Trump sends letter to governors ahead of plan to categorize at-risk counties

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump issued a letter to America's governors thanking them for stepping up alongside health care workers in confronting the coronavirus pandemic and outlining the administration's plan to identify at-risk counties in the next phase of stemming the spread of COVID-19.

The president said expanded testing capabilities will allow the administration to coordinate with the country's patchwork of health officials to target counties that continue to pose risks of spreading the virus. Through "surveillance testing," he said, health officials will categorize these counties as "high-risk, medium-risk, or low-risk."

"There is still a long battle ahead, but our efforts are already paying dividends," Trump wrote. "As we enhance protections against the virus, Americans across the county are hoping the day will soon arrive when they can resume their normal, economic, social, and religious lives."

Trump has said he'd like to see the country "back to work" by Easter, Sunday, April 12, as fallout over the spread of the coronavirus continues to cripple the U.S. economy. The president has suggested that harder-hit areas would remain under White House coronavirus task force social distancing guidelines while other regions could resume public life.

But the president's strategy appears at odds with dozens of state and local officials, who continue to implement more stringent orders to stay at home or close nonessential businesses amid the outbreak. Some governors have indicated they only plan to lift some of those restrictions when health officials say it's safe to do so.

"You can't put a timeline on saving people's lives," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan told reporters Wednesday.

The Republican governor, who chairs the National Governors Association, added: "We're going to make decisions based on the scientists and the facts."

Trump participated in a video teleconference call with the country's governors and Vice President Mike Pence earlier on Thursday. He tweeted he plans to discuss that call, along with a G20 Leaders' video teleconference call, at the coronavirus task force briefing later on Thursday.

— Courtney Subramanian

Fox News poll: Fauci gets higher approval than Trump, Americans worry about recession

A Fox News poll of voters released on Thursday showed American voters are concerned about the economy because of the impact of the spread of the coronavirus. Democrats and Republicans alike fear a recession may be coming, and nervousness about the state of the economy has increased since the fall, with a significant shift from Republicans.

Eighty-nine percent said they were concerned about a recession because of the virus. Asked if they feel nervous about the economy, 62% of respondents said they were, up from 48% in September when Fox last asked the question in a survey. Democrats who are nervous went up to 77% from 70%, and Republicans saw a large spike in nervousness, 45% up from 19% in the fall.

The percentage of voters saying the economy is in “good” or “excellent” condition is down to 33% from 55% in January. Among Democrats, that number is down to 19% from 31%, and Republicans, 51% from 85%.

Voters across the aisles approve of Dr. Anthony Fauci of the White House task force for the way he is responding to the coronavirus: 77% approve, while 12% disapprove. Fauci’s approval breaks down to 74% of Democrats and 85% of Republicans. Local and state officials got similar approval ratings.

Meanwhile, the president, vice president and federal government saw much lower approval on their responses, the poll found. Trump’s coronavirus response approval was 51%, a slight majority, to 46% disapproval. About 24% of Democrats approved of his response, and 86% of Republicans did. Pence’s approval rating on the virus was 55% to 37% disapproval and the federal government’s was 55%-41%.

A vast majority, 85%, reported changing their lifestyles due to the virus’ spread, making daily changes like washing their hands more and avoiding public places. Still, nearly a quarter, 24%, think Americans are overreacting. Of the rest, 36% said Americans are reacting appropriately and 37% said Americans aren’t taking it seriously enough.

The poll was conducted March 21-24 and surveyed 1,011 registered voters. Its margin of error is 3 percentage points.

– Jeanine Santucci

Democrats ask FDA to allow ‘healthy gay and bisexual men’ to donate blood

More than a dozen Democratic senators on Thursday signed a letter that urged the FDC commissioner to ease restrictions on blood donations by men who have recently had sex with men in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

As of last week, nearly 2,700 Red Cross blood drives had been canceled, resulting in about 86,000 fewer donations, and more cancellations are expected.

The letter to commissioner Stephen Hahn from the senators says the current rule that prohibits men who have had sex with other men in the past 12 months from donating is “discriminatory.”

The FDA first banned men who have sex with men from donating blood in 1983 as the HIV/AIDS crisis unfolded. The FDA updated the policy in 2015, removing the lifetime ban, but requiring a one-year abstention.

