Abbott ‘Stalling’ Funds for Testing CNN Reports

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott is attacking President Joe Biden, falsely claiming he is “importing Covid” by allowing migrant children to enter the country.

“The Biden administration must stop importing Covid into our country,” Abbott told CNBC.

“The Biden administration must stop importing Covid into our country, that is a Neanderthal approach,” @GregAbbott_TX says. He explains why lifting restrictions might seem like a big deal to people in New York, but “it’s not that transformative.” https://t.co/ophUkI79Gl pic.twitter.com/stPC615hlq

— CNBC (@CNBC) March 4, 2021

Abbott also says the Biden administration is “refusing to test” the immigrants, but on Thursday CNN reported Governor Abbott is the one actually causing the problem.

“Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is stalling efforts by the Biden administration to provide federal funds for Covid-19 tests for migrants released from custody.”

Abbott, after announcing on Wednesday he was removing all coronavirus restrictions, including mask mandates, “alleged, without evidence, that migrants coming into Texas are exposing the state’s residents to the coronavirus,” CNN adds.

He also posted this tweet, which is false.

The Biden Administration is recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities.

The Biden Admin. must IMMEDIATELY end this callous act that exposes Texans & Americans to COVID.

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 3, 2021

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki smacked down Abbott’s claims when asked on Thursday, in a generous and educational manner as only she can.

“That is not factual,” Psaki told a reporter. “We’re about facts around here.”

Psaki went on to tell reporters, “our policy is is to have that [testing] be done, concluded before they are even moved to go stay with family members or others they may know while their cases are being adjudicated.”

As it turns out, Texas, not the federal government, is responsible for testing migrants coming into the country. The federal government, as Psaki explained, partners with the states and non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) to pay to get that done.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki responded to Gov. Greg Abbott’s false claim that Biden is importing COVID into Texas, “We are about facts around here, that is not factual.” Psaki also said that Texas is supposed to be testing migrants for COVID. pic.twitter.com/Gh9mbgmCtc

— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 4, 2021

Qanon followers have become convinced that Washington, D.C., has been “dissolved” ahead of the purported re-inauguration of former president Donald Trump.

Some conspiracy theorists believe the former president will be restored to power Thursday, on the March 4 date that had been Inauguration Day until the 20th Amendment was passed in 1933 and established that date as Jan. 20, and they’re pointing to the absence of “D.C.” on Google and Apple maps to support their clams, reported Newsweek.

“Did maps always just say Washington?” said popular Qanon conspiracist @GhostEzra on the Telegram encrypted messaging app. “Thought it said Washington DC?”

Google doesn’t label the nation’s capital with D.C., but it does identify the District of Columbia on state boundaries.

“I just searched Washington DC on my iPhone Apple Maps & it just shows Washington, no DC. This is the same for Google maps & mapquest,” one follower responded. “DC is dissolved.”

Trump supporters complained that Google and Apple maps were not providing direction to Washington ahead of the Jan. 6 “Stop The Steal” protest that turned into the deadly insurrection, but independent fact-checkers have debunked those claims.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may have scored big in the CPAC Straw Poll last weekend, but his citizens aren’t likely to appreciate wealthy communities being able to jump the line for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Miami Herald reported Wednesday that Florida’s elderly are still struggling to sign up to get their first dose of the vaccine, but in a wealthy gated enclave in the Florida Keys, everyone was vaccinated in January.

A Jan. 22 newsletter sent to the Herald revealed that the Ocean Reef Club in north Key Largo despite the rest of the state struggling to get the vaccine, “Over the course of the last two weeks, the Medical Center has vaccinated over 1,200 homeowners who qualify under the State of Florida’s Governor’s current Order for those individuals who are 65 years of age or older.”

“We are fortunate to have received enough vaccines to ensure both the first and second for those vaccinated,” the newsletter message continued. “At this time, however, the majority of the State has not received an allocation of first doses of vaccines for this week and beyond, and the timing of any subsequent deliveries remains unclear.”

The Herald questioned whether the Republican donors who live in the area are behind the decision to give quick and easy access.

“In fact, the only people from Key Largo who gave to DeSantis’ political committee live in Ocean Reef,” said the report. “All 17 of them had given the governor contributions of $5,000 each through December 2020, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

One donor, in particular, gave Gov. DeSantis an extra $250,000 after the area got their vaccines in mid-January.

Read the full report at the Miami Herald.