JUICE - Florida Politics' Juicy Read - 5.1.20 - Rick Scott Crushes Cuomo - Nikki Fried And Her #MeToo Problem

New York vs. Florida

I am not sure who would actually win in an arm-wrestling match or a Mixed Martial Arts cage match contest, but one thing is for sure, Florida Senator Rick Scott, has just knocked out New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in their Coronavirus response “Bailout Brawl.” READ MORE

Get me Roger Stone!

President Donald Trump’s close friend and former advisor, the Prince of Political Darkness, Roger Stone, could see be in a position to receive a presidential pardon after being convicted and sentenced to prison for lying to Congress. Good money is that it happens. Stone gets pardoned after the FBI corruption has now been exposed. READ MORE

Nikki Fried supports #MeToo movement most of the time

“Dr. Ford, thank you for your courage! Women everywhere are looking to you as an inspiration to speak their truths. #KavanaughHearings #MeToo” -Nikki Fried (Twitter 9/27/18)

That was then, this is now…

“I don’t take accusations like this lightly. It’s always important for women to be heard and tell their story. I’m a firm believer in Joe Biden. He has fought for women his whole career, he has vehemently denied the allegations, and I take him at his word.” READ MORE

Meanwhile, Gov. DeSantis continues to give Fried and her office a stiff arm, declining her offer to assist the administration with the compromised unemployment system. Florida Democrats are fuming mad that they are getting left out of the mix.

Here is a snapshot of the most up-to-date numbers from the Florida Dept. of Health:

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But will they cough up the cash? - “China Must Pay” for lying about COVID-19 pandemic

New York State of mind - Rick Scott lands knockout blow in “bailout brawl” with Cuomo

Shovel in the ground - “Today marks a critical milestone for Everglades restoration and achieving our state’s long-term environmental goals,” said Governor DeSantis. “When I took office, I made expediting the EAA Reservoir Project a top priority. Beginning construction means we are a big step closer to moving more clean water south to the Everglades and lessening harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.”

MeT00, Not me... -Nikki Fried takes Biden “at his word” over sexual assault accusation

Florida Voters Call for Clean Energy

Giving back-- After contracting the COVID-19 virus, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart has recovered and has become a plasma donor.

 

No Mas Maize (Corn) - Yoho asks Trump to ban food imports from Mexico during pandemic

Bad state of affairs - Senators Rick Scott, Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, Mike Lee and Mike Enzi sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging the Administration to reject states’ efforts to receive taxpayer dollars for non-Coronavirus related expenses, like bail-outs for unfunded pensions or to backfill lost revenue.

“DeSantis re-opens state economy, excludes SE Florida” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has finally reopened Florida’s state economy, but as expected, on a limited basis. During a live press conference with President Donald Trump at The White House, Gov. DeSantis announced what he had already hinted had to be done first when he decides to open the state economy. During a press conference in Tallahassee on Wednesday, DeSantis announced that he is re-opening the state in a very “small, limited, and methodical” way on May 4th. After outlining how Florida has outperformed as a state in dealing with the spreading COVID-19 disease and comparing the state with New York and the country of Italy, DeSantis announced the good news to Floridians. Unfortunately for those living in for Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, DeSantis has left the restrictions in place until further notice. The most significant restriction that DeSantis is lifting is allowing for elective medical procedures to resume.

Presser--"Leon County seniors who currently receive hot meals at congregate meal locations are in for a treat. Next week, the Area Agency on Aging for North Florida, Inc. along with Elder Care Services, Inc. in partnership with local restaurants will be launching Meals of Love. Hot meals will be served by volunteers and trained restaurant staff to seniors who will not even have to leave their vehicles.

The pop-up sites are designed to allow registered seniors to drive up, pop their trunks and leave with a hot meal. All volunteers will be adhering to strict CDC guidelines, wearing gloves and masks and will be practicing social distancing. A variation of the Meals of Love program first launched in Central Florida by a sister agency.

