talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-05--The Epic 3 Hours That Threw The North Carolina Senate Race Into Total Disarray

Last Friday night , breaking news was being churned out so fast that revelations from an hour prior quickly went stale .
Bam !
President Donald Trump was being helicoptered to the hospital out of an “ abundance of caution ” after announcing his positive COVID-19 test .
Wham !
One member after another of his inner orbit announced their own positive tests .
And all the while , political observers were feverishly trying to deduce the seriousness of Trump ’ s illness from the drug cocktails he was prescribed , and to connect the dots in an infection timeline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The glut of national news overshadowed the spectacular implosion of the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina , where the Republican incumbent tested positive for COVID-19 and the Democratic nominee was brought low by the revelation of a sexting scandal that had unfolded during the course of the campaign .
A few minutes before 8:30 p.m .
ET , Sen. Thom Tillis ( R-NC ) announced that he , like many who attended the Rose Garden ceremony announcing Trump ’ s Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett , had tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ramifications , both on the federal and state level .
Tillis sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee , the first stop for Barrett ’ s confirmation .
His illness plus that of Sen. Mike Lee ( R-UT ) , who also sits on the committee , could throw the confirmation timeline into flux .
It could also hobble Tillis ’ last-ditch effort to turn around his flailing campaign .
After months of trailing Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham in the polls , Tillis hoped to pivot to his role in getting Barrett on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loyalty to Trump .
His votes to protect former special counsel Robert Mueller and initially against using Pentagon money for the border wall had left some doubt in MAGA minds .
On top of all that , in an echo of the presidential situation , Tillis had attended a debate with Cunningham on Thursday night , raising concerns that Cunningham too could have been exposed .
For a few hours , it seemed like the death knell for a Tillis campaign already on life support .
He had to temporarily close his Charlotte @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House unveiling of Barrett , which was supposed to mark Tillis ’ pivot to being instrumental in getting a conservative on the Supreme Court , turned out to be a potential super-spreader event .
Tillis ’ name became another bullet point on a list of people infected at the poster ceremony for Republican irresponsibility .
But this was Friday night — nothing stayed certain for that long .
Three hours after Tillis announced his positive test , under cover of the most frantic news night in four years of frantic news nights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Raleigh News & Observer that the candidate exchanged sexual texts with a woman who was not his wife .
The existence of the texts was first reported Thursday by a site called NationalFile.com , staffed by alumni of outlets like Breitbart and the Daily Caller .
The story identified the woman as Arlene Guzman Todd , a public relations strategist .
The report included screenshots , in which the two discussed their desire to get away together .
“ Would make my day to roll over and kiss you about now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling Todd “ historically sexy ” in another .
“ Get away for a night soon , ” Todd requests in one exchange , adding : “ I have flexibility this month — done with school , training , big RFPs , etc .
So the only thing I want on my to do list is you.
” “ Pick a day , city , make up an excuse for the fam , ditch a staffer , starch your white shirt , and be ready to kiss a lot , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teenage children .
He confirmed the veracity of the texts to the News & Observer with a statement .
“ I have hurt my family , disappointed my friends , and am deeply sorry , ” he said .
“ The first step in repairing those relationships is taking complete responsibility , which I do .
I ask that my family ’ s privacy be respected in this personal matter.
” He added that he would continue to “ fight for the people of our state , ” making it clear that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s too early to know how and if this one-two punch October surprise will upset the race .
Absentee ballots have been sent out to North Carolinians since the beginning of September .
As of Thursday , nearly 305,000 ballots had already been cast , according to the state Board of Elections .
The seat is crucial to both parties ’ tooth-and-nail attempts to scrape out a majority in the Senate .
It ’ s become one of the most expensive races of the cycle .
“ No one believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we win North Carolina , ” Tillis said two weeks ago .

Last Friday night, breaking news was being churned out so fast that revelations from an hour prior quickly went stale.
Bam! President Donald Trump was being helicoptered to the hospital out of an “abundance of caution” after announcing his positive COVID-19 test. Wham! One member after another of his inner orbit announced their own positive tests. And all the while, political observers were feverishly trying to deduce the seriousness of Trump’s illness from the drug cocktails he was prescribed, and to connect the dots in an infection timeline the White House was reluctant to elucidate.
The glut of national news overshadowed the spectacular implosion of the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, where the Republican incumbent tested positive for COVID-19 and the Democratic nominee was brought low by the revelation of a sexting scandal that had unfolded during the course of the campaign.
A few minutes before 8:30 p.m. ET, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) announced that he, like many who attended the Rose Garden ceremony announcing Trump’s Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, had tested positive for COVID-19.
Tonight my COVID-19 test came back positive. I’m following the recommendations of my doctor. Thankfully, I have no symptoms and feel well. COVID is a very contagious virus. If you were exposed or start to display symptoms, please call your doctor, self-isolate, and get tested. pic.twitter.com/fwc826dkvQ — Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) October 3, 2020
The diagnosis had immediate ramifications, both on the federal and state level. Tillis sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the first stop for Barrett’s confirmation. His illness plus that of Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who also sits on the committee, could throw the confirmation timeline into flux.
It could also hobble Tillis’ last-ditch effort to turn around his flailing campaign. After months of trailing Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham in the polls, Tillis hoped to pivot to his role in getting Barrett on the bench, erasing any doubt of his loyalty to Trump. His votes to protect former special counsel Robert Mueller and initially against using Pentagon money for the border wall had left some doubt in MAGA minds.
On top of all that, in an echo of the presidential situation, Tillis had attended a debate with Cunningham on Thursday night, raising concerns that Cunningham too could have been exposed.
For a few hours, it seemed like the death knell for a Tillis campaign already on life support. He had to temporarily close his Charlotte office and cancel in-person campaigning. The White House unveiling of Barrett, which was supposed to mark Tillis’ pivot to being instrumental in getting a conservative on the Supreme Court, turned out to be a potential super-spreader event. Tillis’ name became another bullet point on a list of people infected at the poster ceremony for Republican irresponsibility.
But this was Friday night — nothing stayed certain for that long.
Three hours after Tillis announced his positive test, under cover of the most frantic news night in four years of frantic news nights, Cunningham’s campaign confirmed to the Raleigh News & Observer that the candidate exchanged sexual texts with a woman who was not his wife.
The existence of the texts was first reported Thursday by a site called NationalFile.com, staffed by alumni of outlets like Breitbart and the Daily Caller. The story identified the woman as Arlene Guzman Todd, a public relations strategist.
The report included screenshots, in which the two discussed their desire to get away together.
“Would make my day to roll over and kiss you about now,” Cunningham said in one text, calling Todd “historically sexy” in another.
“Get away for a night soon,” Todd requests in one exchange, adding: “I have flexibility this month — done with school, training, big RFPs, etc. So the only thing I want on my to do list is you.”
“Pick a day, city, make up an excuse for the fam, ditch a staffer, starch your white shirt, and be ready to kiss a lot,” she said.
Cunningham is married and has two teenage children.
He confirmed the veracity of the texts to the News & Observer with a statement.
“I have hurt my family, disappointed my friends, and am deeply sorry,” he said. “The first step in repairing those relationships is taking complete responsibility, which I do. I ask that my family’s privacy be respected in this personal matter.”
He added that he would continue to “fight for the people of our state,” making it clear that he did not intend to end his run.
It’s too early to know how and if this one-two punch October surprise will upset the race. Absentee ballots have been sent out to North Carolinians since the beginning of September. As of Thursday, nearly 305,000 ballots had already been cast, according to the state Board of Elections.
The seat is crucial to both parties’ tooth-and-nail attempts to scrape out a majority in the Senate. It’s become one of the most expensive races of the cycle.
“No one believes we can keep a Senate majority unless we win North Carolina,” Tillis said two weeks ago.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-05--Ammon Bundy Refuses To Wear A Mask, Ruins High School Football Game

Anti-government activist Ammon Bundy ruined a high school football game in Idaho Friday night by refusing to wear a mask , leading school officials to cancel the game at halftime .
Bundy , who was denied entry to the Caldwell High School stadium for not wearing a mask , watched the first half of the game against Emmett High School — where his son plays — from behind the end zone .
But after school officials repeatedly insisted that he put on a mask while on school property , to no avail , they called the game .
Bundy hung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and arguing with attendees about history and his right not to wear a mask .
In a video after the game was called off , Bundy compared himself to Jews in Germany in the 1930s and Black people in the Jim Crow South .
“ When I was standing there and my family was standing there , I honestly could imagine , accurately I believe , what a Jewish person felt in the 30s in Germany , ” he said .
“ Especially the beginning , how they were discriminated against , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis to have them in their society because their genes were inferior.
” The right-wing activist , who in 2016 led an armed multi-week occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon , has in recent months taken up the cause of opposing public health orders to stem the spread of COVID-19 .
He was arrested twice at the Idaho state legislature last month and was subsequently barred from the capitol grounds for a year .
On Friday , according to Bundy and local reports , Caldwell School District shut down the game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on school grounds .
Video from Bundy shows a coach from Emmett asking Bundy to cooperate with the school .
The game ’ s cancellation , the coach said , “ is going to harm a lot of people.
” “ You know what ’ s going to harm more people ?
Allowing this stuff to go on , ” Bundy replied .
“ You know that coach !
” Caldwell Police Department spokesman Joey Hoadley subsequently said , “ Canyon County dispatch began receiving multiple calls from unidentified callers threatening acts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispute over masks , at which time the decision was made to cancel the game for the safety of students and fans.
” Bundy posted several videos of the night , including one showing parents and students leaving the stadium at Caldwell High School .
“ I ’ m furious , this is bullshit , ” Bundy filmed one woman telling him .
“ These are kids , if you can ’ t just keep your mouth shut , stay home.
” “ I don ’ t give two shits what you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it for everybody !
” the woman added , as Bundy tried to explain his position .
Emmett led the game 35-0 at the half , KTVB noted .

