RSNl FOCUS: Juan Cole | Did Trump Fire State Dept Inspector to Protect Shady Arms Deal With Saudi Arabia?

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FOCUS: Juan Cole | Did Trump Fire State Dept Inspector to Protect Shady Arms Deal With Saudi Arabia?

Juan Cole, Informed Comment
Cole writes: "The first leak about the firing [of Steve Linick] alleged that Linick had been investigating Pompeo himself, for using State Department personnel as personal valets to pick up his dry cleaning and walk his dog."

he mystery deepens. Late last Friday, Trump summarily fired the State Department Inspector General, Steve Linick. While in US law as it now stands, the president has the power to fire pretty much anyone in the executive, if he fired Linick as an act of retaliation for one of Linick’s investigations, that could be illegal. Trump wouldn’t himself have known who Linick was, but was asked to fire him by secretary of state Mike Pompeo.

The first leak about the firing alleged that Linick had been investigating Pompeo himself, for using State Department personnel as personal valets to pick up his dry cleaning and walk his dog. It is forbidden in the US government to have staffers do chores that are outside their position description, and former Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White was slammed by that department’s Inspector General for this sort of thing. Even military men have gotten into trouble for this sort of thing.

Pompeo denied that he had a vendetta against Linick for investigating him, claiming that he had not know about it. I’ll leave it to you to decide if that seems plausible. 

Pompeo went on to undermine himself by admitting, “I went to the president and made clear to him that Inspector General Linick wasn’t performing a function in a way that we had tried to get him to…”

Like Trump himself, I don’t think Pompeo has a firm grasp of the function of an inspector general. I don’t think inspectors are supposed to do things the way the head of the department they are investigating wants them to.

But then on Monday, Rep. Eliot Engel alleged that the firing might have had to do with Linick’s investigation into the Trump administration’s sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Just a year ago, Pompeo declared a phony “emergency” to allow the executive to sell $8 bn. in weapons to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi without going through Congress. 

I wrote on this issue, 

“Dan De Luce at NBC News reports on a bipartisan attempt in Congress to block Trump’s sidelining of the legislature in fast-tracking an $8 bn arms sale to Saudi Arabia that includes components useful in building ballistic missiles. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo justified the step on the grounds of a security threat from Iran. (Iran has not aggressively invaded another country in modern history; Saudi Arabia launched an ongoing war on Yemen in 2015).

The Constitution gives Congress control of the purse strings, and a provision of the Foreign Assistance Act allows Congress to request a report on the human rights record of the recipient country. The move to restore congressional oversight is being led by Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the minority leader of the Senate Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, is also a leader of the movement. Obviously, Congressional Democrats will overwhelmingly vote for the measure, but the question is how many Republicans will break ranks with the administration. Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) has joined the effort, but that may simply suggest it is a quixotic enterprise, since the senator is notoriously erratic.

Congress is angry about the brutal murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October of 2018, about which Trump has declined to produce the necessary report. There have also long been pro-Israel members of Congress who are nervous about helping the Kingdom to build sophisticated weapons systems. A third consideration is disgust at the Yemen War. Sen. Bernie Sanders was among the leaders of a move to legislate the end of US technical support for that ruinous war, a move which won in both Houses but which was vetoed by Trump without there being the votes for an override.”

Congress has never been able to overrule Trump on foreign policy because it needs two-thirds in the senate to override his veto, and is not able to get more than 55.

The Inspector General, however, can investigate these sorts of decisions. The Trump administration’s Yemen policy has been despicable, putting millions of innocent civilians at risk. The pretext, that the rebel Houthi movement of militant Zaydi Shiites in north Yemen is a cat’s paw of Iran, is deeply flawed. The Houthis are a local movement resentful of creeping Saudi Wahhabi influence, and Zaydism is not like the Shiism practiced in Iran and Iraq (Yemen does not have ayatollahs). They attracted some relatively minor Iranian support, but most of their weapons are American, transferred to them by elements of the Yemeni military loyal to the late former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who initially allied with them. 

The Saudis and the United Arab Emirates have spent billions bombing Yemen, with about a third of their bombs landing on civilian structures and facilities. Iran maybe sent a few million dollars to the Houthis.

