Louisiana is moving to postpone its April 4 presidential primary due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, state election officials announced Friday. The
primary – which includes mayoral races and local propositions as well
as the presidential ballot – would instead be held June 20, Louisiana
Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin announced at a news conference in Baton
Rouge. Christina Stephens, a spokeswoman for Louisiana Democratic
Gov. John Bel Edwards, told Fox News the governor will sign an executive
order Friday moving the election to the later date. The governor is
also planning to hold a press conference in New Orleans on Friday. “The
governor and the secretary of state began this discussion of delaying
the primary several days ago out of concern for the aging population of
poll workers and a desire to prevent the spread of illness,” Stephens
said. “We are experiencing community spread of coronavirus in Louisiana
and the governor is taking decisive action to slow its progress.” Louisiana is the first state that’s holding an upcoming primary or caucus to move to delay their contest.
Christina Stephens, a spokeswoman for Louisiana Democratic Gov.
John Bel Edwards (pictured), told Fox News the governor will sign an
executive order Friday moving the election to the later date. The
governor is also planning to hold a press conference in New Orleans on
Friday. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte, File)
"Today I have certified that a state of emergency
exists and requested that the governor issue an executive order
postponing the elections this spring. We have requested postponing the
April 4 primary election until June 20 and postponing the May 9 general
election until July 25," Ardoin, the secretary of state, said. "While
hurricanes, floods and tornadoes are at the forefront of all
Louisianan's minds, the threat we face from the COV-19 virus is an
unprecedented threat and unlike any we have faced," the secretary of
state added. "Safe and secure elections also mean safety to the people of Louisiana," he emphasized. Four states hold primaries on Tuesday – Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio. Meanwhile,
Arizona's Secretary of State's office told Fox News it couldn't move
the date of their primary because it would require legislative action. That
comes as election officials in the four states are making last-minute
moves -- such as moving polling places away from locations with
heavy concentrations of high-risk people, like nursing homes. The
secretary of states of Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio put out a
joint statement emphasizing that “we are working closely with our state
health officials to ensure that our poll workers and voters can be
confident that voting is safe.” “Unlike concerts, sporting events
or other mass gatherings where large groups of people travel long
distances to congregate in a confined space for an extended period of
time, polling locations see people from a nearby community coming into
and out of the building for a short duration,” they noted. And
the secretary of states highlighted that “guidance from voting machine
manufacturers on how best to sanitize machines, guidance from CDC on
best practices for hand washing, and guidance from our respective state
health officials is being provided to every polling location.” Democratic
presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders - asked about the
postponement of Louisiana's primary - told reporters at a press
conference in his hometown of Burlington, Vermont that "elections are
the bedrock of our democracy and we don’t want to be delaying elections
on a willy nilly basis." But he stressed that "there is obviously a
growing concern about bringing people together and spreading the
virus…. I don’t think there’s anybody out there – no matter what your
political view may be – that wants to see people become infected because
they are voting." Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign put out a statement following the move by Louisiana. “Voting
is at the very heart of who we are as a democracy. As election
officials working with public health officials are demonstrating
throughout the country, our elections can be conducted safely in
consultation with public health officials,” deputy campaign manager Kate
Bedingfield said. “If voters are feeling healthy, not exhibiting
symptoms, and don’t believe they've been exposed to COVID-19, please
vote on Tuesday," Bedingfield said of the upcoming contests. "If voters
are members of an at-risk population, exhibiting symptoms, or have been
exposed to a diagnosed case of COVID-19, we encourage them to explore
absentee ballots and vote by mail options.”
Thousands of travelers returning from Europe crowded terminals at several U.S. airports Saturday night in cramped, hours-long lines amid newly implemented heightened coronavirus screening. The
massive lines came hours after the Trump administration's 30-day travel
ban on most of Europe took effect. The ban doesn’t apply to American
citizens or permanent U.S. residents. Travelers returning from
across the Atlantic were being routed to 13 U.S. airports, including
Chicago O’Hare where waits were reportedly as long as eight hours to get
through screening for the virus. Coronavirus at the airport: How can I avoid germs?
