Trump Administration, Week 190: Friday, 4 September – Thursday, 10 September 2020 (Days 1,323-1,329)

Passages in bold in the body of the texts below are usually my emphasis, though not always. This is an ongoing project, and I update the site frequently during the day. Because I try to stay focused on what has actually happened, I usually let the news ‘settle’ for a day or so before posting. I hope readers will peruse the articles in full for a better understanding of the issues and their context; our democracy and our future depend on citizens who can distinguish between facts and falsehoods and who are engaged in the political process.

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Friday, 4 September 2020, Day 1,323:

Some Global Coronavirus Updates for Friday, 4 September 2020: Researchers Say Vaping Can Increase Coronavirus Hazards, The New York Times, Friday, 4 September 2020:

• Research connects vaping to a higher chance of catching the virus — and suffering its worst effects.
• Another college football game won’t be played as planned.
• Pharmaceutical companies plan a joint pledge on safety standards as they move vaccines to the marketplace.
• Memorial Day weekend gatherings caused case spikes. The U.S. caseload is nearly double ahead of Labor Day.
• Russian scientists report modest amount of antibodies in volunteers given the vaccine for the virus.
• The U.S. added 1.4 million jobs in August as unemployment fell to 8.4 percent.
• The shift to remote work is causing a meltdown in the service sector that supported offices.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some significant developments in the coronavirus pandemic for Friday, 4 September 2020: Trump contradicts his administration’s chief scientific adviser on when a coronavirus vaccine could be ready, The Washington Post, Antonia Noori Farzan, Jennifer Hassan, Rick Noack, Lateshia Beachum, Hannah Denham, Derek Hawkins, Miriam Berger, Meryl Kornfield, and Marisa Iati, Friday, 4 September 2020: “President Trump on Friday asserted that a coronavirus vaccine would probably be available for distribution next month, contradicting his administration’s chief scientific adviser responsible for accelerating vaccine production. The discussion comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told all states and U.S. territories to be ready to provide a vaccine to health-care workers and other high-priority groups as early as Nov. 1, which prompted concern that the Food and Drug Administration was rushing to approve a vaccine before Election Day, Nov. 3, for political reasons. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar denied that the federal government’s Nov. 1 timeline for vaccine distribution is related to the presidential election two days later.

Election 2020: Biden lambastes Trump over report on his comments about wounded soldiers, The Washington Post, John Wagner and Colby Itkowitz, Friday, 4 September 2020: “Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden excoriated President Trump on Friday over a report in the Atlantic that the president called U.S. soldiers wounded or killed in war ‘losers’ and ‘suckers.’ Biden called the report ‘disgusting’ and said it was additional evidence that Trump is unfit for office. Trump denied the report, calling it ‘fake.’ With less than two months remaining until Election Day, Trump touted a new jobs report as evidence of a rebounding economy. But in a speech in Delaware, Biden argued that Trump is being callous to the fate of lower-income workers who are being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Saturday, 5 September 2020, Day 1,324:

Some Global Coronavirus Updates for Saturday, 5 September 2020: Northeastern University Dismisses 11 Students for Breaking Virus Rules but Keeps Their Tuition, The New York Times, Saturday, 5 September 2020:

• Northeastern ousts 11 students for violating safety protocols, and keeps their $36,500 tuition.
• The first famines of the coronavirus era are at the world’s doorstep, the U.N. warns.
• The lockdown in Melbourne, Australia, is extended by two weeks amid protests.
• How the virus has devastated India, which now has over four million reported cases.
• To counter fears over Trump’s urgency for a vaccine, 5 drug companies plan a joint safety pledge.
• Some experts fear a surge in U.S. cases tied to this Labor Day weekend.
• The U.S. Open coronavirus rules shift again, forcing a top-seeded doubles team to withdraw.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some significant developments in the coronavirus pandemic for Saturday, 5 September 2020: Labor Day could fuel another rise in infections if people aren’t cautious, experts say, The Washington Post, Meryl Kornfield, Hannah Dreier, Derek Hawkins, and Marisa Iati, Saturday, 5 September 2020: “Local officials and health experts say they worry that gatherings during Labor Day weekend — the first long weekend for students who have returned to classrooms across the country — could lead to a repeat of the national surge of coronavirus infections that followed Memorial Day if people don’t follow health guidelines. This weekend presents challenges that didn’t exist earlier this summer, including schools resuming and a wider spread of infections overall, said Thomas Tsai, a researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who partnered with Google to publish a forecast model for infections. ‘In some ways we’re entering Labor Day with a more volatile mix than we did before Memorial Day,’ he said. ‘We have masks and treatment, but we’re starting with a much higher base of cases, and we’re still seeing new hot spots rise across the country.’

