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US politics: Russian bounty payments claim sparks Trump briefing row – live updates US politics: Russian bounty payments claim sparks Trump briefing row – live updates
(32 minutes later)
Reaction as reports claim that Donald Trump was briefed about Russian attempt to destabilise US forces in AfghanistanReaction as reports claim that Donald Trump was briefed about Russian attempt to destabilise US forces in Afghanistan
House No. 2 Democrat, Steny Hoyer, said after a White House closed-door briefing earlier today that Democrats want a full congressional briefing on alleged Russian bounties on the heads of US troops serving in Afghanistan.
Hoyer said he believes that Russia “remains involved in a negative way in Afghanistan”. He called for a direct briefing from US intelligence officials, not just White House aides and said he had heard nothing that indicated the media accounts of the scandal were built around a hoax.
House intelligence committee chairman Adam Schiff (who led the Trump impeachment hearings in the House) has demanded that the US now weigh new sanctions on Russia to deter its “malign” actions.
Schiff said Trump should not be courting Russian President Vladimir Putin by inviting him to a Group of Seven (G7) summit of leading industrial nations - but rather should impose costs on Moscow.
“The president of the United States should not be inviting Russia into the G7 or G8. We should be considering what sanctions are appropriate to further deter Russia’s malign activities,” he told reporters after the White House briefing.
Meanwhile, in London, Britain’s defence secretary said he was aware of intelligence relating to reports that Russia paid the Taliban to kill US troops but declined to comment further.Asked about the reports in the New York Times, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “On the issue of the reports which I think were in the New York Times, all I can say is: I’m aware of the intelligence.”“But I can’t comment on intelligence matters other than to say we take lots of measures to defend and make sure our soldiers ... are kept safe when deployed,” Wallace told a parliamentary committee.He said he would not comment on whether the intelligence was true or not but that “we just take steps”.“It is absolutely true that countries like Russia have taken lots of malign activity against us,” Wallace said.
Donald Trump must have at least been aware of the allegation that Russia paid bounties to Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan to kill US-led coalition troops, a senior Democratic lawmaker said this morning after a White House briefing.
“Based on what we heard today, it was information that a) the president should have known about and b) based on what we were told today, he did - it seems to me like he did know about it,” said Representative Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Reuters reports.
Trump said on Sunday he was never briefed about any Russian bounties and Trump administration officials have said there was no consensus on the underlying intelligence among US agencies, something Smith said they underscored to Democratic lawmakers at the closed-door White House briefing.
National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien earlier today issued a statement insisting Trump had not been briefed on the intelligence.
One of the Scotus rulings today further challenges the separation between church and state in the United States.
The US supreme court narrowed the separation of church and state in a major ruling today by endorsing Montana tax credits that helped pay for students to attend religious schools, Reuters reports.
It’s a decision paving the way for more public funding of faith-based institutions.
The court’s nine justices, in a 5-4 decision, backed a Montana program that gave tax incentives for people to donate to a scholarship fund that provided money to Christian schools for student tuition expenses.
The justices sided with three mothers of Christian school students who appealed after Montana’s top court invalidated the tax credit for violating the state constitution’s ban on public aid to churches and religious entities.
There won’t be a decision today on three eagerly-awaited cases involving Trump’s taxes, religious exemption for employers not wanting to cover employees’ birth control cThere won’t be a decision today on three eagerly-awaited cases involving Trump’s taxes, religious exemption for employers not wanting to cover employees’ birth control c
osts as part of their health insurance, and the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering in a case aimed at stemming abuse by political insiders in charge of redrawing state legislative maps.osts as part of their health insurance, and the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering in a case aimed at stemming abuse by political insiders in charge of redrawing state legislative maps.
Instead, the court issued two rulings. One involved the travel reservation company Booking.com, a unit of Booking Holdings Inc. It deserves to be able to trademark its name, the supreme court decided, in a ruling issued moments ago, Reuters reports. The outcome overrules a federal agency that found it the .com name too generic to merit protection.Instead, the court issued two rulings. One involved the travel reservation company Booking.com, a unit of Booking Holdings Inc. It deserves to be able to trademark its name, the supreme court decided, in a ruling issued moments ago, Reuters reports. The outcome overrules a federal agency that found it the .com name too generic to merit protection.