'Safety ... is first & foremost'
Acting Secretary Chad Wolf of the Department of Homeland Security called for patience in a pair of Twitter messages early Sunday. "DHS
is aware of the long lines for passengers who are undergoing increased
medical screening requirements. Right now we are working to add
additional screening capacity and working with the airlines to expedite
the process," he wrote. He said it takes about one minute for medical professionals to screen each passenger. "We will be increasing capacity but the health and safety of the American public is first & foremost," he wrote.
Mayor, governor respond
Nevertheless, Chicago's mayor and Illinois' governor, both Democrats, criticized federal agencies' handling of the situation. Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the O’Hare crowding “unacceptable.” “The
reactionary, poorly planned travel ban has left thousands of travelers
at ORD forced into even greater health risk,” she tweeted.
@realdonaldtrump and @CBP: no one has time for your incompetence. Fully
staff our airport right now, and stop putting Americans in danger.” Gov.
J.B. Pritzker said he had spoken to Lightfoot and the state’s U.S.
senators -- Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats -- to get
the government to resolve the situation. “The federal government needs to get its s@#t together. NOW,” he pointedly tweeted. The
“enhanced entry screening” includes questions about medical history,
current health and contact information for local health officials,
according to The Washington Post. O'Hare's
management thanked passengers for their patience. "Customs processing
is taking longer than usual inside the Federal Inspection Services (FIS)
facility owing to enhanced #COVID19 screening for passengers arriving
from Europe," the airport tweeted.
'So close to others'
Meanwhile,
similar conditions at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport raised worries
about the recommended social distancing measure of at least 6 feet. “Passengers
waited in line for hours at customs at @DFWAirport,” Steven Dial of FOX
4 in Dallas tweeted Saturday night. “Many concerned about being so
close to others during the #COVIDー19 outbreak. The airport saying 'CBP
officers and the CDC are following federal guidelines to conduct
enhanced screening for passengers.'” Dallas-Fort Worth airport officials also asked for patience. “Just
waiting in a very long line with thousands of people to clear Customs
at JFK T4. Not sure who's really taking things seriously,” a passenger
arriving in New York City tweeted. “Friend just returned to Dulles
from Amsterdam this evening,” another tweeted. “Crowds were the same!
Said if she got the coronavirus it was the 4 hours waiting in that line
for just a temp check and told to 'try' and quarantine for 14 days.
Outrageous!!!” President
Trump announced the 30-day European travel ban Wednesday evening during
an Oval Office address on coronavirus. The temporary ban on foreign
nationals traveling from most European countries went into effect Friday
at midnight. On Saturday, the United Kingdom and Ireland were added to
the list, effective Monday.
NEW
YORK (AP) — The nation’s largest public school system is staying open
during the coronavirus crisis, New York City’s mayor said Friday,
defying mounting pressure to close as he raised concerns about the
unintended consequences of leaving more than 1.1 million students with
no place to go.
Mayor
Bill de Blasio’s decision leaves the Big Apple as an outlier among a
growing list of cities and states, from Pennsylvania to Oregon, that are
closing schools for a week or more as part of a nationwide attempt to
limit the spread of what’s known as COVID-19.
The
disease has already turned the lights out on Broadway and shuttered big
New York gathering spots from art museums to Carnegie Hall, but de
Blasio said shuttering schools could hamper the city’s ability to
respond to the crisis by forcing parents who are first responders and
healthcare workers to scramble childcare or stay home.
“Many,
many parents want us to keep schools open,” the Democratic mayor said.
“Depend on it. Need it. Don’t have another option.”
New
York teachers unions and a number of local politicians disagreed,
worried about the risk of teachers and students being exposed to the
disease. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, a Democrat, argued that
“teaching and learning can not take place under these circumstances.”
Student attendance plummeted on Friday to 68% from 85% the day before,
the city said.
Good old Liberals come through again:-)
De
Blasio said the city’s public schools would make adjustments to put
more space between students in what is known as “social distancing,”
such as moving meals into classrooms to avoid cafeteria crowding and
moving gym classes outside when weather permits.
The
mayor said that as of Friday morning, there was one confirmed case of a
student with coronavirus, on Staten Island. A teacher who works at a
school for “medically fragile” students in Brooklyn has also tested
positive, he said.
