buzzfeed--2020-05-20--Trump's Attack On Vote-By-Mail Plans In Key 2020 States Is "Misinformation," A Top State Official Sa

Trump's Attack On Vote-By-Mail Plans In Key 2020 States Is "Misinformation," A Top State Official Says

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Local and federal officials pushed back Wednesday against a barrage of tweets from President Donald Trump that appeared to lay the groundwork for alleging voter fraud ahead of November ’ s election , with Michigan ’ s secretary of state accusing the president of contributing to a wave of political “ misinformation.
” As the coronavirus death toll in the US neared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ error-filled missives directed at Michigan and Nevada ; the states have launched initiatives to inform voters about their ability to vote by mail amid fears the pandemic could make in-person voting unsafe .
Trump first targeted Michigan , where he has been engaged in a public battle with Gretchen Whitmer , the state ’ s governor and a potential vice presidential pick for his likely election rival , Joe Biden .
Trump accused the state of improperly sending absentee ballots to 7.7 million people — and hours later corrected it to read that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those ballots .
He said the move was done “ illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State ” and said he would seek to hold funding for Michigan “ if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path !
” He later targeted Nevada , alleging it was creating a “ great Voter Fraud scenario.
” Trump added , “ you must not cheat in elections.
” Several states , in line with local and federal regulations , have been encouraging mail-in ballots in a bid to avoid large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social gatherings pose a threat to voters and workers at poll sites , who often come from the most at-risk groups .
In Wisconsin , health officials said at least 52 people who voted in person or worked at the polls during the state ’ s primary last month had gotten COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , though it remains unclear if there is a direct link to voting day .
Trump ’ s tweets came one day after Jocelyn Benson , Michigan ’ s secretary of state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be mailed applications to request an absentee ballot so that “ no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote.
” The state is due to hold a primary in August before the general election in November .
More than 5,000 people in the state have died from COVID-19 .
Benson told BuzzFeed News she was concerned Trump ’ s tweets could work to undermine voters ’ faith in the election .
“ We know the important role that Michigan has this year on many levels with many races @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that , we 're prepared for multiple sources of efforts to misinform our voters — from foreign adversaries , bad actors , partisan actors .
I did n't wake up this morning thinking I 'd have to push back about efforts to misinform our voters about this particular issue coming from the White House , but that 's indeed what we had to do , and we 'll continue to do that in light of anyone from any party , from any source , that will in any way use a platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump won Michigan by just .23 % of the vote in 2016 .
He is due to visit the state on Thursday to tour a Ford Motor plant in Ypsilanti that has pivoted to making personal protective equipment and ventilators to address the coronavirus crisis .
Two years ago , Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment to allow for absentee voting .
Benson called her decision to mail out information and applications to Michigan ’ s voters “ the opposite ” of rogue .
She said a similar effort during local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of voters opting for mail-in ballots , leading to “ the highest turnout we 've ever had in a local election statewide.
” The current effort to mail absentee ballot applications to Michigan voters is being funded by money the state has received from the CARES Act , Benson said , adding that it had already received the funding in full .
Asked to explain what Trump could have been referring to when he said “ I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ There is so much misinformation in those tweets that I do n't know how to weigh any of it other than to simply just cut through and speak the truth.
” A Twitter spokesperson said the tweets did not violate Twitter policy .
According to Twitter , the company does not see the tweets as trying to directly dissuade people from voting .
Twitter 's election integrity policy bans tweets that promote voter suppression .
Trump has loudly disparaged voting by mail , a method that could increase voter turnout in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contested election .
He tweeted about it last month , alleging that it carried “ tremendous potential for voter fraud , and for whatever reason , doesn ’ t work out well for Republicans , '' even though there is no evidence the method promotes widespread fraud .
Later pressed at a briefing on why it was alright for him to vote by absentee ballot in the primary in Florida , where he is registered , Trump presented an evidence-free theory that the process for in-state and out-of-state absentee ballots is different .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state , said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that the decision to allow mail-in voting in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic was “ necessary and prudent ” and “ not made lightly , ” and she assured voters that the state had “ many safeguards in place to ensure the integrity of an all-mail election , ” without mentioning Trump by name .
The fact that Trump had chosen to call out states whose secretaries of state are both women was not lost on Benson .
Asked if Trump was singling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benson said , “ I hope not — although , you know , actions and evidence would suggest otherwise .
It certainly is n't lost on me that colleagues in other states like Iowa , Nebraska , Georgia , West Virginia , who are doing the same thing we 're doing , escaped the president 's ire .
Those are n't only of the same party but of course they 're of the same gender .
That is what it is.
” The office of Georgia ’ s secretary of state , Brad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Republican governor — issued a statement following Trump ’ s tweets saying that he was “ encouraging Georgians to vote absentee by mail to protect their health and limit wait times at the ballot box.
” A spokesperson for Raffensperger said the statement `` had nothing to do with the President ’ s tweets and everything to do with elections in Georgia , '' which began early in-person voting on Monday for its June 9 primary .
“ Considering the health risks posed by COVID-19 , Georgians should seriously consider submitting an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 elections , ” Raffensperger said .
Almost 1.5 million people in Georgia have requested absentee ballots already , he said .
The Republican National Committee stood by the president .
“ We have been clear that we can not have rogue state officials or activist courts making unilateral decisions , ” the group ’ s press secretary , Mandi Merritt , said in a statement to BuzzFeed News .
“ We continue to support lawful absentee voting with the proper safeguards in place , safeguards which Democrats are suing to eliminate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement noting that “ election officials are weighing all contingencies to ensure elections this year are secure and accessible for all voters , including increasing absentee or mail-in voting and adjusting in-person voting as circumstances require and state laws permit.
” The joint statement appears to undermine Trump 's suggestion that Michigan and Nevada were undertaking “ rogue ” moves .
Trump appeared distant from the entire infrastructure designed to ensure that elections run smoothly .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president was kicking off his Twitter rant , the Trump-nominated head of the Elections Assistance Commission tweeted a photo in which he is wearing a mask and holding a mail-in ballot .
The tweet reads : “ Thank you Montgomery County Elections ( @ 777Vote ) , MD State Board of Elections ( @ md_sbe ) and @ USPS for all you are doing to help # DeliverDemocracy !
# 2020Focus # Protect2020 .
”

