Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), circulates an internal memo to FDA staff asserting that COVID-19 vaccines caused “at least 10 deaths in children” and calling for sweeping changes to vaccine regulation—despite providing no …
Dr. Vinay PrasadFDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)Robert F. Kennedy Jr.FDA Commissioner Martin MakaryFDA Scientistsfdavaccinespublic-healthvaccine-safetydisinformation+5 more
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 26, 2024, that neither state nor individual plaintiffs established standing to enjoin federal officials over alleged coercion of social-media platforms. Justice Barrett’s majority opinion found plaintiffs failed to show government actions caused platforms to …
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In November 2021, Pfizer reported annual profits of $21.98 billion on revenues of $81.29 billion for 2021, with COVID-19 vaccine sales of $36.7 billion accounting for 45% of total company revenue. The COVID-19 vaccine became one of the most financially successful pharmaceutical products in history, …
Former FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, who led the agency during the Emergency Use Authorization of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines, took an executive-level position as Chief Medical Officer with Flagship Pioneering, the venture capital firm that launched Moderna. This transition occurred six …
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The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to block the Biden administration’s CDC eviction moratorium covering areas with high COVID transmission, finding the agency exceeded its statutory authority. The Court held that ‘[i]f a federally imposed eviction moratorium is to continue, Congress must …
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On Sunday evening, October 4, 2020, President Trump—still infected with COVID-19 and hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center—left his hospital suite to drive past supporters gathered outside in a black Chevrolet Suburban SUV, forcing at least two Secret Service agents to …
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President Trump tested positive for COVID-19 on October 2, 2020, and was flown by Marine One helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that evening, where he received an experimental monoclonal antibody cocktail developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals under “compassionate …
Donald TrumpMelania TrumpSean ConleyMike PenceHope Hickscovid-19public healthhealthcareaccountability crisis
Amazon Discloses 19,816 Workers Infected with COVID-19 After Months of Concealment
On October 1, 2020, after months of resisting transparency demands from workers, labor groups, politicians, and regulators, Amazon disclosed that at least 19,816 of its frontline employees had tested positive or been …
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On September 26, 2020, President Trump held a Rose Garden ceremony announcing Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court that became what Dr. Anthony Fauci would later call a “superspreader event,” with more than 150 attendees packed together without masks for both an …
The Department of Health and Human Services launched a $300 million advertising campaign called “Defeating Despair” to promote the Trump administration’s COVID-19 response, with the effort conceived by political appointee Michael Caputo and timed to air before the November …
Michael CaputoDonald TrumpDennis QuaidCeCe WinansAlex Azarhatch actethics violationsabuse of officecampaign financecovid-19+3 more
President Trump held a campaign-style rally at Mount Rushmore on July 3-4, 2020, with approximately 7,500 ticketed attendees packed close together and mostly maskless, despite the United States setting a pandemic record on that same day with 57,497 confirmed COVID-19 cases. South Dakota Governor …
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In June 2020, NPR analysis revealed that the federal government had awarded over 250 COVID-19 related contracts worth more than $1 million each without full competitive bidding, totaling billions of dollars in federal spending. Many contracts went to companies with no experience in medical …
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During a White House coronavirus briefing on April 23, 2020, President Trump publicly speculated about treating COVID-19 by injecting disinfectant into the human body or inserting ultraviolet light internally, asking “is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a …
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President Trump removed Glenn Fine from his position as acting inspector general for the Defense Department on April 7, 2020, just one week after Fine was selected to chair the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee tasked with overseeing the $2.2 trillion CARES Act stimulus spending. The …
Donald TrumpGlenn FineCarolyn MaloneyMitt RomneyStephen Lynchinspector generalwhistleblower retaliationobstruction of justiceaccountability crisiscovid-19+1 more
Principal Deputy Inspector General Christi Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services released a report on April 6, 2020, documenting “severe shortages” of COVID-19 testing supplies and “widespread shortages” of personal protective equipment at hospitals nationwide. …
Christi GrimmDonald TrumpJason WeidaDepartment of Health and Human Servicesinspector generalwhistleblower retaliationobstruction of justiceaccountability crisiscovid-19+1 more
In April 2020, CNP Action (the 501(c)(4) affiliate of the Council for National Policy) began hosting weekly conference calls to coordinate conservative response tactics to the COVID-19 pandemic, mobilizing Tea Party-like protests against virus-related public safety lockdowns in swing states.
The …
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Amazon Fires Christian Smalls for Organizing COVID Safety Protest
On March 30, 2020, Amazon fired warehouse worker Christian Smalls hours after he organized a walkout at the Staten Island JFK8 facility to protest inadequate COVID-19 safety measures. The termination occurred during the early, …
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Reports emerged that multiple U.S. Senators sold significant amounts of stock after attending classified briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic, but before the public understood the severity of the crisis and before markets crashed. On January 24, 2020, the Senate Committees on Health and Foreign …
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President Trump declared COVID-19 a national emergency on March 13, 2020—approximately six weeks after Health Secretary Alex Azar had declared it a public health emergency—finally acknowledging the severity of a pandemic he had spent weeks downplaying and dismissing as a Democratic …
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President Trump visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta on March 6, 2020, wearing his red “Keep America Great” campaign hat and delivering a chaotic, politically charged performance that included false claims about testing availability, attacks on …
Donald TrumpRobert RedfieldAlex AzarMike PenceJay Insleecovid-19public healthhatch actdisinformationaccountability crisis
At a campaign rally in North Charleston, South Carolina on February 28, 2020, President Trump dismissed Democratic criticism of his administration’s coronavirus response by declaring “this is their new hoax,” comparing it to impeachment and other perceived attacks against him. The …
Donald Trumpcovid-19public healthdisinformationaccountability crisis
On February 13, 2020, several U.S. senators were investigated for potentially violating the STOCK Act by selling stock after receiving private briefings about the COVID-19 pandemic, but before the market crash on February 20, 2020. Senator Richard Burr and his wife sold between $628,000 and $1.72 …
Richard BurrKelly LoefflerJames InhofeDianne FeinsteinJeffrey Sprechercongressional-corruptioninsider-tradingcovid-19market-manipulationsenate-ethics