thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-07--Record 2 Million Acres Have Burned In California Wildfires This Year

SHAVER LAKE , Calif. ( AP ) — Wildfires have burned a record 2 million acres in California this year , and the danger for more destruction is so high the U.S. Forest Service announced Monday it was closing all eight national forests in the southern half of the state .
After a typically dry summer , California is parched heading into fall and what normally is the most dangerous time for wildfires .
Two of the three largest fires in state history are burning in the San Francisco Bay Area .
More than 14,000 firefighters are battling those fires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A three-day heat wave brought triple-digit temperatures to much of the state during Labor Day weekend .
But right behind it was a weather system with dry winds that could fan fires .
The state ’ s largest utility , Pacific Gas & Electric , was preparing to cut power to 158,000 customers in 21 counties in the northern half of the state to reduce the possibility its lines and other equipment could spark new fires .
“ The wildfire situation throughout California is dangerous and must be taken seriously.
” Moore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extreme fire behavior , new fire starts are likely , weather conditions are worsening , and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire.
” Lynne Tolmachoff , spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , or Cal Fire , said it ’ s “ unnerving ” to have reached a record for acreage burned when September and October usually are the worst for fires because vegetation has dried out and high winds are more common .
The previous high was 1.96 million acres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracking the numbers in 1987 .
While the two mammoth Bay Area fires were largely contained after burning for three weeks , firefighters struggled to corral several other major blazes ahead of the expected winds .
Evacuation orders were expanded to more mountain communities Monday as the largest blaze , the Creek Fire , churned through the Sierra National Forest in Central California .
Debra Rios wasn ’ t home when the order came to evacuate her hometown of Auberry , just northeast of Fresno .
Sheriff ’ s deputies went to her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother , Shirley MacLean .
They reunited at an evacuation center .
The Creek Fire had charred more than 114 square miles of timber after breaking out Friday .
The nearly 1,000 firefighters on the scene had yet to get any containment .
The cause had not been determined .
Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Rosamond , the pilot of a Chinook helicopter , said visibility was poor and winds increasingly strong during the three flights he made into the fire zone .
His crew relied on night-vision goggles to search for a landing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came within 50 feet ( 15.24 meters ) of the aircraft .
“ We started getting information about how many people were out there , how many people to expect , and that number kept growing .
So we knew that it was a dire situation , ” Rosamond said .
Record-breaking temperatures were driving the highest power use of the year , and transmission losses because of wildfires have cut into supplies .
Throughout the holiday weekend , the California Independent System Operator that manages the state ’ s power grid warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce their electricity usage .
But none had occurred by late Monday afternoon .

SHAVER LAKE, Calif. (AP) — Wildfires have burned a record 2 million acres in California this year, and the danger for more destruction is so high the U.S. Forest Service announced Monday it was closing all eight national forests in the southern half of the state.
After a typically dry summer, California is parched heading into fall and what normally is the most dangerous time for wildfires. Two of the three largest fires in state history are burning in the San Francisco Bay Area. More than 14,000 firefighters are battling those fires and dozens of others more around California.
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A three-day heat wave brought triple-digit temperatures to much of the state during Labor Day weekend. But right behind it was a weather system with dry winds that could fan fires. The state’s largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, was preparing to cut power to 158,000 customers in 21 counties in the northern half of the state to reduce the possibility its lines and other equipment could spark new fires.
A firefighter battles the Creek Fire as it threatens homes in the Cascadel Woods neighborhood of Madera County, California on Monday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Randy Moore, regional forester for the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region that covers California, announced the national forest closures and said the decision would be re-evaluated daily. Campgrounds at all national forests in the state also were closed.
“The wildfire situation throughout California is dangerous and must be taken seriously.” Moore said. “Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior, new fire starts are likely, weather conditions are worsening, and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire.”
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Lynne Tolmachoff, spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said it’s “unnerving” to have reached a record for acreage burned when September and October usually are the worst for fires because vegetation has dried out and high winds are more common. The previous high was 1.96 million acres burned in 2018. Cal Fire began tracking the numbers in 1987.
While the two mammoth Bay Area fires were largely contained after burning for three weeks, firefighters struggled to corral several other major blazes ahead of the expected winds. Evacuation orders were expanded to more mountain communities Monday as the largest blaze, the Creek Fire, churned through the Sierra National Forest in Central California.
It was one of many recent major fires that has displayed terrifyingly swift movement. The fire moved 15 miles (24 kilometers) in a single day and burned 56 square miles (145.04 square kilometers).
“The wildfire situation throughout California is dangerous and must be taken seriously,” Randy Moore, regional forester for the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region that covers California, said. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Debra Rios wasn’t home when the order came to evacuate her hometown of Auberry, just northeast of Fresno. Sheriff’s deputies went to her ranch property to pick up her 92-year-old mother, Shirley MacLean. They reunited at an evacuation center.
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“I hope like heck the fire doesn’t reach my little ranch,” Rios said. “It’s not looking good right now. It’s an awfully big fire.”
Mountain roads saw a steady stream of cars and trucks leaving the community of about 2,300 on Monday afternoon.
Firefighters working in steep terrain saved the tiny town of Shaver Lake from flames that roared down hillsides toward a marina. About 30 houses were destroyed in the remote hamlet of Big Creek, resident Toby Wait said.
“About half the private homes in town burned down,” he said. “Words cannot even begin to describe the devastation of this community.”
A school, church, library, historic general store and a major hydroelectric plant were spared in the community of about 200 residents, Wait told the Fresno Bee.
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The Creek Fire had charred more than 114 square miles of timber after breaking out Friday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sheriff’s deputies went door to door to make sure residents were complying with orders to leave. Officials hoped to keep the fire from pushing west toward Yosemite National Park.
The Creek Fire had charred more than 114 square miles of timber after breaking out Friday. The nearly 1,000 firefighters on the scene had yet to get any containment. The cause had not been determined.
On Saturday, National Guard rescuers in two military helicopters airlifted 214 people to safety after flames trapped them in a wooded camping area near Mammoth Pool Reservoir. Two people were seriously injured and were among 12 hospitalized.
On Monday night, a military helicopter landed near Lake Edison to rescue people trapped by the Creek Fire, the Fresno Fire Department said on Twitter.
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Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Rosamond, the pilot of a Chinook helicopter, said visibility was poor and winds increasingly strong during the three flights he made into the fire zone. His crew relied on night-vision goggles to search for a landing spot near a boat launch where flames came within 50 feet (15.24 meters) of the aircraft.
The injured, along with women and children, took priority on the first airlift, which filled both helicopters to capacity, he said.
“We started getting information about how many people were out there, how many people to expect, and that number kept growing. So we knew that it was a dire situation,” Rosamond said.
Rosamond called the conditions “extreme” and said it was one of the most difficult flying missions in his 25 years as a military pilot.
Jeremy Hedrick holds his son Jeep as smoke from the Creek Fire fills the air on Monday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Record-breaking temperatures were driving the highest power use of the year, and transmission losses because of wildfires have cut into supplies. Throughout the holiday weekend, the California Independent System Operator that manages the state’s power grid warned of outages if residents didn’t reduce their electricity usage. But none had occurred by late Monday afternoon.
Pacific Gas & Electric warned it might cut power starting late Monday because of the increased fire danger. Some of the state’s largest and deadliest fires in recent years have been sparked by downed power lines and other utility equipment.
PG&E received criticism for its handling of planned outages last year. The utility said it has learned from past problems, “and this year will be making events smaller in size, shorter in length and smarter for customers.”
Inelva Gonzalez, of Armona, Calif. kisses her dog SayD in a marina where campers were being held due to impassable roads. ASSOCIATED PRESS
In Southern California, crews scrambled to douse several fires that roared to life in searing temperatures, including one that closed mountain roads in Angeles National Forest and forced the evacuation of the historic Mount Wilson Observatory. Late Monday night, the Los Angeles County Fire Department told residents of Duarte, Bradbury and Monrovia near the forest to get ready for the possibility of evacuating.
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Cal Fire said a blaze in San Bernardino County called the El Dorado Fire started Saturday morning and was caused by a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device used by a couple to reveal their baby’s gender. In eastern San Diego County, a fire destroyed at least 10 structures after burning 16 square miles (41.44 square kilometers) and prompting evacuations near the remote community of Alpine in the Cleveland National Forest.
California has seen 900 wildfires since Aug. 15, many of them started by an intense series of thousands of lightning strikes in mid-August. There have been eight fire deaths and more than 3,300 structures destroyed.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Fauci Says Trump Actually Listened To Him About Coronavirus Mitigation

WASHINGTON , April 13 ( Reuters ) - Top U.S. health expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Monday that President @ @ @ @ @ advice when he recommended that mitigation efforts be taken to stop the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ comments after saying in a separate interview that lives could have been saved if the @ @ @ @ @ during the novel coronavirus outbreak .
Trump retweeted a call to fire Fauci after that @ @ @ @ @ House said on Monday Trump did not intend to part ways with the director of @ @ @ @ @ and Infectious Diseases .
Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join @ @ @

