shareblue--2020-05-15--FDA warns that White House test Trump keeps pushing may not be accurate

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issued a warning saying that the rapid coronavirus tests the White House has been using may produce inaccurate results .
The warning comes after a New York University study found the Abbott ID Now tests used by the White House missed as many as 48 % of positive coronavirus cases .
`` We are still evaluating the information about inaccurate results and are in direct communications with Abbott about this important issue , '' Tim Stenzel , director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health at the FDA 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a news release .
`` We will continue to study the data available and are working with the company to create additional mechanisms for studying the test . ''
Ultimately , while Stenzel warned about the possible inaccurate results from the Abbott tests , he added that they may still `` correctly identify many positive cases in minutes . ''
`` Negative results , '' he explained , will simply need to be `` confirmed with a high-sensitivity authorized molecular test . ''
Trump has touted the Abbott test numerous times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task force briefing at the White House where he called it `` incredible '' and `` highly accurate '' and `` not nearly as disturbing to do as the other tests . ''
As recently as April 30 , Trump was boasting that the test was better than those he claimed were left behind by the Obama administration .
`` That did n't exist eight weeks ago , and now it 's like the rage .
Everybody wants that test , '' he said .
He claimed the prior administration had left them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obsolete tests '' but did not elaborate or clarify to what he was referring .
Testing — which public health experts say is key to identifying and isolating the coronavirus to stop its spread — has been a big problem for the Trump administration .
In the early days of the outbreak , testing was scarce and few could obtain it .
Even after the Centers for Disease Control began shipping test kits to states , a flaw in those kits forced them to reverse course , further delaying the process .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts say it 's not nearly at the levels needed to safely get the country 's economy back up and running .
`` You ca n't just take the national number and scale it to states by their population .
You have to base it on the size of the outbreak in a state , '' Ashish Jha , director of the Harvard Global Health Institute , told STAT News in late April .
In order to catch every new infection , he added , `` you would need more than 300 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interesting theoretical exercise but since it ’ s not going to happen , it 's policy-irrelevant .
If you say that , people stop listening . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issued a warning saying that the rapid coronavirus tests the White House has been using may produce inaccurate results.
The warning comes after a New York University study found the Abbott ID Now tests used by the White House missed as many as 48% of positive coronavirus cases.
“We are still evaluating the information about inaccurate results and are in direct communications with Abbott about this important issue,” Tim Stenzel, director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a news release. “We will continue to study the data available and are working with the company to create additional mechanisms for studying the test.”
Ultimately, while Stenzel warned about the possible inaccurate results from the Abbott tests, he added that they may still “correctly identify many positive cases in minutes.”
“Negative results,” he explained, will simply need to be “confirmed with a high-sensitivity authorized molecular test.”
Trump has touted the Abbott test numerous times, including at a March 30 coronavirus task force briefing at the White House where he called it “incredible” and “highly accurate” and “not nearly as disturbing to do as the other tests.”
As recently as April 30, Trump was boasting that the test was better than those he claimed were left behind by the Obama administration. “That didn’t exist eight weeks ago, and now it’s like the rage. Everybody wants that test,” he said.
He claimed the prior administration had left them “with bad, broken tests and obsolete tests” but did not elaborate or clarify to what he was referring.
Testing — which public health experts say is key to identifying and isolating the coronavirus to stop its spread — has been a big problem for the Trump administration.
In the early days of the outbreak, testing was scarce and few could obtain it. Even after the Centers for Disease Control began shipping test kits to states, a flaw in those kits forced them to reverse course, further delaying the process.
And while testing availability has since increased, experts say it’s not nearly at the levels needed to safely get the country’s economy back up and running.
“You can’t just take the national number and scale it to states by their population. You have to base it on the size of the outbreak in a state,” Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, told STAT News in late April.
In order to catch every new infection, he added, “you would need more than 300 million tests a day. … That’s an interesting theoretical exercise but since it’s not going to happen, it’s policy-irrelevant. If you say that, people stop listening.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-15--Supposedly 'pro-life' Trump administration fine with poisoning infants

The Trump administration is defying a court order to regulate a toxic chemical often found in drinking water that has been tied to fetal and infant brain damage , the New York Times reported on Thursday .
According to the New York Times ' report , Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler will declare it is `` not in the public interest '' to regulate the chemical — perchlorate — even though studies have found that too much exposure to the chemical in pregnant women can lead to problems with fetal development .
This is the latest decision by Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chemical that can adversely impact fetuses and children , even though Donald Trump and many in his administration purport to be `` pro-life '' and oppose abortion .
For example , in 2019 , the Trump administration overturned a ban on chlorpyrifos , a pesticide tied to developmental delays in children .
Chlorpyrifos is widely used by farmers , who lobbied the administration to keep using the toxic chemical , according to a New York Times report from at the time .
At the same time , Trump has used graphic language to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has cited the `` sanctity of life . ''
He has supported so-called `` born-alive '' abortion bills , which could lead to criminal punishments for doctors who allegedly do not care for fetuses born during abortions — even though there is no evidence to support such a situation ever occurs and legal experts call such legislation unnecessary .
As for perchlorate , defense contractors have fought hard against regulating perchlorate — which is an additive in rocket fuel .
Former President Barack Obama 's administration was working to come up with levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water .
However , his administration did not issue that guidance before his term expired .
Erik Olson , the senior strategic director of health and food at the Natural Resources Defense Council — which sued to force limits on perchlorate — condemned the Trump administration 's decision in an interview with the New York Times .

The Trump administration is defying a court order to regulate a toxic chemical often found in drinking water that has been tied to fetal and infant brain damage, the New York Times reported on Thursday.
According to the New York Times’ report, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler will declare it is “not in the public interest” to regulate the chemical — perchlorate — even though studies have found that too much exposure to the chemical in pregnant women can lead to problems with fetal development.
This is the latest decision by Trump’s EPA to not regulate a toxic chemical that can adversely impact fetuses and children, even though Donald Trump and many in his administration purport to be “pro-life” and oppose abortion.
For example, in 2019, the Trump administration overturned a ban on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide tied to developmental delays in children. Chlorpyrifos is widely used by farmers, who lobbied the administration to keep using the toxic chemical, according to a New York Times report from at the time.
At the same time, Trump has used graphic language to push for anti-abortion legislation he supports and has cited the “sanctity of life.” He has supported so-called “born-alive” abortion bills, which could lead to criminal punishments for doctors who allegedly do not care for fetuses born during abortions — even though there is no evidence to support such a situation ever occurs and legal experts call such legislation unnecessary.
As for perchlorate, defense contractors have fought hard against regulating perchlorate — which is an additive in rocket fuel.
Former President Barack Obama’s administration was working to come up with levels of perchlorate it considered safe in drinking water. However, his administration did not issue that guidance before his term expired.
Erik Olson, the senior strategic director of health and food at the Natural Resources Defense Council — which sued to force limits on perchlorate — condemned the Trump administration’s decision in an interview with the New York Times.


shareblue--2020-05-15--Top medical journal: Trump administration 'nowhere near' able to combat virus

More than 110 days after the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the United States , the Trump administration is still not prepared to handle the pandemic , according the Lancet , one of the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed medical journals in the world .
`` The USA is still nowhere near able to provide the basic surveillance or laboratory testing infrastructure needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic , '' the journal wrote in an editorial on Friday .
The journal slammed the Trump administration for an abject lack of testing throughout the country , writing that the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Rather than rely on health experts at the CDC , officials are `` obsessed with magic bullets — vaccines , new medicines , or a hope that the virus will simply disappear . ''
In February , Donald Trump claimed that the coronavirus would `` miraculously '' go away in April .
The virus did not disappear , and more than 58,000 Americans died in April from the pandemic .
Moving forward , the Lancey recommended that Americans `` must put a president in the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will understand that public health should not be guided by partisan politics . ''
Health experts at the Lancet are not alone in criticizing Trump 's coronavirus response , especially his administration 's lack of preparedness .
An April report by Rep. Katie Porter ( D-CA ) , a member of the House Oversight Committee , published a report that found that `` the U.S. should have been stockpiling medical supplies '' during January and February , but the Trump administration failed to do so .
Her investigation found that the administration `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect the health of Americans . ''
The federal government was not prepared for the number of ventilators states needed , meaning states like Colorado and Arizona received only a fraction of the ventilators they initially requested .
On Thursday , Dr. Rick Bright , the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority , testified before Congress that Trump administration officials regularly ignored his warnings about the pandemic .
Also on Thursday , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed the Trump administration was prepared for the crisis .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic preparedness in August of last year and had an entire after-action report put together '' on the matter , McEnany said , waiving around a three-ring binder in front of the cameras .
In fact , the 2019 exercise McEnany referred to showed `` how underfunded , underprepared and uncoordinated the federal government would be for a life-or-death battle with a virus for which no treatment existed , '' according to a New York Times investigation .
As of Friday morning , more than 1.4 million people in the United States have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 85,843 people have died .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

