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CDC says 40 percent of Americans surveyed tried using bleach to wash food to prevent coronavirus

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that over a third of Americans who took its survey reportedly misused household cleaners by using them on their fruits and vegetables in the attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Calls to poison control centers regarding disinfectants and household cleaners reportedly went up since the beginning of the pandemic.

“Thirty-nine percent of respondents reported engaging in non-recommended high-risk practices with the intent of preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission, such as washing food products with bleach, applying household cleaning or disinfectant products to bare skin, and intentionally inhaling or ingesting these products,” the CDC report read.

CDC NOW SAYS CORONAVIRUS ‘DOES NOT SPREAD EASILY’ VIA CONTAMINATED SURFACES

An online survey completed in the U.S. by 502 people in May, aimed to identify people’s knowledge and use of household disinfectants.

Respondents of the survey were between the ages of 18-86, with a median age of 46. Fifty-two percent of the respondents were women and the majority of respondents identified as non-Hispanic white.

Over 50 percent of the respondents said they “strongly agreed” that they knew how to properly clean and disinfect their homes safely.

The CDC report noted that the finding show a need to spread more information on safe practices surrounding household disinfectants.

COVID-19 APPS POSE PRIVACY RISKS TO USERS WORLDWIDE, INVESTIGATION FINDS

“This survey identified important knowledge gaps in the safe use of cleaners and disinfectants among U.S. adults,” the CDC reported. “The largest gaps were found in knowledge about safe preparation of cleaning and disinfectant solutions and about storage of hand sanitizers out of the reach of children.”

The CDC also noted that cleaning fruits and vegetables with disinfectants can cause health risks like “severe tissue damage and corrosive injury,” and should be strictly avoided.

The need for public messaging from local, state and national health agencies regarding safe cleaning practices was recommended in the report.

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There are ongoing efforts to identify other knowledge gaps when it comes to safe cleaning and disinfecting methods.

“These data will allow for development and evaluation of further targeted messaging to ensure safe cleaning and disinfection practices in U.S. households during and after the COVID-19 pandemic,” the CDC report added.

As Brazil sees record deaths, Bolsonaro proclaims: Death is ‘everyone’s destiny’

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The coronavirus outbreak in Brazil has steadily worsened as death rates have surpassed Italy’s, and the country has become the second-leading nation in the world in infection rates, behind the United States.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly down played the severity of the virus calling it “a little flu” and when asked what he would say to Brazilians who have suffered from the pandemic, he said death is “everyone’s destiny.”

“I regret all the dead but it is everyone’s destiny,” Bolsonaro told reporters earlier this week.

FEARS FOR BRAZIL’S INDIGENOUS TRIBES AS CORONAVIRUS DEATH TOLL CONTINUES TO CLIMB

Brazil has nearly 615,000 reported cases of coronavirus and over 34,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins data, Friday.

A local newspaper, the Folha de S.Paulo, said the virus now is “killing a Brazilian per minute” and noted that “While you were reading this, another Brazilian died from the coronavirus,” Reuters reported.

Bolsonaro has pushed to end state quarantine measures and voiced support for protesters who want the military to shutdown Congress and the Supreme Court, and allow the economy to reopen.

He also called for the federal solicitor general to sue states during a Facebook Live event, in an effort to force them to reopen their beaches and non-essential businesses.

LATIN AMERICA BECOMES NEW EPICENTER OF CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, AS CORRUPTION SURGES WITH MISMANAGED RELIEF FUNDS

Brazilian Health Minister Dr. Nelson Teich resigned less than a month ago following disagreements with Bolsonaro over how to balance the pandemic and the economy — social distancing was reportedly a common issue of frustration.

Teich also opposed distributing the anti-malaria drug, chloroquine, to coronavirus-positive patients, saying it was “an uncertainty.”

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Research in the United States found no benefits of using the drug to fight the coronavirus.

Teich served for only a month after replacing the first Minister of Health, Luiz Henrique, who was reportedly fired by Bolsonaro after disagreements arose over how to handle the coronavirus crisis.

Bolsonaro has not yet refilled the Health Minster position as medical experts continue to warn against the threat of the virus in Brazil.

