babylonsister
babylonsister's JournalAs Threat of Virus Persists, Trump Administration Signals It Will Wind Down Task Force
We're on our own, but I suppose with these clowns we always were.
Coronavirus Live Updates: As Threat of Virus Persists, Trump Administration Signals It Will Wind Down Task Force
Cases are growing by 2 to 4 percent daily, and more than 1,000 people have died each day for over a month. At least 15 children in New York were hospitalized with an illness scientists worry might be linked to Covid-19.
Right Now
Trump administration officials are telling members of the coronavirus task force that the White House plans to wind down the operation and it’s not clear whether any other group might replace it.
Here’s what you need to know:
The White House is considering winding down the coronavirus task force in the coming weeks.
As outbreaks shutter meatpacking plants, meat gets rarer in grocery aisles and drive-throughs.
Trump is heading to Arizona for his first cross-country trip since the virus restrictions.
It’s a surreal scene at the Capitol as the Senate returns for its first week of regular business.
The special I.G. nominated to oversee a $500 billion fund vows to be impartial in combating misuse.
The Trump administration is considering tax-cut proposals for next response bill.
more...
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/us/coronavirus-updates.html
Barack and Michelle Obama will deliver commencement speeches for the class of 2020
...and someone's head will be subject to explosion! 
Barack and Michelle Obama will deliver commencement speeches for the class of 2020
The Obamas will be taking part in multiple graduation events.
By Alexandra Svokos and Kelsey Walsh
May 5, 2020, 1:19 PM
Former President Barack Obama will be holding a televised graduation event for the high school class of 2020, most of whom are missing their in-person graduations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Separately, Barack and Michelle Obama will be hosting a virtual commencement celebration in June for the class of 2020. President Obama will also share a message for HBCU students at a virtual event in May.
"Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020" will be a 1-hour multimedia event featuring several guests, and it will air on Saturday, May 16, on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC as well as other broadcast and digital streaming partners, according to a press release.
Special guests will include LeBron James, Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers, Yara Shahidi, Bad Bunny, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Megan Rapinoe, H.E.R. and Ben Platt, and the event is being hosted by XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation and The Entertainment Industry Foundation.
more...
https://abcnews.go.com/US/barack-obama-giving-high-school-commencement-speech-class/story
Miami Beach Shuts Big City Park After Hostile Crowds Refuse to Wear Masks
The stupid is scarier than the disease.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/miami-beach-shuts-south-pointe-park-after-hostile-crowds-refuse-to-wear-masks
Miami Beach Shuts Big City Park After Hostile Crowds Refuse to Wear Masks
COVER UP
Tom Sykes
Updated May. 05, 2020 6:18AM ET /
Published May. 05, 2020 6:12AM ET
Cliff Hawkins
Trump Claims Pandemic Proved 'I Was Right'
https://politicalwire.com/2020/05/05/trump-claims-pandemic-proved-i-was-right/
Trump Claims Pandemic Proved ‘I Was Right’
May 5, 2020 at 8:09 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
Said Trump: “You know, I had people say, ‘No, no, it’s good. You keep — you do this and that.’ Now those people are really agreeing with me. And that includes medicine and other things, you know.”
He added: “We did the right thing and now we’re bringing the country back. And I think there’s a great optimism. I don’t know if you see it, but I think there’s a great optimism now.”
Chamber of Commerce Endorses Steve King's Challenger
https://politicalwire.com/2020/05/05/chamber-of-commerce-endorses-steve-kings-challenger/
Chamber of Commerce Endorses Steve King’s Challenger
May 5, 2020 at 9:03 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
Federal Judge Calls For McConnell To Be Investigated For Improperly Pressuring Judge To Retire
https://www.politicususa.com/2020/05/04/federal-judge-calls-for-mcconnell-to-be-investigated-for-improperly-pressuring-judge-to-retire.htmlPosted on Mon, May 4th, 2020 by Sean Colarossi
Federal Judge Calls For McConnell To Be Investigated For Improperly Pressuring Judge To Retire
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) could soon find himself under investigation for improperly pressuring a judge to retire so he could fill the opening with a 37-year-old protégé.
✔
@brianefallon
NEW: A top federal judge has asked Chief Justice Roberts to assign a formal investigation into whether McConnell unethically pressured a sitting judge to retire so McConnell could install his protege Justin Walker in his place. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/us/politics/senate-confirmation-justin-walker.html#click=https://t.co/pBGDnelwR5 …
According to The New York Times, “Just days before a high-profile Senate confirmation hearing to fill a vacancy on the prestigious U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the court’s chief judge has opened the door to an inquiry into whether ethical improprieties occurred in the creation of the coveted opening.”
More from the report:
The advocacy group acted in March after disclosures that Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader who has focused intently on conservative judicial confirmations the past three years, had been contacting appeals court judges nominated by Republican presidents to encourage them to retire. In the case of Judge Griffith, his retirement opened the way for President Trump to nominate Justin Walker, a 37-year-old protégé of Mr. McConnell’s whom the senator had ardently promoted for the seat.
With the number of federal judicial vacancies to fill nearly exhausted, Mr. McConnell has been urging those contemplating retirement to step aside this year if they want to assure that their successors will be nominated by a Republican president and confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate.
more...
