talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-31--Bill Barr Has Done This Before

Bill Barr Has Done This Before

This article first appeared at ProPublica .
ProPublica Illinois is an independent , nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force .
Sign up for The ProPublica Illinois newsletter for weekly updates .
As violent crime continued to climb in Chicago and other cities across the country , Attorney General William P. Barr announced that the U.S. Department of Justice was mobilizing to help : Dozens of federal agents would be sent to work with local police to combat gangs and illegal guns .
“ Our message to gangs , gang leaders and gang members is this : When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it will be a knockout blow , ” Barr said .
That was in 1992 , during Barr ’ s first stint leading the Justice Department , under former President George H.W .
Bush .
If it sounds too recent or familiar to have happened nearly three decades ago , that ’ s because Barr , now attorney general under President Donald Trump , made a strikingly similar announcement on July 22 .
Some of the details were different , of course .
In 1992 , Barr said the FBI was shifting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recently collapsed Soviet Union to taking on gangs and violent crime in American cities .
Eighteen of the agents would be redeployed to Chicago .
This month , Barr stood next to Trump as he announced a Chicago “ surge ” of more than 100 agents from the FBI , Drug Enforcement Administration , Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , and other agencies , along with staffing increases in other cities where gun casualties were making headlines .
Residents of Chicago could be forgiven for concluding that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , they essentially have .
Barr even acknowledged that federal law enforcement agencies have carried out such operations “ for decades.
” Every presidential administration in the last 30 years has announced it was sending more federal agents to Chicago to try to stem violent crime .
But this time the circumstances are different — the politics are shifting .
After 3 ½ years of Trump ’ s inflammatory comments and tweets , some thinly coded and others overtly racist , his administration ’ s announcement is widely seen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the troubles of a majority-nonwhite city to fire up his supporters .
And it ’ s happening as a growing number of people are demanding that their governments send something into their communities other than more guys with guns .
Chicago has a long , ugly history of violence .
As in other cities , violent crime surged in Chicago in the 1960s and ’ 70s , dropped and leveled off , then spiked again during the 1990s .
But since then , as murder and shooting totals plummeted in New York , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s numbers didn ’ t fall as far or as fast , and they ’ ve climbed again during several devastating stretches in the last 10 years .
The reasons have long been debated and are probably more complex than most would acknowledge .
But politicians , law enforcement leaders and many residents have repeatedly blamed Chicago ’ s gang culture and open-air drug markets , then called for policing strategies to attack them .
The fact that most of the hardest-hit neighborhoods have also been shelled out by segregation , business closures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ layoffs from government agencies and shuttered schools — is well known .
Yet the need for immediate responses to the bloodshed , rather than those that tackle the deeper problems , always seems to consume political and financial capital in Chicago .
In 1992 , the city banned loitering by people deemed to be gang members until the measure was ruled unconstitutional .
Former Mayor Richard M. Daley led an effort to sue gun manufacturers for creating a public nuisance in Chicago and other cities ; the case was tossed out of court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on dozens of side streets to thwart drive-by shootings , though as police and paramedics discovered , such obstacles also made it harder for them to respond to emergencies .
Far more common have been announcements that more police will be deployed in high-crime areas , often under the banner of a new task force , program or initiative .
That ’ s where the feds often come in — literally .
Soon after Trump took office in 2017 , he called Chicago a “ war zone ” and blamed local leaders for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatened , via Twitter , “ I will send in the Feds !
” Rahm Emanuel , then Chicago ’ s mayor and a frequent Trump sparring partner , rejected the idea of troops in the city .
“ I ’ m against it , straight up , ” he told reporters .
But Emanuel added that he welcomed additional resources to fight gun crimes .
Within two weeks , CNN reported that 20 more ATF agents were being sent to Chicago .
Since Lori Lightfoot was elected mayor last year , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disrespect for civil rights — even as she ’ s been attacked in Chicago for not yet delivering on promises to reform the Police Department and drive up investment in underserved neighborhoods .
On July 20 , after another weekend of appalling violence in Chicago — dozens of people were reportedly wounded in shootings and at least 12 people killed — Trump suggested at a press conference that he was again ready to send in federal agents .
Lightfoot responded with a letter that criticized his administration ’ s “ incendiary rhetoric ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Homeland Security agents who had seized people off the street in Portland , Oregon .
Yet Lightfoot also said the city could use other kinds of federal help , including “ more federal prosecution or investigatory resources ” to pursue violent crime and gun cases .
She added that the government could help Chicago invest in underserved neighborhoods .
“ The violence our city is confronting is symptomatic of a larger public health and economic crisis.
” Trump and Barr announced the latest “ surge ” of federal agents to Chicago that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a national crime-reduction initiative called Operation Legend .
The FBI , ATF , DEA , U.S .
Marshals Service and Homeland Security would together send dozens of investigators and agents to the city , with the U.S. attorney in Chicago , John Lausch Jr. , overseeing the operation .
Underneath the politics and symbolism , the announcement signaled that federal and local officials were returning to their old strategy : send in more cops .
Shifting federal agents to cities under fire is “ commonly done , and as a matter of fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there , I asked for it , ” said Jack Riley , who formerly served as the top agent in the DEA ’ s Chicago office .
“ It ’ s been called 20 different things in the past .
[ Operation Legend ] is just the newest version of it.
” This federal surge may involve more agents than previous efforts , and Riley believes it could help tamp down violence in Chicago if it is carefully coordinated and sustained .
Operations on the street should be carried out by agents who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of town used in support roles .
And as agents are conducting investigations and making arrests , the U.S. attorney ’ s office needs enough staff to prosecute the increased caseload , said Riley , who went on to serve as the No .
2 official in the DEA , overseeing global operations , before retiring .
“ Are there going to be additional prosecutors ?
” he said .
“ That ’ s been an issue before.
” The U.S. attorney ’ s office in Chicago received a staffing boost in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included in the latest operation .
A spokesman for the office declined to comment .
Plus , the agent surge is only likely to last until fall , when the city ’ s usual spike in violence typically recedes along with the warm weather .
So , like previous efforts , the surge is temporary .
If those earlier short-term operations worked to reduce gun violence , it ’ s hard for city residents to see as shootings spike again .
Over the last three years , the U.S. attorney ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on weapons charges , records show .
Some of the defendants are traffickers or leaders of other criminal enterprises .
But many tend to be lower-level players caught with illegal guns that have traded hands multiple times .
Law enforcement officials argue that prosecutions for illegal possession help deter others .
Still , the approach hasn ’ t shut down the gun marketplace , as firearms continue to flow into the city from suburbs and neighboring states .
So far Operation Legend appears to be following the playbook of those earlier initiatives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Chicago surge were all for illegal gun possession , according to court filings .
On July 23 , the day after the latest federal deployments were announced , Black Lives Matter Chicago and 10 other organizations sued Barr and other administration officials .
The groups , seeing no reason to trust the Trump administration , asked for a federal court order to protect their right to protest in the event of any Portland-style tactics .
In addition , they made what amounted to a defund-the-federal-police argument , claiming federal resources would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities than flooding them with more law enforcement officers .
“ We should take their money and use it to help people facing eviction , use those resources for people who need access to food , ” Amika Tendaji , an organizer with Black Lives Matter , said in an interview .
“ The police haven ’ t been able to do anything [ about the violence ] .
We need to actually address the root causes.
” More and more leaders are signing on to this approach .
Over the last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 30 state and local elected officials added their names to a letter urging Lightfoot and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart not to cooperate with the federal operation .
“ Donald Trump has repeatedly demonstrated both his callous disregard for Black , indigenous , and immigrant lives , and his increasing inclination towards fascism and authoritarianism , ” the letter said .
“ We grieve deeply the lives lost to gun violence in Chicago .
… At the same time , we are clear that we can not police ourselves out of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pace to record one of its highest annual murder totals in two decades .
It ’ s hard to argue that the old strategies have worked .

