Government Response to Coronavirus 5: We're On Our Own

[GreyhoundFan]

Fauci and others testified before a senate health committee today: "5 takeaways from Anthony Fauci’s and health officials’ testimony"

Spoiler

White House coronavirus task force medical expert Anthony S. Fauci delivered his long-awaited coronavirus testimony Tuesday to a Senate health committee.

The appearance came after the White House blocked Fauci from testifying in the Democratic-controlled House but allowed him to testify in the GOP-controlled Senate. Fauci and the committee’s chairman, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), appeared via video after being exposed to those who had come down with the novel virus.

Also appearing at Tuesday’s hearing were Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn and President Trump’s coronavirus testing czar Adm. Brett Giroir.

Below are some early takeaways from the hearing. This post will be updated as the hearing progresses.

1. Fauci warns strongly against reopening quickly

Fauci’s relationship with Trump has been an uneasy one, with Fauci often contradicting Trump and Trump often contradicting Fauci. The medical expert has clearly desired a more aggressive approach to combating the virus, and has lamented at various times that his advice hasn’t always been heeded.

Leading into Tuesday’s hearing, Fauci seemed to have a pointed message intended for the president and other advocates of a faster reopening. Fauci (tellingly) previewed his testimony late Monday night, cautioning strongly against an overly aggressive reopening plan and saying it could lead to “needless suffering and death.”

“The major message that I wish to convey to the Senate HLP committee tomorrow is the danger of trying to open the country prematurely,” he told the New York Times’s Sheryl Gay Stolberg. “If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to: ‘Open America Again,’ then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country. This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal.”

The use of the White House’s own slogan for reopening seemed conspicuous, and Fauci struck a very different tone than Trump has in recent days. The president said Monday that “We have met the moment, and we have prevailed,” and he said last week that we’ve entered “the next stage” in the fight: a reopening.

Several states have flouted CDC guidelines for reopening. The White House has also reportedly buried further proposed CDC guidelines for reopening that were due out 11 days ago.

Fauci rebuked those decisions in his later testimony, saying, “What I’ve expressed then and again is my concern that if some areas, cities, states or what have you jump over those various checkpoints and prematurely open up without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently — my concern is that we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks."

2. Fauci says death toll is ‘almost certainly’ higher than known

There has been an undercurrent of theories — occasionally stoked by Trump but more often by his allies — that the current death toll of more than 80,000 is exaggerated.

But Fauci said that the death toll is actually “likely higher” than that.

“I’m not sure, Senator Sanders, if it’s going to be 50 percent higher,” Fauci said in response to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) asking about that number. “But most of us feel that the number of deaths are likely higher than that number, because given the situation, particularly in New York City, when they were really strapped with a very serious challenge to their health-care system, that there may have been people who died at home … who are not counted as it because they never really got to the hospital."

Fauci added: “So in direct answer to your question, I think you are correct that the number is likely higher. I don't know exactly what percent higher, but almost certainly it's higher.”

Certain Fox News hosts and other Trump allies have suggested other causes of deaths could be counted as coronavirus deaths. Trump at one point retweeted a suggestion that the mortality rate was exaggerated — even as he has assured the federal data are “accurate.”

The evidence, though — including comparing the number of total deaths right now compared to comparable periods in the past — strongly suggests an undercount.

3. CDC head noncommittal on when delayed guidelines will be out

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) pressed Redfield on when we might see the past-due guidelines for reopening that have been held up — noting that many states are pressing forward with reopening even without having them.

“Guidances that you’ve talked about have gone through that interagency review. Their comments that have come back to CDC,” Redfield said. “And I anticipate they’ll go back up into the task force for final review.”

Pressed on a timeline, Redfield responded, “I do anticipate this broader guidance, though, to be posted on the CDC website soon.”

“'Soon' isn’t terribly helpful,” Murphy responded.

4. GOP chairman says testing ‘not nearly enough’

Also providing a slightly different tone than Trump’s on Tuesday was the committee’s GOP chairman, Alexander. In his opening statement, the senator played up many of the White House’s talking points about the success of the federal response.

But he also made a point of saying that testing is still far from sufficient.

