msnbc--2020-10-06--Connecticut woman still missing after six months of no contact with family

It ’ s been six months since a Connecticut woman disappeared and her family is worried that something has happened to her .
Monica Decker , 53 , was last seen leaving her house in Bridgeport , Connecticut , on April 8 , 2020 , where she lived with her adult son , according to Bridgeport Police Detective Kenneth McKenna .
Two days later , Monica ’ s place of work , Norwalk Transit , called police to perform a welfare check at her home , stating that Monica had failed to show up for work the prior two days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police responded to Monica ’ s house on Beechmont Avenue where they discovered her locked 2016 Honda Civic parked outside and her personal belongings , including her cell phone , located inside the house .
Monica was nowhere to be found , Det .
McKenna told Dateline .
He added that Monica ’ s son told police that he hadn ’ t seen his mother in two days and that he assumed she was at work .
Monica ’ s daughter , Sheila Yasin , who lives in West Haven , Connecticut , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she disappeared .
“ She came by my house to visit , as she often does on the weekends , ” Sheila told Dateline .
“ She made bread and everything was normal .
She wasn ’ t sad or acting weird .
And she certainly didn ’ t act like she was leaving.
” Sheila added that her son , who is autistic , is extremely close with his grandmother .
“ She ’ s his number one advocate , ” Sheila said tearfully .
“ My mom would never just walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s been six months .
This is just not like her at all .
We ’ re crushed.
” An investigation by the Bridgeport Police led investigators to believe that Monica left the area with a man named Toby Roberts , according to Det .
McKenna .
In early May 2020 , Monica ’ s daughters were alerted by the bank that she had accessed her account at an ATM in Wilmington , Vermont .
The detective told Dateline that Monica had checked the account balance , but did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dateline that investigators obtained the security footage from the Merchants bank ATM in Wilmington and confirmed the image was Monica .
The video also showed Monica getting into a green Honda CR-V with an unknown male .
“ We do believe that Monica Decker is in the Wilmington , Vermont area with this man , Toby Roberts , ” Det .
McKenna said .
“ At this time , we have no reason to suspect foul play .
But we haven ’ t given up searching for her .
This is still an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He added that Monica ’ s disappearance remains a missing persons case and they continue to search for her because her family and her work colleagues believe this is out-of-character behavior on her part and are concerned for her safety .
Detective McKenna told Dateline that they ’ ve made multiple attempts to contact both Monica and Toby Roberts , but have been unsuccessful .
He encouraged anyone who may have information on their whereabouts to contact police .
Monica ’ s daughter , Sheila , told Dateline that she ’ s frustrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother ’ s case .
“ I understand that she ’ s an adult and can just leave if she wants , ” Sheila said .
“ But that ’ s just not her .
And she left everything behind .
All her belongings .
It just doesn ’ t make sense.
” And now that Monica hasn ’ t been seen or hear from since being seen on that ATM security video five months ago , Sheila just wants to make sure her mother has disappeared of her own free will .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not safe , ” she said .
“ I just want to know that my mother is not dead .
I need to know that she ’ s OK. ” Monica , who was 52 years old at the time of her disappearance , is now 53 .
She is described as being between 5 ’ 3 ” - 5 ’ 5 '' tall and weighing approximately 185-195 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes .
Anyone who may have information about Monica ’ s whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Kenneth McKenna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 203-581-5245 .

It’s been six months since a Connecticut woman disappeared and her family is worried that something has happened to her.
Monica Decker, 53, was last seen leaving her house in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on April 8, 2020, where she lived with her adult son, according to Bridgeport Police Detective Kenneth McKenna.
Two days later, Monica’s place of work, Norwalk Transit, called police to perform a welfare check at her home, stating that Monica had failed to show up for work the prior two days, which was uncharacteristic of her.
Police responded to Monica’s house on Beechmont Avenue where they discovered her locked 2016 Honda Civic parked outside and her personal belongings, including her cell phone, located inside the house. Monica was nowhere to be found, Det. McKenna told Dateline. He added that Monica’s son told police that he hadn’t seen his mother in two days and that he assumed she was at work.
Monica’s daughter, Sheila Yasin, who lives in West Haven, Connecticut, last saw her mother a week before she disappeared.
“She came by my house to visit, as she often does on the weekends,” Sheila told Dateline. “She made bread and everything was normal. She wasn’t sad or acting weird. And she certainly didn’t act like she was leaving.”
Sheila added that her son, who is autistic, is extremely close with his grandmother.
“She’s his number one advocate,” Sheila said tearfully. “My mom would never just walk away from him and not contact us. It’s been six months. This is just not like her at all. We’re crushed.”
An investigation by the Bridgeport Police led investigators to believe that Monica left the area with a man named Toby Roberts, according to Det. McKenna. In early May 2020, Monica’s daughters were alerted by the bank that she had accessed her account at an ATM in Wilmington, Vermont. The detective told Dateline that Monica had checked the account balance, but did not withdraw any cash.
Detective McKenna told Dateline that investigators obtained the security footage from the Merchants bank ATM in Wilmington and confirmed the image was Monica. The video also showed Monica getting into a green Honda CR-V with an unknown male.
“We do believe that Monica Decker is in the Wilmington, Vermont area with this man, Toby Roberts,” Det. McKenna said. “At this time, we have no reason to suspect foul play. But we haven’t given up searching for her. This is still an open, active missing persons case.”
He added that Monica’s disappearance remains a missing persons case and they continue to search for her because her family and her work colleagues believe this is out-of-character behavior on her part and are concerned for her safety.
Detective McKenna told Dateline that they’ve made multiple attempts to contact both Monica and Toby Roberts, but have been unsuccessful. He encouraged anyone who may have information on their whereabouts to contact police.
Last known image of Monica Decker. Bridgeport Police Department
Monica’s daughter, Sheila, told Dateline that she’s frustrated with the lack of answers in her mother’s case.
“I understand that she’s an adult and can just leave if she wants,” Sheila said. “But that’s just not her. And she left everything behind. All her belongings. It just doesn’t make sense.”
And now that Monica hasn’t been seen or hear from since being seen on that ATM security video five months ago, Sheila just wants to make sure her mother has disappeared of her own free will.
“I feel like my mother is not safe,” she said. “I feel like I'm in a movie I never wanted to be part of. I just want to know that my mother is not dead. I need to know that she’s OK.”
Monica, who was 52 years old at the time of her disappearance, is now 53. She is described as being between 5’3”- 5’5" tall and weighing approximately 185-195 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone who may have information about Monica’s whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Kenneth McKenna at the Bridgeport Police Department in Connecticut at 203-581-5245.


msnbc--2020-10-06--Stephen Miller, top White House aide, tests positive for coronavirus

Stephen Miller , a senior policy aide to President Donald Trump tested positive for coronavirus , he said in a statement on Tuesday .
`` Today , I tested positive for COVID-19 and am in quarantine , '' said Miller , who has been one of the chief architects of Trump 's immigration policies .
He added he has been working remotely for the last five days and has been self-isolating .
Miller , who has been regularly traveling with the president and one of his closest aides , is the latest aide in the Trump orbit to test positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House or campaign have tested positive , including Trump and the first lady .
The president is still battling his Covid-19 infection after first showing symptoms on Thursday , according to the White House .
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say people should isolate for 10 days from the point of showing systems , and in severe cases , 20 days .
His wife , Katie , who is the communications director for Vice President Mike Pence , had tested positive in May .
Stephen Miller , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of the architects of the administration ’ s anti-immigration measures and the president ’ s “ America First ” agenda .
His positive test may add fuel to a bitter back-and-forth between the Trump and Biden campaigns over the use of plexiglass barriers before Wednesday ’ s debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif. Pence , who has tested negative as of Tuesday , does not want a plexiglass divider on his side of the stage for the Salt Lake City , Utah , debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Democratic vice presidential nominee , had requested the plastic barrier as a safety measure because of Pence ’ s potential exposure to Trump , who tested positive for Covid-19 overnight on Thursday .
Several people tied to Trump have since tested positive for the virus , though Pence has reported multiple negative test results .
After Harris made the original request , Katie Miller said in a statement : `` If Sen. Harris wants to use a fortress around herself , have at it . ''
Pence is the head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has been heavily scrutinized in recent months over its response to the pandemic .
In light of the news of Stephen Miller ’ s positive test , Katie Miller , who tested negative Monday afternoon , left Utah “ out of an abundance of caution , ” a White House official told NBC News .

