usatoday--2020-04-23--California had its deadliest day Wednesday, even as COVID-19 cases start to stabilize

California saw its deadliest day since the coronavirus crisis began , with 115 lives lost over the last 24 hours , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said at his daily briefing Thursday .
He used the devastating figure to highlight the need for continued diligence in social distancing , especially with a week of warm weather beckoning residents to recreate outside .
The spike in the death toll represents an 8.5 % jump from the previous day , bringing the number of fatalities associated with COVID-19 to more than 1,400 .
As of Wednesday evening , the California Public Health Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
Newsom said that number has also continued to grow — the latest count is 37,369 .
`` We still have more positives in this state every day , '' he said .
`` This disease continues to spread and we need to spread the word — we are all in this together . ''
Newsom said there was good news to share .
For the first time since officials started tracking cases — and relying on them as the key metrics to assess whether the curve is flattening — he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensive care unit patients dropped , along with the number of people being tracked for potential exposure .
Newsom has often signaled that these numbers are among the most important when it comes to determining California 's ability to respond to the crisis .
Confirmed COVID-19 cases are expected to rise along with the expansion in testing , but the need for critical care is stabilizing and — so far — has not exceeded the state 's hospital capacity .
These totals , along with a list of six key indicators he shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state will begin easing social distancing orders and returning to some degree of normalcy .
The metrics alone , Newsom said , will determine the timeline .
More : Newsom : 86 new COVID-19 test sites to open in California ; 16,000 tests being done a day '' It wo n't be a letter I receive or a tweet , '' he said , noting the frustration some have expressed and the protests that are popping up across California and around the U.S. `` When the indicators go green , I am going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would make the announcements `` in real-time '' once the data signals that it 's safe to begin easing restrictions .
`` There is no such thing as reopening back to normal — it is normal with caveats , '' he said .
`` I assure you , I am looking forward to starting up this engine of our economy . ''
New debt-relief programs to help with financial hardship from COVID-19 Acknowledging the financial hardship and anxiety caused by the coronavirus crisis — and the need for the continued social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recession — Newsom announced new programs aimed to relieve pressure on debt-ridden residents .
First , a new 90-day student loan forbearance will become available to the 1.1 million Californians with academic debts , without any risk of impact to credit scores or increases in fees or fines .
Along with that program , Newsom signed an executive order Thursday ensuring that federal stimulus funds received through the CARES Act can not be garnished by debt collectors .
The order applies retroactively , so money already taken by collectors will have to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can take those direct payments in the state of California any longer , '' Newsom said .
The move , he added , advances `` a principle that is appropriate under the economic circumstance . ''
But there is a caveat : `` If you owe child care , spousal support , this does not apply for you , '' he said .
Economic hardship in the state has surged since Newsom issued shelter-in-place orders .
As of March 15 , 3.9 million individuals have applied for unemployment insurance , Newsom said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion , but many residents are still waiting for their checks .
More than 530,000 people filed new unemployment claims in the week ending on April 18 alone , according to the U.S. Department of Labor .
To keep up with the increases in need , the Employment Development Department has redeployed 1,300 staffers to process unemployment insurance claims and opened a new call center with hours expanded from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. , every day of the week .
Newsom said officials are in the process of adding hundreds more staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is coming together not just to increase points of access , '' he said , `` but the quality of access . ''
Gabrielle Canon is a California reporter for the USA Today Network .
You can reach her at gcanon @ gannett.com or on Twitter @ GabrielleCanon .

California had its deadliest day Wednesday, even as COVID-19 cases start to stabilize
Show Caption Hide Caption Newsom: Calif. now in 'pandemic induced recession' Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that California is now "in a pandemic-induced recession," amid the coronavirus outbreak. In an attempt to ease the economic fallout, Newsom said he has selected advisors to aid in the economic recovery effort. (April 17) AP
California saw its deadliest day since the coronavirus crisis began, with 115 lives lost over the last 24 hours, Gov. Gavin Newsom said at his daily briefing Thursday.
He used the devastating figure to highlight the need for continued diligence in social distancing, especially with a week of warm weather beckoning residents to recreate outside.
The spike in the death toll represents an 8.5% jump from the previous day, bringing the number of fatalities associated with COVID-19 to more than 1,400.
As of Wednesday evening, the California Public Health Department reported nearly 35,400 confirmed cases in the state. Newsom said that number has also continued to grow — the latest count is 37,369.
NEW: CA has 37,369 confirmed positive cases of #COVID19.
3,343 of those cases are in our hospitals. 1,204 of those are in the ICU.
We have tragically lost 1,469 lives in CA, including 115 yesterday--our deadliest 24 hours yet.
We MUST take this seriously.#StayHomeSaveLives — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 23, 2020
"We still have more positives in this state every day," he said. "This disease continues to spread and we need to spread the word — we are all in this together."
Newsom said there was good news to share. For the first time since officials started tracking cases — and relying on them as the key metrics to assess whether the curve is flattening — he said both new hospitalizations and the number of intensive care unit patients dropped, along with the number of people being tracked for potential exposure.
Newsom has often signaled that these numbers are among the most important when it comes to determining California's ability to respond to the crisis. Confirmed COVID-19 cases are expected to rise along with the expansion in testing, but the need for critical care is stabilizing and — so far — has not exceeded the state's hospital capacity.
These totals, along with a list of six key indicators he shared last week, will determine when the state will begin easing social distancing orders and returning to some degree of normalcy.
The metrics alone, Newsom said, will determine the timeline.
More: Newsom: 86 new COVID-19 test sites to open in California; 16,000 tests being done a day
"It won't be a letter I receive or a tweet," he said, noting the frustration some have expressed and the protests that are popping up across California and around the U.S. "When the indicators go green, I am going to go live."
Newsom promised he would make the announcements "in real-time" once the data signals that it's safe to begin easing restrictions.
"There is no such thing as reopening back to normal — it is normal with caveats," he said. "I assure you, I am looking forward to starting up this engine of our economy."
New debt-relief programs to help with financial hardship from COVID-19
Acknowledging the financial hardship and anxiety caused by the coronavirus crisis — and the need for the continued social distancing orders that have sent California into a recession — Newsom announced new programs aimed to relieve pressure on debt-ridden residents.
First, a new 90-day student loan forbearance will become available to the 1.1 million Californians with academic debts, without any risk of impact to credit scores or increases in fees or fines.
Along with that program, Newsom signed an executive order Thursday ensuring that federal stimulus funds received through the CARES Act cannot be garnished by debt collectors. The order applies retroactively, so money already taken by collectors will have to be given back.
Coronavirus: Newsom announces economic task force with former governors
"No debt collector can take those direct payments in the state of California any longer," Newsom said.
The move, he added, advances "a principle that is appropriate under the economic circumstance." But there is a caveat: "If you owe child care, spousal support, this does not apply for you," he said.
Economic hardship in the state has surged since Newsom issued shelter-in-place orders. As of March 15, 3.9 million individuals have applied for unemployment insurance, Newsom said.
California has doled out roughly $4 billion, but many residents are still waiting for their checks. More than 530,000 people filed new unemployment claims in the week ending on April 18 alone, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
To keep up with the increases in need, the Employment Development Department has redeployed 1,300 staffers to process unemployment insurance claims and opened a new call center with hours expanded from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., every day of the week.
Newsom said officials are in the process of adding hundreds more staff to help the department.
"Everybody is coming together not just to increase points of access," he said, "but the quality of access."
Gabrielle Canon is a California reporter for the USA Today Network. You can reach her at gcanon@gannett.com or on Twitter @GabrielleCanon.


usatoday--2020-04-23--Sen. Elizabeth Warren's mourns death of brother after battling coronavirus

Sen. Elizabeth Warren 's eldest brother , Donald Reed Herring , has died from the coronavirus .
He was 86 @ @ @

Sen. Elizabeth Warren's brother dies from coronavirus
Sen. Elizabeth Warren's eldest brother, Donald Reed Herring, has died from the coronavirus. He was 86 years old.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-04-23--'I'll miss you dearly': Sen. Warren announces her oldest brother died from coronavirus

Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced her oldest brother , Donald Reed Herring , died Tuesday night after being infected with the coronavirus .
`` My oldest brother , Don Reed , died from coronavirus on Tuesday evening , '' Warren said in a tweet .
`` He joined the Air Force at 19 and spent his career in the military , including five and a half years off and on in combat in Vietnam .
He was charming and funny , a natural leader .
`` What made him extra special was his smile – quick and crooked , it always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one that lit up everyone around him . ''
The Boston Globe reported that Herring , 86 , tested positive for the coronavirus about three weeks ago .
He was taken to Norman Regional Hospital in Norman , Oklahoma , on April 15 , where he died six days later .
Warren expressed gratitude to the nurses and other medical professionals who treated her brother .
`` But it ’ s hard to know that there was no family to hold his hand or to say ' I love you ' one more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us who loved him to hold each other close , '' she said .
Like Herring , many struck by the coronavirus have died without loved ones at their side due to rules meant to stop the spread of infection .
Herring 's family told the Globe he was moved to an inpatient facility to recover from a bout of pneumonia he suffered in February .
That facility discovered there were active cases among its patients and a test confirmed Herring was one of them .
His wife , Judith Anne Hart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent weeks .
Warren said she spoke to him almost every day before he was moved to the hospital , but it became tougher as his condition worsened .
She told the Globe she last spoke to him Sunday .
Herring was a B-47 and B-52 bomber pilot who flew 288 combat missions in Vietnam , according to The Globe .
After 20 years in the Air Force , he retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1973 before opening an auto-detailing business .
`` I ’ m heartbroken for my friend Elizabeth Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them , '' said Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer .
`` I ’ m heartbroken too many Americans are fighting through this grief and aren ’ t able to be with their family members to hold their hands and tell them they love them .
I ’ m so sorry , Elizabeth . ''
Warren , a former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate , has been a fierce critic of President Donald Trump 's response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
When she was still a candidate at the end of January , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said , `` Like so much else , Trump ’ s approach to keeping us safe from disease outbreaks is a mess . ''
On Wednesday , she called for an investigation into Trump 's handling of the crisis .
`` He 's misled the public from the start .
He 's allocating resources based on which governors he likes best .
His family and their cronies are making policy decisions in backroom deals .
Enough is enough .
We need an investigation into Trump 's pandemic response , '' she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for the coronavirus since the outbreak began and others have had loved ones become infected .
The husband of Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. , was released from the hospital last month after contracting COVID-19 .
And on Thursday , while debating a nearly half-trillion measure to revive a small business loan program , Rep. Maxine Waters , D-Calif. , said her family was also suffering .
`` I 'm going to take a moment to dedicate this legislation to my dear sister who is dying in a hospital in St. Louis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , '' she said on the House floor , her voice cracking .

'I'll miss you dearly': Sen. Warren announces her oldest brother died from coronavirus
Show Caption Hide Caption Sen. Elizabeth Warren's brother dies from coronavirus Sen. Elizabeth Warren's eldest brother, Donald Reed Herring, has died from the coronavirus. He was 86 years old. USA TODAY
Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced her oldest brother, Donald Reed Herring, died Tuesday night after being infected with the coronavirus.
"My oldest brother, Don Reed, died from coronavirus on Tuesday evening," Warren said in a tweet. "He joined the Air Force at 19 and spent his career in the military, including five and a half years off and on in combat in Vietnam. He was charming and funny, a natural leader.
"What made him extra special was his smile – quick and crooked, it always seemed to generate its own light, one that lit up everyone around him."
The Boston Globe reported that Herring, 86, tested positive for the coronavirus about three weeks ago. He was taken to Norman Regional Hospital in Norman, Oklahoma, on April 15, where he died six days later.
Warren expressed gratitude to the nurses and other medical professionals who treated her brother.
"But it’s hard to know that there was no family to hold his hand or to say 'I love you' one more time – and no funeral for those of us who loved him to hold each other close," she said.
"I'll miss you dearly my brother."
I’m grateful to the nurses and frontline staff who took care of him, but it’s hard to know that there was no family to hold his hand or to say “I love you” one more time—and no funeral for those of us who loved him to hold each other close. I'll miss you dearly my brother. pic.twitter.com/oOG6HArEL6 — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 23, 2020
Like Herring, many struck by the coronavirus have died without loved ones at their side due to rules meant to stop the spread of infection. Herring's family told the Globe he was moved to an inpatient facility to recover from a bout of pneumonia he suffered in February. That facility discovered there were active cases among its patients and a test confirmed Herring was one of them.
His wife, Judith Anne Hart, was unable to visit him in recent weeks. Warren said she spoke to him almost every day before he was moved to the hospital, but it became tougher as his condition worsened. She told the Globe she last spoke to him Sunday.
Herring was a B-47 and B-52 bomber pilot who flew 288 combat missions in Vietnam, according to The Globe. After 20 years in the Air Force, he retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1973 before opening an auto-detailing business.
"I’m heartbroken for my friend Elizabeth Warren and her family. My prayers go to them," said Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. "I’m heartbroken too many Americans are fighting through this grief and aren’t able to be with their family members to hold their hands and tell them they love them. I’m so sorry, Elizabeth."
I’m heartbroken for my friend Elizabeth Warren and her family. My prayers go to them.
I’m heartbroken too many Americans are fighting through this grief and aren’t able to be with their family members to hold their hands and tell them they love them.
I’m so sorry, Elizabeth. https://t.co/v4azh7ahdT — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) April 23, 2020
Warren, a former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, has been a fierce critic of President Donald Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. When she was still a candidate at the end of January, she announced her plan to prepare for pandemics and said, "Like so much else, Trump’s approach to keeping us safe from disease outbreaks is a mess."
On Wednesday, she called for an investigation into Trump's handling of the crisis.
"He's misled the public from the start. He's allocating resources based on which governors he likes best. His family and their cronies are making policy decisions in backroom deals. Enough is enough. We need an investigation into Trump's pandemic response," she said.
Last month, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan's brother died from COVID-19.
Six members of Congress have tested positive for the coronavirus since the outbreak began and others have had loved ones become infected.
The husband of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., was released from the hospital last month after contracting COVID-19. And on Thursday, while debating a nearly half-trillion measure to revive a small business loan program, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said her family was also suffering.
"I'm going to take a moment to dedicate this legislation to my dear sister who is dying in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri right now, infected by the coronavirus," she said on the House floor, her voice cracking.
Contributing: Christal Hayes


usatoday--2020-04-23--Supreme Court gives environmentalists narrow win in water pollution case

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court sided loosely with environmentalists Thursday in a case that threatened to ease the regulatory burden on industries that pollute lakes , rivers and oceans indirectly .
The justices devised a compromise interpretation of federal law under which Hawaii 's Maui County could be found in violation of the Clean Water Act for injecting treated sewage into groundwater that later reached the Pacific Ocean .
The high court 's four liberal justices were joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh in a ruling that threatens business and municipal polluters .
They had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affects too many innocent parties – even homeowners with septic tanks .
Dumping pollutants directly into navigable bodies of water , such as through pipes , is prohibited by the 48-year-old law .
But it is less clear about pollution that begins before reaching those waters .
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit had allowed indirect pollution to be regulated .
In a ruling written by Associate Justice Stephen Breyer , the court 's majority said pollution that begins in groundwater flowing to lakes , rivers and oceans can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equivalent of a direct discharge . ''
Environmental groups warned that reversing the 9th Circuit decision would give polluters such as chemical plants , oil refineries , animal feeding operations and others carte blanche to discharge pollutants into the nation 's waterways .
Earthjustice , which argued the case in November on behalf of the Hawaii Wildlife Fund , had called it `` the clean water case of the century '' because of the impact it could have on water pollution nationwide .
`` This decision is a huge victory for clean water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued the case for Earthjustice .
`` 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 . ''
But with the court 's compromise ruling , the ultimate impact will be left to lower courts that will have to determine whether pollution that starts above or below ground before reaching navigable waterways is indirect or the `` functional equivalent '' of direct pollution .
Breyer , known for crafting compromise rulings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the distance pollution travels and the time it takes before reaching bodies of water will be key to deciding whether permits are necessary in the future .
`` Where a pipe ends a few feet from navigable waters and the pipe emits pollutants that travel those few feet through groundwater ( or over the beach ) , the permitting requirement clearly applies , '' he wrote .
`` If the pipe ends 50 miles from navigable waters and the pipe emits pollutants that travel with groundwater , mix with much other material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only many years later , the permitting requirements likely do not apply . ''
Conservative Associate Justices Clarence Thomas , Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito dissented , accusing the court 's majority of making up a new regulatory standard .
`` The court speculates as to 'those circumstances in which Congress intended to require a federal permit , ' '' Thomas wrote .
`` But we are not a super-legislature ( or super-EPA ) tasked with making good policy – assuming that is even what the court accomplishes . ''
`` If the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal rules , instead of interpreting those enacted by Congress , it might at least adopt rules that can be applied with a modicum of consistency , '' he wrote .
`` Here , however , the court makes up a rule that provides no clear guidance and invites arbitrary and inconsistent application . ''

Supreme Court gives environmentalists narrow win in water pollution case
Show Caption Hide Caption Supreme Court to livestream arguments amid virus A decision to livestream Supreme Court arguments for the first time ever is set to be an historic step forward in public access from the nation's highest court. AP
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court sided loosely with environmentalists Thursday in a case that threatened to ease the regulatory burden on industries that pollute lakes, rivers and oceans indirectly.
The justices devised a compromise interpretation of federal law under which Hawaii's Maui County could be found in violation of the Clean Water Act for injecting treated sewage into groundwater that later reached the Pacific Ocean.
The high court's four liberal justices were joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh in a ruling that threatens business and municipal polluters. They had argued that requiring permits for indirect pollution affects too many innocent parties – even homeowners with septic tanks.
More: Conservatives ascendant but Roberts, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh prove unpredictable
Dumping pollutants directly into navigable bodies of water, such as through pipes, is prohibited by the 48-year-old law. But it is less clear about pollution that begins before reaching those waters. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit had allowed indirect pollution to be regulated.
In a ruling written by Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, the court's majority said pollution that begins in groundwater flowing to lakes, rivers and oceans can be regulated if it is the "functional equivalent of a direct discharge."
Environmental groups warned that reversing the 9th Circuit decision would give polluters such as chemical plants, oil refineries, animal feeding operations and others carte blanche to discharge pollutants into the nation's waterways.
Earthjustice, which argued the case in November on behalf of the Hawaii Wildlife Fund, had called it "the clean water case of the century" because of the impact it could have on water pollution nationwide.
"This decision is a huge victory for clean water," said David Henkin, who argued the case for Earthjustice. "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."
But with the court's compromise ruling, the ultimate impact will be left to lower courts that will have to determine whether pollution that starts above or below ground before reaching navigable waterways is indirect or the "functional equivalent" of direct pollution.
Breyer, known for crafting compromise rulings and reading into Congress' intent, said the distance pollution travels and the time it takes before reaching bodies of water will be key to deciding whether permits are necessary in the future.
"Where a pipe ends a few feet from navigable waters and the pipe emits pollutants that travel those few feet through groundwater (or over the beach), the permitting requirement clearly applies," he wrote. "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."
Conservative Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito dissented, accusing the court's majority of making up a new regulatory standard.
"The court speculates as to 'those circumstances in which Congress intended to require a federal permit,'" Thomas wrote. "But we are not a super-legislature (or super-EPA) tasked with making good policy – assuming that is even what the court accomplishes."
Alito was more blunt.
"If the court is going to devise its own legal rules, instead of interpreting those enacted by Congress, it might at least adopt rules that can be applied with a modicum of consistency," he wrote. "Here, however, the court makes up a rule that provides no clear guidance and invites arbitrary and inconsistent application."


