January 1, President Trump Promises Vaccine by January

This Day in History | 1970

28 National Guardsmen fire their weapons at a group of anti-war demonstrators on the Kent State University campus, killing four students, wounding eight, and permanently paralyzing another. The tragedy was a watershed moment for a nation divided by the conflict in Vietnam, and further galvanized the anti-war movement.

Good morning Middle Americans, 

President Trump is betting his re-election on the creation of a COVID-19 vaccine. And it’s a risky move. As you’ve probably realized by now, the 2020 election is going to be a referendum on the federal government’s response to the pandemic. And when we say response, we are talking about the degree to which the federal government is able to prop up the economy.  We’ve kind of been in a state of denial about how bad these government mandated lock downs have been for our economy.  But we are starting to hear about the cancelation of big construction projects, the deepening devastation to the airline industry, declining housing starts, record unemployment. And the 75 percent of the population fortunate enough to still have jobs can’t float the other 25 percent, AND $25 trillion dollars of debt. Something’s got to give. 

Trump’s promise of a vaccine by January is likely an empty one, based on what we’re hearing from the doctors we trust most.  But the purpose of it is important. It’s to give the American public hope that they won’t die if they go back to work. 

Meanwhile, another reason why we believe this election will be a referendum on Trump and his government’s response to the pandemic — the completely empty campaign that is Joe Biiden 2020. They are simply trying to run out the clock. And it looks like the Democratic party is going to let him.  Take for example, the former Vice President’s and Biden’s campaign response to the Tara Reade allegations. Are you buying it? The New York Times editorial board isn’t sold, yet.  As for Reade, she canceled her scheduled TV appearances this past weekend. But she, nor this controversy are going away. 

And finally, I saw a social media post from a former co-worker over the weekend. She posted a pic of a $1200 stimulus check her father received to help him get through the pandemic. Her father has been dead for two years. Two years! 

Think about that, while we hear about billions, maybe even trillions more being dolled out to public corporations and other big business owners.  Also think about that when we consider holding this year’s incredibly critical election by mail-in ballot.

Read all about it. 

-Fraser Dixon

In Televised Town Hall, Trump Pushes for Economic Reopening, Promises Vaccine ‘By January’

(Fox News) – As some states loosen lockdown restrictions in a bid to set the nation’s battered economy on the road to recovery, President Trump endorsed a state-by-state approach while predicting at a Fox News virtual town hall on Sunday that a coronavirus vaccine could be available by December.

“I think we’ll have a vaccine by the end of the year,” Trump told the moderators, Fox News’ Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, saying he was “very confident” in the assessment. “We’ll have a vaccine much sooner rather than later.”

Asked by MacCallum if he was concerned about the potential risks of accelerating a vaccine and human trials, Trump responded: “No, because they’re volunteers. They know what they’re getting into … They want to help the process.”

That timeline was dramatically ahead of previous estimates from both public and private sector experts at the outset of the pandemic, which had said a vaccine could take up to 18 months, if not longer. But, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said this weekend it was “doable if things fall in the right place” to have a vaccine by January.

See the Town Hall here

Biden Says VP Panel Vetting ‘More Than a Dozen Women’

(The Hill) – Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says his vice presidential selection committee is vetting “more than a dozen women” as potential running mates.

Biden, who has previously pledged to name a woman as vice president, told Al Sharpton on MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation” on Saturday that he is aware of the desire in some quarters for him to select a black woman.

“I really do understand that, Al, for real. And that’s why I assure you that of the more than a dozen women that they’re taking an initial look at, there are significantly more than one black woman that’s going to be considered by this group, first and foremost, number one,” Biden said. Contenders reported to be on Biden’s shortlist include Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.

Biden addressed the allegations for the first time Friday morning on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“It’s not true,” Biden told Sharpton. “I’m saying unequivocally, it never happened, period.”

Find out more here

Related: NY Times Calls for Biden to Be Probed on Sex Allegations

(NY Times) – “Americans deserve to know more about a sexual assault accusation against the likely Democratic Party nominee.”

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democrats’ presumptive nominee for president, has forcefully denied allegations of sexual harassment and assault made against him by Tara Reade, a former staff assistant in his Senate office.

“They aren’t true,” Mr. Biden said in a statement on Friday. “This never happened.”

Ms. Reade’s accusations, which have been percolating for several weeks, are grave and graphic. She charges that, in the spring of 1993, Mr. Biden cornered her in a deserted hallway of the Capitol complex, pinned her against a wall, reached under her skirt and penetrated her with his fingers.

Ms. Reade’s brother and multiple friends have said that she told them of the incident around the time it occurred. Some bits of evidence lend credence to her claim, even as others prompt skepticism. When Ms. Reade’s brother, Collin Moulton, first spoke to The Washington Post about his sister’s accusations, for instance, he mentioned only that she talked about Mr. Biden touching her neck and shoulders; several days later, Mr. Moulton texted The Post to say that he also recalled her sharing that Mr. Biden had put his hand “under her clothes.”

Bush Calls On Americans To End Partisanship In Coronavirus Virus Crisis

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Tara Reade Cancels TV Spot Amid Threats on Her, Family

(Washington Examiner) -The woman who accused former Vice President Joe Biden of sexual assault reportedly canceled a planned interview with Fox News Sunday.

Tara Reade, a former Biden staffer who accused the presidential candidate of sexually assaulting her in 1993, reportedly canceled a tentative interview with Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, which was scheduled to be recorded on Friday and aired on Sunday.

“We never confirmed the interview or the New York Times story, and we don’t provide details on the booking process,” a Fox News representative told Edward-Isaac Dovere, a staff writer at the Atlantic.

“Fox News had been very excited about booking Reade, given that it would have been her first network television interview. Wallace was getting ready for the conversation. There’s consternation internally that it isn’t happening,” Dovere reported in a series of tweets.

Learn more here

Wisconsin Judge: Strip Clubs Should be Eligible for Emergency Loans

(Twin Cities Pioneer Press) – A judge says four Wisconsin strip clubs should be eligible to receive emergency loans offered by the federal government to offset losses due to the coronavirus.

U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman on Friday issued a preliminary injunction in favor of the owners of four Silk Exotic Gentleman’s Clubs in Milwaukee and Middleton, whose loan applications were rejected on the basis of the sexual nature of the businesses.

The Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program is designed to cover payrolls and other expenses for eight weeks while stay-at-home orders prevent normal business operations.

Adelman concluded the plaintiffs would likely succeed in arguing that their business, while sexual in nature, is not prurient and that the regulation violates First Amendment and due process rights, the Journal Sentinel reported.

Find out more here