Stephen Miller, a senior policy aide to President Donald Trump tested positive for coronavirus, he said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Today, I tested positive for COVID-19 and am in quarantine," said Miller, who has been one of the chief architects of Trump's immigration policies. He added he has been working remotely for the last five days and has been self-isolating.
Miller, who has been regularly traveling with the president and one of his closest aides, is the latest aide in the Trump orbit to test positive for Covid-19. Numerous people tied to the White House or campaign have tested positive, including Trump and the first lady.
The president is still battling his Covid-19 infection after first showing symptoms on Thursday, according to the White House. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say people should isolate for 10 days from the point of showing systems, and in severe cases, 20 days.
His wife, Katie, who is the communications director for Vice President Mike Pence, had tested positive in May.
Stephen Miller, who is also the president’s speechwriter, is one of the architects of the administration’s anti-immigration measures and the president’s “America First” agenda.
His positive test may add fuel to a bitter back-and-forth between the Trump and Biden campaigns over the use of plexiglass barriers before Wednesday’s debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.
Pence, who has tested negative as of Tuesday, does not want a plexiglass divider on his side of the stage for the Salt Lake City, Utah, debate, according to the White House.
Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, had requested the plastic barrier as a safety measure because of Pence’s potential exposure to Trump, who tested positive for Covid-19 overnight on Thursday.
Several people tied to Trump have since tested positive for the virus, though Pence has reported multiple negative test results.
After Harris made the original request, Katie Miller said in a statement: "If Sen. Harris wants to use a fortress around herself, have at it."
Pence is the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which has been heavily scrutinized in recent months over its response to the pandemic.
In light of the news of Stephen Miller’s positive test, Katie Miller, who tested negative Monday afternoon, left Utah “out of an abundance of caution,” a White House official told NBC News.


msnbc--2020-10-06--Fauci contradicts Trump's false claim Covid-19 is as deadly as flu

Dr. Anthony Fauci , the government 's top infectious diseases expert , emphasized the dangers of Covid-19 on Tuesday , contradicting President Donald Trump 's false claim that the coronavirus was only as deadly as the flu .
People infected with Covid-19 do display `` flu-like '' symptoms , Fauci said Tuesday in an interview with NBC News ' Kate Snow .
But the damage the coronavirus can do `` is very much different from influenza . ''
`` You do n't get a pandemic that kills a million people and it is n't even over yet within influenza , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
`` So it is not correct to say it 's the same as flu .
It has some overlapping symptomatology early on .
But flu does n't do the things to you that Covid-19 can . ''
Trump , still infected , was released Monday from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after three days of treatment .
He returned to the White House , where he resumed downplaying the dangers of the virus , which has already killed more than 210,000 people in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBC News figures .
`` Flu season is coming up !
Many people every year , sometimes over 100,000 , and despite the Vaccine , die from the Flu , '' Trump tweeted .
`` Are we going to close down our Country ?
No , we have learned to live with it , just like we are learning to live with Covid , in most populations far less lethal !
!
! ''
Trump 's cavalier attitude toward Covid-19 and his boastful tweets about his apparent recovery , coupled with his insistence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photo opportunity upon returning , angered coronavirus survivors and those who have lost loved ones .
Asked about Trump 's messaging , Fauci opted not to antagonize the president .
`` I have a job to do , and my personally contradicting the president of the United States publicly is not a good thing if I want to get my job done , '' Fauci said .
Instead , he reiterated the message he has been repeating for months as the country has been logging 40,000 new Covid-19 cases a day and continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7.5 million confirmed cases .
`` There are some things that should be universally practiced , and that is the universal wearing of masks , avoiding crowds , keeping a distance , doing things outdoors more than indoors and washing our hands frequently , '' Fauci said .
`` That does n't matter who you are .
That 's what you should be doing . ''
Pressed by Snow about the `` mixed messaging '' coming out of the White House , Fauci said : `` This is not a trivial disease .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it is not a trivial disease . ''
While the White House has been pushing for rapid approval of a Covid-19 vaccine , Fauci said he is on the side of the Food and Drug Administration , which released new stricter guidelines .
That having been said , Fauci said that at the moment there are `` five candidates '' in the third phase of advanced trials involving thousands of people .
`` It is very likely that we will know by November or December of 2020 that we have a safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump has suggested several times , without providing evidence , that a vaccine could be ready by Election Day .
That is highly unlikely , Fauci countered , yet again .
`` It is conceivable that we will know earlier , like in October .
I think that is unlikely but not impossible , '' Fauci said .
`` I feel cautiously optimistic , Kate , that we will have a safe and effective vaccine that will be able to be distributed by the end of this year or by the beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously disagreed with Trump , and survived a White House attempt to discredit him after he contradicted the president 's more optimistic assessment of the progress of the pandemic .

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious diseases expert, emphasized the dangers of Covid-19 on Tuesday, contradicting President Donald Trump's false claim that the coronavirus was only as deadly as the flu.
People infected with Covid-19 do display "flu-like" symptoms, Fauci said Tuesday in an interview with NBC News' Kate Snow. But the damage the coronavirus can do "is very much different from influenza."
"You don't get a pandemic that kills a million people and it isn't even over yet with influenza," said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "So it is not correct to say it's the same as flu. It has some overlapping symptomatology early on. But flu doesn't do the things to you that Covid-19 can."
Trump, still infected, was released Monday from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after three days of treatment. He returned to the White House, where he resumed downplaying the dangers of the virus, which has already killed more than 210,000 people in the United States, according to the latest NBC News figures.
"Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu," Trump tweeted. "Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!"
Trump's cavalier attitude toward Covid-19 and his boastful tweets about his apparent recovery, coupled with his insistence on taking off his mask for a photo opportunity upon returning, angered coronavirus survivors and those who have lost loved ones.
Asked about Trump's messaging, Fauci opted not to antagonize the president.
"I have a job to do, and my personally contradicting the president of the United States publicly is not a good thing if I want to get my job done," Fauci said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks during a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 23, 2020. Graeme Jennings / AP
Instead, he reiterated the message he has been repeating for months as the country has been logging 40,000 new Covid-19 cases a day and continues to lead the world with more than 7.5 million confirmed cases.
"There are some things that should be universally practiced, and that is the universal wearing of masks, avoiding crowds, keeping a distance, doing things outdoors more than indoors and washing our hands frequently," Fauci said. "That doesn't matter who you are. That's what you should be doing."
Pressed by Snow about the "mixed messaging" coming out of the White House, Fauci said: "This is not a trivial disease. People in the United States should realize that it is not a trivial disease."
Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
While the White House has been pushing for rapid approval of a Covid-19 vaccine, Fauci said he is on the side of the Food and Drug Administration, which released new stricter guidelines.
That having been said, Fauci said that at the moment there are "five candidates" in the third phase of advanced trials involving thousands of people. "It is very likely that we will know by November or December of 2020 that we have a safe and effective vaccine," he said.
Trump has suggested several times, without providing evidence, that a vaccine could be ready by Election Day.
That is highly unlikely, Fauci countered, yet again.
"It is conceivable that we will know earlier, like in October. I think that is unlikely but not impossible," Fauci said. "I feel cautiously optimistic, Kate, that we will have a safe and effective vaccine that will be able to be distributed by the end of this year or by the beginning of next year."
Fauci has previously disagreed with Trump, and survived a White House attempt to discredit him after he contradicted the president's more optimistic assessment of the progress of the pandemic.


msnbc--2020-10-06--My father died of Covid. How dare Trump tell people not to be afraid of it?

