thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--McConnell: Senators Must Return To Capitol Before Considering More Coronavirus Bills

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) said Tuesday the chamber won ’ t consider any more stimulus bills until lawmakers are back in the U.S. Capitol , even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc around the nation .
McConnell spoke to Politico just hours after the Senate passed a $ 484 billion relief bill meant to tackle the growing economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic .
The funding would help replenish a loan initiative for small businesses and fund hospitals as well as provide $ 25 billion for increased testing efforts .
It follows up on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was enacted month .
The House is expected to pass the latest bill this week , and President Donald Trump has indicated he will sign it .
But McConnell said senators , who passed the measure with a voice vote because many were away from Washington due to stay-at-home directives , will need to return in the coming weeks .
The Senate Republican leader indicated he was troubled by the rampant spending .
“ We need to see how things are working , see what needs to be corrected , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass a coronavirus rescue bill we need to have everyone here and everyone engaged , ” McConnell told Politico , saying lawmakers needed to be “ as cautious as we can ” while “ racking up … the national debt.
” McConnell said he still hopes the Senate will be back in session on May 4 .
He echoed some sentiments from Trump later in the interview , saying that , although the economy was in “ free fall , ” the only way to get it back to normal would be to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The best way to get the economy back and running is to begin to open it up again , rather than passing immediately another bill where we have to borrow , ” he said .
The economic fallout from the virus has already devastated entire segments of the U.S. economy .
At least 22 million people have filed for unemployment benefits since the White House declared a national emergency .
It is the worst period of joblessness in the country ’ s history .
There have now been more than 804,000 confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more than 40,000 people have died .
But Trump has urged some parts of the U.S. to begin backing away from social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders , releasing a three-phase plan last week that governors could follow while asserting that testing capabilities are now adequate to help prevent new outbreaks .
Public health officials , however , have warned that reopening businesses too early could be catastrophic , and even a majority of Americans have said they ’ re worried the U.S. will try to return to normal too quickly .

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday the chamber won’t consider any more stimulus bills until lawmakers are back in the U.S. Capitol, even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc around the nation.
McConnell spoke to Politico just hours after the Senate passed a $484 billion relief bill meant to tackle the growing economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The funding would help replenish a loan initiative for small businesses and fund hospitals as well as provide $25 billion for increased testing efforts. It follows up on a massive $2 trillion stimulus package that was enacted month.
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The House is expected to pass the latest bill this week, and President Donald Trump has indicated he will sign it.
But McConnell said senators, who passed the measure with a voice vote because many were away from Washington due to stay-at-home directives, will need to return in the coming weeks. The Senate Republican leader indicated he was troubled by the rampant spending.
“We need to see how things are working, see what needs to be corrected, and I do think that the next time we pass a coronavirus rescue bill we need to have everyone here and everyone engaged,” McConnell told Politico, saying lawmakers needed to be “as cautious as we can” while “racking up … the national debt.”
McConnell said he still hopes the Senate will be back in session on May 4. He echoed some sentiments from Trump later in the interview, saying that, although the economy was in “free fall,” the only way to get it back to normal would be to reopen businesses across the country.
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“The best way to get the economy back and running is to begin to open it up again, rather than passing immediately another bill where we have to borrow,” he said.
The economic fallout from the virus has already devastated entire segments of the U.S. economy. At least 22 million people have filed for unemployment benefits since the White House declared a national emergency. It is the worst period of joblessness in the country’s history.
There have now been more than 804,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.S., and more than 40,000 people have died.
But Trump has urged some parts of the U.S. to begin backing away from social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders, releasing a three-phase plan last week that governors could follow while asserting that testing capabilities are now adequate to help prevent new outbreaks.
Public health officials, however, have warned that reopening businesses too early could be catastrophic, and even a majority of Americans have said they’re worried the U.S. will try to return to normal too quickly.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--California Finds New Coronavirus Deaths Weeks Earlier Than First Reported In U.S.

A county in California said Tuesday it had identified two people who died from COVID-19 in early- and mid-February , weeks before what was initially reported as the nation ’ s first coronavirus was found in Washington State .
The news may shift the timeline for the virus ’ spread in the country earlier that initially believed .
Santa Clara County said Tuesday a medical examiner had performed autopsies on two people who died on Feb. 6 and Feb. 17 , both of whom tested positive for the coronavirus .
“ These … individuals died at home during a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the CDC , ” the county said in a statement .
“ Testing criteria set by the CDC at the time restricted testing to only individuals with a known travel history and who sought medical care for specific symptoms.
“ It noted that : “ As the Medical Examiner-Coroner continues to carefully investigate deaths throughout the county , we anticipate additional deaths from COVID-19 will be identified.
” Up until now , the first deaths in the United States linked to the coronavirus had been on Feb. 26 in the Seattle area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for cases of COVID-19 , tearing through nursing homes and prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency on Feb. 29 .
More than 12,300 people have since been infected with the virus in Washington and 683 have died .
The new fatalities are significant in that they could dramatically extend the amount of time cases of the coronavirus were spreading undetected in parts of the country before social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders were put in place .
Cases grew exponentially in the early weeks of the pandemic and more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been infected .
Dr. Jeff Smith , a physician and the Santa Clara County Executive , told The Mercury News the results , which were delivered to officials Tuesday , “ means the virus has been around for a while.
” He told the outlet he believed the cases originated somewhere within the community , building on his comments earlier this month that the virus had most likely been around in the area “ a lot longer than we first believed.
” Smith said at the time he thought the virus may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since December of last year .
The county was one of the first in the nation to announce stay-at-home orders in mid-March , and California has instituted dramatic efforts to stop the spread of the virus statewide .
But Dr. Sara Cody , Santa Clara County ’ s chief medical officer , told The New York Times the two reported deaths were “ probably the tip of an iceberg of unknown size.
” “ We had so few pixels you could hardly pick out the image , ” she told the outlet on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pixels that all of sudden that we didn ’ t even realize that we were looking for .
”

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A county in California said Tuesday it had identified two people who died from COVID-19 in early- and mid-February, weeks before what was initially reported as the nation’s first coronavirus was found in Washington State. The news may shift the timeline for the virus’ spread in the country earlier that initially believed.
Santa Clara County said Tuesday a medical examiner had performed autopsies on two people who died on Feb. 6 and Feb. 17, both of whom tested positive for the coronavirus.
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“These … individuals died at home during a time when very limited testing was available only through the CDC,” the county said in a statement. “Testing criteria set by the CDC at the time restricted testing to only individuals with a known travel history and who sought medical care for specific symptoms.“
It noted that: “As the Medical Examiner-Coroner continues to carefully investigate deaths throughout the county, we anticipate additional deaths from COVID-19 will be identified.”
Up until now, the first deaths in the United States linked to the coronavirus had been on Feb. 26 in the Seattle area. Washington quickly became a hot spot for cases of COVID-19, tearing through nursing homes and prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency on Feb. 29. More than 12,300 people have since been infected with the virus in Washington and 683 have died.
The new fatalities are significant in that they could dramatically extend the amount of time cases of the coronavirus were spreading undetected in parts of the country before social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders were put in place. Cases grew exponentially in the early weeks of the pandemic and more than 825,000 people in the U.S. have now been infected.
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Dr. Jeff Smith, a physician and the Santa Clara County Executive, told The Mercury News the results, which were delivered to officials Tuesday, “means the virus has been around for a while.” He told the outlet he believed the cases originated somewhere within the community, building on his comments earlier this month that the virus had most likely been around in the area “a lot longer than we first believed.”
“This wasn’t recognized because we were having a severe flu season,” he told The Los Angeles Times on April 11.
Smith said at the time he thought the virus may have been spreading in the Santa Clara region since December of last year.
The county was one of the first in the nation to announce stay-at-home orders in mid-March, and California has instituted dramatic efforts to stop the spread of the virus statewide. But Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s chief medical officer, told The New York Times the two reported deaths were “probably the tip of an iceberg of unknown size.”
“We had so few pixels you could hardly pick out the image,” she told the outlet on Tuesday. “Suddenly we have many pixels that all of sudden that we didn’t even realize that we were looking for.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--Don Lemon Cuts Up Georgia's 'Edward Scissorhands' Coronavirus Reopening Plan

Don Lemon and Dr. Sanjay Gupta slammed Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp ’ s plan to allow certain businesses in the state to reopen despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
They were especially puzzled by some of the businesses that will be allowed to reopen , including hair and nail salons and gyms .
“ Just from a medical perspective , though , it seems like it would be awfully hard to social distance in a nail or hair salon or even a gym , ” Lemon said .
“ How do you physically distance somebody when they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” he asked .
“ Yeah .
Especially if you ’ re doing someone ’ s hair , ” Lemon said .
“ If you ’ re doing someone ’ s hair , you have to be Edward Scissorhands , but that ’ s not even 6 feet.
” Gupta said the state shouldn ’ t reopen just yet .
“ I want it to open , too .
I want all the same things that I think everybody else wants , ” he said .
“ I want that for me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I want it for you , Don , but we ’ re not there yet.
” Then , he warned : “ People may end up even dying that don ’ t need to.
” See more of their conversation below :

