huffpost--2020-04-29--Tribes Were Supposed To Get $8 Billion In COVID-19 Aid. They've Gotten $0.

Part of the reason is that the Treasury Department , which is charged with distributing that money , has been flailing in its dealings with tribes .
Another reason stems from a lawsuit over whether Alaska Native Corporations are entitled to the money .
A federal court on Monday agreed to stop funds from going to those corporations for now , which means Treasury has no reason to not funnel money immediately to the 574 federally recognized tribal governments struggling with the public health and economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic .
Rep. Deb Haaland ( D-N.M. ) , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress , is urging the Treasury Department to hurry up and get emergency COVID-19 relief to tribes .
“ As you are aware , the detrimental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have had a disproportionate health care and economic impact on federally recognized tribes due a chronic lack of essential resources , ” reads the letter signed by Democratic lawmakers including Deb Haaland of New Mexico , co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus ; Ruben Gallego of Arizona , chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the House Natural Resources Committee ; and Assistant House Speaker Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico .
“ We respectfully request the Treasury Department immediately begin to disburse the $ 8 billion of Coronavirus Relief Funds to eligible federally recognized tribal governments ... in recognition of the negative impact that every day of delay has on Tribes.
” A request for comment from the Treasury Department was not returned on why it ’ s taken so long to get this money to tribes and when it expects to distribute it .
Tribal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rapid and devastating spread of the coronavirus .
They face some of the highest rates of health conditions like diabetes , heart disease and asthma , all of which leave them more susceptible to the virus .
They are often in remote parts of the country , where it ’ s tough to quickly disseminate resources and where families live in small homes shared with elderly family members who are particularly at risk .
And the Indian Health Service , which provides health care to nearly 3 million Native Americans , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those pieces together and add to the situation that tribal governments still haven ’ t gotten their fair share of federal relief , and it ’ s not hard to imagine how quickly this could become a disaster .
To date , the Indian Health Service has reported more than 3,100 confirmed COVID-19 cases among federally recognized national tribes .
Navajo Nation , for one , has reported more coronavirus cases per capita than all but two states .
Udall , vice chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs , said Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the way the federal government has distributed resources ― or not ― to tribes .
He and other ranking Democrats on Senate committees wrote to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) urging him to focus on taking action on the coronavirus when the Senate comes back in session on May 4 .
“ There is currently no scheduled legislative or committee business related to the COVID-19 public health and economic emergencies , ” reads their Wednesday letter .
“ We respectfully urge you to have the Senate focus on COVID-19 related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enacted by Congress .
”

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Tribal governments were supposed to get $8 billion in direct emergency relief from the CARES Act, the $2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill that became law on March 27.
More than a month later, they haven’t gotten any of it.
Part of the reason is that the Treasury Department, which is charged with distributing that money, has been flailing in its dealings with tribes.
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Another reason stems from a lawsuit over whether Alaska Native Corporations are entitled to the money. A federal court on Monday agreed to stop funds from going to those corporations for now, which means Treasury has no reason to not funnel money immediately to the 574 federally recognized tribal governments struggling with the public health and economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), one of two historic Native American women in Congress, is urging the Treasury Department to hurry up and get emergency COVID-19 relief to tribes. Bill Clark via Getty Images
In a Wednesday letter, House Democrats pressed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to distribute the money now because lives are at stake.
“As you are aware, the detrimental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have had a disproportionate health care and economic impact on federally recognized tribes due a chronic lack of essential resources,” reads the letter signed by Democratic lawmakers including Deb Haaland of New Mexico, co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus; Ruben Gallego of Arizona, chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the U.S.; Raul Grijalva of Arizona, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee; and Assistant House Speaker Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico.
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“We respectfully request the Treasury Department immediately begin to disburse the $8 billion of Coronavirus Relief Funds to eligible federally recognized tribal governments ... in recognition of the negative impact that every day of delay has on Tribes.”
Here’s a copy of their letter:
A request for comment from the Treasury Department was not returned on why it’s taken so long to get this money to tribes and when it expects to distribute it.
Tribal communities are among the most vulnerable to a rapid and devastating spread of the coronavirus. They face some of the highest rates of health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and asthma, all of which leave them more susceptible to the virus. They are often in remote parts of the country, where it’s tough to quickly disseminate resources and where families live in small homes shared with elderly family members who are particularly at risk. And the Indian Health Service, which provides health care to nearly 3 million Native Americans, is already notoriously and chronically underfunded.
Put those pieces together and add to the situation that tribal governments still haven’t gotten their fair share of federal relief, and it’s not hard to imagine how quickly this could become a disaster.
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“It is a perfect storm,” Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) told HuffPost in a recent interview.
To date, the Indian Health Service has reported more than 3,100 confirmed COVID-19 cases among federally recognized national tribes. Navajo Nation, for one, has reported more coronavirus cases per capita than all but two states.
Udall, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, said Wednesday that he plans to request oversight hearings on the way the federal government has distributed resources ― or not ― to tribes. He and other ranking Democrats on Senate committees wrote to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urging him to focus on taking action on the coronavirus when the Senate comes back in session on May 4.


huffpost--2020-04-29--The Oil Execs On Trump’s 'Opening The Country' Council Are Major GOP Donors

Eight fossil fuel executives tapped for a White House task force advising President Donald Trump on how to reopen the U.S. economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic have donated millions to Trump and other Republican campaigns and political committees in recent years .
Earlier this month , the White House named nearly 200 corporate executives and business leaders to its so-called “ Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups ” ― which Trump has called the “ Opening the Country ” council ― in 17 separate areas ranging from agriculture and banking to sports and “ thought leaders.
” “ These bipartisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the White House to chart the path forward toward a future of unparalleled American prosperity , ” Trump said in a statement accompanying the April 14 announcement .
“ The health and wealth of America is the primary goal , and these groups will produce a more independent , self-sufficient , and resilient Nation.
” The 12-member energy panel includes eight oil and gas executives who have collectively made more than $ 4.2 million in political contributions since Trump launched his presidential bid in June 2015 , according to an analysis from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of that total went to Republican candidates and political action committees .
The Trump Victory Committee , a joint fundraising entity of Trump and the Republican National Committee , took in $ 619,400 from the oil and gas representatives on the new council ― more than any other entity .
America First Action , a pro-Trump super PAC , received $ 500,000 , while the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee raked in $ 410,900 and $ 407,400 , respectively .
The energy group includes no one from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump turned to some familiar allies with deep pockets in an industry that he and his team have worked hard to lift up .
The task force includes fracking mogul Harold Hamm , the billionaire executive chairman of Continental Resources whom Trump reportedly considered nominating as energy secretary , and John Hess , the CEO of New York City-based oil and gas producer Hess Corporation who donated $ 1 million to Trump ’ s inauguration .
The other four members of the council ’ s energy panel are Tom Fanning , CEO of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , CEO of Alabama Power Company , one of four utilities operated by Southern Company ; Rich Nolan , CEO of the National Mining Association , a mining industry trade group ; and Ross Perot Jr. , chairman of Texas-based real estate development and investment companies The Perot Group and Hillwood .
“ President Trump ’ s policies built a booming economy , and we have been inundated with requests from prominent and successful individuals who share our enthusiasm to see this economy roar once more , ” White House spokesman Judd Deere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House is appreciative of all those from many different backgrounds , regions , and skillsets who have offered their services for this monumental task.
” Throughout his first term , the Trump administration has cozied up to the fossil fuel industry as it ’ s pursued “ energy dominance , ” an effort that ’ s included rolling back environmental regulations and opening huge swaths of the federal estate to new drilling .
And Trump has vowed to do what he can to help the industry weather the ongoing pandemic , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fossil fuels that has hammered domestic producers and last week sent oil prices into negative territory for the first time in history .
“ You ’ ve done a great job , and we ’ ll work this out and we ’ ll get our energy business back , ” Trump said during an April 3 meeting with oil executives at the White House .
“ I ’ m with you 1,000 percent.
” Amid layoffs , bankruptcies and a glut of crude that has rendered oil essentially worthless , Trump is facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lifeline .
As part of a future industry bailout , the administration is considering government loans for U.S. drillers , purchasing stakes in U.S. companies and imposing tariffs on imported oil , according to Bloomberg News and other outlets .
Together , executives at seven of the eight companies have donated more than $ 400,000 to Republican committees since Jan. 20 , when the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the U.S. , Documented ’ s analysis found .
And since the start of the new year , they ’ ve spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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Eight fossil fuel executives tapped for a White House task force advising President Donald Trump on how to reopen the U.S. economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic have donated millions to Trump and other Republican campaigns and political committees in recent years.
Earlier this month, the White House named nearly 200 corporate executives and business leaders to its so-called “Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups” ― which Trump has called the “Opening the Country” council ― in 17 separate areas ranging from agriculture and banking to sports and “thought leaders.”
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“These bipartisan groups of American leaders will work together with the White House to chart the path forward toward a future of unparalleled American prosperity,” Trump said in a statement accompanying the April 14 announcement. “The health and wealth of America is the primary goal, and these groups will produce a more independent, self-sufficient, and resilient Nation.”
The 12-member energy panel includes eight oil and gas executives who have collectively made more than $4.2 million in political contributions since Trump launched his presidential bid in June 2015, according to an analysis from the watchdog group Documented. The vast majority of that total went to Republican candidates and political action committees.
The Trump Victory Committee, a joint fundraising entity of Trump and the Republican National Committee, took in $619,400 from the oil and gas representatives on the new council ― more than any other entity. America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC, received $500,000, while the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee raked in $410,900 and $407,400, respectively.
The remaining money ― approximately $29,000 of the more than $4.2 million ― went to a handful of Democratic candidates and committees.
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The energy group includes no one from the renewable energy world. Instead, Trump turned to some familiar allies with deep pockets in an industry that he and his team have worked hard to lift up. The task force includes fracking mogul Harold Hamm, the billionaire executive chairman of Continental Resources whom Trump reportedly considered nominating as energy secretary, and John Hess, the CEO of New York City-based oil and gas producer Hess Corporation who donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
Hamm has contributed more than $1.7 million to Republicans since June 2016, including a $500,000 contribution to America First Action in January 2018, Documented’s analysis found. Hess gave approximately $1.7 to Republicans, not including the inauguration contribution.
Continental Resources and Hess Corporation did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment Tuesday.
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable meeting with oil industry CEOs at the White House on April 3. Pool via Getty Images
The other oil and gas representatives on the White House economic council made the following political contributions since June 2016: ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance ($264,580); Chevron Corporation CEO Mike Wirth ($171,307); ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods ($123,556); Valero chairman and CEO Joe Gorder ($98,300); Occidental Petroleum Corporation President and CEO Vicki Hollub ($81,652); and Kinder Morgan, Inc. CEO Steven Kean ($50,550).
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The other four members of the council’s energy panel are Tom Fanning, CEO of utility giant Southern Company; Mark Crosswhite, CEO of Alabama Power Company, one of four utilities operated by Southern Company; Rich Nolan, CEO of the National Mining Association, a mining industry trade group; and Ross Perot Jr., chairman of Texas-based real estate development and investment companies The Perot Group and Hillwood.
The son of the late billionaire business businessman and presidential candidate Ross Perot, Perot Jr. is also a major Republican donor.
“President Trump’s policies built a booming economy, and we have been inundated with requests from prominent and successful individuals who share our enthusiasm to see this economy roar once more,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said via email. “The White House is appreciative of all those from many different backgrounds, regions, and skillsets who have offered their services for this monumental task.”
Deere did not respond to HuffPost’s questions about how individuals were selected for the task force, the group’s operations or its accomplishments to date.
Throughout his first term, the Trump administration has cozied up to the fossil fuel industry as it’s pursued “energy dominance,” an effort that’s included rolling back environmental regulations and opening huge swaths of the federal estate to new drilling. And Trump has vowed to do what he can to help the industry weather the ongoing pandemic, which has caused a steep decline in demand for fossil fuels that has hammered domestic producers and last week sent oil prices into negative territory for the first time in history.
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“You’ve done a great job, and we’ll work this out and we’ll get our energy business back,” Trump said during an April 3 meeting with oil executives at the White House. “I’m with you 1,000 percent.”
Five industry executives present at that meeting ― Wirth, Hollub, Garland, Woods and Hamm ― now sit on the advisory council tasked with helping Trump’s economic recovery efforts.
Amid layoffs, bankruptcies and a glut of crude that has rendered oil essentially worthless, Trump is facing growing calls to throw fossil fuel companies a lifeline. As part of a future industry bailout, the administration is considering government loans for U.S. drillers, purchasing stakes in U.S. companies and imposing tariffs on imported oil, according to Bloomberg News and other outlets.
Yet even as the industry reels from the coronavirus and looks to the federal government to stay afloat, the oil and gas companies represented on Trump’s economic task force continue to spend big money on politicians and federal lobbying.
Together, executives at seven of the eight companies have donated more than $400,000 to Republican committees since Jan. 20, when the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the U.S., Documented’s analysis found. And since the start of the new year, they’ve spent more than $9 million on lobbying.


