rawstory--2020-04-15--Trump appoints former campaign official to keep an eye on HHS secretary: report

On Wednesday , Politico reported that President Donald Trump is tapping Michael Caputo , a former official on his presidential campaign , to oversee communications for the Department of Health and Human Services .
According to reporters Dan Diamond and Daniel Lippman , the decision to appoint Caputo — a frequent defender of the president on cable and social media who authored a book on impeachment called “ The Ukraine Hoax ” — is “ designed to assert more White House control over Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar , whom officials believe has been behind recent critical reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus pandemic , according to two officials with knowledge of the move.
” “ The high-level move comes after a series of news reports that portrayed Azar as warning Trump about the pending Covid-19 pandemic in January but having the president and his aides dismiss his concerns .
Trump on Sunday tweeted that Azar ‘ told me nothing until later , ’ appearing to refute those reports , ” continued the report .
“ White House officials believe that Azar has been shaping favorable coverage of his handling of the Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration ’ s mishandled response , said two officials with knowledge of the situation.
” Trump has reportedly been souring on Azar for months , dating back to his feud with Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Seema Verma .
“ Azar has spent the past year battling with White House officials and his own deputies over policies and personnel , and the White House recently installed a new HHS personnel chief , ” continued the report .
“ Meanwhile , Verma has assumed a more prominent role in the White House ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led the response for January and much of February , has disappeared from national TV.
” You can read more here .

Trained in political science and the law, he has no formal education in disaster preparedness or response. And prior to his current role, he never held a full-time job dedicated to emergency management.
Instead, his main qualification was being chief of staff to then-mayor Alan Arakawa. But in that role, he told Civil Beat Tuesday, he assisted during emergency operations. And he said he participated in online FEMA trainings and workshops throughout the years.
In 2017, Andaya beat out 40 other applicants for the job, Maui Now reported at the time.
As the mayor’s administration was coming to a close, a panel of government officials – which said it was independent of the mayor – chose Andaya for the civil service role.
Civil Beat reviewed Andaya’s experience after historic Lahaina was swallowed by an inferno last week, killing scores of residents and visitors who never saw it coming.
The Maui Emergency Management Agency had the authority to issue siren warnings that might have alerted people. After Andaya’s agency decided not to sound them, many survivors reported they only became aware of the fire when they saw and smelled smoke.
Andaya said sounding the sirens wasn’t an option officials considered because they’re “mainly used for tsunamis.” That’s why they’re mostly located on the coast, he said.
But the state’s own website says the sirens are useful for many kinds of emergencies.
“The all-hazard siren system can be used for a variety of both natural and human-caused events; including tsunamis, hurricanes, dam breaches, flooding, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, terrorist threats, hazardous material incidents, and more,” the site states.
Andaya wasn’t on the island when the fires started, and he hasn’t made any appearances at press conferences since the disaster occurred.
Asked about Andaya’s resume, David Hafner, a retired telecommunications planner for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, questioned whether his relative inexperience affected his agency’s performance in a crisis.
“It’s a good ol’ boy network,” Hafner said. “This time it cost lives.”
Hafner said it’s “absolutely essential” for emergency management leaders to have experience in the field so they make the right decisions both before and after disasters strike.
Not having it, he said, “can lead to grave mistakes in judgment.”
Andaya’s hiring came at a time when Hawaii’s counties had just taken on increased responsibility for disaster response, according to Hafner. State emergency management officials used to be the designated authority to respond to emergencies, he said, but an update to the law in 2014 put the counties in the driver’s seat.
Asked about Andaya’s LinkedIn resume, Colin Moore, a political scientist at the University of Hawaii, said he was shocked by the emergency administrator’s lack of relevant experience. He said the public is owed an explanation.
“It’s a legitimate question to ask why the person leading the county emergency services agency has no clear background in fire, police, public health, the usual emergency services backgrounds,” he said.
“Having that on-the-ground experience, you develop the instincts and the connections to be able to perform a job like this. And if you just have general government experience, there is just no opportunity to have that kind of on-the-ground knowledge that often is really useful in a crisis.”
Andaya said as a former member of the mayor’s cabinet, he was qualified for the job.
“Whenever there was an activation in the emergency operations center, we were involved,” he said. “To say that I have no experience or no background in emergency management is not correct.”
‘Political Influence’ A Concern
Andaya, 52, is from Maui and graduated from HP Baldwin High School.
He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Hawaii Manoa. He also has a law degree from the UH Richardson School of Law, although he never became a licensed attorney, according to the Hawaii State Bar Association’s online database.
He began his career clerking for Maui Judge Artemio Baxa. He then worked for the law office of Lynn Araki-Regan, an attorney who is the wife of Arakawa’s managing director, Keith Regan.
When Andaya vacated his position as chief of staff, it was filled by Araki-Regan, who was by then the county budget director. Regan said he had no involvement in Andaya’s hiring.
From the early 2000s onward, Andaya has held leadership positions in Maui’s Department of Housing and Human Concerns and worked as the assistant to the chancellor of UH’s Maui College, according to his LinkedIn resume. He is married to Rowena Dagdag-Andaya, a former elementary school teacher who served as Maui’s public works director and now works in Maui’s Office on Aging.
Andaya was Arakawa’s chief of staff from 2011 through 2017. That year, the mayor appointed him acting administrator of MEMA, and he became permanent by the end of that year.
In contrast, Honolulu’s emergency management director, Hiro Toiya, has technical training in emergency response, worked for years as a preparedness planner for the Hawaii health department and rose up the ranks of Honolulu’s Department of Emergency Management. He worked there for more than seven years before becoming the director.
Asked how he stood out among a pool of 40 job candidates, Andaya said Maui doesn’t have a lot of emergency management professionals to begin with. He noted that he had to take an exam and based on his score was determined to be a finalist.
“You would have to question the civil service process if you can believe that politics was involved,” he said. “This is something that my predecessors have to go through as well.”
Before Andaya was hired, there were concerns in Maui’s political scene that the county was considering someone who wasn’t qualified.
“In the past, this position has sometimes been filled by individuals without the proper emergency response background.”
Former Maui County Council Chairman Mike White
In July 2017, the chair of the Maui County Council at the time, Mike White, took the unusual step of writing a Maui News column warning that the job of emergency management was too important to be “subject to political influence.”
“In the past, this position has sometimes been filled by individuals without the proper emergency response background,” White wrote.
“The administration must search for well-qualified candidates who can make a seamless transition in leading our Emergency Management Agency. The stakes are too high and our community has grown to a point where emergency coordination has become quite sophisticated in its implementation.”
In his column, White praised the outgoing emergency management chief, Anna Foust, who had previously worked for years leading the Maui branch of the Red Cross. White emphasized her expertise.
“During her tenure, she used her emergency response experience and training to help guide the county to keep citizens safe during hurricane warnings and watches, flooding events and tsunami warnings,” White wrote.
Civil Beat wasn’t able to reach White for comment.
Panel Of Specialists Chose Andaya
On Tuesday, Arakawa’s former managing director, Keith Regan, said that politics was not a factor in Andaya’s hiring. Asked why Andaya was the best candidate, Regan said he didn’t know because he wasn’t on the hiring committee. But he was adamant there was “zero” political influence in the process.
“This was a straightforward civil service process,” said Regan, who is now the state comptroller.
When Regan ran for Maui County Council in 2015, Andaya was his campaign manager. This year, Andaya wrote a letter of support of Regan’s nomination to state comptroller.
Regan noted that the hiring panel included numerous experts in the field. Maui Now identified them at the time as then-Maui Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu; then-Maui Fire Chief Jeff Murray; Elton Ushio, administrator of the Kauai Emergency Management Agency; and Vern Miyagi, then-administrator of the Hawaii State Emergency Management Agency.
At the time, Ushio was quoted by Maui Now as saying Andaya’s “proven leadership abilities, executive level experience, and impressive knowledge of emergency management” made him a great fit for the job. Murray cited Andaya’s familiarity with government processes, his “institutional knowledge of the various emergency incidents” in recent years, and his then-recent work as acting leader of the department.
“These are not people that, you know, are just political people,” Regan said. “They’re people who understand emergency management and are going to make the right choice for the community.”
In a statement, former HI-EMA director Miyagi said the public’s focus should be on working together on response and recovery.
“Herman Andaya and his staff at MEMA are really good people,” he said. “They carried Maui successfully through numerous hurricanes, floods, and other disasters.”
He said the public should wait for the attorney general’s investigation before drawing conclusions.
Civil Beat left messages with the other hiring committee members on Tuesday, but they were not returned. Former mayor Arakawa also did not respond to a request for comment.
“Herman is a very skilled, experienced, knowledgeable, professional individual,” Regan said. “I trust that is making the right decisions … There is no question in my mind that he cares about that community, and he’s going to do everything he can to keep that community safe.”


rawstory--2020-04-15--‘Is he trying to cause a Constitutional crisis?’: MSNBC questions Trump’s political turn during COVI

‘Is he trying to cause a Constitutional crisis?’: MSNBC questions Trump’s political turn during COVID-19 pandemic

