A man hangs from the balcony in the Senate Chamber as a mob breaks into the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee / Getty Images
Wednesday's pro-Trump mob attack on the U.S. Capitol brought upon a flurry of responses from elected officials. "We now will be part of history, as such a shameful picture of our country was put out to the world, instigated at the highest level," Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California wrote in a letter to her colleagues, according to The New York Times.
<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the rioters "tried to disrupt our democracy." "They failed," he added, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/us/politics/insurrection.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. But the senators were not the only ones to respond.</p><p>"The violent mob that stormed the United States Capitol today, causing senseless loss of life, was there only because of the reckless and anti-democratic actions of Donald Trump," Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp <a href="https://www.edf.org/media/trump-reaped-whirlwind-today-american-democracy-far-stronger-he" target="_blank">wrote in a statement</a>.</p>
<p>"Like the rest of the world, we watched the events at the U.S. Capitol in horror as anti-democratic zealots violently disrupted what should have been a ceremonial start to the peaceful transition of power after a free and fair election," David Yarnold, president and CEO of the National Audubon Society <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/audubon-history-and-we-will-hold-responsible-elected-officials-who-have-promoted" target="_blank">added</a>.</p><p>The Environmental Defense Fund and National Audobon Society were joined by a number of other environmental and conservation groups across the country to condemn President Donald Trump's incitement of the attack.</p><p>"Trump willfully infects our body politic with a seditious poison whose antidemocratic effects will linger for years," Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, <a href="https://www.ewg.org/release/ewg-calls-immediate-removal-president-trump-office" target="_blank">wrote in a press release</a>. He called upon principal officers of the executive branch to "immediately invoke the 25th Amendment to remove a demagogue who is manifestly unfit for office."</p>
<p>Greenpeace USA's Executive Director Annie Leonard also called for Trump's removal.</p><p>"Yesterday's white supremacist, anti-democratic attack on representative government was carefully and intentionally coordinated by Trump," Leonard <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/greenpeace-usa-demands-trump-be-removed-from-office/" target="_blank">wrote</a>. "Those responsible must be held accountable."</p><p>Many environmental groups underscored their statements with shared values for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a> and a healthy planet.</p><p>"Everything we stand for, all of the work we do to protect birds and the places they need, is predicated on the rule of law." Yarnold <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/audubon-history-and-we-will-hold-responsible-elected-officials-who-have-promoted" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a>. "We believe that those who have committed crimes today should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law — and those who enabled them should be held to account."</p>
<p>Sierra Club's Executive Director Michael Brune <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2021/01/sierra-club-executive-director-michael-brune-s-statement-violent-attack-us" target="_blank">said</a> the two new senators in Georgia will ensure "both chambers of Congress are led by those committed to creating a liveable planet, safe communities, and an inclusive democracy."</p><p>He added, "And now, we must use our power to expel Trump and the Trumpism that is attacking the core values and institutions of our country."</p><p>These statements follow a recent <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/07/environmental-movement-very-white-these-leaders-want-change-that/" target="_blank">reckoning</a> regarding the role of racism in environmentalism. Over the summer, activists called on environmental groups to recognize their roles "in perpetuating systemic racist policies and practices," <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/07/environmental-movement-very-white-these-leaders-want-change-that/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Geographic reported</a>.</p>
<p>"I need you to understand that our racial inequality crisis is intertwined with our climate crisis. If we don't work on both, we will succeed at neither," Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a marine biologist and policy expert, wrote in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/06/03/im-black-climate-scientist-racism-derails-our-efforts-save-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Washington Post</a>.</p><p>"How can we expect black Americans to focus on climate when we are so at risk on our streets, in our communities, and even within our own homes?" She asked.</p><p>Although the responses made by environmental groups may not alone inspire equity in environmental spaces, they may be a stepping stone for environmental organizations to confront issues they haven't in the past.</p><p>"Let's call this what it is: a violent attempted coup by white supremacists hell-bent on suppressing the majority of people in America demanding progress and justice," May Boeve, 350.org's executive director <a href="https://350.org/press-release/us-white-supremacist-terrorism/" target="_blank">wrote</a>. "While militarized police attacked Indigenous water protectors at Standing Rock in 2016, and Black and brown protesters during racial justice uprisings of 2020, this is a racist and despicable contrast as right-wing insurrectionists attempt to revive the Civil War during a global pandemic, the day after the officer who shot Jacob Blake walked free."</p>
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Fauci, Public Health Officials Warn of Post-Holiday Coronavirus Spike
28 December 2020
Health + Wellness
Dr. Anthony Fauci receives his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health on Dec. 22, 2020, in Bethesda, Maryland. PATRICK SEMANSKY / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
By Brett Wilkins
The United States will most likely experience a "post-seasonal" spike in coronavirus infections largely due to holiday travel and gatherings, current and former U.S. health officials said on Sunday.
<p>"We very well might see a post-seasonal — in the sense of Christmas, New Year's — surge ... a surge upon a surge," <a href="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2012/27/sotu.01.html" target="_blank">said</a> Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an incoming chief medical adviser to President-elect Joe Biden, on CNN's <em>State of the Union</em>.</p><p>"We're really at a very critical point," he warned.</p><p>"I share the concern of President-elect Biden that, as we get into the next few weeks, it might actually get worse," Fauci added, referring to Biden's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/27/Our%20darkest%20days%20in%20the%20battle%20against%20COVID%20are%20ahead%20of%20us,%20not%20behind%20us,%22" target="_blank">prediction</a> earlier this week that "our darkest days in the battle against COVID-19 are ahead of us, not behind us."</p>
<div id="d5e7f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="294ceee25cc8075272a34099efb1171e"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1343202537499930624" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Dr. Anthony Fauci says he believes the worst is still yet to come in the coronavirus pandemic following the holiday… https://t.co/gPU86rjiQO</div> — State of the Union (@State of the Union)<a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSotu/statuses/1343202537499930624">1609079415.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams also said that a post-holiday infection surge was likely.</p><p>"But what the important thing for people to understand is that even if you traveled, it doesn't mean you just throw your hands up in the air and say, oh well," he <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-12-27-20-sen-bernie-sanders/story?id=74922745" target="_blank">said</a> on ABC's <em>This Week</em>.</p><p>"There are measures that you can take," said Adams, including getting tested, self-quarantining, and avoiding vulnerable people such as the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.</p><p>Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, appearing on CBS' <em>Face the Nation</em>," <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/full-transcript-of-face-the-nation-on-december-27-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">predicted</a> "a grim month."</p><p>"We have a very difficult month ahead of us," he said, identifying California, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey as places "where cases are still building."</p><p>When asked how long it will be until the nation sees results from the two vaccines which have been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">administered</a> to some 1.9 million Americans and counting, Gottlieb said that while vaccinations are "going to take about three weeks to get through all the nursing homes," there will be "some indication" that mass inoculation is "probably having an effect maybe as early as this week."</p>
<div id="1d7f4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6430a0ac4e946e91280d7a2ac89a5089"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1343414957233225728" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">More than 4.4 million Covid vaccines have been provided across the world (that we know of).
