huffpost--2020-04-05--Report: Federal Agencies Didn't Bulk Order Coronavirus Protection Equipment Until March

At the start of the crisis , an HHS spokeswoman said the Strategic National Stockpile had about 13 million N95 @ @ @ @ @ out about 95 % of all liquid or airborne particles and are critical to prevent @ @ @ @ @ infected .
That ’ s just a small fraction of what hospitals need to protect @ @ @ @ @ would wear a new mask for each patient , but who now are often issued @ @ @ @ @ days .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — As the first alarms sounded in early January that an outbreak of a novel coronavirus in China might ignite a global pandemic, the Trump administration squandered nearly two months that could have been used to bolster the federal stockpile of critically needed medical supplies and equipment.
A review of federal purchasing contracts by The Associated Press shows federal agencies waited until mid-March to begin placing bulk orders of N95 respirator masks, mechanical ventilators and other equipment needed by front-line health care workers.
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By that time, hospitals in several states were treating thousands of infected patients without adequate equipment and were pleading for shipments from the Strategic National Stockpile. That federal cache of supplies was created more than 20 years ago to help bridge gaps in the medical and pharmaceutical supply chains during a national emergency.
Now, three months into the crisis, that stockpile is nearly drained just as the numbers of patients needing critical care is surging. Some state and local officials report receiving broken ventilators and decade-old dry-rotted masks.
“We basically wasted two months,” Kathleen Sebelius, health and human services secretary during the Obama administration, told AP.
Boxes of N95 protective masks for use by medical field personnel are seen at a New York State emergency operations incident command center during the coronavirus outbreak in New Rochelle, New York, U.S., March 17, 2020. Mike Segar / Reuters
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As early as mid-January, U.S. officials could see that hospitals in China’s Hubei province were overwhelmed with infected patients, with many left dependent on ventilator machines to breathe. Italy soon followed, with hospitals scrambling for doctors, beds and equipment.
HHS did not respond to questions about why federal officials waited to order medical supplies until stocks were running critically low. But President Donald Trump has asserted that the federal government should take a back seat to states when it comes to dealing with the pandemic.
Trump and his appointees have urged state and local governments, and hospitals, to buy their own masks and breathing machines, saying requests to the dwindling national stockpile should be a last resort.
“The notion of the federal stockpile was it’s supposed to be our stockpile,” Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and adviser, said at a White House briefing Thursday. “It’s not supposed to be state stockpiles that they then use.”
Experts in emergency preparedness and response have expressed dismay at such statements, saying the federal government must take the lead in ensuring medical supplies are available and distributed where they are needed most.
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“States do not have the purchasing power of the federal government. They do not have the ability to run a deficit like the federal government. They do not have the logistical power of the federal government,” said Sebelius, who served as governor of Kansas before running the nation’s health care system.
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 30: Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference at the Jacob Javits Convention Center during the Coronavirus pandemic on March 30, 2020 in New York City. The Army Corps of Engineers constructed the temporary hospital with nearly 3,000 beds in the convention center to serve patients not seeking medical attention for coronavirus (COVID-19) but for other ailments. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images) Noam Galai via Getty Images
Because of the fractured federal response to COVID-19, state governors say they’re now bidding against federal agencies and each other for scarce supplies, driving up prices.
“You now literally will have a company call you up and say, ‘Well, California just outbid you,’” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, D-N.Y., said Tuesday. “It’s like being on eBay with 50 other states, bidding on a ventilator.”
For nearly a month, Trump rebuffed calls from Cuomo and others to use his authority under the Defense Production Act to order companies to increase production of ventilators and personal protective equipment. He suggested the private sector was acting sufficiently on its own.
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More than three months after China revealed the first COVID-19 cases, Trump finally relented last week, saying he will order companies to ramp up production of critical supplies. By then, confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the United States had surged to the highest in the world. Now, the number of people infected in the U.S. has climbed to more than 300,000 and deaths have topped 8,400.
Trump spent January and February playing down the threat from the new virus. He derided warnings of pandemic reaching the U.S. as a hoax perpetrated by Democrats and the media. As the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global public health emergency on Jan. 30, Trump assured the American people that the virus was “very well under control” and he predicted “a very good ending.”
His administration was so confident that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Feb. 7 that the government had airlifted nearly 18 tons of respirator masks, surgical masks, gowns and other medical supplies to China.
On Feb. 24, the White House sent Congress an initial $2.5 billion funding request to address the coronavirus outbreak. The next day, federal health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the virus was spreading quickly in the U.S. and predicted that disruptions to daily life could be “severe,” including school and business closures.
Unfazed, HHS Secretary Alex Azar told lawmakers on Feb. 27 that “the immediate risk to the American public remains low.”
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During those crucial early weeks when the U.S. could have been tracking the spread of the disease and containing it, hardly anyone was being tested after a series of federal blunders led to a shortage of tests and testing capacity, as AP reported last month.
Without data showing how widespread the disease was, federal and state governments failed to prepare.
By the middle of March, hospitals in New York, Seattle and New Orleans were reporting a surge in sick patients. Doctors and nurses took to social media to express their alarm at dwindling supplies of such basic equipment as masks and gowns.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 03: U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions in the press briefing room with members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force April 3, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Win McNamee via Getty Images
Trump accused some Democratic governors of exaggerating the need and derided those that criticized the federal response as complainers and snakes.
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“I want them to be appreciative,” Trump said on March 27.
At the start of the crisis, an HHS spokeswoman said the Strategic National Stockpile had about 13 million N95 respirator masks, which filter out about 95% of all liquid or airborne particles and are critical to prevent health care workers from becoming infected. That’s just a small fraction of what hospitals need to protect their workers, who normally would wear a new mask for each patient, but who now are often issued only one to last for days.
Trump during a White House briefing on March 26 claimed that he had inherited an “empty shelf” from the Obama administration, but added that “we’re really filling it up, and we fill it up rapidly.”
Federal purchasing records, however, show the Trump administration delayed ordering additional supplies until the virus had taken root and was spreading.
HHS first announced its intent to purchase 500 million N95 masks on March 4, with plans to distribute them over the next 18 months. The following day, Congress passed an $8.3 billion coronavirus spending bill, more than three times what the White House had originally asked for.
Ten days later, on March 14, Trump declared the outbreak a national emergency. That was almost six weeks after the WHO’s action. By then, thousands of U.S. schools had closed, the National Basketball Association had put its season on temporary hiatus and there were 1,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country.
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The government had already sent tens of thousands of masks, gloves and gowns from the stockpile to Washington state, which was hit early with a coronavirus outbreak. But state officials even then said the supplies weren’t enough.
Federal contracting records show that HHS had made an initial order March 12 for $4.8 million of N95 masks from 3M, the largest U.S.-based manufacturer, which had ramped up production weeks earlier in response to the pandemic. HHS followed up with a larger $173 million order on March 21, but those contracts don’t require 3M to start making deliveries to the national stockpile until the end of April. That’s after the White House has projected the pandemic will reach its peak.
On Thursday, Trump threatened in a Tweet to “hit 3M hard” through a Defense Production Act order, saying the company “will have a big price to pay!” He gave no specifics.
BLOOMINGTON, UNITED STATES - MARCH 11, 2020: The breathing mask section at Bloomington Hardware is nearly cleared out as fears of Coronavirus have led to buyers hoarding masks, and panic buying. Jeremy Hogan/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
HHS declined this past week to say how many N95 masks it has on hand. But as of March 31, the White House said more than 11.6 million had been distributed to state and local governments from the national stockpile — about 90% of what was available at the start of the year.
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Dr. Robert Kadlec, the assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, testified before Congress last month that the country would need roughly 3.5 billion N-95 respirators to get through the pandemic, but the national supply chain then had just about 1% of that amount.
Greg Burel, director of the Strategic National Stockpile from 2007 until his retirement at the start of this year, said the cache was only ever intended to serve as a short-term “bridge-stock.”
The stockpile was created in 1999 to prevent supply-chain disruptions for the predicted Y2K computer problems. It expanded after 9/11 to prepare for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks. Congress provided money in 2006 to prepare for a potential influenza pandemic, though Burel said much of that stock was used during the H1N1 flu outbreak three years later.
“There’s never enough money to buy everything that we want to see on those shelves,” said Burel, who stressed the stockpile uses its annual funding to prepare for a wide array of potential threats.
“Most of the time, commercially available products like masks can be bought in quantity at the time of an event.”
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This time, it hasn’t worked out that way. As AP reported last month, much of the world’s supply of N95 masks and other basic medical supplies is made in China, the first nation hit by COVID-19. As a result, the Chinese government required its producers to reserve N95 respirators for domestic use. China resumed exports of the precious masks only in recent days.
Experts are now worried the U.S. will also soon exhaust its supply of ventilators, which can cost upward of $12,000 each.
The White House said Tuesday that it had already distributed nearly half the breathing machines in the stockpile, which at the beginning of March had 16,660; some of them dated back to the flurry of post-9/11 purchasing. An additional 2,425 were out for maintenance.
Cuomo said New York may need as many as 40,000 ventilators to deal with the outbreak that is already overwhelming hospitals there.
Throughout March, governors and mayors of big cities urged Trump to use his authority under the Defense Production Act to direct private companies to ramp up production of ventilators. It wasn’t until last week that Trump finally said he would use that power to order General Motors to begin manufacturing ventilators — work the company had already announced was underway. But GM says its first ventilators won’t be available before the summer.
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The federal government had made an effort to prepare for a surge in the need for ventilators, but it was allowed to languish. Since 2014, HHS has paid a private company, Respironics Inc., $13.8 million to develop a cheaper, less complicated ventilator that could be bought in bulk to replenish the national stockpile. In September, HHS placed a $32.8 million order with the Dutch-owned company for 10,000 of the new model, set for delivery by 2022, federal contracts show.
Respironics’ parent company, Royal Philips, said it’s planning to double U.S. production of ventilators to 2,000 a week by the end of May.
Steve Klink, a spokesman for Royal Philips in Amsterdam, said the company is now focused on producing its other commercial models and will deliver the first ventilators to the national stockpile by August, long after the White House projects COVID-19 cases will peak.
Trump, who pledged on March 27 that his administration would ensure that 100,000 additional ventilators would be made available “within 100 days,” said on Thursday that he’ll use the Defense Production Act to order Respironics and other ventilator makers to step up production.
It’s not clear that Trump’s order would translate into the 100,000 new ventilators he promised. In a House Oversight and Reform Committee briefing last week, top Federal Emergency Management Agency officials hedged, saying 100,000 ventilators would be available by late June “at the earliest.”
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Cuomo predicted on Friday that New York would run out within days. With coronavirus deaths in his state surging, the governor vowed to use his authority to seize ventilators, masks and protective gear from private hospitals that aren’t utilizing them.
Meantime, federal health authorities are lowering standards.
New guidance from the Food and Drug Administration allows hospitals to use emergency ventilators typically used in ambulances and anesthesia gas machines in place of standard ventilators. The agency also said nightstand CPAP machines used to treat sleep apnea and snoring could also be used to keep coronavirus patients breathing, as a last resort.
Meanwhile, the CDC advised health care workers last month to use homemade masks or bandanas if they run out of proper gear. Across the country, hospitals have issued urgent pleas for volunteers who know how to sew.
President Trump provided his own input, suggesting that Americans without access to factory-produced masks could cover their faces with scarves.


