motherjones--2020-03-06--The US Has No Decent Paid Sick Leave Policy. This Bill Attempts to Change That.

As the coronavirus continues to spread to more communities in the United States , the Centers for Disease Control has warned workers to stay home if they are feeling sick .
The CDC recommended that employers “ actively encourage sick employees to stay home ” and maintain flexible policies about the use of sick leave and working from home .
It also urged employees who are sick to stay home and notify their employers .
That is all crucial advice for curbing the spread of the epidemic , but unrealistic for many Americans working in nursing homes , in restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick leave and for whom just staying home isn ’ t an option .
On Friday , Democrats in the House and Senate introduced legislation aimed at allowing workers to use sick leave in health emergencies , which includes the recent global outbreak of coronavirus .
The bill introduced by Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington State , where the virus has already killed 11 residents , and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro ( D-Conn. ) , would require “ all employers ” to let workers earn 7 days of paid sick leave a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days immediately in the event of a health emergency .
The bill does not include contractors in the gig economy .
It would also ensure that workers could use sick leave when school are closed due to a “ public health emergency.
” Or if they or one of their family members is quarantined or isolated .
For many workers in the United States even accessing paid sick leave can be an uphill battle .
Currently more than half of workers in leisure and hospitality industries—such as restaurant and hotel workers—do not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all .
This means that people who interact the most with food , lodging , and other human beings , are being forced to choose between potentially spreading infectious diseases or putting themselves and their livelihoods at risk .
Service industry employees who work part-time and other part-time employees are at even more of a risk of not having paid sick leave .
Roughly 60 percent of part-time workers in other industries do not receive paid sick leave .
And , for contractors rather than employees in the gig economy , ride-share drivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their services , going days without getting paid is often not an option .
This bill does not specifically address this population since many people in those industries work as contractors rather than as employees .
As cases of the coronavirus continue to rise , with more than 230 confirmed cases and 12 confirmed deaths in the United States , and 100,000 confirmed cases worldwide , the World Health Organization has said that the time to act to prevent the spread of the virus is now .
The United States , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world to not offer guaranteed paid sick leave for employees .
Italy which has roughly 4,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus , mandates that employers offer at least 3 sick days .
“ The lack of paid sick days could make coronavirus harder to contain in the United States compared with other countries that have universal sick leave policies in place , ” said Congresswoman DeLauro in a statement .
“ No one should face the impossible choice of caring for their health or keeping their paycheck or job .
”

As the coronavirus continues to spread to more communities in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control has warned workers to stay home if they are feeling sick. The CDC recommended that employers “actively encourage sick employees to stay home” and maintain flexible policies about the use of sick leave and working from home. It also urged employees who are sick to stay home and notify their employers. That is all crucial advice for curbing the spread of the epidemic, but unrealistic for many Americans working in nursing homes, in restaurants, or as contractors who lack paid sick leave and for whom just staying home isn’t an option. On Friday, Democrats in the House and Senate introduced legislation aimed at allowing workers to use sick leave in health emergencies, which includes the recent global outbreak of coronavirus.
The bill introduced by Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington State, where the virus has already killed 11 residents, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), would require “all employers” to let workers earn 7 days of paid sick leave a year, and give them 14 paid sick days immediately in the event of a health emergency. The bill does not include contractors in the gig economy. It would also ensure that workers could use sick leave when school are closed due to a “public health emergency.” Or if they or one of their family members is quarantined or isolated.
For many workers in the United States even accessing paid sick leave can be an uphill battle. Currently more than half of workers in leisure and hospitality industries—such as restaurant and hotel workers—do not have access to any paid sick leave at all. This means that people who interact the most with food, lodging, and other human beings, are being forced to choose between potentially spreading infectious diseases or putting themselves and their livelihoods at risk.
Service industry employees who work part-time and other part-time employees are at even more of a risk of not having paid sick leave. Roughly 60 percent of part-time workers in other industries do not receive paid sick leave. And, for contractors rather than employees in the gig economy, ride-share drivers and delivery workers who get paid directly for their services, going days without getting paid is often not an option. This bill does not specifically address this population since many people in those industries work as contractors rather than as employees.
As cases of the coronavirus continue to rise, with more than 230 confirmed cases and 12 confirmed deaths in the United States, and 100,000 confirmed cases worldwide, the World Health Organization has said that the time to act to prevent the spread of the virus is now. The United States, is one of few wealthy countries in the world to not offer guaranteed paid sick leave for employees. Italy which has roughly 4,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, mandates that employers offer at least 3 sick days.
“The lack of paid sick days could make coronavirus harder to contain in the United States compared with other countries that have universal sick leave policies in place,” said Congresswoman DeLauro in a statement. “No one should face the impossible choice of caring for their health or keeping their paycheck or job.”


motherjones--2020-03-06--Correctional Facilities Are the Perfect Incubators for the Coronavirus

The numbers of infections and deaths from the novel coronavirus keep climbing .
As of Friday , more than 100,000 people had been infected worldwide—including 250 cases in the United States .
California , Washington state , Florida , and Maryland have all declared states of emergency .
Local governments and businesses are cancelling travel plans and some schools and colleges have shut down completely .
Grocery stores are being mobbed by shoppers stocking up on non-perishables and hand soap , while the general public is waiting to see just how bad the virus will get .
But for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak is even more alarming .
“ The risk of community spread poses a critical and unique threat to vulnerable populations , including those in our prisons and jails , ” Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) wrote in a letter to the Federal Bureau of Prisons , asking for the agency to provide information on how it ’ s preparing for the disease .
But BOP only oversees the federal prison population , which makes up about 221,000 of the 2.3 million people in prison and jail .
For the millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of jails , the facilities where they are expected to eat , sleep , shower and share space with countless others are the perfect breeding ground for coronavirus .
In order to understand how to possibly contain an infectious disease in a unhygienic facilities with close living quarters and what correctional staff can do about it , I interviewed Leah Pope , a senior research fellow at the Vera Institute who focuses on expanding access to health care for people in the criminal justice system .
We know that prisons and jails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But could you walk me through some of the specifics for why that is ?
The same has been true for other outbreaks , like the swine flu several years ago .
For starters , there ’ s basic jail hygiene .
There are people sharing sinks , and they may have access to water but nothing to wipe their hands on .
And hand sanitizer may be prohibited .
The standards you ’ d want to implement in the general community are either impossible to follow or hard to do while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , spread of disease can be quicker and access to basic medical services can be substandard .
What is the health care system like behind bars ?
Jails and prisons don ’ t have any national accreditation bodies that they ’ re required to follow for health care standards .
Many jails will opt to go through the process of accreditation , but many won ’ t .
And even if they do , there ’ s nothing to hold over their heads for not meeting certain standards .
How would you describe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not an epidemic .
You ’ re already dealing with a population whose health is already compromised .
And we do have an aging prison population and elderly people are already at an increased risk for coronavirus , so that should definitely be a concern .
Because people cycle in and out of jail more frequently are those inmates more at risk than someone who is incarcerated for a longer period of time ?
Jails are particularly more frightening because of massive turnover .
More than half of the people in jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three days .
So , there are people coming in from the outside community , being exposed , and taking it back into the community , or the other way around .
What can prisons and jails do to prepare for coronavirus ?
There is basic influenza preparedness and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care made their guide free .
It ’ s usually only available to those in the accreditation .
But I think another key step is that jails need to be in communication with their local health department .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is provided by a private company , but jail officials can proactively reach out to their county health department to make sure that the jail will be factored into whatever the county ’ s coronavirus plan is .
Iran let 54,000 prisoners go in order to combat coronavirus .
Should we do that ?
It ’ s amazing that Iran is ahead of us on that .
But we ’ ve always had this problem with infectious diseases in prison and jails .
Coronavirus is just bringing it to light .
We really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incarcerating people and think about them as members of the same community .
This interview has been edited for clarity and length .

