buzzfeed--2020-03-26--5 Ways To Protect Our Election During The Coronavirus Pandemic, According To A New Bipartisan Electi

5 Ways To Protect Our Election During The Coronavirus Pandemic, According To A New Bipartisan Election Emergency Task Force

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Dozens of former Republican officials and progressive leaders have banded together to form a new task force on election emergencies , publishing a set of guidelines Thursday about how to protect the November election during the coronavirus pandemic — from expanding mail-in voting to sanitizing in-person voting locations .
Given the pressure to postpone presidential primaries , the National Task Force on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at public officials in charge of the general election , saying , “ There is significant reason to be concerned and an imperative to prepare for the worst.
” “ This virus has been a wake-up call , ” Michael Chertoff , the former secretary of Homeland Security under former president George W. Bush and a member of the task force , told BuzzFeed News , saying the task force had begun to form last year amid concerns of foreign interference , misinformation , and other disasters — including disease .
The election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law on Nov. 3 , the report recommends , saying maximum participation will bolster confidence in “ the legitimacy of the outcome of the election.
” ( BuzzFeed News reported on March 13 why changing the general election date would be difficult , and maybe logistically impossible . )
“ An event like the one we are going through now underscores the real importance of the public having faith in its institutions , ” Chertoff said , adding that the task force ’ s diverse membership lends credibility as it puts pressure on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to adopt its recommendations .
The task force ’ s members include prominent progressives , such as Kristen Clarke , executive director of Lawyers ' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law ; Sherrilyn Ifill , president and director-counsel , NAACP Legal Defense Fund ; and Vanita Gupta , president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights .
It also includes conservative leaders , including Trevor Potter , former chair of the Federal Election Commission , and Trey Grayson , Kentucky ’ s former secretary of state .
These are five of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials should contact voters proactively to ask if they want an absentee ballot .
Not all states allow everyone to use a mail-in ballot ( also called an absentee ballot or absentee voting ) unless they declare a specific excuse in advance , such as travel or an emergency .
As such , the task force said the chief election officials in each jurisdiction should immediately declare that “ coronavirus is deemed a legally sufficient ‘ excuse ’ to enable absentee voting by all eligible voters… If this requires enacting emergency legislation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so.
” Further , the task force said elections officials should post PDFs of the forms online for voters to request those absentee ballots .
The guide doesn ’ t recommend switching entirely to mail-in voting , but it says “ election officials should order sufficient quantities of paper ballots to conduct a 100 % mail-based election , if necessary . ''
2 .
Create more time to vote in person .
In addition to hiring more poll workers to manage these new systems , the guide encourages extending both voting hours and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including on weekends , in order to “ reduce the number of people in a polling place at any one time , thereby reducing the likelihood of coronavirus transmission .
“ Election officials should ensure that each polling place is well-stocked with hand sanitizer and antibacterial , antimicrobial cleaning supplies , which should be used , among other things , to disinfect voting machines and voting equipment ( including pens and touchpads ) between each and every use , ” the guide says .
“ Each poll worker should be provided with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if consistent with public health guidance at the time ) . ''
Officials should “ prohibit any person known to be infected with the coronavirus from entering a polling place ” when law allows , the guidance says , and provide those voters an absentee ballot .
Inside polling facilities , tape should be placed on the ground 6 feet apart “ to indicate where voters should stand ” when waiting in line .
Voters should also be able to vote curbside or have separate sites for people at high risk — such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If an area is known to have an exceptionally high concentration of the virus , or if a location presents an exceptional risk , such as a nursing home , officials should create a different polling site .
It also suggests simply creating additional polling locations , thereby “ reducing the likely size of any crowds or number of people standing in line.
” It also considers using bigger buildings — or “ supercenters ” — that allow more distance between each person .
“ Larger facilities may offer a good addition or @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Dozens of former Republican officials and progressive leaders have banded together to form a new task force on election emergencies, publishing a set of guidelines Thursday about how to protect the November election during the coronavirus pandemic — from expanding mail-in voting to sanitizing in-person voting locations.
Given the pressure to postpone presidential primaries, the National Task Force on Election Crises issued an 11-page guide aimed at public officials in charge of the general election, saying, “There is significant reason to be concerned and an imperative to prepare for the worst.”
“This virus has been a wake-up call,” Michael Chertoff, the former secretary of Homeland Security under former president George W. Bush and a member of the task force, told BuzzFeed News, saying the task force had begun to form last year amid concerns of foreign interference, misinformation, and other disasters — including disease.
The election should be held as required by federal law on Nov. 3, the report recommends, saying maximum participation will bolster confidence in “the legitimacy of the outcome of the election.” (BuzzFeed News reported on March 13 why changing the general election date would be difficult, and maybe logistically impossible.)
“An event like the one we are going through now underscores the real importance of the public having faith in its institutions,” Chertoff said, adding that the task force’s diverse membership lends credibility as it puts pressure on secretaries of state and county election directors to adopt its recommendations.
The task force’s members include prominent progressives, such as Kristen Clarke, executive director of Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund; and Vanita Gupta, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. It also includes conservative leaders, including Trevor Potter, former chair of the Federal Election Commission, and Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s former secretary of state.
These are five of the task force’s recommendations:
1. Expand access to vote by mail.
Officials should contact voters proactively to ask if they want an absentee ballot. Not all states allow everyone to use a mail-in ballot (also called an absentee ballot or absentee voting) unless they declare a specific excuse in advance, such as travel or an emergency. As such, the task force said the chief election officials in each jurisdiction should immediately declare that “coronavirus is deemed a legally sufficient ‘excuse’ to enable absentee voting by all eligible voters… If this requires enacting emergency legislation in a jurisdiction, state legislatures should do so.” Further, the task force said elections officials should post PDFs of the forms online for voters to request those absentee ballots.
The guide doesn’t recommend switching entirely to mail-in voting, but it says “election officials should order sufficient quantities of paper ballots to conduct a 100% mail-based election, if necessary."
2. Create more time to vote in person.
In addition to hiring more poll workers to manage these new systems, the guide encourages extending both voting hours and the number of days for early voting, including on weekends, in order to “reduce the number of people in a polling place at any one time, thereby reducing the likelihood of coronavirus transmission.
3. Keep polling sites sanitized.
“Election officials should ensure that each polling place is well-stocked with hand sanitizer and antibacterial, antimicrobial cleaning supplies, which should be used, among other things, to disinfect voting machines and voting equipment (including pens and touchpads) between each and every use,” the guide says. “Each poll worker should be provided with surgical gloves and a surgical mask (if consistent with public health guidance at the time)."
4. Create distance inside polling sites.
Officials should “prohibit any person known to be infected with the coronavirus from entering a polling place” when law allows, the guidance says, and provide those voters an absentee ballot. Inside polling facilities, tape should be placed on the ground 6 feet apart “to indicate where voters should stand” when waiting in line. Voters should also be able to vote curbside or have separate sites for people at high risk — such as those with compromised immune systems.
5. Consider changing voting locations.
If an area is known to have an exceptionally high concentration of the virus, or if a location presents an exceptional risk, such as a nursing home, officials should create a different polling site. It also suggests simply creating additional polling locations, thereby “reducing the likely size of any crowds or number of people standing in line.” It also considers using bigger buildings — or “supercenters” — that allow more distance between each person. “Larger facilities may offer a good addition or alternative to smaller polling places.”


buzzfeed--2020-03-26--The Senate Passed A Massive Coronavirus Aid Package That Would Give Most Americans A $1,200 Check

