talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-02--GA Sec Of State Is Done With Trump’s Rhetoric: It Creates A ‘Threat Environment’ For Election Worker

GA Sec Of State Is Done With Trump’s Rhetoric: It Creates A ‘Threat Environment’ For Election Workers

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ( R ) on Wednesday chastised President Donald Trump for refusing requests from Georgia election officials to condemn the threats of violence stemming from his “ continuing claims of winning states where he obviously lost.
” “ This is exactly the kind of language that is at the base of growing threat environment for election workers who are simply doing their jobs , ” Raffensperger said , referring to a tweet Tuesday night in which Trump fanned the flame on false claims of voter fraud that have imperiled the lives of election workers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to do our jobs , follow the law and follow the process , ” Raffensperger added during a news conference in which he defended the service of election workers who have received the brunt of Trump ’ s ire amid his election loss last month .
The comments come a day after a top Georgia elections official called on the President to condemn the death threats that have emerged from his efforts to advance false claims of voter fraud .
Those efforts are “ inspiring acts of violence ” that endanger the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served to secure the election in the state , Gabriel Sterling , the state ’ s voting systems implementation manager , said .
Those threatened have included , Raffensperger and his family as well as the state ’ s Republican governor , Brian Kemp , who Trump previously endorsed .
“ It ’ s about the time that more people are out there speaking the truth , ” Raffensperger said .
The GOP official cited findings by Attorney General Bill Barr who denied Trump ’ s claims of voter fraud in an interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said that the Justice Department had “ not seen fraud ” that would change the outcome of last month ’ s presidential election .
Sens .
David Perdue ( R-GA ) and Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) have refused to apologize for playing into Trump ’ s baseless election conspiracies that have stoked threats of violence .
Raffensperger previously suggested that Republicans who failed to disavow death threats that had prompted him to accept a state security detail for his family were “ really complicit.
” The Georgia official urged voters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s upcoming Senate runoff elections in January and to continue to advocate for their values “ but do so peacefully.
” “ We are a nation of laws and not of men , ” Raffensperger said on Wednesday imploring voters to be vigilant in upholding the nation ’ s democratic foundations .

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) on Wednesday chastised President Donald Trump for refusing requests from Georgia election officials to condemn the threats of violence stemming from his “continuing claims of winning states where he obviously lost.”
“This is exactly the kind of language that is at the base of growing threat environment for election workers who are simply doing their jobs,” Raffensperger said, referring to a tweet Tuesday night in which Trump fanned the flame on false claims of voter fraud that have imperiled the lives of election workers in the Peach State.
The comments came during a news conference in which Raffensperger announced that a second recount of votes underway in the state by request of Trump has shown “no substantial changes” and he expects to re-certify President-elect Joe Biden as the winner.
“We will continue to do our jobs, follow the law and follow the process,” Raffensperger added, defending the service of election workers who have received the brunt of Trump’s ire amid his election loss last month.
NEW: Georgia elections chief says Pres. Trump's tweet on the state last night "is exactly the kind of language that is at the base of growing threat environment for election workers who are simply doing their jobs." "We will continue to do our jobs." https://t.co/KOsrdZRhVq pic.twitter.com/OU9hzoL58e — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) December 2, 2020
The comments come a day after a top Georgia elections official called on the President to condemn the death threats that have emerged from his efforts to advance false claims of voter fraud. Those efforts are “inspiring acts of violence” that endanger the lives and wellbeing of officials who have served to secure the election in the state, Gabriel Sterling, the state’s voting systems implementation manager, said.
Those threatened have included, Raffensperger and his family as well as the state’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, who Trump previously endorsed.
“It’s about the time that more people are out there speaking the truth,” Raffensperger said.
The GOP official cited findings by Attorney General Bill Barr who denied Trump’s claims of voter fraud in an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday when he said that the Justice Department had “not seen fraud” that would change the outcome of last month’s presidential election.
Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) have refused to apologize for playing into Trump’s baseless election conspiracies that have stoked threats of violence.
Raffensperger previously suggested that Republicans who failed to disavow death threats that had prompted him to accept a state security detail for his family were “really complicit.”
The Georgia official urged voters to “look ahead” amid the state’s upcoming Senate runoff elections in January and to continue to advocate for their values “but do so peacefully.”
“We are a nation of laws and not of men,” Raffensperger said on Wednesday imploring voters to be vigilant in upholding the nation’s democratic foundations.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-02--This Excel Spreadsheet Could Put Thousands Of Federal Employees In Trump’s Crosshairs

Thousands of civil servants are entering the holiday season fearful of a new Trump policy that could change their lives for the worse .
Now , that policy has take on the form of an Excel file .
The spreadsheet — or rather , multiple spreadsheets , spread across the executive branch agencies — is currently being used to compile a list of federal employees that will lose civil service protections and instead be treated as “ at-will ” presidential minions , newly vulnerable to political pressure , arbitrary dismissal and meddling from on-high .
Though time is running out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s October executive order creating this new class of government employees — known as “ Schedule F ” — has spooked unions and public policy advocates worried about last-minute purges and score-settling from political appointees .
The order is “ a constitutional dumpster fire that everybody ’ s going to have to figure out how to put out together , ” said Jason Briefel , director of policy and outreach for the Senior Executives Association , a professional organization for senior civil servants .
In essence , Trump ’ s order says that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier to fire — specifically , those in “ positions of a confidential , policy-determining , policy-making , or policy-advocating character.
” Trump ’ s order says these “ Schedule F ” positions will lose their civil service protections , becoming more like political appointees who are named by ( and accountable to ) the President and his deputies around the government .
It ’ s part of the administration ’ s years-long struggle against government employees .
That ’ s what the Excel sheet is for : Fulfilling the President ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wants more control over .
In October , Trump directed agencies to provide preliminary lists of Schedule F positions within 90 days of his executive order — that is , by Jan. 19 , the day before Joe Biden ’ s inauguration .
But the political leadership of some agencies are rushing to get their work done early .
Briefel provided the document to TPM , along with messages from the administration ’ s Office of Personnel Management — the government ’ s H.R .
department — to agency personnel officials .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last month , the Office of Management and Budget became the first to complete its preliminary list , and the results sent a chill across the federal payroll : According to a memo first obtained by RealClearPolitics , 88 % of the OMB work force — 425 employees — would be classified as Schedule F. Since then , the Department of Energy and Office of Personnel Management , which itself is tasked with carrying out the Schedule F order , have reportedly begun their own lists .
But that ’ s only what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( A spokesperson for OPM declined TPM ’ s request for comment . )
“ It appears that most of the major agencies are working on it , ” said Richard Loeb , senior policy counsel at the American Federation of Government Employees .
And yet , five weeks after the President ’ s order , the rules for who is and isn ’ t Schedule F remain vague , leaving plenty of latitude for political bosses at the agencies .
“ That ’ s a feature , not a bug for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visiting fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research ’ s Revolving Door Project .
“ The idea is to provide maximum flexibility for them to do whatever they want , and not worry about constraining themselves with the law.
” While the re-scheduling of federal employees could lead to widespread firings , Shrago speculated that the timeline may be too short for even the Trump administration to carry out a large-scale purge .
Instead , he said , political appointees could use Schedule F to get back at civil servants who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President or who have simply annoyed them — what he described as “ score-settling.
” A split Congress could act to stop Trump ’ s order , but it ’ s unclear if Democrats proposing as much have any support from across the aisle .
The National Treasury Employees Union has also sued the administration over the rule , though arguments haven ’ t yet been heard in the case .
It ’ s not just the specter of politically-motivated firings : The Trump administration could also use the new classification to place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which would allow them to continue working under the Biden administration .
Such “ burrowing ” of political appointees into career civil service jobs does sometimes occur toward the end of a presidential administration — but normally , the appointee goes through a process to ensure that a given office-holder is qualified .
Not so with the newly created class of Schedule F jobs .
And if the next President tries to dismiss these people , they could claim in court that he had carried out a “ prohibited personnel practice ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of their political work for Trump .
“ Schedule F would be creating a vehicle for broad-scale , government-wide burrowing in of political appointees , ” said Briefel , of the Senior Executives Association .
Biden could eventually address those political holdovers — but they ’ d be another Trump-created mess for the future administration .
“ They will present the Biden administration with the unappetizing possibility that they will have a bunch of Trump-appointed Schedule Fs in place , ” Loeb predicted .
Between addressing those holdovers and restoring jobs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , he said , the Biden administration could be facing months of work — “ a pain in the neck.
” The next president , Loeb said , will be stuck “ having to essentially fix the gears of government that had been smashed up on [ Trump ’ s ] way out the door .
”

