Half of Americans in a new poll say they or someone in their household has been financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, which has shuttered thousands of businesses across the country and forced millions into unemployment.

An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Wednesday shows that 50 percent of Americans, excluding those not employed or retired, say they or someone in their household has been let go or has had their hours reduced at work because of the pandemic.

That’s a spike from last month, when 18 percent of adults in a poll from the outlets said they or someone in their household had been impacted by the outbreak.

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The latest poll comes as over 26 million people filed for unemployment in the past several weeks, as businesses were shuttered across the country to comply with social distancing and stay-at-home orders. It is unclear how significantly that number will improve as some states begin to ease restrictions in the coming days and weeks.

Americans by a 64 to 32 percent margin say the coronavirus, which has infected over 1 million people in the U.S. and killed over 58,000, is being better handled by state governors rather than President TrumpDonald John TrumpMeat and poultry industry groups applaud Trump for keeping processing plants open FBI releases documents showing Roger Stone, Julian Assange communications Approval for Trump’s handling of coronavirus drops 10 points: poll MORE, according to the NPR/PBS/Marist poll.

Fifty-five percent of Americans also disapproved of Trump’s handling of the virus, up 6 points from last month. Meanwhile, the percentage of those who approved of his handling of the virus remained unchanged at 44 percent.

The White House has come under an avalanche of criticism from Democrats in Washington and bipartisan governors across the country who say the federal government has taken insufficient action to provide personal protection equipment (PPE) and testing kits to adequately address to coronavirus’s spread and create circumstances to safely reopen the country.

The new poll of 1,008 adults, conducted between April 21-26, has a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.

Welcome to The Hill’s daily roundup of coronavirus news. There are 884,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S., which passed a grim threshold Friday: 50,000 deaths.

Here’s what else you need to know today: 

From the Trump administration

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• President TrumpDonald John TrumpBiden vows to recognize Armenian genocide if elected president Nadler presses Barr over Trump using emergency powers during pandemic China dispatched team to North Korea to advise on Kim Jong Un: report MORE signed a $484 billion relief package, even as war of words heated up over state and local aid in the next bill. The measure Trump signed included $310 billion for small business funding, $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for testing and contact tracing. Morgan Chalfant reports. 
• Two anti-malaria medications highly touted by President Trumpshould not be taken outside a hospital or clinical trial because of the risk of severe heart problems, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned Friday. Nathaniel Weixel has the story. 
• President Trump’s suggestion that people could inject disinfectants as a way to treat the coronavirus is drawing strong criticism from doctors who warn the remarks from the White House could endanger the public.Read more from Peter Sullivan.
• Trump, meanwhile, said on Friday afternoon that he was actually being sarcastic when he made the comments. Brett Samuels reports.  

From Congress: 

• Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyTwelve things you need to know today about the coronavirus crisis The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – House clears virus package; Trump breaks with Fauci Republicans sharply divided over timeline for reopening economy MORE (R-Utah) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) wrote a letter to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield saying the agency needs to modernize its reporting capabilities and develop real-time national reporting of coronavirus cases. Justine Coleman reports. 
• House Democrats on Friday called for the federal government to take a more aggressive role in determining how to reopen American society, schools and businesses, the same day Georgia pressed ahead with plans to reopen some nonessential businesses. Read Scott Wong’s story here.
• Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiThe Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden and the DNC set joint fundraising agreement Twelve things you need to know today about the coronavirus crisis Pelosi: ‘Really dangerous’ to privatize the Post Office MORE (D-Calif.) said the election “must” be held in November, warning against any effort that might be made to delay it because of coronavirus. Cristina Marcos reports. 

From the states: 

