The White House and the European Union struck a deal Friday expected to ease the pain the Maine lobster industry has experienced under the Trump administration and its trade war with China.

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The deal would eliminate European Union tariffs on American lobster, a barrier that had largely closed the market to the U.S. since 2017, when a deal between Canada and the EU routed most European business to the northern neighbor. 

“This victory, which I advocated for, reopens this lucrative market to Maine lobster by putting it on a level playing field with Canadian lobster,” Sen. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsUS trade deal with EU a boon for lobster industry struggling under China tariffs Bush backs Collins with first endorsement of the 2020 cycle More than three dozen Fed alumni urge Senate to reject Judy Shelton MORE (R-Maine) wrote on Twitter.

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Friday’s deal slashes European tariffs on lobster that currently range between 8 percent and 30 percent, a move that could help the U.S. recapture a market that was once the destination for as much as 20 percent of American lobster.

The deal could provide relief to Maine lobster wholesalers who have seen losses as the Chinese market evaporated with tariffs as high as 35 percent. Maine lobster exports to China fell nearly 50 percent after the tariffs hit in 2018.

Annie Tselikis, executive director of the Maine Lobster Dealers’ Association, told The Hill the European market had been key for Maine lobster even before issues with China.

“Any ability to restore access to this formerly lucrative and critical export destination is very critical to this industry right now,” she said, as the coronavirus has ravaged key domestic markets for lobster such as restaurants and hotels. 

The rest of Maine’s delegation, all of whom caucus with Democrats, also viewed the news in the context of the multiple other issues still hanging over the industry.

“As they face the challenges of harmful retaliatory Chinese tariffs, the pandemic’s economic costs, and misguided federal regulations, there is no question that today’s agreement provides a welcome bit of good news for Maine’s lobster industry,” Sen. Angus KingAngus KingUS trade deal with EU a boon for lobster industry struggling under China tariffs Schumer on nixing the filibuster: ‘Nothing is off the table’ Maine delegation fears Trump won’t deliver on trade aid for lobster industry MORE (I) and Reps. Chellie PingreeRochelle (Chellie) PingreeUSPS changes blamed for deliveries of thousands of dead chicks: ‘We’ve never had a problem like this before’ Maine delegation fears Trump won’t deliver on trade aid for lobster industry Trump’s pitch to Maine lobstermen falls flat MORE (D) and Jared Golden (D) said in a release praising the renewed “level playing field.” 

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“There’s much more work to be done to protect Maine’s lobster industry and the coastal communities that rely on it, but this is a solid development.”

President TrumpDonald John TrumpCEO of National Enquirer parent company steps down Biden says he would shut US down amid pandemic if scientists said it was needed Warren calls for Postal Service board members to fire DeJoy or resign MORE has made several overtures to the Maine lobster industry this summer, as both Collins’s and his own election prospects in the state look increasingly challenging.

News of the deal landed just days after the entire state delegation reiterated its pleas for aid for the lobster industry similar to that given to Midwest farmers, who also lost a major market for corn, soybeans and pork due to the trade battle. 

Trump has directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish such a program for lobster, but the deadline to do so looms until Monday, and Maine’s delegation has said they still have yet to hear a word from the agency. 

“This 60-day period is now drawing to a close, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture has yet to take any further action. We urge you to keep the president’s promise and immediately assist the thousands of Mainers whose livelihoods depend on this critical industry,” Maine’s delegation wrote in a Wednesday letter to the agency.

Prior to Canada’s agreement with Europe, the U.S. was exporting $111 million in lobster to the continent. In exchange for the tariff elimination on lobster, the U.S. will cut its tariffs by 50 percent on $160 million in trade on products — from prepared meals to certain crystal glassware to cigarette lighters.

The deal is retroactive to Aug. 1, and will last for five years, though a release from Collins said the EU is expected to take steps to make it permanent.

“We intend for this package of tariff reductions to mark just the beginning of a process that will lead to additional agreements that create more free, fair, and reciprocal transatlantic trade,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert LighthizerRobert (Bob) Emmet LighthizerWhiskey, workers and friends caught in the trade dispute crossfire GOP senator warns quick vote on new NAFTA would be ‘huge mistake’ Pelosi casts doubt on USMCA deal in 2019 MORE said in a statement alongside the EU trade commission.

