The post Republicans scale back convention plans for Jacksonville appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>GOP officials announced on Thursday that they’re dialing back on the size of next month’s Republican National Convention in Jacksonville, amid a new surge in coronavirus cases in Florida and many other states across the country.
A letter from Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel sent to convention delegates, which was obtained by Fox News, gives details on the downscaling of the quadrennial gathering – which now will include a mix of outdoor and indoor venues.
TRUMP SHAKES UP HIS PRESIDENTIAL RE-ELECTION BID, REMOVING PARSCALE AS CAMPAIGN MANAGER
McDaniel acknowledged, “We had hoped to be able to plan a traditional convention celebration to which we are all accustomed. However, adjustments must be made to comply with state and local health guidelines.”
The chairwoman announced that admittance for the first three days of the convention, which kicks off Aug. 24, “will be limited to only regular delegates” – which is roughly 2,500 people. McDaniel explained that for the final day – when President Trump is expected to formally accept the Republican nomination in person – “we plan that each delegate, their guest, and alternate delegates will be permitted to attend.”
That could allow for roughly 6,000-7,000 people in attendance.
VyStar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. will host thousands at this year’s Republican National Convention (Robert Sherman, Fox News).
(FOX)
McDaniel also announced that the RNC plans “to utilize a number of indoor and outdoor venues in this multi-block radius of Jacksonville, including the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, TIAA Bank Field, Daily’s Place Amphitheater, 121 Financial Ballpark, and several others.”
And she emphasized that the RNC plans “to implement a variety of health protocols in order to ensure a safe event. This plan includes but is not limited to on-site temperature checks, available PPE, aggressive sanitizing protocols, and available COVID-19 testing.”
Fox News reported last week that GOP officials had already checked out multiple outdoor venues in the immediate vicinity of the VyStar arena – where the convention was slated to be held – and are in discussions about potential options for all of them, including football and baseball stadiums.
The developments are the latest involving a convention that’s seen plenty of drama over the past couple of months due to health concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.
JACKSONVILLE MANDATES WEARING OF MASKS DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
The RNC last month chose Jacksonville to host major portions of the convention, after largely abandoning the city of Charlotte, N.C., over disagreements on coronavirus-related crowd restrictions.
The president and Republican officials were angered after Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, a Democrat, said that because of the pandemic he wasn’t prepared to guarantee the RNC a full-fledged convention with an arena packed full of party officials, delegates and activists as desired by Trump. Some business aspects of the convention, however, will still be held in Charlotte.
North Carolina is among the majority of states that have seen major spikes in new coronavirus cases in the last month and a half.
Jacksonville was likely attractive to GOP officials because it was the only city under consideration as a backup to Charlotte that has a Republican mayor in a state with a governor from the same party.
But new cases of the coronavirus have surged dramatically in Florida in recent weeks, raising fresh concerns regarding the convention. The city recently enacted a mandatory mask requirement for public and indoor locations.
A look at the Jacksonville skyline off the shores of the St. Johns River (Robert Sherman, Fox News)
But holding outdoor events in Florida in the summertime could trigger other issues. The state is extremely hot in the summer – with temperatures in the 90s and often topping 100 degrees. Thunderstorms are also a constant threat, and August marks the traditional start of hurricane season.
QUESTIONS REMAIN AS DEMOCRATS SPELL OUT VIRTUAL CONVENTION RULES
The Democratic National Convention – which was pushed back a month and is scheduled to start on Aug. 17 – is still being held in Milwaukee.
But the Democratic National Committee announced last month that their confab will be conducted mostly online.
Fox News’ Kristin Fisher and Lillian LeCroy contributed to this report
The post Republicans scale back convention plans for Jacksonville appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>The post A Food Scale And Walking 10,000 Steps A Day Helped Me Lose 80 Lbs. appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>My name is Luz Arteaga (@luzwontgiveup), and I’m 23 years old. I’m from San Jose, California, and I work as a healthcare administration clerk. After a family trip made me realize how much my weight was holding me back, I started following a low-carb diet, weighing my food with a scale, and walking at least 10,000 steps a day. I’ve now lost 80 pounds in under 11 months.