“What our country has done so far on testing is impressive, but not nearly enough,” Alexander said, adding that places such as the University of Tennessee need to have vastly expanded testing to be able to reopen when the school year begins in August.

He repeated later: “What our country has done so far in testing is impressive, but not nearly enough.”

Alexander also said that while Americans can’t stay at home indefinitely, “such widespread screening of entire campuses, schools or places of work will help identify those who are sick, trace down those who are exposed. And that, in turn, should help persuade the rest of us to go back to school and back to work."

A day before, Trump had offered something of a mission accomplished message about the coronavirus response, saying, “We have met the moment, and we have prevailed.” The president has also played up the success of the testing regime — as Alexander did Tuesday — while downplaying its importance when it comes to getting past the outbreak.

5. Fauci skeptical about treatments allowing colleges to reopen in the fall

Alexander picked up on his opening statement and asked Fauci directly whether there will be the kinds of treatments or even a vaccine available to help reopen universities in the fall term.

The senator posed the question by citing a college chancellor in his state.

Fauci responded: “Well, I would be very realistic with the chancellor and tell … her that in this case that the idea of having treatments available or a vaccine to facilitate the reentry of students into the fall term would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far."

He didn’t necessarily say schools couldn’t reopen — the question was about having treatments — but his skepticism is notable and suggests a long timetable for successful treatments.

 

[fraurosena]

1 hour ago, 47of74 said:

 

Now Pence says he's keeping his distance from fuck face

Quote

Vice President Mike Pence is taking some precautions, but stopping short of the recommended self-quarantine in the wake of his press secretary testing positive for coronavirus.

Pence is "maintaining distance for the immediate future" from President Donald Trump after consulting with the White House medical unit, a senior administration official said. It is not yet clear exactly how long Pence will stay away from Trump.

Pence's office did not respond to a CNN request for comment.

Trump said Monday that he has not seen Pence since the vice president's press secretary Katie Miller tested positive on Friday, a fact that was underscored by Pence's absence from Trump's news conference Monday. Trump said he could confer with Pence by telephone.

Read more  

So that's what they're calling it now when you can't stand to be in the same room as someone, eh Mikey.

Or they've found out that if both of them were to be incapacitated at the same time, Nancy Pelosi will become de facto president...

[GreyhoundFan]

As per usual, the Dems are trying to make things better for non-billionaires:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Of course Rand Paul is an idiot.

 

[Cartmann99]

16 hours ago, 47of74 said:

I pretty much told that fuckstick off via tweet and pointed out how Fuckface von Manbaby didn't do his fucking job and so we're in a goddamn fucking shit show now.

Rufus should throw a lightning bolt at McConnell's ass for that remark about Obama being classless.

[GreyhoundFan]

She's as moronic as her lord and master:

 

[clueliss]

Details of the proposed House Bill ($3 trillion relief)

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/12/coronavirus-updates-house-democrats-unveil-3-trillion-relief-bill.html

Quote

House Democrats unveil new $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill

PUBLISHED TUE, MAY 12 202012:53 PM EDTUPDATED 11 MIN AGO

Jacob Pramuk@JACOBPRAMUK

KEY POINTS

House Democrats release their latest coronavirus relief bill as they try to blunt the pandemic’s effects on the economy. 

The chamber plans to vote on the legislation, which includes relief for state and local governments, direct payments and hazard pay for essential workers, on Friday. 

Republicans, who have downplayed the need for more immediate spending, are unlikely to approve the package in the Senate. 

WATCH NOW

VIDEO01:59

House Democrats unveil new $3 trillion coronavirus relief package

House Democrats released their latest bill Tuesday designed to blunt the coronavirus pandemic’s devastating effects on the economy and health-care system. 

Party leaders expect to vote on the more-than-1,800-page package on Friday, along with a plan to allow proxy voting on legislation during the crisis. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday said Congress had a “momentous opportunity” to meet people’s needs, contending that “not acting is the most expensive course” as the GOP grows weary of taxpayer spending. 

