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Rabu, 13 Mei 2020

Coronavirus: Trump says Dr Fauci's warning 'not acceptable' - BBC News

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US President Donald Trump has said a sobering warning by his top infectious diseases expert about lifting pandemic restrictions too soon was unacceptable.

He accused Dr Anthony Fauci of wanting "to play all sides of the equation" in his testimony to lawmakers on Tuesday.

The president said he was especially dissatisfied with Dr Fauci's caution around reopening schools too quickly.

Covid-19 has infected nearly 1.4 million people in the US and killed 84,000, while ravaging the economy.

What did the US president say?

Speaking on Wednesday at the White House, Mr Trump took issue with Dr Fauci's comments to a Senate hearing a day earlier about the risks to children of reopening and his assessment that a vaccine was unlikely before classes could begin this autumn.

"Look, he wants to play all sides of the equation," Mr Trump said of his top coronavirus expert's concerns.

"I was surprised by his answer actually, because, you know, it's just to me - it's not an acceptable answer, especially when it comes to schools," the president told reporters.

He said "the only thing that would be acceptable" is giving older teachers and professors a few more weeks before they return.

"Because this is a disease that attacks age, and it attacks health," the president said.

"But with the young children, I mean, and students, it's really - just take a look at the statistics. It's pretty amazing," Mr Trump added.

The Republican president is keen to get Americans back to work and has praised governors who are moving to do so while criticising others for not acting aggressively enough.

The country is split over Mr Trump's focus on protecting livelihoods, critics accuse him of gambling with lives to serve his own political interests ahead of November's re-election bid.

The president's latest comments come amid reports of some young children being severely affected by an inflammatory syndrome that could be linked to the virus.

What did Dr Fauci say?

Speaking to lawmakers on Tuesday, the White House task force coronavirus expert warned that relaxing stay-at-home rules too quickly could bring more "suffering and death".

The director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases emphasised the importance of not being "cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects" of the disease.

Dr Fauci said: "We just have to see on a step-by-step basis as we get into the period of time with the fall, about reopening the schools, exactly where we will be in the dynamics of the outbreak."

The infectious disease chief also said the real US death toll is probably higher than the official figure.

The face of America's fight against Covid-19

What's the national picture?

On Wednesday, Maryland's Governor Larry Hogan said he was lifting that state's stay-at-home measure, replacing it on Friday with a "safer-at-home" order.

The Republican, who has been critical of Mr Trump, cited a two-week decline in severe cases and deaths that federal guidelines recommend.

On Wednesday, Wisconsin's Supreme Court overturned Democratic Governor Tony Evers' stay-at-home order, ruling it "unenforceable" and "unlawful" in a victory for the Republican-led legislature.

A majority of states have begun a phased reopening approach. In some, like Texas and Georgia, public spaces and businesses have also been allowed to reopen.

New York, California, Washington DC, New Jersey and Illinois are among those with shutdowns still in place.

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2020-05-14 02:43:28Z
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Coronavirus: Trump says Dr Fauci's warning 'not acceptable' - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

US President Donald Trump has said a sobering warning by his top infectious diseases expert about lifting pandemic restrictions too soon was unacceptable.

He accused Dr Anthony Fauci of wanting "to play all sides of the equation" in his testimony to lawmakers on Tuesday.

The president said he was especially dissatisfied with Dr Fauci's caution around reopening schools too quickly.

Covid-19 has infected nearly 1.4 million people in the US and killed 84,000, while ravaging the economy.

What did the US president say?

"Look, he wants to play all sides of the equation," Mr Trump said of his top coronavirus expert's concerns.

"I was surprised by his answer actually, because, you know, it's just to me - it's not an acceptable answer, especially when it comes to schools," the president told reporters.

He said "the only thing that would be acceptable" is giving older teachers and professors a few more weeks before they return.

"Because this is a disease that attacks age, and it attacks health," the president said.

"But with the young children, I mean, and students, it's really - just take a look at the statistics. It's pretty amazing," Mr Trump added.

The Republican president is keen to get Americans back to work and has praised governors who are moving to do so while criticising others for not acting aggressively enough.

The country is split over Mr Trump's focus on protecting livelihoods, critics accuse him of gambling with lives to serve his own political interests ahead of November's re-election bid.

The president's latest comments come amid reports of some young children being severely affected by an inflammatory syndrome that could be linked to the virus.

What did Dr Fauci say?

Speaking to lawmakers on Tuesday, the White House task force coronavirus expert warned that relaxing stay-at-home rules too quickly could bring more "suffering and death".

Dr Fauci said: "We just have to see on a step-by-step basis as we get into the period of time with the fall, about reopening the schools, exactly where we will be in the dynamics of the outbreak."

