buzzfeed--2020-05-07--Black Americans Don’t Trust Medicine Because Of Racism. That’s Bad In A Pandemic.

A legacy of racism has left a dangerous divide between the medical establishment and black Americans , who are now dying at high rates in the coronavirus pandemic .
WASHINGTON — Outside the grocery store in Congress Heights , people are playing dominoes in the parking lot , close together without wearing masks .
An auto service truck driver , who ’ s come to repair a flat tire , is n't wearing a mask either ; he says he 's had pneumonia and survived getting shot already , so what is the coronavirus to him ?
In Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % black , close to 80 % of coronavirus deaths so far are among black people .
And black people are dying at higher rates than virtually anyone else across the US .
The coronavirus has been especially deadly in black neighborhoods in cities like Chicago , Milwaukee , and New York .
With US case numbers now surpassing 1.1 million people , the stark racial disparity was most recently on display in Richmond , Virginia , where 62 % of COVID-19 cases were among black people in a 52 % white city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the disease in the city were black .
Last week , Sen. Kamala Harris of California introduced legislation to create a federal task force to investigate racial disparities in coronavirus deaths .
`` Early reports overwhelmingly show that COVID-19 is disproportionately infecting and killing minorities across the nation , ” Harris said .
Black people in the US already have worse health outcomes , even predating the pandemic .
Black men have a life expectancy of 71.5 years , below the national life expectancy of 78.7 years .
Black people have higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other stress-related illnesses — all among the “ comorbidities ” that raise the risk of dying of COVID-19 — and have reduced access to healthcare to help prevent and treat them .
They are also disproportionately performing the low-paying “ essential ” jobs that increase risks of exposure to the novel coronavirus .
The disparities have led some commentators to argue that black people need to take better charge of their health to stem the tide of deaths .
But decades of mistreatment — whether it ’ s being denied care at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or being denied pain medications by racist doctors today — have created a structural wall of suspicion of the medical system , as well as a deep stigma underlying the notion of being sick .
“ You can ’ t just parachute in now to tell people you are going to help them with a pandemic when they have been neglected so long , ” Martin Pernick , a medical historian at the University of Michigan , told BuzzFeed News .
“ They ’ ll ask , ‘ Where were you when my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else ?
’ and even with good intentions , you can ’ t blame them.
” This distrust of healthcare is born out of medical racism going back to the slavery era , Pernick said .
Physicians were employed to ready slaves for auctions and performed cruel surgical experiments on them without raising the question of consent — memories that are buried but still running deep , an undercurrent of skepticism toward medicine in long-neglected communities .
Much of the suspicion around abuse in human experimentation is rooted in the infamous Tuskegee experiment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communications professor at the University of Southern California , who has looked at why black people volunteer less often for clinical trials .
The 40-year experiment , which ended in 1972 , involved government researchers leaving 600 black sharecroppers deliberately untreated for syphilis even after the discovery in 1947 that penicillin could cure the disease .
Twenty-eight of the men died of syphilis and another 100 died of related complications .
“ Every time I work with this population , if they are over 20 , they are well aware of Tuskegee and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Murphy .
“ Unfortunately , this means that some drugs might reach the market without being tested specifically on African Americans who may have unique side effects.
” Over 1,100 coronavirus clinical trials are currently underway in the US , and the FDA has approved emergency use of the antiviral drug remdesivir to treat COVID-19 after preliminary results from small trials for the experimental drug suggested it could shorten hospital stays .
Large vaccine trials are expected to start in the fall .
Medical racism still persists today .
Doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the slavery-era belief that black people feel less pain than white people do , and a 2007 University of Pennsylvania survey across 20 major US cities found that black people distrusted doctors more than white people did in all but three cities — Las Vegas , San Antonio , and Riverside , California .
“ Because we know that often , African Americans — their pain is not recognized or seen as bad .
That can lead to issues in terms of whether or not they ’ re seen as having a severity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lillie D. Williamson of the University of Wisconsin , Madison , whose work looks at the relationship between medical mistrust and experiences of discrimination , told BuzzFeed News .
BuzzFeed News has reported several cases of black people in the US who have been denied COVID-19 tests despite showing symptoms , having underlying conditions , and asking for tests .
Williamson suggested medical mistrust increases as more people hear those stories .
As more news comes out about black Americans seeking medical attention and being turned away , Williamson said , we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals as they consume that , and what that means for people ’ s willingness to seek help .
“ People feel like , 'What ’ s the point ?
I already know I can ’ t trust physicians , look at all these examples , ’ ” added Williamson , noting that this view doesn ’ t represent all black Americans .
Due to years of mistrust , communities of color may lack familiarity with the healthcare options that are available , physician Janet Seabrook of Community HealthNet Health Centers in Gary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The misinformation , disinformation , and wishful thinking run rampant , ” she said pointing to a dangerous rumor in early March that black people can not contract COVID-19 .
In her own family , she had to convince an older relative to seek treatment for prostate cancer ; as a boy in the Deep South , that relative saw that almost as soon as someone learned they had cancer , they died .
`` Imagine trying to get my family member in a clinical trial if I were not in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Imagine what would have happened to this family member without a resident doctor in the family . ''
There ’ s also a stigma associated with the virus , which some are comparing to the wave of deaths from the AIDS epidemic .
One New York resident , W.C. , who asked to be identified only by initials to discuss her medical status , said she fears being judged .
When W.C. announced that her grandmother died on Facebook , she did not mention it was from complications related to COVID-19 , nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother had also tested positive .
“ The only reason people are not talking is because they are taking it like it ’ s AIDS , and it ’ s really not like that , ” W.C. said .
“ That ’ s why I tell people , ‘ You sitting here scared to talk about it , and you could be somebody that got it and don ’ t even know it.
’ ” Robert Cornegy , a New York City Council member who represents a large black population in Brooklyn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constituents take social distancing any less seriously because of a distrust in medicine .
At the same time , he chose to keep his own COVID-19 diagnosis private .
“ I think that people were very confused about the disease , very confused in conflicting stories around who it would impact negatively .
So I didn ’ t want to play into that , ” Cornegy told BuzzFeed News .
“ I know what the fears are of people , and they have a reasonable expectation that their leadership will keep themselves healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community along.
” That community is being hit hard .
As is the Bronx , the borough that in early April was projected to lead the city in COVID-19 deaths ; some lawmakers have attributed the spike to insufficient testing in the borough 's most vulnerable communities .
On Wednesday , a JAMA Network report looked at COVID-19 hospitalizations across every borough of New York City , where about 17 % of all US cases had occurred by late April .
The Bronx , which has the highest share of racial and ethnic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poverty , and the lowest levels of education of all New York City boroughs , had the highest rates of hospitalization and death related to the novel coronavirus .
“ People who are prepared to help will have to meet black communities halfway by asking them questions about what help they need — not just what they want to give them now and then walking away , ” said Pernick , the medical historian .
“ They will have to overcome an understandable legacy of suspicion .
”

This distrust of healthcare is born out of medical racism going back to the slavery era, Pernick said. Physicians were employed to ready slaves for auctions and performed cruel surgical experiments on them without raising the question of consent — memories that are buried but still running deep, an undercurrent of skepticism toward medicine in long-neglected communities.
Much of the suspicion around abuse in human experimentation is rooted in the infamous Tuskegee experiment, said Sheila Murphy, a health communications professor at the University of Southern California, who has looked at why black people volunteer less often for clinical trials. The 40-year experiment, which ended in 1972, involved government researchers leaving 600 black sharecroppers deliberately untreated for syphilis even after the discovery in 1947 that penicillin could cure the disease. Twenty-eight of the men died of syphilis and another 100 died of related complications.
“Every time I work with this population, if they are over 20, they are well aware of Tuskegee and very leery of participating in clinical trials,” said Murphy. “Unfortunately, this means that some drugs might reach the market without being tested specifically on African Americans who may have unique side effects.”
Over 1,100 coronavirus clinical trials are currently underway in the US, and the FDA has approved emergency use of the antiviral drug remdesivir to treat COVID-19 after preliminary results from small trials for the experimental drug suggested it could shorten hospital stays. Large vaccine trials are expected to start in the fall.
Medical racism still persists today. Doctors in one 2016 survey still subscribed to the slavery-era belief that black people feel less pain than white people do, and a 2007 University of Pennsylvania survey across 20 major US cities found that black people distrusted doctors more than white people did in all but three cities — Las Vegas, San Antonio, and Riverside, California.
“Because we know that often, African Americans — their pain is not recognized or seen as bad. That can lead to issues in terms of whether or not they’re seen as having a severity that warrants certain next steps,” Lillie D. Williamson of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, whose work looks at the relationship between medical mistrust and experiences of discrimination, told BuzzFeed News.
BuzzFeed News has reported several cases of black people in the US who have been denied COVID-19 tests despite showing symptoms, having underlying conditions, and asking for tests.
Williamson suggested medical mistrust increases as more people hear those stories. As more news comes out about black Americans seeking medical attention and being turned away, Williamson said, we need to consider “what that does for individuals as they consume that, and what that means for people’s willingness to seek help.
“People feel like, 'What’s the point? I already know I can’t trust physicians, look at all these examples,’” added Williamson, noting that this view doesn’t represent all black Americans.


