2020 - Page 9 of 61

Pompeo Holds a Superspreader Event for 200

December 10, 2020 Buck Banks

200

“The State Department hosted roughly 200 guests Tuesday night at the presidential guesthouse despite concerns of public health experts and a new positive coronavirus case on the premises since last week,” the Washington Post reports.

40 States Say Facebook Illegally Quashed Competition

December 10, 2020 Buck Banks

40

“The Federal Trade Commission and more than 40 states accused Facebook on Wednesday of becoming a social media monopoly by buying up its rivals to illegally squash competition, and said the deals that turned the social network into a behemoth should be unwound,” the New York Times reports.

Biden’s Inauguration Will Be a Hybrid Event with 80% Virtual

December 9, 2020 Buck Banks

80%

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC), who chairs the inaugural committee for President-elect Joe Biden, told NBC News that most of the events Jan. 20 will take place virtually because of the pandemic. Said Clyburn: “We will be setting an example with this inauguration. It is going to be, I may call it, hybrid. He will take the oath in the traditional way, but all of the inaugural festivities are going to be 80 percent virtual.”

Gottlieb Confirms White House Rejected Pfizer Vaccine Offer

December 9, 2020 Buck Banks

“Pfizer did offer an additional allotment coming out of that plan — basically the second-quarter allotment — to the United States government multiple times and as recently as after the interim data came out and we knew this vaccine looked to be effective.”

— Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who serves on Pfizer’s board, confirmed to CNBC that the White House rejected an offer to lock in additional doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

Mitt on Madness

December 9, 2020 Buck Banks

“Madness. This is madness. We have a process. Recounts are appropriate. Going to the court is appropriate. Pursuing every legal avenue is appropriate. But trying to get electors not to do what the people voted to do is madness.”

— Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), quoted by The Hill, on Republican efforts to challenge the electoral vote.

The Deadliest Days in American History Lie Ahead

December 9, 2020December 9, 2020 Buck Banks

Here are the deadliest days in American history:

1. Galveston Hurricane – 8,000
2. Battle of Antietam – 3,675
3. Battle of Gettysburg – 3,155
4. September 11 – 2,977
5. Last Thursday – 2,861
6. Last Wednesday – 2,762
7. Last Tuesday – 2,461
8. Last Friday – 2,403
9. Pearl Harbor – 2,403

Former FDA Commission Scott Gottleib told CBS News the U.S. could reach nearly 4,000 deaths per day from the pandemic in January.

House Passes Defense Bill by Veto-Proof Margin

December 9, 2020 Buck Banks

$741 billion

“The House on Tuesday passed a bipartisan $741 billion defense authorization bill by a sizeable veto-proof majority, throwing down the first of two expected gauntlets before President Trump, who has escalated his threat to scuttle the legislation,” the Washington Post reports.

New York AG Thinks Trump Will Resign to Allow Pence to Pardon Him

December 9, 2020 Buck Banks

“The vast majority of legal scholars have indicated that he cannot pardon himself. What he could do is step down and allow Vice President Pence, to pardon him. I suspect that he will pardon his family members, his children, his son-in-law, and individuals in his administration as well as some of his close associates. And then I suspect, at some point in time, he will step down and allow the vice president to pardon him.”

— New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) told The View she believes Trump will take a preemptive measure to try to cut off future federal charges.

McConnell Sending $123 Million to Georgia

December 9, 2020 Buck Banks

$123 million

“The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC affiliated with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is overseeing the Peachtree PAC, a new political action committee that emerged in recent days to shape the US Senate runoffs in Georgia,” CNN reports. The group will spend $43 million in new television and radio ad spending in addition to the roughly $80 million the McConnell-aligned political organization already has committed to spend through the Senate Leadership Fund and American Crossroads.

White House Wants $600 Stimulus Checks in Relief Package

December 9, 2020 Buck Banks

$600

“White House officials are asking Senate Republican leadership to include stimulus checks worth $600 in the emergency economic relief package currently being debated in Congress,” the Washington Post reports.

200

“The State Department hosted roughly 200 guests Tuesday night at the presidential guesthouse despite concerns of public health experts and a new positive coronavirus case on the premises since last week,” the Washington Post reports.

40

“The Federal Trade Commission and more than 40 states accused Facebook on Wednesday of becoming a social media monopoly by buying up its rivals to illegally squash competition, and said the deals that turned the social network into a behemoth should be unwound,” the New York Times reports.

80%

“Pfizer did offer an additional allotment coming out of that plan — basically the second-quarter allotment — to the United States government multiple times and as recently as after the interim data came out and we knew this vaccine looked to be effective.”

— Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who serves on Pfizer’s board, confirmed to CNBC that the White House rejected an offer to lock in additional doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

“Madness. This is madness. We have a process. Recounts are appropriate. Going to the court is appropriate. Pursuing every legal avenue is appropriate. But trying to get electors not to do what the people voted to do is madness.”

— Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), quoted by The Hill, on Republican efforts to challenge the electoral vote.

$741 billion

“The House on Tuesday passed a bipartisan $741 billion defense authorization bill by a sizeable veto-proof majority, throwing down the first of two expected gauntlets before President Trump, who has escalated his threat to scuttle the legislation,” the Washington Post reports.

— New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) told The View she believes Trump will take a preemptive measure to try to cut off future federal charges.

$123 million

$600

“White House officials are asking Senate Republican leadership to include stimulus checks worth $600 in the emergency economic relief package currently being debated in Congress,” the Washington Post reports.

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“If you are committing fraud against the American people, all of us in public leadership should be trying to stop it and throw you in prison for enriching yourself off the American taxpayer.”

— Vice President JD Vance, on Fox News.

“Your generation has a great bullshit meter, because you’re fed bullshit online all day. And the Democratic Party brand right now is so bullshit.”

— Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D), quoted by The Atlantic, speaking to college students.

“We are done, Americans are done with endless conflict in the Middle East, spending trillions of dollars, American lives… this is insane and we have to call it for what it is.”

— Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), on CNN.

Numerati

+175,000

“The U.S. State Department announced on Monday that it has revoked more than 175,000 visas during President Donald Trump’s administration so far,” Fox News reports.

$4,600

11

30%

A new American Research Group poll finds just 30% of Americans say they approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president and 67% say they disapprove.

61% to 35%