The
city is temporarily closing individual schools where people have tested
positive or are suspected of having coronavirus, but de Blasio said “it
is a very high bar to shut down” the entire system.
Still, he said that could happen if conditions change.
“I
think there is an illusion out there that you can shut down schools
temporarily in the midst of a growing crisis,” de Blasio added. He said a
shutdown could end up lasting the rest of the school year, or even the
calendar year, once “momentum is lost.”
As
officials deliberated the schools conundrum on Friday, restaurants,
subway cars and sidewalks were noticeably emptier as people telecommuted
to work and avoided public places — and some were closed.
Gatherings with more than 500 people were temporarily banned in the state as of 5 p.m. Friday, though Broadway shows were called off
a day sooner. Many smaller gathering spaces, such as bars and
restaurants, now must cut capacity in half. The restrictions don’t apply
to schools, hospitals, nursing homes, shopping malls and mass transit,
and there were exceptions for other types of businesses, such as casino
floors.
Courts
across the state curtailed operations, halting selection of new juries
and encouraging proceedings to be done by video. Store shelves were
wiped clean of basic necessities, such as toilet paper and tissues, and
products like hand sanitizer and wipes.
Restaurants
and nightspots are reporting drop-offs of 20%-80% over the past week,
particularly around touristy Times Square, said Andrew Rigie, executive
director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance.
“People
are scared to come outside,” Central Park tour guide Justin Rahim said.
He said several of his pedicab drivers — reliant on tourists for their
living — quit Thursday to drive for Uber’s food delivery service. “It’s
crazy. How am I going to survive this?”
De Blasio encouraged people to continuing working and living their lives, albeit with extra care.
The
virus, as of Friday afternoon, had been confirmed in more than 420
people in New York state, including over 150 in the city, and had caused one death in the metropolitan area, in neighboring New Jersey. About 50 New York patients are hospitalized.
The number of illnesses may be higher because of a shortage of test kits.
The state on Friday opened a drive-through testing center
in New Rochelle, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York had gotten federal
permission to work with 28 laboratories to amp up testing. He said he
hoped the statewide capacity could hit 6,000 tests a day next week —
compared to about 3,200 tests done, in total, to date.
The
governor revealed that one of his three daughters had been in a
precautionary quarantine after coming into contact with someone who had
traveled to a coronavirus hotspot. Her precautionary seclusion has now
ended, he said.
For
most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms,
such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people
with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness,
including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover.
Recent
data from China suggests children are at similar risk of infection as
the general population, though less likely to have severe symptoms.
Evidence from China also suggests that even if mildly affected, children
can spread the virus to others.
Still,
without school to occupy their days, kids would become restless and go
find their friends, bringing the same potential for transmitting
coronavirus as they’d have in a classroom, de Blasio said.
“What
do you think would happen if you let a bunch of New York City school
kids out for not a day, not a week, but three months?” he said. “You
think they’re going to stay in isolation in their apartment?”
___
Associated
Press writers Marina Villeneuve in Albany, New York, and Karen
Matthews, Deepti Hajela, Adam Geller and Jim Mustian in New York
contributed to this report.
___
The
Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from
the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education.
The AP is solely responsible for all content. Follow AP coverage of the
virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Democratic
presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks to reporters
about coronavirus Thursday March 12, 2020, in Burlington, Vt. (AP
Photo/Charles Krupa)
BURLINGTON,
Vt. (AP) — Bernie Sanders acknowledged Friday that fears about the
spread of coronavirus have damaged his ability to leverage large rallies
into support at the polls, and suggested that future Democratic
presidential primary voting should be delayed if health officials deem
doing so appropriate.
“We do more rallies than anybody else, and (they’re) often very well
attended. I love to do them,” the senator told reporters at a hotel in
his home state of Vermont. “This coronavirus has obviously impacted our
ability to communicate with people in the traditional way that we do.
That’s hurting.”
Thousands
of people gathering to hear him speak has defined Sanders since he
first sought the White House in 2016. But the practice has been
curtailed as health officials attempt to slow the virus’ spread.