usatoday--2020-04-23--President Trump disagrees with Georgia Gov. Kemp's decision to reopen parts of the state

Coronavirus : Georgia Gov .
Kemp criticized for reopening the state President Donald Trump said he disagrees with Georgia Gov @ @ @ @ @ to move quickly to reopen parts of the state 's economy .

Coronavirus: Georgia Gov. Kemp criticized for reopening the state
President Donald Trump said he disagrees with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's decision to move quickly to reopen parts of the state's economy.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-04-23--Biden fares almost as well with young voters as Sanders in matchup vs. Trump, poll finds

BOSTON — Most young voters prefer Bernie Sanders , but that does n't mean they wo n't vote for former Vice President Joe Biden in a November election against President Donald Trump , according to a new poll released Thursday by the Harvard Institute of Politics .
Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , holds a 60 % -30 % lead over Trump among likely voters ages 18 to 29 years old , the poll found , only one point below a 62 % -31 % lead Sanders , the Vermont senator , would have among young voters if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are similar even though the same poll found 50 % of likely young voters view Biden unfavorably .
Sanders is viewed favorably by 58 % of young voters , compared with 42 % for Biden .
`` This is less about Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden and more about Donald Trump , '' said John Della Volpe , director of polling at Harvard 's Institute of Politics .
`` And I think there is a sense that at this stage , young progressives and the center-left really have really seemed to unite on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sample of 2,546 people ages 18-29 , was taken between March 11 and March 23 as Biden was widening his delegate lead and before Sanders dropped out of the Democratic primary and endorsed Sanders .
The poll , which was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs , has a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points .
Biden 's ability to turn out young progressive voters to the polls is widely seen as one of his campaign 's biggest weaknesses .
But Della Volpe warned the new poll results do not mean Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes .
In 2016 , Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had an even larger lead among young voters against Trump at this point , 61 % -25 % , but she ended up with just a 55 % -36 % advantage among young people in the election over Trump , according to exit polls .
It contributed to her defeat .
`` Currently , they are giving him the benefit of the doubt , '' Della Volpe said , referring to Biden .
`` There are a lot of young people who preferred Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to say in a two-person match-up , they 'd be with Biden right now .
He can not take that cohort for granted .
And my read over his activities the last few weeks is that he 's not taking them for granted . ''
Biden has been courting progressive Democrats who backed Sanders in the primary , this month unveiling policy proposals to lower the eligibility age for Medicare to 60 years years old and forgive college debt for millions of Americans .
An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll of all voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump among all likely voters , 49 % -42 % .
Biden holds a 5.9 point lead in Real Clear Politics ' average of polls .
The Harvard poll also found the coronavirus outbreak now tops the concerns of young people , with 19 % ranking it No.1 , followed by health care , 17 % , the economy , 14 % , and the environment , 9 % .
Notably , the poll was taken before many states started imposing stay-at-home orders and the COVID-19 death count started to rapidly increase .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stresser that young people are being forced to deal with , '' Della Volpe said , comparing it to issues like the Great Recession , school shootings and the increasing cost of living that have affected young people .
`` Now with this on top of it , this is a lens of which I think they 're kind of engaging in politics in 2020 . ''

Biden fares almost as well with young voters as Sanders in matchup vs. Trump, poll finds
Show Caption Hide Caption Bernie Sanders endorses Biden in remote meet-up: 'We need you' in WH During a livestream event, Senator Bernie Sanders explains to former Vice President Joe Biden why he's endorsing him for president. USA TODAY
BOSTON — Most young voters prefer Bernie Sanders, but that doesn't mean they won't vote for former Vice President Joe Biden in a November election against President Donald Trump, according to a new poll released Thursday by the Harvard Institute of Politics.
Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, holds a 60%-30% lead over Trump among likely voters ages 18 to 29 years old, the poll found, only one point below a 62%-31% lead Sanders, the Vermont senator, would have among young voters if he were the nominee.
The leads are similar even though the same poll found 50% of likely young voters view Biden unfavorably. Sanders is viewed favorably by 58% of young voters, compared with 42% for Biden.
"This is less about Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden and more about Donald Trump," said John Della Volpe, director of polling at Harvard's Institute of Politics. "And I think there is a sense that at this stage, young progressives and the center-left really have really seemed to unite on that front."
Poll: Two-thirds of voters support mail-in ballots for November
The poll, a sample of 2,546 people ages 18-29, was taken between March 11 and March 23 as Biden was widening his delegate lead and before Sanders dropped out of the Democratic primary and endorsed Sanders. The poll, which was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, has a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
Biden's ability to turn out young progressive voters to the polls is widely seen as one of his campaign's biggest weaknesses. But Della Volpe warned the new poll results do not mean Biden can afford to stop working for their votes.
In 2016, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had an even larger lead among young voters against Trump at this point, 61%-25%, but she ended up with just a 55%-36% advantage among young people in the election over Trump, according to exit polls. It contributed to her defeat.
"Currently, they are giving him the benefit of the doubt," Della Volpe said, referring to Biden. "There are a lot of young people who preferred Sanders, voted for Sanders, but are willing to say in a two-person match-up, they'd be with Biden right now. He cannot take that cohort for granted. And my read over his activities the last few weeks is that he's not taking them for granted."
Biden has been courting progressive Democrats who backed Sanders in the primary, this month unveiling policy proposals to lower the eligibility age for Medicare to 60 years years old and forgive college debt for millions of Americans.
An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll of all voters released this week found Biden ahead of Trump among all likely voters, 49%-42%. Biden holds a 5.9 point lead in Real Clear Politics' average of polls.
The Harvard poll also found the coronavirus outbreak now tops the concerns of young people, with 19% ranking it No.1, followed by health care, 17%, the economy, 14%, and the environment, 9%.
Notably, the poll was taken before many states started imposing stay-at-home orders and the COVID-19 death count started to rapidly increase.
"This is just another anxiety and stresser that young people are being forced to deal with," Della Volpe said, comparing it to issues like the Great Recession, school shootings and the increasing cost of living that have affected young people. "Now with this on top of it, this is a lens of which I think they're kind of engaging in politics in 2020."
Follow Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.


usatoday--2020-04-23--House approves a nearly $500 billion coronavirus relief bill. Here's what's in it

WASHINGTON – A popular small-business loan program that closed last week when it ran out of money is about to get a cash infusion .
The House approved legislation Thursday that would pump $ 320 billion into the Paycheck Protection Program , which is designed to keep small businesses from shuttering and their workers from going on unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic .
The Senate approved the bill Tuesday .
Other programs would get money under the bill .
The $ 484 billion legislation includes funding for hospitals that have been overwhelmed during the crisis and money for a coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at what ’ s in the bill : The Paycheck Protection Program was created under a $ 2.2 trillion package that President Donald Trump signed into law in late March to help Americans recover from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic .
That bill allocated nearly $ 350 billion for the program , which provides low-interest loans to small businesses .
The program proved so popular that it quickly ran out of money and was forced to shut down last week .
The latest legislation would provide more than $ 320 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it running again .
About $ 60 billion of the funding for the program would be set aside for community-based lenders , smaller banks and credit unions to assist smaller businesses that do n't have established relationships with big banks and had a harder time accessing the funds in the first round of loans .
About $ 10 billion would be allocated for administration fees .
Hospitals that took a financial hit caused by a surge of coronavirus patients would get some relief under the bill .
The legislation would provide $ 75 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care providers .
Warning : CDC Director Redfield warns second coronavirus wave could be 'more difficult , ' hit same time as flu The availability of coronavirus testing remains a concern for some governors , who say they are running short on supplies even as the Trump administration insists there is an adequate number of tests .
The legislation would provide $ 25 billion in startup funds for a coronavirus testing program , a provision pushed by Democrats during negotiations on the bill .
“ It 's now up to the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implement those funds to proper effect before it is too late , '' said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y .
Fact Check : Trump claims coronavirus tests are widely available .
They are not Democrats pushed for relief for state and local governments , which pleaded for federal assistance to help them provide essential services during the coronavirus pandemic .
The final bill provides no emergency funding for them .
The funding could be included in another economic recovery bill being negotiated by the White House and congressional leaders .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Menendez , D-N.J. , and Bill Cassidy , R-La.
, from two of the hardest-hit states would set up a $ 500 billion fund to help states and local governments respond to the health and economic crises while maintaining essential services .
The money would be divided into three tranches and distributed based upon population , the number of coronavirus cases and revenue losses .
Bigger checks ?
Relief for states ?
What could be in the next coronavirus bill