MSNBC host Chuck Todd asked his Wednesday evening panel what President Donald Trump could possibly be thinking with his latest fight over his appointees .
President Barack Obama faced off against the Republican Senate when he appointed a Supreme Court justice that the Senate refused to confirm .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) explained that presidents can ’ t have an appointee during an election year , which 2020 is .
It isn ’ t a rule or a law , but it ’ s McConnell ’ s new Senate policy that ushered in an invalid justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the land .
Trump demanded these appointments , specifically citing the person overseeing the radio network “ Voice of America ” , saying that many of his appointees are critical during the coronavirus crisis .
It ’ s unclear how the radio show is conducting essential public health .
“ Is he trying to cause a Constitutional crisis over ‘ Voice of America ? '
” asked Todd .
“ Right , Michael Pack , he wants to see him confirmed , Chuck , you ’ re absolutely right , ” said White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described as a right-wing filmmaker .
He also talked about wanting one of his judges confirmed , DNI as well as two members of the federal reserve board .
President Trump taking this very defiant stance , Chuck , you ’ re right .
It does have tones of a campaign rally going after Democrats .
She noted that their colleague Hans Nichols asked Trump about all of it , noting that in the past Trump said that now isn ’ t the time for partisanship , but he ’ s undercutting himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The president fired back by saying , ‘ Look , this has been a partisan process for a long time , ' ” she continued .
“ But the bottom line is , Chuck , how is he going to get things done in Congress if he essentially doesn ’ t have Congress there to pass things like the fourth tranche of the stimulus ?
Something that he needs that a number of Americans need in order to sort of deal with this lapse of paychecks and lapse of going to work @ @


rawstory--2020-04-15--US Covid-19 single-day deaths hit new record of 2300 as Trump says US is past peak

U.S. coronavirus deaths increased by a record number for the second day in a row , rising by at least 2,371 on Wednesday to top 30,800 , according to a Reuters tally , as states spared the worst of the pandemic mulled a partial lifting of restrictions on business and social life by May 1 .
The United States recorded its first coronavirus fatality on Feb. 29 .
It took 38 days to reach 10,000 deaths and just nine more days to go from 10,000 fatalities to 30,000 .
The previous high single-day death toll was 2,364 on Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States and 2 million globally .
Despite the spike in deaths , there were tentative signs in some parts of the country that the outbreak was beginning to ebb .
Governors of about 20 states with few coronavirus cases believe they may be ready to start the process of reopening their economies by President Donald Trump ’ s May 1 target date , a top U.S. health official said on Wednesday .
Governors in harder-hit states – New York , California , Louisiana , New Jersey , Massachusetts and Michigan – said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing before starting to end the coronavirus shutdown , which has thrown millions out of work with the closing of restaurants , businesses and schools .
Health officials have noted that death figures are a lagging indicator of the outbreak , coming after the most severely ill patients fall sick , and do not mean stay-at-home restrictions are failing to curb transmissions .
New York state and some other hard-hit areas continue to report sharp decreases in hospitalizations and numbers of patients on ventilators , although front-line healthcare workers and resources remained under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that coronavirus-related death figures are likely an undercount due to people dying at home or in nursing homes who were never tested for the virus .


rawstory--2020-04-15--100+ lawmakers demand moratorium on utility shutoffs to ensure access to services ‘essential to surv

100+ lawmakers demand moratorium on utility shutoffs to ensure access to services ‘essential to survive’ during coronavirus crisis

“ There is absolutely no excuse left for Congress to exclude basic human needs from the next coronavirus stimulus package , or in general , ” said Food & Water Action ’ s Rianna Eckel .
Over 100 federal lawmakers on Wednesday demanded a nationwide moratorium on utility shutoffs with a letter to congressional leadership demanding the freeze be part of the next coronavirus relief package to ensure Americans have access to services that are “ essential to survive during this health crisis.
” Spearheaded by Sen. Jeff Merkley ( D-Ore. ) and Reps. Peter DeFazio ( D-Ore. ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Khanna ( D-Calif. ) , and Jan Schakowsky ( D-Ill. ) , the letter addresses not only water but other utility services including electricity , heating , telecommunications , and internet—all “ especially critically ” amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The call comes as over 16 million Americans have been thrown out of work in recent weeks , the need for continued public health measures to stem the spread of coronavirus means many workplaces remain closed , and millions of people are still waiting for their one-time $ 1,200 stimulus checks .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D-Calif. ) , House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif. ) , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) , the lawmakers write : Water service ensures that Americans can handwash and disinfect surfaces necessary to slow and stop the coronavirus outbreak .
Electricity is necessary for families to turn on the lights and have refrigerated food to eat .
Internet access is essential for many employees to be able to work from home and for children who are out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working service jobs on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic are facing disconnection .
Demands in the letter include a pause on utility shutoffs “ for at least six months beyond the end date of the national state of emergency , ” reconnection for those who ’ ve already had services cut off , and an erasure of late fees for low-wealth families through the six-month period .
The new letter was welcomed by advocacy group Food & Water Action , which urged congressional leaders to act swiftly .
“ There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exclude basic human needs from the next coronavirus stimulus package , or in general , ” said Rianna Eckel , senior national water organizer with Food & Water Action .
“ People are facing the reality of living through a summer without running water right now .
We need national action to protect every single person in this country from inhumane utility shutoffs , nothing less.
” Food & Water Action was one of 830 advocacy groups who on Monday made a similar demand to congressional leadership regarding utility shutoffs in the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while a utility shutoff moratorium is needed , congressional action should go beyond that , as a pause in shutoffs “ does not tackle the systemic issues driving these all-too-common utility injustices across America.
” It ’ s time for a people-friendly , not big business-friendly , legislative package to help ordinary Americans facing economic pain , said Jean Su , director of the Center for Biological Diversity ’ s energy justice program , one of the groups behind the letter .
“ It ’ s unconscionable that Senate Republicans chose to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescue package , ” Su said in a Monday statement .
“ Families are facing impossible choices between paying for food or electricity , water , or healthcare .
”


rawstory--2020-04-15--Trump bizarrely claims the United States is a ‘developing nation’ in confused anti-China rant

During his latest White House coronavirus press briefing , President Donald Trump faced questions on his decision to defund the @ @ @ @ @ replied with a confused rant about China , claiming that they get preferential treatment from @ @ @ @ @ World Trade Organization because they ’ re a “ developing country ” — and “ @ @ @ @ @ nation too , in my book .
”


rawstory--2020-04-15--‘I’m not homophobic’: Franklin Graham claims he’s not ‘bashing people because they may be homosexual

‘I’m not homophobic’: Franklin Graham claims he’s not ‘bashing people because they may be homosexual’

Franklin Graham is doing some public relations work for his Samaritan ’ s Purse conservative Christian non-profit after the organization was met with great concern and warnings for requiring its medical professionals and even its volunteers working at its Central Park coronavirus field hospital in New York City to sign a document agreeing to support Graham ’ s anti-LGBTQ beliefs .
After Fox News host Laura Ingraham , who has an ugly history of anti-LGBTQ and white nationalist remarks , announced on-air Wednesday that she was sending Samaritan ’ s Purse a “ significant ” donation , she asked Graham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-LGBTQ policies .
“ We have a statement of faith , Laura , ” Graham said , as Media Matters reports ( video below ) .
“ We believe that marriage is between a man and a woman .
And that ’ s — that goes back to the beginning of time to the first man and woman that God created , ” Graham claimed .
“ And this is our standard , and so for people that we hire — we are a Christian organization .
We are a religious organization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like mind , and we have a statement of faith that we require our employees to sign .
And in that is ‘ a marriage is between a man and a woman , ’ and this is very offensive to some people and the gay community.
” It ’ s also very offensive to the majority of Americans .
Last year Gallup found nearly three out of four Americans ( 73 % ) believe same-sex relationship should be legal , and more than six in 10 ( 63 % ) believe marriages of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And listen , ” Graham continued , “ I ’ m not homophobic , and I ’ m certainly not going around bashing people because they may be homosexual.
” Graham literally is going around bashing people because they are gay .
“ I believe in that God loves all of us .
He created us all , but we also are sinners , and our sins separate us from God .
And I want people to know how they can have a relationship with God , and that ’ s through faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I don ’ t bash homosexuals .
I want homosexuals to know the truth , that God does love them.
” Graham also wants gay people to know “ the truth of the Gospel , ” he has said , but as he preaches it .
“ I ’ m not afraid of homosexuals , I ’ m really not — matter of fact , I love them , ” Graham has said , “ I love them enough to care to warn them that if they want to continue living like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hell for you.
” Last year Graham infamously warned Pete Buttigieg he will suffer “ eternal damnation ” if he does not “ repent ” his homosexuality .
“ God ’ s Word defines homosexuality as sin , ” Graham added , criticizing the former Indiana mayor for kissing his husband in public .
It ’ s “ something to be repentant of , not something to be flaunted , praised , or politicized.
” Graham ’ s use of the Bible as a weapon is very selective , as NCRM reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh ’ s alleged attempted rape was just something “ he did as a teenager ” – apparently no repentance required – unlike being gay , according to Graham .
He has also called an alleged child abuser ( the details are horrific and sickening ) a “ great patriot.
” Apparently no repentance required there , either .
And Graham has defended Trump ’ s affair with porn actress Stormy Daniels as “ nobody ’ s business ” — although he insisted in 1998 that Bill Clinton ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watch Graham and Ingraham on Fox News via Media Matters :

David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement


rawstory--2020-04-15--Trump claims not to know anything about his name on stimulus checks — but that people will be ‘very

Trump claims not to know anything about his name on stimulus checks — but that people will be ‘very happy’

At Wednesday ’ s coronavirus task force press briefing , President Donald Trump was asked about the decision to put @ @ @ @ @ stimulus check released to taxpayers under the stimulus bill .
He pleaded ignorance , claiming @ @ @ @ @ the decision — saying “ I don ’ t know too much about it , @ @ @ @ @ is there.
” A claim decisively at odds with previous reports Trump had told his @ @ @ @ @ he wanted his name on the checks .
He then added that he believes people @ @ @ @ @ ” to get a “ big , fat , beautiful check and my name is @ @ @ @


rawstory--2020-04-15--Trump’s anti-impeachment law professor urges him not to try to forcibly adjourn Congress