Instead, Sanders has convened the media three straight days to blast the
Trump administration for what he calls its inadequate response and warn
of dire upcoming health and economic effects.
“If
this isn’t a red flag for the current dysfunctional and wasteful health
care system, frankly I don’t know what is,” Sanders said, advocating
for his signature “Medicare for All” plan that would provide, universal,
government-funded health care.
Despite
conceding that he’s badly trailing Joe Biden in amassing the number of
delegates needed to secure their party’s presidential nomination,
Sanders has given no indication he’ll drop out of the presidential race.
He’s vowed to grill the former vice president on issues like expanding
health coverage, combating climate change, reducing college debt and
overhauling a biased criminal justice system during a debate Sunday
night.
In the
meantime, though, the race could be shifting around both candidates.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards was planning to delay his state’s April 4
primary until June 20.
Even
though the four states set to vote in the next round of primaries on
Tuesday — Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio — all said they have no
plans for postponement, Sanders was asked about more disruptions and
didn’t dismiss the idea.
He
called elections “the bedrock of our democracy” and said they shouldn’t
be delayed “on a wily-nilly basis.” But he also noted that everything
from the NBA season to Broadway musicals had been disrupted to avoid
large crowds coming together, adding, “I don’t think there’s anybody out
there, no matter what your political view may be, who wants to see
people become infected because they are voting.”
“Rescheduling
elections is not something we do lightly or should do lightly,” Sanders
said, adding that state health and elected officials would have to
balance that with the fact that it’s “also important to make sure that
everybody who wants to vote has the right to vote, and that may not be
the case now.”
Biden,
who has also canceled scheduled events amid the coronavirus outbreak,
is holding a virtual town hall via Facebook on Friday. Sanders said, in
lieu of rallies, he plans to communicate with supporters via social
media and internet livestream, like he did when addressing reporters
Friday.
“We
are figuring out a way as to how we can best communicate with people,”
Sanders said “which will certainly, in a very strong way, utilize our
social media capabilities.”
FILE
- In this May 14, 2013, file photo, the Department of Justice
headquarters building in Washington is photographed early in the
morning. The Executive Office for Immigration Review is the arm of the
Justice Department that oversees deportation proceedings _ whether
immigrants are allowed stay in the U.S. or whether they are turned back
to their countries. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)
WASHINGTON
(AP) — Seattle’s immigration court will close down as the nation
continues to grapple with managing the coronavirus pandemic, and several
other large immigration courts will postpone certain hearings for
immigrants who are not detained that often involve large groups.
The
court in Seattle was temporarily shut down earlier this week over a
report of a second-hand exposure to the virus and will remain shut until
April 10. Seattle is among the areas hardest hit so far, with a cluster
of deaths and dozens sickened. The number of cases in the U.S. was put
at around 1,700 Friday, with about 50 deaths. But by some estimates, at
least 14,000 people might be infected.
According
to a statement obtained by The Associated Press from the Executive
Office for Immigration Review, which manages the immigration court
system, other courts will remain open where the virus has struck,
including Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Newark, New
Jersey, and Sacramento, California. But “master calendar” dates for
those who are not detained will be postponed. Those hearings can include
dozens of people in a single courtroom.
“The
agency continues to evaluate the dynamic situation nationwide and will
make decisions for each location as more information becomes available,”
according to the statement from EOIR, which is a division of the U.S.
Department of Justice.
There
are 68 immigration courts nationwide; the others will operate as
scheduled but officials with EOIR said they are evaluating and will
adjust as needed.
The U.S. immigration courts
are dealing with a massive backlog of 1 million cases. There have been
some delays of trials among the nation’s criminal courts, and some
states have closed courtrooms as the virus spreads.
There
have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the immigration system,
but it’s not clear how frequently tests are being performed, if at all.
There is often movement between detention facilities at the border,
where some migrants enter the U.S. sick, and throughout the immigration
system that has put employees on edge.
A union representing immigration judges has called for a temporary halt to the “master calendar” hearings. On Thursday, Judge Ashley Tabaddor,
the head of the union, wrote to the leadership of EOIR asking for more
measures be put in place to protect judges and employees.
“In
the absence of uniform guidance, some immigration judges have attempted
to implement their own risk mitigation strategies,” she wrote.
