The Washington Post - 05 03 2020

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Partly sunny 56/40 • Tomorrow: Rain 53/37 B8 Democracy Dies in Darkness THURSDAy, MARCH 5, 2020 . $2
Care gaps
electIon 2020
emerging Bloomberg exit further lifts Biden
as virus
spreads In Super Tuesday victories, delegate counts through 9 p.m. Warren weighs quitting to let
signs of a broad coalition build liberals line up for Sanders
BY TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, BY MATT VISER AND AMY B WANG
NuRsING homEs
CHELSEA JANES
EsPEcIAlly At RIsK AND GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER Mike Bloomberg, the former new York mayor
who poured half a billion dollars into his
As Joe Biden racked up a string of unexpected presidential campaign, dropped out of the race
Health facilities across
victories in super Tuesday primaries, he began to on Wednesday and endorsed the surging candi-
U.S. racing to prepare stitch together the kind of political coalition that dacy of Joe Biden, whose string of victories on
Joe Biden Bernie sanders elizabeth warren
had eluded his candidacy for months: a broad super Tuesday has upended the nominating
433 388 36
assembly of voters with the collective power to contest.
BY CHRISTOPHER ROWLAND potentially defeat President Trump in november. +380 DelegAtes +328 DelegAtes +28 DelegAtes sen. Bernie sanders (I-Vt.), who lost 10 of 14
AND PETER WHORISKEY Biden’s strong showing among African Ameri- state primaries to Biden on Tuesday, adopted a
cans, suburbanites and moderate white voters — more aggressive tone with the former vice
The growing coronavirus out- spanning geographical regions and drawing from president Wednesday as sen. elizabeth Warren
break in the United states is re- a surge in turnout — boosted confidence among A reckoning for sanders: A lackluster showing on super tuesday (D-Mass.) flew home to Boston to reassess her
vealing serious gaps in the health Democrats that the former vice president could could show the limits of the democratic socialist’s campaign. A6 campaign, weighing whether to end her bid and
system’s ability to respond to a soon win a Democratic race that voters have allow liberals in the party to unite behind
major epidemic, forcing hospitals turned into a contest over which candidate is best the trump effect: the president’s attack tweet on Jeff sessions sanders the way moderates quickly coalesced for
and doctors to improvise emer- positioned to beat Trump. stands in contrast to his endorsements in republican primaries. A7 Biden.
gency plans daily, even as they Biden, who won primaries in Texas, Virginia After a head-spinning four days, a primary
remain uncertain how bad the and eight other states Tuesday, alluded to his election alarm: long, slow voter lines in the Houston area fed talk of race that began with a historically large and
crisis will get. see BIden on A6 voter suppression, but the truth was more complicated. A8 see cAmpAIgn on A4
As California announced its
first coronavirus-linked fatality
on Wednesday, bringing the U.s.
death toll to 11, n ursing homes
were emerging as especially vul- Schumer’s
nerable to the virus, with more
than a million residents, many of
them frail. Many of the facilities comments
have a history of struggling to
contain even mundane infections.
But the gaps are spread out elicit a rare
across the country and affect med-
ical facilities of all types.
In Rhode Island, where two cas- reproach
es have been detected, doctors in
protective gear were testing pa-
tients with mild symptoms in a
hospital parking lot rather than
allowing them to enter the emer- Roberts decries attack on
gency room. officials said the
conservative justices as
see HospItAls on A10
court hears abortion case
‘shifting landscape’: new cases
in calif., n.Y.; travel drops off. A10
Iran’s virus data: Hospitals report BY ROBERT BARNES
a spread beyond official word. A14 AND COLBY ITKOWITZ
Chief Justice John G. Roberts
Jr. issued a rare rebuke of a sitting
In N.Y. Jewish member of Congress on Wednes-
day, chastising the senate’s top
communities, Democrat, Minority Leader
Charles e. schumer, for saying at a
rally outside the supreme Court
the outbreak
that President Trump’s two nomi-
nees to the court would “pay the
propels worry
price” for a vote against abortion
rights.
In a highly unusual statement
BY BEN GUARINO, issued by the court, the chief jus-
SARAH PULLIAM BAILEY tice recounted comments schum-
AND PAUL SCHWARTZMAN mAtt mcclAIn/tHe WAsHIngton Post er (n.Y.) had directed at neil M.
diana Kennedy salvages possessions wednesday from what is left of the home of Billy and linda leath in cookeville, tenn. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh
NEW YORK — First, a lawyer who the leaths survived tuesday’s tornado in the bedroom, seen through the open door — the only room with walls still standing. and said: “Justices know that criti-
commutes between the suburbs cism comes with the territory, but
and his midtown Manhattan of- threatening statements of this
fice was diagnosed with the coro- Tennesseans rise to help sort from the highest levels of
navirus. Then, his wife and two government are not only inappro-
children tested positive, along priate, they are dangerous. All
with a neighbor who drove him members of the court will contin-
to the hospital. ue to do their job, without fear or
The state rallies around its victims after tornadoes wreak destruction, kill at least 24
By Wednesday afternoon, an- favor, from whatever quarter.”
other friend, his wife and three of schumer, speaking to abortion
their children were also infected. rights supporters Wednesday
In the span of 48 hours, what BY FRANCES STEAD Tuesday’s devastating tornado where delivered to his door on The tornado outbreak killed morning as the supreme Court
began as one family’s medical SELLERS, crouched in a bathtub, with the wind’s cruel whims. at least 24 people and injured heard arguments in an important
crisis had spiraled well beyond BRANDON GEE Johnson holding his wife and Johnson and his family are dozens more, making it the abortion case from Louisiana,
their Westchester County home, AND ANNIE GOWEN kids down until the tornado survivors among the wreckage deadliest in Tennessee since at called out the two by name.
shuttering Jewish schools and grabbed him and flung him, of many lives. He has nine least 2011. A state of emergency “I want to tell you, Gorsuch; I
synagogues and crystallizing the COOKEVILLE, TENN. — eric praying to the Lord, 50 yards staples in his head. Faith has was declared as tens of thou- want to tell you, Kavanaugh: You
virus’s power to propel anxiety Johnson didn’t understand the onto a mound of debris. He had three broken ribs. And they are sands of residents grappled have released the whirlwind, and
across a region that is among the red letters on his garage wall wrapped a shirt around his reliving the howls of anguish, with the lack of electricity, you will pay the price,” schumer
nation’s most densely populated. when he arrived back at the bleeding head and found his the struggle to free a dying disrupted gas and water lines said. “You won’t know what hit
While Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo foundation where his house wife, Faith, now perched on the neighbor pinned by rubble, and and impassable roads. you if you go forward with these
(D) urged calm, news of the once stood, long after the tor- broken tub, clasping their two watching rescue workers comb storms struck after midnight awful decisions.”
virus’s latest victims spread nado had gone and the screams toddlers tightly to her side. The through a swampy area across Tuesday and dropped roaring The whirlwind was just begin-
through close-knit orthodox were just faint echoes in his 18-month-old still held his sip- the street where other bodies tornadoes across four counties ning. Pugilistic Republicans and
communities in the family’s ears. py cup in his mouth. may have found a dank and in Tennessee. An eF4 tornado Democrats raced from their re-
hometown of new Rochelle and “DoAx2” spray-painted in The bodies of two strangers lonely resting place. with winds up to 175 mph tore spective corners, led by the presi-
across new York City, where bright red. Two people. Dead on had landed in their garage, “It wasn’t my time,” Johnson across the nashville area, kill- see scHumer on A21
pockets of Jews frequent the arrival. Johnson later learned. A moth- said. “We are walking miracles, ing two people downtown, ac-
same kosher restaurants and at- His own family had survived er and a child from who knows me and my wife.” see tornAdoes on A15 louisiana abortion case: roberts
see new YorK on A11 emerges as the key vote. A3
In the News Inside
the economy the regIon
All three stock indexes since launching a
were up about 4 percent comeback after resign-
the nAtIon group’s leaders. A17 after Joe Biden’s Super ing in disgrace, former
locAl lIVIng
employees of the A judge has ordered Tuesday run calmed D.C. Council member
the Kitchen Issue
Molson Coors brewery lawyers for families su- worries about rival Ber- Jack Evans has met
great ideas for adding
in Milwaukee alleged a ing Saudi Arabia alleg- nie Sanders’s economi- broad rejection. B1
character and color into
deep racist culture there ing its involvement in cally disruptive propos- national cherry Blos-
the hardest-working
that included a noose 9/11 to detail alleged als. A19 som Festival organizers
room in your home — and
placed on the locker of threats against witness- president trump is are monitoring the coro-
for taming the mess.
the gunman who killed es they may depose. A17 “cherry-picking” immu- navirus as closely as the
five co-workers last the e.u. plans to rein- nity claims in defama- blooms, which should style
week. A2 force security at the tion cases even as he peak March 27-30. B1 ‘prince of pain’
the deA said it will re- Greek border to stop files personal suits d.c. police seek a pos- comedian richard lewis
turn a man’s $82,000 migrants, and Turkey against others, argued sible link between the makes his friend and
life savings that it seized warned that Europe was attorneys for a writer fatal shooting of a 13- “curb Your enthusiasm”
emIlIenne mAlfAtto for tHe WAsHIngton Post at an airport last year violating its professed who has said he raped year-old in Shaw and co-star larry David seem
A crucial shift By ending his support, Iraqi but gave scant explana- values. A17 her years ago. A19 nonfatal one nearby a downright content. c1
tion. A3 the russian and Turk- A worker-safety expert few days earlier. B1
cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has fractured an anti-
ish presidents are set to faced pressure to with- A man charged in a
government movement reliant on unity. A16 the world hold talks Thursday draw from an American Springfield, Va., killing BusIness news.......................A19 ÿCONTENT © 2020
A u.s. airstrike target- amid an escalating Bar Association confer- is a NASA executive and comIcs.......................................c6 The Washington Post / Year 143, No. 91
A ‘betrayal of trust’ A new bill would end the eAdfg Thaalnibisatna nfi ghhotuerrss ainft er showdown between the ence panel after releas- former police officer oloptInteIornIe psA..g..e..s....................................................A.B233
practice of using detained migrant children’s countries in Syria’s Idlib ing a report critical of who fatally shot two oBItuArIes.................................B5
President Trump spoke province. A18 Amazon, a sponsor. A22 others on duty. B1 teleVIsIon.................................c4
therapy notes against them in court. A22 by phone to one of the world news............................A16
A2 ez su THE WASHINGTON POST .THURSDAy, MARCH 5, 2020
Workers: Noose hung on brewery gunman’s locker in 2015
Employees allege a deep tor,” said Milwaukee Police Chief ers were subject to racist language
Alfonso Morales, regarding the and taunts based on their religion.
culture of racism
racism allegations, during an in- “Everyone knows the environ-
exists at Molson Coors terview on news radio station ment we worked in. It’s just a sad
WTMJ. situation that it actually hap-
In a statement released pened,” said former brewery
Wednesday, the Milwaukee Police worker Jelani Muhammad of the
BY ANNIE GOWEN Department said that, based on its noose on Ferrill’s locker.
AND KATIE ZEZIMA preliminary investigation, neither Molson Coors said Ferrill was
race nor racism played a role in the not working the day the noose was
milwaukee —
Current and for- shooting. T he department “is not reported.
mer employees of the Molson Co- aware of any of the victims target- “Our HR team notified him of
ors brewery here say there is a ed in the mass shooting being the incident, it was investigated
long-held culture of racism, in- involved in any inappropriate or fully, no camera footage was avail-
cluding racist cartoons placed in racist behavior toward the sus- able to show who placed it on the
workspaces, the n-word scrawled pect.” locker,” the company said in a writ-
in break rooms and bathrooms Ferrill, who is black, worked as ten statement to The Washington
and nooses hung at the facility — an electrician at the facility for 17 Post. The company said it offered
one on the locker of an employee years. security and human resources ser-
who killed five co-workers there Six current and former employ- vices to Ferrill, but did not say
last week. ees and others with knowledge of whether he had made use of them.
Police have not provided a mo- the brewery said overtly racist acts Adam Collins, the company’s
tive for the Feb. 26 rampage, have happened there for years. A chief communications and corpo-
which ended when gunman An- noose was found on Ferrill’s locker rate affairs officer, did not directly
thony Ferrill killed himself inside in 2015, they said, prompting a address employees’ allegations of
the famous brewery that has pro- brewery-wide meeting with hu- a racist culture at the facility, but
duced Miller beer for more than a man resources. in a statement, he said that the
century. The employees also described a company investigates “every sin-
“I don’t believe that was a fac- workplace where minority work- gle complaint” of intolerance or
harassment. KamIl KrzaczynsKI/agence France-presse/getty Images
“It’s why we have terminated The Molson Coors Brewing Co. campus in Milwaukee, where 1,700 brewery employees work. Anthony
people for behavior we believe is Ferrill, a longtime electrician there, shot and killed five co-workers Feb. 26 before killing himself.
unacceptable. It’s why we have
HAppenIng TodAy
tried to create safe spaces for dis- any type of aggression,” Powell that the manager told employees That outcome has loomed over
cussions on diversity and inclu- said. But when Powell, who is to respect each other. “It was the concerns about racism in the Mil-
For the latest updates all day, visit washingtonpost.com. sion in the Milwaukee brewery black, said he was thinking of ap- kind of thing you would expect a waukee facility, employees said.
and across our network,” Collins plying to transfer to the brewery, brewery manager to say.” Beer sales nationally are already
All day | Vice president pence and his wife, Karen pence, travel to said. he said Ferrill had a warning: Litke, now retired and living in slipping, and Molson Coors an-
onalaska, Wis., to participate in a “Women for trump” event. later, the “But there’s no two ways about “They will hate on you down Minnesota, declined to comment, nounced in October that it is clos-
couple attend a trump campaign rally in st. paul, minn. For it. We have more work to do,” there.” saying it was “not in his best inter- ing its Denver office as part of a
developments, visit washingtonpost.com/politics. Collins said. “Fostering an inclu- Raylynne Clayborn, 39, a ma- ests” to speak. corporate restructuring plan.
sive and welcoming workplace is chinist who worked for the brew- Collins said the company has Some of those jobs will move to
8:30 a.m. | The Labor department issues jobless claims for the week something every organization has ery for 13 years until he was fired “indeed had all-plant meetings Milwaukee, but the company will
ended Feb. 29, which are expected to come in at 215,000, down from to work towards each day, and we for missing work in 2018, said when concerns are raised.” lose between 400 to 500 jobs.
