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on October 14, 2020October 14, 2020house

White House officials promote herd immunity declaration signed by fake names: report

White House officials have promoted a declaration supporting herd immunity that has reportedly been signed by fake names, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

a man wearing a suit and tie: White House officials promote herd immunity declaration signed by fake names: report

© Getty Images
White House officials promote herd immunity declaration signed by fake names: report

In a Monday phone call, White House officials cited the Great Barrington Declaration, which argues that the government should push for herd immunity with more infections among the healthy population, according to two senior administration officials.

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Supporters of the declaration use it to argue against lockdowns and more reopenings during the pandemic.

“Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health,” the declaration states.

“The most compassionate approach that balances the risks and benefits of reaching herd immunity, is to allow those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally to build up immunity to the virus through natural infection, while

on October 13, 2020October 13, 2020house

White House Halloween to be ‘modified’ to meet CDC guidelines: report

The White House’s Halloween celebration will take place despite the coronavirus pandemic, albeit in “modified” form, CNN reported Tuesday.

Plans for the event are “full-steam ahead,” a source familiar with the White House’s planning told the network.

The specific modifications will include face masks and other mitigation measures, but the source did not offer further details. The annual event typically features the president and first lady handing out candy to local children on the White House South Lawn.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpTwo ethics groups call on House to begin impeachment inquiry against Barr Trump relishes return to large rallies following COVID-19 diagnosis McGrath: McConnell ‘can’t get it done’ on COVID-19 relief MORE and first lady Melania TrumpMelania TrumpEric Trump falsely calls president’s coronavirus treatment a vaccine Trump rallies supporters at White House in first event since COVID-19 diagnosis Christie released from the hospital after COVID-19 diagnosis MORE were

on October 13, 2020October 13, 2020house

Opinion | In a House subcommittee’s report, a strong step toward an antitrust revival

The subcommittee revived a key function of Congress: the power to investigate, report and set the stage for legislation. The report itself may become a keystone in a long-overdue dawning of progressive tech reforms.

Since the mid-1970s, Congress has celebrated the rise of new technology and tech businesses. Both political parties, for different reasons, dismissed antitrust concerns as a relic of a bygone age. For Democrats, globalization and technology seemed to guarantee competition. When antitrust was excised from the party platform in 1992, it had been there since the Gilded Age. For Republicans, markets cured themselves; antitrust was simply another form of regulatory abuse.

Into the vacuum between these positions came the rapacious Big Four. The subcommittee report details how they came to operate at unprecedented scale and reach. The companies’ combined valuation is more than $5 trillion. Add in Microsoft ($1.5 trillion) and Tesla ($275 billion), and the collective

on October 13, 2020October 13, 2020house

White House moving forward on arms sales to Taiwan: Report

The White House is moving forward with three sales of advanced weaponry to Taiwan, sending, in recent days, notification of the deals to Congress for approval, five sources familiar with the situation told Reuters News Agency.

a group of people standing in front of a military vehicle: The truck-based rocket launcher, also known as High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), is made by the US arms dealer Lockheed Martin [File: Francis Malasig/EPA]

© The truck-based rocket launcher, also known as High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), is ma…
The truck-based rocket launcher, also known as High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), is made by the US arms dealer Lockheed Martin [File: Francis Malasig/EPA]

The move in the run-up to the November 3 US presidential election, first reported by Reuters, is likely to anger China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province that it has pledged to reunite with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Reuters broke the news in September that as many as seven major weapons systems were making their way through the US export process as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on China.

on October 9, 2020October 9, 2020house

House report is sharply critical of Treasury’s handling of payroll program

Ultimately, the subcommittee concluded that instead of preserving jobs, the Trump administration’s implementation of the Payroll Support Program “significantly weakened the Program’s impact on job preservation.”

Treasury officials did not respond to a request for comment, but have previously said that they implemented the coronavirus relief package known as the Cares Act “as written,” adding that it has been critical to keeping workers on the job.

The subcommittee also faulted some of the companies that received government assistance.

“Documents uncovered during the Select Subcommittee’s investigation show that aviation contractors sought to avoid ‘unnecessary costs’ by terminating employees before executing [Payroll Support Program] agreements,” the report said.

