Category Archives: Democrat

In this image from video, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks on the Senate floor on Saturday. Senate Television via AP hide caption

In this image from video, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks on the Senate floor on Saturday.

Updated at 10:44 p.m. ET

After a tense day on the Senate floor that included leaders trading barbs over who is to blame for failing to advance a new coronavirus response bill, the top Senate Democrat says negotiations are continuing into the night in hopes of reaching a deal on a third wave of emergency funding that could go well past $1 trillion.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin four times Monday, with the most recent meeting occurring shortly after 8 p.m., a Schumer spokesman said.

"The Senate is going to adjourn shortly, but that doesn't mean that negotiations are slowing down one bit," Schumer said ahead of the Senate adjourning for the evening. "Secretary Mnuchin just left my office. We've had some very good discussions and in fact, the list of outstanding issues has narrowed significantly. We are going to work on into the night."

Monday evening, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., set up yet another procedural vote to move forward on the legislation. Two previous attempts failed to advance the bill one on Sunday and again Monday when Democrats largely held together to try to force more changes to the bill. If there is an agreement the Senate could vote earlier.

McConnell has blamed Democrats for delaying progress on the bill even as Democrats continued to negotiate with White House officials.

McConnell called for the Senate to support a GOP-drafted bill that includes expanded unemployment insurance, aid for small businesses and loans for large corporations, among other proposals.

"The American people have had enough of this nonsense. They're wondering where we are. They're looking to us to solve this problem," McConnell said.

Democrats said the measure didn't go far enough for worker protections and too far for aid to major industries, and had insufficient oversight for the assistance fund based at the Treasury Department for impacted industries.

Late Monday, House Democrats introduced their counter proposal to the Senate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stressed that any final proposal should protect worker pay and benefits and not CEO pay, stock buybacks or layoffs.

A House Democratic aide said the package was valued at $2.5 trillion and focused on boosting healthcare access, unemployment insurance, the healthcare industry and payments to workers, among other issues. Pelosi has not said whether the House would move forward with its proposal. The chamber could take up the Senate bill if more changes are made to it that satisfy Democrats' concerns.

President Trump said Monday evening that he hoped lawmakers would make a breakthrough.

"I think the Democrats want a deal and I think we want a deal. So it would be very foolish if they didn't make a deal. The American public is demanding a deal," he said.

While there is general consensus on key provisions of the package, including small-business loan guarantees and direct cash payments, Democrats want more conditions placed on funds to assist large corporations in order to ensure, for instance, that the money goes to protect workers' jobs and not stock buybacks to benefit shareholders.

Democrats are also asking for more money for hospitals and more generous unemployment benefits for laid-off workers proposals that, if included, would balloon the cost of the package even more.

Republicans criticized Democrats for "last-minute demands" that they see as not critical to the crisis at hand, such as new collective bargaining powers for unions, increased fuel emissions standards for airlines and expanded wind and solar tax credits.

McConnell argued that Democrats were turning the bill into a "left-wing episode of Supermarket Sweep."

Schumer told reporters early Monday morning that Democrats see this bill as their best opportunity to provide the most help. "This bill is going to affect this country and the lives of Americans not just for the next few days, but in the next few months and years so we have to make sure it is good," he said.

While tensions between McConnell and Schumer are high, Mnuchin has been an active participant in the negotiations, talking and meeting with Democrats all day Sunday and into the early Monday morning hours.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is going to introduce a counterproposal in the House on Monday afternoon. It's unclear whether Pelosi's move is a pressure tactic on the Senate to reach a deal or a firm commitment to move a House bill. Moving forward on competing legislation could delay negotiations considerably.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., previously announced that he would not reconvene lawmakers back in Washington until there was critical legislation to vote for in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

As more lawmakers test positive for the virus and even more self-quarantine because of possible exposure, Congress itself is racing a clock to pass a bill and likely recess for at least a few weeks. While some lawmakers continue to call for allowing remote voting in the House and Senate, both Pelosi and McConnell remain resistant to the idea, which has never been done before, would require votes to change the rules of both chambers and could face constitutional challenges.

In an afternoon speech, Pelosi encouraged the Senate to include ideas from the House Democrats' proposal, which is called the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act. It focuses on direct payments to Americans, paid leave for workers and child tax credits, among other efforts, she said.

"We urge the Senate to move closer to the values in the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act," she said. "We must be bold and forward looking in our thinking ... swift and evidence based in our actions, and we must be prayerful."

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Talks Continue Over Coronavirus Financial Deal As Democrats Demand Changes - NPR

Democrats and Treasury say they are close to a compromise on $2 trillion economic package.

The Senates top Democrat and the treasury secretary said on Monday night they were close to a deal on a nearly $2 trillion economic stabilization package to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

The announcement came hours after Democrats voted for the second time to block action until they secured more worker protections and restrictions on bailed-out companies.

We expect to have an agreement in the morning, Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, told reporters just before midnight, as he wrapped up a final meeting with Steven Mnuchin, the treasury secretary. There are still a few little differences, he said.

Mr. Mnuchin said the two sides were very close to a compromise, though both sides cautioned there was no final agreement and the negotiations remained fluid. The two men called President Trump just before they broke for the night.

Mr. Schumer said the presidents response had been very positive, despite a tweet just minutes before in which Mr. Trump accused Democrats, led by the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of sabotaging the package and wanting the virus to win.

The apparent progress came after Mr. Mnuchin and Mr. Schumer spent hours haggling behind closed doors. Among other areas of contention, Democrats had demanded restrictions and oversight requirements over a proposed $500 billion fund that would be used to bail out distressed companies.

Democrats voted against moving forward with the plan Monday afternoon, sending markets plummeting. But after more discussion, late Monday night Mr. Schumer said he was hopeful that both sides could now come together quickly, with a vote possible by Tuesday evening.

Public transit to start up again in Wuhan within 24 hours as concerns simmer about silent spreader cases.

