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Essential Politics: The pandemic response, a year later – Los Angeles Times

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This is the March 10, 2021, edition of the Essential Politics newsletter. Like what you’re reading? Sign up to get it in your inbox three times a week.

To start today’s newsletter, let’s get personal.

At the end of February 2020, I visited The Times’ offices in El Segundo for the first time.

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I had been at the company all of two months, but in the Washington bureau. This was a chance to finally meet some of my colleagues in person. I went out to lunch with my team and met a friend for dinner. I spent a free afternoon at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. And I took a full flight home. In retrospect, that trip was one of the last “normal” things I did.

Days after I returned to Washington, my world dramatically shifted. Over the course of an afternoon, my boss and I discussed whether I should quarantine after being on an airplane. My mom urged me to work from home. My husband did too. On March 10, 2020, I left the Washington bureau’s office, certain I’d be back soon. I wasn’t, of course.

Everyone has a story like mine — a story about the moment that neatly cleaved the past from the pandemic present. For many, that moment was a year ago this week.

Last March 11 brought a series of bombshell headlines: The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Tom Hanks announced he’d contracted the coronavirus. The NBA suspended the 2020 season. President Trump banned travel from Europe. On March 13, he declared a national emergency. So began a year of politics unlike any in memory.

How it started

The 2020 outlook: A March 8 Times story included this quote: “We’re past the point of containment,” said Dr. Scott Gottlieb, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration during the first two years of the Trump administration, on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Days later, researchers cast doubt on the U.S. case count, suggesting the real toll was already much higher than officially reported. Health officials warned of dwindling supplies of tests and medical equipment.

“The system is not really geared to what we need right now,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s top infectious disease expert, told the House Oversight Committee. “That is a failing. It is a failing. Let’s admit it.”

Trump had for weeks downplayed the virus’ threat and continued to claim that Democrats and the media were overstating its risks. At times he directly contradicted experts like Fauci. It was an approach that drew criticism and highlighted existing flaws in the administration’s communications, Eli Stokols and Noah Bierman reported. Ultimately his own advisors blamed his erratic stewardship for his election defeat.

The headlines:

The relief: Discussions about an emergency relief package quickly began but slowed amid disagreements among Democrats, Republicans and Trump.

A Democratic proposal in the House included enhanced unemployment benefits, paid sick leave and a boost in the availability of food stamps, Jennifer Haberkorn reported March 11. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin worked together on a deal, though it was ultimately slimmer than what Democrats had proposed.

Trump pressed for tax cuts, unsuccessfully seeking support from Senate Republicans. A strategy-planning lunch that week ended without agreement. Congress would not pass legislation to send to the president for two more weeks.

What the president was up to: He played golf at Mar-a-Lago and dined with Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro. He campaigned for reelection. He also agreed to stop shaking hands and cancel campaign rallies.

Trump focused on trying to mitigate the virus’ economic impact, including by announcing the European travel ban and a national emergency. He’d planned, after all, to take credit for a good economy in campaigning for a second term, Stokols and Bierman reported.

He was also tweeting — largely criticism of Joe Biden, his likely presidential rival, President Obama and other Democrats. “Sleepy Joe Biden was in charge of the H1N1 Swine Flu epidemic which killed thousands of people. The response was one of the worst on record. Our response is one of the best, with fast action of border closings & a 78% Approval Rating, the highest on record. His was lowest!” Trump tweeted on March 12, misrepresenting the facts about the 2009 contagion, which killed more than 12,000 Americans while Biden was vice president.

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How it’s going

The 2021 outlook: Biden’s promises to rein in the pandemic are being put to the test. Congress is set to give final approval Wednesday to a new relief package that achieves a number of Democratic priorities.

Grief, loss and empathy have long been central to Biden’s personal story, as he highlighted in his campaign for president, Mark Z. Barabak wrote in September. He has staked his presidency on ending the pandemic and restoring the economy.