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a $ 2 trillion coronavirus aid bill late Wednesday evening , the largest relief package in the country ’ s history .
The recovery bill passed unanimously , 96–0 ( with four senators self-quarantining due to the coronavirus ) .
It still has to clear the House before taking effect , which could happen as early as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will immediately sign the bill into law .
The package floods the country with money in an attempt to blunt the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus outbreak .
It provides hundreds of billions of dollars to businesses , state governments , and the health care industry , as well as direct cash injections to most American residents .
The bill authorizes a direct payment of $ 1,200 to every US resident with a social security number who makes up to $ 75,000 per year , plus $ 500 per child .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will receive a smaller payment and the checks are phased out completely for people who make over $ 99,000 .
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is authorized to dole out $ 500 billion in loans to distressed businesses , including up to $ 29 billion earmarked for the airline industry .
Another $ 350 billion in loans will got to providing eight weeks of cash flow for small businesses .
The loans will be forgiven if the businesses maintain their payroll .
Congress has been in tense , around-the-clock negotiations for days and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released until around 10 p.m. , a half an hour before voting began .
The most contentious provision ended up being offering $ 600 per week , over four months , in federal unemployment assistance to laid-off employees .
A small group of Republican senators argued these payments are so generous they would create a disincentive to work , and they threatened to delay passage of the bill unless payments were capped .
This caused Sen. Bernie Sanders counter-threaten to hold up the bill unless more strict conditions were put on corporate aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group failed to get Trump to back their cause .
They put forward an amendment to cap unemployment payments , which needed 60 votes to pass but failed on a 48–48 vote .
The aid package now has to clear the House of Representatives .
The House is currently in recess , and it is not clear whether the bill will sail through quickly or if all 430 current members will need to be summoned from across the country for a full vote .
The House has the tools to pass the bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member demands a full recorded vote on the House floor then the entire body will need to be recalled .
There are grumblings in both parties .
Progressives argue the bill is too friendly to big business and does not do enough for workers .
Some Republicans say the bill contains too many Democratic pet projects and enlarges the size of government .
Independent Rep. Justin Amash tweeted that the bill “ is a raw deal for the people ” that “ does far too little for those who need the most help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate welfare.
” But so far no member has committed to forcing a full vote .
With rent checks coming due at the end of the month , party leaders are urging passage without delay .
Once the bill is signed into law , Congress is scheduled to be out until April 20 .
Other key parts of the bill include : • None A tax credit of up to $ 10,000 for wages paid by businesses hit hard by the coronavirus , to incentivize keeping staff on the payroll .
• None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding for child care .
• None Funding for states to immediately begin paying out unemployment benefits when someone is laid off .
• None Allowing employers ( but not employees ) to defer paying their share of social security tax on wages .
That tax would have to be paid over the next two years .
• None $ 16 billion to acquire ventilators and other medical equipment .
• None $ 4 billion for homeless assistance ( though SNAP , the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as food stamps , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a $2 trillion coronavirus aid bill late Wednesday evening, the largest relief package in the country’s history.
The recovery bill passed unanimously, 96–0 (with four senators self-quarantining due to the coronavirus). It still has to clear the House before taking effect, which could happen as early as Thursday. President Donald Trump has said he will immediately sign the bill into law.
The package floods the country with money in an attempt to blunt the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus outbreak. It provides hundreds of billions of dollars to businesses, state governments, and the health care industry, as well as direct cash injections to most American residents.
The bill authorizes a direct payment of $1,200 to every US resident with a social security number who makes up to $75,000 per year, plus $500 per child. People who earn more than $75,000 will receive a smaller payment and the checks are phased out completely for people who make over $99,000.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is authorized to dole out $500 billion in loans to distressed businesses, including up to $29 billion earmarked for the airline industry. Another $350 billion in loans will got to providing eight weeks of cash flow for small businesses. The loans will be forgiven if the businesses maintain their payroll.
Congress has been in tense, around-the-clock negotiations for days and the bill’s final text was not released until around 10 p.m., a half an hour before voting began.
The most contentious provision ended up being offering $600 per week, over four months, in federal unemployment assistance to laid-off employees. A small group of Republican senators argued these payments are so generous they would create a disincentive to work, and they threatened to delay passage of the bill unless payments were capped.
This caused Sen. Bernie Sanders counter-threaten to hold up the bill unless more strict conditions were put on corporate aid. In the end, the Republican group failed to get Trump to back their cause. They put forward an amendment to cap unemployment payments, which needed 60 votes to pass but failed on a 48–48 vote.
The aid package now has to clear the House of Representatives. The House is currently in recess, and it is not clear whether the bill will sail through quickly or if all 430 current members will need to be summoned from across the country for a full vote.
The House has the tools to pass the bill immediately, but if even a single member demands a full recorded vote on the House floor then the entire body will need to be recalled. There are grumblings in both parties. Progressives argue the bill is too friendly to big business and does not do enough for workers. Some Republicans say the bill contains too many Democratic pet projects and enlarges the size of government. Independent Rep. Justin Amash tweeted that the bill “is a raw deal for the people” that “does far too little for those who need the most help, while providing hundreds of billions in corporate welfare.”
But so far no member has committed to forcing a full vote. With rent checks coming due at the end of the month, party leaders are urging passage without delay.
Once the bill is signed into law, Congress is scheduled to be out until April 20.
Other key parts of the bill include:


buzzfeed--2020-03-26--Trump Said Democrats And The Media Want To Keep Businesses Closed To Hurt His Reelection, Not Protec

Trump Said Democrats And The Media Want To Keep Businesses Closed To Hurt His Reelection, Not Protect From The Coronavirus

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To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump again used his daily White House briefing on the coronavirus to rail against the press and Democrats , arguing Wednesday that they oppose his idea to potentially reopen businesses within weeks because they want the economy to fail and hurt his reelection prospects .
In recent days , Trump has said he wants businesses in large parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , defying public health experts who say people need to continue isolating and social distancing for several months .
When CBS News reporter Paula Reid asked Wednesday if the president 's Easter timeline was linked to his political interests , Trump lashed out .
“ The media would like to see me do poorly in the election , ” he said .
“ I think there are certain people who would like it not to open so quickly .
There are certain people who would like [ the economy ] to do poorly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far as defeating me at the polls .
I do n't know if that 's so , but I think there are people in your profession that would like that to happen .
I think it 's very clear.
” He continued , telling Reid , “ I think it 's very clear that there are people in your profession that write fake news .
You do .
She does .
There are people in your profession that write fake news .
They would love to see me , for whatever reason — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a job .
Nobody 's done the job that we 've done .
And it 's lucky that you have this group here right here for this problem , or you would n't even have a country left .
Okay ?
” The president made a similar argument on Twitter earlier on Wednesday .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump again used his daily White House briefing on the coronavirus to rail against the press and Democrats, arguing Wednesday that they oppose his idea to potentially reopen businesses within weeks because they want the economy to fail and hurt his reelection prospects.
In recent days, Trump has said he wants businesses in large parts of the country to reopen by Easter, defying public health experts who say people need to continue isolating and social distancing for several months.
When CBS News reporter Paula Reid asked Wednesday if the president's Easter timeline was linked to his political interests, Trump lashed out.
“The media would like to see me do poorly in the election,” he said. “I think there are certain people who would like it not to open so quickly. There are certain people who would like [the economy] to do poorly because that would be very good as far as defeating me at the polls. I don't know if that's so, but I think there are people in your profession that would like that to happen. I think it's very clear.”
He continued, telling Reid, “I think it's very clear that there are people in your profession that write fake news. You do. She does. There are people in your profession that write fake news. They would love to see me, for whatever reason — because we've done one hell of a job. Nobody's done the job that we've done. And it's lucky that you have this group here right here for this problem, or you wouldn't even have a country left. Okay?”
The president made a similar argument on Twitter earlier on Wednesday.


buzzfeed--2020-04-13--Right-Wing Influencers Are Convinced Dr. Anthony Fauci Is Working With Hillary Clinton To Undermine

Right-Wing Influencers Are Convinced Dr. Anthony Fauci Is Working With Hillary Clinton To Undermine Donald Trump

