Schools and COVID-19
While Schools in Florida have come on line, and with in-person teaching about to start, legislators are sounding the alarm about how fully re-opening schools will infect more and more children across the state.
Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell held a press conference in Miami this week were she addressed the recently reported 23% jump in COVID-19 cases among children. Rep.Mucarsel-Powell said that over the past 2-3 weeks, some 9K students have been infected. A total of 49K children in Florida have reportedly been infected by the coronavirus.
President Trump’s new COVID-19 advisor, Dr. Scott Atlas, recently called concerns over reopening schools “hysterical,” citing that other Western nations have reopened, or are already reopening schools.
“We are the only country of our peer nations in the Western world who are this hysterical about opening schools," the adviser, Dr. Scott Atlas, said as he pressed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his advisers to reopen schools as quickly as possible. (NBC)
Mucarsel-Powell’s colleague, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, has also weighed in again on DeSantis’ effort to reopen schools, and also took a swipe at the governor waiting “until the last minute to extend FL’s watered-dwon eviction moratorium.”
Rep.. Wasserman Schultz’s tweet comes after DeSantis extended the evictions and foreclosure moratorium for another month. Landlords are able to file eviction notices but can’t enforce the orders because of the executive order DeSantis signed.
Marco Rubio @marcorubio -#Maduro has “pardoned” a group of political prisoners of crimes they didn't commit. Don't fall for these manipulative tactics whose only intent is to legitimize an upcoming fraudulent election.
Rep. Matt Gaetz @RepMattGaetz -Democrats want to scare the American people about Russia and diminish the real threat China poses. The Mueller investigation didn't result in the conviction of a single Russian. The show from @RepAdamSchiff and the Dems was all about press and politics.
Rep. Donna E. Shalala @RepShalala -Each year, Census data informs federal funding for more than 100 programs, including school lunches, highway construction, and education.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz @DWStweets-Every time I see @KamalaHarris speak I’m more and more excited to have her on the ticket. #BidenHarris2020 can’t come soon enough!
Rick Scott @SenRickScott-China has turned a once thriving city into a prison as brave Hong Kongers attempt to flee the oppression resulting from China’s crackdown on freedom and human rights. The new security law is only the latest act of aggression from the Chinese Communist Party.
Rep. Michael Waltz @RepMichaelWaltz-Small businesses make up 95% of total businesses in our community and are essential to our local economy and way of life. Thanks to the Paycheck Protection Program, nearly 80% of these businesses received loans, saving 83,000 jobs in our area. Proud to support the PPP.
Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell @RepDMP -The president is trying to undermine free and fair elections by sabotaging mail-in voting during a pandemic. This is right out of the authoritarian playbook. We must ensure Americans who need to vote by mail can do so in a safe way and know their ballot will be counted.
Rep. Lois Frankel @RepLoisFrankel -The new @CDCgov guidelines on #COVID19 testing are gravely concerning. This pandemic is very real--it's killed +180,000 Americans & we're still struggling to get it under control. Testing for asymptomatic cases is CRUCIAL to tracking its spread.
“Pelosi Calls San Francisco Salon Visit A ‘Set Up,’ Refuses To Apologize” by The Floridian’s Mona Salama – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blamed the San Francisco hair salon for the “set up” after being told beforehand they could accommodate her appointment indoors and declined to apologize for getting her hair done. Addressing the controversy surrounding her visit to a local salon on Monday, Pelosi told reporters she “takes responsibility” for failing for the “set-up,” but claimed she was told by eSalon that it was allowed to have one customer at a time inside its establishment. “I take responsibility for trusting the word of a neighborhood salon that I’ve been to over the years many times, and that when they said what we’re able to accommodate people, one person at a time. And that we can set up that time. I trusted that,” Pelosi said at a press conference in San Francisco Wednesday afternoon. “As it turns out – it was a setup. So I take responsibility for falling for a set-up. And that’s all I’m going to say on that.” Pelosi added if anyone was owed an apology, it was her by the salon. “I think that this salon owes me an apology, for setting me up,” Pelosi said. Pelosi’s visit to the hair salon on Monday set off a firestorm after video footage published from Fox News showed the California Democrat walking inside the salon with wet hair and without a face covering in apparent defiance the city’s COVID-19 rules. The owner of eSalon, Erica Kious called the congresswoman’s visit “a slap in the face,” when one of her independent stylists reached out to her on Sunday night and requested to rent a chair in the salon for an appointment.