219,000 the previous week. Visit washingtonpost.com/business for aren’t going to shy away from our there was a “panel room” in the Electricians earn more than Ferrill worked as an in-house
details. responsibility to take a deep look brewery department that served $32 an hour, according to their electrician in the “powerhouse”
at our own culture following this as the central nervous system for union, which made some workers utility area of the 82-acre plant.
1:30 p.m. | nAsA is expected to unveil the name of its new mars rover. event.” making beer. He alleges that white afraid to rock the boat for fear of “His personality made him a
For developments, visit washingtonpost.com/national.
Craig Mastantuono, a lawyer employees hung racist cartoons losing good-paying jobs, Counce target,” said the current employee,
2 p.m. | House speaker nancy pelosi (d-Calif.) speaks at a for Ferrill’s family, declined to there — including of monkeys and said. who had known Ferrill for more
georgetown university event celebrating the impact of the 19th comment. blackface characters eating water- “The culture of that company than a decade. “He was a soft-spo-
Muhammad, who worked at the melon — and they remained there was very, very toxic,” Clayborn ken guy.”
amendment. Visit washingtonpost.com/local for details.
brewery from 2015 to 2019, said he until the black employees re- said. “If I wasn’t making $30 an Ferrill lived in a modest tan
6:30 p.m. | president Trump participates in a live Fox news town hall. endured taunts from co-workers moved them. hour, I wouldn’t be working at a rambler in Milwaukee with his
For developments, visit washingtonpost.com/politics. about his name and the fact that “We were immune to it; that job like that.” wife and a beloved Doberman that
he is a practicing Muslim. He said was the norm. We would just take State Sen. Lena C. Taylor, a he often walked through the
people would call him Jamal or them down,” he said. Democrat who is running for may- neighborhood. His wife’s Face-
Salami. Molson Coors said it is not or of Milwaukee, said she has spo- book page — now inaccessible —
“I’d hear jokes about me putting aware of racist cartoons being dis- ken to employees since the shoot- showed a typical middle-class life,
a bomb in someone’s car or put- played at the plant. ing about what she characterized with pictures of their grandkids
KLMNO ting a bomb somewhere in the Some employees recalled racist as “a racially toxic environment” and a trip to see the musical “Ham-
CorreCTIons
building,” said Muhammad, 32. “I acts in other departments of the at the plant. ilton.” But co-workers said he was
never took it to management be- brewery, a sprawling plant that “Based on what the colleagues struggling at work. He had long
neWspAper deLIVery
l A March 3 Metro article about cause there was a time when a guy employs 1,400 people. With its have told me, [Ferrill] had to deal suffered from chronic back pain
For home delivery comments
the shooting death of 13-year-old was making a joke in front of a towering red Miller beer sign and with a lot,” she said. “So do I be- that left him frustrated and may
or concerns contact us at
Malachi Lukes in the District supervisor and the supervisor mural deeming it “Home of the lieve it was a contributing factor? have impacted his ability to work,
washingtonpost.com/subscriberservices or
send us an email at misstated the last name of his didn’t say a thing about it.” High Life,” the facility is one of Yes, there’s no question I believe according to lawyer Steven C. Gab-
[email protected] or call mother. She is Melissa Laws, not Muhammad said the stress of Milwaukee’s most recognizable the racial harassment was a con- ert, a personal-injury attorney
202-334-6100 or 800-477-4679 Melissa Walls. the environment took a toll on his places. It is also a tourist attrac- tributing factor. I don’t see how it who represented Ferrill after a car
health. He gained weight and was tion, where people can pay $10 for would not be.” accident.
To sUBsCrIBe
800-753-post (7678) l A March 3 Health & Science crippled by anxiety. He said he tours of the complex, including its Miller and Coors, which an- Ferrill told Gabert that his ca-
article about cognitive screening almost called a suicide hotline. packaging and distribution cen- nounced the formation of a joint reer at Molson Coors made him
To AdVerTIse should have been labeled as a Finally, he quit. ters and famed beer caves, sam- venture in 2007, have faced accu- happy, paid him well and allowed
washingtonpost.com/mediakit Navigating Aging column by Current and former employees pling libations along the way. sations of racism in the past. him to support his family — his
classified: 202-334-6200 Judith Graham. said the brewery department was Rynale Counce, who worked as In 1984 — when the Milwaukee wife, two adult children and a
display: 202-334-7642
notorious for talk of racism and a machine operator from 2015 to plant was still owned by Miller — younger daughter — but added
MAIn pHone nUMBer l A Feb. 29 Metro article about sexism. 2017, recalled an incident in a William K. Coors, then chairman that working as an electrician at
202-334-6000 fundraising efforts by Maryland “It’s a good old boys club to this “drivers break room” where many and chief executive of Adolph Co- multiple buildings around the
To reACH THe neWsrooM Gov. Larry Hogan (R) incorrectly day. There was a saying on the black employees congregated. On ors Co., was quoted saying that campus was more physically de-
metro: 202-334-7300; said that Hogan’s longtime brewery floor — ‘no blacks, no the room’s sign, someone scrawled black people lack “intellectual ca- manding than it seemed.
[email protected] booster Thomas Kelso is b-----s,’ ” said a current employee the n-word in front of “drivers,” pacity.” He was off work for a time on a
national: 202-334-7410; chairman of the Change who spoke on the condition of Counce said, and wrote “n-----s The Los Angeles chapter of the workers’ compensation claim and
[email protected] Maryland Action Fund super anonymity for fear of jeopardizing must die” on a wall. NAACP called for a boycott, and became convinced that the com-
business: 202-334-7320; PAC. Kelso is chairman of the his job. “These stories aren’t a secret,” more than 500 Southern Califor- pany was spying on him and that
[email protected] Change Maryland nonprofit. The A former brewery floor worker, said Counce, 37. nia liquor stores stopped selling his house had been broken into,
sports: 202-334-7350; Change Maryland Action Fund who also spoke on the condition of The current employee said he Coors beer. The company signed colleagues said.
[email protected] super PAC does not have a chair. anonymity because he did not witnessed a noose duct-taped to agreements with black and His- He expressed that fear to neigh-
reader advocate: 202-334-7582; want to affect his current employ- the locker of another black em- panic groups to hire minorities, bors as well. According to the As-
[email protected] ment, said there was “constant ployee around 2012. He said the invest in minority-owned busi- sociated Press, he told a neighbor,
the Washington post is committed to harassment. The constant nitpick- company investigated but did not nesses and increase the number of Erna Roenspies, that the company
To reACH THe opInIon pAges correcting errors that appear in the ing. The constant racial things figure out who placed the noose on minority distributors. “spies” were checking up on him to
letters to the editor:
newspaper. those interested in that were done and allowed to be the locker. Molson Coors did not In 1994, Miller Brewing Compa- make sure he was really sick.
[email protected] or call
contacting the paper for that purpose done because our complaints fell comment on that allegation. ny paid $2.7 million to settle a Ferrill’s family issued a state-
202-334-6215
opinion: can: on deaf ears.” Employees said that the noose racial harassment suit brought by ment Friday that said they feel
email: [email protected].
[email protected] Robert Powell, a sanitation on Ferrill’s locker was discussed at black workers at the company’s “terrible sadness and heartache
Call: 202-334-6000, and ask to be
published daily (Issn 0190-8286). connected to the desk involved — worker at the plant from 2013 to a brewery-wide meeting held in plant in Fulton, N.Y., according to over the tragic incident” and that
postmaster: send address changes to national, Foreign, metro, style, sports, 2018, said he saw the n-word the “stables” of the brewery, a his- news reports at the time. The they were “shocked and dismayed
the Washington post, 1301 K st. nW, Washington,
d.c. 20071. business or any of the weekly sections. scrawled in a bathroom stall in the toric room that once housed the workers alleged they had been to learn of the apparent involve-
periodicals postage paid in Washington, d.c., and comments can be directed to the brewery and a swastika carved draft horses but now is a meeting subjected to harassment that in- ment of our family member.”
additional mailing office. post’s reader advocate, who can be into a locker room wall. He re- space. Ken Litke, then the brewery cluded racist graffiti, nooses and [email protected]
reached at 202-334-7582 or called a conversation with Ferrill manager, led the meeting, em- racial slurs broadcast over the [email protected]
[email protected]. in March 2016, while they were on ployees said. brewery’s public address system.
break watching college basketball “He said, ‘Obviously this isn’t The company closed the plant Julie tate in Washington and dan
games. right. We don’t tolerate this,’ ” the shortly before settling the lawsuit simmons in milwaukee contributed to
“He was a cool guy, didn’t show current employee recalled, adding and laid off 900 workers. this report.
dIgesT
nATIonAL seCUrITy Irbil has been home to an elite cited for verifying large doses of Prosecutors said that he has a
U.S. Special Operations fentanyl were fined $2,000 and brother in Iraq who may be
Pentagon linguist faces
counterterrorism effort. $1,000, respectively, under their involved with the Islamic State
espionage charges — Spencer S. Hsu own settlements with the board. and that Alani had made
Mount Carmel previously said statements wishing Allah would
A contract linguist assigned to oHIo it fired 23 nurses, pharmacists use “divine powers” to harm non-
a U.S. Special Operations task and managers after its internal Muslims. There were also Islamic
Hospital system fined
force in Iraq was charged with investigation. State videos found on his
espionage Wednesday over over fentanyl doses — Associated Press cellphone, they said.
allegations that she turned over But Assistant U.S. Attorney
the names of human informants The hospital system where an FLorIdA Randy Hummel said
and other classified data to a intensive care doctor was accused investigators found “no linkage”
Mechanic gets 3 years
Lebanese man with ties to the of ordering excessive doses of the between Alani and any extremist
militant group Hezbollah. opioid painkiller fentanyl for for sabotaging jetliner groups.
The Justice Department said dozens of patients who died will Court documents show the
Mariam Taha Thompson, 61, be fined $400,000 for violating A veteran airline mechanic was sabotage involved gluing
formerly of Rochester, Minn., was Ohio pharmacy law under a sentenced Wednesday to three Styrofoam inside the nose of a
charged with one count of settlement announced years in prison for sabotaging an Boeing 737 at Miami
conspiracy and one count of Wednesday. American Airlines jetliner with International Airport so that it
delivering defense information to The Columbus-area Mount 150 people onboard in a bid to disabled a component pilots use
aid a foreign government. Carmel Health System also earn overtime fixing the plane. to monitor things such as
Prosecutors alleged that she agreed to pay more than $77,000 In sentencing Abdul-Majeed airspeed, altitude and the pitch of
passed the information to a man for the costs of the state Board of don campbell/Herald-palladIum/assocIated press Marouf Ahmed Alani, U.S. the plane. Authorities say if the
in whom she had a romantic Pharmacy’s investigation Beachgoers take advantage of the clear weather Wednesday at District Judge Marcia Cooke said flight had taken off as planned
interest. involving Mount Carmel West Silver Beach in St. Joseph, Mich. she found no evidence to support July 17 for Nassau, Bahamas, the
Thompson appeared in federal hospital, which has since closed, allegations that Alani, 60, had sabotage could have caused a
court in Washington on and William Husel, the fired links to the Islamic State militant crash.
Wednesday. The FBI arrested her doctor charged with murder in group or any terrorist Instead, the pilot saw an error
Feb. 27 at a U.S. military facility in the deaths of 25 patients over Husel has sued Mount Carmel for including instances where organization. message while the aircraft was on
Irbil, Iraq, where she worked, several years. defamation. controls on automated Alani is a naturalized U.S. the runway and returned to the
court filings said. Husel has pleaded not guilty. Mount Carmel was accused of dispensers were overridden to citizen originally from Iraq who terminal to have the problem
Court filings do not elaborate He argues he was caring for dying violations related to policies and fulfill Husel’s orders. had been an airline mechanic for examined.
on Thompson’s assignment, but patients, not trying to kill them. procedures for dispensing drugs, Two pharmacists who were 30 years. — Associated Press
THURSDAy, MARCH 5, 2020 . THE WASHINGTON POST EZ RE K A3
Politics & the Nation
Louisiana abortion case may come down to chief justice
ing medication.
Roberts emerges as Elizabeth Murrill, Louisiana’s
solicitor general, said the state’s
pivotal vote as high court
2014 law is intended to ensure the
considers precedents health and safety of women seek-
ing abortions and distinct from
the Texas law. Regulations for
abortion providers, she said, are
BY ROBERT BARNES consistent with those for the
AND ANN E. MARIMOW state’s surgery centers — both
require medical staffers to have
Chief Justice John G. Roberts admitting privileges.
