buzzfeed--2020-03-25--Trump’s Biggest Supporters Have Decided It’s Time To End Coronavirus Mitigation, No Matter Who Dies

`` WE CAN NOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF.
” 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 .
On Sunday , Turning Point USA ’ s Charlie Kirk appeared on Fox News and offered an idea to the channel ’ s 3.5 million-member audience : Reopen states with lower infection rates while leaving more heavily infected areas in quarantine .
“ So what I ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus and more national unity about assisting those areas , and also relieving some of the quarantine and allowing the American entrepreneur to be liberated , ” Kirk said .
There ’ s clearly an appetite for this kind of thinking , some Americans appear to be ignoring social distancing warnings .
A Staten Island couple held a wedding on Sunday , shrugging off a New York state ban on “ nonessential ’ ’ public gatherings .
Countries have closed their borders and gone into lockdown , the global economy has ground to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surged in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
But it ’ s been just 12 days since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic , barely a month since the disease caused its first death on American soil .
Most governments are using May 1 as a tentative date when the world can start back up again .
The reality of another month inside , at least , is beginning to sink in for people .
Online , a certain desperation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corners of the American right wing , people have begun asking an unsettling question : “ What if mitigation doesn ’ t work ?
” And there are three threads that are slowly converging , like a meme , to congeal into a dangerous answer — reopen the economy , no matter who might die as a result .
First , some right-wing media , business leaders , tech entrepreneurs , and prominent conspiracists are becoming bolder about wanting to “ move on ” and go back to work .
Second , conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become infected for a preordained reason — like the idea they could be part of a global pedophile ring .
And third , governments around the world , including the United States , are experimenting with ways to track people who are infected using surveillance technology .
The pandemic ’ s most immediate impact is that it has effectively closed down the physical world , forcing the majority of the earth ’ s population to rely almost wholly on the digital one .
And at the center of this new realm is Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissected second by second .
A new class of coronavirus influencers has risen up , incentivized by Twitter ’ s need for constant content and its lack of fact-checking , peer review , or nuance .
While there 's plenty of verified information available , it 's often shifting and subject to update and can at times create the substrate of confusion and anxiety on which rumors thrive .
So when bogus coronavirus theories bubble up , they are embraced by some as fact — shady Bill Gates laboratories , Chinese bioweapons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hair dryer into your mouth to cure yourself .
Which means , right now , with enough retweets even the silliest of these ideas can become someone 's vision of reality .
One of the first business leaders to publicly advocate for this was MicroStrategy cofounder Michael J. Saylor last Monday .
Saylor emailed a 3,000-word note to employees , with the subject line “ My Thoughts , ” which was viewed by the Guardian , railed against social distancing and instead suggested that it would make more sense to “ quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compromised people who no longer need to work or get educated.
” “ It is soul-stealing and debilitating to embrace the notion of social distancing & economic hibernation , ” Saylor wrote .
“ In the absolutely worse case , the overall life expectancy worldwide would click down by a few weeks.
” “ Americans need to know the date when this will end , ” Fox News host Laura Ingraham tweeted last week .
“ The uncertainty for businesses , parents and kids is just not sustainable.
” Tom Fitton , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watch , also publicly called on the Trump administration last week to “ reopen '' America .
Over the weekend , Fox News hosts latched on to a Medium post .
This time Laura Ingraham , Bret Baier , and Brit Hume all shared a viral and now-deleted Medium post titled “ Evidence over hysteria—COVID-19 , ” by a Silicon Valley technologist Aaron Ginn .
The post has since been republished on ZeroHedge .
The anchors praised the piece and imploring their followers to read it .
Hume called it “ smart analysis.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steve Hilton dedicated an entire segment to “ flattening the curve , not the economy.
” Hilton raged against the economic shutdown in the wake of COVID-19 .
“ Dr .
Fauci [ director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ] says he 's fine with overreacting , ” Hilton said .
“ Well , that 's easy for him to say .
He 'll still have a job at the end of this , whatever happens.
” On Monday , John Cardillo , a reporter for the conservative publisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus outbreak had “ peaked.
” “ Anecdotally anyway , there ’ s a rumbling among doctors that this has peaked , ” Cardillo wrote .
“ Democrats need America to have European social problems to push European socialism here .
But we won ’ t , this wo n't do to us what it did to them , and that drives Dems and the MSM insane.
” And the right-wing news site Washington Examiner on Monday published an editorial arguing the same thing , titled “ We Need a Plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University and host of the podcast This Week in Virology , told BuzzFeed News that there isn ’ t even enough testing being done to know who is actually infected , which would make any plan to keep infection hot spots locked down completely infeasible .
“ If you just lock down who have clinical symptoms , ” he said , “ it 's not going to do a damn thing.
” Racaniello said he understands the desire to not completely obliterate the economy , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process .
A recent study from Imperial College London estimated mitigation efforts would need to continue for at least 18 months to prevent millions of deaths .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo is already talking about a possible nine months of mitigation ahead of us .
Relaxed social distancing in Hong Kong is believed to have caused a second spike in cases this week .
“ For god ’ s sake , do people really not have any patience in this country ?
” he said .
“ It was finite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here.
” It ’ s worth noting , though , that this sort of survival-of-the-fittest response is similar to how some members of the pro-Trump QAnon movement are reacting to the outbreak .
Q followers , who believe that Trump is waging a secret war against the deep state , have been largely divided about how COVID-19 fits into their sprawling , nonsensical conspiracy theory .
At first , they theorized the virus was a bioweapon created by Bill Gates .
Then , following some remarks from Rush Limbaugh , a sizable contingent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus was actually a deep state hoax meant to discredit Trump .
But in the past week , a new consensus has emerged .
QAnon followers have created “ the list , ” a document that tracks celebrities who have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 .
They theorize that famous actors like Idris Elba and Tom Hanks testing positive for the coronavirus is proof that the virus specifically targets members of the supposed global criminal conspiracy against Trump .
In a text post that is circulating in huge numbers across Facebook groups , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks ago by Q follower Maryam Henein , the coronavirus outbreak and its aftermath will allow Trump and his allies to arrest all the members of a massive liberal elite pedophile cabal made up of CEOs , celebrities , and liberal politicians .
QAnon efforts to track those who are infected in some ways mirror the paranoia felt across the country right now about who gets sick and why .
You can see it in Nextdoor posts theorizing that the coronavirus has spread because people aren ’ t vegan or aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil .
There ’ s a desire to make sense of this chaotic pandemic , and social media helps to satisfy it .
This dovetails with early government efforts to track the spread of the infection .
Countries like Israel , Italy , and Austria are working with telecommunications networks to use anonymized location data to track people in infection hot spots and monitor whether citizens are breaking stay-in-place orders .
Hong Kong has deployed electronic bracelets for those who test positive for the virus .
India is experimenting with stamping people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t wash off .
Last week , US companies like Facebook or Google began discussing how to track infection hot spots using anonymized location data .
There is growing despondency that we don ’ t have an immediate solution to the global pandemic , and many on Twitter , both from Silicon Valley or the American right wing , bizarrely think they ’ ve come up with solutions worthy of discussion .

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.
On Sunday, Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk appeared on Fox News and offered an idea to the channel’s 3.5 million-member audience: Reopen states with lower infection rates while leaving more heavily infected areas in quarantine.
“So what I’d like to see is an even heavier focus and more national unity about assisting those areas, and also relieving some of the quarantine and allowing the American entrepreneur to be liberated,” Kirk said.
There’s clearly an appetite for this kind of thinking, some Americans appear to be ignoring social distancing warnings. A Staten Island couple held a wedding on Sunday, shrugging off a New York state ban on “nonessential’’ public gatherings.
Countries have closed their borders and gone into lockdown, the global economy has ground to a halt, and internet traffic has surged in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
But it’s been just 12 days since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, barely a month since the disease caused its first death on American soil. Most governments are using May 1 as a tentative date when the world can start back up again. The reality of another month inside, at least, is beginning to sink in for people.


buzzfeed--2020-03-23--The Disorienting Thing Is You Can't Compare This To Anything

