Driving the Day: Per the New York Times, doctors are “At War With No Ammo,” saying “the lack of proper masks, gowns and eye gear is imperiling the ability of medical workers to fight the coronavirus — and putting their own lives at risk.”
Trump Quote of the Day: On shortages of vital medical equipment: “Governors are supposed to be doing a lot of this work, and they are doing a lot of this work. The federal government is not supposed to be out there buying vast amounts of items and then shipping. You know, we’re not a shipping clerk. The governors are supposed to be — as with testing, the governors are supposed — are supposed to be doing it.”
What to Watch For: President Trump will hold a conference call with small businesses today to discuss the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The task force will hold a press briefing at 11:45 AM. Senators from both parties will meet with administration officials in the Capitol this morning with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin telling reporters that the objective is for Congress to pass a phase three bill on Monday.
Coronavirus Update:
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President Trump held a press briefing on Thursday in which he sought to deflect blame to governors for cascading reports of shortages of ventilators and supplies. Trump said the federal government is “not a shipping clerk” and “governors are supposed to be doing a lot of this work.” He again claimed that “nobody knew there’d be a pandemic” even though for months warnings by his own administration went unheeded. On NBC, Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) criticized the entire federal government response saying “There’s just not enough of anything.”
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Trump falsely claimed that the FDA had rushed approval of a “very powerful” drug chloroquine to treat coronavirus. Chloroquine is already on the market to treat malaria and rheumatoid arthritis. The FDA issued a statement clarifying that while studies are under way the drug is not yet approved as a coronavirus treatment.
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During his briefing, Trump attacked the media, which he said “has not treated it fairly” even though the administration was “very prepared” for the virus. He said that reporting on the crisis was “more than fake news — it’s corrupt news.” Trump again repeatedly referred to the virus as the “Chinese virus’ and a photograph of his podium notes showed he had crossed out the phrase “coronavirus” and replaced it with “Chinese virus”
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Senate Republicans released a phase three stimulus plan that includes a means-tested cash payment plan for Americans. The plan would provide $1,200 for each person for individuals with up to $99,000 in 2018 income. For the tens of millions of taxpayers who have little or no tax liability, the payments would be reduced to only $600 per person. The GOP plan also provides loans and tax breaks for small and large businesses. Response from Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi was tepid. In a statement they wrote that the plan was “not at all pro-worker and instead puts corporations way ahead of workers.”
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Late Thursday evening news broke that Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) engaged in large scale stock trades shortly after being brief on the coronavirus even though they publicly stated that the US was prepared for the virus. Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) have both called for the resignation of Sen. Burr.
By The Numbers
Friday, March 20, 2020, 7:30 AM
Number of US cases reported: 12,392
Number of US deaths: 195
Total Number of People Tested in US: 111,638 (may not include private labs)
Bloomberg: Yes, Young People Are Falling Seriously Ill From Covid-19
Federal Health Response
Affordability and Inequality
Data for Progress: Government Should Take Action To Make Covid Treatment Free
HuffPost: Uninsured And Worried About COVID-19? You May Be Able To Get Covered.
New York Times: Coronavirus Tests Are Now Free, but Treatment Could Still Cost You
Roll Call: Lawmakers may add surprise billing plan to virus response bill
Immigration and Travel
Buzzfeed: US Citizens Are Stranded Abroad Because Of The Coronavirus And Don’t Know How They’ll Get Home
CNN: US and Mexico coordinating on plan to restrict travel across the border
PBS: Immigration courts are still open as coronavirus cases grow
Politico: State Department to tell Americans abroad to come home or shelter in place
National Security
The Hill: US-China relationship worsens over coronavirus
NBC: Trump nixed aggressive response to attacks by Iranian proxies because of coronavirus, officials say
Politico: ‘Confusion and anxiety’ at Pentagon over telework guidance
Preparedness
ABC: Fearing outbreaks and riots, nation’s prison and jail wardens scramble to respond to coronavirus threat
The Atlantic (Ideas): This Is How We Can Beat the Coronavirus
CNBC: Trump advisor Peter Navarro slams Big Pharma’s lobbying against possible ‘Buy America’ executive order
New York Times: Before Virus Outbreak, a Cascade of Warnings Went Unheeded
New York Times (Opinion): A New York Doctor’s Coronavirus Warning: The Sky Is Falling
Politico: VA secretary: VA preparing to deploy 3,000 medical personnel for virus response
