U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE - Ukraine, Biden in Saudi Arabia, China

"Secretary of State Blinken on the war in Ukraine, Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia and China’s aggression" PBS NewsHour 6/14/2022

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SUMMARY:  The challenges for U.S. foreign policy at this fraught moment in history are many, from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and energy production and human rights in the Middle East to competition with China and Iran's nuclear program.  All of those issues are being tackled by America's top diplomat at the State Department.  Secretary of State Antony Blinken joins Judy Woodruff to discuss in more detail.

MILITARY.COM - Russian Military Movements

"US ‘Very Concerned’ About Russian Military Moves Near Ukraine, Austin Says" by Rebecca Kheen, Military.com 12/4/2021

SIMI VALLEY, CALIF.  -- U.S. officials are "very concerned" about Russia's massing of troops near the Ukrainian border, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday.

Austin's comments at the Reagan National Defense Forum come amid reports that U.S. intelligence has found Russia is planning a military offensive for early 2022 that could include as many as 175,000 troops.

"As we look at the numbers of forces that are in the border region, as we look at some of the things that are occurring in the information space, as we look at what's going on in the cyber domain, it really raises our concern," Austin said.  "It's something that we're gonna remain focused on going forward."

U.S. and NATO officials have been issuing increasingly stark warnings in recent weeks as Russia builds up forces near its border with Ukraine, which it invaded in 2014.

Russia also concentrated thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine in the spring, raising alarms in the international community of the possibility of an invasion.  Russia insisted those troops were conducting routine exercises and eventually pulled many of them back, but U.S. officials fear the latest deployments are more than a bluff.

Ukrainian officials have said about 115,000 Russian troops are amassed near the border, while U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville on Saturday estimated the number is "somewhere around 95,000 to 100,000."

"I don't know what they're going to do, but I'm very, very concerned about their posture," McConville said during a morning panel at the Reagan forum.  "That gives a lot of options to the Russians."

President Joe Biden himself vowed Friday to make it "very, very difficult" for Russia to invade Ukraine.

"What I am doing is putting together what I believe to be will be the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr.  Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do," said Biden, who is scheduled to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

Pressed Saturday on what specifically the United States will do, including whether it will send military advisers and weapons to Ukraine, Austin would only refer back to Biden's comments.

"You heard the President say yesterday that he's looking at a number of initiatives, so I won't get out ahead of my boss," Austin told Fox News host Brett Baier, who interviewed Austin at the conference.

Russia isn't alone in its provocative posturing, as Austin described alarm at increasingly aggressive Chinese military exercises near Taiwan.  China set a record in October with 56 military flights around Taiwan in one day, part of a total 149 flights over four days.

While he said he did not want to speculate, Austin said the Chinese activity "looks a lot like rehearsals" for an attack.

Austin also reiterated that the United States is committed to helping Taiwan defend itself and said officials are looking at ways to do more to support Taipei.  But he also stressed that U.S. policy -- which is intentionally ambiguous about whether the U.S. military would actually intervene if China tries to invade Taiwan -- has not changed.

"Nobody wants to see things develop into a conflict in this region," Austin said.  "So we're going to do everything in our power to help prevent conflict and dial down the temperature whenever possible."

CYBER THREATS - Chinese Cyberattacks and Government Use of Spyware

IMO:  I am all FOR using spyware to protect America and our allies.

"As U.S., allies condemn Chinese cyberattacks, report exposes governments’ use of spyware" PBS NewsHour 7/19/2021

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SUMMARY:  The Biden administration and a large group of allies called out China for state-sponsored, international hacking Monday.  A consortium of media outlets also published an investigation revealing how governments hacked into their opponents' phones with sophisticated, Israeli-made software.  Nick Schifrin joins Judy Woodruff to discuss what the revelations mean and how it affects the digital landscape.

CHINA - An Elephant Trek

"An endangered elephant herd is taking a mysterious trek in China.  Are humans to blame?" PBS NewsHour 6/11/2021

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SUMMARY:  It’s not a sight you see every day -- a herd of elephants, leaving their home turf, making their way through southwestern China, most recently stopping in a city with millions of residents.  But that’s what’s happening right now.  William Brangham looks at their mysterious trek, and why they might have hit the road.

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OVERSEAS - Background and Updates

"Can structural reforms in Central America stem migration to the U.S.?" PBS NewsHour 6/8/2021

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SUMMARY:  Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up her first international trip in Mexico on Tuesday, a day after stopping in Guatemala, in a bid to stem migration to the U.S. from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.  Nick Schifrin looks at Harris's trip and the thorny issues she and the Biden Administration are trying to manage.

 

 

"Biden to reengage with allies and meet adversaries in first overseas trip as President" PBS NewsHour 6/9/2021

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SUMMARY:  President Biden landed in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, the first stop on his three-nation European trip.  The President will begin by meeting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Thursday, then the three-day G-7 summit that begins Friday in southwest England.  Yamiche Alcindor is traveling with the President, and joins Judy Woodruff from Plymouth with more.

