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| Coronavirus US live: Maryland's Republican governor concerned over Trump's 'mixed messages' | Coronavirus US live: Maryland's Republican governor concerned over Trump's 'mixed messages' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Larry Hogan says state’s Covid-19 hotline received ‘hundreds of calls’ following Trump’s comments | |
| With no coronavirus task force briefing on the White House schedule for a second straight day, President Trump broke from his mid-afternoon tweetstorm to take a call with French president Emmanuel Macron. | |
| White House aide Judd Deere passes along this readout from their conversation: | |
| Florida governor Ron DeSantis is holding a press briefing and has said he has no firm date for when the state will reopen. “We are going to do everything in a smart way,” DeSantis said. “I am less concerned about the date and more concerned about getting it right.” | Florida governor Ron DeSantis is holding a press briefing and has said he has no firm date for when the state will reopen. “We are going to do everything in a smart way,” DeSantis said. “I am less concerned about the date and more concerned about getting it right.” |
| He added that he thinks cases from Covid-19 are on a downward trend in Florida. “Our data shows that the cases peaked at the beginning of April, and we think the hospitalizations peaked a few days after that,” he said. | He added that he thinks cases from Covid-19 are on a downward trend in Florida. “Our data shows that the cases peaked at the beginning of April, and we think the hospitalizations peaked a few days after that,” he said. |
| As of Sunday morning, 1,075 people have died from the virus in Florida. | As of Sunday morning, 1,075 people have died from the virus in Florida. |
| Donald Trump is on his customary Sunday Twitter tear. After saying on Saturday that his coronavirus press briefings are “not worth the time & effort” due to “hostile questions” from journalists, the president said that the “Noble” [sic] Committee should demand its prizes back from journalists who worked on “Russia, Russia, Russia”. | Donald Trump is on his customary Sunday Twitter tear. After saying on Saturday that his coronavirus press briefings are “not worth the time & effort” due to “hostile questions” from journalists, the president said that the “Noble” [sic] Committee should demand its prizes back from journalists who worked on “Russia, Russia, Russia”. |
| “When will all of the “reporters” who have received Noble [sic] Prizes for their work on Russia, Russia, Russia, only to have been proven totally wrong (and, in fact, it was the other side who committed the crimes), be turning back their cherished “Nobles” so that they can be given ....to the REAL REPORTERS & JOURNALISTS who got it right. I can give the Committee a very comprehensive list. When will the Noble Committee DEMAND the Prizes back, especially since they were gotten under fraud,” wrote the president. | “When will all of the “reporters” who have received Noble [sic] Prizes for their work on Russia, Russia, Russia, only to have been proven totally wrong (and, in fact, it was the other side who committed the crimes), be turning back their cherished “Nobles” so that they can be given ....to the REAL REPORTERS & JOURNALISTS who got it right. I can give the Committee a very comprehensive list. When will the Noble Committee DEMAND the Prizes back, especially since they were gotten under fraud,” wrote the president. |
| As is often the case, it’s unclear who the president is talking about. The Nobel Prizes were awarded for Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Peace and Economics in 2019. The 2019 prize for literature went to Austria’s Peter Handke “for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience.” It is unclear what views Handke holds on disinfectant. | As is often the case, it’s unclear who the president is talking about. The Nobel Prizes were awarded for Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Peace and Economics in 2019. The 2019 prize for literature went to Austria’s Peter Handke “for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience.” It is unclear what views Handke holds on disinfectant. |
| Trump may well have meant to criticize the Pulitzer Prizes for journalism. Several winners in 2019 have investigated Trump’s regime. | Trump may well have meant to criticize the Pulitzer Prizes for journalism. Several winners in 2019 have investigated Trump’s regime. |
| Trump also took time out to wish Melania happy birthday. | Trump also took time out to wish Melania happy birthday. |
| The White House’s economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, says unemployment levels could approach those seen during the Great Depression. | The White House’s economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, says unemployment levels could approach those seen during the Great Depression. |
| In a sobering interview with ABC’s This Week, Hassett said: “the next couple of months are going to be terrible” for the economy. He added that unemployment could hit 16%. | In a sobering interview with ABC’s This Week, Hassett said: “the next couple of months are going to be terrible” for the economy. He added that unemployment could hit 16%. |
| “We see an unemployment rate that approaches rates we saw during the Great Depression,” Hassett told ABC. “During the Great Recession we lost 8.7m jobs in the whole thing. Now we’re losing that many every 10 days, so the lift for economic policy makers is an extraordinary one.” | “We see an unemployment rate that approaches rates we saw during the Great Depression,” Hassett told ABC. “During the Great Recession we lost 8.7m jobs in the whole thing. Now we’re losing that many every 10 days, so the lift for economic policy makers is an extraordinary one.” |