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WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - Top U.S. health expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Monday that President Donald Trump listened to his advice when he recommended that mitigation efforts be taken to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Fauci made the comments after saying in a separate interview that lives could have been saved if the country had shut down sooner during the novel coronavirus outbreak.
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Trump retweeted a call to fire Fauci after that interview, but the White House said on Monday Trump did not intend to part ways with the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Donald Trump Won't Like What Joe Biden Said About His Physical Fitness

Joe Biden really ramped up the insults toward President Donald Trump on Labor Day ― with the emphasis on ramps .
It happened while the Democratic presidential nominee was being interviewed by Harrisburg ABC affiliate WHTM and was asked his response to a suggestion by the Trump campaign and the president ’ s supporters that Biden has lost a step .
Biden seemed prepared for the question and immediately turned the tables on the president .
“ Look at how he steps and look at how I step , ” Biden replied .
Biden then noted the president has had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as when he gave a graduation speech at West Point military academy earlier this year and walked down the ramp awkwardly .
He then asked voters to notice the difference between how he and the president handle slightly inverted surfaces .
“ Watch how I run up ramps and he stumbles down ramps .
OK ?
Come on , ” Biden said .
Biden to @ abc27News on Trump and his campaign 's suggestion he 's `` lost a step '' '' Look at how [ Trump ] steps and look at how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up ramps and how he stumbles down ramps , okay ? ''
pic.twitter.com/7eJdXm0DKn — Johnny Verhovek ( @ JTHVerhovek ) September 7 , 2020 The former vice president then said the health of a presidential candidate is a “ legitimate question.
” Biden went to say that it 's a `` legitimate question '' to ask both candidates about their health '' I 'm a great respecter of fate , I realize anything can happen to anybody at any age , any time .
But I promise you I would not be running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
pic.twitter.com/Qjjgl4BN68 — Johnny Verhovek ( @ JTHVerhovek ) September 7 , 2020 However , Twitter users had their own thoughts .
how soon before this campaign devolves into two septuagenarians competing in American Ninja Warrior https : //t.co/OxcNPwlDHm — Will Steakin ( @ wsteaks ) September 7 , 2020 This is good because I know I 'll be voting base on who can most skillfully navigate a ramp https : //t.co/iRCstvHGDW — Matt Walsh ( @ MattWalshBlog ) September 8 , 2020

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Joe Biden really ramped up the insults toward President Donald Trump on Labor Day ― with the emphasis on ramps.
It happened while the Democratic presidential nominee was being interviewed by Harrisburg ABC affiliate WHTM and was asked his response to a suggestion by the Trump campaign and the president’s supporters that Biden has lost a step.
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Biden seemed prepared for the question and immediately turned the tables on the president.
“Look at how he steps and look at how I step,” Biden replied.
Biden then noted the president has had some challenging physical encounters with ramps such as when he gave a graduation speech at West Point military academy earlier this year and walked down the ramp awkwardly.
He then asked voters to notice the difference between how he and the president handle slightly inverted surfaces.
“Watch how I run up ramps and he stumbles down ramps. OK? Come on,” Biden said.
Biden to @abc27News on Trump and his campaign's suggestion he's "lost a step"
"Look at how [Trump] steps and look at how I step. Watch how I run up ramps and how he stumbles down ramps, okay?" pic.twitter.com/7eJdXm0DKn — Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) September 7, 2020
The former vice president then said the health of a presidential candidate is a “legitimate question.”
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Biden went to say that it's a "legitimate question" to ask both candidates about their health
"I'm a great respecter of fate, I realize anything can happen to anybody at any age, any time. But I promise you I would not be running unless I was in very good health." pic.twitter.com/Qjjgl4BN68 — Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) September 7, 2020
As of Tuesday afternoon, Trump hadn’t tweeted a response.
However, Twitter users had their own thoughts.
The audacity of slopes https://t.co/RNsTph2y2S — Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) September 7, 2020
theyre gonna arm wrestle eventually https://t.co/oubuiP5fku — Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) September 7, 2020
how soon before this campaign devolves into two septuagenarians competing in American Ninja Warrior https://t.co/OxcNPwlDHm — Will Steakin (@wsteaks) September 7, 2020
This is good because I know I'll be voting base on who can most skillfully navigate a ramp https://t.co/iRCstvHGDW — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) September 8, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Drugmakers Make Safety Pledge In Race To Develop COVID-19 Vaccine

Nine drugmakers racing to develop a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. and Europe have signed a pledge to put safety first and adhere to scientific guidelines amid growing public skepticism and pressure from the White House to release a vaccine by the end of the year .
In a letter released Tuesday , the companies publicly vowed to follow “ high ethical standards and sound scientific principles ” set by regulatory agencies , including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration .
Any product submitted for emergency use authorization will have to first demonstrate safety and efficacy through large clinical trials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help ensure public confidence in the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which COVID-19 vaccines are evaluated and may ultimately be approved , ” the letter states .
Leon McFarlane , a research technician , handles a blood sample in a laboratory at Imperial College in London , which is working on the development of a COVID-19 vaccine .
The companies in the agreement are AstraZeneca Plc , BioNTech SE , GlaxoSmithKline Plc , Johnson & Johnson , Merck & Co. , Moderna Inc. , Novavax Inc. , Pfizer Inc. and Sanofi .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials to speed up the development of a vaccine .
He suggested last month that members of “ the deep state ” within the FDA are trying to delay vaccine efforts in order to hurt his reelection bid this November .
The deep state , or whoever , over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics .
Obviously , they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd .
Must focus on speed , and saving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) August 22 , 2020 As Trump builds pressure on drug companies to release a vaccine , public concern that health officials and drugmakers may be cutting corners when it comes to vaccine development has grown , according to a recent CBS News poll .
Two-thirds of voters polled earlier this month said they would perceive a vaccine produced this year as “ rushed ” instead of as a “ scientific achievement.
” Just 21 % of those polled also said they would get vaccinated as soon as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is down from 32 % in late July .
The FDA has faced its own public trust issues .
Late last month , FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn made erroneous claims that overstated the benefits of plasma treatments for COVID-19 patients , leading to the ouster of the agency ’ s top spokesperson .
Hahn has also been criticized for authorizing the emergency use of two malaria drugs for COVID-19 patients , which were later found to have no actual benefit .
The emergency use authorization followed a public push by Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Democratic nominee for vice president , said in an interview released Saturday that she would not trust Trump ’ s word on vaccine safety and warned that he may be inappropriately interfering in the vaccine development ’ s process .
“ He ’ s looking at an election coming up in less than 60 days and he ’ s grasping to get whatever he can to pretend he has been a leader on this issue when he is not , ” she told CNN .

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Nine drugmakers racing to develop a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. and Europe have signed a pledge to put safety first and adhere to scientific guidelines amid growing public skepticism and pressure from the White House to release a vaccine by the end of the year.
In a letter released Tuesday, the companies publicly vowed to follow “high ethical standards and sound scientific principles” set by regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Any product submitted for emergency use authorization will have to first demonstrate safety and efficacy through large clinical trials.
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“We believe this pledge will help ensure public confidence in the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which COVID-19 vaccines are evaluated and may ultimately be approved,” the letter states.
Leon McFarlane, a research technician, handles a blood sample in a laboratory at Imperial College in London, which is working on the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
The companies in the agreement are AstraZeneca Plc, BioNTech SE, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Moderna Inc., Novavax Inc., Pfizer Inc. and Sanofi.
President Donald Trump has been pressuring health officials to speed up the development of a vaccine. He suggested last month that members of “the deep state” within the FDA are trying to delay vaccine efforts in order to hurt his reelection bid this November.
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The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives! @SteveFDA — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2020
As Trump builds pressure on drug companies to release a vaccine, public concern that health officials and drugmakers may be cutting corners when it comes to vaccine development has grown, according to a recent CBS News poll.
Two-thirds of voters polled earlier this month said they would perceive a vaccine produced this year as “rushed” instead of as a “scientific achievement.” Just 21% of those polled also said they would get vaccinated as soon as a vaccine became available, at no cost. This is down from 32% in late July.
The FDA has faced its own public trust issues. Late last month, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn made erroneous claims that overstated the benefits of plasma treatments for COVID-19 patients, leading to the ouster of the agency’s top spokesperson.
Hahn has also been criticized for authorizing the emergency use of two malaria drugs for COVID-19 patients, which were later found to have no actual benefit. The emergency use authorization followed a public push by Trump.
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Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the Democratic nominee for vice president, said in an interview released Saturday that she would not trust Trump’s word on vaccine safety and warned that he may be inappropriately interfering in the vaccine development’s process.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Trump's Campaign Is Testing The Ways It Can Distort Reality Online

