Розділ: Політика
Lawsuit Calls for Immediate Relief from USAGM CEO’s Actions
From the start of his tenure as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media in June, Michael Pack and his team of political appointees aggressively sought “to fundamentally remake USAGM into state sponsored media,” according to a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Washington on Thursday. The FILE – Michael Pack, CEO the U.S. Agency for Global Media, is seen at his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Sept. 19, 2019.Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee have flagged several concerns about Pack’s decisions regarding the Open Technology Fund, the firing of network heads and his failure to renew visas for international journalists, among other matters. The plaintiffs named in the filing late Thursday include former USAGM CFO Grant Turner and four other senior executives who were placed on administrative leave in August. The named defendants include USAGM CEO Michael Pack and five of his staff members. The lawsuit says Pack and his team sought to install themselves in editorial decision making; scrutinized news copy and personal social media feeds of journalists at USAGM’s networks, including at VOA, for perceived bias against President Donald Trump; and retaliated against staff who flagged concerns about alleged firewall violations and mismanagement. The suit also argues that Pack’s decisions and investigations have affected VOA’s editorial independence, with journalists and senior management avoiding stories that could be deemed controversial to protect staff from potential USAGM retaliation. Freezes and alleged violations of the Antideficiency Act — which prevents government agencies from spending funds differently from how Congress intended — have further hampered the USAGM mission, with VOA language services drastically reducing or cutting content after losing staff, the suit says. “If Voice of America and the other USAGM networks are to survive Defendants’ insidious stewardship, this Court must act,” the suit says. “It must enforce the firewall in the way Congress wrote it and the agency’s own regulation construes it.” The lawsuit comes in the wake of protected whistleblower complaints filed to the Office of the Inspector General and Office of Special Counsel on behalf of agency employees. The OIG in September also wrote to USAGM to express concern about comments suggesting it would take disciplinary action against whistleblowers within VOA. In a statement shared Friday with VOA, Pack said the lawsuit was “without merit” and that all of his and his team’s decisions and actions are “correct and lawful.” “USAGM leadership will not allow any effort to distract attention away from the real issues of an agency that has been poorly run and mismanaged for years, to the detriment of national security and the American people and the agency’s ability to perform its important mission of promulgating American ideals such as democracy and freedom around the world,” Pack said. Editorial interference The lawsuit alleges several breaches of the federally regulated editorial firewall that prohibits anyone in the executive branch or a network outside the newsroom from “attempt[ing] to direct, pressure, coerce, threaten, interfere with, or otherwise impermissibly influence any of the USAGM networks.” On Pack’s first day in office he removed VOA standards editor Steven Springer, a veteran journalist who oversees and enforces the agency’s editorial guidelines. To date, USAGM has ignored multiple communications from VOA leadership that the position is critical to the network, the suit says. FILE – The Voice of America building, in Washington, June 15, 2020.The lawsuit cites a letter sent to management by an unnamed senior editor in August that argues that the extended absence of a standards editor, especially during a U.S. presidential election, “is frankly journalistic malpractice.” “The longer the position remains empty, the more likely we will make errors that undermine our credibility,” the editor wrote. The lawsuit also alleges interference in personnel matters including the firing of Radio Free Asia executive editor Bay Fang; attempts to reassign a newly hired New York bureau chief for VOA — an effort resisted by the newsroom; and Pack’s refusal to sign J-1 visas — the special entry permits for individuals with unique talents. The latter, the suit argues, has resulted in several VOA language services “struggling to produce the volume and quality of content both Congress and their audience expect.” VOA has more than 40 language services that broadcast to a weekly audience of some 280 million people. The lawsuit says VOA had to cancel Hausa-language service affiliation partnerships as well as “radio and Twitter content aimed at young people who are vulnerable to extremism.” Actions by the defendants led to a shortage of staff for the Mandarin service and reduced programming in Russian, Iranian and Korean languages, as well as disruption to Venezuela programming, the suit says. Intimidation and investigations The lawsuit accuses Pack and co-defendants, including senior adviser Samuel Dewey, of illegally interfering with journalistic content. It alleges Dewey has tried to insert himself into news coverage meetings; bypassing newsroom leadership to speak directly with journalists to seek action. USAGM policy states that suspected editorial shortcomings should be investigated by journalists at the news networks rather than outside officials. The suit argues USAGM management does not have the authority to initiate an investigation into specific editorial issues or impose punishments. In one such investigation, USAGM officials questioned reporters and editors about profiles of first lady Melania Trump and Jill Biden, with an emphasis on the author of specific words about the president’s comments on immigrants and his attacks on “perceived adversaries on Twitter.” The line was changed before publication. “USAGM’s attempt to root out the writer and editor responsible for these words is a reprehensible attempt to retaliate against reporters … and to penalize them for taking what they perceive to be an anti-Trump viewpoint,” the suit alleges. Dewey also asked VOA’s leadership to identify which journalists are working on which stories, the suit alleges. It says that interference by the CEO’s office has led to self-censorship to avoid retaliation against staff. The lawsuit details a September newsroom meeting at which VOA managers dropped several political stories “because of increased scrutiny, the investigations, and the risks of retaliation by the Defendants.” Similarly, reporting has been adjusted to prevent any possibility of the defendants interpreting content as pro-Biden. A senior VOA manager wrote to VOA’s leadership: “[W]e have reached a point where we, in the News Center, are at least as worried about self-censorship as we are about bias and think we need to be equally vigilant against both.” The investigations and scrutiny of staff extends beyond the news content published by the agency. The lawsuit details investigations into journalists’ social media profiles and alleges Pack and his team compiled a 30-page document about White House Bureau Chief Steven Herman, who had written a letter to VOA acting director Biberaj raising concerns about Pack’s actions. Staff in the CEO’s office “have placed Herman’s reporting under a magnifying glass since the letter, and have been watching Herman’s private social media activity for any hint of bias,” the suit alleges. USAGM staff shared with Biberaj the document that alleged Herman had conflicts of interest. The suit says the actions amount to an attempt to intimidate and undermine Herman’s coverage of the administration. FILE – Congressman Michael McCaul, R-Tex, questions witnesses during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 16, 2020.In response to allegations about an investigation into Herman, lead Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul of Texas said earlier this week he was “concerned about the state of affairs at USAGM and its grantees like OTF under CEO Pack’s watch.” OTF provides grants to create technology to facilitate the free flow of information. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, said the investigation was “inappropriate and possibly illegal.” “This didn’t happen in a vacuum. This is all part of the growing politicization of the United States Agency for Global Media, which VOA is housed under, by new CEO Michael Pack,” Murphy told VOA. “Freedom of press is crucial to a democracy. That’s why I’m working on legislation to protect journalists from being targeted for their perceived political views.” FILE – Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 24, 2020.An Oct. 4 policy memo Pack shared about social media use and conflicts of interest is similarly viewed by the lawsuit as an attempt to control reporters and their supervisors. In a statement Monday on the memo, Biberaj said VOA handles potential infractions in accordance with its policies and federal law.”VOA’s independence, integrity, and credibility of our reporting are of paramount importance,” Biberaj said. “VOA considers any violation of the firewall or attack on its journalistic independence completely unacceptable.” The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP), a nonprofit that offers pro bono legal support to journalists, said Pack’s actions have “prompted broad bipartisan condemnation.” “This lawsuit is a welcome step in restoring independence to the broadcasters so they can continue to provide crucial news services to audiences around the world, particularly in countries suffering under censorship or state-controlled media,” said Gabe Rottman, director of RCFP’s technology and press freedom project. Funding Since his appointment, Pack has frozen budgets at the agency, imposed hiring freezes, and attempted to redistribute funding already approved by Congress. The latter carries administrative and penal sanctions, the suit says. USAGM distributes grants to the networks but since June several funds have been withheld without explanation. The funds had already been allocated via appropriation bills signed into law by the president. Other funds were moved internally and without legal authorization, the suit alleges, including $3.4 million in Internet Freedom funds which were moved from a grantee without notifying the appropriate bodies or having them reapportioned by the Office of Management and Budget, and $1.4 million from the Office of Policy Research.