More than 110 days after the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the United States, the Trump administration is still not prepared to handle the pandemic, according the Lancet, one of the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed medical journals in the world.
“The USA is still nowhere near able to provide the basic surveillance or laboratory testing infrastructure needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” the journal wrote in an editorial on Friday.
The journal slammed the Trump administration for an abject lack of testing throughout the country, writing that the administration has regularly undermined the role of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Rather than rely on health experts at the CDC, officials are “obsessed with magic bullets — vaccines, new medicines, or a hope that the virus will simply disappear.”
In February, Donald Trump claimed that the coronavirus would “miraculously” go away in April. The virus did not disappear, and more than 58,000 Americans died in April from the pandemic.
Moving forward, the Lancet recommended that Americans “must put a president in the White House come January, 2021, who will understand that public health should not be guided by partisan politics.”
Health experts at the Lancet are not alone in criticizing Trump’s coronavirus response, especially his administration’s lack of preparedness.
An April report by Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), a member of the House Oversight Committee, published a report that found that “the U.S. should have been stockpiling medical supplies” during January and February, but the Trump administration failed to do so. Her investigation found that the administration “failed to prepare for COVID-19 and to protect the health of Americans.”
The federal government was not prepared for the number of ventilators states needed, meaning states like Colorado and Arizona received only a fraction of the ventilators they initially requested.
On Thursday, Dr. Rick Bright, the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, testified before Congress that Trump administration officials regularly ignored his warnings about the pandemic.
Also on Thursday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed the Trump administration was prepared for the crisis.
The administration “did a whole exercise on pandemic preparedness in August of last year and had an entire after-action report put together” on the matter, McEnany said, waiving around a three-ring binder in front of the cameras.
In fact, the 2019 exercise McEnany referred to showed “how underfunded, underprepared and uncoordinated the federal government would be for a life-or-death battle with a virus for which no treatment existed,” according to a New York Times investigation.
As of Friday morning, more than 1.4 million people in the United States have confirmed coronavirus cases, and at least 85,843 people have died.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-15--Trump administration finally releases reopening guidance

U.S. health officials on Thursday released some of their long-delayed guidance that schools , businesses and other organizations can use as states reopen from coronavirus shutdowns .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted six one-page `` decision tool '' documents that use traffic signs and other graphics to tell organizations what they should consider before reopening .
The tools are for schools , workplaces , camps , childcare centers , mass transit systems , and bars and restaurants .
The CDC originally also authored a document for churches and other religious facilities , but that was n't posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why .
Early versions of the documents included detailed information for churches wanting to restart in-person services , with suggestions including maintaining distance between parishioners and limiting the size of gatherings .
The faith-related guidance was taken out after the White House raised concerns about the recommended restrictions , according to government emails obtained by the Associated Press and a person inside the agency who did n't have permission to talk with reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity .
On Thursday , a Trump administration official also speaking on condition of anonymity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the government making specific dictates to places of worship .
And Roger Severino , director of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services , said `` protections against religious discrimination are n't suspended during an emergency .
This means the federal government can not single out religious conduct as somehow being more dangerous or worthy of scrutiny than comparable secular behavior . ''
Donald Trump has championed religious freedom as a way to connect with conservative evangelical voters and has shown eagerness for in-person religious services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month for suggestions on how to reopen and said on a recent Fox News town hall that `` we have to get our people back to churches , and we 're going to start doing it soon . ''
The CDC drafted the reopening guidance more than a month ago , and it was initially shelved by the administration , the AP reported last week .
The agency also had prepared even more extensive guidance — about 57 pages of it — that has not been posted .
That longer document , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different organizations specifics about how to reopen while still limiting spread of the virus , including by spacing workers or students 6 feet apart and closing break rooms and cafeterias to limit gatherings .
Many of the suggestions already appear on federal websites but they have n't been presented as reopening advice .
Some health experts and politicians have been pushing for the CDC to release as much guidance as possible to help businesses and organizations decide how to proceed .
`` They want to be able to tell their own employees the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Tom Inglesby , director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University , said at a congressional hearing Wednesday .
`` They want to be able to tell their customers , 'We 've done everything that 's been asked of us . '
'' The guidance relates to another document released by the Trump administration on April 17 .
That phased-in reopening plan broadly outlines how to move away from stay-at-home orders , school closures and other measures designed to stop the spread of the new coronavirus that has caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more than 80,000 deaths .
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer , a New York Democrat , on Wednesday offered a resolution — blocked by Republicans — to encourage release of all the documents .
`` America needs and must have the candid guidance of our best scientists unfiltered , unedited , uncensored by president Trump or his political minions .
The CDC report on reopening the country is an important piece of that guidance , '' Schumer said .
The decision tools have been undergoing review by different federal officials , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , an earlier draft of the one-page document on camps obtained by the AP asked organizers if their program would limit attendance to people who live nearby .
If the answer was no , the camp was advised not to reopen .
That local attendance limitation was dropped and was not in the version posted Thursday .
And in that document and others , language has been dropped that asked if the organization is in a community that is still requiring significant disease mitigation .
If the answer was yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many of the changes provide more wiggle room than what was in the initial versions .
For example , in the document for people who run child care centers , the older version obtained by the AP stated that CDC recommended `` checking for signs and symptoms of children and staff . ''
The new guidelines add `` as feasible '' to the end .
Similar new language about feasibility appears in sections about promoting healthy hygiene such as hand washing and employees wearing cloth masks .

U.S. health officials on Thursday released some of their long-delayed guidance that schools, businesses and other organizations can use as states reopen from coronavirus shutdowns.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted six one-page “decision tool” documents that use traffic signs and other graphics to tell organizations what they should consider before reopening.
The tools are for schools, workplaces, camps, childcare centers, mass transit systems, and bars and restaurants. The CDC originally also authored a document for churches and other religious facilities, but that wasn’t posted Thursday. The agency declined to say why.
Early versions of the documents included detailed information for churches wanting to restart in-person services, with suggestions including maintaining distance between parishioners and limiting the size of gatherings. The faith-related guidance was taken out after the White House raised concerns about the recommended restrictions, according to government emails obtained by the Associated Press and a person inside the agency who didn’t have permission to talk with reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity.
On Thursday, a Trump administration official also speaking on condition of anonymity said there were concerns about the propriety of the government making specific dictates to places of worship.
And Roger Severino, director of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services, said “protections against religious discrimination aren’t suspended during an emergency. This means the federal government cannot single out religious conduct as somehow being more dangerous or worthy of scrutiny than comparable secular behavior.”
Donald Trump has championed religious freedom as a way to connect with conservative evangelical voters and has shown eagerness for in-person religious services to restart. He consulted interfaith leaders last month for suggestions on how to reopen and said on a recent Fox News town hall that “we have to get our people back to churches, and we’re going to start doing it soon.”
The CDC drafted the reopening guidance more than a month ago, and it was initially shelved by the administration, the AP reported last week.
The agency also had prepared even more extensive guidance — about 57 pages of it — that has not been posted.
That longer document, which the AP obtained, would give different organizations specifics about how to reopen while still limiting spread of the virus, including by spacing workers or students 6 feet apart and closing break rooms and cafeterias to limit gatherings. Many of the suggestions already appear on federal websites but they haven’t been presented as reopening advice.
Some health experts and politicians have been pushing for the CDC to release as much guidance as possible to help businesses and organizations decide how to proceed.
“They want to be able to tell their own employees the guidance of the federal government,” Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University, said at a congressional hearing Wednesday. “They want to be able to tell their customers, ‘We’ve done everything that’s been asked of us.'”
The guidance relates to another document released by the Trump administration on April 17. That phased-in reopening plan broadly outlines how to move away from stay-at-home orders, school closures and other measures designed to stop the spread of the new coronavirus that has caused more than 1.3 million reported U.S. illnesses and more than 80,000 deaths.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, on Wednesday offered a resolution — blocked by Republicans — to encourage release of all the documents.
“America needs and must have the candid guidance of our best scientists unfiltered, unedited, uncensored by president Trump or his political minions. The CDC report on reopening the country is an important piece of that guidance,” Schumer said.
The decision tools have been undergoing review by different federal officials, and they’ve been edited from earlier versions.
For example, an earlier draft of the one-page document on camps obtained by the AP asked organizers if their program would limit attendance to people who live nearby. If the answer was no, the camp was advised not to reopen. That local attendance limitation was dropped and was not in the version posted Thursday.
And in that document and others, language has been dropped that asked if the organization is in a community that is still requiring significant disease mitigation. If the answer was yes, the organization was advised not to reopen.
Many of the changes provide more wiggle room than what was in the initial versions.
For example, in the document for people who run child care centers, the older version obtained by the AP stated that CDC recommended “checking for signs and symptoms of children and staff.” The new guidelines add “as feasible” to the end.
Similar new language about feasibility appears in sections about promoting healthy hygiene such as hand washing and employees wearing cloth masks.