The central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the global outbreak started, said on Tuesday that public transportation would resume within 24 hours and residents would be allowed to leave the city beginning April 8 as infections appeared to be dwindling after a weekslong lockdown.

Even as local infections across China appeared to approach zero, the Wuhan government on Tuesday said a doctor who was working in a local hospital tested positive, adding to evidence that Hubei Province, of which Wuhan is the capital, has not beaten the virus.

In Wuhan, authorities continue to turn up cases of people with the virus but without symptoms, fueling growing fears among the Chinese public that the government has failed to disclose or discover a much larger number of infections than the 81,171 cases that have been reported.

In China, officials only count patients with both symptoms and a positive test in its official tally of confirmed cases. The World Health Organization says that all people who test positive are confirmed to be infected regardless of whether they show symptoms.

Chinas approach to counting raises questions about how many people with the virus are circulating freel. Even if these individuals do not become sick themselves, there is evidence that asymptomatic people can infect others.

The number of silent carriers people who are infected but show delayed or no symptoms could be as high as one-third of those who test positive, the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong newspaper, reported on Sunday, citing classified Chinese government data.

After social media accounts circulated over the weekend that China was suppressing the numbers by failing to acknowledge these silent carriers, authorities in Wuhan said a patient in the city had tested positive despite not having symptoms.

The Wuhan health commission also stated that infected patients with no symptoms still need to be isolated for 14 days and that a small number may progress to confirmed cases.

Last week, China reported no new local infections for the first time since the outbreak began three months ago. But it is now struggling with imported cases, which continue to rise.

But for many public health experts, these developments add to doubts that the virus will be fully eradicated in China in the near term.

New York City has about a third of the nations confirmed coronavirus cases, making it the new epicenter of the outbreak in the United States.

Nearly 1 in 1,000 people in the New York metropolitan area have contracted the virus, five times the rate of the rest of the country, Dr. Deborah L. Birx, the White Houses coronavirus response coordinator, said on Monday.

The New York metro area is experiencing a virus attack rate of nearly one in a thousand, or five times that of other areas Dr. Birx said. In epidemiology, the attack rate is the percentage of a population that has a disease.

New Yorks population density may help explain why the attack rate is so high.

New York is far more crowded than any other major city in the United States. It has 28,000 residents per square mile, while San Francisco, the next most jammed city, has 17,000, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

All of those people, in such a small space, appear to have helped the virus spread rapidly through packed subway trains, busy playgrounds and hivelike apartment buildings, forming ever-widening circles of infections. The city now has more coronavirus cases per capita than even Italy.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York will issue an order requiring hospitals to increase capacity by at least 50 percent, he said on Monday. New York State saw a one-day increase of nearly 5,000 cases, putting the total at 21,689 as of Monday night.

After days of criticizing the Trump administration for not doing enough to help the city, Mr. de Blasio said he had a very substantial conversation with President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday night about getting additional supplies, medical personnel and financial support.

President Trump hints at a short shutdown: Im not looking at months.

President Trump, in a nearly two-hour coronavirus briefing, hinted on Monday that the economic shutdown meant to halt the spread of the virus across the country would not be extended.

America will again and soon be open for business, the president said, without providing a timeline for when he believes normal economic activity could resume. He later added, Im not looking at months, I can tell you right now.

If it were up to the doctors, theyd say lets shut down the entire world, Mr. Trump said. This could create a much bigger problem than the problem that you started out with.

Mr. Trump also suggested that he would soon re-evaluate the federal guidance urging social distancing. More states moved on Monday to impose their own sweeping stay-at-home orders, which will soon cover more than 158 million Americans in 16 states.

Washington, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Oregon became the latest states to announce sweeping directives to keep more people home in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.

Mr. Trump sent mixed signals from the White House podium, agreeing at one point with his surgeon general and saying, Its going to be bad, then suggesting that the response to the virus may have been overblown.

This is going away, Mr. Trump said, citing jobs, anxiety and depression and suicide as arguments for restoring the U.S. economy.

He compared deaths from the novel coronavirus so far to deaths from other causes influenza and car accidents suggesting that the scale of those preventable deaths means economic restrictions may not be appropriate to prevent the spread of the virus.

While it is true that those causes of death outnumber deaths from the virus to date, projections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that deaths from Covid-19 could range from 200,000 to 1.7 million people. Estimates from other scientists place the potential deaths in a range from several hundred thousand to several million deaths, substantially more than annual deaths from car accidents and flu combined.

Britain is placed under a virtual lockdown.

Facing a growing storm of criticism about his laissez-faire response to the fast-spreading coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that he would place Britain under a virtual lockdown, closing all nonessential shops, banning meetings of more than two people, and requiring people to stay in their homes, except for trips for food or medicine.

People who flout the new restrictions, the prime minister said, will be fined by the police.

The steps, which Mr. Johnson outlined in a televised address to the nation, bring him into alignment with European leaders like President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who have all but quarantined their countries in a desperate bid to slow the outbreak.

No prime minister wants to enact measures like this, an ashen-faced Mr. Johnson said. I know the damage that this disruption is doing and will do to peoples lives, to their businesses and to their jobs.

But while these were the most draconian restrictions placed on the British people since World War II, Mr. Johnson is still leaving a bit of breathing room.

The prime minister said people also could leave their houses for exercise, either alone or with family members, and he did not close parks in London.

The number of confirmed cases in Britain rose to 6,650 on Monday, up from 5,683 a day earlier, while the death toll jumped by 54, to 335. British officials believe that those numbers are about to balloon.

Facebook has re-emerged as a news hub.

Before the coronavirus, Facebook could feel at times like the virtual equivalent of a sleepy bingo parlor an outmoded gathering place populated mainly by retirees looking for conversation and cheap fun.

Now, stuck inside their homes and isolated from their families and friends, millions of Americans are rediscovering the social networks virtues. That has lifted usage of Facebook features like messaging and video calls to record levels and powered a surge in traffic for publishers of virus-related news.