Thousands of civil servants are entering the holiday season fearful of a new Trump policy that could change their lives for the worse.
Now, that policy has take on the form of an Excel file.
The spreadsheet — or rather, multiple spreadsheets, spread across the executive branch agencies — is currently being used to compile a list of federal employees that will lose civil service protections and instead be treated as “at-will” presidential minions, newly vulnerable to political pressure, arbitrary dismissal and meddling from on-high.
Though time is running out for him, President Donald Trump’s October executive order creating this new class of government employees — known as “Schedule F” — has spooked unions and public policy advocates worried about last-minute purges and score-settling from political appointees.
The order is “a constitutional dumpster fire that everybody’s going to have to figure out how to put out together,” said Jason Briefel, director of policy and outreach for the Senior Executives Association, a professional organization for senior civil servants.
In essence, Trump’s order says that certain government workers ought to be much easier to fire — specifically, those in “positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.”
Trump’s order says these “Schedule F” positions will lose their civil service protections, becoming more like political appointees who are named by (and accountable to) the President and his deputies around the government. It’s part of the administration’s years-long struggle against government employees.
That’s what the Excel sheet is for: Fulfilling the President’s wish for a government-wide list of jobs he wants more control over.
In October, Trump directed agencies to provide preliminary lists of Schedule F positions within 90 days of his executive order — that is, by Jan. 19, the day before Joe Biden’s inauguration. But the political leadership of some agencies are rushing to get their work done early.
Briefel provided the document to TPM, along with messages from the administration’s Office of Personnel Management — the government’s H.R. department — to agency personnel officials.
Agencies Make Their Lists For The President
Last month, the Office of Management and Budget became the first to complete its preliminary list, and the results sent a chill across the federal payroll: According to a memo first obtained by RealClearPolitics, 88% of the OMB work force — 425 employees — would be classified as Schedule F.
Since then, the Department of Energy and Office of Personnel Management, which itself is tasked with carrying out the Schedule F order, have reportedly begun their own lists. But that’s only what’s been leaked to reporters. (A spokesperson for OPM declined TPM’s request for comment.)
“It appears that most of the major agencies are working on it,” said Richard Loeb, senior policy counsel at the American Federation of Government Employees.
And yet, five weeks after the President’s order, the rules for who is and isn’t Schedule F remain vague, leaving plenty of latitude for political bosses at the agencies.
“That’s a feature, not a bug for them,” argued Yevgeny Shrago, a visiting fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research’s Revolving Door Project. “The idea is to provide maximum flexibility for them to do whatever they want, and not worry about constraining themselves with the law.”
While the re-scheduling of federal employees could lead to widespread firings, Shrago speculated that the timeline may be too short for even the Trump administration to carry out a large-scale purge.
Instead, he said, political appointees could use Schedule F to get back at civil servants who’ve shown insufficient loyalty to the President or who have simply annoyed them — what he described as “score-settling.”
A split Congress could act to stop Trump’s order, but it’s unclear if Democrats proposing as much have any support from across the aisle. The National Treasury Employees Union has also sued the administration over the rule, though arguments haven’t yet been heard in the case.
The ‘Deep State’ Trump Always Wanted
It’s not just the specter of politically-motivated firings: The Trump administration could also use the new classification to place political appointees into vacant Schedule F positions, which would allow them to continue working under the Biden administration.
Such “burrowing” of political appointees into career civil service jobs does sometimes occur toward the end of a presidential administration — but normally, the appointee goes through a process to ensure that a given office-holder is qualified. Not so with the newly created class of Schedule F jobs.
And if the next President tries to dismiss these people, they could claim in court that he had carried out a “prohibited personnel practice” — namely, that he targeted them because of their political work for Trump.
“Schedule F would be creating a vehicle for broad-scale, government-wide burrowing in of political appointees,” said Briefel, of the Senior Executives Association.
Biden could eventually address those political holdovers — but they’d be another Trump-created mess for the future administration.
“They will present the Biden administration with the unappetizing possibility that they will have a bunch of Trump-appointed Schedule Fs in place,” Loeb predicted. Between addressing those holdovers and restoring jobs of those potentially dismissed over the next two months, he said, the Biden administration could be facing months of work — “a pain in the neck.”
The next president, Loeb said, will be stuck “having to essentially fix the gears of government that had been smashed up on [Trump’s] way out the door.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-02--Flynn And Trump Stooges Urge President To Impose Martial Law And National ‘Re-Vote’

Pro-Trump attorney Lin Wood and the recently pardoned former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn have called for President Donald Trump to declare martial law and have the military oversee a “ national re-vote.
” Sidney Powell , Flynn lawyer and until recently a lawyer for the Trump campaign , amplified calls for Trump to suspend the Electoral College vote and set up a military tribunal to investigate voter fraud .
Wood and Flynn tweeted out a press release from the Ohio-based “ We The People Convention ” headed by a Tea Party leader .
The press release cites President Abraham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War and asserts that deploying martial law is the only way to avoid a “ shooting civil war.
” “ When the legislators , courts and/or Congress fail to do their duty under the 12th Amendment , you must be ready Mr. President to immediately declare a limited form of Martial Law , and temporarily suspend the Constitution and civilian control of these federal elections , for the sole purpose of having the military oversee a national re-vote , ” the statement reads .
It baselessly cites “ OVERWHELMING ” evidence of voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ silence the destructive media ’ s one-sided propaganda.
” Flynn , who has dabbled in QAnon-adjacent conspiracy theorizing before , tagged some Trump acolytes and Fox ’ s Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo in his retweet .
“ Freedom never kneels except for God , ” he wrote .
Wood tagged Trump , urging him to declare martial law to combat “ Communist China ’ s ” “ nefarious efforts to take away our freedom.
” “ Our country is headed to civil war , ” he added .
“ A war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their benefit – not for We The People.
” “ This ad , though protected by the First Amendment , is utterly irresponsible , ahistorical and without precedent or legal rationale , ” he tweeted .
Powell , booted from Trump ’ s campaign team for somehow being a little too extreme , took a similar but different tack , in addition to retweeting Flynn .
She retweeted a call for Trump to declare the Insurrection Act , a law that allows the President to deploy federal troops in extraordinary circumstances .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to , along with declaring the Act , use military tribunals to investigate voter fraud and suspend the Electoral College certification vote , the January Georgia runoffs and President-Elect Joe Biden ’ s inauguration .
That post no longer shows up on her feed , but was captured in screenshots .
Trump himself has not seemed to pick up on these particular conspiracy theories yet , though all of these tin-hatted types tend to be alarmingly close to the President ’ s ear .
Per his Twitter feed , Trump has been preoccupied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DOJ investigation into a suspected bribe-for-pardon scheme to be fake news , amplifying his lawyers ’ flimsy attempts to overturn the election and boosting specious accusations of voter fraud .

