Fwd: Would you trust Donald Trump with your health?
Coronavirus data that has been reported publicly likely fails to account for a significant number of cases, hospitalizations, and even deaths. At this late date, that fact, along with the persistent lack of adequate testing nationwide, has contributed to an attitude among some—including a few state governors—that the virus is someone else’s problem. All of that could change this week. If you don’t already know someone infected, the pandemic could very well become more personal soon. Let’s all continue to practice scrupulous social distancing, and wear a face covering if you must go out. It’s not hyperbole to say it could save a life. —Mindy Finn
1. Paging Dr Trump
Parting ways with medical experts has become a habit for President Trump, and this weekend was no different. While warning of "a lot of death" this week, he also teased the possibility of relaxing social distancing rules for Easter services this Sunday. While discussing the new CDC guidelines for face coverings, he insisted he won't wear one. And he continued to tout hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Though some anecdotal reports indicate the drug may have some benefit for certain patients, Trump's "what have you got to lose?" rhetoric worries experts that the drug could cause more harm than good if not used appropriately.
— Drug war. The issue of whether the anti-malaria drug is a safe and effective treatment caused a heated disagreement in the Situation Room this weekend, as Trump's top trade adviser Peter Navarro lashed out at infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has urged caution about the drug. —CNN
— Trump vs Biden. Never one to let a life-and-death crisis get in the way of puerile commentary, the president taunted former Vice President Joe Biden today for suggesting the Democratic National Convention may have to go virtual this summer. Biden responded that it all depends on whether Trump "steps up." —NBC News
— An upturn for New York? A very cautiously optimistic Gov. Andrew Cuomo reported today that for the second day in a row, the number of deaths from COVID-19 in New York had dropped from their peak of 630 and remained fairly consistent. He said the crisis in the state remains "dire" nevertheless.
— A downturn for Johnson. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was hospitalized last night (and moved to intensive care today) after 10 days of battling the coronavirus, as Queen Elizabeth II rallied fellow Britons via a televised address to reassure them that when the pandemic ebbs, "we will meet again." —The New York Times
More: Allen & Kayyem: How to beat the coronavirus and return to a new normal (USA Today)
2. Vinograd: China stands to profit from COVID-19
"In a perverse—and avoidable—twist of fate, the country that was arguably responsible for the virus' spread, because of its attempts to cover up the initial outbreak, is now the one best positioned to profit from its fatal impact. The U.S. intelligence community has warned that China is intent on expanding its global economic reach. Now, as the epicenter of the pandemic has shifted to the U.S., with more than 300,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of April 4, Trump's lack of preparation has given China an opening to expand that reach quickly." —CNN
More: China thought it had beaten coronavirus, but new and asymptomatic cases are cropping up (Forbes)
3. Vote-by-mail deadlock could derail new bill
Congress is hashing out a fourth coronavirus emergency package, but a major obstacle has emerged: the November election. The $2 trillion coronavirus package passed last week allocates $400 million to election security grants, which can be used to expand vote-by-mail options and early voting, as well as to clean polling facilities and conduct public education campaigns. Democrats say it's not enough.
— With no signs of any reprieve from the coronavirus, some lawmakers are warning of a need to prepare for the November election now, particularly because the third rescue package did not include any language requiring states to have an election-related pandemic plan.
— They're pushing to expand funding in the next rescue package to help states with this preparation. They argue that elections carried out as usual could spread the virus this fall.
— New vote-by-mail funding is facing stern resistance from Senate Republicans and the Trump Administration, who argue against imposing federal guidelines on states and suggest that vote-by-mail could help enable voter fraud. —Politico
More: Trump's choice for coronavirus inspector general wins praise from some oversight experts as Democrats slam pick (The Washington Post)
4. Wisconsin gov shuts down election
In a historic move sure to meet with outrage from state Republicans, Wisconsin's Democratic Gov. Tony Evers shut down tomorrow's presidential primary and general election to avoid causing additional spread of the coronavirus amid a statewide stay-at-home order. The executive order bars in-person voting and moves the state's spring election to June 9. It also calls lawmakers back into session this week to decide whether the election should be held at a different date. —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
— An effort by Evers late last week to postpone the election was defeated by the Republican legislature on Saturday. Stressing the importance of the right to vote, Republicans said they believed poll workers would be able to take enough steps to keep voters safe.
— On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge William Conley had ruled that absentee ballots received by clerks by April 13 should be counted, due to the delay in sending them out. He also extended online voter registration and allowed an extra day to request absentee ballots.
— State Republicans want the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in. They filed an emergency petition arguing that "requiring a state to permit unlimited absentee voting for almost a week after election day presents significant dangers to election integrity, voter confidence, and the orderly administration of an election..." —USA Today
More: Berman: Wisconsin's warning for the November election (The Atlantic)
5. Bump: Watchdog firing fits the pattern
"Late Friday, the administration announced that it was firing inspector general Michael Atkinson. Atkinson played a key role in the impeachment inquiry, following guidelines after an anonymous whistleblower drew attention to Trump's interactions with Ukraine. Asked about the firing on Saturday, Trump claimed that Atkinson 'did a terrible job. Absolutely terrible.'
Atkinson was only the most recent voice in the Ukraine question to lose his position. Trump ousted Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (and his brother) from the National Security Council after Vindman testified in the inquiry. He ousted his ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, who had similarly testified about what he'd observed. Others saw expected promotions revoked." —The Washington Post
More: Atkinson: Trump fired me because I handled whistleblower complaint properly (Politico)
6. Pentagon defends removal of Naval captain
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper defended the decision to remove Navy ship Capt. Brett Crozier as commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Crozier's removal comes after he circulated a memo to other Naval leaders criticizing the slow response to the spread of the coronavirus and calling for the evacuation of the 5,000 sailors aboard the Roosevelt.
— Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly said he made the decision to remove Crozier after losing "faith" and "confidence" in him—and before President Trump could intervene. The Navy ultimately followed through on portions of Crozier's recommendation and will offload 2,700 sailors from the ship.
— "This could ultimately come to my desk. I think Sec. Modly laid out very reasonably, very deliberately the reasons why. And I think, when all those facts come to bear, we will have a chance to understand why Sec. Modly did what he did," said Esper.
— Trump voiced his approval for Crozier's removal, saying he agrees with it "100 percent." Despite defending the Navy's decision, Esper still has not explicitly agreed with the reasoning behind Crozier's removal. —Associated Press
More: Acting Navy secretary blasts ousted aircraft carrier captain as 'stupid' in address to ship's crew (CNN)
7. Ignatius: The ignominious ouster of Capt Crozier
"The sudden firing of Capt. Brett Crozier, the commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, has created another unsettling moment for a country traumatized by the worsening pandemic—and for a Navy already rocked by President Trump's remarkable intervention last year in disciplinary cases involving the elite Navy SEALs. Crozier's crew cheered him as a hero as he walked alone down the gangway, leaving what will almost surely be his last command." —The Washington Post
More: Navy captain removed from carrier tests positive for COVID-19 (The New York Times)
8. SCOTUS green-lights 'democracy vouchers'
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging Seattle's "Democracy Vouchers," a program that uses property taxes to give city residents a $100 coupon for donating to local political candidates. The program began as a 2015 city ballot measure to give citizens a way to make small-dollar election donations while providing municipal oversight to ensure they aren't used for corruption.
— The plaintiffs in the case argued that Democracy Vouchers force property owners to fund political campaigns they might disagree with, thus violating their First Amendment rights and unconstitutionally compelling their speech.
— By declining to hear the case, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a Washington State Supreme Court dismissal that "the power to tax is a fundamental, necessary sovereign power of government" that shouldn't be subject to legal challenges by individuals who disagree with what programs their taxes fund. —Newsweek
9. Boot: We could have done better
"Trump's failure to focus, The Washington Post notes, 'sowed significant public confusion and contradicted the urgent messages of public health experts.' It also allowed bureaucratic snafus to go unaddressed—including critical failures to roll out enough tests or to stockpile enough protective equipment and ventilators. Countries as diverse as Taiwan, Singapore, Canada, South Korea, Georgia, and Germany have done far better—and will suffer far less. South Korea and the United States discovered their first cases on the same day. South Korea now has 183 dead—or 4 deaths per 1 million people. The U.S. death ratio (25 per 1 million) is six times worse—and rising quickly." —The Washington Post
More: US 'wasted' months before preparing for virus pandemic (Associated Press)
10. An American Story: VA boy answers nation's call
Americans of all ages are answering the nation's call to help during the coronavirus outbreak. Zohaib Begg, a 7-year-old from Ashburn, Va., has made it his mission to collect thousands of protective supplies for local hospitals.
— The effort to help hospitals is personal for Zohaib. He spent years of his young life in and out of hospitals. To collect supplies, Zohaib contacted local hotels and collected their surplus face masks, caps, and gloves.
— "My first mission was to sew masks, but I don't know how to sew. So, my second mission was to collect shower caps from hotels. My third mission was to beat the National Cathedral, who collected 5,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). I collected 6,009 PPEs," Zohaib said proudly.
— Zohaib's efforts garnered the attention of former President Barack Obama. Obama tweeted a link to Zohaib's story, calling his efforts "inspiring." When asked about the community's response to his efforts, Zohaib humbly replied that he does not know, as he is in quarantine. Great job, Zohaib! —WJLA
Ed. Note: We are spotlighting ways that Americans are helping each other through the coronavirus crisis. Would you like to suggest an "American Story" from your local news? If so, please forward a link to the story to editor@topline.com. Thank you!
Why in the world do the major news outlets cover the daily Trump Reality Show as though it is news of the COVID-19 virus? This reality show is nothing but a long, rambling rally for President Trump, with many misstatements, undeliverable promises, and outright intentional/inaccurate statements. The show does mix all of this with experts who at times have to equivocate in order to keep a straight face. —Marvin S., M.D., Kansas
Yesterday I was thrilled to hear that Taiwan was sending medical supplies to the U.S. Then, this morning, I heard that these supplies were not going to be distributed to the areas in greatest need, but that governors would have to bid against each other—and FEMA—to get even a small portion of what they need. You know, every day I try to find something positive I can say about the president, but I can't. He could have made sure that the governors of the states hardest hit right now received what they needed. He is fighting against his own states instead of helping them. —Kathleen A., Hawaii
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