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White House event for families of deceased U.S. troops thrust into new light after admiral’s coronavirus diagnosis
The White House’s handling of an event for the family members of deceased U.S. troops was thrust into a new light on Tuesday amid the disclosure that a Coast Guard admiral who attended has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, forcing some of the military’s top generals and admirals into quarantine.
The Sept. 27 ceremony, held on Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day with dozens of people in attendance, recognized the families of 20 deceased service members, according to a copy of the event program obtained by The Washington Post.
President Trump, Vice President Pence, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and some of the military’s top generals and admirals were also at the event, which was held in the East Room. Most attendees did not wear masks or maintain social distancing, White House photographs of the event show.
Hospitalizations reach new highs in seven states as infections rise
Six states — Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming — set records for coronavirus-related hospitalizations on Tuesday, according to data tracked by The Washington Post. A seventh, Oklahoma, reported its highest count of hospitalizations since late July.
Wyoming’s rolling seven-week average of hospitalizations was up 36.7 percent compared to the previous week, the largest jump of any state. A number of other states, including Delaware, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Utah, Indiana, New York and Iowa, also saw a rise in their rolling seven-week average for hospitalized patients.
Following a period in mid-September when the number of new coronavirus infections fell nationwide, the United States is now averaging close to 44,000 new cases a day, a height last seen in late August. At least 30 states and territories have seen their rolling seven-day average for new cases — which is considered the most accurate metric for tracking infections — rise by more than 10 percent in the past four weeks.
Trump was treated with dexamethasone. Here’s what we know about its risks and side effects.
President Trump’s team of physicians revealed Sunday that he was being treated with dexamethasone, and health experts immediately voiced concern. The powerful steroid has shown promise for treating patients with severe covid-19 who are getting supplemental oxygen, as Trump was, but may cause harm for those with minor infections.
The use of dexamethasone, experts say, contrasts with White House physician Sean Conley’s rosy assessments of Trump’s battle with the virus. Typically used to treat inflammation, dexamethasone was credited with improving the survival for critically ill coronavirus patients in a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Trump appears to backtrack on stimulus in late-night tweets
President Trump spurred confusion with a series of late-night tweets on Tuesday that appeared to contradict his plan to freeze coronavirus aid talks until after the November election.
“The House & Senate should IMMEDIATELY Approve 25 Billion Dollars for Airline Payroll Support, & 135 Billion Dollars for Paycheck Protection Program for Small Business,” Trump tweeted just over 24 hours after he was released from the hospital, saying that unused funds from the Cares Act would cover the cost. He also called on Congress to approve a stand-alone bill for another round of $1,200 stimulus checks, writing, “I am ready to sign right now.”
The apparent about-face came just hours after Trump ordered Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to cut off talks with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi until after the November election, claiming that Democrats had failed to negotiate in good faith. His tweets did not make clear whether he was rethinking that position, and if his administration would continue talks after all. It’s also unclear if his call to action would gain any traction: Over the course of many rounds of negotiations, Pelosi has typically expressed opposition to Trump’s piecemeal approach and insisted on holding out for a broader aid package.
Trump’s decision to abruptly cut off aid talks sent the stock market reeling on Tuesday, and came just hours after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell warned that failing to provide more support to American households would severely damage the economy. Pelosi speculated in a Tuesday conference call that the sudden shift in Trump’s thinking could be a side effect of the steroids that he is taking to treat covid-19, The Washington Post reported.
Trump’s determination to attend next week’s debate seen as part of pattern of recklessness
President Trump’s tweet Tuesday that he looks forward to next week’s presidential debate alarmed some medical and public health experts, who warned that his coronavirus infection might still be contagious then and could endanger others.
A day after the president was discharged from a three-night hospital stay, during which he was put on an aggressive mix of treatments usually reserved for the most severe cases of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, he continued to project an image of being fully in charge and able to conduct all of his regular activities.
Some outside health experts, however, said Trump’s determination to attend the Oct. 15 debate is part of a pattern of recklessness that has defined his response to the pandemic, with the president and his aides not wearing masks or observing social distancing.
White House clears Food and Drug Administration coronavirus vaccine standards it tried to derail
The White House on Tuesday, after weeks of delay, approved tough new standards for coronavirus vaccines — but only after the Food and Drug Administration unilaterally published the guidelines on its website as part of briefing materials for outside vaccine advisers.
The standards, which would be applied to an emergency use authorization for a vaccine, are the same as ones the agency proposed weeks ago. In many ways, they are similar to the standards for a traditional approval. But the White House, worried that the criteria would delay authorization of a vaccine, presumably beyond the Nov. 3 election, decided to sit on the guidance.
Halted stimulus talks undercut already ailing airlines and transit systems
Advocates of federal aid to keep 33,000 airline employees on the job lobbied for months, sending thousands of letters and donning protective masks to walk the halls of Congress. And it appeared to be working, garnering bipartisan backing and support from President Trump, who just last month said: “We’ll be helping the airlines.”
It all unraveled Tuesday with a series of tweets.
“I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hard-working Americans and Small Business,” Trump tweeted.
And it’s not just airline workers who will feel the impact.