huffpost--2020-06-03--Democratic Leaders Play Catch-Up On Black Lives Matter Movement

Not Enough Action From Democrats Congress Searching For Policies To Meet The Moment “ We are still trying to figure @ @ @ @ @ strategy is to energize and activate Black voters , ” said Jennifer Edwards , senior @ @ @ @ @ democracy at Color of Change , a grassroots progressive civil rights advocacy organization .
“ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Party needs to continue to prioritize the needs of Black voters in this @ @ @ @ @ about the bills that are moving through the halls of Congress right now and the @ @ @ @ @ COVID and the black community , those can best be described as a bandaid .
@

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WASHINGTON, D.C. ― With the country in crisis over the police killing of George Floyd, Joe Biden’s remarks about the incident at a historically Black church in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday, weren’t what protesters wanted to hear.
“Instead of standing there and teaching a cop, when there’s an unarmed person coming at them with a knife or something ― you shoot them in the leg instead of in the heart, is a very different thing,” Biden said, aiming to show empathy and paint a stark contrast with President Donald Trump. “There’s a lot of different things that could change.”
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The comment sparked anger among the most progressive activists demonstrating on the streets. As Black Lives Matter protesters and their allies call for defunding the police, ending racist law enforcement practices and holding police accountable at a federal level, the remark by the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee reverberated among young progressive activists as yet another politician falling short.
Demonstrators gather to protest the death of George Floyd near the White House in Washington on June 2. AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate action group that has yet to endorse Biden, associated his comment with Trump’s call to shoot looters in a Monday post. “That’s the best you can do?” the group tweeted. “You need to be a lot fucking better, and fast (or step aside).”
“His heart is in the right place, but he’s just like every other white person who thinks that they’re an ally but is not listening to people on how to be an ally,” Ashton Woods, a Black Lives Matter protester in Houston who said he’s reluctantly voting for Biden, told HuffPost.
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Biden’s campaign and surrogates have defended the former vice president’s response to the crisis. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D), the first Black person to represent Delaware in Congress, said it was “good to see true leadership that says, ‘I care and I have a plan of action.’” Biden, whose campaign has a Plan for Black America, urged Congress on Tuesday to pass police reform.
The protests sparked by Floyd’s death present yet another opportunity for the Democratic Party to show activists and young Black voters that it is listening to them. So far though, party leaders’ official response has been reactive and redundant. Congress will hold a hearing on police brutality next week, just as it did last year. There’s no firm timeline for legislative action in either the Democratic-controlled House or the Republican-controlled Senate.
“Part of the issue [is] that it’s just been words,” said Rose, 34, who was protesting in Washington, D.C. “We don’t employ any policy changes; we don’t really push the agenda forward. We need more than just words at this point.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to members of the clergy and community leaders at Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 1. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
Not Enough Action From Democrats
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) called Floyd’s death a “crime” early on. Democratic leaders have condemned police brutality — just as they did in response to protests in Ferguson, Missouri, six years ago.
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But their statements all include the same caveat.
“The small minority who have exploited the protests to wreak havoc and violence are wrong,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “They are breaking laws, destroying businesses already struggling to recover, and putting their fellow citizens in danger.”
In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) called for an investigation after video showed two police SUVs ramming into a crowd of people, but he also blamed protesters for precipitating the situation by “blocking and surrounding a police vehicle.” (The video does not show protesters surrounding the SUVs, and on Monday, amid mounting criticism, de Blasio delivered a more forceful condemnation of police conduct in the incident.)
Others in the party, like former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, emphasized the need for voters to express their grievances at the ballot box.
It’s a suggestion that many activists say misses the point of protest.
“I mean, no one has ever voted their way to freedom. You know, voting is important. I vote in every single election. However, we also know that at most, voting someone good into office will soften the ground for the kind of meaningful change that we need. What’s always worked is the protest piece,” said Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles.
“There is still a huge gap” between what activists are calling for and what Democratic leaders are saying, said Yvette Simpson, chief executive of the progressive political action and grassroots organizing group Democracy for America.
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“We only take action when something has happened and that action is generally temporary and changes when political wind changes and when political leadership changes,” Simpson said of the Democratic Party’s response to police brutality, noting that many of these protests are taking place in Democratic-run cities that have long failed to reckon with their problematic policing practices.
“We only take action when something has happened and that action is generally temporary and changes when political wind changes and when political leadership changes.” - Yvette Simpson, CEO of Democracy for America
On the local level, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin (D) came under fire from some progressive city council members for announcing a 5 p.m. curfew on Saturday just minutes before it went into effect. In addition to the police SUVs driving into a crowd, de Blasio has also faced criticism from activists over police arresting two Black state lawmakers on Friday night at a Brooklyn protest and a HuffPost reporter, who identified himself as a journalist, on Saturday night at another demonstration in the borough.
Police violence at the protests, which Simpson said isn’t getting as much attention from Democratic leaders, is “evidence of the fact that these officers aren’t taking this seriously.”
“It’s a shame that you can’t put a hold on police brutality when you are protesting police brutality. ... A lot of folks are acknowledging it when it goes to a George Floyd situation but not acknowledging the root of it,” she said.
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Congress Searching For Policies To Meet The Moment
Biden locked up the Democratic nomination with the support of a majority of Black voters. But he continued to defend his co-authorship of the controversial 1994 crime bill and never so much as courted many activist groups focused on policing. That approach may not have been enough to hurt his chances in the primary, but it could hamper his ability to turn out the progressive-leaning young people, including young Black voters, that he needs to defeat Trump in November.
“There’s a definite need for him to do a lot more listening,” said Christian Dorsey, a Black progressive activist in Virginia and member of the Arlington County Board.
Biden admitted he needs to do so amid another controversy last month. In an interview with popular Black radio host Charlamagne tha God, he said, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.” Biden apologized later that day in a call with Black business leaders, insisting that he did not take the Black vote for granted.
Mainstream Democrats are keen to emphasize the stark contrast between their party and the GOP, which has embraced Trump’s racist policies and rhetoric.
“While the vocabulary may not always be the same, the long-term goal is exactly the same,” Antjuan Seawright, a South Carolina-based Democratic strategist, said of his party. “Even the differences we have among each other, they do not compare with the differences we have with the other side.”
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But in the years leading up to Floyd’s killing, legislation targeting police brutality and racism has barely registered as a priority for congressional Democrats, including in the House, which Democrats have controlled since 2019. Police reform in Congress stalled after Ferguson and then the Trump administration stopped investigating police misconduct at the federal level. In 2018, Congress did pass criminal justice reform legislation under Trump, a significant achievement, but the changes were modest, easing sentencing laws around some federal drug offenses.
Dominique Bryant, 23, wearing the "Black and Proud" T-shirt, joins others protesting the death of Floyd on June 3 outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
In an interview on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday, Pelosi spoke favorably about one bill with teeth ― a federal ban on police chokeholds ― and others that were symbolic, such as the creation of a commission for the study of the “social status” of Black men and boys. And protesters are seeing the same faces behind these messages and ideas.
Ben Baker, a Black 26-year-old activist, said that while a number of Black politicians have spoken out, that’s not good enough.
“I want to see more moderate white politicians speak out,” Baker said. “We can have the left vote as much as they want, but you need people in the middle to take you over the top. Them not saying anything is complicitness.”
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As protests continue nationwide, Democrats have begun crafting more ambitious proposals to address police violence. Schumer confirmed that Democratic Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Kamala Harris (Calif.) and Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), among others, were working on legislation to implement reforms, from rethinking the qualified immunity doctrine to creating a national police misconduct registry.
Biden’s biggest initial commitment, rolled out at the church in Wilmington on Monday, was likewise relatively vague. He promised to create a police oversight board within his first 100 days in office, though it was not clear exactly what power that panel would have. In a speech in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Biden outlined a number of additional proposals. He called for a federal ban on the chokehold, an end to the military’s transfer of “weapons of war” to police departments, and the creation of a national “model use-of-force standard.”
Many activists at the protests this week said they supported Biden, even if he wasn’t their ideal choice.
A demonstrator is taken into custody by police near the White House in Washington after a curfew took effect on June 1. AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Jackie, 30, who was at the protest outside the White House on Tuesday, said the former vice president “obviously has his flaws, for sure. But at this point, we just need to get behind him.”
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“Biden has, in his past, definitely done damage to the Black community, and I feel like he has a lot more making up to do for that, so to come out a little bit more and show a little bit more solidarity, just speak out a little bit more, for sure,” she added.
At the U.S. Capitol building on Monday, a protester who would only identify themselves as T, had another idea for lawmakers: “Congress should get that bullshit ass crime bill out of here — incarcerating us at a mass level. How about we start with some shit like that?”
Biden helped write that legislation in 1994 when he was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The massive law contained provisions like the Violence Against Women Act that still elicit progressive support, but it also enshrined policies that reformers blame for the growth of a racist incarceration system, such as mandatory prison sentences for certain kinds of offenders and the allocation of massive new federal funding for police and prisons.
The Urgency Of Holding Police Accountable
A significant part of the frustration over Biden’s comment about shooting people in the legs was just how small-bore it was, which is representative of some of the problematic thinking in the Democratic Party.
“It pursues the same trend that other Democratic candidates have had: that we can’t solve the underlying issue, but we can make this common-sense tweak that won’t alienate conservatives,” said Mattias Lehman, a Black resident of Minneapolis and Sunrise’s digital director, who wrote the organization’s pointed tweet.
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Symone Sanders, a senior adviser for the Biden campaign, disputed that characterization, taking particular issue with the Sunrise Movement’s association of Biden’s remarks with those of Trump.
“Joe Biden spoke not only to the pain that people across the country are feeling, but specifically to the pain of the protesters,” she said. “So any suggestion that Donald Trump and Joe Biden are two sides of the same coin I just think is incorrect.”
The dust-up over Biden’s latest comment highlights the chasm between an overwhelmingly young and racially diverse array of activists and progressive voters clamoring for radical, immediate change, and a Democratic establishment, now led by Biden, that expresses sympathy for those demands while still playing catch-up on actual policy.
Many of the protesters are thinking much bigger. After all, the Floyd killing didn’t happen in isolation. It came in quick succession after other high-profile shootings of unarmed Black people, including Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, as well as the disproportionate impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on the Black community.
Rose, who was at the White House protest on Tuesday, said she wanted to see racism recognized as a public health crisis.
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“The confidence is fairly low right now. ... It’s hard to have that kind of hope but we have to start somewhere,” she added.
Thereasa, a 33-year-old naval officer and attorney, carried a sign with her list of demands as she protested outside the White House. “All police officers must undergo racial bias testing and pass with an acceptable score, all police homicide cases must be handled by a prosecutor outside of 150 miles from the office from which the case originated, a federal department must be created that is responsible for reevaluating and trying any case involving the killing of a person of color by police officers,” it read in part.
There is increasingly a push on the left to defund the police ― or at least radically decrease the funding for police departments.
“Communities are told there’s not enough money for education, for housing, for health care, for jobs, yet we see ballooning police budgets, over-policing,” said Sochie Nnaemeka, state director of the New York Working Families Party. “The first thing we need is to move money in order to invest in what we need.”
Two civil rights groups in Minneapolis, Reclaim the Block and Black Visions Collective, have put defunding police at the heart of a four-point pledge they are asking city council members to sign. They want the council to promise to never again increase the city’s police budget, to immediately cut $45 million from the existing police budget, to increase investment in “community-led health and safety strategies,” and to do everything it can to “compel” the police and other law enforcement bodies to stop “enacting violence” on protesters and other residents.
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“I want to see more moderate white politicians speak out. We can have the left vote as much as they want, but you need people in the middle to take you over the top. Them not saying anything is complicitness.” - Ben Baker, a 26-year-old activist
The New York Working Families Party’s biggest policing policy push this year is to reduce funding for the police and plow the savings into health care, housing and jobs programs that progressives argue will prevent crime by addressing its underlying causes. It’s not an abstract request: The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the city and state of New York into a budgetary squeeze, prompting the city, for example, to cancel its annual summer jobs program for 75,000 low-income teenagers and young adults.
These proposals are unlikely to be adopted by some progressive elected officials, let alone by party leaders like Biden and other mainstream Democrats. In a Tuesday interview, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a former progressive congressman well to the left of Biden, rejected the idea of defunding the police.
“There are a lot of police officers who recognize the need for reform and want to be part of it,” he said.
There’s an understanding among progressive Black activist groups that the change they are seeking cannot come overnight. But they’re looking for more from party leaders than what’s been offered for the Black community so far.
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“We are still trying to figure out what Biden’s strategy is to energize and activate Black voters,” said Jennifer Edwards, senior director of digital engagement and democracy at Color of Change, a grassroots progressive civil rights advocacy organization. “Not just Biden, but the Democratic Party needs to continue to prioritize the needs of Black voters in this moment. When we think about the bills that are moving through the halls of Congress right now and the policies proposed with respect to COVID and the black community, those can best be described as a bandaid.”
In that context, getting the ear of politicians is a fine place to start, according to Dorsey, the Arlington County Board member.
“The more important thing for me is whether people are going to accept the urgency that activists want,” he said. “That’s the gap that activists are rightly identifying as problematic.”


