Evening Summary
Kari Paul here, logging out for the night. Below are some top stories to be aware of from the last few hours:
- In a presser on Wednesday, Trump threatened to close both chambers of Congress for “obstructing” his ability to appoint judges and other positions. He is legally able to do so, but it would be quite unprecedented.
- Trump also claimed states may be reopened before the May 1 deadline he initially put forth, and said he will be announcing more information about restarting the country tomorrow at a presser.
- Los Angeles’ mayor said we may not be able to have group events until as late as 2021. His language echoes that of governor Gavin Newsom and NYC mayor Bill de Blasio.
Updated
For those of us on the West Coast wondering “what’s next?” here is a pretty comprehensive look at what needs to be done to reopen California, written by two medical doctors.
In short, to reopen we will need much more access to testing so we can localize and isolate new cases of the virus, and restrictions on large gatherings will likely persist for awhile. In other words, we are all going to be working from home and washing our hands constantly for the foreseeable future.
The death count for coronavirus may be much higher than initially thought, a study published by ProPublica on Wednesday found.
That is because many people are dying at home, suggesting current numbers that come primarily from hospitals are “just the tip of the iceberg”, one expert cited said. From the report:
As of Tuesday afternoon, the United States had logged more than 592,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 24,000 deaths, the most in the world, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. But the official COVID-19 death count may, at least for now, be missing fatalities that are occurring outside of hospitals, data and interviews show. Cities are increasingly showing signs of Americans succumbing to the coronavirus in their own beds.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday it is unlikely concerts and sporting events will resume until at least 2021, as the city continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s difficult to imagine us getting together in the thousands anytime soon, so I think we should be prepared for that this year,” he told Wolf Blitzer on The Situation Room. “Until there’s either a vaccine, some sort of pharmaceutical intervention, or herd immunity, the science is the science. And public health officials have made very clear we have miles and miles to walk before we can be back in those environments.”
Garcetti’s comments echo those of New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and California governor Gavin Newsom, both of whom said it will be a long time before gatherings of 100 or more people are commonplace again.
President Donald Trump has expressed the desire to reopen the country by May 1, but governors and city officials have increasingly put forward longer timelines.
With that, the presser is over. Stand by for more news shortly.
Fact check: Trump says the United States “rarely if ever” won cases at the World Trade Organization before his administration.
According to his own White House, the US “won 85.7% of the cases it has initiated before the WTO since 1995, compared with a global average of 84.4%.”
Fact Check: Did the coronavirus originally escape from a laboratory in Wuhan, infecting a lab assistant, his girlfriend, and then finding its way to a wet market where it started the pandemic?
Trump answered a long-winded question from a Fox News reporter on Wednesday suggesting as much.
Rather than shutting down the widely-debunked theory, Trump said “I don’t want to say” and “We’ll see”.
“I will tell you more and more we’re hearing that story”, Trump said. “We are doing a very thorough examination of how this horrible situation that happened”.
Conspiracy theories have circulated since the origins of coronavirus that the virus originated in a lab, giving rise to theories it was engineered as a bioweapon.
In fact, epidemiologists say there is no evidence the virus was created in a lab. A statement published in scientific journal the Lancet said the virus appears to have come from wildlife and another analysis of the virus by scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology suggests that the virus’s genome is 96% similar to a coronavirus found in bats.
Fact check: Trump says “we have approved record numbers of federal judges.”
As of 1 April, the Senate has confirmed 193 Article III judges nominated by Trump. The record is held by Ronald Reagan with 383, followed by Bill Clinton (378) then Barack Obama (329).
Trump does rank second in terms of judges confirmed at this point in his presidency behind only Jimmy Carter (212).
Updated
Fact check: Trump once again says “we’ve done more testing now than any country in the world by far”.
Over all, the US had administered almost three million coronavirus tests by Easter, April 12,, according to the Covid Tracking Project. But compared to some other nations with high testing rates, including South Korea and Germany, we have tested a much smaller proportion of our population.
From a very slow start, the US, with a population of 329 million, had ramped up to a testing rate of one in every 138 people as of the first week of April.
In comparison, South Korea, has administered 486,003 tests overall, according to the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With a population of 51.5m, the country has tested about 1 in every 102 people. Germany has done even better, testing every 1 in 63 people.
The UK, however, is behind, having tested only 1 in 230 people.
Fact check: Trump says, “We have the best tests in the world”.
In fact, some of the initial coronavirus tests sent out to states were seriously flawed. Part of the problem came from the CDC shunning the World Health Organization (WHO) template for tests, and insisted on developing a more complicated version that correctly identified Covid-19, but also flagged other viruses – resulting in false positives.
Other countries – after their first coronavirus case – swiftly asked private companies to develop their own tests. South Korea, which recorded its first case on the same day as the US, did so within a week. The US only allowed laboratories and hospitals to conduct their own tests on February 29, almost six weeks after the first case was confirmed.
Vice president Mike Pence said some areas of the country need to “continue with strong mitigation efforts” while others will be given “guidance for greater flexibility.”
These decisions are, in fact, largely up to governors. In general Trump’s insistence that governors grovel to him personally in order to obtain life-saving equipment, and his claims to fiat power over the states in contradiction of the US Constitution, has rattled the federalist compact, experts say.
“These governors are more like provincial chiefs under this system, and if we want to restore federalism in this country we will have to make some very dramatic changes after this is over,” David Super, a professor at Georgetown Law school, told the Guardian. “If we don’t, federalism is dead.”
Fact check: Trump says he will execute constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress so he can make recess appointments to fill vacancies.