The numbers of infections and deaths from the novel coronavirus keep climbing. As of Friday, more than 100,000 people had been infected worldwide—including 250 cases in the United States. California, Washington state, Florida, and Maryland have all declared states of emergency. Local governments and businesses are cancelling travel plans and some schools and colleges have shut down completely. Grocery stores are being mobbed by shoppers stocking up on non-perishables and hand soap, while the general public is waiting to see just how bad the virus will get. But for people behind bars, the threat of an outbreak is even more alarming.
“The risk of community spread poses a critical and unique threat to vulnerable populations, including those in our prisons and jails,” Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) wrote in a letter to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, asking for the agency to provide information on how it’s preparing for the disease. But BOP only oversees the federal prison population, which makes up about 221,000 of the 2.3 million people in prison and jail. For the millions of people in prison and cycling in and out of jails, the facilities where they are expected to eat, sleep, shower and share space with countless others are the perfect breeding ground for coronavirus.
In order to understand how to possibly contain an infectious disease in a unhygienic facilities with close living quarters and what correctional staff can do about it, I interviewed Leah Pope, a senior research fellow at the Vera Institute who focuses on expanding access to health care for people in the criminal justice system.
We know that prisons and jails are the perfect breeding ground for coronavirus. But could you walk me through some of the specifics for why that is?
The same has been true for other outbreaks, like the swine flu several years ago. For starters, there’s basic jail hygiene. There are people sharing sinks, and they may have access to water but nothing to wipe their hands on. And hand sanitizer may be prohibited. The standards you’d want to implement in the general community are either impossible to follow or hard to do while incarcerated. Because of close living quarters, spread of disease can be quicker and access to basic medical services can be substandard.
What is the health care system like behind bars?
Jails and prisons don’t have any national accreditation bodies that they’re required to follow for health care standards. Many jails will opt to go through the process of accreditation, but many won’t. And even if they do, there’s nothing to hold over their heads for not meeting certain standards.
How would you describe their health generally, when there’s not an epidemic.
You’re already dealing with a population whose health is already compromised. And we do have an aging prison population and elderly people are already at an increased risk for coronavirus, so that should definitely be a concern.
“Jails are particularly more frightening because of massive turnover.”
Because people cycle in and out of jail more frequently are those inmates more at risk than someone who is incarcerated for a longer period of time?
Jails are particularly more frightening because of massive turnover. More than half of the jail population turns over each week*. So, there are people coming in from the outside community, being exposed, and taking it back into the community, or the other way around.
What can prisons and jails do to prepare for coronavirus?
There is basic influenza preparedness and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care made their guide free. It’s usually only available to those in the accreditation. But I think another key step is that jails need to be in communication with their local health department. For many jails, their health care is provided by a private company, but jail officials can proactively reach out to their county health department to make sure that the jail will be factored into whatever the county’s coronavirus plan is.
Iran let 54,000 prisoners go in order to combat coronavirus. Should we do that?
It’s amazing that Iran is ahead of us on that. But we’ve always had this problem with infectious diseases in prison and jails. Coronavirus is just bringing it to light. We really need to start thinking seriously about not incarcerating people and think about them as members of the same community.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Correction: An earlier version of this article did not accurately portray how frequently the jail population turns over.


motherjones--2020-03-06--How a Russian Billionaire With a Criminal Past Became a Major Investor in Lyft

