Cartoons Gov Gretchen Whitmer

Trump signs $484 billion measure to aid employers, hospitals

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a $484 billion bill Friday to aid employers and hospitals under stress from the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 50,000 Americans and devastated broad swaths of the economy.

The bill is the latest effort by the federal government to help keep afloat businesses that have had to close or dramatically alter their operations as states try to slow the spread of the virus. Over the past five weeks, roughly 26 million people have filed for jobless aid, or about 1 in 6 U.S. workers.

ADVERTISEMENT

Trump thanked Congress for “answering my call” to provide the critical assistance and said it was “a tremendous victory.” But easy passage of this aid installment belies a potentially bumpier path ahead for future legislation to address the crisis.

Trump said most of the funding in the bill would flow to small business through the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides money to small businesses to keep workers on their payroll.

“Great for small businesses, great for the workers,” Trump said.

The measure passed Congress almost unanimously Thursday as lawmakers gathered in Washington as a group for the first time since March 27. They followed stricter social distancing rules while seeking to prove they can do their work despite the COVID-19 crisis.

Lawmakers’ face masks and bandannas added a somber tone to their effort to aid a nation staggered by the health crisis and devastating economic costs of the pandemic.

Impact on the Economy:

“Millions of people out of work,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “This is really a very, very, very sad day. We come to the floor with nearly 50,000 deaths, a huge number of people impacted, and the uncertainty of it all.”

Anchoring the bill is the Trump administration’s $250 billion request to replenish a fund to help small- and medium-size businesses with payroll, rent and other expenses. This program provides forgivable loans so businesses can continue paying workers while forced to stay closed for social distancing and stay-at-home orders.

The legislation contains $100 billion demanded by Democrats for hospitals and a nationwide testing program, along with $60 billion for small banks and an alternative network of community development banks that focus on development in urban neighborhoods and rural areas ignored by many lenders. There’s also $60 billion for small-business loans and grants delivered through the Small Business Administration’s existing disaster aid program.

ADVERTISEMENT

Passage of more coronavirus relief is likely in the weeks ahead. Supporters are already warning that the business-backed Paycheck Protection Program will exhaust the new $250 billion almost immediately. Launched just weeks ago, the program quickly reached its lending limit after approving nearly 1.7 million loans. That left thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help.

Pelosi and allies said the next measure will distribute more relief to individuals, extend more generous jobless benefits into the fall, provide another round of direct payments to most people and help those who are laid off afford health insurance through COBRA.

Democrats tried to win another round of funding for state and local governments in Thursday’s bill but were rebuffed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who says he’s going to try pump the brakes on runaway deficit spending. McConnell says he doesn’t want to bail out Democratic-governed states for fiscal problems that predated the pandemic, but there’s plenty of demand for state fiscal relief among Republicans, too.

Full Coverage: Business

After the Senate passed the bill Tuesday, McConnell said Republicans would entertain no more coronavirus rescue legislation until the Senate returns to Washington in May. He promised rank-and-file Republicans greater say in the future legislation, rather than leaving it in the hands of bipartisan leaders.

Pelosi attacked McConnell for at first opposing adding any money to his original $250 billion package and saying cash-strapped states should be allowed to declare bankruptcy, a move that they currently cannot do and that would threaten a broad range of state services. McConnell’s comments provoked an outcry — including from GOP governors — and he later tempered his remarks.

The four coronavirus relief bills approved so far by Congress would deliver at least $2.4 trillion for business relief, testing and treatment, and direct payments to individuals and the unemployed, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The deficit is virtually certain to breach $3 trillion this year.

___

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Laurie Kellman contributed to this report.

Wisconsin saw no coronavirus infection-rate spike after April 7 election, study says

Democrat Voting.