shareblue--2020-05-15--McConnell admits he 'was wrong' after getting caught lying about Obama

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell walked back his recent criticism of former President Barack Obama , whom he falsely accused of not leaving a playbook for handling a pandemic for the Trump administration .
`` I was wrong , '' McConnell told Fox News ' Bret Baier Thursday night .
`` They did leave behind a plan .
So , I clearly made a mistake in that regard . ''
McConnell 's rare admission of fault came after he went on a Trump campaign live stream Monday night with Trump 's daughter-in-law Lara Trump and blamed Obama for the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Obama administration did not leave to this administration any kind of game plan for something like this , '' McConnell said Monday The Obama administration did leave Trump with a detailed 69-page playbook on how to handle a pandemic , which Trump has not followed .
`` We literally left them a 69-page Pandemic Playbook ... .
that they ignored .
And an office called the Pandemic Preparedness Office ... that they abolished .
And a global monitoring system called PREDICT .. that they cut by 75 % , '' Ronald Klain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ czar , tweeted Monday after McConnell 's comments .
Dr. Rick Bright — the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority who has become a whistleblower about the Trump administration 's response — also testified on Thursday that the Trump administration had no `` coordinated plan '' nor a `` comprehensive strategy '' to handle the COVID-19 pandemic .
Bright testified that his pleas to stockpile personal protective equipment — which was advised in the Obama guidance — were ignored and that the administration 's initial lack of a response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that do n't work .
`` Lives were endangered , and I believe lives were lost , '' Bright said over the lack of PPE .
`` Not only that , we were forced to procure the supplies from other countries without the right quality standards , so even our doctors and nurses in the hospitals today are wearing N95-marked masks from other countries that are not providing the sufficient protection that a US-standard N95 mask would provide them . ''
McConnell , however , declined to criticize Trump for not following the @ @ @ @ @

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell walked back his recent criticism of former President Barack Obama, whom he falsely accused of not leaving a playbook for handling a pandemic for the Trump administration.
“I was wrong,” McConnell told Fox News’ Bret Baier Thursday night. “They did leave behind a plan. So, I clearly made a mistake in that regard.”
McConnell’s rare admission of fault came after he went on a Trump campaign live stream Monday night with Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump and blamed Obama for the Trump administration’s failed response.
“Clearly the Obama administration did not leave to this administration any kind of game plan for something like this,” McConnell said Monday
The Obama administration did leave Trump with a detailed 69-page playbook on how to handle a pandemic, which Trump has not followed.
“We literally left them a 69-page Pandemic Playbook…. that they ignored. And an office called the Pandemic Preparedness Office… that they abolished. And a global monitoring system called PREDICT .. that they cut by 75%,” Ronald Klain, who served as Obama’s Ebola czar, tweeted Monday after McConnell’s comments.
Dr. Rick Bright — the former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority who has become a whistleblower about the Trump administration’s response — also testified on Thursday that the Trump administration had no “coordinated plan” nor a “comprehensive strategy” to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bright testified that his pleas to stockpile personal protective equipment — which was advised in the Obama guidance — were ignored and that the administration’s initial lack of a response has left health care workers with masks that don’t work.
“Lives were endangered, and I believe lives were lost,” Bright said over the lack of PPE. “Not only that, we were forced to procure the supplies from other countries without the right quality standards, so even our doctors and nurses in the hospitals today are wearing N95-marked masks from other countries that are not providing the sufficient protection that a US-standard N95 mask would provide them.”
McConnell, however, declined to criticize Trump for not following the Obama administration’s guidance.


shareblue--2020-05-16--Fewer people are dying from cancer thanks to Obamacare

Cancer deaths have dropped more in states that expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act than in states that did not , new research reveals .
The report Wednesday is the first evidence tying cancer survival to the health care change , which began in 2014 after the law known as `` Obamacare '' took full effect , said one study leader , Dr. Anna Lee of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York .
`` For a policy to have this amount of impact in a short amount of years '' is remarkable , because cancer often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove fatal , she said .
Lee discussed the results in an American Society of Clinical Oncology news conference as part of its annual meeting later this month .
The law let states expand Medicaid eligibility and offer subsidies to help people buy health insurance .
Twenty-seven states and Washington , D.C. , did that , and 20 million Americans gained coverage that way .
The other 23 states did not expand benefits .
Researchers used national health statistics on cancer deaths to track trends before and after the law .
They looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who stood to benefit from the change because those older already were covered by Medicare .
About 30 % of U.S. cancer deaths are in people under 65 .
The cancer death rate fell throughout the United States from 1999 to 2017 in that age group , but more in states that expanded Medicaid -- 29 % versus 25 % in states that did not .
Researchers specifically compared death rates from 2011 to 2013 , before the health care change , to 2015 to 2017 , after it .
In states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 785 fewer cancer deaths in 2017 .
Another 589 deaths could have been prevented that year if all states had expanded Medicaid , researchers estimated .
Having health insurance allows quicker treatment after diagnosis and access to more treatment options so patients can get the best care available , which can improve survival odds , Lee said .
Insured people also may have more opportunities for screening to detect cancers at a stage when they 're most treatable .
The new work builds on research from last year 's conference that suggested more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to quickly start on treatment after a diagnosis of advanced cancer in states that expanded Medicaid , said Dr. Howard Burris .
He is president of the oncology society and heads the Sarah Cannon Research Institute , a cancer center in Nashville , Tennessee .
`` There was so much excitement '' when federal statistics showed a big drop in cancer deaths over the last decade , and the new study shows `` it was an even better improvement in expansion states , '' said Burris , who had no role in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for specific racial groups .
States that expanded Medicaid generally had fewer blacks and more Hispanics than states that did not expand .
Blacks have had worse cancer death rates than other groups , but that also has been improving at a greater rate than for whites .
Expansion of Medicaid seemed to make no difference in cancer mortality rates for blacks Americans but did seem to improve the situation for Hispanics .
To date , 36 states and Washington , D.C. , have expanded Medicaid , and 14 have not .

Cancer deaths have dropped more in states that expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act than in states that did not, new research reveals.
The report Wednesday is the first evidence tying cancer survival to the health care change, which began in 2014 after the law known as “Obamacare” took full effect, said one study leader, Dr. Anna Lee of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
“For a policy to have this amount of impact in a short amount of years” is remarkable, because cancer often takes a long time to develop and prove fatal, she said.
Lee discussed the results in an American Society of Clinical Oncology news conference as part of its annual meeting later this month.
The law let states expand Medicaid eligibility and offer subsidies to help people buy health insurance. Twenty-seven states and Washington, D.C., did that, and 20 million Americans gained coverage that way. The other 23 states did not expand benefits.
Researchers used national health statistics on cancer deaths to track trends before and after the law. They looked only at deaths in people under 65, who stood to benefit from the change because those older already were covered by Medicare. About 30% of U.S. cancer deaths are in people under 65.
The cancer death rate fell throughout the United States from 1999 to 2017 in that age group, but more in states that expanded Medicaid — 29% versus 25% in states that did not.
Researchers specifically compared death rates from 2011 to 2013, before the health care change, to 2015 to 2017, after it. In states that expanded coverage, the change meant 785 fewer cancer deaths in 2017. Another 589 deaths could have been prevented that year if all states had expanded Medicaid, researchers estimated.
Having health insurance allows quicker treatment after diagnosis and access to more treatment options so patients can get the best care available, which can improve survival odds, Lee said. Insured people also may have more opportunities for screening to detect cancers at a stage when they’re most treatable.
The new work builds on research from last year’s conference that suggested more patients, blacks in particular, were able to quickly start on treatment after a diagnosis of advanced cancer in states that expanded Medicaid, said Dr. Howard Burris. He is president of the oncology society and heads the Sarah Cannon Research Institute, a cancer center in Nashville, Tennessee.
“There was so much excitement” when federal statistics showed a big drop in cancer deaths over the last decade, and the new study shows “it was an even better improvement in expansion states,” said Burris, who had no role in the study.
The picture is murky for specific racial groups. States that expanded Medicaid generally had fewer blacks and more Hispanics than states that did not expand. Blacks have had worse cancer death rates than other groups, but that also has been improving at a greater rate than for whites. Expansion of Medicaid seemed to make no difference in cancer mortality rates for blacks Americans but did seem to improve the situation for Hispanics.
To date, 36 states and Washington, D.C., have expanded Medicaid, and 14 have not.