huffpost--2020-03-26--Netanyahu Rival Becomes Parliament Speaker, Signaling Deal

JERUSALEM ( AP ) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’ s chief rival was chosen on Thursday as the new speaker of parliament , an unexpected step that could pave the way to a power-sharing deal between the two men as the country grapples with a worsening coronavirus crisis .
The sudden turnabout by Benny Gantz , who has spent the past year trying to topple Netanyahu in three inconclusive elections , appeared to give the embattled prime minister a new lease on life as he prepares to go on trial for corruption charges .
It also drew angry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to rip apart his Blue and White party , an alliance of thee-anti-Netanyahu factions .
“ Democracy has won , ” Gantz declared in his first speech as speaker , saying he had taken the unpopular step to deal with the national emergency .
“ These are not regular days and they demand irregular decisions .
Therefore as I said , I intend to examine and advance in every way the establishment of national emergency government , ” he said .
“ We will not compromise on the principles that more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knows that well.
” But in a string of speeches ahead of the vote , a string of opposition lawmakers who had all previously backed Gantz streamed into the empty parliament chamber one after another to rail against him .
Only a few people were allowed in at a time due to restrictions on public gatherings .
“ This is a dark day , ” said Nitzan Horowitz , leader of the liberal Meretz party , in a speech ahead of the vote .
“ There are no other ways to describe the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Channel 12 TV reported that Gantz and Netanyahu had agreed on a broad coalition in which Netanyahu would remain as prime minister and Gantz would become his foreign minister .
In September 2021 , the two are to swap posts , the report said .
The political fireworks come just as the government enacted new restrictions requiring Israelis to almost completely stay at home , under threat of fines .
Over 2,600 Israelis have been infected by the new virus , with 41 in serious condition .
Eight Israelis have died .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two weeks .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness or even death .
The virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those showing no symptoms .
Gantz has previously rejected Netanyahu ’ s overtures , citing the prime minister ’ s upcoming trial on corruption charges .
Members of Blue and White believe Netanyahu is using the crisis to shield himself from prosecution and expressed skepticism that Netanyahu would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Gantz is backed by a slim majority in the newly elected Knesset and has been pushing for the country ’ s legislature to continue functioning at such a critical time , even without a permanent government in place .
Parliament had been expected to approve Meir Cohen of Gantz ’ s centrist Blue and White party late Thursday as the new Knesset speaker .
That would have allowed the bloc to proceed with planned legislation that includes a ban on indicted politicians , such as Netanyahu , from serving as prime @ @

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JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief rival was chosen on Thursday as the new speaker of parliament, an unexpected step that could pave the way to a power-sharing deal between the two men as the country grapples with a worsening coronavirus crisis.
The sudden turnabout by Benny Gantz, who has spent the past year trying to topple Netanyahu in three inconclusive elections, appeared to give the embattled prime minister a new lease on life as he prepares to go on trial for corruption charges. It also drew angry criticism from his political partners and looked likely to rip apart his Blue and White party, an alliance of thee-anti-Netanyahu factions.
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The vote passed 74-18, with many of Gantz’s former allies, including half of Blue and White, skipping the vote.
“Democracy has won,” Gantz declared in his first speech as speaker, saying he had taken the unpopular step to deal with the national emergency.
“These are not regular days and they demand irregular decisions. Therefore as I said, I intend to examine and advance in every way the establishment of national emergency government,” he said. “We will not compromise on the principles that more than 1 million citizens voted for. Netantyahu knows that well.”
But in a string of speeches ahead of the vote, a string of opposition lawmakers who had all previously backed Gantz streamed into the empty parliament chamber one after another to rail against him. Only a few people were allowed in at a time due to restrictions on public gatherings.
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“This is a dark day,” said Nitzan Horowitz, leader of the liberal Meretz party, in a speech ahead of the vote. “There are no other ways to describe the runaround going on here.”
Israel’s Channel 12 TV reported that Gantz and Netanyahu had agreed on a broad coalition in which Netanyahu would remain as prime minister and Gantz would become his foreign minister. In September 2021, the two are to swap posts, the report said.
There was no comment from Blue and White, while Likud dismissed the reports as “rumors.”
The political fireworks come just as the government enacted new restrictions requiring Israelis to almost completely stay at home, under threat of fines. Over 2,600 Israelis have been infected by the new virus, with 41 in serious condition. Eight Israelis have died.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or even death. The virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those showing no symptoms.
With the country’s coronavirus crisis worsening by the day, Netanyahu has called for an emergency unity government, most recently in a nationally televised speech Wednesday night.
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Gantz has previously rejected Netanyahu’s overtures, citing the prime minister’s upcoming trial on corruption charges. Members of Blue and White believe Netanyahu is using the crisis to shield himself from prosecution and expressed skepticism that Netanyahu would keep his word to relinquish power next year.
But after an appeal for unity by the country’s figurehead president, Gantz agreed on Thursday to resume unity talks with Netanyahu.
Netanyahu’s Likud emerged as the largest party in the March 2 election, but along with his smaller religious and nationalist allies, fell short of security the required majority in parliament.
Gantz is backed by a slim majority in the newly elected Knesset and has been pushing for the country’s legislature to continue functioning at such a critical time, even without a permanent government in place.
Blue and White had been marching forward in parliament with planned legislation that could have made Netanyahu ineligible from continuing as prime minister.
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Parliament had been expected to approve Meir Cohen of Gantz’s centrist Blue and White party late Thursday as the new Knesset speaker. That would have allowed the bloc to proceed with planned legislation that includes a ban on indicted politicians, such as Netanyahu, from serving as prime minister.
But at the last minute, Gantz vetoed Cohen’s nomination and proposed himself instead. Cohen’s Yesh Atid faction, a member of the Blue and White alliance, planned to skip Thursday’s vote in protest.
Parliament called Thursday’s vote at the order of the country’s Supreme Court. The previous speaker, Yuli Edelstein, resigned in protest Wednesday, after attempting to stall the vote.
Edelstein, a close Netanyahu ally from the prime minister’s Likud party, had cited restrictions on large gatherings due to the spread of the coronavirus in suspending parliamentary activity.
But opponents accused him of clinging to his seat even though he lacked majority support in order to shield his party leader Netanyahu from legislation that would limit his lengthy rule.
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huffpost--2020-03-26--This Royal Family Photo Looks Like An Accidental Meme

Maybe it ’ s the difference in lighting .
Perhaps it ’ s the setting or the corgi figurines .
It could also be the look on Queen Elizabeth ’ s face , juxtaposed with Boris Johnson ’ s disheveled hair .
But people are having a lot of reactions to the royal family ’ s Instagram post on Wednesday , which shows the queen in conversation with the prime minister during her weekly audience .
And while the message is important ― stay at home and restrict your contact with other people to curb the spread of COVID-19 ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meme : “ THANK YOU FOR THIS VERY CLEAR MEME , ” Instagram user notenoughangers commented on the post , which was already gaining a lot of likes .
“ Same .
I thought it was a meme at first and then saw the source , ” another user added , while a third chimed in with “ I can already see the memes.
” Beyond the formatting of the pictures , some people were shocked by the use of landlines .
“ Haven ’ t seen Phones with cords in a long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one person said , while others chimed in with “ Wow those phones are still in use.
” There is a lot of concern for the 93-year-old queen and her health amidst the global pandemic , especially now that Clarence House has confirmed that Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19 .
A spokesperson for the prince said that he is currently experiencing “ mild symptoms ” and is still working from Birkhall in Scotland .
Camilla , Duchess of Cornwall , is also in Scotland but is self-isolating separately from her husband while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ queen recently made an appearance together at Commonwealth Day services alongside the rest of the royal family , Buckingham Palace said Wednesday that “ the Queen remains in good health .
”