 

 

"Biden begins a week of diplomacy, pledges 500 million vaccine doses to poorer countries" PBS NewsHour 6/10/2021

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SUMMARY:  President Biden on Thursday kicked off his week of diplomacy in a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the beginning of the G-7 summit Friday.  Biden also announced a significant step by his administration that he said would “supercharge” the global fight against COVID-19.  Yamiche Alcindor, who is traveling with the President, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

 

 

"How fast can the U.S. deliver hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses globally?" PBS NewsHour 6/10/2021

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SUMMARY:  President Biden on Thursday announced a plan to donate more than 500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to nearly 100 poorer countries around the world that he described as "a monumental commitment by the American people."  Jeff Zients, the White House COVID response coordinator, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

 

 

"Biden meets with G-7 leaders to discuss global vaccinations, taxes on world’s wealthiest" PBS NewsHour 6/11/2021

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SUMMARY:  President Biden joined leaders of the world's top economic democratic nations Friday for the start of the three-day G-7 meeting in southwest England.  On the agenda are global taxes, trade and the fight to end the COVID-19 pandemic.  White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, who is traveling with the President, joins Judy Woodruff from Plymouth, England to discuss.

 

 

YES!

"‘America is back’: Biden heads for NATO summit after a successful G-7" PBS NewsHour 6/13/2021

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SUMMARY:  President Biden flew to Brussels for the NATO summit after wrapping up the G-7 in the UK.  At a news conference Sunday, he talked about the G-7’s plan to donate a billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally and an agreement amongst the nations to hold China accountable for human rights violations and some trade practices.  NewsHour’s Yamiche Alcindor, who is traveling with the President, joins for more.

COVID-19 - Updates

"India’s COVID-19 crisis is far from over, and vaccines alone won’t help.  Here’s why" PBS NewsHour 5/3/2021

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SUMMARY:  The COVID-19 crisis in India shows little sign of slowing down.  As death tolls and infections skyrocket, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership is under increasing political pressure and scrutiny.  The country is short on vaccines, and other life-saving supplies like oxygen and antiviral drugs.  William Brangham speaks to Indian reporter Barkha Dutt about what she's seeing on the ground.

 

 

"Dr. Vivek Murthy on new US inoculation strategy and distributing vaccines abroad" PBS NewsHour 5/4/2021

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SUMMARY:  U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, a key member of the president's team combating COVID-19, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss President Joe Biden's aims to vaccinate 70 percent of all U.S. adults with at least one dose by July 4, and how a focus on rural communities will help achieve that goal, and how the U.S. plans to distribute vaccines abroad.

 

 

"Waiving vaccine patent rights may be the ‘only way’ to end the pandemic" PBS NewsHour 5/5/2021

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SUMMARY:  President Biden announced that the U.S. will support waiving patent rights for the COVID vaccines — a major move that follows a call domestically, and internationally, for America to provide much quicker and greater assistance to the rest of the world.  William Brangham looks at the potential impact of this decision and the reaction to it with Madhavi Sunder of the Georgetown University Law Center.

 

 

"The government wants to pay for every COVID funeral.  Experts worry the process is flawed" PBS NewsHour 5/5/2021

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SUMMARY:  In the past few weeks, a new and large form of COVID-19 relief has opened in the U.S., with the federal government offering to pay for all or most of every funeral of those lost to the disease.  Lisa Desjardins reports on the unprecedented scale of help, how the rollout has fared so far, and the questions it raises about the cost of grief in America.

 

 

"Waiving the vaccine patent may come down to giving pharmaceutical companies incentives" PBS NewsHour 5/6/2021

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SUMMARY:  President Joe Biden has given the initial nod for the U.S. to waive patent rights on COVID vaccines to boost international production.  But there are real questions over how effective these moves would be, what other countries feel about it, and when this would translate into action.  William Brangham discusses the matter with Rachel Silverman, a policy fellow at the Center for Global Development.

 

 

"Honoring 5 American lives lost to COVID-19" PBS NewsHour 5/7/2021

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SUMMARY:  Each week, the PBS NewsHour pauses to remember five Americans lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, and shares memories and highlights from their lives.

 

 

"Serbia’s winning fight against COVID-19 raises questions about ‘vaccine diplomacy'" PBS NewsHour 5/8/2021

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SUMMARY:  Serbia has had considerable success in its COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with the third-highest rate in Europe; supply is mostly from China and Russia.  While Serbia's efforts have received high praise, experts are warning about unprecedented, growing Chinese influence in the country and the wider region through so-called 'vaccine diplomacy.'  Jorgen Samson and Aleksandar Papajic report from Serbia.

PANDEMIC - COVID-19 Updates

"The CDC is warning of an ‘impending doom’ of COVID surges, deaths.  Is it warranted?" PBS NewsHour 3/29/2021

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SUMMARY:  President Joe Biden urged state and local officials Monday to keep or reinstate mask mandates amid some of the most urgent warnings yet about new COVID-19 surges.  Judy Woodruff talks to Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University, about the latest developments in the fight against the virus, which has killed almost 550,000 Americans.

 

 

"WHO report says COVID originated in bats, but critics claim the study was biased" PBS NewsHour 3/29/2021

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SUMMARY:  The PBS NewsHour has obtained a study by a group of independent researchers convened by the WHO to find the origins of COVID-19 in China.  As Nick Schifrin reports, the virus that caused the worst pandemic in a century most likely started in bats, and jumped to humans through an intermediate animal host.  The researchers call it a starting point, but their critics still say it doesn’t go far enough.

 

 

"Relative invisibility makes for uphill battle to get COVID vaccines for Americans with IDD" PBS NewsHour 3/31/2021

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SUMMARY:  People with intellectual and developmental disabilities [IDD] like Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Autism often have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to COVID-19.  Plus, many receive care in group living facilities, putting them at further risk.  But despite the elevated risks for those with IDD, they face an uphill vaccination battle.  William Brangham reports.