“However, these efforts have been frustrated by a time-consuming
bureaucratic process that is simply not sufficient in the current
circumstances.”
Tabbador
also called the postponements in six cities “wholly inadequate to
address the public health risk” and called on EOIR “to shut down all of
these large group hearings in all immigration courts across the
country.”
In El
Paso, Texas, some guards work shifts at both the long-term detention
center and the public courts where people are not detained. On Friday,
guards were seen interacting with two dozen migrants for a mass hearing
in the non-detained court, which sits on the 7th floor of a building
that also has public offices for the IRS and other federal agencies.
The
migrants have been required to live in Mexico while they apply for
asylum. They sleep in a network of shelters in Ciudad Juarez, along with
migrants from other countries and other continents.
Separately
on Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it would
temporarily suspend social visits at all of its detention facilities
across the U.S. Officials said there were no detainees in ICE custody
who had confirmed cases of COVID-19 and said canceling visitation was
precautionary to “further safeguard those in our care.”
ICE
holds more than 37,888 immigrants in more than 130 facilities,
including local jails and prisons. But unlike other detention centers,
have wide discretion on who can be released while their cases wind
through the courts.
The federal Bureau of Prisons
also shut down visitation; inmates at all 122 federal correctional
facilities across the country will no longer be allowed visits from
family, friends or attorneys for the next 30 days.
___
Associated Press Writer Cedar Attanasio contributed to this report from El Paso, Texas.
WASHINGTON
(AP) — The House approved legislation early Saturday to provide direct
relief to Americans suffering physically, financially and emotionally
from the coronavirus pandemic.
President
Donald Trump on Friday declared the outbreak a national emergency,
freeing up money and resources to fight it, then threw his support
behind the congressional aid package.
From
the Rose Garden, Trump said, “I am officially declaring a national
emergency,” unleashing as much as $50 billion for state and local
governments to respond to the crisis.
Trump also announced a range of executive actions, including a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing
capabilities with drive-through locations, as Washington tries to
subdue the new virus whose spread is roiling markets, shuttering
institutions and disrupting the lives of everyday Americans.
But
he denied any responsibility for delays in making testing available as
his administration has come under criticism for being too slow to
respond.
Trump said, “I don’t take responsibility at all” for the slow rollout of testing.
As
the House prepared to vote late Friday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi trumpeted
the hard-fought package that will provide free testing, sick pay for
workers, enhanced unemployment benefits and bolstered food programs.
“We
did what we said we were going to do: Put families first,” said Pelosi,
flanked by Democratic lawmakers, including many freshmen. The House
passed the bill after midnight on a bipartisan vote, 363-40. It now goes
to the Senate.
Trump’s
tweet of approval instilled fresh energy in the package, all but
ensuring that wary Republicans would join with a robust vote.
“I
encourage all Republicans and Democrats to come together and VOTE YES!”
Trump wrote, “Look forward to signing the final Bill, ASAP!”
The
crush of late-day activity capped a tumultuous week in Washington as
the fast-moving virus left ordinary Americans suddenly navigating
self-quarantines, school closures and a changed way of life.
The
White House was under enormous pressure, dealing with the crisis on
multiple fronts as it encroached ever closer on the president.
Trump
has been known to flout public health advice — and was eagerly shaking
hands during the more than hour-long afternoon event — but acknowledged
he “most likely” will be tested soon after exposures to individuals who
have tested positive for the virus. The White House physician indicated
later his interactions were low-risk and testing is not necessary.
Still,
Trump said officials don’t want people taking the test unless they have
certain symptoms. “We don’t want people without symptoms to go and do
that test,” Trump said, adding, “It’s totally unnecessary.”
Additionally,
Trump took a number of other actions to bolster energy markets, ease
the financial burden for Americans with student loans and give medical
professionals additional “flexibility” in treating patients during the
public health crisis.
“Through
a very collective action and shared sacrifice, national determination,
we will overcome the threat of the virus,” Trump said.
Central
to the aid package from Congress, which builds on an emergency $8.3
billion measure approved last week, are the free testing, sick pay and
family leave provisions.