The Trump administration has announced several initiatives to help the Maine lobster industry this summer, but many of them have more political than practical value to the state’s fishery.

Trump traveled to the state in June to announce he was reversing protections for some 5,000 miles of ocean territory in a bid to open it to fishing.

But the area, Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, had never been closed to lobstering, and, even more critical for Maine lobstermen, lies 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod — far beyond the reach of Maine’s day-boat lobstermen.

“This doesn’t help the Maine fisherman at all,” Leroy Weed, 79, a longtime lobsterman from Stonington, told The Hill shortly after Trump’s announcement.

“There isn’t a boat in this harbor worth $2 million that could go out there and compete,” he said.

And the delays on aid — which Maine’s delegation has asked for for over a year — has them worried it may never come to fruition.

“Maine lobstermen, dealers, and processors have been hit hard by the President’s trade war—but the Administration hasn’t followed through on relief efforts like those given to farmers and ranchers. The Maine Delegation will keep pushing for this industry,” King tweeted Thursday.

—Updated at 4:24 p.m.

Iran unveiled a new cruise missile as well as a ballistic missile that it claims has a range of nearly 870 miles after the Trump administration announced its intent to reinstate sanctions on Tehran.

“The surface-to-surface missile, called martyr Qassem Soleimani, has a range of 1,400 km and the cruise missile, called martyr Abu Mahdi, has a range of over 1,000 km,” the country’s Defense Minister Amir Hatami said in a televised speech, Reuters reported Thursday.

Iranian officials said the weapons “will further strengthen Iran’s deterrence power,” as images of the armaments were shown on state TV.

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The missiles are named after Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian general, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an Iraqi militia commander, who were both killed in a U.S. drone strike in January while their convoy was traveling in Iraq near Baghdad’s airport.

The strike prompted retaliation from Iran, which fired ballistic missiles at an Iraqi base housing U.S. forces.

The strikes came amid steadily increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran that had been building since 2018 when President TrumpDonald John TrumpCEO of National Enquirer parent company steps down Biden says he would shut US down amid pandemic if scientists said it was needed Warren calls for Postal Service board members to fire DeJoy or resign MORE withdrew the United States from the Obama-era nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran.

Iran’s unveiling of the new missiles this week came almost immediately after the Trump administration announced that it had notified the United Nations that the U.S. is starting the process to reinstate all U.N. sanctions on Tehran that had been lifted under the 2015 deal.

The snapback sanctions will extend an arms embargo on Iran that was set to expire in October and further restrict the country from conducting ballistic missile testing, according to Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: Army seeks help in search for missing soldier | Biden vows to restore allies’ respect Iran unveils new ballistic cruise missiles after US triggers snapback sanctions Navy memo cites ‘problematic’ State request for Pompeo to get military housing in 2018 MORE.

Trump last week claimed he could reach a deal with Iranian leaders if he wins reelection in November.

“When we win we will have a deal [with Iran] within four weeks,” Trump said at a private fundraiser in New Jersey, recorded in a video shared by a Jewish Insider reporter.

Iran has rejected talks with the United States as long as the snapback sanctions are in place.

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A federal judge in Texas on Monday ruled in favor of a Black student whose school district forbade him to wear his hair in dreadlocks.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. issued a preliminary injunction against the Barbers Hill Independent School District in Mont Belvieu, allowing 16-year-old Kaden Bradford to wear dreadlocks without the threat of punishment, NBC News reported.

The ruling means Bradford will not be made to “endure an unjust and educationally-damaging in-school suspension simply for having uncut locs, which are an immutable part of his Black identity and cultural heritage,” said Janai Nelson, NAACP Legal Defense Fund associate director-counsel. The advocacy group represented Bradford in the legal challenge.

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The district had previously said that if Bradford did not cut his hair, he would be given in-school suspension and unable to participate in activities such as band, according to NBC.

Both Bradford and his cousin DeAndre Arnold were told in January they would have to cut their hair before returning to classes. Arnold, who graduated May, was told he would not be allowed to participate in his graduation ceremony with the hairstyle. Both boys’ families sued, claiming racial discrimination.

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The two cases prompted national outrage and an outpouring of support for both boys. Arnold was invited to attend the Academy Awards with filmmaker Matthew Cherry, whose short film “Hair Love” took home a prize at the ceremony.