President Donald Trump expressed frustration over his appointees not being confirmed by the Republican Senate .
It was a problem that former President Barack Obama faced , and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) explained that appointees can ’ t be confirmed during an election year .
Now , Trump is taking the dramatic step to adjourn Congress himself as the president , claiming he has the Constitutional authority to do so .
In fact , he doesn ’ t have the Constitutional authority to do so unless the House and Senate can ’ t decide on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t adjourned , they ’ re in quarantine due to the coronavirus crisis and many of the members of the leadership are still in Washington working .
During the impeachment hearings , Republicans and the White House called law professor Jonathan Turley to testify on their behalf that there wasn ’ t a standard met for impeachment .
Now Turley is taking to Twitter to caution Trump against taking the action .
“ The President just said that he may unilaterally adjourn Congress .
This seems to be a reference to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives a president in “ extraordinary occasions ” to convene or adjourn the Houses .
This power has never been used and should not be used now , ” he tweeted .
“ The power to adjourn only applies “ in case of disagreement between them , with respect to the time of adjournment.
” Pro forma sessions have been used by both Democratic and Republican houses to prevent recess appointments .
I have long been a critic of such recess appointments.
” “ Senators of both parties should vote to support the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ disagreement ” there is no presidential power to adjourn under Article II .
A pandemic should not be an invitation for pandemonium .
Indeed , we need regular order now more than ever , ” he said .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Internet explodes at Trump’s ‘transparently dictatorial’ threat to forcibly adjourn Congress

On Wednesday , President Donald Trump threatened to use executive power to force Congress to adjourn , so that he @ @ @ @ @ every nominee that is stuck in the Senate — something the Constitution says the president @ @ @ @ @ power to do except in a very narrow set of circumstances .
Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ media , who immediately condemned the president ’ s latest authoritarian impulse — including a @ @ @ @ @ Tom Nichols and Jonah Goldberg .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Trump threatens to adjourn Congress if Dems don’t come out of quarantine to approve his appointees

President Donald Trump complained that Democrats should come back to Washington so the SEnate could approve his appointees that he claimed are critical in the time of the coronavirus .
The appointees , however , had nothing to do with public health .
The president rattled off positions “ to assist with the coronavirus crisis and the associating challenges.
” “ The positions include the director of national intelligence , two members the federal reserve board of governors , the assistant secretary of the treasury for financial markets , and the undersecretary of agriculture responsible for administering food security programs.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing criticisms for years that he doesn ’ t fill positions , “ well in some cases we don ’ t need positions and I ’ m all for that .
In some places we do , but you can ’ t get them approved by the Democrats.
” As a fact-check , the Democrats are not in control of the U.S. Senate , the Republicans are .
So if people aren ’ t being approved it ’ s due to the GOP refusing to approve them through the committees .
Given that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversial appointments will likely not get approved before the November election .
“ I will use my Constitutional authority to adjourn Congress , ” Trump said .
He doesn ’ t have the constitutional power to adjourn Congress , however , unless the House and Senate disagree about the date for adjourning .
It ’ s unclear why Trump is using the coronavirus crisis to force political issues .
The president specifically cited his appointee to the broadcasting board of governors , Michael Pack , a conservative filmmaker .
He would be responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” which Trump attacked as “ disgusting.
” “ What things they say are disgusting toward our country , ” he said .
Pack has been under investigation after he appeared to use funding from a nonprofit organization to fund projects with a private company .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Trump makes self-deprecating joke about what a disaster his coronavirus pressers are

At Wednesday ’ s coronavirus task force press briefing , President Donald Trump put up a video discussing General Motors @ @ @ @ @ and followed it up with a rare self-deprecating joke that acknowledged how poorly received his @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I know you all got a little bit nervous when I said we @ @ @ @ @ ” said Trump — a reference to how he had previously aired a campaign-style video @ @ @ @ @ in the crisis .
Trump was correct that some in the media were nervous when @ @ @ @ @ .
MSNBC had cut away from the press conference as it started , out of @ @ @ @ @ show another propaganda film that they hadn ’ t had their editorial team review .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Land ‘O Lakes removes Native American woman from its container after nearly 100 years

A century after its creation , Land ‘ O Lakes butter has finally removed the Native American “ maiden ” with feathers and braids from their branding .
The Grand Forks Herald reported Wednesday that a press release from President and CEO Beth Ford explained that the company is repackaging the butter as they approach their 100th anniversary next year .
The company said it plans to add images of their farmer-owners “ whose milk is used to produce Land O ’ Lakes products , ” Ford said .
“ As a farmer-owned co-op , we strongly feel the need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who grow our food with those who consume it , ” Ford continued .
“ Our farmer-to-fork structure gives us a unique ability to bridge this divide.
” The Native woman first appeared on the packaging in 1928 “ seven years after the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association was founded by 320 farmers in St. Paul .
Arthur C. Hanson , who was the first illustrator for the ad firm Brown and Bigelow , came up with the original design evoking rural Minnesota with a blue lake , green pine trees and a Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headdress , ” the report said .
The new packaging appears on their website : Read the full report at The Grand Forks Herald .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Trump says he’s having ‘productive calls’ with business execs – who aren’t as excited about his push

Trump says he’s having ‘productive calls’ with business execs – who aren’t as excited about his push to reopen as he is

President Donald Trump spent days hyping a big coronavirus announcement .
When the day finally came for his grandiose reveal , it was nothing more than a long list of names .
Minute after minute ticked by as Trump read a list of 200 names of corporations and business leaders he says will somehow help him re-open the country , or something .
“ With little explanation or context about their ultimate purpose , Trump spent roughly 10 minutes in the White House Rose Garden ticking off names of executives and companies from sectors including technology , agriculture , banking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , transportation , sports and health care , ” Politico reported , noting he had “ spent days hyping it up.
” “ All great institutions with lots to say and lots of good ideas , ” Trump bragged .
But no great plan on how to battle and beat the coronavirus .
On Wednesday Trump tweeted about the great progress he is making during his “ very productive calls ” with those top business executives .
But those top business leaders are less enthusiastic than Trump portrays .
“ In the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force to reopen the economy , banking and financial services executives said the administration needed to dramatically increase the availability of coronavirus testing before the public would be confident enough to return to work , eat at restaurants or shop in retail establishments , ” The Wall Street Journal reports .
CNN adds those “ industry leaders reiterated to the President what public health experts and governors have been telling him for weeks : that there would need to be guarantees of ramped-up coronavirus testing before people return to work.
” Trump only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his “ conservative allies ” who “ are convinced that internal discussions on the coronavirus task force , and the information it provides the President , are overly weighted toward models and worst-case public health scenarios.
” In other words , Trump ’ s friends are urging him to re-open the country as soon as possible – if not earlier .


rawstory--2020-04-15--WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the eye of pandemic and Trump storm

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , the first African to head the World Health Organization , has drawn the ire of US President Donald Trump over his chummy tone with China in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The former Ethiopian minister of health and foreign affairs has for months found himself at the heart of global efforts to rein in the novel coronavirus , which has now killed more than 130,000 people and infected some two million .
But in the past week , he has found himself in the eye of a different storm .
Trump ramped up criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them of being too close to China and have mismanaged the response to the pandemic .
On Tuesday , the US president announced that Washington , the biggest contributor to the UN health agency , would suspend its funding .
The pandemic , combined with the threat of lost US funding , clearly constitutes the biggest challenge to date in the WHO director-general ’ s near three-year tenure .
But Tedros , 55 , a malaria specialist with degrees from Britain in public health and immunology , and the first person ever elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should have the legitimacy and strong support to weather the storm .
Before the 2017 vote , where he faced off against five other candidates , the UN agency ’ s executive committee would put forward just one nominee for countries to approve or reject .
Tedros is renowned for his warmth and tendency to call everyone from colleagues to world leaders “ brother ” or “ sister ” , setting him apart from the famously cool persona of his predecessor , Margaret Chan of China .
But while he always seems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moustache , Tedros has also revealed a fiery side .
After a hefty barrage of criticism from Trump last week , Tedros warned that “ if you don ’ t want many more body-bags then you refrain from politicising ” the pandemic .
During that virtual briefing on April 8 , Tedros also revealed that for months he had faced a virulent campaign of abuse against him , including racist comments and death threats .
“ I don ’ t give a damn… I am proud of being black or proud of being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said much of the abuse he was suffering had originated in Taiwan .
It is excluded from the WHO and other international bodies at the behest of China , which considers the self-ruling democracy to be a Chinese province awaiting reunification .
Taiwan , which even lost its observer status at the WHO in 2016 , has , like Trump , harshly criticised the UN agency and its chief for being too willing to believe Beijing and praise it for its handling of the outbreak that began in China late last year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is raging between the pro-Tedros and anti-Tedros camps .
The WHO chief himself has joined the virtual fight , retweeting messages of support from a range of African leaders , other political actors and scientists .
“ I ’ ve known Dr Tedros for 27 years… He is a man of great principle , and his calm but firm , courageous leadership of WHO during this terrible COVID-19 pandemic is exactly what the world needs right now , ” tweeted Laura Hammond , a University of London professor .
Suerie Moon , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Global Health Centre , meanwhile insisted on Twitter that “ Tedros has proven himself to be a strong , skilled leader and experienced diplomat.
” He certainly has a knack for diplomacy .
During the 2017 election , Tedros managed to fight off a last-minute controversy after an advisor to his British rival David Nabarro accused him of covering up three major outbreaks of cholera in Ethiopia .
He managed instead to highlight his drive as health minister to expand basic healthcare by building thousands of clinics and boosting community-based health services , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar overhaul , with an emphasis on global health coverage .
When he took over , the organisation was undergoing far-reaching reforms after it mismanaged the initial response to the Ebola outbreak in west Africa , which killed more than 11,300 people between 2013 and 2016 .
But just a few months into his tenure , he created a scandal by appointing Zimbabwe ’ s then-president Robert Mugabe as a WHO goodwill ambassador .
He was forced to backtrack .
That gaffe however has largely been forgotten , as the WHO has , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response capabilities , and astutely responded to two new Ebola outbreaks , in the Democratic Republic of the Congo .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Benjamin Netanyahu refused to give ventilators to desperate people in UK: report