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Maybe it’s the difference in lighting. Perhaps it’s the setting or the corgi figurines. It could also be the look on Queen Elizabeth’s face, juxtaposed with Boris Johnson’s disheveled hair.
But people are having a lot of reactions to the royal family’s Instagram post on Wednesday, which shows the queen in conversation with the prime minister during her weekly audience.
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And while the message is important ― stay at home and restrict your contact with other people to curb the spread of COVID-19 ― the picture just looks like the perfect meme:
“THANK YOU FOR THIS VERY CLEAR MEME,” Instagram user notenoughangers commented on the post, which was already gaining a lot of likes.
“Same. I thought it was a meme at first and then saw the source,” another user added, while a third chimed in with “I can already see the memes.”
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We’re sure Prince George satirist Gary Janetti is on it.
Others on Twitter agreed on the possibilities:
A MEME WAS BORN https://t.co/j4Yxsh8Qc0 — drama lama (@pondgitsune) March 25, 2020
prime meme material https://t.co/ikKbIHbMmP — Sarah Creighton 🍂 (@Saraita101) March 25, 2020
Meme potential for this photo is off the charts. https://t.co/giUAaG169o — Noxy @ Hytale (@Noxywoxy) March 25, 2020
Time for a meme/caption competition I think https://t.co/XLNnfBEhRx — Good Friday Agreement (@BelfastAgmt) March 25, 2020
the gift of a blank meme template https://t.co/GsDxElVmDa — polly thomas (@pollyth0mas) March 25, 2020
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If that isn't a Caption Competition photo, then I don't know what is, ma'am. — Bob Peters (@BobPetUK) March 25, 2020
Beyond the formatting of the pictures, some people were shocked by the use of landlines.
“Haven’t seen Phones with cords in a long time!! Cool!!” one person said, while others chimed in with “Wow those phones are still in use.”
Loving HM's old school phone... https://t.co/rm4AJAfiSp — Victoria Arbiter (@victoriaarbiter) March 25, 2020
Wow, those phones still exist? 😂☎ https://t.co/yI03c2GO0d — Wishful thinking (@LadyKaliAnn) March 25, 2020
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And, of course, many commenters simply wrote, “God Save the Queen.”
There is a lot of concern for the 93-year-old queen and her health amidst the global pandemic, especially now that Clarence House has confirmed that Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Charles attend the Commonwealth Day reception on March 9, 2020, in London. WPA Pool via Getty Images
A spokesperson for the prince said that he is currently experiencing “mild symptoms” and is still working from Birkhall in Scotland. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is also in Scotland but is self-isolating separately from her husband while he recovers.
Although Charles and the queen recently made an appearance together at Commonwealth Day services alongside the rest of the royal family, Buckingham Palace said Wednesday that “the Queen remains in good health.”
“The Queen last saw The Prince of Wales briefly on the morning of 12 March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare,” a spokesperson added.


huffpost--2020-03-26--This Is What It’s Like To Have OCD During The Coronavirus Pandemic

I do have some slightly heightened fears around germs and contamination but they ’ re by no means debilitating .
My own personal brand of OCD is more concerned with other “ risks.
” For me , I feel both constantly anxious about something “ bad ” happening to my family as well as deeply responsible for that .
Over the years , this has translated to a variety of compulsions from attempting to travel everywhere my parents did to ritualistic daily prayers or counting under my breath .
That said , as news coverage of the coronavirus began to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media starting to really push the “ wash your hands ” message , I noticed that while my husband ’ s hands still resembled those of a normal person , mine were red , raw and cracking .
They stung when I applied hand sanitizer and little cuts were appearing all along the knuckles .
Right now that might not seem like a bad thing .
I think everyone would prefer to be around me than the guy who still thinks a quick wave of his hands under the tap is sufficient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re all getting a bit anxious , right ?
But then I began to obsess over the safety of my family .
My other rituals such as rubbing out words that don ’ t “ look right ” on paper or getting out of bed numerous times to touch the bathroom tap the right number of times started to creep back in .
I began staying awake at night trying to ward off disaster and reverted to many of the physical tics like touching the wall and muttering names under my breath that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the past few years .
Martha said she was absolutely fine until the day COVID-19 was declared a pandemic .
After that , she became obsessed with the news , scrolling continuously , panicking about having to take her young son out of the house .
She thought she was behaving normally for the situation until she realized she had started acting out physical rituals that she thought she ’ d long abandoned .
Rebecca nailed something I was trying to articulate .
Usually , we use other people as a barometer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abnormal , but right now everyone is freaking out .
Where my Mum would normally reassure me , she now calls with fresh concerns about my safety .
For some people , treatment is having to be paused .
For those who do have contamination issues , often they are told not to wash their hands for a prolonged period of time in order to challenge their obsessive fears .
Right now that ’ s not an option .
And all the fears they had about germs , the thoughts doctors told them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they must appear to be confirmed .
It seems a little bit weird to be drawing attention to OCD when there ’ s a global pandemic .
I ’ m someone who tries her very best not to be a burden , so I felt guilty and awkward from the moment I looked at my cracked hands and considered whether a problem was brewing .
However , like most things in life , if you neglect one issue for something that ’ s considered a more important one , ultimately that ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same way that people with underlying medical conditions are more susceptible to reacting badly if they contract the coronavirus , so too will people with poor mental health struggle to cope and ultimately exert more strain on each other and the health system .
OCD doesn ’ t just go away if you try to ignore it .
OCD comes with an inflated sense of responsibility for other people .
If I see a bit of water on the floor in a public place I will see a flash-forward montage of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cracks their head open and dies .
I believe it would be my fault for not doing anything .
I might clean the water , then I ’ ll go back again in case I didn ’ t dry it properly , then I ’ ll maybe just double-check that again , then I ’ ll move my foot around to see how slippery it might be .
Then I ’ ll do the same but a specific number of times .
Then , before you know it , it mutates from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something all-consuming and less comprehensible .
Soon I ’ ll be rearranging items , touching walls , counting the number of people in a room , and so on , in order to safeguard the ones I love .
There ’ s no easy way to deal with this .
We ’ re all going through such a major , genuinely scary time right now and as much as it would be great to be able to reassure each other that everything ’ s going to be fine , we really just don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true .
As much as it ’ s important to stay informed , everyone I ’ ve spoken to about this has told me that the escalation in their anxiety and compulsive behaviors has aligned pretty much exactly with the escalation of the media coverage .
So , difficult as it may be to tear myself away , I ’ ve limited how much news and social media I consume at the moment .
I ’ ll keep alerts on for breaking news but the day I , and many others I spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the rolling news watching all the press conferences and emergency announcements was a clear and dangerous turning point for all of us .