The main conflict in any case is no longer between the Houthis and the nationalists, but between southern Sunni secessionists and the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood (the Islah Party), with the Emirates backing the southerners and the Saudis allied with al-Islah. 

The Saudis declared a cease-fire with the Houthis in March on the pretext that the coronavirus made fighting dangerous for all parties at this point. With oil prices cratering, the Saudis may not be able to afford to go on wasting munitions (dropping bombs from 30,000 feet has never in modern history taken territory or defeated a guerrilla army).

In any case, there was no emergency with Iran last May that would have justified the Trump administration unconstitutionally usurping the Congress’s power of the purse. What, was there a shortage of pistachios?

Moreover, on October 2, 2018, the Saudi authorities had murdered Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in their Istanbul consulate, raising the question of whether you really want to be selling them $8 billion in high tech weaponry. Congress might not have thought so, which is why Pompeo went around them with his “emergency.”

If Linick was fired because of the Saudi investigation, it may have been a further step taken by the Trump gang to protect Riyadh from the consequences of the Khashoggi murder. Ironically, it has been alleged that Khashoggi himself may have been killed because he was a vocal critic of Trump, and the Saudis were afraid his being a Saudi and playing that role would interfere with good relations with the White House. Linick’s removal may have been the mirror image of Khashoggi’s murder. Linick is only lucky that typically in Washington they don’t yet use bone saws for these purposes.

 
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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Special state SENATE elections today — ‘SAFER at HOME’ — POT SHOPS begin curbside pickup — HOYER raising money for KENNEDY

