POLITICO NIGHTLY: Twin tragedies in the Twin Cities

By Renuka Rayasam

Presented by

‘I CAN’T BREATHE’ — That was the cry of George Floyd, the black man whose death at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer set off days of protests and rioting in the Twin Cities this week. The officer was charged today with manslaughter and third-degree murder. Floyd’s words are a strange echo of another crisis that’s disproportionately affecting black people. The twin tragedies of police violence and Covid-19 are rippling across the country, and they are not entirely disconnected. Health inequities like lack of access to health care have exacerbated chronic conditions in black Americans that have made them more vulnerable to coronavirus. Minnesota grappled with both tragedies this week. The state had 35 Covid deaths on Thursday, a new single-day high, and hit 1,000 deaths today. Black people have suffered a third of Covid cases in Minnesota and a quarter of the state’s Covid hospitalizations, despite making up only 6 percent of the state’s population.

And neither tragedy is under control. This morning, National Guard troops were stationed around Minneapolis to stem riots as demonstrators marched through the city. At the same time, Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has been slowly easing social distancing restrictions to allow outdoor dining and haircuts to resume next week. The state’s health commissioner said she fears protests could trigger a surge in cases, which were already expected to peak in late June or in July. The state’s intensive care units are filling with more and more patients, worrying some public health experts that the health care system in the Twin Cities could become overwhelmed. Carolyn McClain, an emergency physician in Minneapolis, said today that she’s seeing the Liberian population and other immigrant communities who work in nursing homes especially hard hit by Covid. She’s also seeing more violent suicide attempts as people buckle under stay-at-home orders. When patients are dying, they are only allowed one visitor who must be covered in protective equipment. McClain said that an ICU nurse asked her to don the gear to say goodbye to her father on her behalf because the nurse couldn’t make it to the hospital in time. “She said, ‘You can yell into his right ear, that you are Susan and that Susan loves him.’” McClain compared the situation to an earthquake, devastation she witnessed when she traveled to Haiti in 2010 to volunteer after a quake killed more than a hundred thousand people there. “It’s a different type of devastating, but exactly as sad,” she said. “I have to do this day after day after day, and I don’t know when it’s going to end.”

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Welcome to POLITICO Nightly: Coronavirus Special Edition. Reach out with tips: rrayasam@politico.com or on Twitter at @renurayasam.

Professional geisha Sachika prepares to entertain clients via Zoom today in Hakone, Japan. A service called Meet Geisha has begun offering online drinking parties, because clients can’t have face-to-face visits. | Carl Court/Getty Images