huffpost--2020-06-03--Progressive Groups To Spend Big On Unseating Bronx Rep. Eliot Engel

Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/Getty Images Rep. Eliot Engel ( D-N.Y. ) speaks at an event in Washington .
Progressive challenger Jamaal Bowman has blasted Engel for his absence from the district at the height of the pandemic .
Bowman ’ s bid to unseat Engel in the June 23 primary for New York ’ s 16th Congressional District is one of the left ’ s last chances to unseat an incumbent congressional Democrat in an election cycle where progressive activists have thus far succeeded in ousting just one .
Engel , who is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy stances , including his opposition to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement .
But he has also accrued a more progressive record on domestic policy , backing single-payer health care and the Green New Deal .
Helen Brosnan , a spokesperson for Justice Democrats ’ independent spending arm , said the group sees Bowman , a Bronx middle school principal , as someone who would fight more passionately for the priorities that Engel has formally endorsed .
She noted that Bowman , unlike Engel , is refusing to accept donations from corporate political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bowman are using independent spending entities to promote Bowman in cable television and internet ads , as well as a robust paid phone-canvassing operation .
The independent nature of the spending prevents the groups from coordinating with Bowman but frees them of campaign spending limits and the need to disclose individual donors before the primary .
The phone-banking operation will also be a key way to try to educate voters about the opportunity to cast absentee ballots .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) issued an executive order allowing all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regardless of their health .
The state is sending all voters absentee ballot request forms , but voters must complete the request forms by June 16 to receive the ballots .
They must subsequently also complete the ballots and either mail them to the state by June 22 or drop them off in person by the end of the day on June 23 .
Engel , 73 , has represented parts of the Bronx and neighboring Westchester County since 1989 .
As the highest-ranking foreign policy official in the House , he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigate President Donald Trump , including , most recently , Trump ’ s firing of the State Department ’ s internal watchdog .
But the infusion of outside cash for Bowman , 44 , arrives amid growing momentum for his candidacy , including a gaffe from Engel that went viral and handed Bowman the best fundraising day of his campaign .
In remarks caught on a hot mic at a Bronx news conference about police brutality and vandalism on Tuesday , Engel said he would not be so insistent on speaking were it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Absent context , though , the comments sound as if Engel were admitting that he would not be as interested in appearing attentive to the community if it were not politically necessary .
“ If I didn ’ t have a primary , I wouldn ’ t care , ” he said .
By the time the video of Engel had racked up more than a million views on Twitter , Bowman and his allies had already been hammering Engel for weeks for staying at his home in the Washington suburbs during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s presence in the New York district , by contrast , helped him win the unlikely endorsement of the New York State Nurses Association , the state ’ s largest nurses union .
The 30-second spot interprets Engel ’ s quote liberally .
Engel has never explicitly said that he only returned to New York because of his reelection .
He was referring to his desire to speak at a news conference .
Justice Democrats targeted Engel partly because of his conservative foreign policy views .
He is , for example , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Congress ― and the single biggest recipient in the House of campaign cash from pro-Israel groups this cycle .