The infectious disease chief also said the real US death toll is probably higher than the official figure.

The face of America's fight against Covid-19

What's the national picture?

On Wednesday, Maryland's Governor Larry Hogan said he was lifting that state's stay-at-home measure, replacing it on Friday with a "safer-at-home" order.

The Republican, who has been critical of Mr Trump, cited a two-week decline in severe cases and deaths that federal guidelines recommend.

On Wednesday, Wisconsin's Supreme Court overturned Democratic Governor Tony Evers' stay-at-home order, ruling it "unenforceable" and "unlawful" in a victory for the Republican-led legislature.

A majority of states have begun a phased reopening approach. In some, like Texas and Georgia, public spaces and businesses have also been allowed to reopen.

New York, California, Washington DC, New Jersey and Illinois are among those with shutdowns still in place.

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Coronavirus: Trump says Dr Fauci's warning 'not acceptable' - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

US President Donald Trump has said a sobering warning by his top infectious diseases expert about lifting pandemic restrictions too soon was unacceptable.

He accused Dr Anthony Fauci of wanting "to play all sides of the equation" in his testimony to lawmakers on Tuesday.

The president said he was especially dissatisfied with Dr Fauci's caution around reopening schools too quickly.

Covid-19 has infected nearly 1.4 million people in the US and killed 84,000, while ravaging the economy.

What did the US president say?

"Look, he wants to play all sides of the equation," Mr Trump said of his top coronavirus expert's concerns.

"I was surprised by his answer actually, because, you know, it's just to me - it's not an acceptable answer, especially when it comes to schools," the president told reporters.

He said "the only thing that would be acceptable" is giving older teachers and professors a few more weeks before they return.

"Because this is a disease that attacks age, and it attacks health," the president said.

"But with the young children, I mean, and students, it's really - just take a look at the statistics. It's pretty amazing," Mr Trump added.

The Republican president is keen to get Americans back to work and has praised governors who are moving to do so while criticising others for not acting aggressively enough.

The country is split over Mr Trump's focus on protecting livelihoods, critics accuse him of gambling with lives to serve his own political interests ahead of November's re-election bid.

The president's latest comments come amid reports of some young children being severely affected by an inflammatory syndrome that could be linked to the virus.

What did Dr Fauci say?

Speaking to lawmakers on Tuesday, the White House task force coronavirus expert warned that relaxing stay-at-home rules too quickly could bring more "suffering and death".

Dr Fauci said: "We just have to see on a step-by-step basis as we get into the period of time with the fall, about reopening the schools, exactly where we will be in the dynamics of the outbreak."

The infectious disease chief also said the real US death toll is probably higher than the official figure.

The face of America's fight against Covid-19

What's the national picture?

On Wednesday, Maryland's Governor Larry Hogan said he was lifting that state's stay-at-home measure, replacing it on Friday with a "safer-at-home" order.

The Republican, who has been critical of Mr Trump, cited a two-week decline in severe cases and deaths that federal guidelines recommend.

On Wednesday, Wisconsin's Supreme Court overturned Democratic Governor Tony Evers' stay-at-home order, ruling it "unenforceable" and "unlawful" in a victory for the Republican-led legislature.

A majority of states have begun a phased reopening approach. In some, like Texas and Georgia, public spaces and businesses have also been allowed to reopen.

New York, California, Washington DC, New Jersey and Illinois are among those with shutdowns still in place.

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EU urges end to lockdown as tourism industry collapses - Al Jazeera English

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

EU urges end to lockdown as tourism industry collapses Al Jazeera English
We will have summer tourist season, promises EU BBC News
Use of virus-tracing apps should be voluntary, EU says Telegraph.co.uk
Global report: EU bid to salvage summer with social distancing in hotels The Guardian
Plans to kickstart tourism and allow holidays to commence later this summer being prepared by EU Wales Online
View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-05-13 18:07:31Z
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Ex-Trump aide Paul Manafort to serve sentence at home amid virus fears - BBC News

Ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been released from prison to serve the remainder of his sentence at home due to Covid-19 fears.

He had served a little over a year of a seven-and-a-half year sentence in jail.

Manafort, 71, was convicted of conspiracy and fraud charges that stemmed from a justice department inquiry into Russian election meddling.

There are over 2,800 confirmed Covid-19 cases among US federal prisoners and 50 deaths.

According to the latest data from the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), there are 139,584 federal inmates in federal custody, and another 11,235 in community facilities, plus around 36,000 staff. According to the BOP, 2,818 inmates and 262 staff have tested positive for coronavirus.

There have not been any confirmed cases of the disease at Manafort's prison, FCI Loretto in Pennsylvania.