That includes, in dos… https://t.co/sPNxiSCORk</div> — Kristine Servando (@Kristine Servando)<a href="https://twitter.com/tinssoldier/statuses/1343414957233225728">1609130059.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Fauci told CNN that in order to achieve "herd immunity" — the effective neutralization of the virus following the infection or vaccination of enough people — 70% to 85% of the public would likely need to be inoculated.</p><p>The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesper100klast7days" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> 179,104 new coronavirus infections and 1,309 new daily deaths on Sunday, for a total of 18.9 million U.S. infections and 330,901 COVID-19 deaths during the nine-month pandemic.</p><p>The health experts' warnings came the morning after Trump <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/27/unbelievably-cruel-sanders-slams-trumps-intransigence-millions-lose-unemployment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">refused to sign</a> a $900 billion pandemic relief bill, allowing unemployment coverage for millions of Americans to expire and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/25/holidays-cant-be-jolly-if-your-family-not-safely-housed-progressives-urge-cdc-extend" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">threatening</a> millions more with eviction as a federal moratorium was set to expire at the end of the year.</p><p>Trump acquiesced to bipartisan pressure and later on Sunday <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/27/after-deadly-delay-trump-folds-and-signs-coronavirus-relief-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">signed</a> a $2.3 trillion COVID-19 relief and spending bill that will provide vaccine distribution, unemployment, small business, and airline company assistance, and fund the U.S. government through September 2021.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/27/surge-surge-fauci-leads-health-officials-warning-post-holiday-coronavirus-spike" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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More and more Americans are retrofitting their bathrooms with high-end bidets, allowing them to enjoy cleanliness and hygiene without creating as much paper waste. Not all bidets are created equal, however, and before deciding on a particular brand, it's important to do your homework. Take a look at our comprehensive Toto bidet review, and our reviews of Tushy and Omigo, to learn more about all of their options.
<h2>Toto overview</h2><p>Toto is a company that has been around for over 100 years. They aim to improve people's quality of life, and they do that specifically by focusing on bathrooms. To that end, Toto is known for high-quality products including toilets, faucets, showers, bathtubs, and bidets. </p><p>Toto has also expressed an admirable commitment to ecological stewardship. As <a href="https://www.totousa.com/about-toto/toto-way" target="_blank">their corporate website</a> notes, they strive to "protect the global environment by conserving finite natural resources and energy." One example of this is their donation of any imperfectly fired porcelain products for recycling and reuse as porcelain floor tile. Their <a href="https://www.totousa.com/about-toto/living-toto-library/smart-sustainable-packaging-solution" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">packaging</a> uses differing levels of recycled post-consumer paper products while their forklifts operate using <a href="https://www.totousa.com/about-toto/living-toto-library/plant-based-hydraulics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plant-based hydraulics</a> made from soybean oil instead of traditional hydraulic oil.</p><p>Toto is definitely a company with a superior reputation when it comes to bathroom accessories in general, and bidets in particular. Here are reviews of some of the specific products in the Toto line.</p><h2>Toto bidet reviews</h2><p>There are two different bidet product families available from Toto: standalone bidets and bidet seat attachments. Their standalone models include the Piedmont bidet, the Lloyd bidet, and the Clayton bidet, while their bidet toilet seat offerings include a wide selection in the popular Washlet line. Here are details on the three standalone options and three of the most popular bidet seat attachments.</p><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><h3>Toto standalone bidets</h3><h4></h4>
<h2>Toto bidet pros and cons<br></h2><p>Whether you're considering a standalone bidet or a bidet seat attachment, here are some of the pros and cons to help you compare your options.</p><h3>Pros</h3><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Standalone bidets, such as the ones offered by Toto, are designed in a wider range of elegant, contemporary styles. If you are looking to remodel your bathroom, splurging for a standalone bidet makes sense.</li><li>Toto offers a wide selection of bidet and bidet attachment options. Some of their more advanced units feature night lights, adjustable nozzle positions, warm air dryers, and adjustable settings for the temperature of the water.</li><li>All of the Toto bidet attachments we reviewed include self-cleaning nozzles for added hygiene. They are also designed for DIY installation, and easily connect to your existing toilet's water supply without the need for a plumber or electrician.</li></ul><h3>Cons</h3><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Toto's line of standalone bidets and bidet seat attachments are more expensive than some other brands, especially some of their more high-end models.</li><li>Standalone bidets may not be as convenient for those who have mobility issues.</li><li>All of Toto's bidet seat attachments are electric, and don't feature an eco or energy-saving mode like some other options.</li></ul><h2>The benefits of buying a bidet</h2><p>Why buy a bidet at all? There are plenty of perks, both for you and the planet:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Bidets offer a more thorough, hygienic cleaning than toilet paper.</li><li>They're considerably more eco-friendly, using less water and paper.</li><li>Because you'll use so much less toilet paper, bidets are also more cost-effective.</li><li>Compared with TP, bidets can be really soothing to the skin.</li><li>They have special benefits for women, and especially pregnant women, helping minimize the risk of a UTI.</li><li>Bidets are highly accessible, even to those with limited mobility.</li><li>A bidet makes it much easier to teach your children about proper bathroom hygiene.</li></ul><h2>Considerations when buying a bidet</h2><p>As you consider all of your options for getting a bidet, here are a few of the key factors to consider:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Look for a bidet with a self-cleaning nozzle. This will help keep things hygienic.</li><li>Electric vs. non-electric? Electric bidets can offer more comfort features, like a heated seat, but they also use more energy than a non-electric one.</li><li>Is it a standalone bidet, a bidet seat, or a bidet attachment? While a standalone bidet is a completely separate fixture from your toilet, a bidet seat will completely replace your existing seat and a bidet attachment will be installed onto your existing toilet seat. These are usually the least expensive, but also come with the fewest features.</li><li>Does the bidet connect to your home's hot water? If it doesn't, you will only be able to clean with cold water.</li><li>Make sure you can adjust the settings. For the most comfortable bidet, look for controls that let you customize the water pressure, the angle of the water stream, the temperature of the water, and the temperature of the seat, if it is heated.</li></ul><p>Use these questions to determine whether the bidets from Toto are right for you.</p><h2>Toto bidets: a leader in comfort and efficiency</h2><p>Toto makes durable, elegant, and highly functional products that will allow you to enjoy all the hygienic and environmental benefits of a bidet. You can also read our full review of the best bidets to compare with other brands like Brondell, Kohler, Tushy, and BioBidet.</p><p><em><strong>Josh Hurst </strong></em><em>is a journalist, critic, and essayist. He lives in Knoxville, TN, with his wife and three sons. His writing on natural health, nutrition, and supplements has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review.</em></p>
Piedmont
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDgyMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjI3MjE3Nn0.QqBs95yaFQnGwAuf0t3XaSCc7pvrSEUalnl9UulrODg/img.jpg?width=980" id="a0c63" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9d10ad2b08c5d00642b44787c1b099ad" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-BT500B-01-Piedmont-Vertical/dp/B00084P3GO/ref=sr_1_3?crid=ZG6AGN0U9VQL&dchild=1&keywords=toto+piedmont+bidet&qid=1613591898&sprefix=toto+piedmo%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-3" target="_blank">Toto's Piedmont bidet</a> offers an elegant, classic design, and it also comes with built-in safeguards that prevent it from ever overflowing. It is available in several color options, and will look good with any contemporary bathroom design.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> This is the most affordable standalone bidet in Toto's catalog. This bidet is a good option if you are remodeling your bathroom or are building a home and want to save water and paper waste from the start. Priced starting at $533, you can find it through other retailers for around $280.</p>
$533
Lloyd
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDgzMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTU0Nzk0Nn0.h9XeFBojZff_4Un8swlIoamX7xAwO1wH3RKAiiZb96k/img.jpg?width=980" id="e5d22" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="83ff9c9b3ed8f1b5e92ff99c14ad9b0c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-BT930B-01-Vertical-Cotton/dp/B0015IVUOQ/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=toto%2Blloyd%2Bbidet&qid=1613592001&sr=8-2&th=1" target="_blank">Lloyd bidet</a> has a much bolder, "skirted" design, but it also shares the Piedmont's flushing rim and integral overflow features, which keep you from ever experiencing spillage.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>This is a fancier product with a more striking appearance, and is mainly suited for a larger, more formal design. It retails for a slightly higher price point: The Lloyd model starts at $780 in total, but you can find it for $526 through other retailers.</p>
$780
Clayton
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDgzMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTI4MTYyNn0.xNOnfejHaWbEVHRbO1vFVdUoWbFvevja40qRVr6L4dI/img.jpg?width=980" id="df200" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0cdb567e670fb2e46f50fbc43c99158c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p>The company's flagship standalone bidet is known as the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-BT784B-01-Clayton-Vertical/dp/B0018L9JUC/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=toto+clayton+bidet&qid=1613592108&sr=8-2" target="_blank">Clayton</a>. It includes the same overflow safeguards as the other two, and of course, each of these products is backed by Toto's longstanding commitment to excellent craftsmanship.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>This is the most traditional in its visual style, and, with a number of colors to choose from, it will look great in almost any bathroom design. The Clayton starts at $734, but is available through other retailers for around $426.</p>