Providing
sick pay for workers is a crucial element of federal efforts to stop
the rapid spread of the infection. Officials warn that the nation’s
healthcare system could quickly become overwhelmed with gravely sick
patients, as suddenly happened in Italy, one of the countries hardest
hit by the virus.
The
ability to ensure paychecks will keep flowing — for people
self-quarantining or caring for others — can help assure Americans they
will not fall into financial hardship. The legislation also offers three
months of paid family and medical leave. Small and mid-sized employers
will be reimbursed through tax credits.
Pelosi
negotiated the deal with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in days of
around-the-clock negotiations with cross-town phone calls, even as Trump
was speaking at the White House.
Voting
in the Senate is not yet set, with senators out of town for the
weekend. But Senate Leader Mitch McConnell canceled a plan recess week
and senators were scheduled to return Monday. He said he expects most
senators will want to “act swiftly.”
Both
Mnuchin and Pelosi, who said she did not speak directly to Trump during
the negotiations, promised a third coronavirus package will follow
soon, with more aggressive steps to boost the U.S. economy, which
economists fear has already slipped into recession.
The financial markets closed on an upswing after one of the worst nosedives since the 1987 downturn.
For
most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms,
such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people
with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness,
including pneumonia.
The
vast majority of people recover. According to the World Health
Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while
those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to be over
it.
Trump said
he was gratified that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tested
negative for the virus, after the pair sat next to each other for an
extended period of time last weekend at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. A
senior aide to Bolsonaro tested positive.
The
White House physician said in a memo late Friday that Trump was also
exposed to a second guest at the club dinner, “sharing the table with
the president,” who has since tested positive for the virus. Still
despite the incidents, the physician said Trump had only “LOW risk”
interactions and testing “is not currently indicated.”
Trump’s
daugher, Ivanka Trump, worked from home Friday after meeting with
Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, now in isolation at a
hospital after testing positive for the coronavirus. White House
spokesman Judd Deere said she was evaluated by the White House Medical
Unit.
Attorney
General William Barr, who also met with the Australian official, stayed
home Friday, though he “felt great and wasn’t showing any symptoms,”
according to his spokeswoman Kerri Kupec.
Several
lawmakers, including some close to Trump, have also been exposed to
people who tested positive for the virus, and are self-isolating.
Among
them are Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Rick Scott, who were at
Trump’s club on the weekend. Graham announced Friday that he also met
with the Australian official who has now tested positive. And GOP Sen.
Ted Cruz of Texas, who had previously isolated himself after a potential
exposure at a conservative conference in Washington, said Friday he met
with a Spanish official and is now self-quarantining.
Hospitals
welcomed Trump’s emergency declaration, which they and lawmakers in
Congress had been requesting. It allows the Health and Human Services
Department to temporarily waive certain federal rules that can make it
harder for hospitals and other health care facilities to respond to an
emergency.
The
American Medical Association said the emergency declaration would help
ensure America’s health care system has sufficient resources to properly
respond to the ongoing outbreak.
Dr.
Anthony Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of
Health, said more tests would be available over the next week, but
warned, “We still have a long way to go.”
___
Associated
Press writers Aamer Madhani, Alan Fram, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Lauran
Neergaard, Martin Crutsinger, Laurie Kellman, Michael Balsamo and Kevin
Freking in Washington contributed to this report.
___
The
Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from
the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education.
The AP is solely responsible for all content.
San Francisco, a Sanctuary City in a Sanctuary State, declared in a
terrifying crescendo, the Coronavirus is an emergency, a potential
catastrophe. Never mind the population is not suffering from a broad
general infection…yet. It is was what might happen that has them
scared.
The uncontrolled flow of migrants, most of whom are economic
migrants destined for the public welfare rolls, free health care, free
education, free housing, free food, and on, are eligible for broad-based
benefits that American citizens can’t get. The uncontrolled flow of
migrants across American borders is not a concern or crisis until the
risk is unfettered, entrance to potential Coronavirus infected people.