Last month, Manafort's lawyers sought for his release to home confinement in Northern Virginia, arguing that his "age and pre-existing health conditions" put him at high risk for infection in prison.

What's happening in US prisons?

At the end of March, Attorney General William Barr told the BOP to grant home confinement to virus-vulnerable, low-risk inmates. His memo noted "some offenses, such as sex offenses, will render an inmate ineligible for home detention".

In April, Mr Barr directed the BOP to transfer inmates at risk for Covid-19 out of three federal facilities grappling with outbreaks, and told officials to review inmates at other similar facilities where the virus was affecting operations.

The BOP reports 2,471 inmates have been moved to home confinement due to the pandemic since 26 March.

US jails begin releasing prisoners amid pandemic

In Pennsylvania, the governor ordered its corrections department to allow nonviolent and at-risk inmates to be momentarily released.

Though the administration said as many as 1,800 people would be eligible, just 150 have been released as of 12 May, according to state corrections data.

US jails and prisons, both federal and state, have been criticised for their handling of virus outbreaks and advocates continue to call for non-violent inmates to be released.

Critics say prisoners are uniquely at-risk for the disease given overcrowding and unhygienic conditions. Inmates often lack soap and hand sanitiser is banned due to its alcohol content.

The American Civil Liberties Union predicts 100,000 more Covid-19 deaths than current projections "if jail populations are not dramatically and immediately reduced", noting conditions in American facilities are "substantially inferior" to other Western nations.

Another ex-Trump aide, the president's former lawyer Michael Cohen, 53, is said to be expecting home release from prison in New York later this month.

A number of other high-profile convicts, including financial fraudster Bernie Madoff, 82, and comedian Bill Cosby, 82, have also appealed for release due to the virus.

Who is Paul Manafort?

Manafort served as President Trump's campaign chairman from June to August 2016, when he was forced to resign over his previous work in Ukraine.

He was convicted on a range of banking fraud, tax evasion, conspiracy and witness tampering charges from two separate cases relating to his work as a political consultant.

Manafort also agreed to co-operate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation in a deal for a possible lighter sentence. However, just two months later that plea deal collapsed as investigators said Manafort had repeatedly lied to the government.

He was sentenced in March 2019 and his prison term was to have ended in 2024.

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2020-05-13 16:51:37Z
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Angela Merkel says she has 'hard evidence' Russia are carrying out 'outrageous' attempts to hack her - Daily Mail

Angela Merkel says she has 'hard evidence' Russia are carrying out 'outrageous' attempts to hack her private data

Merkel told parliament today: 'Everyday I try to build a better relationship with Russia but there is such hard evidence that Russian forces are doing this'
Comes after report that Russia's GRU military intelligence hacked her emails
2015 cyber attack was allegedly part of a wider assault on German parliament

By Ross Ibbetson For Mailonline

Published: 14:21 BST, 13 May 2020 | Updated: 16:37 BST, 13 May 2020

Angela Merkel said today she had 'hard evidence' that Russia was carrying out 'outrageous' attempts to hack her.

The German Chancellor told parliament: 'I can honestly say that it pains me. Every day I try to build a better relationship with Russia and on the other hand there is such hard evidence that Russian forces are doing this.'

It comes after Der Spiegel magazine reported last week that Russia's GRU military intelligence wing scraped emails from Merkel's constituency office in a 2015 cyber attack on the Bundestag.

Merkel said investigations had identified a specific suspect. 'Unfortunately the conclusion I have reached is that this is not new,' she said, noting that 'cyber-disorientation, the distortion of facts' were all part of 'Russia's strategy'.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told parliament: 'I can honestly say that it pains me. Every day I try to build a better relationship with Russia and on the other hand there is such hard evidence that Russian forces are doing this'

Moscow has denied previous allegations of hacking abroad (pictured: Russia's President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting on the aviation industry today at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence)

But Merkel added: 'I will strive for good relations with Russia because I think there is every reason to continue our diplomatic efforts but it doesn’t make it easier.'

Moscow has denied previous allegations of hacking abroad.

Germany's intelligence service has repeatedly called out attempts by Russian hackers to spy on lawmakers or leading politicians.

Merkel directed similar consternation at Barack Obama's White House in 2013 when reports emerged that the US National Security Agency had hacked her mobile phone.

Former U. S. President Barack Obama leaves after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany April 5, 2019

She dispatched a team of intelligence officers to Washington and said: 'The charges are grave and have to be cleared up.'

The German investigation was dropped in 2015 because insufficient evidence could be found for the allegation to stand up court. This was widely perceived as a move to cool transatlantic friction which had built up as a result of the probe.

At the time the White House had said it was not spying on Merkel at present and would not do so in future, however its refusal to say whether it had done so was taken by some as an admission of guilt.

