buzzfeed--2020-10-02--Trump’s Chief Of Staff Didn’t Wear A Mask When He Talked To Reporters Hours After Trump’s Positive C

Trump’s Chief Of Staff Didn’t Wear A Mask When He Talked To Reporters Hours After Trump’s Positive COVID-19 Test

WASHINGTON — Hours after President Donald Trump announced he and Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus , his chief of staff , who has traveled alongside the president this week , addressed a group of reporters at the White House without a mask .
Mark Meadows emerged from the White House with two aides , both of whom were wearing masks , to update reporters in a 10-minute briefing .
“ I ’ ve obviously been tested , ” Meadows told a reporter when asked why he wasn ’ t wearing a mask .
“ We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and if there ’ s any concern there from a guidance standpoint — we have protocols in place.
” In July , the DC mayor mandated masks for anyone leaving their residences .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a mask “ in public settings and when around people who don ’ t live in your household . ''
And while most of the nation awakened to the news that the president tested positive for the coronavirus , Meadows , one of the first top officials to address the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test , began not with an update on the president ’ s health , but instead the economy .
“ Good morning , '' he said .
`` Obviously we had a great jobs report.
” It ’ s just the latest surreal example of how the administration , including Trump , has played down the pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans .
About a minute into the press briefing , Meadows said the president has “ mild ” symptoms but is in “ good spirits ” and is “ very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , specify the president ’ s treatment , including whether Trump was taking hydroxychloroquine , a controversial drug he ’ s lauded in the past .
Meadows would not go into detail about contact tracing in the White House but confirmed the administration became aware of Hope Hicks ’ s diagnosis on Thursday , before Marine One took off to a fundraiser in New Jersey with Trump aboard .
He also said the president ’ s doctors are continuing to monitor his and the first lady ’ s health and will provide updates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that he and several others have tested negative , including the president ’ s son-in-law and other top aides .
“ We ’ ve tested all of our core staff , and I can tell you that Mr. Kushner , Mr. Scavino , myself — a number of us have been tested , have come back with negative results .
And , yet , at the same time , I fully expect that as this virus continues to go on , other people in the White House will certainly have a positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mitigation plan in place to make sure that the government not only continues to move forward , but the work of the American people continues to move forward .
”

WASHINGTON — Hours after President Donald Trump announced he and Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus, his chief of staff, who has traveled alongside the president this week, addressed a group of reporters at the White House without a mask.
Mark Meadows emerged from the White House with two aides, both of whom were wearing masks, to update reporters in a 10-minute briefing.
“I’ve obviously been tested,” Meadows told a reporter when asked why he wasn’t wearing a mask. “We’re hopefully more than 6 feet away, and if there’s any concern there from a guidance standpoint — we have protocols in place.” In July, the DC mayor mandated masks for anyone leaving their residences.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a mask “in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household."
And while most of the nation awakened to the news that the president tested positive for the coronavirus, Meadows, one of the first top officials to address the nation publicly after the news of the positive test, began not with an update on the president’s health, but instead the economy.
“Good morning," he said. "Obviously we had a great jobs report.”
It’s just the latest surreal example of how the administration, including Trump, has played down the pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans.
About a minute into the press briefing, Meadows said the president has “mild” symptoms but is in “good spirits” and is “very energetic.” He would not, however, specify the president’s treatment, including whether Trump was taking hydroxychloroquine, a controversial drug he’s lauded in the past.
Meadows would not go into detail about contact tracing in the White House but confirmed the administration became aware of Hope Hicks’s diagnosis on Thursday, before Marine One took off to a fundraiser in New Jersey with Trump aboard.
He also said the president’s doctors are continuing to monitor his and the first lady’s health and will provide updates later Friday.
The chief of staff added that he and several others have tested negative, including the president’s son-in-law and other top aides.
“We’ve tested all of our core staff, and I can tell you that Mr. Kushner, Mr. Scavino, myself — a number of us have been tested, have come back with negative results. And, yet, at the same time, I fully expect that as this virus continues to go on, other people in the White House will certainly have a positive test result. We’ve got the mitigation plan in place to make sure that the government not only continues to move forward, but the work of the American people continues to move forward.”


buzzfeed--2020-10-02--Here's A Running List Of False And Misleading Information About Trump's Coronavirus Diagnosis

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus , they announced early Friday morning @ @ @ @ @ diagnosis , false information , fake screenshots , and deceptively edited videos have been circulating @ @ @ @ @ a running list .
Before passing on any online rumor to your friends and family @ @ @ @ @ verify it .
This can be done by checking how recently an account has been @ @ @ @ @ eye on information from news outlets , or searching online to find another source .

At about 1:05 minutes into a video of President Donald Trump posted on Oct. 3, the president seemed to have hiccuped. Many people online speculated that this was a sign that the video had been edited.
BuzzFeed News spoke with six different video analysis experts who all said that without a high-quality version of the video or access to its metadata, it’s impossible to make definitive conclusions, but each of them said that they saw no evidence of manipulation.
Logan Williams, a data scientist with investigative outlet Bellingcat, said he “didn't see any indication that the video has been edited.” Williams analyzed both the audio and the camerawork.
“You can tell that it's handheld and stabilized, because there's some camera drift throughout. I analyzed the amount of camera drift over time, but didn't see any indication that it wasn't a single take,” Williams said.
What the experts did see was likely a hiccup. Grant Fredericks, a certified forensic video analyst, said the moment is “consistent with a hiccup, perhaps a very brief reflux response. A short audio ‘gasp’ can be heard.”
Part of the difficulty, the experts said, is the low quality of the video, which was likely compressed by the social media networks after being posted.


buzzfeed--2020-10-02--Trump Has COVID-19. These Are The Health Risks He Could Face.