Local and federal officials pushed back Wednesday against a barrage of tweets from President Donald Trump that appeared to lay the groundwork for alleging voter fraud ahead of November’s election, with Michigan’s secretary of state accusing the president of contributing to a wave of political “misinformation.”
As the coronavirus death toll in the US neared 100,000, Trump spent the morning tweeting error-filled missives directed at Michigan and Nevada; the states have launched initiatives to inform voters about their ability to vote by mail amid fears the pandemic could make in-person voting unsafe.
Trump first targeted Michigan, where he has been engaged in a public battle with Gretchen Whitmer, the state’s governor and a potential vice presidential pick for his likely election rival, Joe Biden. Trump accused the state of improperly sending absentee ballots to 7.7 million people — and hours later corrected it to read that the state had sent out applications for those ballots. He said the move was done “illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State” and said he would seek to hold funding for Michigan “if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!” He later targeted Nevada, alleging it was creating a “great Voter Fraud scenario.” Trump added, “you must not cheat in elections.”
Several states, in line with local and federal regulations, have been encouraging mail-in ballots in a bid to avoid large gatherings as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Social gatherings pose a threat to voters and workers at poll sites, who often come from the most at-risk groups. In Wisconsin, health officials said at least 52 people who voted in person or worked at the polls during the state’s primary last month had gotten COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, though it remains unclear if there is a direct link to voting day.
Trump’s tweets came one day after Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state, announced that the state's voters would be mailed applications to request an absentee ballot so that “no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote.” The state is due to hold a primary in August before the general election in November. More than 5,000 people in the state have died from COVID-19.
Benson told BuzzFeed News she was concerned Trump’s tweets could work to undermine voters’ faith in the election. “We know the important role that Michigan has this year on many levels with many races,” she said. “Because of that, we're prepared for multiple sources of efforts to misinform our voters — from foreign adversaries, bad actors, partisan actors. I didn't wake up this morning thinking I'd have to push back about efforts to misinform our voters about this particular issue coming from the White House, but that's indeed what we had to do, and we'll continue to do that in light of anyone from any party, from any source, that will in any way use a platform to misinform our voters about their rights.”
Trump won Michigan by just .23% of the vote in 2016. He is due to visit the state on Thursday to tour a Ford Motor plant in Ypsilanti that has pivoted to making personal protective equipment and ventilators to address the coronavirus crisis.
Two years ago, Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment to allow for absentee voting. Benson called her decision to mail out information and applications to Michigan’s voters “the opposite” of rogue. She said a similar effort during local elections on May 5 led to 99% of voters opting for mail-in ballots, leading to “the highest turnout we've ever had in a local election statewide.”
The current effort to mail absentee ballot applications to Michigan voters is being funded by money the state has received from the CARES Act, Benson said, adding that it had already received the funding in full. Asked to explain what Trump could have been referring to when he said “I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!” Benson said, “There is so much misinformation in those tweets that I don't know how to weigh any of it other than to simply just cut through and speak the truth.”
A Twitter spokesperson said the tweets did not violate Twitter policy. According to Twitter, the company does not see the tweets as trying to directly dissuade people from voting. Twitter's election integrity policy bans tweets that promote voter suppression.
Trump has loudly disparaged voting by mail, a method that could increase voter turnout in what is likely to be a hotly contested election. He tweeted about it last month, alleging that it carried “tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, doesn’t work out well for Republicans," even though there is no evidence the method promotes widespread fraud. Later pressed at a briefing on why it was alright for him to vote by absentee ballot in the primary in Florida, where he is registered, Trump presented an evidence-free theory that the process for in-state and out-of-state absentee ballots is different.
Barbara Cegavske, Nevada’s secretary of state, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that the decision to allow mail-in voting in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic was “necessary and prudent” and “not made lightly,” and she assured voters that the state had “many safeguards in place to ensure the integrity of an all-mail election,” without mentioning Trump by name.
The fact that Trump had chosen to call out states whose secretaries of state are both women was not lost on Benson. Asked if Trump was singling them out because they are women, Benson said, “I hope not — although, you know, actions and evidence would suggest otherwise. It certainly isn't lost on me that colleagues in other states like Iowa, Nebraska, Georgia, West Virginia, who are doing the same thing we're doing, escaped the president's ire. Those aren't only of the same party but of course they're of the same gender. That is what it is.”
The office of Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger — a Republican who works with a Republican governor — issued a statement following Trump’s tweets saying that he was “encouraging Georgians to vote absentee by mail to protect their health and limit wait times at the ballot box.” A spokesperson for Raffensperger said the statement "had nothing to do with the President’s tweets and everything to do with elections in Georgia," which began early in-person voting on Monday for its June 9 primary.
“Considering the health risks posed by COVID-19, Georgians should seriously consider submitting an absentee ballot by mail for the June 9 elections,” Raffensperger said. Almost 1.5 million people in Georgia have requested absentee ballots already, he said.
The Republican National Committee stood by the president. “We have been clear that we cannot have rogue state officials or activist courts making unilateral decisions,” the group’s press secretary, Mandi Merritt, said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. “We continue to support lawful absentee voting with the proper safeguards in place, safeguards which Democrats are suing to eliminate in states like Michigan."
The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement noting that “election officials are weighing all contingencies to ensure elections this year are secure and accessible for all voters, including increasing absentee or mail-in voting and adjusting in-person voting as circumstances require and state laws permit.” The joint statement appears to undermine Trump's suggestion that Michigan and Nevada were undertaking “rogue” moves.
Trump appeared distant from the entire infrastructure designed to ensure that elections run smoothly. On Wednesday morning, just as the US president was kicking off his Twitter rant, the Trump-nominated head of the Elections Assistance Commission tweeted a photo in which he is wearing a mask and holding a mail-in ballot. The tweet reads: “Thank you Montgomery County Elections (@777Vote), MD State Board of Elections (@md_sbe) and @USPS for all you are doing to help #DeliverDemocracy! #2020Focus #Protect2020.”


buzzfeed--2020-05-21--Scientists Studying The Coronavirus Say Some States Are Censoring Them

Disputes over coronavirus case counts in reopening states like Georgia , Arizona , and Florida are worrying public health experts , who fear public trust in health agencies is being destroyed by moves to silence or obscure unwelcome data .
“ Ultimately this is going to kill people , ” said biostatistics professor Ruth Etzioni of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle .
“ People are going to see low numbers from these reports with manipulated numbers , go outside when they should stay in , get ill , and die.
” As those three states pushed to ease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have each reportedly taken steps to obscure data that would have run counter to their plans , hiding or misapplying complete numbers of those who have died or become ill from COVID-19 .
The White House ’ s April guidelines to states called for a 14-day downturn in case counts before reopening , but the three states and others have proceeded before that happened .
Most public health projections see cases dipping nationwide from the effects of the past stay-at-home orders , but then climbing as May ends as people get sick from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems in Georgia , Arizona , and Florida come as overall US coronavirus cases counts stand at more than 1.5 million , with over 92,000 deaths .
New US case reports have declined to less than 25,000 new cases a day in May , however , down from more than 35,000 a day in late April .
More than 40 states have in the last month reopened businesses after widespread stay-at-home orders in March led to staggering US unemployment and financial losses .
Among the hard-hit states is tourism-heavy Florida , which reopened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s widely praised coronavirus dashboard , Rebekah Jones of the Florida Department of Public Health , reported in an email update on Friday that she had been removed from her role for `` reasons beyond my division ’ s control . ''
Jones , who had previously won praise from White House coronavirus task force leader Deborah Birx , later told a local TV station that the state had asked her to “ manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen.
” The Florida Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ query from BuzzFeed News over whether it had manipulated data to make reopening more attractive .
A statement sent from Helen Ferré of the office of Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis said “ Rebekah Jones exhibited a repeated course of insubordination during her time with the Department , including her unilateral decisions to modify the Department ’ s COVID-19 dashboard without input or approval from the epidemiological team or her supervisors.
” Ferré added that Jones had until Thursday to resign or would face termination .
Jones did not respond to requests for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work address bounced back on Wednesday morning .
The Sunshine State was criticized in April for pressuring medical examiners not to release their COVID-19 death counts , then 10 % higher than official state figures .
A Tampa Bay Times report on Wednesday concluded that COVID-19 had likely led to “ hundreds ” of unreported deaths in Florida since March .
Arizona started a limited reopening plan on May 8 .
Four days earlier state officials directed Arizona State University and University of Arizona researchers modeling the projections for state coronavirus cases to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Also , we have been asked to pull back the special data sets which have been shared under this public health emergency effort , ” the order said , according to a copy obtained by BuzzFeed News .
The university models had suggested the only way to keep deaths from rising in the state was to delay reopening until the end of May , but the state officials had said they wanted to rely on federal models instead .
After the researchers said they planned to continue releasing their projections anyway , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order .
Georgia was among the first states to reopen business , on April 27 .
The state was criticized last week for mistakes in its data just ahead of its reopening , showing that new cases in counties with the highest infection rates had been in a steady two-week decline when in fact they ’ d stayed flat .
The same errors were made three times .
Critics suggested that the mixed-up dates and incorrect case counts were part of misleading bids to suggest that fewer people were getting sick just ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count data is essential for safe state reopenings , which rely on declining case numbers , accurate testing data , and hospitalization rates to proceed in states like Virginia and California , still under regional lockdowns .
A recent Georgia Tech report suggested that people staying at home rather than readily mixing after Georgia ’ s reopening would cut the peak of June and July cases in the state by 40 % .
That makes strong public messages about physical distancing and staying at home crucial during any reopenings , the report concluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not being transparent , not being complete and accurate over the long term , they are fundamentally undermining the trust of the public , ” said George Washington University health policy professor Jeffrey Levi .
The pandemic will likely see repeated periods of calls for stronger physical distancing to blunt future outbreaks , making this particularly dangerous , he added .
“ The next time you tell them to trust your data , they won ’ t. ” The pandemic is already a tough situation for collecting accurate data , Levi noted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of a lack of symptoms or poor access to tests , and reports from New York , New Jersey , and Michigan have suggested large undercounts of deaths are likely .
A healthcare company in Florida reported on Tuesday that as many as 33,000 people there were given unreliable diagnostic tests , not the first time that unreliable tests have muddied the waters for epidemiologists .
Most worrisome , the three-week lag between the onset of a COVID-19 outbreak and deaths in hospitals shooting upward makes maintaining public trust in public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He called the allegations being raised against the state public health agencies altering data and censoring scientists `` unprecedented . ''
“ Anything short of full transparency does not serve the public good , ” American Public Health Association President Lisa Carlson told BuzzFeed News .
“ People make mistakes ; people dispute data .
What ’ s important is to get to , and to maintain , accurate , timely , and complete data — and transparency .
”

