cnbc--2020-04-24--Ousted HHS vaccine expert felt pressure to rush possible Covid-19 treatment after Trump spoke to Ora

Ousted HHS vaccine expert felt pressure to rush possible Covid-19 treatment after Trump spoke to Oracle boss Larry Ellison

Larry Ellison , co-founder and executive chairman of Oracle Corp. , speaks during the Oracle OpenWorld conference in San Francisco on Oct. 22 , 2018 .
A top federal vaccine expert who was ousted from his post this week felt pressured to rush out expanded access to a potential treatment for coronavirus patients after President Donald Trump discussed the drug with Larry Ellison , chairman of tech giant Oracle , NBC News reported Thursday .
The report comes a day after the expert , Rick Bright , went public with a bombshell statement saying he was removed from leading a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts after he `` resisted efforts to fund potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections . ''
And it comes on the same day that a House committee chairman called for an investigation into Bright 's forced transfer from his post as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority , or BARDA , a unit of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department .
A source close to Bright who spoke with NBC News said that he was told to put in place a national program geared to expanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has raised campaign funds for Trump , and the president spoke about it .
The program would lack appropriate controls for drug treatment , including peer-reviewed clinical data about hydroxychloroquine 's efficacy , according to NBC News .
On March 24 , The Washington Post reported that Ellison helped arrange a partnership between Oracle and the federal government to collect `` 'data in real time from doctors trying out those and other unproven drugs '' on Covid-19 patients outside of clinical trials .
The Post reported that Oracle planned to donate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assist in that effort .
A spokeswoman for Ellison did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment from CNBC on the new NBC News report about Bright , and about the meeting between Trump and Ellison .
The White House declined to comment , and HHS did not directly respond to a request for comment about a possible connection between Ellison 's meeting and the pressure Bright felt .
The New York Times reported on April 6 that Trump `` first expressed interest in hydroxychloroquine a few weeks ago , telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a founder of Oracle , had discussed it with him . ''
Ellison is worth nearly $ 70 billion , according to a Forbes tally late last year .
Trump , during a news conference in early April , said five times , `` What do you have to lose ? ''
referring to coronavirus patients being given the drug , which normally is used to treat malaria .
After Bright was removed earlier this week from leading BARDA , he was given a job , with fewer responsibilities , at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since retained lawyers at a Washington , D.C. , firm that specializes in representing whistleblowers .
Those lawyers called his dismissal from BARDA `` retaliation , plain and simple . ''
On Thursday , the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee asked HHS 's Office of the Inspector General , an internal ethics watchdog , to investigate the situation .
`` I have been particularly concerned by the Trump Administration 's politicization of public health agencies , '' the chairman , Rep. Frank Pallone , D-N.J. , wrote in a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This most recent action , if true , further raises serious questions about the commitment of President Trump and his Administration to science and the public good as the government and the nation work to combat an unprecedented global health pandemic , '' Pallone wrote .
In a statement Wednesday , Bright said he was ousted after resisting widespread adoption of hydroxychloroquine , which Trump has promoted as a treatment for Covid-19 .
Bright also said that he believed he was removed from his post because he insisted that `` the billions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 pandemic '' be invested `` into safe and scientifically vetted solutions , and not in drugs , vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit . ''
`` Rushing blindly towards unproven drugs can be disastrous and result in countless more deaths .
Science , in service to the health and safety of the American people , must always trump politics , '' said Bright .
`` I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus , science — not politics or cronyism — has to lead the way , '' @ @ @

Larry Ellison, co-founder and executive chairman of Oracle Corp., speaks during the Oracle OpenWorld conference in San Francisco on Oct. 22, 2018.
A top federal vaccine expert who was ousted from his post this week felt pressured to rush out expanded access to a potential treatment for coronavirus patients after President Donald Trump discussed the drug with Larry Ellison, chairman of tech giant Oracle , NBC News reported Thursday.
The report comes a day after the expert, Rick Bright, went public with a bombshell statement saying he was removed from leading a federal agency heavily involved in coronavirus response efforts after he "resisted efforts to fund potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections."
And it comes on the same day that a House committee chairman called for an investigation into Bright's forced transfer from his post as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a unit of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.
A source close to Bright who spoke with NBC News said that he was told to put in place a national program geared to expanding access to the drug hydroxychloroquine after Ellison, who has raised campaign funds for Trump, and the president spoke about it.
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The program would lack appropriate controls for drug treatment, including peer-reviewed clinical data about hydroxychloroquine's efficacy, according to NBC News.
On March 24, The Washington Post reported that Ellison helped arrange a partnership between Oracle and the federal government to collect "'data in real time from doctors trying out those and other unproven drugs" on Covid-19 patients outside of clinical trials. The Post reported that Oracle planned to donate to the government a related website to assist in that effort.
A spokeswoman for Ellison did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment from CNBC on the new NBC News report about Bright, and about the meeting between Trump and Ellison. The White House declined to comment, and HHS did not directly respond to a request for comment about a possible connection between Ellison's meeting and the pressure Bright felt.
The New York Times reported on April 6 that Trump "first expressed interest in hydroxychloroquine a few weeks ago, telling associates that Mr. Ellison, a billionaire and a founder of Oracle, had discussed it with him." Ellison is worth nearly $70 billion, according to a Forbes tally late last year.
Trump, during a news conference in early April, said five times, "What do you have to lose?" referring to coronavirus patients being given the drug, which normally is used to treat malaria.
After Bright was removed earlier this week from leading BARDA, he was given a job, with fewer responsibilities, at the National Institutes of Health.
Bright has since retained lawyers at a Washington, D.C., firm that specializes in representing whistleblowers. Those lawyers called his dismissal from BARDA "retaliation, plain and simple."
On Thursday, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee asked HHS's Office of the Inspector General, an internal ethics watchdog, to investigate the situation.
"I have been particularly concerned by the Trump Administration's politicization of public health agencies," the chairman, Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., wrote in a letter to the IG's office.
"This most recent action, if true, further raises serious questions about the commitment of President Trump and his Administration to science and the public good as the government and the nation work to combat an unprecedented global health pandemic," Pallone wrote.
In a statement Wednesday, Bright said he was ousted after resisting widespread adoption of hydroxychloroquine, which Trump has promoted as a treatment for Covid-19.
Bright also said that he believed he was removed from his post because he insisted that "the billions of dollars allocated by Congress to address the Covid-19 pandemic" be invested "into safe and scientifically vetted solutions, and not in drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit."
"Rushing blindly towards unproven drugs can be disastrous and result in countless more deaths. Science, in service to the health and safety of the American people, must always trump politics," said Bright.
"I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus, science — not politics or cronyism — has to lead the way," he said.


cnbc--2020-04-23--Supreme Court rejects Trump-backed clean water 'loophole' in major environment case

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with patients who have recovered from the novel coronavirus , COVID-19 , in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington , DC on April 14 , 2020 .
The Supreme Court on Thursday sided largely with environmentalists in a case over the reach of the landmark Clean Water Act , ruling that a `` loophole '' in the law backed by the Trump administration was unlawful .
The top court voted 6-3 , with conservatives Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joining the court 's four Democratic appointees in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most high-profile environmental dispute of the Supreme Court 's term .
The majority ruled that the Clean Water Act forbids polluters from spewing waste into navigable waters like oceans and streams without a permit even if the pollution travels indirectly through groundwater .
But it also applied a more narrow standard than the one used by the federal appeals court that previously sided with the clean water advocates .
Maui , which brought the case , and the Trump administration 's Department of Justice had argued that the law did not apply to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more : Brewers warn Supreme Court : Back the Clean Water Act , or beer will taste like medicine Justice Stephen Breyer , who authored the opinion of the court , rejected that interpretation , arguing that if it were accepted , a pipe owner could `` simply move the pipe back , perhaps only a few yards , so that the pollution must travel through at least some groundwater before reaching the sea . ''
`` We do not see how Congress could have intended to create such a large and obvious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innovations of the Clean Water Act , '' Breyer wrote .
The case concerned Maui 's Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility , which treats millions of gallons of sewage each day and injects the treated waste into wells deep underground .
A study ordered by the Environmental Protection Agency showed that nearly all of the waste ends up in the Pacific Ocean .
Environmental groups challenged Maui in court over the pollution , arguing that the Clean Water Act required the facility to obtain a federal permit .
Read more : Supreme Court casts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Water Act A federal district court sided with the environmentalists , and the 9th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision , saying such permits were required when pollutants are `` fairly traceable '' from the pipe to navigable waters , which includes the Pacific Ocean but not groundwater .
The Supreme Court said that the `` fairly traceable '' standard was too broad , citing the `` power of modern science '' to detect pollutants years after their release in minute quantities .
Breyer wrote that a permit is instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the `` functional equivalent of a direct discharge . ''
`` If the pipe ends 50 miles from navigable waters and the pipe emits pollutants that travel with groundwater , mix with much other material , and end up in navigable waters only many years later , the permitting requirements likely do not apply , '' he wrote .
David Henkin , an attorney at the environmental nonprofit Earthjustice who argued the case before the justices in November , said in a statement that the Supreme Court 's opinion is `` a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration 's effort to blow a big hole in the Clean Water Act 's protections for rivers , lakes , and oceans , '' he said .
An attorney for Maui and the Justice Department 's solicitor general 's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
The three justices who dissented from the majority opinion , Justices Neil Gorsuch , Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito , said they would only require a federal permit for direct pollution into navigable waters .
Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wrote that the text of the statute only applied to direct pollution .
Alito , on the other hand , wrote that there were `` two ways to read this text '' : It could require permits for all indirect pollution , or only direct pollution .
The majority 's `` middle way '' — the functional equivalent standard , which requires permits for only some indirect pollution — was incomprehensible , the George W. Bush appointee wrote .
`` Instead of concocting our own rule , I would interpret the words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view , the better of the two possible interpretations is that a permit is required when a pollutant is discharged directly from a point source to navigable waters , '' Alito wrote .
The case is County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund , No .
18-260 .