This article first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica Illinois is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force. Sign up for The ProPublica Illinois newsletter for weekly updates.
As violent crime continued to climb in Chicago and other cities across the country, Attorney General William P. Barr announced that the U.S. Department of Justice was mobilizing to help: Dozens of federal agents would be sent to work with local police to combat gangs and illegal guns.
“Our message to gangs, gang leaders and gang members is this: When we throw the federal book at you, it will be a knockout blow,” Barr said.
That was in 1992, during Barr’s first stint leading the Justice Department, under former President George H.W. Bush.
If it sounds too recent or familiar to have happened nearly three decades ago, that’s because Barr, now attorney general under President Donald Trump, made a strikingly similar announcement on July 22.
Some of the details were different, of course. In 1992, Barr said the FBI was shifting about 300 agents from monitoring spies from the recently collapsed Soviet Union to taking on gangs and violent crime in American cities. Eighteen of the agents would be redeployed to Chicago.
This month, Barr stood next to Trump as he announced a Chicago “surge” of more than 100 agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and other agencies, along with staffing increases in other cities where gun casualties were making headlines.
Residents of Chicago could be forgiven for concluding that they’ve heard this before, since, of course, they essentially have. Barr even acknowledged that federal law enforcement agencies have carried out such operations “for decades.” Every presidential administration in the last 30 years has announced it was sending more federal agents to Chicago to try to stem violent crime.
But this time the circumstances are different — the politics are shifting. After 3 ½ years of Trump’s inflammatory comments and tweets, some thinly coded and others overtly racist, his administration’s announcement is widely seen in Chicago as a political move to use the troubles of a majority-nonwhite city to fire up his supporters.
And it’s happening as a growing number of people are demanding that their governments send something into their communities other than more guys with guns.
Chicago has a long, ugly history of violence. As in other cities, violent crime surged in Chicago in the 1960s and ’70s, dropped and leveled off, then spiked again during the 1990s. But since then, as murder and shooting totals plummeted in New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere, Chicago’s numbers didn’t fall as far or as fast, and they’ve climbed again during several devastating stretches in the last 10 years.
The reasons have long been debated and are probably more complex than most would acknowledge. But politicians, law enforcement leaders and many residents have repeatedly blamed Chicago’s gang culture and open-air drug markets, then called for policing strategies to attack them.
The fact that most of the hardest-hit neighborhoods have also been shelled out by segregation, business closures and job losses — including thousands of layoffs from government agencies and shuttered schools — is well known. Yet the need for immediate responses to the bloodshed, rather than those that tackle the deeper problems, always seems to consume political and financial capital in Chicago.
In 1992, the city banned loitering by people deemed to be gang members until the measure was ruled unconstitutional. Former Mayor Richard M. Daley led an effort to sue gun manufacturers for creating a public nuisance in Chicago and other cities; the case was tossed out of court. Speed bumps and cul-de-sacs were built on dozens of side streets to thwart drive-by shootings, though as police and paramedics discovered, such obstacles also made it harder for them to respond to emergencies.
Far more common have been announcements that more police will be deployed in high-crime areas, often under the banner of a new task force, program or initiative. That’s where the feds often come in — literally.
Soon after Trump took office in 2017, he called Chicago a “war zone” and blamed local leaders for being “politically correct.” He also threatened, via Twitter, “I will send in the Feds!”
Rahm Emanuel, then Chicago’s mayor and a frequent Trump sparring partner, rejected the idea of troops in the city. “I’m against it, straight up,” he told reporters. But Emanuel added that he welcomed additional resources to fight gun crimes. Within two weeks, CNN reported that 20 more ATF agents were being sent to Chicago.
Since Lori Lightfoot was elected mayor last year, she has repeatedly blasted Trump for racism and disrespect for civil rights — even as she’s been attacked in Chicago for not yet delivering on promises to reform the Police Department and drive up investment in underserved neighborhoods.
On July 20, after another weekend of appalling violence in Chicago — dozens of people were reportedly wounded in shootings and at least 12 people killed — Trump suggested at a press conference that he was again ready to send in federal agents. Lightfoot responded with a letter that criticized his administration’s “incendiary rhetoric” as well as the tactics of Department of Homeland Security agents who had seized people off the street in Portland, Oregon.
Yet Lightfoot also said the city could use other kinds of federal help, including “more federal prosecution or investigatory resources” to pursue violent crime and gun cases. She added that the government could help Chicago invest in underserved neighborhoods. “The violence our city is confronting is symptomatic of a larger public health and economic crisis.”
Trump and Barr announced the latest “surge” of federal agents to Chicago that week, describing it as part of a national crime-reduction initiative called Operation Legend. The FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security would together send dozens of investigators and agents to the city, with the U.S. attorney in Chicago, John Lausch Jr., overseeing the operation.
Underneath the politics and symbolism, the announcement signaled that federal and local officials were returning to their old strategy: send in more cops.
Shifting federal agents to cities under fire is “commonly done, and as a matter of fact, when I was the special agent-in-charge there, I asked for it,” said Jack Riley, who formerly served as the top agent in the DEA’s Chicago office. “It’s been called 20 different things in the past. [Operation Legend] is just the newest version of it.”
This federal surge may involve more agents than previous efforts, and Riley believes it could help tamp down violence in Chicago if it is carefully coordinated and sustained. Operations on the street should be carried out by agents who know the city, with those from out of town used in support roles. And as agents are conducting investigations and making arrests, the U.S. attorney’s office needs enough staff to prosecute the increased caseload, said Riley, who went on to serve as the No. 2 official in the DEA, overseeing global operations, before retiring.
“Are there going to be additional prosecutors?” he said. “That’s been an issue before.”
The U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago received a staffing boost in 2018, but no additional prosecutors are included in the latest operation. A spokesman for the office declined to comment.
Plus, the agent surge is only likely to last until fall, when the city’s usual spike in violence typically recedes along with the warm weather. So, like previous efforts, the surge is temporary.
If those earlier short-term operations worked to reduce gun violence, it’s hard for city residents to see as shootings spike again.
Over the last three years, the U.S. attorney’s office here has prosecuted more than 500 defendants on weapons charges, records show. Some of the defendants are traffickers or leaders of other criminal enterprises. But many tend to be lower-level players caught with illegal guns that have traded hands multiple times. Law enforcement officials argue that prosecutions for illegal possession help deter others. Still, the approach hasn’t shut down the gun marketplace, as firearms continue to flow into the city from suburbs and neighboring states.
So far Operation Legend appears to be following the playbook of those earlier initiatives. The first three arrests made as part of the Chicago surge were all for illegal gun possession, according to court filings.
On July 23, the day after the latest federal deployments were announced, Black Lives Matter Chicago and 10 other organizations sued Barr and other administration officials. The groups, seeing no reason to trust the Trump administration, asked for a federal court order to protect their right to protest in the event of any Portland-style tactics. In addition, they made what amounted to a defund-the-federal-police argument, claiming federal resources would be better spent on investing in their communities than flooding them with more law enforcement officers.
“We should take their money and use it to help people facing eviction, use those resources for people who need access to food,” Amika Tendaji, an organizer with Black Lives Matter, said in an interview. “The police haven’t been able to do anything [about the violence]. We need to actually address the root causes.”
More and more leaders are signing on to this approach. Over the last week, advocacy groups, churches and more than 30 state and local elected officials added their names to a letter urging Lightfoot and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart not to cooperate with the federal operation.
“Donald Trump has repeatedly demonstrated both his callous disregard for Black, indigenous, and immigrant lives, and his increasing inclination towards fascism and authoritarianism,” the letter said. “We grieve deeply the lives lost to gun violence in Chicago. … At the same time, we are clear that we cannot police ourselves out of this terrible situation.”
Chicago is now on a pace to record one of its highest annual murder totals in two decades. It’s hard to argue that the old strategies have worked.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-31--CDC Found Out After-The-Fact That Admin Was Switching To Contractor For Hospital Data

