Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Becomes Biggest Cheerleader For Governors Bucking White House's Reopening Guidelines
The Washington Post: Trump Cheers On Governors As They Ignore Coronavirus Guidlines From White House In Race To Reopen
States across the country are moving swiftly to reopen their economies despite failing to achieve benchmarks laid out by the White House for when social distancing restrictions could be eased to ensure the public’s safety during the coronavirus pandemic. These governors’ biggest cheerleader is President Trump. (Olorunnipa, Witte and Bernstein, 5/4)
Politico: ‘Viewers Will Get Tired Of Another Season’: Trump And Governors Shrug Off White House Guidance
President Donald Trump and many governors are heralding a reopening of the American economy — even though a majority of states ending their coronavirus shutdowns this week have not met the White House’s most basic thresholds for testing, tracing and a prolonged drop in new cases. The White House has tried to distance itself from governors’ actions by insisting its reopening guidelines are merely suggestions, not the rule of law. But Trump is latching himself on to the message that America is ready to reopen, traveling on Tuesday to Arizona — one of the states not yet meeting all of the administration’s criteria — to visit a Honeywell plant and promote the reopening of huge swaths of the nation. (Cook, Goldberg and Cancryn, 5/4)
Politico: Trump Pushes To Reopen Country, But His Own Workforce Isn’t Rushing Back
President Donald Trump wants America to go back to work, but his administration is struggling to bring back many of its own employees. With Covid-19 infections still rising in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and other major cities with big government operations, it could be months before federal workers are back in the office at normal, pre-coronavirus levels. (Lippman and McCaskill, 5/4)
The Associated Press: As Trump Resumes Travel, Staff Takes Risks To Prepare Trip
For much of the last two months, President Donald Trump has rarely left the grounds of the White House as he’s dealt with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and sought to minimize his own exposure to the disease. But that changes Tuesday, when Trump is scheduled to travel to Arizona to visit a Honeywell facility that makes N95 masks in what the president suggests will mark the return to more regular travel. (Madhani and Superville, 5/5)
NPR: President Trump Will Visit N95 Mask Facility In Phoenix
Arizona remains under a modified stay-at-home order until May 15, though Republican Gov. Doug Ducey allowed some retail establishments to begin to open voluntarily Monday. The state hasn't yet notched the two consecutive weeks of reduced COVID-19 cases called for as a first step in the White House guidelines for reopening. In fact, the number of confirmed cases in the state is on the rise. And Trump's trip itself will be anything but normal. Those traveling with the president or coming in close proximity to him in Arizona are being tested for the coronavirus. Social distancing measures are expected. (Keith and Gonyea, 5/5)
ABC News: In 1st Major Trip In Months, President Trump To Travel To Battleground State Arizona To Observe Mask Production
The day-trip mirrors recent travel by Vice President Mike Pence, who has tested the waters of what types of official excursions are possible in a time of social distancing and as the Trump administration had for a month and a half encouraged Americans to avoid unnecessary travel. Pence found himself in hot water last week for not wearing a mask during a stop at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, despite the clinic's policy requiring visitors to don face coverings. Later in the week, he donned one for a trip to a Wisconsin factory producing ventilators, and on Sunday, he said he had made a mistake in Minnesota. (Gittleson and Phelps, 5/5)
The Hill: Trump's New Vaccine Timeline Met With Deep Skepticism
Public health experts are pushing back on President Trump's claim that a COVID-19 vaccine will be available by the end of the year. The Trump administration is racing to get a vaccine to the market quickly with "Operation Warp Speed" and has started to whittle down candidates. The project’s goal is to have 300 million vaccine doses available by January, an accelerated version of the administration’s previous projections of needing 12-18 months to get a vaccine ready for the public. (Weixel, 5/4)
ABC News: Is It Possible To Have A Safe Coronavirus Vaccine By New Year’s Eve?
With top White House officials indicating a coronavirus vaccine may be available by January 2021, scientists and vaccine experts outside the Trump administration are cautious but optimistic that a vaccine could be delivered on such an accelerated timeline. Experts interviewed by ABC warned that developing a vaccine within a 12-month time frame could mean throwing normal scientific standards out the window, but added that a vaccine could be available by the new year if everything goes perfectly. (Salzman, 5/5)
The Washington Post Fact Checker: Fact-Checking Trump’s Knocks At Obama In His Fox Town Hall
President Trump’s virtual town hall on Fox News sounded like an oral reading of our Trump database of false or misleading claims (or our upcoming book, “Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth,” being published June 2 by Scribner). There were so many old chestnuts, from his false claims about NATO spending to his tale that the United States has spent $8 trillion on Middle East wars to his a historical bragging that he had built the greatest economy in the history of the world. (Kessler, 5/5)
Kaiser Health News and Politifact HealthCheck: Viral Post Alleging Obama-Era Device Tax Caused Current PPE Shortage Is Way Off
A social media post, which in April was shared widely on Facebook and made appearances on a conservative online discussion forum, asserts that former President Barack Obama signed legislation that caused companies to manufacture medical devices overseas, including items essential for the current coronavirus pandemic. Alongside a photo of Obama, the text of the Facebook post says: “Let me be clear. I signed the medical appliance tax bill that forced companies to outsource manufacturing of masks, gowns, gloves and ventilaors [sic] to China, Europe and Russia to avoid the tax.” (Knight, 5/5)