“Will new leadership usher out persistent problems at Florida DEO?” by WFLA’s Victoria Price – Governor Ron DeSantis appointed State Representative Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral, as the Department of Economic Opportunity’s new executive director Wednesday. Eagle is the outgoing house majority leader, as he recently lost the Republican primary to keep his southwest Florida seat. “Leader Eagle is an experienced legislator, a family man, and the right choice to lead DEO,” said Governor DeSantis in a press release announcing the appointment. “We enter in precarious times and I look forward to working with my former colleagues to effectuate change and lead DEO into a bright future,” Eagle added, in that same release. Eagle replaces Ken Lawson who was sidelined by the governor after the state’s unemployment site began crashing in March. The question on many minds now is if new leadership can fix the months-old problems still plaguing Florida’s unemployment system and those who rely on it? Curt Crider is a Tampa career bartender who applied for unemployment in March after he was laid off from his job but has yet to collect a dime. He logged onto his CONNECT profile this week to find that he was once again disqualified from benefits that he claims DEO representatives have assured him he is entitled to. “A couple of weeks, that’s a technical error. But we’re talking about five to six months,” Crider told 8 On Your Side via Zoom. “It’s beyond ridiculous.”
“Concerns raised about COVID-19 testing in Florida after massive data dump by Quest” by WFLA’s Mahsa Saeidi – A public health expert is raising concerns about coronavirus testing in Florida following a massive data dump this week that led to the state cutting all ties with one of the biggest testing companies. According to the Florida Department of Health, Quest Diagnostics released nearly 75,000 COVID-19 test results in a single day, some dating back to April. The state announced it was severing all ties with Quest on Tuesday. “(Quest) said it was a technical glitch of some kind,” said Dr. Jay Wolfson, a professor of public health at the University of South Florida. “But that only really lends concern to the questions of trust and transparency that everybody’s having right now.” Florida has accused Quest Diagnostics of illegally dumping thousands of backlogged coronavirus test results. In a statement to 8 On Your Side, Quest said it “takes seriously our responsibility to report laboratory data to public health authorities in a timely manner to aid pandemic response.” “Due to a technical issue, our reporting of a subset of public health COVID-19 test data to the Florida Department of Health was delayed,” the statement continued. “This subset involves nearly 75,000 of the approximately 1.4 million COVID-19 tests we have performed and reported to the state.” A spokesperson for Quest apologized and said the company regretted the “challenge it poses for public health authorities in Florida. They confirmed the issue has been resolved and noted that the reporting of test results to providers and patients was not affected or delayed.
“Dane Eagle to head Florida’s DEO” by WINK News’ Sara Girard – Rep. Dane Eagle will take over Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity, replacing Ken Lawson, who resigned Monday. Eagle, who lives in Cape Coral, recently lost the Republican primary for the District 19 Congressional seat. The DEO faced a number of problems over the last six months as millions of Floridians bogged down the state unemployment system, leaving thousands waiting for benefits. The governor feels Eagle’s legislative experience and private sector accountability will make him successful in the role. “Leader Eagle is an experienced legislator, a family man, and the right choice to lead DEO,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis. “The department has suffered some setbacks, but I have no doubt that Dane is up to the task. He is personable, enjoys broad bipartisan support, and I look forward to the many successes to come. Casey and I also congratulate Dane and his wife Brooke on the birth of their first child.” Eagle served as House Majority Leader and has a degree in economics. He’s no stranger to the DEO. In fact, we spoke with him back in April about what his office was doing to help many people in this community work through the countless technical issues with the unemployment website. Back then he praised the governor for taking action but said he was pushing for even more change.
“Florida physicians argue for face masks, against herd immunity” by News 4 Jax’s Jake Stofan – A group of political activists, state lawmakers and medical experts are once again doubling down on their demand for a statewide mask mandate. The calls come after White House Task Force member Dr. Scott Atlas said stopping the spread of the coronavirus to low-risk individuals is not the goal of the government’s pandemic response. “The goal of policy is absolutely not to stop all spread of COVID-19 to asymptomatic or very low-risk individuals,” Atlas said during the governor’s roundtable Monday. The comment has been interpreted by some, including state Sen. Gary Farmer, as suggesting a herd immunity strategy. In a virtual news conference Wednesday, Farmer suggested herd immunity wouldn’t work because there is evidence people can be infected more than once. “This is not like many other viruses, where if you get it once, you develop that immunity,” Farmer said. Dr. Howard Kessler, president of Physicians for Social Responsibility Florida, also warned an estimated seven out of 10 Americans would have to be infected before herd immunity would be reached. “That would mean that over 3 million people in the United State would be projected to possibly die of COVID-19,” Kessler said. Physicians for Social Responsibility Florida argues the best way to slow the spread continues to be face mask mandates. And alongside the physicians, Barbara DeVane, president of the National Organization for Women of Florida, is again calling on Gov. Ron DeSantis to make masks mandatory statewide.