shareblue--2020-05-18--GOP senator slammed for mocking psychologists: 'We are in a mental health crisis'

Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) used a Saturday graduation speech to demean graduating seniors , mock mental health professionals , and spew racist tropes about the coronavirus pandemic .
His words are now bringing him widespread criticism .
In his speech , Sasse said psychologists are just employed `` just to help people forget high school '' or `` research hamsters who get lost in mazes . ''
He added , `` if you are headed to college , do not — do not — major in psychology . ''
Sasse also belittled graduating seniors , congratulating them on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but on making the journey down the stairs from your bedroom to the living room and putting on something slightly more formal than sweatpants . ''
He concluded by reiterating racist tropes about China and the coronavirus pandemic , promising `` a serious reckoning with the thugs in China who let this mess spiral out of control by lying about it . ''
Dr. Anne Talbot , the immediate past president of the Nebraska Psychological Association , said Monday that she viewed the speech with a `` mixture of dismay and shock , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the organization to discuss the importance of mental health issues , so she was `` simply shocked he would say the kinds of things , '' adding that it was `` disheartening . ''
The community of Freemont , which includes the high school Sasse gave his speech to , is especially in the need of counselors , Talbot said , because residents are currently facing the coronavirus pandemic a year after the community was devastated by flooding .
She added that Sasse 's comments about psychologists were `` almost mean-spirited to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduating in a community that has been pretty devastated by those events . ''
Lynn Linde , chief knowledge and learning officer for the American Counseling Association , said Sasse seemed to be `` attempting a very light-hearted tone . ''
However , she recognized that `` a lot of my counseling colleagues were very offended '' by his remarks .
`` We are in a mental health crisis , '' she added , referring to the needs people have during the coronavirus pandemic , `` and I do n't think that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anybody who needs it , and then to have somebody say , 'well , do n't go into this profession . '
If there was ever a time in our country when we need more mental health professionals , this is it . ''
The Nebraska Counseling Association wrote a letter Sunday calling the speech `` tasteless and demeaning to our field and more importantly , our seniors . ''
Sandra L. Shullman , president of the American Psychological Association , said that Sasse 's comments were `` disrespectful and harmful . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the front lines helping medical professionals and patients as they struggle with mental health issues triggered by the stress of battling the novel coronavirus . ''
Sasse 's speech was also criticized by local and national officials for its racism .
`` You deserved better than the graduation remarks from Senator Ben Sasse , Michael Petersen , a board member of the Freemont school , wrote on Facebook to the graduating seniors .
`` The racism , implying that our graduates are fat and lazy , disparaging teachers , and attacking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris Janicek , a Democrat running against Sasse in November , also criticized the speech .
`` Ridiculing mental health care specialists , suggesting that the graduates are lazy slackers and using the platform to blame China for the pandemic we have now is beyond reprehensible , '' Janicek said , according to the Associated Press .
`` It is sad that Senator Sasse would use a commencement speech — typically an opportunity to inspire the best in our graduates — to instead promote xenophobia and contribute to the rising anti-Asian sentiments in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D-CA ) , chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific Islander Caucus , said in a Monday email .
`` Spreading fear of and anger towards China during the coronavirus pandemic does not produce more masks or tests to keep our families safe , but it has led to an increase in anti-Asian hate crimes , '' she added .
In a statement to the Associated Press , Sasse 's spokesperson responded to some of the criticism by saying , `` Ben 's proud of each of the graduates , '' and `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truth is silly . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) used a Saturday graduation speech to demean graduating seniors, mock mental health professionals, and spew racist tropes about the coronavirus pandemic. His words are now bringing him widespread criticism.
In his speech, Sasse said psychologists are just employed “just to help people forget high school” or “research hamsters who get lost in mazes.” He added, “if you are headed to college, do not — do not — major in psychology.”
Sasse also belittled graduating seniors, congratulating them on “not on graduating high school, but on making the journey down the stairs from your bedroom to the living room and putting on something slightly more formal than sweatpants.”
He concluded by reiterating racist tropes about China and the coronavirus pandemic, promising “a serious reckoning with the thugs in China who let this mess spiral out of control by lying about it.”
Dr. Anne Talbot, the immediate past president of the Nebraska Psychological Association, said Monday that she viewed the speech with a “mixture of dismay and shock,” She said Sasse has met with the organization to discuss the importance of mental health issues, so she was “simply shocked he would say the kinds of things,” adding that it was “disheartening.”
The community of Freemont, which includes the high school Sasse gave his speech to, is especially in the need of counselors, Talbot said, because residents are currently facing the coronavirus pandemic a year after the community was devastated by flooding. She added that Sasse’s comments about psychologists were “almost mean-spirited to say” to a group of students “graduating in a community that has been pretty devastated by those events.”
Lynn Linde, chief knowledge and learning officer for the American Counseling Association, said Sasse seemed to be “attempting a very light-hearted tone.” However, she recognized that “a lot of my counseling colleagues were very offended” by his remarks.
“We are in a mental health crisis,” she added, referring to the needs people have during the coronavirus pandemic, “and I don’t think that there are enough people to provide services to anybody who needs it, and then to have somebody say, ‘well, don’t go into this profession.’ If there was ever a time in our country when we need more mental health professionals, this is it.”
The Nebraska Counseling Association wrote a letter Sunday calling the speech “tasteless and demeaning to our field and more importantly, our seniors.”
Sandra L. Shullman, president of the American Psychological Association, said that Sasse’s comments were “disrespectful and harmful.”
Shullman noted that psychologists “have been on the front lines helping medical professionals and patients as they struggle with mental health issues triggered by the stress of battling the novel coronavirus.”
Sasse’s speech was also criticized by local and national officials for its racism.
“You deserved better than the graduation remarks from Senator Ben Sasse, Michael Petersen, a board member of the Freemont school, wrote on Facebook to the graduating seniors. “The racism, implying that our graduates are fat and lazy, disparaging teachers, and attacking the mental health profession are despicable.”
Chris Janicek, a Democrat running against Sasse in November, also criticized the speech.
“Ridiculing mental health care specialists, suggesting that the graduates are lazy slackers and using the platform to blame China for the pandemic we have now is beyond reprehensible,” Janicek said, according to the Associated Press.
“It is sad that Senator Sasse would use a commencement speech — typically an opportunity to inspire the best in our graduates — to instead promote xenophobia and contribute to the rising anti-Asian sentiments in the country,” Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, said in a Monday email. “Spreading fear of and anger towards China during the coronavirus pandemic does not produce more masks or tests to keep our families safe, but it has led to an increase in anti-Asian hate crimes,” she added.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Sasse’s spokesperson responded to some of the criticism by saying, “Ben’s proud of each of the graduates,” and “Pretending graduates are too fragile to hear the truth is silly.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-18--Trump: So what if Pompeo made State Department officials walk his dog?