Sunday, 6 September 2020, Day 1,324:

Some Global Coronavirus Updates for Sunday, 6 September 2020: In Sign of Progress, Fewer Than 1% of New York’s Virus Tests Are Positive. The state’s share of positive tests has stayed below 1 percent for 30 straight days, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said, though he urged caution amid Labor Day celebrations. The New York Times, Sunday, 6 September 2020:

• ‘Be smart’: New Yorkers get good news on virus numbers, but also a warning.
• Skyrocketing cases push India to No. 2 on the pandemic list.
• Britain is stunned by a spike in daily cases.
• Kamala Harris expresses distrust of any vaccine promoted by President Trump.
• As hope builds over possible frequent at-home testing, experts call the idea a long shot.
• Chinese firms are testing vaccines on their own employees. One executive says it’s working.
• A university known for coronavirus research warns its scientists to look out for suspicious packages.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some significant developments in the coronavirus pandemic for Sunday, 6 September 2020: Northeastern University dismisses 11 students who gathered in hotel room, The Washington Post, Derek Hawkins and Marisa Iati, Sunday, 6 September 2020: “Northeastern University says it has dismissed 11 students who gathered in a hotel room in violation of the school’s coronavirus policies and will not refund their tuition, marking one of the most severe punishments college students have faced for breaking pandemic rules. University staff members found the first-year students hanging out last week in a room at the Westin Hotel in downtown Boston, which Northeastern is using as a temporary dorm for about 800 students, according to a university statement. Officials instructed them to take a coronavirus test, then leave campus within 24 hours. The students, who were part of a study-abroad program that was held in Boston this semester, will not be reimbursed for their $36,500 tuition payments, according to the university. They will be allowed back on campus in the spring. In the meantime, the university said, they can appeal the punishment in an expedited hearing.

Trump, under fire for alleged comments about veterans, has a long history of disparaging military service, The Washington Post, Michael Kranish, Sunday, 6 September 2020: “Long before Trump’s views of the military would emerge as a flash point in his 2020 reelection campaign — before he would shock the political world with the more widely seen 2015 attack on McCain, in which he said the senator was ‘not a war hero’ and declared, ‘I like people who weren’t captured’ — Trump had a long track record of incendiary and disparaging remarks about veterans and military service. Many of his remarks are memorialized in television interviews and the tapes of radio conversations with shock jocks, dating to his years as a private citizen and businessman.”

More Than Ever, Trump Casts Himself as the defender of White America, The New York Times, Peter Baker, Sunday, 6 September 2020: “After a summer when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets protesting racial injustice against Black Americans, President Trump has made it clear over the last few days that, in his view, the country’s real race problem is bias against white Americans. Just days after returning from Kenosha, Wis., where he staunchly backed law enforcement and did not mention the name of Jacob Blake, the Black man shot seven times in the back by the police, Mr. Trump issued an order on Friday to purge the federal government of racial sensitivity training that his White House called ‘divisive, anti-American propaganda.’ The president then spent much of the weekend tweeting about his action, presenting himself as a warrior against identity politics. ‘This is a sickness that cannot be allowed to continue,’ he wrote of such programs. ‘Please report any sightings so we can quickly extinguish!’ He reposted a tweet from a conservative outlet hailing his order: ‘Sorry liberals! How to be Anti-White 101 is permanently cancelled!’ Not in generations has a sitting president so overtly declared himself the candidate of white America. While Mr. Trump’s campaign sought to temper the culture war messaging at the Republican National Convention last month by showcasing Black and Hispanic supporters who denied that he is a racist, the president himself has increasingly made appeals to the grievances of white supporters a centerpiece of his campaign to win a second term. The message appears designed to galvanize supporters who have cheered what they see as a defiant stand against political correctness since the days when he kicked off his last presidential campaign in 2015 by denouncing, without evidence, Mexicans crossing the border as ‘rapists.’ While he initially voiced concern over the killing of George Floyd under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis this spring, which touched off nationwide protests, he has focused since then almost entirely on defending the police and condemning demonstrations during which there have been outbreaks of looting and violence.

Trump and allies ratchet up disinformation efforts in late stage of campaign, The Washington Post, Ashley Parker, Sunday, 6 September 2020: “For President Trump and his allies, it was a week spent spreading doctored and misleading videos. On Aug. 30, the president retweeted footage of a Black man violently pushing a White woman on a subway platform under the caption, ‘Black Lives Matter/Antifa’ — but the man was not affiliated with either group, and the video was shot in October. White House social media director Dan Scavino shared a manipulated video that falsely showed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden seeming to fall asleep during a television interview, complete with a fake TV headline. And Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the second-ranking House Republican, released a video splicing together quotes from activist Ady Barkan — who has Lou Gehrig’s disease and uses computer voice assistance — to falsely make it sound as if he had persuaded Biden to defund police departments.”