Bradford, Hanks ruled, “has shown a substantial likelihood that his rights under the Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment will be violated if his motion for a preliminary injunction is denied, and he has additionally shown that he will receive either inferior instruction or no instruction if his motion is denied.”

Bradford and Arnold had both worn their hair in dreadlocks for years without incident until the school district, in December 2019, changed its policy and said they would be in violation based on the length of their hair when it was let down.

Stocks markets revived on Friday, leading the S&P 500 to a new record close.

The S&P closed up 12 points, or 0.3 percent, at 3,397, breaking its record earlier this week, which erased all its pandemic losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 190 points, or 0.7 percent, nearing its highest point since markets crashed in March.

The swift stock market recovery amid the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression had relied on significant stimulus from both the Federal Reserve and the federal government.

Markets have largely cast aside concerns about a slew of emergency benefits and programs that expired at the end of July, and continue to price in an eventual stimulus deal. Talks between the White House and Congressional Democrats fell apart two weeks ago and remain at a standstill.

On Thursday, Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiDemocrats prep ads, events to hit Trump during GOP convention Democrats look to capitalize after Biden’s big moment The Hill’s Convention Report: Postmaster General grilled | Looking ahead to GOP convention | Trump campaign passes billion in spending MORE (D-Calif.) rejected the idea of voting on stand-alone relief legislation.

 

 

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Russia offered to help the U.S. with the coronavirus vaccine, but the U.S. declined, Russian officials told CNN Thursday. 

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Russian officials told the network that they proposed “unprecedented cooperation” with the U.S.’s Operation Warp Speed, the initiative to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. But the Russian officials said the “U.S. is not currently open” to their assistance. 

“There is a general sense of mistrust of Russia on the American side and we believe that technologies — including vaccine, testing and treatments — are not being adopted in US because of that mistrust,” a senior Russian official told CNN.

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U.S. officials told CNN that Russia’s vaccine is not considered to be well-developed, with one American public health official saying, “There’s no way in hell the US tries this (Russian vaccine) on monkeys, let alone people.”

The report comes after Russia announced Tuesday that it had created a COVID-19 vaccine and Russian President Vladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich PutinRussia offered help with coronavirus vaccine, US declined: report Bill Gates: ‘We’d be lucky’ to have coronavirus vaccine before end of 2020 Russia says coronavirus vaccine will be ready for doctors in two weeks MORE said his daughter had taken it.

Russian officials told CNN that the country remains willing to give information about the vaccine and permit U.S. pharmaceutical companies to develop it. Some American firms are interested in the vaccine, but their names have not been released, according to the news source.

The Russian officials said the U.S. should “seriously consider adopting” the vaccine named Sputnik V.

“If our vaccine proves to be one of the most effective, questions will be asked why the US did not explore this option any deeper, why politics got in way of access to a vaccine,” one senior Russian official told the network.

Experts have expressed doubts about the effectiveness of Russia’s vaccine as the country has not released its testing data and made the vaccine available before completing the third phase of testing, which was slated to begin Wednesday. 

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Still, Russia reports at least 20 countries in Latin America, the Middle East and Asia have said they are interested in the vaccine. 

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday the president was briefed on the vaccine but said that U.S. vaccines go through “rigorous” testing.

A senior American official and adviser to the government told CNN the U.S. does not have any procured samples of the Russia vaccine.

“They have enough disease now in Russia that they could conduct clinical trials but they don’t appear to have done that at a large enough scale,” the adviser said. “There have been no trials of this vaccine. They’ve done too little work on humans to decide if it works on a larger scale. We’re talking totally inadequate safety data.”

President TrumpDonald John TrumpFive takeaways from the Democratic National Convention What we’ll remember from the 2020 Biden convention Chris Wallace labels Biden’s acceptance speech ‘enormously effective’ MORE is seeking to project the image of a law-and-order candidate as he faces a competitive reelection bid against former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenFive takeaways from the Democratic National Convention What we’ll remember from the 2020 Biden convention Chris Wallace labels Biden’s acceptance speech ‘enormously effective’ MORE, but some are questioning the timing and effectiveness of his strategy.

Trump has made his support for law enforcement and police departments clear amid protests over racial inequality that erupted nationwide earlier this year, forming a political wedge that divides him from the Black Lives Matter movement and Democrats.