Trump slams Murkowski, vows to go to Alaska to campaign against her

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President Trump said he would campaign against Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski from Alaska in 2022 after she told reporters she was “struggling” to support the president in his reelection because of how he handled the George Floyd protests.

“Few people know where they’ll be in two years from now, but I do, in the Great State of Alaska (which I love) campaigning against Senator Lisa Murkowski,” Trump tweeted Thursday night.

“Get any candidate ready, good or bad, I don’t care, I’m endorsing. If you have a pulse, I’m with you!” he later added.

MURKOWSKI ‘STRUGGLING’ WITH WHETHER TO SUPPORT TRUMP, BACKS MATTIS AFTER REBUKE

Murkowski had earlier Thursday told reporters she believed former Defense Secretary James Mattis’ comments on the President earlier this week “were true and honest and necessary and overdue.”

In an article for The Atlantic, Mattis said Trump has threatened the U.S. Constitution and deliberately divided Americans, contributing to the recent nationwide protests and general unrest following Floyd’s May 25 death while in police custody.

“The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values — our values as people and our values as a nation,” Mattis said in the article, published Wednesday. “We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution.”

“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us,”  Mattis added. “We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership.”

JOHN KELLY DEFENDS JAMES MATTIS AFTER TRUMP REBUKE: ‘THE PRESIDENT DID NOT FIRE HIM’

Murkowski said she was “thankful” for Mattis’ criticism of Trump.

“When I saw General Mattis’ comments yesterday, I felt like perhaps we are getting to a point where we can be more honest with the concerns that we might hold internally,” she said. “And have the courage of our own convictions to speak up.”

Murkowski has been critical of Trump and has not always sided with the administration, as Trump pointed out, highlighting her vote against the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

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But Murkowski did vote with GOP senators earlier this year to acquit President Trump on both articles of impeachment.

“He is our duly elected president [and] I will continue to work with him,” she said. “I will continue to work with this administration, but I think right now, as we are all struggling to find ways to express the words that need to be expressed appropriately, questions about who I’m going to vote for or not going to vote for, I think, are distracting at the moment.”

Florida sees spike in coronavirus cases while approaching new reopening phase

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Florida saw a spike in coronavirus cases Thursday, with 1,419 new instances reported, according to the Florida Department of Health — the highest daily increase since early March.

Florida has had more than 60,000 coronavirus cases, and has seen a three-day trend in increases as it pushes to initiate phase two of reopening its economy.

Forty-one deaths were also confirmed Thursday, bringing the state’s coronavirus death toll to morethan 2,600.

“Florida’s targeted and data-driven approach to fighting COVID-19 and our actions to protect the most vulnerable have flattened the curve in Florida,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement Wednesday.

GOV. DESANTIS BELIEVES FLORIDA WILL BE ABLE TO HOST REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION IN A ‘SAFE WAY’

DeSantis is still moving forward with phase two of reopening, set to begin Friday. Bars and restaurants are allowed to operate with a greater capacity, retail stores and gyms are allowed to be opened at full capacity, and personal services like tattoo parlors and spas are allowed to partially reopen.

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach — which have had the highest coronavirus case counts — will remain in phase one until further notice.

FLORIDA GOV. DESANTIS ANNOUNCES BARS, GYMS CAN REOPEN AS MOST OF STATE ENTERS PHASE 2 CORONAVIRUS RECOVERY

Several sites in Florida are now offering free antibody testing to anyone over the age of 18, with some sites able to test up to 125 people a day.

Florida received $252 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Wednesday to assist with coronavirus-related expenses from mid-March through April.

“These additional federal funds will further our efforts to expedite critical projects as we move forward our safe, smart, step-by-step plan for Florida’s recovery,” DeSantis said.

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Florida declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus on March 9. President Trump then declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency on March 13.

The Florida governor’s office, along with the Department of Health, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Pittsburgh hospital officials say coronavirus appears less potent than before

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Doctors at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) said Thursday that the coronavirus appears to be declining both in virulence and infection rate.

“The virus may be changing,” Dr. Donald Yealy said Thursday during a news conference. “Some patterns suggest the potency is diminished.”