Correction: This piece reported that only nine states and the District of Columbia report COVID-19 outcomes specifically for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities to the federal government.  In fact, these states and D.C. are the only jurisdictions to report this data publicly.  It’s unclear which states, if any, report this information directly to the federal government.

 

 

"Americans with disabilities, high-risk conditions struggle with vaccine eligibility" PBS NewsHour 4/1/2021

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SUMMARY:  Even as the U.S. sets records for daily COVID-19 vaccinations, disparities in availability persist.  We cover the stories of some medically vulnerable people, most of whom are still waiting for their shot.  And for more on the reasons behind the wait, William Brangham speaks to Jen Kates, the Senior Vice President and Director of Global Health and HIV Policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

 

 

"Honoring 5 phenomenal people who lost their lives to COVID-19" PBS NewsHour 4/2/2021

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SUMMARY:  As more than 550,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, we take a moment to remember five of the remarkable lives lost.

Correction: An earlier version of this story used audio of another elder in the Indian Peaks Band of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah speaking the traditional language while referencing Earnestine Jake Lehi.  That audio has now been replaced with audio of Earnestine speaking.  The NewsHour regrets the error.

WORLD - China vs America?

"Does the future still belong to the U.S. and China?" by John Pomfret, Washington Post 4/7/2020

For decades, theorists in the United States and China imagined two futures.  In one, the future belonged to both countries.  This scenario envisioned a world in which Beijing and Washington together managed climate change, economic issues, nuclear proliferation, terrorism and even pandemics.  China would be a “responsible stakeholder,” while the U.S. government would make room for it at the top.  This was the world of engagement, the “Group of Two” and “Chimerica,” of win-win and strategic partnerships.

The second prognosis conjured a future in which one power overcame the other and then helped set the trajectory for the rest of humanity.  In this scenario, competition between Washington and Beijing beat out cooperation.  This was the world of Cold War thinking, decoupling, zero sum and, to use the Chinese phrase, “you die, and I live.”

To be fair, a few scholars questioned this binary perspective.  But, generally speaking, no one really wrestled with the ramifications of a world with neither country on top.

The woeful response of both nations to the coronavirus and the petulant game of gotcha being played in Washington and Beijing provides an opportunity to reconsider these theories and ask the question: Is it possible that neither the United States nor China is capable of world leadership?  And if so, which nation can step into the breach?

Despite an onslaught of mind-bending “fake news” from Beijing, China’s slow response to the coronavirus clearly created the conditions for the global pandemic.  China’s failure to share information with the World Health Organization and the WHO’s apparent pandering to China’s interests made the crisis worse.

China’s unwillingness to provide accurate statistics continues to be an issue.  For one, it has been clear that China has been lowballing its death count.  The Post and others reported that people dying in their homes and outside hospitals awaiting medical attention were not counted in the official tally.  It’s also quite possible that China underreported its total number of COVID-19 cases due to political pressure from the Chinese Communist Party to declare the epidemic under control.

These faulty statistics matter because what happened in Wuhan is now unfolding tragically in other places, such as northern Italy and New York City.  China’s refusal to be transparent about fatalities and infections has made it even more difficult for the rest of the world to prepare for the onslaught.

In reacting to the crisis, China’s government, led by Communist Party boss Xi Jinping, has punished whistleblowers, muzzled citizen journalists and arrested dissidents.  It has tried to play a blame game with the United States, deputizing its spokesmen to spread confusion about the source of the virus.  China also sought to leverage the aid it is giving other countries and to frame every misstep by the United States as something that will benefit Beijing.  In WeChat postings, prominent Chinese have reacted with glee to the news that the disease is spreading rapidly in the United States.  “It’s your turn!” exalted a leading anchor on Chinese state-run television.

China’s economy, which was already slowing, faces even greater headwinds with COVID-19.  Huge problems loom on the horizon involving massive government debt, demographics and a widening drought in northern China.  The virus could only bring these issues forward, forcing an even more abrupt reckoning for Beijing.

Of course, the United States has not acquitted itself with glory either.  The U.S. response has been led by a feckless President who did not recognize the seriousness of the problem.  His underlings have also been less than stellar.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s botched manufacturing of test kits set the country back weeks, if not months, in its response to and understanding of the outbreak.

And members of President Trump’s national security team have often seemed more intent on scoring points against China than in confronting what is now a global menace.  Just consider Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s performance during a meeting of his counterparts at the Group of Seven in late March, during which Pompeo wasted valuable minutes failing to persuade his colleagues in Europe to name the disease “the Wuhan virus” to ensure that China got its fair share of the blame.  The United States is even getting into a bidding war with its Western allies over the purchase of medical supplies.

The United States, too, has punished whistleblowers.  Witness the execrable treatment of Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, who was removed from the command of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier after his appeal to evacuate his crew of 4,000 following a COVID-19 shipboard outbreak was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle.

To be sure, there are differences between the failures in China and the United States.  The United States remains a free country, and the debate over how to deal with the disease is being held publicly and without the censorship that colors China’s regime.  But neither country can argue that its approach to the virus is worthy of imitation.

Other countries have done a far better job.  In Asia, South Korea and Taiwan stand out as models.  And in the West, Germany, and Canada are faring better, in how they are protecting both their people’s health and their economies.

These differences matter.  How these nations emerge from this once-in-a-generation crisis is going to remake the world order.  Americans and Chinese who believed they were going to remain at the top of the world, either decoupled or engaged, will be in for a rude shock when they discover that the future no longer belongs to them.

