Newsletter: Trump Will Leave Hospital Later Today

Trump Walter Reed
In this image provided by the White House, President Donald Trump listens during a phone call with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, in his conference room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was also in the room, but not pictured, according to the White House. Tia Dufour/The White House via AP
Trump Walter Reed
In this image provided by the White House, President Donald Trump listens during a phone call with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, in his conference room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was also in the room, but not pictured, according to the White House. Tia Dufour/The White House via AP

Newsletter: Trump Will Leave Hospital Later Today

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Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and thankfully interest rates are low. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Trump will leave hospital today, though some questions remain unanswered about his health

President Donald Trump will leave Walter Reed National Military Medical Center later today and return to the White House, where several members of his administration have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Dr. Sean Conley, the president’s physician, told reporters that Trump has improved and could safely be treated for COVID-19 at the White House, which has its own medical unit.

But Conley also said Trump “may not entirely be out of the woods yet.” Conley would not answer a question about whether the president would be confined to the White House residence, and it is unclear what Trump’s virus load is and whether he can infect others.

Today’s update from the president’s medical team comes after a dizzying series of events in which the White House sent mixed signals over the weekend about Trump’s health.

Trump, who has access to greater care than a vast majority of Americans, tweeted today: “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.” [NPR]

Outside medical experts say the president’s treatment suggests his condition may be severe, leading to confusion over why the president’s medical team raised the possibility of discharging Trump today.

Doctors have prescribed dexamethasone for Trump, a steroid that helps fight an overreaction of the immune system that can kill some patients. The World Health Organization has recommended to reserve such steroids for patients with severe symptoms. [NPR]

The timeline of events leading up to Trump’s diagnosis continues to change. Trump did not disclose a positive test result he received during the day on Thursday, reports The Wall Street Journal. That night, Trump told Fox News he was waiting for his test results, which were actually a follow-up test. [Wall Street Journal]

Meanwhile, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and two other members of the president’s press team have tested positive. [NPR]

And two recent polls show that Trump has not gotten a sympathy bounce. [New York Times]

2. Coronavirus upends the GOP’s plan for a swift Supreme Court confirmation

The fast-tracked confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett faces uncertainty now that at least two Republicans on the influential Senate Judiciary Committee have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, raising concerns that other senators could test positive in the coming days.

Democrats are calling to delay the Oct. 12 confirmation hearings due to safety concerns. But Sen. Lindsey Graham, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, has not indicated he will postpone the hearings and has offered the opportunity to allow senators to participate remotely. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, the White House celebration of Barrett’s nomination is increasingly looking like a super-spreader event, as many of the attendees have since tested positive. [Washington Post]

And the Supreme Court began a new term today that could decide the fate of Obamacare and the outcome of the Nov. 3 election. [NPR]

3. Illinois surpasses 300,000 known coronavirus cases

The state has reported more than 303,000 coronavirus cases, marking another grim milestone during the pandemic. Illinois officials today announced 1,853 new cases and 14 additional deaths.

The state faces a weekly average of 1,992 cases per day, reports The New York Times. That’s a 7% increase compared to the average two weeks ago. [WBEZ]

In Chicago, the number of new coronavirus cases appears to be increasing. The city is seeing a weekly average of 324 cases, up from 303 the previous week. [COVID Dashboard]

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today acknowledged that airborne transmission plays a role in the spread of the coronavirus. [Washington Post]

4. Owner of Regal Cinemas is closing all U.S. theaters

In a blow for the movie industry, British company Cineworld announced today that it will temporarily shut down 536 Regal Cinemas in the U.S. as well as 127 theaters in the U.K., a move that affects 45,000 employees.

The decision comes as studios continue to push back movie releases, leaving theaters with little to offer. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer announced on Friday that the latest James Bond movie, No Time to Die, will once again be postponed, coming out in April instead of this fall. [NPR]

Cineworld is the second largest cinema chain behind AMC Entertainment, which also faces significant financial challenges. Ratings agency S&P Global recently warned AMC could run out of liquidity in the next six months unless it raises more money or more moviegoers attend theaters. [CNBC]

5. The Nobels overwhelmingly go to white men

Three scientists today won the Nobel Prize for medicine for their discovery of the hepatitis C virus, which is a major source of liver disease. The Nobel Committee noted the discovery “made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives.”

As NPR reports: “Although the discoveries made by the trio are welcome, the winners themselves fit a familiar trend that has been part of the scientific Nobel Prizes since they were first awarded in 1901 — they overwhelmingly have gone to men, especially white men.”

Only 12 out of 219 Nobel Prizes in medicine awarded between 1909 and 2019 have gone to women, NPR reports. Critics say that reinforces stereotypes and raises questions about the secretive nomination process for the Nobels. [NPR]

Here’s what else is happening

  • Tropical Storm Delta is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before it hits the northern Gulf Coast on Friday. [NPR]
  • California wildfires have burned 4 million acres. [NPR]
  • Gay men have taken over the hashtag #ProudBoys on social media by posting uplifting messages and photos. The Proud Boys are a far-right group with ties to white supremacists. [USA Today]
  • Plant stores in Chicago are thriving during the pandemic, particularly in Latino communities. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

Halloween is quickly approaching, and I’m thinking of dressing up as one of the Spice Girls riding a sandworm from the sci-fi epic Dune with a boombox playing “Spice Up Your Life.” If you’re not an absolute dork like me, Dune is about a planet that produces a substance called “spice” that fuels space travel. (There’s a new movie adaptation, so the costume is very timely.)

Anyway, WBEZ is throwing a virtual costume contest that begins today and includes a cash gift card prize. Think you can beat my Dune Spice costume? Send WBEZ pictures of your costumes at web@wbez.org, or you can send direct messages to the station via Facebook and Instagram.

The deadline for the contest is Oct. 20. WBEZ will begin announcing winners on Oct. 26.

Tell me something good …

The weather this week looks like it will be amazing. Are you planning anything fun before we say goodbye to the sun for what feels like six months?

Me? I’m going to sit in my backyard and play Animal Crossing in a vain effort to forget the never-ending nightmare that is the 24-hour news cycle.

Got any fun plans this week? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

Have a nice night! If you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.