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) speaks at an event in Washington. Progressive challenger Jamaal Bowman has blasted Engel for his absence from the district at the height of the pandemic. Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/Getty Images
Two left-wing groups plan to spend more than $500,000 on advertising and phone outreach to help progressive Jamaal Bowman unseat Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.).
The sizable investment from the Working Families Party and Justice Democrats, which recruited Bowman to run, aims to help close the funding gap between the candidates in a closely watched race in which Engel looks increasingly vulnerable.
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Bowman’s bid to unseat Engel in the June 23 primary for New York’s 16th Congressional District is one of the left’s last chances to unseat an incumbent congressional Democrat in an election cycle where progressive activists have thus far succeeded in ousting just one.
“This is one of the best opportunities this year to elect a transformative progressive voice to Congress,” said Joe Dinkin, the Working Families Party’s national campaigns director.
Engel, who is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is best known for his hawkish foreign policy stances, including his opposition to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. But he has also accrued a more progressive record on domestic policy, backing single-payer health care and the Green New Deal.
“There’s a difference between lip service and actually being committed every single day to the issues you say you’re fighting for.” - Helen Brosnan, Justice Democrats
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Helen Brosnan, a spokesperson for Justice Democrats’ independent spending arm, said the group sees Bowman, a Bronx middle school principal, as someone who would fight more passionately for the priorities that Engel has formally endorsed. She noted that Bowman, unlike Engel, is refusing to accept donations from corporate political action committees.
“We need a real progressive champion,” she said. “There’s a difference between lip service and actually being committed every single day to the issues you say you’re fighting for.”
The two organizations backing Bowman are using independent spending entities to promote Bowman in cable television and internet ads, as well as a robust paid phone-canvassing operation. The independent nature of the spending prevents the groups from coordinating with Bowman but frees them of campaign spending limits and the need to disclose individual donors before the primary.
Phone banking is particularly important for an insurgent candidate like Bowman, who would typically benefit from volunteer canvassing but cannot do so because of public health restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The phone-banking operation will also be a key way to try to educate voters about the opportunity to cast absentee ballots. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) issued an executive order allowing all New York voters to cast absentee ballots regardless of their health. The state is sending all voters absentee ballot request forms, but voters must complete the request forms by June 16 to receive the ballots. They must subsequently also complete the ballots and either mail them to the state by June 22 or drop them off in person by the end of the day on June 23.
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Jamaal Bowman, seen here speaking last year at an event about Black maternal mortality, is capitalizing on a verbal gaffe Rep. Eliot Engel made on Tuesday. Jamaal Bowman for Congress
Engel, 73, has represented parts of the Bronx and neighboring Westchester County since 1989. As the highest-ranking foreign policy official in the House, he has been at the center of efforts to investigate President Donald Trump, including, most recently, Trump’s firing of the State Department’s internal watchdog.
But the infusion of outside cash for Bowman, 44, arrives amid growing momentum for his candidacy, including a gaffe from Engel that went viral and handed Bowman the best fundraising day of his campaign. In remarks caught on a hot mic at a Bronx news conference about police brutality and vandalism on Tuesday, Engel said he would not be so insistent on speaking were it not for his competitive reelection race.
Absent context, though, the comments sound as if Engel were admitting that he would not be as interested in appearing attentive to the community if it were not politically necessary. “If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care,” he said.
By the time the video of Engel had racked up more than a million views on Twitter, Bowman and his allies had already been hammering Engel for weeks for staying at his home in the Washington suburbs during the height of the pandemic. Bowman’s presence in the New York district, by contrast, helped him win the unlikely endorsement of the New York State Nurses Association, the state’s largest nurses union.
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The first TV ad that the two groups are airing focuses exclusively on Engel’s absence from the district.
A second ad combines the critique with video of Engel’s Tuesday remarks.
“Engel only came back to win re-election, to help himself ― to save his job, not our lives,” the narrator of the second ad says after the clip plays.
The 30-second spot interprets Engel’s quote liberally. Engel has never explicitly said that he only returned to New York because of his reelection. He was referring to his desire to speak at a news conference.
“I thought it was important for people to know where I stand. That’s why I asked to speak,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
Justice Democrats targeted Engel partly because of his conservative foreign policy views. He is, for example, one of the staunchest supporters of Israeli policy in Congress ― and the single biggest recipient in the House of campaign cash from pro-Israel groups this cycle.
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But first, due to the pandemic, and then, in light of the social unrest over police brutality, the race to unseat Engel eventually became about whether he successfully represents his constituents.
To begin with, the demographics of New York’s 16th District, where the combined populations of Black and Latino residents outnumber their white neighbors, make Engel one of the few remaining white congressmen to represent a majority-minority district.
Engel can still point to the support he has received from his colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus.
He invoked the group’s most famous member, civil rights leader John Lewis (D-Ga.), in a debate with Bowman that aired on Tuesday night.
Referring to the need to confront racism in the country, Engel quoted Lewis, saying, “We may have come here on different ships, but now we’re all in the same boat together.”
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huffpost--2020-06-03--Tammy Duckworth: Trump's Use Of Military Against Protesters Is "Disgusting"

WASHINGTON ― Sen. Tammy Duckworth flew Black Hawk helicopters to fight al Qaeda in Iraq and nearly lost her life doing so .
Now , President Donald Trump is using military helicopters ― along with tear gas , rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades ― to intimidate Americans protesting racism and police brutality outside the White House .
“ The military is not to be used against Americans , ” the Illinois Democrat said in an interview Tuesday .
“ He is perverting , at best , the role of the military .
And he ’ s destroying what they stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve .
It is disgusting to me.
” Trump had military helicopters fly over protesters this week from as low as 100 feet above the ground .
He also had protesters tear-gassed in Lafayette Park so he could walk out of the White House and do a photo-op holding a Bible in front of a church .
( The White House has disputed that the tear gas was tear gas , but it was tear gas . )
Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that photo-op .
“ What were they doing there ?
” she asked .
“ For a photo-op in front of a church that has nothing to do with the military ?
Where people are talking about excessive use of police force , what were military leaders doing there ?
” “ He is perverting , at best , the role of the military .
And he ’ s destroying what they stand for and the honor with which they serve .
It is disgusting to me , '' Sen. Tammy Duckworth said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heat for the photo-op , and after one Pentagon adviser resigned over it in disgust , Esper said Wednesday that he didn ’ t know he was going to a photo-op .
Milley hasn ’ t said anything about it , though a senior Defense official said Wednesday he also didn ’ t intend to participate in a photo-op .
Even if they didn ’ t intend to take part in a completely inappropriate photo-op , could they have said no ?
Trump is , of course , the commander-in-chief .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee .
“ This is when you stand up .
...
Both of those men promised me [ during their confirmation hearings ] that they would resign before they executed unlawful orders.
” Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley walk with Donald Trump to his photo-op at St. John 's Church , right after the president had the police clear peaceful protesters in the area with tear gas .
The Illinois senator also took aim at West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump when he abruptly announced last month that he would be speaking at the military academy ’ s graduation ceremony , which hadn ’ t even been scheduled .
The president ’ s appearance required bringing nearly 1,000 cadets back to campus for the ceremony , now set for June 13 , testing them for the coronavirus and then isolating them for 14 days in rooms with masks .
At least 16 cadets have tested positive for the virus since coming back to school .
USA Today reported that 14 of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had already had the virus and recovered from it .
Even if the number of infected cadets is incredibly low , it ’ s still not acceptable that West Point is moving ahead with its ceremony , said Duckworth .
“ Even if you don ’ t care about the troops , what about all of the people supporting them ?
” she said .
“ They do not have to put 1,000 cadets into a single space in order to listen to Trump give a speech .
You could have done this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people back , where you ’ re only exposing a fraction of the student body at a time so that they can pick up their gear and report to their next duty station.
” “ He could say no , and then he would probably have to resign his post , ” Duckworth said .
“ The commandant at West Point , not a single one of these guys are doing it.
” She added , “ At a certain point , you ’ re the big boys wearing the four stars on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big boy sitting in that Secretary ’ s office .
You ’ ve got to be able to stand up and say , ‘ This is not right .
’ ”

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WASHINGTON ― Sen. Tammy Duckworth flew Black Hawk helicopters to fight al Qaeda in Iraq and nearly lost her life doing so. Now, President Donald Trump is using military helicopters ― along with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades ― to intimidate Americans protesting racism and police brutality outside the White House.
Duckworth is livid.
“The military is not to be used against Americans,” the Illinois Democrat said in an interview Tuesday. “He is perverting, at best, the role of the military. And he’s destroying what they stand for and the honor with which they serve. It is disgusting to me.”
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Trump had military helicopters fly over protesters this week from as low as 100 feet above the ground. He also had protesters tear-gassed in Lafayette Park so he could walk out of the White House and do a photo-op holding a Bible in front of a church. (The White House has disputed that the tear gas was tear gas, but it was tear gas.) Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, in military fatigues, joined the president in that photo-op.
That was profoundly disappointing for Duckworth.
“What were they doing there?” she asked. “For a photo-op in front of a church that has nothing to do with the military? Where people are talking about excessive use of police force, what were military leaders doing there?”
“He is perverting, at best, the role of the military. And he’s destroying what they stand for and the honor with which they serve. It is disgusting to me," Sen. Tammy Duckworth said of President Donald Trump. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Duckworth had more choice words for Esper and Milley at a Senate press event earlier Tuesday: They were “walking along like lap dogs behind a draft-dodging wannabe tinpot dictator. ... How dare you politicize our military.”
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After taking heat for the photo-op, and after one Pentagon adviser resigned over it in disgust, Esper said Wednesday that he didn’t know he was going to a photo-op. Milley hasn’t said anything about it, though a senior Defense official said Wednesday he also didn’t intend to participate in a photo-op.
Even if they didn’t intend to take part in a completely inappropriate photo-op, could they have said no? Trump is, of course, the commander-in-chief.
“They can say no,” said Duckworth, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “This is when you stand up. ... Both of those men promised me [during their confirmation hearings] that they would resign before they executed unlawful orders.”
Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley walk with Donald Trump to his photo-op at St. John's Church, right after the president had the police clear peaceful protesters in the area with tear gas. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images
The Illinois senator also took aim at West Point officials who did not say no to Trump when he abruptly announced last month that he would be speaking at the military academy’s graduation ceremony, which hadn’t even been scheduled. The president’s appearance required bringing nearly 1,000 cadets back to campus for the ceremony, now set for June 13, testing them for the coronavirus and then isolating them for 14 days in rooms with masks.
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At least 16 cadets have tested positive for the virus since coming back to school. USA Today reported that 14 of them tested positive for antibodies, meaning they had already had the virus and recovered from it. Even if the number of infected cadets is incredibly low, it’s still not acceptable that West Point is moving ahead with its ceremony, said Duckworth.
“Even if you don’t care about the troops, what about all of the people supporting them?” she said. “They do not have to put 1,000 cadets into a single space in order to listen to Trump give a speech. You could have done this in a very responsible way to bring people back, where you’re only exposing a fraction of the student body at a time so that they can pick up their gear and report to their next duty station.”
Can the commandant at West Point really say no to the president, though?
“He could say no, and then he would probably have to resign his post,” Duckworth said. “The commandant at West Point, not a single one of these guys are doing it.”
She added, “At a certain point, you’re the big boys wearing the four stars on your shoulders. You’re the big boy sitting in that Secretary’s office. You’ve got to be able to stand up and say, ‘This is not right.’”