buzzfeed--2020-05-09--Here’s What Public Health Experts Think Our Pandemic Summer Will Look Like

Summer awaits , filled with masks , temperature checks , and the ever-present chance of quarantine .
Also many more deaths , say public health experts , as states reopen without enough tests , without enough public health workers , and without knowing exactly where the coronavirus is hiding .
“ This summer we will see the face mask become the new normal , now and in years afterward , no handshakes , no hugging , and keeping our distance , ” Georgia State University epidemiologist Gerardo Chowell told BuzzFeed News .
“ Crowds are going to become a thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , US numbers of COVID-19 cases have marched upward to more than 1.2 million , even as cases elsewhere in the world have entered a period of steady decline .
Nevertheless , facing unprecedented economic pressure , 25 states are proceeding with reopening restaurants , businesses , and childcare facilities this month .
Public health experts widely view these moves as a prelude to a disaster , the almost inevitable result of exposing people without any natural immunity to a deadly disease , one readily and silently spread by people often without any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to reshape the landscape of our daily lives .
“ We are nowhere near herd immunity , and when the physical distancing interventions that have slowed transmission loosen , we expect to see a resurgence of cases and deaths , ” epidemiologist Caroline Buckee of the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health told BuzzFeed News .
The federal government has provided mixed messages about how exactly to approach reopening the economy without increasing deaths .
The Trump administration released general guidelines for state reopenings on April 16 .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC guide for local officials to consider when reopening schools , restaurants , summer camps , churches , daycares , and other institutions .
Seizing on the support of his base , Trump has also made vocal declarations against his administration ’ s own distancing guidelines , tweeting “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN !
” in mid-April and , this week , assuring states it ’ s safe to reopen .
That has left individual states to craft their own rules for relaxing social distancing restrictions .
Led by a handful of Republican governors opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Texas , many have ignored the White House guide ’ s criteria of 14 days of declining cases before reopening and a declining percentage of positive tests .
States are still widely calling for people to wear cloth masks and for stores and restaurants to allow only half-occupancy to encourage distances between people .
It 's possible that the slow release of these interventions can prevent the worst-case scenarios , Buckee said , “ but it will be very difficult to control once exponential growth takes off again.
” A Columbia University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , for example , projected how US daily coronavirus death rates will change through the middle of June , depending on three scenarios for how people behave in coming weeks .
In one scenario , US counties continued social distancing to the same level as they had before reopening .
In a second , social contacts increased by 10 % , reflecting people obeying loosened restrictions in reopened states .
In the last scenario , contacts increased by 10 % every week in reopened states .
In all of the scenarios , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of roughly 2,000 deaths a day for the next two weeks .
Then they shoot upwards again in the familiar pandemic exponential curve for the loosened states .
By June 1 , the middle scenario resulted in more than 43,000 new cases and 1,800 deaths per day .
An increasing loosening of restrictions every week would lead to median estimates of more than 63,000 new cases and 2,400 deaths per day .
By the middle of June , the projections would reach potentially devastating heights : 3,000 deaths per day in the onetime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day if restrictions continue to loosen .
“ The dip is very worrisome , people see lower cases and think there isn ’ t a problem , so they increase their contacts , ” which leads to more deaths weeks later , Columbia ’ s Sen Pei , a coauthor on the analysis , told BuzzFeed News .
“ We expect people will change their behavior once they see deaths racing upward again , ” he said .
Because of the two- to three-week lag between initial infection and death , combined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a perilously slow mobilization of contact tracing to track exposures to new cases , governors are essentially steering by looking in the rearview mirror , driving straight into outbreaks they can ’ t see ahead .
That means deaths and cases will continue to go up , even after the brakes are slammed on again .
“ Without testing to closely follow and trace cases , states should not be re-opening in my opinion , ” said Buckee .
One of the confusing likelihoods of future outbreaks is the role of good and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby counties pursuing identical policies might see one hit by an outbreak and the other less affected .
“ There will be an element of randomness we can not model , ” he said .
“ The best we can tell you is the trajectory will be up where you have more contacts.
” A related wild card in the course of the pandemic in the US is how Americans choose to behave .
A state with loose restrictions where people scrupulously stay distant , wear masks , and avoid contact might fare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end up being flouted .
`` Tennesseans seem to be doing a pretty good job with social distancing , '' said John Chandler , a general contractor living in Nashville , where a statewide shutdown ended in late April , but guidelines still call for cloth masks and 50 % store occupancy .
Different stores follow different guidelines though , he told BuzzFeed News on Thursday , with some strictly following guidelines and one employee at a sporting goods store recently discouraging his use of a mask .
“ I ’ m thankful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are wearing masks , ” he said .
`` It seems that our success will be in the hands of all of us . ''
A varied menu of approaches are underway in reopening nations worldwide , all of them essentially experiments in social distancing .
Germany is reopening schools for older children , for example , while Denmark is prioritizing younger ones , and the Czech Republics is holding off final exams until later this year .
But those reopenings , from Australia to South Korea to Europe , are happening in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries have “ bent the curve , ” with declining cases , robust testing and tracing , and health care resources available to treat outbreaks without catastrophe .
In the US , some states are reopening without those conditions met , largely driven by economic pain and a uniquely American resentment of limits on their personal freedoms .
The stress of the pandemic and the psychological costs of isolation will also be real factors in the decisions people make , Columbia University social psychologist Peter Coleman told BuzzFeed News .
Under long-term stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their original outlook or characteristics .
Withdrawn people become more withdrawn , and outgoing people become more outgoing .
That puts more pressure on extroverts forced to isolate .
“ Our nation is not comfortable with silence , or stillness , ” he said .
“ We are ‘ keep busy ’ people .
It will take a toll on people , relationships , anxiety.
” In a March interview with BuzzFeed News , Coleman predicted the political divide in attitudes toward distancing that has emerged in the last two months — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business interests demonstrating in state capitols .
A Pew Research Center survey released on Thursday confirmed that while most Americans worry about loosening restrictions too soon , only around half of Republican share this view , as compared to more than 80 % of Democrats .
Those attitudes — combined with the confusing public health messaging over masks in the spring and President Trump ’ s refusal to wear one — threaten to erode the norms of social distancing .
Early public health messaging emphasized the need for masks for health care workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US and increased understanding of asymptomatic cases have made clear that masks can help prevent the wearer from infecting other nearby people .
That message has still not been clear enough , Chowell observed .
“ It really should just become a standard point of politeness now that we have community spread , and we don ’ t know who has become infected , ” he said .
Regardless , with only an estimated 3 % to 4 % of the population infected with the virus so far , the basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of the changes in society , Marcus Plescia , chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials , told BuzzFeed News .
Until there is a vaccine , he said , reopening is never going to mean a return to life like it was before the pandemic .
“ It ’ s an infectious disease .
If you are telecommuting now , you are likely going to keep telecommuting for a year or a year and a half , ” Plescia said .
“ It ‘ s entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the next thing you know , you will be getting a call from public health officials telling you to go into quarantine for 14 days.
” Better summer weather and people seeking an escape from indoors will likely move a lot of commerce outdoors .
Some experts such as virologist Vincent Racaniello , professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University , have expressed alarm at scenes of overcrowded parks , and towns have fought over shutting down beaches .
However fresh air is seen as much safer than closed indoor settings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other scientists to express support for heading to the park or beach .
Streets in New York , Minneapolis , and elsewhere have been closed to cars to give people more room to exercise outside without coming close to one another , a transformation made easier by a lack of traffic .
“ We do know that ventilation is important .
And the less time one spends in close proximity to an infected person the less likely transmission is , ” epidemiologist William Hanage of Harvard ’ s T.H .
Chan School of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Haircuts outside might be sweaty in Georgia and there would still be transmission risk , but less than in a poorly ventilated indoor space .
I think a lot of things like this are going to be tried all over the country .
People are going to be making very different sorts of contacts even in places that are ‘ open.
’ ” Although heat and humidity are expected to slightly dent the transmissibility of the virus , it can and will readily spread in the vulnerable human population despite summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go away in the summer and we 're still gon na have to have these periods of physical distancing , ” American Public Health Association President Lisa Carlson told BuzzFeed News .
“ It ’ s not going to be a normal American summer , with concerts , and sporting events , and crowds .
Those things are not likely to happen , ” said Carlson .
Trusting that the current shortfalls in testing are resolved in coming months — a big assumption to make , given management of the crisis so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigger part of our lives as well .
It will likely become standard in healthcare settings for anyone with symptoms or high-risk conditions , and temperature checks are something we might see before entering stores .
Bars , buffets , concerts , and crowded airplanes won ’ t return anytime soon under most reopening plans , even with more testing .
Nursing homes and other settings where residents are at high risk of dying in an outbreak should continue to have highly restricted access , Plescia added .
People with higher-paying jobs who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luxury of staying home to prevent spread , while people with lower-paying but essential jobs that require more risk will need to keep leaving their homes .
“ There ’ s a lot of unfairness we are going to face .
Things are going to be harder , less efficient , and less easy , ” he said .
“ We ’ re only human and this is going to be an imperfect process , a real challenge .
But I don ’ t see a lot of ways around it .
”

