Coronavirus continues to dominate the news—and while the news is impossible to escape, it’s also nearly impossible to follow unless you make it a full-time job. Here’s the news Daily Kos has been following, from Congress to the Trump administration and beyond.
The new Civiqs 50-state daily COVID-19 tracker shows just how dangerous Republicans and Fox News are: many older Republicans who should be very concerned for their own health, if no one else’s, say they’re not worried at all!
In Congress:
While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s extreme partisanship mucks up the next phase of coronavirus response, Senate Democrats have a plan to cancel student loan payments during the crisis, and pay off $10,000 on every loan.
The pandemic is putting Republican and Democratic economic priorities in the spotlight. Trump wants an airline bailout. Maxine Waters has a plan to save working people and small businesses. And by the way, airlines begging for a bailout spent 96% of their 'free cash' on buybacks over the last 10 years.
But while Congress has important work to do, its leaders have to be sure members are protected and that Congress can continue to function through the pandemic. That means McConnell and Pelosi have one immediate job—making sure Congress functions, can work from home.
This is disgusting: Republican Sen. Richard Burr knew catastrophe was coming. He exclusively warned a wealthy slice of his constituents.
The Trump administration:
The administration’s response continues to be awful, even now that Donald Trump is supposedly paying attention and taking the threat seriously. Let’s start with the origins of the problem. With this coronavirus calendar, even Trump can't gaslight the problem away. Because the Trump administration response to coronavirus was 'a perfect storm of three separate failures.'
It’s still all about PR with this guy: The daily coronavirus task force appearance isn't about coronavirus, it's about Trump. And when we’re listening to what he’s saying, we have to continue being very careful. For instance, Trump is 'very excited' about a possible cure for COVID-19 … but you shouldn't share that excitement yet.
The PR is trying to cover up ongoing failures. For the umpteenth time, this. is. not. a. drill. Trump's foot-dragging imperils healthcare workers. They need protective gear now, and Trump isn’t using the power he has to make that happen. In fact, this 'wartime president' is still waiting on a 'worst case scenario' to boost medical supply production. On that front, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Trump must 'immediately' use Defense Production Act to produce critically needed equipment.
The Trump administration’s commitment to divisiveness over public health is such that the White House released Spanish-language coronavirus guidelines only after getting called out. That’s not the only way the administration is endangering people out of anti-immigrant bigotry. Advocates demand that ICE free detainees following an in-custody death at migrant family jail. That wasn’t a coronavirus death, but it highlights the number of people being held in terrible conditions that will make the problem worse.
Look for the failure to continue, because Jared Kushner had a hand in some of Trump's worst COVID-19 moves, and now he's taking a bigger role.
More:
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Organizers hustle to bail people out of jail amid coronavirus pandemic
A plea to young people from a young person: Take coronavirus seriously—for everyone's sake