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While I have obsessive-compulsive disorder, I’m not a compulsive hand-washer.
In fact, I’ve been quite militant at ensuring people don’t stereotype OCD as the hand-washing, lining-things-up-neatly, perfectionist’s disease.
I do have some slightly heightened fears around germs and contamination but they’re by no means debilitating. My own personal brand of OCD is more concerned with other “risks.” For me, I feel both constantly anxious about something “bad” happening to my family as well as deeply responsible for that. Over the years, this has translated to a variety of compulsions from attempting to travel everywhere my parents did to ritualistic daily prayers or counting under my breath.
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That said, as news coverage of the coronavirus began to escalate, within a few days of the media starting to really push the “wash your hands” message, I noticed that while my husband’s hands still resembled those of a normal person, mine were red, raw and cracking. They stung when I applied hand sanitizer and little cuts were appearing all along the knuckles.
It started to occur to me that I was perhaps starting to overdo it a little bit, pushing through from cautious to obsessive.
Right now that might not seem like a bad thing. I think everyone would prefer to be around me than the guy who still thinks a quick wave of his hands under the tap is sufficient after a toilet trip. We’re all getting a bit anxious, right?
But then I began to obsess over the safety of my family. My other rituals such as rubbing out words that don’t “look right” on paper or getting out of bed numerous times to touch the bathroom tap the right number of times started to creep back in. I began staying awake at night trying to ward off disaster and reverted to many of the physical tics like touching the wall and muttering names under my breath that I’d been managing more healthily over the past few years.
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I started to police my own thoughts. If I tried to relax, it made me feel selfish or lazy, that if something bad happened to someone it would be my fault.
I’ve spoken to friends who also have OCD and found a similar concern about walking the tightrope between responsible concern and obsession. Lyn told me that all her time was being taken up by mentally challenging her obsessive thoughts and attempting to hold back on compulsions. As a result, she’s becoming extremely fatigued.
Martha said she was absolutely fine until the day COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. After that, she became obsessed with the news, scrolling continuously, panicking about having to take her young son out of the house. She thought she was behaving normally for the situation until she realized she had started acting out physical rituals that she thought she’d long abandoned.
Rebecca nailed something I was trying to articulate. Usually, we use other people as a barometer for whether our reaction to something is abnormal, but right now everyone is freaking out. Where my Mum would normally reassure me, she now calls with fresh concerns about my safety.
For some people, treatment is having to be paused. For those who do have contamination issues, often they are told not to wash their hands for a prolonged period of time in order to challenge their obsessive fears. Right now that’s not an option. And all the fears they had about germs, the thoughts doctors told them were not healthy? Well, now they must appear to be confirmed.
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It seems a little bit weird to be drawing attention to OCD when there’s a global pandemic. I’m someone who tries her very best not to be a burden, so I felt guilty and awkward from the moment I looked at my cracked hands and considered whether a problem was brewing. However, like most things in life, if you neglect one issue for something that’s considered a more important one, ultimately that’ll come back to bite you.
In the same way that people with underlying medical conditions are more susceptible to reacting badly if they contract the coronavirus, so too will people with poor mental health struggle to cope and ultimately exert more strain on each other and the health system. OCD doesn’t just go away if you try to ignore it.
The writer, model and advocate Lily Bailey (author of ”Because We Are Bad”) pointed out on Twitter something that I’ve been mulling over myself. It’s only a small segment of my personal experience of OCD that focuses on something bad happening to me. A much larger amount of it pertains to my family.
OCD comes with an inflated sense of responsibility for other people. If I see a bit of water on the floor in a public place I will see a flash-forward montage of what might happen if someone slips in it, cracks their head open and dies. I believe it would be my fault for not doing anything.
In a way this is excellent. OCD can create a tribe of socially conscious and helpful individuals who make the world better. If it stopped at this, a clear action that in all honesty does have some basis in reality, it would be fine, but it doesn’t.
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I might clean the water, then I’ll go back again in case I didn’t dry it properly, then I’ll maybe just double-check that again, then I’ll move my foot around to see how slippery it might be. Then I’ll do the same but a specific number of times. Then, before you know it, it mutates from sensible, if over-cautious, actions into something all-consuming and less comprehensible. Soon I’ll be rearranging items, touching walls, counting the number of people in a room, and so on, in order to safeguard the ones I love.
There’s no easy way to deal with this. We’re all going through such a major, genuinely scary time right now and as much as it would be great to be able to reassure each other that everything’s going to be fine, we really just don’t know whether that’s true.
The way I’m coping is to try to dispassionately outline each day what seems to be sensible and appropriately cautious behavior. I check in with friends and family that I trust and try to stick to it each day.
As much as it’s important to stay informed, everyone I’ve spoken to about this has told me that the escalation in their anxiety and compulsive behaviors has aligned pretty much exactly with the escalation of the media coverage. So, difficult as it may be to tear myself away, I’ve limited how much news and social media I consume at the moment. I’ll keep alerts on for breaking news but the day I, and many others I spoke to, sat for hours in front of the rolling news watching all the press conferences and emergency announcements was a clear and dangerous turning point for all of us.
For some people with OCD, this period in time is weirdly powerful. Some say they feel they’ve trained for this. It’s their Olympics. Now everyone else is just as anxious and concerned about germs as they’ve always been. Look at all those people finally washing their hands properly, using tissues to open doors and refusing to shake hands!
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It’s clear, though, that a health pandemic is not the ideal situation for us. The best we can do for now is to look after ourselves, focus on what’s real and not hesitate to reach out and ask for help if necessary.


huffpost--2020-03-26--Prince Albert Responds To Claims He Gave Prince Charles Coronavirus

Prince Albert is shutting down speculation that he gave Prince Charles coronavirus , after the two men tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus .
Both royals were in attendance at the same WaterAid event in London on March 10 , but Prince Albert , the 62-year-old leader of Monaco , said that they were seated far apart .
“ We greeted each other from afar , each of us on opposite ends of the table , ” Albert said in an interview with the French radio station RTL .
“ I never shook his hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense , as Charles , who is 71 , was pictured giving out “ namaste ” greetings as early as March 9 .
“ I was already there on the other side of the table , so we greeted each other from afar ...
So I don ’ t think I can be accused of having contaminated him , ” Albert said , laughing .
“ But there were a lot of people , not only around that table but also in the atrium of that convention center.
” The head of state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus .
“ I ’ m still coughing a little , but I no longer have a fever .
I can see the end of the tunnel , ” Albert added .
Prince Albert was the first head of state to test positive , but the second royal , after Karl von Habsburg , the Archduke of Austria .
Charles sent a message of thanks to his supporters on Thursday , one day after Clarence House confirmed that the royal tested positive for coronavirus and is experiencing “ mild symptoms.
” “ Thank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soon ’ messages for His Royal Highness .
He is enormously touched by your kind words , ” read a statement from Clarence House ’ s social media accounts .
The Prince of Wales is currently self-isolating ― and still working ― at his estate in Scotland , alongside Camilla , the Duchess of Cornwall .
The duchess ’ s test results came back negative .
“ The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing , ” the spokesperson for Clarence House said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks.
” Though Charles was with Queen Elizabeth on March 12 , and saw the rest of the royal family at Commonwealth Day services on March 9 , Buckingham Palace confirmed that the monarch is in good health .
“ The Queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly on the morning of 12 March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ queen is currently at Windsor Castle , where she joined Prince Philip .
Her Majesty normally goes to Windsor for Easter break , but arrived a week earlier than usual , with no set timeline of when she ’ ll return to Buckingham Palace .

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Prince Albert is shutting down speculation that he gave Prince Charles coronavirus, after the two men tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Both royals were in attendance at the same WaterAid event in London on March 10, but Prince Albert, the 62-year-old leader of Monaco, said that they were seated far apart.
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“We greeted each other from afar, each of us on opposite ends of the table,” Albert said in an interview with the French radio station RTL.
“I never shook his hand,” Albert added, which makes sense, as Charles, who is 71, was pictured giving out “namaste” greetings as early as March 9.
“I was already there on the other side of the table, so we greeted each other from afar ... So I don’t think I can be accused of having contaminated him,” Albert said, laughing. “But there were a lot of people, not only around that table but also in the atrium of that convention center.”
The head of state added that he is recovering from the virus.
“I’m still coughing a little, but I no longer have a fever. I can see the end of the tunnel,” Albert added.
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Prince Albert (L) and Prince Charles. Reuters
Prince Albert was the first head of state to test positive, but the second royal, after Karl von Habsburg, the Archduke of Austria.
Charles sent a message of thanks to his supporters on Thursday, one day after Clarence House confirmed that the royal tested positive for coronavirus and is experiencing “mild symptoms.”
“Thank you for all your ‘Get Well Soon’ messages for His Royal Highness. He is enormously touched by your kind words,” read a statement from Clarence House’s social media accounts.
The Prince of Wales is currently self-isolating ― and still working ― at his estate in Scotland, alongside Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. The duchess’s test results came back negative.
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“The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing,” the spokesperson for Clarence House said Wednesday. “It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks.”
Though Charles was with Queen Elizabeth on March 12, and saw the rest of the royal family at Commonwealth Day services on March 9, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the monarch is in good health.
“The Queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly on the morning of 12 March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare,” a palace spokesperson added. The queen is currently at Windsor Castle, where she joined Prince Philip. Her Majesty normally goes to Windsor for Easter break, but arrived a week earlier than usual, with no set timeline of when she’ll return to Buckingham Palace. Daniel Marans and Erika LaRose contributed reporting and provided translation.


huffpost--2020-03-26--CDC Mails Out Coronavirus Flyer Featuring Trump's Name — In An Election Year

“ This is another outrageous example of Trump using the levers of the executive branch to promote himself and his own interests , rather than act in the best interest of public health , ” said Michael Carome , a medical doctor and head of the Health Research Group at the liberal advocacy organization Public Citizen .
The front of the postcard also provides the website “ coronavirus.gov , ” which offers the standard advice about washing hands frequently , staying home if sick , not eating out at restaurants and not visiting the elderly , especially in nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back of the mass-mailed postcard , with no further mention of Trump .
It ’ s unclear who decided to feature Trump ’ s name so prominently on the mailer — the headline is larger than anything else on the card ― particularly since the president recently said he did not really support those recommendations , and only went along with them because he was afraid of being criticized if he did not .
“ I worked in the Obama administration , and it is literally impossible for me to imagine ever having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document like this , ” said Rachel Cohen , now a spokesperson for Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner .
“ In addition to being gratuitous and an extremely distasteful use of official resources at a time when thousands of Americans are being hospitalized and even dying , there would have been broad awareness and concern that branding it with the president ’ s name would cause millions of Americans to reject or ignore its advice.
” It ’ s unclear if the mailing went to every U.S. delivery address or to some smaller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some residents in California , Pennsylvania , Florida , Colorado , New Jersey , Washington state and Washington , D.C. , have received them in the past two days .
This is another outrageous example of Trump using the levers of the executive branch to promote himself and his own interests , rather than act in the best interest of public health .
Michael Carome , head of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen Previous presidents were careful not to bring partisan politics into activities that are , by their nature , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and not just to their supporters .
Trump , however , has not appeared to care about that distinction .
During a Dec. 26 , 2018 , visit to U.S. troops in Iraq , Trump claimed that Democrats did not support them : “ We were fought very hard by the Democrats and others .
But I said , ‘ We have to take care of our military.
’ ” Nine months later , at an Aug. 13 , 2019 , appearance to tout shale oil production in Monaca , Pennsylvania , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would beat them .
“ I don ’ t know who ’ s going to win , but we ’ ll have to hit Pocahontas very hard again if she does win .
But she ’ s staging a little bit of a comeback .
What a group : Pocahontas and Sleepy Joe , ” he said , referring to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden .
“ I don ’ t think they give a damn about western Pennsylvania , do you ?
At that visit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passengers aboard a cruise ship rather than bring them ashore because he did not want those people to count in the total U.S. coronavirus statistics .
He also claimed , falsely , that anyone in America who wanted to get a coronavirus test could do so — which is not true even today , nearly three weeks later .
“ Since the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic , President Donald Trump has spewed an endless stream of misleading , overly optimistic , self-congratulatory and often incoherent statements about the disease and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Carome said .
“ As a result , he has no credibility with the public , and most Americans don ’ t believe anything he says .
By having his name prominently attached to this CDC flyer , many Americans are likely to disregard the important and sound advice being provided .
”