Michael Cohen’s Book Says Trump Held ‘Low Opinions of All Black Folks,’ The New York Times, Maggie Haberman, Sunday, 6 September 2020: “Trump routinely referred to Black leaders of foreign nations with racist insults. He had an abiding admiration for President Vladimir V. Putin’s willingness to treat Russia like a personal business. And he was consumed with hatred for President Barack Obama. ‘As a rule, Trump expressed low opinions of all Black folks, from music to culture and politics,’ Mr. Cohen writes in the book, to be released Tuesday. He describes Mr. Trump calling Nelson Mandela, who led the emancipation of South Africa from white minority rule, ‘no leader. Tell me one country run by a Black person that isn’t a shithole,’ Mr. Cohen quotes Mr. Trump as saying. He also alleges that Mr. Trump called Kwame Jackson, a Black contestant on his reality TV show ‘The Apprentice,’ a homophobic slur, and that he had deep disgust with Black leaders in addition to celebrities and sports figures.”

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s rise as Republican fundraiser was powered by contributions from company workers who were later reimbursed, former employees say, The Washington Post, Aaron C. Davis, Amy Gardner, and Jon Swaine, Sunday, 6 September 2020: “Louis DeJoy’s prolific campaign fundraising, which helped position him as a top Republican power broker in North Carolina and ultimately as head of the U.S. Postal Service, was bolstered for more than a decade by a practice that left many employees feeling pressured to make political contributions to GOP candidates — money DeJoy later reimbursed through bonuses, former employees say. Five people who worked for DeJoy’s former business, New Breed Logistics, say they were urged by DeJoy’s aides or by the chief executive himself to write checks and attend fundraisers at his 15,000-square-foot gated mansion beside a Greensboro, N.C., country club. There, events for Republicans running for the White House and Congress routinely fetched $100,000 or more apiece. Two other employees familiar with New Breed’s financial and payroll systems said DeJoy would instruct that bonus payments to staffers be boosted to help defray the cost of their contributions, an arrangement that would be unlawful.” See also, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Pressured Workers to Donate to Republican Candidates, Former Employees Say. Former employees at New Breed Logistics say they were expected to donate to candidates whom their executive, Louis DeJoy, was supporting, and would be rewarded through yearly bonuses. The New York Times, Catie Edmondson, Jessica Silver-Greenberg, and Luke Broadwater, Sunday, 6 September 2020: “Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major donor to President Trump and fund-raiser for the Republican Party, cultivated an environment at his former company that left employees feeling pressured to make donations to Republican candidates, and rewarded them with bonuses for doing so, according to former employees. The arrangement was described by three former employees at New Breed Logistics, Mr. DeJoy’s former company, who said that workers would receive bonuses if they donated to candidates he supported, and that it was expected that managers would participate. A fourth employee confirmed that managers at the company were routinely solicited to make donations. The four former employees spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of professional retaliation.”

Judge orders Census Bureau to temporarily stop winding down operations. The bureau is set to end its count at the end of September, a month earlier than previously planned. NBC News, The Associated Press, Sunday, 6 September 2020: “A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Census Bureau for the time being to stop following a plan that would have had it winding down operations in order to finish the 2020 census at the end of September. The federal judge in San Jose late Saturday issued a temporary restraining order against the Census Bureau and the Commerce Department, which oversees the agency. The order stops the Census Bureau from winding down operations until a court hearing is held on Sept. 17. The once-a-decade headcount of every U.S. resident helps determine how $1.5 trillion in federal funding is distributed and how many congressional seats each state gets in a process known as apportionment. The temporary restraining order was requested by a coalition of cities, counties and civil rights groups that had sued the Census Bureau, demanding it restore its previous plan for finishing the census at the end of October, instead of using a revised plan to end operations at the end of September. The coalition had argued the earlier deadline would cause the Census Bureau to overlook minority communities in the census, leading to an inaccurate count.”

Trump says Department of Education will investigate use of 1619 project in California schools. He tweets that if they are, ‘they will not be funded.’ CNN Politics, Kevin Liptak, Sunday, 6 September 2020: “Trump is continuing to wage battle against interpretations of history which he claims are un-American. In a Sunday morning tweet, the President said the US Department of Education would investigate whether California schools are using the New York Times’ ‘1619 Project’ in public school curriculum. The Pulitzer-Prize winning collection reframes American history around the date of August 1619, when the first slave ship arrived on America’s shores. ‘Department of Education is looking at this. If so, they will not be funded!’ he wrote on Twitter, citing a message from an unverified account saying it was being taught in schools there. The message came after the President on Friday night banned federal agencies from conducting racial sensitivity training related to ‘white privilege’ and ‘critical race theory.’ Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, instructed heads of federal agencies to dramatically alter racial sensitivity training programs for employees, deeming them ‘un-American propaganda’ in a two-page memo.”