“Florida State University's ousted student senate leader, in lawsuit, says he was targeted for his religious beliefs” by Fox News’ Greg Norman – A Florida State University student who was recently removed from his position as leader of the student senate has filed a lawsuit against the school’s leadership and student government, arguing he was targeted in “retaliation for his private religious speech.” Jack Denton, a “devout Catholic”, suffered damage to his finances and reputation following his ouster in early June, the lawsuit filed Monday in a U.S. District Court alleges. He is now asking the court “to order his reinstatement, compensation, and the expungement of all records relating to the Senate’s retaliatory and discriminatory actions against him.” “All students should be able to peacefully share their personal convictions without fear of retaliation,” Tyson Langhofer, a lawyer for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) – which filed the suit on Denton’s behalf – said in a statement. “While FSU students claim they’re creating a ‘safe space,’ they’ve tried to cancel Jack’s freedoms and discriminate against him because they don’t like his beliefs, in direct violation of the school’s Student Government Association Ethics Code, the Student Body Constitution, and -- most importantly -- the First Amendment.” The lawsuit states on June 3, Denton was participating in a private group chat amongst members of the Catholic Student Union over “recent instances of police violence.” “One student shared a link to a video on YouTube that raised advertising and donation revenue for several organizations derived in part from each time a person views the video,” it said.
“Matt Gaetz: 40 Under 40” by Forbes – Florida congressman Matt Gaetz knows how to provoke, and he knows how to draw controversy. From a surprise son (in a heated exchange in Congress, Gaetz claimed that he had a teenage son from Cuba, though they aren’t related by blood) to conspiracy theories, Gaetz always manages to find a flame to fan. But his star in the Republican Party is quickly rising. The young Florida native and Trump loyalist has views that differ from those of traditional conservatives, endearing him to a younger, more libertarian crowd and causing some to believe he represents the future of the right. In 2019, he was one of only two Republicans to vote to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, and in 2015, he cosponsored an amendment with Democratic Rep. David Richardson to repeal a Florida ban on adoptions by same-sex couples. Liberals love to hate the 38-year-old representative, but he doesn’t plan on going anywhere. Gaetz openly contemplated a 2020 Senate run in Alabama before deciding against it, but many believe he’s just biding his time and will be running for higher office in the near future.
“Republican group launches multimillion-dollar Florida ad blitz to boost Biden” by Fox News’ Megan Henney – A Republican group aimed at unseating President Trump during the November presidential election is spending millions in Florida in hopes of turning the battleground state blue. Officials with Republican Voters Against Trump, a national super PAC, said in a memo this week they were launching a campaign designed to help Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden flip Florida – a state that Trump won in the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton. Leading the group are political operatives with deep ties to the Sunshine State, including Mike Murphy, who twice helped Jeb Bush win Florida's governor's office.
The campaign – called “Project Orange Crush” – is expected to spend between $8 million to $10 million in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election on TV and digital ads, according to the memo. It will target close to a half-million voters in the state, a group consisting mostly of independents and moderate Republicans who have not yet committed to voting for Biden or Trump. The group said they are focusing their attention on Florida because unlike other swing states, a victory there could solidify Biden's odds of winning the Electoral College. Candidates need at least 270 electoral votes to win the White House; Florida, with 29 up for grabs, is one of the biggest delegate prizes on Election Day. "There’s actually a much greater opportunity than people realized in Florida for it to be a linchpin state to defeat the president, that a lot of the voters there that need to be potentially persuaded would be receptive to our message," Tim Miller, political director of Republican Voters Against Trump, told Fox News. Should Biden win those delegates, he would likely only need to win one other swing state to beat Trump.