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WASHINGTON — Amid a pandemic and with the 2020 presidential election looming, the White House and the Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention have mailed Americans a coronavirus advisory that features Donald Trump’s name in the title.
The oversized postcard, dated March 16, is headlined “PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CORONAVIRUS GUIDELINES FOR AMERICA” in all capital letters and displays the logos of the CDCs and the White House. On the back are the recommendations unveiled 10 days ago that Vice President Mike Pence frequently refers to during White House briefings.
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The card that Pence holds up, though, is titled “15 Days to Slow the Spread” and does not feature Trump’s name.
Vice President Mike Pence holds up a card about coronavirus prevention in the James Brady Briefing Room on March 24, 2020, in Washington. AP Photo/Alex Brandon
“This is another outrageous example of Trump using the levers of the executive branch to promote himself and his own interests, rather than act in the best interest of public health,” said Michael Carome, a medical doctor and head of the Health Research Group at the liberal advocacy organization Public Citizen.
The front of the postcard also provides the website “coronavirus.gov,” which offers the standard advice about washing hands frequently, staying home if sick, not eating out at restaurants and not visiting the elderly, especially in nursing homes. That same information is on the back of the mass-mailed postcard, with no further mention of Trump.
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The CDC flyer mailed to households across America. Amanda Terkel/HuffPost
It’s unclear who decided to feature Trump’s name so prominently on the mailer — the headline is larger than anything else on the card ― particularly since the president recently said he did not really support those recommendations, and only went along with them because he was afraid of being criticized if he did not.
“I don’t think if I would have not done it — we would have been unbelievably criticized for not doing it,” he told Fox News in a Rose Garden interview earlier this week.
Neither the CDC nor White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham responded to HuffPost’s queries about the mailing.
Trump is deeply unpopular with a significant percentage of the U.S. population, raising the possibility that many Americans will ignore the flyer simply because they associate it with him.
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“I worked in the Obama administration, and it is literally impossible for me to imagine ever having even contemplated sending out a flyer or document like this,” said Rachel Cohen, now a spokesperson for Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner. “In addition to being gratuitous and an extremely distasteful use of official resources at a time when thousands of Americans are being hospitalized and even dying, there would have been broad awareness and concern that branding it with the president’s name would cause millions of Americans to reject or ignore its advice.”
It’s unclear if the mailing went to every U.S. delivery address or to some smaller set of them. But at least some residents in California, Pennsylvania, Florida, Colorado, New Jersey, Washington state and Washington, D.C., have received them in the past two days.
“This is another outrageous example of Trump using the levers of the executive branch to promote himself and his own interests, rather than act in the best interest of public health.” - Michael Carome, head of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen
Trump has a long history of using White House “official” events — those paid for entirely using taxpayer money — to attack Democrats and boost his reelection campaign.
Previous presidents were careful not to bring partisan politics into activities that are, by their nature, supposed to speak to all Americans, and not just to their supporters. Trump, however, has not appeared to care about that distinction.
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During a Dec. 26, 2018, visit to U.S. troops in Iraq, Trump claimed that Democrats did not support them: “We were fought very hard by the Democrats and others. But I said, ‘We have to take care of our military.’”
Nine months later, at an Aug. 13, 2019, appearance to tout shale oil production in Monaca, Pennsylvania, Trump attacked Democrats running against him and promised he would beat them. “I don’t know who’s going to win, but we’ll have to hit Pocahontas very hard again if she does win. But she’s staging a little bit of a comeback. What a group: Pocahontas and Sleepy Joe,” he said, referring to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden. “I don’t think they give a damn about western Pennsylvania, do you?
And earlier this month, during a visit to the CDC in Atlanta, Trump wore a campaign hat emblazoned with his reelection slogan as he toured the facility and later took questions from reporters.
At that visit, Trump said he preferred leaving some coronavirus-infected passengers aboard a cruise ship rather than bring them ashore because he did not want those people to count in the total U.S. coronavirus statistics. He also claimed, falsely, that anyone in America who wanted to get a coronavirus test could do so — which is not true even today, nearly three weeks later.
“Since the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump has spewed an endless stream of misleading, overly optimistic, self-congratulatory and often incoherent statements about the disease and his administration’s response to it,” Carome said. “As a result, he has no credibility with the public, and most Americans don’t believe anything he says. By having his name prominently attached to this CDC flyer, many Americans are likely to disregard the important and sound advice being provided.”


huffpost--2020-04-06--Supreme Court Blocks Attempt To Extend Wisconsin Absentee Voting

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday ordered the election back on , hours after Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers issued an executive order postponing it for two months .
That was part of a last-ditch effort by Evers to stop in-person voting on Tuesday out of concerns about putting poll workers and voters at risk of being exposed to COVID-19 .
The court ruled 4-2 , with four conservatives in support and two liberals against , that Evers lacked the authority to move the election on his own .
Evers had previously opposed moving the election and said he didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the timing unilaterally .
But he changed course Monday , ordering a delay of in-person voting to June 9 , as poll sites closed because nervous volunteers were unwilling to staff them and as criticism about holding the election grew .
The governor said his order was the last hope for stopping the election , and he had no immediate comment after the ruling about any other possible legal challenges .
The Wisconsin election is being viewed as a national test case in a broader fight over voter access in the age of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential primary contests ahead — and , possibly , the November general election .
Many other states pushed their primaries back as the coronavirus swept across the nation .
Later Monday , the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a plan to extend absentee voting in Wisconsin ’ s spring primary by six days because of the coronavirus .
Republicans had asked the court to throw out a lower court ’ s order extending absentee voting to April 13 .
The justices split 5-4 , with the five Republican-appointed justices siding with national and Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the presidential level , Joe Biden already has a commanding delegate lead over Bernie Sanders , and the Wisconsin results aren ’ t likely to dampen his march to the Democratic nomination .
But the tumult in one of the most critical general election battlegrounds underscored the challenge of voting during a pandemic when public health officials are discouraging groups from gathering for virtually any reason to prevent the spread of the virus .
Evers himself had questioned whether he had the power to reschedule the election , but said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 deaths from 56 on Friday to 77 on Monday , made it clear there was no way to safely move forward .
Evers said he was motivated by protecting public health , not politics .
“ The people of Wisconsin , the majority of them , don ’ t spend all their waking hours thinking about are Republicans or Democrats getting the upper hand here , ” Evers said earlier Monday .
“ They ’ re saying they ’ re scared .
They ’ re scared of going to the polls.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was imperative for the election to proceed because thousands of local offices are on the ballot Tuesday for terms that begin in two weeks .
There is also a state Supreme Court election .
Ohio saw a similar eleventh-hour flurry the day before its primary last month .
After the governor and secretary of state failed to persuade a judge to shift the election date , the state health director stepped in and ordered voting shut down .
Legislators set a new , almost all-mail primary for April 28 , sparking new legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a federal judge on Friday said the election could go forward .
“ Democrats have always been good about getting out the vote on the day of , ” Erpenbach said .
“ If you ’ re looking at the newspapers , watching TV , you know right now it ’ s dangerous.
” “ Your choice is to go and vote in person and take a chance on contracting COVID-19 or stay home , ” Erpenbach said .
“ What do you think people are going to do ?
” The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a host of other liberal and voter advocacy groups , filed federal lawsuits seeking a delay in the election and other changes .
A federal court judge just last week handed Democrats a partial win , allowing for absentee ballots to be counted through April 13 , delaying the reporting of election results until then .
But the judge , and later a federal appeals court , declined to postpone the election .
Republicans appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court , asking that it not allow absentee ballots to be counted beyond Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The top court ruled in their favor late Monday .
Thousands of poll workers had said they wouldn ’ t work , leading Milwaukee to reduce its planned number of polling sites from 180 to just five .
More than 2,500 National Guard troops were dispatched to staff the polls .
They were also distributing supplies , including hand sanitizer , to polling sites across the state .
In Madison , city workers were erecting plexiglass barriers to protect poll workers , and voters were encouraged to bring their own pens to mark @ @ @