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only found out after-the-fact about a sudden Trump administration decision to use a private contractor to collect COVID-19 data from hospitals .
Until this month , the CDC had used its own system for tracking hospital data to keep tabs on COVID-19 .
The contractor , a Pittsburgh-based company called TeleTracking , is now the federal government ’ s preferred collection point for hospital data — everything from ventilator use to supplies of Remdesivir , a drug found to be helpful in treating the virus .
While hospitals were initially given the option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the CDC ’ s National Healthcare Safety Network — a well-established system known for tracking healthcare-associated infections and other data — earlier this month HHS abruptly told hospitals that the NHSN system would no longer accept data submissions .
Hospitals were given just days to make the change — leading to concern and frustration from public health experts and hospital administrators .
“ We weren ’ t directly involved in the final decision ” CDC Director Robert Redfield testified to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis on Friday .
Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more : When did Redfield find out about the change ?
she asked .
“ I wasn ’ t involved in the decision , ” Redfield repeated .
“ I don ’ t remember the exact date.
” “ Am I to understand that you were not told at all ?
” Waters asked .
“ Well I was told , actually , once the secretary ’ s office made the decision , that that was the decision , ” Redfield said , referring to the Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift to TeleTracking was announced earlier this month , in a July 10 memo to hospitals , Redfield has sought to assure the public that the CDC — which is housed within HHS — was fully on-board with the decision .
On a July 15 phone call with reporters , the same day hospitals were asked to stop submitting data to the CDC , Redfield said that “ in order to meet the needs for flexibility in data gathering , CDC has agreed to remove the National Health Safety Network from the collection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Redfield stressed at the time that “ this streamlining ” would allow NHSN to focus on other areas of COVID-19 ’ s impact , namely nursing homes and long-term care facilities .
Waters on Friday read a statement from the American Medical Informatics Association ( AMIA ) criticizing the decision to ditch the NHSN .
The change , AMIA said , “ will worsen our ability to mitigate , suppress , and recover from our national public health emergency.
” “ We strongly recommend that the July 10 memo be rescinded , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) through the National Health and Security Network ( NHSN ) , ” the group said .
Karen Hoffmann , the former president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology ( APIC ) , told TPM earlier this month that TeleTracking was “ not the gold standard with data ” — unlike the CDC ’ s system .
“ For infection preventionists and epidemiologists that have a longstanding relationship with the CDC — decades to build — we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Hoffmann said .
“ We don ’ t know who ’ s on the other end , who can assist us , and if they have any personnel that have any epidemiologic knowledge to know what to do with that data.
” APIC and another epidemiology group , the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America ( SHEA ) wrote in a letter to Trump administration officials that “ abruptly changing the data collection requirements and methodology in the middle of the pandemic will impact the quality of critical public health data that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and policies in our community.
” “ Further , ” the groups wrote , “ there is concern that those responsible for analysis and interpretation of the data collected in HHS Protect will not have adequate training in epidemiology .
”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only found out after-the-fact about a sudden Trump administration decision to use a private contractor to collect COVID-19 data from hospitals. Until this month, the CDC had used its own system for tracking hospital data to keep tabs on COVID-19.
The contractor, a Pittsburgh-based company called TeleTracking, is now the federal government’s preferred collection point for hospital data — everything from ventilator use to supplies of Remdesivir, a drug found to be helpful in treating the virus.
While hospitals were initially given the option of reporting their data to either TeleTracking or the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network — a well-established system known for tracking healthcare-associated infections and other data — earlier this month HHS abruptly told hospitals that the NHSN system would no longer accept data submissions.
Hospitals were given just days to make the change — leading to concern and frustration from public health experts and hospital administrators.
“We weren’t directly involved in the final decision” CDC Director Robert Redfield testified to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis on Friday.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) pressed for more: When did Redfield find out about the change? she asked.
“I wasn’t involved in the decision,” Redfield repeated. “I don’t remember the exact date.”
“Am I to understand that you were not told at all?” Waters asked.
“Well I was told, actually, once the secretary’s office made the decision, that that was the decision,” Redfield said, referring to the Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.
Since the administration’s shift to TeleTracking was announced earlier this month, in a July 10 memo to hospitals, Redfield has sought to assure the public that the CDC — which is housed within HHS — was fully on-board with the decision.
On a July 15 phone call with reporters, the same day hospitals were asked to stop submitting data to the CDC, Redfield said that “in order to meet the needs for flexibility in data gathering, CDC has agreed to remove the National Health Safety Network from the collection process in order to streamline reporting.”
Redfield stressed at the time that “this streamlining” would allow NHSN to focus on other areas of COVID-19’s impact, namely nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
Waters on Friday read a statement from the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) criticizing the decision to ditch the NHSN. The change, AMIA said, “will worsen our ability to mitigate, suppress, and recover from our national public health emergency.”
“We strongly recommend that the July 10 memo be rescinded, and hospitals continue reporting COVID-19 capacity and utilization data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the National Health and Security Network (NHSN),” the group said.
Karen Hoffmann, the former president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), told TPM earlier this month that TeleTracking was “not the gold standard with data” — unlike the CDC’s system.
“For infection preventionists and epidemiologists that have a longstanding relationship with the CDC — decades to build — we don’t have that with TeleTracking,” Hoffmann said. “We don’t know who’s on the other end, who can assist us, and if they have any personnel that have any epidemiologic knowledge to know what to do with that data.”
APIC and another epidemiology group, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) wrote in a letter to Trump administration officials that “abruptly changing the data collection requirements and methodology in the middle of the pandemic will impact the quality of critical public health data that we rely upon to drive our response and policies in our community.”
“Further,” the groups wrote, “there is concern that those responsible for analysis and interpretation of the data collected in HHS Protect will not have adequate training in epidemiology.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-01--‘Wrong!’ Trump Whines Over Fauci Testimony On COVID Surge

President Donald Trump continued an attack against the nation ’ s top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on Saturday afternoon , responding to bleak testimony from the doctor that explained why the United States has failed at containing outbreaks of the virus .
The President retweeted a video from CBS News that showed Fauci testisfying before Congress this week about spikes in cases of coronavirus .
Trump accompanied the video with the words , “ Wrong !
” In the clip , Fauci contrasted how the United States shut down comparatively less than some European nations , saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did it to the tune of about 95 % plus of the country.
” Fauci said that although the United States shuttered parts of the economy temporarily to curb the spread of coronavirus “ we really only functionally shut down only about 50 % in the sense of the totality of the country.
” In his testimony , Fauci argues that a reluctance to shut down more of the country had a lasting impact and when the country reopened it was more vulnerable to a surge in cases .
In response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rant that “ if we tested less , there would be less cases.
” But that argument has been challenged by many of the President ’ s own health experts .
During the House hearing Friday , Assistant Health and Human Services Secretary Adm. Brett Giroir did not demonize testing to explain away rising numbers of cases .
Giroir instead described testing as more like a tool that “ heralds impending outbreaks ” and “ informs resource allocation.
” He added that testing “ assists in minimizing economic and social disruption.
” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint earlier this week that Fauci had a higher approval rating than he did .
“ He ’ s got this high approval rating , so why don ’ t I have a high approval rating , and the administration with respect to the virus ?
” Trump mused out loud .

President Donald Trump continued an attack against the nation’s top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on Saturday afternoon, responding to bleak testimony from the doctor that explained why the United States has failed at containing outbreaks of the virus.
The President retweeted a video from CBS News that showed Fauci testisfying before Congress this week about spikes in cases of coronavirus. Trump accompanied the video with the words, “Wrong!”
Wrong! We have more cases because we have tested far more than any other country, 60,000,000. If we tested less, there would be less cases. How did Italy, France & Spain do? Now Europe sadly has flare ups. Most of our governors worked hard & smart. We will come back STRONG! :: https://t.co/hhwYOrnWZn — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2020
In the clip, Fauci contrasted how the United States shut down comparatively less than some European nations, saying that in parts of Europe “they really did it to the tune of about 95% plus of the country.”
Fauci said that although the United States shuttered parts of the economy temporarily to curb the spread of coronavirus “we really only functionally shut down only about 50% in the sense of the totality of the country.”
In his testimony, Fauci argues that a reluctance to shut down more of the country had a lasting impact and when the country reopened it was more vulnerable to a surge in cases.
In response to the video, Trump went on a familiar rant that “if we tested less, there would be less cases.”
But that argument has been challenged by many of the President’s own health experts.
During the House hearing Friday, Assistant Health and Human Services Secretary Adm. Brett Giroir did not demonize testing to explain away rising numbers of cases.
Giroir instead described testing as more like a tool that “heralds impending outbreaks” and “informs resource allocation.” He added that testing “assists in minimizing economic and social disruption.”
Trump’s attack on Fauci follows a complaint earlier this week that Fauci had a higher approval rating than he did.
“He’s got this high approval rating, so why don’t I have a high approval rating, and the administration with respect to the virus?” Trump mused out loud.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-01--Rep. Raúl Grijalva Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Rep. Raúl Grijalva ( D-AZ ) has tested positive for COVID-19 , days after chairing a committee hearing attended by Rep. Louie Gohmert ( R-TX ) who announced a positive test for coronavirus earlier this week .
“ While I can not blame anyone directly for this , this week has shown that there are some Members of Congress who fail to take this crisis seriously , ” he said in a statement that he posted to his Twitter account on Saturday afternoon .
“ Stopping the spread of a deadly virus should not be a partisan issue , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently has no symptoms and is self-isolating at the recommendation of an attending physician .
The Arizona congressman chairs the House Natural Resources Committee which held a meeting Tuesday that Gohmert also attended .
Gohmert reported a positive test for COVID-19 the following day , although it was not immediately clear whether Gohmert had infected Grijalva or others .
Gohmert has routinely refused to wear a mask also attended a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee .
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer ( D-MD ) told CNN Wednesday that while the House isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ we ’ re discussing that.
” Since Gohmert ’ s announcement , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) ordered a broad mask mandate for House members that was scheduled to go into effect Thursday .
It included a requirement for members and staff to wear masks in the House chamber in addition to House office buildings with few exceptions .