In the past 10 days , the president ’ s team has deployed misleading imagery to attack his Democratic rival , Joe Biden , at least three times .
White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino tweeted a fake video that appeared to show Biden sleeping through a TV interview .
The “ Trump War Room ” Twitter account shared an out-of-context clip of Biden saying , “ You won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America.
” And on Facebook , Trump has run dozens of ads featuring images of Biden that were manipulated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And those are just the latest examples .
Trump ’ s political apparatus has shared a deluge of misinformation with tens of millions of people through social media over the years — including a deceptively spliced video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) that appears to show her disrespecting a Tuskegee airman , a fake CNN segment about a “ racist baby , ” a misleadingly truncated video of Biden in which he appears to endorse Trump , an altered video of Pelosi in which she seems intoxicated , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misinformation is not a new phenomenon — it ’ s been around for years , including an infamously forged photo of then-presidential candidate John Kerry , ostensibly with Jane Fonda at an anti-war rally , that made headlines in 2004 .
But Trump ’ s team has repeatedly engaged in this practice directly , elevating the tactic to an unprecedented level while defending its hoaxes as mere satire .
The campaign is testing the boundaries of social media sites that let false information go viral — and they haven ’ t found much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stakes are critically high .
Russia ’ s fake-news warfare demonstrated in 2016 just how vulnerable America ’ s democracy is to online misinformation .
And this time around , experts are also fretting about what might happen if an election hoax blows up on social media on the eve of the vote , leaving no time for it to be debunked .
Twitter , Instagram and Facebook ( Instagram ’ s parent company ) are scrambling under mounting public pressure to stifle the spread of political misinformation engulfing their platforms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ generally add labels to false and misleading content identifying it as such rather than simply removing it , and Trump ’ s campaign has eagerly exploited this leniency .
“ Trump officials are obviously playing a game here , ” said digital forensics expert Hany Farid , a professor in the School of Information at University of California , Berkeley .
“ And of course , when something gets censored , they go crazy saying ‘ This is anti-conservative , ’ which , by the way , is working.
” Sensitive to such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its enforcement rules for conservative personalities and news outlets , according to leaked Facebook documents obtained by NBC News .
The social media giant also refuses to fact-check political ads , which allows politicians to amplify their lies and to micro-target them to specific audiences without consequence .
Last month , Trump ran an ad featuring edited and out-of-context images of Biden that appear to show him sitting alone in a basement along with the text , “ Deep in the heart of Delaware , Joe Biden sits in his basement .
Alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer questions about the crazy far-left ideas he ’ s adopted.
” In fact , Biden was sitting in a crowded room of people ; the images in Trump ’ s ad were cropped to exclude them .
Biden vowed in 2019 that he would not “ fabricate , use or spread data or materials that were falsified , ” or spread “ doctored audios/videos or images that impersonate other candidates , including deep fake videos , ” and to date , he appears to have kept that promise .
His campaign has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such tactics as evidence that it “ can not and will not compete on facts.
” Trump isn ’ t the only presidential candidate to pollute the information system with manipulated media before trying to pass it off as satire — although the scale at which he does this is unmatched .
After a dismal performance in February ’ s Democratic debate , New York City ’ s billionaire former mayor , Mike Bloomberg , shared a video to social media that was deceptively spliced together to make it seem as if his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after he asked them all a question .
The video included chirping cricket noises , which were clearly fake , but as The Guardian ’ s Julia Wong pointed out , “ it ’ s hard for the average viewer who hasn ’ t seen the debate to discern which parts of the video are real and which are fake , making it a potent and misleading piece of propaganda.
” Still , Bloomberg ’ s campaign insisted the video was “ tongue in cheek.
” The Trump campaign often defends its use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , parodies and satire : “ To all the triggered journalists who can ’ t take a joke about their candidate , it ’ s not our fault Joe Biden was dumb enough to say this on camera , ” @ TrumpWarRoom tweeted after facing backlash in response to its latest truncated clip of Biden .
( In the full video , Biden says , “ Trump and Pence are running on this , and I find it fascinating : Quote , ‘ You won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their proof ?
The violence we ’ re seeing in Donald Trump ’ s America.
” ) “ Visual imagery is extremely powerful media , and when it conforms to our world view , it ’ s even more powerful , ” he said .
“ The campaign is trying to hide behind satire .
But its line of ‘ Don ’ t take us seriously ’ is hard to take seriously .
”

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The presidential election is just 56 days away, and as Donald Trump struggles to gain ground in key states, he is increasingly relying on deceptively altered media to bend reality in his favor.
In the past 10 days, the president’s team has deployed misleading imagery to attack his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, at least three times. White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino tweeted a fake video that appeared to show Biden sleeping through a TV interview. The “Trump War Room” Twitter account shared an out-of-context clip of Biden saying, “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.” And on Facebook, Trump has run dozens of ads featuring images of Biden that were manipulated to make the former vice president appear older.
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And those are just the latest examples. Trump’s political apparatus has shared a deluge of misinformation with tens of millions of people through social media over the years — including a deceptively spliced video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that appears to show her disrespecting a Tuskegee airman, a fake CNN segment about a “racist baby,” a misleadingly truncated video of Biden in which he appears to endorse Trump, an altered video of Pelosi in which she seems intoxicated, and more.
This kind of visual election misinformation is not a new phenomenon — it’s been around for years, including an infamously forged photo of then-presidential candidate John Kerry, ostensibly with Jane Fonda at an anti-war rally, that made headlines in 2004. But Trump’s team has repeatedly engaged in this practice directly, elevating the tactic to an unprecedented level while defending its hoaxes as mere satire. The campaign is testing the boundaries of social media sites that let false information go viral — and they haven’t found much resistance.
As Election Day looms, the stakes are critically high. Russia’s fake-news warfare demonstrated in 2016 just how vulnerable America’s democracy is to online misinformation. And this time around, experts are also fretting about what might happen if an election hoax blows up on social media on the eve of the vote, leaving no time for it to be debunked.
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (Instagram’s parent company) are scrambling under mounting public pressure to stifle the spread of political misinformation engulfing their platforms. Each site has policies in place to generally add labels to false and misleading content identifying it as such rather than simply removing it, and Trump’s campaign has eagerly exploited this leniency.
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Whenever its posts are labeled as manipulated media or misinformation, the campaign sees an opportunity to rally its base against tech titans’ supposed political bias.
“Trump officials are obviously playing a game here,” said digital forensics expert Hany Farid, a professor in the School of Information at University of California, Berkeley. “And of course, when something gets censored, they go crazy saying ‘This is anti-conservative,’ which, by the way, is working.”
Sensitive to such claims of bias, Facebook has relaxed its enforcement rules for conservative personalities and news outlets, according to leaked Facebook documents obtained by NBC News. The social media giant also refuses to fact-check political ads, which allows politicians to amplify their lies and to micro-target them to specific audiences without consequence.
Last month, Trump ran an ad featuring edited and out-of-context images of Biden that appear to show him sitting alone in a basement along with the text, “Deep in the heart of Delaware, Joe Biden sits in his basement. Alone. Hiding. Diminished. Refusing to answer questions about the crazy far-left ideas he’s adopted.” In fact, Biden was sitting in a crowded room of people; the images in Trump’s ad were cropped to exclude them.
To Farid, Trump’s aggressive use of deceptive online imagery is a form of “asymmetric warfare.”
Biden vowed in 2019 that he would not “fabricate, use or spread data or materials that were falsified,” or spread “doctored audios/videos or images that impersonate other candidates, including deep fake videos,” and to date, he appears to have kept that promise. His campaign has pointed to Trump’s reliance on such tactics as evidence that it “cannot and will not compete on facts.”
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Trump isn’t the only presidential candidate to pollute the information system with manipulated media before trying to pass it off as satire — although the scale at which he does this is unmatched. After a dismal performance in February’s Democratic debate, New York City’s billionaire former mayor, Mike Bloomberg, shared a video to social media that was deceptively spliced together to make it seem as if his opponents were left stunned and in silence after he asked them all a question.
The video included chirping cricket noises, which were clearly fake, but as The Guardian’s Julia Wong pointed out, “it’s hard for the average viewer who hasn’t seen the debate to discern which parts of the video are real and which are fake, making it a potent and misleading piece of propaganda.” Still, Bloomberg’s campaign insisted the video was “tongue in cheek.”
The Trump campaign often defends its use of false or deceptive media as jokes, parodies and satire: “To all the triggered journalists who can’t take a joke about their candidate, it’s not our fault Joe Biden was dumb enough to say this on camera,” @TrumpWarRoom tweeted after facing backlash in response to its latest truncated clip of Biden. (In the full video, Biden says, “Trump and Pence are running on this, and I find it fascinating: Quote, ‘You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.’ And what’s their proof? The violence we’re seeing in Donald Trump’s America.”)
Likewise, the video that appeared to show Biden asleep on TV was “quite obviously a parody,” Trump’s communications director, Tim Murtaugh, told The Washington Post, echoing the campaign’s defense of many of its other similarly deceptive videos.
The line between political humor and misinformation is nuanced, said Farid, but a reasonable person might not recognize the campaign’s deceptive imagery as fakery “because it’s not being sold as satire.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Trump Says He's Willing To Spend 'Whatever It Takes' To Win Re-Election