One of the more surreal aspects of this is that everything defies comparison .
There 's no one-to-one in living memory in American life : a self-imposed stop to the economy and a soft , country-wide quarantine .
There 's no fixed point toward which we 're supposed to be enduring , except to stay away to reduce the systemic strain of COVID-19 on people and hospitals .
What compares ?
There 's trivia to set off the macro elements of this — that the Supreme Court had n't canceled arguments since the 1918 flu pandemic , that Disneyland had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JFK 's assassination .
But the nontrivial , elevator-drop economic statistics that have begun rolling in illustrate the scale of what you can see in front of you .
This is not like the last , catastrophic recession ; this is total suspension of the economy that is catastrophically different — without comparison — and even looks that way in chart form .
And without a comparison , there ’ s no trajectory , just income disappearing and expenses fixed .
It ’ s like the US economy has turned into a dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ functional .
The lack of macro comparison — and the depthless consideration of where this all leads — also extends into the micro level .
Technically , many of us are already having the same experience : socially distanced , at home , ad infinitum .
New York and California have locked down .
The next month will , by definition , be intense : isolated and constrained in space , accentuated by the strain of illness or joblessness or the potential for them .
There 's really no way this wo n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memory for the rest of their lives — where the streets of major cities turn into the almost soundless retreats of daytime walkers .
And just as you might be able to map out in memory your childhood bedroom , wherever you are right now and remain , this image and the everyday dynamic in that space will likely live forever .
But , paradoxically , these experiences are hyper-individualized .
Can you have a true , collective experience when the central vividness and intensity of the experience ( the people , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any two homes ?
If you 've talked over text or phone with people in slightly different circumstances than your own the last week , you can maybe feel some of the little fault lines and frustrations , even in the opening phases .
People at home with young children will never know what it 's like to live alone during this period , and people who live alone will never know what it 's like to be a pair limited by health or age in venturing much of anywhere .
The total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free from demand , and the unending stretch of silent hours ca n't really be alike in shared , cultural memory .
It 's this weird distillation of the individual experience — the same but incomparable — during a heightened period that we 're all living concurrently .
Even in the case of similar elements that might comprise A and B 's spring of social distancing , the reality of isolation necessarily prevents comparison between like and like .
In Frederick Exley ’ s A Fan ’ s Notes — a dark book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of place — when the narrator describes a recurrent dream of his , Exley writes , “ John Jay Chapman once said of William James that he seemed always to be stepping out of a sadness to meet one ; as , a little startled , most of us seem always to be stepping out of predominant hues , whether of gaiety or equanimity or frolicsomeness or gravity , to meet another.
” The fundamental gap in social isolation is the lack of comparison — the inability to meaningfully step out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more complicated understanding .
You can attempt this kind of exchange on the phone or in writing , and you can , of course , work to imagine the circumstances of others , physical or emotional .
But from within the disorienting , incomparable quasi-quarantine where you can practically feel your mind carving the memories up already , there ’ s no intellectual distance or fluid act of comparison .
There ’ s only the depthless consideration of the hazy , ever-darkening national situation , and the sharpening personal one .
Which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or wo n't happen ultimately .
In a time without much history or memory to work backward and forward from , if anything , the promise of that future comparison , even if it 's chaotic , is the destination for endurance .
That has formed vaguely in my own mind as a party : a crowd reunited , in too small a space , inside an open business , on a summer night — think that good New York–in-the-movies lighting , black and gold , with something with synths playing .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carry off , but that ’ s been floating through my head in idle moments as the fixed , if ephemeral point .
●

One of the more surreal aspects of this is that everything defies comparison.
There's no one-to-one in living memory in American life: a self-imposed stop to the economy and a soft, country-wide quarantine. There's no fixed point toward which we're supposed to be enduring, except to stay away to reduce the systemic strain of COVID-19 on people and hospitals. What compares?
There's trivia to set off the macro elements of this — that the Supreme Court hadn't canceled arguments since the 1918 flu pandemic, that Disneyland hadn't closed except for 9/11 and mourning JFK's assassination. But the nontrivial, elevator-drop economic statistics that have begun rolling in illustrate the scale of what you can see in front of you. This is not like the last, catastrophic recession; this is total suspension of the economy that is catastrophically different — without comparison — and even looks that way in chart form. And without a comparison, there’s no trajectory, just income disappearing and expenses fixed. It’s like the US economy has turned into a dead amusement park, everything visible but nothing functional.
The lack of macro comparison — and the depthless consideration of where this all leads — also extends into the micro level.
Technically, many of us are already having the same experience: socially distanced, at home, ad infinitum. New York and California have locked down.
The next month will, by definition, be intense: isolated and constrained in space, accentuated by the strain of illness or joblessness or the potential for them. There's really no way this won't be a time etched into everyone's memory for the rest of their lives — where the streets of major cities turn into the almost soundless retreats of daytime walkers. And just as you might be able to map out in memory your childhood bedroom, wherever you are right now and remain, this image and the everyday dynamic in that space will likely live forever.
But, paradoxically, these experiences are hyper-individualized. Can you have a true, collective experience when the central vividness and intensity of the experience (the people, the place) will vary so much between any two homes?
If you've talked over text or phone with people in slightly different circumstances than your own the last week, you can maybe feel some of the little fault lines and frustrations, even in the opening phases. People at home with young children will never know what it's like to live alone during this period, and people who live alone will never know what it's like to be a pair limited by health or age in venturing much of anywhere. The total lack of a quiet, ordered moment free from demand, and the unending stretch of silent hours can't really be alike in shared, cultural memory. It's this weird distillation of the individual experience — the same but incomparable — during a heightened period that we're all living concurrently.
Even in the case of similar elements that might comprise A and B's spring of social distancing, the reality of isolation necessarily prevents comparison between like and like. In Frederick Exley’s A Fan’s Notes — a dark book about sports, alcoholism, and being out of place — when the narrator describes a recurrent dream of his, Exley writes, “John Jay Chapman once said of William James that he seemed always to be stepping out of a sadness to meet one; as, a little startled, most of us seem always to be stepping out of predominant hues, whether of gaiety or equanimity or frolicsomeness or gravity, to meet another.”
The fundamental gap in social isolation is the lack of comparison — the inability to meaningfully step out of our predominant hues and enter into a more complicated understanding. You can attempt this kind of exchange on the phone or in writing, and you can, of course, work to imagine the circumstances of others, physical or emotional. But from within the disorienting, incomparable quasi-quarantine where you can practically feel your mind carving the memories up already, there’s no intellectual distance or fluid act of comparison. There’s only the depthless consideration of the hazy, ever-darkening national situation, and the sharpening personal one.
Which isn't to say that this can't or won't happen ultimately. In a time without much history or memory to work backward and forward from, if anything, the promise of that future comparison, even if it's chaotic, is the destination for endurance. That has formed vaguely in my own mind as a party: a crowd reunited, in too small a space, inside an open business, on a summer night — think that good New York–in-the-movies lighting, black and gold, with something with synths playing. This is nothing I am even likely to carry off, but that’s been floating through my head in idle moments as the fixed, if ephemeral point. ●


buzzfeed--2020-03-23--How The Ultimate Career Politician Is Making The Coronavirus Crisis His Moment

