Friday, September 18, 2020

The Rundown: Biden Slams Trump's Handling Of Pandemic

DURING TOWN HALL, CALLS DOWNPLAYING 'CLOSE TO CRIMINAL': Two days after President Trump appeared at an ABC town hall, his presidential opponent Joe Biden did one for CNN last night, during which the former vice president blasted Trump's handling of the coronavirus, and called the president's admission that he downplayed it to the public as, quote, "close to criminal." 


During the town hall, which was held in a drive-in format because of the pandemic just outside of Biden's hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden also said people have lost "freedom" because of the administration's response, such as the freedom to go to a ball game or send your child to school, and declared, "I never, ever, ever thought I would see such a thoroughly, totally irresponsible administration."


➤REPORT: CDC GUIDANCE SAYING NO NEED TO TEST ASYMPTOMATICS IN CONTACT WITH INFECTED PUT OUT OVER SCIENTISTS' OBJECTION: Guidelines released in August by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that were strongly criticized for saying it wasn't necessary to test asymptomatic people for the coronavirus who'd been in close contact with an infected person was not written by CDC scientists and was put out over their strong objections, the New York Times reported yesterday, citing several sources. 



A federal official told the Times the document came from the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and bypassed the CDC's scientific review process. Admiral Brett Giror, the administration's testing coordinator, told the Times he didn't know why it didn't go through the CDC's typical scientific review, but that it wasn't at his direction.

Newsday 9/18/20

Ex-Pence Adviser Criticizes Trump Response: Olivia Troye, a former adviser to Vice President Mike Pence who served on the White House coronavirus task force and just recently left the administration, yesterday criticized Trump's handling of the coronavirus and said she's voting for Joe Biden. Troye, a Republican who was Pence's homeland security adviser, said in a video released by the group Republican Voters Against Trump that Trump had been more concerned with his reelection chances than about protecting the country from the virus. She said, "If the president had taken this virus seriously, or if he had actually made an effort to tell how serious it was, he would have slowed the virus spread, he would have saved lives." She also recalled Trump saying the virus might be a good thing because, "I don't have to shake hands with these disgusting people." Pence said yesterday in response, "It reads to me like one more disgruntled employee that has decided to play politics during election year."


There have been more than 197,600 deaths in the U.S. as of early this morning, according to Johns Hopkins University's count, and more than 6,675,000 confirmed cases.

➤JUDGE BLOCKS POSTAL SERVICE CHANGES THAT SLOWED MAIL: A U.S. judge yesterday blocked controversial Postal Service changes that have slowed the mail, and blasted them as a, quote, "politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service" before the election. Judge Stanley Bastian in Washington state issued a nationwide preliminary injunction that had been sought by 14 states that sued the administration and the Postal Service. He ordered the Postal Service to stop the "leave behind" policy, under which mail trucks have been leaving on time even if there was more mail to load, to treat all election mail as first class mail, and to reinstall any mail processing machines needed to ensure the prompt handling of election mail. A Postal Service spokesman said they're reviewing their legal options, while Lee Moak, a member of the USPS Board of Governors, called the claim that the changes were politically motivated "completely and utterly without merit." Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who was appointed by President Trump earlier this year, announced during the summer after an uproar over mail delays that he was suspending some changes.



➤TRUMP SAYS WILL ESTABLISH COMMISSION TO PROMOTE 'PATRIOTIC EDUCATION': President Trump said at an event yesterday marking the 233rd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution that he will sign an order establishing a commission to promote what he called "patriotic education," as he accused Democrats, the media and others of having, quote, "fed hateful lies about this country" to children. Trump's move to set up the commission, called the 1776 Commission, is in response to The New York Times' 1619 Project, which highlights the long-term consequences of slavery and the contributions to the nation of Black Americans. The project, which developed educational materials, grew out of a New York Times Magazine essay of the same name, named that because in 1619 a ship arrived in America with 20 to 30 enslaved Africans, marking the first arrival here of slaves. But Trump has blasted the project, and said yesterday, "American parents are not going to accept indoctrination in our schools, cancel culture at work, or the repression of traditional faith, culture and values in the public square. Not anymore."


🏒LIGHTNING BEAT ISLANDERS 2-1 IN OT TO REACH STANLEY CUP FINAL: The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders 2-1 in overtime last night (September 17th) to win the Eastern Conference championship 4 games to 2 and reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2015. Anthony Cirelli scored the winning goal in OT. Tampa Bay will play the Dallas Stars for the NHL title. 

🏀NBA PLAYOFFS: Results from Conference Finals yesterday:
  • Miami Heat 106, Boston Celtics 101 -- Miami leads series 2 games to 0 (East)

🏈BROWNS TOP BENGALS 35-30: The Cleveland Browns topped the Cincinnati Bengals 35-30 last night at home, as the NFL marked its 100th birthday. Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield went 16 of 23 for 219 yards, throwing two touchdown passes. Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner who led LSU to a national tittle last season, was 37 of 61 for 316 yards and threw for three touchdowns, but was sacked three times. There were 6,000 fans at FirstEnergy Stadium, which can seat 68,000 people, who were socially distanced and wearing face masks.

🏌THOMAS LEADS AFTER OPENING ROUND AT U.S. OPEN: American Justin Thomas is in the lead after the opening round of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, yesterday ending the day at 5-under 65. He has a one-stroke lead over Americans Patrick Reed and Matthew Wolff and Thomas Pieters of Belgium, who are all tied in second place in the major.

⚾YANKEES HIT FIVE HOME RUNS IN ONE INNING, FIRST TIME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY: The New York Yankees hit five runs in one inning for the first time in franchise history yesterday as they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-7. The five runs were hit in the fourth inning, all off of Toronto pitcher Chase Anderson. The Yankees tied the MLB record, becoming just the seventh team in MLB history to hit five home runs in an inning.


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