The fringe debates whether the coronavirus is the real deep state plot — or the federal government 's response to it .
Right-wing influencers and QAnon supporters are waging an information war against Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and top-ranking member of the White House 's Coronavirus Task Force .
They are falsely claiming that Fauci is working with Hillary Clinton and the deep state to cause an economic collapse and discredit President Donald Trump .
Followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory , a labyrinthine belief system that posits that President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a global criminal organization , have spent much of the COVID-19 outbreak struggling to fit the disease into their narratives .
At first , they theorized the virus was a bioweapon created by former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates .
Then , following remarks last month from radio host Rush Limbaugh , a sizable contingent suggested that the virus was actually a deep state hoax meant to damage Trump politically .
In recent days , their baseless speculations have settled on Fauci .
QAnon-supporting radio host Bill Mitchell has been the biggest promoter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitchell has been spinning a conspiracy theory that Fauci is a “ Democrat plant '' and nicknamed him “ Dr .
# FearPorn.
” Mitchell ’ s first tweets about Fauci date back to March 3 , when Fauci first suggested the closure of schools and businesses .
“ Sorry President Trump , but replace this crackpot , ” Mitchell tweeted .
Several minutes later , Mitchell tweeted about Fauci again , “ Have you ever seen the market drop 1000 points AFTER a 50 basis point Fed cut ?
That 's # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitchell ’ s ire against Fauci has seemed to grow over time , as he insists the doctor is spreading fear about the outbreak to hurt the US economy .
On March 8 , Mitchell tweeted a link to a Fox News article about Fauci , writing , “ AM I WRONG THINKING THIS FAUCI GUY IS A BIG DEMOCRAT SPREADING FEAR PORN ?
” A week later , Mitchell shared a 2009 NIH interview with Fauci providing an update about the then-outbreak of H1N1 influenza .
Mitchell insisted Fauci ’ s apparently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was conducted during the Obama administration — was proof that the doctor was now sowing fear about the coronavirus to discredit Trump .
“ You 'll notice none of the over-the-top hyperbole - none of the panic inducing rhetoric .
Watch for yourselves , ” Mitchell tweeted .
On the evening of March 20 , Mitchell tweeted about Fauci 36 times in 30 minutes .
Mitchell was enraged at Fauci going on CNN and publicly disagreeing with Trump ’ s suggestion that the CDC should allow the use of the anti-malaria drug chloroquine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his wife needed critical care after they both took a drug containing chloroquine phosphate meant for aquariums after hearing the president speak about the drug .
Mitchell ’ s tweetstorm against Fauci was intense .
He repeatedly accused Fauci of being a Democrat plant , reshared the 2009 H1N1 interview , ran Twitter polls asking his followers if they thought Fauci was a Democrat , accused him of destroying the economy , and demanded Trump fire him .
Mitchell finished his tweetstorm by digging through WikiLeaks ’ collection of leaked emails and found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2013 .
“ Is Fauci a Hillary plant ?
Think about this .
Trump makes a hopeful statement on # hydrochloroquine and Fauci immediately runs to # CNN , Trump 's most hated # FakeNews outlet to contradict him ?
That is EXACTLY what a Hillary plant would do , ” he tweeted .
It created a swarm .
Mitchell ’ s discovery was written up by pro-Trump blog the Gateway Pundit , which linked to his tweet and another containing a screenshot of a different Fauci email to Clinton .
The next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published a piece titled “ Anthony Fauci , the NIH 's face of the coronavirus , is a Deep-State Hillary Clinton–loving stooge.
” American Thinker also picked up the 2009 H1N1 interview .
“ It seems some viral infection pandemics are more equal than others .
At least when it comes to burning a vibrant Trump economy to the ground , ” the article read .
( The piece was shared Sunday by Fox News host Laura Ingraham . )
The same press conference during which Fauci sparred with Trump over chloroquine ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put his hand over his face , seemingly in embarrassment , as the president joked that the State Department was `` the deep state Department . ''
( Fauci later claimed he had a lozenge stuck in his throat . )
The Fauci facepalm was seized on by Shiva Ayyadurai , a GOP Senate candidate in Massachusetts who questionably claimed to have invented email and was briefly romantically connected to actor Fran Drescher .
On March 20 , Ayyadurai tweeted , “ Time to expose ‘ Deep State ’ Emperor Fauci & his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposing ‘ one-size-fits-all ’ Medieval Mandated Medicine to profit his BIG PHARMA minions , [ at ] the expense of crashing our economy.
” Ayyadurai also shared Fauci ’ s email to Clinton and has made several Periscope videos accusing Fauci of being a member of the deep state .
Ayyadurai ’ s video , titled `` How To Kill Coronavirus , '' was removed from YouTube for violating community standards .
On Tuesday , QAnon influencer Greg Rubini accused Fauci of making the novel coronavirus in 2015 , receiving over 3,000 retweets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading on 4chan .
On the site ’ s /pol/ message board , anonymous users have posted dozens of huge threads about Fauci , implying he ’ s part of a global pedophile ring after surfacing a photo of him and singer Elton John , claiming Trump has secretly fired him , and accusing him of being part of a global Jewish cabal .
The campaign against Fauci is quickly becoming more mainstream — especially as Trump looks to put economic growth ahead of mitigating the damage caused by the virus .
Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Fox News .
Right now , the channel is still backing him , but that narrative could already be shifting .
On Sunday , Fox News host Steve Hilton sniped at Fauci for saying that he would be fine overreacting to a public health crisis .
“ Well that 's easy for him to say .
He 'll still have a job at the end of this , whatever happens , ” Hilton said .
“ Our ruling class and their TV mouthpieces — whipping up fear over this virus .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans ca n't , they 'll be crushed by it.
” Ingraham may have already telegraphed Fox News ’ newest narrative for Fauci in a tweet the Fox anchor posted Tuesday .
“ The left-wing media ’ s methods are so transparent , ” she wrote .
“ 1 .
Pressure Fauci to criticize @ realDonaldTrump in interviews .
2 .
Hope this leads to a blowup .
3 .
Slam Trump for not listening to doctors .
4 .
Blame him for everything .
”

Right-wing influencers and QAnon supporters are waging an information war against Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and top-ranking member of the White House's Coronavirus Task Force. They are falsely claiming that Fauci is working with Hillary Clinton and the deep state to cause an economic collapse and discredit President Donald Trump.
Followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory, a labyrinthine belief system that posits that President Trump is waging a secret war against a global criminal organization, have spent much of the COVID-19 outbreak struggling to fit the disease into their narratives. At first, they theorized the virus was a bioweapon created by former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Then, following remarks last month from radio host Rush Limbaugh, a sizable contingent suggested that the virus was actually a deep state hoax meant to damage Trump politically.
In recent days, their baseless speculations have settled on Fauci. QAnon-supporting radio host Bill Mitchell has been the biggest promoter of the latest theory. For weeks, Mitchell has been spinning a conspiracy theory that Fauci is a “Democrat plant" and nicknamed him “Dr. #FearPorn.” Mitchell’s first tweets about Fauci date back to March 3, when Fauci first suggested the closure of schools and businesses.
“Sorry President Trump, but replace this crackpot,” Mitchell tweeted. Several minutes later, Mitchell tweeted about Fauci again, “Have you ever seen the market drop 1000 points AFTER a 50 basis point Fed cut? That's #FearPorn. Thanks Dr. Anthony Fauci.”


buzzfeed--2020-03-25--The $2 Trillion Coronavirus Aid Bill Is In Jeopardy As A Group Of Republican Senators Fight To Cap U

The $2 Trillion Coronavirus Aid Bill Is In Jeopardy As A Group Of Republican Senators Fight To Cap Unemployment Payments

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks while flanked by Sens .
Tim Scott ( left ) , Ben Sasse , and Rick Scott during a press conference at the US Capitol on March 25 .
The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
A group of Republican senators is threatening to stall the $ 2 trillion coronavirus relief bill over unemployment insurance benefits , causing Sen. Bernie Sanders to announce he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Congressional leaders reached a deal on a massive coronavirus aid package early Wednesday morning that includes hundreds of billions of dollars in funding to businesses , plus monthly payments to all US residents of up to $ 1,200 .
The final language is still being drafted , but progress could be derailed over unemployment insurance ( UI ) benefits .
The bill would pay $ 600 per week to unemployed workers , on top of what they would receive at the state level .
Republican Sens .
Lindsey Graham , Tim Scott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued that this could add up to more than many regular salaries , causing people to quit their jobs .
“ You ’ re literally incentivizing taking people out of the workforce , ” said Graham .
“ If this is not a drafting error then it ’ s the worst idea I ’ ve seen in a long time.
” The group does not yet have the numbers to stop the aid bill from passing , but party leaders are hoping for an overwhelming — if not unanimous — vote in support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Representatives to pass it quickly and without further amendments .
There is also the threat of the group winning over President Trump , who could veto the legislation .
Trump adviser and Fox personality Sean Hannity also blasted the UI provisions on his radio show Wednesday , calling it a “ socialist fantasy ” that would “ destroy the economy.
” Graham ’ s proposal was to cap UI benefits at a person ’ s normal salary , up to $ 600 per week .
But his group got swift pushback from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chuck Grassley said the bill already contains incentives for businesses to keep employees on the payroll , and nobody who leaves a job voluntarily is eligible to receive UI .
He rejected the caps as unfeasible , given the urgency of passing the bill .
“ Each state has a different UI program , so the drafters opted for a temporary across-the-board UI boost of $ 600 , which can deliver needed aid in a timely manner rather than burning time to create a different administrative regime for each state , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is also running for the Democratic nomination , jumped into the fray Wednesday afternoon by threatening to hold up the bill over corporate aid unless the Republican group left the unemployment provisions alone .
Sanders tweeted that he would demand any corporation that receives government aid be required “ not to lay off workers , cut wages or benefits , ship jobs overseas , or pay workers poverty wages .
”

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus. To help keep this news free, become a member and sign up for our newsletter, Outbreak Today.
A group of Republican senators is threatening to stall the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill over unemployment insurance benefits, causing Sen. Bernie Sanders to announce he will launch a counter-crusade against corporate aid.
Congressional leaders reached a deal on a massive coronavirus aid package early Wednesday morning that includes hundreds of billions of dollars in funding to businesses, plus monthly payments to all US residents of up to $1,200.
The final language is still being drafted, but progress could be derailed over unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. The bill would pay $600 per week to unemployed workers, on top of what they would receive at the state level. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott, Rick Scott, and Ben Sasse argued that this could add up to more than many regular salaries, causing people to quit their jobs.
“You’re literally incentivizing taking people out of the workforce,” said Graham. “If this is not a drafting error then it’s the worst idea I’ve seen in a long time.”
The group does not yet have the numbers to stop the aid bill from passing, but party leaders are hoping for an overwhelming — if not unanimous — vote in support of the bill to pressure the House of Representatives to pass it quickly and without further amendments. There is also the threat of the group winning over President Trump, who could veto the legislation. Trump adviser and Fox personality Sean Hannity also blasted the UI provisions on his radio show Wednesday, calling it a “socialist fantasy” that would “destroy the economy.”
Graham’s proposal was to cap UI benefits at a person’s normal salary, up to $600 per week. But his group got swift pushback from its own party. Finance Committee chair Chuck Grassley said the bill already contains incentives for businesses to keep employees on the payroll, and nobody who leaves a job voluntarily is eligible to receive UI. He rejected the caps as unfeasible, given the urgency of passing the bill.
“Each state has a different UI program, so the drafters opted for a temporary across-the-board UI boost of $600, which can deliver needed aid in a timely manner rather than burning time to create a different administrative regime for each state,” said Grassley spokesperson George Hartmann.
Sanders, who is also running for the Democratic nomination, jumped into the fray Wednesday afternoon by threatening to hold up the bill over corporate aid unless the Republican group left the unemployment provisions alone. Sanders tweeted that he would demand any corporation that receives government aid be required “not to lay off workers, cut wages or benefits, ship jobs overseas, or pay workers poverty wages.”