CLEVELAND — Not long after Mike DeWine became Ohio ’ s governor last year , people noticed all of the fun he was having with the ceremonial duties .
At 72 , he finally got the job he always wanted .
There was no ribbon-cutting too small , no photo op too corny .
He was , as one lobbyist observed to a reporter in Columbus , “ Ohio ’ s Grandpa.
” The image wasn ’ t entirely favorable .
Even a few of his fellow Republicans wondered if DeWine was coasting , treating the governor ’ s mansion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four decades in public life .
But the last few weeks have been a revelation for DeWine ’ s doubters and vindication for those who believed his governorship could be more than a capstone .
He has asserted himself as a national example for how to manage the coronavirus crisis , combining a reassuring presence with aggressive action .
He understood earlier than other governors that closing schools , restaurants , and bars — as disruptive as those decisions were — would help contain COVID-19 ’ s spread .
He took unprecedented steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary and keep voters at home .
DeWine ’ s paternal instincts used to prompt snickers , his decades grinding through public office discounted as the bloodless work of a career politician .
But in a crisis , where DeWine has parlayed 40 years of government experience into calm and quick decisiveness , those old weaknesses now project as strengths .
“ Sometimes you have an instinct based on the facts , ” DeWine said by telephone Thursday , in between local radio interviews and a call with the state ’ s mayors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my instincts , I 've made mistakes .
My instinct throughout this has been that we ’ ve got to move faster.
” Republicans are happy to rally around DeWine even as they wrestle with uncomfortable questions about how he has approached the pandemic with more urgency than President Donald Trump has .
Many Democrats are lauding his approach too .
“ The good governors , and DeWine has been one of them in this , know they have to drive this because we have a president who has been AWOL on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s caused damage to their efforts , ” Sen. Sherrod Brown , a past DeWine rival , told me .
“ DeWine won ’ t say that .
I would think he wouldn ’ t , but of course he knows that .
We all know that.
” Citizens who don ’ t ordinarily tune in to state government are tuning in for DeWine ’ s daily press conferences .
The afternoon briefings , where he relies on the expertise of his health director , a medical doctor with a master ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewing .
I ’ ve been an Ohio resident for all of my 38 years .
Mike DeWine has held one public office or another for almost all of them .
I can ’ t remember him being an actual household name here until now .
“ I think he ’ s treating Ohio like he would treat his own family , ” John Kasich , DeWine ’ s Republican predecessor as governor , told me approvingly , echoing a sentiment others shared .
When I spoke this week with DeWine and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them talked — in a way that would seem cultish or at least scripted if it wasn ’ t true — about how this job , being governor , is the job he prepared for his entire life .
He ’ d been a county prosecutor and state lawmaker .
He ’ d served in both chambers of Congress .
He ’ d been the lieutenant governor and the state ’ s attorney general .
“ We all talk about career politicians and people like that , ” Lt. Gov .
Jon Husted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily press conferences , told me as he began to laugh .
“ But this is probably one time that you want a guy like Mike DeWine in charge — because he ’ s seen it all , and you ’ re not going to slip anything by him .
He was built for this moment.
” The most notable thing about DeWine ’ s career might be its longevity .
Until now , he wasn ’ t defined by a signature achievement or piece of legislation .
The work that stands out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of untested rape kits while he was attorney general .
During the types of historical events that friends say informed DeWine ’ s approach to crises , he was mostly a bystander .
As lieutenant governor , he watched his boss , the late George Voinovich , deal with the deadly Lucasville prison riot .
He experienced 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina as a senator .
Ideologically , DeWine rates as a social conservative .
He signed into law last year a ban on abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected .
( Kasich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was governor . )
A question that animated the closing days of the 2018 gubernatorial race was whether DeWine was more of a Donald Trump Republican or a John Kasich Republican .
He and his allies argued he was neither — he was a Mike DeWine Republican .
The “ heartbeat bill ” notwithstanding , DeWine is more in sync with Kasich ’ s old-guard mainstream conservatism than Trump ’ s populism .
But his political identity is tethered more to his personality and to his family than to any ideology .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t know by the suits that hang off his short and slender frame that he ’ s the kind of guy who can loan his campaign $ 4 million , thanks largely to his family ’ s seed and twine businesses .
( When I saw him sporting new and fashionable eyeglasses at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland , I joked it was a sure sign he was running for governor . )
He met his wife , Fran , when he was in the first grade .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and settled in for a life as political partners .
No one in his tight circle of advisers has as much influence on his decision-making as Fran does , J.B. Hadden , a lawyer who ’ s been close to DeWine and his family for more than 30 years , told me .
Fran is a constant presence at DeWine ’ s side , often sporting an “ I Like Mike ” button with “ Like ” crossed out and replaced with “ Love.
” When DeWine turned over the first portion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her , she encouraged parents to read and cook with their kids as a way to pass time during self-isolation and school closings .
Friends said the death of the DeWines ’ 22-year-old daughter Becky in a 1993 car accident shaped them more than any political event .
“ It ’ s internal , but it ’ s profound , ” Hadden told me .
“ It ’ s what drives the two of them.
” DeWine was in the midst of his second Senate bid at the time .
This one would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t where he wanted to be long-term .
As Hadden described it , DeWine found himself lulled into seeking a third term in 2006 .
“ Back in ’ 05 I think he decided in his head , he could tell things were getting rough for Republicans , ” Hadden said .
“ I think he just decided he was going to stay in the Senate for the rest of his life .
If Sherrod wouldn ’ t have run , Mike DeWine probably wouldn ’ t be governor right now .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the job .
He always wanted to be governor.
” Brown beat DeWine in a heated campaign that exposed some of DeWine ’ s questionable judgment .
In an ad accusing Brown of being soft on terrorism , DeWine ’ s campaign used an altered image of the World Trade Center towers burning on 9/11 .
As DeWine suspected , 2006 was a terrible year for Republicans .
Brown won .
DeWine went home .
Fourteen years later , as DeWine leads Ohio through a crisis , Brown is one of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not surprising , ” Brown told me when I asked if it was , given their acrimonious history , “ because he ’ s an honorable elected official , and I thought that running against him.
” Brown said he ’ s been talking and texting with DeWine , mostly about how they can share information that would be helpful as Brown fights for more federal resources .
“ Quarterbacks are better when they have experience , ” Brown said .
“ DeWine could not do this so well if he didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way government works.
” In the middle of intense partisanship and frustration over how Trump has handled the coronavirus response so far , Democrats have been exuberant in their praise for DeWine .
David Pepper , who failed in a bid to unseat DeWine as attorney general in 2014 and now chairs the Ohio Democratic Party , has cheered DeWine ’ s response .
Emilia Sykes , the Democratic leader in the Ohio House of Representatives , told me she has largely positive views of DeWine ’ s efforts .
“ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you have someone experienced in this role , ” she said .
“ The reach goes far , the relationships are long.
” Sykes has been especially impressed with DeWine ’ s empowerment of Amy Acton , the health director who ’ s been a major presence at the daily press conferences .
Acton has built up her own devoted following : An Ohio T-shirt company printed a tribute to her this week ; a TV reporter presented her with flowers Thursday .
DeWine allies point to Acton ’ s appointment last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The top spot at the Ohio Department of Health can be a soft landing for patronage hires or career bureaucrats .
It was the last Cabinet post DeWine filled , at least in part because he took time to find someone with both experience in public health and strong communication skills .
“ A lot of times people hire administrators , ” Husted , DeWine ’ s lieutenant governor , observed .
“ He wanted to hire a doctor that really understood how public health worked .
It was that decision that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Who better could you have in that position at this moment ?
” Acton “ has been both that voice of confidence and authority but also reassurance , ” Frank LaRose , Ohio ’ s Republican secretary of state , told me .
“ She ’ s been reassuring to Ohioans while at the same time not sugarcoating things .
He ’ s been right there by her side saying , ‘ I ’ m the governor , the buck stops here , and what my health director says is law.
’ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together this month have been tough , even as they ’ ve since been replicated across the country .
DeWine , a traditional , pro-business Republican , has found himself telling restaurants and bars they could only stay open for takeout or delivery and ordering the closings of gyms , movie theaters , barbershops , and hair and nail salons .
He told me he struggled with balancing the loss of jobs against the loss of life .
“ The decisions we ’ re making throw some people out of work , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But we ’ ve got to balance that with ... we ’ ve got to get them through it.
” Pat Tiberi , a Republican who served in Congress with DeWine and now leads the Ohio Business Roundtable , told me DeWine sought input from the private sector .
“ He ’ s the type of elected official who ’ s deliberative but then acts .
Whether you agree with him or not — and I tend to agree with almost everything he 's done — you ca n't say he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cringe about how casual DeWine is about handing out his personal cellphone number , but the move has created an information network that has helped serve as a gut check .
On Sunday , for example , DeWine received texts from people worried about how crowded bars were the night before .
That day , he and Acton announced the bar and restaurant restrictions .
DeWine ’ s moves have not gone without criticism .
Larry Householder , the Republican speaker of the Ohio House and one of the most ambitious politicians in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urging the governor against a restaurant shutdown , drawing an attaboy from DeWine ’ s Republican successor as attorney general .
And DeWine ’ s efforts to postpone Ohio ’ s presidential primary were particularly messy .
On Monday , after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised against gatherings larger than 50 people , DeWine determined holding in-person voting the next day would be a health risk .
But because of provisions in Ohio law and a legislature that no one was sure could convene under the circumstances , DeWine asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work with LaRose to find a solution .
The result was a last-minute , third-party lawsuit to delay the primary until June and allow absentee voting in the meantime .
A judge ruled against the plaintiffs , and for several hours Monday night there was chaos , as no one knew if polls would open the next morning .
Finally , DeWine and Acton invoked a health emergency to keep the polls closed .
If and when a new vote will be scheduled remains unclear .
The emergency closing , LaRose told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The lawyerly DeWine didn ’ t want to do an end run around the courts if he didn ’ t have to .
“ It wasn ’ t because of indecisiveness , ” said LaRose , addressing the second-guessing that DeWine should have set the postponement in motion days earlier .
“ It was because of new science.
” Those who know DeWine best told me the politics surrounding the coronavirus matter little to him .
That ’ s been evident in how far ahead of Trump he ’ s been .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the president have been slower to react , hemming , hawing , and encouraging their citizens to “ go to Bob Evans and eat.
” DeWine has been careful not to frame his approach as a contrast to Trump ’ s , and he and his allies mostly parried my questions about the obvious differences .
“ Look , ” DeWine told me Thursday , “ I think a public health crisis is naturally the province of the governor , and that people look to a governor , they look to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inherently have the power to deal with.
” He said Trump ’ s administration has been helpful throughout the crisis : “ I feel good about that relationship.
” He praised the Agriculture Department for granting a waiver that allows the state to keep school meal programs running while the buildings are closed .
“ We can pick up the phone if we ’ ve got a problem and we can find somebody to help drive it through.
” Others turned the Trump questions around to gently suggest DeWine is showing that experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was elected , matters .
“ I guess at this point in my life , at age 73 , having been in politics for 40 years , I think there is some advantage to experience , ” DeWine said .
“ I ’ m literally using my lifetime of experience in government .
I ’ d rather have that experience than not have it.
” Then DeWine , who at his coronavirus briefings often talks about lessons learned from the 1918 flu pandemic , made a comment that suggested he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Every governor who I talked to before I took the oath of office said , ‘ There ’ ll be something that comes up — you don ’ t have a clue what it is , but there ’ ll be something that comes up .
It 'll be a flood or a tornado , ’ ” DeWine said .
“ Well , this is the ultimate crisis , a once-in-a-century crisis .
I kind of laughed with a friend last night .
I said , ‘ We have n't had this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor when it happens.
’ You can ’ t make this stuff up , right ?
”