Yealy said UPMC has successfully treated more than 500 patients with coronavirus since March, and fewer patients are requiring ventilators to help them breathe.

AS AMERICA REOPENS, FEVER-SCREENING TECHNOLOGY TOUTED AS PROMISING TOOL

People seem to be contracting the virus less easily and cases appear to be less severe than when the pandemic first began, he explained.

“We’ve tested 30,000 and the positivity rate was less than 4 percent. We tested 8,000 with no symptoms and only 21 came back positive,” Yealy said.

He also said the risk of being in a car crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike “is greater than the risk of testing positive for asymptomatic COVID symptoms.”

The chief medical officer of UPMC Senior Communities, Dr. David Nace, said that thanks to the measures taken by medical officials in the hospital, there were zero reported cases Thursday in the UPMC long-term care and senior care facilities.

CONTROVERSIAL COVID-19 PAPERS RETRACTED FROM THE LANCET, NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL JOURNAL AMID BACKLASH

“We’ve followed the basics of infection control that others have also tried to follow,” Nace said. “Including attention to surveillance of patients who exhibited signs and symptoms.”

“We can’t test our way out of COVID-19,” he added. “Testing is a tool, not a cure.”

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Researchers at UPMC are unsure at this point why they are seeing lower infection rates, but said it could be a variety of factors including weather and the fact that “viruses tend to mutate with time.”

“And, finally, we are probably making better decisions about who needs what kind of care,” Yealy added.

Elsewhere in the world, Central and South America are now seeing higher rates of infection with the biggest rise in caseloads in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Haiti, Mexico and Peru, according to the United Nations.

John Kelly defends James Mattis after Trump rebuke: ‘The president did not fire him’

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Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said Thursday that President Trump has “clearly forgotten” the details surrounding James Mattis’ departure after the president attacked him on Twitter this week, saying it was he who had the “honor of firing” the former defense secretary.

“The president did not fire him. He did not ask for his resignation,” Kelly, a former Marine General, told the Washington Post.

In a series of tweets Wednesday night, Trump berated Mattis, calling him the “world’s most overrated general” and claimed to have terminated him after the former secretary of defense criticized Trump’s leadership, saying the president has deliberately tried to divide Americans and has threatened the U.S. Constitution.

ESPER SAYS HE OPPOSES USING INSURRECTION ACT TO SEND MILITARY TO QUELL UNREST

“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us,” Mattis wrote for The Atlantic Wednesday.

“We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership,” Mattis said. “We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society.”

TENSIONS FLARE BETWEEN TRUMP, MILITARY FIGURES OVER HANDLING OF GEORGE FLOYD UNREST

Some GOP lawmakers have come out in support of Mattis’ article.

Republican Lisa Murkowski from Alaska said that she was “struggling” to support Trump in his upcoming election because of how he handled the recent protests after the death of George Floyd. Murkowski told reporters Thursday she thought Mattis’ “words were true and honest and necessary and overdue.”

“Jim Mattis is an honorable man,” Kelly said Wednesday, after highlighting why Mattis left office.

Mattis resigned in 2018, citing a difference in views with the president that coincided with Trump’s decision to pull all military forces from Syria at the time.

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Kelly and Mattis, both retired Marine Corps generals, were among those Trump first selected for his Cabinet.

Both left their positions over disagreements with Trump.

Several Senate Dems kneel during George Floyd moment of silence

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Five Senate Democrats took a knee as the chamber’s minority caucus gathered in Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol Thursday to share in an eight-minute moment of silence for George Floyd.

Following a prayer led by Senate Chaplin Barry Black, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., spoke about Floyd’s life.

“His family wants him to be remembered not for his death, but for being family-oriented, loving and Godly,” Booker read.

HUNDREDS, INCLUDING AL SHARPTON, ERIC GARNER’S MOM, MOURN AT GEORGE FLOYD MEMORIAL IN MINNEAPOLIS

“For eight minutes and 46 seconds Officer Derek Chauvin held his knee on George Floyd’s neck,” Booker described. “As he kneeled on his neck, and he yelled, “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe” and called for his mother — today we gather here in solemn reverence to not just mark his tragic death but to give honor to his life.”