“If the House will not agree to that adjournment, I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress,” Trump said.
No president has ever used that authority.
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in NLRB v. Noel Canning that the president cannot use his or her authority under the Recess Appointment Clause of the Constitution to appoint public officials unless the Senate is in recess and not able to transact Senate business.
The Senate is in recess until May 4.
When asked more details about this plan, Trump said the following:
Very simple. If they don’t act on getting these people approved that we need – we need them anyway, but we especially need them now because of the pandemic – we are going to do something that will be ... something I’d prefer not doing, but which I should do and I will do if have to.
Updated
Sonny Perdue, the secretary of agriculture, is speaking about the effects of coronavirus on the food system.
“For Americans who be may be worried about access to good food because of this I want to assure you that American food supply is strong, resilient and safe”, he said.
As my colleague Susie Cagle recently reported, effects on the supply chain from the pandemic have left mountains of foods being wasted as grocery store aisles remain bare in many places.
Perdue said the administration is working to address the issue.
“It has taken us a few days to relocate the misalignment”, he said. “But that does not mean that we don’t have enough food in this country to feed the American people”.
White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx is speaking now.
She echoed what Trump said, that numbers are declining over the last five to six days.
Still, she said Americans should hold off on any social gatherings for the foreseeable future.
“To all of you out there that would like to join together and just have that dinner party for 20, don’t do it yet”, she said. “Continue to follow the presidential guidelines.
Trump repeated that tomorrow he will be speaking with governors regarding when states can be reopened.
“We’ll be opening up some states much sooner than others,” he said. “And we think some of the states can actually open up before the deadline of May 1.”
Updated
Fact check: WHO
Trump again disparaged the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday.
“I have a feeling they knew exactly what was going on”, he said. “The US government has put a hold on funding to the World Health Organization pending a review of the organization’s cover up and mismanagement of the coronavirus outbreak”.
He has previously accused the organization of initially “minimizing the threat” of coronavirus and getting everything “wrong”.
The WHO has been criticized for a 14 January tweet, which Trump has referenced, that noted that a preliminary investigation by Chinese officials found no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
However, by 30 January, the organization declared coronavirus a “public health emergency”, and went on to declare a pandemic on 11 March after numerous countries - including the US and UK - failed to follow its advice. WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke of “alarming levels of inaction” from many countries.
The WHO “has been drained of power and resources”, said Richard Horton, editor of the influential medical journal the Lancet. “Its coordinating authority and capacity are weak. Its ability to direct an international response to a life-threatening epidemic is non-existent.”
The Trump administration and the president himself repeatedly played down the crisis - specifically downplaying the threat to the US, inaccurately compared it to the flu and told his supporters that growing worries about the coronavirus was a “hoax”.
Trump threatened to close both chambers of Congress for “obstructing” his ability to appoint judges and other positions.
Can he do that? Here’s the fact check
He claimed he has confirmed close to 250 judges through the Senate, but said there are 129 positions stuck in Congress that could be working on coronavirus solutions.
Fact check:
Trump said he’s gotten 448 judges confirmed, which is .... not true. It’s 193.
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) April 15, 2020
He specifically called out the stalling of his appointee to the Broadcasting Board of Governors, saying Voice of America’s coverage was “disgusting”.
“The things they say are disgusting toward our country,” he said.
Updated
Trump has proceeded to play an advertisement from General Motors showing that the company is making ventilators.
“I think they might be wanting to play that for your benefit”, Trump said of the clip, which was provided by GM to the president.
Trump said 48 coronavirus tests have been authorized by the FDA, including an antibody test from Abbott Labs that will determine if someone has previously been infected with coronavirus and developed immunity.
Trump said the FDA is working with 300 companies and labs to widen testing capacity in the coming weeks.
In opening remarks today, Trump said “it is clear our aggressive strategy is working”, citing numbers of new coronavirus cases in New York and Detroit falling.
“Data suggests we have passed the peak in new cases”, Trump said.
He added that in a news conference on Thursday the administration will be announcing guidelines for reopening the United States.
CDC director Robert Redfield said on Wednesday 19-20 U.S. states may be ready to reopen May 1, but warned some mitigation measures would have to remain in effect.
Fact check:
“New cases are declining throughout the New York metropolitan area. Cases in the Detroit and Denver metro areas are flat.”
New York governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed 11,571 additional cases of novel coronavirus today – the largest single-day volume so fa – bringing the statewide total to 213,779 confirmed cases in New York state.
Detroit: 1,058 new cases today, about 300 less than Tuesday, but in line with the last several days. 153 new deaths reported.
Officials have previously noted the delay in progress, that peaks in deaths may appear before new cases fall off.
Updated
The Guardian’s Nina Lakhani reports:
Utility shutoffs are in the spotlight again, with 113 lawmakers calling for a suspension of all utility shut-offs - water, gas, electricity and internet - to be included in the next Covid-19 stimulus package.
In a letter addressed to House speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, and minority leaders Kevin McCarthy and Chuck Schumer, the signatories call for a nationwide moratorium to protect the most vulnerable Americans until the pandemic threat has passed and the country’s economy has stabilized.
It says: “Utility services are especially critical for public health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Water service ensures that Americans can handwash and disinfect surfaces necessary to slow and stop the coronavirus outbreak. Electricity is necessary for families to turn on the lights and have refrigerated food to eat. Internet access is essential for many employees to be able to work from home and for children who are out of school to access educational resources. ...
“Utility insecurity is felt by low-wealth Americans, rural and tribal communities and people of color. Newly unemployed Americans are facing disconnection because of loss of income. ... These are the communities that need congressional protections the most.”