Summer awaits, filled with masks, temperature checks, and the ever-present chance of quarantine. Also many more deaths, say public health experts, as states reopen without enough tests, without enough public health workers, and without knowing exactly where the coronavirus is hiding.
“This summer we will see the face mask become the new normal, now and in years afterward, no handshakes, no hugging, and keeping our distance,” Georgia State University epidemiologist Gerardo Chowell told BuzzFeed News. “Crowds are going to become a thing of the past.”
Since late March, US numbers of COVID-19 cases have marched upward to more than 1.2 million, even as cases elsewhere in the world have entered a period of steady decline. Nevertheless, facing unprecedented economic pressure, 25 states are proceeding with reopening restaurants, businesses, and childcare facilities this month.
Public health experts widely view these moves as a prelude to a disaster, the almost inevitable result of exposing people without any natural immunity to a deadly disease, one readily and silently spread by people often without any symptoms. The outbreaks to come seem likely to reshape the landscape of our daily lives.
“We are nowhere near herd immunity, and when the physical distancing interventions that have slowed transmission loosen, we expect to see a resurgence of cases and deaths,” epidemiologist Caroline Buckee of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health told BuzzFeed News.
The federal government has provided mixed messages about how exactly to approach reopening the economy without increasing deaths. The Trump administration released general guidelines for state reopenings on April 16. But the administration also reportedly shelved a more stringent CDC guide for local officials to consider when reopening schools, restaurants, summer camps, churches, daycares, and other institutions.
Seizing on the support of his base, Trump has also made vocal declarations against his administration’s own distancing guidelines, tweeting “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” in mid-April and, this week, assuring states it’s safe to reopen.
That has left individual states to craft their own rules for relaxing social distancing restrictions. Led by a handful of Republican governors opposed to lockdown procedures in states like Georgia and Texas, many have ignored the White House guide’s criteria of 14 days of declining cases before reopening and a declining percentage of positive tests.
States are still widely calling for people to wear cloth masks and for stores and restaurants to allow only half-occupancy to encourage distances between people. It's possible that the slow release of these interventions can prevent the worst-case scenarios, Buckee said, “but it will be very difficult to control once exponential growth takes off again.”


buzzfeed--2020-05-08--Trump’s Health Secretary Says Workers’ Home Lives, Not Working Conditions, Are Responsible For Coron

Trump’s Health Secretary Says Workers’ Home Lives, Not Working Conditions, Are Responsible For Coronavirus Outbreaks In Meatpacking Plants

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 .
WASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar blamed a rash of COVID-19 cases in meatpacking plants on workers ’ personal living habits , suggesting they were contracting the disease in their communities and bringing the disease to the plant .
During a call with congressional lawmakers , the top health official expressed the need to keep plants open amid the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Politico .
The call was about rural hospitals but veered into the Trump administration ’ s oversight of workplaces deemed essential .
“ Azar attempted to make the case that meat processing plants should be kept open and that workers are at greater risk of COVID-19 infection in their ‘ home and social ’ environments rather than on the job , ” said Democratic Rep. Ann Kuster .
Kuster said the administration ’ s approach to handling COVID-19 outbreaks in essential workplaces “ deeply troubling.
” Azar ’ s comments align with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As meat processing plants have become coronavirus hot spots , the industry has assigned blame to the living conditions of workers , not failures in workplace safety .
When the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in South Dakota became one of the largest known coronavirus clusters in the country , with over 700 people infected , the company blamed “ living circumstances in certain cultures are different than they are with your traditional American family.
” The company said many of the infected workers lived in the same building and apartment .
Conversations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inform or protect employees in the period immediately after the first case of infection was discovered .
Meatpacking industry workers are disproportionately people of color , immigrants , and people in low-income families .
More than 44 % of the industry is Hispanic and 25 % is black , according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research .
“ President Trump and his Administration are giving more value to a piece of meat than the lives of American workers and their children , ” Rep. Tony Cardenás , the chair of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told BuzzFeed News in a statement on Friday .
“ Once again President Trump is ignoring science and the truth .
He wants to give immunity to large food corporations and require hard-working people , some U.S. citizens , and some undocumented , to risk their lives .
This is wrong , this is criminal.
” The issue , given its intersection of rights for workers and for people of color in the middle of a public health crisis , will factor into this year ’ s presidential campaign .
Joe Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the general election , focused on the meatpackers Monday during a forum with the League of United Latin American Citizens , or LULAC .
“ It ’ s always been dangerous , ” Biden said of the work .
“ It ’ s always been underpaid .
And now add that to the extreme threat of COVID-19 made all the worse by fear that workers are living with every single day .
They ’ re afraid to go to work , because what happens if they get ill , what happens if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afraid to stay home because of what it means for their livelihood .
… They ’ re afraid to come home after work , because of what they might be bringing back and spread to people they love and adore .
They ’ re afraid to seek proper medical care , because what if it meant that their immigration status is in jeopardy and be changed ?
” On Friday , a Biden campaign spokesperson characterized Azar ’ s comments to lawmakers as an extension of an inadequate Trump administration response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments are part and parcel of Trump and his administration 's refusal to take responsibility for their abject failure on the coronavirus — a failure that has left over 75,000 Americans dead , with over a million more infected , and 33 million workers newly jobless , ” the spokesperson , Mike Gwin , said in a statement to BuzzFeed News .
“ Essential workers , like those in meat processing plants — along with health care workers and first responders — desperately need life-saving personal protective equipment , not more excuses from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them the supplies they need to battle this virus.
” Over 10,000 positive coronavirus tests have been linked to at least 170 meat processing plants across the country .
Azar ’ s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

WASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar blamed a rash of COVID-19 cases in meatpacking plants on workers’ personal living habits, suggesting they were contracting the disease in their communities and bringing the disease to the plant.
During a call with congressional lawmakers, the top health official expressed the need to keep plants open amid the coronavirus. His comments were first reported by Politico.
The call was about rural hospitals but veered into the Trump administration’s oversight of workplaces deemed essential. “Azar attempted to make the case that meat processing plants should be kept open and that workers are at greater risk of COVID-19 infection in their ‘home and social’ environments rather than on the job,” said Democratic Rep. Ann Kuster.
Kuster said the administration’s approach to handling COVID-19 outbreaks in essential workplaces “deeply troubling.”
Azar’s comments align with the stance of the meatpacking industry. As meat processing plants have become coronavirus hot spots, the industry has assigned blame to the living conditions of workers, not failures in workplace safety.
When the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in South Dakota became one of the largest known coronavirus clusters in the country, with over 700 people infected, the company blamed “living circumstances in certain cultures are different than they are with your traditional American family.”
The company said many of the infected workers lived in the same building and apartment. Conversations with workers revealed Smithfield did little to inform or protect employees in the period immediately after the first case of infection was discovered.
Meatpacking industry workers are disproportionately people of color, immigrants, and people in low-income families. More than 44% of the industry is Hispanic and 25% is black, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
“President Trump and his Administration are giving more value to a piece of meat than the lives of American workers and their children,” Rep. Tony Cardenás, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' fundraising arm, told BuzzFeed News in a statement on Friday. “Once again President Trump is ignoring science and the truth. He wants to give immunity to large food corporations and require hard-working people, some U.S. citizens, and some undocumented, to risk their lives. This is wrong, this is criminal.”
The issue, given its intersection of rights for workers and for people of color in the middle of a public health crisis, will factor into this year’s presidential campaign. Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee to face Trump in the general election, focused on the meatpackers Monday during a forum with the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC.
“It’s always been dangerous,” Biden said of the work. “It’s always been underpaid. And now add that to the extreme threat of COVID-19 made all the worse by fear that workers are living with every single day. They’re afraid to go to work, because what happens if they get ill, what happens if they get COVID-19? They’re afraid to stay home because of what it means for their livelihood. … They’re afraid to come home after work, because of what they might be bringing back and spread to people they love and adore. They’re afraid to seek proper medical care, because what if it meant that their immigration status is in jeopardy and be changed?”
On Friday, a Biden campaign spokesperson characterized Azar’s comments to lawmakers as an extension of an inadequate Trump administration response to the coronavirus crisis.
"Secretary Azar's comments are part and parcel of Trump and his administration's refusal to take responsibility for their abject failure on the coronavirus — a failure that has left over 75,000 Americans dead, with over a million more infected, and 33 million workers newly jobless,” the spokesperson, Mike Gwin, said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. “Essential workers, like those in meat processing plants — along with health care workers and first responders — desperately need life-saving personal protective equipment, not more excuses from Trump about why he hasn't gotten them the supplies they need to battle this virus.”
Over 10,000 positive coronavirus tests have been linked to at least 170 meat processing plants across the country.
Azar’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


buzzfeed--2020-05-08--Donald Trump Talked About How Much He Loved His Mom On Fox News As News Broke Of Historic Job Losses

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To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Trump was in his element .
“ I love to watch it — step by step , day by day , thousands and thousands of pages , ” he said .
“ Sleepy Joe was involved in this also , very much , ” he said , referring to Joe Biden , his likely challenger in the November election .
He flung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dumb as a rock ” and a “ sick guy , ” Jeff Sessions , the former attorney general , “ very weak and very sad.
” He talked about “ dirty politicians and dirty cops , ” railed against Rep. Adam Schiff and former FBI director James Comey , said those who had carried out the “ total hoax ” that was the Russia investigation would hopefully “ pay a big price in the not too distant future.
” The interview came one day after the Justice Department dropped its criminal case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser Michael Flynn even though he had admitted lying to the FBI and one day after the release of dozens of transcripts from the Russia investigation .
That allowed Trump to plunge back into the world in which he feels most comfortable — surrounded by perceived personal enemies , rather than a pandemic and economic crisis he is unable to get under control .
Coaxed on by friendly hosts , he fell into an old routine .
It was as if the coronavirus pandemic wasn ’ t raging , as if more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well over a million more infected , tens of millions of more stripped of their jobs and livelihood .
When the hosts of Fox and Friends pivoted to the coronavirus , after 20 minutes of this , the president sighed and his voice fell flat .
He sounded bored .
“ Our country is getting back to work .
We ’ re opening up , ” he said , and then swerved back to where he really wanted to be , playing victim of a huge plot carried out by a team of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to destroy .
“ It ’ s a much smarter enemy than the enemy we just discussed , ” he said .
“ This is a very brilliant enemy and it happens to be invisible.
” Trump is trapped , and trying to create a reality where he is all-powerful and in control .
When the Labor Department released its report at 8:30 showing that unemployment had skyrocketed to 14.7 % in April with 20.5 million jobs lost , Trump tried to shrug it off like it was no big deal .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ There ’ s no surprise.
” No words of comfort , no acknowledgment of what is really going on .
“ Those jobs will be back and they ’ ll be back very soon , ” Trump said , although there is no evidence that either statement is true .
Trump is keenly aware of the potential effects of an economic disaster on his reelection prospects and made sure to throw bones to his base .
He voiced support for Shelley Luther , a Texas stylist who was briefly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to reopen her salon and is now being built up as a hero for those pushing for a quicker lifting of those orders , appearing on Sean Hannity Thursday night .
“ She ’ s an incredible representative for a lot of people who want to do the same thing , ” Trump told Fox and Friends .
“ They want to get back to work.
” He also dabbled in conspiracy , saying he “ can see some of that ” when people say some are supporting the lockdowns because “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the longer it takes to open up.
” Although there has been widespread evidence that organized groups , including some with links to the Trump administration , have been behind many of the anti-lockdown protests around the country , Trump turned it around to make it appear as though he was listening to voters .
“ The people are going to force it , ” he said .
The interview veered further and further away from the pandemic and the economy and the unemployment report — into Venezuela , where two Americans were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plot ( “ nothing to do with it , ” Trump said ) , former New Jersey governor Chris Christie , two former allies of whom saw their “ Bridgegate ” convictions overturned by the Supreme Court on Thursday .
Anywhere but the stark human tragedy currently unfolding in the country .
Toward the end , the Fox hosts threw Trump a softball softer than all the other softballs they had lobbed at him during the nearly hourlong interview .
Sunday is Mother ’ s Day , and did he have a message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marking the day with Melania , his wife , mother to his youngest child ?
“ We ’ ll be together , ” he said .
“ I ’ m going to Camp David — meeting , a big meeting , with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
” He went off on how he had rebuilt the military .
The hosts tried again : Did he have a message for moms ?
“ Well , all I can say is , 'Happy Mother ’ s Day , ' ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loved my mom , and she loved me which , I must tell you , probably not easy to do but she was so good to me .
She was so good .
I couldn ’ t do any wrong , which was a big problem , maybe that ’ s why I ended up the way I ended up , I don ’ t know , I couldn ’ t do any wrong in her eyes.
” “ I miss my parents , ” he said .
And no one quite knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so do I — miss my parents , ” host Steve Doocy chimed in .
And then it was time to go .

When the hosts of Fox and Friends pivoted to the coronavirus, after 20 minutes of this, the president sighed and his voice fell flat. He sounded bored. “Our country is getting back to work. We’re opening up,” he said, and then swerved back to where he really wanted to be, playing victim of a huge plot carried out by a team of losers that only he was nimble enough to destroy. “It’s a much smarter enemy than the enemy we just discussed,” he said. “This is a very brilliant enemy and it happens to be invisible.”
Trump is trapped, and trying to create a reality where he is all-powerful and in control. When the Labor Department released its report at 8:30 showing that unemployment had skyrocketed to 14.7% in April with 20.5 million jobs lost, Trump tried to shrug it off like it was no big deal. “It’s totally expected,” he said. “There’s no surprise.” No words of comfort, no acknowledgment of what is really going on. “Those jobs will be back and they’ll be back very soon,” Trump said, although there is no evidence that either statement is true.
Trump is keenly aware of the potential effects of an economic disaster on his reelection prospects and made sure to throw bones to his base. He voiced support for Shelley Luther, a Texas stylist who was briefly jailed for violating a stay at home order to reopen her salon and is now being built up as a hero for those pushing for a quicker lifting of those orders, appearing on Sean Hannity Thursday night. “She’s an incredible representative for a lot of people who want to do the same thing,” Trump told Fox and Friends. “They want to get back to work.” He also dabbled in conspiracy, saying he “can see some of that” when people say some are supporting the lockdowns because “it will hurt me in the election the longer it takes to open up.”
Although there has been widespread evidence that organized groups, including some with links to the Trump administration, have been behind many of the anti-lockdown protests around the country, Trump turned it around to make it appear as though he was listening to voters. “The people are going to force it,” he said.
The interview veered further and further away from the pandemic and the economy and the unemployment report — into Venezuela, where two Americans were arrested for alleged involvement in a coup plot (“nothing to do with it,” Trump said), former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, two former allies of whom saw their “Bridgegate” convictions overturned by the Supreme Court on Thursday. Anywhere but the stark human tragedy currently unfolding in the country.
Toward the end, the Fox hosts threw Trump a softball softer than all the other softballs they had lobbed at him during the nearly hourlong interview. Sunday is Mother’s Day, and did he have a message for moms? How would he be marking the day with Melania, his wife, mother to his youngest child?
“We’ll be together,” he said. “I’m going to Camp David — meeting, a big meeting, with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.” He went off on how he had rebuilt the military. The hosts tried again: Did he have a message for moms?
“Well, all I can say is, 'Happy Mother’s Day,'” he said. “I had a great mom, I loved my mom, and she loved me which, I must tell you, probably not easy to do but she was so good to me. She was so good. I couldn’t do any wrong, which was a big problem, maybe that’s why I ended up the way I ended up, I don’t know, I couldn’t do any wrong in her eyes.”
“I miss my parents,” he said. And no one quite knew what to say. “Yeah, so do I — miss my parents,” host Steve Doocy chimed in. And then it was time to go.


buzzfeed--2020-05-08--Michael Flynn Admitted Lying To The FBI. The Justice Department Now Says That Doesn’t Matter.

Flynn ’ s attack on the prosecution tracked a common refrain from Trump — that the investigation by the FBI and , later , Mueller ’ s office , was a politically motivated attack against Trump and his administration .
A few hours before Shea filed the notice , Brandon Van Grack , one of the lead prosecutors and a former member of Mueller ’ s team , notified the court that he was withdrawing from the case .
He did not provide an explanation .
Van Grack did not immediately return a request for comment .
Until now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team , and later from the US attorney ’ s office in Washington — defended their handling of the case and rebuffed Flynn ’ s allegations of government misconduct .
The motion to dismiss the case filed on Thursday is signed by Shea alone .
“ We opened the Russia investigation to determine if the Russian government coordinated with the Trump campaign .
Mr. Flynn had prominent , high level interactions with Russian officials , so we investigated whether he might be that point of coordination .
We received incontrovertible evidence that Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than one occasion , that he actively tried to influence the actions of Russian officials , and that those officials acceded to his requests .
The FBI was obligated to interview him to better understand why he was talking to Russian officials , ” McCabe said .
Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe , who played a central role in the decision to interview Flynn in January 2017 , released a statement defending the interview and blasting the dismissal as “ pure politics designed to please the president.
” “ The decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is outrageous .
The evidence against General Flynn is overwhelming .
He pleaded guilty to lying to investigators .
And now a politicized and thoroughly corrupt Department of Justice is going to let the President ’ s crony simply walk away .
Americans are right to be furious and worried about the continued erosion of our rule of law , ” Nadler said .
Democrats were quick to criticize the decision as a politically motivated ploy to benefit one of Trump ’ s allies .
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler released a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and saying he would ask the Justice Department ’ s inspector general to investigate .
Flynn ’ s lead attorney , Sidney Powell , did not immediately return a request for comment .
Trump has decried the prosecution of Flynn but been publicly noncommittal about whether he would pardon his former national security adviser .
In a statement released by the Justice Department , the US attorney tapped by Barr to review Flynn 's case , Jeffrey Jensen said , `` Through the course of my review of General Flynn ’ s case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course was to dismiss the case .
I briefed Attorney General Barr on my findings , advised him on these conclusions , and he agreed . ''
The filing from Shea technically doesn ’ t end Flynn ’ s legal battle on its own — the judge has to grant the motion to dismiss — but it is unusual for a judge to interfere when prosecutors say they no longer want to pursue a criminal case .
Shea stressed in Thursday ’ s filing that judges can only deny a request by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrow circumstances .
Regardless of whether Flynn lied , Shea wrote , federal criminal law required that lies had to be “ material ” to an investigation .
Shea said the Flynn interview in 2017 about his contacts with the Russian ambassador were “ untethered ” to a counterintelligence investigation into Flynn related to the broader Russia probe that the FBI had been preparing to close at the time of the interview .
On Thursday , the strategy paid off .
Timothy Shea , who has been serving as the interim US attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ papers with the court seeking to dismiss the entire criminal case against Flynn .
Citing new evidence uncovered during a review of Flynn ’ s case by the Justice Department that Attorney General Bill Barr launched earlier this year , Shea wrote that the government was no longer persuaded that the January 2017 interview in which Flynn admitted lying to FBI agents “ was conducted with a legitimate investigative basis.
” Over the next two years , however , what seemed like one of the most clear-cut , open-and-shut cases to come out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a politically charged morass .
His sentencing was repeatedly delayed as he brought on new lawyers to try to claw back his guilty plea and lodge an attack , supported by his former boss President Donald Trump , on the prosecution itself .
He admitted he had lied to agents about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States after the 2016 election , according to his plea deal with then–special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s office .
He agreed to cooperate with the investigation into Russian interference in the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government ’ s support for a lower sentence .
WASHINGTON — On Dec. 1 , 2017 , Michael Flynn walked into the federal courthouse in Washington , DC , and pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI .
Flynn ’ s lawyers tried to dismantle the prosecution from multiple angles .
They initially argued that the case should be dismissed because prosecutors failed to fulfill a legal requirement to turn over evidence that might be helpful to Flynn ’ s defense , known as “ Brady ” materials .
But Sullivan ruled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t proven any violations by the government .
They tried again after the Justice Department ’ s inspector general released a report in December identifying problems with applications submitted by DOJ officials to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to carry out surveillance of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the election .
Flynn ’ s lawyers argued the inspector general ’ s report was proof that Flynn ’ s case was rooted in “ egregious government misconduct.
” At each turn , prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Flynn ’ s lawyers changed the fact that he ’ d lied to the FBI , the only crime he was charged with , and that he ’ d admitted it .
But Barr fueled Flynn ’ s theory of government misconduct earlier this year when he appointed Jensen , the US attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri , to do an outside review of Flynn ’ s case .
In late April , Flynn ’ s lawyers released a new set of documents that Jensen ’ s review had uncovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI officials around the time of the Flynn interview .
On one page of handwritten notes with “ 01/24/2017 ” in the corner that Flynn ’ s lawyers received from prosecutors and filed on the public court docket , someone had written , “ What is our goal ?
Truth/Admission or to get him to lie , so we can prosecute him or get him fired ?
” The document didn ’ t indicate who wrote it , but the Washington Post reported that it was E.W .
Priestap , the former assistant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ division who retired at the end of 2018 .
Elsewhere on the page , the author wrote : “ Our goal is to determine if Mike Flynn is going to tell the truth @ his relationship w/ Russians.
” Flynn ’ s lawyers also released text messages between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page — two former FBI officials involved in the Russia investigation who have been the frequent subject of attacks from Trump — and at least one other person whose name is redacted discussing keeping the FBI ’ s investigation into Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the January 2017 interview .
“ Since August 2016 at the latest , partisan FBI and DOJ leaders conspired to destroy Mr. Flynn , ” Flynn ’ s lawyers wrote in an April 24 brief accompanying the disclosure of the new documents .
Flynn had agreed as part of his plea deal that his lies were “ material ” without a full understanding of what was going on behind the scenes at the FBI , Shea wrote in Thursday ’ s filing .
And what ’ s more , Shea said he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ beyond a reasonable doubt ” that Flynn lied at all — he wrote that Flynn ’ s answers were “ vague , ” the FBI agents at the time didn ’ t think Flynn showed signs of lying , and then–FBI director James Comey had characterized it as a “ close call.
” For a lie to be “ material , ” Shea wrote , it has to be more than even just relevant to the investigation — it has to bear directly on decision making in that investigation .
The FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn and then–Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak , and those calls alone weren ’ t enough to continue the counterintelligence investigation or to open a new criminal investigation , he wrote .
“ In the case of Mr. Flynn , the evidence shows his statements were not ‘ material ’ to any viable counterintelligence investigation — or any investigation for that matter — initiated by the FBI , ” Shea wrote .
The fact that Flynn may not have accurately told Vice President Mike Pence or then–White House press secretary Sean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls — the reason Trump said he ’ d fired Flynn — also wasn ’ t enough to support the investigation , Shea wrote .
“ The frail and shifting justifications for its ongoing probe of Mr. Flynn , as well as the irregular procedure that preceded his interview , suggests that the FBI was eager to interview Mr. Flynn irrespective of any underlying investigation , ” he wrote .
Flynn briefly served as Trump 's first national security adviser before he resigned in mid-February 2017 amid reports that he misled Pence about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition period .
Several weeks before he resigned , Sally Yates , the acting attorney general , had warned the White House that Flynn could be subject to blackmail by the Russian government because it was aware Flynn had made false statements .
In December 2017 — right after Flynn ’ s plea deal became public — Trump tweeted that he “ had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI.
” But the administration ’ s attitude has evolved since then .
In a sign that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s cause , Pence told reporters in late April that he was “ inclined , more than ever ” to believe that any omissions by Flynn about his contacts with Kislyak had been “ unintentional.
” Flynn was initially part of a joint defense agreement with Trump , but withdrew in November 2017 , according to Mueller 's final report .
At the time , one of Trump 's personal attorneys , John Dowd , left a voicemail for Flynn 's lawyer questioning Flynn 's reason for pulling out .
Dowd said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors , `` remember what we 've always said about the president and his feelings toward Flynn , and that still remains . ''
( The judge in Flynn 's case released the audio of the recording in early June . )
According to Mueller , when Flynn 's counsel reiterated to Dowd that they could no longer share information , Dowd `` was indignant and vocal in his disagreement '' and said he 'd report the `` hostility '' back to Trump .
Flynn 's lawyer told the special counsel 's office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get Flynn to reconsider his position .
Flynn pleaded guilty in court on Dec. 1 , 2017 .
He agreed to cooperate with Mueller 's office , and the materials he turned over to prosecutors included Dowd 's voicemail , according to a presentencing memo that prosecutors filed in court detailing Flynn 's assistance to the government .
As part of his plea deal , Flynn admitted that in January 2017 he had lied to the FBI about several interactions with Kislyak .
He told agents he had n't asked Kislyak to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama administration 's announcement of sanctions in December 2016 , when , in fact , he had .
He also told agents that he had n't asked any countries to take a specific position on a United Nations resolution about Israeli settlements , when , again , he 'd discussed it with Kislyak .
Flynn was n't charged with any other crimes besides one count of making false statements about his interactions with Kislyak , but his plea agreement also included an admission that he 'd made false statements to the US Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the benefit of the Turkish government .
In filings to the department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act , Flynn had represented that he did n't know the extent of the Turkish government 's involvement in a project he was working on , when in fact Turkey was involved in overseeing the project .
Flynn appeared for a sentencing hearing before Sullivan in December 2018 , but in a surprise move cut the hearing short and told the judge he wanted a delay .
During the hearing , Sullivan had repeatedly questioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was completely finished with any possible cooperation with the government and could present the court with the totality of his assistance to the feds .
The judge also had harsh words about the crimes Flynn had pleaded guilty to and warned that he could n't guarantee he would n't send Flynn to prison .
`` I 'm not hiding my disgust , my disdain for this criminal offense , '' Sullivan said at the time .
Flynn took Sullivan up on the judge ’ s offer to delay the sentencing to allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advance of the December 2018 sentencing hearing , prosecutors had asked that Flynn get credit for his cooperation .
Flynn met with the special counsel 's office and other Justice Department offices 19 times , for a total of 63 hours , according to court filings .
But that relationship turned sour , at least publicly , starting in June 2019 , when Flynn replaced his former lawyers with a new team led by Powell — a Trump supporter , Mueller critic , and regular commentator on Fox News .
Trump praised the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn `` has not retained a good lawyer , he has retained a GREAT LAWYER , Sidney Powell . ''