For months , President Donald Trump has often focused on a quirk of the coronavirus : While it poses a severe risk to many , particularly the elderly and those with preexisting conditions , it ’ s estimated that roughly 40 % of people may experience no symptoms at all .
The president has used this to repeatedly claim that the coronavirus is not that deadly .
Now that Trump has COVID-19 — and is currently experiencing mild symptoms — there are three huge questions intersecting at the same time : Exactly what is the state of Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be ?
And how might those symptoms play out politically ?
It ’ s unclear how the disease could progress , particularly in the week to come .
Trump says he and Melania Trump are isolating , and the CDC currently recommends that self-isolation take place for at least 10 days after symptoms first appear .
Throughout the nine months since the first coronavirus cases were first reported in the US , Trump has called the severity of the illness into question , repeatedly drawing comparisons between it and the flu .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases people just `` have the sniffles , '' suggesting that it could fade away on its own , despite the fact that there is no built-in immunity to the new virus , allowing it to spread very quickly with devastating impacts .
It ’ s unclear if Trump will continue to downplay the risks of the virus to the public if he recovers .
If Trump ’ s symptoms remain mild and he recovers before Election Day , he could use himself as an example to continue to claim that the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say it is .
He could argue that social distancing , curtailing business , canceling large events , and routine mask-wearing — as scientists have advised — is not worth the economic impact , as he has done for months .
Trump ’ s reelection campaign has hinged on large-scale , in-person events , with limited social distancing .
He has for years tried as frequently as possible to be in front of a roaring crowd of supporters .
Doing so within the next two weeks would put supporters and staffers at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me how the strategy in the White House for protecting the president has been just testing , ” said Ashish Jha , dean of the Brown University School of Public Health .
“ It ’ s only one layer of protection , and the idea that you wouldn ’ t wear a mask around the president , that you wouldn ’ t do social distancing around the president — those strike me as incredibly irresponsible .
And yet that ’ s what we know has been happening at the White House.
” Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which can include shortness of breath , fever , and a cough .
Others , particularly older people , can experience symptoms so severe — which include lung damage and pneumonia — that they may be hospitalized for long periods of time .
Thousands of others have been unable to recover , continuing to experience debilitating symptoms for months .
It ’ s not clear yet how seriously Trump plans to take his isolation , with just a month until the presidential election .
“ He is infectious to others , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 's no longer infectious , ” Jha said .
Also unclear are Trump ’ s current health risks .
In a striking departure from all other presidents in the modern era , he has not disclosed the full results of a physical exam , keeping his medical history largely secret .
In 2015 , the president ’ s former doctor released a letter stating , “ If elected , Mr. Trump , I can state unequivocally , will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency . ''
His doctor later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So it is unknown if the president has underlying medical conditions that are known to increase the risk of severe illness .
But some risk factors are clear .
Trump is 74 years old , and older people in particular face a much higher risk of severe illness , hospitalization , and death as a result of contracting the coronavirus .
Studies have shown that older men in particular may face the highest risks .
A 74-year-old has a roughly 90 times higher chance of dying than an 18- to 29-year-old , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s enormous for the leader of the world , for the president of the United States , '' Ezekiel Emanuel , vice provost of global initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania and a former health policy adviser to the Obama administration , told BuzzFeed News .
In June , the president ’ s doctor disclosed that he weighs 244 pounds , which puts him just above the threshold for obesity for his height .
Recent studies have shown that obesity may also be a risk factor for more severe illness , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role of complicating factors that often accompany excess weight , such as high blood pressure or the role that race may play .
Obesity disproportionately affects Black and Latino Americans , who also face higher risks of severe illness and death as a result of COVID-19 , due in part to higher rates of working essential jobs , lower rates of access to healthcare , and other inequities .
Trump also has a history of high blood cholesterol , but that had improved significantly from previous years , according to the information released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will have access to the best medical care in the world , and most people in his age group have successfully recovered .
But there is huge variation in how each individual ’ s immune system responds to infection , making it impossible to make any precise predictions .
Death rates have also been declining , in part because doctors have gotten much better at treating the illness .
`` It ’ s different than if he got this in March or April .
We know more , '' Emanuel said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in nursing homes , especially early in the pandemic — overall , cases linked to nursing homes account for about 40 % of US deaths from COVID-19 , according to the New York Times .
The president ’ s laissez-faire approach to masking and social distancing likely increased the chances that he exposed others around him to the virus before he was diagnosed .
Supposing that he tested positive for the first time on Thursday , that would suggest that he got infected sometime between last Saturday and Monday , Jha said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president Joe Biden at risk during the Tuesday debate .
On Friday , Biden and his wife Jill tested negative for the coronavirus , but false negatives are especially possible early in an infection ; the coronavirus ’ s incubation period can be up to 14 days .
“ Even if the vice president and the president never got within 6 feet of each other , they were in a close space for quite a while , there was some loud talking and even shouting , ” Jha said .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I would be concerned that vice president Biden was at risk.
” Jha emphasized that the main thing that needed to happen right now is aggressive contact tracing “ of anyone who ’ s been around the president over the last week.
” All of those people need to quarantine , he added .

For months, President Donald Trump has often focused on a quirk of the coronavirus: While it poses a severe risk to many, particularly the elderly and those with preexisting conditions, it’s estimated that roughly 40% of people may experience no symptoms at all. The president has used this to repeatedly claim that the coronavirus is not that deadly.
Now that Trump has COVID-19 — and is currently experiencing mild symptoms — there are three huge questions intersecting at the same time: Exactly what is the state of Trump’s health? How severe will his symptoms be? And how might those symptoms play out politically?
It’s unclear how the disease could progress, particularly in the week to come. Trump says he and Melania Trump are isolating, and the CDC currently recommends that self-isolation take place for at least 10 days after symptoms first appear.
Throughout the nine months since the first coronavirus cases were first reported in the US, Trump has called the severity of the illness into question, repeatedly drawing comparisons between it and the flu. In July, he said that in many cases people just "have the sniffles," suggesting that it could fade away on its own, despite the fact that there is no built-in immunity to the new virus, allowing it to spread very quickly with devastating impacts. It’s unclear if Trump will continue to downplay the risks of the virus to the public if he recovers.
If Trump’s symptoms remain mild and he recovers before Election Day, he could use himself as an example to continue to claim that the coronavirus is not as severe as health experts say it is. He could argue that social distancing, curtailing business, canceling large events, and routine mask-wearing — as scientists have advised — is not worth the economic impact, as he has done for months.
Trump’s reelection campaign has hinged on large-scale, in-person events, with limited social distancing. He has for years tried as frequently as possible to be in front of a roaring crowd of supporters. Doing so within the next two weeks would put supporters and staffers at risk.
“It is really striking to me how the strategy in the White House for protecting the president has been just testing,” said Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. “It’s only one layer of protection, and the idea that you wouldn’t wear a mask around the president, that you wouldn’t do social distancing around the president — those strike me as incredibly irresponsible. And yet that’s what we know has been happening at the White House.”
Many individuals may only experience mild COVID-19 symptoms, which can include shortness of breath, fever, and a cough. Others, particularly older people, can experience symptoms so severe — which include lung damage and pneumonia — that they may be hospitalized for long periods of time. Thousands of others have been unable to recover, continuing to experience debilitating symptoms for months.
It’s not clear yet how seriously Trump plans to take his isolation, with just a month until the presidential election.
“He is infectious to others, and so he has to stay isolated until he's no longer infectious,” Jha said.
Also unclear are Trump’s current health risks. In a striking departure from all other presidents in the modern era, he has not disclosed the full results of a physical exam, keeping his medical history largely secret.
In 2015, the president’s former doctor released a letter stating, “If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency." His doctor later admitted that Trump dictated the letter himself.
So it is unknown if the president has underlying medical conditions that are known to increase the risk of severe illness.
But some risk factors are clear. Trump is 74 years old, and older people in particular face a much higher risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death as a result of contracting the coronavirus. Studies have shown that older men in particular may face the highest risks. A 74-year-old has a roughly 90 times higher chance of dying than an 18- to 29-year-old, according to the CDC.
"That’s enormous for the leader of the world, for the president of the United States," Ezekiel Emanuel, vice provost of global initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania and a former health policy adviser to the Obama administration, told BuzzFeed News.
In June, the president’s doctor disclosed that he weighs 244 pounds, which puts him just above the threshold for obesity for his height. Recent studies have shown that obesity may also be a risk factor for more severe illness, though scientists have not yet sorted through the role of complicating factors that often accompany excess weight, such as high blood pressure or the role that race may play. Obesity disproportionately affects Black and Latino Americans, who also face higher risks of severe illness and death as a result of COVID-19, due in part to higher rates of working essential jobs, lower rates of access to healthcare, and other inequities.
Trump also has a history of high blood cholesterol, but that had improved significantly from previous years, according to the information released in June.
The president, however, will have access to the best medical care in the world, and most people in his age group have successfully recovered. But there is huge variation in how each individual’s immune system responds to infection, making it impossible to make any precise predictions.
Death rates have also been declining, in part because doctors have gotten much better at treating the illness. "It’s different than if he got this in March or April. We know more," Emanuel said.
Some of the highest death rates have been in nursing homes, especially early in the pandemic — overall, cases linked to nursing homes account for about 40% of US deaths from COVID-19, according to the New York Times.
The president’s laissez-faire approach to masking and social distancing likely increased the chances that he exposed others around him to the virus before he was diagnosed. Supposing that he tested positive for the first time on Thursday, that would suggest that he got infected sometime between last Saturday and Monday, Jha said.
That may have also put former vice president Joe Biden at risk during the Tuesday debate. On Friday, Biden and his wife Jill tested negative for the coronavirus, but false negatives are especially possible early in an infection; the coronavirus’s incubation period can be up to 14 days.
“Even if the vice president and the president never got within 6 feet of each other, they were in a close space for quite a while, there was some loud talking and even shouting,” Jha said. “If the president was infectious during that period, I would be concerned that vice president Biden was at risk.”
Jha emphasized that the main thing that needed to happen right now is aggressive contact tracing “of anyone who’s been around the president over the last week.” All of those people need to quarantine, he added.


buzzfeed--2020-10-02--A Senator Wrote An Impassioned Letter To Her Colleagues About Her IVF Treatment And Trump’s Supreme

