https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/senate-intel-report-confirms-russia-aimed-to-help-trump-in-2016-198171

The intelligence community’s initial January 2017 assessment of Moscow’s influence campaign included “specific intelligence reporting to support the assessment that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and the Russian government demonstrated a preference for candidate Trump,” the committee’s report says. The panel also found “specific intelligence” to support the conclusion that Putin “approved and directed aspects” of the Kremlin’s interference efforts.

Senators and committee aides examined everything from the sources and methods used for the intelligence-gathering, to the Kremlin’s actions itself. The 158-page report is heavily redacted, with dozens of pages blacked out entirely. But its final conclusions were unambiguous.

“The committee found no reason to dispute the intelligence community’s conclusions,” Burr said in a statement, adding that the intelligence community’s conclusions reflect “strong tradecraft” and “sound analytical reasoning.”

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1252615009957490689

newyorknewyork wrote:This isn't COVID-19 news but a bombshell non the less. Been kind of swept under the rug though so far.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/senate-intel-report-confirms-russia-aimed-to-help-trump-in-2016-198171

The intelligence community’s initial January 2017 assessment of Moscow’s influence campaign included “specific intelligence reporting to support the assessment that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and the Russian government demonstrated a preference for candidate Trump,” the committee’s report says. The panel also found “specific intelligence” to support the conclusion that Putin “approved and directed aspects” of the Kremlin’s interference efforts.

Senators and committee aides examined everything from the sources and methods used for the intelligence-gathering, to the Kremlin’s actions itself. The 158-page report is heavily redacted, with dozens of pages blacked out entirely. But its final conclusions were unambiguous.

“The committee found no reason to dispute the intelligence community’s conclusions,” Burr said in a statement, adding that the intelligence community’s conclusions reflect “strong tradecraft” and “sound analytical reasoning.”

Well, there was also Hillary publicly stating numerous times that she will bomb Russia back to the Stone Age economically and literally. " sound analytical reasoning " indeed. Those committee aids and senators are sure earning their pay.

Trump stops hyping hydroxychloroquine after study shows no benefit
Fox News staffers also backed away from promoting drug after a recent US trial did not go well

Donald Trump and conservative supporters have backed away from hyping the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential cure for the coronavirus. Fox News staffers have also pivoted from promoting the anti-malarial drug.

The dial-back came as a new report showed that a recent US trial of hydroxychloroquine had not gone well – and before a senior government doctor who led efforts to produce a Covid-19 vaccine told the New York Times he believed he was sacked because he pressed for rigorous testing of the supposed treatment.

“Obviously there have been some very good reports,” Trump said in response to questions about hydroxychloroquine at a Tuesday press briefing. “Perhaps this one’s not a good report, but we’ll be looking at it.”

Trump had been relentlessly pushing the drug as a therapy for coronavirus, including during public updates by the coronavirus taskforce in the White House briefing room.

An analysis showed that nearly a third of veterans at US military hospitals died when treated with hydroxychloroquine, a greater fraction than patients who received standard treatment.

“These findings highlight the importance of awaiting the results of ongoing prospective, randomized, controlled studies before widespread adoption of these drugs,” researchers wrote.

Dr Stephen Hahn, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner, cautioned against drawing firm conclusions from the 368-patient sample, as it was still a limited trial and its findings have not been peer-reviewed.

“This study is a small retrospective study at the VA [veterans affairs department],” Hahn said. ‘This is something that a doctor would need to consider as part of a decision in writing a prescription for hydroxychloroquine.”

Trump earlier authorized the deployment of more than 25m doses of the drug from the national stockpile, creating a scarcity for those who use it to treat malaria, lupus and other illnesses.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/22/trump-hydroxychloroquine-study-coronavirus

Incidentally, one of my friends works in medical drug research and said one of the other pre-existing drugs being tested (I won't say what it is) is looking promising so far- fingers crossed.

