What A Day - Operation Warp Speed Ahead

Episode Date: July 8, 2020

The Trump administration officially started the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization. “Operation Warp Speed,” the government’s program to fast-track Covid-19 vaccine development, signed its largest deal so far, allocating $1.6 billion to the pharmaceutical company Novavax. Plus, an update on testing issues in hotspots across the country.Brazilian President and prominent virus skeptic Jair Bolsanaro has Covid-19. In Israel, the health minister stepped down because officials weren’t heeding her advice. And in headlines: the Movement For Black Lives proposes legislation to transform the criminal justice system, Russia and China discourage marmot hunting, and Mike Pompeo wants the teens to get off TikTok.

It's Wednesday, July 8th. I'm Akilah Hughes. And I'm Gideon Resnick, and this is What A Day, the official audio companion to the tell-all book written by Trump's niece. That's right. It's kind of like The Dark Side of the Moon, which is like when you listen to Pink Floyd and also watch The Wizard of Oz. It's hard to explain if you don't do it, so I just say do it. Yeah, if you sync it up, you see God. That's what I was told.

On today's show, a quick look around the world at how other countries are dealing with new and never-ending outbreaks of coronavirus. Then some headlines. But first, the latest in the U.S. Many of the states that have been experiencing record COVID-19 outbreaks are starting to see even more strain on their hospital and public health systems. Arizona reported record hospitalizations in recent days and on Monday passed 100,000 known cases. Florida's governor says the state is taking steps to help with hospital capacity as ICU units are filling up. And Texas also reported over 10,000 new cases yesterday,

though some of that could have been due to a reporting lag over the holiday weekend, which brings us to testing. The U.S. is testing more now than ever before, which is about 600,000 a day, but there are still major issues and bottlenecks. So Gideon, get us up to speed. Yeah, so this feels like a very familiar problem and a consistent one. But the country's testing system is still having issues, particularly as these cases grow in certain hotspots. There are reports of places like New Orleans running out of tests at at least one site. In Phoenix, some people have had to wait in their cars for up to eight hours in order to get a test in triple digit heat, no less. And then in San Antonio and Austin, officials have had to revert

back to these old limitations on who can actually get tested, like limiting to just individuals showing symptoms. Obviously, that's bad for tracking and suppressing asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread of the virus. And many of these places have also had to fend for themselves in a way absent of a national testing plan. But yesterday, the federal government took a step in announcing that they were going to set up, quote, surge testing in three cities with 15,000 tests a day for up to 12 days. Still, though, the country is very behind other places like China, which have been much more aggressive with testing since the start of all this. In a recent example, they tested 6.5 million people in Wuhan in the span of a few days in May. Wow. So I don't know if we'll ever get there, but that's testing. Let's also check in on vaccine development. Yeah. So on that front in the US, the federal government has this thing called Operation

Warp Speed. It is a Star Trek-y name for the overall project to green light COVID vaccines and treatments to Americans as quickly as humanly possible. The big update on that is that yesterday, the government signed the largest deal so far, giving a company called Novavax $1.6 billion to expedite its vaccine candidate. So that money reportedly will help produce 100 million doses by the beginning of next year, with the caveat, of course, that the vaccine has to be effective in clinical trials. Novavax, it should be noted, hasn't brought a product to market before, so this is a big test for them. And at this point, the government has invested almost $4 billion in various companies that are working on a variety of potential vaccines. The hope is that at least one of these companies will make something that works, and hopefully relatively soon.

But questions remain about how decisions about this money are being made, as well as whether it's possible to effectively deliver a vaccine that works in such a short time span. It hasn't been done before. Yeah. Well, moving on to other COVID-related news around the world, let's talk about the World Health Organization and our embarrassing excuse for a president. Whee! Every day, a new gift. Okay, so a few updates around WHO. So yesterday, the Trump administration officially notified the United Nations that the U.S. will withdraw from the organization. Trump had previously said he was going to do this, claiming WHO was too slow to warn about the pandemic and too partial to China. But experts say that withdrawing outright from the organization is just going to weaken U.S. influence over it and potentially give more power to China. And on that note, two scientists from WHO are also going to China to investigate the origin of the coronavirus, which is just the beginning of a long process that

they're working on there. But on the exiting front, by law, member nations have to give a year's notice to actually formally withdraw. So meaning none of this would happen until next July. And former Vice President Joe Biden has said that if he is elected president, he would rejoin the WHO. So another thing to add to the list of things at stake in November's election. Yeah, that and everything. And we should mention, it's not like the World Health Organization has been perfect, though for the record, it did warn about the coronavirus as early as January, which was long before Trump. But even the experts who acknowledge mistakes by the organization say the solution isn't just cutting ties. Absolutely. We've talked about some of the missteps on this show from them.