Jr. emerged Wednesday as the “Even if it’s a medication abor-
pivotal, if inscrutable, key to tion, the doctor should be able to
whether a more conservative Su- handle a surgical abortion and be
preme Court is ready to reconsid- qualified to do that,” Murrill said,
er its precedents protecting abor- asking the court to affirm a ruling
tion rights. from the U.S. Court of Appeals for
The court’s four liberals ap- the 5th Circuit.
peared convinced that the Louisi- A Louisiana federal judge held
ana law at issue, requiring admit- a six-day trial on the law and
ting privileges at nearby hospitals agreed with abortion providers
for abortion-clinic doctors, is that the court’s decision in Heller-
identical to one from Texas that stedt meant that the law was
the Supreme Court struck down unconstitutional.
four years ago. But a panel of the 5th Circuit —
That appeared to leave Rob- the same court that had upheld
erts, now at the court’s ideological the Texas law — disagreed. The
center, holding the deciding vote. panel, on a 2-to-1 vote, found
As the case was argued, he factual distinctions between how
asked a variation of the same the restriction played out in Texas
question to all three lawyers ad- and Louisiana.
dressing the justices: Should the Judge Jerry E. Smith, writing
court undertake a fact-dependent, for the majority, said that the
state-by-state analysis when re- ASTRID RIECKEN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST court complied with the Supreme
viewing such restrictions? Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) leave the Senate chamber last month the Senate voted to acquit Court’s decision by taking a
That could indicate he felt he President Trump of two articles of impeachment. A new abortion case has again put Roberts at the center of a political maelstrom. painstakingly close look at the
could distinguish Louisiana’s law details.
from the Texas statute. Or it could court held in Whole Woman’s people morally think it’s wrong to challenge the Louisiana regula- procedure is not a bar to the “Unlike in Texas, the [Louisi-
mean he agreed with challengers Health, is much more likely to be and a lot of people morally think tions on behalf of their patients, woman getting needed medical ana law] does not impose a sub-
that similar laws were doomed an undue burden” on a woman’s the opposite is wrong,” said Brey- because their respective interests care. In the court’s Texas decision, stantial burden on a large frac-
because of the court’s precedent right to abortion. er, adding, “I think personally the are not necessarily aligned. the majority said there are nu- tion of women,” he concluded.
from 2016. Roberts, a dissenter in Kavanaugh pressed: “Could an court is struggling with the prob- “One is the interest of the for- merous reasons doctors might The full 5th Circuit declined to
the Texas case, did not indicate admitting-privileges law of this lem of what kind of rule of law do profit providers and not being not be able to attain admitting reconsider the panel’s decision,
what he believed was the proper kind ever have a valid purpose, in you have in a country that con- regulated in particular ways,” he privileges at a nearby hospital, and dissenting judges said their
answer. your view?” tains both sorts of people.” said. “The other is the interest of including the fact that it is so rare colleagues seemed more intent
The justices’ examination of “No, your honor,” Rikelman re- The justices were considering women in their own health and for their clients to need hospital- on giving the Supreme Court a
the Louisiana law could be mo- plied. “The medical consensus whether Louisiana’s 2014 law un- safety.” ization. chance to reverse its 2016 ruling
mentous if it signaled that the against these laws is clear.” Later, duly burdens women’s access to Wall noted that a patient who The court majority in that case than complying with it.
court was ready to revisit past she noted that the federal govern- abortion. Practitioners claim, and developed a complication at also said the admitting-privileges “I am unconvinced that any
decisions. And whatever it de- ment has dropped such a require- a federal judge agreed, that the home after an abortion might still requirement “provides few, if any, justice of the Supreme Court who
cides before the end of June will ment from its regulations of sur- law could force two of the state’s call the clinic to consult with her health benefits for women, poses decided Whole Woman’s Health
come in the midst of a heated gery centers nationwide. abortion clinics to close, leaving initial doctor before going to the a substantial obstacle to women would endorse our opinion,”
presidential election in which If the debate inside the court- only one doctor at one clinic to hospital. seeking abortions, and consti- Judge Stephen A. Higginson
Democrats have made abortion room was reminiscent of four perform the procedures. “It’s hard for me to believe that tutes an ‘undue burden’ on their wrote in his dissent. “The majori-
rights a priority and President years ago, the atmosphere inside The question of whether the women in Louisiana wouldn’t at constitutional right to do so.” ty would not, and I respectfully
Trump has said his ultimate goal and outside the court was em- abortion providers had legal least want the option to be treat- Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg suggest that the dissenters might
is to overturn Roe v. Wade. blematic of the decades that the standing to bring the case was not ed by the [same] doctor,” he said. stressed Wednesday that most not either.”
Trump has said his judicial Supreme Court has wrestled with in the 2016 case. But Justice Sam- Hospitalization after an abor- women who terminate their preg- The Louisiana case is June
nominees will oppose abortion, one of the country’s most divisive uel A. Alito Jr. sounded highly tion is rare, all sides agree, and nancies never get near a hospital. Medical Services v. Russo.
and it was the first major abor- issues. skeptical Wednesday that clinics the lack of admitting privileges by About 40 percent of abortions in [email protected]
tion case for his Supreme Court Members of Congress packed have legal grounds to sue, calling the doctor who performed the Louisiana are completed by tak- [email protected]
choices, Neil M. Gorsuch and the crowded courtroom, and law- such a claim “amazing” because
Brett M. Kavanaugh. yers who have litigated the issue of the doctors’ potential conflict
Gorsuch did not ask a question from both sides filled the pews. of interest.
during the hour-long oral argu- Among Wednesday’s spectators To reject the clinic’s right to
ments. Kavanaugh’s questioning was Roberts’s wife, Jane Roberts, sue, Rikelman said, would re-
was similar to that of Roberts, as who before the chief justice quire the court to overrule at least
he wondered whether different joined the court was legal counsel eight past abortion-related deci-
conditions in states could afford for Feminists for Life of America, sions.
different outcomes than in the a group that opposes abortion. Liberals said the court would
2016 case, Whole Women’s Health At a rally of abortion rights be reversing decades of precedent
v. Hellerstedt. supporters outside the court, Sen- to make such a finding, and the
“Are you saying admitting- ate Minority Leader Charles E. court’s other conservatives did
privileges requirements are al- Schumer (D-N.Y.) called out Gor- not ask about the issue.
ways unconstitutional, such that such and Kavanaugh by name. The court could reaffirm or
we don’t have to look at the facts “You have released the whirl- overturn its 2016 precedent in the
state by state?” Kavanaugh asked wind, and you will pay the price,” Texas case, or distinguish it in a
attorney Julie Rikelman after Schumer said. “You won’t know way that a restriction deemed
posing a hypothetical about a what hit you if you go forward unconstitutional in one state is
state with 10 clinics and 20 doc- with these awful decisions.” allowed in another.
tors, all with the necessary cre- Schumer’s remarks prompted One change at the court: While
dentials. Kavanaugh had previ- a rare public rebuke from Chief the Justice Department in 2016
ously voted to allow the Louisiana Justice Roberts, who issued a urged the justices to strike down
law to go into effect, saying it was statement hours later calling the the Texas law, Trump administra-
unclear whether doctors had criticism from the highest levels tion lawyers argued that Louisi-
worked hard enough to secure of government in the midst of ana’s should be left in place, even
the privileges. arguments “inappropriate” and if it means overturning the opin-
Rikelman, senior litigation di- “dangerous.” ion in the Texas case.
rector of the Center for Reproduc- Inside the courtroom, Justice Jeffrey B. Wall, principal depu-
tive Rights, replied that “the bur- Stephen G. Breyer acknowledged ty solicitor general, representing
dens may vary, but a law that has the contentious public divide. the Trump administration, urged
no benefit and serves no valid “In the country, people have the court to find that medical
state interest, which is what this very strong feelings and a lot of providers do not have a legal right
DEA to return $82,000 cash seizure
searches and seizures by confis- senting Brown and Rolin, said the
Woman sued after her cating cash from travelers without lawsuit will continue because the
probable cause to suspect that a institute is still getting reports
father’s life savings were crime has been committed. The that the DEA is seizing money at
confiscated at airport lawsuit claims the DEA’s only cri- airports on flimsy pretexts.
terion for confiscating cash is that Alban said DEA’s returning the
it exceeds $5,000. money “confirms there was no
It is legal to travel domestically probable cause for a seizure.”
BY JUSTIN JOUVENAL with any amount of cash, but trav- Brown said the episode began
elers going abroad must declare after a visit she made to her fa-
The Drug Enforcement Admin- amounts of more than $10,000. ther’s Pittsburgh-area home, dur-
istration plans to return a man’s On Feb. 28, an attorney for ing which he asked her to open a
life savings that the agency seized Brown and Rolin received a letter joint bank account with him.
from his daughter at an airport from a DEA lawyer saying the Brown said she got the money
over the summer, according to a money was being returned. “After on a Sunday night and was leaving
letter from the agency, but it pro- further review, a decision has been the Pittsburgh area for her home
vided little explanation about why made to return the property,” the in the Boston area on a flight the
the more than $82,000 in cash was letter read, but it provided no ad- next morning, before banks
taken or why it was being given ditional explanation. opened. Brown said she tucked
back. A DEA spokeswoman did not the money into her carry-on and
Rebecca Brown said that she respond to a request for additional planned to open the account when
was never told she was under sus- comment. she got home.
picion of a crime, that no drugs or Brown said in an interview After a security scan, a DEA
other contraband were found dur- Wednesday she was relieved the agent stopped her at the gate just
ing a search of her bag and that money would be returned because minutes before her flight was to
neither she nor her father have her father, who is 79, has had to leave, she said. The agent quizzed
been charged with any crime since put off critical dental care and has her about why she was carrying so
a DEA agent took the money at not been able to repair his pickup much cash. Brown put Rolin on
Pittsburgh International Airport truck. Still, she was angry the the phone to confirm the story
as she was on her way to Boston in agency did not shed more light on about opening a bank account, but
late August. the incident. he was unable to confirm certain
Brown and her father, Terry Ro- “There’s zero explanation and details because he is experiencing
lin, filed a class-action lawsuit zero apology,” Brown said. “It’s cognitive decline.
against the DEA, the Transporta- unfortunate the government is “He just handed me the phone
tion Security Administration and able to do this to people. It’s just and said, ‘Your stories don’t
government officials in January, not fair.” match,’ ” Brown recalled the agent
saying the agencies violate the Dan Alban, a lawyer at the Insti- saying. “ ‘We’re seizing the cash.’ ”
Constitution’s ban on unlawful tute for Justice, which is repre- [email protected]
A4 eZ M2 THE WASHINGTON POST .THURSDAy, MARCH 5, 2020
election 2020
Warren, Sanders allies scramble to find her an exit ramp
But Tuesday’s results, which
As candidate considers were far worse than her campaign
had projected, may have changed
bowing out, opponents
the equation. Early returns
seek her backing showed her capturing 28 of the
1,338 delegates at stake, although
that could grow as California con-
tinues to tabulate its numbers.
BY ANNIE LINSKEY She finished third in her home
AND SEAN SULLIVAN state of massachusetts and fourth
in oklahoma, where she grew up.
detroit —
Top surrogates and She reached the 15 percent state-
allies of Sens. Elizabeth Warren wide threshold, which is neces-
and Bernie Sanders are discussing sary to win significant numbers of
ways for their two camps to unite delegates, in only five of the 14
and push a common liberal agen- states that voted Tuesday.
da, with the expectation that War- on Tuesday, when Warren vot-
ren is likely to leave the presiden- ed in her home precinct — at an
tial campaign soon, according to elementary school in Cambridge
two people familiar with the talks. — students dropped red and white
The conversations, which are in rose petals from their second-floor
an early phase, largely involve window as she walked by. They
members of Congress who back pressed against windows to catch
Sanders (I-Vt.) reaching out to a glimpse of her, and she waved at
those in Warren’s camp to explore them after voting.
the prospect that Warren (D- But Warren has also been facing
mass.) might endorse him. They mounting pressure from liberal
are also appealing to Warren’s sup- activists and Sanders supporters
porters to switch their allegiance to depart the race. They argue that
to Sanders, according two people she is hurting the senator from
with direct knowledge of the con- Vermont by dividing the party’s
versations who spoke on the con- liberal faction, while Democratic
dition of anonymity to discuss del- centrists have coalesced behind
icate discussions that are sup- Biden. Sanders also fell below ex-
posed to be confidential. pectations Tuesday, as Biden
Warren associates and the rolled up big margins.
camp of former vice president Joe rep. Ilhan omar (D-minn.), a
Biden also had talks about a po- Sanders backer and leading voice
tential endorsement if she drops MAtt McclAIn/tHe WAsHIngton Post on the left, said via Twitter: “Imag-
out, according to two people fa- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-mass.) speaks in Detroit on Super Tuesday, when her poor results surprised her campaign. Winning Warren’s ine if the progressives consolidat-
miliar with the conversations. support would be a victory for either of her primary opponents, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) or former vice president Joe Biden. ed last night like the moderates
The whirlwind of activity re- consolidated, who would have
flects the rapid changes in a Dem- roger Lau suggested Wednesday “She has run a strong cam- Warren’s status is a major wild casing her mastery of policy and won?”
ocratic primary that is still very she was considering that. “Last paign,” Sanders said. “She will card in a primary that appears to her intellectual deftness — partic- other left-leaning groups have
much in transition. As late as Tues- night, we fell well short of viability make her own decision in her own be settling into a protracted battle ularly in the Las Vegas debate, been pressuring her for weeks to
day, many Warren allies believed goals and projections, and we are time.” between Biden and Sanders. oth- when she verbally disassembled depart.
she would stay in the race until the disappointed in the results,” he Liberal groups that endorsed er candidates with no clear path to former New York mayor mike “She should drop out of the race
Democratic convention, despite wrote to campaign staffers in a Sanders are now planning a con- the nomination have dropped out, Bloomberg, arguably ending his and endorse Bernie Sanders,” said
her poor showing to date in the note obtained by The Washington ference call for Thursday, in part but her aides say privately they campaign. matt Bruenig, founder of the Peo-
primaries, in hopes of retaining Post. “We are going to announce to discuss the impact of Warren’s had hoped Warren would stay in And despite a string of disap- ple’s Policy Project, a liberal think
her clout and influencing the shortly that Elizabeth is talking to candidacy on the race and the until the next Democratic debate, pointing finishes in the early pri- tank, whose group has been push-
eventual nominee. the team to assess the path for- potential effect of a withdrawal. on march 15. mary states, Warren continued to ing for her exit since her fourth-
But after Warren’s bleak perfor- ward.” Winning the backing of War- Warren may be the only female draw thousands to her rallies, in- place finish in New Hampshire.
mance in the Super Tuesday pri- Warren and Sanders spoke by ren, who began the race as a leader candidate to qualify for that de- cluding recent events in Seattle, “The question is how to get her
maries, her associates, as well as phone Wednesday, Sanders told of the party’s liberal wing but later bate, and her departure would Denver, Houston and Detroit. to prioritize that this [a progres-
those of Sanders and Biden, say reporters in Vermont. “She has not positioned herself as a uniter, leave Democrats essentially decid- money, too, has continued to sive agenda] is a more important
she is now looking for the best way made any decisions as of this would be a coup for either Sanders ing between two white men in flow. Her campaign raised thing than whatever it is she hopes
to step aside. There is no certainty point,” he said. “It is important for or Biden. for Sanders, it could their late 70s — after the party’s $29 million in february, com- to achieve by staying in,” Bruenig
she will endorse Sanders or any- all of us, certainly me, who has help unify the liberal faction and last two presidential nominees pared with Biden’s $18 million said.
one else, but the talks reflect the known Elizabeth Warren for signal that he is very much still in were a black man and a white haul for that month. Warren also [email protected]
growing pressure on the senator many, many years, to respect the the race; for Biden, it would ex- woman. has the support of a super PAC [email protected]
from massachusetts to withdraw. time and the space she needs to tend the recent rush of party lead- Her debate skills have been a that’s been airing $14 million
Warren campaign manager make a decision.” ers who have rallied around him. high point of her campaign, show- worth of TV ads for her. sullivan reported from Burlington, Vt.