Michael Collins and Christal Hayes, USA TODAY

House approves a nearly $500 billion coronavirus relief bill. Here's what's in it
Show Caption Hide Caption Coronavirus: How much businesses and hospitals will get from stimulus Here is how the federal government is stepping in to support small businesses and health care providers. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – A popular small-business loan program that closed last week when it ran out of money is about to get a cash infusion.
The House approved legislation Thursday that would pump $320 billion into the Paycheck Protection Program, which is designed to keep small businesses from shuttering and their workers from going on unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic. The Senate approved the bill Tuesday.
Other programs would get money under the bill. The $484 billion legislation includes funding for hospitals that have been overwhelmed during the crisis and money for a coronavirus testing program.
Here’s a look at what’s in the bill:
Small-business loans
The Paycheck Protection Program was created under a $2.2 trillion package that President Donald Trump signed into law in late March to help Americans recover from the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. That bill allocated nearly $350 billion for the program, which provides low-interest loans to small businesses. The program proved so popular that it quickly ran out of money and was forced to shut down last week.
The latest legislation would provide more than $320 billion to replenish the program and get it running again.
About $60 billion of the funding for the program would be set aside for community-based lenders, smaller banks and credit unions to assist smaller businesses that don't have established relationships with big banks and had a harder time accessing the funds in the first round of loans. About $10 billion would be allocated for administration fees.
Hospital funding
Hospitals that took a financial hit caused by a surge of coronavirus patients would get some relief under the bill. The legislation would provide $75 billion in emergency funding for hospitals and health care providers.
Warning: CDC Director Redfield warns second coronavirus wave could be 'more difficult,' hit same time as flu
Coronavirus testing
The availability of coronavirus testing remains a concern for some governors, who say they are running short on supplies even as the Trump administration insists there is an adequate number of tests.
The legislation would provide $25 billion in startup funds for a coronavirus testing program, a provision pushed by Democrats during negotiations on the bill.
“It's now up to the administration to prepare a national testing strategy and implement those funds to proper effect before it is too late," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Fact Check:Trump claims coronavirus tests are widely available. They are not
What’s missing?
Democrats pushed for relief for state and local governments, which pleaded for federal assistance to help them provide essential services during the coronavirus pandemic. The final bill provides no emergency funding for them.
The funding could be included in another economic recovery bill being negotiated by the White House and congressional leaders.
A separate bill filed by Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., from two of the hardest-hit states would set up a $500 billion fund to help states and local governments respond to the health and economic crises while maintaining essential services. The money would be divided into three tranches and distributed based upon population, the number of coronavirus cases and revenue losses.
Bigger checks? Relief for states? What could be in the next coronavirus bill


usatoday--2020-04-24--Trump floats sunlight as possible coronavirus treatment but experts say there's no medical basis for

Trump floats sunlight as possible coronavirus treatment but experts say there's no medical basis for that idea

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump touted a federal study Thursday that indicates sunlight and humidity can weaken the coronavirus – a finding that prompted the president to float the idea of treating patients with `` light inside the body . ''
The Department of Homeland Security study , which the agency described as `` emerging , '' found the lifespan of the virus on a surface or in the air could be significantly reduced by exposure to sunlight and humidity .
But a top official with the department warned against Americans changing their behavior based on the preliminary findings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus , both on surfaces and in the air , '' said Bill Bryan , an undersecretary of science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security .
Georgia : Plans to reopen Georgia get mixed support from businesses Trump , who has used his daily White House briefings to float unproven treatment options in the past , at one point suggested the government should study bringing `` light inside the body '' as a possible treatment , which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the skin or in some other way . ''
The president also appeared to question whether disinfectant could be used to treat coronavirus patients .
`` Is there a way we can do something like that , by injection inside or almost a cleaning , '' Trump said .
The president jumped between offering caveats about the significance of the study to suggest – possibly in jest – that he might spend more time outdoors , such as in the Rose Garden , to receive additional exposure to sunlight as the pandemic continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sun , '' Trump said .
`` And if it has an impact , that ’ s great . ''
Early studies have differed on the impact environmental factors such as sunlight have on the virus , and the DHS report is not the first to suggest a link .
On the other hand , warmer states such as Louisiana and Florida have also witnessed sharp increases in coronavirus cases .
Offering a similar expatiation for his early exhortations of anti-Malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus , Trump said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studies about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine have been mixed at best , and the president recently has spent far less time discussing the drug .
`` Maybe it works , maybe it does n't , '' Trump said of sunlight .
Trump spoke a day after a Health and Human Services official said he was removed from his post because he questioned the value of the drug .
The attorneys for Rick Bright said Thursday said they would soon be filing a whistleblower complaint on his behalf .
Bryan stressed that the findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandon social distancing guidelines promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and enforced by state orders across the country .
He said it would be `` irresponsible for us to say that we feel that the summer is just going to totally kill the virus . ''
Trump drew headlines in February for suggesting just that during a campaign rally in New Hampshire .
`` You know in theory when it gets a little warmer , it miraculously goes away , '' he said then .
`` Hope that 's true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday , he reminded reporters that he had made the prediction and implied that the study confirmed his theory .
`` I once mentioned that maybe it 'll go away with heat and light , '' the president said Thursday .
`` And people did n't like that statement very much . ''
Trump 's suggestions drew criticism on social media .
Jonathan Reiner , professor of medicine at The George Washington University Hospital , said there 's no medical basis for Trump 's statements about sunlight .
`` Tanning beds are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @

John Fritze and David Jackson, USA TODAY

Medical experts rip Trump's suggestion that sunlight, disinfectants may treat coronavirus
Show Caption Hide Caption Coronavirus: Trump disinfectant injection comment sparks backlash President Trump's comments on disinfectants and sunlight being used to kill coronavirus sparked backlash on social media and with medical professionals. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's suggestion that scientists study whether sunlight or disinfectants could be used to treat coronavirus patients prompted alarm Friday from health experts who warned Americans against embracing unproven remedies.
Trump's remarks, in which he floated the idea of using "light inside the body" and studying the use of disinfectants "by injection," triggered an urgent warning from the maker of Lysol that "under no circumstances" should its product be used as treatment.
The considerable blowback, which the White House dismissed as media sensationalism, once again put the president at odds with his own health experts as his administration battles a pandemic that has killed more than 50,000 Americans. Trump has often touted remedies and raised seemingly off-the-cuff ideas at his daily press conferences that top aides have then carefully sought to temper.
Adding fuel to the controversy, the White House initially distributed a transcript of Trump's press conference in which Deborah Birx, one of the nation's leading experts on the coronavirus, said that the method Trump was touting "is a treatment." White House aides released a corrected transcript Friday in which Birx said they were not treatments.
At the White House on Friday, Trump said he was being sarcastic when he suggested that injecting disinfectants inside the body might be a treatment for coronavirus. Asked by reporters if he was encouraging their use, he replied, “Of course not.” He continued to float the possibility that sunlight might be used to treat coronavirus. “Sun has a tremendous impact on it,” he said.
The genesis of Trump's remarks was a Department of Homeland Security study that found the lifespan of the virus on a surface or in the air could be significantly reduced by exposure to sunlight, humidity and other factors. Trump invited a Homeland Security official to brief White House reporters about the study on Thursday.
"Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus, both on surfaces and in the air," said Bill Bryan, an undersecretary of science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security.
More: White House issues revised transcript to show Birx said sunlight not a treatment
Georgia: Plans to reopen Georgia get mixed support from businesses
How antibodies in recovered COVID-19 patients could treat coronavirus The secret to fighting COVID-19 could be in recovered patients. Here's how antibodies could lead to a treatment for those fighting coronavirus. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Bryan described the study as "emerging" and repeatedly warned against Americans changing their behavior based on the preliminary findings. The study was limited to how environmental factors affected the virus on surfaces or in the air, not inside bodies.
After hearing Bryan's presentation, Trump – clearly excited by the findings – pressed the scientists to expand their work into studying whether disinfectants could help patients.
"So I asked Bill a question that probably some of you are thinking of, if you’re totally into that world, which I find to be very interesting," the president began.
"So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous – whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light – and I think you said that that hasn’t been checked, but you’re going to test it," Trump said. "And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way, and I think you said you’re going to test that too. It sounds interesting."
Bryan responded by saying he'd ask "the right folks" who could look into that.
Trump then continued.
"And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute," he said. "And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning. Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that," he added.
The White House responded to the growing backlash with a statement Friday that blamed the "media" for "irresponsibly" quoting Trump out of context.
"President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that he emphasized again during yesterday’s briefing," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said.
In an appearance Friday, Trump claimed he was being sarcastic.
Trump has used his daily White House briefings to float unproven treatment options in the past. His early exhortations of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus drew warnings from public health officials that the drug had not been clinically proven to have any impact and subsequent studies about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine have been mixed at best.
The Food & Drug Administration warned Friday that Americans should not take the drug "outside of the hospital setting" or within a clinical trial.
Like his early embrace of hydroxychloroquine, Trump batted away questions about light and disinfectant treatments by saying he wasn't advocating for their use – rather just raising them as a possibility for Americans to consider.
"Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't," Trump said of sunlight.
But the remarks drew a rebuke from doctors and state public health officials concerned about whether the remarks – and the media firestorm surrounding them – could be misinterpreted by some. The Maryland Emergency Management Agency said on Friday it had received "several calls" raising questions about disinfectant use, for instance.
"This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route," the agency posted on Twitter.
ALERT🚨: We have received several calls regarding questions about disinfectant use and #COVID19.
This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route. — Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MDMEMA) (@MDMEMA) April 24, 2020
"I certainly wouldn't recommend the internal ingestion of a disinfectant," Food and Drug Commissioner Stephen Hahn said during a CNN town hall following Trump's comments.
Dr. Jesse Goodman, the former Chief Scientist of the FDA and now a Georgetown University professor and attending physician, told USA TODAY the amount of heat and light needed to kill the virus would be harmful to cells within the body and was "not something we now have evidence to support."
"The virus is predominantly inside cells, and the amount of light or heat that you would have to deliver would be toxic to the cells as well," he said.
Ultraviolet light is used to sterilize hospital equipment, he noted, but the level of light is "toxic to human cells, and in fact people can't be in those rooms when they're being sterilized with those devices."
Goodman added that the problem with the use of disinfectants inside the body was "if they're toxic to viruses and bacteria they're generally toxic to human cells as well."
"People should not ingest disinfectants of any kind, or bleach," he said, especially based off a quote or rumor, because "those things can be extremely harmful or even fatal."
More: Twitter names Trump the 'Tide Pods' president after he disinfectant comments
Lysol issued a statement on its website on Friday titled "Improper Use of Disinfectants." The notice said parent company Reckitt Benckiser Group had been asked whether disinfectants are safe to use as a treatment.
"We must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route)," the company said in the statement.
More: Lysol warns against injecting disinfectant after Trump speculates on coronavirus
Trump spoke a day after a Health and Human Services official said he was removed from his post because he questioned the value of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the disease caused by the virus. The attorneys for Rick Bright said Thursday said they would soon be filing a whistleblower complaint on his behalf.
Bryan stressed the findings of the DHS study were not so conclusive that Americans should abandon social distancing guidelines promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and enforced by state orders across the country. He said it would be "irresponsible for us to say that we feel that the summer is just going to totally kill the virus."
Trump drew headlines in February for suggesting just that during a campaign rally in New Hampshire. "You know in theory when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away," he said then. "Hope that's true."
At the White House on Thursday, he reminded reporters he had made the prediction and implied that the study confirmed his theory.
"I once mentioned that maybe it'll go away with heat and light," the president said Thursday. "And people didn't like that statement very much."
Contributing: Michael Collins, Savannah Behrmann, Dalvin Brown


