“Twitter removed a tweet by White House coronavirus task force member Scott Atlas that said masks don’t work to stop the spread of COVID-19, the social media site confirmed Sunday. “Masks work? NO,” Atlas, a radiologist with no background in infectious diseases or public health, tweeted Saturday. The post cited the World Health Organization as having said that the “widespread use” of masks is not supported — an interpretation that experts have disputed. In a follow-up tweet, he said that masks should be used when close to others, especially those who are high risk. He added that there should not be widespread mask mandates, something that other infectious disease experts have advocated. Atlas’ initial post about masks not working was removed for violating the site’s policy on sharing misleading information about COVID-19, a Twitter spokesperson told HuffPost. ASSOCIATED PRESS White House coronavirus adviser Scott Atlas in September. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that masks be worn in all public settings, especially when social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. The WHO’s website also advises wearing face masks in busy public places such as workplaces, grocery stores and public transportation. It urges people to follow local authorities’ advice on them. Atlas, who joined the task force in August, has become known for making controversial claims and recommendations about the virus. In addition to questioning the efficacy of masks, he suggested that achieving herd immunity could be a solution to the nation’s outbreak and that young people becoming infected is “not really a problem.” In an email obtained by The New York Times, Atlas reportedly said that herd immunity could be achieved with COVID-19 infections in just 20% of the population ― a percentage denied by top health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fauci has said that herd immunity is not a solution to the pandemic. Fauci, speaking with CNN last month, expressed concern that information Atlas gave to the White House about the pandemic was “really taken either out of context or actually incorrect.” Robert Redfield, the director of the CDC, last month slammed Atlas’ handling of the virus. “Everything he says is false,” Redfield said about his task force teammate, according to NBC News. More than 70 of Atlas’ former colleagues at the Stanford University School of Medicine signed an open letter last month that criticized his handling of the pandemic, saying that he delivers “falsehoods and misrepresentations of science” that undermine public health authorities and established science. Atlas’ lawyers threatened to sue everyone who signed the letter unless they agreed to retract their statements, Politico reported. The signatories refused to back down.
Twitter Billionaire Jack Dorsey Gives U.S. Mayors $15 Million To Fund Basic Income
90 Uitsigte0 Opmerkings0 Hou van
["The idea of giving Americans money, with no strings attached, has been given a boost by a $15 million grant from billionaire Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, which will fund basic income projects across America. The money ...
Twitter Thread Imagines ‘Gilmore Girls’ Characters’ Responses To COVID-19
55 Uitsigte0 Opmerkings0 Hou van
["Life in 2020 is enough to make anyone say, “Enough with the poodles already.” But a comedy writer has offered “Gilmore Girls” fans something that’s as good a cheeseburger with a side of cheeseburger. Mike DiCenzo, w...
Trump Trade Adviser Violated Hatch Act With Biden Attacks, Watchdog Says
42 Uitsigte0 Opmerkings0 Hou van
["White House trade adviser Peter Navarro repeatedly violated a federal law that prohibits some members of the federal government from engaging in political activity, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel reported Monday...
Virginia Military Institute Removes Confederate ‘Stonewall’ Jackson Statue
127 Uitsigte0 Opmerkings0 Hou van
["ASSOCIATED PRESS Crews lift a statue of Confederate Gen. Thomas \"Stonewall\" Jackson from its pedestal on the campus of the Virginia Military Institute on Monday in Lexington, Va. LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) — The Virginia...
Ivanka Tweets ‘Amazing’ Photo Of Donald Trump At Mt. Rushmore. Twitter Loses It.
88 Uitsigte0 Opmerkings0 Hou van
["Ivanka Trump posted a photo of President Donald Trump at Mount Rushmore on Monday. Twitter thought she had rocks in her head. The outgoing leader’s daughter and adviser called the picture, which showed her father gr...
Steve Kornacki’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ Debut Has Election Twitter Going Wild
194 Uitsigte0 Opmerkings0 Hou van
["The Steve Kornacki crossover into “Sunday Night Football” is here, and surprise surprise, his fans love it. The NBC political correspondent, who found fast fame with his masterful coverage of the Nov. 3 presidential...
Trump Vaccine Czar Praises Biden’s Plan To Ask Americans To Wear Masks: ‘Never Too Late’
120 Uitsigte0 Opmerkings0 Hou van
["Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the head of President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 vaccine development push, said Sunday that President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to ask Americans to wear masks during his first 100 days in office is a “g...
Twitter Users Have Some Mocking Title Ideas For Melania Trump’s Reported Memoir
167 Uitsigte0 Opmerkings0 Hou van
["First lady Melania Trump is reportedly in talks to write a memoir about her time in the White House. And Twitter users, just as they have done previously with President Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., and form...