Anti-government activist Ammon Bundy ruined a high school football game in Idaho Friday night by refusing to wear a mask, leading school officials to cancel the game at halftime.
Bundy, who was denied entry to the Caldwell High School stadium for not wearing a mask, watched the first half of the game against Emmett High School — where his son plays — from behind the end zone. But after school officials repeatedly insisted that he put on a mask while on school property, to no avail, they called the game.
Bundy hung around afterward, outside the stadium, and arguing with attendees about history and his right not to wear a mask.
In a video after the game was called off, Bundy compared himself to Jews in Germany in the 1930s and Black people in the Jim Crow South.
“When I was standing there and my family was standing there, I honestly could imagine, accurately I believe, what a Jewish person felt in the 30s in Germany,” he said. “Especially the beginning, how they were discriminated against, they were told that it was a health crisis to have them in their society because their genes were inferior.”
The right-wing activist, who in 2016 led an armed multi-week occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, has in recent months taken up the cause of opposing public health orders to stem the spread of COVID-19. He was arrested twice at the Idaho state legislature last month and was subsequently barred from the capitol grounds for a year.
On Friday, according to Bundy and local reports, Caldwell School District shut down the game after Bundy refused to wear a mask on school grounds. Video from Bundy shows a coach from Emmett asking Bundy to cooperate with the school. The game’s cancellation, the coach said, “is going to harm a lot of people.”
“You know what’s going to harm more people? Allowing this stuff to go on,” Bundy replied. “You know that coach!”
Caldwell Police Department spokesman Joey Hoadley subsequently said, “Canyon County dispatch began receiving multiple calls from unidentified callers threatening acts of violence at the game stemming from the dispute over masks, at which time the decision was made to cancel the game for the safety of students and fans.”
Bundy posted several videos of the night, including one showing parents and students leaving the stadium at Caldwell High School.
“I’m furious, this is bullshit,” Bundy filmed one woman telling him. “These are kids, if you can’t just keep your mouth shut, stay home.”
“I don’t give two shits what you have to say, you’ve ruined it for everybody!” the woman added, as Bundy tried to explain his position.
Emmett led the game 35-0 at the half, KTVB noted.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-05--Meadows Dismisses Concerns Of Trump Potentially Infecting Secret Service During Joyride

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows brushed off concerns on Monday morning that President Donald Trump put his Secret Service agents at risk the day before , when the President had them accompany him during his drive outside Walter Reed Military Medical Center , where he is being treated for COVID-19 .
“ A number of folks are trying to just make a big deal of that , ” Meadows said during an interview on Fox News , “ when indeed I know that myself and and some of the Secret Service detailees are right there with him trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protected each and every day and that he returns to the White House as expeditiously as possible.
” Secret Service agents escorted Trump on his jaunt so he could wave at a group of supporters through a car window .
Several agents expressed frustration to CNN at how Trump ’ s political theater , including the drive and his campaign rallies , have put them at serious risk of contracting COVID-19 .
“ That should never have happened , ” one agent told CNN .
Additionally , “ the frustration with how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions on this illness goes back before ” the incident .
Another agent slammed President ’ s drive on Sunday as “ simply reckless .
”

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows brushed off concerns on Monday morning that President Donald Trump put his Secret Service agents at risk the day before, when the President had them accompany him during his drive outside Walter Reed Military Medical Center, where he is being treated for COVID-19.
“A number of folks are trying to just make a big deal of that,” Meadows said during an interview on Fox News, “when indeed I know that myself and and some of the Secret Service detailees are right there with him trying to make sure that he’s protected each and every day and that he returns to the White House as expeditiously as possible.”
Secret Service agents escorted Trump on his jaunt so he could wave at a group of supporters through a car window.
President Trump, wearing a mask, rides by his supporters outside Walter Reed while in the back of a Suburban. pic.twitter.com/nsCJyYXHdK — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 4, 2020
Several agents expressed frustration to CNN at how Trump’s political theater, including the drive and his campaign rallies, have put them at serious risk of contracting COVID-19.
“That should never have happened,” one agent told CNN. Additionally, “the frustration with how we’re treated when it comes to decisions on this illness goes back before” the incident.
Another agent slammed President’s drive on Sunday as “simply reckless.”
Watch Meadows below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-05--‘VOTE!!!!!’: Trump Attempts To Campaign From Inside The Hospital With Deranged Tweets

President Donald Trump , cooped up in Walter Reed Military Medical Center while undergoing treatment for COVID-19 and thus deprived of his beloved campaign rallies , had to settle for the next best thing on Monday morning : Nearly 20 unhinged tweets in all-caps .
The spree began with Trump thanking a voter for voicing support for him on “ Fox and Friends.
” Then the President added “ NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE BEST EVER .
VOTE , VOTE , VOTE !
!
!
!
!
” Then a second tweet followed : “ IF YOU WANT A MASSIVE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY ( AND ONE THAT WILL SHUT OUR ECONOMY AND JOBS DOWN ) , VOTE DEMOCRAT !
!
!
” Trump ’ s third tweet took a somewhat calmer tone in that he didn ’ t use all-caps when he told Virginians that they ’ d “ Better Vote for your favorite President , or wave goodbye to low taxes and gun rights !
” What followed next was…a lot .
Trump is currently being treated for COVID-19 at Walter Reed after being admitted at the hospital on Friday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has given a convoluted timeline as to when exactly he was diagnosed with the virus , reported on Sunday that Trump had had a “ high fever ” and that his blood oxygen levels have dropped twice .
Additionally , the physicians stated that the President was being treated with dexamethasone , a steroid used for treating severe cases of the virus .
Dexamethasone can cause patients to exhibit the type of frenzied behavior seen in Trump ’ s Twitter rampage , according to medical experts .
CNN medical expert Dr. Megan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the side effects of dexamethasone can include “ psychosis ” and “ mania.
” Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) Director Dr. Tom Frieden tweeted that “ steroids such as dexamethasone cause hyperactivity .
Just saying.
” Ranny and Frieden ’ s comments followed Trump ’ s unexpected drive outside the hospital to greet his supporters while inside the car on Sunday evening .

President Donald Trump, cooped up in Walter Reed Military Medical Center while undergoing treatment for COVID-19 and thus deprived of his beloved campaign rallies, had to settle for the next best thing on Monday morning: Nearly 20 unhinged tweets in all-caps.
The spree began with Trump thanking a voter for voicing support for him on “Fox and Friends.” Then the President added “NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE BEST EVER. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!!!!”
Then a second tweet followed: “IF YOU WANT A MASSIVE TAX INCREASE, THE BIGGEST IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY (AND ONE THAT WILL SHUT OUR ECONOMY AND JOBS DOWN), VOTE DEMOCRAT!!!”
Trump’s third tweet took a somewhat calmer tone in that he didn’t use all-caps when he told Virginians that they’d “Better Vote for your favorite President, or wave goodbye to low taxes and gun rights!”
What followed next was…a lot.
Trump is currently being treated for COVID-19 at Walter Reed after being admitted at the hospital on Friday. The President’s medical team, which has given a convoluted timeline as to when exactly he was diagnosed with the virus, reported on Sunday that Trump had had a “high fever” and that his blood oxygen levels have dropped twice. Additionally, the physicians stated that the President was being treated with dexamethasone, a steroid used for treating severe cases of the virus.
Dexamethasone can cause patients to exhibit the type of frenzied behavior seen in Trump’s Twitter rampage, according to medical experts.
CNN medical expert Dr. Megan Ranny told anchor Wolf Blitzer on Sunday that the side effects of dexamethasone can include “psychosis” and “mania.”
Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Tom Frieden tweeted that “steroids such as dexamethasone cause hyperactivity. Just saying.”
Ranny and Frieden’s comments followed Trump’s unexpected drive outside the hospital to greet his supporters while inside the car on Sunday evening.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-06--Biden Urges America Not To Be ‘A House Divided’ In Gettysburg Remarks