A feared spike in Wisconsin’s coronavirus infection rate following its April 7 in-person presidential primary never materialized, although some new cases of the virus were possibly linked to the election, according to a report.
A team of doctors from Wisconsin and Florida plus a mathematician in Alabama examined data from the post-election period of April 12-21, meaning five to 14 days after election, when new cases of the virus from April 7 likely would have become apparent, the Wisconsin State Journal of Madison reported Friday.
Prior to the election, Wisconsin’s coronavirus infection rate was about one-third of the rate for the entire U.S. and dropped even lower compared to the U.S. after the election, the study said, according to the newspaper.
“Our study did not find any significant increase in the rate of new COVID-19 cases following the April 7, 2020, election post-incubation period, for the state of Wisconsin or its three major voting counties, as compared to the US,” the researchers wrote in their paper.
“A reduction in daily new case rates in Wisconsin was observed compared to what would have been expected if the rates in Wisconsin had followed the preelection ratios,” the researchers added. “Our initial hypothesis of an increase in COVID-19 activity following the live election was not supported.”

“Our initial hypothesis of an increase in COVID-19 activity following the live election was not supported.”
— Researchers studying Wisconsin coronavirus data 

A 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision April 6, the eve of the primary, clearing the way for Wisconsin’s election to proceed, was deemed controversial, as critics feared voters and election workers – including National Guard personnel who were deployed to assist at the polls – could become infected as people congregated at voting sites.
Prior to the court’s decision, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers twice attempted to postpone in-person voting in favor of voting by mail, or a rescheduled in-person vote in June – but state Republicans opposed the plans and the matter was debated in a federal district court before the case went to Washington.

Robert Forrestal, left, wears a full face chemical shield to protect against the spread of coronavirus, as he votes Tuesday, April 7, 2020, at the Janesville Mall in Janesville, Wis. (Associated Press)

In an op-ed published Thursday, two officials from the Republican State Leadership Committee argued that Democrats attempted to take advantage of the coronavirus outbreak to “change the rules” of the Wisconsin election just weeks before the voting.
The Democrats’ lawsuit “was filed less than three weeks before Election Day, forcing judges to make decisions about things they don’t really know much about – such as administering elections in a fair and secure manner," RSLC president Austin Chambers and judicial fairness official Andrew Wynne wrote in The Hill. “Wisconsin voters were left confused by the legal whiplash.”
Following the election, at least 23 people who voted in person or worked at the polls tested positive for COVID-19, but many of them also reported other potential exposure points besides the election where their infection could have occurred, state Department of Health Services spokeswoman Jennifer Miller told the State Journal.
However, a professor of population health sciences at the University of Wisconsin at Madison claimed that the researchers’ findings didn’t appear to take into account the impact of the governor’s stay-at-home order, which was issued March 25.
The shutdown of social and business activities was likely the primary reason why the state’s infection rate didn’t rise after the election, Professor Thomas Oliver told the State Journal.
The newspaper identified the researchers as Dr. Bruce Berry, an internal medicine doctor at Froedtert Hospital near Milwaukee; his son, Dr. Andrew Berry, a gastroenterologist in South Miami, Fla; and Madhuri Mulekar, a professor of mathematics and statistics at the University of South Alabama.
About 450,000 Wisconsin voters took part in in-person voting April 7 with another 1.1 million voters submitting absentee ballots, the newspaper reported.
Final results of the election were delayed by nearly a week because the Supreme Court set a deadline of April 13 for absentee ballots postmarked by April 7 to be received. Former Vice President Joe Biden ultimately won the Democratic contest, not long after his last major rival, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., ended his own candidacy and endorsed Biden.

Michigan Gov. Whitmer extends modified stay-at-home order into May, as lawmakers intervene