Among the hard-hit states is tourism-heavy Florida, which reopened on May 4. The head of the state’s widely praised coronavirus dashboard, Rebekah Jones of the Florida Department of Public Health, reported in an email update on Friday that she had been removed from her role for "reasons beyond my division’s control." Jones, who had previously won praise from White House coronavirus task force leader Deborah Birx, later told a local TV station that the state had asked her to “manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen.”
The Florida Department of Public Health did not respond to a query from BuzzFeed News over whether it had manipulated data to make reopening more attractive. A statement sent from Helen Ferré of the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said “Rebekah Jones exhibited a repeated course of insubordination during her time with the Department, including her unilateral decisions to modify the Department’s COVID-19 dashboard without input or approval from the epidemiological team or her supervisors.” Ferré added that Jones had until Thursday to resign or would face termination.
Jones did not respond to requests for comment. An email sent to her work address bounced back on Wednesday morning.
The Sunshine State was criticized in April for pressuring medical examiners not to release their COVID-19 death counts, then 10% higher than official state figures. A Tampa Bay Times report on Wednesday concluded that COVID-19 had likely led to “hundreds” of unreported deaths in Florida since March.
Arizona started a limited reopening plan on May 8. Four days earlier state officials directed Arizona State University and University of Arizona researchers modeling the projections for state coronavirus cases to “pause” all their work. “Also, we have been asked to pull back the special data sets which have been shared under this public health emergency effort,” the order said, according to a copy obtained by BuzzFeed News.
The university models had suggested the only way to keep deaths from rising in the state was to delay reopening until the end of May, but the state officials had said they wanted to rely on federal models instead. After the researchers said they planned to continue releasing their projections anyway, the state backed down from the pause order.
Georgia was among the first states to reopen business, on April 27. The state was criticized last week for mistakes in its data just ahead of its reopening, showing that new cases in counties with the highest infection rates had been in a steady two-week decline when in fact they’d stayed flat. The same errors were made three times. Critics suggested that the mixed-up dates and incorrect case counts were part of misleading bids to suggest that fewer people were getting sick just ahead of reopening.


buzzfeed--2020-05-20--The Coronavirus Has Tanked Carbon Emissions. It’s Not Nearly Enough To Prevent Climate Disaster.

BuzzFeed News has reporters across five continents bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
“ Putting 33 million Americans out of work and locking down 4 billion people around the world is not the way to solve the climate crisis , ” John Podesta , a top Democratic political strategist now advising a new initiative called Climate Power 2020 , told BuzzFeed News last week .
“ The reality is we have to transform the global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on fossil fuels to one powered by clean energy .
That is a massive undertaking.
” While this precipitous decline in emissions projected for 2020 won ’ t save the planet from catastrophic warming , climate experts say that investments embracing clean energy to help nations ’ economies recover from this disaster just might .
The world has slowed to a crawl under coronavirus lockdowns , with a stunning side effect : As driving , flying , and electricity generation all took a major hit , climate pollution saw an unprecedented drop .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a downturn , the year after or a couple of years after , emissions rebound very strongly , ” Laura Cozzi , IEA ’ s chief energy modeler , told BuzzFeed News .
But previous declines triggered by economic upheavals were quickly reversed .
Indeed , as shown on this chart , after the end of the recession that followed the 2007 global financial crisis , stimulus spending in 2010 powered the largest year-on-year increase in emissions to date .
This chart , based on an analysis of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puts the projected fall in emissions for 2020 in context .
In absolute terms , it is the largest year-on-year drop on record .
This animation shows a trajectory for future emissions that would meet the aggressive target set by the world ’ s nations in the 2015 Paris climate agreement , limiting the rise in global temperatures to about 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels .
The IEA has projected a 7.7 % drop in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions for 2020 , which closely matches the annual cuts that experts say are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1.5-degree target .
This path requires deeply slashing global emissions to the point where the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere equals what ’ s being pulled out of it by forests , oceans , and other “ sinks ” for carbon .
The emissions cuts caused by pandemic lockdowns will not get us anywhere near that .
And that also gives the clearest indication yet that steps taken by individuals to reduce their carbon footprint , such as flying less , were never going to fix the climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , but they are n't commensurate with the challenge , ” Gavin Schmidt , a climate scientist at NASA and adjunct researcher at the Earth Institute at Columbia University , told BuzzFeed News by email .
The IEA estimated that energy-related carbon emissions were down about 5 % in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the previous year , largely a result of decreased use of fossil fuels during the pandemic .
Coal use suffered the biggest decline worldwide , with emissions dropping 8 % ; meanwhile , oil emissions dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
COVID-19 lockdowns weren ’ t the only driving factor .
A mild Northern Hemisphere winter also reduced energy needs for heating , and there was a trend away from coal to electricity sources that are now cheaper , including renewables and natural gas .
“ So really the coal story is certainly a COVID story , but it ’ s beyond that , ” Cozzi said .
A second study published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Climate Change is broadly consistent with the IEA analysis .
Looking at outbreak-related policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US , an international team of researchers estimated that at the peak of COVID-19 lockdowns in early April , daily carbon dioxide emissions were 17 % below the average for 2019 .
If these restrictions are lifted by mid-June , the annual drop could be as low as 4 % , but if some policies stay in place through the end of the year , there could be around a 7 % fall in total emissions in 2020 .
In the US , where more than 90,000 people have died from COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dip 11 % in 2020 compared to the previous year , according to a US Energy Information Administration projection .
That ’ s mainly due to a predicted 23 % decline in emissions from coal and 11 % from petroleum .
While the current fall in emissions isn ’ t the answer to the climate crisis , stimulus investment in green energy could be , climate scientists say .
“ What will make the difference is what the governments invest in , ” Corinne Le Quéré , a climatologist at the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author of the Nature Climate Change study , told BuzzFeed News .
Right now , governments around the world are sending mixed signals on their commitment to using stimulus spending to build a more sustainable energy economy .
In the US , coronavirus-related recovery measures enacted by Congress have so far been focused on getting trillions of dollars into the hands of individuals and businesses as quickly as possible to help buffer the impacts of lost jobs .
Meanwhile , the Trump administration has publicly supported giving recovery money to struggling oil companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secure stimulus money earmarked for small businesses .
But lobbyists are starting to make the push on Capitol Hill for future stimulus packages to specifically hasten the transition to a greener , clean energy economy .
Last week , representatives from more than 300 businesses had a call with Democrats and Republicans in Congress , advocating for resiliency and climate solutions to be included in recovery plans .
The federal government needs to invest in state-level climate and clean energy programs , according to Sam Ricketts , founder of a new climate policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The group , along with Data for Progress , has outlined how to do this , from investing in low-income home energy and weatherization assistance programs to funding expansions in state and local public transit systems .
States have been leading the way on adopting pro-climate and renewable energy policies .
But they also have to tightly balance their budgets , unlike the federal government , and the economic toll of the pandemic is triggering budget cuts .
California , a leader in climate efforts , is now facing a $ 54 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gavin Newsom is now planning to cut spending , including a $ 1 billion loan fund intended to boost green businesses , such as electric vehicle charging stations .
Proposed spending on the state ’ s cap-and-trade program would be cut by more than $ 400 million .
Other countries have already started folding climate action into their recovery packages .
In Canada , companies that apply for stimulus funding have to commit to disclosing how their future operations support environmental sustainability and help meet the country ’ s climate goals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreaks , Spanish officials announced a proposal on Tuesday aiming to cut their climate emissions to net-zero by 2050 .
The coronavirus pandemic puts the US at a crucial crossroads for addressing the climate crisis .
The stimulus needed to restart the economy will either focus on green energy or a return to growing carbon emissions , locking in the nation ’ s response for decades to come .
Climate advocates argue this fate will likely be decided by the 2020 election .
“ If you think that one of the strategies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be investing in more sustainable patterns of growth , cleaner energy , you ’ ve got to make that argument before the election , ” said Podesta .
“ It sets the table for action in 2021 .
”

