Summary
- During the daily coronavirus task force briefing, Donald Trump blamed states for the shortages of medical equipment. He repeatedly noted that he saw aid from the federal government as a “last resort” for states. Of course, many governors have said they’re desperate.
- Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law made an appearance at the briefing. Kushner, a real estate developer with no medical expertise, said he is coordinating between federal agencies, hospitals and the White House.
- Dr. Deborah Birx said that masks and face coverings should not give people a false sense of security. Although covering one’s mouth and nose while in public can help protect others from infection, physical distancing and hand washing are the best ways to protect oneself. Today, New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio was one of the latest officials to recommend that people wear masks in public.
- Trump revealed that he tested negative for coronavirus after the White House physician administered a newly approved rapid test that produces results within 15 minutes.
- The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 1m, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. The global death toll of the pandemic passed 50,000 earlier today.
- New York is expected to run out of ventilators in six days, governor Andrew Cuomo said. The state has 2,200 ventilators in its stockpile, and officials are trying to expand their capacity by splitting ventilator tubes and converting BIPAP machines.
- Trump issued an order to use the Defense Production Act to make ventilators. The president has resisted a broad implementation of the law for weeks, even as Democrats have called on him to press companies to speed up the production of medical equipment.
- The Democratic convention has been postponed until August because of the pandemic. The Democratic National Committee announced the nominating convention would take place the week of 17 August, instead of 13 July, in Milwaukee.
- The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, announced the formation of a select committee on coronavirus. Pelosi said the bipartisan panel would ensure the $2tn allocated in the stimulus bill will be “spent wisely”. During the briefing, Trump derided the effort as “ridiculous” and cast it as a “witch hunt” designed specifically to antagonize him.
Report: Trump administration ended a pandemic early-warning program last year
Just months before the coronavirus outbreak began, the administration ended a $200m early-warning program for infectious disease, the Los Angeles Times reports. The program was designed to help scientists in China and other nations monitor and respond to disease threats.
From the LA Times:
The project, launched by the U.S. Agency for International Development in 2009, identified 1,200 different viruses that had the potential to erupt into pandemics, including more than 160 novel coronaviruses. The initiative, called PREDICT, also trained and supported staff in 60 foreign laboratories — including the Wuhan lab that identified 2019-nCoV, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Field work ceased when the funding ran out in September, and organizations that worked on the PREDICT program laid off dozens of scientists and analysts, said Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance, a key player in the program.
On Wednesday, USAID granted an emergency extension to the program, issuing $2.26 million over the next six months to send experts who will help foreign labs squelch the pandemic. But program leaders say the funding will do little to further the initiative’s original mission.
Trump’s long musing about the Spanish influenza was in response to a question about 6m unemployment claims in the US. “We’re saying don’t go to work, and we’ll pay you,” he finally said, addressing the high unemployment rates. “Everything is the opposite.”
The current plant to provide between $600 and $1200 for many, but not all Americans who are unemployed is likely to help, but wouldn’t cover rent for many families.
The president said regardless, people will soon return to work. “I think it’s going to be boom times,” he said. “I think it’s going to be great.”
Fact check: There are a lot of young people in prison
Trump said there are “a lot of young people in prison,” when asked about their risk of Covid-19 In fact, the US prison population has been consistently aging for the last decade. As of 2016, 12% of the prison population is 55 or older, surpassing the number of people between 18 and 24 for the first time. Here’s an article from the Marshall Project on the “greying” of US prisons.
Fact check: Spanish flu
Trump repeatedly referred to the pandemic in “1917” - he is likely referring to the Spanish Influenza outbreak, which lasted from 1918-1919. In the US, it was first identified among military personnel in the spring of 1918.
“They just noticed they were dying all over the place,” Trump said, of the pandemic.
He said the number of people who died of the disease during the pandemic, 75-100m people died. “I’ve heard 50 to 75, 75 to a 100,” he said. Per the CDC: “The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States.”
Trump mused that during the pandemic a century ago, people didn’t have computers and TVs to connect and stay entertained while stuck at home. “We can read on the internet,” he said. “But in 1917, they didn’t have that option.”
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Fact check: Flatliners
Trump referred to states with “no bump” as “flatliners”, apparently arguing residents in some states have done a better job staying home than others, thereby flattening the curve.
However, it’s difficult to tell whether those states are, in fact, experiencing fewer cases, because of the huge difference in how states are testing. For example, Arizona has tested only 13 residents per 100,000, compared to New York, which is testing 627 residents per 100,000.
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Trump also repeatedly referred to states with fewer cases, and states where the number of cases has increased slowly as “flatliners”.
“Flatliner” is a term for patients who show no sign of a heartbeat or brain activity, meaning they are dying or have died.
Fact check: California
Donald Trump said that California is “very flat” referring to graphs showing the increase in the number of reported infections. In fact, California is one of the worst affected by the pandemic, with cases sharply increased over the past week – resulting in a very steeply curved “line” on a graph.
Moreover, California has lagged in testing. Public health experts expect that the state will see many more cases as more people are tested for the disease.
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Jared Kushner denied that he was running a shadow task force, complicating the work of public health experts.
“Everything that I am doing is at the direction of the Vice President,” the president’s son-in-law said. “ I talk to the VP sometimes five times a day. I also talk to Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci.”
Kushner earlier mentioned that he was able to secure PPE for a New York hospital after a friend of the president complained about a lack of supplies.
Fact check: 85% of states have stay at home orders.
Trump said 85% of states have issued stay-at-home orders.
There are 50 states and 11 have not issued statewide stay-at-home orders. That means 78% of states have stay-at-home orders.
Dividing any number of states by 50 wouldn’t produce 85%.
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Jared Kushner’s best words, from earlier in the briefing:
Here's Jared Kushner going for the world record of most meaningless corporate buzzwords used in a single one-minute video clip pic.twitter.com/Vy1QJEhLQa
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 2, 2020
Fact check: Travel restrictions
The president touted the administration’s travel restrictions in response to criticisms that the administration was late to act on the coronavirus crisis.