Pro-Trump attorney Lin Wood and the recently pardoned former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn have called for President Donald Trump to declare martial law and have the military oversee a “national re-vote.”
Sidney Powell, Flynn lawyer and until recently a lawyer for the Trump campaign, amplified calls for Trump to suspend the Electoral College vote and set up a military tribunal to investigate voter fraud.
Wood and Flynn tweeted out a press release from the Ohio-based “We The People Convention” headed by a Tea Party leader.
The press release cites President Abraham Lincoln’s actions during the Civil War and asserts that deploying martial law is the only way to avoid a “shooting civil war.”
“When the legislators, courts and/or Congress fail to do their duty under the 12th Amendment, you must be ready Mr. President to immediately declare a limited form of Martial Law, and temporarily suspend the Constitution and civilian control of these federal elections, for the sole purpose of having the military oversee a national re-vote,” the statement reads.
It baselessly cites “OVERWHELMING” evidence of voter fraud, and calls on Trump to “silence the destructive media’s one-sided propaganda.”
Flynn, who has dabbled in QAnon-adjacent conspiracy theorizing before, tagged some Trump acolytes and Fox’s Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo in his retweet. “Freedom never kneels except for God,” he wrote.
Wood tagged Trump, urging him to declare martial law to combat “Communist China’s” “nefarious efforts to take away our freedom.”
“Our country is headed to civil war,” he added. “A war created by 3rd party bad actors for their benefit – not for We The People.”
Ohio Attorney General and Republican David Yost condemned the press release.
“This ad, though protected by the First Amendment, is utterly irresponsible, ahistorical and without precedent or legal rationale,” he tweeted.
Powell, booted from Trump’s campaign team for somehow being a little too extreme, took a similar but different tack, in addition to retweeting Flynn.
She retweeted a call for Trump to declare the Insurrection Act, a law that allows the President to deploy federal troops in extraordinary circumstances.
She had also retweeted a letter asking Trump to, along with declaring the Act, use military tribunals to investigate voter fraud and suspend the Electoral College certification vote, the January Georgia runoffs and President-Elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. That post no longer shows up on her feed, but was captured in screenshots.
Trump himself has not seemed to pick up on these particular conspiracy theories yet, though all of these tin-hatted types tend to be alarmingly close to the President’s ear. Per his Twitter feed, Trump has been preoccupied with declaring a bombshell report on a DOJ investigation into a suspected bribe-for-pardon scheme to be fake news, amplifying his lawyers’ flimsy attempts to overturn the election and boosting specious accusations of voter fraud.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-02--Biden Jokes That Barr Called For ‘Witness Protection’ After Denying Voter Fraud Claims

President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday joked that Attorney General Bill Barr had called him , “ asking if I can get him in the witness protection program for endorsing me , ” after Barr finally acknowledged earlier in the day that the Justice Department had seen no evidence of widespread fraud in the presidential election .
Biden ’ s comments were made during an interview with The New York Times ’ Thomas Friedman and published Wednesday after Barr — one of President Donald Trump ’ s most dedicated loyalists — admitted that the DOJ had not found evidence of widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s claims of the opposite .
“ To date , we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election , ” Barr told the Associated Press in an interview on Tuesday .
Barr ’ s remarks on the Justice Department ’ s findings clash with President Trump ’ s false claims that the election was stolen , amid Trump ’ s ongoing effort to sow doubt about the integrity of the vote in a number of battleground states that he lost to his Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the attorney general ’ s habit of rushing to Trump ’ s side and parroting unsubstantiated claims about election security .
Before the election , Barr had propped up the President ’ s unsubstantiated claim that mail-in voter fraud was a grave concern even amid its long history as a safe and secure voting method .
Last month , without evidence , Barr also fueled Trump ’ s crusade on the integrity of the election by issuing a directive to U.S. attorneys to pursue any “ substantial allegations ” of voting irregularities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 presidential election was certified .
Barr ’ s refusal on Tuesday to advance Trump ’ s election falsehoods adds him to the ranks of a handful of Republicans who have shattered the veneer on Trump ’ s false claims about the election that have apparently fueled a surge in campaign donations that will likely line the pockets of Trump ’ s personal post-election activities .
When asked on Tuesday what it ’ s been like to win the presidency amid a deadly pandemic and Trump ’ s election fraud campaign , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no elation ” knowing there is lots of work ahead of him .
“ I feel like I ’ ve done something good for the country by making sure that Donald Trump is not going to be president for four more years , ” Biden said .
“ There ’ s a lot of work to do .
I ’ m just focused on getting some things done as quickly as I can , ” he added .

President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday joked that Attorney General Bill Barr had called him, “asking if I can get him in the witness protection program for endorsing me,” after Barr finally acknowledged earlier in the day that the Justice Department had seen no evidence of widespread fraud in the presidential election.
Biden’s comments were made during an interview with The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman and published Wednesday after Barr — one of President Donald Trump’s most dedicated loyalists — admitted that the DOJ had not found evidence of widespread voter fraud in spite of Trump’s claims of the opposite.
“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election,” Barr told the Associated Press in an interview on Tuesday.
Barr’s remarks on the Justice Department’s findings clash with President Trump’s false claims that the election was stolen, amid Trump’s ongoing effort to sow doubt about the integrity of the vote in a number of battleground states that he lost to his Democratic opponent.
The comments from Barr diverge from the attorney general’s habit of rushing to Trump’s side and parroting unsubstantiated claims about election security. Before the election, Barr had propped up the President’s unsubstantiated claim that mail-in voter fraud was a grave concern even amid its long history as a safe and secure voting method.
Last month, without evidence, Barr also fueled Trump’s crusade on the integrity of the election by issuing a directive to U.S. attorneys to pursue any “substantial allegations” of voting irregularities, if they existed, before the 2020 presidential election was certified.
Barr’s refusal on Tuesday to advance Trump’s election falsehoods adds him to the ranks of a handful of Republicans who have shattered the veneer on Trump’s false claims about the election that have apparently fueled a surge in campaign donations that will likely line the pockets of Trump’s personal post-election activities.
When asked on Tuesday what it’s been like to win the presidency amid a deadly pandemic and Trump’s election fraud campaign, Biden told the Times he has felt “no elation” knowing there is lots of work ahead of him.
“I feel like I’ve done something good for the country by making sure that Donald Trump is not going to be president for four more years,” Biden said.
“There’s a lot of work to do. I’m just focused on getting some things done as quickly as I can,” he added.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-03--COVID-19 Deaths and Hospitalizations Set Records In New Single-Worst Day

