The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to spend $16 billion on direct payments to farmers, ranchers and producers "who experience unprecedented losses" during the coronavirus pandemic, Secretary Sonny Perdue said at Friday's White House press briefing.
What's happening: There's been an upsurge in demand for food banks across the country in the face of mass unemployment and school closures. Meanwhile, U.S. farmers and food companies have decreased production in response to dwindling demand, as restaurants and businesses close.
Gallup has recorded its sharpest approval rating dip to date since President Trump took office, currently standing at 43%, per recently released polling.
What's happening: The decline comes asabout65% of Americans say that Trump was too slow to take major steps to handle the threat of the coronavirus in the U.S., Pew Research found in a survey published Thursday.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told the Wall Street Journal Friday that he supports adding funding for hospitals alongside an additional $250 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), designed to help small businesses survive the coronavirus shutdown.
The state of play: McCarthy's signal could break a stalemate between Republicans and Democrats on refilling the PPP, which ran out of money on Thursday — just two weeks after it launched.
President Trump's reopening plan includes lots of hurdles for states, but the key factor for him was that he got to fire the pistol.
Why it matters: Even though he’s delegating to governors, Trump didn’t want them to call the reopening first. And if he waited until next week he would’ve been trailing in several red-state governors’ wake.
A group commissioned a poll in two Midwestern swing states to test the viability of women of color to be Joe Biden's vice presidential pick and found Stacey Abrams as the top choice for black voters — but Elizabeth Warren as the overall candidate to beat.
Details: Kamala Harris was the only candidate of color to break the top three for overall support, along with Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Warren, in this survey of Michigan and Wisconsin voters conducted for Donors of Color Action and reviewed by Axios.
President Trump's former personal lawyer — and longtime fixer — Michael Cohen will be released from prison to serve the remainder of his three-year sentence in home confinement due to coronavirus concerns, CNN first reported and Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis confirmed to Axios.
Flashback: Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to multiple financial crimes, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations.
President Trump's former associate and convicted felon Roger Stone was denied a new trial by Judge Amy Berman Jackson Thursday, and is expected to report to prison upon his probation officer's order within the next two weeks.
The big picture: Stone, 67, wanted a new trial based on his assertion that the jury forewoman lied on a questionnaire as the panel was selected, CNBC reports. He was sentenced to more than three years in prison for crimes that include obstruction of justice, lying to Congress and witness tampering.
In the coming weeks and months, Democrats plan to argue that President Trump "rolled over" for China as the coronavirus crisis worsened because "he sought a deal to begin undoing the damage caused by his trade policies," per a new memo reviewed by Axios.
Why it matters: Top Trump campaign officials said they'll paint Joe Biden as "soft" on China as a major line of attack during the 2020 race. The new memo by Democratic National Committee officials outlines a rebuttal as Biden prepares for the general election race against Trump.
President Trump told governors on a conference call today that he wants to begin to reopen the U.S. economy on May 1.
He called on governors with low coronavirus numbers to begin to reopen their economies on May 1, with the caveat that states should go at their own pace.
"You states with beautifully low numbers, let's get your states open and get back to work," Trump said, according to one person on the call and one person familiar with the call.
65% of Americans say that President Trump was too slow to take major steps to handle the threat of the novel coronavirus in the U.S., per a Pew Research Center survey released on Thursday.
Why it matters: Trump and his administration were repeatedly warned about how the virus would affect American lives and the economy, reporting from Axios, The New York Times, The Washington Post, AP and other media outlets has shown. Earlier action could have curbed the spread.
The United States will give $5 million in humanitarian assistance to help hospitals in the West Bank cope with the coronavirus outbreak, U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman announced in a tweet on Thursday.
Why it matters: Over the last three years, the Trump administration cut almost all civilian and humanitarian aid to the Palestinians — worth around $500 million per year. The only assistance that continued was to the Palestinian security forces. This is the first time the Trump administration has renewed aid to the Palestinians.
House Rules Committee Chair Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) put forward a plan on Thursday for remote voting for members of the House as the coronavirus outbreak persists.
The big picture: Under the "temporary, low-tech" proposal, House members who can't make it to the Capitol would direct another member to vote on their behalf. McGovern said he's looking to change the standing rules of the House and implement technology for virtual hearings and markups for committees for the time being.
A group of states across the Midwest is the latest to announce a joint regional plan to reopen businesses in the wake of stay-at-home efforts designed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
The big picture: President Trump is expected to tell governors on Thursday that he won't hold them back if they want to restart their state economies, Axios' Jonathan Swan and Mike Allen report.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday that he's stretching the state's stay-at-home order for another two weeks until May 15.
The big picture: Some governors across the U.S. have already lengthened their stay-at-home mandates past the White House's May 1 goal of reopening the economy. Public health experts have warned that lifting social distancing restrictions after 30 days would lead to a spike in infections this summer.
The White House is setting up yet another group for members of Congress as part of its larger committee of business and thought leaders to reopen the economy from the coronavirus shutdown.
The state of play: Per two sources with direct knowledge, senators and House members have received emails telling them they’ve been selected for this new yet-to-be-named group.
Based on what President Trump has said publicly, he is expected to make clear to governors when they talk during an afternoon video teleconference Thursday that he won’t hold them back if they want to reopen their states for business.
Why it matters: Trump has signaled that he will provide guidelines, but that he is anxious to get the country reopened and is unwilling to wait until May 1.
A leading pro-Trump super PAC is testing a new ad campaign to paint Joe Biden as soft on China and redirect criticism of President Trump’s coronavirus response.
Driving the news: Beginning Friday, America First Action will spend $10 million in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — which yielded pivotal but bare victories for Trump in 2016 — to brand the presumptive Democratic nominee as “Beijing Biden” and see what sticks.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren told MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" Wednesday she would become former Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden's running mate if he asked her.
The big picture: Warren endorsed Biden for president earlier Wednesday. Her progressive vision and detailed plans could help him win the support of Democrats who back former 2020 candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, Axios' Alexi McCammond notes. Biden has committed to choosing a woman as his running mate. Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has said she would be "honored" to be Biden's choice.
Former Vice President Joe Biden said at a virtual town hall Wednesday that President Trump is "having temper tantrums" amid the novel coronavirus outbreak instead of offering concern to those affected.
What he's saying: "He likes to say he’s a wartime president," Biden said. "Well, he needs to begin to step up and act like one. ... Not harangue the press for hours on end while people are dying, your friends and co-workers are dying, our family members and friends and neighbors are dying, while Trump is having temper tantrums about his authority."