“The global COVID-19 pandemic may have changed the way we operate, but it certainly has not stopped us from looking for creative ways to continue serving our most vulnerable,” said Lisa Bretz, Executive Director of Area Agency on Aging for North Florida Inc. “We thank Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Richard Prudom for their efforts in facilitating this effort along with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.”

“LaMarca Slams NCAA for “Protecting Their Pockets”” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – The National Collegiate Athletica Association (NCAA) made the announcement today that they would continue inaction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, Florida State Representative Chip LaMarca (R) slammed the NCAA, arguing that the announcement is solely about them “protecting their pockets, not about student athletes.” LaMarca detailed that “all we continue to hear are excuses from this multi-billion dollar, not-for-profit.” He expressed that “they are shifting the blame for their deliberate inaction to the states that have passed meaningful legislation to protect students’ right to earn a living.” In addition, LaMarca feels “it is absurd and shows they care more about protecting TV and apparel deals than they do about these young women and men who have worked their entire lives for this opportunity.” Slamming the NCAA because they have “blocked students from earning a living like their peers for far too long,” the Florida lawmaker informed that “when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs SB 646, Florida’s collegiate athletes will be liberated from these restrictions.”

“Scott Slams Biden’s Support of Communist Cuba” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) has faced heavy criticism as prominent Democrats have come forward with their support for his campaign while disregarding sexual assault claims from Tara Reade, who recently shared that “it’s politics and political agenda playing a role in objective reporting and asking the question.” Now, as the former vice president sets his sights to enlist the support of the sunshine state for his quest to win the White House, Biden is being slammed by Florida lawmakers for admitting that he would return to Obama-era policies of engagement with Cuba should he be elected. In a statement, Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) expressed that “the Cuban people have suffered nearly six decades of atrocities, oppression and misery inflicted by the regime – and Joe Biden’s embrace of Obama’s appeasement policies toward the Castro dictatorship did nothing to help.”

“Rubio, Scott ask USDA to Rethink China Partnership” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – After it was reported that Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) would be introducing legislation to penalize film companies that would be censoring their films for Chinese audiences, Florida Senators Rick Scott (R) and Marco Rubio (R) have now directed a letter to Sonny Perdue, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, asking him to reverse the decision to allow citrus imports from China. Specifically, the Florida Senators are asking the agriculture department to not move forward with the recent decision to allow the importation of five varieties of citrus fruits from China. In the letter, the Florida Lawmakers express that “in recent years, Florida’s citrus growers have suffered the impacts of hurricanes, unfairly priced imports, and from citrus greening, a disease which originated in China, and spread to the U.S. from imported citrus.” Moreover, the lawmakers added that “risking the introduction of invasive species and diseases into the U.S. is irresponsible, especially given our knowledge of how citrus greening previously entered our country by imported citrus and is spread by an invasive pest species.”

“Gaetz files bill to deport all illegal aliens during pandemic” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (R) has filed his “Protect American Nationals During Emergencies by Mitigating the Immigration Crisis Act” or PANDEMIC ACT, a measure that calls for the mandatory deportation of any and all illegal aliens currently being held in the U.S. due to the spreading Coronavirus. According to Gaetz’s legislative office, whenever a national emergency is called because of “communicable disease” like the spread of the COVID-19 virus, those illegal aliens being detained on immigration concerns must be deported. Gaetz contends that his bill was introduced as a direct counter to the pro-Amnesty immigration bill filed in the House that would require illegal aliens being held to be released when a national emergency declared. “Democrats are taking advantage of a national pandemic by working to advance their radical agenda at the expense of Americans’ safety and well-being. It is unconscionable that at a time when we should be working together as Americans, Democrats are working to socially engineer our country and advance their legislative priorities. The PANDEMIC Act puts Americans first by requiring that all illegal aliens be deported during a pandemic, ensuring our resources are used to benefit and protect American citizens,” said Congressman Matt Gaetz.