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Don Lemon and Dr. Sanjay Gupta slammed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s plan to allow certain businesses in the state to reopen despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
They were especially puzzled by some of the businesses that will be allowed to reopen, including hair and nail salons and gyms.
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“Just from a medical perspective, though, it seems like it would be awfully hard to social distance in a nail or hair salon or even a gym,” Lemon said.
Gupta called the plan “a little bit ridiculous.”
“How do you physically distance somebody when they’re cutting your hair or doing your nails?” he asked.
“Yeah. Especially if you’re doing someone’s hair,” Lemon said. “If you’re doing someone’s hair, you have to be Edward Scissorhands, but that’s not even 6 feet.”
Gupta said the state shouldn’t reopen just yet.
“I want it to open, too. I want all the same things that I think everybody else wants,” he said. “I want that for me, I want it for my family, I want it for you, Don, but we’re not there yet.”
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Then, he warned: “People may end up even dying that don’t need to.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--GOP Quietly Pushes Through Long-Sought Priorities As Pandemic Rages

Trump said the move would be an effort to combat the coronavirus ― or , in his words , to stop “ the attack from the Invisible Enemy.
” But , he added , it was also meant “ to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens.
” Trump has already used the current crisis to close off America .
During his first address to the nation on the topic , he characterized it as a “ foreign virus ” and touted his restrictions on travel from China .
He then closed the U.S. to visitors from many European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be hit very hard — cruise ships and airlines and certain industries , ” the president said , according to a GOP donor .
“ But at the same time , I ’ ve been saying for a long time people should stay in our country and travel in our country , and that ’ s going to happen.
” Like Trump , Republicans around the country have been pushing through some of their long-held priorities during the pandemic .
Some of them are using the coronavirus as an excuse for passing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are simply doing what they want , quietly , while everyone is focused on the coronavirus .
Last month , right in the middle of the pandemic , the Trump administration took a major step toward rolling back auto emissions standards put in place during President Barack Obama ’ s tenure .
The new rules would lower fuel economy standards for vehicles sold in the U.S. from 54 miles per gallon by 2025 to 40 mpg .
The move has significant implications for climate change ― under the new standards , the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide over the vehicles ’ lifespans on the road than under the current rule .
This month , the Environmental Protection Agency finalized its proposal to loosen rules on oil- and coal-fired power plants ’ emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants .
Mercury pollution damages brains and lungs .
The new rules change the way regulators weigh the pros and cons of such restrictions , giving more weight to economic costs and less to indirect benefits to public health .
GOP officials in a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , Ohio , Oklahoma , Tennessee and Texas ― have tried to use the coronavirus as an excuse to ban abortions , except when a woman ’ s life is in immediate danger .
They say that the medical procedures are not essential and therefore need to wait until after the coronavirus crisis to be carried out .
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland added that people decide to end their pregnancies for a number of reasons , including , “ the impact of pregnancy and birth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and strained economic circumstances .
These are conditions that do not go away ― and are likely heightened — in pandemic conditions.
” Senate Republicans tucked a tax change into the coronavirus relief legislation passed last month that will temporarily reduce the tax liability for certain businesses .
Eighty percent of the benefits will go to those who earn more than $ 1 million annually .
Hedge-fund investors and owners of real estate businesses are the main beneficiaries of the GOP change , according to Steve Rosenthal , a tax expert at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration formally revised a rule this month significantly limiting the type of research that the government can use to draft environmental and public health regulations .
The EPA would give preference to studies where all the data used is public ― a move that would dismiss “ some of the most important environmental research of the past decades , ” according to The New York Times .
For example , research that uses the private medical information of study subjects who were granted confidentiality would be downplayed .
“ In following through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EPA administrator is undermining the agency ’ s ability to use the best available science as it makes decisions .
... Let ’ s call this rule what it is : a deliberate attempt to exclude scientific evidence from the policymaking process , ” said Sudip Parikh , chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science , in a statement .

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President Donald Trump announced Monday night that he planned to suspend all immigration to the United States.
Trump said the move would be an effort to combat the coronavirus ― or, in his words, to stop “the attack from the Invisible Enemy.” But, he added, it was also meant “to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens.”
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The trope that immigrants steal Americans’ jobs is not new, and it has nothing to do with the coronavirus pandemic. It’s the same rhetoric that anti-immigration hard-liners have used for years.
The U.S. already has the most coronavirus cases in the world, by far.
Trump has already used the current crisis to close off America. During his first address to the nation on the topic, he characterized it as a “foreign virus” and touted his restrictions on travel from China. He then closed the U.S. to visitors from many European countries.
And last month, while at his private Mar-a-Lago resort with a mix of friends, family and GOP donors, Trump reportedly saw a “potential upside” in the crisis ― a chance to promote his “America First” agenda.
“Certain industries are going to be hit very hard — cruise ships and airlines and certain industries,” the president said, according to a GOP donor. “But at the same time, I’ve been saying for a long time people should stay in our country and travel in our country, and that’s going to happen.”
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Like Trump, Republicans around the country have been pushing through some of their long-held priorities during the pandemic. Some of them are using the coronavirus as an excuse for passing legislation or rolling back regulations. Others are simply doing what they want, quietly, while everyone is focused on the coronavirus.
A look at what’s been going on:
Gutting auto emissions standards
The new rules would lower fuel economy standards for vehicles sold in the United States from 54 miles per gallon by 2025 to 40 mpg. Canetti/Getty Images
Last month, right in the middle of the pandemic, the Trump administration took a major step toward rolling back auto emissions standards put in place during President Barack Obama’s tenure. The new rules would lower fuel economy standards for vehicles sold in the U.S. from 54 miles per gallon by 2025 to 40 mpg. The move has significant implications for climate change ― under the new standards, the U.S. auto fleet would emit nearly an additional 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide over the vehicles’ lifespans on the road than under the current rule.
Looser rules for toxic mercury pollutants
This month, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized its proposal to loosen rules on oil- and coal-fired power plants’ emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants. Mercury pollution damages brains and lungs. The new rules change the way regulators weigh the pros and cons of such restrictions, giving more weight to economic costs and less to indirect benefits to public health.
Abortion bans
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is one of the politicians who have tried to ban abortions during the coronavirus crisis. Eric Gay/Associated Press
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GOP officials in a number of states ― including Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas ― have tried to use the coronavirus as an excuse to ban abortions, except when a woman’s life is in immediate danger. They say that the medical procedures are not essential and therefore need to wait until after the coronavirus crisis to be carried out.
But abortion rights advocates and medical experts say that abortion is time-sensitive and cannot wait. Many of these states also have stricter rules on when a woman is no longer allowed to obtain an abortion in her pregnancy.
“While many physicians and health care workers are on the front lines in the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unfortunate that elected officials in some states are exploiting this moment to ban or dramatically limit women’s reproductive health care, labeling procedures as ‘non-urgent,’” said Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association, in a statement.
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland added that people decide to end their pregnancies for a number of reasons, including, “the impact of pregnancy and birth on their health, ability to work, and strained economic circumstances. These are conditions that do not go away ― and are likely heightened — in pandemic conditions.”
Tax benefits for millionaires
Senate Republicans tucked a tax change into the coronavirus relief legislation passed last month that will temporarily reduce the tax liability for certain businesses. Eighty percent of the benefits will go to those who earn more than $1 million annually. Hedge-fund investors and owners of real estate businesses are the main beneficiaries of the GOP change, according to Steve Rosenthal, a tax expert at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.
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Anti-transgender laws
Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed two pieces of anti-transgender legislation in the middle of the coronavirus crisis. Otto Kitsinger/Associated Press
Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) signed two anti-transgender bills into law during the coronavirus pandemic. One bars transgender and intersex girls from competing in girls sports in state public schools. The other prohibits transgender and gender nonconforming people from changing the gender marked on their birth certificate to match their gender identity.
Restricting science used to write environmental regulations
The Trump administration formally revised a rule this month significantly limiting the type of research that the government can use to draft environmental and public health regulations. The EPA would give preference to studies where all the data used is public ― a move that would dismiss “some of the most important environmental research of the past decades,” according to The New York Times. For example, research that uses the private medical information of study subjects who were granted confidentiality would be downplayed.
“In following through with this flawed policy anyway, the EPA administrator is undermining the agency’s ability to use the best available science as it makes decisions. ... Let’s call this rule what it is: a deliberate attempt to exclude scientific evidence from the policymaking process,” said Sudip Parikh, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in a statement.
Voter ID
Kentucky’s GOP-controlled Legislature recently overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) veto of a voter ID bill last week, a move that adds an extra hurdle for people to vote in November. The bill requires people to show government-issued photo identification in order to cast a ballot.
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This legislation comes at a time when people are already struggling to vote in primary elections because of the coronavirus pandemic. The ACLU of Kentucky said it was considering filing a lawsuit to block the law.
Voter fraud is extremely rare, yet voter ID bills are popular with Republicans. Voters who are elderly, low-income, students and people of color ― many of whom often vote for Democrats ― are the groups most likely to lack proper ID.
“As Democratic Governors work tirelessly to expand testing and provide personal protective equipment to frontline health care workers, Republicans at every level of government are focused on enacting a partisan agenda focused on stripping away the right to vote, chipping away at health care protections, and undermining their own state constitutions,” said Jerusalem Demsas, spokeswoman for the Democratic Governors Association.
Selling off oil and gas leases
The Interior Department has moved forward with fossil fuel lease sales, including offering up 78 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico last month ― despite environmental groups calling for a halt to sales during the pandemic. With oil prices dropping precipitously, the sale resulted in “lowest total for any U.S. offshore auction since 2016,” according to Reuters.
Criminalizing fossil fuel protests
Three states ― Kentucky, South Dakota and West Virginia ― quietly passed laws last month imposing criminal penalties on protests against fossil fuel infrastructure, such as gas pipelines. Andrew Burton/Getty Images
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Three states ― Kentucky, South Dakota and West Virginia ― quietly passed laws last month imposing criminal penalties on protests against fossil fuel infrastructure, such as gas pipelines. Under some of the bills, protesters would receive large fines for causing damage or disrupting or tampering with such infrastructure. South Dakota and West Virginia have Republican governors, while Kentucky has a Democratic one.
“While we are all paying attention to COVID-19 and the congressional stimulus packages, state legislatures are quietly passing fossil-fuel-backed anti-protest laws,” Connor Gibson, a Greenpeace USA researcher, told HuffPost. “These laws do nothing new to protect communities. Instead they seek to crack down on the sort of nonviolent civil disobedience that has shaped much of our nation’s greatest political and social victories.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--HHS Chief Alex Azar Had Aide, Former Dog Breeder, Steer Pandemic Task Force

