…so little love for the bakers these days…
Trump dominating media attention with unfiltered daily press briefings
by Leandra Bernstein
Tuesday, April 7th 2020
WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — They've become a nightly ritual for millions of Americans who are stuck at home. Around the time most local TV stations typically air the nightly news, President Donald Trump and members of the White House coronavirus task force break in for an update on the coronavirus pandemic.
It's the very definition of must-see television. Americans are tuned in, many are worried and looking for answers at a time of widespread uncertainty, regardless of whether they like the president or hate him.
According to polling by the Trump campaign, 84% of likely voters watch all part of the president's daily briefings.
Politically, they appear to have buoyed Trump, at least temporarily. A Gallup Poll from the end of March found that 60% of Americans approved of Trump's handling of the pandemic. A Morning Consult survey released Monday suggested that the support declined over the past week to 49%.
Trump's overall job approval is up to 47%, up more than 5% over recent months.
“Americans want to see their president out front and leading in a time of crisis and that’s exactly what President Trump is doing," said Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign
communications director. "He is keeping people informed about what their government is doing to protect their safety and safeguard the economy."
Some critics have questioned the polls as well as Trump's leadership in the face of the pandemic, but the bump in approval matches the country's historic response.
"In times of crisis, and the current pandemic is arguably the most serious crisis faced by anyone under 75, Americans tend to rally behind their president," said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University's Baker Institute.
https://foxlexington.com/news/nation-world/trump-is-dominating-media-attention-with-unfiltered-daily-press-briefings
Approximately 35 companies and academic institutions are racing to create vaccines and cures for coronavirus. Here’s how a few of them are doing.
• In Hematology Advisor, Vicki Moore reports that a research team at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, have identified a serological method (study of blood serum, notably the response of the immune system to pathogens or introduced substances) to detect seroconversion (the period of time in which antibodies first become detectable) on those infected with COVID-19.
• The biotech firm Moderna, together with China’s CanSino Biologics, have launched small clinical trials to test their vaccine’s safety and potential to trigger immune responses. Healthy volunteers, aged 18-55, are now participating in the Phase 1 study.
• Johnson & Johnson said it could have a vaccine by early 2021. The company is planning to start clinical trials in September, and has begun investing in a rapid production capability to make the vaccine at scale should it prove safe and effective.
• A potential vaccine was created in a University of Pittsburgh lab. Scientists at the lab announced that when tested in mice, the vaccine produced antibodies that could potentially fight off the virus. While human testing typically requires at least a year, the researchers are working with federal agencies to speed the process.
The Takeaway:
If we can maintain our social distancing, flatten the curve and find a cure, we should be able to get through this with enough of our bodies and minds intact to witness the creation of a vaccine.
campaignlive.com
TY Anon
'Wuhan virus' no more: US and China in truce
GOAL TO 'KEEP TRUMP CALM'
From China's standpoint, the friction also has limited benefits, especially when Beijing is seeking to cast itself around the world as a pandemic benefactor.
The State Department's Global Engagement Center, which tracks foreign propaganda, says Chinese state social media have already phased out conspiracy theories blaming the United States.
For China, the goal is to "keep Trump calm and to try to prevent unnecessary damage from taking place, and keeping that channel open between you and Trump," said Douglas Paal, a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Mr Paal, a former Asia adviser to presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, said that China also had an eye on US elections in November.
China's top priority is to revive global demand for its exports and initially thought that Trump's re-election would be its best outcome, fearing that the rival Democrats would intervene more forcefully on human rights as well as on trade, Mr Paal said.
But Mr Paal was struck by an overall positive portrayal in Chinese state media of Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee.
Mr Biden as vice-president invested heavily in building a relationship with Mr Xi, China's most powerful leader in decades.
China also sees a "historic strategic opportunity" to expand its power as Mr Trump has weakened US alliances, Mr Paal said.
"My reading of the official media suggests that they're less committed to getting Trump re-elected than they were a year ago," Mr Paal said.
"And therefore they don't have as many ambitions for doing things with Trump. They can stand back and just take care of their own interests."
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/wuhan-virus-no-more-us-and-china-in-truce
John Calipari Confirms Bill Clinton, Mark Cuban, and Dr. Fauci as Guests on “Coffee With Cal”
By Zack Geoghegan | April 7, 2020 | 7:00pm
Starting Monday, April 13 at 10 a.m. Kentucky head coach John Calipari will host a Facebook live stream titled “Coffee With Cal”, and he has just confirmed his first three guests; Mark Cuban, President Bill Clinton, and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Every Monday for the next 25 weeks, Calipari’s show will “feature positive messaging and conversation with high-profile guests from the world of sports, leadership, business and entertainment”, according to his website. Cuban, the current owner of the Dallas Mavericks and one of the main investors on the popular TV series Shark Tank, is set to be Cal’s first guest.
Following Cuban will be Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, and Dr. Fauci, the lead doctor on President Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force. Dr. Fauci has been making his rounds lately in his attempts to bring more awareness to the coronavirus among sports communities, recently appearing in a one-on-one conversation with NBA superstar Steph Curry on Instagram.
We started this process by teaming up with Fayette County Schools and were able to feed kids and families from 37 elementary schools across the Lexington Area,” Calipari said, according to CoachCal.com. “This new platform allows us to expand the initiative nationally.”
Calipari had already announced on Monday that Cuban and Dr. Fauci would be potential guests, along with ESPN sportscaster Dick Vitale, but Clinton was a surprise addition. Cal did tease that a former president could make an appearance, but he didn’t want to “mention names yet.” It should be an entertaining duo, to say the least.
Each episode will stream LIVE at 10 a.m. every Monday, which you can view by going to Calipari’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JohnCalipariFantasyExperience. Just make sure to have one tab open for KSR’s daily call-in show, too.
https://kentuckysportsradio.com/basketball-2/john-calipari-confirms-bill-clinton-mark-cuban-and-dr-fauci-as-guests-on-coffee-with-cal/