buzzfeed--2020-03-25--The Senate Is Planning To Shut Down Soon Through Late April Amid The Coronavirus Outbreak

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WASHINGTON — Senators are planning to leave Washington until April 20 to avoid further spread of the novel coronavirus after they pass a roughly $ 2 trillion stimulus bill this week , according to four Senate aides .
The chamber could vote as early as Wednesday on legislation to help deal with the economic fallout of the global pandemic , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the works to then have senators go home for several weeks after spending nine days in close contact with one another in the Capitol , contrary to recommendations from public health officials to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people .
The Senate had already planned to recess from April 6 to 17 for a district work period , so the new plan would extend senators ’ time away from the Capitol .
Already , one senator — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul — has tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t showing symptoms .
Paul , who had worked alongside senators for several days before receiving his test results , has now quarantined himself , and others who had contact with him have done the same .
One of those senators , Utah Sen. Mitt Romney , announced Tuesday that he had tested negative for the disease .
Earlier this month , several senators insisted they could keep working as usual , despite the fact that frequent travel and their advanced ages put them at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 ( the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years old ) .
More recently , a pair of senators sought to change the chamber ’ s rules so that they could vote remotely .
A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not return a request for comment .
It ’ s unclear if the House will follow suit .
A spokesperson for Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not return a request for comment .
Two members of the House have tested positive for the disease so far .
Several other countries have suspended their legislative sessions , including Canada , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close until April 20 .
However , party leaders have recently returned to Ottawa to negotiate a large coronavirus response bill .
The plans to recess in the Senate come after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended gatherings of more than 10 people be canceled and after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the virus .

WASHINGTON — Senators are planning to leave Washington until April 20 to avoid further spread of the novel coronavirus after they pass a roughly $2 trillion stimulus bill this week, according to four Senate aides.
The chamber could vote as early as Wednesday on legislation to help deal with the economic fallout of the global pandemic, which has rattled US markets. A plan is in the works to then have senators go home for several weeks after spending nine days in close contact with one another in the Capitol, contrary to recommendations from public health officials to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.
The Senate had already planned to recess from April 6 to 17 for a district work period, so the new plan would extend senators’ time away from the Capitol.
Already, one senator — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul — has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, but isn’t showing symptoms. Paul, who had worked alongside senators for several days before receiving his test results, has now quarantined himself, and others who had contact with him have done the same. One of those senators, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, announced Tuesday that he had tested negative for the disease.
Earlier this month, several senators insisted they could keep working as usual, despite the fact that frequent travel and their advanced ages put them at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 (the average age for US senators is 62.9 years old). More recently, a pair of senators sought to change the chamber’s rules so that they could vote remotely.
A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not return a request for comment.
It’s unclear if the House will follow suit. A spokesperson for Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not return a request for comment. Two members of the House have tested positive for the disease so far.
Several other countries have suspended their legislative sessions, including Canada, which announced that its parliament would also close until April 20. However, party leaders have recently returned to Ottawa to negotiate a large coronavirus response bill.
The plans to recess in the Senate come after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended gatherings of more than 10 people be canceled and after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the virus.


buzzfeed--2020-03-24--The White House Said People Who Left New York City Recently Need To Quarantine For 14 Days

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WASHINGTON — White House officials on Tuesday called for people who left New York City in recent days to quarantine for two weeks in their new location , saying that they might have unknowingly contracted the coronavirus before leaving .
“ Everybody who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days to ensure the virus doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have gone , whether it ’ s Florida , North Carolina , or out to far reaches of Long Island , ” Dr. Deborah Birx , the White House coronavirus coordinator , said at a press conference Tuesday .
“ We ’ re starting to see new cases across Long Island that suggest people have left the city .
This will be very critical.
” People should quarantine for 14 days based on the time they left New York , meaning if a person left four days ago , they should quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Anthony Fauci , a member of the White House coronavirus task force , and Vice President Mike Pence both reiterated Birx ’ s call .
“ What we ’ re seeing now is that , understandably , people want to get out of New York , ” Fauci said .
“ We don ’ t want that to be another seeding point for the rest of the country , wherever they go.
” According to Fauci , about 1 in 1,000 people in New York are infected , which is about eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other places .
New York state has reported 25,677 cases of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , and 167 deaths so far , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
Pence , in his remarks , said it ’ s clear that New York City is now the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US .
“ We have to deal with the New York metropolitan area as a high-risk area , ” he said .
Still , President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country by Easter , contradicting public health experts .
Fauci told reporters Tuesday that the date was `` very flexible . ''
`` We just had a conversation with the president in the Oval Office talking about , you know , you can look at a date but you 've got to be very flexible on it , literally a day-by-day , week-by-week basis .
You need to evaluate the feasibility of what you are trying to do , '' Fauci said .

WASHINGTON — White House officials on Tuesday called for people who left New York City in recent days to quarantine for two weeks in their new location, saying that they might have unknowingly contracted the coronavirus before leaving.
“Everybody who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days to ensure the virus doesn’t spread to others, no matter where they have gone, whether it’s Florida, North Carolina, or out to far reaches of Long Island,” Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus coordinator, said at a press conference Tuesday. “We’re starting to see new cases across Long Island that suggest people have left the city. This will be very critical.”
People should quarantine for 14 days based on the time they left New York, meaning if a person left four days ago, they should quarantine for 10 days, Birx said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, and Vice President Mike Pence both reiterated Birx’s call.
“What we’re seeing now is that, understandably, people want to get out of New York,” Fauci said. “We don’t want that to be another seeding point for the rest of the country, wherever they go.”
According to Fauci, about 1 in 1,000 people in New York are infected, which is about eight to ten times higher than rates in other places. New York state has reported 25,677 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and 167 deaths so far, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Pence, in his remarks, said it’s clear that New York City is now the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US. “We have to deal with the New York metropolitan area as a high-risk area,” he said.
Still, President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he wants businesses to be up and running again across the country by Easter, contradicting public health experts. Fauci told reporters Tuesday that the date was "very flexible."
"We just had a conversation with the president in the Oval Office talking about, you know, you can look at a date but you've got to be very flexible on it, literally a day-by-day, week-by-week basis. You need to evaluate the feasibility of what you are trying to do," Fauci said.


buzzfeed--2020-03-25--Trump Said He Wants People "Back To Work" By Easter. His Medical Advisers Pushed Back.