huffpost--2020-06-01--EPA Mounts A New Strike On States’ Rights, This Time To Boost Pipeline Companies

The new rule , first proposed last August , sets a strict one-year deadline for states and tribes to certify or deny permits to build pipelines .
It also narrows the scope of what effects states can consider when assessing proposals to water quality alone , prohibiting regulators from factoring in a project ’ s impacts on climate change .
But former career EPA officials said the rule change is a naked attempt to tilt the application process in favor of fossil fuel companies , and flies in the face of decades of Supreme Court rulings on Section 401 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amounts to what many see as a fresh assault on states ’ rights to regulate pollution , marking yet another example of the Trump administration flipping Republican orthodoxy on environmental federalism on its head .
Wheeler singled out New York ’ s decision last month to reject a permit to build the Northeast Supply Enhancement project ― a controversial fracked gas conduit better known as the Williams Pipeline ― under Lower New York Bay as an example of a state violating the spirit of the law .
The statute as it existed previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a “ reasonable ” amount of time within one year .
For infrastructure projects in a fixed geographical area , such as a dam , the process could take just a few months .
But pipelines ― like the Williams Pipeline , which aimed to carry gas from the fracking fields of western Pennsylvania to homes in New York City and beyond ― “ might cross 20 , 30 , 40 streams , and each stream requires permits , ” said Mark Ryan , who specialized in Clean Water Act enforcement and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former EPA regional counsel for the Seattle area .
“ With these very , very complex permits like with pipelines , the states will say , ‘ OK , we want more information … but we don ’ t want to deny certification , but you have to withdraw the permit application , ’ ” he said .
“ This new rule says states can ’ t do that.
” That means states must either grant or deny permits within 12 months or the EPA will deem the state permit waived .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would need to fully assess a projects ’ impacts on water “ to try to force the state to certify the permit , ” Ryan said .
At a moment when states are facing steep budget gaps due to the massive , unexpected cost of responding to the coronavirus pandemic , states have even fewer resources than before to carry out swift and comprehensive environmental impact reviews .
But denying permits because the state did not have enough time to complete its review would prompt companies to sue , opening the door to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He accused states like New York , which tentatively denied a permit for the Williams Pipeline last summer but allowed the company to reapply , of using the previous previous rule “ as an excuse to veto a project without vetoing it.
” Opponents of the new rule are likely to cite two Supreme Court decisions on the law .
In 1994 , the court ruled 7-2 that Washington state regulators acted within the law by requiring a dam to set a minimum downstream flow of water to maintain salmon and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over a dam project in Maine affirmed states ’ authority to rule broadly on section 401 .
“ The initiative that the administration took here is pretty unusual for an administration that says it wants to give deference to the states , ” said Stan Meiburg , a former acting deputy EPA administrator who spent 39 years at the agency .
“ It suggests they only want to give deference to the states when that deference will be exercised in conjunction with their priorities .
”

Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule on Monday restricting states’ authority over Clean Water Act permits for fossil fuel pipelines and other infrastructure projects.
The new rule, first proposed last August, sets a strict one-year deadline for states and tribes to certify or deny permits to build pipelines. It also narrows the scope of what effects states can consider when assessing proposals to water quality alone, prohibiting regulators from factoring in a project’s impacts on climate change.
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In a half-hour call with reporters on Monday afternoon, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler accused states of “holding energy infrastructure projects hostage” and “trapping projects in a bureaucratic groundhog day in hopes that investors become frustrated and end the development.”
“Today’s action puts an end to this abuse of the Clean Water Act,” he said.
But former career EPA officials said the rule change is a naked attempt to tilt the application process in favor of fossil fuel companies, and flies in the face of decades of Supreme Court rulings on Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler testifies before a Senate oversight hearing last month. Pool via Getty Images
The decision amounts to what many see as a fresh assault on states’ rights to regulate pollution, marking yet another example of the Trump administration flipping Republican orthodoxy on environmental federalism on its head.
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Wheeler singled out New York’s decision last month to reject a permit to build the Northeast Supply Enhancement project ― a controversial fracked gas conduit better known as the Williams Pipeline ― under Lower New York Bay as an example of a state violating the spirit of the law.
The statute as it existed previously required states to grant or deny permits in a “reasonable” amount of time within one year. For infrastructure projects in a fixed geographical area, such as a dam, the process could take just a few months.
But pipelines ― like the Williams Pipeline, which aimed to carry gas from the fracking fields of western Pennsylvania to homes in New York City and beyond ― “might cross 20, 30, 40 streams, and each stream requires permits,” said Mark Ryan, who specialized in Clean Water Act enforcement and permitting during his 24 years as the former EPA regional counsel for the Seattle area.
“With these very, very complex permits like with pipelines, the states will say, ‘OK, we want more information … but we don’t want to deny certification, but you have to withdraw the permit application,’” he said. “This new rule says states can’t do that.”
That means states must either grant or deny permits within 12 months or the EPA will deem the state permit waived. This incentivizes pipeline companies to withhold information states would need to fully assess a projects’ impacts on water “to try to force the state to certify the permit,” Ryan said.
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Contractors and welders work on the Pennsylvania section of the Williams Pipeline in 2017. Robert Nickelsberg via Getty Images
At a moment when states are facing steep budget gaps due to the massive, unexpected cost of responding to the coronavirus pandemic, states have even fewer resources than before to carry out swift and comprehensive environmental impact reviews. But denying permits because the state did not have enough time to complete its review would prompt companies to sue, opening the door to costly litigation.
Wheeler sees it differently. He accused states like New York, which tentatively denied a permit for the Williams Pipeline last summer but allowed the company to reapply, of using the previous previous rule “as an excuse to veto a project without vetoing it.”
When HuffPost asked why he believed state regulators would do so arbitrarily, he said: “I don’t know why they would do that.”
It’s unclear how much difference the rule change will make. Corporate analysts told The Wall Street Journal that states still have broad authority to slow permit reviews under the Clean Water Act and other statutes.
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The new rule is also likely to face legal challenges, particularly to the guidelines that require states to limit concerns to water quality alone.
Opponents of the new rule are likely to cite two Supreme Court decisions on the law. In 1994, the court ruled 7-2 that Washington state regulators acted within the law by requiring a dam to set a minimum downstream flow of water to maintain salmon and other fish populations. A unanimous 2006 ruling over a dam project in Maine affirmed states’ authority to rule broadly on section 401.
“We believe this is fully in line with the Supreme Court decision,” Wheeler said of the new policy.
Yet the new rule seemed to some observers out of step with the administration’s expressed desire to return regulatory power to states wherever possible.
“The initiative that the administration took here is pretty unusual for an administration that says it wants to give deference to the states,” said Stan Meiburg, a former acting deputy EPA administrator who spent 39 years at the agency. “It suggests they only want to give deference to the states when that deference will be exercised in conjunction with their priorities.”
Wheeler has explicitly said as much.
“States don’t always do the appropriate thing,” he told an audience at the right-wing Heritage Foundation last year.
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Since 2018, the agency has waged a public battle with California regulators, seeking to revoke the Golden State’s right under the Clean Air Act to set its own standards for carbon dioxide emissions from vehicle tailpipes. The White House finalized its plans in March to weaken car emissions rules last month, despite California’s opposition.
Before that, the Department of the Interior proposed — then, amid outcry, later walked back — a sweeping new offshore drilling plan to open most of the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific coasts to oil exploration. The administration similarly slashed the size of public monuments, despite overwhelming opposition from the public and tribes to the proposal.