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) - U.S. President Donald Trump , facing the possibility of a cash crunch , said on Tuesday he would spend “ whatever it takes ” of his own money to finance his 2020 presidential campaign against Democrat Joe Biden if he had to .
The Republican president , who trails Biden in opinion polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election , told reporters before taking off for a trip to Florida that the campaign had double or triple what it had in 2016 but he would spend his own money if needed .
The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial supremacy over former Vice President Biden earlier this year had evaporated , and that of the $ 1.1 billion his campaign and the party raised from the beginning of 2019 through July , more than $ 800 million already had been spent .
Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised a combined $ 364.5 million in August , shattering the monthly record for fundraising by a presidential campaign .
Trump and Republicans have not announced their August haul .
Trump , who was a wealthy New York-based real estate developer before entering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might have to spend from his own personal fortune .
He had to dip into his own money in 2016 to help pay for his campaign .
“ Whatever it takes .
We have to win .
This is the most important election in the history of our country , ” he said .
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien , who took over from Brad Parscale in mid-July , told reporters on a campaign press call on Tuesday that “ we are now carefully monitoring the budget.
” Stepien said the campaign will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had in Trump ’ s 2016 victory and that “ we ’ re very comfortable and confident ” in how money is now being spent .
Trump , under pressure for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic , on Tuesday was traveling to two states critical to his re-election : Florida and North Carolina .
With many Republicans pointing fingers at Parscale for spending heavily earlier in the campaign , Trump defended him in a tweet .
The president said that due to the virus , his campaign was forced to spend a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he felt was negative news coverage .
“ We did , and are doing , a GREAT job , and have a lot of money left over , much more than 2016 , ” he wrote .

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump, facing the possibility of a cash crunch, said on Tuesday he would spend “whatever it takes” of his own money to finance his 2020 presidential campaign against Democrat Joe Biden if he had to.
The Republican president, who trails Biden in opinion polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election, told reporters before taking off for a trip to Florida that the campaign had double or triple what it had in 2016 but he would spend his own money if needed.
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“If I have to, I would,” Trump said.
The New York Times reported that Trump’s initial financial supremacy over former Vice President Biden earlier this year had evaporated, and that of the $1.1 billion his campaign and the party raised from the beginning of 2019 through July, more than $800 million already had been spent.
Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised a combined $364.5 million in August, shattering the monthly record for fundraising by a presidential campaign. Trump and Republicans have not announced their August haul.
Trump, who was a wealthy New York-based real estate developer before entering politics, was asked how much he might have to spend from his own personal fortune. He had to dip into his own money in 2016 to help pay for his campaign.
“Whatever it takes. We have to win. This is the most important election in the history of our country,” he said.
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Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, who took over from Brad Parscale in mid-July, told reporters on a campaign press call on Tuesday that “we are now carefully monitoring the budget.”
Stepien said the campaign will have more resources to spend than it had in Trump’s 2016 victory and that “we’re very comfortable and confident” in how money is now being spent.
Trump, under pressure for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, on Tuesday was traveling to two states critical to his re-election: Florida and North Carolina.
With many Republicans pointing fingers at Parscale for spending heavily earlier in the campaign, Trump defended him in a tweet.
The president said that due to the virus, his campaign was forced to spend a lot earlier this year to counter what he felt was negative news coverage.
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“We did, and are doing, a GREAT job, and have a lot of money left over, much more than 2016,” he wrote.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Senate Republicans Go Small On Another Coronavirus Relief Package

Republicans will try to pass a narrow coronavirus relief measure as early as this week , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) announced on Tuesday , giving his vulnerable members facing reelection something to run on ahead of November elections .
The measure isn ’ t expected to pass both houses — and might even fail in the Senate — due in part to Democrats ’ demands for a more comprehensive package that includes more relief for millions of Americans suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic .
House Democrats passed a $ 3 trillion bill four months ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she would settle for a bill totaling about $ 2 trillion .
Republicans , meanwhile , have been all over the place when it comes to passing another stimulus bill .
There are sharp disagreements among the party , and some lawmakers prefer no action at all due to the federal deficit , which is projected to be $ 3.3 trillion in 2020 — more than triple the shortfall recorded in 2019 , primarily due to earlier coronavirus relief legislation .
McConnell proposed a stimulus package in July totaling about $ 1 trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagreements between Republicans and the White House .
The Kentucky Republican , who also faces reelection this year , will try again this week with an even smaller bill that includes funding only for small businesses , schools and enhanced $ 300 per week unemployment benefits .
It leaves out another round of stimulus checks , which Republicans previously supported .
And it does not include rental assistance or aid to cities and states , which Democrats have insisted on .
“ It does not contain every idea our party likes .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet Republicans believe the many serious differences between our two parties should not stand in the way of agreeing where we can agree and making law that helps our nation , ” McConnell said in a statement on Tuesday .
It ’ s not clear whether the latest proposal will even get a majority of Senate Republicans on board .
Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) is pushing for the bill to include billions in tax credits to expand school choice , according to CNN , a controversial idea that more vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be unwilling to support .
Democrats said the new GOP measure fails to sufficiently address the economic devastation caused by the pandemic , pointing to millions of permanent job losses and business closures in recent months .
“ Republicans may call their proposal ‘ skinny , ’ but it would be more appropriate to call it ‘ emaciated , ’ ” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) said in a letter to his colleagues last week .
“ Their proposal appears to be completely inadequate and , by every measure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people .
”

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Republicans will try to pass a narrow coronavirus relief measure as early as this week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced on Tuesday, giving his vulnerable members facing reelection something to run on ahead of November elections.
The measure isn’t expected to pass both houses — and might even fail in the Senate — due in part to Democrats’ demands for a more comprehensive package that includes more relief for millions of Americans suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic. House Democrats passed a $3 trillion bill four months ago; Speaker Nancy Pelosi has since said she would settle for a bill totaling about $2 trillion.
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Republicans, meanwhile, have been all over the place when it comes to passing another stimulus bill. There are sharp disagreements among the party, and some lawmakers prefer no action at all due to the federal deficit, which is projected to be $3.3 trillion in 2020 — more than triple the shortfall recorded in 2019, primarily due to earlier coronavirus relief legislation.
McConnell proposed a stimulus package in July totaling about $1 trillion but it failed to advance due to disagreements between Republicans and the White House.
The Kentucky Republican, who also faces reelection this year, will try again this week with an even smaller bill that includes funding only for small businesses, schools and enhanced $300 per week unemployment benefits. It leaves out another round of stimulus checks, which Republicans previously supported. And it does not include rental assistance or aid to cities and states, which Democrats have insisted on.
“It does not contain every idea our party likes. I am confident Democrats will feel the same. Yet Republicans believe the many serious differences between our two parties should not stand in the way of agreeing where we can agree and making law that helps our nation,” McConnell said in a statement on Tuesday.
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It’s not clear whether the latest proposal will even get a majority of Senate Republicans on board. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is pushing for the bill to include billions in tax credits to expand school choice, according to CNN, a controversial idea that more vulnerable Republicans up for reelection in November may be unwilling to support.
Democrats said the new GOP measure fails to sufficiently address the economic devastation caused by the pandemic, pointing to millions of permanent job losses and business closures in recent months.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Meghan McCain Swats Down Sarah Huckabee Sanders' Claims Trump Loves Troops

The former White House press secretary appeared on the ABC talk show to promote her new book , “ Speaking for Myself : Faith , Freedom , and the Fight of Our Lives Inside the Trump White House.
” Although she got into heated conversations with Sunny Hostin and Joy Behar , her exchange with McCain took a quieter , but still heated , tone .
McCain said she had a problem with the story ’ s use of unnamed sources and noted that Sanders has gone on record claiming the president has “ the greatest amount of respect for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces.
” But the problem , McCain pointed out , is that while Sanders is proclaiming how much Trump loves the troops , the president is saying incendiary things about members of the military — including McCain ’ s father , former Arizona Sen. John McCain .
“ The problem with the story is it seems like something he would do , ” McCain said .
McCain said she didn ’ t doubt that Sanders has seen Trump do something nice , but said that hasn ’ t been the experience for other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brothers who serve , we don ’ t feel respected , ” she said .
“ We ’ re a military family that doesn ’ t feel respected by this president .
Part of the problem is it ’ s great unless you ’ re a person who disagrees with the president and then your service becomes people who weren ’ t captured .
“ I understand you have to do a job because you ’ re his supporter .
At least concede that it has to be very uncomfortable to have this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s no denying the fact that not only did Donald Trump dislike your father , your father disliked the president , ” she said .
“ I ’ m not saying that there weren ’ t some moments that were heated , that were not of the highest level of respect.
” Sanders then said it doesn ’ t matter what the president says about members of the military , but how he actually feels about them .
“ When it comes to who this president is , at his heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men and women of our armed services , I can say for my own experience he has a great level of respect , ” she said .
McCain may not have agreed with Sanders ’ take on the issue , but she did send a thank you tweet after the broadcast .
Thank you @ SarahHuckabee for joining @ TheView today .
We do not agree on every issue , but you ’ re a talented , hardworking , conservative woman and I have respect for any person brave enough to join our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of luck on your book tour .
🇺🇸 — Meghan McCain ( @ MeghanMcCain ) September 8 , 2020

