A Company Run by a White House “Volunteer” With No Experience in Medical Supplies Got $2.4 Million From the Feds for Medical Supplies — ProPublica

Mathew J. Konkler, who worked in the Department of Defense during the George W. Bush administration, formed BlackPoint Distribution Company LLC in August 2019 in Indiana, state records show, but had won no federal work until May 26. The Bureau of Prisons chose the company with limited competition for a contract to supply surgical gowns to its facilities.

It is at least the second contract awarded to a company formed by an individual who had worked in or volunteered for the Trump administration; a company formed by Zach Fuentes, a former White House deputy chief of staff, won a $3 million contract just days after forming to supply face masks to the Indian Health Service. The masks did not meet FDA standards for use in health care settings, and an IHS spokesman said this week that the agency is trying to return the masks to Fuentes. Members of Congress called for investigations into the contract, and the Government Accountability Office now plans to review the deal “in the coming few months, as staff become available,” spokesman Charles Young said last week.

Source: A Company Run by a White House “Volunteer” With No Experience in Medical Supplies Got $2.4 Million From the Feds for Medical Supplies — ProPublica

Florida is seeing Covid-19 cases skyrocket among young people – CNN

“What we’ve seen, particularly over the last week, is a real explosion in new cases amongst our younger demographics,” DeSantis said in a news conference in Orlando earlier this week. “Half of these positive tests are in that 34 and under age group, and the bulk of the tests that we are seeing are really the 25- to 34-year-olds,” the governor said. “They represent the largest share of all positive tests by a pretty decent margin for anyone throughout the course of the pandemic.” The situation in Florida grew grimmer Thursday, after reports of two deaths of Covid-19 patients under the age of 18. In the past, DeSantis, a Republican, had pointed to the lack of deaths among minors to support his effort to reopen Florida schools this fall.

Source: Florida is seeing Covid-19 cases skyrocket among young people – CNN

Gov. Abbott Says Texas Facing ‘Massive’ COVID-19 Outbreak – Houston Public Media

Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that the state is facing a “massive outbreak” in the coronavirus pandemic as the numbers of new cases and hospitalizations hit record highs, and that some new local restrictions may be needed to protect hospital space for new patients.

Texas health officials reported a record-high 5,551 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, and another record of 4,389 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Texas also reported 29 new fatalities and saw its rate of positive tests reach 10.4%, its highest level since mid-April when Texas was still under stay-at-home orders.

Source: Gov. Abbott Says Texas Facing ‘Massive’ COVID-19 Outbreak – Houston Public Media

Japanese start-up creates ‘connected’ face mask for coronavirus new normal, East Asia News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

TOKYO (REUTERS) – As face coverings become the norm amid the coronavirus pandemic, Japanese start-up Donut Robotics has developed an Internet-connected “smart mask” that can transmit messages and translate from Japanese into eight other languages.. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Source: Japanese start-up creates ‘connected’ face mask for coronavirus new normal, East Asia News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

Boycotting China over border tensions easier said than done for India, South Asia News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

Emotional calls to shun Chinese products, following the deadly clash on the disputed border between the two Asian giants on June 15, makes for good television viewing but snapping entrenched and extensive economic links with China is impractical.

Source: Boycotting China over border tensions easier said than done for India, South Asia News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

Arkansas’ COVID Problem Is Just Getting Started. ‘All of a Sudden It Blows Up.’

In the past week, Wright said, Washington Regional had seen a 170 percent increase in the number of tests performed at screening clinics, and a 350 percent increase in the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Of those, it also saw more critically ill virus patients, with more than 30 percent of those who’d been hospitalized requiring ventilator support.

Source: Arkansas’ COVID Problem Is Just Getting Started. ‘All of a Sudden It Blows Up.’

Let’s SNAP the Negative Stereotypes – Nevada plus 18 states – use SNAP online for home delivers of food.

So Nevada is letting SNAP recipients get their food delivered. But only by Walmart and Amazon. And not Whole Foods, which Amazon owns. And no delivery costs; the recipients have to pay those.

Why, you may ask? Probably for the same reason that the number of states that allow SNAP purchases online stands at 19 and not the logical number, which is 50: Because some politicians love to jerk around SNAP recipients for the crime of being poor.

These are the sort of pols who are always proposing stupid laws against SNAP money being wasted on steak, lobster or some other supposedly frivolous luxury. It never occurs to them that 1) people who blow their whole monthly allowance on, say, a day’s supply of caviar, will have no SNAP money for the rest of the month, which would punish them quite effectively while not costing taxpayers a dime; 2) the vast majority of poor people know what they and their families need.

Source: Let’s SNAP the Negative Stereotypes

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to invalidate Obamacare – CNNPolitics

“President Trump and the Republicans’ campaign to rip away the protections and benefits of the Affordable Care Act in the middle of the coronavirus crisis is an act of unfathomable cruelty,” she said in a statement Thursday.
Earlier Thursday, Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, lashed out at President Donald Trump for continuing to support upending the law.
“Today, his Administration is filing a brief with the Supreme Court to rip health care coverage away from 23 million Americans — including 224,000 Wisconsinites,” Biden said, remarking on Trump’s visit to the Badger State Thursday. “Every American deserves the peace of mind that comes (with) access to affordable, high-quality health care.”

Source: Trump administration asks Supreme Court to invalidate Obamacare – CNNPolitics

Navajo Nation Council approves coronavirus $93 million immediate expenditure response package

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Navajo Nation Council approves coronavirus $93 million immediate expenditure response packageThe 24TH NAVAJO NATION COUNCILOffice of the SpeakerJune 24, 2020WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Responding to public input, information shared in Naabik’íyáti’ Committee work sessions and discussions with programs and local leaders, the 24th Navajo Nation Council approved a $93 million coronavirus (COVID-19)

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