$734
<h3>Toto bidet seats</h3>
Toto Washlet C200
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDgzNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTY3OTY1M30.3coYAuyqJLBcw8hQszI8Shbcfyr6nn9V0ek-kXv2kgQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="61762" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b7c91d2511149e271c7f0139f1580788" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p>This electronic smart bidet seat fits onto your existing toilet bowl and offers a number of comfort features, including a heated seat, automatic air deodorizer, adjustable warm water, warm air dryer, self-cleaning wand, and a wireless remote control.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> We chose the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UCIOX2Q/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=-XjvJQOmffOcAmiCOZvtAA&hsa_cr_id=7413316040901&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=0e0e7f3d-0baf-4977-85d3-663f618a76d8&pd_rd_w=Yi3yF&pd_rd_wg=LUFHB&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_lsi3d_asin_1_img" target="_blank">Toto C200</a> as the overall best bidet in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/best-bidet-toilet-seats-2650502928.html" target="_self">our review</a> of top brands. In addition to the features mentioned, its dual action oscillating and pulsating spray and pre-mist function provide a comfortable and sanitary clean.</p>
$715
Toto Washlet S500e with EWATER+
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDgzOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTgzNTIyMH0.idaacYO4MzHGTeajRkSCVHOo3TH7tehRN8TAH2s75ko/img.jpg?width=980" id="f6ed5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="87fa67b17e4c8e06f74bfbce87bf4809" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-SW3046-01-Electronic-Contemporary/dp/B078GTKSXK/ref=sr_1_2?crid=15NGPC9YFANKH&dchild=1&keywords=toto+s500e&qid=1613960063&sprefix=toto+s500e%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-2" target="_blank">Toto Washlet S500e</a> bidet seat includes the features found in the C200, plus instantaneous water heating, front and rear wash functions, two-user preset memory, and the company's <a href="https://www.totousa.com/technologies/ewater" target="_blank">EWATER+ technology</a>. This system uses electrolyzed water to keep the wand and toilet bowl clean.</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> This high-end Toto electric bidet seat can help you reduce water and toilet paper use, and it can help reduce the need for chemical cleaning products with its EWATER+ technology.</p>
$1530
Toto Washlet A100
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3MDg0Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzU0OTU3MH0.g2PYzguGXvB1l7RvWBcw_xNtlpy8hsmcwui8Twr3CMA/img.jpg?width=980" id="08295" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d3d798b5d7737cddaadfd9f6fa5a84d6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="400" data-height="400" />Toto USA
<p>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-SW2014-01-Electronic-SoftClose/dp/B0165UFOGS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=30E9Y1LAN9ZRW&dchild=1&keywords=toto+washlet+a100+elongated+bidet+toilet+seat&qid=1613589664&sprefix=toto+washlet+a100%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFBR1FMUTdJR1hXNUEmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAyNjIwOTkxUE1EWk5CQjg2QTZPJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0NDc1MzExSk1UMk5CQzJYVUhVJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==" target="_blank">A100</a> is an entry-level Washlet bidet attachment, but still offers numerous comfort features. It includes a heated seat with temperature control, aerated warm water with a dual action spray, and an attached arm control panel.</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>One of the most affordable Toto bidet options, it still lets you adjust the water temperature and pressure settings, and features rear and front cleaning functionality for a feminine wash.</p>
$499
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Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is seen on October 19, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. Denis Doyle / Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden announced Monday that former Secretary of State John Kerry will sit on his National Security Council (NSC) as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
<p>Kerry's appointment was announced alongside other key foreign policy and national security roles and signals that the Biden administration plans to make fighting the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> an integral part of its foreign policy.</p><p>"This marks the first time that the NSC will include an official dedicated to climate change, reflecting the president-elect's commitment to addressing climate change as an urgent national security issue," the transition team said in a statement.</p>
<div id="7aab6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4bff71c40172c15736f73fe73ed18078"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330967606585593857" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Today, I’m announcing the first members of my national security and foreign policy team. They will rally the world… https://t.co/bAisIQk5P6</div> — Joe Biden (@Joe Biden)<a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/statuses/1330967606585593857">1606162380.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Kerry has a long history of engaging in climate diplomacy, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/11/23/kerry-climate-change/" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported</a>. He has represented the U.S. at every major climate conference for the past 30 years and, as Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, played a key role in negotiating the 2015 <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris agreement</a>. More recently, he started the organization <a href="https://worldwarzero.com/" target="_blank">World War Zero</a> to unite people from all political persuasions and walks of life around the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Kerry also co-chaired the Biden campaign's climate task force with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), which was designed to make policy suggestions and bridge the gap between party moderates and supporters of Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.</p><p>"The work we began with the Paris Agreement is far from done," Kerry <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnKerry/status/1330945088080457731" target="_blank">tweeted</a> in response to his appointment. "I'm returning to government to get America back on track to address the biggest challenge of this generation and those that will follow. The climate crisis demands nothing less than all hands on deck."</p><p>Biden's choice of Kerry won wide approval from environmental groups.</p><p>"The big question has been, 'How serious is the new administration about climate change?'" senior <a href="https://www.edf.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Environmental Defense Fund</a> (EDF) vice president Nathaniel Keohane told <a href="https://grist.org/politics/with-john-kerry-envoy-biden-plans-to-tackle-climate-change-abroad/?utm_campaign=sprout&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1606165955" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grist</a>. "This is a tremendously important signal. It says that the Biden administration is committed to making climate change front and center in terms of how we engage with the world."</p>
<p>While Kerry is seen as a moderate, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/23/john-kerry-biden-climate-envoy-appointment?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1606170161" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>, his role on the campaign's climate task force has earned him the respect of the more progressive wing of the climate movement.</p><p>"He was quite the diplomat in terms of trying to make sure that all sides were represented and that we could reach compromises that we could all live with," Alabama environmental activist and panel member Catherine Coleman Flowers told The Washington Post. "He had a good understanding of the climate crisis."</p><p><a href="https://www.sunrisemovement.org/?ms=SunriseMovement" target="_blank">Sunrise Movement</a> co-founder Varshini Prakash also spoke favorably of Kerry's role on the panel.</p><p>"I served with Sec. Kerry this summer on the Biden-Sanders taskforce and one thing is clear: he really does care about stopping climate change. That's something we can work with," she <a href="https://twitter.com/VarshPrakash/status/1330948342776557568?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tweeted</a>. "An encouraging move from the Biden team — now I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a domestic equivalent!"</p>
<p>Biden is expected to name a White House climate policy coordinator in December who will focus on domestic climate policy, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/climate/john-kerry-climate-change.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>.</p><p>However, the effectiveness of both roles may depend on whether Republicans retain control of the Senate after the Georgia runoff elections in January. Kerry's position does not require Senate confirmation, but he may have a harder time convincing other countries to take more aggressive action if the U.S. does not seem to be pulling its weight. Diplomatically, he faces a challenge no matter what, given President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a>'s decision to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/paris-agreement-us-withdrawal-2648618695.html" target="_self">withdraw the U.S.</a> from the Paris agreement Kerry helped negotiate. While Biden intends to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/paris-climate-agreement-biden-2648649350.html" target="_self">rejoin the agreement</a> immediately upon taking office, the U.S. departure still burned the international community.</p><p>"Kerry's challenge is 'fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me,'" Rachel Kyte, dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, told The New York Times.</p>
<p class=""><em>Correction: A previous version of the headline stated that John Kerry is the first-ever climate envoy. That is incorrect, as the Obama administration also had a climate envoy. Kerry is the first full-time climate official to sit on the National Security Council. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Indigenous and Climate Leaders Outraged Over Minnesota Permits for Line 3 Pipeline
13 November 2020
Energy
Climate campaigners and Indigenous groups in Minnesota continue to fight against Enbridge's Line 3 Pipeline. honortheearth / Instagram
By Jessica Corbett
Environmental and Indigenous leaders on Thursday responded with alarm after Minnesota regulators approved key permits for Enbridge Energy's planned Line 3 Pipeline replacement, and called on Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to block any construction for the Canadian company's long-delayed multibillion-dollar project.