“I cut off China very early,” Trump said. “I cut off Europe very early.”
In fact, the administration’s travel restrictions did not “cut off” travel — from Europe or China. The policies included several exemptions for American citizens and other groups of travelers. The administration’s restrictions came too late to make a significant difference, epidemiologists told the Guardian, as they were enacted after the virus was already spreading within the US.
Still, the president boasted, “ee had bans long before we thought of bans,” referring to prior travel bans on mostly Muslim counties. “We’re looking at a lot of things and a lot of different bans.”
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Birx: 'Not everyone is following the social distancing guidance'
The climbing rate of infection in the US compared to the rate of infections in Italy is worrying, Dr. Birx said.
“I can tell by the curve as it is today that not everyone is following the social distancing guidance,” Birx said. “We can bend our curve, but everyone has to take responsibility as Americans.”
The newly approved coronavirus tests that can provide results within 15 minutes are being sent to Indian country and rural areas, according to Dr. Birx.
A total of 18,000 tests going to be sent out, she said, to areas with limited infrastructure and ability to process tests, that are set away from big processing centers.
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Fact check: Scarves are better than masks
A reporter asked whether the White House would recommend all Americans wear face masks, such as N95 respirators. In response, Trump said Americans could decide for themselves, and added: “In many cases the scarf is better, it’s thicker”.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers bandanas and scarves a last resort measure. Their efficacy is not studied. They do not come standard, like N95 masks, which under ideal circumstances are fitted specifically to people’s faces. They should not be considered an effective way to prevent coronavirus infection. They should be used only when there is no other option.
“We don’t want people to get a false sense of security.” from masks, said Dr Deborah Birx. Masks are good for protecting others, Birx said – but they aren’t as useful for protecting yourself.
Social distancing, and maintaining a 6ft distance between yourself, washing and disinfecting hands are much better ways of keeping safe, she said.
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Mike Pence said that the task force has proposed using some of the $100bn allocated to hospitals, to compensate them for caring for uninsured payments. Of course, that’s not the same as directly providing funds to uninsured families, which is what Trump mentioned.
The vice-president said that the government will “find a way” to pay for the coronavirus treatment of uninsured people, and more details are forthcoming. Simply reopening the exchanges to allow uninsured people to become insured still doesn’t seem to be under consideration.
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Trump said that he’s going to get a “cash payment” to people unable to buy into the Obamacare exchanges. The White House has resisted calls to reopen the healthcare exchanges to allow uninsured Americans get health care coverage during the coronavirus pandemic.
Fact Check: The DOJ busted an N95 mask hoarder
Navarro said that the government had already cracked down on an equipment hoarder.
This is true. The Department of Justice confiscated 192,000 N95 respirator masks from a warehouse in New Jersey. Those supplies were then given to health departments in New Jersey and New York City. However, New York City’s expected need for N95 respirator masks at the peak of the crisis is expected to reach up to 70,000 per day, so busts like these will not be enough on their own to solve the lack of personal protective equipment.
Trump blames states for lack of supplies
“By the way, the states should have been building their stockpiles,” Trump said, reiterating that the federal government is “a backup.”
States are to blame for not buying up supplies, and keeping them. “Ideally those states should have had the equipment,” he said. “We’re (the federal government) a back-up not an ordering clerk”
Trade and economic adviser, and Defense Production Act policy coordinator Peter Navarro said that the bidding on supplies that governors is due to a “black market” of bidders driving up prices. He said domestic supplies are being bought up and sent abroad.
The administration will ask the post office and customs to stop the export of PPE, Navarro said, adding that the president will be signing an executive order to that he says will crackdown on the hoarding of equipment.
Fact Check: Masks are being sent to New York City
The vice-president, Mike Pence, said the federal government is sending 200,000 N95 masks to the public health hospitals in New York City, those most stretched by the Covid-19 crisis. There are 11 such hospitals in New York. However, that need will likely fall far short of what is needed. About two weeks ago, the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, said the city is burning through roughly 40,000 N95 masks a day, and that need could increase to 70,000 a day at the peak. Nurses on the frontlines in New York have started protesting the lack of personal protective equipment across the country, including in New York City.
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Context: Supplies
Addressing why most of the airlifted supplies that arrived in New York from China earlier this week are going to the commercial market, Admiral John Polowczyk said: “That’s normally how things work.”
“I am putting volume into that system,” he said, rather than sending supplies directly to Fema. Governors, including Andrew Cuomo, have complained that states have to bid against each other and against Fema to secure life-saving medical supplies.
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Fact Check: “Greatest healthcare system in the world”
In extolling Americans to stay home, the vice-president Mike Pence said America has the “greatest healthcare system in the world”.
In fact, America has the most expensive healthcare system in the world, but by many measures is far behind the best. In a 2014 report from the Urban Institute, the US ranked dead last out of 11 countries overall, and last in four of six other metrics. Those metrics were access, efficiency, equity, healthy lives and health expenses.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the US struggled for months to launch accurate, effective and quick tests to the population, and still lags behind countries such as South Korea in per capita testing. “Everyone working in this space would agree that no matter how you measure it, the US is far behind on this,” Jen Kates, the director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told Vox about the US’s coronavirus response.
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Trump sends seething letter to Chuck Schumer
“I’ve known you for many years, but I never knew how bad a senator you are for the state of New York until I became president,” he wrote to the Senate minority leader. “No wonder AOC and others are thinking about running against you in the primary. If they did, they would likely win,” he added, referring to progressive freshman congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.
Schumer has been critical of the president’s response to the crisis and has called on Trump to put a military czar to oversee the production of medical equipment.
In a scathing letter to the president sent earlier today, Schumer said that “the existing federal leadership void has left America with an ugly spectacle in which States and cities are literally fending for themselves, often in conflict and competition with each other, when trying to procure precious medical supplies and equipment.”