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By Polityk | 10/09/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Illinois Farmers Voice Support for Trump Despite Hardships
When he set out to plant his crops earlier this year, Illinois farmer Ron Moore was preparing for another year of trade uncertainty with China, one of the largest purchasers of the more than 300 hectares of soybeans he grows on a family farm he has tilled since 1977.The year 2020 would prove to be unlike any growing season Moore had witnessed. A global pandemic upended the food supply chain, pushing down wholesale prices for livestock and the foodstuffs they consume.“They [thinned herds] are not going to eat a lot of corn and they’re not going to eat a lot of soybean meal,” Moore explained to VOA during a break in this year’s harvest. “So that decimated demand for the grains that provide the feed for the livestock.”The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported a 35% drop in soybean prices that coincided with a multiyear trade war with China that saw Beijing turn increasingly to Brazil and other U.S. competitors for the staple. The pandemic reduced Chinese purchases even further.“It was a double whammy, so to speak, and we were terribly affected by the pandemic in the livestock and grain industry,” Moore said.Despite such hardships in recent years, polls show a majority of American farmers remain loyal to President Donald Trump. While Trump has slipped in recent national surveys, he retains core support among farmers who praise his administration for aggressive federal measures that have helped them survive adversity.For many, the challenges continue. Some 30 kilometers from Moore’s operation, farmer Wendell Shauman has seen prices for corn, one of his primary crops, fall 44% since 2014. Hopes for a rebound in 2020 have been dashed.“It’s been a pretty ugly year pricewise,” Shauman said. “Most of what I’ve sold is way below what I’d hoped for.”’It was a big help’Keeping farmers afloat, according to Moore and Shauman, are payments since 2018 from the USDA’s Market Facilitation Program to compensate them for losses suffered as a result of foreign tariffs and the erosion of export markets.“While it wasn’t make or break, it was a big help,” Shauman told VOA. “I’m sure there are people that wouldn’t have had anything to eat if it didn’t happen.”“It gives us a lifeline,” Moore said. “We’re still treading water. We need more profitability and better markets to get out of the water and get on dry land. When government intervenes into our marketplace, I believe it’s up to the government to find solutions to bring our market back to where it was before they intervened.”The USDA unveiled a $19 billion aid package earlier this year as the pandemic constricted the nation’s food supply. Another round of $14 billion in agricultural assistance followed last month.Illinois Farm Bureau’s National Legislative Director Adam Nielsen says that since 2016, the government has spent nearly $100 billion to prop up America’s agricultural sector and save family farms.“We’ve been able to stem the tide of farm bankruptcies,” Nielsen told VOA, speaking from Bloomington. “Farmers, while they haven’t been spending extravagantly, they’ve been able to pay for feed, seed and fertilizer to get another crop in the ground.”While grateful for the assistance, Shauman said the program can’t go on forever.“We’ve increased the debt a huge amount in a very short amount of time, almost in a World War Two type of crisis. There’s not enough money for the government to just keep giving everybody a living,” he said.Hoping for a semblance of normalcyMeanwhile, a few encouraging signs have emerged. China recently increased purchases of U.S. grain products, modestly boosting prices. Continued testing of coronavirus vaccines gives farmers hope that the pandemic will ebb and the domestic market for foodstuffs will return to some semblance of normalcy in the year to come.For now, with weeks to go before the Nov. 3 presidential election between Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden, Shauman holds out hope for a permanent U.S. trade agreement with China. He believes Trump’s trade battles with Beijing will benefit farmers in the long run and that the president has demonstrated he understands their plight.“The way he treated farmers and kept us going, that didn’t have to happen,” Shauman said. “It’s pretty surprising for a guy who has a New York history and knows very little about agriculture to be as supportive of agriculture.”He added, “I like what he’s done. I don’t like the way he talks sometimes. I get frustrated with that. He could have some better manners.”Shauman finds Biden’s message of bipartisan cooperation appealing, noting, “You’ve got to have compromise. You’ve got to have people working together.”But he rejects demands to overhaul the U.S. economy to combat climate change, part of the so-called Green New Deal that Biden has distanced himself from but which some Democrats support.”I haven’t heard anybody talking about a battery-powered tractor yet,” Shauman said. “What I am going to plant with? Talk often seems nonsensical to me.”A September poll found Trump leading Biden 50% to 33% among rural adults, with 11% undecided. In the same poll, conducted by DTN/Progressive Farmer and Zogby Analytics, 59% of farmers said they would struggle financially without the USDA’s Market Facilitation Program and the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.Ron Moore hopes for better times if Trump wins a second term. “We are anticipating that when we get all these trade deals in place, that will bring us from a supply-side marketplace to a demand-driven marketplace, and so that’s why, I think in lots of surveys, that’s why farmers are supporting the president in this election,” he said.While many Illinois farmers voice support for Trump, the most recent poll in the state that includes America’s third-largest city, Chicago, gives Biden a commanding 25-point lead, 61% to 36%.Nationally, farm and ranch operators account for less than 2% of the U.S. population, according to USDA statistics. More broadly, roughly 20% of Americans reside in rural areas.
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By Polityk | 10/09/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Foreign Actors Focused on US Elections and Spreading COVID-19 Lies, Official Says
U.S. officials who analyze and combat disinformation aimed at undermining democracies say foreign actors are now focusing on two topics: spreading falsehoods about coronavirus vaccine development and the U.S. elections.In an interview with VOA, the State Department’s special envoy and coordinator for Global Engagement Center Lea Gabrielle said President Donald Trump’s health also is an active topic of online discussion among overseas audiences.“When we see the trending narratives, we are seeing that news of the president being infected with COVID is trending in the online information space,” Gabrielle told VOA State Department correspondent Nike Ching on Wednesday during a Skype interview.After years in which American intelligence focused on Russian-style disinformation tactics, U.S. officials say during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party has learned from the Kremlin’s approach, even using it to shape online narratives inside China’s tightly controlled domestic internet.In recent days after Trump announced that he and the first lady had tested positive for coronavirus, gloating postings appeared on social media closely controlled by the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda networks. When online users started engaging in more serious discussions about the president’s illness and its ramifications, Chinese censors shut them down.The following are excerpts from VOA’s interview with Gabrielle. It has been edited for brevity and clarity.Ching: From what we have seen – some gloating social media postings after President Trump and senior U.S. officials tested positive for the coronavirus – is there indication that U.S. foreign adversaries are pushing out certain narratives, taking advantage of this moment to sow discord in the United States, and to undermine Americans’ confidence in the political system?Gabrielle: When we see the trending narratives, we are seeing that news of the president being infected with COVID is trending in the online information space. We’ve seen within mainland China’s social media space that there has been a variation of different types of narratives.But I think it’s also very important to recognize that the Chinese Communist Party very closely controls those narratives, that the Chinese Communist Party censors narratives within the Chinese information landscape and on Chinese social media. So it’s really hard to tell what’s actually happening in the minds of the Chinese people.And, quite frankly, I think that it would be beneficial to the people of China to be able to have open discourse rather than being trapped inside that great firewall of China.Ching: How are U.S. adversaries changing or adjusting their disinformation campaigns and influence operations as we get closer to the Nov. 3 election?Gabrielle: Our (Global Engagement Center) mission is to directly synchronize and coordinate efforts of the U.S. federal government to counter foreign disinformation and propaganda that’s aimed at undermining the security or the stability of the United States and its partners and allies.So we focus on that foreign disinformation aimed at foreign audiences.Adversaries and malign actors, competitors that use disinformation or use the information space as a weapon, tend to target elections. Democratic values, democratic principles and democratic elections go hand in hand with malign actors trying to use disinformation and propaganda to undermine those processes.The GEC has been tracking a lot of different disinformation narratives over the past several months. Of course, around COVID-19 we’ve seen a lot of disinformation narratives being pushed by Russia, China and Iran as well.Now what we’ve seen most lately is a trend towards disinformation narratives around vaccine development.From the Chinese Communist Party, we’ve seen an effort to reshape the global narrative to try to make the Chinese Communist Party look like the global leader in the response, rather than as being responsible for the spread of the virus.We see Russia continuing to use disinformation narratives to try to undermine democratic institutions. And we’ve seen a lot of Russian disinformation narratives around COVID-19, as well as around vaccine development.We’ve also seen Russian disinformation narratives focus around unrest in Belarus and on other global topics.Ching: What are other focuses of U.S. elections-related narratives?Gabrielle: During the COVID crisis we’ve seen the Chinese Communist Party go to great lengths and adopt Russian style disinformation tactics. So the tactics are adapting and changing as the social media environment changes. But we’re working very closely with our partners within the US interagency, and globally, to make sure that they are up to date on what we’re seeing in the disinformation and propaganda space.Ching: What keeps you up at night these days?Gabrielle: I love that question and thank you so much for asking. I am very concerned about how this wonderful social media environment and this connectivity that we have that connects people worldwide is being manipulated by bad actors.And I think it’s really important that we increase resiliency in populations and we decrease vulnerability by training people to better understand how the information space is being manipulated. Because ultimately technology is going to change, malign actors that want to manipulate people and that want to push their agendas forward are going to continue.And the best resistance to that, the best way to protect against disinformation, is really having an educated, informed and resilient audience. So I think we have to focus on making sure people are aware of how the information space is manipulated. And we all have a responsibility to think before we share information and to really vet the source to make sure it’s truthful before we spread it.