I woke up panicked early Saturday morning : I could n't smell .
I immediately sprung out of bed , terrified I had contracted Covid-19 from President Donald Trump and his supporters after sitting only 15 feet away from them at the debate in Cleveland last week , where I was a guest of former Vice President Joe Biden .
It turned out to only be a dream , but the adrenaline it sent coursing through my body was real , and I lay in bed with my mind racing as I went over the events of the last few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mark Urquiza , too soon to Covid-19 , compounded by the fear that I have been exposed .
My mom , in tears for days , scared that she would lose me , her only child , as well .
There is some comfort in knowing I 'm not alone .
The families of the more than 210,000 people in the United States , and counting , who have lost their lives to the coronavirus are united in grief .
Last week we added another name to the list of people affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it provided no sense of solace and solidarity : that of Donald J. Trump .
I sincerely hope that the president and his family never have to experience the trauma and loss that I have experienced .
I welcome and anticipate recovery for the president , the sooner the better .
But this terrible diagnosis could have been an opportunity for him to right some of the wrongs he previously committed in denying the danger of the virus , not taking steps to keep it from spreading and refraining from offering compassion to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they believed those lies .
Any hope I may have had was shattered Monday afternoon , however , when he announced via a tweet that he would be checking out of the hospital and urged the country : `` Do n't be afraid of Covid .
Do n't let it dominate your life . ''
The tweet showed that he cares nothing about the suffering of families like mine and those who are going to continue to be scarred by the disease — all without acknowledging that he inhabits a health care reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As I said at the Democratic National Convention : The coronavirus has made it clear that there are two Americas , the America that Donald Trump lives in and the America that my father died in .
Trump was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center early in his illness .
There he had access to an army of specialists , 24/7 monitoring from top doctors and nurses and experimental drugs denied to almost every other person with the coronavirus .
My dad had similar symptoms ( low-grade fever , chills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he contracted the virus , yet the clinic he visited told him to go home and to go the hospital only if he could n't breathe .
He was sent home on a Friday , and by the next Tuesday , his health had declined so far that it led to his untimely death .
Would my father be alive right now if he had gotten even a small fraction of the care Trump is getting ?
If the hospital had the capacity to admit my father out of an `` abundance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be here ?
He deserved that opportunity .
As did Juan Carlos `` Charlie '' Rangel , who had to wait three hours when his daughter Rosemary Rangel Gutierrez called for an ambulance to take him to the hospital .
When Charlie 's condition deteriorated , Rose 's young sister drove him to the hospital herself .
He died days later .
And Rosie Davis ' mom , Mary Castro , who lived in a nursing home and had to wait days to go to the hospital after first exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to care that prioritized an `` abundance of caution , '' would they still be here today , too ?
Throughout their illnesses and following their deaths , Trump kept on message : Everything would be fine , as the virus affected virtually nobody — his words , not mine .
He may have believed that — though his recently revealed comment to reporter Bob Woodward on Feb. 7 that Covid-19 is `` more deadly than even your strenuous flus '' suggests he did n't — but everything has been far from fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be entitled to the very best care , but he is n't entitled to dismiss the pain and danger to others who could never hope to get the level of treatment he gets .
Trump will not and is not experiencing what the majority of coronavirus victims in this country have experienced , making his call not to be `` afraid '' of the disease not only callous but also fully divorced from the lives of the rest of us .
The world is watching , and it 's time that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misinformation himself , put his political agenda aside , stop spreading lies about the virus and focus his administration 's energy on providing much-needed emergency relief for the millions of Americans hardest hit by the pandemic .
Sadly , one thing we know is that we simply ca n't rely on this president to take even the most basic steps to protect others from the virus , despite his own brush with it .
I was in a room with him last week after having been promised that everyone would be virus-free ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that score .
Trump wo n't address the crisis or provide restitution for the devastation we face .
And that 's part of why I started the nonprofit organization Marked By COVID to elevate the truth about the coronavirus and save lives .
We magnify what Joe Biden and thousands of medical and scientific experts have been calling for all along : a coordinated , data-driven national response to the coronavirus pandemic .
That 's why Marked By COVID joined with other organizations across the country to host a national Week of Mourning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We must acknowledge our loss if we are ever to begin to heal from the trauma caused by a pandemic allowed to spin out of control because of failed leadership .

I woke up panicked early Saturday morning: I couldn't smell. I immediately sprung out of bed, terrified I had contracted Covid-19 from President Donald Trump and his supporters after sitting only 15 feet away from them at the debate in Cleveland last week, where I was a guest of former Vice President Joe Biden.
The tweet showed that he cares nothing about the suffering of families like mine and those who are going to continue to be scarred by the disease.
It turned out to only be a dream, but the adrenaline it sent coursing through my body was real, and I lay in bed with my mind racing as I went over the events of the last few days and months: losing my dad, Mark Urquiza, too soon to Covid-19, compounded by the fear that I have been exposed. My mom, in tears for days, scared that she would lose me, her only child, as well.
There is some comfort in knowing I'm not alone. The families of the more than 210,000 people in the United States, and counting, who have lost their lives to the coronavirus are united in grief. Last week we added another name to the list of people affected by this potentially deadly virus, but it provided no sense of solace and solidarity: that of Donald J. Trump.
I sincerely hope that the president and his family never have to experience the trauma and loss that I have experienced. I welcome and anticipate recovery for the president, the sooner the better. But this terrible diagnosis could have been an opportunity for him to right some of the wrongs he previously committed in denying the danger of the virus, not taking steps to keep it from spreading and refraining from offering compassion to families like mine who lost someone because they believed those lies.
Any hope I may have had was shattered Monday afternoon, however, when he announced via a tweet that he would be checking out of the hospital and urged the country: "Don't be afraid of Covid. Don't let it dominate your life." The tweet showed that he cares nothing about the suffering of families like mine and those who are going to continue to be scarred by the disease — all without acknowledging that he inhabits a health care reality provided to no one else on Earth.
I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2020
As I said at the Democratic National Convention: The coronavirus has made it clear that there are two Americas, the America that Donald Trump lives in and the America that my father died in. Trump was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center early in his illness. There he had access to an army of specialists, 24/7 monitoring from top doctors and nurses and experimental drugs denied to almost every other person with the coronavirus.
My dad had similar symptoms (low-grade fever, chills, cough, low energy) once he contracted the virus, yet the clinic he visited told him to go home and to go the hospital only if he couldn't breathe. He was sent home on a Friday, and by the next Tuesday, his health had declined so far that it led to his untimely death.
Would my father be alive right now if he had gotten even a small fraction of the care Trump is getting? If the hospital had the capacity to admit my father out of an "abundance of caution," would my dad still be here? He deserved that opportunity.
As did Juan Carlos "Charlie" Rangel, who had to wait three hours when his daughter Rosemary Rangel Gutierrez called for an ambulance to take him to the hospital. When Charlie's condition deteriorated, Rose's young sister drove him to the hospital herself. He died days later. And Rosie Davis' mom, Mary Castro, who lived in a nursing home and had to wait days to go to the hospital after first exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms. If Charlie and Mary had had access to care that prioritized an "abundance of caution," would they still be here today, too?
Throughout their illnesses and following their deaths, Trump kept on message: Everything would be fine, as the virus affected virtually nobody — his words, not mine. He may have believed that — though his recently revealed comment to reporter Bob Woodward on Feb. 7 that Covid-19 is "more deadly than even your strenuous flus" suggests he didn't — but everything has been far from fine.
The president of the United States might be entitled to the very best care, but he isn't entitled to dismiss the pain and danger to others who could never hope to get the level of treatment he gets. Trump will not and is not experiencing what the majority of coronavirus victims in this country have experienced, making his call not to be "afraid" of the disease not only callous but also fully divorced from the lives of the rest of us.
The world is watching, and it's time that Trump, as the single largest spreader of misinformation himself, put his political agenda aside, stop spreading lies about the virus and focus his administration's energy on providing much-needed emergency relief for the millions of Americans hardest hit by the pandemic.
Sadly, one thing we know is that we simply can't rely on this president to take even the most basic steps to protect others from the virus, despite his own brush with it. I was in a room with him last week after having been promised that everyone would be virus-free; he couldn't even be trusted on that score.
I was in a room with him last week after being promised everyone would be virus-free; he couldn’t even be trusted on that score.
Trump won't address the crisis or provide restitution for the devastation we face. And that's part of why I started the nonprofit organization Marked By COVID to elevate the truth about the coronavirus and save lives. We magnify what Joe Biden and thousands of medical and scientific experts have been calling for all along: a coordinated, data-driven national response to the coronavirus pandemic.
That's why Marked By COVID joined with other organizations across the country to host a national Week of Mourning from Oct. 4 to Oct. 11. We must acknowledge our loss if we are ever to begin to heal from the trauma caused by a pandemic allowed to spin out of control because of failed leadership.


msnbc--2020-10-06--Trump's response to getting Covid makes you wonder if he believes his own lies