Signatories include several former presidential candidates - Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker - as well as the four congresswomen of color collectively known as “the Squad” - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib.
Today’s letter comes after a similar letter from 830 advocacy groups was sent to Congress on Monday, and a federal bill, the Emergency Water is a Human Right Act, was introduced by congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Debbie Dingell last week.
Amid growing public outcry, a growing number of water and energy utilities have suspended shutoffs, with a small proportion agreeing to reconnect services. But millions of Americans are still without water or face the threat of taps being turned off if they can’t keep up with bills. Read more here:
We are awaiting the White House presser on coronavirus response, scheduled for 5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm PST. Stay tuned.
The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:
Texas voters can’t request a mail-in ballot for upcoming elections if they fear contracting Covid-19 and groups that encourage them to do so could face criminal consequences, the state attorney general’s office said Wednesday.
Texas tightly regulates the use of mail-in ballots, only allowing people 65 or older, with disabilities, and those out of their county during an election to use them. Many states are loosening their requirements for requesting an absentee ballot, but the Wednesday letter from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, makes it clear the state will remain inflexible on its policy.
“Fear of contracting Covid-19 unaccompanied by a qualifying sickness or physical condition does not constitute a disability under the Election Code for purposes of receiving a ballot by mail,” Ryan Vassar, an attorney in the attorney general’s office, wrote to the legislature. “To the extent that third parties advise voters to apply for a mail-in ballot based solely on fear of contracting Covid-19, such activity could subject those third parties to criminal sanctions.”
The letter came on the same day that a judge in Travis County, home of Austin, heard arguments in a lawsuit seeking to allow every Texan to vote by mail. The judge said he was “inclined” to grant the request.
Texas held its presidential primary in March, but the state has upcoming local elections on May 2.
Hello readers, Kari Paul here taking over for the next few hours from San Francisco. Stay tuned for more news.
Today so far
That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Kari Paul, will take over the blog for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Governor Andrew Cuomo said New York is controlling the spread of coronavirus, but he emphasized the state is not yet out of the woods. Cuomo also announced that he would sign an executive order requiring New Yorkers to wear face coverings where social distancing is not possible, such as on public transportation.
- Thousands of people protested Michigan’s stay-at-home order at the state capital. The protesters chanted “Lock her up!” in connection to Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer, even though Whitmer’s handling of the crisis receives a favorable review from 71% of Michigan residents.
- House speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized Trump’s decision to halt funding to the WHO. Pelosi said the move was “dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged.” The move was also criticized by a number of world leaders and former president Jimmy Carter.
- Elizabeth Warren endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential bid. The Democratic senator and former presidential candidate said in a video announcing the endorsement, “We can’t afford to let Donald Trump continue to endanger the lives and livelihoods of every American.”
- California is creating a disaster relief fund for undocumented immigrants. Governor Gavin Newsom said of the $125 million fund, “Regardless of your status, documented or undocumented, there are people in need.”
Kari will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer responded to protests at the state capital regarding her stay-at-home order.
Whitmer expressed sadness that the thousands of people who attended the protest may have jeopardized their own health by participating.
“We know this demonstration is going to come at a cost to people’s health,” Whitmer said. “That’s how Covid-19 spreads.”
The Democratic governor added that ignoring the social distancing guidelines will likely only serve to extend the stay-at-home order.
“The sad irony here was the protest is they don’t like being in this stay at home order and they may have just caused a need to lengthen it,” Whitmer said.
Updated
The Guardian’s Vivian Ho reports on the latest from California:
California contributed $75m of the $125m disaster relief fund for undocumented immigrants, with philanthropic groups such as the Emerson Collective, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the James Irvine Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation and the California Endowment providing the additional $50m.
The amount should allow for $500 to $1,000 in household assistance, which governor Gavin Newsom acknowledged barely scratched the surface in a state with as high a cost of living as California. “I’m not here to suggest that $125m is enough, but I am here to suggest that it’s a good start and I am very proud that it is starting here in the state of California,” he said.
“I recognize that we still have more to do in this space,” Newsom said. “We will endeavor to find more areas of support in the next days and weeks and over the next year as we transition back to some version of normalcy.”
The relief fund comes as the number of Californians filing for unemployment insurance tops 2.7 million, Newsom said. The need for unemployment assistance has risen to a point that the governor signed an executive order launching a new call center to run 12 hours a day, seven days a week to handle the influx.
There were 24,421 positive cases reported in California on Wednesday, with 821 deaths.
California launches relief fund for undocumented immigrants
The Guardian’s Vivian Ho reports on the latest from California:
California is launching a $125m disaster relief fund for undocumented immigrants, the first of its kind in the nation, California governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.
Undocumented immigrants make up 10% of California’s workforce, Newsom said, but are ineligible for unemployment insurance, pandemic unemployment assistance and federal stimulus support.
“Regardless of your status, documented or undocumented, there are people in need,” Newsom said. “And this is a state that steps up, always to support those in need, regardless of status.”
The governor noted that there was an overrepresentation of the undocumented workforce in essential services, “in the healthcare sector, in the agriculture and food sector, in the manufacturing and logistics sector, and in the construction sector.”
“We feel a deep sense of gratitude for people that are in fear of deportation but are still addressing the essential needs of tens of millions of Californians,” he said.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement reiterating Democrats’ demands for the next coronavirus relief bill.
Pelosi said the bill must not only grant additional funds to the Paycheck Protection Program, the small business loan program created by the stimulus package, but also give more money to hospitals and state and local governments.
“As has been clear since last week, Republicans’ bill which fails to address these critical issues cannot get unanimous consent in the House,” Pelosi said.