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called for national unity while delivering remarks at Gettysburg , Pennsylvania on Tuesday , as he disavowed political division in the grueling final weeks leading up to the November presidential election .
Biden began his speech by arguing that “ there ’ s no more fitting place ” than the Civil War battlefield to discuss “ the cost of division.
” “ And how much it has cost America , in the past , but how much it is costing us now , ” Biden said .
“ And about why I believe at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nation.
” Biden then invoked former President Abraham Lincoln as he urged the country against remaining “ a house divided.
” “ Today , once again , we are a house divided .
That , my friends , can no longer be .
We are facing too many crises .
We have too much work to do , ” Biden said .
This year alone , the nation has suffered more than 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic , which has wiped out millions of jobs and forced untold businesses to shutter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future to leave it shipwrecked on the shoals of anger and hate and division , ” Biden said .
Biden also urged the end of “ unrelenting partisan warfare ” before nodding to protests against racial injustice in the wake of incidences of police brutality against Black people , such as George Floyd in Minneapolis and Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
“ I think about what it takes for a Black person to love America , ” Biden said , after quoting remarks by Floyd ’ s daughter , Blake ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coach Doc Rivers expressing injustice .
“ That is a deep love for this country that has for far too long never been recognized.
” Biden turned his focus to the COVID-19 pandemic later in his speech .
Without directly mentioning President Trump , the Democratic presidential nominee urged the public against politicizing COVID-19 .
“ Wearing a mask is not a political statement , it ’ s a scientific recommendation , ” Biden said .
“ Social distancing isn ’ t a political statement , it ’ s a scientific recommendation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ approval and distribution of a vaccine isn ’ t a political statement.
” During their first presidential debate last week , Trump mocked Biden for wearing “ the biggest mask I ’ ve ever seen ” even when the former vice president is practicing social distancing .
But Biden used his speech Tuesday to emphasize that the COVID-19 pandemic “ isn ’ t a red or blue state issue.
” “ It affects us all and can take anyone ’ s life , ” Biden said .
“ It ’ s a virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapon.
” Biden concluded his remarks with a call to “ end this era of division.
” “ You and I are part of a covenant , a common story of divisions overcome and hope renewed .
If we do our part , if we stand together , if we keep faith of the past and with each other , the divisions of our time will give way to dreams of a a better and brighter future , ” Biden said .
“ This is our work .
This is our pledge , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end this era of division .
We can end the hate and the fear.
” Shortly after Biden ’ s speech concluded , President Trump weighed in on the state where Biden appeared , expressing concern over his sinking poll numbers in Pennsylvania .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called for national unity while delivering remarks at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, as he disavowed political division in the grueling final weeks leading up to the November presidential election.
Biden began his speech by arguing that “there’s no more fitting place” than the Civil War battlefield to discuss “the cost of division.”
“And how much it has cost America, in the past, but how much it is costing us now,” Biden said. “And about why I believe at this moment, we must come together as a nation.”
Biden then invoked former President Abraham Lincoln as he urged the country against remaining “a house divided.”
“Today, once again, we are a house divided. That, my friends, can no longer be. We are facing too many crises. We have too much work to do,” Biden said.
This year alone, the nation has suffered more than 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, which has wiped out millions of jobs and forced untold businesses to shutter.
“We have too bright a future to leave it shipwrecked on the shoals of anger and hate and division,” Biden said.
Biden also urged the end of “unrelenting partisan warfare” before nodding to protests against racial injustice in the wake of incidences of police brutality against Black people, such as George Floyd in Minneapolis and Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“I think about what it takes for a Black person to love America,” Biden said, after quoting remarks by Floyd’s daughter, Blake’s mother and Los Angeles Clippers basketball coach Doc Rivers expressing injustice. “That is a deep love for this country that has for far too long never been recognized.”
Biden turned his focus to the COVID-19 pandemic later in his speech. Without directly mentioning President Trump, the Democratic presidential nominee urged the public against politicizing COVID-19.
“Wearing a mask is not a political statement, it’s a scientific recommendation,” Biden said. “Social distancing isn’t a political statement, it’s a scientific recommendation. Testing, tracing, the development and approval and distribution of a vaccine isn’t a political statement.”
During their first presidential debate last week, Trump mocked Biden for wearing “the biggest mask I’ve ever seen” even when the former vice president is practicing social distancing.
But Biden used his speech Tuesday to emphasize that the COVID-19 pandemic “isn’t a red or blue state issue.”
“It affects us all and can take anyone’s life,” Biden said. “It’s a virus. It’s not a political weapon.”
Biden concluded his remarks with a call to “end this era of division.”
“You and I are part of a covenant, a common story of divisions overcome and hope renewed. If we do our part, if we stand together, if we keep faith of the past and with each other, the divisions of our time will give way to dreams of a a better and brighter future,” Biden said. “This is our work. This is our pledge, this is our mission. We can end this era of division. We can end the hate and the fear.”
Shortly after Biden’s speech concluded, President Trump weighed in on the state where Biden appeared, expressing concern over his sinking poll numbers in Pennsylvania.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-06--White House Outbreak Exposes Contact Tracing-Shaped Hole In US COVID Response

In the days after it became clear that White House had suffered a COVID-19 outbreak , many who had been in the building or interacted with the President wondered aloud : why hadn ’ t they heard from contact tracers ?
But though the idea of a legion of agents armed with the know-how to trace and detect an outbreak may be comforting , it ’ s one of a series of misconceptions that surround the idea of contact tracing in the U.S .
Though the concept has been successfully implemented in countries around the world and in a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole lags far behind where it needs to be in order to have contact tracing function as an effective tool to mitigate and control the pandemic .
Beyond the lack of infrastructure , personnel , and funding for the local public health departments that conduct contact tracing , the approach also faces a conceptual problem due to the massive amount of virus that continue to spread across the country .
“ There ’ s just too much viral load for contact tracing to be effective right now , ” Gary Slutkin , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Africa , told TPM .
What ’ s left is a bleak but revealing picture : a key tool needed to bring the pandemic to an end is missing .
Contact tracing operates on a simple principle : if you can identify who an infected person has been in close contact with , you can get ahead of COVID-19 by quarantining those exposed to the virus .
The approach is an essential component of any pandemic mitigation and prevention strategy , allowing public health officials to catch and halt transmission chains as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge ask .
A report from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials estimated that nearly 330,000 contact tracers would be needed nationwide , assuming a ratio of one contact tracer per one thousand citizens .
And contact tracing is most suited for the beginning and ends of the epidemic curve , Josh Michaud , associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation , told TPM — times when cases are few enough that individual outbreaks can be tracked down and potential cases contained .
That ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today , with only somewhat-mitigated spread .
“ In places where you have a city or a county or something where there ’ s just widespread transmission , too many cases to count , in that kind of situation you don ’ t see contact tracing having much of an impact , ” Michaud said .
Coupled with the overwhelming rate of new cases in the U.S. , slow testing turnaround times and lack of resources for the local public health departments that actually trace contacts drastically reduce the effectiveness of an already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being delayed 7-10 days , contact tracing almost is worthless because you can ’ t identify people quickly before they ’ ve already spread the virus , ” Michaud noted .
Public health departments around the country are already equipped to handle the function in limited ways due to past experience with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS , Dr. William Schaffner , a professor of preventative medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical School , told TPM .
“ It ’ s traditionally done at the local level , by the city or county health departments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he added .
“ It depends on gaining the trust of the person whom you ’ re interviewing for the case.
” Congress appropriated $ 25 billion for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing in March as part of the CARES Act .
But since then , no new federal dollars have been earmarked for the task .
Experts told TPM that in an ideal scenario , COVID-19 transmission would be reduced to a level where contact tracing would be effective : individual outbreaks could be caught and stopped by local public health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the population as being infected in a more circumscribed way — the White House , for example — contact tracing there can be very , very helpful , ” Schaffner added .
“ You can button things up in that particular population .
But if you think of our population at large , regardless of what we ’ re doing with contact tracing , it has a much less notable effect.
” And though some areas like New York City have managed to stand up groups of contact tracers to try to identify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many areas with underfunded health departments have had trouble finding the money and time to track down the contacts of people infected with COVID-19 .
Several proposals would see billions of dollars go towards local public health departments , allowing them to hire scores of contact tracers that would be able to meet the level the country needs to keep virus transmission at a level far lower than it is today .
ASTHO and Johns Hopkins released an estimate saying that 100,000 contact tracers was the minimum needed nationally “ to rapidly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-test individuals who are infected and have been exposed.
” The Biden campaign has latched onto that number , committing to establishing a “ U.S .
Public Health Job Corps ” that would be composed of at least 100,000 people to work on public health issues around COVID-19 , including contact tracing .
Biden has also said that he would establish a “ U.S .
Public Health Service Reserve Corps ” that would deploy around the country to train local health departments to detect and respond to COVID-19 outbreaks .
Other questions around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Public health departments are already constrained by a steep drop in tax revenue , making it difficult to add more services .
The HEROES Act , House Democrats ’ bill aimed at addressing the pandemic , includes a $ 75 billion appropriation for testing and contact tracing which would go part of the way towards addressing this .
But , Michaud argued , to have avoided outbreaks in the fall and coming winter , the country should have made these investments months ago .
“ The time to invest was yesterday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure to have those in place for what could be a surge in cases going forward as the weather gets colder .
”