The last week has felt like a self-produced medical reality TV show — perhaps we could call it “ The Madness of King Donald ” — except that it has been more reality-based than any given season of “ The Apprentice.
” Or has it ?
Trump ’ s actions are inevitably a mystifying brand of lunacy to outside observers because one can never tell where the seeming delusion ends and the con begins .
The inability to discern which it is at any given point is at the heart of the question that ’ s dogged our politics and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interminable years ago : Does he believe what comes out of his own mouth ?
The answer , as is clear by now , is not binary .
His whole career has been a toxic mix of Norman Vincent Peale ’ s power of positive thinking and a relationship with objective truth that long ago transcended infidelity and reached full estrangement .
And it makes a kind of perverse sense , I guess , that if you believe strongly enough in your own ability to shape events through sheer will and personal outlook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s good evidence to suggest both that Trump is a heartless grifter , coldly willing to do anything and sacrifice anyone to achieve his personal ends , and that he ’ s also genuinely and dangerously unaware of the actual danger he poses to himself and others .
This was demonstrated yet again as the `` first patient '' aggressively resumed his campaign to downplay the deadly virus burning through the country and his own body and get himself — as president , as reality show star — renewed for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything he has done recently seems in service to what he sees as a path to holding onto power by conveying an image of dominance over and dismissing the seriousness of his own Covid-19 infection and his ability to infect others , who can then infect still other people .
That would explain his seeming decision to leave Walter Reed Military Hospital despite still being on medications normally administered in a hospital setting in order to stage what he undoubtedly saw as a dramatic White House return , doffing his mask and standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can hear it in the Dear Leader-style video his team quickly produced , complete with a score that sounds ripped off from a Jerry Bruckheimer film ; see it affirmed in his Twitter feed where he quoted an adulatory New York Post column about how a Trump returned to the campaign trail would be “ an invincible hero , who not only survived every dirty trick the Democrats threw at him , but the Chinese virus as well.
” In another video filmed Monday night , Trump framed his recklessness about his illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had to do that .
I knew there was danger to it , but I had to do it .
I stood out front , I led , ” he said , as if the exigencies of leadership required him to defy public health advice and embrace the politicization of simple mitigation tactics like wearing masks ; as if the demands of the highest office placed upon him the burden of not only endangering himself but also those around him .
He had , of course , already endangered his senior staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Secret Service agents and many others at the celebration of Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination 10 days ago that turned into a super-spreader event , at debate preparations thereafter , at the first presidential debate in Cleveland last Tuesday , at a rally in Duluth , Minnesota , and a fundraiser in Minneapolis on Wednesday and at a fundraiser at his golf club in New Jersey on Thursday before announcing his diagnosis — and then during his Sunday evening joyride outside of Walter Reed and , of course , during his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House aides — apparently only just realizing that he will treat them with the same cavalier attitude as the marks he invites to attend his largely maskless rallies while demanding they sign forms waiving their right to sue if they contract the virus there — are reportedly outraged .
But we also shouldn ’ t forget the people who didn ’ t sign up to work specifically for this coronavirus carnival barker but have to nonetheless show up to work : the Secret Service , the Marines and residence staff , who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s personal “ Triumph of the Will.
” Even more disturbingly , Trump has emerged from the moment contemplating his own inevitable mortality more determined than ever to downplay the pandemic ’ s severity .
“ Don ’ t be afraid of Covid , ” he tweeted Monday in what will go down as historically bad medical advice .
“ Don ’ t let it dominate your life.
” That ’ s a hell of a message to the 210,000-and-counting Americans whose lives Covid-19 ended : Trump didn ’ t let the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have .
Oh well ; “ it is what it is.
” “ Don ’ t be afraid of it , ” Trump added in his video Monday night .
“ You ’ re going to beat it !
We have the best medical equipment , we have the best medicines ” — even though the vast majority of Americans don ’ t have access to those things , let alone an entire team of dedicated physicians and access to an experimental treatment .
How many of the 210,000 who have died so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got the presidential treatment ?
And how many more people will die because they take the president at his word and find out that their results may differ ?
The same video also touted the idea that vaccines are “ coming momentarily ” on the day that his administration blocked proposed FDA guidelines meant to ensure the rushed vaccines ’ safety and efficacy .
Trump , however , doesn ’ t need a safe or effective vaccine — just a pre-election vaccine .
It ’ s telling that while Trump has repeatedly mentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience , the lessons he seems to draw are identical to his prior beliefs : That he is smarter than any so-called experts ; that the rules and safety guidelines those eggheads produce are for suckers and losers ; and , most of all , that Covid-19 really isn ’ t that bad because , as he said in March too and then Tuesday , it ’ s basically just like the flu .
Of course , he told Bob Woodward in February that “ this is deadly stuff ” and , before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he reportedly worried aloud to aides about “ going out like Stan Chera , ” a New York real estate friend who succumbed to Covid-19 in April .
Meanwhile Trump , abetted by his aides ’ mendacity and doctor ’ s inept spin , have left us all in the dark about how serious his case actually is — but one can infer from the mix of treatments he ’ s undergone ( not to mention the mere fact of his sojourn at Walter Reed ) that it was and is serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than anything requiring a trip to the pharmacy for Tamiflu and a couple days in bed . )
So does he really believe his own propaganda — and to the point at which he ’ s willing to stake his life on that belief ?
Surely his own doctors have explained to him the seriousness of his infection and his condition .
Well , appearances are supremely important to Trump after all : his toxic masculinity encompasses an overwhelming , lifelong need to show supposed “ strength ” ( which is never intellect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things unaware of such optics , like viruses .
And at this point , Trump himself may not be able to parse out Covid-19 facts from his Covid-19 spin from his Covid-19 wishes — and that is a deeply scary truth for all of us for whom Covid-19 is a reality-based risk rather than a mere public relations problem or political prop .