Donald Trump said that if State Department employees have been tasked with walking Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 's dog , he does n't see a problem with it .
Trump removed State Department inspector general Steve Linick from his position over the weekend .
He said that he removed the official at the request of the State Department , noting that Linick had been appointed by President Barack Obama .
Reports have indicated that among the issues Linick was investigating in his role as an independent government watchdog were allegations that Pompeo used government staffers for personal errands , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dry cleaning , and making dinner reservations for him and his wife .
REPORTER : Secretary Pompeo was reportedly under investigation both for having staffers do personal errands like walking his dog and picking up his dry cleaning and concerns that he may have subverted the will of Congress with Saudi arms deals .
Are you concerned that he may have made this request to avoid an investigation ?
DONALD TRUMP : Well I do n't know anything about it .
I heard about it the same time maybe you heard about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
I mean , you mean he 's under investigation because he had somebody walk his dog from the government ?
I don ’ t know , does n't sound – I do n't think it sounds like that important , I mean , you have a man that 's supposed to be , and he 's a brilliant guy , number one at West Point , number one at Harvard , I believe , Harvard Law School or close .
And , but he was number one at West Point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or very close to number one , and they 're bothered because he 's having somebody walk his dog , as you 're telling me , I did n't know that , I did n't hear that .
I did n't know about an investigation , but this is what you get with the Democrats .
Here 's a man supposed to be negotiating war and peace with major , major countries .
With weaponry like the world has never seen before , and the Democrats and the fake news media they 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their dog ?
And maybe he 's busy .
And maybe he 's negotiating with Kim Jong Un , OK ?
About nuclear weapons .
So that he 'd say , `` Please , could you walk my dog ?
Do you mind walking my dog ?
I 'm talking to Kim Jong Un , or I 'm talking to President Xi about paying us for some of the damage they 've caused to the world and to us .
Please walk my dog . ''
To who ?
A Secret Service person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't know , I think this country has a long way to go , the priorities are really screwed up .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump said that if State Department employees have been tasked with walking Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s dog, he doesn’t see a problem with it.
Trump removed State Department inspector general Steve Linick from his position over the weekend. He said that he removed the official at the request of the State Department, noting that Linick had been appointed by President Barack Obama.
Reports have indicated that among the issues Linick was investigating in his role as an independent government watchdog were allegations that Pompeo used government staffers for personal errands, including dog walking, picking up his dry cleaning, and making dinner reservations for him and his wife.
From a May 18 White House roundtable:
REPORTER: Secretary Pompeo was reportedly under investigation both for having staffers do personal errands like walking his dog and picking up his dry cleaning and concerns that he may have subverted the will of Congress with Saudi arms deals. Are you concerned that he may have made this request to avoid an investigation? DONALD TRUMP: Well I don’t know anything about it. I heard about it the same time maybe you heard about it. I don’t know anything about it. I mean, you mean he’s under investigation because he had somebody walk his dog from the government? I don’t know, doesn’t sound – I don’t think it sounds like that important, I mean, you have a man that’s supposed to be, and he’s a brilliant guy, number one at West Point, number one at Harvard, I believe, Harvard Law School or close. And, but he was number one at West Point, number one at Harvard Law School, or very close to number one, and they’re bothered because he’s having somebody walk his dog, as you’re telling me, I didn’t know that, I didn’t hear that. I didn’t know about an investigation, but this is what you get with the Democrats. Here’s a man supposed to be negotiating war and peace with major, major countries. With weaponry like the world has never seen before, and the Democrats and the fake news media they’re interested in a man who’s walking their dog? And maybe he’s busy. And maybe he’s negotiating with Kim Jong Un, OK? About nuclear weapons. So that he’d say, “Please, could you walk my dog? Do you mind walking my dog? I’m talking to Kim Jong Un, or I’m talking to President Xi about paying us for some of the damage they’ve caused to the world and to us. Please walk my dog.” To who? A Secret Service person or somebody, right? I don’t know, I think this country has a long way to go, the priorities are really screwed up.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-18--Trump claims he's taking drug that doesn't actually work on virus

Donald Trump said Monday that he is taking a malaria drug to lessen symptoms should he get the new coronavirus , even though the drug is unproven for fighting COVID-19 .
Trump told reporters he has been taking the drug , hydroxychloroquine , and a zinc supplement daily `` for about a week and a half now . ''
Trump spent weeks pushing the drug as a potential cure for COVID-19 against the cautionary advice of many of his administration 's top medical professionals .
The drug has the potential to cause significant side effects in some patients and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
Trump said his doctor did not recommend the drug to him , but he requested it from the White House physician .
`` I started taking it , because I think it 's good , '' Trump said .
`` I 've heard a lot of good stories . ''
He dismissed reports of side effects , saying , `` All I can tell you is , so far I seem to be OK. '' Trump repeatedly has pushed the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them safe or effective for preventing or treating COVID-19 .
They can cause heart rhythm problems and other side effects .
The Food and Drug Administration has warned against the drug combo and said hydroxychloroquine should only be used for coronavirus in formal studies .
Two large observational studies , each involving around 1,400 patients in New York , recently found no benefit from hydroxychloroquine .
Two new ones published Thursday in the medical journal BMJ reached the same conclusion .
One , by French researchers , gave 84 hospitalized patients the drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There were no differences in the odds of death , need for intensive care or developing severe illness .
The other study from China was a stricter test : 150 adults hospitalized with mild or moderate illness were randomly assigned to get hydroxychloroquine or usual care .
The drug made no difference in rates of clearing the virus or time to relief of symptoms , and they brought more side effects .
In April , the National Institutes of Health launched a study testing hydroxychloroquine versus a placebo drug in 500 hospitalized COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another study to see if hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin can prevent hospitalization or death in people with mild to moderate illness .
About 2,000 U.S. adults with confirmed coronavirus infections and symptoms such as fever , cough or shortness of breath will get the drugs or placebo pills .

Donald Trump said Monday that he is taking a malaria drug to lessen symptoms should he get the new coronavirus, even though the drug is unproven for fighting COVID-19.
Trump told reporters he has been taking the drug, hydroxychloroquine, and a zinc supplement daily “for about a week and a half now.” Trump spent weeks pushing the drug as a potential cure for COVID-19 against the cautionary advice of many of his administration’s top medical professionals. The drug has the potential to cause significant side effects in some patients and has not been shown to combat the new coronavirus.
Trump said his doctor did not recommend the drug to him, but he requested it from the White House physician.
“I started taking it, because I think it’s good,” Trump said. “I’ve heard a lot of good stories.”
He dismissed reports of side effects, saying, “All I can tell you is, so far I seem to be OK.”
Trump repeatedly has pushed the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin, but no large, rigorous studies have found them safe or effective for preventing or treating COVID-19. They can cause heart rhythm problems and other side effects. The Food and Drug Administration has warned against the drug combo and said hydroxychloroquine should only be used for coronavirus in formal studies.
Two large observational studies, each involving around 1,400 patients in New York, recently found no benefit from hydroxychloroquine. Two new ones published Thursday in the medical journal BMJ reached the same conclusion.
One, by French researchers, gave 84 hospitalized patients the drug and 97 others the usual care. There were no differences in the odds of death, need for intensive care or developing severe illness.
The other study from China was a stricter test: 150 adults hospitalized with mild or moderate illness were randomly assigned to get hydroxychloroquine or usual care. The drug made no difference in rates of clearing the virus or time to relief of symptoms, and they brought more side effects.
In April, the National Institutes of Health launched a study testing hydroxychloroquine versus a placebo drug in 500 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Last week, NIH announced another study to see if hydroxychloroquine plus azithromycin can prevent hospitalization or death in people with mild to moderate illness. About 2,000 U.S. adults with confirmed coronavirus infections and symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath will get the drugs or placebo pills.


shareblue--2020-05-18--GOP congressman claims working from home is somehow the end of government

Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs ( R ) claimed on Monday that a temporary House rule change to allow members to vote by proxy during the coronavirus pandemic meant the end of America 's representative democracy .
In an opinion column for the Daily Caller , Biggs wrote , `` Say goodbye to representative government .
Nancy Pelosi distracted the entire country from her efforts to emasculate the House of Representatives by introducing legislation that devastates our economy by taking on more than $ 3 trillion in national debt . ''
He continued , `` It 's been a pretty busy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remade Congress by shattering the great institution of constitutional representation , Congress while enslaving generations of future Americans .
And as an autocrat now runs the United States House of Representatives we can bid a mournful farewell to our constitutional republic . ''
Biggs was referring to votes on Friday in the House that authorized funds to help localities function during the pandemic and changed the rules to temporarily allowed members to hold committee hearings remotely and designate a colleague to cast their votes on the floor .
The move will allow members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ model social distancing to help curb the spread of the coronavirus .
Biggs ' comments this week are the latest in a series of remarks he has made minimizing the current crisis .
He previously urged doctors to focus more on supporting the economy than public health , complained that Illinois was violating `` religious liberty '' by restricting the size of public gatherings ( including at churches ) , and proposed that public health officials should be quarantined without pay to `` see how they like it . ''
Other House Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45-day rule change .
Rep. Jim Jordan ( R-OH ) said such a decision was `` dangerous '' since the Constitution does not authorize lawmakers to use Zoom or WebEx .
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , Rep. Tom Cole ( R-OK ) and Rep. Rodney Davis ( R-IL ) wrote in a joint statement that the change amounted to the House deciding to `` abandon ship . ''
Rep. Mo Brooks ( R-AL ) lamented that his `` # Socialist # Democrat '' colleagues just wanted to `` GET PAID IN FULL without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The rule change came after the House physician expressed apprehension about the 435-member body meeting in person in Washington , D.C. — a COVID-19 hotspot .
At least six members of Congress have already tested positive for the virus .
Biggs also lamented the HEROES Act 's $ 3.2 trillion price tag in his column on Monday , calling it `` the greatest wealth transfer in the history of the world . ''
The bill passed with one Republican joining 207 Democrats in support .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' in the Senate .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs (R) claimed on Monday that a temporary House rule change to allow members to vote by proxy during the coronavirus pandemic meant the end of America’s representative democracy.
In an opinion column for the Daily Caller, Biggs wrote, “Say goodbye to representative government. Nancy Pelosi distracted the entire country from her efforts to emasculate the House of Representatives by introducing legislation that devastates our economy by taking on more than $3 trillion in national debt.”
He continued, “It’s been a pretty busy week for the Speaker as she has remade Congress by shattering the great institution of constitutional representation, Congress while enslaving generations of future Americans. And as an autocrat now runs the United States House of Representatives we can bid a mournful farewell to our constitutional republic.”
Biggs was referring to votes on Friday in the House that authorized funds to help localities function during the pandemic and changed the rules to temporarily allowed members to hold committee hearings remotely and designate a colleague to cast their votes on the floor. The move will allow members to opt to work from home and model social distancing to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Biggs’ comments this week are the latest in a series of remarks he has made minimizing the current crisis. He previously urged doctors to focus more on supporting the economy than public health, complained that Illinois was violating “religious liberty” by restricting the size of public gatherings (including at churches), and proposed that public health officials should be quarantined without pay to “see how they like it.”
Other House Republicans have also attacked the Democratic majority’s 45-day rule change. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said such a decision was “dangerous” since the Constitution does not authorize lawmakers to use Zoom or WebEx.
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) and Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) wrote in a joint statement that the change amounted to the House deciding to “abandon ship.”
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) lamented that his “#Socialist #Democrat” colleagues just wanted to “GET PAID IN FULL without showing up for work at Capitol Hill.”
The rule change came after the House physician expressed apprehension about the 435-member body meeting in person in Washington, D.C. — a COVID-19 hotspot.
At least six members of Congress have already tested positive for the virus.
Biggs also lamented the HEROES Act’s $3.2 trillion price tag in his column on Monday, calling it “the greatest wealth transfer in the history of the world.”
The bill passed with one Republican joining 207 Democrats in support.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already declared it “dead on arrival” in the Senate.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-18--Trump campaign claims he'll 'stand up' to dictators he's praised for 4 years

The Trump reelection campaign is pushing the image of Donald Trump as tough on dictators and authoritarians such as China 's Xi Jinping .
Trump 's record with Xi and other leaders , such as Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin , suggests otherwise .
The campaign released a video on Sunday featuring its communications director , Tim Murtaugh , and Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) discussing `` China and Joe Biden 's cozy relationship with China and his history of making excuses for them and not taking them seriously . ''
In the video , Cruz said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extent about `` who is best prepared to be commander in chief and to stand up to China . ''
`` The contrast between Joe Biden and Donald Trump on that question is staggering , '' Cruz opined .
`` It 's not even kind of a little bit close and little differences .
It is night and day . ''
He accused Biden of `` dismissing '' and `` palling around with China , '' while claiming `` Trump has led in that regard . ''
`` One of the things that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have this nasty little habit of apologizing for Communist dictators , '' Cruz told Murtaugh .
`` They think they 're cute . ''
Earlier this month , the Trump campaign put up a blog post making a similar argument , under the heading , `` Joe Biden is weak on China and would oversee another weak economic recovery . ''
`` Beijing Biden , who has supported and defended China for decades , won ’ t hold that country accountable for inflicting the coronavirus on the rest of the world , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Wisconsin Trump support who said he `` definitely '' wants `` Trump fighting against China rather than Biden , by far . ''
But Trump has frequently complimented China 's unelected leader Xi , calling him the country 's `` great President Xi '' and a `` great gentleman . ''
Just weeks ago , Trump repeatedly praised Xi 's handling of the coronavirus epidemic .
`` China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus .
The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency , '' Trump tweeted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work out well .
In particular , on behalf of the American People , I want to thank President Xi ! ''
`` Just had a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China .
He is strong , sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus .
He feels they are doing very well , even building hospitals in a matter of only days . ''
he tweeted on Feb. 7 .
`` Nothing is easy , but he will be successful , especially as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus hopefully becomes weaker , and then gone .
Great discipline is taking place in China , as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation .
We are working closely with China to help ! ''
Sixteen days later , on Feb. 23 , Trump said , `` I think President Xi is working very , very hard .
I spoke to him .
He 's working very hard .
I think he 's doing a very good job .
`` It 's a big problem .
But President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working very hard to solve the problem , and he will solve the problem .
OK ? ''
Asked in late April why he was so complimentary about China in the past , he replied , `` Well , I 'm making a trade deal with China .
This was before the virus .
Of course I 'm going to be complimentary . ''
Trump has also praised other authoritarians .
He famously took Vladimir Putin 's word over American intelligence on the question of whether Russia meddled in the 2016 elections .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a February 2017 Fox News interview that Putin is `` a killer , '' Trump stood up for the Russian leader , responding : `` There are a lot of killers .
You think our country 's so innocent ? ''
`` I was really being tough and so was he , '' Trump said of North Korea 's Kim Jong Un in 2018 .
`` And we would go back and forth .
And then we fell in love .
No really .
He wrote me beautiful letters .
...
They were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in love . ''
`` Where 's my favorite dictator ? ''
Trump asked as he awaited a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi last year .
And after Saudi Arabia 's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman allegedly had a Washington Post journalist brutally killed , Trump defended Salman , saying , `` Iran 's killed many , many people a day . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The Trump reelection campaign is pushing the image of Donald Trump as tough on dictators and authoritarians such as China’s Xi Jinping.
Trump’s record with Xi and other leaders, such as Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin, suggests otherwise.
The campaign released a video on Sunday featuring its communications director, Tim Murtaugh, and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) discussing “China and Joe Biden’s cozy relationship with China and his history of making excuses for them and not taking them seriously.”
In the video, Cruz said that the 2020 election was to a large extent about “who is best prepared to be commander in chief and to stand up to China.”
“The contrast between Joe Biden and Donald Trump on that question is staggering,” Cruz opined. “It’s not even kind of a little bit close and little differences. It is night and day.” He accused Biden of “dismissing” and “palling around with China,” while claiming “Trump has led in that regard.”
“One of the things that drives me crazy about Democrats is they have this nasty little habit of apologizing for Communist dictators,” Cruz told Murtaugh. “They think they’re cute.”
Earlier this month, the Trump campaign put up a blog post making a similar argument, under the heading, “Joe Biden is weak on China and would oversee another weak economic recovery.”
“Beijing Biden, who has supported and defended China for decades, won’t hold that country accountable for inflicting the coronavirus on the rest of the world,” the post said. It also quoted a Wisconsin Trump support who said he “definitely” wants “Trump fighting against China rather than Biden, by far.”
But Trump has frequently complimented China’s unelected leader Xi, calling him the country’s “great President Xi” and a “great gentleman.” Just weeks ago, Trump repeatedly praised Xi’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic.
“China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency,” Trump tweeted in late January. “It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”
“Just had a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China. He is strong, sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus. He feels they are doing very well, even building hospitals in a matter of only days.” he tweeted on Feb. 7. “Nothing is easy, but he will be successful, especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker, and then gone. Great discipline is taking place in China, as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation. We are working closely with China to help!”
Sixteen days later, on Feb. 23, Trump said, “I think President Xi is working very, very hard. I spoke to him. He’s working very hard. I think he’s doing a very good job.
“It’s a big problem. But President Xi loves his country. He’s working very hard to solve the problem, and he will solve the problem. OK?”
Asked in late April why he was so complimentary about China in the past, he replied, “Well, I’m making a trade deal with China. This was before the virus. Of course I’m going to be complimentary.”
Trump has also praised other authoritarians.
He famously took Vladimir Putin’s word over American intelligence on the question of whether Russia meddled in the 2016 elections. When Bill O’Reilly said to Trump during a February 2017 Fox News interview that Putin is “a killer,” Trump stood up for the Russian leader, responding: “There are a lot of killers. You think our country’s so innocent?”
“I was really being tough and so was he,” Trump said of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in 2018. “And we would go back and forth. And then we fell in love. No really. He wrote me beautiful letters. … They were great letters. And then we fell in love.”
“Where’s my favorite dictator?” Trump asked as he awaited a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi last year.
And after Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman allegedly had a Washington Post journalist brutally killed, Trump defended Salman, saying, “Iran’s killed many, many people a day.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-18--Barr says DOJ won't be 'partisan' days after dropping Flynn charges for Trump

On Monday , Attorney General William Barr said he would not allow the justice system to be `` used for partisan political ends . ''
Barr 's statement came just days after the Justice Department , under his leadership , chose to drop charges against Donald Trump 's former national security adviser Michael Flynn .
Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to FBI about his contacts with Russian officials .
Trump and other his Republican allies have spent months campaigning against Flynn 's guilty plea , which they claim was coerced .
The Justice Department , under Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case of Trump ally Roger Stone , prompting all of the federal prosecutors on his case to resign in protest .
Nearly 2,000 former Justice officials have since called for Barr 's resignation , signing a joint letter last week criticizing him for `` repeated assaults on the rule of law in doing the President 's personal bidding rather than acting in the public interest . ''
WILLIAM BARR : As long as I 'm attorney general , the criminal justice system will not be used for partisan political ends .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections in November .