“But while government health officials encourage every healthy individual to consider donating blood, the FDA continues to enforce a discriminatory donor deferral policy that effectively prohibits many healthy gay and bisexual men from doing so,” the senators wrote. "With important advances in blood screening and safety technology, a time-based deferral policy is not scientifically sound, continues to effectively exclude many healthy gay and bisexual men, and does not meet the urgent demands of the moment."

On top of the thousands of blood drives being canceled, the American Association of Blood Banks says there's been a significant decrease in people coming to blood centers to donate.

Eduardo Nunes, Vice President of Quality, Standards, and Accreditation at AABB, said most hospitals are down to a blood supply of two to three days.

– Savannah Behrmann

Trump to bid farewell to Navy hospital ship before it departs for NYC

President Donald Trump announced his plans to send off the USNS Comfort on Saturday before the naval hospital ship departs from Norfolk, Virginia, to help New York City in its response to the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

"I think I'm going to go out and I'll kiss it goodbye," Trump told reporters at the coronavirus task force daily press briefing.

The ship is expected to provide extra hospital beds, medical personnel and critical supplies to help relieve health care workers in New York, which has become the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak with 37,285 confirmed cases – almost half the national total as of Thursday afternoon.

The Comfort was under maintenance and not due to leave for three or four weeks, according to Trump. He said Thursday he called New York Gov. Cuomo and told him the ship would arrive at New York Harbor on Monday.

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham released a statement Thursday evening confirming the ship's departure and the president's plans to travel to Virginia to bid the medical personnel fairwell.

The USNS Mercy, another naval hospital ship, has been deployed to Los Angeles to help in the city's response to the global pandemic.

– Courtney Subramanian

Trump on backing off 'Chinese virus' phrase: 'It was time'

President Donald Trump again defended his use of the term "Chinese virus" to refer to the coronavirus – but he also said Thursday he felt it might be time to back off.

"I think it was time, though," Trump said as reporters pressed him Thursday at his daily White House briefing about why he no longer uses the phrase in his opening statements. "I don’t have to say it if they feel so strongly."

Public health groups, including the World Health Organization, have cautioned against naming pandemics after countries because it can stigmatize people from those places. Trump has defended his earlier use of the phrase by noting that researchers believe the virus originated in China.

Trump said he will speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, but he denied that Xi or anyone else in the Chinese government had specifically asked him to stop using the phrase. He did not say why he is not longer using the term.

"Somebody might have spoken to somebody, but nobody spoke to me about it," Trump said.

– John Fritze

Trump disputes report claiming he clashed with Washington governor over leadership

President Donald Trump dismissed a report that Washington Gov. Jay Inslee criticized his leadership over the coronavirus crisis on a teleconference call Thursday. During the call with America's governors, Inslee reportedly told Trump the governors do not need "backup" as the president suggested, but the leadership skills of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady.

At a coronavirus task force meeting Thursday evening, Trump described the call as a "terrific meeting" and disputed the Washington Post report.

"He meant that in a positive way. He said, 'We need Tom Brady. We're going to do great,' and he meant it very positively," Trump told reporters.

Trump then appeared to suggest the media report implied that the former New England Patriots quarterback should be leading the coronavirus response.

"They took it differently. They think Tom Brady should be leading the effort. That's only fake news and I like Tom Brady," he added.

After the call, Inslee told the Washington Post: "I am not going to go into great detail, but I will say that I told them that the states should not be competing against each other. We are grateful for their assistance in what they have provided so for."

– Courtney Subramanian and David Jackson

Clintons send 400 pizzas to New York hospital workers fighting COVID-19

Health care workers at Westchester County hospitals in New York received a dinner of donated pizzas sent by former President Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on Wednesday evening.

"Thank you for taking care of the community. From Bill and Hillary Clinton,” read notes attached to the pizza deliveries.

The New York metropolitan area has been hit particularly hard with coronavirus cases, with over half of the country’s total reported there. At least 13 patients died in a 24-hour period in one New York City hospital this week.

A spokesperson for the Clintons told CBS News they donated over 400 pies to all of the hospitals in Westchester County, where they live.