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) has tested positive for COVID-19, days after chairing a committee hearing attended by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) who announced a positive test for coronavirus earlier this week.
“While I cannot blame anyone directly for this, this week has shown that there are some Members of Congress who fail to take this crisis seriously,” he said in a statement that he posted to his Twitter account on Saturday afternoon. “Stopping the spread of a deadly virus should not be a partisan issue,” he added.
I have tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, I will be self-isolating in quarantine. I currently have no symptoms, feel fine, and hope to make a quick & speedy recovery. COVID-19 is not a joke & we should all take this seriously. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/nnBskdSyTF — Raul M. Grijalva (@RepRaulGrijalva) August 1, 2020
Grijalva said that he currently has no symptoms and is self-isolating at the recommendation of an attending physician.
The Arizona congressman chairs the House Natural Resources Committee which held a meeting Tuesday that Gohmert also attended. Gohmert reported a positive test for COVID-19 the following day, although it was not immediately clear whether Gohmert had infected Grijalva or others.
Gohmert has routinely refused to wear a mask also attended a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) told CNN Wednesday that while the House isn’t mandating testing for lawmakers yet, “we’re discussing that.”
Since Gohmert’s announcement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) ordered a broad mask mandate for House members that was scheduled to go into effect Thursday. It included a requirement for members and staff to wear masks in the House chamber in addition to House office buildings with few exceptions.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-01--General Manager Says TikTok Not ‘Going Anywhere,’ After Trump Threatens To Ban Video-Sharing App

U.S. general manager of TikTok Vanessa Pappas said early Saturday that the video app wasn ’ t “ going anywhere , ” in spite of plans announced by President Donald Trump on Friday night that he would ban it .
“ As far as TikTok is concerned we ’ re banning them from the United States , ” Trump said , according to NBC News .
But in a one-minute video message to the app ’ s users in the United States posted to its Twitter account early Saturday , Pappas had a different message .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pappas said , adding that the the video-sharing app was “ here for the long run.
” Trump has said he could ban the app using an executive order telling reporters Friday according to the NBC News report that he has “ that authority.
” The President ’ s plans to ban the app follow reports Friday that Microsoft was in talks to acquire the app ’ s U.S. operations .
Pappas ’ message to users comes hours after a spokesperson for TikTok said in a statement obtained by NBC News that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is committed to protecting user privacy and safety .
The TikTok app is owned by ByteDance , one of the largest tech companies in China .
The app ’ s Chinese ownership has become the subject of concern for lawmakers , regulators and privacy activists .
ByteDance , for example , is required to follow Chinese censorship laws , and some say the video app may be forced to surrender user data to the Chinese government under the country ’ s national security law .
Several companies have even directed their employees to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and potential espionage .
But the spokesperson for TikTok maintained in the app ’ s statement that “ U.S .
user data is stored in the U.S. , with strict controls on employee access.
” “ We are committed to protecting our users ’ privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform , ” the statement added .
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer had responded to recent privacy concerns raised about the app by offering Wednesday to allow U.S. regulators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at its software code amid claims about data-sharing on American users with the Chinese government .
According to the statement referenced by NBC News , the video sharing app added 1,000 people to its U.S. team this year , and is “ proud to be hiring another 10,000 employees into great paying jobs across the U.S. ” The spokesperson said that the app ’ s reported $ 1 billion creator fund “ supports U.S. creators who are building livelihoods from our platform.
” The job creation angle taken by the TikTok app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to struggle with unemployment made worse by the coronavirus pandemic .
Data from the Census Bureau late last month showed at least four consecutive weeks of decline in the number of employed people nationwide .
Earlier this week , the Commerce Department also announced that the American economy took its worst quarterly plunge ever — shrinking at a 33 % annual rate in its most recent quarter .
Trump ’ s plans to ban TikTok also follow taunting claims by some of its users who in June said they signed up for tickets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no attention of going .
The rally , which then Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale boasted had registrations for a million tickets , was sorely under-attended — filling about one-third of a 19,000-seat stadium .

U.S. general manager of TikTok Vanessa Pappas said early Saturday that the video app wasn’t “going anywhere,” in spite of plans announced by President Donald Trump on Friday night that he would ban it.
“As far as TikTok is concerned we’re banning them from the United States,” Trump said, according to NBC News.
But in a one-minute video message to the app’s users in the United States posted to its Twitter account early Saturday, Pappas had a different message.
“We’re not planning on going anywhere,” Pappas said, adding that the the video-sharing app was “here for the long run.”
Trump has said he could ban the app using an executive order telling reporters Friday according to the NBC News report that he has “that authority.”
The President’s plans to ban the app follow reports Friday that Microsoft was in talks to acquire the app’s U.S. operations.
Pappas’ message to users comes hours after a spokesperson for TikTok said in a statement obtained by NBC News that the app creates jobs for Americans and it is committed to protecting user privacy and safety.
The TikTok app is owned by ByteDance, one of the largest tech companies in China. The app’s Chinese ownership has become the subject of concern for lawmakers, regulators and privacy activists. ByteDance, for example, is required to follow Chinese censorship laws, and some say the video app may be forced to surrender user data to the Chinese government under the country’s national security law.
Several companies have even directed their employees to delete the app citing concerns about surveillance and potential espionage.
But the spokesperson for TikTok maintained in the app’s statement that “U.S. user data is stored in the U.S., with strict controls on employee access.”
“We are committed to protecting our users’ privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform,” the statement added.
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer had responded to recent privacy concerns raised about the app by offering Wednesday to allow U.S. regulators and privacy experts to take a closer look at its software code amid claims about data-sharing on American users with the Chinese government.
According to the statement referenced by NBC News, the video sharing app added 1,000 people to its U.S. team this year, and is “proud to be hiring another 10,000 employees into great paying jobs across the U.S.” The spokesperson said that the app’s reported $1 billion creator fund “supports U.S. creators who are building livelihoods from our platform.”
The job creation angle taken by the TikTok app, comes as the United States continues to struggle with unemployment made worse by the coronavirus pandemic. Data from the Census Bureau late last month showed at least four consecutive weeks of decline in the number of employed people nationwide.
Earlier this week, the Commerce Department also announced that the American economy took its worst quarterly plunge ever — shrinking at a 33% annual rate in its most recent quarter.
Trump’s plans to ban TikTok also follow taunting claims by some of its users who in June said they signed up for tickets to his campaign rally in Tulsa with no attention of going. The rally, which then Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale boasted had registrations for a million tickets, was sorely under-attended — filling about one-third of a 19,000-seat stadium.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-01--Ginsburg Released From Hospital Following Stent Procedure

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was discharged from a New York hospital on Friday following a procedure on a bile stent that was placed last August , the Supreme Court said .
According to a court statement obtained by Reuters , Ginsburg is home and “ doing well.
” The news of her discharge comes two days after the court ’ s oldest justice was admitted to “ revise a bile stent ” at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center .
The procedure follows another one last month to clean out the stent .
A Wednesday statement issued by Kathleen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court , said that Ginsburg ’ s doctors had assured that stent revisions are “ common occurrences ” and that the procedure , which was conducted using endoscopy and medical imaging , was done to “ minimize the risk of future infection.
” The justice had formerly issued a statement on July 17 announcing a recurrence of cancer after a scan in February followed by a biopsy revealed lesions on her liver .
The justice said at that time that chemotherapy treatments were yielding “ positive results , ” saying that recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” reduction of the lesions “ no new disease.
” Ginsburg said at that time that she would continue bi-weekly chemotherapy , adding , “ I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam .
I remain fully able to do that.
” The justice ’ s health is closely watched given that any health challenge preventing the liberal icon from continuing her tenure on the bench would provide an opening for President Donald Trump to potentially nominate a conservative @ @

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was discharged from a New York hospital on Friday following a procedure on a bile stent that was placed last August, the Supreme Court said.
According to a court statement obtained by Reuters, Ginsburg is home and “doing well.”
The news of her discharge comes two days after the court’s oldest justice was admitted to “revise a bile stent” at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
The procedure follows another one last month to clean out the stent.
A Wednesday statement issued by Kathleen Arberg, a public information officer for the court, said that Ginsburg’s doctors had assured that stent revisions are “common occurrences” and that the procedure, which was conducted using endoscopy and medical imaging, was done to “minimize the risk of future infection.”
The justice had formerly issued a statement on July 17 announcing a recurrence of cancer after a scan in February followed by a biopsy revealed lesions on her liver.
The justice said at that time that chemotherapy treatments were yielding “positive results,” saying that recent scans on July 7 showed “significant” reduction of the lesions “no new disease.” Ginsburg said at that time that she would continue bi-weekly chemotherapy, adding, “I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam. I remain fully able to do that.”
The justice’s health is closely watched given that any health challenge preventing the liberal icon from continuing her tenure on the bench would provide an opening for President Donald Trump to potentially nominate a conservative replacement.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-01--Biden Unlikely To Announce VP Pick Until Second Week Of August