“Sen. Rubio asks for DHS briefing after alleged cyber-attack on Florida school district” by NBC 12’s Lizandra Portal – Sen. Marco Rubio is asking the Department of Homeland Security for its intelligence briefing after an alleged cyberattack against the Miami-Dade County School District. Miami-Dade County Public Schools announced that its virtual learning platform was the target of 12 cyberattacks. According to the Superintendent, the fifth attack prevented more than 170,000 students and teachers from logging into the system and kicked off users who were already in the system. Palm Beach County Schools also had technical issues on Monday when students headed back to classes online, but the school district did not indicate there were any signs of a cyber attack. Sen. Rubio lamented with parents and students who have had to turn to virtual schooling due to coronavirus precautions. "It now appears that hostile actors, including foreign cybercriminals, are now targeting online classrooms in order to further disrupt the lives of Americans," he said. The senator's letter to Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf indicates Florida's school systems will continue to be targets of cyberattacks and that coordination between local, state and federal governments must be made to help stop these attacks.
“Florida bodycam footage shows knife-wielding woman stab police officer before deadly shooting” by Fox News’ Officer Elizabeth Mechling was responding to a dispute at a home in April, but the video was just released this week. In it, Mechling knocks on the door, steps back and appears to be waiting for someone to answer. Then the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Leah Baker, rushes out with a knife. “What the f---,” Mechling shouts, stumbling onto the sidewalk. Then she calls it in: “I’ve just been f------ stabbed!” The knife struck her in the arm, she says later in the video. After calling it in, Mechling orders Baker to drop the knife, and she does. When Mechling orders her to get on the ground, she ignores the command and reaches for the knife again. The video shows Mechling firing two shots, which both appear to miss Baker. Baker then stands in place with the knife as Mechling backs away. More officers arrive, including Sgt. John Nobles, who orders Baker to drop the knife again – and again she does so. In the video, as officers approach, she refuses orders to get on the ground, picks it up again and lunges toward them. The officers open fire. While bleeding in the street, Baker also allegedly began hitting a police K-9, Jacksonville-based WJXT-TV reported. She later died in a hospital. Baker’s mother, Charity Baker, told the outlet that her daughter had mental illness.
“Trump campaign calls on CNN to fire Joe Lockhart after he suggested POTUS had 'stroke'” by Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn – The Trump campaign is firing back at CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart, who speculated that the president had a "stroke" that he has been hiding from the public. In a Monday tweet, Lockhart asked, “Did @realDonaldTrump have a stroke which he is hiding from the American public?” after reporting from New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt's forthcoming book, which claims Vice President Mike Pence was "on standby to take over the powers of the presidency temporarily if Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anesthetized" during his November 2019 visit to Walter Reed Medical Center. Trump denied on Twitter that he suffered from "mini-strokes" and the White House physician released a statement saying that the president "remains healthy." However, a statement issued by the Trump campaign is calling on Lockhart to be held responsible for theorizing about the president's health. “CNN should fire Joe Lockhart, a lifetime failure who thought it was a great idea for fellow loser Michael Dukakis to put on that stupid helmet, for knowingly pushing a conspiracy theory about President Trump’s health," the campaign said. "Great political expert that he is, Lockhart single-handedly sank the John Kerry campaign and now he’s doing the same to Joe Biden from a distance."
“Biden campaign is expected to announce it raised more than $310 million in August” by CNN’s Dan Merica, Jeff Zeleny and Sarah Mucha – Joe Biden's presidential campaign is expected to announce it raised more than $310 million in August, three sources familiar with the campaign's fundraising tell CNN, a record-breaking haul propelled by fundraising around the selection of California Sen. Kamala Harris as Biden's running mate and the Democratic convention. The bulk of the haul comes from an uptick in grassroots fundraising, sources told CNN, which Democrats are taking as a sign that their base is animated by the Biden-Harris ticket and the prospect of defeating President Donald Trump in November. The New York Times was the first to report the expected haul. Multiple Biden campaign officials declined to comment on their expected fundraising figure. Biden entered 2020 at a substantial fundraising disadvantage to Trump, but because of a post-primary uptick in fundraising and the fact that the campaign is not spending considerable money on travel and events due to the coronavirus, the Democratic nominee has closed the gap. Despite Trump and the Republican National Committee outraising Biden and the Democratic National Committee in July -- $165 million to $140 million -- the Democrats ended that month with $294 million in the bank, just $6 million less than the $300 million Trump and the RNC reported having on hand.