The first test created by the CDC , meant to be used by other labs , was plagued by a @ @ @ @ @ and wasn ’ t fixed for weeks .
It wasn ’ t until March that @ @ @ @ @ into production .
The lack of tests “ limited hospitals ’ ability to monitor the @ @ @ @ @ , ” the HHS Inspector General said in a report this month .
The equipment @ @ @ @ @ patients at risk.
” Reached by phone , Harrison declined to answer Reuters ’ questions @ @ @ @ @ , he did not address questions about the task force but said he was proud @ @ @ @ @ “ Americans would be well served by having more government officials who have started and @ @ @ @ @ and fewer trying to use that experience to attack them and distort the record , @ @ @ @

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On January 21, the day the first U.S. case of coronavirus was reported, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services appeared on Fox News to report the latest on the disease as it ravaged China. Alex Azar, a 52-year-old lawyer and former drug industry executive, assured Americans the U.S. government was prepared.
“We developed a diagnostic test at the CDC, so we can confirm if somebody has this,” Azar said. “We will be spreading that diagnostic around the country so that we are able to do rapid testing on site.”
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While coronavirus in Wuhan, China, was “potentially serious,” Azar assured viewers in America, it “was one for which we have a playbook.”
Azar’s initial comments misfired on two fronts. Like many U.S. officials, from President Donald Trump on down, he underestimated the pandemic’s severity. He also overestimated his agency’s preparedness.
As is now widely known, two agencies Azar oversaw as HHS secretary, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, wouldn’t come up with viable tests for five and half weeks, even as other countries and the World Health Organization had already prepared their own.
Shortly after his televised comments, Azar tapped a trusted aide with minimal public health experience to lead the agency’s day-to-day response to COVID-19. The aide, Brian Harrison, had joined the department after running a dog-breeding business for six years. Five sources say some officials in the White House derisively called him “the dog breeder.”
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Azar’s optimistic public pronouncement and choice of an inexperienced manager are emblematic of his agency’s oft-troubled response to the crisis. His HHS is a behemoth department, overseeing almost every federal public health agency in the country, with a $1.3 trillion budget that exceeds the gross national product of most countries.
Azar and his top deputies oversaw health agencies that were slow to alert the public to the magnitude of the crisis, to produce a test to tell patients if they were sick, and to provide protective masks to hospitals even as physicians pleaded for them.
The first test created by the CDC, meant to be used by other labs, was plagued by a glitch that rendered it useless and wasn’t fixed for weeks. It wasn’t until March that tests by other labs went into production. The lack of tests “limited hospitals’ ability to monitor the health of patients and staff,” the HHS Inspector General said in a report this month. The equipment shortage “put staff and patients at risk.”
A promised virus surveillance program failed to take root, despite assurances Azar gave to Congress. Rather than share information, three current and three former government officials told Reuters, Azar and top staff sidelined key agencies that could have played a higher-profile role in addressing the pandemic. “It was a mess,” said a White House official who worked with HHS.
Officials across the government, from President Trump on down, have been blasted for America’s halting response to the pandemic. Critics inside and outside the administration say a meaningful share of the responsibility lies with HHS and Trump appointee Azar.
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“You have to blame the problem on the virus, but it’s Azar’s operation,” said Lynn Goldman, the dean of the public health school at George Washington University, who has served on advisory boards of the FDA and CDC. “And the buck stops there.”
HHS declined to make Azar available for an interview. Michael Caputo, the new chief HHS spokesman, declined to answer Reuters questions about Azar’s stewardship, saying in a statement: “We are communicating to the American public during a deadly pandemic.”
DALLAS LABRADOODLES
Azar is a Republican lawyer who once clerked for the late conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and counts current Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh as a friend. Under George W. Bush, Azar worked for HHS as general counsel and deputy secretary. During the Obama years, he cycled through the private sector as a pharmaceutical company lobbyist and executive for Eli Lilly. After Trump’s first HHS secretary was forced out in a travel corruption scandal, Azar stepped in, in January 2018.
Two years later, at the dawn of the coronavirus crisis, Azar appointed his most trusted aide and chief of staff, Harrison, as HHS’s main coordinator for the government’s response to the virus.
Harrison, 37, was an unusual choice, with no formal education in public health, management, or medicine and with only limited experience in the fields. In 2006, he joined HHS in a one-year stint as a “Confidential Assistant” to Azar, who was then deputy secretary. He also had posts working for Vice President Dick Cheney, the Department of Defense and a Washington public relations company.
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Before joining the Trump Administration in January 2018, Harrison’s official HHS biography says, he “ran a small business in Texas.” The biography does not disclose the name or nature of that business, but his personal financial disclosure forms show that from 2012 until 2018 he ran a company called Dallas Labradoodles.
The company sells Australian Labradoodles, a breed that is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle. He sold it in April 2018, his financial disclosure form said. HHS emailed Reuters that the sales price was $225,000.
At HHS, Harrison was initially deputy chief of staff before being promoted, in the summer of 2019, to replace Azar’s first chief of staff, Peter Urbanowicz, an experienced hospital executive with decades of experience in public health.
This January, Harrison became a key manager of the HHS virus response. “Everyone had to report up through him,” said one HHS official.
One questionable decision, three sources say, came that month, after the White House announced it was convening a coronavirus task force. The HHS role was to muster resources from key public health agencies: the CDC, FDA, National Institutes of Health, Office of Global Affairs and the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.
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Harrison decided, the sources say, to exclude FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn from the task force. “He said he didn’t need to be included,” said one official with knowledge of the matter.
When task force members were announced January 29, neither Hahn nor the FDA were included. Hahn wasn’t put on the task force until Vice President Mike Pence took over in February. Two of Hahn’s high-profile counterparts were on it from the start: CDC director Robert Redfield and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The HHS denied it was Harrison’s decision to leave out Hahn and the FDA, but declined to say who made the call. The agency lauded Harrison’s work on the task force.
In a statement, Hahn said the FDA was focused on the coronavirus epidemic, “not on when we were added to the task force,” and that the agency was not “excluded.”
Fauci, who has become a public face of the Trump Administration’s COVID-19 effort, said he wasn’t sure including the FDA was necessary at the start. Initially, the Chinese government was saying the virus spread through animals, not human to human, he said. “You would include the FDA when you want to expedite drugs or devices,” Fauci said.
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Others said the lack of a strong FDA role early on had direct consequences. Two sources familiar with events say the White House wasn’t getting information from the FDA about the state of the testing effort, a crucial element of the coronavirus response.
Reached by phone, Harrison declined to answer Reuters’ questions. In a later statement, he did not address questions about the task force but said he was proud of his work history. “Americans would be well served by having more government officials who have started and worked in small family businesses and fewer trying to use that experience to attack them and distort the record,” he wrote.
In a statement to Reuters, Azar said Harrison has been an asset. “From day one, Brian has demonstrated remarkable leadership and managerial talents,” Azar wrote.
LOW RISK?
In the pandemic’s early days, Azar offered words of both concern and assurance in public. On January 31, a day after the WHO declared COVID-19 a global health emergency, Azar declared it a public health emergency.
That same day, during the first Coronavirus Task Force briefing, Azar told the public: “I want to stress: The risk of infection for Americans remains low.”
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The United States, he said, had taken adequate precautions. Travel restrictions and 14-day quarantines on Americans who had been to Wuhan, where the virus originated, were imposed. Americans returning from other parts of China had to self-quarantine.
The next week, on February 7, in another press conference, Azar repeated the message. “The immediate risk to the American public is low at this time,” he announced.
Behind the scenes, his aides say, Azar had alerted the White House in early January, and then later that month spoke directly to the president. It is unclear exactly what Azar told the president, because transcripts are not available.
“There’s a lot of CYA going on,” said one senior administration official, who said Azar never spelled out that stockpiles of protective equipment might be inadequate or the tests were not working. “We were told the test was ready. That turned out to be flat-out wrong.”
Trump denied Azar sent out alarms. “@SecAzar told me nothing until later,” he tweeted earlier this month.
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Meanwhile, Azar continued to say “the immediate risk” to Americans was low and that travel restrictions had worked. “So I think so far, our measures have been quite effective,” he told NPR on February 14.
Others were raising alarms. “It’s not so much of a question of if this will happen any more, but rather more of a question of exactly when this will happen,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said at a February 25 news briefing.
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Responding to Congressional concerns, Azar said HHS had launched a coronavirus surveillance system in five cities. The plan was to test patients who showed up with flu symptoms, to see if they actually were infected with the novel coronavirus.
But the system was either delayed or not implemented in the cities and now is seen by epidemiologists as irrelevant given the massive community spread and continued inadequate testing.
By the end of February, Azar sought more money to attack the crisis as he testified before Congress. “This is an unprecedented potentially severe health challenge globally, and will require additional measures,” he said.
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Still, he assured senators his agency was in control. “We have enacted the most aggressive containment measures in the history of our country,” he said.
He again provided words of calm, appearing on Fox News. “But thanks to President Trump’s historically aggressive containment efforts, we’ve actually contained the spread of this virus here in the United States at this point,” he said February 25. “I think part of the message to the American people is we all need to take a bit of deep breath here.”
“The government is working on this. You’ve got the right people on this.”
By the end of February, Azar and Harrison were no longer running the White House task force. That month, Vice President Pence took control. The FDA and Hahn are now actively involved. A Pence spokesperson said the issue of precluding the FDA from the task force “pre-dates the VP’s leadership” and declined further comment.
Azar seemed caught off guard by the change. “I’m still chairman of the task force,” he told the press after Pence took over.
Given Azar’s early struggles, the White House should have taken a stronger role over the task force from the outset, said Ashish Jha, director of Harvard University’s Global Health Institute. “It was very clear that Azar wasn’t able to marshal the forces across the government like he needed to,” he said.
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Jeffrey Flier, a former Harvard Medical School dean, said the HHS role remains as vital as ever. As of Wednesday, 45,336 Americans have died of COVID-19, and more than 800,000 have been infected.
“Clearly there was a need for better coordination of the FDA and CDC and other agencies,” he said. “HHS has to be operating effectively in a crisis like this.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--The Extremists And Grifters Behind Many Of The Anti-Lockdown Protests