A Russian billionaire with a criminal record and alleged links to organized crime has been making large investments in US companies , including the ride-hail service Lyft , a biotech firm that does work for the Defense Department , and a prominent software company .
Gavril Yushvaev , who according to Forbes is worth $ 1.6 billion , invested a reported $ 100 million in Lyft .
On a 2018 list of its investors that the company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last year—which named LeBron James , General Motors , the Kuwait Investment Authority , and scores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out with his checkered past , which includes being cited in a Spanish government report as an associate of a Russian banker linked to organized crime and money laundering .
Yushvaev ’ s path to becoming an investor in American tech follows a familiar course for Russian billionaires , many of whom built their fortunes in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union , when business ventures and shady , if not criminal , enterprises often overlapped in a Wild West atmosphere of unbridled crony capitalism .
In 1980 , Yushvaev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and served nine years in a Soviet prison , according to an SEC filing submitted in 2002 by a Russian company of which he was a shareholder .
Shortly after his release , Yushvaev met David Yakobashvili , a Russian businessman who had helped start a Russian company called Trinity , which was essentially a group of about ten people pulling together different deals .
Trinity would come to own various properties , including Metelitsa , an expensive and wild Moscow dance club and casino where Russia ’ s new millionaires and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down in 2009 after Russian leader Vladimir Putin pushed through a law prohibiting gambling in most of Russia . )
In a report on corruption in Russia , the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project ( OCCRP ) noted that Trinity ’ s “ first serious business was selling used cars from the United States .
One of its early operators , Vladislav Vanner , led the Bauman criminal gang , an influential crew in Moscow at the time .
Vanner was shot and killed by another gangster in 1994.
” Yakobashvili tells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group and soon became a partner and that Trinity eventually embodied over 300 different enterprises , which included setting up street-side slot machines , selling stockings and women ’ s underwear , restoring kitchens , peddling coal , and running hotels in boats docked on rivers .
Its used car business led Trinity to acquire the first GM distributorship in Russia .
Yakobashvili—his name is also sometimes spelled Iakobachvili—acknowledges that Vladislav Vanner worked for Trinity but insists he was no gangster and maintains Vanner was killed because of a financial dispute related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many ventures , Yushvaev and Yakobashvili went into the diary and juice business— ” in 1992 we were the first to mass-produce juice in the Soviet Union , ” Yakobashvili says—and became top investors in Wimm-Bill-Dann , a dairy and juice company with nearly half a billion dollars in annual sales that the Wall Street Journal in 2002 called “ Russia ’ s biggest consumer-goods firm.
” But when that firm submitted an SEC filing that year , as it was preparing to offer shares on the New York Stock Exchange , Yushvaev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted that “ our largest shareholder…was convicted of a violent crime in 1980 , ” and it listed Yushvaev as that shareholder , with control of 18.8 percent of the company .
A Wall Street Journal article reported , “ A respected diary and juice company preparing to make Russia ’ s fourth-ever New York Stock Exchange listing on Friday is running into some last-minute embarrassment , disclosing in its prospectus that its largest shareholder is a former convict who was imprisoned in the Soviet Union for violent crime.
” Yet Bloomberg noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yushvaev , the company ’ s biggest shareholder , was convicted for armed robbery in 1980 and served nine years in a labor camp.
” Worse for the company , the filing also reported that certain shareholders and directors , including Yakobashvili , its chairman , “ are shareholders in , and directors of , a group of related companies sometimes referred to as ‘ Trinity.
’ The Trinity group engages in automobile distribution , financial services , security services , casinos , construction , advertising and engineering…The Trinity group has been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including with respect to possible links with organized crime.
” ( Yushvaev ’ s position as a partner in Trinity has been reported by both the OCCRP and Bloomberg . )
Yakobashvili asserts that Trinity “ never had any kind of links to organized crime .
It was reported by yellow newspapers… It never had any kind of relationship with the government or crime .
But we tried to protect ourselves—but not to be part of any criminal group.
” He points out that Wimm-Bill-Dann did acknowledge Yushvaev ’ s criminal past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime in the SEC filing in order to be “ absolutely transparent.
” In this SEC filing , Wimm-Bill-Dann stated that “ no charges have been brought by governmental authorities against any of our shareholders or directors and , to the best of our knowledge , none has been threatened.
” But the document said that “ press speculation ” about Trinity and about Yushvaev “ could adversely affect our reputation ” and the price of the company ’ s shares .
“ A few people will be scared by that , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Moscow , told Bloomberg in 2002 .
“ But a lot of people are aware that many on the Russian business scene don ’ t have a squeaky-clean past .
It ’ s important that the company itself made this information public.
” “ Honesty was the smart move for us , ” Yakobashvili says .
And his and Yushvaev ’ s involvement in the company did not hamper the firm .
In 2011 , Pepsico , the US-based beverage company , bought 66 percent of the firm in a $ 3.8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1.1 billion in exchange for his large stake of the Russian company .
Yushvaev was now a billionaire .
In 2013 , he bought one-fifth of Russia ’ s largest gold mining company , Polyus Gold International Ltd. , from Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov for $ 1.85 billion .
Yushvaev ’ s ownership interest in Polyus , which held large coal deposits , placed him on a “ dirty dozen ” list , compiled by the Guardian , of 12 super-rich “ investors whose combined coal holdings are equivalent to the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invested $ 300 million in a major Moscow real estate development .
In 2015 , he sold his interest in Polyus to the family of Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov .
By now , Yushvaev was becoming a bit famous as a globe-trotting Russian tycoon .
A French media report noted in 2015 that he owned a villa snuggled between two coves on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat , a peninsula on the Cote d ’ Azur .
It was then valued at 130 million euros .
And about this time , Yushvaev began deploying his wealth in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2015 , Yushvaev made his $ 100 million investment in Lyft , according to the Bell , a Russian website that covers business news .
“ While everyone was running to Uber , he was smarter and invested in Lyft , ” a Yushvaev colleague told the Bell .
At that point , Lyft was not a publicly traded company .
Alexandra LaManna , Lyft ’ s communications director , says Yushvaev is no longer an investor in the company .
But Lyft would not reply to specific questions about Yushvaev ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investor ?
Did Lyft vet him before he bought a chunk of the company ?
When did did he sell his shares ?
Yushvaev is hardly the first Russian tycoon to invest in American tech firms .
Alisher Usmanov , one of Russia ’ s richest men , sunk $ 200 million into Facebook in 2009 and cashed out for over half a billion dollars in 2013 .
Russian billionaire Yuri Milner , backed up by hundreds of millions of dollars from a Kremlin-owned bank , invested heavily in Facebook and Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owned 8 percent of Facebook and 5 percent of Twitter .
His firms sold those holdings a few years ago .
In 2017 , the New York Times reported that Milner “ retains investments in several other large technology companies and continues to make new deals .
Among Mr. Milner ’ s current investments is a real estate venture founded and partly owned by Jared Kushner , President Trump ’ s son-in-law and White House adviser.
” In a statement released following the Times ‘ story , Milner ’ s investment firm , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing unusual ” about its investments in Facebook and Twitter and noted it had invested in “ more than 30 internet companies around the world , ” including Airbnb , Spotify , and Alibaba .
The firm also said that of the $ 7 billion it had invested in the consumer internet sector since 2009 , less than 5 precent had come from Kremlin-controlled funds .
Both Usmanov and Milner appeared on a list released by the US Treasury in 2018 of Russian oligarchs and politicians presumably on good terms with Putin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Putin , “ I respect him .
I think he is the number one leader in the world today.
” Last year , Rusal , the large aluminum company owned by the Putin-connected oligarch Oleg Deripaska , purchased a 40 percent stake in a Kentucky plant , after the firm successfully lobbied Washington lawmakers , including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , who represents Kentucky , to free it from certain sanctions .
In 2018 , the US Treasury Department had imposed sanctions on Deripaska and several of his companies , stating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not separate himself from the Russian state .
He has also acknowledged possessing a Russian diplomatic passport , and claims to have represented the Russian government in other countries .
Deripaska has been investigated for money laundering and has been accused of threatening the lives of business rivals , illegally wiretapping a government official , and taking part in extortion and racketeering .
There are also allegations that Deripaska bribed a government official , ordered the murder of a businessman , and had links to a Russian organized crime group.
” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deripaska that were sent to two of his companies received no replies . )
In addition to his Lyft investment , in 2015 , Yushvaev joined a consortium that invested $ 150 million in Humacyte , a biotech company based in Durham , North Carolina .
The CEO of the company at the time , Carrie Cox , said then , “ We believe this is one of the largest private funding rounds in biotech to date , comprised of investors from the U.S. and around the world.
” Humacyte was then developing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients with kidney failure ; the product would provide vascular access for dialysis .
In 2017 , the firm received a $ 3.4 million contract from the Defense Department to support its research into using Humacyl for the treatment of traumatic vascular injuries that could result from battlefield events , automobile crashes , or industrial accidents .
A 2017 SEC filing listed Yushvaev as an investor in Domo , a Utah-based cloud software company specializing in business intelligence and data visualization .
Its other investors have included Blackrock , Fidelity Investments , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ venture capital investments .
Mother Jones sent several emails to Domo asking it to explain Yushvaev ’ s investments in the firm .
“ All I have is that he has been a long-term investor like many of those who have invested in Domo , ” Julie Kehoe , a company spokesperson , replied .
Humacyte did not respond to multiple requests from Mother Jones .
Messages left for three senior Humacyte executives and a public relations consultant for the company were not returned .
Yushvaev ’ s ascension to billionaire investor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2013 , the Spanish government released a report on Russian organized crime activities in that country that included a reference to Yushvaev .
The report said that a Russian banker—who was tied to a Russian business leader allegedly involved in a Moscow-based crime syndicate— “ maintained a subordinate relationship to ” Yushvaev and that this relationship “ related to Eastern European criminal organizations.
” It did not spell out the details of this connection or explain these links any further .
( This report also alleged that Alexander Torshin , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s party , had helped Moscow-based mobsters launder money through Spain—a charge Torshin has denied .
Torshin is best known in the United States for having worked with—or run—confessed and convicted Russian agent Maria Butina , as the pair spent years infiltrating the National Rifle Association and other corners of the American conservative movement . )
In November 2017 , two of Yushvaev ’ s security guards were involved in a shooting at a Moscow restaurant during which a person was killed .
The OCCRP reported that Yushvaev “ attended the birthday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with criminal connections who was known to law enforcement as ‘ Pavlik.
’ Also in attendance were other well-known criminal leaders , including Oleg Shishkanov…At the birthday party in a restaurant in Moscow ’ s Oko tower , a shootout erupted between [ Yushvaev ’ s ] and Pavlov ’ s bodyguards…One person was killed and five wounded.
” ( Days after that incident , the Crime Russia website posted a photo that purportedly showed Yushvaev at the party with Russian mobsters . )
This past November , the prosecutor general of Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In late 2018 , Yushvaev was named in a lawsuit that drew press attention—with filings in the case casting him as a nefarious character .
A London-based firm called Lehram Capital Investments Ltd. in November of that year filed a lawsuit in an Illinois state court in Chicago accusing Baker McKenzie LLP , one of the largest global law firms , of malpractice .