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Kushner, a real estate developer with no medical expertise, has inserted himself into the federal government’s efforts to respond to the coronavirus crisis. He has become a point-person, acting as a middle between agency officials and the White House, according to reports.
Jared Kushner speaks at the task force briefing
The president’s son-in-law said the president asked him to “break down every barrier” to help the effort, he said. “The president wants us to think outside the box and get the best ideas to keep Americans safe.”
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Trump repeated that he does not want states depending on the federal government. “We are a secondary source,” he said, adding that the federal government should be a last resort.
Of course, governors have said that they are desperate – they need to turn to their last resort.
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Fact Check: Testing
Trump claimed the United States is testing more people than any country in the world, including on a per capita basis.
While the US has overtaken South Korea in total numbers of coronavirus tests administered, it has conducted far fewer tests per capita given the US population is over six times larger than South Korea’s.
As of Thursday afternoon, the United States, with a population of 329 million, had administered at least 1,267,658 according to the Covid Tracking Project, a group led by Alexis Madrigal, a staff writer for The Atlantic magazine, with more than 100 volunteers that compiles coronavirus testing data from states.
Trump complained about being subjected to “witch hunt after witch hunt, after witch hunt”. He blasted Congress’ efforts to maintain oversight of the administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, calling their efforts “ridiculous”.
“This is not the time for politics. Endless partisan investigations – here we go again,” he said.
He then added that the Democrats were helping out his poll numbers.
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The president said he has agreed to turn the Javits Center temporary hospital into a treatment center for Covid-19 patients. Previously, the center was designed to take on overflow patients
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Fact Check: Obama Stimulus checks took months
Mnuchin said it took the Obama administration “months and months” to send out checks to Americans during the Great Recession.
It took the Obama administration six months to give out checks to social security beneficiaries, retired railroad workers, veterans and the disabled. It also gave out money by expanding tax credits. However, there were in fact two stimulus packages in during the Great Recession. The Bush administration also gave out the money in a stimulus package, and it took the Bush administration eight months – two months longer – to get the money out, according to The Balance personal finance website.
For those Americans who don’t have the ability to get direct deposits because they don’t have a bank account, the Treasury is exploring other ways to get them money quickly, including prepaid debit cards.
The IRS is expected to make about 60m payments during the week of 13 April, for taxpayers who provided their direct deposit information while filing 2018 or 2019 taxes. But up to 80 million Americans, who haven’t provided direct deposit information, may have to wait months for paper checks unless the Treasury finds a workaround.
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The Guardian’s Vivian Ho reports:
A nursing home in Washington state that was briefly the center of the country’s coronavirus outbreak was fined more than $611,000 and could lose Medicare and Medicaid funding for its response in mitigating the spread, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid said Wednesday.
The Life Care Center of Kirkland, where at least 37 people died because of coronavirus, failed to identify and report a respiratory infection and pneumonia outbreak in a timely manner, federal inspectors wrote in a report provided to the Guardian. The nursing home failed “to ensure multiple residents did not experience inadequate provision of care and services”, as well as failed “to ensure multiple residents did not experience acute changes in condition such as respiratory distress, changes in vital signs, hospital transfers and in some cases, death during this outbreak”.
The nursing home has until 16 September to “correct all deficiencies and return to full compliance”, federal inspectors wrote in a letter to the home.
As of Wednesday, there were 5,984 confirmed cases in Washington, and 247 deaths.
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The treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, says within two weeks, Americans will see direct deposit relief payments from the government. He said he doesn’t want to send paper checks, which could take longer to reach some Americans.
“This money does people no good if it takes four months to show up,” Mnuchin said.
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The New York mayor, Bill DeBlasio, is the latest official to ask people to cover their mouth and nose in public with a face covering. “Use a scarf, bandana or piece of clothing,” he said. Medical-grade masks should be reserved for health workers.
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Fact Check: social security
“I will always protect your Social Security, your Medicare and your Medicaid,” said Trump.
In fact, in 2017 Republicans including Trump supported an $834bn cut to the Medicaid program, a public health insurance program for the poor and disabled. The proposal was to replace Obamacare, and ultimately failed. In January, Trump also said potential changes or cuts to Medicare and Social Security were something Republicans were “going to look at,” by “the end of the year”.
Trump tested negative for coronavirus
The president was tested this morning, according to the White House physician. This is the second time that Trump has reported results from a coronavirus test.
True paper statement from the White House, passed out to reporters in the briefing room just now. pic.twitter.com/K0SVhLAk1X
— Francesca Chambers (@fran_chambers) April 2, 2020
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The coronavirus briefing has begun
LIVE: Press Briefing with Coronavirus Task Force https://t.co/L80j4W1c8O
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 2, 2020
Hi, there – it’s Maanvi Singh, blogging from the west coast.
Soon, we’ll hear from Donald Trump and his coronavirus task force. The federal government is close to finalizing new guidance recommending that many or most Americans wear face masks while they’re outside, in order to slow the spread of Covid-19.
The AP reports:
The recommendations, still being finalized Thursday, would apply at least to those who live in areas hard-hit by community transmission of the virus that causes Covid-19. A person familiar with the White House coronavirus task force’s discussion said officials would suggest that non-medical masks, T-shirts or bandannas be used to cover the nose and mouth when outside the home – for instance, at the grocery store or pharmacy. Medical-grade masks, particularly short-in-supply N95 masks, would be reserved for those dealing directly with the sick.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the proposed guidance before its public release.
Trump on Tuesday indicated he would support such a recommendation, potentially even for all Americans regardless of where they live. “I would say do it, but use a scarf if you want, you know, rather than going out and getting a mask or whatever.”
“It’s not a bad idea, at least for a period of time,” he added.
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The Guardian’s Susie Cagle reports on the latest from California:
In his daily coronavirus press conference, the California governor, Gavin Newsom, announced that he signed an executive order today that would protect residents and small businesses from having their water shut off if they are unable to pay their bill.
