Tag: coronavirus

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Trump’s Coronavirus Cavalcade: October 7, 2020

Donald Trump leaves the hospital to wave to followers (photo: public domain)
In this edition of Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Cavalcade: • After little-to-no effort to assauge the coronavirus in the White House working environment other than testing (that clearly failed), staffers have been instructed to wear full PPE gear when closely interacting with Donald Trump reports the New York Times. Even so, there are conflicting accounts as to whether Trump is working from the White House residence or in the Oval Office. • The FDA has issued guidance recommending that participants in late-stage coronavirus vaccine clinical trials be followed for at least two months after the final injection to ensure safety and boost public trust in any approved vaccine. • Trump adviser Stephen Miller is the most recent high-level White House adviser to test positive for the coronavirus. Additionally, one of Trump’s military aides who carries the ‘nuclear football’ has tested positive as well. • Speaking of the ‘nuclear football,’ due to the medications Trump has received to treat coronavirus (including dexamethasone, which can cause mood swings and “frank psychotic manifestations”), the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has issued a statement saying “we should not entrust nuclear launch authority to someone who is not fully lucid.” • After more than a dozen White House staffers have tested positive for coronavirus, Vice President Mike Pence’s team has finally agreed to allow plexiglass barriers between himself and Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris at tonight’s veep debate in light of the rash of positive cases within the White House. • Donald Trump announced that he ordered Republicans to end negotiations for further coronavirus stimulus for Americans because some of the money would go to ‘Democrat’ states. Pssst, most of those states send the largest portion of tax dollars to the federal government. Oh, and blue state folks are Americans, too. 

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News Round-Up: October 5, 2020

Some news items you might have missed: • The Advocate: Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas have opened the court’s term by calling for the overturning of its 2015 marriage equality decision. The Obergefell v. Hodges decision threatens religious liberty, Alito wrote in a statement in which Thomas concurred. • The Gaily Grind: Nearly a week after President Trump instructed the far-right extremist Proud Boys group to “stand back and stand by” during 2020’s first presidential debate after being asked to condemn them, internet users have reclaimed the #ProudBoys hashtag by flooding Twitter and Reddit with photos of gay men in love and expressing physical affection.

• Pink News: Nursing student Michelle Ramos Vargas has become the 30th known trans person to be killed in the United States so far this year, and the sixth killed in Puerto Rico in the same period. Vargas’ body was found with multiple gunshot wounds in San Germán, Puerto Rico in the early hours of September 30. • NowThis News: A super-cut of the times Donald Trump, who now has COVID-19, has mocked face masks. ‘A lot of people don’t want to wear masks.’

• Wall Street Journal: The IRS is investigating longtime National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre for possible criminal tax fraud related to his personal taxes. According to public filings, his total reported pay from 2014 to 2018 was $11.2 million. In August, he was charged in a civil suit by New York Attorney GeneralLetitia James with taking millions of dollars of allegedly undisclosed compensation in the form of free yacht trips, private jet flights for his family, exotic safaris and other benefits. • BBC: Facing a rising rate of coronavirus infections in France which began to grow exponentially in late August, officials in Paris will shut all bars completely from Tuesday after the French government raised the city’s coronavirus alert to maximum following a period of high infection rates. On Saturday, the country reported nearly 17,000 infections marking the highest rate since the country started widespread testing. • Star-Telegram: Trump supporter Jason Lata was arrested on suspicion of assault causing bodily injury after he punched a man in a video clip that went viral. Video of the incident shows Lata in a hat yelling profanities at the victim and screaming “Turn it off!” as an anti-Donald Trump rap song by YG appeared to be playing in the background. Lata, who was standing with other men who were wearing Trump T-shirts, then punched the victim in the face.

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Trump Announces He’s Leaving Hospital Today ‘Don’t Be Afraid Of Covid!’

Donald Trump leaves the hospital to wave to followers (photo: public domain)
Donald Trump announced this afternoon that he will be leaving Walter Reed Medical Center having been hospitalized since Friday after testing positive for coronavirus and displaying symptoms. In his tweet, he says he’s “feeling really good” and Americans shouldn’t “be afraid of Covid.” He also notes “some really great drugs & knowledge” have been developed regarding the virus in the past few months. As has been reported, though, Trump has received several treatments that aren’t available to the average COVID-19 patient.

