US NATIONAL NEWS
COVID-19 vaccine latest flashpoint in White House campaign
Published
6 years agoon
WASHINGTON (AP) — The prospect of a vaccine to shield Americans from coronavirus infection emerged as a point of contention in the White House race as President Donald Trump accused Democrats of “disparaging” for political gain a vaccine he repeatedly has said could be available before the election.
“It’s so dangerous for our country, what they say, but the vaccine will be very safe and very effective,” the president pledged Monday at a White House news conference.
Trump leveled the accusation a day after Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ vice presidential candidate, said she “would not trust his word” on getting the vaccine. “I would trust the word of public health experts and scientists, but not Donald Trump,” Harris said.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden amplified Harris’ comments Monday after he was asked if he would get a vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Biden said he would take a vaccine but wants to see what the scientists have to say, too.
Biden said Trump has said “so many things that aren’t true, I’m worried if we do have a really good vaccine, people are going to be reluctant to take it. So he’s undermining public confidence.”
Still, the former vice president said: “If I could get a vaccine tomorrow I’d do it, if it would cost me the election I’d do it. We need a vaccine and we need it now.”
The back-and-forth over a coronavirus vaccine played out as three of the candidates fanned out across the country on Labor Day, the traditional start of the two-month sprint to the election. Harris and Vice President Mike Pence campaigned in Wisconsin and Biden went to Pennsylvania. Trump added the news conference to a schedule that originally was blank.
Harris, a California Democrat, said in a CNN interview broadcast Sunday that she would not trust a coronavirus vaccine if one were ready at the end of the year because “there’s very little that we can trust that … comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth.” She argued that scientists would be “muzzled” because Trump is focused on getting reelected.
Trump dismissed her comments as “reckless anti-vaccine rhetoric” designed to detract from the effort to quickly ready a vaccine for a disease that has killed about 190,000 Americans and infected more than 6 million others, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University.
“She’s talking about disparaging a vaccine so that people don’t think the achievement was a great achievement,” Trump said, answering reporters’ questions as he stood at a lectern placed at the front door of the White House on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the mansion.
“They’ll say anything,” he said.
Trump insisted he hasn’t said a vaccine could be ready before November, although he has said so repeatedly and as recently as Friday.
The president then proceeded to say what he had just denied ever saying.
“What I said is by the end of the year, but I think it could even be sooner that that,” he said about a vaccine. “It could be during the month of October, actually could be before November.”
Under a program Trump calls “Operation Warp Speed,” the goal is to have 300 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine in stock by January. He has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on what amounts to a huge gamble since vaccine development usually takes years.
Concerns exist about political influence over development of a vaccine, and whether one produced under this process will be safe and effective.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, told CNN last week that it is unlikely but “not impossible” that a vaccine could win approval in October, instead of November or December.
Fauci added that he’s “pretty sure” a vaccine would not be approved for Americans unless it was both safe and effective.
Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, has said the agency would not cut corners as it evaluates vaccines, but would aim to expedite its work. He told the Financial Times last week that it might be “appropriate” to approve a vaccine before clinical trials were complete if the benefits outweighed the risks.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, meanwhile, has given assurances that Trump “will not in any way sacrifice safety” when it comes to a vaccine. And executives of five top pharmaceutical companies pledged that no COVID-19 vaccines or treatments will be approved, even for emergency use, without proof they are safe and effective.
Some concerns were sparked by a letter dated Aug. 27 in which Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asked governors to help government contractor McKesson Corp. make sure vaccine distribution facilities are up and running by Nov. 1.
Redfield did not say a vaccine would be ready by then.
Three COVID-19 vaccines are undergoing final-stage, or Phase 3, clinical trials in the U.S. Each study is enrolling about 30,000 people who will get two shots, three weeks apart, and then will be monitored for coronavirus infections and side effects for anywhere from a week to two years.
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Politics
Jack Reed, Tammy Duckworth Endorse Alex Vindman in Florida U.S. Senate Race as Campaign Momentum Grows
Published
2 weeks agoon
July 24, 2026
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alex Vindman has received endorsements from U.S. Sens. Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, two military veterans whose support adds to a growing list of elected officials, labor organizations, and editorial boards backing his campaign.
The endorsements come as Vindman reports a strong second-quarter fundraising performance and seeks to build momentum in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races.
Veterans Back Vindman’s Campaign
Reed, a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger, and Duckworth, a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and combat veteran, endorsed Vindman, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, highlighting his military service and continued commitment to public service.
Vindman said he is honored to receive the support of fellow veterans serving in the U.S. Senate.
“The path to a Democratic Senate majority runs through Florida, and I am honored to earn the endorsement of Senators Jack Reed and Tammy Duckworth, fellow veterans who have continued their call to public service in the Senate,” Vindman said.
Vindman criticized his Republican opponent, U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, accusing her of putting special interests ahead of Florida families.
“I am not a career politician. I am a 21-year combat veteran who is ready to fight to lower costs and crush the corruption in Washington that is driving up costs for Florida families,” Vindman said.
Campaign Momentum
The endorsements follow Vindman’s announcement that his campaign raised $8.5 million during the second quarter, surpassing Moody’s fundraising by nearly $5 million. His campaign also reported $7.3 million cash on hand, positioning him for what is expected to be one of the country’s most competitive Senate contests.
Campaign officials also point to recent public polling that they say shows the race between Vindman and Moody effectively tied heading into the next phase of the campaign.
Growing Coalition of Support
Reed and Duckworth join a growing coalition of supporters that includes:
- The Miami Herald Editorial Board.
