#US President Covid-19 treatment at the White House

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Matt Gertz at MMFA:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s impending move to crash out of the presidential race and endorse Donald Trump is fitting given that his bid was a cynical and transparent right-wing media operation intended to help return the former president to the White House.   Kennedy, a notorious anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theorist, plans to end his independent presidential campaign and throw his support to Trump, perhaps at a planned event on Friday, NBC News first reported. The apparent move followed reports that Kennedy was seeking a major administration job from Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris in exchange for his endorsement.

Right-wing media stars who want Trump to win the presidency were among the most fervent supporters of Kennedy’s bid. They encouraged him to run for the Democratic nomination, touted his campaign after it launched, then urged him to run as an independent when they thought he would take votes away from that party’s standard-bearer. But they turned on him as it became increasingly clear that his run was actually hurting Trump.

History’s most obvious political rat-fucking attempt is now coming to an end, but its impact on the 2024 race reflects the broader ongoing right-wing turn against vaccinations since the COVID-19 pandemic. And it could still have even more disastrous consequences if Trump’s right-wing media supporters get their way and Kennedy snags a position running a federal health care agency in a second Trump administration.

A right-wing plot to put a “chaos agent” in the Democratic field

Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show was a launchpad for Republican extremists seeking the GOP kingmaker’s support in their election bids. But on the night of April 19, 2023, the candidate receiving plaudits from the Fox star was ostensibly seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.  “Bobby Kennedy is one of the most remarkable people we have met and we are honored to have him on our show tonight,” Carlson told his viewers at the top of their fawning interview. Kennedy’s friendly sit-down with Carlson was characteristic of the glowing treatment he received from right-wing outlets and influencers for the Democratic run he had officially announced earlier that day. His bid drew fervent praise from the likes of Trumpist political operative Charlie Kirk and arch-conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and he became a constant presence on right-wing cable outlets and podcasts. In the early months of his campaign, Kennedy received more Fox weekday appearances than high-profile Republican presidential candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and more mentions on that network than all but three members of that field.

It’s no secret why avowed right-wingers were so interested in Kennedy’s Democratic presidential bid — they thought he could be a spoiler who would help Trump win. Indeed, Steve Bannon, a former Trump White House adviser who had spent years using his streaming show to promote Kennedy’s anti-vax conspiracy theories, reportedly encouraged him to launch the run because he viewed Kennedy as “a useful chaos agent.” Other current and former Trump advisers also talked up Kennedy’s campaign and were not shy about why they were doing so: As Roger Stone put it, Kennedy would “soften Joe Biden up for his defeat by Donald Trump.”

Kennedy was a bad fit for a Democratic campaign. He has one of the party’s most celebrated names, and played a leading role in environmental organizations earlier in his career. But in recent years, he became better known for promoting conspiracy theories about childhood vaccinations, and his extremist views on the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine put him in step with the right-wing propaganda machine. As a candidate, Kennedy thrilled white supremacists by claiming that the virus had been “ethnically targeted” to not affect Jewish people. Kennedy’s positioning made him a better fit for MAGA voters than Democrats. So when he failed to gain traction in the Democratic race and switched to an independent run in the fall, he immediately became a thorn in Trump’s side.

[...]

An anti-vaxxer running HHS?

Kennedy’s campaign had reportedly been trying to secure him a future administration position in exchange for his endorsement. His efforts to meet with Harris to discuss such a deal went nowhere. But Kennedy found Trump more amenable to such a deal. Kennedy reached out to Trump following the July assassination attempt on the former president, using a phone number reportedly provided by Carlson. The pair reportedly talked about Kennedy “about endorsing his campaign and taking a job in a second Trump administration, overseeing a portfolio of health and medical issues.” Kennedy subsequently told The Washington Post he is “willing to talk to anybody from either political party who wants to talk about children’s health and how to end the chronic disease epidemic.”

Trump has since publicly floated giving Kennedy a major job in his administration, telling CNN he “probably would” consider such an appointment. It’s unclear what such a job might look like, and Trump is such a huge liar you’d have to have brainworms to trust him to hold up his end of such a bargain. But Donald Trump Jr. has said of Kennedy, “I love the idea of giving him some sort of role in a three-letter agency and letting him blow it up.” And Trump’s media supporters have proposed offering Kennedy a position as prominent as secretary of health and human services, with Paul Dans, the former director of Project 2025, suggesting Kennedy should head that department, the Food and Drug Administration, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order “to really clear house at the agency.”

Granting Kennedy control of HHS and its $1.5 trillion budget, or one of the “three-letter agencies” it oversees, like the FDA or CDC or the National Institutes of Health, could have disastrous consequences. As a report on the prospect from NBC News detailed, Kennedy has kooky health views and “has described wanting to dismantle those offices and rebuild them with like-minded fringe figures.” But such a move would serve as the natural culmination of the right-wing media’s campaign against the COVID-19 vaccines developed under Trump and rolled out under Biden. Carlson and his ilk spent years waging war on those lifesaving medications, falsely claiming they were ineffective and inflating claims about their potential side effects. (By driving down support for the vaccines among Republicans, their effort surely led to the deaths of many members of their audiences.)  Thanks to that campaign, Trump was unable to take credit for the COVID-19 vaccines on the campaign trail. The former president shied away from discussing his administration’s greatest accomplishment to avoid alienating his own supporters during the GOP primary. He’s tried to court Kennedy’s endorsement by talking down childhood vaccinations, bizarrely telling him in a leaked phone call, “I want to do small doses” rather than giving infants a shot that “looks like it’s meant for a horse, not uh, you know, a 10-pound or 20-pound baby.” And on the campaign trail, he’s vowed that his administration “will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate.”

The RFK Jr. campaign was nothing more than a right-wing ploy to help Donald Trump in his quest to gain a 2nd term.

[foreverlogical]

“I appreciate the gentlelady’s passion. There’s two facts that she should perhaps be alerted to,” he began. “One is that Donald Trump, on more than 20 different occasions, defended the performance of the Chinese government and specifically President Xi in terms of his treatment of COVID-19 and said he was doing a ‘wonderful job’ and a ‘great job’ and they were working closely and they were constantly in touch.

“So, if there’s a problem with the Chinese government unleashing a virus ― which has not been proven anywhere, but it certainly could be true ― you would have to pin that on your favorite president, Donald Trump, not on Joe Biden.”

Secondly, Raskin noted that Trump’s White House adviser on COVID-19, Deborah Birx, wrote in her book that Trump’s pandemic policies cost Americans hundreds of thousands of lives.

“So you don’t have to believe anybody on the Democratic side of the aisle. That’s Donald Trump’s own special adviser on COVID-19,” Raskin said.

[htubmanrenrappingblog]

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"Grateful for all the people who shared with me their experiences and priorities – I’ll continue to share them with my colleagues as we work to find common ground and deliver for our constituents."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6948366941942522&set=pcb.6948387041940512 Texas Southern University Awarded $50 Million Under Biden-Harris Grantmakers Program https://hbcuconnect.com/content/392432/texas-southern-university-awarded-50-million-under-biden-harris-grantmakers-program THE GRANT INITIATIVE SET FOR SUMMER 2024, WILL SUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY'S BULLARD CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL & CLIMATE JUSTICE. ***************************************************** ***************************************************** ***************************************************** ***THE*COLLECTIVE*PAC!!!: https://collectivepac.org/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Reimf890M&t=23s https://collectivepac.org/candidates/ https://shop.collectivepac.org/collections/frontpage https://shop.collectivepac.org/collections/frontpag e?page=2 https://secure.actblue.com/donate/collective-pac-general... ***EMILY'S*LIST!!!: https://emilyslist.org/ https://emilyslist.org/donate/all-candidates-2024/ https://store.emilyslist.org/ ***************************************************** ***************************************************** ***************************************************** ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| *******PRESIDENT*JOE*BIDEN: ***"President Biden Reaches Year's End With Growing List Of Successes": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci2oQvsCcQY ***"What Has Joe Biden Accomplished?": https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yp1nBVcyhuA ***"Roy Wood Jr. Roast Joe Biden": https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kdZsOsk97Ps ***"Let’s go Joe! #shorts": https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0HeAEqKm1W0 ***"Roy Wood, Jr. COMPLETE REMARKS at 2023 White House Correspondents' Dinner (C-SPAN)": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5m5dIiJMD0 ***"republican COLLAPSES when asked ONE------ simple question about Biden impeachment": https://www.youtube.com/shorts/92xBYV9NIdU -------------------------------------------------- ------"The Full Story of Trump and COVID-19 | NowThis": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOYYUkZG6b8 ------"The film the Trump Organization tried------ to suppress | You've Been Trumped Too (2020) | Full Film": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9RweR9EUSg ------"The Biggest Lies of Trump’s Presidency": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsQ2hX_noNw ------Trump's ex-colleagues open up about his history of lies": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmhiInYqlTU ------"How President Donald Trump------ Hid His School Transcripts | Hardball | MSNBC": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSW8stgUgUA ------"Donald Trump's Dumbest Moments in Office": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvndXb-7XtU ------"Donald Trump's Guide to American History | NowThis": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtgzVARrPu4 ------"Trump An Incoherent Spectacle At G7 and------ Struggles To Clean Up | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEpwkaJQh1k ------"Internet mocks Trump's doctored weather map": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V5SWDlMrZg 2024...WHICH*ONE??? 46=OLDER*AGE???/ 45=INSANITY!!!!!! https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6948956545216895&set=pcb.6948960681883148 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=6948960088549874&set=pcb.6948960681883148 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

[raymond-f]

Bannon and Guo Wengui's sweet spot

In 2020, Bannon said gratefully in his "Bannon Fight Room" that Guo Wengui had been extremely supportive and bought a lot of things to visit his family when they were sick with COVID-19 and had no treatment. You can imagine their relationship is extraordinary.

Bannon, President Trump's former chief strategist, forged a lucrative financial relationship with Guo Wengui almost immediately after leaving the White House in 2017. According to a memo written in May 2019 and obtained by The New York Times, he struck up a mutually beneficial relationship with Bannon that began with a $150,000 loan to the onetime Trump confidant. It was later upgraded to a one-year million-dollar contract to raise private money for the "We Build a Wall" project along the U.S.-Mexico border. On August 20, 2020, Bannon was arrested aboard Guo Wengui's Lady May yacht off Westbrook, Connecticut, on suspicion of embezzling money from We Build the Wall, a private fund-raising project for the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall. But even so, the partnership continued. In 2021, the two men used social media to spread disinformation about vaccines and broadcast it on the GTV media group they founded.

[202109237ciac2223]

The Ongoing Controversy of Donald J Trump in Ex-Presidency, The Ever-Present Populist Mind of America

On January the 8th, after the chaotic scenes that unfolded at the Capitol Building, Trump exclaimed ‘to all of those who asked, I will not be going to the inauguration on January 20th’. This is the first time a former president has been so callous towards a successor. This was met by unfathomable praise by all MAGA supporters alike, and as the sun rose on inauguration day, air force one touched down in south beach Florida airport, sure enough Trump stuck to his word. Tradition was broken on this historic day, and the divide became ever clearer in the always evolving political landscape of America.

During his more than tumultuous time in the White House, Donald Trump caused several issues for the American government. These problems consist of the mishandling of COVID-19, the attempted defunding for Obama care, boosting religious education, denying medical treatment for LGBTQ+ citizens and the list goes on. These issues between 2017-2021 created an America that is still crippled from the resurgence of the far right. Donald Trump is easily the most infamous president ever to take the White House and the number of scandals, speeches, policies he set in motion have continued even outside of his presidency, which has not been an easy task for the current Biden administration to fix.

The numerous scandals surrounding the absurdity of Donald Trump’s post presidency, have been amongst the familiar mundanity of his days this mostly spent playing golf in Mar A Lago and taking to ‘TRUTH Social’ to proclaim wild things about ‘the left’ and preach about his loss to the democrats. On September 24th, during the election he proclaimed ‘we want to make sure the election is honest, and I am not sure that it can be. I don’t know that it can be with this whole situation of unsolicited ballots’. This unequivocally shows the character he is by refusing to accept defeat at any cost, and how his wave of populism has, in a sense, destroyed the very democracy he swore to uphold.

Trump is the first president in US history to be impeached twice. This marks a pivotal point in recent US history, as throughout 2022 much of what happened has been linked to his second impeachment. Trumps heavy denial of the election result and the Capitol riots has set the tone for his post presidency. As he was in office for one term, he is constitutionally eligible to run for another term in 2024 and Many republicans have welcomed a second presidential term, which could be further damaging to the next election. This is in the form of very close supporters, like the self-proclaimed ‘Christian nationalist’ Marjorie Taylor Greene, who proclaimed that if she were in charge the riot ‘would have been armed’ and also went on record to say ‘I organised the whole thing’. This contradictory narrative seems to make up a great part of the Trump support, seemingly to be recognised by trump himself and be recognised within the republican party. The damaged republican party, at the current moment shows what an influence he still has and how even post-presidency, he is a force to be reckoned with in American politics.

His support post presidency has been a major event, especially in the crowded streets of the red states, Arizona particularly has been outspoken about their endorsement of Trump 2024. This endorsement has been especially present in the results of the Midterms, which the republicans have called ‘unfair’. Kari Lake, being of the most notable GOP republicans to have been endorsed by Trump and is one of many to call the midterm elections ‘fake’ and went so far as to say the US has a ‘broken election system’. Unwavering support for Trump continues even after the elections were found to be fair.

The endorsement of extreme republican candidates by Trump has also been controversial in his post presidency as his continued support for GOP candidates that deny the midterm results have damaged the republican party’s reputations. This is all too clear with the recent results showing Georgia and Arizona becoming Blue States.