In the days after it became clear that the White House had suffered a COVID-19 outbreak, many who had been in the building or interacted with the President wondered aloud: why hadn’t they heard from contact tracers?
But though the idea of a legion of agents armed with the know-how to trace and detect an outbreak may be comforting, it’s one of a series of misconceptions that surround the idea of contact tracing in the U.S.
Though the concept has been successfully implemented in countries around the world and in a few locations here, the U.S. as a whole lags far behind where it needs to be in order to have contact tracing function as an effective tool to mitigate and control the pandemic.
Beyond the lack of infrastructure, personnel, and funding for the local public health departments that conduct contact tracing, the approach also faces a conceptual problem due to the massive amount of virus that continue to spread across the country.
“There’s just too much viral load for contact tracing to be effective right now,” Gary Slutkin, a former WHO epidemiologist who fought disease in Africa, told TPM.
What’s left is a bleak but revealing picture: a key tool needed to bring the pandemic to an end is missing.
Tracer fire
Contact tracing operates on a simple principle: if you can identify who an infected person has been in close contact with, you can get ahead of COVID-19 by quarantining those exposed to the virus.
The approach is an essential component of any pandemic mitigation and prevention strategy, allowing public health officials to catch and halt transmission chains as they occur.
But it’s a huge ask. A report from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials estimated that nearly 330,000 contact tracers would be needed nationwide, assuming a ratio of one contact tracer per one thousand citizens.
And contact tracing is most suited for the beginning and ends of the epidemic curve, Josh Michaud, associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told TPM — times when cases are few enough that individual outbreaks can be tracked down and potential cases contained. That’s not the situation the U.S. finds itself in today, with only somewhat-mitigated spread.
“In places where you have a city or a county or something where there’s just widespread transmission, too many cases to count, in that kind of situation you don’t see contact tracing having much of an impact,” Michaud said.
Coupled with the overwhelming rate of new cases in the U.S., slow testing turnaround times and lack of resources for the local public health departments that actually trace contacts drastically reduce the effectiveness of an already sparsely used program.
“If results are being delayed 7-10 days, contact tracing almost is worthless because you can’t identify people quickly before they’ve already spread the virus,” Michaud noted.
Public health departments around the country are already equipped to handle the function in limited ways due to past experience with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventative medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical School, told TPM.
“It’s traditionally done at the local level, by the city or county health departments, and it takes some training,” he added. “It depends on gaining the trust of the person whom you’re interviewing for the case.”
“We haven’t had a lot of resources,” Schaffner added.
Getting down
Congress appropriated $25 billion for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing in March as part of the CARES Act.
But since then, no new federal dollars have been earmarked for the task.
Experts told TPM that in an ideal scenario, COVID-19 transmission would be reduced to a level where contact tracing would be effective: individual outbreaks could be caught and stopped by local public health departments.
“If you think of the population as being infected in a more circumscribed way — the White House, for example — contact tracing there can be very, very helpful,” Schaffner added. “You can button things up in that particular population. But if you think of our population at large, regardless of what we’re doing with contact tracing, it has a much less notable effect.”
And though some areas like New York City have managed to stand up groups of contact tracers to try to identify and halt new outbreaks as they occur, many areas with underfunded health departments have had trouble finding the money and time to track down the contacts of people infected with COVID-19.
Several proposals would see billions of dollars go towards local public health departments, allowing them to hire scores of contact tracers that would be able to meet the level the country needs to keep virus transmission at a level far lower than it is today.
ASTHO and Johns Hopkins released an estimate saying that 100,000 contact tracers was the minimum needed nationally “to rapidly identify, contain, support, and re-test
individuals who are infected and have been exposed.”
The Biden campaign has latched onto that number, committing to establishing a “U.S. Public Health Job Corps” that would be composed of at least 100,000 people to work on public health issues around COVID-19, including contact tracing. Biden has also said that he would establish a “U.S. Public Health Service Reserve Corps” that would deploy around the country to train local health departments to detect and respond to COVID-19 outbreaks.
Other questions around massive budgetary losses in local government linger. Public health departments are already constrained by a steep drop in tax revenue, making it difficult to add more services.
The HEROES Act, House Democrats’ bill aimed at addressing the pandemic, includes a $75 billion appropriation for testing and contact tracing which would go part of the way towards addressing this.
But, Michaud argued, to have avoided outbreaks in the fall and coming winter, the country should have made these investments months ago.
“The time to invest was yesterday,” he said. “We needed to make sure to have those in place for what could be a surge in cases going forward as the weather gets colder.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-06--St. Louis Couple Indicted For Waving Guns At Protesters

ST. LOUIS ( AP ) — A grand jury on Tuesday indicted the St. Louis couple who displayed guns while hundreds of racial injustice protesters marched on their private street .
Al Watkins , an attorney for the couple , confirmed to The Associated Press the indictments against Mark McCloskey , 63 , and his wife , Patricia McCloskey , 61 .
A spokeswoman for Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner declined comment .
The McCloskeys , who are both attorneys , have become folk heroes among some conservatives .
They argue that they were simply exercising their Second Amendment right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Missouri ’ s castle doctrine law that allows the use of deadly force against intruders .
The case has caught the attention of President Donald Trump , and Republican Missouri Gov .
Mike Parson has said he will pardon the couple if they are convicted .
The McCloskeys also were featured speakers on the first night of the Republican National Convention .
They ’ ve accused the “ leftist ” Democratic St. Louis leadership for their plight .
But Gardner , a Democrat , charged the couple with felony unlawful use of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns risked bloodshed at what she called an otherwise peaceful protest .
Watkins said that addition to the weapons charge , the grand jury indictment includes a tampering with evidence charge .
It wasn ’ t clear what led to that additional count , he said .
The McCloskeys contend the protest was hardly peaceful .
They say protesters came onto the private street after knocking over an iron gate and ignoring a “ No Trespassing sign , ” and said they felt threatened .
The incident happened June 28 as protesters were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krewson , a few blocks away .
They suddenly decided to veer onto the McCloskeys ’ street , prompting the confrontation that was caught on cellphone video .
It showed Mark McCloskey in front of the $ 1.15 million home armed with an AR-15 rifle and Patricia McCloskey with a semiautomatic handgun .
A police probable cause statement said protesters feared “ being injured due to Patricia McCloskey ’ s finger being on the trigger , coupled with her excited demeanor.
” Nine people involved in the protest were charged with misdemeanor trespassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office later dropped the charges .
The city counselor ’ s office handles lesser crimes and is not affiliated with the circuit attorney ’ s office .
Mark McCloskey , after a brief court hearing last week , expressed anger that he and his wife faced criminal charges while those who trespassed onto his property did not .
“ Every single human being that was in front of my house was a criminal trespasser , ” McCloskey said on Oct. 6 .
“ They broke down our gate .
They trespassed on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those people is now charged with anything .
We ’ re charged with felonies that could cost us four years of our lives and our law licenses.
” The June protest in St. Louis was among hundreds nationwide in the aftermath of George Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis .

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A grand jury on Tuesday indicted the St. Louis couple who displayed guns while hundreds of racial injustice protesters marched on their private street.
Al Watkins, an attorney for the couple, confirmed to The Associated Press the indictments against Mark McCloskey, 63, and his wife, Patricia McCloskey, 61. A spokeswoman for Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner declined comment.
The McCloskeys, who are both attorneys, have become folk heroes among some conservatives. They argue that they were simply exercising their Second Amendment right to bear arms, and were protected by Missouri’s castle doctrine law that allows the use of deadly force against intruders. The case has caught the attention of President Donald Trump, and Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has said he will pardon the couple if they are convicted.
The McCloskeys also were featured speakers on the first night of the Republican National Convention. They’ve accused the “leftist” Democratic St. Louis leadership for their plight.
But Gardner, a Democrat, charged the couple with felony unlawful use of a weapon. She said the display of guns risked bloodshed at what she called an otherwise peaceful protest.
Watkins said that addition to the weapons charge, the grand jury indictment includes a tampering with evidence charge. It wasn’t clear what led to that additional count, he said.
The McCloskeys contend the protest was hardly peaceful. They say protesters came onto the private street after knocking over an iron gate and ignoring a “No Trespassing sign,” and said they felt threatened.
The incident happened June 28 as protesters were walking toward the home of Mayor Lyda Krewson, a few blocks away. They suddenly decided to veer onto the McCloskeys’ street, prompting the confrontation that was caught on cellphone video. It showed Mark McCloskey in front of the $1.15 million home armed with an AR-15 rifle and Patricia McCloskey with a semiautomatic handgun.
A police probable cause statement said protesters feared “being injured due to Patricia McCloskey’s finger being on the trigger, coupled with her excited demeanor.”
Nine people involved in the protest were charged with misdemeanor trespassing, but the city counselor’s office later dropped the charges. The city counselor’s office handles lesser crimes and is not affiliated with the circuit attorney’s office.
Mark McCloskey, after a brief court hearing last week, expressed anger that he and his wife faced criminal charges while those who trespassed onto his property did not.
“Every single human being that was in front of my house was a criminal trespasser,” McCloskey said on Oct. 6. “They broke down our gate. They trespassed on our property. Not a single one of those people is now charged with anything. We’re charged with felonies that could cost us four years of our lives and our law licenses.”
The June protest in St. Louis was among hundreds nationwide in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-06--No Stimulus Deal Means Billions Missing From Vaccine Distribution

President Trump ’ s decision to blow up talks over a relief package will deprive the COVID-19 vaccine distribution effort of billions of dollars in needed funds .
It dashes hopes for $ 6 billion that the Centers for Disease Control says it needs to distribute the vaccine , along with billions more requested to fund other parts of the herculean effort to get a vaccine to every American .
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told a Senate appropriations subcommittee last month that his agency does not have the $ 6 billion it needs to distribute the vaccine .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , ” Redfield told Sen. Roy Blunt ( R-MO ) .
“ It ’ s going to take somewhere between $ 5.5 [ billion ] to $ 6 billion to distribute this vaccine.
” “ It ’ s as urgent as getting these manufacturing facilities up , ” he added , referring to the factories that actually make the vaccine .
Redfield said that the CDC had around $ 600 million to spend on distributing the vaccine without additional funding , but added that the agency does not have the resources “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me it ’ s an urgency.
” Senate Republicans had supported the funding , including it in their vote last month on a relief bill that Democrats deemed as far too small to match the scale of catastrophe that currently faces the country .
Trump appeared to demolish the talks around COVID-19 relief with a series of mid-afternoon tweets in which he announced that he was walking away from the table .
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) used the funding in September 10 remarks as a bludgeon against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief legislation .
“ They ’ re going to vote against finding and distributing vaccines because they are afraid the breakthrough that our nation is praying for might possibly help President Trump , ” McConnell said in the remarks .
It ’ s not clear that the $ 6 billion the CDC says it needs would even be close to enough to effectively and quickly distribute the vaccine .
At the September hearing , Sen. Blunt referred to “ another $ 20 billion that [ HHS ] doesn ’ t have in any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have 300 million doses of vaccine available for the entire U.S. population .
Separately , states and local public health officials have been pushing for more federal funding to distribute the vaccine , saying that requirements like cold storage for doses and follow-up monitoring for vaccine recipients mean states need at least $ 8.4 billion from Congress .