Last week, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell tried to pass a bill that would grant $250 billion in additional funding to PPP by unanimous consent, but Democrats objected, demanding more money for hospitals and state and local governments.
Congressional leaders have been negotiating to craft a compromise bill, but Pelosi’s statement indicates lawmakers remain at a stalemate, a frightening prospect considering PPP is expected to run out of funds in the next couple of days.
Senator Kamala Harris said she has not given much thought to whether Joe Biden will ask her to join his ticket, offering the classic politician’s dodge on the running mate question.
“I have to be very honest with you: I am not thinking about that. I really am not,” the California senator told the 19th.
“I’m talking on almost a daily basis with one or another mayor of my state — if not my governor — about the fact that today and tomorrow, they’re running out of masks. People are standing in food lines for hours. Literally, this is so real, it is so present, and this is my focus.”
Even though Harris harshly criticized Biden in the first Democratic debate, she has since endorsed the presumptive nominee, and she is included on essentially every list of potential running mates.
Trump was reportedly told by his newly formed business council that coronavirus testing must substantially expand before the economy can reopen, echoing arguments made by many public health experts in recent weeks.
CNN reports:
In the first phone call convened between President Donald Trump and some members of his newly formed business council, industry leaders reiterated to the President what public health experts and governors have been telling him for weeks: that there would need to be guarantees of ramped-up coronavirus testing before people return to work, according to one person briefed on the discussions.
The call, one of a series with various sectors on Wednesday, was the first task force teleconference aimed at devising a strategy for reopening the country. The call lasted for about an hour and had dozens of participants from the banking, food, hospitality and retail sectors, many of whom lauded the President and his administration for their efforts to combat coronavirus and jump-start the economy, this person said.
Trump has expressed hope that the economy can start reopening by the end of the month, but today, several state and local leaders announced they were extending their stay-at-home orders at least through the rest of April.
The director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Robert Redfield, said earlier today that some states with low numbers of coronavirus cases may be able to reopen by May 1. However, those states will likely have to prepare for a potential surge in cases, which would also require expanding testing capacity.
Former president Jimmy Carter criticized Trump for halting US funding to the World Health Organization in the middle of a pandemic.
Statement by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter: pic.twitter.com/6W5DUcH2aF
— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) April 15, 2020
In a newly released statement, Carter said he was “distressed” by Trump’s decision. “WHO is the only international organization capable of leading the effort to control this virus,” Carter said.
The former president joins a number of world leaders and congressional Democrats, including House speaker Nancy Pelosi, in criticizing the move, which Trump announced at his press conference yesterday.
Updated
The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:
A Michigan effort to rein in excessive partisan gerrymandering survived another GOP attack on Wednesday.
A federal appeals court declined to step in and halt a process already underway in Michigan to create an independent commission to draw electoral districts, a loss for Republicans challenging it.
Michigan Republicans filed two lawsuits challenging the commission in 2019, saying it unfairly discriminated against them because it bars anyone with political ties from serving on it. A federal judge ruled in November that argument was unlikely to ultimately succeed in court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th circuit upheld the ruling on Wednesday.
Michigan voters approved creating the commission through a referendum -- organized by political novices -- in 2018 to limit gerrymandering in the state. It will draw district lines for the first time next year and is expected to produce districts that are fairer than the ones currently in place.
Republicans controlled the redistricting process in Michigan in 2011 and drew districts that gave them a severe advantage throughout the decade.
Stacey Abrams made clear in a new Elle interview that she would like to serve as Joe Biden’s running mate now that the former vice president has secured the presidential nomination.
“I would be an excellent running mate,” Abrams told Elle magazine. Abrams, who narrowly lost the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race to Brian Kemp amid accusations of voter suppression, rattled off a list of her qualifications in the interview.
“I have the capacity to attract voters by motivating typically ignored communities,” Abrams said. “I have a strong history of executive and management experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. I’ve spent 25 years in independent study of foreign policy. I am ready to help advance an agenda of restoring America’s place in the world. If I am selected, I am prepared and excited to serve.”
Abrams has been frequently cited as a potential running mate to Biden, especially after the candidate explictly said last month that he would choose a woman to join his ticket. Senators Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar, as well as Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, are also frequently named as possible running mates.
The Supreme Court has announced it will hear two cases on disclosures of Trump’s financial records on May 12.
The court announced Monday it would start holding hearings via teleconference next month after delaying hearings that were originally scheduled for March and April.
Trump is seeking to block his financial records from being shared with New York prosectuors and congressional Democrats, who both subpoenaed the records for investigations of the president.
The blockbuster cases were originally set to be heard in late March and early April, but the court said in a statement that oral arguments would now take place on May 12.
Trump considered starting a talk radio show as coronavirus started to spread across the country last month, according to a report from the New York Times.
The president quickly abandoned the idea because he didn’t want to compete with right-wing radio personality Rush Limbaugh, who recently (and controversially) received a presidential medal of freedom from Trump.
The Times reports:
On a Saturday in early March, Donald J. Trump, clad in a baseball cap, strode into the Situation Room for a meeting with the coronavirus task force. He didn’t stop by the group’s daily meetings often, but he had an idea he was eager to share: He wanted to start a White House talk radio show.
At the time, the virus was rapidly spreading across the country, and Mr. Trump would soon announce a ban on European travel. A talk radio show, Mr. Trump excitedly explained, would allow him to quell Americans’ fears and answer their questions about the pandemic directly, according to three White House officials who heard the pitch. There would be no screening, he said, just an open line for people to call and engage one-on-one with the president.
But that Saturday, almost as suddenly as he proposed it, the president outlined one reason he would not be moving forward with it: He did not want to compete with Rush Limbaugh.
No one in the room was sure how to respond, two of the officials said. Someone suggested hosting the show in the mornings or on weekends, to steer clear of the conservative radio host’s schedule. But Mr. Trump shook his head, saying he envisioned his show as two hours a day, every day. And were it not for Mr. Limbaugh, and the risk of encroaching on his territory, he reiterated, he would do it.
If Trump had gone through with the idea, it’s likely he would have faced severe criticism for spending two hours a day hosting a call-in show as the country struggled through a growing pandemic.
'Lock her up' protests against Michigan governor
A protest is underway outside the Michigan State Capitol, organized by a conservative group opposed to the state’s stay at home order.
The protest, in Lansing, MI, is organized by the Michigan Conservative Committee, who have dubbed the effort “Operation gridlock”.
As the name suggests, their plan is to create gridlock in response to Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer implementing a strict stay at home order.
“She’s driving us out of business. We’re driving to Lansing,” is the natty slogan the MCC has come up with for the event.
Pictures posted by the Michigan Conservative Committee do indeed show widespread gridlock surrounding the capital. Chants of “lock her up” have been witnessed.
According to reporter Dave Weigel, the protest has been marked by chants which will be familiar to anyone who has ever witnessed a Donald Trump rally. (Weigel also urges people to subscribe to the Detroit Free Press, in these hard times - on top of years of hard times - for local media).
There are now chants of “Lock Her Up!” at the Lansing protest of Gov. Whitmer’s stay at home orders. (I am watching the @freep stream, smash that subscribe button.)
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) April 15, 2020
The committee posted a series of rules for gridlockers on its Facebook page. Among them: “Don’t drink lots of liquids. There may not be restrooms.”
It’s surely no coincidence that Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Whitmer, a popular Democratic governor, in recent days as she requested emergency medical supplies for Michigan.
Parts of Michigan have been hard hit by coronavirus, especially the Detroit area.
Updated
Talking of Bezos...
The chief executive of Amazon, Washington Post owner and oft-times Trump nemesis, Jeff Bezos took part in a White House conference call just earlier. It’s not know if the president was on the call...
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg took part in the call, too, Reuters reports. The discussion was about how to reopen the US economy in light of the coronavirus pandemic, company spokespeople said.
The phone call followed an announcement Tuesday by Donald Trump about the formation of an advisory council on how to open up the country, which includes other top US executives such as Apple CEO Tim Cook.
As you see from today’s Guardian piece, below, Bezos has done very well financially in recent times, what with everyone online shopping from lockdown. However, in terms of worker relations, things have been as sour as his windfall has been sweet.
Updated
Trump puffs UPS, shuns USPS
The president’s apparent vendetta against the US Postal Service, which is an independent government agency, has been brought to light again with Trump tweeting praise for UPS a little earlier, a private delivery company that competes with the Postal Service.
Trump retweeted a video originally posted by UPS thanking the company’s delivery workers.
“#ThanksForDelivering @UPS!” Trump wrote. US Postal Service says that the covid-19 crisis has put them in dire financial trouble: the agency told lawmakers last week that it would “run out of cash” by September if it does not receive aid.
The Postal Service estimated that they would see a $13bn revenue loss because of the Covid-19 crisis.
But the White House has so far been unsympathetic to the Postal Service’s pleas for help. When negotiating the stimulus package, White House officials reportedly told Congress that the president would block any bill that comes with support for the Postal Service.
Trump’s harshness toward the US Postal Service traces to his fury toward Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post – a newspaper that Trump sees as one of his critics.
In April 2018, Trump furiously tweeted that Amazon costs the post office “massive amounts of money for being their Delivery Boy.”
Trump cited a report that said Amazon used US Postal Service for last-mile delivery to get packages to residents, but the author of the report said the company was taking advantage of the agency’s low pricing model, not getting special treatment by the service.
Today so far
New York governor Andrew Cuomo just wrapped up his daily briefing on the state’s response to coronavirus.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Cuomo said New York is controlling the spread of coronavirus but warned that the state is not yet out of the woods. The state’s daily coronavirus death toll remains high, with 752 New Yorkers dying of the virus yesterday, but hospitalizations are slightly down.
- Nancy Pelosi criticized Trump’s decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization. The House speaker said the president’s decision is “dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged.”
- Elizabeth Warren endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential bid. The Democratic senator and former presidential candidate said in a video announcing the endorsement, “We can’t afford to let Donald Trump continue to endanger the lives and livelihoods of every American.”
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said his executive order would require residents to wear masks whenever six feet of distance cannot be maintained.
Cuomo named public transportation as one example of a place where masks must now be worn. The governor said a face covering is not required if a New Yorker is going for a walk in an isolated area, but it would be required if the person was going to be walking on a street with other people nearby.
This would effectively require residents of New York City to wear masks at all times when they are outdoors, considering the city has a population of 8 million people.
Cuomo said there would be no civil penalty for violating the order, but it is possible that could change.
In another sign of New York flattening the curve, governor Andrew Cuomo said the state would give 150 ventilators to other states.
Cuomo announced New York would send 100 ventilators to Michigan and 50 to Maryland, as the two states see a surge in coronavirus cases.
Cuomo previously asked states to send medical equipment and staff to New York as it experienced its surge, promising to return the favor once the curve flattened, and it now appears he is.
Cuomo to issue executive order on wearing masks
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said he would issue an executive order on wearing masks in places where social distancing cannot be maintained.
Cuomo said all New Yorkers must have a face covering, and it must be worn when six feet of distance cannot be maintained, such as on subways.
A number of state and local leaders have now issued orders on wearing face coverings, particularly at essential businesses like grocery stores.
As New York looks toward a “phased reopening” of the economy, governor Andrew Cuomo established criteria for determining when businesses could reopen.
Cuomo said decisions about reopening would be made based on how essential the business is and whether the business poses a high risk of infection spread.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said medical professionals and other essential employers serving on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis would receive priority once a system for antibody testing is developed.
New York State will prioritize antibody testing for healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 15, 2020
Cuomo: Testing capacity is the new emphasis over ventilators
New York governor Andrew Cuomo emphasized that the federal government needs to play a pivotal role in expanding testing capacity.
“The states cannot develop national testing,” Cuomo said. “We need the federal government to be part of this.”
After spending weeks emphasizing the need to obtain more ventilators, the governor said the focus now must turn to expanding testing capacity to move toward reopening state economies.
“The answer on testing isn’t what happened on ventilators,” Cuomo said, once again criticizing the lack of national coordination on getting ventilators to the hardest hit states.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said the state would have a “phased reopening” as it looks toward relaxing social distancing.
But the governor emphasized the priority would be public health as the state takes steps to start reopening the economy.
Cuomo said New York could see a surge of new coronavirus cases once social distancing is relaxed, so the state needs to be prepared for that by scaling up its testing capacities.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said that the state will continue grappling with its coronavirus crisis until a vaccine is developed.
“It’s over when we have a vaccine,” Cuomo said, noting that a vaccine will likely not be developed for another 12 to 18 months.
Cuomo acknowledged he has received many questions about when social distancing will come to an end, but he has said he is hesitant to relax restrictions until the virus is more under control.
New York's daily coronavirus death toll remains flat at 752
Coronavirus hospitaizations are slightly down in New York, governor Andrew Cuomo announced at his daily briefing on the state’s response to the pandemic.
We are not out of the woods yet.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 15, 2020
Coronavirus is still a monumental public health crisis and we are losing New Yorkers every day to this virus.
Each New Yorker lost to COVID is a heartbreaking loss.
But Cuomo emphasized 2,000 new people were still hospitalized with the virus yesterday, showing the state is not yet out of the woods. “We’re still in the woods,” Cuomo said. “We can control the spread. That is great news.”
New York’s coronavirus death toll continues to climb, and the state’s daily death toll has remained flat over the past week. Cuomo announced 752 New Yorkers died of the virus yesterday, similar to Tuesday’s figure of 778.
Updated
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has extended the city’s stay-at-home order through at least May 15, ordering schools and non-essential businesses to remain closed for another month.
“I don’t know that that means we are going to be open on May the 16th,” Bowser said at her daily briefing. “But it will be a point for us to check in and if we need to extend it beyond that, we certainly will.”
Bowser also announced she was expanding the city’s order on wearing face coverings to include hotels and taxi and ride-share trips. They mayor previously announced DC residents would be required to wear face coverings at grocery stores.
DC has confirmed 2,201 cases of coronavirus and has recorded 73 deaths from the virus, while neighboring Maryland and Virginia have collectively confirmed more than 16,000 cases. Health experts have warned the Washington metropolitan area is an emerging hot spot of coronavirus cases.
AOC: 'It’s really important that we rally behind our Democratic nominee'
After scoring back-t0-back endorsements from Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden is riding high as the presumptive Democratic nominee.
But there’s one prominent Democratic voice still missing: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Earlier this week the New York congresswoman told the New York Times that Biden’s team had not yet reached out and that she found some of his early overtures to progressives - such as lowering the age of Medicare from 65 to 60 – “almost insulting.”
Days later, a source on the Biden campaign confirms that his team has been in touch with her office to discuss her policy demands. According to Bloomberg, she is seeking concessions on climate, immigration, Puerto Rico and healthcare.
After initially endorsing former 2020 candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. @AOC says now is “absolutely” the time for her to have a conversation with Joe Biden: “I think it’s really important that we rally behind our Democratic nominee in November.” https://t.co/KLrtwblAEX pic.twitter.com/jSzTLW0Amo
— The View (@TheView) April 15, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez’s support could be critical to Biden as he seeks to persuade young, liberal voters, and Latinx voters in particular, to join his campaign.
Asked if she would endorse Biden, Ocasio-Cortez said, “I think it’s really important that we rally behind our Democratic nominee in November.”
“Right now just the stakes are too high when it comes to four more years of Trump,” Ocasio-Cortez said on “The View” on Wednesday. “For a lot of communities this is an issue of life and death.”
In a “Dear Colleague” letter relased last night, House speaker Nancy Pelosi lambasted Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, arguing his actions had cost some Americans their lives.
“The truth is that Donald Trump dismantled the infrastructure handed to him which was meant to plan for and overcome a pandemic, resulting in unnecessary deaths and economic disaster,” Pelosi wrote in the letter.
“The truth is, from this moment on, Americans must ignore lies and start to listen to scientists and other respected professionals in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones.”
Pelosi also warned that the country still does not have the necessary testing capacity or medical equipment stockpile to weather this crisis, even though it has been a month since Trump declared a national emergency.
“Once we all share the truth of what took place and what is currently happening, including in our minority communities, we can work together to solve these problems,” Pelosi wrote.
Pelosi says Trump's WHO decision is 'dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged'
House speaker Nancy Pelosi has released a statement condemning Trump’s decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization.
“The President’s halting of funding to the WHO as it leads the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic is senseless,” the Democratic speaker said in a new statement.
