The House on Wednesday unanimously passed an extension to the $660 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) less than a day after the program expired.
The Senate passed the extension on Tuesday, and the House vote sends the bill to President TrumpDonald John TrumpHouse panel approves 0.5B defense policy bill House panel votes against curtailing Insurrection Act powers after heated debate House panel votes to constrain Afghan drawdown, ask for assessment on ‘incentives’ to attack US troops MORE’s desk.
Upon the president’s approval, the extension will keep the small-business loan program open to applications until August 8.
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There’s approximately $130 billion in unspent money under the PPP, which is open to businesses with fewer than 500 employees, and lawmakers decided to extend the deadline for applications rather than reallocate those funds.
The PPP was included in the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package passed by Congress in March, when the pandemic began to grip the country and shut down businesses. Lawmakers later passed a bill to add money to the loan program. The deadline extension comes as several states have closed down businesses a second time after experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19.
As of this week, 4.8 million small businesses have tapped more than $520 billion in PPP loans. The loans are forgivable for businesses that prove they used the money to continue paying employees.
Democrats have been skeptical about how the program was being applied, particularly after it was reported that larger brands such as Shake Shack and Potbelly were eligible. Even before the approaching deadline, lawmakers have requested data on the demographics of people obtaining the loans.
Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinHouse votes unanimously to extend deadline for coronavirus small-business loan program Coronavirus Report: The Hill’s Steve Clemons interviews Mark Penn The Hill’s Morning Report – Republicans shift, urge people to wear masks MOREhas said that information would be given to lawmakers by the end of this week, after the current application deadline.
“As we vote for a brief extension of the Paycheck Protection Program, I continue to call on the Trump Administration to release the data of who has received its benefits,” House Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiHouse votes unanimously to extend deadline for coronavirus small-business loan program Overnight Defense: House panel votes to ban Confederate flag on all Pentagon property | DOD report says Russia working to speed US withdrawal from Afghanistan | ‘Gang of Eight’ to get briefing on bounties Thursday OVERNIGHT ENERGY: House approves .5T green infrastructure plan | Rubio looks to defense bill to block offshore drilling, but some fear it creates a loophole | DC-area lawmakers push for analysis before federal agencies can be relocated MORE (D-Calif.) said in a statement. “The Administration’s breathtaking lack of transparency continues to raise serious questions as to why the Administration is failing to ensure this lifeline reaches the small businesses in our most impacted communities.”
Nearly 40 civil rights, privacy and technology groups sent a letter to congressional leadership Thursday pushing for a federal moratorium on facial recognition technology.
The organizations — including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Algorithmic Justice League and the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology — called on Washington to pass legislation on the issue, suggesting the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act introduced last week.
The bill would prohibit the use of facial recognition by all federal groups, a ban that could only be lifted by an act of Congress. It would also withhold federal funding from law enforcement if they fail to ban the tech themselves.
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Facial recognition has come under renewed scrutiny in recent weeks as nationwide protests against police brutality launched by the death George Floyd continue.
Tech giants like Amazon, IBM and Microsoft have scaled back their sales of the software to law enforcement in response, but those self-imposed moratoria alone will not stop police from using facial recognition technology, opponents argue.
The letter sent to congressional leadership on Thursday points to the wrongful arrest of Robert Williams, a Black man from Detroit, as a clear case of the risks of the technology.
Williams was held for more than a day in January after his driver’s license photo was matched to surveillance video of a shoplifter.
“As the Williams story shows, the harms of face recognition are real for communities across the country,” Neema Singh Guliani, senior legislative counsel at the ACLU, told The Hill. “While many details about law enforcement use of this technology wrongly remain secret, the information we do have is cause for alarm. This surveillance technology is disproportionately inaccurate, is targeted at already overpoliced communities, and is a threat to our privacy and civil liberties.”
The letter points to studies that have found facial recognition to consistently misidentify people of color and women.
“But, even if the technology were accurate, it cannot be dissociated from the racist policies that are embedded in policing,” the groups added.
The letter also calls on Congress to ensure any police reform bill that funds body or dash cams blocks them from being used in conjunction with facial recognition tech.
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff BezosJeffrey (Jeff) Preston BezosJeff Bezos’s wealth hits record high 1B How competition will make the new space race flourish Just because Democrats are paranoid about the election doesn’t mean there aren’t problems MORE’s wealth has increased to $171.6 billion, surpassing his own previous record even after his divorce settlement.
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index previously put the peak of Bezos’s net worth at $167.7 billion in September 2018, but he is estimated to have accrued at least $56.7 billion in 2020 alone, Bloomberg reported.
After the couple’s divorce, Mackenzie Bezos acquired a 4 percent stake in the retail giant and is estimated to have a net worth of $56.9 billion, putting her in 12th place in Bloomberg’s rankings. She is ranked as the world’s second-richest woman after L’Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, according to the news outlet.
The news comes the same week Amazon announced it would give one-time $500 bonuses to the majority of frontline workers amid sharp criticism of the company for ending hazard pay for workers who have continued to work during the coronavirus pandemic.