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with patients who have recovered from the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on April 14, 2020.
The Supreme Court on Thursday sided largely with environmentalists in a case over the reach of the landmark Clean Water Act, ruling that a "loophole" in the law backed by the Trump administration was unlawful.
The top court voted 6-3, with conservatives Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joining the court's four Democratic appointees in the majority. The case is the most high-profile environmental dispute of the Supreme Court's term.
The majority ruled that the Clean Water Act forbids polluters from spewing waste into navigable waters like oceans and streams without a permit even if the pollution travels indirectly through groundwater.
But it also applied a more narrow standard than the one used by the federal appeals court that previously sided with the clean water advocates.
Maui, which brought the case, and the Trump administration's Department of Justice had argued that the law did not apply to pollution that traveled through groundwater.
Read more: Brewers warn Supreme Court: Back the Clean Water Act, or beer will taste like medicine
Justice Stephen Breyer, who authored the opinion of the court, rejected that interpretation, arguing that if it were accepted, a pipe owner could "simply move the pipe back, perhaps only a few yards, so that the pollution must travel through at least some groundwater before reaching the sea."
"We do not see how Congress could have intended to create such a large and obvious loophole in one of the key regulatory innovations of the Clean Water Act," Breyer wrote.
The case concerned Maui's Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility, which treats millions of gallons of sewage each day and injects the treated waste into wells deep underground. A study ordered by the Environmental Protection Agency showed that nearly all of the waste ends up in the Pacific Ocean.
Environmental groups challenged Maui in court over the pollution, arguing that the Clean Water Act required the facility to obtain a federal permit.
Read more: Supreme Court casts doubt on Trump-backed 'loophole' in Clean Water Act
A federal district court sided with the environmentalists, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision, saying such permits were required when pollutants are "fairly traceable" from the pipe to navigable waters, which includes the Pacific Ocean but not groundwater.
The Supreme Court said that the "fairly traceable" standard was too broad, citing the "power of modern science" to detect pollutants years after their release in minute quantities. Breyer wrote that a permit is instead required when the indirect pollution via groundwater is the "functional equivalent of a direct discharge."
"If the pipe ends 50 miles from navigable waters and the pipe emits pollutants that travel with groundwater, mix with much other material, and end up in navigable waters only many years later, the permitting requirements likely do not apply," he wrote.
David Henkin, an attorney at the environmental nonprofit Earthjustice who argued the case before the justices in November, said in a statement that the Supreme Court's opinion is "a huge victory for clean water."
"The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's effort to blow a big hole in the Clean Water Act's protections for rivers, lakes, and oceans," he said.
An attorney for Maui and the Justice Department's solicitor general's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The three justices who dissented from the majority opinion, Justices Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, said they would only require a federal permit for direct pollution into navigable waters.
Thomas, in a dissent joined by Gorsuch, wrote that the text of the statute only applied to direct pollution. Alito, on the other hand, wrote that there were "two ways to read this text": It could require permits for all indirect pollution, or only direct pollution.
The majority's "middle way" — the functional equivalent standard, which requires permits for only some indirect pollution — was incomprehensible, the George W. Bush appointee wrote.
"Instead of concocting our own rule, I would interpret the words of the statute, and in my view, the better of the two possible interpretations is that a permit is required when a pollutant is discharged directly from a point source to navigable waters," Alito wrote.
The case is County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund, No. 18-260.


cnbc--2020-04-23--House set to pass $484 billion coronavirus bill to boost small business, hospitals and testing

U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) arrives at the U.S. Capitol on April 23 , 2020 in Washington , DC .
The House of Representatives is expected to vote later today on the latest economic stimulus package passed earlier in the week by the U.S. Senate .
The House plans to pass a $ 484 billion coronavirus relief bill Thursday to replenish a small business aid program , fund hospitals and expand testing .
The measure 's expected approval in the afternoon will send it to President Donald Trump 's desk for his signature .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a unanimous vote .
Congress will pile more money into an unprecedented rescue of the economy and health-care system that will approach $ 3 trillion in total with the plan 's passage .
The cash injection into the small business loan program , designed to keep employees on the payroll during the pandemic , will follow a government report Thursday showing more than 26 million people filed unemployment insurance claims over the latest five-week period .
The bill the House plans to pass Thursday includes : • $ 310 billion in new funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which gives small firms loans that could be forgiven if they use them on wages , benefits , rent and utilities .
Within that pool , $ 60 billion will specifically go to small lenders , a priority Democrats pushed for after they blocked a $ 250 billion funding bill earlier this month .
• $ 75 billion in grants to hospitals overwhelmed by a rush of Covid-19 patients .
• $ 25 billion to bolster coronavirus testing , a core piece of any plan to restart the U.S. economy .
The proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration and Democrats , who sought money for hospitals and state and local governments on top of the small business aid .
The GOP accused Democrats of harming companies and workers by rejecting a plan to put more money into the $ 350 billion program in the days before the funding dried up .
While the government has committed all of the small business aid from the earlier package , it is unclear how much it has delivered to businesses during a tumultuous program rollout .
Democrats did not secure aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's legislation .
While both they and Trump have said they want to include grants in the next relief legislation , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday he would rather let states declare bankruptcy than send them more federal aid .
House members , who traveled back to Washington for the vote Thursday , met at 10 a.m .
ET .
After debate , representatives will take two votes in the afternoon .
The first is on whether to set up a select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis .
The panel would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , and specifically how it uses a $ 500 billion pool of money for corporations , states and municipalities created as part of the $ 2 trillion rescue plan last month .
After considering whether to create the committee , the House will move to pass the nearly $ 500 billion relief bill .
It scrapped a plan to vote on a rules change to allow lawmakers to vote remotely through a proxy if they can not get to the Capitol during the pandemic .
The House has studied various methods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Washington after a handful of representatives tested positive for Covid-19 .
For now , the chamber plans to carry out votes in small groups to reduce infection risks , which means the voting process will take longer .
Lawmakers will go to the floor in 10-minute blocks Thursday in groups based on alphabetical order .
Between the votes on creating the committee and passing the bill , the House will recess for a half-hour for cleaning .
House members shared photos of themselves traveling to Washington , donning face coverings in nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McAdams , a Utah Democrat and one of the lawmakers who recovered from Covid-19 , showed security lines with virtually no passengers in them .
Rep. Chellie Pingree , D-Maine , wrote , `` I 've never seen the airport so empty . ''
Correction : Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday he would rather let states declare bankruptcy than send them more federal aid .
An earlier version misstated the day .

U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) arrives at the U.S. Capitol on April 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives is expected to vote later today on the latest economic stimulus package passed earlier in the week by the U.S. Senate.
The House plans to pass a $484 billion coronavirus relief bill Thursday to replenish a small business aid program, fund hospitals and expand testing.
The measure's expected approval in the afternoon will send it to President Donald Trump's desk for his signature. The Senate cleared the legislation on Tuesday in a unanimous vote.
Congress will pile more money into an unprecedented rescue of the economy and health-care system that will approach $3 trillion in total with the plan's passage. The cash injection into the small business loan program, designed to keep employees on the payroll during the pandemic, will follow a government report Thursday showing more than 26 million people filed unemployment insurance claims over the latest five-week period.
The bill the House plans to pass Thursday includes:
$310 billion in new funds for the so-called Paycheck Protection Program, which gives small firms loans that could be forgiven if they use them on wages, benefits, rent and utilities. Within that pool, $60 billion will specifically go to small lenders, a priority Democrats pushed for after they blocked a $250 billion funding bill earlier this month.
$60 billion for Small Business Administration disaster assistance loans and grants.
$75 billion in grants to hospitals overwhelmed by a rush of Covid-19 patients.
$25 billion to bolster coronavirus testing, a core piece of any plan to restart the U.S. economy.
The proposal came together after days of talks between the Trump administration and Democrats, who sought money for hospitals and state and local governments on top of the small business aid. The GOP accused Democrats of harming companies and workers by rejecting a plan to put more money into the $350 billion program in the days before the funding dried up.
While the government has committed all of the small business aid from the earlier package, it is unclear how much it has delivered to businesses during a tumultuous program rollout.
Democrats did not secure aid for states and municipalities in this week's legislation. While both they and Trump have said they want to include grants in the next relief legislation, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday he would rather let states declare bankruptcy than send them more federal aid.
House members, who traveled back to Washington for the vote Thursday, met at 10 a.m. ET. After debate, representatives will take two votes in the afternoon.
The first is on whether to set up a select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis. The panel would oversee the Trump administration's response to the pandemic, and specifically how it uses a $500 billion pool of money for corporations, states and municipalities created as part of the $2 trillion rescue plan last month.
After considering whether to create the committee, the House will move to pass the nearly $500 billion relief bill. It scrapped a plan to vote on a rules change to allow lawmakers to vote remotely through a proxy if they cannot get to the Capitol during the pandemic. The House has studied various methods of how to safely legislate from outside of Washington after a handful of representatives tested positive for Covid-19.
For now, the chamber plans to carry out votes in small groups to reduce infection risks, which means the voting process will take longer. Lawmakers will go to the floor in 10-minute blocks Thursday in groups based on alphabetical order.
Between the votes on creating the committee and passing the bill, the House will recess for a half-hour for cleaning.
House members shared photos of themselves traveling to Washington, donning face coverings in nearly empty airports and planes.
Rep. Ben McAdams, a Utah Democrat and one of the lawmakers who recovered from Covid-19, showed security lines with virtually no passengers in them.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, wrote, "I've never seen the airport so empty."
Ben McAdams tweet
Chellie Pingree tweet
Debbie Dingell tweet
John Garamendi tweet
Jared Huffman tweet
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Correction: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday he would rather let states declare bankruptcy than send them more federal aid. An earlier version misstated the day.


