Talk:White House Coronavirus Task Force

Sort table
Can someone more knowledgeable in table formatting change the way the table is sorted? It appears that the "surname, given name" pattern is used in case someone wants to sort alphabetically. However, it makes it less readable. Also, it doesn't work.  Bait30  Talk 2 me pls? 01:39, 17 March 2020 (UTC)
 * works now, Sandy Georgia (Talk)  02:17, 17 March 2020 (UTC)

White House Coronavirus Task Force under Trump Administration
Televised White House Coronavirus Task Force was under the leadership of President Trump himself, similar to in New York State and other US states, the Chief Executive or Governor (e.g, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York State). Chief Executives never turned the Covid-19 crisis over to their health department leads at either the state or federal levels, though all health care department heads were online in their presentations to the public. The wiki on "designees" is technically correct; the emergency orders, issued state by state, were from the Chief Executive "him or herself" with one laggard (at attempts not to mandate and lockdown). 2603:7081:2000:3EF3:55BA:E5A2:2987:EC6C (talk) 23:44, 7 July 2022 (UTC)JARacino2603:7081:2000:3EF3:55BA:E5A2:2987:EC6C (talk) 23:44, 7 July 2022 (UTC)

Admiral Brett P. Giroir member of task force or not?
Seems like SandyGeorgia and myself both can't establish whether Brett Giroir is a member of the taskforce. If anyone finds a source to indicate he's a member or not, update the article or link it here. NativeForeigner Talk 05:33, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * yep ... he acts like a member, seems like a member, looks like a member, walks like a member and quacks like a member ... but I can find no source that says he is a member. Sandy Georgia (Talk)  05:36, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/03/13/secretary-azar-designates-admiral-giroir-coordinate-covid-19-diagnostic-testing-efforts.html is the most detail I can find. It has Redfield and Hahn 'reporting' to him for all issues relating to diagnostic testing. Which organizationally would suggest he is, but it doesn't seem like he's been publicly stated to be in the task force. NativeForeigner Talk 05:40, 18 March 2020 (UTC)

Esper
Mark Esper spoke at today's press briefing, need to see if he is Task Force member. Sandy Georgia (Talk)  16:27, 18 March 2020 (UTC)

Missing photos
I don't speak images, but I think this can be used for Robert Blair:


 * Robert Blair, from official website of the Export–Import Bank of the United States, an instrumentality of the federal government.

Does that mean it is public domain? Can someone upload it? Sandy Georgia (Talk)  16:04, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately probably not. It's from a speaker Bio - it is likely a supplied photo from Blair and no indication who took it. It's on the import export website, but we don't know they took it. (if they did, it would be PD). NativeForeigner Talk 20:27, 18 March 2020 (UTC)

Unexplained IP edits
I am unable to decipher what this series of edits that I reverted was attempting to do. Pence is the Chair, Birx is the Coordinator, and the rest are alphabetical, but sortable. 20:59, 29 March 2020 (UTC)

Added vs Appointed?
Why are some members "appointed" and others "added"? What's the difference? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 107.181.19.30 (talk) 17:24, April 9, 2020 (UTC)
 * Look at the dates. The initial task force named/appointed versus those added later.  Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  17:34, 9 April 2020 (UTC)
 * Adjusted and explained in this edit. Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  18:02, 9 April 2020 (UTC)

White House Economic Task Force / Opening Our Country Council
I created White House Economic Task Force on April 9, and User:TJMSmith created Opening Our Country Council on April 11. We'll have to determine how to merge/redirect these this week, but for now, just putting this task force creation on editors' radar and welcoming feedback.

Stay safe, --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 16:20, 12 April 2020 (UTC)
 * , this seems to be an example of a WP:NOTNEWS problem-- do we have anything from the Trump administration yet that gives the formal name? When a discussion is started, could I ask you to do me the favor of pinging me?  Regards, Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  16:29, 12 April 2020 (UTC)
 * , I've not seen an official confirmation, but there are many sources confirming an expected announcement this week as well as members. For example, this says, 'The second task force will include Trump’s new chief of staff, Mark Meadows, along with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow, NBC reported'. Not sure if we want to address the merge sooner or later, but the formal title could be one of these, something similar (such as Opening Our Country Task Force) or something else altogether. --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 16:36, 12 April 2020 (UTC)
 * That's why I say its creation was premature, NEWS-y ... on this article, I waited until we had a U.S. Department of State formal announcement of the name ... we should wait until we have that, methinks, as it will likely be soon. Best, Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  16:43, 12 April 2020 (UTC)

Update: The page has been moved to Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups and expanded a bit. Further improvements welcome! --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 17:38, 16 April 2020 (UTC)
 * Unless there is a specific issue, I have my hands full elsewhere :( Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  17:41, 16 April 2020 (UTC)

Slides used in Presentations

 * Need a link to an official source for slides used in the presentations.