usatoday--2020-04-24--Twitter names Trump the 'Tide Pods' president after he suggests disinfectant injections

WASHINGTON – After President Donald Trump wondered Thursday about possibly injecting disinfectants into people infected with the coronavirus , `` Tide Pods '' and other household cleaners began trending on Twitter .
But many doctors also tweeted stern warnings against taking the president 's medical advice .
`` And then I saw the disinfectant , where it knocks it out in one minute , and is there a way we could do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning , '' the president said during his White House press briefing .
`` As you see it gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tremendous number on the lungs , so it would be interesting to check that . ''
More : Trump touts study on sunlight to kill coronavirus , but official warns against Americans changing behavior Afterwards , Bill Bryan , an undersecretary of science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security , clarified that that was n't possible and said , `` We do n't do that within that lab , at our labs . ''
However , Trump replied : `` maybe it works , maybe it does n't work . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been discussing a new federal study that touted sunlight and household disinfectants as being effective in killing the novel coronavirus on surfaces or in the air .
Soon after Trump 's comments about injections , cleaners such as Lysol , Clorox and Tide Pods , a reference to a dangerous online challenge where teens put laundry pods in their mouth , started trending on Twitter .
Trump did not specify the kind of disinfectant in his comments Thursday .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , tweeted : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s an idea , Mr. President : more tests .
Now .
And protective equipment for actual medical professionals . ''
The Washington Military Department 's Emergency Management Division pleaded , `` Please do n't eat tide pods or inject yourself with any kind of disinfectant '' and to not `` make a bad situation worse . ''
Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn was asked about such methods during a CNN town hall following Trump 's comments .
He responded , “ I certainly would n't recommend the internal ingestion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warns against ingesting disinfectants , saying consumption of “ products can cause nausea , vomiting , diarrhea , and symptoms of severe dehydration . ''
More : California had its deadliest day Wednesday , even as COVID-19 cases start to stabilize More : Trump touts study on sunlight to kill coronavirus , but official warns against Americans changing behavior The president also floated the idea of treating patients with `` light inside the body . ''
Trump has touted unproven treatments for COVID-19 before , including calling hydroxychloroquine a potential `` game changer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that it was dangerous at high doses .

Twitter names Trump the 'Tide Pods' president after he suggests disinfectant injections
Show Caption Hide Caption Coronavirus: Trump disinfectant injection comment sparks backlash President Trump's comments on disinfectants and sunlight being used to kill coronavirus sparked backlash on social media and with medical professionals. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – After President Donald Trump wondered Thursday about possibly injecting disinfectants into people infected with the coronavirus, "Tide Pods" and other household cleaners began trending on Twitter. But many doctors also tweeted stern warnings against taking the president's medical advice.
"And then I saw the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in one minute, and is there a way we could do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning," the president said during his White House press briefing. "As you see it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that."
More: Trump touts study on sunlight to kill coronavirus, but official warns against Americans changing behavior
More: New HHS spokesman Michael Caputo deleted racist tweets related to the coronavirus
Afterwards, Bill Bryan, an undersecretary of science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security, clarified that that wasn't possible and said, "We don't do that within that lab, at our labs."
However, Trump replied: "maybe it works, maybe it doesn't work."
"The disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, and is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning. It gets in the lungs" -- Trump seems to suggests that injecting disinfectant inside people could be a treatment for the coronavirus pic.twitter.com/amis9Rphsm — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 23, 2020
Trump's comments came after Bryan had been discussing a new federal study that touted sunlight and household disinfectants as being effective in killing the novel coronavirus on surfaces or in the air.
Soon after Trump's comments about injections, cleaners such as Lysol, Clorox and Tide Pods, a reference to a dangerous online challenge where teens put laundry pods in their mouth, started trending on Twitter.
More: Federal prison system expands virus testing to find hidden asymptomatic infections
Trump did not specify the kind of disinfectant in his comments Thursday.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, tweeted: "UV light? Injecting disinfectant? Here’s an idea, Mr. President: more tests. Now. And protective equipment for actual medical professionals."
The Washington Military Department's Emergency Management Division pleaded, "Please don't eat tide pods or inject yourself with any kind of disinfectant" and to not "make a bad situation worse."
Clorox, Tide Pods, and Lysol will kill the coronavirus. No question about it. But if you are infected, then the coronavirus is inside your cells. If you use any of those disinfectants to kill the coronavirus within your own cells, then you’ll die right along with the coronavirus. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) April 24, 2020
Never did I anticipate wondering why Clorox is trending. pic.twitter.com/L5LzqaFPth — Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH (@DrJSPotter) April 24, 2020
As a physician, I can’t recommend injecting disinfectant into the lungs or using UV radiation inside the body to treat COVID-19. Don’t take medical advice from Trump. https://t.co/YcZXJXfSxu — Kashif Mahmood (@kashmood) April 23, 2020
Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn was asked about such methods during a CNN town hall following Trump's comments. He responded, “I certainly wouldn't recommend the internal ingestion of a disinfectant."
The FDA warns against ingesting disinfectants, saying consumption of “products can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and symptoms of severe dehydration."
More: California had its deadliest day Wednesday, even as COVID-19 cases start to stabilize
More: Trump touts study on sunlight to kill coronavirus, but official warns against Americans changing behavior
The president also floated the idea of treating patients with "light inside the body."
Trump has touted unproven treatments for COVID-19 before, including calling hydroxychloroquine a potential "game changer." However, multiple studies have found that it was dangerous at high doses.


usatoday--2020-04-24--Casting aside its precedents, Supreme Court moves inexorably toward abortion rights