huffpost--2020-06-01--John Oliver Wants Your Help ‘Making Tucker Carlson Really F**king Mad’

John Oliver is taking on Fox News host Tucker Carlson , who has railed against proposals that would allow more Americans to vote by mail .
During a recent show , Carlson claimed that voting by mail was “ an invitation to widespread fraud and manipulation , ” then concluded his rant with a shrug and an “ I don ’ t know.
” “ You don ’ t know ?
Well , first off , Tucker , thanks so much for admitting that , ” Oliver said .
“ One of the biggest problems with modern discourse is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a sign of weakness when it ’ s not , is it ?
It ’ s how we learn and grow as individuals.
” After sarcastically praising Carlson for admitting he doesn ’ t have all the facts , Oliver filled in some of the blanks .
He noted that the United States has had widespread voting by mail since the Civil War and that one in four Americans have voted by mail in the last two elections .
“ Your premise that voting by mail is a new idea that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and deeply stupid , ” Oliver said .
“ That ’ s not a reflection on you , though , is it ?
You ’ ve just engaged in a dialogue in good faith , so thank you ― unless you weren ’ t doing that , in which case , go fuck yourself , you human boat shoe.
” The host of “ Last Week Tonight ” then shared additional facts about voting , including the five states where every eligible voter is automatically allowed to vote by mail and the 29 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot for any reason at all .
Oliver also urged his viewers to vote by mail for one very specific reason ― and not just for health and safety if the nation is still facing coronavirus in November .
“ If you vote by mail , not only will you be exercising your civic duty , you ’ ll also be making Tucker Carlson really fucking mad , ” he said .
“ And what better incentive is there to do absolutely anything than that ?
”

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During a recent show, Carlson claimed that voting by mail was “an invitation to widespread fraud and manipulation,” then concluded his rant with a shrug and an “I don’t know.”
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Oliver seized on the “I don’t know” as an opportunity to school Carlson.
“You don’t know? Well, first off, Tucker, thanks so much for admitting that,” Oliver said. “One of the biggest problems with modern discourse is that people think admitting a lack of knowledge is a sign of weakness when it’s not, is it? It’s how we learn and grow as individuals.”
After sarcastically praising Carlson for admitting he doesn’t have all the facts, Oliver filled in some of the blanks. He noted that the United States has had widespread voting by mail since the Civil War and that one in four Americans have voted by mail in the last two elections.
“Your premise that voting by mail is a new idea that would shatter democracy is in fact completely wrong and deeply stupid,” Oliver said. “That’s not a reflection on you, though, is it? You’ve just engaged in a dialogue in good faith, so thank you ― unless you weren’t doing that, in which case, go fuck yourself, you human boat shoe.”
The host of “Last Week Tonight” then shared additional facts about voting, including the five states where every eligible voter is automatically allowed to vote by mail and the 29 others where voters could request an absentee ballot for any reason at all.
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Oliver also urged his viewers to vote by mail for one very specific reason ― and not just for health and safety if the nation is still facing coronavirus in November.
“If you vote by mail, not only will you be exercising your civic duty, you’ll also be making Tucker Carlson really fucking mad,” he said. “And what better incentive is there to do absolutely anything than that?”


huffpost--2020-06-01--Trump Calls Governors ‘Weak,’ Urges Tougher Crackdown On Protests

“ You have to dominate , if you don ’ t dominate , you ’ re wasting your time .
They ’ re going to run over you , you ’ re going to look like a bunch of jerks .
You have to dominate , ” Trump said , according to audio of the call obtained by HuffPost .
( To listen , see the video above . )
Trump ’ s remarks came after days of protests prompted by the killing of George Floyd , a Black man who was pinned to the ground by a white Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for much of that time , Floyd was unresponsive .
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin , who along with three others was fired over the incident , was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter .
Trump has responded to the protests with inflammatory rhetoric — at one point suggesting protesters should be shot , and at another point saying any protester who reached the White House grounds would be met with the “ most vicious dogs , and most ominous weapons ” — and has done almost nothing to suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
His comments on Monday fit his often-authoritarian worldview , and are the latest in his long history of demeaning protesters and praising crackdowns on dissent .
In a 1990 interview , Trump praised China ’ s leadership for its brutal and deadly suppression of protests in Tiananmen Square , claiming they had shown “ the power of strength.
” The president on Monday also said Minnesota had become a “ laughingstock all over the world , ” and specifically criticized the response in Philadelphia , Los Angeles and New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Guard in Minneapolis was “ domination ” and “ a beautiful thing to watch.
” “ You don ’ t have to be too careful , ” Trump said .
“ You have to do the prosecutions .
If you don ’ t do the prosecutions , they ’ re just going to be back .
… Somebody throwing a rock , that ’ s like shooting a gun .
You have to do retribution , you have to use your legal system.
” While the comments alarmed some of the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushback from the nation ’ s governors .
Throughout the call , Trump suggested the riots and protests were not the result of anger at policing policies , but were instead the result of professional instigators and a supposedly organized movement .
The only governor to directly challenge Trump during the call was Illinois Gov .
J.B Pritzker ( D ) .
“ I ’ ve been extraordinarily concerned about the rhetoric that ’ s been used by you .
It ’ s been inflammatory and it ’ s not OK for that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Pritzker said .
“ We have to call for calm .
We have to have police reform.
” Trump shot back : “ I don ’ t like your rhetoric much either , ” before criticizing how Pritzker had handled the coronavirus pandemic and arguing that he had addressed police violence on Saturday in his brief remarks about Floyd ’ s death before watching the takeoff of a SpaceX rocket carrying two American astronauts .
“ The president ’ s dangerous comments should be gravely concerning to all Americans , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration is determined to sow the seeds of hatred and division , which I fear will only lead to more violence and destruction , ” Whitmer said .
“ We must reject this way of thinking .
This is a moment that calls for empathy , humanity and unity .
”