A Senator Wrote An Impassioned Letter To Her Colleagues About Her IVF Treatment And Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee

Following reports that Amy Coney Barrett , President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee , supported an anti-abortion group that opposes in vitro fertilization , Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois wrote an impassioned letter to her colleagues Friday , citing her own experience with IVF and the conception of her 2-year-old daughter , Maile .
“ I write to each of you today , and especially to my Republican colleagues who cooed and cuddled Maile when she first visited the Capitol , in the hope that you will fully consider the very real impact your vote on this unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start families of their own , ” Duckworth wrote .
“ I urge you to fully consider the message a vote in favor of a Supreme Court nominee who appears to believe that my daughters shouldn ’ t even exist sends not only to me as a mother and as your colleague , but to parents-to-be around this country struggling with infertility and whose dreams may only be achieved through IVF or other technologies.
” The letter , which was obtained by BuzzFeed News , is in reaction to a report from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Barrett was a law professor at Notre Dame , she publicly signed an advertisement in support of an anti-abortion organization that believes life begins at fertilization and that the IVF process amounts to abortion and should be criminalized .
The group — then called the St. Joseph County Right to Life but now named Right to Life Michiana — took out a two-page advertisement in the South Bend Tribune , a local paper for the Michiana region of Indiana .
The ad reads , “ We , the following citizens of Michiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right to life from fertilization to natural death .
Please continue to pray to end abortion.
” Barrett signed this letter along with her husband Jesse , and hundreds of other supporters of the group , the Guardian reported .
While the advertisement itself did not explicitly address IVF , the group is openly opposed to the procedure .
“ We support the criminalization of the doctors who perform abortions .
At this point we are not supportive of criminalizing the women , ” Jackie Appleman , the group ’ s executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Guardian .
“ We would be supportive of criminalizing the discarding of frozen embryos or selective reduction through the IVF process.
” Barrett has repeatedly indicated that she does not support abortion , both in the personal views she expressed while a law professor at Notre Dame , and in her rulings on the issue .
When asked if Barrett signing on to the ad was reflective of her views and if she believes IVF should be criminalized , White House spokesperson Judd Deere provided BuzzFeed News with a quote from Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nomination : “ A judge must apply the law as written .
Judges are not policymakers , and they must be resolute in setting aside any policy views they might hold , ” Barrett said .
In 2018 , Duckworth made history by becoming the first senator to give birth while in office , and she spurred on a change in Senate rules to allow senators to bring their children onto the Senate floor for a vote , which she , adorably , did .
She has two daughters and has been very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ While my two beautiful little girls are unique , my story of struggling with fertility is not , ” Duckworth wrote to colleagues Friday .
“ Assisted reproductive technology ( ART ) , including IVF treatment , has enabled thousands of Americans to safely start families in red and blue states alike.
” “ I fear that , if confirmed to the nation ’ s highest court , Judge Barrett would be unable to resist the temptation of overturning decades of judicial precedent in an effort to force every American family to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Duckworth continued .
“ I fear that if a case involving ART were to be brought before the bench , families like mine would not be able to trust that her opinions would be based on facts , laws , and the Constitution rather than swayed by her personal beliefs.
” The opposition to , and especially the criminalization of , IVF is a controversial opinion , even by anti-abortion standards .
When Alabama passed a near-total ban on abortion in 2019 ( which has since been blocked in court ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Barrett ’ s views on abortion have quickly become a flashpoint for Democrats since her nomination was announced .
The second page of the ad Barrett signed explicitly addressed Roe , though the signatures were only on the first page .
“ It ’ s time to put an end to the barbaric legacy of Roe v. Wade and restore laws that protect the lives of unborn children , ” the ad read .
Deere pointed BuzzFeed News toward several other quotes and rulings from Barrett in which she reiterated that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not their personal beliefs , including one from a 1998 law review article about whether Catholic judges like herself should recuse themselves from cases involving the death penalty , which the Catholic church is opposed to .
In that article , Barrett wrote , “ It is never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge ’ s personal convictions , whether they derive from faith or anywhere else , on the law , ” Deere pointed out .
However , in the article ’ s conclusion , she also wrote , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to — align our legal system with the Church 's moral teaching whenever the two diverge .
They should , however , conform their own behavior to the Church 's standard .
Perhaps their good example will have some effect . ''

Following reports that Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, supported an anti-abortion group that opposes in vitro fertilization, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois wrote an impassioned letter to her colleagues Friday, citing her own experience with IVF and the conception of her 2-year-old daughter, Maile.
“I write to each of you today, and especially to my Republican colleagues who cooed and cuddled Maile when she first visited the Capitol, in the hope that you will fully consider the very real impact your vote on this unprecedented nomination could have on those Americans hoping to start families of their own,” Duckworth wrote.
“I urge you to fully consider the message a vote in favor of a Supreme Court nominee who appears to believe that my daughters shouldn’t even exist sends not only to me as a mother and as your colleague, but to parents-to-be around this country struggling with infertility and whose dreams may only be achieved through IVF or other technologies.”
The letter, which was obtained by BuzzFeed News, is in reaction to a report from the Guardian revealing that in 2006, when Barrett was a law professor at Notre Dame, she publicly signed an advertisement in support of an anti-abortion organization that believes life begins at fertilization and that the IVF process amounts to abortion and should be criminalized.
The group — then called the St. Joseph County Right to Life but now named Right to Life Michiana — took out a two-page advertisement in the South Bend Tribune, a local paper for the Michiana region of Indiana. The ad reads, “We, the following citizens of Michiana, oppose abortion on demand and defend the right to life from fertilization to natural death. Please continue to pray to end abortion.”
Barrett signed this letter along with her husband Jesse, and hundreds of other supporters of the group, the Guardian reported. While the advertisement itself did not explicitly address IVF, the group is openly opposed to the procedure.
“We support the criminalization of the doctors who perform abortions. At this point we are not supportive of criminalizing the women,” Jackie Appleman, the group’s executive director, said in an interview with the Guardian. “We would be supportive of criminalizing the discarding of frozen embryos or selective reduction through the IVF process.”
Barrett has repeatedly indicated that she does not support abortion, both in the personal views she expressed while a law professor at Notre Dame, and in her rulings on the issue. When asked if Barrett signing on to the ad was reflective of her views and if she believes IVF should be criminalized, White House spokesperson Judd Deere provided BuzzFeed News with a quote from Barrett herself, from the day of her nomination:
“A judge must apply the law as written. Judges are not policymakers, and they must be resolute in setting aside any policy views they might hold,” Barrett said.
In 2018, Duckworth made history by becoming the first senator to give birth while in office, and she spurred on a change in Senate rules to allow senators to bring their children onto the Senate floor for a vote, which she, adorably, did. She has two daughters and has been very open about her conception through IVF.
“While my two beautiful little girls are unique, my story of struggling with fertility is not,” Duckworth wrote to colleagues Friday. “Assisted reproductive technology (ART), including IVF treatment, has enabled thousands of Americans to safely start families in red and blue states alike.”
“I fear that, if confirmed to the nation’s highest court, Judge Barrett would be unable to resist the temptation of overturning decades of judicial precedent in an effort to force every American family to adhere to her individual moral code,” Duckworth continued. “I fear that if a case involving ART were to be brought before the bench, families like mine would not be able to trust that her opinions would be based on facts, laws, and the Constitution rather than swayed by her personal beliefs.”
The opposition to, and especially the criminalization of, IVF is a controversial opinion, even by anti-abortion standards. When Alabama passed a near-total ban on abortion in 2019 (which has since been blocked in court), the legislators inserted an exception for IVF. Barrett’s views on abortion have quickly become a flashpoint for Democrats since her nomination was announced.
The second page of the ad Barrett signed explicitly addressed Roe, though the signatures were only on the first page. “It’s time to put an end to the barbaric legacy of Roe v. Wade and restore laws that protect the lives of unborn children,” the ad read.
Deere pointed BuzzFeed News toward several other quotes and rulings from Barrett in which she reiterated that a judge should rely on the law, not their personal beliefs, including one from a 1998 law review article about whether Catholic judges like herself should recuse themselves from cases involving the death penalty, which the Catholic church is opposed to.
In that article, Barrett wrote, “It is never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge’s personal convictions, whether they derive from faith or anywhere else, on the law,” Deere pointed out.
However, in the article’s conclusion, she also wrote, “Judges cannot — nor should they try to — align our legal system with the Church's moral teaching whenever the two diverge. They should, however, conform their own behavior to the Church's standard. Perhaps their good example will have some effect."