It includes, according to a summary: 

Nearly $1 trillion in relief for state and local governments 

A second round of direct payments of $1,200 per person, and up to $6,000 for a household

About $200 billion for hazard pay for essential workers who face heightened health risks during the crisis

$75 billion for coronavirus testing and contact tracing — a key effort to restart businesses

An extension of the $600 per week federal unemployment insurance benefit through January (the provision approved in March is set to expire after July)

$175 billion in rent, mortgage and utility assistance 

Subsidies and a special Affordable Care Act enrollment period to people who lose their employer-sponsored health coverage

More money for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including a 15% increase in the maximum benefit

Measures designed to buoy small businesses and help them keep employees on payroll, such as $10 billion in emergency disaster assistance grants and a strengthened employee retention tax credit

Money for election safety during the pandemic and provisions to make voting by mail easier

Relief for the U.S. Postal Service

Democrats say rising Covid-19 infection rates and an unemployment rate unseen since the Great Depression require adding to an already unprecedented emergency government response. The new bill is set to cost more than $3 trillion, which easily tops the $2 trillion cost of the late March stimulus package — the biggest emergency spending measure in U.S. history.

If it passes the House, the Democratic-written plan will face roadblocks in the Senate. It is unclear when both Democrats and Republicans would sign off on a proposal for more relief, as the GOP downplays the need to spend more federal money on a rescue bill now. 

“I’m in discussion, we all are with the administration, if we reach a decision along with the administration to move to another phase, that’ll be the time to interact with the Democrats,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters Tuesday. 

He continued: “But what you’ve seen in the House is not something designed to deal with reality, but designed to deal with aspirations.” 

In a tweeted statement, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called the bill a “liberal wishlist” and “waste of taxpayer time.” 

Kevin McCarthy✔@GOPLeader

House Democrats just released an 1,800-page liberal wishlist that was crafted behind closed doors and includes bailouts for blue states and giveaways for billionaires. This spectacle has ?? ?????? of becoming law.

What a waste of taxpayer time.

 

McConnell has taken issue with Pelosi’s priority of passing relief for state and local governments, which could soon have to scale back payrolls and programs as they spend more money and take in less revenue during the pandemic. Democrats, on the other hand, have opposed the GOP goal of passing liability protections for businesses as they restart in the shadow of the outbreak. 

The U.S. now has more than 1.3 million Covid-19 cases, and the disease has led to more than 80,000 American deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

 

[fraurosena]

1 hour ago, Cartmann99 said:

Rufus should throw a lightning bolt at McConnell's ass for that remark about Obama being classless.

Only one? You’re too kind, @Cartmann99. Rufus should shove the whole damn thunderstorm up that cretin’s crevice for what he’s done to dismantle the country’s democracy.

[JMarie]

1 hour ago, GreyhoundFan said:

She's as moronic as her lord and master:

 

Has she told Trump and Pence that wearing a mask is preventative? I don't think they got that memo.

[47of74]

6 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Of course Rand Paul is an idiot.

 

Ok Rand Paul and strip clubs....trying very, very hard not to picture that. 

I think I need some alcohol to wash that mental image from my brain cells.

[Ozlsn]

72 people in Wisconsin test positive after mass gatherings

Spoiler

Seventy-two individuals who tested positive for Covid-19 in Wisconsin recently attended a “large-gathering” before their diagnosis, according to a report.

According to The Progressive, the state's Department of Health Services (DHS) confirmed that they had gathered tracing data on a number of people who had contracted the virus.

"We were able to pull some limited data—out of 1,986 cases with onset/diagnosis on or after 4/26, there were seventy-two cases who reported attending a large gathering," DHS spokesperson Jennifer Miller was quoted as saying in an email to The Progressive. 

The information comes to light after last month hundreds of people in Wisconsin attended a mass protest at the governor's stay-at-home order.

However, it is not possible to say if any of these cases trace back to the rally as the health department is not tracking attendance of specific events.

"

Possible exposures during protests haven’t been specifically added to the database because we already ask about large gatherings,” Ms Miller allegedly said.