The order comes weeks after other states and municipalities across the US had already moved to protect water access for their most vulnerable residents. And the announcement came as something of a surprise – buried at the end of his comments, only revealed in response to a question from a reporter.
Newsom was apparently acting in response to California’s fierce contingent of water advocates. On Monday, a broad coalition of environmental and environmental justice organizations demanded that the state take immediate action to protect California’s most vulnerable from losing their water.
“How can we stop the spread of Covid-19 and protect our communities if people don’t have access to clean water?” said Susana De Anda, the executive director of the nonprofit advocacy organization Community Water Center.
Newsom has worked with and supported many of these same advocates on other water legislation in the past. “We appreciate their leadership, their advocacy,” he said. “And those same advocates have made it crystal clear not just to you but to me that they want to protect not just residents from having their water shut off but also small businesses. I signed an executive order today to do just that.”
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Today so far
That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague Maanvi Singh will take over the blog for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 1m, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. The global death toll of the pandemic passed 50,000 earlier today.
- New York is expected to run out of ventilators in six days, governor Andrew Cuomo said. The state has 2,200 ventilators in its stockpile, and officials are trying to expand their capacity by splitting ventilator tubes and converting BIPAP machines.
- Trump issued an order to use the Defense Production Act to make ventilators. The president has resisted a broad implementation of the law for weeks, even as Democrats have called on him to press companies to speed up the production of medical equipment.
- The Democratic convention has been postponed until August because of the pandemic. The Democratic National Committee announced the nominating convention would take place the week of 17 August, instead of 13 July, in Milwaukee.
- The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, announced the formation of a select committee on coronavirus. Pelosi said the bipartisan panel would ensure the $2tn allocated in the stimulus bill will be “spent wisely”.
Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
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Joe Biden said he would take senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway “at her word” that Trump is open to talking to him about how to respond to the pandemic.
“I understand if he doesn’t want to take my advice, but it won’t be, ‘I told you so,’” Biden said of how he would approach the conversation.
The former vice president said his previous conversations with Trump have been “respectful” and “straightfoward.”
“I’m not doing this to criticize,” Biden said during his virtual press briefing. “I’m doing to say this is what I think you should do.”
Joe Biden criticized Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell for pushing back against demands for a fourth coronavirus package.
“The majority leader of the Senate was wrong and slow the first time around, and he’s wrong and slow this time around.” Biden said.
Asked about McConnell’s comments that another relief package is not necessary, Biden expressed skepticism about the majority leader sticking to that stance.
“The idea that this will be the end of it -- I will be dumbfounded if that occurs, and disappointed,” Biden said.
Joe Biden called on Trump to expand his use of the Defense Production Act to speed up the production of medical equipment.
Trump issued a statement this afternoon saying he would use the DPA to “help domestic manufacturers ... secure the supplies they need to build ventilators needed to defeat the virus.”
During his virtual press briefing, Biden said the statement was an encouraging sign, but he called on Trump to expand the DPA to cover the production of other medical equipment, such as masks and gloves.
“He should deploy that Defense Production Act for all the things needed,” Biden said. “That should be done yesterday, last week, a month ago. Get it done now.”
The Guardian’s Vivian Ho reports on the latest from California:
In an effort to assist small businesses suffering from the economic blowback of the coronavirus crisis, Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, announced Thursday that the state was offering a 12-month reprieve on sales tax receipts for up to $50,000.
Essentially, consumers will continue to pay sales tax on items and services purchased at small businesses, but instead of turning over those payments to the state, those businesses can use up to $50,000 of those funds “as a bridge loan,” Newsom said.
Newsom encouraged small business owners to see this initiative as a bridge loan so that they would also apply for the federal loans like the economic disaster injury loan assistance and the paycheck protection program. “We need to be able to get federal dollars into the state of California,” Newsom said.
The sales and use tax makes up a significant portion of California’s annual budget, with the receipts comprising 18.8% of the 2019-20 general fund. California ranks in the top 10 in the country for highest sales tax.
The exact impact of this initiative remains unclear, as so much else is in flux, but when asked about the budget he proposed in January, Newsom said, “The world has radically changed since the budget was proposed.”
“The magnitude and impact of all of this is just coming into full light of day and we should be prepared for substantial adjustments in our budget,” he said.
In California, 1.9 million have filed for unemployment insurance since 12 March, Newsom said, with the state averages 111,000 claims a day over the past week.
Nearly half of all private sector employees in California were employed by small businesses, Newsom said.
Joe Biden said he was working to set up a call with Trump about the US response to coronavirus.
Biden’s comments come a day after senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway suggested the Democratic frontrunner should be offering his help amid the pandemic.
“Why doesn’t Vice President Biden call the White House today and offer some support?” Conway said. “He’s in his bunker in Wilmington.”
During a virtual press briefing, Biden said, “I’m happy to hear he’ll take my call. My team’s working with him to set such a call up.”
The Navy is expected to relieve the commander of an aircraft carrier who raised concerns about coronavirus spreading on the ship, according to Reuters.
Officials said yesterday that most crew members aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt would be allowed to disembark and quarantine in Guam after a scathing letter from the ship’s commander was made public.
“We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die,” Captain Brett Crozier wrote to Navy officials. “If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset—our sailors.”
Crozier demanded that most of the crew members be allowed to quarantine to control the outbreak. At least 93 sailors aboard the ship have now tested positive for coronavirus.
Global coronavirus cases exceed 1 million
The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 1 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins.
The global death count passed 50,000 earlier today, with Italy and Spain accounting for nearly half of all deaths around the world.
In the US, more than 236,000 cases have been confirmed, and more than 5,000 people have died, although the death toll is expected to steeply rise over the next month.
Trump issues order to use Defense Production Act to make ventilators
Trump said he is using the Defense Production Act to ensure the production of more ventilators to fight coronavirus.
“My order to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Homeland Security will help domestic manufacturers like General Electric, Hill-Rom, Medtronic, ResMed, Royal Philips, and Vyaire Medical secure the supplies they need to build ventilators needed to defeat the virus,” Trump said in a statement.