This animation shows a trajectory for future emissions that would meet the aggressive target set by the world’s nations in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, limiting the rise in global temperatures to about 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
The IEA has projected a 7.7% drop in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions for 2020, which closely matches the annual cuts that experts say are needed over the coming decades to meet the 1.5-degree target. This path requires deeply slashing global emissions to the point where the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere equals what’s being pulled out of it by forests, oceans, and other “sinks” for carbon.
The emissions cuts caused by pandemic lockdowns will not get us anywhere near that. And that also gives the clearest indication yet that steps taken by individuals to reduce their carbon footprint, such as flying less, were never going to fix the climate crisis. “These are good things too, but they aren't commensurate with the challenge,” Gavin Schmidt, a climate scientist at NASA and adjunct researcher at the Earth Institute at Columbia University, told BuzzFeed News by email.
The IEA estimated that energy-related carbon emissions were down about 5% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the previous year, largely a result of decreased use of fossil fuels during the pandemic. Coal use suffered the biggest decline worldwide, with emissions dropping 8%; meanwhile, oil emissions dropped 4.5% and natural gas declined 2.3%.
COVID-19 lockdowns weren’t the only driving factor. A mild Northern Hemisphere winter also reduced energy needs for heating, and there was a trend away from coal to electricity sources that are now cheaper, including renewables and natural gas. “So really the coal story is certainly a COVID story, but it’s beyond that,” Cozzi said.
A second study published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Climate Change is broadly consistent with the IEA analysis. Looking at outbreak-related policies and mobility in 69 countries including the US, an international team of researchers estimated that at the peak of COVID-19 lockdowns in early April, daily carbon dioxide emissions were 17% below the average for 2019. If these restrictions are lifted by mid-June, the annual drop could be as low as 4%, but if some policies stay in place through the end of the year, there could be around a 7% fall in total emissions in 2020.
In the US, where more than 90,000 people have died from COVID-19, carbon emissions from energy are projected to dip 11% in 2020 compared to the previous year, according to a US Energy Information Administration projection. That’s mainly due to a predicted 23% decline in emissions from coal and 11% from petroleum.
While the current fall in emissions isn’t the answer to the climate crisis, stimulus investment in green energy could be, climate scientists say. “What will make the difference is what the governments invest in,” Corinne Le Quéré, a climatologist at the University of East Anglia in the UK and lead author of the Nature Climate Change study, told BuzzFeed News.
Right now, governments around the world are sending mixed signals on their commitment to using stimulus spending to build a more sustainable energy economy.
In the US, coronavirus-related recovery measures enacted by Congress have so far been focused on getting trillions of dollars into the hands of individuals and businesses as quickly as possible to help buffer the impacts of lost jobs.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has publicly supported giving recovery money to struggling oil companies. Coal firms have also managed to secure stimulus money earmarked for small businesses.
But lobbyists are starting to make the push on Capitol Hill for future stimulus packages to specifically hasten the transition to a greener, clean energy economy. Last week, representatives from more than 300 businesses had a call with Democrats and Republicans in Congress, advocating for resiliency and climate solutions to be included in recovery plans.
The federal government needs to invest in state-level climate and clean energy programs, according to Sam Ricketts, founder of a new climate policy and advocacy group called Evergreen Action. The group, along with Data for Progress, has outlined how to do this, from investing in low-income home energy and weatherization assistance programs to funding expansions in state and local public transit systems. States have been leading the way on adopting pro-climate and renewable energy policies. But they also have to tightly balance their budgets, unlike the federal government, and the economic toll of the pandemic is triggering budget cuts.
California, a leader in climate efforts, is now facing a $54 billion budget deficit. In response, Gov. Gavin Newsom is now planning to cut spending, including a $1 billion loan fund intended to boost green businesses, such as electric vehicle charging stations. Proposed spending on the state’s cap-and-trade program would be cut by more than $400 million.
Other countries have already started folding climate action into their recovery packages. In Canada, companies that apply for stimulus funding have to commit to disclosing how their future operations support environmental sustainability and help meet the country’s climate goals. Despite facing one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks, Spanish officials announced a proposal on Tuesday aiming to cut their climate emissions to net-zero by 2050.
The coronavirus pandemic puts the US at a crucial crossroads for addressing the climate crisis. The stimulus needed to restart the economy will either focus on green energy or a return to growing carbon emissions, locking in the nation’s response for decades to come. Climate advocates argue this fate will likely be decided by the 2020 election.
“If you think that one of the strategies of putting people back to work is going to be investing in more sustainable patterns of growth, cleaner energy, you’ve got to make that argument before the election,” said Podesta. “It sets the table for action in 2021.”


