Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Fact check: Rand Paul defends not wearing a mask, claims 'immunity' to COVID-19. Experts say he can't be so sure.


On the Same Day Sen. Richard Burr Dumped Stock, So Did His Brother-in-Law. Then the Market Crashed.


"Even as we face shortages, however, China is buying up our more limited pork supply. And Trump’s trade deal with Beijing that compels the regime to buy more American agricultural products is partly to blame"


You know Steve Mnuchin is a trumper because he used the wrong flag.


The fact that @realDonaldTrump has the RNC and TrumpPence GriftCo LLC issuing press releases attacking us 36 hours after he beclowned himself by attacking us is


BlackRock CEO Larry Fink sketched out a grim economic vision on a private call this week: Mass bankruptcies, empty planes, cautious consumers and an increase in the corporate tax rate


Axl Rose and Steven Mnuchin are apparently fighting on Twitter. I don't think anyone saw that one coming.


The partisan gap in the latest CNBC battleground state poll shows a divide between delusion and reality: Is it safe to go to a: Nail salon: 77% R; 9% D Dine-in restaurant: 70% R; 5% D Bar: 52% R; 4% D Large sporting event: 37% R; 2% D Is the economy in a recession? 50% R; 89% D


We don’t have time in the middle of a pandemic for publicity stunts,” McEnany says when asked why the House can’t hear testimony from Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s top infectious disease expert


If the five right-wing justices do what Trump has asked of them and throw out the Affordable Care Act, insurers will immediately begin discriminating against COVID-19 survivors as people with pre-existing conditions.


"The people responsible for protecting the public do not appear to understand how information moves in the internet era. Meanwhile, people who best understand what content is likely to go viral are using that knowledge to mislead,"


Newburyport skate park covered in mulch to keep out youth who ignored social distancing guidelines


Times when Fauci/Admin officials testified to Congress during viral emergency:


Not joining global effort to produce a vaccine makes no sense. If there is a breakthrough, the US could find itself at the end of the que. Standing aloof also reduces the chance for a breakthrough. America 1st risks becoming America last & America alone.


Terrific Piece >> Our for-profit health care system is a major reason why the U.S. has mishandled Covid-19 so horribly. It helps explain why we have far too few ventilators, testing kits & masks--a problem worsened by Trump's big-league bungling


Thousands of immigrant doctors are currently stuck in the green card backlog, unable to fully participate in our fight against #COVID19. Congress must direct unused visas to these #ImmigrantHealthHeroes – we need all hands on deck to beat this virus.


New York’s attorney general is appealing an order to reinstate the June 23 Democratic presidential primary, which had been canceled


Instead of focusing on our frontline workers, small businesses, or families, Mitch McConnell convened the Senate to confirm Justin Walker, an anti-health care nom, during a pandemic. Republican priorities are clear. And they don't include health care or relief for Americans.


New Banksy piece celebrates superhero health care workers


Wow. “Israel’s High Court clears way for Netanyahu to form next government, letting him remain in power despite facing corruption charges.”


Introverts when the quarantine is over


Bradley Bunn, the CO guy who build a bunch of IEDs to kill cops should they try to enforce any guns laws he personally doesn't find Constitutional, had his detention hearing today.


Instead of working to ensure students have what they need to get through the COVID-19 pandemic, @BetsyDeVosED & @realDonaldTrump are rolling back #TitleIX rules that protect students & hold schools accountable.


Could this be the future of travel? Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport is using “smart” helmets to conduct temperature checks on travelers.


Mitch McConnell rushed the Senate back into session not to address the pandemic, but to elevate 37-year-old Trump judge Justin Walker to the second-most powerful court in the country. There won’t even be a vacancy for Walker to fill until September.


Strips clubs, payday lenders, lobbyists fight to get emergency federal loans


Go Costco


"Donald Trump is the direct chief of this invasion," Maduro said in televised comments, after the video of Denman was broadcast.