“Cruz wants to penalize Big Hollywood for altering film to China” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) is joining the fight to hold China accountable for the coronavirus pandemic, and he’s looking to penalize film companies that censor their films for Chinese audiences. In a series of tweets, the Texas Senator shared information regarding the legislation called “The Stopping Censorship, Restoring Integrity, Protecting Talkies Act (SCRIPT Act). Its goal is to block any cooperation between the U.S. Department of Defense and any film studies that make alterations to films for Chinese audiences. Commenting on the issue on Twitter, Senator Cruz expressed that “for too long Hollywood has been complicit in China’s censorship & propaganda in the name of bigger profits.” He asserted that his “SCRIPT Act will be a wakeup call, forcing Hollywood studios to choose b/n the assistance they need from the US gov & the $$ they want from China.” The legislation comes at a time when the relationship between the United States and China has become a strained one after criticism that China both mishandled and spread misinformation regarding the Coronavirus.

“Hillary Clinton says Coronavirus “would be a terrible crisis to waste” (Video)” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – After her endorsement of Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton appeared LIVE with the former vice president to discuss his campaign and the spreading COVID-19 pandemic. Clinton incredibly said that the current Coronavirus outbreak that has killed over 58,000 Americans to date, was a “terrible crisis to waste.” “This would be a terrible crisis to waste,” said Hillary Clinton, as she talked about eventually getting to universal healthcare for Americans. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R) tweeted that Clinton admitted that Democrats were using the “Coronavirus crisis” for political gain and to “advance their radical socialist agenda.”

“Trump's name can be first on Florida ballot, court says” by Politico’s Gary Fineout – A federal appeals court on Wednesday dealt a major blow to Democrats in the battleground state of Florida, throwing out a lawsuit that sought to roll back a law that puts President Donald Trump’s name first on the 2020 ballot. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta said the group suing Florida over the nearly 70-year-old rule lacked legal standing to challenge the law and failed to prove any injury. The decision means Florida election officials can keep Republican candidates listed first on the ballot. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in November declared the law unconstitutional because it “allows a state to put its thumb on the scale and award an electoral advantage to the party in power.” He issued a permanent injunction that prevented state and local officials from using the law when assembling the 2020 ballot. But a three-judge panel of the appeals court concluded that the three voters and six organizations that sued — including the Democratic National Committee — had not conclusively shown they were harmed by the ballot order and vacated Walker’s ruling.

“Florida DEO limits number of people able to access CONNECT unemployment site” by Click Orlando’s Emilee Speck – Adding to the frustrations of Floridians unable to work due to the coronavirus, anyone attempting to check on the status of their unemployment benefits or trying to reapply for federal assistance may experience difficulties because the Department of Economic Opportunity said it is limiting the number of users about to access the CONNECT website. In a series of tweets the DEO, which manages the state unemployment program, said they are limiting the number of users who can be logged in at one time. “We understand that limiting the system will cause frustration, but by doing this, users will have a better experience with fewer delays. Our efforts are working- claims are being processed and Floridians are getting paid,” the tweet read. “We are working to bolster the system by controlling the amount of users that are logged onto CONNECT, but also giving a timeline as to when a user can log back on and not have issues.” The statement did not include information about how many users can be logged onto CONNECT or when the limited access would be lifted.

“Emergency Hearing Set for Florida Unemployment Lawsuit” by Spectrum News’ Greg Angel – A Tallahassee judge is set to hear arguments next week involving a lawsuit aimed at pressuring the State of Florida to speed up the distribution of unemployment benefits. Judge Angela Dempsey set the hearing for Wednesday afternoon, May 6, in Leon County. An initial emergency hearing planned for this week has been pushed back to give the State time to file a motion to dismiss with the court, which is due Monday.

For weeks Spectrum News has been pressing state leaders about the widespread complaints, glitches, and issues involving the CONNECT unemployment benefit system. Tallahassee attorneys Marie Mattox, Gautier Kitchen, and Julie Keefe filed the suit last week after being contacted by 3,000 to 4,000 people frustrated with Florida’s unemployment system. “They are denying more claims than they are granting,” Mattox said. The suits name Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Deloitte Consulting as defendants.