Some of the communication from WHO officials has been confusing at times. The organization has also been somewhat cautious to a point that is often confounded and frustrated other scientists. For example, earlier this week, scientists from around the world sent them a letter urging them to state that the virus is airborne, not just spread through those nasty large droplets that come out in a sneeze or cough. And just yesterday, WHO acknowledged the letter and said it would review the matter. But speaking of COVID-19 and its impact worldwide, there are some pretty major developments to go over. Yes. So in international but also foregone conclusion news, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has COVID-19. He told the press he feels good after taking hydroxychloroquine, which science says doesn't actually affect COVID-19 symptoms.

Bolsonaro was seen publicly celebrating July 4th shoulder to shoulder and maskless with the American ambassador to Brazil. So now that guy and his wife are quarantining. Bolsonaro, like Trump, has downplayed the severity of the virus and has led Brazil to more than 1.6 million reported cases, the second worst outbreak in the world outside of the U.S. In Israel, a new wave of coronavirus cases has led to the closing of bars, gyms and clubs and the health minister stepping down. In a Facebook post, the now former health leader claimed that Israel squandered its success with the first wave of the pandemic by allowing social activities too soon. She expressed that her professional opinion was being dismissed and went on to say, quote, it is no longer within my ability to help mount an effective response to stymie the spread of the virus. Why don't these people, they appoint health officials and then they're just like, fuck you, health officials, we're not. Yeah, they're like, you were just supposed to show up

and be like on the website. You're not supposed to actually tell us what to do. Unbelievably infuriating. But then there's more news out of Australia who initially had been lauded for their response to the crisis. But now. Yeah, now it's not so great. A new wave of infections there has led to a six week lockdown on Melbourne, the country's second largest city. And I mean lockdown, not the like maybe wear a mask and cry about a thing we're doing across America. But like you cannot leave your house for anything but groceries, exercise, or essential work lockdown, which was proven to work in New York. But for some reason, many states in America are run by people who just cannot learn from other people's mistakes. And finally, you may remember back in April, sleep paralysis demon

Tucker Carlson lauding coincidentally very white Sweden for their model of coronavirus response, which avoided government lockdowns and remained fully free and open. Sweden, most famously, has never locked down. Restaurants there have never closed. That country is still suffering from coronavirus, suffering more, in fact, than we are here in the U.S. But the country's epidemic appears to have peaked. And without locking down, Sweden, and this is the key,

has fared far better than other European countries that did lock down. Well, that model definitely did not work. Tucker remains stupid and wrong. OK, so not only are they experiencing their own surge of deaths, more in fact than neighboring countries, but their economy is also doing worse than neighboring countries. More than 5,000 deaths in Sweden might look like a small figure compared to America's more than 130,000. But Sweden has only 10 million people in it. And we have more than 330 million people. So that means per million, Sweden has suffered 40% more death than the United States.

Tucker is just wrong all the time. All right. Well, my friend Erin Mallory Long tweeted, this pandemic is exactly why I hated group projects in school. Well, if the pandemic is a group project, Sweden might actually try doing any work at all to help humanity get out of this with a passing grade. And that's the latest. It's Wednesday WOD Squad, and today we are doing a temp check about the most important addition to our wardrobes, masks. I'm feeling pretty well adapted to my new mask on life. I think it really compliments me. But Giddy, what kind of masks are you wearing and how many are

in your weekly rotation? Okay, so I think Sarah and I are sharing between us around 20, I'd say. Y'all are sharing masks? Well, okay, I should say we're in rotation, right? So you like wash them and stuff. We're washing them, yes, yes. We're not swapping

and hawking spit and passing them to each other in a nasty way. And then there's some that are designated for, like, okay, you're going to go outside and do a run, or you're going to go outside and do, like, a long walk, versus, like, you're just going to go grab groceries, that type of thing. So, like, it's basically, you know, a whole system of, like, how much breathability is this if I'm, like, running? How much is this covering me if I'm just, you know, going a grocery store type thing it's scientific but also not scientific and um yeah it's been a journey figuring out like which ones are good and bad yeah and honestly like as long

as you have masks I'm happy for you like you're protecting yourself and others so good on you I dig it the big evolution I would say, is moving away from those blue surgical guys. Because I feel like at a time, that was all you could get. And that was great to have. But now it's a lot better to have the ones that actually can be washed. And when you do sweat into them, they're not just lumps of wet clay on your face. That's true. You don't like the cement masks.

Those aren't cool for you? No. I can't go full Bane lack of breathability. But what kinds are you wearing and how often are you switching out? Do you have 20 in rotation? What are we talking about? I mean, I probably have 20 to 25 masks on my own. And I honestly try not to wear the same mask for several different tasks. So if I have to go to a pharmacy, I'll wear one mask.