Flynn’s lawyers tried to dismantle the prosecution from multiple angles. They initially argued that the case should be dismissed because prosecutors failed to fulfill a legal requirement to turn over evidence that might be helpful to Flynn’s defense, known as “Brady” materials. But Sullivan ruled in December that Flynn’s lawyers hadn’t proven any violations by the government.
They tried again after the Justice Department’s inspector general released a report in December identifying problems with applications submitted by DOJ officials to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to carry out surveillance of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the election. Flynn’s lawyers argued the inspector general’s report was proof that Flynn’s case was rooted in “egregious government misconduct.”
At each turn, prosecutors argued that none of the information presented by Flynn’s lawyers changed the fact that he’d lied to the FBI, the only crime he was charged with, and that he’d admitted it.
But Barr fueled Flynn’s theory of government misconduct earlier this year when he appointed Jensen, the US attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, to do an outside review of Flynn’s case.
In late April, Flynn’s lawyers released a new set of documents that Jensen’s review had uncovered, including emails and notes prepared by FBI officials around the time of the Flynn interview. On one page of handwritten notes with “01/24/2017” in the corner that Flynn’s lawyers received from prosecutors and filed on the public court docket, someone had written, “What is our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?” The document didn’t indicate who wrote it, but the Washington Post reported that it was E.W. Priestap, the former assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division who retired at the end of 2018.
Elsewhere on the page, the author wrote: “Our goal is to determine if Mike Flynn is going to tell the truth @ his relationship w/ Russians.”
Flynn’s lawyers also released text messages between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page — two former FBI officials involved in the Russia investigation who have been the frequent subject of attacks from Trump — and at least one other person whose name is redacted discussing keeping the FBI’s investigation into Flynn open in the weeks leading up to the January 2017 interview.
“Since August 2016 at the latest, partisan FBI and DOJ leaders conspired to destroy Mr. Flynn,” Flynn’s lawyers wrote in an April 24 brief accompanying the disclosure of the new documents.
Flynn had agreed as part of his plea deal that his lies were “material” without a full understanding of what was going on behind the scenes at the FBI, Shea wrote in Thursday’s filing. And what’s more, Shea said he was no longer convinced that prosecutors could prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Flynn lied at all — he wrote that Flynn’s answers were “vague,” the FBI agents at the time didn’t think Flynn showed signs of lying, and then–FBI director James Comey had characterized it as a “close call.”
For a lie to be “material,” Shea wrote, it has to be more than even just relevant to the investigation — it has to bear directly on decision making in that investigation. The FBI already had transcripts of the calls between Flynn and then–Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak, and those calls alone weren’t enough to continue the counterintelligence investigation or to open a new criminal investigation, he wrote.
“In the case of Mr. Flynn, the evidence shows his statements were not ‘material’ to any viable counterintelligence investigation — or any investigation for that matter — initiated by the FBI,” Shea wrote.
The fact that Flynn may not have accurately told Vice President Mike Pence or then–White House press secretary Sean Spicer about the substance of the Kislyak calls — the reason Trump said he’d fired Flynn — also wasn’t enough to support the investigation, Shea wrote.
“The frail and shifting justifications for its ongoing probe of Mr. Flynn, as well as the irregular procedure that preceded his interview, suggests that the FBI was eager to interview Mr. Flynn irrespective of any underlying investigation,” he wrote.
"Thank you Mr. President!!”
Flynn briefly served as Trump's first national security adviser before he resigned in mid-February 2017 amid reports that he misled Pence about his communications with Kislyak during the presidential transition period. Several weeks before he resigned, Sally Yates, the acting attorney general, had warned the White House that Flynn could be subject to blackmail by the Russian government because it was aware Flynn had made false statements.
In December 2017 — right after Flynn’s plea deal became public — Trump tweeted that he “had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI.” But the administration’s attitude has evolved since then. In a sign that the Trump administration was embracing Flynn’s cause, Pence told reporters in late April that he was “inclined, more than ever” to believe that any omissions by Flynn about his contacts with Kislyak had been “unintentional.”
Flynn was initially part of a joint defense agreement with Trump, but withdrew in November 2017, according to Mueller's final report. At the time, one of Trump's personal attorneys, John Dowd, left a voicemail for Flynn's lawyer questioning Flynn's reason for pulling out. Dowd said that if Flynn had cut a deal with prosecutors, "remember what we've always said about the president and his feelings toward Flynn, and that still remains." (The judge in Flynn's case released the audio of the recording in early June.)
According to Mueller, when Flynn's counsel reiterated to Dowd that they could no longer share information, Dowd "was indignant and vocal in his disagreement" and said he'd report the "hostility" back to Trump. Flynn's lawyer told the special counsel's office that they interpreted this as an effort to get Flynn to reconsider his position.
Flynn pleaded guilty in court on Dec. 1, 2017. He agreed to cooperate with Mueller's office, and the materials he turned over to prosecutors included Dowd's voicemail, according to a presentencing memo that prosecutors filed in court detailing Flynn's assistance to the government.
As part of his plea deal, Flynn admitted that in January 2017 he had lied to the FBI about several interactions with Kislyak. He told agents he hadn't asked Kislyak to avoid escalating Russia's response to the Obama administration's announcement of sanctions in December 2016, when, in fact, he had. He also told agents that he hadn't asked any countries to take a specific position on a United Nations resolution about Israeli settlements, when, again, he'd discussed it with Kislyak.
Flynn wasn't charged with any other crimes besides one count of making false statements about his interactions with Kislyak, but his plea agreement also included an admission that he'd made false statements to the US Department of Justice about work he'd done for the benefit of the Turkish government. In filings to the department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Flynn had represented that he didn't know the extent of the Turkish government's involvement in a project he was working on, when in fact Turkey was involved in overseeing the project.
Flynn appeared for a sentencing hearing before Sullivan in December 2018, but in a surprise move cut the hearing short and told the judge he wanted a delay.
During the hearing, Sullivan had repeatedly questioned whether Flynn wanted to be sentenced before he was completely finished with any possible cooperation with the government and could present the court with the totality of his assistance to the feds. The judge also had harsh words about the crimes Flynn had pleaded guilty to and warned that he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't send Flynn to prison.
"I'm not hiding my disgust, my disdain for this criminal offense," Sullivan said at the time. Flynn took Sullivan up on the judge’s offer to delay the sentencing to allow Flynn to finish his cooperation.
In advance of the December 2018 sentencing hearing, prosecutors had asked that Flynn get credit for his cooperation. Flynn met with the special counsel's office and other Justice Department offices 19 times, for a total of 63 hours, according to court filings.
But that relationship turned sour, at least publicly, starting in June 2019, when Flynn replaced his former lawyers with a new team led by Powell — a Trump supporter, Mueller critic, and regular commentator on Fox News. Trump praised the pick, tweeting on June 13 that Flynn "has not retained a good lawyer, he has retained a GREAT LAWYER, Sidney Powell."


buzzfeed--2020-05-10--Here’s What Public Health Experts Think Our Pandemic Summer Will Look Like