CLEVELAND — Not long after Mike DeWine became Ohio’s governor last year, people noticed all of the fun he was having with the ceremonial duties. At 72, he finally got the job he always wanted. There was no ribbon-cutting too small, no photo op too corny. He was, as one lobbyist observed to a reporter in Columbus, “Ohio’s Grandpa.”
The image wasn’t entirely favorable. Even a few of his fellow Republicans wondered if DeWine was coasting, treating the governor’s mansion as some sort of retirement home after four decades in public life.
But the last few weeks have been a revelation for DeWine’s doubters and vindication for those who believed his governorship could be more than a capstone. He has asserted himself as a national example for how to manage the coronavirus crisis, combining a reassuring presence with aggressive action. He understood earlier than other governors that closing schools, restaurants, and bars — as disruptive as those decisions were — would help contain COVID-19’s spread. He took unprecedented steps to preempt his state’s presidential primary and keep voters at home.
DeWine’s paternal instincts used to prompt snickers, his decades grinding through public office discounted as the bloodless work of a career politician. But in a crisis, where DeWine has parlayed 40 years of government experience into calm and quick decisiveness, those old weaknesses now project as strengths.
“Sometimes you have an instinct based on the facts,” DeWine said by telephone Thursday, in between local radio interviews and a call with the state’s mayors. “When I have not trusted my instincts, I've made mistakes. My instinct throughout this has been that we’ve got to move faster.”
Republicans are happy to rally around DeWine even as they wrestle with uncomfortable questions about how he has approached the pandemic with more urgency than President Donald Trump has. Many Democrats are lauding his approach too.
“The good governors, and DeWine has been one of them in this, know they have to drive this because we have a president who has been AWOL on this — worse than AWOL, he’s caused damage to their efforts,” Sen. Sherrod Brown, a past DeWine rival, told me. “DeWine won’t say that. I would think he wouldn’t, but of course he knows that. We all know that.”
Citizens who don’t ordinarily tune in to state government are tuning in for DeWine’s daily press conferences. The afternoon briefings, where he relies on the expertise of his health director, a medical doctor with a master’s degree in public health, are appointment viewing. I’ve been an Ohio resident for all of my 38 years. Mike DeWine has held one public office or another for almost all of them. I can’t remember him being an actual household name here until now.
“I think he’s treating Ohio like he would treat his own family,” John Kasich, DeWine’s Republican predecessor as governor, told me approvingly, echoing a sentiment others shared.
When I spoke this week with DeWine and his close friends and colleagues, all of them talked — in a way that would seem cultish or at least scripted if it wasn’t true — about how this job, being governor, is the job he prepared for his entire life. He’d been a county prosecutor and state lawmaker. He’d served in both chambers of Congress. He’d been the lieutenant governor and the state’s attorney general.
“We all talk about career politicians and people like that,” Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who appears with DeWine at the daily press conferences, told me as he began to laugh. “But this is probably one time that you want a guy like Mike DeWine in charge — because he’s seen it all, and you’re not going to slip anything by him. He was built for this moment.”


buzzfeed--2020-03-20--Abortion Clinics Are Staying Open During The Coronavirus Outbreak. Here’s Why.

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 .
Planned Parenthood wants people to know that its doors are still open , even as the coronavirus epidemic sweeps the nation .
“ Our doors will stay open because sexual and reproductive health care is extremely important , and we have to ensure access to it , ” Meera Shah , chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood in the New York City suburbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rockland , one of the hardest-hit regions in the country , told BuzzFeed News Thursday over the phone .
“ Pregnancy-related care , especially abortion care , is essential and life-affirming , especially now when there is so much insecurity around jobs and food and paychecks and childcare.
” One of Shah ’ s clinics is located in New Rochelle in Westchester County , the first jurisdiction in the country to be designated a containment zone due to a COVID-19 outbreak , where the National Guard was sent in to help with feeding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , in her region ’ s clinics and have consequently not come in for their appointment , Shah said .
The clinics have done everything they can to ensure all of their staffers and patients are safe , including going above and beyond suggestions from government agencies .
Despite the lockdown and social distancing occurring in her region , Shah said , she ’ s noticed more people making and keeping appointments than usual .
Of the 19 patients who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 showed up , she said .
In her experience , many end up canceling or not showing up to their appointments .
“ It seems like patients are doing everything they can to get to their appointments at this time , ” Shah said .
“ Some patients have expressed to me … that they were scared that they may not have health insurance in the future , that they may not be able to get their appointments , that childcare is becoming more of an issue now with all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 has escalated dramatically in the US ( topping 16,017 cases ) , and particularly in New York state ( 7,245 ) , according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University — as has the government response .
Bars and restaurants all over the country are being forced to close , people are being told by the CDC not to gather in groups of more than 10 , many organizations are asking employees to work from home , and some jurisdictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders , requiring people to only leave their homes for essential reasons like food and health care .
As the situation changes daily , and people find themselves more and more unsure of what services are available to them , several people online have expressed concern or consternation at abortion clinics staying open , worrying about the health risks of patients occupying a waiting room together .
Officials have called on health care providers to suspend elective procedures , and some critics have argued that abortion should be included .
“ Why cant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ABORTION CLINIC in Kettering is OPEN for business ?
” one man in Ohio tweeted Thursday .
“ Elective surgeries are cancelled but you can get an abortion ?
” But Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health clinics insist that the care they provide is essential , now more than ever .
Accessing birth control , PrEP and PEP ( drugs that mitigate the chances of contracting HIV ) , and STI tests and treatment can be lifesaving care , the organization pointed out .
The clinics are making an effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can to keep patients and clinic workers from spreading the virus .
The methods that clinics are using to mitigate the spread of the virus vary from state to state , or even clinic to clinic , depending on the orders coming from the state government , how much traffic that clinic has , and the state laws regulating the abortion clinic more generally .
But in Shah ’ s 10 clinics , they are sticking to specific protocols .
“ We ’ re complying with all the CDC and Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News .
“ But everyone is still showing up , you know , because somebody wanting an abortion is still going to want an abortion despite there being a viral outbreak.
” The clinics in the New York area are screening all of their patients before treating them — asking them for any symptoms , travel history , or contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 — first over the phone and then , if they pass the first screening , again at their first appointment .
If there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the clinic refers them to a coronavirus testing center .
The clinics are also limiting the number of people allowed in the waiting room , making sure they can stay 6 feet apart ( the distance suggested by the CDC ) , by spacing schedules out and only allowing patients to come into the clinic .
Any family members , friends , or clinic escorts have to wait outside until the appointment is over .
Currently , all the clinic workers are wearing masks , Shah said , but like many other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running low .
One of the central longer-term fixes that abortion rights advocates across the country have been pushing for , even before the coronavirus pandemic , is treating patients and providing medication abortion via telemedicine , meaning over a video call either in a clinic set up for that purpose or to the patients ’ home , depending on the procedure and the state .
Doctors can conduct virtually the same examination for medication abortions — which are generally available in the first trimester of pregnancy , as approved by the FDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shah said .
The health workers ask patients about their medical history , their history with pregnancy , how far along they are in their pregnancy , and whether they have any conditions that could affect prescribing the drug .
They give instructions and advice about safely taking abortion pills and undergoing a medication abortion at home ( a process that Planned Parenthood describes as similar to an early miscarriage ) and ask if the patient would like to start a method of contraception .
In states where an ultrasound is required , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and speak to a doctor working in a clinic further away .
Abortion rights organizations have been pushing for increased access to telemedicine in particular over the last decade , as more than 100 abortion clinics have closed down .
Often patients have to travel for hours and stay overnight to get an abortion or other treatment , when , in the case of medical abortion , it could be as easy as speaking with a doctor via your laptop , and getting a prescription delivered to your home .
There are already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control as well .
One birth control delivery service , Pill Club , said that in the past week it ’ s already seen a 30 % increase in prescriptions being transferred to it from other pharmacies .
However , over the past few years , telemedicine for abortion has been regulated and even banned in 18 states across the country , according to Guttmacher Institute , a reproductive rights research organization .
Legislators and anti-abortion advocates argue that not being in a clinic for the procedure puts people at a greater risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further barrier is the FDA ’ s classification of Mifepristone , one of the pills used in medical abortion , as a medication regulated by the Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy .
REMS drugs are prohibited from being mailed to patients or prescribed via pharmacy , requiring patients to physically come into a clinic to receive the prescription .
The abortion rights organization Physicians for Reproductive Health and research group Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health , among other groups , have long pressured the federal government to lift the restrictions on mifepristone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus outbreak when stay-at-home orders are made across the country .
So far , the FDA has not budged .
“ They ’ re forcing patients to come out of quarantine just to pick up meds , when they could easily have loved one or somebody pick up the medications for them from a pharmacy that 's near their house , ” Shah , who is a fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health , said .
“ Maybe it will take this crisis to make them see just how unnecessary this regulation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parenthood continue serving patients , they could see layoffs and shutdowns in the near future , just like any other organization affected by the downward turn of the economy as a result of the virus .
“ Unfortunately , a lot of my patients are low-income people [ and ] people of color who are ready facing barriers to accessing care , ” Shah said .
“ And now , with people having to stay home , not able to go to work , not getting paychecks , job insecurity , childcare insecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continuing their pregnancy right now .
It feels scary for a lot of people , ” she said .