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Voters in Wisconsin will likely face a choice on Tuesday of participating in a presidential primary election or heeding warnings from public health officials to stay away from large crowds during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday ordered the election back on, hours after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order postponing it for two months. That was part of a last-ditch effort by Evers to stop in-person voting on Tuesday out of concerns about putting poll workers and voters at risk of being exposed to COVID-19.
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The court ruled 4-2, with four conservatives in support and two liberals against, that Evers lacked the authority to move the election on his own. Evers had previously opposed moving the election and said he didn’t have the authority to shift the timing unilaterally. But he changed course Monday, ordering a delay of in-person voting to June 9, as poll sites closed because nervous volunteers were unwilling to staff them and as criticism about holding the election grew.
The governor said his order was the last hope for stopping the election, and he had no immediate comment after the ruling about any other possible legal challenges.
“There’s not a Plan B. There’s not a Plan C,” Evers said earlier Monday.
The Wisconsin election is being viewed as a national test case in a broader fight over voter access in the age of the coronavirus with major implications for the presidential primary contests ahead — and, possibly, the November general election. Many other states pushed their primaries back as the coronavirus swept across the nation.
Later Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a plan to extend absentee voting in Wisconsin’s spring primary by six days because of the coronavirus. Republicans had asked the court to throw out a lower court’s order extending absentee voting to April 13. The justices split 5-4, with the five Republican-appointed justices siding with national and Wisconsin Republicans to prohibit the expanded absentee voting.
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At the presidential level, Joe Biden already has a commanding delegate lead over Bernie Sanders, and the Wisconsin results aren’t likely to dampen his march to the Democratic nomination. But the tumult in one of the most critical general election battlegrounds underscored the challenge of voting during a pandemic when public health officials are discouraging groups from gathering for virtually any reason to prevent the spread of the virus.
Evers himself had questioned whether he had the power to reschedule the election, but said the worsening situation, including an increase in COVID-19 deaths from 56 on Friday to 77 on Monday, made it clear there was no way to safely move forward. Evers said he was motivated by protecting public health, not politics.
“The people of Wisconsin, the majority of them, don’t spend all their waking hours thinking about are Republicans or Democrats getting the upper hand here,” Evers said earlier Monday. “They’re saying they’re scared. They’re scared of going to the polls.”
Evers and Republicans initially agreed that it was imperative for the election to proceed because thousands of local offices are on the ballot Tuesday for terms that begin in two weeks. There is also a state Supreme Court election.
Ohio saw a similar eleventh-hour flurry the day before its primary last month. After the governor and secretary of state failed to persuade a judge to shift the election date, the state health director stepped in and ordered voting shut down. Legislators set a new, almost all-mail primary for April 28, sparking new legal challenges from voting rights groups, but a federal judge on Friday said the election could go forward.
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Wisconsin Democratic state Sen. Jon Erpenbach said Republicans want to suppress turnout, particularly in Democrat-heavy Milwaukee, because that will benefit Republicans.
“Democrats have always been good about getting out the vote on the day of,” Erpenbach said. “If you’re looking at the newspapers, watching TV, you know right now it’s dangerous.”
Evers is among the governors who have issued a stay-at-home order and closed all nonessential businesses.
“Your choice is to go and vote in person and take a chance on contracting COVID-19 or stay home,” Erpenbach said. “What do you think people are going to do?”
The state and national Democratic parties, along with a host of other liberal and voter advocacy groups, filed federal lawsuits seeking a delay in the election and other changes. A federal court judge just last week handed Democrats a partial win, allowing for absentee ballots to be counted through April 13, delaying the reporting of election results until then. But the judge, and later a federal appeals court, declined to postpone the election.
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Republicans appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking that it not allow absentee ballots to be counted beyond Tuesday because partial results could be leaked. The top court ruled in their favor late Monday.
Democrats feared the move would disenfranchise thousands of voters.
Thousands of poll workers had said they wouldn’t work, leading Milwaukee to reduce its planned number of polling sites from 180 to just five. More than 2,500 National Guard troops were dispatched to staff the polls. They were also distributing supplies, including hand sanitizer, to polling sites across the state. In Madison, city workers were erecting plexiglass barriers to protect poll workers, and voters were encouraged to bring their own pens to mark the ballots.
George Dunst, 76, of Madison, who has volunteered at his local polling site for nearly every election since he retired, said he’s not going Tuesday amid fears of contracting COVID-19.
“No matter what safety precautions you take, there’s going to be exposure,” he said. “Who knows who comes into the polling place?”
___
Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Todd Richmond from Madison, Wis., Mark Sherman in Washington and Julie Carr Smyth from Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.


huffpost--2020-04-06--How Officials Responded To The Coronavirus Crisis: Views from Readers

“ This estimate is low , I think , unfortunately .
Our states and cities are not behaving consistently with @ @ @ @ @ no central leadership .
Until we get everyone on the same page , the clock @ @ @ @ @ come back keeps getting reset.
” “ What happens next is up to us .
@ @ @ @ @ to keep this from happening .
”

“This estimate is low, I think, unfortunately. Our states and cities are not behaving consistently with one another. There is no central leadership. Until we get everyone on the same page, the clock until “normal times” come back keeps getting reset.”
— Kristen Schmidt
“What happens next is up to us. It is in our power to keep this from happening.”
— Ralph Beerme


huffpost--2020-04-07--Facing Backlash, Acting Navy Secretary Apologizes For Calling Ousted Captain ‘Stupid’

Facing public criticism and calls by lawmakers to resign , Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly apologized on Monday for lambasting the ousted commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt as “ stupid ” and “ naive ” in an earlier speech to the ship ’ s crew .
“ Let me be clear , I do not think Captain Brett Crozier is naïve nor stupid , ” Modly said in a statement , CNN reported .
“ I think , and always believed him to be the opposite .
We pick our carrier commanding officers with great care .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Modly fired Crozier from his post last week after an email the captain penned to Navy leaders was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle .
In his email , Crozier pleaded for more swift and comprehensive action to address a coronavirus outbreak on his ship .
“ We are not at war .
Sailors do not need to die .
If we do not act now , we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our Sailors , ” wrote Crozier , who was given a warm send-off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 170 members of the Roosevelt ’ s crew have tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , per CNN .
The New York Times reported on Sunday that Crozier himself may have tested positive for the disease .
In his speech to the ship ’ s crew , Modly suggested Crozier may have leaked the email to the press himself .
But even if he didn ’ t , Modly stressed , the commander ’ s decision to forward the email to several people over an insecure email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused Crozier of not adhering to the chain of command ― an alleged failure the Navy said it ’ s investigating .
“ If he didn ’ t think ... that this information wasn ’ t going to get out into the public , in this information age that we live in , then he was too naive or too stupid to be commanding officer of a ship like this , ” Modly told the crew of Crozier .
“ The alternative is that he did it on purpose.
” Modly said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by “ every word ” of his address .
Hours later , he issued the apology and walked back his criticism of Crozier .
The Navy chief did not reinstate Crozier , however .
“ I believe , precisely because he is not naive and stupid , that he sent his alarming email with the intention of getting it into the public domain in an effort to draw public attention to the situation on his ship .
I apologize for any confusion this choice of words may have caused , ” Modly said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family , as well as the entire Navy , “ have my full commitment that I will continue to help get the [ Roosevelt ] back to full health and back to sea where we can move forward beyond this unfortunate situation.
” “ You have two good people and they ’ re arguing , and I ’ m good ― believe it or not ― at settling arguments , ” Trump said .
“ The letter shouldn ’ t have been sent .
With all of that said , [ Crozier ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very good.
” “ So I ’ m going to get involved and see exactly what ’ s going on there , because I don ’ t want to destroy someone for having a bad day , ” he added .
It wouldn ’ t be the first time Trump has gotten involved in Navy disciplinary actions .
In November , he reversed the organization ’ s decision to oust Eddie Gallagher from the elite Navy SEAL force .
Gallagher had been convicted of posing in a photo with the corpse of a @ @ @ @

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Facing public criticism and calls by lawmakers to resign, Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly apologized on Monday for lambasting the ousted commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt as “stupid” and “naive” in an earlier speech to the ship’s crew.
“Let me be clear, I do not think Captain Brett Crozier is naïve nor stupid,” Modly said in a statement, CNN reported. “I think, and always believed him to be the opposite. We pick our carrier commanding officers with great care. Captain Crozier is smart and passionate.”
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After audio leaked of @SECNAV calling Captain Brett Crozier “too naive or too stupid” to be the commanding officer of USS Roosevelt, he has issued this apology, via @CBSDavidMartin: pic.twitter.com/b8GdP1q2Yl — Weijia Jiang (@weijia) April 7, 2020
Modly’s apology stands in stark contrast to the blistering address he gave Monday morning to the Roosevelt’s crew about Crozier, whom the acting secretary accused of “betrayal.”
Modly fired Crozier from his post last week after an email the captain penned to Navy leaders was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle. In his email, Crozier pleaded for more swift and comprehensive action to address a coronavirus outbreak on his ship.
“We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our Sailors,” wrote Crozier, who was given a warm send-off by his crew on Friday.
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More than 170 members of the Roosevelt’s crew have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, per CNN. The New York Times reported on Sunday that Crozier himself may have tested positive for the disease.
In his speech to the ship’s crew, Modly suggested Crozier may have leaked the email to the press himself. But even if he didn’t, Modly stressed, the commander’s decision to forward the email to several people over an insecure email address was “stupid.” He also accused Crozier of not adhering to the chain of command ― an alleged failure the Navy said it’s investigating.
“If he didn’t think ... that this information wasn’t going to get out into the public, in this information age that we live in, then he was too naive or too stupid to be commanding officer of a ship like this,” Modly told the crew of Crozier. “The alternative is that he did it on purpose.”
Modly added that the commander’s actions had constituted a “betrayal of trust.”
As CNN noted, the acting secretary’s use of the word “betrayal” has particular significance “because saying an officer has betrayed the Navy is a court martial offense.”
Modly said in an initial statement Monday that he stood by “every word” of his address. Hours later, he issued the apology and walked back his criticism of Crozier. The Navy chief did not reinstate Crozier, however.
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“I believe, precisely because he is not naive and stupid, that he sent his alarming email with the intention of getting it into the public domain in an effort to draw public attention to the situation on his ship. I apologize for any confusion this choice of words may have caused,” Modly said.
He added that Crozier and his family, as well as the entire Navy, “have my full commitment that I will continue to help get the [Roosevelt] back to full health and back to sea where we can move forward beyond this unfortunate situation.”
When asked about Modly’s remarks calling Crozier “stupid,” President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that he’s “going to get involved.”
“You have two good people and they’re arguing, and I’m good ― believe it or not ― at settling arguments,” Trump said. “The letter shouldn’t have been sent. With all of that said, [Crozier’s] career prior to that was very good.”
“So I’m going to get involved and see exactly what’s going on there, because I don’t want to destroy someone for having a bad day,” he added.
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It wouldn’t be the first time Trump has gotten involved in Navy disciplinary actions. In November, he reversed the organization’s decision to oust Eddie Gallagher from the elite Navy SEAL force. Gallagher had been convicted of posing in a photo with the corpse of a teen ISIS fighter.