The court decided 8-1 that the US Patent and Trademark Office was incorrect when it denied the company’s application to trademark the name Booking.com, with the justices finding it distinctive enough that the agency should have approved it.The court decided 8-1 that the US Patent and Trademark Office was incorrect when it denied the company’s application to trademark the name Booking.com, with the justices finding it distinctive enough that the agency should have approved it.
US law allows trademark registrations only on terms that are “descriptive,” or able to distinguish a particular product or service from others on the market. “Generic” words that refer to an entire category of goods or services, like “car” or “computer,” cannot be protected under the law because that would give an unfair competitive advantage to the trademark holder.US law allows trademark registrations only on terms that are “descriptive,” or able to distinguish a particular product or service from others on the market. “Generic” words that refer to an entire category of goods or services, like “car” or “computer,” cannot be protected under the law because that would give an unfair competitive advantage to the trademark holder.
Booking.com, based in Amsterdam, began using its name globally in 2006, and filed US trademark applications in 2011 and 2012.The ruling may guide how some other companies, such as Salesforce.com Inc and Home Depot Inc, protect their brands from potential copycats.Booking.com, based in Amsterdam, began using its name globally in 2006, and filed US trademark applications in 2011 and 2012.The ruling may guide how some other companies, such as Salesforce.com Inc and Home Depot Inc, protect their brands from potential copycats.
In the other decision issued today, the court ruled for parents in the state of Montana seeking tax-credit-funded scholarships for religious schools. Some more details on that shortly.In the other decision issued today, the court ruled for parents in the state of Montana seeking tax-credit-funded scholarships for religious schools. Some more details on that shortly.
Here’s House intelligence committee chairmen Adam Schiff:Here’s House intelligence committee chairmen Adam Schiff:
My colleague Tom McCarthy reports that Donald Trump was given a written briefing months ago about intelligence suggesting Russia offered bounties for attacks on US forces in Afghanistan, multiple US media have reported on Monday night. The president said on Sunday he was not told of the allegations because the information was not “credible”.My colleague Tom McCarthy reports that Donald Trump was given a written briefing months ago about intelligence suggesting Russia offered bounties for attacks on US forces in Afghanistan, multiple US media have reported on Monday night. The president said on Sunday he was not told of the allegations because the information was not “credible”.
The New York Times quoted two sources as saying details were included in a daily intelligence briefing the president received in late February. CNN said an official with direct knowledge told them it was included in the briefing – a written document – briefing “sometime in the spring”.The New York Times quoted two sources as saying details were included in a daily intelligence briefing the president received in late February. CNN said an official with direct knowledge told them it was included in the briefing – a written document – briefing “sometime in the spring”.
Senior White House officials were aware as far back as early 2019 and the intelligence assessment was included in at least one of the president’s written daily briefings, the Associated Press reported, according to multiple officials.Senior White House officials were aware as far back as early 2019 and the intelligence assessment was included in at least one of the president’s written daily briefings, the Associated Press reported, according to multiple officials.
The House’s No. 2 Democrat, Steny Hoyer, also not impressed:The House’s No. 2 Democrat, Steny Hoyer, also not impressed:
Most travelers from the United States will be barred from entering the European Union after it reopens its borders tomorrow, because the coronavirus is still far too prevalent in the US, European officials announced Tuesday, NBC reports.Most travelers from the United States will be barred from entering the European Union after it reopens its borders tomorrow, because the coronavirus is still far too prevalent in the US, European officials announced Tuesday, NBC reports.
Read more here:Read more here:
“The human factor that we love so much about our jobs has nearly gone.” That’s what Dr. Jennifer O’Hea, an intensive care unit doctor overseeing 100 patients at the Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, told ABC News.“The human factor that we love so much about our jobs has nearly gone.” That’s what Dr. Jennifer O’Hea, an intensive care unit doctor overseeing 100 patients at the Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, told ABC News.