The United States on Wednesday recorded at least 2,760 coronavirus-related deaths — its worst daily death toll due to the virus since the pandemic began .
The staggering figure coincided with the single-worst daily hospitalizations total which topped 100,000 on Wednesday as the nation reels from spiking cases nationwide .
The grim death toll hasn ’ t been been so high since the deadliest days of the pandemic in the spring when the highest daily tally for deaths reached 2,752 on April 15 according to The New York Times ’ count .
On Wednesday that number rose to at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which topped six figures on Wednesday according to The COVID Tracking Project— are more than double the number at the beginning of last month .
The surging hospitalizations likely foreshadow an increase in the number of deaths due to COVID-19 to come in the wake of the Thanksgiving holiday when millions of Americans traveled and gathered indoors .
The news comes as Dr. Robert Redfield , the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , warned on Wednesday that a difficult winter awaits .
He predicted that total deaths from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by February unless many more Americans begin taking more precautions to combat the virus ’ spread .
“ It ’ s not a fait accompli , ” Redfield said in an address at Chamber of Commerce Foundation on Wednesday .
“ We ’ re not defenseless .
The truth is that mitigation works .
But it ’ s not going to work if half of us do what we need to do .
Probably not even if three-quarters do .
”

The United States on Wednesday recorded at least 2,760 coronavirus-related deaths — its worst daily death toll due to the virus since the pandemic began. The staggering figure coincided with the single-worst daily hospitalizations total which topped 100,000 on Wednesday as the nation reels from spiking cases nationwide.
The grim death toll hasn’t been been so high since the deadliest days of the pandemic in the spring when the highest daily tally for deaths reached 2,752 on April 15 according to The New York Times’ count. On Wednesday that number rose to at least 2,760.
The number of hospitalizations — which topped six figures on Wednesday according to The COVID Tracking Project— are more than double the number at the beginning of last month. The surging hospitalizations likely foreshadow an increase in the number of deaths due to COVID-19 to come in the wake of the Thanksgiving holiday when millions of Americans traveled and gathered indoors.
The news comes as Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned on Wednesday that a difficult winter awaits. He predicted that total deaths from COVID-19 could reach “close to 450,000” by February unless many more Americans begin taking more precautions to combat the virus’ spread.
“It’s not a fait accompli,” Redfield said in an address at Chamber of Commerce Foundation on Wednesday. “We’re not defenseless. The truth is that mitigation works. But it’s not going to work if half of us do what we need to do. Probably not even if three-quarters do.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-03--Reports: Trump Mulls Firing Barr After AG Debunked POTUS’ Voter Fraud Lies

Attorney General Bill Barr reportedly may be looking at an expulsion after he publicly admitted on Wednesday that the Justice @ @ @ @ @ of the mass voter fraud President Donald Trump falsely claims had swayed the election .
@ @ @ @ @ and NBC News , Trump was incensed by Barr ’ s interview with the Associated @ @ @ @ @ official stated that “ [ t ] o date , we have not seen fraud @ @ @ @ @ have affected a different outcome in the election.
” As such , the President is @ @ @ @ @ to keep his attorney general , per the Post and NBC News .
Several of @ @ @ @ @ to advise him against firing Barr .
During a press briefing held after Barr ’ @ @ @ @ @ press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to say whether the attorney general still had Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ President , if he has any personnel announcement , you will be the first to @ @ @ @ @ told reporters .

Attorney General Bill Barr reportedly may be looking at an expulsion after he publicly admitted on Tuesday that the Justice Department had not found evidence of the mass voter fraud President Donald Trump falsely claims had swayed the election.
According to the Washington Post and NBC News, Trump was incensed by Barr’s interview with the Associated Press, during which the official stated that “[t]o date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election.”
As such, the President is now privately deliberating over whether to keep his attorney general, per the Post and NBC News. Several of his allies are reportedly trying to advise him against firing Barr.
During a press briefing held after Barr’s interview, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to say whether the attorney general still had Trump’s confidence.
“The President, if he has any personnel announcement, you will be the first to know it,” she told reporters.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-03--WH Communications Director Resigns In Waning Weeks Of Trump’s Presidency

White House communications director Alyssa Farah resigned from her position on Thursday , weeks before President Trump ’ s term will come to a close next month .
Farah ’ s resignation was first reported by the Washington Post on Thursday afternoon .
Farah began her tenure in the White House by serving as press secretary under Vice President Pence .
Farah then served as the press secretary at the Defense Department before returning to the White House as communications director in April .
The Post noted that Farah is the first person to serve in these three roles in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press secretary .
According to the Post , Farah ’ s last day as White House communications director is on Friday and that she plans to start a consulting firm focusing on the corporate , political and defense realms .
The Post reported that Farah initially planned to leave before the election .
In a statement shared with TPM on Thursday afternoon , Farah confirmed that after working 3½ years in the Trump administration , she will be leaving to “ pursue new opportunities.
” Farah said that serving the Trump administration has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and that she is “ deeply proud of the incredible things we were able to accomplish to make our country stronger , safer , and more secure.
” Farah touted Trump administration policy priorities , which included combating ISIS , brokering Middle East peace negotiations between the Taliban and Afghan government , and Operation Warp Speed for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine .
“ I ’ m forever grateful to have had the opportunity to serve my country , ” Farah said .
Farah ’ s resignation comes amid Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fruitless legal attempts to delegitimize the election process as he wages baseless claims of widespread voter fraud .
On Sunday , Farah reacted to President-elect Joe Biden ’ s announcement of his women-led communications operation by tweeting that it should be “ nonpartisan ” to “ celebrate women ’ s advancement .
”

White House communications director Alyssa Farah resigned from her position on Thursday, weeks before President Trump’s term will come to a close next month.
Farah’s resignation was first reported by the Washington Post on Thursday afternoon.
Farah began her tenure in the White House by serving as press secretary under Vice President Pence. Farah then served as the press secretary at the Defense Department before returning to the White House as communications director in April.
The Post noted that Farah is the first person to serve in these three roles in one administration, and the youngest Pentagon press secretary.
According to the Post, Farah’s last day as White House communications director is on Friday and that she plans to start a consulting firm focusing on the corporate, political and defense realms.
The Post reported that Farah initially planned to leave before the election.
In a statement shared with TPM on Thursday afternoon, Farah confirmed that after working 3½ years in the Trump administration, she will be leaving to “pursue new opportunities.”
Farah said that serving the Trump administration has been “the honor of a lifetime” and that she is “deeply proud of the incredible things we were able to accomplish to make our country stronger, safer, and more secure.”
Farah touted Trump administration policy priorities, which included combating ISIS, brokering Middle East peace negotiations between the Taliban and Afghan government, and Operation Warp Speed for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“I’m forever grateful to have had the opportunity to serve my country,” Farah said.
Farah’s resignation comes amid Trump’s ongoing refusal to concede and his fruitless legal attempts to delegitimize the election process as he wages baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.
On Sunday, Farah reacted to President-elect Joe Biden’s announcement of his women-led communications operation by tweeting that it should be “nonpartisan” to “celebrate women’s advancement.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-03--Your Guide To The Political Attacks Currently Inundating The Good People Of Georgia