By Stephanie Murray GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. SPECIAL SENATE ELECTION DAY — Candidates vying for two state Senate seats are on the ballot today. Special elections to replace two former Republican state lawmakers were initially planned for March 31, but were postponed until today due to coronavirus. Candidates are running to replace former Sen. Don Humason, now the mayor of Westfield, and former Sen. Vinny deMacedo, who left the legislature to take a job at Bridgewater State University. In the race for Humason's seat, Democratic state Rep. John Velis is running against Republican John Cain. And running to replace deMacedo are Republican Jay McMahon and Democrat Susan Moran, a Falmouth selectman. Because of the pandemic , it's hard to predict voter turnout in the two elections, Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office says. Voters can head to the polls in person today, but more than 10,000 voters have already cast ballots by mail, according to spokesperson Debra O'Malley. As of Monday morning, at least 3,900 voters already cast ballots by mail in the race between Velis and Cain, and at least 6,600 had voted by mail in the race between McMahon and Moran. Those numbers may be higher, O'Malley said, because there can be a lag before election workers enter votes into the state database. Turnout might see a boost in towns like Falmouth and Sandwich, in deMacedo's old district, which are holding their town elections on the same day as the special Senate election. Falmouth has several ballot questions on its local election ballot, including an override, and accounts for half of the mail-in ballots in that Senate district, O'Malley said. The next round of special election voting will happen June 2, when candidates running to fill vacant seats in the House are on the ballot. And after that, the statewide primary is looming on Sept. 1, though it’s not clear whether state lawmakers will act to broaden voting options due to coronavirus safety concerns. IMHO: STENY HOYER IS A DINOSAUR DEMOCRAT WHO SHOULD BE REPLACED. INFORMED VOTERS KNOW THIS DETRACTS FROM KENNEDY'S CREDIBILITY.  NEW: HOYER TO JOIN KENNEDY FUNDRAISER — House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is the special guest at a virtual fundraiser for Rep. Joe Kennedy III today. And a few other members of the Maryland congressional delegation are also on the guest list: Rep. Jamie Raskin, a vice chair of the Progressive Caucus, and Reps. Anthony Brown and David Trone. Kennedy is challenging Sen. Ed Markey in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary, and has raised more money than the incumbent lawmaker for the past several fundraising quarters. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Rep. Jim McGovern hosts a Facebook livestream with Greenfield Mayor Roxann Wedegartner and Auburn Town Manager Julie Jacobson. Sen. Ed Markey visits the Central Massachusetts United States Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center.   JOIN TODAY – HOW DO WE STRATEGICALLY REOPEN THE ECONOMY? Join chief economic correspondent Ben White today at 9 a.m. EDT for a virtual conversation with Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), to discuss his work on the newly launched House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis and whether he believes that the fiscal response so far has been enough. Should there be more transparency on how stimulus dollars are being spent? What more does Congress need to do to keep the economy afloat? Have questions? Submit yours by tweeting it to @POLITICOLive using #AskPOLITICO. REGISTER HERE.     THE LATEST NUMBERS – “Mass. officials announce 65 new coronavirus deaths, 1,042 new cases; virus trends downward as state begins phased reopening of economy,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “The day Gov. Charlie Baker releases the state’s plan to reopen, Massachusetts health officials announce 65 new coronavirus deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 5,862. Officials also confirmed another 1,042 positive cases of the virus, for a total of 87,052 across the state. That’s based on 8,373 new tests reported on Monday.” DATELINE BEACON HILL – “Baker details plan to reopen Massachusetts,” by Matt Stout and Tim Logan, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts can begin tip-toeing out of its pandemic-induced lockdown on Monday under a sweeping reopening plan released by Governor Charlie Baker that envisions a slow — and perhaps halting — return to aspects of normal life over the spring and summer.” – “Massachusetts reopening plan unveils ‘safer at home’ advisory, phased return to a ‘new normal,’” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts will be under a ‘safer at home’ advisory, a modified version of the current advisory for residents. It encourages people to avoid unnecessary travel, except for health care, permitted work, shopping, and outdoor activities. The advisory also suggests residents do not participate in close contact activities and use remote modes of communication like phone or video instead of visiting friends or family who are at high risk.” – “Scientists