buzzfeed--2020-05-21--Tara Reade Stood Apart In Joe Biden's 1990s Senate Staff

People who worked for Biden in 1993 say they ’ re skeptical of Reade ’ s allegations — but they also barely knew her .
Inside an office culture 27 years later .
Sen. Joe Biden ’ s office had a good reputation .
It was the kind of thing staffers remember talking about in 1993 — a time of cultural upheaval on Capitol Hill , witnessed at close range by the aides who began their careers working for the junior senator from Delaware .
They watched their boss preside over the fraught Clarence Thomas hearings , where Anita Hill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the American lexicon , making employers and employees more aware of the way women were treated at work .
They saw Washington constantly waver between old and new — an “ old boys network ” undergoing a “ sea change ” as they walked the halls and sorted mail .
Working next door to conservative Sen. Strom Thurmond , they remember “ a lot of ‘ Go fetch me a cup of coffee , darlin ’ ’ type of stuff ” — while in their own office , women held senior roles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” According to interviews with 10 of the former staffers who worked there at the time , Biden ’ s Senate office stood out as a professional environment with a close-knit cohort of junior aides , many of them in their twenties , some just out of college .
During the workday , they embraced a culture of structure and diligence .
Outside of the office , they played softball in the summers and did happy hours near the Capitol at the Tune Inn and Tortilla Coast .
But among their number was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California native , then age 28 , was employed as a staff assistant from December 1992 to August 1993 , but she left little impression on her colleagues at the time .
Those who remember working with Reade — and some don ’ t remember her at all — didn ’ t know much about her .
They described their coworker , largely , as something of an outsider : She didn ’ t show much interest in socializing with the other junior staffers in the office , nor did she fit their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Looking back , Reade was a passing figure — an indistinct memory during a time they otherwise recall with vivid detail .
Reade , now 56 , came forward this spring with an allegation of sexual assault , claiming Biden digitally penetrated her in an empty Senate hallway when she was asked to bring him a gym bag in 1993 .
She has said that she also filed a harassment complaint , for which she was retaliated against by being relieved of her duties overseeing interns and put inside a “ windowless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to check in and out with a senior staffer .
Biden has denied Reade ’ s claims and asked the National Archives and the Senate to release any complaints from Reade that exist .
None of the people interviewed for this story — all of whom worked for Biden at the same time as Reade — said anything to disprove or corroborate her central allegation of sexual assault .
But in interviews , former staffers questioned many of the same basic aspects of her account , saying they clashed strongly with their memory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a time of heightened awareness around the treatment of women in the workplace .
One former colleague , Ben Savage , directly disputed Reade ’ s claim that she left the office as a result of retaliation — saying that she was pushed out over concerns he remembers bringing to his supervisor about her performance .
“ Did I campaign against her ?
No , ” Savage said in an interview .
“ Did I provide honest feedback and complain about her ?
Yeah , I did .
I ’ m 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fired.
” Savage , a California resident who worked as a tech administrator in Biden ’ s Senate office for three years , said he likely spent more time with Reade than any of his colleagues .
He started shortly after Reade in February 1993 .
They were the sole full-time staffers with desks in the mail room , an area adjacent to Biden ’ s reception area on the second floor of the Russell Building , where they worked together on keeping track of the senator ’ s mail .
In multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship as friendly but not particularly close .
She confided in him about her personal life , including about a health problem , he said .
Yet Savage also found Reade to be a difficult colleague .
Beyond small annoyances — he remembered she banged on her keyboard loudly and threw the windows open in the middle of winter — Reade caused repeated problems with the mail program , he said , and struggled to “ keep up with the pace and professionalism of the office.
” Savage said he has reached out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to defend his former boss .
Together , Savage and Reade were responsible for parts of the senator ’ s expansive correspondence program .
Any mail that came into Biden ’ s Senate office — from constituent letters about a problem in Delaware to petitions for issues like abortion — would be sorted by issue and sentiment , then forwarded to one of three legislative correspondents who sat in an office downstairs .
The legislative correspondents would compose a response on behalf of Biden , often with the help of a policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the mailroom .
Multiple people who worked on the mail program , including Savage , said they remember the Biden Senate office made it a priority to promptly respond to every letter he received .
Savage described two main issues with Reade : First , he claimed , she often miscategorized incoming mail .
Soon after he arrived , he said , he took over that responsibility himself as a result , developing a new coding and cataloging system on a software called Inter-America .
The second problem came later : When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mail room , Savage said Reade threw out photocopies of the responses instead of properly filing them , causing a problem in the record-keeping system that made it seem like the mail had gone unanswered .
Initially , Savage said , he and his supervisor , Dennis Toner , blamed the legislative correspondents for the problem , until Savage asked Reade about the photocopies , and she told him she had been mistakenly throwing them away , he recalled .
Savage said he took his complaints about her work directly to Toner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Reade ’ s performance .
When reached for comment , Toner said he did not remember Reade , or any problems with the mail program in 1993 — though he did not doubt the specifics of Savage ’ s account .
He recalled Savage as a “ disciplined ” and “ conscientious ” employee who helped the office function more efficiently .
One of the legislative correspondents at the time , Cara Ameer ( then Cara Nader ) , said she remembers attending a meeting with Toner and the other legislative correspondents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program , but made no mention of Reade .
Savage also remembered Reade telling him in the spring that she believed she was being pushed out because of her health issues , an element of his account first reported by CNN .
Doug Wigdor , Reade ’ s lawyer , confirmed she had a health issue at the time , but added that she did not recall Savage well enough to remember specific conversations with him .
Wigdor did not dispute Savage ’ s account of the mail program , except to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s performance occurred in the context of retaliation for her complaining about alleged harassment .
By then , he said , she had already raised concerns about at least one alleged incident — where she said a supervisor had asked her to serve drinks at an event because Biden liked her legs .
“ It ’ s not uncommon in retaliation cases for an employee to complain and then to be micromanaged , or nitpicked , and ultimately told , like Tara was , that she was n't a good fit.
, ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffer , said he took over as Reade ’ s successor in the mail room in April 1993 while she was still on payroll .
He said he was never told why the previous person in his role had left , but he did recall a heavy emphasis during his onboarding on not throwing out the mail , though he said the person training him never mentioned Reade .
“ I do remember it was like , ‘ Hey , this is the job .
Do n't throw any mail out , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remember that specifically , like , ‘ That 's the worst thing you can do.
’ ” No one interviewed for this story remembered any incidents of women being harassed or made uncomfortable in the office , nor did anyone remember hearing any allegations about Biden specifically .
In more recent years , Biden has been accused of touching women in a way that made some of them uncomfortable .
He addressed the issue last year , saying , “ The boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset ” and “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reade ’ s time in the office followed Anita Hill ’ s 1991 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee , chaired by Biden at the time , that left some Democrats deeply unsatisfied with the way Hill had been treated .
Biden reportedly expressed “ regret ” in a phone call to Hill last year for her treatment , though Hill has said she didn ’ t consider that to be enough .
Decades later , new reporting in the # MeToo era revealed that Capitol Hill was and remains a place where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harassment or discrimination allegations into a confusing , archaic system of adjudication .
But at the time , those hearings also started a national conversation about women ’ s treatment in the workplace and ushered in the “ Year of the Woman ” in 1992 , when several women senators were elected , changing the makeup of Capitol Hill .
“ There was a sea change , ” said David Long , who worked for Biden on the Judiciary Committee from June 1992 to around July 1994 , starting as a receptionist .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capitol to be an “ old boys network ” when he arrived in 1991 to work for Sen. Ted Kennedy .
“ It really became a much more inclusive and equal place , I think , as a place to work.
” Former Biden staffers described their environment as more amenable to women in leadership roles than other offices on the Hill .
Some of his senior staffers were women , such as Evelyn Lieberman , his press secretary , or his legislative director , Jane Woodfin .
Biden was “ ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it came to elevating women in the office .
According to Earnhardt , the staff assistant who replaced Reade , Biden was “ very sensitive about women really doing anything for him that was looked [ at ] as menial ” — a sentiment repeated in interviews with other men who worked there at the time .
Earnhardt said he was once asked to bring the senator Tylenol or Advil .
On the dais during Judiciary Committee hearings , there was an “ unwritten policy , ” he said , that if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a guy had to bring it to him.
” One aide who worked in close proximity to the former senator for decades , including in the early ’ 90s , said he never heard him comment on a woman ’ s appearance .
There was no “ locker room talk , ” as he put it .
Reade ’ s account of the office culture , including her interactions with the senator , differs sharply from those of her former coworkers .
While others said Biden almost never interacted with junior staffers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff photo day , Reade has said she remembers seeing the senator around the hallways and him touching her neck and shoulders .
In an email to her lawyer , Wigdor , which he read over the phone , Reade wrote , “ I experienced sexual harassment and assault from Joe Biden , so it ’ s a rather obvious answer that I did not find it a safe and friendly environment for women .
It was the opposite of empowerment for me .
I felt objectified and after the assault , traumatized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my career.
” Former staffers were skeptical about some aspects of Reade ’ s story , like her contention that she was asked to serve drinks at an event or bring Biden his gym bag , saying that those tasks would not have normally been assigned to someone in her position .
Biden had an assistant , Terry Wright , who handled personal errands for him .
He “ was the person who schlepped [ the senator ’ s ] bags around and accompanied him on the train and made sure that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right time .
That was his job .
So why would someone else do Terry 's job ?
” said Melissa Lefko , who served as a staff assistant in the office from August 1992 to August 1993 .
Reade maintains that she was asked to bring Biden the gym bag , and through Wigdor she also recalled once being asked to bring the senator a folder .
“ She didn ’ t have a close relationship with [ Biden ] , but there were days that she didn ’ t see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , ” Wigdor said .
According to Reade ’ s coworkers , Biden didn ’ t spend much time in Washington apart from his business on the Hill , and he eschewed cocktail parties and after-hours events .
He didn ’ t keep an apartment or a car in DC , largely relying on Wright to shepherd him to and from the Capitol .
Former staffers remembered begging their counterparts in the office of Sen. George Mitchell , then the Senate majority leader , for his schedule of the day ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the earliest Amtrak from Union Station to Wilmington , Delaware .
Junior staffers embraced Biden ’ s efficient routine : The atmosphere was “ very buttoned-down , very professional , ” said Long .
It was not a place where entry-level employees got points for trying to get face time with the senator , or muscle their way into meetings , they recalled .
Employees were expected to fulfill their duties , stay in their lane , and respect the chain of command .
Time spent in the office was time spent working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked hard all day long , ” said Lefko .
`` You were in a professional environment , so you wanted to be professional in every way — to look and act that way , ” said Cara Ameer , the legislative correspondent .
That ethos of structure and professionalism formed a social fabric for the young people on staff .
Reade never joined their circle .
“ It was a very , very tight-knit group , ” said Long , the staff assistant for Biden on the Judiciary Committee .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I knew where all the happy hours were so I could eat for free .
I do n't remember her being part of any of that .
“ I do n't have any definitive memories of her.
” Some suggested that Reade simply wasn ’ t a good fit for the culture of the office , but they struggled to pinpoint exactly why they felt that way when they knew so little about her .
Two people brought up the clothes she wore to work — specifically recalling that she wore capes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ style — as an example .
“ She definitely seemed to me to march to her own drum , ” said Ameer .
“ Maybe she didn ’ t like us .
Maybe she thought we were a bunch of preppy Capitol Hill staffer types .
If there was a mold of a Capitol Hill staffer , I would kinda say we probably fit it .
We were well dressed.
” Reade ’ s attorney , Wigdor , said that while she did participate in a few social events , such as touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the office , ” and most of her friends were outside work , like in Thompson-Markward Hall , a dormitory for young women where he said Reade lived at the time .
But Reade also described a class divide between herself and the rest of the staff .
“ She felt that most of these staffers and interns went to elite colleges , and she didn ’ t , and they looked down on her , is the best way to describe it , ” said Wigdor .
Payroll records indicate that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total of eight months .
But according to Reade , she was only an active presence in the office for about half that time .
By April 1993 , John Earnhardt had already assumed her responsibilities , quickly befriending the other young people on staff .
Earnhardt said he never met Reade or saw her around the office .
Savage , her old colleague , said he doesn ’ t remember telling her goodbye .
After Earnhardt arrived , he didn ’ t see or speak to her again .
By Reade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she was still in the Senate — working from the “ windowless ” room , cut off from the rest of the staff .
According to her attorney , she thinks the room was somewhere between reception and the mail room , but she isn ’ t sure .
What she does remember is being moved into a room without windows , only a door , by late April or May 1993 , and a telephone and computer were installed for her .
She said she was given a “ desk audit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in with senior staff before leaving the office .
By then , Reade has said in interviews , her job was to “ show up and just look for another job.
” Sometime that summer , Wigdor said , Reade stopped coming into the office .
When her tenure as staff assistant officially came to an end weeks later on Aug. 6 , 1993 — Reade ’ s last day on the Biden payroll — few of her colleagues noticed .
“ It was a pretty awesome time of life , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describing his own memory of Biden ’ s office in those years .
“ We worked really hard as a group .
We socialized .
We knew each other really , really well .
All the support staff were really tight , and we looked out for each other .
“ And I certainly would hope for Tara that her memories would be good as my own , and I certainly see that they 're not .
”