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The former White House press secretary appeared on the ABC talk show to promote her new book, “Speaking for Myself: Faith, Freedom, and the Fight of Our Lives Inside the Trump White House.”
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Although she got into heated conversations with Sunny Hostin and Joy Behar, her exchange with McCain took a quieter, but still heated, tone.
McCain started by mentioning The Atlantic’s explosive report last week that Trump has called members of the military, including fallen war heroes, “suckers” and “losers.”
McCain said she had a problem with the story’s use of unnamed sources and noted that Sanders has gone on record claiming the president has “the greatest amount of respect for the men and women of our armed forces.”
But the problem, McCain pointed out, is that while Sanders is proclaiming how much Trump loves the troops, the president is saying incendiary things about members of the military — including McCain’s father, former Arizona Sen. John McCain.
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“The problem with the story is it seems like something he would do,” McCain said.
McCain said she didn’t doubt that Sanders has seen Trump do something nice, but said that hasn’t been the experience for other people.
“For me and my brothers who serve, we don’t feel respected,” she said. “We’re a military family that doesn’t feel respected by this president. Part of the problem is it’s great unless you’re a person who disagrees with the president and then your service becomes people who weren’t captured.
“I understand you have to do a job because you’re his supporter. At least concede that it has to be very uncomfortable to have this conversation with me right now.”
Sanders admitted that Trump was no fan of McCain, but that it was vice versa.
“There’s no denying the fact that not only did Donald Trump dislike your father, your father disliked the president,” she said. “I’m not saying that there weren’t some moments that were heated, that were not of the highest level of respect.”
Sanders then said it doesn’t matter what the president says about members of the military, but how he actually feels about them.
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“When it comes to who this president is, at his heart, and how he feels about the men and women of our armed services, I can say for my own experience he has a great level of respect,” she said.
You can see the whole segment below.
McCain may not have agreed with Sanders’ take on the issue, but she did send a thank you tweet after the broadcast.
Thank you @SarahHuckabee for joining @TheView today. We do not agree on every issue, but you’re a talented, hardworking, conservative woman and I have respect for any person brave enough to join our panel and answer hard questions. Best of luck on your book tour. 🇺🇸 — Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) September 8, 2020
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misidentified John McCain as a former senator from Utah. He served as a senator from Arizona.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Police Shoot 13-Year-Old Boy With Autism After Mom Calls For Help

SALT LAKE CITY ( AP ) — Authorities in Utah are investigating the shooting of a 13-year-old autistic boy by police in the Salt Lake City area .
Police said they were called to a home in Glendale Friday night with a report of a boy who had threatened people with a weapon .
The boy reportedly ran and was shot by an officer after being pursued by police .
The boy ’ s mother , Golda Barton , told KUTV-TV that her son has autism and she had called police because he was having a breakdown and needed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told police her son was unarmed and warned them that he did not know how to regulate his behavior .
A few minutes after two officers who had arrived went through the front door of the home , Barton said she heard an order to “ get on the ground ” and several gunshots .
The boy was recovering in the hospital and listed in serious condition .
He had injuries to his shoulder , ankles , intestines and bladder , Barton said .
Salt Lake Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tragedy and called for a swift and transparent investigation .
More details are expected to be released within 10 business days when police body camera footage is released , as required under a city ordinance .

MattGush via Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Authorities in Utah are investigating the shooting of a 13-year-old autistic boy by police in the Salt Lake City area.
Police said they were called to a home in Glendale Friday night with a report of a boy who had threatened people with a weapon. The boy reportedly ran and was shot by an officer after being pursued by police.
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The boy’s mother, Golda Barton, told KUTV-TV that her son has autism and she had called police because he was having a breakdown and needed a crisis intervention team.
Barton claimed she told police her son was unarmed and warned them that he did not know how to regulate his behavior.
A few minutes after two officers who had arrived went through the front door of the home, Barton said she heard an order to “get on the ground” and several gunshots.
No weapon was found Friday, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The boy was recovering in the hospital and listed in serious condition. He had injuries to his shoulder, ankles, intestines and bladder, Barton said.
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Salt Lake Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement late Sunday that the shooting was a tragedy and called for a swift and transparent investigation.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Why Is The Postal Service Hiding Louis DeJoy’s Calendar?

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is one of the most important people in the country .
He oversees a federal force of mail carriers tasked with delivering an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots , which Americans have requested in record numbers so they can safely vote in this fall ’ s election amid a pandemic that is devastating the U.S. DeJoy has also faced extensive questions about conflicts of interest : from his work in the private sector , to his political ties to Donald Trump and the Republican Party , to allegations that he illegally used bonuses to reimburse employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a New York Democrat , asked DeJoy to give a copy of his calendar appointments to the House Oversight and Reform Committee during a recent hearing , and the committee followed up with a subpoena when the Postal Service did not submit the calendar or other relevant documents sought by the committee .
HuffPost filed a Freedom of Information Act request last month , which the USPS denied .
DeJoy has created a calendar on a government computer , the letter says ― but it doesn ’ t belong to the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundraiser for Trump and an executive at XPO Logistics , a supply distributor that holds USPS contracts , has raised Democrats ’ concerns about political manipulation and conflicts of interest .
One way to assess the level of outside influence in a government agency is to request copies of agency officials ’ calendars under FOIA .
The USPS acknowledges in denial letters that DeJoy has an electronic calendar that was created on an agency computer .
He uses it to conduct agency business .
Some among the agency staff use it to check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete access to the calendar to screen for conflicts of interest , DeJoy said last month when questioned by Ocasio-Cortez .
FOIA doesn ’ t explicitly deal with the issue of calendars , but there is significant case law .
To justify its denials , the USPS cites a 2004 ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon .
In that case , which went to court in the District of Columbia as the federal government transitioned from print to electronic record-keeping , Leon blocked Bloomberg News from obtaining an electronic calendar kept by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission .
The calendar wasn ’ t intended to be an official record , and wasn ’ t distributed to his staff , the ruling says .
USPS letters denying access to DeJoy ’ s calendar likewise say it “ was not intended to be an official record of his schedule.
” A 1984 ruling set the standard .
That case , Bureau of National Affairs v. Department of Justice , considered whether former Attorney General William Baxter ’ s personal calendar and daily appointment logs were agency records or personal ones .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ D.C .
Circuit ultimately found the daily logs were an agency record , but the calendar , which largely duplicated the information and served mainly to remind Baxter of his daily business , was not .
Two years after the 2004 Bloomberg case , the D.C .
Circuit ordered the release of electronic calendars kept by several U.S. Department of Agriculture officials .
It ’ s unclear why the USPS is relying on a lower court ’ s ruling that came to the opposite conclusion over a similar question two years earlier .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to not have any record of their business we think is unreasonable , ” McGrath said .
“ They can ’ t just not have any record of how officials are going to allocate their time.
” In a year when the pandemic will drive millions of voters to use mail-in ballots , the geographic distribution of postal efficiency could easily decide the election .
Yet four months ahead of Election Day , mail service flagged amid far-reaching changes from a politically connected appointee .
It ’ s the type of scenario that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the USPS doesn ’ t have to make rock-solid legal arguments to withhold DeJoy ’ s calendar , or any of the other records critics want to see , ahead of the election .
Nov. 3 is less than two months away .
FOIA allows for a weekslong administrative process to resolve disputes and appeals .
Lawsuits often take years to settle .
Documents like DeJoy ’ s calendar , which might shed light on the agency ’ s politicization , will likely stay out of the public eye until well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaves only one likely option for the public to see what documents like DeJoy ’ s calendar reveal .
On Wednesday , the House Oversight and Reform Committee subpoenaed the USPS for documents related to the delays and mail-in ballots , accusing the agency of withholding them .
A USPS spokesperson disputed that , saying the agency had remained in touch with the committee .
It remains to be seen whether DeJoy and the USPS hand over the records Congress wants to see .
If they don ’ t fully comply — which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration — Congress would then have to pursue contempt charges , likely sending the case back to federal court .
Congress in theory has the power to arrest people who defy subpoenas , but does not commonly use it .
The committee could also , in theory , refer the matter to the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for legal action if DeJoy were to disregard a subpoena .