The one thing guaranteed about the Georgia runoffs is the astronomical price tag .
With such high stakes and so few races , it ’ s always been a sure bet that the state will be awash in money — one political scientist predicted that the races might gobble up a billion dollars when all is said and done .
That money is translating into attack ads dominating TV and computer screens in Georgia homes , billboards lining their streets , flyers dropped in their mailboxes .
The faces of Sens .
Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) , David Perdue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warnock and Jon Ossoff are plastered across the state , often through dark grainy filters and overlaid with narration about the various threats they pose .
National ad-tracking firm AdImpact found that $ 283 million has already been spent on TV spots .
Here ’ s a guide to the glut of attacks and innuendos with which Georgians are being inundated daily .
Ossoff and Democratically-aligned PACs have been hammering Perdue for his history of suspiciously timed stock trades .
Two new PACs run by allies of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 million by the end of this week on ads attacking Perdue and Loeffler for their stock portfolios .
One of the recent ads took advantage of the drip-drip-drip of new reporting that keeps emerging about Perdue ’ s trading .
It highlights a New York Times report about a Department of Justice investigation into possible insider trading , though the agency closed the case without pursuing charges .
The ad does not mention the probe ’ s closure .
That story has been followed by another Times piece capturing Perdue ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overseen by the various committees he sits on .
Perdue ’ s trading has become a centerpiece of Ossoff ’ s campaign , as he has tried to paint the senator as singularly focused on his own financial interests .
He made the argument most famously during a debate moment-gone-viral when he called the senator a “ crook.
” Perdue , in a Trumpian turn , has been declaring himself “ totally exonerated ” of any wrongdoing .
He actually announced that he had been investigated and the probes closed in a September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade individual stocks , but they ’ re not allowed to trade on insider information .
That can create a soupy ethical mess , given that members of Congress are often privy to a hard-to-separate mix of public and nonpublic information .
Perdue ’ s stock trading emerged as an issue during the general election as well , especially due to his gobbling up of stock in Pfizer , the company that has since manufactured a COVID-19 vaccine , and DuPont , which produces personal protective equipment , after a January Senate briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the only senator investigated for his stock activity after the meeting , and his office has said that he had not attended the briefing .
Loeffler Also Under Fire For Her Stock Trades — And Her Wealth Democrats and the Warnock campaign are trying to make Loeffler ’ s suspiciously well-timed stock trades a sticking point too , especially within the canvas of her enormous wealth .
Loeffler and her husband unloaded $ 19 million in stock after the Senate briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic , though she claims innocence since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Justice Department briefly looked into whether her actions amounted to insider trading , but closed the investigation before long .
The state Democratic Party used the episode in an ad featuring criticism from Rep. Doug Collins ( R-GA ) during the first round of the election when he was running against Loeffler , plus clips from Fox News during which the hosts questioned Loeffler about whether her trades were illegal .
The ad cuts out Loeffler ’ s answers to the questioning .
Warnock has also used Loeffler ’ s immense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks — that she ’ s always “ looking out for herself.
” He ’ s used that theme heavily in his health care-themed criticisms , particularly those about Loeffler ’ s inadequate response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Warnock , who went relatively unscathed in the first round of voting as Loeffler and Collins tore into each other , is now being targeted by Republicans as they seek to paint him as a “ radical ” preacher .
Many of the ads have been crafted from carefully edited snippets of Warnock ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once run by Martin Luther King Jr. , where Warnock is now the pastor .
It ’ s a tactic reminiscent of the GOP ’ s racially charged fixation on then-candidate Barack Obama ’ s former pastor Jeremiah Wright .
Indeed , Loeffler ’ s campaign put out an ad in mid-November explicitly tying Warnock to Wright , labeling Warnock a “ radical ’ s radical.
” One of the videos quotes Warnock as saying : “ America , nobody can serve God and the military .
You can ’ t serve God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God and mammon at the same time .
America , choose ye this day who you will serve.
” Warnock has explained that he was expressing his “ ultimate allegiance ” as one to God , that everything else is built on that “ spiritual foundation.
” Loeffler has also dabbled in different flavors of the “ radical , ” “ extremist ” vein , some of which critics say have racist undertones .
In one ad from Loeffler ’ s campaign , the narrator intones that Warnock “ wants to make your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a callback to President Donald Trump ’ s attempts to win over white women during the campaign by warning that Black Lives Matter or Antifa was coming to terrorize their suburbs .
The ad tries to cast Warnock as anti-police for criticizing the officers who killed Michael Brown in Ferguson , Missouri .
Warnock has not embraced the “ defund the police ” movement , and said “ you can both affirm the dignity , and the importance of what law enforcement does , and at the same time hold police officers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another ad , the Loeffler campaign links its opponent to an age-old GOP bogeyman : Fidel Castro .
The former Cuban revolutionary once made a visit to a church in New York where Warnock was a youth pastor , though PolitiFact found Warnock wasn ’ t part of the event .
The Loeffler campaign has also made from very icky innuendos that Warnock was involved in a child abuse investigation at one of his old churches because of charges against him that were soon drooped ; he maintains that he was just trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the ordeal had access to lawyers while being interviewed by police .
Perdue regularly calls Ossoff a “ socialist , ” despite Ossoff ’ s fairly middle-of-the-road positions and rejection of Medicare for All and the Green New Deal .
In one ad spot funded by a Republican Super PAC , Ossoff is accused darkly of taking in “ dirty money ” to help Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) achieve their “ radical agenda.
” The same ad alleges that Ossoff ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communists and terrorist sympathizers , ” though the accusations are fairly flimsy .
In another ad , the Perdue campaign tries to pin Ossoff to “ radical ” ideas like defund the police , which Ossoff has said he opposes .
It ’ s a continuation of Perdue ’ s general election strategy , where he aired an ad claiming falsely that Ossoff was endorsed by the Communist Party : to make Ossoff out to be a radical and extremist .