Planned Parenthood wants people to know that its doors are still open, even as the coronavirus epidemic sweeps the nation.
“Our doors will stay open because sexual and reproductive health care is extremely important, and we have to ensure access to it,” Meera Shah, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood in the New York City suburbs of Long Island, Westchester, and Rockland, one of the hardest-hit regions in the country, told BuzzFeed News Thursday over the phone. “Pregnancy-related care, especially abortion care, is essential and life-affirming, especially now when there is so much insecurity around jobs and food and paychecks and childcare.”
One of Shah’s clinics is located in New Rochelle in Westchester County, the first jurisdiction in the country to be designated a containment zone due to a COVID-19 outbreak, where the National Guard was sent in to help with feeding and cleaning efforts.
A few patients have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in her region’s clinics and have consequently not come in for their appointment, Shah said. The clinics have done everything they can to ensure all of their staffers and patients are safe, including going above and beyond suggestions from government agencies.
Despite the lockdown and social distancing occurring in her region, Shah said, she’s noticed more people making and keeping appointments than usual. Of the 19 patients who were scheduled for an abortion yesterday, 18 showed up, she said. In her experience, many end up canceling or not showing up to their appointments.
“It seems like patients are doing everything they can to get to their appointments at this time,” Shah said. “Some patients have expressed to me … that they were scared that they may not have health insurance in the future, that they may not be able to get their appointments, that childcare is becoming more of an issue now with all of the schools closed.”
Over the past week, the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 has escalated dramatically in the US (topping 16,017 cases), and particularly in New York state (7,245), according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University — as has the government response. Bars and restaurants all over the country are being forced to close, people are being told by the CDC not to gather in groups of more than 10, many organizations are asking employees to work from home, and some jurisdictions, like California, have issued shelter-in-place orders, requiring people to only leave their homes for essential reasons like food and health care.
As the situation changes daily, and people find themselves more and more unsure of what services are available to them, several people online have expressed concern or consternation at abortion clinics staying open, worrying about the health risks of patients occupying a waiting room together. Officials have called on health care providers to suspend elective procedures, and some critics have argued that abortion should be included.
“Why cant I go to the Dentist office but the ABORTION CLINIC in Kettering is OPEN for business?” one man in Ohio tweeted Thursday. “Elective surgeries are cancelled but you can get an abortion?”
But Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health clinics insist that the care they provide is essential, now more than ever.
Accessing birth control, PrEP and PEP (drugs that mitigate the chances of contracting HIV), and STI tests and treatment can be lifesaving care, the organization pointed out. The clinics are making an effort to continue providing that care while doing what they can to keep patients and clinic workers from spreading the virus.
The methods that clinics are using to mitigate the spread of the virus vary from state to state, or even clinic to clinic, depending on the orders coming from the state government, how much traffic that clinic has, and the state laws regulating the abortion clinic more generally. But in Shah’s 10 clinics, they are sticking to specific protocols.
“We’re complying with all the CDC and Department of Health Guidelines,” Shah told BuzzFeed News. “But everyone is still showing up, you know, because somebody wanting an abortion is still going to want an abortion despite there being a viral outbreak.”
The clinics in the New York area are screening all of their patients before treating them — asking them for any symptoms, travel history, or contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 — first over the phone and then, if they pass the first screening, again at their first appointment. If there’s any sign they might have the virus, the clinic refers them to a coronavirus testing center.
The clinics are also limiting the number of people allowed in the waiting room, making sure they can stay 6 feet apart (the distance suggested by the CDC), by spacing schedules out and only allowing patients to come into the clinic. Any family members, friends, or clinic escorts have to wait outside until the appointment is over. Currently, all the clinic workers are wearing masks, Shah said, but like many other places in the country, they are running low.
One of the central longer-term fixes that abortion rights advocates across the country have been pushing for, even before the coronavirus pandemic, is treating patients and providing medication abortion via telemedicine, meaning over a video call either in a clinic set up for that purpose or to the patients’ home, depending on the procedure and the state. Doctors can conduct virtually the same examination for medication abortions — which are generally available in the first trimester of pregnancy, as approved by the FDA — as they do in office, Shah said.
The health workers ask patients about their medical history, their history with pregnancy, how far along they are in their pregnancy, and whether they have any conditions that could affect prescribing the drug. They give instructions and advice about safely taking abortion pills and undergoing a medication abortion at home (a process that Planned Parenthood describes as similar to an early miscarriage) and ask if the patient would like to start a method of contraception. In states where an ultrasound is required, patients can go into a satellite office and speak to a doctor working in a clinic further away.
Abortion rights organizations have been pushing for increased access to telemedicine in particular over the last decade, as more than 100 abortion clinics have closed down.
Often patients have to travel for hours and stay overnight to get an abortion or other treatment, when, in the case of medical abortion, it could be as easy as speaking with a doctor via your laptop, and getting a prescription delivered to your home. There are already apps that help prescribe and deliver birth control as well. One birth control delivery service, Pill Club, said that in the past week it’s already seen a 30% increase in prescriptions being transferred to it from other pharmacies.
However, over the past few years, telemedicine for abortion has been regulated and even banned in 18 states across the country, according to Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization. Legislators and anti-abortion advocates argue that not being in a clinic for the procedure puts people at a greater risk of complications during the procedure.
A further barrier is the FDA’s classification of Mifepristone, one of the pills used in medical abortion, as a medication regulated by the Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy. REMS drugs are prohibited from being mailed to patients or prescribed via pharmacy, requiring patients to physically come into a clinic to receive the prescription.
The abortion rights organization Physicians for Reproductive Health and research group Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, among other groups, have long pressured the federal government to lift the restrictions on mifepristone, and they have renewed this effort during the virus outbreak when stay-at-home orders are made across the country. So far, the FDA has not budged.
“They’re forcing patients to come out of quarantine just to pick up meds, when they could easily have loved one or somebody pick up the medications for them from a pharmacy that's near their house,” Shah, who is a fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, said. “Maybe it will take this crisis to make them see just how unnecessary this regulation is.”
Even while clinics like Planned Parenthood continue serving patients, they could see layoffs and shutdowns in the near future, just like any other organization affected by the downward turn of the economy as a result of the virus.
“Unfortunately, a lot of my patients are low-income people [and] people of color who are ready facing barriers to accessing care,” Shah said.
“And now, with people having to stay home, not able to go to work, not getting paychecks, job insecurity, childcare insecurity — people are really thinking hard about continuing their pregnancy right now. It feels scary for a lot of people,” she said.


buzzfeed--2020-03-21--Staffers On Michael Bloomberg’s Campaign Are Losing Their Jobs In The Middle Of A Pandemic