Labor activists have also blasted the company for firing worker Christian Smalls from its Staten Island warehouse. While Amazon has said Smalls was fired for reporting to work despite being told he could expose other workers to the virus, he has maintained he was fired for organizing a walkout to protest working conditions.
Overall, the ranking determined that even during the pandemic, the collective net worth of the 500 wealthiest people in the world has increased, rising from $5.91 trillion at the beginning of the year to $5.93 trillion.
Sen. Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeyGOP senators push for quick, partial reopening of economy NSA improperly collected US phone records in October, new documents show Overnight Defense: Pick for South Korean envoy splits with Trump on nuclear threat | McCain blasts move to suspend Korean military exercises | White House defends Trump salute of North Korean general MORE (R-Pa.) said on Wednesday that after reading classified intelligence he believes the Trump administration should brief the Senate on reports that Russians offered bounties to Taliban-linked fighters to target U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Toomey in a statement said he had read documents made available behind closed doors but that they had raised more questions for him.
“I have reviewed the classified information regarding bounties, upon which recent news reports are based. This information raises many questions and administration officials should come before the Senate and provide a classified briefing and answer questions from all members,” Toomey said.
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“If it is concluded that Russia offered bounties to murder American soldiers, a firm American response is required in short order,” he added.
The administration has made intelligence reports available for senators in the sensitive compartmented information facility.
The Senate Intelligence Committee also met on Wednesday with Director of National Intelligence John RatcliffeJohn Lee RatcliffeGOP senator calls for Russian bounties briefing after reviewing intelligence Overnight Defense: House panel votes to ban Confederate flag on all Pentagon property | DOD report says Russia working to speed US withdrawal from Afghanistan | ‘Gang of Eight’ to get briefing on bounties Thursday Top intelligence officials to brief Gang of Eight on Thursday MORE as part of a pre-scheduled meeting. And the administration is set to brief the Gang of Eight, which is made up of leadership and top members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Thursday.
But the administration has not provided the all-Senate briefing Democrats have demanded. The Senate is set to leave town for roughly two weeks on Thursday.
The New York Times first reported Friday, followed by several other news outlets, that the intelligence community concluded months ago that a unit within the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, secretly offered payments to Taliban-linked militants for attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan last year.
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Trump has sought to deflect blame by claiming he was not briefed on the intelligence. Subsequent reports have said the intelligence was included in written materials in the President’s Daily Brief.
On Wednesday, Trump called reports on the intelligence a “hoax.”
“The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party,” Trump tweeted. “The secret source probably does not even exist, just like the story itself. If the discredited @nytimes has a source, reveal it. Just another HOAX!”
There are 2.65 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., and 128,000 people have died from the disease, but President TrumpDonald John TrumpHouse panel approves 0.5B defense policy bill House panel votes against curtailing Insurrection Act powers after heated debate House panel votes to constrain Afghan drawdown, ask for assessment on ‘incentives’ to attack US troops MORE again on Wednesday said that the virus will “just disappear” at some point.
Meanwhile, states are issuing more restrictions ahead of the Fourth of July weekend amid fears that gatherings could lead to more spread of the coronavirus.
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A number of states are in worsening condition with it comes to COVID-19.
Let’s start with California, the site of one of the largest outbreaks in the U.S., which at one point seemed ahead of the curve.
The Golden State is now reimposing restrictions amid a surge of the coronavirus.
California Gov. Gavin NewsomGavin NewsomOvernight Health Care: Newsom imposes new restrictions on businesses as coronavirus surges in California | Trump maintains coronavirus will ‘just disappear’ at some point | Six months in, coronavirus failures outweigh successes Jennifer Aniston urges fans to ‘wear a damn mask:’ ‘It really shouldn’t be a debate’ Change demands collaboration MORE (D) on Wednesday ordered all indoor non-essential businesses to close in 19 counties across the state, including some heavily populated Los Angeles County and Orange County.
Bars, dine-in restaurants, indoor movie theaters, breweries that don’t serve food and indoor tasting rooms at wineries are all ordered to close. Restaurants may remain open for takeout meals.
Newsom recommended that fireworks shows be cancelled, and said parking lots at state beaches in Southern California and the Bay Area will be closed this weekend in an effort to limit crowds. The beaches will remain open.
The numbers: California reported 110 deaths on Wednesday, the most the state has recorded since April, and nearly 6,000 new cases, Newsom said. Hospitalizations have jumped 51 percent in the past two weeks, and ICU admissions are up 47 percent over the same period. The concern is that just like Memorial Day, crowds on July 4th will make a bad situation worse.
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California is hardly alone
Georgia, Texas, Ohio and Arizona all set records for new cases. Hospitalizations are rising, and even more concerning, death rates are too.
Read more here.
Related:Arizona reports record number of new coronavirus cases, deaths
Michigan shuts down most indoor bar service in bid to prevent virus resurgence
Trump still says it will disappear
President Trump on Wednesday stood by his belief that the coronavirus will eventually “just disappear.”
Trump told Fox Business that he is optimistic about the economic recovery from the pandemic-induced shutdown, citing recent strong jobs numbers and a bounce back in retail sales.