- Florida Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman.
- State Sen. Tina Polsky.
- State Rep. Dan Daley.
- SEIU Local 1991.
- Southern Regional Council of Carpenters.
The endorsements reflect support from military leaders, Democratic elected officials, organized labor, and media voices.
Florida First Agenda
Vindman is campaigning on what he calls a Florida First Agenda, focusing on lowering everyday costs for Floridians.
His platform includes proposals addressing:
- Rising grocery prices.
- Higher gasoline costs.
- Property insurance affordability.
- Housing affordability.
- Government ethics and anti-corruption reforms.
Vindman argues Washington has failed to address many of the economic issues affecting Florida families and says he would prioritize lowering household costs while increasing government accountability.
Looking Ahead
The Florida U.S. Senate race is expected to remain one of the nation’s most competitive contests, with fundraising, endorsements, and voter outreach likely to intensify as Election Day approaches. Both parties view the race as strategically important in the battle for control of the U.S. Senate.
Crimes and Courts
Family of Corey Ruiz to Speak Publicly for First Time Alongside Attorney Ben Crump Following Fatal Madison Police Shooting
Published
2 weeks agoon
July 24, 2026
MADISON, Wis. (July 24, 2026) — Nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump will join the family of Corey Ruiz at a news conference Saturday in Madison, where family members are expected to speak publicly for the first time since Ruiz was fatally shot by a Madison police officer.
Ruiz’s family, joined by attorneys Ben Crump, Steve Hart, and B’Ivory Lamarr, along with State Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D–Madison), is expected to call for a full, independent investigation into the shooting and seek accountability for the circumstances surrounding Ruiz’s death.
According to the Madison Police Department, Ruiz was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon during an encounter with officers at a busy intersection on the city’s near-east side. Police have stated that Ruiz allegedly produced a fixed-blade knife and injured an officer during a struggle before an officer discharged his firearm.
However, video recorded by a bystander and reported by the Wisconsin Examiner appears to show an officer stomping Ruiz while he was on the ground as the first gunshot was fired. The video has drawn increased public attention and renewed questions regarding the officers’ use of force during the incident.
The incident has also highlighted the fact that Madison police officers do not wear body cameras, prompting additional calls from community members and civil rights advocates for greater transparency and independent review.
Scheduled Speakers
- Corey Ruiz’s family
- Attorney Ben Crump
- Attorney Steve Hart
- Attorney B’Ivory Lamarr
- State Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D–Madison)
The news conference is expected to address the family’s response to the shooting, outline the legal team’s next steps, and reiterate calls for an independent investigation into the incident.
Politics
Speaker Johnson Warns of ‘Communist Agenda’ in Democratic Party Ahead of Midterm Elections
Published
2 weeks agoon
July 20, 2026
WASHINGTON (FNN NEWS) — House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday warned that the United States faces what he described as a growing influence of socialist and communist ideology within the Democratic Party, arguing that the 2026 midterm elections will determine the future of the nation’s constitutional republic.
Speaking during a House Republican leadership press conference alongside House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain, and U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez, Johnson urged Americans to closely examine the policy positions of democratic socialist candidates and organizations.
Johnson Says Election Is About the Future of Constitutional Government
Johnson said voters will decide whether the United States remains “a constitutional republic” or moves toward what he characterized as a system based on communist ideology.
“We’re fighting right now in Congress over whether we’re going to maintain our status as a constitutional republic or we’re going to trade that in, dismantle the foundations and go down this dark road of death to communism,” Johnson said.
He described the upcoming election as a defining moment for the country and encouraged Americans to review the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Johnson Criticizes Democratic Socialist Platform
According to Johnson, the DSA platform includes proposals to expand the Supreme Court, eliminate the U.S. Senate in favor of a unicameral legislature, abolish national borders, provide broad immigration amnesty, eliminate prisons, and reduce traditional law enforcement.
Johnson argued that candidates he described as “mini-Mamdani’s” are promoting similar ideas in congressional races around the country.
“This is not a game. Everybody needs to understand these crazy little mini-Mamdani’s who are popping up all around the country; they are a danger to you and your family,” Johnson said.
Johnson Contrasts Constitutional Government and Communism
Johnson said America’s founding principles recognize rights as originating from God rather than government, contrasting that belief with what he described as communist ideology.
“Our rights come from our Creator, God; they do not come from the government. The communist believes the opposite,” Johnson said.
He also cited the historical record of communist governments, stating that communist ideology “has led to the murder of tens of millions of innocent people in the 20th century alone.”
Cold War Comparison
Johnson compared today’s political climate with the Reagan era, when he said Republicans and Democrats were united in opposing communism overseas.
“Thirty-five years ago Republicans and Democrats in Congress… were fighting communism on a distant shore. Now it’s here,” Johnson said.
He argued that ideological differences between the two major political parties have expanded beyond disagreements over taxes and regulation into broader debates about the nation’s governing philosophy.
‘The Barbarians Are Inside the Gate’
Concluding his remarks, Johnson described the 2026 midterm elections as one of the most consequential in modern American history.
“The American people have to decide in November… whether we’re going to maintain our freedom in a constitutional republic,” Johnson said.
Johnson ended the press conference by warning:
“The barbarians are inside the gate.”
The remarks reflect House Republican leadership’s broader campaign message heading into the 2026 midterm elections, emphasizing constitutional government, border security, and opposition to socialism and communism. Democratic leaders have rejected Republican characterizations that equate Democratic policies or democratic socialism with authoritarian communism.
