Top Items:
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
McConnell tells GOP senators to “keep the White House in the box” on infrastructure — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell panned the idea of using a coronavirus stimulus bill to fund major infrastructure investment in a conference call today with Republican senators.
Discussion:
Fox News, National Review, Raw Story, One America News Network and Breitbart
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Politico:
House drops plan to return after lawmaker backlash
House drops plan to return after lawmaker backlash
Discussion:
ABC News, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, Breitbart, Slate, The Gateway Pundit, CNN and The Week
Ben White / Politico:
Trump faces the risk of a coronavirus cliff
Trump faces the risk of a coronavirus cliff
Discussion:
Fox News, Raw Story, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Hill, Vanity Fair, Breitbart, Washington Post, Axios, One America News Network, Redstate and Washington Monthly
Charles Sykes / The Bulwark:
What Biden Has To Say — Joe Biden, Tara Reade, and double-standards. — I have no idea if Tara Reade's allegations against Joe Biden are true. And, like Cathy Young, I think there are reasons to be skeptical. (You can read her deep dive into the facts here.)
Discussion:
Arc Digital, The Bulwark Podcast and National Review
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Bloomberg:
Trump Orders Meat Plants to Stay Open in Move Slammed by Union — President will invoke Defense Production Act after closures — At least 6,500 workers sickened or in isolation, union says — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that compels slaughterhouses to remain open …
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Danika Fears / The Daily Beast:
Pence Flouts Mask Policy While Visiting Staff, Patient at Mayo Clinic — WHY??? — Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday refused to wear a mask during his visit to Minnesota's Mayo Clinic, which requires all staff, patients, and visitors to wear a face covering while at the medical center.
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Moderate Voice, NBC News, ABC News, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Washington Post, HuffPost, Axios and Balloon Juice
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Daniel Desrochers / Lexington Herald-Leader:
Beshear called it a prank, but Tupac Shakur really does need his unemployment check — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear went full Dad-mode during his Monday night news conference, calling out the “bad apples” who filed for unemployment under fake names during the coronavirus pandemic.
Discussion:
New York Daily News, Associated Press, New York Post, The Hill and Mediaite
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David Weigel / Washington Post:
Rep. Justin Amash to seek Libertarian Party nomination for president — Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan will seek the Libertarian Party's nomination for president, ending months of speculation that the former Republican would run as an alternative to President Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
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Jake Thomas / The Intellectualist:
States Warn That Workers Will Lose Unemployment If They Refuse To Return To Jobs — Workers who worry about contracting the coronavirus will not be granted an exception. — As states begin to reopen their economies after weeks of stay-at-home orders, some are warning employees …
Discussion:
The Texas Tribune and The Hill
David K. Li / NBC News:
Alaska school removes ‘The Great Gatsby,’ other famous books from curriculum for ‘controversial’ content — Bookstores are now fielding requests for works removed from Mat-Su Borough School District classrooms. — An Alaska school board removed five famous — but allegedly “controversial” …
Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:
Inside Donald Trump and Jared Kushner's Two Months of Magical Thinking — On the afternoon of Thursday, March 19, Donald Trump sat in the Oval Office obsessing over the beaches in Florida. CNN footage of shirtless spring breakers packed onto the sand while the coronavirus pandemic raged …
Discussion:
Raw Story and The Mahablog
Wall Street Journal:
‘A Bargain With the Devil’—Bill Comes Due for Overextended Airbnb Hosts — Entrepreneurs built mini-empires of short-term rental properties, borrowing against revenue that's now vanishing under coronavirus lockdowns — For years, Cheryl Dopp considered the ding on her phone …
Chris Kahn / Reuters:
Americans losing faith in what Trump says about the coronavirus: Reuters/Ipsos poll — NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans appear to be losing faith in what President Donald Trump says about the coronavirus pandemic, with almost everyone rejecting Trump's remark that COVID-19 may be treated …
Alana Goodman / Washington Free Beacon:
Police Investigating Death of Arizona Man From Chloroquine Phosphate — The Mesa City Police Department's homicide division is investigating the death of Gary Lenius, the Arizona man whose wife served him soda mixed with fish tank cleaner in what she claimed was a bid to fend off the coronavirus.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Twitchy and National Review
Ben Domenech / Wall Street Journal:
How My Joke on Twitter Became a Federal Case — The NLRB is investigating me for a humorous tweet about Vox's labor dispute. — I'm under federal investigation for making a joke on Twitter. — In June 2019, employees at the left-liberal Vox Media Inc. walked off the job demanding a new collective bargaining agreement.
Scott Shackford / Reason:
Hawaiian Brewery Under Investigation for Hand Sanitizer Giveaway — A brewing company in Hawaii is being investigated by a liquor board for giving away hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 outbreak with alcohol purchases. — With the temporary death of the bar scene across the country due …
Associated Press:
The Latest: 52 positive cases tied to Wisconsin election — MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Latest on the coronavirus outbreak in Wisconsin (all times local): — More than 50 people who voted in person or worked the polls during Wisconsin's election earlier this month have tested positive for COVID-19 so far.
