January 1, Coronavirus: Public Health Emergency

This Day in History | 2004

While performing a duet with Janet Jackson during Super Bowl XXXVIII, Justin Timberlake briefly exposed one of her breasts in what was later described as a “wardrobe malfunction”, and “nipplegate.” 

Good morning Middle Americans, 

Like a lot of you, we are closely watching the situation with the deadly coronavirus. The federal government continues to take precautions that make the situation sound dire. While it is scary, it’s important to realize that the current coronavirus we are hearing so much about only have a 3% mortality rate. Where as the Ebola virus has about a 70% mortality rate. It is certainly something to watch, but take a deep breat, use the normal precautions, wipe your hands, etc… 

And it looks like the Senate impeachment trial of president Trump will die with a wimpier. The Republican controlled chamber voted last night to reject any additional witnesses and documents from being entered into evidence. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will have a vote on Wednesday to shut the whole thing down once and for all. Maybe – Democrats say they aren’t giving up. 

Finally – what the hell is going on in Florida? A question we find ourselves asking quite often – TBH. But yesterday something special happened. An opera singer tried to crash through security at the president’s Winter White House, Mar-a-lago, only to get shot by the Secret Service. 

Read all about it. 

– Fraser Dixon 

U.S. Declares Coronavirus Public Health Emergency After Imposing Quarantines

(Reuters) – The Trump administration, while insisting the risk to Americans from coronavirus is low, nevertheless declared a public health emergency on Friday and announced the extraordinary step of barring entry to the United States of foreign nationals who have recently visited China.

In addition, U.S. citizens who have traveled within the past two weeks to China’s Hubei Province – epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic – will be subject to a mandatory quarantine of 14 days, the incubation period of the virus, officials said.

Americans who visited other parts of mainland China will undergo special health screening upon their return, followed by up to 14 days of “monitored self-quarantine,” under the temporary restrictions.

The emergency measures were unveiled by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar at a White House briefing, shortly before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health authorities announced a seventh U.S. coronavirus case had been confirmed in Northern California.

Read more here

Senate Rejects Witnesses in Trump Impeachment Trial

(Wall Street Journal) -Senate Republicans rejected Democrats’ demands to call new witnesses and documents in President Trump’s impeachment trial, clearing the way for an acquittal on abuse of power and obstruction-of-Congress charges next week.

The 51-49 vote late Friday afternoon represented a major victory for Republican leadership, which has sought to complete the trial as quickly as possible and avoid testimony that could be politically damaging. Democrats had spent weeks calling for the Senate to subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton and other officials, seeking testimony about Mr. Trump’s efforts to press Ukraine to launch investigations that could benefit him politically.

Two Republicans, Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine, joined every Democrat to vote for the Senate to call in new witnesses. The GOP controls 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats.

Under a separate resolution that Republicans approved along party lines, the impeachment trial will break for the weekend and resume Monday at 11 a.m. EST for four hours of closing arguments. After those arguments, the trial will adjourn again, giving senators the opportunity to speak on the floor about the charges before returning for a vote on the articles of impeachment at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Learn more about the end of the impeachment trial here

Opera Singer Crashes Through Mar-a-Lago Barricades. Cops Open fire

(Miami Herald) – A Connecticut woman chastised for dancing on her car at a Palm Beach hotel late Friday morning ended up driving away and crashing her vehicle through two security barricades outside Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s private club and home, drawing gunfire from law enforcement officers, before leading a police helicopter on a chase that ended in her arrest.

Hannah Roemhild, 30, a trained opera singer, is now in the custody of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

“This is not a terrorist thing,” Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a Friday afternoon news conference. “This is somebody that obviously was impaired somehow.”

Find out more here