Summer awaits , filled with masks , temperature checks , and the ever-present chance of quarantine .
Also many more deaths , say public health experts , as states reopen without enough tests , without enough public health workers , and without knowing exactly where the coronavirus is hiding .
“ This summer we will see the face mask become the new normal , now and in years afterward , no handshakes , no hugging , and keeping our distance , ” Georgia State University epidemiologist Gerardo Chowell told BuzzFeed News .
“ Crowds are going to become a thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , US numbers of COVID-19 cases have marched upward to more than 1.2 million , even as cases elsewhere in the world have entered a period of steady decline .
Nevertheless , facing unprecedented economic pressure , 25 states are proceeding with reopening restaurants , businesses , and childcare facilities this month .
Public health experts widely view these moves as a prelude to a disaster , the almost inevitable result of exposing people without any natural immunity to a deadly disease , one readily and silently spread by people often without any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to reshape the landscape of our daily lives .
“ We are nowhere near herd immunity , and when the physical distancing interventions that have slowed transmission loosen , we expect to see a resurgence of cases and deaths , ” epidemiologist Caroline Buckee of the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health told BuzzFeed News .
The federal government has provided mixed messages about how exactly to approach reopening the economy without increasing deaths .
The Trump administration released general guidelines for state reopenings on April 16 .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC guide for local officials to consider when reopening schools , restaurants , summer camps , churches , daycares , and other institutions .
Seizing on the support of his base , Trump has also made vocal declarations against his administration ’ s own distancing guidelines , tweeting “ LIBERATE MICHIGAN !
” in mid-April and , this week , assuring states it ’ s safe to reopen .
That has left individual states to craft their own rules for relaxing social distancing restrictions .
Led by a handful of Republican governors opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Texas , many have ignored the White House guide ’ s criteria of 14 days of declining cases before reopening and a declining percentage of positive tests .
States are still widely calling for people to wear cloth masks and for stores and restaurants to allow only half-occupancy to encourage distances between people .
It 's possible that the slow release of these interventions can prevent the worst-case scenarios , Buckee said , “ but it will be very difficult to control once exponential growth takes off again.
” A Columbia University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , for example , projected how US daily coronavirus death rates will change through the middle of June , depending on three scenarios for how people behave in coming weeks .
In one scenario , US counties continued social distancing to the same level as they had before reopening .
In a second , social contacts increased by 10 % , reflecting people obeying loosened restrictions in reopened states .
In the last scenario , contacts increased by 10 % every week in reopened states .
In all of the scenarios , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of roughly 2,000 deaths a day for the next two weeks .
Then they shoot upwards again in the familiar pandemic exponential curve for the loosened states .
By June 1 , the middle scenario resulted in more than 43,000 new cases and 1,800 deaths per day .
An increasing loosening of restrictions every week would lead to median estimates of more than 63,000 new cases and 2,400 deaths per day .
By the middle of June , the projections would reach potentially devastating heights : 3,000 deaths per day in the onetime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day if restrictions continue to loosen .
“ The dip is very worrisome , people see lower cases and think there isn ’ t a problem , so they increase their contacts , ” which leads to more deaths weeks later , Columbia ’ s Sen Pei , a coauthor on the analysis , told BuzzFeed News .
“ We expect people will change their behavior once they see deaths racing upward again , ” he said .
Because of the two- to three-week lag between initial infection and death , combined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a perilously slow mobilization of contact tracing to track exposures to new cases , governors are essentially steering by looking in the rearview mirror , driving straight into outbreaks they can ’ t see ahead .
That means deaths and cases will continue to go up , even after the brakes are slammed on again .
“ Without testing to closely follow and trace cases , states should not be re-opening in my opinion , ” said Buckee .
One of the confusing likelihoods of future outbreaks is the role of good and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby counties pursuing identical policies might see one hit by an outbreak and the other less affected .
“ There will be an element of randomness we can not model , ” he said .
“ The best we can tell you is the trajectory will be up where you have more contacts.
” A related wild card in the course of the pandemic in the US is how Americans choose to behave .
A state with loose restrictions where people scrupulously stay distant , wear masks , and avoid contact might fare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end up being flouted .
`` Tennesseans seem to be doing a pretty good job with social distancing , '' said John Chandler , a general contractor living in Nashville , where a statewide shutdown ended in late April , but guidelines still call for cloth masks and 50 % store occupancy .
Different stores follow different guidelines though , he told BuzzFeed News on Thursday , with some strictly following guidelines and one employee at a sporting goods store recently discouraging his use of a mask .
“ I ’ m thankful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are wearing masks , ” he said .
`` It seems that our success will be in the hands of all of us . ''
A varied menu of approaches are underway in reopening nations worldwide , all of them essentially experiments in social distancing .
Germany is reopening schools for older children , for example , while Denmark is prioritizing younger ones , and the Czech Republic is holding off final exams until later this year .
But those reopenings , from Australia to South Korea to Europe , are happening in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries have “ bent the curve , ” with declining cases , robust testing and tracing , and health care resources available to treat outbreaks without catastrophe .
In the US , some states are reopening without those conditions met , largely driven by economic pain and a uniquely American resentment of limits on their personal freedoms .
The stress of the pandemic and the psychological costs of isolation will also be real factors in the decisions people make , Columbia University social psychologist Peter Coleman told BuzzFeed News .
Under long-term stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their original outlook or characteristics .
Withdrawn people become more withdrawn , and outgoing people become more outgoing .
That puts more pressure on extroverts forced to isolate .
“ Our nation is not comfortable with silence , or stillness , ” he said .
“ We are ‘ keep busy ’ people .
It will take a toll on people , relationships , anxiety.
” In a March interview with BuzzFeed News , Coleman predicted the political divide in attitudes toward distancing that has emerged in the last two months — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business interests demonstrating in state capitols .
A Pew Research Center survey released on Thursday confirmed that while most Americans worry about loosening restrictions too soon , only around half of Republican share this view , as compared to more than 80 % of Democrats .
Those attitudes — combined with the confusing public health messaging over masks in the spring and President Trump ’ s refusal to wear one — threaten to erode the norms of social distancing .
Early public health messaging emphasized the need for masks for health care workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US and increased understanding of asymptomatic cases have made clear that masks can help prevent the wearer from infecting other nearby people .
That message has still not been clear enough , Chowell observed .
“ It really should just become a standard point of politeness now that we have community spread , and we don ’ t know who has become infected , ” he said .
Regardless , with only an estimated 3 % to 4 % of the population infected with the virus so far , the basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of the changes in society , Marcus Plescia , chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials , told BuzzFeed News .
Until there is a vaccine , he said , reopening is never going to mean a return to life like it was before the pandemic .
“ It ’ s an infectious disease .
If you are telecommuting now , you are likely going to keep telecommuting for a year or a year and a half , ” Plescia said .
“ It ‘ s entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the next thing you know , you will be getting a call from public health officials telling you to go into quarantine for 14 days.
” Better summer weather and people seeking an escape from indoors will likely move a lot of commerce outdoors .
Some experts such as virologist Vincent Racaniello , professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University , have expressed alarm at scenes of overcrowded parks , and towns have fought over shutting down beaches .
However fresh air is seen as much safer than closed indoor settings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other scientists to express support for heading to the park or beach .
Streets in New York , Minneapolis , and elsewhere have been closed to cars to give people more room to exercise outside without coming close to one another , a transformation made easier by a lack of traffic .
“ We do know that ventilation is important .
And the less time one spends in close proximity to an infected person the less likely transmission is , ” epidemiologist William Hanage of Harvard ’ s T.H .
Chan School of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Haircuts outside might be sweaty in Georgia and there would still be transmission risk , but less than in a poorly ventilated indoor space .
I think a lot of things like this are going to be tried all over the country .
People are going to be making very different sorts of contacts even in places that are ‘ open.
’ ” Although heat and humidity are expected to slightly dent the transmissibility of the virus , it can and will readily spread in the vulnerable human population despite summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go away in the summer and we 're still gon na have to have these periods of physical distancing , ” American Public Health Association President Lisa Carlson told BuzzFeed News .
“ It ’ s not going to be a normal American summer , with concerts , and sporting events , and crowds .
Those things are not likely to happen , ” said Carlson .
Trusting that the current shortfalls in testing are resolved in coming months — a big assumption to make , given management of the crisis so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigger part of our lives as well .
It will likely become standard in healthcare settings for anyone with symptoms or high-risk conditions , and temperature checks are something we might see before entering stores .
Bars , buffets , concerts , and crowded airplanes won ’ t return anytime soon under most reopening plans , even with more testing .
Nursing homes and other settings where residents are at high risk of dying in an outbreak should continue to have highly restricted access , Plescia added .
People with higher-paying jobs who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luxury of staying home to prevent spread , while people with lower-paying but essential jobs that require more risk will need to keep leaving their homes .
“ There ’ s a lot of unfairness we are going to face .
Things are going to be harder , less efficient , and less easy , ” he said .
“ We ’ re only human and this is going to be an imperfect process , a real challenge .
But I don ’ t see a lot of ways around it .
”


buzzfeed--2020-05-12--As The White House Scrambles To Contain COVID-19-Positive Staffers, Donald Trump Is Changing The Sub

As The White House Scrambles To Contain COVID-19-Positive Staffers, Donald Trump Is Changing The Subject To #Obamagate