huffpost--2020-06-03--Bronx Rep. Eliot Engel’s Hot Mic Moment Gives Progressive Opponent An Opening

Bowman wasted no time framing the remarks as evidence that Engel , who has spent almost all of the COVID-19 pandemic at his home in an upscale suburb of Washington , is interested in helping his constituents only when it is politically expedient .
The sensation around the video clip is generating excitement in left-wing activist circles .
Bowman ’ s campaign said it raised $ 107,000 on Tuesday , more than twice what it had on any other day of the campaign .
The enthusiasm for Bowman likely springs from the left ’ s hunger for a primary win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one at the federal level .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ s loss in the Democratic presidential primary has been particularly devastating for the left , but the progressive wing of the party has also fared poorly in down-ballot contests , managing to unseat just one of the moderate congressional Democrats it targeted , Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski .
( Even that coup was something of a hybrid effort , relying as it did on the largesse of establishment abortion-rights groups like EMILY ’ s List . )
It ’ s impossible to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot mic ” video will play in a June 23 primary set to take place under the unprecedented circumstances of a pandemic .
Bowman and Engel are competing for the Democratic nomination in New York ’ s 16th Congressional District , a racially and ideologically diverse slice of the Bronx and neighboring Westchester County .
A majority of the district ’ s residents are Black and Latino , a potential advantage for Bowman , who is Black , but the seat contains pockets of more moderate white voters as well .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but one of the labor unions that have gotten involved in the contest .
And as of the end of March , he had over $ 1 million in cash on hand , compared with $ 200,000 for Bowman .
But Engel ’ s gaffe occurred at a moment when Bowman was gaining momentum .
Earlier on Tuesday , schoolteacher Andom Ghebreghiorgis , who had also been vying for the progressive mantle , dropped out of the race and endorsed Bowman .
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee , which boasts a considerable email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bowman has been a visible presence in the district , which includes New Rochelle , where the coronavirus first appeared in New York , helping distribute food at food banks and joining nurses protesting for better personal protective equipment .
Bowman ’ s participation in a demonstration held by nurses helped him nab the endorsement of the New York State Nurses Association , the state ’ s largest nurses union .
By contrast , as the pandemic ravaged his district , Engel stayed in the home he owns in Potomac , Maryland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him in mid-May .
Despite Engel ’ s initial efforts to claim he had been spending time in his district as well , his office ultimately told The Atlantic that he had been in Maryland since the end of March .
He also admitted to taking credit for participating in food giveaways and relief events with other elected officials even though he was not physically present .
Many an entrenched incumbent has lost an election when doubts emerged about their ties to their home district .
For example , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated then-Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a neighboring district partly by drawing attention to the fact that Crowley no longer maintained a home in the district .
( Engel , by contrast , still has an apartment in the Bronx . )

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Every now and then, a powerful elected official makes an unforced error that threatens their otherwise favorable path to reelection.
Rep. Eliot Engel, a 16-term Bronx Democrat and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, fell prey to just such a mistake on Tuesday. A microphone captured him pleading with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. for speaking time at a news conference about local vandalism that emerged out of protests against the Minneapolis police killing last week of George Floyd.
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“I cannot have all the electeds talk, because otherwise we’ll never get out of here,” Diaz can be heard telling Engel before the news conference on a live TV broadcast of News12BX.
“If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care,” Engel replied.
Diaz couldn’t hear him. “If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care,” he repeated.
“Don’t do that to me,” Diaz said, shaking his head. “Everybody has a primary.”
Amid wall-to-wall coverage of the social unrest gripping American cities, the clip of the exchange posted by NY1 reporter Emily Ngo has since gotten more than 1 million views on Twitter.
It is not uncommon for politicians to fight for a speaking slot at a public event. Unfortunately for Engel, his request was caught on camera ― and, as he noted, he is facing a spirited primary against progressive middle school principal Jamaal Bowman.
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) is one of the most powerful figures in Washington. His primary challenger Jamaal Bowman argues that Engel is out of touch with the district. SAUL LOEB/Getty Images
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Bowman wasted no time framing the remarks as evidence that Engel, who has spent almost all of the COVID-19 pandemic at his home in an upscale suburb of Washington, is interested in helping his constituents only when it is politically expedient.
“This is so incredibly painful to watch from Rep. Eliot Engel,” Bowman said in a statement. “We need to be taking care of our communities right now ― whether it’s election season or not.”
The sensation around the video clip is generating excitement in left-wing activist circles. Bowman’s campaign said it raised $107,000 on Tuesday, more than twice what it had on any other day of the campaign.
The enthusiasm for Bowman likely springs from the left’s hunger for a primary win with precious few remaining opportunities to score one at the federal level. Sen. Bernie Sanders’s loss in the Democratic presidential primary has been particularly devastating for the left, but the progressive wing of the party has also fared poorly in down-ballot contests, managing to unseat just one of the moderate congressional Democrats it targeted, Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski. (Even that coup was something of a hybrid effort, relying as it did on the largesse of establishment abortion-rights groups like EMILY’s List.)
A win for Bowman would “send a powerful warning sign to Democrats across the country about the perils to ignoring progressives,” said Sean McElwee, a co-founder of the think tank Data for Progress who is supporting Bowman’s bid.
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It’s impossible to know for certain exactly what role the “hot mic” video will play in a June 23 primary set to take place under the unprecedented circumstances of a pandemic. Bowman and Engel are competing for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 16th Congressional District, a racially and ideologically diverse slice of the Bronx and neighboring Westchester County. A majority of the district’s residents are Black and Latino, a potential advantage for Bowman, who is Black, but the seat contains pockets of more moderate white voters as well.
“This is one of those gifts a campaign like his always hopes for.” - Mike Mikus, Democratic campaign consultant
In addition, Engel retains the support of all but one of the labor unions that have gotten involved in the contest. And as of the end of March, he had over $1 million in cash on hand, compared with $200,000 for Bowman.
In a statement, Engel maintained that it was legitimate for him to want his constituents to know he cares about them.
“In the context of running for re-election, I thought it was important for people to know where I stand, that’s why I asked to speak,” he said. “Of course I care deeply about what’s happening in this country, that’s what I wanted to convey.
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“I love the Bronx, grew up in the Bronx and lived here all my life. I would not have tried to impose on the Borough President if I didn’t think it was important.”
Incidentally, Diaz, like virtually every other elected official in the Bronx, has endorsed Engel and reiterated his support for him after the clip went viral on Tuesday.
But Engel’s gaffe occurred at a moment when Bowman was gaining momentum. Earlier on Tuesday, schoolteacher Andom Ghebreghiorgis, who had also been vying for the progressive mantle, dropped out of the race and endorsed Bowman. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which boasts a considerable email list, followed suit shortly thereafter.
And critically, Engel’s remarks fit nicely into Bowman’s existing efforts to depict Engel as a creature of Washington no longer in touch with his constituents.
Bowman has been a visible presence in the district, which includes New Rochelle, where the coronavirus first appeared in New York, helping distribute food at food banks and joining nurses protesting for better personal protective equipment. Bowman’s participation in a demonstration held by nurses helped him nab the endorsement of the New York State Nurses Association, the state’s largest nurses union.
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Jamaal Bowman distributes food at a food bank in Yonkers, New York. His presence in the district helped win him the backing of an influential union. Jamaal Bowman for Congress
By contrast, as the pandemic ravaged his district, Engel stayed in the home he owns in Potomac, Maryland, where a reporter for The Atlantic confronted him in mid-May. Despite Engel’s initial efforts to claim he had been spending time in his district as well, his office ultimately told The Atlantic that he had been in Maryland since the end of March. He also admitted to taking credit for participating in food giveaways and relief events with other elected officials even though he was not physically present.
“Every candidate ― especially someone who’s been in office for such a long time ― doesn’t want to make a mistake that amplifies concerns voters already have about them,” said Mike Mikus, a Democratic campaign consultant who advised New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his 2018 reelection bid.
Referring to Bowman, Mikus added, “This is one of those gifts a campaign like his always hopes for.”
Many an entrenched incumbent has lost an election when doubts emerged about their ties to their home district. For example, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated then-Rep. Joe Crowley in a June 2018 primary in a neighboring district partly by drawing attention to the fact that Crowley no longer maintained a home in the district. (Engel, by contrast, still has an apartment in the Bronx.)
Mikus suggested that Bowman would be wise to let Engel’s comments speak for themselves, placing them in television advertisements and direct-mail literature with relatively little additional text.
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“If used properly, it can be devastating,” he said.
Bruce Gyory, a New York political consultant and adjunct professor at the State University of New York, Albany, thinks Bowman has a shot in the race. But he argued that it would be a gamble to make too much hay out of Engel’s slip-up in paid advertising rather than focusing on earning the potentially game-changing endorsements of The New York Times and the New York Daily News.


huffpost--2020-06-03--D.C. National Guard To Investigate Helicopter's 'Show Of Force' Against Protesters