McEnany: "There were supposed to be 2.2 million deaths & we're at a point where we are far lower than that, and it's thanks to the great work of the Task Force & the leadership of President Trump." (She's comparing what's happening to a scenario where the govt did nothing at all)


The Lincoln Project will target Donald Trump's Senate allies with new attack ads


Rhode Island Governor Expects To End Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Order Friday

Not the brightest in the nation.

"YOU, GUY WHO SENT US PPE AND VENTILATORS SO IN EARLY FEBRUARY SO WE COULD HOARD THEM, YOU'RE OUR 'ENEMY' NOW, SO...DIVULGE YOUR TS INTEL or some easy propaganda"


They want to "terminate" your health care.


The dip in global pollution due to people staying at home is likely to be short-lived, according to experts


The Supreme Court was making history, holding arguments over the phone because of Covid-19, when all of a sudden there was the distinct sound of a toilet flushing.


NOW: More from: @realDonaldTrump. Wants schools open, "wherever possible". "You realize how strong children are, right? Their immune system is maybe a little bit different. Maybe just a little bit stronger. Or maybe it's a lot stronger, right. Could be a lot stronger."


"The Gipper was an avatar of America’s dreams. The Donald’s brand is American weakness and decline, and the preposterous idea that he alone can fix it. Reagan was in better spirits after being shot than Trump is even on his best day."


“Reality check: There is no evidence the death rate has been exaggerated, and experts believe coronavirus deaths in the U.S. are being undercounted — not over-counted.”


Major news in the cyber indictments space: Germany has indicted a Russian military officer for the 2015 hack of the Bundestag. Per my research with @maurertim, this looks like the first time a non-US state has indicted a foreign state-linked hacker


Unless @senatemajldr works with us to fund local governments, we’re going to see massive layoffs of firefighters, police, and other vital public services. Every American relies on their local government. Senator McConnell should care about that.


Blatantly unconstitutional


America Has No Plan for the Worst-Case Scenario on Covid-19


Maybe it's just us, but we find the demeanor of Mike Pompeo to be a lot like that of Brett Kavanaugh. Different subject matter, but they both resort to shameful condescending indignancy when confronted with their own obvious survivalist lies. What a pair of a-holes.


I don’t know about you, but I feel like a total chump obeying the laws and paying taxes, while criminals get elected and form little clubs to defend each other’s lawlessness. — Ron Perlman


Mr. Walker’s record, ironically, is one of strident opposition to the Affordable Care Act, which seeks to extend health insurance coverage to more Americans. Last year he was found not qualified to serve as a district court judge in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.


“I’m left questioning why any litigant would trust you to be open minded and fair in deciding a case about the ACA given your previous advocacy.”


Lol how tf is this supposed to stop COVID, Marsha


Imagine if, in order to report, you knew you’d have to allow yourself to be cross-examined by your rapist. Would you come forward? Well, that’s what just happened to college students. What do you bet sexual assault “goes down” after this.


Those We’ve Lost In NYC, where COVID-19 has hit harder than anywhere else in the country, the number of people dying in the restaurant industry is growing. Here’s who they were — and the impact they made.


Dr. Fauci isn’t buying Trumpworld’s China coronavirus theory


Ethics watchdog American Oversight has sued the Trump admin for failing to release emails sent by two dozen top officials related to the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit was filed against Treasury, State, HHS and CMS.


I hate when Russian oligarchs accidentally commit suicide.


3 USDA meat inspectors dead, about 145 diagnosed with COVID-19


North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un deliberately faked his death to expose traitors in his circle

From India

America Needs a Rebirth of Public Service We need every ounce of talent and energy to not only rebuild but reinvent our society.


The good news? There is compelling evidence that masks work. The bad news? Many people aren’t wearing them.


Meanwhile, the U.S. military has stopped publicly releasing the number of Taliban and ISIS attacks as well as the number of U.S. airstrikes in support of Afghan security foces while peace negotiations with the Taliban are ongoing.