Americans have responded positively in polls. But the situation remains delicate, especially as some Republican-led states lift pandemic restrictions even as variants of the coronavirus are spreading, Megerian and Stokols write.

Republicans have almost unanimously criticized the stimulus package, calling it a “liberal wish list,” David Lauter writes. But increasingly, Democratic lawmakers and the Biden administration have decided to own that label.

The headlines:

The Times front page on March 9, 2021

The Times front page on March 9, 2021.

The relief: The latest relief package, providing $1.9 trillion in assistance for individuals, businesses, states and local governments, is one of a series over the past year and brings total aid to more than $4 trillion.

Policy disputes slowed its progress and threatened to split the Senate Democratic majority, Sarah D. Wire reported. Senate Democrats disagreed on some provisions, including a minimum wage hike, eligibility for individuals’ relief payments and the amount of federal unemployment assistance.

The package was altered some to win the votes of moderate Democrats going into this week, disappointing some but ensuring the bill’s passage. The final package provides $1,400 checks for many Americans, an expansion of Affordable Care Act subsidies and tax benefits for families, Wire reports.

After the House vote to approve Senate-passed changes, which is expected on Wednesday, the package goes to Biden to be signed into law.

What the president is up to: Biden has a series of public appearances this week to highlight vaccine progress, economic aid and lives lost over the past year. He is also scheduled to deliver a prime-time address on Thursday.

The president has been tweeting, but not with the frequency, inaccuracy and occasional falsehoods of his predecessor. Biden’s posts have largely focused on encouraging Congress to pass the relief package.

The view from Washington

— Who are Biden’s Cabinet members and nominees? Introducing a new guide from The Times.

— The White House on Monday announced a temporary protected status decree that could allow tens of thousands of Venezuelans who fled their homeland to remain in the United States with legal standing, report Molly O’Toole and Tracy Wilkinson.

— Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri will not seek a third term in the U.S. Senate — the fifth Senate Republican to decide against running in 2022.

— The Republican National Committee is defending its right to use Trump’s name in fundraising appeals despite his demands that they stop the practice. He has urged his supporters to send money to his own PAC instead.

— Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has formally approved an extension of the National Guard deployment at the U.S. Capitol for about two more months as possible threats of violence remain.

— A Trump-era immigration rule denying green cards to immigrants who use public benefits like food stamps was dealt likely fatal blows Tuesday after the Biden administration dropped legal challenges.

The view from California

— At his State of the State address, Gov. Gavin Newsom made an aggressive effort to rekindle faith in his ability to lead a state tattered by the pandemic as he faces an attempt to recall him from office, Taryn Luna and Phil Willon write.

— The publication of private, intimate pictures of former Rep. Katie Hill that drove her to resign from office will be contested in court this week in an argument that pits the 1st Amendment against California’s revenge-porn law, reports Seema Mehta.

— California politicians used to out-tough each other on the death penalty, writes Barabak. But times have changed and so have candidates’ approaches.

Stay in touch

Keep up with breaking news on our Politics page. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics?

Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox.

Until next time, send your comments, suggestions and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

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Larry David shares how he feels about Trump – CNN

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Larry David shares how he feels about Trump

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” star Larry David shares how he feels about former President Donald Trump and the 2020 election. Watch the full episode of “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace,” streaming March 29 on Max.


03:21

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Trump's claims on crime rates clash with police data – NBC News

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Surging crime levels, out-of-control Democratic cities and “migrant crime.”

Former President Donald Trump regularly cites all three at his campaign rallies, in news releases and on Truth Social, often saying President Joe Biden and Democrats are to blame.

But the crime picture Trump paints contrasts sharply with years of police and government data at both the local and national levels.

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FBI statistics released this year suggested a steep drop in crime across the country last year. It’s a similar story across major cities, with violent crime down year over year in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.

NBC News analyzed crime data to evaluate Trump’s assertions about the topic.

U.S. and big city crime rates

Trump’s campaign often refers to crime levels, regularly pointing the finger at Biden.