huffpost--2020-04-07--‘It’s Time To Listen To The Facts’: Progressive Group's Ads Call Out Limbaugh On Coronavirus

A progressive group plans to run ads during Rush Limbaugh ’ s radio show in 14 states , aiming to counter the popular ultra-conservative talk-show host ’ s misinformation about the severity of the coronavirus and his criticisms of government scientists .
“ Fox News and their friends ― and I mean that broadly , not in reference to the program ― has turned a global pandemic into a litmus test about loyalty to Donald Trump , ” said Shaughnessy Naughton , a chemist and former Democratic congressional candidate who leads the group 314 Action , which is focused on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Limbaugh , she said , is “ endangering the lives of his own listeners.
” Limbaugh , along with other Trump-aligned conservative media figures , has repeatedly aired skepticism of the deadliness and seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic , which has now claimed nearly 11,000 American lives and has sent the country into an all-but-certain recession as millions of Americans stay home in an effort to limit the strain on the country ’ s health care system .
Limbaugh has said on his show that “ this virus is the common cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this panic is just not warranted.
” He ’ s also suggested the number of deaths due to coronavirus is exaggerated and implied that government health experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health are part of the “ deep state , ” acting to undermine the Trump administration .
“ The American people did not elect a bunch of health experts that we don ’ t know , ” Limbaugh said in late March .
“ We didn ’ t elect a president to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we don ’ t know.
” In the minute-long radio ad , which is set to air in 14 states and Washington , D.C. , starting on Tuesday , a narrator calls Limbaugh a “ national disgrace ” for attacking “ Dr .
Fauci and the other doctors and scientists who are trying to help save lives and stop the spread of the coronavirus , ” referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci , the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
Some Trump allies have criticized Fauci , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House press briefings on COVID-19 , for occasionally contradicting the president .
Both the doctor and the president have downplayed the disagreements .
“ The fact that these apologists for Donald Trump have deceived the American people is more than irresponsible – it ’ s evil , ” the narrator says in the ad .
“ Donald Trump and his allies have failed us .
And too many people are dying .
It ’ s time to listen to the facts ― to listen to science ― and stop lying to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has a long history of controversial and offensive remarks , with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at his State of the Union address in February .
The award came just a few days after the 69-year-old Limbaugh announced a lung cancer diagnosis .
Limbaugh is thought to be America ’ s most popular radio talk-show host , and Talkers Magazine , which covers the talk show industry , estimates 15.5 million people listen to Limbaugh each week .
314 Action ’ s primary aim is to increase the number of scientists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has endorsed a host of Democrats in Senate and House races this cycle , including former astronaut Mark Kelly in Arizona ’ s Senate race ; former Colorado Gov .
John Hickenlooper , a geologist , for his state ’ s Senate contest ; and Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood , a nurse , for reelection .
( It ’ s supporting one independent : Dr. Al Gross , a physician who is running for Senate in Alaska with the backing of the state Democratic Party . )
The group is also running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have yet to issue shelter-in-place orders : Arkansas , Iowa , Nebraska , North Dakota , Oklahoma , South Dakota , Utah and Wyoming , all of which have Republican governors .
The ads feature an image of Fauci and note he voiced support for a national stay-at-home order .
“ I don ’ t know what these governors are thinking , ” Naughton said .
“ The only way this works is if we all stay home .
”

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A progressive group plans to run ads during Rush Limbaugh’s radio show in 14 states, aiming to counter the popular ultra-conservative talk-show host’s misinformation about the severity of the coronavirus and his criticisms of government scientists.
“Fox News and their friends ― and I mean that broadly, not in reference to the program ― has turned a global pandemic into a litmus test about loyalty to Donald Trump,” said Shaughnessy Naughton, a chemist and former Democratic congressional candidate who leads the group 314 Action, which is focused on backing candidates with a background in science. Limbaugh, she said, is “endangering the lives of his own listeners.”
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Limbaugh, along with other Trump-aligned conservative media figures, has repeatedly aired skepticism of the deadliness and seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic, which has now claimed nearly 11,000 American lives and has sent the country into an all-but-certain recession as millions of Americans stay home in an effort to limit the strain on the country’s health care system.
Limbaugh has said on his show that “this virus is the common cold” and claimed that “all of this panic is just not warranted.” He’s also suggested the number of deaths due to coronavirus is exaggerated and implied that government health experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health are part of the “deep state,” acting to undermine the Trump administration.
“The American people did not elect a bunch of health experts that we don’t know,” Limbaugh said in late March. “We didn’t elect a president to defer to a bunch of health experts that we don’t know.”
In the minute-long radio ad, which is set to air in 14 states and Washington, D.C., starting on Tuesday, a narrator calls Limbaugh a “national disgrace” for attacking “Dr. Fauci and the other doctors and scientists who are trying to help save lives and stop the spread of the coronavirus,” referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
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Some Trump allies have criticized Fauci, a frequent presence at Trump’s daily White House press briefings on COVID-19, for occasionally contradicting the president. Both the doctor and the president have downplayed the disagreements.
“The fact that these apologists for Donald Trump have deceived the American people is more than irresponsible – it’s evil,” the narrator says in the ad. “Donald Trump and his allies have failed us. And too many people are dying. It’s time to listen to the facts ― to listen to science ― and stop lying to the American people.”
Trump awarded Limbaugh, who has a long history of controversial and offensive remarks, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at his State of the Union address in February. The award came just a few days after the 69-year-old Limbaugh announced a lung cancer diagnosis. Limbaugh is thought to be America’s most popular radio talk-show host, and Talkers Magazine, which covers the talk show industry, estimates 15.5 million people listen to Limbaugh each week.
The ads will air during Limbaugh’s show in Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin and D.C.
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314 Action’s primary aim is to increase the number of scientists, engineers and doctors in Congress, and it has endorsed a host of Democrats in Senate and House races this cycle, including former astronaut Mark Kelly in Arizona’s Senate race; former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a geologist, for his state’s Senate contest; and Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood, a nurse, for reelection. (It’s supporting one independent: Dr. Al Gross, a physician who is running for Senate in Alaska with the backing of the state Democratic Party.)
The group is also running digital ads in eight states where governors have yet to issue shelter-in-place orders: Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, all of which have Republican governors. The ads feature an image of Fauci and note he voiced support for a national stay-at-home order.


huffpost--2020-03-20--16 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

16 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

We ’ re highlighting exceptional photos from around the world for the week of March 14 to March 20 .
Above : A couple kisses on their balcony on the third day after the announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron of the confinement due to an outbreak of a coronavirus pandemic in Paris , on March 19 , 2020 .
Traders work on the floor at the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange in New York on March 18 , 2020 .
A line of cars stretches over two miles as people wait to enter a drive-thru testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center in Houston on March 19 , 2020 .
For most people , the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
For some , especially older adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia .
Disinfection is being carried out by specialists wearing protective suits at Beylerbeyi Palace as part of precautions against the coronavirus in Istanbul on March 16 , 2020 .
Newlyweds Diego Fernandes , 46 , and Deni Salgado , 30 , kiss through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with only witnesses and no guests , as public gatherings are banned as part of Italy ’ s lockdown measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Naples , on March 20 , 2020 .
A man walks on logs floating on the river at the Makoko community in Lagos , Nigeria , on March 9 , 2020 .
People play ball at the Mediterranean Sea beachfront in Tel Aviv , March 16 , 2020 .
Israel imposed sweeping travel and quarantine measures as the government ordered restaurants , malls , cinemas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain the spread of the coronavirus .
Micha Robbins , 4 , tries to touch the nose cone of a F/A-18 Hornet Blue Angel as the Navy ’ s demonstration team landed in Waco , Texas , on March 18 , 2020 .
A monkey sits on a wire during sunset in front of Prang Sam Yod temple , following significant impact on tourism after the outbreak of coronavirus , in Lopburi , Thailand , on March 18 , 2020 .
Nozomi Okuhara of Japan competes in the Women ’ s Singles semifinals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day four of the Yonex All England in Birmingham , England , on March 14 , 2020 .
Shoppers are confronted with empty shelves at a supermarket that was raided by hoarders scared by the coronavirus in Wassenaar , Netherlands , on March 14 , 2020 .
Marc Goldstein and Montys Angel rearrange the final hurdle during the Follow At The Races On Twitter Novices ’ Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell Park in Fontwell , England , on March 14 , 2020 .
Horse and rider escaped injury .
A free gym at Tel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tape to prevent public access in Israel on March 19 , 2020 .
Israel has reported a steady increase in confirmed coronavirus cases despite imposing strict travel bans and quarantine measures .
Authorities ordered the closure of all nonessential businesses and encouraged people to work from home .
Aliyah Mosby is silhouetted against the sunset as she walks at the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City , Missouri , on March 19 , 2020 .
Mosby was taking advantage of warm weather on the first day of spring to get some fresh air as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the coronavirus .

