Driving the Day:
https://twitter.com/Covid19WarRoom/status/1247309828575412225
By The Numbers
Tuesday, April 7, 7:30 AM
Number of US cases reported: 368,449
Number of US deaths: 10,993
Total Number of People Tested in US: 1,945,441 (may not include all labs)
Axios: Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index: The virus hits home
Bloomberg (Opinion): 884 Hidden Deaths Are Revealed, and More to Come
New York Times: How Will We Know When It’s Time to Reopen the Nation?
What to Watch For
President Trump will participate in an America CARES: Small Business Relief update at 3:00 PM. The coronavirus task force will brief the press at 5:00 PM.
Must Read Stories
- Trump Fights The Coronavirus With No War Room And No Health Care Plan: New reporting from the Los Angeles Times details the ways in which Trump’s dismantling of the NSC Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense has unleashed chaos in the federal government’s response to the coronavirus crisis. According to the Times, “The pandemic response is now being steered by non-scientists: Vice President Mike Pence, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, and even the president’s son-in-law are jostling for control of a response marred by confusion and delays.” Trump has also rejected calls to appoint a military leader or other unified “czar” to oversee the distribution of medical supplies and insists that the administration has the situation under control. The greatest health crisis in a generation has also highlighted Trump’s maniacal focus on eliminating the Affordable Care Act with no plan in place to provide health coverage for millions of Americans who have lost their jobs and insurance in the last few weeks.
- Trump Prioritizes Unproven Malaria Drug Over Other Coronavirus Treatments — And Potentially Lines His Own Pockets: Trump continues to push forward with plans to stockpile millions of doses of chloroquine over the objections of many members of his health team, even though there is no evidence that the drug is effective at fighting coronavirus infections. According to reporting in Politico, “Health officials have been told to prioritize the anti-malaria drugs over other projects that scientists believe have more potential to fight the outbreak.” The New York Times reported on Monday evening that Trump and his cronies may stand to personally benefit from widespread stockpiling and use of chloroquine: “If hydroxychloroquine becomes an accepted treatment, several pharmaceutical companies stand to profit, including shareholders and senior executives with connections to the president. Mr. Trump himself has a small personal financial interest in Sanofi, the French drugmaker that makes Plaquenil, the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine.”
- They Were Warned: In late January, Peter Navarro, President Trump’s top trade advisor, wrote a memo warning administration officials that the coronavirus could cost the United States trillions of dollars and put millions of Americans at risk of death. Navarro wrote, “The lack of immune protection or an existing cure or vaccine would leave Americans defenseless in the case of a full-blown coronavirus outbreak on U.S. soil. This lack of protection elevates the risk of the coronavirus evolving into a full-blown pandemic, imperiling the lives of millions of Americans.” According to the New York Times, the memo was, “The highest-level alert known to have circulated inside the West Wing” as the administration declined to act aggressively to prevent a devastating outbreak in the US.
- Trump Attacks HHS Watchdog: At the Monday evening press briefing, Trump lashed out against a new report from the HHS Inspector General that revealed that hospitals were unprepared for the coronavirus and are still scrambling to find equipment and deal with a shortage of tests. Trump said the report was “just wrong” without presenting any evidence for why he believes it to be inaccurate. Trump demanded to know when Principal Deputy Inspector General Christi Grimm was appointed and suggested that her findings were politically motivated in an attempt to damage his administration.
- Testing Failures: After weeks of promising that millions of tests are on the the way and that testing centers will soon be established in CVS and Wal-Mart parking lots across America, Trump raged at the idea that the federal government is responsible for testing at all in Monday evening’s press briefing. “We’re the federal government,” Trump said. “We’re not supposed to stand on street corners doing testing.” The New York Times reports that testing delays and shortages continue to be a huge problem across the country, calling testing availability a “a signature failure of the battle against the coronavirus in the United States.” The US continues to test only the sickest patients even though diagnostic testing is the cornerstone of a containment strategy that would allow us to begin to resume normal social life and economic activity.