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday extended the state’s stay-at-home order to May 15, while making some revisions to the policy -- as the state’s legislature launched a committee to review her actions in response to the coronavirus crisis.
“Data shows that most Michiganders are doing their part by staying home and staying safe. That’s good, but we must keep it up. Social distancing is our best weapon to defeat this enemy,” Whitmer said in a statement. “With new COVID-19 cases leveling off, however, we are lifting some of the restrictions put in place in the previous order."
"I want to be crystal clear: the overarching message today is still the same. We must all do our part by staying home and staying safe as much as possible," she said,
The current order had been scheduled to expire next week, and is now being replaced by one that tightens some restrictions and loosens others.
The new order requires, rather than encourages, residents to wear face coverings in enclosed public spaces and says employers must provide coverings to their employees. But landscapers, lawn-service companies and bike repair shops will be allowed to resume operations, as long as they follow social distancing rules. Those selling nonessential supplies can reopen for curbside pickup and delivery.
But the order does not explicitly address the auto industry, an industry vital in places such as Detroit. It does, however, flag "transportation and logistics" and "critical manufacturing" as areas where some employees could return to work.
“This is one of what will be many waves,” Whitmer said. “My hope is that we can contemplate the next one. But it all depends on if people observe these best practices, if we can keep the COVID-19 trajectory headed downward and if we can keep people safe.”
Critics have accused Whitmer, a 48-year-old first-term Democratic governor, of overstepping her authority with a series of measures intended to stem the spread of coronavirus. A ban on garden centers selling gardening supplies and on residents visiting relatives were cited as two glaring examples of overreach.
In the new order, garden centers will no longer need to be closed off, nor will those selling paint and flooring. But dine-in restaurants, cinemas, gyms and sport complexes will remain closed. The order also allows individuals to travel between residences, although it is "strongly discouraged."
The new order comes amid increasing pressure on Whitmer as the claims of overreach have gone from mere accusations to legal threats. Anglers, landscaping companies and others had filed lawsuits against the order, while protesters against the lockdown held rallies outside the state Capitol and governor's residence.
Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled legislature on Friday created an oversight committee that will review the orders -- and could even strip her of her powers.
"It’s possible to be concerned about public health, the economy and personal liberty all at the same time. It’s a false narrative that you must choose between them. I choose all three," House Speaker Lee Chatfield tweeted. "We can take COVID-19 seriously yet be reasonable in our fight. Michigan needs a change ASAP."
According to the Detroit Free Press, a majority of both chambers passed a resolution to create the committee during a special legislative session. The Senate also approved a bill to repeal the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governors Act, which gives Whitmer wide power to declare a state of emergency. Another bill would reduce the length of a state of emergency from 28 days to 14.
But Whitmer has promised to veto such efforts if they were to pass the legislature.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Clip surfaces of Biden accuser Tara Reade's mother phoning into 'Larry King Live' in 1993 alluding to claim