In the face of a coronavirus outbreak that has now reached the White House , the president , his supporters , and Fox News are blustering about Barack Obama .
On the night of Saturday , May 9 , President Donald Trump tweeted five Fox News clips : One from Sean Hannity ’ s Hannity , two from Jeanine Pirro ’ s Justice With Judge Jeanine , and two from Jesse Watters ’ Watters ’ World .
All of the clips were about a supposed “ coup d ’ état , ” as the Fox anchors called it , committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the 2016 presidential election .
`` Obamagate , that 's the subject of tonight 's 'Watters Words ' '' segment , Watters said .
`` The Obama people got caught this week and it looks like it goes straight to the top . ''
But just what is Obamagate ?
Although the # Obamagate hashtag has been popular across all major platforms , it has also elicited confusion from people not tapped into the inscrutable narratives of Trump ’ s fervent online base .
And the president did little to clear up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday afternoon : `` Obamagate , it 's been going on for a long time , it 's been going on from before I even got elected , ” the president said .
Asked specifically what crime he was accusing Obama of , the president declined to answer .
`` You know what the crime is .
The crime is very obvious to everybody .
All you have to do is read the newspapers , except yours , '' he said .
While no one can read the president 's mind , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hashtag to mean came from former national security adviser Michael Flynn ’ s attorney during a Fox segment on Sunday , where she claimed that the declassified memos proved FBI agents tried to entrap Flynn , then a campaign adviser to Trump , on the order of President Barack Obama .
“ The whole thing was orchestrated and set up within the FBI , Clapper , Brennan , and in the Oval Office meeting that day with President Obama , ” Flynn ’ s lawyer , Sidney Powell , told host Maria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referring to was last week 's delivery of 6,000 pages of newly declassified transcripts of interviews conducted by the House Intelligence Committee in 2017 and 2018 from the new acting intelligence director , Richard Grenell , to Attorney General William Barr .
In reality , the newly public documents provide little more than a few extra details into what special counsel Robert Mueller released in his April 2019 report on Russian interference into the 2016 election .
According to Fox News , however , they were something else : a smoking gun that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Trump 's campaign .
`` Sources are telling Watters ' World that Attorney General Bill Barr was just given a trove of smoking gun documents that could point directly at former president Barack Obama , revealing his powerful connection to 'Spygate ' and the Russia hoax , '' Watters said on Saturday .
“ At the core , the thing that scares Obama and Biden is the truth , ” former House Oversight Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz then said during a Fox News interview Monday .
“ It ’ s hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct acknowledgment and direction from the president of the US to the FBI director , who then does things a couple of weeks later that is totally unprecedented in storming , in that the White House , putting this ambush together , and going after General Flynn like we ’ ve never seen before.
” The declassified documents were released a day after the Department of Justice dropped charges against Flynn , who pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the former Russian ambassador during the presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump during the campaign — and when he was under federal investigation for secret lobbying work on behalf of the Turkish government .
Despite Obama telling Trump on Nov. 10 , 2016 , not to hire Flynn , Trump made Flynn the national security adviser .
Just days before taking that job , Flynn spoke to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak about how the United States planned to retaliate against Russia for interfering in American elections , a call intercepted by US intelligence and reviewed by Obama advisers .
Flynn went on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 , when reports that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about the Kislyak conversations forced him from office .
“ Yesterday was a BIG day for Justice in the USA , ” Trump tweeted on Friday morning , after the charges against Flynn were dropped .
“ Congratulations to General Flynn , and many others .
I do believe there is MUCH more to come !
Dirty Cops and Crooked Politicians do not go well together !
” Flynn walking free seemed to prove to Trump ’ s supporters that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign during the 2016 election .
“ Remember that time when Flynn was fully exonerated and all the Russia hoaxers disgraced by their own words on the same day , ” right-wing news anchor Jack Posobiec tweeted on Thursday .
“ The Justice Department just said they are DROPPING it ’ s criminal case against General Flynn !
He has been totally exonerated , ” Ryan Fournier , founder of Students for Trump , tweeted .
“ Now he needs to be rehired by the Trump Administration !
” “ There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free , ” Obama said in a private meeting on Friday .
“ That ’ s the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried that basic — not just institutional norms — but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk .
And when you start moving in those directions , it can accelerate pretty quickly , as we ’ ve seen in other places.
” Despite the former president 's remarks , the declassified transcripts and the dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters , and Fox News plenty to talk about .
And they had plenty of reasons to change the subject .
Last Thursday , a valet to the president tested positive for the coronavirus .
On Friday , Pence spokesperson Katie Miller , a regular attendee of coronavirus task force events , was announced to have tested positive , sparking fears that the virus was spreading at the White House .
Three members of the White House coronavirus task force , including Dr. Anthony Fauci , announced they ’ d be self-quarantining .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have been asked to wear masks , a directive that will not apply to the president .
But as the White House scrambled to contact-trace which members of the administration had been exposed to infected staffers , Hannity , Pirro , and Watters banged the “ Obamagate '' drum .
According to the Fox anchors , the “ satchel '' of declassified documents proved true a long-running right-wing conspiracy theory , often referred to as “ Spygate , ” or “ Russiagate.
” Though there has still yet to be any evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans like California Rep. Devin Nunes and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows have suggested that the Obama administration embedded a spy in Trump 's 2016 presidential campaign .
The claim received its moniker on May 23 , 2018 , when Trump tweeted `` SPYGATE could be one of the biggest political scandals in history ! ''
The declassification of the transcripts this week was the work of Grennell , who has been a close Trump ally .
Before taking the position , Grennell did consulting work on behalf of an Eastern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vladimir Plahotniuc , who is now a fugitive and barred from entering the US under anti-corruption sanctions .
Contradicting a report from US intelligence , in March 2020 , Grenell ’ s office told lawmakers that Moscow was not “ directly aiding any candidate ’ s re-election or any other candidates ’ election ” during the 2020 election .
According to data from BuzzSumo , stories about the dropped charges against Flynn have been a major talking point on right-wing social media , but stories about the declassified documents had n't been causing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ and Trump ’ s Saturday-night blitz , when the story started to trend via the # Obamagate hashtag .
According to an anonymous data scientist on Twitter , the # Obamagate hashtag was promoted by midsize right-wing influencers such as @ AKA_RealDirty and the QAnon-affiliated @ SheepKnowMore and started to trend after it was amplified by Brazilian former Olympic volleyball player Ana Paula Henkel , who has an active second life as a right-wing influencer on Twitter .
`` Everything has exploded now .
This is journalism , '' she tweeted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After Henkel ’ s tweet , supporters of Brazil ’ s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro ran with Obamagate .
There was no evidence of bot activity promoting the hashtag initially .
Declining further comment , Conspirador Norteño told BuzzFeed News that everything their team found in their research was in the thread .
Once the hashtag was trending , US-based Twitter accounts piled on , including more mainstream influencers like longshot California Republican congressional candidate Errol Webber .
And according to Twitter metrics site twXplorer , two of the most popular hashtags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and # wwg1wga , illustrating promotion from QAnon accounts , who believe Trump is waging a secret war against the deep state .
According to Twitter ’ s Trending Topics page , the # Obamagate hashtag had been used over 3 million times since Saturday night , briefly becoming one of the top trending topics in the world .
And as is often the case , right-wing influencers claimed without evidence that Twitter was censoring the hashtag .
Twitter told BuzzFeed News that the company had looked into accusations that the hashtag had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was taken to prevent # Obamagate from trending .
The hashtag has led some right-wingers to suggest on social media that Obama and members of his administration will be investigated and prosecuted .
One of the most popular memes about # Obamagate — one shared by Trump ’ s own Instagram page — reads “ hope you had fun investigating me now it ’ s my turn.
” The # Obamagate Facebook posts are full of Trump supporters ecstatic that an investigation into what they see as Democratic corruption is imminent .
Whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Fox News have already achieved something else : a weekend during which Trump supporters could flood the platform with content about Obama and the minutiae of the 2016 election just when the coronavirus crossed a total of 1.3 million cases and 80,000 deaths in the United States .

On the night of Saturday, May 9, President Donald Trump tweeted five Fox News clips: One from Sean Hannity’s Hannity, two from Jeanine Pirro’s Justice With Judge Jeanine, and two from Jesse Watters’ Watters’ World.
All of the clips were about a supposed “coup d’état,” as the Fox anchors called it, committed by the Obama administration during the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. "Obamagate, that's the subject of tonight's 'Watters Words'" segment, Watters said. "The Obama people got caught this week and it looks like it goes straight to the top."
But just what is Obamagate?
Although the #Obamagate hashtag has been popular across all major platforms, it has also elicited confusion from people not tapped into the inscrutable narratives of Trump’s fervent online base.
And the president did little to clear up the confusion in a press conference on Monday afternoon: "Obamagate, it's been going on for a long time, it's been going on from before I even got elected,” the president said. Asked specifically what crime he was accusing Obama of, the president declined to answer. "You know what the crime is. The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours," he said.
While no one can read the president's mind, the clearest distillation of what his followers believe the hashtag to mean came from former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s attorney during a Fox segment on Sunday, where she claimed that the declassified memos proved FBI agents tried to entrap Flynn, then a campaign adviser to Trump, on the order of President Barack Obama.
“The whole thing was orchestrated and set up within the FBI, Clapper, Brennan, and in the Oval Office meeting that day with President Obama,” Flynn’s lawyer, Sidney Powell, told host Maria Bartiromo.