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Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is one of the most important people in the country. He oversees a federal force of mail carriers tasked with delivering an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots, which Americans have requested in record numbers so they can safely vote in this fall’s election amid a pandemic that is devastating the U.S.
DeJoy has also faced extensive questions about conflicts of interest: from his work in the private sector, to his political ties to Donald Trump and the Republican Party, to allegations that he illegally used bonuses to reimburse employees for political donations.
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So several members of Congress, along with good-government groups and HuffPost, have made a simple request of DeJoy: Reveal your calendar of appointments.
The schedules of federal officials are routinely made public. But the U.S. Postal Service is refusing, using legal arguments that aren’t likely to succeed, but could delay release until well after the election.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, asked DeJoy to give a copy of his calendar appointments to the House Oversight and Reform Committee during a recent hearing, and the committee followed up with a subpoena when the Postal Service did not submit the calendar or other relevant documents sought by the committee. HuffPost filed a Freedom of Information Act request last month, which the USPS denied. DeJoy has created a calendar on a government computer, the letter says ― but it doesn’t belong to the agency.
A ‘Personal Record’ on a government computer
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testifies during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on Aug. 24. POOL New / reuters
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DeJoy’s history as a fundraiser for Trump and an executive at XPO Logistics, a supply distributor that holds USPS contracts, has raised Democrats’ concerns about political manipulation and conflicts of interest. One way to assess the level of outside influence in a government agency is to request copies of agency officials’ calendars under FOIA.
The USPS acknowledges in denial letters that DeJoy has an electronic calendar that was created on an agency computer. He uses it to conduct agency business. Some among the agency staff use it to check his availability. USPS ethics officers have complete access to the calendar to screen for conflicts of interest, DeJoy said last month when questioned by Ocasio-Cortez.
But the USPS says DeJoy’s calendar is a personal record.
FOIA doesn’t explicitly deal with the issue of calendars, but there is significant case law. To justify its denials, the USPS cites a 2004 ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon. In that case, which went to court in the District of Columbia as the federal government transitioned from print to electronic record-keeping, Leon blocked Bloomberg News from obtaining an electronic calendar kept by the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The calendar wasn’t intended to be an official record, and wasn’t distributed to his staff, the ruling says. USPS letters denying access to DeJoy’s calendar likewise say it “was not intended to be an official record of his schedule.”
But the Bloomberg case didn’t set a binding precedent. And other key decisions unmentioned by the USPS favor releasing officials’ calendars under FOIA as public records.
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A 1984 ruling set the standard. That case, Bureau of National Affairs v. Department of Justice, considered whether former Attorney General William Baxter’s personal calendar and daily appointment logs were agency records or personal ones. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ultimately found the daily logs were an agency record, but the calendar, which largely duplicated the information and served mainly to remind Baxter of his daily business, was not.
Two years after the 2004 Bloomberg case, the D.C. Circuit ordered the release of electronic calendars kept by several U.S. Department of Agriculture officials. It’s unclear why the USPS is relying on a lower court’s ruling that came to the opposite conclusion over a similar question two years earlier.
American Oversight, a liberal group that uses FOIA to disseminate government records, has routinely used the law to obtain calendars throughout the Trump administration, according to Dan McGrath, the group’s lead counsel for federal investigations. Only for DeJoy’s calendar has American Oversight received a denial citing the Bloomberg case, McGrath said.
“For a head of an agency to not have any record of their business we think is unreasonable,” McGrath said. “They can’t just not have any record of how officials are going to allocate their time.”
Running out the clock
In a year when the pandemic will drive millions of voters to use mail-in ballots, the geographic distribution of postal efficiency could easily decide the election. Yet four months ahead of Election Day, mail service flagged amid far-reaching changes from a politically connected appointee. It’s the type of scenario that freedom of information laws were designed for.
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But the USPS doesn’t have to make rock-solid legal arguments to withhold DeJoy’s calendar, or any of the other records critics want to see, ahead of the election. Nov. 3 is less than two months away. FOIA allows for a weekslong administrative process to resolve disputes and appeals. Lawsuits often take years to settle. Documents like DeJoy’s calendar, which might shed light on the agency’s politicization, will likely stay out of the public eye until well after Election Day has passed.
That leaves only one likely option for the public to see what documents like DeJoy’s calendar reveal. On Wednesday, the House Oversight and Reform Committee subpoenaed the USPS for documents related to the delays and mail-in ballots, accusing the agency of withholding them. A USPS spokesperson disputed that, saying the agency had remained in touch with the committee.
It remains to be seen whether DeJoy and the USPS hand over the records Congress wants to see. If they don’t fully comply — which would not be a first for the Trump administration — Congress would then have to pursue contempt charges, likely sending the case back to federal court.
Congress in theory has the power to arrest people who defy subpoenas, but does not commonly use it. The committee could also, in theory, refer the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for legal action if DeJoy were to disregard a subpoena.
But taking things that far would require support from the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Attorney General William Barr took the unusual step appointing Michael Sherwin, one of his deputies, to head the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office in May.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Rochester Police Chief Retires Following Video Showing Police Killing Of Daniel Prude

Protests ignited in Rochester following the release of video of Prude ’ s encounter with police in March .
As seen in bodycam footage , a group of officers approached 41-year-old Prude , who complied with their requests for him to lie face-down on the ground and put his hands behind his back .
Officers are seen placing a “ spit hood ” over his head , then shoving his head to the ground .
One officer places his knee on Prude ’ s back while another officer holds his head down with two hands , the video shows .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was taken off life support .
Protestors in Rochester demanded the resignation of Singletary after a medical examiner ruled Prude ’ s death a homicide .
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren has also been called to resign .
Warren announced changes in policing on Sunday , but stopped short of saying she was stepping down .
On Tuesday , she told city council members that “ the entire command staff ” had retired , including Deputy Chief Joseph Morabito .
“ The entire Rochester Police Department command staff has announced their retirement , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t immediately clear how many members are on the command staff , Warren added that “ there may be a number of others that will decide to leave as well and retire .
”

Protests ignited in Rochester following the release of video of Prude’s encounter with police in March.
As seen in bodycam footage, a group of officers approached 41-year-old Prude, who complied with their requests for him to lie face-down on the ground and put his hands behind his back. Officers are seen placing a “spit hood” over his head, then shoving his head to the ground. One officer places his knee on Prude’s back while another officer holds his head down with two hands, the video shows.
Prude died seven days later after he was taken off life support.
Protestors in Rochester demanded the resignation of Singletary after a medical examiner ruled Prude’s death a homicide. Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren has also been called to resign. Warren announced changes in policing on Sunday, but stopped short of saying she was stepping down. On Tuesday, she told city council members that “the entire command staff” had retired, including Deputy Chief Joseph Morabito.
“The entire Rochester Police Department command staff has announced their retirement,” Warren said. Though it wasn’t immediately clear how many members are on the command staff, Warren added that “there may be a number of others that will decide to leave as well and retire.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Here Are 5 Lies Trump Told About The Environment In One 20-Minute Speech

Trump seems to have forgotten he ’ s withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement , has relaxed restrictions on air pollution , has removed climate change from a list of national security threats and has said he doesn ’ t believe in global warming .
In March , the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rollback of a 2012 auto emissions regulation , and last month it opened up Alaska ’ s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas drilling .
1 .
Trump said presidential rival Joe Biden ’ s environmental plan would “ give a free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign polluters , like China , Russia , India , and many others .
They don ’ t have to clean up their lands , but we have to clean up ours.
” Under Trump , America has lost much of its climate credibility on the global stage , effectively giving foreign polluters exactly that “ free pass ” Trump claims to worry about .
“ China , Russia , India and many others ” aren ’ t looking for guidance from the U.S. climate denier in chief .
It ’ s worth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet its goals in the Paris Agreement ― the one the U.S. is formally withdrawing from at Trump ’ s direction ― though it does remain the world ’ s biggest CO₂ emitter .
2 .
He claimed “ we have the cleanest air we ’ ve ever had in this county , let ’ s say over the last 40 years , because I assume 200 years ago it was probably better , ” and that the U.S. currently has “ the cleanest air we ’ ve ever had over a 40-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempted to roll back , weaken and undermine the 1970 Clean Air Act , which is responsible for what the American Lung Association labeled a decades-long “ slow but steady improvement ” in the nation ’ s air quality .
According to the American Lung Association , the EPA under Trump has actively sought to loosen restrictions on hazardous air pollutants including arsenic , CO₂ , hydrogen sulfide and mercury , and has taken steps to roll back methane emission standards for the oil and gas industry .
3 .
Trump said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the great environmentalist.
’ ... And I am .
I believe strongly.
” He also said his aides told him : “ This will make you the number one environmental president since Teddy Roosevelt.
” Roosevelt protected more than 230 million acres of federal land by establishing five national parks , 18 national monuments and dozens of national forests and wildlife refuges .
The Trump administration has protected fewer than 37,000 acres via executive action .
Trump is the most anti-conservation president in U.S. history , having worked to weaken safeguards for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times more than has been protected .
4 .
He claimed his administration had “ recovered more endangered or threatened species ” than any other administration during its first term .
In 2019 , his administration reversed a 2015 rule that put limits on the types of toxic chemicals that could be used near various bodies of water .
The president ’ s personal business directly benefited from the overhaul , as it eased restrictions on pesticide and fertilizer use at golf courses .
At the same time , the new rules also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been protected for decades .
According to Politico , the rules eliminated protection for more than half of the country ’ s wetlands and millions of miles of streams .

