theintercept--2020-03-14--The Cruise Industry Pressured Caribbean Islands to Allow Tourists Onto Their Shores Despite Coronavi

The Cruise Industry Pressured Caribbean Islands to Allow Tourists Onto Their Shores Despite Coronavirus Concerns

head of the Bahamian environmental organization reEarth , looked on with concern Thursday as island authorities debated whether to allow passengers to disembark from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines ’ Braemar , the latest ship hit by the novel coronavirus .
Duncombe is a longtime critic of the cruise industry and has led the fight against Disney ’ s plan to build a private cruise port in an area recommended for marine-protected status , home to a fragile coral reef ecosystem .
Cruise ships have repeatedly come under fire in the Bahamas for dumping sewage , food waste , plastic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duncombe doesn ’ t trust the cruise industry to protect the islands from a health crisis any more than she trusts it to protect the environment .
The Dominican Republic turned away the Braemar at the end of February due to health officials ’ concerns about flu-like symptoms reported on board .
But in a move typical of an industry that tends to play island nations against one another , the cruise company called the decision an “ overreaction ” and found a friendly port in St. Maarten .
Passengers disembarked and new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Braemar headed to Cartagena , Colombia , where an American who disembarked became the first recorded coronavirus case in the city .
Four crew members and one passenger tested positive on a stop in Curaçao .
Meanwhile , in Canada , Alberta ’ s chief medical officer revealed that a Braemar passenger had tested positive after returning home from the ship .
As the crisis continued to unfold on board , Barbados turned the Braemar away , and it headed toward the Bahamas , the country whose flag the ship flies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caribbean island cruise ports .
So far officials have not confirmed any coronavirus cases in the Bahamas , but Duncombe worries that the country is not ready for what could come .
“ The hospital is already overwhelmed with normal sicknesses and problems that are happening , ” she said , noting that recovery after the devastation of Hurricane Dorian has been like “ molasses in the snow.
” “ We simply do not have the resources to be dealing with any kind of massive outbreak.
” Late Thursday , to Duncombe ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Braemar would not be allowed to dock , and by Friday , Fred Olsen announced it would suspend cruises in the face of the crisis .
“ This is odd for the industry .
They ’ re not used to ports standing up for themselves , ” said Ross Klein , a professor at Canada ’ s Memorial University who studies maritime tourism .
Typically , he added , “ the cruise industry says , ‘ If you don ’ t like us , we ’ ll go somewhere else.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have placed enormous pressure on governments to be allowed to continue to dock cruise ships , even when concerns about illness on board arise .
In Jamaica , the Cayman Islands , and Turks and Caicos , Carnival Cruise Line , the namesake brand of Carnival Corporation , which controls about half the market share , threatened to pull its business after government officials attempted to stop ships carrying potentially sick passengers from docking in their ports or restricted which passengers could disembark .
The three island governments were left to make critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporation that holds enormous sway over island economies .
One of the ships turned out to be carrying the virus .
On Friday , authorities in the Cayman Islands and Puerto Rico announced that their first confirmed coronavirus patients had entered on the Costa Luminosa , a Carnival Corporation ship .
Only after news broke that the Cayman Islands would be forced to shut down one of its three hospitals because of worker exposure to a Costa Luminosa patient did the Cruise Lines International Association announce that its members would suspend operations in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As Klein put it , “ It ’ s an industry that tends to be arrogant .
It ’ s an industry that tends not to listen to consumers or listen to people providing feedback.
” The outcome , he said , is that “ they ’ re exporting illness.
” Even after the U.S. State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that Americans avoid cruise ships , and the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic , cruise companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean continued offering bargain-basement deals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep cruising despite the risk of spreading the virus .
Emails leaked to the Miami New Times by a Norwegian Cruise Line employee showed a manager pressuring sales staff to lie to potential customers about the risk of the virus , telling them , for example , that “ the coronavirus can only survive in cold temperatures , so the Caribbean is a fantastic choice for your next cruise.
” It was a dangerous form of crisis capitalism , considering that cruise lines had already been linked to multiple outbreaks .
Some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aboard Carnival Corporation ’ s Diamond Princess , which sat off the coast of Japan for two weeks during a bungled quarantine effort carried out by low-paid workers who were not properly trained or given effective safety equipment .
Eight people died , and around 700 caught the virus .
Weeks later , Carnival Corporation ’ s Grand Princess idled for days off the coast of Oakland as 19 crew members and two passengers were diagnosed with the virus .
The first coronavirus patient to die in California had previously disembarked from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of a handful that the Trump administration has flagged as a potential recipient for special aid in the wake of the coronavirus crisis .
The industry is certainly struggling ; share prices tumbled as passengers have canceled voyages .
But its special treatment is also the result of the cruise lines ’ intense lobbying efforts and close relationships with the Trump family .
On Monday , the president told the press , “ We ’ re working with them very , very strongly .
We want them to travel.
” Indeed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an under-regulated industry that has a poor record on labor , the environment , and public health .
And nowhere has cruise companies ’ risky determination to stay afloat been felt more acutely than in the Caribbean .
Puerto Rico ’ s first coronavirus case came from an Italian tourist whose cruise ship , Carnival Corporation ’ s Costa Luminosa , had sparked a clash between Jamaican authorities and the cruise industry , after Jamaica refused to allow Italian passengers to disembark .
Puerto Ricans have cried foul , criticizing their government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , Jamaica ’ s move came at a price .
After learning that a crew member on the MSC Meraviglia was quarantined with flu-like symptoms , Jamaica ’ s health minister turned the ship away on February 25 .
To the cruise industry ’ s dismay , the Cayman Islands followed suit .
A few days later , the Costa Luminosa approached Jamaica ’ s shores .
This time , government officials informed the company that guests from hard-hit Italy would not be allowed onshore .
Carnival Cruise Line had seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same parent company as the Costa Luminosa , threatened to end its stops in Jamaica if the government didn ’ t soften its hard line on coronavirus .
Cruises account for nearly 1 percent of the country ’ s GDP , and the downturn in recent weeks has cost the economy $ 4 million .
To show that it was serious , Carnival rerouted two ships away from Jamaica , and MSC also diverted a cruise .
Carnival Cruise Line skipped the Cayman Islands , too .
“ While we are following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screening protocols and guidelines , we want to avoid any possibility of a visit to a destination where there is uncertainty or we risk being turned away , ” said Carnival in a statement to press at the time .
“ What were Jamaica and the Cayman Islands doing ?
They were just trying to enforce their own health codes .
Carnival didn ’ t like it , ” said Jim Walker , an attorney who created the blog Cruise Law News and represents clients suing cruise companies .
After a meeting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jamaican officials announced a deal in which the cruise lines would begin handing over the ships ’ medical logs , including temperature readings and travel history .
The companies also consented to stricter rules for passengers with a recent history of travel to the most impacted countries .
The same day , the government of Turks and Caicos declined to allow the Carnival Magic cruise to dock because several guests on board were exhibiting flu-like symptoms .
Carnival was “ enormously frustrated.
” The company responded in the same way that it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turks and Caicos as it entered discussions with the government .
Meanwhile , the Costa Luminosa sailed on , making stops in the Cayman Islands , Honduras , and Mexico .
By March 8 , the tourist from Italy had arrived in Puerto Rico .
The island government had no notification from Carnival that anyone on board had presented coronavirus-like symptoms when 1,370 passengers and 410 crew members disembarked in Old San Juan .
But after the woman was diagnosed with pneumonia by a ship doctor , she was rushed to a local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart of the pandemic in northern Italy , medical workers administered a Covid-19 test .
Of course , in another indication of the deep uncertainty that the pandemic has sown , Puerto Ricans only received the results of the Italian tourist ’ s Covid-19 test from the CDC on Friday night , a week after the patient was hospitalized .
The news that the cruise passenger and her husband had tested positive broke hours after the Cayman Islands ’ government announced that another Costa Luminosa traveler had become the first patient to test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalized at Health City Cayman Islands after going into cardiac arrest but developed a dry cough after six days of treatment .
Thirty medical workers who came into contact with him are now under quarantine , and the private hospital has decided to close for the next two weeks .
The 68-year-old patient died Saturday morning .
Klein said the cruise industry ’ s response to the crisis is business as usual .
“ The cruise industry always wants ports to know , ‘ We ’ re mobile , so if you get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty of ports that will welcome us , ’ ” he said .
The ships operate under “ flags of convenience , ” basing themselves in whatever nation gives them the best deal .
“ They enjoy freedoms from many laws and controls , whether it be in the U.S. or a Caribbean island , ” said Klein .
One of the most important ways the industry is able to fleece Caribbean nations is via port fees , a tax per head on the passengers who disembark .
Klein said the fees are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the islands to maintain the facilities the cruise companies demand .
Caribbean islands have attempted to collectively demand fair fees , but so far , the industry has succeeded in a divide-and-conquer strategy that leaves all of the region at the behest of the corporations .
Many critics argue that the problems the ships bring aren ’ t worth the tourists they attract on shore .
In many cases , cruise companies steer passengers toward excursions and shopping destinations that allow them to take a cut of profits .
The latest trend is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last month , Antigua and Barbuda signed an agreement with Royal Caribbean International to open a Royal Beach Club .
A half mile of the Antiguan coast will be available exclusively to Royal Caribbean cruise passengers , away from the island ’ s small businesses .
It follows a model similar to the Disney project Duncombe opposes in the Bahamas .
On Thursday , the same day that five U.S. states announced that they would close all schools to limit the spread of the virus , Carnival Cruise Line told The Intercept that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few new protocols .
“ We have five departures scheduled for today and those sailings will depart this afternoon , ” spokesperson Vance Gulliksen said .
Neither Carnival Corporation nor its Costa Cruises responded to requests for comment .
Although some major cruise companies suspended operations , including Carnival Corporation ’ s embattled Princess line , most waited until their hands were forced .
Even as news broke of the Cayman Islands hospital closing on Friday , a spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association , Bari Golin-Blaugrund , reassured The Intercept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of the 272 ships in the Cruise Lines International Association fleet have been unaffected by this growing public health crisis , which we believe points to the effectiveness of our policies.
” He continued , “ We realize the situation is changing rapidly , and we are changing with it appropriately.
” Within hours , the same organization announced its members would suspend all cruise operations at U.S. ports of call for 30 days .
Trump issued a Twitter announcement soon afterward that Carnival Cruise Line and other major companies would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my request , effective midnight tonight , Carnival , Royal Caribbean , Norwegian , and MSC have all agreed to suspend outbound cruises for thirty days .
It is a great and important industry – it will be kept that way !
” the president said .
Both Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands have suspended the entry of all cruises .
In a video message , Princess ’ s President Jan Swartz assured customers that the health of guests , crew members , and the communities they visit are the company ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed her message with a plea for vacationers to book a cruise now for the sake of the common good .
“ We ask you to book a future Princess cruise to your dream destination as a sign of encouragement for our team ; as a support to the people , companies , and communities who rely on us ; as a vote of our collective faith that we will find solutions to address this virus together ; and as a symbol to the world that the things that connect us are stronger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the attorney , said he doesn ’ t expect the coronavirus crisis to lead the industry to rethink its pressure tactics in the Caribbean .
“ Do I see this as a moment where the cruise line industry is inherently going to make changes ?
No , I don ’ t , ” he said .
“ The business model is set .
”