The president has previously been hesitant to widely use the DPA to speed up the production of medical equipment, even though his administration had frequently invoked the law before the pandemic.
Trump also gave conflicting answers in recent weeks about whether he was actually using the full powers of the DPA after he signed it last month.
The president said in his statement that today’s order would “save lives by removing obstacles in the supply chain that threaten the rapid production of ventilators.”
The Trump Organization is reportedly looking to delay some of its loan payments as it struggles amid the pandemic.
The New York Times reports:
With some of its golf courses and hotels closed amid the economic lockdown, the Trump Organization has been exploring whether it can delay payments on some of its loans and other financial obligations, according to people familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by The New York Times.
Representatives of Mr. Trump’s company have recently spoken with Deutsche Bank, the president’s largest creditor, about the possibility of postponing payments on at least some of its loans from the bank.
And in Florida, the Trump Organization sought guidance last week from Palm Beach County about whether it expected the company to continue making monthly payments on county land that it leases for a 27-hole golf club.
The $2 trillion stimulus package includes relief for industries impacted by the pandemic, but the legislation explicitly blocks businesses owned by the president from getting loans or investments from the treasury department.
The Congressional Budget Office expects unemployment to exceed 10 percent during the second quarter of the year.
“Gross domestic product is expected to decline by more than 7 percent during the second quarter,” the CBO said. “If that happened, the decline in the annualized growth rate reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis would be about four times larger and would exceed 28 percent.”
The agency is also predicting long-lasting economic impact from the coronavirus pandemic, potentially stretching through the end of next year.
“CBO expected the effects of job losses and business closures to be felt for some time; the unemployment rate underlying the cost estimate was 9 percent at the end of 2021,” the agency said.
The Guardian’s Patrick Greenfield reports:
Two coronavirus-stricken cruise liners have been granted permission to dock in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after local officials reached an agreement with the vessels’ operators.
The Zaandam and Rotterdam will now proceed to Port Everglades, where hundreds of passengers will disembark and people in a critical condition will be transferred to a hospital.
Four people have died on the Zaandam and dozens are sick with flu-like symptoms on the vessels.
Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross is receiving criticism for claiming in late January that coronovirus could help the US job market.
“Every American’s heart has to go out to the victims of the coronavirus, so I don’t want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease,” Ross told Fox Business as China grappled with the virus.
“But the fact is, it does give businesses yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain. ... So I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America.”
The unemployment report released this morning showed 6.65 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, bringing the two-week total of claims to 9.95 million.
Some Americans may not see their checks from the stimulus package for nearly five months, according to a memo being circulated by House Democrats.
NBC News reports:
The memo, obtained by NBC News, says that Americans who have their direct deposit information on file will receive their payments in mid-April, ‘likely’ the week of April 13. The document estimates that about 60 million Americans will receive checks at that point.
About three weeks after those deposits go out, the IRS will start issuing paper checks, likely the week of May 4, according to the memo. The office that issues paper checks can process about 5 million checks per week, so it could take 20 weeks – nearly 5 months – to get them all out.
That delay could be hugely damaging for millions of American families, considering nearly 10 million people have filed for unemployment benefits in just the past two weeks.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump criticized each other in dueling statements responding to the alarming unemployment report released earlier today.
“My heart goes out to the millions of Americans who filed for unemployment claims this week, and the millions more who worry what next week holds for them,” Biden said in a statement.
The Democratic frontrunner said while Trump was “not responsible for the coronavirus,” his administration’s “erratic and unacceptably slow federal response” has had devastating consequences.
“Now we have more coronavirus cases than anywhere in the world, and that is dealing body-blows to our economy and to the welfare and well-being of millions upon millions of Americans,” Biden said.
Trump’s reelection campaign responded to Biden’s statement by accusing the former vice president of “ineffectively sniping from the sidelines, stumbling through television interviews, and hoping for relevance and political gain.”
Tim Murtaugh, Trump’s communications director, said in a statement from the campaign, “Americans are facing a public health emergency and are worried about their jobs and the economy, but Joe Biden’s record and proposals prove that he is ill-suited for a role in this fight.”
The Guardian’s Vivian Ho reports on the latest from California:
California crossed the threshold of 10,000 positive coronavirus cases on Thursday, with at least 59,000 tests still pending, according to local data.
The numbers reflect a 15.6% jump over just the past 24 hours, with 213 deaths reported, according to Sonoma County officials.
Thursday marked the start of the third week of California governor Gavin Newsom’s statewide shelter-in-place order that shut down non-essential businesses and mandated that residents stay at home. Schools statewide have been closed for three weeks as well, with plans not to reopen again through the end of the school year in June.
Despite these early efforts to flatten the curve, state projections still predict that California will run out of hospital beds in May.
As of Wednesday, 774 Californians were in intensive care unit beds, which was “roughly a quadrupling of where we were six days ago,” Newsom said. Total hospitalizations -- 1,855 -- was “roughly a tripling of where we were just six days ago.”
The CDC director said Americans should prepare for coronavirus to make a return later in the year.
We may get a seasonal advantage over #COVID19 but we don’t know for sure. We need to be prepared for it to come back in the late fall/winter until we have countermeasures. More from my talk w/ @toddstarnes: https://t.co/fsiKsqzAcR.
— Dr. Robert R. Redfield (@CDCDirector) April 2, 2020
Dr Robert Redfield said the number of coronavirus cases may subside once warmer weather sets in, but that’s still not clear, and the virus will likely return until a vaccine is developed.
The evidence is mixed on whether the virus, like the flu, is less likely to spread during the summer months, and experts have called for more experiments to test the theory.
The FDA is easing regulations on gay men giving blood as many blood banks report a dangerous drop in donations amid the pandemic.
NEW guidance from @US_FDA today on blood donor eligibility to help address the urgent need to #GiveBlood during #COVID19 without compromising the safety of the blood supply.
— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) April 2, 2020
More: https://t.co/V8dOxjge1n pic.twitter.com/RSW2y96liP
“At the FDA, we want to do everything we can to encourage more blood donations, which includes revisiting and updating some of our existing policies to help ensure we have an adequate blood supply, while still protecting the safety of our nation’s blood supply,” the agency said in a statement.
“Based on recently completed studies and epidemiologic data, the FDA has concluded that current policies regarding certain donor eligibility criteria can be modified without compromising the safety of the blood supply.”
Gay men will now be allowed to donate blood after refraining from sexual contact for three months instead of the previous requirement of a year.
Those who have recently gotten tattoos or piercings will also be able to donate blood after three months instead of a year.
Global coronavirus deaths exceed 50,000
The number of coronavirus deaths around the world has now passed 50,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins.
The number of coronavirus cases worlwide is also expected to soon reach 1 million, with more than 980,000 cases already reported.
The staggering death toll will only increase in the weeks to come, as the US alone predicts at least 100,000 deaths from the virus.
Alexandra Villareal reports on the latest in New York City:
“The cavalry keeps coming”, says New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio as 250 ambulances and 500 EMTs and paramedics arrived from around the country thanks to reinforcements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
In a video Thursday morning, de Blasio told the story of two men from Kalamazoo, Michigan, who drove their ambulance all the way to New York City to be of service.
There are heroes among us!@NYCMayor visited Fort Totten in Bayside to thank New York City’s courageous EMTs and paramedics — and welcome some much needed reinforcements. From Kalamazoo to Florida, ambulances and EMS workers are arriving to support our teams and save lives. pic.twitter.com/8yAWUZpj9m
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) April 2, 2020
This surge in federal aid comes even as de Blasio warns the city is still short 3.3 million N95 masks, 2.1 million surgeon masks and 100,000 isolation gowns for a Sunday deadline, numbers he called big but reachable.
On Thursday morning, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said there were 51,809 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York City. As of Wednesday evening, New York City had 10,000 hospitalized Covid-19 patients, and counted 1,374 deaths because of the pandemic.
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- New York is expected to run out of ventilators in six days, governor Andrew Cuomo said. The state has 2,200 ventilators in its stockpile, and officials are exploring ways to expand capacity by splitting ventilator tubes and converting BIPAP machines.
- The Democratic convention has been delayed a month because of the pandemic. The Democratic National Commitee said the nominating convention would now take place the week of August 17 in Milwaukee.
- House speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the formation of a select committee on coronavirus. Pelosi said the bipartisan committee would work to ensure funds from the $2 trillion stimulus bill are “spent wisely.”
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo has just wrapped up his daily briefing on the state’s coronavirus response.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Cuomo said the state only has enough ventilators in its stockpile to last another six days.
- The state is using every possible method to expand its ventilator capacity, including splitting ventilator tubes and converting BIPAP machines.
- The state has confirmed 92,381 coronavirus cases and 2,373 deaths.
- Cuomo said the numbers being reported in Long Island, which has confirmed more than 19,000 cases, are “concerning.”
- Cuomo’s brother, CNN host Chris Cuomo, joined the briefing via video conference to give an update on his own battle with coronavirus. Cuomo said he was “doing pretty well all things considered.”
Returning to Andrew Cuomo’s daily briefing, the New York governor said the state has 2,200 ventilators in its stockpile.
Cuomo said data indicates about 350 people come in to hospitals every night needing a ventilator, meaning the state is expected to run out in about six days.
The governor noted earlier that the state is taking every possible step to expand its ventilator capacity, including converting BIPAP machines and splitting ventilator tubes.
“We’re doing more than any other state or country has tried to do in terms of back-up contingency plans,” Cuomo said.
The delay of the Democratic convention means the two parties’ conventions will now take place back to back.
The Democratic convention is now scheduled to take place the week of August 17 in Milwaukee, and the Republican convention is set for the week of August 24 in Charlotte.
Democrats originally scheduled their convention early to avoid conflicting with the 2020 Olympics, but the games have also been postponed.
DNC confirms convention postponed
The Democratic National Committee has confirmed the party’s nominating convention will be postponed until mid-August.
“Leadership means being able to adapt, and that’s exactly what our party is doing,” DNC chairman Tom Perez said in a statement.
“Ultimately, the health and safety of our convention attendees and the people of Milwaukee is our top priority. And we will continue to be in contact with local, state, and federal health officials as we monitor this fluid situation.”
Democratic convention reportedly postponed
The Democratic convention has been postponed until August because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to reports.
The New York Times reports:
The Democratic National Committee on Thursday postponed its national convention because of the coronavirus, moving it from mid-July to mid-August. The delay is the largest political concession so far to the public health crisis caused by the virus, which has led to the cancellation of hundreds of state and local conventions from both parties.
The convention will still be held in Milwaukee, as planned, the week of Aug. 17, officials said, a week before Republicans plan to gather in Charlotte, N.C., to re-nominate President Trump.
The reports come one day after Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden said that he beleived the nominating convention would have to be postponed.
Chris Cuomo joins governor's briefing
CNN host Chris Cuomo, who has been diagnosed with coronavirus, appeared at New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s briefing today via video conference.
“I’m doing pretty well all things considered,” the CNN host told his brother. “This is tough. I get it now.”
Cuomo jokingly complained about how the virus is preventing him from cutting his hair and didn’t miss a chance to make fun of his brother.
“You look like you’ve been cutting your own hair, which some people are good at, some people are not,” the CNN host said to his brother.
Updated
Cuomo: State has enough ventilators for six days
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said the state only has enough ventilators in its stockpile for six days.
Cuomo noted the state released 400 ventilators to New York City last night and would distribute ventilators based on need in the weeks to come.
The state is exploring ways to expand its ventilator capacity, including splitting ventilator tubes and converting BIPAP machines.
Cuomo: US relying on China for medical equipment is 'cruelest irony'
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said the state would start conducting nightly hospital-by-hospital surveys to assess what medical equipment they need.