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Trump seems to have forgotten he’s withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, has relaxed restrictions on air pollution, has removed climate change from a list of national security threats and has said he doesn’t believe in global warming. In March, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rollback of a 2012 auto emissions regulation, and last month it opened up Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas drilling.
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All told, Trump has pledged to reverse 100 environmental rules.
Here are some of his more galling claims from the speech ― and why they’re wrong:
1. Trump said presidential rival Joe Biden’s environmental plan would “give a free pass to the world’s worst foreign polluters, like China, Russia, India, and many others. They don’t have to clean up their lands, but we have to clean up ours.”
Biden’s environmental plan repeatedly calls out China and Russia, accusing China of gaming the system by becoming a “destination economy for polluters” and “outsourcing carbon pollution” by subsidizing coal exports.
Under Trump, America has lost much of its climate credibility on the global stage, effectively giving foreign polluters exactly that “free pass” Trump claims to worry about. “China, Russia, India and many others” aren’t looking for guidance from the U.S. climate denier in chief.
It’s worth noting that China is on track to meet its goals in the Paris Agreement ― the one the U.S. is formally withdrawing from at Trump’s direction ― though it does remain the world’s biggest CO₂ emitter.
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2. He claimed “we have the cleanest air we’ve ever had in this county, let’s say over the last 40 years, because I assume 200 years ago it was probably better,” and that the U.S. currently has “the cleanest air we’ve ever had over a 40-year period.”
The Trump administration has repeatedly attempted to roll back, weaken and undermine the 1970 Clean Air Act, which is responsible for what the American Lung Association labeled a decades-long “slow but steady improvement” in the nation’s air quality.
According to the American Lung Association, the EPA under Trump has actively sought to loosen restrictions on hazardous air pollutants including arsenic, CO₂, hydrogen sulfide and mercury, and has taken steps to roll back methane emission standards for the oil and gas industry.
In 2018, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, a formal coal lobbyist, disbanded the air quality panel tasked with advising on airborne particulate matter. He replaced the committee members with paid consultants linked to the fossil fuel, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries.
3. Trump said he’s been told he “‘is the great environmentalist.’ ... And I am. I believe strongly.” He also said his aides told him: “This will make you the number one environmental president since Teddy Roosevelt.”
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Environmentalists, outdoor sporting groups and even a great-grandson of Roosevelt himself have blasted the Trump administration for comparing itself to the 26th president.
Roosevelt protected more than 230 million acres of federal land by establishing five national parks, 18 national monuments and dozens of national forests and wildlife refuges. The Trump administration has protected fewer than 37,000 acres via executive action.
Trump is the most anti-conservation president in U.S. history, having worked to weaken safeguards for nearly 35 million acres — nearly 1,000 times more than has been protected.
4. He claimed his administration had “recovered more endangered or threatened species” than any other administration during its first term.
The Trump administration has repeatedly rolled back protections under the Endangered Species Act, a key legal pillar of protections for imperiled species.
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5. Trump said he’s committed to ensuring that the United States has “the cleanest air and cleanest water on Earth.”
We’ve addressed Trump’s claim of the “cleanest air.” He’s also rolled back clean water protections.
In 2019, his administration reversed a 2015 rule that put limits on the types of toxic chemicals that could be used near various bodies of water. The president’s personal business directly benefited from the overhaul, as it eased restrictions on pesticide and fertilizer use at golf courses.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Naked Protesters Wear 'Spit Hoods' In Upstate New York To Decry Daniel Prude's Death

Photos and video showed roughly a half-dozen demonstrators , naked or in minimal clothes and some with “ Black Lives Matter ” written on their backs , sitting silently with their hands behind them , on a rain-slicked street outside the city Public Safety Building .
The Democrat & Chronicle reported that after a time , the demonstrators were given blankets and left in cars .
Prude , a 41-year-old Black man , died after police found him running naked in a street March 23 , put a hood over his head to stop him from spitting , then held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he stopped breathing .
He died a week later after he was taken off life support .
His brother , Joe Prude , had called 911 seeking help for Daniel Prude ’ s unusual behavior .
He had been taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation earlier that night but was released after a few hours , his brother told officers .
Seven police officers were suspended Thursday , and state Attorney General Letitia James said Saturday she would form a grand jury and conduct an “ exhaustive investigation ” into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Chief La ’ Ron Singletary have faced calls for their resignations over the delay in releasing details of Prude ’ s death .
Free The People ROC released a statement Monday saying marches will continue until Warren and Singletary resign , officers involved in Prude ’ s death are fired and prosecuted , and the Rochester Police Department is stopped from responding to mental health calls and defunded .
Police lined up under the Frederick Douglass–Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge late in the night and announced on a loudspeaker that the gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlawful , and threatened that refusing to leave could lead to arrests .
On Sunday , police said more than 1,000 protesters marched to the Public Safety Building on a night more peaceful than the rest , with community elders acting as a buffer between officers and protesters .
The Police Department said no arrests were made .
“ Last night the world saw the true spirit of Rochester , ” Warren said in a statement , adding that she had told the police department Sunday “ to adopt a smaller and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensified into clashes between police and protesters , with officers dousing activists with a chemical spray and firing what appeared to be pepper balls to drive them from barricades around the headquarters building .
At points , fireworks were shot off and a bus stop was set ablaze .
Naked protesters stage a demonstration to protest the death of Daniel Prude at Rochester 's Public Safety Building in Rochester , New York , U.S. September 7 , 2020 .
( Tracy Schuhmacher/Democrat and Chronicle via USA TODAY ) Warren , a Democrat , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments , accusing him of trying “ to bait people to act with hate and incite violence that he believes will benefit him politically.
” This summer , Trump has repeatedly portrayed Democratic mayors as weak leaders who have let their cities be overrun by violence and disorderly protests , casting himself as the president of “ law and order ” who will protect the country from chaos .

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Naked except for “spit hoods” in a reference to the killing of Daniel Prude, several protesters sat outside Rochester’s police headquarters Monday morning to push for police accountability, local news outlets reported.
Photos and video showed roughly a half-dozen demonstrators, naked or in minimal clothes and some with “Black Lives Matter” written on their backs, sitting silently with their hands behind them, on a rain-slicked street outside the city Public Safety Building. The Democrat & Chronicle reported that after a time, the demonstrators were given blankets and left in cars.
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Meanwhile, President Donald Trump tweeted that Rochester was among cities that had “bad nights,” while Mayor Lovely Warren commended activist leaders, police and community elders on a night of calm protest Sunday.
Prude, a 41-year-old Black man, died after police found him running naked in a street March 23, put a hood over his head to stop him from spitting, then held him down for about two minutes until he stopped breathing. He died a week later after he was taken off life support.
Joe Prude, uncle of Daniel Prude, right, and Daniel's nephew Armin, stand with a picture of Daniel Prude in Rochester, N.Y., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) ASSOCIATED PRESS
His brother, Joe Prude, had called 911 seeking help for Daniel Prude’s unusual behavior. He had been taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation earlier that night but was released after a few hours, his brother told officers.
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His death sparked outrage after his relatives on Wednesday released police body camera video and written reports they obtained through a public records request.
Seven police officers were suspended Thursday, and state Attorney General Letitia James said Saturday she would form a grand jury and conduct an “exhaustive investigation” into Prude’s death. Warren and Police Chief La’Ron Singletary have faced calls for their resignations over the delay in releasing details of Prude’s death.
Police union officials have said the officers were following their training.
Protesters have demanded police accountability and legislation to change how authorities respond to mental health emergencies.
Free The People ROC released a statement Monday saying marches will continue until Warren and Singletary resign, officers involved in Prude’s death are fired and prosecuted, and the Rochester Police Department is stopped from responding to mental health calls and defunded.
Protesters gathered in a Rochester park Monday evening before moving to the city’s Public Safety Building by nightfall, for a sixth consecutive night of demonstrations.
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Police lined up under the Frederick Douglass–Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge late in the night and announced on a loudspeaker that the gathering outside of the building had been deemed unlawful, and threatened that refusing to leave could lead to arrests.
Demonstrators march along a street in Rochester, N.Y., Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, during a protest over the death of Daniel Prude. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) ASSOCIATED PRESS
On Sunday, police said more than 1,000 protesters marched to the Public Safety Building on a night more peaceful than the rest, with community elders acting as a buffer between officers and protesters. The Police Department said no arrests were made.
“Last night the world saw the true spirit of Rochester,” Warren said in a statement, adding that she had told the police department Sunday “to adopt a smaller and more restrained posture.”
Trump, however, mentioned Rochester in a Monday morning tweet about cities he said “all had bad nights” and were “weakly run by Radical Left Democrat Governors and Mayors!”
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“Get the picture?” the Republican president added.
Demonstrations before Sunday had intensified into clashes between police and protesters, with officers dousing activists with a chemical spray and firing what appeared to be pepper balls to drive them from barricades around the headquarters building. At points, fireworks were shot off and a bus stop was set ablaze.
Naked protesters stage a demonstration to protest the death of Daniel Prude at Rochester's Public Safety Building in Rochester, New York, U.S. September 7, 2020. (Tracy Schuhmacher/Democrat and Chronicle via USA TODAY) Tracy Schuhmacher/Democrat and Chronicle via USA TODAY
Warren, a Democrat, urged people to ignore Trump’s comments, accusing him of trying “to bait people to act with hate and incite violence that he believes will benefit him politically.”
This summer, Trump has repeatedly portrayed Democratic mayors as weak leaders who have let their cities be overrun by violence and disorderly protests, casting himself as the president of “law and order” who will protect the country from chaos.
Shootings, killings and other crimes have increased this summer in cities including New York, Chicago and Detroit, though crime overall remains lower than it has been in years past.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Naomi Osaka's Powerful U.S. Open Statements Continue With Trayvon Martin Mask