Arizona is one of the southern states seeing a record surge in coronavirus infections, after a rapid reopening for businesses despite a lack of cure, proven drug treatments or vaccinations against Covid-19. It quickly backtracked on its reopening last night.Arizona is one of the southern states seeing a record surge in coronavirus infections, after a rapid reopening for businesses despite a lack of cure, proven drug treatments or vaccinations against Covid-19. It quickly backtracked on its reopening last night.
O’Hea said the situation at her hospital “exploded” towards the end of May and, ABC reported, has now snowballed into a dire situation.O’Hea said the situation at her hospital “exploded” towards the end of May and, ABC reported, has now snowballed into a dire situation.
“Never, never, ever have I seen this many patients in our ICU,” O’Hea, who has worked at the hospital for 22 years, said. “We were using ICUs that we’ve never used before. Rooms that were vacant we’re now using as ICUs.”“Never, never, ever have I seen this many patients in our ICU,” O’Hea, who has worked at the hospital for 22 years, said. “We were using ICUs that we’ve never used before. Rooms that were vacant we’re now using as ICUs.”
Sitting in New York, where the virus peaked in April, New Yorkers have been watching and fearing this would happen in other states, dreading the tsunami of severely ill patients coming to overwhelm health care workers, as they did in the city when up to 1,000 people were dying ever day at the apex.Sitting in New York, where the virus peaked in April, New Yorkers have been watching and fearing this would happen in other states, dreading the tsunami of severely ill patients coming to overwhelm health care workers, as they did in the city when up to 1,000 people were dying ever day at the apex.
“Time to wake up, America,” New York governor Andrew Cuomo said yesterday.“Time to wake up, America,” New York governor Andrew Cuomo said yesterday.
Dr. Marjorie Bessel, the chief clinical officer for the Banner Health System, told ABC News she has “been concerned for weeks.”Dr. Marjorie Bessel, the chief clinical officer for the Banner Health System, told ABC News she has “been concerned for weeks.”
“We’re not New York at this time. What we’re concerned is we don’t want to become New York,” Bessel said. “The curves suggest we could be headed there.”“We’re not New York at this time. What we’re concerned is we don’t want to become New York,” Bessel said. “The curves suggest we could be headed there.”
This is Joanna Walters in New York taking over from my colleague Martin Belam in London on what is unfolding as a busy morning in US political news on many fronts.This is Joanna Walters in New York taking over from my colleague Martin Belam in London on what is unfolding as a busy morning in US political news on many fronts.
Soon the group of Democratic members of Congress will emerge to let us know what the White House had to say earlier this morning about the Russian US military bounty scandal.Soon the group of Democratic members of Congress will emerge to let us know what the White House had to say earlier this morning about the Russian US military bounty scandal.
The Democrats are being briefed a day after their Republican colleagues (using the word colleagues may be an exercise in hope over recent experience but, nevertheless, we persist with optimism for bipartisan efforts).The Democrats are being briefed a day after their Republican colleagues (using the word colleagues may be an exercise in hope over recent experience but, nevertheless, we persist with optimism for bipartisan efforts).
Two things are happening at 10am ET: the US supreme court will announce its latest decision or decisions - you never know exactly what you’re going to get until the rulings start spilling into the public domain. We’re waiting for a decision concerning Donald Trump’s tax returns, among others.Two things are happening at 10am ET: the US supreme court will announce its latest decision or decisions - you never know exactly what you’re going to get until the rulings start spilling into the public domain. We’re waiting for a decision concerning Donald Trump’s tax returns, among others.
Also at 10am, the top federal public health experts are testifying to the Senate health committee. That’s infectious diseases specialist Anthony Fauci, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield, assistant health secretary Brett Giroir and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Stephen Hahn. They recently testified to a House committee, where Redfield said Covid-19 has brought the nation “to its knees”.Also at 10am, the top federal public health experts are testifying to the Senate health committee. That’s infectious diseases specialist Anthony Fauci, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield, assistant health secretary Brett Giroir and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Stephen Hahn. They recently testified to a House committee, where Redfield said Covid-19 has brought the nation “to its knees”.
