Oliver Willis's Blog, page 169

COVID-19 Second Wave

COVID-19 could experience a second wave of infections in the United States. Many experts believe such a second wave of infections could occur in Fall of 2020.

Thousands are forecasted to die if there is a second wave of coronavirus. Experts have been advocating a lockdown of American business and government to prevent spread of the disease and more COVID-19 infections.

Donald Trump said in May 2020 that if there is a second wave of virus infections and deaths, he would not order a lockdown.

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Voter Suppression 2020 Election

Tracking and explaining efforts to suppress the vote in the 2020 election.

More on the 2020 election 

Voter suppression is the attempt to limit the number of people voting in an election. By cutting down on the vote, especially by targeting specific demographics.

Republican Voter Suppression

The Republican Party plans to get 50,000 volunteers in 15 states in order to suppress the vote and aid Donald Trump’s reelection. The party will spend $20 million to get that volunteer army together.

Republicans also intend to use the money to file court cases designed to limit voter turnout.

Led by Donald Trump, Republicans are also spreading lies and disinformation about vote by mail. Democrats have been promoting vote by mail to allow people afraid of coronavirus infections to cast their votes. Trump has admitted that Republicans believe vote by mail will increase turnout and help Democrats.

Democrats Oppose Voter Suppression

“Voting is under assault both from a systemic nationwide campaign of voter suppression and from the coronavirus. The fear of getting sick and not to go to the polls. People should not have to choose between voting and preserving their good health and that of their families. Because no matter what you do when you go out, you bring it home. Again, no one should be forced to vote for their health or their vote,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

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South Dakota Sioux Tribes COVID-19 Checkpoints

The Cheyenne River and Oglala Sioux Tribes in South Dakota have set up checkpoints to check for COVID-19.

“One does not come into somebody’s house and tell them how to live.” – Harold Frazier, chairman of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

Effect On Native Americans

The checkpoints are located on state and federal highways in South Dakota.

4,100 people in the state have been infected with COVID-19, including 260 Native Americans.

Video: News report on South Dakota checkpoints

Kristi Noem Response
[image error]Kristi Noem: Governor South Dakota

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, has been trying to get the tribes to remove them.

Noem originally threatened to sue the tribes if they did not remove the checkpoints, but backed off her threat.

Noem did not issue a stay-at-home order like other governors despite the threat to Native tribes.

Noem is an ally of Donald Trump and a frequent guest of the right-wing Fox News.

 

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Trump Recession/Depression

Documenting and tracking the Trump recession and depression as a result of his slow response to the coronavirus.

39 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the two months after the virus started attacking the country.

In April 2020, the unemployment rate hit 14.7%, the highest rate since the Great Depression of the 1930s. When Trump took over from Obama, the unemployment rate had been in decline since 2010.

Despite economic hardship for regular Americans, billionaires saw their worth increase $434 billion while the virus hit.

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Dan Crenshaw Scandals And Controversies

Documenting scandals and controversies involving Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX).

“Fortitude” Book Scandal

The National Republican Congressional Committee spent nearly $400,000 to buy 25,500 copies of Crenshaw’s book, “Fortitude.”

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Conservative Influence On Facebook

Documenting the influence of the conservative movement on Facebook and founder/CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Interactions With Right-Wing Figures

Zuckerberg gave a rare interview to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt in 2020. Hewitt has promoted various right-wing lies and conspiracy theories. In 2008, Hewitt was one of many conservatives who made racist attacks on Barack Obama for his affiliation with Pastor Jeremiah Wright.

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Brad Parscale Worth: Trump Campaign Manager

How much money is Brad Parscale making in his role as the campaign manager from Donald Trump’s reelection?

More on 2020 Election

His salary from the Trump 2020 campaign is $300,000 but he makes a lot more money than that.

Parscale’s company, Parscale Strategy, has received $18 million in billings from the Republican National Committee (RNC) since he was named Trump’s campaign manager for 2020.

Parscale’s Holdings

Parscale owns a $2.4 million waterfront house in Fort Lauderdale, two condominiums in Florida, a yacht and a Ferrari.

Criticism

An ad from the conservative Lincoln Project mocked Trump for getting “conned” by Parscale, his “IT Guy.”

This is just another example that @realDonaldTrump is the worst manager America has ever seen. Don, you got conned … by your IT guy. pic.twitter.com/x5i7GRqEYb

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) May 20, 2020

Background

Parscale was born in East Topeka, Kansas. He graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio in 1999, majoring in international business and economics.

Parscale was a web designer in Alamo City, Texas, before joining Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016.

He is 6 foot 8 inches tall.

Parscale likes to wear expensive Ermenegildo Zegna suits.

He is married to Rita Parscale.

Parscale played basketball in high school but had injuries to his leg and back during college.

His father is Dwight Parscale and he worked for his dad as sales manager of  Electric Image, where he earned $95,000 per year. That company filed for bankruptcy in August 2002, and declared $188,453 in assets and nearly $2 million in debt.

In 2012 Parscale was hired by the Trump Organization to do their website.

In 2015 his company built the Trump 2016 presidential website.

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Presidential Campaign

Analyzing reporting and information relating to a possible presidential run for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

Eligibility

To be president the Constitution requires a person to be natural born citizen and to be 35 years old at the time of swearing in. Ocasio Cortez was born on October 13, 1989 and turns 35 on October 13, 2024. She was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York. Ocasio-Cortez would be eligible for all presidential elections from November 2024 onward.

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Moncef Slaoui Vaccine Conflict Of Interest Scandal

Moncef Slaoui is the chief adviser for Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration project to find a vaccine for the coronavirus (COVID-19). He has been described as Trump’s “vaccine czar.” It has been revealed that Slaoui is in a position to financially benefit from the project he is overseeing. The revelation exposes yet another possible conflict of interest scandal for the Trump administration.

> More Donald Trump Scandals

Moderna Investment

Slaoui was on the board of directors for Moderna. Moderna is a $30 billion biotech firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They are pursuing the virus vaccine.

Since being announced as the Operation Warp Speed head, Slaoui’s investment in Moderna increased by $2.4 million, to a total of $12.4 million. When Trump put him in charge of the project, he came on as a contract worker and not a government employee, which exempts him from federal disclosure requirements.

After the holdings were reported on, Slaoui announced through the Department of Health and Human Services that he would divest.

Slaoui was also an executive at GlaxoSmithKline, and does not want to sell his holdings of that firm.

Operation Warp Speed

Trump formally announced the creation of “Operation Warp Speed” in a May 15, 2020 speech at the White House.

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2020 Election

Coverage and stories related to the 2020 election, including the 2020 presidential election along with races in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Jo Rae Perkins

Republican Senate Jo Rae Perkins is a supporter and promoter of the QAnon conspiracy theory.

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