“We’re headed back in a very strong fashion with a ‘V,'” Trump said, referring to a V-shaped recovery. “And I think we’re going to be very good with the coronavirus. I think that at some point that’s going to sort of just disappear, I hope.”
Pressed by reporter Blake Burman about if he still believes it will disappear, Trump said he does.
“I do. Yeah, sure. At some point, and I think we’re going to have a vaccine very soon, too,” Trump said.
Read more here.
More Americans concerned about hospital resources, testing as COVID-19 cases surge
Americans’ concerns about the health care system’s capacity to treat COVID-19 cases as well as testing spiked in late June after plateauing earlier in the month, according to new polling from Gallup.
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The percentage of Americans saying they are either moderately or very worried about access to hospital supplies, treatment or services in their area grew 10 points to 44 percent between June 22 and June 28.
Availability of coronavirus tests, meanwhile, is now a concern among 39 percent of Americans — a 6-point increase.
On the ground: The concern may be somewhat justified. As some states are grappling with spikes, the Trump administration’s “testing czar,” Adm. Brett Giroir, said some labs are reaching capacity, or are close to it.
“It is absolutely correct that some labs across the country are reaching or near capacity,” Giroir said during a call with reporters, though he couched it as a good thing, because of increases to states doing baseline tests of all nursing home residents and staff along with testing in prisons.
What labs say: The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA), which represents independent labs like Quest and LabCorp, on Monday warned of increased turnaround times because increased demand will likely exceed capacity in the coming weeks.
Read more here.
A big picture look from Reid Wilson: Six months in, coronavirus failures outweigh successes
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In the six months since the World Health Organization (WHO) detected a cluster of atypical pneumonia cases at a hospital in Wuhan, China, the coronavirus pandemic has touched every corner of the globe, carving a trail of death and despair as humankind races to catch up.
At least 10.4 million confirmed cases have been diagnosed worldwide, and the true toll is likely multiples of that figure. In the United States, health officials believe more than 20 million people have likely been infected.
A staggering 500,000 people around the globe have died in just six months. More people have succumbed to the virus in the U.S. — 126,000 — than the number of American troops who died in World War I.
But even after months of painful lockdowns worldwide, the virus is no closer to containment in many countries. Public health officials say the pandemic is getting worse, fueled by new victims in both nations that have robust medical systems and poorer developing countries.
Read more here.
Politicians, scientists back masks: They work
Political leaders are increasingly embracing recommendations from scientists and public health experts that face masks can drastically slow transmission of the coronavirus.
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The science is clear: Face masks reduce transmission of COVID-19 by about 85 percent. At least three dozen studies have been published in recent months. A review of recent studies published by 19 public health experts in May found dramatic reduction in spread even if only half the population of a given country wears masks.
Those findings make scientific sense based on what is known about other respiratory diseases: Similar studies of diseases like influenza, transmitted through aerosol droplets produced by coughs or sneezes, also find masks effective.
Read more here.
What we’re reading:
Hollowed out public health system faces more cuts amid virus (Kaiser Health News and The Associated Press)
‘Cries for help’: Drug overdoses are soaring during the coronavirus pandemic (The Washington Post)
Why surviving the virus might come down to which hospital admits you (The New York Times)
Young adults unconcerned by coronavirus “may be killing other people,” doctor warns (CBS News)
State by state:
Oklahoma votes for Medicaid expansion (NPR)
Coronavirus is spreading so fast among Wisconsin 20-somethings that the CDC came to investigate. (Appleton Post-Crescent)
Alabama adds 906 coronavirus cases, COVID hospitalizations reach new high of 776 (AL.com)
Internal messages reveal crisis at Houston hospitals as coronavirus cases surge (ProPublica)
The Hill op-eds
Health disparity crisis: Insulin prices and COVID-19
President Trump should wear a mask
Take care of the elderly by testing their caregivers
GEORGIA — Almost 20 percent of Georgia’s coronavirus patients are in the hospital for emergency treatment, as the state prepares to enter a Shelter-In-Place order beginning Friday. Meanwhile unemployment applications hit record heights as companies announce layoffs during the pandemic.
The statewide shelter-in-place order will be in place from Friday through April 13. This date is in line with the state’s public health emergency order. While Kemp still has not outlined many specifics, in other states and Fulton County similar orders mean gatherings are banned, residents should only shop for essential goods, and outdoor exercise should be done while maintaining a safe social distance.
The Georgia National Guard will be deployed over the next few weeks to help at both nursing homes and assisted living facilities with cases of the coronavirus. Kemp and Georgia National Guard Adjutant General Tom Carden will deploy 100 Georgia Guardsmen, reports WSB.
As deaths from coronavirus rise in Georgia, President Donald Trump declared Sunday that a major disaster exists in the state. In that declaration, he ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the coronavirus pandemic beginning on Jan. 20, and continuing.
New numbers released Thursday show that 24 more people have died of coronavirus in Georgia, the Georgia Department of Public Health said. The department reported more than 700 cases more than Wednesday, bringing the total to 5,348, and 24 additional deaths, bringing the total to 163. There are currently 1,056 people hospitalized from the new coronavirus.