| Elsewhere, despite the fact that GDP is forecast to shrink by 5.6% this year, the Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, told Fox News that he believes the economy will bounce back when the US starts to reopen this summer. | Elsewhere, despite the fact that GDP is forecast to shrink by 5.6% this year, the Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, told Fox News that he believes the economy will bounce back when the US starts to reopen this summer. |
| “I think as we begin to reopen the economy in May and June you’re going to see the economy really bounce back in July, August, September ... You’re seeing trillions of dollars that’s making its way into the economy and I think this is going to have a significant impact,” Mnuchin said. | “I think as we begin to reopen the economy in May and June you’re going to see the economy really bounce back in July, August, September ... You’re seeing trillions of dollars that’s making its way into the economy and I think this is going to have a significant impact,” Mnuchin said. |
| Donald Trump’s suggestion that injecting disinfectant could be used as a treatment for Covid-19 were so outlandish that they’re easy to dismiss as the ramblings of a leader unable to handle the demands of a pandemic. | Donald Trump’s suggestion that injecting disinfectant could be used as a treatment for Covid-19 were so outlandish that they’re easy to dismiss as the ramblings of a leader unable to handle the demands of a pandemic. |
| However, on Sunday Maryland’s Republican governor, Larry Hogan, told CBS’s Face the Nation that his state’s Covid-19 hotline had received “hundreds of calls” following Trump’s comments. “[It’s] hard to imagine that people thought that [Trump’s comment] was serious,” Hogan said. “”But what people actually were thinking about this was this something you could do to protect yourself?” | However, on Sunday Maryland’s Republican governor, Larry Hogan, told CBS’s Face the Nation that his state’s Covid-19 hotline had received “hundreds of calls” following Trump’s comments. “[It’s] hard to imagine that people thought that [Trump’s comment] was serious,” Hogan said. “”But what people actually were thinking about this was this something you could do to protect yourself?” |
| The president has since said that he was being “sarcastic”, although TV footage does not bear that out. The president has repeatedly given false or misleading information about the coronavirus during his press briefings, and has often found himself at odds with advice given by his own medical experts. | The president has since said that he was being “sarcastic”, although TV footage does not bear that out. The president has repeatedly given false or misleading information about the coronavirus during his press briefings, and has often found himself at odds with advice given by his own medical experts. |
| Hogan said that he had raised concerns about “mixed messaging” coming from the White House during the pandemic, and said that the president needed to stick to facts during his briefings. | Hogan said that he had raised concerns about “mixed messaging” coming from the White House during the pandemic, and said that the president needed to stick to facts during his briefings. |
| “It’s critical that the president of the United States, when people are really scared and in the middle of this worldwide pandemic, in these press conferences that we really get the facts out there, and unfortunately some of the messaging has not been great, the mixed messaging,” said Hogan. | “It’s critical that the president of the United States, when people are really scared and in the middle of this worldwide pandemic, in these press conferences that we really get the facts out there, and unfortunately some of the messaging has not been great, the mixed messaging,” said Hogan. |
| Hogan is far from the only person with concerns about Trump’s handling of the pandemic. His own advisers are reported to be worried that his press briefings were harming his presidential campaign. He made only a short appearance at Friday’s briefing and did not take any any questions from reporters. On Saturday, there was no briefing at all and Trump instead wrote on Twitter that they are “not worth the time & effort”. | Hogan is far from the only person with concerns about Trump’s handling of the pandemic. His own advisers are reported to be worried that his press briefings were harming his presidential campaign. He made only a short appearance at Friday’s briefing and did not take any any questions from reporters. On Saturday, there was no briefing at all and Trump instead wrote on Twitter that they are “not worth the time & effort”. |
| “What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately,” he wrote. “They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!” | “What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately,” he wrote. “They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!” |
| A Louisiana pastor held services at his church today in defiance of house arrest orders following an assault charge stemming from his decision to hold mass gatherings that flouted public health orders. | A Louisiana pastor held services at his church today in defiance of house arrest orders following an assault charge stemming from his decision to hold mass gatherings that flouted public health orders. |
| The Associated Press reports: | The Associated Press reports: |