“Contact tracers do ask if patients attended mass gatherings, but not specifically about protests, so there’s really no data on who may have contracted Covid-19 at a protest," she added according to The Progressive

The rally outside Wisconsin’s capitol building in Madison drew hundreds of protesters who demanded Democratic Governor Tony Evers reopen the state.

Wisconsin Capitol Police said about 1,500 people attended the gathering and there were no arrests and no citations issued. Only one-third of protesters were said to be wearing masks at the event.

“No, it doesn’t specifically state that the 72 were at a rally, but this is the data we have,” Ms Miller purportedly said.

The Independent has reached out to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for comment.

Could be those protests, could be church...

[smittykins]

My county’s Board of Supervisors held its monthly meeting to discuss potential reopening, which was closed to the public but streamed on YouTube.  One Supervisor commented that he’d heart from people who “are dead broke, using food banks, and receiving no stimulus money.”  Another responded, “I’d rather be dead broke than dead.”

[47of74]

2 hours ago, smittykins said:

My county’s Board of Supervisors held its monthly meeting to discuss potential reopening, which was closed to the public but streamed on YouTube.  One Supervisor commented that he’d heart from people who “are dead broke, using food banks, and receiving no stimulus money.”  Another responded, “I’d rather be dead broke than dead.”

I bet that person has never been dead broke in their life and is not facing financial difficulties now.  This is what I’ve been worried about is people would not get the support they need and even people on our side are less than helpful. 

[Ozlsn]

Sacked whistleblower says US faces 'the darkest winter'.

Spoiler

Washington: A former Trump administration official who was controversially removed from his post has warned that the US faces its "darkest winter in modern history" unless the federal government develops a co-ordinated response to the coronavirus.

Rick Bright, the former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, was in charge of the federal agency responsible for developing a vaccine and therapeutic treatments for COVID-19 until he was re-assigned to a less significant position in April.

Bright has filed a whistleblower complaintaccusing the Trump administration of improperly pushing unproven treatments such as hydroxychloroquine and failing to grasp the seriousness of the outbreak until it was too late.

"Our window of opportunity is closing," Bright will tell a congressional hearing on Thursday (Friday AEST) according to an advance copy of his opening statement.

"If we fail to develop a national coordinated response, based in science, I fear the pandemic will get far worse and be prolonged, causing unprecedented illness and fatalities.

"While it is terrifying to acknowledge the extent of the challenge that we currently confront, the undeniable fact is there will be a resurgence of the COVID19 this fall, greatly compounding the challenges of seasonal influenza and putting an unprecedented strain on our health care system.

"Without clear planning and implementation of the steps that I and other experts have outlined, 2020 will be darkest winter in modern history."

In his written statements Bright says it is "painfully clear" the Trump administration was not sufficiently prepared to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

"

We missed early warning signals, and we forgot important pages from our pandemic playbook," he says.

"There will be plenty of time to identify gaps for improvement. For now, we need to focus on getting things right going forward."

He calls for a major national campaign to educate Americans about when and how to wear face masks and practise better personal hygiene, as well as ramping up the distribution of personal protective equipment and a national testing strategy.

"The virus is out there, it's everywhere," his statement says. "We need to be able to find it, to isolate it and to stop it from infecting more people."

Asked about Bright last week, President Donald Trump said: "I don't know who he is, I did not hear good things about him at all.

"And to me he seems like a disgruntled employee that’s trying to help the Democrats win an election."

The Office of Special Counsel, the federal agency investigating Bright's complaint, has notified his lawyers that it has found "reasonable grounds" his dismissal was an act of retaliation and has recommended that he be reinstated for 45 days while its inquiry proceeds.

In a lengthy complaint released last week Bright said senior leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pressured him to "ignore expert recommendations and instead to award lucrative contracts based on political connections and cronyism".

Specifically, Bright says he opposed the broad use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine - drugs the Trump administration promoted as a "panacea" for the virus but several studies have since been found to be dangerous or ineffective for many patients.

A HHS spokeswoman said the department "strongly disagrees with the allegations and characterisations in the complaint from Dr Bright".

Trump's response - honestly, the hell? I know this is how he deals with all threats to his perceived glory, but still, the hell?