Axios reported Wednesday that when the United Kingdom turned to them for help during the coronavirus pandemic , Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ .
According to Israeli officials , British companies tried to purchase ventilators from suppliers in @ @ @ @ @ t because Netanyahu signed an emergency decree outlawing any exports of the ventilators .
U.K. @ @ @ @ @ for the U.K. to have an exemption from the ban , and while Netanyahu was @ @ @ @ @ said Israel needed them for themselves .
“ Israel also faces a severe coronavirus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ ban the export of ventilators came amid fears of a domestic shortage as hospitalizations increased @ @ @ @ @ Other countries have sought them from Israel as well , including just 30 requested by @ @ @ @ @ also turned down .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Texas AG threatens to criminally sanction any group that tells voters to apply for a mail-in ballot

Texas AG threatens to criminally sanction any group that tells voters to apply for a mail-in ballot to avoid COVID-19

On Wednesday , Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ’ s office issued a letter saying that the state ’ s official position is that fear of contracting COVID-19 is not a valid excuse for applying for an absentee ballot .
Furthermore , the letter warned that any entity telling voters to apply on that basis could face “ criminal sanctions ” under state law prohibiting election fraud and the encouragement of “ false information ” on ballot applications , depending on “ the facts and circumstances of the individual case.
” Texas has among the most burdensome restrictions in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail .
To qualify for an absentee ballot , Texas voters must be over the age of 65 , disabled , or absent from their county or confined in lockup during the voting period .
Voting rights groups are urging state judges to interpret the “ disabled ” excuse to also include people at risk of exposure to coronavirus — which Paxton opposes .
On Wednesday afternoon , a district judge for Travis County issued a temporary injunction allowing voters to cite coronavirus risk to apply to vote by mail .
That decision @ @ @ @ @ @


rawstory--2020-04-15--Many of the members of Trump’s economic recovery task force had no idea they were on it: report

One day after President Trump assembled a list of business leaders , advisers , celebrities , and other public figures for his economic recovery task force , it was discovered that many of the people whose names appeared on the list had no idea they had been added to the group , according to a report from The Daily Beast .
Trump proudly touted his Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups during a White House press briefing in the Rose Garden on Tuesday night , the Daily Beast reports .
“ And yet , many of the listed names and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , supposed advisory roles until the president read their names on live TV , or until after the White House published the full list .
Others said they hadn ’ t even committed to working with the Trump administration on this , and only agreed to take a phone call from the White House to see if the effort was worthwhile or just for show.
” According to the Beast ’ s report , the next day “ it had become clear that industry groups were mainly being used as a sounding board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president to not abandon public safety policy for the sake of an economic activity sugar rush.
” Read the full report over at The Daily Beast .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Trump faces pushback for claims there’s no problem with testing — ‘this could be a reality check’: C

Trump faces pushback for claims there’s no problem with testing — ‘this could be a reality check’: CNN

On Wednesday , CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins walked through the feedback President Donald Trump is getting from business leaders — and how it poses a challenge to his narrative about the effort to fight COVID-19 .
“ Kaitlan , this is a phone meeting , I guess , of the president ’ s new business council , ” said anchor Jake Tapper .
“ Are there any indications that the business leaders were able to convince the president ?
” “ The first message from these executives on this first call , which was banking executives , financial executives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of that nature , was that you ’ re going to have to ramp up testing if we ’ re going to open up our businesses and people are going to feel safe coming in , ” said Collins .
“ They made sure to the president that was a priority for them , essentially saying that they do not feel that they ’ re at the level of that right now because a lot of these companies are basically telling the president , if these consumers don ’ t feel comfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not going to be opening up until this testing has ramped up further.
” “ We ’ re told there was a lot of praise for the president on this call and what his administration has done so far , ” added Collins .
“ But Jake , this could be kind of a reality check for the president , because for the last two weeks we ’ ve seen him insisting that testing in the U.S. is fine .
He said he has not heard a lot of concerns about the testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But we know state officials have been talking about this as well .
And it comes , of course , as the president and his economic advisers are pushing to have at least some kind of opening on May 1 when those deadlines expire .
”


rawstory--2020-04-15--Ex-senator prays for Dr. Fauci — because Trump is about to pressure him to reopen the government

Former Senator Claire McCaskill ( D-MO ) warned that President Donald Trump is so desperate to regain his economy that he ’ ll put people ’ s lives at risk and force scientists and doctors to back him up .
MSNBC ’ s Nicolle Wallace lamented that the bar has clearly dropped even lower for Trump and has clearly reached the lowest point of his presidency .
“ You know , it ’ s interesting Nicolle , I think Americans right now , while everyone wants to go back to work and everyone wants to go back to school , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church , mostly what Americans want to be is be safe and have a strong leader that can show the way through this crisis , ” said McCaskill .
“ Clearly we have anything but that .
We have a massively insecure man who ’ s focused on one thing — that ’ s his re-election .
He ’ s in a boxed canyon .
He always thought his re-election depended on the strength of the economy , right ?
And now , the economy is in tatters .
So , he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back.
” She went on to explain that Trump isn ’ t thinking about the fact that the economy is made up of states .
the largest of those states with the greatest economies are run by Democrats .
And the governors of those states are in control and will listen to scientists and public health experts about when it ’ s safe .
“ He might get some red states , rural governors , ” said McCaskill .
“ But that ’ s not the engine of our economy .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit the hardest , that ’ s where so much of our economic activity comes from and that ’ s where you have Democratic governors , county executives and mayors.
” What concerned her the most , however , was the danger that Dr. Anthony Fauci faces .
“ I just want to pray for Fauci right now .
I want him to stay strong .
Because he ’ ll end up having tremendous pressure on him .
Can you imagine what they ’ re going to do to him ?
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say , ‘ it ’ s okay.
’ So , stay strong , Tony Fauci , ” she closed .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Evangelical academic decries spread of coronavirus conspiracy theories: ‘Gullibility is not a Christ

Evangelical academic decries spread of coronavirus conspiracy theories: ‘Gullibility is not a Christian virtue’

On Wednesday , writing for Christianity Today , evangelical expert and Billy Graham Center director Ed Stetzer slammed right-wing Christians falling for coronavirus conspiracy theories , warning that “ gullibility is not a spiritual gift ” .
“ One of the sad things that I ’ ve learned over time is how Christians are disproportionately fooled by conspiracy theories .
I ’ ve said before that when Christians spread lies , they need to repent of those lies .
Sharing fake news makes us look stupid and harms our witness , ” wrote Stetzer .
“ We saw this in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troll factories focused on conservative , evangelical Christians .
This is disappointing .
So how do we respond to this ?
” “ First , we need to speak up and speak out to others— particularly those fooled yet again— and lovingly say , ‘ You need to go to trusted sources.
’ Your social media news feed is not a trusted source .
But you can find them .
That ’ s why we created coronavirusandthechurch.com .
There are plenty of others , ” wrote Stetzer .
“ Second , God has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gullibility is not a Christian virtue , and we ought not to act like that .
Believing and sharing Covid-19 conspiracies does not honor the Lord.
” Furthermore , he wrote , “ we see some Christian leaders hype up the idea that you are being persecuted if you ignore the current guidelines and try to gather a thousand people together for worship in a global pandemic .
We saw a few pastors making a spectacle of themselves at Easter when we should be making much of Jesus.
” “ Unless you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Congress , the media , and the scientific community are all in league together ( a real leap of faith ) , you are just embarrassing yourself when you spread Coronavirus conspiracies , ” wrote Stetzer .
“ If you still insist on doing so , would you please consider taking Christian off your bio so the rest of us don ’ t have to share in the embarrassment you are heaping on yourself.
” “ I ’ m grateful that many , many pastors and church leaders and their churches have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theories but to proclaim Christ , not to feed their fears but to serve their community , ” concluded Stetzer .
“ Let ’ s continue to provoke one another to good works , hold to what is true , and refuse that which is false.
” You can read more here .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Host of ‘Shark Tank’ slams Trump’s attempt to help small businesses: ‘The execution of the program i

Host of ‘Shark Tank’ slams Trump’s attempt to help small businesses: ‘The execution of the program is horrendous’

Speaking on Yahoo Finance ’ s YFi PM , Shark Tank host and entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran expressed her displeasure with President Trump ’ s efforts to provide relief to small business owners affected by the coronavirus lockdowns .
“ I think everybody was well intended with the stimulus package and they made a lot of promises they intended to keep , I just think the execution of the whole program is pretty horrendous , ” she said .
“ The idea they didn ’ t expect they would have a surge of people applying , most people who are living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were let go aren ’ t getting their checks for three weeks , six weeks , some as late as eight weeks predicted in some of the states .
That ’ s over promising and underdelivering , ” she continued .
“ In a way it ’ s more mean than not promising in the first place.
” “ When I ’ m hearing about all this money being doled out , I ’ m wondering who ’ s getting it , ” Corcoran said .
“ I ’ m going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses that I believe will make it through.
” According to Corcoran , only one of her 17 businesses that applied for loans through the $ 349 billion Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP ) received word that relief was on the way .
Corcoran recently said that she expected more than half of her Shark Tank businesses to fail thanks to lockdowns meant to stem the spread of coronavirus .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Thousands of lives, millions of jobs, trillions of dollars: Conservative details toll of Trump’s COV