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President Donald Trump called the nation’s governors “weak” during a call on Monday, urging a tougher crackdown on massive protests against police brutality and racist policing across the United States.
“You have to dominate, if you don’t dominate, you’re wasting your time. They’re going to run over you, you’re going to look like a bunch of jerks. You have to dominate,” Trump said, according to audio of the call obtained by HuffPost. (To listen, see the video above.)
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“Most of you are weak,” Trump told governors on a video call that also included law enforcement and national security officials. “You have to arrest people.”
Attorney General Bill Barr and Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined Trump on the call. Trump said he had placed Milley “in charge” and said he planned to “activate” Barr “very strongly.”
”And you can’t do the deal where they get one week in jail,” Trump continued. “These are terrorists. These are terrorists. And they’re looking to do bad things to our country.”
“You have to arrest people and you have to put them in jail for 10 years,” he said. “And you’ll never see this stuff again.”
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Trump’s remarks came after days of protests prompted by the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was pinned to the ground by a white Minneapolis police officer for nearly nine minutes; for much of that time, Floyd was unresponsive. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who along with three others was fired over the incident, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
While most demonstrators peacefully gathered, at points the protests turned violent, with some attendees vandalizing and stealing from businesses. Many states activated the National Guard to help with law enforcement, and many police responded to protesters with authoritarian tactics.
Trump has responded to the protests with inflammatory rhetoric — at one point suggesting protesters should be shot, and at another point saying any protester who reached the White House grounds would be met with the “most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons” — and has done almost nothing to suggest he wants to ease tensions in the country.
His comments on Monday fit his often-authoritarian worldview, and are the latest in his long history of demeaning protesters and praising crackdowns on dissent. In a 1990 interview, Trump praised China’s leadership for its brutal and deadly suppression of protests in Tiananmen Square, claiming they had shown “the power of strength.”
The president on Monday also said Minnesota had become a “laughingstock all over the world,” and specifically criticized the response in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York City. He said the arrival of the National Guard in Minneapolis was “domination” and “a beautiful thing to watch.”
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At one point in the hour-long call, Trump told the governors they should aggressively prosecute protesters and pursue long prison terms for any crimes committed.
“You don’t have to be too careful,” Trump said. “You have to do the prosecutions. If you don’t do the prosecutions, they’re just going to be back. … Somebody throwing a rock, that’s like shooting a gun. You have to do retribution, you have to use your legal system.”
While the comments alarmed some of the people on the call, there was little pushback from the nation’s governors. Throughout the call, Trump suggested the riots and protests were not the result of anger at policing policies, but were instead the result of professional instigators and a supposedly organized movement.
“These are professional anarchists in many cases,” Trump said, adding of the protesters: “These are easily led people.”
Nearly every governor seemed to accept this frame. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican and frequent critic of the president, told the Trump that he “couldn’t agree more with what you said.”
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“Peace through strength,” Hogan said, citing his experience handling the 2015 protests following the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore police custody.
“Everybody’s saying the same thing about these out-of-town agitators,” Hogan continued. “It seems to be very organized.”
Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, a former attorney general, asked Trump and Barr for any “intelligence” they had “regarding the source of the protests and bad actors and professional instigators.”
“I’d like to be able to prepare for any professional instigators,” she said. “We haven’t seen that yet in my state.”
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) similarly asked for any intelligence the federal government might have about groups targeting Louisiana.
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The only governor to directly challenge Trump during the call was Illinois Gov. J.B Pritzker (D). “I’ve been extraordinarily concerned about the rhetoric that’s been used by you. It’s been inflammatory and it’s not OK for that officer to choke George Floyd to death,” Pritzker said. “We have to call for calm. We have to have police reform.”
Trump shot back: “I don’t like your rhetoric much either,” before criticizing how Pritzker had handled the coronavirus pandemic and arguing that he had addressed police violence on Saturday in his brief remarks about Floyd’s death before watching the takeoff of a SpaceX rocket carrying two American astronauts.
“Before I spoke about the rocket, I spoke as to what happened with respect to Mr. Floyd. I thought what happened was a disgrace,” Trump said.
After the call, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) released a statement criticizing the president for “viciously” attacking the governors.
“The president’s dangerous comments should be gravely concerning to all Americans, because they send a clear signal that this administration is determined to sow the seeds of hatred and division, which I fear will only lead to more violence and destruction,” Whitmer said. “We must reject this way of thinking. This is a moment that calls for empathy, humanity and unity.”
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While Barr outlined federal criminal charges protesters and rioters could possibly face, it was unclear what role Milley and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, who was also on the call, might play in domestic law enforcement.
“I think the sooner that you mass and dominate the battle space, the quicker this dissipates and we can get back to the right normal,” Esper told the governors.
At another point, Mills expressed concern about the president’s scheduled trip to Maine later this week, saying, “Your presence may cause security problems for our state.”
“We’ll look into that. We have a tremendous crowd of people showing up, as you know,” Trump responded. “They like their president.”
At that point, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice — a Democrat-turned-Republican and Trump loyalist — interjected to invite the president to West Virginia instead.
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Defund The Police

Alex Wong via Getty Images Demonstrators stand around a fire during a protest on May 31 near the White House in response to the killing of George Floyd .
It would be nice because it would be simple .
One man ’ s cartoonish brutality would be responsible for a society falling apart .
The solution would be straightforward : Remove him from office and let the world naturally return to stability and harmony .
Trump has indeed encouraged violence against protesters , and he can not escape culpability for the vivid tragedy now unfolding in the United States .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this on the president , however grotesque his failures .
On Saturday night , when Minneapolis police fired rubber bullets at journalists and New York law enforcement attempted to run down protesters in an SUV , they were acting under the authority of Democratic mayors and governors .
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio ’ s full-throated defense of the violent excesses of his police force differed from Trump ’ s fevered strongmanism only in tone , not content .
And so it has been throughout much of the country .
The major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic of police brutality ― from macroeconomic management to police procurement ― have been bipartisan .
It is only at the margins that Democratic voters and Republican voters disagree .
In Los Angeles , Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti and a Democratic City Council approved $ 41 million in new bonuses for police officers amid a local budget crisis that has forced pay cuts for thousands of other city employees .
New York City spends $ 6 billion a year on the NYPD , even as 100,000 children remain homeless .
For Black communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been obvious .
It has been a part of everyday life for decades .
Los Angeles police beat Rodney King within an inch of his life in 1991 .
New York police fired 41 shots at an unarmed Amadou Diallo in front of his own apartment in 1999 .
The militarized police occupation of Ferguson , Missouri , in 2014 should have presented both parties with an opportunity to rethink the armed control of low-income neighborhoods by agents of the state .
Democratic leaders across the country have had nearly six years to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are largely at war with their communities , and they have generally responded by increasing law enforcement budgets and ignoring police violence .
It took five years for the NYPD to fire the officer who killed Eric Garner .
In the interim , both de Blasio and New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo were reelected .
Police brutality is the flashpoint of our current social unrest , but it is only one dimension of the crime against democracy that our national project has become .
Our current uprising is taking place in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roughly one-fourth of Americans are out of work .
The distribution of this devastation has not been shared equally .
Job losses have been concentrated among Black workers , and deaths related to the coronavirus have been concentrated among Black families .
The legislative response from Washington to this crisis was not only bipartisan , but comprehensive : a 96-0 vote in the Senate for a bill that funnelled trillions of dollars to the richest people in the world and treated working people as an afterthought .
Similar outrages have been standard fare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tripled between 1984 and 2009 , and expanded still further during the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis , as then-President Barack Obama refused to rescue Black and brown homeowners and Republicans refused to fund relief programs for working people .
The globalization project that began in the 1990s destroyed the foundations of the Black middle class in the United States by offshoring good-paying jobs and leaving minimum wage work in its wake .
The foreclosure crisis of the Great Recession eliminated what was left .
These were bipartisan pursuits .
Nationally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of white grievance , while the Democratic Party ’ s leadership remains more committed to beating back reforms from the party ’ s progressive bloc than it does to addressing economic justice or restoring civil rights .
In an ABC News appearance Sunday morning , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) cited “ a commission studying the social status of Black men and boys ” and “ a motion condemning police brutality ” as examples of the work her caucus supports to correct racial and economic inequality .
The House is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to convene lawmakers to address the current crisis .
Pelosi practices a different brand of leadership than the president does , but it is a failure nonetheless .
When failure is this broad and this deep , it is tempting to blame the nation itself .
America was founded on slavery and genocide .
Is it any wonder that it is descending into racist ruin in the 21st century ?
But the fact is that the United States has beaten back its demons before .
Between the 1930s and the 1960s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poverty rate , stalling out only when Democrats began to retreat from their commitments to civil rights and economic justice .
We know what policies we can adopt to make this a nation of equals .
Ours is the wealthiest nation in the history of wealthy nations .
We can easily afford to provide all of our citizens with the fruits of a full life .
And yet , we simply choose not to .
We elect people in both parties who take pride in pursuing opposite agendas .
That work begins with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reimagining community maintenance as an act of support , not an act of violence .
But it can not end there .
Democracy assumes conditions of relative social equality .
Until we reject an economic system that creates oligarchic winners and brutalized losers , our political system will continue to crumble .

It would be nice if all of the chaos and cruelty unleashed by police forces across the nation over the past week could be blamed on President Donald Trump.
It would be nice because it would be simple. One man’s cartoonish brutality would be responsible for a society falling apart. The solution would be straightforward: Remove him from office and let the world naturally return to stability and harmony.
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Trump has indeed encouraged violence against protesters, and he cannot escape culpability for the vivid tragedy now unfolding in the United States. But we cannot pin all of this on the president, however grotesque his failures. On Saturday night, when Minneapolis police fired rubber bullets at journalists and New York law enforcement attempted to run down protesters in an SUV, they were acting under the authority of Democratic mayors and governors. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s full-throated defense of the violent excesses of his police force differed from Trump’s fevered strongmanism only in tone, not content.
“I do believe the NYPD has acted appropriately,” de Blasio said Saturday night. “I saw a lot of restraint under very, very difficult circumstances.”
And so it has been throughout much of the country. The major policy choices that have led to this epidemic of police brutality ― from macroeconomic management to police procurement ― have been bipartisan. It is only at the margins that Democratic voters and Republican voters disagree. In Los Angeles, Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti and a Democratic City Council approved $41 million in new bonuses for police officers amid a local budget crisis that has forced pay cuts for thousands of other city employees. New York City spends $6 billion a year on the NYPD, even as 100,000 children remain homeless.
For Black communities, the American policing crisis has always been obvious. It has been a part of everyday life for decades. Los Angeles police beat Rodney King within an inch of his life in 1991. New York police fired 41 shots at an unarmed Amadou Diallo in front of his own apartment in 1999. The militarized police occupation of Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 should have presented both parties with an opportunity to rethink the armed control of low-income neighborhoods by agents of the state. Democratic leaders across the country have had nearly six years to grapple with the reality that U.S. police are largely at war with their communities, and they have generally responded by increasing law enforcement budgets and ignoring police violence. It took five years for the NYPD to fire the officer who killed Eric Garner. In the interim, both de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo were reelected.
Advertisement
Police brutality is the flashpoint of our current social unrest, but it is only one dimension of the crime against democracy that our national project has become. Our current uprising is taking place in the middle of an economic catastrophe in which roughly one-fourth of Americans are out of work. The distribution of this devastation has not been shared equally. Job losses have been concentrated among Black workers, and deaths related to the coronavirus have been concentrated among Black families. The legislative response from Washington to this crisis was not only bipartisan, but comprehensive: a 96-0 vote in the Senate for a bill that funnelled trillions of dollars to the richest people in the world and treated working people as an afterthought.
Similar outrages have been standard fare for decades. The racial wealth gap tripled between 1984 and 2009, and expanded still further during the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis, as then-President Barack Obama refused to rescue Black and brown homeowners and Republicans refused to fund relief programs for working people. The globalization project that began in the 1990s destroyed the foundations of the Black middle class in the United States by offshoring good-paying jobs and leaving minimum wage work in its wake. The foreclosure crisis of the Great Recession eliminated what was left. These were bipartisan pursuits.
Nationally, the Republican Party has become the party of white grievance, while the Democratic Party’s leadership remains more committed to beating back reforms from the party’s progressive bloc than it does to addressing economic justice or restoring civil rights. In an ABC News appearance Sunday morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) cited “a commission studying the social status of Black men and boys” and “a motion condemning police brutality” as examples of the work her caucus supports to correct racial and economic inequality. The House is currently in recess, and Pelosi has no plans to convene lawmakers to address the current crisis. Pelosi practices a different brand of leadership than the president does, but it is a failure nonetheless.
When failure is this broad and this deep, it is tempting to blame the nation itself. America was founded on slavery and genocide. Is it any wonder that it is descending into racist ruin in the 21st century?
Advertisement
But the fact is that the United States has beaten back its demons before. Between the 1930s and the 1960s, economic inequality plummeted along with the Black poverty rate, stalling out only when Democrats began to retreat from their commitments to civil rights and economic justice. We know what policies we can adopt to make this a nation of equals. Ours is the wealthiest nation in the history of wealthy nations. We can easily afford to provide all of our citizens with the fruits of a full life. And yet, we simply choose not to. We elect people in both parties who take pride in pursuing opposite agendas.
That work begins with defunding police forces across the country and reimagining community maintenance as an act of support, not an act of violence. But it cannot end there. Democracy assumes conditions of relative social equality. Until we reject an economic system that creates oligarchic winners and brutalized losers, our political system will continue to crumble.