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• Georgia reported 635 new coronavirus cases and 20 more deaths in a 24-hour period ending at noon on Friday, the same day its governor is letting some businesses reopen. Jessie Hellmann has the story.
• The United States passed the grim milestone of 50,000 coronavirus deaths, 16 times the number of Americans killed in the 9/11 attacks. Reid Wilson reports.  
• New York Gov. Andrew CuomoAndrew CuomoSan Francisco mayor says city’s PPE orders have been diverted, confiscated: It ‘blows my mind’ Hillicon Valley: Tech giants poised to weather coronavirus damage | Record Facebook-FTC deal approved | Bipartisan 5G bill introduced The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden and the DNC set joint fundraising agreement MORE (D) on Friday said that he would sign an executive order that would send all registered New York state voters a postage-paid absentee ballot application for the state’s upcoming primary elections in June. The move is intended to make it easier for people to vote as the state continues to face the COVID-19 epidemic. Marty Johnson has the story. 
• Cuomo also continued to fume over Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOn The Money: Trump signs 4B coronavirus relief package | CBO projects 39.6 percent quarterly GDP drop, .7T deficit | IRS says it issued 8B in coronavirus payments through April 17 Overnight Health Care: Coronavirus spreads to Trump country | Disinfectant remarks draw blowback | FDA issues warning about drugs touted by Trump OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump criticizes banks withholding funds from certain fossil fuel projects | Treasury considers lending program for oil producers| White House uses Arbor Day to renew push for 1 trillion trees initiative MORE’s (R-Ky.) support for allowing states to declare bankruptcy amid the coronavirus, daring the GOP leader to pass a law allowing for states to do so. Jordain Carney reports.
• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) extended the state’s stay-at-home order to May 15 on Friday amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., while also easing some restrictions on certain businesses. Read more from Julia Manchester.

 

 

Welcome to Hillicon Valley, The Hill’s newsletter detailing all you need to know about the tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. If you don’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter with this LINK.

Welcome! Follow our cyber reporter, Maggie Miller (@magmill95), and tech reporter, Chris Mills Rodrigo (@chrisismills), for more coverage.

THAT ISN’T A GOOD LOOK: Amazon employees used data from independent sellers on the platform to develop competing products, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

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That would go against the online retail giant’s oft-repeated assertion that it does not use information from third-party sellers when it makes and sells Amazon products.

The Journal, citing interviews with 20 former employees of Amazon’s private-label business and a review of documents, found that is not the case.

Amazon reportedly used the information from other sellers to price items, determine which features to copy or whether to enter a product segment based on its earning potential.

Amazon pushes back: The company said in a statement that it “strictly prohibits” employees from using nonpublic information when developing other products.

“Like other retailers, we look at sales and store data to provide our customers with the best possible experience,” Amazon told the The Hill. “However, we strictly prohibit our employees from using nonpublic, seller-specific data to determine which private label products to launch.”

Amazon began making its own products in 2007, starting with the Kindle e-reader.

Its private-label business now includes more than 45 brands with roughly 243,000 products, from AmazonBasics batteries to Stone & Beam furniture.

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Read more here.

 

STOP THE SPREAD: The top U.S. voting machine manufacturers are being pushed to produce videos and information on how their products can be sanitized to enable Americans to safely vote in-person during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Six leading voting equipment manufacturers were sent a letter Thursday by nonprofit group Free Speech for People, which raised concerns that voting machines could become a “major disease vector” for spreading the coronavirus during upcoming primaries and the general election.

As a result, the group asked the manufacturers to produce videos detailing how to properly clean voting equipment and post them online, along with allowing third-party groups to examine whether the steps to clean the equipment were effective and safe. 

“We make these requests because we are deeply concerned about the health risk that electronic voting machines pose to voters,” Free Speech for People wrote. 

Companies have taken some steps forward: All six of the voting machine equipment vendors — including the three largest, Election Systems and Software, Hart InterCivic, and Dominion Voting Systems — have produced written guidelines around how to sanitize their products due to the outbreak of COVID-19. 

But the nonprofit argued that these written steps are not enough, particularly in light of findings that the virus can survive on certain surfaces for days. 

“We are concerned that effective sanitization of each voting machine may create delays, resulting in voters being forced to wait in line to vote, increasing the possibility of person-to-person transmission of the virus,” the group wrote. 

Read more about their concerns here. 

 

NO MORE MERGERS: Rep. David CicillineDavid Nicola CicillineDemocrats roll out national plan to reopen America On The Money: House passes 4B relief package | McConnell sparks backlash with state bankruptcy remarks | 4.4M more people file jobless claims Hillicon Valley: Amazon reportedly used seller data to create competing products | Voting machine companies under pressure over sanitization | Democrat proposes merger ban during pandemic MORE (D-R.I.), chairman of the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, on Thursday proposed a ban on most merger activity amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“As millions of businesses struggle to stay afloat, private equity firms and dominant corporations are positioned to swoop in for a buying spree,” the Rhode Island lawmaker said during a tele-conferenced speech at an event held by the Open Markets Institute. “Our country can leave room for merger activity that is necessary to ensuring that distressed firms have a fresh start through the bankruptcy process or through necessary divestitures while also ensuring that we do not undergo another period of rampant consolidation.”