Get the latest updates on the new coronavirus in Georgia as they happen. Sign up for free news alerts and a newsletter in your Patch town.
Here’s what is happening due to coronavirus around Georgia this week: THURSDAY, APRIL 2
GA Unemployment Soars With 990% Jump In New Claims: Coronavirus
Unemployment claims skyrocket as business shutdowns lead to layoffs statewide. Nationwide, more than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment, doubling the record-high numbers reached just the week before.
Kemp Faces Criticism For Not Knowing How Coronavirus Spreads
Public health experts have been saying for at least two months that asymptomatic people can still spread the coronavirus, now Gov. Kemp faces scrutiny for admitting he had just learned about it on Wednesday.
Lawsuit: Gun Stores Are Essential During GA Coronavirus Pandemic
A Georgia gun store owner and candidate for the U.S. House has sued to keep his gun store open, as the state orders all non-essential businesses to close amid the outbreak.
Alpharetta Ordered to Shelter-In-Home Amid Coronavirus
One day in advance of the statewide order Alpharetta announced an emergency ordinance telling all residents to shelter in their homes to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Free ‘ATL Museums At Home’ Launches Friday: GA Coronavirus
Through a new collaborative effort, some of Atlanta’s most popular museums and attractions will offer free weekly virtual tours and educational content for students, teachers and families.
Health Care Workers Surprised With Free Lunch A Cumming business surprises over 100 local health care workers with a free lunch to support them as they treat patients with the coronavirus.
Resources for each region:
Coronavirus In Woodstock: Latest Updates, ClosuresCoronavirus In Canton-Sixes: Latest Updates, ClosuresCoronavirus In Cumming: Latest Updates, ClosuresCoronavirus In Roswell: Latest Updates, ClosuresCoronavirus In Johns Creek: Latest Updates, ClosuresCoronavirus In Alpharetta/Milton: Latest Updates, ClosuresWEDNESDAY, APRIL 1
GA Shelter In Place Order, Schools Closed For Year: Coronavirus
Gov. Kemp said Wednesday a statewide shelter-in-place order will take effect Friday. Classes are moved online for the rest of the semester.
GA Coronavirus: 31 New Deaths, Nearly 1,000 Hospitalized
As of Wednesday at noon, there have been 139 deaths from coronavirus in Georgia, and nearly 1,000 hospitalized by the virus.
Is your business open? Let us know
Alpharetta/Milton Business Owners: Open Or Closed? Let Us KnowCanton Business Owners: Open Or Closed? Let Us KnowCumming Business Owners: Open Or Closed? Let Us KnowJohns Creek Business Owners: Open Or Closed? Let Us KnowRoswell Business Owners: Open Or Closed? Let Us KnowSandy Springs Business Owners: Open Or Closed? Let Us KnowWoodstock Business Owners: Open Or Closed? Let Us KnowOpen Or Closed? Let Customers In Loganville-Grayson KnowDecatur Business Owners: Open or Closed? Let Us KnowOpen Or Closed? Let Your Cartersville Customers KnowBuckhead Business Owners: Open or Closed? Let Us KnowMidtown Business Owners: Open or Closed? Let Us KnowOpen or Closed? Let Your Douglasville Customers KnowEast Cobb Business Owners: Open or Closed? Let Us KnowSmyrna Business Owners: Open or Closed? Let Us KnowOpen Or Closed? Let Your Dacula Customers KnowMarietta Business Owners: Open or Closed? Let Us KnowOpen Or Closed? Let Your Dallas-Hiram Customers KnowOpen Or Closed? Let Your East Cobb Customers KnowTUESDAY, MARCH 31
Coronavirus In Georgia: What To Do If You Have Symptoms
If Georgians are worried that they have the coronavirus, here are recommendations from experts on what to do.
GA Healthcare Workers Fly To New York To Help: Coronavirus
More than two dozen Georgia healthcare professionals left for New York to help with the coronavirus outbreak.
Free Meals Delivered To Emory Healthcare Workers: GA Coronavirus
The Hawks Foundation and State Farm are delivering meals for Emory Healthcare front line workers treating coronavirus patients.
‘Send A Friend A Smile:’ GA Woman Spreads Cheer With Yard Signs
To spread cheer while many are stressed out due to coronavirus, a Canton woman is placing “I’m Cuckoo for You” signs in yards.
Georgia’s Dependence On Travel Raises Recession Risk
As recession looms, thousands of Georgians continue to file for unemployment benefits.
GA Tops 100 Coronavirus Deaths, Cases Pass 1,000 A Day
Over the past 24 hours, there have been 21 deaths and more than 1,000 positive cases of the coronavirus in Georgia, officials said.
GA University Labs Aim To Complete 3K Coronavirus Tests Daily
The state of Georgia and the University System of Georgia united for a laboratory testing surge to provide 3,000 coronavirus tests daily.