As the table above shows, the effects of Trump’s endorsement have particularly damaged, the red states, especially Arizona and Georgia that have high republican followings. The democrats have won because of Trump’s post presidency endorsement and the ‘false results’ the GOP candidates have claimed, and this has only hurt their campaigns. Their claims for the ‘unfair democratic system’ have been a much more extreme version of opposition. The extremist populism is on the rise and only time will tell what will come of it. For some there is hope and for many, they are still stuck in their Grand Old Party ways.

Another event that struck the hearts of many in Trump’s post presidency, is that earlier this year, the FBI, raided his Mar A Lago estate, the events unfolded in what could only be described as a plot in a crime drama. The raid was conducted on the grounds of potential violation of the Espionage Act (1917). This was an ongoing investigation since the insurrection on January 6th, 2021. The raid was successful, the FBI found 15 boxes with 11 otherwise classified documents, some were even ‘top secret’ and only to be viewed in special government facilities. This was part of a federal investigation by the NARA (National Archives and Records Administration), who were also looking into his alleged tax fraud with his real estate business. Trump however, described the attack as ‘dark times for our nation’ exclaiming that the raid on his home was a disservice to democracy. Trump further claimed the White House officials were behind it, but they knew nothing of the sort.

The investigation conducted by the NARA looked into Trump’s breach of the Espionage Act (1917) as well as the Presidential Records Act (1978) which states documents must not leave the White   House after a former president finishes their term, this came after Nixon’s infamous Watergate scandal in 1975. The act states that the president does have control over where files go while in office, but after which are not allowed to be moved from such places. Trump formally denies that he took the documents, and accused the FBI, on his own social media platform ‘TRUTH Social’ to say that the FBI had planted the documents, and then said he had declassified the documents before leaving office.

This however is a baseless claim as the court documents, providing the search warrants to search the home stated that they had reason to believe he took the documents from the White House, which could further prove his involvement in the horrid insurrection that took place 2 years ago.  This change in narrative highlights his controversial post presidency, as he will change the narrative to suit his supporters.

The Mar A Lago debacle is still the main event that has taken Trump’s post presidency by storm, and the amount of support Trump had from republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kari Lake after the raid was staunch, and they went so far as to say they would ‘defund the FBI’ if they were in charge, which again goes to show how much support Trump has gained since his time in office. There is reason to believe that the raid has also had bad consequences for the GOP, as it has cemented further opposition for a Trump 2024 campaign.

Trump however, after announcing his new campaign MAGAGA (make America great and glorious again), as hilarious as it sounds has been something that to no one’s surprise has been somewhat successful, this expansion for his campaign is important as it has continued to gain attention, most notably from republican platforms like Fox news. The way Trumps post presidency has caused this uproar in populism, is nothing short of fascinating, and this is a time for the history books.

Considering recent events, regardless of how questionable they have been, there is always two sides to every story, and with Donald Trump’s post presidency, his time out of office has seen many, many narratives. These narratives mostly come from networks like Breitbart that are large parts of why Donald Trump’s post presidency has been controversial to say the least.

An example of this ulterior viewpoint is that outlets like Breitbart (run by republican Andrew Breitbart)  is that many of the articles endorse trump, and this site seems to be a place where the Trump post presidency support has accumulated. Articles like ‘big media claim Biden’s mishandling of classified documents is ‘different’ to Trump’s’ claim that how Biden handled secret documents was not different to trump. The article does not defend Trump but instead tries to bring Biden down to the same level. But the difference is Trump failed to comply with authorities out of office whereas Biden handed the documents over.

While many consider Trump being out of office a good thing, as the recent midterms suggest, many on the far right argue this should have never been an option as they continually claim that the election was rigged time and time again. Those on the far right argue without reason, Trump has been good for the United States and should therefore still be the rightful president. This is because of how those on the far right agree with trump regardless of rational thought. Many are republican for the sake of being republican, other support comes in the form of some of the most bigoted people in the US such as hate groups like Q-anon and the KKK, and while trump has no proven affiliation with these groups the resurfacing prevalence of these groups has caused more than a few problems for the current administration.

This voice that trump keeps giving these groups has undeniably had a big impact on the way the world now views the United States, and Trump continues to hold power in the rest of the world. The far right has been on the rise in Europe due to Trump bringing back a resurgence in right wing populism. A few cases like in Italy with the recent election of Giorgia Meloni and Viktor Orban in Hungary have been a key part of Trump’s popularity especially in Europe.

Daryl Davis, an Black political activist and musician, famous for talking to the KKK and getting them to quit the organisation, had an interesting opinion on Trump and said that ‘while I did not support him at the last election, I truly believe he is the best thing for my country’ and further stated ‘he is breaking the bone of the country, not by any intelligent design.. and we must rely on each other to rebuild together.’ This opinion is one of the more nuanced but is still important, as it is a perspective that fits both narratives. In context, Davis believes that we cannot hide American history (see accidental courtesy). While trump is not mentioned in the documentary, it shows how deep rooted this bigotry he gives a platform to is. This opinion is true especially looking back on what has happened throughout both Trumps presidency and post presidency. Biden is currently during sorting a giant divide in the White House.

To this extent Daryl Davis opinion on trump remains interesting, and eerily accurate as he shows that Trump is a key part of the divide and why he is so influential in the split in American politics. His push for an even greater campaign out of office for 2024 shows how Trump continues to make up a great part of the current political landscape and how he has managed to remain so controversial. Davis also showed how Trump is good for America like he believes. This is because through this populism and bigotry, ‘everyone will be hurt’ and so can progress together, because of how big the problems of Christian nationalism and racism are in the States.

There is also a much more centred and neutral outlook towards Donald Trump’s post presidency. As a result of staying out of regular politics. In this view the way Trump continues to change politics has been a talking point, a kind of pop culture joke. This view also seems to be present in the perspective of the rest of the world who are much less divided on the topic.

In some ways the rise of populism due to the impact of Trump, and his popularity even out of office has been good because people like Trump explain some of the broken fundamentals of modern western politics. However, the ways in which this rise in populism has become a staple of far-right politics has not done well for the reputation of the US he has left behind.

As the sun has set on 2022, we are another year away from a 2024 election, and nervously awaiting the results of the midterms and the presidential nominees. As well as this, the January 6th committee has wrapped up their investigation into Donald Trump’s engagement in the Capitol riots, his classified documents, and his tax fraud. What will 2023 bring, more scandals, more lies? The tension is high but has been more than exiting, I doubt we are even halfway through this disturbingly and scary story.

In conclusion, Trump’s post presidency has been rife with scandals and damning events. Donald Trump has been consistently in the news and his influence lives on in politicians like Marjorie Taylor Greene and internationally with Giorgia Meloni. His populist views, and his foreign policy have continued to have an impact in American politics despite not being indirectly involved, and his post presidency is only continuing to build on his damning legacy. Donald trump will forever be a major chapter in the ever evolving history of the United States and many will undoubtably watch on in awe as the story continues to unfold.