Lehram Capital claimed the law firm had screwed up its effort to recover a Siberian coal mine that was allegedly swiped from Lehram by a cabal of Russian business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lehram stated that after it purchased the mine , a local government official imprisoned a Russian-based director of Lehram and forced him to transfer ownership of the facility to a local coal magnate .
Lehram hired Baker McKenzie to help get the mine back .
In the lawsuit , Lehram alleged that a Baker McKenzie partner introduced Lehram ’ s principal shareholder , Daniel Rodriguez , to Yushvaev and told Rodriguez that Yushvaev was another client of the law firm and a “ reliable and successful businessman ” and that Lehram should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public officials through Yushvaev to “ incentivize ” these officials to help Lehram recover its assets .
In an affidavit , Rodriguez asserted that he refused to engage in “ what I perceived as bribes to Russian Government officials , ” and he maintained that afterward he became the target of death threats , harassment , and hacking that he attributed to a Yushvaev associate .
“ I was threatened that if I mentioned Gavril Yushvaev ’ s name , I would have to hide in Antartica , ” he claimed .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McKenzie told Lehram it was not responsible for Yushvaev ’ s actions .
In a filing opposing Baker McKenzie ’ s attempt to move the case from Chicago to Russia , Rodriguez , a Spanish citizen , cited the Spanish report on Russian organized crime to claim Yushvaev is “ one of the patrons ” of a “ Russian criminal group , ” and he noted that a Spanish law enforcement official had told him that Yushvaev had a “ leading role in the Russian criminal world ” and advised him not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rodriguez also said an FBI agent had provided him a similar warning .
The lawsuit is still underway in the Chicago court .
The lawyer representing Baker McKenzie in the case did not respond to emails and phone calls requesting comment .
A spokesperson for Baker McKenzie said the firm had “ no comment at this time .
If anything changes , we will let you know.
” Yushvaev also has a family connection to players in the Trump-Russia scandal .
In 2016 , one of his daughters married a Russian businessman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was hosted by Russian billionaire Aras Agalarov at his estate .
Agalarov , a developer from Azerbaijan , partnered with Trump in 2013 to hold that year ’ s Miss Universe contest in Moscow , when Trump owned the pageant .
Agalarov and Trump subsequently tried to develop a tower project in the Russian capital , but the venture fizzled .
But in 2016 , Agalarov ’ s son , Emin , a middling pop star in Russia , helped broker the Trump Tower meeting that brought together top Trump campaign advisers with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would deliver dirt on Hillary Clinton as part of a secret Russian effort to help Trump win the White House .
( Donald Trump Jr. , who set up this meeting , later claimed it yielded no material of any use , but by taking this meeting , Trump Jr. and the other attendees—Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner—signaled they were open to colluding with a secret Russian effort to assist Trump . )
The 2016 wedding at the Agalarov home was an extravagant affair attended by business elites and famous entertainers , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who serenaded the guests .
In Special Counsel Robert Mueller ’ s report , a man who shares the same last name as the groom—Roman Beniaminov—is identified as an assistant for Emin .
And Ike Kaveladze , an executive in Aras Agalarov ’ s company , told Mueller ’ s team that it was Roman Beniaminov who had informed him that the point of the Trump Tower meeting was for the Kremlin emissary to convey “ negative information on Hillary Clinton.
” Yet Roman Beniaminov told Mueller ’ s investigation he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An American lawyer for Kaveladze and Emin Agalarov did not respond to a request for comment .
Yushvaev ’ s overall strategy for investing in the United States is not publicly known .
Mother Jones sent to a Russian business associate of Yushvaev a long list of detailed questions for Yushvaev about his investments , his past , and the allegations linking him to organized crime .
The list included these queries : “ What is your relationship to President Putin ?
Are you a political supporter of him or his political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him ?
” This business associate , Vladislav Shubaev , communicating on behalf of Yushvaev , replied in an email that Yushvaev would be willing to discuss the questions only if a Mother Jones reporter would meet Yushvaev in Europe or Israel .
He noted that Yushvaev could not travel to the United States because his US visa had expired .
When Mother Jones asked if Yushvaev would agree to an interview via a phone or video call , Shubaev replied , “ In [ Yushvaev ’ s ] opinion , the discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by telephone is not acceptable.
” In a subsequent email , Shubaev wrote , “ I do not quite understand your reference to the criminal past of Gavril Abramovich [ Yushvaev ] , because , as far as I know [ in ] 2001 or 2002 , before going to IPO the company Wimm Bill Dann completely disclosed information about the biography of Mr. Yushvaev from the place of his birth and ending with the information of his criminal record… [ I ] t is not a secret !
All information regarding his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When told that Mother Jones wanted to ask Yushvaev about specific reports regarding his past , his business activities , and the organized crime allegations , Shubaev responded with a blanket statement : “ Given your questions , we would point out that the information in the media you refer to is obviously unreliable and disreputable .
Gavril Abramovich Yushvaev pays no regard to such sources.
” Shubaev did not specify which information Yushvaev disputed .
The Bell reported that by the end of 2017 Yushvaev had invested about $ 500 million in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Swedish economist who tracks Russian finances , there is no way to determine how much money is directly invested in US companies by Russian oligarchs .
( He estimates that $ 200 billion in Russian “ dark money ” pours into the US through offshore havens , such as the Cayman Islands—but this flow is different than direct investments from Russian billionaires . )
And there ’ s no way to tell if Yushvaev has bigger plans for investing in the United States .
Yakobashvili , who says he has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about ten years , notes his old partner “ is a very good gambler and likes to gamble… He was always a winner.
” And this , according to Yakobashvili , includes Yushvaev ’ s financial investments : “ He ’ s a good investor .
He understands where to put money .
The world is very small and he puts money into projects that he finds interesting all around the globe.
” Noting that Yushvaev has nine children , he adds , “ For him it is important to create a fortune @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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A Russian billionaire with a criminal record and alleged links to organized crime has been making large investments in US companies, including the ride-hail service Lyft, a biotech firm that does work for the Defense Department, and a prominent software company.
Gavril Yushvaev, who according to Forbes is worth $1.6 billion, invested a reported $100 million in Lyft. On a 2018 list of its investors that the company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last year—which named LeBron James, General Motors, the Kuwait Investment Authority, and scores of other individuals and investment funds—Yushvaev stood out with his checkered past, which includes being cited in a Spanish government report as an associate of a Russian banker linked to organized crime and money laundering.
Yushvaev’s path to becoming an investor in American tech follows a familiar course for Russian billionaires, many of whom built their fortunes in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union, when business ventures and shady, if not criminal, enterprises often overlapped in a Wild West atmosphere of unbridled crony capitalism.
In 1980, Yushvaev was convicted of a “violent crime” and served nine years in a Soviet prison, according to an SEC filing submitted in 2002 by a Russian company of which he was a shareholder. Shortly after his release, Yushvaev met David Yakobashvili, a Russian businessman who had helped start a Russian company called Trinity, which was essentially a group of about ten people pulling together different deals. Trinity would come to own various properties, including Metelitsa, an expensive and wild Moscow dance club and casino where Russia’s new millionaires and mobsters mingled. (The club shut down in 2009 after Russian leader Vladimir Putin pushed through a law prohibiting gambling in most of Russia.) In a report on corruption in Russia, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) noted that Trinity’s “first serious business was selling used cars from the United States. One of its early operators, Vladislav Vanner, led the Bauman criminal gang, an influential crew in Moscow at the time. Vanner was shot and killed by another gangster in 1994.”
Yakobashvili tells Mother Jones that Yushvaev joined the Trinity group and soon became a partner and that Trinity eventually embodied over 300 different enterprises, which included setting up street-side slot machines, selling stockings and women’s underwear, restoring kitchens, peddling coal, and running hotels in boats docked on rivers. Its used car business led Trinity to acquire the first GM distributorship in Russia. Yakobashvili—his name is also sometimes spelled Iakobachvili—acknowledges that Vladislav Vanner worked for Trinity but insists he was no gangster and maintains Vanner was killed because of a financial dispute related to a bar.
As part of their many ventures, Yushvaev and Yakobashvili went into the diary and juice business—”in 1992 we were the first to mass-produce juice in the Soviet Union,” Yakobashvili says—and became top investors in Wimm-Bill-Dann, a dairy and juice company with nearly half a billion dollars in annual sales that the Wall Street Journal in 2002 called “Russia’s biggest consumer-goods firm.”
But when that firm submitted an SEC filing that year, as it was preparing to offer shares on the New York Stock Exchange, Yushvaev brought it negative publicity.
The filing noted that “our largest shareholder…was convicted of a violent crime in 1980,” and it listed Yushvaev as that shareholder, with control of 18.8 percent of the company. A Wall Street Journal article reported, “A respected diary and juice company preparing to make Russia’s fourth-ever New York Stock Exchange listing on Friday is running into some last-minute embarrassment, disclosing in its prospectus that its largest shareholder is a former convict who was imprisoned in the Soviet Union for violent crime.” Yet Bloomberg noted, “Investors appear unfazed that Gavrill Yushvaev, the company’s biggest shareholder, was convicted for armed robbery in 1980 and served nine years in a labor camp.”
Worse for the company, the filing also reported that certain shareholders and directors, including Yakobashvili, its chairman, “are shareholders in, and directors of, a group of related companies sometimes referred to as ‘Trinity.’ The Trinity group engages in automobile distribution, financial services, security services, casinos, construction, advertising and engineering…The Trinity group has been the subject of speculation in the Russian press, including with respect to possible links with organized crime.”(Yushvaev’s position as a partner in Trinity has been reported by both the OCCRP and Bloomberg.)
Yakobashvili asserts that Trinity “never had any kind of links to organized crime. It was reported by yellow newspapers… It never had any kind of relationship with the government or crime. But we tried to protect ourselves—but not to be part of any criminal group.” He points out that Wimm-Bill-Dann did acknowledge Yushvaev’s criminal past and the speculation about Trinity and organized crime in the SEC filing in order to be “absolutely transparent.”
In this SEC filing, Wimm-Bill-Dann stated that “no charges have been brought by governmental authorities against any of our shareholders or directors and, to the best of our knowledge, none has been threatened.” But the document said that “press speculation” about Trinity and about Yushvaev “could adversely affect our reputation” and the price of the company’s shares. “A few people will be scared by that,” Mattias Westman, an investment fund manager in Moscow, told Bloomberg in 2002. “But a lot of people are aware that many on the Russian business scene don’t have a squeaky-clean past. It’s important that the company itself made this information public.”
“Honesty was the smart move for us,” Yakobashvili says. And his and Yushvaev’s involvement in the company did not hamper the firm. In 2011, Pepsico, the US-based beverage company, bought 66 percent of the firm in a $3.8 billion deal that left Yushvaev with about $1.1 billion in exchange for his large stake of the Russian company.
Yushvaev was now a billionaire. In 2013, he bought one-fifth of Russia’s largest gold mining company, Polyus Gold International Ltd., from Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov for $1.85 billion. Yushvaev’s ownership interest in Polyus, which held large coal deposits, placed him on a “dirty dozen” list, compiled by the Guardian, of 12 super-rich “investors whose combined coal holdings are equivalent to the entire annual emissions of China.” He also invested $300 million in a major Moscow real estate development. In 2015, he sold his interest in Polyus to the family of Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov.
By now, Yushvaev was becoming a bit famous as a globe-trotting Russian tycoon. A French media report noted in 2015 that he owned a villa snuggled between two coves on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, a peninsula on the Cote d’Azur. It was then valued at 130 million euros. And about this time, Yushvaev began deploying his wealth in the United States.