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Government Plans to Ratchet Up Emphasis on Social Distancing
Shortages
Axios: Wartime manufacturing muscle might not solve ventilator shortage
Bloomberg: Trump Told Governors to Buy Own Virus Supplies, Then Outbid Them
CNN: Used facemasks and bandanas: How the CDC is warning hospitals to prepare for coronavirus shortages
New York Times: ‘It Feels Like a War Zone’: Doctors and Nurses Plead for Masks on Social Media
New York Times: ‘At War With No Ammo’: Doctors Say Shortage of Protective Gear Is Dire
Politico: Medical staff describe shortages and rationing of masks as White House assures they’re available ’now’
Testing
Associated Press: Celebrities Get Virus Tests, Raising Concerns Of Inequality
The Hill: Governors plead with Trump for more coronavirus supplies, testing
New York Times (Editorial): The Epic Failure of Coronavirus Testing in America
Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Testing Chaos Across America
Washington Post: VIPs go to the head of the line for coronavirus tests
Treatment
New York Times: With Minimal Evidence, Trump Asks F.D.A. to Study Malaria Drugs for Coronavirus
New York Times: Search for Coronavirus Vaccine Becomes a Global Competition
Stat: With the coronavirus surging, Trump wants drug development to move far faster. It can’t
Stat: A drug maker recently doubled the price of chloroquine — but in response to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s cutting it in half
Stat: Teva and Mylan to jumpstart production of old malaria drug to fight the novel coronavirus
Washington Post: Trump calls anti-malaria drug a ‘game-changer’ for coronavirus, but the FDA says it needs study
Federal Economic Response
CNBC: Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley resigns from Boeing board, opposing government aid
CNN: Trump Loses His Touch With The Markets As Coronavirus Threat Grows
CNN: McConnell defends crafting $1 trillion stimulus plan without Democrats
Bloomberg: Mnuchin Tells Congress to Act Quickly on Massive Stimulus Plan
Bloomberg: Trump Tells Governors He’ll Push for Grants in Virus Stimulus
HuffPost: New Coronavirus Package Could Unravel Protections For Students With Disabilities
National Review (Opinion): Let Americans Means-Test Themselves
New York Times: A Taxonomy of Bailouts: Comparing the Coronavirus Rescues With Rescues Past
New York Times: Racing to Head Off Evictions and Foreclosures
PBS: USDA fights to purge food stamps recipients despite pandemic
Politico: Senate Republicans introduce trillion-dollar coronavirus package
Politico: Who wins in the Senate GOP’s big bailout
Politico: ‘It’s only a down payment’: Why a $1 trillion stimulus may not be enough
Politico: Lobbyists make a mad dash to shape coronavirus stimulus package
Vice: This is Why Trump Must Give Bailout Checks to Undocumented Immigrants
Washington Post: Trump backs allowing federal government to take equity stakes in firms that receive coronavirus bailout
Leadership
Axios: The risks of coronavirus in Trump country
CNN: Trump shrugs off responsibility for any hospital equipment shortages by saying it’s up to states
CNN (Analysis): Trump acts like he wants the US press to be more like China’s
CNN: Fact check: Trump wrongly claims FDA ‘approved’ drug chloroquine to treat the coronavirus
The Hill: Frustration mounts at Trump’s reluctance to use emergency production powers
HuffPost: Yes, Viruses Used To Be Named After Places. Here’s Why They Aren’t Anymore.
New York Times: What Coronavirus? Trump Campaign Plows Ahead Online With Talk of ‘WINNING Like Never Before’
New York Times (Opinion): Of Course Trump Deserves Blame for the Coronavirus Crisis
Politico: Trump’s new public health ‘star’
Talking Points Memo: Trump Replaced ‘Corona’ With ‘Chinese’ In His Briefing Notes On COVID-19
Wall Street Journal: Trump Campaign Strategy Shifts Focus To Crisis Leadership
Washington Post: Trump Invokes Rare Powers To Combat Coronavirus Outbreak He Previously Downplayed, Calling It ‘War’
Washington Post: The inside story of the CPAC scare: When the coronavirus passed within a handshake of the president, no public health agency took charge
Washington Post (Opinion): Trump’s latest attack on the media is more heinous than usual
Congress
The Atlantic: Katie Porter Is Tired Too
Daily Beast: Sen. Kelly Loeffler Dumped Millions in Stock After Coronavirus Briefing
NBC: AOC calls on Senate Intel chair Richard Burr to resign for stock selloff ahead of pandemic
New York Times: Senator Sold Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Stocks After Suggesting U.S. Was Prepared for Coronavirus
NPR: Intelligence Chairman Raised Virus Alarms Weeks Ago, Secret Recording Shows
Politico: Recording shows Senate intel chair warned of coronavirus disruption in private weeks ahead of time
ProPublica: Senator Dumped Up to $1.6 Million of Stock After Reassuring Public About Coronavirus Preparedness
Washington Post: Sen. Burr offered dire warning about the coronavirus at private luncheon three weeks ago
Washington Post: ‘There is no greater moral crime’: Fox News’s Tucker Carlson calls for Sen. Richard Burr’s resignation over stock sell-off
Hospitals
The Atlantic: What It Really Means To Cancel Elective Surgeries
Bloomberg: Carnival Offers Cruise Ships to Relieve Strain on Hospitals
NBC: Hospitals sound alarm on funding for supplies to treat patients, protect workers
Politico: Hospitals bid for $100 billion in next coronavirus package
Washington Post: More lifesaving ventilators are available. Hospitals can’t afford them.