Senators Michael Bennet from Colorado, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Martin Heinrich from New Mexico, Virginian Tim Kaine and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland knelt during the moment of silence.

“George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor. May we honor those dead by protecting all who are alive,” Booker said after the moment of silence ended.


BIDEN CALLS MATTIS’ CRITICISM OF TRUMP A ‘POWERFUL INDICTMENT’

Floyd died in police custody on May 25. Protests have since grown nationwide after Chauvin was seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes in moments that were captured on cellphone video. He has been charged with second-degree murder. Three other officers — Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Tomas Lane — were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

All four officers had been fired from the Minneapolis Police Department.

Thursday’s moment of silence marked the first time the Senate Democratic Caucus has met in months, due to the coronavirus. The members all wore face masks and socially distanced themselves.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who was present at the moment of silence, took to Twitter Thursday to criticize the way President Trump has handled the protests in the wake of Floyd’s death.

“What is Pres. [sic] Trump doing to this democracy?” Schumer tweeted. “Americans watched federal officers directed by Pres. Trump and AG [Attorney General William] Barr use gas and rubber bullets to disperse peaceful protesters. And America’s capital is being patrolled by federal officers who refuse to identify who they are!”

Police fire pepper spray at demonstrators during Tiananmen Square memorial

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Police officers fired pepper spray at a crowd of Hong Kong demonstrators at a Tiananmen Square memorial, after protesters defied police orders Thursday, according to Reuters.

Chinese authorities citied coronavirus threats and banned the annual vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre — where over a million people gathered to demand democratic values in China before being fired upon by the Chinese military. It is unknown how many people died but estimates range from hundreds to thousands.

HONG KONG BLOCKS TIANANMEN SQUARE CRACKDOWN ANNIVERSARY VIGIL, CITING CORONAVIRUS FEARS

“The ban comes amid an alarming acceleration of attacks on the autonomy of Hong Kong and the undermining of the rights and freedoms of the Hong Kong people guaranteed under Hong Kong and international law,” Sharon Hom, executive director of Human Rights in China said in a statement.

After years-long pro-democracy protests in the semi-autonomous city, Hong Kong passed legislation Thursday criminalizing disrespect of China’s national anthem, which critics say infringes on their freedom of expression.

Thousands of people reportedly broke through police barriers to hold a candlelight vigil as security officials played recorded warnings, telling people not to gather in unauthorized group settings.

TRUMP ‘DISPLEASED’ WITH CHINA’S PROPOSED HONG KONG CRACKDOWN, MCENANY SAYS

Demonstrators recognized a minute of silence at 8:09 p.m. and chanted “Democracy now” and “Stand for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.”

Clashes broke out between demonstrators and police officers as some protesters tried to set up roadblocks with metal barriers, resulting in police firing pepper spray at them, as reported by Reuters.

Thursday marks the first non-peaceful Tiananmen Square vigil in Hong Kong, in 30 years.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized Chinese and Hong Kong authorities for banning the vigil.

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“It starts; so soon,” Pompeo tweeted earlier this week. “For the first time in 30 years, Hong Kong authorities denied permission to hold the #TiananmenVigil. If there is any doubt about Beijing’s intent, it is to deny Hong Kongers a voice and a choice, making them the same as mainlanders. So much for two systems.”

Zhao Lijian, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, responded to the criticism and said, “We urge the U.S. to abandon ideological prejudice, correct mistakes and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs in any form.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

DC Mayor Bowser vows to ‘push back’ on federal presence in wake of George Floyd unrest

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Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser made it clear Wednesday that the Metropolitan Police report to her, and that she does not believe additional National Guardsmen are needed in the nation’s capital to assist in maintaining order during the George Floyd protests.

“We are examining every legal question about the president’s authority to send troops, even National Guard, to the District of Columbia,” Bowser said during a news conference.

“Another way to put it is, does the President have the legal authority to request [National] Guard from other states?” Bowser asked reporters. “I have the authority to request guards from other states.”