A resurfaced clip of "Larry King Live" from 1993 appears to include the mother of Tara Reade -- who has accused Joe Biden of past sexual assault while in the Senate -- alluding to “problems” her daughter faced while working as a staffer for the then-U.S. senator from Delaware.
In a telephone interview with Fox News on Friday night, Reade confirmed that her mother called in to the show. Biden's presidential campaign has adamantly denied Reade's allegations but the video could be cited as evidence supporting Reade’s allegation – even though her late mother, in the clip, does not specifically refer to a sexual assault claim.
The Intercept on Friday first reported the transcript of a broadcast from Aug. 11, 1993, of a woman from San Luis Obispo County, Calif., calling in to the show about her daughter's experience on Capitol Hill.
"San Luis Obispo, California, hello," King begins.
"Yes, hello. I’m wondering what a staffer would do besides go to the press in Washington? My daughter has just left there, after working for a prominent senator, and could not get through with her problems at all, and the only thing she could have done was go to the press, and she chose not to do it out of respect for him," the caller says.
"In other words, she had a story to tell but, out of respect for the person she worked for, she didn’t tell it?" King inquires.
"That’s true," the woman responds before King cuts away to a panel to discuss her claim.
That woman was Jeanette Altimus, Reade's mother, Reade told news outlets, including Fox News.
Later Friday, the Media Research Center found the clip in its archives matching the information provided by The Intercept.
Reade took to Twitter to confirm that it was her mother who called in to "Larry King Live."
"This is my mom. I miss her so much and her brave support of me," Reade tweeted about her mother, who died in 2016.
Reade's story first resurfaced in an article in The Intercept on March 24. Podcast host Katie Halper then interviewed Reade, who said that in 1993, a more senior member of Biden's staff asked her to bring the then-senator his gym bag near the U.S. Capitol building, which led to the encounter in question.
"He greeted me, he remembered my name, and then we were alone. It was the strangest thing," Reade told Halper. "There was no like, exchange really. He just had me up against the wall."
Reade said that she was wearing “a business skirt,” but “wasn’t wearing stockings — it was a hot day.”
She continued: “His hands were on me and underneath my clothes, and he went down my skirt and then up inside it and he penetrated me with his fingers and he was kissing me at the same time and he was saying some things to me.”
Reade claimed Biden first asked if she wanted “to go somewhere else.”
“I pulled away, he got finished doing what he was doing,” Reade said. “He said: ‘Come on, man. I heard you liked me.’”
Reade said she tried to share her story last year, but nobody listened to her. Earlier this month, she filed a criminal complaint against Biden with police in Washington, D.C.
Fox News reached out to the Biden campaign on Friday for comment. The campaign referred Fox News to a statement earlier this month from Biden Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield that said: “What is clear about this claim: it is untrue. This absolutely did not happen."
"Vice President Biden has dedicated his public life to changing the culture and the laws around violence against women," Bedingfield said. "He authored and fought for the passage and reauthorization of the landmark Violence Against Women Act. He firmly believes that women have a right to be heard - and heard respectfully. Such claims should also be diligently reviewed by an independent press.
Speaking to Fox News on Friday, Reade recalled being "furious" at her mother for phoning in to CNN after having watched the clip on a recorded tape following the broadcast.
She told Fox News she "dreamt" about her mother on Thursday night. The following morning, The Intercept's Ryan Grim told her that he found the transcript.
Reade said she "cried" when she watched the clip on Friday evening, telling Fox News it had been years since she had heard mother's voice. She had urged Reade to file a police report at the time of the alleged assault, Reade said.
"Always listen to your mom, always listen to your mom," an emotional Reade told Fox News.
Still, the mother’s interview doesn’t specifically corroborate Reade’s latest allegations of assault, and could be referring more to the bullying allegations she raised last year. In a 2020 interview, Reade laid more blame with Biden’s staffers for “bullying her” than with Biden himself, The Washington Post reported.
Reade has come forward before: Last year, when multiple women emerged claiming inappropriate touching by Biden.
Reade, at the time, claimed Biden put his hands on her shoulders and rubbed his fingers up and down her neck, but was unable to gain traction on her story aside from an article in a local newspaper.
But in recent weeks, Reade told a far more graphic account, with different and more serious details, raising the allegation to the level of sexual assault.
“Now we’ll see if a different set of rules still applies to Joe Biden,” Erin Perrine, the principal deputy communications for President Trump's re-election campaign, said in a statement to Fox News. “Maybe now at least one reporter will ask him about it.”
Fox News has also requested comment from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who ran against Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary and recently endorsed Biden's campaign after wthdrawing from the race.
Fox News' Alex Pappas contributed to this report.

Democrats Doing Dumb Things Cartoons

Georgia Democrat who endorsed Trump not quitting after all

FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2017, file photo, Rep. Vernon Jones listens as Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal delivers the State of the State address on the House floor in Atlanta. Jones, a polarizing Democratic state lawmaker in Georgia, broke party ranks on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, to endorse President Donald Trump's reelection. Jones, who represents portions of metro Atlanta’s DeKalb and Rockdale counties, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he's supporting Trump because of the Republican president's handling of the economy and his criminal justice reform efforts. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

ATLANTA (AP) — A Democratic Georgia lawmaker who recently endorsed President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is no longer planning to resign and will instead serve the remainder of his term.

A day after Rep. Vernon Jones said he would resign effective immediately, Jones posted a Twitter video stating he changed his mind because he received “overwhelming” support from his constituents.

“Because of what you did for me, I’m going to remain on the battlefield,” Jones said. “I’m going to complete my term. I’m going to continue to put my country before my party. And I’m going to do everything I can to get Donald J. Trump elected.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Jones has been the subject of a complaint alleging that he doesn’t live in his district, which includes portions of metro Atlanta’s DeKalb and Rockdale counties. He has called the accusation baseless.