Add to that Republicans increasingly doubt Anthony Fauci but trust Donald Trump, and... I got nothing. Sure, trust the guy who suggested you go out and drink bleach. Sounds like a good idea to me.

Edited May 14, 2020 by Ozlsn

[Cartmann99]

Texas AG asks court to block mail-in voting over virus fears

Quote

DALLAS (AP) — Texas’ Republican attorney general on Wednesday asked the state’s high court to order local election officials to reject vote-by-mail applications that cite concerns about catching the coronavirus.

Attorney General Ken Paxton petitioned the state Supreme Court after officials in some predominantly Democratic areas approved measures that would allow voters to claim a disability and request mail-in ballots if they are worried about getting sick at polling places. County officials and Texas Democrats cast the move as an effort to disrupt the election and an ongoing voting case.

It comes as the virus has deepened the partisan divide over mail-in voting, with President Donald Trump claiming it is ripe for fraud and Democrats embracing the practice as the safest way to vote during the pandemic.

The attorney general’s request contends officials in counties that include Dallas, Houston, Austin, El Paso and the border community of Brownsville have broadened eligibility to vote by mail beyond what the Legislature intended.

“Each misapplication of Texas election law damages the integrity of our elections and increases the risk of voter fraud,” Paxton said in a statement.

In April, a lower state court lifted restrictions on mail-in voting after Democrats sued to at least temporarily expand access. Voting by mail in Texas is generally limited to those 65 or older or those with a “sickness or physical condition” that prevents them from casting a ballot in person. The state is appealing that decision.

Douglas Ray, an attorney who handles election law for Harris County, said the county’s approach complies fully with the lower court’s ruling and that the counties will vigorously oppose Paxton’s effort to “short circuit” the pending appeal.

“He’s attempting to circumvent the process,” Ray said.

A lawyer for the Texas Democratic Party on Wednesday said “thousands” of people under 65 have already requested mail-in ballots, and accused Paxton of trying to “upset the election process.”

“Whether the state courts or the federal courts resolve the matter, a citizen’s right to vote will be protected,” said attorney Chad Dunn.

[47of74]

I hope Fuck Face sees this

Quote

Since May 8, a giant billboard in New York City's Times Square has beamed out the number of coronavirus deaths in the US. It's called the "Trump Death Clock."

The 56-foot LED screen, organized by Peabody-winning filmmaker Eugene Jarecki and several friends, was created to protest the inert response of President Donald Trump's administration to the US outbreak in its early days.

"Starting in January 2020, President Trump and his administration were advised that urgent measures were needed to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The President declined to act until March 16th," the billboard says.

"By then, a crucial chance to contain the virus had been missed. If mitigation measures had been implemented even one week earlier, by March 9th 2020, approximately 60% of US deaths would have been prevented."

 

[47of74]

Just found this website too...

 

https://trumpdeathclock.com/

[Cartmann99]

Texas sees deadliest COVID-19 day so far with 58 deaths

Quote

DALLAS (AP) — Texas saw its deadliest COVID-19 day of the coronavirus pandemic so far, with state officials reporting 58 deaths during a time span between Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, according to state tabulations.

In Corpus Christi, 63 workers of the 747 employees, contractors and vendors at the STX Beef processing plant tested positive for COVID-19, Nueces County health officials said.

Also, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a ruling that, for now, Texas does not have provide inmates at one prison with hand sanitizer, masks and unrestricted access to soap amid the coronavirus pandemic. The high court’s decision upheld an appeals court ruling that had put a previous ruling on hold.

In Houston, meanwhile, a $15 million program that was created to help residents who have been hurt economically by the coronavirus and are struggling to pay their rent ran out of money within 90 minutes after applications were accepted online.

COVID-19′S DEADLIEST DAY

The Texas Department of State Health Services reports the number of deaths linked to COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, reached 1,216 Thursday, up from 1,158 Wednesday. State figures also show 116 COVID-related deaths over the past three days.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases reported to the state rose by at least 1,800 in one day to almost 44,000 on Thursday. However, the true number is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.