OPINION - Brooks and Marcus 3/27/2020

"Brooks and Marcus on U.S. government’s pandemic preparation failures" PBS NewsHour 3/27/2020

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SUMMARY:  New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including whether Americans are ready for the mounting coronavirus crisis, why the U.S. government wasn’t better prepared for the pandemic, the significance of the $2.2 trillion economic relief package and the status of the 2020 Democratic Presidential primary.

Judy Woodruff (NewsHour):  As the days now become weeks, to help make sense of where we are, the analysis of Brooks and Marcus.

That is New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus.  Mark Shields is away.

Hello to both of you.

We are keeping you distant for your safety.

David, to you first.

The U.S. is now leading the world.  We have surpassed every other country in COVID-19 cases.  The experts say it's just going to get worse because of early missed opportunities.  Do you think Americans are ready for what's coming?

David Brooks, New York Times:  Well, they have been ready so far.  I think the reaction, people are taking it seriously.  They are doing the distancing.  I have been on Zoom calls with thousands of people this week, it seems.

And people are volunteering to help each other out in ways that are safe.  And so I have been really impressed by the American public's reaction.

The government, more of a mixed bag.  Obviously, President Trump pooh-poohed it for too long, and that cost us vital weeks.  But he wasn't alone.  The CDC messed up the tests.  The FDA regulations were — got in the way.

Political scientists have been talking for years about the decay of our governing institutions, too much politics, too much regulation, not enough room to maneuver for the managers.  And that seems to all be coming true.

And so we have sort of seen an institutional failure from the White House on down.

Judy Woodruff:  Ruth, what about that?  What about the American people and the institutions?

Ruth Marcus, Washington Post:  Well, the American people are one thing, and the institutions are quite another, as David suggests.

The fact of the matter is, is that, if the American people aren't prepared, it's because their leaders, and primarily President Trump, has failed to prepare them for what is coming.

And he's failed to prepare them on a number — he's [Trump] failed to prepare the country in terms of the material and the readiness that we need to have, and he's failed to prepare them with a clear and consistent message about how we are going to defeat what he calls this invisible virus and this invisible killer.

While we were just on — while the show was on, he was on television in his nightly self-congratulatory moment, and he said — was complaining about the governor of Michigan, as she was on your air, and complaining about the governor of Washington, and saying he had told Mike Pence, if they're not nice to you, don't call them.  If they don't treat you good, don't call them.

That is not Presidential.  That is petty and beneath what the country deserves and needs at this point.

Judy Woodruff:  David, what about President Trump's leadership now?

David Brooks:  Yes, I think the word I would lead is inconstant, most of all.

We're used to his self-focus.  We're used to the narcissism.  We're used to this, I want people to love me all the time.

But it's extremely unnerving in a time like this, when the President says we don't need ventilators one hour, and says we desperately need them the next hour.  That is just a nerve-jangling problem.

The irony is that, if somebody like Steve Bannon had been in the White House, he saw this problem early.  It sort of filtered into his ideological priors.  The intelligence community saw this problem early.

It was the President doing what he thought would serve him best for his reelection that caused him to talk this down for so long.  And when he gets a bad press, like about General Motors, a story that suggests he's dragging his feet, then he reacts to that.

So he's reacting to the latest bit of bad press, which just leads to this — this pattern of inconstancy.

Judy Woodruff:  So, Ruth, we do have Congress passing, agreeing — and the President's now signed it — this $2.2 trillion, historic amount of money, supposed to go directly to aid Americans who are hurt by the response to this — to this pandemic.

How much help do you think it's going to make?

Ruth Marcus:  It's going to make a lot of help.

This is a — in a bad time, this was a good moment.  There were problems along the way.  There were disagreements along the way.  But the fact that Congress could pass this quickly a package of this amazing magnitude, $2.2 trillion — we have now spent almost $3 trillion — to get agreement, these guys can't even rename a post office.

And they managed to do this.  That's really important.

There's two things that are critical, though.  One is to make sure that this money that's been allocated, particularly the money to small businesses, and even more than that, the money to individuals to get them through, that has to — in order to be effective, that has to get out the door as quickly as humanly possible.

And that's going to be a phenomenon of oversight and execution that is up to the executive branch.  And we will see if they're up to that task.  I really hope they are.

The second thing is that, while this is an enormous sum of money, it actually may not be sufficient.  It's enough to get people through the next several — next couple months.  But we may need to dig into the national pockets and the national — scrounge for the change in the national couch cushions, and come up with more, because the President likes to pretend that this is going to be all over by Easter or at least in some counties over by Easter.

That's just not reality-based.

Judy Woodruff:  Yes, we are starting to hear a lot more money's going to be needed.

But, David, in terms of this first tranche, or whatever you want to call it, how much difference do you think it's going to make?

David Brooks:  Oh, it'll make a difference.  It's a lot of money.  We have a $14 trillion economy or so, and so $2 trillion is a lot of money.

I — personally, I applaud them for getting it done.  I think, just as Ruth said, to see Congress do anything is impressive.  I think they took the wrong strategy.  The United Kingdom and Denmark and some other countries decided what's most important is to keep people employed.

And so they gave money to employers to keep people on the payroll.  And that does a lot of things.  It keeps the firms intact.  It keeps people feeling like, I have a job, even if they have to stay home.

We went the unemployment insurance route, which was to get people out of their workplace.  Then we will subsidize them.  The problem is, once you're off — out of the labor market, for some people, it's hard to get back in.