Reade, now 56, came forward this spring with an allegation of sexual assault, claiming Biden digitally penetrated her in an empty Senate hallway when she was asked to bring him a gym bag in 1993. She has said that she also filed a harassment complaint, for which she was retaliated against by being relieved of her duties overseeing interns and put inside a “windowless office,” where she was required to check in and out with a senior staffer.
Biden has denied Reade’s claims and asked the National Archives and the Senate to release any complaints from Reade that exist.
None of the people interviewed for this story — all of whom worked for Biden at the same time as Reade — said anything to disprove or corroborate her central allegation of sexual assault. But in interviews, former staffers questioned many of the same basic aspects of her account, saying they clashed strongly with their memory of Biden’s office culture and of a time of heightened awareness around the treatment of women in the workplace.
One former colleague, Ben Savage, directly disputed Reade’s claim that she left the office as a result of retaliation — saying that she was pushed out over concerns he remembers bringing to his supervisor about her performance.
“Did I campaign against her? No,” Savage said in an interview. “Did I provide honest feedback and complain about her? Yeah, I did. I’m 100% certain it contributed to her getting fired.”
Savage, a California resident who worked as a tech administrator in Biden’s Senate office for three years, said he likely spent more time with Reade than any of his colleagues. He started shortly after Reade in February 1993. They were the sole full-time staffers with desks in the mail room, an area adjacent to Biden’s reception area on the second floor of the Russell Building, where they worked together on keeping track of the senator’s mail.
In multiple interviews this month, Savage described their relationship as friendly but not particularly close. She confided in him about her personal life, including about a health problem, he said. Yet Savage also found Reade to be a difficult colleague. Beyond small annoyances — he remembered she banged on her keyboard loudly and threw the windows open in the middle of winter — Reade caused repeated problems with the mail program, he said, and struggled to “keep up with the pace and professionalism of the office.”
Savage said he has reached out to a range of news outlets to try to defend his former boss.
Together, Savage and Reade were responsible for parts of the senator’s expansive correspondence program. Any mail that came into Biden’s Senate office — from constituent letters about a problem in Delaware to petitions for issues like abortion — would be sorted by issue and sentiment, then forwarded to one of three legislative correspondents who sat in an office downstairs. The legislative correspondents would compose a response on behalf of Biden, often with the help of a policy aide, before passing the drafts back to the mailroom. Multiple people who worked on the mail program, including Savage, said they remember the Biden Senate office made it a priority to promptly respond to every letter he received.
Savage described two main issues with Reade: First, he claimed, she often miscategorized incoming mail. Soon after he arrived, he said, he took over that responsibility himself as a result, developing a new coding and cataloging system on a software called Inter-America.
The second problem came later: When legislative correspondents sent drafted responses back to the mail room, Savage said Reade threw out photocopies of the responses instead of properly filing them, causing a problem in the record-keeping system that made it seem like the mail had gone unanswered. Initially, Savage said, he and his supervisor, Dennis Toner, blamed the legislative correspondents for the problem, until Savage asked Reade about the photocopies, and she told him she had been mistakenly throwing them away, he recalled.
Savage said he took his complaints about her work directly to Toner. He also remembers Toner asking him about Reade’s performance. When reached for comment, Toner said he did not remember Reade, or any problems with the mail program in 1993 — though he did not doubt the specifics of Savage’s account. He recalled Savage as a “disciplined” and “conscientious” employee who helped the office function more efficiently.
One of the legislative correspondents at the time, Cara Ameer (then Cara Nader), said she remembers attending a meeting with Toner and the other legislative correspondents where he addressed problems with the mail program, but made no mention of Reade.
Savage also remembered Reade telling him in the spring that she believed she was being pushed out because of her health issues, an element of his account first reported by CNN. Doug Wigdor, Reade’s lawyer, confirmed she had a health issue at the time, but added that she did not recall Savage well enough to remember specific conversations with him.
Wigdor did not dispute Savage’s account of the mail program, except to say that that the criticism of Reade’s performance occurred in the context of retaliation for her complaining about alleged harassment. By then, he said, she had already raised concerns about at least one alleged incident — where she said a supervisor had asked her to serve drinks at an event because Biden liked her legs.
“It’s not uncommon in retaliation cases for an employee to complain and then to be micromanaged, or nitpicked, and ultimately told, like Tara was, that she wasn't a good fit.,” Wigdor said.
John Earnhardt, another staffer, said he took over as Reade’s successor in the mail room in April 1993 while she was still on payroll. He said he was never told why the previous person in his role had left, but he did recall a heavy emphasis during his onboarding on not throwing out the mail, though he said the person training him never mentioned Reade.
“I do remember it was like, ‘Hey, this is the job. Don't throw any mail out,’” Earnhardt said. “I do remember that specifically, like, ‘That's the worst thing you can do.’”
No one interviewed for this story remembered any incidents of women being harassed or made uncomfortable in the office, nor did anyone remember hearing any allegations about Biden specifically. In more recent years, Biden has been accused of touching women in a way that made some of them uncomfortable. He addressed the issue last year, saying, “The boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset” and “I’ll be much more mindful.”
Reade’s time in the office followed Anita Hill’s 1991 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Biden at the time, that left some Democrats deeply unsatisfied with the way Hill had been treated. Biden reportedly expressed “regret” in a phone call to Hill last year for her treatment, though Hill has said she didn’t consider that to be enough.
Decades later, new reporting in the #MeToo era revealed that Capitol Hill was and remains a place where lawmakers set up a system to push harassment or discrimination allegations into a confusing, archaic system of adjudication.
But at the time, those hearings also started a national conversation about women’s treatment in the workplace and ushered in the “Year of the Woman” in 1992, when several women senators were elected, changing the makeup of Capitol Hill.
“There was a sea change,” said David Long, who worked for Biden on the Judiciary Committee from June 1992 to around July 1994, starting as a receptionist. Long described how he had found the Capitol to be an “old boys network” when he arrived in 1991 to work for Sen. Ted Kennedy. “It really became a much more inclusive and equal place, I think, as a place to work.”
Former Biden staffers described their environment as more amenable to women in leadership roles than other offices on the Hill. Some of his senior staffers were women, such as Evelyn Lieberman, his press secretary, or his legislative director, Jane Woodfin. Biden was “ahead of the curve,” Long argued, when it came to elevating women in the office.


buzzfeed--2020-05-21--Qatar Has Made Its Coronavirus Contact Tracing App Mandatory

Citizens and residents will be required to download the Ehteraz app when “ leaving the house for any reason.
” 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 .
LONDON — On May 18 , Qatar became the latest country to make downloading a coronavirus contact tracing app mandatory for citizens and residents , raising privacy concerns because the app can access photos , videos , and location data on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched the app , called Ehteraz — which means “ precaution ” — in late April , but authorities said this week the app had to be installed when “ leaving the house for any reason , '' starting on May 22 .
Qatari health officials have maintained that there is no cause for concern over privacy , saying personal data would be kept for no more than two months before being “ deleted forever.
” Developed by Qatar ’ s Ministry of the Interior , the app asks for permission to access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videos .
The app , which pairs with Bluetooth devices , can also prevent phones from sleeping .
It ’ s unclear why exactly the app needs to access pictures and videos in the phone ’ s storage , but several Android users have raised the question in the app ’ s comment section in the Google Play store .
“ Storage permission [ is ] required to check the rooted or [ jailbroken ] device for your security , ” the Ministry of the Interior replied to one comment .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ application.
” The information gathered by the app is sent to a centralized database ; if a person is infected , Qatari authorities use the data to track locations they ’ ve visited , the government said .
Then the app will send messages to other users who might have encountered the infected person , and authorities will give them priority in getting tested for the virus .
Contact tracing apps , which were adopted in countries like China , South Korea , and Singapore early in the pandemic , are now becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several states in the US have also rolled out contact tracing apps , and the apps have been criticized in the European Union over data privacy .
At least 14 countries are using contact tracing apps , according to research by Privacy International , though most have made them voluntary to use for the majority of residents and citizens .
Some countries , like India , have made the apps mandatory in practice despite calling them voluntary .
Others , like Singapore , are now weighing whether to make using apps like these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .

It’s unclear why exactly the app needs to access pictures and videos in the phone’s storage, but several Android users have raised the question in the app’s comment section in the Google Play store. “Storage permission [is] required to check the rooted or [jailbroken] device for your security,” the Ministry of the Interior replied to one comment. “We are doing enhancement so always update the application.”
The information gathered by the app is sent to a centralized database; if a person is infected, Qatari authorities use the data to track locations they’ve visited, the government said. Then the app will send messages to other users who might have encountered the infected person, and authorities will give them priority in getting tested for the virus.
Contact tracing apps, which were adopted in countries like China, South Korea, and Singapore early in the pandemic, are now becoming more widely used outside of Asia. Several states in the US have also rolled out contact tracing apps, and the apps have been criticized in the European Union over data privacy.
At least 14 countries are using contact tracing apps, according to research by Privacy International, though most have made them voluntary to use for the majority of residents and citizens. Some countries, like India, have made the apps mandatory in practice despite calling them voluntary. Others, like Singapore, are now weighing whether to make using apps like these mandatory because too few people are downloading them.


buzzfeed--2020-05-22--Trump Wants To Hold The G7 Summit In Person But He Didn’t Ask Other World Leaders About The Idea Bef

Trump Wants To Hold The G7 Summit In Person But He Didn’t Ask Other World Leaders About The Idea Before Tweeting It

