Italy saw the fewest number of daily coronavirus deaths in a week on Sunday, according to news reports.

The country reported 433 deaths on Sunday, the lowest since last Sunday, when 431 deaths were recorded, according to Bloomberg News and Reuters. On Saturday, the death toll dropped to 482 from Friday’s 575. 

The number of new daily coronavirus cases hit a four-day low at 3,047 new cases Sunday, compared to 3,491 on Saturday. But more hospitalizations were reported for the first time in six days, according to Bloomberg News. 

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The lower daily death toll and number of new cases highlights a plateau that contrasts with the sharp rises that were occurring at the end of March. 

Some business leaders and regional chiefs are calling for a loosening of restrictions after the country has been on lockdown for six weeks. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is standing up to the pressure, saying on Saturday that the nation is not ready for reopening and counting out that some regions could open before others. 

Health experts are also urging the European nation to be cautious, saying it’s too early to begin the reopening process. The lockdown is scheduled to end May 3.

The northern region of Lombardy, which includes Milan, reported more than a third of the country’s deaths.

Italy has recorded a total of 178,972 cases of coronavirus and the second highest death toll in the world at 23,660, only behind the U.S. The U.S. has documented at least 41,379 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said Friday that it issued about 88 million coronavirus relief payments to households through April 17, with the payments totaling almost $158 billion.

The new figures are in line with comments Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinOn 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 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 Pelosi: ‘Really dangerous’ to privatize the Post Office MORE made last week about the IRS having already issued more than 80 million payments via direct deposit. 

The agency has issued additional payments this week, including by starting to issue paper checks. The IRS plans to issue additional payments in the coming days and weeks, including to people who are not required to file tax returns and receive certain federal benefits, such as Social Security.

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“The IRS, Treasury and partner agencies are working non-stop to get these payments out in record time to Americans who need them,” IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said in a statement. “Tens of millions of people across the country are receiving these payments, and millions more are on the way.”

Under legislation 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 last month, most households are entitled to one-time payments of up to $1,200 per adult and $500 per child.

The IRS said that in total, it expects to send more than 150 million payments.

Tens of millions of people have yet to receive their payments, causing confusion and frustration. Some taxpayers have reported receiving incorrect amounts or having their payments sent to a bank account that’s not their personal bank account. 

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The IRS also released state-by-state figures about the payments on Friday. According to the data, the IRS has issued the largest numbers of payments through April 17 to residents of California, Florida and Texas. The agency has sent 9.1 million payments to California taxpayers, 7.8 million to Texas taxpayers and 6.3 million to Florida taxpayers.

Three Democratic senators on Friday urged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to strengthen its fraud protections amid reports of scammers targeting coronavirus relief checks.

“These scams often involve criminals impersonating the IRS or suggesting that they can help get individuals their stimulus payments faster,” Finance Committee members Sens. Maggie HassanMargaret (Maggie) HassanDemocratic senators urge IRS to strengthen fraud protections Democrats urge Treasury to ensure Social Security recipients quickly receive full coronavirus rebates Tensions flare as Democrats press Pence over coronavirus testing MORE (D-N.H.), Tom CarperThomas (Tom) Richard CarperDemocratic senators urge IRS to strengthen fraud protections EPA is abandoning those suffering from toxic PFAS pollution Infrastructure investments have never been so good MORE (D-Del.) and Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenDemocratic senators urge IRS to strengthen fraud protections Free-flowing rivers help ecosystems, wildlife, people and the economy Key Democrat presses Mnuchin about Trump’s name on coronavirus checks MORE (D-Ore.) wrote to agency Commissioner Charles Rettig.

“Criminals ask for personal information in order to steal personal identities and stimulus payments,” the senators explained.

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Under the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package 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 late last month, known as the CARES Act, most households will receive direct payments of up to $1,200 per adult and $500 per child. 

Scammers have taken advantage of the payments, redirecting the needed stimulus to themselves, according to multiple reports.

In Friday’s letter, the Democratic lawmakers urged the IRS to boost fraud protections for online tools related to the checks.

They also called on the agency to work with the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission to educate Americans on how to spot and avoid scams.

The IRS’s watchdog warned earlier this month that people should be vigilant about scams relating to the checks because criminals have long devised schemes targeting government aid programs. 

The agency itself has also issued warnings about coronavirus-related scams, saying that retirees in particular may be targeted.

The chief executive of the budget Irish airline Ryanair said its planes won’t start flying if the government requires airlines to keep the middle seat open as a social distancing measure. 

“We can’t make money on 66 percent load factors. Even if you do that, the middle seat doesn’t deliver any social distancing, so it’s kind of an idiotic idea that doesn’t achieve anything anyway,” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said in an interview with the Financial Times published Wednesday. 

O’Leary said if the middle seats have to be empty, “we’re not returning to flying at all.” 

