Tag: COVID-19 coronavirus

Kushner calls the coronavirus response in US ‘a great success story’

WASHINGTON – White House senior adviser Jared Kushner called the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak “a great success story” on Wednesday as cases topped 1 million and the death toll passed 60,000 in the United States.

Kushner, the president’s son-in-law who has been serving on the White House coronavirus task force, doesn’t often make public appearances.

During an interview on Fox News on Wednesday morning, Kushner said, “I think that we’ve achieved all the different milestones that are needed. So the government, federal government, rose to the challenge and this is a great success story. I think that’s really what needs to be told.” Continue reading.

Trump administration considers leveraging emergency coronavirus loan to force Postal Service changes

Washington Post logoPresident Trump has railed for years against what he sees as mismanagement of the agency, which he argues has been exploited by sites such as Amazon

The Treasury Department is considering taking unprecedented control over key operations of the U.S. Postal Service by imposing tough terms on an emergency coronavirus loan from Congress, which would fulfill President Trump’s longtime goal of changing how the service does business, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Officials working under Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who must approve the $10 billion loan, have told senior officials at the USPS in recent weeks that he could use the loan as leverage to give the administration influence over how much the agency charges for delivering packages and how it manages its finances, according to the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks are preliminary.

Trump has railed for years against what he sees as mismanagement at the Postal Service, which he argues has been exploited by e-commerce sites such as Amazon, and has sought to change how much the agency charges for delivery packages. (Amazon’s founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) Continue reading.

Trump says he will sign executive order temporarily suspending immigration into US

The Hill logoPresident Trump on Monday said he will sign an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic, an extraordinary move that prompted immediate questions about its timing and scope.

“In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” Trump tweeted.

The order would mark a stunning use of executive power by Trump, who hours earlier was speaking optimistically about the ability of certain states to begin reopening their economies despite the threat of the virus. It is likely to draw swift legal challenges. Continue reading.

Minnesota House of Representatives working in new ways to address pandemic and economic hardships

House DFL logo

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives are temporarily working from outside the Minnesota State Capitol. In conformity with Minnesota Department of Health guidelines, State Representatives are engaging in telework rather than in-person work at the State Capitol. Legislators in the Minnesota House of Representatives are convening informal working groups to discuss measures to assist Minnesotans coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and its related disruptions.

“The members of the Minnesota House of Representatives are working hard on behalf of the people of Minnesota during this crisis,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “While we follow the guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health to keep people safe, we are convening informal working groups to discuss emergency measures related to COVID-19 and to the mission-critical work of the Legislature this session. We are working to develop opportunities for members of the public to weigh in and offer their feedback in a way that is protective of their health.” Continue reading “Minnesota House of Representatives working in new ways to address pandemic and economic hardships”