes available .
Critics of the new legislation point out that it would hamstring future secretaries of state who might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applications , and that it would also block county officials who may otherwise choose to proactively send out applications .
Friday is the last day of Georgia ’ s legislative session , and it ’ s unclear whether Republicans will be able to push the elections bill out of the statehouse and onto the governor ’ s desk in time .
But Georgia is at least the third state where legislators have tried to prohibit an approach that has largely been successful in expanding absentee voting amid the pandemic .
“ Our government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everybody an absentee ballot application , if they should decide to do that , because that is what we need , especially during COVID-19 , ” said Aklima Khondoke , the Georgia state director of the voting group All Voting Is Local .
Efforts to ‘ To Restrict The Ability of the Professionals ’ The current actions by Georgia ’ s GOP legislators are part of a larger trend that ’ s emerged during the pandemic — and as President Trump has ramped up his false allegations about vote by mail .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frank LaRose has become a vocal supporter of vote by mail during the pandemic , GOP legislators tried to pass legislation stopping him from proactively mailing absentee voting applications — something the state had done for certain types of elections even before the pandemic .
The legislature ultimately backed down from the measure , but not without securing other concessions in the package , including a ban on LaRose sending prepaid postage for absentee voting .
A similar fight emerged in Iowa , where election officials were widely praised for how effectively they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s June primary , which broke turnout records .
After Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate proactively sent registered voters absentee ballot applications for that primary , GOP lawmakers tried but failed to push through a bill banning him from doing so in the future .
Ultimately , the legislature instead inserted language into a budget bill that beefed up Iowa ’ s voter ID requirements and made the process more complicated for fixing discrepancies in a voter ’ s absentee ballot application .
David Becker , the executive director of the Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa ’ s drama-free June election and said “ we know what the path to success here is.
” “ When it comes to legislators trying to restrict the ability of the professionals to do what needs to be done … that creates problems , ” Becker said .
The Power Of ‘ Active Engagement With Voters ’ How these measures keep popping up in different states has voter advocates suspicious that it is being pushed by outside forces .
Activists who were monitoring the Georgia bill say they were blindsided when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in front of the House Government Affairs Committee , Democratic members repeatedly asked who was sponsoring the amendment .
Committee Chairman Shaw Blackmon ( R ) said it was being put forward by the “ committee ” but that he would “ put ” his “ name on it , ” even as he wouldn ’ t explicitly say it was his amendment .
Republicans ’ comments at the hearing suggested that it was motivated by the fact that too many people sought to vote absentee , which they claimed caused too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials .
They argued that campaigns and nonpartisan groups could send out the applications if they ’ d like to .
“ All this says is that we ’ re not going to flood … this with unsolicited absentee ballots so that we actually create some problems for our counties , ” Blackmon said at the hearing .
GOP lawmakers also attracted criticism from voter advocates for seeking to give Raffensperger until after this year ’ s elections to launch the online application portal .
An amendment the committee Republicans approved Wednesday pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Raffensperger ’ s office says it ’ s still working toward launching the portal this fall , regardless of the deadline in the legislation .
Neither Blackmon nor any other GOP member of the committee responded to TPM ’ s inquiries .
Raffensperger put out a statement that mostly bashed Democrats for other fights that have broken out around the primary , but said that “ both the left and the right ” were “ weaponiz [ ing ] ” election administration .
He noted that his move to send out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scoffing at those who “ seem to be saying that our office should have ignored the wave of absentee voting that was clearly coming.
” Becker , who advised Georgia election officials in the primary , said there was “ no question ” that the move to send out the applications led to the high rate of absentee voting .
He noted that that approach will be even more critical in November ’ s election , because that will attract more “ infrequent voters ” and it can be “ really hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The active engagement with voters to tell them how to do something can be incredibly powerful , ” he said .
Aunna Dennis , the director of Common Cause Georgia , called the amendment a “ poison pill ” that would have a disparate impact on “ brown and black voters.
” She noted the “ domino effect ” of proposals like this popping up across the country and the lack of clarity around who was behind the Georgia measure .
“ Someone is trying to remove the powers of our election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and access to an equitable and fair ballot , ” she said .

Republican legislators in several states are responding to the pandemic-prompted surge in vote-by-mail during the primaries by trying to make the process more difficult going forward.