cnbc--2020-04-23--Trump says he may extend coronavirus social distancing guidelines to early summer

President Donald Trump said Thursday that his administration may extend its national social distancing guidelines until early in the summer or later .
`` We may , and we may go beyond that , '' Trump said at a White House press briefing when asked if the federal guidelines would need to be extended at least until the start of summer .
`` We 're going to have to see where it is , '' Trump said .
`` I think people are going to know just out of common sense .
At some point , we wo n't have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel safe , we 're going to be extending . ''
Trump 's remarks came a day after multiple White House acknowledged that the U.S. would likely still be dealing with the deadly coronavirus by the fall and winter , when the flu season kicks up .
The federal guidelines , which were first shared in mid-March and had already been extended once , were set to expire at the end of April .
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC 's request for additional comment on the president 's remarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not legally binding on states – many of which have implemented their own social distancing rules – they recommend severe restrictions on normal behaviors , such as eating out at restaurants and socializing in groups .
The news that the federal guidance might be extended again comes as Trump and state leaders more aggressively look ahead to `` reopening '' the economy , which has been devastated by the coronavirus and the harsh measures taken to contain it .
Trump had previously said he wanted to see `` packed churches '' on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met with a wave of criticism from health experts .
On April 16 , the Trump administration released a new list of recommendations on how state leaders can begin the process of reopening their economies .
Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that 16 states have released `` formal reopening plans '' to lift their coronavirus restrictions .
William Bryan , an official with the Science and Technology division of the Department of Homeland Security , also said at the briefing that recent findings suggest increased exposure to sunlight , heat and humidity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing the virus .
`` The virus is dying at a much more rapid pace just from exposure to higher temperatures and just from exposure to humidity , '' Bryan said .

President Donald Trump said Thursday that his administration may extend its national social distancing guidelines until early in the summer or later.
"We may, and we may go beyond that," Trump said at a White House press briefing when asked if the federal guidelines would need to be extended at least until the start of summer.
"We're going to have to see where it is," Trump said. "I think people are going to know just out of common sense. At some point, we won't have to do that. But until we feel safe, we're going to be extending."
Trump's remarks came a day after multiple White House acknowledged that the U.S. would likely still be dealing with the deadly coronavirus by the fall and winter, when the flu season kicks up.
The federal guidelines, which were first shared in mid-March and had already been extended once, were set to expire at the end of April.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for additional comment on the president's remarks.
While the White House's guidelines are not legally binding on states – many of which have implemented their own social distancing rules – they recommend severe restrictions on normal behaviors, such as eating out at restaurants and socializing in groups.
The news that the federal guidance might be extended again comes as Trump and state leaders more aggressively look ahead to "reopening" the economy, which has been devastated by the coronavirus and the harsh measures taken to contain it.
Trump had previously said he wanted to see "packed churches" on Easter Sunday – a comment that was met with a wave of criticism from health experts.
On April 16, the Trump administration released a new list of recommendations on how state leaders can begin the process of reopening their economies.
Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that 16 states have released "formal reopening plans" to lift their coronavirus restrictions.
William Bryan, an official with the Science and Technology division of the Department of Homeland Security, also said at the briefing that recent findings suggest increased exposure to sunlight, heat and humidity have a "powerful effect" on killing the virus.
"The virus is dying at a much more rapid pace just from exposure to higher temperatures and just from exposure to humidity," Bryan said.


cnbc--2020-04-23--House passes $484 billion bill to boost small businesses and hospitals, sends it to Trump

The House passed a $ 484 billion package Thursday to bolster small businesses and hospitals ravaged by the coronavirus crisis and expand testing desperately needed to start the return to normal life .
Donning face coverings and voting in alphabetical sets to cut the risk of infection , representatives approved the bill easily by a 388-5-1 vote .
One member , independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan , voted `` present . ''
The House sends the proposal to President Donald Trump , who is set to sign it into law in the coming hours .
Before the chamber passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crumbling U.S. economy , it also approved a Democratic-majority select subcommittee to oversee the Trump administration 's use of a $ 500 billion pool of aid for corporations , states and municipalities .
Congress approved those funds last month .
Between votes , House staff swept through the chamber to clean and disinfect it .
Representatives came back to the Capitol in force Thursday for the first time in about a month .
Once signed into law , the legislation will bring the government 's emergency response to an unprecedented total of more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After days of sniping over what the measure should include , lawmakers replenished a key $ 350 billion small business aid program that dried up last week .
• $ 310 billion in new funds for the so-called Paycheck Protection Program , which gives small firms loans that could be forgiven if they use them on wages , benefits , rent and utilities .
Within that pool , $ 60 billion will specifically go to small lenders , a priority Democrats pushed for after they blocked a $ 250 billion funding bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion in grants to hospitals overwhelmed by a rush of Covid-19 patients .
• $ 25 billion to bolster coronavirus testing , a core piece of any plan to restart the U.S. economy .
Four Republicans and one Democrat voted against the proposal .
The lone Democrat who opposed it was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who represents hard-hit areas of the Bronx and Queens .
She argued the bill did not go far enough to help struggling individuals and governments .
The bill 's approval likely will not end the government 's response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best to reduce the devastating toll on Americans ' health and paychecks .
The first round of small businesses funding was committed just days after it became available — though it is unclear how many companies have actually received it — and the new money could also dry up quickly .
Democrats have pushed for an additional bill to send money to states and municipalities asking the federal government to help them cover budget crunches created by the pandemic , among other priorities for the party .
While Trump has said he supports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell said this week that he supports allowing states to declare bankruptcy instead .
The destruction coronavirus has wrought shows in mounting infections , deaths , layoffs and furloughs .
The U.S. now has more than 850,000 Covid-19 cases , and the disease has killed at least 47,000 people , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
More than 26 million people have filed for unemployment insurance over the latest five-week period , according to government data released Thursday .
While some states will start to reopen — against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many more will keep businesses shuttered for weeks longer to slow the disease 's spread .
As they look ahead to the next legislation , Democratic leaders have called for hazard pay for Americans still required to go into their workplaces , national mail-in ballots to make voting safer and money to rescue the U.S .
Postal Service .
Trump has pushed for a sprawling infrastructure plan — an area where he and Democrats have failed to reach accord so far in his presidency — along with incentives for restaurant and entertainment spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional leaders , meanwhile , have grown more wary of spending as the government tab during the crisis approaches $ 3 trillion .

