Archives: Morning Breakouts

More not-so-flattering information is coming to light about the contractors that were awarded government contracts in the early days of the pandemic. In particular, an event planning company that was awarded money to help distribute food to needy families has drawn criticism. Now the firms want to shift the story. In other news on food aid: New York City tries to keep up with surging demand, protests create food deserts in Minneapolis and consumers worry about rising prices.

While the Trump administration has said employers can test their workers and screen for temperatures, there's little guidance on how often that should be done. Business leaders are worried the gaps set up a scenario where they could be on the hook in worker lawsuits. Meanwhile, governors call for more stability from the federal government in terms of testing supplies and plans while the FDA tries to rein in the testing marketplace.

Despite warnings that the outbreak is far from over, the White House task force has met only sporadically in recent weeks, adding to the sense that the White House is ready to move on from the crisis despite being in the midst of it. Meanwhile, the U.S. surpasses 1.8 million cases and 105,000 deaths.

“They let us down,” said Dr. Stephane Otmezguine, an anesthesiologist who treated coronavirus patients in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The New York Times takes a deep dive into the missteps, outdated technology, bureaucracy and politics that all played a role in the highly venerated agency's lackluster response efforts.