“Thank you to the medical professionals, grocery store employees, delivery drivers, pharmacy workers, mail carriers, firefighters, police, nursing home employees, and everyone else who is working to save lives and keep us all going right now,” Hillary Clinton tweeted Wednesday.

– Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, and Christopher Eberhart, The Journal News

Klobuchar’s husband released from hospital

The husband of Sen. Amy Klobuchar has left the hospital and is recovering from COVID-19 at home, the Minnesota Democrat and former presidential candidate announced Thursday.

“Thanks to all who sent kind words and prayers for my husband John,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “He took a good turn, was just released and is now recovering at home.”

On Monday, Klobuchar said her husband, John Bessler, a professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, was checked into a Virginia hospital because his blood showed low oxygen levels, he had pneumonia and he was coughing up blood.

“Thanks to those who cared for him and for all front-line health care workers,” Klobuchar said.

Bessler was the first congressional spouse known to have COVID-19.

Klobuchar said Monday she was not tested for the virus, on the advice of her doctor, because she and her husband had not been together for the past two weeks and she was outside the 14-day period for getting sick.

– Maureen Groppe

New restrictions for House members

House members returning to the Capitol Friday to vote on the massive rescue package must follow a new set of rules, according to guidance sent to offices Thursday by the House Sergeant at Arms and Capitol physician.

Those include:

• Lawmakers can’t be on the House floor unless it’s their turn to speak.

• They must use hand sanitizer before entering and exiting the floor.

• Members are encouraged to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Otherwise, only one person – or at most two – should be in the elevator.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., described additional precautions Thursday.

McCarthy told reporters that the area where a lawmaker sits or stands on the House floor will be cleaned after they leave it. House members will enter the floor from one door and leave through another.

“We have members on both sides of the aisle who have the virus,” McCarthy said. “We have members who are quarantined. We have members who have challenges with airlines that are getting their flights canceled, so I think there will be enough to make sure we get this through, but the floor will look different.”

Leaders of both parties are hoping to pass the approximately $2 trillion package by a voice vote so lawmakers don’t have to come in. But if a member objects and asks for a roll call, voting will be done in groups of 30 members at a time.

And members should “use extreme care and deliberation when making the determination to travel” back to Washington. If they do return, however, a few restaurants will be open with limited operations including Subway and Au Bon Pain.

— Maureen Groppe

C-SPAN to air remote statements from lawmakers on coronavirus bill

In a first for the network, C-SPAN has agreed to a request from House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to broadcast statements from members of the House on the coronavirus stimulus bill that is set for a vote on Friday.

Many lawmakers are either in self-quarantine or unable to travel back to the Capitol. Two members of the House have been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

“Members who want to come to the House Floor to debate this bill will be able to do so. In addition, the Majority Leader’s Office is encouraging Members who will not be on the House Floor during the debate to record video statements, so that they can express their views on this legislation remotely,” Hoyer told lawmakers in a message on Thursday.

The video statements will air on C-SPAN radio and television and be streamed on its website during prime time the week of March 30, the network said in a statement.

“With many members unable to travel to Washington for Friday’s vote, C-SPAN is working with Congressional leadership of both parties to dedicate airtime to House members’ brief video statements explaining their positions on the emergency Coronavirus relief legislation,” the statement said.

House leaders hope to pass the historic $2 trillion stimulus bill with bipartisan support with a voice vote on Friday. The bill passed the Senate on Wednesday night by a 96-0 vote.

-Jeanine Santucci

Rep. McCarthy, Pelosi at odds as aid package heads to House

WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is not as eager as his Democratic counterpart for Congress to take additional action after the House’s expected passage Friday of a historic stimulus package.

“I would not be quick to say you have to write something else,” McCarthy told reporters Thursday. “Let this bill work.”

Less than an hour earlier, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had outlined multiple items that she said still need to be addressed as part of Congress' efforts to confine coronavirus pandemic.

Pelosi also took credit for changes made to the pending $2 trillion package, saying House Democrats did "jiu-jitsu" on the bill that Senate Republicans had put together.

“That is an outright lie,” McCarthy said. “The fundamental portions of this bill have not changed since Sunday.”