Monday, 7 September 2020, Day 1,326:

Some Global Coronavirus Updates for Monday, 7 September 2020: Parties and Covid-19 Outbreaks Threaten University Reopenings in the U.S., The New York Times, Monday, 7 September 2020:

• For reopened U.S. universities, parties and pushback are upending plans.
• China’s leader declares success in suppressing the country’s outbreak.
• On a holiday weekend in the U.S., the virus continues its grinding hold on Americans’ lives.
• South Korea’s young doctors return to work after striking during an outbreak.
• With no federal relief in sight, cities and states in the U.S. are enacting major budget cuts.
• As it battles a second wave, Spain reports more than half a million cases.
• Looking to buy a used car? So is everyone else.

Other significant developments are included in this article.

Trump accuses the United States’ military leadership of being beholden to arms manufacturers in an attack on his own administration only days after reports that he has mocked fallen soldiers, Politico, Matthew Choi, Monday, 7 September 2020: “Speaking at a combative White House news conference, Trump said leaders at the Pentagon probably weren’t ‘in love with me’ because ‘they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy. Some people don’t like to come home, some people like to continue to spend money,’ Trump said. ‘One cold-hearted globalist betrayal after another, that’s what it was.’ He asserted that while U.S. troops largely support him, he does not receive the same affinity from the top. He made the comment as he advocated for the removal of American troops from ‘endless wars’ and lambasted NATO allies who ‘rip us off.’ The remarks come after The Atlantic reported that Trump disparaged American troops as ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’ for dying in battle. The article, which has been corroborated by a number of news outlets, sent shock waves through Washington. Trump and his surrogates denied the story with vehemence rarely seen from the White House.” See also, Trump launches unprecedented attack on military leadership he appointed, CNN Politics, Barbara Starr and Ryan Browne, published on Tuesday, 8 September 2020: “Trump launched an unprecedented public attack against the leadership of the US military on Monday, accusing them of waging wars to boost the profits of defense manufacturing companies.” See also, A Striking Reversal: Trump’s Attacks on the Military and Defense Contractors, The New York Times, David E. Sanger, Helene Cooper, and Eric Schmitt, published on Wednesday, 9 September 2020: “Trump mounted a public attack unusual even for him over the Labor Day weekend, accusing his military leadership of advocating war ‘so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy.’ Even for a president who has never hesitated to contradict himself for political advantage, it was a remarkable shift. His questioning the patriotism and judgment of America’s military leaders, even accusing them of pursuing global conflicts to profit the military-industrial complex, marked an election-year shift in which he has turned against two of the remaining institutions he spent most of first term embracing as pillars of his ‘America First’ policy. It was Mr. Trump, from the earliest days of his transition, who talked reverentially about his ‘great generals,’ telling two interviewers that he surrounded himself with them because they conveyed the sense of toughness he wanted to mark America’s global role. Nearly four years later, all of these generals have been banished from his inner circle. Mr. Trump himself has consistently championed American arms sales, forgiving Saudi Arabia for the killing of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the high civilian death toll from the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen — justifying it because the country buys billions of dollars annually in American weapons. ‘I don’t like the concept of stopping an investment of $110 billion into the United States,’ Mr. Trump said just two weeks after Mr. Khashoggi, a Virginia resident, was killed by a Saudi hit squad. Mr. Trump’s defense secretary, Mark T. Esper, comes from Raytheon, a corporation at the heart of the military-industrial community. And Mr. Esper’s predecessor as acting defense secretary came from Boeing, and Mr. Trump’s Army secretary was at Lockheed Martin.”

Tuesday, 8 September 2020, Day 1,327:

Some Global Coronavirus Updates for Tuesday, 8 September 2020: Drugmaker AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford Pause Covid-19 Vaccine Trial for Safety Review. Trump returns to a familiar theme: denouncing virus restrictions and criticizing reporters for wearing masks at a White House news conference. The New York Times, Tuesday, 8 September 2020:

• AstraZeneca halts a vaccine trial to investigate a participant’s illness.
• Facing a surge in cases, Britain plans to limit most gatherings to six people.
• Nine drugmakers pledge to thoroughly vet any coronavirus vaccine.
• Summer vacation ends for millions of U.S. students — but without a return to classrooms.
• Some JPMorgan Chase employees and customers misused federal virus aid, a memo shows.
• Senate Republicans plan to move forward with a scaled-back stimulus package.
• Caught maskless in Indonesia? You may have to play dead.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some significant developments in the coronavirus pandemic for Tuesday, 8 September 2020: A major coronavirus vaccine trial paused over ‘unexplained illness,’ The Washington Post, Lateshia Beachum, Kim Bellware, Brittany Shammas, Adam Taylor, Hannah Denham, Reis Thebault, and Paulina Firozi, Tuesday, 8 September 2020: “Human tests of a coronavirus vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have been put on hold pending a review of safety data triggered by a ‘potentially unexplained illness,’ the company said in a statement on Tuesday. The news comes as President Trump continued to assert that his administration could produce a vaccine by November, although such a statement contradicts the timeline laid out by health officials in his administration.

