“California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has found himself in the same hot water that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was in after her hair salon trip this summer, in his case for a dinner at Napa County’s ultra-exclusive French Laundry restaurant that bucked the tenor of his own COVID-19 safety advice. Newsom apologized Monday for setting a bad example, admitting that the dozen-person birthday dinner he attended for a friend and political adviser on Nov. 6 violated the greater caution he’s been preaching. “I made a bad mistake. Instead of sitting down, I should have stood up and walked back out to my car,” the governor said at a press conference, noting that he didn’t realize how many people would be there until he arrived. “You can quibble about the guidelines, but the spirit of what I’m preaching all the time was contradicted. I’ve got to own that. So I want to apologize to you.” It’s true that Newsom appears to have acted in accordance with official state rules, which are slightly more relaxed than what he’s been urging people to do as cases have skyrocketed in California. While the party had people from more than three households in attendance ― which California’s guidelines forbid at private gatherings ― the rules don’t specify any household limits for restaurant dining. Newsom also emphasized that they were seated outside, but here’s where things get murky. On Wednesday, Fox 11 Los Angeles published photos it had obtained of the governor and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, at the dinner, and it looks like an indoors affair. EXCLUSIVE: We’ve obtained photos of Governor Gavin Newsom at the Napa dinner party he’s in hot water over. The photos call into question just how outdoors the dinner was. A witness who took photos tells us his group was so loud, the sliding doors had to be closed. 10pm on @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/gtOVEwa864— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) novembre 18, 2020 The partygoers appear to be gathered in this room pictured on the French Laundry’s website. While the room does open to the outside, potentially allowing for better air circulation, it’s a stretch to call this outdoor dining. Politico deemed it “a fancy garage.” A source also told Fox 11 that the large sliding door to the outside was closed for part of the dinner. Indoor dining was allowed in Napa County at the time of the dinner, but Newsom appears to have exaggerated the COVID-19 safety measures in place. His office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s question as to whether Newsom stands by his characterization of the dinner as being outdoors. Other Wednesday morning revelations have kept the heat on the event. Even as health officials nationwide urged people not to give in to “pandemic fatigue,” two California Medical Association officials, CEO Dustin Corcoran and top lobbyist Janus Norman, went to the party. The CMA, which is a powerful lobbying presence in the state Capitol, represents around 50,000 physicians in California. The scandal will probably blow past Newsom, given his otherwise robust pandemic response, but it comes at a time when the state can’t afford for people to start bending the rules around group gatherings. Like most of the country, California has seen a massive surge in new COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, forcing many counties to close down sectors of the economy again as hospitals brace for a further uptick in cases linked to holiday travel. Newsom and Pelosi aren’t the only California state lawmakers to come under scrutiny for their personal pandemic choices. Despite travel warnings from the state’s health officials, several legislators from California (and other states) just flew to Hawaii for a policy conference.
Melania Trump Slammed For Unveiling New Tennis Pavilion Amid COVID-19 Surge
92 Visualizzazioni0 Commenti0 Piace
["Melania Trump faced backlash Monday after she announced the completion of the new White House tennis pavilion amid a deadly pandemic that is killing more than 2,000 people a day across the country. “Thank you to all...
New Jersey Governor Lashes Rep. Matt ‘Putz’ Gaetz Over Potential Superspreader Event In His State
145 Visualizzazioni0 Commenti0 Piace
["New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) shredded Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for blithely featuring in an indoor event that could become a COVID-19 superspreader in Jersey City — and warned the health regulation-busting Republ...
California On The Brink: COVID-19 Rages And Closures Are Imminent
62 Visualizzazioni0 Commenti0 Piace
["SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Much of California is on the brink of sweeping new restrictions on businesses and activities, a desperate attempt to slow the frighteningly rapid escalation of coronavirus cases that threaten to...
Associate Pastor Of Church That Defied California COVID-19 Regulations Has Died
181 Visualizzazioni0 Commenti0 Piace
["The associate pastor of a California megachurch that defied a state order and instead opened for indoor services has died. Bob Bryant of the Water of Life Community Church in Fontana in Southern California died Mond...
California Certifies Its Electoral Votes, Officially Securing Biden’s Victory
152 Visualizzazioni0 Commenti0 Piace
["California certified its presidential election Friday and appointed 55 electors pledged to vote for Democrat Joe Biden, officially handing him the Electoral College majority needed to win the White House. Secretary ...
Kayleigh McEnany difende le feste della Casa Bianca in mezzo all'ondata di COVID
0 Visualizzazioni0 Commenti0 Piace
["I contagi da coronavirus e i ricoveri salgono a livelli record, ma il presidente Donald Trump continuerà con le riunioni di festa della Casa Bianca come al solito, ha detto mercoledì l'addetta stampa Kayleigh McEnany. La sua co...
California Governor Says State At COVID-19 ‘Tipping Point’
0 Visualizzazioni0 Commenti0 Piace
["LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California’s governor said on Monday the state was at a “tipping point” in the COVID-19 pandemic that would soon overwhelm hospitals as political leaders nationwide turn to increasingly aggre...
Arizona Certifies Biden Win, GOP Governor Calls State’s Elections System ‘Strong’
0 Visualizzazioni0 Commenti0 Piace
["Arizona officials have certified Joe Biden’s narrow victory over President Donald Trump in the state. Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Republican Gov. Doug Ducey stood up for the integrity of the electi...