“Florida ordered coroners to stop releasing coronavirus death data: report” by The Hill’s Sack Budryk – Florida officials have reportedly withheld medical examiners’ data on coronavirus deaths in the state for over a week, with the policy changing shortly after the Tampa Bay Times reported that the medical examiners were counting 10 percent more deaths than the state. Stephen Nelson, the chairman of the state Medical Examiners Commission, told the Tampa Bay Times that the state health department intervened and told him it planned to remove causes of death and case descriptions from mortality data. Nelson told the newspaper the data is meaningless without that information, and the entirety of the list should be considered public information. “This is no different than any other public record we deal with,” he said. “It’s paid for by taxpayer dollars and the taxpayers have a right to know.” Alberto Moscoso, a spokesman for the state health department, told the Times that the department “participated in conference calls” with the state Department of Law Enforcement, which provides administrative support to the Medical Examiners Commission, saying the discussions pertained to “privacy concerns for the individuals that passed away related to COVID-19.”

“State rep on Florida's coronavirus testing: 'We're not there yet'” by Fox News’ Emily DeCiccio – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made headlines recently for boasting that the numbers of coronavirus cases in his state are far below than what was expected, but state Rep. Anna Eskamani is urging not to overlook the reality on the ground. “If the governor wants to open the state back up, we need more testing, that's going to be the biggest piece to this,” explained Eskamani, a Democrat, in an exclusive interview with Fox News. “We need to test every person, symptomatic or asymptomatic just to make sure they're not carrying this virus, and we're not there yet in Florida.” Rep. Eskamani pointed to Orange County’s mobile testing option, noting that it is not available every day and that it must rotate between locales. She explained that while there is an effort underway to get the mobile testing to Florida’s concentrated disadvantaged communities, the testing needs to be more ubiquitous because the sites are difficult to access for people who cannot drive. She added that not every community has walk-up coronavirus testing sites and that many of those sites are not central to many communities of low income.

“Coronavirus Florida: Feds say West Palm company misled investors by claiming it had thousands of N95 masks” by Palm Beach Posts’ Julius Whigham II – A health care company with ties to West Palm Beach and its CEO have been accused of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic and committing fraud by falsely representing the company’s ability to acquire and supply protective surgical masks, federal authorities said Tuesday. In a federal court filing with the Southern District of Florida, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission alleged that the Praxsyn Corporation and its CEO, Frank J. Brady, 45, misled investors and buyers in late February and early March by claiming the company was negotiating the sale of millions of N95 masks that, in reality, the company did not have. The company’s stock trading volume increased significantly after it sent multiple news releases with the fraudulent claims, federal authorities said. Praxsyn is a Nevada corporation with its principal offices in West Palm Beach, according to the federal complaint. Brady’s primary residence is listed as being in Atlanta. Attempts to reach Brady for comment Tuesday evening were not successful. The SEC complaint alleges that Praxsyn began issuing news releases in late February stating that it was negotiating the sale of masks that met the standard for N95 masks and was “evaluating multiple orders and vetting various suppliers” in order to guarantee a supply chain that could deliver the masks on a timely schedule

READ MORE at THE FLORIDIAN

 

 “FBI discussed interviewing Michael Flynn 'to get him to lie' and 'get him fired,' handwritten notes show” by Fox News’ Gregg Re – Explosive new internal FBI documents unsealed Wednesday show that top bureau officials discussed their motivations for interviewing then-national security adviser Michael Flynn in the White House in January 2017 -- and openly questioned if their "goal" was "to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired." The handwritten notes -- written by the FBI's former head of counterintelligence Bill Priestap after a meeting with then-FBI Director James Comey and then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Fox News is told -- further suggested that agents planned in the alternative to get Flynn "to admit to breaking the Logan Act." The Logan Act is an obscure statute that has never been used in a criminal prosecution; enacted in 1799 in an era before telephones, it was intended to prevent individuals from falsely claiming to represent the United States government abroad. "What is our goal?" one of the notes read. "Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?"