The president appears to have been ignoring his own experts’ warnings that coronavirus is nowhere near under control in the US and currently running wild in new hotspots across the south and west. If Trump could think of them as the four horsemen of the apocalypse he might be rightly scared into paying attention and following their recommendations on testing, tracing, mask-wearing, social distancing, caution on reopening, etc.The president appears to have been ignoring his own experts’ warnings that coronavirus is nowhere near under control in the US and currently running wild in new hotspots across the south and west. If Trump could think of them as the four horsemen of the apocalypse he might be rightly scared into paying attention and following their recommendations on testing, tracing, mask-wearing, social distancing, caution on reopening, etc.
We’re hoping for a result to day in last week’s Kentucky Democratic primary, where it’s on a knife edge between moderate Amy McGrath and progressive Charles Booker - but hard to know as we wait for the mail-in ballots to be counted.We’re hoping for a result to day in last week’s Kentucky Democratic primary, where it’s on a knife edge between moderate Amy McGrath and progressive Charles Booker - but hard to know as we wait for the mail-in ballots to be counted.
One of the results of the Black Lives Matter push for change that has swept across the US in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police has been a reappraisal of national monuments and racist symbolism in the country.One of the results of the Black Lives Matter push for change that has swept across the US in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police has been a reappraisal of national monuments and racist symbolism in the country.
Alexandra Villarreal has been looking at this movement, and talking to historians about the history and meaning of these symbols.Alexandra Villarreal has been looking at this movement, and talking to historians about the history and meaning of these symbols.
From money to street names to the man who penned the national anthem, Villarreal examines how tributes to a checkered past exist all over the US, even as Confederate statues are removed and brands reconsider the racial stereotypes on their packaging.From money to street names to the man who penned the national anthem, Villarreal examines how tributes to a checkered past exist all over the US, even as Confederate statues are removed and brands reconsider the racial stereotypes on their packaging.
Read it here: ‘The worshipping of whiteness’: why racist symbols persist in AmericaRead it here: ‘The worshipping of whiteness’: why racist symbols persist in America
We also have another piece today looking at one specific monument. Atlanta urban designer and author Ryan Gravel and historian Scott Morris have a proposal for Stone Mountain’s 150ft Confederate carving.We also have another piece today looking at one specific monument. Atlanta urban designer and author Ryan Gravel and historian Scott Morris have a proposal for Stone Mountain’s 150ft Confederate carving.
They suggest, rather than actively destroy it, which would violate State law, it should no longer be tended, allowing nature to reclaim the space and the carving to fade from view.They suggest, rather than actively destroy it, which would violate State law, it should no longer be tended, allowing nature to reclaim the space and the carving to fade from view.
Politico have a useful wrap here about the eight Democratic party representatives who are to be briefed this morning over the ‘Russian bounty’ controversy.Politico have a useful wrap here about the eight Democratic party representatives who are to be briefed this morning over the ‘Russian bounty’ controversy.
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer will lead the group that includes Adam Schiff and Eliot Engel.Majority Leader Steny Hoyer will lead the group that includes Adam Schiff and Eliot Engel.
Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger will also be there - she tweeted out earlier something that has irked the party over the process - that Republicans were briefed separately earlier.Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger will also be there - she tweeted out earlier something that has irked the party over the process - that Republicans were briefed separately earlier.
Read it here: Politico - House Dems headed to White House for briefing on Russian bountiesRead it here: Politico - House Dems headed to White House for briefing on Russian bounties
Carol E. Lee and Kristen Welker for NBC have a piece up this morning looking at the scramble at the White House to get Donald Trump to take down a tweet that appeared to feature a supporter shouting “White power”Carol E. Lee and Kristen Welker for NBC have a piece up this morning looking at the scramble at the White House to get Donald Trump to take down a tweet that appeared to feature a supporter shouting “White power”
In their piece they claim that two White House officials told them:In their piece they claim that two White House officials told them:
Read it here: NBC - Trump’s ‘white power’ retweet set off ‘five-alarm fire’ in White HouseRead it here: NBC - Trump’s ‘white power’ retweet set off ‘five-alarm fire’ in White House
Reuters are reporting that Google has said it has removed ads for companies that charge people large fees to register to vote or harvest their data, which appeared when users searched for voter information.Reuters are reporting that Google has said it has removed ads for companies that charge people large fees to register to vote or harvest their data, which appeared when users searched for voter information.