The biggest jump in the number of cases reported Thursday came in Dallas County, where 243 new cases were reported, bringing its total to 6,602. That was still second to Harris County, where 205 new cases reported Thursday brought its total to 8,621. The biggest increase in COVID-19-related deaths was reported in El Paso County, which reported eight new deaths on Thursday. The highest death toll remained in Harris County, where five new deaths reported Thursday brought its total to 188.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

63 WORKERS AT SOUTH TEXAS MEAT PLANT TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

The 747 workers at the STX Beef plant were tested for COVID-19 from Saturday through Wednesday, Nueces County Health Director Annette Rodriguez said. No evidence was found of food or food packaging being associated with coronavirus transmission, she said, and there have been no reports of meat contamination.

In a statement, STX Beef has said it is implementing extra safety precautions, including face masks, face shields, social distancing measures in break rooms and other safety measures.

On Wednesday, a JBS USA meatpacking plant in the Texas Panhandle accepted the state’s offer to test employees for the coronavirus as officials try to contain a cluster of infections connected to the facility. Hundreds of cases of COVID-19 have been linked to the Moore County plant near Amarillo, and Gov. Greg Abbott has singled out the county as an area of concern.

Outbreaks have hit meat plants across the country. President Donald Trump has ordered them to remain open, but Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called the plants among “the most dangerous places there are right now.”

HIGH COURT LETS STAND APPEALS COURT STAY OF INMATE COVID-19 RELIEF

Justice Samuel Alito’s decision Thursday let stand a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that held up a lower-court order that Texas must take additional measures to protect the health of inmates at a prison that houses mostly older and infirm men.

The class-action suit was brought by two men who contend conditions at the Pack Unit, near Navasota, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Houston, violate their constitutional rights.

After weeks of litigation and the death of one Pack Unit prisoner who had COVID-19, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison had ordered Texas to take a number of additional steps to protect inmates there from the virus. He wrote the failure to do so showed “deliberate indifference.”

RENT-ASSISTANCE PROGRAM RUNS DRY

In Houston, nearly 12,000 renters applied for the rent-assistance program on Wednesday. The program, to be paid for by federal funding from the CARES Act, was expected to help about 7,000 households.

“I knew going into it, that the need would be greater than the amount provided. That is why last week I sent a letter urging the federal leaders to commit at least another $100 billion to rent relief and $75 billion to homeowners being foreclosed,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “We’re hoping that Congress will do something.”

The program was set up to provide qualified low-to-moderate income Houston residents up to $1,056 in rental assistance for each of the months of April and May.

Houston joins other cities in Texas, including Austin, Dallas and San Antonio, with similar rent assistance programs.

 

Tensions rise as Texas governor readies to lift more rules

Quote

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Two weeks into the reopening of Texas, coronavirus cases are climbing. New outbreaks still crop up. And at Guero’s Taco Bar in Austin, which offers the occasional celebrity sighting, a log of every diner and where they sat is begrudgingly in the works.

“It seems like a huge invasion of privacy,” said owner Cathy Lipincott, who is nonetheless trying to comply with Austin’s local public health guidelines by asking, but not requiring, customers to give their information.

Few states are rebooting quicker than Texas, where stay-at-home orders expired May 1. With cases still rising, including single-day highs of 1,458 new cases and 58 deaths Thursday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has defended the pace by emphasizing steadying hospitalization rates and pointing out that Texas’ 1,200 deaths are still behind similarly big states, including California and Florida.

But on the cusp of even more restrictions ending Monday, including gyms cleared to reopen, a political confrontation is growing over attempts by big cities to keep some guardrails. The dispute underscores the gulf between Democrats who run city halls and GOP leaders who call the shots in the capital in Texas, where unlike in other states, the governor’s orders supersede all local mandates during the pandemic.

The renewed tensions comes at a moment when Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned Congress this week of “needless suffering and death” if the U.S. moves too quickly. Nevertheless, Wisconsin’s courts tossed out the state’s stay-at-home orders, throwing communities into chaos as some bars opened immediately while strict local restrictions are kept elsewhere.

In Georgia, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has also expressed unease with the speed that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has reopened the state. Oklahoma lawmakers, irritated by local officials who imposed stricter measures during this health crisis, passed a House bill Thursday that would weaken the power of cities during the next one.