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To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he hoped to have the country “ back to work ” by Easter , setting the most concrete deadline yet as his attention turns from stopping the onslaught of the coronavirus and toward restarting the ailing US economy .
He received immediate pushback and hedging from some of his advisers — including Dr. Deborah Birx , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Task Force , Surgeon General Jerome Adams , and even Vice President Mike Pence — after making the statement during a Fox News town hall .
“ I ’ d love to have it open by Easter , ” Trump said .
“ I would love to have that .
It ’ s such an important day for other reasons , but I ’ ll make it an important day for this too .
I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter.
” Easter falls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadline does not have any medical significance for slowing the spread of the coronavirus , and Trump did not immediately give any reason for the date .
It also conflicts with what New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo suggested just hours earlier could be the peak for the outbreak in his state , which Pence has called the “ epicenter ” for the virus outbreak in the United States .
In an interview on Fox News later Tuesday afternoon , Trump said , Easter `` is a very special day for me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great to have all of the churches full . ''
`` So , I think Easter Sunday , and you will have packed churches all over our country .
I think it would be a beautiful time and it 's just about the timeline that I think is right , '' he later added .
He said he is n't `` sure '' that would be the official deadline .
By his Tuesday night White House press briefing , Trump had begun to hedge the Easter deadline , saying his administration would `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do it if it 's good and maybe we do sections of the country , we do large sections of the country , '' and that he 's talking with the medical advisers .
`` I just thought it was a beautiful time , '' he said when asked who suggested the date .
`` It 's a beautiful time , a beautiful timeline . ''
In public statements and tweets in the past few days , Trump has made clear he is growing more concerned about the economic fallout of the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the novel coronavirus , as many Americans retreat to their homes and both small and large businesses fire workers en masse following a sharp drop in demand .
A growing discourse on the right has floated sacrificing the lives of those most at risk of the virus — the elderly and those with underlying conditions — in exchange for focusing on an economic revival .
It is unclear what Trump could actually do to “ open ” the country — shelter-in-place orders come from governors , not the federal government .
And how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centers like New York City are still dealing with an unprecedented medical crisis is uncertain .
But his words send an important signal to people looking for guidance as they maneuver a fast-moving pandemic , and it ’ s advice that medical professionals are not remotely sanctioning .
Trump received almost immediate pushback to his Easter deadline from members of the White House ’ s Coronavirus Task Force , who took part in the Fox News town hall alongside him in the Rose Garden .
Adams , the surgeon general , said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 14 days and we ’ ll figure out the most appropriate thing to do.
” He praised Trump for listening to his medical and scientific advisers .
“ Based on my experience , the president will make the appropriate decision based on all the data , ” he said .
Birx urged Americans to continue following the White House guidelines designed to slow the spread of the virus , which were released on March 16 and provided for 15 days of action .
“ Every American needs to continue the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days or seven days .
We have to have them following those guidelines , ” she said , as Adams nodded along .
Trump then broke in to say that his thinking had changed once it appeared that the mortality rate of COVID-19 was lower than the worst case estimates .
( There is no way to know the true mortality rate since testing has been so limited in the United States . )
“ Excuse me just one second , ” Trump said .
“ You can ’ t compare this to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died , ” he said , referring to the 1918 flu pandemic .
“ If you got it , you had a 50/50 chance , or very close , of dying .
I think we ’ re substantially under 1 % , because the people that get better are not reporting , ” he said .
“ When they came into my office , don ’ t forget — they said 3 % , 4 % , 5 % — there ’ s a very big difference .
No – we have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After following the guidance of medical professionals for the first few weeks of the crisis , Trump has grown increasingly frustrated .
“ They came in , experts , and said we ’ re gon na have to close the country .
I said , 'Are you serious about this ? '
We are going to take this country that is fully employed , and you ’ re telling me we have to close it ?
And people are gon na go out of business and they ’ re gon na go bankrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have jobs ?
“ I gave it two weeks , ” he said .
Trump tried to allay concerns that he was turning sour on Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who has become a public face of reassurance during the crisis and was absent from both the town hall and Monday ’ s White House press briefing .
“ We get along very well , ” Trump said in response to a question from Fox News host Bill Hemmer , who then asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ I think it ’ s been very good .
You would have heard about it if it wasn ’ t. ” He called both Fauci and Birx “ extraordinary.
” But Trump has never navigated a crisis of this length or depth in his three years as president .
And he is known to bore easily , while also turning on advisers who don ’ t tell him what he wants to hear , or who grab too much of the spotlight .
Fauci , and Birx , have tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also seemed to find it increasingly difficult to hide their momentary frustrations with the president during briefings , and Fauci recently gave a forthright interview in which he described working with Trump .
Fauci , who spoke at the Tuesday night White House briefing , said the Easter timeline is `` really very flexible , '' and that he had just talked with Trump about the timeline in the Oval Office prior to the briefing .
Birx and Adams made clear in Tuesday ’ s town hall that they were not ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nor was Pence , who said governors had brought down various orders to enforce social distancing .
“ We defer to that , we respect that , ” he said .
“ We want to open the country as soon as we can .
The more people that put into practice the president ’ s coronavirus guidelines , the sooner we ’ ll be able to open up.
” Trump stuck to his guns.
” I think it ’ s possible — why isn ’ t it ?
” he asked , referring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down on his theory that the number of people who would die by suicide in a recession or depression would outnumber those who could die of the virus .
“ We need to get our country back to work , ’ he said .
“ If we delay this thing out , you ’ re gon na lose more people than you ’ re losing with the situation as we know it.
” More than 50,000 people are known to have contracted the coronavirus in the United States , and more than 600 @ @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he hoped to have the country “back to work” by Easter, setting the most concrete deadline yet as his attention turns from stopping the onslaught of the coronavirus and toward restarting the ailing US economy.
He received immediate pushback and hedging from some of his advisers — including Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, and even Vice President Mike Pence — after making the statement during a Fox News town hall.
“I’d love to have it open by Easter,” Trump said. “I would love to have that. It’s such an important day for other reasons, but I’ll make it an important day for this too. I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter.” Easter falls on April 12 this year.
The deadline does not have any medical significance for slowing the spread of the coronavirus, and Trump did not immediately give any reason for the date. It also conflicts with what New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggested just hours earlier could be the peak for the outbreak in his state, which Pence has called the “epicenter” for the virus outbreak in the United States.
In an interview on Fox News later Tuesday afternoon, Trump said, Easter "is a very special day for me," and that it would be "great to have all of the churches full."
"So, I think Easter Sunday, and you will have packed churches all over our country. I think it would be a beautiful time and it's just about the timeline that I think is right," he later added. He said he isn't "sure" that would be the official deadline.
By his Tuesday night White House press briefing, Trump had begun to hedge the Easter deadline, saying his administration would "look at it, we'll only do it if it's good and maybe we do sections of the country, we do large sections of the country," and that he's talking with the medical advisers.
"I just thought it was a beautiful time," he said when asked who suggested the date. "It's a beautiful time, a beautiful timeline."
In public statements and tweets in the past few days, Trump has made clear he is growing more concerned about the economic fallout of the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, as many Americans retreat to their homes and both small and large businesses fire workers en masse following a sharp drop in demand. A growing discourse on the right has floated sacrificing the lives of those most at risk of the virus — the elderly and those with underlying conditions — in exchange for focusing on an economic revival.
It is unclear what Trump could actually do to “open” the country — shelter-in-place orders come from governors, not the federal government. And how the economy would even restart if financial centers like New York City are still dealing with an unprecedented medical crisis is uncertain. But his words send an important signal to people looking for guidance as they maneuver a fast-moving pandemic, and it’s advice that medical professionals are not remotely sanctioning.
Trump received almost immediate pushback to his Easter deadline from members of the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force, who took part in the Fox News town hall alongside him in the Rose Garden. Adams, the surgeon general, said: “We will assess at the end of the 14 days and we’ll figure out the most appropriate thing to do.” He praised Trump for listening to his medical and scientific advisers. “Based on my experience, the president will make the appropriate decision based on all the data,” he said.
Birx urged Americans to continue following the White House guidelines designed to slow the spread of the virus, which were released on March 16 and provided for 15 days of action. “Every American needs to continue the president’s guidelines for these next six days or seven days. We have to have them following those guidelines,” she said, as Adams nodded along. Trump then broke in to say that his thinking had changed once it appeared that the mortality rate of COVID-19 was lower than the worst case estimates. (There is no way to know the true mortality rate since testing has been so limited in the United States.)
“Excuse me just one second,” Trump said. “You can’t compare this to 1918 where close to 100 million people died,” he said, referring to the 1918 flu pandemic. “If you got it, you had a 50/50 chance, or very close, of dying. I think we’re substantially under 1%, because the people that get better are not reporting,” he said. “When they came into my office, don’t forget — they said 3%, 4%, 5% — there’s a very big difference. No – we have to put our country back to work.”
After following the guidance of medical professionals for the first few weeks of the crisis, Trump has grown increasingly frustrated. “They came in, experts, and said we’re gonna have to close the country. I said, 'Are you serious about this?' We are going to take this country that is fully employed, and you’re telling me we have to close it? And people are gonna go out of business and they’re gonna go bankrupt and they’re not gonna have jobs?
“I gave it two weeks,” he said.
Trump tried to allay concerns that he was turning sour on Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who has become a public face of reassurance during the crisis and was absent from both the town hall and Monday’s White House press briefing. “We get along very well,” Trump said in response to a question from Fox News host Bill Hemmer, who then asked, “Your relationship is good?” “I think it’s been very good. You would have heard about it if it wasn’t.” He called both Fauci and Birx “extraordinary.”
But Trump has never navigated a crisis of this length or depth in his three years as president. And he is known to bore easily, while also turning on advisers who don’t tell him what he wants to hear, or who grab too much of the spotlight. Fauci, and Birx, have tried to approach those issues diplomatically, but have also seemed to find it increasingly difficult to hide their momentary frustrations with the president during briefings, and Fauci recently gave a forthright interview in which he described working with Trump.
Fauci, who spoke at the Tuesday night White House briefing, said the Easter timeline is "really very flexible," and that he had just talked with Trump about the timeline in the Oval Office prior to the briefing.
Birx and Adams made clear in Tuesday’s town hall that they were not ready to endorse Trump’s Easter deadline. Nor was Pence, who said governors had brought down various orders to enforce social distancing. “We defer to that, we respect that,” he said. “We want to open the country as soon as we can. The more people that put into practice the president’s coronavirus guidelines, the sooner we’ll be able to open up.”
Trump stuck to his guns.”I think it’s possible — why isn’t it?” he asked, referring to the Easter deadline. He doubled down on his theory that the number of people who would die by suicide in a recession or depression would outnumber those who could die of the virus.
“We need to get our country back to work,’ he said. “If we delay this thing out, you’re gonna lose more people than you’re losing with the situation as we know it.”
More than 50,000 people are known to have contracted the coronavirus in the United States, and more than 600 are known to have died.


