Moderna’s vaccine candidate was found to be 94.5% effective in clinical trials, the company announced last week.
The development process was unprecedentedly fast — only the team of Pfizer and BioNTech beat the newcomer in announcing results from a late-stage clinical trial.
It was also far more effective than expected: The Food and Drug Administration had said it would likely approve a candidate that showed at least 50% efficacy. Dr. Anthony Fauci had said he hoped for 70%.
Several high profile members of the Defense Policy Board were removed on Wednesday by the Trump administration, in yet another purge of longstanding foreign policy experts and national security establishment figures in the final days of the Trump era.
President Trump has pardoned Michael Flynn, the man who briefly served as his national security advisor before being taken down (and then charged and convicted of lying to investigators) in an effort that some have described as a deep state-backed setup.
Originally tweeted by Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) on November 26, 2020.
A dozen grocery stores around the state have been forced to close for two weeks because of a public health order issued by Gov. Michelle Grisham at a time when the state’s residents are suffering from record high unemployment and food insecurity, critics say.
Food Assistance Help-Lines
505-349-5340 or 575-523-4390
In what is the closest yet to a concession, President Trump agreed to let the GSA proceed with the Biden administration transition.
Dear Mr. Biden:
As the Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration, I have the ability under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, as amended, to make certain post-election resources and services available to assist in the event of a presidential transition. See 3 U.S.C. § 102 note (the “Act”). I take this role seriously and, because of recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results, am transmitting this letter today to make those resources and services available to you.
I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service, and I have always strived to do what is right. Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official—including those who work at the White House or GSA—with regard to the substance or timing of my decision. To be clear, I did not receive any direction to delay my determination. I did, however, receive threats online, by phone, and by mail directed at my safety, my family, my staff, and even my pets in an effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely. Even in the face of thousands of threats, I always remained committed to upholding the law.
Contrary to media reports and insinuations, my decision was not made out of fear or favoritism. Instead, I strongly believe that the statute requires that the GSA Administrator ascertain, not impose, the apparent president-elect. Unfortunately, the statute provides no procedures or standards for this process, so I looked to precedent from prior elections involving legal challenges and incomplete counts. GSA does not dictate the outcome of legal disputes and recounts, nor does it determine whether such proceedings are reasonable or justified. These are issues that the Constitution, federal laws, and state laws leave to the election certification process and decisions by courts of competent jurisdiction. I do not think that an agency charged with improving federal procurement and property management should place itself above the constitutionally-based election process. I strongly urge Congress to consider amendments to the Act.
As you know, the GSA Administrator does not pick or certify the winner of a presidential election. Instead, the GSA Administrator’s role under the Act is extremely narrow: to make resources and services available in connection with a presidential transition. As stated, because of recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results, I have determined that you may access the post-election resources and services described in I have determined that you may access the post-election resources and services described in Section 3 of the Act upon request. The actual winner of the presidential election will be determined by the electoral process detailed in the Constitution.
Section 7 of the Act and Public Law 116-159, dated October 1, 2020, which provides continuing appropriations until December 11, 2020, makes $6,300,000 available to you to carry out the provisions of Section 3 of the Act. In addition, $1,000,000 is authorized, pursuant to Public Law 116-159, to provide appointee orientation sessions and a transition directory. I remind you that Section 6 of the Act imposes reporting requirements on you as a condition for receiving services and funds from GSA.
If there is anything we can do to assist you, please contact Ms. Mary D. Gibed, the Federal Transition Coordinator.
On November 22, 1963, aboard Air Force One, immediately after being sworn into office as the 36th President of the United States, witnesses claim Lyndon Johnson turned to look at his friend, Texas Congressman Albert Thomas. White House photographer, Cecil Stoughton, captured the moment Congressman Thomas winked and smiled at Johnson. When asked about the wink, Cecil Stoughton is said to have stated that it could have been, “innocent or sinister and I have leaned to the latter.”
In a November 18, 2020 speech from the House floor, California Congressman Tom McClintock used what’s commonly known as sarcasm to mock California Governor Gavin Newsom’s hypocrisy and idiotic restrictions, after he violated his own mandates at an upscale dinner party last weekend.
This morning at 4:33am, President Trump posted the following Tweet in all caps as though it were a positive development.
The following are the opening paragraphs, in part, of an opinion piece written by Nick Griffin and published on November 16, 2020. Stick around to hear why I maintain Griffin misses the point.
Originally tweeted by CBS News (@CBSNews) on November 16, 2020.
Off the coast of Norway, at the bottom of the ocean, the giant Kraken slumbers. When he wakes to an empty stomach, he heads up to the ocean’s surface, bringing mighty ripples with him. Any ship that spots these ripples must flee or face destruction.
Originally tweeted by Daniel Chaitin (@danielchaitin7) on November 13, 2020.
