Trump defies virus threat, but draws smaller crowd at Tulsa rally South China Morning PostView Full coverage on Google News
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TULSA (REUTERS) - US President Donald Trump on Saturday (June 20) told thousands of cheering supporters he had asked US officials to slow down testing for the novel coronavirus, calling it a "double-edged sword" that led to more cases being discovered.
Trump said the United States had now tested 25 million people, far more than other countries.
"When you do testing to that extent, you're gonna find more people you're gonna find more cases. So I said to my people slow the testing down, please," Trump told a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where many supporters were not wearing face masks.
A White House official said Trump was joking about his call for a slowdown in testing.
"He was obviously kidding. We are leading the world in testing and have conducted 25 million + in testing," the official said.
Trump said his actions in blocking travellers from China and Europe had helped save "hundreds of thousands of lives." But he said the "radical fake news" media had not given him credit for doing what he called "a phenomenal job" responding to the outbreak.
In fact, several US states are reporting troubling spikes in coronavirus infection rates, mainly in the South and West, as Trump addressed America's largest indoor gathering in months.
Health experts say expanded diagnostic testing accounts for some, but not all, of the growth in cases. They also call it a key tool in fighting the spread of the disease, which had been detected in at least 2.23 million people across the United States as of Saturday.
Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has killed more than 119,000 Americans to date, according to Reuters' running tally. A mounting volume of infections is elevating hospitalizations in some places.
In his remarks, Trump used terms such as "Kung Flu" virus and "Chinese virus" to refer to Covid-19. "That name gets further and further away from China, as opposed to calling it the Chinese virus," he said.
Trump's response to the outbreak has sapped his popularity.
The US president initially dismissed the threat of the coronavirus, and sparred with state governors as they tried to slow its spread. His approval ratings have dropped in recent weeks, and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden now has a 13-point lead over Trump.
Seventy-six per cent of Americans remain concerned about the spread of Covid-19, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Arguably celebrated with less fanfare than Mother’s Day, online tributes in the week leading up to Father’s Day (21 June) highlighting how fathers sacrificed for their families have popped up all over social media.
The modern-day Father’s Day was first observed in 1910 on the third Sunday in June in Spokane, Washington. Inspired by a church service honouring mothers in 1909, Mrs Sonora Louise Smart Dodd petitioned for a day to honour fathers and her efforts were paid off a year later.
Yahoo Lifestyle SEA spoke to three directors in three different industries to learn more about how their fathers helped shaped their lives and influenced their career choices this Father’s Day.
Gilbert Ong posing with his father. (PHOTO: Gilbert Ong)
“My father was an F&B manager of a 5-star hotel and was one of the few Singaporeans who held a department head position during the 80s,” Gilbert Ong, Director of Marketing and Communications (Cluster) for Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel shared as part of Millennium Hotels & Resorts’ efforts to celebrate Fathers’ Day.
“I was 18 when he passed away. When my son was born, I wanted to know more about my father and his experiences.”
Looking to explore more into his father interest and passion in hospitality, Gilbert took the plunge and left his 15-year career in music and TV for marketing and communications.
Heading Marketing and Communications at Millennium Hotels and Resorts now, Gilbert started small, working from pre-openings in Thailand to renovating hotels in Singapore.
“Hospitality has made me a better person. The long hours are real, but the joy of creating memories for guests is what keeps me going.”
Jessica Kazuki with her father. (PHOTO: Jessica Kazuki)
Long working hours are what Jessica Kazuki, Director at Hakata Japanese Restaurant, can relate. “Growing up, it was always me and my younger brother as both dad and mom are busy working 24/7 for the family restaurant.”
Born to a Japanese father and Singaporean mother, Jessica joined her father in managing their Japanese restaurant despite graduating with a Bachelor of Psychology at James Cook University. “While helping out at the restaurant, I realised we could spend more time together as a family and that was what kept me going.”
“My dad was the most dependable person in the family. Two years ago, mom was diagnosed with an aneurysm and was rushed into emergency surgery. While she was fighting for her life, dad drove us back to the restaurant. It was a Friday night, which meant the restaurant will be at its busiest.” Jessica recalled.