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By Polityk | 10/09/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Farmers Prepare to Vote after Receiving Billions in Federal Aid
When he set out to plant his crops earlier this year, Illinois farmer Ron Moore was preparing for another year of trade uncertainty with China, one of the largest purchasers of the more than 300 hectares of soybeans he grows on a family farm he has tilled since 1977.The year 2020 would prove to be unlike any growing season Moore had witnessed. A global pandemic upended the food supply chain, pushing down wholesale prices for livestock and the foodstuffs they consume.“They [thinned herds] are not going to eat a lot of corn and they’re not going to eat a lot of soybean meal,” Moore explained to VOA during a break in this year’s harvest. “So that decimated demand for the grains that provide the feed for the livestock.”The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported a 35% drop in soybean prices that coincided with a multiyear trade war with China that saw Beijing turn increasingly to Brazil and other U.S. competitors for the staple. The pandemic reduced Chinese purchases even further.“It was a double whammy, so to speak, and we were terribly affected by the pandemic in the livestock and grain industry,” Moore said.Despite such hardships in recent years, polls show a majority of American farmers remain loyal to President Donald Trump. While Trump has slipped in recent national surveys, he retains core support among farmers who praise his administration for aggressive federal measures that have helped them survive adversity.For many, the challenges continue. Some 30 kilometers from Moore’s operation, farmer Wendell Shauman has seen prices for corn, one of his primary crops, fall 44% since 2014. Hopes for a rebound in 2020 have been dashed.“It’s been a pretty ugly year pricewise,” Shauman said. “Most of what I’ve sold is way below what I’d hoped for.”’It was a big help’Keeping farmers afloat, according to Moore and Shauman, are payments since 2018 from the USDA’s Market Facilitation Program to compensate them for losses suffered as a result of foreign tariffs and the erosion of export markets.“While it wasn’t make or break, it was a big help,” Shauman told VOA. “I’m sure there are people that wouldn’t have had anything to eat if it didn’t happen.”“It gives us a lifeline,” Moore said. “We’re still treading water. We need more profitability and better markets to get out of the water and get on dry land. When government intervenes into our marketplace, I believe it’s up to the government to find solutions to bring our market back to where it was before they intervened.”The USDA unveiled a $19 billion aid package earlier this year as the pandemic constricted the nation’s food supply. Another round of $14 billion in agricultural assistance followed last month.Illinois Farm Bureau’s National Legislative Director Adam Nielsen says that since 2016, the government has spent nearly $100 billion to prop up America’s agricultural sector and save family farms.“We’ve been able to stem the tide of farm bankruptcies,” Nielsen told VOA, speaking from Bloomington. “Farmers, while they haven’t been spending extravagantly, they’ve been able to pay for feed, seed and fertilizer to get another crop in the ground.”While grateful for the assistance, Shauman said the program can’t go on forever.“We’ve increased the debt a huge amount in a very short amount of time, almost in a World War Two type of crisis. There’s not enough money for the government to just keep giving everybody a living,” he said.Hoping for a semblance of normalcyMeanwhile, a few encouraging signs have emerged. China recently increased purchases of U.S. grain products, modestly boosting prices. Continued testing of coronavirus vaccines gives farmers hope that the pandemic will ebb and the domestic market for foodstuffs will return to some semblance of normalcy in the year to come.For now, with weeks to go before the Nov. 3 presidential election between Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden, Shauman holds out hope for a permanent U.S. trade agreement with China. He believes Trump’s trade battles with Beijing will benefit farmers in the long run and that the president has demonstrated he understands their plight.“The way he treated farmers and kept us going, that didn’t have to happen,” Shauman said. “It’s pretty surprising for a guy who has a New York history and knows very little about agriculture to be as supportive of agriculture.”He added, “I like what he’s done. I don’t like the way he talks sometimes. I get frustrated with that. He could have some better manners.”Shauman finds Biden’s message of bipartisan cooperation appealing, noting, “You’ve got to have compromise. You’ve got to have people working together.”But he rejects demands to overhaul the U.S. economy to combat climate change, part of the so-called Green New Deal that Biden has distanced himself from but which some Democrats support.”I haven’t heard anybody talking about a battery-powered tractor yet,” Shauman said. “What I am going to plant with? Talk often seems nonsensical to me.”A September poll found Trump leading Biden 50% to 33% among rural adults, with 11% undecided. In the same poll, conducted by DTN/Progressive Farmer and Zogby Analytics, 59% of farmers said they would struggle financially without the USDA’s Market Facilitation Program and the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.Ron Moore hopes for better times if Trump wins a second term. “We are anticipating that when we get all these trade deals in place, that will bring us from a supply-side marketplace to a demand-driven marketplace, and so that’s why, I think in lots of surveys, that’s why farmers are supporting the president in this election,” he said.While many Illinois farmers voice support for Trump, the most recent poll in the state that includes America’s third-largest city, Chicago, gives Biden a commanding 25-point lead, 61% to 36%.Nationally, farm and ranch operators account for less than 2% of the U.S. population, according to USDA statistics. More broadly, roughly 20% of Americans reside in rural areas.
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By Polityk | 10/09/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Q&A: Foreign Disinformation Campaigns, COVID-19 and the US Election
U.S. officials who analyze and combat disinformation aimed at undermining democracies say foreign actors are now focusing on two topics: spreading falsehoods about coronavirus vaccine development and the U.S. elections.In an interview with VOA, the State Department’s special envoy and coordinator for Global Engagement Center Lea Gabrielle said President Donald Trump’s health also is an active topic of online discussion among overseas audiences.“When we see the trending narratives, we are seeing that news of the president being infected with COVID is trending in the online information space,” Gabrielle told VOA State Department correspondent Nike Ching on Wednesday during a Skype interview.After years in which American intelligence focused on Russian-style disinformation tactics, U.S. officials say during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party has learned from the Kremlin’s approach, even using it to shape online narratives inside China’s tightly controlled domestic internet.In recent days after Trump announced that he and the first lady had tested positive for coronavirus, gloating postings appeared on social media closely controlled by the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda networks. When online users started engaging in more serious discussions about the president’s illness and its ramifications, Chinese censors shut them down.The following are excerpts from VOA’s interview with Gabrielle. It has been edited for brevity and clarity.Ching: From what we have seen – some gloating social media postings after President Trump and senior U.S. officials tested positive for the coronavirus – is there indication that U.S. foreign adversaries are pushing out certain narratives, taking advantage of this moment to sow discord in the United States, and to undermine Americans’ confidence in the political system?Gabrielle: When we see the trending narratives, we are seeing that news of the president being infected with COVID is trending in the online information space. We’ve seen within mainland China’s social media space that there has been a variation of different types of narratives.But I think it’s also very important to recognize that the Chinese Communist Party very closely controls those narratives, that the Chinese Communist Party censors narratives within the Chinese information landscape and on Chinese social media. So it’s really hard to tell what’s actually happening in the minds of the Chinese people.And, quite frankly, I think that it would be beneficial to the people of China to be able to have open discourse rather than being trapped inside that great firewall of China.Ching: How are U.S. adversaries changing or adjusting their disinformation campaigns and influence operations as we get closer to the Nov. 3 election?Gabrielle: Our (Global Engagement Center) mission is to directly synchronize and coordinate efforts of the U.S. federal government to counter foreign disinformation and propaganda that’s aimed at undermining the security or the stability of the United States and its partners and allies.So we focus on that foreign disinformation aimed at foreign audiences.Adversaries and malign actors, competitors that use disinformation or use the information space as a weapon, tend to target elections. Democratic values, democratic principles and democratic elections go hand in hand with malign actors trying to use disinformation and propaganda to undermine those processes.The GEC has been tracking a lot of different disinformation narratives over the past several months. Of course, around COVID-19 we’ve seen a lot of disinformation narratives being pushed by Russia, China and Iran as well.Now what we’ve seen most lately is a trend towards disinformation narratives around vaccine development.From the Chinese Communist Party, we’ve seen an effort to reshape the global narrative to try to make the Chinese Communist Party look like the global leader in the response, rather than as being responsible for the spread of the virus.We see Russia continuing to use disinformation narratives to try to undermine democratic institutions. And we’ve seen a lot of Russian disinformation narratives around COVID-19, as well as around vaccine development.We’ve also seen Russian disinformation narratives focus around unrest in Belarus and on other global topics.Ching: What are other focuses of U.S. elections-related narratives?Gabrielle: During the COVID crisis we’ve seen the Chinese Communist Party go to great lengths and adopt Russian style disinformation tactics. So the tactics are adapting and changing as the social media environment changes. But we’re working very closely with our partners within the US interagency, and globally, to make sure that they are up to date on what we’re seeing in the disinformation and propaganda space.Ching: What keeps you up at night these days?Gabrielle: I love that question and thank you so much for asking. I am very concerned about how this wonderful social media environment and this connectivity that we have that connects people worldwide is being manipulated by bad actors.And I think it’s really important that we increase resiliency in populations and we decrease vulnerability by training people to better understand how the information space is being manipulated. Because ultimately technology is going to change, malign actors that want to manipulate people and that want to push their agendas forward are going to continue.And the best resistance to that, the best way to protect against disinformation, is really having an educated, informed and resilient audience. So I think we have to focus on making sure people are aware of how the information space is manipulated. And we all have a responsibility to think before we share information and to really vet the source to make sure it’s truthful before we spread it.
…
By Polityk | 10/09/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Says He Won’t Take Part in Virtual Debate; Biden Makes New Plans
President Donald Trump says he will not participate in the presidential debate originally scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami, allowing Democratic nominee Joe Biden to take part in an ABC News town hall event in Philadelphia that evening.Trump rejected the change to a virtual format announced Thursday morning by the U.S. Commission on Presidential Debates, which explained that the format was necessary because of the president’s COVID-19 diagnosis.Asked about the virtual format on Fox Business, Trump said, “I’m not going to waste my time in a virtual debate. That’s not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate is ridiculous. And then they cut you off whenever they want.”Virtual debate OK with BidenThe Biden campaign had said the former vice president would be willing to participate in a virtual debate.In a statement, the Biden campaign said, “we hope the Debate Commission will move the Biden-Trump Town Hall to October 22 so that the president is not able to evade accountability.”The Trump campaign issued a statement agreeing that the next debate should take place Oct. 22, with the third and final debate on Oct. 29. The Biden campaign has rejected having a debate so late in the campaign.Confined to White HouseTrump has been recovering from COVID-19 and has been confined to the White House since returning from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday.The president’s physician, Dr. Scott Conley, issued a statement Thursday evening saying the president had completed his course of therapy for COVID-19 and responded well. He shows no signs of the illness progressing, and Conley anticipates Trump’s safe return to public events on Saturday.Earlier, Alyssa Farah, communications director at the White House, was asked when the president last tested negative for the coronavirus.”I can’t reveal that at this time. Doctors would like to keep it private,” she said.’I think I’m better … ‘Meanwhile, Trump said he is doing well and is ready to hold campaign rallies.“I think I’m better to the point where I’d love to do a rally tonight,” he said.Trump’s doctors have not said if he is ready to hold rallies.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 should be isolated for at least 10 days. Trump’s positive COVID-19 test was revealed late last week.