A Google spokeswoman told Reuters that the company’s misrepresentation policy barred such ads, which were found by the nonprofit watchdog Tech Transparency Project (TTP) when searching for terms such as “register to vote,” “vote by mail,” and “where is my polling place.”A Google spokeswoman told Reuters that the company’s misrepresentation policy barred such ads, which were found by the nonprofit watchdog Tech Transparency Project (TTP) when searching for terms such as “register to vote,” “vote by mail,” and “where is my polling place.”
A TTP report that nearly a third of the more than 600 ads generated by its Google searches took users to sites that try to charge large fees for voter registration services, extract personal data for marketing purposes, install deceptive browser extensions, or serve other misleading ads.A TTP report that nearly a third of the more than 600 ads generated by its Google searches took users to sites that try to charge large fees for voter registration services, extract personal data for marketing purposes, install deceptive browser extensions, or serve other misleading ads.
The report said: “Some people may find it difficult to distinguish Google ads from other kinds of content because as of January, search ads on Google feature the same type face and colour scheme as organic search results.”The report said: “Some people may find it difficult to distinguish Google ads from other kinds of content because as of January, search ads on Google feature the same type face and colour scheme as organic search results.”
A Google spokeswoman said the company did not yet know how the ads had got through its approval process, which uses a combination of automated and manual review.A Google spokeswoman said the company did not yet know how the ads had got through its approval process, which uses a combination of automated and manual review.
“We have strict policies in place to protect users from false information about voting procedures, and when we find ads that violate our policies and present harm to users, we remove them and block advertisers from running similar ads in the future,” the spokeswoman said.“We have strict policies in place to protect users from false information about voting procedures, and when we find ads that violate our policies and present harm to users, we remove them and block advertisers from running similar ads in the future,” the spokeswoman said.
The move comes with social media and internet companies under increasing pressure to act over misleading and hateful content in the run-up to the November election.The move comes with social media and internet companies under increasing pressure to act over misleading and hateful content in the run-up to the November election.
Yesterday Reddit and Twitch became the latest social media companies to ban or suspend pro-Donald Trump accounts over hate speech.Yesterday Reddit and Twitch became the latest social media companies to ban or suspend pro-Donald Trump accounts over hate speech.
Facebook, meanwhile, is coming under commercial pressure as big brands withdraw advertising money over the issue of hate speech on the platform.Facebook, meanwhile, is coming under commercial pressure as big brands withdraw advertising money over the issue of hate speech on the platform.
Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger is one of eight Democrats due to be briefed on the ‘Russian bounty’ controversy by the administration today. She’s has been on television this morning describing the episode as “Shameful”.
Of whether she believed Donald Trump had personally been briefed, she said:
You can watch the full clip here:
Jacob Knutson writes for Axios this morning about the sheer volume of anti-transgender legislation currently being proposed across the US. Human Rights Campaign state legislative director Cathryn Oakley has identified 66 anti-transgender bills that have been introduced in state legislatures so far in the legislative session — the most filed in one year.
14 state legislatures are considering bills that would limit transgender students’ participation in athletics. While most legislation is currently stalled due to the coronavirus pandemic, these bills are still likely to be picked up or re-proposed at a later date.
Read it here: Axios - 14 states would limit the participation of transgender students in athletics
Washington is going to be busy today talking about the Trump administrations pandemic response. Coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci, CDC Director Robert Redfield and other top health officials will testify before a Senate Committee later today on the latest efforts to contain the pandemic. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell will testify before the House financial services committee about their respective agency’s response.
Bernie Sanders has written for us this morning to put his proposal down on the table for re-establishing the US economy after the impact of Covid-19 - a 10% cut to the US military budget.
As Sanders puts it: “Incredibly, after adjusting for inflation, we are now spending more on the military than we did during the height of the Cold War or during the wars in Vietnam and Korea.”
He is proposing to cut funding by 10%. He quotes Republican President Dwight D Eisenhower, who said in 1953:
You can read the Sanders proposal in full here: A 10% cut to the US military budget would help support struggling Americans
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy was on the All In with Chris Hayes show last night talking about the ‘Russian bounty’ controversy. He raised what he saw as a key issue, which is that regardless of whether Donald Trump was personally briefed or not - National Security Advisor O’Brien insists that he was not - the administration as a whole still appears to have done nothing about the allegations.