FDA tries to mitigate damage done by Trump's push for speedy approval of antibody tests
He's a menace! 
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/5/4/1942590/-FDA-tries-to-mitigate-damage-done-by-Trump-s-push-for-speedy-approval-of-antibody-tests
FDA tries to mitigate damage done by Trump's push for speedy approval of antibody tests
Kerry Eleveld
Daily Kos Staff
Monday May 04, 2020 · 5:55 PM EDT
In the midst of a pandemic, flooding a market with faulty antibody tests is a pretty much a worst-case scenario. Any errant results leave the recipients operating with the false impression that perhaps they have achieved immunity and can carry on with their work absent the worry of getting infected or infecting others. Or a false negative might convince someone who actually is immune that they must continue with a strict social distancing regimen. In other words, faulty tests in a marketplace foster a ton of misinformation that threatens public health and could even prove deadly.
But thanks to Donald Trump's insistence that regulators ease rules in order to get coronavirus tests to market more quickly, more than 100 antibody tests are now being sold that haven't met any standard for being effective, according to Politico. But on Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it would retroactively impose a process for emergency use applications that companies must submit within 10 days after first bringing their products to market.
When the FDA first relaxed the regulations on antibody tests back in mid-March, the agency itself acknowledged the risks of failing to regulate the products in any way. "Inaccurate diagnoses during a pandemic can impair prevention efforts and delay appropriate treatment for sick patients," the FDA stated, urging companies to "take all necessary steps" to ensure the accuracy of their tests. The policy, however, tasked companies entirely with validating their own tests.
The stricter FDA policy change came after the chair of the House Oversight Economic and Consumer Policy Subcommittee announced a congressional investigation of the policy, writes Politico. Last week, the American Medical Association also urged the Department of Health and Human Services to restrict who can administer the tests to medical professionals after doubts have grown about the accuracy of some tests. Some companies have also made false claims about their tests being FDA-approved or appropriate for at-home use, which was never part of the FDA guidelines.
According to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, close to half of the companies with an antibody test on the market are now seeking appropriate authorization through the updated policy.
But confusion in the marketplace was bound to be the result of Trump and his allies pushing to get a bunch of unproven tests on the market as part of their reckless push to reopen the economy.
Mnuchin Urges 'Explore America' Despite CDC Guidance
https://politicalwire.com/2020/05/04/mnuchin-urges-explore-america-despite-cdc-guidance/Mnuchin Urges ‘Explore America’ Despite CDC Guidance
May 4, 2020 at 1:29 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard
Said Mnuchin: “A lot of people haven’t seen many parts of America. I wish I could get back on the road soon.”
However, the CDC is still recommending against any non-essential travel within the United States: “Travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19.”
While Americans shelter in place, Trump plans his summer getaway
While Americans shelter in place, Trump plans his summer getaway
Justin Rohrlich 3 hrs ago
As nearly half of all Americans cancel their summer plans to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, US president Donald Trump will be escaping to New Jersey.
According to federal spending data, the Secret Service has ordered bullet-resistant glass and party tents to be used in Bedminster—home to the 535-acre Trump National Golf Club, which some close to the president have referred to as the “summer White House.”
Taxpayers are footing a $42,350 payment to a party rental company in Jackson, New Jersey, as well as a $9,600 bill for ballistic glass installation and removal, awarded to a small business in Westbury, New York. The tent rental is projected to be slightly less expensive than one the Secret Service rented in 2018 for the holiday season at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm beach, which cost taxpayers $54,000. The Secret Service uses the tents primarily as screening areas for vehicles and visitors.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is telling people across the US that they should only travel outside their local area if it’s for “essential” reasons, such as providing “medical or home care to others,” or “for a job considered an essential service.” The US presidency is, no doubt, considered an essential service, but one that can just as well—if not far better—be performed from the White House as opposed to a privately-owned golf club in New Jersey, a state particularly hard-hit by coronavirus.
more...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/while-americans-shelter-in-place-trump-plans-his-summer-getaway/ar-BB13Accx
Hundreds of Florida boaters throw boat parade in support of Trump
WHY?
Hundreds of Florida boaters throw boat parade in support of Trump
By Aris Folley - 05/03/20 08:39 PM EDT
Scores of boaters in Florida participated in a boat parade in support of President Trump that was bound for Mar-a-Lago over the weekend.
According to a local NBC station, hundreds sailed in the parade, which began at the Jupiter Inlet around Sunday afternoon and ended several hours later at the president’s resort in Palm Beach.
A Facebook page set up for the event dubbed it the “TRUMP Boat Parade.” It asked boaters participating to fly their “favorite TRUMP flag and USA Flag.”
"Don't miss this event it's going to be ‘HUGE.’ Lets honor President Trump for all he is doing to ‘Keep America Great!’” the event page also said, referring to the president’s 2016 campaign slogan.
Trump thanked the boaters in a tweet later on Sunday and vowed to “never let” them down.
more...
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/495899-hundreds-of-florida-boaters-throw-boat-parade-in-support-of
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Member since: Mon Sep 6, 2004, 09:54 PM
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