A local militia group is seen at a rally to protest the stay-at-home order amid the Coronavirus pandemic in Columbus , Ohio , on April 20 .
For the third time in the last week , hundreds of protesters gathered at the Ohio State House to protest the stay home order that is in effect until May 1 .
Yet the events — which present a clear danger to communities across the U.S. , risking the further spread of a virus — have been promoted extensively by Fox News .
On Friday , immediately after a Fox segment sympathetic to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his support for the protesters .
It ’ s easy to see why footage of the protests might excite the president .
They bear a striking resemblance , after all , to his own fascist campaign rallies , with attendees who are almost uniformly white , and who display a deep devotion to the president , donning red MAGA hats and waving Trump 2020 flags .
According to Maine-based journalist Nathan Bernard , Lockman helped coordinate Monday ’ s anti-shutdown event on the “ Mainers Against Excessive Quarantine ” Facebook page , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rally wearing MAGA gear .
“ This is about the loss of our civil rights and its impact on our businesses and religion , ” he wrote in one post .
According to the ADL , this individual was photographed at a 2019 white power rally with Timothy Wilson , who was killed by federal agents last month during an attempted arrest over his alleged plot to bomb a Missouri hospital during the pandemic in order to attract attention to his white supremacist views .
Proud Boys , ‘ Patriots , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leader of a state chapter of the Three Percenters , encouraged attendees ahead of the Olympia rally to wear Hawaiian shirts , a reference to the “ Big Luau , ” which is itself code for the “ boogaloo , ” a term used in white supremacist , militia and far-right circles to describe the bloody civil war they predict — and often hope — is coming to America .
“ We do not believe that the COVID-19 bug represents such an immediate danger to others that constitutional rights should be curtailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Diego rally , downplaying the virus as less severe than the flu .
( COVID-19 is thought to be 10 times more deadly than the flu . )

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Many of the right-wing protests against state stay-at-home orders sweeping the nation have been organized or attended by white nationalists, conspiracy theorists, anti-government militias, members of a neo-fascist street gang, and other assorted extremists and scam artists, a HuffPost analysis shows.
The protests, largely coordinated on Facebook, have seen crowds of hundreds descend upon state and city government buildings, where participants flagrantly flout social distancing guidelines to demand that their respective governors reopen state businesses during a deadly pandemic.
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Images of these often heavily armed protesters, screaming at health care workers and blocking ambulances from reaching hospitals, have gone viral, shocking a country where polls show a large majority support measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, which has already killed over 45,000 people in this country.
A local militia group is seen at a rally to protest the stay-at-home order amid the Coronavirus pandemic in Columbus, Ohio, on April 20. For the third time in the last week, hundreds of protesters gathered at the Ohio State House to protest the stay home order that is in effect until May 1. MEGAN JELINGER via Getty Images
Yet the events — which present a clear danger to communities across the U.S., risking the further spread of a virus — have been promoted extensively by Fox News. On Friday, immediately after a Fox segment sympathetic to the rallies, the president tweeted out his support for the protesters.
“LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” “LIBERATE VIRGINIA,” Trump wrote in a tweet-storm, directly contradicting the advice of the medical experts on his own COVID-19 task force.
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It’s easy to see why footage of the protests might excite the president. They bear a striking resemblance, after all, to his own fascist campaign rallies, with attendees who are almost uniformly white, and who display a deep devotion to the president, donning red MAGA hats and waving Trump 2020 flags.
And like Trump’s rallies, the anti-shutdown protests are teeming with right-wing extremists.
Here’s a brief look at some of the figures who have either organized or attended these events over the last week.
The White Nationalists
A rally Monday in Augusta, the state capital of Maine, was organized in part by Larry Lockman, a white nationalist former state lawmaker who in 2017 warned that proposed immigrant welcome centers were tantamount to a “war on whites.”
According to Maine-based journalist Nathan Bernard, Lockman helped coordinate Monday’s anti-shutdown event on the “Mainers Against Excessive Quarantine” Facebook page, where he encouraged attendees to show up to the rally wearing MAGA gear. “This is about the loss of our civil rights and its impact on our businesses and religion,” he wrote in one post.
Bernard reported seeing Lockman coordinating a group of unmasked protesters at the rally Monday.
Hey! A second pic of these cool dudes from today. #makethemfamous pic.twitter.com/5y8UCJuvNQ — Rep. Casey Weinstein (@RepWeinstein) April 19, 2020
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In Columbus, Ohio, two men were photographed at an anti-shutdown protest holding up an anti-Semitic sign depicting Jews as rats, calling them “the real plague.” The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism believes one of the men belongs to the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement.
According to the ADL, this individual was photographed at a 2019 white power rally with Timothy Wilson, who was killed by federal agents last month during an attempted arrest over his alleged plot to bomb a Missouri hospital during the pandemic in order to attract attention to his white supremacist views.
Proud Boys, ‘Patriots,’ And Militias, Oh My
A “Reopen Florida” protest scheduled for this weekend in Miami was organized by a leader of the neo-fascist street gang The Proud Boys, the Miami New Times reported this week.
Enrique Tarrio, a longtime Proud Boy, admitted to the New Times that he’d organized the rally, which he’s advertised as being “against the Democrat-driven unconstitutional lockdown.”
Members of the Proud Boys — a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated hate group originally founded by bigot Gavin McInnes — have deep ties to a host of white nationalist and militia groups, and are best known for violently attacking their political opponents.
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Proud Boys have also been spotted at anti-shutdown protests in Colorado, Nevada, Ohio and Michigan. At the rally in Lansing, Michigan, Proud Boys were allegedly among the attendees blocking ambulances from being able to reach a hospital.
Also in Michigan — as noted by reporter Jason Wilson in The Guardian — were members of the Michigan Liberty Militia, whose Facebook page Wilson notes “features pictures of firearms, warnings of civil war, celebrations of Norse paganism and memes ultimately sourced from white nationalist groups like Patriot Front.”
The Michigan Proud Boys organized a blockade of the intersection at a green light outside Sparrow Hospital.
A doctor came out of the hospital to plead with them to let the ambulances through. pic.twitter.com/B1wXOSMEsR — Chad Loder (@chadloder) April 15, 2020
An April 19 rally in Olympia, Washington, was well-attended by other anti-government militia groups, including the Oathkeepers and Three Percenters, whose members have been implicated in multiple anti-Muslim terror plots in recent years.
Matt Marshall, leader of a state chapter of the Three Percenters, encouraged attendees ahead of the Olympia rally to wear Hawaiian shirts, a reference to the “Big Luau,” which is itself code for the “boogaloo,” a term used in white supremacist, militia and far-right circles to describe the bloody civil war they predict — and often hope — is coming to America.
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According to the ADL, anti-shutdown protesters in Tennessee and New Hampshire have been spotted holding up signs invoking the boogaloo. “Liberty or Boogaloo,” the signs have said, and “Join my boog squad.”
In San Diego, an anti-shutdown protest this past Saturday was organized by Roger Ogden, who has previously held a series of far-right rallies in the city in coordination with the Proud Boys and the Three Percenters.
“We do not believe that the COVID-19 bug represents such an immediate danger to others that constitutional rights should be curtailed,” Ogden told reporters at the San Diego rally, downplaying the virus as less severe than the flu. (COVID-19 is thought to be 10 times more deadly than the flu.)
And in Idaho, rally scheduled for this Friday outside the state capital building in Boise is being advertised by Diego Rodriguez, a pastor and former Republican candidate for the state senate.
Rodriguez recently held an Easter Sunday church service — in defiance of social distancing orders in the state — with Ammon Bundy, who led the militia occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016.
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The Conspiracy Theorists
Anti-vaccination extremists, a mainstay of Trump rallies and other far-right events in recent years, have been seen at multiple anti-shutdown protests.
An April 14 rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, was organized in part by an anti-vaccination activist named Ashley Smith.
“I am against mandatory vaccination,” Smith said in an email to The News & Observer. “That is a personal right and as a sovereign citizen I have the right to choose what medical procedures I and my children receive. Pandemic status/state of emergency doesn’t change that.”
Public health experts fear the anti-vaxx movement could, once a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, undermine a national inoculation program.
Alex Jones screams into a megaphone as protesters against the state's extended stay-at-home order to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) demonstrate at the Capitol building in Austin, Texas, April 18, 2020. Callaghan O'Hare / Reuters
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Owen Shroyer, a host on the conspiracy website Infowars, held a “You Can’t Close America” rally in the Texas state capitol last weekend, attracting hundreds of attendees.
When Infowars founder Alex Jones arrived with a bullhorn, fans swarmed around him and jostled to shake his hand as Jones declared that the pandemic — which has already killed over 500 people in Texas — is a hoax.
The Scam Artists
Investigations by The Washington Post and NBC News revealed that some of the largest Facebook groups organizing protests across the country were all founded by four brothers with a history exploiting far-right causes to rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Dorr brothers — Chris, Ben, Aaron and Matthew — were the founders or administrators of the groups New Yorkers Against Excessive Quarantine, Minnesotans Against Excessive Quarantine, Ohioans Against Excessive Quarantine, Pennsylvanians Against Excessive Quarantine and Wisconsinites Against Excessive Quarantine.
According to NBC News, the groups started or administered by the brothers, which have amassed some 200,000 members, direct people to websites owned by the Dorrs, which then directs people to register their names and addresses, or to sign up as dues-paying members for organizations promoting pro-gun, anti-abortion, or pro-Trump causes.
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3 of the largest "against the quarantine" Facebook groups are admin'ed by the Dorr family, right-wing grifters who apparently do this a lot. There's a website (https://t.co/t6UD3YWKhx) and a Facebook page (https://t.co/o2UEC9VEXK) dedicated to exposing them. h/t @apokerplayer pic.twitter.com/Iak21e3LUu — Erin Gallagher (@3r1nG) April 19, 2020
But Republicans who have previously crossed paths with the Dorr brothers warn that such fundraisers have little to do with political organizing and more to do with lining the Dorrs’ pockets.
Minnesota’s Senate Republican Caucus earlier this year warned voters about these Dorr “scams.”
And Minnesota Citizens Concerned For Life, a prominent anti-abortion group, states on its website that the “Dorr brothers are established scam artists.”
“Nothing they say can be believed,” the website says, “and giving them your money will not advance the pro-life cause in any way.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--CDC Director Clarifies Concerns Over Potential Second Wave Of Coronavirus

