talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-24--So…Why Hasn’t There Been A COVID Spike From The Protests?

The earliest protests over George Floyd ’ s killing at the hands of the police , starting in Minneapolis and quickly rippling out to big cities across the country , started about a month ago .
The demonstrations featured thousands of people crowded onto streets or gathered in front of government buildings chanting , yelling , singing and , in some cases , coughing after being hit with tear gas .
The incubation period for the novel coronavirus can last up to 14 days , per the CDC .
So … why haven ’ t the cities that saw the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases ?
The story is the same across a slew of cities that played host to an outpouring of fury and disgust after Floyd ’ s killing and , more generally , the impunity police have enjoyed after killing Black Americans for decades .
In Minneapolis , the cradle of the current movement , there have been testing sites stood up specifically for those who attended the protests .
Four sites run in partnership with the Mayo Clinic reported late last week that only 62 positive cases came out of 4,487 people tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent , said Dave Verhasselt , a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Health .
And on Tuesday , another Minnesota system called Health Partners reported a .99 percent positivity rate from the 8,500 it protesters tested .
Those figures are actually below the current statewide positivity rate which , per Verhasselt , is currently hovering around 3.6 to 3.7 percent .
Hospitalizations have also continued their steady decline in the state .
New York City , which sometimes saw thousands of protesters demonstrating in multiple boroughs at once , is “ not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the demonstrations ( as of yet ) , ” Michael Lanza , NYC Health Department spokesperson , told TPM .
In particular , New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said that her department has been closely tracking hospitalizations and emergency room visits , and has seen no spike since the protests began .
The public health department in Seattle is telling the same story .
“ We don ’ t have evidence that the rallies or protests are being associated with large numbers of cases currently , ” Colette Cosner , department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no one source of exposure that is jumping out at us from the data as a driver of cases.
” And in Washington D.C. , which has been undulating with daily protests for weeks — memorialized most famously in pictures from the aggressive clearing of Lafayette Square for the President ’ s photo-op — the positivity rates are getting better , not worse .
“ D.C .
Health is still analyzing data to assess the impact of first amendment events in D.C. , however we are continuing to see a downward trend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” D.C. Health spokeswoman Alison Reeves told TPM .
The same seems to be true in cities across the country .
The National Bureau of Economic Research produced a working paper on Monday after analyzing data from 315 cities that had protests .
“ We find no evidence that net COVID-19 case growth differentially rose following the onset of Black Lives Matter protests , and even modest evidence of a small longer-run case growth decline , ” the researchers concluded .
They even found that net stay-at-home behavior actually increased while the protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrations compelled non-protesters to more diligently stay home and avoid public spaces .
Why Is This The Case ?
“ My first reaction is that we ’ re lucky , ” laughed Dr. Susan Hassig , an epidemiologist at Tulane University ’ s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine .
She pointed to two features of the protests in her home city of New Orleans that appear to be shared with demonstrations in other cities : they are taking place outside , and the majority of participants are wearing masks .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , being outside is simply less risky than being inside .
“ It doesn ’ t have to do with UV light , it has to do with dilution , ” she told TPM , a subtle poke at President Trump .
“ What it appears with this virus is that though it ’ s highly contagious , to get a good infectious process going , you need to start with a substantive amount .
Dilution disperses viral particles present in the physical area.
” That level of dispersion just doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the summer when air conditioners are recirculating the same air .
Dr. Leana Wen , an emergency physician and former Baltimore Health Commissioner , warned that we may not yet have the full picture from the protests , since there could be a delay in protesters experiencing symptoms and getting medical care .
If the data holds , though , she pointed out how this knowledge could play into how people live their lives while the pandemic still lingers .
“ This should help to inform people even more about big decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to be doing as much as they can outdoors vs. indoors , ” she told TPM .
The nationwide lack of spikes also speaks to the uniformity with which protesters donned masks at the demonstrations , per Hassig .
“ It takes engagement with mask-wearing somewhere above 70 percent , at least 60 , to really dampen down transmission , ” she said .
Wen added that mask-wearing can reduce the risk of transmission “ five-fold.
” The problem with masks , Hassig said , is the psychological element .
She called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like littering .
It ’ s hard to be the first person to drop a wrapper on the ground ; it ’ s much less hard to do so if the pavement is already dotted with trash .
That dynamic , she said , can go both ways — people are apt to feel uncomfortable if they ’ re the odd one out in a group either mostly wearing masks or mostly not .
She singled out political messaging , much of which is coming from the White House , as influencing some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments , the conspiracy theories about ‘ if we get them to wear masks then we can get them to do something else , ’ ” Hassig said .
“ It ’ s a serious respiratory virus !
It doesn ’ t care if you ’ re Republican or libertarian or what .
”

The earliest protests over George Floyd’s killing at the hands of the police, starting in Minneapolis and quickly rippling out to big cities across the country, started about a month ago.
The demonstrations featured thousands of people crowded onto streets or gathered in front of government buildings chanting, yelling, singing and, in some cases, coughing after being hit with tear gas. The incubation period for the novel coronavirus can last up to 14 days, per the CDC.
So … why haven’t the cities that saw the largest protests seen comparable upticks in COVID cases?
Spikeless Cities
The story is the same across a slew of cities that played host to an outpouring of fury and disgust after Floyd’s killing and, more generally, the impunity police have enjoyed after killing Black Americans for decades.
In Minneapolis, the cradle of the current movement, there have been testing sites stood up specifically for those who attended the protests.
Four sites run in partnership with the Mayo Clinic reported late last week that only 62 positive cases came out of 4,487 people tested, for a positivity rate of 1.4 percent, said Dave Verhasselt, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Health. And on Tuesday, another Minnesota system called Health Partners reported a .99 percent positivity rate from the 8,500 it protesters tested.
Those figures are actually below the current statewide positivity rate which, per Verhasselt, is currently hovering around 3.6 to 3.7 percent. Hospitalizations have also continued their steady decline in the state.
New York City, which sometimes saw thousands of protesters demonstrating in multiple boroughs at once, is “not seeing an increase in cases associated with the demonstrations (as of yet),” Michael Lanza, NYC Health Department spokesperson, told TPM.
In particular, New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said that her department has been closely tracking hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and has seen no spike since the protests began.
The public health department in Seattle is telling the same story.
“We don’t have evidence that the rallies or protests are being associated with large numbers of cases currently,” Colette Cosner, department spokesperson, told TPM. “There is no one source of exposure that is jumping out at us from the data as a driver of cases.”
And in Washington D.C., which has been undulating with daily protests for weeks — memorialized most famously in pictures from the aggressive clearing of Lafayette Square for the President’s photo-op — the positivity rates are getting better, not worse.
“D.C. Health is still analyzing data to assess the impact of first amendment events in D.C., however we are continuing to see a downward trend in cases overall for the District,” D.C. Health spokeswoman Alison Reeves told TPM.
The same seems to be true in cities across the country.
The National Bureau of Economic Research produced a working paper on Monday after analyzing data from 315 cities that had protests.
“We find no evidence that net COVID-19 case growth differentially rose following the onset of Black Lives Matter protests, and even modest evidence of a small longer-run case growth decline,” the researchers concluded.
They even found that net stay-at-home behavior actually increased while the protests roiled urban centers, hypothesizing that the demonstrations compelled non-protesters to more diligently stay home and avoid public spaces.
Why Is This The Case?
“My first reaction is that we’re lucky,” laughed Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
She pointed to two features of the protests in her home city of New Orleans that appear to be shared with demonstrations in other cities: they are taking place outside, and the majority of participants are wearing masks.
When it comes to COVID-19, she said, being outside is simply less risky than being inside.
“It doesn’t have to do with UV light, it has to do with dilution,” she told TPM, a subtle poke at President Trump. “What it appears with this virus is that though it’s highly contagious, to get a good infectious process going, you need to start with a substantive amount. Dilution disperses viral particles present in the physical area.”
That level of dispersion just doesn’t happen inside, she said, especially during the summer when air conditioners are recirculating the same air.
Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and former Baltimore Health Commissioner, warned that we may not yet have the full picture from the protests, since there could be a delay in protesters experiencing symptoms and getting medical care. If the data holds, though, she pointed out how this knowledge could play into how people live their lives while the pandemic still lingers.
“This should help to inform people even more about big decisions they can make in their own lives, to be doing as much as they can outdoors vs. indoors,” she told TPM.
The nationwide lack of spikes also speaks to the uniformity with which protesters donned masks at the demonstrations, per Hassig.
“It takes engagement with mask-wearing somewhere above 70 percent, at least 60, to really dampen down transmission,” she said.
Wen added that mask-wearing can reduce the risk of transmission “five-fold.”
The problem with masks, Hassig said, is the psychological element.
She called it a “normative behavior” much like littering. It’s hard to be the first person to drop a wrapper on the ground; it’s much less hard to do so if the pavement is already dotted with trash. That dynamic, she said, can go both ways — people are apt to feel uncomfortable if they’re the odd one out in a group either mostly wearing masks or mostly not.
She singled out political messaging, much of which is coming from the White House, as influencing some of this behavior.
“The sheeple comments, the conspiracy theories about ‘if we get them to wear masks then we can get them to do something else,’” Hassig said. “It’s a serious respiratory virus! It doesn’t care if you’re Republican or libertarian or what.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-24--Rubio Urges Everyone To ‘Just Wear A Damn Mask’