Sam Duncombe, head of the Bahamian environmental organization reEarth, looked on with concern Thursday as island authorities debated whether to allow passengers to disembark from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ Braemar, the latest ship hit by the novel coronavirus. Duncombe is a longtime critic of the cruise industry and has led the fight against Disney’s plan to build a private cruise port in an area recommended for marine-protected status, home to a fragile coral reef ecosystem. Cruise ships have repeatedly come under fire in the Bahamas for dumping sewage, food waste, plastic, and oil into the aqua waters. Duncombe doesn’t trust the cruise industry to protect the islands from a health crisis any more than she trusts it to protect the environment.
The Dominican Republic turned away the Braemar at the end of February due to health officials’ concerns about flu-like symptoms reported on board. But in a move typical of an industry that tends to play island nations against one another, the cruise company called the decision an “overreaction” and found a friendly port in St. Maarten. Passengers disembarked and new ones filed on board.
From there, the Braemar headed to Cartagena, Colombia, where an American who disembarked became the first recorded coronavirus case in the city. Four crew members and one passenger tested positive on a stop in Curaçao. Meanwhile, in Canada, Alberta’s chief medical officer revealed that a Braemar passenger had tested positive after returning home from the ship. As the crisis continued to unfold on board, Barbados turned the Braemar away, and it headed toward the Bahamas, the country whose flag the ship flies, home to one of the busiest Caribbean island cruise ports.
So far officials have not confirmed any coronavirus cases in the Bahamas, but Duncombe worries that the country is not ready for what could come. “The hospital is already overwhelmed with normal sicknesses and problems that are happening,” she said, noting that recovery after the devastation of Hurricane Dorian has been like “molasses in the snow.” “We simply do not have the resources to be dealing with any kind of massive outbreak.”
Late Thursday, to Duncombe’s relief, the Bahamian government announced that the Braemar would not be allowed to dock, and by Friday, Fred Olsen announced it would suspend cruises in the face of the crisis. “This is odd for the industry. They’re not used to ports standing up for themselves,” said Ross Klein, a professor at Canada’s Memorial University who studies maritime tourism. Typically, he added, “the cruise industry says, ‘If you don’t like us, we’ll go somewhere else.’”
Across the Caribbean, cruise lines have placed enormous pressure on governments to be allowed to continue to dock cruise ships, even when concerns about illness on board arise.
In Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos, Carnival Cruise Line, the namesake brand of Carnival Corporation, which controls about half the market share, threatened to pull its business after government officials attempted to stop ships carrying potentially sick passengers from docking in their ports or restricted which passengers could disembark. The three island governments were left to make critical public health decisions under threat from a corporation that holds enormous sway over island economies.
One of the ships turned out to be carrying the virus. On Friday, authorities in the Cayman Islands and Puerto Rico announced that their first confirmed coronavirus patients had entered on the Costa Luminosa, a Carnival Corporation ship.
Only after news broke that the Cayman Islands would be forced to shut down one of its three hospitals because of worker exposure to a Costa Luminosa patient did the Cruise Lines International Association announce that its members would suspend operations in the U.S., cancelling many Caribbean cruises.
As Klein put it, “It’s an industry that tends to be arrogant. It’s an industry that tends not to listen to consumers or listen to people providing feedback.” The outcome, he said, is that “they’re exporting illness.”
Cruise Ship Capitalism
Even after the U.S. State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that Americans avoid cruise ships, and the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, cruise companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean continued offering bargain-basement deals and flexible cancellation plans incentivizing vacationers to keep cruising despite the risk of spreading the virus.
Emails leaked to the Miami New Times by a Norwegian Cruise Line employee showed a manager pressuring sales staff to lie to potential customers about the risk of the virus, telling them, for example, that “the coronavirus can only survive in cold temperatures, so the Caribbean is a fantastic choice for your next cruise.”
It was a dangerous form of crisis capitalism, considering that cruise lines had already been linked to multiple outbreaks. Some of the first Americans diagnosed with Covid-19 were aboard Carnival Corporation’s Diamond Princess, which sat off the coast of Japan for two weeks during a bungled quarantine effort carried out by low-paid workers who were not properly trained or given effective safety equipment. Eight people died, and around 700 caught the virus. Weeks later, Carnival Corporation’s Grand Princess idled for days off the coast of Oakland as 19 crew members and two passengers were diagnosed with the virus. The first coronavirus patient to die in California had previously disembarked from the same ship.
Read Our Complete Coverage The Coronavirus Crisis
The cruise industry is one of a handful that the Trump administration has flagged as a potential recipient for special aid in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The industry is certainly struggling; share prices tumbled as passengers have canceled voyages. But its special treatment is also the result of the cruise lines’ intense lobbying efforts and close relationships with the Trump family. On Monday, the president told the press, “We’re working with them very, very strongly. We want them to travel.”
Indeed, the crisis has displayed the strong-arming capability of an under-regulated industry that has a poor record on labor, the environment, and public health. And nowhere has cruise companies’ risky determination to stay afloat been felt more acutely than in the Caribbean.
Passengers onboard the MSC Meraviglia cruise ship in Cozumel, Mexico, on Feb. 27, 2020. Photo: Jose Castillo/AFP via Getty Images
A Standoff in Jamaica
Puerto Rico’s first coronavirus case came from an Italian tourist whose cruise ship, Carnival Corporation’s Costa Luminosa, had sparked a clash between Jamaican authorities and the cruise industry, after Jamaica refused to allow Italian passengers to disembark. Puerto Ricans have cried foul, criticizing their government for being less strict with the ship. However, Jamaica’s move came at a price.
After learning that a crew member on the MSC Meraviglia was quarantined with flu-like symptoms, Jamaica’s health minister turned the ship away on February 25. To the cruise industry’s dismay, the Cayman Islands followed suit. A few days later, the Costa Luminosa approached Jamaica’s shores. This time, government officials informed the company that guests from hard-hit Italy would not be allowed onshore.
Carnival Cruise Line had seen enough. The company, which has the same parent company as the Costa Luminosa, threatened to end its stops in Jamaica if the government didn’t soften its hard line on coronavirus. Cruises account for nearly 1 percent of the country’s GDP, and the downturn in recent weeks has cost the economy $4 million. To show that it was serious, Carnival rerouted two ships away from Jamaica, and MSC also diverted a cruise. Carnival Cruise Line skipped the Cayman Islands, too.
Carnival Cruise Line threatened to end its stops in Jamaica if the government didn’t soften its hard line on coronavirus.
“While we are following all U.S. CDC and World Health Organization screening protocols and guidelines, we want to avoid any possibility of a visit to a destination where there is uncertainty or we risk being turned away,” said Carnival in a statement to press at the time.
“What were Jamaica and the Cayman Islands doing? They were just trying to enforce their own health codes. Carnival didn’t like it,” said Jim Walker, an attorney who created the blog Cruise Law News and represents clients suing cruise companies.
After a meeting with Carnival and MSC on March 6, Jamaican officials announced a deal in which the cruise lines would begin handing over the ships’ medical logs, including temperature readings and travel history. The companies also consented to stricter rules for passengers with a recent history of travel to the most impacted countries.
The same day, the government of Turks and Caicos declined to allow the Carnival Magic cruise to dock because several guests on board were exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Carnival was “enormously frustrated.” The company responded in the same way that it had to Jamaica, rerouting three cruises from Turks and Caicos as it entered discussions with the government.
Meanwhile, the Costa Luminosa sailed on, making stops in the Cayman Islands, Honduras, and Mexico. By March 8, the tourist from Italy had arrived in Puerto Rico. The island government had no notification from Carnival that anyone on board had presented coronavirus-like symptoms when 1,370 passengers and 410 crew members disembarked in Old San Juan. But after the woman was diagnosed with pneumonia by a ship doctor, she was rushed to a local hospital. Because she came from the heart of the pandemic in northern Italy, medical workers administered a Covid-19 test.
Of course, in another indication of the deep uncertainty that the pandemic has sown, Puerto Ricans only received the results of the Italian tourist’s Covid-19 test from the CDC on Friday night, a week after the patient was hospitalized. The news that the cruise passenger and her husband had tested positive broke hours after the Cayman Islands’ government announced that another Costa Luminosa traveler had become the first patient to test positive in the territory. He was hospitalized at Health City Cayman Islands after going into cardiac arrest but developed a dry cough after six days of treatment. Thirty medical workers who came into contact with him are now under quarantine, and the private hospital has decided to close for the next two weeks. The 68-year-old patient died Saturday morning.
Divide and Conquer
Klein said the cruise industry’s response to the crisis is business as usual. “The cruise industry always wants ports to know, ‘We’re mobile, so if you get out of line, there’s plenty of ports that will welcome us,’” he said.
The ships operate under “flags of convenience,” basing themselves in whatever nation gives them the best deal. “They enjoy freedoms from many laws and controls, whether it be in the U.S. or a Caribbean island,” said Klein.
One of the most important ways the industry is able to fleece Caribbean nations is via port fees, a tax per head on the passengers who disembark. Klein said the fees are often lower than what it costs for the islands to maintain the facilities the cruise companies demand. Caribbean islands have attempted to collectively demand fair fees, but so far, the industry has succeeded in a divide-and-conquer strategy that leaves all of the region at the behest of the corporations.
Many critics argue that the problems the ships bring aren’t worth the tourists they attract on shore. In many cases, cruise companies steer passengers toward excursions and shopping destinations that allow them to take a cut of profits.
“The cruise industry always wants ports to know, ‘We’re mobile, so if you get out of line, there’s plenty of ports that will welcome us.’”
The latest trend is cruises that bypass local communities entirely. Last month, Antigua and Barbuda signed an agreement with Royal Caribbean International to open a Royal Beach Club. A half mile of the Antiguan coast will be available exclusively to Royal Caribbean cruise passengers, away from the island’s small businesses. It follows a model similar to the Disney project Duncombe opposes in the Bahamas.
On Thursday, the same day that five U.S. states announced that they would close all schools to limit the spread of the virus, Carnival Cruise Line told The Intercept that it would continue to operate, with a few new protocols. “We have five departures scheduled for today and those sailings will depart this afternoon,” spokesperson Vance Gulliksen said. Neither Carnival Corporation nor its Costa Cruises responded to requests for comment.
Although some major cruise companies suspended operations, including Carnival Corporation’s embattled Princess line, most waited until their hands were forced.
Even as news broke of the Cayman Islands hospital closing on Friday, a spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association, Bari Golin-Blaugrund, reassured The Intercept in an email that “the vast majority of the 272 ships in the Cruise Lines International Association fleet have been unaffected by this growing public health crisis, which we believe points to the effectiveness of our policies.” He continued, “We realize the situation is changing rapidly, and we are changing with it appropriately.”
Within hours, the same organization announced its members would suspend all cruise operations at U.S. ports of call for 30 days. Trump issued a Twitter announcement soon afterward that Carnival Cruise Line and other major companies would be among those pausing operations. “At my request, effective midnight tonight, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and MSC have all agreed to suspend outbound cruises for thirty days. It is a great and important industry – it will be kept that way!” the president said.
Both Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands have suspended the entry of all cruises.
In a video message, Princess’s President Jan Swartz assured customers that the health of guests, crew members, and the communities they visit are the company’s No. 1 priority. She closed her message with a plea for vacationers to book a cruise now for the sake of the common good. “We ask you to book a future Princess cruise to your dream destination as a sign of encouragement for our team; as a support to the people, companies, and communities who rely on us; as a vote of our collective faith that we will find solutions to address this virus together; and as a symbol to the world that the things that connect us are stronger than those that divide us.”
Walker, the attorney, said he doesn’t expect the coronavirus crisis to lead the industry to rethink its pressure tactics in the Caribbean. “Do I see this as a moment where the cruise line industry is inherently going to make changes? No, I don’t,” he said. “The business model is set.”