The one thing guaranteed about the Georgia runoffs is the astronomical price tag.
With such high stakes and so few races, it’s always been a sure bet that the state will be awash in money — one political scientist predicted that the races might gobble up a billion dollars when all is said and done.
That money is translating into attack ads dominating TV and computer screens in Georgia homes, billboards lining their streets, flyers dropped in their mailboxes. The faces of Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), David Perdue (R-GA), Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are plastered across the state, often through dark grainy filters and overlaid with narration about the various threats they pose. National ad-tracking firm AdImpact found that $283 million has already been spent on TV spots.
Here’s a guide to the glut of attacks and innuendos with which Georgians are being inundated daily.
Perdue Attacked For His Stock Trades
Ossoff and Democratically-aligned PACs have been hammering Perdue for his history of suspiciously timed stock trades.
Two new PACs run by allies of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will have spent over $15 million by the end of this week on ads attacking Perdue and Loeffler for their stock portfolios.
One of the recent ads took advantage of the drip-drip-drip of new reporting that keeps emerging about Perdue’s trading. It highlights a New York Times report about a Department of Justice investigation into possible insider trading, though the agency closed the case without pursuing charges. The ad does not mention the probe’s closure.
That story has been followed by another Times piece capturing Perdue’s prolific stock trading, often involving companies overseen by the various committees he sits on.
Perdue’s trading has become a centerpiece of Ossoff’s campaign, as he has tried to paint the senator as singularly focused on his own financial interests. He made the argument most famously during a debate moment-gone-viral when he called the senator a “crook.”
Perdue, in a Trumpian turn, has been declaring himself “totally exonerated” of any wrongdoing. He actually announced that he had been investigated and the probes closed in a September ad.
Members of congress can legally trade individual stocks, but they’re not allowed to trade on insider information. That can create a soupy ethical mess, given that members of Congress are often privy to a hard-to-separate mix of public and nonpublic information.
Perdue’s stock trading emerged as an issue during the general election as well, especially due to his gobbling up of stock in Pfizer, the company that has since manufactured a COVID-19 vaccine, and DuPont, which produces personal protective equipment, after a January Senate briefing on the COVID-19 virus. Perdue was not the only senator investigated for his stock activity after the meeting, and his office has said that he had not attended the briefing.
Loeffler Also Under Fire For Her Stock Trades — And Her Wealth
Democrats and the Warnock campaign are trying to make Loeffler’s suspiciously well-timed stock trades a sticking point too, especially within the canvas of her enormous wealth.
Loeffler and her husband unloaded $19 million in stock after the Senate briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic, though she claims innocence since the trades were handled by an investment firm. The Justice Department briefly looked into whether her actions amounted to insider trading, but closed the investigation before long.
The state Democratic Party used the episode in an ad featuring criticism from Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) during the first round of the election when he was running against Loeffler, plus clips from Fox News during which the hosts questioned Loeffler about whether her trades were illegal. The ad cuts out Loeffler’s answers to the questioning.
Warnock has also used Loeffler’s immense wealth to create a through-line in his attacks — that she’s always “looking out for herself.” He’s used that theme heavily in his health care-themed criticisms, particularly those about Loeffler’s inadequate response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Warnock Tarred As ‘Radical’ Preacher
Warnock, who went relatively unscathed in the first round of voting as Loeffler and Collins tore into each other, is now being targeted by Republicans as they seek to paint him as a “radical” preacher.
Many of the ads have been crafted from carefully edited snippets of Warnock’s sermons at Ebenezer Baptist Church, once run by Martin Luther King Jr., where Warnock is now the pastor.
It’s a tactic reminiscent of the GOP’s racially charged fixation on then-candidate Barack Obama’s former pastor Jeremiah Wright. Indeed, Loeffler’s campaign put out an ad in mid-November explicitly tying Warnock to Wright, labeling Warnock a “radical’s radical.”
One of the videos quotes Warnock as saying: “America, nobody can serve God and the military. You can’t serve God and money. You cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. America, choose ye this day who you will serve.” Warnock has explained that he was expressing his “ultimate allegiance” as one to God, that everything else is built on that “spiritual foundation.”
Loeffler has also dabbled in different flavors of the “radical,” “extremist” vein, some of which critics say have racist undertones.
In one ad from Loeffler’s campaign, the narrator intones that Warnock “wants to make your neighborhoods less safe.” It’s a callback to President Donald Trump’s attempts to win over white women during the campaign by warning that Black Lives Matter or Antifa was coming to terrorize their suburbs. The ad tries to cast Warnock as anti-police for criticizing the officers who killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Warnock has not embraced the “defund the police” movement, and said “you can both affirm the dignity, and the importance of what law enforcement does, and at the same time hold police officers who engage in police brutality accountable.”
In another ad, the Loeffler campaign links its opponent to an age-old GOP bogeyman: Fidel Castro. The former Cuban revolutionary once made a visit to a church in New York where Warnock was a youth pastor, though PolitiFact found Warnock wasn’t part of the event.
The Loeffler campaign has also made from very icky innuendos that Warnock was involved in a child abuse investigation at one of his old churches because of charges against him that were soon drooped; he maintains that he was just trying to ensure that the children who were part of the ordeal had access to lawyers while being interviewed by police.
Ossoff Predictably But Wrongly Labeled ‘Communist,’ ‘Socialist’
Perdue regularly calls Ossoff a “socialist,” despite Ossoff’s fairly middle-of-the-road positions and rejection of Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.
In one ad spot funded by a Republican Super PAC, Ossoff is accused darkly of taking in “dirty money” to help Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) achieve their “radical agenda.” The same ad alleges that Ossoff’s documentary company took money from “Chinese communists and terrorist sympathizers,” though the accusations are fairly flimsy.
In another ad, the Perdue campaign tries to pin Ossoff to “radical” ideas like defund the police, which Ossoff has said he opposes.
It’s a continuation of Perdue’s general election strategy, where he aired an ad claiming falsely that Ossoff was endorsed by the Communist Party: to make Ossoff out to be a radical and extremist.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-03--Biden Taps Two Close Allies To Lead His Administration’s COVID-19 Response

President-elect Joe Biden has appointed two close allies to head up his incoming administration ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed almost 275,000 Americans thus far , Politico reported on Thursday .
Jeff Zients , a former Obama administration official who serves as a co-chair of Biden ’ s transition , will be the incoming administration ’ s COVID-19 coordinator .
Vivek Murthy , the former Obama administration surgeon general , will return to that role for Biden ’ s administration .
According to Politico , this time Murthy ’ s appointment as surgeon general will involve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top medical expert and public face of the effort .
Additionally , Biden COVID-19 advisory board co-chair Marcella Nunez-Smith will focus on health disparities as part of the Biden administration ’ s COVID-19 response .
Politico reported that Biden ’ s team will announce these and other health care personnel announcements as soon as this weekend .
Zients will oversee a surge in testing , a mobilization of economic aid and the distribution of a vaccine as some of his top priorities .
“ He ’ s essentially playing that role with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to Biden told Politico .
“ Jeff isn ’ t a health care guru , and he ’ s the first to say that , but he ’ s a manager and a trusted player without an agenda other than outcomes .
He has all the attributes you need to manage this across the board — a rare skill set in Washington.
” Zients will team up with health experts such as Murthy , whose return to his role as surgeon general will have more enhanced responsibilities compared to his term in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It will be like an amplified , [ Surgeon General ] on steroids plus , ” a source close to Biden told Politico , adding that Murthy will have a “ broader portfolio ” that addresses the COVID-19 pandemic crisis as well as more systemic health care issues .
On Thursday , White House COVID-19 expert Dr. Anthony Fauci , who has largely been sidelined by the Trump administration , told NBC News that he had a “ very productive Zoom meeting ” with Biden ’ s team in the afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ variety of COVID-related topics.
” Zients reportedly led the discussion for Biden ’ s team .
Later Thursday , Biden confirmed to CNN that he asked Fauci to be a chief medical adviser and part of his COVID-19 response team for his incoming administration .
“ I asked him to stay on the exact same role he ’ s had for the past several presidents , and I asked him to be a chief medical adviser for me as well , and be part of the Covid team , ” Biden told CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