The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday clarified comments he made to The Washington Post earlier this week about a potential second wave of the coronavirus later this year .
“ I didn ’ t say that this was going to be worse , I said it was going to be more difficult and potentially complicated because we ’ ll have flu and coronavirus circulating at the same time , ” CDC Director Robert Redfield said during Wednesday ’ s White House briefing .
“ It doesn ’ t mean it ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t mean it ’ s going to be worse , it means it ’ s going to be more difficult because we ’ re going to have to distinguish between the two [ viruses ] , ” he continued .
While President Donald Trump repeatedly insisted the Post had “ totally misquoted ” Redfield , the CDC chief said he was only clarifying the story ’ s headline , not the quotes in the story .
.
@ CDCDirector Dr. Robert Redfield : `` I did n't say this was going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be more difficult and potentially complicated , because we 'll have flu and Coronavirus circulating at the same time . ''
Full video here : https : //t.co/EEGeKYqaYQ pic.twitter.com/YWuS6iSm4K — CSPAN ( @ cspan ) April 22 , 2020 In its report Tuesday , titled “ CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus is likely to be even more devastating , ” the Post quoted Redfield as saying there ’ s “ a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ When I ’ ve said this to others , they kind of put their head back , they don ’ t understand what I mean , ” he continued , according to the Post .
“ We ’ re going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time.
” “ What we ’ ve just gone through , we will not go through .
If they come together it ’ s not great , but we will not go through what we went through the last two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It may not come back at all , he ’ s talking about the worst case scenario .
If it does come back , it ’ s not going to come back , it ’ s not going to be like it was.
” “ We don ’ t know [ if the virus will reemerge ] , ” Birx said .
The great thing is we will be able to find it earlier this time .
We ’ ll find those cases earlier .
We would be able to stay in containment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNN report stated that “ a second coronavirus outbreak could emerge this winter in conjunction with the flu season to make for an even more dire health crisis , ” citing Redfield ’ s remarks .

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The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday clarified comments he made to The Washington Post earlier this week about a potential second wave of the coronavirus later this year.
“I didn’t say that this was going to be worse, I said it was going to be more difficult and potentially complicated because we’ll have flu and coronavirus circulating at the same time,” CDC Director Robert Redfield said during Wednesday’s White House briefing.
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“It doesn’t mean it’s going to be more impossible, doesn’t mean it’s going to be worse, it means it’s going to be more difficult because we’re going to have to distinguish between the two [viruses],” he continued.
While President Donald Trump repeatedly insisted the Post had “totally misquoted” Redfield, the CDC chief said he was only clarifying the story’s headline, not the quotes in the story.
“I am accurately quoted in The Washington Post,” Redfield said.
.@CDCDirector Dr. Robert Redfield: "I didn't say this was going to be worse. I said it was going to be more difficult and potentially complicated, because we'll have flu and Coronavirus circulating at the same time."
Full video here: https://t.co/EEGeKYqaYQ pic.twitter.com/YWuS6iSm4K — CSPAN (@cspan) April 22, 2020
In its report Tuesday, titled “CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus is likely to be even more devastating,” the Post quoted Redfield as saying there’s “a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through.”
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“When I’ve said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don’t understand what I mean,” he continued, according to the Post. “We’re going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time.”
Several media outlets, including HuffPost, reported on the interview.
During the briefing, Trump dismissed the possibility of coronavirus reemerging next fall and winter.
“What we’ve just gone through, we will not go through. If they come together it’s not great, but we will not go through what we went through the last two months,” he said. “It may not come back at all, he’s talking about the worst case scenario. If it does come back, it’s not going to come back, it’s not going to be like it was.”
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force’s response coordinator, offered a more measured assessment on the likelihood of a second wave of the virus.
“We don’t know [if the virus will reemerge],” Birx said. “The great thing is we will be able to find it earlier this time. We’ll find those cases earlier. We would be able to stay in containment phase.”
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Trump tweeted earlier Wednesday that CNN “totally misquoted” Redfield, in apparent reference to CNN’s story on The Washington Post interview.
During an appearance Wednesday on Fox News, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany accused the “mainstream media” of taking Redfield’s comments “out of context.” “I was on the phone with him just before I walked out here,” McEnany said. “What he was trying to say was this: Everyone, get your flu shot. The flu comes back in the fall. Be smart, American people.” “Leave it to CNN and some of the other networks to really take those comments out of context,” she added.
Kayleigh McEnany claims CNN and the other networks took Redfield’s comments out of context. She claims he was urging people to get their flu shots. pic.twitter.com/eDYKpmkEHB — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) April 22, 2020
CNN reported on Redfield’s comments to the Post, publishing a story Tuesday titled “CDC chief says there could be second, possibly worse coronavirus outbreak this winter.”
The opening paragraph of the CNN report stated that “a second coronavirus outbreak could emerge this winter in conjunction with the flu season to make for an even more dire health crisis,” citing Redfield’s remarks.
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Fox News also picked up Redfield’s interview with the Post, publishing a headline that essentially mirrored CNN’s. But neither Trump nor McEnany mentioned the network in their attacks on the media Wednesday.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--Sen. Mark Warner Makes A Ghastly Tuna Melt, And Internet Loses Its Lunch

People are having the same reaction to Sen. Mark Warner ’ s tuna melt tutorial video .
On Monday , the Virginia Democrat posted a video on Instagram in which he purportedly demonstrates how to make a tuna melt .
But his method of preparing the sandwich is so stomach-turning that the internet had a collective meltdown .
It ’ s not like Warner didn ’ t warn us .
He noted in the post that his “ staff tried to stop me from sharing this quarantine delicacy with the world.
” He also tells viewers at the beginning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a professional chef , you may want to occasionally pause the video so you can keep up.
” Warner ’ s cooking technique won ’ t win him many competitions : He squirts a huge amount on mayo onto two untoasted slices of bread and throws the tuna on it without draining the can .
To make matters worse : Warner puts two slices of cheese onto the concoction before putting the abomination into the microwave for 30 seconds ― long enough for a good hand-washing , he notes .
Ok @ MarkWarner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s too much mayo dude .
Where is Lisa ?
I love your effort ... but ... .
https : //t.co/Fnuvg5bHhQ — Claire McCaskill ( @ clairecmc ) April 21 , 2020 My thoughts on an important topic many people are talking about : - Why would n't you toast the bread first ?
- Horrified he did n't drain his tuna water - That 's too much mayonnaise BUT Good job washing hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water , it 's the most important thing !
— Rep. Don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 I have been making a lot of tuna melt sandwiches during quarantine and I am personally offended and physically revolted by @ MarkWarner 's soggy microwaved mess of a tutorial — Emily Larsen ( @ emilyelarsen ) April 22 , 2020 There 's a reason you guys did n't let me anywhere near the kitchen when I was on Top Chef !
I 'm gon na continue leaving the cooking to the professionals , and support my local restaurants in Congress and with lots of carry-out orders .
https : //t.co/bjk0BWTSfB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 22 , 2020 Ok , Internet , I asked him your questions .
And he wants you to know that he **intentionally** did n't drain the tuna `` because I did n't want it to be too dry '' — rachel cohen ( @ rcohen ) April 22 , 2020 He also told me a story about an even more disgusting sandwich he once made , which I will spare you all , but safe to say it will be making an appearance in my nightmares in a little while — rachel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 At the end of the video , Warner says , “ We will get through this , Virginia , we will get through this , America .
”

