Experts: President Trump's threats to WHO could undercut global health
LONDON — Health experts say U.S. President Donald Trump's increasing attacks on the World Health Organization for its handling of the coronavirus demonstrate a profound misunderstanding of the U.N. agency's role and could ultimately serve to weaken global health.In a letter to the WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Trump wrote that the WHO's “repeated missteps” in its response to the pandemic have proven “very costly for the world.”On Monday, President Trump threatened to permanently cut U.S. funding to the WHO unless the agency commits to “substantive improvements” in the next 30 days.“I cannot allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organization that, in its present state, is so clearly not serving America’s interests,” he wrote.The U.S. is the WHO's biggest donor, providing about $450 million a year.Devi Sridhar, a professor of global health at the University of Edinburgh, said the letter was likely written for Trump's political base and meant to deflect blame for the virus' devastating impact in the U.S., which has by far the most infections and virus deaths in the world.“China and the U.S. are fighting it out like divorced parents while (the) WHO is the child caught in the middle, trying not to pick sides,” she said.“President Trump doesn’t understand what the WHO can and cannot do," she said, explaining that it sets international standards and is driven by its member countries. “If he thinks they need more power, then member states should agree and delegate it more.”In Brussels, the European Union threw its weight behind the WHO, urging all countries to support it in the wake of Trump's continued attacks.“This is the time for solidarity," said European Commission spokeswoman Virginie Battu-Henriksson. "It is not the time for finger pointing or undermining multilateral cooperation.”Michael Head, a senior research fellow at the University of Southampton, said much of what Trump was demanding was beyond the WHO's intended scope.“The WHO have limited powers, in terms of what they can demand of countries where outbreaks are taking place,” Head said. “They provide expert guidance and not enforcement by law.”Head noted that there are clear gaps in governance elsewhere that have allowed COVID-19 to spread — notably in the U.S., which has seen 1.5 million infections and over 90,000 deaths linked to COVID-19.President Trump has repeatedly accused the WHO of being unduly influenced by China, and wrote that the agency has been “curiously insistent” on praising the country's “alleged transparency.”The WHO acknowledged receipt of President Trump's missive and said it was “considering the contents of the letter,” according to a statement.
Fox News' Cavuto urges viewers not to take drug like President Trump
NEW YORK — Fox News Channel anchor Neil Cavuto strongly urged viewers on Monday not to follow the example of President Donald Trump, who revealed that he is taking a malaria drug to protect against the coronavirus.President Trump said he has been taking the drug hydroxychloroquine for about a week and a half.
President Trump says he's taking hydroxychloroquine in case he gets COVID-19
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday, May 18 that he is taking a malaria drug to lessen symptoms should he get the new coronavirus, even though the drug is unproven for fighting COVID-19.President Trump told reporters he has been taking the drug, hydroxychloroquine, and a zinc supplement daily “for about a week and a half now.” President Trump spent weeks pushing the drug as a potential cure for COVID-19 against the cautionary advice of many of his administration's top medical professionals.
White House explores $5,000 coronavirus stimulus check in exchange for delayed Social Security benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The White House is reportedly considering a new proposal to help alleviate the economic pain inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic: Letting struggling Americans take an advance on their Social Security benefits.Senior economic officials at the White House are exploring a stimulus measure backed by conservative scholars at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute and Hoover Institution, according to The Washington Post.Written by Andrew Biggs and Joshua Rauh, the plan calls for allowing Americans to choose to receive checks of up to $5,000 in exchange for a delay of their Social Security benefits.
Democrats investigating President Trump's firing of State Department watchdog
WASHINGTON — Democrats demanded on Saturday that the White House hand over all records related to President Donald Trump's latest firing of a federal watchdog, this time at the State Department, and they suggested Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was responsible, in what “may be an illegal act of retaliation.”"We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President's gutting of these critical positions,'' the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote in a letter to the administration announcing their investigation.President Trump announced late Friday that he was firing the inspector general, Steve Linick, an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of what it saw as political bias in the State Department's management.
President Trump fires State Dept. watchdog critical of admin moves
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has fired the State Department’s inspector general, an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of alleged political bias in the agency’s management.
President Trump still confident in virus test despite concerns about false negatives
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump expressed no concerns Friday about a rapid coronavirus test that the White House has been relying on to ensure his safety, despite new data suggesting the test may return an inordinate share of false negatives.President Trump expressed his confidence in the test from Abbott Laboratories after a preliminary study by New York University researchers reported problems with it.
Space Force unveils flag; President Trump touts 'super-duper missile'
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force — the newest branch of the armed services — now has its own flag.Defense Department officials presented President Donald Trump with the Space Force flag during a short Oval Office event on Friday.