| Cuomo says he is in favor of bringing sports back in some form provided it can generate revenue without ticket sales. “We want to bring sports back, so there’s an activity that people can watch on TV,” he says. “What sports can you do without an audience? What sports can you make work economically where you don’t have to sell a seat in the stadium or in the arena?” | Cuomo says he is in favor of bringing sports back in some form provided it can generate revenue without ticket sales. “We want to bring sports back, so there’s an activity that people can watch on TV,” he says. “What sports can you do without an audience? What sports can you make work economically where you don’t have to sell a seat in the stadium or in the arena?” |
| He adds: “They have to be creative and they have to think about it.” | He adds: “They have to be creative and they have to think about it.” |
| When pressed on this, Cuomo says he’s spoken with a number of sports owners and companies and encouraged them to “think outside the box, because there is no box”. | When pressed on this, Cuomo says he’s spoken with a number of sports owners and companies and encouraged them to “think outside the box, because there is no box”. |
| “If you could make the economics work without the seat sales and you could have teams play without the seat sales but you had televised and you had the television revenue and whatever else went with that?” he says. “You know we’re in a different place. Be creative and try to figure it out. But if players could get paid more than staying home and owners will get some revenue versus total shutdown, why not? I’d love to watch.” | “If you could make the economics work without the seat sales and you could have teams play without the seat sales but you had televised and you had the television revenue and whatever else went with that?” he says. “You know we’re in a different place. Be creative and try to figure it out. But if players could get paid more than staying home and owners will get some revenue versus total shutdown, why not? I’d love to watch.” |
| He continues: “It would have to be up to them, that they an economic analysis that says some revenue is better than no revenue and my players are willing to negotiate a contract reduction. And if they can do it? Everybody has to think outside the box, because there is no box.” | He continues: “It would have to be up to them, that they an economic analysis that says some revenue is better than no revenue and my players are willing to negotiate a contract reduction. And if they can do it? Everybody has to think outside the box, because there is no box.” |
| Cuomo says he wants to reimagine rather than just reopen the state. | Cuomo says he wants to reimagine rather than just reopen the state. |
| “I don’t want to just reopen,” Cuomo says. “We learned a lot of lessons here. Painfully, but we learned a lot of lessons. And that’s what reimagine means to me. How do we take the lessons we learned, take this pause in life and say, ‘When we reopen we’re going to be better for it, and we’re going to reimagine what our life is, and we’re going to improve for this pause.’ Even on an individual level. You had time to decompress a little bit. I think everybody when through a period where they analyzed their life and when somebody all of sudden pulls the rug out from under you and you wind up in a different place, you just see life differently. And I think that’s true for most people. | “I don’t want to just reopen,” Cuomo says. “We learned a lot of lessons here. Painfully, but we learned a lot of lessons. And that’s what reimagine means to me. How do we take the lessons we learned, take this pause in life and say, ‘When we reopen we’re going to be better for it, and we’re going to reimagine what our life is, and we’re going to improve for this pause.’ Even on an individual level. You had time to decompress a little bit. I think everybody when through a period where they analyzed their life and when somebody all of sudden pulls the rug out from under you and you wind up in a different place, you just see life differently. And I think that’s true for most people. |
| “After that reflection ... what have we learned, how do we improve and how do we build back better? Because it’s not about return to yesterday. There is no return to yesterday in life. It’s about moving forward. It’s about taking your experience and what you learned and bringing it to a positive effect.” | “After that reflection ... what have we learned, how do we improve and how do we build back better? Because it’s not about return to yesterday. There is no return to yesterday in life. It’s about moving forward. It’s about taking your experience and what you learned and bringing it to a positive effect.” |
| Cuomo begins to outline his vision for reopening the state. Phase one will focus on “low-risk” construction and manufacturing, while phase two will be more essential businesses that are considered low risk. He says businesses must present a plan to demonstrate how they can reopen safely: “We need them to be creative and think outside the box,” he says. | Cuomo begins to outline his vision for reopening the state. Phase one will focus on “low-risk” construction and manufacturing, while phase two will be more essential businesses that are considered low risk. He says businesses must present a plan to demonstrate how they can reopen safely: “We need them to be creative and think outside the box,” he says. |
| There will be two weeks between phases to carefully monitor the effects. | There will be two weeks between phases to carefully monitor the effects. |