say Baker’s reopening plan is sensible, but still concerning,” by Naomi Martin and Dasia Moore, Boston Globe: “As Governor Charlie Baker unveiled his plan Monday to reopen the state’s economy, scientists expressed concern about people’s safety as they start to mingle and travel more freely following the coronavirus shutdown. Baker’s plan calls for tight safety restrictions as houses of worship, construction, and manufacturing re-open first. They will be followed by retail, hair salons, and some lab and office spaces next Monday.” – “On church reopening, a muted ‘amen,’” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday gave houses of worship permission to open immediately, with precautions. But worshippers seeking an in-person service this weekend may have limited options. Many congregational leaders say they plan to wait to resume in-person worship – some for a couple of weeks, others for longer.” – “Massachusetts beaches able to open on Memorial Day, May 25, with restrictions on visitors,” by Douglas Hook, MassLive.com: “Summer is around the corner and for communities on Cape Cod, that normally means it’s time for tourism to drive the economy with over 4 million people visiting each year. Beaches have historically been the draw for people from across the state and country to visit the Cape, the South Shore and North Shore, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.” – “Mass. Restaurants Will Open Back Up In 'Phase 2.' When Is That? No One Knows,” by Beth Healy, WBUR: “Restaurants in Boston and across the state won't be able to open for dine-in customers for at least another three weeks under Gov. Charlie Baker's phased-in reopening announced Monday. Bars will have to wait longer. Restaurants will be a part of the state's ‘phase two’ opening, which has no set date — dashing the hopes of some owners who wanted to open doors sooner.” FROM THE HUB – “NAACP convention planned for Boston will be held online instead,” by Adrian Walker, Boston Globe: “The NAACP National Convention, scheduled to be held in Boston in July, has been recast as a virtual event, Tanisha M. Sullivan, president of the Boston branch of the organization, said Monday. The annual meeting of the nation’s largest civil rights organization has been planned as a showcase that Boston could be an attractive and welcoming destination for thousands of Black activists.” – “Major Boston hospital finds dramatic drop in stroke, heart attack, and cancer patients during coronavirus pandemic,” by Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe: “As the pandemic surged, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center saw medical visits for serious conditions such as cancer, heart attacks, and strokes drop by as much as 65 percent, according to an analysis that put numbers to a troubling trend so far described mostly anecdotally.” – “How Mass. Businesses, Industry Groups And Others Are Reacting To Baker's Reopening Plan,” by Lisa Creamer, WBUR: “James Sutherland, director of policy and research for the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, issued a statement Monday detailing the group's "initial" response to the Baker's plan. The group thanked the state's reopening advisory board for its work, saying the plan ‘begins to answer many of the questions employers and businesses have’ — but also noted more details were needed on several topics.” PRIMARY SOURCES – “Race For U.S. Senate Turns Sharp, As Kennedy Revives An Old Attack Against Markey,” by Anthony Brooks, WBUR: “The race for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts is getting heated, with Congressman Joe Kennedy III reviving an old charge against the incumbent, Sen. Ed Markey, that he spends too little time in Massachusetts. This remains a puzzling primary race for many Massachusetts Democrats: a contest between two solid progressives who agree on just about every issue. But now, amidst the pandemic, the attacks are getting sharper.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES – “The MBTA Won't Return To Full Service Until Final Phase Of State's Reopening,” by Zeninjor Enwemeka, WBUR: The MBTA will continue to run at reduced service levels, even as a range of businesses begin to reopen under new rules outlined by the Baker administration Monday. Bus service will return more slowly than train service, and the entire system won't return to full service until the final phases of the state's reopening plan.” WARREN REPORT – “Elizabeth Warren’s Path to Becoming VP Is Easier Than It Looks,” by Joshua Green, Bloomberg “The three most buzzed-about candidates to become Joe Biden’s running mate are all U.S. senators: Kamala Harris (California), Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota), and Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts). But oddsmakers put Warren at a disadvantage because Massachusetts—unlike California and Minnesota—has a Republican governor who would probably fill her Senate seat with a fellow Republican, if given the opportunity.” HEALTH CHECK – “Government-backed coronavirus vaccine shows promise in first human trials,” by Sarah Owermohle, POLITICO: “Moderna Therapeutics' potential