Thousands of lives, millions of jobs, trillions of dollars: Conservative details toll of Trump’s COVID-19 inaction

Conservative Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin detailed the death toll at the hands of President Donald Trump ‘ s leadership failure .
In her Wednesday column , Rubin pointed to Trump ’ s “ pass the buck ” style of leadership , blaming the World Health Organization for his failure to act .
It was “ a frantic attempt to deflect blame from his own delinquency in acting to protect Americans against the pandemic and his ongoing failure to ramp up testing , which would allow economic re-engagement , ” wrote Rubin .
Trump proved in January that he knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the soft-ban on those coming into the United States from China .
He also established the Coronavirus Task Force .
The question remains , however , why nothing was done again until March .
“ It is hard to quantify the damage , both human and material , that Trump ’ s utter incompetence has caused , ” wrote Rubin .
“ We are in the midst of the initial wave of the pandemic , and others might well follow ( as happened in the 1918 Spanish flu ) .
” She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s inaction when compared to countries that were quick to do something .
So , what if Trump acted sooner , Rubin wondered .
“ The country deserves to know at least in rough terms the number of deaths that could have been avoided had Trump responded quickly to his advisers ’ warnings dating back to November or even to the end of January , when the WHO sounded its alarm , ” she said .
As for the economic toll , only time will tell how his response will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the astronomical unemployment rate .
“ In sum , the Trump toll , when we are done , will likely include tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths , massive unemployment , trillions of dollars more in debt and trillions of dollars in lost wealth ( from stocks , homes and other assets lost in the Trump recession ) — not to mention emotional hardship and educational disruption , ” Rubin closed .
“ Trying to fully grasp the extent of the devastation Trump ultimately will have wrought will be difficult , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legacy as the worst president in American history is quite certain.
” Read the full column at the Washington Post .


rawstory--2020-04-15--DiCaprio and De Niro offering a walk-in role in their upcoming film to one lucky donor in virus char

DiCaprio and De Niro offering a walk-in role in their upcoming film to one lucky donor in virus charity drive

Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro have rallied fellow Hollywood A-listers in a new coronavirus fundraising campaign by offering a walk-in role in their upcoming film to one lucky donor .
The actors are set to star in “ Killers of the Flower Moon , ” one of next year ’ s most hotly anticipated movies , which is directed by Martin Scorsese and tells the true story of Native American killings in 1920s Oklahoma .
“ If you ever wondered what it was like to be able to work with the great Martin Scorsese , this is your chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video Wednesday .
The randomly selected winner will also have lunch with the stars and director , and attend the premiere .
The initiative is part of the # AllInChallenge launched Tuesday , which sees celebrities including movie and sport stars auction or donate a “ once-in-a-lifetime fan experience , ” and challenge others to do the same .
Opportunities to have Justin Bieber fly to your house for a private show , watch a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game ringside with Magic Johnson , or play golf with Rob Lowe have collectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All proceeds go to charities providing food relief to those in need during the lockdown , including Meals on Wheels , No Kid Hungry and America ’ s Food Fund — launched this month by DiCaprio and Laurene Jobs , the widow of Steve Jobs .
In his video DiCaprio challenged Ellen DeGeneres , who within hours responded by offering a chance to co-host her chat show , and Matthew McConaughey , who invited a donor to join him in his private box to watch an American Football game in Texas .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of high-profile celebrity initiatives over the deadly coronavirus pandemic , from singer Rihanna ’ s multi-million-dollar donations to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey ’ s new $ 1 billion relief fund .
Some have picked subjects closer to their heart — “ Seinfeld ” co-creator Larry David started a $ 150,000 GoFundMe campaign to support out-of-work golf caddies at his highly exclusive Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles .


rawstory--2020-04-15--GOP loses lawsuit claiming they have a constitutional right to gerrymander Michigan

On Wednesday , a federal appeals court threw out a lawsuit from the Michigan GOP claiming that a newly-created independent redistricting commission violates their constitutional rights .
In Michigan Republican Party v. Benson , the Sixth Circuit rejected the GOP ’ s argument , and will not block the commission from proceeding .
The commission was created as part of a voter referendum in 2018 .
It has some of the strongest anti-conflict of interest rules of any such commission in the country ; in addition to strict requirements that Democrats , Republicans , and independents be represented , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political party officials , lobbyists , or their relatives from serving on the panel .
The GOP argued that these rules violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments , by restricting freedom of association .
Several voting rights groups , including Common Cause and the Brennan Center for Justice , sided with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in defending against the lawsuit .
Republicans heavily gerrymandered Michigan after the 2010 midterm election solidified their power over the state .
Leaked emails showed party officials boasting that their map would pack “ Dem garbage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the southeast .


rawstory--2020-04-15--Covid-19: France reports 1438 deaths in 24 hours, sharp increase due to unreported deaths from Easte

Covid-19: France reports 1438 deaths in 24 hours, sharp increase due to unreported deaths from Easter

Over 17,000 people have now died in France from COVID-19 , a top health official said on Wednesday , but @ @ @ @ @ hospitalised has fallen for the first time since the epidemic began .
A total of @ @ @ @ @ to have died in France in hospitals and nursing homes , Jerome Salomon told reporters @ @ @ @ @ toll of 15,729 the day earlier .
But Salomon said the difference did not represent @ @ @ @ @ the delayed collation of data from the Easter weekend .
In better news , he @ @ @ @ @ fewer coronavirus patients in hospital since the day before .
“ It remains very high @ @ @ @ @ the first time a fall thanks to people who have been discharged .
”


rawstory--2020-04-15--Workers at Warren Buffett’s furniture rental company were given bad gear and dared to complain about

Workers at Warren Buffett’s furniture rental company were given bad gear and dared to complain about it

