Source: Mediaite

As the United States goes into the New Year breaking single-day records for coronavirus deaths, data from the Centers for Disease Control suggests the true cumulative U.S. death toll is approaching half a million.

Last week saw two new record daily totals of conformed Covid deaths of over 3,700, and as of Friday, the official U.S. death toll was 347,870. That’s according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Dashboard, which is generally regarded as the official source for confirmed coronavirus figures. But according to the latest available figures from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the true current death toll is likely much greater — and could surpass half a million in a matter of weeks.

CDC tracks the number of deaths reported in excess of the average number of expected deaths based on prior years, and the latest figures show that since the pandemic began, 431,792 more people than expected have died.

The news comes as vaccinations lag far behind what is necessary to end the pandemic — and portends months more of escalating national tragedy. The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projects an additional 200,000 U.S. coronavirus deaths by April.

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/news/jaw-dropping-new-cdc-figures-suggest-true-u-s-coronavirus-death-toll-approaching-half-a-million/

Here's why critics say Trump can't be trusted with America's national secrets after leaving office

https://www.alternet.org/2020/11/trump-national-security/

Can a scorned President Donald Trump be trusted with the United States' national secrets after leaving office next year? It's a question floating around as the embattled president wages war on not only the Democratic Party but also certain aspects of his own party.

Former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer David Priess and other former intelligence officials are warning President-elect Joe Biden to forego the country's longstanding tradition of briefing the former president on international developments due to the potential threat he may pose after exiting the White House.

According to NBC News, Jack Goldsmith, who served as a senior U.S. Department of Justice official under the George W. Bush administration, expressed concern about Trump compared to past presidents who have left the office. "This is not something that one could have ever imagined with other presidents, but it's easy to imagine with this one," said Goldsmith.

Be sure to check out the DJTrump library. There's even a Grift Shop.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/25/trump-2024-president-reelection-bid-domain

Source: Yahoo! News

With COVID-19 cases increasing in 46 states, 10 of which broke single-day records for new cases on Thursday, America has officially entered what experts refer to as the “exponential” phase of spread — a rapid multiplying of cases that can’t be contained through traditional measures. On Thursday alone, the U.S. saw 160,000 new cases of the virus, more than any day since the pandemic began.

In California, the second state to surpass 1 million cases, thousands of people in cars lined up at Dodger Stadium on Thursday to get tested; in parts of Washington state, individuals waited four to five hours.

The current spike in cases — which some states are calling a third wave — has brought more than 100,000 new cases a day since Nov. 4. But that’s not counting those that may be going undetected. “We have widespread, uncontrolled COVID-19 in many parts of the country,” says Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “And we know the cases reported are an underestimate of what is out there ... we’re missing many cases because people aren’t getting tested. So the true number is much higher than what we’re actually seeing.”

Adalja says that exponential spread means a virus is no longer increasing on a linear scale but is instead spiking at a rapid rate. Dr. Oguzhan Alagoz, an engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who models the spread of infectious diseases, agrees, saying exponential spread refers to an “unbelievably high growth rate.” In this case, that means new COVID-19 cases in many parts of the country are doubling or tripling each week. Part of this, he says, is due to the fact that COVID-19 seems more contagious than other viruses.

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/we-blew-it-us-reaches-explosive-covid-19-spread-as-virus-is-nearly-impossible-to-control-experts-say-210948870.html

Back in May, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that the "one thing this virus has that's really different from so many other viruses . . . it has phenomenal capability and efficiency in spreading from person to person. This is a virus that spreads as easily as any virus that I've ever known, apart from maybe measles."


https://www.pressherald.com/2020/11/13/the-latest-u-s-airport-screenings-caught-only-9-coronavirus-cases-out-of-766000-travelers/

More than 130 Secret Service officers who help protect the White House and the president when he travels have recently been ordered to isolate or quarantine because they tested positive for the coronavirus or had close contact with infected co-workers, according to three people familiar with agency staffing.

The spread of the coronavirus — which has sidelined roughly 10 percent of the agency’s core security team — is believed to be partly linked to a series of campaign rallies that President Trump held in the weeks before the Nov. 3 election, according to the people, who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the situation.

The outbreak comes as coronavirus cases have been rapidly rising across the nation, with more than 152,000 new cases reported Thursday.

The virus is having a dramatic impact on the Secret Service’s presidential security unit at the same time that growing numbers of prominent Trump campaign allies and White House officials have fallen ill in the wake of campaign events, where many attendees did not wear masks.

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WaPo link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-service-coronavirus-outbreak/2020/11/13/610eebcc-2539-11eb-8672-c281c7a2c96e_story.html?itid=hp-banner-main

At one time, veterans of White House administrations were sought after for prestigious positions at universities, think tanks, etc. That has not been the case for many folks who left the Trump administration either by their own will, or who were forcibly removed by Federal agents. One person who lucked out was Trump's former chief of staff, Reince Priebus. He joined the Navy.



'The Trump Stink': White House officials panicked no one will hire them if the president crashes and burns

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/10/the-trump-stink-white-house-officials-panicked-no-one-will-hire-them-if-the-president-crashes-and-burns/

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/447749-former-trump-chief-of-staff-reince-priebus-officially-joins-navy

Source: USA Today

Nineteen days from the presidential election, the U.S. has more confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths than any other country, and cases are growing at a speed not seen since the start of the summer peak.

At the current rate of growth, the nation could set a record for new cases in a single week within the first few days of November, according to a USA TODAY analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. If the spread of cases picks up momentum – as was seen in late June and July – the U.S. could set a record in little more than a week.

"I don't think it's out of the question. Yesterday, we had about 50,000 new cases," said Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins. "It's not crazy to think that we would get there sooner than we would all like."

The U.S. added more than 366,400 cases in the past week – a number nearly 50,000 higher than the tally the previous week, which is a speed of growth not seen since late June.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/10/15/coronavirus-cases-us-growing-speed-not-seen-since-july/3662942001/

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When I read this article, I felt a surge of fear. The fear from the knowledge that we are losing control.

If we underestimate the virus, it will find us. - Recovered Patient

Covid-19 has ... enormous capabilities of spreading like wildfire. This is a virus that spreads as easily as any virus I've ever known. - Dr. Anthony Faucci

Things you should never do: thinking you are immune.

It's a lot easier to wear a mask then a ventilator.
-- CDC Advisor

I have never seen a virus in which the spectrum is so extreme. This disease goes from nothing to death! - Dr. Anthony Faucci

The key is to act as though everyone has it.

The virus decides. - Dr. Anthony Faucci

I hesitated at posting this because of my own reaction to it. I burst into tears because, without a doubt, Barack Obama would have done everything in his power to keep the pandemic under control. I cannot cry enough for 200,000 American lives gone.


www.independent.co.uk: The Obamas Top Poll for the Most Admired Man and Woman in the World
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/obama-michelle-barack-most-admired-man-woman-world-yougov-poll-b606871.html

Source: www.pewresearch.org

This analysis focuses on public opinion of the United States in 13 countries in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Views of the U.S. and its president are examined in the context of long-term trend data. The report also examines how people in other countries perceive America’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak and how those perceptions compare to ratings for their own country, the World Health Organization, the European Union and China.



Read more: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/09/15/us-image-plummets-internationally-as-most-say-country-has-handled-coronavirus-badly/