Georgia is the latest state where Republican lawmakers are targeting a practice embraced by election officials from their own party as those officials sought to encourage voters to use mail-in voting.
More than half of Georgia’s primary voters cast ballots by mail, a major increase from the state’s past absentee voting rate of between 5 and 10 percent. Election experts have said that the move by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to mail all registered active voters an absentee ballot request form facilitated that expansion.
And though long in-person voting lines and technology challenges made Georgia’s primary a national disaster, those issues would have been much worse had the state not been so effective at increasing the use of vote by mail.
But now, Georgia Republicans are advancing legislation that would prohibit both state and local officials from proactively sending those applications to voters. The amendment, which was introduced on Wednesday to an already contentious bill, prompted both condemnation and confusion.
Raffensperger had already said that he was not planning on sending out absentee applications to all voters again in the fall, and that, instead, his office is creating an online portal for requesting mail ballots. His office says the shift in approach was due to budget and logistical challenges, and some election experts hope that he’ll reconsider sending out the ballot applications if more funding becomes available.
Critics of the new legislation point out that it would hamstring future secretaries of state who might want to proactively send out mail-in ballot applications, and that it would also block county officials who may otherwise choose to proactively send out applications.
Friday is the last day of Georgia’s legislative session, and it’s unclear whether Republicans will be able to push the elections bill out of the statehouse and onto the governor’s desk in time. But Georgia is at least the third state where legislators have tried to prohibit an approach that has largely been successful in expanding absentee voting amid the pandemic.
“Our government officials must have the ability to send everybody an absentee ballot application, if they should decide to do that, because that is what we need, especially during COVID-19,” said Aklima Khondoker, the Georgia state director of the voting group All Voting Is Local.
Efforts to ‘To Restrict The Ability of the Professionals’
The current actions by Georgia’s GOP legislators are part of a larger trend that’s emerged during the pandemic — and as President Trump has ramped up his false allegations about vote by mail.
In Ohio, where Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose has become a vocal supporter of vote by mail during the pandemic, GOP legislators tried to pass legislation stopping him from proactively mailing absentee voting applications — something the state had done for certain types of elections even before the pandemic.
The legislature ultimately backed down from the measure, but not without securing other concessions in the package, including a ban on LaRose sending prepaid postage for absentee voting.
A similar fight emerged in Iowa, where election officials were widely praised for how effectively they expanded absentee voting for that state’s June primary, which broke turnout records.
After Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate proactively sent registered voters absentee ballot applications for that primary, GOP lawmakers tried but failed to push through a bill banning him from doing so in the future.
Ultimately, the legislature instead inserted language into a budget bill that beefed up Iowa’s voter ID requirements and made the process more complicated for fixing discrepancies in a voter’s absentee ballot application.
David Becker, the executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research pointed to Iowa’s drama-free June election and said “we know what the path to success here is.”
“When it comes to legislators trying to restrict the ability of the professionals to do what needs to be done … that creates problems,” Becker said.
The Power Of ‘Active Engagement With Voters’
How these measures keep popping up in different states has voter advocates suspicious that it is being pushed by outside forces. Activists who were monitoring the Georgia bill say they were blindsided when the amendment was announced.
At that hearing, in front of the House Government Affairs Committee, Democratic members repeatedly asked who was sponsoring the amendment. Committee Chairman Shaw Blackmon (R) said it was being put forward by the “committee” but that he would “put” his “name on it,” even as he wouldn’t explicitly say it was his amendment.
Republicans’ comments at the hearing suggested that it was motivated by the fact that too many people sought to vote absentee, which they claimed caused too much of a logistical burden for election officials. They argued that campaigns and nonpartisan groups could send out the applications if they’d like to.
“All this says is that we’re not going to flood … this with unsolicited absentee ballots so that we actually create some problems for our counties,” Blackmon said at the hearing.
GOP lawmakers also attracted criticism from voter advocates for seeking to give Raffensperger until after this year’s elections to launch the online application portal.
An amendment the committee Republicans approved Wednesday pushed the implementation deadline to July 2021, though Raffensperger’s office says it’s still working toward launching the portal this fall, regardless of the deadline in the legislation.