And I worry about the organizations, the institutions of these small businesses.  If suddenly they sort of go away for a time, how many of them are going to come back?  How many of the nonprofits are going to come back?  And so I'm glad we're doing it.  I wish we had tried a different strategy.

Judy Woodruff:  How much do you worry about that, Ruth?

Ruth Marcus:  Well, I worry that, if we were going to do that, we would have needed to do it earlier, because so many of these places have already laid people off, and the imperative is to get money to them quickly.

But I don't disagree that might have been a better strategy.

The thing that I worry about more in the immediate term is also making sure — just want to go back to this supply chain question and the move that the President made today to invoke the Defense Production Act, because these are things that also are imperative to have done months ago.

We should have been understanding that there was going to need to be a need for ventilators, that we should have started — whether you invoke the Defense Production Act, or you do it another way, to start making sure that those masks and those ventilators are in the chain and ready to go and ready to be supplied.

And we need — David talked about the inconstancy of the message.  We need a constant and rational message from the President, but we also need one person in charge of making sure that all of these — as we are sending out these very needed checks to businesses and millions of people, we also need to be deploying these supplies to the hospitals and the health care workers, because, if we don't get this under control, we're just going to keep hemorrhaging money while this virus just devastates us.

Judy Woodruff:  And you do, David, hear the criticism that, because this wasn't done, organized earlier, people are going to die.

David Brooks:  Yes, that seems absolutely true.

And it's simple.  Overreact.  There has not been a moment where somebody has overreacted.  Everything that seems like an overreaction is the right reaction.  There was a University of Pennsylvania study that said, even if we cut the infection rate by 95 percent from — by social distancing, we're still going to need 960,000 people going into an intensive care ward.

That's a lot of ventilators.  That's a lot of masks.  That's a lot of equipment.

And so erring on the side of too much is probably still too little.  And so that should — everybody's instinct should be that way.

Judy Woodruff:  And, Ruth, back to what David was saying about, the President keeps talking about getting — at least getting some people back to work by Easter, hoping that some parts of the country can go back to business as usual.

Every expert you hear, however, says that would be crazy, it would — it's dangerous.  You can't do that.  I heard Bill Gates last night on CNN saying it can't be a county-by-county approach.

What happens if this is lifted too soon?

Ruth Marcus:  Well, I thought that the President's statement that he wanted to see the church pews packed on Easter, because he said it was a beautiful day, was possibly the single most irresponsible statement ever made by an American President in history.

That is an outrage.  It is dangerous that.

And the problem with the — even if we were packing church pews in individual counties, you can't — this is America.  We don't build walls around counties.  We don't — we have known unknowns, as Donald Rumsfeld used to say.  The known unknown here is, where is the virus?

If we had the tests, and we could test — do widespread testing, we would know where the virus is, and we might be able to know where it's easier to lift restrictions.

But because we haven't — didn't prepare for the tests, we don't know where the virus is.  And so lifting it in this county or that county because it doesn't seem to have a lot of illness right now is just a very, very dangerous move.

And, by the way, even when we lift restrictions, when we think it's safe to lift restrictions, we can't just open up the floodgates and tell everybody to go start shaking hands, and…

Judy Woodruff:  Right.

Ruth Marcus:  … getting smashed together in church pews again.

We have to do it intelligently and slowly, or we're going to find ourselves in this Groundhog Day of pandemic.

Judy Woodruff:  David, how much — how concerned are you about that?

David Brooks:  I don't think — one of the nice things is, (A) Donald Trump doesn't control a lot of this.  [B] This is done on the state level.  And we're going to see the virtues and the vices of our federal system.

And I think he is surrounded — I don't take him always that literally.  I think some of the statements are — cause extreme harm, but he doesn't actually run a lot of the things, because people are just going to take control around him.

And we know how this ends up.  We have seen successful countries, in Asia particularly.  And it ends up, as Ruth said, when we have the tests, and when we use sophisticated high technology to trace the actual individuals who have the infection, we trace their networks, we trace their movements.

It's possible to do this with the right level of execution.  We did not have the advantage of having the SARS system, so we don't yet have the — sort of the infrastructure to do that.  But, eventually, presumably, we're going to get it.

NUCLEAR OPTIONS - Trump's Nuclear Arms Control

"State Dept. official on Trump’s vision for nuclear arms control" PBS NewsHour 3/11/2020

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SUMMARY:  The New START treaty is the only remaining limit on U.S. and Russian offensive nuclear weapons.  It is set to expire next February.

So far, the Trump administration has been unwilling to begin negotiations.  Instead, the U.S. says it wants to explore a broader agreement, to include China, but critics fear that strategy, that it might risk the treaty altogether.

OUTBREAK - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

"How U.S. health officials are responding to the threat of novel coronavirus" PBS NewsHour 2/17/2020

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SUMMARY:  With the novel coronavirus crisis gripping parts of Asia, thousands of passengers have been quarantined aboard cruise ships.  Among them were several hundred Americans, who are now being evacuated back to the U.S., where they will undergo another quarantine in case they are infected with the virus.  Amna Nawaz reports and talks to Vanderbilt University’s Dr. William Schaffner for insight.

"The big question that researchers are trying to answer about novel coronavirus" PBS NewsHour 2/19/2020

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SUMMARY:  There are many unanswered questions about the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak, but the Chinese government has released new information about the mortality rate and other important concerns.  William Brangham talks with Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health about whether some patients are catching the virus without getting sick and the global effort to contain it.