huffpost--2020-03-09--Disgraced Televangelist Jim Bakker Among Those Warned Not To Make False Coronavirus Cure Claims

U.S. regulators warned seven companies to stop selling soaps , sprays and other concoctions with false claims that they can treat the new coronavirus or keep people from catching it .
The warnings were emailed Friday to companies based in the U.S. , Canada and the U.K. and were announced Monday .
Nearly all the targeted companies had complied by Monday morning , with mentions of the virus or products to treat it taken off their websites .
The letters , sent jointly by the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission , warned the companies their products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pose significant risks to patient health and violate federal law.
” There are no approved treatments for the new virus .
Potential treatments and vaccines now in testing won ’ t be ready for many months or more than a year , but fake ones keep popping up .
The two agencies sent letters to these companies : Vital Silver , Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd. , N-Energetics , GuruNanda LLC , Vivify Holistic Clinic , Herbal Amy LLC and The Jim Bakker Show .
Last month , Bakker ’ s streaming program aired an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disgraced televangelist promoted colloidal silver — silver particles in liquid — claiming it had been tested on previous coronavirus strains and eliminated them in hours .
Such scams typically flourish during epidemics of new diseases , including after the 2015-16 Zika virus outbreak .
The scams often prominently include glowing testimonials from supposedly cured people , but in fine print state the products aren ’ t intended to treat or cure any medical condition .
The seven companies ’ products ranged from inexpensive items to pricey ones , such as Herbal Amy ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottles of tinctures and tea .
“ Within the herbal product description I simply quoted an herbalist .
That quote has been removed to adhere to the FDA requirements , ” Weidner wrote .
The product was still on her site Monday .
On Monday morning , Vital Silver ’ s website was offering products ranging from a fine mist spray for $ 7.99 to a monthly subscription for soap , gel and “ structured silver minerals ” for $ 46.90 .
By Monday afternoon , the website was inaccessible .
Jennifer Hickman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wrote in an email that she was unaware her company was violating FDA standards and had removed all statements concerning COVID-19 from the website and social media .
The FDA also said is was working with online marketplaces such as Amazon and had gotten them to remove more than three dozen fake coronavirus products .
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
U.S. regulators warned seven companies to stop selling soaps, sprays and other concoctions with false claims that they can treat the new coronavirus or keep people from catching it.
The warnings were emailed Friday to companies based in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and were announced Monday. Nearly all the targeted companies had complied by Monday morning, with mentions of the virus or products to treat it taken off their websites.
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The letters, sent jointly by the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission, warned the companies their products for treating COVID-19 were fraudulent, “pose significant risks to patient health and violate federal law.”
There are no approved treatments for the new virus. Potential treatments and vaccines now in testing won’t be ready for many months or more than a year, but fake ones keep popping up.
The two agencies sent letters to these companies: Vital Silver, Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd., N-Energetics, GuruNanda LLC, Vivify Holistic Clinic, Herbal Amy LLC and The Jim Bakker Show.
Last month, Bakker’s streaming program aired an episode in which a guest of the disgraced televangelist promoted colloidal silver — silver particles in liquid — claiming it had been tested on previous coronavirus strains and eliminated them in hours.
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Such scams typically flourish during epidemics of new diseases, including after the 2015-16 Zika virus outbreak. The scams often prominently include glowing testimonials from supposedly cured people, but in fine print state the products aren’t intended to treat or cure any medical condition.
The seven companies’ products ranged from inexpensive items to pricey ones, such as Herbal Amy’s $155 Corona Protocol — four bottles of tinctures and tea.
In an email, proprietor Amy Weidner said Herbal Amy isn’t selling treatments, just herbs.
“Within the herbal product description I simply quoted an herbalist. That quote has been removed to adhere to the FDA requirements,” Weidner wrote. The product was still on her site Monday.
GuruNanda and N-Energetics issued statements that they had removed the claims cited by the FDA.
On Monday morning, Vital Silver’s website was offering products ranging from a fine mist spray for $7.99 to a monthly subscription for soap, gel and “structured silver minerals” for $46.90. By Monday afternoon, the website was inaccessible. Jennifer Hickman, identifying herself as the business owner, wrote in an email that she was unaware her company was violating FDA standards and had removed all statements concerning COVID-19 from the website and social media.
The FDA also said is was working with online marketplaces such as Amazon and had gotten them to remove more than three dozen fake coronavirus products.
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Follow Linda A. Johnson at https://twitter.com/LindaJ_onPharma
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huffpost--2020-03-10--Mom, Son Safe After 52 Hours Trapped In China Quarantine Hotel Rubble

BEIJING ( AP ) — A 10-year-old boy and his mother have been rescued 52 hours after being trapped in the collapse of a virus quarantine site in southeastern China .
Video released by rescuers showed the two being pulled from the debris of the hotel that collapsed on Saturday .
The location of the boy and woman was discovered late Monday night and they were freed around midnight after three hours of painstaking digging .
The hotel in the city of Quanzhou had been a quarantine site for people exposed to the new coronavirus .
The death toll in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with 12 people missing .
A total of 71 people had been inside the hotel when it crumbled in mere seconds .
The cause is still under investigation , although structural work being done on the lower level is suspected .
Most parts of China are quarantining people from high-risk areas or even those who traveled abroad or simply outside their home regions areas for 14 days .
Construction on the building began in 2013 and it was converted into an express hotel in 2018 .
Two supermarkets on the first floor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly deformed a few minutes prior to the collapse , the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday , quoting a district official .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
BEIJING (AP) — A 10-year-old boy and his mother have been rescued 52 hours after being trapped in the collapse of a virus quarantine site in southeastern China.
Video released by rescuers showed the two being pulled from the debris of the hotel that collapsed on Saturday. The location of the boy and woman was discovered late Monday night and they were freed around midnight after three hours of painstaking digging.
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The hotel in the city of Quanzhou had been a quarantine site for people exposed to the new coronavirus.
The death toll in the collapse rose to 18 on Tuesday, with 12 people missing. A total of 71 people had been inside the hotel when it crumbled in mere seconds. The cause is still under investigation, although structural work being done on the lower level is suspected.
Most parts of China are quarantining people from high-risk areas or even those who traveled abroad or simply outside their home regions areas for 14 days.
Construction on the building began in 2013 and it was converted into an express hotel in 2018.
Two supermarkets on the first floor were being remodeled, and a pillar reportedly deformed a few minutes prior to the collapse, the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday, quoting a district official.


huffpost--2020-03-10--Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Standoff: Paid Sick Leave, A Payroll Tax Cut — Or Both

On Tuesday , Trump came to the Capitol to sell Senate Republicans on his plan to temporarily suspend or reduce the payroll tax ― a 12.4 % levy evenly split between employees and employers .
Some Republicans have floated the idea of eliminating the payroll tax for 90 days to help the economy deal with the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak .
Trump has proposed suspending it until Election Day .
“ If we don ’ t get ahead of this threat , you ’ re going to see unemployment rise as the economy dips , and so I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partisan flags , ” Cornyn said .
“ Got to pull together .
This is kind of an economic 9/11 that we need to address.
” The ranking GOP member of the Ways and Means Committee , Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas , told HuffPost that Trump ’ s economic team would be meeting with the panel ’ s Republicans on Wednesday to review various proposals , with an eye toward the payroll tax holiday , direct assistance for “ certain industries , ” and help for businesses and individuals who need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats would be more open to addressing larger economic stimulus issues down the road , if necessary .
But with lawmakers not in session next week , he said it seems a greater priority to pass legislation in the coming days that would ensure that workers who need to stay home would get paid and still have jobs when they return .
He also said he was resistant to a payroll tax cut because it would undermine Social Security and Medicare , two programs that the levy helps fund .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to carry through on ― you know , the president said in his budget he wants to cut Medicare and Social Security , ” Takano said .
Rep. Jeff Van Drew ( R-N.J. ) , who recently switched parties during the Trump impeachment proceedings , showed that he still has some Democratic beliefs ― he told HuffPost that , while he has backed a cut to the payroll tax , he also wanted any coronavirus stimulus bill to address paid family leave and how to provide food for children relying on the school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who are scared to go out to eat , or shop , or whatever ― go to a concert ― are going to do it because you give them a couple hundred dollars , they ’ re not going to do it House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth ( D-Ky. ) , on President Donald Trump 's push for a payroll tax cut to lessen the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak .
“ If you think that people who are scared to go out to eat , or shop , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going to do it because you give them a couple hundred dollars , they ’ re not going to do it , ” Yarmuth said .
Democrats say they would like to pass legislation addressing immediate economic challenges posed by the outbreak by the end of this week , before lawmakers go on a spring recess .
But with the two parties seemingly far apart on the specifics ― as well as the overarching aim of a stimulus effort ― a bill could easily slip to the end of March .