theintercept--2020-03-14--Trump Says He Had No Idea His Pandemic Response Team Was Disbanded. What If That’s True?

denied on Friday that he was in any way responsible for his administration ’ s failure to make coronavirus testing widely available , and professed to have absolutely no idea who had disbanded the White House pandemic response team two years ago ( John Bolton ) , or even if that had happened ( it did ) .
The president ’ s insistence that the buck very much does not stop with him was overshadowed by his false claim that Google had 1,700 engineers working to create a nationwide website that would direct Americans to testing sites nationwide .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news conference and revealed that he has been tested for the illness , Covid-19 , after being exposed last weekend to at least two Brazilian officials who have subsequently tested positive .
But Trump ’ s testy , wounded response to being asked on Friday if he shared the blame for the federal government ’ s halting effort to stem the spread of the virus is worth pausing on for a moment , because it suggests that he still has little idea , and less interest , in what happens in his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Kristen Welker of NBC News asked Trump about the lag in testing , which Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , had described as “ a failing , ” the day before .
“ Do you take responsibility for that ?
” Welker asked .
When Yamiche Alcindor of PBS Newshour followed up by pointing out that Trump ’ s National Security Council had eliminated a team responsible for global health security , which was created by his predecessor to coordinate the response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offense and denied even knowing if such a thing had taken place .
“ You said that you don ’ t take responsibility , but you did disband the White House pandemic office , and the officials that were working in that office left this administration abruptly .
So what responsibility do you take to that ?
” Alcindor asked .
“ And the officials that worked in that office said that you , that the White House lost valuable time because that office was disbanded .
What do you make of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it ’ s a nasty question , ” Trump replied .
“ And when you say me — I didn ’ t do it .
We have a group of people I could– ” “ I could ask perhaps , ” Trump continued .
“ It ’ s my administration , but I could perhaps ask Tony about that , because I don ’ t know anything about it , ” the president said , gesturing towards Dr. Fauci , who was not involved in disbanding the team , but had expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I mean , you say we did that .
I don ’ t know anything about it , ” Trump added .
“ You don ’ t know about the reorganization that happened at the National Security Council ?
” Alcindor asked .
“ It ’ s the administration .
Perhaps they do that , ” Trump replied .
“ You know , people let people go .
You used to be with a different newspaper than you are now , ” he said , referring , in confused terms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PBS , which is not a newspaper , from The New York Times , which did not fire her .
“ You know , things like that happen , ” the president said , before the White House staff cut off the reporter ’ s microphone to make her next question inaudible .
Many observers assumed that Trump was feigning ignorance when he insisted that he had no idea that his White House had eliminated the positions of the health security and biodefense experts hired by the Obama administration to deal with pandemics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the more troubling possibility that he was telling the truth .
Last Friday at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta , Trump seemed entirely unaware that he had ever had such experts on his staff when Peter Baker of The New York Times referred to them in a question .
“ Mr .
President , ” Baker said , “ you said you had not anticipated this kind of thing happening .
Would you rethink then having an office of pandemic preparation in the White House ?
” “ I just think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can never really think is going to happen , ” Trump replied , as if the question had been hypothetical .
“ You know , who– I ’ ve heard all about , ‘ This could be , ’ you know , ‘ This could be a big deal , ’ from before it happened .
You know , this– something like this could happen… .
But who would have thought , look , how long ago is it ?
Six , seven , eight weeks ago ?
Who would have thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
We were going to hit 30,000 on the Dow like it was clockwork , right ?
It was all going , it was right up , and then all of a sudden , this came out… .
And the thing is , you never really know when something like this is going to strike and what it ’ s going to be .
This is different than something else .
This is a very different thing than something else.
” “ But would there be a value in having an office in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this ?
” Baker asked .
“ Well , I just don ’ t think , ” Trump responded , again not seeming to grasp the reason for the question .
“ I just don ’ t think that somebody is going to , without seeing something — like we saw something happening in China .
As soon as they saw that happening , they essentially — not from the White House .
I mean , you know , we don ’ t need a lab in the White House.
” Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related question — if he now regretted budget proposals that called for enormous cuts to the Centers for Disease Control , the National Institutes of Health and and the World Health Organization — Trump said no .
“ Some of the people we cut , they haven ’ t been used for many , many years , and if , if we have a need , we can get them very quickly , ” he said .
“ And rather than spending the money — and I ’ m a business person , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people around when you don ’ t need them — when we need them , we can get them back very quickly .
”