Sen. Marco Rubio ( R-FL ) on Wednesday urged his Republican colleagues to comply with mask-wearing requirements as spikes in COVID-19 cases emerge in several states .
“ Everyone should just wear a damn mask , like you guys are , like I am right now , ” Rubio said as he left a GOP lunch where Vice President Mike Pence gave a coronavirus update , according to CNN .
CNN reported that Rubio said that he also hopes “ everybody does the best they can to protect themselves.
” Rubio added that he shared the same message with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s a respiratory virus that spreads from person to person and the more people you come in contact with in an unprotected setting the likelier you are to be infected by it , ” Rubio said , according to CNN .
Rubio ’ s remarks come the same day that the Florida Health Department reported the state ’ s highest number of new and confirmed coronavirus cases in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic .
Additionally , the governors of New York , Connecticut and New Jersey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitors from states with high coronavirus infection rates to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival .
Although House Republicans are defying Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s ( D-CA ) directive that committee leaders enforce a new mask requirement , several Republicans are coming around to demanding the public to wear masks in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
On Monday , Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott ( R ) said during a press conference that the coronavirus is “ spreading at an unacceptable rate ” in the state and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledging that some Texans think that wearing a mask infringes on their freedom , Abbott added that “ closing down Texas again will always be the last option ” and that “ wearing a mask will help us to keep Texas open.
” Sen. Rick Scott ( R-FL ) also urged attendees at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Jacksonville to wear masks despite President Trump wanting to make his coronation speech to a full arena without coronavirus-related restrictions .

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) on Wednesday urged his Republican colleagues to comply with mask-wearing requirements as spikes in COVID-19 cases emerge in several states.
“Everyone should just wear a damn mask, like you guys are, like I am right now,” Rubio said as he left a GOP lunch where Vice President Mike Pence gave a coronavirus update, according to CNN.
CNN reported that Rubio said that he also hopes “everybody does the best they can to protect themselves.”
Rubio added that he shared the same message with his Republican colleagues during the GOP lunch.
“It’s a respiratory virus that spreads from person to person and the more people you come in contact with in an unprotected setting the likelier you are to be infected by it,” Rubio said, according to CNN.
Rubio’s remarks come the same day that the Florida Health Department reported the state’s highest number of new and confirmed coronavirus cases in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic. Additionally, the governors of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey announced earlier Wednesday that they will require visitors from states with high coronavirus infection rates to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
Although House Republicans are defying Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) directive that committee leaders enforce a new mask requirement, several Republicans are coming around to demanding the public to wear masks in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) echoed Rubio’s mask plea in a Wednesday afternoon tweet.
Wearing a mask can help protect you and others from #COVID19—it’s a simple step we can all take together to slow the spread. #MaskUpUtah! pic.twitter.com/iEmGDDxH0f — Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) June 24, 2020
On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said during a press conference that the coronavirus is “spreading at an unacceptable rate” in the state and that “it must be corralled.” After acknowledging that some Texans think that wearing a mask infringes on their freedom, Abbott added that “closing down Texas again will always be the last option” and that “wearing a mask will help us to keep Texas open.”
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) also urged attendees at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Jacksonville to wear masks despite President Trump wanting to make his coronation speech to a full arena without coronavirus-related restrictions.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-24--Illinois Guv Accuses Trump Of Slowing Down Testing In States

Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s ( D ) office accused the Trump administration of trying to sabotage COVID-19 testing in a statement to TPM , as the federal government moves to let support lapse for two testing sites in the state .
“ As coronavirus cases continue to rise nationally , President Trump admitted he wants to slow down coronavirus testing and now the federal government will no longer support two testing sites in Illinois , ” Jordan Abudayyeh , Pritzker ’ s press secretary , told TPM .
The governor ’ s commentary appears to contradict the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary Brett Giroir , who said in a Tuesday evening press release that governors of all five states affected by the lapse in federal support “ agreed that it was the appropriate time to transition out of the original 13 sites and into the thousands of new testing options.
” HHS denied Pritzker ’ s accusation in a statement to TPM , saying “ leadership from the State of Illinois agreed to transition the two IL testing sites on May 27.
” HHS spokeswoman Mia Heck attached a letter from Illinois Emergency Management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Illinois official appeared to agree to stipulate to not asking for further federal aid after June 30 in exchange for aid up to that date .
The Trump administration has argued that the end of federal support will allow the sites to “ transition ” to state management , supplemented by separate federal programs aimed at increasing testing availability in private pharmacies and federally recognized health centers .
In a statement to TPM , the Illinois Department of Public Health said that it had asked for an extension of federal support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Illinois did request an extension for continued federal support at the two Illinois community-based testing sites the federal government was funding , but unfortunately , the request was denied , ” said Melaney Arnold , a public information officer for the department .
Heck , the HHS spokeswoman , said that “ as of close of business on June 24 , HHS has not received an official request to extend operations from the state for the two sites in question.
” Sen. Dick Durbin ( D-IL ) noted in a statement that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest coronavirus case count since this pandemic began.
” “ So today , the Trump Administration announces that it will cut off federal funding to operate COVID-19 testing sites in Illinois and four other states , ” Durbin said .
“ At a time when expanded testing is critical to conquering this virus and re-opening our economy , President Trump ’ s decision defies common sense.
” Federal support for the sites comes in the form of test kits and contracts with laboratories and a call center to notify patients of their results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Public Health Service to help operate the sites .
TPM reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration intends to let support for the 13 remaining community-based testing sites around the country lapse .
HHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency set up 41 of the sites around the country in March , aiming to provide additional testing capacity for the pandemic .
Giroir has said that the sites were “ antiquated ” and “ inefficient , ” and that HHS has worked to ensure that local communities could lose federal support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity .
The Trump administration attempted to end support for the sites in April , but reversed that decision after a public outcry .
Since then , however , federal support for the sites has ended on a slow , grinding basis around the country .
There are now 13 of the sites left , with the majority in the COVID-stricken state of Texas .
Abudayyeh added in her statement that , in Illinois ’ case , the state would step in to “ ensure operations at the two federal testing sites continue.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s (D) office accused the Trump administration of trying to sabotage COVID-19 testing in a statement to TPM, as the federal government moves to let support lapse for two testing sites in the state.
“As coronavirus cases continue to rise nationally, President Trump admitted he wants to slow down coronavirus testing and now the federal government will no longer support two testing sites in Illinois,” Jordan Abudayyeh, Pritzker’s press secretary, told TPM.
The governor’s commentary appears to contradict the words of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir, who said in a Tuesday evening press release that governors of all five states affected by the lapse in federal support “agreed that it was the appropriate time to transition out of the original 13 sites and into the thousands of new testing options.”
HHS denied Pritzker’s accusation in a statement to TPM, saying “leadership from the State of Illinois agreed to transition the two IL testing sites on May 27.”
HHS spokeswoman Mia Heck attached a letter from Illinois Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Scott Swinford in which the Illinois official appeared to agree to stipulate to not asking for further federal aid after June 30 in exchange for aid up to that date.
The Trump administration has argued that the end of federal support will allow the sites to “transition” to state management, supplemented by separate federal programs aimed at increasing testing availability in private pharmacies and federally recognized health centers.
In a statement to TPM, the Illinois Department of Public Health said that it had asked for an extension of federal support for the two sites in the state.
“Illinois did request an extension for continued federal support at the two Illinois community-based testing sites the federal government was funding, but unfortunately, the request was denied,” said Melaney Arnold, a public information officer for the department.
Heck, the HHS spokeswoman, said that “as of close of business on June 24, HHS has not received an official request to extend operations from the state for the two sites in question.”
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) noted in a statement that the U.S. yesterday “recorded its third highest coronavirus case count since this pandemic began.”
“So today, the Trump Administration announces that it will cut off federal funding to operate COVID-19 testing sites in Illinois and four other states,” Durbin said. “At a time when expanded testing is critical to conquering this virus and re-opening our economy, President Trump’s decision defies common sense.”
Federal support for the sites comes in the form of test kits and contracts with laboratories and a call center to notify patients of their results. The government also provides staff from the U.S. Public Health Service to help operate the sites.
TPM reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration intends to let support for the 13 remaining community-based testing sites around the country lapse.
HHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency set up 41 of the sites around the country in March, aiming to provide additional testing capacity for the pandemic.
Giroir has said that the sites were “antiquated” and “inefficient,” and that HHS has worked to ensure that local communities could lose federal support for the sites without losing overall testing capacity.
The Trump administration attempted to end support for the sites in April, but reversed that decision after a public outcry.
Since then, however, federal support for the sites has ended on a slow, grinding basis around the country. There are now 13 of the sites left, with the majority in the COVID-stricken state of Texas.
Abudayyeh added in her statement that, in Illinois’ case, the state would step in to “ensure operations at the two federal testing sites continue.”
This post has been updated.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-24--Cornyn Joins Cruz, Calls On Trump Admin To Continue Supporting COVID Testing Sites