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WH Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany Tests Positive For Coronavirus

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany (photo via White House/public domain)
Add White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany to the list of Trump administration officials who have now tested positive for the coronavirus. On Sunday, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who helped Donald Trump with debate prep prior to last Tuesday’s presidential debate, also announced he’s tested positive. USA Today is keeping a running update on the Trump administration officials and guests who have tested positive for the virus in the past week. The list as of Monday morning: • President Donald Trump • First lady Melania Trump • Hope Hicks, senior adviser to the president • Bill Stepien, Trump’s campaign manager • Kayleigh McEnany, White House press secretary • Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel • Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah • Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina • Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin • Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor who helped Trump with debate prep • Nicholas Luna, assistant and “body man” to the president • Three White House reporters • One White House staffer • Kellyanne Conway, former White House senior adviser • The Rev. John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame University (Jenkins was at the White House Saturday, when Trump introduced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee) Meanwhile, the New York Times reports Trump is growing more and more concerned his hospitalization due to COVID-19 is making him ‘appear weak.’ The Donald apparently wanted to be discharged from the hospital yesterday, but the doctors disagreed with that plan. So, instead, he jumped in an SUV with Secret Service members (putting them at risk in such closed, air-tight quarters), and took a loop around Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to wave at followers. #selfish
Donald Trump leaves the hospital to wave to followers (photo: public domain)
The Times also reports that the fact that Trump was given a medication usually prescribed to seriously ill COVID-19 patients raised more questions about the severity of his condition.

Mr. Trump’s camera-friendly, morale-boosting “surprise visit,” however, may have masked the reality of his condition, and his seeming energy may have reflected the fact that he was given the steroid dexamethasone, according to medical experts.

Dexamethasone has been shown to help patients who are severely ill with Covid-19, but it is typically not used in mild or moderate cases of the disease.

Moreover, some medical experts said Mr. Trump’s trip out of the hospital was reckless, unnecessarily putting both hospital staff members and Secret Service agents at risk for a stunt. Others questioned the president’s statement in his video that he had met soldiers while at Walter Reed.

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Medical Team Admits To ‘Overly Rosy’ Description Of Trump’s Condition

Dr. Sean Conley at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (screen capture)

On Sunday, Donald Trump’s medical team admitted they had given ‘an overly rosy description’ of Trump’s COVID-19 medical status on Saturday.

But there are still questions regarding when the president’s diagnosis occured, when he first developed symptoms, how severe those symptoms were and if he had been given oxygen at any point.

From the New York Times:

“I didn’t want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction, and in doing so, you know, it came off that we were trying to hide something, which wasn’t necessarily true,” Dr. Sean P. Conley, the White House physician, said in a briefing with reporters Sunday.

The doctors said that Mr. Trump had a “high fever” on Friday, and that there had been two incidents when his oxygen levels dropped — one on Friday and one on Saturday. They said Mr. Trump received oxygen at the White House on Friday; they were not clear about whether it was administered again on Saturday.

Medical experts said that despite the relatively upbeat tone of the news conference Sunday, the details of his treatment and the fact that his oxygen levels have been dropping showed that the illness has progressed beyond a mild case of Covid-19.

Follow the continuous updates at the New York Times here.

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News Round-Up: October 2, 2020

Happy World Smile Day from Snoopy
Some news items you might have missed: • World Smile Day: Talk about ‘who can turn the world on with his smile?’ Snoopy (above) sends TGIF greetings to all. #HandsomeDog #DogsRule • The Advocate: A man was dancing with a female friend recording a TikTok video in Lower Manhattan on Saturday when an unknown assailant called him a homophobic slur and punched him repeatedly in the head. The assailant fled on foot, and the New York Police Department’s hate-crimes unit is investigating the incident as a bias crime. • Pink News: In a letter to USA Today’s political reporter Susan Page, who will serve as moderator for the upcoming vice presidential debate, 13 LGBT+ rights groups asked her to address queer rights, as it would “do our nation and community a disservice to exclude these issues as a part of the conversation.” • KIT212: Check out Kenneth’s lastest round-up of LGBTQ publications including DNA Magazine’s latest issue (below) featuring Ian Utterback on the cover.
Ian Utterback covers DNA Magazine (photo: James Franklin)
• USA Today: Newly revealed secretly recorded conversations with Melania Trump show the first lady expressing dismay at her role in decorating and promoting the White House during Christmas time, while she was being criticized for not doing more meaningful work. “I’m working my a– off with the Christmas stuff that, you know, who gives a f— about Christmas stuff and decorations but I need to do it, right?” Trump is heard saying. • Washington Post: Amazon said Thursday that nearly 20,000 of its U.S. employees had tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began. The retailer has faced harsh criticism as hundreds of workers and critics have said it hasn’t done enough to keep employees safe as they work in its warehouses amid a surge in demand to send items to shoppers across the country. • Twitter: File this clip of Donald Trump mocking Joe Biden for wearing a face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic under “Didn’t age well.”