On Monday, Attorney General William Barr said he would not allow the justice system to be “used for partisan political ends.”
Barr’s statement came just days after the Justice Department, under his leadership, chose to drop charges against Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to FBI about his contacts with Russian officials.
Trump and other his Republican allies have spent months campaigning against Flynn’s guilty plea, which they claim was coerced.
The Justice Department, under Barr’s leadership, also intervened previously in the case of Trump ally Roger Stone, prompting all of the federal prosecutors on his case to resign in protest.
Nearly 2,000 former Justice officials have since called for Barr’s resignation, signing a joint letter last week criticizing him for “repeated assaults on the rule of law in doing the President’s personal bidding rather than acting in the public interest.”
From a May 18 press conference:


shareblue--2020-05-18--Trump campaign launches fake 'investigative' site just to mock Joe Biden

Donald Trump 's reelection campaign on Monday launched `` Truth Over Facts , '' a website that seeks to mock presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
The campaign is billing the website as `` investigative . ''
A press release from Trump 's campaign says the website `` takes a closer look at Biden 's words and phrasing and brings in 'experts ' to discern if there is hidden meaning behind the muddled declarations that most normal people would miss . ''
Trump for months has been accusing Biden of mental decline .
In one of his last campaign rallies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump claimed with no evidence that if Biden won in November , `` They are going to put him in a home and other people are going to be running the country . ''
In an interview with conservative columnist Salena Zito published Thursday , he accused Biden of having `` absolutely no idea what 's happening . ''
`` He does n't know h ' ’ s alive , '' Trump said of Biden .
Trump and his campaign has struggled to find a narrative to stick to Biden to ding his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to force Ukraine into announcing an investigation into Biden flopped and instead led to Trump 's impeachment .
And the ugly accusations that Biden has dementia have also not impacted Biden 's standing .
Currently , Biden not only has a national lead but also holds the edge in enough battleground states that would hand Biden an Electoral College victory were the election held today .
Multiple reports say Trump is worried about his standing — as the economy craters and deaths from the coronavirus approach 90,000 .
And as that fear sets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Biden .
Aside from baselessly attacking Biden for his cognitive abilities , Trump 's campaign and his two adult sons are now accusing Biden of pedophilia — yet another absurd claim not rooted in any evidence .
Donald Trump Jr. first made the accusation in an Instagram post with a photo of Biden saying `` see you later , alligator ! ''
alongside a photo of an alligator saying , `` In a while , pedophile . ''
`` There 's definitely way too many Creepy Joe videos out there ! ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump 's other adult son , Eric Trump , continued the accusation on Monday when he tweeted a poll that said , `` would you trust Joe Biden to drive your child to school ? ''
He later deleted the tweet .
`` President Trump , his White House advisors , and his campaign all have a strong stink of desperation around them , '' Geoff Garin , a top Democratic pollster , tweeted .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump’s reelection campaign on Monday launched “Truth Over Facts,” a website that seeks to mock presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The campaign is billing the website as “investigative.”
A press release from Trump’s campaign says the website “takes a closer look at Biden’s words and phrasing and brings in ‘experts’ to discern if there is hidden meaning behind the muddled declarations that most normal people would miss.”
Trump for months has been accusing Biden of mental decline.
In one of his last campaign rallies before the coronavirus canceled large gatherings, Trump claimed with no evidence that if Biden won in November, “They are going to put him in a home and other people are going to be running the country.”
In an interview with conservative columnist Salena Zito published Thursday, he accused Biden of having “absolutely no idea what’s happening.”
“He doesn’t know h’’s alive,” Trump said of Biden.
Trump and his campaign has struggled to find a narrative to stick to Biden to ding his standing in the polls.
The gambit to force Ukraine into announcing an investigation into Biden flopped and instead led to Trump’s impeachment. And the ugly accusations that Biden has dementia have also not impacted Biden’s standing.
Currently, Biden not only has a national lead but also holds the edge in enough battleground states that would hand Biden an Electoral College victory were the election held today.
Multiple reports say Trump is worried about his standing — as the economy craters and deaths from the coronavirus approach 90,000.
And as that fear sets in, so do the absurd accusations against Biden.
Aside from baselessly attacking Biden for his cognitive abilities, Trump’s campaign and his two adult sons are now accusing Biden of pedophilia — yet another absurd claim not rooted in any evidence.
Donald Trump Jr. first made the accusation in an Instagram post with a photo of Biden saying “see you later, alligator!” alongside a photo of an alligator saying, “In a while, pedophile.”
“There’s definitely way too many Creepy Joe videos out there!” Trump’s eldest son captioned the image.
Trump’s other adult son, Eric Trump, continued the accusation on Monday when he tweeted a poll that said, “would you trust Joe Biden to drive your child to school?”
He later deleted the tweet.
“President Trump, his White House advisors, and his campaign all have a strong stink of desperation around them,” Geoff Garin, a top Democratic pollster, tweeted.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-18--Another study proves restricting abortions doesn't make people safer

Beginning in the early 2000s , conservative legislators implemented hundreds of new abortion restrictions across the country .
These effectively serve as obstacles for people seeking the procedure , even while proponents of the laws have claimed they were somehow in people 's best interest .
One type of restriction requires abortion providers to perform the procedure in settings that meet the functional requirements for ambulatory surgical centers , outpatient clinics that typically provide invasive procedures , such as a complex cataract surgery or a spinal injection .
The Guttmacher Institute , which examines reproductive health care laws and policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion providers to meet these requirements .
Opponents of abortion rights argue the laws , which forced providers that could n't meet the requirements to stop offering the procedure , were designed to keep abortion patients safer .
Abortion rights advocates , meanwhile , say the laws are meant to block people from accessing abortions outright .
Now , a new study shows abortions performed in a surgical center are mu h more expensive than those performed in an office setting , while not being any safer .
And research shows those additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some .
The study , published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology , found that the average cost for an abortion in a surgical center was $ 772 more than the cost of the same procedure in an office setting .
It also found there were no significant differences in the likelihood of needing follow-up care as the procedures in both settings were equally safe .
This was the case for both first- and second-trimester abortions .
Increased costs can decrease access to abortion .
Most people seeking an abortion have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' such as being unemployed or losing their home .
Put another way , many people are on shaky financial footing before they need an expensive medical procedure .
Then they must try to raise money for their abortion .
A review by the National Network of Abortion Funds of over 2,000 abortions performed between 2010 and 2014 found people typically raised less than one-quarter of the costs of their abortion .
Relatedly , a report by IBIS Reproductive Health found that `` the search for financial resources to pay [ out-of-pocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion care , forcing some women to have later abortions and increasing the costs and potential health risks of an unintended pregnancy . ''
Sometimes , when abortion is unavailable in one 's home state , traveling to another state is an option .
However , when the barrier in your home state is cost , traveling elsewhere does n't help .
Out-of-state travel is expensive and can add additional costs , such as child care and missed days of work .
In the end , laws requiring people to receive more expensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to increase safety .
In fact , they can even decrease it .
As the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists argued in a court filing in 2014 , the imposition of such requirements `` instead jeopardizes women 's health by restricting access to abortion providers . ''
Restricting that access can lead to greater costs , later abortions , and sometimes no abortion at all .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Beginning in the early 2000s, conservative legislators implemented hundreds of new abortion restrictions across the country. These effectively serve as obstacles for people seeking the procedure, even while proponents of the laws have claimed they were somehow in people’s best interest.
One type of restriction requires abortion providers to perform the procedure in settings that meet the functional requirements for ambulatory surgical centers, outpatient clinics that typically provide invasive procedures, such as a complex cataract surgery or a spinal injection. The Guttmacher Institute, which examines reproductive health care laws and policies, says that 17 states currently require abortion providers to meet these requirements.
Opponents of abortion rights argue the laws, which forced providers that couldn’t meet the requirements to stop offering the procedure, were designed to keep abortion patients safer. Abortion rights advocates, meanwhile, say the laws are meant to block people from accessing abortions outright.
Now, a new study shows abortions performed in a surgical center are much more expensive than those performed in an office setting, while not being any safer. And research shows those additional costs could prove to be prohibitive for some.
The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that the average cost for an abortion in a surgical center was $772 more than the cost of the same procedure in an office setting. It also found there were no significant differences in the likelihood of needing follow-up care as the procedures in both settings were equally safe. This was the case for both first- and second-trimester abortions.
Increased costs can decrease access to abortion. Most people seeking an abortion have already experienced a nonabortion-related “disruptive event,” such as being unemployed or losing their home. Put another way, many people are on shaky financial footing before they need an expensive medical procedure.
Then they must try to raise money for their abortion. A review by the National Network of Abortion Funds of over 2,000 abortions performed between 2010 and 2014 found people typically raised less than one-quarter of the costs of their abortion.
Relatedly, a report by IBIS Reproductive Health found that “the search for financial resources to pay [out-of-pocket] costs can delay women from obtaining abortion care, forcing some women to have later abortions and increasing the costs and potential health risks of an unintended pregnancy.”
Sometimes, when abortion is unavailable in one’s home state, traveling to another state is an option. However, when the barrier in your home state is cost, traveling elsewhere doesn’t help. Out-of-state travel is expensive and can add additional costs, such as child care and missed days of work.
In the end, laws requiring people to receive more expensive abortions in more expensive settings do nothing to increase safety. In fact, they can even decrease it. As the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists argued in a court filing in 2014, the imposition of such requirements “instead jeopardizes women’s health by restricting access to abortion providers.”
Restricting that access can lead to greater costs, later abortions, and sometimes no abortion at all.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-18--Trump has fired 4 watchdogs investigating his administration in just 6 weeks