The subcommittee said briefings with Treasury officials and contractors as well as its review of tens of thousands of documents found that the agency knew that companies were conducting layoffs, even as their applications for payroll support were pending, but failed to raise objections

on October 8, 2020October 8, 2020house

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows ignored virus rules at wedding, report says

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a castle on top of a building: The White House is seen in Washington, early Tuesday, the morning after President Trump returned from the hospital where he was treated for COVID-19.

© J. Scott Applewhite
The White House is seen in Washington, early Tuesday, the morning after President Trump returned from the hospital where he was treated for COVID-19.

President Trump made the stunning announcement that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 early Friday, Oct. 2. Since that time, several others in Trump’s circle have tested positive for the virus. Here’s the latest about what we know:

Thursday, Oct. 8 11:56 a.m.

Democratic nominee Joe Biden will hold event next week in lieu of debate, campaign says

By Christina Prignano, Globe staff

In a statement issued shortly before noon Thursday, the Biden campaign said it would hold its own campaign event next week in lieu of the debate, and called on the Commission on Presidential Debates to move back the town-hall style debate on Oct. 22. The third debate

on October 8, 2020October 8, 2020house

Mark Meadows broke COVID-19 rules with 70-person wedding: report

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows reportedly hosted 70-plus people for his daughter’s wedding in Atlanta, breaking state COVID-19 rules.
Photos show guests maskless at a lavish indoor ballroom, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio was also reportedly at the event.
Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows reportedly hosted more than 70 guests for his daughter’s wedding in Atlanta in late May, despite COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time.

Photos obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show people in close clusters, dressed in tuxedos and ball gowns, and without masks at a lavish indoor venue on May 31.

At the time, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp limited gatherings to 10 people to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

The party took place at the upscale Biltmore Ballrooms in the city, with “crystal chandeliers, marble floors and a frame

on October 8, 2020October 8, 2020house

Trump admin warned veterans group of COVID-19 exposure: report

The White House reached out to a veterans organization to warn of potential COVID-19 exposure from a September 27 event honoring the families of fallen US service members, The Daily Beast reported.
The warning was sent on October 2, the same day President Donald Trump announced he tested positive for COVID-19.
The event was held the day after an event formally announcing Trump’s Supreme Court pick on September 26.
At least a dozen people who attended the Saturday event later tested positive for COVID-19.
Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump’s administration told a veterans group about potential COVID-19 exposure from a September 27 event honoring the families of fallen US service members on October 2, the day that Trump announced his positive coronavirus diagnoses, The Daily Beast reported.

Timothy Davis, the CEO and President of The Greatest Generations Foundation, told the outlet that he got the

on October 7, 2020October 7, 2020house

The Hill’s 12:30 Report: White House COVID-19 outbreak widens

To view past editions of The Hill’s 12:30 Report, click here: http://bit.ly/1M1mIfw

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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.

The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Trump wanted to work from Oval Office shortly after hospitalization | Court rules that Trump can’t block tax returns subpoena | Pence, Harris square off | 5 things to watch | Trump backs specific coronavirus relief measures after stopping talks | GOP fears blue wave | Raccoon interrupts CNN live shot | National Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day!

IN THE WHITE HOUSE

I mean this in the nicest way possible: Stay home!!:

President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump and Biden’s plans would both add to the debt, analysis finds Trump says he will

on October 6, 2020October 6, 2020garden

White House not contact tracing Rose Garden event considered possible ‘superspreader’: report

The White House is not contact tracing guests and staff who attended a Rose Garden event for the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, despite many viewing it as a possible spreader of the coronavirus, The New York Times reported on Monday.

The celebration, which took place 10 days ago, is viewed by some as the potential epicenter or “superspreader” of the White House’s coronavirus outbreak because it has been followed by at least 11 attendees testing positive for COVID-19, including President TrumpDonald John TrumpState Department revokes visa of Giuliani-linked Ukrainian ally: report White House Gift Shop selling ‘Trump Defeats COVID’ commemorative coin Biden says he should not have called Trump a clown in first debate MORE, first lady Melania TrumpMelania TrumpWhite House Gift Shop selling ‘Trump Defeats COVID’ commemorative coin Hillicon Valley: CEOs of Google, Facebook and Twitter to testify before Senate