So this is the video that caused @realDonaldTrump to lose his mind? Hey @jwgop, where would someone donate to make sure Trump sees it again on Fox?


Trump has to pay for absolutely everything.


Today, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump-backed lawsuit to dismantle the ACA enters a new phase. If Trump and Republican AGs succeed, it’ll mean devastation for our health care system that will cause untold pain and suffering. We can't let that happen.— Joe Biden


Instead of focusing on the pandemic engulfing our nation, Republicans on the Sen. Judiciary Comm. this AM are acting like it’s business as usual & pushing ahead with a divisive judicial nominee for a seat that ISN’T EVEN VACANT UNTIL SEPTEMBER:


Wild detail: The Holy See reportedly ordered 700 tests of Biozek, the most prominent relabeler. Arranging the deal: Paolo Zampolli, a New York-based businessman who "reportedly organized a party in 1998 where future U.S. President Donald J. Trump met his wife, Melania Knauss."


Ruth Bader Ginsburg participates in Supreme Court phone arguments from hospital


Russian billionaire Dmitri Bosov reportedly committed suicide in a village in Moscow Oblast.


McConnell refers to the "left-leaning American Bar Association"


"Silent hypoxia" happens when people are unaware they are being deprived of oxygen and are therefore showing up to the hospital in much worse health than they realize


Wonderful Story: People in Ireland are sending relief to Native Americans, inspired by a donation from a tribe during the Great Famine. šŸ‘‡šŸ» In 1847, the Choctaw people collected $170 to send to people in Ireland who were starving during the potato famine.♥️


Who can make Gilead's coronavirus drug, licence free?


States Are Halting Executions Because of the Pandemic—But Not Missouri


Feinstein says Walker is unworthy of a lifetime appointment to the federal judiciary, has only issued 12 opinions and never presided over a criminal trial.


Walker stands to be sworn in, asks Graham if the chairman wants him to remove his mask when he speaks. "Please," Graham says.


Congress’ insider trading inquiry looks 'particularly damning' for GOP Senator Richard Burr, expert says


The nearly 600 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. have not yet received any of the $8 billion set aside for tribes in the CARES Act, which passed over a month ago.


Russia: US must deliver 'proof' of China virus accusations


What Happened to the KGB When the Soviet Union Folded?


The Lincoln Project really got inside Trump’s big empty head


NYT sums up the Trump Doctrine for governing: "personal relationships and loyalty are often prized over governmental expertise, and private interests are granted extraordinary access and deference."


Bullock is up in Montana. Hick is up in Colorado; Kelly is up in Arizona; Cunningham is tied in North Carolina; Gideon is giving Collins her biggest challenge yet and Ernst is fighting for her political life. Dethroning Mitch Mcconnell is in reach, friends.


Ahmaud Arbery was murdered three days before the anniversary of the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin. Both situations show that white supremacy leads to the targeting of Black lives during even the most mundane activities


I did not know that a 35 year old @JoeBiden jumped 3 fences chasing after some dudes who stole a woman's purse until right this moment and I needed to share it with you immediately.


Marc Thibault was groggy and surrounded by beeping machines, but he was alert enough to know what it meant when he looked up and saw a priest, wearing protective gear, by his bedside at the Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island.


Hong Kong has no new coronavirus cases today, and that now feels so normal that I forgot to tweet about it. 17 days without a local case.


A team of @Reuters photographers won the Pulitzer Prize in breaking news photography for its coverage of huge and violent protests that rocked Hong Kong for more than six months


This is what it looks like when a calm, focused journalist just asks direct questions with follow-ups. Trump goes into his sing-song whining little boy act, and pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and lies about how the president of South Korea needed his advice on testing.


Trump isn’t the comeback kid. He’s the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but too lazy to take horseback riding lessons, not a fan of animals, and suing the other three horsemen. Essentially he rides in alone on a golf cart.


