Source: AP




By BRIAN SLODYSKO an hour ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Forty lobbyists with ties to President Donald Trump helped clients secure more than $10 billion in federal coronavirus aid, among them five former administration officials whose work potentially violates Trump’s own ethics policy, according to a report.

The lobbyists identified Monday by the watchdog group Public Citizen either worked in the Trump executive branch, served on his campaign, were part of the committee that raised money for inaugural festivities or were part of his presidential transition. Many are donors to Trump’s campaigns, and some are prolific fundraisers for his reelection.


They include Brian Ballard, who served on the transition, is the finance chair for the Republican National Committee and has bundled more than $1 million for Trump’s fundraising committees. He was hired in March by Laundrylux, a supplier of commercial laundry machines, after the Department of Homeland Security issued guidance that didn’t include laundromats as essential businesses that could stay open during the lockdown. A week later, the administration issued new guidance adding laundromats to the list.

Dave Urban, a Trump adviser and confidant, has collected more than $2.3 million in lobbying fees this year. The firm he leads, American Continental Group, represents 15 companies, including Walgreens and the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, on coronavirus issues. ..............................................

Read more: https://apnews.com/2edf8670a491a702ecfb7312f507f83a

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damn. damn damn






FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2019, file photo, The White House is seen from the Ellipse in Washington. Forty lobbyists with ties to President Donald Trump helped their clients secure over $10 billion in federal coronavirus aid. Among them are five former administration officials whose lobbying work potentially violates an ethics order Trump issued after taking office. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

during the early phases of Janurary




https://twitter.com/PamBaker1414/status/1279962273390440450?s=20
https://twitter.com/JillybeanzAZ/status/1279987398231777281?s=20

Source: the hill




By Justin Wise - 07/05/20 12:54 PM EDT




The World Health Organization (WHO) reported more than 210,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus around the world on Saturday, marking a new high in infections over a 24-hour period.

Data from the agency showed that 211,411 cases of the virus were confirmed worldwide, representing a 20 percent increase from the previous day. The previous high in single-day infections was reported on June 28, when roughly 190,000 cases of the virus were confirmed globally.

As of Sunday, health officials had reported more than 11 million cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and roughly 530,000 deaths stemming from it worldwide, according to a Johns Hopkins University database.
.................................

The country reported more than 50,000 cases of the virus in a single day for the first time last Wednesday. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 57,718 new cases and 661 new deaths were reported on Saturday. Florida alone reported more than 11,000 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, a new record for the state...........................................

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/international/505927-who-records-new-high-in-global-coronavirus-cases

“The Coronavirus is not serious”
https://twitter.com/DavidPatrick55/status/1270325073845649408?s=20

Today, Trump will get his dream photo op.
Himself, standing before #MountRushmore as if he belongs, with Fireworks above the scene.

A #COVIDー19 death rally - non distanced, Trump supporter only "celebration of the birth of our nation"

freakin' brilliant.

https://twitter.com/Sabrina_McDa/status/1279052547949395970?s=20


https://twitter.com/eddie_g2429/status/1279053075009937408?s=20

Source: buzzfeed







Posted on July 1, 2020, at 6:11 p.m. ET


Tony Gutierrez / AP

The choir sings at the First Baptist church in Dallas as an attendee stands during a "Freedom Sunday" rally, June 28.

At least five members of the choir and orchestra at the Dallas megachurch visited by Vice President Mike Pence this weekend tested positive for the coronavirus in June, according to Facebook posts and internal church emails reviewed by BuzzFeed News.

An additional orchestra member had symptoms several days after being exposed and was awaiting a test result in mid-June, according to a call for prayers sent to the church’s musicians.

None of those six people were at the First Baptist church in Dallas during Pence’s hour-and-a-half-hour visit on Sunday, but it's unclear how many of the musicians who performed for Pence may have been exposed during previous practices and performances with those who were infected.

Public health experts have expressed particular concerns about the dangers of indoor singing and wind instruments in large groups, which can readily spread the respiratory virus.