Sen. John Cornyn ( R-TX ) on Wednesday echoed Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) in calling for the Trump administration to extend federal support for several coronavirus testing centers in Texas .
TPM broke the news Tuesday that the administration would end support for 13 testing centers across the country , including seven in Texas , where new COVID cases are spiking .
“ I know there ’ s concern , concern I share , over some of the statements being made about withdrawing federal support for coronavirus testing in Texas at the end of June , ” Cornyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s pretty clear to me , and I think it ’ s clear to all of us , that with the uptick of cases , now is not a time to retreat from our vigilance in testing , ” he added .
“ I believe that they need to extend that federal support in Texas , at least until we get this most recent uptick in cases addressed.
” That echoed Cruz ’ s sentiments a few hours earlier .
A spokesperson for the junior senator said that he has “ has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and FEMA to extend the community testing sites in Texas.
” Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott ( R ) has not returned TPM ’ s request for comment on the end of the federal support , though several local public health officials and members of Congress have called for it to continued .
Asked about the development in an interview Tuesday , the governor said simply , “ there is a strategy that will supplant and actually be superior to that strategy ” which the state will announce “ hopefully within a week @ @

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) on Wednesday echoed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in calling for the Trump administration to extend federal support for several coronavirus testing centers in Texas.
TPM broke the news Tuesday that the administration would end support for 13 testing centers across the country, including seven in Texas, where new COVID cases are spiking.
“I know there’s concern, concern I share, over some of the statements being made about withdrawing federal support for coronavirus testing in Texas at the end of June,” Cornyn said in a statement.
“It’s pretty clear to me, and I think it’s clear to all of us, that with the uptick of cases, now is not a time to retreat from our vigilance in testing,” he added. “I believe that they need to extend that federal support in Texas, at least until we get this most recent uptick in cases addressed.”
That echoed Cruz’s sentiments a few hours earlier. A spokesperson for the junior senator said that he has “has urged and will continue to urge HHS and FEMA to extend the community testing sites in Texas.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has not returned TPM’s request for comment on the end of the federal support, though several local public health officials and members of Congress have called for it to continued.
Asked about the development in an interview Tuesday, the governor said simply, “there is a strategy that will supplant and actually be superior to that strategy” which the state will announce “hopefully within a week.”
Josh Kovensky contributed reporting.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-24--Dem Senator Slams Trump Admin For Pulling Support For COVID Testing Sites

Sen. Patty Murray ( D-WA ) on Wednesday slammed the Trump administration for planning to end its support for several COVID-19 testing sites around the country at the end of the month .
TPM broke the news Tuesday that 13 COVID-19 testing sites that had received support from the federal government — including seven in Texas — would lose that support after June 30 .
“ The pandemic is clearly getting worse in states nationwide—and instead of trying harder to stop it , President Trump is apparently trying harder to hide it , ” said Murray , the ranking member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labor , and Pensions Committee .
“ It ’ s completely unacceptable that while billions in federal dollars Congress passed to support testing sit unspent , this Administration is closing testing sites in states where new COVID-19 cases are rapidly on the rise , ” Murray added .
“ The President should reverse this clearly counterproductive step immediately.
” HHS assistant secretary and “ testing czar ” Brett Giroir told reporters Wednesday that the testing sites were “ transitioning to state control and state funding.
” On the same press call , HHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists over their reporting on the testing sites .

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) on Wednesday slammed the Trump administration for planning to end its support for several COVID-19 testing sites around the country at the end of the month.
TPM broke the news Tuesday that 13 COVID-19 testing sites that had received support from the federal government — including seven in Texas — would lose that support after June 30.
“The pandemic is clearly getting worse in states nationwide—and instead of trying harder to stop it, President Trump is apparently trying harder to hide it,” said Murray, the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
“It’s completely unacceptable that while billions in federal dollars Congress passed to support testing sit unspent, this Administration is closing testing sites in states where new COVID-19 cases are rapidly on the rise,” Murray added. “The President should reverse this clearly counterproductive step immediately.”
HHS assistant secretary and “testing czar” Brett Giroir told reporters Wednesday that the testing sites were “transitioning to state control and state funding.”
On the same press call, HHS spokesperson Michael Caputo exploded at the assembled journalists over their reporting on the testing sites.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-24--HHS’s Caputo Yells At Journos Over Coverage Of Feds Bailing On Some COVID Testing Sites

Trump acolyte Michael Caputo , now a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services , yelled at journalists Wednesday for their coverage of the administration ’ s ending support for 13 coronavirus testing sites around the country .
The story was broken by TPM on Tuesday .
“ Weirdest ending to an HHS call ever , ” wrote the Washington Post ’ s Paige W. Cunningham .
“ Ended w @ MichaelRCaputo yelling at a reporter for their story on coronavirus testing sites : ‘ You ’ ve been spun up , someone had given you disinformation…the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health system . '
” TPM first reported that the administration would end its support for “ community-based testing sites , ” including 7 in Texas , where COVID cases are hitting new highs .
The director of emergency management in Dallas told TPM that a request to extend the federal support beyond June 30 was refused .
CNBC reported that Caputo ’ s tirade led to “ the abrupt termination of the call.
” Caputo said journalists had gotten “ spun.
” “ The reason why we put this call together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 75 reporters on this call is because you ’ ve been spun up , ” he said , according to CNBC .
( TPM was not on the call . )
“ Somebody has given you disinformation , ” he added , per CNBC .
“ Do you understand ?
I ’ m old enough to remember it was considered dishonest to undermine public confidence in the public health system.
” “ I found the whole thing highly disturbing , ” the freelancer Alicia Ault said afterward .
“ It was unprofessional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ W ] as that directed at the NPR reporter ?
” The Hill ’ s Nathaniel Weixel wondered after the call Wednesday .
“ I thought he was yelling at all of us.
” “ He was definitely yelling at all of us , ” responded Robert King , of the health care industry news website FierceHealthcare .
Caputo began as an HHS spokesperson in April .
He worked for President Donald Trump ’ s 2016 campaign and is known for his aggressive style .
Earlier this year CNN cataloged Caputo ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urge you , and I ’ m on the record with you , to call them back and ask them why are they working to undermine the public health system in the middle of a pandemic , ” Caputo said , per CNBC .
“ Please report this accurately .
Thank you very much.
” “ OMG , ” reacted Miya Shay of the Houston-based ABC13 .
She asked a fellow reporter “ if that anger is normal ?
“ They are really mad that media is reporting the Feds are pulling out @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Trump acolyte Michael Caputo, now a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, yelled at journalists Wednesday for their coverage of the administration’s ending support for 13 coronavirus testing sites around the country.
The story was broken by TPM on Tuesday.
Caputo’s outburst left some reporters stunned.
“Weirdest ending to an HHS call ever,” wrote the Washington Post’s Paige W. Cunningham. “Ended w @MichaelRCaputo yelling at a reporter for their story on coronavirus testing sites: ‘You’ve been spun up, someone had given you disinformation…the people who told you this are undermining the public health system.'”
TPM first reported that the administration would end its support for “community-based testing sites,” including 7 in Texas, where COVID cases are hitting new highs. The director of emergency management in Dallas told TPM that a request to extend the federal support beyond June 30 was refused.
CNBC reported that Caputo’s tirade led to “the abrupt termination of the call.” Caputo said journalists had gotten “spun.”
“The reason why we put this call together so quickly and why we have upwards of 75 reporters on this call is because you’ve been spun up,” he said, according to CNBC. (TPM was not on the call.)
“Somebody has given you disinformation,” he added, per CNBC. “Do you understand? I’m old enough to remember it was considered dishonest to undermine public confidence in the public health system.”
“I found the whole thing highly disturbing,” the freelancer Alicia Ault said afterward. “It was unprofessional, rude and somewhat unhinged.”
“[W]as that directed at the NPR reporter?” The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel wondered after the call Wednesday. “I thought he was yelling at all of us.”
“He was definitely yelling at all of us,” responded Robert King, of the health care industry news website FierceHealthcare.
Caputo began as an HHS spokesperson in April. He worked for President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and is known for his aggressive style. Earlier this year CNN cataloged Caputo’s many derogatory tweets.
“I urge you, and I’m on the record with you, to call them back and ask them why are they working to undermine the public health system in the middle of a pandemic,” Caputo said, per CNBC. “Please report this accurately. Thank you very much.”
“OMG,” reacted Miya Shay of the Houston-based ABC13. She asked a fellow reporter “if that anger is normal?
“They are really mad that media is reporting the Feds are pulling out of local #covid19 testing.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-24--NC Gov. Cooper Issues Order Requiring Everyone To Wear Masks While Out In Public