As of Thursday, more than half the articles being consumed on Facebook in the United States were related to the coronavirus, according to an internal report obtained by The New York Times. Overall U.S. traffic from Facebook to other websites also increased by more than 50 percent last week from the week before, almost entirely owing to intense interest in the virus, the report said.

A bed shortage looms in California as testing continues to lag.

Gov. Gavin Newsom estimates that California will be short about 17,000 hospital beds, although the state is frantically trying to source thousands more of them. And the pace of testing remains stubbornly slow in California.

New York State, with half the population of California, has conducted twice as many tests for the virus. As of Monday, New York has tested 78,289 people, including 33,000 in New York City. California had conducted 26,400 tests by Sunday, the most recent data available.

Officials in California have rushed to reopen hospitals that had been shuttered, buy motels to house the states more than 150,000 homeless people and retrofit college dormitories to serve as hospital wards.

Mr. Newsom said the state was also chartering flights to China to procure protective equipment and expressed concern for smaller states that might not have the same purchasing power. He has called up the National Guard to work at food banks, and President Trump ordered a Navy hospital ship, with a thousand beds, to sail to the Port of Los Angeles within a week.

A new front in the political fight over abortion has been sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.

Texas and Ohio have included abortions among the nonessential surgeries and medical procedures that they are requiring to be delayed, saying they are trying to preserve precious protective equipment for health care workers and to make space for a potential flood of coronavirus patients.

But abortion-rights activists said that abortions should be counted as essential and that people could not wait for the procedure until the pandemic was over.

On Monday, Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas, clarified that the postponement of surgeries and medical procedures announced by the governor over the weekend included any type of abortion that is not medically necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother.

Failure to do so, he said, could result in penalties of up to $1,000 or 180 days of jail time. It was not immediately clear if that included medication abortion, which involves providers administering pills in the earlier stages of pregnancy.

The move followed a similar action by health authorities in Ohio last week and has prompted a legal scramble by abortion rights groups to preserve access. Activists accused state leaders of using the coronavirus crisis to advance an existing agenda to restrict abortions.

Reporting and research were contributed by Jason Gutierrez, Sui-Lee Wee, Nick Fandos, Sabrina Tavernise, Thomas Fuller, Tim Arango and Jo Becker

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Coronavirus Live Updates: Democrats and Treasury Say They Are Close to Deal on $2 Trillion Package - The New York Times

Thats how you diversify the economy here. Its going to be mineral-based, said Bob Vlaisavljevich, mayor of nearby Eveleth. If copper is down, youve got three other minerals. Thats where you get those dips, not the peaks and valleys where people are losing their homes, moving away. As far as diversification, thats how its going to be.

Twin Metals said the 100-acre site wont pose the environmental risk that people fear. The company insists its method of processing the mine waste wont jeopardize the surrounding lakes and waterway. Proponents point to an underground nickel-copper mine in operation on Michigans Upper Peninsula as a model for the industry in northern Minnesota.

Environmentalists insist otherwise. They say the nickel-copper mining process, no matter how technologically advanced, will risk leaching sulfuric acid, heavy metals and sulfates into the surrounding watershed. A statewide poll released last month showed that a majority of Minnesotans opposed the project near Ely.

Our communities have built our way of life around the wilderness. This poll makes clear that the majority of Minnesotans stand with us in protecting our nations greatest canoe country wilderness, said Becky Rom, national chairwoman of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters.

Nonetheless, the Twin Metals project, still in the planning and permitting phase, is estimated to directly employ 700 people and create 1,400 spinoff jobs for the area. And it isnt the only nickel-copper project in the area. A mining company called PolyMet has gotten all of its permits for a similar mine in nearby Hoyt Lakes, but the project is tied up in complex litigation.

Trumps steel tariffs and protective trade policies have left a region long dependent on mining here wanting even more. The president imposed a 25 percent tariff on most imported steel in 2018, but most people dont highlight the policy as the saving grace Trump touts it to be. While steel prices initially shot up, theyve settled back down as the U.S. steel industry continues to undergo a somewhat painful transformation.

Theres sure no boom up here, Gary Skalko said. After nine terms as mayor of the town of Mountain Iron the self-described hippie and former school teacher is standing down. Hes a strong supporter of the mining industry, but he senses a change in culture.

Im a pro-choice guy. Im still worried about losing my First Amendment rights, not my Second Amendment rights. I felt [Trump] should have been convicted for what he did, he said. Why would I represent people who dont have the same values? Theres so much hatred on both sides.

Preserving our way of life has become a rallying cry in the region. Rep. Pete Stauber, a former Duluth police officer who once played professional hockey, flipped the state's 8th Congressional District to red in 2018. He used the phrase in his campaign.

Stauber is not running a political campaign, hes running a cultural campaign, and its invincible as far as Im concerned, said Aaron Brown, a fifth generation Iron Ranger who teaches at Hibbing Community College and writes commentary on local issues.

It all comes down to a cultural balance that remains undecided and almost a sense of inferiority that comes from an up and down economy, he said.

Presidents have come and gone. Clinton and Bush and Obama and now Trump, said Brown. Very different policies but this place hasnt changed that much, and I think theres something about the hollowing out of the industrialization of this area that we feel that we no longer have any control over our self-destiny and I think that just feeds into our politics.

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Minnesota on the edge: Ive voted Democrat my whole life. Its getting tougher. - POLITICO

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Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, hasslammed Democrats who are blocking debate on the so-called "Phase Three" coronavirus relief bill.

"I thought we would have thisthing done by now --today -- considering how very, veryserious this situation is," Grassley told"Your World" host Neil Cavuto in a phone interview Monday"It's not only a health situation, butan economic situation.There should be no playing ofpolitics."

Grassley noted Republicans gladly passed the so-called "Phase Two"stimulus bill proposed by House Democrats without any major revisions because they understood the urgency of the situation and the needs of the American people.

DEMOCRATS DERAIL CORONAVIRUS AID BILL

"There were a lot of things thatwe Republicans swallowed that wedidnt like," he said."This is time to put politicsbehind.It is extraordinary [what] theDemocrats are doing. They just dont recognize what aserious situation it is."