OUTBREAK - Coronavirus (COVID-19)

FOR CONSPIRACY THEORISTS:  Is COVID-19 a natural virus or an escaped bio-weapon?  Will China turn it into a weapon?  Note that there is NO evidence of this theory.

"Can China’s information about the novel coronavirus be trusted?" PBS NewsHour 2/10/2020

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SUMMARY:  China is struggling to contain an outbreak of novel coronavirus that has now spread in small numbers to at least 25 other countries or territories.  Both the official death toll and the number of confirmed cases have doubled in recent days, and there are doubts about the accuracy of data the Chinese government is reporting.  William Brangham is joined by Georgetown University’s Lawrence Gostin.

"How novel coronavirus outbreak has disrupted life across China" PBS NewsHour 2/11/2020

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SUMMARY:  China continues to struggle with novel coronavirus and is only now starting to allow scientists and public health officials from outside to assist in its efforts.  While the majority of infections and fatalities are centered in Hubei province, the illness is increasingly being felt across China.  William Brangham talks to The Economist’s David Rennie for an inside look at how the country is coping.

"In China, political fallout from novel coronavirus outbreak continues" PBS NewsHour 2/13/2020

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SUMMARY:  As novel coronavirus continues to plague China, the country’s president, Xi Jinping, fired two high-level Communist Party officials in the region at the outbreak's center.  The move comes as both death toll and number of cases are surging, partly as a result of changes in the way infections are defined.  John Yang sits down with Jude Blanchette of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

TRUMP'S TRADE WAR - China vs United States Update

"Why U.S. and China are still ‘very far away’ from ending trade war" PBS NewsHour 12/13/2019

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SUMMARY:  On Friday, the Trump administration and China announced the first phase of a deal to de-escalate the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.  But the agreement, positioned by the White House as a major victory, has prompted many questions, as well as bipartisan criticism.  Nick Schifrin reports and talks to Mary Lovely of the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

HONG KONG - Protests and Referendum

"How Beijing is likely to respond to escalating Hong Kong protest violence" PBS NewsHour 11/18/2019

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SUMMARY:  Police in Hong Kong have tightened their siege on the campus of the Polytechnic University, where hundreds of protesters are trapped inside.  It’s the latest bout of violence in nearly six months of demonstrations -- one China is warning it won't let go too far.  Nick Schifrin reports and talks to Kurt Tong, former U.S. Consul General to Hong Kong, about the protesters’ strategy and U.S. response.

"After months of protest, Hong Kong’s interest in local elections soars" PBS NewsHour 11/22/2019

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SUMMARY:  Hong Kong will face its first electoral test since anti-government protests began in June.  The District Council elections are usually focused on local community issues and will not change Hong Kong’s political system.  But more than half of Hong Kong’s population has registered to vote in what is seen as a timely referendum on support for the movement.  Special correspondent Divya Gopalan reports.

"Hong Kong’s local polls test support for ongoing protests" PBS NewsHour 11/24/2019

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SUMMARY:  Hong Kong saw a high voter turnout in the local district council polls on Sunday in which 452 seats were at stake.  The election, which was peaceful, is being seen as a referendum on the conflict between the city’s administration and the ongoing pro-democracy movement that has gripped Hong Kong for over six months.  New York Times reporter Austin Ramzy joins Hari Sreenivasan for more.

HONG KONG - The Fight for Democracy

"Hong Kong demonstrations cool, but police, Beijing vow consequences" PBS NewsHour 8/14/2019

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SUMMARY:  Although Hong Kong's airport is back up and running, the city’s political unrest is far from settled.  Local police and the Chinese government both condemned protesters Wednesday, saying they had “crossed the line” and would be prosecuted accordingly.  Beijing also blamed the U.S. for the pro-democracy demonstrations, as President Trump tried to maintain neutral ground.  Amna Nawaz reports.

"Amid Hong Kong’s unrest, how China is ‘laying the groundwork’ for intervention" PBS NewsHour 8/14/2019

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SUMMARY:  After two days of heightened violence, demonstrations in Hong Kong partially receded Wednesday, and the city's airport resumed operations.  Now questions are surfacing about whether Hong Kong will prosecute protesters it arrested -- and whether China itself intervene.  Amna Nawaz talks to former National Security Council staffer Ken Lieberthal, and Minxin Pei of Claremont McKenna College.

"With buildup of forces on border, China displays waning tolerance for Hong Kong protests" PBS NewsHour 8/15/2019

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SUMMARY:  Chinese military exercises Thursday near the border with Hong Kong reiterated the country’s waning patience with months of pro-democracy demonstrations, some turning violent.  Beijing officials have referred to the protests as “terrorism,” and even some Hong Kong residents have grown weary of them -- but more are planned for the upcoming weekend.  Special correspondent Bruce Harrison reports.

"After recent chaos, Hong Kong protesters hold peaceful march" PBS NewsHour 8/18/2019

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SUMMARY:  More than 1.7 million people in Hong Kong took to the streets on Sunday in the largest demonstration in the ongoing protests in the city, organizers said.  The peaceful demonstration follows last week’s violent clashes with the police and chaos at the Hong Kong airport.  Quartz reporter Mary Hui joins Hari Sreenivasan for more.

HONG KONG - Authoritarian China Labels Protesters Criminals

"China calls Hong Kong protesters ‘criminals,’ threatens retaliation" PBS NewsHour 8/6/2019

Hummm....sounds like someone we know?  Mr 'Fake News' himself.

