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Trump Refuses California’s Request For Fire Disaster Assistance https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/10/15/politics/trump-california-fire-disaster-assistance/index.html?__twitter_impression=true After $229 million in infrastructure damages caused by devastating wildfires, the Trump administration has rejected California’s request for a disaster declaration.    The US Has The Highest COVID-19 Death Rate In The Developed World https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-12/u-s-trails-other-developed-nations-in-curbing-virus-deaths?utm_campaign=news&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews A new study shows that the United States has the highest […]

The damage caused by COVID-19 is often quantified by the number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths. While those numbers are jarring, they don’t give a full picture of the fallout caused by this virus.   A study from JAMA Cardiology shows 78 out of 100 patients that recovered from COVID-19 had some form of heart […]

Antibodies, originally thought to be our only form of immunity against the coronavirus have proven to be fleeting and unreliable. People who have contracted the coronavirus haven’t always tested positive for antibodies, and even if they do, the antibodies may only last a few months. As faith in antibodies dwindle T-cells have become the new […]

Hydroxychloroquine has been at the center of extensive disinformation campaigns. It is a drug used to treat a number of medical conditions, most commonly malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. It has both anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects. Since the pandemic, it has been relentlessly pushed by bots, trolls, bad faith actors and the current administration as […]

Pentagon Used Money Allocated For COVID-19 On Jet Engine Parts And Body Armor https://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-misuse-billion-taxpayer-ppp-fund-jet-engines-armor-report-2020-9 The pentagon used $1 billion meant to ramp up medical supplies for the Coronavirus for defense contracts to build jet engine parts, body armor and dress uniforms.    Midwest States Have Alarming COVID-19 Numbers and Positivity Rates https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa/positive-covid-19-test-rates-top-25-in-some-u-s-midwest-states-idUSKBN26I10Y States across the […]

CDC Walks Back Updated Testing Guidelines https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2020/08/27/cdc-walks-back-surprise-coronavirus-asymptomatic-testing-guidelines/5645630002/  The CDC has walked back controversial testing guidelines that were revealed to not have been written by the agency.    The White House Blocked Initiative to Provide Americans With Masks https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-blocked-usps-from-sending-face-masks-to-all-households-2020-9  The White House blocked the USPS from distributing 5 reusable face masks to every US household in […]

Devos Reroutes Funds to Private Schools https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/09/11/911869208/devos-loses-latest-fight-over-rerouting-aid-to-private-school-students Amidst a global pandemic when public schools need the funding most, DeVos tried to reroute funds to private schools, but was ultimately shut down.   Permanent Job Loss Signals Slow Recovery https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-09-04/jobs-report-permanent-losses-pose-trouble-for-economic-recovery Despite declining unemployment rates, permanent job losses signal a slow economic recovery to come.   Congress […]

PPP Corruption https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2020/09/03/report-alleges-more-than-1-billion-in-bad-ppp-loans-as-feds-make-another-arrest/#5d0430da783a  A new report alleges more than $1 billion in Paycheck Protection Program fraud.   Long Term Effects for Children Affected by COVID-19 https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-09-post-covid-syndrome-severely-children-hearts.amp Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), believed to be linked to COVID-19, damages the heart to such an extent that some children will need lifelong monitoring and interventions.   […]

Information and facts are what help us make informed decisions during any crisis, including COVID19, but what happens when the facts are muddled by false information and conspiracy theories?   There are consequences – life or death consequences. A new study by The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene found that from January until […]

While the stock market has bounced back, economists are increasingly concerned about shifting unemployment trends. As evictions continue and there is still no consensus on a second stimulus package, unemployment is solidifying–indicating change from mostly temporary layoffs to permanent termination which then means a much longer road to recovery.     It’s almost like the US […]

It’s been a confusing back and forth since the pandemic began.  Is herd immunity achievable and if so, is it an ethical option?  What does attaining herd immunity mean and what are its implications?  Can we reach herd immunity without a vaccine?  Can people be reinfected? How long do antibodies last?   While there is […]

COVID Disinformation https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/covid-19-disinformation Disinformation during a pandemic has deadly consequences.  The inundation and spread of false narratives has made it difficult to tell fact from fiction.  What is the end goal of disinformation and how can you spot it? Read the full article to find out.   Senate Breaks Without Relief Deal https://khn.org/morning-breakout/relief-bill-out-of-reach-both-sides-point-fingers-senate-leaves-town/  The senate […]

