America Is Buying Time With Containment Strategy, CDC Director Says As 14th Coronavirus Case In U.S. Is Confirmed
February 13, 2020
Morning Briefing
CDC Director Robert Redfield says it’s likely the U.S. is going to see human-to-human transmission and thus more cases of the coronavirus. “We’re not going to be able to seal this virus from coming into this country,” Redfield said. Meanwhile, the CDC says that some coronavirus testing kits that have been sent to states are flawed. And a 14th person tests positive for coronavirus.
From California To Virginia, More States Confirm Coronavirus Cases As U.S. Total Surpasses 700
March 9, 2020
Morning Briefing
As of Tuesday morning, at least 729 people in 36 states and Washington, D.C. have tested positive for coronavirus.
Governors Become Generals Of Coronavirus Crisis As Federal Government Dawdled
March 18, 2020
Morning Briefing
While President Donald Trump downplayed the seriousness of the outbreak, governors were thrust into the spotlight as they tried to manage the crisis in their states. “Our leaders in the federal government at every level ought to be thinking of this moment as December 8, 1941,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, whose state was one of the first hit by the pandemic. He said states should be calling for “the same federal response we had the morning after Pearl Harbor.” Meanwhile, about half of Americans support stringent measures to curb the outbreak, and New York City leaders warn that a “shelter in place” order may be coming eventually. Media outlets look at how other states are dealing with the crisis, as well.
Hard Science Thrust Back Into Political Conversations As Coronavirus Likely To Dominate 2020 Race
April 27, 2020
Morning Briefing
Scientific experts, like experts in general, have fared poorly in the populist atmosphere of the past decade in Europe and the United States. But the pandemic could shift the conversation when it comes to hard facts. In other news on the election, Joe Biden says he wants a much bigger stimulus, many Republicans at the county level favor mail-in-voting, and Republicans worry about President Donald Trump’s approval ratings.
McConnell Suggests Next Coronavirus Relief Package ‘Not Too Far Off’ As Senate Adjourns For Week
May 22, 2020
Morning Briefing
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) faces increasing pressure from both inside and outside his party to pass another round of relief legislation. But so far he’s been taking a wait-and-see approach, essentially ignoring the $3 trillion bill passed by the House. Meanwhile, the Senate was unable to finalize a deal to extend the amount of time companies have to spend loans obtained through the Paycheck Protection Program.
School Closures Are Part Of A Well-Established Playbook On Containing Epidemics. But Are They Worth It In This One?
March 6, 2020
Morning Briefing
Thirteen countries, with a total of nearly 291 million students, have closed schools nationwide because of the coronavirus, most notably in China. But it’s unclear what role children play in the spread of the coronavirus, and some question if the closures are necessary.
Friends And Family Of Coronavirus Patients Have To Say Their Goodbyes Through Nurses, If They Get To At All
March 30, 2020
Morning Briefing
Visitors are banned from coronavirus wards in many hospitals, creating a situation where the patients are dying alone and friends and family don’t get to say proper goodbyes.
40% Of LGBTQ Youth Report Having Suicidal Thoughts
July 27, 2020
Morning Briefing
Poll by the Trevor Project, a nonprofit group, also found 46% of these young people wanted mental health counseling but were unable to get it. In other news about mental health issues, a look at why crying is good for you and how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting people.
A Look Inside Army’s Efforts To Create Coronavirus Strains To Support Vaccine Research
March 23, 2020
Morning Briefing
The work being done at Maryland’s Fort Detrick provides a glimpse at the administration’s vaccine-related research efforts. “This is the frontline of the battle against the coronavirus,” said Army Chief of Staff James McConville of the Fort Detrick scientists. “And I would suggest that some of the people here are going to be the heroes that are going to help us defeat it.”
Over 5 Million Coronavirus Cases Across The World Reported And New Single-Day Record Set
May 21, 2020
Morning Briefing
Developments in the global pandemic are reported out of China, Brazil, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, Colombia, Russia and other nations.
Facebook, Twitter Pull Trump Video For Spreading Bad COVID Information
August 6, 2020
Morning Briefing
President Donald Trump’s post linked to a Fox News interview in which he claims kids are “virtually immune” to the coronavirus. Facebook said that the “video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from COVID-19 which is a violation of our policies around harmful COVID misinformation.”
Masks Becoming A Visual Short-Hand In Coronavirus Culture Wars A La Trump’s Red Hats
May 7, 2020
Morning Briefing
Masks are becoming just the latest way for Americans to signal what side of the political divide they sit. The tensions between those who want to keep restrictions in place and those who want to reopen are flaring into outright violence, and experts say it is only going to get worse as time goes on. In other news on masks: TSA’s stockpile, a farmer honored for his inspirational donation, California’s mask deal that fell apart and more.
Trump Reverses Course On Disbanding Coronavirus Response Task Force After Learning ‘How Popular’ It Is
May 7, 2020
Morning Briefing
“When I started talking about winding it down, I’d get calls from very respected people saying, ‘I think it would be better to keep it going,’” President Donald Trump said after a day filled of whiplash decisions on what to do with the task force. Trump said it might change its focus and personnel, but that the panel would continue to operate indefinitely.
US Intel Report: Local Chinese Officials Kept National Leaders In Dark About Outbreak Severity
August 20, 2020
Morning Briefing
A new internal report by U.S. intelligence agencies says local officials in Hubei province and Wuhan withheld information from China’s central leadership in the early weeks of the coronavirus epidemic. The assessment could impact ongoing allegations by the Trump administration that China tried to cover up the outbreak from the world.
Trump Administration Confirms It Will Pay Hospitals To Help Cover Costs Of Uninsured Coronavirus Patients
April 23, 2020
Morning Briefing
HHS Secretary Alex Azar Azar declined to specify how much money would be allotted to help hospitals providing uncompensated care for COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, CMS warns that COVID-19 treatment could cause Medicare reserves to run out and Medicaid waivers are approved to help deal with costs.
Relief Bill Out Of Reach; Both Sides Point Fingers, Senate Leaves Town
August 14, 2020
Morning Briefing
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi predicted the next meeting with White House negotiators will be “when they come in with $2 trillion” in coronavirus stimulus. President Donald Trump said Democrats “don’t even want to talk about it because we can’t give them the kind of ridiculous things that they want.”
Utilizing CRISPR, Scientists Develop Prototype For Coronavirus Test That Could Be As Quick, Easy As A Pregnancy One
May 6, 2020
Morning Briefing
Wide-spread testing has long been the Achilles’ heel of the U.S. response efforts. Shortages, false negatives, and inaccurate kits have plagued efforts to provide quick and easy results to Americans. But scientists hope a new test can be the answer to that problem. In other testing news: antibody tests, false negatives and states’ ongoing efforts to ramp up screenings.
Unemployment Claims Fall Below 2M, But Experts Say It’s ‘Still An Astonishing Rate Of Layoffs’
June 4, 2020
Morning Briefing
The weekly numbers on Thursday are still more than double the pre-coronavirus record of 695,000 set in October 1982, but it is at its lowest since the pandemic began wreaking widespread economic damage.
Pence To Travel To Utah Today; Many Ask Why He’s Not Isolating
October 5, 2020
Morning Briefing
Not only did Vice President Mike Pence attend the Sept. 26 White House ceremony where multiple members of the president’s inner circle appear to have been infected with the coronavirus, but he also sat directly in front of Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and within a few feet of Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). Both have tested positive for COVID-19.