Neither Blackmon nor any other GOP member of the committee responded to TPM’s inquiries. Raffensperger put out a statement that mostly bashed Democrats for other fights that have broken out around the primary, but said that “both the left and the right” were “weaponiz[ing]” election administration. He noted that his move to send out the applications had been broadly supported, while scoffing at those who “seem to be saying that our office should have ignored the wave of absentee voting that was clearly coming.”
Becker, who advised Georgia election officials in the primary, said there was “no question” that the move to send out the applications led to the high rate of absentee voting. He noted that that approach will be even more critical in November’s election, because that will attract more “infrequent voters” and it can be “really hard to find information on how to vote.”
“The active engagement with voters to tell them how to do something can be incredibly powerful,” he said.
Aunna Dennis, the director of Common Cause Georgia, called the amendment a “poison pill” that would have a disparate impact on “brown and black voters.”
She noted the “domino effect” of proposals like this popping up across the country and the lack of clarity around who was behind the Georgia measure.
“Someone is trying to remove the powers of our election administrators to be able to expand vote-by-mail and access to an equitable and fair ballot,” she said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--DOJ Assures Skeptical Judge It Didn’t Do Roger Stone Any Favors To Delay Prison

Federal prosecutors told the judge in Roger Stone ’ s case that the “ only reason ” that they are going along with Stone ’ s request to delay his surrender date is that doing so is in line with a broad policy from the Justice Department for the COVID-19 pandemic .
A late Thursday night filing from the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in D.C. , plus a separate filing Friday from the Stone ’ s attorneys , gives a fuller picture of Stone ’ s efforts to put off going to prison for his 40-month sentence .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for no other reason—the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the District of Columbia does not oppose a 60-day extension of the defendant ’ s self surrender date , ” the DOJ filing said .
The prosecutors said that the Bureau of Prisons had made the move to initially delay Stone ’ s surrender date until June 30 due to the pandemic , while suggesting that they were not at all involved in those discussions .
On Friday , Stone told the judge that when he asked BOP on June 1 to delay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not receive a BOP response beyond an automated acknowledgement of the request .
Later , on June 10 , Stone ’ s lawyers were informed by “ government counsel ” that BOP was no longer granting such requests .
But further discussions with the “ parties ” involved resulted in him filing the request with her .
The prosecutors said Thursday they ’ re not opposing the request because of a directive from the Executive Office of United States Attorneys that due to the pandemic , only in certain circumstance should the DOJ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dates .
Stone ’ s case does not present those circumstances , the prosecutors said Friday .
Specifically , Stone does not pose a flight risk nor is he a danger to the community — a claim the DOJ rested on findings the judge made herself when allowing Stone to voluntarily surrender .
“ [ T ] his Office possesses no actionable information of a change in circumstances to press against that determination , faithful adherence to EOUSA ’ s directive dictates that we not oppose a 60-day extension , ” the DOJ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re treating Stone ’ s request is in line with how the executive office ’ s directive has been applied across the country .
There “ is no instance in which this Office has opposed a request to extend a self-surrender date during the pandemic , ” they said , pointing to three other recent cases where they went along with similar delay requests .
That U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson is making all the parties explain all these behind-the-scenes machinations suggests that she is reluctant to take Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explanations after Stone claimed earlier this week that the Department was not opposed to his delay request .
Jackson sentenced Stone in February to 40 months in prison after a jury convicted him of false statements , witness tampering and obstruction of Congress ’ Russia probe .
The department previously watered down its sentencing recommendation for Stone , in a series of moves that the judge called “ unprecedented.
” Just before Stone on Tuesday filed his request to delay his surrender date , written congressional testimony from a prosecutor who had worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the testimony , the prosecutor , Aaron Zelinsky , alleged that political considerations motivated the department to change the sentencing memo , which prompted him and three other career prosecutors to resign from the case .
It ’ s unclear if the allegations played a role in the judge then ordering the DOJ to put “ in writing ” its reasons for its position in the surrender date matter .
Stone ’ s court filings Tuesday also seemed to contradict what he said in an Instagram over the weekend , in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delay request and that is why he was now turning to the court .
On Friday , Stone explained that government had informed his lawyers on June 10 that BOP “ was no longer extending surrender dates based on COVID-19.
” “ BOP would not be changing Stone ’ s June 30 , 2020 surrender date .
10 .