Bloomberg prepares to shift his money and sta≠ in support of Biden’s campaign
CampaIgn from a1 ing his staff as part of a separate overall lead of about 45 delegates.
independent group to help Biden, Perhaps more important, he was
diverse field — powered by a according to campaign finance able to build a powerful coalition
half-dozen women attempting to experts. that included African American
tap into an activated female elec- Biden is not the only Democrat voters and the white working
torate — has now boiled down to in the party eager for Bloomberg class, winning over women in the
two white men in their late 70s to stay invested. suburbs and disaffected republi-
who each have spent about a Senate minority Leader cans.
half-century running for political Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who Turnout was up sharply in
office. benefited in 2018 from a $20 mil- many of the states, with nearly
Biden and Sanders are now lion donation Bloomberg gave to every one voting in bigger num-
preparing to catapult their candi- an outside group supporting Sen- bers than in 2016 and some states
dacies into a new round of con- ate Democrats, released a state- exceeding the 2008 contest that
tests over the next two Tuesdays, ment after Bloomberg left the has been the modern barometer
when 10 more states will vote and race. for voter enthusiasm.
award nearly 900 additional dele- “mayor michael Bloomberg’s In Texas, turnout was up about
gates, a stretch that could deter- deep and impactful record of 60 percent compared with 2016,
mine the race. action on gun safety, fighting while Tennessee saw a 37 percent
As the results from the states climate change, and advocating increase.
that voted on Super Tuesday be- for immigration reform made About 1.3 million voters in
came more definitive, the shape him a strong and worthy compet- Virginia cast ballots in the Demo-
of the campaign shifted swiftly itor in this primary,” Schumer cratic primary, up from the previ-
and forcefully. Sanders cruised said. “His continuing commit- ous record of about 986,000 dur-
into Super Tuesday hoping to ment to these fights — and to ing the 2008 contest.
surge to a potentially insur- defeating the divisive and damag- There are still significant risks
mountable lead. But now, Biden ing Trump presidency — is states- for Biden, and he will test wheth-
is narrowly ahead — and looking manlike and will permanently er voters care about his verbal
at a more favorable map as demo- tonI l. sAndys/tHe WAsHIngton Post inure to his credit.” gaffes or whether republican at-
graphics in the upcoming con- mike Bloomberg waves at his Super Tuesday rally in Florida. He has pledged large staffs in swing states There are six states voting on tempts to re-litigate the actions of
tests largely tilt in his direction. for the general election, and his data operation will keep helping Democrats up and down the ballot. Tuesday, awarding 352 delegates. his son Hunter will gain addition-
Biden has 433 delegates to Sand- The largest prize is michigan, but al traction. Biden’s son served on
ers’s 388, with California still Joe and I are running very differ- next move. “This decision is in “entered the race for president to missouri and Washington state the board of Burisma, a Ukraini-
tallying results. ent campaigns, and my hope is, in her hands, and it’s important that defeat Donald Trump, and today I also have large hauls. Biden is an gas company, while he was vice
Voter turnout in several states the coming months, we’ll be able she has the time and space to am leaving the race for the same poised to do well in mississippi, president and attempting to
was dramatically higher than in to debate and discuss the very consider what comes next,” Lau reason.” which has the same demograph- crack down on corruption in
2016, with Democratic voters mo- significant differences that we wrote. Bloomberg has pledged to em- ics as the Southern states he Ukraine. While there has been no
tivated to choose a nominee who have.” Warren and Sanders spoke by ploy large field staffs in six swing swept on Tuesday. evidence of wrongdoing, the ac-
they hope can unseat President Sanders, who has been criti- phone Wednesday. Their top sur- states in the general election, Perhaps the only major mo- tions of the Bidens became a part
Trump. But Sanders, whose cam- cized for the bullying and vitriol rogates and allies have discussed even though he is no longer a ment to change the race comes of Trump’s impeachment trial.
paign has long argued that it was that some of his supporters em- ways for them to unite and push a candidate. The billionaire’s data during a march 15 debate in Biden’s campaign — and his
expanding the electorate with ploy on social media, also reiter- common liberal agenda, The Post operation, Hawkfish, will also Phoenix. Two days later, four im- growing list of prominent endors-
new, younger voters, conceded ated that he does not want the reported Wednesday. continue operating to elect Dem- portant bellwether states — Ari- ers — has increasingly tried to
that had not happened. campaign to turn into a “Trump- Aside from Warren, rep. Tulsi ocrats up and down the ballot. zona, florida, Illinois and ohio — showcase his character and em-
“Have we been as successful as type effort where we’re attacking Gabbard (D-Hawaii), who has “mike fully intends to put his vote and award 577 delegates, the pathy.
I would hope in bringing young each other, where it’s personal earned a single delegate from resources and commitment in the second-biggest single-day haul They say that making the con-
people in?” Sanders said to re- attacks — that’s the last thing this American Samoa, is the only oth- broadest way possible behind Joe remaining in the race. trast between a longtime politi-
porters at a campaign office in country wants.” er candidate remaining. Biden’s candidacy,” said Tim By the end of march, nearly cian who even opponents say is a
Burlington, Vt. “The answer is Sanders and Warren spoke ear- o’Brien, a senior adviser to two-thirds of the delegates will good and decent person will pro-
no.” lier on Wednesday, and she told Bloomberg’s strange ride Bloomberg. “We have long-term have been awarded, and pressure vide a strong contrast with
Sanders for months has had him that she is assessing her Bloomberg’s exit from the race leases and long-term contracts will grow on any candidate who Trump, who has stretched tradi-
trouble taking a sharp line campaign’s future. concluded one of the most unusu- with the team, and the intention doesn’t have a chance at reaching tional limits of civility and dis-
against Biden, jabbing occasion- roger Lau, Warren’s campaign al campaigns in politics, in which was always to put this big ma- a majority to drop out of the race. course.
ally at him as if they were in a manager, sent an all-staff email a billionaire tested the limits of chine we have built behind who- It takes 1,991 delegates to win the “We set high expectations for
fight on the Senate floor rather Wednesday morning thanking money’s impact on the first stages ever the nominee is.” nomination. the campaign [on Tuesday], and
than a brawl for the Democratic them and explaining that the of a highly volatile presidential Bloomberg’s aides, however, he absolutely blew through those
Biden’s Texas upset
nomination. But the future of his candidate will make a decision primary race. have not announced whether expectations and had a record-
candidacy may depend on wheth- about her future in coming days. But after dismal results — pick- they will take out ads in the Biden carried 10 of 14 Super breaking night,” said rep. Cedric
er he can trigger a seismic shift in “Last night, we fell well short of ing up delegates but failing to win primary campaign to help Biden Tuesday states. He swept the L. richmond (D-La.), co-chair-
how voters view the former vice viability goals and projections, a single state outright — the or whether Bloomberg campaign South and won in the Upper man of the Biden campaign. “Peo-
president. and we are disappointed in the former mayor on Wednesday staffers in upcoming primary midwest, carried massachusetts ple know Joe Biden. He’s authen-
“Joe Biden is someone I’ve results,” Lau wrote, according to a morning called Biden to discuss states will work for Biden’s nomi- and maine, and scored a major tic. He has empathy. He’s con-
known for many years. I like Joe, I copy of the email obtained by The his decision. nation. upset by winning Texas. cerned, and he has experience.”
think he is a very decent human Washington Post. “We are going “I’m sorry we didn’t win. It’s Campaign finance rules gener- Sanders won his home state of [email protected]
being,” Sanders told reporters to announce shortly that Eliza- still the best day of my life, and ally give self-funded campaigns Vermont, as well as Colorado and [email protected]
Wednesday. “Joe and I, we have a beth is talking to the team to tomorrow’s going to be even bet- significant leeway to spend mon- Utah, and was expected to win
very different voting record. Joe assess the path forward.” ter,” Bloomberg said to cheers ey, even if the funds support other the biggest delegate prize of Cali- Annie linskey, Michael scherer and
and I have a very different vision He also asked that Warren be from a crowd later in the day in candidates. Bloomberg also has fornia. sean sullivan contributed to this
for the future of this country, and given some time to figure out her New York. He reiterated that he the option of renaming or rehir- most tallies had Biden with an report.
THURSDAy, MARCH 5, 2020 . THE WASHINGTON POST eZ re A5
election 2020
Clyburn’s endorsement of Biden signaled Democrats, propelling a political surge
James E. Clyburn With Biden in place as youth, Clyburn was arrested for local level, until winning a newly After meeting decades ago, previous outings, amid what was
@PKCapitol
met the young Democratic delegate-leader, organizing a sit-in in 1960 in drawn district in 1992 stretching Clyburn and Biden talked about otherwise a shouting match.
PAUL KANE senator from Clyburn’s friends have spent the South Carolina. In jail, he met from Columbia to Charleston. their childhoods and Biden’s The next morning, Clyburn
Delaware about past 72 hours marveling at how Emily England, a fellow college He quickly became an experiences around Wilmington, ended what little suspense was
40 years ago, well the presidential race has pivoted student who split a hamburger in influential figure in the Del., a racially charged city in the left. “I know Joe. We know Joe.
before Joe Biden launched any of from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), two for them to share. Congressional Black Caucus and 1960s and 1970s. But most importantly, Joe knows
his three bids for president and someone most Democrats have a About 18 months later, they in 2003 won a junior post on When they served in Congress us,” Clyburn said.
decades ahead of his eight-year cool relationship with, back into were married, and the first of Pelosi’s leadership team. When together, Clyburn liked to appear Butterfield said a close friend
run as vice president. the arms of Biden. three daughters was born in 1962. Democrats won the majority in alongside Biden, then a senator, who worked for Tom Steyer, the
The duo spent years tending to “Jim Clyburn’s endorsement By 1971, Clyburn became the the 2006 midterms, Clyburn on cable talk shows. billionaire businessman who
each other at times of personal was an earthquake that will be became majority whip, a position When Emily Clyburn died in spent more than $20 million in
despair and boosting each other written about in the history that only one other September, after a long illness, the Palmetto State, informed him
at key moments — none more books,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D- “Jim Clyburn’s Congressional Black Caucus Biden attended a service in that his share of the black vote
critical than Clyburn, 79, now the N.Y.), a member of Democratic member held. Charleston for her, one of many plummeted.
House majority whip and leadership, said Wednesday endorsement was an Since South Carolina got this presidential contenders who “The minute Clyburn endorsed
highest-ranking black member in morning. early spot on the quadrennial made the journey. Biden, he could feel the ground
Congress, bestowing his For more than a week Clyburn earthquake that will calendar, Clyburn has served as But as Biden’s campaign got shifting, because the black vote
endorsement on Biden last week. and his red zip sweater, the color the ambassador to the state’s started, Clyburn saw the same that Steyer had was soft,”
The former vice president’s of his alma mater, South be written about in Democratic primary. He stayed mistakes everyone else did. Butterfield said.
campaign for the White House Carolina State University, have neutral in the epic 2008 battle Stories about Biden’s record on Still, at this great moment of
got off to a horrible start in early been ever-present on national the history books.” between Barack Obama and busing and allegations that he national acclaim, Clyburn feels a
states and, by last week, support TV, taking victory laps as a Hillary Clinton but stepped in was too gregarious with hole in his heart.
among African Americans kingmaker. It’s an unfamiliar Rep. Hakeem Jeffries several times to criticize actions supporters — sometimes kissing “We can have a private
remained wobbly — until role for a man who has spent (D-N.Y.) by Bill Clinton. women on the forehead without conversation, and we can say
Clyburn (D-S.C.) spoke up. Biden more than 17 years on the In 2016, Clyburn backed asking permission — left him something that would remind
was lifted to victory in South leadership team of House Hillary Clinton over Sanders just unsure of his instincts. him of Emily and something she
Carolina on Saturday by winning Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), before the Nevada caucuses. She “He was out of kilter,” Clyburn had said to him. And he will just
more than 60 percent of black usually following her lead. highest-ranking black adviser to won Nevada and then won South said. “Joe Biden got knocked off pause for a moment,” Butterfield
voters, a share he repeated in “The country has now seen a South Carolina governor, and Carolina in a landslide. stride.” said.
many states Tuesday, winning what we experienced working after a major speech in This time, Clyburn swore Two days before the debate, Late Tuesday, after another
10 of the 14 states on the ballot. with Jim Clyburn day after day,” Charleston, he got in the car with publicly that he would not Clyburn met with Biden and gave cable TV hit, Clyburn’s daughter
Despite all the doubts about Jeffries said. his wife for the two-hour drive to endorse anyone until after the him forceful advice, trying to texted to tell him that he looked
Biden’s standing, the 14-term Clyburn, who said he would Columbia. He finally asked what Feb. 25 debate in Charleston — clear his head of the many ideas exhausted, his eyes turning red
lawmaker said he knew whom his decline any job in a Biden she thought. but his friends say they knew aides gave him. from lack of sleep.
constituents wanted to support, administration, joked that he “I just wonder when you’re where his heart was all along. Answer every question, So, Clyburn told the Biden
but they just needed the signal to wanted to be “ambassador to the going to stop talking about the “He was always a Biden Clyburn told him, in three parts: campaign that he cannot make it
rally around Biden. PGA,” a posting the avid golfer problems of South Carolina and person. He always had great Tell voters how an issue connects to Michigan to campaign this
“Get to know the people that would have to first create. start doing something,” Emily respect and admiration for Joe to their lives individually, to their weekend, and he asked for some
you want to vote for you,” Clyburn Instead, he plans to file Clyburn said, according to her Biden,” Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D- family and then more broadly to much-deserved time off.
said in a 30-minute interview paperwork Friday to run for a husband’s recollection. N.C.), a former Congressional their community. “I’m going home to get some
Wednesday. “I knew that they 15th term in the House. He set his sights on elective Black Caucus chairman, said Biden won fairly good reviews rest,” he said.
were waiting to hear from me.” A civil rights activist as a office, with stops and starts at the Wednesday. for being more focused than in [email protected]
Biden camp weighs seeking Secret Service protection
campaign cycles have tried to
Concern high after hold off over concerns that a large
security entourage could hamper
activists rush the stage
their ability to interact more di-
at Super Tuesday rally rectly with supporters.