Cicilline said he and several other lawmakers are pushing for a moratorium on merger activity as part of the upcoming stimulus package.

“Megamergers and corporate takeovers that were permitted during the last economic crisis led to the firing of millions of workers, the slowing of investment and innovation, and huge increases in executive compensation,” he said. 

The Department of Justice has asked Congress for more time to review mergers during the pandemic.

Read more here. 

 

WE’LL BE MONITORING YOU: Police in Westport, Conn., will test a “pandemic drone” they say is capable of monitoring residents’ temperatures from nearly 200 feet as well as detecting coughing and sneezing.

The police department said it’s testing the technology in cooperation with drone manufacturer Draganfly.

The company said the drone will feature sensors that can detect fever temperatures and heart rates as well as sneezing and coughing in crowds, according to a local NBC affiliate.

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“One of the major problems for cities and towns like Westport in managing and responding to a pandemic like the COVID-19 virus, is finding out who could be infected and how widespread the disease has spread,” Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe said in a statement.

“One way to do this is to look for underlying symptoms. By teaming up with Draganfly and the UniSA team led by Defense Chair of Sensor Systems Professor Javaan Chahl, we are able to remotely look at valuable lifesaving data and better manage current and future health emergencies,” he added.

Police said in a statement that the technology will not be used on private land and that the drones are not equipped with facial recognition technology.

“Using drones remains a go-to technology for reaching remote areas with little to no manpower required. Because of this technology, our officers will have the information and quality data they need to make the best decision in any given situation,” Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas said in a news release.   

Read more about the initiative here. 

 

Lighter click: Oldie but a goodie

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An op-ed to chew on: Where is Big Data when we need it most?

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB: 

Inside Bird, the electric scooter startup with big workplace problems (Verge / Julia Black)

Want to Find a Misinformed Public? Facebook’s Already Done It (The Markup / Aaron Sankin)

Startups are struggling to get PPP money. Now a Fed rule may freeze them out of loans, too. (Protocol / Emily Birnbaum and Biz Carson)

FCC Widens Wi-Fi Airwaves Access in Win for Facebook, Google (Bloomberg / Todd Shields)

More than 70 Democratic lawmakers from both chambers have joined a suit challenging the Trump administration for rolling back Obama-era power plant regulations.

The Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in August scraps former President Obama’s Clean Power Plant rule. Lawmakers in the House and Senate filed separate amicus briefs challenging the rule late Friday.

The ACE rule aims to give states more time and authority to decide how to implement the best new technology to ease net emissions from coal-fired plants. The rule does not set any standards to cap those emissions.

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Critics argue ACE allows for only modest pollution controls at power plants, a feature that, if upheld, could hamstring future administrations from addressing climate-altering pollution through regulation under the Clean Air Act.

“The Clean Air Act and its amendments granted EPA authority with significant flexibility to address unforeseen air pollution challenges, including climate change,” Reps. Paul TonkoPaul David TonkoOVERNIGHT ENERGY: More than 70 lawmakers join suit challenging Trump power plant rollbacks | Ranchers sue Trump administration, arguing water rollback is federal overreach |Democrats press Trump administration over plan to reopen national parks More than 70 lawmakers join suit challenging Trump power plant rollbacks NY, NJ lawmakers call for more aid to help fight coronavirus MORE (D-N.Y) and Jared HuffmanJared William HuffmanOVERNIGHT ENERGY: More than 70 lawmakers join suit challenging Trump power plant rollbacks | Ranchers sue Trump administration, arguing water rollback is federal overreach |Democrats press Trump administration over plan to reopen national parks More than 70 lawmakers join suit challenging Trump power plant rollbacks OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump criticizes banks withholding funds from certain fossil fuel projects | Treasury considers lending program for oil producers| White House uses Arbor Day to renew push for 1 trillion trees initiative MORE (D-Calif.) wrote in a statement after filing a brief alongside 70 other lawmakers.