At the end of 2015, Yushvaev made his $100 million investment in Lyft, according to the Bell, a Russian website that covers business news. “While everyone was running to Uber, he was smarter and invested in Lyft,” a Yushvaev colleague told the Bell. At that point, Lyft was not a publicly traded company.
Alexandra LaManna, Lyft’s communications director, says Yushvaev is no longer an investor in the company. But Lyft would not reply to specific questions about Yushvaev’s investment: How did Yushvaev become an investor? Did Lyft vet him before he bought a chunk of the company? When did did he sell his shares?
Yushvaev is hardly the first Russian tycoon to invest in American tech firms. Alisher Usmanov, one of Russia’s richest men, sunk $200 million into Facebook in 2009 and cashed out for over half a billion dollars in 2013. Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, backed up by hundreds of millions of dollars from a Kremlin-owned bank, invested heavily in Facebook and Twitter. At one point, his companies owned 8 percent of Facebook and 5 percent of Twitter. His firms sold those holdings a few years ago.
In 2017, the New York Times reported that Milner “retains investments in several other large technology companies and continues to make new deals. Among Mr. Milner’s current investments is a real estate venture founded and partly owned by Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and White House adviser.” In a statement released following the Times‘ story, Milner’s investment firm, DST Global, insisted there was “nothing unusual” about its investments in Facebook and Twitter and noted it had invested in “more than 30 internet companies around the world,” including Airbnb, Spotify, and Alibaba. The firm also said that of the $7 billion it had invested in the consumer internet sector since 2009, less than 5 precent had come from Kremlin-controlled funds.
Both Usmanov and Milner appeared on a list released by the US Treasury in 2018 of Russian oligarchs and politicians presumably on good terms with Putin. In a recent interview, Usmanov said of Putin, “I respect him. I think he is the number one leader in the world today.”
Last year, Rusal, the large aluminum company owned by the Putin-connected oligarch Oleg Deripaska, purchased a 40 percent stake in a Kentucky plant, after the firm successfully lobbied Washington lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who represents Kentucky, to free it from certain sanctions. In 2018, the US Treasury Department had imposed sanctions on Deripaska and several of his companies, stating, “Deripaska has said that he does not separate himself from the Russian state. He has also acknowledged possessing a Russian diplomatic passport, and claims to have represented the Russian government in other countries. Deripaska has been investigated for money laundering and has been accused of threatening the lives of business rivals, illegally wiretapping a government official, and taking part in extortion and racketeering. There are also allegations that Deripaska bribed a government official, ordered the murder of a businessman, and had links to a Russian organized crime group.” (Emails with a request for comment from Deripaska that were sent to two of his companies received no replies.)
In addition to his Lyft investment, in 2015, Yushvaev joined a consortium that invested $150 million in Humacyte, a biotech company based in Durham, North Carolina. The CEO of the company at the time, Carrie Cox, said then, “We believe this is one of the largest private funding rounds in biotech to date, comprised of investors from the U.S. and around the world.” Humacyte was then developing Humacyl, a bioengineered tubelike product for patients with kidney failure; the product would provide vascular access for dialysis. In 2017, the firm received a $3.4 million contract from the Defense Department to support its research into using Humacyl for the treatment of traumatic vascular injuries that could result from battlefield events, automobile crashes, or industrial accidents.
A 2017 SEC filing listed Yushvaev as an investor in Domo, a Utah-based cloud software company specializing in business intelligence and data visualization. Its other investors have included Blackrock, Fidelity Investments, and Bezos Expeditions, which manages Jeff Bezos’ venture capital investments.
Mother Jones sent several emails to Domo asking it to explain Yushvaev’s investments in the firm. “All I have is that he has been a long-term investor like many of those who have invested in Domo,” Julie Kehoe, a company spokesperson, replied. Humacyte did not respond to multiple requests from Mother Jones. Messages left for three senior Humacyte executives and a public relations consultant for the company were not returned.
Yushvaev’s ascension to billionaire investor status has been accompanied by public controversy. In 2013, the Spanish government released a report on Russian organized crime activities in that country that included a reference to Yushvaev. The report said that a Russian banker—who was tied to a Russian business leader allegedly involved in a Moscow-based crime syndicate—“maintained a subordinate relationship to” Yushvaev and that this relationship “related to Eastern European criminal organizations.” It did not spell out the details of this connection or explain these links any further. (This report also alleged that Alexander Torshin, a high-ranking Russian official who served in Putin’s party, had helped Moscow-based mobsters launder money through Spain—a charge Torshin has denied. Torshin is best known in the United States for having worked with—or run—confessed and convicted Russian agent Maria Butina, as the pair spent years infiltrating the National Rifle Association and other corners of the American conservative movement.)
In November 2017, two of Yushvaev’s security guards were involved in a shooting at a Moscow restaurant during which a person was killed. The OCCRP reported that Yushvaev “attended the birthday party of Dmitry Pavlov, a businessman with criminal connections who was known to law enforcement as ‘Pavlik.’ Also in attendance were other well-known criminal leaders, including Oleg Shishkanov…At the birthday party in a restaurant in Moscow’s Oko tower, a shootout erupted between [Yushvaev’s] and Pavlov’s bodyguards…One person was killed and five wounded.” (Days after that incident, the Crime Russia website posted a photo that purportedly showed Yushvaev at the party with Russian mobsters.) This past November, the prosecutor general of Russia announced indictments in the shooting case.
In late 2018, Yushvaev was named in a lawsuit that drew press attention—with filings in the case casting him as a nefarious character. A London-based firm called Lehram Capital Investments Ltd. in November of that year filed a lawsuit in an Illinois state court in Chicago accusing Baker McKenzie LLP, one of the largest global law firms, of malpractice. Lehram Capital claimed the law firm had screwed up its effort to recover a Siberian coal mine that was allegedly swiped from Lehram by a cabal of Russian business people and officials. In the suit, Lehram stated that after it purchased the mine, a local government official imprisoned a Russian-based director of Lehram and forced him to transfer ownership of the facility to a local coal magnate. Lehram hired Baker McKenzie to help get the mine back.
In the lawsuit, Lehram alleged that a Baker McKenzie partner introduced Lehram’s principal shareholder, Daniel Rodriguez, to Yushvaev and told Rodriguez that Yushvaev was another client of the law firm and a “reliable and successful businessman” and that Lehram should make $300,000 in payments to Russian public officials through Yushvaev to “incentivize” these officials to help Lehram recover its assets. In an affidavit, Rodriguez asserted that he refused to engage in “what I perceived as bribes to Russian Government officials,” and he maintained that afterward he became the target of death threats, harassment, and hacking that he attributed to a Yushvaev associate. “I was threatened that if I mentioned Gavril Yushvaev’s name, I would have to hide in Antartica,” he claimed. In one exhibit in the lawsuit, Baker McKenzie told Lehram it was not responsible for Yushvaev’s actions.
In a filing opposing Baker McKenzie’s attempt to move the case from Chicago to Russia, Rodriguez, a Spanish citizen, cited the Spanish report on Russian organized crime to claim Yushvaev is “one of the patrons” of a “Russian criminal group,” and he noted that a Spanish law enforcement official had told him that Yushvaev had a “leading role in the Russian criminal world” and advised him not to travel to Russia. In this affidavit, Rodriguez also said an FBI agent had provided him a similar warning.
The lawsuit is still underway in the Chicago court. The lawyer representing Baker McKenzie in the case did not respond to emails and phone calls requesting comment. A spokesperson for Baker McKenzie said the firm had “no comment at this time. If anything changes, we will let you know.”
Yushvaev also has a family connection to players in the Trump-Russia scandal. In 2016, one of his daughters married a Russian businessman named Murad Beniaminov, and the wedding was hosted by Russian billionaire Aras Agalarov at his estate. Agalarov, a developer from Azerbaijan, partnered with Trump in 2013 to hold that year’s Miss Universe contest in Moscow, when Trump owned the pageant. Agalarov and Trump subsequently tried to develop a tower project in the Russian capital, but the venture fizzled. But in 2016, Agalarov’s son, Emin, a middling pop star in Russia, helped broker the Trump Tower meeting that brought together top Trump campaign advisers with a Kremlin emissary who they were told would deliver dirt on Hillary Clinton as part of a secret Russian effort to help Trump win the White House. (Donald Trump Jr., who set up this meeting, later claimed it yielded no material of any use, but by taking this meeting, Trump Jr. and the other attendees—Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner—signaled they were open to colluding with a secret Russian effort to assist Trump.)
The 2016 wedding at the Agalarov home was an extravagant affair attended by business elites and famous entertainers, including Emin, a friend of the groom, who serenaded the guests.
In Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, a man who shares the same last name as the groom—Roman Beniaminov—is identified as an assistant for Emin. And Ike Kaveladze, an executive in Aras Agalarov’s company, told Mueller’s team that it was Roman Beniaminov who had informed him that the point of the Trump Tower meeting was for the Kremlin emissary to convey “negative information on Hillary Clinton.” Yet Roman Beniaminov told Mueller’s investigation he had no recollection of knowing or saying that. An American lawyer for Kaveladze and Emin Agalarov did not respond to a request for comment.
Yushvaev’s overall strategy for investing in the United States is not publicly known. Mother Jones sent to a Russian business associate of Yushvaev a long list of detailed questions for Yushvaev about his investments, his past, and the allegations linking him to organized crime. The list included these queries: “What is your relationship to President Putin? Are you a political supporter of him or his political party? Have you ever socialized with him?”
This business associate, Vladislav Shubaev, communicating on behalf of Yushvaev, replied in an email that Yushvaev would be willing to discuss the questions only if a Mother Jones reporter would meet Yushvaev in Europe or Israel. He noted that Yushvaev could not travel to the United States because his US visa had expired. When Mother Jones asked if Yushvaev would agree to an interview via a phone or video call, Shubaev replied, “In [Yushvaev’s] opinion, the discussion of such a wide range of issues by telephone is not acceptable.”
In a subsequent email, Shubaev wrote, “I do not quite understand your reference to the criminal past of Gavril Abramovich [Yushvaev], because, as far as I know [in] 2001 or 2002, before going to IPO the company Wimm Bill Dann completely disclosed information about the biography of Mr. Yushvaev from the place of his birth and ending with the information of his criminal record… [I]t is not a secret! All information regarding his past is available in open sources.” When told that Mother Jones wanted to ask Yushvaev about specific reports regarding his past, his business activities, and the organized crime allegations, Shubaev responded with a blanket statement: “Given your questions, we would point out that the information in the media you refer to is obviously unreliable and disreputable. Gavril Abramovich Yushvaev pays no regard to such sources.” Shubaev did not specify which information Yushvaev disputed.
The Bell reported that by the end of 2017 Yushvaev had invested about $500 million in foreign companies. According to Anders Aslund, a Swedish economist who tracks Russian finances, there is no way to determine how much money is directly invested in US companies by Russian oligarchs. (He estimates that $200 billion in Russian “dark money” pours into the US through offshore havens, such as the Cayman Islands—but this flow is different than direct investments from Russian billionaires.) And there’s no way to tell if Yushvaev has bigger plans for investing in the United States.
Yakobashvili, who says he has not had any business dealings with Yushvaev in about ten years, notes his old partner “is a very good gambler and likes to gamble… He was always a winner.” And this, according to Yakobashvili, includes Yushvaev’s financial investments: “He’s a good investor. He understands where to put money. The world is very small and he puts money into projects that he finds interesting all around the globe.” Noting that Yushvaev has nine children, he adds, “For him it is important to create a fortune to give to his children.”
UPDATE: After this story was published, a spokesperson for Russian billionaire Yuri Milner sent Mother Jones this statement regarding the 2018 US Treasury list of Russian oligarchs and politicians cited above: “As confirmed by the Department of Treasury in its published FAQs, the CAATSA report (the so called “Treasury list”) included all Russian national individuals (total 96) with an estimated net worth of $1 billion or more. No reference was made that all these individuals are ‘on good terms with Putin.'”
Photo Credit: Mother Jones illustration; Getty; Rafael Henrique/Zuma; Alexander/Zuma