| Cuomo adds a major caveat: “You can’t do anything in any region that would increase the number of visitors to that region. You have a whole multi-state region in lockdown here. It’s possible that you open something in Syracuse or you open something in the North Country where you now see license plates coming in from Connecticut, New Jersey, people from downstate, all coming to that area because they’ve been locked down and they’re looking for an activity.” | Cuomo adds a major caveat: “You can’t do anything in any region that would increase the number of visitors to that region. You have a whole multi-state region in lockdown here. It’s possible that you open something in Syracuse or you open something in the North Country where you now see license plates coming in from Connecticut, New Jersey, people from downstate, all coming to that area because they’ve been locked down and they’re looking for an activity.” |
| New York governor Andrew Cuomo starts with “relatively good” news: total hospitalizations in New York are down to levels seen on 31 March, nearly a month ago. | New York governor Andrew Cuomo starts with “relatively good” news: total hospitalizations in New York are down to levels seen on 31 March, nearly a month ago. |
| There have been 367 deaths statewide in the last day, down from 437 in the previous 24-hour period, Cuomo says. | There have been 367 deaths statewide in the last day, down from 437 in the previous 24-hour period, Cuomo says. |
| The governor says there have been 16,966 deaths from Covid-19 in New York state overall – a figure that does not include the roughly 5,000 probable deaths in New York state. | The governor says there have been 16,966 deaths from Covid-19 in New York state overall – a figure that does not include the roughly 5,000 probable deaths in New York state. |
| Cuomo says he agrees with the CDC’s guidance that hospitalization rate must be in decline for 14 days before considering reopening. | Cuomo says he agrees with the CDC’s guidance that hospitalization rate must be in decline for 14 days before considering reopening. |
| Dr Birx also appeared on NBC’s Meet The Press this morning and continued her stance of declining to criticize the president for his dangerous remarks on the use of disinfectant to combat Covid-19 inside the human body. | Dr Birx also appeared on NBC’s Meet The Press this morning and continued her stance of declining to criticize the president for his dangerous remarks on the use of disinfectant to combat Covid-19 inside the human body. |
| Asked if the president’s remarks undermined the credibility of the administration’s scientific response to the pandemic, Birx replied: | Asked if the president’s remarks undermined the credibility of the administration’s scientific response to the pandemic, Birx replied: |
| Over the weekend Politico published details of a 57 page Republican party attack memo, which advised GOP candidates to aggressively target China in their public remarks on the coronavirus pandemic. | Over the weekend Politico published details of a 57 page Republican party attack memo, which advised GOP candidates to aggressively target China in their public remarks on the coronavirus pandemic. |
| From the report: | From the report: |
| The reporting adds to the increasingly clear picture that Republicans will target China throughout election season. A pro-Trump super Pac has already released advertising attacking Joe Biden for his comments on Trump’s decision to ban some travel from the country at the start of the outbreak. | The reporting adds to the increasingly clear picture that Republicans will target China throughout election season. A pro-Trump super Pac has already released advertising attacking Joe Biden for his comments on Trump’s decision to ban some travel from the country at the start of the outbreak. |
| More from the report: | More from the report: |
| Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic from the US. | Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic from the US. |
| We’ll start with comments just made by Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr Deborah Birx, who appeared on CNN this morning. | We’ll start with comments just made by Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr Deborah Birx, who appeared on CNN this morning. |
| Dr Birx declined to criticize the president for dangerous comments he made earlier in the week floating the idea of using sunlight and the injection of disinfectant to the human body to treat Covid-19. Asked if she was bothered by the need to keep ruling out the use of disinfectant, which can be fatal if ingested, Birx said: “It bothers me that this is still in the news cycle. I worry that we don’t get the information to the American people that they need when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night.” | Dr Birx declined to criticize the president for dangerous comments he made earlier in the week floating the idea of using sunlight and the injection of disinfectant to the human body to treat Covid-19. Asked if she was bothered by the need to keep ruling out the use of disinfectant, which can be fatal if ingested, Birx said: “It bothers me that this is still in the news cycle. I worry that we don’t get the information to the American people that they need when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night.” |
| Earlier in the interview Birx made clear she had told the President that such treatments were not medically viable, but described Trump’s remarks made during a globally televised press conference, as “a dialogue” between the president and scientists at the department of homeland security about a new study. | Earlier in the interview Birx made clear she had told the President that such treatments were not medically viable, but described Trump’s remarks made during a globally televised press conference, as “a dialogue” between the president and scientists at the department of homeland security about a new study. |
| You can see the full exchange here: | You can see the full exchange here: |
| And here’s the CDC’s full guidance on the consequences of consumption of disinfectant. | And here’s the CDC’s full guidance on the consequences of consumption of disinfectant. |