“We will continue to oppose this administration’s willful misinterpretations of environmental laws that seek to justify rolling back critical public health protections and undermine future administrations’ ability to safeguard our environment and the American people,” they wrote.

The Trump EPA had long argued the Clean Power Plant rule was too broad, creating an undue burden on industry.

“CPP’s overreach would have driven up energy prices for consumers and businesses alike,” EPA Administrator Andrew WheelerAndrew WheelerOVERNIGHT ENERGY: More than 70 lawmakers join suit challenging Trump power plant rollbacks | Ranchers sue Trump administration, arguing water rollback is federal overreach |Democrats press Trump administration over plan to reopen national parks More than 70 lawmakers join suit challenging Trump power plant rollbacks OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Supreme Court hands environmentalists a win in water pollution case | Trump officials pitch nuclear plan | Dems ask EPA for briefing on controversial memo MORE said when the rule was first released. “We are proposing a better plan — it respects the rule of law and will enable states to build affordable, clean, reliable energy portfolios.”

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Reached for comment Monday, the agency said, “EPA looks forward to defending the Affordable Clean Energy Rule before the court.”

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But a brief from senators argued the EPA has been too aligned with industry interests since the start of the Trump administration. 

“The record of this case, and of other regulatory matters of which this court may take notice, indeed raise the question whether this EPA is even capable of fair decision-making in matters involving the interests of the fossil fuel industry, or whether rampant cronyism, conflicts of interest, and corruption leave EPA under present leadership unable to conform itself to the strictures of [federal administrative law],” according to the filing from Sens. Sheldon WhitehouseSheldon WhitehouseMore than 70 lawmakers join suit challenging Trump power plant rollbacks Democrats offer bill to undo business tax provisions in coronavirus law 13 senators join Harris letter urging Mnuchin to exempt coronavirus checks from private debt collection MORE (D-R.I.), Ed MarkeyEdward (Ed) John MarkeyOvernight Defense: USS Kidd coronavirus outbreak jumps to 47 sailors | Senate Dems pan Esper’s coronavirus response | US military acknowledges civilian casualties in Somalia airstrike Senate Democrats pan Esper for ‘failed’ coronavirus response More than 70 lawmakers join suit challenging Trump power plant rollbacks MORE (D-Mass.), Jeff MerkleyJeffrey (Jeff) Alan MerkleySenate Democrats pan Esper for ‘failed’ coronavirus response More than 70 lawmakers join suit challenging Trump power plant rollbacks Senate Democrats call for USAID to join coronavirus task force MORE (D-Ore.), Brian SchatzBrian Emanuel SchatzMore than 70 lawmakers join suit challenging Trump power plant rollbacks Trump says he will sign executive order temporarily suspending immigration into US Tensions flare as Democrats press Pence over coronavirus testing MORE (D-Hawaii), and Kirsten GillibrandKirsten GillibrandMore than 70 lawmakers join suit challenging Trump power plant rollbacks Health experts call for .5 billion to expand contact tracing, isolation Senate Democrats revive 2017 bill to expand SNAP benefits  MORE (D-N.Y.).

Updated at 3:10 p.m.

New documents from the FBI made public Tuesday showed that Roger StoneRoger Jason StoneFBI releases documents showing Roger Stone, Julian Assange communications Stone claims he could never get a fair trial in DC Prosecutor who resigned over Stone sentencing memo joins DC attorney general’s office MORE, a longtime GOP operative and associate of President TrumpDonald John TrumpMeat and poultry industry groups applaud Trump for keeping processing plants open FBI releases documents showing Roger Stone, Julian Assange communications Approval for Trump’s handling of coronavirus drops 10 points: poll MORE, was in contact with WikiLeaks founder Julian AssangeJulian Paul AssangeFBI releases documents showing Roger Stone, Julian Assange communications Judge orders Chelsea Manning’s release from jail Lawyers: Chelsea Manning recovering after suicide attempt MORE.

The new trove of documents highlights the extent to which Stone and Assange communicated during the 2016 campaign, in part regarding damaging information Assange’s anti-secrecy site published about then-Democratic nominee Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonFBI releases documents showing Roger Stone, Julian Assange communications New York presidential primary cancellation sparks progressive fury The Memo: Will Clinton’s endorsement help Biden? MORE’s presidential campaign.

