Stark numbers As a startling reminder of how quickly coronavirus ravages society once it arrives, here is a bald statistic. CNN, using the data from the US’s Johns Hopkins University that they, the Guardian and many other outlets and authorities rely on, put up some numbers on the TV screen a little while ago. On March 11 the death toll in the US from coronavirus was 38. Just two months later, on May 11, the death toll has now reached 80, 087. Is $60.5 million good enough? Putting Biden’s fundraising in context Biden announced today that he was able to raise $60.5 million in April. For Democratic voters, is that an encouraging statistic, or a discouraging one? Some reporters are offering context. These fundraising totals are lower than the totals from March. But this was the first month were all fundraising was done virtually, and a month of extreme economic crisis and uncertainty for virtually everyone. Tech investor compares ignoring public health orders to opposing discriminatory laws Some tech investors think Elon Musk’s choice to open his factory in defiance of public health orders is a brave, important check on government power during a pandemic. “Government power needs to be checked more than any other source of “power” and governments that abuse their mandate will lose jobs, revenue and influence,” investor Keith Rabois wrote. Rabois compared Musk’s action and his threats to take his company out of California over the state’s public health measures to the companies that publicly opposed discriminatory laws that banned transgender people from using the public bathrooms that matched their gender identities. In these extraordinary times, the Guardian’s editorial independence has never been more important. Because no one sets our agenda, or edits our editor, we can keep delivering quality, trustworthy, fact-checked journalism each and every day. Free from commercial or political bias, we can report fearlessly on world events and challenge those in power. Your support protects the Guardian’s independence. We believe every one of us deserves equal access to accurate news and calm explanation. No matter how unpredictable the future feels, we will remain with you, delivering high quality news so we can all make critical decisions about our lives, health and security – based on fact, not fiction. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. The banner in the White House rose garden read: “America leads the world in testing”. This accompanied Donald Trump talking about millions of coronavirus tests being performed and how, essentially, the numbers are bigger than anywhere else in the world. A lot of testing will definitely be needed as the US attempts to go back to work before effective treatments or a vaccine are available to knock Covid-19 on the head. But the problem is, widespread testing first needed to be available in March and into April when the US, and the west coast and New York in particular, were trying to perform speedy mitigation (the US having failed to contain the virus before it spread rapidly), and it wasn’t anywhere near sufficient then. For many vital weeks, the US was far behind countries such as South Korea in the rate of testing, and the crisis in South Korea has been less severe as a result. Trump visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on March 6 and in a press conference for the ages (measured on how unjustifiably boastful and misleading it was), said utterly falsely that anyone who wants a test can get one. Precious time was lost during March and April and thousands and thousands of lives could have been saved with more organization from the federal government then. There’s even a piece of art in New York about that. Tech reporters: Elon Musk ‘knows he’s not going to get arrested’ Earlier this afternoon, an erratic billionaire tweeted that he was opening his California-based electric car factory today in defiance of public health orders. “If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me,” Elon Musk tweeted. (Reminder: Musk has a new baby who was born exactly a week ago, an optimal moment to dare authorities to arrest you.) Tech reporters were not impressed with this “Twitter arrest martyrdom,” as Buzzfeed News’ Ryan Mac put it. The Guardian’s California-based senior tech reporter agreed: “Musk is the perfect example of what happens when the checks against power are whittled down to vestiges,” Mac wrote. White House reporters must show solidarity against Trump"s "racist" attacks, leading media correspondent says CNN’s chief media correspondent Brian Stelter just demolished Donald Trump for the way he handled questions from CBS’s Weijia Jiang at the White House press conference in the rose garden. Stelter said the president was clearly rattled by tough questioning at the end of the presser by Jiang. He tried to cut her off and turn to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins instead, but Collins deferred to her colleague to try to let her finish her questioning before Collins asked her question. Trump then tried to cut Collins off when she tried to ask her own question, and then abruptly ended the presser and walked off when Collins continued to try to ask hre questions. “He didn’t want to hear the questions from Kaitlan and Weijia. It has racist overtones. It’s racist to look at an Asian-American correspondent and say ‘ask China’, it’s part of a pattern from the president,” Stelter just commented, live on CNN. He continued: “He’s been rattled by Weijia Jiang’s questions in the past...he treats minority journalists in a very different way,” Stelter said. He recalled how Trump dealt inappropriately with a question from correspondent April Ryan, who is black, when he asked her if she could arrange a meeting for him with the Congressional Black Caucus, in 2017. Stelter continued, moments ago, that Trump “routinely targets women and minority journalists”. Weijia Jiang describes herself in her