9 Drug Companies Pledge to ‘Stand With Science’ on Coronavirus Vaccines. The joint statement by competitors was seen as an effort to restore public trust as President Trump has pushed for a vaccine before the presidential election. The New York Times, Katie Thomas, Tuesday, 8 September 2020: “Nine pharmaceutical companies issued a joint pledge on Tuesday that they would ‘stand with science’ and not put forward a vaccine until it had been thoroughly vetted for safety and efficacy. The companies did not rule out seeking an emergency authorization of their vaccines, but promised that any potential coronavirus vaccine would be decided based on ‘large, high quality clinical trials’ and that the companies would follow guidance from regulatory agencies like the Food and Drug Administration…. President Trump has repeatedly claimed in recent weeks that a vaccine could be available before Election Day — Nov. 3 — heightening fears that his administration is politicizing the race to develop a vaccine and potentially undermining public trust in any vaccine approved. ‘We’ll have the vaccine soon, maybe before a special date,’ the president said on Monday. ‘You know what date I’m talking about.'” See also, Vaccine CEOs issue safety pledge amid Trump’s quest for pre-election approval. Nine chief executives issued an extraordinary joint statement Tuesday seeking to bolster faith in coronavirus vaccine. The Washington Post, Christopher Rowland, Tuesday, 8 September 2020: “The chief executives of nine drug companies pledged Tuesday not to seek regulatory approval before the safety and efficacy of their experimental coronavirus vaccines have been established in Phase 3 clinical trials, an extraordinary effort to bolster public faith in a vaccine amid President Trump’s rush to introduce one before Election Day. ‘We believe this pledge will help ensure public confidence in the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which covid-19 vaccines are evaluated and may ultimately be approved,’ the executives wrote in their joint statement. The Wall Street Journal first reported Friday that a statement from the companies would be forthcoming.”

‘Worst case scenarios’ at Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota could link the event to 266,000 coronavirus cases, study says, The Washington Post, Brittany Shammas, Tuesday, 8 September 2020: “The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally led to significant spread of the novel coronavirus in the event’s home state of South Dakota and in other parts of the United States, a team of researchers said in a newly released study that is disputed by state officials. The report from San Diego State University’s Center for Health Economics & Policy Studies used anonymized cellphone location data and virus case counts to analyze the impact of the 460,000-person event that took place last month, believed to be one of the largest events held during the pandemic. Health officials had expressed concerns about the rally, which, the researchers noted, ‘represents a situation where many of the “worst case scenarios” for superspreading occurred simultaneously.’ Those included the event being prolonged over 10 days, attracting a significant out-of-town population and involving attendees clustered together, with few wearing masks. The consequences were ‘substantial,’ the researchers concluded. By analyzing the parts of the country that had the highest number of Sturgis attendees and changes in coronavirus trends after its conclusion, they estimated 266,796 cases could be linked to the rally. That’s about 19 percent of the number reported nationally between Aug. 2 and Sept. 2, and significantly higher than the number state health officials have linked through contact tracing. Based on a covid-19 case statistically costing about $46,000, the researchers said, that would mean the rally carried a public health price tag of $12.2 billion.”

2020 Election Updates: Trump, Whose Administration Proposed Opening Offshore Waters to Drilling, Now Claims Credit for Issuing a Moratorium, The New York Times, Tuesday, 8 September 2020:

• Trump brags about killing ISIS leader at North Carolina rally as he tries to fortify his military support.

• Trump, whose administration proposed opening offshore waters to drilling, now claims credit for issuing a moratorium.

• A new poll finds the candidates tied in Florida, but with shifting sources of support.

• After reports of a campaign cash crunch, Trump says he may fund the race with his own money.

• The president denounces coronavirus restrictions. Biden has questions about proposed vaccine.

• Ohio could take several weeks to certify a winner in the presidential election.

• New Hampshire’s primaries will test the influence of Trump and Bernie Sanders.

• Kanye West is denied a spot on the Arizona ballot by the state Supreme Court.

Election 2020: Trump campaigns in North Carolina and reverses on oil drilling in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, The Washington Post, Felicia Sonmez, Colby Itkowitz, and John Wagner, Tuesday, 8 September 2020: “President Trump held a rally in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he accused his opponents of being ‘anti-vaccine’ and said a coronavirus vaccine could be coming ‘very soon.’ Earlier, the campaign of Joe Biden and running mate Kamala D. Harris emphasized that they are pro-vaccine and called on the FDA to lay out criteria for ensuring a safe and effective vaccine. Earlier, in Florida, Trump signed an order extending a moratorium on oil drilling off the coasts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, a stark reversal as he seeks to shore up votes in battleground states. Biden, who had no public appearances Tuesday, unveiled an ad that seeks to frame the race as a choice between the ‘darkness’ of Trump’s tenure and the prospect of a ‘fresh start.’