According to Grassley, the Democrats are holding up cash payments to Americans struggling due to the sudden onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

The legislation, which has been blocked twice by Senate Democrats,would have provided $1,200 to individuals and $2,400 to couples whose income is under a certain threshold.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

"It is not going to thewealthy.It is going to people [and] phasingout at $75,000 for theindividual ...its only [for] people that might need cash forthe problems of unemployment," Grassley said. "We did what the Democrats wantedus to do.They wanted us to beef upunemploymentcompensation."

"And we did that several yearsago.So, yes, $600 on top of whatevery state gives forunemployment."

Some of the other measures Grassley said are being held up by the Democratic blockage include $75 billion for American hospitals as well as "enhancements" to Medicaid reimbursement for states and a "beefing-up" of Medicare payments."

"It's a real problem right now -- I don't know why they don't understand that."

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Grassley blasts Democrats over relief impasse: 'They just don't recognize what a serious situation it is' - Fox News

Aaron E. Carroll and Ashish Jha: This is how we can beat the coronavirus

The disparity between the parties was underscored Thursday afternoon when Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and California Governor Gavin Newsom, both Democrats, issued rapid-fire orders closing down all non-essential businesses, first in the city and then in the entire state, a jurisdiction of 39.5 million people.

This divergence reflects not only ideological but also geographic realities. So far, the greatest clusters of the disease, and the most aggressive responses to it, have indeed been centered in a few large, Democratic-leaning metropolitan areas, including Seattle, New York, San Francisco, and Boston. At Thursdays White House press briefing, Deborah Birx, the administrations response coordinator, said half of the nations cases so far are located in just 10 counties. The outbreaks eventual political effects may vary significantly depending on how extensively it spreads beyond these initial beachheads.

If the virus never becomes pervasive beyond big cities, that could reinforce the sense among many Republican voters and office-holders that the threat has been overstated. It could also fuel the kind of xenophobia that Trump and other GOP leaders, such as Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, have encouraged by labeling the disease the Chinese virus or the Wuhan virus.

Theres a long history of conservatives demonizing the cities as sources of disease to threaten the pure heartland, says Geoffrey Kabaservice, the director of political studies at the libertarian Niskanen Center and the author of Rule and Ruin, a history of the modern Republican Party. Thats an old theme. So that could be how it goes down.

David Frum: No empathy, only anger

Conversely, the charge that Trump failed to move quickly enough may cut more deeply if the burden of the disease is heavily felt in the smaller communities where his support is deepest. Most medical experts believe that, eventually, the outbreak will reach all corners of the country, including the mostly Republican-leaning small towns and rural areas that are now less visibly affected.

Theres no reason to think that smaller communities will be protected from it, Eric Toner, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told me. It may take longer for it to get there, but as long as there are people coming and going the virus will eventually find its way to rural communities as well.

Still, some experts believe that, throughout the outbreak, the greatest effects will remain localized in large urban centers. The bottom line is, every epidemic is local, and the social networks and the physical infrastructure in any specific geographic area will determine the spread of the epidemic, Jeffrey D. Klausner, a professor of medicine and public health at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, told me. Particularly, respiratory viruses are dependent on close social networks and are going to spread much more efficiently in crowded, densely populated urban areas.

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Red and Blue America Arent Experiencing the Same Pandemic - The Atlantic

The Latest: Rhode Island is postponing its primary from April 28 to June 2. The Pennsylvania Legislature is considering the same move. Alaska is shifting its April 4 primary to voting by mail and is extending the deadline to receive ballots.

As the coronavirus pandemic upends the presidential campaign, states and territories around the country are postponing primary elections and expanding vote by mail options.

Indiana, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio, Puerto Rico and Rhode Island have postponed their presidential primary elections, citing the outbreak. In Ohio, officials declared a public health emergency just hours before polls were set to open last week.

Five of those states have moved or have proposed moving their primaries to June 2, which is quickly becoming a major date on the Democratic primary calendar. It is among the last dates available before the June 9 deadline set by the Democratic National Committee for states to hold their nominating contests.

The Pennsylvania Legislature is expected to vote Tuesday on a bill to delay the states primary elections, also to June 2. In New York, officials are also considering whether the presidential primary election should be delayed. Alaska, Hawaii and Wyoming are switching to voting entirely by mail.

Tom Perez, the D.N.C. chairman, has urged states with upcoming contests to expand their use of voting by mail, no-excuse absentee voting, curbside ballot drop-offs and early voting.

Heres a running update of major changes in an election transformed, including rescheduled primaries and caucuses and a few other key races. You can also track our full primary election calendar.

The three states held their primaries as scheduled (and Joseph R. Biden Jr. won all of them).

Voting in major cities in Illinois was rife with confusion and turnout in many areas was significantly lower than expected, leading to complaints from poll workers and clashes between Chicago officials and the statehouse.

But Florida and Arizona exceeded turnout levels seen in the 2016 Democratic primary, despite the coronavirus outbreak. Both states had invested heavily in early voting systems, and they encouraged early voting and voting by mail as the outbreak worsened, in order to help reduce crowds at polling places on Primary Day.

A special election for Queens borough president in New York City was scheduled for March 24, but Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the election was canceled.

In a democratic society, the canceling of an election is such a rarity, Mr. de Blasio said. It should be avoided at all costs. But in this case with the nature of this crisis, Ive come to the decision that its necessary.

The mayor said there were no immediate plans for a future date for the borough president election, but details for potential options would be provided soon.

All three states scheduled to vote on April 4 have shifted to voting entirely by mail, and have set varying deadlines for receiving ballots and reporting results.

The Alaska Democratic Party canceled in-person voting in its presidential primary, citing the coronavirus outbreak, and will mount an effort to expand voting by mail. It also extended the deadline for the party to receive ballots by more than two weeks, to April 10 from March 24.

The state party is also making voter registration documents and ranked-choice paper ballots available to download on its website. It said it would announce the results all at once, no earlier than April 10 and no later than the end of the day on April 11.