<p>"Gov. Walz has apparently decided that if Washington won't lead on climate, Minnesota won't either," said Andy Pearson, MN350's Midwest tar sands coordinator, in a statement about the permits. "Make no mistake. "This decision is a sharp escalation against water protectors and climate science."</p><p>The Associated Press <a href="https://wtop.com/national/2020/11/minnesota-grants-key-permits-for-line-3-crude-oil-pipeline/" target="_blank">reported</a> that "the approvals from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Department of Natural Resources clear the way for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue the remaining federal permits, which is expected to happen fairly quickly. The MPCA could then approve a final construction storm water permit that's meant to protect surface waters from pollutant runoff."</p><p>As Leo Golden, vice president of Line 3 execution, called it "a big day for Line 3 in Minnesota" and said that "these authorizations and approvals are an important step towards construction," Pearson and other <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/01/30/documents-show-police-using-private-security-firms-target-anti-pipeline-organizers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">critics</a> of the crude oil project reiterated their <a href="https://www.stopline3.org/#intro" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">opposition</a>, citing both treaty rights and climate science.</p>
<p>"Line 3 is facing multiple court challenges by Native nations, grassroots groups, and the Minnesota Department of Commerce," Pearson noted. "This decision means that Enbridge may launch construction while the overall need and legality of the pipeline are being fought in court, including by a state agency."</p><p>"There is a good chance that courts will find the pipeline was approved illegally," he said. "It's just common sense, then, to demand that the state immediately halt Enbridge's progress toward construction while those important legal challenges play out."</p>
<div id="9a7ba" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="956d3010cce9847c21f3033442e74ea3"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1326985189948420096" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We're beginning construction on an unnecessary, dangerous oil pipeline, in the middle of a climate crisis. In the m… https://t.co/1lpCIYHYrL</div> — Tim Schaefer (@Tim Schaefer)<a href="https://twitter.com/tharoldschaefer/statuses/1326985189948420096">1605212898.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>In February 2019, Walz <a href="https://twitter.com/govtimwalz/status/1095374006071504896?lang=en" target="_blank">said publicly</a> that projects like Line 3 "don't just need a building permit to go forward, they also need a social permit." At the time, the governor was <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/02/12/what-dem-leadership-looks-minnesota-gov-praised-backing-fight-against-line-3-tar" target="_blank">praised</a> for "<a href="https://twitter.com/HonorTheEarth/status/1095329273932587008?s=20" target="_blank">working for the people first not a foreign pipeline company</a>" by deciding to renew a challenge launched by his predecessor against the project.</p><p>"It's clear now that Gov. Walz's wish for Line 3 to have 'a social permit' was all talk and no action," Pearson declared. "This is a deeply unpopular pipeline that is a disaster for our climate, and it will be fought every step of the way. The climate justice movement will still stop the pipeline, but the governor has made that unnecessarily harder."</p><p>The permits come less than a week after major news outlets called the presidential contest for President-elect Joe Biden. Though he has faced calls from campaigners to go even further, Biden has still put forth climate action plans that dramatically contrast with the pro-corporate polluter agenda of President Donald Trump.</p><p>"President Trump spent four years angling to protect the profits of Big Oil rather than protecting our planet," said Pearson. "Minnesota loudly rejected that kind of destructive leadership. The governor had all the legal tools he needed to stop this environmentally catastrophic pipeline. Why would he instead give Trump a parting gift like this in the last days of his term?"</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/12/nightmarish-indigenous-and-climate-leaders-outraged-over-minnesota-permits-line-3" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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- Water Protectors Arrested in Minnesota After Chaining Themselves Inside Enbridge Line 3 Pipe - EcoWatch ›
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'Finally': In Potential Nod To Biden Win, Federal Reserve Applies To Join Climate Network for Central Banks
12 November 2020
Climate
Jerome Powell (R) takes the oath of office as he is sworn-in as the new chairman of the Federal Reserve (FED) by Randal Quarles (L) vice chair for supervision, at the Federal Reserve Building in Washington, DC on Feb. 5, 2018. SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
In a decision seen by some as a subtle acknowledgement of President-elect Joe Biden's victory even as President Donald Trump still refuses to concede, the Federal Reserve has applied to join what Bloomberg called "the climate change club for central banks," a group that requires participation in the Paris climate agreement.
<p>"We have requested membership. I expect that it will be granted," Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Randal Quarles said during a Senate Banking Committee hearing Tuesday, Bloomberg reported. Quarles added that the Fed may become a member of the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) before its annual meeting in April.</p><p>Launched in late 2017, the NGFS sets out to bolster the world's efforts to meet the goals of the Paris agreement and "to enhance the role of the financial system to manage risks and to mobilize capital for green and low-carbon investments in the broader context of environmentally sustainable development," <a href="https://www.ngfs.net/en/about-us/governance/origin-and-purpose" target="_blank">according to</a> its website.</p>
<p>The primary <a href="https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement" target="_blank">goal</a> of the Paris deal, which took effect in 2016, is to "strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius."</p><p>Just over a year ago, the Trump administration began the one-year process of withdrawing the United States from the agreement; the U.S. exit <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/04/us-officially-quits-paris-accord-amid-election-uncertainty-progressives-say-make" target="_blank">became official</a> last week, the day after the general election. While Biden has vowed to rejoin the deal, progressives around the world are urging him to go far beyond that and serve as a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/09/biden-urged-be-climatepresident-taking-these-10-game-changing-steps-first-10-days" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">#ClimatePresident</a>.</p><p>Bloomberg's Akshat Rathi suggested on Twitter Wednesday that by seeking NGFS membership, "the Fed tacitly accepts that Biden has won the presidency."<br></p>
<div id="3e95e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="661730efd6d56c7910fb7cbd0e3b7a48"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1326502869382651905" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Um... the Fed tacitly accepts that Biden has won the presidency.