Gathering for the G7 summit when the world is tiptoeing out of coronavirus lockdowns : an “ awkward proposition to deal with.
” BuzzFeed News has reporters around the world bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Donald Trump hadn ’ t talked to other world leaders about his idea to host June ’ s G7 Summit in person when he started tweeting about it , senior officials from two participating governments told BuzzFeed News .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transitioning back to Greatness ’ , I am considering rescheduling the G-7 , on the same or similar date , in Washington , D.C. , at the legendary Camp David , ” Trump posted Wednesday .
“ The other members are also beginning their COMEBACK .
It would be a great sign to all - normalization !
” Short for “ Group of Seven , ” the G7 is a yearly meetup of leaders from the world ’ s most advanced economies — the US , Germany , France , Italy , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US is this year ’ s host .
After his tweet on Wednesday , the President later told reporters that the gathering would `` primarily '' take place at the White House and `` there could be a piece of it at Camp David . ''
Either way , it would mean an in-person gathering at a time when each country is tiptoeing out of coronavirus lockdowns , with strict social distancing measures — and restrictions on international travel — likely to still be in place .
It is an “ awkward proposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government officials told BuzzFeed News .
The other official said that privately , “ the initial reception to the idea among Europeans had been cold — but they can not immediately reject it.
” In public , each country has responded diplomatically .
Reuters quoted a French official saying that President Emmanuel Macron was open to traveling to the US for the meeting — if the COVID-19 situation allows .
Canada 's prime minister Justin Trudeau told reporters , “ We ’ ll certainly take a look at what the U.S. is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see what kind of measures will be in place to keep people safe.
” The UK struck a similar tone .
At a daily briefing this week , the Prime Minister 's official spokesman said : `` In the event of any travel , the PM would follow the guidelines at the time . ''
`` We are in close contact with the US in the run-up to the summit , '' the spokesman added .
`` We will need to look at the details of what the US are proposing.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for June 10-12 at Camp David in Maryland , but when the outbreak took hold it was moved to a virtual setting .
Trump had originally proposed holding the event at his luxury Doral resort in Florida .
Preparatory meetings ahead of the summit have been held via video conference , and the seven governments have at times struggled to find a consensus .
In March , the Trump administration wanted foreign ministers to sign up to a joint statement calling the coronavirus “ the Wuhan virus.
” The six other governments rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in just a few weeks would involve organizing travel and security arrangements for dozens of officials , diplomats and support staff from each country .
Governments would have to make those arrangements even as many borders around the world remain shut , and most of the world ’ s airplanes remain grounded .
It is not the first time that Trump has surprised his allies with major moves or announcements without talking to them first .
BuzzFeed News reported earlier this year that the US did n't warn Britain or its other European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran 's top military commander , Qassem Soleimani .
Trump also did n't consult with European leaders before introducing a coronavirus travel ban in mid-March .

In public, each country has responded diplomatically.
Reuters quoted a French official saying that President Emmanuel Macron was open to traveling to the US for the meeting — if the COVID-19 situation allows.
Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau told reporters, “We’ll certainly take a look at what the US is proposing as host of the G7 to see what kind of measures will be in place to keep people safe.”
The UK struck a similar tone. At a daily briefing this week, the prime minister's official spokesperson said: "In the event of any travel, the PM would follow the guidelines at the time."
"We are in close contact with the US in the run-up to the summit," the spokesperson added. "We will need to look at the details of what the US are proposing.”
The meeting of G7 leaders was originally scheduled for June 10–12 at Camp David in Maryland, but when the outbreak took hold it was moved to a virtual setting. Trump had originally proposed holding the event at his luxury Doral resort in Florida.


buzzfeed--2020-05-22--The Coronavirus Canceled Ramadan Celebrations Around The World, So This Game Developer Re-Created Th

The Coronavirus Canceled Ramadan Celebrations Around The World, So This Game Developer Re-Created Them In “Animal Crossing”

We couldn ’ t eat the food in front of us , but we could escape reality for a moment .
A few weeks into the height of the coronavirus pandemic causing lockdowns and stay-at-home orders around the world , Rami Ismail was doing what many of us have done in the face of this historic cataclysm : He was playing Animal Crossing .
He was participating in Bunny Day ( the game ’ s version of Easter , which involves hunting hundreds of eggs just to build useless objects ) , when he had a thought : Why couldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well ?
Animal Crossing : New Horizons has become an escapist phenomenon during the pandemic — a bright point for people to escape their dreary indoor existence and instead be a tiny villager , wandering around a deserted tropical island in the bright sun doing mundane chores and interacting with talking animals and friends who can visit over the internet .
The game sold more than 13.4 million copies in its first six weeks — after launching worldwide on March 20 , as many stay-at-home orders went into effect across the globe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever for the Nintendo Switch , and the console itself has sold out at numerous stores and websites , becoming almost as difficult to find as Lysol wipes or hand sanitizer during the pandemic .
Ismail is a video game developer based in Hilversum in the Netherlands and has a large Twitter following of fellow gamers and game developers .
He loves Animal Crossing , he told me , but playing it has highlighted the representation gap for Muslims in gaming — not just in the Animal Crossing franchise , but across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available in Arabic , he said .
“ Christianity is often treated in sort of a secular way ” in media like video games , Ismail told me , speaking over video chat from his home .
“ Bunny Day is obviously very far removed from the Christian idea of Easter , and I thought maybe you could do that with Ramadan — take the culture and community of this religious event and make it into something similar to how Christianity often gets treated.
” Games like Animal Crossing , where you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their own homes , have been fun ways to replace people ’ s actual social lives .
The game includes its own versions of several major holidays , including Valentine ’ s Day , St. Patrick ’ s Day , Thanksgiving , Halloween , Christmas , and , yes , Easter .
But Ismail realized that a game like Animal Crossing was unlikely to depict Ramadan .
“ I think a lot of people are just scared of touching Islam as a subject , or a thing to add to their games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afraid of being offensive , or afraid of making people angry and causing controversy , ” Ismail continued .
“ It 's just not an interest , despite Muslims being a quarter of the human population.
” So he decided to do it himself .
“ I wanted to work a bit on the representation of Muslims in this game , ” he said .
“ But also , as Ramadan got closer , I realized that I was very lonely.
” Ismail lives alone , about 30 minutes away from his family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , he hasn ’ t been able to see his parents during the outbreak due to a lockdown in his neighborhood and not wanting to spread the virus .
A huge part of Ramadan is about the community , Ismail said .
Not just getting together with family and friends for iftar meals to break fast at the end of the day , but eating with strangers and gathering with large groups to celebrate in the mosque .
He wanted to try to emulate that in a game that has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the community aspect .
He put out a call on Twitter , offering to host people to celebrate Ramadan on his island , and very quickly got a lot of responses from friends , internet acquaintances , and complete strangers .
There was so much interest that he had to create a sign-up tool to ensure everyone could be distributed to different meals throughout the month ( Animal Crossing only allows eight people to visit an island at one time ) .
Ismail decided to start hosting iftars and suhoors ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) on Animal Crossing .
He said so far he ’ s had 70 to 80 people visit his island for Ramadan , which began on April 23 .
Although I did not sign up through official channels , Ismail was kind enough to let me join a suhoor at 3 a.m. his time , 9 p.m. my time in New York .
All the guests called into Nintendo Voice Chat and flew our tiny villagers onto Ismail ’ s island .
He had set up a long dinner table with custom-designed blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
There were candles and lanterns , and covered booths with plates of food and tea on them ( even though Animal Crossing characters can only eat fruit and bamboo shoots , there is an array of food for sale that your character can stare at ) .
This was similar to how Ismail and his friends and family often have IRL Ramadan meals in normal times , he told his guests , dining outside potluck-style , joined by some friends and family , and some strangers .
Because Ramadan lasts from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crescent moon is the month ’ s symbol .
Animal Crossing takes place in real time : The season on your island is the season outside your window ; when it ’ s 3 p.m. on Monday in your apartment , it ’ s 3 p.m. on Monday in the game ; and the moon in the game is in the same phase as the moon in the real-life sky .
On the night I attended suhoor with Ismail , the moon was a few days from full , a few days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above his guests as we entered one by one , placed our shoes and little in-game gifts like peaches and espresso makers on the ground , and showed off our outfits .
Most people ’ s avatars wore various head coverings , Ismail another guest wore customized thawbs , and one person came wearing a face mask , triggering someone to make a joke about Animal Crossing facing a “ Nookvirus pandemic ” ( a reference to Nook Inc. , the capitalist overlords of the game ) .
Once everyone had gathered at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set up , we just began talking .
Those who were breaking fast on the phone shared what they were eating IRL for their early morning or late evening meal — rice and meat in one case , fruits , nuts , and peanut butter in another .
We talked about how we all knew Ismail .
One guest , Sarah Elmaleh , whose Animal Crossing character was dressed in her “ ‘ 90s singer-songwriter outfit , ” as she called it — a beanie and camo pants — is a voiceover actor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice work for video games , and she and Ismail do an online charity event together .
Another , Aiden Strawhun , is a journalism student at the University of California Berkeley and announced halfway through the evening that it was her birthday .
Everyone made their characters clap .
The guest list of that event was unusual , Ismail told me later , in that most of the people attending were friends of his and nearly everyone was from the US .
Usually he only knows a few of the attendees personally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the world .
“ I ’ ve had people from every continent , ” Ismail said , looking at a list of his former guests .
“ I see Baghdad here , Singapore , Mexico , Central Europe , Ireland , South Africa , Sydney , Moscow , really just all over the place.
” “ I think it ’ s honestly about 50-50 Muslim , non-Muslim , ” Ismail said of most of his Animal Crossing meals .
He said he had expected it to lean more toward non-Muslims because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly gamers .
The non-Muslims who join , he said , have mostly been interested in asking questions about Ramadan , about the symbolism of the moon , and , of course , the question every Muslim gets asked each Ramadan : “ You can ’ t even drink water ?
?
” But no matter their religions , Ismail ’ s global guests have been his favorite part of the experience because one of the things he misses most about his pre-coronavirus life is the constant travel he did for work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling , ” he said .
“ I like talking to random groups of people , hearing about the weather , what they ’ re eating.
” The most interesting conversation he ’ s had in his Animal Crossing Ramadan meals so far , he told me , was with a man who lives right next to Mecca , the site in Saudi Arabia where the Prophet Muhammad and Islam itself was said to be born , and a site of pilgrimage for Muslims .
“ I have never done the pilgrimage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such familiarity was fascinating to me , ” Ismail said .
Mecca is currently completely empty due to the lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Ramadan is normally a time when it is at its most full , when thousands of people pilgrimage from across the world to do the daily prayer and circle the Kaaba , the famous cube at the center of Islam ’ s most important mosque — the Great Mosque of Mecca .
For the first time , in a picture of the empty landmark , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floors .
“ If Muslims were the primary moviemakers in our age , a shot of Mecca empty would be in every disaster movie , ” Ismail said .
“ It ’ s a terrifying view .
You look at it and you ’ re like , That is wrong .
This should not happen.
” Because even when you ’ re on a deserted island , sitting at a table with a bunch of small people with giant heads surrounded by talking animals , the pandemic has a way of creeping into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wholesome escapism with an undertone of horror .
After we sat at the table for a few minutes or hours ( what is time ? )
, Ismail took us on a tour of his incredibly impressive island and his home .
We all oohed and ahhed at the soccer field he built and his Japanese garden .
At one point , Sarah got stuck across a small pond and we all laughed , giving her advice on how to get out .
In some ways , it felt like a normal gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awkward , people coming and going based on their schedules .
But , I realized after , this was the first time since the lockdown began that I got to meet new people , that I had to introduce myself .
It was refreshing .
It was something I didn ’ t know I had missed .
Hopefully we ’ ll all get to attend events like this in person sooner rather than later , but until then , Ismail is in the midst of making some big plans for Eid al-Fitr , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend .
“ Eid is much harder than Ramadan — I really want to do it in Animal Crossing , and I 've been collecting gifts in case I do figure out something , ” Ismail told me in a Twitter DM about a week after I visited his island .
While iftars and suhoors are usually just a small gathering of people , Eid is a big festival full of people , more than the eight people Animal Crossing allows on an island at once .
Ismail said to solve this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday , he ’ s been thinking of trying to create a “ queuing system , ” as he put it .
Basically , designing an external website where people can sign up for a certain time slot , come to the island for 15 minutes or so , party there , and then head back out to let the next people fly in .
“ Then at the end you can maybe send people a photo souvenir or something , ” he said , adding that this would be his project for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Outside of his deserted island , Ismail said he ’ s actually made Eid plans with some real three-dimensional humans .
“ I 'll definitely meet up with my family somewhere outside , and maybe just wave at each other from our cars , ” he said .
“ It 's not great , but it 's something.
” ●