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Politics leaving a bad taste in your mouth?
People are having the same reaction to Sen. Mark Warner’s tuna melt tutorial video.
On Monday, the Virginia Democrat posted a video on Instagram in which he purportedly demonstrates how to make a tuna melt.
But his method of preparing the sandwich is so stomach-turning that the internet had a collective meltdown.
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It’s not like Warner didn’t warn us. He noted in the post that his “staff tried to stop me from sharing this quarantine delicacy with the world.”
He also tells viewers at the beginning of the video that “unless you are a professional chef, you may want to occasionally pause the video so you can keep up.”
Warner’s cooking technique won’t win him many competitions: He squirts a huge amount on mayo onto two untoasted slices of bread and throws the tuna on it without draining the can.
To make matters worse: Warner puts two slices of cheese onto the concoction before putting the abomination into the microwave for 30 seconds ― long enough for a good hand-washing, he notes.
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Fellow politicians had a severe reaction to the fishy failure.
Ok @MarkWarner we need to talk. That’s too much mayo dude. Where is Lisa? I love your effort...but.... https://t.co/Fnuvg5bHhQ — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) April 21, 2020
Mark—we need to talk. Call. Please. Your friend KDH.pic.twitter.com/IPGsT6cnjE — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) April 22, 2020
My thoughts on an important topic many people are talking about:
- Why wouldn't you toast the bread first?
- Horrified he didn't drain his tuna water
- That's too much mayonnaise
BUT
Good job washing hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water, it's the most important thing! — Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) April 22, 2020
Political journalists couldn’t be objective, either.
I have been making a lot of tuna melt sandwiches during quarantine and I am personally offended and physically revolted by @MarkWarner's soggy microwaved mess of a tutorial — Emily Larsen (@emilyelarsen) April 22, 2020
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“Top Chef” judge Tom Colicchio also had a strong reaction to Warner’s tuna travesty.
Warner took the criticism with good humor.
There's a reason you guys didn't let me anywhere near the kitchen when I was on Top Chef! I'm gonna continue leaving the cooking to the professionals, and support my local restaurants in Congress and with lots of carry-out orders. https://t.co/bjk0BWTSfB — Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) April 22, 2020
Still, Warner’s press officer felt obliged to comment.
Ok, Internet, I asked him your questions. And he wants you to know that he **intentionally** didn't drain the tuna "because I didn't want it to be too dry" — rachel cohen (@rcohen) April 22, 2020
He also told me a story about an even more disgusting sandwich he once made, which I will spare you all, but safe to say it will be making an appearance in my nightmares in a little while — rachel cohen (@rcohen) April 22, 2020
At the end of the video, Warner says, “We will get through this, Virginia, we will get through this, America.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--Jerry Springer Blames Media For Covering Trump's COVID-19 Briefings

Jerry Springer says the media has “ no excuse ” for covering President Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus briefings now that everyone knows what they ’ re like .
The former talk-show-host-turned-TV-judge griped about the briefings on the Cincinnati Inquirer ’ s “ That ’ s So Cincinnati ” podcast .
“ There is no excuse , now that we know what they ’ re like , for just turning on the cameras , ” Springer said , adding that the meetings should be covered by reporters , but not necessarily shown live .
“ To just turn on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a half ?
That ’ s not journalism , that ’ s technology , ” Springer said .
“ I blame the journalists for this.
” Springer said it made sense to cover the briefings live “ for the first couple of days or maybe even weeks , ” but said there ’ s no need “ now that we see what the routine is.
” He elaborated : “ Trump gets up there and spews his stuff , which is different every day and then ― finally !
― the doctors get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he ’ s saying.
” As a result , Springer said the public is not being helped , and he predicted things could get worse .
“ There are some people crazy enough to listen to the president and they ’ re the ones going out there spreading the disease , ” he said .

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Jerry Springer says the media has “no excuse” for covering President Donald Trump’s coronavirus briefings now that everyone knows what they’re like.
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He didn’t mince words.
“There is no excuse, now that we know what they’re like, for just turning on the cameras,” Springer said, adding that the meetings should be covered by reporters, but not necessarily shown live.
“To just turn on the cameras on Trump for an hour and a half? That’s not journalism, that’s technology,” Springer said. “I blame the journalists for this.”
Springer said it made sense to cover the briefings live “for the first couple of days or maybe even weeks,” but said there’s no need “now that we see what the routine is.”
He elaborated: “Trump gets up there and spews his stuff, which is different every day and then ― finally! ― the doctors get up there and, basically, refute what he’s saying.”
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As a result, Springer said the public is not being helped, and he predicted things could get worse.
“There are some people crazy enough to listen to the president and they’re the ones going out there spreading the disease,” he said.
You can hear the full podcast below.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--Larry Kudlow: Businesses Shouldn’t Be Liable If Workers Get Coronavirus

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said businesses should not be held liable for workers who contract the coronavirus while on the job , backing earlier comments made this week by President Donald Trump .
“ You ’ ve got to give the businesses some confidence here that if something happens , and it may not be their fault — the disease is an infectious disease — if something happens , you can ’ t take them out of business .
You can ’ t throw big lawsuits against them , ” he told CNBC Wednesday .
“ We just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want the companies to open and to open strong , ” he told reporters .
White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow said Wednesday that businesses should not be held liable if workers contract the coronavirus while on the job .
Instead of allowing private legal action , Kudlow said it should be the responsibility of states and cities to ensure safety standards .
States have enacted stay-at-home orders for nonessential workers across the country in response to the COVID-19 pandemic , though there have been reports of unsafe working conditions , little to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees being forced to commute into work even if they are nonessential or they are able to perform their jobs remotely .
Retail giant Walmart , which has kept all of its stores open amid the pandemic , was sued earlier this month by the family of one of two workers ― both from the same Illinois store ― who contracted COVID-19 and died .
That man ’ s family has accused the company of failing to adequately screen and protect workers or follow federal health safety guidelines .
Charter Communications , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the name Spectrum , has also been accused of unnecessarily forcing workers at corporate offices and call centers to come into office against local stay-at-home orders .
More than 230 of the company ’ s employees ― roughly half of whom work in offices or call centers ― have since gotten sick from the virus and one employee has died , The New York Times reported Tuesday .
Charter has not denied this report and in a statement to HuffPost on Tuesday a spokesperson said that “ the significant majority ” of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as Trump ’ s top economic adviser , has repeatedly put the economy over public safety , with him last month urging social distancing guidelines to be eased for the good of the economy .
“ At some point , you have to ask yourself whether the shutdown is doing more harm than good , ” he said on CNBC .
This advice followed him calling the coronavirus “ contained , pretty close to airtight ” back in February — an assessment he has since retracted .

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White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said businesses should not be held liable for workers who contract the coronavirus while on the job, backing earlier comments made this week by President Donald Trump.
“You’ve got to give the businesses some confidence here that if something happens, and it may not be their fault — the disease is an infectious disease — if something happens, you can’t take them out of business. You can’t throw big lawsuits against them,” he told CNBC Wednesday.
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Trump, at a White House press briefing on Monday, argued against allowing such legal protections for workers because it would weaken companies’ performance.
“We just don’t want that because we want the companies to open and to open strong,” he told reporters.
White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow said Wednesday that businesses should not be held liable if workers contract the coronavirus while on the job. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Instead of allowing private legal action, Kudlow said it should be the responsibility of states and cities to ensure safety standards.
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“There will be constant monitoring, state by state,” he said. “I think the states do a good job.”
States have enacted stay-at-home orders for nonessential workers across the country in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, though there have been reports of unsafe working conditions, little to no sick leave, as well as employees being forced to commute into work even if they are nonessential or they are able to perform their jobs remotely.
Retail giant Walmart, which has kept all of its stores open amid the pandemic, was sued earlier this month by the family of one of two workers ― both from the same Illinois store ― who contracted COVID-19 and died. That man’s family has accused the company of failing to adequately screen and protect workers or follow federal health safety guidelines.
Charter Communications, which offers telecommunication services across the country under the name Spectrum, has also been accused of unnecessarily forcing workers at corporate offices and call centers to come into office against local stay-at-home orders.
More than 230 of the company’s employees ― roughly half of whom work in offices or call centers ― have since gotten sick from the virus and one employee has died, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Charter has not denied this report and in a statement to HuffPost on Tuesday a spokesperson said that “the significant majority” of its office workers are working remotely.
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Kudlow, as Trump’s top economic adviser, has repeatedly put the economy over public safety, with him last month urging social distancing guidelines to be eased for the good of the economy.
“At some point, you have to ask yourself whether the shutdown is doing more harm than good,” he said on CNBC.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--Jails Are Coronavirus Super Spreaders, Could Double COVID-19 Death Count: Report