Video
Need official links to:
 * Live streaming video that originates directly from the Whitehouse (https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/)
 * Copies (recordings) of above that are unedited, no commercials, official source
 * Is it basically youtube vs. .gov owned cameras, servers, production staff
 * How deeply is the audience tracked and who owns that data?
 * Why are the replays not stored and linked on the same servers that are https://www.whitehouse.gov?

Audio & Transcripts
Are there official links to:
 * Live streaming audio that originates directly from the Whitehouse (https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/)
 * Copies (recordings) of above that are unedited, no commercials, official source
 * Official transcripts

Production Values
Things like:
 * the set design, including the audience side, flimsy sliding glass door, overall set quality, etc.
 * running to a schedule
 * the quality of the camera work, framing, etc. Can you clearly see and read the slides being used?
 * switching: from the speaker to the audience
 * identifying who is asking the question and their affiliation
 * When was that room designed? Updated? Was it ever updated for direct broadcast?

Infobox
I think this page should have an Infobox, this can help people better understand it. What does everyone think? what do you think? Stay safe, EditQwerty  (talk) 09:10, 21 April 2020 (UTC)EditQwerty

I agree with you. 2A02:C7F:9E36:BE00:A04C:5376:ABE9:B18B (talk) 11:54, 21 April 2020 (UTC)


 * I do not think this infobox adds anything, and they often only create problems. As one example of those problems, how are key people being defined in the sample given? Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  12:00, 21 April 2020 (UTC)

Mike Pence is the vice president and head of the task force, Jerome Adams is the Surgeon General, Anthony Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and, Deborah Birx is Coronavirus Response Coordinator (I will add Deborah Birx now, but you get the point)

They are all notable. Stay safe, EditQwerty  (talk) 13:22, 21 April 2020 (UTC)EditQwerty Stay safe, EditQwerty  (talk) 14:33, 21 April 2020 (UTC)
 * No need to ping me-- I have this page watchlisted, and will let you know if I unwatch. You have not answered my question; what source are you using to claim "key people"? It appears to be your opinion, and not one borne out either by sources or by watching every press conference.  Such is the classic problem with infoboxes.  Birx is clearly the Coordinator.  Where are you getting Fauci?  Where are you getting Adams?  What is your inclusion criteria?  Classic issues that occur with infoboxes, where nuanced facts cannot be conveyed in oversimplified parameters. Also, all 22 are notable and all 22 are "key".  Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  13:40, 21 April 2020 (UTC)

Let's say if I was in in the Republican Party, I'm a member; that doesn't make me a "key person".

The key people are Deborah Birx, Mike Pence and, Jerome Adams. I was wrong about Dr. Fauci

According to Mike Pence's Wikipedia page, he is the chair, Deborah Birx is the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator and, Jerome Adams is the Surgeon General of the United States. Stay safe, EditQwerty  (talk) 14:33, 21 April 2020 (UTC)EditQwerty
 * Pence is the chair, Birx is the coordinator, where are you getting that Adams is a key person? It could easily be argued that non-member Brett Giroir has a larger role than Adams. Do you see that the problem with infoboxes is that they open the problem of nuance being interpreted as fact? Have you watched every press conference?  Are you aware that Adams is hardly present?  Do you have a source that indicates he is "key"? You have now had to change your unsourced infobox opinion two times (Birx, Fauci), which will be three times (Adams) unless you have a source; do you want to have this discussion every time someone adds opinion to an infobox ? Once we clean out the unsourced opinion, we are left with an infobox that adds exactly ... nothing ... to the article, except lines around an image. By the way, Wikipedia is not a reliable source.  Please answer the query using reliable sources.  Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  14:54, 21 April 2020 (UTC)

Okay. Forget it. Stay safe, EditQwerty  (talk) 15:17, 21 April 2020 (UTC)EditQwerty
 * I didn't mean to "beat you down" :) But I do hope you see the problem with infoboxes.  Regards, Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  15:35, 21 April 2020 (UTC)

I understand. Have a good day! Stay safe, EditQwerty  (talk) 20:31, 21 April 2020 (UTC)EditQwerty

Uncited
do you have a source for this addition ? Giving a briefing does not make one a member. Sandy Georgia (Talk)  09:38, 28 April 2020 (UTC)
 * No more than this press conference. I agree with you that "Giving a briefing does not make one a member." Magnovvig (talk) 09:50, 28 April 2020 (UTC)
 * Moving this here, because I still don't understand why this one person's one appearance warrants appearance on this page. If it does, well, thee are a lot more non-members who appeared more often than this person. Sandy Georgia (Talk)  12:43, 7 May 2020 (UTC)

The Task Force briefings have included members of the Task Force and non-members, as well: for example, on April 20, the President invited to the podium USACE Gen. Semonite to brief the nation on his construction scheme for triage hospitals in large disused public auditoriums, like the Miami Beach Convention Center. The USACE has or will construct approximately 16,000 beds in at least 32 facilities nation-wide.