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, signs H.R. 266, The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, during a ceremony in the Rayburn Room of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, April 23, 2020.
The House passed a $484 billion package Thursday to bolster small businesses and hospitals ravaged by the coronavirus crisis and expand testing desperately needed to start the return to normal life.
Donning face coverings and voting in alphabetical sets to cut the risk of infection, representatives approved the bill easily by a 388-5-1 vote. One member, independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, voted "present." The House sends the proposal to President Donald Trump, who is set to sign it into law during a ceremony at noon ET Friday.
Before the chamber passed the plan to try to rescue a crumbling U.S. economy, it also approved a Democratic-majority select subcommittee to oversee the Trump administration's use of a $500 billion pool of aid for corporations, states and municipalities. Congress approved those funds last month.
Between votes, House staff swept through the chamber to clean and disinfect it. Representatives came back to the Capitol in force Thursday for the first time in about a month.
Once signed into law, the legislation will bring the government's emergency response to an unprecedented total of more than $2.5 trillion across four bills. After days of sniping over what the measure should include, lawmakers replenished a key $350 billion small business aid program that dried up last week.
The bill passed Thursday includes:
$310 billion in new funds for the so-called Paycheck Protection Program, which gives small firms loans that could be forgiven if they use them on wages, benefits, rent and utilities. Within that pool, $60 billion will specifically go to small lenders, a priority Democrats pushed for after they blocked a $250 billion funding bill earlier this month.
$60 billion for Small Business Administration disaster assistance loans and grants.
$75 billion in grants to hospitals overwhelmed by a rush of Covid-19 patients.
$25 billion to bolster coronavirus testing, a core piece of any plan to restart the U.S. economy.
Four Republicans and one Democrat voted against the proposal. The lone Democrat who opposed it was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents hard-hit areas of the Bronx and Queens. She argued the bill did not go far enough to help struggling individuals and governments.
The bill's approval likely will not end the government's response to the outbreak or disagreements about how best to reduce the devastating toll on Americans' health and paychecks. The first round of small businesses funding was committed just days after it became available — though it is unclear how many companies have actually received it — and the new money could also dry up quickly.
Democrats have pushed for an additional bill to send money to states and municipalities asking the federal government to help them cover budget crunches created by the pandemic, among other priorities for the party. While Trump has said he supports passing the aid, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said this week that he supports allowing states to declare bankruptcy instead.
The destruction coronavirus has wrought shows in mounting infections, deaths, layoffs and furloughs. The U.S. now has more than 850,000 Covid-19 cases, and the disease has killed at least 47,000 people, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
More than 26 million people have filed for unemployment insurance over the latest five-week period, according to government data released Thursday. While some states will start to reopen — against the wishes of Trump administration health officials — many more will keep businesses shuttered for weeks longer to slow the disease's spread.
As they look ahead to the next legislation, Democratic leaders have called for hazard pay for Americans still required to go into their workplaces, national mail-in ballots to make voting safer and money to rescue the U.S. Postal Service. Trump has pushed for a sprawling infrastructure plan — an area where he and Democrats have failed to reach accord so far in his presidency — along with incentives for restaurant and entertainment spending and a payroll tax cut.
Republican congressional leaders, meanwhile, have grown more wary of spending as the government tab during the crisis approaches $3 trillion.
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cnbc--2020-04-24--Mortgage bailout balloons by half a million more loans in one week

As the economic shutdown drags on and job losses mount , more borrowers are opting to delay their monthly mortgage payments through mortgage forbearance plans .
The majority are doing it through a program designed to provide relief to holders of government-backed home loans , part of the coronavirus CARES Act relief package .
Just over 3.4 million borrowers , representing 6.4 % of all mortgages outstanding , are now in forbearance plans .
That 's an increase of 477,000 loans in just one week , or a nearly 9 % jump , according to Black Knight , a mortgage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running weekly tallies .
These forbearances represent $ 754 billion in unpaid principal .
They include 5.6 % of all loans backed by government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and 8.9 % of all FHA/VA loans .
At the current level , mortgage servicers are required to advance $ 2.8 billion of principal and interest payments per month to mortgage bondholders of government-backed loans .
On Wednesday , the Federal Housing Finance Agency , which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac , announced the servicers would be bound to make these payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires payments be made for up to a year .
Regardless , servicers of GSE-backed loans could still face more than $ 7 billion in advances , given the number of loans in forbearance thus far .
Some said the move is not enough help for servicers .
`` While this news reduces servicers ' worst case cash flow demands considerably , we continue to call on the Treasury and Federal Reserve to provide a liquidity facility to ensure that servicers can continue their important work of advancing missed payments to investors as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premiums on behalf of struggling borrowers , '' said Bob Broeksmit , CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association .
For FHA loans , Ginnie Mae has already set up a liquidity facility to give servicers relief .
Not all loans in forbearance are government-backed .
About 740,000 loans either held on bank balance sheets or in private-label securities are also in forbearance plans .
This represents $ 207 billion in unpaid principal balance .
The majority of these loans are higher cost , so-called jumbo loans .
The tally is expected to rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have faced only one monthly payment since the full economic shutdown .

As the economic shutdown drags on and job losses mount, more borrowers are opting to delay their monthly mortgage payments through mortgage forbearance plans.
The majority are doing it through a program designed to provide relief to holders of government-backed home loans, part of the coronavirus CARES Act relief package.
Just over 3.4 million borrowers, representing 6.4% of all mortgages outstanding, are now in forbearance plans. That's an increase of 477,000 loans in just one week, or a nearly 9% jump, according to Black Knight, a mortgage data and analytics firm, which is running weekly tallies.
These forbearances represent $754 billion in unpaid principal. They include 5.6% of all loans backed by government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and 8.9% of all FHA/VA loans. At the current level, mortgage servicers are required to advance $2.8 billion of principal and interest payments per month to mortgage bondholders of government-backed loans.
On Wednesday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, announced the servicers would be bound to make these payments for 4 months. Fannie Mae usually requires payments be made for up to a year. Regardless, servicers of GSE-backed loans could still face more than $7 billion in advances, given the number of loans in forbearance thus far. Some said the move is not enough help for servicers.
"While this news reduces servicers' worst case cash flow demands considerably, we continue to call on the Treasury and Federal Reserve to provide a liquidity facility to ensure that servicers can continue their important work of advancing missed payments to investors as well as paying property taxes and insurance premiums on behalf of struggling borrowers," said Bob Broeksmit, CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association.
For FHA loans, Ginnie Mae has already set up a liquidity facility to give servicers relief.
Not all loans in forbearance are government-backed. About 740,000 loans either held on bank balance sheets or in private-label securities are also in forbearance plans. This represents $207 billion in unpaid principal balance. The majority of these loans are higher cost, so-called jumbo loans.
The tally is expected to rise, along with job losses. Borrowers have faced only one monthly payment since the full economic shutdown.


cnbc--2020-04-23--Trump suggests reports on Kim Jong Un falling ill are 'incorrect'

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that reports suggesting North Korea 's leader was incapacitated following a cardiovascular surgery were incorrect .
`` I think the report was incorrect , let me just put it that way , '' Trump said when asked at a White House press briefing if he knew of Kim Jong Un 's condition .
`` I hear the report was an incorrect report .
I hope it was an incorrect report , '' he added , without providing further details .
Earlier in the week , Trump said that he had a `` very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wished Kim `` good luck . ''
`` I 've had a very good relationship with him .
I would n't -- I can only say this , I wish him well , because if he is in the kind of condition that the reports say , that 's a very serious condition , as you know , '' Trump said on Tuesday during a White House press briefing .
`` But I wish him well . ''
Speculation about Kim 's health first arose after his absence from the April 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founding father Kim Il Sung , the grandfather of Kim Jong Un .
Daily NK , a South Korean newspaper that focuses its coverage on North Korea , said late Monday that Kim on April 12 received a cardiovascular procedure at Hyangsan Hospital .
The outlet also reported that Kim was recovering in a villa near the hospital .
NBC News , citing American officials , reported early Tuesday that Kim recently had cardiovascular surgery .
Some of those officials said intelligence suggests Kim could be incapacitated .
NBC 's report seemed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which told the outlet that Kim `` is currently touring provincial areas with his close aides and we do not detect evidences to support speculation about his ill health . ''
Kim Jong Un was put forward as the `` Great Successor '' in 2009 and was made a four-star general the following year .
His father , Kim Jong Il , died in 2011 and was believed to be about 70 years old at the time of his death .
As planned , Kim took over and was probably around 28 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state has conducted its most powerful nuclear test , launched its first-ever intercontinental ballistic missile and threatened to send missiles into the waters near Guam , a U.S. territory .
North Korea is the only nation known to have tested nuclear weapons this century .
Since 2011 , Kim has launched more than 100 missiles and conducted four nuclear weapons tests , which is more than his father , Kim Jong Il , and grandfather , Kim Il Sung , launched over a 27-year period .

watch now
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that reports suggesting North Korea's leader was incapacitated following a cardiovascular surgery were incorrect. "I think the report was incorrect, let me just put it that way," Trump said when asked at a White House press briefing if he knew of Kim Jong Un's condition. "I hear the report was an incorrect report. I hope it was an incorrect report," he added, without providing further details. Earlier in the week, Trump said that he had a "very good relationship" with the young leader and wished Kim "good luck." "I've had a very good relationship with him. I wouldn't -- I can only say this, I wish him well, because if he is in the kind of condition that the reports say, that's a very serious condition, as you know," Trump said on Tuesday during a White House press briefing. "But I wish him well."
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, June 30, 2019. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Speculation about Kim's health first arose after his absence from the April 15 anniversary birthday celebration of North Korea's founding father Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of Kim Jong Un. Daily NK, a South Korean newspaper that focuses its coverage on North Korea, said late Monday that Kim on April 12 received a cardiovascular procedure at Hyangsan Hospital. The outlet also reported that Kim was recovering in a villa near the hospital. NBC News, citing American officials, reported early Tuesday that Kim recently had cardiovascular surgery. Some of those officials said intelligence suggests Kim could be incapacitated. NBC's report seemed to contradict South Korea's presidential office, which told the outlet that Kim "is currently touring provincial areas with his close aides and we do not detect evidences to support speculation about his ill health." Kim Jong Un was put forward as the "Great Successor" in 2009 and was made a four-star general the following year. His father, Kim Jong Il, died in 2011 and was believed to be about 70 years old at the time of his death. As planned, Kim took over and was probably around 28 years old.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA). KCNA | Reuters


cnbc--2020-04-24--Trump signs $484 billion coronavirus relief bill to boost small business, hospitals and testing