buzzfeed--2020-10-02--A Steelworker Who Sat In The Debate Hall Says About Trump’s Positive Coronavirus Test: “It’s Frustra

A Steelworker Who Sat In The Debate Hall Says About Trump’s Positive Coronavirus Test: “It’s Frustrating”

CLEVELAND — A Cleveland steelworker who attended Tuesday ’ s debate as a guest of Joe Biden ’ s was still trying to process the news Friday .
President Donald Trump , first lady Melania Trump , and top Trump aide Hope Hicks — all of whom had been in the room with him that night on the Cleveland Clinic ’ s main campus — had in the last 24 hours tested positive for COVID-19 .
“ I just literally heard about it when I looked at my newsfeed on my phone about an hour ago , ” James Evanoff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Steelworkers Local 979 , told BuzzFeed News in a telephone interview Friday morning .
Though masks were mandatory on site to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus , there were members of Trump ’ s family and traveling party who did not wear them in the debate hall .
“ It ’ s frustrating , ” Evanoff said .
“ It ’ s probably why we ’ re in the mess we ’ re in , because there are a select few who don ’ t want to wear masks.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a condition of entry ; Evanoff , an employee of ArcelorMittal in Cleveland , said he was tested before entering Tuesday .
He was at work Friday morning , about to take his break , when reached by phone .
The 38-year-old said he has no preexisting conditions that would make him vulnerable to the coronavirus but is often around people who do .
He added that he ’ s careful about wearing masks wherever he goes , and called out Trump , who rarely wears a mask in public and who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to social distancing guidelines .
“ It ’ s no different than the fool who will say , ‘ I don ’ t have to wear it at the grocery store , ’ ” Evanoff said .
“ You run into those who put the mask on just to walk past the attendant at the store , and once they ’ re past them , they pull them down .
It ’ s upsetting that the president doesn ’ t lead by example.
” Evanoff was one of two Northeast Ohio guests whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invited to the debate , along with Gurneé Green , the owner of a Cleveland-area fashion store .
“ Gurneé and James represent so many of us — Ohioans who get up and work hard each day to support their families and pursue their dreams , ” Toni Webb , the director of Biden ’ s Ohio campaign , said in a predebate statement to Cleveland.com .
“ But Donald Trump turned his back on people like Gurneé and James .
And now they , like so many Americans , are feeling uncertain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s failed leadership and broken promises.
” The positive tests in the wake of Tuesday ’ s debate throw into confusion how major campaign events will take place — including debates — over the next several weeks .
Officials with the Cleveland Clinic — which is handling coronavirus protocols for the Commission on Presidential Debates and hosted Tuesday ’ s event — have not responded to requests for comment about what specific safety measures , including ventilation , were in place to guard against the spread of the coronavirus .

CLEVELAND — A Cleveland steelworker who attended Tuesday’s debate as a guest of Joe Biden’s was still trying to process the news Friday. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and top Trump aide Hope Hicks — all of whom had been in the room with him that night on the Cleveland Clinic’s main campus — had in the last 24 hours tested positive for COVID-19.
“I just literally heard about it when I looked at my newsfeed on my phone about an hour ago,” James Evanoff Jr., the rapid response director for the United Steelworkers Local 979, told BuzzFeed News in a telephone interview Friday morning.
Though masks were mandatory on site to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, there were members of Trump’s family and traveling party who did not wear them in the debate hall.
“It’s frustrating,” Evanoff said. “It’s probably why we’re in the mess we’re in, because there are a select few who don’t want to wear masks.”
Testing negative for the virus also was a condition of entry; Evanoff, an employee of ArcelorMittal in Cleveland, said he was tested before entering Tuesday. He was at work Friday morning, about to take his break, when reached by phone. The 38-year-old said he has no preexisting conditions that would make him vulnerable to the coronavirus but is often around people who do. He added that he’s careful about wearing masks wherever he goes, and called out Trump, who rarely wears a mask in public and who holds rallies that don’t adhere to social distancing guidelines.
“It’s no different than the fool who will say, ‘I don’t have to wear it at the grocery store,’” Evanoff said. “You run into those who put the mask on just to walk past the attendant at the store, and once they’re past them, they pull them down. It’s upsetting that the president doesn’t lead by example.”
Evanoff was one of two Northeast Ohio guests whom Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, invited to the debate, along with Gurneé Green, the owner of a Cleveland-area fashion store.
“Gurneé and James represent so many of us — Ohioans who get up and work hard each day to support their families and pursue their dreams,” Toni Webb, the director of Biden’s Ohio campaign, said in a predebate statement to Cleveland.com. “But Donald Trump turned his back on people like Gurneé and James. And now they, like so many Americans, are feeling uncertain about the future after four years of Trump’s failed leadership and broken promises.”
The positive tests in the wake of Tuesday’s debate throw into confusion how major campaign events will take place — including debates — over the next several weeks. Officials with the Cleveland Clinic — which is handling coronavirus protocols for the Commission on Presidential Debates and hosted Tuesday’s event — have not responded to requests for comment about what specific safety measures, including ventilation, were in place to guard against the spread of the coronavirus.


buzzfeed--2020-10-02--I Am The Politics Editor And I Have Absolutely No Idea What Happens Next

When the president of the United States is diagnosed with a virus that has killed more than 1 million people , 32 days out from the election , some questions about our democracy naturally arise , such as : AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH ?
It ’ s only been single-digit hours since President Donald Trump announced his positive COVID-19 test , and few questions have any answers .
I ’ ve been writing a version of the Donald Trump Has the Coronavirus story since March , when news broke that the president had potentially been exposed to the virus at Mar-a-Lago .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editor , have regularly updated that prewritten story ever since with more and more grim updates about the virus and the administration ’ s botched response .
I still woke up shocked to see that it had been published , even after the Hope Hicks news Thursday night .
As you try to focus your brain on this Friday morning , in a year that hasn ’ t been exactly predictable , it is…pretty OK and accurate to be really thrown off by this one .
It ’ s good to accept you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen next .
None of us has any idea what is going to happen next .
Whatever you feel about Trump , it has been almost 40 years since there ’ s been such an open question about the health and stability of a US president .
This is not the sort of thing that normally happens so close to an election .
I ’ m not going to pretend here to have many answers to anything right now ( good luck , reporters ! )
.
But there are a few directions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you settle into this new , escalated-chaos reality .
What happens to the presidential campaign ?
This deeply weird presidential campaign as we know it could theoretically be over .
If Trump commits to quarantining for the CDC recommended minimum , he would be sheltered from the public until at least mid-October .
We don ’ t know if there are going to be large-scale Trump rallies .
We don ’ t yet know if there will be future presidential debates .
Who else in politics could have been exposed ?
We don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this , or know how long Trump himself has had the virus or could have been contagious for .
But this has been one of the most high-contact weeks of the presidential campaign .
Supreme Court justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett last saw Trump on Saturday , the White House said .
The debate was on Tuesday , where Trump yelled at Joe Biden and moderator Chris Wallace — inside — for 90 minutes .
The debate hall was filled with Trump and Biden family members , and the Trump side of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) not masked .
We don ’ t yet know what Biden or his campaign plan to do in the coming days in response , though we do know that Biden ’ s campaign says he is regularly tested .
What happens to….the election ?
More than 2 million people have already voted .
It ’ s really hard to imagine something dramatic changing at this point , though things have been dramatically changing at a regular pace .
If Trump or Biden is not able to serve as president and has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties would technically decide on their replacements .
This has never happened before , and if it had to happen now , it would come so close to the election with so many people already voting that it ’ s right now unfathomable to say how it would work .
It ’ s really hard to imagine countless millions of ballots being reprinted in a worst-case scenario .
Trump and his allies have already spent months trying to suggest that the election might be rigged or faulty .
The mind boggles .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us what this really means for the election ?
Could this have any impact on who people actually decide to vote for ?
Who knows !
Voters ’ minds have seemed very made up for months now , but this isn ’ t exactly a normal event .
Trump , one could argue , could be the beneficiary of a wave of sympathy if he publicly handles this right .
Or , one could counter , Trump has just again proven how reckless he ’ s been throughout the pandemic , how his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always going to end like this .
Trump ’ s case against Biden has often boiled down to a machismo-infused “ toughness ” : that he ’ s the one who ’ s mentally and physically fit enough to take on America ’ s adversaries , foreign and domestic .
How does that argument work now with Trump potentially fighting a very deadly virus in the weeks before the election ?
Or if he winds up being asymptomatic , does this just become proof of concept to his base ?
It is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions begin to have true answers .
Literally , the incubation time for the virus is days .
We are not going to know much of anything for days .
It is OK to be uncertain .
This whole year has been uncertain .
We ’ re all very practiced .