[edwardristfavorite]

Trump's disordered picture

[vanessawheelerblog]

Trump's disordered picture

[viggorosneswriter]

Trump's disordered picture

[malenipshadows]

+ “So if you read my speech … people thought that what I said was totally appropriate,” Tr*mp insisted as he headed to Texas to tour parts of the barrier he ordered constructed on the US-Mexico border as part of his hardline immigration policies. ... + Democrats have directly linked the speech, and previous Tr*mp comments, to the carnage that unfolded when rioters, some carrying Confederate flags, fought with police and looted congressional offices. House Democrats have led demands that Tr*mp be removed or face a historic second impeachment. + A handful of senior Republicans in recent days joined calls for Tr*mp to go. And, crucially, the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, indicated to associates that he believes Tr*mp deserves to be impeached, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, with the Kentucky Republican thinking it will make it easier for the party to purge him, as a liability. + The outlet further reported that the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, has toyed variously with asking Tr*mp to resign, supporting impeachment and considering a vote to censure the pres-ident.  And the senior House Republican Liz Cheney said she would vote to impeach Tr*mp.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mehmet Oz—aka Dr. Oz—repeatedly emailed top-level Trump administration officials, urging them to push the ineffective malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, to treat COVID-19 based on scant, sketchy data from a now-disgraced French researcher.

Emails from the notorious celebrity doctor were revealed for the first time Wednesday in a report from the House Select Subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis. The report, titled "A 'Knife Fight' with the FDA," delved into how the Trump administration worked to undermine, pressure, and bully the Food and Drug Administration during the pandemic.

Specifically, it unearthed how the Trump White House pressured the FDA to bend safety standards so that COVID-19 vaccines could be released before election day. It also revealed the tenacious efforts and subterfuge by top Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro and adviser Steven Hatfill to pressure the FDA into supporting the use of the debunked malaria drug. The report's title stems from a direct quote from Hatfill that the White House had a "knife fight scheduled with the FDA" over hydroxychloroquine.

Both efforts were ultimately unsuccessful—the FDA did not authorize vaccines before the election, nor did it re-authorize hydroxychloroquine after it was clear it was not effective. But the administration's actions caused lasting damage to the FDA, the country's pandemic response, and public trust, the report concludes.

"As today's report makes clear, senior Trump Administration officials undermined public health experts because they believed doing so would benefit the former President politically—plotting covertly with known conspiracy theorists to dangerously push a disproven coronavirus treatment, bullying FDA to change its vaccine guidance, and advocating for federal investigations into those who stood in their way," Select Subcommittee chair Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said in a press statement. "These assaults on our nation's public health institutions undermined the nation's coronavirus response—and are precisely why we must never again settle for leaders who prioritize politics over keeping Americans safe."

OZ’S ROLE

But before Navarro and Hatfill spearheaded efforts and "work from the shadows" to champion a junk COVID-19 remedy, there was Dr. Oz, who was equally eager to promote the unproven treatment.

Oz, who has a long history of peddling unproven treatments and health scams, was quick to jump on the hydroxychloroquine train. Days after the small, dubious French study—led by a now-disgraced microbiologist—suggested that hydroxychloroquine was 100% effective at treating COVID-19, Oz sent emails to Trump White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Deborah Birx and Trump's son-in-law and White House senior adviser, Jared Kushner, pushing for hydroxychloroquine.

On March 22, Oz sent Birx a series of emails complaining about a "coronavirus drug shortage" and prodding her to help expand access to hydroxychloroquine. He also claimed that the drug had "confirmed clinical benefits." The next day, Oz emailed Kushner, saying that Trump should "push academic centers to move more expeditiously" on hydroxychloroquine trials. Kushner responded, "What do u[sic] recommend to speed it up?"

In those emails, Oz mentioned plans to run a clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine with his own money. Earlier this year, a representative for Oz confirmed to the New York Post that Oz spent nearly $9,000 of his money to buy more than 2,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets in 2020. And he was reportedly prepared to spend $250,000 to fund a clinical trial at Columbia University.

On March 28, Oz emailed Birx again about the French study. Birx forwarded his message to then-FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn with the note, "We should talk." That same day, the FDA granted a controversial emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, allowing use against COVID-19.

In June, the FDA reversed the decision, sending Navarro and Hatfill on an unsuccessful mission to get hydroxychloroquine reauthorized. And numerous studies have subsequently found the drug ineffective and potentially harmful for treating COVID-19 patients.

Oz, a crudité aficionado who is now running as a Republican Senate candidate for Pennsylvania, ultimately scrapped the hydroxychloroquine clinical trial idea and reportedly donated the pills to an unnamed hospital.

[foreverlogical]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, far-right MAGA conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers angrily railed against vaccines — falsely claiming, with zero evidence, that they were dangerous. President Joe Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci, his top White House medical adviser, pushed back against their claims and assured Americans that the COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer and others were perfectly safe.

Even former President Donald Trump himself encouraged vaccination, maintaining his opposition to vaccine mandates. Some conspiracy theorists, including Infowars' Alex Jones, saw Trump's pro-vaccine stand as a betrayal.

Anti-vaxxers and medical conspiracy theorists are still plentiful in MAGA World. And according to Mother Jones' Kiera Butler, they are making their presence felt among autism groups and falsely claiming that vaccines are a cause of autism.

READ MORE: How a urine-drinking QAnon anti-vaxxer missed his chance to 'confront Trump': report

"For a quarter of a century," Butler explains in an article published by Mother Jones on April 13, "proponents of unproven autism treatments have overlapped with anti-vaccine activists. The vaccine skepticism movement took off after British physician Andrew Wakefield published a study in 1998 suggesting that routine childhood vaccinations caused autism. That study was later found to be fraudulent, the paper retracted, and Wakefield barred from practicing medicine in the United Kingdom."

Butler continues, "Nonetheless, the myth of vaccines causing autism persisted and has been amplified by organizations like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s Children's Health Defense and celebrities including Jenny McCarthy, and Oprah Winfrey. Even the largest and most powerful autism advocacy organization, Autism Speaks, which was founded in 2005 and today runs a $50 million budget, did not officially distance itself from vaccine skepticism until 2015. Over the last few decades, many groups and individuals who spread falsehoods about vaccines as the cause of autism began to promote unproven and sometimes dangerous treatments for it — special diets, supplements, cleanses, and pricey medical spa experiences."

RFK, Jr.'s Children's Health Defense (CHD) should not be confused with the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), which is in no way affiliated with RFK, Jr.'s organization. Children's Health Defense and the Children's Defense Fund are totally separate groups with different views.

Butler notes, "This world of dubious autism treatments used to be mostly limited to private social media groups and conferences. Indeed, beginning about a decade ago, the very notion of autism as a disorder began to lose currency among many autistic people and scientists who study autism: They started to view the condition not as an affliction, but rather as an innate brain difference. Autistic people experience the world differently, and that difference, they say, is something to be honored rather than treated."

READ MORE: How 'right-wing anti-vaxxer' conspiracy theorists have targeted East Palestine residents: report

Read Mother Jones’ full report at this link.

VISIT WEBSITE

[theculturedmarxist]

The Senate Armed Services Committee has voted to approve a record $858 billion in military spending for Fiscal Year 2023, an increase of $45 billion over the Biden administration’s budget request, and nearly $80 billion over the amount appropriated by Congress for the current fiscal year.