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By Polityk | 10/09/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
In 25th Amendment Bid, Pelosi Mulls Trump’s Fitness to Serve
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is questioning President Donald Trump’s fitness to serve, announcing legislation Thursday that would create a commission to allow Congress to intervene under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution and remove the president from executive duties.Just weeks before the Nov. 3 election, Pelosi said Trump needs to disclose more about his health after his COVID-19 diagnosis. She noted Trump’s “strange tweet” halting talks on a new coronavirus aid package — he subsequently tried to reverse course — and said Americans need to know when, exactly, he first contracted COVID as others in the White House became infected. On Friday, she plans to roll out the legislation that would launch the commission for review.”The public needs to know the health condition of the president,” Pelosi said, later invoking the 25th Amendment, which allows a president’s cabinet or Congress to intervene when a president is unable to conduct the duties of the office.Trump responded swiftly via Twitter.”Crazy Nancy is the one who should be under observation. They don’t call her Crazy for nothing!” the president said.The president’s opponents have discussed invoking the 25th Amendment for some time, but are raising it now, so close to Election Day, as the campaigns are fast turning into a referendum on Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 210,000 Americans have died and millions more infected by the virus that shows no signs of abating heading into what public health experts warn will be a difficult flu season and winter.Trump says he “feels great” after being hospitalized and is back at work in the White House. But his doctors have given mixed signals about his diagnosis and treatment. Trump plans to resume campaigning soon.Congress is not in legislative session, and so any serious consideration of the measure, let alone votes in the House or Senate, is unlikely. But the bill serves as a political tool to stoke questions about Trump’s health as his own White House is hit by an outbreak infecting top aides, staff and visitors, including senators.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to the media after the Republican policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 22, 2020.In a stunning admission, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that he had stopped going to the White House two months ago because he disagreed with its coronavirus protocols. His last visit was Aug. 6.”My impression was their approach to how to handle this was different from mine and what I insisted we do in the Senate, which is to wear a mask and practice social distancing,” McConnell said at a campaign stop in northern Kentucky for his own reelection.On Friday, Pelosi along with Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a constitutional law professor, plan to roll out the legislation that would create a commission as outlined under the 25th Amendment, which was passed by Congress and ratified in 1967 as way to ensure a continuity of power in the aftermath of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.It says the vice president and a majority of principal officers of the executive departments “or of such other body as Congress” may by law provide a declaration to Congress that the president “is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” At that point, the vice president would immediately assume the powers of acting president.Trump abruptly halted talks this week on the new COVID aid package, sending the economy reeling, his GOP allies scrambling and leaving millions of Americans without additional support. Then he immediately reversed course and tried to kickstart talks.It all came in a head-spinning series of tweets and comments days after he returned to the White House after his hospitalization with COVID-19.First, Trump told the Republican leaders in Congress on Tuesday to quit negotiating on an aid package. By Wednesday he was trying to bring everyone back to the table for his priority items — including $1,200 stimulus checks for almost all adult Americans.Pelosi said Thursday that Democrats are “still at the table” and her office resumed conversations with top negotiator Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.She said she told Mnuchin she was willing to consider a measure to prop up the airline industry, which is facing widespread layoffs. But that aid, she said, must go alongside broader legislation that includes the kind of COVID testing, tracing and health practices that Democrats say are needed as part of a national strategy to “crush the virus.”Normally, the high stakes and splintered politics ahead of an election could provide grounds for a robust package. But with other Republicans refusing to spend more money, it appears no relief will be coming with Americans already beginning early voting.Democrats have made it clear they will not do a piecemeal approach until the Trump administration signs off on a broader, comprehensive plan they are proposing for virus testing, tracing and other actions to stop its spread. They have scaled back a $3 trillion measure to a $2.2 trillion proposal. The White House presented a $1.6 trillion counter offer. Talks were ongoing when Trump shut them down.”There’s no question that the proximity to the election has made this much more challenging,” McConnell said.
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By Polityk | 10/09/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Campaign Works to Frame His COVID-19 Illness as Electoral Asset
With less than a month before the election, President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis has returned the pandemic to the forefront of the presidential race. While his administration sought to project an image of a president who is recovering quickly, his campaign is working to frame his illness as an electoral asset.Since his return Monday from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Trump has projected an image of an incumbent ready to return to the job. On Wednesday he left the executive residence to work briefly from the Oval Office, where he received updates on Hurricane Delta and the ongoing negotiation with congressional Democrats on the emergency economic rescue package.Throughout his convalescence Trump has remained very active on Twitter, with posts that included attacks on his political opponents, statements on his nomination of conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, as well as several assurances of his physical well-being.FEELING GREAT!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020Strength in sicknessTrump’s messaging included a video released Monday showing his discharge from the hospital and arrival back to the White House, climbing stairs rarely used when returning to the executive residence. His main message to Americans, delivered after taking off his mask, is not to be afraid and not to allow the coronavirus to “dominate your lives.”In a video released Wednesday evening, Trump called his illness a “blessing from God.” He highlighted the drugs he said have helped him “a lot” and characterized them as “a cure.”A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT! pic.twitter.com/uhLIcknAjT— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020“Trump is trying to portray himself as a kind of Superman,” said Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He is “vanquishing the virus, while also downplaying the deadly quality of it to make his administration’s failed approach look better,” he said.Trump’s allies see it as a president doing his best as he battles adversity.“We’re not going to surrender to it like Joe Biden would surrender to this virus,” Mercedes Schlapp, a Trump campaign adviser, said Monday on Fox News. “And at the end of the day, we know that the president is doing well.”The White House physicians’ daily updates on the president’s condition have been rosy. On Wednesday, Dr. Sean Conley, the president’s doctor, said that his “physical exam and vital signs, including oxygen saturation and respiratory rate, all remain stable and in normal range.” Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who along with several of her staff, tested positive for the coronavirus this week, tweeted the memo.A Wednesday update from President @realDonaldTrump’s physician: pic.twitter.com/IEn3Clv9yg— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 7, 2020While the Trump administration sought to project an image of a strong and swift recovery, his campaign is working to leverage the president’s illness. During a segment on Fox News on Monday, Trump campaign communications director Erin Perrine presented the president’s diagnosis as a competency that Joe Biden lacks.“He is battling it head on, as toughly as only President Trump can,” Perrine said. “He has experience now of fighting the coronavirus as an individual. Those firsthand experiences, Joe Biden, he doesn’t have those,” she added.Republican strategist Amanda Iovino of the Market Research firm WPA Intelligence said that as the president seeks to use his personal battle against the virus as a metaphor for how the country is fighting the pandemic, there is an opening for the campaign to use the president’s diagnosis in “relating to and empathizing with Americans who have had the virus or who have had loved ones infected,” in particular seniors — a key demographic in the 2020 election — who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.Trump won the senior vote by 7 percentage points in 2016, but an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday showed Biden leading Trump in this group by 27 points, while a CNN/SSRS poll released Tuesday showed Biden leading by 21 points.Pandemic overblownAs the Trump campaign calculates that the president’s projection of strength in his battle against the virus will secure support from his base and possibly win sympathy from undecided voters, they are also hoping that Trump’s rapid recovery will prove that the pandemic threat has been overblown.Trump’s approach is to project triumph, said Jennifer Mercieca, a professor of communication at Texas A&M University.“He’s trying to convey that the virus is trivial, and we can easily overcome it and get back to normal,” she added.Mercieca calls that approach “a hard sell” because the virus rampaged through Trump’s inner circle, with the first lady and at least 11 White House staff and Trump campaign aides contracting the virus so far. Three Republican senators who attended a White House event on September 26 and 11 people involved in the first presidential debate on September 29 have also tested positive.“People will ask ‘If the White House isn’t safe, then can my house be safe?’” Mercieca added.Logistically, Trump’s diagnosis has changed plans for the last weeks of campaigning before the November 3 election. With a candidate unfit to travel at least temporarily, the campaign is relying on Vice President Mike Pence and other surrogates, including family members Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric and Lara Trump to continue “Operation Make America Great Again.”The Trump campaign has also moved away from the “Biden is hiding in his basement” line of attack, which compares the energy of Trump’s massive rallies and his opponent’s smaller, socially distanced events.Biden’s limited exposureIn the past six months, the Biden campaign strategy has been to limit their candidate’s exposure, adhering to strict health protocols outlined by state and national guidelines. Following Trump’s diagnosis, the Biden campaign has stayed the course and stuck to campaign travel plans, either virtually or meeting supporters in small groups in outdoor venues where masks are worn.As news of Trump’s illness broke, Biden offered his thoughts and prayers for the president’s and first lady’s “swift recovery.”Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 2, 2020Biden has been cautious about commenting on Trump’s illness but on Monday he faulted the president for failing to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines, saying that Trump is “responsible” for contracting the virus.“Anybody who contracts the virus by essentially saying, ‘Masks don’t matter, social distancing doesn’t matter,’ I think is responsible for what happens to them,” Biden said in an NBC town hall in Miami.John Fortier, director of governmental studies at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said the Biden campaign would be wise to avoid using Trump’s illness as political leverage.“I expect that they will simply wish the president well and wait and see what the limitations on campaigning and debates are,” he said.Trump said he is looking forward to the second debate even as concerns surface about the advisability of meeting his opponent while still in recovery.On Tuesday, Biden, who has had at least four negative tests since his first face-off with Trump, said that if the president still has COVID-19, “we shouldn’t have a debate.” His campaign is demanding proof that the president does not pose a threat to Biden and the attendees at the town hall-style debate scheduled for October 15.“There will be citizens there in attendance asking questions,” said Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield in an interview Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America. “So, the obligation is on Donald Trump to prove that he is not contagious.”Wednesday night, Vice President Mike Pence and Biden’s running mate California Senator Kamala Harris faced each other in a debate. Despite the candidates being 12 feet apart, Pence’s team reluctantly allowed a plexiglass divider between them, a request made by the Biden-Harris team.
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By Polityk | 10/08/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Next Presidential Debate to Be Virtual; Trump Says He Won’t Take Part
President Donald Trump says he will not participate in the next presidential debate, after the U.S. Commission on Presidential Debates announced Thursday the debate will be virtual “in order to protect the health and safety of all involved.” The commission said Trump, who is being treated for COVID-19, and Democratic challenger Joe Biden would participate from separate remote locations. In a statement, the commission said the debate, which is scheduled for next Thursday, will be held as originally planned at the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center in Miami, Florida. The “town hall” format, with the candidates taking questions from audience members, will also remain the same. The John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is shown, in Miami, Oct. 8, 2020.Asked about the announcement on Fox Business, Trump said, “I’m not going to waste my time in a virtual debate. That’s not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate is ridiculous. And then they cut you off whenever they want.” The Biden campaign has said the former vice president will participate. In a statement, the Biden campaign said “given the President’s refusal to participate on October 15th, we hope the Debate Commission will move the Biden-Trump Town Hall to October 22nd so that the President is not able to evade accountability.”Trump has been recovering from COVID-19 and has been confined to the White House since returning Monday from the Walter Reed Medical Center. He said he is doing well and is ready to hold campaign rallies. “I think I’m better to the point where I’d love to do a rally tonight,” he said. Trump’s doctors have not said if he is ready to hold rallies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 should be isolated for at least 10 days. Trump’s positive COVID-19 test was revealed late last week.
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By Polityk | 10/08/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Quotes from Kamala Harris-Mike Pence Debate
Republican Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic challenger California Senator Kamala Harris squared off Wednesday evening in Salt Lake City, Utah, ahead of the November 3 election. Here are some of key quotes from the debate, which was moderated by USA Today journalist Susan Page.The coronavirus pandemicHarris: “On January 28, the vice president and the president were informed about the nature of this pandemic. They were informed that it’s lethal. In consequence that it is airborne that it will affect young people, and that it would be contracted, because it is airborne. And they knew what was happening and they didn’t tell you.”Asked about the COVID-19 death toll, Pence: “I want the American people to know that from the very first day President Donald Trump has put the health of America first.”Pence: “The reality is when you look at the Biden plan [for dealing with the pandemic] it reads an awful lot like what President Trump and I and our task force have been doing every step of the way. … it looks a little bit like plagiarism.”Harris: “The American people have had to sacrifice far too much because of the incompetence of this administration.”VaccineHarris on vaccine: “If the public health professionals, if Dr. Fauci, if the doctors tell us that we should take it, I’ll be the first in line to take it absolutely, but if Donald Trump tells us to take it, I’m not taking it.”Pence: “The fact that you continue to undermine public confidence in a vaccine — if the vaccine emerges during the Trump administration — I think is unconscionable … stop playing politics with people’s lives.”Economic recoveryHarris: “On the issue of the economy I think there couldn’t be a more fundamental difference between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Joe Biden believes you measure the health and the strength of America’s economy based on the health and the strength of the American worker and the American family. On the other hand, you have Donald Trump, who measures the strength of the economy based on how rich people are doing.”Pence: “More taxes, more regulation, banning fracking, abolishing fossil fuel, crushing American energy and economic surrender to China is a prescription for economic decline. President Trump and I will keep America growing. The V-shaped recovery that’s underway right now will continue with four more years of President Donald Trump.”TaxesPence: “On Day One, Joe Biden’s going to raise your taxes.”Harris: “Joe Biden has been very clear: he will not raise taxes on anybody that who makes less than $400,000 a year.”Foreign policyHarris: “You’ve got to know who your adversaries are and keep them in check. But what we have seen with Donald Trump is that he has betrayed our friends and embraced dictators around the world. Let’s take, for example, Russia.”NAFTAPence: “Everybody knows that NAFTA cost literally thousands of American factories to close. We saw automotive jobs go south of the border. President Trump fought to renegotiate NAFTA, and the United States, Mexico, Canada agreement is now the law of the land. … It was a huge win for American farmers, especially dairy in the upper Midwest, but senator you said it didn’t go far enough on climate change.”Climate changePence: “Now with regard to climate change, the climate is changing. But the issue is, what’s the cause? And what do we do about it? President Trump has made it clear that we’re going to continue to listen to the science.” Harris: “We have seen a pattern with this administration, which is they don’t believe in science.”ChinaHarris: “You lost that trade war, you lost it. What ended up happening is because of a so-called trade war with China, America lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs. Farmers have experienced bankruptcy because of it. We are in a manufacturing recession because of it.”Pence: “Look, lost the trade war with China? Joe Biden never fought it. Joe Biden’s been a cheerleader for communist China over the last several decades.”The US militaryHarris: “This is about a pattern of Donald Trump’s, where he has referred to our men who are serving in our military as suckers and losers. Donald Trump, who went to Arlington Cemetery, and stood above the graves of our fallen heroes and said, ‘What’s in it for them?'”Pence: “President Donald Trump not only respects but reveres all of those who served in our armed forces and any suggestion otherwise is ridiculous.”
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By Polityk | 10/08/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Campaign Dilemma: How to Run with a Sick Candidate?
With less than a month before the election, President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis has returned the pandemic to the forefront of the presidential race. While his administration sought to project an image of a president who is recovering quickly, his campaign is working to frame his illness as an electoral asset.Since his return Monday from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Trump has projected an image of an incumbent ready to return to the job. On Wednesday he left the executive residence to work briefly from the Oval Office, where he received updates on Hurricane Delta and the ongoing negotiation with congressional Democrats on the emergency economic rescue package.Throughout his convalescence Trump has remained very active on Twitter, with posts that included attacks on his political opponents, statements on his nomination of conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, as well as several assurances of his physical well-being.FEELING GREAT!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020Strength in sicknessTrump’s messaging included a video released Monday showing his discharge from the hospital and arrival back to the White House, climbing stairs rarely used when returning to the executive residence. His main message to Americans, delivered after taking off his mask, is not to be afraid and not to allow the coronavirus to “dominate your lives.”In a video released Wednesday evening, Trump called his illness a “blessing from God.” He highlighted the drugs he said have helped him “a lot” and characterized them as “a cure.”A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT! pic.twitter.com/uhLIcknAjT— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020“Trump is trying to portray himself as a kind of Superman,” said Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He is “vanquishing the virus, while also downplaying the deadly quality of it to make his administration’s failed approach look better,” he said.Trump’s allies see it as a president doing his best as he battles adversity.“We’re not going to surrender to it like Joe Biden would surrender to this virus,” Mercedes Schlapp, a Trump campaign adviser, said Monday on Fox News. “And at the end of the day, we know that the president is doing well.”The White House physicians’ daily updates on the president’s condition have been rosy. On Wednesday, Dr. Sean Conley, the president’s doctor, said that his “physical exam and vital signs, including oxygen saturation and respiratory rate, all remain stable and in normal range.” Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who along with several of her staff, tested positive for the coronavirus this week, tweeted the memo.A Wednesday update from President @realDonaldTrump’s physician: pic.twitter.com/IEn3Clv9yg— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 7, 2020While the Trump administration sought to project an image of a strong and swift recovery, his campaign is working to leverage the president’s illness. During a segment on Fox News on Monday, Trump campaign communications director Erin Perrine presented the president’s diagnosis as a competency that Joe Biden lacks.“He is battling it head on, as toughly as only President Trump can,” Perrine said. “He has experience now of fighting the coronavirus as an individual. Those firsthand experiences, Joe Biden, he doesn’t have those,” she added.Republican strategist Amanda Iovino of the Market Research firm WPA Intelligence said that as the president seeks to use his personal battle against the virus as a metaphor for how the country is fighting the pandemic, there is an opening for the campaign to use the president’s diagnosis in “relating to and empathizing with Americans who have had the virus or who have had loved ones infected,” in particular seniors — a key demographic in the 2020 election — who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.Trump won the senior vote by 7 percentage points in 2016, but an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday showed Biden leading Trump in this group by 27 points, while a CNN/SSRS poll released Tuesday showed Biden leading by 21 points.Pandemic overblownAs the Trump campaign calculates that the president’s projection of strength in his battle against the virus will secure support from his base and possibly win sympathy from undecided voters, they are also hoping that Trump’s rapid recovery will prove that the pandemic threat has been overblown.Trump’s approach is to project triumph, said Jennifer Mercieca, a professor of communication at Texas A&M University.“He’s trying to convey that the virus is trivial, and we can easily overcome it and get back to normal,” she added.Mercieca calls that approach “a hard sell” because the virus rampaged through Trump’s inner circle, with the first lady and at least 11 White House staff and Trump campaign aides contracting the virus so far. Three Republican senators who attended a White House event on September 26 and 11 people involved in the first presidential debate on September 29 have also tested positive.“People will ask ‘If the White House isn’t safe, then can my house be safe?’” Mercieca added.Logistically, Trump’s diagnosis has changed plans for the last weeks of campaigning before the November 3 election. With a candidate unfit to travel at least temporarily, the campaign is relying on Vice President Mike Pence and other surrogates, including family members Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric and Lara Trump to continue “Operation Make America Great Again.”The Trump campaign has also moved away from the “Biden is hiding in his basement” line of attack, which compares the energy of Trump’s massive rallies and his opponent’s smaller, socially distanced events.Biden’s limited exposureIn the past six months, the Biden campaign strategy has been to limit their candidate’s exposure, adhering to strict health protocols outlined by state and national guidelines. Following Trump’s diagnosis, the Biden campaign has stayed the course and stuck to campaign travel plans, either virtually or meeting supporters in small groups in outdoor venues where masks are worn.As news of Trump’s illness broke, Biden offered his thoughts and prayers for the president’s and first lady’s “swift recovery.”Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 2, 2020Biden has been cautious about commenting on Trump’s illness but on Monday he faulted the president for failing to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines, saying that Trump is “responsible” for contracting the virus.“Anybody who contracts the virus by essentially saying, ‘Masks don’t matter, social distancing doesn’t matter,’ I think is responsible for what happens to them,” Biden said in an NBC town hall in Miami.John Fortier, director of governmental studies at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said the Biden campaign would be wise to avoid using Trump’s illness as political leverage.“I expect that they will simply wish the president well and wait and see what the limitations on campaigning and debates are,” he said.Trump said he is looking forward to the second debate even as concerns surface about the advisability of meeting his opponent while still in recovery.On Tuesday, Biden, who has had at least four negative tests since his first face-off with Trump, said that if the president still has COVID-19, “we shouldn’t have a debate.” His campaign is demanding proof that the president does not pose a threat to Biden and the attendees at the town hall-style debate scheduled for October 15.“There will be citizens there in attendance asking questions,” said Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield in an interview Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America. “So, the obligation is on Donald Trump to prove that he is not contagious.”Wednesday night, Vice President Mike Pence and Biden’s running mate California Senator Kamala Harris faced each other in a debate. Despite the candidates being 12 feet apart, Pence’s team reluctantly allowed a plexiglass divider between them, a request made by the Biden-Harris team.
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By Polityk | 10/08/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump: No More Stimulus Talks Until After Election
Negotiations for a potential new round of U.S. coronavirus relief funding appeared to come to a halt Tuesday with President Donald Trump saying Democratic proposals were not acceptable, and that he was directing administration officials to halt talks until after next month’s election. Trump’s statements came in a series of tweets, including one later in which he proposed approving several individual relief provisions instead of a larger collection of measures like the government has done several times this year.If I am sent a Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200), they will go out to our great people IMMEDIATELY. I am ready to sign right now. Are you listening Nancy? Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to the media after the Republican policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 22, 2020.“Walking away from coronavirus talks demonstrates that President Trump is unwilling to crush the virus, as is required by the Heroes Act,” Pelosi said. “He shows his contempt for science, his disdain for our heroes – in health care, first responders, sanitation, transportation, food workers, teachers, teachers, teachers and others – and he refuses to put money in workers’ pockets, unless his name is printed on the check.” Trump, in his tweets, accused the Democrats of “playing ‘games’’ with the stimulus payments to individuals. “They just wanted to take care of Democrat failed, high crime, Cities and States. They were never in it to help the workers, and they never will be!” he said. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said it is Trump who is not interested in helping Americans, and he accused the president of failing to lead during the pandemic. “Make no mistake: if you are out of work, if your business is closed, if your child’s school is shut down, if you are seeing layoffs in your community, Donald Trump decided today that none of that — none of it — matters to him,” Biden said in a statement.
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By Polityk | 10/07/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Biden Presidential Race Focuses on Pandemic and Florida
With election day less than a month away, many Americans have voted early or voted by mail, and many more are expected to do so between now and November 3. Former vice president and Democratic candidate Joe Biden has been campaigning in the swing state of Florida, while President Donald Trump, who is recovering from COVID-19, has vowed to be back on the campaign trail soon. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has more.
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By Polityk | 10/07/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
As White House Becomes COVID Hot Spot, Trump Remains Defiant
President Donald Trump is back at the White House after being released from the hospital where he was treated for COVID-19, and he is tweeting, urging Americans not to be afraid of the coronavirus. Many of Trump’s inner circle and those who attended a White House event late last month have since tested positive for the coronavirus. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports on how the administration is responding to the outbreak.
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By Polityk | 10/07/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Top Trump Aide Stephen Miller Tests Positive for COVID
Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and speechwriter, tested positive for the coronavirus Tuesday. A senior administration official said Miller had previously tested negative as White House officials have tried to contain an outbreak on the complex that has infected Trump, the first lady, and more than a dozen other aides and associates. Miller is an architect of the president’s “America First” foreign policy and restrictive immigration measures. His wife, Katie Miller, who serves as communications director to Vice President Mike Pence, previously had the virus and tested negative after the last time she saw him. Katie Miller had been in Salt Lake City with Pence, where he is preparing to debate Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, but she left as soon as she found out about her husband’s diagnosis.
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By Polityk | 10/07/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Facebook Says It Will Ban Groups for ‘Representing’ QAnon
Facebook said it will ban groups that “represent” QAnon, the baseless conspiracy theory that paints President Donald Trump as a secret warrior against a supposed child-trafficking ring run by celebrities and “deep state” government officials. The company said Tuesday that it will remove Facebook pages, groups and Instagram accounts for “representing QAnon,” even if they don’t promote violence. The social network said it will consider a variety of factors to decide if a group meets its criteria for a ban, including its name, the biography or “about” section of the page, and discussions within the page, group or Instagram account. Mentions of QAnon in a group focused on a different subject won’t necessarily lead to a ban, Facebook said. Less than two months ago, Facebook said it would stop promoting the group and its adherents, although it faltered with spotty enforcement. It said it would only remove QAnon groups if they promote violence. That is no longer the case. The company said it started to enforce the policy Tuesday but cautioned that it “will take time and will continue in the coming days and weeks.” The QAnon phenomenon has sprawled across a patchwork of secret Facebook groups, Twitter accounts and YouTube videos in recent years. QAnon has been linked to real-world violence such as criminal reports of kidnapping and dangerous claims that the coronavirus is a hoax. But the conspiracy theory has also seeped into mainstream politics. Several Republicans running for Congress this year are QAnon-friendly. By the time Facebook and other social media companies began enforcing — however limited — policies against QAnon, critics said it was largely too late. Reddit, which began banning QAnon groups in 2018, was well ahead, and to date it has largely avoided having a notable QAnon presence on its platform. Twitter did not immediately respond to a message for comment on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Citigroup Inc. reportedly fired a manager in its technology department after an investigation found that he operated a prominent website dedicated to QAnon. According to Bloomberg, Jason Gelinas had been placed on paid leave after he was identified on Sept. 10 by a fact-checking site as the operator of the website QMap.pub and its associated mobile apps. Citi did not immediately respond to a message for comment on Tuesday.
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By Polityk | 10/07/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
More Than 4 Million Americans Have Already Voted, Suggesting Record Turnout
Americans are rushing to cast ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 election at an unprecedented pace, early voting numbers show, indicating a possible record turnout for the showdown between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
With four weeks to go before Election Day, more than 4 million Americans already have voted, more than 50 times the 75,000 at this time in 2016, according to the United States Elections Project, which compiles early voting data.
The shift has been driven by an expansion of early and mail-in voting in many states as a safe way to cast a ballot during the coronavirus pandemic and an eagerness to weigh in on the political future of Trump, said Michael McDonald of the University of Florida, who administers the project.
“We’ve never seen this many people voting so far ahead of an election,” McDonald said. “People cast their ballots when they make up their minds, and we know that many people made up their minds long ago and already have a judgment about Trump.”
The early surge has led McDonald to predict a record turnout of about 150 million, representing 65% of eligible voters, the highest rate since 1908.
Biden leads Trump in national opinion polls, although surveys in crucial battleground states indicate a tighter race.
The numbers reported so far come from 31 states, McDonald said, and will grow rapidly as more states begin early in-person voting and report absentee mail-in totals in the next few weeks. All but about a half-dozen states allow some level of early in-person voting.
The percentage of voters who cast their ballot at a voting machine on Election Day already had been in steady decline before this year, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, a federal agency.
The total number of early or mail-in votes more than doubled from nearly 25 million in 2004 to 57 million in 2016, it said, representing an increase from one in five of all ballots cast to two in five of all ballots cast.
Trump has railed against mail-in voting, making unfounded accusations that it leads to fraud. Experts have said such fraud is rare.
Those attacks by the president have shown signs of depressing Republican interest in voting by mail. Democrats have more than doubled the number of returned mail-in ballots by Republicans in seven states that report voter registration data by party, according to the Elections Project.
In the crucial battleground state of Florida, Democrats have requested more than 2.4 million mail-in ballots and returned 282,000, while Republicans have asked for nearly 1.7 million and returned more than 145,000.
A national Reuters/Ipsos poll taken last week found 5% of Democrats nationwide said they had already voted compared to 2% of Republicans. About 58% of Democrats planned to vote early compared to 40% of Republicans.
McDonald said early voting typically starts strong, then drops before surging just ahead of the election. But in some states, rates of participation already have skyrocketed a month out.
In South Dakota, early voting this year already represents nearly 23% of the total turnout in 2016. It is nearly 17% of total 2016 turnout in Virginia and nearly 15% of total 2016 turnout in the battleground state of Wisconsin.
“That’s just nuts,” McDonald said. “Every piece of data suggests very high turnout for this election. I think that’s just a given.”