Wednesday, 9 September 2020, Day 1,328:

Some Global Coronavirus Updates for Wednesday, 9 September 2020: National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins Took Issue With Trump’s Suggestion That a Coronavirus Vaccine Would Be Available by Election Day, The New York Times, Wednesday, 9 September 2019:

• Top U.S. health officials update Congress on vaccine development and distribution plans.
• The AstraZeneca vaccine trial was halted after a person enrolled in it developed a rare inflammatory condition.
• The virus can stealthily attack the brain, according to a new study.
• Jakarta will reimpose restrictions as its hospitals fill up.
• Coronavirus tests in the U.S. are supposed to be free. The surprise bills come anyway.
• Wuhan, the pandemic’s first epicenter, will resume international flights this month.
• Sardinia became a hot spot for jetsetters — and the virus.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Trump acknowledges he intentionally downplayed deadly coronavirus and says effort was to reduce panic, The Washington Post, Josh Dawsey, Felicia Sonmez, and Paul Kane, Wednesday, 9 September 2020: “President Trump acknowledged Wednesday that he intentionally played down the deadly nature of the rapidly spreading coronavirus last winter as an attempt to avoid a ‘frenzy,’ part of an escalating damage-control effort by his top advisers to contain the fallout from a forthcoming book by The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward. Trump’s comments came hours after excerpts from the book and audio of some of the 18 separate interviews he conducted with the author were released, fueling a sense of outrage over the president’s blunt description of knowing that he was not telling the truth about a virus that has killed nearly 190,000 Americans. Democrats, led by presidential nominee Joe Biden, denounced Trump’s actions as part of a deliberate effort to lie to the public for his own political purposes when other world leaders took decisive action to warn their people and set those nations on a better path to handling the pandemic.” See also, Bob Woodward book: Trump says he knew coronavirus was ‘deadly’ and worse than the flu while intentionally misleading Americans, The Washington Post, Robert Costa and Philip Rucker, Wednesday, 9 September 2020: “President Trump’s head popped up during his top-secret intelligence briefing in the Oval Office on Jan. 28 when the discussion turned to the novel coronavirus outbreak in China. ‘This will be the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency,’ national security adviser Robert O’Brien told Trump, according to a new book by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward. ‘This is going to be the roughest thing you face.’ Matthew Pottinger, the deputy national security adviser, agreed. He told the president that after reaching contacts in China, it was evident that the world faced a health emergency on par with the flu pandemic of 1918, which killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide. Ten days later, Trump called Woodward and revealed that he thought the situation was far more dire than what he had been saying publicly. ‘You just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed,’ Trump said in a Feb. 7 call. ‘And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flu. This is deadly stuff,’ the president repeated for emphasis. At that time, Trump was telling the nation that the virus was no worse than a seasonal flu, predicting it would soon disappear, and insisting that the U.S. government had it totally under control. It would be several weeks before he would publicly acknowledge that the virus was no ordinary flu and that it could be transmitted through the air.” See also, Trump says he didn’t want to spark panic. But he’s running his reelection campaign on fear and panic. The Washington Post, Glenn Kessler, Wednesday, 9 September 2020. See also, ‘Play it down’: Trump admits to concealing the true threat of coronavirus from the American public in new Bob Woodward book, CNN Politics, Jamie Gangel, Jeremy Herb, and Elizabeth Stuart, Wednesday, 9 September 2020: “Donald Trump admitted he knew weeks before the first confirmed US coronavirus death that the virus was dangerous, airborne, highly contagious and ‘more deadly than even your strenuous flus,’ and that he repeatedly played it down publicly, according to legendary journalist Bob Woodward in his new book ‘Rage.’… In a series of interviews with Woodward, Trump revealed that he had a surprising level of detail about the threat of the virus earlier than previously known. ‘Pretty amazing,’ Trump told Woodward, adding that the coronavirus was maybe five times ‘more deadly’ than the flu. Trump’s admissions are in stark contrast to his frequent public comments at the time insisting that the virus was ‘going to disappear’ and ‘all work out fine.’ The book, using Trump’s own words, depicts a President who has betrayed the public trust and the most fundamental responsibilities of his office.” See also, Trump Admits He Intentionally Downplayed the Coronavirus Knowing It was ‘Deadly Stuff,’ The New York Times, Maggie Haberman, Wednesday, 9 September 2020: “President Trump acknowledged to the journalist Bob Woodward that he knowingly played down the coronavirus earlier this year even though he was aware it was life-threatening and vastly more serious than the seasonal flu. ‘This is deadly stuff,’ Mr. Trump said on Feb. 7 in one of 18 interviews with Mr. Woodward for his coming book, ‘Rage.’ ‘You just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed,’ the president told Mr. Woodward in audio recordings made available on The Washington Post website. ‘And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus.’ But three days after those remarks, Mr. Trump told the Fox Business anchor Trish Regan: ‘We’re in very good shape. We have 11 cases. And most of them are getting better very rapidly. I think they will all be better.’ A little less than two weeks later, he told reporters on the South Lawn that ‘we have it very much under control in this country.’ By Feb. 26, the president was publicly dismissing concerns about the lethality of the virus. ‘It’s a little like the regular flu that we have flu shots for,’ he said at a White House news conference. ‘And we’ll essentially have a flu shot for this in a fairly quick manner.’ And by Feb. 28, at a rally in South Carolina, Mr. Trump denounced Democrats for their concerns about the virus as ‘their new hoax,’ after the Russia investigation and his impeachment. The audio recordings show that as Mr. Trump was absorbing in real time the information he was given by health and national security experts, he made a conscious choice not only to mislead the public but also to actively pressure governors to reopen states before his own government guidelines said they were ready.” See also, Some assertions Donald ‘I don’t want to create panic’ Trump has made since February, The Washington Post, Philip Bump, published on Thursday, 10 September 2020: “Trump’s defense for having privately admitted in early February that the novel coronavirus posed a significant threat to the United States — a message that he repeatedly undermined in the following months — was a simple one. He repeatedly downplayed the threat the virus posed because he didn’t want Americans to live in fear…. “[T]he most galling aspect of Trump’s claim … [is]… that Trump’s politics are almost entirely predicated on attempting to frighten people. From his campaign announcement rife with Mexican ‘rapists’ to his first three years in office, during which time the nation was constantly imperiled by terrorist immigrants and immigrant terrorists, Trumpism is fundamentally about fearmongering.” See also, Trump rushes to contain fallout from his interviews with Bob Woodward. Trump argues that if his virus comments were truly dangerous, Woodward wouldn’t have kept them under wraps for months. Politico, Quint Forgey and Matthew Choi, published on Thursday, 10 September 2020. See also, Should Bob Woodward have reported Trump’s virus revelations sooner? Here’s how he defends his decision. The Washington Post, Margaret Sullivan, Wednesday, 9 September 2020.