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The National Guard of the District of Columbia is investigating the use of one of its helicopters to make a “ show of force ” against protesters near the White House , while President Donald Trump is encouraging authorities to get tougher to quell the unrest over George Floyd ’ s death .
The helicopter , normally designated for use in medical evacuations , hovered low enough to create a deafening noise and spray protesters with rotor wash on Monday .
The commanding general of the D.C. Guard , Maj. Gen. William Walker , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investigation , and officials The investigation comes as the federal government has promised to maximize its law enforcement presence in the nation ’ s capital .
Scores of heavily-armed federal officers in tactical gear have been on the district ’ s streets for days , after demonstrators set fires , broke store windows and stole items from the shelves and left police officers injured .
The Trump administration has made an effort to show a use of force in Washington .
Hours before a 7 p.m. curfew on Tuesday , cars were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a cavalry of armored military vehicles could be seen driving through the district .
Mayor Muriel Bowser said the administration had floated the idea of taking over the Metropolitan Police Department , a proposal she strongly rejected .
She threatened to take legal action if the federal government attempted to do so .
Two Defense Department officials said the administration had ordered military aircraft to fly above Washington on Monday night as a “ show of force ” against demonstrators .
They were protesting the death of Floyd , a black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air .
Police made over 300 arrests , mainly for violating the district ’ s curfew .
After participating in the show of force , Arlington County in Virginia pulled out its officers , saying they were used “ for a purpose not worthy of our mutual aid obligations.
” County officials said in a statement their officers never wielded their batons and did not fire rubber bullets or tear gas .
After watching the scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief ordered all the officers to return to Virginia .
Officials said they were reevaluating the mutual aid agreements to ensure officers “ are never again put in a situation where they are asked to take action that is inconsistent with our values.
” The U.S. Park Police said it gave three warnings over a loudspeaker before clearing the area of protesters , some of whom authorities said were becoming violent , throwing projectiles and trying to grab weapons .
The agency said it used smoke canisters and pepper balls to disperse the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement to clear the park and push back the perimeter around the White House when he arrived there Monday evening , before the president ’ s remarks , and that led to police using force to disperse protesters , a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press .
Officials had decided the perimeter had to be moved by at least one full block , after fires were set in the park the night before , the person said .
When Barr arrived , he was surprised it hadn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken , according to the person , who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
In a Monday call with governors , Trump and Barr encouraged more aggressive action against those who cause violence during protests .
Trump said he was “ taking immediate presidential action to stop the violence and restore security and safety in America.
” The president urged governors to deploy the National Guard , which he credited with helping calm the situation Sunday night in Minneapolis , and demanded that similarly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also experienced spasms of violence , including New York , Philadelphia and Los Angeles .
Between the protests and the response to the coronavirus pandemic , the National Guard has been deployed at its highest level in recent history , surpassing the number of troops sent to the Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 .
More than 66,700 soldiers and airmen have been activated — 45,000 to assist with the pandemic and more than 17,000 to help with the protests .
The Park Police and Secret Service have had dozens of officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last few nights , in addition to the Metropolitan Police Department .
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other Homeland Security agencies were also dispatched .
Most of the protesters have been peaceful and tried to discourage violence .
Trump , Barr and others have tried to blame some of the civil unrest on left-wing extremist groups , including antifa , and other “ anarchists.
” Short for anti-fascists , antifa is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups that resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Guard of the District of Columbia is investigating the use of one of its helicopters to make a “show of force” against protesters near the White House, while President Donald Trump is encouraging authorities to get tougher to quell the unrest over George Floyd’s death.
The helicopter, normally designated for use in medical evacuations, hovered low enough to create a deafening noise and spray protesters with rotor wash on Monday. The commanding general of the D.C. Guard, Maj. Gen. William Walker, said in a statement Wednesday that he directed the investigation, and officials
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The investigation comes as the federal government has promised to maximize its law enforcement presence in the nation’s capital. Scores of heavily-armed federal officers in tactical gear have been on the district’s streets for days, after demonstrators set fires, broke store windows and stole items from the shelves and left police officers injured.
Military helicopters trying to disperse protesters here in DC pic.twitter.com/md6hYVqE7u — Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) June 2, 2020
The Trump administration has made an effort to show a use of force in Washington. Hours before a 7 p.m. curfew on Tuesday, cars were being stopped at military checkpoints downtown, and a cavalry of armored military vehicles could be seen driving through the district.
Mayor Muriel Bowser said the administration had floated the idea of taking over the Metropolitan Police Department, a proposal she strongly rejected. She threatened to take legal action if the federal government attempted to do so.
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Two Defense Department officials said the administration had ordered military aircraft to fly above Washington on Monday night as a “show of force” against demonstrators. They were protesting the death of Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis policeman pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air. Police made over 300 arrests, mainly for violating the district’s curfew.
Earlier Monday evening, law enforcement officers on foot and horseback moved aggressively to clear protesters away from Lafayette Park near the White House before President Donald Trump walked to a nearby church for a photo opportunity.
After participating in the show of force, Arlington County in Virginia pulled out its officers, saying they were used “for a purpose not worthy of our mutual aid obligations.” County officials said in a statement their officers never wielded their batons and did not fire rubber bullets or tear gas.
After watching the scene unfold on live television, the police chief ordered all the officers to return to Virginia. Officials said they were reevaluating the mutual aid agreements to ensure officers “are never again put in a situation where they are asked to take action that is inconsistent with our values.”
The U.S. Park Police said it gave three warnings over a loudspeaker before clearing the area of protesters, some of whom authorities said were becoming violent, throwing projectiles and trying to grab weapons. The agency said it used smoke canisters and pepper balls to disperse the crowd.
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Attorney General William Barr ordered law enforcement to clear the park and push back the perimeter around the White House when he arrived there Monday evening, before the president’s remarks, and that led to police using force to disperse protesters, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Officials had decided the perimeter had to be moved by at least one full block, after fires were set in the park the night before, the person said. When Barr arrived, he was surprised it hadn’t been done and directed action to be taken, according to the person, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
In a Monday call with governors, Trump and Barr encouraged more aggressive action against those who cause violence during protests. Trump said he was “taking immediate presidential action to stop the violence and restore security and safety in America.”
The president urged governors to deploy the National Guard, which he credited with helping calm the situation Sunday night in Minneapolis, and demanded that similarly tough measures be taken in cities that also experienced spasms of violence, including New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
Between the protests and the response to the coronavirus pandemic, the National Guard has been deployed at its highest level in recent history, surpassing the number of troops sent to the Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. More than 66,700 soldiers and airmen have been activated — 45,000 to assist with the pandemic and more than 17,000 to help with the protests.
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The Justice Department had deployed agents from every one of its agencies, including the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, an elite tactical unit, and riot teams from the Bureau of Prisons.
The Park Police and Secret Service have had dozens of officers out in riot gear in Washington for the last few nights, in addition to the Metropolitan Police Department. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other Homeland Security agencies were also dispatched.
Most of the protesters have been peaceful and tried to discourage violence. Trump, Barr and others have tried to blame some of the civil unrest on left-wing extremist groups, including antifa, and other “anarchists.” Short for anti-fascists, antifa is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups that resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations.
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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Lolita C. Baldor and Ashraf Khalil in Washington; James LaPorta in Delray Beach, Florida; and Sarah Blake Morgan in West Jefferson, North Carolina, contributed to this report.


huffpost--2020-06-03--Hydroxychloroquine, Drug Touted By Trump, Fails To Prevent COVID-19 In Rigorous Study

ASSOCIATED PRESS In this April 6 , 2020 file photo , a pharmacist holds a bottle of the drug hydroxychloroquine in Oakland , Calif .
Results published Wednesday , June 3 , 2020 , by the New England Journal of Medicine show that hydroxychloroquine was no better than placebo pills at preventing illness from the COVID-19 coronavirus .
The drug did not seem to cause serious harm , though - about 40 % on it had side effects , mostly mild stomach problems .
( AP Photo/Ben Margot ) A malaria drug President Donald Trump took to try to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first large , high-quality study to test it in health workers and others closely exposed to people with the disease .
Results published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine show that hydroxychloroquine was no better than placebo pills at preventing illness from the coronavirus .
The drug did not seem to cause serious harm , though ― about 40 % on it had side effects , mostly mild stomach problems .
“ We were disappointed .
We would have liked for this to work , ” said the study leader , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specialist at the University of Minnesota .
“ But our objective was to answer the question and to conduct a high-quality study , ” because the evidence on the drug so far has been inconclusive , he said .
Hydroxychloroquine and a similar drug , chloroquine , have been the subject of much debate since Trump started promoting them in March .
Hydroxychloroquine has long been used for malaria , lupus and rheumatoid arthritis , but no large studies have shown it or chloroquine to be safe or effective for much sicker patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested the drugs may do harm .
Trump took a two-week course of hydroxychloroquine , along with zinc and Vitamin D , after two staffers tested positive for COVID-19 , and had no ill effects , according to results of his latest physical released by his doctor Wednesday .
Boulware ’ s study involved 821 people in the United States and Canada living with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or at high risk of getting it because of their job ― doctors , nurses , ambulance workers who had significant exposure to a sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They were randomly assigned to get either placebo pills or hydroxychloroquine for five days , starting within four days of their exposure .
Neither they nor their doctors knew who who was getting what .
After 14 days in the study , 12 % on the drug developed COVID-19 symptoms versus 14 % in the placebo group , but the difference is so small it could have occurred by chance , Boulware said .
“ There ’ s basically no effect .
It does not prevent infection , ” he said of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give some slim advantage , “ we ’ d want a much larger effect ” to justify its use and risk of side effects for preventing illness , he said .
Results were no different among a subgroup of participants who were taking zinc or vitamin C , which some people believe might help make hydroxychloroquine more effective .
“ This fits with everything else we ’ ve seen so far which suggests that it ’ s not beneficial , ” said Dr. Peter Bach , director of a health policy center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York .
This study was in younger relatively healthy people , but the results “ would make me very discouraged about trying to use this in older people ” who are most vulnerable to serious illness from the coronavirus , Bach said .
“ If it does work , it doesn ’ t work very well.
” On Tuesday , the journal Lancet posted an “ expression of concern ” about a study it published earlier this month of nearly 15,000 COVID-19 patients on the malaria drugs that tied their use to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital or developing a heartbeat problem .
That work had a big impact : the World Health Organization suspended use of hydroxychloroquine in a study it is leading , and French officials stopped the drug ’ s use in hospitals .
On Wednesday , the WHO said experts who reviewed safety information decided that its study could resume .

