British Prime Minister Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus, the BBC reports.
“His symptoms are mild and he will continue to lead the government response to the virus while he self-isolates, a spokesman says.”
Trump’s Approval Jumps Five Points
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds President Trump’s approval rate at 48%, even as most Americans say he was too slow to take action in the early days of the virus’s spread.
The rise in Trump’s approval rating, however, is far smaller than some other presidents have experienced in times of national crisis.
New York Times: Can Trump break a 50% approval rating?
Brazil’s Governors Rise Up Against Bolsonaro
Associated Press: “Brazil’s governors are defying President Jair Bolsonaro over his call to reopen schools and businesses, dismissing his argument that the “cure” of widespread shutdowns to contain the spread of the new coronavirus is worse than the disease.”
What Team Biden Is Doing
Ryan Liza: “The Biden campaign has been studying the ’18 midterms. No, not the ones two years ago when Democrats took over the House by aggressively recruiting moderates and sweeping swing districts across the country, a precursor to Biden’s own centrist strategy in the Democratic presidential primaries this year.”
“They’ve been studying the midterms of 1918, the year of the Spanish flu pandemic when large gatherings were banned in many places and candidates were forced to invent new ways to communicate with voters and run their campaigns. Turnout plummeted that year to 40%, from 50% in the 1914 midterms.”
When Can Lockdowns End?
Associated Press: “Scientists are reluctant to predict exactly when restrictions could be safely loosened, but based on what they’ve observed in China — the first country struck by the new virus — some relief could come approximately six to eight weeks after lockdowns are implemented. That is based on the assumption that cases could peak two or three weeks after lockdowns begin, and gradually decline for the next two or three weeks.”
“While we may yearn for a clear timeline for when life will return to normal, scientists say that isn’t exactly the right question. Routines won’t resume exactly as they were for several months, or longer – but that doesn’t mean we’ll all be stuck in total lockdowns until then.”
Trump Questions Need for So Many Ventilators
Speaking with Sean Hannity on Fox News, President Trump again minimized the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic, casting doubt on the need for tens of thousands of ventilators for hospitals responding to the crisis, Politico reports.
Said Trump: “I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they’re going to be. I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You go into major hospitals sometimes, and they’ll have two ventilators. And now all of a sudden they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000 ventilators?’”
Trump Says ‘No Way’ He’ll Cancel Convention
President Trump said there is “no way” he’ll cancel the GOP convention in August, despite the uncertainty surrounding planned events due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Hill reports.
Said Trump: “We are definitely planning — it’s toward the end of August. Somebody was asking today, ‘Will you cancel your convention?’ I said no way I’m going to cancel the convention. We’re going to have the convention, it’s going to be incredible.”
Lawmakers Scramble to Return to Washington
“Many House members are scrambling to book flights and return to Washington amid concerns that they could be requested to show up in person and vote on the stimulus,” CNN reports.
“The fear is that one member could prevent the House from approving the $2 trillion bill by voice vote, forcing them instead to cast a roll-call vote in person. That has angered many members worried about traveling during the public health emergency.”
White House Backs Off Ventilator Announcement
“The White House had been preparing on Wednesday to announce amid an escalating pandemic that a joint venture between General Motors and Ventec Life Systems would begin producing as many as 80,000 desperately needed ventilators when word suddenly came down that the announcement was off,” the New York Times reports.
“The decision to cancel the announcement, according to government officials, came after the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it needed more time to assess whether the estimated cost was prohibitive — more than $1 billion.”
Cruise Lines Left Out of Bailout Package
“Like hotels and airlines, cruise companies have seen their business decimated by the coronavirus pandemic and economic shutdowns,” the Washington Post reports.
“But unlike those industries, major cruise operators don’t locate their headquarters in the United States, so they will not have access to $500 billion in aid for large employers in the massive stimulus bill, the industry’s trade group said Thursday.”
Trump Floods the Media
Washington Post: “Since mid-January, President Trump has spent a total of 12 hours speaking publicly about the novel coronavirus — amounting to more than 137,000 words… He has tweeted about the virus 138 times. And in the past week alone, the president has spoken for 287 minutes — more than 4½ hours — during daily coronavirus news conferences.”
“Trump’s on-air ubiquity is part of a deliberate White House strategy to place the president front and center as the pitchman and public relations impresario for the coronavirus response.”
“He is saturating cable news and Twitter, filling the airwaves and Internet with words — often hopeful and optimistic talk that at times contradicts his public health experts, is not always rooted in scientific reality and can veer off topic.”
Michigan Can’t Get Supplies As Cases Explode
“The number of coronavirus cases in Michigan has skyrocketed to nearly 3,000 from less than 350 a week ago, but the state is still struggling to obtain supplies behind the states where the pandemic has hit the hardest,” CNN reports.
“As the pandemic takes hold elsewhere, the finite number of live-saving equipment like ventilators, face masks and personal protective equipment — as well as the inability of the national stockpile to make up for all of the shortages — is coming into clear view, leaving a gap between states that encountered outbreaks early and those that are seeing their numbers ramp up now.”
Alabama Won’t Issue Shelter-In-Place Order
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said she had no plans to issue a stay at home or shelter-in-place order any time soon, the Montgomery Advertiser reports.
Said Ivey: “Y’all, we are not Louisiana, we are not New York State, we are not California. Right now is not the time to order people to shelter in place.”
Governors Seeking Help Must Navigate Trump
Associated Press: “Underlying this political dance is Trump’s tendency to talk about the government as though it’s his own private business. The former real estate mogul often discusses government business like a transaction dependent on relationships or personal advantage, rather than a national obligation… Trump has kept a close eye on the coronavirus media coverage and noted which local officials were praising or criticizing him.”
“There’s no evidence that Trump has held up a governor’s request for assistance for personal or political reasons. Still aides say it’s understood that governors who say nice things about the federal response are more likely to be spared public criticism from the White House or threats of withheld assistance.”
U.S. Now Leads the World in Coronavirus Cases
“Scientists warned that the United States someday would become the country hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. That moment arrived on Thursday,” the New York Times reports.
“In the United States, at least 81,321 people are known to have been infected with the coronavirus, including more than 1,000 deaths — more cases than China, Italy or any other country has seen.”
‘Why Are You Wasting Everyone’s Time?’
Brianna Keilar absolutely shredded Peter Navarro in a CNN interview, telling him he’s “wasting everyone’s time” when he tries to blame former President Barack Obama for the administration not being prepared for the coronavirus crisis.
Said Keilar: “It’s 2020. The president was elected in 2016. Can you get to a million ventilators?”
When Navarro attempted to blame China for the coronavirus outbreak, she said “that’s ridiculous” and ended the interview.
Relief Bill Includes Bonanza for Real Estate Investors
New York Times: “The federal government’s planned $2 trillion economic rescue package includes financial aid for individuals and industries that are struggling to survive the coronavirus pandemic. It also includes a potential bonanza for America’s richest real estate investors.”
“Senate Republicans inserted an easy-to-overlook provision on page 203 of the 880-page bill that would permit wealthy investors to use losses generated by real estate to minimize their taxes on profits from things like investments in the stock market. The estimated cost of the change over 10 years is $170 billion.”
North Carolina Newspaper Calls on Burr to Resign
The Charlotte Observer calls on Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) to resign over his stock sales after receiving private briefings on the coronavrius pandemic.
“He is toxic to his party. He is embarrassing to North Carolina. Clearly, his problems are not going to go away. So why isn’t he?”