I have been overweight most of my life. In my early teen years I was always heavier than most of my friends. I’ve always been plus size (size 16 in high school). Although I was overweight, I was still comfortable enough with my body. But when I was 19 years old, I started battling anxiety and stress. Food was always a form of comfort for me, but I soon realized that my eating habits had spiraled. I avoided my scale and jeans for months. Soon enough, I had gained nearly 100 pounds. I was really ashamed, and I felt that I was too far off track, so I accepted where I was. As much as I tried to laugh it off or ignore how miserable I really felt, I knew how far I was from the person I had been and even further from the person I wanted to be. I reached my heaviest weight of 329 pounds at 20 years old.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
My first wake up call was in 2018. Shortly after turning 21, I went on a family trip.
Being away from my normal routine made me realize just how much my weight gain had affected my ability to do small, enjoyable things.
Struggling to sit in small seats on planes and avoiding plastic chairs in restaurants were uncomfortable things I had to be aware of. I also would get rude comments from strangers. I completely avoided cameras because the person I saw in the photos was completely unrecognizable. I got tired of being the biggest person in the room. I started my journey on July 14, 2019. It was certainly a wake up call that I needed and I’m grateful for it.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
In the beginning of my journey I started a low-carb meal plan and began using a food scale. Weighing my food has been the best decision ever!
It helps me stay accountable and keep track of how much I’m eating. Although my diet is low-carb, I’m still able to enjoy foods I grew up with like rice, beans, tortillas, etc., only in smaller portions. I don’t feel completely deprived of the food I love, so it’s sustainable for me.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Here’s what I typically eat in a day.
Breakfast: 3 eggs, 3 turkey sausages
Lunch: 4-6 ounces of protein, greens, 1 carb
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Snacks: Nuts, cheese
Dinner: 4-6 ounces of protein, greens
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
I would say that 90 percent of my weight loss has been a result of my diet, but I make a goal of walking 10,000-12,000 steps a day.
This first year of my journey, my main focus has been to improve my relationship with food and eating habits. But moving forward, I will make exercise a priority and set new goals for myself.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
These three changes helped me see the most noticeable results in my weight loss.
Change 1: I took things one day at a time.
One of of the reasons it took me so long to start is because I knew it’d take months to see change, and I’d get overwhelmed. The truth is time passes so quickly! I’m so happy I pushed myself to start when I did.
Change 2: I worked on staying consistent.
If you consistently eat right, you will continue to see results over time. In the past if I had one cheat meal I’d be so disappointed, and soon it would turn into a never-ending cycle of overeating. Being consistent doesn’t mean being perfect. Every day is a new opportunity to get back on track and be committed.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Change 3: I did my best to educate myself about weight loss.
When I used to see other weight loss stories, they seemed so inspiring, yet it always felt impossible for me! I’m sure many can relate and the truth is we are all capable and strong enough. Don’t doubt yourself. Start with what you know and learn as much as you can along the way.
I’ve lost over 80 pounds in under 11 months.
My weight loss journey is far from over and I’m excited to see my transformation in the years to come. I’d like to encourage other women to start their own journey. It has been the best, most liberating choice I’ve made. We are all capable and worthy of becoming the best versions of ourselves!
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
The post A Food Scale And Walking 10,000 Steps A Day Helped Me Lose 80 Lbs. appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>The post Democrats will scale back in-person convention in Milwaukee appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Read More
The post Democrats will scale back in-person convention in Milwaukee appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>The post Counties scale back reopening after coronavirus cases spike appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Sonoma County was one of the first regions in California to begin reopening after months of restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus.
Public health officials loosened constraints on construction, car sales and landscaping services in early May. A week later, they began allowing retail stores to reopen for curbside pickup and delivery. Last week, outdoor dining, summer camps, drive-in religious services and other ceremonies were allowed to resume.
Then, coronavirus cases began rising again, forcing officials to slow the county’s efforts to reopen.
Sonoma County has reported 203 new cases of the virus in the last 14 days, doubling its case rate in that time from 20 per 100,000 residents to 41 per 100,000, the county’s health officer, Dr. Sundari Mase, said.
On Wednesday, Mase reported nine new cases, bringing the total number of infections in Sonoma to 524. The county has reported four deaths since the pandemic began.
One area officials are particularly concerned about is the increase in instances of the virus being transmitted between people who have recently returned to work, Mase said.
“We’ve also seen, over the weekend, a few more hospitalizations that make us worried that we might be seeing more COVID in our vulnerable populations,” she said.
Nearly 300 miles away in Lassen County, officials are taking an even more hard-line approach after seeing the county’s first confirmed COVID-19 cases this week.
For months, the remote county of roughly 30,000 bordering Nevada had prided itself on being untouched by the coronavirus.
However, tests conducted last week confirmed that two people from the same household had been infected with the virus. The county began testing those who had been in contact with the pair and found that two other individuals had been infected, officials said this week.
