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Today, the Senate Health Committee will hold a virtual hearing at which Dr. Anthony Fauci, as well as three other top government doctors, testify on the novel coronavirus. This will be the first time Fauci will be able to speak without President Trump standing directly next to him and often interrupting his responses.
As CBS News explained, Fauci’s testimony before the Senate comes after the Trump administration blocked him from appearing before a House committee to discuss spending on coronavirus testing. President Trump told reporters last week that he doesn’t want officials appearing before House Democrats, who hold the majority.
Why This Matters: The New York Times reported late last night that Fauci plans to warn the Senate in his testimony that Americans would experience “needless suffering and death” should the country be opened too soon. This is the type of critical information that experts are not able to divulge at the White House coronavirus press briefings and it comes at the expense of public safety. Americans have a right to know the truth, not whatever false narrative the Trump White House is trying to spin in order to hide the fact that coronavirus infection rates are spiking to new highs in several metropolitan areas and smaller communities across the country,
Bear Flag Revolt: In many ways California is a microcosm of the tension happening throughout the country of urban populations being wary of reopening too soon and those in rural areas protesting measures to keep people home. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has been adamant that he is basing his decision to keep shelter in place orders on science but two northern California counties are in open revolt of his orders.
Additionally, Tesla CEO Elon Musk escalated his standoff with county officials in California on Monday as he announced that the automaker would be “restarting production today against Alameda County rules.” Musk has threatened to move the Tesla plant out of California. Perhaps he’s worried the outlook for his company will be the same in California as it has been in China, but Alameda County is capitulating to Musk and has said it will try to work on a plan to reopen the plant more fully.
International: As countries consider lifting lockdowns, some in Asia are experiencing a resurgence in coronavirus cases.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has required PFAS, cancer-causing chemicals used in manufacturing, in firefighting gear for years despite cancer being the leading killer of firefighters. An extensive investigative two-part story by E&E News’ Ariel Wittenberg reveals not only the dangers of current equipment standards but the lengths the NFPA has gone to hide them.
Why This Matters: A study of 30,000 firefighters from 2010 to 2015 found that firefighters have an increased risk of many different cancers including: leukemia, malignant mesothelioma, bladder and prostate cancers, lung cancer, brain cancer, and digestive and oral cancers.
by Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer World Health Organization expert Dr. Peter Ben Embarek revealed this week that the organization’s team of researchers have found two scenarios that could have transferred COVID-19 to humans. He acknowledges that COVID-19 could have been transmitted through frozen products at the Wuhan fish market, but the most likely scenario […]
By Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer A new study published Monday has found that a second, sneezier plague is ramping up. Allergy seasons have increased in duration by an average of 20 days since 1990. Why? Rising temperatures and an abundance of atmospheric carbon are increasing the amount of pollen in the air, and researchers say the […]
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