“Kushner calls US coronavirus response a 'success story' as cases hit 1 million” by CNN’s  Maegan Vazquez and Betsy Klein – President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, praised the administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic as a "great success story" on Wednesday -- less than a day after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States topped 1 million. Kushner painted a rosy picture for "Fox and Friends" Wednesday morning, saying that "the federal government rose to the challenge and this is a great success story and I think that that's really what needs to be told." When he was pressed on coronavirus testing levels in the US, Kushner said the question shouldn't be why did it take so long, but, "How did we do this so quickly?" Kushner also predicted that things will be "rocking" by July. "May will be a transition month ... I think you will see by June, a lot of the country should be back to normal, and the hope is that by July the country is really rocking again," he said.

“U.S. Economy Shrank at 4.8% Pace in First Quarter” by WSJ’s Harriet Torry – The U.S. economy in the first quarter shrank at its fastest pace since the last recession as the coronavirus pandemic shut down large parts of the country, ending the longest economic expansion on record. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of goods and services produced across the economy, contracted at a seasonally and inflation adjusted annual rate of 4.8% in the first three months, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. The decline marks the beginning of a near-certain recession, economists say, and is the biggest drop in quarterly economic output since the fourth quarter of 2008. The Federal Reserve separately on Wednesday pledged to use “its full range of tools to support the U.S. economy in this challenging time,” according to a statement released after a rate-setting meeting where it left interest rates near zero and didn’t announce any new policy measures. Federal Chairman Jerome Powell said the U.S. economy would need additional spending from Congress and the White House to ensure that a robust recovery could take hold following a broad and deep deterioration from the pandemic. Congress and President Trump already have provided more than $2.6 trillion in several economic assistance measures over the last two months.

“Pentagon announces Defense Production Act to boost coronavirus testing swab production” by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Ryan Browne and Paul LeBlanc – The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it will spend $75.5 million in Defense Production Act Title 3 funding to ramp up production of swabs needed for coronavirus testing. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Andrews said in a statement that Puritan Medical Products was awarded the contract and "will quickly establish a new manufacturing facility capable of doubling its current monthly output of 20 million to 40 million swabs." Puritan is securing a location in Pittsfield, Maine, where it will build its manufacturing facility. The company is also adding 150 employees to staff the new factory, which will start production in May. The announcement comes after President Donald Trump announced Sunday he will compel a US company to make swabs under the Defense Production Act. Peter Navarro, his trade adviser who Trump tapped to coordinate DPA use, clarified to CNN Monday that the White House plans to use the act to give Puritan Medical Supplies federal funding to boost production.

“Dr. Marty Makary: US is 'neck-and-neck' with China in race for coronavirus vaccine” by Fox News’ Yael Halon – The United States is "neck-and-neck" with China in the race to develop an effective coronavirus vaccine, Johns Hopkins University health policy and management professor Dr. Marty Makary told "Special Report" Wednesday. "There are 70 vaccines in different stages of development," said Makary, a Fox News contributor. "There are seven that are being given in patients right now. We’re sort of neck-and-neck with China -- we've got three, they've got three." Makary added that the Chinese vaccines "are actually in further stages [of development]. Their drugs are in phase two or three, and it's a real race ...The country that gets there first will have a significant advantage because they will control the supply for the rest of the world and the risk is if we aren't there first, we could get locked out." The professor concluded that the search for a vaccine was "moving along," but added that "it will probably take a year" before such a treatment becomes widely available. Earlier Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious-disease expert and a member of President Trump's coronavirus task force, touted the drug remdesivir for its "clear-cut significant positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery,” as reflected in new data.

