The $350 billion small business Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — launched just over a week ago — will run dry in a matter of days, giving Democrats leverage to push more support for hospitals, local government and businesses in underserved communities.
Driving the news: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Friday about their demands for the interim bill, sources familiar with their conversations tell Axios.
The great debate over when and how to reopen the American economy is playing out on the Sunday morning news shows, in opinion pages of the nation's newspapers — and among an increasingly influential cohort of armchair critics taking issue with faulty projections on which the administration has been relying.
What we're watching: Dr. Anthony Fauci sounded a warning on CNN's "State of the Union," for people who are eager to quickly reopen the country. "There is always the possibility ... as we get into next fall, and the beginning of early winter, that we could see a rebound [of the virus]," Fauci said.
President Trump's tone on the coronavirus pandemic has dramatically shifted in the last month as the illness has swept across the U.S., which has now reported more confirmed cases than any country in the world.
Why it matters: Reporting from Axios, the New York Times, Washington Post, AP and other media outlets has revealed that Trump and his administration were repeatedly warned about the threat that the virus could pose to American lives and the economy. Earlier action could have curbed the spread.
A Smithfield pork processing plant in South Dakota is closing after 240 of its employees fell ill with COVID-19, per CNN.
Why it matters: The plant accounts for 4–5% of all pork production in the U.S. and employs approximately 3,700 workers. The 240 Smithfield cases account for more than half of South Dakota's confirmed cases, which total 430.
Christopher Murray, the director of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday that the U.S. would "very clearly have a rebound" in coronavirus cases if social distancing guidelines are eased on May 1.
Why it matters: Murray's influential IHME model, which famously projected 100,000–240,000 U.S. deaths before recently revising downward to 60,000, is one of the forecasts used by the White House. Some of President Trump's aides have been pushing to re-open the country on May 1.
Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday that the World Health Organization should commit to an "after-action report" on what China "did and didn't tell the world" about the coronavirus outbreak.
Why it matters: Gottlieb, who has become a leading voice in the coronavirus response outside the Trump administration, said China may have been able to contain the virus entirely if officials were truthful about the extent of the initial outbreak in Wuhan.
Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, warned on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday that antibody tests for the coronavirus that haven't undergone the FDA's scientific review "may not be as accurate as we'd like them to be."
Why it matters: Developing the antibody tests, which are used to determine whether a person previously had the coronavirus and is therefore immune, will be crucial to understanding the scale of the outbreak. Some U.S. officials consider the development of an effective test to be a key step in being able to reopen the economy.
World Health Organization special envoy David Nabarro warned on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday that the coronavirus is not expected to come in seasonal waves like influenza, and that there will continue to be outbreaks that emerge "sporadically" until there's a vaccine.
What he's saying: "We think it's going to be a virus that stalks the human race for quite a long time to come, until we can all have a vaccine that will protect us. And that there will be small outbreaks that will emerge sporadically and they will break through our defenses."
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" that the reason the coronavirus has a disproportionate impact on minority populations is because of the underlying medical conditions that have historically "plagued" communities of color.
Why it matters: African Americans are dying from the virus at higher rates than any other racial demographic. Black Chicagoans comprise 72% of the city's deaths from the coronavirus, despite only making up 30% of its population, according to Lightfoot.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that churches that are holding Easter services in his state are following social distancing guidelines "very carefully."
Why it matters: Arkansas has banned indoor gatherings of more than 10 people, but offers exemptions for religious services. The state government, which has come under fire for not issuing a stay-at-home order, recommends that people attending services follow social distancing guidelines.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that "no one is going to deny" that more lives could have been saved during the coronavirus crisis if the Trump administration had implemented social distancing guidelines prior to March.
Why it matters: The New York Times reported Saturday that the administration’s top public health experts, including Fauci, concluded on Feb. 21 that the U.S. would need to move toward aggressive social distancing even if it would disrupt the economy and millions of American lives.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was discharged from St. Thomas' Hospital in London on Sunday to finish recovering from the coronavirus at a country home, according to CNN.
The big picture: Johnson was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March and admitted to the hospital last Sunday before being moved to the ICU a day later.
Chinese authorities are now offering a 9% rebate on the export of animal products, such as edible snakes and turtles, primate meat, beaver and civet musk, and rhino horns, despite banning their domestic trade, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Why it matters: Encouraging wild animal sales abroad "could spread the risk to global markets," according to a Congressional Research Service report cited by the WSJ.
Medical supply companies around the United States have asked the Trump administration for relief from the tariffs on China, which they say are increasing the cost of products needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Why it matters: Parts of the country are experiencing shortages of hand sanitizer chemicals, equipment, parts for devices and other items needed in the fight against the coronavirus, and businesses say the tariffs are exacerbating the shortages.
A Georgia man is facing a wire fraud charge for allegedly trying to sell "millions of nonexistent respirator masks to the Department of Veterans Affairs in exchange for large upfront payments," per a Department of Justice statement.
Details: Christopher Parris, 39, from Atlanta, was arrested Friday on suspicion of attempting to "secure orders from the Department of Veterans Affairs for 125 million face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) that would have totaled over $750 million," the DOJ said.
President Trump told Fox News' "Justice with Judge Jeanine" Saturday night "a lot of facts and a lot of instinct" will help him decide when to recommend reopening the United States following the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The big picture: The president said last month he would "love" to have the country "opened up, and just raring to go" by Easter, but he has since extended "15 Days to Slow the Spread" guidelines until April 30 amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Tom Hanks was the surprise host as "Saturday Night Live" returned with a new remotely produced, prerecorded episode after NBC suspended production of the comedy last month in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The big picture: Hanks said he was hosting "Saturday Night Live at Home" as he's been "the celebrity canary in the coal mine" for the coronavirus following his diagnosis for the virus from which he's since recovered. Alec Baldwin, Larry David and Chris Martin also made guest appearances. The show concluded with a tribute to "SNL" music producer Hal Willner, who died after presenting with COVID-19 symptoms.
Department of Justice spokesperson Kerri Kupec signaled in a tweet Saturday upcoming DOJ action against local authorities that have cracked down on religious services as part of restrictions to combat the novel coronavirus.
Why it matters: While many religious leaders have moved to online services, some churches and conservatives are pushing back against local government orders preventing them from holding in-person gatherings during the pandemic.
Some 43,000 unionized Disney World workers in Florida will be furloughed from April 19 because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Service Trades Council Union said in a Facebook Live briefing Saturday. About 200 employees will continue with work deemed essential.
The big picture: Disneyland and Disney World shut last month over the outbreak. The Orlando park employs some 75,000 people — making it the largest single-site employer in the U.S. Per a memo of the union deal, workers can keep benefits for up to a year and will immediately be eligible to apply for unemployment. "Disney will pay 100% of all insurance costs," the union said in a statement. "There will be no cost to any employee who's on furlough for use of their medical insurance and the continued coverage of it."