Bowser said she has not asked any National Guardsmen from other states to assist in the capital, but she has requested 100 D.C. National Guardsmen to line the perimeter of the White House, in a limited role and unarmed.

The mayor’s comments come after President Trump announced from the White House Monday that he has suggested every governor “deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers… [to] dominate the streets.”

TRUMP SLAMS DE BLASIO, LIBERAL MAYORS FOR REJECTING NATIONAL GUARD HELP TO STOP RIOTING

“If a city or a state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them,” Trump said.

“We think that the federal purposes are being stretched,” Bowser said Wednesday. “And that’s what we will continue to examine and push back on.”

Trump also said that he would invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow him to deploy the U.S. military to suppress civil unrest.

ESPER SAYS HE OPPOSES USING INSURRECTION ACT TO SEND MILITARY TO QUELL UNREST

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that he does not support invoking this law.

“The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire situations,” Esper said during a news briefing. “We are not in one of those situations now. I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act.”

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The D.C. mayor has been critical of Trump’s response to the protests, and called the president’s actions on Monday “shameful” when he used Metro Police to break up a peaceful protest to take photos in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church while holding a Bible.

Bowser said the president’s actions would make the job of the D.C. police more difficult.

Minneapolis mayor says ‘white supremacists,’ ‘out of state instigators’ behind protests, but arrests show different story

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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Saturday that state officials think “white supremacists” and “out-of-state instigators” could be behind the protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death, but a report showed that “about 86 percent” of arrests so far are mostly of in-state residents.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also said Saturday that the majority of the protestors arrested were from outside Minneapolis and sought to take advantage of the chaos.

However, a report by KARE 11 showed “about 86 percent” of the 36 arrests listed their address in Minnesota, and that they live in Minneapolis or the metro area, according to data the outlet analyzed from the Hennepin County Jail’s roster. Five out-of-state cases came from Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Michigan and Missouri, according to KARE 11.

The Minneapolis Mayor’s office and police department did not return Fox News’ repeated calls for comment.

“We are now confronting white supremacists, members of organized crime, out of state instigators, and possibly even foreign actors to destroy and destabilize our city and our region,” Frey had tweeted Saturday.

“I think our best estimate of what we heard are about 20 percent are Minnesotans, and 80 percent are outside,” Walz also said Saturday during a news conference, KARE 11 reported.

In a tweet posted Saturday, a person who appears to be Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison can be seen with a copy of “Antifa, the Anti-Fascist Handbook.”

Officials are under pressure to address the at-times violent and destructive protests that broke out in the wake of Floyd’s death, as demonstrations continued into a fourth day Saturday.

President Trump told Frey to “get tough and fight” in a tweet Saturday after the mayor and Walz called in the Minnesota National Guard.

Walz said he authorized the “full mobilization” of the National Guard by calling in 2,500 guardsmen, saying that this was “an action that has never been taken in the 164-year history of the Minnesota National Guard.”

AT TRUMP REQUEST PENTAGON PUTS MILITARY POLICE ON ALERT TO GO TO MINNEAPOLIS

“Our great cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are under assault by people who do not share our values, who do not value life and the work that went into this and are certainly not here to honor George Floyd,” Walz said.

Department of Safety Commissioner John Harrington also said that white nationalist groups are suspected of urging their members to use the protest as a cover to create more disruption and chaos, according to Courthouse News Service.

Attorney General Bill Barr urged the violent protests to stop to allow the peaceful protesters to be heard and respected under the rule of law.

TRUMP: US MILITARY ‘READY, WILLING AND ABLE’ TO HELP MINNEAPOLIS IF NEEDED

“Unfortunately, with the rioting that is occurring in many of our cities around the country, the voices of peaceful protest are being hijacked by violent radical elements,” Barr said in a statement Saturday.

“Groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate and violent agenda.”

President Trump told reporters Saturday that the military is readily available.

“We have our military ready, willing and able, if they ever want to call our military. We can have troops on the ground very quickly,” Trump said from the White House lawn. “They’re using their National Guard right now, as you know.”

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The U.S. military is prohibited from acting as law enforcement on U.S. citizens, but under the Insurrection Act of 1807, state officials can call in the military help to stop a rebellion.