“Boeing and Airbus Brace for Prolonged Downturn Triggered by Coronavirus” by WSJ’s Doug Cameron and Andrew Tangel – The world’s biggest aerospace companies outlined survival plans that include thousands of job cuts and raising fresh funds as their airline customers reeled from the coronavirus pandemic and the near-collapse of global passenger air travel. Boeing Co., BA 5.86% rival Airbus EADSY 10.59% SE and their engine supplier General Electric Co. GE -3.24% on Wednesday detailed their initial responses to the crisis that has engulfed the industry after travel restrictions and fear of flying grounded more than half the global jet fleet. The once-booming aerospace industry has suffered one of the fastest and sharpest changes in fortunes, forcing the manufacturers on both sides of the Atlantic to prepare for a sustained period of reduced demand for their planes that, optimistically, could take three years or more to reverse. “We will be a smaller company for a while,” Boeing Chief Executive Officer David Calhoun told investors Wednesday. Already wounded financially by the yearlong grounding of its 737 MAX aircraft, the company reported its second consecutive quarterly loss alongside plans to cut jetliner production and shed 10% of its 160,000-strong workforce.

“US splits with allies again as it looks to extend Iran weapons ban” by CNN’s  Nicole Gaouette, Richard Roth, Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday the US intends to take action to extend a conventional weapons embargo on Tehran that is legally set to end under the Iran nuclear deal, provoking anger and disbelief from European allies who point out the US withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and have not participated in any meetings related to it since then. Speaking at the State Department Wednesday, Pompeo told reporters that the US would work to stop the small arms embargo from sunsetting in October 2020, as outlined by the pact. "We're not going to let that happen," Pompeo said. The administration is urging the E3 -- Germany, France and the United Kingdom -- "to take action which is within their capacity today," he said. "We'll work with the UN Security Council to extend that prohibition on those arms sales," Pompeo continued. "And then in the event we can't get anyone else to act, the United States is evaluating every possibility about how we might do that."

“Kim Jong Un may be at North Korea resort compound after satellite images spot luxury boats” by Fox News’ Travis Fedschun – Recent satellite photos indicate that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un might actually be at a luxury coastal resort on the Hermit Kingdom's northeast coast -- despite worldwide speculation about his health. Since Kim, last seen on April 11, missed an April 15 commemoration that celebrated the 108th birthday of his late grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, unverified reports have emerged about a possible illness. A key aide to the president of South Korea insisted on Sunday that Kim, who is believed to be 36, was "alive and well." "He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13," Chung-in Moon, foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told Fox News. "No suspicious movements have so far been detected." On Tuesday, the North Korean-monitoring website NK Pro reported that recent commercial satellite imagery showed leisure boats often used by Kim near his exclusive villa in Wonsan.

“Joe Grogan to Resign as Top White House Domestic Policy Adviser” by WSJ’s Stephanie Armour and Rebecca Ballhaus – Top White House policy adviser Joe Grogan is leaving his post, the latest sign of turnover as the administration grapples with a coronavirus pandemic. Mr. Grogan, head of the Domestic Policy Council, said in an interview he was leaving on good terms with President Trump and has already stayed in the position longer than he’d planned. He said he would leave on May 24. His decision to leave, which aides have anticipated for months, comes shortly after former Rep. Mark Meadows took over as the president’s fourth chief of staff. “I had a great conversation with the president and a great conversation with Meadows,” he said. Mr. Grogan began heading the Domestic Policy Council last year, after serving as a top health-care official in the White House budget office, where he became a close ally of former budget director and former acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. He previously served as a lobbyist for the drug company Gilead Sciences Inc.

“FDA reportedly will approve Covid-19 treatment remdesivir, which US-funded trial shows has 'positive effect' on recovery” by CNN’s Maggie Fox, Jamie Gumbrecht, Holly Yan and Betsy Klein – Researchers released some good news about a possible treatment for coronavirus Wednesday -- evidence that the experimental drug remdesivir might help patients recover more quickly from the infection. The US Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved any drugs for the treatment of the coronavirus. But it plans to announce an emergency-use authorization for remdesivir, according to The New York Times. The authorization could come as soon as Wednesday, The Times reported, citing a senior administration official.