buzzfeed--2020-03-25--Donald Trump Is Trying To Figure Out How Many Americans He Needs To Sacrifice To Keep The Economy Go

Donald Trump Is Trying To Figure Out How Many Americans He Needs To Sacrifice To Keep The Economy Going

“ The whole concept of death is terrible , ” said the president .
“ But there ’ s a tremendous difference between one percent and four or five.
” At Monday night ’ s White House press briefing on COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , President Donald Trump announced he was seriously considering ending nationwide mitigation efforts and reopening American businesses .
`` We 're not going to let the cure be worse than the problem , '' Trump said , echoing the slogan he wrote in an all-caps tweet Sunday night .
The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would go back to normal but estimated it could be `` a lot sooner than three or four months . ''
“ The whole concept of death is terrible , ” the president said .
“ But there ’ s a tremendous difference between one percent and four or five.
” And during a Fox News town hall on Tuesday , Trump said he would love to have the country reopen on Easter , April 12 .
The decision on whether the country turns back on will be made at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently eight days into .
Joining the president , a growing chorus of American television pundits , business leaders , tech investors , cryptocurrency enthusiasts , and right-wing influencers have decided to convince the American people that possibly dying from the coronavirus is a small price to pay for economic health .
No clearer was this utilitarian calculus articulated than by Texas Republican Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick on Fox News ’ Tucker Carlson Tonight on Monday night following Trump ’ s White House briefing .
Patrick suggested that Americans over 70 would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country 's economy .
“ Those of us who are 70-plus , we ’ ll take care of ourselves .
But don ’ t sacrifice the country , ” Patrick said .
“ No one reached out to me and said , 'As a senior citizen , are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that America loves for its children and grandchildren ? '
And if that is the exchange , I 'm all in.
” Patrick wasn ’ t the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show to come out in favor of Trump ’ s Lord of the Flies coronavirus plan .
Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy told Carlson ’ s audience that the collapse of the economy was more dangerous than COVID-19 , which has infected 396,249 people worldwide as of Tuesday and killed 17,252 .
As Patrick and Kennedy spoke , the United States faced its deadliest day since the beginning of the outbreak , with more than 100 deaths in one 24-hour period .
“ Look , for a small segment of our population , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill you .
For a small segment .
But you know what else can kill you ?
Poverty .
Hunger .
Losing the entire economy , ” Kennedy said during the same episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight .
“ And we have to stop thinking about the next election and try to think a little more about the next generation and what we ’ re going to leave to them , which is going to be the little end of nothing if we let this economy collapse.
” On Tuesday morning , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t let the cure be worse than the problem , ” the president tweeted to pressure Congress and assure his followers that senior citizens would be protected — although he did not explain how .
“ Our people want to return to work .
They will practice Social Distancing and all else , and Seniors will be watched over protectively & lovingly , ” the president tweeted .
“ We can do two things together .
THE CURE CAN NOT BE WORSE ( by far ) THAN THE PROBLEM !
Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back strong !
” The president also retweeted conservative commentator Ann Coulter , who promoted a Haaretz article titled “ 'Trump Is Right About the Coronavirus .
The WHO Is Wrong , ' Says Israeli Expert.
” In her tweet , Coulter downplayed the mortality rate of COVID-19 .
The wave of economy-first , public safety–second messaging isn ’ t just happening on the president ’ s Twitter feed and his favorite news channel .
Right-wing influencers and the new class of coronavirus influencers — typically men who work in the tech or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posts to play amateur epidemiologists — have , too , fallen in line with the president .
“ This is a hard tweet to write : The best plan to protect vulnerable elderly is to gather all above 70+ years , except for those with essential skills like doctors and military and some elected officials , and create safe zones in military bases to protect them from Covid-19 , ” tech investor Shervin Pishevar tweeted , and then deleted , on Monday .
Pishevar is best known for denying he engaged in sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because , as another person at the party put it , he `` had a pony 's leash in one hand and a drink in the other . ''
“ If given the choice between dying and plunging the country I love into a Great Depression , I ’ d happily die , ” right-wing radio host and Federalist contributor Jesse Kelly tweeted .
The Federalist , a right-wing news site , and its writers have been especially vocal about ending mitigation measures for the sake of the economy .
The site has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depression would be worse than stopping the coronavirus .
“ It seems harsh to ask whether the nation might be better off letting a few hundred thousand people die , ” Jonathan Ashbach argued on Tuesday .
“ Yet honestly facing reality is not callous , and refusing even to consider whether the present response constitutes an even greater evil than the one it intends to mitigate would be cowardly.
” As one viral tweet put it , “ So we 're doing The Trolley Problem but the most important thing is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true that many Americans do not face a lethal risk from the coronavirus , it is also true that many do .
Former labor secretary Robert Reich , in a tweet , railed against the push for Americans to return to work while COVID-19 is still raging .
Following Trump 's Fox News town hall Tuesday , the hashtag # NotDyingForWallStreet started trending on Twitter .
`` 24 years ago , I gladly volunteered to give my life for this country if necessary to defend the Constitution , '' one user wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m going to be chosen as a human sacrifice by a man who spits on the Constitution daily to satisfy the god of American greed . ''
Vincent Racaniello , a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University and host of the podcast This Week in Virology , told BuzzFeed News it was n't clear to him if the trolley could be saved .
“ If this wave gets enough motion behind it and the president tells everyone to go back to work , many states probably wo n't do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So we 'll have a fragmented country .
... Then we 'll have a massive wave of deaths.
” Several governors are already charting another path .
`` When people are dying and people do n't feel safe , the economy is not going to come back .
We have to # FlattenTheCurve so that when the wave comes , it 's not as big as it would have been and we are prepared for it , '' Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine tweeted Tuesday .
During New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor pushed back against Trump ’ s plan : “ No American is going to say accelerate the economy at the cost of human life — because no American is going to say how much a life is worth .
Job one has to be to save lives . ''
“ We ’ re not going to accept a premise that human life is disposable , ” Cuomo said .
`` And we ’ re not going to put a dollar figure on human life .
The first order of business is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs . ''

At Monday night’s White House press briefing on COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, President Donald Trump announced he was seriously considering ending nationwide mitigation efforts and reopening American businesses.
"We're not going to let the cure be worse than the problem," Trump said, echoing the slogan he wrote in an all-caps tweet Sunday night. The president told reporters he was unsure when life would go back to normal but estimated it could be "a lot sooner than three or four months."
“The whole concept of death is terrible,” the president said. “But there’s a tremendous difference between one percent and four or five.”
And during a Fox News town hall on Tuesday, Trump said he would love to have the country reopen on Easter, April 12. The decision on whether the country turns back on will be made at the end of a 15-day period that we’re currently eight days into.
Joining the president, a growing chorus of American television pundits, business leaders, tech investors, cryptocurrency enthusiasts, and right-wing influencers have decided to convince the American people that possibly dying from the coronavirus is a small price to pay for economic health.


buzzfeed--2020-03-24--Chloroquine Is Being Touted As A Miracle Drug For Coronavirus, But There Are Reasons To Be Wary