“To others, they would have thought that dad was being a cold-hearted spouse. But to us, he said: ‘Who will provide for mom’s upcoming expenses? I am not going to leave a debt for you to shoulder.’”
Hannah Lau posed with her family for a graduation photo. (PHOTO: Hannah Lau)
The refusal for their child to burden any debt echoes with Hannah’s father. “My father surrendered all his endowment policies prematurely to fund my education,” Hannah Lau, Financial Services Director of Hannah Lau Group (Great Eastern) shared.
“Growing up, we were never rich but my parents supported me in all my education and career choices. Not wanting me to shoulder loans, my dad decided to cash in all of his and mom’s endowment policies to pay for the costs of my university education. Even though he lost money by doing so, that was his way of showing love and support for me.”
Having worked in a variety of jobs including being the female dancer alongside Jay Chou in his Singapore concert, Hannah found her calling in the financial industry.
“It is perhaps, my way to give back to my father. He surrendered his policies to fund my education, enabling me to join this industry, and giving me the chance to make this the ultimate career path for me in life.”
Share with us your Father’s Day tributes in the comment below.
TULSA, Oklahoma: President Donald Trump, addressing a less-than-full arena for his first political rally in months, criticised anti-racism protests and defended his handling of the coronavirus on Saturday (Jun 20) in an effort to reinvigorate his re-election campaign.
The president, who revels in large crowds and had predicted his first rally in months would be epic, complained that the media had discouraged attendees from coming and cited bad behavior from protesters outside but did not specifically acknowledge the fact that many seats in the 19,000-seat BOK Center arena were empty.
Trump sought to use the event to bring momentum back to his campaign after coming under fire for his responses to the coronavirus and to the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in the custody of Minneapolis police.
The smaller-than-expected crowd robbed him, at least for now, of the ability to highlight enthusiasm for his candidacy as an advantage over his expected Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, who has eschewed large campaign events.
Trump has brushed aside criticism for his decision to hold his first rally since Mar 2 in Tulsa, the site of the country's bloodiest outbreaks of racist violence against Black Americans some 100 years ago.
The president, who has encouraged a militaristic response to the demonstrations nationwide while taking criticism for not showing more empathy for the plight of Black Americans, criticised some of the protests.
"The unhinged left-wing mob is trying to vandalise our history, desecrate our monuments - our beautiful monuments - tear down our statues and punish, cancel and persecute anyone who does not conform to their demands for absolute and total control. We're not conforming," Trump said.
The Republican president is trailing Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, in polls ahead of the November election. Biden has hammered Trump for his response to the pandemic.
Trump defended his response, saying that more testing had led to identifying more cases, seemingly to his chagrin.
"When you do testing to that extent, you're going to ... find more cases," he said. "So, I said to my people, 'Slow the testing down, please.'" A White House official said he was "obviously kidding" with that remark.
Hours before the rally, Trump's campaign announced six members of its advance team had tested positive for COVID-19. Only a handful of attendees wore masks inside the arena.
Oklahoma has reported a surge in new COVID-19 infections in recent days, and the state's department of health warned that attendees face an increased risk of catching the virus.
"I'm not concerned about it. I think it's mostly a hoax," said attendee Will Williams, 46, about the coronavirus, questioning why Democrats were not more concerned about people who die from drug overdoses. Williams did not wear a mask.
The president, unusually, suggested that his own speech to the partially empty arena was not his best.
"So far tonight, I'm average," Trump said.
Trump often feeds off the energy of big groups, something he has not been able to do since the pandemic paused his rallies.
"I've never seen anything like it. You are warriors. Thank you," Trump told the crowd, filled with people wearing red t-shirts, the campaign's signature colour.
Trump campaign officials had said prior to the event that demand far outstripped the capacity of the venue.
Trump and Pence canceled addresses to an expected "overflow" crowd outside the arena after "protesters interfered with supporters," Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said.
Television images showed a dozen or so Trump supporters in the "spillover" area watching the event on a large screen.