The last week has felt like a self-produced medical reality TV show — perhaps we could call it “The Madness of King Donald” — except that it has been more reality-based than any given season of “The Apprentice.” Or has it?
Trump’s actions are inevitably a mystifying brand of lunacy to outside observers because one can never tell where the seeming delusion ends and the con begins. The inability to discern which it is at any given point is at the heart of the question that’s dogged our politics and political observers since his escalator descent five interminable years ago: Does he believe what comes out of his own mouth?
The answer, as is clear by now, is not binary. His whole career has been a toxic mix of Norman Vincent Peale’s power of positive thinking and a relationship with objective truth that long ago transcended infidelity and reached full estrangement. And it makes a kind of perverse sense, I guess, that if you believe strongly enough in your own ability to shape events through sheer will and personal outlook, the facts become less real.
There’s good evidence to suggest both that Trump is a heartless grifter, coldly willing to do anything and sacrifice anyone to achieve his personal ends, and that he’s also genuinely and dangerously unaware of the actual danger he poses to himself and others.
This was demonstrated yet again as the "first patient" aggressively resumed his campaign to downplay the deadly virus burning through the country and his own body and get himself — as president, as reality show star — renewed for a second term/season.
To that point, everything he has done recently seems in service to what he sees as a path to holding onto power by conveying an image of dominance over and dismissing the seriousness of his own Covid-19 infection and his ability to infect others, who can then infect still other people.
That would explain his seeming decision to leave Walter Reed Military Hospital despite still being on medications normally administered in a hospital setting in order to stage what he undoubtedly saw as a dramatic White House return, doffing his mask and standing imperiously on the Truman balcony. You can hear it in the Dear Leader-style video his team quickly produced, complete with a score that sounds ripped off from a Jerry Bruckheimer film; see it affirmed in his Twitter feed where he quoted an adulatory New York Post column about how a Trump returned to the campaign trail would be “an invincible hero, who not only survived every dirty trick the Democrats threw at him, but the Chinese virus as well.”
In another video filmed Monday night, Trump framed his recklessness about his illness as virtue: “As your leader I had to do that. I knew there was danger to it, but I had to do it. I stood out front, I led,” he said, as if the exigencies of leadership required him to defy public health advice and embrace the politicization of simple mitigation tactics like wearing masks; as if the demands of the highest office placed upon him the burden of not only endangering himself but also those around him.
He had, of course, already endangered his senior staff, top Republicans, White House staff, Secret Service agents and many others at the celebration of Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination 10 days ago that turned into a super-spreader event, at debate preparations thereafter, at the first presidential debate in Cleveland last Tuesday, at a rally in Duluth, Minnesota, and a fundraiser in Minneapolis on Wednesday and at a fundraiser at his golf club in New Jersey on Thursday before announcing his diagnosis — and then during his Sunday evening joyride outside of Walter Reed and, of course, during his return to the White House.
White House aides — apparently only just realizing that he will treat them with the same cavalier attitude as the marks he invites to attend his largely maskless rallies while demanding they sign forms waiving their right to sue if they contract the virus there — are reportedly outraged. But we also shouldn’t forget the people who didn’t sign up to work specifically for this coronavirus carnival barker but have to nonetheless show up to work: the Secret Service, the Marines and residence staff, who are now de facto props in Trump’s personal “Triumph of the Will.”
Even more disturbingly, Trump has emerged from the moment contemplating his own inevitable mortality more determined than ever to downplay the pandemic’s severity. “Don’t be afraid of Covid,” he tweeted Monday in what will go down as historically bad medical advice. “Don’t let it dominate your life.” That’s a hell of a message to the 210,000-and-counting Americans whose lives Covid-19 ended: Trump didn’t let the disease dominate him, and neither should you have. Oh well; “it is what it is.”
“Don’t be afraid of it,” Trump added in his video Monday night. “You’re going to beat it! We have the best medical equipment, we have the best medicines” — even though the vast majority of Americans don’t have access to those things, let alone an entire team of dedicated physicians and access to an experimental treatment. How many of the 210,000 who have died so far would still be alive if they got the presidential treatment? And how many more people will die because they take the president at his word and find out that their results may differ?
The same video also touted the idea that vaccines are “coming momentarily” on the day that his administration blocked proposed FDA guidelines meant to ensure the rushed vaccines’ safety and efficacy. Trump, however, doesn’t need a safe or effective vaccine — just a pre-election vaccine.
It’s telling that while Trump has repeatedly mentioned how much he has learned from his experience, the lessons he seems to draw are identical to his prior beliefs: That he is smarter than any so-called experts; that the rules and safety guidelines those eggheads produce are for suckers and losers; and, most of all, that Covid-19 really isn’t that bad because, as he said in March too and then Tuesday, it’s basically just like the flu.
Of course, he told Bob Woodward in February that “this is deadly stuff” and, before being helicoptered to the hospital last weekend, he reportedly worried aloud to aides about “going out like Stan Chera,” a New York real estate friend who succumbed to Covid-19 in April.
Meanwhile Trump, abetted by his aides’ mendacity and doctor’s inept spin, have left us all in the dark about how serious his case actually is — but one can infer from the mix of treatments he’s undergone (not to mention the mere fact of his sojourn at Walter Reed) that it was and is serious. (It was certainly more serious than anything requiring a trip to the pharmacy for Tamiflu and a couple days in bed.)
So does he really believe his own propaganda — and to the point at which he’s willing to stake his life on that belief? Surely his own doctors have explained to him the seriousness of his infection and his condition.
Well, appearances are supremely important to Trump after all: his toxic masculinity encompasses an overwhelming, lifelong need to show supposed “strength” (which is never intellect) and to dominate — even over things unaware of such optics, like viruses. And at this point, Trump himself may not be able to parse out Covid-19 facts from his Covid-19 spin from his Covid-19 wishes — and that is a deeply scary truth for all of us for whom Covid-19 is a reality-based risk rather than a mere public relations problem or political prop.


msnbc--2020-10-06--How to know if it's safe for you (and others) to vote in-person this year

Every four years , on the first Tuesday in November , the vast machinery underpinning our democracy rolls into gear .
Local election commissions prepare ballots and voting places , while volunteers greet throngs of voters helping Americans exercise their fundamental right to vote .
In the best cases , what follows is almost celebratory — bake sales , colorful signs and enthusiastic poll workers greeting you with a smile and an “ I voted ” sticker to wear proudly as you exit the polling location .
The pandemic has turned this inside out and upside down .
With less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights are being suppressed and restricted while officials hide behind the specters of Covid-19 and purported voting fraud ( for which there is scant evidence at best ) .
With early voting already under way in many states , questions remain about how and when to vote safely .
The recent Covid-19 diagnosis and hospitalization of President Donald Trump — and a growing list of people associated with his White House — has left Americans stunned , furthering anxiety and raising concerns even higher .
While many Americans are opting to vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or need to vote in person .
For those who will be voting in person , overseeing the election or staffing polling stations , here are some precautions to take to ensure voting is as safe as possible .
So how can individual Americans safely vote in person ?
While perhaps not widely known — perhaps because it ’ s rarely viewed as a necessity — many states allow you to vote early in person .
Obviously in the 2020 election , the value of voting early has grown .
On top of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who vote on Election Day by reducing big crowds .
They will also help poll workers rehearse for safe and efficient voting , previewing the unique challenges ( e.g.
, physical distancing , sanitizing ) that can emerge due to the pandemic .
Every voter must take public health precautions to decrease risk .
This means preparing a personal kit with scraps of paper ( to handle doorknobs and surfaces ) ; a pencil and pen ; registration card or identification card ; hand sanitizer and tissues ; and perhaps a book or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ develop .
Wear a mask and check to make sure yours is protecting your nose and mouth by following this simple test .
If possible , use scraps of paper or tissues to handle doorknobs or common surfaces and use hand sanitizer or wash hands frequently .
Maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others at all times .
And if you use hand sanitizer , make sure it is dry before handling electronic voting machines to avoid damaging the equipment .
In prior years , a majority of poll workers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks that this demographic faces from Covid-19 , many previous workers and volunteers are staying safe at home .
While groups like Power the Polls are making strides in finding younger replacements , there is still no question that working at the polls poses risk , particularly given the fact that volunteers will spend the day indoors with exposure to many potential carriers of the virus .
This means it will be on American voters to protect poll workers by staying home if they feel sick or have been in contact with someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
Poll workers should also of course wash hands frequently , ensure physical distancing when possible and wear a protective mask .
They must also understand how to clean and disinfect voting-associated equipment if necessary .
It would be wise for poll workers to huddle briefly prior to start of the day to practice how they will handle unanticipated events by thinking through the possible scenarios .
Election officials must add safety to their list of duties .
Keeping workers , volunteers and voters feeling confident to vote safely is key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is important , for example , to identify potential bottlenecks in the voting process that will slow voting and to communicate average wait times at different times of day to help manage inflow and expectations .
Researchers from Stanford and MIT have recently released best practices that experts say all local election commissions should closely study .
On top of the guidelines about mask wearing and social distancing , election workers need to help ensure volunteers are not working if they are sick , or if they have been exposed to someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide top quality protective equipment including hand sanitizer and encourage frequent washing breaks and masks , including those that allow for lip reading .
On a bigger scale , voting places need to be designed to ensure proper sanitization , increase physical distancing , reduce physical barriers and ensure proper ventilation .
And there needs to be a clear contingency plan in place for unexpected crises , for example : voter frustration at long waits .
We need to protect the vulnerable .
We know that the pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American and elderly communities , and we also know that these communities typically face the largest barriers to voting .
While progressive groups are already making special efforts to observe their polling places and document intimidation , election officials should also make special efforts to make sure that their facilities are as plentiful , accessible and safe as those in other communities .
This means in some case arranging for safe transportation , expanded hours and free personal protective equipment , as is happening already through a coalition of organizations in North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , and already health experts are noticing troubling increases in Covid-19 cases around the country .
Election officials must monitor local pandemic conditions just as they would natural disasters or early-season snow .
Studying how the most effective leaders in other settings — like workplaces and schools — have managed the unfolding crisis should also be instructive .
It will be our collective actions that define our ability to emerge from Covid-19 stronger .
But it will be our individual actions that allow for us to look at our fellow American and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe and healthy , even as we make sure our voices are freely and fairly heard on Nov. 3 .

