All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

House Education Democrats say CDC director blocked from appearing before Congress – POLITICO

“It is alarming that the Trump Administration is preventing the CDC from appearing before the Committee at a time when its expertise and guidance is so critical to the health and safety of students, parents, and educators,” Scott said in a statement. “This lack of transparency does a great disservice to the many communities across the country facing difficult decisions about reopening schools this fall.”

Source: House Education Democrats say CDC director blocked from appearing before Congress – POLITICO

Doctors Slam Rep. Dan Crenshaw for Coronavirus Disinformation

“The COVID-19 pandemic should not be a partisan issue — that’s why even Governor Abbott is finally stalling the reopening process and implementing the mask mandates that he unwisely blocked just two short months ago,” the medical workers, who are primarily women, wrote in the letter, which is first being reported on by The Intercept. “Dan Crenshaw, on the other hand, has spewed lies for the past four months — minimizing the threat we face and spreading dangerous disinformation for self-indulgent headlines.”

When a Harris County judge said around the same time that Texas “may be approaching the precipice of a disaster” Crenshaw blasted her for “pure and simple fear mongering.” He also added that “people have figured out what they need to do to remain safe.” A few weeks later, he argued that “prolonged and universal closures” had been “devastating for learning and health.”

In their letter, the doctors criticized Crenshaw for “undermin[ing] the advice of our public health experts at every turn — enabling millions of his followers to the same.” This mixed messaging, they say, left medical workers “handicapped in our mission” to protect Texans from the start of the pandemic.

“We need elected officials who don’t throw out meaningless platitudes while trying to shift blame to the institutions working to keep us informed and protected,” the doctors wrote. “Please Congressman Crenshaw. We are tired. We are your neighbors. … We implore you to stop playing politics with our lives, stop spreading dangerous disinformation, and start leading by example.”

Source: Doctors Slam Rep. Dan Crenshaw for Coronavirus Disinformation

Hospitals Are Suddenly Short of Young Doctors — Because of Trump’s Visa Ban — ProPublica

As hospitals across the United States brace for a difficult six months — with the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic still raging and concerns about a second wave in the fall — some are acutely short-staffed because of an ill-timed change to immigration policy and its inconsistent implementation.

proclamation issued by President Donald Trump on June 22, barring the entry of most immigrants on work visas, came right as hospitals were expecting a new class of medical residents. Hundreds of young doctors were unable to start their residencies on time.

Trump’s order included the H1-B visa for highly skilled workers, which is used by some practicing doctors abroad who get U.S. residency slots. The proclamation stated that doctors “involved with the provision of medical care to individuals who have contracted COVID-19 and are currently hospitalized” should be exempt from the ban, but it delegated the issuing of guidance to the departments of State and Homeland Security. That guidance has been slow and inconsistent.

Source: Hospitals Are Suddenly Short of Young Doctors — Because of Trump’s Visa Ban — ProPublica

Secret White House Document Warns That 18 States Are in Coronavirus ‘Red Zone’

The 18 states are considered to be in the “red zone” because they had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people last week. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah

Source: Secret White House Document Warns That 18 States Are in Coronavirus ‘Red Zone’

ANALYSIS: Donald Trump’s coronavirus strategy is simple — ignore the pandemic – National | Globalnews.ca

Week after week, the U.S. is setting new records for overall infections. Hospitalizations and deaths are setting records in various states. Testing problems mean the virus is likely spreading unchecked, and tens of thousands of layoffs are shifting from temporary to permanent, just as eviction protections and emergency benefits run out.

Faced with a once-in-a-generation catastrophe, U.S. President Donald Trump has adopted a clear strategy: talk about anything else.

Source: ANALYSIS: Donald Trump’s coronavirus strategy is simple — ignore the pandemic – National | Globalnews.ca

Majority of Canadians polled want U.S. border closed until end of 2020: Ipsos – National | Globalnews.ca

More than eight in 10 Canadians surveyed in a new Ipsos poll said they want to keep the U.S.-Canada border closed till at least the end of 2020. Hesitation to travel during the coronavirus pandemic is also high among the respondents: 93 per cent of those surveyed in the poll, conducted exclusively for Global News, said it would be too risky to travel to the U.S. this summer.

Source: Majority of Canadians polled want U.S. border closed until end of 2020: Ipsos – National | Globalnews.ca

Teens, young adults crucial in fight against virus, ODH says

Lance D. Himes, interim director of the Ohio Department of Health called on Ohio teens and young adults Friday afternoon to take precautions to protect themselves and others against the dangers of COVID-19. The plea comes the day after health officials in Montgomery County asked for the public’s help to track down the approximately 50 teens who may have been exposed to the virus during a two-day pool party and sleepovers last week in Miamisburg.

Source: Teens, young adults crucial in fight against virus, ODH says

John Bolton: Donald “Trump Is Capable of Almost Anything” – DER SPIEGEL

Bolton: Part of Trump’s difficulty with international affairs is his lack of any philosophical basis. He has no philosophy. That was a complicating factor across the board. I am a conservative Republican. He is not. But he’s not a liberal Democrat either. He tends to confuse personal relationships with foreign leaders with the underlying bilateral relationship between the U.S. and that country.

Bolton: There is a constant effort by political commentators in the U.S. and Europe to understand Trump or to define a Trump Doctrine. Stop wasting your time! There isn’t any Trump Doctrine. The decision you get in the morning on an issue could be different in the afternoon, largely dependent on political considerations. He is primarily interested in his reelection.

 

Source: John Bolton: Donald “Trump Is Capable of Almost Anything” – DER SPIEGEL