Category Archives: Donald Trump

Coronavirus news: US could be next Covid-19 hotspot amid ‘large acceleration’ of cases, says WHO – live updates

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Deaths jump in Spain; France tightens lockdown; Afghanistan appeals for help amid new cases; South Africa prepares for lockdown. Follow the latest updates

Thailand’s leader said on Tuesday he would invoke sweeping emergency powers in the face of surging coronavirus infections, Reuters reports.

In a sign of toughening official action a man was arrested over allegations of creating panic on social media.

Thailand and neighbouring Cambodia were among Southeast Asian countries accused by New York-based Human Rights Watch of using the pandemic to crack down on criticism. Both countries reject the accusations and say their measures are needed to keep order and combat disinformation.

The UK’s supreme court has adapted to physical distancing by holding its first remote, live hearing on Tuesday morning, reports my colleague Owen Bowcott.

The building in Westminster is closed but the case is being conducted via video links and can be watched online. The judges are determined that justice should be transparent even in times of pandemic.

The first appeal using the technology is the case of Fowler v Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, dealing with the intricacies of the UK-South Africa Double Taxation Treaty.

Related: Coronavirus UK live news: calls for urgent help for self-employed as tighter lockdown could come in future

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Delay is deadly: what Covid-19 tells us about tackling the climate crisis | Jonathan Watts

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Rightwing governments have denied the problem and been slow to act. With coronavirus and the climate, this costs lives

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The coronavirus pandemic has brought urgency to the defining political question of our age: how to distribute risk. As with the climate crisis, neoliberal capitalism is proving particularly ill-suited to this.

Like global warming, but in close-up and fast-forward, the Covid-19 outbreak shows how lives are lost or saved depending on a government’s propensity to acknowledge risk, act rapidly to contain it, and share the consequences.

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Trump jokes with health official who mentions ‘low grade fever’ during coronavirus briefing — video

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The US President, Donald Trump, jokingly moved away from the White House's coronavirus task force response coordinator, Dr Deborah Birx, after she mentioned her 'low grade fever'. Birx revealed she was tested for Covid-19, emphasising the need for personal responsibility to battle the coronavirus outbreak

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Can Trump be trusted not to abuse his coronavirus emergency powers?

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Even the president’s critics have urged him to use the full power of the federal government to tackle the pandemic but experts warn of potential dangers

Standing in the Brady briefing room at the White House last week Donald Trump said that despite new restrictions on the number of journalists allowed in the room, there were still too many reporters around.

“You’re actually sitting too close,” the president told the journalists. “We should probably get rid of about another 75, 80% of you. I have just two or three that I like in this room.”

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Trump’s push to shorten the coronavirus shutdown proves the captain is flying blind | David Smith

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To watch Trump is to witness the awesome and terrifying power of the American president over life and death – a burden he is unqualified to bear

Due to social distancing, there were only two dozen or so reporters in the White House press briefing room on Monday, making it feel like a flight with numerous empty seats and lots of legroom.

But when Donald Trump let rip for nearly two hours, it was as if the captain had announced a sudden whim to land the plane on water while wearing a blindfold. We sat tight for an unnerving journey.

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Donald Trump dismisses coronavirus as a ‘purely medical problem’ – video

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Despite a rising death toll, US president Donald Trump vows to 'open up our country' in a matter of weeks, not months, as the coronavirus crisis hits the economy. Trump raised concerns the 'cure' to the pandemic could be 'worse than the problem itself' as cities across the US go into lockdown. "It started out as a purely medical problem and it's not going to go beyond that,' he said. He also urged people not to blame Asian Americans for the outbreak, saying 'they are working closely with us to get rid of it'


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Coronavirus US live: stimulus bill fails in Senate as experts urge Trump not to roll back social restrictions

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The death toll in New York City is now approaching 100. The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the city on Monday was 12,339 with 99 deaths. There are just over 20,000 confirmed cases in New York state as a whole and 157 deaths. For context, there are around 41,200 confirmed cases in the entire United States.

The State Department says it is trying to help around 13,500 US citizens who wish to return home from abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic. An official told reporters on Monday that the department is looking at chartering planes to repatriate Americans abroad, and priority would be given to those in need. “If we have somebody who is 70 years old with an underlying condition, such as diabetes or heart disease, that person is going to get a higher priority on one of those flights, than the hale and hearty 20 year old,” the official said.

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‘Invisible enemy’: Trump says he is ‘wartime president’ in coronavirus battle – video

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US president says the country is at war with coronavirus, while accusing China of not asking for help at the beginning of the crisis 'out of pride'. Trump also said the US economy will 'skyrocket' once the coronavirus outbreak is contained

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US coronavirus: Trump says national guard to be sent to New York, California and Washington – live

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The vice-president, Mike Pence, is speaking now. He says there is a “bipartisan” spirit to the fight against Covid-19 and it is a great credit to America. He says testing is becoming more widely available every day.

Peter Gaynor, the Fema administrator, speaks and emphasizes that the deployment of the National Guard does not mean martial law has been imposed in the three states where they will serve.