WASHINGTON – When a fractured Supreme Court ruled this week that jury convictions for serious crimes must be unanimous , one word appeared nearly as frequently in the differing opinions offered by five justices as `` jury . ''
That word was `` precedent . ''
And lurking between the lines was another word , mentioned just twice and only in footnotes : abortion .
Since 1973 , the constitutional right to abortion has hinged on the high court 's decision in Roe v. Wade , later modified but upheld in 1992 .
Before he was confirmed to the court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh referred to those rulings as `` precedent on precedent . ''
But in striking down a Louisiana prisoner 's conviction and subsequent sentence of life without parole , the Supreme Court jettisoned yet another of its own precedents , established a year before Roe and a generation before 1992 's Planned Parenthood v. Casey .
Six justices agreed with the reversal .
For SCOTUS-watchers , it was but the latest indication that a more conservative court , focused first and foremost on the words written in the Constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work of its predecessors .
And no issue hangs in the balance more than abortion .
`` More and more of the justices are aware that they need to have a theory of precedent , '' said William Baude , a University of Chicago Law School professor whose recent treatise on the subject was cited by Kavanaugh in the Louisiana ruling .
Kavanaugh spent 18 pages laying out his theory for when precedent can be cast aside , one that hinges on three factors : a `` grievously wrong '' prior court decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the degree to which it has become relied upon .
`` Some of the court ’ s most notable and consequential decisions have entailed overruling precedent , '' he wrote .
Among them : landmark rulings on school segregation , same-sex marriage , campaign spending , defendants ' rights – and abortion .
Even now , Kavanaugh argued , the court lacks `` any consistent methodology or road map '' for when to overrule precedent , which in turn `` poses a problem for the rule of law and for this court .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the high court does not overrule itself often .
But in 2018 , it struck down a 1977 decision that allowed public employee unions to collect fees from non-members and a 1992 ruling that allowed retailers to sell goods tax-free beyond state borders .
Last year , it overruled two more precedents , on court battles between states and on private property rights .
More : Supreme Court on the verge of reversing some of its old decisions The lone justice to oppose all the attacks on Supreme Court precedent has been Associate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion in March involving states ' immunity from copyright infringement lawsuits , she quoted from an earlier decision that called honoring the court 's prior workmanship a `` foundation stone of the rule of law . ''
Kagan was in the minority in the court 's ruling on unanimous juries , which her fellow dissenter , Associate Justice Samuel Alito , wrote could prompt a `` tsunami of litigation '' in Louisiana and Oregon , the only two states with non-unanimous jury verdicts in dispute .
The majority opinion by Associate Justice Neil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ v. Oregon .
A single justice had cast the deciding vote for allowing non-unanimous verdicts in state , but not federal , courts .
Gorsuch and just two colleagues said the fractured nature of that decision made it unworthy of precedential force .
“ Even if we accepted the premise that Apodaca established a precedent , no one on the court today is prepared to say it was rightly decided , and stare decisis isn ’ t supposed to be the art of methodically ignoring what everyone knows to be true , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for upholding precedent .
Even imperfect precedents routinely are preserved if society has come to rely on the consequences , however .
In this case , Gorsuch reasoned that although Louisiana and Oregon will face litigation from defendants convicted by non-unanimous juries , that burden is sustainable .
Other precedents , he acknowledged , have greater economic , regulatory or social reliance interests .
On which side of that ledger abortion rights falls remains to be seen .
Frederick Schauer , a University of Virginia School of Law professor who has written on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion represents `` a handbook for any justice who wants to not follow a previous case . ''
`` It provides some degree of cover for a justice who says , ' I don ’ t like this opinion .
Is there a reason why I don ’ t have to follow it ? '
'' Schauer said .
Each time in recent years that the court has overruled precedents , dissenting justices – surely with abortion in mind – have wondered what high court chestnuts could fall next .
In the unanimous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I assume that those in the majority will apply the same standard in future cases . ''
Last May , Associate Justice Stephen Breyer was more direct , raising the court 's 1992 decision upholding the basic tenet of Roe v Wade .
`` Today ’ s decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the court will overrule next , '' he wrote .
When another precedent fell a month later , Kagan marveled : `` Well , that did n't take long .
Now one may wonder yet again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ get at least some sense of the court 's intentions regarding abortion .
The justices in 2016 struck down restrictions on Texas abortion clinics and doctors that a 5-3 majority said unduly burdened women seeking abortions .
In March , Louisiana was before the court with a mirror-image case and two new justices sitting in judgment : Gorsuch and Kavanaugh .
Even if that case does n't produce the clear-cut victory sought by opponents of abortion , the steady drumbeat of challenges to state restrictions promises to send more cases the high court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , Breyer wondered , `` Why depart from what was pretty clear precedent ? ''
Louisiana Solicitor General Elizabeth Murrill had a ready answer , arguing that in following Roe v. Wade , the court has come to rely on a `` non-textual right . ''
`` It is that much more important to get the text and the history right , '' she said .
Of course , it may be a long road from Louisiana 's requirement that abortion clinic doctors have hospital admitting privileges to overruling Roe .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way , and Chief Justice John Roberts , who joined Alito 's dissent in the jury case , prefers to move slowly .
Kavanaugh 's vote , even after his lengthy concurring opinion on unanimous juries , remains in doubt .
`` One of the questions will be how does his theory apply to Roe , but I don ’ t think we know the answer to that yet , '' Baude said .
`` Everyone wants to see abortion in the tea leaves on this one , '' Schauer said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precedents is n't over .
Just the recent intense focus , he said , `` makes it harder for any justice to ignore it completely . ''

Casting aside its precedents, Supreme Court moves inexorably toward those on abortion rights
Show Caption Hide Caption Abortion laws: How different states use 'heartbeat' bills, Roe v. Wade The Supreme Court will review Mississippi abortion law, which bans abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected. Here's how states handle abortion. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – When a fractured Supreme Court ruled this week that jury convictions for serious crimes must be unanimous, one word appeared nearly as frequently in the differing opinions offered by five justices as "jury."
That word was "precedent." And lurking between the lines was another word, mentioned just twice and only in footnotes: abortion.
Since 1973, the constitutional right to abortion has hinged on the high court's decision in Roe v. Wade, later modified but upheld in 1992. Before he was confirmed to the court in 2018 by the narrowest of margins, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh referred to those rulings as "precedent on precedent."
But in striking down a Louisiana prisoner's conviction and subsequent sentence of life without parole, the Supreme Court jettisoned yet another of its own precedents, established a year before Roe and a generation before 1992's Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Six justices agreed with the reversal.
For SCOTUS-watchers, it was but the latest indication that a more conservative court, focused first and foremost on the words written in the Constitution, is increasingly willing to reverse the work of its predecessors. And no issue hangs in the balance more than abortion.
"More and more of the justices are aware that they need to have a theory of precedent," said William Baude, a University of Chicago Law School professor whose recent treatise on the subject was cited by Kavanaugh in the Louisiana ruling.
Kavanaugh spent 18 pages laying out his theory for when precedent can be cast aside, one that hinges on three factors: a "grievously wrong" prior court decision and its negative consequences, set against the degree to which it has become relied upon.
"Some of the court’s most notable and consequential decisions have entailed overruling precedent," he wrote. Among them: landmark rulings on school segregation, same-sex marriage, campaign spending, defendants' rights – and abortion.
Even now, Kavanaugh argued, the court lacks "any consistent methodology or road map" for when to overrule precedent, which in turn "poses a problem for the rule of law and for this court."
Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the high court does not overrule itself often. But in 2018, it struck down a 1977 decision that allowed public employee unions to collect fees from nonmembers and a 1992 ruling that allowed retailers to sell goods tax-free beyond state borders. Last year, it overruled two more precedents, on court battles between states and on private property rights.
More: Supreme Court on the verge of reversing some of its old decisions
The lone justice to oppose all the attacks on Supreme Court precedent has been Associate Justice Elena Kagan. In a unanimous opinion in March involving states' immunity from copyright infringement lawsuits, she quoted from an earlier decision that called honoring the court's prior workmanship a "foundation stone of the rule of law."
Dissenters wonder: What's next?
Kagan was in the minority in the court's ruling on unanimous juries, which her fellow dissenter, Associate Justice Samuel Alito, wrote could prompt a "tsunami of litigation" in Louisiana and Oregon, the only two states with non-unanimous jury verdicts in dispute.
The majority opinion by Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch overturned the 1972 ruling in Apodaca v. Oregon. A single justice had cast the deciding vote for allowing non-unanimous verdicts in state, but not federal, courts. Gorsuch and just two colleagues said the fractured nature of that decision made it unworthy of precedential force.
“Even if we accepted the premise that Apodaca established a precedent, no one on the court today is prepared to say it was rightly decided, and "stare decisis" isn’t supposed to be the art of methodically ignoring what everyone knows to be true," Gorsuch wrote, using the Latin term for upholding precedent.
Even imperfect precedents routinely are preserved if society has come to rely on the consequences, however. In this case, Gorsuch reasoned that although Louisiana and Oregon will face litigation from defendants convicted by non-unanimous juries, that burden is sustainable. Other precedents, he acknowledged, have greater economic, regulatory or social reliance interests.
On which side of that ledger abortion rights falls remains to be seen.
Frederick Schauer, a University of Virginia School of Law professor who has written on Supreme Court precedents, said Gorsuch's opinion represents "a handbook for any justice who wants to not follow a previous case."
"It provides some degree of cover for a justice who says, 'I don’t like this opinion. Is there a reason why I don’t have to follow it?'" Schauer said.
Each time in recent years that the court has overruled precedents, dissenting justices – surely with abortion in mind – have wondered what high court chestnuts could fall next.
In the unanimous jury case, Alito wrote, "I assume that those in the majority will apply the same standard in future cases."
Last May, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer was more direct, raising the court's 1992 decision upholding the basic tenet of Roe v Wade. "Today’s decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the court will overrule next," he wrote.
When another precedent fell a month later, Kagan marveled: "Well, that didn't take long. Now one may wonder yet again."
Abortion 'in the tea leaves'
It won't take long to get at least some sense of the court's intentions regarding abortion.
The justices in 2016 struck down restrictions on Texas abortion clinics and doctors that a 5-3 majority said unduly burdened women seeking abortions. In March, Louisiana was before the court with a mirror-image case and two new justices sitting in judgment: Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.
More: Abortion clinics face critical test at Supreme Court
Even if that case doesn't produce the clear-cut victory sought by opponents of abortion, the steady drumbeat of challenges to state restrictions promises to send more cases the high court's way.
During oral argument in March, Breyer wondered, "Why depart from what was pretty clear precedent?"
Louisiana Solicitor General Elizabeth Murrill had a ready answer, arguing that in following Roe v. Wade, the court has come to rely on a "non-textual right."
"It is that much more important to get the text and the history right," she said.
Of course, it may be a long road from Louisiana's requirement that abortion clinic doctors have hospital admitting privileges to overruling Roe. The court's four liberal justices stand in the way, and Chief Justice John Roberts, who joined Alito's dissent in the jury case, prefers to move slowly. Kavanaugh's vote, even after his lengthy concurring opinion on unanimous juries, remains in doubt.
"One of the questions will be how does his theory apply to Roe, but I don’t think we know the answer to that yet," Baude said.
"Everyone wants to see abortion in the tea leaves on this one," Schauer said, but the battle over the importance of precedents isn't over. Just the recent intense focus, he said, "makes it harder for any justice to ignore it completely."