WASHINGTON ― It’s starting to look like a classic standoff between Capitol Hill and the White House: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Democrats insist that a Coronavirus stimulus bill primarily address paid sick leave while President Donald Trump and some Republicans hold strong for a payroll tax cut.
On Tuesday, Trump came to the Capitol to sell Senate Republicans on his plan to temporarily suspend or reduce the payroll tax ― a 12.4% levy evenly split between employees and employers. Some Republicans have floated the idea of eliminating the payroll tax for 90 days to help the economy deal with the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak. Trump has proposed suspending it until Election Day.
Coming out of the meeting, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) suggested Democrats ought to like the payroll tax idea, noting that Democrats and the Obama administration supported a temporary 2-percentage-point reduction in the tax from 2011 through 2012.
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“If we don’t get ahead of this threat, you’re going to see unemployment rise as the economy dips, and so I think it’s not time to wave partisan flags,” Cornyn said. “Got to pull together. This is kind of an economic 9/11 that we need to address.”
Cornyn and other Republican senators said the president and his team laid out a range of possible economic policies, but neither the administration officials nor GOP senators coalesced around any particular proposal.
The ranking GOP member of the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, told HuffPost that Trump’s economic team would be meeting with the panel’s Republicans on Wednesday to review various proposals, with an eye toward the payroll tax holiday, direct assistance for “certain industries,” and help for businesses and individuals who need to quarantine as COVID-19 spreads.
But Democrats are showing some real opposition to a payroll tax cut.
Essentially, they argue, a payroll tax holiday would do little to address the outbreak and it would do nothing for the workers who need paid sick leave or are unemployed.
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Their plan is to pass a bill offering paid leave for employees who need to self-quarantine or are sick with the virus. On top of that, Democrats say they want unspecified expansions of unemployment insurance and federal nutrition assistance programs.
“We ought to be dealing with the immediate needs of people who are directly impacted,” House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) told HuffPost. “That’s people who are going to be quarantined, lose wages, and so forth.”
Yarmuth said Democrats would be more open to addressing larger economic stimulus issues down the road, if necessary. But with lawmakers not in session next week, he said it seems a greater priority to pass legislation in the coming days that would ensure that workers who need to stay home would get paid and still have jobs when they return.
That was a consistent theme from other Democrats.
Any immediate legislation “needs to be focused on things targeted for those who are most at risk of economic damage,” Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) told HuffPost. “The payroll tax [cut] is very slow to have economic impact. We’ve done it before. It’s not the most effective.”
Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) told HuffPost he ailed to “see how a payroll tax cut is going to really help people who are low-income, who depend on wages, and who don’t have paid sick leave to go home and comply with a quarantine,”
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Takano said the government needed to promote policies that would encourage some people to stay home and slow the spread of the illness, which a guarantee of paid sick leave would accomplish.
He also said he was resistant to a payroll tax cut because it would undermine Social Security and Medicare, two programs that the levy helps fund. “It’s a cynical tactic in my view to carry through on ― you know, the president said in his budget he wants to cut Medicare and Social Security,” Takano said.
Republicans were generally supportive of the president’s idea of suspending the payroll tax. They also didn’t sound overly enthusiastic about issues like paid sick leave, but they didn’t seem unalterably opposed to that.
Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), a staunch conservative, said a payroll tax cut “might be a good thing,” adding that he always likes it when people get to keep more of their money.
But he also didn’t rule out a more finely tuned bill, like one that would address paid sick leave. “I got to look at the whole proposal,” he said.
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He expressed concern about families who rely on schools as a form of child care if wholesale school district shutdowns began multiplying.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), who recently switched parties during the Trump impeachment proceedings, showed that he still has some Democratic beliefs ― he told HuffPost that, while he has backed a cut to the payroll tax, he also wanted any coronavirus stimulus bill to address paid family leave and how to provide food for children relying on the school lunch programs.
“I just don’t want to see people, when we were in the greatest of economies that I can remember, now have to go through hell just to survive here,” he said.
“If you think that people who are scared to go out to eat, or shop, or whatever ― go to a concert ― are going to do it because you give them a couple hundred dollars, they’re not going to do it” - House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), on President Donald Trump's push for a payroll tax cut to lessen the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a moderate, went further, expressing support for ideas like paid sick leave while showing some potential discomfort with a tax cut.
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“I’d rather see a more balanced approach that deals with paid family medical ― that’s what I’d like to see,” Fitzpatrick said, adding that “the math has to work” on a tax cut.
The math appears tricky on a payroll tax cut. While the average American would see 6% more in their paychecks, that would only amount to a few hundred dollars a month for most people. Meanwhile, around a quarter of federal revenue comes from the payroll tax.
In short, the result would be a significant hit for tax receipts and provide only a little more money for individuals. And Democrats don’t believe it would do much to solve the economic issues related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“If you think that people who are scared to go out to eat, or shop, or whatever ― go to a concert ― are going to do it because you give them a couple hundred dollars, they’re not going to do it,” Yarmuth said.
Democrats say they would like to pass legislation addressing immediate economic challenges posed by the outbreak by the end of this week, before lawmakers go on a spring recess. But with the two parties seemingly far apart on the specifics ― as well as the overarching aim of a stimulus effort ― a bill could easily slip to the end of March.
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Unemployment insurance and food benefits are automatically available for laid-off workers and people with low incomes, and it’s unclear what additional assistance would look like.
Most states provide up to 26 weeks of unemployment insurance for people laid off through no fault of their own, and in past recessions Congress has added additional weeks of benefits. But that extra assistance wouldn’t kick in for six months. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) said Democrats might favor looser eligibility standards for people on temporary layoffs or even just extra money to help states pay claims.
Democrats said the U.S. Department of Agriculture should make sure kids won’t miss out on free lunches if their schools are closed. And Democrats have said the USDA should suspend its plans to start trimming food benefit eligibility next month. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has said the cuts will still happen, but he announced Tuesday that the department would allow schools shuttered by the outbreak to hand out meals to children in their surrounding neighborhoods.
If Pelosi doesn’t reach a deal with Trump withing the next day or two, the House may move forward with a bill focused on providing paid sick leave, expanded unemployment insurance and some greater food assistance ― essentially daring vulnerable Republicans to oppose it and the president to veto it.
It’s doubtful, though, that the Senate would take up House-passed legislation without Trump’s blessing.


huffpost--2020-06-15--Joe Biden And The DNC Raised $80 Million In May

Former Vice President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised a combined $ 80.8 million in May , as larger donations and a more robust online fundraising operation help the candidate keep pace with President Donald Trump ’ s fundraising juggernaut .
Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , did not reveal how much cash his campaign or the DNC has on hand .
Trump and the Republican National Committee have yet to announce their May fundraising numbers .
The two campaigns essentially tied in April ― Trump raised $ 61.7 million , while Biden raised just over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m in awe of this sum of money , ” Biden wrote in an email to supporters .
“ Just a few months ago , people were ready to write this campaign off .
Now , we are making huge dents in Donald Trump ’ s warchest .
Every single dollar is going to make sure he is only a one-term president.
” Biden struggled with fundraising at times during the primary , with Sens .
Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
both routinely outraising him despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign has invested heavily in building out its email list ― it has spent more than $ 8 million on Facebook in the last 30 days , with especially robust investment since the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests .
The effort seems to be paying off : More than half of the campaign ’ s donors in May were new , and the number of online donors to the campaign has tripled since February .
The campaign says its average online donation in May was $ 30 , though it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defining an online donation .
Biden has held Zoom fundraisers with tickets costing tens of thousands of dollars since the coronavirus pandemic has put an end to most gatherings .
May was the first month where Biden was able to take full advantage of a joint fundraising committee with the DNC and state Democratic parties .
A single donor is able to give up to $ 620,000 to a candidate under the arrangement , which Trump has taken advantage of for years .
Biden ’ s haul outpaced that of both President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the same time frame .
Obama and the DNC raised $ 59.1 million in May 2012 ; Clinton raised $ 38 million four years ago .