North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper ( D ) issued an executive order on Wednesday mandating that everyone going outside @ @ @ @ @ any other type of facial covering to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
The order @ @ @ @ @ while visiting retail stores , restaurants , day cares or any other places out in @ @ @ @ @ maintain a physical distance of six feet .
The only exceptions are for children under @ @ @ @ @ with certain medical conditions that prevent them from covering their faces .
In his statement @ @ @ @ @ as a “ simple way to control this virus while we protect ourselves and the @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re adding this new requirement because we don ’ t want to go @ @ @ @ @ said .
We want to stabilize our numbers so we can continue to safely ease @ @ @ @ @ , get our children back in school .
”

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) issued an executive order on Wednesday mandating that everyone going outside their homes wear masks or any other type of facial covering to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The order requires people to wear masks while visiting retail stores, restaurants, day cares or any other places out in public if they cannot maintain a physical distance of six feet. The only exceptions are for children under 11 years old and those with certain medical conditions that prevent them from covering their faces.
In his statement, Cooper described the requirement as a “simple way to control this virus while we protect ourselves and the people around us.”
“We’re adding this new requirement because we don’t want to go backward,” the governor said. We want to stabilize our numbers so we can continue to safely ease restrictions, and most importantly, get our children back in school.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--Three North Carolina Police Officers Fired For Racist Remarks

Three North Carolina police officers were fired in Wilmington after a local sergeant reviewed video footage that showed one of the officers saying a civil war was necessary to wipe Black people off the map and that he was ready .
The department took action on Tuesday , firing Cpl .
Jessie Moore and officers Kevin Piner and Brian Gilmore for violating standards of conduct , criticism and use of inappropriate jokes and slurs , according to a report by the Associated Press .
The video audit was conducted as part of a monthly inspection , according to police department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be heard in the video complaining to Gilmore from his car , that the department ’ s sole focus was “ kneeling down with the black folks.
” About 30 minutes later , Piner accepted a call from Moore , who at one point in the conversation referred to a Black woman as a “ negro.
” He also used a racial slur to describe her .
He later combined the same slur with a gay slur in describing a Black magistrate .
As the conversation unfolds , Piner can be heard telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is coming and that he is ready , according to AP .
Piner tells Gilmore he intended to buy a new assault rifle , and go out to slaughter Black people .
“ I can ’ t wait .
God , I can ’ t wait , ” Piner said .
Moore responded by saying he would not do that .
While the officers protested that they were not racist , they contended that their comments reflected the stress felt by law enforcement amid demonstrations following the death of George Floyd who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Three North Carolina police officers were fired in Wilmington after a local sergeant reviewed video footage that showed one of the officers saying a civil war was necessary to wipe Black people off the map and that he was ready.
The department took action on Tuesday, firing Cpl. Jessie Moore and officers Kevin Piner and Brian Gilmore for violating standards of conduct, criticism and use of inappropriate jokes and slurs, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The video audit was conducted as part of a monthly inspection, according to police department documents reviewed by AP.
Piner can be heard in the video complaining to Gilmore from his car, that the department’s sole focus was “kneeling down with the black folks.” About 30 minutes later, Piner accepted a call from Moore, who at one point in the conversation referred to a Black woman as a “negro.” He also used a racial slur to describe her. He later combined the same slur with a gay slur in describing a Black magistrate.
As the conversation unfolds, Piner can be heard telling Moore that he feels a civil war is coming and that he is ready, according to AP. Piner tells Gilmore he intended to buy a new assault rifle, and go out to slaughter Black people. “I can’t wait. God, I can’t wait,” Piner said. Moore responded by saying he would not do that.
While the officers protested that they were not racist, they contended that their comments reflected the stress felt by law enforcement amid demonstrations following the death of George Floyd who was killed by Minneapolis police last month.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--Dozens Of Secret Service Officers At Trump’s Tulsa Rally Ordered To Self-Quarantine

The U.S. Secret Service has reportedly ordered dozens of its officers who were working at President Donald Trump ’ s campaign rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma to self-quarantine for 14 days .
According to the Washington Post and CNN , the officers were directed to do so after two Secret Service agents at the rally on Saturday got infected with COVID-19 .
CNN reported that as a result the debacle , the Secret Service has enacted a new policy requiring agents to undergo COVID-19 tests 24 to 48 hours before accompanying Trump on a trip for the next several weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we have a healthy workforce and that we are protecting our people , ” an unnamed Secret Service official told CNN .
“ This is good common sense.
” Catherine Milhoan , the Secret Service ’ s director of communications , said in an emailed statement to TPM that the agency “ remains prepared and staffed to fulfill all of the various duties as required.
” “ Any implication that the agency is in some way unprepared or incapable of executing our mission would be inaccurate , ” she added .
Milhoan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for the coronavirus or are under quarantine “ to protect the privacy of our employees ’ health information and for operational security .
”

The U.S. Secret Service has reportedly ordered dozens of its officers who were working at President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma to self-quarantine for 14 days.
According to the Washington Post and CNN, the officers were directed to do so after two Secret Service agents at the rally on Saturday got infected with COVID-19.
CNN reported that as a result the debacle, the Secret Service has enacted a new policy requiring agents to undergo COVID-19 tests 24 to 48 hours before accompanying Trump on a trip for the next several weeks.
“We want to make sure that we have a healthy workforce and that we are protecting our people,” an unnamed Secret Service official told CNN. “This is good common sense.”
Catherine Milhoan, the Secret Service’s director of communications, said in an emailed statement to TPM that the agency “remains prepared and staffed to fulfill all of the various duties as required.”
“Any implication that the agency is in some way unprepared or incapable of executing our mission would be inaccurate,” she added.
Milhoan would not disclose how many officers tested positive for the coronavirus or are under quarantine “to protect the privacy of our employees’ health information and for operational security.”
White House spokesperson Judd Deere told TPM in an emailed statement that Trump “takes the health and safety of everyone traveling in support of himself and all White House operations very seriously.”
“When preparing for and carrying out any travel, White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office, to ensure plans incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible,” Deere said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--Pelosi Slams Barr For Being A ‘Mess’ But Won’t Back His Impeachment