“On Joe Biden’s watch, violent crime has skyrocketed in virtually every American city,” the campaign said in a news release published this month on its site.

Trump himself has made similar remarks.

“Four years ago, I told you that if crooked Joe Biden got to the White House, our borders would be abolished, our middle class would be decimated and our communities would be plagued by bloodshed, chaos and violent crime,” Trump said in a speech last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference. “We were right about everything.”

Government figures don’t support that characterization.

Reported violent crime dropped 6% across the board when comparing the last three months of 2022 to the same period in 2023, the FBI reported.

The reported drops were especially pronounced in the big cities that Trump often assails, many of which have Democratic mayors. Violent crime dropped by 11% in cities with populations of 1 million or more, according to FBI data, while murders dropped by 20%, rape was down 16%, and aggravated assault fell by 11%.

Reached for comment, the Trump campaign pointed to other reports indicating that certain types of crimes increased in specific cities.

At the national level, the reported rate of violent crime in 2022, the most recent full year with comprehensive FBI data, was 380.7 offenses per 100,000 people. That’s lower than the overall reported violent crime rate from 2020 — the last full year Trump was in office — when the figure was at 398.5.

The lowest reported violent crime rate of Trump’s presidency was in 2019, when the metric was at 380.8 — in line with the 2022 rate.

The FBI said it will release more comprehensive 2023 crime data in October, just before the election.

The Trump campaign, reached for comment, cited certain categories of violent crime, such as motor vehicle theft, as having increased during the Biden administration, according to FBI figures.

“Joe Biden is trying to convince Americans not to believe their own eyes,” campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, adding that “Democrats have turned great American cities into cesspools of bloodshed and crime.”

New York City crime

Trump, who was born and raised in New York but now lives in Florida, often rails against what he portrays as an increasing crime rate in his former hometown.

Those references to soaring violence have only increased as he faces criminal charges in New York accusing him of falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump, who has pleaded not guilty in that case, must also post a $175 million bond to prevent state Attorney General Letitia James from collecting the judgment from a New York civil fraud case.

“I did nothing wrong, and New York should never be put in a position like this again,” Trump posted on Truth Social about the civil judgment in all capital letters. “Businesses are fleeing, violent crime is flourishing, and it is very important that this be resolved in its totality as soon as possible.”

In a separate post, he claimed that “murders & violent crime hit unimaginable records” in the city.

However, major crimes in New York City are down this year by 2.3%, according to police department data comparing year-to-date figures to the same period in 2023.

Those figures for last year were also far below the highs from recent decades. In 1990, more than 527,000 major crimes were reported, compared to more than 126,000 last year, according to New York police data — a drop of more than 75%.

In 2001, more than 162,000 major crimes were reported in New York. The figure dropped by more than 20% over the next two decades.

At the same time, New York City data indicates that the number of major crimes increased in the past few years, though reported violent crimes like murder and rape were down last year from previous years.

‘Migrant crime’

Trump’s dehumanizing language about migrants has become a mainstay of his political speeches since he first sought office in 2015.

In a news release this month, his campaign said the “border Crisis has created a tragic surge in violent crime against innocent American citizens at the hands of some of the world’s most violent criminals.”

Trump has also focused his energy on high-profile cases such as the death of Laken Riley, who was killed in Georgia while jogging. The suspect is a Venezuelan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022.

“Every day, innocent citizens are being killed, stabbed, shot, raped and murdered because of Biden migrant crime,” Trump said in a video posted to his campaign’s X account last week.

However, there is no evidence of a migrant-driven crime wave in the U.S., according to local police department data.

Crime reports have decreased in several major cities targeted by Texas’ Operation Lone Star, a program backed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that flies or buses migrants from the state to Democratic-run cities across the U.S.

Several of those cities — New York, Chicago, Washington and Philadelphia — have had decreases in year-to-date reported crime totals compared to the same period last year.


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Federal government promising a 'renters' bill of rights' in upcoming budget – CBC.ca

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government will introduce new measures — including a new “bill of rights” — that he says will help protect those who rent their homes as part of the upcoming budget.