Fleming
, I am unsure what to do with Fleming. The source you provided states that he is a member of the Task Force, but I can find no official source that actually says that (rather that he is coordinating via Meadows). We have White House press releases for other appointments to the Task Forces, and then we have people who ended up in See also because they made appearances at press briefings or have had some role, even if not actual members. I am unable to figure out, in the absence of a press release or some other source indicating he is actually a member, whether I should add him to the chart. Any further sources or information? Sandy Georgia (Talk)  16:23, 16 August 2020 (UTC)
 * SandyGeorgia, Thanks for your question/comment. In reviewing media accounts, it appears a number of agency and WH representatives have rotated on and off the TF. You are probably correct that he is there in his role representing the COS. I truly doubt that over time every contributor has been announced when they joined or when they left. I will leave it to your judgement, but it is in reliable media. I would rather be more inclusive than exclusive.Unfairnessdoctrine (talk) 17:23, 16 August 2020 (UTC)
 * Are you OK with leaving him in See also, with the others? The only problem there is that we don't typically add citations to See also, but I assume that is cited at his article?  Regards, Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  17:26, 16 August 2020 (UTC)
 * Yes, and thanks again.Unfairnessdoctrine (talk) 17:32, 16 August 2020 (UTC)
 * OK, I'll just remove the citation from here then, and it works like a standard "See also" entry. PS, this source seems to explain his role better, although I'm not sure if it's reliable. From what I can tell, his article may need some adjustment.  Regards, Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  17:42, 16 August 2020 (UTC)
 * Found a source that confirms my take on this at my library that is paywalled, "Trump Tamps Down Azar Departure Speculation", Armour, Stephanie; Ballhaus, Rebecca.Wall Street Journal (Online); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]27 Apr 2020. Sandy Georgia (Talk)  17:48, 16 August 2020 (UTC)
 * Yes, that seems consistent with Fleming's apparent liaison and coordinating function out of the COS office. Fits well in that he is a doctor. Unfairnessdoctrine (talk) 18:00, 16 August 2020 (UTC)

Name?
Looking at the WH press release for 29 January, I see the formal name of the task force was the "President's Coronavirus Task Force" Link. Not sure how we got to White House Coronavirus Task Force or why, but the original name should be noted in the article. Bdushaw (talk) 12:41, 8 September 2020 (UTC)
 * See this press release, this, this, this, and this from the White House. It seems like they switched early on, and most press mentions used "White House" over "President's".  I have added the other name, and created a redirect at President's Coronavirus Task Force.  Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  13:55, 8 September 2020 (UTC)

"Action" section
I am restoring the "Actions" section, which was reverted by User:SandyGeorgia with the edit summary the two citations given are to the same source, it does not mention this task force, but a different one. The two references, both from the New York Times, specifically name this task force. The one about the cruise ships says But at a meeting of the coronavirus task force on Tuesday, Dr. Redfield’s plan was overruled. The one about masks says the White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, declined to even discuss it. ... A task force official said the decision to require masks should be left up to states and localities. The administration requires the task force to sign off on coronavirus-related policies. I'm open to discussion if you think there is some other reason to remove the information. -- MelanieN (talk) 21:39, 10 October 2020 (UTC)
 * My most sincere apology, MelanieN; I was reading from my iPad, looked (apparently) at only the first part of the source name, and the line-wrap led me to believe that the two very similar article names, with the same author, were one article. Then I checked one article (thinking there was only one), and saw reference to two different task forces-- a second error on top of my first. I am now on a real computer, and have read both of the sources completely, and have balanced the text somewhat.  Again, my most sincere apologies for my misread !  (No need to ping me; I have this page watchlisted.)  Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  23:11, 10 October 2020 (UTC)
 * I have also removed the Easter Egg link, and am separately curious why it is to be noted that a Presidential task force has the power to overrule federal agencies. That is business as usual, depending on the laws under which agencies are set up. If we need to explore that in this article, we would need to find a source that does so. Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  23:14, 10 October 2020 (UTC)
 * I have also removed the Easter Egg link, and am separately curious why it is to be noted that a Presidential task force has the power to overrule federal agencies. That is business as usual, depending on the laws under which agencies are set up. If we need to explore that in this article, we would need to find a source that does so. Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  23:14, 10 October 2020 (UTC)
 * I have also removed the Easter Egg link, and am separately curious why it is to be noted that a Presidential task force has the power to overrule federal agencies. That is business as usual, depending on the laws under which agencies are set up. If we need to explore that in this article, we would need to find a source that does so. Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  23:14, 10 October 2020 (UTC)