President Trump’s decision to blow up talks over a relief package will deprive the COVID-19 vaccine distribution effort of billions of dollars in needed funds.
It dashes hopes for $6 billion that the Centers for Disease Control says it needs to distribute the vaccine, along with billions more requested to fund other parts of the herculean effort to get a vaccine to every American.
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told a Senate appropriations subcommittee last month that his agency does not have the $6 billion it needs to distribute the vaccine.
“We need to get resources to states now,” Redfield told Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO). “It’s going to take somewhere between $5.5 [billion] to $6 billion to distribute this vaccine.”
“It’s as urgent as getting these manufacturing facilities up,” he added, referring to the factories that actually make the vaccine. Redfield said that the CDC had around $600 million to spend on distributing the vaccine without additional funding, but added that the agency does not have the resources “to get this plan operational, so to me it’s an urgency.”
Senate Republicans had supported the funding, including it in their vote last month on a relief bill that Democrats deemed as far too small to match the scale of catastrophe that currently faces the country.
Trump appeared to demolish the talks around COVID-19 relief with a series of mid-afternoon tweets in which he announced that he was walking away from the table.
Nancy Pelosi is asking for $2.4 Trillion Dollars to bailout poorly run, high crime, Democrat States, money that is in no way related to COVID-19. We made a very generous offer of $1.6 Trillion Dollars and, as usual, she is not negotiating in good faith. I am rejecting their… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020
GOP leadership had expressed support for funding vaccine distribution.
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) used the funding in September 10 remarks as a bludgeon against Democrats voting against the the otherwise meager relief legislation.
“They’re going to vote against finding and distributing vaccines because they are afraid the breakthrough that our nation is praying for might possibly help President Trump,” McConnell said in the remarks.
It’s not clear that the $6 billion the CDC says it needs would even be close to enough to effectively and quickly distribute the vaccine.
At the September hearing, Sen. Blunt referred to “another $20 billion that [HHS] doesn’t have in any specifically appropriated line” in order to have 300 million doses of vaccine available for the entire U.S. population.
Separately, states and local public health officials have been pushing for more federal funding to distribute the vaccine, saying that requirements like cold storage for doses and follow-up monitoring for vaccine recipients mean states need at least $8.4 billion from Congress.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-06--What We Know, And Don’t, About When Trump Got Sick

President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday .
And that ’ s about all we know for sure .
The White House and attached doctors have been cagey and nonresponsive about critical steps of the President ’ s illness , including when his last negative test was , when he started displaying symptoms and when exactly White House officials knew of Hope Hicks ’ positive diagnosis .
Related information , like when the President was given supplemental oxygen and how dire his condition was , came out in distorted , sometimes contradictory dribs and drabs .
Still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection on top of a timeline stitched together from press conferences , releases , tweets and reporting reveals an alarming truth : when Trump was likely at his most infectious , he was in close proximity to figures including former Vice President Joe Biden , current Vice President Mike Pence and a whole host of members of Congress .
And based on the usual trajectory of the disease , Trump could still be infectious to the people around him now .
Trump was definitely symptomatic on Thursday , Oct. 1 , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The average incubation period for the virus after exposure but before symptoms manifest is four to five days .
If Thursday was when his symptoms appeared for the first time , Trump would have been infected by the start of the week , with the viral load building up in his body .
A COVID-19-infected person can spread the disease up to 72 hours before experiencing symptoms .
What Trump was doing Monday : • None Trump surveyed a truck on the South Lawn of the White House with two members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• None Trump held a Rose Garden event on test distribution attended by Pence , members of Congress and state officials .
Emerging research shows that infected people are most likely to spread the disease in the 48 hours before symptoms manifest .
What Trump was doing Tuesday : • None He and his entourage — including Hope Hicks , campaign manager Bill Stepien and first lady Melania Trump , all of whom have since tested positive — traveled to Cleveland for the first presidential debate .
• None Many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debate hall or at the hotel where they checked in beforehand , a violation of both venues ’ mask mandates .
• None Trump debated on stage with Biden , though the men were over 12 feet apart and did not touch .
( Biden has since tested negative multiple times and is nearing the end of the average incubation period . )
At this point , caginess from Trump ’ s doctor Sean Conley makes the timeline murky .
During a Saturday press conference , Conley said that Trump was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which would mark Wednesday as Trump ’ s positive test .
Conley later said he misspoke .
If Trump did test positive on this day , his infection timeline would have to be shifted back a day .
That would put the people he interacted with on Sunday at greater risk ; that group includes Gold Star families and the Pences at a White House reception , reporters to whom he denied the bombshell New York Times report about his taxes and employees at his golf club in Sterling , Virginia .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , Wednesday was likely a high point of Trump ’ s contagiousness .
What Trump was doing Wednesday : • None Trump rode on Air Force One to Minnesota alongside Hicks , who started showing symptoms .
• None He attended a fundraiser at the home of a supporter in Sherwood , Minnesota .
• None He spoke at his campaign rally in Duluth .
• None On the way back , Hicks tried to isolate herself in an empty cabin of the plane .
Again , contradictory and confusing public statements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this point of the timeline .
On Saturday , Dr. Brian Garibaldi , a Johns Hopkins pulmonologist who is working with the White House medical team , said that Trump was given a dose of an experimental antibody therapy “ about 48 hours ago.
” That would place the treatment Thursday afternoon — before Trump had tested positive , according to the White House ’ s timeline .
Conley later walked back that statement as well .
The White House has also refused to clarify the sequence of what happened with Hicks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news that she had tested positive Thursday evening , which White House officials reportedly already knew and intended to keep secret .
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows later said that he knew about Hicks ’ result as Marine One was taking off Thursday afternoon , the President and entourage aboard , for a fundraiser in Bedminster , New Jersey .
What Trump was doing Thursday : • None Trump flew to the Bedminster fundraiser where he was in close contact with “ dozens ” of supporters , then came back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conley would later say , there were “ clinical indications ” that prompted Trump to be tested , first with a rapid test which came back positive .
• None Bloomberg broke the news that Hicks had tested positive .
• None Trump took a more sophisticated and reliable PCR COVID-19 test , which also came back positive .
• None Trump experienced a mild cough , fatigue , nasal congestion and a fever , according to his doctors — typical early symptoms of COVID-19 .
In a typical COVID-19 infection , days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in severity of symptoms .
In a mild case , those symptoms start dropping off after that .
Trump could still be contagious until , in the best case scenario , 10 days after his symptoms appeared .
Most people are no longer contagious at that point , though some experts still recommend 14 days of isolation to be safe .
What Trump was doing Friday : • None Trump announced his positive test around 1 a.m. on Twitter .
• None He cancelled the events on his schedule , handing a phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rare move , stayed off of Twitter for most of the day .
• None During the morning , according to a later statement by Conley , Trump had a high fever and his oxygen saturation levels dipped below 94 % ( are considered between 95 and 100 % ; levels below 90 % are considered low ) • None He was given supplemental oxygen ; two liters for a minute pushed his levels back up to 95 % .
• None Conley also said later in a memo that Trump was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • None On Friday evening , Trump was taken to the Walter Reed Medical Center and began a five-day course of Remdesivir , a drug that has not yet undergone an FDA review but which has been granted FDA approval for COVID-19 treatment in emergency cases .
This is the day that Trump ’ s doctors began to share their confusing timelines .
They also presented a sunny account of Trump ’ s health , which was undercut a few minutes later by comments from Meadows .
What Trump was doing Saturday : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his oxygen levels dipped to 93 % , according to his doctors , and he was given dexamethasone , an anti-inflammatory drug to very ill patients to ratchet down the body ’ s over-reactive immune system response that can do damage to lungs and other organs .
• None He was given his second dose of Remdesivir and , per his doctors , had no fever and was given no supplemental oxygen .
• None Conley said that he was “ cautiously optimistic ” and that “ the team and I are extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made.
” • None Minutes later , Meadows contradicted that characterization in an off-the-record briefing to reporters that was caught on camera : “ The president ’ s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning , and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care .
We ’ re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.
” Still in the hospital , Trump seemed to be doing better , based on statements from his doctors .
What Trump was doing Sunday : • None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without a fever since Friday morning .
• None His blood oxygen levels reached up to 98 % .
• None Conley said that there were “ expected findings ” in Trump ’ s lungs , but nothing of “ any major clinical concern , ” though he did not clarify further , leading to confusion about whether the President had experienced lung damage .
• None Trump was given his third dose of Remdesivir .
• None A still-possibly contagious Trump took a widely-criticized drive around to wave to supporters , putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk .
Monday , October 5 : Trump , Still Possibly Contagious , Returns To The White House Trump left the hospital and returned to the White House five days after , according to what is publicly known at this time , his symptoms appeared .
The CDC mandates that he be quarantined until 10 days have passed since his symptoms first appeared , as long as it ’ s also been three days since he had a fever and his other symptoms have improved .
Given that timeline , should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Days five through 10 of the disease can be a dangerous time , especially for those who are older and have underlying conditions like Trump .
His doctors will likely be monitoring him closely to keep an eye on any downturn .
What Trump was doing Monday : • None Trump returned to the White House and gave an odd balcony performance .
• None “ He may not entirely be out of the woods yet , ” Conley said .
“ We all remain cautiously optimistic and on guard , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unchartered territory when it comes to a patient that received the therapies he has so early in the course.
” Conley reports that Trump , now back in the White House , has “ no symptoms ” and that his blood oxygen saturation level is back in normal range .
What Trump was doing Tuesday : • None There were no events on his schedule , but he tweeted feverishly , in one calling off the largely-stalled COVID-19 relief negotiations .