Staffers of former presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg are staring down the possibility of losing their jobs and health care in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic .
When he joined the race last year , the billionaire said he would employ his campaign staff through the November election , even if he weren ’ t the nominee .
But Bloomberg dropped out after a poor showing on Super Tuesday , and he has since fired staffers in multiple waves .
His campaign had announced earlier in March that it would launch an independent expenditure group to take on Trump that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
Instead of creating his own organization in swing states , Bloomberg ’ s campaign said on Friday , he will donate $ 18 million to the Democratic National Committee — allowing the party to potentially hire organizers themselves .
That means many Bloomberg organizers are out of a job .
Organizers in six swing states were informed this morning that they were being let go and given instructions for applying to the DNC .
“ He ’ s chopping his employees in a pandemic , ” said one staffer in Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had signed a nondisclosure agreement .
“ My life is now uprooted and I ’ m effectively homeless.
” Another staffer in North Carolina said he and many other former campaign employees were `` completely blindsided '' by the news on Friday that they were losing their jobs .
`` It 's fucking scary , '' he said of the thought of staffers losing health care in the middle of the pandemic .
A Bloomberg campaign spokesperson said that staffers in the six battleground states who were supposed to be part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be employed and paid through the first week in April and have full benefits through the end of April.
” The Florida staffer , who had previously been on Medicaid , moved to a swing state on the promise of a stable , well-paying job through November .
Without their own place to live , the staffer said , they planned to stay with family to wait out the coronavirus outbreak .
Bloomberg had already broken a promise of employment through November to some of the vast army of organizers he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on which he spent a record $ 687 million of his personal fortune .
Staffers who were not in swing states were let go earlier this month .
But at the time , said the Florida staffer , they were still under the impression they would be employed by a Bloomberg campaign entity .
“ We got the message , ‘ Hey don ’ t worry , you guys are fine . '
” The Bloomberg spokesperson said staffers were being encouraged to apply to work for the DNC : “ The DNC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the six battleground states we identified — and more .
And we will assist the DNC as much as we are able to , including by providing names of staff and working to help them onboard and grow their program as expediently as possible.
” Staffers in swing states learned they were being let go on a call on Friday morning by campaign states director Dan Kanninen and human resources representative Katherine Sayers .
According to a script for the call , Kanninen informed the organizers of the decision to donate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expenditure group , saying a separate group “ would simply not be as effective or efficient in our goal of defeating Donald Trump in November.
” “ We want as many of the organizing team from Mike2020 as possible to join the DNC ’ s effort — and we have designed a structure to facilitate the process for those who express interest , ” Kanninen said , according to the call script .
Employees learned they had five days to apply for DNC jobs in order to be considered .
Sayers , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a Google Form no later than March 25 , even if they had “ previously noted interest in future opportunities as part of your off-boarding last week . ''
The Google Form will not guarantee Bloomberg staffers a job with the DNC .
Instead , their information will be `` fed into a competitive hiring process , '' Sayers told staffers on the phone call , `` and you will hear from the DNC on that process and next steps .
We will do everything possible to help them hire and onboard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
“ There will be an application process , ” the DNC official said on Friday .
“ Bloomberg organizers can apply.
” The DNC official declined to say exactly how many jobs will open as a result of the transfer but said the $ 18 million will allow the party to hire “ hundreds ” of new organizers for its existing “ Battleground Build-Up 2020 ” program , which funds offices and field organizers across 12 states that will be critical in the general election .
$ 18 million marks a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Democratic Party routinely lags in fundraising behind the GOP , with Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee bringing in more than $ 100 million last quarter .
Joe Biden , the candidate best positioned to clinch the Democratic nomination this summer , is still in the midst of professionalizing his field and fundraising programs for the general election .
Bloomberg previously discussed spending up to $ 1 billion of his own money to help defeat Trump .
On the call with employees , Kanninen said Bloomberg campaign leadership had made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent expenditure organization or super PAC , a move that may limit his spending in the future .
The $ 18 million transfer , a small fraction of what he ’ s discussed spending in the past , is the first money Bloomberg has publicly pledged since dropping out of the race two weeks ago .
“ There are good people out there that left their jobs behind to go work for a candidate that honestly most of us didn ’ t believe in the first place , ” said the former staffer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the necessity .
We did it for the job security .
”

Staffers of former presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg are staring down the possibility of losing their jobs and health care in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic.
When he joined the race last year, the billionaire said he would employ his campaign staff through the November election, even if he weren’t the nominee. But Bloomberg dropped out after a poor showing on Super Tuesday, and he has since fired staffers in multiple waves. His campaign had announced earlier in March that it would launch an independent expenditure group to take on Trump that would employ former campaign staffers in swing states.
Instead of creating his own organization in swing states, Bloomberg’s campaign said on Friday, he will donate $18 million to the Democratic National Committee — allowing the party to potentially hire organizers themselves.
That means many Bloomberg organizers are out of a job. Organizers in six swing states were informed this morning that they were being let go and given instructions for applying to the DNC.
“He’s chopping his employees in a pandemic,” said one staffer in Florida, who asked to remain anonymous because they had signed a nondisclosure agreement. “My life is now uprooted and I’m effectively homeless.”
Another staffer in North Carolina said he and many other former campaign employees were "completely blindsided" by the news on Friday that they were losing their jobs.
"It's fucking scary," he said of the thought of staffers losing health care in the middle of the pandemic.
A Bloomberg campaign spokesperson said that staffers in the six battleground states who were supposed to be part of the former candidate's now-aborted group “will be employed and paid through the first week in April and have full benefits through the end of April.”
The Florida staffer, who had previously been on Medicaid, moved to a swing state on the promise of a stable, well-paying job through November. Without their own place to live, the staffer said, they planned to stay with family to wait out the coronavirus outbreak.
Bloomberg had already broken a promise of employment through November to some of the vast army of organizers he had hired throughout his three-month presidential campaign, on which he spent a record $687 million of his personal fortune. Staffers who were not in swing states were let go earlier this month.
But at the time, said the Florida staffer, they were still under the impression they would be employed by a Bloomberg campaign entity. “We got the message, ‘Hey don’t worry, you guys are fine.'”
The Bloomberg spokesperson said staffers were being encouraged to apply to work for the DNC: “The DNC Coordinated Campaign is hiring in every one of the six battleground states we identified — and more. And we will assist the DNC as much as we are able to, including by providing names of staff and working to help them onboard and grow their program as expediently as possible.”
Staffers in swing states learned they were being let go on a call on Friday morning by campaign states director Dan Kanninen and human resources representative Katherine Sayers. According to a script for the call, Kanninen informed the organizers of the decision to donate to the DNC instead of creating an independent expenditure group, saying a separate group “would simply not be as effective or efficient in our goal of defeating Donald Trump in November.”
“We want as many of the organizing team from Mike2020 as possible to join the DNC’s effort — and we have designed a structure to facilitate the process for those who express interest,” Kanninen said, according to the call script.
Employees learned they had five days to apply for DNC jobs in order to be considered. Sayers, the HR representative, told them to fill out a Google Form no later than March 25, even if they had “previously noted interest in future opportunities as part of your off-boarding last week."
The Google Form will not guarantee Bloomberg staffers a job with the DNC. Instead, their information will be "fed into a competitive hiring process," Sayers told staffers on the phone call, "and you will hear from the DNC on that process and next steps. We will do everything possible to help them hire and onboard their new staff as expediently as possible."
“There will be an application process,” the DNC official said on Friday. “Bloomberg organizers can apply.”
The DNC official declined to say exactly how many jobs will open as a result of the transfer but said the $18 million will allow the party to hire “hundreds” of new organizers for its existing “Battleground Build-Up 2020” program, which funds offices and field organizers across 12 states that will be critical in the general election.
$18 million marks a significant influx of cash for the DNC.
The Democratic Party routinely lags in fundraising behind the GOP, with Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee bringing in more than $100 million last quarter. Joe Biden, the candidate best positioned to clinch the Democratic nomination this summer, is still in the midst of professionalizing his field and fundraising programs for the general election.
Bloomberg previously discussed spending up to $1 billion of his own money to help defeat Trump.
On the call with employees, Kanninen said Bloomberg campaign leadership had made the choice not to create a separate independent expenditure organization or super PAC, a move that may limit his spending in the future.
The $18 million transfer, a small fraction of what he’s discussed spending in the past, is the first money Bloomberg has publicly pledged since dropping out of the race two weeks ago.
“There are good people out there that left their jobs behind to go work for a candidate that honestly most of us didn’t believe in the first place,” said the former staffer in Florida. “We did it for the necessity. We did it for the job security.”


buzzfeed--2020-03-21--There Won't Be Any Standardized Tests This Year Due To Coronavirus, Trump Says

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 — Students will not have to take standardized tests this year , and interest rates on federally held student loans will be 0 % for the next 60 days due to the coronavirus outbreak , President Donald Trump said Friday .
“ With many schools closed due to the virus , the Department of Education will not enforce standardized testing requirements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elementary through high school for the current year , ” Trump said at his daily press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic .
“ They ’ ve been through a lot .
They ’ ve been going back and forth , schools open , schools not open…We ’ re not going to be enforcing that.
” Additionally , the government is waiving all interest on federally held student loans for the next two months , Trump said .
“ I ’ ve instructed them to take that action immediately , and today Secretary [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal lenders to allow borrowers to suspend their student loans and loan payments without penalty for at least the next 60 days.
” That period could be extended if necessary , Trump said , and added that borrowers should contact their lenders about suspending payments if they are interested .
The president said there will be additional steps to help students during the pandemic in the coming days .
The White House also announced Friday that it will shut down both the country ’ s northern and southern borders to people entering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asylum-seekers will be sent back to Canada or Mexico without being detained or processed .
The Department of Education confirmed that it has instructed federal student loan lenders to set interest rates rates at zero and allow people to suspend payments “ for at least two months ” in a release Friday morning .
“ Borrowers will have the option to suspend their payments for at least two months to allow them greater flexibility during the national emergency , ” the release said .
“ This will allow borrowers to temporarily stop their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition to news about how the government is addressing the pandemic , the daily White House coronavirus briefings have also been an opportunity for an often testy Trump to spar with reporters .
When an NBC reporter asked the president Friday , “ What do you say to Americans who are scared right now ?
” while citing the current number of cases in the US , Trump snapped back , “ I say that you ’ re a terrible reporter , that ’ s what I say .
”