The vote came by a margin of 23-3, demonstrating the support of both capitalist parties, Democrats and Republicans, for a further build-up of the US war machine, including the US intervention in the war in Ukraine. 

It is the 62nd consecutive year that the two parties have joined together to approve the yearly National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which has rubber-stamped US wars in Vietnam, Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, as well as military aggression in Bosnia, Kosovo, Panama, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and across the Middle East and North Africa.

The gargantuan sum of $858 billion proposed under the NDAA is approximately a 10 percent increase over what was authorized last year and nearly 6 percent more than the Biden administration asked for.

Much of the increase was to take into account the impact of inflation, particularly skyrocketing fuel costs, on the operations of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. American workers are expected to tighten their belts to pay for gasoline approaching $6 a gallon, but the US war machine will not be restricted in any way by such considerations.

The Biden administration budget was already based on assuming a 7 percent inflation rate, but both Senate Republicans and Democrats insisted on a higher figure in calculating the Pentagon’s costs. The White House proposed an increase of $31 billion over the current fiscal year, from $782 billion to $813 billion. The Senate committee version of the NDAA thus represents a total increase of $76 billion over the current year.

Both the Democratic chairman and the Republican ranking member on the committee praised the legislation effusively. Chairman Jack Reed of Rhode Island said, “The committee held a robust debate and came together to support a bill that will help safeguard the nation against a range of evolving threats while supporting our troops both on and off the battlefield.” 

This year’s NDAA is named in honor of the Republican ranking member, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, who is leaving Congress at the end of this year. Inhofe said of the increased spending, “It’s everything I hoped for.”

The bill authorizes $817.3 billion for the Department of Defense, as well as $29.7 billion in military programs in other departments, mostly for nuclear weapons production by the Department of Energy. Another $10.6 billion will be provided for other “defense-related” programs, bringing the total to $857.6 billion.

The rapid approval of the NDAA—it is expected to pass both houses of Congress before the end of July and be sent to President Biden for his signature—is in sharp contrast to the legislative roadblocks erected to the far smaller legislation to fund COVID-19 programs that have exhausted their resources, ending funding to subsidize free vaccinations and prophylactic drug treatments for the deadly pandemic.

The increase in military spending is more than the entire amount requested by the Biden administration for COVID relief, which has since been whittled down to only $10 billion, less that the Armed Services Committee backed for “other,” unidentified military-related spending. The COVID relief bill, now apparently doomed, amounts to barely more than 1 percent of the total military budget.

Under its standard procedure, Congress asked each armed service command to provide an “unfunded priorities” list of spending that had been rejected by the White House as unnecessary. The total came to $21.5 billion, and the Armed Services Committee funded every dollar, effectively overruling the civilian authority in favor of the military brass.

Among the weapons purchases authorized are 68 F-35 warplanes, an increase of seven over the Pentagon request, and eight new warships, including two more nuclear-powered submarines, two destroyers and a frigate.

The bill provides an across-the-board military pay raise of 4.6 percent, while setting service levels at 1,338,000 total: about half a million for the Army and half a million for the Navy and Marine Corps combined, with the balance in the Air Force and Space Force.

The bill also requires women to register for the draft, which has not been utilized for 50 years but could be required in the event of a major war against Russia or China. Three right-wing Republicans opposed that provision, but it is not clear whether they were the three votes against the overall bill.

Only one Democrat, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, opposed the NDAA in the committee last year. This year, however, she praised the legislation for its “green” character. “The legislation would require at least 75 percent of all nontactical vehicles, such as cars, vans, and light-duty trucks purchased or leased by DoD or procured or leased by the General Services Agency (GSA) for DoD, to be electric or zero-emission vehicles, while applying Buy American and other standards to create good American jobs,” according to a statement from her office.

The House Armed Services Committee passed similar legislation before the vote by the Senate panel but at a lower level of spending. The House committee will mark up a final version of the NDAA on June 22 and is expected to raise spending along the lines of the Senate version.

Certain provisions in the NDAA indicate the priorities of American imperialism for the coming year. Some of the extra money would bulk up funding for Ukraine amid its war with Russia. Specifically, the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative would get $800 million, instead of the $300 million requested by the Biden administration, according to a bipartisan summary of the bill. This is for the fiscal year that begins October 1, indicating that US officials fully expect the war to continue raging.

Another $2.7 billion is for the Pentagon to order additional munitions, including artillery rounds, to replace those already sent to Ukraine.

Other sums are earmarked for “security challenges posed by China,” including $1 billion for the National Defense Stockpile to “acquire strategic and critical minerals,” and $245 million for the establishment of a joint forces headquarters in the Indo-Pacific region.

The bill makes it US government policy to position US forces “to deny a fait accompli” in terms of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. This would involve increasing US deployments in the region to block China from “using military force to unilaterally change the status quo with Taiwan.”

The NDAA also authorizes procurement of several weapons systems from Israel, including the Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system and two others: the “David’s Sling Weapon System” and the Arrow 3 Upper Tier Interceptor Program.

[gehayi]

In case anyone wants to complain about President Biden

Most of the following was copied from the link below to PBS, though the N.B. notes are my own additions.

 As of March 10, 2021, Biden’s fiftieth day in office--

CLIMATE:

2 / 7 promises fully kept; 7/7  Action taken on all of them

Take executive actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- COMPLETED (Biden took several early actions focused on climate policy, including signing an executive order on Jan. 20 that revoked the permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline, halted development of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and ordered the review of Trump-era rules on the environment, public health and science. A Jan. 27 executive order halted new oil and gas leases on federal lands and offshore waters.)

Rejoin Paris climate accord -- COMPLETED ( On Jan. 20, Biden issued a statement accepting the Paris accord; U.S. formally rejoined the pact Feb. 19.)

Make infrastructure investments that withstand changing climate -- IN PROGRESS ( Biden, who touted a $2 trillion-plus "Build Back Better" plan for infrastructure improvements that can withstand and mitigate climate change, is working with members of Congress on a bill.)

Ratify amendment to Montreal Protocol to curb hydrofluorocarbons -- IN PROGRESS (On Jan. 27, Biden signed Executive Order 14008, outlining the federal government's plan to fight climate change. The order gives the secretary of state 60 days to send the Senate material needed to ratify the Kigali Amendment phasing down the production and use of hydrofluorocarbons.)

Take steps to conserve 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 -- IN PROGRESS (On Jan. 20, Biden signed Executive Order 13990, directing the Interior secretary to study restoring the boundaries of several national monuments shrunk during the Trump administration, and to halt oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.)

Convene world climate summit -- IN PROGRESS (On March 10, climate special envoy John Kerry discussed preparations for a U.S.-hosted climate summit Apr. 22-23 that will virtually gather the leader of twenty countries that pump out 81% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Biden signed an executive order Jan. 27 that contained a pledge to host a climate summit.)

Get emissions reduction commitments from shipping, aviation industries -- IN PROGRESS (On Jan. 21, climate special envoy John Kerry addressed the need for major economies to collaborate on bringing "deep decarbonization" to industries such as aviation and shipping.)

