Good Wednesday morning.
Here’s what is on the president’s agenda today:
- The president receives his intelligence briefing
- President Trump participates in a phone call with State, Local, and Tribal Leaders on COVID-19 response and mitigation
- The president participates in a phone call with faith leaders
- 5:00PM Members of the Coronavirus Task Force hold a press briefing
Birx: It’s all Chinese virus!
No matter what condition you arrive at a hospital in, if you expire, it’s because of the Chinese virus says scarfmaster and Chinese virus task force member Dr. Deborah Birx.
“There are other countries that if you had a pre-existing condition, and let’s say the virus caused you to go to the ICU [intensive care unit] and then have a heart or kidney problem,” she said during a Tuesday news briefing at the White House. “Some countries are recording that as a heart issue or a kidney issue and not a COVID-19 death.
“The intent is … if someone dies with COVID-19 we are counting that,” she added.
That seems like it might corrupt the data, right? Strange. I wonder if this has anything to do with having the federal government pay for treatment.
Adam Schiff pissy over Atkinson firing, sends mean girl note to DNI Rick Grenell
The Democrats are freaking out after Trump fired their resistance operative, former IC IG Michael Atkinson, who blew his cover when he suddenly changed the regulations governing whistleblowers so that ERIC CIARAMELLA could file a hearsay report, giving the Democrats a pretense to impeach the president.
Schumer has written a nasty letter to Rick Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence. Naturally, Schumer leaked his letter to the media. It’s so predictable with these people.
https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1247585467643633664
Schumer is upset that Grenell is cleaning house and Schumer’s tantrum only proves Grenell is right to get the vipers out of the intelligence community.
In the April 7 letter addressed to Grenell, Schiff raised concerns about the intelligence community chief’s ongoing efforts to overhaul the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). ODNI is in charge of the U.S. intelligence community.
Specifically, Schiff complained that Grenell is reorganizing the ODNI without receiving congressional authorization.
The House chairman demanded that Grenell produce information to his panel by April 16 about personnel changes, the firing of the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) Michael Atkinson, and alleged interference in the production of intelligence on election security.
Developing.
Trump removes IG who would oversee stimulus spending
Glenn Fine, the acting Department of Defense inspector general, was set to lead the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, the group of government watchdogs tasked with rooting out fraud and waste in coronavirus spending programs.
Democrats say the move is politically motivated which leads me to believe this was the right move. “President Trump is abusing the coronavirus pandemic to eliminate honest and independent public servants because they are willing to speak truth to power and because he is so clearly afraid of strong oversight,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
“President Trump’s corrupt action to sideline Acting Inspector General Glenn Fine, who was newly-appointed as chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, only strengthens Democrats’ resolve to hold the administration accountable and enforce the multiple strict oversight provisions of the CARES Act,” Schumer said.
“The president thinks he should be the ‘one’ and that is exactly upside down…. The president is sending in some of his loyalists. This is really a problem,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
So confirmed. It was definitely the right thing to do when Schumer and Pelosi are this upset over removing Fine.
Related:
More evidence this was the right move. Mattis defends Pentagon IG removed by Trump
Grassley seeks explanation of Trump’s firing of Atkinson
Coronavirus news:
How Peter Navarro went from an anti-China ‘gadfly’ to trusted Trump coronavirus adviser
Trump says he never saw aide’s memos that warned coronavirus could endanger millions of Americans
Acting Navy secretary resigns after carrier remarks, Esper names replacement
Treasury requests $250 billion more for small business relief
Victim’s family says they weren’t told of violent offender’s release amid COVID-19
Detroit hospital nurses refuse to work without more help, ordered to leave
Virus expert predicts when kids will return to school
Kayleigh McEnany set to become fourth Trump press secretary
Trump isn’t writing prescriptions, doctors are. After Trump’s statements about hydroxychloroquine, lupus and arthritis patients face drug shortage
Faith-based organizations eligible for SBA loans in coronavirus stimulus, officials say
Birx warns against buying coronavirus antibody tests on Internet, says they aren’t reliable yet
ABC News reporter Jon Karl says Trump’s bashing of some media outlets ‘not genuine’
Good. House Republicans demand answers after Kennedy Center lays off employees despite taking stimulus money
Mayo Clinic launches trials of blood test to detect who has recovered and might have immunity to coronavirus
Bureau of Prisons, VA purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of anti-malaria drug amid coronavirus crisis
CBS News panned for tearful video of nurse claiming she quit over coronavirus concerns
New York City stockpiled ventilators for a pandemic, only to later auction them off: report
Anthony Fauci compares race disparities of coronavirus to AIDS epidemic
‘We’ve Certainly Flattened The Economy’: Brit Hume Weighs In On Coronavirus Response
Ayanna Pressley: Next Coronavirus Stimulus Should Support Illegal Immigrants
CDC updates website to remove dosage guidance on drug touted by Trump
Phase-four virus relief hits a wall
Michigan sees record high number of COVID-19 deaths in latest report
Illinois mayor ’embarrassed’ to find wife was at social gathering broken up by police
Health care workers account for 20 percent of Iowa coronavirus cases
Texas Democrats sue to expand mail-in voting amid pandemic
Here’s How Pro-Beijing Outlet Phoenix TV Made It Into The White House Coronavirus Press Briefing
Plasma infusions from coronavirus survivors may help ill recover: study
Rand Paul says he’s recovered from coronavirus, volunteering at local hospital
US trial of Japanese flu drug for coronavirus gets green light
And that’s all I’ve got, now go put your mask on!