When asked if he feels he has a responsibility to understand the ‘anger and pain’ felt by Black Americans, Trump said, ‘No, I don’t feel that at all,’ NBC News, Janelle Griffith, Wednesday, 9 September 2020: “President Donald Trump told the journalist Bob Woodward that he does not believe that because of his privileged upbringing he has a responsibility to understand the ‘anger and pain’ felt by Black Americans, according to a new book by Woodward. The Washington Post, where Woodward is associate editor, reported excerpts of the book, ‘Rage,’ on Wednesday and posted audio clips on its website. The book, set for release on Tuesday, is based in part on 18 on-the-record interviews Woodward conducted with Trump from December to July. During a conversation on June 19, Woodward, whose father was a lawyer and judge in Illinois, pointed out that he and Trump were white and privileged, and asked if that affected his thinking. ‘Do you have any sense that that privilege has isolated and put you in a cave to a certain extent, as it put me and I think lots of white privileged people in a cave and that we have to work our way out of it to understand the anger and the pain, particularly, Black people feel in this country?’ Woodward asked. ‘No,’ Trump responded. ‘You really drank the Kool-Aid, didn’t you? Just listen to you. Wow. No, I don’t feel that at all.’ Woodward described Trump’s voice as mocking and incredulous, according to the Post.”