The Alaska Democratic Party has already mailed ballots to over 71,000 registered Democrats across the state, seven times the number of people that participated in the 2016 caucuses, said Lindsay Kavanaugh, the executive director of the state party. We want to continue to allow for maximum participation in this historic primary while respecting the health and safety of our voters and volunteers.

Hawaii Democrats announced they were canceling in-person voting in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The state party will be mailing out a third round of ballots and is encouraging voters to register before April 4.

The final deadline for ballot submission has not been set, but party officials said they must allow enough time for people enrolling as late as April 4 to receive and return their ballots by mail. Results, therefore, are not expected until late May.

Previously, the state party said a large majority of the Democratic voters in Hawaii vote by mail anyway. The party said it had already mailed out about 57,000 ballots and would be sending out another 15,000.

Wyoming Democrats suspended the in-person portion of their caucuses, scheduled for April 4. Voters who registered as Democrats by March 20 will be sent ballots in the mail, and ballots received by April 17 will be counted, the party said.

The Wisconsin secretary of state says the presidential primary will still be held on April 7 but has made two changes to voting in response to the coronavirus.

Voters in nursing homes and care centers will automatically be sent absentee ballots. And municipal clerks have been given the option of relocating polling places currently slated to be in nursing homes and other care centers where public health is a concern.

Citing concerns about coronavirus transmission, the Wisconsin Democratic Party said it was encouraging everyone to vote early or absentee. Wisconsin voters may request an absentee ballot for any reason. Heres the link.

Gov. Wanda Vzquez signed a resolution postponing the primary election in Puerto Rico from March 29 to April 26.

The resolution, which was passed by the Puerto Rico legislature, also authorizes the chairman of Puerto Ricos Democratic Party and the president of the Puerto Rico State Commission on Elections to further postpone the primary if an emergency situation persists by April 26, without requiring a new resolution to be passed by the legislature.

Without a doubt, this is the time for preventative measures to stop the spread of the virus, said Charles Rodrguez, the chairman of the state party. But even in this crisis, both the legislature and the governor highlighted the democratic freedoms and rights that allow us to be a society based on the value of voting, as an expression of the will of the majority of our people.

Anthony Albence, Delawares state election commissioner, said there was no provision in state law for postponing an election, but urged voters to apply for absentee ballots, which permits people who are sick or disabled to vote absentee.

If we have an application that is complete and the voter specifies one of the reasons, we will certainly honor them, Mr. Albence said. This page provides information about applying for a Delaware absentee ballot.

Were making preparations to have sufficient materials in the polling places for cleaning, keeping the locations clean, Mr. Albence said. We will review that with our poll workers and try to ensure that we have best practices to clean the voting equipment.

Elections officials are discussing moving the presidential primary election from April 28 to June 23, the date of another scheduled statewide primary, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has also modified election procedures to try to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

In an executive order, he lowered the signature requirements for ballot access for congressional and state legislative and judicial races, meaning that door-to-door canvassing for signatures will probably be more limited.

Public health experts have been clear that one of the most common ways to communicate Covid-19 is through direct person to person contact, and we are doing everything in our immediate power to reduce unnecessary interactions, Mr. Cuomo said.

The Pennsylvania legislature was busy Monday discussing a bill to postpone the primary until June 2, according to Mike Straub, a spokesman for Bryan Cutler, a Republican and the majority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

A vote will most likely be held Tuesday on the postponement, which affects state legislative and congressional races in addition to the presidential primary, Mr. Straub said.

The Pennsylvania secretary of state has reminded voters of the states mail-in ballot option, which permits any voter to request a ballot.

Our focus is on best ways to protect the integrity of the election while safeguarding public health, said Wanda Murren, a spokeswoman for Pennsylvanias Department of State.

Voters who would like to vote by mail may request a ballot through the state website.

Georgia officials announced that the states presidential primary, scheduled for March 24, would be delayed until May 19 in an effort to protect the public from possible coronavirus exposure.

The decision was announced by Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state.

Events are moving rapidly and my highest priority is the health of our poll workers, their families and the community at large, Mr. Raffensperger said. Given these circumstances, I believe it is necessary and prudent to suspend in-person voting in the presidential primary, and the local elections associated with them.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced that Connecticut was postponing its presidential primary from late April to early June.

In coordination with other states and our Secretary of the State, and in an effort to carry out Democracy while keeping public health a top priority, I have decided to move our presidential primary to June 2nd, Mr. Lamont wrote on Twitter.

Previously, Denise W. Merrill, Connecticuts secretary of state, urged Mr. Lamont to issue an emergency order permitting those worried about going to the polls during the outbreak to obtain absentee ballots. Under current law, concerns about disease contagion at a polling place are not a reason for voting absentee in Connecticut.

The governor was reviewing the request, a spokesman said at the time.

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb of Indiana signed an executive order suspending the states primary elections until June 2. The presidential primary was originally scheduled for May 5.

The governor announced the postponement of the primary with members of the Indiana Democratic and Republican parties.

The right of citizens to elect their leaders in a free and open election is one of the cornerstones of America, Mr. Holcomb said. In order to balance that right with the safety of county employees, poll workers and voters, delaying Indianas primary election is the right move as we continue to do all we can to protect Hoosiers health.

Officials also announced that the state would expand the option to vote by mail to all voters for the upcoming primary election, and that any mail-in ballots previously printed with a May 5 date on them would still be valid.

Gov. Larry Hogan announced that the April 28 primary would instead be held on June 2.

Mr. Hogan said at a news conference that state elections officials had raised concerns about the primary with him last week. Officials considered conducting the entire election by mail but did not believe they had enough time to make that work, Mr. Hogan said.

Like other states have done, all the primary elections will be postponed until June, which gives everyone time to prepare, Mr. Hogan said. Free and fair elections are the very foundation of American democracy, and while there are many valid reasons for unease and uncertainty right now, ensuring that the voices of Maryland citizens are heard shouldnt be one of them.