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) on Thursday railed against Attorney General Bill Barr but wouldn ’ t throw her support behind calls from fellow Democrats to impeach him .
During a Washington Post Live interview on Thursday , Pelosi instead suggested that the best way to oust Barr is to elect Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as president .
“ One hundred and thirty one days from now , we will have the solution to many problems , one of them being Barr , ” Pelosi said .
Pelosi went on to call Barr a “ mess ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing the day before .
During the hearing , Democrats accused Barr of politicizing the Justice Department by citing his history of intervening in criminal cases to the benefit of former Trump advisers and the tumultuous ouster of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman last weekend .
“ Anyone who saw that testimony will know that Barr is a mess , ” Pelosi said .
“ It ’ s a disgrace .
The Department of Justice , I have been talking about that for a while.
” Pelosi added that Barr is “ contemptible , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hold Barr in criminal contempt of for defying congressional subpoenas .
“ There ’ s no question about that , ” Pelosi said .
“ But at this point , let ’ s solve our problems by going to the polls and voting on Election Day , 131 days from now.
” Pelosi ’ s remarks are at odds with House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler ’ s ( D-NY ) on Wednesday .
Nadler told CNN that his committee “ may very well ” pursue impeachment of Barr , who will testify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is poised to subpoena the attorney general ahead of his hearing next month , initially backed off growing calls to impeach Barr last weekend by arguing that it would be a “ waste of time ” because of the Republican-led Senate .
When asked why his view had changed following the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday , Nadler told CNN that he thinks “ the weight of the evidence and of what ’ s happened leads to that conclusion .
”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Thursday railed against Attorney General Bill Barr but wouldn’t throw her support behind calls from fellow Democrats to impeach him.
During a Washington Post Live interview on Thursday, Pelosi instead suggested that the best way to oust Barr is to elect Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as president.
“One hundred and thirty one days from now, we will have the solution to many problems, one of them being Barr,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi went on to call Barr a “mess” in light of a House Judiciary Committee hearing the day before. During the hearing, Democrats accused Barr of politicizing the Justice Department by citing his history of intervening in criminal cases to the benefit of former Trump advisers and the tumultuous ouster of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman last weekend.
“Anyone who saw that testimony will know that Barr is a mess,” Pelosi said. “It’s a disgrace. The Department of Justice, I have been talking about that for a while.”
Pelosi added that Barr is “contemptible,” noting how the Democratic-led House voted to hold Barr in criminal contempt of for defying congressional subpoenas.
“There’s no question about that,” Pelosi said. “But at this point, let’s solve our problems by going to the polls and voting on Election Day, 131 days from now.”
Pelosi’s remarks are at odds with House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler’s (D-NY) on Wednesday. Nadler told CNN that his committee “may very well” pursue impeachment of Barr, who will testify before the committee in July.
Nadler, who is poised to subpoena the attorney general ahead of his hearing next month, initially backed off growing calls to impeach Barr last weekend by arguing that it would be a “waste of time” because of the Republican-led Senate.
When asked why his view had changed following the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Nadler told CNN that he thinks “the weight of the evidence and of what’s happened leads to that conclusion.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--For States, Fed Support For Testing Came With A Demand: No Extensions

States that received federal support for testing had to agree with a condition from the Trump administration : don ’ t ask for that help to be extended .
According to a letter provided to TPM by the Department of Health and Human Services , the State of Illinois received federal support for two testing sites in the state after agreeing not to ask for any further extensions on that support .
And , as agreed , those two sites are slated to close on June 30 , 2020 .
Craig Fugate , the FEMA administrator under President Obama , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It would seem to me as an observer that it ’ s a pretty dumb thing to turn off testing sites when cases are soaring over the issue of money , ” he said .
“ All this is , this is money.
” HHS provided support for the community-based testing sites in the form of testing kits , personnel , and contracts for laboratories and patient notification .
TPM reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration is letting funding lapse for thirteen testing sites around the country at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus-stricken state of Texas .
Officials in Pennsylvania told TPM that the closure of their site was subject to the same conditions , while a Colorado official told TPM that the state ’ s site “ was set to expire at the end of June as part of ” an earlier extension request .
Texas officials did not return repeated requests for comment on whether conditions were placed on their seven sites .
Fugate added that the language in the agreement conditioning aid on no further requests itself is not necessarily unusual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration ’ s refusal to grant an extension is puzzling .
“ Nobody says they can ’ t be extended unless there ’ s a statute stopping the extension , ” he said .
He gave the example of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina .
In that case , families affected by the hurricane had continued to receive federal-sponsored state housing aid for years after the catastrophe under agreements that contained similar language , Fugate said .
The point of the language in that case , he said , was to spur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give the federal government a way to unilaterally withdraw .
“ Our approach was to eliminate the need for temporary housing , ” he added .
“ Once we got down to smaller numbers , we started doing casework with individual families.
” HHS has argued that the lapse in support marks a “ transition ” to state control of the sites , along with a separate program aimed at spurring pharmacy chains to provide free testing .
The thirteen sites to lose funding , HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ inefficient , ” and therefore need to be transitioned to state control .
Sara Rosenbaum , a professor of Health Law at George Washington University , expressed puzzlement at the need to sunset the provision of federal aid .
“ There is nothing inherent in the appropriation language that I ’ m aware of that says once a state gets testing money or support , that ’ s it , ” she told TPM .
“ So why the Trump administration would have put that kind of restriction on the acceptance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even remotely figure out , ” she added .
Fugate , the former FEMA director , added that “ this is all about the money.
” “ When the agreement was made , the thinking was this will be over by the time we get to summer , and this will be shifting back to primary state responsibility , ” Fugate said .
Blaire Bryant , Associate Legislative Director for Health at the National Association of Counties , told TPM that the restriction appeared unusual in part because of the budget crunch on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Most of these sites have been on their own with funding and have mostly relied on getting funding from the local government in their state , ” Bryant said .
She added that money that states are expected to rely on to replace the lost federal support — from the CARES Act — was already largely being used to fill gaps in the budget created by the pandemic itself .
“ There ’ s no direct line to fund public heath — money can go directly to hospitals , to government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And so what we ’ re seeing is a lot of the money being used to fill gaps and not being directed towards public health .
”

States that received federal support for testing had to agree with a condition from the Trump administration: don’t ask for that help to be extended.
According to a letter provided to TPM by the Department of Health and Human Services, the State of Illinois received federal support for two testing sites in the state after agreeing not to ask for any further extensions on that support.
And, as agreed, those two sites are slated to close on June 30, 2020.
Craig Fugate, the FEMA administrator under President Obama, expressed surprise at the decision to TPM.
“It would seem to me as an observer that it’s a pretty dumb thing to turn off testing sites when cases are soaring over the issue of money,” he said. “All this is, this is money.”
HHS provided support for the community-based testing sites in the form of testing kits, personnel, and contracts for laboratories and patient notification.
TPM reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration is letting funding lapse for thirteen testing sites around the country at the end of the month, including seven in the virus-stricken state of Texas.
Officials in Pennsylvania told TPM that the closure of their site was subject to the same conditions, while a Colorado official told TPM that the state’s site “was set to expire at the end of June as part of” an earlier extension request.
Texas officials did not return repeated requests for comment on whether conditions were placed on their seven sites.
Fugate added that the language in the agreement conditioning aid on no further requests itself is not necessarily unusual. Rather, he said that the Trump administration’s refusal to grant an extension is puzzling. “Nobody says they can’t be extended unless there’s a statute stopping the extension,” he said.
He gave the example of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. In that case, families affected by the hurricane had continued to receive federal-sponsored state housing aid for years after the catastrophe under agreements that contained similar language, Fugate said.
The point of the language in that case, he said, was to spur the state towards a solution, not to give the federal government a way to unilaterally withdraw.
“Our approach was to eliminate the need for temporary housing,” he added. “Once we got down to smaller numbers, we started doing casework with individual families.”
HHS has argued that the lapse in support marks a “transition” to state control of the sites, along with a separate program aimed at spurring pharmacy chains to provide free testing.
The thirteen sites to lose funding, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir has said, are “antiquated” and “inefficient,” and therefore need to be transitioned to state control.
Sara Rosenbaum, a professor of Health Law at George Washington University, expressed puzzlement at the need to sunset the provision of federal aid.
“There is nothing inherent in the appropriation language that I’m aware of that says once a state gets testing money or support, that’s it,” she told TPM.
“So why the Trump administration would have put that kind of restriction on the acceptance of an award, I cannot even remotely figure out,” she added.
Fugate, the former FEMA director, added that “this is all about the money.”
“When the agreement was made, the thinking was this will be over by the time we get to summer, and this will be shifting back to primary state responsibility,” Fugate said.
Blaire Bryant, Associate Legislative Director for Health at the National Association of Counties, told TPM that the restriction appeared unusual in part because of the budget crunch on local government wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Most of these sites have been on their own with funding and have mostly relied on getting funding from the local government in their state,” Bryant said.
She added that money that states are expected to rely on to replace the lost federal support — from the CARES Act — was already largely being used to fill gaps in the budget created by the pandemic itself.
“There’s no direct line to fund public heath — money can go directly to hospitals, to government entities, etc,” she said. “And so what we’re seeing is a lot of the money being used to fill gaps and not being directed towards public health.”
Read the Illinois letter here:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--CDC: For Every COVID-19 Case Reported ‘There Are Actually 10’ More

