US Intel Report: Local Chinese Officials Kept National Leaders In Dark About Outbreak Severity
A new internal report by U.S. intelligence agencies says local officials in Hubei province and Wuhan withheld information from China’s central leadership in the early weeks of the coronavirus epidemic. The assessment could impact ongoing allegations by the Trump administration that China tried to cover up the outbreak from the world.
The New York Times:
Local Officials In China Hid Coronavirus Dangers From Beijing, U.S. Agencies Find
Trump administration officials have tried taking a political sledgehammer to China over the coronavirus pandemic, asserting that the Chinese Communist Party covered up the initial outbreak and allowed the virus to spread around the globe. But within the United States government, intelligence officials have arrived at a more nuanced and complex finding of what Chinese officials did wrong in January. (Wong, Barnes and Kanno-Youngs, 8/19)
In other news —
AP:
Trump, Pence Campaign Events Signal Lax Approach To Virus
Sitting and standing shoulder to shoulder, some without face masks, hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump jammed into an airplane hangar for an Arizona campaign event this week, ignoring the advice of Trump’s own health experts. Like his boss, Vice President Mike Pence went mask-less in Iowa last week as he reached across a barrier to autograph a half-dozen familiar red Trump campaign hats, literally crossing the line of vulnerability outlined by the coronavirus task force he heads. The episodes, along with similar ones in New Jersey, Florida and Wisconsin, project a confusing message to the public. (Beaumont, 8/19)
CNN:
CNN Poll: Most Americans Embarrassed By U.S. Response To Coronavirus
Nearly 7 in 10 Americans say the US response to the coronavirus outbreak makes them feel embarrassed, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS, as 62% of the public says President Donald Trump could be doing more to fight the outbreak. The new poll finds disapproval of Trump's handling of the outbreak at a new high, 58%, as the share who say the worst of the pandemic is yet to come has risen to 55% after dropping through the spring. And as the virus has spread from the nation's cities throughout its countryside, the number who know someone who's been diagnosed with the virus has jumped dramatically to 67%, up from 40% in early June. (Agiesta, 8/19)