When the president of the United States is diagnosed with a virus that has killed more than 1 million people, 32 days out from the election, some questions about our democracy naturally arise, such as: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH?
It’s only been single-digit hours since President Donald Trump announced his positive COVID-19 test, and few questions have any answers.
I’ve been writing a version of the Donald Trump Has the Coronavirus story since March, when news broke that the president had potentially been exposed to the virus at Mar-a-Lago. I, along with BuzzFeed News’ science editor, have regularly updated that prewritten story ever since with more and more grim updates about the virus and the administration’s botched response. I still woke up shocked to see that it had been published, even after the Hope Hicks news Thursday night.
As you try to focus your brain on this Friday morning, in a year that hasn’t been exactly predictable, it is…pretty OK and accurate to be really thrown off by this one.
It’s good to accept you have no idea what is going to happen next. None of us has any idea what is going to happen next. Whatever you feel about Trump, it has been almost 40 years since there’s been such an open question about the health and stability of a US president. This is not the sort of thing that normally happens so close to an election.
I’m not going to pretend here to have many answers to anything right now (good luck, reporters!). But there are a few directions worth letting your mind wander to as you settle into this new, escalated-chaos reality.
What happens to the presidential campaign? This deeply weird presidential campaign as we know it could theoretically be over. If Trump commits to quarantining for the CDC recommended minimum, he would be sheltered from the public until at least mid-October. We don’t know if there are going to be large-scale Trump rallies. We don’t yet know if there will be future presidential debates.
Who else in politics could have been exposed? We don’t yet have a full idea of this, or know how long Trump himself has had the virus or could have been contagious for. But this has been one of the most high-contact weeks of the presidential campaign. Supreme Court justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett last saw Trump on Saturday, the White House said. The debate was on Tuesday, where Trump yelled at Joe Biden and moderator Chris Wallace — inside — for 90 minutes. The debate hall was filled with Trump and Biden family members, and the Trump side of the hall was (at least largely) not masked. We don’t yet know what Biden or his campaign plan to do in the coming days in response, though we do know that Biden’s campaign says he is regularly tested.
What happens to….the election? More than 2 million people have already voted. It’s really hard to imagine something dramatic changing at this point, though things have been dramatically changing at a regular pace. If Trump or Biden is not able to serve as president and has to withdraw from the election, their respective parties would technically decide on their replacements. This has never happened before, and if it had to happen now, it would come so close to the election with so many people already voting that it’s right now unfathomable to say how it would work. It’s really hard to imagine countless millions of ballots being reprinted in a worst-case scenario. Trump and his allies have already spent months trying to suggest that the election might be rigged or faulty. The mind boggles.
What should we think about pundits who tell us what this really means for the election? Could this have any impact on who people actually decide to vote for? Who knows! Voters’ minds have seemed very made up for months now, but this isn’t exactly a normal event. Trump, one could argue, could be the beneficiary of a wave of sympathy if he publicly handles this right. Or, one could counter, Trump has just again proven how reckless he’s been throughout the pandemic, how his bungled response to a deadly virus was always going to end like this.
Trump’s case against Biden has often boiled down to a machismo-infused “toughness”: that he’s the one who’s mentally and physically fit enough to take on America’s adversaries, foreign and domestic. How does that argument work now with Trump potentially fighting a very deadly virus in the weeks before the election? Or if he winds up being asymptomatic, does this just become proof of concept to his base?
It is going to be days until many of these questions begin to have true answers. Literally, the incubation time for the virus is days. We are not going to know much of anything for days. It is OK to be uncertain. This whole year has been uncertain. We’re all very practiced.
Anyway, back to screaming.


buzzfeed--2020-10-03--This Woman's Viral Story Of How COVID Devastated Her Family Is A Must-Read For Anyone Who Doesn't Ta

This Woman's Viral Story Of How COVID Devastated Her Family Is A Must-Read For Anyone Who Doesn't Take The Pandemic Seriously

A young woman 's comment posted on Reddit , in which she describes the horrific toll COVID-19 has taken on @ @ @ @ @ viral across the internet .
And while her story is heartbreaking , it 's a @ @ @ @ @ n't understand just how serious the coronavirus pandemic really is .

A young woman's comment posted on Reddit , in which she describes the horrific toll COVID-19 has taken on her family, is going viral across the internet. And while her story is heartbreaking, it's a must-read for anyone who doesn't understand just how serious the coronavirus pandemic really is.


buzzfeed--2020-10-03--This Son Made His Mom An Instagram Account Full Of Her Advice, And The Messages Are So Important

Poonam said that her messages are so important because young people are listening , and the postings allow her and @ @ @ @ @ right kind of messages .
`` I want to share things that are super important @ @ @ @ @ get enough importance in the hustle and bustle of the day — things like mental @ @ @ @ @ , our environment , and so on .
There 's so much to say , @ @ @ @ @ space where everyone is willing to listen and contribute , '' she said .

Poonam said that her messages are so important because young people are listening, and the postings allow her and her son to spread the right kind of messages. "I want to share things that are super important and things that do not get enough importance in the hustle and bustle of the day — things like mental health, posture, equality, our environment, and so on. There's so much to say, and what better than a space where everyone is willing to listen and contribute," she said.


buzzfeed--2020-10-03--Trump’s Fundraisers Brought Him Into Close Contact With Dozens In Two States Before He Announced He

Trump’s Fundraisers Brought Him Into Close Contact With Dozens In Two States Before He Announced He Had COVID-19

President Donald Trump ’ s loyal supporters who attended fundraisers he held this week are finding themselves in an unthinkable scenario : Could they have caught the coronavirus from the president ?
Trump announced early Friday morning that he and his wife Melania had tested positive for the virus , mere hours after he had appeared at a fundraiser and roundtable with supporters at his golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey .
The previous day , Trump had held another fundraiser in Shorewood , Minnesota .
It is unclear when Trump contracted the virus .
His aide Hope Hicks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was revealed to have tested positive on Thursday — a fact Trump is said to have known about before he continued with his plan to go to Bedminster .
Even so , the president came into relatively close contact with dozens of people at the event , all of whom are now at risk .
And as of Friday afternoon , Trump was being transported to Walter Reed Medical Center , where , according to the White House press secretary , he will be spending the “ next few days.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ length and without a mask , posed for photos , and held a VIP meeting with a smaller group indoors , again unmasked .
In Shorewood , after the president left the event , attendees sang karaoke and put their arms around each other , also without masks .
It took until late on Friday morning for the Bedminster organizers to follow up with attendees about Trump ’ s test result — and even then , they did not encourage them to immediately get tested or quarantine themselves .
Multiple attendees who spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president and his campaign and were confident they would not disregard their safety .
Trump landed at Bedminster at 2:33 p.m. on Thursday , several hours before confirming on Fox News that Hicks , who had traveled with him on Air Force One en route to a rally in Duluth , Minnesota , on Wednesday , had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Waiting to greet him was a crowd of supporters on the corner near the golf course .
Joseph Belnome , a Belleville , New Jersey , resident who works for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Works , was among them .
Belnome , who described himself as a “ major supporter ” of the president — “ when you attack him , it feels like you ’ re attacking me ” — said he ’ d learned the night before that Trump would be coming and that the presidential motorcade might pass by .
Trump has on occasion gotten out of his motorcade before entering the Bedminster grounds to greet people waiting for him there , which has inspired local supporters to assemble when he ’ s in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people had gathered to greet the president outside the event , as well as 10 members of the “ opposition , ” how he described anti-Trump protesters .
He said that four or five people among the Trump supporters were wearing masks , while the anti-Trump protesters all “ had masks and face shields , just unrealistic coverings.
” Donors entering the event had to take a COVID-19 test before going inside and were asked to stay 6 feet away from Trump .
One attendee who asked not to be named estimated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , though they were kept 6 feet away from him even during the photos .
Trump seemed “ very happy ” and “ healthy , ” the attendee said ; “ he took a ton of questions from the crowd and personally knew many of the attendees.
” This attendee said they planned to get tested and quarantine until knowing the results .
Another attendee , Patti Schechter , also posted on Instagram about the event , writing “ Absolutely amazing day having my photo taken with the GOAT , President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front and center while he addressed the crowd and took questions.
” Replying to someone ’ s comment on her page asking if the event was from yesterday , Schechter said it was but she “ never got close ” to Trump .
She has since made her page private and did not respond to requests for comment .
Joe Piscopo , a New Jersey radio host who attended the fundraiser , said it was “ outside and socially distanced , and the President was at the front of the portico at Bedminster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way back .
They put everybody back .
They kept everyone far away .
It had to be 10 yards at least , maybe 20 yards.
” Piscopo , who has known Trump for decades , said that the president called him a “ good friend ” during his remarks at the event .
He said he left feeling inspired and said he expected the president to win by a landslide .
Still , Piscopo didn ’ t attend the smaller VIP event — “ I was standing at the back with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Piscopo said he has COVID-19 antibodies and had also at one point taken hydroxychloroquine “ as the president said.
” The VIP roundtable was held inside , photos posted to Instagram show .
Brandon Dawson and Natalie Workman , a couple who are both executives at a consulting firm , posted photos of themselves inside a room at Bedminster across a table from a place card indicating Trump ’ s spot .
In replies to comments on his post on Friday morning , Dawson wrote that he and Workman had both been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an early test result after an exposure would not be likely to give complete results .
Workman and Dawson didn ’ t respond to requests for comment .
Dr. Richard Roberts , a retired New Jersey pharmaceutical executive and Republican donor , attended the smaller roundtable .
“ I was about 5 or 6 feet away from [ Trump ] , ” Roberts said .
He said the gathering took place in a “ small draped tent , inside the building for a little discussion , and then a photo .
And then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
Right across the table , that rectangular-shaped table , from him for about an hour or so of the meeting with him.
” Roberts said he was among a group of 19 people who were in the smaller meeting .
Roberts echoed others in saying that those who took a photo with Trump were kept at a distance from the president .
For Roberts , the fundraiser was a rare outing .
He said he had been in self-imposed quarantine for six months because he has a number of risk factors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was one of only four times he has left his property during that time .
He said he was not going to get tested and would simply resume his quarantine , but that he was starting to take hydroxychloroquine .
Roberts said Trump did not show signs of being sick during the event and did not cough or sneeze .
On Friday morning , Trump Victory Committee , the joint RNC and Trump campaign fundraising body that sponsored the Bedminster event , wrote to attendees to alert them to their possible exposure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a copy of the email provided to BuzzFeed News by an attendee .
A similar email was sent to attendees of the fundraiser in Shorewood , according to an RNC spokesperson .
The email notified attendees that Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus and it was reaching out to them “ out of an abundance of caution , ” and reminded them that guests had not been allowed to come closer than 6 feet from Trump .
Trump Victory did not urge recipients of the email to preemptively quarantine or get tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you or any of your loved ones is ill or develops a fever , shortness of breath , or other respiratory symptoms , ” the email , which was first reported by CNBC , read .
In a news conference on Friday , New Jersey Gov .
Phil Murphy urged anyone who had been “ in or around ” the Bedminster event to self-quarantine and get tested .
He emphasized quarantining first , then getting tested , and told people to stay quarantined for 14 days even if they get a negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s effort to trace the contacts of the people who went to the event had begun , and that “ folks are cooperating and we need them to.
” Murphy said the White House and the RNC “ put forward a spirit of serious cooperation.
” He said his “ guess ” was that the event had drawn people from all over the region , and potentially out of state , thus posing a risk to communities other than Bedminster .
Wednesday night ’ s fundraiser in Minnesota , which took place during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveled with Trump on Air Force One , had included similar precautions as in Bedminster .
Mandi Merritt , a spokesperson for the RNC , said that attendees at the fundraiser “ tested negative for COVID-19 on the day of the event , completed a wellness questionnaire , and passed a temperature screening .
Every guest was at least 6 feet from the president at all times.
” Blois Olson , a Minnesota political analyst with close knowledge of the event , said that the president had remained at all times behind a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guests .
But Olson viewed social media posts , he said , showing many other attendees at the fundraiser flouted safety guidelines , including singing karaoke , after the president left the event .
“ Nobody had a mask , nobody was physically distanced , ” he said .
South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem , a close ally of Trump 's , was at the event without a mask , posing for photographs with her arms around attendees , according to social media posts viewed by BuzzFeed News .
A spokesperson said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative Tuesday night , ” the night before the fundraiser .