`` If you just have millions of people taking a drug with known toxicities , haphazardly , we are going to see major safety problems.
” The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
The start of a clinical trial to test the drug chloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus pandemic , announced over the weekend by President Donald Trump , provoked a clamor for the unproven drug , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a significant surge in demand of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine and we are doing everything possible to work with manufacturers to increase production , ” the FDA ’ s Michael Felberbaum told BuzzFeed News on Monday .
“ We are working with manufacturers to assess their supplies and are actively evaluating market demand for patients dependent on it for treatment of malaria , lupus and rheumatoid arthritis .
But please know this is a fluctuating and dynamic situation we are actively engaged on.
” Chloroquine has been used to treat malaria for decades , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prescribed for patients with lupus and arthritis .
Because it was approved to treat malaria by the FDA in 1949 , it can also readily be prescribed “ off label ” by physicians for COVID-19 .
“ We 're going to have some medications delivered that — we 're going to see if they work , ” said Trump , who suggested clinical trials of chloroquine might begin on Tuesday ( at least six are already registered on the NIH ’ s website ) .
“ They certainly are effective in other ways.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ donating 3 million tablets of chloroquine phosphate for use in clinical trials to the US government , and the FDA said it was coordinating with medical schools and research agencies on such efforts .
Despite the excitement , medical experts including National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Chief Anthony Fauci raised a host of cautions about widespread prescription of an unproved medication for a brand-new disease .
Here are just a few .
The evidence of chloroquine ’ s effectiveness is very weak Chloroquine was added to China ’ s formulary for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its widespread use there and in South Korea .
But Chinese data touting its efficacy is scant , resting on a study of monkey cells in test tubes and a consensus report from doctors in Guangdong province .
More recently , a French study touted by Trump has made waves , comparing 20 patients who took the drug to 16 who didn ’ t .
Outside experts have heavily criticized the French study , however .
Infectious disease geneticist Gaetan Burgio of the Australian National University noted that statistically , weighing national responses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 people was unwise , that the French study was not conducted with doctors and patients blind to the treatment , and that only a quarter of the placebo patients had their viral load measured .
“ This is insane !
” he said on Twitter .
Even worse , six patients dropped out of the trial from the group receiving the drug , and three of them ended up in intensive care and one died .
These could be viewed as failures of the drug to work against the virus , Alfred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Undark magazine .
One reason that Trump noted for testing older drugs is that doctors are familiar with their use .
“ They are safe , from the standpoint , ” Trump said.
” They 're not killing people .
We 're not going to have that.
” But they do have side effects like most drugs , some severe .
The Mayo Clinic lists 14 drugs that shouldn ’ t be taken with chloroquine , whose side effects can include blurred vision , nausea , vomiting , cramps , headache , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associated with hydroxychloroquine , another form of the drug , which is also linked to convulsions and “ mental changes ” by the US National Library of Medicine .
The scientific literature contains a number of case reports of overdoses , some fatal .
Nigeria reported two fatal overdoses after Trump ’ s remarks , and asked people not to take the drug without a doctor ’ s orders .
`` You can ’ t imagine how wrong this is , it gives me goosebumps , it is so wrong , '' clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toronto told BuzzFeed News when asked about politicians encouraging people to try chloroquine or other drugs untested for treating COVID-19 .
`` If you just have millions of people taking a drug with known toxicities , haphazardly , we are going to see major safety problems.
” On Monday , an Arizona man in his sixties died after self-medicating with chloroquine phosphate , a drug meant to clean aquariums .
There might be shortages for people who need it Arthritis and lupus patients quickly reported a run on pharmacy stocks of the drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
“ For many people with lupus there are no alternatives to these medications , ” the Lupus Foundation of America said in a statement on Monday , warning of “ verified ” reports of shortages .
“ Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine are the only methods of preventing inflammation and disease activity that can lead to pain , disability , organ damage , and other serious illness.
” The drug shopping website GoodRx showed that between March 1 and March 16 , there was a 57 % surge in demand for hydroxychloroquine and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg News reported .
And compounding pharmacies , which can quickly manufacture drugs in capsules and typically step in when shortfalls of manufactured tablets hit , have noticed a run on chloroquine as well .
One New York compounding pharmacist , Gopesh Patel , told BuzzFeed News that orders went from around 20 a week to more than 200 a week in the last two months .
“ We ’ ve seen demand for the drug increase exponentially , ” said Gus Bassani , chief scientific officer of the PCCA compounding pharmacy industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturers are responding to the needs by ramping up production , and we have material confirmed to be shipped .
“ We remain in regular contact with our suppliers around the world and are working to expedite those shipments whenever and however possible .
So , supply signals are good.
” Large drug makers like Novartis AG , Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. , and Bayer AG plan to increase production , but some observers worry that a run on the drug will lead to low-quality versions flooding the market .
Patel ended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doses of chloroquine in liquid form for two children , ages 8 and 10 , with coronavirus .
The rush for the drug might interfere with efforts to test it in clinical trials `` It 's the trials that will tell us what 's going on , '' said Jüni , adding that it is impossible to understand “ based on evidence that is just incomplete and invalid , whether it works or not . ''
But hordes of people rushing to their doctor to take unproven drugs might interfere with such efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they really work or not , Jüni and other experts worry .
Why enter a clinical trial , where there is a chance you might not receive an experimental drug if you are in its control arm meant to serve as a comparison with only standard care , when you can just pressure your doctor to give it to you for off-label use ?
The University of Minnesota announced the start of a national clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine early last week , for example , seeking up to 1,500 people exposed to COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where half of the volunteers would get the drug while the other half receive an identical-looking sugar pill , a placebo .
And clinical trials aren ’ t about instant gratification either .
The University of Minnesota one has an end date of May 2021 .
Given the uncertainty of the situation , Jüni was reluctant to give a timeline for the typical trial , but spoke about designs lasting 4 to 6 months that might lead to results in 8 to 10 months .
`` There ’ s no miracles , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually conduct the trials . ''
False drug hopes might take the brakes off social distancing too early The hardest part of “ flattening the curve ” comes in the weeks ahead in the US , where at current rates of increase , the nation ’ s count of more than 40,000 cases today will grow to the hundreds of thousands by the end of the month .
That ’ s because it takes weeks for social distancing to start biting into new case numbers , due to the roughly 14-day infection period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything shuts down and the economy tanks , people are still developing the disease , heading to the hospital , and adding to case counts .
Meanwhile , President Trump is already itching to remove calls for shutting down business at the end of the “ 15 Days to Flatten the Curve ” campaign announced mid-March ( a position supported recently in conservative media ) the Washington Post has noted .

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The start of a clinical trial to test the drug chloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus pandemic, announced over the weekend by President Donald Trump, provoked a clamor for the unproven drug, amid reports of shortages.
“There is a significant surge in demand of chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine and we are doing everything possible to work with manufacturers to increase production,” the FDA’s Michael Felberbaum told BuzzFeed News on Monday. “We are working with manufacturers to assess their supplies and are actively evaluating market demand for patients dependent on it for treatment of malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. But please know this is a fluctuating and dynamic situation we are actively engaged on.”
Chloroquine has been used to treat malaria for decades, with its more recent reformulation of hydroxychloroquine often prescribed for patients with lupus and arthritis. Because it was approved to treat malaria by the FDA in 1949, it can also readily be prescribed “off label” by physicians for COVID-19.
“We're going to have some medications delivered that — we're going to see if they work,” said Trump, who suggested clinical trials of chloroquine might begin on Tuesday (at least six are already registered on the NIH’s website). “They certainly are effective in other ways.” Bayer announced last week it was donating 3 million tablets of chloroquine phosphate for use in clinical trials to the US government, and the FDA said it was coordinating with medical schools and research agencies on such efforts.
Despite the excitement, medical experts including National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Chief Anthony Fauci raised a host of cautions about widespread prescription of an unproved medication for a brand-new disease. Here are just a few.


buzzfeed--2020-03-24--Trump Suggested Businesses Might Open Again Soon, Defying Public Health Experts

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump suggested Monday that he may encourage businesses to reopen and encourage people to stop isolating “ very soon , ” contradicting public health experts who say businesses may need to stay closed and workers stay home for several months to help contain the coronavirus pandemic .
“ It ’ s bad , and obviously the numbers are going to increase with time and then they ’ re going to start to decrease , ” the president said at his daily coronavirus press conference , before quickly pivoting to say , “ We ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business because our country was meant to be open and working with others.
” When a reporter asked whether Trump will defy experts if , in a week , public health officials say businesses need to continue to stay closed and people to stay inside , Trump said , “ We can do two things at one time.
” The country , the president said , has learned a lot about social distancing and “ the hands , ” seemingly referring to the shift to greetings other than handshakes .
Trump said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected by coronavirus and he hopes things can shift back to normal in those areas in the coming weeks .
However , testing for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , is still catching up with undetected cases .
And people who later test positive for COVID-19 can be asymptomatic as well ( including Trump ally Sen. Rand Paul , who spent six days going about his normal business in the Senate after taking a test before he was informed that it was positive ) .
Asked whether he was looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump phrased it , “ get our country open , ” the president said , `` I 'm not looking at months , I can tell you right now .
We 're going to be opening up our country , and we 're going to be watching certain areas… We 're going to be watching this very closely , but ca n't keep it closed for the next , you know , for years.
” Trump said the administration would continue to monitor hot spot areas , including New York and Washington state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he added , “ At the same time , at a certain point we have to get open and we have to get moving .
We do n't want to lose these companies .
We do n't want to lose these workers.
” According to estimates from The New York Times , however , many states could hit peak cases in May , and Vincent Racaniello , a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University , told BuzzFeed News Monday that there isn ’ t enough testing being done in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are infected , making any plan to keep infection hot spots locked down impossible .
“ If you just lock down who have clinical symptoms , it 's not going to do a damn thing , ” Racaniello said .
“ For god ’ s sake , do people really not have any patience in this country .
It was finite in China .
It will be finite here.
” One reporter asked Dr. Debbie Birx , the response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force , if she agreed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demurred .
“ What the president has asked us to do is give him our best medical recommendation based on all the data , ” Birx said .
“ That 's what he 's asked us to do … consistent with our mandate to really use every piece of information that we can in order to give the president our opinion that ’ s backed up by data , not our perception , but the opinion backed up by data .
… We are pulling all of the data pieces and now and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will never speculate on data .
I will have to see the data ” Birx also said she doesn ’ t believe that speculation about reopening businesses will undermine the current calls for social distancing and isolation .
“ Actually it reinforces it , ” Birx said .
“ Because if people know we are considering and trying to understand the impact of the good work they have done , I think it reinforces them to do good work for the next whatever it is days , weeks in the future .
… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do is to make those personal sacrifices for these next week [ sic ] and now so that we can evaluate the impact of that sacrifice .
So I think , if anything , it strengthens the willpower to say yes , I can do this.
” The idea of opening businesses in a matter of weeks is one that has also gained traction in right-wing media and among conservative personalities that the president follows .
Trump first floated the idea on Twitter over the weekend .
“ WE CAN NOT LET THE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he tweeted on Sunday .
“ AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD , WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO !
” “ This two-week period has been good .
And I 'm not saying it ends at that time .
We have another seven days or so .
I 'm not saying it ends at that time , ” he said Monday .
“ We 're going to be watching New York and we 're going to be watching California , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois is becoming a hotspot … There are other areas that just are n't affected or they 're affected very little .
And why would we close down 100 % of the country ?
”