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Walter Infante drove into the coronavirus “ containment zone ” in New Rochelle , N.Y. , last month to make a delivery for Cort Furniture Rental , a Warren Buffett company .
Infante ’ s bosses back in North Bergen , N.J. , insisted he had to make the delivery .
They didn ’ t care about the National Guard-enforced quarantine or Infante ’ s lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not surprising , given the standard of care for workers and customers that has made Buffett the third richest American with a fortune of at least $ 75 billion .
“ I was told , ‘ Just go—just do the job .
It ’ s just eight people sick in the country , ’ ” Infante told me .
“ I had no choice [ but to make the delivery ] .
” Buffett ’ s Berkshire-Hathaway conglomerate employs more than 370,000 people , few of whom are represented by unions who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as pay and benefits .
Buffett is known for paying his senior managers well , the rank-and-file not so much , a common practice among big firms with few if any union workers including Wal-Mart , FedEx and most infamously Boeing which ruined its reputation for safety by hiring $ 9-an-hour coders for the grounded 737 Max .
Of course , the companies and those who control them insist their policies in no way are contrary to the interests of their workers .
“ We have no anti-union agenda whatsoever , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said last year after reaching a new contract with 2,500 pilots of his NetJets private air service .
Buffett also buys services from companies that pay miserly wages , including the $ 9-an-hour wages paid by the firm running the Chicago rail yard for his BNSF railroad .
At Cort Furniture Rental barn in New Jersey , Infante and the rest of the guys moved to unionize .
They also protested the continued lack of safety masks , gloves and hand sanitizer .
Buffet ’ s managers fired them all even though that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 , the Professional Movers Union , as Teamsters Local 814 is also known , filed unfair labor practice charges against Cort Rental Furniture with the NLRB .
The union says Infante and at least 18 other workers at the North Bergen warehouse were sacked in retaliation for unionizing and speaking out against poor safety practices that put them all at risk of contracting the COVID-19 coronavirus .
The NLRB can not act on the complaint because it lacks a quorum .
That ’ s because Trump has failed to appoint replacements for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he has done with some other federal boards and commissions .
Julian Tysh , a Teamsters organizer , points to the coronavirus combined with the lack of an NLRB quorum as evidence that Trump is acting in bad faith .
The result is “ unprecedented action against workers and COVID-19 whistleblowers.
” “ This is just a naked and brazen attempt to squash the rights of workers , ” Tysh told me .
“ This is the same thing that just happened at Amazon , where workers on the front lines keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as possible , are the workers [ companies are ] trying to exploit.
” Cort Furniture Rental is among a growing list of companies being accused of terminating workers who speak out against unsafe working conditions and a lack of proper protective equipment during the pandemic .
They run the gamut from retail giant Amazon to Tipsy , a tiny wine shop in Brooklyn .
“ It ’ s very difficult to stand six feet away from somebody when delivering to their home , ” Anthony Salcedo told me .
Salcedo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The majority of our pickups and deliveries come from [ New York City ] —the epicenter [ of Trump ’ s COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S ] .
I have a family—my biggest fear was coming into contact with someone with coronavirus and passing it onto my wife and kids.
” During Manhattan delivery runs Cort drivers sometimes got a heads-up from a friendly doorman warning them that certain people in the building had tested positive for COVID-19 .
Still , protective masks and gloves weren ’ t forthcoming from Cort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting proper equipment , Salcedo says employees were told they had the option of taking a leave of absence , using their vacation days , if they felt unsafe or just staying home without pay .
Salcedo said one manager told him , “ Unless you plan on living the rest of your life in a bubble—keep on working.
” Much later , when the company did provide gloves .
The workers say the gloves were often so small they tore when slipping them on .
Julio Perez , a Cort Furniture Rental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job safety rules , protocols and potentially dangerous hazmat situations .
Perez has spent the better part of two decades in the moving business , working around dangerous and volatile substances like ammonia and hydrochloric acid .
“ I never had an issue ” with safety at previous employers , ” Perez , 50 , said .
“ I took those qualities to Cort—when they hired me , they knew what they were getting .
The whole time I was there I was afraid for the workers.
” Working inside the Cort Rental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cleaning fluid and touch-up solution hung thick in the air , wasn ’ t any safer , according to workers .
Many opted to eat lunch in their cars rather that cram into the building ’ s smelly cafeteria .
An unused conference room was available to allow for better social distancing—but workers say that management wouldn ’ t open it up so they could eat lunch safely .
Infante drove for Cort Rental Furniture for more than 10 years before he was sacked for exercising his rights .
After he began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety attire and other workplace issues , the married father of two from Richfield , N.J. , found himself relegated to the warehouse most of the time .
When Infante asked why , he says management told him , “ We ’ re trying to protect you from coronavirus.
” Neither Cort Rental Furniture nor Berkshire Hathaway has responded to repeated requests for comment .
The fired workers insist that management is attempting to blame their terminations on a lack of business during Trump ’ s pandemic .
That ’ s easily proven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were true — why were you hiring subcontractors for the last three weeks ?
” Salcedo asked .
Indeed , workers say that a few days before they filed a petition seeking a March 10 vote on unionizing Cort managers began bringing in subcontracted drivers to do their work .
Cort management ’ s true aim , the fired workers insist , is union-busting , plain and simple .
And Buffett ’ s managers employed a number of strategies to harass workers .
Back in January , just prior to the widespread outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduced a new app ostensibly designed to increase delivery crew productivity .
But Infante says drivers couldn ’ t stop for a two-minute bathroom break without the boss calling them up and demanding to know why their truck had stopped .
Drivers who balked at having to alert managers anytime they had to relieve themselves were ultimately called into the office and chewed out , he said .
“ Answer with an attitude , and the next day , you ’ re in the warehouse , ” Infante told me .
The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to begin their delivery runs .
As a result , workers were unable to fulfill familial obligations because they were never knew for sure when they might get off work .
“ They would keep our drivers in the dark and not let us know what the [ daily ] routes were or where they were going , ” Perez told me .
“ Not letting drivers see where they are going is a blind way to work—you don ’ t know where you ’ re going or how long you will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drivers were not ‘ entitled ’ to know.
” Local 814 successfully organized the Uovo Fine Art shop in Queens , N.Y. , last fall .
But its workers , too , soon suffered from the toxic mix of coronavirus , union-busting management and Trump ’ s neglect of his constitutional duty to faithfully fulfill his office by appointing NLRB members .
Not long after Cort Rental Furniture fired its pro-union workers in New Jersey , Uovo Fine announced it was putting its Local 814 movers on “ stand-by ” due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees outright .
“ This is clear retaliation , ” permanently laid-off union supporter Peter Mackay said in a statement .
“ Just because you wait six months and do it under the cover of a global pandemic , doesn ’ t make it any less obvious .
It just makes it more heinous.
” Tysh , the Teamsters organizer , said if there is a silver lining in Trump ’ s pandemic , it is that the entire country is coming to realize the “ profound disconnect between the value workers produce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the same time , Tysh believes it ’ s time for trade unionists to invoke their militant history , eschew the politics of the least worst option , and once again realize the power of withholding their labor .
Tysh calls the pandemic and the crushing economic realities it has exposed a “ definite wakeup call ” for the working class .
“ We definitely have to push the envelope , ” Tysh said .
“ Organized labor and workers not formally organized need to come together to put a real plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike is something a lot of people have forgotten about.
” At Amazon , Instacart , Whole Foods and other companies without unions “ all these workers see the injustices in society and they ’ re willing to do something about it , ” Tysh told me .
“ Maybe [ workers are ] going to be back in the street the way it was done in the old days.
” The fired Cort Furniture Rental employees have started an online petition demanding the company immediately reinstate them and provide workers with proper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
This article was paid for by Raw Story subscribers .
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Walter Infante drove into the coronavirus “containment zone” in New Rochelle, N.Y., last month to make a delivery for Cort Furniture Rental, a Warren Buffett company.
Infante’s bosses back in North Bergen, N.J., insisted he had to make the delivery. They didn’t care about the National Guard-enforced quarantine or Infante’s lack of personal protection equipment.
But that’s not surprising, given the standard of care for workers and customers that has made Buffett the third richest American with a fortune of at least $75 billion.
“I was told, ‘Just go—just do the job. It’s just eight people sick in the country,’” Infante told me. “I had no choice [but to make the delivery].”
Buffett’s Berkshire-Hathaway conglomerate employs more than 370,000 people, few of whom are represented by unions who could negotiate for safety conditions as well as pay and benefits.
Buffett’s Berkshire-Hathaway conglomerate employs more than 370,000 people, few of whom are represented by unions who could negotiate for safety conditions as well as pay and benefits.
Miserly Wages
Buffett is known for paying his senior managers well, the rank-and-file not so much, a common practice among big firms with few if any union workers including Wal-Mart, FedEx and most infamously Boeing which ruined its reputation for safety by hiring $9-an-hour coders for the grounded 737 Max.
Of course, the companies and those who control them insist their policies in no way are contrary to the interests of their workers.
“We have no anti-union agenda whatsoever, and we think we have sensational pilots.” Buffett said last year after reaching a new contract with 2,500 pilots of his NetJets private air service.
Buffett also buys services from companies that pay miserly wages, including the $9-an-hour wages paid by the firm running the Chicago rail yard for his BNSF railroad.
At Cort Furniture Rental barn in New Jersey, Infante and the rest of the guys moved to unionize. They also protested the continued lack of safety masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. Buffet’s managers fired them all even though that’s blatantly illegal.
No Labor Board
[caption id="attachment_18853" align="alignright" width="300"] Workers at the North Bergen, N.J., warehouse of Cort Furniture Rentals.(Teamsters Local 814 image)[/caption]
On April 2, the Professional Movers Union, as Teamsters Local 814 is also known, filed unfair labor practice charges against Cort Rental Furniture with the NLRB. The union says Infante and at least 18 other workers at the North Bergen warehouse were sacked in retaliation for unionizing and speaking out against poor safety practices that put them all at risk of contracting the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The NLRB cannot act on the complaint because it lacks a quorum. That’s because Trump has failed to appoint replacements for those who left the board, just as he has done with some other federal boards and commissions.
Julian Tysh, a Teamsters organizer, points to the coronavirus combined with the lack of an NLRB quorum as evidence that Trump is acting in bad faith. The result is “unprecedented action against workers and COVID-19 whistleblowers.”
“This is just a naked and brazen attempt to squash the rights of workers,” Tysh told me. “This is the same thing that just happened at Amazon, where workers on the front lines keeping us safe and healthy and fed as much as possible, are the workers [companies are] trying to exploit.”
From Amazon to Tipsy
Cort Furniture Rental is among a growing list of companies being accused of terminating workers who speak out against unsafe working conditions and a lack of proper protective equipment during the pandemic. They run the gamut from retail giant Amazon to Tipsy, a tiny wine shop in Brooklyn.
“It’s very difficult to stand six feet away from somebody when delivering to their home,” Anthony Salcedo told me. Salcedo, 28, is a Cort delivery man. “The majority of our pickups and deliveries come from [New York City]—the epicenter [of Trump’s COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S]. I have a family—my biggest fear was coming into contact with someone with coronavirus and passing it onto my wife and kids.”
During Manhattan delivery runs Cort drivers sometimes got a heads-up from a friendly doorman warning them that certain people in the building had tested positive for COVID-19. Still, protective masks and gloves weren’t forthcoming from Cort management.
When workers approached management about getting proper equipment, Salcedo says employees were told they had the option of taking a leave of absence, using their vacation days, if they felt unsafe or just staying home without pay.
Salcedo said one manager told him, “Unless you plan on living the rest of your life in a bubble—keep on working.”
When the Gloves Won’t Fit
Much later, when the company did provide gloves. The workers say the gloves were often so small they tore when slipping them on.
Julio Perez, a Cort Furniture Rental team leader, was well-versed in federal job safety rules, protocols and potentially dangerous hazmat situations. Perez has spent the better part of two decades in the moving business, working around dangerous and volatile substances like ammonia and hydrochloric acid.
“I never had an issue” with safety at previous employers,” Perez, 50, said. “I took those qualities to Cort—when they hired me, they knew what they were getting. The whole time I was there I was afraid for the workers.”
A Smelly Cafeteria
Working inside the Cort Rental Furniture warehouse, where the pungent odor of cleaning fluid and touch-up solution hung thick in the air, wasn’t any safer, according to workers. Many opted to eat lunch in their cars rather that cram into the building’s smelly cafeteria.
An unused conference room was available to allow for better social distancing—but workers say that management wouldn’t open it up so they could eat lunch safely.
Infante drove for Cort Rental Furniture for more than 10 years before he was sacked for exercising his rights.
After he began speaking out about the lack of proper safety attire and other workplace issues, the married father of two from Richfield, N.J., found himself relegated to the warehouse most of the time. When Infante asked why, he says management told him, “We’re trying to protect you from coronavirus.”
Neither Cort Rental Furniture nor Berkshire Hathaway has responded to repeated requests for comment.
Exploiting the Pandemic
The fired workers insist that management is attempting to blame their terminations on a lack of business during Trump’s pandemic. That’s easily proven to be false.
“If that were true — why were you hiring subcontractors for the last three weeks?” Salcedo asked.
Indeed, workers say that a few days before they filed a petition seeking a March 10 vote on unionizing Cort managers began bringing in subcontracted drivers to do their work.
Cort management’s true aim, the fired workers insist, is union-busting, plain and simple. And Buffett’s managers employed a number of strategies to harass workers.
Back in January, just prior to the widespread outbreak of coronavirus in the U.S.—Cort Furniture Rental introduced a new app ostensibly designed to increase delivery crew productivity.
But Infante says drivers couldn’t stop for a two-minute bathroom break without the boss calling them up and demanding to know why their truck had stopped. Drivers who balked at having to alert managers anytime they had to relieve themselves were ultimately called into the office and chewed out, he said.
“Answer with an attitude, and the next day, you’re in the warehouse,” Infante told me.
The company also started varying the time when drivers had to begin their delivery runs. As a result, workers were unable to fulfill familial obligations because they were never knew for sure when they might get off work.
“They would keep our drivers in the dark and not let us know what the [daily] routes were or where they were going,” Perez told me. “Not letting drivers see where they are going is a blind way to work—you don’t know where you’re going or how long you will be out. [Management] said drivers were not ‘entitled’ to know.”
Local 814 successfully organized the Uovo Fine Art shop in Queens, N.Y., last fall. But its workers, too, soon suffered from the toxic mix of coronavirus, union-busting management and Trump’s neglect of his constitutional duty to faithfully fulfill his office by appointing NLRB members.
Not long after Cort Rental Furniture fired its pro-union workers in New Jersey, Uovo Fine announced it was putting its Local 814 movers on “stand-by” due to the pandemic. Uovo also fired seven unionized employees outright.
“This is clear retaliation,” permanently laid-off union supporter Peter Mackay said in a statement. “Just because you wait six months and do it under the cover of a global pandemic, doesn’t make it any less obvious. It just makes it more heinous.”
Silver Lining, Maybe
Tysh, the Teamsters organizer, said if there is a silver lining in Trump’s pandemic, it is that the entire country is coming to realize the “profound disconnect between the value workers produce and what they get in return.”
At the same time, Tysh believes it’s time for trade unionists to invoke their militant history, eschew the politics of the least worst option, and once again realize the power of withholding their labor.
Tysh calls the pandemic and the crushing economic realities it has exposed a “definite wakeup call” for the working class.
“We definitely have to push the envelope,” Tysh said. “Organized labor and workers not formally organized need to come together to put a real plan into action. The power of the strike is something a lot of people have forgotten about.”
At Amazon, Instacart, Whole Foods and other companies without unions “all these workers see the injustices in society and they’re willing to do something about it,” Tysh told me. “Maybe [workers are] going to be back in the street the way it was done in the old days.”
The fired Cort Furniture Rental employees have started an online petition demanding the company immediately reinstate them and provide workers with proper personal protection equipment to shield them from the coronavirus.