Both Biden, during his eight
years as vice president, and Sand-
ers, during his 2016 contest
BY DAVID NAKAMURA against Hillary Clinton for the
AND CAROL D. LEONNIG Democratic presidential nomina-
tion, have received Secret Service
Joe Biden’s presidential cam- protection in the past.
paign on Wednesday began pri- “Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden
vately deliberating whether to need secret service protection,”
formally request Secret Service Robert Gibbs, a White House
protection for the candidate, ac- press secretary under President
cording to a person with knowl- Barack Obama, said on MSNBC
edge of the situation, a day after on Tuesday. Of the skirmish at
protesters rushed the stage at his Biden’s event, he added: “What
event in Los Angeles in what happened tonight was nothing
experts called a major security short of genuinely scary. . . . They
breach. should have Secret Service pro-
Both Biden and fellow candi- tection in the next 24 to 48 hours.”
date Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Obama received Secret Service
rely on private security firms to protection earlier than any other
handle their public appearances, candidate — in May 2007, nearly a
which is unusual this late in a year and a half before the 2008
presidential campaign cycle in election. The congressional advi-
comparison with 2016, 2012 and sory committee at the time
2008. But their emergence over warned that the first viable Afri-
the past week as the clear front- can American candidate for the
runners in the Democratic prima- White House faced an unusually
ries has prompted calls for the high security risk. (Hillary Clin-
Department of Homeland Securi- ton, who also was running for the
ty, which oversees the U.S. Secret Democratic nomination at the
Service, to authorize full-time MelINA MArA/THe wAsHINgToN PosT time, already received Secret Ser-
protection for both of them. Jill Biden, second from right, pivots into a blocking position to prevent a vegan activist from reaching her husband, Democratic vice protection in her capacity as
“Taking into consideration the presidential candidate Joe Biden, onstage at a rally in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. Two activists rushed the stage and were wrestled off. a former first lady.)
remaining candidates’ large cam- In 2012, the eventual Republi-
paign operations, high polling can nominee, Mitt Romney, got
averages, as well as physical protection in February of that
threats to their safety . . . I urge year, while Donald Trump and
you to immediately initiate the Ben Carson, running for the GOP
consultation process to deter- nomination in the 2016 cycle,
mine whether to provide USSS began receiving Secret Service
protection” to Biden and Sanders, coverage in November 2015.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss), In 2016, Trump and Clinton
the chairman of the House Home- had instances at their campaign
land Security Committee, wrote events in which Secret Service
in a letter Wednesday to acting agents jumped onstage to sur-
DHS secretary Chad Wolf. round them over concerns about
Rep. Cedric L. Richmond protesters.
(D-La.), a member of the Home- As president, Trump receives
land Security Committee and co- round-the-clock protection. For-
chair of Biden’s campaign, told mer presidents continue to have
reporters that Democratic law- smaller Secret Service details —
makers were “worried about” se- but Biden no longer is granted
curity for the Democrats on the such protections as a former vice
campaign trail even before the president.
incident at Biden’s speech on Su- Wackrow, the former agent,
per Tuesday. has not seen intelligence reports
The Biden campaign has begun about the 2020 candidates. But he
deliberating over whether to suggested Biden’s threat profile
move forward with a formal re- might be magnified because of
quest to the Secret Service, ac- President Trump’s unfounded al-
cording to the person familiar legations that the former vice
with the situation, who spoke on president had acted improperly
the condition of anonymity to when his son Hunter Biden
comment freely about a sensitive served on the board of a Ukraini-
security matter. The Sanders an energy company.
campaign did not immediately That accusation led Trump last
respond to questions on the sub- summer to privately pressure
ject. The DHS also did not re- Ukraine’s president to open an
spond to a request for comment. investigation into the Bidens, a
The onstage skirmish during demand that ultimately led
the former vice president’s re- House Democrats to impeach
marks in Los Angeles highlighted Trump. The president has berated
the potential risks for candidates sAlwAN georges/THe wAsHINgToN PosT the Bidens in public remarks and
addressing large crowds. A pair of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), also a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, greets a crush of supporters in Springfield, Va., called on China to open an inves-
vegan activists holding signs last month. Candidates consider such interaction vital to their outreach, but it poses enormous security challenges for campaign officials. tigation into Hunter Biden’s busi-
reading “Let Dairy Die” rushed ness activities in that country.
the stage before being physically as a Secret Service agent in the payer-funded Secret Service pro- who is regularly appearing at majority leader, currently Sen. “They’ve now made him a tar-
pushed and pulled away by by- agency’s Presidential Protective tection, and when such protec- rallies, conducting a national Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — helps get,” Wackrow said. “It’s all rheto-
standers including Biden’s wife, Division. “These were environ- tion should begin, can be a tricky campaign and receiving at least review the request before the ric, but rhetoric can transcend to
Jill, and a campaign aide in a mental activists. Anyone aligning calculation — for federal officials 15 percent support in established DHS secretary makes a decision. physical harm.”
video that has circulated widely with a specific ideology is poten- and the candidates themselves. polls. Biden and Sanders both Outsourcing security to the [email protected]
online. tially dangerous. I think both Under federal guidelines, a candi- meet such requirements. federal government can be a boon [email protected]
The incident was a “massive Bernie and Biden would want it at date must meet minimum stan- Campaigns must request pro- for cash-strapped campaigns and
security failure,” said Jonathan this point.” dards that include being a “ma- tection from the DHS, and a also bestow a heightened legiti- Matt Viser, Cleve r. wootson Jr. and
Wackrow, a risk-management The question over which presi- jor” candidate in his or her party bipartisan congressional adviso- macy on candidates. But some sean sullivan contributed to this
consultant at Teneo who served dential candidates deserve tax- — generally defined as a someone ry committee — led by the Senate candidates in past presidential report.
A6 eZ re THE WASHINGTON POST .THURSDAy, MARCH 5, 2020
election 2020
After Super Tuesday struggles, Sanders faces a reckoning
quietly connected by phone and
Poor showings with text message, according to three
Democrats familiar with those
traditional Democrats,
discussions who spoke on the
black voters loom large condition of anonymity to de-
scribe private deliberations.
In these discussions, some de-
bated whether Sanders’s anti-
BY SEAN SULLIVAN establishment message was
AND ROBERT COSTA enough. “We’ve got to be ready for
when the party gets cold feet on
BURLINGTON, VT. — Tuesday Biden and looks to us,” one of the
night was the 39th anniversary of Democrats said. “We can’t just
Bernie Sanders’s narrow victory keep running the same playbook
to become the mayor of this liber- again and again.”
al lakeside city, the race that A second Democrat involved
launched the career of one of the said there are plans to reach out
country’s most prominent left- to supporters of Sen. Elizabeth
wing politicians. Warren (D-mass.) in key states,
But what could have been a should she drop out, but those
triumphant homecoming for a efforts are not being directed by
political revolutionary seemingly Sanders’s inner circle since they
on course to become the Demo- are busy with primary contests,
cratic presidential nominee in- ads and travel.
stead morphed quickly into a mo- The second Democrat added
ment of reckoning — a sign that that there are some leading liber-
the political movement he has als in Sanders’s orbit who would
built may not be enough to get like to see “less michael moore
him to the White House. and the Squad” on the campaign
By Wednesday, Sanders sought trail.
to regain his footing from prima- Warren’s intentions were not
ry election defeats in several key clear on Wednesday, and her con-
states as his campaign advisers tinued presence in the race is
looked to address his glaring in- sAlwAn georges/tHe wAsHIngton Post hurting Sanders, some of his al-
ability to win African Americans Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) attend a rally at Champlain Valley exposition in essex Junction, Vt., on Tuesday. While Sanders lies privately acknowledged. As
and traditional Democrats. was able to win his home state, former vice president Joe Biden racked up victories in at least 10 others on Super Tuesday. the senator from massachusetts
Hours after Joe Biden racked hunkered down to consider her
up wins in at least 10 of the 14 Biden, particularly among black Tennessee and Texas, getting were tallied in California — Tues- campaigning for Sanders last future after failing to gain trac-
Super Tuesday states, Sanders voters, as the loyal lieutenant to roughly 60 percent of the black day’s biggest prize — the delegate week. He recalled meeting a tion anywhere on Tuesday, she
took sharp aim at the former vice the country’s first African Ameri- vote. advantage Biden had built would young African American man and Sanders spoke, according to
president’s record, a sign of what can president. Sanders’s push to broaden the shrink or disappear entirely. Even who told him, “my student loans the senator from Vermont.
aides said would be a more con- The flurry of activity amounted electorate with scores of new vot- if it does, though, the path ahead are killing me.” Sanders said it was important
frontational posture in the com- to the clearest acknowledgment ers rallying behind him hasn’t for Sanders is a treacherous one, “I asked who he was voting for, to “respect the time and the space
ing weeks. Sanders also unveiled yet that the coalition Sanders has been realized. And he has strug- with some states that present op- and he said Joe Biden,” recalled that she needs to make her deci-
a pair of television commercials built — which is composed largely gled to persuade voters that a portunities but many others that Lumumba. “I said, ‘I don’t know sion.”
critical of Biden’s record on Social of young people, liberals, work- leftist political revolution is the seem more favorable to Biden. what his policy is around your one bright spot for Sanders on
Security and trade in states voting ing-class voters and Latino voters best way to beat President Trump. Campaign officials are also eye- student loans, but I know where Tuesday was California, where he
later this month. — has failed to expand since Now, Sanders is confronting a ing michigan, a populous state Bernie Sanders is.’ ” was leading and performed well
“Joe and I have a very different Sanders’s upstart 2016 bid, all as radically different political land- where Sanders defeated Clinton Some close Sanders allies be- among Latino voters.
vision for the future of this coun- the rest of the party has coalesced scape from 11 days ago, when he in 2016. But florida, another lieve the distance between the Analilia mejia, Sanders’s politi-
try, and Joe and I are running very behind Biden. was flying high after a decisive delegate-rich state where many Sanders movement and the party cal director, said the campaign
different campaigns,” Sanders The Tuesday results, in which win in Nevada seemed to put him Democrats were angered by have caused broader issues, espe- sought to capitalize early on what
said. “my hope is that in the Sanders led in California while in the driver’s seat in the Demo- Sanders’s recent comments prais- cially when Biden is portraying it saw as a chance to make inroads
coming months, we will be able to winning Colorado, Utah and Ver- cratic race. Divisions in the mod- ing fidel Castro, is likely to be himself as a unifier. Now, some with Latino voters by immersing
debate and discuss the very sig- mont, offered a reminder that he erate wing of the party that en- much tougher. are trying to bridge that gap in itself in Hispanic communities
nificant differences that we have.” retains a forceful position in the abled him to succeed with a limit- mississippi, which holds its hopes of mending old wounds through intimate meetings, the
Sanders’s reset attempt, coming party — win or lose the nomina- ed, if loyal, base have been re- primary next week, could be an- and preventing new ones. hiring of staff who knew local
less than a week before another tion — with support from a quar- solved. other difficult contest for Sanders “our campaign is deeply proud areas best and by encouraging
critical set of primaries, reflected ter to a third of the base. on Wednesday, Sanders ap- due to the state’s high concentra- of the Democratic Party and con- young Latinos to persuade their
a divide among some of his sup- But much of his team’s focus peared frustrated by the decision tion of black voters. tributions to America,” said rep. parents to consider supporting
porters about how to proceed. Wednesday was on the need for by former New York mayor mike Sanders planned to travel fri- ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a national Sanders.
In some parts of the Sanders improvement. Bloomberg — who ended his cam- day to Jackson, miss., to deliver a co-chair of the Sanders campaign. “What people see outwardly,”
orbit, there have been private dis- Exit polls showed that the paign after a disappointing show- speech at a civil rights museum, “We are open to listening and mejia said, is “a rally at a particu-
cussions about how to reassure struggles Sanders experienced ing — and others to end their although his aides declined to say earning the trust of every Demo- lar location or state or city. What
Democrats that Sanders — a dem- among black voters four years ago campaigns and line up behind what he would talk about. crat from every ideological spec- isn’t always apparent is we build
ocratic socialist who frequently against Clinton were largely un- Biden. His struggles were apparent in trum to earn the right to lead this clutches with leaders and com-
lambastes the party establish- changed. Black voters boosted “How do we stop Bernie Sand- the closing days of the South extraordinary party.” munities before and after those
ment — is an ally of the party. Biden across Southern states on ers?” the senator from Vermont Carolina primary, when he drew Some Sanders allies believe the rallies.”
The campaign released an ad Super Tuesday, with exit polling said. “What you do is you get mostly white crowds. problem is deeper than party [email protected]
featuring an audio clip of former showing that he won the votes of candidates out of the race to rally Chokwe Lumumba, the African identity. [email protected]
president Barack obama praising roughly 7 in 10 black voters in around Joe Biden.” American mayor of Jackson, As Sanders spoke in Vermont
Sanders, a clear attempt to under- Virginia and Alabama, and did Sanders campaign officials miss., where Sanders will be fri- on Wednesday afternoon, a hand- emily guskin in washington
cut the benefit that has accrued to nearly as well in North Carolina, were hopeful that as more votes day, spent time in South Carolina ful of his prominent supporters contributed to this report.
Biden’s romp suggests a Stephen Nuño-Perez of Latino De-
cisions, a nonpartisan polling firm
that focuses on Latino political
strong anti-Trump hand and social attitudes and that has
done work for Democratic organi-
zations.
Exit polling suggested that
BIden from A1 tional editor of the Cook Political Biden won the votes of roughly
report. While Biden has trailed 70 percent of black voters in Vir-
burgeoning coalition during his Sanders among young people and ginia and Alabama and did nearly
victory speech Tuesday night in Hispanic voters, he has quickly as well in North Carolina and Tex-
Los Angeles. put together an emerging coali- as, getting roughly 60 percent of
“our campaign reflects the di- tion that capitalizes on the strong the vote. Biden also won in Ten-
versity of this party and this na- anti-Trump sentiment among nessee, oklahoma and Arkansas.
tion, and that’s how it should be,” black voters and suburban wom- Darren Peters, who worked on
he told supporters. “Because we en, she said. the presidential campaigns of Bill
need to bring everybody along, “Every campaign should have and Hillary Clinton, said Biden’s
everybody. We want a nominee its own coalition that is organic for strong showing with black voters
who will beat Donald Trump, but the candidate and is the right co- in Southern states could help him
also keep Nancy Pelosi the speaker alition for the moment,” Walter if he becomes the party’s nominee.
of the House, and win back the said. “These suburban voters who “It shows an ability to galvanize
United States Senate.” in years past would split their the kinds of constituencies that
His surprise overnight eleva- votes more evenly between Demo- are going to be needed to win in a
tion to delegate leader pleased crats and republicans are now general election,” Peters said,
moderate Democrats and un- coming out overwhelmingly highlighting the importance of
nerved some republicans who against Trump.” the black vote in key swing states
had expected Sen. Bernie Sanders Virginia, where voters showed like Pennsylvania and michigan.