Mr. Hogan said that a special election in Marylands Seventh Congressional District to replace the late Representative Elijah E. Cummings would not be rescheduled from April 28. But that election will, in fact, be run entirely by mail the first time the state has done so for a congressional election.

The night before Ohios scheduled primary on March 17, Gov. Mike DeWine said he and top state heath officials would ignore a court ruling and postpone the states presidential primary by declaring a public health emergency because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Mr. DeWine said that the states health director, Dr. Amy Acton, had issued the order based on concerns that the coronavirus outbreak placed both voters and poll workers in potential danger.

His announcement came just hours after Judge Richard A. Frye of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas rejected the states request to push back voting to June 2.

During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis, to conduct an election tomorrow would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at an unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus, Mr. DeWine said on Twitter.

He added: While the polls will be closed tomorrow, Secretary of State Frank LaRose will seek a remedy through the courts to extend voting options so that every voter who wants to vote will be granted that opportunity.

Gov. Gina Raimondo will sign an executive order to move the states presidential primary election from April to June, her office announced on Monday.

Last week, the Board of Elections requested that the presidential primary election be postponed from April 28 to June 2 and that the election take place primarily by mail ballot, Ms. Raimondo said on Twitter. I am following the advice of the Board of Elections, and will sign an executive order to do this.

In a subsequent statement on Monday, Nellie M. Gorbea, the Rhode Island secretary of state, said she would begin working with the states Board of Elections and local canvassers to begin the process of changing the date of the election, and announced that the state would send all registered voters a mail ballot application with a postage-paid return envelope.

States rescheduling their primaries past a June 9 deadline set by the Democratic National Committee risk losing half of their delegates to the convention.

Louisiana postponed its April 4 primary for more than two months, rescheduling to June 20, the first state to adjust its election calendar in response to the coronavirus.

Today I have certified that a state of emergency exists and requested that the governor issue an executive order postponing the elections this spring, Louisianas secretary of state, R. Kyle Ardoin, said at a news conference. I want to thank the governor and his staff for working with us in a bipartisan manner to accomplish this mission.

The Democratic National Committee said in a statement that it would continue to work with every state party as they adjust their delegate selection plans around coronavirus, but that by moving its primary to June 20, which is past the June 9 deadline set by the D.N.C., Louisiana could face a penalty that would include a state losing at least half of its delegates.

Kentuckys secretary of state, Michael G. Adams, announced the state would delay its primary election to June 23 in a video on Twitter.

Postponing the primary was not an easy decision, but the Republican secretary of state and Democratic governor agreed, and so do county clerks from both parties, Mr. Adams said. My hope is that this delay will allow us to have a normal election. Even if not, this delay will allow me, the State Board of Elections and our county clerks time to assess what changes we must make to ensure a successful primary election.

Gov. Kay Ivey postponed the Republican runoff battle for a U.S. Senate seat, which pits former Attorney General Jeff Sessions against Tommy Tuberville, a former college football coach and ESPN analyst. The new date for the runoff is July 14.

The delay was proposed by Alabamas secretary of state, John Merrill, and sanctioned by Steve Marshall, the states attorney general. The health and well-being of the people of this state is of paramount importance, Mr. Merrill said.

The winner will face Senator Doug Jones, a Democrat, in a race that is closely watched because it could be a chance for Republicans to pick up a Senate seat in a red state.

President Trump has endorsed Mr. Tuberville against his onetime attorney general, Mr. Sessions, a longtime politician in Alabama who served in the U.S. Senate from 1997 to 2017.

Are we missing something? Let us know at onpolitics@nytimes.com.

Reporting was contributed by Maggie Astor, Reid J. Epstein, Shane Goldmacher, Patricia Mazzei and Matt Stevens.

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2020 Democratic Primary Election: Voting Postponed in 9 States and Territories - The New York Times

Stefani Reynolds Utah Democrat diagnosed with coronavirus hospitalized after experiencing shortness of breath

Rep. Ben McAdams (D-Utah), a freshman lawmaker who last week announced that he had been diagnosed with coronavirus, said Sunday that he was hospitalized after experiencing a shortness of breath.

In a statement from his office Sunday evening, the Utah Democrat said that the incident occurred Friday and stated that he had to receive oxygen through a mask after struggling to maintain proper oxygen levels in his blood.

"I am now off oxygen and feeling relatively better," McAdams said. "I'm very grateful to the skilled hospital medical staff for their efficient and effective treatment, as well as their preparations.

McAdams was the second House lawmaker to be diagnosed with the disease, which has sickened more than 33,000 nationally. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) announced his own positive diagnosis last week as well.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) on Sunday became the first senator to announce he or she had been infected with coronavirus.

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Utah Democrat diagnosed with coronavirus hospitalized after experiencing shortness of breath - msnNOW

Former Navy SEAL Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) is calling on Americans to hold the Democrats accountable for having torpedoed a bipartisan COVID-19 emergency bill that provides funds to small businesses to help cover payroll and rent and other coronavirus-related expenses, expands unemployment benefits, and quickly puts cash in struggling Americans pockets.

The real reason House Speaker Nancy Pelosi intervened in the eleventh hour to derail the Senates emergency bill, Crenshaw suggested, was to push her own bill containing a series of non-crisis-related Democratic wishlist items, included some Green New Deal policies and collective bargaining powers for unions. The political stunt, he said, will not be forgotten.

Democrats torpedoed a bipartisan emergency bill that:-Provides payroll & rent for small business-Credit to businesses across America to keep them afloat Cash in Americans pocketsunemployment benefits, the popular Texas Republican wrote in the first of a series of tweets starting Sunday (posts below). They have no good reasons. Just partisanship. Call your reps NOW.

Do Dems want a recession? A depression? How can they justify this? he asked in a follow-up post. This bill is critical for the livelihood of millions. Our country will be devastated without immediate help. Dems can lie all they want about helping workers but now they are destroying their lives.