motherjones--2020-03-07--Italy to Close Off Large Part of the Country Over Coronavirus Fears

The Italian government plans to almost entirely shut down a large part of the country in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus , according to news reports about a drafted government decree .
The proposed measure would lock down the country ’ s northwestern region of Lombardia and parts of 11 other provinces that include major cities including Venice and Milan .
The move is an indication of how serious concerns over the spread of the coronavirus have become for the country , as 5,880 people have tested positive for the virus there , and 233 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italian government has attempted to use more subtle methods of control .
But , if approved , about a quarter of the entire country ’ s population will be affected by the new restrictions , which would go into effect on Sunday and will last until April 3 .
Under the restrictions , which Bloomberg reported on after viewing draft copies of the plan , huge swaths of the country will essentially be fully quarantined , with all travel in and out restricted , and no movement allowed within the area unless for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Virtually all public events , church services , schools , theaters and outdoor recreational activity will be shut down , and all business meetings cancelled .
The restrictions are reminiscent of the near total shutdown of large areas of China , and likely will have serious economic impact on Italy ’ s already wobbly economy .
According to Bloomberg , the Lombardia area alone is responsible for 22 percent of Italy ’ s annual GDP , and cities like Venice and Milan are crucial to the country ’ s tourism industry .

The Italian government plans to almost entirely shut down a large part of the country in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus, according to news reports about a drafted government decree. The proposed measure would lock down the country’s northwestern region of Lombardia and parts of 11 other provinces that include major cities including Venice and Milan. The move is an indication of how serious concerns over the spread of the coronavirus have become for the country, as 5,880 people have tested positive for the virus there, and 233 people have died. Until now, the Italian government has attempted to use more subtle methods of control. But, if approved, about a quarter of the entire country’s population will be affected by the new restrictions, which would go into effect on Sunday and will last until April 3.
Under the restrictions, which Bloomberg reported on after viewing draft copies of the plan, huge swaths of the country will essentially be fully quarantined, with all travel in and out restricted, and no movement allowed within the area unless for “non-deferrable” business or health reasons. Virtually all public events, church services, schools, theaters and outdoor recreational activity will be shut down, and all business meetings cancelled.
The restrictions are reminiscent of the near total shutdown of large areas of China, and likely will have serious economic impact on Italy’s already wobbly economy. According to Bloomberg, the Lombardia area alone is responsible for 22 percent of Italy’s annual GDP, and cities like Venice and Milan are crucial to the country’s tourism industry.


motherjones--2020-03-07--Schools Can No Longer Use Electric Shock Devices on Students, Says the FDA

The Food and Drug Administration formally banned the controversial use of electric shock devices on students being treated for behavioral issues this week , putting an end to a method that many experts—and victims—called cruel and ineffective .
The practice , which was detailed in an exposé by Mother Jones in 2007 , was no longer practiced widely around the country .
But one institution still favored it : Officials at the Judge Rotenberg Education Center , a residential school for people with mental disabilities in Canton , Mass.
, continued to use the treatment .
In announcing the ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulation devices ( ESDs ) , the FDA itself noted the relative rarity of such bans on medical devices .
But William Maisel , the head of the FDA ’ s medical device unit , explained what made this ban worth it : “ Through advancements in medical science , there are now more treatment options available to reduce or stop self-injurious or aggressive behavior , thus avoiding the substantial risk ESDs present , ” he said in a press statement .
The Judge Rotenberg Education Center , billed as a school of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , still consistently used ESDs on 55 adult students , according to the New York Times .
The shock treatment entailed forcing students to wear backpacks with heavy batteries attached to wires that led to their abdomen or legs and were controlled by school staff .
In theory , the devices allowed staffers to deliver two-second long shocks , described by the school as similar to a bee sting , to the students when they exhibited inappropriate behaviors .
But critics , like former students and their families , say that the shocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of the students have limited verbal ability , making it difficult to gauge the extent of their suffering .
Previously , the the school used the therapy on children as young as nine years old .
One former student told Mother Jones that he received the therapy at Judge Rotenberg for minor infractions like swearing , and that he was even shocked repeatedly while restrained and unable to see the staff member applying the shocks .
“ It ’ s worse than jail , ” he told Mother Jones in 2007 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on earth.
” According to the New York Times , some parents still defend the practice because they view the therapy as a breakthrough for their children who had previously been unreachable .
But the overwhelming consensus among experts on behavioral therapy was that the treatment was , at best , ineffective .
A 2013 report by the United Nations special rapporteur on torture determined that the school ’ s use of the therapy violated the rights of students under international torture conventions .
The fight to ban the therapy has been dragging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2014 , an FDA advisory panel recommended banning the practice , but the school and its supporters have fought back .
Since 2010 , the school has spent more than $ 431,000 lobbying in Washington , in an effort to sway the FDA ’ s rule making on the shock devices and prevent legislation aimed at prohibiting the kind of aversion therapy the school practiced .
The school has said it will appeal the FDA ’ s decision .

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.
The Food and Drug Administration formally banned the controversial use of electric shock devices on students being treated for behavioral issues this week, putting an end to a method that many experts—and victims—called cruel and ineffective. The practice, which was detailed in an exposé by Mother Jones in 2007, was no longer practiced widely around the country. But one institution still favored it: Officials at the Judge Rotenberg Education Center, a residential school for people with mental disabilities in Canton, Mass., continued to use the treatment.
In announcing the ban on the instruments, known as electrical stimulation devices (ESDs), the FDA itself noted the relative rarity of such bans on medical devices. But William Maisel, the head of the FDA’s medical device unit, explained what made this ban worth it: “Through advancements in medical science, there are now more treatment options available to reduce or stop self-injurious or aggressive behavior, thus avoiding the substantial risk ESDs present,” he said in a press statement.
The Judge Rotenberg Education Center, billed as a school of last resort for individuals with behavioral disorders, still consistently used ESDs on 55 adult students, according to the New York Times. The shock treatment entailed forcing students to wear backpacks with heavy batteries attached to wires that led to their abdomen or legs and were controlled by school staff. In theory, the devices allowed staffers to deliver two-second long shocks, described by the school as similar to a bee sting, to the students when they exhibited inappropriate behaviors. But critics, like former students and their families, say that the shocks are in fact deeply painful, and many of the students have limited verbal ability, making it difficult to gauge the extent of their suffering. Previously, the the school used the therapy on children as young as nine years old.
One former student told Mother Jones that he received the therapy at Judge Rotenberg for minor infractions like swearing, and that he was even shocked repeatedly while restrained and unable to see the staff member applying the shocks.
“It’s worse than jail,” he told Mother Jones in 2007. “That place is the worst place on earth.”
According to the New York Times, some parents still defend the practice because they view the therapy as a breakthrough for their children who had previously been unreachable. But the overwhelming consensus among experts on behavioral therapy was that the treatment was, at best, ineffective. A 2013 report by the United Nations special rapporteur on torture determined that the school’s use of the therapy violated the rights of students under international torture conventions.
The fight to ban the therapy has been dragging along for more than a decade. In 2014, an FDA advisory panel recommended banning the practice, but the school and its supporters have fought back. Since 2010, the school has spent more than $431,000 lobbying in Washington, in an effort to sway the FDA’s rule making on the shock devices and prevent legislation aimed at prohibiting the kind of aversion therapy the school practiced. The school has said it will appeal the FDA’s decision.


motherjones--2020-03-07--Trump’s CDC Director Has a History of Controversial Opinions on Controlling Viruses

While President Donald Trump rambled his way through an extremely weird visit to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta on Friday , the lineup of serious-looking scientists behind him was supposed to inspire confidence that there are trustworthy and qualified people leading the nation ’ s response to the deadly coronavirus .
But as the CDC , the central agency in charge of public health , struggles to get a handle on key messaging and coronavirus testing efforts , the credentials of its director Robert Redfield are in the spotlight .
From the start of his administration , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ qualified candidates ; the world of people who can do a particular job and who show enough personal or political loyalty is often quite small .
Redfield , 68 , is a well-known virologist who spent decades working on HIV/AIDS research in the military and as the head of the University of Maryland ’ s Institute of Human Virology .
He also has a long history of being a close ally to conservative politicians and their pet theories on HIV and AIDS .
In the 1980s and early 1990s , as an Army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Redfield worked on setting up protocols to handle service members infected with AIDS .
Even by the standards of the era , when much was still unknown about the virus , his suggestions were controversial .
He advocated quarantining infected soldiers , spreading their diagnosis across the chain of command with little concern for their privacy , and investigating their sexual histories .
Redfield advocated similar ideas outside of the military , aligning himself with a conservative Christian group called Americans for a Sound HIV/AIDS Policy ( ASAP ) which supported similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing and quarantines ) to control the spread of the virus .
According to Foreign Policy , in the introduction of a book by ASAP ’ s founder , Redfield rejected the medical norms for handling the epidemic and called for a more faith-based approach : “ It is time to reject the temptation of denial of the AIDS/HIV crisis ; to reject false prophets who preach the quick-fix strategies of condoms and free needles ; to reject those who preach prejudice ; and to reject those who try to replace God as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Christian community—members and leaders alike—to confront the epidemic , ” he wrote .
Redfield named the breakdown of family values and increasing number of single-parent households as key factors responsible for the spread of AIDS .
In the 1990s , Redfield endorsed an unproven HIV vaccine as a huge breakthrough .
It wasn ’ t , and Redfield was investigated for scientific misconduct for his role in continuing to push the vaccine .
( He was later cleared of accusations of misconduct . )
He also publicly lobbied for legislation sponsored by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force medical workers to get tested for HIV and AIDS and lose their licenses to practice if they were infected .
More recently , in the early 2000s , Redfield remained adamant that the best way to contain the AIDS epidemic in Africa was to encourage abstinence , monogamy , and the use of condoms only as a last resort .
Redfield was not the Trump administration ’ s first choice for CDC director ; she resigned after she was found to have traded tobacco stocks while running the CDC .
Despite loud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Science in the Public Interest , which accused Redfield of having a bad record “ and an extreme religious agenda , ” Redfield was appointed in 2018 .
Critics say that even as CDC officials have worked towards improving the agency ’ s handling of the current outbreak , Redfield has enabled Trump ’ s politicization of the government ’ s response .
At a press conference last week , when asked about why the CDC ’ s system for rolling out tests has faltered , Redfield offered : “ So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to have laboratories that could develop what we call ‘ laboratory developed tests ’ and then be able to apply them for clinical purposes .
And in the previous administration , that became regulated so that , now , for someone to do that , they had to formally file with the FDA .
And what the President ’ s decision did was allow that regulatory relief now and that those university labs and those other labs in this country now can be fully engaged in developing laboratory diagnostics for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this nation can get access to—and the doctors —to get to know the extent of HIV in the patients that they ’ re caring for .
It ’ s , really , very important .
It ’ s what ’ s changed the availability of testing overnight.
” That Trump overturned a previous FDA rule to allow for easier testing does not appear to be true .
But it was the setup Redfield ’ s boss needed to declare : “ I just want to add , if I might—and to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we ’ re doing .
”