Worth Watching
Data shows that racial disparities are stark in coronavirus testing, access to treatment and outcomes:
The Atlantic (Ideas): What The Racial Data Show
Kaiser Health News: Long-Standing Racial And Income Disparities Seen Creeping Into COVID-19 Care
Politico: ‘We cannot have a colorblind policy’: Lack of racial data obstructs coronavirus fight
Stat: ‘We’re flying blind’: African Americans may be bearing the brunt of Covid-19, but access to data are limited
Headlines
Trump’s Failures
Axios: We’re still behind on coronavirus testing
Axios: Navarro memos warning of mass coronavirus death circulated in January
Bloomberg: Trump Disputes Report on Hospital Shortages and Alleges Bias
Chronicle of Philanthropy: Small Nonprofits Struggle to Get Payroll Loans in New Federal Program
Daily Beast: Trump Rages Over Watchdog Report on ‘Severe’ Hospital Shortages
HuffPost: Trump Administration Report Details Havoc For Hospitals Dealing With COVID-19
HuffPost: Trump Says COVID-19 Supply Is Under Control, He Doesn’t Need A Czar
The Independent (Voices): Stealing masks and stockpiling hydroxychloroquine — what America has become during this epidemic is deeply worrying
Los Angeles Times: Trump administration is battling coronavirus without a war room
Marketplace: The small business loan rollout wasn’t so smooth
NPR: Hospitals Are Sourcing Masks from Auto Body Shops, HHS Inspector General Finds
NPR: Hospitals Reject Trump’s Claim They Are ‘Really Thrilled’ With Supplies
NBC: ‘His Achilles’ heel’: Coronavirus crisis highlights Trump’s lack of health care plan
Navy Times: Theodore Roosevelt captain followed in footsteps of ship’s namesake by writing bombshell letter
New York Times: Acting Navy Secretary Slams Fired Captain as ‘Stupid’
New York Times: Trade Adviser Warned White House in January of Risks of a Pandemic
New York Times: U.S. Is Nowhere Close to Reopening the Economy, Experts Say
New York Times: Delays and Shortages Exacerbate Coronavirus Testing Gaps in the U.S.
Politico: Acting Navy secretary apologizes amid uproar over leaked carrier speech
Politico: Trump blasts HHS watchdog for report on hospital shortages
Politico: Outbreak hurts Trump’s electability in Florida, poll says
Reuters: With hospitals stressed, U.S. enters ‘peak death week’ in coronavirus crisis
Reuters: As Trump administration debated travel restrictions, thousands streamed in from China
Talking Points Memo: More Details on Airlifts and Supply Seizures
Washington Post (Opinion): Acting Navy chief fired Crozier for ‘panicking’ — and before Trump could intervene
Washington Post: A Michigan congresswoman, the owner of a sex toy company and a global scramble to find N95 masks
Washington Times: Trump rebukes ABC’s Jonathan Karl, says Democrats ‘shouldn’t be allowed’ to win in November
Wired: The Defense Production Act Won’t Fix America’s Mask Shortage
Trump’s Lies
The Atlantic (Ideas): Be Very Careful About Taking Medical Advice From President Trump
Politico: How a chance Twitter thread launched Trump’s favorite coronavirus drug
Politico: ‘Doctors disagree all the time’: Navarro drags Fauci feud into the public
Politico: Trump’s ‘Hail Mary’ drug push rattles his health team
Politico: What you need to know about the malaria drugs Trump keeps touting
Rolling Stone: Thanks to Trump, There’s a Hydroxychloroquine Shortage for People Who Need It
Stat: Fact-checking Trump’s claims about hydroxychloroquine, the antimalarial drug he’s touting as a coronavirus treatment
Washington Post: ‘What do you have to lose?’: Inside Trump’s embrace of a risky drug against coronavirus
Trump and the GOP Looking Out For Themselves
Bloomberg: Trump’s Bailout Watchdog Draws Praise and Fear Over Independence
New York Times: Trump’s Aggressive Advocacy of Malaria Drug for Treating Coronavirus Divides Medical Community
Wall Street Journal: Big Restaurant, Hotel Chains Won Exemption to Get Small Business Loans
Affordability And Access
Al.com: Alabama uninsured patients with most severe COVID-19 cases could face huge bills, possible bankruptcy
Inside Health Policy: Taxpayers Pay Most Of The Cost To Develop Some COVID-19 Drugs
Campaigns and Elections
Fox News (Opinion): RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel: Democrats’ coronavirus voting plan – this is the way to undermine democracy
The Nation: Wisconsin’s In-Person Voting Threatens Health and Democracy
New York Times: Wisconsin Election Fight Heralds a National Battle Over Virus-Era Voting
Washington Post: Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks order by governor to stop Tuesday’s elections in state’s latest whipsaw
Congress
Politico: Josh Hawley sets up potential clash in GOP with coronavirus push
Washington Post: Worried that $2 trillion law wasn’t enough, Trump and congressional leaders converge on need for new coronavirus economic package
Democratic Response
New York Times: Biden and Trump Speak About Coronavirus
Philadelphia Inquirer: Democratic groups flood Pennsylvania with anti-Trump coronavirus ads
Vox: Elizabeth Warren has a plan for this, too
Economic Impact
Bloomberg (Opinion): When Plagues Pass, Labor Gets the Upper Hand
CNBC: Janet Yellen says second-quarter GDP could decline by 30% and unemployment is already at 12%-13%
Education
New York Times: As School Moves Online, Many Students Stay Logged Out
Federal Activity
Politico: White House reaches deal with 3M over mask production
Governors and Local Officials
The Atlantic (Ideas): The Mayor Who Can’t Rise To The Occasion
The Intercept: A Little-known Democratic Governor Is Breaking Out In Kentucky
Hospitals and Health Care Workers
Bloomberg: Doctors and Nurses Beware: Hospitals Are Watching Your Facebook
Business Insider: Leaked memo reveals the US’s largest health system could fire nurses who post coronavirus policies on social media — and a nurse has already been suspended without pay
Daily Beast: The Next Shortage That Could Kneecap Our Medical System
Huffington Post: Hospital Workers In Unsafe Conditions Fear They’ll Get Too Sick To Care For Patients
Kaiser Health News: As The Country Disinfects, Diabetes Patients Can’t Find Rubbing Alcohol
NBC: Firefighters fear coronavirus-fueled supply shortages soon
New York Times: Where Have All the Heart Attacks Gone?