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2020-05-13 15:25:31Z
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Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is RELEASED to home confinement - Daily Mail

Paul Manafort, 71, is RELEASED from prison: Trump's disgraced former campaign chairman is granted home confinement amid COVID concerns - just one year into his seven-and-half year sentence

Manafort, 71, was serving a seven year prison sentence in Loretto, Pennsylvania
He was released to home confinement on Wednesday morning to serve the remainder of the sentence there
His lawyers last month wrote to the Bureau of Prisons asking for his release
They said his age and his pre-existing health conditions put him at high risk
There have not been any cases of COVID-19 reported at the prison
Other Trump associates have had their prison stints cut short by the virus
Michael Cohen will be released for home confinement at the end of May
Roger Stone has had his sentencing postponed for 30 days
Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels' former lawyer, has also been released
Trump last month hinted that he may grant Manafort and Stone pardons
Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Jennifer Smith For Dailymail.com

Published: 12:55 BST, 13 May 2020 | Updated: 15:03 BST, 13 May 2020

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been released from prison just one year into his seven-and-a-half year sentence to serve out the remainder at home after claiming he was afraid of being exposed to coronavirus behind bars.

Manafort, 71, was serving a seven year sentence for bank fraud and tax evasion at the federal prison in Loretto, Pennsylvania. He was sentenced last March.

Last month, his attorneys wrote to the Bureau of Prisons claiming that he was particularly vulnerable to the virus because of his age and pre-existing health conditions which include 'high blood pressure, liver disease and respiratory ailments'.

ABC reports that Manafort was quietly released from the correctional facility on Wednesday morning despite there not being a single case of the virus there.

It is unclear where he will now spend his time. Manafort has several properties including a condo in Alexandria, Virginia, and a home in Palm Beach, Florida.

Details of his release were not immediately available on Wednesday morning.

He is now the latest Trump associate to have his prison stint cut short by the pandemic.

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Paul Manafort (pictured in June) was quietly released from the Pennsylvania federal prison where he was serving a seven year sentence on Wednesday. He will now serve out the remainder at home

Manafort was serving time at FCI Loretto in Pennsylvania. There are no confirmed cases there but his attorneys said he would be at risk if it spread

Michael Cohen, 53, the president's former lawyer who brokered hush money payments with women including Stormy Daniels, is due to be released at the end of May.

Roger Stone, the president's former adviser who is 67, has had his sentencing on charges including lying to congress and witness tampering, delayed for 30 days.

Trump last month also hinted at pardoning Manafort and Stone.

He called the FBI investigators who brought the two men down 'human scum' and said: 'You'll find out what I'm going to do.

'I'm not going to say what I'm going to do. But the whole thing turned out to be a scam'

It is unclear where Manafort will now serve out his sentence. One of his properties is a condo in this building in Alexandria, Virginia. He also has property in Florida and may choose to stay with relatives elsewhere

Other Trump associates Roger Stone (left) and Michael Cohen (right) have had their prison stints cut short by the pandemic. Stone was due to start a 40-month prison sentence in April but it was pushed back 30 days. Cohen will be released at the end of the month to complete his sentence at home

Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels' former lawyer, has also been released from prison early

Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels' former lawyer who is in custody on an array of charges including fraud, has also been released amid fears of COVID-19 exposure.

Separately, the Justice Department shockingly asked a judge last week to drop the case against Michael Flynn, former National Security Adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

The decision sparked outrage among Trump critics and prompted claims Attorney General Bill Barr was being swayed politically.

There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the prison where Manafort was being held, but sources told ABC that because of its open layout, the virus would spread rapidly through it if just one person became infected.

The facility is a former monastery so has an open configuration.

In their letter to the Bureau of Prisons, they said: 'Given the growing number of cases in Pennsylvania and increasing challenges in testing inmates and staff potentially exposed to COVID-19, it is only a matter of time before the infection spreads to staff and inmates at FCI Loretto, at which time it may be too late to prevent high-risk inmates, such as Mr. Manafort, from contracting the potentially deadly virus.'

A court sketch shows Manafort in a wheelchair at his sentence hearing in March last year

Manafort was Trump's campaign manager. He is shown with the then candidate and Ivanka Trump in 2016, on stage at the RNC

Manafort was convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion and was sentenced last March

COVID-19 has spread rapidly through other prison populations and accounts for huge percentages of some state's total case count.

In New York City, inmates from Rikers Island were released early in the pandemic amid fears they would be exposed if they had to remain behind bars.

Officials at the time said they were faced with a dilemma of protecting public health and protecting society.

AG Barr ordered federal prisons to maximum their release efforts where they could and states have taken their own steps to reduce prison populations.

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2020-05-13 14:22:36Z
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