While President Donald Trump rambled his way through an extremely weird visit to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta on Friday, the lineup of serious-looking scientists behind him was supposed to inspire confidence that there are trustworthy and qualified people leading the nation’s response to the deadly coronavirus. But as the CDC, the central agency in charge of public health, struggles to get a handle on key messaging and coronavirus testing efforts, the credentials of its director Robert Redfield are in the spotlight.
From the start of his administration, Trump has struggled to fill top positions with qualified candidates; the world of people who can do a particular job and who show enough personal or political loyalty is often quite small. Redfield, 68, is a well-known virologist who spent decades working on HIV/AIDS research in the military and as the head of the University of Maryland’s Institute of Human Virology. He also has a long history of being a close ally to conservative politicians and their pet theories on HIV and AIDS.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, as an Army doctor stationed at Walter Reed Medical Center, Redfield worked on setting up protocols to handle service members infected with AIDS. Even by the standards of the era, when much was still unknown about the virus, his suggestions were controversial. He advocated quarantining infected soldiers, spreading their diagnosis across the chain of command with little concern for their privacy, and investigating their sexual histories.
Even by the standards of the era, when much was still unknown about AIDS, Redfield’s suggestions were controversial.
Redfield advocated similar ideas outside of the military, aligning himself with a conservative Christian group called Americans for a Sound HIV/AIDS Policy (ASAP) which supported similar steps in the general public (mandatory testing and quarantines) to control the spread of the virus. According to Foreign Policy, in the introduction of a book by ASAP’s founder, Redfield rejected the medical norms for handling the epidemic and called for a more faith-based approach:
“It is time to reject the temptation of denial of the AIDS/HIV crisis; to reject false prophets who preach the quick-fix strategies of condoms and free needles; to reject those who preach prejudice; and to reject those who try to replace God as judge. The time has come for the Christian community—members and leaders alike—to confront the epidemic,” he wrote. Redfield named the breakdown of family values and increasing number of single-parent households as key factors responsible for the spread of AIDS.
In the 1990s, Redfield endorsed an unproven HIV vaccine as a huge breakthrough. It wasn’t, and Redfield was investigated for scientific misconduct for his role in continuing to push the vaccine. (He was later cleared of accusations of misconduct.) He also publicly lobbied for legislation sponsored by a conservative member of Congress that would force medical workers to get tested for HIV and AIDS and lose their licenses to practice if they were infected. More recently, in the early 2000s, Redfield remained adamant that the best way to contain the AIDS epidemic in Africa was to encourage abstinence, monogamy, and the use of condoms only as a last resort.
Redfield was not the Trump administration’s first choice for CDC director; she resigned after she was found to have traded tobacco stocks while running the CDC. Despite loud calls from CDC watchdogs like the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which accused Redfield of having a bad record “and an extreme religious agenda,” Redfield was appointed in 2018.
Critics say that even as CDC officials have worked towards improving the agency’s handling of the current outbreak, Redfield has enabled Trump’s politicization of the government’s response. At a press conference last week, when asked about why the CDC’s system for rolling out tests has faltered, Redfield offered:
“So, in the past, we used to be able to have laboratories that could develop what we call ‘laboratory developed tests’ and then be able to apply them for clinical purposes. And in the previous administration, that became regulated so that, now, for someone to do that, they had to formally file with the FDA. And what the President’s decision did was allow that regulatory relief now and that those university labs and those other labs in this country now can be fully engaged in developing laboratory diagnostics for the clinical arena so the men and women in this nation can get access to—and the doctors —to get to know the extent of HIV in the patients that they’re caring for. It’s, really, very important. It’s what’s changed the availability of testing overnight.”
That Trump overturned a previous FDA rule to allow for easier testing does not appear to be true. But it was the setup Redfield’s boss needed to declare: “I just want to add, if I might—and to go a little bit further—the Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we’re doing.”


motherjones--2020-03-08--There’s One Easy Thing Trump Could Do Tomorrow to Protect Healthcare Workers from the Coronavirus

Since the earliest days of the Trump administration , the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration has had a completed draft of workplace rules that were made for the very crisis we now find ourselves in , with the power to protect vulnerable healthcare workers from exposure to infectious diseases like COVID-19 .
According to the Washington Post , the draft regulation would require employers to provide healthcare workers with protective equipment and create plans to control the spread of infectious diseases , potentially including building isolation rooms for quarantining patients .
The only problem is the administration doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action .
Work on the proposal began years ago following the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2010 and continued throughout the Obama administration .
But in spring 2017 it was shelved as a “ long term action , ” part of a comprehensive deregulation scheme pushed by the president .
OSHA , which issues regulations on workplace safety and enforces them through inspections and fines , could at any time issue the drafted rules as an “ emergency temporary standard ” that would take effect immediately upon publication and remain in effect for six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no sign that the administration is planning to do that , despite pressure from Democratic lawmakers , labor unions , and David Michaels , former assistant secretary of labor and OSHA head under President Obama .
Reps. Bobby Scott ( D-Va. ) and Alma Adams ( D-NC ) , members of the House Committee on Education and Labor , sent a letter to Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia in January urging him to allow active work to resume on the infectious disease regulation , and warning him that an emergency regulation could become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States worsened .
( Emergency OSHA regulations may be issued only when they are necessary to protect employees from “ new hazards ” or “ grave danger ” as a result of exposure to harmful substances . )
On Thursday , the lawmakers sent a second letter , saying the time had come to act .
“ If health care workers are quarantined in large numbers , or get ill or die , or fear coming to work due to the risks , it ’ s not just a personal or workplace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health disaster , ” they wrote .
“ As we enter into what is likely to be the greatest infectious disease crisis this country has faced in over a century , it is in the national interest that OSHA be on the forefront of protecting workers essential to the country ’ s health care system.
” The following day , the AFL-CIO and more than a dozen other unions petitioned Scalia to issue the emergency standard to protect not only healthcare workers and first responders , but also airline , transportation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” workers .
They were joined by the National Nurses Union , which raised alarms about the preparedness of hospitals to deal with the coronavirus , releasing a survey of more than 6,500 nurses across the US which shows a widespread lack of equipment , information , and training .
As I reported : Last week , Michaels , the former OSHA head , wrote in the Atlantic that issuing the infectious disease emergency standard would essentially empower the federal agency to enforce the infection-control guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employers to develop and implement an infection-control plan to protect health-care and related workers with occupational exposure .
It would include provisions for worker training and distribution of masks and other personal protective equipment .
Rules that require employers to plan for an epidemic may seem like common sense , and many employers voluntarily already do everything they would be required to do .
But many is not enough .
An OSHA standard would provide much-needed guidance , and the prospect of inspections and civil penalties would no doubt motivate some employers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standard would , in essence , make following CDC guidance an enforceable requirement .
In an interview with the Washington Post , Michaels said that the regulation would require hospitals to create a protocol for handling any patients with respiratory symptoms and to assess if they had enough protective gear .
“ The framework is there , ” he said .
“ If OSHA wanted to modify the standard , it could put it out tomorrow.
” Meanwhile , healthcare workers in multiple US counties are in quarantine after learning that they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the coronavirus .
“ Workers were allowed to come in contact for too many hours without wearing proper safety equipment , and as a result a large number of workers had to be sent home , putting us and our families at risk , ” one pathology assistant told NBC Bay Area .