And then if I have to go get the mail or get food later in the day, I'm not going to breathe in the pharmacy mask again. And maybe that's just being too cautious. But I'm okay with being too cautious. I have a lot of fashion masks that are really cute. I have this great black one that has a gold detail. John Milstein, our head writer, his girlfriend has a really great website, carolingoldfarb.com.

And she has like amazing Larry David masks. So I feel like I just, I wear the ones that are expressive and fun, but also keep me from dying. Right, right. I'm waiting to do a CG order, Caroline. That's just what we call her around WOD, of the Larry David and the Dolly Parton at some point.

But it's going to happen. Those are sick. Yes, for sure. And guess what? Just like that, we have checked our temps. They're normal because we've been keeping these masks on our face. So stay safe, and we will check in with all of you again tomorrow. And now for some ads. Let's wrap up with some headlines.

Headlines. Court filings this week from the family of Breonna Taylor included new allegations from the night she was killed by police. The suit claims that Taylor was still alive for up to six minutes after she was shot and did not receive the first aid she needed in time. Lawyers representing Taylor's family claimed that officers violated many protocols, including not having an ambulance on standby at the time of the raid. The suit also claims that the increased police presence in Taylor's neighborhood was part of a broader effort to clear the street to make way for new federally funded real estate developments. City officials have denied that particular assertion. Just a reminder, only one of the officers directly involved in Taylor's death has been fired, and the other two are still on death's duty, and none of them have been arrested.

It's despicable. All right, well, the Movement for Black Lives proposed sweeping legislation on Tuesday that would transform the national criminal justice system. The legislation, dubbed the BREATHE Act, aims to divest federal funding from incarceration and policing. That includes eliminating agencies and programs like ICE that, quote, finance and expand the criminal legal system. The bill would also establish programs to collect military-grade vehicles and weapons from all levels of law enforcement, end life sentences, and ban federal agents from using facial recognition technology. The legislation directs Congress to research alternatives to police intervention with a focus on public safety, and that includes removing armed police officers

and metal detectors from schools. Some lawmakers, including Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, expressed their support for the bill yesterday. Right on. Authorities in Russia and China are cracking down on marmot hunting after the animals were linked to two cases of bubonic plague in Mongolia. So if you don't know marmots, they're cute rodents that look like groundhogs and can carry bacteria that once caused the deadliest pandemic of all time. Officials are now on patrol near the Russian border with China and Mongolia, making sure nobody shoots or eats marmots. We call that working marmot security, and it's a pretty good gig.

But local authorities say there's nothing to be concerned about yet. The World Health Organization was similarly unfazed, with one spokesperson saying, quote, bubonic plague has been with us and is always with us for centuries. You got to respect a consistent plague. Bubonic plague is usually treatable with antibiotics, Yeah, I am not taking my chances. Nope. There's a new meme on TikTok, and it's called being regulated by government. India banned the Chinese-owned video app last week, citing security risks.

And Monday night, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. is considering following suit. Per Pompeo, that's because TikTok might not protect user data and you should only get the app if, quote, you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. Honestly, I already gave my data to the Russian spies who run FaceApp just to see if I'd be hot as a guy. It was worth it. And the answer was yes, extremely. The White House's renewed interest in banning TikTok syncs up well with TikTokers using the app to tank Trump's rallies. Barron, if your school friends are mad that your dad ruined TikTok, just remind them that he also ruined everything. TikTok CEO responded to security concerns by saying that the app has never provided data to the Chinese government.

In Hong Kong, TikTok plans to pull its own app in response to China's oppressive national security law. This action would reflect similar moves by tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google, which announced they would stop processing requests by Hong Kong's government to access data while they review the new law. And those are the headlines. One more thing before we go. For all of you who have signed up for Crooked's Adopt-A-State program, we thank you very much. We'll be sending you specific volunteer opportunities to help causes and campaigns in your adopted state this week. Be on the lookout for an email from us in your inbox.

Not actually from us, but you know what I'm talking about. And if you don't see it, double check your junk folder. And if you haven't already signed up, it is not too late. Go to votesaveamerica.com slash adopt to join us and thousands of other volunteers looking to flip some swing states and protect the vote this November. That is all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, send us good TikToks before it's illegal, and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just marmot facts like me, What A Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at crooked.com slash subscribe.

I'm Akilah Hughes. I'm Gideon Resnick. And keep switching up those masks. Show us what they look like. I bet they're cute. Yeah, I want to see your weird faces. Weird protected faces. What A Day is a Crooked Media production.

It's recorded and mixed by Charlotte Landis. Sonia Tunn is our assistant producer. Our head writer is John Milstein, and our senior producer is Katie Long. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka. Thank you.