“Bunny Day is obviously very far removed from the Christian idea of Easter, and I thought maybe you could do that with Ramadan — take the culture and community of this religious event and make it into something similar to how Christianity often gets treated.”
Games like Animal Crossing, where you can virtually gather with friends and family playing in their own homes, have been fun ways to replace people’s actual social lives. The game includes its own versions of several major holidays, including Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, and, yes, Easter. But Ismail realized that a game like Animal Crossing was unlikely to depict Ramadan.
“I think a lot of people are just scared of touching Islam as a subject, or a thing to add to their games. I think they’re likely afraid of being offensive, or afraid of making people angry and causing controversy,” Ismail continued. “It's just not an interest, despite Muslims being a quarter of the human population.”
So he decided to do it himself.
“I wanted to work a bit on the representation of Muslims in this game,” he said. “But also, as Ramadan got closer, I realized that I was very lonely.”
Ismail lives alone, about 30 minutes away from his family. But like many people all over the world, he hasn’t been able to see his parents during the outbreak due to a lockdown in his neighborhood and not wanting to spread the virus.
A huge part of Ramadan is about the community, Ismail said. Not just getting together with family and friends for iftar meals to break fast at the end of the day, but eating with strangers and gathering with large groups to celebrate in the mosque. He wanted to try to emulate that in a game that has been so appealing to people in quarantine precisely because of the community aspect.
He put out a call on Twitter, offering to host people to celebrate Ramadan on his island, and very quickly got a lot of responses from friends, internet acquaintances, and complete strangers. There was so much interest that he had to create a sign-up tool to ensure everyone could be distributed to different meals throughout the month (Animal Crossing only allows eight people to visit an island at one time).
Ismail decided to start hosting iftars and suhoors (the early morning meal before the sunrises) on Animal Crossing. He said so far he’s had 70 to 80 people visit his island for Ramadan, which began on April 23.
Although I did not sign up through official channels, Ismail was kind enough to let me join a suhoor at 3 a.m. his time, 9 p.m. my time in New York. All the guests called into Nintendo Voice Chat and flew our tiny villagers onto Ismail’s island.


buzzfeed--2020-05-23--No One Is Ready To Step In And Provide Safety Guidance As Businesses And Work Places Start To Reopen

BuzzFeed News has reporters around the world bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
WASHINGTON — As states reopen , nonessential workers across the country can be summoned back to work , but there are no federal coronavirus rules protecting them and their ability to sue over unsafe work conditions could soon be severely limited .
The Trump administration has not enacted any health and safety rules to govern how workplaces must keep employees safe during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal requirements to provide masks or enforce social distancing when possible .
At the same time , Congress is debating whether to pass sweeping liability reforms to shield employers from coronavirus-related lawsuits .
That combination could result in a legal landscape where employers are under no obligation to adapt to coronavirus , yet workers and customers are unable to sue for changes or if they get sick .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made passing a liability shield his top coronavirus priority , insisting it be included in any aid bill Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean workers couldn ’ t sue their employer over allegations that they contracted COVID-19 due to unsafe working conditions , and customers couldn ’ t sue a business they believe caused them to be infected .
Employers ranging from hospital groups to the owner of Burger King have made a hard push for legal immunity as the country reopens .
But the driving force has been the US Chamber of Commerce .
During a Thursday conference call , Chamber executives called for Congress to pass a liability shield and opposed any new health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House has so far avoided taking a firm oversight role .
OSHA , the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released only guidance — nonbinding advice that is unenforceable — rather than enforceable regulations .
The White House ’ s “ Opening Up America Again ” plan punts workplace health and safety to being a state responsibility .
OSHA falls under the purview of Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia .
Scalia was formerly a corporate lawyer at the Washington office of Gibson , Dunn & Crutcher , where he specialized in overturning workplace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Chamber and represented the group several times over the years .
In 2001 , then-president George W. Bush tried to appoint Scalia as Labor Department solicitor , but he was initially blocked in the Senate because of his perceived hostility toward worker protections .
He had led a US Chamber of Commerce legal campaign against Clinton-era workplace safety design rules , mocking the underlying science as “ quackery.
” He was later appointed through a rarely used process that circumvents the Senate .
( And , yes , he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antonin Scalia . )

WASHINGTON — As states reopen, nonessential workers across the country can be summoned back to work, but there are no federal coronavirus rules protecting them and their ability to sue over unsafe work conditions could soon be severely limited.
The Trump administration has not enacted any health and safety rules to govern how workplaces must keep employees safe during the coronavirus epidemic. There are no federal requirements to provide masks or enforce social distancing when possible. At the same time, Congress is debating whether to pass sweeping liability reforms to shield employers from coronavirus-related lawsuits.
That combination could result in a legal landscape where employers are under no obligation to adapt to coronavirus, yet workers and customers are unable to sue for changes or if they get sick.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made passing a liability shield his top coronavirus priority, insisting it be included in any aid bill Congress passes next.
An immunity shield would mean workers couldn’t sue their employer over allegations that they contracted COVID-19 due to unsafe working conditions, and customers couldn’t sue a business they believe caused them to be infected.
Employers ranging from hospital groups to the owner of Burger King have made a hard push for legal immunity as the country reopens. But the driving force has been the US Chamber of Commerce.
During a Thursday conference call, Chamber executives called for Congress to pass a liability shield and opposed any new health and safety regulations on businesses.
The White House has so far avoided taking a firm oversight role. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released only guidance — nonbinding advice that is unenforceable — rather than enforceable regulations. The White House’s “Opening Up America Again” plan punts workplace health and safety to being a state responsibility.
OSHA falls under the purview of Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia. Scalia was formerly a corporate lawyer at the Washington office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he specialized in overturning workplace protections. Scalia has lobbied on behalf of the Chamber and represented the group several times over the years.
In 2001, then-president George W. Bush tried to appoint Scalia as Labor Department solicitor, but he was initially blocked in the Senate because of his perceived hostility toward worker protections.
He had led a US Chamber of Commerce legal campaign against Clinton-era workplace safety design rules, mocking the underlying science as “quackery.” He was later appointed through a rarely used process that circumvents the Senate. (And, yes, he’s the son of late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.)