'We don't have regrets:' Evers Administration begins process of taking 2nd shot at 'Safer at Home'
MILWAUKEE -- At Bougey's Bar and Grill in Brookfield in Waukesha County, tables were being used again Thursday, May 14.
President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club to partially reopen this weekend
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club will partially reopen to members this weekend as South Florida slowly reopens from the coronavirus lockdown.An email sent Thursday to members says the Palm Beach resort's Beach Club restaurant, its pool and its whirlpool will reopen Saturday after being closed two months, but its main building that includes hotel rooms, the main dining area and the president's private residence will remain closed.
Sen. Lindsey Graham to probe Russia investigation; won't call Obama to testify
WASHINGTON — Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said Thursday his committee is opening a wide-ranging inquiry into the Russia investigation, but rejected President Donald Trump’s call to bring in former President Barack Obama to testify.“I am greatly concerned about the precedent that would be set by calling a former president for oversight,'' said Graham, a South Carolina Republican and staunch President Trump ally. “No president is above the law.
Senate votes to renew federal surveillance powers
WASHINGTON — The Senate has passed legislation that would extend a series of expired federal surveillance tools designed to help law enforcement officials track suspected terrorists, moving one step closer to reviving them.The legislation passed the Senate 80-16 on Thursday.
President Trump on China's handling of COVID-19: 'We could cut off the whole relationship'
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump made one of his strongest comments yet in dealing with China in the wake of the communist country's handling of the coronavirus pandemic."There are many things we could do," President Trump told FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo Thursday. "We could cut off the whole relationship."The Trump administration has been mulling avenues to possibly punish or seek financial compensation from China for what it sees as withholding information about the virus.The president, appearing exclusively on "Mornings with Maria," raised the impact of ending relations."Now, if you did, what would happen?," asked President Trump. "You’d save $500 billion if you cut off the whole relationship."However, President Trump and his team used other tactics to demonstrate displeasure with China's actions.
Supreme Court ruling opening Wisconsin brings concern, President Trump praise
MADISON — A court ruling tossing Wisconsin's stay-at-home order threw communities into chaos Thursday as local leaders were forced to decide whether to issue their own restrictions or allow bars and restaurants to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.The conservative majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court late Wednesday afternoon ruled that the “safer at home” order from Democratic Gov.
36 million have sought US unemployment aid since virus hit
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly 3 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week as the viral outbreak led more companies to slash jobs even though most states have begun to let some businesses reopen under certain restrictions.The wave of layoffs has heightened concerns that more government aid is needed to sustain the economy through the deep recession caused by the viral outbreak.
President Trump, GOP launch broad attack on Russia probe foundations
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Republicans are launching a broad election-year attack on the foundation of the Russia investigation, including declassifying intelligence information to try to place senior Obama administration officials under scrutiny for routine actions.The effort has been aided by a Justice Department decision to dismiss its prosecution of former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn, an action that rewrites the narrative of the 3-year-old case in a way that former federal law enforcement officials say downplays the legitimate national security concerns they believe Flynn's actions raised and the consequences of the lies he pleaded guilty to telling.The DOJ decision comes as President Trump and his Republican allies push to reframe the Russia investigation as a “deep state” plot to sabotage his administration, setting the stage for a fresh onslaught of attacks on past and present Democratic officials and law enforcement leaders.“His goal is that by the end of this, you’re just not really sure what happened and at some gut level enough Americans say, ‘It’s kind of messy,’” said Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer.The latest indication of that came Wednesday when two Republican critics of the Russia investigation, Sens.
President Trump supports Tesla plant reopening in California
ALAMEDA, Calif. --- Tesla CEO Elon Musk has emerged as a champion of defying stay-home orders intended to stop the coronavirus from spreading, picking up support as well as critics on social media.Among supporters was President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday tweeted that Tesla’s San Francisco Bay Area factory should be allowed to open despite health department orders to stay closed except for basic operations.
Supreme Court divided over President Trump's tax, bank records
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared likely to reject President Donald Trump's claim that he is immune from criminal investigation while in office.
Pres. Trump says Americans could see 2nd round of stimulus payments: 'We're talking about that'
WASHINGTON, DC -- President Donald Trump said Monday, May 11 his administration is considering a second round of coronavirus stimulus payments.“We’re talking about that,” President Trump said when asked about a Democratic proposal to send another round of relief checks.“We're talking about that with a number of different people.
Pelosi urges Congress to 'go big' on next virus aid package
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is poised to unveil the next coronavirus aid package, encouraging Congress to “go big” on aid to help cash-strapped states and struggling Americans.