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SUMMARY:  A day after a strike disrupted public transportation and blocked major roads in Hong Kong, China’s central government strongly condemned the protesters, whom it called “criminals.”  It did not address the grievances of the pro-democracy forces or propose solutions, but rather warned them not to “mistake our restraint for weakness.”  Jonathan Miller of Independent Television News reports.

CHINA - Huawei Spy Agency

We are suppose to trust that in China's totalitarian society that Huawei is the only business not under the government thumb?

"Huawei executive denies claim of ties to Chinese intelligence" PBS NewsHour 7/15/2019

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SUMMARY:  For months, the Trump administration has accused Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei of being a threat to U.S. national security, warning that data could be channeled through the company’s equipment to China’s intelligence services.  Huawei is effectively banned from U.S. networks.  What does the company think of Trump’s stance?  Nick Schifrin talks to Huawei Senior Vice President Vincent Pang.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION - Chinese Company Huawei

"Why the Trump administration is so concerned about Huawei" PBS NewsHour 5/14/2019

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SUMMARY:  The Trump administration has urged other countries not to allow Chinese telecommunications company Huawei to build the next generation of mobile networks.  But concerns about Chinese state influence on Huawei aren't necessarily shared by allies.  Amna Nawaz reports and talks to Robert Strayer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for cyber and international communications and information policy.

TRUMP'S TRADE WAR - Impact on Americans

"What Trump’s trade war with China means for American consumers" PBS NewsHour 5/13/2019

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SUMMARY:  The trade war between the world’s two biggest economies is escalating, as China announced it will raise tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. imports, in response to tariffs President Trump levied Friday.  Trump remained confident about the U.S. economy’s overall strength, saying “I love the position we’re in.”  But will American consumers?  Judy Woodruff talks to The Wall Street Journal’s Greg Ip.

OPINION - Shields and Brooks 5/10/2019

"Shields and Brooks on Trump’s subpoena standoff, China trade war" PBS NewsHour 5/10/2019

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SUMMARY:  Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week’s political news, including 2020 Democrats on the campaign trail in Iowa, the standoff between Congress and the White House over the Mueller report and subpoenas, President Trump’s trade war with China and escalating tensions with Iran.

Judy Woodruff (NewsHour):  And now to the analysis of Shields and Brooks.  That is syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks.

Hello to both of you.

So, before we turn to all the whatever we want to call it that's happened in Washington this week, Mark, let's talk a minute about Iowa.  We heard this voter tell Amna, this is really hard.

I don't know why it's so hard.  There are only 23 candidates.

Mark Shields, syndicated columnist:  That's right.

But that is — Amna captured the Iowa essence.  I mean, these people take their responsibility very seriously.

Judy Woodruff:  They do.

Mark Shields:  It's not casual.  They are gatekeepers.  Between Iowa and New Hampshire, they are 1.4 percent of the population of the country, and unless you finish in the top three in Iowa and the top two in New Hampshire, you will not be elected President of the United States, based on the historical precedent.

And that's why it makes sense for both Mr. Castro and Mr. O'Rourke to be spending time there.

Judy Woodruff:  They get one-on-one time.

David Brooks, New York Times:  Yes.

If you love politics, this is the time go, actually, right now, because there's like crowds of three or eight.  And there are candidates everywhere.  You can drive to — in beautiful weather and see beautiful candidates.

And then it all peaks at the state fair, where they all sort of congregate.  My most profound political coverage moment was covering Gary Bauer, who was running in the Republican primary, as he toured a refrigerated railway car with the Last Supper carved in butter in life size.

And that was politics at its best.

Mark Shields:  Yes.

Judy Woodruff:  That was the state fair.

David Brooks:  That was at the state fair.

Judy Woodruff:  Which is coming up in August.  We have already got it on our calendar here, here at "NewsHour."

Mark Shields:  Raise the cholesterol level of the entire state and press corps.

Judy Woodruff:  All right, so now tear ourselves away from Iowa, Mark, to talk about what's gone on in Washington this week, this escalating battle between the Congress and the White House.

Just today, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in the House, Richard Neal, is subpoenaing the secretary of the treasury, the head of the IRS, to go after the President's tax returns, this on top of subpoenas for the President's son, subpoenas for the attorney general.

What do we make of all this?

Mark Shields:  Well, I mean, we — I think it's approaching almost situational overload, in terms of — we're talking about subpoenas from committees, including the House Intelligence Committee, the House Banking Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the — across the board.

And now we have the Intelligence Committee in the Senate, as you mentioned, led by Republicans, that have subpoenaed the President's son.

I just think, Judy, that, in a strange way, this plays to Donald Trump's strength.  I mean, Donald Trump lives in chaos.  I think it's sort of almost an emotional and technological and intellectual overload, given the fact that we're on the cusp of war in Iran, in Venezuela, in a showdown with the Chinese.

I mean, there's just — but this is what he thrives on.  And I think there's a — almost I dare you to impeach me attitude that's prevailing.

Judy Woodruff:  Overload, you mean for the American people?

Mark Shields:  For the American people and for the — this isn't — the system wasn't intended for this.

I mean, this isn't the way it's constructed, that we can deal with crisis upon crisis upon crisis.

Judy Woodruff:  David, the Democrats say they're very serious about all this.  They want this information.  They want this testimony.

I mean, are they pursuing the right strategy for them?

David Brooks:  No.