---

ECONOMY/TAXES

1/5 Completed; 4/5 Action Taken

Extend pause on student loan payments -- COMPLETED (On Jan. 20, Biden asked the Education Department to extend the pause on federal student loan payments and collections and keep the interest rate at 0%.)

Review U.S. supply chain for vulnerabilities in key sectors -- IN PROGRESS (On Feb. 24, Biden signed Executive Order 14017, ordering a 100-day review of supply chain vulnerabilities in key U.S. sectors.)

Strengthen "buy American" measures -- IN PROGRESS (On Jan. 25, Biden issued executive order directing creation of a Made in America office inside the White House Office of Management and Budget.)

OK pandemic economic relief -- IN PROGRESS ( On Jan. 22, Biden issued executive order for departments and agencies to identify and take actions they can to address the economic crisis resulting from the pandemic. N.B. Also, after a long fight with Republicans who apparently want their constituents to continue to suffer, Congress just passed the Covid Relief Bill on March 10. Press Secretary Jen Psaki says that Biden will sign it on Friday afternoon. )

Increase corporate taxes -- NOT STARTED

---

GOVERNMENT

3/4 Completed; 4/4 Action Taken

Tighten ethics rules -- COMPLETED (On Jan. 20, Biden issued an executive order imposing an ethics pledge on appointees governing activities such as lobbying and taking gifts.)

Insulate Justice Department from politics -- COMPLETED (On Jan. 20, Biden issued an executive order imposing an ethics pledge on appointees which includes prohibiting political interference in the Justice Department.)

Ease federal unionizing restrictions -- COMPLETED ( On Jan. 22, Biden issued an executive order reinstating some workplace protections for federal employees and reversing some Trump-era constraints on employees' collective bargaining power.)

Restore rules weakened or eliminated by Trump -- IN PROGRESS (On Jan. 20, Biden issued a memorandum that directed heads of agencies and executive branch departments to freeze implementation of new regulations for 60 days)

---

GUN CONTROL

0/4 Completed; 2/4 Action Taken

Send Congress gun control bill -- IN PROGRESS (On March 8, the Office of Management and Budget issued a letter supporting two bills in Congress, HR 8 and HR 1446, that would address the transfer of firearms and modify background checks. Neither addresses liability protections for gunmakers.)

Reauthorize Violence Against Women Act -- IN PROGRESS (The reauthorization bill was introduced in the House on Jan. 25 and on March 5 was referred to committee.)

Order FBI report on ways to tighten gun purchase background check loopholes -- NOT STARTED

Commission attorney general report on restructuring agencies to most effectively enforce gun laws -- NOT STARTED (N.B. until March 10, due to the Republicans dragging their feet on approving Merritt Garland, there wasn’t an attorney general)

---

HEALTH

3/8 Completed; 8/8 Action Taken

Mandate masks on federal property -- COMPLETED ( On Jan. 20, Biden issued an executive order requiring social distancing to be observed and masks to be worn in federal buildings, on federal lands and by federal employees and contractors.)

Rejoin World Health Organization -- COMPLETED ( On Jan. 20, the Biden administration sent a letter to U.N . Secretary General Antonio Guterres retracting Trump's withdrawal from the WHO.)

Support 100 mass vaccination centers -- COMPLETED (In a Feb. 26 press release, the White House noted that the administration has helped "establish or expand 441 community vaccination centers nationwide" in its first month, providing staff, funding or equipment.)

Expand health care access -- IN PROGRESS ( On Jan. 28, Biden signed an executive order directing health officials to extend open enrollment for Affordable Care Act marketplaces, directing other agencies to review policies and rules that run counter to current administration policy "to protect and strengthen Medicaid and the ACA and to make high-quality health care accessible and affordable for every American." He also revoked two Trump executive orders.)

Outline new pandemic measures -- IN PROGRESS  ( On Jan. 21, Biden issued executive orders creating a board to coordinate pandemic testing efforts. It directed the HHS secretary to develop a plan to study and support promising COVID-19 treatments, and for other executive branch officials to provide assistance to care facilities and make recommendations for increasing the health care workforce.)

Vaccinate 100 million Americans -- IN PROGRESS ( Biden marked the 50 millionth vaccination administered at a ceremony Feb. 25. N.B.  According to former FDA chief Dr. Scott Gottlieb, 100 million Americans will be vaccinated by early April.)

Reopen most schools -- IN PROGRESS ( On Feb. 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a road map for getting students back to classrooms. Biden had signed an executive order Jan. 20 seeking guidance for school reopening as well as other measures to help schools navigate the pandemic. He supports the COVID relief bill, which has funding to reopen schools.)

Deploy mobile vaccination clinics -- IN PROGRESS (The first mobile vaccination clinics opened in California in mid-February. N.B. Such programs have opened in multiple states since then.)

---

HOUSING

1/3 Completed; 2/3 Action Taken

Pause evictions and foreclosures -- COMPLETED ( On Jan. 20, Biden asked the CDC to extend the eviction moratorium to at least March 30 and asked the VA, HUD and USDA to extend foreclosure moratoriums for federally guaranteed mortgages until March 31; extended it to June 30 on Feb. 16.)

Review federal housing policies impacting homelessness -- IN PROGRESS ( A HUD spokesman said the agency is broadly reviewing its policies and rules to bring it into line with Biden administration goals, including its response to homelessness. N.B. No doubt slowing matters--Marcia Fudge was only confirmed as Biden’s HUD secretary as of the afternoon of March 10.)

Take steps to make housing a right -- NOT STARTED 

---

IMMIGRATION

6/17 Completed; 16/17 Action Taken; 1 Blocked

Send Congress immigration bill -- COMPLETED ( On Feb. 18, Democrats in Congress introduced Biden's immigration plan, which offers an 8-year path to citizenship for people living in the U.S without documentation, but without border security provisions.)

Revise deportation criteria -- COMPLETED ( On Jan. 20, Biden issued an executive order revoking a Trump-era order that had expanded the criteria for deporting immigrants. Guidance issued that day from Biden's acting Homeland Security secretary told immigration agents to focus on deporting immigrants posing a national security, border security or public safety risk.)

Take steps to reunite separated migrant families -- COMPLETED ( On Feb. 2, Biden signed an executive order establishing an interagency task force to help reunite migrant families separated at the border. N.B. Lawyers have found the parents of 105 children as of February 24th.  Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced on March 1 that the US government is hoping to reunite hundreds of families and give them paths to remain in the US legally.)

End travel ban -- COMPLETED ( On Jan. 20, Biden revoked Trump-era executive actions through a proclamation.)

Stop deportations for certain groups -- COMPLETED  ( On Jan. 20, Biden signed a memorandum instructing DHS and the attorney general "to preserve and fortify DACA." 

Halt border wall construction -- COMPLETED ( On Jan. 20, a proclamation ended the national emergency on the border and directed defense and DHS officials to pause construction and spending on the border wall.)