Whistle-Blower Brian Murphy Says Department of Homeland Security (D.H.S.) Downplayed Threats From Russia and White Supremacists, The New York Times, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Nicholas Fandos, Wednesday, 9 September 2020: “Top officials with the Department of Homeland Security directed agency analysts to downplay threats from violent white supremacy and Russian election interference, a Homeland Security official said in a whistle-blower complaint released on Wednesday. Brian Murphy, the former head of the Homeland Security Department’s intelligence branch, said in the complaint that he was ordered this spring by Chad F. Wolf, the acting secretary of the department, to stop producing assessments on Russian interference and focus instead on Iran and China. That request, Mr. Murphy said, was routed through Mr. Wolf from Robert C. O’Brien, the White House national security adviser. Mr. Wolf later told him not to disseminate a report on a Russian disinformation campaign to denigrate Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s mental health because it ‘made the president look bad,’ said Mr. Murphy, who warned that the actions in their totality threatened national security.” See also, Brian Murphy, Senior Official With the Department of Homeland (DHS), alleges in whistleblower complaint that he was told to stop providing intelligence analysis on threat of Russian interference, The Washington Post, Shane Harris, Nick Miroff, and Ellen Nakashima, Wednesday, 9 September 2020: “A senior Department of Homeland Security official alleges that he was told to stop providing intelligence reports on the threat of Russian interference in the 2020 election, in part because it ‘made the President look bad,’ an instruction he believed would jeopardize national security. The official, Brian Murphy, who until recently was in charge of intelligence and analysis at DHS, said in a whistleblower complaint that on two occasions he was told to stand down on reporting about the Russian threat and alleged that senior officials told him to modify other intelligence reports, including about white supremacists, to bring them in line with President Trump’s public comments, directions he said he refused. On July 8, Murphy said in the complaint, acting homeland security secretary Chad Wolf told him that an ‘intelligence notification’ regarding Russian disinformation efforts should be ‘held’ because it was unflattering to Trump, who has long derided the Kremlin’s interference as a ‘hoax’ that was concocted by his opponents to delegitimize his victory in 2016.” See also, Whistleblower Brian Murphy says top Trump appointees tried to censor reports on Russian influence, Politico, Kyle Cheney, Natasha Bertrand, and Daniel Lippman, Wednesday, 9 September 2020: “Top Trump appointees at the Department of Homeland Security repeatedly sought to censor or stop reports on Russian influence activities in the United States, according to a whistleblower report released by the House Intelligence Committee. The report, filed by DHS official Brian Murphy, alleges that acting Secretary Chad Wolf, his predecessor Kirstjen Nielsen, and other senior DHS brass engaged in ‘a repeated pattern of abuse of authority, attempted censorship of intelligence analysis and improper administration of an intelligence program related to Russian efforts to influence and undermine United States interests.’ That pattern, Murphy alleged, stretched from March 2018 until last month. He claims he was retaliated against by Wolf, who ‘demoted’ him to the role of assistant to the deputy under secretary for the DHS Management Division on Aug. 1.” See also, Whistleblower Brian Murphy accuses Trump appointees of downplaying Russian interference and White supremacist threat, CNN Politics, Zachary Cohen, Wednesday, 9 September 2020: “A whistleblower is alleging that top political appointees in the Department of Homeland Security repeatedly instructed career officials to modify intelligence assessments to suit President Donald Trump’s agenda by downplaying Russia’s efforts to interfere in the US and the threat posed by White supremacists, according to documents reviewed by CNN and a source familiar with the situation. The whistleblower claims that acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf instructed DHS officials earlier this year to ‘cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference’ and, instead, focus their efforts on gathering information related to activities being carried out by China and Iran.”

Emails show Health and Human Services official trying to muzzle Dr. Anthony Fauci during media interviews, Politico, Sarah Owermohle, Wednesday, 9 September 2020: “A Trump administration appointee at the Department of Health and Human Services is trying to prevent Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, from speaking about the risks that coronavirus poses to children. Emails obtained by POLITICO show Paul Alexander — a senior adviser to Michael Caputo, HHS’s assistant secretary for public affairs — instructing press officers and others at the National Institutes of Health about what Fauci should say during media interviews. The Trump adviser weighed in on Fauci’s planned responses to outlets including Bloomberg News, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post and the science journal Cell. Alexander’s lengthy messages, some sent as recently as this week, are couched as scientific arguments. But they often contradict mainstream science while promoting political positions taken by the Trump administration on hot-button issues ranging from the use of convalescent plasma to school reopening. The emails add to evidence that the White House, and Trump appointees within HHS, are pushing health agencies to promote a political message instead of a scientific one.”

Wildfires in the West: 7 People Die in West Coast Wildfires, The New York Times, Wednesday, 9 September 2020:

• The death toll rises as wildfires spread at an astonishing rate.
• Hundreds of homes were destroyed in Oregon, officials said.
• The sun rose, yet the sky stayed ominously dark in Northern California.
• ‘I can’t believe this devastation’: A blaze sweeps through a small Washington town.
• Helicopter pilots say rescue missions were the ‘toughest flying’ they’ve ever done.
• There is a strong link between California’s wildfires and climate change, experts say.

Thursday, 10 September 2020, Day 1,329:

Some Global Coronavirus Updates for Thursday, 10 September 2020: Coronavirus Can Be Deadly for Young Adults, Too, Study Finds, The New York Times, Thursday, 10 September 2020:

• A new study warns the virus is ‘a life-threatening disease in people of all ages.’
• A new stimulus plan before Election Day is looking even more unlikely.
• F.D.A. regulators issued a statement defending their integrity and alluding to potential interference.
• A former Jets player is accused of fraudulently taking $1.25 million in Covid aid.
• Fearing Covid-19, North Korea has ordered troops on China’s border to shoot to kill, a U.S. general says.
• The C.D.C. says health screenings at airports were not effective in the ‘current phase of the pandemic.’
• Stanford doctors issue a warning about a Trump adviser — a colleague — in an open letter.

Many other significant developments are included in this article.

Some significant developments in the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, 10 September 2020: Most Americans worry coronavirus vaccine will be rushed by political pressure, new poll finds, The Washington Post, Teo Armus, Jennifer Hassan, Marisa Iati, Paulina Villegas, Miriam Berger, Hamza Shaban, Meryl Kornfield, Paulina Firozi, and Darren Sands, Thursday, 10 September 2020: “Confidence in a coronavirus vaccine that the Trump administration said could be ready before Election Day is waning, a Kaiser Family Foundation survey found. This comes as President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have accused each other of politicizing the availability of a vaccine — an essential step toward the economic recovery that voters are seeking.