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By Polityk | 10/07/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump, Being Treated for COVID-19, Plans to Attend Second Debate With Biden
U.S. President Donald Trump, infected with the coronavirus, declared from the White House on Tuesday that he is planning to show up for his second debate with Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden. “I am looking forward to the debate on the evening of Thursday, October 15th in Miami. It will be great!” the president said on Twitter.I am looking forward to the debate on the evening of Thursday, October 15th in Miami. It will be great!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) FILE – U.S. Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley, the White House physician, is flanked by other doctors as he speaks to the media at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Oct. 4, 2020.Monday morning on social media, Trump wrote that the coronavirus in most populations is “far less lethal” than seasonal influenza. Facebook deleted the message. “We remove incorrect information about the severity of COVID-19 and have now removed this post,” said Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesman. Twitter restricted Trump’s tweet, applying a warning label that noted it violates the social media platform’s guideline “about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19.” Trump urged Americans not to “be afraid” of COVID-19 after he returned to the White House. In a show of fitness, he climbed the steps of the South Portico, standing on the Truman Balcony, where he removed his mask, gave a double thumbs-up gesture and saluted the Marine One helicopter as it prepared to take off from the South Lawn. Without putting his face mask back on, the president then walked into the White House where others were awaiting his arrival. FILE – U.S. President Donald Trump salutes without a face mask on the Truman Balcony of the White House after returning from being hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center for coronavirus, in Washington, Oct. 5, 2020.Earlier, as he walked out of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Trump said, “Thank you very much, everybody.” Stepping off the helicopter and walking toward the White House residence, the president paused and turned to the cameras, waved and gave a thumbs-up. Asked by VOA how he was feeling, a muffled reply of “real good” could be heard. Later in the evening, he tweeted out a recorded message about COVID19, saying ”Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it.” “We’re going back, we’re going back to work. We’re going to be out front,” he said. “Don’t let it dominate your lives. Get out there, be careful,” he added. Trump’s primary physician gave an update of his condition Monday afternoon before he was discharged from Walter Reed. “Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet, the team and I agree that all our evaluations, and most importantly, his clinical status, support his return home” to the White House, which has medical facilities and practitioners to monitor the president around the clock,” Conley told reporters. “Every day a patient stays in the hospital unnecessarily is a risk to themselves,” he added. ”Right now, there’s nothing being done upstairs here that we can’t safely conduct down home.” The White House is “taking every precaution necessary” to protect not just Trump and first lady Melania Trump, who also tested positive for the coronavirus, but “every staff member working on the complex” consistent with CDC guidelines and best practices, according to Judd Deere, a White House spokesman. Deere said that physical access to Trump is being significantly limited, and appropriate protective equipment is being worn by those near him. Several White House officials and other staff are known to be currently infected with the virus, including press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and presidential adviser Hope Hicks. FILE – Kayleigh McEnany speaks after U.S. President Trump announced he tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Washington.Speaking with reporters at the hospital prior to Trump’s discharge, Conley, an osteopath and a commander in the U.S. Navy, declined to answer some questions, such as the condition of the president’s lungs, citing patient confidentiality. The president has been taking a steroid, dexamethasone, which is typically not administered in mild or moderate cases of the coronavirus, along with a five-day course of remdesivir, an antiviral medication. Trump’s campaign on Friday put a hold on all previously announced events involving the president’s participation. Vice President Mike Pence is making campaign appearances this week, as well as facing off Wednesday evening against Sen. Kamala Harris of California, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. FILE – U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen arrive ahead of the vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 5, 2020.”As far as travel goes, we’ll see,” Conley replied when asked how soon Trump could get back on the campaign trail with less than a month before the November 3 presidential election. Doctors said it is important to ensure that the president is no longer shedding virus and that he is in good enough physical shape before getting medical permission to travel. Trump and Biden were about 4 meters apart on a debate stage last Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. The CDC suggests at least 2 meters for social distancing purposes. The coronavirus has killed 210,000 people in the United States and infected nearly 7.5 million across the country, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
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By Polityk | 10/07/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Back at White House, Trump Urges Americans ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ of COVID-19
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Americans not to “be afraid” of COVID-19 after he returned to the White House Monday evening after 72 hours of hospitalization for the deadly virus.In a show of fitness, he climbed the steps of the South Portico, standing on the Truman Balcony where he removed his mask, gave a double thumbs-up gesture and saluted the Marine One helicopter as it prepared to take off from the South Lawn. Without putting his facemask back on, the president then walked into the White House where others were awaiting his arrival.Earlier, as he walked out of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Trump said, “Thank you very much, everybody.”Stepping off the helicopter and walking toward the White House residence, the president paused to turn to the cameras, waved and gave a thumbs-up. Asked by VOA how he was feeling, a muffled reply of “real good” could be heard. Later in the evening, he tweeted out a recorded message about COVID19, saying “Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it.””We’re going back, we’re going back to work. We’re going to be out front,” he said. “Don’t let it dominate your lives. Get out there, be careful,” he added.FILE – President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden participate in the first presidential debate, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland.Next presidential debate
Trump’s reelection campaign said the Republican president, trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls, plans to participate in the Oct. 15 second debate against the Democratic Party nominee. “Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet, the team and I agree that all our evaluations, and most importantly, his clinical status, support his return home” to the White House, which has medical facilities and practitioners to monitor the president around the clock, his primary physician, Dr. Sean Conley, told reporters Monday afternoon. “Every day a patient stays in the hospital unnecessarily is a risk to themselves,” he added. “Right now, there’s nothing being done upstairs here that we can’t safely conduct down home.” Before leaving the hospital, the president tweeted, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” adding that he felt better than he did 20 years ago. I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Dr. Sean Conley, physician to President Donald Trump, center, and other doctors, walk out to talk with reporters at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 5, 2020.Physicians ‘cautiously optimistic’
Speaking with reporters at the hospital, Conley, an osteopath and a commander in the U.S. Navy, declined to answer some questions, such as the condition of the president’s lungs, citing patient confidentiality. The president is taking a steroid, dexamethasone, which is typically not administered in mild or moderate cases of the coronavirus, along with a five-day course of remdesivir, an antiviral medication. Trump’s physicians remain “cautiously optimistic and on guard, because we’re in a bit of unchartered territory when it comes to a patient that received the therapies he has so early in the course,” Conley said. “If we can get through to Monday with him remaining the same, or improving, better yet, then we will all take that final deep sigh of relief.” After tweeting a video on Sunday that he was “getting great reports” from his doctors, Trump promised a little surprise for his supporters outside the hospital where he is being treated. President Donald Trump drives past supporters gathered outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 4, 2020.Drive by criticism
His decision to do a drive-around for supporters Sunday evening was condemned by one attending physician at Walter Reed as irresponsible. Dr. James Phillips, who is also chief of disaster medicine at The George Washington University in Washington, tweeted that the special vehicle the president was riding in is sealed against chemical attack. “The risk of COVID-19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play,” said Phillips, referring to the driver and an accompanying agent in the front seat who appeared to be wearing masks, face shields and gowns. That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play.— Dr. James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) October 4, 2020“Appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the president and all those supporting it, including PPE,” White House spokesman, Judd Deere, said. “The movement was cleared by the medical team as safe to do.” On Monday Conley said the drive was only “for a short period of time,” and the agents in the vehicle with Trump were adequately protected. Infection date unclear
Earlier Sunday, the doctors treating the president revealed that their patient had earlier experienced “two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation.” Conley received word last Thursday evening that both Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus after one of the president’s close aides, Hope Hicks, was confirmed to be ill with the infection. The doctor declined again on Monday, when pressed by reporters, to answer when Trump last tested negative for COVID-19, something considered important for doing adequate contact tracing to try to limit the spread of the virus. “I don’t want to go backwards,” the physician said. “The contact tracing, as I understand it, is being done. I’m not involved with it.” Trump’s campaign on Friday put a hold on all previously announced events involving the president’s participation.
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen, along with Sarah Pence and her husband Michael Pence and their daughter, right, arrive on Marine Two at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Oct. 5, 2020, as he departs for Utah.Return to campaign trail
Vice President Mike Pence is making campaign appearances this week, as well as facing off Wednesday evening against Sen. Kamala Harris of California, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. “As far as travel goes, we’ll see,” Conley replied when asked how soon Trump could get back on the campaign trail with less than a month before the Nov. 3 presidential election.
Doctors said it is important to ensure that the president is no longer shedding virus and that he is in good enough physical shape before getting medical permission to travel. Trump and Biden were about 4 meters apart on a debate stage last Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests at least 2 meters for social distancing purposes. Biden’s campaign said the former vice president tested negative Friday for the coronavirus. A test on Sunday was also negative. The coronavirus has killed 210,000 people in the United States and infected nearly 7.5 million across the country, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
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By Polityk | 10/06/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
What Is an October Surprise?
This kind of political event tends to make politicians anxious ahead of November elections. What is it? VOA explains.
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By Polityk | 10/06/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Back at White House, Trump Tells Americans ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ of COVID-19
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Americans not to “be afraid” of COVID-19 after he returned to the White House Monday evening after 72 hours of hospitalization for the deadly virus.In a show of fitness, he climbed the steps of the South Portico, standing on the Truman Balcony where he removed his mask, gave a double thumbs-up gesture and saluted the Marine One helicopter as it prepared to take off from the South Lawn. Without putting his facemask back on, the president then walked into the White House where others were awaiting his arrival.Earlier, as he walked out of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Trump said, “Thank you very much, everybody.”Stepping off the helicopter and walking toward the White House residence, the president paused to turn to the cameras, waved and gave a thumbs-up. Asked by VOA how he was feeling, a muffled reply of “real good” could be heard. Later in the evening, he tweeted out a recorded message about COVID19, saying “Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it.””We’re going back, we’re going back to work. We’re going to be out front,” he said. “Don’t let it dominate your lives. Get out there, be careful,” he added.FILE – President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden participate in the first presidential debate, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland.Next presidential debate
Trump’s reelection campaign said the Republican president, trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls, plans to participate in the Oct. 15 second debate against the Democratic Party nominee. “Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet, the team and I agree that all our evaluations, and most importantly, his clinical status, support his return home” to the White House, which has medical facilities and practitioners to monitor the president around the clock, his primary physician, Dr. Sean Conley, told reporters Monday afternoon. “Every day a patient stays in the hospital unnecessarily is a risk to themselves,” he added. “Right now, there’s nothing being done upstairs here that we can’t safely conduct down home.” Before leaving the hospital, the president tweeted, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” adding that he felt better than he did 20 years ago. I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Dr. Sean Conley, physician to President Donald Trump, center, and other doctors, walk out to talk with reporters at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 5, 2020.Physicians ‘cautiously optimistic’
Speaking with reporters at the hospital, Conley, an osteopath and a commander in the U.S. Navy, declined to answer some questions, such as the condition of the president’s lungs, citing patient confidentiality. The president is taking a steroid, dexamethasone, which is typically not administered in mild or moderate cases of the coronavirus, along with a five-day course of remdesivir, an antiviral medication. Trump’s physicians remain “cautiously optimistic and on guard, because we’re in a bit of unchartered territory when it comes to a patient that received the therapies he has so early in the course,” Conley said. “If we can get through to Monday with him remaining the same, or improving, better yet, then we will all take that final deep sigh of relief.” After tweeting a video on Sunday that he was “getting great reports” from his doctors, Trump promised a little surprise for his supporters outside the hospital where he is being treated. President Donald Trump drives past supporters gathered outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 4, 2020.Drive by criticism
His decision to do a drive-around for supporters Sunday evening was condemned by one attending physician at Walter Reed as irresponsible. Dr. James Phillips, who is also chief of disaster medicine at The George Washington University in Washington, tweeted that the special vehicle the president was riding in is sealed against chemical attack. “The risk of COVID-19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play,” said Phillips, referring to the driver and an accompanying agent in the front seat who appeared to be wearing masks, face shields and gowns. That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play.— Dr. James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) October 4, 2020“Appropriate precautions were taken in the execution of this movement to protect the president and all those supporting it, including PPE,” White House spokesman, Judd Deere, said. “The movement was cleared by the medical team as safe to do.” On Monday Conley said the drive was only “for a short period of time,” and the agents in the vehicle with Trump were adequately protected. Infection date unclear
Earlier Sunday, the doctors treating the president revealed that their patient had earlier experienced “two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation.” Conley received word last Thursday evening that both Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus after one of the president’s close aides, Hope Hicks, was confirmed to be ill with the infection. The doctor declined again on Monday, when pressed by reporters, to answer when Trump last tested negative for COVID-19, something considered important for doing adequate contact tracing to try to limit the spread of the virus. “I don’t want to go backwards,” the physician said. “The contact tracing, as I understand it, is being done. I’m not involved with it.” Trump’s campaign on Friday put a hold on all previously announced events involving the president’s participation.