With the never-stopping news cycle, it’s easy to miss great images that fly under the radar. We’ve got you covered.
We’re highlighting exceptional photos from around the world for the week of March 14 to March 20. Above: A couple kisses on their balcony on the third day after the announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron of the confinement due to an outbreak of a coronavirus pandemic in Paris, on March 19, 2020.
BRYAN R. SMITH via Getty Images
Traders work on the floor at the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange in New York on March 18, 2020.
David J. Phillip/AP
A line of cars stretches over two miles as people wait to enter a drive-thru testing site for COVID-19 at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston on March 19, 2020. For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
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Pool via Getty Images
President Donald Trump attends a teleconference with governors at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington on March 19, 2020.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Disinfection is being carried out by specialists wearing protective suits at Beylerbeyi Palace as part of precautions against the coronavirus in Istanbul on March 16, 2020.
Ciro De Luca/Reuters
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Newlyweds Diego Fernandes, 46, and Deni Salgado, 30, kiss through protective face masks at a wedding ceremony with only witnesses and no guests, as public gatherings are banned as part of Italy’s lockdown measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Naples, on March 20, 2020.
Kai Pfaffenbach / Reuters
Airplanes of German carrier Lufthansa are parked at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 15, 2020.
Temilade Adelaja / Reuters
A man walks on logs floating on the river at the Makoko community in Lagos, Nigeria, on March 9, 2020.
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Oded Balilty/AP
People play ball at the Mediterranean Sea beachfront in Tel Aviv, March 16, 2020. Israel imposed sweeping travel and quarantine measures as the government ordered restaurants, malls, cinemas, gyms and day care centers shut to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Jerry Larson/Waco Tribune-Herald/AP
Micha Robbins, 4, tries to touch the nose cone of a F/A-18 Hornet Blue Angel as the Navy’s demonstration team landed in Waco, Texas, on March 18, 2020.
Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters
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A monkey sits on a wire during sunset in front of Prang Sam Yod temple, following significant impact on tourism after the outbreak of coronavirus, in Lopburi, Thailand, on March 18, 2020.
Shi Tang via Getty Images
Nozomi Okuhara of Japan competes in the Women’s Singles semifinals match against Chen Yufei of China on day four of the Yonex All England in Birmingham, England, on March 14, 2020.
Michel Porro via Getty Images
Shoppers are confronted with empty shelves at a supermarket that was raided by hoarders scared by the coronavirus in Wassenaar, Netherlands, on March 14, 2020.
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Mike Hewitt via Getty Images
Marc Goldstein and Montys Angel rearrange the final hurdle during the Follow At The Races On Twitter Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at Fontwell Park in Fontwell, England, on March 14, 2020. Horse and rider escaped injury.
Oded Balilty/AP
A free gym at Tel Aviv’s beachfront is wrapped in tape to prevent public access in Israel on March 19, 2020. Israel has reported a steady increase in confirmed coronavirus cases despite imposing strict travel bans and quarantine measures. Authorities ordered the closure of all nonessential businesses and encouraged people to work from home.
Charlie Riedel/AP
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huffpost--2020-03-20--How Did Nancy Pelosi And Joe Biden Screw This Up?

Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images With the coronavirus body count rising , lawmakers in Washington have yet to pass a serious response to the crisis .
While other places — Hong Kong , Singapore , Taiwan , South Korea and others — prepared for the coronavirus and took proactive measures to prevent its spread , Trump did nothing .
He dismantled the White House task force responsible for pandemic responses , sat on his hands while the death toll escalated in other countries , called the virus a “ hoax , ” repeatedly claimed it would “ miraculously ” go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensity of the virus by comparing it to the seasonal flu and insisted for months that the situation was “ totally under control ” while his administration failed even to procure basic tests .
But Trump does not have a monopoly on political malpractice .
As the crisis has spread , Democratic Party leaders ― House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) and presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden ― have either been missing in action or short on solutions .
Incredibly , a handful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take public credit for advancing the popular , progressive idea of just sending every household a large check for the duration of the crisis .
Pelosi explicitly rejected that very idea in early talks among House Democrats , overruling pleas from Democratic economists .
With Democratic leaders thinking small , a majority of the public now actually approves of Trump ’ s catastrophic pandemic management , according to a new poll .
The leader of one party has caused a national calamity , while the leaders of the other have nothing much to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of committed partisans in both parties has lost the capacity for self-reflection .
Among Republicans , this manifests as the maniacal cult of personality surrounding Trump .
In the Democratic Party , it registers as widespread loyalty to a leadership that is increasingly obviously unfit for the emergency at hand .
We face not only a crisis of leadership , but a crisis of democracy in which members of both parties accept calamitous government as normal and inevitable .
And so , with the body count rising , lawmakers in Washington have yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
At this point , there can be no avoiding a devastating economic crash ― everything that can be done to slow the spread of the virus will essentially shut down commercial activity ― but lawmakers can help working families and , yes , American businesses weather the storm .
Unfortunately , the most practical plans ― like those from Sens .
Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) for the government to just send every household thousands of dollars a month in straight cash ― aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of government are moving too slow , and the debate over what to do seems largely confined to Senate Republicans as Josh Hawley ( Mo . )
, Tom Cotton ( Ark . )
and Romney harangue their colleagues not to limit federal aid to the poor .
Democratic leaders pride themselves on getting things done .
They extoll compromise as the highest of all political virtues and boast about reaching across the aisle ― even when the party across the aisle is run by wannabe authoritarians .
An endless parade of centrists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by talking about ideas , but by talking about competence , leadership and other intangibles while warning that candidates that did talk about ideas were too dangerous and scary .
One of those centrists , Biden , has now all but sewn up the nomination — and made himself all but invisible as the worst economic and public health crisis in generations has blossomed .
Meeting the other guy halfway is a nice idea , but to do it , you have to start from somewhere yourself .
A party that doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hard time putting up serious proposals in a crisis .

With the coronavirus body count rising, lawmakers in Washington have yet to pass a serious response to the crisis. Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images
President Donald Trump has unleashed a humanitarian and economic disaster on his own people. There is no way to escape this fact.
While other places — Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and others — prepared for the coronavirus and took proactive measures to prevent its spread, Trump did nothing. He dismantled the White House task force responsible for pandemic responses, sat on his hands while the death toll escalated in other countries, called the virus a “hoax,” repeatedly claimed it would “miraculously” go away on its own, downplayed the intensity of the virus by comparing it to the seasonal flu and insisted for months that the situation was “totally under control” while his administration failed even to procure basic tests.
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As a result, the United States now faces a domestic crisis unseen since the Great Depression. This is the result of political malpractice, not merely biological bad luck.
But Trump does not have a monopoly on political malpractice. As the crisis has spread, Democratic Party leaders ― House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden ― have either been missing in action or short on solutions.
Incredibly, a handful of arch-conservative Republicans have been able to take public credit for advancing the popular, progressive idea of just sending every household a large check for the duration of the crisis. Pelosi explicitly rejected that very idea in early talks among House Democrats, overruling pleas from Democratic economists. With Democratic leaders thinking small, a majority of the public now actually approves of Trump’s catastrophic pandemic management, according to a new poll.
The leader of one party has caused a national calamity, while the leaders of the other have nothing much to say.
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“We face not only a crisis of leadership, but a crisis of democracy in which members of both parties accept calamitous government as normal and inevitable.”
Unfortunately, a significant block of committed partisans in both parties has lost the capacity for self-reflection. Among Republicans, this manifests as the maniacal cult of personality surrounding Trump. In the Democratic Party, it registers as widespread loyalty to a leadership that is increasingly obviously unfit for the emergency at hand. We face not only a crisis of leadership, but a crisis of democracy in which members of both parties accept calamitous government as normal and inevitable.
And so, with the body count rising, lawmakers in Washington have yet to pass a serious response to the crisis. At this point, there can be no avoiding a devastating economic crash ― everything that can be done to slow the spread of the virus will essentially shut down commercial activity ― but lawmakers can help working families and, yes, American businesses weather the storm.
Unfortunately, the most practical plans ― like those from Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) for the government to just send every household thousands of dollars a month in straight cash ― aren’t getting much traction. The gears of government are moving too slow, and the debate over what to do seems largely confined to Senate Republicans as Josh Hawley (Mo.), Tom Cotton (Ark.) and Romney harangue their colleagues not to limit federal aid to the poor.
And where is Biden? What, exactly, would Pelosi want to see happen?
What does the Democratic Party even stand for?
Democratic leaders pride themselves on getting things done. They extoll compromise as the highest of all political virtues and boast about reaching across the aisle ― even when the party across the aisle is run by wannabe authoritarians.
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An endless parade of centrists vied for the 2020 Democratic nomination not by talking about ideas, but by talking about competence, leadership and other intangibles while warning that candidates that did talk about ideas were too dangerous and scary.
One of those centrists, Biden, has now all but sewn up the nomination — and made himself all but invisible as the worst economic and public health crisis in generations has blossomed. Meeting the other guy halfway is a nice idea, but to do it, you have to start from somewhere yourself. A party that doesn’t really believe in anything will have a hard time putting up serious proposals in a crisis.
The coronavirus pandemic should have sounded the death knell for Trumpism as a political project. Democrats have instead given it new life.
Which would be fine, if Trump could govern. But the man who called this a hoax is unfit for office and cannot be trusted with power in a crisis. It’s a shame Pelosi and Biden can’t be, either.