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is unlikely to publicly announce his vice presidential pick before August 10 , in spite of low murmurs regarding interviews of about a dozen or so women and even talk on Friday about a short list .
The Associate Press reported Saturday that a public announcement likely wouldn ’ t happen until just one week before Democrats hold their convention to formally nominate Biden as their presidential nominee which begins August 17 .
Biden said in May that he hoped to name his pick around August 1 and told reporters this week that he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week of August.
” He stopped short of saying when he would publicly reveal his choice .
The New York Times reported Friday that Rep. Karen Bass ( CA ) and former national security adviser for the Obama administration , Susan Rice have recently emerged as strong contenders for the position .
Senator Kamala Harris ( CA ) and Elizabeth Warren ( MA ) are also strong potential running mates .
A handful of other women remain under consideration as picks since deliberations remain fluid .
Senator Tammy Duckworth ( IL ) confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job .
The Times said that Governor Gretchen Whitmer ( MI ) and Representative Val Demings ( FL ) have also been closely reviewed .
According to AP , Biden sought feedback on his pick from former President Barack Obama .
Biden allies also told AP that Biden ’ s wife , Jill , and sister , Valerie Biden Owens , are likely to have sway in the decision — a role they ’ ve played in many of Biden ’ s political moves throughout his career .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is unlikely to publicly announce his vice presidential pick before August 10, in spite of low murmurs regarding interviews of about a dozen or so women and even talk on Friday about a short list.
The Associate Press reported Saturday that a public announcement likely wouldn’t happen until just one week before Democrats hold their convention to formally nominate Biden as their presidential nominee which begins August 17.
Biden said in May that he hoped to name his pick around August 1 and told reporters this week that he would “have a choice in the first week of August.” He stopped short of saying when he would publicly reveal his choice.
On Friday, two people familiar with Biden’s vice-presidential search process told the Washington Post the announcement is not likely to come next week, adding that some Biden allies have been urged the presidential nominee to break the news publicly around August 10.
The New York Times reported Friday that Rep. Karen Bass (CA) and former national security adviser for the Obama administration, Susan Rice have recently emerged as strong contenders for the position. Senator Kamala Harris (CA) and Elizabeth Warren (MA) are also strong potential running mates. A handful of other women remain under consideration as picks since deliberations remain fluid. Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL) confirmed Thursday she had been interviewed for the job. The Times said that Governor Gretchen Whitmer (MI) and Representative Val Demings (FL) have also been closely reviewed.
According to AP, Biden sought feedback on his pick from former President Barack Obama. Biden allies also told AP that Biden’s wife, Jill, and sister, Valerie Biden Owens, are likely to have sway in the decision — a role they’ve played in many of Biden’s political moves throughout his career.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-02--GOP Convention Bars Journalists For The First Time Ever

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The vote to renominate President Donald Trump is set to be conducted in private later this month , without members of the press present , a spokeswoman for the Republican National Convention , citing the coronavirus .
While Trump called off the public components of the convention in Florida last month , citing spiking cases of the virus across the country , 336 delegates are scheduled to gather in Charlotte , North Carolina , on Aug. 24 to formally vote to make Trump the GOP standard-bearer once more .
Nominating conventions are traditionally meant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seek to leverage the attention the events draw to spread their message to as many voters as possible .
If the GOP decision stands , it will mark the first party nominating convention in modern history to be closed to reporters .
“ Given the health restrictions and limitations in place within the state of North Carolina , we are planning for the Charlotte activities to be closed press Friday , August 21 – Monday , August 24 , ” a convention spokeswoman said .
“ We are happy to let you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working within the parameters set before us by state and local guidelines regarding the number of people who can attend events.
” The decision was first reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette .
Privately some GOP delegations have raised logistical issues with traveling to either city , citing the increasing number of jurisdictions imposing mandatory quarantine orders on travelers returning from states experiencing surges in the virus .
The subset of delegates in Charlotte will be casting proxy votes on behalf of the more than 2,500 official delegates to the convention .
Alternate delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON (AP) — The vote to renominate President Donald Trump is set to be conducted in private later this month, without members of the press present, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Convention, citing the coronavirus.
While Trump called off the public components of the convention in Florida last month, citing spiking cases of the virus across the country, 336 delegates are scheduled to gather in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Aug. 24 to formally vote to make Trump the GOP standard-bearer once more.
Nominating conventions are traditionally meant to be media bonanzas, as political parties seek to leverage the attention the events draw to spread their message to as many voters as possible. If the GOP decision stands, it will mark the first party nominating convention in modern history to be closed to reporters.
“Given the health restrictions and limitations in place within the state of North Carolina, we are planning for the Charlotte activities to be closed press Friday, August 21 – Monday, August 24,” a convention spokeswoman said. “We are happy to let you know if this changes, but we are working within the parameters set before us by state and local guidelines regarding the number of people who can attend events.”
The decision was first reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Privately some GOP delegations have raised logistical issues with traveling to either city, citing the increasing number of jurisdictions imposing mandatory quarantine orders on travelers returning from states experiencing surges in the virus.
The subset of delegates in Charlotte will be casting proxy votes on behalf of the more than 2,500 official delegates to the convention. Alternate delegates and guests have already been prohibited.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-02--‘Extraordinarily Widespread’: Dr. Birx Warns America Now In New Phase Of COVID Pandemic

CHARLESTON , W.Va. __ White House coronavirus task force leader Dr. Deborah Birx says widespread coronavirus infections in urban and @ @ @ @ @ new phase ” for the pandemic as she doubled down on calls to wear face @ @ @ @ @ measures .
Birx , speaking on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” @ @ @ @ @ What we are seeing today is different from March and April .
It is extraordinarily @ @ @ @ @ has the world ’ s biggest number of cases at 4.6 million , or one-quarter @ @ @ @ @ 154,361 deaths .
Birx said mitigation efforts across the west and the south are beginning @ @ @ @ @ people need to take the virus seriously and employ significant safety precautions when cases first @ @ @ @ @

CHARLESTON, W.Va. __ White House coronavirus task force leader Dr. Deborah Birx says widespread coronavirus infections in urban and rural America mark a “new phase” for the pandemic as she doubled down on calls to wear face masks and observe social distancing measures.
Birx, speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday morning, said “What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread.”
The United States has the world’s biggest number of cases at 4.6 million, or one-quarter of the total, and 154,361 deaths. Birx said mitigation efforts across the west and the south are beginning to work but warned that people need to take the virus seriously and employ significant safety precautions when cases first begin to tick up.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-02--RNC Now Opens The Door To Having Journalists At Trump Nomination Vote

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The vote to renominate President Donald Trump is set to be conducted in private later this month , without members of the press present , a spokeswoman for the Republican National Convention said on Saturday , citing the coronavirus .
However , a Republican National Committee official contradicted that assessment Sunday , emphasizing that no final decisions have been made and that logistics and press coverage options were still being evaluated , The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
While Trump called off the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , citing spiking cases of the virus across the country , 336 delegates are scheduled to gather in Charlotte , North Carolina , on Aug. 24 to formally vote to make Trump the GOP standard-bearer once more .
Nominating conventions are traditionally meant to be media bonanzas , as political parties seek to leverage the attention the events draw to spread their message to as many voters as possible .
If the GOP decision stands , it will be the first party nominating convention in modern history to be closed to reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limitations in place within the state of North Carolina , we are planning for the Charlotte activities to be closed press Friday , August 21 – Monday , August 24 , ” a convention spokeswoman said .
“ We are happy to let you know if this changes , but we are working within the parameters set before us by state and local guidelines regarding the number of people who can attend events.
” The decision was first reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette .
Privately some GOP delegations have raised logistical issues with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing number of jurisdictions imposing mandatory quarantine orders on travelers returning from states experiencing surges in the virus .
The subset of delegates in Charlotte will be casting proxy votes on behalf of the more than 2,500 official delegates to the convention .
Alternate delegates and guests have already been prohibited .
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON (AP) — The vote to renominate President Donald Trump is set to be conducted in private later this month, without members of the press present, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Convention said on Saturday, citing the coronavirus.
However, a Republican National Committee official contradicted that assessment Sunday, emphasizing that no final decisions have been made and that logistics and press coverage options were still being evaluated, The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
While Trump called off the public components of the convention in Florida last month, citing spiking cases of the virus across the country, 336 delegates are scheduled to gather in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Aug. 24 to formally vote to make Trump the GOP standard-bearer once more.
Nominating conventions are traditionally meant to be media bonanzas, as political parties seek to leverage the attention the events draw to spread their message to as many voters as possible. If the GOP decision stands, it will be the first party nominating convention in modern history to be closed to reporters.
“Given the health restrictions and limitations in place within the state of North Carolina, we are planning for the Charlotte activities to be closed press Friday, August 21 – Monday, August 24,” a convention spokeswoman said. “We are happy to let you know if this changes, but we are working within the parameters set before us by state and local guidelines regarding the number of people who can attend events.”
The decision was first reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Privately some GOP delegations have raised logistical issues with traveling to either city, citing the increasing number of jurisdictions imposing mandatory quarantine orders on travelers returning from states experiencing surges in the virus.
The subset of delegates in Charlotte will be casting proxy votes on behalf of the more than 2,500 official delegates to the convention. Alternate delegates and guests have already been prohibited.
___
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-02--Barron Trump’s Private School Remaining Closed As Prez Pushes For Reopening