Media
HuffPost: The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Hammering Local Newspapers
Wall Street Journal: Playboy Magazine Shuts Down Print Edition, Citing Coronavirus
Washington Post: There’s a massive audience for coronavirus news right now. That might not help the news business.
Washington Post: Coronavirus deniers and hoaxers persist despite dire warnings, claiming ‘it’s mass hysteria’
Washington Post (Analysis): Sean Hannity denied calling coronavirus a hoax nine days after he called coronavirus a hoax
Campaigns and Elections
CNBC: Joe Biden postpones virtual fundraiser until next week following technical difficulties with online town hall
CNBC: Trump campaign, RNC suspend in-person fundraising events as coronavirus spreads
Talking Points Memo: Connecticut Governor Delays Late April Presidential Primary
International
Politico: Justin Trudeau: Working from home just like the rest of us
Reuters: ‘There are no funerals:’ Death in quarantine leaves nowhere to grieve
Washington Post (Opinion): This virus should be forever linked to the regime that facilitated its spread
Workers
Bloomberg: ‘Run Toward the Crisis’: Some Employers Balk at Remote Work
Gizmodo: Charter Communications Employees Say Bosses Ignore Expert Covid-19 Advice, Put Profit Before Safety
HuffPost: Walmart’s Emergency Sick Leave Is Not Good Enough
New Republic: Amazon Warehouse Workers Knew Someone Would Get Sick
Reuters: Amazon Shuts New York Delivery Station After Worker Gets Coronavirus
Vice: There Are Two Types of People Now: Online Shoppers and the People Who Serve Them
Economic Impacts
The Atlantic (Ideas): The Modern Supply Chain Is Snapping
Axios: Side effect of a pandemic: A brief glimpse at cleaner skies and water
Bloomberg: U.S. Jobless Claims Could Exceed 2 Million, Goldman Says
CNBC: Ex-Trump advisor Gary Cohn warns the US will have ‘massive unemployment very, very quickly’
CNBC: Economist: Next week’s jobless claims could hit 2 million as coronavirus halt slams labor market
New York Times: Curbside Pickup. Bicycle Deliveries. Virtual Book Discussions. Amid Virus, Bookstores Get Creative.Z
New York Times: The Staggering Rise in Jobless Claims This Week
Talking Points Memo: There’ve Been At Least 5,000 Cases Of Price Gouging At US Stores Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Vox: America’s mass transit agencies need a bailout, too
Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus-Era Food Supply: America Has a Lot. Moving It Is Tricky.
Wall Street Journal (Editorial): Rethinking the Coronavirus Shutdown
Science
Buzzfeed: No, The World Health Organization Is Not Recommending Against Ibuprofen For Coronavirus Symptoms
CNN: The world’s fastest supercomputer identified chemicals that could stop coronavirus from spreading, a crucial step toward a vaccine
Social Impacts
ABC: Police departments stress need for officers to get tested to limit disruptions to service
Jezebel: ‘Home Isn’t a Safe Place for Everyone’: How Coronavirus Is Impacting Domestic Violence Shelters
New York Magazine: For Wine Stores, Coronavirus Has Brought a ‘Fire Hose’ of Customers
Politico: The lost school year
Personal Preparedness
New York Times: With No N.C.A.A. Tournament, Here Are Past Games Coaches Say You Should Watch
ProPublica: What Coronavirus Means for Pregnancy and Other Things New and Expecting Mothers Should Know
Washington Post (Opinion): How to create togetherness without actually being together
In The States
California
Los Angeles Times: More than half of Californians could become infected with coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom says to Trump
Politico: Newsom orders all Californians to stay home in nation’s strictest statewide lockdown
Florida
NBC: Coronavirus comes for spring break: Local officials close Florida beaches after governor refuses to
New York Times: A Deadly Coronavirus Mix in Florida: An Aging Population and Lots of Young Visitors
Georgia
The Hill: Entire Georgia state legislature urged to self-quarantine after positive coronavirus test
Louisiana
New York Times: Her Facebook Friends Asked If Anyone Was Actually Sick. She Had an Answer.
Massachusetts
Boston Globe: Inside the state’s first large-scale drive through coronavirus testing facility
New York
Washington Post (Analysis): New York City is the epicenter of coronavirus in the U.S. Is this due to density — or testing?
Washington, DC
Washington Post: D.C. cases surge, Maryland adds new restrictions as coronavirus reaches grim milestones
Trump Tweets
“America’s Private Sector is stepping up to help us be STRONG! Many of the Nation’s distillers, large and small, are producing and donating hand sanitizer to help fight #COVID19. THANK YOU!” [@realDonaldTrump, 3/19/20]
“THANK YOU to our Police Officers, Fire Fighters, and EMS who help us defeat the Virus every day. Our proud nation is grateful for the unwavering dedication and sacrifice of our First Responders and their families. TOGETHER we will beat this!” [@realDonaldTrump, 3/19/20]
“We are going to WIN, sooner rather than later!” [@realDonaldTrump, 3/19/20]