There were some scuffles outside the event between Black Lives Matter protesters and Trump supporters.
"Racists go home," shouted a woman wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt.
Tulsa Police reported the arrest of a white woman wearing a T-shirt reading "I can't breathe" from a private event area after she refused to leave.
A small group of armed men could be seen outside the event. One of them told reporters they were there in case "antifa" protesters turned violent, using the acronym for "anti-facist."
The country's racial divide remains a political vulnerability for Trump. His "law and order" reaction to the protests triggered by Floyd's death has put him at odds with the views of most Americans.
After intense criticism, Trump postponed the rally by a day so that it did not coincide with the anniversary of the Jun 19 commemoration of the end of Black slavery in the United States.
On Friday, he threatened unspecified action against any "protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes" who traveled to Oklahoma, a warning that his campaign said was not aimed at peaceful demonstrators. Critics accused Trump of trying to provoke conflict.
White House and Trump campaign officials had largely dismissed concerns about the rally's health safety, saying masks and hand sanitizer would be available. However, participants were required to waive their right sue if they contract the coronavirus at the event.
TULSA, Oklahoma: Gathering a smaller-than-expected crowd, President Donald Trump sought to reinvigorate his re-election campaign on Saturday (Jun 20) with a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, amid anti-racism protests in cities across the country and a still-strong coronavirus pandemic.
Trump has come under fire for his responses to the coronavirus and to the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in the custody of Minneapolis police.
He has brushed aside criticism for his decision to hold his first rally since Mar 2 in Tulsa, the site of the country's bloodiest outbreaks of racist violence against Black Americans some 100 years ago.
"Oklahoma and America need four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House!" Vice President Mike Pence told cheering supporters ahead of Trump's address at the 19,000-seat BOK Center arena, where many empty seats were visible.
Trump campaign officials had said prior to the event that demand far outstripped the capacity of the venue.
Hours before the rally, Trump's campaign announced six members of its advance team had tested positive for COVID-19.
Only a handful of attendees wore masks inside the arena.
Oklahoma has reported a surge in new COVID-19 infections in recent days, and the state's department of health has warned that attendees at the 19,000-seat BOK Center venue face an increased risk of catching the virus.
Trump and Vice President Mike Pence canceled addresses to an expected "overflow" crowd after "protesters interfered with supporters", Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said according to a pool report.
Television images showed a dozen or so Trump supporters in the “spillover” area watching the event on a large screen.
The Republican president is trailing the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, in polls ahead of the November election.
Kevin and Joan Hansston drove from Illinois for their eighth Trump rally and said it was hypocritical to be concerned about coronavirus at the event after weeks of mass protests over the death of George Floyd.
"Trump has a rally and all of a sudden we're concerned about it again," said Kevin Hansston, 65, who was not wearing a mask.
A supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump sits in a tent, a day before Trump's rally, near the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S., June 19, 2020. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
Tulsa Police reported one arrest after the Trump Campaign asked them to remove a "Ms Buck" from a private event area and she refused to leave. Police tweeted a photo of a white woman wearing a black t-shirt reading "I can't breathe" sitting on the ground speaking to an officer.
There were scuffles outside the event center between Black Lives Matter protesters and Trump supporters.
"Racists go home," shouted a woman with a Black Lives Matter shirt.
A small group of armed men could be seen outside the event. One of them told reporters they were there in case "antifa" protesters turned violent, using the acronym for "anti-facist" .
The country's racial divide remains a political vulnerability for Trump. His "law and order" reaction to the protests triggered by Floyd's death has put him at odds with the views of most Americans.
After intense criticism, Trump postponed the rally by a day so that it did not coincide with the anniversary of the Jun 19 commemoration of the end of Black slavery in the United States.
On Friday, he threatened unspecified action against any "protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes" who travels to Oklahoma, a warning that his campaign said was not aimed at peaceful demonstrators. Critics accused Trump of trying to provoke conflict.