“I STAND FOR LAW AND ORDER AND I TOOK ACTION!” Trump tweeted Thursday evening, during the Democratic National Convention, adding that “Sleepy Joe Biden and the Radical Left excuses violence and crime in their Democrat-run cities.”

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Democrats have embraced this year’s demonstrators, remaining comparatively mum during outbursts of looting, vandalism and violence against police officers. And the president has seized on their response, repeatedly bashing Democratic leaders over crime rates in major cities and their treatment of local law enforcement.

While some on the left call to defund the police, Trump has advocated for aggressive and controversial policing tactics, including threatening to deploy federal law enforcement to more U.S. cities after sending forces to Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C., despite pushback from state and local officials.

Some pollsters, GOP strategists and Republicans, however, argue the president’s law-and-order approach is not a winning campaign message when voters are focused on the devastation wrought by COVID-19.

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“There doesn’t seem to be much evidence that it’s working,” said Geoffrey Skelley, an elections analyst at the polling firm FiveThirtyEight. “The coronavirus pandemic is top of mind for people. It outweighs all the other issues, and the president gets very poor marks for his handling of it. That’s a really big problem for him.”

According to Gallup’s monthly poll on what respondents consider the “most important problem” in the U.S., the top three issues were the coronavirus, “the government/poor leadership” and the economy — which is closely tied to the pandemic. Race relations ranked fourth.

With a majority of voters disapproving of the president’s handling of the global health crisis, which has seen nearly 6 million cases and roughly 175,000 deaths in the U.S., Biden leads Trump in polls nationally and in most swing states.

Still, some House Republicans argue the law-and-order message, which echoes the approach former President Nixon took in 1968, works at this point in time because they can tie Biden’s campaign to the progressive push to defund the police.

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“I think the messaging could work because you have two individuals that are running on a platform that supports defunding the police,” said GOP Rep. Denver RigglemanDenver RigglemanLoomer win creates bigger problem for House GOP Republicans shrug off Kasich’s Democratic convention speech Internal poll shows neck-and-neck race brewing in Virginia House contest MORE (Va.).

Neither Biden nor his running mate, Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala HarrisFive takeaways from the Democratic National Convention What we’ll remember from the 2020 Biden convention The nine biggest Democratic National Convention moments that got everyone talking MORE (D-Calif.), have endorsed defunding police departments. Nevertheless, the Trump campaign has insisted that the law-and-order approach is a winning issue and has leaned into messaging and ads that depict a country that would not be safe under Biden’s leadership.

“Biden will destroy your neighborhood and your American Dream. I will preserve it, and make it even better!” the president wrote in a tweet last month directed at “Suburban Housewives.”

Trump’s tough-on-crime approach is not new. During the heated 2016 presidential race, he ran saying he would destroy terrorist organizations and build a southern border wall to, as he claimed, keep out drug lords, rapists and other criminals. He also advocated for bringing back tough anti-crime policies.

That year, Trump received endorsements from major police groups such as the Fraternal Order of Police, which bills itself as the largest police union in the country.

And more police unions have endorsed Trump this cycle.

Most recently, the president was endorsed by the New York City Police Department union, which represents roughly 24,000 members. Union President Patrick Lynch praised Trump for his support and lamented that the city’s law enforcement officers were falsely being described as “evil.”

“I cannot remember when we’ve ever endorsed for the office of president of the United States, until now. That’s how important this is,” Lynch said, to which Trump responded he is “anti-crime and pro-cop all the way.”

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Additionally, Trump’s Justice Department has recently expanded Operation Legend, a program that sends law enforcement officials to U.S. cities including Chicago and Kansas City, Mo., in an effort to combat violent crime.

A recent ABC News-Washington Post poll found Trump triumphed over Biden in assessments of safety from violent crime, with 25 percent of those polled saying crime would be better under Biden, while 32 percent say it would be worse. Forty-one percent said it would likely be the same under either Trump or Biden.

Biden, however, tops the president on how viewers believe he will handle race relations, as well as the coronavirus pandemic.

The same poll found 46 percent of respondents believe race relations would be better under Biden than Trump, compared with 20 percent who said it would be worse — a 26-point margin. Biden also had a 22-point margin in terms of voters viewing him as better than Trump in handling the COVID-19 response.

