Trump admits 'playing' down COVID threat. Wildfires the size of Connecticut rage in the West. It's Wednesday's news.
President Donald Trump is on tape saying he was playing down the threat of COVID-19. We could be facing a substantial delay filling prescriptions. And (*looks at the Pacific Northwest sky outside*) it's beginning to look a lot like the apocalypse.
But first, we need to have the talk... the quarantine talk: Travel concerns in the coronavirus era are causing a lot of family drama.
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Trump knew the coronavirus was 'deadly stuff'
President Donald Trump told journalist Bob Woodward in a recorded interview that despite knowing how "deadly" and serious the coronavirus pandemic would be for Americans and the world, he wanted to "play it down" and wanted to continue to do so. In interviews for Woodward's book "Rage," Trump acknowledged Feb. 7 that the coronavirus was "deadly stuff," and "more deadly than your – even your strenuous flus." While Trump discussed the threat of the virus to Woodward, he continued to assure the public that the virus would "go away." "I wanted to always play it down," Trump told Woodward on March 19, according to excerpts obtained by CNN. Experts warned that Trump's downplaying of the virus might have a negative impact on Americans' efforts to curb the spread. But Trump has largely blamed China for the spread of the virus in the United States.
This combination of file photos created September 4, 2018 show Associate Editor of the Washington Post Bob Woodward (L) speaking at the Newseum during an event marking the 40th anniversary of Watergate at the Newseum in Washington, DC June 13, 2012; and US President Donald Trump speaking during an event to announce a grant for drug-free communities support program, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 29, 2018.
MANDEL NGAN, AFP/Getty Images
The sky is glowing orange
More than 90 major wildfires relentlessly raging across the West have burned more than 5,300 square miles — an area almost the size of Connecticut. Heavy winds and high heat Wednesday continued to fuel flames, forcing more mass evacuations as firefighters battled for another day to protect homes and lives. About 40 wildfires were burning on Wednesday in California alone, with blazes also reported in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming and Montana.
Just last night, Short List reader Ali Amaya was on the phone with her dad as he navigated past blocked roads and traffic jams to safety from wildfires closing in on his home in Talent, Oregon. It was "so scary and stressful hearing him and all his neighbors screaming," she said. The scorching wildfires have created some surreal, nightmarish scenes in neighborhoods as skies glow orange as blazes continue to rage.
A State Trooper leave the Oregon State Capitol as a combination of high winds and multiple wildfires cause smoke, poor air quality and low visibility at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Oregon on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020.
Fauci: Vaccine trial pause is unfortunate but not uncommon
A day after a vaccine maker hit pause on its COVID-19 clinical trial following an "unexplained illness," the nation's top health experts said Wednesday that the delay shows the degree of safety going into testing the candidate vaccines. AstraZeneca, one of the companies racing to make a coronavirus vaccine, said Tuesday that it was investigating an adverse reaction in a trial participant in the United Kingdom and paused its COVID-19 clinical trials worldwide. The interruption represents the first major hiccup in what has been a remarkably smooth path in the historically rapid global vaccine effort, but Dr. Anthony Fauci said such pauses are not uncommon. "It's really one of the safety valves that you have on clinical trials such as this, so it's unfortunate that it happened," Fauci said. The news comes as the United States on track to record its 190,000th death from COVID-19.
Senate report finds 'significant' prescription drug delivery delays
A report released Wednesday by two Democratic senators found "significant and increasing delays" in the mail delivery of prescription drugs under the tenure of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. The lawmakers in charge of the investigation – Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts – said some of the nation's largest pharmacies told them they were experiencing, on average, delivery delays of 18-32%, meaning deliveries that would normally take 1-2 days would instead take 3-4 days, the report concluded. The senators said the delays could pose "serious health risks to millions of Americans and (increase) costs for consumers and taxpayers."
Here's how much Joe Biden gets in Social Security benefits
Social Security is responsible for providing monthly benefits to more than 64 million people, and one of those beneficiaries just happens to be Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden. We know you're curious: How much does he get? Around $50,000 a year. In 2018 – the most recent tax filing that Biden made available as part of his presidential campaign – Joe and Jill Biden received $49,545 from Social Security. That's not a ton compared with the $4.58 million the couple reported in adjusted gross income. However, the amount the Bidens received is certainly on the upper end of the spectrum.
I'll be out next week, Short List friends! But my brilliant colleagues will be sure to bring you the news you heard about but didn't have time to read in my stead. I'll be back in action Sept. 21 (don't worry, I'm not sick).
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