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Trump talks himself up as ‘wartime president’ to lead America through a crisis

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The president initially scoffed at the coronavirus. Now he seems convinced he can lead – and secure four more years in November

Bill Clinton used to lament that his time as US president was broadly peaceful, and lacked a historic test of his mettle. Donald Trump believes that his moment has arrived: a crisis on a par with leading a nation at war.

Related: Lay off those war metaphors, world leaders. You could be the next casualty… | Simon Tisdall

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A Citizen’s Guide to Beating Donald Trump review: dispatches from a time before the virus

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David Plouffe went to the White House with Obama then predicted a Clinton victory. Has he learned from that reverse? Have we?

On Tuesday, Joe Biden and his juggernaut left Bernie Sanders’ dream in tatters. The former vice-president swept primaries in Arizona, Florida and Illinois. Fact: Sanders looks a lot less appealing without Hillary Clinton to kick around.

Related: MBS review: why Trump and the west took a pass on the Khashoggi killing

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Congress and White House resume talks on $1tn pandemic rescue deal

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Officials say the economic package could pump $2tn into the US economy which would provide paychecks and funds to hospitals

Negotiators from Congress and the White House resumed top-level talks Saturday on a ballooning $1tn-plus economic rescue package, urged by Donald Trump to strike a deal to steady a nation thoroughly upended by the coronavirus pandemic.

It was an extraordinary moment in Washington: Congress undertaking the most ambitious federal effort yet to shore up households and the US economy and a president angry and lashing out at all comers. All while the global outbreak and the nationwide shutdown grip an anxious, isolated population bracing for a healthcare crisis and looming recession.

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Mike Bloomberg transfers $18m to Democratic National Committee

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Former presidential candidate will also transfer offices in six battleground states to help defeat Trump

Mike Bloomberg is transferring $18m (£15.5m) from his presidential campaign to the Democratic National Committee in the largest single such transfer ever made.

The largesse is the latest sign of the billionaire businessman’s continued involvement in the presidential race since ending his own campaign this month after a lacklustre showing on Super Tuesday. In the 3 March primaries the former New York city mayor won only one US territory.

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The US military would be superb at fighting coronavirus. Let’s use it | Ann Lee and Sean Penn

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After the 2010 Haitian earthquake, we saw the US military in action as a humanitarian force. They can do this

In 2010, a devastating earthquake hit Haiti. In three minutes it killed more than 200,000 people and displaced two million more.

Our humanitarian aid organization, the Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), was on the ground in Haiti. In Haiti – as well as on the front lines of other disasters, like Hurricane Florence in North Carolina and Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas just a few months ago – we saw how dangerous inaction and political paralysis can be, and how rapid mobilization saves lives. In a crisis, every minute – every second – counts.

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‘You’re a terrible reporter’: Trump throws tantrum over question about coronavirus fears – video

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Donald Trump has hit out at NBC's Peter Alexander after the reporter asked the president if he was being too positive about drugs and therapies that have not been clinically trialled to help with Covid-19. Trump defended his approach and said the journalist asked a 'nasty question', calling him a 'terrible reporter'. He also attacked NBC and Comcast

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US-Mexico border is closed to non-essential travel as coronavirus outbreak continues – video

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Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, has announced the closure of the border as Donald Trump warned against 'mass, uncontrolled cross-border movement'.

The announcement comes two days after officials said the US-Canada border would similarly ban all non-essential travel as the pandemic continues. Pompeo also urged all Americans to stay in the country or immediately return home if they are abroad.


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US coronavirus news: Mexican border closed to non-essential travel as New York ordered to stay at home – live

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Here’s where the day stands so far:

Well, that was an eventful daily coronavirus briefing. Here are some of the highlights:

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US state department warns against all Americans leaving country amid pandemic – live

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Connecticut has become the latest state to announce it is moving its presidential primary, which was originally scheduled to take place on April 28.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said the primary would instead take place on June 2.

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. I will provide more information later today. #COVID19 #2020Primaries

The State Department’s Level 4 advisory on all international travel comes a week after the government issued a Level 3 advisory, which urged Americans to reconsider their travel plans.

A number of Americans are already trying to get back home from countries like Guatemala, which has implemented harsh restrictions on flights going into and out of the country.

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Coronavirus: Donald Trump steps up attacks on China and the media – video

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The US president has sought to deflect criticism of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic by attacking China and the media over their coverage of it. Speaking at his daily taskforce briefing, Trump accused Beijing of suppressing early information about the spread of the virus in Wuhan, and the media of corruption. ‘They’re siding with China,’ he said. ‘It’s more than fake news; it’s corrupt news’

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Peacetime constraints ditched in the war for economic survival | Larry Elliott

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The Covid-19 outbreak is forcing politicians and central bankers to set aside ideology and orthodoxy to prevent a global collapse

It is as if the lights have been switched off. The global economy has been plunged into darkness as countries hunker down in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Most recessions develop gradually over time. When the last one started in 2008 it took the Bank of England six months to spot it. This time it is different. Then it was a financial virus, this time it is the real thing. Commentators often say the economy is hitting the wall or is falling off a cliff on the weakest of evidence. Today the cliches are horrifyingly true.

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