President-elect Joe Biden has appointed two close allies to head up his incoming administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed almost 275,000 Americans thus far, Politico reported on Thursday.
Jeff Zients, a former Obama administration official who serves as a co-chair of Biden’s transition, will be the incoming administration’s COVID-19 coordinator.
Vivek Murthy, the former Obama administration surgeon general, will return to that role for Biden’s administration. According to Politico, this time Murthy’s appointment as surgeon general will involve a broader portfolio that includes acting as the top medical expert and public face of the effort.
Additionally, Biden COVID-19 advisory board co-chair Marcella Nunez-Smith will focus on health disparities as part of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 response.
Politico reported that Biden’s team will announce these and other health care personnel announcements as soon as this weekend.
Zients will oversee a surge in testing, a mobilization of economic aid and the distribution of a vaccine as some of his top priorities.
“He’s essentially playing that role with the transition now,” one source close to Biden told Politico. “Jeff isn’t a health care guru, and he’s the first to say that, but he’s a manager and a trusted player without an agenda other than outcomes. He has all the attributes you need to manage this across the board — a rare skill set in Washington.”
Zients will team up with health experts such as Murthy, whose return to his role as surgeon general will have more enhanced responsibilities compared to his term in the Obama administration from 2013 to 2017.
“It will be like an amplified, [Surgeon General] on steroids plus,” a source close to Biden told Politico, adding that Murthy will have a “broader portfolio” that addresses the COVID-19 pandemic crisis as well as more systemic health care issues.
On Thursday, White House COVID-19 expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has largely been sidelined by the Trump administration, told NBC News that he had a “very productive Zoom meeting” with Biden’s team in the afternoon and said that they discussed “a variety of COVID-related topics.” Zients reportedly led the discussion for Biden’s team.
Later Thursday, Biden confirmed to CNN that he asked Fauci to be a chief medical adviser and part of his COVID-19 response team for his incoming administration.
“I asked him to stay on the exact same role he’s had for the past several presidents, and I asked him to be a chief medical adviser for me as well, and be part of the Covid team,” Biden told CNN regarding his Thursday afternoon meeting with Fauci.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-03--The Early Waves Of Vaccination May Not Be Enough To Halt COVID’s Spread

The coming first wave of vaccinations will offer protection to limited groups of people .
But , importantly , that doesn ’ t mean the virus itself will stop spreading anytime soon .
Outside of a few small , isolated communities that have been vaccinated or received immunity from the virus itself , the first waves of vaccine will not reduce the burden of massive community spread in the United States , epidemiologists told TPM .
Rather , they ’ ll do what they ’ re designed to do : drastically reduce the number of people who get seriously ill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Disease Control committee responsible for vaccine policy decided on Tuesday that the first doses of the vaccine should go to frontline health care workers and nursing home residents .
“ These are the victims of transmission , rather than the drivers , ” Josh Michaud , an epidemiologist at the Kaiser Family Foundation , told TPM .
“ It ’ s the young adult population that are the primary drivers of transmission in communities.
” This could lead to a counterintuitive scenario in the spring in which case rates of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drops as the most vulnerable in society are vaccinated but others begin to give up on social distancing prematurely .
The debate over ethical distribution continues to rage in the public health and medical communities , as the states and local governments tasked with organizing the vaccine rollout say they need billions from Congress to do the job effectively .
Underlying this reality is a lack of information on whether the vaccines themselves only prevent the disease , or also prevent the virus from being able to use the inoculated as a vector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent those who receive it from falling ill and neutralizes them as potential vectors for the virus .
But whether that ’ s the case for the COVID-19 vaccines remains unclear .
Mike Ryan , the WHO ’ s director of the health emergencies program , said at a Wednesday briefing that the vaccine ’ s introduction won ’ t end the spread of COVID-19 .
He added that , absent further data on the vaccine itself , “ I don ’ t think anyone can promise eradication of this virus until we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how the vaccines work in the real world and until we understand much more about the details of transmission of this virus.
” He advocated for a “ surgical ” approach that would focus on specific communities hit by the virus .
Two public health specialists , Daniel Teres and Martin Strosberg , outlined one such approach in the medical news website Stat on Thursday .
Vaccinations should “ target several hot zones with high numbers of Covid-19 cases , especially those zones with rising Covid-19 hospitalization rates , ” the authors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would defeat the virus in the hardest-hit areas , while providing useful data on how the vaccine effects spread and how quickly it “ breaks the local epidemic.
” But even under such a scenario , the authors wrote , the timeframe would be one of “ months , ” during which many would die .
“ Its hard to imagine how this would interrupt community transmission , ” Michaud said , referring to the first few weeks and months of the vaccination campaign .
“ Nursing homes — they ’ re the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the source.
” The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices , the CDC committee responsible for recommending how vaccines are to be used , said on Tuesday that it was focusing on nursing homes in part to reduce the virus ’ s mortality rate .
And success in preventing disease will certainly be a huge victory .
The country , for example , has faced a national health care staff shortage during this phase of the pandemic .
That ’ s led to grim decisions .
In the Dakotas , for instance , nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dakota began to allow COVID-19-positive health staff to stay at work .
One CDC study from July found that during the first wave of the pandemic in March and April , health-care workers filed to show up for work for health-related reasons at rates far above that of the general population .
The COVID-19 vaccine could go a long way towards alleviating that problem , preventing the spread of serious disease among those fighting the virus .
But it remains to be seen how effective the shot will be in halting the spread @ @ @ @ @

The coming first wave of vaccinations will offer protection to limited groups of people.
But, importantly, that doesn’t mean the virus itself will stop spreading anytime soon.
Outside of a few small, isolated communities that have been vaccinated or received immunity from the virus itself, the first waves of vaccine will not reduce the burden of massive community spread in the United States, epidemiologists told TPM.
Rather, they’ll do what they’re designed to do: drastically reduce the number of people who get seriously ill or die of COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control committee responsible for vaccine policy decided on Tuesday that the first doses of the vaccine should go to frontline health care workers and nursing home residents.
“These are the victims of transmission, rather than the drivers,” Josh Michaud, an epidemiologist at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told TPM. “It’s the young adult population that are the primary drivers of transmission in communities.”
This could lead to a counterintuitive scenario in the spring in which case rates of the virus remain high even as the death rate drops as the most vulnerable in society are vaccinated but others begin to give up on social distancing prematurely.
The debate over ethical distribution continues to rage in the public health and medical communities, as the states and local governments tasked with organizing the vaccine rollout say they need billions from Congress to do the job effectively.
Underlying this reality is a lack of information on whether the vaccines themselves only prevent the disease, or also prevent the virus from being able to use the inoculated as a vector.
The measles vaccine manages to both prevent those who receive it from falling ill and neutralizes them as potential vectors for the virus.
But whether that’s the case for the COVID-19 vaccines remains unclear.
Mike Ryan, the WHO’s director of the health emergencies program, said at a Wednesday briefing that the vaccine’s introduction won’t end the spread of COVID-19.
He added that, absent further data on the vaccine itself, “I don’t think anyone can promise eradication of this virus until we understand much more about the vaccine and about how the vaccines work in the real world and until we understand much more about the details of transmission of this virus.” He advocated for a “surgical” approach that would focus on specific communities hit by the virus.
Two public health specialists, Daniel Teres and Martin Strosberg, outlined one such approach in the medical news website Stat on Thursday. Vaccinations should “target several hot zones with high numbers of Covid-19 cases, especially those zones with rising Covid-19 hospitalization rates,” the authors wrote. That, they argued, would defeat the virus in the hardest-hit areas, while providing useful data on how the vaccine effects spread and how quickly it “breaks the local epidemic.”
But even under such a scenario, the authors wrote, the timeframe would be one of “months,” during which many would die.
“Its hard to imagine how this would interrupt community transmission,” Michaud said, referring to the first few weeks and months of the vaccination campaign. “Nursing homes — they’re the recipient of community transmission, rather than the source.”
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the CDC committee responsible for recommending how vaccines are to be used, said on Tuesday that it was focusing on nursing homes in part to reduce the virus’s mortality rate.
And success in preventing disease will certainly be a huge victory.
The country, for example, has faced a national health care staff shortage during this phase of the pandemic.
That’s led to grim decisions. In the Dakotas, for instance, nurses’ hourly rates have skyrocketed as North Dakota began to allow COVID-19-positive health staff to stay at work. One CDC study from July found that during the first wave of the pandemic in March and April, health-care workers filed to show up for work for health-related reasons at rates far above that of the general population.
The COVID-19 vaccine could go a long way towards alleviating that problem, preventing the spread of serious disease among those fighting the virus.
But it remains to be seen how effective the shot will be in halting the spread of the virus itself.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-12-03--Trump Aide Banned From DOJ Building After Pressuring Staff To Hand Over Case Info