President Donald Trump denied on Friday that he was in any way responsible for his administration’s failure to make coronavirus testing widely available, and professed to have absolutely no idea who had disbanded the White House pandemic response team two years ago (John Bolton), or even if that had happened (it did).
The president’s insistence that the buck very much does not stop with him was overshadowed by his false claim that Google had 1,700 engineers working to create a nationwide website that would direct Americans to testing sites nationwide.
On Saturday, Trump appeared briefly at another news conference and revealed that he has been tested for the illness, Covid-19, after being exposed last weekend to at least two Brazilian officials who have subsequently tested positive.
But Trump’s testy, wounded response to being asked on Friday if he shared the blame for the federal government’s halting effort to stem the spread of the virus is worth pausing on for a moment, because it suggests that he still has little idea, and less interest, in what happens in his own White House.
The revealing exchange began when Kristen Welker of NBC News asked Trump about the lag in testing, which Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had described as “a failing,” the day before.
“Do you take responsibility for that?” Welker asked.
“Yeah, no,” Trump replied. “I don’t take responsibility at all.”
"I don't take responsibility at all." The Trump presidency in one sentence. pic.twitter.com/BgiAtrDtrn — Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) March 13, 2020
When Yamiche Alcindor of PBS NewsHour followed up by pointing out that Trump’s National Security Council had eliminated a team responsible for global health security, which was created by his predecessor to coordinate the response to pandemic threats, the president took offense and denied even knowing if such a thing had taken place.
“You said that you don’t take responsibility, but you did disband the White House pandemic office, and the officials that were working in that office left this administration abruptly. So what responsibility do you take to that?” Alcindor asked. “And the officials that worked in that office said that you, that the White House lost valuable time because that office was disbanded. What do you make of that?”
WATCH: @Yamiche asked the president about a reorganization of the National Security Council that dismantled a key pandemics team in 2018. President Trump: "I just think it's a nasty question… You say we did that, I don't know anything about it." pic.twitter.com/lWo0YKS1rl — PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) March 13, 2020
“Well, I just think it’s a nasty question,” Trump replied. “And when you say me — I didn’t do it. We have a group of people I could —”
“It’s your administration,” Alcindor interjected.
“I could ask perhaps,” Trump continued. “It’s my administration, but I could perhaps ask Tony about that, because I don’t know anything about it,” the president said, gesturing towards Dr. Fauci, who was not involved in disbanding the team, but had expressed regret that it was no longer there. “I mean, you say we did that. I don’t know anything about it,” Trump added.
“You don’t know about the reorganization that happened at the National Security Council?” Alcindor asked.
“It’s the administration. Perhaps they do that,” Trump replied. “You know, people let people go. You used to be with a different newspaper than you are now,” he said, referring, in confused terms, to the reporter having been hired by PBS, which is not a newspaper, from the New York Times, which did not fire her. “You know, things like that happen,” the president said, before the White House staff cut off the reporter’s microphone to make her next question inaudible.
Many observers assumed that Trump was feigning ignorance when he insisted that he had no idea that his White House had eliminated the positions of the health security and biodefense experts hired by the Obama administration to deal with pandemics. But there is evidence to support the more troubling possibility that he was telling the truth.
Last Friday at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Trump seemed entirely unaware that he had ever had such experts on his staff when Peter Baker of the New York Times referred to them in a question.
“Mr. President,” Baker said, “you said you had not anticipated this kind of thing happening. Would you rethink then having an office of pandemic preparation in the White House?”
“I just think this is something, Peter, that you can never really think is going to happen,” Trump replied, as if the question had been hypothetical. “You know, who — I’ve heard all about, ‘This could be,’ you know, ‘This could be a big deal,’ from before it happened. You know, this — something like this could happen. … But who would have thought, look, how long ago is it? Six, seven, eight weeks ago? Who would have thought we would even be having the subject? We were going to hit 30,000 on the Dow like it was clockwork, right? It was all going, it was right up, and then all of a sudden, this came out. … And the thing is, you never really know when something like this is going to strike and what it’s going to be. This is different than something else. This is a very different thing than something else.”
“But would there be a value in having an office in the White House that’s preparing for this?” Baker asked.
“Well, I just don’t think,” Trump responded, again not seeming to grasp the reason for the question. “I just don’t think that somebody is going to, without seeing something — like we saw something happening in China. As soon as they saw that happening, they essentially — not from the White House. I mean, you know, we don’t need a lab in the White House.”
Last month, when he was asked a related question — if he now regretted budget proposals that called for enormous cuts to the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and and the World Health Organization — Trump said no. “Some of the people we cut, they haven’t been used for many, many years, and if, if we have a need, we can get them very quickly,” he said. “And rather than spending the money — and I’m a business person, I don’t like having thousands of people around when you don’t need them — when we need them, we can get them back very quickly.”


theintercept--2020-03-14--Federal Government Delivers a Fraction of New Jersey’s Requests for Medical Equipment — and No Venti

Federal Government Delivers a Fraction of New Jersey’s Requests for Medical Equipment — and No Ventilators

New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy announced that a large shipment of medical supplies was en route to the state , following a request his administration had made to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response ( ASPR ) , the official within Health and Human Services that manages the nation ’ s strategic supply of medical materials .
Murphy , at a press conference , acknowledged the deliveries were “ not remotely the entirety of our ask.
” A document obtained by The Intercept shows that the deliveries — while still large in number — amount to far less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to treat its residents .
Murphy noted the request during a Friday briefing on coronavirus with Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli .
Murphy said New Jersey has been ahead of the curve so far in its response to the virus , and would continue to be so .
The state received 21 new presumptive positive test results on Thursday , bringing the state total to 50 .
“ We continue to make every decision based on the facts as they are on the ground , ” he said .
“ We received word last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Services that in the coming days , a shipment of medical supplies will be arriving in New Jersey for our frontline public health responders , including more than 84,095 respirators , 200,000 surgical facemasks , and 38,000 face shields , among other needed items , ” he said .
“ As this is not remotely the entirety of our ask of the federal government , we hope this is the first of what will be several deliveries , ” Murphy explained , adding that his office would continue engaging with federal officials , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ push as needed to make sure we have the ability to meet the needs of New Jersey.
” According to the document , the state had asked for much more , basing its request on projections that 18,000 people in New Jersey would be impacted , including 5,400 severe cases needing on average a 5-day hospital stay .
Murphy ’ s office requested 864,000 coveralls and received 160 ; requested 864,000 face shields and received 38,365 ; requested 864,000 gowns and received 31,280 ; requested 2,880,000 respirators , received 84,578 ; requested 864,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requested 2,880,000 gloves and received 111,378 .
Later in the day , his official account posted a tweet touting the numbers of medical supplies the state was expecting to come .
“ We received word last night from @ HHSGov that , in the coming days , a shipment of medical supplies will be arriving in NJ for our front-line public-health responders – including more than 84,000 N95 respirators , 200,000 surgical masks , 38,000 face shields , and other needed items , ” the tweet read .
Twenty-three of the 29 requests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been fulfilled at all — including one crucial ask .
The state asked for 1,065 ventilators , which it said would amount to 15 each for New Jersey ’ s 71 hospitals .
None are yet marked as shipped .
The state requested a long list of additional respiratory supplies , none of which were filled by ASPR .
In Italy , doctors are being forced to choose which patients live or die due to a shortage of ventilators .
Politicians , pundits , and everyday Americans have been openly — and perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country is to adequately respond to the spread of coronavirus in coming weeks .
While reports continue of blocked access to testing — unless you play for the NBA — , even Fox News pundits show visible frustration with non-answers from Trump administration officials on practical questions .
Seema Verma , administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid , was pressed on on Fox News on Thursday about the federal government ’ s stockpile of ventilators .
She repeatedly dodged the question of whether the stockpile would be sufficient to meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In terms of numbers , we ’ re still assessing , we ’ re still working with hospitals to understand what their needs are .
Right now though I will tell you we haven ’ t had hospitals at this point , in large numbers , saying we need more ventilators , but that situation could change rapidly , ” Verma said .
Before her position in the Trump administration , Verma was an Indiana health industry consultant , and was at the center of kickback scandal , in which she was being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mike Pence to design an alternative plan to Obamacare , while also being paid by the state ’ s private Medicaid vendor , which got major contracts from her program .
Pence is now chair of the pandemic task force .
It ’ s not clear why HHS declined to fill New Jersey ’ s order , but the federal government ’ s pandemic response has been the subject of cuts for years .
In 2009 , Sen. Susan Collins , R-Me.
, stripped nearly a billion dollars in funding for pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her effort to keep the price tag under $ 800 billion .
And , early in his administration , Trump eliminated the pandemic preparedness team within the National Security Council .
He was pressed on that decision Friday by PBS NewsHour ’ s Yamiche Alcindor , and dismisses it as a “ nasty question , ” saying he wasn ’ t sure he had done so .
A spokesperson for Murphy did not immediately respond to request for comment .