In this April 6, 2020 file photo, a pharmacist holds a bottle of the drug hydroxychloroquine in Oakland, Calif. Results published Wednesday, June 3, 2020, by the New England Journal of Medicine show that hydroxychloroquine was no better than placebo pills at preventing illness from the COVID-19 coronavirus. The drug did not seem to cause serious harm, though - about 40% on it had side effects, mostly mild stomach problems. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) ASSOCIATED PRESS
A malaria drug President Donald Trump took to try to prevent COVID-19 proved ineffective for that in the first large, high-quality study to test it in health workers and others closely exposed to people with the disease.
Results published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine show that hydroxychloroquine was no better than placebo pills at preventing illness from the coronavirus. The drug did not seem to cause serious harm, though ― about 40% on it had side effects, mostly mild stomach problems.
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“We were disappointed. We would have liked for this to work,” said the study leader, Dr. David Boulware, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota. “But our objective was to answer the question and to conduct a high-quality study,” because the evidence on the drug so far has been inconclusive, he said.
Hydroxychloroquine and a similar drug, chloroquine, have been the subject of much debate since Trump started promoting them in March. Hydroxychloroquine has long been used for malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, but no large studies have shown it or chloroquine to be safe or effective for much sicker patients with coronavirus, and some studies have suggested the drugs may do harm.
Trump took a two-week course of hydroxychloroquine, along with zinc and Vitamin D, after two staffers tested positive for COVID-19, and had no ill effects, according to results of his latest physical released by his doctor Wednesday.
Federal regulators have warned against their use except in hospitals and formal studies because of the risk of side effects, especially heart rhythm problems.
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Boulware’s study involved 821 people in the United States and Canada living with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or at high risk of getting it because of their job ― doctors, nurses, ambulance workers who had significant exposure to a sick patient while not wearing full protective gear.
They were randomly assigned to get either placebo pills or hydroxychloroquine for five days, starting within four days of their exposure. Neither they nor their doctors knew who who was getting what.
After 14 days in the study, 12% on the drug developed COVID-19 symptoms versus 14% in the placebo group, but the difference is so small it could have occurred by chance, Boulware said.
“There’s basically no effect. It does not prevent infection,” he said of the drug. Even if it were to give some slim advantage, “we’d want a much larger effect” to justify its use and risk of side effects for preventing illness, he said.
Results were no different among a subgroup of participants who were taking zinc or vitamin C, which some people believe might help make hydroxychloroquine more effective.
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“This fits with everything else we’ve seen so far which suggests that it’s not beneficial,” said Dr. Peter Bach, director of a health policy center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
This study was in younger relatively healthy people, but the results “would make me very discouraged about trying to use this in older people” who are most vulnerable to serious illness from the coronavirus, Bach said. “If it does work, it doesn’t work very well.”
Dr. Dan Culver, a lung specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, said there’s still a chance that giving the drug sooner than four days after someone’s exposure to the virus may help prevent illness.
But the study “takes ‘home run’ off the table” as far as hopes for the drug, he said.
The study was mostly funded by David Baszucki, founder of Roblox, a California-based game software company, and other private donors and the Minnesota university.
Boulware also is leading a study testing hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19. The study is finished and results are being analyzed now.
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On Tuesday, the journal Lancet posted an “expression of concern” about a study it published earlier this month of nearly 15,000 COVID-19 patients on the malaria drugs that tied their use to a higher risk of dying in the hospital or developing a heartbeat problem.
Scientists have raised serious questions about the database used for that study, and its authors have launched an independent audit.
That work had a big impact: the World Health Organization suspended use of hydroxychloroquine in a study it is leading, and French officials stopped the drug’s use in hospitals. On Wednesday, the WHO said experts who reviewed safety information decided that its study could resume.
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Marilynn Marchione can be followed on Twitter: @MMarchioneAP
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huffpost--2020-06-03--Coronavirus Live Updates: Read The Latest About The COVID-19 Outbreak

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday issued a stern warning to those planning to attend Black Lives Matter protests around the country this weekend amid fears the events could spread coronavirus .
“ The health advice is very clear , that it ’ s not a good idea to go , ” he told reporters .
“ Let ’ s find a better way and another way to express these sentiments , rather than putting your own health at risk , the health of others at risk , and the great gains we have been able to make as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Australian cities of Perth and Sydney have protested this week against police violence and mourned not just George Floyd but Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives lost at the hands of police .
“ Stop Black Deaths In Custody ” protests are planned in most major Australian cities for this weekend but Morrison has made it clear people should still be very wary of contracting coronavirus .
Australia has not reported a death from coronavirus for more than a week .
It has recorded 102 COVID-19 deaths and almost 7,200 infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disparities With COVID-19 — 6/4/2020 , 4:27 p.m .
ET The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that it will require coronavirus testing sites to collect demographic data from patients amid growing concerns that COVID-19 disproportionately affects communities of color .
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield cited healthy food as one of the many resources that communities of color often can not access .
“ There ’ s no question that the social determinants of health as pertained to access to quality food have enormous public health — health outcomes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee hearing .
Gathering better data about the way COVID-19 affects those communities opens new doors , he said , calling it “ the key first step that we need to do to address the health disparities.
” The development comes as protesters nationwide call out the systemic racism that the Black community faces , both in law enforcement and other facets of government , including public health .
In April , data from the CDC found that nearly one-third of those who have died from the coronavirus are Black .
Three of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that hydroxychloroquine increased the risk of death in COVID-19 patients retracted the study on Thursday , citing concerns about the quality of the data behind it .
The study ’ s authors said Surgisphere , the company that provided the data , would not transfer the full data set for an independent review .
“ As such , our reviewers were not able to conduct an independent and private peer review and therefore notified us of their withdrawal from the peer review process , ” the authors wrote in a statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we can no longer vouch for the veracity of the primary data sources.
” President Donald Trump has touted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 , despite a dearth of scientific evidence to back up his claim .
He has said that he ’ s taken hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic against the coronavirus .
However , results of a rigorous study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that using the anti-malarial drug to prevent COVID-19 proved ineffective .
Florida Reports Largest Number Of New Cases Since Mid-April — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded 1,317 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday , the state ’ s highest daily total of newly confirmed cases since April 17 , the Florida Department of Health said .
The state has now reported more than 58,000 cases and at least 2,500 deaths .
Florida was one of the earliest and largest states to ease coronavirus restrictions .
Gov .
Ron DeSantis , a Republican , allowed the statewide stay-at-home order to expire on May 4 .
Miami-Dade County has the highest number of cases within the state , with more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 states , including California , North Carolina and Texas , have seen growth in newly reported cases over the last 14 days , in part because they ’ ve expanded their testing capability , The New York Times reported .
Trump Threatens To Move Republican Convention If He Can ’ t Have Rally Despite Coronavirus Concerns — 6/3/20 , 11:11 a.m .
ET President Donald Trump may move a planned speech for the 2020 Republican National Convention in North Carolina to a new state because coronavirus rules implemented by the state would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host a large rally .
“ The night the president accepts the nomination will not happen in Charlotte , ” an RNC official told CNN Wednesday .
The possible change-up has to do with Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper ’ s refusal to pre-authorize a gathering of more than 19,000 people .
Trump said last week that he was “ forced ” to find a new state to give his speech , one that presumably would allow him to host a large rally despite concerns about the deadly pandemic .