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Former Vice President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised a combined $80.8 million in May, as larger donations and a more robust online fundraising operation help the candidate keep pace with President Donald Trump’s fundraising juggernaut.
Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, did not reveal how much cash his campaign or the DNC has on hand.
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Trump and the Republican National Committee have yet to announce their May fundraising numbers. The two campaigns essentially tied in April ― Trump raised $61.7 million, while Biden raised just over $60 million.
“I’m in awe of this sum of money,” Biden wrote in an email to supporters. “Just a few months ago, people were ready to write this campaign off. Now, we are making huge dents in Donald Trump’s warchest. Every single dollar is going to make sure he is only a one-term president.”
Biden struggled with fundraising at times during the primary, with Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) both routinely outraising him despite bypassing traditional high-dollar fundraisers.
The Biden campaign has invested heavily in building out its email list ― it has spent more than $8 million on Facebook in the last 30 days, with especially robust investment since the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests. The effort seems to be paying off: More than half of the campaign’s donors in May were new, and the number of online donors to the campaign has tripled since February.
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The campaign says its average online donation in May was $30, though it’s unclear how the campaign is defining an online donation. Biden has held Zoom fundraisers with tickets costing tens of thousands of dollars since the coronavirus pandemic has put an end to most gatherings.
May was the first month where Biden was able to take full advantage of a joint fundraising committee with the DNC and state Democratic parties. A single donor is able to give up to $620,000 to a candidate under the arrangement, which Trump has taken advantage of for years.
Biden’s haul outpaced that of both President Barack Obama and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton for the same time frame. Obama and the DNC raised $59.1 million in May 2012; Clinton raised $38 million four years ago.


huffpost--2020-06-15--Journalist Maria Ressa, Critic Of Rodrigo Duterte, Convicted Of Libel

The Manila court found Maria Ressa of the online news site Rappler Inc. and former reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr. guilty of libeling a wealthy businessman .
The Rappler ’ s story on May 29 , 2012 , cited an intelligence report linking him to a murder , drug dealing , human trafficking and smuggling .
The site ’ s lawyers disputed any malice and said the time limit for filing the libel complaint had passed .
“ Rappler and both accused did not offer a scintilla of proof that they verified the imputations of various crimes in the disputed article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa said in the 36-page ruling .
“ They just simply published them as news in their online publication in reckless disregard of whether they are false or not.
” “ The decision for me is devastating because it essentially says that Rappler , that we are wrong , ” Ressa said in a news conference after the ruling .
Her voice cracking , she vowed that “ we will keep fighting ” and appealed to journalists and Filipinos to continue fighting for their rights “ and hold power to account.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcomed the ruling , which he said vindicated him and cleared his name “ which Ressa , with one click of a button , attempted to destroy.
” Ressa was sentenced to up to six years but her lawyer , Theodore Te , said the jail terms and other penalties imposed could not be enforced unless all appeals were rejected .
She posted bail for the case last year and will study possible appeals in the next 15 days , Te said .
“ The verdict against Maria Ressa highlights the ability of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the laws to go after critical , well-respected media voices whatever the ultimate cost to the country , ” said Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch , adding the verdict was “ a frontal assault on freedom of the press that is critical to protect and preserve Philippines democracy.
” President Rodrigo Duterte and other Philippine officials have said the criminal complaints against Ressa and Rappler were not a press freedom issue but a part of normal judicial procedures arising from their alleged violations of the law .
Keng dismissed the allegations in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said Rappler refused to take down the story online and publish his side of the story .
He provided government certifications in court to show that he has no criminal record and sought 50 million pesos ( $ 1 million ) in damages , but the court awarded a much smaller fine .
Rappler ’ s lawyers said the story was based on an unspecified intelligence report and that Philippine penal law requires a libel complaint to be filed within one year .
Keng filed his lawsuit in 2017 , five years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cybercrime law , which the Rappler journalists allegedly violated , was also enacted in September 2012 or four months after the story written by Santos was published .
Rappler ’ s lawyers said Philippine penal laws can not be retroactively applied .
Rappler , however , acknowledged that it updated the story in February 2014 to correct a misspelled word but said it did not make any other changes .
The Department of Justice , which brought the libel charges to court , contended that by updating the story , Rappler effectively republished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argument dismissed by the news site ’ s lawyers .
The Department of Justice argued a complaint can be filed under the 2012 cybercrime law for up to 12 years , countering Rappler ’ s argument that Keng ’ s complaint was invalid due to being outside the one-year deadline for libel .
Ressa , who has worked for CNN and was one of Time magazine ’ s Persons of the Year in 2018 , has accused the government of abusing its power and of using the law to muzzle dissent .
Duterte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who report critically about him , including the Philippine Daily Inquirer , a leading daily , and ABS-CBN , the country ’ s largest TV network which was shut down by the government ’ s telecommunications regulator last month after its 25-year franchise expired .
Congress has been hearing the network ’ s request for a franchise renewal .

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MANILA, Philippines (AP) — An award-winning journalist critical of the Philippine president was convicted of libel and sentenced to jail Monday in a decision called a major blow to press freedom in an Asian bastion of democracy.
The Manila court found Maria Ressa of the online news site Rappler Inc. and former reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr. guilty of libeling a wealthy businessman. The Rappler’s story on May 29, 2012, cited an intelligence report linking him to a murder, drug dealing, human trafficking and smuggling. The site’s lawyers disputed any malice and said the time limit for filing the libel complaint had passed.
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“Rappler and both accused did not offer a scintilla of proof that they verified the imputations of various crimes in the disputed article upon the person of Keng,” Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa said in the 36-page ruling. “They just simply published them as news in their online publication in reckless disregard of whether they are false or not.”
“The decision for me is devastating because it essentially says that Rappler, that we are wrong,” Ressa said in a news conference after the ruling. Her voice cracking, she vowed that “we will keep fighting” and appealed to journalists and Filipinos to continue fighting for their rights “and hold power to account.”
The businessman, Wilfredo Keng, welcomed the ruling, which he said vindicated him and cleared his name “which Ressa, with one click of a button, attempted to destroy.”
Ressa was sentenced to up to six years but her lawyer, Theodore Te, said the jail terms and other penalties imposed could not be enforced unless all appeals were rejected. She posted bail for the case last year and will study possible appeals in the next 15 days, Te said.
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“The verdict against Maria Ressa highlights the ability of the Philippines’ abusive leader to manipulate the laws to go after critical, well-respected media voices whatever the ultimate cost to the country,” said Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch, adding the verdict was “a frontal assault on freedom of the press that is critical to protect and preserve Philippines democracy.”
President Rodrigo Duterte and other Philippine officials have said the criminal complaints against Ressa and Rappler were not a press freedom issue but a part of normal judicial procedures arising from their alleged violations of the law.
Keng dismissed the allegations in the 2012 story as baseless and false and said Rappler refused to take down the story online and publish his side of the story. He provided government certifications in court to show that he has no criminal record and sought 50 million pesos ($1 million) in damages, but the court awarded a much smaller fine.
Rappler’s lawyers said the story was based on an unspecified intelligence report and that Philippine penal law requires a libel complaint to be filed within one year. Keng filed his lawsuit in 2017, five years after the story was published.
A cybercrime law, which the Rappler journalists allegedly violated, was also enacted in September 2012 or four months after the story written by Santos was published. Rappler’s lawyers said Philippine penal laws cannot be retroactively applied.
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Rappler, however, acknowledged that it updated the story in February 2014 to correct a misspelled word but said it did not make any other changes. The Department of Justice, which brought the libel charges to court, contended that by updating the story, Rappler effectively republished the story online in 2014, an argument dismissed by the news site’s lawyers.
The Department of Justice argued a complaint can be filed under the 2012 cybercrime law for up to 12 years, countering Rappler’s argument that Keng’s complaint was invalid due to being outside the one-year deadline for libel.
The Manila court upheld the 12-year period.
As Rappler’s chief executive officer, Ressa faces seven other criminal complaints in relation to legal issues hounding her news agency, including an allegation that it violated a constitutional ban on media agencies receiving foreign investment funds.
Ressa, who has worked for CNN and was one of Time magazine’s Persons of the Year in 2018, has accused the government of abusing its power and of using the law to muzzle dissent.
Many news outlets in the Philippines and beyond have criticized Duterte’s policies, including his anti-drug campaign that has left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead.
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Duterte has openly lambasted journalists and news sites who report critically about him, including the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a leading daily, and ABS-CBN, the country’s largest TV network which was shut down by the government’s telecommunications regulator last month after its 25-year franchise expired. Congress has been hearing the network’s request for a franchise renewal.
The shutdown has been criticized as it cut off a major source of information on the COVID-19 pandemic in a Southeast Asian hot spot of the disease.
___


huffpost--2020-04-19--Michelle Obama And Laura Bush Share Message Of Hope During WHO Fundraising Event

Former first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush joined forces to offer a virtual bipartisan message of hope during the COVID-19 crisis , as part of the “ One World : Together at Home ” international concert on Saturday evening .
The women hailed the courage of front-line workers — including health care staff , grocery store clerks , pharmacists and sanitation workers — during the event organized by the World Health Organization and the nonprofit organization Global Citizen .
“ You ’ re the fabric of our country and your strength will carry us through this crisis , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courage of the American people is most evident in times of crisis , and during this period of physical separation , we ’ ve never been closer .
Not just in our great country , but tonight we stand with the people of the world , ” she added .
Obama warned that the “ coming days will not be easy , ” but assured viewers that “ this global family of ours is strong .
We will continue to be here for one another and we will get through this crisis .
@ @ @