Updated, March 9, 2020: On Monday, a group of seven Democratic senators, including former presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, wrote to Labor Department Secretary Eugene Scalia urging him to issue an emergency temporary standard to protect “all workers” from COVID-19, and requesting that he resume active work on OSHA’s sidelined infectious disease regulations. They pointed to “hundreds” of health care workers who have been exposed to COVID-19, quarantined, or infected, as well as “thousands” of first responders, flight attendants, pilots, public transportation workers, TSA screeners, baggage handlers, and social workers likely to be exposed to virus.
“It would present a very real threat to our health care system and public health response if, due to OSHA failing to issue an [emergency temporary standard] that could protect them, health care workers are quarantined in large numbers, fear coming to work due to the risks associated with this pandemic, fall ill from COVID-19, or even die,” the senators wrote. “By not issuing an ETS, you will be failing to protect the countless other workers who are at elevated risk of being exposed to COVID-19 simply through their normal job duties.”
Since the earliest days of the Trump administration, the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration has had a completed draft of workplace rules that were made for the very crisis we now find ourselves in, with the power to protect vulnerable healthcare workers from exposure to infectious diseases like COVID-19. According to the Washington Post, the draft regulation would require employers to provide healthcare workers with protective equipment and create plans to control the spread of infectious diseases, potentially including building isolation rooms for quarantining patients. The only problem is the administration doesn’t seem to have much interest in action.
Work on the proposal began years ago following the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2010 and continued throughout the Obama administration. But in spring 2017 it was shelved as a “long term action,” part of a comprehensive deregulation scheme pushed by the president.
OSHA, which issues regulations on workplace safety and enforces them through inspections and fines, could at any time issue the drafted rules as an “emergency temporary standard” that would take effect immediately upon publication and remain in effect for six months. But so far, there is no sign that the administration is planning to do that, despite pressure from Democratic lawmakers, labor unions, and David Michaels, former assistant secretary of labor and OSHA head under President Obama.
Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Alma Adams (D-NC), members of the House Committee on Education and Labor, sent a letter to Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia in January urging him to allow active work to resume on the infectious disease regulation, and warning him that an emergency regulation could become necessary if the coronavirus outbreak in the United States worsened. (Emergency OSHA regulations may be issued only when they are necessary to protect employees from “new hazards” or “grave danger” as a result of exposure to harmful substances.)
On Thursday, the lawmakers sent a second letter, saying the time had come to act. “If health care workers are quarantined in large numbers, or get ill or die, or fear coming to work due to the risks, it’s not just a personal or workplace problem, it’s a national public health disaster,” they wrote. “As we enter into what is likely to be the greatest infectious disease crisis this country has faced in over a century, it is in the national interest that OSHA be on the forefront of protecting workers essential to the country’s health care system.”
The following day, the AFL-CIO and more than a dozen other unions petitioned Scalia to issue the emergency standard to protect not only healthcare workers and first responders, but also airline, transportation, social service, and other “public-facing” workers. They were joined by the National Nurses Union, which raised alarms about the preparedness of hospitals to deal with the coronavirus, releasing a survey of more than 6,500 nurses across the US which shows a widespread lack of equipment, information, and training. As I reported:
Fewer than half of responding nurses had received information from their employers about how to recognize and respond to possible cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Less than a third reported that their employers had enough protective equipment on hand to protect staff in the event of a surge of infections. And just 29 percent said their employers had a plan to isolate possible coronavirus patients.
Last week, Michaels, the former OSHA head, wrote in the Atlantic that issuing the infectious disease emergency standard would essentially empower the federal agency to enforce the infection-control guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
The standard would require employers to develop and implement an infection-control plan to protect health-care and related workers with occupational exposure. It would include provisions for worker training and distribution of masks and other personal protective equipment. Rules that require employers to plan for an epidemic may seem like common sense, and many employers voluntarily already do everything they would be required to do. But many is not enough. An OSHA standard would provide much-needed guidance, and the prospect of inspections and civil penalties would no doubt motivate some employers to do the right thing. Such a standard would, in essence, make following CDC guidance an enforceable requirement.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Michaels said that the regulation would require hospitals to create a protocol for handling any patients with respiratory symptoms and to assess if they had enough protective gear. “The framework is there,” he said. “If OSHA wanted to modify the standard, it could put it out tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, healthcare workers in multiple US counties are in quarantine after learning that they had cared for a patient who tested positive for the coronavirus. “Workers were allowed to come in contact for too many hours without wearing proper safety equipment, and as a result a large number of workers had to be sent home, putting us and our families at risk,” one pathology assistant told NBC Bay Area.


motherjones--2020-03-08--The Trump Administration’s Sunday Morning Coronavirus Messaging Was a Disaster

Members of President Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus task force fanned out on the Sunday morning talk shows to deliver a message about the administration ’ s handling of COVID-19—only , it ’ s unclear what exactly that message is .
Pressed by journalists to provide numbers and a plan , Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Surgeon General Jerome Adams deflected and stumbled , unwilling or unable to answer basic questions about the coronavirus response .
Carson refused to reveal any information about the plan for 3,500 people aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship scheduled to dock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aboard are two passengers and 19 crew members who have tested positive for the coronavirus .
Pressed by ABC ’ s George Stephanopoulos , Carson said Trump had met with the CEOs of major cruise ship companies yesterday , and that they would be coming up with a plan “ within 72 hours.
” “ The plan will be in place by that time , but I don ’ t want to preview the plan right now , ” Carson said .
He added that the information should come from a “ solitary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t been fully formulated.
” On Friday , after a tour of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta , Trump said that he would leave the decision of whether to allow passengers and crew off the ship to others , but that he would “ rather have them stay on , personally.
” “ I like the numbers being where they are , ” Trump said .
“ I don ’ t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn ’ t our fault.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people aboard the ship who require quarantine and medical care would receive it .
Meanwhile on CNN , the surgeon general said that the coronavirus is “ absolutely ” spreading , urging people to wash their hands frequently , cover their coughs , avoid sick people , and stay home if they showed symptoms .
He said people who are older or have medical conditions , who are most at risk for the virus , should be “ extra cautious.
” But then Adams pivoted .
“ Speaking of being at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do and he ’ s healthier than what I am , ” he said .
“ So that ’ s the other reason this messaging is hard .
Because there are 70 year olds who run marathons and are healthier than some 30 year olds.
” ( That is not the case with our 73-year-old president . )
Pressed by anchor Jake Tapper to give a rough number of how many people have been tested in the United States , Adams first deferred , saying the numbers were changing “ minute by minute.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC , which removed testing numbers from their website last week .
Finally , he referenced comments by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn , who said yesterday that 5,861 specimens had been tested .
The actual number of people tested is lower , because each person requires between two and 20 specimens to be tested in order to confirm the diagnosis .
Adams instead said that 75,000 tests were available right now , and “ millions more ” would be available by the end of the week .

Members of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force fanned out on the Sunday morning talk shows to deliver a message about the administration’s handling of COVID-19—only, it’s unclear what exactly that message is. Pressed by journalists to provide numbers and a plan, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Surgeon General Jerome Adams deflected and stumbled, unwilling or unable to answer basic questions about the coronavirus response.
Carson refused to reveal any information about the plan for 3,500 people aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship scheduled to dock in Oakland, California, tomorrow. Aboard are two passengers and 19 crew members who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Pressed by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Carson said Trump had met with the CEOs of major cruise ship companies yesterday, and that they would be coming up with a plan “within 72 hours.”
“The ship’s docking tomorrow,” Stephanopoulos said.
“The plan will be in place by that time, but I don’t want to preview the plan right now,” Carson said. He added that the information should come from a “solitary source,” especially when it “hasn’t been fully formulated.”
On Friday, after a tour of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Trump said that he would leave the decision of whether to allow passengers and crew off the ship to others, but that he would “rather have them stay on, personally.” “I like the numbers being where they are,” Trump said. “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.” Vice President Mike Pence has said that people aboard the ship who require quarantine and medical care would receive it.
Pressed on plans to handle 3,500 people on board the Grand Princess Cruise ship where 21 passengers tested positive for COVID-19, Sec. Carson tells @GStephanopoulos he doesn't "want to preview the plan right now." https://t.co/Nnmkn5yDtv pic.twitter.com/oHChuUX1NB — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 8, 2020
Meanwhile on CNN, the surgeon general said that the coronavirus is “absolutely” spreading, urging people to wash their hands frequently, cover their coughs, avoid sick people, and stay home if they showed symptoms. He said people who are older or have medical conditions, who are most at risk for the virus, should be “extra cautious.”
But then Adams pivoted. “Speaking of being at risk, the president—he sleeps less than I do and he’s healthier than what I am,” he said. “So that’s the other reason this messaging is hard. Because there are 70 year olds who run marathons and are healthier than some 30 year olds.” (That is not the case with our 73-year-old president.)
Pressed by anchor Jake Tapper to give a rough number of how many people have been tested in the United States, Adams first deferred, saying the numbers were changing “minute by minute.” Then he referred Tapper to the CDC, which removed testing numbers from their website last week. Finally, he referenced comments by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn, who said yesterday that 5,861 specimens had been tested. The actual number of people tested is lower, because each person requires between two and 20 specimens to be tested in order to confirm the diagnosis.
Adams instead said that 75,000 tests were available right now, and “millions more” would be available by the end of the week.
“Facts over fear, Jake,” he concluded.