You can watch the full clip here: Sen. Murphy - What on earth could Russia do to us that Trump would take seriously?
Also talking to the media last night on the topic was Felicia Arculeo, whose son Robert Hendriks was killed in an attack in Afghanistan on 8 April, 2019 that has, according to reports, been linked by intelligence agencies to the Russian bounty offer.
She told CNBC that she had not been contacted by the administration or the military, but instead “just happened to randomly see” the reports about her son’s death becoming embroiled in the row. “I got pretty upset” she said.
Arculeo suggested that the claims should be fully investigated, saying “the parties who are responsible should be held accountable, if that’s even possible.”
“At the end of the day, my son is still gone. He’s still not coming home.”
Overnight another development emerged with the Elijah McClain case. McClain, 23, was killed in Aurora, Colorado, in August last year, after being put in a chokehold by police and injected with ketamine by paramedics. At the weekend police used pepper spray to disperse a largely peaceful event featured violin-playing in honour of McClain.
Denver investigative reporter Brian Maass broke the news that three officers in the Aurora police department were under investigation for taking inappropriate photos at a memorial for McClain.
The department’s interim police chief, Vanessa Wilson, then released the following statement:
Miranda Bryant has been looking at the tributes to McClain for us, and speaking to friends and colleagues who described him as changing their lives on a daily basis. One of his colleagues said:
Read the full tributes here: ‘He was inspired by everything’: friends and family pay tribute to Elijah McClain
National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien has issued a statement over the ‘Russian bounty’ controversy, insisting Donald Trump had not been briefed on the intelligence. He says:
O’Brien’s statement then goes on to warn officials over the leaking of information to the media, and to re-state his belief in Donald Trump’s commitment to security.
Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of NAACP has written for us this morning, arguing that the George Floyd uprising has brought hope, but that campaigners must now turn protest into policy. It is a passionate rallying cry - but one that also cautions that there is much that needs to be done:
Read it in full here: Derrick Johnson - The George Floyd uprising has brought us hope. Now we must turn protest to policy
David Ignatius at the Washington Post is one of several op-ed columnists to tackle this story, in an overnight piece asking “Were Trump’s aides too afraid to tell him about the Russian bounties?”. He writes:
In the piece, he examines how Russian policy shifted in the last couple of years from allowing the US to operate freely in Afghanistan, to seemingly helping the Taliban. And Ignatius finishes with a damning indictment of the president.
Read it here: Washington Post - Were Trump’s aides too afraid to tell him about the Russian bounties?
Tom McCarthy was reporting for us in New York in the early hours about the new claims surrounding the mystery of whether Donald Trump was briefed about Russia offering bounties for attacks on US troops in Afghanistan.
He explains how multiple US media outlets have claimed that Donald Trump was given a written briefing months ago about the intelligence.
There has predictably been strong reaction on social media to the reports from US officials and politicians. It is believed that Trump prefers oral briefings several times a week rather than to read the daily written document prepared for US presidents.
You can read Tom’s full report here: ‘Russian bounties’ intelligence was in Trump written daily briefing – reports
Good morning and welcome to our live US politics coverage for Tuesday. Here are some of the key points from yesterday and overnight, and what we are expecting today
The president’s diary is empty today save for his intelligence briefing at 3:30pm this afternoon. Donald Trump maintains he didn’t get briefed earlier in the year on the Russian bounty issue - reports say otherwise
Late last night the White House put out a statement praising the Supreme Court for rejecting the appeals of four death row inmates whose executions have been scheduled for the coming weeks. These would be the first federal death penalties carried out since 2003. The Supreme Court also upheld abortion rights in Louisiana yesterday.
The number of people currently in hospital infected by coronavirus is reported to be rising fast in Arizona, California, Georgia, Nevada, Montana, South Carolina and Texas. Arizona is ditching plans to re-open the economy.
Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, is expected to speak to Congress today about the painful road to economic recovery after the impact of Covid-19.
I’ll be running this live blog for the next couple of hours - you can get in touch with me by emailing martin.belam@theguardian.com