White House and Trump campaign officials had largely dismissed concerns about the rally's health safety, saying masks and hand sanitizer will be available. However, participants are required to waive their right sue if they contract the coronavirus at the event.
Strategists and former administrations officials say Trump must convince voters that his policies will pull the United States out of the recession sparked by the economic shutdown amid the outbreak.
On Friday, he threatened unspecified action against any "protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes" who travels to Oklahoma, a warning that his campaign said was not aimed at peaceful demonstrators. Critics accused Trump of trying to provoke conflict.
White House and Trump campaign officials have largely dismissed concerns about the rally's health safety, saying masks and hand sanitizer will be available. However, participants are required to waive their right sue if they contract the coronavirus at the event.
Strategists and former administrations officials say Trump must convince voters that his policies will pull the United States out of the recession sparked by the economic shutdown amid the outbreak.
JAKARTA: As soon as Susana Somali arrived at the shelter and opened the gate, dozens of dogs rushed over, barking and wagging their tails.
The founder of the Pejaten Animal Shelter, one of Indonesia’s largest animal shelters, patiently acknowledged the canines surrounding her, petting them one by one as they sniffed and licked her hands and cheeks.
As she carried on to inspect the 5,000 sq m compound, more dogs emerged. One even leaped onto her back to lick her.
The entire property, situated on a busy road on an upscale residential area of South Jakarta, was overrun with rescued dogs.
There were dogs playing in the yards, behind thick bushes and along the footpaths.
Some lounged on the floors, while others dozed off in the kitchen and staffers’ room, occupying every sofa, bench and table.
Some of the 1,000 dogs at the Pejaten Animal Shelter in Jakarta. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
Somali struggled to come up with an exact number of dogs currently seeking refuge at the shelter she has been running since 2009.
“More than a thousand,” she told CNA. “Perhaps between 1,200 and 1,400. But definitely more than a thousand.”
And the number kept increasing because since she started the shelter, she had never turned down people who said they can no longer afford to keep their pets or friends who said they have rescued distressed and abused dogs.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the number of newcomers has been overwhelming.
“Many people are out of work and cannot afford to have pets. Many people can’t go home because of the lockdown. People with COVID-19 are being put in isolation. Meanwhile, their dogs are starving,” Somali said.
“Everyday, there would be up to 10 new dogs.”
Susana Somali, the founder of one of the largest animal shelters in Indonesia, the Pejaten Animal Shelter. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
With the economy declining, the pandemic also meant that less and less people were giving donations to the shelter.
At the same time, the 55-year-old mother of two also had to be on the frontline battling COVID-19 as a clinical pathologist. She works in a laboratory that tests samples for the coronavirus and other illnesses.
INHERITED LOVE FOR ANIMALS FROM HER PARENTS
Somali has always been an animal lover growing up.
“My father and mother are animal lovers. I developed my love for animals thanks to my parents, but they didn't own a shelter, nor were they activists like me,” she said.
It was her parents who taught her that it is better to adopt a rescued pet than to buy one from the pet store.
“My parents also taught me that domesticated animals are abandoned because of overpopulation. That’s why they never let our pets breed. If they die, we could always rescue more animals,” Somali said.
The teaching stuck with her. And ever since she was a child, she had been rescuing dogs and cats.
Susana Somali playing with the dogs at her shelter. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
“Whenever I saw an animal in distress I always took them home with me. As a child, I would do that during my commute from school. As a young woman, I would do that during my way home from university and now on my way back from work,” she said.
When Somali was still living with her parents, her family had up to fifteen cats and dogs, all were rescued.
Starting her own shelter happened by chance. In 2009, she started a fundraiser for sick and abandoned animals along with a few friends.
“Instead of getting the donations that we needed, people reached out to us looking to give away their dogs and cats,” she recalled.
A dog at the Pejaten Animal Shelter clinging to Susana Somali. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
Not wanting to see the animals abandoned or ended up on the streets, she decided to adopt them.
That year, her house eventually became home to 70 dogs and cats. “That created problems with the neighbours,” she said.
Somali then worked to build a proper shelter for her adopted animals at an empty plot of land belonging to her family just five minutes away from her home.