On Friday, New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy announced that a large shipment of medical supplies was en route to the state, following a request his administration had made to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, or ASPR, the official within Health and Human Services that manages the nation’s strategic supply of medical materials.
Murphy, at a press conference, acknowledged the deliveries were “not remotely the entirety of our ask.” A document obtained by The Intercept shows that the deliveries — while still large in number — amounted to far less than the state thinks it will need to treat its residents.
Murphy noted the request during a Friday briefing on coronavirus with state’s Acting Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. Murphy said New Jersey has been ahead of the curve so far in its response to the virus, and would continue to be so. The state received 21 new presumptive positive test results on Thursday, bringing the state total to 50. “We continue to make every decision based on the facts as they are on the ground,” he said.
“We received word last night from the federal Department of Human Services that in the coming days, a shipment of medical supplies will be arriving in New Jersey for our front-line public health responders, including more than 84,095 respirators, 200,000 surgical face masks, and 38,000 face shields, among other needed items,” he said. “As this is not remotely the entirety of our ask of the federal government, we hope this is the first of what will be several deliveries,” Murphy explained, adding that his office would continue engaging with federal officials and would “not be shy to push as needed to make sure we have the ability to meet the needs of New Jersey.”
According to the document, the state had asked for much more, basing its request on projections that 18,000 people in New Jersey would be impacted, including 5,400 severe cases needing on average a five-day hospital stay. Murphy’s office requested 864,000 coveralls and received 160; requested 864,000 face shields and received 38,365; requested 864,000 gowns and received 31,280; requested 2,880,000 respirators, received 84,578; requested 864,000 surgical masks and received 200,000; and requested 2,880,000 gloves and received 111,378.
Later in the day, his official account posted a tweet touting the numbers of medical supplies the state was expecting to come. “We received word last night from @HHSGov that, in the coming days, a shipment of medical supplies will be arriving in NJ for our front-line public-health responders – including more than 84,000 N95 respirators, 200,000 surgical masks, 38,000 face shields, and other needed items,” the tweet read.
The state asked for 1,065 ventilators, which it said would amount to 15 each for New Jersey’s 71 hospitals. None are yet marked as shipped.
Twenty-three of the 29 requests in the document appeared not to have been fulfilled at all — including one crucial ask. The state asked for 1,065 ventilators, which it said would amount to 15 each for New Jersey’s 71 hospitals. None are yet marked as shipped. The state requested a long list of additional respiratory supplies, none of which were filled by ASPR. In Italy, doctors are being forced to choose which patients live or die due to a shortage of ventilators.
Politicians, pundits, and everyday Americans have been openly — and perhaps justifiably — speculating about just how unprepared the country is to adequately respond to the spread of coronavirus in coming weeks.
While reports continue of blocked access to testing — unless you play for the NBA — even Fox News pundits show visible frustration with nonanswers from Trump administration officials on practical questions.
Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, was pressed on Fox News on Thursday about the federal government’s stockpile of ventilators. She repeatedly dodged the question of whether the stockpile would be sufficient to meet an expected surge in demand. “In terms of numbers, we’re still assessing, we’re still working with hospitals to understand what their needs are. Right now, though, I will tell you we haven’t had hospitals at this point, in large numbers, saying we need more ventilators, but that situation could change rapidly,” Verma said.
https://twitter.com/adamwren/status/1238421143721312258
Before her position in the Trump administration, Verma was an Indiana health industry consultant and at the center of kickback scandal, in which she was being paid by the administration of then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence to design an alternative plan to Obamacare, while also being paid by the state’s private Medicaid vendor, which got major contracts from her program. Pence is now chair of the pandemic task force.
It’s not clear why HHS declined to fill New Jersey’s order, but the federal government’s pandemic response has been the subject of cuts for years. In 2009, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Me., stripped nearly $1 billion in funding for pandemic preparedness from the economic stimulus, in her effort to keep the price tag under $800 billion. And, early in his administration, Trump eliminated the pandemic preparedness team within the National Security Council. He was pressed on that decision Friday by “PBS NewsHour’s” Yamiche Alcindor and dismissed it as a “nasty question,” saying that he wasn’t sure he had done so.
On Saturday, at a press conference, Gov. Murphy emphasized the importance of the federal government filling the state’s full order. “I had a short but good conversation last night with the Vice President and thanked him for the PPE, the personal protective equipment that he’s begun to send our way and some of which we have received today,” he said. “But I pleaded with him that we needed more; that that was a piece of our ask but that we have a lot more that we need. And Commissioner Persichilli can update you on some of what we’ve already received. As I said, we continue to work with our federal partners including the CDC, individual departments, clearly to get the guidance and the support we need to ensure the health and safety of our residents.”
Update: March 15, 2020
This story was updated to include subsequent public comments by Murphy.


theintercept--2020-03-14--Trump Got Me Released From Prison. But I Support Bernie.

But Trump did not get it .
He thought that I could forget what I was about and asked me to “ thank President Sisi.
” I felt slighted .
Clearly , the president viewed both my suffering , and freedom , as a deal .
A deal that freed me physically but killed my fight for justice .
But it was never about me .
I was not in prison for a nefarious act that I committed .
I was in prison because as an American who is inspired by the story of our nation , I felt that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like us , a democracy that respects the individual , human rights , and the rule of law .
But the Egyptian dictatorship would not have it .
It arrested me and accused me of being a spy , among other salacious and farcical charges , and persecuted me as it continued to arrest and torture thousands of activists like me .
If it was about me , I would have thrown myself into President Donald Trump ’ s embrace when I walked into his office , as he stood to greet me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grace and warmth of the president of the United States , after having rotted in an Egyptian prison for three years , enduring a savage defamation campaign , and facing multiple life sentences .
Dina Powell , who facilitated my release in 2017 , actively encouraged the hug , twice .
“ He likes you , Aya .
He thinks you ’ re an angel .
Hug him.
” I suffered emotionally for nearly a year after the meeting .
I did not want to be ungrateful to the president .
I forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least Trump gets things done , I tried to persuade myself .
I decided to closely watch his administration , still in its first 100 days of rule .
I hoped against all odds that the president ’ s toxic campaign talk would prove to be hollow rhetoric and then cease or transform .
But it did not .
It grew worse .
Moreover , unlike the way he presented himself , the president did not get things done .
My release was the exception .
It was an opportunity to prove , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting — and to his supporters in rallies — that he saved me when Barack Obama failed .
He considered my release just a trophy win .
After me , he failed to press for the release of other Americans detained in Egypt .
Indeed , when U.S. citizen Moustafa Kassem — who was detained for political reasons in Egypt — was arbitrarily killed in Egypt ’ s prison in January , Trump remained silent .
Worse , just last week , the State Department issued a travel advisory , stating that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S.-Egyptian citizens who are arrested or detained in Egypt.
” Kassem was not a dual citizen at the time of his death .
Such a statement codifies what I , and those in marginalized black , brown , immigrant , non-WASP communities felt all along .
We are not equal citizens , and America is not about equality and rights .
As such , Trump is not only failing Americans , he is defining America .
Meanwhile , Sen. Bernie Sanders is working hard to redeem it and redefine it .
The Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has become .
The nation had foregone its status as a rebel against brutal exploitation of the individual by the ruling monarch , and morphed into one of institutional exploitation of the individual by the corporation , the patron of the ruling few .
Sanders has demonstrated that it is not just people like me — brown , Muslims , Jews , immigrants , children of single mothers — who struggle .
He has revealed that the average Joes and Janes have become marginalized .
Yet , we the marginalized , not finding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a society that that exhibits itself as wealthy with plenitude , found only ourselves to blame .
Sanders is patting us on the back , telling each of us that it is not our fault .
The problem is not us , but them : the system .
The establishment .
Even if macroeconomy looks good with mean income levels skewed by billionaires , the people are suffering , and the people ’ s suffering requires a pause .
Sanders ’ s pause is reviving the Constitution from becoming “ we the few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ we the people.
” All the people .
Everywhere .
This is progress for America .
It is an awakening that can not go back .
And the America I know does not go back ; it is like the arrow , always forward , never stalling .
What makes America America is not vicious capitalism , not technology .
What defines America is progress .
And a Sanders administration is progress .