In exchanges released by the FBI, Stone and Assange discussed the origin of the information on Clinton, which U.S. officials believe was hacked by Russians and handed to WikiLeaks.

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In a direct message on Twitter cited by the FBI, Stone sought to reassure Assange that the issue was “still nonsense” and said “as a journalist it doesn’t matter where you get information only that it is accurate and authentic.” 

“If the US government moves on you I will bring down the entire house of cards,” Stone wrote, according to a transcript of the message.

“With the trumped-up sexual assault charges dropped I don’t know of any crime you need to be pardoned for — best regards. R,” he added, appearing to refer to a sexual assault investigation that has since been dropped by Swedish authorities. 

“Between CIA and DoJ [Department of Justice] they’re doing quite a lot. On the DoJ side that’s coming most strongly from those obsessed with taking down Trump trying to squeeze us into a deal,” Assange, who was charged last year with violating the Espionage Act, among other things, replied. 

Stone wrote back that he was doing everything possible to “address the issues at the highest level of Government.”

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The records further illuminate Stone’s role as an unofficial go-between for the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks as Trump’s team sought to gain insight into what Assange would be releasing on Clinton.

Stone acknowledged the communication he had with Assange but maintained no crime had been committed. 

“I have no trepidation about their release as they confirm there was no illegal activity and certainly no Russian collusion by me during the 2016 Election,” Stone said in a statement to The Associated Press. “There is, to this day, no evidence that I had or knew about the source or content of the Wikileaks disclosures prior to their public release.”

Stone was found guilty in 2019 of witness tampering and obstructing a congressional probe into Russian election interference and was sentenced to more than three years in prison, but he has vociferously maintained his innocence.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpMeat and poultry industry groups applaud Trump for keeping processing plants open FBI releases documents showing Roger Stone, Julian Assange communications Approval for Trump’s handling of coronavirus drops 10 points: poll MORE on Tuesday suggested “the worst days” of the coronavirus pandemic are over as he welcomed a group of small-business owners to the White House who have benefited from an emergency loan program he signed into law last month.

Trump used his speech to express optimism about the country’s path to economic recovery amid the pandemic, which has forced businesses to close and caused millions of layoffs across the country due to stay-at-home orders issued by states.

“As our nation battles against this terrible scourge, we continue to pray for the victims as well as those Americans who are grieving their lost ones and their loved ones,” Trump said at the outset of his remarks in the East Room. “We suffer with one heart, but we will prevail. We are coming back, and we’re coming back strong.”

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“Now that our experts believe that the worst days of the pandemic are behind us, Americans are looking forward to the safe and rapid reopening of our country,” the president continued.

The White House is seeking to focus on efforts to revive the U.S. economy as the pandemic eases and states begin to relax coronavirus restrictions. A number of states have announced plans to slowly begin loosening restrictions in the coming weeks to reopen their economies, even as concerns persist over the U.S. ability to test for the virus, which has now sickened over 1 million Americans.

Tuesday’s event featured a parade of small-business owners and employees who thanked the president and his administration for the Paycheck Projection Program (PPP), which was established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act that Trump signed at the end of March. Trump signed new legislation last week that provided $310 billion in additional funding for the loan program after it ran out of funds in just weeks.

Amy Wright, the owner of Bitty & Beau’s Coffee and one of the guests at the event, said she received a PPP loan and was able to rehire 120 workers, all of whom have disabilities, after she had been forced to lay them off amid the coronavirus outbreak.

One of those employees, a young man named Michael, was invited to the podium to speak. He expressed gratitude for his job and thanked Trump for inviting him to the White House.

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“You guys are family,” Michael said, gesturing to the president and saluting him. Trump called his remarks “beautiful.”

Their remarks were followed by those from a number of other small-business owners who heaped praise on the president and other administration officials in attendance for the PPP loans provided by the Small Business Administration. Ivanka TrumpIvana (Ivanka) Marie TrumpTrump says ‘worst days’ of coronavirus are ‘behind us’ Ivanka Trump urges protesters to socially distance, wear masks Ivanka Trump, Kushner traveled to New Jersey for Passover despite federal guidelines: report MORE, the president’s daughter and senior adviser, and Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinOn The Money: White House mulling additional stimulus checks | House delay raises questions about coronavirus relief | Small business program may be near exhaustion OVERNIGHT ENERGY: EPA’s independent science board says ‘secret science’ proposal may ‘reduce scientific integrity’ | Court blocks funding to corporations vying for tribal stimulus | House probe: Energy regulators almost always side with gas pipelines Mnuchin says heirs should return coronavirus payments sent to the deceased MORE also delivered brief remarks at the event. 