President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. And that’s about all we know for sure.
The White House and attached doctors have been cagey and nonresponsive about critical steps of the President’s illness, including when his last negative test was, when he started displaying symptoms and when exactly White House officials knew of Hope Hicks’ positive diagnosis.
Related information, like when the President was given supplemental oxygen and how dire his condition was, came out in distorted, sometimes contradictory dribs and drabs.
Still, overlaying the typical course of a COVID-19 infection on top of a timeline stitched together from press conferences, releases, tweets and reporting reveals an alarming truth: when Trump was likely at his most infectious, he was in close proximity to figures including former Vice President Joe Biden, current Vice President Mike Pence and a whole host of members of Congress. And based on the usual trajectory of the disease, Trump could still be infectious to the people around him now.
Monday, September 28: Presymptomatic and Infectious
Trump was definitely symptomatic on Thursday, Oct. 1, according to his doctors, and possibly before that. The average incubation period for the virus after exposure but before symptoms manifest is four to five days. If Thursday was when his symptoms appeared for the first time, Trump would have been infected by the start of the week, with the viral load building up in his body. A COVID-19-infected person can spread the disease up to 72 hours before experiencing symptoms.
What Trump was doing Monday:
Trump surveyed a truck on the South Lawn of the White House with two members of Congress and representatives from manufacturer Lordstown Motors.
Trump held a Rose Garden event on test distribution attended by Pence, members of Congress and state officials.
Tuesday, September 29: Presymptomatic and Highly Infectious
Emerging research shows that infected people are most likely to spread the disease in the 48 hours before symptoms manifest.
What Trump was doing Tuesday:
He and his entourage — including Hope Hicks, campaign manager Bill Stepien and first lady Melania Trump, all of whom have since tested positive — traveled to Cleveland for the first presidential debate.
Many of the Trump camp did not wear masks in the debate hall or at the hotel where they checked in beforehand, a violation of both venues’ mask mandates.
Trump debated on stage with Biden, though the men were over 12 feet apart and did not touch. (Biden has since tested negative multiple times and is nearing the end of the average incubation period.)
Wednesday, September 30: Presymptomatic and Highly Infectious
At this point, caginess from Trump’s doctor Sean Conley makes the timeline murky. During a Saturday press conference, Conley said that Trump was “72 hours into the diagnosis,” which would mark Wednesday as Trump’s positive test. Conley later said he misspoke.
If Trump did test positive on this day, his infection timeline would have to be shifted back a day. That would put the people he interacted with on Sunday at greater risk; that group includes Gold Star families and the Pences at a White House reception, reporters to whom he denied the bombshell New York Times report about his taxes and employees at his golf club in Sterling, Virginia.
If he didn’t test positive until Thursday, Wednesday was likely a high point of Trump’s contagiousness.
What Trump was doing Wednesday:
Trump rode on Air Force One to Minnesota alongside Hicks, who started showing symptoms.
He attended a fundraiser at the home of a supporter in Sherwood, Minnesota.
He spoke at his campaign rally in Duluth.
On the way back, Hicks tried to isolate herself in an empty cabin of the plane.
Thursday, October 1: Symptoms Appear
Again, contradictory and confusing public statements from Trump’s doctors add confusion to this point of the timeline. On Saturday, Dr. Brian Garibaldi, a Johns Hopkins pulmonologist who is working with the White House medical team, said that Trump was given a dose of an experimental antibody therapy “about 48 hours ago.” That would place the treatment Thursday afternoon — before Trump had tested positive, according to the White House’s timeline. Conley later walked back that statement as well.
The White House has also refused to clarify the sequence of what happened with Hicks at this point. Bloomberg broke the news that she had tested positive Thursday evening, which White House officials reportedly already knew and intended to keep secret. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows later said that he knew about Hicks’ result as Marine One was taking off Thursday afternoon, the President and entourage aboard, for a fundraiser in Bedminster, New Jersey.
What Trump was doing Thursday:
Trump flew to the Bedminster fundraiser where he was in close contact with “dozens” of supporters, then came back to the White House.
As Conley would later say, there were “clinical indications” that prompted Trump to be tested, first with a rapid test which came back positive.
Bloomberg broke the news that Hicks had tested positive.
Trump called in to Fox News’ “Hannity.”
Trump took a more sophisticated and reliable PCR COVID-19 test, which also came back positive.
Trump experienced a mild cough, fatigue, nasal congestion and a fever, according to his doctors — typical early symptoms of COVID-19.
Friday, October 2: Symptoms Present, Treated with Oxygen and Medications
In a typical COVID-19 infection, days two through 10 can show an increase in severity of symptoms. In a mild case, those symptoms start dropping off after that. Trump could still be contagious until, in the best case scenario, 10 days after his symptoms appeared. Most people are no longer contagious at that point, though some experts still recommend 14 days of isolation to be safe.
What Trump was doing Friday:
Trump announced his positive test around 1 a.m. on Twitter.
He cancelled the events on his schedule, handing a phone call over to Pence and, in a rare move, stayed off of Twitter for most of the day.
During the morning, according to a later statement by Conley, Trump had a high fever and his oxygen saturation levels dipped below 94% ( normal levels are considered between 95 and 100%; levels below 90% are considered low)
He was given supplemental oxygen; two liters for a minute pushed his levels back up to 95%.
Conley also said later in a memo that Trump was given an eight-gram dose of an antibody cocktail plus zinc, vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and aspirin.
On Friday evening, Trump was taken to the Walter Reed Medical Center and began a five-day course of Remdesivir, a drug that has not yet undergone an FDA review but which has been granted FDA approval for COVID-19 treatment in emergency cases.
Saturday, October 3: Slight Oxygen Dip, Varying Accounts Of Trump’s Symptoms
This is the day that Trump’s doctors began to share their confusing timelines. They also presented a sunny account of Trump’s health, which was undercut a few minutes later by comments from Meadows.
What Trump was doing Saturday:
Still in the hospital, his oxygen levels dipped to 93%, according to his doctors, and he was given dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory drug usually given to very ill patients to ratchet down the body’s over-reactive immune system response that can do damage to lungs and other organs.
He was given his second dose of Remdesivir and, per his doctors, had no fever and was given no supplemental oxygen.
Conley said that he was “cautiously optimistic” and that “the team and I are extremely happy with the progress the president has made.”
Minutes later, Meadows contradicted that characterization in an off-the-record briefing to reporters that was caught on camera: “The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning, and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.”
Sunday, October 4: Trump’s Symptoms Seem To Subside
Still in the hospital, Trump seemed to be doing better, based on statements from his doctors.
What Trump was doing Sunday:
Per his doctor, he had been without a fever since Friday morning.
His blood oxygen levels reached up to 98%.
Conley said that there were “expected findings” in Trump’s lungs, but nothing of “any major clinical concern,” though he did not clarify further, leading to confusion about whether the President had experienced lung damage.
Trump was given his third dose of Remdesivir.
A still-possibly contagious Trump took a widely-criticized drive around to wave to supporters, putting the Secret Service agents driving the car at risk.
Monday, October 5: Trump, Still Possibly Contagious, Returns To The White House
Trump left the hospital and returned to the White House five days after, according to what is publicly known at this time, his symptoms appeared. The CDC mandates that he be quarantined until 10 days have passed since his symptoms first appeared, as long as it’s also been three days since he had a fever and his other symptoms have improved. Given that timeline, should be hunkered down at least until Saturday evening.
Days five through 10 of the disease can be a dangerous time, especially for those who are older and have underlying conditions like Trump. His doctors will likely be monitoring him closely to keep an eye on any downturn.
What Trump was doing Monday:
Trump returned to the White House and gave an odd balcony performance.
“He may not entirely be out of the woods yet,” Conley said. “We all remain cautiously optimistic and on guard, because we’re in a bit of unchartered territory when it comes to a patient that received the therapies he has so early in the course.”
Tuesday, October 6: Trump Has ‘No Symptoms’
Conley reports that Trump, now back in the White House, has “no symptoms” and that his blood oxygen saturation level is back in normal range.
What Trump was doing Tuesday:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-06--Hydroxychloroquine Advocates Are Pissed Trump’s Not Taking It For COVID