Trudeau said the new measures are specifically geared toward younger people, who are renting more than previous generations.

“It’s about changing the rules of the game in a way that meets young people where they are,” he said on Wednesday.

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Ottawa will work with provinces and territories to develop a “renters’ bill of rights” that would introduce a national standard lease agreement and implement requirements for landlords to disclose an apartment’s pricing history to allow tenants to negotiate their rent.

The new measures will also include a $15-million fund for provincial legal aid organizations that help tenants fight against “renovictions” and landlord abuse.

The Liberals are also proposing to change federal rules so that making rental payments on time will count toward someone’s credit scores, something Trudeau said is meant to help renters looking to one day buy a house.

“If you look at someone who pays a $2,000 [per month] mortgage, they’re getting recognition and credit for that from their bank as part of their credit score,” the prime minister said.

“But if you’re paying $2,000 a month on rent, you get no kudos.”

Typically the government doesn’t discuss what is in an annual budget until it is introduced in the House of Commons. But the announcement was made weeks prior to the release of the Liberals’ next budget, which is slated to drop on April 16.

Releasing tidbits from the budget ahead of time is part of a new communications strategy for the Liberals, sources told CBC News. Trudeau and his ministers are expected to make a number of similar announcements in the run-up to the budget, the sources said.

WATCH | Trudeau says new measures aim to help tenants: 

Liberals promise ‘renters’ bill of rights’ to fight housing crisis

5 hours ago

Duration 2:07

The Liberals are looking to create a ‘renters’ bill of rights’ to help deal with Canada’s housing crisis. Justin Trudeau says the plan is geared toward younger people suffering from a rising cost of living. The Conservatives call the measures meaningless.

Before revealing the planned rental measures on Wednesday, Trudeau took a moment to plug the April 16 fiscal plan, saying that the budget will be about “fairness.”

“For Canada to succeed, we need everyone to succeed,” he said.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland joined Trudeau for his announcement and hinted about further announcements ahead of budget day.

“Over the coming days and in the April budget, we are going to launch a no-holds-barred plan to wrestle down the cost of owning and renting a home,” she said.

Wednesday’s announcements came on the same day that the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation released a report that found a surge in new apartment construction drove housing start increases in several major Canadian cities last year.

But the report also cautions that demand continues to outweigh supply.

The opposition Conservatives, who have enjoyed a healthy lead in recent polls, have made housing — and other cost-of-living issues — a key point of attack against the governing Liberals.

Following his announcement, Trudeau was asked whether he thinks he bears any responsibility for people feeling left behind in the current economy and whether the new measures would be enough to convince younger people to support him in the next election.

In response, Trudeau suggested that a recent rise in the cost of living is not unique to Canada.

“Young people who are key to our present, and obviously key to our future, are seeing a system that is stacked against them. That’s true in Canada but also true elsewhere around the world,” he said. “What we’re focused on now is making sure that young people can see their success in the economy.”

Opposition parties criticize Liberal announcement

Scott Aitchison, the Conservative housing critic, said Wednesday’s announcement was Liberal posturing that won’t get results.

“Today’s photo op is just another set of meaningless measures that won’t result in building the homes Canadians need,” he said in a statement.

NDP housing critic Jenny Kwan criticized the announcement for not going far enough.

“The Liberals are so out of touch with what Canadian renters are experiencing that they keep offering half-measures instead of a real action,” Kwan said in a statement.

The NDP is calling on the government to invest more in affordable housing while temporarily preventing for-profit firms from buying designated affordable-housing spaces.

WATCH | Liberal government promises better protections for renters in upcoming budget: 

Liberal government promises better protections for renters in upcoming budget

9 hours ago

Duration 11:39

The Liberal government unveiled three new proposals Wednesday to better protect renters in Canada. Power & Politics speaks to Marci Ien, minister of women, gender equality and youth, about the proposed protections.

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