In response, Lassen County health officials on Tuesday decided to walk back previously loosened restrictions on certain businesses and services.
Restaurants will be restricted to curbside pickup and delivery only. Salons will remain closed, and no in-person religious services will be permitted. In-store shopping will also not be allowed under the county’s latest rules.
Dr. Kenneth Korver, the county’s public health officer, said officials were aware of the possibility that the virus could eventually come into the community, either from a resident traveling outside the region or from someone visiting.
“Unfortunately, this did happen, and we now have a serious problem,” Korver wrote in his most recent health order. “We need to contain the spread of the virus in Lassen County now.”
The move by the two counties comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that large swaths of California could begin moving into the third stage of reopening.
While Sonoma County was given the green light by the state to reopen in-store retail, hair salons and places of worship under the state’s latest guidance, public health officials say the region will not amend its shelter-in-place order to include those services for now.
“We understand these measures are not easy or convenient,” Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chair Susan Gorin said. “We look forward to a time when Sonoma County is fully open for business, recreation and social and religious gatherings.”
Peter Rumble, chief executive of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber, told the Press Democrat that Mase’s decision to slow reopening has frustrated the business community, many of whom are eager and willing to do anything to resume economic activity in the area.
“I understand the decision was based on the data that she established — understand that aspect of it,” he told the newspaper. “At the same time, I understand that a lot of businesses have developed practices that will keep their workers safe and that will keep their clients and the public safe.”
The situation in Sonona and Lassen counties offers a cautionary tale as California reopens its economy. Experts have said coronavirus cases could easily spike without social distancing and other safety precautions, and health officials have said counties must examine new cases closely to watch for any upticks that might require tighter stay-at-home rules.
Smaller counties opened earlier than urban ones, where officials have been concerned about new outbreaks. Los Angeles County, which has seen more than 2,200 coronavirus deaths, has said it will take a more cautionary approach.
“There is a lot at stake as we reopen,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday. “More people being around one another can result in more transmission of COVID-19 — just more cases and likely more hospitalizations and deaths. This is why it couldn’t be more important for us to take care of each other when we’re out of our homes.”
Dr. Sara Cody, health officer for Santa Clara County and a key architect of the nation’s first coronavirus shelter-in-place order, this week criticized California’s increasingly fast pace of lifting stay-at-home restrictions.
Cody expressed concerns that California risks a surge in cases if it reopens too many sectors of society too quickly. Reopening so fast, she said, means there isn’t enough time to implement new procedures to make reopened activities safe.
The post Counties scale back reopening after coronavirus cases spike appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>The post Large scale vaccine testing expected by July: NIH director appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
Having a COVID-19 vaccine by January is “a stretch goal,” but the head of the National Institutes of Health is gearing up for a master experiment to rapidly tell if any really work.
At least four or five possible vaccines “look pretty promising” and one or two will be ready to begin large-scale testing by July with others to follow soon, NIH Director Francis Collins told The Associated Press.
“Your big challenge now is to go big and everybody is about ready for that. And we want to be sure that happens in a coordinated way,” Collins said in an interview late Thursday.
A researcher at Protein Sciences moves a vial in a lab, Thursday, March 12, 2020, in Meriden, Conn. The biotech company is currently researching a vaccine for COVID-19. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such
The NIH in partnership with some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies is creating a master plan that vaccine makers can follow. Separately, the Trump administration is working on how to produce possible vaccines now, a huge gamble before anyone knows which ones will pan out. The goal is to have 300 million doses available to distribute to Americans by January.
TRUMP: CORONAVIRUS VACCINE COULD COME BY THE END OF THE YEAR
Collins called it a “very bold plan … a stretch goal if there ever was one,” but one he’s optimistic the science side can help speed.
But he added: “If we can get this vaccine out there even a day sooner than otherwise we might have, that’s going to matter to somebody.”
Despite all the emphasis on speed, Collins stressed that “no corners are going to be cut” on safety and scientists will be carefully looking for side effects.
A pharmacist gives Jennifer Haller, left, the first shot in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, Monday, March 16, 2020, at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health
Worldwide, about a dozen vaccine candidates are in the first stages of testing or poised to begin, small safety studies in people to look for obvious problems and whether the shots rev up the immune system. Among those getting the most attention are one created by the NIH and Moderna Inc., and a different type created by Britain’s Oxford University.