President Donald Trump spent months earlier this year playing up the promise of the old anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in the fight against COVID-19 .
And along the way , he convinced the right-wing media to go along with him , boosting the drug even though there was no real proof of its efficacy against the virus .
Now that Trump is fighting his own case of COVID-19 without his miracle drug , the hydroxychloroquine advocates who followed his lead are pretty frustrated .
Dr. Stella Immanuel , the Houston-based doctor and preacher who specializes in demons and alien DNA , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who in July falsely declared hydroxychloroquine a “ cure ” for COVID-19 .
Trump shared a video of the group on his Twitter account and subsequently called Immanuel “ very impressive.
” So Immanuel was understandably disappointed when hydroxychloroquine wasn ’ t mentioned on the White House press release detailing Trump ’ s treatment plan .
“ Whoever told the president to stop taking HCQ should be punched in the face , ” she wrote on Twitter Friday .
Immanuel separately pushed White House staffers to take hydroxychloroquine , and added , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will.
” On Monday , the talk show host and “ PragerU ” founder Dennis Prager blamed the “ communists running medicine ” for suppressing discussion about hydroxychloroquine , but questioned why it hadn ’ t come up in Trump ’ s treatment plan .
“ They didn ’ t discuss it ‘ yea ’ or ‘ nay ’ with regard to the President , ” he said .
“ The President was the one who recommended it to begin with .
You ’ d think something would have been said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ everybody would have ?
” Prager has claimed to be taking hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic for months .
“ It ’ s unconscionable , the hysteria with regard to it , ” he said in August , adding that there was “ blood on the hands ” of doctors and journalists who kept COVID-19 patients from taking the drug .
The fringe website LifeSiteNews took things a step further , with co-founder and hydroxychloroquine evangelist Steve Jalsevac urging readers to literally “ contact the White House to ask why the president and Melania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medication protocol for COVID infection.
” “ It is reckless that this is not being done because there is no risk to giving it to Trump even if the medical bureaucrats still ridiculously refuse to believe that Hydroxychloroquine is effective , ” Jalsevac wrote .
Trump certainly knows hydroxychloroquine is an option : He wouldn ’ t stop pushing it over the summer despite a lack of evidence that it helped COVID-19 patients , and he even claimed to have taken the drug prophylactically for two weeks in May .
At the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House staffer Sebastian Gorka , rode Trump ’ s coattails and advertised their own use of the drug .
On Friday , before the White House announced the list of Trump ’ s medications , Gorka mistakenly figured the President would get back on the horse .
“ I ’ m sure he ’ s taking his hydroxy this morning just like I did this morning , ” he said , adding : “ Hydroxy , Z-Pak , and zinc equals MAGA.
” Other stars pushed the drug as well , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-TX ) and Andy Biggs ( R-AZ ) .
Alas , at least as far as the White House has said , Trump skipped it entirely .
White House physician Sean Conley , the same doctor who in May wrote that the potential benefits of hydroxychloroquine use for Trump outweighed “ the relative risks , ” was asked Sunday why he hadn ’ t given Trump hydroxychloroquine for his battle against the virus .
He said simply , “ I ’ m not going to go into all of our debates about specific @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump spent months earlier this year playing up the promise of the old anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in the fight against COVID-19. And along the way, he convinced the right-wing media to go along with him, boosting the drug even though there was no real proof of its efficacy against the virus.
Now that Trump is fighting his own case of COVID-19 without his miracle drug, the hydroxychloroquine advocates who followed his lead are pretty frustrated.
Dr. Stella Immanuel, the Houston-based doctor and preacher who specializes in demons and alien DNA, was part of a group of doctors who in July falsely declared hydroxychloroquine a “cure” for COVID-19. Trump shared a video of the group on his Twitter account and subsequently called Immanuel “very impressive.”
So Immanuel was understandably disappointed when hydroxychloroquine wasn’t mentioned on the White House press release detailing Trump’s treatment plan.
“Whoever told the president to stop taking HCQ should be punched in the face,” she wrote on Twitter Friday.
Whoever told the president to stop taking HCQ should be punched in the face. This did not have to happened. I am so upset. This is our president for crying out loud. No one need to get sick or pcr positive. #HCQ4prevention — Stella Immanuel MD (@stella_immanuel) October 2, 2020
Immanuel separately pushed White House staffers to take hydroxychloroquine, and added, “If your doctors will not prescribe it I will.”
On Monday, the talk show host and “PragerU” founder Dennis Prager blamed the “communists running medicine” for suppressing discussion about hydroxychloroquine, but questioned why it hadn’t come up in Trump’s treatment plan.
“They didn’t discuss it ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ with regard to the President,” he said. “The President was the one who recommended it to begin with. You’d think something would have been said. Isn’t that the obvious question everybody would have?”
Prager has claimed to be taking hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic for months. “It’s unconscionable, the hysteria with regard to it,” he said in August, adding that there was “blood on the hands” of doctors and journalists who kept COVID-19 patients from taking the drug.
The fringe website LifeSiteNews took things a step further, with co-founder and hydroxychloroquine evangelist Steve Jalsevac urging readers to literally “contact the White House to ask why the president and Melania are not immediately being given this well-proven-in-practice medication protocol for COVID infection.”
“It is reckless that this is not being done because there is no risk to giving it to Trump even if the medical bureaucrats still ridiculously refuse to believe that Hydroxychloroquine is effective,” Jalsevac wrote.
Trump certainly knows hydroxychloroquine is an option: He wouldn’t stop pushing it over the summer despite a lack of evidence that it helped COVID-19 patients, and he even claimed to have taken the drug prophylactically for two weeks in May.
At the time, some Trump sycophants, like former White House staffer Sebastian Gorka, rode Trump’s coattails and advertised their own use of the drug. On Friday, before the White House announced the list of Trump’s medications, Gorka mistakenly figured the President would get back on the horse.
“I’m sure he’s taking his hydroxy this morning just like I did this morning,” he said, adding: “Hydroxy, Z-Pak, and zinc equals MAGA.”
Other stars pushed the drug as well, including Steve Bannon and Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ).
Alas, at least as far as the White House has said, Trump skipped it entirely.
White House physician Sean Conley, the same doctor who in May wrote that the potential benefits of hydroxychloroquine use for Trump outweighed “the relative risks,” was asked Sunday why he hadn’t given Trump hydroxychloroquine for his battle against the virus.
He said simply, “I’m not going to go into all of our debates about specific medicines and therapies.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-06--Health Experts Sound Alarm As Trump Pretends Everything With COVID Is Hunky-Dory

No longer hospitalized over a virus he spent months purposefully downplaying to the public , President Donald Trump has been eager to falsely portray COVID-19 as No .
Big .
Deal .
First , he irresponsibly told the country “ Don ’ t be afraid of COVID ” on Monday shortly before leaving Walter Reed Medical Center , where doctors reported that his oxygen blood levels dropped twice in recent days .
Now , Trump ’ s claiming to feel like a million bucks despite still being infected with the virus and his own doctor ’ s remark that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the woods.
” Part of the President ’ s frantic PR cleanup also involves regurgitating the same comparison between COVID-19 and the flu that he endlessly pushed back when the pandemic hit the U.S. in early 2020 .
“ Many people every year , sometimes over 100,000 , and despite the Vaccine , die from the Flu , ” Trump tweeted on Tuesday .
“ Are we going to close down our Country ?
No , we have learned to live with it , just like we are learning to live with Covid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
!
!
” In no meaningful sense has the U.S. “ learned to live with ” COVID-19 , given that more than 210,000 Americans have died , the case count continues to grow , and millions are still struggling with unemployment caused by the pandemic .
Additionally , Trump himself privately admitted to reporter Bob Woodward in February that the virus was “ more deadly ” than the flu .

No longer hospitalized over a virus he spent months purposefully downplaying to the public, President Donald Trump has been eager to falsely portray COVID-19 as No. Big. Deal.
First, he irresponsibly told the country “Don’t be afraid of COVID” on Monday shortly before leaving Walter Reed Medical Center, where doctors reported that his oxygen blood levels dropped twice in recent days.
Now, Trump’s claiming to feel like a million bucks despite still being infected with the virus and his own doctor’s remark that the President isn’t “out of the woods.”
“FEELING GREAT!” Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning.
Part of the President’s frantic PR cleanup also involves regurgitating the same comparison between COVID-19 and the flu that he endlessly pushed back when the pandemic hit the U.S. in early 2020.
“Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu,” Trump tweeted on Tuesday. “Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!”
In no meaningful sense has the U.S. “learned to live with” COVID-19, given that more than 210,000 Americans have died, the case count continues to grow, and millions are still struggling with unemployment caused by the pandemic.
Additionally, Trump himself privately admitted to reporter Bob Woodward in February that the virus was “more deadly” than the flu.
Multiple epidemiologists and health professionals called out Trump’s dangerously rosy messaging:
This is a lie, and a lie that will get people killed. The last time 100,000+ Americans passed away due to influenza virus was (likely) in 1968. We're already twice that with COVID-19. And we're going into the fall with 40,000+ new cases each day. https://t.co/9O9Q4QlmCA — Ryan McNamara ? (@Ryan_Mac_Phd) October 6, 2020
I followed all public health guidance and infected no one. You’ve unnecessarily exposed numerous people over the last few days, your administration is refusing to do contact tracing, and there’s an outbreak in the White House because of your dangerous disregard of public health. https://t.co/XQu14wSdIj — Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) October 6, 2020
The idea that seasonal influenza is as deadly as COVID and it just slipped our notice is, of course, absurd. — Esther Choo, MD MPH (@choo_ek) October 6, 2020
More people in the US have already died from #COVID19 so far this year than have died from #flu during the past five flu seasons combined. https://t.co/dwYhd0w8wI — Dr. Anne Rimoin (@arimoin) October 6, 2020
Woke up, saw @realDonaldTrump tweeting that #COVID19 was like the #flu, far 'less lethal…we need to learn to live with." I reported it as encouraging self-harm. We cannot let @POTUS encourage more deaths due to his recklessness. pic.twitter.com/8fM6EVWFN3 — Steffanie Strathdee, PhD ?Superbug Slayer ? (@chngin_the_wrld) October 6, 2020
There are many things concerning about the #Trump #COVID19 situation-for me as a physician-scientist most disheartening is that he received therapy no one else on the world has received then goes out & says #COVID19 is no big deal. The politicization of #coronavirus has to stop — Dr.Krutika Kuppalli (@KrutikaKuppalli) October 6, 2020
This frustrates angers and saddens me beyond belief A man literally benefitting right now from potentially lifesaving treatment that essentially no human has access to & treated with intense medicines -> telling the world NOT to take this virus seriouslyhttps://t.co/tQrWPTnk3p — Michael Mina (@michaelmina_lab) October 6, 2020


talkingpointsmemo--2020-10-06--Will SCOTUS Let AL Election Chief Impose His De Facto Ban On Curbside Voting?