GA National Guard Deployed To Nursing Homes, More: Coronavirus
Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia National Guard are deploying Georgia Guardsman to assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
MONDAY, MARCH 30
Atlanta Kid Entrepreneurs, T&N Bow Ties, Raising $1M For Homeless
Two brothers, 8 and 5, launched a crowdfunding campaign to help raise money to help Atlanta’s homeless during the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump Declares GA Major Disaster As Coronavirus Cases Top 2.6K
As deaths from coronavirus continue to rise in Georgia, President Donald Trump declared Sunday that a major disaster exists in the state.
Second Primary Delay Sought By GA Speaker Due To Coronavirus
House Speaker David Ralston asked to again postpone Georgia’s primaries because of the coronavirus state of emergency.
GA Coronavirus: Deaths Near 90, Cases Top 2.8K, 700 Hospitalized
There have been nearly 90 deaths in Georgia due to the coronavirus as of Monday afternoon. Nearly 3,000 people have tested positive.
GA Colleges Waive SAT, ACT Requirements: Coronavirus
Several University System of Georgia institutions have waived SAT and ACT requirements after many tests were canceled due to coronavirus.
Coronavirus: Emory Testing Clinical Trial Of Vaccine
Emory’s clinical trial testing of this vaccine to prevent coronavirus is the first vaccine to be tested in the United States.
Cruise Passengers With Coronavirus Released From GA, Fly To NC
An NC couple who tested positive for coronavirus after being on a cruise ship were released to fly home from Marietta, their daughter said.
What’s open around town:
Coronavirus In Fulton County: Restaurants Open, Cases In TownCoronavirus In Forsyth County: Restaurants Open, Cases In TownCoronavirus In Cherokee County: Restaurants Open, Cases In Town
Facebook will launch a voter registration drive aimed at registering millions of Americans to vote during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Beginning Friday morning, all voting age Facebook users in the United States will see a notification at the top of the News Feed directing them to resources to register to vote in their area, including a link to their state’s registration website.
The holiday weekend effort is part of Facebook’s campaign to encourage Americans to register to vote ahead of primary and general elections this year. The Voting Information Center, rolled out last month, aims to register up to 4 million Americans before the November elections and is meant to provide Americans with authoritative information on how and when to vote.
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Facebook plans to spearhead more registration drives on other platforms it owns — including on Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger — in the months leading up to November.
Facebook CEO Mark ZuckerbergMark Elliot ZuckerbergHillicon Valley: Facebook claims it ‘does not profit from hate’ in open letter | Analysis finds most of Facebook’s top advertisers have not joined boycott | Research finds Uighurs targeted by Chinese spyware as part of surveillance campaign Most of Facebook’s top 100 advertisers have not joined the boycott: analysis Facebook claims it ‘does not profit from hate’ in open letter MORE discussed the platform’s voter registration efforts in a post last week, writing that information on the voting center will be visible at the top of Facebook and Instagram feeds over the next few months.
A link to the voting center’s resources will also be added to any elections-focused posts in an effort to combat potential disinformation tied to voting.
“We will partner with and rely on state election authorities to help determine the accuracy of information and what is potentially dangerous,” Zuckerberg wrote. “We know this will be challenging in practice as facts on the ground may be uncertain and we don’t want to remove accurate information about challenges people are experiencing, but we’re building our operation to be able to respond quickly.”
The company has come under intense scrutiny over its efforts to combat disinformation following the 2016 presidential election, during which Russia launched a disinformation effort meant to favor the campaign of now-President TrumpDonald John TrumpHouse panel approves 0.5B defense policy bill House panel votes against curtailing Insurrection Act powers after heated debate House panel votes to constrain Afghan drawdown, ask for assessment on ‘incentives’ to attack US troops MORE.
Facebook later estimated that as many as 150 million users based in the U.S. were exposed to content from the Russian Internet Research Agency in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. Former special counsel Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) MuellerCNN’s Toobin warns McCabe is in ‘perilous condition’ with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill’s 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE described the disinformation campaign in his report on Russian interference efforts as “designed to provoke and amplify political and social discord.”
In the race for the Eurogroup presidency, the Brussels eurocracy has a clear favorite, and she’s one of their very own: Spanish Finance Minister Nadia Calviño, who spent 12 years in top civil service jobs at the European Commission.
Venture beyond the bubble, however, and enthusiasm for Calviño as the next leader of the exclusive club of EU finance ministers starts to fade. More fiscally conservative or liberal capitals are especially leery of replacing one Iberian social democrat, the Portuguese Mário Centeno, with another — especially at a moment when the EU is contemplating a coronavirus recovery plan that would require taking on up to €500 billion in collective debt.
For these skeptics, including the so-called frugal countries that are resisting the recovery package, either the conservative Irish candidate, Paschal Donohoe, or the Luxembourgish liberal, Pierre Gramegna, would be safer choices for one of the eurozone’s most influential posts.
Some EU powerbrokers are also reluctant to award yet another top EU job to Spain, which is already represented in the bloc’s upper ranks by foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Calviño’s boosters argue that she is precisely the right woman at the right time: a master of EU finances who can navigate Brussels bureaucracy with her eyes closed, who hails from one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus.