Photo: Mohamed el Raai/AP
If it was about me, I would have thrown myself into President Donald Trump’s embrace when I walked into his office, as he stood to greet me. I could use being in the grace and warmth of the president of the United States, after having rotted in an Egyptian prison for three years, enduring a savage defamation campaign, and facing multiple life sentences. Dina Powell, who facilitated my release in 2017, actively encouraged the hug, twice. “He likes you, Aya. He thinks you’re an angel. Hug him.”
But it was never about me. I was not in prison for a nefarious act that I committed. I was in prison because as an American who is inspired by the story of our nation, I felt that I could make my native homeland more like us, a democracy that respects the individual, human rights, and the rule of law. But the Egyptian dictatorship would not have it. It arrested me and accused me of being a spy, among other salacious and farcical charges, and persecuted me as it continued to arrest and torture thousands of activists like me.
But Trump did not get it. He thought that I could forget what I was about and asked me to “thank President Sisi.” I felt slighted. Clearly, the president viewed both my suffering, and freedom, as a deal. A deal that freed me physically but killed my fight for justice.
I suffered emotionally for nearly a year after the meeting. I did not want to be ungrateful to the president. I forced myself to reexamine my stance. At least Trump gets things done, I tried to persuade myself. I decided to closely watch his administration, still in its first 100 days of rule. I hoped against all odds that the president’s toxic campaign talk would prove to be hollow rhetoric and then cease or transform.
But it did not. It grew worse. Moreover, unlike the way he presented himself, the president did not get things done. My release was the exception. It was an opportunity to prove, as he repeatedly told me in the meeting — and to his supporters in rallies — that he saved me when Barack Obama failed.
He considered my release just a trophy win. After me, he failed to press for the release of other Americans detained in Egypt. Indeed, when U.S. citizen Moustafa Kassem — who was detained for political reasons in Egypt — was arbitrarily killed in Egypt’s prison in January, Trump remained silent. Worse, just last week, the State Department issued a travel advisory, stating that it has “limited ability to assist dual U.S.-Egyptian citizens who are arrested or detained in Egypt.” Kassem was not a dual citizen at the time of his death.
Such a statement codifies what I, and those in marginalized black, brown, immigrant, non-WASP communities felt all along. We are not equal citizens, and America is not about equality and rights. As such, Trump is not only failing Americans, he is defining America.
Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders is working hard to redeem it and redefine it. The Sanders campaign has succeeded in demonstrating what America has become. The nation had foregone its status as a rebel against brutal exploitation of the individual by the ruling monarch, and morphed into one of institutional exploitation of the individual by the corporation, the patron of the ruling few.
Sanders has demonstrated that it is not just people like me — brown, Muslims, Jews, immigrants, children of single mothers — who struggle. He has revealed that the average Joes and Janes have become marginalized. Yet, we the marginalized, not finding the space to discuss financial struggle in a society that that exhibits itself as wealthy with plenitude, found only ourselves to blame.
Sanders is patting us on the back, telling each of us that it is not our fault. The problem is not us, but them: the system. The establishment. Even if macroeconomy looks good with mean income levels skewed by billionaires, the people are suffering, and the people’s suffering requires a pause.
Sanders’s pause is reviving the Constitution from becoming “we the few, the billionaire and corporations” to “we the people.” All the people. Everywhere. This is progress for America. It is an awakening that cannot go back. And the America I know does not go back; it is like the arrow, always forward, never stalling. What makes America America is not vicious capitalism, not technology. What defines America is progress. And a Sanders administration is progress.


theintercept--2020-03-14--Dispatch From an American Nurse on the Frontlines of the Effort to Contain Coronavirus

The following dispatch was sent by a nurse who asked to remain anonymous in order to protect their job .
live in would be classified as having a high rural population , and I work for a hospital that is struggling financially and part of large nationwide health system .
We have had no communication from the top of our organization .
This leads me to believe that they have no idea how to handle this situation , and my local administration has no idea how to handle this either .
The first I heard any communication from anyone about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs asking patients and visitors to “ Stop !
If you have cough , fever … or have traveled outside the US or had contact with someone that has.
” I am trying to quote the sign , but it ’ s from memory .
These were posted right around the time we had the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the U.S. Up until this sign was placed , the only person I had heard mention coronavirus was one of the guys in Supply Chain who was irked that Personal Protective Equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to what was going on in China .
The next communication we had was in the form of e-mail .
It might surprise most people , but e-mail is a terrible way to communicate to patient caregivers .
While plenty of nurses sit in front of a computer , they are rarely logged onto e-mail — they are charting medical documentation on their patients .
Nurses , like all the other staff in the hospital that has actual physical contact with patients regularly , do not routinely check their e-mails .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activities to remember to log in and get the latest newsletter the hospital sends out .
Any updates or changes to protocols or policy will reach these staff members long after they have been announced because the information will trickle down to them in an incredibly inefficient game of telephone .
The first e-mail was sent out on March 5 .
It instructed staff that if they happened across a patient they suspected needed to be tested for coronavirus , that we should place a regular mask on the patient , stay six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RN who would have the appropriate training to handle the situation .
Every healthcare worker should know , and sadly there are probably many that don ’ t , that PPE gear isn ’ t used this way .
The masks they want us to place on the patient are loose fitting .
The air patients breathe out will just go out the sides of the mask .
If a patient is already infected , these masks will do next to nothing to prevent an airborne virus .
The next update to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It stated that we will most likely end up treating one of these patients in the future .
This update was to remind us that we had to keep patient privacy in mind and that we need to not discuss patients on social media or outside the hospital .
This e-mail showed a clear misunderstanding of what the coronavirus even is .
If you treat one patient , you will be treating more .
It was becoming alarming that leadership in my hospital — leadership that includes physicians — were not understanding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ update was March 11 .
These other e-mails were from lower-level people in administration .
Secretaries sending out a quick note from their bosses .
This e-mail was the first that we got from our Top Physician Administrator .
We are thanked for our hard work and are assured that we are fully prepared to handle patients with Covid-19 .
We are told that they are following the CDC recommendations and that the risk according to the CDC is low .
A few brief statements about how we need to practice good hygiene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are working with the local health department .
The bulk of this e-mail is regarding privacy .
I quote : In cases where patients have tested positive for coronavirus , the name of the facility treating the patient is not publicly disclosed .
We respect and honor that decision .
As we receive these patients , their information and diagnosis will remain confidential ; we will not be making any public statement about COVID-19 to protect patient privacy .
This is NOT about patient privacy .
This is about keeping the doors open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this silly , inconvenient virus doesn ’ t impact their bottom line too much .
I keep reading about how bad things are in Italy , how hardly anyone in the U.S. is getting tested , and I ’ m really starting to worry that we are going to be overwhelmed .
We aren ’ t slowing down elective procedures , we aren ’ t trying to empty our ICUs to be prepared , we aren ’ t designating an area where suspected patients will be placed to limit exposure , we aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed .
We did put up a larger version of the original sign , so that should keep the virus out… Next update is March 12 .
We are now only allowing two patient visitors in the hospital per day .
We have also suspended our volunteer programs since most of our volunteers are elderly .
We finally get information from the top physician of our nationwide health system .
He says , “ With insight from our sister —– hospitals in other states experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19 , we decided to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caution.
” Next update March 13 .
( Can you see how the panic and worry is starting to build ? )
They finally call it a pandemic !
!
They are now asking staff to voluntarily report any upcoming travel plans .
They are not planning to restrict return to work after travel , but they state that this could change .
They warn especially against cruises .
Friday was the first day that I got to see my hospital ’ s response to our first potential coronavirus patients .
Our hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respiratory distress that had arrested , but we got a panicked phone call from someone — either from the transferring hospital or someone from EMS that would be doing the transporting .
This individual wanted to divert the patient to another hospital because they heard we had positive coronavirus patients .
Management was furious , and told them that of course we have suspects , but no one has been confirmed positive yet , and says that the patient is safe to be transferred here .
The incoming patient was to be placed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alongside all the other ICU patients that are not potential coronavirus patients .
Late afternoon a coworker tells me of an incident that occurred in another one of our ICU areas .
A tech was supposed to perform a test on a patient in this ICU .
There are no signs , there is no isolation gear available .
The Tech goes on about their business because there are no warnings in place .
They enter the patient ’ s room and introduce themselves and explain what they are doing there .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tech , in order to communicate to the patient , gets closer to the patient ’ s face , roughly eye level — which means they are nose to nose and mouth to mouth level as well — when the tech is pulled away by the patient ’ s nurse and ushered outside the room .
They are then told by this nurse that this patient is a potential coronavirus patient .
The tech immediately questions why there weren ’ t any signs on the patient ’ s door .
The nurse tells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hang signs in order to avoid a panic .
The tech is not sent home and is expected to continue working .
The only thing that will change is that they must wear a standard mask — the one that vents air out of the sides .
Another incident .
One of my very close friends has a job where he takes care of a special patient population with a certain medical condition .
These are very sick people who require a team of individuals to care for them and he rounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team members daily on these patients when they are admitted to the hospital .
I called him to tell him about the Tech situation and to complain about how bad administration is making the situation and he then tells me that he has been exposed .
On Thursday , he and his team members performed their daily rounding on one of their patients .
That afternoon a family member visited this patient .
The entire team rounds on the patient on Friday morning .
They are then later informed by the patient ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who visited on Thursday afternoon has been in direct contact with the husband/wife of the first positive Covid-19 patient identified in my state .
This patient remains in the same unit — not an intensive care unit — and has been placed on Contact Precautions .
Contact Precautions are not the same as Airborne Precautions .
It ’ s something , but does not fully address coronavirus protections .
Why the physicians and administrators of my hospital can ’ t make this distinction is something that alarms and baffles me .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and these are the only the examples I have heard of .
We have been set up for failure and the measures we are taking will only spread this infection , not limit it .
Patients having elective procedures need to cancel .
We need to stop elective surgeries to free up ventilators .
We need to start considering turning operating rooms into holding areas for all our potential patients .
At first , I was worried that we might have it half as bad as Italy .
I can tell you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are Italy .