Palace Intrigue

WITH OR WITHOUT WHO — President Donald Trump said today he is terminating the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization, making good on his April threat to withdraw from the U.N. health agency he's repeatedly blamed for mishandling the coronavirus pandemic, write health care reporters Brianna Ehley and Alice Miranda Ollstein . Trump last month temporarily froze U.S. funding to WHO, contending the organization botched the international response to the pandemic and has been overly deferential to China at a time when experts questioned the country's transparency over the virus. The U.S. has previously contributed over $400 million per year to WHO's $4.8 billion annual budget, more than any other country. The move was panned by health experts, who claimed it would set back global efforts to defeat a virus that's killed more than 360,000 people and sickened nearly 6 million. They worry the U.S. exit from WHO would leave the country blind to an exchange of critical public health information. The Geneva-based organization is coordinating worldwide vaccine and drug trials to combat the novel virus. But severing ties with WHO has been cheered by Trump's base, which is distrustful of international bodies. Phone home — A federal judge said today he'll consider ordering a Guantanamo Bay war-on-terror prisoner brought to the U.S. if authorities don't come up with a way for the detainee to have regular telephone contact with his attorneys, Josh Gerstein reports. The judge said he doesn't consider an email- and fax-based system the Defense Department has set up to be adequate to handle legal mail between some detainees and their lawyers. Visits have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. It seems unlikely that the Trump administration would agree to move a prisoner, especially during the pandemic or a presidential campaign, so the option of better telephonic or video links to the island prison seems more viable. Around the Nation DATA DISINFECTANT — Former Obama administration official Andy Slavitt questioned on Twitter whether an apparent spike in pneumonia cases in Florida this year meant that state officials were hiding Covid deaths, but it turned out the data showing the spike was wrong. The ensuing online debate reemphasized how public health officials don’t have the full scope of the data they need to manage state reopenings. That’s true across the country, not just in red states like Florida and Texas, health care reporter Adam Cancryn told your host over Slack today. The death toll is likely higher around the country than official Covid counts show, Adam said. There’s some sloppy data keeping going on, intentionally or not. But it’s also because Covid kills in many ways. A doctor may accurately list pneumonia as an official cause of death, even if the patient had Covid. The virus could be listed as a secondary cause of death. Different states, and even some medical examiners for that matter, have their own criteria for classifying deaths. Slavitt told your host today that data has been a problem in trying to make conclusions about Covid: “There needs to be a national standard and there isn’t one.” That, along with the CDC’s low-profile role during the pandemic, is leading to a fractured record-keeping system and fueling conspiracy theories about states hiding Covid deaths. Florida, like other states, has had its own fair share of data problems. But when it comes to excess deaths, which measures how deaths compare this year to previous years, it’s actually right in the middle of the pack..   THIS MONDAY 9 a.m. EDT – "INSIDE THE RECOVERY" PART I: PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH WHITE HOUSE DOMESTIC POLICY ADVISER BROOKE ROLLINS. Join Playbook co-authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman for a virtual discussion with newly named White House domestic policy adviser Brooke Rollins centered on President Trump’s domestic agenda, the administration strategy for the next coronavirus relief package, and the policy initiatives she believes could gain momentum before the election. REGISTER HERE.     Covid-2020 THE INCUMBENT UNDERDOG — In the latest edition of Nerdcast, Eugene Daniels talks with national political correspondent David Siders about how, three months in, the pandemic is simultaneously upending and reaffirming political allegiances. Early state polls “paint a picture of opportunity” for Biden, David said. “We should make no mistake that Biden right now ... is the frontrunner.” But Trump is nowhere near finished. “If the public health emergency abates and this becomes singularly about the economic response, Trump has the opportunity to wipe away everything else from his presidency and talk exclusively about the economy.” Listen to the latest POLITICO Nerdcast     PUNCHLINES TRUTH OR DARE — In this episode, Matt Wuerker surveys the week that was in the internet’s long war over fake facts and explains what a “Yahtzee” means to political cartoonists. The Global Fight COVID’S GLOBAL MARCH — While some economies are reopening, Covid-19 marches on: This week the world hit a new milestone, averaging 100,000 confirmed new infections each day, Ryan Heath emails us. The pandemic’s epicenter has shifted to Brazil. One in every two people taking a test in Brazil is positive, indicating the virus is more widespread than officially acknowledged. Even so, the country averaged 19,000 confirmed new cases each day this week and deaths frequently top 1,000 each day. On a brighter note, Spain has had only four deaths since Tuesday, a remarkable turnaround for a country that just eight weeks ago peaked at 961 deaths in a single day. Trump cited alleged control by China of WHO today as his core reason for withdrawing the U.S. from the body. So far, the world is yawning, with no official reactions from other world leaders. Upon U.S. withdrawal, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will become the organization's biggest funders. The Gates provide around 12 percent of WHO’s budget, compared to just 0.2 percent coming from China. Nightly Number 36 percent The share of Americans who say going to the hospital is the riskiest behavior during the pandemic, according to a national survey from the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention. The survey showed half of respondents were more worried about coronavirus than a heart attack, even though heart disease is the country’s leading killer. Ask The Audience We asked you: What does your face mask or covering look like? Here are some of the pictures you sent us.   WINNERS PLAY THE LONG GAME: If there is one thread linking the greatest challenges facing our society, economy and planet, it’s the tension between short-term and long-term thinking. “The Long Game," presented by Morgan Stanley, is designed for executives, investors and policymakers who are leading the conversation about how our society can thrive in the future. Engage with the sharpest minds on our biggest challenges, from pandemics to plastics, climate change to land use, inequality and the future of work. Searching for a nuanced look at these issues and possible solutions? Subscribe today.     Parting Words MAKING MASKS GREAT AGAIN — MAGA gear is an unlikely vessel for national unity, but then, these are desperate days, writes Joanna Weiss, contributing editor to POLITICO Magazine. Trump-themed masks, whose slogans range from “MAGA” to “Trump 2020” to “Gun Owners for Trump,” have done brisk sales. They’ve boosted mom-and-pop businesses during the shutdown. And they may be playing a role in getting all of America — divided as it remains — on board with a collective social distancing tool: As they grudgingly follow requirements, some Trump supporters say, a mask with Trump branding eases the blow. “You’re going to find this very strange, but I’m more of an anti-mask person,” said Laura Howard, a 63-year-old grandmother of eight and a retired Walmart assistant manager from Stanton, Mich., recounting the success of her business selling “Trump 2020” masks on an Etsy store called “isewformygrandkids .” She’s tried out some other designs, including one that says “RECALL WHITMER,” but the Trump mask is by far her best seller, and the customer feedback is glowing. “A lot of them have said that they’re anti-mask, they don't really want to wear a mask,” Howard said. “But if they have to, this is the perfect mask for them to wear.” A message from Humana: At Humana, we’re experts at helping our members achieve better health and recognize our unique role in supporting them during this unprecedented time. That’s why we're: 1) Waiving all member medical costs for coronavirus testing and treatment 2) Waiving copays for primary care and outpatient behavioral health visits, including telehealth, for Medicare Advantage members through 2020 3) Proactively mailing members safety kits with masks and encouraging the use of mail order pharmacies to help people access the resources they need from the safety of their homes. Humana is committed to doing all that we can to protect our members’ health during the coronavirus. Learn More   Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.    POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