Chicago Tribune via Getty Images Inmates inside Cook County Jail post messages in the window and signal to protestors outside on April 12 during the coronavirus pandemic .
( Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images ) COVID-19 prediction models fail to take into account the role that jails play in spreading coronavirus and could severely undercount the total United States death toll , according to a new epidemiological study by academic researchers that was released by the American Civil Liberties Union .
Other countries that have battled coronavirus don ’ t have the same levels of incarceration as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American correctional facilities are inferior to other first-world countries .
And it ’ s not just inmates and guards who will suffer : Jails will “ act as vectors for infection in their surrounding communities , ” according to the model .
The model released by the ACLU predicts that Trump administration models projecting the United States death count at under 100,000 “ largely fail to consider several factors that will explosively increase the loss of life unless drastic reforms are adopted to reduce the nation ’ s jail populations.
” The ACLU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populations and implement effective social distancing at jails could double the United States ’ coronavirus death count to 200,000 .
“ This is a unique problem that the United States has that other countries that are fighting the coronavirus are not facing , ” the ACLU ’ s Udi Ofer told HuffPost .
“ We think this is going to be our Achilles heel ... if we continue to operate jails as business-as-usual.
” The New York Times found that four of the top 10 largest-known infection sources in the United States were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high rate of turnover , are particularly effective at spreading coronavirus in their surrounding communities .
In the Chicago region , more than 700 detainees and correctional officers at Cook County Jail have tested positive for coronavirus .
Four detainees have died since the outbreak .
HuffPost ’ s 2016 jail deaths project , which sought to identify jail deaths across the United States , identified 14 deaths at Cook County Jail over the course of an entire year .
“ What this model shows is that until we take our mass incarceration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a huge role in the COVID-19 crisis in the United States , we ’ re not going to be able to go back to life as usual , ” Ofer told HuffPost .
The ACLU report said that by taking aggressive action and ending arrests for all but the very most serious crimes and doubling the rate of release , policymakers could save up to 23,000 lives of people in jail and 76,000 in the broader community .
As HuffPost has previously reported , federal government data on jail deaths runs several years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death data , released in February 2020 , identified 1,092 deaths in local jails in 2015 and 1,071 deaths in 2016 .
At its current pace , the Justice Department won ’ t release jail death data from this year until 2024 .

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COVID-19 prediction models fail to take into account the role that jails play in spreading coronavirus and could severely undercount the total United States death toll, according to a new epidemiological study by academic researchers that was released by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Other countries that have battled coronavirus don’t have the same levels of incarceration as the United States, and conditions in American correctional facilities are inferior to other first-world countries. And it’s not just inmates and guards who will suffer: Jails will “act as vectors for infection in their surrounding communities,” according to the model.
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The model released by the ACLU predicts that Trump administration models projecting the United States death count at under 100,000 “largely fail to consider several factors that will explosively increase the loss of life unless drastic reforms are adopted to reduce the nation’s jail populations.” The ACLU model predicts that failures to reduce jail populations and implement effective social distancing at jails could double the United States’ coronavirus death count to 200,000.
“This is a unique problem that the United States has that other countries that are fighting the coronavirus are not facing,” the ACLU’s Udi Ofer told HuffPost. “We think this is going to be our Achilles heel ... if we continue to operate jails as business-as-usual.”
Inmates inside Cook County Jail post messages in the window and signal to protestors outside on April 12 during the coronavirus pandemic. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) Chicago Tribune via Getty Images
The New York Times found that four of the top 10 largest-known infection sources in the United States were correctional facilities. Jails, with their high rate of turnover, are particularly effective at spreading coronavirus in their surrounding communities.
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In the Chicago region, more than 700 detainees and correctional officers at Cook County Jail have tested positive for coronavirus. Four detainees have died since the outbreak. HuffPost’s 2016 jail deaths project, which sought to identify jail deaths across the United States, identified 14 deaths at Cook County Jail over the course of an entire year.
“What this model shows is that until we take our mass incarceration crisis seriously and understand that it plays a huge role in the COVID-19 crisis in the United States, we’re not going to be able to go back to life as usual,” Ofer told HuffPost.
The ACLU report said that by taking aggressive action and ending arrests for all but the very most serious crimes and doubling the rate of release, policymakers could save up to 23,000 lives of people in jail and 76,000 in the broader community.
As HuffPost has previously reported, federal government data on jail deaths runs several years behind. The 2015 and 2016 jail death data, released in February 2020, identified 1,092 deaths in local jails in 2015 and 1,071 deaths in 2016. At its current pace, the Justice Department won’t release jail death data from this year until 2024.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--Top Vaccine Official Says He Was Demoted For Resisting Unproven Drug Pushed By Trump

The doctor leading the Trump administration ’ s vaccine agency said he was removed from his post at the Department of Health and Human Services and moved into a smaller role at another agency in retaliation for pushing for “ scientifically-vetted solutions ” over drugs that have not been proven to treat the coronavirus .
Dr. Rick Bright said in a statement to The New York Times on Wednesday that he had clashed with HHS “ political leadership ” over his resistance to funding “ potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections.
” That disagreement led to Bright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in HHS , which leads the federal effort to develop vaccines and other drugs .
The director of that agency is not appointed by Congress .
Bright told the Times that he specifically limited the “ broad use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine , promoted by the administration as a panacea , but which clearly lack scientific merit.
” “ While I am prepared to look at all options and to think ‘ outside the box ’ for effective treatments , I rightly resisted efforts to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American public , ” Bright said Tuesday .
President Donald Trump has continuously promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine , a drug for malaria , as a possible treatment for COVID-19 despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting that claim .
At least one recent study of 368 patients ― the largest study so far ― showed that there were no benefits of using the drug .
The study also showed that more patients who received hydroxychloroquine died than those who received standard care .
Bright had been working with the agency since 2010 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director in late 2016 .
As of Wednesday afternoon , his biography page on the HHS website was unpublished .
When asked about Bright at the coronavirus task force press conference on Wednesday , Trump told reporters that he had “ never heard of ” the doctor .
Bright believes his transfer to the National Institutes of Health was in response to his “ insistence ” that the federal government invest the “ billions of dollars allocated by Congress ” in science-backed solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic instead of “ drugs , vaccines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said in a statement .
Katz and Banks previously represented Christine Blasey Ford , who alleged that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were in high school .
HHS officials confirmed to CNN that Bright had been moved to the NIH to lead a government project involving a public-private partnership on developing vaccines and COVID-19 treatments .
“ Unfortunately , this resulted in clashes with H.H.S .
political leadership , including criticism for my proactive efforts to invest early into vaccines and supplies critical to saving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fund potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections , ” he continued .
According to Stat , a medical and health care news site , Congress recently tripled BARDA ’ s budget as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic .
HuffPost has reached out to the White House , HHS and Katz and Banks for comment .

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The doctor leading the Trump administration’s vaccine agency said he was removed from his post at the Department of Health and Human Services and moved into a smaller role at another agency in retaliation for pushing for “scientifically-vetted solutions” over drugs that have not been proven to treat the coronavirus.
Dr. Rick Bright said in a statement to The New York Times on Wednesday that he had clashed with HHS “political leadership” over his resistance to funding “potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections.”
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That disagreement led to Bright’s removal as the director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in HHS, which leads the federal effort to develop vaccines and other drugs. The director of that agency is not appointed by Congress.
Bright told the Times that he specifically limited the “broad use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, promoted by the administration as a panacea, but which clearly lack scientific merit.”
“While I am prepared to look at all options and to think ‘outside the box’ for effective treatments, I rightly resisted efforts to provide an unproven drug on demand to the American public,” Bright said Tuesday.
President Donald Trump has continuously promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine, a drug for malaria, as a possible treatment for COVID-19 despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting that claim.
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At least one recent study of 368 patients ― the largest study so far ― showed that there were no benefits of using the drug. The study also showed that more patients who received hydroxychloroquine died than those who received standard care.
Bright had been working with the agency since 2010 and took on the role of BARDA director in late 2016. As of Wednesday afternoon, his biography page on the HHS website was unpublished.
When asked about Bright at the coronavirus task force press conference on Wednesday, Trump told reporters that he had “never heard of” the doctor.
Here is Dr. Rick Bright's full statement, just emailed out by the law firm Katz, Marshall & Banks which will be representing him as he files a whistleblower complaint.
(First reported by @maggieNYT) pic.twitter.com/oQ3j9Z17SK — Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) April 22, 2020
Bright believes his transfer to the National Institutes of Health was in response to his “insistence” that the federal government invest the “billions of dollars allocated by Congress” in science-backed solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic instead of “drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit,” he said in a statement.
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Bright’s attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks called the health official’s removal “retaliation plain and simple,” according to CNN.
Katz and Banks previously represented Christine Blasey Ford, who alleged that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were in high school.
HHS officials confirmed to CNN that Bright had been moved to the NIH to lead a government project involving a public-private partnership on developing vaccines and COVID-19 treatments.
“My professional background has prepared me for a moment like this — to confront and defeat a deadly virus that threatens Americans and people around the globe. To this point, I have led the government’s efforts to invest in the best science available to combat the Covid-19 pandemic,” Bright said in his statement.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-04-22--Far-Right Network OAN Gets A Big Boost From Trump's Coronavirus Briefings