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump insists that schools reopen so students can go back to their classrooms , but the Maryland private school where his son Barron is enrolled is among those under county orders to stay closed .
Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles said his order to stay closed for in-person instruction through Oct. 1 and to conduct online classes only will be reevaluated before Oct. 1 to determine whether it should be extended , terminated or amended .
Gayles noted increases in transmission rates for COVID-19 — the disease caused by the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Columbia and Virginia , particularly in younger age groups .
“ Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic , we have based our decisions on science and data , ” Gayles said in a news release announcing the decision late Friday .
“ At this point the data does not suggest that in-person instruction is safe for students or teachers.
” Barron , 14 , is due to enter ninth grade at St. Andrew ’ s Episcopal School in Potomac , Maryland , which is located in Montgomery County .
The 2020-2021 school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
St. Andrews has been preparing for two different options : distance learning or a hybrid model with students learning both on an off campus .
The school had planned to make a final decision the week of Aug. 10 and notify families , according to a note on the school website .
Trump argues that children are being harmed by being away from the classroom .
Federal medical experts have said decisions about reopening schools should be made locally .
Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan criticized the Montgomery County order , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and parents , not politicians .
The White House and St. Andrew ’ s Episcopal School did not immediately return requests for comment late Saturday on the Montgomery County order .
Associated Press writer Brian Witte in Annapolis , Md.
, contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump insists that schools reopen so students can go back to their classrooms, but the Maryland private school where his son Barron is enrolled is among those under county orders to stay closed.
Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles said his order to stay closed for in-person instruction through Oct. 1 and to conduct online classes only will be reevaluated before Oct. 1 to determine whether it should be extended, terminated or amended.
Gayles noted increases in transmission rates for COVID-19 — the disease caused by the virus — in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia, particularly in younger age groups.
“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have based our decisions on science and data,” Gayles said in a news release announcing the decision late Friday. “At this point the data does not suggest that in-person instruction is safe for students or teachers.”
Barron, 14, is due to enter ninth grade at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, which is located in Montgomery County. The 2020-2021 school year is slated to begin Sept. 8.
St. Andrews has been preparing for two different options: distance learning or a hybrid model with students learning both on an off campus. The school had planned to make a final decision the week of Aug. 10 and notify families, according to a note on the school website.
Trump argues that children are being harmed by being away from the classroom. Federal medical experts have said decisions about reopening schools should be made locally.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan criticized the Montgomery County order, saying those decisions should be made by schools and parents, not politicians.
The White House and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School did not immediately return requests for comment late Saturday on the Montgomery County order.
___
Associated Press writer Brian Witte in Annapolis, Md., contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-02--Top VP Contender Rep. Karen Bass Denounces Past Cuba Comments

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Democratic Rep. Karen Bass , one of the top contenders to be Joe Biden ’ s running mate , on Sunday defended her past travel to Cuba and the sympathetic comments she made after the death of Fidel Castro , the dictator who ruled the communist country for decades .
Bass said she was trying to express her condolences to the Cuban people when she referred to Castro as “ Comandante en jefe , ” a term that roughly translates as commander in chief but is reviled by some Cuban exiles in Florida .
Bass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she was unaware of the phrase ’ s political significance in Florida when she issued the 2016 statement , which called Castro ’ s death a “ great loss to the people of Cuba.
” “ Wouldn ’ t do that again , ” Bass said during an appearance on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press.
” “ Talked immediately to my colleagues from Florida and realized that that was something that just shouldn ’ t have been said.
” Bass is considered one of the leading candidates to become Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently her decades-long ties to Cuba have drawn scrutiny because of how they could play in Florida , a key swing state in the November contest with President Donald Trump .
Bass said she traveled to Cuba to help construct homes in her late teens and early 20 ’ s .
As a member of Congress , she has taken numerous trips to the island country to participate in cultural exchanges and study the Cuban medical system .
“ The Cubans also have two medicines , one for diabetes , of which my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which my father died from , and I would like to have those drugs tested in the United States , ” Bass said .
“ That doesn ’ t excuse the fact that I know the Castro regime has been a brutal regime to its people .
I know that there is not freedom of press , freedom of association.
” Bass said she does not consider herself to be a “ Castro sympathizer.
” She said her views of Cuba are in line with policy under former President Barack Obama , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
“ I think the best way to bring about change on the island is for us to have closer relations with the country that is 90 miles away , ” Bass said .
“ My position on Cuba is really no different than the position of the Obama administration .
As a matter of fact , I was honored to go to Cuba with President Obama .
I went to Cuba with Secretary Kerry when we raised the flag .
So there really isn ’ t anything different.
” She also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was politically motivated .
“ I believe the Republicans have decided to brand the entire Democratic Party as socialists and communists .
So I ’ m not surprised by Rubio ’ s characterization of me or of a role I would play if I were on the ticket , ” she said .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Karen Bass, one of the top contenders to be Joe Biden’s running mate, on Sunday defended her past travel to Cuba and the sympathetic comments she made after the death of Fidel Castro, the dictator who ruled the communist country for decades.
Bass said she was trying to express her condolences to the Cuban people when she referred to Castro as “Comandante en jefe,” a term that roughly translates as commander in chief but is reviled by some Cuban exiles in Florida. Bass, who represents California in Congress, said she was unaware of the phrase’s political significance in Florida when she issued the 2016 statement, which called Castro’s death a “great loss to the people of Cuba.”
“Wouldn’t do that again,” Bass said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Talked immediately to my colleagues from Florida and realized that that was something that just shouldn’t have been said.”
Bass is considered one of the leading candidates to become Biden’s vice presidential pick. But recently her decades-long ties to Cuba have drawn scrutiny because of how they could play in Florida, a key swing state in the November contest with President Donald Trump.
Bass said she traveled to Cuba to help construct homes in her late teens and early 20’s. As a member of Congress, she has taken numerous trips to the island country to participate in cultural exchanges and study the Cuban medical system.
“The Cubans also have two medicines, one for diabetes, of which my mother died from, lung cancer, which my father died from, and I would like to have those drugs tested in the United States,” Bass said. “That doesn’t excuse the fact that I know the Castro regime has been a brutal regime to its people. I know that there is not freedom of press, freedom of association.”
Bass said she does not consider herself to be a “Castro sympathizer.” She said her views of Cuba are in line with policy under former President Barack Obama, who sought to thaw U.S. relations with the country.
“I think the best way to bring about change on the island is for us to have closer relations with the country that is 90 miles away,” Bass said. “My position on Cuba is really no different than the position of the Obama administration. As a matter of fact, I was honored to go to Cuba with President Obama. I went to Cuba with Secretary Kerry when we raised the flag. So there really isn’t anything different.”
She also said recent criticism of her by Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was politically motivated.
“I believe the Republicans have decided to brand the entire Democratic Party as socialists and communists. So I’m not surprised by Rubio’s characterization of me or of a role I would play if I were on the ticket,” she said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-03--Trump Explodes After Nevada Approves Automatically Sending All Voters Mail-In Ballots

President Donald Trump swore on Monday morning to dismantle Nevada ’ s move to automatically send registered voters mail-in ballots for the November elections after the state ’ s Democratic-controlled legislature approved a bill to do so on Sunday , which Gov .
Steve Sisolak ( D ) is expected to sign .
Trump claimed via Twitter that the measure , which aims to protect voters from the COVID-19 pandemic , will make it “ impossible for Republicans to win the state , ” reflecting his main grievance with vote-by-mail systems : that they supposedly hurt him politically , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The President also claimed the the post office “ could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation , ” which could indeed be the case considering that his own administration is implementing extensive procedural changes at the U.S .
Postal Service that may jeopardize the agency ’ s ability to process mail-in ballots .
“ Using Covid to steal the state , ” Trump tweeted of the Nevada legislature .
“ See you in Court !
” The President ’ s threat on Monday echoes his similarly explosive reaction in May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its June primary elections .
At the time , Trump accused state lawmakers of trying to “ cheat ” and vowed to “ hold up funds ” from the Silver State as punishment .