RSN: Paul Krugman | Covid-19 Reality Has a Liberal Bias

17 May 20

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Paul Krugman | Covid-19 Reality Has a Liberal Bias

Paul Krugman, The New York Times
Krugman writes: "On Tuesday, the U.S. government's top experts warned that Covid-19 was by no means under control, and that premature easing of social distancing could have disastrous consequences. As far as I can tell, their view is shared by almost all epidemiologists."

But they were shouting into the wind. Clearly, the Trump administration and its allies have already decided that we’re going to reopen the economy, never mind what the experts say. And if the experts are right and this leads to a new surge in deaths, the response won’t be to reconsider the policy, it will be to deny the facts.

Indeed, virus trutherism — insisting that Covid-19 deaths are greatly exaggerated and may reflect a vast medical conspiracy — is already widespread on the right. We can expect to see much more of it in the months ahead.

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Medical staff attend to a patient infected with COVID-19. (photo: Thomas Samson/AP)

Trump's Plan to Limit the Pandemic's Death Toll: Undercount the Numbers
Matthew Yglesias, Vox
Yglesias writes: "Experts have a range of ideas to suppress the Covid-19 pandemic, save lives, and avert new waves of economic misery. But President Donald Trump seems to be embracing another plan - massaging the numbers to make inconvenient deaths go away."
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A floral cross was erected at the place Arbery was shot. (photo: Getty Images)

Documents: Ex-Officer Charged in Arbery Killing Lacked Training
Creede Newton, Al Jazeera
Newton writes: "Gregory McMichael, who was charged in shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, spent years of his decades-long tenure at a Georgia district attorney's office without maintaining proper training as a law enforcement officer which led to a suspension, records obtained by Al Jazeera reveal."
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Protesters at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. (photo: Todd Maisel)

Detainees at a Federal Jail Said Their Coronavirus Symptoms Were Ignored. The Government Is Fighting to Keep the Records Secret.
Nick Pinto, The Intercept
Pinto writes: "Seeking to avoid court-ordered oversight at a federal jail in Brooklyn, New York, government lawyers argued in federal hearings in New York this week that widespread complaints of medical neglect and a scathing evaluation by an expert in correctional medicine who toured the facility should not be given credence."
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The Trump International Hotel and Tower in Manhattan. (photo: Twitter)

Trump's Company Has Received at Least $970,000 From US Taxpayers for Room Rentals
David A. Fahrenthold and Joshua Partlow, The Washington Post
Excerpt: "The U.S. government has paid at least $970,000 to President Trump's company since Trump took office - including payments for more than 1,600 nightly room rentals at Trump's hotels and clubs, according to federal records obtained by The Washington Post."
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A handout picture released by the Venezuelan presidency showing identification cards of U.S. citizens arrested by security forces during a meeting with members of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, at Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas on May 4, 2020. (photo: Marcelo Garcia/Venezuelan Presidency/AFP/Getty Images)

Ex-Green Beret Captured in Venezuela Believed US Backed Overthrow Plot: Family
Rich Schapiro, NBC News
Schapiro writes: "Frank Denman was at his home in Austin last January when he received a call from his son, Luke."
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Humpback whales swim in the waters off Half Mood Island, Antarctica, Jan. 15, 2020. (photo: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Greenpeace)

Humpback Whales Have Made a Remarkable Recovery, Giving Us Hope for the Planet
Dr. Kirsten Thompson, TIME
Thompson writes: "In the depths of the ocean, and out of sight for most of us, there's a quiet miracle happening. Many humpback whale populations, previously devastated by commercial whaling, are making a comeback. And no, before you ask, this has nothing to do with the coronavirus."