In August of that year, the Pejaten Animal Shelter was born.
SAVING THE ABANDONED AND THE ABUSED
Originally, the shelter only had two single-storey buildings, one for the animals and the other to house her two staffers along with a kitchen and a first-aid clinic.
Over the years, Somali found herself having to build more and more structures to accommodate the burgeoning number of rescued animals.
Since the pandemic, up to 10 dogs are sent to the Pejaten Animal Shelter in Jakarta every day. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
The number eventually became so big that she had to move rescued cats to another shelter called “Rumah Kucing Parung” (Parung House of Cats) which her friend operates.
She also had to recruit more and more staffers. The shelter now employs 30 people, with some workers tasked with preparing food while others are in-charge of taking sick dogs to the vet, rescuing abandoned animals and surveying adopters’ homes.
“Some animals do get adopted. But the ratio is very low. For every animal adopted, ten new ones are rescued and taken here,” she said. “For the majority of the dogs here, this is their sanctuary. Their home from hereafter.”
The shelter also works with a network of veterinarians, animal rights groups, rescuers and informants.
Among the newcomers to her facility were four dogs rescued from a slaughterhouse which serves dog meat.
A dog resting inside its kennel at the Pejaten Animal Shelter in Jakarta. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
When rescuers found them, the four were put inside a bag to stop them from escaping and their mouths gagged with a rope.
With their eyes reflecting a sense of confusion and fear, the four mixed-breed dogs stood quietly inside their kennels, and their food was barely touched.
It has been days since they were rescued and they still occasionally trembled when humans approached them. Somali said it would take days more until they become accustomed to their new home.
“It can take more than a week for newcomers to adjust to life at the shelter, particularly those which had such traumatic experiences of being abused,” she said.
“All rescued dogs have some kind of stress. Stray dogs are usually tougher but pets might need time to adjust because they used to live alone in an air-conditioned house and they sometimes get depressed.”
There are many reasons why domesticated dogs suddenly became unwanted.
“Maybe the owners moved to a new place which doesn’t allow pets. Some became unwanted after biting their owners. Some dogs got sick or injured and the owner can no longer provide the care their pets need,” she said.
A dog whose rear right leg is paralysed at the Pejaten Animal Shelter in Jakarta. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
Whatever the reason, the shelter is always open to newcomers, even though space is becoming more and more limited.
“It’s hard for me to say no. How could I? If I say no the dogs could end up on the streets and be in more hardship,” she said. “When an animal is domesticated that means that animal becomes dependant on humans to feed and care for them.”
DWINDLING RESOURCES DUE TO COVID-19
The 5,000 sq m property is now almost completely built up, with only around 30 per cent of open space left.
The structures, made from steel and concrete brick walls, are completely packed with rescued dogs which are allowed to freely roam the compound.
There are also kennels for traumatised newcomers and troublemakers who liked to bully smaller dogs. An enclosed section sits at the back of the compound for canines who have a history of escaping the shelter.
Two dogs lounging at the Pejaten Animal Shelter in Jakarta. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
Somali dreams of moving the shelter one day, but space is not the shelter’s only problem.
Somali said each animal at her shelter requires around 250,000 rupiah (US$17.60) a month for food and medication. There are also electricity and water bills, as well as staff salary to pay.
“Even before the pandemic, I have been struggling for two years (to finance the shelter),” she said.
Workers at the Pejaten Animal Shelter in Jakarta preparing food for the dogs. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
She used to rent out a residential property and the money would be spent on the shelter, but the house was entangled in a legal dispute since 2008.
Another source of income was a street food business, but the premises had to close down due to COVID-19.
Since the outbreak, the shelter became completely reliant on donations, which used to cover only 10 to 20 per cent of the shelter’s expenses.
“But the donors' businesses were affected too because of the pandemic,” Somali said.
“But I will find a way somehow. I cannot quit. If I give up, other (people who own shelters) might too. I must have strength so I can provide strength to others,” she said.
“I will never stop helping animals in need. It is my calling.”