But Biden’s decision to pick Harris as his running mate could help him on the issue. The first Black woman on a major party presidential ticket is expected to draw out Black and minority voters, but Harris, a former prosecutor who also served as California’s attorney general, could boost the ticket on its perceptions of addressing crime.

Republicans are already working on ways to poke holes in her record.

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Some GOP members have indicated that they plan to replicate the attacks Rep. Tulsi GabbardTulsi GabbardNY Democrat Omeed Malik joins Daily Caller as minority investor, contributing editor Trump and allies grapple with how to target Harris It’s Harris — and we’re not surprised MORE (D-Hawaii) waged against Harris during the Democratic primary debates last year on issues such as overcrowding in California prisons, allegations of prosecutorial misconduct and initially resisting appeals for DNA testing from a death row inmate.

“When you were in a position to impact these people’s lives you did not,” Gabbard said to Harris. “And worse yet, in the case of those on death row, innocent people, you actually blocked evidence that would have freed them, until you were forced to do that, and the people who suffered under your reign as prosecutor, you owe them an apology.”

House Minority Whip Steve ScaliseStephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseLoomer win creates bigger problem for House GOP Republicans shrug off Kasich’s Democratic convention speech House Republicans allege Democrats are fabricating USPS crisis MORE (R-La.) said Gabbard raised the “biggest issue” of concern about Harris’s record: “That she concealed the evidence during a capital murder trial.”

“That part of her record is going to be scrutinized in a way that it never got scrutiny in the primaries,” Scalise told The Hill.

Still, while Trump’s law-and-order message may pull in some voters during the final months of the campaign, Skelley and others noted how the president’s actions and rhetoric over the explosive national moment following the May death of George Floyd in police custody — including the administration’s forceful clearing of peaceful protesters in D.C. — ultimately gave Biden a boost in the polls.

“You saw the president … do things that seemingly were an attempt to sort of showcase an aggressive law-and-order stance, and Joe Biden got out to like an 8-point lead nationally after being up 5, 6 points before that,” said Skelley. “It’s been pretty steady there ever since.”

—Juliegrace Brufke contributed.

A California court ordered President TrumpDonald John TrumpCEO of National Enquirer parent company steps down Biden says he would shut US down amid pandemic if scientists said it was needed Warren calls for Postal Service board members to fire DeJoy or resign MORE to pay $44,100 to Stephanie Clifford, the adult film actress known as Stormy Daniels, to cover her legal fees regarding her nondisclosure agreement. 

The order from California Superior Court Judge Robert Broadbelt, which was filed on Monday but posted online Friday by Clifford’s attorneys, surrounds a $130,000 nondisclosure agreement (NDA) with former attorney Michael CohenMichael Dean CohenCEO of National Enquirer parent company steps down Ethics panel rebukes Gaetz for tweet targeting Cohen Five takeaways on Bannon’s indictment MORE in his capacity representing Trump. Clifford and Cohen both say Trump had an affair with the actress from 2006 to 2007, claims the president denies.

Clifford first sued Trump in 2018 to try to be released from the agreement, and Trump’s lawyers agreed out of court not to countersue or enforce the NDA. Clifford’s suit was ultimately dismissed, and her claims ruled moot since the NDA had been deemed unenforceable.

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This week’s decision was the culmination of Clifford’s efforts to be reimbursed by Trump for the legal expenses related to the case. 

Broadbelt ruled that Clifford was entitled to be reimbursed for the legal fees after deciding she was the “prevailing party” under California law even though the case was dismissed. 

He also dismissed arguments from Trump’s attorneys that he was not responsible for covering the fees because he did not sign the NDA, ruling that because Trump had reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000 and since the president’s legal team had argued that a defamation suit from Clifford should be handled by an NDA arbiter, Trump was effectively a party to the deal.

Welcome to Wednesday’s Overnight Health Care. 

The Supreme Court set the date for arguments in the latest ObamaCare case; New York City has hit a record low test positivity rate; and House Democrats are seeking a federal probe of HHS’ decision to shift COVID-19 data reporting from the CDC to a third-party.

We’ll start with ObamaCare:

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Supreme Court to hear ObamaCare arguments one week after November election

Oral arguments for the Trump administration-backed lawsuit to strike down the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be heard at the Supreme Court on Nov. 10, just one week after the presidential election.