From the National Bureau of Economic Research: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/02/the-link-between-unemployment-and-suicide/

Keep your mental health up guys. I see a few people around me not being able to deal with this well.

A friend sent me this tweet, which made me search for the above link to verify. It seems that we have reached the apex though, so hope unemployment doesn't go much higher.

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/NBSaphierMD/status/1252776683129708545

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/dont-wear-mask-yourself/610336/

Research shows that even a cotton mask dramatically reduces the number of virus particles emitted from our mouths—by as much as 99 percent. This reduction provides two huge benefits. Fewer virus particles mean that people have a better chance of avoiding infection, and if they are infected, the lower viral-exposure load may give them a better chance of contracting only a mild illness.

Models show that if 80 percent of people wear masks that are 60 percent effective, easily achievable with cloth, we can get to an effective R0 of less than one. That’s enough to halt the spread of the disease. Many countries already have more than 80 percent of their population wearing masks in public, including Hong Kong, where most stores deny entry to unmasked customers, and the more than 30 countries that legally require masks in public spaces, such as Israel, Singapore, and the Czech Republic. Mask use in combination with physical distancing is even more powerful.

So - I think the government, rather than send out another round of checks full of cash, should instead ask industry to create enough masks for everyone, and then hand them out everywhere - schools, hospitals - just like we do with getting flu shots.

And make it a simple crime to, until we have a vaccine, be out in public without one.

franco12 wrote:I think we could all come out of isolation if everyone wore a cloth mask

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/dont-wear-mask-yourself/610336/

Research shows that even a cotton mask dramatically reduces the number of virus particles emitted from our mouths—by as much as 99 percent. This reduction provides two huge benefits. Fewer virus particles mean that people have a better chance of avoiding infection, and if they are infected, the lower viral-exposure load may give them a better chance of contracting only a mild illness.

Models show that if 80 percent of people wear masks that are 60 percent effective, easily achievable with cloth, we can get to an effective R0 of less than one. That’s enough to halt the spread of the disease. Many countries already have more than 80 percent of their population wearing masks in public, including Hong Kong, where most stores deny entry to unmasked customers, and the more than 30 countries that legally require masks in public spaces, such as Israel, Singapore, and the Czech Republic. Mask use in combination with physical distancing is even more powerful.

So - I think the government, rather than send out another round of checks full of cash, should instead ask industry to create enough masks for everyone, and then hand them out everywhere - schools, hospitals - just like we do with getting flu shots.

And make it a simple crime to, until we have a vaccine, be out in public without one.

It should be all of the above, monthly payments (with some qualifications), gloves, and absolutely mandatory wearing when in tight situations.

NotInMyHouse wrote:We are now in dangerous territory (regarding losing lives) keeping the economy shut down (though luckily that looks to be changing.) We very well can have more deaths from suicides, opiate overdoses, etc. due to unemployment than from the Wuhan / CV19 virus.

From the National Bureau of Economic Research: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/02/the-link-between-unemployment-and-suicide/

Keep your mental health up guys. I see a few people around me not being able to deal with this well.

A friend sent me this tweet, which made me search for the above link to verify. It seems that we have reached the apex though, so hope unemployment doesn't go much higher.

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/NBSaphierMD/status/1252776683129708545

There is no doubt in my mind that the world is being tested to the max and will so for at least 2 years. And different cultures are showing how they view community and are defining quite brightly how they will help the less fortunate.

IMHO America is failing miserably.

And FYI Dan B is a quack even if the topic he is trying to address is a serious one

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/GannettAlbany/status/1253354353110310912

Allanfan20 wrote:Sooooooooooo, yesterday Trump suggested we inject people with disinfectants. It’s not the fact that he suggested such a thing that I am scared of, believe it or not. It’s the fact that this fool has millions upon millions of people who actually think he should be the president of the United States of America. That is the really scary thing.

Don't forget the "Hit the Body With Tremendous Light". There is going to be a lot of very tan Trumpers out there.