Somalia is working with authorities in Kenya to investigate why a plane carrying supplies to tackle COVID-19 crashed


On average, Obama’s family took 133 Secret Service protected trips per year On average, Trump's family takes 1,625 Secret Service protected trips per year


.@NewYorkFed confirms the radical misallocation of Paycheck Protection Program loans. States that suffered least got most; states hardest hit, got least. PPP turned into a Red State bailout.


George W Bush paved the way for Trump – to rehabilitate him is appalling


I guarantee you Trump’s great grandchildren will change their names.


Group Calls For Trump And Pence To Resign And Let Pelosi Handle Virus


Last week, the World Health Organization said it was waiting for an invite from China to investigate the origins of the novel coronavirus—but it looks like it will be waiting for a long, long time


I would ask why the killers are not already in jail, two months later, but we know why. Still, there is a chance for justice to be done. There must be accountability and there must be consequences for murder of Ahmaud Arbery.


To all nurses, but especially those on the Covid-19 frontlines, thank you for carrying the lamp ...


We will survive this — at least most of us will — but the price we pay in lost lives and lost jobs is far higher than it needs to be because we are at war without a leader.


Why isn’t #JusticeForAhmaudArbery TRENDING?!? This Unarmed Black Boy was JOGGING and this Video shows him being Hunted Down by these White men, Shot & Killed. NO CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED since the white men claim they thought he was going to attack them.

WARNING: This shows a man being killed in cold blood.

Court: Miami jail can’t be forced to give inmates soap, tests during coronavirus outbreak


This doctor is pushing for 19-44 year olds to get back to work, because their risk of death from #COVID19 is relatively low, yet no one asks her about the risk posed by them spreading the deadly #coronavirus to others at higher risk.


Mitt Romney just came out of the GOP lunch carrying a poster board with a bar graf on it and the title: “Blue states aren’t the only ones getting screwed”


The attorney for Dr. Bright tells @maddow the admin thought "there would be a big political win to flood NY and NJ with drugs that were unproven and, in fact, could have had a very damaging effect to people who took those drugs, which is what prompted Dr. Bright to come forward."


It does not matter to him how many Americans die so long as most of them live in urban areas (mostly Democrats) and most of the rest die after the first Tuesday in November


‘Genocide by default’: Yale epidemiologist calls Trump’s coronavirus response a potential war crime


“I was just answering the mail.” How a Trump nominee to oversee $500 billion coronavirus loans explained his refusal, as WH lawyer, to turn over impeachment related documents in December


Exclusive: Audio recordings reveal that federal health officials were warning Trump about serious shortages even as the President was publicly saying "we have solved the problem."


During a private call, Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott admitted "every scientific and medical report shows" state reopenings "ipso facto" lead to an increase in coronavirus cases, even as he announced plans that same week to end his state's stay-at-home order.


The Black Death and other pandemics pushed wages higher, but the impact will likely be different this time, economists say.


Shocking—Trump, who has repeatedly boasted about how great he was at baseball in high school and how he could totally have gone pro if he’d wanted to, actually pretty much sucked at it


Shot to death. A medical researcher on the "verge of making very significant" coronavirus findings was found shot to death over the weekend in Pennsylvania, officials said. Bing Liu, 37, was a researcher at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.


“Beyond that, the United Kingdom is part of the so-called "Five Eyes" intelligence network with the United States, along with Australia, Canada, and New Zealand”


First it was pulling CDC inspectors out of China. Now this. Trump really wants the US to be blind, deaf, poor, sick and dead. And Putin laughs and laughs...


We need strong oversight. We need to hold the Trump administration accountable. The public deserves to know that their government is working for them during this pandemic and beyond—not corporate execs and their wealthy friends.


Prediction: Everyone gets lax, things reopen in May. Numbers get bad again in June. People realize mistakes were made. Some states reissue stay at home orders. Maybe another congressional relief package by sometime in July. By late August, people get restless, cycle repeats.


Dr. Rick Bright alleges it "became increasingly clear" in late January that "HHS leadership was doing nothing to prepare for the imminent mask shortage."