In a statement to CNN, the FDA said it is in talks with Gilead Sciences, the maker of remdesivir, about making the drug available to patients. "As part of the FDA's commitment to expediting the development and availability of potential COVID-19 treatments, the agency has been engaged in ... discussions with Gilead Sciences regarding making remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible, as appropriate," FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum said in statement.

“Biden asked about sexual assault in the military, says survivors should be 'supported,' abusers 'held accountable'” by Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn – During a virtual fundraiser on Wednesday evening, former Vice President Joe Biden was asked about sexual assault -- in the military. Following his virtual women's town hall, where he notably was not asked about the sexual assault allegation made by former Senate staffer Tara Reade, a woman named Nancy Parrish, who is an advocate of combating sexual assault in the military, asked the presumptive Democratic nominee if he would support “moving the military justice system into the 21st century by empowering experienced military prosecutors to make prosecution decisions for non-military crimes -- serious felonies like rape, murder, and child abuse.” "The answer is yes, yes, yes," Biden responded. "When I was vice president, that was my position as well. As a matter of fact, I had a real run-in with one of the members of the Joint Chiefs in the Cabinet Room on that issue. Look, we have to change the culture of abuse in this country, especially in armed services." He went on to promise that "survivors" of sexual assault in the military will be "supported" and "abusers" will be "held accountable for their crimes."

“Concerns mount over health of US citizen detained in Russia amid coronavirus pandemic” by CNN’s Jennifer Hansler – The US ambassador to Russia and the family of Paul Whelan expressed concern for his treatment and well-being as the US citizen remains detained in Moscow amid the coronavirus pandemic. Whelan, who was arrested in December 2018 on espionage charges, marked his 16th month in custody as the prosecution in his trial rested its case this week. Ambassador John Sullivan, the US envoy to Moscow, said he was twice denied access to see Whelan in court over the past several weeks. Sullivan said in a video posted Tuesday that Russian authorities had denied both "repeated requests for an outside English speaking doctor to examine him" and attempts by the US Embassy to deliver masks, gloves and sanitizer.

Instead of personal protective equipment, inmates at Lefortovo Prison are being given onions to ward off coronavirus, Paul Whelan's sister Elizabeth Whelan told CNN. "Obviously, Covid, huge problem and Moscow does not have this under control and absolutely doesn't give two hoots about what happens to anybody in prison," she said Wednesday. There are more than 99,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Russia and more than 900 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.

 

President Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump -“The only thing we got wrong is that it was even worse (the corruption) than we thought.” @Jim_Jordan

DIRTY COPS!

Adam Schiff @RepAdamSchiff -I’m not sure what a “very, very strong” death total means, But over 60,000 lives lost is a tragedy almost unmatched in American history. It‘s nothing to be proud of. For grieving families, friends, and communities, this statement from the President is more salt in the wound.

 

 

US Rep Kathy Castor @USRepKCastor-Like Florida's unemployment process, the Trump admin’s handling of #PPP has been flawed. Congress intended this $ to be an immediate lifeline + foundation for recovery once testing allows for it. There have been some successes.. we are grateful for those.

Rep. Brian Mast @RepBrianMast -China’s intentional deception has cost thousands of lives and millions of jobs. I introduced a resolution this week to hold China accountable for their cover-up and force them to pay back the taxpayer dollars that have been spent as a result.

Debbie Mayfield @debbie_mayfield-Great to see this important project to improve water quality in the #Everglades and our Estuaries advancing!

Thank you @GovRonDeSantis for continuing to make protecting and restoring #Florida's environment a top priority.

BrooksRehabilitation @BrooksRehab - Mayor Lenny Curry and the CEOs of local health systems and healthcare providers announced today that elective surgeries will resume starting Monday.

Rep. Anna V. Eskamani  @AnnaForFlorida -CYMI: @FLDEO has a new webpage all focused on the CARES Act and you can find it here:

Lauren Book @Book4Senate -It’s a good day! Today #Broward Parks & Recreation will be opening certain parks & nature trails for socially distanced use by the community! For a list of open parks, (remember face masks in case you encounter friends and neighbors!)