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday issued a stern warning to those planning to attend Black Lives Matter protests around the country this weekend amid fears the events could spread coronavirus.
“The health advice is very clear, that it’s not a good idea to go,” he told reporters. “Let’s find a better way and another way to express these sentiments, rather than putting your own health at risk, the health of others at risk, and the great gains we have been able to make as a country in recent months.”
People in the Australian cities of Perth and Sydney have protested this week against police violence and mourned not just George Floyd but Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives lost at the hands of police.
“Stop Black Deaths In Custody” protests are planned in most major Australian cities for this weekend but Morrison has made it clear people should still be very wary of contracting coronavirus. Australia has not reported a death from coronavirus for more than a week. It has recorded 102 COVID-19 deaths and almost 7,200 infections.
Read more here.
— Carly Williams
CDC Seeks To Address Health Care Disparities With COVID-19 — 6/4/2020, 4:27 p.m. ET
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that it will require coronavirus testing sites to collect demographic data from patients amid growing concerns that COVID-19 disproportionately affects communities of color.
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield cited healthy food as one of the many resources that communities of color often cannot access.
“There’s no question that the social determinants of health as pertained to access to quality food have enormous public health — health outcomes,” he said at a House Appropriations Committee hearing.
Gathering better data about the way COVID-19 affects those communities opens new doors, he said, calling it “the key first step that we need to do to address the health disparities.”
The development comes as protesters nationwide call out the systemic racism that the Black community faces, both in law enforcement and other facets of government, including public health. In April, data from the CDC found that nearly one-third of those who have died from the coronavirus are Black.
— Lydia O’Connor
Study Authors Retract Influential Lancet Hydroxychloroquine Article — 6/4/20, 4:10 p.m. ET
Three of the authors behind an influential article that found that hydroxychloroquine increased the risk of death in COVID-19 patients retracted the study on Thursday, citing concerns about the quality of the data behind it.
The study’s authors said Surgisphere, the company that provided the data, would not transfer the full data set for an independent review.
“As such, our reviewers were not able to conduct an independent and private peer review and therefore notified us of their withdrawal from the peer review process,” the authors wrote in a statement, adding, “Based on this development, we can no longer vouch for the veracity of the primary data sources.”
President Donald Trump has touted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, despite a dearth of scientific evidence to back up his claim. He has said that he’s taken hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic against the coronavirus. However, results of a rigorous study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that using the anti-malarial drug to prevent COVID-19 proved ineffective.
— Hayley Miller
Florida Reports Largest Number Of New Cases Since Mid-April — 6/3/20, 1:45 p.m. ET
Florida recorded 1,317 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the state’s highest daily total of newly confirmed cases since April 17, the Florida Department of Health said. The state has now reported more than 58,000 cases and at least 2,500 deaths.
Florida was one of the earliest and largest states to ease coronavirus restrictions. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, allowed the statewide stay-at-home order to expire on May 4. Miami-Dade County has the highest number of cases within the state, with more than 18,000 as of Wednesday.
At least 17 states, including California, North Carolina and Texas, have seen growth in newly reported cases over the last 14 days, in part because they’ve expanded their testing capability, The New York Times reported.
— Hayley Miller
Trump Threatens To Move Republican Convention If He Can’t Have Rally Despite Coronavirus Concerns — 6/3/20, 11:11 a.m. ET
President Donald Trump may move a planned speech for the 2020 Republican National Convention in North Carolina to a new state because coronavirus rules implemented by the state would mean Trump wouldn’t get to host a large rally.
“The night the president accepts the nomination will not happen in Charlotte,” an RNC official told CNN Wednesday.
The possible change-up has to do with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s refusal to pre-authorize a gathering of more than 19,000 people. Trump said last week that he was “forced” to find a new state to give his speech, one that presumably would allow him to host a large rally despite concerns about the deadly pandemic.
— Sebastian Murdock


huffpost--2020-04-12--Fears Of 'Wild West' As Coronavirus Blood Tests Hit The Market

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Blood tests for the coronavirus could play a key role in deciding whether millions of Americans can safely return to work and school .
But public health officials warn that the current “ Wild West ” of unregulated tests is creating confusion that could ultimately slow the path to recovery .
More than 70 companies have signed up to sell so-called antibody tests in recent weeks , according to U.S. regulators .
Governments around the world hope that the rapid tests , which typically use a finger-prick of blood on a test strip , could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have previously had the virus and have developed some immunity to it .
The blood tests are different from the nasal swab-based tests currently used to diagnose active COVID-19 infections .
Instead , the tests look for blood proteins called antibodies , which the body produces days or weeks after fighting an infection .
The same approach is used for HIV , hepatitis , Lyme disease , lupus and many other diseases .
Right now , the tests are most useful for researchers studying how the virus has spread through the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has started testing 10,000 volunteers .
The White House has not outlined a broader plan for testing and how the results might be used .
With almost no FDA oversight of the tests , “ It really has created a mess that ’ s going to take a while to clean up , ” said Eric Blank of the Association for Public Health Laboratories .
“ In the meantime , you ’ ve got a lot of companies marketing a lot of stuff and nobody has any idea of how good it is.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which represent state and local lab officials , have urged the FDA to revisit its lax approach toward the tests .
That approach essentially allows companies to launch as long as they notify the agency and include disclaimers .
Companies are supposed to state that their tests have not been FDA-approved and can not rule out whether someone is currently infected .
For most people , the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks .
For some , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health problems , it can cause more severe illness , including pneumonia , and death .
For many infections , antibody levels above a certain threshold indicate that the person ’ s immune system has successfully fought off the virus and is likely protected from reinfection .
For COVID-19 , it ’ s not yet clear what level of antibodies render patients immune or how long immunity might last .
Adding to the confusion is the fact that both legitimate companies and fraudulent operators appear to be selling the kits .
Distinguishing between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials in Laredo , Texas , reported this month that some 2,500 antibody tests set for use at a local drive-thru testing site were likely frauds .
City officials had ordered what they were told were “ FDA-approved COVID-19 rapid tests , ” from a local clinic .
But when they checked the test ’ s accuracy , it fell well below the range promised , the city said in a statement .
Promotional emails sent to hospitals and reviewed by The Associated Press failed to include required disclaimers .
Some kits sold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for home testing .
The agency has not yet approved any COVID-19 home test .
The blood tests have to processed by a lab .
“ If you see them on the internet , do not buy them until we can give you a test that ’ s reliable for all Americans , ” said Dr. Deborah Birx , coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force , at a recent briefing .
20/20 BioResponse is one of dozens of U.S. companies selling the tests to hospitals , clinics and doctor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company imports the tests from a Chinese manufacturer but CEO Jonathan Cohen says his company independently confirmed its performance in 60 U.S. patients .
He estimates the company has shipped 10,000 tests and has had to limit orders due to demand .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Blood tests for the coronavirus could play a key role in deciding whether millions of Americans can safely return to work and school. But public health officials warn that the current “Wild West” of unregulated tests is creating confusion that could ultimately slow the path to recovery.
More than 70 companies have signed up to sell so-called antibody tests in recent weeks, according to U.S. regulators. Governments around the world hope that the rapid tests, which typically use a finger-prick of blood on a test strip, could soon ease public restrictions by identifying people who have previously had the virus and have developed some immunity to it.
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But key questions remain: How accurate are the tests, how much protection is needed and how long will that protection last.
The blood tests are different from the nasal swab-based tests currently used to diagnose active COVID-19 infections. Instead, the tests look for blood proteins called antibodies, which the body produces days or weeks after fighting an infection. The same approach is used for HIV, hepatitis, Lyme disease, lupus and many other diseases.
Because of the relative simplicity of the technology, the Food and Drug Administration decided to waive initial review of the tests as part of its emergency response to the coronavirus outbreak.
A scientist presents an antibody test for coronavirus in a laboratory of the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT) at the InfectoGnostics research campus in Jena, Germany, Friday, April 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Right now, the tests are most useful for researchers studying how the virus has spread through the U.S. population. The government said Friday it has started testing 10,000 volunteers. The White House has not outlined a broader plan for testing and how the results might be used.
With almost no FDA oversight of the tests, “It really has created a mess that’s going to take a while to clean up,” said Eric Blank of the Association for Public Health Laboratories. “In the meantime, you’ve got a lot of companies marketing a lot of stuff and nobody has any idea of how good it is.”
Members of Blank’s group, which represent state and local lab officials, have urged the FDA to revisit its lax approach toward the tests. That approach essentially allows companies to launch as long as they notify the agency and include disclaimers. Companies are supposed to state that their tests have not been FDA-approved and cannot rule out whether someone is currently infected.
Last week, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement that the agency will “take appropriate action” against companies making false claims or selling inaccurate tests.
Dr. Allison Rakeman of New York City’s Public Health Laboratory says some local hospitals are assuming the tests, which are listed on FDA’s website, “have been vetted, when they have not.”
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The danger of faulty testing, Rakeman says, is that people will mistakenly conclude that they are immune or are no longer spreading the virus.
“Then somebody goes home and kisses their 90-year-old grandmother,” said Rakeman. “You don’t want to give someone a false sense of security.”
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
For many infections, antibody levels above a certain threshold indicate that the person’s immune system has successfully fought off the virus and is likely protected from reinfection. For COVID-19, it’s not yet clear what level of antibodies render patients immune or how long immunity might last.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that both legitimate companies and fraudulent operators appear to be selling the kits. Distinguishing between the two can be a challenge.
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Officials in Laredo, Texas, reported this month that some 2,500 antibody tests set for use at a local drive-thru testing site were likely frauds. City officials had ordered what they were told were “FDA-approved COVID-19 rapid tests,” from a local clinic. But when they checked the test’s accuracy, it fell well below the range promised, the city said in a statement.
Examples of U.S. companies skirting the rules appear online and in emails sent to hospitals.
Promotional emails sent to hospitals and reviewed by The Associated Press failed to include required disclaimers. Some kits sold on websites promote themselves as “FDA-approved” for home testing. The agency has not yet approved any COVID-19 home test. The blood tests have to processed by a lab.
“If you see them on the internet, do not buy them until we can give you a test that’s reliable for all Americans,” said Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, at a recent briefing.
20/20 BioResponse is one of dozens of U.S. companies selling the tests to hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices. The Rockville, Maryland-based company imports the tests from a Chinese manufacturer but CEO Jonathan Cohen says his company independently confirmed its performance in 60 U.S. patients. He estimates the company has shipped 10,000 tests and has had to limit orders due to demand.
He said antibody tests are not a “panacea but they’re not garbage either.”
Cohen called them “a tool in the toolbox that will have some value along with other tests.”
The company’s test is registered on the FDA website and includes all the required disclaimers.
To date, the FDA has only authorized one COVID-19 antibody test from North Carolina diagnostics company Cellex. The agency used its emergency powers, meaning a formal review is still needed.
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The White House has also tried to temper expectations for the tests, while still promising that millions will soon be available.
Dr. Brett Giroir, the federal health official overseeing U.S. testing, told reporters a week ago that the FDA and other agencies are working to confirm the accuracy of the antibody tests.
“We’re going to be very careful to make sure that when we tell you you’re likely immune from the disease ... the test really said that,” Giroir said.
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Follow Matthew Perrone on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AP_FDAwriter
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huffpost--2020-04-12--Pope Celebrates Joy Of Easter Amid Sorrow Of Coronavirus, Alone