If successful, the lawsuit would result in 20 million people losing health insurance while the country is in the middle of a pandemic. President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: Obama enters battle, enraging Trump Harris pledges to fight for country’s ideals in accepting VP nomination Pelosi paints Trump and McConnell as twin impediments to progress MORE and congressional Republicans have no replacement plan.

Democrats have been hammering Trump over his position on health care, and the lawsuit is hanging over GOP campaigns across the country. That’s likely to continue.

Vulnerable Republican lawmakers up for reelection have largely dodged questions about their position on the lawsuit, given the law’s popularity and how Democrats’ defense of the ACA helped them win back the House in 2018.

Why it matters: Since arguments won’t be heard until after the election, the administration has some political cover. A decision likely won’t come until the spring. 

Read more here.

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Positive COVID-19 tests hit record low in New York City

The percentage of COVID-19 tests coming back positive has reached a record low in New York City, Mayor Bill de BlasioBill de BlasioOvernight Health Care: Supreme Court to hear ObamaCare arguments 1 week after election | NYC positive COVID-19 tests hit record low NYPD used facial recognition software during investigation targeting Black Lives Matter activist Positive COVID-19 tests hit record low in New York City MORE (D) said Wednesday, a sign that enough people are being tested and that the city has control of the virus.

“This is extraordinary,” de Blasio said during a press conference.

“Now we all know every day can vary. We all know there is no single perfect measure, but the fact that with expanded testing and more and more outreach all the time, you now see a number as low as 0.24 percent for the New York City infection rate, this is striking,” he said.

The World Health Organization recommends a test positivity rate of 5 percent or less before communities safely reopen. Rates in New York city and New York state are among the lowest in the nation.

“This should be a … call for all of us to double down and go further because the more we can do to beat down this virus, the more we can bring back this city,” de Blasio said.

Context: According to Johns Hopkins University, 18 states and the District of Columbia have test positivity rates of 5 percent or lower, while 32 states and Puerto Rico are higher. New York, which has taken aggressive measures to slow the spread of COVID, has been upheld as the gold standard by some experts.

Read more here.

 

A grim milestone: Florida passes 10,000 coronavirus deaths

Florida on Wednesday surpassed 10,000 deaths from COVID-19, according to state figures, almost six months since the first case was identified in the state.

The state reported 174 new deaths Wednesday, bringing its total since the pandemic began to 10,067. Half of all COVID-19 deaths in the state have occurred in just the last month.

Florida joins New York, New Jersey, California and Texas as a state where COVID-19 fatalities have reached five digits.

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According to state officials, Florida has now gone a full week with daily positivity rates below 10 percent. But the state health department reportedly does not count positive retests, only the initial negative test, leading to an inaccurate lower rate.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the state’s seven-day rolling average positivity rate is 16.4 percent.

Read more here.

 

House Dems call for probe into transfer of COVID data

Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, led by Chairman Frank Pallone  Jr. (N.J.), asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Wednesday to review changes made by the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) COVID-19 data collection protocols.

Hospitals were ordered by HHS to stop sending data on capacity to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and instead send it to a new third-party platform developed by a private company.

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The data is used to determine what hospitals get shipments of Remdesivir — one of the only proven COVID-19 treatments — but hospital administrators have said they were given no notice about the new requirements and they have had challenges with the new platform. 

“Not only have HHS’s actions seemingly sidelined the nation’s top public health officials, but they have also reportedly led to unnecessary confusion, additional burden on critical COVID-19 response professionals, and the loss of timely and reliable data, all in the midst of the pandemic when people’s lives are at stake,” Pallone, Rep. Anna EshooAnna Georges EshooOvernight Health Care: Supreme Court to hear ObamaCare arguments 1 week after election | NYC positive COVID-19 tests hit record low Health misinformation has been viewed nearly 4 billion times on Facebook over past year: study Two Democrats call for criminal inquiry of postmaster general MORE (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the health subcommittee, and Rep. Diana Degette (D-Colo.), chairwoman of the Oversight subcommittee, wrote in a letter to GAO Comptroller Gene Dodaro. 

“We are concerned that these reporting changes undermine the nation’s COVID-19 response efforts, and therefore request that the Government Accountability Office review the process and impacts of these changes.”

The CDC and the Trump administration have maintained that the agency still has access to the data but “the new reporting processes raise transparency concerns around how the data may be reviewed and its vulnerability to manipulation to hide the severity of the pandemic,” the lawmakers wrote. 

