WTF Just Happened Today

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

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• ???? Dept. of We Have It Totally Under Control.

• Global: Total confirmed cases: ~7,186,000; deaths: ~409,000; recoveries: ~3,353,000. (Johns Hopkins University)

• U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~1,974,000; deaths: ~112,000; recoveries: ~519,000

• 14 states and Puerto Rico saw their highest-ever seven-day average of new coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Infections rates have slowed down in former hot spots like New York and Illinois, but other parts of the country that had previously avoided high numbers of cases — Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah — have all started to see record high case numbers. The latest numbers are believed to stem from the efforts to reopen states across the country, but public health officials say the last two weeks of protests against police brutality will be another variable in how the virus spreads. (Washington Post)

• Dr. Anthony Fauci called COVID-19 his “worst nightmare” come to life as the coronavirus continues to rapidly spread across the globe. “In a period of four months, it has devastated the whole world,” Dr. Fauci said. “And it isn’t over yet […] Where is it going to end? We’re still at the beginning of it.” (CNBC / New York Times)

• The World Health Organization walked back an earlier assertion that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare.” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, who made the original comment, called it a “misunderstanding” to say asymptomatic transmission was rare globally. (New York Times)

1/ Trump tweeted an unfounded conspiracy theory that the 75-year-old man Buffalo police pushed to the ground and seriously injured during a protest may be an “ANTIFA provocateur,” alleging that the protester was trying to “set up” the police officers who assaulted him. Trump tweeted that Martin Gugino “was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment […] I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?” The video, however, shows the longtime peace activist holding his phone as he approached two officers outfitted in tactical gear. After a brief interaction, the officers forcefully push Gugino, causing him to fall backward onto the pavement. He is then seen bleeding from his head as officers walk by. Buffalo police initially said Gugino “was injured when he tripped & fell.” (ABC News / Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal /