The Hill Articles: April 21, 2020

Pelosi: Trump ‘engaged in distractions’ amid ‘total failure’ on testing Inmate who fled amid coronavirus faces new charges after turning himself in Facebook to invest $5.7 billion in Indian telecom company Uber, Lyft drivers report delays in receiving unemployment benefits Harvard responds to Trump: Taxpayer funds will aid students affected by coronavirus New Jersey governor’s approval rating jumps amid coronavirus pandemic Poll: More than 70 percent of Americans support coronavirus stay-at-home orders Farmer says his 61,000 chickens were euthanized as demand for eggs during pandemic drops Breaking the China: Does it make sense? Surge of unemployment claims crashed New York’s system, Cuomo says DeVos blocks undocumented college students from receiving emergency aid amid pandemic NRA head says in newly revealed recording that legal troubles have cost group $100 million Democrats urge Treasury to assist Social Security recipients who miss key coronavirus payment deadline To reopen the economy for good, invest in a preventive health workforce Democratic senator wants watchdog to probe Paycheck Protection Program Why China will be the biggest COVID-19 loser Overnight Healthcare: Senate passes $484B coronavirus relief package | Georgia faces pressure to reconsider its reopening | CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus might be ‘more difficult’ Louisiana pastor plans to hold service after being accused of backing up bus toward protester Why communities must come first On The Money: Senate passes $484B coronavirus relief package | Confusion reigns as IRS starts issuing coronavirus payments | Why oil prices fell into negative territory — and why it might happen again USNS Comfort to return to Virginia after Trump, Cuomo agree it’s no longer needed in NY Treasury plans to use prepaid debit cards for coronavirus relief payments NIH recommends against combining hydroxychloroquine with Z-Pak to treat COVID-19 Trump says he wishes Kim well amid speculation about his health Valerie Jarrett: ‘No chance’ Michelle Obama will be Biden’s VP Trump says he will ask Harvard, big businesses to return coronavirus relief funds Even without our leaders, Americans can lead on coronavirus 17 things to know for today on coronavirus McConnell hits brakes on ‘phase four’ coronavirus relief America has dozens of live animal ‘wet’ markets — and Joaquin Phoenix is calling for them to be banned because of coronavirus Trump to suspend issuing green cards for 60 days Sea level rise is threatening these Southern communities OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Why oil prices fell into negative territory — and why it might happen again| Bipartisan senators announce $19.5B water infrastructure proposal| Earth Day goes online amid coronavirus pandemic Hillicon Valley: Senate report backs intel findings on Russia | GOP senator ramps up pressure on Apple, Google | Facebook grapples with coronavirus protests The Hill’s Campaign Report: Virus takes toll on campaign fundraising in March 2020 on track to be Earth’s warmest year on record, NOAA says USPS is hanging on by a thread 22 AGs demand USDA reject rule that would cut SNAP benefits NIH panel recommends against use of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin to treat coronavirus McConnell blocks Paul’s proposal on emergency remote voting Paul speaks out against coronavirus relief bill, calls for reopening economy Trudeau vows to push for stricter gun laws in wake of Nova Scotia shooting Courts again side with scientists after EPA blocked grantees from serving on its boards Study links pollution to COVID-19 deaths in Europe Prison phone companies are profiting from a pandemic, here’s how the FCC can help 38 percent of Arkansas COVID-19 cases concentrated in state prison Overnight Defense: The mystery of Kim Jong Un’s health | Senate passes $484B coronavirus bill | Study of veterans who used anti-malaria drug for coronavirus finds no benefits Voters give Trump high marks on economy, jobs amid economic crisis: poll GM shuts down car-sharing service Maven: report Republican files signatures to run in Michigan Senate race, setting up primary battle Senate passes $484B coronavirus relief package Bipartisan senators announce $19.5B water infrastructure proposal Why oil prices fell into negative territory — and why it might happen again Olympic and Paralympic Committee leadership take pay cuts, warn more to come California reports highest one-day rise in coronavirus cases Democrats’ Potemkin Village of Unity Director of agency behind vaccine development leaves role Netflix sets quarterly record gaining nearly 16 million subscribers amid coronavirus GOP senator: ‘Unacceptable’ that Congress is in recess amid coronavirus CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus might be ‘more difficult’ Mystery swirls around state of North Korean leader’s health The Intercept’s Grim: Warren as Biden VP could be ‘Dick Cheney situation’ Federal job protection plan needs mid-course correction Georgia faces pressure to reconsider its reopening Dow drops more than 1,200 points in two days amid oil market turmoil NYT’s Ben Smith: Media too focused on Trump in coronavirus coverage Colorado college students file two class-action lawsuits demanding fee refunds Chipotle paying $25M to settle charges over outbreaks of foodborne illness Pandemic takes toll on campaign fundraising in March Civil rights-era laws against masks clash with federal coronavirus recommendations What America’s Thinking: April 21, 2020 Texas judge says she was forced to remove rainbow pride flag from courtroom Millennials, it’s time to stop throwing rocks at the castle and start joining the fight Wisconsin legislature sues to block enforcement of governor’s stay-at-home order 8 out of 10 most-challenged books contain LGBTQ+ content DC surpasses 3K coronavirus cases Coronavirus Report: The Hill’s Steve Clemons interviews Mihael Polymeropoulos Coronavirus Report: The Hill’s Steve Clemons interviews NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană Colorado town sees less than 1 percent turnout in election during coronavirus House Democrat introduces bill to ensure students have internet access amid pandemic The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: NATO Deputy Secretary General Geoană says alliance must fight disinformation campaigns from bad actors; Senate to pass relief bill today Mar-a-Lago furloughs more than 150 workers due to coronavirus Fauci tells child on Will Smith’s new show not to worry about giving Tooth Fairy coronavirus Earth Day goes online amid coronavirus pandemic Meghan McCain lauds Trump ad roasting Pelosi over ice cream-themed interview: ‘A kill shot’ Kentucky state lawmaker faces domestic violence charges Watch live: White House coronavirus task force news briefing Does Washington need a K-Street Project for China? Fans sue Major League Baseball over ‘unusable tickets for unplayable games’ 8,000 small businesses notified that they may have had information exposed on SBA’s portal Trump’s vow to suspend immigration leaves key questions unanswered Trump hotel wants rent relief from Trump administration: report Texas attorney files complaint comparing judge’s pride flag to swastika, Confederate flag Members of Georgia coronavirus task force not told in advance of plans to reopen state: report Britain forgoes military salute, church bells for queen’s 94th birthday amid coronavirus McCarthy calls for plan to reopen Congress Prosecutor who resigned over Stone sentencing memo joins DC attorney general’s office Poison control sees surge in cases involving cleaning products since coronavirus pandemic Reopening America’s skies: How to fly safely in the COVID-19 era WHO official: ‘This is not the time to be lax’ Conspiracy theorists who claim 5G linked to coronavirus believed to burn cell towers in Europe Largest analysis of hydroxychloroquine use finds no benefit for coronavirus, increased deaths Missouri becomes first state to sue China over coronavirus response Intelligence chief Grenell hits back against Schiff criticism of agency reorganization Watch live: California Gov. Newsom gives coronavirus update Over 150 House Democrats call on party leaders to keep Medicaid protections in next relief package Two in three Americans now hold negative view of China: poll We need to rethink employer-provided health insurance Illinois governor: Trump encouraging coronavirus protests is ‘fomenting some violence’ Two-thirds in new poll support vote-by-mail in November election Workers go home after living in factory for month making gear for health care workers Hawley presses Apple, Google to make CEOs personally liable for contact-tracing data Trump immigration vow stirs serious blowback Minority caucuses endorse Texas Afro-Latina for Congress Germany breaks record for solar power production as pandemic clears skies of smog House Republicans push back against proxy voting Hoyer calls for expanding remote voting and committee work during pandemic Graham worried Georgia reopening ‘too fast too soon’ Poll: 43 percent of Americans have lost jobs or wages due to coronavirus outbreak A program can be established to offer refuge to asylum seekers being turned away from our border Immigration suspension won’t affect farmworkers: report NYC to create its own stockpile of medical supplies: ‘It’s sobering as all hell’ United, Delta to provide free flights for health care workers traveling to NJ to battle COVID-19 McDonald’s to offer free ‘Thank You’ meals to first responders Tyson Foods pork processing plant in Iowa partially reopening after coronavirus outbreak White House, Congress reach deal to replenish small-business loan program Biden gets it wrong on Iran policy Discarded PPE poses environmental threat, experts say United Auto Workers union endorses Biden EPA finalizes Trump administration rollbacks on stream and wetland protections Key Democrat presses Mnuchin about Trump’s name on coronavirus checks Massachusetts extends school closures through end of school year Trump speaks with Boris Johnson as UK leader recovers from coronavirus Healthy food: The unexpected medicine for COVID-19 and national security De Blasio planning ticker tape parade for health professionals when pandemic is over Hogan: Trump immigration move ‘a distraction from what’s really going on’ Most Americans don’t think gatherings will be safe until at least June: poll Eight ICE staffers at Miami detention center infected with COVID-19 Holocaust memorial event ‘Zoom bombed’ with Hitler images GOP senator proposes amendment to Paycheck Protection Program The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Washington nears coronavirus relief deal Take time to remember the handshake that changed the world Green group eyes suit, argues EPA suspension of pollution monitoring may harm endangered species Navy delays plans to move sailors back onto USS Theodore Roosevelt after coronavirus outbreak Cuomo to talk coronavirus testing with Trump at White House meeting Amazon to donate $10 million to Appalachian forest conservation Nurses protest at White House over lack of protective gear Bipartisan Senate report reaffirms intelligence findings that Russia meddled in 2016 elections Hannity rips NYT columnist for linking him to COVID-19 death Lobbying world GOP lawmaker introduces bill to put national security warnings on TikTok, FaceApp Majority of voters favor voting by mail in November due to coronavirus: poll Navy says two ships deployed to South China Sea amid tensions Texas lt. governor on reopening state: ‘There are more important things than living’ NIH director says he was not pressured to fire Fauci after Trump retweet Federal housing finance chief caps payments owed to mortgage bondholders Donald Trump cannot be criminally charged for his pandemic response Cuomo: Hogan ‘thought outside the box’ when buying test kits from South Korea Barr: Some governors’ action ‘infringes on a fundamental right’ during coronavirus National Guard troops could help with coronavirus testing at food plants, Iowa governor says Iran views the pandemic as prime time for antics at sea — at its peril Home sales down 8.5 percent in March, before worst effects of pandemic Speaker Pelosi, end government-by-secret-caucus Stacey Abrams: ‘Nothing’ about Georgia governor’s decision to reopen ‘makes sense’ Fox News to air online learning town hall with former Obama, Reagan Education secretaries FDA authorizes first coronavirus test collected at home Researchers: Fastest coronavirus test in common use may be the least accurate Earth Day celebrations will be quieted by COVID-19 China must pay for the calamity it has unleashed on the world Rising: April 21, 2020 ABC’s Stephanopoulos donating blood plasma in COVID-19 study Death toll in Nova Scotia shooting rises to 19 Antibody study suggests more people in LA County infected with coronavirus than estimated National Spelling Bee canceled for first time since WWII Watch live: NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo gives coronavirus update Safeguarding Seniors: Healthcare in a Health Crisis The partisan divide on crisis aid GOP chairman: Large chains should not have received small business coronavirus aid Russia, China, Iran using similar themes in disinformation campaigns: report New WH press secretary criticized for demanding media refer to Trump as ‘President Trump’ Ohio family thanks hospital workers with 5,000 sandwiches How COVID-19 must transform US global health strategy Coronavirus stories from the frontline: One week in America’s battle UN presses for scale-up of coronavirus medicines, vaccines worldwide Trump floats funding for oil after historic market loss ESPN Michael Jordan documentary draws record-setting 6.1 million viewers Stocks extend drop-off as oil markets remain negative British Parliament set for virtual debates amid coronavirus lockdown Milwaukee health officials link 7 coronavirus cases to in-person voting How human-centered tech can beat COVID-19 through contact tracing CNN’s Chris Cuomo gets all clear, announces he’s no longer quarantined Turkey passes China in number of coronavirus cases Amnesty International: Saudi Arabia had record number of executions last year Atlanta mayor ‘perplexed’ by Georgia governor’s decision to partially reopen state Schumer predicts Senate passage of relief bill Tuesday Link between factory-farmed animals, COVID-19 and preventing the next pandemic Just a fraction of Florida unemployment claims paid: report How to sustain a produce industry lifeline Tom Brady spotted working out in closed park, Florida mayor says Majorities in both parties say return to normal life risky: poll 75 publicly traded firms received coronavirus relief loans meant for small businesses: report People over politics on PPP funding Biden says he would pick Michelle Obama as running mate ‘in a heartbeat’ WHO: No indication coronavirus was constructed in lab Throw the GOP’s Benghazi playbook at Trump’s catastrophic coronavirus response Coronavirus causes cancellation of Oktoberfest in Germany: ‘It hurts, it is a huge shame’ Press: For Trump, it’s just one more political campaign Feehery: Wake-up calls Trump tunes in to ‘Morning Joe,’ says he sees ‘hatred and contempt’ Will crashing oil prices put American energy in its coffin? The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Lawmakers haggle over $450 billion-plus small business loan package House expected to vote on changing rules to allow remote voting Facebook faces new challenge with coronavirus protesters Confusion reigns as IRS starts issuing coronavirus payments Latino groups endorse Biden early in show of unity The Memo: Low trust in Trump mars crisis response Biden, Trump ponder campaign options in coronavirus era Nearly half lived with unhealthy pollution levels in 2016-2018: analysis