President Donald Trump signed a $ 484 billion coronavirus relief package into law Friday as Washington plans the next steps in its unprecedented attempt to rescue an economy and health-care system bludgeoned by the pandemic .
The measure puts $ 370 billion into aid for small businesses trying to keep employees on the payroll as they temporarily shutter to try to slow Covid-19 's spread .
It grants $ 75 billion to hospitals struggling to cover costs during the crisis , and $ 25 billion for efforts to ramp up testing for the disease .
The package becomes the fourth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak , with a total cost approaching $ 3 trillion .
As Covid-19 cases rise and sustained economic shutdowns keep millions of Americans out of work , many in Congress predict lawmakers will have more work to do to buoy the country — even as Republicans start to grow wary of the mammoth spending .
• $ 310 billion in new funds for the Paycheck Protection Program , which provides small business loans that can be forgiven if used for wages , benefits , rent and utilities .
$ 60 billion is set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75 billion in grants to hospitals dealing with a flood of patients .
• $ 25 billion to bolster coronavirus testing , a key part of efforts to reopen the economy .
Republicans and Democrats alike cheered the package as a boost for American workers and the health-care system .
In a tweeted statement Friday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it `` strengthens some of the most important parts '' of the $ 2 trillion rescue package passed last month , including the small business program `` which is saving millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Even so , lawmakers will soon have to grapple again with how best to combat the devastation from a widespread closure of the U.S. economy .
The first wave of $ 350 billion for the small business program approved last month dried up within days after it started , and a confusing rollout led to backlash about large companies receiving some of the relief .
The new round of funding could get committed just as quickly .
At the same time , millions of Americans have struggled to cover their cost of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about budget shortfalls created by their virus response and lost revenue — threatening essential services .
McConnell expressed doubts this week about spending more federal money and suggested states should be allowed to declare bankruptcy .

President Donald Trump signed a $484 billion coronavirus relief package into law Friday as Washington plans the next steps in its unprecedented attempt to rescue an economy and health-care system bludgeoned by the pandemic.
The measure puts $370 billion into aid for small businesses trying to keep employees on the payroll as they temporarily shutter to try to slow Covid-19's spread. It grants $75 billion to hospitals struggling to cover costs during the crisis, and $25 billion for efforts to ramp up testing for the disease.
The package becomes the fourth passed by Congress to respond to the outbreak, with a total cost approaching $3 trillion. As Covid-19 cases rise and sustained economic shutdowns keep millions of Americans out of work, many in Congress predict lawmakers will have more work to do to buoy the country — even as Republicans start to grow wary of the mammoth spending.
The legislation includes:
$310 billion in new funds for the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides small business loans that can be forgiven if used for wages, benefits, rent and utilities. $60 billion is set aside for small lenders.
$60 billion for Small Business Administration disaster assistance loans and grants.
$75 billion in grants to hospitals dealing with a flood of patients.
$25 billion to bolster coronavirus testing, a key part of efforts to reopen the economy.
Republicans and Democrats alike cheered the package as a boost for American workers and the health-care system. In a tweeted statement Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it "strengthens some of the most important parts" of the $2 trillion rescue package passed last month, including the small business program "which is saving millions of American jobs as we speak."
Even so, lawmakers will soon have to grapple again with how best to combat the devastation from a widespread closure of the U.S. economy.
The first wave of $350 billion for the small business program approved last month dried up within days after it started, and a confusing rollout led to backlash about large companies receiving some of the relief. The new round of funding could get committed just as quickly.
At the same time, millions of Americans have struggled to cover their cost of living. State and local governments warn about budget shortfalls created by their virus response and lost revenue — threatening essential services. McConnell expressed doubts this week about spending more federal money and suggested states should be allowed to declare bankruptcy.


cnbc--2020-04-24--Leaked White House emails reveal behind-the-scenes battle over chloroquine in coronavirus response

US President Donald Trump ( C ) , flanked by US Vice President Mike Pence ( 2nd L ) , and other members of the coronavirus task force , speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus , COVID-19 , at the White House on March 22 , 2020 , in Washington , DC .
But Trump 's public comments touting the drug as a `` game changer '' have helped to trigger a worldwide shortage of the drugs , in spite of warnings from American and international scientific groups about potentially deadly side effects .
On Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinical trial of chloroquine that was halted amid safety concerns after researchers cited a `` primary outcome '' of death among patients who were given high doses of chloroquine .
The report adds a new layer to the looming crisis facing the Trump administration over its efforts to promote and procure drugs containing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine .
Long used to treat malaria and select autoimmune diseases , chloroquine has not been proven effective to treat Covid-19 .
The pressure tactics caused panic and pushback from scientists and doctors at several federal health agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to distribute the potentially dangerous treatment to the public outside of hospitals .
WASHINGTON — Trump White House appointees pressured government health officials to make an unproven malaria drug available to the public to treat the disease caused by the new coronavirus without a doctor 's supervision , according to internal emails published by Vanity Fair on Friday .
It is still too early to determine what , if any , efficacy chloroquine has in treating Covid-19 .
Yet since the start of the pandemic early this year , Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chloroquine drugs .
In the United States , chloroquine was initially given only to Covid-19 patients sick enough to require hospital admission , and only under the close supervision of doctors .
But as nationwide cases soared past 100,000 , health officials started looking for ways to distribute the drug to pharmacies for use at home , Vanity Fair 's Katherine Eban reported .
If pharmacies were given their own stockpiles of chloroquine , doctors across the country could prescribe it for `` off-label use '' by people who had been infected by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor under constant supervision by a doctor .
On March 24 , an internal panel of top government health experts warned the White House against making chloroquine available to the public outside of clinical trials , saying its safety was `` not supported by data from reliable clinical trials or from non-human primates , '' according to Vanity Fair .
Despite the warning , two weeks later Trump boasted at a daily coronavirus press conference , `` We have millions and millions of doses of it — 29 million to be exact .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just hearing really positive stories , and we 're continuing to collect the data . ''
That night , Brett Giroir , the assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services , emailed top appointees at the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency and stressed the need `` to flood NY and NJ with treatment courses '' of chloroquine .
`` Hospitals have it .
Sick out patients do n't .
And ca n't get .
So go through distribution channels as we discussed .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few million ASAP ?
WH wants follow up in AM , '' wrote Giroir , according to Vanity Fair .
In addition to making the drug available to pharmacies , the administration planned to partner with Oracle , the tech giant founded by billionaire and prominent Trump donor Larry Ellison , to track what happened to the patients using chloroquine at home .
The plan triggered frantic pushback within federal health agencies against the idea of giving pharmacies enough chloroquine for doctors to prescribe it off-label for Covid-19 , and against running what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nationwide trial of the drug using patients who were not under constant care .
In response to Vanity Fair 's reporting , an HHS spokesperson said the agency ultimately decided against the plan .
Trump has not mentioned chloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19 during his daily briefings for nearly a week .
A White House spokesman did not dispute the emails ' accuracy , but said , `` Any suggestion that President Trump has not relied on and consulted with his health experts and scientific advisors or that he has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctor is just false . ''
The emails also shed light on explosive new allegations this week by Dr. Rick Bright , the former director of the government 's premier vaccine research lab , that he was removed from his post because he would not approve the widespread distribution of chloroquine drugs to pharmacies for distribution to Covid-19 patients .
`` Specifically , and contrary to misguided directives , I limited the broad use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine , promoted by the Administration as a panacea , but which clearly lack scientific merit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this week was director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority .
`` I rightly resisted efforts to provide an unproven drug on demand to the American public , '' Bright said in a statement Wednesday .
`` I insisted that these drugs be provided only to hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 while under the supervision of a physician . ''
Bright requested an Inspector General 's investigation into his demotion and has requested he be reinstated to his post .
There are no proven therapies to treat Covid-19 , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worldwide and killed at least 191,231 as of Friday morning , according to data complied by Johns Hopkins University .
UPDATE : This story has been updated to include a response from the White House .