BOP ’ s determination led to discussions between the parties that ultimately resulted in Stone ’ s decision to file his Unopposed Motion to Extend Surrender Date , ” Stone said .

Federal prosecutors told the judge in Roger Stone’s case that the “only reason” that they are going along with Stone’s request to delay his surrender date is that doing so is in line with a broad policy from the Justice Department for the COVID-19 pandemic.
A late Thursday night filing from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C., plus a separate filing Friday from the Stone’s attorneys, gives a fuller picture of Stone’s efforts to put off going to prison for his 40-month sentence.
“To conform with our policy and practice—and for no other reason—the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia does not oppose a 60-day extension of the defendant’s self surrender date,” the DOJ filing said.
The prosecutors said that the Bureau of Prisons had made the move to initially delay Stone’s surrender date until June 30 due to the pandemic, while suggesting that they were not at all involved in those discussions.
On Friday, Stone told the judge that when he asked BOP on June 1 to delay the surrender date again, he did not receive a BOP response beyond an automated acknowledgement of the request. Later, on June 10, Stone’s lawyers were informed by “government counsel” that BOP was no longer granting such requests. But further discussions with the “parties” involved resulted in him filing the request with her.
The prosecutors said Thursday they’re not opposing the request because of a directive from the Executive Office of United States Attorneys that due to the pandemic, only in certain circumstance should the DOJ oppose defendants’ requests to delay surrender dates.
Stone’s case does not present those circumstances, the prosecutors said Friday. Specifically, Stone does not pose a flight risk nor is he a danger to the community — a claim the DOJ rested on findings the judge made herself when allowing Stone to voluntarily surrender.
“[T]his Office possesses no actionable information of a change in circumstances to press against that determination, faithful adherence to EOUSA’s directive dictates that we not oppose a 60-day extension,” the DOJ said.
The prosecutors said that how they’re treating Stone’s request is in line with how the executive office’s directive has been applied across the country. There “is no instance in which this Office has opposed a request to extend a self-surrender date during the pandemic,” they said, pointing to three other recent cases where they went along with similar delay requests.
That U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson is making all the parties explain all these behind-the-scenes machinations suggests that she is reluctant to take Justice Department at its word. She ordered the explanations after Stone claimed earlier this week that the Department was not opposed to his delay request.
Jackson sentenced Stone in February to 40 months in prison after a jury convicted him of false statements, witness tampering and obstruction of Congress’ Russia probe.
The department previously watered down its sentencing recommendation for Stone, in a series of moves that the judge called “unprecedented.”
Just before Stone on Tuesday filed his request to delay his surrender date, written congressional testimony from a prosecutor who had worked on his case was made public. In the testimony, the prosecutor, Aaron Zelinsky, alleged that political considerations motivated the department to change the sentencing memo, which prompted him and three other career prosecutors to resign from the case.
It’s unclear if the allegations played a role in the judge then ordering the DOJ to put “in writing” its reasons for its position in the surrender date matter.
Stone’s court filings Tuesday also seemed to contradict what he said in an Instagram over the weekend, in which he claimed that the government rejected his delay request and that is why he was now turning to the court. On Friday, Stone explained that government had informed his lawyers on June 10 that BOP “was no longer extending surrender dates based on COVID-19.”
“BOP would not be changing Stone’s June 30, 2020 surrender date. 10. BOP’s determination led to discussions between the parties that ultimately resulted in Stone’s decision to file his Unopposed Motion to Extend Surrender Date,” Stone said.
Read the filings below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-26--Sad! Trump Seems To Realize He’s Losing And It’s No Fun At All

Things are not going well for President Trump .
A slew of national polls show him trailing Joe Biden , the United States ’ coronavirus death tolls has marched past 120,000 , and the President can ’ t do much other than shrug off all the bad news — or avoid it altogether .
Even a town hall Thursday evening in Wisconsin with Fox News host Sean Hannity —a home-field advantage for the president — failed to give Trump a boost to his mood .
When Hannity asked the president about his second-term priorities , Trump avoided the question and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important than experience.
” He added that he didn ’ t arrive in Washington with much experience four years ago but now knows everybody in the capital .
In a lengthy and difficult-to-discern stream of consciousness , Trump then railed against former National Security Adviser John Bolton , whose book about the Trump administration has dominated headlines over the past week .