Not to state the obvious but the economy is not doing well. If, when we first found out that COVID-19 was in our borders, we had done as experts recommended and had a comprehensive and aggressive testing and contact tracing program with federal direction and guidance, the economy would perhaps have fallen and then rebounded […]

The USPS is in dire straits as we near a contentious election this November that will require vote-by-mail in order to be safe during a pandemic.  Trump and his administration have been systematically attacking both vote-by-mail and the USPS.   USPS has been targeted long before this by the GOP.  In 2005, Congress passed a […]

There are currently over 165 vaccines in development all over the world and 27 have moved on to human trials. With a lack of national consensus of pretty much any measure that could be taken to curb the virus–lock downs, mask mandates, comprehensive testing and contact tracing–and no possibility of natural herd immunity, public health […]

Besty Devos, the US Secretary of Education, is ignoring the advice of health and science experts as she pushed to reopen schools this fall.  She’s even trying to cut federal funding from schools that don’t resume in-person classes.   If the virus rages unchecked and the pandemic continues to get worse, what good to the […]

Politicians in the United States are continuing to congratulate themselves as the death rate of COVID-19 is still significantly lower than it was in the spring, despite recent surges in new cases across the country.  We should remember, even when we are around 800 deaths a day, that it is a horrible and preventable tragedy.  […]

Are we in a second wave? As COVID cases began to rise across the country in the last month, both in places that hadn’t previously had outbreaks as well as in places that had managed to flatten the curve before attempting to reopen, media outlets and politicians heralded the continued spread of the virus as […]

By this time, most Americans have a general idea of what contact tracing is and its role in curtailing the spread of the virus. In simplest terms, it’s when a healthcare worker reaches out to you to inform you that you have been in contact with someone infected with COVID-19.  They advise potentially infected people […]

A huge fall out of the coronavirus and lack of government intervention is the avalanche of evictions heading our way.  This renter’s crisis has already begun as states reopen and eviction moratorium and mortgage freezes are lifted.  There are roughly 110 million Americans in rental units and even before the pandemic ground the economy to […]

Since the pandemic began, masks have been a point of controversy.  Are they effective in limiting the spread of the virus? How effective? Can they be harmful? Who should be wearing them?  And what types of masks work best? Back and forth and over the background of the continuous spread of the virus, government officials, […]

On March 25th, the government passed the CARES Act, a bipartisan and historic stimulus package totaling roughly $2 trillion. So why has this package done so little to help real people? There are four main reasons… It went to wrong people.  Between tax cuts, corporate loopholes, using banks as intermediaries, much of the funding that should […]

COVID-19, like most viruses, is mutating.  What does this mean for the direction of the virus and the development of a vaccine?    Although virus mutations have the reputation of always being a deadlier development, scientists say mutations within RNA viruses, like the coronaviruses, are normal and expected and can sometimes result in a weaker […]

  There’s been a lot of confusion recently about vote-by-mail.  So, what’s the truth?   Vote-by-mail has been used by many states for many years.  There is no evidence of increased voter fraud in Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah, the states that already practice “all mail” elections.  These states institute best practices, such as […]

So, your state has decided to reopen. As a small business owner, you need to know what regulations are in place and how to protect yourself, your employees and your customers. We’re going to go through the guidelines currently in place in your state and how to get started.  Check with your local government to […]

The more we find out about COVID-19, the more contagious it reveals itself to be, with its effects ranging from respiratory failure to strokes and its symptoms from headaches to loss of smell or taste and the possibility of mutations. There is increasing evidence that staying six feet apart is relevant only when outside in […]

There’s been a lot of talk about antibody testing lately and its respective uses.  It’s been touted as a possible way to determine who can re-enter the workforce and as a way to more accurately trace how widespread exposure to the virus really is.  However, the accuracy of the tests and its use as a […]

Crises usually see a rise in scammers–people looking to take advantage of others’ fear and vulnerability. Keep reading to find out which scams are currently circulating and how to avoid them: GoFundMes and other charities have popped up asking for donations to a good cause.  Some of these are authentic but many are not.  Be […]