Axios

Now that the interim coronavirus funding bill is approaching the finish line, a heated debate over a much bigger phase 4 rescue package has picked back up, according to conversations with multiple House and Senate aides.

The big picture: At the forefront of the discussion is filling what Democrats see as the gaps in the interim bill — the biggest being more money for the states. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) proposed a $500 billion fund Sunday night for state and local governments to be included in the next stimulus bill.

Lawmakers on both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue could reach a deal by the end of Sunday night on a new coronavirus spending package that will deliver billions more of emergency funding for small businesses, hospitals and testing.

Driving the news: The bill is expected to include at least $300 billion more for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that dried up this week, up from Republicans' original ask of $250 billion.

Even if you believe every optimistic scenario about how the coming months could unfold, America is still looking at a hole in our finances and society that could take generations to dig out of.

Why it matters: President Trump and his top officials keep telling viewers that the economy will come roaring back within months of getting the virus under control. But the long-term price of the pandemic is just barely beginning to emerge.

Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on Sunday proposed a $500 billion fund for state and local governments to be included in Congress' next coronavirus rescue package.

Why it matters: The $2 trillion stimulus bill passed by Congress last month provided direct payments to Americans and relief for small businesses, but did not include funds specifically intended to kickstart state economies that have been wiped out by the pandemic.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press conference Sunday that data suggests the state is on "the other side" of its plateau in coronavirus cases.

Why it matters: New York's daily deaths from the coronavirus dropped to 507 on Sunday — its lowest count since April 6 — while new hospitalizations dropped from 1,915 on Saturday to 1,384 on Sunday. However, Cuomo cautioned that "it's no time to get cocky" and that the "war is not won."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a press conference on Thursday that the state will begin the "most aggressive" antibody testing in the country this week in an effort to determine the true number of people who have been infected by the coronavirus.

Why it matters: Antibody tests can confirm whether a person may have had the coronavirus but was asymptomatic. They're considered one of the key tools necessary to be able to understand the scale of the outbreak and to potentially reopen the economy.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that President Trump is "delusional" for suggesting there's enough coronavirus testing capacity for states to reopen, echoing the concerns of a number of governors who have called for a national testing strategy.

Why it matters: Public health experts say that testing must be doubled or even tripled from current levels in order to allow for a safe, partial reopening of the U.S. economy. Trump is pushing to have some states partially reopen by May 1.

Child welfare agencies have lost some of their best "eyes and ears" for reporting abuse and neglect as a result of school closures, AP reports.

Why it matters: April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Across the country, states are reporting fewer calls to child abuse hotlines, which officials believe is a sign that many cases are going unreported.

A 5,000-word exposé by the Sunday Times of London — "38 days when Britain sleepwalked into disaster" — finds that Prime Minister Boris Johnson, distracted by personal turmoil and his Brexit victory lap, skipped five early crisis briefings (Cobra meetings) on the coronavirus.

Why it matters: Warnings issued in January and repeated in February fell on "deaf ears," according to the Sunday Times, with the lost time potentially costing thousands of British lives.

The new pressures on working parents to be full-time employees and full-time homeschool teachers while protecting their families from the pandemic are leading to exhaustion — with no end in sight.

Why it matters: Working parents make up roughly one-third of the U.S. workforce. The longer the stay-at-home orders continue, the higher the risk that these workers will be on the verge of emotional and cognitive burnout before they can return to their offices.

As many as 100,000 people in Bangladesh ignored a nationwide lockdown on Saturday to attend the funeral of Islamist leader Maulana Jubayer Ahmed Ansari without masks or other protective gear, the Dhaka Tribune reports.

Why it matters: Health officials fear the mass gathering could set off a surge in coronavirus cases in a country that is ill-equipped to manage an epidemic. Bangladesh has thus far reported 2,456 cases and 91 deaths from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Food pantries around the United States are struggling to meet increased demand as millions of people suffer from the pandemic's economic toll, AP reports.

Why it matters: The more than 22 million Americans out of work as a result of the coronavirus has led to skyrocketing demand for donated food, but many of the food banks’ sources are drying up.

The star-studded Lady Gaga-curated fundraising event "One World: Together at Home" raised $127.9 million for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO and $72.8 million for local and regional responders, organizer Global Citizen said in a statement early Sunday.

Why it matters: Saturday's online event honoring and celebrating those on the front lines of the fight against the novel coronavirus was broadcast worldwide and billed as the biggest concert since 1985's Live Aid, which was watched by 1.9 billion people. Former first ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama were among more than 70 artists and celebrities to take part from their homes.

A federal judge issued an order Saturday blocking a Kansas measure that limited attendance at in-person religious worship gatherings to 10 people or fewer during the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: Many churches have moved to online services, but some are pushing back against orders preventing them from holding in-person gatherings. The Alliance Defending Freedom group, which represented two Baptist churches in the case, has filed several lawsuits challenging such orders in the U.S.