- Maureen Groppe

Pelosi lays out priorities for future coronavirus package

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in her weekly press conference, told reporters "we will have a strong bipartisan vote" tomorrow on the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package.

The bill passed the Senate last night by a 96-0 vote. House Democratic leaders said last night they would pass it on Friday morning.

The House Speaker also laid out her priorities for another coronavirus bill:

• A "better definition of who qualifies for family and medical leave."

• Stronger OSHA protections.

• Shoring up pensions.

• Increased SNAP benefits.

• More money for state and local governments, including Washington, D.C.

• Increased coverage for testing, doctor's visits, and treatments after a doctor's visit for coronavirus.

"There’s so many things we didn’t get in any of these bills yet in the way that we need to," she said.

- Nicholas Wu and Maureen Groppe

Trump campaign seeks to block political ad critical of coronavirus response

President Donald Trump's re-election campaign has sent a cease-and-desist letter to a pro-Democratic political action committee over an ad that attacks his response to the spread of coronavirus, though the Super PAC says it will continue sponsoring the spot.

Priorities USA Action Fund put up the ad entitled "Exponential Threat," which replays Trump comments downplaying the coronavirus threat in January and February, even as the number of cases and deaths in the United States rose.

In its letter of complaint, the Trump campaign says the ad is "false, misleading, and deceptive" in implying that the president described the virus itself as a "hoax."

"The facts show beyond reasonable doubt that he was talking about the Democrats' politicization of the outbreak when he used the word 'hoax,'" the letter said.

Patrick McHugh, executive director of Priorities USA, said a pro-Trump Super PAC is also threatening his organization, and that they and the Trump campaign "are resorting to desperate threats to keep Americans from hearing the truth about his failed COVID response" that has put all Americans at risk.

"The ads are still running and Priorities USA will continue ensuring voters hear the truth," McHugh said.

The pro-Trump groups would have to go to court to get the ads stopped.

- David Jackson

Mnuchin: unemployment numbers 'aren't relevant'

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is downplaying record-setting jobless claims recorded last week, saying employment will bounce back after the threat of the coronavirus passes.

“To be honest, I think these numbers right now aren’t relevant, whether they’re bigger or smaller, in the short term,” Mnuchin said in a telephone interview on CNBC.

Mnuchin, who represented the White House in negotiations on a massive stimulus deal the Senate passed Wednesday, spoke shortly after the Labor Department announced the number of jobless claims filed the week ending March 21 hit 3.3 million – a record-shattering number.

The overall unemployment rate – which has hit record lows recently, and was expected to be a major plank in President Donald Trump's re-election bid – is also expected to soar in the coming weeks and months.

In his CNBC interview, Mnuchin predicted that businesses will start re-hiring as the epidemic passes, thanks in part to the $2 trillion stimulus bill now pending in Congress.

Gary Cohn, the former director of the National Economic Council under Trump, appeared to hit Mnuchin for his use of the term "relevant."

"The 3+ million unemployment claims were expected but are very relevant," Cohn tweeted. "Each represents a dire situation."

Cohn, like Mnuchin, urged the House to pass the stimulus bill that includes aid to the unemployed, and "get it distributed immediately."

- David Jackson

Pentagon: coronavirus cases increase 38%

Cases of COVID-19 continued to rise on Wednesday, reaching 574 cases among troops, their families and civilian employees, the Pentagon reported Thursday. That compares with 415 on Tuesday, an increase of 38%.

Troops had the largest share of cases with 280 ill with the disease. Its spread among the ranks prompted Defense Secretary Mark Esper late Wednesday to halt travel for all troops and their families for 60 days, essentially ordering them to shelter in place. The order will affect about 90,000 troops whose deployments and moves to new posts will be postponed.

Wednesday also saw the first case of COVID-19 inside the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military. A Marine tested positive for the coronavirus, and his workplace was sanitized by a dedicated team. Pentagon officials are determining the Marine’s contacts with others.

At sea, the Navy is dealing with an outbreak on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. On Tuesday, three sailors tested positive for the virus and were flown from the ship, which is operating in the Pacific. Five more sailors were found infected on Wednesday, and, they, too were airlifted to a military hospital. Navy officials are tracing their contacts among the 5,000 sailors aboard the Roosevelt.