STOCKS JUMP ON BANKING M&A TALK, CORONAVIRUS VACCINE PROGRESS
Current tests “are looking pretty good,” Collins said. “But until you put it into the real world and check it out you don’t really know. You can’t skip over that really, really hard part of testing this in thousands and thousands of people.”
That’s faster than any new vaccine ever has reached this point in development. For the huge next step, working together so each potential vaccine is tested the same way instead of each company devising its own methods will further speed answers and allow accurate comparisons, Collins said.
Pharmacist Michael Witte, left, gives Neal Browning, right, a shot in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus Monday, March 16, 2020, at the Kaiser Permanente Washingt
That partnership — called ACTIV or Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines — is like an umbrella where vaccine makers can sign on to follow the same testing steps and share the same database as each reaches the point of enrolling thousands of study volunteers.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Some key questions are how those at highest risk from COVID-19, such as older adults and people with chronic health problems, will respond to the shots.
“If you had a vaccine that only worked for 20-year-olds and didn’t work for 70-year-olds, that would not be a success,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
The post Large scale vaccine testing expected by July: NIH director appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>The post Joe Biden to scale up campaign as Democratic anxiety grows ahead of general election fight with Trump appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>Former Vice President Joe Biden has approved a series of new hires that will significantly expand his presidential campaign and could begin to quell concerns among a growing chorus of Democrats that are anxious for his team to scale up ahead of the general election fight with President Donald Trump.
The staffing includes new senior advisers with a focus on the virtual side of campaigning, all coming from former competitors-turned-endorsers’ campaigns.
Caitlin Mitchell, the former chief managing officer of Warren for President, is joining the campaign as a senior adviser for digital, and will advise on digital strategy and help the campaign as they quickly scale up their in-house teams, according to a Biden campaign aide.
Rob Flaherty, the Biden campaign’s digital director, confirmed Friday that the campaign will be doubling the size of its digital team, which stood at roughly 25 people throughout the primary, a move that comes amid concerns over the reach and manpower possessed by Trump’s well-stocked reelection effort.
“Biden Team digital is scaling…..fast. Really fast. Like we’re going to double the team in a matter of weeks….and then keep on growing,” Flaherty wrote in a lengthy thread on Twitter early Friday evening.
Former creative director for Beto O’Rourke’s campaign, Robyn Kanner, will join Biden’s campaign as senior creative adviser, leading the design, branding and web efforts of the campaign, according to the aide.
Andrew Gauthier will also join as a video director for Biden, after serving as the digital content director at Kamala Harris’ campaign, and as an executive producer of BuzzFeed Video.
News of the campaign’s expansion was first reported by The Washington Post on Friday.
The hires come as the the former vice president’s team has been faced with a steadily increasing drumbeat of criticism in recent weeks from anxious Democrats that the candidate and his campaign are not implementing both the organizational and strategic changes they say are needed to unseat a well-funded and seemingly omnipresent incumbent on a political battlefield upended by a global pandemic.
While the hires may satisfy some of the concerns, this week saw two of the masterminds behind Barack Obama’s successful bids for the White House, and the woman behind the unlikely rise of Pete Buttigieg from unknown mayor to presidential contender, pen op-eds in The New York Times urging the Biden campaign to recalculate its strategy — a notable public step from Democratic politicos who certainly have the ability to privately express their concerns.
“Adjusting to the new political realities is imperative for Mr. Biden, who ran his first campaign for office a half-century ago. In order to break through and be heard, he will have to up the tempo of his campaign, fully utilize his army of powerful surrogates and embrace a new suite of virtual, data-driven tools and creative tactics,” David Axelrod, the senior strategist for Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012, and David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager in 2008, wrote in a joint op-ed in the Times on Monday.
“Online speeches from his basement won’t cut it,” Axelrod and Plouffe warned.
Lis Smith, a former senior adviser for Buttigeig’s 2020 campaign, argued that while stuck in his basement, Biden should become “omnipresent,” and the campaign could be expanding their reach into the demographics they’ll need come November.
“His campaign should analyze the primary media consumption habits of the voters they need to put together for a winning coalition. For voters under the age of 40, it’s on mobile screens and social media; for black voters, local TV news; for Latino voters, Spanish-language TV and radio news outlets like Univision, Telemundo and La Mega, along with English-language local media in metro areas with large Latino populations,” Smith, who also worked on Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, suggested.
Even longtime conservative strategist and top George W. Bush lieutenant Karl Rove felt compelled to offer the presumptive Democratic nominee some advice, writing a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Thursday positing his own theory on how Biden should craft his message in his battle with Trump.