US President Donald Trump (C), flanked by US Vice President Mike Pence (2nd L), and other members of the coronavirus task force, speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at the White House on March 22, 2020, in Washington, DC.
But Trump's public comments touting the drug as a "game changer" have helped to trigger a worldwide shortage of the drugs, in spite of warnings from American and international scientific groups about potentially deadly side effects.
On Friday, CNBC reported on the findings of a clinical trial of chloroquine that was halted amid safety concerns after researchers cited a "primary outcome" of death among patients who were given high doses of chloroquine.
The report adds a new layer to the looming crisis facing the Trump administration over its efforts to promote and procure drugs containing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. Long used to treat malaria and select autoimmune diseases, chloroquine has not been proven effective to treat Covid-19.
The pressure tactics caused panic and pushback from scientists and doctors at several federal health agencies, who refused to suspend drug regulations in order to distribute the potentially dangerous treatment to the public outside of hospitals.
WASHINGTON — Trump White House appointees pressured government health officials to make an unproven malaria drug available to the public to treat the disease caused by the new coronavirus without a doctor's supervision, according to internal emails published by Vanity Fair on Friday.
It is still too early to determine what, if any, efficacy chloroquine has in treating Covid-19. Yet since the start of the pandemic early this year, Trump administration officials have pressed health agencies to stockpile chloroquine drugs.
In the United States, chloroquine was initially given only to Covid-19 patients sick enough to require hospital admission, and only under the close supervision of doctors. But as nationwide cases soared past 100,000, health officials started looking for ways to distribute the drug to pharmacies for use at home, Vanity Fair's Katherine Eban reported.
If pharmacies were given their own stockpiles of chloroquine, doctors across the country could prescribe it for "off-label use" by people who had been infected by the coronavirus but who were neither hospitalized nor under constant supervision by a doctor.
On March 24, an internal panel of top government health experts warned the White House against making chloroquine available to the public outside of clinical trials, saying its safety was "not supported by data from reliable clinical trials or from non-human primates," according to Vanity Fair.
Despite the warning, two weeks later Trump boasted at a daily coronavirus press conference, "We have millions and millions of doses of it — 29 million to be exact." He added: "We're just hearing really positive stories, and we're continuing to collect the data."
That night, Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services, emailed top appointees at the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency and stressed the need "to flood NY and NJ with treatment courses" of chloroquine.
"Hospitals have it. Sick out patients don't. And can't get. So go through distribution channels as we discussed. If we have 29 million perhaps send a few million ASAP? WH wants follow up in AM," wrote Giroir, according to Vanity Fair.
In addition to making the drug available to pharmacies, the administration planned to partner with Oracle , the tech giant founded by billionaire and prominent Trump donor Larry Ellison, to track what happened to the patients using chloroquine at home.
The plan triggered frantic pushback within federal health agencies against the idea of giving pharmacies enough chloroquine for doctors to prescribe it off-label for Covid-19, and against running what would have amounted to a loosely controlled, nationwide trial of the drug using patients who were not under constant care.
In response to Vanity Fair's reporting, an HHS spokesperson said the agency ultimately decided against the plan. Trump has not mentioned chloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19 during his daily briefings for nearly a week.
A White House spokesman did not dispute the emails' accuracy, but said, "Any suggestion that President Trump has not relied on and consulted with his health experts and scientific advisors or that he has not routinely told Americans to check with their doctor is just false."
Collateral damage
The emails also shed light on explosive new allegations this week by Dr. Rick Bright, the former director of the government's premier vaccine research lab, that he was removed from his post because he would not approve the widespread distribution of chloroquine drugs to pharmacies for distribution to Covid-19 patients.
"Specifically, and contrary to misguided directives, I limited the broad use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, promoted by the Administration as a panacea, but which clearly lack scientific merit," said Bright, who until earlier this week was director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
"I rightly resisted efforts to provide an unproven drug on demand to the American public," Bright said in a statement Wednesday. "I insisted that these drugs be provided only to hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 while under the supervision of a physician."
Bright requested an Inspector General's investigation into his demotion and has requested he be reinstated to his post.
There are no proven therapies to treat Covid-19, which has infected more than 2.7 million people worldwide and killed at least 191,231 as of Friday morning, according to data complied by Johns Hopkins University.
— Berkeley Lovelace contributed to this report.
UPDATE: This story has been updated to include a response from the White House.


cnbc--2020-04-24--Navy recommends reinstating captain of coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier

Captain Brett Crozier addresses the crew for the first time as commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt during a change of command ceremony on the ship 's flight deck in San Diego , California , U.S. November 1 , 2019 .
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy 's top officials recommended Friday that the captain relieved of duty after sounding the alarm of a growing coronavirus outbreak aboard an aircraft carrier should be reinstated , The New York Times reports .
The decision to reinstate Navy Capt .
Brett Crozier 's command of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Esper .
The Pentagon boss , who was briefed on the recommendations following a U.S. Navy investigation , has yet to sign off on the reinstatement of the captain .
He is expected to make a decision Friday .
The latest revelation follows a messy string of events that resulted in the resignation of acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly .
Crozier was relieved by Modly after the captain 's letter pleading for help to mitigate the spread of the virus aboard the aircraft carrier was leaked to the media .
Modly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost taxpayers $ 243,000 , to address the crew of the Roosevelt .
In the address , delivered via the ship 's loudspeaker , Modly doubled down on his decision to relieve Crozier and called the former vessel 's captain `` naive '' and `` stupid . ''
Hours later Modly issued an apology to the Navy .

Captain Brett Crozier addresses the crew for the first time as commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt during a change of command ceremony on the ship's flight deck in San Diego, California, U.S. November 1, 2019.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy's top officials recommended Friday that the captain relieved of duty after sounding the alarm of a growing coronavirus outbreak aboard an aircraft carrier should be reinstated, The New York Times reports.
The decision to reinstate Navy Capt. Brett Crozier's command of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt sits with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. The Pentagon boss, who was briefed on the recommendations following a U.S. Navy investigation, has yet to sign off on the reinstatement of the captain. He is expected to make a decision Friday.
The latest revelation follows a messy string of events that resulted in the resignation of acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly.
Crozier was relieved by Modly after the captain's letter pleading for help to mitigate the spread of the virus aboard the aircraft carrier was leaked to the media. Modly then took a 35-hour trip, which cost taxpayers $243,000, to address the crew of the Roosevelt.
In the address, delivered via the ship's loudspeaker, Modly doubled down on his decision to relieve Crozier and called the former vessel's captain "naive" and "stupid." Hours later Modly issued an apology to the Navy.


cnbc--2020-04-24--Republican National Committee paid Trump ally's law firm $20,000 for impeachment defense

President Donald Trump shows a packaging containing a swab to be used for coronavirus testing during the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington , U.S. on April 19 , 2020 .
The Republican National Committee is catching up on its payments to legal advisors on the president 's impeachment defense team .
Kasowitz , Benson and Torres , a firm founded by longtime Trump legal advisor Marc Kasowitz , was paid $ 20,000 by the RNC in March for `` legal and compliance services , '' according to a new Federal Election Commission filing reviewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the payment was for the work the firm did for Trump in the congressional battle over whether the president should be impeached .
This would mark the first time the firm has been paid by the RNC , records show , although it has received checks from President Donald Trump 's campaign in the past .
Trump hired a partner at the firm , Eric Herschmann , in January to assist Trump 's legal defense team against Democrats pushing for impeachment .
He was a vocal defender of the president 's when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Senate after the House impeached Trump .
`` The case against President Obama would have been far stronger than the allegations against President Trump , '' Herschmann said at the time .
He was referring to a discussion Obama held with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev over a missile defense system .
Later , the lawyer attacked Biden and his son Hunter for the work the younger Biden did the board of a Ukrainian energy company .
Neither Obama nor Joe Biden were found to have engaged in wrongdoing .
Trump was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the House impeached him for actions related to a controversial call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy .
Trump asked then the new president of Ukraine to look into Hunter Biden 's role on the energy company 's board , and his administration withheld military aid to the country shortly after that conversation .
Democrats accused Trump of using his office for his own political gain , which the president denied .
A spokesperson for the Kasowitz firm did not return a request for comment .
The RNC previously has spent money on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As the Washington Post reported in January , the RNC paid Trump lawyers Jay Sekulow and Jane Raskin $ 225,000 through November .
These payments only represent a fraction of the millions the RNC and Trump-related entities have spent on legal matters , with some related to the House impeachment inquiry and others linked to the investigation into Russian interference by special counsel Robert Mueller .
Kasowitz has been close to Trump for years and first advised him as president during the early stages of investigation into Russian interference .
Kasowitz specifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017 for his claims that Trump asked for his loyalty after the head of the bureau spoke in front of Congress .
Trump fired Comey in May of that year .
A year later , the campaign paid the Kasowitz firm over $ 320,000 for `` legal consulting . ''

President Donald Trump shows a packaging containing a swab to be used for coronavirus testing during the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S. on April 19, 2020.
The Republican National Committee is catching up on its payments to legal advisors on the president's impeachment defense team.
Kasowitz, Benson and Torres, a firm founded by longtime Trump legal advisor Marc Kasowitz, was paid $20,000 by the RNC in March for "legal and compliance services," according to a new Federal Election Commission filing reviewed by CNBC. An RNC official confirmed the payment was for the work the firm did for Trump in the congressional battle over whether the president should be impeached.
This would mark the first time the firm has been paid by the RNC, records show, although it has received checks from President Donald Trump's campaign in the past.
Trump hired a partner at the firm, Eric Herschmann, in January to assist Trump's legal defense team against Democrats pushing for impeachment. He was a vocal defender of the president's when the time came to speak in front of the U.S. Senate after the House impeached Trump.
"The case against President Obama would have been far stronger than the allegations against President Trump," Herschmann said at the time. He was referring to a discussion Obama held with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev over a missile defense system. Later, the lawyer attacked Biden and his son Hunter for the work the younger Biden did the board of a Ukrainian energy company. Neither Obama nor Joe Biden were found to have engaged in wrongdoing.
Trump was acquitted by the Senate earlier this year after the House impeached him for actions related to a controversial call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Trump asked then the new president of Ukraine to look into Hunter Biden's role on the energy company's board, and his administration withheld military aid to the country shortly after that conversation.
Democrats accused Trump of using his office for his own political gain, which the president denied.
A spokesperson for the Kasowitz firm did not return a request for comment.
The RNC previously has spent money on legal costs that went to Trump allies.
As the Washington Post reported in January, the RNC paid Trump lawyers Jay Sekulow and Jane Raskin $225,000 through November. These payments only represent a fraction of the millions the RNC and Trump-related entities have spent on legal matters, with some related to the House impeachment inquiry and others linked to the investigation into Russian interference by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Kasowitz has been close to Trump for years and first advised him as president during the early stages of investigation into Russian interference. Kasowitz specifically took on former FBI director James Comey in 2017 for his claims that Trump asked for his loyalty after the head of the bureau spoke in front of Congress. Trump fired Comey in May of that year.
A year later, the campaign paid the Kasowitz firm over $320,000 for "legal consulting."