President Donald Trump’s loyal supporters who attended fundraisers he held this week are finding themselves in an unthinkable scenario: Could they have caught the coronavirus from the president?
Trump announced early Friday morning that he and his wife Melania had tested positive for the virus, mere hours after he had appeared at a fundraiser and roundtable with supporters at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The previous day, Trump had held another fundraiser in Shorewood, Minnesota.
It is unclear when Trump contracted the virus. His aide Hope Hicks, who traveled with him on Wednesday, was revealed to have tested positive on Thursday — a fact Trump is said to have known about before he continued with his plan to go to Bedminster. Even so, the president came into relatively close contact with dozens of people at the event, all of whom are now at risk. And as of Friday afternoon, Trump was being transported to Walter Reed Medical Center, where, according to the White House press secretary, he will be spending the “next few days.”
In Bedminster, Trump spoke to attendees at length and without a mask, posed for photos, and held a VIP meeting with a smaller group indoors, again unmasked. In Shorewood, after the president left the event, attendees sang karaoke and put their arms around each other, also without masks. It took until late on Friday morning for the Bedminster organizers to follow up with attendees about Trump’s test result — and even then, they did not encourage them to immediately get tested or quarantine themselves. Multiple attendees who spoke with BuzzFeed News said they trusted the president and his campaign and were confident they would not disregard their safety.
Trump landed at Bedminster at 2:33 p.m. on Thursday, several hours before confirming on Fox News that Hicks, who had traveled with him on Air Force One en route to a rally in Duluth, Minnesota, on Wednesday, had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Waiting to greet him was a crowd of supporters on the corner near the golf course. Joseph Belnome, a Belleville, New Jersey, resident who works for the state’s Department of Public Works, was among them. Belnome, who described himself as a “major supporter” of the president — “when you attack him, it feels like you’re attacking me” — said he’d learned the night before that Trump would be coming and that the presidential motorcade might pass by. Trump has on occasion gotten out of his motorcade before entering the Bedminster grounds to greet people waiting for him there, which has inspired local supporters to assemble when he’s in town.
Belnome estimated that around 150 people had gathered to greet the president outside the event, as well as 10 members of the “opposition,” how he described anti-Trump protesters. He said that four or five people among the Trump supporters were wearing masks, while the anti-Trump protesters all “had masks and face shields, just unrealistic coverings.”
Donors entering the event had to take a COVID-19 test before going inside and were asked to stay 6 feet away from Trump. One attendee who asked not to be named estimated that around 60 people had taken photos with Trump, though they were kept 6 feet away from him even during the photos.
Trump seemed “very happy” and “healthy,” the attendee said; “he took a ton of questions from the crowd and personally knew many of the attendees.” This attendee said they planned to get tested and quarantine until knowing the results.
Another attendee, Patti Schechter, also posted on Instagram about the event, writing “Absolutely amazing day having my photo taken with the GOAT, President Trump!!! And then 20 feet front and center while he addressed the crowd and took questions.”
Replying to someone’s comment on her page asking if the event was from yesterday, Schechter said it was but she “never got close” to Trump. She has since made her page private and did not respond to requests for comment.
Joe Piscopo, a New Jersey radio host who attended the fundraiser, said it was “outside and socially distanced, and the President was at the front of the portico at Bedminster and we were far back, way way back. They put everybody back. They kept everyone far away. It had to be 10 yards at least, maybe 20 yards.”
Piscopo, who has known Trump for decades, said that the president called him a “good friend” during his remarks at the event. He said he left feeling inspired and said he expected the president to win by a landslide. Still, Piscopo didn’t attend the smaller VIP event — “I was standing at the back with the sanitizers and masks,” he said. Piscopo said he has COVID-19 antibodies and had also at one point taken hydroxychloroquine “as the president said.”
The VIP roundtable was held inside, photos posted to Instagram show. Brandon Dawson and Natalie Workman, a couple who are both executives at a consulting firm, posted photos of themselves inside a room at Bedminster across a table from a place card indicating Trump’s spot. In replies to comments on his post on Friday morning, Dawson wrote that he and Workman had both been tested and were negative, though such an early test result after an exposure would not be likely to give complete results. Workman and Dawson didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Dr. Richard Roberts, a retired New Jersey pharmaceutical executive and Republican donor, attended the smaller roundtable. “I was about 5 or 6 feet away from [Trump],” Roberts said. He said the gathering took place in a “small draped tent, inside the building for a little discussion, and then a photo. And then I was about 10 feet away from him. Right across the table, that rectangular-shaped table, from him for about an hour or so of the meeting with him.” Roberts said he was among a group of 19 people who were in the smaller meeting.
Roberts echoed others in saying that those who took a photo with Trump were kept at a distance from the president.
For Roberts, the fundraiser was a rare outing. He said he had been in self-imposed quarantine for six months because he has a number of risk factors for the virus, and the fundraiser was one of only four times he has left his property during that time. He said he was not going to get tested and would simply resume his quarantine, but that he was starting to take hydroxychloroquine. Roberts said Trump did not show signs of being sick during the event and did not cough or sneeze.
On Friday morning, Trump Victory Committee, the joint RNC and Trump campaign fundraising body that sponsored the Bedminster event, wrote to attendees to alert them to their possible exposure to coronavirus because of Trump, according to a copy of the email provided to BuzzFeed News by an attendee. A similar email was sent to attendees of the fundraiser in Shorewood, according to an RNC spokesperson.
The email notified attendees that Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus and it was reaching out to them “out of an abundance of caution,” and reminded them that guests had not been allowed to come closer than 6 feet from Trump.
Trump Victory did not urge recipients of the email to preemptively quarantine or get tested. “Please contact your medical provider if you or any of your loved ones is ill or develops a fever, shortness of breath, or other respiratory symptoms,” the email, which was first reported by CNBC, read.
In a news conference on Friday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy urged anyone who had been “in or around” the Bedminster event to self-quarantine and get tested. He emphasized quarantining first, then getting tested, and told people to stay quarantined for 14 days even if they get a negative test. He said the state’s effort to trace the contacts of the people who went to the event had begun, and that “folks are cooperating and we need them to.” Murphy said the White House and the RNC “put forward a spirit of serious cooperation.” He said his “guess” was that the event had drawn people from all over the region, and potentially out of state, thus posing a risk to communities other than Bedminster.
Wednesday night’s fundraiser in Minnesota, which took place during the same trip on which Hicks had traveled with Trump on Air Force One, had included similar precautions as in Bedminster. Mandi Merritt, a spokesperson for the RNC, said that attendees at the fundraiser “tested negative for COVID-19 on the day of the event, completed a wellness questionnaire, and passed a temperature screening. Every guest was at least 6 feet from the president at all times.”
Blois Olson, a Minnesota political analyst with close knowledge of the event, said that the president had remained at all times behind a rope line, at a distance from guests.
But Olson viewed social media posts, he said, showing many other attendees at the fundraiser flouted safety guidelines, including singing karaoke, after the president left the event. “Nobody had a mask, nobody was physically distanced,” he said.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a close ally of Trump's, was at the event without a mask, posing for photographs with her arms around attendees, according to social media posts viewed by BuzzFeed News. A spokesperson said on Twitter that Noem had “tested negative Tuesday night,” the night before the fundraiser.


buzzfeed--2020-10-03--Trump Was Flown To Walter Reed Hospital To Stay For Several Days After Getting COVID-19