Wall Street Journal: For Doctors Who Care For Pets, It’s Also a Trying Time
Inequality
The Atlantic (Ideas): What The Racial Data Show
Boston Globe (Opinion): Why I don’t feel safe wearing a face mask
Kaiser Health News: Long-Standing Racial And Income Disparities Seen Creeping Into COVID-19 Care
New York Times (Opinion): Social Distancing Is a Privilege
New York Times: Chinese-Americans, Facing Abuse, Unite to Aid Hospitals in Coronavirus Battle
Politico: ‘We cannot have a colorblind policy’: Lack of racial data obstructs coronavirus fight
Stat: ‘We’re flying blind’: African Americans may be bearing the brunt of Covid-19, but access to data are limited
Vox: “We’re being punished again”: How people with intellectual disabilities are experiencing the pandemic
International
NBC: South Korea’s return to normal interrupted by uptick in coronavirus cases
Talking Points Memo: Spain Sees Some Positive Signs As Number Of New COVID Cases Eases
In the States
Detroit Free Press: More than 700 Henry Ford Health System employees tested positive for coronavirus
New York Times: New York City Considers Temporary Graves for Virus Victims
New York Times: Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Including Crypt, Will Become a Hospital
Wall Street Journal: Tourist Towns Say, ‘Please Stay Away,’ During Coronavirus Lockdowns
Washington Post: Deaths in the DMV increase as officials warn it could be next hot spot
Online Misinformation
CNN: YouTube tries to limit spread of false 5G coronavirus claims after cellphone towers attacked
Personal Narratives
Bloomberg: Gasping for Air, Delusional and All Alone: One Survivor’s Story
Business Insider: A woman in her late 30s who got coronavirus details what her symptoms were like every day, and what she wished she had done to prepare
New Yorker: Texts from my Father, in Elmhurst Hospital
Philanthropy
Business Insider: A potential coronavirus vaccine funded by Bill Gates is set to begin testing in people, with the first patient expected to get it today
Public Safety
Wall Street Journal: Inside Oakdale Prison: ‘Our Sentences Have Turned Into Death Sentences’
Science
Business Insider: The first patients just enrolled in a trial testing the arthritis drug Actemra against the coronavirus. Results are expected in early summer.
New York Times: The Rising Heroes of the Coronavirus Era? Nations’ Top Scientists
Social Impact
Associated Press: Sportsbooks are dark and odds are long in Las Vegas
Eater: This Passover Is Not Like Other Passovers
Kaiser Health News: ‘Staying Away From Grandma’ Isn’t An Option In Multigenerational Homes
Wall Street Journal: We’re All Baking Bread Now (And Many of Us Are Failing at It)
Workers
Detroit Free Press: Miracle in Plymouth: UAW worker celebrates Ford making 1M face shields in 13 days
Washington Post: Grocery workers are beginning to die of coronavirus
Trump Tweets
Great job being done by Dr. Nicole Saphier on @FoxNews! [@realDonaldTrump, 4/6/20]
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that tomorrow’s election will proceed as scheduled. VOTE for Justice Daniel Kelly tomorrow, and be safe! [@realDonaldTrump, 4/6/20]
[@realDonaldTrump, 4/6/20]
Joe Biden wanted the date for the Democrat National Convention moved to a later time period. Now he wants a “Virtual” Convention, one where he doesn’t have to show up. Gee, I wonder why? Also, what ever happened to that phone call he told the Fake News he wanted to make to me? [@realDonaldTrump, 4/6/20]
Advertising in the Failing New York Times is WAY down. Washington Post is not much better. I can’t say whether this is because they are Fake News sources of information, to a level that few can understand, or the Virus is just plain beating them up. Fake News is bad for America! [@realDonaldTrump, 4/6/20]