Read the letter here.

 

Poll: Disapproval of Trump’s handling of the pandemic hits record high

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The percentage of Americans who say they disapprove of President Trump‘s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has hit an all-time-high in a new CNN poll.

In the survey released Wednesday, 58 percent of Americans say they don’t approve of the way Trump has responded to the outbreak. Just over half — 55 percent — predict that the worst of the pandemic is yet to come.

More Americans also report feeling angry about the state of affairs in the U.S. than ever before in a CNN poll, with 51 percent of respondents saying they are “very angry” about the current state of the country.

A majority, 52 percent, also say they are not comfortable returning to their normal pre-pandemic lives with the current levels of new infections in the country, and 57 percent say schools in their area should not open for in-person learning. The divide is narrower among parents, but more than half — 52 percent — say schools should remain remote for the fall.

Read more here.

 

What we’re reading

When surgeons fail their trans patients (Jezebel)

Local officials in China hid coronavirus dangers from Beijing, U.S. agencies find (The New York Times) 

FDA’s emergency approval of blood plasma is now on hold (The New York Times) 

 

State by state

As Georgia reopened, officials knew of severe shortage of PPE for health workers (Kaiser Health News)

‘Unusable’ coronavirus tests results plague Test Iowa (The Gazette)

As Maine confronts spending cuts, advocates hope for federal aid to spare Medicaid (Bangor Daily News) 

 

Op-eds in The Hill

Essential workers are in critical condition 

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Facebook is preparing a contingency plan for if President TrumpDonald John TrumpCEO of National Enquirer parent company steps down Biden says he would shut US down amid pandemic if scientists said it was needed Warren calls for Postal Service board members to fire DeJoy or resign MORE tries to use the platform to delegitimize the results of this year’s presidential election, The New York Times reported Friday.

Mark ZuckerbergMark Elliot ZuckerbergHillicon Valley: Hackers eye students returning to virtual classes as easy targets | Postmaster General testifies ballots will be prioritized | Shipt acknowledges tipping error, will begin quarterly reviews On The Money: Judge denies Trump’s request for a stay on subpoena for tax records | Home sales skyrocket amid pandemic | S&P 500 sets new record Facebook preparing plans in case Trump seeks to delegitimize election: report MORE and some senior members of the company have reportedly discussed a “kill switch” to shut off political advertising after election day.

Political advertising is not fact-checked on the platform, and sources told the Times that Facebook employees are worried that exception could be used to spread misinformation.

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Facebook did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill.

A spokesperson for the platform declined to comment on any specific post-election strategies in a statement to the Times.

“We continue to plan for a range of scenarios to make sure we are prepared for the upcoming election,” they said.

Trump has already begun to question the credibility of the upcoming election, in particular by spreading falsehoods about mail-in voting.

Because of the risks of the coronavirus pandemic, more Americans are expected to rely on mail-in voting that ever before.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) on Friday revised its coronavirus treatment guidelines, recommending that the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine not be used for COVID-19 patients. 

The IDSA initially only recommended against the use of the drug in conjunction with the antibiotic azithromycin. The updated guideline marking a tougher stance on the drug praised by President TrumpDonald John TrumpCEO of National Enquirer parent company steps down Biden says he would shut US down amid pandemic if scientists said it was needed Warren calls for Postal Service board members to fire DeJoy or resign MORE.

“IDSA’s expert guidelines panel concluded that higher certainty benefits (e.g., mortality reduction) for the use of these treatments are now highly unlikely even if additional high quality data would become available,” the group said in a statement obtained by Bloomberg News.

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The ISDA says it based its recommendations on trials of the drug. One study cited by the ISDA found COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine who were not on a ventilators “were more likely to be placed on a mechanical ventilation during follow up.”

Trump took the medication to prevent contracting COVID-19 earlier this year, and has repeatedly praised the drug as a treatment for the virus. 

Demand for hydroxychloroquine soared after Trump began promoting it, leading to shortages. The drug isn’t approved to treat COVID-19, but it is used to treat lupus, arthritis and malaria. Doctors have warned, however, that the drug can cause serious heart problems.

U.S. health officials initially made allowances for the drugs to be used as a potential treatment, but follow up studies prompted reversals from the Food and Drug Administration as well as the National Institutes of Health.

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