coronavirus vaccine showed promise in its first round of human trials, fueling executives' hopes that it could be ready this year. All eight patients in a Phase One safety trial developed antibodies for the virus after two doses of mRNA-1273, the vaccine that the biotech is developing with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the agency run by infectious-disease expert Tony Fauci.” MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS – “'We’ll prove that we are essential’: Massachusetts recreational marijuana allowed to offer curbside on May 25,” by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: “CommCan Inc. lost about $2 million in roughly two months. NETA saw sales drop by 85% due to the shutdown of recreational marijuana amid the coronavirus pandemic. Good Remedies experienced similar drops while laying off about 70 employees. While other small businesses could apply for Paycheck Protection Program loans, the marijuana industry was shut out because it’s still illegal on the federal level.” ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: “Not on the menu,” — Globe: “Baker details plan to reopen state.” FROM THE 413 – “'Still a lot of work to do': Berkshire leaders weigh in on state reopening plan,” by Amanda Burke, The Berkshire Eagle: “After the state crawled into the first phase of its tentative reopening plan Monday, members of the local delegation say questions linger as some employees prepare to return to work at revenue-starved Berkshires business. .. ‘The reality is there's still a lot of work to do,’ said Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, who was one of two legislative observers to the Reopening Advisory Board.” – “Applications, apologies and all-nighters: How local banks, businesses are navigating the PPP,” by Greta Jochem, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “A crashed online portal, millions in loans going to large companies, and confusion about program rules. These are some of the issues that nationwide have wracked the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which offers loans, backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), to help businesses with payroll during the pandemic.” – “Lawyer, activist Anita Hill to speak at Mount Holyoke College 2020 commencement,” by Jacquelyn Voghel, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Mount Holyoke College has announced that lawyer and activist Anita Hill will address the Class of 2020 at the college’s in-person commencement ceremony at a date to be determined.” THE LOCAL ANGLE – “Local Leaders Offer Mixed Reaction To Mass. Reopening Plan,” by Lisa Creamer and Simón Rios, WBUR: “Massachusetts Municipal Association Executive Director Geoff Beckwith said the plan places a burden on cities and towns. He said local governments may want to impose their own regulations and may need to update their operations.” – “As businesses in Massachusetts reopen, Worcester expects to decommission DCU Center as a field hospital this week,” by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: “Officials in Worcester plan to decommission the DCU Center as a field hospital as trends continue to show positive signs associated with the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said plans are being discussed for ways to best transition away from using the DCU Center as a field hospital.” – “City good with state’s timeline for reopening,” by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: “Saying that the city continues to see progress in key areas, City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. on Monday said he’s comfortable with the state’s timeline for reopening the economy. ‘I think they’ve done a very good job of laying out a framework,’ Augustus said at the city’s daily COVID-19 briefing, adding that city administrators will be absorbing the details of the plan — which Gov. Charlie Baker laid out earlier in the day — to help tailor local enforcement efforts.” HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to NBC10/NECN's dynamic duo Alison King and Sean Colahan, and Stephanie Nigro. NEW EPISODE: H-O-R-S-E – On this week’s Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith, Maeve Duggan and Stephanie Murray discuss the state’s plans to reopen, and a recent poll of Massachusetts nurses. Special guest Enes Kanter of the Boston Celtics talks about the future of the NBA. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud, or watch on Facebook. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.   GO BEYOND OUR BORDERS FROM YOUR HOME: Global Translations, presented by Bank of America, is the only newsletter focused on essential global news, trends and decisions layered with critical contextual analysis from the sharpest minds around the world. From how countries are dealing with economic crisis, to technology advances, trade challenges and climate change, Global Translations offers a unique perspective that cannot be found anywhere else. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.       Follow us on Twitter Stephanie Murray @StephMurr_Jour   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters

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POLITICO NIGHTLY: When will you get a vaccine?

By Renuka Rayasam Presented by A SHOT IN THE ARM — President Donald Trump says he’s taking hydroxychloroquine, but that may not have been today’s most important news in Covid-19 pharmacology. Moderna, a Massachusetts biotech company, said it had made progress in its first round of human trials for a Covid vaccine. Eight people in the trial developed antibodies against Covid, a sign that a vaccine might arrive with record-breaking speed. But Moderna still has months, if not longer, to go before it can declare victory. It might not get there at all. Health care reporter Sarah Owermohle and your host chatted over Slack this afternoon about what the news actually means, how Covid changed the drug development process and plans to scale up vaccine manufacturing. This interview has been edited. Is the Moderna news a big deal? So, there were actually 45 people who were dosed but eight whose results were ready. Moderna, in a sign of the times and the urgency everyone is feeling, wanted to share that right away. They also found out that low doses of their potential vaccine work as well as high doses, which might seem small but means that a little could go a long way. It is going to be extremely important when billions of people want it. The next two phases will be bigger and longer. Those stages are key to understanding how safe and effective the vaccine is, whether it is more effective for certain people rather than others, and how strong the immune response is. Still, we are going to need more than one vaccine to quell this. No one manufacturer can meet worldwide demand in a reasonable time, but also we could find out down the line that one vaccine is better suited for one population (like kids, or the elderly) while another is important for other groups (like, say, pregnant women). Those are hypotheticals but that is how it works sometimes — for instance with flu vaccines, sometimes there is an inhalable that works better than an injectable for young and healthy people. How has vaccine development changed with Covid? The U.S. government alone has put almost a billion dollars toward the Moderna candidates and another from Johnson & Johnson. Regulators are loosening requirements that can slow the process, like the need for extensive animal studies before human trials — stuff that FDA's vaccine chief Peter Marks has called “dead space” in the development process. Those animal trials are still happening, but in tandem with human trials — so information is flowing fast. It will be interesting to see if this changes the vaccine development process for good, even after Covid-19. Are there risks to rushing a vaccine? FDA has said it will cut no corner on safety and effectiveness, but it can be hard to recognize signs when we are moving this fast. Phase III trials are going to be key in recognizing any side effects or unintended consequences. Are there plans in place to scale up vaccine manufacturing? Something interesting I learned along the way with reporting this — anti-vaccine sentiment has changed the way many of them get produced. Anti-vaxxers believe that the preservatives used in multi-dose vials — so that several people can get a dose from one vial — are what cause harm. Manufacturers have shifted away from multi-dose vials. But that will likely need to change with eventual coronavirus vaccines because there is already concern about a glass shortage — imagine making billions and billions of doses, each requiring its own vial. I never thought I would learn this much about glass, or stoppers. Apparently there is already a potential glass shortage because it is hard to secure the angular sand needed to make medical glass, which is not your average jar or something. Stoppers are also vital because certain vaccines need certain types for sensitive chemicals. And it's not exactly a huge market. The U.S. government funding is supposed to help the manufacturers to start massively scaling up now, before it’s clear their vaccines will even be used. Manufacturers don't ever do that — it would be a huge cost without a sure end game. Does this mean we can get the vaccine earlier, by the end of the year, as Trump noted the other day? It is possible that there is a known vaccine by the end of the year, but that does not mean people will get it. When Trump says, "There will be a vaccine by the end of the year," the average person hears, "I will get a vaccine by the end of the year" — and that is far from the case. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly: Coronavirus Special Edition. Kudos for creativity to this Ocean City, Md., restaurant that’s come up with its own way to ensure social distancing. (h/t our wonderful Nightly producer and proud Marylander, Tyler Weyant.) Reach out with tips: rrayasam@politico.com or on Twitter at @renurayasam.   A message from PhRMA: While America’s biopharmaceutical companies are working around the clock to develop a treatment for COVID-19, companies are also expanding efforts to help patients access other medicines they need. PhRMA’s Medicine Assistance Tool was built to connect patients with resources that may help lower out-of-pocket costs.   First In Nightly THE VACCINE RACE’S FIRST WINNERS — The promise of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year creates a difficult political and public health question: Who gets the vaccine first? Sarah reports that the question is fraught with ethical dilemmas and ripe for political power plays. The politics of vaccine distribution could get ugly fast if there aren’t clear rules. “It absolutely should not be the White House who decides,” said Nicole Lurie, who led the Department of Health and Human Services' emergency preparedness efforts during the Obama presidency. “Operation Warp Speed” is gearing up for massive manufacturing — all in the U.S. — that will save “years” in production, Trump said Friday as he introduced the administration’s new vaccine czar, Moncef Slaoui. “When a vaccine is ready, the U.S. government will deploy every plane, truck, and soldier required to help distribute it to the American people as quickly as possible,” Trump said.   JOIN TOMORROW – HOW DO WE STRATEGICALLY REOPEN THE ECONOMY? Join chief economic correspondent Ben White tomorrow at 9 a.m. EDT for a virtual conversation with Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), to discuss his work on the newly launched House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis and whether he believes that the fiscal response so far has been enough. Should there be more transparency on how stimulus dollars are being spent? What more does Congress need to do to keep the economy afloat? Have questions? Submit yours by tweeting it to @POLITICOLive using #AskPOLITICO. REGISTER HERE.     