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The official serving as President Donald Trump ’ s eyes and ears at the Justice Department has been banned from the building after trying to pressure staffers to give up sensitive information about election fraud and other matters she could relay to the White House , three people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press .
Heidi Stirrup , an ally of top Trump adviser Stephen Miller , was quietly installed at the Justice Department as a White House liaison a few months ago .
She was told within the last two weeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned of her efforts to collect insider information about ongoing cases and the department ’ s work on election fraud , the people said .
Stirrup is accused of approaching staffers in the department demanding they give her information about investigations , including election fraud matters , the people said .
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter .
The effort came as Trump continues to level baseless claims that he won the election and alleges without evidence that massive voting fraud was responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Stirrup had also extended job offers to political allies for positions at some of the highest levels of the Justice Department without consulting any senior department officials or the White House counsel ’ s office and also attempted to interfere in the hiring process for career staffers , a violation of the government ’ s human resources policies , one of the people said .
The Justice Department declined to comment .
Attempts to reach Stirrup for comment were not immediately successful .
Earlier this week , Attorney General William Barr told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI had looked into allegations of election irregularities and found no evidence of widespread voting fraud that would change the outcome of the election .
“ To date , we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election , ” he said on Tuesday .
Trump shot back at Barr on Thursday , saying the Justice Department “ hasn ’ t looked very hard ” and calling it a disappointment .
But he stopping short of implying Barr ’ s future as attorney general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me that in a number of weeks from now , ” Trump said when asked if he still has confidence in Barr .
“ They should be looking at all of this fraud , ” Trump said .
He was also critical of Barr ’ s statement that much of what has been presented so far by the Trump campaign and its allies amounts to allegations that belong in lawsuits , not federal crimes .
“ This is not civil .
This is criminal stuff .
This is very bad , criminal stuff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who previously was a central figure in the Trump administration ’ s push for hard-line immigration policies , technically still remains in her position after being placed at the Justice Department by the White House Office of Presidential Personnel .
The Trump administration has been working to have liaisons report directly to the White House instead of the agencies where they work .
Across the administration , there have been concerns that the liaisons were undercutting the work not just of career professionals but also of Trump ’ s own political appointees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel office had also instructed the liaisons to fire any political appointees who were looking for jobs while Trump refused to accept the election results .
Trump ’ s term ends at noon on Jan. 20 .
Several thousand political appointees across the government will see their jobs end by that date .
The White House personnel office has been headed by former Trump personal assistant John McEntee , who has renewed Trump ’ s push to rid the administration of those deemed “ disloyal ” to the president .
In September , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inadvertently made public his anger with McEntee when cameras captured writing on the back of a page he was consulting during a speech .
In a reference to the White House Presidential Personnel Office , Carson ’ s notes said : “ I am not happy with the way PPO is handling my agency.
” It ’ s a sentiment that has been shared across the government .
Stirrup , a close ally of Miller , previously served as the acting director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement and was also a deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health and Human Services .

WASHINGTON (AP) — The official serving as President Donald Trump’s eyes and ears at the Justice Department has been banned from the building after trying to pressure staffers to give up sensitive information about election fraud and other matters she could relay to the White House, three people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press.
Heidi Stirrup, an ally of top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, was quietly installed at the Justice Department as a White House liaison a few months ago. She was told within the last two weeks to vacate the building after top Justice officials learned of her efforts to collect insider information about ongoing cases and the department’s work on election fraud, the people said.
Stirrup is accused of approaching staffers in the department demanding they give her information about investigations, including election fraud matters, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
The effort came as Trump continues to level baseless claims that he won the election and alleges without evidence that massive voting fraud was responsible for his defeat to President-elect Joe Biden.
Stirrup had also extended job offers to political allies for positions at some of the highest levels of the Justice Department without consulting any senior department officials or the White House counsel’s office and also attempted to interfere in the hiring process for career staffers, a violation of the government’s human resources policies, one of the people said.
The Justice Department declined to comment. Attempts to reach Stirrup for comment were not immediately successful.
Earlier this week, Attorney General William Barr told the AP that U.S. attorneys and the FBI had looked into allegations of election irregularities and found no evidence of widespread voting fraud that would change the outcome of the election.
“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election,” he said on Tuesday.
Trump shot back at Barr on Thursday, saying the Justice Department “hasn’t looked very hard” and calling it a disappointment. But he stopping short of implying Barr’s future as attorney general could be cut short.
“Ask me that in a number of weeks from now,” Trump said when asked if he still has confidence in Barr.
“They should be looking at all of this fraud,” Trump said.
He was also critical of Barr’s statement that much of what has been presented so far by the Trump campaign and its allies amounts to allegations that belong in lawsuits, not federal crimes.
“This is not civil. This is criminal stuff. This is very bad, criminal stuff,” Trump said.
Stirrup, who previously was a central figure in the Trump administration’s push for hard-line immigration policies, technically still remains in her position after being placed at the Justice Department by the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.
The Trump administration has been working to have liaisons report directly to the White House instead of the agencies where they work. Across the administration, there have been concerns that the liaisons were undercutting the work not just of career professionals but also of Trump’s own political appointees.
Shortly after the election, the presidential personnel office had also instructed the liaisons to fire any political appointees who were looking for jobs while Trump refused to accept the election results. Trump’s term ends at noon on Jan. 20. Several thousand political appointees across the government will see their jobs end by that date.
The White House personnel office has been headed by former Trump personal assistant John McEntee, who has renewed Trump’s push to rid the administration of those deemed “disloyal” to the president.
In September, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson inadvertently made public his anger with McEntee when cameras captured writing on the back of a page he was consulting during a speech.
In a reference to the White House Presidential Personnel Office, Carson’s notes said: “I am not happy with the way PPO is handling my agency.” It’s a sentiment that has been shared across the government.
Stirrup, a close ally of Miller, previously served as the acting director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement and was also a deputy White House liaison at the Department of Health and Human Services.