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen, along with Sarah Pence and her husband Michael Pence and their daughter, right, arrive on Marine Two at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Oct. 5, 2020, as he departs for Utah.Return to campaign trail
Vice President Mike Pence is making campaign appearances this week, as well as facing off Wednesday evening against Sen. Kamala Harris of California, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. “As far as travel goes, we’ll see,” Conley replied when asked how soon Trump could get back on the campaign trail with less than a month before the Nov. 3 presidential election.
Doctors said it is important to ensure that the president is no longer shedding virus and that he is in good enough physical shape before getting medical permission to travel. Trump and Biden were about 4 meters apart on a debate stage last Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests at least 2 meters for social distancing purposes. Biden’s campaign said the former vice president tested negative Friday for the coronavirus. A test on Sunday was also negative. The coronavirus has killed 210,000 people in the United States and infected nearly 7.5 million across the country, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
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By Polityk | 10/06/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Waits as President Trump Fights COVID-19
This week in the United States, all eyes are on President Donald Trump’s health after he and some of those in his inner circle, including first lady Melania Trump, tested positive for the novel coronavirus. One question is how the president’s health status will change the race for the White House, just a month before Election Day. Michelle Quinn reports.
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By Polityk | 10/06/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Returns to White House After 72 Hours in Hospital for COVID-19
U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House on Monday evening after 72 hours of hospitalization for COVID-19. In a show of fitness, he climbed the steps of the South Portico, standing on the Truman Balcony where he removed his mask, gave a double thumbs-up gesture and saluted the Marine One helicopter as it prepared to take off from the South Lawn. Trump said, “Thank you very much, everybody,” as he walked out of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Stepping off the helicopter and walking toward the White House residence, the president paused to turn to the cameras, waved and gave a thumbs-up. Asked by VOA how he was feeling, a muffled reply of “real good” could be heard. President Donald Trump gives two thumbs-up on the Blue Room Balcony upon returning to the White House, Oct. 5, 2020.Trump’s reelection campaign said the Republican president, trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls, plans to participate in the October 15 second debate against the Democratic Party nominee. “Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet, the team and I agree that all our evaluations, and most importantly, his clinical status, support his return home” to the White House, which has medical facilities and practitioners to monitor the president around the clock, his primary physician, Dr. Sean Conley, told reporters Monday afternoon. “Every day a patient stays in the hospital unnecessarily is a risk to themselves,” he added. “Right now, there’s nothing being done upstairs here that we can’t safely conduct down home.” Before leaving the hospital, the president tweeted, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” adding that he felt better than he did 20 years ago. I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Dr. Sean Conley, physician to President Donald Trump, center, and other doctors, walk out to talk with reporters at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Oct. 5, 2020.Earlier Sunday, the doctors treating the president revealed that their patient had experienced “two episodes of transient drops in his oxygen saturation.” Conley received word last Thursday evening that both Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus after one of the president’s close aides, Hope Hicks, was confirmed to be ill with the infection. The doctor declined again on Monday, when pressed by reporters, to answer when Trump last tested negative for COVID-19, something considered important for doing adequate contact tracing to try to limit the spread of the virus. A member of the cleaning staff, dressed in a protective suit, sprays the James Brady Briefing Room of the White House, Oct. 5, 2020.“I don’t want to go backwards,” the physician said. “The contact tracing, as I understand it, is being done. I’m not involved with it.” Trump’s campaign on Friday put a hold on all previously announced events involving the president’s participation. Vice President Mike Pence is making campaign appearances this week, as well as facing off Wednesday evening against Sen. Kamala Harris of California, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. “As far as travel goes, we’ll see,” Conley replied when asked how soon Trump could get back on the campaign trail with less than a month before the November 3 presidential election. President Donald Trump arrives back at the White House aboard Marine One, Oct. 5, 2020, after being treated for COVID-19 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.Doctors said it is important to ensure that the president is no longer shedding virus and that he is in good enough physical shape before getting medical permission to travel. Trump and Biden were about 4 meters apart on a debate stage last Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests at least 2 meters for social distancing purposes. Biden’s campaign said the former vice president tested negative Friday for the coronavirus. A test on Sunday was also negative. The coronavirus has killed 210,000 people in the United States and infected nearly 7.5 million across the country, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
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By Polityk | 10/06/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
How Will White House Coronavirus Outbreak Impact Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing?
U.S. Senate Republicans’ timeline to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been thrown into disarray by the coronavirus.FILE – President Donald Trump works in his conference room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Oct. 3, 2020, after testing positive for COVID-19. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)Those Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans appear to have been exposed to the virus in the cluster of cases that also infected U.S. President Donald Trump and other top members of the administration. The cluster of cases may have come from the September 26 White House Rose Garden event for Trump’s announcement of Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee. Here’s a look at where the timeline for Bennett’s confirmation hearings stand a week before the anticipated October 12 start:How are Senate Republicans responding? Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced a change to the Senate schedule Saturday in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus on Capitol Hill. The Senate will now not hold any floor business until October 19, but Republicans continue to aim to start confirmation hearings for Barrett on October 12. “The Senate floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough, fair and historically supported confirmation process,” McConnell said. “Since May, the Judiciary Committee has operated flawlessly through a hybrid method that has seen some Senators appear physically at its hearings while other members have participated virtually.” FILE – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. 21, 2020.The Senate Judiciary Committee has held 21 hybrid hearings — a mix of in-person and virtual — since the pandemic began in earlier this year. But McConnell cannot afford to lose even one more of the 51 Senate Republicans to illness or quarantine in order to confirm Barrett since Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have already announced they would not vote to confirm a nominee before Election Day. As it is, those senators infected or quarantining have already said they would return to Washington before the CDC recommended 14-day quarantine period has ended. In a Saturday interview with conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt, McConnell said the coronavirus is the “biggest enemy” to moving the Barrett nomination to a vote before Election Day. “Every precaution needs to be taken, because we don’t anticipate any Democratic support at all, either in committee or in the full Senate, and therefore, everybody needs to be in an all hands on deck mindset,” McConnell told Hewitt.How are Senate Democrats responding? The recent infection of three Republican senators has renewed the debate over safety procedures in the U.S. Capitol. While Congressional Republicans have held their caucus meetings in person throughout the course of the pandemic, Democrats continue to meet virtually. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday the plan to continue with the confirmation process highlighted Republicans’ disregard for safety protocols. FILE – Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y. speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 9, 2020.”The Republican leadership has truly lost touch with reality if it’s contemplating marching COVID-stricken members to the Senate to rush through a Supreme Court nominee who could strip health care from 20 million Americans. Instead of engaging in continuously more absurd and dangerous behavior, Chairman Graham should halt this already illegitimate nomination process,” Schumer said in a statement. At the same time, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats have also protested the plan to hold the Supreme Court confirmation process virtually, writing Saturday in a letter to Chairman Lindsey Graham, “Holding a remote hearing for a Supreme Court nomination is not an adequate substitute. As Republican members of this Committee have recognized, questioning nominees by video is ineffective and ignores the gravity of our constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on lifetime appointments, particularly those to the nation’s highest court.” Democrats’ best chance to block the Barrett confirmation will occur with procedural maneuvers on the Senate floor, after the Senate Judiciary Committee votes on her nomination. As of now, that committee vote is still planned for October 22. Republicans’ original plan would have the nomination ready for a full Senate floor vote the week of October 26.How has the U.S. Congress previously responded to protecting members from the coronavirus? Earlier this year, the Republican-majority U.S. Senate and the Democratic-majority U.S. House diverged in their response to the virus. Led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, lawmakers in that chamber passed the first-ever rules for proxy voting and switched over to holding committee hearings virtually. After a break in April, the U.S. Senate returned to in-person work. Both McConnell and Pelosi declined a White House offer for testing. To date, there is no COVID-19 testing or tracing regimen on Capitol Hill. FILE – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks during a weekly news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 1, 2020.Pelosi did institute a mask mandate for the House side of the Capitol in late July, when Rep. Louie Gohmert — who had refused to wear a mask — tested positive for coronavirus. According to GovTrack, 72 members of Congress in total have tested positive for COVID-19, been quarantined or come into contact with someone who has the virus. U.S. lawmakers fly into Washington from all parts of the country, work a three- to four-day week on Capitol Hill and then fly back to their home districts — a situation that is ideal for facilitating the spread of the virus. “400-500+ members of Congress regularly travel from every corner of the country to DC & back. Each time we convene carries with it the potential of a super spreader event. It’s absolutely unacceptable that there is no regular temp-taking, testing, or contact tracing protocol,” Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted over the weekend. The U.S. House is currently out of session for the month of October while lawmakers’ campaign in their home districts.
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By Polityk | 10/06/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Homeless People in California Can Vote – Here’s How
Courts in California have ruled that a homeless person may register to vote at a location where they say they spend most of their time. Volunteers are going to places where they congregate to help them register. Angelina Bagdasaryan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.
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By Polityk | 10/05/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
In California, Homeless People Can Vote Too
Courts in California have ruled that a homeless person may register to vote at a location where they say they spend most of their time. Volunteers are going to places where they congregate to help them register. Angelina Bagdasaryan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.
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By Polityk | 10/05/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