“We can only be successful in defeating this global pandemic through a coordinated international response with respect for science and data,” she added.
Pelosi indicated congressional Democrats would seek to challenge the decision as a number of world leaders similarly criticize the move. “This decision is dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged,” Pelosi said.
The US Chamber of Commerce released a statement criticizing Trump’s decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization.
“The Chamber supports a reformed but functional World Health Organization, and U.S. leadership and involvement are essential to ensuring its transparency and accountability going forward,” the executive vice president of the lobbying group, Myron Brilliant, said in a statement.
“However, cutting the WHO’s funding during the COVID-19 pandemic is not in U.S. interests given the organization’s critical role assisting other countries — particularly in the developing world — in their response.”
A number of world leaders have similarly criticized Trump’s decision, arguing that cutting off funds to the WHO will only make all countries more vulnerable in the middle of a pandemic.
Joe Biden released a statement thanking Elizabeth Warren for her endorsement and suggesting her campaign proposals would be a prominent part of his platform.
“By centering her campaign in the importance of ideas and comprehensive policy plans, she helped set a high-water mark for what our politics can be at their best — authentic and service-oriented, focused on how we can deliver the most help to the most people,” Biden said in a statement.
“And I’ve been proud to work with her over the past few weeks to identify and adopt important policy proposals that will strengthen us as a people.”
Biden has already adopted Warren’s bankruptcy plan, which would largely undo a 2005 bill that Biden championed and Warren fought stridently against.
“At a moment of crisis for our nation, Senator Warren’s ideas will be more important than ever as we chart a path forward,” Biden said.
Joe Biden continues to pick up endorsements from prominent Democrats, including House intelligence committee chairman Adam Schiff.
“As we face a global pandemic with increasingly severe economic and public health implications, it is more important than ever that we have a President who places the interests of the American people first and knows how to lead,” Schiff said in a statement released by Biden’s campaign.
“At this moment in time, when so much depends upon the vision and judgment of our nation’s leadership, Joe Biden is uniquely qualified to step into the Presidency and lead us out of this crisis and to a promising future. We need Joe in the White House and I will be doing all I can to make sure he is successful.”
The endorsement could potentially spark a reaction from Trump, considering the president repeatedly lashed out against Schiff when the congressman served as the lead impeachment manager during Trump’s Senate trial.
Amash considering possible presidential campaign
Independent congressman Justin Amash said he has stopped actively campaigning for his House seat and is considering launching a presidential campaign as a libertarian.
“He has been discussing the potential campaign with his family, his friends, his team, and others, and a decision can be expected soon,” Amash’s team said in a statement to CNN.
Amash left the Republican party last year, citing his frustration with Trump’s presidency. When Trump falsely claimed on Monday that he has “total” authority to reopen the economy, Amash said the American people deserved “another option.”
Americans who believe in limited government deserve another option. https://t.co/c7P2vOTyOe
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) April 13, 2020
After Bernie Sanders dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary last week, making Joe Biden the presumptive nominee, Amash tweeted, “Trump versus Biden is not the contest America deserves or the one it needs right now.”
Although Amash would have virtually no chance of winning the presidency if he launched a third-party campaign, his bid could draw votes away from the two main candidates.
However, it’s difficult to predict whether Amash would draw more votes away from Biden or Trump, so his candidacy could ultimately help the president win reelection.
2 million cases of coronavirus confirmed worldwide
More than 2 million cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed worldwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The US has confirmed the highest number of cases, with at least 600,000 Americans being diagnosed with coronavirus in recent weeks.
The global death toll has climbed to 128,071, while the US death toll has reached 26,059.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also said millennials have been devastated by two global events ten years apart: the financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic.
“Millennials have been totally screwed,” the New York Democrat told Politico. “Millennials graduated and a recession hit just as we were starting our careers.”
The 30-year-old congresswoman added that the coronavirus pandemic struck as millennials were reaching the “formative parts” of their careers.
The Atlantic’s Annie Lowrey wrote in a piece published earlier this week:
The Millennials entered the workforce during the worst downturn since the Great Depression. Saddled with debt, unable to accumulate wealth, and stuck in low-benefit, dead-end jobs, they never gained the financial security that their parents, grandparents, or even older siblings enjoyed. They are now entering their peak earning years in the midst of an economic cataclysm more severe than the Great Recession, near guaranteeing that they will be the first generation in modern American history to end up poorer than their parents.
Updated
Progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told Politico that her team has been “in touch” with Joe Biden’s campaign.
Ocasio-Cortez originally endorsed Bernie Sanders and served as one of the Vermont senator’s most prominent surrogates, but Sanders dropped out of the race last week and has since endorsed Biden.
The congresswoman told the New York Times in an interview published earlier this week that the Biden campaign had not yet reached out to her, sparking some anger among her many Democratic fans.
Ocasio-Cortez has previously said she would support Biden if he won the nomination, but the New York lawmaker made clear in her Times interview that she would like to see some changes to the Democratic platform, such as further lowering the Medicare eligibility age. Biden has said he would lower it to 60, which Ocasio-Cortez called “almost insulting.”
Wisconsin senator Tammy Baldwin also announced her endorsement of Joe Biden this morning, as the presumptive nominee continues to consolidate support among prominent Democrats.
The road to the White House goes right through Wisconsin and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure @JoeBiden wins here in November. I hope you’ll join me! — TB #TeamJoe pic.twitter.com/0QrluEXxPn
— Tammy Baldwin (@tammybaldwin) April 15, 2020
“From making it harder for people to afford their health care, to senseless trade wars that have hurt our dairy farmers and workers, Donald Trump’s policies have not worked for Wisconsin families,” Baldwin said in a video announcing the endorsement.