WASHINGTON — Students will not have to take standardized tests this year, and interest rates on federally held student loans will be 0% for the next 60 days due to the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump said Friday.
“With many schools closed due to the virus, the Department of Education will not enforce standardized testing requirements, very importantly, for students in elementary through high school for the current year,” Trump said at his daily press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic. “They’ve been through a lot. They’ve been going back and forth, schools open, schools not open…We’re not going to be enforcing that.”
Additionally, the government is waiving all interest on federally held student loans for the next two months, Trump said.
“I’ve instructed them to take that action immediately, and today Secretary [of Education Betsy] DeVos has directed federal lenders to allow borrowers to suspend their student loans and loan payments without penalty for at least the next 60 days.”
That period could be extended if necessary, Trump said, and added that borrowers should contact their lenders about suspending payments if they are interested. The president said there will be additional steps to help students during the pandemic in the coming days.
The White House also announced Friday that it will shut down both the country’s northern and southern borders to people entering the country illegally and that those immigrants and asylum-seekers will be sent back to Canada or Mexico without being detained or processed.
The Department of Education confirmed that it has instructed federal student loan lenders to set interest rates rates at zero and allow people to suspend payments “for at least two months” in a release Friday morning.
“Borrowers will have the option to suspend their payments for at least two months to allow them greater flexibility during the national emergency,” the release said. “This will allow borrowers to temporarily stop their payments without worrying about accruing interest.”
In addition to news about how the government is addressing the pandemic, the daily White House coronavirus briefings have also been an opportunity for an often testy Trump to spar with reporters. When an NBC reporter asked the president Friday, “What do you say to Americans who are scared right now?” while citing the current number of cases in the US, Trump snapped back, “I say that you’re a terrible reporter, that’s what I say.”


buzzfeed--2020-03-20--A Republican Senator Is Asking The Ethics Committee To Investigate Himself For Selling Stocks After

A Republican Senator Is Asking The Ethics Committee To Investigate Himself For Selling Stocks After A Private Coronavirus Briefing

Burr and other senators have come under fire for collectively selling millions in stocks after a private briefing with health officials in mid-February .
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 — A powerful Republican senator who has come under fire for selling stocks after receiving a private briefing about the novel coronavirus said he has asked for an ethics review into the matter .
North Carolina Sen. Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.72 million in stocks in mid-February after he and other senators received a briefing from top government health officials about the coronavirus , ProPublica reported on Thursday .
As chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee , Burr was also receiving briefings on the coronavirus from the country ’ s spy agencies .
And in late February , Burr privately delivered starker warnings about the possible widespread effects of the coronavirus than he had publicly , according to a recording obtained by NPR .
Since then , the coronavirus pandemic has rocked businesses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement Friday morning that he `` relied solely on public news reports '' — specifically , `` CNBC 's daily health and science reporting out of its Asia bureaus '' — to inform his decision to sell the dozens of stocks .
“ Understanding the assumption many could make in hindsight however , I spoke this morning with the chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and asked him to open a complete review of the matter will full transparency , ” Burr said .
Burr is among several senators whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late January is now being scrutinized .
Under the STOCK Act , members of Congress are banned from using nonpublic information they receive as lawmakers to inform their stock activity .
Burr was one of only three senators who voted against the law in 2012 , arguing that insider trading laws already apply to members of Congress .
The STOCK Act also forced senators to file regular financial disclosures , which is how the transactions by Burr and others were discovered .
Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler , a Republican who was appointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens of stocks in recent months .
On Jan. 24 , the day of the all-senators briefing , Loeffler and her husband — the chair of the New York Stock Exchange — began selling millions in stocks , the Daily Beast reported .
Loeffler also purchased between $ 100,000 and $ 250,000 worth of stocks in Citrix , a technology company that offers , among other things , software that allows people to telework from home .
Loeffler tweeted after midnight Friday that it was a “ ridiculous and baseless attack , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make investment decisions for her and her husband .
On Friday afternoon , the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington wrote to the leaders of the Senate Ethics Committee requesting an investigation into both Burr and Loeffler .
`` The well-timed stock sales of Sens .
Burr and Loeffler warrant an investigation into whether they violated the STOCK Act , insider trading laws , and ethics rules , '' the group wrote .
Another powerful Republican , Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe , the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in stocks days after the all-senators briefing as well , but said Friday morning that he didn ’ t attend the briefing and does “ not have any involvement in [ his ] investment decisions.
” California Sen. Dianne Feinstein , a senior Democratic member of the Intelligence Committee , reported selling stocks in a biotechnology company in late January , but said Friday she ’ s “ held all assets in a blind trust of which I have no control ” and wasn ’ t at the Jan. 24 briefing , either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also hasn ’ t been as badly hit by the coronavirus outbreak as others .
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson , who chairs the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee , sold millions in stocks earlier this month , but for a company his family owns that ’ s privately held .
Johnson , who used to run the plastics company , told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the sale had “ nothing to do with the coronavirus ” and had been in the works for years .

WASHINGTON — A powerful Republican senator who has come under fire for selling stocks after receiving a private briefing about the novel coronavirus said he has asked for an ethics review into the matter.
North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr sold between $628,000 and $1.72 million in stocks in mid-February after he and other senators received a briefing from top government health officials about the coronavirus, ProPublica reported on Thursday. As chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Burr was also receiving briefings on the coronavirus from the country’s spy agencies. And in late February, Burr privately delivered starker warnings about the possible widespread effects of the coronavirus than he had publicly, according to a recording obtained by NPR. Since then, the coronavirus pandemic has rocked businesses and caused stock values to plummet.
Burr said in a statement Friday morning that he "relied solely on public news reports" — specifically, "CNBC's daily health and science reporting out of its Asia bureaus" — to inform his decision to sell the dozens of stocks.
“Understanding the assumption many could make in hindsight however, I spoke this morning with the chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee and asked him to open a complete review of the matter will full transparency,” Burr said.


buzzfeed--2020-03-20--“Why Are We Here?”: Some Congressional Staffers Are Worried For Their Safety As They’re Forced To Wo

“Why Are We Here?”: Some Congressional Staffers Are Worried For Their Safety As They’re Forced To Work