The following dispatch was sent by a nurse who asked to remain anonymous in order to protect their job.
The state I live in would be classified as having a high rural population, and I work for a hospital that is struggling financially and part of large nationwide health system. We have had no communication from the top of our organization. This leads me to believe that they have no idea how to handle this situation, and my local administration has no idea how to handle this either.
The first I heard any communication from anyone about precautions for coronavirus were small, colored signs asking patients and visitors to “Stop! If you have cough, fever … or have traveled outside the US or had contact with someone that has.” I am trying to quote the sign, but it’s from memory. These were posted right around the time we had the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the U.S. Up until this sign was placed, the only person I had heard mention coronavirus was one of the guys in Supply Chain who was irked that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was on back order due to what was going on in China.
The next communication we had was in the form of e-mail. It might surprise most people, but e-mail is a terrible way to communicate to patient caregivers. While plenty of nurses sit in front of a computer, they are rarely logged onto e-mail — they are charting medical documentation on their patients. Nurses, like all the other staff in the hospital that has actual physical contact with patients regularly, do not routinely check their e-mails. They simply are too busy with patient care activities to remember to log in and get the latest newsletter the hospital sends out. Any updates or changes to protocols or policy will reach these staff members long after they have been announced because the information will trickle down to them in an incredibly inefficient game of telephone. The first e-mail was sent out on March 5. It instructed staff that if they happened across a patient they suspected needed to be tested for coronavirus, that we should place a regular mask on the patient, stay six feet away, and contact a Charge RN who would have the appropriate training to handle the situation.
Every healthcare worker should know, and sadly there are probably many that don’t, that PPE gear isn’t used this way. The masks they want us to place on the patient are loose fitting. The air patients breathe out will just go out the sides of the mask. If a patient is already infected, these masks will do next to nothing to prevent an airborne virus.
The next update to our coronavirus policy came on March 9. It stated that we will most likely end up treating one of these patients in the future. This update was to remind us that we had to keep patient privacy in mind and that we need to not discuss patients on social media or outside the hospital. This e-mail showed a clear misunderstanding of what the coronavirus even is. If you treat one patient, you will be treating more. It was becoming alarming that leadership in my hospital — leadership that includes physicians — were not understanding the potential severity of an outbreak.
Next update was March 11. These other e-mails were from lower-level people in administration. Secretaries sending out a quick note from their bosses. This e-mail was the first that we got from our Top Physician Administrator. We are thanked for our hard work and are assured that we are fully prepared to handle patients with Covid-19. We are told that they are following the CDC recommendations and that the risk according to the CDC is low. A few brief statements about how we need to practice good hygiene, isolation precautions, and that they are working with the local health department. The bulk of this e-mail is regarding privacy. I quote:
In cases where patients have tested positive for coronavirus, the name of the facility treating the patient is not publicly disclosed. We respect and honor that decision. As we receive these patients, their information and diagnosis will remain confidential; we will not be making any public statement about COVID-19 to protect patient privacy.
This is NOT about patient privacy. This is about keeping the doors open for routine business and not hoping that this silly, inconvenient virus doesn’t impact their bottom line too much. I keep reading about how bad things are in Italy, how hardly anyone in the U.S. is getting tested, and I’m really starting to worry that we are going to be overwhelmed. We aren’t slowing down elective procedures, we aren’t trying to empty our ICUs to be prepared, we aren’t designating an area where suspected patients will be placed to limit exposure, we aren’t limiting the number of visitors allowed. We did put up a larger version of the original sign, so that should keep the virus out…
Next update was March 11. A few brief statements about how we need to practice good hygiene, isolation precautions, and that they are working with the local health department.
Next update is March 12. We are now only allowing two patient visitors in the hospital per day. We have also suspended our volunteer programs since most of our volunteers are elderly. We finally get information from the top physician of our nationwide health system. He says, “With insight from our sister —– hospitals in other states experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19, we decided to make these changes out on an abundance of caution.”
Next update March 13. (Can you see how the panic and worry is starting to build?) They finally call it a pandemic!! They are now asking staff to voluntarily report any upcoming travel plans. They are not planning to restrict return to work after travel, but they state that this could change. They warn especially against cruises.
Friday was the first day that I got to see my hospital’s response to our first potential coronavirus patients. Our hospital was expecting to receive a patient in respiratory distress that had arrested, but we got a panicked phone call from someone — either from the transferring hospital or someone from EMS that would be doing the transporting. This individual wanted to divert the patient to another hospital because they heard we had positive coronavirus patients. Management was furious, and told them that of course we have suspects, but no one has been confirmed positive yet, and says that the patient is safe to be transferred here. The incoming patient was to be placed in a regular Intensive Care Unit — alongside all the other ICU patients that are not potential coronavirus patients.
Late afternoon a coworker tells me of an incident that occurred in another one of our ICU areas. A tech was supposed to perform a test on a patient in this ICU. There are no signs, there is no isolation gear available. The Tech goes on about their business because there are no warnings in place. They enter the patient’s room and introduce themselves and explain what they are doing there. The patient is hard of hearing. The tech, in order to communicate to the patient, gets closer to the patient’s face, roughly eye level — which means they are nose to nose and mouth to mouth level as well — when the tech is pulled away by the patient’s nurse and ushered outside the room. They are then told by this nurse that this patient is a potential coronavirus patient. The tech immediately questions why there weren’t any signs on the patient’s door. The nurse tells the tech that they were instructed not to hang signs in order to avoid a panic. The tech is not sent home and is expected to continue working. The only thing that will change is that they must wear a standard mask — the one that vents air out of the sides.
Another incident. One of my very close friends has a job where he takes care of a special patient population with a certain medical condition. These are very sick people who require a team of individuals to care for them and he rounds with the physician and the other care team members daily on these patients when they are admitted to the hospital. I called him to tell him about the Tech situation and to complain about how bad administration is making the situation and he then tells me that he has been exposed.
On Thursday, he and his team members performed their daily rounding on one of their patients. That afternoon a family member visited this patient. The entire team rounds on the patient on Friday morning. They are then later informed by the patient’s floor nurse that the family member who visited on Thursday afternoon has been in direct contact with the husband/wife of the first positive Covid-19 patient identified in my state. This patient remains in the same unit — not an intensive care unit — and has been placed on Contact Precautions. Contact Precautions are not the same as Airborne Precautions. It’s something, but does not fully address coronavirus protections. Why the physicians and administrators of my hospital can’t make this distinction is something that alarms and baffles me.
This is the problem. This is two days, and these are the only the examples I have heard of. We have been set up for failure and the measures we are taking will only spread this infection, not limit it. Patients having elective procedures need to cancel. We need to stop elective surgeries to free up ventilators. We need to start considering turning operating rooms into holding areas for all our potential patients.
At first, I was worried that we might have it half as bad as Italy. I can tell you from what I have now witnessed, we are Italy.
Thanks for your time.


theintercept--2020-03-15--Trump Travel Ban Causes Chaos at U.S. Airports, as Homeland Security Buckles Under Strain