Increase training and accountability for immigration agents  -- IN PROGRESS ( Legislation Biden sent to Congress provides funding for training and personnel to investigate misconduct.)

Reverse 'public charge' rule for immigrants -- IN PROGRESS ( On Feb. 2, Biden signed Executive Order 14012, ordering a 60-day review of the impact of "public charge" policies on immigrants.)

Protect immigrants who served in the U.S. military from deportation -- IN PROGRESS ( Biden has taken several steps to revamp U.S. immigration, including issuing an executive order directing officials to facilitate naturalization for immigrants in the military and reprioritizing deportations to focus on those posing a national security, border security or public safety threat.)

Streamline naturalization process -- IN PROGRESS ( On Feb. 2, Biden signed Executive Order 14012, ordering a 60-day plan to improve the naturalization process, shorten processing times and remove other barriers.)

Revitalize Task Force on New Americans to support immigrants -- IN PROGRESS  ( On Feb. 2, Biden signed Executive Order 14012, ordering the Domestic Policy Council to convene the task force.)

Reform U.S. asylum system -- IN PROGRESS ( On Feb. 2, Biden issued an executive order directing officials to craft a strategy for migration, including refugees and asylum seekers, and to review numerous Trump-era immigration policies. New asylum seekers were no longer required to remain in Mexico, and those in Mexico would be allowed to await adjudication of their cases in the U.S.)

Increase resources for asylum seekers -- IN PROGRESS ( During his first month in office, Biden signed several executive orders reversing Trump-era immigration policies, including for asylum seekers who had been required to wait in Mexico while their claims were processed.)

End prolonged detention of migrants -- IN PROGRESS ( The Biden administration has begun releasing detained children to relatives in the U.S.)

Review 'Temporary Protected Status' for vulnerable immigrants -- IN PROGRESS  ( Biden's Department of Homeland Security has granted TPS for Venezuelans, extended it for Syrians and extended related program for Liberians; immigration legislation Biden sent to Congress contains an expedited path to citizenship for TPS holders, but no TPS review has been announced.)

Convene meeting with regional leaders to address migration issues -- IN PROGRESS ( Biden has met one-on-one with leaders of Mexico and Guatemala and discussed immigration but no regionwide meeting has been announced.)

Freeze deportations for 100 days  -- BLOCKED ( N.B. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton  temporarily barred the U.S. government from enforcing the 100-day deportation moratorium, extending it indefinitely on Feb. 23.)

---

INEQUALITY

0/12 Completed; 9/12 Action Taken

Reverse Trump policies on college investigations of violence against women --  IN PROGRESS (On March 8, Biden signed executive order to "specifically evaluate the Title IX regulation issued under the previous administration and agency action taken pursuant to that regulation.")

Address systemic racism in U.S. institutions --  IN PROGRESS ( On Jan. 20, Biden signed Executive Order 13985, directing the White House to study issues of equity across the federal government and report their findings within six months.)

Restore transgender students’ access to school facilities in accordance with their gender identity --  IN PROGRESS (On Jan. 20, Biden signed Executive Order 13988, stating his administration's policy toward gender identity and sexual orientation and calling for a review of federal policies and an action plan to revise them within 100 days of the order.) 

Direct resources to prevent violence against transgender women -- IN PROGRESS ( On March 8, Biden signed executive order creating a Gender Policy Council within the White House executive office, to include a senior adviser on gender-based violence; the council's focus will be to protect "those who experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including individuals who are Black, Latina, Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander, people with disabilities, and LGBTQI+.")

Begin criminal justice reform  - IN PROGRESS ( On Jan. 26, Biden issued executive order instructing the Justice Department not to renew contracts with privately operated prisons.)

Appoint State Department special envoy for LGBTQ+ human rights  - IN PROGRESS  (On Feb. 4, Biden issued a memorandum "directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that United States diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons" but no envoy was named.)

Ensure government resembles the country  - IN PROGRESS ( Biden has made a point of nominating diverse candidates for high-level positions in terms of race, gender and sexual identity.)

Appoint commission to study sexual assault in military  - IN PROGRESS ( On Jan. 23, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a review of sexual assault programs in the military, and on Feb. 26, former White House adviser Lynn Rosenthal was named to head the commission.)

Sign Equality Act  - IN PROGRESS ( The Equality Act was passed by the House on Feb. 25. N.B. As of March 2, it was read the second time in the Senate. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 9.)

Create union issues working group to deliver plan on increasing union membership and shrinking economic inequality  -- NOT STARTED ( Biden has taken early steps to protect unionized federal employees' rights, met with labor leaders on his initiatives, and supported legislation in Congress, but no Cabinet-level group has been announced.)

Direct Cabinet to review programs serving violence-prone communities and identify changes to address trauma -- NOT STARTED  (N.B. though, thanks to the Republicans, he doesn’t HAVE a complete Cabinet yet)

Create police oversight commission -- NOT STARTED

--- 

NATIONAL SECURITY

0/1 Completed; 1/1 Action Taken

Rejoin Iran nuclear deal -- IN PROGRESS ( On Feb. 18, administration officials indicated the administration is ready to join talks with Iran and world powers to discuss a return to the 2015 nuclear deal.  N.B. On February 19, Iran said that despite an EU offer to broker talks with the US aimed at reviving a nuclear deal, America "must act" first and lift sanctions.)

---

Okay, this is Gehayi talking.

Sixteen out of sixty-one campaign promises have been completed.  It would be seventeen, if not for U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton.

Fifty-three out of sixty-one campaign promises have had some action taken on them.  (And again, it should be fifty-four.)

A lot is still wrong. An overwhelming amount still has to be done. And many problems can’t be solved by executive order. I’m not arguing any of that. 

But this is what Biden has done in a mere fifty days. 

[tomorrowusa]

There is simply zero proof the election results were inaccurate.  In fact, in every venue where evidence had to be produced and an oath to tell the truth had to be taken, the former president failed to make his case.   Just think about this: The former president and his supporters have never been able to explain how they accept as accurate the other election results that took place on November 3rd — the elections for governor, United States Senate, the House of Representatives — elections in which they closed the gap in the House.   They challenge none of that.  The President’s name was first, then we went down the line — governors, senators, House of Representatives.  Somehow, those results were accurate on the same ballot, but the presidential race was flawed?   And on the same ballot, the same day, cast by the same voters.   The only difference: The former President didn’t lose those races; he just lost the one that was his own.

President Joe Biden speaking at the US Capitol on the anniversary of the attack by pro-Trump terrorists. Via the White House Press Office.

Yep, Republicans made gains in House elections but none of them claim those elections were rigged or stolen. Trying to get certain House Republicans to explain how they won but their leader lost can make for some awkward and embarrassing conversations.

Donald Trump certainly lost and lost hugely. Trump is the biggest sore loser in this country since 1776. He habitually acts like a big baby with a poopy diaper; he became the first incumbent president to lose in 28 years and just the fourth in 100 years. History will forever treat him like that big baby in a poopy diaper.