The job of inspectors general in government agencies is to investigate corruption and wrongdoing in the federal government , free of political pressure .
Donald Trump has now fired four inspectors since April 3 in what many say is an attempt to stop oversight of Trump 's and his administration 's alleged corruption and failures .
The latest dismissal came Friday , when Trump informed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he was firing the State Department inspector general , Steve Linick .
`` There is no form of corruption too small for this administration , '' Walter Shaub , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethics , tweeted on Sunday .
`` Leave nothing behind .
They 'll take the doorknobs too if they can figure out how to unscrew them . ''
Here are the four inspectors general Trump has fired in recent weeks and what they had been investigating .
After Trump on Friday announced he wanted to remove Linick from his role as the State Department 's watchdog , members of Congress announced that Linick was investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for using an aide to run personal errands .
`` Such an action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from personal accountability , would undermine the foundation of our democratic institutions and may be an illegal act of retaliation , '' Rep. Eliot Engel ( D-NY ) and Sen. Bob Menendez ( D-NJ ) wrote in a letter to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Saturday .
Engel has launched an investigation into Linick 's firing .
Republicans who stood up for inspectors general during former President Barack Obama 's tenure in office are now acquiescing to Trump 's attacks on independent watchdogs .
Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said on Sunday that the White House had told him the reason for Linick 's firing , though he did not say what it was .
Democrats in Congress denied having received such information .
Sen. Chuck Grassley ( R-IA ) said in a statement that no shortcomings on the part of an inspector general `` waive the President 's responsibility to provide details to Congress when removing an IG .
... Congress requires written reasons justifying an IG 's removal .
A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not move to stop Trump 's dismissals of the previous three inspectors , which were rationalized on similar grounds .
Michael Atkinson , who was fired on April 3 , reported the whistleblower complaint about Trump 's dealings with Ukraine to Congress .
That report put in motion Trump 's impeachment .
`` It is hard not to think that the president 's loss of confidence in me derives from my having faithfully discharged my legal obligations as an independent and impartial inspector general , and from my commitment to continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement following his firing .
Trump , seeming to confirm that his dismissal of Atkinson was at least partly due to the elevation of the whistleblower complaint , charged that Atkinson `` took a fake report and gave it to Congress . ''
Multiple government officials , however , confirmed the allegations within the report during the impeachment trial , including that Trump pressured Ukraine to announce investigations into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden .
At the time , Grassley issued a statement similar to the one he made Saturday about Linick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crystal clear that written reasons must be given when IGs are removed for a lack of confidence .
More details are needed from the administration , '' Grassley said in a statement on April 4 .
He did not pursue publicly pursue the reasoning for Atkinson 's dismissal beyond that .
Less than a week after Trump fired Atkinson , he announced his decision to fire Glenn Fine .
Fine had been tasked with overseeing how the $ 2 trillion in relief aid Congress passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position to oversee the handling of the aid .
The coronavirus relief package contains provisions specifically barring Trump and his family , as well as other members of the administration and Congress , from receiving aid for companies they control .
Fine would have been responsible for overseeing the implementation of the aid package .
Trump suggested he did n't trust Fine because he was an Obama-era appointee .
`` We have a lot of IGs from the Obama era , and I left them , largely .
But when we have reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things coming in , '' Trump said after he fired Fine .
On May 2 , Trump announced he was replacing Christi Grimm , whose office had released a report that found hospitals across the United States had `` severe shortages of testing supplies . ''
That report contradicted Trump 's false claims that his administration had done a great job testing people for the coronavirus .
Public health experts say that the process of implementing testing was too slow , and that there still is not sufficient testing capability to make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The job of inspectors general in government agencies is to investigate corruption and wrongdoing in the federal government, free of political pressure.
Donald Trump has now fired four inspectors since April 3 in what many say is an attempt to stop oversight of Trump’s and his administration’s alleged corruption and failures.
The latest dismissal came Friday, when Trump informed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he was firing the State Department inspector general, Steve Linick.
“There is no form of corruption too small for this administration,” Walter Shaub, the former director of the Office of Government Ethics, tweeted on Sunday. “Leave nothing behind. They’ll take the doorknobs too if they can figure out how to unscrew them.”
Here are the four inspectors general Trump has fired in recent weeks and what they had been investigating.
State Department inspector general Steve Linick
After Trump on Friday announced he wanted to remove Linick from his role as the State Department’s watchdog, members of Congress announced that Linick was investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for using an aide to run personal errands.
“Such an action, transparently designed to protect Secretary Pompeo from personal accountability, would undermine the foundation of our democratic institutions and may be an illegal act of retaliation,” Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) wrote in a letter to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Saturday.
Engel has launched an investigation into Linick’s firing.
Republicans who stood up for inspectors general during former President Barack Obama’s tenure in office are now acquiescing to Trump’s attacks on independent watchdogs.
Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, said on Sunday that the White House had told him the reason for Linick’s firing, though he did not say what it was. Democrats in Congress denied having received such information.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said in a statement that no shortcomings on the part of an inspector general “waive the President’s responsibility to provide details to Congress when removing an IG. … Congress requires written reasons justifying an IG’s removal. A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress.”
However, Grassley did not move to stop Trump’s dismissals of the previous three inspectors, which were rationalized on similar grounds.
Intelligence community inspector general Michael Atkinson
Michael Atkinson, who was fired on April 3, reported the whistleblower complaint about Trump’s dealings with Ukraine to Congress. That report put in motion Trump’s impeachment.
“It is hard not to think that the president’s loss of confidence in me derives from my having faithfully discharged my legal obligations as an independent and impartial inspector general, and from my commitment to continue to do so,” Atkinson said in a statement following his firing.
Trump, seeming to confirm that his dismissal of Atkinson was at least partly due to the elevation of the whistleblower complaint, charged that Atkinson “took a fake report and gave it to Congress.”
Multiple government officials, however, confirmed the allegations within the report during the impeachment trial, including that Trump pressured Ukraine to announce investigations into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
At the time, Grassley issued a statement similar to the one he made Saturday about Linick’s dismissal.
“Congress has been crystal clear that written reasons must be given when IGs are removed for a lack of confidence. More details are needed from the administration,” Grassley said in a statement on April 4. He did not pursue publicly pursue the reasoning for Atkinson’s dismissal beyond that.