Every four years, on the first Tuesday in November, the vast machinery underpinning our democracy rolls into gear. Local election commissions prepare ballots and voting places, while volunteers greet throngs of voters helping Americans exercise their fundamental right to vote. In the best cases, what follows is almost celebratory — bake sales, colorful signs and enthusiastic poll workers greeting you with a smile and an “I voted” sticker to wear proudly as you exit the polling location.
Every four years, on the first Tuesday in November, the vast machinery underpinning our democracy rolls into gear.
The pandemic has turned this inside out and upside down. With less than a month to go, voting rights are being suppressed and restricted while officials hide behind the specters of Covid-19 and purported voting fraud (for which there is scant evidence at best). With early voting already under way in many states, questions remain about how and when to vote safely. The recent Covid-19 diagnosis and hospitalization of President Donald Trump — and a growing list of people associated with his White House — has left Americans stunned, furthering anxiety and raising concerns even higher.
While many Americans are opting to vote by mail, millions of Americans will choose or need to vote in person. For those who will be voting in person, overseeing the election or staffing polling stations, here are some precautions to take to ensure voting is as safe as possible.
So how can individual Americans safely vote in person?
While perhaps not widely known — perhaps because it’s rarely viewed as a necessity — many states allow you to vote early in person. Obviously in the 2020 election, the value of voting early has grown. On top of convenience, early voters will help those who vote on Election Day by reducing big crowds. They will also help poll workers rehearse for safe and efficient voting, previewing the unique challenges (e.g., physical distancing, sanitizing) that can emerge due to the pandemic.
Every voter must take public health precautions to decrease risk. This means preparing a personal kit with scraps of paper (to handle doorknobs and surfaces); a pencil and pen; registration card or identification card; hand sanitizer and tissues; and perhaps a book or something to pass the time if lines develop. Wear a mask and check to make sure yours is protecting your nose and mouth by following this simple test. If possible, use scraps of paper or tissues to handle doorknobs or common surfaces and use hand sanitizer or wash hands frequently. Maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others at all times. And if you use hand sanitizer, make sure it is dry before handling electronic voting machines to avoid damaging the equipment.
In prior years, a majority of poll workers were over 60. Given the significantly greater risks that this demographic faces from Covid-19, many previous workers and volunteers are staying safe at home. While groups like Power the Polls are making strides in finding younger replacements, there is still no question that working at the polls poses risk, particularly given the fact that volunteers will spend the day indoors with exposure to many potential carriers of the virus.
This means it will be on American voters to protect poll workers by staying home if they feel sick or have been in contact with someone suspected or confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus. Poll workers should also of course wash hands frequently, ensure physical distancing when possible and wear a protective mask. They must also understand how to clean and disinfect voting-associated equipment if necessary. It would be wise for poll workers to huddle briefly prior to start of the day to practice how they will handle unanticipated events by thinking through the possible scenarios.
It will be on American voters to protect poll workers by staying home if they feel sick or have been in contact with someone suspected or confirmed to be infected.
Election officials must add safety to their list of duties. Keeping workers, volunteers and voters feeling confident to vote safely is key; fast-moving lines will also help. It is important, for example, to identify potential bottlenecks in the voting process that will slow voting and to communicate average wait times at different times of day to help manage inflow and expectations. Researchers from Stanford and MIT have recently released best practices that experts say all local election commissions should closely study.
On top of the guidelines about mask wearing and social distancing, election workers need to help ensure volunteers are not working if they are sick, or if they have been exposed to someone who was sick. They need to provide top quality protective equipment including hand sanitizer and encourage frequent washing breaks and masks, including those that allow for lip reading.
On a bigger scale, voting places need to be designed to ensure proper sanitization, increase physical distancing, reduce physical barriers and ensure proper ventilation. And there needs to be a clear contingency plan in place for unexpected crises, for example: voter frustration at long waits.
We need to protect the vulnerable. We know that the pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on African American, Latinx, Native American and elderly communities, and we also know that these communities typically face the largest barriers to voting. While progressive groups are already making special efforts to observe their polling places and document intimidation, election officials should also make special efforts to make sure that their facilities are as plentiful, accessible and safe as those in other communities. This means in some case arranging for safe transportation, expanded hours and free personal protective equipment, as is happening already through a coalition of organizations in North Carolina.
A lot can happen in several weeks, and already health experts are noticing troubling increases in Covid-19 cases around the country. Election officials must monitor local pandemic conditions just as they would natural disasters or early-season snow. Studying how the most effective leaders in other settings — like workplaces and schools — have managed the unfolding crisis should also be instructive.
It will be our collective actions that define our ability to emerge from Covid-19 stronger. But it will be our individual actions that allow for us to look at our fellow American and acknowledge our part in keeping each other safe and healthy, even as we make sure our voices are freely and fairly heard on Nov. 3.


msnbc--2020-10-07--Trump partially reverses himself on Covid-19 relief talks

Biden calls for national unity in his own Gettysburg address

Trump partially reverses himself on Covid-19 relief talks
Olivia Troye, a former aide to Mike Pence, joins Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss Donald Trump’s “tantrum” of abruptly calling off Covid-19 relief talks and then partially reversing his decision within hours.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--Covid-infected Trump attacks on Twitter as WH outbreak spreads

Back in the White House residence and back on Twitter, the president spent much of Tuesday attacking his critics on Twitter while Joe Biden called for unity in a speech at the historic Civil War battleground in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--Erratic Trump behavior raises concerns Covid, treatments are warping his judgment

Dr. Robert Wachter, chair and professor at the UCSF Department of Medicine, talks with Rachel Maddow about the effects Covid-19 and some of the drugs used to treat it have on the mental health of Covid patients and why that's such a concern for one particular Covid patient in the White House.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--Rev. Warnock now frontrunner in Ga. special Senate election

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msnbc--2020-10-07--Olivia Troye’s VP debate question: 'How do you explain the behavior of the President?'

Olivia Troye’s VP debate question: 'How do you explain the behavior of the President?'
Olivia Troye, a former aide to Mike Pence, tells Lawrence O’Donnell that she wants an explanation from the vice president about the dangerous message Donald Trump sent to the American people by taking off his mask despite having Covid-19.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--New battleground polling shows Biden up in key states

New battleground polling shows Joe Biden up in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Different Florida polling shows Biden and Trump tied as well as Biden in the lead. The panel discusses.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--Private concern grows after Trump flip-flops on relief measures

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it 08:18


msnbc--2020-10-07--Trump sows confusion on stimulus talks

Trump sows confusion on stimulus talks

The president reversed course Tuesday night and urged Congress to approve coronavirus relief measures that he would sign, including a new round of $1,200 stimulus checks for Americans. Earlier he halted talks until 'after I win' the election.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-06--Trump returns to WH, says to not be afraid of coronavirus

Trump returns to WH, says to not be afraid of coronavirus
The president returned to the White House Monday after being treated at Walter Reed Hospital. The Morning Joe panel reacts to the choreographed return and news the WH won't contact trace from the Rose Garden event.Oct. 6, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-06--Buttigieg: The election is our country's ultimate exchange of trust


msnbc--2020-10-06--Trump returns to old talking points on the virus

As the president returns to the WH and says to the public to not be afraid of the coronavirus, the panel looks back at Trump's public remarks on the virus and what he said to journalist Bob Woodward.Oct. 6, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-05--New book looks at the life of Jimmy Carter


msnbc--2020-10-07--By White House timeline, Mike Pence may have been exposed to Covid via Trump

Dr. Robert Wachter, chair and professor at the UCSF Department of Medicine, explains to Rachel Maddow that people with Covid-19 are infectious a day or two before they show symptoms, so according to the White House timeline that puts Mike Pence at an event with Donald Trump two days before Trump's symptoms, Pence should be quarantining to guard against exposing others.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--Rep. Ocasio-Cortez warns of severe fallout as Trump rejects new Covid relief

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez talks with Rachel Maddow about what it will mean for Americans that Donald Trump has ruled out any further coronavirus economic aid packages at least until the election.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--List of positive Covid cases at White House grows at alarming rate

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it


msnbc--2020-10-07--Biden calls for national unity in his own Gettysburg address

Joe Biden took his socially-distanced campaign to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he gave a speech calling for national unity calling out the president while never actually saying Trump's name. Jason Johnson reacts.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--ER Doc describes the horrific reality of dying from Covid-19


msnbc--2020-10-07--Would you feel safe in the debate hall with Mike Pence? Dr. Peter Hotez says ‘no’

Klobuchar : Dems have a package ready ; it 's on Trump to come to table

'To the right of this government, is only a wall' Impact of new judicial law in Israel 05:32


msnbc--2020-10-07--Adam Wren on VP debate: ‘I don’t expect the Vice President to stumble.’

Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris will face off in their first and only debate Wednesday night. The Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart as well as Adam Wren, the Contributing Editor at Politico Magazine and the Indianapolis Monthly, join MSNBC's Craig Melvin to break down what we can expect from Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris ahead of tonight's debate.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--US intelligence leaders issue joint warning on election security


msnbc--2020-10-07--Trump enters Oval Office, breaking coronavirus isolation

President Trump entered the Oval Office in the White House breaking coronavirus isolation. Officials said White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and social media director Dan Scavino were the only staffers with him in the Oval.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--Trump loses again in court on blocking tax subpoena

A federal appeals court declined to block a subpoena from a New York grand jury for several years' worth of President Trump's tax records, a further legal setback in his efforts to keep his returns out of the hands of state prosecutors. NBC News' Pete Williams reports.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--Fmr. CIA Director Brennan on why he will not ‘relent in his criticism’ of Trump

Fmr. CIA Director Brennan on why he will not ‘relent in his criticism’ of Trump
Former Director of the CIA John Brennan explains the threat to national security that Trump poses as president and warns that Trump has “taken the pages out” of the playbooks of many authoritarian leaders he has observedOct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--Arizona early voting begins after Kelly, McSally debate over battleground Senate race

Early voting has begun in Arizona, just one day after a Senate debate between Republican Sen. Martha McSally and Democratic candidate Captain Mark Kelly. Arizona is seen as a battleground state for the Senate and an important swing state in the presidential election.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--Jake Sherman: ‘Markets are woefully uneducated on markets’

As President Trump goes back and forth on stimulus talks, millions of people and businesses are struggling. Politico’s Jake Sherman and former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci join Stephanie Ruhle to discuss the whiplash on Wall Street over Trump’s tweets.Oct. 7, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-07--DOJ announces indictment of ISIS terrorists dubbed 'the Beatles'

Top Appropriations Dem on GOP default threat: 'They have to govern. They are in the majority' 04:48


msnbc--2020-10-07--Sen. Durbin: 'Don't understand' why Trump pulled out of covid relief negotiations

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msnbc--2020-10-06--Fmr. West Wing official: 'Anybody working in the West Wing is ... varying degrees of ill'

Fmr. West Wing official: 'Anybody working in the West Wing is ... varying degrees of ill'
White House facilities are out of date and working quarters are so small that “people are dropping like flies.”Oct. 6, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-06--Fauci: Covid ‘numbers speak for themselves’


msnbc--2020-10-07--Senator points to difficulties in negotiating with Trump on relief

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it 08:18


msnbc--2020-10-07--Klobuchar: Dems have a package ready; it's on Trump to come to table


msnbc--2020-10-08--Maddow: Pence interruptions, 'soporific' style blunted Harris attacks on Covid failures

Joe : We ca n't make the right choices if you lie to us

Rachel Maddow remarks on the energy Kamala Harris put into attacking Mike Pence and the Trump administration in the vice presidential debate for their handling of the coronavirus crisis, contrasted with Pence's subdued style.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Lawrence contrasts the VP debate to the first presidential debate

Lawrence O'Donnell breaks down Vice President Mike Pence's performance in the vice presidential debate against Sen. Kamala Harris and explains how it's a "stark contrast" to President Trump's performance in the first presidential debate: "Compared to Donald Trump, Mike Pence is a prince of gentility."Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Second presidential debate to be held virtually


msnbc--2020-10-08--Joy Reid: Pence did a 'softer version' of Trump's interruption, interrupting both women in the room

Joy Reid: Pence did a 'softer version' of Trump's interruption, interrupting both women in the room
Joy says the vice presidential debate highlights the Trump campaign’s problem with women voters: “I think the one thing it could do is cement Donald Trump’s biggest problem: his biggest problem is with women, with suburban women.”Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Even with Trump sick, Pence ducks succession question at vice presidential debate

Nicolle Wallace points out that even with the distinctly non-zero possibility that Donald Trump may be incapacitated by his health situation, when given the opportunity during the vice presidential debate to assure Americans that he is appropriately prepared to assume the duties of the presidency, Mike Pence dodged.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Why it may be good for Biden if the VP debate didn't change voters' minds

Why it may be good for Biden if the VP debate didn't change voters' minds
Vice presidential debates aren't generally known for changing general election campaigns. David Plouffe and Mike Murphy, two political experts from opposite sides of the aisle, say that's true again in 2020 and that's probably good news for Joe Biden.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--McCaskill: Pence was patronizing and boring. Harris brought joy.

Fmr. Sen. Claire McCaskill shares her first impression of the vice presidential debate and explains why Sen. Kamala Harris had a stronger performance than Vice President Mike Pence.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Buttigieg: Kamala Harris carried the weight of history on debate stage

Pete Buttigieg, who was the debate coach for Kamala Harris in her face-to-face with Mike Pence, reacts to the historical significance of a woman of color appearing on a general election debate stage.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Maddow: 'Pence was defending something that's nothing like what we've lived through'

Maddow: 'Pence was defending something that's nothing like what we've lived through'
Rachel Maddow reacts to the first and only 2020 vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence, describing it as "like a visit to normal politicsland," but noting that since the Trump administration does not represent that normalcy, Pence's answers were incongruous with reality.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Lawrence O'Donnell: Trump is threatening lives of his own staff

Lawrence O'Donnell: Trump is threatening lives of his own staff
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell reacts to the president - still infected with Covid-19 - back at the White House in the Oval Office and shooting videos shared via his Twitter feed.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Harris vaccine answer knocked Trump lack of credibility on coronavirus

Former Senator Claire McCaskill reacts to Senator Kamala Harris' debate answer on whether she would take a coronavirus vaccine, crediting her style and the shot she took at Trump while answering the question.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Did Pence's combative debate against Harris alienate women?

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it


msnbc--2020-10-08--Harris: If you have a pre-existing condition, ‘they’re coming for you’

Protesters in Minneapolis take knee , chant names of people who have died at hands of police

'We are on the road to success': Trump on what he would say to those who did not vote for him 01:13


msnbc--2020-10-08--Buzz of the debate: Fly lands on Pence’s head, temporarily steals show


msnbc--2020-10-08--Pence accuses Biden, Harris of wanting to pack Supreme Court


msnbc--2020-10-08--Harris calls out Trump on lack of transparency over taxes, health


msnbc--2020-10-08--Harris calls Trump's Covid response ‘greatest failure of any presidential administration’


msnbc--2020-10-08--‘They don’t believe in science’: Harris, Pence questioned on climate change


msnbc--2020-10-08--Harris on vaccine: 'If Donald Trump tells us to take it, I’m not taking it'


msnbc--2020-10-08--On Breonna Taylor, Pence says ‘I trust our justice system.’ Harris: They got it wrong.


msnbc--2020-10-08--Pence criticizes Harris' record as attorney general of California


msnbc--2020-10-08--Harris calls out Pence: Supposed to be ‘debate based on fact and truth’


msnbc--2020-10-08--Pence congratulates Harris on the 'historic nature' of her nomination


msnbc--2020-10-08--Pence, Harris spar over coronavirus regulations: 'People have had to sacrifice far too much'

Pence, Harris spar over coronavirus regulations: 'People have had to sacrifice far too much'
Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris were asked about their support of coronavirus regulations, such as mask wearing. Vice President Pence defended the lack of masks at a White House event and Sen. Harris said "the American people have had to sacrifice far too much."Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--White House Physician says Trump clear to resume public events this weekend

Beto O ’ Rourke thanks Biden for spending $ 6M in Texas on campaign ads

Donald Trump's physician released the latest update on the president's progress: He says that Trump has finished his course of therapy. He also says the president can safely return to public engagements this Saturday.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Washington Post's Costa: Some GOP senators reacting to ‘possible blue tsunami on the horizon'

Washington Post's Costa: Some GOP senators reacting to ‘possible blue tsunami on the horizon'
Washington Post’s Robert Costa explains why some Senate Republicans are distancing themselves from Trump, and the reasons why Democrats are expecting a big win in NovemberOct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--The men plotting to kidnap Gov. Whitmer were ‘taking their cues from the president’s language’ says

The men plotting to kidnap Gov. Whitmer were ‘taking their cues from the president’s language’ says Elizabeth Neumann
Former top DHS official Elizabeth Neumann on the arrest of men linked an anti-government militia group for their plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and how the president exacerbated their actionsOct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--US attorney: Group conspired to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer before election