Fed has requested membership of the NGFS, which… https://t.co/lO1Z0l6gQU</div> — Akshat Rathi (@Akshat Rathi)<a href="https://twitter.com/AkshatRathi/statuses/1326502869382651905">1605097903.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Although Biden's win may be a factor, earlier this year, before the U.S. officially ditched the Paris agreement, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell suggested the country could join the NGFS, Newsweek <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/federal-reserve-acknowledge-joe-biden-election-win-1546678" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">noted</a> Wednesday.</p><p>"We have been looking at joining in one form or another and talking to them about that," Powell said in late January. "We probably will do that at some point."</p><p>According to Newsweek:</p><blockquote>Powell's remarks led to some speculation the Trump administration might alter its approach to climate change, with the <em>Financial Times</em> reporting on January 31 that some at the Fed had been privately pushing for membership of the banking group.<br>"The Fed's interest is another sign of the importance of the work of the NGFS," Bank of France governor François Villeroy de Galhau told the <em>FT</em> at the time. "It's a coalition of the willing. Climate risk is clearly a part of financial risk."</blockquote><p>Quarles' comments about NGFS membership came a day after the Fed formally acknowledged for the first time that climate change potentially threatens the stability of the financial system and urged banks "to have systems in place that appropriately identify, measure, control, and monitor all of their material risks, which for many banks are likely to extend to climate risks."</p><p>"The Federal Reserve is evaluating and investing in ways to deepen its understanding of the full scope of implications of climate change for markets, financial exposures, and interconnections between markets and financial institutions," the central bank said in its semiannual <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/financial-stability-report.htm" target="_blank">report</a> on financial stability.</p>
<p>Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/10/fed-climate-change-risk-435685" target="_blank">pointed out</a> that the report followed related comments by Powell and was welcomed by another key leader at the Fed:</p><blockquote>Powell said last week that the "science and art" of incorporating climate change into financial regulation is new but that the Fed is "very actively in the early stages" of getting up to speed and working with officials around the world.<br>"I welcome the introduction of climate" into the semiannual report, Fed Governor Lael Brainard, who heads the central bank's financial stability committee, said in a statement. "A lack of clarity about true exposures to specific climate risks for real and financial assets, coupled with differing assessments about the sizes and timing of these risks, can create vulnerabilities to abrupt repricing events."</blockquote><p>Alan Zibel, research director of Public Citizen's Corporate Presidency Project, which focuses on corporate influence and conflicts of interest in the Trump administration, also praised the Fed's inclusion of climate risk in the analysis but noted that it "is a latecomer to this party and is still propping up the oil industry (and other giant corps) through huge purchases of debt."</p>
<p>Public Citizen, Friends of the Earth, and BailoutWatch <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/01/100-billion-lifeline-while-most-americans-are-being-left-behind-report-details" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">released</a> a report in late September titled Big Oil's $100 Billion Bender that showed "how the U.S. government provided a safety net for the flagging fossil fuel industry." The report said the Fed's emergency financing during the Covid-19 pandemic is "forestalling the demise of an industry that has always relied on government largesse."</p><p>Last month, as Common Dreams <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/21/merkley-unveils-pioneering-bills-make-financial-institutions-stop-bankrolling" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced legislation to prevent banks and international financial institutions from financing fossil fuels. David Arkush, director of Public Citizen's Climate Program, declared that he "is showing real leadership by introducing the first-ever bills to cut the money pipeline fueling the climate crisis."</p><p>When unveiling the pair of bills, the senator referenced a September <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/09/while-trump-commission-warns-climate-risk-financial-system-recommendations-fall" target="_blank">report</a> from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission warning that the climate emergency endangers the U.S. financial system. In response to the report, Arkush said that "U.S. financial regulators have the authority to help mitigate the climate crisis, and they need to use it. The best way to protect anything from climate change, whether people in wildfire or flood zones or giant banks, is to stop climate change."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/11/finally-potential-nod-biden-win-federal-reserve-applies-join-climate-network-central" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The Dalai Lama has co-written a new book addressing the climate crisis. Kristian Dowling / Getty Images
The Dalia Lama really wants the world to act on the climate crisis.
<p>The Tibetan Bhuddist spiritual leader has co-written a book called <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/our-only-home-9781472980755/" target="_blank"><em>Our Only Home: A Climate Appeal to the World</em></a>, which urges world leaders and ordinary people to work together to stop global warming.</p><p>"Buddha would be green," he claims in the book, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/11/buddha-would-be-green-dalai-lama-calls-for-urgent-climate-action?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco&fbclid=IwAR19o899tMmpcVQ55oEDqNXfuDJFnurfuyEZ3obc8XdoUfmLQeCq8VkNEqk" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>.</p><p>To promote the book, the 85-year-old leader has been giving interviews from his home in Dharamsala, India, where he lives in exile from his native Tibet. In a talk with <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/11/933754512/the-dalai-lama-offers-a-warning-on-climate-change" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NPR's Noel King</a>, he spoke about the title of the book. He pointed to the recent discovery that there is more <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/moon-water-nasa-2648510521.html" target="_blank">water on the moon</a> than previously thought, but noted that settling there would still be "impossible."</p><p>"So now, therefore, we have to take care of our own planet," he said.</p>
<p>The Dalai Lama emphasizes the need for global action. He told The Guardian and <a href="https://www.channel4.com/news/dalai-lama-says-buddha-would-be-green" target="_blank">Channel 4 News</a> that the UN should take a leadership role and that the most powerful nations should step up to the plate.</p><p>"The big nations should pay more attention to ecology. I hope you see those big nations who spent a lot of money for weapons or war turn their resources to the preservation of the climate," The Guardian reported him saying.</p><p>The Dalai Lama has taken a firm stance against isolationism and told NPR he was very disappointed when President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> decided to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-begins-withdrawal-paris-agreement-2641223963.html">withdraw the U.S.</a> from the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris climate agreement</a>.</p><p>"America should think, not just 'America First,'" he said. He added that the U.S. had greater potential to help create a "happier world."</p>
<p><br><br></p><p>President-elect <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/joe-biden" target="_self">Joe Biden</a> has promised to return the U.S. to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/paris-climate-agreement-biden-2648649350.html" target="_blank">climate accord</a> and also encourage more ambitious international action, in a vision that appears more in sync with the Dalai Lama's advice.<br></p><p>In the book, the Dalai Lama also suggested that world leaders be locked in a room full of carbon dioxide until they understand the severity of climate change, Channel 4 News reported. </p><p>But while the Dalai Lama urges global solutions, he is also aware of how the climate crisis will impact his native land. He told The Guardian and Channel 4 News that Tibet is the "roof of the world" and its rivers supply water to at least a billion people. But, as temperatures rise, those rivers could dry up and Tibet could "become like Afghanistan."</p>
<p>The Dalai Lama has advice for what individuals can do as well. For example, he told NPR that people in Western countries eat too much <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/meat" target="_self">meat</a>.</p><p>"Not only is it a question of, a sense of lov[ing] these animals," he told NPR, "but itself is very bad for ecology."</p><p>He also urged the importance of educating people to hold a less individualistic attitude toward the planet.</p><p>He told Channel 4 that students should be taught how "taking care about [the] environment is ultimately taking care of yourself."</p>
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President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris salute the crowd after being declared the winners of the presidential election on Nov. 7, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. ANDREW HARNIK / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
Former Vice President Joe Biden defeated sitting President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election Saturday and is now set to become the 46th president of the United States.