Around the Nation GOING THE DISTANCE — As states around the country begin to reopen, new data shows that social distancing measures had a strong effect on the number of cases confirmed in the U.S. CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ — In the coming weeks and months, should improving trend lines hold, California residents may be able to return to church services and get their hair trimmed , and the vast majority of counties will be able to resume restaurant dining, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signaled today. He cited declining hospitalization and intensive care unit rates as indicators that California can move deeper into its nascent economic reopening, Jeremy White writes. Newsom also said California could allow pro sporting events to resume by June , although games would be without spectators and with “very prescriptive conditions.” In the preceding months, Newsom has been wary of major sporting events functioning as hubs for transmission. The governor did caution that areas with more dire outbreaks like Los Angeles and the Bay Area can impose tougher controls. DIVIDED CITY — People living in the poorest New York City neighborhoods are dying from coronavirus at more than double the rate of more affluent neighborhoods, according to new data released by the city's health department, reports Erin Durkin , co-author of New York Playbook. The data suggests that residents of poor neighborhoods are both more likely to contract the virus, and more likely to die if they get it. The Corona neighborhood in Queens leads the city in number of cases, followed by Fordham in the Bronx, Elmhurst in Queens and Borough Park in Brooklyn. Only two zip codes in the city, both in lower Manhattan’s financial district, had no deaths from Covid-19. Nightly Number 20 percent The percentage of people in Switzerland who would refuse a coronavirus vaccine, according to preliminary results of a survey being run by the Vaccine Confidence Project — which monitors public trust in vaccination programs worldwide. The same survey showed 9 percent of German respondents would refuse a coronavirus vaccine. Among Austrians, that rose to 16 percent, and 18 percent in France — all figures that point to Europe’s status as the most anti-vaccine region in the world. On The Hill BIG SHOT — With the House’s new $3 trillion relief package almost certainly going nowhere in the Senate, California Rep. Jackie Speier explains, in the latest edition of POLITICO Dispatch , why Dems passed it anyway: “We are putting forth our marker, these are the things we value. … Now the Senate can develop its measure or amend ours, in a manner that reflects their interests, and then there’s a compromise that is agreed to.” Listen to the latest POLITICO Dispatch podcast     Palace Intrigue FORMER VS. CURRENT — ICYMI this weekend , former President Barack Obama, while not naming the current White House resident, took some lightly veiled shots at Trump, saying, “This pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing. A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge.” Trump’s response, when asked about Obama’s comments? “Look, he was an incompetent president. That’s all I can say. Grossly incompetent.” Ask The Audience Our question for our readers this week: Memorial Day weekend is almost here. How has the pandemic changed your plans for the summer? Use the form to send us your responses, and we plan to feature several later this week.   YOUR TIME IS PRECIOUS: This global crisis has countries across the world and states across the country trying to balance public health with economic survival. POLITICO Dispatch is a short, daily podcast featuring experts from across our newsroom who provide the critical news and context you need in 15 minutes or less. Cut through the noise, subscribe and start listening today.     The Global Fight EUROPE ON THE MOVE — Apple Maps data shows that some European countries have returned to their pre-Covid levels of walking activity. Calling the shots — The real takeaway from today’s World Health Assembly (the oversight convention of the World Health Organization) is that China is no longer subtle or strategic about its global rise, tossing out trade threats and policy bribes on a daily basis. Today’s example was a $2 billion Chinese donation to the global Covid-19 response — two weeks after China withheld donating at a global conference — which conveniently distracted attention from news that 116 of the WHO’s 194 members want an independent inquiry into how the pandemic became a pandemic. The U.S. supported the inquiry, but it happened in spite of the Trump administration, not because of it. The U.S. has annoyed allies by shopping flimsy and inaccurate coronavirus intelligence to them, and by undercutting global coordination at forums including the WHO, the U.N. Security Council and the G-7. Instead of preparing a serious alternative to the Chinese donation, the U.S. was busy arguing against a coronavirus vaccine being declared a “global public good.” Doing good would not have been hard for the U.S.: Tiny Norway donated half as much as China. The World Food Programme is looking for less than $1 billion to feed 30 million people for the rest of the year. Yet governments globally are spending $1,000 on domestic stimulus for every $1 they are spending on global pandemic coordination. Parting Words Matt Wuerker TWILIGHT OF THE MALLRATS — Your host has a confession to make: I love malls. My first job was at the now-defunct men’s clothing store Structure in suburban Atlanta’s Southlake Mall. When I first moved to Austin from New York 16 years ago and didn’t know anyone, I quietly avoided trendier hangouts on lonely weekends to window shop and try on makeup at the Nordstrom at Barton Creek Mall. Today JCPenney became the latest mall anchor tenant to file for bankruptcy. Nordstrom has announced it is closing 16 stores around the country. The pandemic may kill the mall, but it also merely hastened its demise. The mall’s death was coming, sooner or later. For many it might even be a welcome end. Younger people tend to see malls as a wasteland of generic, soulless commercialism. But growing up in Jonesboro, Ga., in the 1980s and 1990s, we didn’t have independent bookstores or boutiques or online shopping. I had to go to Waldenbooks in the mall to get the latest “Baby-Sitters Club” book. I still remember the torture of trying to pick out just one pencil or mini notebook at the Hello Kitty store. Last year, I took my two babies back to Southlake Mall, during a visit to my parents, to get their picture taken with Santa. My mom still walks there regularly with a friend. It was sad to see the boarded-up stores (and shocking to see a Things Remembered store). Online shopping is not just easier now — with the pandemic, it’s a necessity. Someday, when we are allowed to more safely venture out to the Foot Locker or Sunglass Hut, many people won’t even notice that the mall is gone. They never went there in the first place. There are fancier places to get a kid’s picture with Santa and cooler places to buy books. But the people who don’t live near those types of stores, who live in towns not likely to see a renewal anytime soon, the people like my mom and my dad — well, where will they go?   A message from PhRMA: In the midst of coronavirus, PhRMA members are expanding efforts to help millions of Americans dealing with other diseases that need to be treated and may be struggling to afford their medicines. Our Medicine Assistance Tool was built to connect patients with resources that may help lower out-of-pocket costs.   Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam

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