As a woman at a moment when gender balance is a top priority, Calviño’s candidacy raises the tantalizing prospect of the first-ever female head of the Eurogroup joining the first-ever female president of the European Commission and the first-ever female president of the European Central Bank — an idea already enthusiastically promoted by Angela Merkel, the EU’s most influential leader (and the first-ever female German chancellor).
“It is no secret that there is support for Nadia Calviño’s candidature in the German government,” Merkel said in a recent interview with a consortium of newspapers. “I am always pleased when women get leading political roles, and the Eurogroup has never been headed by a woman.”
Unprecedented opportunity
The post of Eurogroup president is perhaps the most unusual in the EU hierarchy: the official leader of the club of eurozone finance ministers, which by definition meets “informally.”
With virtually no formal job description other than a requirement in the 2007 Lisbon Treaty that it should exist, the president’s post can be hugely powerful or nearly irrelevant depending on the ambitions and skills of its occupant. The president sets the agenda and enjoys the soapbox of regular news conferences summing up the Eurogroup’s work, but wields no executive authority as first among equals of the 19 eurozone ministers.
An effective Eurogroup president, who sets an ambitious-enough agenda and somehow manages to bridge longstanding differences over economic policy, theoretically could help transform the eurozone into an international financial superpower — rivaling China and the U.S.
For some, the job has offered a place in the political spotlight. Jean-Claude Juncker used it as a stepping stone to the Commission presidency. For others, like the Dutchman Jeroen Dijsselbloem, it was an often-thankless exercise in crisis management. Many officials argue that Centeno, the outgoing president who’s primed to become Portugal’s next central bank governor, made little of the job.
Whoever becomes the next president will do so at a time of unprecedented upheaval. The coronavirus crisis has created new willingness in capitals to think ambitiously about economic cooperation, creating an opening for Calviño, or one of her rivals, to reshape the job and leave a mark on history.
Calviño, in a motivation letter laying out her candidacy, repeatedly stressed her integrationist instincts, but also adopted some plainspoken pragmatism about the need for all eurozone members to willingly row in unison.
“We are on the same boat,” she wrote to her Eurogroup colleagues. “Coordination is therefore needed to avoid the negative impact of diverging policies but also to benefit from the synergies and positive spillovers derived from acting together in our highly interconnected economies and societies.” Calviño declined to comment for this article.
Whoever becomes president will need the support of 10 of the Eurogroup’s 19 finance ministers in a secret ballot to be held on July 9.
The three-person race raises the possibility of two rounds of voting, and quick math suggests that, regardless of her popularity in Brussels, if Donohoe and Gramegna join forces, Calviño will come up short.
High stakes, unfinished business
The stakes for the next Eurogroup president could hardly be higher: The pandemic has cratered the eurozone’s economy, despite governments pumping trillions of euros into their economies. Whoever takes charge will shape future recovery initiatives and how much the eurozone should integrate its economic safeguards.
The crisis has also brought renewed attention to the unfinished business of EU fiscal and monetary integration. For those who want a more tightly bound eurozone, Calviño may be the answer. For those still skeptical, she is likely the worst choice.
Few if any EU officials and lawmakers in Brussels have something bad to say about Calviño, a 51-year-old economist and lawyer who spent over a decade in prestigious jobs at the European Commission — handling antitrust and finance and finally leading the directorate general for budget, before being tapped by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as finance minister and deputy prime minister. She has a no-nonsense reputation and is viewed as someone willing to tackle tough issues.
For Sanchez, Calviño’s election would be a seismic victory — a giant payoff on the gamble he took by proposing Borrell as Spain’s top candidate for the Commission, even as then-President-elect Ursula von der Leyen pleaded with national leaders to send her female nominees.
As a vice president in Sanchez’s socialist government, Calviño has even earned admiration and respect among political rivals.
“She is very well-prepared, she knows the job, she understands Brussels and most importantly, she understands what is going on in Brussels,” said Esteban González Pons, a vice president of the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) in the European Parliament and member of Spain’s conservative Popular Party.
Luis Garicano, an EU lawmaker from the Spanish liberal Ciudadanos party and vice president of the Renew Europe group, similarly had only praise. “She can straddle well the ideological divides between left and right, being the most liberal, reform-minded member of a left-wing government,” he said.
But Spanish MEPs and Commission civil servants don’t get a vote next Thursday. And outside Brussels, there are serious reservations about Calviño’s candidacy. Many Northern European officials paint the Spaniard as an aggressive policymaker with strong federalist views, who tries to bulldoze her way toward an agreement.
“She’s not a pleasant person,” one of the officials said, requesting anonymity due to the political nature of the Eurogroup’s three-horse race.
Such criticism will inevitably raise questions about sexism, especially given that Calviño is currently the only woman in the Eurogroup. At the same time, anonymous sniping is nothing new in Brussels brinkmanship.
Numbers game
While Donohoe and Gramegna no doubt envy Merkel’s support, Germany gets only one vote, and there are plenty of others up for grabs.