VATICAN CITY ( AP ) — Pope Francis called for solidarity the world over to confront the “ epochal challenge ” posed by the coronavirus pandemic , as Christians celebrated a solitary Easter Sunday , blending the joyful feast day with sorrow over the toll the virus has already taken .
Families who normally would attend morning Mass in their Easter best and later join friends for celebratory lunches hunkered down at home .
Police checkpoints in Europe and closed churches around the globe forced the faithful to watch Easter services online or on TV .
“ We feel close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” parishioner Luca Rosati said from his balcony .
“ We can experience from here what we normally would experience inside the church , as a community.
” “ The message of Easter is that life , despite all , will prevail , ” said Pizzaballa said during Mass attended by a few clerics , with the streets of the surrounding Old City devoid of pilgrims and vendors .
Normally , St. Peter ’ s Square would be awash in fresh flowers for Easter , with tulips and orchids decorating the piazza ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to underscore Easter ’ s message of life and rebirth following Christ ’ s crucifixion .
This year , however , the cobblestoned piazza was bare .
Police barricades ringed the square , blocking the tens of thousands who would normally flock to hear the pope ’ s Mass and noontime “ Urbi et Orbi ” speech and blessing “ to the city and the world.
” In his Easter address , Francis urged political leaders to provide hope and opportunity to the millions of newly jobless and urged the European Union in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epochal challenge ” posed by COVID-19 , which has ravaged Italy , Spain and other EU countries .
“ After the Second World War , this beloved continent was able to rise again , thanks to a concrete spirit of solidarity that enabled it to overcome the rivalries of the past , ” he said .
“ This is not a time for self-centeredness , because the challenge we are facing is shared by all , without distinguishing between persons.
” He urged the faithful to pray for the sick , the dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his horizons , he called for sanctions relief , debt forgiveness and cease-fires to calm conflicts and financial crises around the globe .
Francis ’ lonely Mass was a scene that was repeated around the world , with churches either closed or , for the few still open , forcing the faithful to practice social distancing .
In South Korea , where one outbreak was tied to a church sect , services were largely held online .
A small number of masked faithful attended service at Seoul ’ s Yoido Full Gospel Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea .
They were seated notably apart from each other , and choir members sang hymns from behind masks .
The Church of England shuttered its churches , prompting the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury , Justin Welby , to celebrate Easter Sunday service from his kitchen in London .
The spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide , Welby delivered his sermon in full robes behind a makeshift altar on his dining room table .
“ Welcome to the kitchen of our home on Easter Day , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elsewhere , we can not be content to go back to what was before as if all was normal.
” In Lebanon , home to the largest percentage of Christians in the Arab world , Cardinal Bechara Rai urged the faithful to abide by virus lockdown measures even as Lebanon endures its worst economic crisis in decades .
“ We are praying so that Lebanese officials work together in the spirit of collaboration to revive Lebanon economically , financially and socially , ” Rai said in an almost empty church in Bkerki , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Maronite Church he heads .
In New Zealand , Catholic bishops wrote a special pastoral letter to worshipers stuck at home , acknowledging the stresses and uncertainties of this Easter like no other but urging the faithful to take comfort in time with family .

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VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis called for solidarity the world over to confront the “epochal challenge” posed by the coronavirus pandemic, as Christians celebrated a solitary Easter Sunday, blending the joyful feast day with sorrow over the toll the virus has already taken.
Families who normally would attend morning Mass in their Easter best and later join friends for celebratory lunches hunkered down at home. Police checkpoints in Europe and closed churches around the globe forced the faithful to watch Easter services online or on TV.
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A few lucky Romans attended Mass from their balconies overlooking Santa Emerenziana church in the northern Trieste neighborhood, where a priest celebrated a rooftop open-air service.
“We feel close to each other despite this distance,” parishioner Luca Rosati said from his balcony. “We can experience from here what we normally would experience inside the church, as a community.”
At Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified and entombed, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa urged the faithful to not be discouraged.
“The message of Easter is that life, despite all, will prevail,” said Pizzaballa said during Mass attended by a few clerics, with the streets of the surrounding Old City devoid of pilgrims and vendors.
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Pope Francis attends Easter Sunday Mass, inside an empty St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, April 12, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
At the Vatican, Francis celebrated Mass in a largely empty St. Peter’s Basilica, with a handful of token faithful sitting one per pew and and the choir’s “Kyrie” hymn echoing off the bare marble floors.
Normally, St. Peter’s Square would be awash in fresh flowers for Easter, with tulips and orchids decorating the piazza’s promenade in a riot of color to underscore Easter’s message of life and rebirth following Christ’s crucifixion.
This year, however, the cobblestoned piazza was bare. Police barricades ringed the square, blocking the tens of thousands who would normally flock to hear the pope’s Mass and noontime “Urbi et Orbi” speech and blessing “to the city and the world.”
Francis instead stayed indoors, underscoring the solitude confronting all of humanity amid lockdown orders to prevent further contagion.
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In his Easter address, Francis urged political leaders to provide hope and opportunity to the millions of newly jobless and urged the European Union in particular to step up to the “epochal challenge” posed by COVID-19, which has ravaged Italy, Spain and other EU countries.
“After the Second World War, this beloved continent was able to rise again, thanks to a concrete spirit of solidarity that enabled it to overcome the rivalries of the past,” he said. “This is not a time for self-centeredness, because the challenge we are facing is shared by all, without distinguishing between persons.”
He urged the faithful to pray for the sick, the dead, the elderly alone. And broadening his horizons, he called for sanctions relief, debt forgiveness and cease-fires to calm conflicts and financial crises around the globe.
Francis’ lonely Mass was a scene that was repeated around the world, with churches either closed or, for the few still open, forcing the faithful to practice social distancing. In South Korea, where one outbreak was tied to a church sect, services were largely held online.
Few faithful attends Pope Francis', small white figure at center, Easter Sunday Mass, inside an empty St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, April 12, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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A small number of masked faithful attended service at Seoul’s Yoido Full Gospel Church, one of the biggest churches in South Korea. They were seated notably apart from each other, and choir members sang hymns from behind masks.
The Church of England shuttered its churches, prompting the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to celebrate Easter Sunday service from his kitchen in London. The spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, Welby delivered his sermon in full robes behind a makeshift altar on his dining room table.
“Welcome to the kitchen of our home on Easter Day,” he said. “Once this epidemic is conquered here and elsewhere, we cannot be content to go back to what was before as if all was normal.”
In Lebanon, home to the largest percentage of Christians in the Arab world, Cardinal Bechara Rai urged the faithful to abide by virus lockdown measures even as Lebanon endures its worst economic crisis in decades.
“We are praying so that Lebanese officials work together in the spirit of collaboration to revive Lebanon economically, financially and socially,” Rai said in an almost empty church in Bkerki, northeast of Beirut, the seat of the Maronite Church he heads.
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The church would normally be packed with people marking Easter, including the president, prime minister and parliament speaker.
In New Zealand, Catholic bishops wrote a special pastoral letter to worshipers stuck at home, acknowledging the stresses and uncertainties of this Easter like no other but urging the faithful to take comfort in time with family.
“This time has proved to be a reflective time enabling us to refocus or revision ourselves and how we live,” the letter said.
For Orthodox Christians, Sunday marked the start of Holy Week, with Palm Sunday services held in similarly barren churches.
Pope Tawadros II, the spiritual leader of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Christians, celebrated in a largely empty Monastery of Saint Pishoy, in a desert valley west of the capital, Cairo. The church made the prayers available on its Facebook page. The Coptic Orthodox Church is one the world’s oldest Christian communities.
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The Russian Orthodox Church said it would hold Easter services in Moscow next Sunday without the faithful present, citing an order from the city’s chief epidemiologist prohibiting mass gatherings.
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AP writers from around the world contributed.
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