Experts Worry About Dangerous Trend Of Trump Politicizing Scientific Results In Midst Of Pandemic
May 22, 2020
Morning Briefing
President Donald Trump has criticized scientists and research results in recent days, dismissing their findings by claiming they’re political enemies. “If the president is politicizing science, if he’s discounting health experts, then the public is going to be fearful and confused,” said Larry Gostin, a Georgetown University law professor. In other news on Trump and his administration: scientists ask for a federal review as to why a coronavirus grant was canceled; Trump’s claims of success against the virus could haunt him; Trump to lower flags in honor of virus victims; and more.
‘This Is Not A Drill’: Cases Surge To Over 100,000 Worldwide But WHO Stops Short Of Labeling It A Pandemic
March 5, 2020
Morning Briefing
“I also agree that the situation could be worse than what we have now, and it could be at pandemic level,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “But what at the same time we are saying is there are countries that with this situation that have shown that it can be contained so we should not give up.” Media outlets take a look at the global response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Congress Moves To Supplement Small Business Aid, Send More Funds To Hospitals And Expand Testing
April 22, 2020
Morning Briefing
After tense negotiations between Democrats and White House representatives, the Senate passed a $484 billion coronavirus relief bill. Democrats claimed a victory in securing more money for health systems and expanded testing, along with the funds to supplement the depleted small business fund. What’s next? Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) slams the brakes on any talks of additional stimulus packages even as Democrats pitch a next stop-gap measure.
Even As Some Of Country’s Biggest Companies Adjust Sick Time Policies, Workers Worry Days Will Still Run Out
March 12, 2020
Morning Briefing
The coronavirus outbreak shines a harsh spotlight on sick leave policies, and the fact that American workers aren’t guaranteed any paid days off. A Republican senator blocked an attempt by Democrats to pass an emergency bill on the issue, but more companies like Amazon are starting to adjust their policies amid the crisis. The outbreak is also disrupting the workplace with the first wave of layoffs and more organizations teleworking.
‘Things Will Get Worse’: Fauci Strikes Grim Tone To Congress When Asked About Scope Of U.S. Outbreak
March 12, 2020
Morning Briefing
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stressed that the coronavirus “is a really serious problem that we have to take seriously,” noting that it’s 10 times more lethal than influenza, which kills nearly 0.1% of Americans who get it each year. It was a notably different tone than the Trump administration has employed in recent days.
Trump Becomes Biggest Cheerleader For Governors Bucking White House’s Reopening Guidelines
May 5, 2020
Morning Briefing
President Donald Trump is championing governors who are lifting restrictions even though their states haven’t met the White House’s own guidelines for doing so. Public health experts warn that a push to reopen too soon could lead to a devastating surge of deaths in the coming weeks and months. “There’s this mindset that it’s like running a show and you’ve got to keep people tuned in,” a former administration official told Politico. “Viewers will get tired of another season of coronavirus.”
Public Health Experts Say Trump Administration Response Has Improved But Still Falling Short: They’re ‘At A C Now’
May 5, 2020
Morning Briefing
The officials driving the Trump administration’s coronavirus response have expanded testing and helped revamp medical supply chains. “I think the administration is at a C now because they’re at least meeting the needs in a pandemic,” said a former Trump administration official. “But they’re not an A or B yet because we’re not getting ahead of the problem.” In other news from the administration: a top FEMA leader to depart and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticizes the White House for not allowing task force members to testify in front of Congress.
China Reports Smallest Number Of New COVID-19 Cases Since January, But That Doesn’t Mean Virus Is Peaking
February 12, 2020
Morning Briefing
Experts say the coronavirus outbreak may be hitting its peak in the epicenter where the crisis started, but it will likely spread elsewhere. Meanwhile, medical experts are worried that because of false negatives on tests, the number of patients is being vastly under-recorded. Media outlets also take a look at the politics at play within China as leaders handle the outbreak.
CDC Used To Be One Of World’s Preeminent Disease-Fighting Bodies, But Agency Gutted Under Trump
April 16, 2020
Morning Briefing
The CDC played a major role in eradicating smallpox, as well as the near-elimination of polio. Globally, it won acclaim for helping fight AIDS, Ebola and Zika. Now, under President Donald Trump, experts say its a non-entity in the battle against the coronavirus. In other news from the Trump administration: Vice President Mike Pence put to the test; HHS Secretary Alex Azar snubbed by White House; health experts getting pushed to side in briefings; and more.
Burr Temporarily Steps Down As Intelligence Committee Chair Amid FBI Investigation Of Stock Sale Timing
May 15, 2020
Morning Briefing
The FBI seized Sen. Richard Burr’s (R-N.C.) phone in a sign that the senator may be in legal jeopardy. Burr came under scrutiny after ProPublica reported in March that he sold off a significant percentage of his stocks shortly after receiving a coronavirus briefing and just before the pandemic wrecked the global markets. Investigators have also looked into stock trades by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), who all deny doing anything wrong.