usatoday--2020-04-24--President Trump disagrees with Georgia Gov. Kemp's decision to reopen parts of the state


usatoday--2020-04-25--NY man charged with hoarding tons of protective gear; jacking up price on masks and gowns

A New York man , accused of amassing tons of scarce protective equipment sought by nurses and doctors treating COVID-19 patients , was charged Friday with hoarding and price gouging related to sales of surgical masks , medical gowns , gloves and hand sanitizer .
Federal prosecutors alleged that Amardeep `` Bobby '' Singh , who previously sold clothing and sneakers , began marketing a new product line in mid-March , as medical professionals scrambled to find gear to shield themselves from the deadly coronavirus .
Singh 's new business , allegedly operated out of a Long Island warehouse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 , when the owner was cited by Nassau County officials for engaging in `` unconscionable trade practices '' related to the re-sale of face masks packaged in Ziploc bags .
Face mask fraud : Man tried to sell nonexistent face masks to VA in multi-million-dollar fraud scheme The New York attorney general followed up April 1 , issuing a cease and desist order against Singh 's business .
But federal prosecutors said that Singh continued to stock the equipment , including 2.2 tons of medical gowns and 253 pounds of digital thermometers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegedly offered face shields for $ 9.99 , after acquiring them at a cost of $ 3.10 .
Disposable face masks were marked up , from 7 cents each to $ 1 , while boxes of gloves , acquired for as little as $ 2.50 each , were priced at $ 7.99 .
During April 14 searches of Singh ’ s retail store and warehouse , U.S .
Postal Service inspectors seized 23 pallets of equipment , including 100,000 face masks , 10,000 surgical gowns , nearly 2,500 full-body isolation suits and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The criminal complaint describes a defendant who allegedly saw the devastating COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to make illegal profits on needed personal protective equipment , ” said New Jersey U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito , who is leading a federal enforcement effort related to pandemic-related hoarding and price gouging crimes .
“ The Department of Justice and its partners will intervene whenever profiteers and scammers break the law by capitalizing on the public ’ s fear to enrich themselves.
” Singh could not immediately be reached for comment , and court records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the case .
Charged with violations of the Defense Production Act , Singh faces a maximum punishment of a year in prison if convicted .

NY man charged with hoarding tons of protective gear; jacking up price on masks and gowns
Show Caption Hide Caption Nurses protest lack of PPE during COVID-19 pandemic National Nurses United protest in front of the White House calling attention to the health care workers lacking PPE. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
A New York man, accused of amassing tons of scarce protective equipment sought by nurses and doctors treating COVID-19 patients, was charged Friday with hoarding and price gouging related to sales of surgical masks, medical gowns, gloves and hand sanitizer.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Amardeep "Bobby" Singh, who previously sold clothing and sneakers, began marketing a new product line in mid-March, as medical professionals scrambled to find gear to shield themselves from the deadly coronavirus.
Singh's new business, allegedly operated out of a Long Island warehouse, first caught the attention of authorities March 18, when the owner was cited by Nassau County officials for engaging in "unconscionable trade practices" related to the re-sale of face masks packaged in Ziploc bags.
Coronavirus enforcement: Fraud follows coronavirus spread; fake vaccines, testing, investment scams are exacting a toll
Face mask fraud:Man tried to sell nonexistent face masks to VA in multi-million-dollar fraud scheme
The New York attorney general followed up April 1, issuing a cease and desist order against Singh's business.
But federal prosecutors said that Singh continued to stock the equipment, including 2.2 tons of medical gowns and 253 pounds of digital thermometers.
According to court documents, Singh allegedly offered face shields for $9.99, after acquiring them at a cost of $3.10. Disposable face masks were marked up, from 7 cents each to $1, while boxes of gloves, acquired for as little as $2.50 each, were priced at $7.99.
During April 14 searches of Singh’s retail store and warehouse, U.S. Postal Service inspectors seized 23 pallets of equipment, including 100,000 face masks, 10,000 surgical gowns, nearly 2,500 full-body isolation suits and more than 500,000 pairs of disposable gloves.
“The criminal complaint describes a defendant who allegedly saw the devastating COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to make illegal profits on needed personal protective equipment,” said New Jersey U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, who is leading a federal enforcement effort related to pandemic-related hoarding and price gouging crimes. “The Department of Justice and its partners will intervene whenever profiteers and scammers break the law by capitalizing on the public’s fear to enrich themselves.”
Singh could not immediately be reached for comment, and court records did not identify a defense attorney assigned to the case.
Charged with violations of the Defense Production Act, Singh faces a maximum punishment of a year in prison if convicted.


usatoday--2020-04-24--Medical experts rip Trump's suggestion that sunlight, disinfectants may treat coronavirus

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump 's suggestion that scientists study whether sunlight or disinfectants could be used to treat coronavirus patients prompted alarm Friday from health experts who warned Americans against embracing unproven remedies .
Trump 's remarks , in which he floated the idea of using `` light inside the body '' and studying the use of disinfectants `` by injection , '' triggered an urgent warning from the maker of Lysol that `` under no circumstances '' should its product be used as treatment .
The considerable blowback , which the White House dismissed as media sensationalism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his own health experts as his administration battles a pandemic that has killed more than 50,000 Americans .
Trump has often touted remedies and raised seemingly off-the-cuff ideas at his daily press conferences that top aides have then carefully sought to temper .
Adding fuel to the controversy , the White House initially distributed a transcript of Trump 's press conference in which Deborah Birx , one of the nation 's leading experts on the coronavirus , said that the method Trump was touting `` is a treatment . ''
White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Birx said they were not treatments .
At the White House on Friday , Trump said he was being sarcastic when he suggested that injecting disinfectants inside the body might be a treatment for coronavirus .
Asked by reporters if he was encouraging their use , he replied , “ Of course not.
” He continued to float the possibility that sunlight might be used to treat coronavirus .
“ Sun has a tremendous impact on it , ” he said .
The genesis of Trump 's remarks was a Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus on a surface or in the air could be significantly reduced by exposure to sunlight , humidity and other factors .
Trump invited a Homeland Security official to brief White House reporters about the study on Thursday .
`` Our most striking observation to date is the powerful effect that solar light appears to have on killing the virus , both on surfaces and in the air , '' said Bill Bryan , an undersecretary of science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security .
More : White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sunlight not a treatment Georgia : Plans to reopen Georgia get mixed support from businesses Bryan described the study as `` emerging '' and repeatedly warned against Americans changing their behavior based on the preliminary findings .
The study was limited to how environmental factors affected the virus on surfaces or in the air , not inside bodies .
After hearing Bryan 's presentation , Trump – clearly excited by the findings – pressed the scientists to expand their work into studying whether disinfectants could help patients .
`` So I asked Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are thinking of , if you ’ re totally into that world , which I find to be very interesting , '' the president began .
`` So , supposing we hit the body with a tremendous – whether it ’ s ultraviolet or just very powerful light – and I think you said that that hasn ’ t been checked , but you ’ re going to test it , '' Trump said .
`` And then I said , supposing you brought the light inside the body , which you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some other way , and I think you said you ’ re going to test that too .
It sounds interesting . ''
Bryan responded by saying he 'd ask `` the right folks '' who could look into that .
`` And then I see the disinfectant , where it knocks it out in a minute .
One minute , '' he said .
`` And is there a way we can do something like that , by injection inside or almost a cleaning .
Because you see it gets in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the lungs .
So it would be interesting to check that , '' he added .
The White House responded to the growing backlash with a statement Friday that blamed the `` media '' for `` irresponsibly '' quoting Trump out of context .
`` President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment , a point that he emphasized again during yesterday ’ s briefing , '' White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said .
In an appearance Friday , Trump claimed he was being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House briefings to float unproven treatment options in the past .
His early exhortations of anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus drew warnings from public health officials that the drug had not been clinically proven to have any impact and subsequent studies about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine have been mixed at best .
The Food & Drug Administration warned Friday that Americans should not take the drug `` outside of the hospital setting '' or within a clinical trial .
Like his early embrace of hydroxychloroquine , Trump batted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by saying he was n't advocating for their use – rather just raising them as a possibility for Americans to consider .
`` Maybe it works , maybe it does n't , '' Trump said of sunlight .
But the remarks drew a rebuke from doctors and state public health officials concerned about whether the remarks – and the media firestorm surrounding them – could be misinterpreted by some .
The Maryland Emergency Management Agency said on Friday it had received `` several calls '' raising questions about disinfectant use , for instance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection , ingestion or any other route , '' the agency posted on Twitter .
`` I certainly would n't recommend the internal ingestion of a disinfectant , '' Food and Drug Commissioner Stephen Hahn said during a CNN town hall following Trump 's comments .
Dr. Jesse Goodman , the former Chief Scientist of the FDA and now a Georgetown University professor and attending physician , told USA TODAY the amount of heat and light needed to kill the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the body and was `` not something we now have evidence to support . ''
`` The virus is predominantly inside cells , and the amount of light or heat that you would have to deliver would be toxic to the cells as well , '' he said .
Ultraviolet light is used to sterilize hospital equipment , he noted , but the level of light is `` toxic to human cells , and in fact people ca n't be in those rooms when they 're being sterilized with those devices . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of disinfectants inside the body was `` if they 're toxic to viruses and bacteria they 're generally toxic to human cells as well . ''
`` People should not ingest disinfectants of any kind , or bleach , '' he said , especially based off a quote or rumor , because `` those things can be extremely harmful or even fatal . ''
More : Twitter names Trump the 'Tide Pods ' president after he disinfectant comments Lysol issued a statement on its website on Friday titled `` Improper Use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company Reckitt Benckiser Group had been asked whether disinfectants are safe to use as a treatment .
`` We must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body ( through injection , ingestion or any other route ) , '' the company said in the statement .
More : Lysol warns against injecting disinfectant after Trump speculates on coronavirus Trump spoke a day after a Health and Human Services official said he was removed from his post because he questioned the value of hydroxychloroquine as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
The attorneys for Rick Bright said Thursday said they would soon be filing a whistleblower complaint on his behalf .
Bryan stressed the findings of the DHS study were not so conclusive that Americans should abandon social distancing guidelines promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and enforced by state orders across the country .
He said it would be `` irresponsible for us to say that we feel that the summer is just going to totally kill the virus . ''
Trump drew headlines in February for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New Hampshire .
`` You know in theory when it gets a little warmer , it miraculously goes away , '' he said then .
`` Hope that 's true . ''
At the White House on Thursday , he reminded reporters he had made the prediction and implied that the study confirmed his theory .
`` I once mentioned that maybe it 'll go away with heat and light , '' the president said Thursday .
`` And people did n't like that statement very much . ''