The president will stay at the hospital `` out of an abundance of caution , and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts . ''
President Donald Trump , wearing a mask and not saying a word to assembled reporters , walked onto a waiting helicopter on the White House lawn and was flown to Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday afternoon , less than 24 hours after he tested positive for the coronavirus .
“ I think I ’ m doing very well , but we ’ re going to make sure that things work out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video tweeted not long after he left the White House .
The difference in Trump 's tone and behavior on Friday afternoon simply can not be overstated .
Usually , on his way to his helicopter , Marine One , Trump stops and talks to assembled reporters , often spreading false information .
He rarely , if ever , wears a mask .
And his recorded videos are often longer and more spirited or combative .
Instead , Trump boarded the helicopter with a quick thumbs-up and wave to reporters and his aides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who staff Marine One .
When he landed at Walter Reed , he saluted again and then got into a waiting SUV .
Trump will spend `` several days '' at the medical facility `` working , '' White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said .
“ President Trump remains in good spirits , has mild symptoms , and has been working throughout the day .
Out of an abundance of caution , and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts , the President will be working from the presidential offices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
President Trump appreciates the outpouring of support for both he and the First Lady , ” McEnany said .
Trump ’ s hospitalization comes after he spent months downplaying the seriousness of COVID-19 , holding large campaign rallies , and refusing to wear a mask with rare exceptions .
He continued traveling and campaigning in recent months , including flying on Air Force One with multiple White House officials to a campaign event in New Jersey on Thursday after his top aide Hope Hicks had tested positive .
Trump had canceled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incredible development after he insisted on pandemic rallies where masses of people , many unmasked , crammed in to see him .
Pence — defying the CDC ’ s quarantine guidelines — will continue campaigning .
The president did not make any public appearances on Friday before boarding the helicopter .
He has also tweeted only once since announcing his positive diagnosis just before 1 a.m. on Friday .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Lindsey Graham said they had spoken to Trump by phone on Friday about the Supreme Court vacancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the president took off for the hospital that his father is a `` true warrior '' and asked Americans to join in `` praying for his recovery . ''
If the president becomes incapacitated , Vice President Mike Pence can take over Trump ’ s duties under a process outlined in the 25th Amendment to the Constitution and serve in an acting role if the president authorizes the action .
( A different section of the 25th Amendment allows the vice president and cabinet to force the issue , but that part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
Pence most recently tested negative for the virus on Friday , according to his spokesperson .
Trump ’ s physician offered a brief statement about his condition on Friday , less than 15 hours after the president said he had contracted COVID-19 , a disease that just months ago he insisted would just “ disappear.
” The White House physician , Sean P. Conley , wrote in a memo Friday that Trump remained “ fatigued but in good spirits.
” That notion lightly conflicted with press secretary Kayleigh McEnany ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to “ hold him back a little here because he is hard at work . ''
And it didn ’ t include reporting from White House journalists who say Trump is experiencing a low-grade fever , a light cough , and congestion .
Trump , as a precautionary measure , “ received a single 8 gram dose of Regeneron ’ s polyclonal antibody cocktail , ” Conley wrote , adding he ’ s also been taking “ zinc , vitamin D , famotidine , melatonin and a daily aspirin.
” Recent results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have indicated that when administered early in an infection to nonhospitalized patients , the treatment could reduce the amounts of virus in the body and lead to shorter hospital stays .
No treatments for COVID-19 have yet been approved by the FDA .
But companies can grant emergency access to experimental treatments under FDA ’ s “ compassionate use ” guidelines .
Regeneron ’ s CEO is a longtime acquaintance of Trump ’ s .
“ He ’ s being evaluated by a team of experts , ” Conley said , adding they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lady Melania Trump , who also tested positive , has a “ mild cough ” and headache .
It ’ s unclear how severe Trump ’ s illness is .
At 74 , the president has a higher risk of a severe case of COVID-19 due to his age and his weight ; his medical disclosure in June puts him at 244 pounds , just over the threshold for obesity for his height .
It is unknown if he has any underlying medical conditions that would also contribute to his risk of severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have access to the best medical care in the world .
As recently as mid-September , Trump touted herd immunity as a way to combat the coronavirus , suggesting the virus was “ going away.
” His administration ’ s mishandling of the pandemic has led to more than 200,000 deaths in the US .
There is a month left before the election .
Trump is scheduled to meet former vice president Joe Biden for their second presidential debate on Oct. 15 .
There was no immediate decision on whether it would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump ’ s diagnosis has spread , almost literally , across the nation .
The head of the Republican National Committee , Ronna McDaniel , announced she tested positive .
Utah Sen. Mike Lee did as well .
And the University of Notre Dame ’ s president , Rev .
John Jenkins , also announced he has the coronavirus .
All three had been around Trump as recently as last Friday .
It also set off a mad scramble at the highest levels of government .
Vice President Mike Pence , former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House Nancy Pelosi , Attorney General Bill Barr , Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris , Ivanka Trump , Jared Kushner , and 14-year-old Barron Trump all tested negative , their representatives said .
That doesn ’ t mean the people who tested negative are actually COVID-free , given their potential exposure to the president .
The virus can incubate for up to 14 days , and their test results could change , which is why the CDC recommends a 14-day quarantine for anyone who has come into contact with someone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s diagnosis did not stop members of the Republican Party from ignoring basic coronavirus protocols , including those recommended by Trump ’ s own administration scientists .
The White House will reportedly not mandate that staffers wear masks on campus — Trump was tested only after it was revealed Hicks was positive — calling it “ a personal choice.
” Trump 's chief of staff , Mark Meadows , briefed the press at the White House on Friday without a face covering .
Sen. Chuck Grassley , one of the GOP 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not take a test despite being in proximity to Sen. Mike Lee recently .
Trump ’ s diagnosis also means scores of journalists — including several top leaders of Trump ’ s cheerleader network , Fox News — Secret Service agents , and attendees and workers at Tuesday ’ s debate need to get tested .
In April , UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to the ICU , 10 days after testing positive for the coronavirus and having his symptoms worsen .
Five days later , Johnson was released .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no cure for COVID-19 , and there are no approved treatments .
But since April , options for managing severe symptoms have improved considerably , leading to a decline in death rates and better outcomes for those hospitalized .
Many patients will require help getting oxygen to their lungs , initially administered nasally or through a mask , or by flipping them onto their stomachs , which can help open up their lungs to breathe .
If a patient is in severe respiratory distress , doctors could choose to move them onto a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air in and out of the lungs .
Since using ventilators is a more invasive procedure that requires intubating patients , doctors are still divided on when they are a necessary intervention .
But for hospitalized patients , two treatments have so far proven the most helpful : a cheap steroid called dexamethasone , which was shown to reduce deaths in severely ill patients by a third , and an antiviral drug called remdesivir , which received emergency authorization by the FDA in May .
Neither has yet gone through the FDA ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ require conclusive evidence that they are safe and effective .
So far , Trump ’ s physician has disclosed that he has been receiving Regeneron ’ s experimental antibody treatment .
A second synthetic antibody treatment made by Eli Lilly has also shown promise .
Throughout the pandemic , Trump boosted several treatment options that are unproven or considered dangerous , at one point suggesting that experts shine ultraviolet light inside the body to eliminate the virus or inject people with disinfectants .
Most notably , amid pressure from Trump , the FDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later revoking it after studies showed that it was ineffective and could cause heart problems .
In August , Trump pushed for the FDA to issue an emergency authorization for convalescent plasma , an intervention that uses the antibodies from people who have recovered from COVID-19 but has not yet been shown to be effective in rigorous clinical trials .

President Donald Trump, wearing a mask and not saying a word to assembled reporters, walked onto a waiting helicopter on the White House lawn and was flown to Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours after he tested positive for the coronavirus.
“I think I’m doing very well, but we’re going to make sure that things work out,” Trump said in a prerecorded 18-second video tweeted not long after he left the White House.
The difference in Trump's tone and behavior on Friday afternoon simply cannot be overstated. Usually, on his way to his helicopter, Marine One, Trump stops and talks to assembled reporters, often spreading false information. He rarely, if ever, wears a mask. And his recorded videos are often longer and more spirited or combative.
Instead, Trump boarded the helicopter with a quick thumbs-up and wave to reporters and his aides and a salute to the service members who staff Marine One. When he landed at Walter Reed, he saluted again and then got into a waiting SUV.
Trump will spend "several days" at the medical facility "working," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said.
“President Trump remains in good spirits, has mild symptoms, and has been working throughout the day. Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days. President Trump appreciates the outpouring of support for both he and the First Lady,” McEnany said.


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buzzfeed--2020-10-03--Don't Fall For This Viral Conspiracy Claiming Trump Carried A Hidden Oxygen Tank On The Way To The H

Don't Fall For This Viral Conspiracy Claiming Trump Carried A Hidden Oxygen Tank On The Way To The Hospital

In the wake of news about President Donald Trump being diagnosed with the coronavirus , falsehoods and conspiracies began spreading widely .
One of those conspiracies was fueled by a viral tweet falsely claiming that Trump was using a hidden oxygen tank as he boarded Marine One , the helicopter that took him to Walter Reed hospital , on Friday .
The tweet was posted the night before a baffling Saturday morning press conference with the president 's doctors that added to the confusion over his condition .
It showed a series of low-resolution images and what looked like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's head .
The person who posted it claimed that creases in the president 's suit prove he was carrying a hidden oxygen tank .
The conspiracy traveled far .
Aside from getting 14,000 retweets and 28,000 likes overnight , people also reposted it to Facebook , Instagram , and TikTok .
The account that posted the tweet has since been suspended .
Other images of Trump walking to the helicopter do n't support the false narrative .
A photo taken from the same angle shows no tubes or other oxygen tank equipment @ @ @ @ @ @

In the wake of news about President Donald Trump being diagnosed with the coronavirus, falsehoods and conspiracies began spreading widely.
One of those conspiracies was fueled by a viral tweet falsely claiming that Trump was using a hidden oxygen tank as he boarded Marine One, the helicopter that took him to Walter Reed hospital, on Friday.
The tweet was posted the night before a baffling Saturday morning press conference with the president's doctors that added to the confusion over his condition. It showed a series of low-resolution images and what looked like a manipulated photo of the back of Trump's head. The person who posted it claimed that creases in the president's suit prove he was carrying a hidden oxygen tank.
The conspiracy traveled far. Aside from getting 14,000 retweets and 28,000 likes overnight, people also reposted it to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The account that posted the tweet has since been suspended.
Other images of Trump walking to the helicopter don't support the false narrative. A photo taken from the same angle shows no tubes or other oxygen tank equipment on the president's person.