Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Trump’s COVID-19 treatment
On Monday night, President Trump downplayed the severity of COVID-19, even as the death toll in the U.S. surpassed 210,000.
By Madeleine Brand • • 50m ListenOn Monday night, President Trump downplayed the severity of COVID-19, even as the death toll in the U.S. surpassed 210,000. There’s still not a clear sense of Trump’s health right now, but as president, he has access to the best doctors and medical care in the world, plus drugs and treatments unavailable to most Americans.
Not long after Trump returned to the White House from Walter Reed Medical Center, his administration blocked the Food and Drug Administration’s stricter guidelines for the emergency release of a vaccine. But the FDA said today it will stick to the stricter standard anyway.
In this episode
4 storiesHow Trump's COVID-19 treatment differs from the average American
On Monday night, President Trump downplayed the severity of COVID-19, even as the death toll in the U.S. surpassed 210,000. Standing unmasked on the Truman Balcony of the White House, he said, “Don’t be afraid of it. You’re going to beat it.
Read the story12 minLA playwright Larissa FastHorse on becoming a MacArthur ‘genius’
Two Los Angeles residents won MacArthur “genius” grants today. The grants recognize people demonstrating “exceptional creativity” and “promise for important future advances” in their fields. Winners receive $625,000 to spend however they want.
Read the story8 minWho’s behind the QAnon conspiracy theory, and are they hiding in plain sight?
Who is the person fueling QAnon, one of the most insidious and damaging conspiracy theories in American political history?
Read the story13 minComedian Amber Ruffin on race, encounters with police, and launching a new show during the pandemic
"The Amber Ruffin Show” premiered last month on NBC’s Peacock. Ruffin is now the only Black woman hosting a late-night show.
Read the story17 min