The Democrat made waves last week when he endorsed Trump, stating in a video that he’s backing the Republican president because of his support for criminal justice reform and historically black colleges and universities.

The endorsement resulted in swift blowback from fellow state Democrats, many of whom publicly said they were making donations to Rhonda Taylor, a community activist running for Jones’ seat in the state’s Democratic primary set for June 9. State Sen. Nikema Williams, chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, had issued a statement calling Jones an “embarrassment.”

“The Left hates me because they can’t control me,” Jones said on Twitter on Wednesday.

Although Jones will complete his term, he did withdraw his candidacy for re-election, a spokesman said.

Texas county judge's coronavirus mask order faces court challenge, hundreds of protesters

A Texas county judge’s 30-day coronavirus mask mandate is being challenged by a local doctor who claims the order requiring Houston-area residents to wear masks in public is “unconstitutional.”
"If Judge Hidalgo's Order is not declared unconstitutional and void, once this virus passes, the rights we are afforded under the Texas Constitution will forever be damaged,” Dr. Steven Hotze, who is also a conservative activist, said of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s order in a court petition, according to the Texas Tribune.
Hotze also claims Hidalgo doesn’t have the authority to issue an order more restrictive than the governor's, which doesn't require masks. The doctor organized a protest Thursday in which hundreds of demonstrators opposed Hidalgo's order.
In Texas, a county judge is the equivalent of a county executive in other parts of the U.S. Harris County, which includes Houston and some nearby communities, is the third most populous county in the nation, home to more than 4 million residents.
Hidalgo enacted the temporary mask order, which is scheduled to take effect Monday, after other large Texas cities like Austin, Dallas and San Antonio issued similar orders. Other areas of the country have also started requiring masks in public, including Los Angeles and New York state.
In his petition, Hotze objects to punishments for violators, such as a $1,000 fine.
"The heavy hand of local government will fine individuals who refuse to wear a mask, fail to wash their hands, get within six feet of another, or inadvertently touch their face,” the petition says.

​​​​​​​Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo speaks during a news conference in Houston, Texas, July 20, 2019. (Getty Images)

 “Folks have been fantastic, but we did want to make them enforceable,” Hidalgo said of the rules and the possible fines.
She said police have discretion regarding enforcement.
Assistant Harris County Attorney Seth Hopkins spoke in support of Hidalgo's order.
“There’s no constitutional right not to wash your hands; no constitutional right during a pandemic to be allowed to spread a deadly virus to other people," Hopkins told Houston's to KTRK-TV.
Robert Soard, the first assistant county attorney, said Texas law gives local judges the authority to “control the movement of persons and the occupancy of premises in that area” during a disaster declaration, the Houston Chronicle reported.
"The past couple of weeks have shown our community has come together - as we always do during times of crisis - to save human life. The public health interventions we've enacted with the support of our residents is already making a difference with over 4,500 lives saved, but we cannot let our guard down," Hidalgo said in a statement, according to the Tribune.
Hundreds of protesters organized by Hotze also gathered outside of the county administration building Wednesday to denounce the order as a violation of their rights.
“I’m tired of the government trying to tell us what to do," one protester told KPRC-TV in Houston.
A Hidalgo spokesman accused Hotze and other critics of "politicizing" the outbreak.
“Politicizing a public health crisis is the worst outcome imaginable for the long-term health and safety and our community, and we urge everyone to continue taking this seriously,” Hidalgo spokesman Rafael Lemaitre said, according to the Chronicle.
Hotze previously sued Hidalgo over her stay-at-home order that limited church services, claiming it violated residents' First Amendment rights. Once Hidalgo changed the order to make church services “essential” he asked for it to be dismissed by the Texas Supreme Court but is still challenging it in a state district court. He is also suing Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton over church social distancing restrictions, according to the Chronicle.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday slammed Hidalgo’s order as an “overreach.”
“Her abuse of the use of executive orders is the ultimate government overreach. These kind of confused government policies fuel public anger - and rightfully so,” he said.
Harris County leads the state in the number of cases, KTRK reported.