January 1, Trump, Fauci & Testing: More or Less?

This Day in History | 1997

U.S. Air Force officials release a 231-page report dismissing long-standing claims of an alien spacecraft crash in Roswell, New Mexico, almost exactly 50 years earlier.

Good morning Middle Americans, 

What is your level of concern about the rise in COVID-19 cases across the country? Has it affected the way you go about your daily business since the country started reopening?  We’ve been less focused on the actual number of cases and more focused on the hospitalizations and the deaths per capita as the better metrics to gage the pace of America’s COVID recovery.. Right now though, places like Texas and California are seeing spikes in hospitalizations. But deaths are falling. We are also seeing new mandatory mask orders in places like Palm Beach County, Florida. Home of President Trump’s winter White House – Mar a Lago. We are also learning that the death rate could have been as much as 100 times higher, if not for people wearing masks. But wearing masks, and mandatory mask orders have become a political issue, and it’s easy to see why. It’s so personal. It’s on your face. It covers who you are. It’s changing us as a country. 

Get ready to hear more about “more cases” because testing is going to increase. Public health officials are advocating for wide scale testing especially for young people. Young people, like the crowd at yesterday’s Trump rally in Phoenix, are more likely to carry the virus, without showing symptoms, and spread it to people who will show symptoms like their parents or friends with pre-existing health conditions. 

In addition to testing – we also have stories today about what some people are calling the ‘noose hoax’. The FBI says the ‘noose’ found inside Bubba Wallace’s NASCAR garage was placed there in 2019. And there was no criminal activity associated with this case. But somehow the picture got murkier after the FBI weighed in. 

A lot of people around the country can’t seem to wait for July 4th. Ammature fireworks displays are popping off all over the country. And no one seems to know why. They just want them to stop. 

Finally, porn star Ron Jeremy says he’ll be exonerated from the rape charges today. 

Read all about it. 

-Fraser Dixon 

‘I Don’t Kid’; Trump Confirms He Ordered Coronavirus Testing Slowdown

(New York Magazine) -At his Saturday rally in Tulsa, President Trump, perhaps fooled by the empty seats into believing nobody was listening, made the astonishing confession that he had slowed down coronavirus testing because the higher number of recorded cases makes the problem look worse. “You know testing is a double-edged sword,” Trump explained. “Here’s the bad part … when you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more people; you’re going to find more cases. So I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down please.’”

Trump’s staff immediately went into damage control mode, insisting that he was merely joking. (This is the administration’s go-to defense when Trump makes an indefensible comment or admission; Trump even described his proposals to investigate injecting light or disinfectant into the body as an elaborate prank on the news media.)

But Trump has previously said he likes to keep the official coronavirus numbers low (“I like the numbers being where they are,” he said in March, explaining why he kept infected cruise ship passengers from coming ashore. “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship.”​) As Dan Diamond reported that month, “My understanding is [Trump] did not push to do aggressive additional testing in recent weeks, and that’s partly because more testing might have led to more cases being discovered of coronavirus outbreak, and the president had made clear — the lower the numbers on coronavirus, the better for the president, the better for his potential reelection this fall.”

Find out more here

Related: Watch Dr. Anthony Fauci – ‘We’ll be testing more not less.’

FBI: Video Evidence Shows “Noose” In Bubba Wallace’s Garage Had Been There Since 2019

(WBRC) – U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr. released a statement Tuesday afternoon following the investigation regarding the situation at Talladega Superspeedway, saying no federal crime was committed.

Authorities say the noose found in Bubba Wallace’s stall was in that garage as early as Oct. 2019, according to video evidence. “Although the noose is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019, nobody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week,” the statement reads, in part.

“The decision not to pursue federal charges is proper after reviewing all available facts and all applicable federal laws. We offer our thanks to NASCAR, Mr. Wallace, and everyone who cooperated with this investigation,” the joint statement reads, in part.

NASCAR released the following statement following the conclusion of the investigation:

“The FBI has completed its investigation at Talladega Superspeedway and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime. The FBI report concludes, and photographic evidence confirms, that the garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose had been positioned there since as early as last fall. This was obviously well before the 43 team’s arrival and garage assignment. We appreciate the FBI’s quick and thorough investigation and are thankful to learn that this was not an intentional, racist act against Bubba. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all who love racing.”

Steve Phelps, NASCAR president, held a news teleconference Tuesday afternoon. He said NASCAR would have done the same thing as far as an investigation given what they learned Sunday night.

See more here

There’s a Sudden Wave of Fireworks Exploding in Cities Across the US

(CNN) – The Fourth of July is still over a week away, but in many cities, it’s already arrived. From New York to San Francisco, the skies light up every night — and early morning — for hours, and with no apparent reason.

Now, officials have had enough.

Firework complaints are soaring, and they come after months of pandemic-induced isolation followed by weeks of tense protests against police brutality and racism.

Why the fireworks are going off so frequently is anyone’s guess. And city officials say they don’t yet know where the big ones are coming from.

Read more here

Ron Jeremy Responds to Rape, Sexual Assault Charges: “I Am Innocent”

(Deadline) – After the Los Angeles District Attorney hit Ron Jeremy with three counts of rape this morning, the adult film star responded on Twitter. “I am innocent of all charges,” said Jeremy. “I can’t wait to prove my innocence in court!”

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced on Tuesday that adult film star Ron Jeremy has been charged with forcibly raping three women and sexually assaulting another in separate incidents dating back to 2014.

Ronald Jeremy Hyatt, 67, was charged in case with three counts each of forcible rape and one count each of forcible oral copulation and sexual battery. The case was filed for warrant yesterday.

If convicted, Jeremy faces a possible maximum sentence of 90 years to life in state prison. He could also be required to register as a sex offender.

Read more here