US attorney: Group conspired to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer before election
NBC's Tom Winter discusses what we learned from the press conference about the individuals charged with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Fmr. Obama campaign manager says Trump won’t win re-election as a ‘spray tanned, drugged-up, pitch m

Fmr. Obama campaign manager says Trump won’t win re-election as a ‘spray tanned, drugged-up, pitch man for Regeneron’
David Plouffe, Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, criticizes the president’s irresponsible actions while having Covid-19 and argues that Trump’s erratic Twitter videos will not help him win any more votesOct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Fact-checking Pence's claims at the vice presidential debate

Top Appropriations Dem on GOP default threat: 'They have to govern. They are in the majority' 04:48


msnbc--2020-10-08--Polling shows Biden outperforming Trump (and outperforming Clinton against Trump)

Steve Kornacki, MSNBC political correspondent, reviews the latest polling that shows Joe Biden expanding his lead over Donald Trump since their last meeting at the presidential debate, and showing Biden performing better than Hillary Clinton was at this point in the 2016 race.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--Pelosi: Trump 'walked away from our heroes' by ending coronavirus relief talks

Pelosi: Trump 'walked away from our heroes' by ending coronavirus relief talks
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized President Trump for ending negotiations for a coronavirus relief plan. She claimed that the president "walked away from our heroes" by ending the talks on Capitol Hill.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--‘It’s been devastating to our family’: Flight attendants furloughed on eve of wedding

‘It’s been devastating to our family’: Flight attendants furloughed on eve of wedding
Peter Golembiewski and Brittany Riley, both furloughed from their jobs as United Airlines flight attendants, join MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson to describe their desperate need for Washington to quickly secure Covid-19 relief.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--‘Shaken’: Michigan State Sen. reacts to thwarted plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer

“Every day when I enter the Capitol floor, I look into the gallery for armed gunmen. I keep a bulletproof vest under my desk. And that’s just how it is in my workplace,” says State Sen. Polehanki on threat of right-wing extremists in Michigan.Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--McConnell suggests White House is ‘paying the price’ for lax Covid safety standards

Chris Hayes: “In so many words, McConnell said, ‘I have stayed away from the White House because the president is so incompetent, so dangerous, and so deluded that I would not trust him with my own personal health—even though I'm going to do everything I can to keep him in power.’”Oct. 9, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--'The arguments are getting more and more absurd': Joy blasts Mike Lee’s attacks on democracy

'The arguments are getting more and more absurd': Joy blasts Mike Lee’s attacks on democracy
Here’s what Joy thinks of Sen. Mike Lee attacking ‘rank democracy’: “The arguments are getting more and more absurd as Trump gets more and more absurd.”Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-08--‘The real danger is Donald Trump’: Sen. Duckworth on Trump blaming gold star families for infection

Sen. Tammy Duckworth says President Trump is not fit to be Commander in Chief 'for another minute' in regards to his comments saying gold star families could have given him the coronavirus.Oct. 8, 2020


msnbc--2020-10-09--Supreme Court won't let government enforce abortion pill rule — for now

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday declined to lift a nationwide injunction that prevents the Trump administration from enforcing a rule that would regulate a pill commonly used in medication abortions .
So for now , the rule remains on hold .
But the court also gave the judge who imposed the ban a chance to consider modifying it to make it less restrictive .
It was the court 's first action on abortion since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month .
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said the court should have lifted the ban and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The judge who imposed it , they said , `` apparently was not troubled by the fact that those responsible for public health in Maryland thought it safe for women ( and men ) to leave the house and engage in numerous activities that present at least as much risk as visiting a clinic . ''
The Supreme Court 's brief Thursday order said that while it was not indicating its views on the merits of the issue , the government argues that it is too broad because it applies nationwide `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions in any individual state . ''
The order sent the case back to the judge to consider a motion by the government to modify the injunction by concluding that circumstances have changed .
Since 2000 , the Food and Drug Administration has said that Mifeprex , a drug used during the first ten weeks of pregnancy , must be given to a patient by a health care professional in a clinic , hospital , or doctor 's office .
The patient must sign a form acknowledging that she has been counseled about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient can take the pill any time after receiving it and does not have to swallow it in the presence of the health care professional .
A group of doctors , led by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists , filed a lawsuit seeking to have the restrictions relaxed during the Covid-19 pandemic .
Medical offices and clinics have either closed or restricted appointments , they said , and requiring pregnant women to make in-person visits exposes them to a heightened risk of infection .
Federal District Court Judge Theodore Chuang of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping the FDA rule in the pandemic would `` place a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a medication abortion and that may delay or preclude a medication abortion and thus may necessitate a more invasive procedure . ''
Instead , he said , the pills could be sent by mail .
His order stopped enforcement of the FDA rule nationwide .
Urging the Supreme Court to put a hold on that order and allow the regulation to again be enforced , the Justice Department said suspending the FDA requirement could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` which can increase if the patient delays taking the drug or fails to receive proper counseling about possible complications . ''
As a legal matter , the government said , the FDA rules do not amount to an undue burden on the right of access to abortion , given that surgical methods of abortion remain widely available .
The FDA rule is not a substantial obstacle , `` even if the Covid-19 pandemic has made obtaining any method of abortion in person somewhat riskier . ''
Julia Kay , of the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the Trump administration `` refuses to end its crusade to subject abortion patients and their families to entirely unnecessary exposure risks .
Forcing patients to travel during a pandemic just to pick up a pill is irrational and dangerous . ''
The FDA has suspended in-person requirements for prescription drugs , including highly addictive opioids .
`` But when it comes to medication abortion , the FDA forces patients to travel , '' she said , `` just to pick the medication and sign a form . ''

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday declined to lift a nationwide injunction that prevents the Trump administration from enforcing a rule that would regulate a pill commonly used in medication abortions. So for now, the rule remains on hold.
But the court also gave the judge who imposed the ban a chance to consider modifying it to make it less restrictive.
It was the court's first action on abortion since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said the court should have lifted the ban and allowed the government to enforce the rule. The judge who imposed it, they said, "apparently was not troubled by the fact that those responsible for public health in Maryland thought it safe for women (and men) to leave the house and engage in numerous activities that present at least as much risk as visiting a clinic."
The Supreme Court's brief Thursday order said that while it was not indicating its views on the merits of the issue, the government argues that it is too broad because it applies nationwide "for an indefinite duration regardless of the conditions in any individual state."
The order sent the case back to the judge to consider a motion by the government to modify the injunction by concluding that circumstances have changed.
Since 2000, the Food and Drug Administration has said that Mifeprex, a drug used during the first ten weeks of pregnancy, must be given to a patient by a health care professional in a clinic, hospital, or doctor's office. The patient must sign a form acknowledging that she has been counseled about the drug's possible risks. The patient can take the pill any time after receiving it and does not have to swallow it in the presence of the health care professional.
A group of doctors, led by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, filed a lawsuit seeking to have the restrictions relaxed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Medical offices and clinics have either closed or restricted appointments, they said, and requiring pregnant women to make in-person visits exposes them to a heightened risk of infection.
Federal District Court Judge Theodore Chuang of Maryland agreed, ruling in July that keeping the FDA rule in the pandemic would "place a substantial obstacle in the path of women seeking a medication abortion and that may delay or preclude a medication abortion and thus may necessitate a more invasive procedure."
Instead, he said, the pills could be sent by mail.
His order stopped enforcement of the FDA rule nationwide.
Urging the Supreme Court to put a hold on that order and allow the regulation to again be enforced, the Justice Department said suspending the FDA requirement could worsen health risks associated with Mifeprex, "which can increase if the patient delays taking the drug or fails to receive proper counseling about possible complications."
As a legal matter, the government said, the FDA rules do not amount to an undue burden on the right of access to abortion, given that surgical methods of abortion remain widely available. The FDA rule is not a substantial obstacle, "even if the Covid-19 pandemic has made obtaining any method of abortion in person somewhat riskier."
Julia Kay, of the American Civil Liberties Union's Reproductive Freedom Project, said the Trump administration "refuses to end its crusade to subject abortion patients and their families to entirely unnecessary exposure risks. Forcing patients to travel during a pandemic just to pick up a pill is irrational and dangerous."
The FDA has suspended in-person requirements for prescription drugs, including highly addictive opioids. "But when it comes to medication abortion, the FDA forces patients to travel," she said, "just to pick the medication and sign a form."