Blind admission of migrants, some of whom could be
carrying disease, such as T.B., potentially to the good people of San
Francisco, did not matter to the mother Sanctuary of Sanctuaries. But
the Coronavirus…that has them scared. There is no treatment for
Coronavirus, unlike T.B. The Virus can and is spreading easily far and
wide. The Bay Area City knows it. Trump’s border wall, which Liberals have fought hard against, is
slowing down the cross border flows the San Fran Liberals are suddenly
terrified of. Trump, and any reasonable government intent on protecting
its citizens from obvious risk, demanded a wall to stop unvetted
migrations. Trump never wanted to stop immigration, only uncontrolled
migrations. The Wall requires migrants to go through defined entry
points where they can be checked for diseases, like the fearful
Coronavirus… before they are released into the American interior. 330,000,000 Americans will be at risk. A Wall can stop biological terrorists sending Coronavirus infected
suicide killers across the border into America. The idea has certainly
occurred to them. It is cheap and effective. They may be trying it
right now. Is Trump still a racist for wanting to protect America first? Is
Trump a racist for wanting to keep out the sick coming for free medical
care, free everything? What if the Virus turns into a pandemic, will the
Sanctuary City and State have enough beds to care for Americans? Will
Americans be turned away because the city and state is flooded by sick,
infected migrants? Jewish law mandates, before we save the world, we must save our families and our communities – first. The silence of Liberals, as the unrestricted migrants streaming
across America’s borders flood continues, is deafeningly,
hypocritically, brain dead. That is until it is their families that are
impacted. Perhaps it is Liberalism that needs to be examined for mental Coronavirus, not Trumpism. Israel is closing its borders to migrants, tourists, anyone from
Coronavirus infected areas. Is Israel racist? Those who hate Israel
insist Israel is racist. Bernie Sanders and his supporters affirm that
loudly. Common sense to the obvious is not racism.
Lawmakers
are debating ways to prevent the Federal Bureau of Investigation from
abusing its surveillance authority again. While they’re at it, they have
an obligation to address their own privacy transgressor, Rep. Adam Schiff. That’s
the gist of a pointed letter from Federal Communications Commissioner
Brendan Carr, which landed Thursday at the House Intelligence Committee.
Chairman Schiff spent months conducting secret impeachment hearings.
His ensuing report revealed that he’d also set up his own surveillance
state. Mr. Schiff issued secret subpoenas to phone carriers, to obtain
and publish the call records of political rivals. Targets included Rudy
Giuliani and another attorney of the president, the ranking Republican
on the Intelligence Committee (Rep. Devin Nunes) and a journalist (John Solomon). Impeachment
is over, but Mr. Carr hasn’t forgotten this abuse of power, and his
letter, which I obtained, calls for answers and reform. The FCC takes
call privacy seriously, only recently having proposed some $200 million
in fines on phone carriers for failing to protect customer data. Mr.
Carr’s message to Mr. Schiff is that Congress doesn’t get a pass. It is
not automatically entitled to “a secret and partisan process that
deprives Americans of their legal right to maintain the privacy of this
sensitive information.” Mr. Carr doesn’t dispute that Congress
may, “in at least some circumstances,” have the legal authority to
obtain call records under the Communications Act. The offense, he
writes, was denying his targets the right to fight the subpoenas:
“Courts long ago established a process for Americans to seek judicial
review before Congress obtains and then publishes documents in response
to a congressional subpoena.” As
a lawyer and congressional lifer, Mr. Schiff knows this. It’s expected
that Congress give notice of demands, as it did when it issued subpoenas
to Deutsche Bank and
Mazars for Donald Trump’s financial records. That notice allowed the
president to file suit to block those institutions from responding. The
Supreme Court in December issued stays, halting Deutsche Bank and Mazars
compliance while it considers Mr. Trump’s appeal. Oral arguments are
scheduled for March 31. Congress isn’t entitled to everything. This
history is what made Mr. Schiff’s subpoenas so devious and abusive. He
issued them secretly. He didn’t notify his targets, and Republican
committee members were barred from telling the public what they knew
about the subpoenas.
Christina Stephens, a spokeswoman for Louisiana Democratic Gov.
John Bel Edwards (pictured), told Fox News the governor will sign an
executive order Friday moving the election to the later date. The
governor is also planning to hold a press conference in New Orleans on
Friday. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte, File)