rawstory--2020-04-15--Steven Mnuchin’s talks with Dems over next coronavirus relief package has GOP nervous: report

According to a report from POLITICO , Republicans are getting a little uncomfortable with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin ’ s @ @ @ @ @ to break an impasse over the next coronavirus relief package .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi “ @ @ @ @ @ other demands .
I know that Secretary Mnuchin is negotiating with her .
And that @ @ @ @ @ good , ” Sen. John Kennedy ( R-LA ) said in an interview this Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ still got to pass the Senate .
And I think there are a lot of @ @ @ @ @ have a lot of questions of whatever the secretary and the speaker agree to .
@ @ @ @ @ it , it ’ s not a done deal.
” Read the full report over @ @ @


rawstory--2020-04-15--In a fit of childish desperation, Trump forces his signature onto stimulus checks and blames WHO for

In a fit of childish desperation, Trump forces his signature onto stimulus checks and blames WHO for pandemic

The most remarkable thing about Donald Trump is that he is a man with no redeeming qualities whatsoever .
Most people , even the most evil , have a thing or two you can say about them : Harvey Weinstein had a discerning eye for movies .
O.J .
Simpson was a tremendous athlete .
Nazi sympathizers Charles Lindbergh and Henry Ford were successful pioneers in their fields .
But Trump has been a failure in every way — as a businessman and as a human being .
This article was originally published at Salon His only successes , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate , were due not to any redeemable qualities , but to his total lack of them .
TV producer Mark Burnett needed a camera-hungry narcissist to be the villain on “ The Apprentice ” and Trump fit the bill .
Similarly , right-wing voters needed a sociopath to inflict on the rest of us , to punish the nation for twice electing a black man as president , and this whiny , half-literate racist , was tailor-made for the task .
Trump ’ s only marketable skill , simply put , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has relied heavily on two strategies to prop up his lie that he ’ s a productive member of society : Shamelessly stealing credit for other people ’ s work and deflecting blame for his almost infinite failures — often to the people who are trying to clean up his messes .
Now , in his desperation to bamboozle the public into thinking he ’ s somehow managing the coronavirus crisis — when his incompetence is the main cause of that crisis — he ’ s making his credit-stealing and blame-deflecting into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front , Trump is now making the Treasury Department sign his name to the stimulus checks that will , in theory , be mailed out to Americans at some point in this year .
Legally , the president can ’ t be the official signatory on government checks — which must be signed by a Treasury official — so instead , in a bit of reality TV theater , Trump ’ s replica autograph will literally be a decoration on the left side of the check , albeit a decoration meant to fool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal binding signature .
This is classic Trumpian credit-stealing .
Trump didn ’ t have anything to do with these checks .
The credit belongs to the Democrats in Congress , led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , who pushed hard for these payments even as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dragged his feet .
All Trump did was sign his name to the legislation , motivated more as an act of self-preservation than out of any concern for public welfare .
In fact , while Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for those checks , Trump was reportedly kicking around the White House , bored out of his mind from the lack of busywork such as visits with diplomats and parties .
It apparently didn ’ t even occur to Trump to fill his time by working on the legislation — which is honestly just as well , since he would only have made things worse .
But now the Oval Office toddler — who definitely has no idea what was in the stimulus package — is rushing forward to take full credit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where Trump showed up at a charity fundraiser , despite having given no money , and literally sat in the seat of the guy who had donated money , playing the role of generous person for one night .
Perhaps more alarming than the childish credit-stealing , however , is Trump ’ s announcement on Tuesday that he ’ s cutting off U.S. payments to the World Health Organization , in a naked bid to foist the blame for his own failures off on this venerable arm of the United Nations .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their mistakes , ” Trump declared , accusing WHO of “ severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus ” and pushing “ Chinese misinformation.
” This is , of course , classic Trumpian projection , where he takes his failures and flaws and tries to push them on someone else — frequently someone who is actively trying to clean up a mess Trump made .
Covering up the spread of the coronavirus ?
That would be Trump , who has spent the past few months doing whatever he could to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as public health experts have made clear that widespread testing is the only way to restart the economy .
But Trump got it into his head that as long as there was no testing , he could bamboozle the public into thinking there was also no virus , so now we ’ re months behind where we need to be if there ’ s any hope of returning to normal life .
Severely mismanaging the crisis ?
Trump again !
He has been handing out medical supplies on a patronage system , based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on what cities or states actually need them .
He ’ s been none-too-subtly encouraging red-state voters to ignore the CDC recommendations to shutter businesses , leading to more viral spread .
And now he ’ s building a committee to “ reopen ” the economy that is blatantly structured around the profit motives of his rich friends , and not around what is needed for public health and economic recovery .
Unnecessary delays that caused the death rate to skyrocket ?
Would you guess that this is also Trump , who spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d been warned , declaring that Democratic concerns about COVID-19 were a “ hoax , ” rejecting public health officials who called for a widespread shutdown of schools and businesses , declaring that the virus was “ very much under control in the USA ” and promising that someday soon , “ like a miracle , it will disappear.
” Pushing Chinese misinformation ?
Yep , Trump !
He was warned , going all the way back to November , that China was facing an outbreak and that their government , as authoritarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lying about it .
But instead of trusting his own intelligence officials , Trump decided to protect his political and economic relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping , siding with Xi over U.S. intelligence agencies .
WHO is a critical agency at any time , but especially now , in the middle of a pandemic .
As Mark Goldberg at U.N. Dispatch explained in March , WHO is “ at the center of a herculean effort to contain , coordinate , and manage the kind of global cooperation that is required to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national borders.
” The choice of WHO as Trump ’ s latest scapegoat is , sadly , not surprising .
Trump , no doubt guided by Bible-thumping Vice President Mike Pence , routinely does favors for the Christian right whenever he ’ s feeling down , so he can be assured of their loyalty and organizing power no matter how badly he fails .
And the Christian right hates WHO for fighting against unsafe abortion , and fighting for better sex education , affordable contraception and health care access for LGBTQ people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ destruction have only emphasized how critical it is that Trump be defeated in November , if this country is to survive .
So there ’ s good reason to worry that these tactics will help Trump achieve his only important goal , which is to win re-election .
( He certainly doesn ’ t care about death or job loss in human terms , but he does understand they may damage his chances . )
Will this stuff move the needle ?
It ’ s hard to see that .
Trump voters have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than admit that electing Trump was a mistake .
The rest of the country probably won ’ t be fooled by a fake signature , and won ’ t be pleased to hear Trump is cutting health care funding when the world needs it most .
Trump has gotten much further than most of us could have imagined , of course , with his ham-fisted tactics borne strictly from his own ego needs .
But if these latest moves stink of desperation , it ’ s because Trump , has run this country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well and truly desperate .
Hopefully , most Americans will see these grasping , flailing actions as what they are .