cnbc--2020-04-24--New York will suffer $13.3 billion revenue shortfall from original forecast due to coronavirus, Cuom

New York will suffer $13.3 billion revenue shortfall from original forecast due to coronavirus, Cuomo says

Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Friday that New York will report a $ 13.3 billion shortfall in revenue compared with its original forecast — representing a 14 % decline in the state 's projected receipts .
The Empire State , which has been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than anywhere else in the U.S. , currently forecasts $ 61 billion in total lost revenue between fiscal years 2021 and 2024 , Cuomo said .
`` What you 're going to see is what we expected , '' Cuomo said at a press conference , referring to the state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The projections offer a glimpse into the devastating financial toll the virus has taken on New York .
With nonessential businesses closed and residents ordered to stay in their homes as much as possible , the state 's economy has virtually ground to a halt .
New York 's new forecasts show a severe decline in revenue , even when compared with past crises .
After the 2008 financial collapse , for example , state tax revenues fell 14.5 % over two years before starting to recover , according to data complied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that before the coronavirus rolled through New York , the state economy was `` growing at a very high rate , '' government spending was at `` record lows '' and taxes had been lowered compared with when he took office .
`` And then this economic tsunami hits , and you shut down all the businesses , everybody stays home , they 're not getting a paycheck , they feel economic anxiety , '' Cuomo said .
`` The consequence to the state is , the revenue projections are way down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , who this week said he supported letting states declare bankruptcy rather than providing federal funds to help offset the money lost due to the Covid-19 pandemic .
States ca n't currently declare bankruptcy , and Cuomo at the press conference challenged McConnell to try to pass a law allowing them to do so .
`` It 's your suggestion , Senator McConnell .
Pass a law , I dare you , '' Cuomo said .
`` You want to send a signal to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble ?
You want to send an international message that the economy is in turmoil ?
Do that ... pass that bill , if you were n't just playing politics , '' Cuomo said .

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday that New York will report a $13.3 billion shortfall in revenue compared with its original forecast — representing a 14% decline in the state's projected receipts.
The Empire State, which has been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than anywhere else in the U.S., currently forecasts $61 billion in total lost revenue between fiscal years 2021 and 2024, Cuomo said.
"What you're going to see is what we expected," Cuomo said at a press conference, referring to the state's assessment of the virus' economic impact.
The projections offer a glimpse into the devastating financial toll the virus has taken on New York. With nonessential businesses closed and residents ordered to stay in their homes as much as possible, the state's economy has virtually ground to a halt.
New York's new forecasts show a severe decline in revenue, even when compared with past crises. After the 2008 financial collapse, for example, state tax revenues fell 14.5% over two years before starting to recover, according to data complied by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Cuomo said that before the coronavirus rolled through New York, the state economy was "growing at a very high rate," government spending was at "record lows" and taxes had been lowered compared with when he took office.
"And then this economic tsunami hits, and you shut down all the businesses, everybody stays home, they're not getting a paycheck, they feel economic anxiety," Cuomo said. "The consequence to the state is, the revenue projections are way down."
Cuomo once again lashed out at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who this week said he supported letting states declare bankruptcy rather than providing federal funds to help offset the money lost due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
States can't currently declare bankruptcy, and Cuomo at the press conference challenged McConnell to try to pass a law allowing them to do so.
"It's your suggestion, Senator McConnell. Pass a law, I dare you," Cuomo said.
"You want to send a signal to the markets that this nation is in real trouble? You want to send an international message that the economy is in turmoil? Do that ... pass that bill, if you weren't just playing politics," Cuomo said.


cnbc--2020-04-24--Trump denies he gave Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp the OK to reopen salons, tattoo parlors

Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp attends the Election Night event at the Classic Center on November 6 , 2018 in Athens , Georgia .
President Donald Trump on Friday denied that he and Vice President Mike Pence gave Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp approval to reopen certain businesses in the midst of the coronavirus crisis .
`` Spas , beauty salons , tattoo parlors , & barber shops should take a little slower path , but I told the Governor to do what is right for the great people of Georgia ( & USA ) ! ''
Trump said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be responding to the Associated Press ' report Thursday that he and Pence repeatedly gave Kemp a green light to allow businesses to reopen as early as this week .
`` FAKE NEWS ! ''
Trump said in his tweet , without identifying any specific news reports .
Kemp unveiled his new reopening policy Monday .
Two days later , Trump said he `` totally disagrees '' with the plan , adding that it violated the federal reopening guidelines released by the White House last week .
Trump doubled down at a press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was n't happy with Brian Kemp .
I was n't at all happy . ''
The AP reported that Trump 's about-face on Georgia 's reopening plan came after top White House health advisors persuaded him that Kemp was moving too quickly and could cause further spread of the coronavirus .
Kemp 's plan allows tattoo parlors , spas , hair salons and barbershops , movie theaters and bowling alleys to reopen this week so long as they , and their patrons , follow physical distancing orders and other guidelines .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , `` Our decisions and direction are informed by data and public health recommendations . ''
`` Now , with favorable data and approval from state health officials , we are taking another measured step forward by opening shuttered businesses for limited operations , '' the governor tweeted .
Kemp 's office did not immediately respond to CNBC 's request for comment on the president 's tweet .
There are at least 21,883 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Georgia , and 881 deaths from the disease , according to data from Johns Hopkins @ @

Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp attends the Election Night event at the Classic Center on November 6, 2018 in Athens, Georgia.
President Donald Trump on Friday denied that he and Vice President Mike Pence gave Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp approval to reopen certain businesses in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.
"Spas, beauty salons, tattoo parlors, & barber shops should take a little slower path, but I told the Governor to do what is right for the great people of Georgia (& USA)!" Trump said in a tweet.
TRUMP TWEET
The president appeared to be responding to the Associated Press' report Thursday that he and Pence repeatedly gave Kemp a green light to allow businesses to reopen as early as this week.
"FAKE NEWS!" Trump said in his tweet, without identifying any specific news reports.
Kemp unveiled his new reopening policy Monday. Two days later, Trump said he "totally disagrees" with the plan, adding that it violated the federal reopening guidelines released by the White House last week.
Trump doubled down at a press briefing Thursday, saying, "I wasn't happy with Brian Kemp. I wasn't at all happy."
The AP reported that Trump's about-face on Georgia's reopening plan came after top White House health advisors persuaded him that Kemp was moving too quickly and could cause further spread of the coronavirus.
Kemp's plan allows tattoo parlors, spas, hair salons and barbershops, movie theaters and bowling alleys to reopen this week so long as they, and their patrons, follow physical distancing orders and other guidelines.
In a series of tweets Thursday night, Kemp said, "Our decisions and direction are informed by data and public health recommendations."
"Now, with favorable data and approval from state health officials, we are taking another measured step forward by opening shuttered businesses for limited operations," the governor tweeted.
Kemp's office did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the president's tweet.
There are at least 21,883 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Georgia, and 881 deaths from the disease, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.


cnbc--2020-04-24--Trump Organization reportedly seeks government aid for golf resorts in UK and Ireland

The Trump Organization has reportedly asked Britain and Ireland 's governments for assistance in weathering the coronavirus crisis .
The company , currently headed by the president 's sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. , is seeking state aid to help cover wages at its golf resorts in Doonbeg , Ireland , and the Scottish counties of Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire .
All the hotels are closed in compliance with government-enforced lockdown measures .
Eric Trump confirmed in a statement to USA Today that the Trump Organization was looking to local governments for help .
`` Like millions of businesses around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by government mandate to temporarily close our hospitality and leisure facilities , and are doing all that we can to retain and support our highly valued staff , '' he said .
`` The job retention plan created by the U.K. government has nothing to do with the Trump Organization , and does not benefit the business — it is solely about protecting people and their families who would otherwise be out of work . ''
Spokespersons for the Trump Organization and Trump International were not immediately available for comment when contacted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump golf courses in Ireland and Scotland told Bloomberg this week that they had applied for help from government schemes .
Trump and his family have been barred from seeking relief from the $ 2 trillion U.S. stimulus package signed into law last month .

