Good morning, this is Brooke Howard with the Daily Beast. It's Wednesday, July 29th, and these are the top six stories the Chi Chi Chi is watching right now. The President of the United States doubled down on his support of a wild doctor summit, peddling the debunked COVID-19 drug hydroxychloroquine. His unfounded backing comes just as social media companies cracked down on the coronavirus disinformation that came out of the event.
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube removed a viral video of the summit which had received millions of views after President Trump and others retweeted the footage. Their space also suspended the website for America's frontline doctors, which hosted the event. The video featured the eccentric Dr. Stella Emmanuel, the Houston-based physician claimed that the controversial anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was a cure for COVID-19, and that masks are not necessary in preventing transmission of the virus.
The video which has now been pulled from the social sites drew more attention to some of the manual's previous and more bizarre medical claims, including herbally that some gynecological issues are caused by women having sex with demons. Emmanuel also claimed that doctors used alien DNA in medical treatments, and that lizard-like reptilian aliens are involved in the United States government. You know, typical, normal stuff that doctors talk about. Is the president actually doing some self-reflection?
On Tuesday, President Trump briefly beared off course during the White House's latest coronavirus briefing. To ponder why, so many people don't like him, but Dr. Anthony Fauci has the joys of being popular with the public. When asked why he routinely tries to undermine Fauci, Trump said he actually has a quote, very good relationship with the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who he has noted has quote, a very good approval rating.
Trump went on to praise his administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic before circling back to Fauci's popularity, saying it was interesting that Fauci is quote, so highly thought of. The president concluded with quote, but nobody likes me, it must be my personality. Law enforcement in New York City took a page from the Portland protests playbook Tuesday, when plainclothes officers detained a protester from the street in an unmarked van. Those on the scene said the protester was transgender.
The NYPD issued a statement on the video but did not confirm the origin of the officers detained in the protester. They claimed that a woman was taken into custody after allegedly damaging police cameras in and around City Hall Park. The NYPD also complained that officers who were making arrests were pelted with rocks and bottles. Federal officers in Portland sparked nationwide outrage after video footage showed them in military esque uniforms without badges, detaining protesters and unmarked vans.
It sounds like this guy thanks the coronavirus is some sort of vampire, or maybe a werewolf. A Utah man who masqueraded as a doctor to sell bogus COVID-19 cures over the internet has been indicted on broad charges. The Justice Department announced Tuesday that Gordon Peterson was indicted in Salt Lake City last week for a scheme federal prosecutors say began earlier this year. According to the Department of Justice, Peterson is accused of presenting himself as a medical doctor to promote and sell silver products to treat COVID-19.
He allegedly went so far as to wear a stethoscope and white lab coat and promotional materials for his miracle cure. A company Peterson previously co-owned called My Doctor Suggests LLC is cooperating with prosecutors in the case against him. The company is said to have agreed to plead guilty in connection with its own misleading promotions of the phony silver cure. It's like Peterson and Dr.
Stella Emmanuel believe in similar theories. This is not exactly a subtle message. In the missile test Tuesday, Iran obliterated a target made to look like a United States military vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement to the BBC, the US Navy decried the quote, irresponsible and reckless behavior by Iran that it called an obvious display meant quote, to intimidate and coerce.
Iran's military air the drills on state run TV. The dummy destroyer was made to resemble a real ship that routinely sails the street and the test showed such force that the US put bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates all alert for an actual attack. What is the world coming to? If you get some mysterious seeds in the mail, please do not plant them.
The United States Department of Agriculture issued a notice Tuesday urging anyone who receives an unexpected packet of seeds to contact their state plant regulatory official for further instructions. Sea packets, which appear to have been sent from China, have been popping up in mailboxes across the country. Government officials aren't investigating the packets, but they don't know yet exactly what they are. The Agriculture Commissioner said they currently have no idea if the seeds are part of a prank and Internet scam or what he called quote, an act of agricultural bioterrorism.
He warned that planting the seeds can introduce unknown diseases to local plants, harm livestock, and threaten the environment. That's all for this morning. Check back every weekday morning and afternoon for more of the news you need to know. Find us on your smart speaker or wherever you listen to podcasts.