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“Either the government pays for the middle seat or we won’t fly,” he added. 

He said that Ryanair was expected to run about 40 percent of its flights if travel resumed in July, with planes to fly at around 50 percent capacity and increase to 60 percent in August and 80 percent the next month, according to the Financial Times. 

Ryanair’s budget airline rival EasyJet said last week it may keep middle seats empty on a short-term basis to follow social distancing rules once coronavirus travel restrictions are lifted, The Guardian reported.

O’Leary told the Financial Times he thinks Europe should follow Asia’s lead and introduce measures such as mandatory masks and temperature checks at train stations and airports. 

He also said he thinks there will be a return to more normal air traffic levels next summer, subject to an effective coronavirus vaccine. 

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“I think Ryanair in summer 2021 will be carrying our 2019 traffic plus growth, but the airports will still have less traffic than they had before,” he told the Times.

Las Vegas’s McCarran International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the country, serviced 53 percent fewer flights in March of this year than it did in March 2019, as the coronavirus pandemic has severely crippled the airline industry.

Data released by the airport this week showed that 2.3 million fewer travelers boarded flights last month, according to USA Today. 

Southwest Airlines, the dominant carrier at the airport, serviced 1.6 million Las Vegas flyers in March 2019. This March, that number dropped to around 600,000 passengers.

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According to the airline, it will only operate 2,000 daily flights in May, less than 60 percent of its usual operating capacity.

Due to the lack of flights coming and going, McCarran International Airport completely shuttered two of its concourses in early April.

“As passenger activity has declined, McCarran officials are continually evaluating the airport’s infrastructure and operations to identify ways to maximize efficiencies and implement cost-savings measures,” an airport official told the paper.

While some states such as Georgia are beginning to reopen their economies, travel bans in the U.S. are still in place for much of the world, including China and Europe.

Delta Air Lines, which has grounded over 650 of its planes, has reported that passenger counts are still down by 95 percent from what they usually are for this time of year.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Friday urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take steps to boost the security of its comment submission process following a review that revealed dozens of cyber vulnerabilities. 

In a report compiled by the GAO, which was originally finalized in September but made public Friday, the agency detailed 136 recommendations for how the FCC could improve its Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). 

This system is used by the public to propose changes to regulations, and was overwhelmed in May 2017 following a surge in comments being submitted, temporarily disrupting the electronic comment system.

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The GAO undertook its review of the FCC’s security for the ECFS following this incident after requests from numerous Democratic lawmakers. 

“GAO identified program and control deficiencies in the core security functions related to identifying risk, protecting systems from threats and vulnerabilities, detecting and responding to cyber security events, and recovering system operations,” the government watchdog wrote in the report. 

The GAO gave credit to the FCC for addressing 63 percent of its recommendations since September, but warned that the agency was at risk until all the identified problems are dealt with.

“Until FCC fully implements these recommendations and resolves the associated deficiencies, its information systems and information will remain at increased risk of misuse, improper disclosure or modification, and loss,” GAO warned. 

A response to the GAO’s findings from FCC Managing Director Mark Stevens was included in the report, with Stevens vowing the agency would address its cybersecurity shortcomings in full by April 2021. 

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“We acknowledge the nine non-technical and 127 technical recommendations in this draft report,” Stevens wrote. “We have been working diligently to address them, prioritizing those recommendations that are most operationally practical to implement and those that will immediately improve our security.”

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr.Frank Joseph PalloneFederal watchdog finds cybersecurity vulnerabilities in FCC systems Overnight Health Care — Presented by That’s Medicaid — Deal on surprise medical bills faces obstacles | House GOP unveils rival drug pricing measure ahead of Pelosi vote | Justices to hear case over billions in ObamaCare payments Obstacles remain for deal on surprise medical bills MORE (D-N.J.), one of the lawmakers to request the GAO review two years ago, said in a statement that the security shortcomings of the FCC were “disturbing.” Pallone called on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to address his agency’s vulnerabilities.  

“Until the FCC implements all of the remaining recommendations, its systems will remain vulnerable to failure and misuse,” Pallone said. “Chairman Pai must act swiftly to fix these vulnerabilities and restore trust back into the ECFS and the FCC’s cybersecurity practices overall.”

Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling on the Clean Water Act will require permits and limits for polluters, but will ultimately still allow them to discharge pollution into streams that are connected to major U.S. waterways. 

The high court, in a 6-3 decision, struck down the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2019 interpretation of the Clean Water Act, which aimed to exclude pollution that moves through groundwater from the legislation’s permitting requirements. 

“We conclude that [a permit is required] if the addition of the pollutants through groundwater is the functional equivalent of a direct discharge from the point source into navigable waters,” the majority opinion stated. 

