Archives: Morning Breakouts

Health officials have been warning for more than a decade about the dangers of epidemics in jails and prisons, which are ideal environments for viral outbreaks. Seventeen infected inmates have died at federal prisons across the U.S. since late March.

The CDC played a major role in eradicating smallpox, as well as the near-elimination of polio. Globally, it won acclaim for helping fight AIDS, Ebola and Zika. Now, under President Donald Trump, experts say its a non-entity in the battle against the coronavirus. In other news from the Trump administration: Vice President Mike Pence put to the test; HHS Secretary Alex Azar snubbed by White House; health experts getting pushed to side in briefings; and more.

Although the World Health Organization faces criticism for how long it took to declare the outbreak a pandemic, the international organization took early and forceful action to try to mitigate the spread of the virus. President Donald Trump still wants to cut off funding, though -- a decision that drew swift push back. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the importance of unity in the face of the crisis on news of Trump's intentions. Meanwhile, a State Department memo advised Trump against cutting funds, saying the move would cede ground to China.

President Donald Trump plans on Thursday to announce new guidelines that would allow regions that haven't been hit as hard to relax some social distancing policies. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, said that while data across the country shows the nation “improving,” Americans must recommit to social distancing to keep up the positive momentum.