Former first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush joined forces to offer a virtual bipartisan message of hope during the COVID-19 crisis, as part of the “One World: Together at Home” international concert on Saturday evening.
The women hailed the courage of front-line workers — including health care staff, grocery store clerks, pharmacists and sanitation workers — during the event organized by the World Health Organization and the nonprofit organization Global Citizen. “You’re the fabric of our country and your strength will carry us through this crisis,” said Bush.
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“The spirit and courage of the American people is most evident in times of crisis, and during this period of physical separation, we’ve never been closer. Not just in our great country, but tonight we stand with the people of the world,” she added.
Obama warned that the “coming days will not be easy,” but assured viewers that “this global family of ours is strong. We will continue to be here for one another and we will get through this crisis. Together.”
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huffpost--2020-04-19--Critics Appalled Trump Adviser Compared Gun-Toting White Guys To Rosa Parks

Critics were reeling after right-wing White House adviser and economist Stephen Moore compared gun-toting white guys protesting COVID-19 safety measures to Rosa Parks and her historic battle for racial equality .
The comments were particularly galling because Moore once commented that when President Donald Trump took office , he was evicting the Obamas from public housing — a dig that was widely considered racist .
Moore said Friday that those protesting COVID-19 social distancing measures — many of whom were also brandishing pro-Trump signs and carrying assault rifles — were just like Parks , whose refusal to give her bus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seminal moment in the Civil Rights Movement .
When asked about the comment at his Saturday press briefing , Trump claimed he didn ’ t know what Moore said .
But he agreed with Moore that there was a “ lot of injustice ” regarding regulations intended to help stem the spread of COVID-19 .
Some opposed to COVID-19 safety measures have also compared their struggle with stay-at-home restrictions to the plight of Anne Frank , who hid in her home for two years until she was captured by the Nazis .
Anne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attic and we ’ ve been home for just over a month with Netflix , food delivery & video games and there are people risking viral death by storming state capital buildings & screaming , “ Open Fuddruckers !
” — Patton Oswalt ( @ pattonoswalt ) April 18 , 2020 Many other Twitter users joined Oswalt in expressing their horror at Moore ’ s comments : no the quarantine is not the same as anne frank hiding from the nazis in the secret annex for two years , i am begging you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( @ koshersemite ) April 19 , 2020 Congratulations to Trump adviser Stephen Moore on a comment at once strikingly stupid and deeply offensive .
“ I call these people the modern-day Rosa Parks — they are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties.
” https : //t.co/2V1mhWFDC9 pic.twitter.com/TJIa4EZnap — Bill Kristol ( @ BillKristol ) April 18 , 2020 .
@ StephenMoore is a dangerous charlatan and fool .
He calls the protesters he 's egging on , modern-day Rosa Parks .
Seems he knows less about history than he does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gonsalves ( @ gregggonsalves ) April 18 , 2020 I don ’ t know who needs to hear this .
But the right to eat inside an Applebee ’ s should not be and never compared to Rosa Parks and the Civil Right ’ s Movement .
No innocent person got lynched by a racist mob because you couldn ’ t get fucking Fiesta Lime Chicken .
— Solomon Balaam-Reed ( @ ReedBalaam ) April 19 , 2020 Rosa Parks showed genuine courage in risking her life to pursue equal justice in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorized and lynched black Americans .
How arrogant and ignorant it is for @ StephenMoore to try to equate his Trump-fueled mobs with her .
https : //t.co/zbZL5nfdlO — Lisa Graves ( @ thelisagraves ) April 18 , 2020 When Rosa Parks wouldn ’ t give up her seat on a bus in 1955 , she wasn ’ t risking the lives of every person within six feet of her .
Just saying .
— Nicholas Ponticello ( @ NickPonticello ) April 19 , 2020 # RosaParks couldn ’ t eat where she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get jobs she was qualified for or vote .
The right-wing protesters incited by # Trump demand the right to endanger everyone so they lawn fertilizer and get their roots dyed .
# Coronavirus https : //t.co/CxjA50a9Fx — Maya Wiley ( @ mayawiley ) April 18 , 2020 Stephen Moore is a despicable , ignorant ass who insults generations of suffering that led to the courage and sacrifice of Rosa Parks and many many more .
Yet another reflection of Trump ’ s vile admiration of low life , unqualified , zealot morons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charlie_adler ) April 18 , 2020 Could you have imagined the outcome if Rosa brought a gun to the bus ?
White House adviser Stephen Moore repeatedly compared right-wing protesters who oppose coronavirus safety measures to Rosa Parks , the civil rights icon who fought for racial equality .
https : //t.co/u9ozzAtXpO — Scott Huffman For Congress ( @ HuffmanForNC ) April 18 , 2020 When people like Stephen Moore make comparisons to Ross Parks we should treat it as the cynical , calculated form of race baiting that it is .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ slaves .
Segregationists adopted Civil Rights mvmt language to fight policies to help black people .
— Ida Bae Wells ( @ nhannahjones ) April 18 , 2020 Moore is a member of Trump ’ s council focused on reopening the economy , and is also part of a coalition of conservatives called “ Save Our Country , ” which has been opposing coronavirus-related business shutdowns and stay-at-home measures .
He dropped out of consideration to serve on the Federal Reserve Board last year due to concerns about his qualifications — and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Critics were reeling after right-wing White House adviser and economist Stephen Moore compared gun-toting white guys protesting COVID-19 safety measures to Rosa Parks and her historic battle for racial equality.
The comments were particularly galling because Moore once commented that when President Donald Trump took office, he was evicting the Obamas from public housing — a dig that was widely considered racist.
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Moore said Friday that those protesting COVID-19 social distancing measures — many of whom were also brandishing pro-Trump signs and carrying assault rifles — were just like Parks, whose refusal to give her bus seat to a white passenger was a seminal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.
When asked about the comment at his Saturday press briefing, Trump claimed he didn’t know what Moore said. But he agreed with Moore that there was a “lot of injustice” regarding regulations intended to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
The President gets a chance to distance himself from Stephen Moore’s Rosa Parks statements and doesn’t take it pic.twitter.com/XSLYgha7n6 — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) April 18, 2020
Some opposed to COVID-19 safety measures have also compared their struggle with stay-at-home restrictions to the plight of Anne Frank, who hid in her home for two years until she was captured by the Nazis.
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Comedian Patton Oswalt quickly turned that one around:
Anne Frank spent 2 years hiding in an attic and we’ve been home for just over a month with Netflix, food delivery & video games and there are people risking viral death by storming state capital buildings & screaming, “Open Fuddruckers!” — Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) April 18, 2020
Many other Twitter users joined Oswalt in expressing their horror at Moore’s comments:
no the quarantine is not the same as anne frank hiding from the nazis in the secret annex for two years, i am begging you to shut the fuck up — samantha✡🏳🌈🌹🔥 (@koshersemite) April 19, 2020
Congratulations to Trump adviser Stephen Moore on a comment at once strikingly stupid and deeply offensive.
“I call these people the modern-day Rosa Parks — they are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties.” https://t.co/2V1mhWFDC9 pic.twitter.com/TJIa4EZnap — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 18, 2020
.@StephenMoore is a dangerous charlatan and fool. He calls the protesters he's egging on, modern-day Rosa Parks. Seems he knows less about history than he does about economics. #coronavirus — Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) April 18, 2020
I don’t know who needs to hear this.
But the right to eat inside an Applebee’s should not be and never compared to Rosa Parks and the Civil Right’s Movement.
No innocent person got lynched by a racist mob because you couldn’t get fucking Fiesta Lime Chicken. — Solomon Balaam-Reed (@ReedBalaam) April 19, 2020
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Rosa Parks showed genuine courage in risking her life to pursue equal justice in an era of violent, racist mobs who terrorized and lynched black Americans. How arrogant and ignorant it is for @StephenMoore to try to equate his Trump-fueled mobs with her. https://t.co/zbZL5nfdlO — Lisa Graves (@thelisagraves) April 18, 2020
When Rosa Parks wouldn’t give up her seat on a bus in 1955, she wasn’t risking the lives of every person within six feet of her. Just saying. — Nicholas Ponticello (@NickPonticello) April 19, 2020
#RosaParks couldn’t eat where she wanted, sit where she wanted, get jobs she was qualified for or vote. The right-wing protesters incited by #Trump demand the right to endanger everyone so they lawn fertilizer and get their roots dyed. #Coronavirus https://t.co/CxjA50a9Fx — Maya Wiley (@mayawiley) April 18, 2020
Stephen Moore is a despicable, ignorant ass who insults generations of suffering that led to the courage and sacrifice of Rosa Parks and many many more. Yet another reflection of Trump’s vile admiration of low life,unqualified,zealot morons! #VoteBlueNoMatterWho — Charlie Adler (@charlie_adler) April 18, 2020
Could you have imagined the outcome if Rosa brought a gun to the bus?
White House adviser Stephen Moore repeatedly compared right-wing protesters who oppose coronavirus safety measures to Rosa Parks, the civil rights icon who fought for racial equality. https://t.co/u9ozzAtXpO — Scott Huffman For Congress (@HuffmanForNC) April 18, 2020
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When people like Stephen Moore make comparisons to Ross Parks we should treat it as the cynical, calculated form of race baiting that it is. Enslavers said *they* were in fact the slaves. Segregationists adopted Civil Rights mvmt language to fight policies to help black people. — Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) April 18, 2020
Well, they’re close to Rosa Parks. They would have been driving the bus. https://t.co/GIC52px7RA — Peter Sagal (@petersagal) April 18, 2020
Moore is a member of Trump’s council focused on reopening the economy, and is also part of a coalition of conservatives called “Save Our Country,” which has been opposing coronavirus-related business shutdowns and stay-at-home measures. He dropped out of consideration to serve on the Federal Reserve Board last year due to concerns about his qualifications — and his controversial comments about women and race.