- Tom Vanden Brook

Trump, G-20 leaders hold video conference on coronavirus

President Donald Trump and other leaders of the Group of 20 nations – the G-20 – met by video conference Thursday to discuss some kind of global response to the coronavirus pandemic.

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus was scheduled to address the group about the need to finance and produce more personal protection equipment like masks and gloves for besieged medical workers across the globe.

The event was closed to the press.

The current G-20 chairman, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, said he called the "virtual summit" to work on a "global response" to the outbreak.

"As the world confronts the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges to healthcare systems and the global economy, we convene this extraordinary G20 summit to unite efforts towards a global response," he tweeted before the meeting. "May God spare humanity from all harm."

The conference came a day after another international economic group – the Group of Seven industrialized nations, or G-7 – failed to agree on a joint statement about coronavirus.

The reason: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted on referring to the epidemic as the "Wuhan virus," saying China has a special responsibility to address the impact of the disease because it started in that country. Other G-7 members called the designation needlessly provocative.

- David Jackson

Pelosi's 80th birthday comes ahead of big House vote

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi celebrated her 80th birthday Thursday getting ready to shepherd the biggest economic bill in history through the U.S. House she leads. The Senate version of the coronavirus relief bill turned out to be 880 pages long, presumably a coincidence and not a tribute.

Eighty years ago, news of her birth, the daughter of a first-term Baltimore congressman, also made headlines in the local press. It was a time, though, that any thoughts of a political dynasty focused on her five older brothers, not on the only girl in the family.

“It’s a Girl for the D’Alesandro’s,” The Baltimore News-Post headline declared over a four-column photo at the top of the front page that showed the swaddled newborn only hours after she was born at the city’s St. Joseph Hospital.

The Baltimore Sun took a more political tilt: “Tommy D’Alesandro Announces Another Sure Vote – It’s a Girl.”

The Baltimore Guide offered a prediction that in retrospect seems practically prescient. “D’Alesandro Will Find New Boss in First Daughter,” it said, adding, “We predict that this little lady will soon be a ‘Queen’ in her own right.”

- Susan Page

Senate passes coronavirus package. House to vote Friday

The Senate passed a $2 trillion economic rescue package – the largest such measure in U.S. history – just before midnight on Wednesday in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The measure now heads to the House, which is expected to vote on the measure Friday.

"Congratulations AMERICA!" President Donald Trump tweeted after the measure was approved in a 96-0 vote following days of heated debate. Two earlier efforts to introduce the initial version of the bill failed to make it to a final vote before Democrats agreed to the current package.

Trump plans to sign the bill once it clears the House, where Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said it is expected to pass when the body reconvenes at 9 a.m. EDT on Friday.

The third, and largest, economic aid package out of Congress since the coronavirus outbreak began includes one-time payments of $1,200 to individuals making less than $75,000, as well as $500 per child, $367 billion for small businesses, more than $130 billion toward the health care system, expanded unemployment benefits and $500 billion in loans for ailing industries.

Full text: The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill released

The virus has spread to all 50 states and the U.S. now trails only China and Italy in confirmed cases, which now number nearly 70,000. One thousand people have died as of Thursday morning, but that number is expected to rise in the coming days and weeks.

Businesses across the country have shutdown in an effort to stop the spread of the virus. The aid package aims to lift some of the burden on small businesses that are fighting to avoid collapse amid the crisis and the workers who won't be collecting paychecks.

A Labor Department report on Thursday will reveal the number of people who filed for unemployment benefits after the outbreak.

– William Cummings

Fed chairman: 'We may well be in a recession'

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the economy may be in recession as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but has potential to rebound depending on how quickly the virus is contained.

During an interview with NBC's Today show, Powell said the economy was in a strong position before the COVID-19 outbreak spread in the United States, citing 50-year lows in unemployment.

"We may well be in a recession," said Powell during the interview, but added this recession is different from normal, and there is nothing "fundamentally wrong" with the economy.

"This is a situation where people are being asked to step back from economic activity, close their businesses, stay home from work," said Powell. "In principle, if we get the virus spread under control fairly quickly, then economic activity can resume, and we want to make that rebound as vigorous as possible."

- Brett Molina

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Senate passes $2 trillion deal, awaits House and Trump