<p>The election results, reported by several outlets including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a>, pave the way for a dramatic shift in U.S. policy on the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> and the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic. While Trump repeatedly <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-rejects-us-climate-report-2621629346.html" target="_self">denied the reality</a> of climate change and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-coronavirus-misinformation-2647879036.html" target="_self">downplayed the severity</a> of COVID-19, both Biden and Vice President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/kamala-harris" target="_self">Kamala Harris</a> emphasized tackling the two crises with a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/science/" target="_self">science</a>-based approach during their victory speeches Saturday.</p><p>"Americans have called on us to marshal the forces of decency and the forces of fairness. To marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time," Biden said during his speech in Wilmington, Delaware Saturday. "The battle to control the virus, the battle to build prosperity, the battle to secure your family's health care, the battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country, and the battle to save our planet by getting the climate under control."</p>
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<h3>COVID-19</h3><p>In his speech, Biden promised to hit the ground running on controlling the pandemic, which has killed more than 237,000 U.S. residents and infected nearly 10 million, according to The Associated Press. He said he would name a group of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/public-health" target="_self">public health</a> experts Monday to be ready to guide his administration's coronavirus response once he takes office Jan. 20.</p><p>On Monday, Biden named the 13-member <a href="https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/biden-harris-transition-announces-covid-19-advisory-board/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board</a>. It will be co-chaired by former Bush Sr. and Clinton Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. David Kessler, former Obama Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and Yale public health expert Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith.</p><p>Other notable members include surgeon and writer Dr. Atul Gawande and former Trump administration whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright. Bright was <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/doctor-bright-coronavirus-trump-drug-2645811981.html" target="_self">reassigned</a> from his position at the Health and Human Services Department after he objected to Trump's pushing of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for COVId-19.</p><p>"The inclusion of Bright, who said that he was met with skepticism by Trump administration officials when he raised concerns in the early throes of the pandemic about critical supplies shortages, is a clear signal of the contrasted direction that Biden intends to take his administration when it comes to dealing with the pandemic," <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/09/politics/biden-coronavirus-advisers-experts-rick-bright/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNN's Sarah Mucha pointed out</a>.</p><p>Biden is also expected to reverse Trump's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-world-health-organization-2646129342.html" target="_self">departure</a> from the World Health Organization upon taking office, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-first-executive-orders-measures/2020/11/07/9fb9c1d0-210b-11eb-b532-05c751cd5dc2_story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported</a>.</p>
<h3>Climate Change</h3><p>Even before a winner was declared in the election, Biden <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/paris-climate-agreement-biden-2648649350.html" target="_self">reaffirmed his commitment </a>to rejoining the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris climate agreement</a> on the first day of his presidency. His win means the Trump-initiated U.S. departure, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/paris-agreement-us-withdrawal-2648618695.html" target="_self">which went into effect Tuesday</a>, will be short lived.</p>
<div id="c7c8c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6482a6d7dbb8e573ba852f7de1b6b91b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1325188023257083904" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">For anyone who doesn't know, @CFigueres Christiana Figueres is a key architect of the Paris climate accords, which… https://t.co/g6IfvsYMWE</div> — Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben)<a href="https://twitter.com/billmckibben/statuses/1325188023257083904">1604784420.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Biden's climate plan includes a $2 trillion dollar investment in greening infrastructure and achieving a zero-carbon energy sector by 2035, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/11/07/biden-climate-change-monuments/" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported further</a>. However, this will be difficult to pass if Republicans maintain control of the Senate, something which will be decided by two run-off elections in Georgia in January. If the Senate stays in Republican hands, Biden will have to rely more on executive actions to fulfill his climate agenda. He has promised to reverse the Trump administration rollback of 100 Obama-era environmental and public health regulations. He can limit oil and gas drilling on public lands, restore federal vehicle emissions standards and stop fossil fuel pipelines such as the controversial Keystone XL from being built, among other measures.</p><p>"Joe Biden ran on climate. How great is this?" Obama-era Environmental Protection Agency head and current <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/" target="_blank">Natural Resources Defense Council</a> leader Gina McCarthy told The Washington Post. "It'll be time for the White House to finally get back to leading the charge against the central environmental crisis of our time."</p>
<p>There is evidence that Biden really does have a climate mandate from voters: 74 percent of Biden voters said that the climate crisis was a very important factor in their choice, according to <a href="https://morningconsult.com/exit-polling-live-updates/#section-77" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Morning Consult</a>.</p><p>Climate was also a key issue for the young voters who turned out for Biden by a large margin and may have played a deciding role in battleground states, as <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06112020/young-voters-climate-change-environmental-justice-joe-biden" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">InsideClimate News reported</a>.</p><p>"I fundamentally believe this is the first climate election, as far as climate playing a huge role during the election even with everything else going on," <a href="https://www.climatepower2020.org/" target="_blank">Climate Power 2020</a> Executive Director Lori Lodes told <a href="https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2020/11/09/stories/1063718033?utm_campaign=edition&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eenews%3Aclimatewire" target="_blank">E&E News</a>. "There's not going to be another election in U.S. history, another presidential election, where climate does not play as big or bigger of a role. This is only the beginning."</p>
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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris greet supporters in Wilmington, Delaware on August 20, 2020. Olivier Douliery / AFP / Getty Images
On Nov. 4, the U.S. officially left the Paris climate agreement, but its departure may be short lived.
<p>Former Vice President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/joe-biden" target="_self">Joe Biden</a>, who took the lead Friday morning in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-georgia-elections-1243852669c8384493850f528534b2c7" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a>, has reaffirmed his commitment to immediately rejoining the accord if he wins the 2020 presidential election against incumbent <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a>.</p><p>"Today, the Trump Administration officially left the Paris Climate Agreement. And in exactly 77 days, a Biden Administration will rejoin it," Biden tweeted late Wednesday.</p><p>The two candidates have taken opposite stances on how to address the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>. Trump has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-california-biden-climate-science-2647658093.html" target="_self">repeatedly</a> <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-rejects-us-climate-report-2621629346.html" target="_self">denied</a> climate science and worked to roll back climate policies put in place by the Obama administration, including standards for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/clean-power-plan-trump-epa-2638927020.html" target="_self">power plant</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-fuel-efficiency-proposal-2592345279.html" target="_self">vehicle emissions</a>. He has appointed former energy lobbyists to head both the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/interior-secretary-bernhardt-oil-2634420948.html" target="_self">Department of the Interior</a> and the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/andrew-wheeler-epa-confirmed-2630358470.html" target="_self">Environmental Protection Agency</a>, and has completed or started the process of rescinding almost 100 environmental regulations, according to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html" target="_blank">New York Times tally</a>.</p>
<p>Biden, meanwhile, has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/biden-climate-plan-green-new-deal-2648128471.html" target="_self">promised</a> to spend $2 trillion over four years to boost green jobs and infrastructure and achieve a carbon-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions country-wide by 2050. While his plan is less ambitious and comprehensive than the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/green-new-deal" target="_self">Green New Deal</a>, it has received qualified praise from progressive climate activists who worked with his campaign on a Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force and helped improve the plan's ambitions.</p><p>Some of those same activists saw Biden's recommitment to the Paris agreement as a positive sign for his future administration's climate action.</p><p>"Pretty cool that<a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden" target="_blank"> @JoeBiden</a>'s most confident statement yet about being the next President of the United States is about Day 1 action to address the climate crisis," <a href="https://www.sunrisemovement.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sunrise Movement</a> co-founder and political director Evan Weber tweeted. "Biden has a climate mandate, and our movement will make sure he acts on it."</p>
<p>Meteorologist and climate journalist Eric Holthaus also <a href="https://twitter.com/EricHolthaus/status/1324159769268101120" target="_blank">noted</a> that climate change was featured on Biden's transition website.</p><p>"The American people will determine who will serve as the next President of the United States. Votes are still being counted in several states around the country," the <a href="https://buildbackbetter.com/" target="_blank">site reads</a>. "The crises facing the country are severe — from a pandemic to an economic recession, climate change to racial injustice — and the transition team will continue preparing at full speed so that the Biden-Harris Administration can hit the ground running on Day One."</p><p>The Paris agreement was passed in 2015 as a pledge to limit global warming to well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Trump first <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/best-responses-trump-paris-agreement-2429353243.html" target="_self">announced</a> he would withdraw from the agreement in June 2017, and his administration <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-begins-withdrawal-paris-agreement-2641223963.html" target="_self">took action</a> to do so on Nov. 4, 2019, as soon as was possible under UN regulations. If Biden wins and rejoins Jan. 20, the U.S. would officially be back in 30 days later.</p>
<p>On his campaign website, Biden has pledged not only to rejoin the agreement, but to lobby for greater international climate ambition.</p><p>"He will lead an effort to get every major country to ramp up the ambition of their domestic climate targets," the <a href="https://joebiden.com/climate-plan/" target="_blank">site says</a>. "He will make sure those commitments are transparent and enforceable, and stop countries from cheating by using America's economic leverage and power of example."</p>However, even if Biden rejoins the agreement, it may be difficult for other countries to trust U.S. leadership on the issue, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54797743" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BBC News pointed out</a>. This is the second time the U.S. has helped to negotiate an international climate deal and then been unable to maintain support at home. The Clinton administration was not able to get the Senate to agree to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
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A man in the UK protests against Trump's stated intention to leave the Paris agreement, outside the U.S. Embassy in central London on Nov. 18, 2016. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP via Getty Images
The U.S. has officially left the Paris climate agreement.