History won’t be too much kinder to Trump’s enablers in the Republican Party and the Sedition Caucus. At best, they will be regarded as groveling spineless worms. 🪱🪱🪱 As more of the GOP base dies off from COVID-19 and self-administered quack treatments, these wormy sycophants will become increasingly irrelevant.

Last night Stephen Colbert commented on Joe Biden’s speech while reminiscing about his own experiences from 06 January 2021.

[robertreich]

The Real Reason Trump Wants to Reopen the Economy

Donald Trump is getting nervous. Internal polls show him losing in November unless the economy comes roaring back. So what is Trump’s reelection strategy? Ignore the warnings of public health experts and reopen the economy at all costs.

 Here's his lethal 4-part plan: Step 1: Remove income support, so people have no choice but to return to work.     Trump’s Labor Department has decided that furloughed employees “must accept” an employer’s offer to return to work and therefore forfeit unemployment benefits, regardless of the risk of returning to work before it’s safe. Forcing people to choose between contracting a potentially deadly virus or losing their livelihood is inhumane. It’s also nonsensical. Our collective  health in this pandemic depends on as many workers as possible staying home. Step 2: Hide the facts. No one knows how many Americans are infected because the Trump administration continues to drag its heels on testing. As of May 5th, only 7.5 million tests have been completed in a population of over 330 million Americans. Is this what Jared Kushner meant by a “great success story?” Florida, one of the last states to issue a shelter-in-place order and one of the first to reopen, has stopped releasing medical examiners’ statistics on numbers of coronavirus victims because the numbers are higher than the state’s official count. But it's impossible to fight the virus without adequate data. Anthony Fauci, the administration’s leading infectious disease expert, warns that reopening poses “a really significant risk” without a huge ramp up in testing. Not surprisingly, the White House has blocked Fauci from testifying before the House. Trump fired Health and Human Services Inspector General Christi Grimm after she released a report detailing widespread shortages of testing and PPE at hospitals across the country. His handpicked replacement will now handle a whistleblower complaint filed by Dr. Rick Bright, the ousted director of the office involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine. 

Dr. Bright’s complaint alleges the administration repeatedly ignored his warnings about critical supply shortages and removed him from his position because he refused to adopt scientifically unproven treatments for the virus. Step 3: Push a false narrative about “freedom” and “liberation.” Weeks ago, Trump called on citizens to “LIBERATE” states like Michigan, whose Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, imposed strict stay-at-home rules. Michigan has the third-highest number of Covid-19 deaths in America, although tenth in population. When Whitmer extended the rules to May 28, gun-toting protesters rushed the state house chanting “Lock her up!” Rather than condemn their behavior, Trump suggested Whitmer “make a deal” with them. Meanwhile, Attorney General William Barr has directed the Justice Department to take legal action against any state or local authorities imposing lockdown measures that "could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens." Making this about “freedom” is absurd. Freedom does not mean you have the right to endanger the lives of others through your own irresponsibility and ignorance. Freedom is not forcing people back to work in unsafe environments to boost billionaires’ stock portfolios. Freedom is meaningless for people who have no choice but to accept a job that puts their life at risk. Step 4: Shield businesses against lawsuits for spreading the infection.

Trump is pushing to give businesses that reopen a “liability shield” against legal action by workers or customers who get infected by the virus.

He says he'll use the Defense Production Act to force meat processing plants to remain open, despite high rates of Covid-19 infections and deaths among meatpackers. "That’ll solve any liability problems,” Trump said.

Mitch McConnell insists that the next stimulus bill include legal immunity for corporations that cause workers or consumers to become infected. “We have a red line on liability,” McConnell says. “It won’t pass the Senate without it.” But how can the economy safely reopen if companies don’t have an incentive to keep people safe? It can’t, and it wont. Which leads me to my final point: 

Here’s the truth: The biggest obstacle to reopening the economy is the pandemic itself. Any rush to reopen without adequate testing and tracing – a massive increase from what we’re doing now – will cause even more deaths and a longer economic crisis. The first responsibility of a president is to keep the public safe. But Donald Trump couldn’t care less. He’s trying to force the economy to reopen to boost his electoral chances, and he’s selling out Americans’ health to seal the deal. No matter the cost, Donald Trump’s chief concern is and will always be himself.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

A Saboteur Within: How Quackery, Lies and Diplomatic Fiasco Broke Brazil

With Donald Trump’s disgraceful exit, Jair Bolsonaro finds himself in a tight spot as he takes the country to the tipping point of the pandemic and badly falters in getting much-needed help from friends and foes.

Brazil, they say, is not for the beginners. But the horror unfolding here has made even long-time observers scratch their heads in disbelief.

This week, Brazil entered the 11th month of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a new strain of the virus – a more contagious Amazonian variant – ravaging the country of 210 million people with greater ferocity. Reduced to a basket case of quackery, political machinations and a diplomatic fiasco that threatens the country’s vaccine supply, South America’s largest country is staring at a gloomier year than 2020. With Donald Trump – defeated and impeached – leaving the White House on Wednesday, the clamour for the impeachment of Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian President, is getting louder by the hour.

Brazil, right now, is teetering on a tipping point.

The Brazilian tragedy took a shocking turn on January 11, when news emerged from Manaus, the capital of Amazon, that the city hospitals had run out of their oxygen supply and patients were dying, gasping for air. The deaths were avoidable. A week earlier, as it looked certain that Manaus was heading for a catastrophe, Brazilian health minister General Eduardo Pazuello landed in the rainforest state to take stock of the situation. After his meetings, the general recommended “preventive treatment”, his government’s buzzword for the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine drugs, to patients.

Four days after Pazuello’s disastrous trip to Manaus, the healthcare system in the city collapsed. But, as TV channels showed desperate people scurrying to buy oxygen cylinders for their family members who were slipping to their deaths in hospitals, Bolsonaro appeared on screen to defend the widely-discredited drugs. “The problem in Manaus is terrible, but we did our part,” said Bolsonaro. “The minister of health was there, provided oxygen, started the ‘preventive treatment’, which some still criticise,” said Bolsonaro, still pushing the drugs, which most countries have stopped using.

It has now been revealed by the Federal Attorney’s Office that the government knew about the “imminent collapse” of the medical system in Manaus some ten days before the crisis began. So, when Bolsonaro was hawking the dubious drugs to people in Manaus, his government already knew that people might soon be dying because of lack of oxygen.

In just one month, the number of burials in Manaus has spiked by 193%. The city is now struggling to find space for new burials.

In Bolsonaro’s twisted narrative, the virus is a “hoax” and an unproven drug can provide “preventive treatment”. But this is not because of ignorance. Bolsonaro has worked hard to make sure all quarantine measures fail. In this scheme of things, chloroquine came in handy. In his recent tell-all book A Patient Called Brazil, Luís Mandetta, who served as Brazil’s health minister until the middle of 2020, revealed that the far-right president never believed chloroquine would protect his citizens’ health. Bolsonaro’s intention, says Mandetta in the book, has always been to project the drug as ‘preventive care’ so that people would have the courage to go back to work.

In short, the president of Brazil has simply misled his people in the middle of a deadly pandemic.

Continue reading.