Do you have questions you want answered ?
You can always get in touch .
And if you 're someone who is seeing the impact of this firsthand , we ’ d also love to hear from you ( you can reach out to us via one of our tip line channels ) .
WASHINGTON — Two members of Congress have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than two dozen are self-quarantining because they ’ ve been in contact with someone who ’ s contracted it .
But Congress remains in session , as do the congressional staff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are forced to continue to work in the Capitol .
“ Why are we here ?
Why are we risking our health ?
To protect the stock market ?
” said one staffer who , at the time , was walking the halls of the Capitol , stopping mid-sentence to add , “ it ’ s a ghost town.
” Nearly a dozen congressional staffers who spoke to BuzzFeed News asked not to be identified for fear of losing their jobs .
But all of them were eager to jump on the phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bewilderment about the global pandemic and the fact that Congress has remained in Washington , gathering in groups far larger than the 10 recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
While staffers appreciate the gravity of the situation , most of them wished they had more direction .
“ I think what the real frustration is is that we have not gotten any guidance from leadership in regards to when members are supposed to be coming back and voting , ” another staffer told BuzzFeed News .
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AIPAC and CPAC [ conferences focused on Israel and conservative politics , respectively , which both took place in recent weeks ] , they should have immediately shut the buildings down and they should have allowed all of us to start teleworking at that point.
” The sergeant-at-arms , in consultation with the House ’ s attending physician and leadership , limited visitor tours in the Capitol on Thursday until April 1 .
Since then , Speaker Nancy Pelosi has sent “ dear colleague ” letters out to staff with suggestions on having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far not agreed to calls to have members vote remotely ( the House is currently in recess , but plans to return to DC in the coming days ) .
On Thursday , Pelosi called on House Rules Committee chair Rep. Jim McGovern to conduct a study to determine whether or not having members of Congress vote remotely is feasible .
“ Our whole office is teleworking , ” said one staffer .
“ However , I do believe it ’ s unbelievable that any office would make their staff come into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exact opposite.
” Most House staffers are working from home , but in some offices , the congressional team rotates between full and half days , single-handedly manning their DC offices on what some have called a “ skeleton crew.
” “ I am frustrated !
But not panicked , ” another staffer texted BuzzFeed News while on the Hill on Thursday .
“ Our bosses are expecting us to go into work , increase our chance of exposure , and in doing so are keeping us from our families and parents.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for how the House will proceed with a third coronavirus stimulus vote , which will likely happen next week : a simplified vote where everyone unanimously agrees to pass the legislation without physically appearing in the Capitol , or have all members fly in to debate and vote as usual .
Another option was to not recess at all .
All of them seem problematic , staffers said .
“ You can ’ t unanimous consent trillions of dollars , ” one staffer said .
“ Even if the House announced new procedures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 members in the room at a time — first of all — to expect that no members are going to congregate in the back is just lying to themselves .
But even so , all of them touching the same button [ to vote ] , you can spread it that way.
” And , staffers noted , members would have to get on planes to return to DC and then to go back to their districts , with some coming as far as from Washington state and Hawaii .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very very important work .
It is critical .
It is part of the federal government doing its job to help the country through a crisis .
In that same breath , there ’ s certain ways where there ’ s not a practice in what we preach , ” the staffer said .
House Republican leadership had a call two days ago with the lead members on each committee to get a sense of where they were on remote voting .
Republicans came away very against the idea , according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Voting remotely ] shows that Congress is scared , ” another staffer said when asked why they thought members would object to casting votes from their districts .
“ It instills fear in the American people .
In this moment they are looking to their government officials for comfort .
And if we don ’ t even show up for them , then what are we ?
” Some say they are putting their civic duty first , it ’ s not about morale .
“ I think it ’ s more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” one Democratic staffer told BuzzFeed News while sitting in her office inside the Capitol .
“ Even when we had 9/11 , members were still required to come here and vote and they were all targeted at that time too.
” Staffers on the Senate side were a bit more diplomatic , as their bosses are still in Washington , floating on and off of the Senate floor , negotiating and voting on coronavirus-related legislation .
“ The magnitude of the situation has put a strain on everyone but some staff are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , ” said one Senate staffer .
“ Honestly I ’ m not that frustrated right now , ” another Senate staffer told BuzzFeed News .
“ We signed up for the job , understanding there are certain risks here , and only a couple of us need to be here while we ’ re in session .
If I really felt at risk , I am confident my office would accommodate me being at home.
” The same staffer did say she ’ d be relieved when they do move to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complain about the food situation on the Senate side .
Capitol dwellers are no longer allowed to use the self-service options , including pouring your own coffee or fountain soda , and the self-service salad bar is closed .
One staffer was also disappointed when BuzzFeed News told her that one local eatery in the Capitol building , Cups & Company , had closed amid COVID-19 concerns .
“ I saw the lady in there this am but their door was still locked , ” she texted .
“ I figured they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON — Two members of Congress have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than two dozen are self-quarantining because they’ve been in contact with someone who’s contracted it. But Congress remains in session, as do the congressional staff, many of whom are frightened as they are forced to continue to work in the Capitol.
“Why are we here? Why are we risking our health? To protect the stock market?” said one staffer who, at the time, was walking the halls of the Capitol, stopping mid-sentence to add, “it’s a ghost town.”
Nearly a dozen congressional staffers who spoke to BuzzFeed News asked not to be identified for fear of losing their jobs. But all of them were eager to jump on the phone or text to unleash their frustrations and bewilderment about the global pandemic and the fact that Congress has remained in Washington, gathering in groups far larger than the 10 recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While staffers appreciate the gravity of the situation, most of them wished they had more direction.
“I think what the real frustration is is that we have not gotten any guidance from leadership in regards to when members are supposed to be coming back and voting,” another staffer told BuzzFeed News. “I think that after those people tested positive at AIPAC and CPAC [conferences focused on Israel and conservative politics, respectively, which both took place in recent weeks], they should have immediately shut the buildings down and they should have allowed all of us to start teleworking at that point.”
The sergeant-at-arms, in consultation with the House’s attending physician and leadership, limited visitor tours in the Capitol on Thursday until April 1. Since then, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has sent “dear colleague” letters out to staff with suggestions on having staff work from home, but has so far not agreed to calls to have members vote remotely (the House is currently in recess, but plans to return to DC in the coming days). On Thursday, Pelosi called on House Rules Committee chair Rep. Jim McGovern to conduct a study to determine whether or not having members of Congress vote remotely is feasible.
“Our whole office is teleworking,” said one staffer. “However, I do believe it’s unbelievable that any office would make their staff come into work when the CDC has recommended the exact opposite.”
Most House staffers are working from home, but in some offices, the congressional team rotates between full and half days, single-handedly manning their DC offices on what some have called a “skeleton crew.”
“I am frustrated! But not panicked,” another staffer texted BuzzFeed News while on the Hill on Thursday. “Our bosses are expecting us to go into work, increase our chance of exposure, and in doing so are keeping us from our families and parents.”
Some staffers said members are discussing proposals for how the House will proceed with a third coronavirus stimulus vote, which will likely happen next week: a simplified vote where everyone unanimously agrees to pass the legislation without physically appearing in the Capitol, or have all members fly in to debate and vote as usual. Another option was to not recess at all. All of them seem problematic, staffers said.
“You can’t unanimous consent trillions of dollars,” one staffer said. “Even if the House announced new procedures for voting so that they only allowed 10 members in the room at a time — first of all — to expect that no members are going to congregate in the back is just lying to themselves. But even so, all of them touching the same button [to vote], you can spread it that way.”
And, staffers noted, members would have to get on planes to return to DC and then to go back to their districts, with some coming as far as from Washington state and Hawaii.
“The work to come back to do is very very important work. It is critical. It is part of the federal government doing its job to help the country through a crisis. In that same breath, there’s certain ways where there’s not a practice in what we preach,” the staffer said.
House Republican leadership had a call two days ago with the lead members on each committee to get a sense of where they were on remote voting. Republicans came away very against the idea, according to a source familiar with the call.
“[Voting remotely] shows that Congress is scared,” another staffer said when asked why they thought members would object to casting votes from their districts. “It instills fear in the American people. In this moment they are looking to their government officials for comfort. And if we don’t even show up for them, then what are we?”
Some say they are putting their civic duty first, it’s not about morale. “I think it’s more like setting a very historic precedent,” one Democratic staffer told BuzzFeed News while sitting in her office inside the Capitol. “Even when we had 9/11, members were still required to come here and vote and they were all targeted at that time too.”
Staffers on the Senate side were a bit more diplomatic, as their bosses are still in Washington, floating on and off of the Senate floor, negotiating and voting on coronavirus-related legislation.
“The magnitude of the situation has put a strain on everyone but some staff are essential to continue the operation of the government,” said one Senate staffer.
“Honestly I’m not that frustrated right now,” another Senate staffer told BuzzFeed News. “We signed up for the job, understanding there are certain risks here, and only a couple of us need to be here while we’re in session. If I really felt at risk, I am confident my office would accommodate me being at home.”
The same staffer did say she’d be relieved when they do move to full telework, however.
Staffers did complain about the food situation on the Senate side. Capitol dwellers are no longer allowed to use the self-service options, including pouring your own coffee or fountain soda, and the self-service salad bar is closed.
One staffer was also disappointed when BuzzFeed News told her that one local eatery in the Capitol building, Cups & Company, had closed amid COVID-19 concerns.
“I saw the lady in there this am but their door was still locked,” she texted. “I figured they were just opening late or something.”
“I’m devastated,” she added.


buzzfeed--2020-03-19--The Trump Administration Changed Course On Food Stamps Amid The Coronavirus Outbreak After Courts An

The Trump Administration Changed Course On Food Stamps Amid The Coronavirus Outbreak After Courts And Congress Intervened

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 Trump administration has shelved its plan to level strict work requirements on people using food stamps , at least for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak .
As of April , 1 the White House ’ s new rules would have required people without a disability or children to work 20 hours per week to qualify for SNAP , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as food stamps ) .
As businesses are shutting down all across the country to stop the spread of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , millions of people were projected to lose this support .
But over the weekend , US District Court Judge Beryl Howell blocked the rule changes , finding them to be “ arbitrary and capricious.
” Then , on Wednesday , Trump signed a coronavirus response bill into law that explicitly reverses the Trump rule change — but only during the coronavirus outbreak .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether it will continue to fight the court case .
On Wednesday , a department spokesperson told the Associated Press the department “ disagrees with the court ’ s reasoning and will appeal its decision.
” But on Thursday , the department changed course .
It refused to say one way or another whether it would appeal the ruling , and released a statement to BuzzFeed News saying , “ we are going to comply with the legislation which really pauses that during this public health emergency .
”

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has shelved its plan to level strict work requirements on people using food stamps, at least for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak.
As of April, 1 the White House’s new rules would have required people without a disability or children to work 20 hours per week to qualify for SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (colloquially known as food stamps). As businesses are shutting down all across the country to stop the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, millions of people were projected to lose this support.
But over the weekend, US District Court Judge Beryl Howell blocked the rule changes, finding them to be “arbitrary and capricious.” Then, on Wednesday, Trump signed a coronavirus response bill into law that explicitly reverses the Trump rule change — but only during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Department of Agriculture won’t say whether it will continue to fight the court case.
On Wednesday, a department spokesperson told the Associated Press the department “disagrees with the court’s reasoning and will appeal its decision.” But on Thursday, the department changed course. It refused to say one way or another whether it would appeal the ruling, and released a statement to BuzzFeed News saying, “we are going to comply with the legislation which really pauses that during this public health emergency.”