(I-Vt.) to come out in front after up in record numbers for Tues- While some Democrats have
14 states voted on Super Tuesday. day’s primary, is a case in point. lUKe sHArrett for tHe wAsHIngton Post wondered if Biden, a familiar face
The results also harked back to roughly 1.3 million Virginia Supporters watch Joe Biden speak last month in Georgetown, S.C. Strong backing from African with a long track record, would
the 2018 midterm elections, in voters cast ballots, about 21 per- Americans, suburbanites and moderate white voters propelled Biden’s string of Super Tuesday wins. lose in the same way as Hillary
which Democrats won back the cent of the electorate, according to Clinton, Biden drew broader sup-
House and prevailed in several unofficial results. That’s up from sota, massachusetts and across But Biden’s victories also spokesman Tim murtaugh. “He’s port in North Carolina and Virgin-
competitive gubernatorial races the previous record of about the South, building on a swift- brought into sharper relief Sand- still a terrible candidate, and we ia than Clinton did in 2016. Clin-
by capitalizing on disdain for 986,000 votes and 18 percent of moving series of events in which ers’s failure to deliver on his still don’t know if he’ll be Presi- ton won 86 percent of Virginia
Trump among moderate and sub- the electorate in 2008, when two of his main moderate chal- pledge to drive a surge in turnout dent Trump’s opponent.” precincts and 65 percent of North
urban voters, combined with high obama was challenging Hillary lengers dropped out of the race among young people and disaf- Trump and his campaign have Carolina precincts in 2016. Biden
turnout among members of the Clinton for the party’s nomina- and endorsed him before Tuesday. fected voters he contended would sought to interfere with the Demo- won 93 percent of precincts in
Democratic base. tion. The endorsements by former power his campaign to a revolu- crats’ primaries, openly pushing both states.
rep. Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.), “The interest . . . in defeating South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Butt- tion-style victory. for a protracted fight between the rep. Tim ryan (D-ohio), who
who flipped a republican con- Donald Trump is so intense that igieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Sanders on Tuesday acknowl- party’s liberal and moderate ended his presidential bid last
gressional seat in 2018, said it’s almost unprecedented,” rich- minnesota, combined with edged he was disappointed in the wings that could last through the year, said Trump should be ner-
Biden’s string of victories was rem- mond political scientist Bob Hols- Biden’s resounding win Saturday turnout figures. nominating convention in July. vous about Biden’s ability to “con-
iniscent of his win in a district worth said. in South Carolina, had an impact. “I will be honest with you, we Sanders said Tuesday that he nect with the Whole foods moms
containing the suburbs of Charles- Biden was the beneficiary of the Voters who decided late heavily have not done as well in bringing planned to move forward with his and the suburban women” who
ton. Virginia groundswell, easily beat- backed Biden, according to exit young people into the political campaign and attacked Biden as a may have voted republican in the
“A lot of folks who came out and ing Sanders and three other candi- poll results. process,” he told reporters in Burl- member of the “establishment” past but have been turned off by
supported us are the same ones dates. While Biden came away from ington, Vt. “It is not easy.” who has voted for bad trade deals. the president’s divisiveness.
who came out and supported “It’s just extraordinary. In the Tuesday’s primaries with the most According to exit polls, about A drawn-out Democratic battle “I think there’s a silent majority
him,” said Cunningham, who en- commonwealth of Virginia, folks delegates, the contests revealed 13 percent of voters in Super Tues- over delegates and party rules of people who want Donald
dorsed Biden. are fired up. They want to beat some of the challenges he faces as day states were 18-to-29-year-olds, would allow Trump to continue Trump out of office,” ryan said.
In a campaign where electabili- Trump,” former governor Terry he tries to secure the nomination compared with 3 in 10 who were his attempts to build his coalition “They don’t want to have heated
ty has been a major theme, Biden mcAuliffe (D) said in an interview. and pull together a fractured par- 65 or older. ahead of the general election. discussions with people about it.
has taken to calling himself an He pointed to massive jumps in ty. republicans were quick to Trump, who spoke to the Latino They don’t want to get in fights
“obama-Biden” Democrat and turnout in the once-purple D.C. He was trailing Sanders in the point out that Biden entered the Coalition Legislative Summit on with people about it. They don’t
pledging to rebuild the kind of suburbs, which he said reflected country’s most populous state, race last year as a presumed lead- Wednesday, has been making a want to be on social media about
diverse electorate that helped for- “the intensity of the anti-Trump California, as votes were still being er, only to falter because of uneven public appeal to minority voters to it, but they’re appalled at his be-
mer president Barack obama se- feeling in Northern Virginia.” counted, and he continues to lag performances on the campaign back his campaign. havior.”
cure two terms. Cities with large African Ameri- with Hispanics and younger vot- trail and lackluster fundraising. Some younger Latino voters, [email protected]
But with Sanders capitalizing can populations also registered ers. It’s also not clear how Biden “Just a few days ago, Democrats who have backed Sanders over- [email protected]
on energetic crowds and support strong gains, with black voters would win over the liberal wing of had left Joe Biden for dead be- whelmingly, distrust Biden be- [email protected]
from many young voters, obama’s accounting for a quarter of all the party, which has supported cause they realized he was a terri- cause of the high number of de-
coalition has not fully rallied be- ballots cast. Sanders’s agenda advocating ble candidate. Nothing has portations that took place during lenny Bronner, Paul Kane and Mike
hind Biden, said Amy Walter, na- Biden also prevailed in minne- more sweeping changes. changed,” said Trump campaign the obama administration, said DeBonis contributed to this report.
THURSDAy, MARCH 5, 2020 . THE WASHINGTON POST eZ re A7
election 2020
Trump’s words on candidates can be a knife — or a wand
sources better spent on the gener- But Trump is likely to cast a
Attack tweet on Sessions al election. Another such contest large shadow in the coming
stands in contrast looms on March 17, when anti- month in Alabama, where Ses-
abortion Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D- sions promised Wednesday to
to effect of endorsements Ill.) faces a second consecutive campaign “with great confi-
challenge from activist Marie dence,” casting Tuberville as an
Newman. untested outsider who moved
“Monumental waste of re- back into the state just to enter
BY MIKE DEBONIS sources that could have been used politics.
to keep more blue seats — and “Let me say this — no one will
Former attorney general Jeff gain some, if we could,” said Rep. prevail in this Senate race with-
Sessions, plotting a return to the Vicente Gonzalez (D-Tex.), who out being vetted. This is especial-
U.S. Senate where he served for represents a neighboring district ly true of a tourist from Florida,”
20 years, received a rude awaken- to Cuellar’s. Sessions tweeted Tuesday. “The
ing Wednesday when President Another House incumbent, preliminaries are over. Now, we
Trump signaled in an early-morn- Rep. Kay Granger (R-Tex.), won a must know where our opponent
ing tweet that bygones would not considerably more comfortable stands on the key issues, like
be bygones. victory in her primary battle immigration and trade. One
Reacting to news that Sessions against a conservative insurgent, thing is clear. There is no doubt
had fallen well short of a majority Chris Putnam, who attacked her where I stand on these issues. You
in Tuesday’s Alabama Republican role as a top appropriator in have trusted me before, and you
primary, Trump unloaded on the negotiating and passing govern- can absolutely trust me again.”
man he blamed for the two-year ment spending bills that have Tuberville, who held a two-
federal investigation into Russian compounded the national debt. point lead in unofficial returns,
interference in the 2016 presiden- But the message never took cast Sessions as a “swamp insid-
tial race — suggesting he would hold, especially after Trump en- er” in a fundraising pitch sent
take a more active role ahead of a dorsed Granger. Wednesday — suggesting a nasty
decisive March 31 GOP runoff On Wednesday, following her campaign ahead.
after remaining on the sidelines nearly 16-point win, Granger was Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.),
for months. elIJAH NouVelAge/reuters on the House floor advocating for who has remained neutral in the
“This is what happens to some- Supporters gather as former U.S. attorney general Jeff Sessions speaks Tuesday in Mobile, Ala., after a bipartisan $8.6 billion spending race, said Tuberville’s plurality
one who loyally gets appointed results are announced in the Republican Senate primary for his old seat. He faces a March 31 runoff. bill targeting the coronavirus out- “showed the power of the presi-
Attorney General of the United break. dent” in holding down support
States & then doesn’t have the key Democratic race was decided of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suburbs of San Antonio but could The effect of Trump’s endorse- for a politician who was easily
wisdom or courage to stare down when Jessica Cisneros, a 26-year- (D-Calif.) and traditionally Re- not overcome Cuellar’s strength ment was felt across the congres- reelected three times after first
& end the phony Russia Witch old civil rights attorney, conceded publican allies such as the U.S. in the Rio Grande Valley, includ- sional map Tuesday, though it winning election in 1996.
Hunt,” Trump wrote, referring to her campaign to unseat Rep. Hen- Chamber of Commerce and the ing his hometown of Laredo. But was not entirely a magic wand. “He’s a good man, but you have
the probe led by former special ry Cuellar of Texas, who is among conservative funding network led in remarks conceding the race Three Trump-endorsed Republi- to win it on the battlefield,” Shel-
counsel Robert S. Mueller III. the most conservative Democrats Wednesday, she said the close cans — Wesley Hunt in Texas’s 7th by said Wednesday of Sessions.
“Recuses himself on FIRST DAY in the House. Cisneros had run on result showed her campaign had District, August Pfluger in Texas’s “He’s got a shot at it. But it’s a
in office, and the Mueller Scam a platform that included support “Monumental waste of “exceeded all expectations” and 11th District and Beth Van Duyne runoff, it’ll be a smaller turnout.
begins!” for a single-payer health care suggested she might run again in in Texas’s 24th District — easily . . . He’s got a deep challenge.”
The other candidate who quali- system, the Green New Deal cli- resources that could two years — when lower midterm won nomination in crowded In other notable results
fied for the runoff — former mate plan, a $15 minimum wage turnout could work to her advan- fields, and Jay Obernolte ad- Wednesday, three former mem-
Auburn University football coach and other liberal priorities. have been used to keep tage. vanced to November in Califor- bers of the House kept their hopes
Tommy Tuberville, who has por- The race has been closely “We’ve built an incredibly nia’s 8th District. of returning to Congress alive:
trayed himself as a Trumpian watched on Capitol Hill as a more blue seats.” strong organizing operation,” she But Ronny L. Jackson, the for- David Valadao is set for a rematch
outsider who would be complete- gauge of whether Democratic vot- told reporters in Laredo. “This mer White House attending phy- with Rep. TJ Cox (D-Calif.). In
ly loyal to the president — imme- ers would be willing to vote out Rep. Vicente Gonzalez fight was an opportunity to prove sician who was briefly Trump’s Texas, Pete Sessions (R) lost a
diately endorsed the tweet: “Mr. more moderate incumbents — (D-Tex.), on congressional races that a brown girl from the border nominee as secretary of Veterans Dallas-area seat in 2018, moved to
President, I could not agree more, including several House commit- where left-leaning candidates have with her whole community be- Affairs, finished in a distant sec- a more conservative Waco-based
and in 27 days help will be on the tee chairmen who are facing chal- tried to unseat centrist Democrats hind her could take on the ma- ond place in Texas’s 13th district district last year and now faces a
way!” lenges later this year. Cisneros chine and bring hope to South and now faces a runoff. runoff for the nomination, while
Trump’s signal to Alabama vot- attracted support from, among Texas, and we accomplished that, Trump made no endorsement Darrell Issa (R), who retired
ers came less than 12 hours after others, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) by industrialist Charles Koch — and we are going to keep fight- in another notable race that re- ahead of the 2018 election, ap-
polls closed in key congressional and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cor- eked out a four-point win in his ing.” flected the Trumpian tilt of the peared poised to advance to the
races that offered a grab bag of tez (D-N.Y.). Cisneros had hoped border district. To other Democrats, however, GOP: Pierce Bush, a scion of the November general election in a
implications for each party and to replicate Ocasio-Cortez’s 2018 Cisneros, with help from multi- Cuellar’s win showed there is a famous GOP family that has California primary that might not
their quests for control of Con- success in ousting an entrenched ple unions and the powerful limit in many districts for hard- clashed with Trump, finished a be decided for days due to the
gress. incumbent. Democratic group Emily’s List, left policies — and that interne- distant third in a House bid in the counting of mailed ballots.
Also on Wednesday morning, a But Cuellar — with the backing won by a large margin in the cine battles are a waste of re- Houston suburbs. [email protected]
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A8 eZ sU THE WASHINGTON POST .THURSDAy, MARCH 5, 2020
election 2020
Lengthy wait times in Tex. raise question of equal access
point fingers rather than fix the sons with disabilities.”
Voter suppression came way that they went about elec- On the TSU campus, freshman
tions.” Marleta Haynes, 19, said she origi-
to mind for some, but the
To some advocates, the lines nally went to vote around 4 p.m.
reality was complicated were a sign of the long-term ef- The line seemed long, so she fig-
fects of the Supreme Court’s 2013 ured she would come back later
decision in Shelby County v. Hold- when it had shortened.
er. The ruling blocked federal By when she returned, she said,
BY ELISE VIEBECK oversight of certain regions of the she was shocked to see that the
country that historically had line now snaked across the cam-
The lines stretched in the dark sought to limit the voting rights of pus. She waited for more than five
across the plaza at Texas Southern minorities. hours, from 6:50 p.m. until mid-
University, as hundreds of would- To restore the oversight, Con- night.
be voters stood for hours Tuesday gress must approve a new formula “On my feet the whole time,” she
to cast ballots in the Democratic to determine which regions merit said. “I had to set an example for
presidential primary. scrutiny. The Democratic-led others, like my younger brother.”