Since Osaka ’ s first match at this the Open this year , she ’ s been wearing face coverings honoring victims of racial violence in America .
In an interview last week , she explained that she brought seven different masks to the tournament .
“ It ’ s quite sad that seven masks isn ’ t enough for the amount of names , so hopefully I ’ ll get to the finals so you can see all of them , ” Osaka said .
Last week , she wore one honoring Breonna Taylor , the Black Kentucky EMT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her own home , and another for Elijah McClain , the Black man who was put in a chokehold by three white officers while he was walking home last year and subsequently died after going into a coma .
On Friday , Osaka wore another mask honoring Ahmaud Arbery , the Black man from Georgia who was fatally shot down by two white men while jogging .
Of Taylor , the 22-year-old said : “ I ’ m aware that tennis is watched all over the world , and maybe there is someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s story .
So maybe they ’ ll Google it .
... For me , [ I ’ m ] just spreading awareness .
...
I started off with Breonna Taylor ’ s name first because for me she was the most important and [ Black Lives Matter ] is still actively going on ; there are still marches even though people don ’ t really talk about it .
”

Since Osaka’s first match at this the Open this year, she’s been wearing face coverings honoring victims of racial violence in America. In an interview last week, she explained that she brought seven different masks to the tournament.
“It’s quite sad that seven masks isn’t enough for the amount of names, so hopefully I’ll get to the finals so you can see all of them,” Osaka said.
Last week, she wore one honoring Breonna Taylor, the Black Kentucky EMT who was fatally shot by police in her own home, and another for Elijah McClain, the Black man who was put in a chokehold by three white officers while he was walking home last year and subsequently died after going into a coma.
On Friday, Osaka wore another mask honoring Ahmaud Arbery, the Black man from Georgia who was fatally shot down by two white men while jogging.
Of Taylor, the 22-year-old said: “I’m aware that tennis is watched all over the world, and maybe there is someone that doesn’t know Breonna Taylor’s story. So maybe they’ll Google it. ... For me, [I’m] just spreading awareness. ... I started off with Breonna Taylor’s name first because for me she was the most important and [Black Lives Matter] is still actively going on; there are still marches even though people don’t really talk about it.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-08--Joe Biden Urges Donald Trump To Pledge He'll Heed Scientists On Vaccine Safety

Amid fears that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will rush introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine in response to pressure from President Donald Trump , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wants clarification from the agency on how it will decide whether such a treatment is ready ― and a vow from Trump to do what the FDA ’ s scientists recommend .
The list urged an uncensored report from the government scientists making the recommendation ; a similarly uncensored report from an outside committee that advised FDA on vaccine safety ; raw data from testing so that outside scientists can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement vouching for the vaccine from Anthony Fauci , the widely respected director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who also serves on the White House coronavirus task force .
Biden also wants the administration to make clear ― now ― how it plans to distribute the vaccine , once it ’ s available .
Trump needs to commit , that “ every American — not just the wealthy and well-connected — receives the vaccine and communities of color are not left out , ” the former vice president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these demands is widespread concern that Trump , seeking a boost right before the Nov. 3 election , will push the FDA to approve a vaccine before scientists believe the data from clinical trials justifies such an OK. Biden and his running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris of California , “ feel very strongly that the scientific process needs to be independent and free of political interference , ” David Kessler , a former FDA commission and an adviser to the Democratic ticket , said on a conference call .
Kessler went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be buckling to White House pressure for a splashy announcement in its efforts to stem the coronavirus pandemic ― most recently , last month when FDA Director Stephen Hahn exaggerated the potential benefits of “ plasma therapy , ” which the agency approved on an “ emergency use ” basis .
Trump had touted hydroxychloroquine over and over again , calling it a “ miracle ” in mitigating the health effects of the disease .
The FDA eventually revoked its authorization , following reports of some adverse reactions to it among COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of evidence that the drug was effective .
Vaccines normally go through years of development , and then years of testing .
The development and current testing of COVID-19 vaccines have occurred at a highly accelerated pace , with several already past initial trials and into widespread “ phase III ” clinical testing under which tens of thousands of Americans will get the vaccine .
The FDA in theory could approve a vaccine quickly , using a special “ emergency authorization , ” if the agency is convinced that a shot is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said such a move is plausible ― if enough people sign up and if the early results show , very clearly , that the vaccine will reduce COVID-19 spread without causing harm .
But those are massive ifs , given that the trials are still enrolling people and the most promising vaccines require two dosages , weeks apart , and that it will take weeks after that to see results .
Among other things , a substantial number of people would have to contract the virus , in order for researchers to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got placebos ( that is , shots with no vaccine ) instead of the active vaccine .
“ Nobody has a definitive answer , ” Fauci told HuffPost in an interview on Tuesday .
“ It is possible ― conceivable ― that if there are enough infections that occur within the context of the clinical trial sites , then we could get an answer earlier , by October .
I feel that is much less likely than November , December , January.
” The White House has denied reports that Trump is pushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skimp on efficacy or safety .
“ No one is pressuring the FDA to do anything , ” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said last week .
But Trump continued to tout hydroxychloroquine even after the FDA revoked its approval .
And he has continued to hint at an early approval for a COVID vaccine ― as recently as Monday he did so ― despite public admonishments that in so doing he is jeopardizing the agency ’ s credibility at a time when large numbers of Americans already fear vaccines .

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Amid fears that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will rush the introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine in response to pressure from President Donald Trump, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wants clarification from the agency on how it will decide whether such a treatment is ready ― and a vow from Trump to do what the FDA’s scientists recommend.
The demands were among several conditions the Biden campaign on Tuesday said the federal government must satisfy in order to guarantee a “safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.”
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The list urged an uncensored report from the government scientists making the recommendation; a similarly uncensored report from an outside committee that advised FDA on vaccine safety; raw data from testing so that outside scientists can validate the results; and a public statement vouching for the vaccine from Anthony Fauci, the widely respected director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who also serves on the White House coronavirus task force.
Biden also wants the administration to make clear ― now ― how it plans to distribute the vaccine, once it’s available. Trump needs to commit, that “every American — not just the wealthy and well-connected — receives the vaccine and communities of color are not left out,” the former vice president’s campaign said.
The backdrop for these demands is widespread concern that Trump, seeking a boost right before the Nov. 3 election, will push the FDA to approve a vaccine before scientists believe the data from clinical trials justifies such an OK.
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Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, “feel very strongly that the scientific process needs to be independent and free of political interference,” David Kessler, a former FDA commission and an adviser to the Democratic ticket, said on a conference call.
Kessler went on to note instances when the FDA appeared to be buckling to White House pressure for a splashy announcement in its efforts to stem the coronavirus pandemic ― most recently, last month when FDA Director Stephen Hahn exaggerated the potential benefits of “plasma therapy,” which the agency approved on an “emergency use” basis.
Hahn subsequently apologized for those statements. But that episode rattled public health experts. So did the agency’s previous approval of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug, as a treatment for COVID-19.
Trump had touted hydroxychloroquine over and over again, calling it a “miracle” in mitigating the health effects of the disease. The FDA eventually revoked its authorization, following reports of some adverse reactions to it among COVID-19 patients and in the face of a lack of evidence that the drug was effective.
Vaccines normally go through years of development, and then years of testing. The development and current testing of COVID-19 vaccines have occurred at a highly accelerated pace, with several already past initial trials and into widespread “phase III” clinical testing under which tens of thousands of Americans will get the vaccine.
Advertisement
Similar testing of some of the vaccines is already underway overseas.
The FDA in theory could approve a vaccine quickly, using a special “emergency authorization,” if the agency is convinced that a shot is both safe and effective. Experts have said such a move is plausible ― if enough people sign up and if the early results show, very clearly, that the vaccine will reduce COVID-19 spread without causing harm.
But those are massive ifs, given that the trials are still enrolling people and the most promising vaccines require two dosages, weeks apart, and that it will take weeks after that to see results. Among other things, a substantial number of people would have to contract the virus, in order for researchers to see whether they were the trial subjects who got placebos (that is, shots with no vaccine) instead of the active vaccine.
“Nobody has a definitive answer,” Fauci told HuffPost in an interview on Tuesday. “It is possible ― conceivable ― that if there are enough infections that occur within the context of the clinical trial sites, then we could get an answer earlier, by October. I feel that is much less likely than November, December, January.”
The White House has denied reports that Trump is pushing government scientists to rush the process or skimp on efficacy or safety. “No one is pressuring the FDA to do anything,” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said last week.
But Trump continued to tout hydroxychloroquine even after the FDA revoked its approval. And he has continued to hint at an early approval for a COVID vaccine ― as recently as Monday he did so ― despite public admonishments that in so doing he is jeopardizing the agency’s credibility at a time when large numbers of Americans already fear vaccines.
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