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Trump To Be Hospitalized For COVID-19 Treatment

Donald Trump (image via Flickr/WhiteHouse – public domain)
Just 15 hours after testing positive for the coronavirus, Donald Trump will be hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. From CNN:

Trump was due to be flown aboard his Marine One helicopter to the hospital. It is routine for the President to travel to Walter Reed aboard Marine One.

In a statement, the President’s spokeswoman said Trump “remains in good spirits, has mild symptoms, and has been working throughout the day.”

When it comes to iconic sneakers, heck, when it comes to the entire history of footwear, you’d be hard-pressed to come up with a more beloved or influential shoe than the Superstar

“Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days,” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. “President Trump appreciates the outpouring of support for both he and the First Lady.”

Trump reportedly has a fever, congestion, and a cough. There have been no announcements regarding whether Trump plans to transfer power to Pence temporarily as he remains in the hospital. For his part, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden told the nation via Twitter, “This cannot be a partisan moment. This must be an American moment. We have to come together as a nation.” The Biden campaign also announced it is pulling attack campaign ads and will only air positive ads for the time being.

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Joe Biden Tests Negative For Coronavirus & More Updates

Former Vice President Joe Biden (photo via campaign)
The Washington Post reports former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, have tested negative for coronavirus. Some folks were concerned that, in light of Donald Trump testing positive for the virus, and the two men shared a stage without face masks on Tuesday night, that Biden might have been exposed. Let’s hear it for social distancing! Other updates regarding Trump and the coronavirus: • The Trump campaign has cancelled all previously scheduled events while the president is quarantined for the next several days. • Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who attended Trump’s Supreme Court announcement on Saturday has tested positive for the coronavirus and told the press he will self-quarantine for 10 days. • Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, also tested positive for the coronavirus and has experienced mild symptoms from Covid-19. • Vice President Mike Pence and his wife have tested negative as well. • The coronavirus has infected over 7.2 million Americans and killed over 207,000.

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After Disregarding Guidelines Trump & First Lady Contract Coronavirus

Donald Trump smirks during a press event

Donald Trump smirks during a press event
Donald Trump (photo: public domain/Flickr)
The hits keep coming… Last night it was revealed that close personal aide to Donald Trump, Hope Hicks, had contracted the coronavirus after traveling in close quarters with the president for days. According to the New York Times, White House officials knew about Ms. Hicks’s probable diagnosis since Wednesday evening, when she traveled with the president aboard Air Force One to Minnesota for a campaign rally and began to exhibit symptoms. She was quarantined on the return flight to Washington and exited Air Force One from the back entrance of the plane. As news reports began to scurry about wondering if Trump might have been exposed to the virus – Trump has famously disregarded his own administration’s guidelines regarding face mask wearing and social distancing – Trump confirmed with Fox News’s Sean Hannity during a phone-in interview that Hicks had tested positive for the virus and that he and the First Lady were tested and awaiting results.

A couple of hours later, Trump tweeted that he and Melania Trump had, in fact, contracted the coronavirus. The president reportedly is exhibiting symptoms from the virus. Stay tuned…

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News Round-Up: September 30, 2020

Greg Bloomer and Bisquit (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • Woof Wednesday: Chicago InstaHunk Greg Bloomer and his handsome pooch Bisquit (above) make Hump Day just that much better 🙂 • CNBC: U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign broke its single-hour fundraising record as the Democrat’s debate with President Donald Trump wrapped up on Tuesday, pulling in $3.8 million, a campaign official said. • VoteVets: Air Force veteran and fighter jet pilot Captain ‘Sully’ Sullenberger endorses former Vice President Joe Biden for president. “Leadership isn’t just about sitting in the pilot seat. It’s about knowing what you’re doing and taking responsibility.”

* Celebitchy: Coronavirus depression nearly caused designer Tom Ford to skip his next collection. “I was irritated when I had a Zoom meeting because it meant washing my hair and perhaps trimming my beard. At the time, the thought of designing a collection seemed frivolous when so many important and disturbing things were happening in our world.” • Reuters: Results from an early study of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine showed that it produced virus-neutralizing antibodies in older adults at levels similar to those seen in younger adults, with side effects roughly on par with high-dose flu shots, according to researchers. • Twitter: After telling the violent group Proud Boys to “stand by” at last night’s presidential debate debacle and refusing to denounce white supremacy, Trump told reporters today he doesn’t know who the Proud Boys are but “Antifa is the real problem.”