As they waited, students shared House passed legislation last year, After four hours of waiting, she
phone chargers, activists sent in but the Republican-led Senate has finally stepped into the building
pizza and exhausted voters resort- not taken it up. where the voting machines were
ed to sitting on the ground. That has left large parts of the and saw that the line zigzagged
The voting center at the histori- country without the robust feder- farther inside.
cally black university in Houston al protection of the Voting Rights “I was like, ‘Okay, I don’t think I
was one of a number of such loca- Act of 1965. can do this. I do not think I can do
tions around Texas that were “What we saw at TSU yesterday this,’ ” Haynes said. “But I started
plagued by long delays on Super is really voter suppression in texting my friends, and they were
Tuesday, raising questions about Jon sHApley/HoUston CHronICle/AssoCIAteD press 2020,” said Vanita Gupta, the pres- like, ‘You’ve been waiting in line
the readiness of local election offi- A slow-moving line, inspiring people to use chairs, at a polling center at Texas Southern University in ident and chief executive of the for too long; you cannot give up
cials and spurring outrage among Houston illustrates the delays some voters in the Texas Democratic primary endured Tuesday. Leadership Conference on Civil now.’ ”
voting rights advocates. Many cit- and Human Rights, in an inter- Haynes said that by the time she
ed as a factor the closing of hun- mitted to always improving the polling places compared with 401 that voters from the other party — view. left, she had missed the last shut-
dreds precincts around the state voting process and increasing ac- on Tuesday. She said the unusual even if they were waiting in long “In a lot of ways, I think the tle to her off-campus student
after a pivotal Supreme Court de- cess to the polls.” role of political parties in Texas lines — could not cross over to use American public thinks it’s just housing. Her phone was dying, so
cision in 2013. Election officials noted that primaries makes it difficult to the other side’s machines. conspiracy theory when we talk she had a friend call an Uber ride
One of the remaining Demo- Tuesday was the county’s first pri- compare Super Tuesday to the No- Trautman noted in a tweet that about this. But when you see imag- to take her home. It was not the
crats in the presidential field — mary using a countywide polling vember vote, which will be run she had proposed a joint primary es like yesterday and hear directly first-time voting experience she
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — system, which allows residents to entirely by professional election but said “one party agreed while from impacted people who were had expected, but she said she will
seized on the episode, tweeting cast ballots at any polling center, administrators. the other did not.” standing in line . . . I think that the not be deterred. She’ll vote again
that it revealed a “crisis of voter regardless of where they live. “Primary elections are differ- Lillie Schechter, the chair of the events of last night speak for in November, she said.
suppression.” In addition to that change, the ent. People don’t always realize Harris County Democrats, said themselves.” “But much earlier,” Haynes
However, interviews with elec- primary was shaped by the deci- the full scope of how they’re differ- that “a joint primary would have In a study released last year, the said. “When they tell us there is
tion officials, activists and voters sions of the local political parties, ent,” Werner said. allowed us to use all the machines Leadership Conference found early voting going on, I will most
pointed to a number of complicat- which were responsible for major Other factors contributed to the at each location for every voter that Harris County eliminated 52 definitely do that.”
ed factors that combined to pro- issues such as where polling plac- long wait times. Texas’s Harris that came in.” polling places between 2012 and TSU freshman Kim Rivers, 19,
duce the massive lines in Harris es were to be located, officials said. County — which includes Hous- “So when we had machines go 2018, the fourth-highest number said she got in line when her class
County. “The Democratic and Republi- ton and is the third most populous down at TSU for a brief period of by a county in areas affected by the let out at 3 p.m. and waited for two
“There was actually a failure in can Party need to agree on every- county in the country — relies on time, it wouldn’t have mattered, Shelby decision. At the state level, hours to vote for former vice presi-
the system at multiple junctures,” thing,” said Roxanne Werner, the paperless voting machines that because voters would have been Texas led the way with 750 polling dent Joe Biden.
said Beth Stevens, the voting director of community relations were introduced in 2002. They can able to use all the machines,” she places closed. Rivers thought it was unreason-
rights program director with the for the Harris County Clerk’s Of- be difficult to use and are prone to added. Gupta pointed to this finding able that there seemed to be the
Texas Civil Rights Project, in an fice, in an interview. “All of the breaking down, according to elec- Genevieve Carter, the commu- and to reports of the voting ma- same number of voting machines
interview. polling locations were negotiated tion security experts. Several peo- nications director at the Harris chines at TSU breaking down on for Democrats and Republicans.
“The effect is that you have by the Democratic and Republi- ple said in interviews that the County Republican Party, argued Tuesday as “proof points that cry “Being in an all-black commu-
black and brown people on college can Party with our assistance.” machines at TSU did not function that a joint primary would not out for change.” nity, you know there’s not many
campuses standing in line for two Compounding the issue: Turn- consistently throughout the day have prevented the long lines. She Trautman vowed after taking Republicans coming to vote,” Riv-
hours, four hours, seven hours to out was higher than expected, and Tuesday. said that GOP’s decision to decline office in February 2019 to “fully ers said. “Especially on campus at
vote,” she said. because Tuesday was a primary, The voting exercise was also a joint primary reflected a lack of comply with the requirements of an HBCU. So why do y’all have a
Harris County Clerk Diane fewer polling locations were open complicated by the Harris County confidence in county election ad- the Voting Rights Act to protect all whole five voting machines and
Trautman, a Democrat elected in than will be in November. Republican Party’s decision not to ministrators. of the people of Harris County only five for the Democrats?”
2018, tweeted a message of thanks Werner said Harris County hold a primary jointly with the “What this comes down to is the from the denial of their right to [email protected]
to voters Wednesday morning, plans to have all of its polling Democratic Party, officials said. county clerk’s incompetence and vote . . . particularly concerning
saying: “There is no such thing as locations open for the general This meant that each party had even arrogance,” Carter said in an the rights of people of color, mem- Brittney Martin in Houston
a perfect election, but I am com- election in November — about 750 designated voting machines and interview. “They have chosen to bers of language groups and per- contributed to this report.
Tech glitches, long lines
rile L.A. County voters

for years to develop its own voting
Balloting system meant system, one that was to be accessi-
ble to voters with disabilities and
to boost access made its non-English speakers. As the first
debut on Super Tuesday publicly owned voting system in
the United States, it would also
ease the grip that a handful of
private companies have long held
BY NEENA SATIJA, on how Americans vote, support-
JOSEPH MARKS ers of the effort said.
AND ISAAC STANLEY-BECKER The system’s custom-made vot-
ing machines feature oversized
A new voting system in Los buttons and can be adjusted for
Angeles County faced its first big people in wheelchairs. Voters can
test on Super Tuesday, the culmi- choose from 13 languages and
nation of a decade of work on listen through earphones if they
what was envisioned as a model have impaired vision or prefer
for the nation. But technical audio. The machines — called
glitches caused hours-long lines ballot-marking devices — print
across the county — the largest in out a paper record that voters can
the country with more than 5 mil- verify and then feed into a ballot
lion registered voters — and harsh box.
criticism from candidates, voters Dean Logan, the Los Angeles
and political parties. County registrar of voters who led
About one-fifth of the county’s the development of the system,
touch-screen voting machines did did not respond to calls seeking
not work properly and had to be comment Wednesday. On Tues-
replaced, county spokesman Mi- day, he told the Los Angeles
chael Sanchez said late Tuesday, Times: “This was a challenging
for reasons he said he could not day for a lot of voters in L.A.
specify. He also said that network County and I certainly apologize
problems in multiple locations for that.” MelInA MArA/tHe WAsHIngton post
interfered with electronic poll The widespread reports of diffi- Californians wait to cast their votes in the Democratic presidential primary at the Beverly Hills Civic Center on Super Tuesday. About
books used to verify voter eligibili- culties prompted the campaign of one-fifth of Los Angeles County’s touch-screen voting machines did not work properly and had to be replaced, a county spokesman said.
ty, forcing some voters to cast Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to ask a
provisional ballots. Those will federal judge to extend voting in ing a mock election last fall and said the Internet connection on Advocates, local candidates tamper-evident seals and protec-
take longer to count. the county by two hours, requir- that “feedback from those voters campus was too slow to support and political party staffers criti- tive covers on some of the equip-
“We believed in the technology ing that polling places remain was very positive.” the poll books. Provisional ballots cized county officials and Califor- ment.
and we believed it would work, open for anyone in line by 10 p.m. For voters, the changes were were being handed out instead. nia Secretary of State Alex Padilla His office also ordered the
because that’s what we were told,” In its filing, the campaign wrote not limited to new technology. Los At the same time, many said for not doing more to anticipate county to address the ballot mis-
said Mark Gonzalez, chair of the that significant problems — in- Angeles residents previously vot- they were able to use the voting such problems, especially follow- feed rate cited in the report, which
county’s Democratic Party. “And cluding wait times of up to four ed at their neighborhood pre- machines effectively. “If you live ing the spectacular failure of a found that the rate — essentially,
that’s not what happened. Ma- hours — were reported at more cincts. In the new system, voters on a smartphone, it’s not difficult mobile app used in Iowa’s first-in- of paper jams — was five times
chines completely went out. than a dozen polling locations. can cast their ballot anywhere in to use this system,” said voter the-nation caucuses. higher than the state standard.
Voting centers completely shut Court records do not show a the county, but the number of Valarie Kaur, 39. A December report commis- It’s not clear if that issue was
down.” response from the judge, and the polling locations dropped from While technical glitches were sioned by Padilla’s office said the addressed during the primaries,
Janice Hahn, a member of the voting hours were not extended. more than 4,000 to fewer than reported elsewhere in California, system did not meet several of the though many voters reported that
county’s nonpartisan board of su- “Voters should never have to 1,000. Los Angeles County’s problems state’s cybersecurity and accessi- issues with paper jams contribut-
pervisors, said she plans to press wait four hours in line to exercise On Tuesday, Gonzalez, the were widely felt in part because of bility standards. Those standards ed to long lines Tuesday.
for the county registrar’s office to their constitutional right to cast county Democratic chair, said he its reliance on voting machines. were to be “woven directly into Padilla’s office did not respond
investigate the failures and ex- their ballot,” said Anna Bahr, a saw elderly voters and those with Many other counties send mail-in the DNA” of the new system, ac- to requests for comment Wednes-
plain within 30 days how they can Sanders campaign spokeswoman. disabilities waiting in line for ballots automatically to every reg- cording to the county’s contract day.
be remedied before November’s “Long wait times and malfunc- hours, despite the county’s ambi- istered voter and offer mostly with Smartmatic, the private Smartmatic’s chief executive,
general election. tioning machines like the ones we tions for a system that would work hand-marked paper-ballot op- company that built the voting ma- Antonio Mugica, congratulated
“It was $300 million and a saw yesterday disproportionately best for the most vulnerable. tions at polling places. Los Ange- chines. the county on Twitter on Wednes-
period of years that we have been affect working-class voters who At the University of California les County sends mail-in ballots The report said several stan- day, writing: “Long lines in some
developing this, so it was very can’t afford to take extra hours off at Los Angeles’s Ackerman Stu- only to those who request them or dards had not been met: The ma- centers, sure. Areas of improve-
troubling that on the day of the work or pay for child care to stand dent Center, students and staff who have voted by mail previously chines that tally the results could ment, absolutely. — B ut I don’t
actual vote there were some big in line.” reported waiting in line for up to and expects most voters at polling be started by inserting a flash know anyone that could have
problems,” Hahn said. “The rea- Voter advocates, election ob- two hours. Some simply left, say- locations to use the machines. drive, creating an opportunity to pulled this off on the first try!”
son we changed to this system was servers and candidates expressed ing they could not miss work or The county’s website showed infect them with malware, and [email protected]
to create more access for people frustration that the county was class. Volunteers held up white- that as of Wednesday morning, the system lacked a security mea- [email protected]
and more flexibility, so I want to using a new system for the first boards showing other voting loca- with the counting still underway, sure known as “full disk encryp- isaac.stanley-becker
make sure that the problems peo- time during such a crucial elec- tions nearby. about 651,000 voters had cast bal- tion,” a cybersecurity gold stan- @washpost.com
ple experienced yesterday didn’t tion. A county poll worker, who lots on the new machines and dard. Padilla in January certified
cause just the opposite of what we Before Super Tuesday, Logan spoke on the condition of ano- about 486,000 had voted by mail. the system for use in the March stanley-Becker reported from los
were attempting to do.” told The Washington Post that the nymity because he had been in- It is not clear how many voters primaries anyway, imposing cer- Angeles. Alice Crites in Washington
Los Angeles County has worked system had functioned well dur- structed not to talk to the press, had to cast provisional ballots. tain conditions such as placing contributed to this report.
THURSDAy, MARCH 5, 2020 . THE WASHINGTON POST EZ RE A9
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A10 eZ M2 THE WASHINGTON POST .THURSDAy, MARCH 5, 2020
the coronavirus outbreak
U.S. nursing homes appear especially vulnerable
HospItAls from A1 tors,” said Elijah A. White, presi-
dent of ZoLL resuscitation. “It’s
emergency measure was being not just China, it’s not just the
wound down Tuesday as the United States, it’s all over the
state’s testing capacity grows. place.”
officials in King County, Wash., If the outbreak expands and
this week said they were purchas- individual states have hundreds
ing a motel to house patients who or thousands of patients instead
needed to be placed in isolation. of just a few, regional plans must
In rural areas of Texas and else- be established to coordinate care,
where, small hospitals do not have said Christopher Greene, an
test kits, and central labs for test- emergency room doctor at the
ing samples are hours away. University of Alabama at Bir-
“There’s not anywhere near a mingham.
sufficient number of kits to con- Severely ill patients needing to
firm or deny virus, or quarantine be placed on mechanical ventila-
or control all these patients,’’ said tors will have to be moved to
John Henderson, who heads the hospitals with higher levels of
association for Texas’s rural hospi- care, and that presents further
tals. challenges for ambulance opera-
Ventilators and intensive care tors and staff, Greene said. “This
units, necessary to keep the most is a rapidly evolving thing. In a
acutely ill patients alive, are large- matter of days you can go from
ly limited to larger hospitals and 60 cases to many, many more,’’ he
academic medical centers in cit- said. L arge hospitals are devising
ies. contingency plans for a growing
front-line providers are dust- outbreak, he said, but “we want to
ing off old protocols for handling see that level of urgency at the
previous global health threats in- federal level as well.’’
cluding severe acute respiratory Leaders at rhode Island Hospi-
syndrome (SArS), middle East re- tal in Providence have been plan-
spiratory syndrome (mErS), ning for weeks for the arrival of
H1N1 and Ebola. But the coronavi- the coronavirus. The virus ap-
rus is spreading rapidly and, with peared last week in one student
mild symptoms that mimic the and one staff member who trav-
flu, difficult to detect. eled to Italy on a trip sponsored by
Nationwide, worries are grow- a parochial high school. As worry
ing about a lack of hospital beds to spread through the state, people
quarantine and treat infected pa- dAVId ryder/reuters who called the hospital to seek a
tients. major medical centers are Medics move a patient to an ambulance at the life Care Center of Kirkland, Wash., a nursing home that has been linked to seven of the 11 test were asked to remain in their
typically full even without a flood coronavirus deaths in the United states. officials in King County said they were purchasing a motel to house patients needing isolation. cars until a doctor could go out to
of coronavirus patients. screen them.