“Barr Tightens Rules for FBI Surveillance of Political Candidates, Staff” by WSJ’s Sadie Gurman – Attorney General William Barr put new restrictions Tuesday on government surveillance of political campaigns, the latest fallout from an inspector general report that found problems with the way the FBI sought to monitor a former Trump campaign adviser. One new rule requires officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to consider warning a political candidate, elected official, aides or staffers that a foreign government might be targeting them before seeking a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court to secretly tap their communications. If the agency opts not to do so, the FBI director must document the reasoning for such a decision in writing. The application must go through several layers of review, including a signoff from the attorney general. Another new policy sets up an internal office within the FBI to more broadly scrutinize the bureau’s national security work. “The American people must have confidence that the United States government will exercise its surveillance authorities in a manner that protects the civil liberties of Americans, avoids interference in the political process and complies with the constitution and laws of the United States,” Mr. Barr said in announcing the policies. The rules, which Mr. Barr outlined in a pair of memos, are the latest in a number of changes to the Justice Department’s surveillance procedures in response to the findings of an inspector general who reviewed the bureau’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
“Pelosi used shuttered San Francisco hair salon for blow-out, owner calls it 'slap in the face'” by Fox News’ Brooke SIngman – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited a San Francisco hair salon on Monday afternoon for a wash and blow-out, despite local ordinances keeping salons closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, Fox News had learned. In security footage obtained by Fox News, and timestamped Monday at 3:08 p.m. Pacific Time, the California powerhouse is seen walking through eSalon in San Francisco with wet hair, and without a mask over her mouth or nose. The stylist doing her hair can be seen following her wearing a black face mask. Salons in San Francisco had been closed since March and were only notified they could reopen on Sept. 1 for outdoor hairstyling services only. Salon owner Erica Kious, in a phone interview with Fox News on Tuesday, shared details of Pelosi’s visit. Kious explained she has independent stylists working for her who rent chairs in her salon. “One of the stylists who rents a chair from me contacted me Sunday night,” Kious said. A screengrab of the text message she received from one of her stylists, and obtained by Fox News, said: “I’ll be there at 2:45 tomorrow. Pelosi assistant just messaged me to do her hair.” Kious replied: “Pelosi?” “I was like, are you kidding me right now? Do I let this happen? What do I do?” Kious told Fox News, while noting that she "can’t control” what her stylists do if they rent chairs from her, as “they’re not paying” at this time. Kious cast Pelosi’s visit as a double standard. “It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can’t work,” Kious told Fox News, adding that she “can’t believe” the speaker didn’t have a mask on. (From the footage, it appears Pelosi had some kind of covering around her neck.)
“Sen. Ed Markey defeats a Kennedy in Massachusetts” by CNN’s Alex Rogers – Sen. Ed Markey beat back a bid on Tuesday from Rep. Joe Kennedy, to end his nearly 50 years in elected office, humbling the Democratic Party's family dynasty that had never before lost an election in Massachusetts. Kennedy told supporters he had called Markey to concede the race on Tuesday evening. The longtime legislator won the primary by campaigning as the most progressive person in the race, while emphasizing his roots as the son of a milkman from Malden.
About a year ago, when it became clear that the congressman would run, Markey visited his parents' gravesite, contemplated what to do, what his parents would do, and concluded he had to run for reelection, according to campaign manager John Walsh. His decision could've been described as foolish. Kennedy, 39, led in the polls from the get-go, launching a campaign focused on social and economic justice while offering a generational change to the 74-year-old Markey, who has served in Congress for over four decades. But his critics attacked Kennedy for not articulating a reason for running besides his own ambition, and Markey deflected his opponent's shine by projecting the power of some of the party's brightest stars. The two Democrats didn't disagree much on policy, but Markey established himself early on as the earliest adopter of liberal causes, pointing to his co-authorship of the Green New Deal and support of "Medicare for All." Markey wore retro-hip Nikes and aligned himself with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the party phenom, and the Sunrise Movement, a youthful group focused on combating climate change, to show he was of the times.
“USPS delivery delays on everything from medicine to baby chicks deepen concerns about mail-in voting” by CNN’s Maine resident Jennifer Jones says US Postal Service mail delays killed over half the baby chickens she ordered this summer for backyard farming. In 15 years, Jones says she's ordered thousands of chicks with no issues. USPS normally delivers them within 24 hours. This time, though, it took days. "They came within two to three days, which is much longer than normal," Jones told CNN of her July order. "Upon arrival, 13 were dead. We lost four more over the week." With more Americans than ever expected to vote by mail in November's presidential election due to health concerns around Covid-19, delays like the one Jones experienced are deepening concerns about the Postal Service's capacity to handle a flood of ballot mail. In documents recently handed over to Congress, USPS showed mail on-time performance dropped significantly after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy implemented operational changes on July 10. Amid a rising public outcry, DeJoy last month said he was reversing some changes and pledged to Congress that the Postal Service is ready for the fall. "While we have had temporary service decline, which should not have happened, we are fixing this," DeJoy said in his testimony to the House Oversight and Reform Committee on August 24. "In fact, last week service improved across all major mail and package categories and I am laser focused on improving service for the American public."