Treasury officials following the Eurogroup race expect Greece, Germany, Italy and Portugal to support Calviño. Donohoe, meanwhile, has the backing of five of his EPP peers: Austria, Cyprus, Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia. Belgium and the Netherlands, with government coalitions currently led by liberals, have promised Gramegna they’ll back him.
At least five countries appear undecided at the moment: Estonia, Finland, France, Lithuania and Malta.
Backroom negotiations are already underway, with finance ministers working the phones to discuss their preferred candidates. One EPP insider called the race essentially “the result of favors between prime ministers and ministers,” rather than “a political vote.”
Calviño’s biggest skeptics seem to be in The Hague and on the coasts of the Baltic Sea. Many Northern countries oppose any talk of mutualizing debt or setting up a rainy-day fund to cushion future crises, fearing they’ll be on the hook for Southern debt, and some fear the Spaniard would use the Eurogroup to pursue initiatives that would promote shared financial risk across the 19 countries, with little regard for smaller states.
To make the point, they often refer to Calviño’s infamous 2018 description of the “very small countries with very small weight” that make up the “Hanseatic League” — a coalition among the Nordics, Baltics, Ireland and the Netherlands that emerged after Britain voted to leave the EU. Her comments might have been flippant when she made them during a debate sponsored by Bruegel, a think tank, but for countries concerned, it was not a compliment.
Some critics even accuse Calviño of being a Commission civil servant in finance minister’s clothing — a charge that in the most literal sense is hard to dispute, given that she took unpaid leave from the Berlaymont to join the Spanish finance ministry in 2018. (Such leaves are quite customary and in accordance with staff rules.)
Others view Calviño’s nationality, and her dual EU and national experience, as her main assets.
González Pons called her an “orthodox economy minister,” who would improve the currently strained relations between North and South. He drew a stark distinction between Calviño and Yanis Varoufakis, the strident former Greek finance minister who is demonized in EU conservative circles for having crusaded for fiscal forgiveness when Greece stood on the brink of bankruptcy in 2015.
“She’s the opposite of Varoufakis,” the Spanish MEP said. He added that support for Calviño could help Northern countries win the trust of their skeptical Southern counterparts. “The best thing that Northern countries could do to obtain credibility is to give that job to a person from the South,” he said.
This article is part of POLITICO’s premium policy service: Pro Financial Services. From the eurozone, banking union, CMU, and more, our specialized journalists keep you on top of the topics driving the Financial Services policy agenda. Email pro@politico.eu for a complimentary trial.
This story on the new coronavirus is updated throughout the day with national news and developments from around our network of local Patches. Scroll down for links, helpful for day-to-day living and the most recent stories.
We’re All In This Together: Help Patch Help Our Communities
30 Million Have Sought Unemployment Aid
One day, the country receives promising news about a drug to fight the new coronavirus. Good news. The next day, Thursday, comes this: The government reports an additional 3.8 million workers have sought unemployment aid.
And more bad news Thursday: A lot of kids have had their dreams stolen, joining those who will no longer dance at prom, cross the graduation stage or compete in sports championships.
Thursday’s unemployment report brings the total number of jobless to more than 30 million workers in the six weeks since the coronavirus began pummeling the U.S. economy and killing more than 61,000 people across the country.
More than one in six American workers have now filed for unemployment.
Economists have forecast that the unemployment rate for April could go as high as 20 percent. That would be the highest rate since it reached 25 percent during the Great Depression.
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People wait outside a WIN job center in Pearl, Mississippi. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
NYC Subway Closure Shows Grip Of Coronavirus
By Friday, 31 states will be under some form of risky reopening. But for a glimpse of the hold the new coronavirus has taken, look to New York City.
New York City subways will stop running 24 hours a day, with the Metropolitan Transit Authority cutting a large chunk of late-night service, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.
This just doesn’t happen in New York. But it is.
Subways won’t run between 1 and 5 a.m. starting May 6 and continuing for the duration of the pandemic, the governor said. For a place such as New York, that’s almost like banning cars elsewhere in the country.
“This is going to be one of the most aggressive, creative, challenging endeavors the MTA has done,” Cuomo said. “It’s not that easy to stop train service. “
New York was one of two cities to offer 24-hour subway service — the other is Copenhagen — and one of few in the United States to provide continuous public transportation.
New York City subways will close for cleaning in the early hours. (Kathleen Culliton|Patch)
More Dreams Stolen: Little League World Series Canceled
This summer’s Little League World Series, along with its 82 regional qualifying tournaments and numerous associated events, has been canceled due to the coronavirus crisis. It’s the first time in its 74-year history that it has been canceled.
All seven World Series events organized by the Little League — including the Little League Softball and intermediate, junior and senior league baseball and softball events — will not be held in 2020.
“This is a heartbreaking decision for everyone at Little League International, but more so for those millions of Little Leaguers who have dreamt of one day playing in one of our seven World Series events,” Stephen D. Keener, Little League president and CEO, said in a statement Thursday.
All seven of the Little League International championship events have been canceled. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Fauci: Coronavirus Vaccine May Be Available By January
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, is optimistic that a coronavirus vaccine could be ready by the start of next year.