When Tisa Clark, president of Maryland consulting company J.D. Clark Professional Services, delivered an impassioned statement about the resilience of small businesses — “We as small businesses are strong, and we are resilient and we will bounce back,” Clark said — the president quipped that she should run for office.

“You are something,” Trump said. “That’s really a good job.”

Trump’s remarks reflect a growing effort by the president to focus on the nation’s economic recovery. They come as the White House explores a new communications strategy involving public appearances for the president that take a different shape than the daily coronavirus task force briefings, which have often resulted in the president engaging in spats with the media or repeating false statements.

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Trump has come under fire for an appearance Thursday during which he suggested disinfectant should be studied as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus, a remark he has since claimed was made in jest.

Trump still fielded questions from a smaller group of reporters Tuesday for several minutes, defending his remark in early February that the number of coronavirus cases would soon be “close to zero.”

“It will go down to zero, ultimately,” Trump said in response to a question about his previous comment, suggesting the figure was a testament to the number of tests the U.S. is able to perform.  “At the appropriate time, it will go down to zero at some time.”

Trump also insisted on the strength of the U.S. testing capacity, something that has faced scrutiny among health experts and governors who have pointed to a dearth in capacity.

Trump suggested that the U.S. would “very soon” have the capacity to test 5 million Americans each day, without providing an explanation about how the administration would achieve such a goal. The U.S. currently is testing roughly 200,000 Americans daily.

A top Trump administration official said Monday that the country would be able to easily test 8 million Americans during the month of May, as the White House released a blueprint laying out a strategy for testing nationwide that largely delegates responsibilities to states to ramp up testing with support from the federal government. 

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Thousands of Americans in major cities such as New York and San Francisco were likely infected with the coronavirus well before testing showed that the disease’s outbreak posed a significant health problem in the U.S., according to estimates from Northeastern University researchers that were shared with The New York Times. 

The estimates are based on a model that tracked the spread of the disease in Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and New York, which is considered the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak. The researchers found that infections were likely spreading in early February in multiple U.S. cities. 

While the U.S. had only confirmed 19 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, by March 1, the researchers’ model projects there may have been thousands of infections in those major cities alone.

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About 28,000 people may have been infected with the disease by the first day of March, according to median estimates the model calculated for each city. The Times noted that the actual figure may have been substantially higher or lower. 

The U.S. has reported more than 840,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 46,500 deaths caused by it, according to a Johns Hopkins University database.

Throughout the outbreak, the federal government has faced scrutiny over the availability of testing for the virus, with some governors noting that it’s been the number one problem they have faced. 

Alessandro Vespignani, the director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University and who led the research, told The New York Times that amid the country’s early testing problems, a “silent chain of transmission” exposed thousands of people to the COVID-19. 

The research team she led used a model that estimated for all infections, including people who have shown little to no symptoms. It also estimated for people whose exposure is never detected by testing.

Studies that research the spread of viruses typically predict how often people come into contact with one another as they work and socialize. The Northeastern model simulated movements based on where people fly, how they move and when they go to school, among other things, The Times noted.

 

The research from Northeastern arrived as officials continue to scrutinize how the virus rapidly spread in the U.S. It also came just a day after California officials said that autopsies on two people who died in early and mid-February showed they had been infected by the virus. 

Previously the first coronavirus death had been identified as a man in Washington state who died on Feb. 29.

The Navy has 26 warships with confirmed coronavirus cases aboard, a service official confirmed Wednesday.

The 26 ships are all in port and each have a “very small number of cases aboard,” the official told The Hill.

Another 14 Navy vessels have had COVID-19 cases in the past but the sailors have since recovered, they said.

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Out of the Navy’s 297 active duty warships, there are currently 90 at sea with no reported coronavirus cases.

CNN first reported on the affected ships, which the Navy is not naming. The service also will not release the number of total cases across the vessels due to Defense Department policy put in place late last month to withhold such numbers, citing operational security concerns.