I don’t know if anyone has discussed how irresponsible it is of Trump to be traveling right now, but it’s bad. Every time POTUS goes anywhere, an advance team goes first to plan out logistics, security, etc. More people flying around the country right now isn’t what we need.


President Trump pushes on with reopening the nation for business, even if that means more death and illness


ICYMI: Doctors Without Borders medical teams are responding right now to the COVID-19 pandemic in 40+ countries. If you can, help us raise $200,000 to continue responding to the outbreak and other emergencies around the world.


“DeVos plans to release as early as Wednesday her much-anticipated final rules governing how schools must investigate sexual assault allegations, bolstering the rights of the accused...”


Putin proposes that the leaders of Russia, the U.S., the U.K., China and France should hold a summit, saying the five nuclear-armed powers have “a special responsibility for the preservation of civilization”


Trump’s basic math problem for November: Winning requires: Seniors + economy-driven voters The pandemic drives a wedge between them. The more he caters to one bloc, the more he alienates the other. And since he governs for his base, he has no wiggle room to solve it another way


Devin Nunes' Lawyer Facing Sanctions, While Nunes Himself May Have To Pay His Opponents' Legal Bills


“As a conductor, when I stick my head out of the car to perform the required platform observation, passengers in many stations are standing 10 inches from my face. At other times, they lean into the cab to ask questions.”


The price of meat in the store has been high versus cattle prices for years. Im glad to see state AG's are investigating for price gouging


Some 1.2 million Americans won't get stimulus checks because they're married to immigrants


Some 1.2 million Americans won't get stimulus checks because they're married to immigrants


Lawrence and Rachel on Trump's AZ trip


“The decision is a major defeat for national immigration advocates who had asked the judge last week to clarify her earlier order demanding that ICE report how the agency plans to substantially cut populations.”


Pence says they’re winding down the task force, hopefully by Memorial Day. Fauci says he knows nothing about that. Translation: public health lost. The WH is accepting close to 200k deaths because ‘Murica.


Lawrence: Trump’s coronavirus task force ‘two hour performances’ are over


Global pandemics expert: Coronavirus response needs a long-term strategy


Brian Kilmeade says that, thanks to Honeywell, America now has enough N95 masks that "we now can all wear them without feeling guilty like we're taking it away from a hospital worker." (There is still an N95 shortage.)


I remember the stupidity of freedom fries, all the Benjamin Franklin costumes, the Sarah Palin years, the birther crap, but wowee zowee have we taken stupidity to a whole new level with pandemic suicide and selfish homicide.


Here are a few reasons why those suggesting the coronavirus is no worse than the flu are making a false assertion.


“The acting chief of ICE is resisting a White House effort to install a number of political appointees at the agency he helms...”


Trump is blaming Mueller and the impeachment saga for why over 3 years he didn’t restock the federal stockpiles of PPE he claims were left bare by the Obama Administration.


A worker at a Tyson beef plant says the president’s executive order is putting her in danger.


‘Mourning in America’ ad sets off Trump rage tweeting


NEW: A pushy Pennsylvania dentist. A former Apprentice star. A bogus deal for New York ventilators. And a dozen young, overwhelmed volunteers from Wall Street. Inside a chaotic -- and possibly fruitless --- Trumpworld quest for medical supplies


Opinion: So your state is "opening up." Don’t let down your guard.


Top vaccine expert says ousted for refusing to push unproven drugs


The president says that lives will have to be sacrificed for the economy


Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel fire back at Trump for Twitter attacks: “It’s nice to know that Trump is staying laser-focused on the ball during a crisis”


Yet another Amazon worker has died of coronavirus


Chinese ambassador Cui Tiankai Responds to US Criticism of China


State health department tells university COVID-19 modeling team to stop work, limits data access


Detroit finds success against coronavirus with rapid testing strategy


'Clear cronyism' included in HHS whistleblower allegations


Coronavirus crisis compounded by disastrous Trump admin decisions


Decreasing New York curve disguises national coronavirus increase


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