The outreach, though frank, is coming as the Democratic Party settled on a presumptive nominee earlier than any cycle since 2004, and at a time when traditional campaigning, defined by the whirr of constant travel and activity, is on pause.
“It is true you get a lot of incoming, but now is a fine time for that kind of engagement,” Amanda Renteria, who served as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 national political director, told ABC News about the influx of advice.
“This is what you do as you step up, you start to listen to those stakeholders,” Renteria added. “This is the first time we’ve had a clear candidate this early on. … I’m not surprised to see it. I also think a good campaign will go, ‘Great, let me bring that in. Let’s talk about, where do you think we should be?’ And I think that’s always helpful, especially as the party’s coming together.”
Some of the advice — particularly the idea of connecting with media outlets on the local and national level and social media profiles that reach different audiences — has already been undertaken by the campaign, though without regularity.
The Biden campaign declined to comment on the advice offered in the op-eds when asked by ABC News.
The concerns articulated by those top Democrats (and Republican) were in no way allayed this week when Biden’s first attempt at localized virtual campaigning, a “rally” in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday night meant to mimic the look and feel of an in-person event, was marred by debilitating technical issues.
Audio glitches, awkward stares of guests unsure if they should begin speaking and a blank screen for five minutes at one point, put another damper on what was supposed to be the next phase of the Biden team’s attempt to adapt to the virtual campaign trail, and again highlighted the digital deficit it still faces with the Trump campaign now less than six months from Election Day.
Biden’s campaign enters the now mostly digital general election at a stark disadvantage online. Trump has over 27 million likes on Facebook, Biden has 1.8 million. Trump’s YouTube page has over 28 millions views with nearly 400,000 subscribers, while Biden’s has 8.3 million views with 50,000 subscribers. On Twitter, Trump has 79.5 million followers, and Biden has just 5.3 million.
Biden has tried to expand beyond the reach of his own channel, delivering an economic message that appeared to highlight a focus of his general election message, taking aim at Trump on his “corrupt” economic agenda on the youth-targeted NowThisNews, which lacked the technical issues of Biden’s Florida remarks.
The platform reaches 60% of Americans in their 20s and racks up 2 billion views each month, according to a release from the mobile news site promoting Biden’s Friday speech.
Renteria praised the campaign’s “experimentation,” but stressed the importance of not just trying new mediums to get Biden’s message out, but learning from the “feedback loops,” generated through the events themselves that shed light on what works and what doesn’t on certain platforms.
“They have to keep discovering new places to be. … But it’s not just whether you hop on this Instagram, or this Facebook Live, or this channel that usually politicians aren’t on, it’s as much about the content you’re learning that connects with those places,” Renteria said.
Some digital strategists argue that it’s not about winning across the internet against Trump, but focusing the campaign’s digital fire power where it matters.
“I think we’re having the wrong conversation. We keep asking ourselves if Biden’s digital operation is good. But the real question is, ‘Is Biden’s digital good in the six states that will decide this election?'” Stefan Smith, the former online engagement director for Buttigieg’s 2020 campaign, told ABC News.
“I don’t care if Joe Biden goes viral in New York. I would hope that we already have their votes. I care about whether Joe Biden is going viral in the closed Facebook groups of suburban white women who live in Wisconsin. That’s the question,” Smith said.
Biden’s state-focused virtual strategy is expected to continue over the next several weeks for the former vice president and his high-level surrogates, like his wife Jill Biden, who “spent the day” in another key battleground state, Michigan. Biden beamed into three events Wednesday, acknowledging each time the havoc that the COVID-19 crisis has wrought on the campaign trail.
“We’ve had to figure out, you know, what it means to run a presidential campaign when you can’t fly or have a bus tour or even visit people’s homes,” Biden told a roundtable featuring nurses from the Detroit and Ann Arbor areas from her Wilmington, Delaware, home’s now-recognizable basement studio.
The Michigan visit also featured an event focused on organizing amid COVID-19, offering guidance for volunteers to spread the campaign’s message in a way that is “tonally appropriate.”
“We really need to be mindful of the tone that we’re setting right now in our approach,” Gabriella Cascone, national training director for the Biden campaign, told organizers.
“We’re following the vice president’s lead, and being really mindful of the crisis that we’re in right now or looking for opportunities to bring supporters together are always acknowledging the realities and the stressful situations of COVID-19,” Cascone said.
The post Joe Biden to scale up campaign as Democratic anxiety grows ahead of general election fight with Trump appeared first on Virus Reports.
]]>