A total 3,578 U.S. service members have tested positive for the virus as of Wednesday morning, according to the Department of Defense. Those numbers include two deaths, 85 hospitalized individuals, and 1,073 recovered.

The Navy makes up roughly a third of that number at 1,298 cases, with more than half, or 776 of those, from the outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier. 

To attempt to curb the spread of the virus the Navy docked the Roosevelt in Guam in late March and moved ashore more than 4,000 of the ship’s 4,800-person crew.

The sailors were set to begin to return to the ship later this week after a 14-day quarantine period concluded, but the Navy put that move on hold after more than 100 previously asymptomatic sailors tested positive.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) outlined a plan for the state to restart its economy and begin lifting coronavirus restrictions, but stressed that the state is not yet ready to start that process.

Hogan’s three-tiered plan would lift the current stay-at-home order and slowly allow businesses to reopen and activities to resume based on how well they can accommodate strict physical distancing requirements.  

Hogan said he would implement the plan and start lifting restrictions only when the virus is under control, the number of hospitalizations begin to even out, and the state’s public health system has enough capacity to handle any future spikes in coronavirus cases.  

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“The number of new cases of COVID-19 is still rising,” Hogan said during a press conference. “Maryland is not yet able to lift our restrictions. I am optimistic that if Marylanders continue staying home and continue practicing physical distancing a little while longer, our numbers would continue to plateau.”

Hogan said he was hopeful the state could begin its recovery in early May, but he said he wasn’t going to commit to a specific timeframe. 

Even when it does start, he warned that the process will be slow, and physical distancing and mask use would be required through every stage.

“Until a vaccine is developed, the way we go about our daily lives and the way we work is going to be significantly different for a little while longer,” Hogan said. “If we try to rush this and we don’t do it in a thoughtful way, it could cause a rebound of the virus which would deepen the crisis.

“Each stage will likely take longer than the previous one,” he added.

Under the lowest-risk tier, Hogan said the stay-at-home order would be lifted, businesses could begin curbside service, smaller retail stores could open, and limited activities like outdoor gym classes and small outdoor religious gatherings could resume.

Outpatient medical services would resume, and outdoor recreation like golfing, boating, fishing and tennis would be allowed to resume. Decisions would be based on the ability to continue physical distancing and limit person-to-person interactions, Hogan said. 

Medium- and high-risk entities, like public transit, large entertainment venues and nonessential businesses with workers who can’t telework, would be allowed to open if conditions continued to improve. Sporting events would be among the last to resume. 

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New evidence from Fairfax County Police reveals a man filmed over 60 female victims in dressing rooms. Mumtaz Rauf, 39, of Alexandria, was arrested on Christmas Eve after a teenage girl saw a device filming her in a Fair Oaks Mall dressing room, police said. Fairfax County Police shared details of the case in a news conference Thursday in an effort to identify the additional victims.

Police Chief Ed Roessler said there are at least 60 victims with the possibility of more. The victims were filmed in retail dressing rooms and include adults and juveniles. In some cases, they are believed to be mothers with daughters.

“Be comforted in the fact that this subject is currently behind bars,” said Major Ed O’Carroll at the press conference.

Over 100 videos filmed in fitting rooms, believed to mostly be located in Fairfax County, are under investigation. Most videos were recorded between Dec. 15 and 24.

Police have confirmed some locations and times of the filming:

Additionally, the suspect may have been at Tysons Corner Center’s Old Navy and H&M stores from 9:15 p.m.-10 p.m. on Dec. 22. Police have also been in contact with law enforcement from surrounding jurisdictions, but no other filming locations have been confirmed at this time.

Rauf was arrested after the teenage victim saw a device pointing down from the wall of her Forever 21 dressing room. She notified staff, and an employee happened to see a man leaving the store afterward. Officers took a description and located the man in an H&M dressing room.

Police found a pinhole camera, black tape, and a battery powered Bluetooth transmitter on him. Detectives seized and are processing a total of 13 electronic devices belonging to Rauf. His phone contained several videos filmed up the skirt of a female victim, officials said.

Rauf was charged with unlawful filming of a minor for the Christmas Eve incident at Fair Oaks Mall. He is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on unrelated drug charges.

Police have set up a dedicated phone line for the case. Anyone who believes Rauf may have unlawfully filmed them between Dec. 15 and 24 should call 703-246-4600.

Image via Fairfax County Police

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