But Trump ’ s response had nothing to do with the original question Hannity asked .
“ You make some mistakes .
Like , you know , an idiot like Bolton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do was drop bombs on everybody .
You don ’ t have to drop bombs on everybody .
You don ’ t have to kill people , ” Trump said .
Hours after the interview , Trump took to Twitter just before midnight to reignite a losing PR battle over his failures to manage the coronavirus pandemic .
He declared that only “ embers ” remain from a crisis that has already claimed the lives of more than 120,000 people in the United States and continues to spread like wildfire with daily records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona , Florida and Texas .
His comments that minor “ flare ups ” would be snuffed out come as the European Union prepares to impose a travel ban on American travelers to EU countries due to the American president ’ s failures to manage the crisis .
During the Fox town hall , Trump also appeared resigned to a loss to Biden in November , arguing that he may suffer a loss because “ some people don ’ t love me.
” “ The man can ’ t speak , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the former vice president ’ s speech patterns .
“ And he ’ s going to be president because some people don ’ t love me , maybe .
And all I ’ m doing is doing my job.
” The president also peddled a weak attempt at self-aggrandizement , referencing affection from a friend who he says tells him all the time that he is “ the most perfect person.
” New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik commented on Twitter that the TV event , which Poniewozik called “ complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harm than good .
Even the reliably conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board concluded that Trump needs a new nickname for Biden : “ How does President-elect sound ?
”

Things are not going well for President Trump.
A slew of national polls show him trailing Joe Biden, the United States’ coronavirus death tolls has marched past 120,000, and the President can’t do much other than shrug off all the bad news — or avoid it altogether.
Even a town hall Thursday evening in Wisconsin with Fox News host Sean Hannity —a home-field advantage for the president — failed to give Trump a boost to his mood.
When Hannity asked the president about his second-term priorities, Trump avoided the question and simply stated that “talent is more important than experience.” He added that he didn’t arrive in Washington with much experience four years ago but now knows everybody in the capital.
Asked what his top priorities for a second term are, Trump can't name a single thing pic.twitter.com/fF6xXaDAy0 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 26, 2020
In a lengthy and difficult-to-discern stream of consciousness, Trump then railed against former National Security Adviser John Bolton, whose book about the Trump administration has dominated headlines over the past week. But Trump’s response had nothing to do with the original question Hannity asked.
“You make some mistakes. Like, you know, an idiot like Bolton. The only thing he wanted to do was drop bombs on everybody. You don’t have to drop bombs on everybody. You don’t have to kill people,” Trump said.
Hours after the interview, Trump took to Twitter just before midnight to reignite a losing PR battle over his failures to manage the coronavirus pandemic. He declared that only “embers” remain from a crisis that has already claimed the lives of more than 120,000 people in the United States and continues to spread like wildfire with daily records for positive cases set in places like Arizona, Florida and Texas.
Coronavirus deaths are way down. Mortality rate is one of the lowest in the World. Our Economy is roaring back and will NOT be shut down. “Embers” or flare ups will be put out, as necessary! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2020
His comments that minor “flare ups” would be snuffed out come as the European Union prepares to impose a travel ban on American travelers to EU countries due to the American president’s failures to manage the crisis.
During the Fox town hall, Trump also appeared resigned to a loss to Biden in November, arguing that he may suffer a loss because “some people don’t love me.”
“The man can’t speak,” Trump said, jumping on conservatives’ criticism over the former vice president’s speech patterns. “And he’s going to be president because some people don’t love me, maybe. And all I’m doing is doing my job.”
"He's gonna be your president because some people don't love me, maybe" — Trump sure sounds resigned to losing to Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/UQTrzJVSXR — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 26, 2020
The president also peddled a weak attempt at self-aggrandizement, referencing affection from a friend who he says tells him all the time that he is “the most perfect person.”
New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik commented on Twitter that the TV event, which Poniewozik called “complete propaganda,” may have done more harm than good.
Events like this Hannity-Trump interview are complete propaganda. But I’m also not sure they do Trump any actual good other than reassure him that someone still loves him. It’s starting to feel like palliative care. — James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) June 26, 2020
Even the reliably conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board concluded that Trump needs a new nickname for Biden: “How does President-elect sound?”