Well, neither side is.  It's the complete breakdown of the checks and balances system.  The President has to say, Congress, I need you.  I need you to oversee what I'm doing.  I need you to correct for my imbalances.  And so I'm going to cooperate with you.

And that's just the normal way we do business.  And the Trump administration is not doing that.  So that's the first crisis.

The second is, if you're going to do oversight, you got to oversee.  You got to try to say, I'm at least going to try to be a productive force here.  But what we're seeing on the side of the Democrats is an escalation of the passion.  And it's just become an attack machine.

And so there's just a lot of — there's a lot of talk now about jailing people.  There's a lot of talk about just holding multiple people in contempt.  This fight over the redaction is the wrong fight to have.

Judy Woodruff:  Of the Mueller report.

David Brooks:  Of the Mueller report.

The administration has offered to show of the volume two, which is about obstruction, the vast majority, 99.5 percent, to least the elite Democrats.  And that wasn't good enough.  And so there was a little negotiation, which broke down.

But, to me, that — just issuing orders of contempt, which may go forward, just freezes everything.  It just pushes everything into the courts, and we sit there and do nothing for a couple of years.  And so there's a way to do this, and there's a way not to do this.

So there's a lot of error on the Trump administration.  But, nonetheless, I think the Democrats across the board and across many committees are sort of walking slowly up toward impeachment.  And we could end up in impeachment.  And I do think that's what Donald Trump…

(CROSSTALK)

Judy Woodruff:  But, Mark, we had on the program last night Jerry Nadler, who is the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee…

Mark Shields:  Yes.

Judy Woodruff:  … who essentially said, if we don't carry out our responsibility, we're not fulfilling what the Constitution, what the founders wanted and expected Congress to do, which is have oversight over the executive.

Mark Shields:  That is a — it's a legitimate argument, make no mistake about it, I mean, that if you lay down a precedent that, literally, that this precedent can — this President gets away with what he's getting away with, and the Congress does nothing, then that certainly lays the precedent for the next President.

I think, just to add to what David — the point David made, Donald Trump, according to USA Today, which has established a database, has been a plaintiff or a defendant in 4,095 lawsuits.  Now, think about that.

I mean, that's an awful lot.

Judy Woodruff:  Over his career.

Mark Shields:  Over his career.

I mean, about employment, about contracts, about subcontractors, you name it.  He'd been — and you talk about litigious.  He enjoys this.  I mean, he thrives on this.  This is modus operandi.

And I really think they're playing to his strength, quite honestly.  And he's — and he's sitting there, quite honestly, Judy, with 91 percent approval among Republicans.  And just, I think, intimidates his own party.

Judy Woodruff:  But, David, are the two of us saying Democrats just drop this?

David Brooks:  No.  No.

Judy Woodruff:  What should the approach be?

David Brooks:  No, they should be in the business of trying to inform the American voters.

And so getting Mueller to testify…

Mark Shields:  Absolutely.

David Brooks:  The fact that Mueller may not testify is outrageous, and Mueller should testify.

Mark Shields:  Yes.  Yes.

David Brooks:  And so they should be in that business.

But, basically, what they're doing is walking up toward the line of impeachment.  And you can see the passions rising, as they get further and further down that line.  And there's a difference between going toward the prosecutorial impeachment, and having hearings to educate the American voter.

And when you get down one path, you're really trying to appease the part of the party that wants — that wants impeachment.  And the problem, when you try to appease that part, you end up emboldening, and you just turn it into an attack game.

And what Donald Trump wants — who would — who does Donald Trump want to be his foil, his opposite member?  Does he want it to be the Presidential candidates, most of whom are kind of attractive, who he is actively running against, or would he rather run against Congress?  Of course he would rather run against Congress [the House].

Any President would.

Judy Woodruff:  But, Mark, I mean, I just — I come back to what the Democrats are saying is, we want this information.  The administration is saying, we're not going to give it to you.

So how does it ever get resolved?

Mark Shields:  No, there's no question that they're playing — they're playing absolutely hardball, is the administration.  And they're being — they're not being respectful of the law in the least.

I think, Judy, you have to make — the difference is, the Russians were involved in this election in 2016, make no mistake about it.  Our intelligence agencies have all concluded that unanimously.  They were around in 2018.  They all got all the way into a county in Florida, into its official site.

Judy Woodruff:  Right.

Mark Shields:  So that is a legitimate area.

What, are we going to have American elections for Americans and not interference?  That — and nobody could argue with that, save Donald Trump.  I mean, his own administration is mindful of that.

Judy Woodruff:  And you're saying that's what they should be talking about, rather than…

Mark Shields:  Yes.  I think that's where they ought to be going.

Judy Woodruff:  Let's turn…

David Brooks:  There is even a weird moment where a senator started acting like a senator, Richard Burr, the Republican from North Carolina…

Mark Shields:  Richard Burr.

David Brooks:  … who wants to bring Don Jr. in to investigate that exact question.  The rest of the Republican Party went crazy because he was acting like an actual senator who wants to get to the bottom of a very serious issue.

Mark Shields:  And, Judy, I would point out that his own colleague in — Thom Tillis in North Carolina, who had written a very straightforward op-ed page piece in The Washington Post opposing Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency on building the wall, and then caved like a $4 suitcase when Donald Trump objected, went after — went after his own colleague, Richard Burr, and criticized him for leading a bipartisan investigation.

Judy Woodruff:  I'm thinking of a $4 suitcase.

Mark Shields:  OK.