The choir and orchestra performed for Pence without masks, according to a video of the event reviewed by BuzzFeed News.
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Read more: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosalindadams/mike-pence-dallas-megachurch-coronavirus

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https://twitter.com/Walldo/status/1278451778456096768?s=20

https://twitter.com/Walldo/status/1278452571225632770?s=20



?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto
A group of First Baptist Dallas choir and orchestra members contracted COVID-19 in the lead-up to Vice President Mike Pence’s visit on Sunday. An infectious disease expert called it “appalling.”
Picture of Rosalind Adams Rosalind Adams BuzzFeed News Reporter

https://twitter.com/DeborahDitkows1/status/1278281239322136581?s=20


https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1278280431545331714?s=20


Mark @_therealmark_
·
13m
Replying to @marcorubio
Talk to Trump, where he has refused to set an example and now over 120,000 Americans have died due to that incompetence.




moonbreeze @moonbreeze2
·
4m
Replying to @marcorubio
Stop mocking folks who have worn masks in the recent past and who have saved lives in doing so. @Shame
on you @marcorubio
, #Rupublican, #Florida #GOPCowards
Daveen s. Moore
@DaveensMoore
·
12m
Replying to
@marcorubio
Geez.. did some brain cells regenerate? You're a medical miracle for sure! Share the news with @RandPaul
.............................

Source: raw story




Published 1 min ago on June 30, 2020

A Massachusetts man was charged with assault after punching an elderly restaurant owner in a dispute over face masks.

Angel Gomez got into an argument with employees at George’s Pizza in Provincetown while out with family members Saturday night, and 81-year-old owner George Kraniotakis came from behind the counter and got in the younger man’s face, reported the Cape Cod Times.

“They weren’t wearing their masks when we asked them to,” said Francine Kraniotakis, the owner’s daughter. “My dad comes around and asks them to sit down and put on their masks. The guy said something like, ‘We don’t want to.’”


She said her father told the 27-year-old Gomez to pull up his mask from below his chin or leave, and the younger man struck him.............................

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/2020/06/massachusetts-man-goes-berserk-over-mask-order-and-punches-elderly-restaurant-owner-police/

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https://twitter.com/RawStory/status/1277970104618082304?s=20

Source: Business Insider




German officials were so alarmed by Trump's conversations with Angela Merkel that they took extra steps to make sure they stayed secret, according to a CNN report



President Donald Trump's phone conversations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel were "so unusual" that German officials were prompted to keep them under wraps, CNN reported Monday.

Sources told CNN that Trump disparaged Merkel in a "very aggressive" manner, calling her "stupid," and accusing her of "being in the pocket of the Russians."

"He's toughest [in the phone calls] with those he looks at as weaklings and weakest with the ones he ought to be tough with," a source told CNN.

Though extraordinary measures were taken in response to Trump's conversations with Merkel, the German chancellor took the US president's comments "like water off a duck's back," a source told CNN.

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The group of officials assigned to monitor Merkel's calls with Trump also diminished in size, leaving "just a small circle of people who are involved and the reason, the main reason, is that they are indeed problematic," a German official told CNN...................

Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/german-officials-alarmed-trump-merkel-call-conversations-cnn-report-2020-6?utmSource=twitter&utmContent=referral&utmTerm=topbar&referrer=twitter

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https://twitter.com/RedTRaccoon/status/1277801394435764224?s=20

can't blame them.





Coronavirus: EU to allow in visitors from 14 'safe' countries

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53222356#

6 hours ago


The EU has named 14 countries whose citizens are deemed "safe" to be let in from 1 July, despite the pandemic - but the US, Brazil and China are excluded.

Those named include Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco and South Korea.

The EU is ready to add China if the Chinese government offers a reciprocal deal for EU travellers, diplomats say.

EU border controls have been lifted for EU citizens travelling inside the bloc. Rules for UK travellers are covered separately in the Brexit negotiations.

UK nationals are still to be treated in the same way as EU citizens until the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December. Therefore, during that time UK nationals and their family members are exempt from the temporary travel restriction.