The most remarkable thing about Donald Trump is that he is a man with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Most people, even the most evil, have a thing or two you can say about them: Harvey Weinstein had a discerning eye for movies. O.J. Simpson was a tremendous athlete. Nazi sympathizers Charles Lindbergh and Henry Ford were successful pioneers in their fields. But Trump has been a failure in every way — as a businessman and as a human being.
This article was originally published at Salon
His only successes, as a reality TV host and a presidential candidate, were due not to any redeemable qualities, but to his total lack of them. TV producer Mark Burnett needed a camera-hungry narcissist to be the villain on "The Apprentice" and Trump fit the bill. Similarly, right-wing voters needed a sociopath to inflict on the rest of us, to punish the nation for twice electing a black man as president, and this whiny, half-literate racist, was tailor-made for the task.
Trump's only marketable skill, simply put, is being an asshole. As such, he has relied heavily on two strategies to prop up his lie that he's a productive member of society: Shamelessly stealing credit for other people's work and deflecting blame for his almost infinite failures — often to the people who are trying to clean up his messes. Now, in his desperation to bamboozle the public into thinking he's somehow managing the coronavirus crisis — when his incompetence is the main cause of that crisis — he's making his credit-stealing and blame-deflecting into official government policy.
On the credit-hogging front, Trump is now making the Treasury Department sign his name to the stimulus checks that will, in theory, be mailed out to Americans at some point in this year. Legally, the president can't be the official signatory on government checks — which must be signed by a Treasury official — so instead, in a bit of reality TV theater, Trump's replica autograph will literally be a decoration on the left side of the check, albeit a decoration meant to fool people into thinking it's the legal binding signature.
This is classic Trumpian credit-stealing. Trump didn't have anything to do with these checks. The credit belongs to the Democrats in Congress, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who pushed hard for these payments even as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dragged his feet. All Trump did was sign his name to the legislation, motivated more as an act of self-preservation than out of any concern for public welfare.
In fact, while Congress was working on the stimulus bill responsible for those checks, Trump was reportedly kicking around the White House, bored out of his mind from the lack of busywork such as visits with diplomats and parties. It apparently didn't even occur to Trump to fill his time by working on the legislation — which is honestly just as well, since he would only have made things worse.
But now the Oval Office toddler — who definitely has no idea what was in the stimulus package — is rushing forward to take full credit. It's reminiscent of that incident where Trump showed up at a charity fundraiser, despite having given no money, and literally sat in the seat of the guy who had donated money, playing the role of generous person for one night.
Perhaps more alarming than the childish credit-stealing, however, is Trump's announcement on Tuesday that he's cutting off U.S. payments to the World Health Organization, in a naked bid to foist the blame for his own failures off on this venerable arm of the United Nations.
"So much death has been caused by their mistakes," Trump declared, accusing WHO of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus" and pushing "Chinese misinformation."
This is, of course, classic Trumpian projection, where he takes his failures and flaws and tries to push them on someone else — frequently someone who is actively trying to clean up a mess Trump made.
Covering up the spread of the coronavirus? That would be Trump, who has spent the past few months doing whatever he could to limit the use of testing, even as public health experts have made clear that widespread testing is the only way to restart the economy. But Trump got it into his head that as long as there was no testing, he could bamboozle the public into thinking there was also no virus, so now we're months behind where we need to be if there's any hope of returning to normal life.
Severely mismanaging the crisis? Trump again! He has been handing out medical supplies on a patronage system, based on what politicians praise him — not on what cities or states actually need them. He's been none-too-subtly encouraging red-state voters to ignore the CDC recommendations to shutter businesses, leading to more viral spread. And now he's building a committee to "reopen" the economy that is blatantly structured around the profit motives of his rich friends, and not around what is needed for public health and economic recovery.
Unnecessary delays that caused the death rate to skyrocket? Would you guess that this is also Trump, who spent months minimizing the threat after he'd been warned, declaring that Democratic concerns about COVID-19 were a "hoax," rejecting public health officials who called for a widespread shutdown of schools and businesses, declaring that the virus was "very much under control in the USA" and promising that someday soon, "like a miracle, it will disappear."
Pushing Chinese misinformation? Yep, Trump! He was warned, going all the way back to November, that China was facing an outbreak and that their government, as authoritarian governments tend to do, was minimizing and lying about it. But instead of trusting his own intelligence officials, Trump decided to protect his political and economic relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, siding with Xi over U.S. intelligence agencies.
China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2020
....he will be successful, especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker, and then gone. Great discipline is taking place in China, as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation. We are working closely with China to help! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2020
WHO is a critical agency at any time, but especially now, in the middle of a pandemic. As Mark Goldberg at U.N. Dispatch explained in March, WHO is "at the center of a herculean effort to contain, coordinate, and manage the kind of global cooperation that is required to confront a virus that does not respect national borders."
The choice of WHO as Trump's latest scapegoat is, sadly, not surprising. Trump, no doubt guided by Bible-thumping Vice President Mike Pence, routinely does favors for the Christian right whenever he's feeling down, so he can be assured of their loyalty and organizing power no matter how badly he fails. And the Christian right hates WHO for fighting against unsafe abortion, and fighting for better sex education, affordable contraception and health care access for LGBTQ people.
Of course, the death and economic destruction have only emphasized how critical it is that Trump be defeated in November, if this country is to survive. So there's good reason to worry that these tactics will help Trump achieve his only important goal, which is to win re-election. (He certainly doesn't care about death or job loss in human terms, but he does understand they may damage his chances.)
Will this stuff move the needle? It's hard to see that. Trump voters have already decided they'd rather die than admit that electing Trump was a mistake. The rest of the country probably won't be fooled by a fake signature, and won't be pleased to hear Trump is cutting health care funding when the world needs it most. Trump has gotten much further than most of us could have imagined, of course, with his ham-fisted tactics borne strictly from his own ego needs. But if these latest moves stink of desperation, it's because Trump, has run this country deep into the ground, and is well and truly desperate. Hopefully, most Americans will see these grasping, flailing actions as what they are.


rawstory--2020-04-15--Without fanfare, Apple launches new iPhone for the budget-minded

Apple made the announcement in a statement , forgoing the normal splashy product launch events of the past few years .
Apple chief executive Tim Cook , who in the past hosted large media events , limited his comments to a tweet , calling the new handset “ our most affordable iPhone , ” and a “ fantastic option in our lineup to help you stay connected , informed and entertained.
” The 4.7 inch display is bigger than the first-generation iPhone SE but smaller than the newest phones , yet offers high-definition graphics for rich visuals .
Apple trimmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ features such as facial recognition , giving iPhone SE a fingerprint sensor and a home-screen button which fans will remember from previous generations .
It features a single rear camera instead of the multiple lens in the newest iPhone 11 .
The iPhone SE includes wireless charging and dual SIMs , and come in black , red or white .
While the iPhone had been in the works for months , the launch comes amid a pandemic-induced economic slump which has hammered the smartphone market and hit consumer sentiment .
“ It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Donnell , analyst with Technalysis Research .
Apple Inc./AFP / Handout The new iPhone SE has a display of 4.7 inches , bigger than the first-generation model but smaller than most popular smartphones “ This is the exactly the phone a large percentage of people will want .
It ’ s hard to justify spending $ 1,200 on a smartphone in this economic climate , yet people still depend heavily on their phones and a lot of people want to upgrade.
” O ’ Donnell said the new device is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small-format handset , and in countries where consumers may have not been able to afford iPhones .
While the timing of a more affordable iPhone is good “ given the recession we are likely entering very soon , ” Apple would have been shrewd to fuel sales with financing offers such as postponing payments for a year , according to analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy .
Without finance incentives , Moorhead said , “ I question how many of these the company actually wants to sell.
” AFP/File / Josh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ splashy media events like this one in November 2019 to introduce new products , but the iPhone SE was introduced with a press release due to the coronavirus lockdown Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives said Apple had the devices were ready “ and ultimately decided to release and green light this smart phone to the market in hopes of gaining contained success out of the gates.
” Ives said in a note to investors he expects Apple to sell from 20 million to 25 million iPhone SE handsets by year ’ s end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the iPhone SE as a portal into its “ robust ecosystem ” of digital products and services including television and music streaming services .
“ The first iPhone SE was a hit with many customers who loved its unique combination of small size , high-end performance and affordable price , ” said Phil Schiller , Apple ’ s senior vice president of worldwide marketing .
“ The new second-generation iPhone SE builds on that great idea and improves on it in every way.
” The move comes a week after South Korean colossus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ model designed to work on much-hyped new-generation 5G mobile networks and priced less than $ 500 .
The new Apple smartphone “ fits into a portfolio and hitting the right price with the right features seems like a carefully balanced recipe , ” Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi said .
“ It ’ s a product that serves the purpose of getting the most pragmatic users to upgrade after holding on to their phones for years .
These users might be coming from a hand-me-down or a secondhand iPhone or even be Android @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Analysts question whether Apple will stick to its schedule of releasing a high-end device in September due to the current economic situation and disruption to the supply chain .
“ I ’ m hearing production is ramping up in most parts of the supply chain , ” O ’ Donnell said .
“ So they could still release new high-end phones in the fall if they want to .
But there is concern about not having enough demand .
”