There was chaos at international arrivals halls in airports across the United States on Saturday , as President Donald Trump ’ s hastily ordered European travel ban took effect and passengers were forced to endure long waits in crowded spaces as federal agents appear to have been overwhelmed by orders to screen travelers for coronavirus .
While journalists had no access to the secure parts of airports under the control of Homeland Security , travelers arriving from Europe shared updates and images of huge crowds packed into narrow passageways at airports in Chicago , Dallas-Fort Worth , New York and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Hare International Airport ( ORD ) they have 3 lines of more than 4 hours waiting at the end they ask you 3 questions they take your temperature and you leave @ WGNNews @ cheboricua tenemos puertorriqueños en esas líneas pic.twitter.com/IMKHtdEGmK Just waiting in a very long line with thousands of people to clear Customs at JFK T4 .
Not sure who 's really taking things seriously .
@ JFKairport @ DHSgov @ realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/0xjV42V2zs Update : line wraps around like Disneyland ride .
Overheard there are only 3 CDC people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many passengers , and loved ones waiting for them , that their waits of four to six hours in packed terminals meant that the federal government was responsible for forcing Americans essentially ordered home by the president into conditions that were the exact opposite of the recommended guidance for stopping the spread of infection .
My son landed at O ’ Hare after an abrupt end to study abroad .
He ’ s been standing in this pack of people for an hour while waiting to have his temp taken .
If he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are he will be soon .
# coronavirus # travelban # SocialDistancing pic.twitter.com/RMo6SFx1SM Immigration official just informed us that we are waiting here because they are doing what the president wants .
O'Hare has been the only issue .
Paris and Heathrow were smooth .
But here we are following instructions from a fool .
# OHare # COVID19 pic.twitter.com/ZhYCGZ6FDE The images of packed American airports stood in stark contrast to scenes from Italy , where even people waiting to buy masks at a local pharmacy in Siena on Friday maintained a distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person in front of them .
This is what social distancing looks like when it is taken seriously .
Video from the Italian city of Siena on Friday , when a local pharmacy had masks for sale and customers lined up outside , standing two meters apart down the street .
via @ CorrierediSiena https : //t.co/dSF9BK9uv5 pic.twitter.com/6OIRZkfap2 Chicago ’ s mayor , Lori Lightfoot , was outraged by the crowding at O ’ Hare and put the blame squarely on the “ incompetence ” of the president and Homeland Security ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patrol agents .
This is unacceptable .
The reactionary , poorly planned travel ban has left thousands of travelers at ORD forced into even greater health risk .
@ realdonaldtrump and @ CBP : no one has time for your incompetence .
Fully staff our airport right now , and stop putting Americans in danger .
https : //t.co/gswIaHwelx J.B. Pritzker , the governor of Illinois , tweeted at Trump that the passengers forced to crowd together were under federal jurisdiction .
The crowds & lines O ’ Hare are unacceptable & need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VP since this is the only communication medium you pay attention to—you need to do something NOW .
These crowds are waiting to get through customs which is under federal jurisdiction “ The federal government , ” Pritzker added bluntly , “ needs to get its [ email protected ] # t together .
NOW.
” Airport officials in Chicago confirmed that the long delays were caused by a lack of federal agents to carry out the health checks mandated by the president three days ago .
“ We ’ ve strongly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet demand , ” a message on O ’ Hare ’ s official Twitter feed read .
At John F. Kennedy International airport in New York , one traveler reported “ only six of the 60 available processing stations open ” at customs .
“ DHS is aware of the long lines for passengers who are undergoing increased medical screening requirements , ” Trump ’ s acting Homeland Security secretary , Chad Wolf acknowledged on Twitter .
“ Right now we are working to add additional screening capacity and working with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will be increasing capacity , ” Wolf promised , without explaining why no one thought that adequate staffing might be necessary before the health of thousands of Americans was put at risk on Saturday .
The latest failing by the federal government Trump nominally heads , but appears unable to actually run , is particularly galling since this is not the first poorly thought-out travel ban he has imposed that prompted chaos at America ’ s airports .
And there was anecdotal evidence that all of the waiting was very close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking down our information on a form and taking our temperatures , ” one passenger in Washington reported after two hours of waiting in line .
Another , who received a message during her flight from London to Dallas that the president had suddenly added the United Kingdom to the list of European countries travel would be restricted from , described the screening she and thousands of others waited so long for as far from rigorous .

There was chaos at international arrivals halls in airports across the United States on Saturday, as President Donald Trump’s hastily ordered European travel ban took effect, and passengers were forced to endure long waits in crowded spaces as federal agents appear to have been overwhelmed by orders to screen travelers for coronavirus.
O'Hare thousands of people going nowhere. This doesn't instill confidence. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/wYNeHcGXOq — Katy Loves Soil (@katyslittlefarm) March 14, 2020
https://twitter.com/b_blackei/status/1238966701699600389
While journalists had no access to the secure parts of airports under the control of Homeland Security, travelers arriving from Europe shared updates and images of huge crowds packed into narrow passageways at airports in Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, New York, and Washington, D.C.
https://twitter.com/b_blackei/status/1239012438902738944
Just waiting in a very long line with thousands of people to clear Customs at JFK T4. Not sure who's really taking things seriously. @JFKairport @DHSgov @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/0xjV42V2zs — jake vinson (@vjake20) March 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/ZacharyGraves/status/1238946871655174144
It occurred to many passengers, and loved ones waiting for them, that their waits of four to six hours in packed terminals meant that the federal government was responsible for forcing Americans essentially ordered home by the president into conditions that were the exact opposite of the recommended guidance for stopping the spread of infection.
My son landed at O’Hare after an abrupt end to study abroad. He’s been standing in this pack of people for an hour while waiting to have his temp taken. If he’s not sick now, odds are he will be soon. #coronavirus #travelban #SocialDistancing pic.twitter.com/RMo6SFx1SM — Christina Clancy (@christi_clancy) March 15, 2020
Immigration official just informed us that we are waiting here because they are doing what the president wants. O'Hare has been the only issue. Paris and Heathrow were smooth. But here we are following instructions from a fool. #OHare #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/ZhYCGZ6FDE — Katy Loves Soil (@katyslittlefarm) March 14, 2020
The images of packed American airports stood in stark contrast to scenes from Italy, where even people waiting to buy masks at a local pharmacy in Siena on Friday maintained a distance of at least six feet from the person in front of them.
This is what social distancing looks like when it is taken seriously. Video from the Italian city of Siena on Friday, when a local pharmacy had masks for sale and customers lined up outside, standing two meters apart down the street. via @CorrierediSiena https://t.co/dSF9BK9uv5 pic.twitter.com/6OIRZkfap2 — Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) March 15, 2020
Chicago’s mayor, Lori Lightfoot, was outraged by the crowding at O’Hare and put the blame squarely on the “incompetence” of the president and Homeland Security’s failure to deploy additional Customs and Border Patrol agents.
This is unacceptable. The reactionary, poorly planned travel ban has left thousands of travelers at ORD forced into even greater health risk. @realdonaldtrump and @CBP: no one has time for your incompetence. Fully staff our airport right now, and stop putting Americans in danger. https://t.co/gswIaHwelx — Archived: Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@mayorlightfoot) March 15, 2020
J.B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, tweeted at Trump that the passengers forced to crowd together were under federal jurisdiction.
The crowds & lines O’Hare are unacceptable & need to be addressed immediately.@realDonaldTrump @VP since this is the only communication medium you pay attention to—you need to do something NOW. These crowds are waiting to get through customs which is under federal jurisdiction — Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) March 15, 2020
“The federal government,” Pritzker added bluntly, “needs to get its s@#t together. NOW.”
Airport officials in Chicago confirmed that the long delays were caused by a lack of federal agents to carry out the health checks mandated by the president three days ago. “We’ve strongly encouraged our federal partners to increase staffing to meet demand,” a message on O’Hare’s official Twitter feed read.
At John F. Kennedy International airport in New York, one traveler reported “only six of the 60 available processing stations open” at customs.
“DHS is aware of the long lines for passengers who are undergoing increased medical screening requirements,” Trump’s acting Homeland Security secretary, Chad Wolf acknowledged on Twitter. “Right now we are working to add additional screening capacity and working with the airlines to expedite the process.”
“We will be increasing capacity,” Wolf promised, without explaining why no one thought that adequate staffing might be necessary before the health of thousands of Americans was put at risk on Saturday.
The latest failing by the federal government Trump nominally heads, but appears unable to actually run, is particularly galling since this is not the first poorly thought-out travel ban he has imposed that prompted chaos at America’s airports.
And there was anecdotal evidence that all of the waiting was very close to pointless.
“The screening consisted of taking down our information on a form and taking our temperatures,” one passenger in Washington reported after two hours of waiting in line.
Another, who received a message during her flight from London to Dallas that the president had suddenly added the United Kingdom to the list of European countries travel would be restricted from, described the screening she and thousands of others waited so long for as far from rigorous.