Whistle Blower Claims Federal Employees Working With Evacuated Patients Didn’t Have Proper Training, Gear
February 28, 2020
Morning Briefing
HHS staff members were sent to Travis Air Force Base and March Air Reserve Base and ordered to enter quarantined areas, including a hangar where coronavirus evacuees were being received, the complaint said. They were not provided safety-protocol training until five days into their assignment, said the whistleblower, who is described as a senior leader at the health agency.
Which Essential Workers Get To Claim Workers Comp?: States Try To Do The Right Thing And Avoid Bankruptcy
April 30, 2020
Morning Briefing
Trying to balance the financial and health risks of coronavirus with the need to provide essential services is becoming the latest battleground for labor unions and business groups. While it might be easy in some states for health care workers to file claims, it’s not always the same case for other workers finding it hard to prove they got sick on the job. Other reports on health care workers include a behind-the-scene look at a New York City infection unit and RVs becoming temporary homes for physicians on the front lines.
White House Trade Adviser Issued Stark Warning To Trump In Late January, New Memo Reveals
April 7, 2020
Morning Briefing
The warning from Peter Navarro is just the latest to show that officials throughout the administration were trying to direct President Donald Trump’s attention to the growing threat of the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, Trump and his advisers are bracing for the worst week yet as the outbreak could reach its peak in some hot spots. In other news from the administration: spats between top advisers, espionage efforts during a pandemic and a VA records project put on hold.
‘Like Swiss Cheese’: Ineffective Protections At Nursing Homes Likely Behind Spike In Deaths Of Many Vulnerable Patients
April 2, 2020
Morning Briefing
Lockdown measures were put in place weeks ago in many states, but failures to test doctors and nurses who work with the nation’s most frail could be leading to the spike of deaths seen in nursing homes in Tennessee, New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland. Other nursing home news is on deaths in Massachusetts and Louisiana, California’s orders to accept coronavirus patients and a plea from a 400,000-member union of longterm care workers for better protections.
‘Grimmer Than We Thought’: Economists Warn That Some Jobs Lost During Crisis May Be Gone Forever
May 22, 2020
Morning Briefing
Nearly 39 million Americans have lost their jobs so far during the pandemic. Even when the economy starts to come back, it will likely look quite different from the one that closed, experts say. Meanwhile, those trying to get help from the government are stuck navigating a cumbersome and out-of-date unemployment system. And while food banks get a lot of attention, even those who work there say SNAP is more beneficial to people going hungry. Other news touches on worker safety, permanent shifts to remote work and the “coronavirus surcharge.”
Healthy Americans’ Mask Hoarding Creating Shortages For Medical Professionals Who Actually Benefit From Them
January 30, 2020
Morning Briefing
Wearing masks does little for healthy adults, but psychologically it can soothe some of the panic being created by the coronavirus outbreak. However, that creates shortages for health professionals who actually need the masks to keep from spreading illness. Meanwhile, companies race toward a vaccine and experts turn to AI to help stop the outbreak.
The Scientific Process That Used To Take Years Is Being Compressed To Weeks. What Does That Mean For Accuracy?
April 21, 2020
Morning Briefing
As information floods in about COVID-19, experts struggle with making sure the best, more accurate rises to the top. But in a time when what is “best” and “accurate” remains murky, how do scientists approach their role in disseminating research? In other science and innovation news: why fit patients still get hit hard with the illness; why coronavirus infects some but not others; a look at how the virus interacts with water as summer nears; a skin condition that could give hints about who has COVID-19; and more.
Opioid Case Against Walmart Was Quashed By DOJ Officials Appointed By Trump: Report
March 26, 2020
Morning Briefing
During the height of the opioid epidemic, Walmart kept filling suspicious prescriptions despite protests from its own pharmacists. Justice Department prosecutors were prepared to file criminal indictments against the company, ProPublica found in its investigation. Walmart executives escalated concerns to political appointees at the agency though, who then ordered attorneys to stand down. In other news, PBS NewsHour reports on the difficulties of pain management in the coronavirus era.
While Political Leaders Lock Down Borders, Scientists Have Been Razing Theirs To The Ground
April 1, 2020
Morning Briefing
The global science community is uniting in an effort to rise to fight the virus. Never before, researchers say, have so many experts in so many countries focused simultaneously on a single topic with such urgency. Meanwhile, as scientists learn about the coronavirus as they go, uncertainty can sometimes translate into mixed messages for an already confused and desperate public. In other innovation news: a nasal swab produced by a 3D printer, the backstory of the now famous image of the virus, and the race for a vaccine.
Perpetually Under-Staffed Nursing Homes Across Country Brace For Virus That Hits Elderly Population Hard
March 9, 2020
Morning Briefing
As witnessed in a Washington state facility that’s seen the majority of U.S. deaths, nursing homes are particularly vulnerable already to viruses. In particular, the coronavirus has an outsized effect on older patients. Experts, health staff, and loved ones are all worried about what that can mean for nursing homes across the country. Meanwhile, Washington state officials are considering taking over the facility at the center of the Seattle-area outbreak.