autobiography as a Chinese-born West Virginian. Stelter said: “The pattern [of Trump’s attacks] suggests a racial reaction...that’s deeply disturbing...normally you wouldn’t talk about her background.” He called on all White House press corps journalists to support each other in solidarity against such targeting. Joe Biden announced today that he has raised $60.5 million “between my campaign and the Democratic National Committee.” “The average online donation to my campaign was only $32.63,” Biden’s campaign wrote in an email to supporters. California governor speaks warmly of Elon Musk as he pledges to open Tesla factor in defiance local health orders Some California officials have been blunt in their response to Musk and his frustrations with public health restrictions delaying the reopening of his electric car factory. “F*ck Elon Musk,” one state politician tweeted. But California governor Gavin Newsom spoke warmly of both Tesla and Musk at Monday’s briefing, even as the company and Musk himself said he would be opening Tesla’s California factory today in defiance of local health orders. “I have long been a strong advocate and supporter and an early adopter of the technology,” Newsom said. “I have not only known the company but I have known the founder for many, many years. I have great reverence for their technology, for their innovative spirit, for their leadership and I have great expectations that we can work through at the county level, the issue with this particular county and this company in the next number of days.” While state regulators have gotten involved in some rural counties where businesses have reopened too early, Newsom said any issue with the Tesla factory’s purported reopening on Monday would be up to Alameda county to deal with. This is a familiar move for California’s governor, who has previously punted difficult enforcement decisions to local authorities and local law enforcement, including decisions on whether to arrest protesters violating public health orders at large, sometimes chaotic protests. Newsom also said he was not concerned about Musk’s threats to move operations to another state. “I have more confidence moving forward in our ability to support a company that this state has substantively supported for now many, many years and in return we have been beneficiaries of their incredible growth, ingenuity and innovative spirit,” he said. “We look forward to many, many decades of that relationship.” Report: Elon Musk’s factory appears open in defiance of health orders After suing local California authorities and threatening to move Tesla’s headquarters to Nevada or Texas over coronavirus restrictions, it appears that Elon Musk’s electric car factory was in open and operating on Monday, in defiance of county health orders. The parking lot of the plant in Fremont, located northeast of San Jose, was almost full, according to the Associated Press. “Tesla has started the process of resuming operations,” according to a statement posted on the company website Saturday, but what exactly that entails was not included. Musk himself tweeted that “Tesla is restarting production today against Alameda County rules.” “I will be on the line with everyone else,” Musk claimed. “If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.” Musk’s partner gave birth to their first child exactly a a week ago. Last week, Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, modified the statewide stay-at-home order, reopening 70% of the state’s economy and allowing some retailers and manufacturers to operate again under certain guidelines. Given the size and varied needs of the state, however, he gave localities the option to maintain more stringent measures than the state order. San Francisco, for example, will not reopen its retail businesses until 18 May, while much of the state opened 8 May. Fremont is located in Alameda county, part of the set of Bay Area counties that became the first to enact shelter-in-place orders nationwide. The county has seen 2,101 cases total, and 71 deaths, but Fremont’s close proximity to San Jose means many from Santa Clara county - one of the state epicenters for the virus, and where the first recorded coronavirus death in the nation is believed to be - were likely commuting back and forth for work. In Santa Clara county, there have been 2,339 cases and 129 total deaths. Trump abruptly ends press conference after clash with two reporters Trump ends the briefing suddenly on a very sour note. Asked by CBS White House Correspondent Weijia Jiang why he is so fixated on comparing the US’ testing capability to other countries as opposed to focusing on the lag that still exists here, Trump snapped: “Maybe that’s a question you should ask China. Don’t ask me, ask China that question, okay?” Trump then called on CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who allowed Jiang a moment to follow up. Jiang, who is Asian-American, replied to Trump: “Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically? Why are you asking me this?” “I’m saying it to anybody who would ask a nasty question like that,” Trump told her. “That’s not a nasty question,” Jiang said. Then, as CNN reporter Collins started speaking, Trump abruptly cut her off with “No, it’s okay” and “next.” “I just wanted to let my colleague finish,” Collins said. As Collins continued to try to ask her questions, Trump suddenly ended the press conference, saying “Thank you very much” and walked away from the podium. Trump spent Mother’s Day sending conspiratorial tweets about his predecessor. In one tweet he accused Obama of committing the “biggest political crime in American history, by far!” Asked to name the crime he is accusing Obama of committing, Trump replied: “Obamagate. it’s been going on for a long time it’s been going on before I even got elected.” The reporter followed up: but what is the crime you’re accusing him of? “You know what the crime is,” Trump says.