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Water quality advocates say, however, that those permits can be easy to come by, so the ruling won’t necessarily prevent facilities from polluting entirely, though it will require them to comply with limits established in the permits. 

“It is possible that the same facilities that might have otherwise presumed themselves to be exempt, will be able to discharge and will get permits to do so, but in that process, will have pollution limits on what they’re discharging, and that’s a very significant improvement,” said Jon Devine, the director of federal water policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

He said that under the interpretation that was struck down, there was a loophole that would allow facilities to “determine for themselves” whether they needed to seek a permit. 

An EPA official told The Hill in an email that the agency was “reviewing the decision and the Court’s call for the Agency to provide further guidance.”

“In holding that the Clean Water Act requires a permit for the addition of pollutants to groundwater if it is the “functional equivalent” of a direct discharge, the Court unfortunately leaves some uncertainty for the public, including private property owners,” the person said. 

The decision also comes on the heels of the finalization of a separate Trump administration rule called the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which removes protections for smaller bodies of water that environmentalists say should be protected to stop pollution from reaching larger water sources. 

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Earthjustice attorney David Henkin, who argued the Supreme Court case, said that the new decision is interrelated with the navigable waters rule because the court’s decision means that facilities need a permit to discharge mobile pollution into some smaller bodies of water. 

“It’s a bad thing,” Henkin said of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. “Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision made that bad thing a little bit less bad because polluters will not be able to stick their pipes into them and put mobile pollutants into them.”

Proponents have defended the navigable waters rule, saying that a previous Obama administration rule it replaced was too far-reaching. 

The Supreme Court ruling came after environmental groups in Hawaii sued Maui County over a municipal water treatment plant that was pouring wastewater into wells, where it combined with groundwater. A study had also found that some of the wastewater had surfaced near beaches. 

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Abortion services appear to have resumed in Texas after Gov. Gregg Abbott (R) issued an order last week that took effect Wednesday allowing elective procedures to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The news comes after Abbot issued an executive order late last month that banned abortions as part of a general halt to all elective medical procedures amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

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Abortion providers who challenged the ban in court said they now meet the criteria Abbott laid out in the new order, and the state did not dispute that claim in its filing Wednesday, The Texas Tribute reports. 

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When asked last week if abortions could proceed under the latest order, Abbott said it was a decision for the courts, according to the Tribune. 

Whole Woman’s Health facilities in Fort Worth, Austin and McAllen, Texas were all open Wednesday, according to the news outlet. 

Abbott also said last week the state plans to begin reopening different Texas businesses through a series of executive orders. 

But despite the loosening of procedure restrictions, health care facilities continue to reserve a certain number of beds for COVID-19 patients as a precaution.  

Texas reported Wednesday a total of 21,069 confirmed COVID-19 cases and total of 543 deaths to the disease.

Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenStacey Abrams makes case for VP: ‘I would put my capacity to win an election’ against anyone else’s Potential Biden running mates to take part in gun control panel Top Democrats call on Pentagon to review border wall contract MORE (D-Mass.) and Rep. Bennie ThompsonBennie Gordon ThompsonTop Democrats call on Pentagon to review border wall contract Coronavirus oversight lags as trillions in relief head out the door The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Lawmakers haggle over 0 billion-plus small business loan package MORE (D-Miss.) are urging the acting Inspector General of the Department of Defense to launch a review into a contract awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for constructing part of 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‘s border wall. 

The lawmakers highlighted a $569 million contract awarded to BFBC, an affiliate of Barnard Construction, for the construction of 17 miles of the wall in California.

The Democratic lawmakers argue the company, which they noted is led by a Republican campaign donor, is being paid 50 percent more than market price for the project.

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The contract “raises serious questions about both potential government waste and the fairness of the procurement process,” they wrote in Thursday’s letter, asking for “a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding this award.”

“We have numerous questions about whether federal procurement law may have been subverted in order to reward a political ally of the administration,” they added.

Warren and Thompson noted that at a time when the country is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, “taxpayer funds must not be wasted, and Federal procurement processes must not favor campaign donors or personal favorites of the President.”

Sen. Jack ReedJohn (Jack) Francis ReedTop Democrats call on Pentagon to review border wall contract Top Democrats push Trump administration on lapsed cost-sharing deal with South Korea Lawmakers cry foul as Trump considers retreating from Open Skies Treaty MORE (D-R.I.), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has also raised concerns about the contract, saying last week that it “raises troubling questions.”

 “The contracting process should be merit-based and free from political influence and corruption.  Equally important is the fact that at a time when the Trump Administration should be mobilizing resources, including the Army Corps of Engineers, to help effectively combat coronavirus and save lives, the Trump Administration is instead directing half a billion dollars to a no-bid contract to build an ineffective wall,” he said in the statement.

Neither Barnard Construction nor the Army Corps of Engineers immediately responded to requests for comment from The Hill.