“Now more than ever, our families are wondering where they’re going to get their next paycheck or can they keep their small businesses afloat. They need a champion in the White House and that champion is Joe Biden.”
Baldwin could become a crucial surrogate for Biden, considering Wisconsin narrowly voted for Trump in 2016 and Democrats hope to recapture the battleground state in November.
Joe Biden has received a string of endorsements from fellow Democrats this week, as the party seeks to unify before the November general election.
Endorsing @JoeBiden this morning:
— Meira Bernstein (@Meirabb) April 15, 2020
➡️ @ewarren
➡️ @tammybaldwin
➡️ @stabenow
➡️ @GaryPeters
➡️ @ValerieJarrett
And it's 9:15am 😅
Both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who disagreed with Biden during the presidential primary on issues ranging from health care to college debt relief, have now endorsed him and explicitly asked their supporters to back him.
It seems Democrats are trying to avoid a repeat of 2016, when Sanders and Hillary Clinton battled through a contentious primary that left many of Sanders’ supporters frustrated with the Democratic nominee.
Some Democrats have cited the frustration among Sanders’ supporters as one factor that led to Clinton’s loss to Trump, especially considering how states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania were decided by less than 1 point.
Updated
Elizabeth Warren’s video endorsing Joe Biden acknowledges that the two Democrats have many differing policy views, which were underscored during the primary.
“Among all the other candidates I competed with in the Democratic primary this year, there’s no one who I’ve agreed with 100% of the time over the years,” Warren says in the video announcing her endorsement.
“But one thing I appreciate about Joe Biden is that he will always tell you where he stands. When you disagree, he’ll listen — not just listen, but really hear you. And treat you with respect, no matter where you’re coming from. And he has shown throughout this campaign that when you come with new facts or a good argument, he’s not too afraid or too proud to be persuaded.”
When Bernie Sanders announced his endorsement of Biden earlier this week, Biden said he would need Sanders’ help “not just to win the campaign but to govern,” indicating the presumptive nominee may consult with his former primary rivals as he moves toward the general election.
Warren endorses Biden
Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren has endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential bid, an announcement that comes a month after Warren suspended her own campaign for the White House.
In this moment of crisis, it’s more important than ever that the next president restores Americans’ faith in good, effective government—and I’ve seen Joe Biden help our nation rebuild. Today, I’m proud to endorse @JoeBiden as President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/VrfBtJvFee
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 15, 2020
In a statement announcing the endorsement, Warren applauded Biden for his long record of government service and issued an explicit warning about the dangers of having Trump in the White House amid a global crisis.
“Joe Biden has spent nearly his entire life in public service. He knows that a government run with integrity, competence, and heart will save lives and save livelihoods,” Warren said. “And we can’t afford to let Donald Trump continue to endanger the lives and livelihoods of every American.”
Leaders from around the world have come forward to criticize Trump’s decision to halt funding to the WHO.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement, “Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her country would continue to provide financial support to the organization.
“At a time like this when we need to be sharing information and we need to have advice we can rely on, the WHO has provided that,” Ardern said.
And German foreign minister Heiko Maas said Trump’s decision to cut off funding in the middle of a pandemic was nonsensical. “The virus knows no borders,” Maas said in a tweet.
UK says it will not halt WHO funding
The Downing Street lobby briefing has just finished. And it has emerged that the UK government is refusing to directly criticise Trump’s decision to freeze funding for the World Health Organisation.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said that the UK would continue to support the WHO, but he declined any invitation to say anything critical about Trump’s stance. Asked for the UK’s response to the president’s move, the spokesman said:
Our position is that the UK has no plans to stop funding the World Health Organisation which has an important role to play in leading the global health response. Coronavirus is a global challenge and it’s essential that countries work together to tackle this shared threat.
When asked if the government was disappointed by Trump’s decision to freeze payments to the WHO, the spokesman said:
I can only set out the UK’s position, and that is that we have no plans to stop funding the World Health Organisation.
By contrast, in an interview with LBC this morning, the new Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was happy to criticise the US president’s decision. Starmer said:
That is completely the wrong thing to do. There needs to be a global response to this, we should be supporting our global institutions. We’re about to go on and try and get a vaccine, there should be a global effort to get that vaccine and a global plan as to how we roll that out across the world. This is not the time to be retreating and pulling away from global organisations that help roll that out.
Follow the Guardian’s UK live blog for the latest from No 10:
Trump's WHO decision sparks more outrage
Good morning, live blog readers.
Donald Trump’s announcement yesterday that he would cut off US funding to the World Health Organization in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic has sparked outrage, and even some of the president’s allies are not rushing to defend the decision.
Former US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said the funding halt was “obscene,” and Bill Gates called the WHO decision “as dangerous as it sounds.”
Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) April 15, 2020
Dr Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said this morning that the WHO and the CDC have a “long history of working together” that will continue despite the latest decision.
When pressed on whether he agreed with Trump’s assessment that the WHO had failed in its handling of the pandemic, Redfield dodged the question and instead said he would like to conduct a “postmortem” once the US is through the worst of the crisis.
CDC Director weighs in on whether the WHO failed in response to the coronavirus pandemic and if it's wise to suspend funding during the crisis, telling @GStephanopoulos "I'd like to do the postmortem on this outbreak once we get through it together." https://t.co/PrZRMwCBwK pic.twitter.com/hCQdzualrU
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 15, 2020
However, Trump’s decision could make the US more vulnerable at a time when many governors are warning the virus is not yet conquered.