Cuomo added that it was the “cruelest irony” the country is now dependent on China for the production of crucial medical equipment.
The governor implored businesses to try to pivot to producing medical equipment like gowns. “We will pay a premium,” Cuomo assured businessowners.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said the number of people discharged from the hospital is “way up,” marking some rare good news since cases started to surge.
But Cuomo warned the state still needs more hospital beds to prepare for the peak of the crisis. The state is constructing temporary hospitals at places like the Javits Center and Brooklyn Cruise Terminal to add beds for coronavirus patients.
The governor said he was more concerned about ensuring the state has enough medical professionals and equipment to deal with the peak of the crisis. “Beds we can find,” Cuomo said. “The harder component is the staff and the supplies.”
New York reports 92,381 coronavirus cases, Cuomo says
New York has confirmed 92,381 cases of coronavirus, governor Andrew Cuomo said at his daily briefing.
The state has also seen 2,373 deaths linked to the virus, up from 1,941 yesterday.
New York accounts for nearly half of the coronavirus deaths from the entire country.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi said she spoke to treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin last night about a potential phase four coronavirus bill.
Pelosi has said she wants to pass another bill in response to the pandemic, which would focus on clean water, rural broadband and infrustructure, among other things.
Trump has voiced support for a massive infrastructure bill, but Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has accused Democrats of trying to force through their agenda while the pandemic is raging. Pelosi said she would call McConnell to discuss the matter.
Ending the conference call, Pelosi reiterated her advice to reporters: “Hydrate. Wash your hands. Pray. Dance like no one is watching.”
House speaker Nancy Pelosi said the new select committee on coronavirus would have subpoena power.
Members of the committee, which will be chaired by House majority whip Jim Clyburn, will specifically look at whether government funds distributed in response to the pandemic are being spent effectively.
“This is not an investigation of the administration,” Pelosi said. The speaker emphasized the panel would instead “make sure there aren’t exploiters out there.”
House speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked during her weekly press conference whether she supported a review of the events leading up to the coronavirus crisis.
Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House homeland security committee, has drafted a bill to form a commission in the style of the 9/11 commission to examine the government’s response to coronavirus.
Pelosi said she was open to the idea if the commission were bipartisan and not focused on attributing blame but rather determining what lessons can be learned for future crises.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi said the new select committee on coronavirus would ensure aid money goes to American families and prevent waste of funds.
Pelosi compared the panel to the Truman Committee, which rooted out waste and corruption in defense spending during World War II. The commitee ultimately saved the government millions of dollars.
Pelosi announces formation of House select committee on coronavirus
House speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the formation of select committee on the coronavirus crisis during her weekly press conference.
Pelosi said House majority whip Jim Clyburn will chair the committee, which will be made up of members from both parties.
The speaker noted the committee would work to ensure the aid money allocated in the $2 trillion stimulus bill is spent wisely.
Updated
House speaker Nancy Pelosi is holding her weekly press conference over the phone, providing an update on the congressional response to coronavirus.
Pelosi opened the conference call by urging all the reporters listening to stay hydrated and keep washing their hands.
The speaker added, “You can never dance too much, especially when you’re home.”
Michigan is closing K-12 schools for the remainder of the academic year, encouraging educators to continue virtually teaching their students.
“My No. 1 priority right now is protecting Michigan families from the spread of COVID-19,” governor Gretchen Whitmer said.
“For the sake of our students, their families and the more than 100,000 teachers and staff in our state, I have made the difficult decision to close our school facilities for the remainder of the school year.”
Several other states, including California and Kansas, have already announced schools will be closed for the remainder of the academic year.
With some projections saying coronavirus deaths will continue into the summer, it seems likely other states will have to follow suit.
The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:
The speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives said efforts to make it easier to vote by mail in the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic would harm Republicans.
The comments come days after President Donald Trump said the same thing. Trump dismissed Democratic-efforts to make it easier to vote by mail, saying “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
Asked about those comments on Wednesday, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, a Republican, said he agreed.
“The president said it best. This will be extremely devastating to Republicans and conservatives in Georgia,” he said in an interview with FetchYourNews.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is sending a request for a mail-in ballot to 6.9 million registered active voters ahead of the state’s May primary. There is a push for states to encourage voting by mail during the coronavirus pandemic so that people don’t have to gather at the polls and risk transmission of the virus.
Ralston noted that turnout in previous primaries was far from 100% and seemed concerned that more people could vote if they were able to mail in their ballots. “Every registered voter is going to get one of these ... this will certainly drive up turnout.”
Ralston also said he was concerned about paying for postage for mail-in ballots, as well as potential voter fraud, which is extremely rare.
Banks are warning the $350 billion small business loan program may not be ready by Friday as scheduled.
Politico reports:
The lenders complain that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin boxed them in with an unrealistic deadline and that the ground rules they’ve been given for the program, which is intended to deliver rapid aid to a huge number of ailing businesses, could delay the assistance for weeks or longer.
The banks, which will be responsible for processing loan applications and doling out money, are expecting millions of applications from businesses. Some fear a disaster that could dwarf the failed kickoff of the Obamacare enrollment web site in 2013.
The loan program, which was established in the $2 trillion stimulus bill, is being viewed as a lifeline for small businesses, many of whom have already had to lay off workers.
The unemployment claims report this morning showed that a record 6.65 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week.
Georgia’s governor said he only learned days ago that those with coronavirus who show no symptoms can still spread the virus, an astounding claim from a state leader considering health experts have been warning about asymptomatic transmissions for weeks.
A stunning admission of deadly ignorance from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who says he only just learned that asymptomatic people can transmit #Covid19. “[I]ndividuals could have been infecting people before they ever felt bad, but we didn’t know that until the last 24 hours.” pic.twitter.com/T7NZWk2GDR
— Andisheh Nouraee (@andishehnouraee) April 2, 2020
Announcing a statewide “stay at home” order yesterday, Republican governor Brian Kemp said, “Individuals could have been infecting people before they ever felt bad, but we didn’t know that until the last 24 hours.”