President Donald Trump swore on Monday morning to dismantle Nevada’s move to automatically send registered voters mail-in ballots for the November elections after the state’s Democratic-controlled legislature approved a bill to do so on Sunday, which Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) is expected to sign.
Trump claimed via Twitter that the measure, which aims to protect voters from the COVID-19 pandemic, will make it “impossible for Republicans to win the state,” reflecting his main grievance with vote-by-mail systems: that they supposedly hurt him politically, particularly in a swing state like Nevada.
The President also claimed the the post office “could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation,” which could indeed be the case considering that his own administration is implementing extensive procedural changes at the U.S. Postal Service that may jeopardize the agency’s ability to process mail-in ballots.
“Using Covid to steal the state,” Trump tweeted of the Nevada legislature. “See you in Court!”
The President’s threat on Monday echoes his similarly explosive reaction in May when Nevada sent its voters mail-in ballots for its June primary elections. At the time, Trump accused state lawmakers of trying to “cheat” and vowed to “hold up funds” from the Silver State as punishment.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-03--FDA Officials Worried WH Will Cut Corners With Approving COVID-19 Vaccine Ahead Of Elections

Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) are reportedly concerned that the Trump administration will improperly rush the process of approving a vaccine for COVID-19 as a Hail Mary before the presidential elections this November .
The New York Times reported on Sunday that several health experts involved in the government ’ s efforts to find the vaccine fear how politics may interfere with their operations given how the White House had pushed for an October deadline .
Dr. Paul Offit , a member of the FDA ’ s advisory panel for the vaccine , told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those involved in the government ’ s efforts to find the vaccine are “ very nervous ” about the White House bypassing standard processes of approving new drugs to churn out the crucial vaccine as soon as possible .
“ They are really worried about that , ” Offit said of his colleagues .
“ And they should be.
” An administration official would not tell the Times if the FDA ’ s outside advisory committee would be allowed to vet a potential emergency approval of the vaccine .
“ The rapid research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a Covid-19 vaccine is emblematic of President Trump ’ s highest priority : the health and safety of the American people , ” White House spokesperson Judd Deere said in a statement .
“ It has nothing to do with politics .
”

Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are reportedly concerned that the Trump administration will improperly rush the process of approving a vaccine for COVID-19 as a Hail Mary before the presidential elections this November.
The New York Times reported on Sunday that several health experts involved in the government’s efforts to find the vaccine fear how politics may interfere with their operations given how the White House had pushed for an October deadline.
Dr. Paul Offit, a member of the FDA’s advisory panel for the vaccine, told the Times that “a lot” of those involved in the government’s efforts to find the vaccine are “very nervous” about the White House bypassing standard processes of approving new drugs to churn out the crucial vaccine as soon as possible.
“They are really worried about that,” Offit said of his colleagues. “And they should be.”
An administration official would not tell the Times if the FDA’s outside advisory committee would be allowed to vet a potential emergency approval of the vaccine.
“The rapid research, development, trials and eventual distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine is emblematic of President Trump’s highest priority: the health and safety of the American people,” White House spokesperson Judd Deere said in a statement. “It has nothing to do with politics.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-03--HHS’ Last-Minute Order To Hospitals On COVID Data Created Weeks Of Chaos

Leslie Porth , a senior vice president at the Missouri Hospital Association , began a statewide conference call on July 15 with an apology .
Just two days earlier , the Trump administration had sent a letter to hospital administrators , telling them that by the 15th , they would need to stop submitting COVID-19 data to the CDC ’ s National Health Safety Network — a years-old survey backed by some of the government ’ s top epidemiologists .
Instead , they were told to begin sending it to TeleTracking , a private vendor based in Pittsburgh that had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Human Services .
“ We were not aware this was coming , nor were our state or many of our federal partners , to be honest , ” Porth explained to the assembled hospital representatives who make up MHA ’ s membership .
“ It was an unexpected change , and without appropriate time to transition from one system to another.
” Local officials and hospital representatives later complained that HHS , which ordered the change , hadn ’ t briefed them on how the shift to TeleTracking would affect their data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to prepare .
The result was widespread chaos .
The TeleTracking survey was formatted differently than the old HHS survey and asked new questions .
And the Trump administration was now insisting on daily data entries — a challenge for smaller hospitals where the staff responsible for reporting data took weekends off , and for larger hospital networks in which beds , drugs and other supplies are spread across several locations .
Missouri , whose state public health authorities work with MHA to present public COVID-19 data , experienced a hospitalization data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks as a result of the change .
Without accurate data , state and local officials were left to guess if and when they should implement more stringent public health orders , request back-up equipment , or shift resources and patients between hospitals .
Other states experienced similar outages , and questions on data quality persist two-and-a-half weeks later .
“ It ’ s as if you bought furniture at IKEA , but the instructions on how to assemble it don ’ t come with the packaging , ” Dave Dillon , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new survey .
“ We sat here for two weeks with our IKEA furniture all over the floor , not knowing what the hell to do with it.
” In a statement to TPM after the publication of this article , HHS acknowledged that “ hospitals were not given significant time to prepare for these changes ” but said “ the Covid-19 response requires that we move quickly , even when more time might be desired.
” “ In this case , we had an urgent need to have specific data in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , ” HHS said , referring to the antiviral medication .
Even before the abrupt July switchover , the Trump administration had used TeleTracking survey responses to allocate the drug nationwide .
“ The NHSN product was not able to make rapid changes for needs like this which is what led to the immediate change.
” The administration ’ s sudden order that hospitals switch to TeleTracking on just days ’ notice left metaphorical IKEA components strewn all over the country .
In South Carolina , which also experienced a gap in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Environmental Control warned that TeleTracking ’ s survey asked for a tally of all available beds as one “ total ” number — seemingly lumping in , for example , psychiatric beds and neonatal ICU bassinets not available for COVID-19 patients .
“ As a practical matter , not all of these bed types could be used for caring for adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 , ” the state noted in a statement on the DHEC website .
In Idaho , public health authorities warned that “ data after 7/15 may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities transition over to new data submission processes.
” In Missouri , Dillon noted , HHS had initially listed a half-dozen hospitals in its roster that had actually closed — decreasing the state ’ s response rate when the non-functioning hospitals failed to submit COVID-19 data .
“ This is like taking the wing off an airplane in mid-flight and replacing it , and claiming that this is going to make the plane fly even better , ” said Christoph Lehmann , director of the Clinical Informatics Center at UT Southwestern .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the data quality .
This is going to make the data quality worse.
” “ If somebody comes in and claims they can hook up to all the county health departments in the country , and says they can do it in 10 days — I want to know what they ’ re smoking , ” he added .
The COVID Tracking Project , which collects local data to paint a national picture of the virus , observed on Tuesday that state-level hospitalization data had become “ erratic ” in recent weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirements associated with the new guidelines have caused major problems , ” the group reported , adding : “ These problems mean that our hospitalization data — a crucial metric of the COVID-19 pandemic — is , for now , unreliable , and likely an undercount .
We do not think that either the state-level hospitalization data or the new federal data is reliable in isolation.
” On that July 15 conference call , hospital officials tripped over themselves when MHA staff opened the lines for questions .
“ I have not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know what TeleTracking we ’ re talking about , ” one caller said , explaining that her hospital ’ s patients hadn ’ t been prescribed any Remdesivir .
“ Exactly who is TeleTracking H-H-S ?
” someone else asked later .
Another caller noted she didn ’ t have back-up staff available to report data on weekends .
The CDC system let her submit data from home , but she so far hadn ’ t been able to do the same via TeleTracking .
“ The message coming from the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jackie Gatz , another vice president at MHA .
“ They expect daily reports.
” “ What are we considering an adult patient ?
” asked Michael Sayer , a senior director of infection prevention and control at Children ’ s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City .
The hospital didn ’ t have an adult ICU but was caring for patients in their late 20s , Sayer explained .
“ I had the exact same question , because they did not specify , ” Gatz responded .
An HHS guidance document released last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — but only partly .
When tallying in-patient bed space , for example , hospitals were told to “ only consider specialty beds , such as psychiatric and rehab beds , if they are part of the surge workflow and could be used for inpatient needs.
” Adult patients , according to HHS , are those “ currently hospitalized in an adult inpatient bed who have laboratory-confirmed or suspected COVID-19.
” Dillon noted that definition would exclude adults being treated or observed in pediatric beds , therefore skewing representations of hospitalized pediatric patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a national impact , leaving public health leaders and others with less reliable data on which to make decisions and guide public behavior .
As ProPublica and NPR reported Friday , HHS initially promised to update the hospital capacity numbers “ multiple times each day.
” Now , the website says the figure will be updated “ daily ” — even though the last listed update is from July 23 .
The reports noted erratic jumps in statewide hospitalization data as well as state and federal numbers that didn ’ t match .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and directed TPM to HHS .
Regarding the hospital capacity data on its website , HHS told TPM that “ these projections are based on the information we have from those who reported .
As more hospitals report more frequently , our projections become more accurate.
” “ HHS decided to update the estimates weekly because these projections are based on the data reported to HHS , ” the agency ’ s statement added .
“ The strongest estimates can be made using the last 7 days of data reporting.
” HHS said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent , and that while some states and hospital associations have reported “ difficulty ” with the new system , “ [ w ] hen HHS identifies errors in the data submissions , we work directly with the state or hospital association to quickly resolve them.
” But “ difficulties ” remain : Ryan Panchadsaram , a former Obama administration deputy chief technology officer , noted on July 23 that the HHS website asserted that 118 % of Rhode Island inpatient beds were occupied despite few COVID hospitalizations in the state — an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Health told TPM that , contrary to the federal government ’ s numbers , “ we have 2,433 operational beds and 1,893 of them are occupied.
” Ultimately , Dillon told TPM , officials in Missouri had to make guesses about the “ guidance ” — “ I would do air quotes on this , ” he noted — coming from the feds .
“ Nothing happens in 72 hours in the federal government , ” he said , calling the abrupt change to TeleTracking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its hospitalization data for twelve days because it couldn ’ t be sure the numbers coming from the state ’ s hospitals — which were reporting to a new system with minimal background training — were accurate .
And that ’ s the tension at the heart of this latest Trump administration action .
While the switch to TeleTracking was purportedly meant to sharpen the national picture of a global pandemic — with necessary information about things like hospital space , drug use and ventilator supply — it did the opposite .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government effectively “ cut off ” local officials ’ situational awareness , Dillon said .
Once the TeleTracking shift was official — resulting in days of missing data — Dillon said MHA staff began receiving a “ flurry ” of emails from concerned citizens , admonishing them for the missing numbers .
“ Our response was , well , frankly , we agree — we need this data as well , ” Dillon recalled .
“ But we can ’ t release data we don ’ t have confidence in.
” This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Department of Health and Human Services .