Josh Rogin / Washington Post:
Senators demand answers from Pompeo on Wuhan lab cables — The State Department was warned two years ago of safety concerns at a Wuhan lab doing dangerous research on bat coronaviruses. Now, two Democratic senators want to know if those warnings were ignored — and why, despite these warnings …
Discussion:
Townhall, New York Post, Twitchy, National Review, emptywheel and Breitbart
Trip Gabriel / New York Times:
Ohio's G.O.P. Governor Splits From Trump, and Rises in Popularity — Mike DeWine, a low-key career politician, has followed health experts' guidance as Ohio confronts the coronavirus. His constituents are overwhelmingly appreciative. — For 40 years, Mike DeWine rose steadily if blandly …
New York Times:
Top E.R. Doctor Who Treated Virus Patients Dies by Suicide — “She tried to do her job, and it killed her,” said the father of Dr. Lorna M. Breen, who worked at a Manhattan hospital hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. — A top emergency room doctor at a Manhattan hospital that treated …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, New York Post, NPR, The Guardian, CBS New York and ABC7
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
MLB discussing plan to start season in late June, playing in home stadiums with realigned league — Maybe it's a dream scenario. — Maybe it's premature to get excited. — Then again, maybe it just might work. — Major League Baseball officials have become cautiously optimistic …
Discussion:
The Week
Alanna Durkin Richer / Associated Press:
Nearly 70 dead in ‘horrific’ outbreak at veterans home — Nearly 70 residents sickened with the coronavirus have died at a Massachusetts home for aging veterans, as state and federal officials try to figure out what went wrong in the deadliest known outbreak at a long-term care facility in the U.S.
Washington Post:
The U.S. plans to give $500 billion to large companies. It won't require them to preserve jobs or limit executive pay. — The Fed's coronavirus aid program lacks restrictions Congress placed on companies seeking financial help under other programs. — A Federal Reserve program expected …
Discussion:
The Intellectualist, Raw Story and VICE
Zach Montellaro / Politico:
Andrew Yang sues over New York's shutdown of presidential primary — Andrew Yang, the former presidential candidate, is suing the New York State Board of Elections in federal court after the state election commission effectively canceled the Democratic presidential primary there.
Michael Laris / Washington Post:
Scientists know ways to help stop viruses from spreading on airplanes. They're too late for this pandemic. — On March 14, 1977, a woman with the flu climbed aboard a 737 and headed for Kodiak, Alaska, with 53 other passengers and crew. After an engine failed, most of them sat on the runway …
Yascha Mounk / The Atlantic:
No Testing, No Treatment, No Herd Immunity, No Easy Way Out — We need to start preparing for a darker reality. — Contributing writer at The Atlantic — The past few months have been bleak. Every day has brought word of new casualties from the coronavirus. The world economy entered free fall.
Discussion:
Washington Post and Raw Story
New York Times:
Trump's Response to Virus Reflects a Long Disregard for Science — The president's Covid-19 response has extended the administration's longstanding practice of undermining scientific expertise for political purposes. — WASHINGTON — At a March visit with doctors and researchers at the Centers …
Aaron Lorenzo / Politico:
Treasury wants stimulus payments to dead people repaid — Economic stimulus payments errantly sent to the deceased should be returned, according to the Treasury Department. — A Treasury spokesperson indicated the department is developing a plan to retrieve the coronavirus-related payments, but didn't provide details.
Discussion:
Washington Post and Fox News
Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Tucker Carlson Beats Sean Hannity as Trump Briefings Give Fox News a Boost — The network's ratings surged in April, but “Hannity” missed its top spot for the first time since 2017. — Sean Hannity has been the king of Fox News for two and a half years, the highest-rated host on the highest-rated cable news channel.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Katelyn Polantz / CNN:
DOJ unseals Roger Stone warrants in response to lawsuit from CNN and other outlets — Roger Stone sentenced to more than 3 years in prison — (CNN)The Justice Department on Tuesday made public dozens of search warrants from its investigation into Roger Stone, after CNN and other news organizations sued for access to the files.
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit
TMZ.com:
Patriots' Rookie Justin Rohrwasser To Remove ‘3 Percenter’ Tat, 'It's Shameful' — “I want to get it removed from my body. It's shameful that I had it on there ignorantly.” — That's Patriots rookie Justin Rohrwasser fighting back tears and apologizing for the “3 Percenter” …
Discussion:
Big League Politics
Anna Royal / McSweeney's:
Emails from My Children's School Before 8:00 AM During the COVID-19 Crisis — Good morning! This is an email to let you know that we will be sending another email later this afternoon. That email will contain a special passcode, and in a separate email, we will send you the link that requires this passcode.
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Trump has played the media like a puppet. We're getting better — but history will not judge us kindly. — Traditional journalism is under siege, NBC News chief Andy Lack wrote this week: President Trump continues to “put the bully in bully pulpit,” and the coronavirus crisis has taken a toll.
Discussion:
National Review
The Daily Beast:
New Model Shows How Deadly Lifting Georgia's Lockdown May Be — COST OF LIVING — Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi are veering toward a terrifyingly premature end to their COVID-19 lockdowns, according to a new pandemic analysis. — Gov. Brian Kemp's aggressive scheme to lift Georgia …
Jim VandeHei / Axios:
Axios returns PPP loan — Axios, which qualified for a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan to avoid layoffs, will return the money, after nearing a deal for an alternative source of capital. — Why it matters: In the four weeks since Axios applied for the loan, based …
Discussion:
The Hill and Washington Free Beacon, more at Mediagazer »