And in Texas, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton this week lashed out at the cities of Dallas, Austin and San Antonio over what he called “unlawful” local orders that are tougher than restrictions prescribed by Abbott, and threatened lawsuits if the cities don’t back off. The warning came one day after El Paso pleaded to postpone easing up on any more lockdown measures in light of the number of COVID-19 cases there surging 60 percent over the past two weeks.

“Unfortunately, a few Texas counties and cities seem to have confused recommendations with requirements and have grossly exceeded state law to impose their own will on private citizens and businesses,” Paxton said.

City leaders said their local orders, which include more stringent emphasis on face coverings in public and restaurant protocols that aren’t strictly enforced, don’t conflict. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said he made his case to the governor in a phone call, asking for a few more weeks to assess data and reduce cases before more restrictions are lifted, but believes he won’t get an answer until Abbott’s public announcement Monday.

“I’m not fighting his plan, I’m fighting his timing,” Samaniego said. “It looks like it would work for us months from now.”

The spat is a reversal from the early days of the outbreak in Texas, when Abbott gave cities and counties wide latitude to issue restrictions as they saw fit. But Abbott has since taken the reins over how quickly Texas will reboot, which last week included moving up the reopening of hair salons following complaints from conservatives. Testing for most of May has fallen well short of Abbott’s stated goal of 30,000 per day, although testing numbers have surged in recent days, according to state health officials.

Overflow hospitals set up in Dallas and Houston were dismantled without ever being used, which Abbott has pointed to as a reminder that the virus has not overwhelmed Texas. But experts still worry.

“They see the decline going in and they pat themselves on the back and say, ’Look at the good work we’ve done, now we can let this happen and open up things,” said Dennis Perrotta, a retired state epidemiologist in Texas. “And then we get slammed with a second peak.”

In Austin, restaurants have grumbled over recommendations to log dine-in customers for the purposes of contact tracing, coupled with a warning that health officials otherwise might have to publicly out eateries if outbreaks spread. Some restaurateurs saw that as a threat, but at The Peached Tortilla, owner Eric Silverstein says his industry has to do what it takes to reopen.

“We have no choice,” he said. “You kind of have to going back to doing some form of business.”

A few blocks away at Brentwood Social House, a neighborhood coffee shop, owner Suzanne Daniels isn’t so sure. Though her competitors have reopened, her indoor seating remains closed, and she doesn’t know when she’ll feel safe to follow them.

“It feels early,” Daniels said. “In my gut, it doesn’t feel right or good.”

Golly, it's a good thing that Paxton and Abbott are both conservative pro-life Christians, otherwise I'd be starting to wonder if they're trying to kill off some of the residents of the largest cities in Texas for political reasons.

[JMarie]

https://www.newsweek.com/ivanka-trump-wears-mask-white-house-president-continues-public-appearances-without-one-1504238

 

[GreyhoundFan]

 

Edited May 15, 2020 by GreyhoundFan

[GreyhoundFan]

What a moron:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Sad, but true. "If Trump had been in charge during World War II, this column would be in German"

Quote

The 75th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany got me thinking about how World War II might have turned out if President Franklin D. Roosevelt had acted like President Donald J. Trump.

Picture the scene a few months after Pearl Harbor. The first U.S. troops have arrived in England, and the Doolittle raiders have bombed Tokyo. But even though the war has just begun, the Trumpified FDR is already losing interest. One day he says the war is already won; the next day that we will just have to accept the occupation of France because that’s the way life is. He speculates that mobilization might be unnecessary if we can develop a “death ray” straight out of a Buck Rogers comic strip. He complains that rationing and curfews are very unpopular and will have to end soon. He tells the governors that if they want to keep on fighting, they will have to take charge of manufacturing ships, tanks and aircraft. Trumpy FDR prefers to hold mass rallies to berate his predecessor, Herbert Hoover. He even suggests that Hoover belongs in jail along with the leading Republican congressmen — “Martin, Barton and Fish.”