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Robert Redfield on Thursday estimated that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country may be 10 times higher than reported , which means that the actual amount of cases may top 20 million .
“ Our best estimate right now is that for every case that ’ s reported , there actually are 10 other infections , ” Redfield told reporters on a call Thursday , according to NBC News .
Redfield also pointed out how the novel coronavirus “ causes so much asymptomatic infection.
” “ The traditional approach of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obviously underestimates the total amount of infections , ” Redfield said .
During the call , Redfield said that the new assessment came from reviewing blood samples nationwide to seek out the presence of antibodies to the novel coronavirus .
Redfield explained that for every confirmed case of COVID-19 , 10 more people had antibodies , which signals whether an individual ’ s immune system has already fought off the coronavirus .
Additionally , the blood samples also came from testing donated blood at blood banks or from other laboratory testing .
Redfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 cases in several states .
The CDC currently reports that there are 2.3 million cases in the country .
Now the CDC estimates that the actual number of coronavirus cases comes to a total of at least 23 million .
Texas , Florida and Arizona have emerged as coronavirus hot spots as cases surged following the easing of COVID-19-related restrictions .
On Thursday , Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott ( R ) announced that the state will pause further reopening phases in light of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surging .
Abbott made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Texas was facing a “ massive ” COVID-19 outbreak as new coronavirus cases exceeded 5,000 and more than 4,000 hospitalizations .
On Tuesday , Arizona hit new records by reporting more than 3,500 new coronavirus cases and 42 deaths .
Florida hit a new record for daily new cases as well on Wednesday by reporting over 5,500 new cases — surpassing its previous record set over the weekend .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Robert Redfield on Thursday estimated that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country may be 10 times higher than reported, which means that the actual amount of cases may top 20 million.
“Our best estimate right now is that for every case that’s reported, there actually are 10 other infections,” Redfield told reporters on a call Thursday, according to NBC News.
Redfield also pointed out how the novel coronavirus “causes so much asymptomatic infection.”
“The traditional approach of looking for symptomatic illness and diagnosing it obviously underestimates the total amount of infections,” Redfield said.
During the call, Redfield said that the new assessment came from reviewing blood samples nationwide to seek out the presence of antibodies to the novel coronavirus. Redfield explained that for every confirmed case of COVID-19, 10 more people had antibodies, which signals whether an individual’s immune system has already fought off the coronavirus.
Additionally, the blood samples also came from testing donated blood at blood banks or from other laboratory testing.
Redfield’s remarks come amid spikes in COVID-19 cases in several states. The CDC currently reports that there are 2.3 million cases in the country. Now the CDC estimates that the actual number of coronavirus cases comes to a total of at least 23 million.
Texas, Florida and Arizona have emerged as coronavirus hot spots as cases surged following the easing of COVID-19-related restrictions.
On Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced that the state will pause further reopening phases in light of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surging. Abbott made his announcement a day after he warned that Texas was facing a “massive” COVID-19 outbreak as new coronavirus cases exceeded 5,000 and more than 4,000 hospitalizations.
On Tuesday, Arizona hit new records by reporting more than 3,500 new coronavirus cases and 42 deaths.
Florida hit a new record for daily new cases as well on Wednesday by reporting over 5,500 new cases — surpassing its previous record set over the weekend.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--Jack Abramoff Faces Prison Time With New Crypto-Currency Fraud Charges

Former superlobbyist Jack Abramoff has reportedly pleaded guilty to criminal charges and is facing a separate SEC complaint for an allegedly fraudulent crypto-currency scheme .
Abramoff did prison time a decade ago on notorious Bush-era corruption charges that dragged down other lobbyists , congressional staff , and one member of Congress .
He was released in 2010 .
The U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the Northern District of California is charging Abramoff with “ conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lobbying disclosure violations , ” according to an SEC release .
U.S. Attorney David Anderson said at a press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Abramoff had agreed to plead guilty and that he could face up to five years in prison .
The SEC announcement of its complaint alleged that Abramoff had conducted an “ fraudulent , unregistered offering ” of a BitCoin product , AML BitCoin .
Abramoff has agreed to a settlement with the SEC , according to its release .
The scheme involved false claims that “ multiple government agencies were negotiating to use AML BitCoin , ” according to the SEC .
The SEC said Abramoff and an associate “ falsely claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advertising AML BitCoin during the Super Bowl in an effort to create interest in the offering.
” Abramoff previously served nearly four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy , fraud and tax charges in 2006 .
His case exposed the web of corrupt favors traded around Washington among his circle of political operatives , members of Congress and their aides .
The scandal also landed a former Republican House representative in prison , while several other congressional staffers and lobbyists pleaded guilty in the investigation .
High-level members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in the probe , as was then House Majority Leader Tom Delay , who was ousted from Congress in part due to his Abramoff connections .
Abramoff ’ s lobbying tricks included wining and dining politicians , scoring their staff tickets to sporting events , and even just straight up handing out cash in exchange for political favors .
After he was released from prison , Abramoff went on a PR tour that included a memoir , television appearances and an embrace of criminal justice reform efforts .
In 2017 , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of BitCoin , training activists in the crypto-currency space for a reality TV show .
The scheme that has Abramoff in legal trouble now also involved Roland Marcus Andrade , the CEO of NAC Foundation , which raised $ 5.6 million from more than 2,400 investors for the BitCoin offering , according to the SEC .
Andrade has been criminally charged with fraud and money laundering .
Andrade and NAC Foundation retained Abramoff in 2017 to market the BitCoin product , according to the Justice Department , and Abramoff made public statements that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged .
At the press conference announcing the indictment , U.S. Attorney Andeson reportedly said that the new charges brought against Abramoff were the first time a Lobbying Disclosure Act violation had been brought since Congress amended the law in 2007 .
Congress beefed up the law as part of the response to the Abramoff scandal of the mid-aughts .

Former superlobbyist Jack Abramoff has reportedly pleaded guilty to criminal charges and is facing a separate SEC complaint for an allegedly fraudulent crypto-currency scheme.
Abramoff did prison time a decade ago on notorious Bush-era corruption charges that dragged down other lobbyists, congressional staff, and one member of Congress. He was released in 2010.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is charging Abramoff with “conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lobbying disclosure violations,” according to an SEC release.
U.S. Attorney David Anderson said at a press conference Thursday, according to Bloomberg, that Abramoff had agreed to plead guilty and that he could face up to five years in prison.
The SEC announcement of its complaint alleged that Abramoff had conducted an “fraudulent, unregistered offering” of a BitCoin product, AML BitCoin. Abramoff has agreed to a settlement with the SEC, according to its release.
The scheme involved false claims that “multiple government agencies were negotiating to use AML BitCoin,” according to the SEC. The SEC said Abramoff and an associate “falsely claimed that they were on the verge of advertising AML BitCoin during the Super Bowl in an effort to create interest in the offering.”
Abramoff previously served nearly four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and tax charges in 2006. His case exposed the web of corrupt favors traded around Washington among his circle of political operatives, members of Congress and their aides.
The scandal also landed a former Republican House representative in prison, while several other congressional staffers and lobbyists pleaded guilty in the investigation.
High-level members of the George W. Bush administration were also swept up in the probe, as was then House Majority Leader Tom Delay, who was ousted from Congress in part due to his Abramoff connections.
Abramoff’s lobbying tricks included wining and dining politicians, scoring their staff tickets to sporting events, and even just straight up handing out cash in exchange for political favors.
After he was released from prison, Abramoff went on a PR tour that included a memoir, television appearances and an embrace of criminal justice reform efforts.
In 2017, he made a public entrance into the world of BitCoin, training activists in the crypto-currency space for a reality TV show.
The scheme that has Abramoff in legal trouble now also involved Roland Marcus Andrade, the CEO of NAC Foundation, which raised $5.6 million from more than 2,400 investors for the BitCoin offering, according to the SEC.
Andrade has been criminally charged with fraud and money laundering. Andrade and NAC Foundation retained Abramoff in 2017 to market the BitCoin product, according to the Justice Department, and Abramoff made public statements that misrepresented its technological developments, the department alleged.
At the press conference announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Andeson reportedly said that the new charges brought against Abramoff were the first time a Lobbying Disclosure Act violation had been brought since Congress amended the law in 2007.
Congress beefed up the law as part of the response to the Abramoff scandal of the mid-aughts.
Read the DOJ’s criminal information below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--READ: Cruz, Cornyn Demand Trump Admin Keep Supporting TX Testing Sites