Leslie Porth, a senior vice president at the Missouri Hospital Association, began a statewide conference call on July 15 with an apology.
Just two days earlier, the Trump administration had sent a letter to hospital administrators, telling them that by the 15th, they would need to stop submitting COVID-19 data to the CDC’s National Health Safety Network — a years-old survey backed by some of the government’s top epidemiologists.
Instead, they were told to begin sending it to TeleTracking, a private vendor based in Pittsburgh that had been working with the Department of Health and Human Services.
“We were not aware this was coming, nor were our state or many of our federal partners, to be honest,” Porth explained to the assembled hospital representatives who make up MHA’s membership. “It was an unexpected change, and without appropriate time to transition from one system to another.”
Local officials and hospital representatives later complained that HHS, which ordered the change, hadn’t briefed them on how the shift to TeleTracking would affect their data entry operations — nor given them adequate time to prepare. The result was widespread chaos.
The TeleTracking survey was formatted differently than the old HHS survey and asked new questions. And the Trump administration was now insisting on daily data entries — a challenge for smaller hospitals where the staff responsible for reporting data took weekends off, and for larger hospital networks in which beds, drugs and other supplies are spread across several locations.
Missouri, whose state public health authorities work with MHA to present public COVID-19 data, experienced a hospitalization data “blackout” that lasted nearly two weeks as a result of the change.
Without accurate data, state and local officials were left to guess if and when they should implement more stringent public health orders, request back-up equipment, or shift resources and patients between hospitals.
What your state's COVID-19 data looks like when the Trump administration switches to a private contractor with basically zero notice: "Hospitalization data from the period of July 13 through July 24 will remain unavailable." (This is Missouri) pic.twitter.com/fNXo0ncVwZ — Matt Shuham (@mattshuham) July 31, 2020
Other states experienced similar outages, and questions on data quality persist two-and-a-half weeks later.
“It’s as if you bought furniture at IKEA, but the instructions on how to assemble it don’t come with the packaging,” Dave Dillon, a spokesperson for MHA, told TPM of the new survey.
“We sat here for two weeks with our IKEA furniture all over the floor, not knowing what the hell to do with it.”
In a statement to TPM after the publication of this article, HHS acknowledged that “hospitals were not given significant time to prepare for these changes” but said “the Covid-19 response requires that we move quickly, even when more time might be desired.”
“In this case, we had an urgent need to have specific data in order to allocate the remdesivir for that week,” HHS said, referring to the antiviral medication. Even before the abrupt July switchover, the Trump administration had used TeleTracking survey responses to allocate the drug nationwide. “The NHSN product was not able to make rapid changes for needs like this which is what led to the immediate change.”
‘Exactly who is TeleTracking H-H-S?’
The administration’s sudden order that hospitals switch to TeleTracking on just days’ notice left metaphorical IKEA components strewn all over the country.
In South Carolina, which also experienced a gap in hospitalization data, the Department of Health and Environmental Control warned that TeleTracking’s survey asked for a tally of all available beds as one “total” number — seemingly lumping in, for example, psychiatric beds and neonatal ICU bassinets not available for COVID-19 patients.
“As a practical matter, not all of these bed types could be used for caring for adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19,” the state noted in a statement on the DHEC website.
In Idaho, public health authorities warned that “data after 7/15 may not capture all hospitalizations or ICU admissions while facilities transition over to new data submission processes.”
In Missouri, Dillon noted, HHS had initially listed a half-dozen hospitals in its roster that had actually closed — decreasing the state’s response rate when the non-functioning hospitals failed to submit COVID-19 data.
“This is like taking the wing off an airplane in mid-flight and replacing it, and claiming that this is going to make the plane fly even better,” said Christoph Lehmann, director of the Clinical Informatics Center at UT Southwestern. “You have, already, problems with the data quality. This is going to make the data quality worse.”
“If somebody comes in and claims they can hook up to all the county health departments in the country, and says they can do it in 10 days — I want to know what they’re smoking,” he added.
The COVID Tracking Project, which collects local data to paint a national picture of the virus, observed on Tuesday that state-level hospitalization data had become “erratic” in recent weeks.
“It’s clear that technical requirements associated with the new guidelines have caused major problems,” the group reported, adding: “These problems mean that our hospitalization data — a crucial metric of the COVID-19 pandemic — is, for now, unreliable, and likely an undercount. We do not think that either the state-level hospitalization data or the new federal data is reliable in isolation.”
On that July 15 conference call, hospital officials tripped over themselves when MHA staff opened the lines for questions.
“I have not been doing any TeleTracking — I don’t know what TeleTracking we’re talking about,” one caller said, explaining that her hospital’s patients hadn’t been prescribed any Remdesivir.
“Exactly who is TeleTracking H-H-S?” someone else asked later.
Another caller noted she didn’t have back-up staff available to report data on weekends. The CDC system let her submit data from home, but she so far hadn’t been able to do the same via TeleTracking.
“The message coming from the White House is very firm,” responded Jackie Gatz, another vice president at MHA. “They expect daily reports.”
“What are we considering an adult patient?” asked Michael Sayer, a senior director of infection prevention and control at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. The hospital didn’t have an adult ICU but was caring for patients in their late 20s, Sayer explained.
“I had the exact same question, because they did not specify,” Gatz responded.
An HHS guidance document released last week addressed a few of these questions — but only partly.
When tallying in-patient bed space, for example, hospitals were told to “only consider specialty beds, such as psychiatric and rehab beds, if they are part of the surge workflow and could be used for inpatient needs.” Adult patients, according to HHS, are those “currently hospitalized in an adult inpatient bed who have laboratory-confirmed or suspected COVID-19.” Dillon noted that definition would exclude adults being treated or observed in pediatric beds, therefore skewing representations of hospitalized pediatric patients.
‘A Faceplant’
All the empirical confusion has had a national impact, leaving public health leaders and others with less reliable data on which to make decisions and guide public behavior.
As ProPublica and NPR reported Friday, HHS initially promised to update the hospital capacity numbers “multiple times each day.” Now, the website says the figure will be updated “daily” — even though the last listed update is from July 23. The reports noted erratic jumps in statewide hospitalization data as well as state and federal numbers that didn’t match.
TeleTracking declined to comment for this story and directed TPM to HHS.
Regarding the hospital capacity data on its website, HHS told TPM that “these projections are based on the information we have from those who reported. As more hospitals report more frequently, our projections become more accurate.”
“HHS decided to update the estimates weekly because these projections are based on the data reported to HHS,” the agency’s statement added. “The strongest estimates can be made using the last 7 days of data reporting.”
HHS said data entries through TeleTracking were becoming more consistent, and that while some states and hospital associations have reported “difficulty” with the new system, “[w]hen HHS identifies errors in the data submissions, we work directly with the state or hospital association to quickly resolve them.”
But “difficulties” remain: Ryan Panchadsaram, a former Obama administration deputy chief technology officer, noted on July 23 that the HHS website asserted that 118% of Rhode Island inpatient beds were occupied despite few COVID hospitalizations in the state — an enigma that remained as of Monday.
A spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Health told TPM that, contrary to the federal government’s numbers, “we have 2,433 operational beds and 1,893 of them are occupied.”
Ultimately, Dillon told TPM, officials in Missouri had to make guesses about the “guidance” — “I would do air quotes on this,” he noted — coming from the feds.
“Nothing happens in 72 hours in the federal government,” he said, calling the abrupt change to TeleTracking “a faceplant.”
Missouri took down its hospitalization data for twelve days because it couldn’t be sure the numbers coming from the state’s hospitals — which were reporting to a new system with minimal background training — were accurate.
And that’s the tension at the heart of this latest Trump administration action. While the switch to TeleTracking was purportedly meant to sharpen the national picture of a global pandemic — with necessary information about things like hospital space, drug use and ventilator supply — it did the opposite. As a result of the chaos, the federal government effectively “cut off” local officials’ situational awareness, Dillon said.
Once the TeleTracking shift was official — resulting in days of missing data — Dillon said MHA staff began receiving a “flurry” of emails from concerned citizens, admonishing them for the missing numbers.
“Our response was, well, frankly, we agree — we need this data as well,” Dillon recalled. “But we can’t release data we don’t have confidence in.”
This post has been updated to include response from the Department of Health and Human Services.