“Facebook Removes Accounts Tied to Russia’s Internet Research Agency” by WSJ’s Sarah E. Needleman – Facebook Inc. FB 0.76% took down recently created accounts and pages linked to a Russian group that U.S. authorities have accused of interfering in the 2016 presidential election, the social-media giant said Tuesday. The detection of the operation ahead of November elections show that the Internet Research Agency, a “troll farm” indicted by federal authorities in 2018, remains a thorn in Facebook’s side. But the company said the recent effort’s small reach—totaling 13 accounts and two pages—shows Facebook is getting better at detecting foreign political manipulation efforts before such content spreads widely. Facebook revealed the takedown in a report Tuesday, the latest of several efforts to improve the quality of its platforms. Assisting in the effort was Graphika, an independent research firm that contracts with Facebook on investigations into foreign social-media manipulation. The Russian-led networks were less significant than the IRA’s past efforts to sow discord on Facebook, said Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of security, during a conference call with journalists. “Their operational security has improved, but their impact is getting smaller,” he said. “For all their increased efforts, they’re not being terribly successful.” Mr. Gleicher said the Russian group used English but largely targeted foreign audiences and had a small following. It failed to get Facebook’s approval to run U.S. ads, he said. Much of its efforts were tied to a website called PeaceData.net, for which the IRA allegedly tried to recruit freelance journalists as writers.
“Pence says 'I don't recall' being put on 'standby' over Trump health concerns” by Fox News’ Yael Halon – Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News Tuesday that he does not remember being told to be "on standby to take over the powers of the presidency temporarily" if President Trump had to undergo a procedure during a visit to Walter Reed Medical Center last year. "I don't recall being told to be on standby," Pence told "Special Report" host Bret Baier in an exclusive interview. "I was informed that the president had a doctor's appointment, [but] I've got to tell you, part of this job is you are always on standby if you are Vice President of the United States." New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt made the claim in his forthcoming book, "Donald Trump V. The United States," writing that Pence was put on alert to assume presidential powers "if Trump had to undergo a procedure that would have required him to be anesthetized." On Tuesday, Trump denied a related claim that he had "a series of mini-strokes" that prompted the unscheduled Nov. 16, 2019 visit, which he previously told Fox News was part of his annual physical. "It never ends! Now they are trying to say that your favorite President, me, went to Walter Reed Medical Center, having suffered a series of mini-strokes," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Never happened to THIS candidate — FAKE NEWS. Perhaps they are referring to another candidate from another Party!" Pence told Baier that he is "always informed of the president's movements" and that he recalls "nothing out of the ordinary about that moment or that day.
“Trump Visits Kenosha Amid Clash Over Race Relations and Public Safety” by WSJ’s Rebecca Ballhaus and Catherine Lucey – President Trump said recent violence sparked by the police shooting of a Black man in Kenosha, Wis., amounted to “domestic terror” in a visit to the embattled city, where he called for greater support for law enforcement. The police shooting of Jacob Blake touched off both peaceful daytime demonstrations in Kenosha and nights of violence, property destruction and clashes that led to the fatal shooting of two protesters by an out-of-state teenager and that left areas of the city in ruins. Mr. Blake remains hospitalized and paralyzed after a white officer shot him seven times in the back on Aug. 23. Democratic local and state officials had asked Mr. Trump to stay away, expressing concern that his visit could further inflame tensions. Mr. Trump has made public safety a central theme of his re-election campaign and expressed skepticism that broader underlying issues were a factor in the unrest. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said he didn’t believe police violence was a systemic problem, saying it was more a matter of some officers “choking” under the pressure. He didn’t directly answer a question about whether he believes systemic racism exists. “I keep hearing about peaceful protests, and then I come into an area like this,” Mr. Trump said of his visit, which included stops at a burned-out building and a torched store. “By and large, this is not peaceful protests.” Mr. Trump said his administration would give $1 million to Kenosha law enforcement, $4 million to help small businesses and $42 million to support public safety in the state.
President Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump-Governors Andrew Cuomo of New York has the worst record on death and China Virus. 11,000 people alone died in Nursing Homes because of his incompetence!
Nancy Pelosi @SpeakerPelosi -From the start, President Trump has denied the facts about how to best fight the coronavirus. Now, he wants Americans to put loyalty to him ahead of the health of their children, parents, and siblings.
