Covid-19

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) this week denounced plans for companies to mandate vaccinations for their employees -- but then wouldn't tell a reporter if he personally had been vaccinated.

Local news station WKOW reports that Grothman falsely claimed that the vaccine was "experimental" despite having been proven to be safe and effective at protecting people against a disease that so far has killed 600,000 Americans.

On Thursday, CNN played footage of Travis Campbell, a Virginia man who chose not to get vaccinated for COVID-19 because he "thought we were invincible" — and is now in an ICU bed, struggling to breathe or speak, and making plans for his own funeral.

"Made it through the night," said Campbell. "It was a long one. Last night I came to the realization that the chances of me not being able to give my daughter away at her wedding is greater than walking out. I had to make a phone call to my 14-year-old son, and I had to tell him what I thought. My dream was giving my daughter away at the altar, and I had to ask for his permission, if I didn't come home, if he would give my daughter away on her day."

COVID-19's highly infectious Delta variant has been causing considerable misery in the U.S., especially in red states with low vaccination rates. And according to expert immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci, a COVID-19 variant that is even worse than Delta may wreak havoc in the United States if more Americans don't get vaccinated.

In an interview with McClatchy, the 80-year-old Fauci — who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser — warned, "What we're seeing, because of this increase in transmissibility, and because we have about 93 million people in this country who are eligible to get vaccinated who don't get vaccinated — that you have a significant pool of vulnerable people."

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is waging the opposite of a charm offensive, lashing out at reporters and even President Joe Biden any time questions are asked about the coronavirus pandemic. Media reports have made clear the Sunshine State is suffering huge increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, even among children, and deaths.

On Tuesday Florida had nearly 51,000 new coronavirus cases, The New York Times reports, which was more than one-third of all new cases across the country reported for that day, and a whopping increase from the already high seven-day average of nearly 18,000 cases per day. Those 18,000 cases represent a huge 700% increase from just one month ago.

Evangelical preacher Rev. Wade Morris died from COVID-19 this week after speaking at an Oklahoma Christian camp where an outbreak of the deadly virus has occurred.

The traveling preacher was a marathon runner but was still taken down by the virus.

Earlier this week, Oklahoma Republican Party chair John Bennett remained defiant and refused to apologize as Republican officials blasted him for comparing vaccine passports to Nazi yellow star patches, and suggesting they would lead to "gas chambers."

On Wednesday, News9 reported that Bennett is still defending his remarks. Bennett released a pre-recorded video urging the GOP to "take the gloves off," and warning "we will take our cities, our counties, and this state back."