The Trump Organization has asked Britain and Ireland's governments for assistance in weathering the coronavirus crisis.
The company, currently headed by the president's sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., is seeking state aid to help cover wages at its golf resorts in Doonbeg, Ireland, and the Scottish counties of Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire.
All the hotels are closed in compliance with government-enforced lockdown measures.
Eric Trump confirmed in a statement to CNBC on Friday that the Trump Organization was looking to local governments for help, adding that the company was "anxiously awaiting the day we receive approval from the government to reopen our doors."
"Like millions of businesses around the globe, we have been forced by government mandate to temporarily close our hospitality and leisure facilities, and are doing all that we can to retain and support our highly valued staff," he said.
"The job retention plan created by the U.K. government has nothing to do with the Trump Organization, and does not benefit the business — it is solely about protecting people and their families who would otherwise be out of work."
Managers at two of the Trump golf courses in Ireland and Scotland told Bloomberg this week that they had applied for help from government schemes.
Trump and his family have been barred from seeking relief from the $2 trillion U.S. stimulus package signed into law last month.


cnbc--2020-04-24--GOP's Kevin Brady: Punishing businesses with higher taxes would hurt 'blue-collar' workers

Rep. Kevin Brady told CNBC on Friday that higher taxes and more regulations should not be put in place in response to the coronavirus economic crisis .
`` I do n't think you punish business in order to help that blue-collar worker .
I think it 's the opposite .
We lift them together , '' the Texas Republican said on `` Squawk Box . ''
Brady , ranking member on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee , said he believes policies enacted by the Trump administration , including the 2017 tax cut , helped put the U.S. economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus crisis .
Brady was chairman of the committee three years ago when Republicans controlled the House and Senate .
`` I still think the worst thing we could do would be to reverse those policies because I think they were key to us having this strong economy .
They 're going to be even more important going forward , '' Brady said Friday .
Brady said that letting workers `` keep more of what they earned '' is itself a boost to wages , and he contended that the overall strength of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and leads to more benefits for workers .
He noted that workers on the lower end of the pay scale were seeing some of the biggest gains in 2018 and 2019 .
There is some disagreement over the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act , which went into effect in 2018 .
A study published last May by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said most benefits in the law 's first year went to corporations and the wealthy , with little boost to wages .
The coronavirus has brought widespread economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescue effort , both in fiscal measures from Congress and monetary support from the Federal Reserve .
In just five weeks , under state stay-at-home orders and nonessential business closures , the U.S. economy gave back all of the 24.4 million job gains and then some since the Great Recession .
Many agree that the government 's massive spending in relief packages is necessary to weather the crisis , but opinions differ on what the long-term lessons from , and consequences of , such spending will be .
Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus crisis will likely change capitalism and lead to higher taxes .
`` When the government is called upon to protect you on the downside , they have every right to regulate you on the upside , '' Cooperman said on `` Squawk Box . ''
`` So capitalism is changed . ''
Brady told CNBC on Friday that he believes the post-crisis discussion must have `` everything on the table . ''
But he added , `` I do n't think making us less competitive , less attractive , and taking more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the answer here . ''

Rep. Kevin Brady told CNBC on Friday that higher taxes and more regulations should not be put in place in response to the coronavirus economic crisis.
"I don't think you punish business in order to help that blue-collar worker. I think it's the opposite. We lift them together," the Texas Republican said on "Squawk Box."
Brady, ranking member on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said he believes policies enacted by the Trump administration, including the 2017 tax cut, helped put the U.S. economy in a robust position going into the coronavirus crisis. Brady was chairman of the committee three years ago when Republicans controlled the House and Senate.
"I still think the worst thing we could do would be to reverse those policies because I think they were key to us having this strong economy. They're going to be even more important going forward," Brady said Friday.
Brady said that letting workers "keep more of what they earned" is itself a boost to wages, and he contended that the overall strength of the economy also helped push wages higher and leads to more benefits for workers. He noted that workers on the lower end of the pay scale were seeing some of the biggest gains in 2018 and 2019.
There is some disagreement over the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which went into effect in 2018. A study published last May by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said most benefits in the law's first year went to corporations and the wealthy, with little boost to wages.
The coronavirus has brought widespread economic damage and resulted in a large government rescue effort, both in fiscal measures from Congress and monetary support from the Federal Reserve. In just five weeks, under state stay-at-home orders and nonessential business closures, the U.S. economy gave back all of the 24.4 million job gains and then some since the Great Recession.
Many agree that the government's massive spending in relief packages is necessary to weather the crisis, but opinions differ on what the long-term lessons from, and consequences of, such spending will be.
Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman told CNBC on Thursday that he believes the coronavirus crisis will likely change capitalism and lead to higher taxes.
"When the government is called upon to protect you on the downside, they have every right to regulate you on the upside," Cooperman said on "Squawk Box." "So capitalism is changed."
Brady told CNBC on Friday that he believes the post-crisis discussion must have "everything on the table." But he added, "I don't think making us less competitive, less attractive, and taking more of what people earn will ultimately be the answer here."


cnbc--2020-04-24--House passes $484 billion bill to boost small businesses and hospitals, sends it to Trump

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , a Democrat from California , signs H.R .
266 , The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act , during a ceremony in the Rayburn Room of the U.S. Capitol in Washington , D.C. , U.S. , on Thursday , April 23 , 2020 .
The House overwhelmingly passed and sent to President Donald Trump a $ 484 billion coronavirus aid package , even as members are already at odds over the next phase of rescue legislation .
Photographer : Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images The House passed a $ 484 billion package @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ravaged by the coronavirus crisis and expand testing desperately needed to start the return to normal life .
Donning face coverings and voting in alphabetical sets to cut the risk of infection , representatives approved the bill easily by a 388-5-1 vote .
One member , independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan , voted `` present . ''
The House sends the proposal to President Donald Trump , who is set to sign it into law during a ceremony at noon ET Friday .
Before the chamber passed the plan to try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also approved a Democratic-majority select subcommittee to oversee the Trump administration 's use of a $ 500 billion pool of aid for corporations , states and municipalities .
Congress approved those funds last month .
Between votes , House staff swept through the chamber to clean and disinfect it .
Representatives came back to the Capitol in force Thursday for the first time in about a month .
Once signed into law , the legislation will bring the government 's emergency response to an unprecedented total of more than $ 2.5 trillion across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over what the measure should include , lawmakers replenished a key $ 350 billion small business aid program that dried up last week .
• $ 310 billion in new funds for the so-called Paycheck Protection Program , which gives small firms loans that could be forgiven if they use them on wages , benefits , rent and utilities .
Within that pool , $ 60 billion will specifically go to small lenders , a priority Democrats pushed for after they blocked a $ 250 billion funding bill earlier this month .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmed by a rush of Covid-19 patients .
• $ 25 billion to bolster coronavirus testing , a core piece of any plan to restart the U.S. economy .
Four Republicans and one Democrat voted against the proposal .
The lone Democrat who opposed it was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who represents hard-hit areas of the Bronx and Queens .
She argued the bill did not go far enough to help struggling individuals and governments .
The bill 's approval likely will not end the government 's response to the outbreak or disagreements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll on Americans ' health and paychecks .
The first round of small businesses funding was committed just days after it became available — though it is unclear how many companies have actually received it — and the new money could also dry up quickly .
Democrats have pushed for an additional bill to send money to states and municipalities asking the federal government to help them cover budget crunches created by the pandemic , among other priorities for the party .
While Trump has said he supports passing the aid , Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he supports allowing states to declare bankruptcy instead .
The destruction coronavirus has wrought shows in mounting infections , deaths , layoffs and furloughs .
The U.S. now has more than 850,000 Covid-19 cases , and the disease has killed at least 47,000 people , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
More than 26 million people have filed for unemployment insurance over the latest five-week period , according to government data released Thursday .
While some states will start to reopen — against the wishes of Trump administration health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shuttered for weeks longer to slow the disease 's spread .
As they look ahead to the next legislation , Democratic leaders have called for hazard pay for Americans still required to go into their workplaces , national mail-in ballots to make voting safer and money to rescue the U.S .
Postal Service .
Trump has pushed for a sprawling infrastructure plan — an area where he and Democrats have failed to reach accord so far in his presidency — along with incentives for restaurant and entertainment spending and a payroll tax cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have grown more wary of spending as the government tab during the crisis approaches $ 3 trillion .


cnbc--2020-04-27--Trump Organization seeks government aid for golf resorts in UK and Ireland

The Trump Organization has asked Britain and Ireland 's governments for assistance in weathering the coronavirus crisis .
The company , currently headed by the president 's sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. , is seeking state aid to help cover wages at its golf resorts in Doonbeg , Ireland , and the Scottish counties of Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire .
All the hotels are closed in compliance with government-enforced lockdown measures .
Eric Trump confirmed in a statement to CNBC on Friday that the Trump Organization was looking to local governments for help , adding that the company was `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the government to reopen our doors . ''
`` Like millions of businesses around the globe , we have been forced by government mandate to temporarily close our hospitality and leisure facilities , and are doing all that we can to retain and support our highly valued staff , '' he said .
`` The job retention plan created by the U.K. government has nothing to do with the Trump Organization , and does not benefit the business — it is solely about protecting people and their families who would otherwise be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two of the Trump golf courses in Ireland and Scotland told Bloomberg this week that they had applied for help from government schemes .
Trump and his family have been barred from seeking relief from the $ 2 trillion U.S. stimulus package signed into law last month .