A recent study on humpbacks that breed off the coast of Brazil and call Antarctic waters home during the summer has shown that these whales can now be found in the sort of numbers seen before the days of whaling. Records suggest that in the 1830s there were around 27,000 whales but, after heavy hunting, by the mid-1950s only 450 remained.

It is reassuring to see what happens when we leave nature to follow its course. The ban of commercial whaling in 1986 led to a strong recovery and now this population is thought to be around 93% of its original size. By taking away the threat of hunting, and having safe spaces to survive and thrive, humpback numbers in many areas have recovered.

This is great news for the whales, of course, but also for the climate. Keeping carbon out of the atmosphere is key to tackling the climate crisis and the contribution that a single whale can make is something we need to take seriously.

On average a single whale stores around 33 tonnes of CO2. If we consider only the Antarctic humpback whales that breed in Brazil, protecting this population alone has resulted in 813,780 tonnes of CO2 being stored in the deep sea. That’s around twice the yearly CO2 emissions of a small country like Bermuda or Belize, according to 2018 emissions data. That’s because when a whale dies naturally, it exports carbon stored in its gigantic body to the deep sea, keeping it locked up for centuries.

In 2019, even the International Monetary Fund turned its attention to the startling economics of whale conservation. Apparently, one great whale is worth around US$ 2 million over its lifetime and the organisation GRID-Arendal goes as far as stating that whales are worth US$ 1 trillion to the global economy.

I had the privilege to see them flourishing during the last leg of Greenpeace’s year-long Pole to Pole voyage. I’m happy to say that whales are everywhere in Antarctic waters. My cabin mate, a teetotaler, woke up a few mornings with a “whale hangover” having stayed up too late watching whales feeding off the bow of our ship.

As a whale biologist, for decades I have always remembered the tales told by old whalers in the communities I have lived and worked – from Shetland to the Azores, New Zealand and New Caledonia – where, back in the day, there were so many whales you could walk right across a bay on the backs of humpbacks. Or so they said. My experience in the Antarctic made me think of these tales and gives me hope that we can work towards recovery of other populations and species, for everyone to enjoy, not just the privileged few like me.

Humpbacks are probably the world’s most recognisable whale and they perform the longest known migration of any mammal. And each one is utterly unique: the pattern of white and black blotches on the underside of their tail fluke is as individual as a human fingerprint. Comparing our images with a global database of humpbacks, we were able to identify 49 humpback whales whilst on the Greenpeace expedition. All humpbacks in their feeding grounds are busy and are trying to get fat.

One of them was formerly known as ‘HW-MN1300988’ and now named ‘Mir’ by our team after our radio operator whose birthday it was when we heard of an exciting match. Mir was first identified in 2012 off the Pacific Coast of Panama, and has been photographed returning to Antarctic waters in three subsequent summers, providing direct evidence of how these whales cover extensive areas of the oceans. These data can help us understand just how far these magnificent creatures travel and how much ocean they depend on.

Of course, it’s not all great news. Some whales are still being hunted. Some species, such as blue whales have not yet recovered from the impact of commercial whaling. They all face a myriad of interacting human-induced threats – ocean noise, chemical and plastic pollution, collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing nets, poor fisheries management and climate change. It’s tough out there for marine life. One of the humpbacks we identified during our Antarctic expedition, ‘HW-MN1301140’ had as a distinct characteristic only half a tail fluke, possibly as a result of entanglement with fishing gear.

The humpback recovery in Antarctic waters is also an example of what can happen when governments come together to protect our global oceans. The moratorium on whaling was followed by the creation of “whale sanctuaries” and regulation on trade in endangered species. We have the tools and the science. All we are missing is the political will to create the spaces to allow wildlife to recover.

We know the ocean can be restored. Right now we are at an important crossroads for making that happen: it’s a grand challenge but we stand to lose so much if we ignore it. A recent review in the journal Nature suggests that if the oceans are protected, marine life can rebound within our lifetime. Whales are one example, others include turtles, sea otters, seals and, critically for humans, fisheries. Protection means a well-connected, well-managed network of marine protected areas, in the form of a global network of marine reserve areas that cover 30% of the ocean and allow marine life to flourish. The science is clear: this can happen and it will work.

Who knows whether all those old historical tales of humpbacks in every coastal bay are true, but I am excited to find out.

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