“We just don’t have the capacity preparedness in health care has ly on the ball,” said Sweet, who they’re incentivized to work when and manage the ill residents.” “We have a physician in protec-
in the hospitals and health sys- been in a slow, steady decline for keeps up with reports from mem- sick, unfortunately,” Sweet said. A similar study of assisted- tive equipment go out to the car
tems to deal with a massive influx more than 15 years. bers at nursing homes. A survey of hundreds of nurs- living facilities published in 2014 and put masks on anybody in the
of patients and keep them isolat- The amount of federal funding At the better facilities, she said, ing homes published in the Jour- found that 41 percent had no pan- car, and take a history, and do a
ed,’’ said Gerard Anderson, a pro- given to state and local officials to managers have taken special nal of the American medical Asso- demic plan. limited screening exam, and then
fessor of health policy and man- prepare for health emergencies steps: checking the temperatures ciation in 2008 showed that Lona mody, a professor of med- do the testing, which in most cases
agement at Johns Hopkins Uni- has been cut in half or more over of employees as they report for slightly more than half lacked a icine at the University of michigan is a nasal swab,’’ said John B.
versity. the past couple of decades, ac- work; reminding family members plan to deal with a pandemic. and co-author of both studies, murphy, president of rhode Is-
Despite weeks of preparations, cording to Crystal Watson, senior and vendors to steer clear if they only about half had stockpiled said that she thinks many nursing land Hospital and Hasbro Chil-
health planners continue to fret scholar at the Johns Hopkins Cen- are not feeling well; and running supplies such as gloves, alcohol homes have improved since the dren’s Hospital. In the two posi-
about shortages of masks and ter for Health Security. special training for infection con- rub, surgical masks and antiviral study but that more needs to be tive cases, the results were avail-
gowns for hospital staff, as well as The two key federal programs trol. medications, the study found. done. able in four hours.
lifesaving mechanical respirators amounted to $1.4 billion in 2003. At others, members have re- The nursing homes surveyed federal officials estimated in Now, officials are tracing con-
for patients with severe cases of Those two programs amount to ported to Sweet, there seems to be for the study were in Nebraska 2005 that in the event of a severe tacts of all students and staff
the disease. $662 million this year. no urgency to prepare. and michigan, but experts said pandemic, such as the 1918 flu, members on the trip to Italy.
“We need masks, we need venti- “Every administration has “They’re not prepared at all,” the findings probably were repre- more than 740,000 people would rhode Island Hospital has
lators for our medical facilities, made cuts to these programs,” Sweet said. “They are putting sentative of the nation. require ventilators. But there are 70 “negative-pressure’’ patient
and we need it fast,” Sen. Patty Watson said. their residents in jeopardy.” Advocates of the nursing home only about 200,000 ventilation rooms — w hich means airborne
murray (D-Wash.), whose state Seven of the 11 deaths in the one of the challenges at nurs- industry said facilities are better machines in U.S. medical facilities particles cannot escape — t hat
has experienced the largest fatal United States have been linked to ing homes, aside from the vulner- prepared now because of regula- and a national stockpile, accord- can be used to isolate people.
outbreak in the country, said on the Life Care Center nursing home ability of residents, is that one tions in 2016 regarding emergen- ing to experts. The hospital’s engineers are an-
Tuesday. in Kirkland, Wash., and that has worker, if infected, can become a cy preparedness and infection “If it is the severe scenario, we alyzing how to turn entire floors
Budget-conscious health sys- focused attention on the nation’s “super-spreader,” said Lauren An- control. will not have enough ventilators,” of the hospital into isolation
tems do not maintain large vol- more than 15,000 nursing homes cel meyers, a professor at the Uni- “All facilities need to have an said Watson, of the Johns Hopkins wards.
umes of reserve supplies just for and 20,000 residential care facili- versity of Texas at Austin who has infection-control plan in place, Center for Health Security. “I The hospital has about 25 pa-
the possibility of a pandemic, said ties. studied infectious-disease sur- which includes what to do during don’t think this [novel coronavi- tients on ventilators on an average
William Jaquis, president of the Some facilities are prepared for veillance. an outbreak,” said Beth martino, rus] is the severe scenario, but if it day. It can treat more than
American College of Emergency the outbreak, and some are not, moreover, many nurse’s aides senior vice president of public af- is, we will have to make some 100 people on ventilators in a
Physicians. That leaves the system according to Lisa Sweet, chief at such facilities might be reluc- fairs for the American Health Care difficult decisions.” demand surge, murphy said. Be-
vulnerable. clinical officer of the National As- tant to stay home if they are not Association. “These plans include The makers of ventilators said yond that, he said, the hospital
“We don’t necessarily have the sociation of Health Care Assis- feeling well, because they lack sick the infection-control strategies a that, indeed, they have seen a would be forced to work with state
backup readiness all the time for tants, a group that represents leave. center has in place for surveil- dramatic rise in demand. officials to find outside facilities to
these issues,’’ he said. “And they do nursing aides. “There’s a large proportion of lance of new infectious cases, who “We are seeing — and I suspect isolate and treat patients.
keep repeating.’’ “It runs the gamut — there are single mothers in this group who to report to and the steps to take to all the players are seeing — an [email protected]
federal funding for emergency some good providers who are real- need to put food on the table, and minimize the spread of an illness increased demand for ventila- [email protected]
Death toll continues to rise in the U.S. as clusters of new cases emerge
BY BRADY DENNIS, Life Care Center nursing facility ference. “We’ve been preparing percent. medical supplies, support for lo- try ordering about 1,400 students
JAY GREENE in Kirkland. with our local, state and federal The rebound came a day after cal health agencies and other in his high school into quaran-
AND HANNAH SAMPSON “This is a shifting landscape partners for the likelihood of this the federal reserve delivered its preparation. tine.
and is shifting by the hour,” King scenario.” first emergency rate cut since the The package includes more In London, British Prime min-
The spread of coronavirus County Executive Dow Constan- In New York, Gov. Andrew m. 2008 financial crisis and amid than $3 billion for research and ister Boris Johnson announced
around the country showed few tine said during a Wednesday Cuomo (D) on Wednesday an- volatile trading that saw concerns development on vaccines and oth- Wednesday that the U.K. govern-
signs of slowing on Wednesday, as news conference. County officials nounced a flurry of new cases, over coronavirus trigger a sell-off er treatments, as well as $2.2 bil- ment will introduce emergency
the disease known as covid-19 advised people over 60 and with raising the state’s total to 11. The that erased trillions in value from lion for the CDC to support state coronavirus legislation that will
claimed two more lives on the underlying conditions, as well as new cases, which involved people global markets. and local agencies responding to allow sick pay for people who
West Coast, clusters of new infec- pregnant women, to stay home linked to a 50-year-old United Airlines on Wednesday the outbreak. The bill also would self-isolate from the first day of
tions surfaced in California and and avoid large groups. They also Westchester County attorney di- announced it will cut domestic provide $1 billion in loan subsi- their illness.
New York, and lawmakers on Cap- urged employees to telecommute agnosed Tuesday, underscored flights by 10 percent and interna- dies for small businesses, which Under the current rules, em-
itol Hill raced to finalize an $8.3 for the next three weeks if possi- the virus’s capacity to spread rap- tional flights by 20 percent next Democrats said would enable the ployers have to give sick pay only
billion emergency spending bill to ble. idly. month. Executives are planning Small Business Administration to from the fourth day of illness.
combat the deadly outbreak. King County is in the process of The man’s wife and two chil- “similar reductions” in may, the provide $7 billion in low-interest Australia’s top physician
California Gov. Gavin Newsom purchasing an 85-bed Econo dren were among those who test- airline said, underscoring the loans for companies affected by warned citizens against stockpil-
(D) declared a state of emergency, Lodge motel in Kent, Wash., just ed positive, as was a neighbor who steep drop-off in travel demand. the outbreak. ing toilet paper, after stores across
after officials there announced south of Seattle, for $4 million to drove the man to the hospital, The airline is seeking volun- While the vast majority of the the country ran out as shoppers
the state’s first coronavirus- provide emergency housing for Cuomo said. The attorney’s co- teers to take unpaid leaves of funding would be spent domesti- bought supplies amid the corona-
linked death, bringing the death people with covid-19, the disease workers at his midtown manhat- absence and is instituting a hiring cally, Wednesday’s emergency bill virus outbreak.“We are trying to
toll in the United States to 11. The caused by coronavirus. tan law firm also are being tested. freeze “except for roles that are also includes $1.25 billion for the reassure people that removing all
fatality, which occurred northeast The two-story motel met crite- “Some of the tests are pending, critical to our operation,” the ex- State Department to assist in bat- of the lavatory paper from the
of Sacramento in Placer County, ria set by the county’s public but nobody has come back posi- ecutives said. tling the spread of the coronavi- shelves of supermarkets probably
represents the first U.S. death out- health agency, including separate tive yet,” Cuomo said. Amid the ongoing uncertainty, rus overseas. isn’t a proportionate or sensible
side Washington state. heating and air-conditioning in The synagogue the man’s fami- officials in the nation’s capital Italy on Wednesday said it will thing to do at this time,” Chief
Public health officials de- each unit and doors that open to ly attends will be closed until sought to once again reassure the close schools and universities medical officer Brendan murphy
scribed the deceased California the outside rather than a hallway. Sunday, officials said. His daugh- public. throughout the country in an at- told a Senate hearing Wednesday,
patient as an “elderly adult with The county has not yet deter- ter’s high school will be closed At a late afternoon White tempt to control the spread of the according to local reports.
underlying health conditions.” mined who will stay in the motel, until Tuesday. Its related elemen- House briefing, Vice President coronavirus, as it battles the most meanwhile, in China, fewer
The patient was probably exposed located just off Highway 167. tary and middle school will be Pence said he would travel to serious outbreak in Europe. new cases were reported outside
during a mid-february round trip The county wants to make sure closed through friday. The gover- minneapolis on Thursday to visit A total of 2,706 people have the country than within, suggest-
from San francisco on a Princess that as patients begin to recover, nor later announced that a 45- 3m, which is ramping up produc- tested positive for the virus in the ing that authorities’ efforts to
cruise ship, officials said. they can move out of hospital year-old friend of the man who tion of masks for health-care country, and more than 10 per- curb transmission may be paying
The head of the Centers for beds to make room for others. lives in New rochelle, N.Y., also workers. Later, he plans to fly to cent of those who have tested off at home, even as the casualty
Disease Control and Prevention “It’s a rapidly moving emergen- tested positive for coronavirus. Washington state to meet with positive are in intensive care, count rises elsewhere. China
on Wednesday said the agency is cy situation,” said Chase Gallagh- That person’s 46-year-old wife, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and state straining Italy’s health-care sys- tightened restrictions on arrivals
working with California to exam- er, a spokesman for the county. two sons and a daughter also health officials. tem, which is scrambling to add amid concern about cases being
ine the passenger manifest for In California, Los Angeles tested positive. “We understand the anxiety extra beds. imported. Iran and Italy have re-
that trip. The ship, known as the County declared a local health New Jersey Gov. Phil murphy this has created,” said Pence, who Saudi Arabia suspended offsea- corded 92 and 107 deaths, respec-
Grand Princess, is a sister ship to emergency Wednesday as officials (D) announced late Wednesday added that he intends to make son pilgrimage trips to its holy tively. India reported a sharp rise
the Diamond Princess, which was detailed six new cases of coronavi- the first positive case of covid-19 sure local officials have “every- cities of mecca and medina for all in cases Wednesday after Italian
at the center of a coronavirus rus, bringing the countywide total in the state. officials said the thing they need.” citizens and residents as part of tourists tested positive.
outbreak in february that sick- to seven. Several of the patients patient is a man in his 30s who In a near unanimous vote, the an effort to combat the spread of [email protected]
ened more than 700 people and recently traveled to northern Ita- has been hospitalized since Tues- House on Wednesday approved the virus, the state news agency [email protected]
led to seven deaths. ly, which remains among the day. an $8.3 billion emergency spend- reported. [email protected]
meanwhile, at the epicenter of parts of the globe hardest hit by As some businesses instructed ing bill to fight the coronavirus. Iraq’s health ministry an-
the U.S. outbreak in Washington the virus, officials said. The other employees to abandon nonessen- The Senate could follow suit as nounced the country’s first offi- seung Min Kim, Miriam Berger, rick
state, officials confirmed another new cases were either family tial travel and encouraged tele- soon as Thursday, and President cial death from covid-19 on Noack, siobhán O’Grady, Loveday
death and 10 new cases of corona- members of the travelers or peo- work, and as an increasing num- Trump is expected to quickly sign Wednesday. The patient was iden- Morris, Andrew Freedman, Louisa
virus in King County. The state’s ple who worked in close contact ber of conferences and meetings the legislation. tified as a woman being treated in Loveluck, Benjamin soloway, Paul
10 deaths all have occurred in with them. are canceled, the effects rippled The funding — more than triple Baghdad, the capital. schemm, Karla Adam, ruth eglash,
King and Snohomish counties — “This is not a response rooted through the economy — even on a what the White House initially Israel reported three more Adam taylor, Jennifer Hassan, Felicia
largely consisting of elderly pa- in panic,” Kathryn Barger, chair of day that saw the Dow Jones indus- requested to combat the outbreak covid-19 patients on Wednesday, sonmez, Kim Bellware, Ben Guarino
tients with existing health prob- the Los Angeles County Board of trial average end the day up nearly — would set aside billions of dol- including a teenager whose diag- and Michael Laris contributed to this
lems who have been linked to the Supervisors, said in a news con- 1,200 points, or more than 4.5 lars for vaccine development, nosis resulted in the health minis- report.