John Fritze, David Jackson and Nicholas Wu, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-04-24--Navy chief recommends returning Crozier to Roosevelt command

The Chief of Naval Operations , commanding officer of the U.S. Navy , has recommended that Captain Brett Crozier return @ @ @ @ @ .

Navy recommends Crozier return to Roosevelt command
The Chief of Naval Operations, commanding officer of the U.S. Navy, has recommended that Captain Brett Crozier return to the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-04-24--Newsom announces partnership with FEMA to provide free meals to California seniors

California , in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency , is launching a new program that will pay restaurant and hospitality workers to cook and deliver meals for at-risk seniors during the COVID-19 crisis .
The first program of this kind in the nation , called Restaurants Deliver , was announced Friday by Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
The governor said the new initiative will address both issues of nutrition and isolation felt by more than 1.2 million seniors living alone in the state , while it financially boosts the food sector .
News of the food-delivery initiative came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a million people — 494,173 — have been tested for coronavirus in the state of 40 million .
Positive cases rose Friday by 5 % to 39,254 , with 1,562 deaths , a 6.3 % increase over Thursday .
Restaurants have been financially ravaged during the pandemic , and local governments that depend on sales taxes from the industry have also taken a hit .
“ We are really addressing three problems at the same time in a very meaningful way , '' Newsom said .
`` This partnership can also support local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue and support for the local economy . ''
FEMA will cover 75 % of the costs associated with the new program and the state would pay for 75 % of the remainder .
Counties will only have to undertake a small percentage of the financial burden .
`` Now we have the ability to have locally driven decision-making to begin reemploying workers , '' Newsom said .
The meals will be reimbursed at a rate of $ 16 for breakfast , $ 17 for lunch , and $ 28 for dinner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
Newsom added that the goal is to connect farms to the effort and to ensure the meals provided include local produce and are of high nutritional value .
An unlimited number of meals will be provided , Newsom said , but there will be eligibility requirements .
Low-income older adults who have compromised immune systems and those who are at high risk for COVID-19 or who have already been exposed to coronavirus will be able to apply .
Counties will make the final determination and will be coordinating with state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who may qualify .
The governor encouraged all older adults who think they may be eligible to dial 2-1-1 , which he called `` the perfect point of contact to begin the process of eligibility . ''
For those who do n't have access to the information line locally , information will also be provided on the California Department of Public Health COVID-19 response site , https : //covid19.ca.gov/ .
`` It is not just about the meals .
It is about a human connection , '' Newsom said , adding that as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would also be `` expanding significantly our wellness and outreach efforts . ''
`` We are working with the department of aging to build on existing support and outreach for Californians , '' Newsom said .
Officials will be working with students studying aging at Sacramento State University to check-in more regularly on the state 's seniors .
Part of that effort includes expanding access to a `` Friendship Line '' that people can call when they are looking for comfort .
`` You just need someone to talk to ?
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom said , repeating the number : ( 888 ) 670 -1360 .
`` Make that phone call if you need a little bit of emotional support or if you want to be able to emote and communicate with someone on the other end of the line . ''
The governor shared that United Airlines reached out to see if the state could use their call-center workers , with so few people inquiring about travel plans amidst global shutdowns .
`` We thought they would be perfect because of how they are organized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said , explaining that they would be joined by the aging students and department officials .
Newsom emphasized that the new program was essential considering that seniors are among the most at-risk of dying from the disease , and will , as a result , be the last to experiencing easing in stay-at-home orders .

Newsom announces partnership with FEMA to provide free meals to California seniors
Show Caption Hide Caption California sees deadliest day of virus outbreak Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that California had seen the most deaths in 24 hours since the coronavirus outbreak began in the state. (April 23) AP
California, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is launching a new program that will pay restaurant and hospitality workers to cook and deliver meals for at-risk seniors during the COVID-19 crisis.
The first program of this kind in the nation, called Restaurants Deliver, was announced Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor said the new initiative will address both issues of nutrition and isolation felt by more than 1.2 million seniors living alone in the state, while it financially boosts the food sector.
News of the food-delivery initiative came as the state said nearly a half a million people — 494,173 — have been tested for coronavirus in the state of 40 million. Positive cases rose Friday by 5% to 39,254, with 1,562 deaths, a 6.3% increase over Thursday.
Restaurants have been financially ravaged during the pandemic, and local governments that depend on sales taxes from the industry have also taken a hit.
“We are really addressing three problems at the same time in a very meaningful way," Newsom said. "This partnership can also support local government because the sales tax can generate revenue and support for the local economy."
FEMA will cover 75% of the costs associated with the new program and the state would pay for 75% of the remainder. Counties will only have to undertake a small percentage of the financial burden.
"Now we have the ability to have locally driven decision-making to begin reemploying workers," Newsom said.
The meals will be reimbursed at a rate of $16 for breakfast, $17 for lunch, and $28 for dinner, or a total of $66 a day. Newsom added that the goal is to connect farms to the effort and to ensure the meals provided include local produce and are of high nutritional value.
An unlimited number of meals will be provided, Newsom said, but there will be eligibility requirements. Low-income older adults who have compromised immune systems and those who are at high risk for COVID-19 or who have already been exposed to coronavirus will be able to apply. Counties will make the final determination and will be coordinating with state and local agencies to do outreach to those who may qualify.
The governor encouraged all older adults who think they may be eligible to dial 2-1-1, which he called "the perfect point of contact to begin the process of eligibility." For those who don't have access to the information line locally, information will also be provided on the California Department of Public Health COVID-19 response site, https://covid19.ca.gov/.
"It is not just about the meals. It is about a human connection," Newsom said, adding that as part of the announcement, the state would also be "expanding significantly our wellness and outreach efforts."
"We are working with the department of aging to build on existing support and outreach for Californians," Newsom said. Officials will be working with students studying aging at Sacramento State University to check-in more regularly on the state's seniors. Part of that effort includes expanding access to a "Friendship Line" that people can call when they are looking for comfort.
"You just need someone to talk to? That’s the line to call," Newsom said, repeating the number: (888) 670 -1360. "Make that phone call if you need a little bit of emotional support or if you want to be able to emote and communicate with someone on the other end of the line."
The governor shared that United Airlines reached out to see if the state could use their call-center workers, with so few people inquiring about travel plans amidst global shutdowns.
"We thought they would be perfect because of how they are organized and positioned to make wellness calls," he said, explaining that they would be joined by the aging students and department officials.
Newsom emphasized that the new program was essential considering that seniors are among the most at-risk of dying from the disease, and will, as a result, be the last to experiencing easing in stay-at-home orders.