In reality, health experts have been saying for weeks that those without symptoms can still spread the virus, thus the need for all Americans to practice social distancing.
The director of the CDC, Dr Robert Redfield, warned in an NPR interview broadcoast Monday that up to a a quarter of those infected with coronavirus may not show symptoms.
Here is a visual to help conceptualize the scale of US job losses, as covered in this morning’s unemployment claims report:
Remember that dramatic Page 1 of the @nytimes last Friday, with the enormous spike showing 3.3 million unemployment claims?
— Joshua Benton (@jbenton) April 2, 2020
To save the Times graphics team the trouble, this is what the same page would look like with today's 6.6 million unemployment claims. pic.twitter.com/IQwZRUA13S
A record 6.65 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, bringing the two-week total of unemployment claims to 9.95 million as businesses lay off workers in the face of the pandemic.
Trump is again putting the onus on states to have adequate medical supplies to deal with the pandemic, as many hospitals warn they are running dangerously low on personal protective equipment.
The president said some states “have insatiable appetites & are never satisfied.” “The complainers should ... have been stocked up and ready long before this crisis hit,” Trump wrote in a tweet.
....have been stocked up and ready long before this crisis hit. Other states are thrilled with the job we have done. Sending many Ventilators today, with thousands being built. 51 large cargo planes coming in with medical supplies. Prefer sending directly to hospitals.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2020
In recent days, Trump has repeatedly tried to shift focus away from the federal government and toward the states as the country grapples with how to respond to coronavirus.
But a number of governors from both parties have said that they need more leadership and supplies from the federal government to protect their residents.
Los Angeles mayor urges all residents to wear masks
LA mayor Eric Garcetti is urging all of the city’s four million residents to wear masks when they go outside, although that recommendation does not currently apply to the rest of the state.
The AP reports:
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday he’s focused instead on keeping people inside. He also announced the state may need 66,000 additional hospital beds, 16,000 more than previously forecast, to handle the crush of illnesses expected during the second part of May.
At an afternoon news conference, Mayor Eric Garcetti said he had been awaiting advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on mask-wearing but with the COVID-19 rate surging had decided to wait no longer.
The mayor said all 4 million residents who are performing essential tasks such as food shopping should wear homemade, non-medical face coverings, or even bandannas, as people in other COVID-19-struck countries have done.
Trump said during yesterday’s press conference that Americans can consider wearing masks or scarves to cover their faces when they go outside.
“It doesn’t have to be a mask. It can be a scarf,” Trump said. “What I do see people doing here is using scarves. And I think in a certain way, depending on the fabric, I think in a certain way, a scarf is better, it’s actually better.”
Other administration officials have said the CDC is examining whether to recommend more widespread usage of face masks after originally saying masks should be reserved for medical professionals.
Updated
Trump again claims New York got off to a 'late start'
As the number of unemployment claims surges, Trump has turned his attention to mocking Democratic senator Chuck Schumer and criticizing New York’s response to coronavirus.
...It wouldn’t matter if you got ten times what was needed, it would never be good enough. Unlike other states, New York unfortunately got off to a late start. You should have pushed harder. Stop complaining & find out where all of these supplies are going. Cuomo working hard!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2020
The president’s tweet comes a day after Schumer told CNN that the country is facing “a dramatic shortage of all the needed supplies” and complained that “we have no one really in charge.”
Schumer called on the administration to select “one person, a military person, a general who knows how to deal with logistics and order mastering, who knows command and control” to coordinate the federal government’s use of the Defense Production Act to speed up the production of medical equipment.
Trump belitted Schumer as “Cryin’ Chuck,” one of the president’s oft-repeated taunts, and claimed New York had “got off to a late start” responding to the virus, while still crediting governor Andrew Cuomo for “working hard.”
Trump first made this “late start” claim earlier this week, and it prompted pushback from Cuomo’s communications director, who said it was the federal government that had fumbled its early response.
This is not the time to debate but the states were not slow to respond – the federal government was absent. https://t.co/Q8v7kWJxmM
— Dani Lever (@Dani_Lever) April 1, 2020
6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment last week
The latest unemployment numbers paint a devastating picture of a country facing mass job losses as a pandemic kills thousands of Americans.
According to the latest report from the labor department, 6.65 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, doubling the record-setting 3.3 million figure a week earlier.
The Guardian’s Dominic Rushe and Lauren Aratani report:
As reports emerged of long lines at unemployment offices, jammed phone lines and broken websites across the US, the federal labor department said Thursday that a new record number of people sought benefits after losing their jobs in the week ending 27 March.
Some 3.3 million had filed for unemployment the previous week, bringing total claims to 9.95 million for the two weeks. More people have filed for unemployment in the last two weeks than filed in the last six months.
The US now faces the sharpest rise in unemployment in its history, a surge that is already highlighting income inequality across the nation and comes as the global economy goes into a nosedive that is likely to exacerbate the situation in the months ahead.
Because many Americans’ health insurance is tied to their employment, these job losses also mean millions of people are losing coverage as the number of coronavirus cases continues to steeply rise.
Biden predicts Democratic convention will be delayed
Good morning, live blog readers!
The coronavirus pandemic has completely upended the American healthcare system, economy and presidential election, and the tumult is just beginning.
Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden acknowledged last night that the party’s nominating convention, which is scheduled to begin 13 July, will likely have to be postponed.
“I doubt whether the Democratic convention is going to be able to be held in mid-July, early July,” Biden told Jimmy Fallon, host of The Tonight Show. “I think it’s going to have to move into August.”
The Republican nominating convention is scheduled to begin 24 August, and Donald Trump has dismissed questions about whether it should be postponed or made into a virtual event.
If Republicans move forward with their convention, Democrats will almost certainly try to find a way to still hold theirs, or they will risk conceding a major campaign opportunity to Trump.
But with some projections saying America will continue to see coronavirus deaths into July, there’s real skepticism about how these major events will happen at all.
Updated