<p>However, the permanence of its departure hangs on the still-uncertain outcome of Tuesday's U.S. presidential election. While President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> made the decision to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement, his rival former Vice President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/joe-biden" target="_self">Joe Biden</a> has promised to rejoin "on day one," as <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/03/930312701/u-s-officially-leaving-paris-climate-agreement?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&fbclid=IwAR2odH2LfrRnFdr85IgiFXZpS8eZl6jmQgigZHCqWmRmhv5e8Z_M4mVwInI" target="_blank">NPR pointed out</a>. Either way, the U.S. withdrawal has hurt trust in the country's ability to follow through on climate diplomacy initiated by one administration when another takes power.</p><p>"Being out formally obviously hurts the US reputation," former Obama administration climate official Andrew Light told <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54797743" target="_blank">BBC News</a>. "This will be the second time that the United States has been the primary force behind negotiating a new climate deal — with the Kyoto Protocol we never ratified it, in the case of the Paris Agreement, we left it. So, I think it's obviously a problem."</p>
<p>The landmark 2015 agreement was designed to limit the global warming causing the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> to well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and ideally to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The U.S. is currently responsible for around 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, but it is historically the country that has contributed the most emissions to the atmosphere, NPR pointed out. Under the Paris agreement, the U.S. had pledged to reduce emissions around 25 percent by 2025 compared to 2005 levels, but it is now only on track to reduce them by 17 percent.</p><p>This is partly due to Trump administration environmental policies like the rollback of Obama-era emissions controls on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/clean-power-plan-trump-epa-2638927020.html" target="_self">power plants</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-fuel-standards-cost-2639723241.html" target="_self">vehicles</a>. Emissions rose during the first two years of Trump's presidency but have declined in 2020 because of the economic downturn caused by the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic.</p>
<p>The U.S. withdrawal has also affected a global fund intended to help poorer countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis adapt to rising seas and temperatures. The U.S. had originally committed to supplying $3 billion, but the Trump administration withdrew two-thirds of that amount.</p><p>"The U.S. was a major pledger to that first funding. When they never delivered, that certainly was an impact to us," Carlos Fuller, the lead climate negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States, told NPR.</p><p>Trump first formally announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris agreement in 2017, arguing that it would harm U.S. jobs, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/climate/paris-climate-agreement-trump.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>. His administration <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-begins-withdrawal-paris-agreement-2641223963.html" target="_self">formally began</a> the withdrawal process Nov. 4, 2019, the earliest date possible under UN rules. That process then took a year, which is why the U.S. is officially out today. If Biden wins and rejoins the agreement on Jan. 20, the reversal would be effective 30 days later.</p>
<p>The U.S. is now the only country to withdraw from the accord. It has been signed by 195 countries and ratified by 189. In the absence of U.S. leadership, other major players have pressed forward. In the past month, the European Parliament has voted to reduce emissions 60 percent by 2030, while <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/china-climate-action-2060-2648140974.html" target="_self">China has pledged</a> to reach net-zero emissions by 2060 and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/japan-carbon-neutral-2648499409.html" target="_self">Japan</a> and South Korea have both promised to do the same by 2050.</p><p>"There's momentum continuing to build even with the U.S. pulling out," Union of Concerned Scientists director Alden Meyer told The New York Times. "The question is, would it continue without the U.S. fully on board?"</p>
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Firefighters and paramedics continue to handle their normal 911 calls and COVID-19 calls in Brooklyn Park, Maryland on Oct. 27, 2020. Cases of COVID-19 continue to rise with Johns Hopkins reporting that U.S. cases have increased 41 percent in the last two weeks. ALEX EDELMAN / AFP via Getty Images
The U.S. topped nine million coronavirus cases Thursday as the pandemic continues to rage ten months since the first case was confirmed in January.
<p>Also on Thursday, the country broke its record for the most cases reported in a single day since the pandemic began: at least 89,000 new cases according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/29/us/coronavirus-nine-million-cases.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> and more than 91,000 according to <a href="https://www.cityam.com/us-breaks-daily-record-for-coronavirus-cases-as-total-infections-hit-nine-million/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">City A.M.</a> Together, the two figures suggest the country is no closer to getting the disease under control.</p><p>"I think it's surprising how quickly it happened," Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine infectious disease expert Dr. Larry Chang told The New York Times. "I thought we would do a better job as a country getting organized and coming up with evidence-based national plans for mitigating this epidemic. So, while I'm not surprised we reached this number, it happened a lot faster than I thought it would."</p>
<p>The U.S. continues to lead the world in both coronavirus cases and deaths, according to figures from <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins University</a>. The pandemic has claimed nearly 230,000 U.S. lives. However, daily deaths, which tend to lag behind infections, are still much lower than they were in the spring, The New York Times pointed out. They are trending at around 780 a day.</p><p>There are several indications that the disease is spreading in the U.S. like never before. The country is averaging 75,000 cases a day, the worst average so far. More than 20 states reported more cases this week than at any other time during the pandemic, and no states reported a steady decline in cases.</p>
<p>Further, 12 states set individual records Thursday for the most new cases recorded, City A.M. reported: Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio and Oregon.</p><p>"This surge is larger than any other wave or surges that we've seen yet," University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee school of public health epidemiologist Amanda Simanek told The New York Times. "This is the pattern that may continue to happen if we don't suppress the infection down to levels that are manageable."</p><p>Simanek said she was worried that cases were increasing just as cold weather forced people inside, where the coronavirus spreads more readily.</p>
<p>National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci also warned about the upcoming holiday season. He said new infections were emerging because small groups of families and friends were gathering without masks and without practicing social distancing measures, and these types of get-togethers tend to increase around the holidays.</p><p>"We're going into a precarious situation," Fauci said, as <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-sets-covid-19-record-election-day-looming-80k-n1245277" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NBC News reported</a>.</p><p>The pandemic in the U.S. has come in three main waves, The New York Times pointed out. In the spring, spikes were concentrated in large Northeastern cities. In the summer, the Sun Belt was the hardest hit. The current surge began in the Upper Midwest and Mountain West weeks ago but has now spread throughout the country to both rural and urban areas, putting a strain on local hospitals.</p>
<p>Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah nurse Dani Beebe told The New York Times she was worried her hospital would not have the staff to tend to patients in the extra beds they had put in. And Wisconsin is running out of both intensive care unit beds and nurses, NBC News reported.<br></p><p>New cases are also surging in several battleground states in the upcoming U.S. election, City A.M. pointed out.</p><p>That contest pits President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a>, who has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-coronavirus-misinformation-2647879036.html" target="_self">repeatedly downplayed the virus</a> and now claims the U.S. is "rounding the turn" on the pandemic, according to NBC News, against former Vice President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/joe-biden" target="_self">Joe Biden</a>, who has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-who-withdrawal-2646363849.html" target="_self">consistently criticized</a> Trump's response to the new disease.</p>
<p>One battleground state that saw an uptick in cases was Pennsylvania, which reported its 200,000th case Thursday.</p><p>"The news that Pennsylvania has passed the grim milestone of 200,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases is a tragic reminder that President Trump has failed at his most basic and essential duty, to keep American families safe," Biden said in response, as NBC News reported. "Rather than working to contain the spread of the virus, President Trump continues to peddle the lie that America is rounding the corner on this pandemic."</p>
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Donald Trump and Joe Biden arrive onstage for the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 22, 2020. JIM WATSON / AFP via Getty Images
Towards the end of the final presidential debate of the 2020 election season, the moderator asked both candidates how they would address both the climate crisis and job growth, leading to a nearly 12-minute discussion where Donald Trump did not acknowledge that the climate is changing and Joe Biden called the climate crisis an existential threat.