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump suggested Monday that he may encourage businesses to reopen and encourage people to stop isolating “very soon,” contradicting public health experts who say businesses may need to stay closed and workers stay home for several months to help contain the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s bad, and obviously the numbers are going to increase with time and then they’re going to start to decrease,” the president said at his daily coronavirus press conference, before quickly pivoting to say, “We’re going to be opening our country up for business because our country was meant to be open and working with others.”
When a reporter asked whether Trump will defy experts if, in a week, public health officials say businesses need to continue to stay closed and people to stay inside, Trump said, “We can do two things at one time.”
The country, the president said, has learned a lot about social distancing and “the hands,” seemingly referring to the shift to greetings other than handshakes. Trump said that some parts of the country are less affected by coronavirus and he hopes things can shift back to normal in those areas in the coming weeks.
However, testing for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is still catching up with undetected cases. And people who later test positive for COVID-19 can be asymptomatic as well (including Trump ally Sen. Rand Paul, who spent six days going about his normal business in the Senate after taking a test before he was informed that it was positive).
Asked whether he was looking at weeks or months to, as Trump phrased it, “get our country open,” the president said, "I'm not looking at months, I can tell you right now. We're going to be opening up our country, and we're going to be watching certain areas… We're going to be watching this very closely, but can't keep it closed for the next, you know, for years.”
Trump said the administration would continue to monitor hot spot areas, including New York and Washington state, as well as senior citizens, but he added, “At the same time, at a certain point we have to get open and we have to get moving. We don't want to lose these companies. We don't want to lose these workers.”
According to estimates from The New York Times, however, many states could hit peak cases in May, and Vincent Racaniello, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University, told BuzzFeed News Monday that there isn’t enough testing being done in the US to know who and how many people are infected, making any plan to keep infection hot spots locked down impossible.
“If you just lock down who have clinical symptoms, it's not going to do a damn thing,” Racaniello said. “For god’s sake, do people really not have any patience in this country. It was finite in China. It will be finite here.”
One reporter asked Dr. Debbie Birx, the response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, if she agreed with the president’s timeline; she demurred.
“What the president has asked us to do is give him our best medical recommendation based on all the data,” Birx said. “That's what he's asked us to do … consistent with our mandate to really use every piece of information that we can in order to give the president our opinion that’s backed up by data, not our perception, but the opinion backed up by data. … We are pulling all of the data pieces and now and that's really critical. I … will never speculate on data. I will have to see the data”
Birx also said she doesn’t believe that speculation about reopening businesses will undermine the current calls for social distancing and isolation.
“Actually it reinforces it,” Birx said. “Because if people know we are considering and trying to understand the impact of the good work they have done, I think it reinforces them to do good work for the next whatever it is days, weeks in the future. … What we are asking every American to do is to make those personal sacrifices for these next week [sic] and now so that we can evaluate the impact of that sacrifice. So I think, if anything, it strengthens the willpower to say yes, I can do this.”
The idea of opening businesses in a matter of weeks is one that has also gained traction in right-wing media and among conservative personalities that the president follows. Trump first floated the idea on Twitter over the weekend.
“WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF,” he tweeted on Sunday. “AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!”
The 15-day period Trump referred to started a week ago.
“This two-week period has been good. And I'm not saying it ends at that time. We have another seven days or so. I'm not saying it ends at that time,” he said Monday. “We're going to be watching New York and we're going to be watching California, the state of Washington and other places. Illinois is becoming a hotspot … There are other areas that just aren't affected or they're affected very little. And why would we close down 100% of the country?”


buzzfeed--2020-03-24--Texas Has Banned Abortions During The Coronavirus Outbreak

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ordered a ban on abortions in the state unless the life of the mother is threatened .
The order came on Monday , a day after Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott said abortion did not qualify as “ essential ” care and ordered any scheduled procedures to be postponed amid the coronavirus outbreak .
“ No one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive order on medically unnecessary surgeries and procedures , including abortion providers , ” a statement from Paxton 's office read .
“ Those who violate the governor ’ s order will be met with the full force of the law.
” The order will expire April 21 , but before then any medical worker providing abortion care can be fined $ 1,000 or face jail time of up to 180 days .
Paxton and Abbott are following in the footsteps of Ohio .
On March 17 , Ohio ’ s governor ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; over the weekend , Ohio ’ s deputy attorney general , Jonathan Fulkerson , sent letters to several abortion clinics in the state , accusing them of being in violation of the order .
In Maryland , an order was slightly less clear .
In a press conference about the state order suspending nonessential businesses and procedures Monday , Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan appeared to tell a reporter he considered abortion a nonessential service .
Hogan ’ s office did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News ’ request for clarification on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinics , physicians , and reproductive rights advocates have argued that abortion providers are not violating the orders in any of these states because the procedure is essential health care .
In Ohio , clinics and physicians are continuing to provide abortion care despite Fulkerson ’ s letters .
As holds on “ nonessential ” health care began to be rolled out in states across the country last week , the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology preempted Republican and anti-abortion governors and attorneys general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments not to categorize abortion as nonessential .
“ To the extent that hospital systems or ambulatory surgical facilities are categorizing procedures that can be delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic , abortion should not be categorized as such a procedure , ” the statement read .
“ Abortion is an essential component of comprehensive health care .
It is also a time-sensitive service for which a delay of several weeks , or in some cases days , may increase the risks or potentially make it completely inaccessible , ” the groups continued .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtain an abortion profoundly impact a person ’ s life , health , and well-being.
” So far , no litigation has been filed to keep clinics open and functioning , but the American Civil Liberties Union is observing the fallout in Maryland and Texas .

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ordered a ban on abortions in the state unless the life of the mother is threatened. The order came on Monday, a day after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said abortion did not qualify as “essential” care and ordered any scheduled procedures to be postponed amid the coronavirus outbreak.
“No one is exempt from the governor’s executive order on medically unnecessary surgeries and procedures, including abortion providers,” a statement from Paxton's office read. “Those who violate the governor’s order will be met with the full force of the law.”
The order will expire April 21, but before then any medical worker providing abortion care can be fined $1,000 or face jail time of up to 180 days.
Paxton and Abbott are following in the footsteps of Ohio. On March 17, Ohio’s governor ordered the cancellation of all nonessential medical procedures; over the weekend, Ohio’s deputy attorney general, Jonathan Fulkerson, sent letters to several abortion clinics in the state, accusing them of being in violation of the order.
In Maryland, an order was slightly less clear. In a press conference about the state order suspending nonessential businesses and procedures Monday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan appeared to tell a reporter he considered abortion a nonessential service. Hogan’s office did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News’ request for clarification on the issue.
In response, abortion clinics, physicians, and reproductive rights advocates have argued that abortion providers are not violating the orders in any of these states because the procedure is essential health care. In Ohio, clinics and physicians are continuing to provide abortion care despite Fulkerson’s letters.
As holds on “nonessential” health care began to be rolled out in states across the country last week, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology preempted Republican and anti-abortion governors and attorneys general by issuing a joint statement imploring state governments not to categorize abortion as nonessential.
“To the extent that hospital systems or ambulatory surgical facilities are categorizing procedures that can be delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, abortion should not be categorized as such a procedure,” the statement read.
“Abortion is an essential component of comprehensive health care. It is also a time-sensitive service for which a delay of several weeks, or in some cases days, may increase the risks or potentially make it completely inaccessible,” the groups continued. “The consequences of being unable to obtain an abortion profoundly impact a person’s life, health, and well-being.”
So far, no litigation has been filed to keep clinics open and functioning, but the American Civil Liberties Union is observing the fallout in Maryland and Texas.