Trump Rejects Obama’s Criticism of His Response to Pandemic 

U.S. President Donald Trump has called his predecessor Barack Obama an “incompetent president” following Obama’s criticism of the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic.  Obama A youngster approaches a team of New York City police officers as they walk with face masks to hand out to anyone who needs or asks for one during the current coronavirus outbreak, Sunday, May 17, 2020, in Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York.The president has scheduled more discussions with governors and industry leaders for Monday on conditions to reopen the country and ensure a steady supply of food and other goods and services, despite projections that the U.S. coronavirus death toll would reach 147,000 by August.  The shutdowns threaten to push the U.S. economy into recession and unemployment has reached historically high levels, with one-quarter of the country’s work force losing jobs.  Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Sunday that additional job losses are likely through June.  In an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” news program, Powell said the economic recovery will take a long time and U.S. businesses and families will need three to six more months of government financial support.  He also emphasized the importance of preventing another outbreak for the economic recovery.  “If we are thoughtful and careful about how we reopen the economy so that people take these social distancing measures forward and try to do what we can not to have another outbreak…then the recovery can begin fairly soon,” Powell said. He urged Americans to help each other by respecting social distancing, washing their hands and wearing masks.    Most of the country’s 50 states are beginning to relax restrictions on businesses, while urging residents to continue keeping a social distance of at least two meters between people, wearing masks in public, and avoiding large groups. 
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