Sens .
Ted Cruz and John Cornyn ( R-TX ) demanded in a Thursday letter that the Trump administration keep supporting drive-through testing sites in their state , calling the sites “ critical to Texas ’ testing capacity.
” The letter — addressed to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Pete Gaynor — asks the Trump administration to keep the free , drive-through sites open and not to “ place that burden on the state while COVID-19 cases are rising.
” The letter comes after TPM first reported that the Trump administration would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the month .
State and local officials in Texas have expressed outrage over the move , as the state faces down an outbreak of COVID-19 .
Cornyn and Cruz joined them Wednesday , voicing their opposition to the administration ’ s plan in statements to the press .
Seven of the thirteen sites are in Texas , and the looming end of support will mean that the Trump administration will cease to provide personnel , testing kits , and contracts with laboratories and call centers for patient notification .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of running testing to move to the states — what Cruz and Cornyn describe in Thursday ’ s letter as a “ burden.
” “ Testing capacity remains a crucial component to reopening the economy and ultimately defeating this disease , ” the pair wrote .
The move comes as states and cities buckle under the weight of lost tax revenue , and are already looking to cut services .
The Trump administration ’ s plan to transition the sites from federal to state control could exacerbate that burden , forcing cities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of CARES Act funding that has already been granted to them .
Legacy Community Health , a Texas health care system that has been testing for COVID-19 , described the lapse of support for the sites as “ extremely concerning.
” “ We , at Legacy , have been trying to keep up with the demand for testing , but we have reached the limits of our capacity and the need for testing will be amplified if FEMA pulls out of these sites , ” the statement to TPM reads .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing ; it is time to support our work in the community.
” In addition to Cornyn and Cruz , Texas officials across the board have pressured the Trump administration to reverse itself and extend support for the sites , set to expire on June 30 .
“ Now is not the time to end federal support of a program that is working and successfully increasing testing capacity — especially for underserved communities in the state , ” Cruz and Cornyn wrote .
“ I am confident that that the State of Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control of the drive-through sites without interruption , but due to the recent rise of COVID-19 cases in Texas , cities need additional time to prepare for the transition to state and local control of the testing sites .
”

Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn (R-TX) demanded in a Thursday letter that the Trump administration keep supporting drive-through testing sites in their state, calling the sites “critical to Texas’ testing capacity.”
The letter — addressed to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Pete Gaynor — asks the Trump administration to keep the free, drive-through sites open and not to “place that burden on the state while COVID-19 cases are rising.”
The letter comes after TPM first reported that the Trump administration would let support for the sites lapse at the end of the month. State and local officials in Texas have expressed outrage over the move, as the state faces down an outbreak of COVID-19. Cornyn and Cruz joined them Wednesday, voicing their opposition to the administration’s plan in statements to the press.
Seven of the thirteen sites are in Texas, and the looming end of support will mean that the Trump administration will cease to provide personnel, testing kits, and contracts with laboratories and call centers for patient notification.
Instead, HHS and FEMA envision the cost of running testing to move to the states — what Cruz and Cornyn describe in Thursday’s letter as a “burden.”
“Testing capacity remains a crucial component to reopening the economy and ultimately defeating this disease,” the pair wrote.
The move comes as states and cities buckle under the weight of lost tax revenue, and are already looking to cut services. The Trump administration’s plan to transition the sites from federal to state control could exacerbate that burden, forcing cities and states to pull from a limited pool of CARES Act funding that has already been granted to them.
Legacy Community Health, a Texas health care system that has been testing for COVID-19, described the lapse of support for the sites as “extremely concerning.”
“We, at Legacy, have been trying to keep up with the demand for testing, but we have reached the limits of our capacity and the need for testing will be amplified if FEMA pulls out of these sites,” the statement to TPM reads. “This is not the time to scale down testing; it is time to support our work in the community.”
In addition to Cornyn and Cruz, Texas officials across the board have pressured the Trump administration to reverse itself and extend support for the sites, set to expire on June 30.
“Now is not the time to end federal support of a program that is working and successfully increasing testing capacity — especially for underserved communities in the state,” Cruz and Cornyn wrote. “I am confident that that the State of Texas and local governments are capable of assuming control of the drive-through sites without interruption, but due to the recent rise of COVID-19 cases in Texas, cities need additional time to prepare for the transition to state and local control of the testing sites.”
Read the letter here:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--Initial Attempt By Trump’s Brother To Block Niece’s Book Is Rejected In Court

A surrogate ’ s court in New York on Thursday dismissed a request by President Trump ’ s brother Robert Trump that sought to block the publication of a book by their niece Mary .
Already , Robert Trump ’ s lawyer has said that he will file another lawsuit with the New York State Supreme Court , given the surrogate court ’ s reasoning for rejecting the initial attempt at preventing the book ’ s publication .
The surrogate court judge said that the requests to enjoin publication of the book contained “ several improprieties ” and his court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the relief being sought .
Robert Trump has alleged that Mary Trump violated an NDA that she signed as part of the settling Fred Trump Sr. ’ s estate .
Her publisher Simon & Schuster was also targeted in the litigation .
The book is said to be very critical of the President .
Citing the NDA , President Trump has said that his niece is “ not allowed to write a book ” and behind the scenes was reportedly involved in discussions about taking legal action against it .
Robert Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s late father Fred Trump Jr. , is being represented by Charles Harder , an aggressive media lawyer who has represented President Trump personally in other lawsuits .
He is perhaps most famous for his involvement in the Hulk Hogan lawsuit — supported secretly by Peter Thiel — that the led to the demise of Gawker .
Harder told TPM via email that , as part of the 2001 settlement , the family had “ agreed to jurisdiction of future disputes in the Surrogate ’ s Court of Queens County , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed in that court .
Today , the Surrogate ’ s Court ruled that it does not have jurisdiction over the dispute , ” Harder said .
” Therefore , Robert Trump will proceed with filing a new lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court.
” Theodore Boutrous , the First Amendment lawyer who is defending Mary Trump , sent TPM a statement that said they hoped “ this decision will end the matter.
” “ The court has promptly and correctly held that it lacks jurisdiction to grant the Trump family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book of utmost public importance and concern , ” Boutrous said .
“ Democracy thrives on the free exchange of ideas , and neither this court nor any other has authority to violate the Constitution by imposing a prior restraint on core political speech .
”