In reality, of course, Roosevelt focused with single-minded devotion on defeating the United States’ enemies until the day of his death. Old political battles and agendas fell by the wayside. “Dr. New Deal” had been transformed, he explained, into “Dr. Win-the-War.”

Trump, by contrast, cannot focus on a single subject for the length of a paragraph. So it is no surprise that he has already gotten bored with a war against the coronavirus that isn’t going his way. He is taking his cues not from FDR but from Sen. George Aiken, the Vermont Republican whose plan for the Vietnam War was summed up as “declare victory and get out.” In Trump’s case, that means getting Americans out of the home whether it’s safe to do so or not.

Coronavirus deaths are surging past 86,000 and unemployment claims past 36 million, but Trump sounded on Monday as if the pandemic is already over. “We have met the moment and we have prevailed,” he declared. It’s as if Roosevelt had declared Victory in Europe before D-Day.

Medical experts argue that it’s necessary to dramatically ramp up testing, but Trump has no national plan to do so, and said on Thursday that testing might be “frankly overrated.” “When you test you find something is wrong with people,” he declared. “If we didn’t do any testing, we would have very few cases.” The mind reels. This is akin to FDR saying that if no one reported the attack on Pearl Harbor, it wouldn’t have happened.

Rather than turn into “Dr. Defeat the Virus,” Trump has become Dr. Demento trying to distract the public by replaying golden oldies. Have you heard the one about Joe Scarborough killing an aide (who actually collapsed because of a heart problem)? Play it again, Sam.

And rewind “Obamagate” while we’re at it. “This is the greatest political scam, hoax in the history of our country. ... People should be going to jail for this stuff,” Trump thundered on Thursday, even though a few days earlier he was unable to explain what law President Barack Obama supposedly violated. “You know what the crime is,” he told a Post reporter. “The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours.”

Actually no one knows what the crime is, because there isn’t one. As the Bulwark’s Tim Miller explains, Trump’s theory seems to be that a high-level cabal framed him for colluding with Russia but neglected to make the information public before the election when it could have helped Hillary Clinton. When stated so concisely it sounds preposterous — so Trump prefers not to spell it out. Instead he darkly suggests that routine occurrences — such as Obama officials “unmasking” surveillance transcripts that revealed future national security adviser Michael Flynn speaking with the Russian ambassador — are worse than Watergate.

The scandal is not that Flynn was unmasked or prosecuted. It is that Attorney General William P. Barr is now trying to drop charges to which Flynn already pleaded guilty and acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell is releasing information about the unmasking requests. They are politicizing the Justice Department and the intelligence community to save Trump from his own misconduct — which included (lest we forget) welcoming Russian interference in the U.S. election.

It remains to be seen whether the “very stable genius” will succeed in distracting the public. He has definitely distracted himself. The Post reports: “Trump has been distracted recently from managing the pandemic by fixating on Flynn and related matters, ranting in private about the Russia investigation, complaining about Comey and others in the FBI and making clear he wanted to talk in the run-up to the election about law enforcement targeting him, according to one adviser who spoke with the president last week.”

If FDR had taken Trump’s approach, this column would be in German.

 

[JMarie]

CNN just showed a clip of Trump saying there's been an increase in the production of vials, syringes, and needles, in anticipation of the new vaccine. At least someone in the White House is thinking ahead.  Or thinking at all.

[47of74]

Speaking as a 2020 graduate,  fuck you Kimmy

Quote

Gov. Reynolds on Friday congratulated Iowa's 2020 high school graduates during her coronavirus press conference and in a video message on YouTube.

“Our state is so proud of our Iowa graduating seniors and what they have already achieved,” Gov. Reynolds said. “They are helping each other move forward and celebrating this important milestone despite the challenges brought on by a global pandemic. The class of 2020 is resilient, tenacious and resourceful, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish next.”

Hadn't been for your fucking hero Kimmy the class of 2020 graduates at all levels would have been able to have our final rites of passage.  If your hero had done his goddamn fucking job we wouldn't be in this situation now.

[GreyhoundFan]

Sycophant level 100000 (factoring in the bonus round). The only thing I would consider thanking Twitler for is if he ran away and never came back.