- The state of Florida has fired the data scientist who maintained their Covid-19 statistics website. She claims she was fired for refusing to manipulate the data or to block researchers from exporting it. This comes days after Georgia’s Public Health Department (and Governor Kemp) had to apologize for publishing a chart which manipulated the data to make it appear that cases in the state are trending downward. They are not.
- Michael Flynn’s lawyers are asking the DC Appeals Court to either force Judge Sullivan to grant the DoJ motion to dismiss the case or to assign a new judge to the case. An amicus brief in the case signed by nearly 1,000 former federal prosecutors argues that Attorney General Barr is interfering in the case solely for political reasons.
- Trump has now blamed the VA study showing a fatality increase when using hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 on “Trump enemies.” It was not clear if he was referring to the patients or the doctors conducting the study. The FDA is still warning about using the drug outside of clinical trials, as the president claims to be doing.
- The president wrote a letter threatening to defund the American contribution to the World Health Organization. The letter claims the Who ignored a December Lancet article about the spread of the virus in Wuhan, China. Today the Lancet editors pointed out they didn’t publish anything about the virus until January 24. The president lied.
- Mike Pompeo said yesterday he was unaware that soon-to-be fired Inspector General Linick was investigating him. He lied. Pompeo refused to be interviewed by Linick regarding an arms sale to Saudi Arabia, but he answered Linick’s written questions.
- Asked what the president’s plan was to get 36 million Americans back to work, the president said he’s announced his plan and that the reporter was rude for asking the question. Trump frequently attacks reporters for asking basic routine questions.