A surrogate’s court in New York on Thursday dismissed a request by President Trump’s brother Robert Trump that sought to block the publication of a book by their niece Mary.
Already, Robert Trump’s lawyer has said that he will file another lawsuit with the New York State Supreme Court, given the surrogate court’s reasoning for rejecting the initial attempt at preventing the book’s publication.
The surrogate court judge said that the requests to enjoin publication of the book contained “several improprieties” and his court was a “presumptively improper” forum for the relief being sought.
Robert Trump has alleged that Mary Trump violated an NDA that she signed as part of the settling Fred Trump Sr.’s estate. Her publisher Simon & Schuster was also targeted in the litigation.
The book is said to be very critical of the President. Citing the NDA, President Trump has said that his niece is “not allowed to write a book” and behind the scenes was reportedly involved in discussions about taking legal action against it.
Robert Trump, who is the brother of Mary’s late father Fred Trump Jr., is being represented by Charles Harder, an aggressive media lawyer who has represented President Trump personally in other lawsuits. He is perhaps most famous for his involvement in the Hulk Hogan lawsuit — supported secretly by Peter Thiel — that the led to the demise of Gawker.
Harder told TPM via email that, as part of the 2001 settlement, the family had “agreed to jurisdiction of future disputes in the Surrogate’s Court of Queens County, New York.”
“This matter therefore was filed in that court. Today, the Surrogate’s Court ruled that it does not have jurisdiction over the dispute,” Harder said. ” Therefore, Robert Trump will proceed with filing a new lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court.”
Theodore Boutrous, the First Amendment lawyer who is defending Mary Trump, sent TPM a statement that said they hoped “this decision will end the matter.”
“The court has promptly and correctly held that it lacks jurisdiction to grant the Trump family’s baseless request to suppress a book of utmost public importance and concern,” Boutrous said. “Democracy thrives on the free exchange of ideas, and neither this court nor any other has authority to violate the Constitution by imposing a prior restraint on core political speech.”
Read the surrogate court order below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--Trump Pick To Replace Berman Won’t Vow To Recuse From POTUS-Linked Probes

President Trump ’ s nominee to replace U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman after his messy firing wouldn ’ t commit to @ @ @ @ @ involving Trump ’ s interests and associates upon his potential confirmation .
During a House @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton dodged when pressed by Democrats regarding @ @ @ @ @ for him to take over the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the Southern District @ @ @ @ @ circumstances surrounding Berman ’ s tumultuous removal over the weekend .
When asked by Rep. @ @ @ @ @ on whether he can “ commit , right here , to recusing yourself ” from @ @ @ @ @ , Clayton wouldn ’ t give a direct answer to the question .

President Trump’s nominee to replace U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman after his messy firing wouldn’t commit to recusing himself from pending investigations involving Trump’s interests and associates upon his potential confirmation.
During a House Financial Services subcommittee hearing on Thursday, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton dodged when pressed by Democrats regarding the President’s selection for him to take over the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the circumstances surrounding Berman’s tumultuous removal over the weekend.
When asked by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) on whether he can “commit, right here, to recusing yourself” from matters linked to the President, Clayton wouldn’t give a direct answer to the question.
“What I will commit to do, which is what I commit to in my current job, is to approach the job with independence and to follow all ethical rules,” Clayton said. Berman initially refused to step down after Attorney General Bill Barr announced his abrupt departure in a news release late last Friday night. Barr claimed that Berman intended to resign early next month and that the U.S. attorney in New Jersey would run the Manhattan office until Clayton’s confirmation. Berman denied Barr’s claim in a statement hours later by saying that he did not intend to resign and that he wants to ensure “important cases continue unimpeded.” The next day, 0n Saturday night, the 24-hour stalemate between Barr and Berman ended after the attorney general told Berman that the President ordered his ouster and Berman agreed to step aside while his deputy continued to run the office. Trump, however, claimed that he had nothing to do with Berman’s firing. On Monday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed that Berman was ousted because Clayton, a former corporate lawyer, wanted to live in New York. “Mr. Clayton wanted to go back to New York City,” McEnany told reporters during a White House press briefing. “We wanted to keep him in government and therefore he was given the position at SDNY.”
Watch Clayton’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-25--The Indian Health Service Wants To Return 1 Million KN95 Masks It Bought From A Former White House O

The Indian Health Service Wants To Return 1 Million KN95 Masks It Bought From A Former White House Official

This story first appeared at ProPublica .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
The Indian Health Service , which purchased Chinese-made KN95 masks from a former Trump White House official through a $ 3 million contract , is now trying to return the masks but facing resistance , the agency told ProPublica .
The contractor , former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Zach Fuentes , “ refused this request and submitted a certified claim for payment ” instead , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ firm , Benjamin Keime , said in an email to ProPublica that the company is insisting on payment because it “ fulfilled all of its obligations to IHS under the contract.
” Government agencies have been under intense pressure to buy protective equipment to guard employees against the coronavirus .
In their haste , several agencies have spent millions of dollars on Chinese-made masks without knowing who made them .
Without those details , it can be hard to assess whether the masks filter as many dangerous particles as advertised .
ProPublica @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contract to provide 1 million KN95 respirator masks just 11 days after he created his company , Zach Fuentes LLC .
The IHS later told ProPublica that the masks it bought from Fuentes do not meet Food and Drug Administration standards for use in health care settings .
Fuentes previously told ProPublica that political connections to the Trump White House played no role in his company ’ s selection for the contract , which was granted with limited competitive bidding .
The U.S.-based agent originally listed for two of the Chinese companies from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inc. , is named as the representative for nearly 1,600 devices listed with the FDA this year .
In a federal court complaint filed June 5 against another Chinese mask manufacturer , King Year Printing and Packaging Co. Ltd. , by the Justice Department , an FDA special agent said that there is “ probable cause to believe CCTC is a fictitious corporation.
” Several members of Congress have demanded investigations into the Fuentes contract , and the Government Accountability Office plans to review the deal , a spokesman said last week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Indian Health Service sent a letter to the contractor proposing to return the masks through a no-cost termination , ” the agency said in a statement on Wednesday evening .
“ The contractor refused this request and submitted a certified claim for payment .
The Indian Health Service will continue to work with the contractor and the HHS Office of the General Counsel to resolve this issue.
” Keime said that IHS originally accepted all the masks in writing on May 22 , the same day ProPublica published its first story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to return them until June 10 .
Fuentes ’ firm has offered to replace any defective masks , Keime said .
“ Yet , to date , almost two months after the first shipment was received , IHS has not identified a single defect or flaw in the masks , ” Keime said .
“ Instead , it seeks to cancel the order for what appear to be political reasons .
”

This story first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
The Indian Health Service, which purchased Chinese-made KN95 masks from a former Trump White House official through a $3 million contract, is now trying to return the masks but facing resistance, the agency told ProPublica.
The contractor, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Zach Fuentes, “refused this request and submitted a certified claim for payment” instead, the agency said.
A lawyer for Fuentes’ firm, Benjamin Keime, said in an email to ProPublica that the company is insisting on payment because it “fulfilled all of its obligations to IHS under the contract.”
Government agencies have been under intense pressure to buy protective equipment to guard employees against the coronavirus. In their haste, several agencies have spent millions of dollars on Chinese-made masks without knowing who made them. Without those details, it can be hard to assess whether the masks filter as many dangerous particles as advertised.
ProPublica reported last month that Fuentes received a contract to provide 1 million KN95 respirator masks just 11 days after he created his company, Zach Fuentes LLC. The IHS later told ProPublica that the masks it bought from Fuentes do not meet Food and Drug Administration standards for use in health care settings.
Fuentes previously told ProPublica that political connections to the Trump White House played no role in his company’s selection for the contract, which was granted with limited competitive bidding.
The U.S.-based agent originally listed for two of the Chinese companies from which Fuentes procured masks, CCTC Service Inc., is named as the representative for nearly 1,600 devices listed with the FDA this year. In a federal court complaint filed June 5 against another Chinese mask manufacturer, King Year Printing and Packaging Co. Ltd., by the Justice Department, an FDA special agent said that there is “probable cause to believe CCTC is a fictitious corporation.”
Several members of Congress have demanded investigations into the Fuentes contract, and the Government Accountability Office plans to review the deal, a spokesman said last week.
“After completing inspection of the product, the Indian Health Service sent a letter to the contractor proposing to return the masks through a no-cost termination,” the agency said in a statement on Wednesday evening. “The contractor refused this request and submitted a certified claim for payment. The Indian Health Service will continue to work with the contractor and the HHS Office of the General Counsel to resolve this issue.”
Keime said that IHS originally accepted all the masks in writing on May 22, the same day ProPublica published its first story on the contract, and did not try to return them until June 10. Fuentes’ firm has offered to replace any defective masks, Keime said.
“Yet, to date, almost two months after the first shipment was received, IHS has not identified a single defect or flaw in the masks,” Keime said. “Instead, it seeks to cancel the order for what appear to be political reasons.”