I am not one to make hyperbolic statements, Crenshaw wrote in another post. But what Senate Democrats have done is truly awful. This bill was negotiated in good faith. Been monitoring its progress all week. It can save our economy. And they killed it. Out of spite and bitterness.Hold Dems accountable.

We will not forget this, Crenshaw wrote in response to a tweet by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blaming the decision to block the bill on its supposed inadequate protections. More businesses are closing tomorrow while you peddle this lie. You literally stopped a good bill because it *didnt have enough red tape*. You hate American businesses so much that you would sacrifice our economy out of pure contempt.

On Monday, Crenshaw retweeted a thread by journalist Rachel Bovard, who obtained an early copy of the 1,400-page Pelosi bill, that highlights some of the new Democratic bills provisions, including bailing out the post office, mandating risk limiting audits of elections, as well as same-day voter registration, and other non-crisis-related, long-time Democrat wishlist items, among them more strict fuel emissions guidelines for airlines, wind and solar tax credits, and collective bargaining powers for unions.

EVERYONE in America, Democrat and Republican, MUST read this thread, Crenshaw wrote. This is what Pelosi killed the rescue package for. Corporate diversity requirement, Airline carbon emissions, and the list goes on. Hold these people accountable. They are holding America hostage.

As The Daily Wires Emily Zanotti reported Monday, early reports on Pelosis bill show a piece of legislation packed with handouts, bailouts, and cash offerings to the Democrats top constituencies, as well as provisions demanding enforcement of the Green New Deal, easing voting restrictions, and strengthening union allies.

After killing the Senate bill, the Democrats blamed provisions that they said amounted to a slush fund for corporate bailouts, but which is, as Zanotti explains, is actually a zero-interest loan program designed to compensate businesses harmed by government lockdown and which contains clear restrictions on the $500 billion set aside to assist firms that have not recovered from the coronavirus lockdown within six months, including limits on funding corporate bonuses and stock buybacks.

Related:Are You Kidding Me?: Mitch McConnell SHREDS Democrats In Fiery Senate Floor Speech

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Dan Crenshaw Posts Info 'Everyone In America' Should Read About Why Democrats Killed Emergency Relief Package - The Daily Wire

Sort by: Name Age Location Death Date Dallas Jean Baker 78 South Bend, IN March 13, 2020 Chris Bergschneider, Sr. 76 Clinton, AR March 13, 2020 Arminta Jane Berry 93 of Little Rock, AR March 11, 2020 Elener Jane Britton 76 of North Little Rock, AR March 13, 2020 Roosevelt Brown 86 of Little Rock, AR March 9, 2020 William "Bill" Lee Browning 82 of Sherwood, AR March 10, 2020 Paul Bruhn 85 of Little Rock , AR March 13, 2020 Rodney Lynn Brunetti 52 Humphrey, AR March 13, 2020 Jeanette L Bruton 65 Benton, AR March 11, 2020 Billy Joe Canada 62 Hot Springs , AR March 10, 2020 Joseph M. Casey 26 of Little Rock, AR March 14, 2020 Paul Cheader 74 Fayetteville, AR March 2, 2020 Geraldine "Jerry" Marylee Day 94 of North Little Rock, AR March 11, 2020 Dorain Dickinson 94 Garfield, AR February 28, 2020 Kent Mark Eskew 53 Fayetteville, AR March 1, 2020 Clara Lee Eskew 99 of Little Rock, AR March 9, 2020 Robert Eubanks 90 Arkadelphia, AR March 4, 2020 Ruby Marie Fields 98 Springdale, AR March 12, 2020 Lawrence M. Finn, III 79 Elizabeth, NJ March 12, 2020 James Hank Garrett 95 Prairie Grove, AR March 13, 2020 Bobbye Ann Glover 87 Star City, AR March 13, 2020 Clara N. Gregory 84 Benton, AR March 13, 2020 Tommie Harrison Hankins II 62 of North Little Rock, AR March 11, 2020 Wanda Jane Harvill 82 Benton, AR March 12, 2020 Euell Hatfield 94 Cave City, AR March 12, 2020 Albert "Billy" Holland 96 Cabot, AR March 14, 2020 Leisa Irene Hoofman 52 Judsonia, AR March 12, 2020 Syble F. Jared 100 Conway, AR March 13, 2020 Robert Lee Kenworthy 87 of Maumelle, AR February 29, 2020 Kreth James Koehler 58 of North Little Rock, AR March 9, 2020 Gladys E. Larson 97 Bella Vista, AR March 10, 2020 Pamela Ann Davis Looney 72 of Little Rock, AR March 13, 2020 Regina Ann Marrs 49 Lexington, AR March 11, 2020 Catherine Ellen Remmel Matthews 78 of Little Rock, AR February 22, 2020 Judith Brookings McDade 79 Fayetteville, AR March 5, 2020 Alice JoAnn Mead 87 Bella Vista, AR March 8, 2020 Dorothy Menning 93 Bryant, AR March 13, 2020 William "Bill" Miller 79 Bald Knob, AR March 13, 2020 Herbert Lee Montgomery 64 of Little Rock, AR March 12, 2020 Robert Franklin Morehead 84 Pine Bluff, AR March 8, 2020 Sandra Lynn Bulloch Murry 71 Bastrop, LA March 6, 2020 Charles Roland Nash 96 Sheridan, AR March 12, 2020 Donald Alton O'Kelley 88 Benton, AR March 12, 2020 Cynthia June Ogelvie 69 Lake Village , AR March 11, 2020 Anne Oswald 89 Fayetteville, AR March 10, 2020 Jeffrey Lewis Patton 47 Springdale, AR March 12, 2020 Dale Phillips 54 Bentonville, AR March 13, 2020 Larry Gene Pleimann 84 Fayetteville, AR March 6, 2019 Patsy Marie Riba 83 Mabelvale, AR March 7, 2020 Laura Bell Scoggins Rice 86 Long Beach, CA March 3, 2020 Mike James Roy 63 of Little Rock, AR March 13, 2020 Freddie Ruble Grimmett 87 Fort Smith, AR March 12, 2020 Marie Rawlings Scott 94 Rogers, AR March 10, 2020 Mary Anne (Forsyth) Shilkitus 48 Batesville, AR March 11, 2020 William Earl "Woody" Smith 73 Little Rock, AR March 12, 2020 Madelyn (Madge) Bridget Spiller 81 Rogers, AR March 9, 2020 Betty Jo Thibault 72 of North Little Rock, AR March 13, 2020 Richard Lee Thompson 70 of Little Rock, AR March 12, 2020 Glen Charles Wade 52 Greenbrier, AR March 12, 2020 Billy Arthur Webb 80 Springdale, AR March 11, 2020 MacKenzie Atticus White 1 Fayetteville, AR March 10, 2020 Matthew Dwayne White 27 Lowell, AR March 11, 2020 Patsy Jane (Sivley) Wittenburg 78 Springdale, AR March 12, 2020 Charles Joseph "Jim" Witzigman 93 Jefferson City, MO March 12, 2020