<p>In response to the question from moderator Kristen Welker, "How would you both combat climate change and support job growth?" Trump insisted that he loves the environment and wants clean air and water. He said that his administration has started to plant trees and there have been record drops in carbon emissions during his administration. </p><p>Trump then made a rambling remark about air pollution in India, China and Russia, before touting that he took the U.S. out of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris agreement</a>, giving a false version of what the Paris agreement requires of the U.S. and insisting that it would have sacrificed "tens of millions of jobs."</p>
<p><br></p><p>By contrast, Biden noted that the climate crisis and a warming planet are "an existential threat to humanity."</p><p>"We have a moral obligation to deal with it and we're told by all the leading scientists in the world we don't have much time," he said and then pointed out that scientists say we have 8 to 10 years to tackle the crisis before we pass the point of no return, as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/22/climate-change-biden-trump-debate/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported.</p><p>He then went on to list infrastructure investments in charging stations to promote the use of electric cars, and retrofitting older buildings so they do not leak their heating and cooling. Biden said those upgrades will save millions of barrels of oil, help clean the environment and create more than 18 million jobs.</p>
<p><br></p><p>Trump, in his response, insisted that Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and three other female Democratic lawmakers "know nothing about the climate." Trump then claimed the plan would cost $100 trillion, even though Biden's website says his plan will cost $2 trillion.</p>
<p>Biden turned his attention to the support he has received from both environmental groups and labor unions.</p><p>The moderator then asked Trump why people of color, who are disproportionately affected by pollution since their communities are often up against oil refineries and chemical plants, should give him four more years in office.</p><p>"The families that we're talking about are employed heavily and they're making more money than they've ever made," Trump replied. He then went on to claim that he saved the oil industry.</p><p>Biden replied by talking about the effect of living next to a fence line and how important it is to keep people safe by imposing restrictions on pollution.</p><p>Trump then stopped Welker from asking her final question and asked Biden if he would close down the oil industry. Biden insisted he would stop federal subsidies of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuels</a> and usher in a transition to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a>.</p><p>"We have to move towards a net zero emissions," Biden said.</p>
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Trump Calls Fauci 'a Disaster,' Tries to Blame Science and Medical Experts for Failed Coronavirus Response
20 October 2020
Politics
Trump arrives as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci looks on during a Coronavirus Task Force press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 4, 2020. JIM WATSON / AFP via Getty Images
President Trump attacked the nation's top infectious disease specialist in a call with campaign staffers that several reporters were allowed to listen to on Monday. In the call, Trump said that Dr. Anthony S. Fauci was "a disaster." He added that despite the evidence that coronavirus cases are once again rising across the country, the public was tired of hearing so much news about the virus, especially from "these idiots" in the government and scientific community, as The Washington Post reported.
<p>Trump seemed irked by an interview that Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gave to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssiLlfGT9gg&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">60 Minutes</a> in which Fauci said he was not surprised that Trump contracted the coronavirus after attending a large event at the White House for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett where attendees were not masked.</p><p>In many interviews, Fauci has touted the efficacy of wearing masks and social distancing, while warning that a failure to follow those safety measures could lead to a very difficult fall and winter as coronavirus and influenza intersect. The evidence suggests Fauci is correct, as the U.S. saw more than 70,000 new cases on Friday, its highest total in months, while the virus is gaining strength in Europe once again, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/19/us/politics/trump-fauci-covid.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported.</p><p>In his broadside Monday, Trump dismissed those concerns about the virus, claiming that the public's interest has waned.</p>
<p>"People are tired of COVID," Trump said on the call, according to The New York Times. "I have the biggest rallies I've ever had. And we have COVID. People are saying: 'Whatever. Just leave us alone.' They're tired of it."</p><p>He tried to shift blame for the administration's response by saying, "People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots — these people, these people that have gotten it wrong," Trump said, as <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/fauci-says-he-s-not-surprised-trump-contracted-covid-19-n1243857" target="_blank">NBC News</a> reported. "Fauci's a nice guy. He's been here for 500 years. He called every one of them wrong. And he's like this wonderful guy, a wonderful sage telling us how to respond to the pandemic. Fauci is a disaster. If I listened to him, we'd have 500,000 deaths. If we listened to him, we'd have 700-800,000 deaths right now."</p>
<p>At the same time that Trump was issuing his attacks on the government's medical experts, Fauci was receiving the National Academy of Medicine's first-ever Presidential Citation for Exemplary Leadership in a virtual event, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/19/politics/donald-trump-anthony-fauci-coronavirus/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p><p>"We have a lot of challenges ahead of us and I can't help thinking that we're really going through a time that's disturbingly anti-<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/science/">science</a> in certain segments of our society," Fauci said in his speech as he accepted the award, according to CNN.</p><p>Trump was not done with his attacks on Fauci. Later in the day, Trump took to Twitter to mock Fauci for his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eD5xkn4WLA" target="_blank">errant ceremonial first pitch</a> for the Washington Nationals on opening day, as The Washington Post reported.</p><p>"Tony should stop wearing the Washington Nationals' Mask for two reasons. Number one, it is not up to the high standards that he should be exposing," Trump wrote on <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1318252740431155200" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. "Number two, it keeps reminding me that Tony threw out perhaps the worst first pitch in the history of Baseball!"</p>
<p>Trump's attack on one of the nation's most revered doctors generated a swift backlash from both sides of the aisle.</p><p>The Biden campaign responded by saying, "Mr. President, you're right about one thing: The American people are tired. They're tired of your lies about this virus," as The New York Times reported.</p><p>Senator Lamar Alexander, a Republican from Tennessee, called Fauci one of the country's most distinguished public servants.</p><p>"If more Americans paid attention to his advice, we'd have fewer cases of COVID-19, & it would be safer to go back to school & back to work & out to eat," Alexander wrote on <a href="https://twitter.com/SenAlexander/status/1318259834437906439" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<span></span></p>
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