Alabama ’ s election chief is fighting in court to implement a prohibition on curbside voting during the pandemic , despite there being no explicit ban on the practice in state law .
The case , which also concerns Alabama ’ s absentee witness and photo ID requirements , has flown somewhat under the radar .
But it is part of a trend that has played out in federal court fights throughout the pandemic : In several election disputes , most recently in a Monday night order the Supreme Court issued reinstating South Carolina ’ s witness requirement , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower courts that certain barriers to the ballot should be removed during a pandemic .
In Alabama , when the individual voters and civil rights groups first sued to relax the voting restrictions ahead of the state ’ s July 14 run-off , they secured victories at the district and appellate court level , only to see the Supreme Court reverse those decisions in an unexplained order two weeks before the election .
A nine-day trial , nonetheless , was held on the restrictions in early September .
The district court produced last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loosening Alabama ’ s voting rules due to COVID-19 .
The cycle stands to repeat itself .
Secretary of State John Merrill has again appealed the case up to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit , with the intent to go to the U.S. Supreme Court if need be .
In an interview with TPM Tuesday , Merrill defended his willingness to fight in court efforts to make voting easier during the pandemic .
He called the concerns about the obstacles they imposed to the ballot a “ manufactured need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further a “ narrative ” about Alabama .
“ For whatever reason , the plaintiffs are interested in breaking Alabama law , ” Merrill told TPM .
The changes to the election rules being sought , he claimed , do not “ enhance the spirit of safe , secure , sound , and free elections in the state of Alabama.
” The changes that he ’ s appealing are quite narrow .
U.S. District Judge Abdul Kallon ordered that absentee voters who are at heightened risk because of the coronavirus be allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feasible for them to comply with the state ’ s witness mandates ( which require either a notary or the signature of two witnesses ) or the photo ID mandate ( which requires voters to print copies of their IDs to send with their absentee ballot applications ) .
He also ordered that counties be allowed the option to set up curbside in-person voting .
But the Supreme Court ’ s Monday night move in the in South Carolina case is yet another indication that conservative justices on the high court will likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting ban and the other restrictions .
These emergency moves by the Supreme Court only rarely include an explanation for the court ’ s decision-making .
Since 2016 , Merrill and his deputies have repeatedly shut down attempts by local election officials to offer curbside voting .
Alabama has conceded that no state law expressly bans the practice .
The state argues that because the law does not explicitly allow it , either , Merrill is allowed to prohibit the practice .
Judge Kallon disagreed , ruling that as long as the service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting , counties should not be prohibited from offering it .
As for the absentee voting rules , Kallon ruled that the state ’ s justification for its requirements was not strong enough to offset the burden the full enforcement of the mandates placed on voters during the pandemic .
Kallon said that the state had not provided enough evidence of the voter fraud that would be supposedly prevented by the requirements .
Asked by TPM about that lack of evidence , Merrill shot back by citing trends pointing towards a record-breaking number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Let me tell what there ’ s not enough evidence of , ” he said .
“ There ’ s not enough evidence of people not being able to cast their ballot for the candidate of their choice for Judge Kallon ’ s ruling to make any sense to anybody who is impartial.
” The case was brought by community groups and civil rights organizations , as well as several individual voters who suffered serious medical conditions that had made them extremely wary of leaving quarantine during the pandemic .
Howard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and suffers from Parkinson ’ s disease , testified that he preferred curbside voting because he has ambulatory issues that make it impossible to guarantee that he ’ d be able to stay 6 feet away from other people in his polling place .
( Merrill is not requiring masks for voting and had compared such a mandate to a poll tax . )
Annie Carolyn Thompson , a 68-year-old with diabetes and high blood pressure , testified that she did not have the computer equipment that would allow her to print the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her to vote absentee .
Because she is self-quarantining during the pandemic , she is also struggling to meet the witness requirement , as she is not regularly in contact with two people at the same time .
To defend the restrictions , state election officials testified about their willingness to help voters in situations like those faced by the challengers .
They said they would send staff to voters ’ homes to serve as their witnesses , and that if voters texted or emailed photos of their IDs , the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the needed copy .
Kallon ’ s opinion noted that the state had not provided evidence of how widely such workarounds are being used , nor whether such services are being advertised .
Merrill told TPM that “ several dozen ” voters had reached out for help with printing IDs , while his staff had gone to at least two homes to serve his witnesses .
He confirmed that his website didn ’ t advertise that voters could reach out to him for that kind of help .
“ It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need .
I mean if there ’ s only been the few examples that I ’ ve given you , then it ’ s obviously not a need , ” Merrill claimed .
“ Now it ’ s a manufactured need by some liberal special interest groups and liberal individuals that are trying to promote a narrative that doesn ’ t exist in Alabama .
But we have to fight that all the time , so we just tell those people to wait in line .
”

Alabama’s election chief is fighting in court to implement a prohibition on curbside voting during the pandemic, despite there being no explicit ban on the practice in state law.
The case, which also concerns Alabama’s absentee witness and photo ID requirements, has flown somewhat under the radar. But it is part of a trend that has played out in federal court fights throughout the pandemic: In several election disputes, most recently in a Monday night order the Supreme Court issued reinstating South Carolina’s witness requirement, the high court has set aside assessments by lower courts that certain barriers to the ballot should be removed during a pandemic.
In Alabama, when the individual voters and civil rights groups first sued to relax the voting restrictions ahead of the state’s July 14 run-off, they secured victories at the district and appellate court level, only to see the Supreme Court reverse those decisions in an unexplained order two weeks before the election.
A nine-day trial, nonetheless, was held on the restrictions in early September. The district court produced last week a 197-page opinion on the merits loosening Alabama’s voting rules due to COVID-19. The cycle stands to repeat itself. Secretary of State John Merrill has again appealed the case up to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, with the intent to go to the U.S. Supreme Court if need be.
In an interview with TPM Tuesday, Merrill defended his willingness to fight in court efforts to make voting easier during the pandemic. He called the concerns about the obstacles they imposed to the ballot a “manufactured need” being pushed by liberal groups to further a “narrative” about Alabama.
“For whatever reason, the plaintiffs are interested in breaking Alabama law,” Merrill told TPM. The changes to the election rules being sought, he claimed, do not “enhance the spirit of safe, secure, sound, and free elections in the state of Alabama.”
The changes that he’s appealing are quite narrow.
U.S. District Judge Abdul Kallon ordered that absentee voters who are at heightened risk because of the coronavirus be allowed to submit statements if it’s not feasible for them to comply with the state’s witness mandates (which require either a notary or the signature of two witnesses) or the photo ID mandate (which requires voters to print copies of their IDs to send with their absentee ballot applications). He also ordered that counties be allowed the option to set up curbside in-person voting.
But the Supreme Court’s Monday night move in the in South Carolina case is yet another indication that conservative justices on the high court will likely allow Merrill to implement de facto curbside voting ban and the other restrictions. These emergency moves by the Supreme Court only rarely include an explanation for the court’s decision-making.
Since 2016, Merrill and his deputies have repeatedly shut down attempts by local election officials to offer curbside voting. Alabama has conceded that no state law expressly bans the practice. The state argues that because the law does not explicitly allow it, either, Merrill is allowed to prohibit the practice.
Judge Kallon disagreed, ruling that as long as the service complies with other Alabama rules for in-person voting, counties should not be prohibited from offering it.
As for the absentee voting rules, Kallon ruled that the state’s justification for its requirements was not strong enough to offset the burden the full enforcement of the mandates placed on voters during the pandemic.
Kallon said that the state had not provided enough evidence of the voter fraud that would be supposedly prevented by the requirements.
Asked by TPM about that lack of evidence, Merrill shot back by citing trends pointing towards a record-breaking number of Alabamans using absentee voting this year.
“Let me tell what there’s not enough evidence of,” he said. “There’s not enough evidence of people not being able to cast their ballot for the candidate of their choice for Judge Kallon’s ruling to make any sense to anybody who is impartial.”
The case was brought by community groups and civil rights organizations, as well as several individual voters who suffered serious medical conditions that had made them extremely wary of leaving quarantine during the pandemic.
Howard Porter, who is in his 70s and suffers from Parkinson’s disease, testified that he preferred curbside voting because he has ambulatory issues that make it impossible to guarantee that he’d be able to stay 6 feet away from other people in his polling place. (Merrill is not requiring masks for voting and had compared such a mandate to a poll tax.)
Annie Carolyn Thompson, a 68-year-old with diabetes and high blood pressure, testified that she did not have the computer equipment that would allow her to print the copy of her ID that was required for her to vote absentee. Because she is self-quarantining during the pandemic, she is also struggling to meet the witness requirement, as she is not regularly in contact with two people at the same time.
To defend the restrictions, state election officials testified about their willingness to help voters in situations like those faced by the challengers. They said they would send staff to voters’ homes to serve as their witnesses, and that if voters texted or emailed photos of their IDs, the state elections office would print and send them the needed copy.
Kallon’s opinion noted that the state had not provided evidence of how widely such workarounds are being used, nor whether such services are being advertised.
Merrill told TPM that “several dozen” voters had reached out for help with printing IDs, while his staff had gone to at least two homes to serve his witnesses. He confirmed that his website didn’t advertise that voters could reach out to him for that kind of help.
“It’s not advertised because it’s not a need. I mean if there’s only been the few examples that I’ve given you, then it’s obviously not a need,” Merrill claimed. “Now it’s a manufactured need by some liberal special interest groups and liberal individuals that are trying to promote a narrative that doesn’t exist in Alabama. But we have to fight that all the time, so we just tell those people to wait in line.”