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Obituaries

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll has revealed sharp partisan divides between Americans over the coronavirus pandemic.

The poll found 68 percent of Democrats are worried that someone in their family could catch the virus, while just 40 percent of Republicans and 45 percent of independents share that concern.

The gulf in perception over an outwardly nonpolitical issue underscores how signals from politicians and media outlets have played a critical role in shaping how seriously Americans are taking a viral outbreak that has overwhelmed health care systems and triggered mass quarantines in several countries around the world.

Nearly 80 percent of Democrats believe the worst is yet to come, but just 40 percent of Republicans and 57 percent of independents believe that. Overall, 53 percent of all voters are concerned that someone in their immediate family might contract the coronavirus, and 60 percent believe the worst is yet to come.

The poll also found 56 percent of Democrats believe their day-to-day lives will change in a major way in the future while just 26 percent of Republicans hold that view.

In response to every question about whether a respondent would change plans that would expose them to others, like travel, eating out at restaurants, and attending large gatherings, Democratic voters consistently responded affirmatively at much higher rates than Republicans. For example, 61 percent of Democrats said theyve stopped or plan to stop attending large public gatherings, but only 30 percent of Republicans said the same.

The partisan disconnect is not due to a lack of information among conservatives or a function of not hearing much about the outbreak in certain regions of the country. NBC reports that 99 percent of respondents said theyve seen, heard, or read about the spread of the coronavirus and 89 percent say theyve heard a lot about it the highest percentage that one of their polls has found for a major event since 2009.

The more likely explanation is that, as with so many other issues, people with different political ideologies consume different kinds of information and take cues on how to think about events from different political figures and institutions. Given that President Donald Trump and media institutions that cater to conservative audiences, like Fox News, have been downplaying the issue from day one, its not surprising that Republican voters are not nearly as alarmed as Democrats.

Still, as the virus spreads and more people know someone affected, the typical partisan divides might not hold.

Ever since it has been clear that the US was at risk of a serious outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Trump has continually downplayed the risks it poses and dragged his feet on policy responses that would help contain and mitigate the spread of the virus. Reporting indicates that he has done this in part because hes worried about the political damage that would accompany treating the situation as a full-blown crisis.

As Voxs German Lopez has explained, Trump has underplayed whats at stake on many occasions:

Trump himself has tweeted comparisons of Covid-19 to the common flu which [director of the Harvard Global Health Institute Ashish] Jha describes as really unhelpful, because the novel coronavirus appears to be much worse. Trump also called concerns about the virus a hoax. He said on national television that, based on nothing more than a self-admitted hunch, the death rate of the disease is much lower than public health officials projected.

And Trump has rejected any accountability for the botched testing process: I dont take responsibility at all, he said on Friday.

Jha described the Trump administrations messaging so far as deeply disturbing, adding that its left the country far less prepared than it needs to be for what is a very substantial challenge ahead.

Trump also downplayed the issue by initially declining to get tested for it despite close contact with people who tested positive for the virus last week. He also never self-isolated despite being at risk of carrying the virus and spreading it to others (public health experts say it is possible to spread the virus even if youre not showing symptoms).

Trump did eventually get tested days after his exposure and on Saturday, the White House physician said the test was negative. But his behavior stood in stark contrast to Republican politicians like Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who has self-quarantined after learning he came in contact with people who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Cruz reports he is currently showing no symptoms.

Conservative news outlets like Fox News have also promoted skepticism of the seriousness of the coronavirus as a serious health hazard as part of an effort to shield the Trump administration from criticism. Here are just a few examples, via progressive watchdog Media Matters:

- Fox prime-time host Sean Hannity claimed people are faking concern about coronavirus just to bludgeon Trump with this new hoax.

- On her Saturday night show, Fox host Jeanine Pirro downplayed the possibility that the coronavirus is more deadly than the flu, arguing that thats only because theres a flu vaccine and if not for the vaccine, the flu would be a pandemic. Pirro somehow drew the conclusion that this means that the talk about coronavirus being so much more deadly [than the flu] doesnt reflect reality.

- Fox host Pete Hegseth downplayed the impact of coronavirus: I feel like the more I learn about this, the less there is to worry about.

- On Hannity, Fox News medical correspondent Marc Siegel said that the worst case scenario with coronavirus is that it could be the flu.

Other prominent right-wing commentators like radio personality Rush Limbaugh have painted coronavirus fears as a ploy to stop Trump rallies.

Messaging from Trump and hard-right news outlets like Fox News has diverged from the consensus among scientists and public health experts around the world who have indicated coronavirus is a serious health hazard that could easily overwhelm the US health care system and kill millions of Americans if not taken seriously by the federal government.

While mainstream and liberal media outlets have focused on pleas from the public health and scientific communities about the serious risks posed by the coronavirus, some conservative outlets and the Trump administration have gone the opposite way. And that in turn has led to a gap between liberals and conservatives on how seriously to take it.

Experts say that by the time everyone takes it seriously, it may be too late to mitigate risks.

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Poll: Democrats are more worried about the coronavirus than Republicans - Vox.com