At one such briefing in mid-March , a reporter posed Trump a unique question .
“ Major left-wing news media , even in this room , have teamed up with Chinese Communist Party narratives , and they ’ re claiming you are racist for making these claims about Chinese virus , ” she noted as the president chuckled .
“ Is it alarming that major media players , just to oppose you , are consistently siding with foreign state propaganda , Islamic radicals , and Latin gangs and cartels ?
And they work right here at the White House with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” The White House coronavirus briefings have been a major boon for Rion and the fledgling , hard-right news network , which last year claimed to be available in around 35 million households .
OAN , founded by a wealthy Republican donor , has an unmatched fervor for Trump , who has called on the network numerous times since his daily televised briefings began .
Elevating OAN in this manner has provided a president under intense scrutiny for a botched pandemic response an opportunity to find an extremely friendly interlocutor .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media network filled with a number of ultraconservative political actors who are not really journalists in any meaningful sense .
OAN was founded in 2013 by Robert Herring Sr. , a San Diego-based millionaire who made a fortune in circuit boards before venturing into media in the early 2000s .
His son , Charles Herring , serves as president of the channel and promoted the outlet ’ s launch as “ opening up another front , another platform ” for conservative and libertarian voices that didn ’ t make it onto Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s 2016 presidential campaign when the channel began airing his rallies in full and aligned itself with his candidacy .
Herring Sr. reportedly mandated that the channel not publish any polls during the campaign that didn ’ t show Trump in the lead , according to The Washington Post .
But much of OAN ’ s content has a conspiratorial bent that makes Fox News look like PBS .
The channel employs an on-air reporter who was simultaneously working for Kremlin-funded propaganda outlet Sputnik and who falsely claimed that former Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 800,000 for weapons .
Far-right media activist Jack Posobiec , who pushed the “ Pizzagate ” conspiracy , is another correspondent .
The outlet has suggested chemical weapons attacks and war crimes in Syria are a hoax by rescue workers ― a narrative pushed by Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and the Russian government .
Last December , OAN aired an unhinged three-hour special featuring Trump ’ s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani that tried to frame the impeachment scandal as a hoax targeting the president .
OAN has also brought its hard-right , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , asking questions that either bash professional journalists , bolster Trump ’ s talking points or set him up for an easy answer , such as this one about ratings from host Jenn Pellegrino : “ Mr .
President , your approval ratings have been the highest they ’ ve ever been , as well as the ratings on your handling of the virus , yet there are some networks that are saying they ’ re debating whether or not to carry these briefings live .
Do you think there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , OAN ’ s White House correspondent , asked Trump if he thought the term “ Chinese food ” was racist and juxtaposed coronavirus deaths with abortions .
Rion ’ s social media accounts are filled with photos of her interviewing and posing with members of the Trump family and the president ’ s close associates such as Giuliani .
Before joining OAN last May , Rion was an aspiring political illustrator who drew images of far-right bogeymen including the threat of Sharia law in the U.S. and hospital “ death panels , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy alleging that Hillary Clinton arranged a contract killing .
Rion was a fixture on her husband Courtland Sykes ’ failed Senate campaign during the 2018 midterm elections , where he ran in Missouri on a Trump-esque MAGA platform .
Sykes became a subject of widespread derision during the campaign when he issued a statement condemning feminists as “ she devils ” with “ nasty , snake-filled heads , ” and by saying he wants “ a home-cooked dinner at six every night , one that [ Rion ] fixes and one that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughters learn to fix after they become traditional homemakers and family wives.
” OAN host Liz Wheeler ― a Trump favorite he has promoted on Twitter and whose book he has encouraged his followers to buy ― ran a segment on March 17 condemning mandated social distancing lockdowns and saying “ government should not be allowed to forcibly close private businesses , hurting millions of people , even in a pandemic.
” OAN ’ s coziness with the White House has also allowed it to continue attending Trump ’ s coronavirus briefings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association decided earlier this month to remove the outlet for repeatedly violating strict social distancing guidelines by showing up on days it was not scheduled to attend .
OAN has repeatedly attended the briefings since the decision , claiming it has special approval from the White House .

With the coronavirus outbreak spreading across the country over the past several weeks, President Donald Trump has bragged that his daily press briefings at the White House are achieving “Bachelor finale, Monday Night Football type numbers.”
At one such briefing in mid-March, a reporter posed Trump a unique question. “Major left-wing news media, even in this room, have teamed up with Chinese Communist Party narratives, and they’re claiming you are racist for making these claims about Chinese virus,” she noted as the president chuckled.
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“Is it alarming that major media players, just to oppose you, are consistently siding with foreign state propaganda, Islamic radicals, and Latin gangs and cartels? And they work right here at the White House with direct access to you and your team?”
The reporter, Chanel Rion, is not a household name, but Trump knew who she was. “OAN,” he said slowly as she began to talk, “they treat me very nicely. Go ahead.”
The White House coronavirus briefings have been a major boon for Rion and the fledgling, hard-right news network, which last year claimed to be available in around 35 million households. OAN, founded by a wealthy Republican donor, has an unmatched fervor for Trump, who has called on the network numerous times since his daily televised briefings began.
Elevating OAN in this manner has provided a president under intense scrutiny for a botched pandemic response an opportunity to find an extremely friendly interlocutor. It’s also slowly mainstreaming a conspiracy-laden media network filled with a number of ultraconservative political actors who are not really journalists in any meaningful sense.
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Chanel Rion, a correspondent for the cable news channel OAN, asks President Donald Trump a question in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 6, 2020. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
OAN was founded in 2013 by Robert Herring Sr., a San Diego-based millionaire who made a fortune in circuit boards before venturing into media in the early 2000s. His son, Charles Herring, serves as president of the channel and promoted the outlet’s launch as “opening up another front, another platform” for conservative and libertarian voices that didn’t make it onto Fox News.
Multiple providers, including DirecTV, AT&T U-Verse TV and Verizon FiOS TV, carry the channel, which reached around 15 million households in 2016 and now claims availability to 35 million as of 2019. (Verizon owns Verizon Media, which is HuffPost’s parent company.)
OAN’s breakout came during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign when the channel began airing his rallies in full and aligned itself with his candidacy. Herring Sr. reportedly mandated that the channel not publish any polls during the campaign that didn’t show Trump in the lead, according to The Washington Post.
The Herrings describe OAN as a “hard news” outlet with “traditional values,” and in public comments downplay much of the far-right ideology and pro-Trump rhetoric that it broadcasts.
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But much of OAN’s content has a conspiratorial bent that makes Fox News look like PBS. The channel employs an on-air reporter who was simultaneously working for Kremlin-funded propaganda outlet Sputnik and who falsely claimed that former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton gave antifa protesters $800,000 for weapons. Far-right media activist Jack Posobiec, who pushed the “Pizzagate” conspiracy, is another correspondent.
The outlet has suggested chemical weapons attacks and war crimes in Syria are a hoax by rescue workers ― a narrative pushed by Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and the Russian government. Last December, OAN aired an unhinged three-hour special featuring Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani that tried to frame the impeachment scandal as a hoax targeting the president.
Robert Herring, left, and Charles Herring, right, founders of One America, at the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 14, 2013. Nick Wass/Invision/AP
OAN has also brought its hard-right, pro-Trump viewpoint into the White House briefings, asking questions that either bash professional journalists, bolster Trump’s talking points or set him up for an easy answer, such as this one about ratings from host Jenn Pellegrino:
“Mr. President, your approval ratings have been the highest they’ve ever been, as well as the ratings on your handling of the virus, yet there are some networks that are saying they’re debating whether or not to carry these briefings live. Do you think there’s a link between the two?”
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Rion, OAN’s White House correspondent, asked Trump if he thought the term “Chinese food” was racist and juxtaposed coronavirus deaths with abortions. Rion’s social media accounts are filled with photos of her interviewing and posing with members of the Trump family and the president’s close associates such as Giuliani.
One photo shows her with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, in early March. Rion’s personal website describes her as “President Trump’s most stalwart graphic warrior against leftism.”
Before joining OAN last May, Rion was an aspiring political illustrator who drew images of far-right bogeymen including the threat of Sharia law in the U.S. and hospital “death panels,” as well as the Seth Rich conspiracy alleging that Hillary Clinton arranged a contract killing.
Rion was a fixture on her husband Courtland Sykes’ failed Senate campaign during the 2018 midterm elections, where he ran in Missouri on a Trump-esque MAGA platform. Sykes became a subject of widespread derision during the campaign when he issued a statement condemning feminists as “she devils” with “nasty, snake-filled heads,” and by saying he wants “a home-cooked dinner at six every night, one that [Rion] fixes and one that I expect one day to have my daughters learn to fix after they become traditional homemakers and family wives.”
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On air, Rion has implied that the coronavirus was created in a North Carolina laboratory and cited a conspiracy theorist who suggests the virus is a bioweapon used by the “deep state.”
OAN host Liz Wheeler ― a Trump favorite he has promoted on Twitter and whose book he has encouraged his followers to buy ― ran a segment on March 17 condemning mandated social distancing lockdowns and saying “government should not be allowed to forcibly close private businesses, hurting millions of people, even in a pandemic.”
Other OAN segments on the coronavirus in recent weeks have spread dangerous misinformation and included the chyrons “Does social distancing do more harm than good?” and “Can quarantine lockdowns kill the elderly?”
Alongside these opinion shows, OAN has also featured interviews with lawmakers and Trump world political figures. Donald Trump Jr. and Lara Trump, as well as Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Hungary’s far-right foreign minister have all appeared on the network in recent weeks.
OAN’s coziness with the White House has also allowed it to continue attending Trump’s coronavirus briefings, even after the White House Correspondents’ Association decided earlier this month to remove the outlet for repeatedly violating strict social distancing guidelines by showing up on days it was not scheduled to attend. OAN has repeatedly attended the briefings since the decision, claiming it has special approval from the White House.
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Over the weekend, Trump once again pointed across the room during his press conference to call on the outlet.