Asked by NBC’s Savannah Guthrie whether it is “in the realm of possibility” for hundreds of millions of vaccine doses to be ready by January — as the administration’s new Operation Warp Speed envisions — Fauci said, “I do.”
“We want to go quickly, but we want to make sure it’s safe and it’s effective,” he added. “I think that is doable if things fall in the right place.”
Drug Proves Effective Against Coronavirus
The promising news came as an announcement by biotech company Gilead Sciences: Its experimental drug remdesivir has proved effective in fighting COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
The discovery was called “highly significant” by Fauci, who’s usually cautious with his words of affirmation. In a Wednesday meeting at the White House, Fauci said the drug was shown to reduce the time it takes patients to recover by 31 percent — 11 days on average versus 15 days for those just given usual care.
The remdesivir study, conducted by the National Institutes of Health, tested the drug versus usual care in about 800 hospitalized coronavirus patients around the world. The main result is how long it takes patients to recover.
Fauci said Thursday he expects the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to quickly approve the experimental drug, adding he spoke with FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn. While Hahn had yet to make a final decision, Fauci said, “I would project that we’re going to be seeing that reasonably soon.”
A couple walks by a row of closed motels in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Back To The Economy: It’s Shrinking And Getting Worse
The U.S. economy took a hit last quarter as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country and began triggering a recession.
The U.S. economy shrank at a 4.8 percent annual rate last quarter.
That’s bad. And it’s getting worse. Officials warn that last quarter was only a precursor of a far grimmer report to come for the current April-June period, with business shutdowns and layoffs striking with devastating force.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that economic activity will plunge this quarter at a 40 percent annual rate.
That would be, by a breathtaking margin, the bleakest quarter since such records were first compiled in 1947. It would be four times the size of the worst quarterly contraction on record, set in 1958.
A medical professional works at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site in Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Trump Says Social Distancing Guidelines Won’t Be Extended
President Donald Trump said the government will be “fading out” federal coronavirus social distancing guidelines when they expire Thursday, adding that he’s counting on states to take charge as they pivot toward reopening.
“They’ll be fading out because now the governors are doing it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday as he met with John Bel Edwards, the Democratic governor of Louisiana.
The Trump administration said the cautionary guidance issued 45 days ago has been incorporated into recommendations given to the states on reopening their economies.
The transition is not going smoothly everywhere. Edwards is currently under fire from Republican lawmakers in his state after he extended Louisiana’s stay-at-home order through May 15.
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President Donald Trump signed an order requiring meat plants to remain open. (Tyson Foods via AP)
Trump Orders Meat Processors To Stay Open Amid Coronavirus
Trump this week also signed an executive order requiring meat processing plants across the country to remain open, even though many have been hard hit with coronavirus cases, according to multiple news sources.
Trump used the Defense Production Act to order meat processing plants to stay open by declaring them “critical infrastructure.” The government intends to provide additional protective gear for employees as well as guidance.
Thousands of meatpacking workers have already been infected by the virus, and at least 20 have died, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi walks to her office at the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Pelosi: Dems Want $1T For States In Next Aid Package
Democrats are likely to push for nearly $1 trillion for states and local governments in the next coronavirus relief package, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday.
The next package is also expected to include hundreds of billions of dollars more to help workers, businesses and families weather the crisis, The Hill reported, adding it’s likely to approximate the massive size of the initial CARES Act passed in March.
“We’re not going to be able to cover all of it, but to the extent that we can keep the states and localities sustainable, that’s our goal,” Pelosi told reporters.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell earlier this week said he is “open” to considering additional funds for state and local governments in a future coronavirus relief bill.
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From Across America Illinois Gov. Doing His Best Donald Trump Impression
KONKOL COLUMN: Gov. J.B. Pritzker is starting to sound like President Donald Trump at those daily new coronavirus briefings that his social media fan club calls #SpritzersWithPritzker.
A Coronavirus Drug Seems To Work, So What’s Next?
News that an experimental drug seems to be the first effective treatment for the new coronavirus has unleashed a flurry of interest from doctors and patients — and questions about how soon it might be available.
NASCAR To Resume Season In May
Seven races are planned in 10 days. Only essential personnel will be permitted to attend the events, and cloth face masks will be required.
Lawn Sign Project Honors Front-line Workers
Jennifer Leeper and Tory Mileti of Fairfield, Connecticut, teamed up in an effort to support essential workers and raise money for local nonprofits at the same time.
Maryland Boy Details School Struggle In Parody Song
Ilan Shterenberg 11, recorded a parody of “Hallelujah,” in which he belts out lyrics about his struggles logging on to an online class.
New Jersey Teachers Sing To Stay Connected
Bridgewater-Raritan teachers, administrators sang for students and community during this time of distance learning due to the coronavirus.
Folks On Mission To Sew 100K Masks
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Businessman And ‘Hero Dad’ Remembered
Douglas Burger, 55, was the owner of the popular Hammonasset Service Station. The beloved family man is remembered for his goodness.
NYC Coronavirus ‘Restart’ Team To Begin
The mayor announced 11 new task forces that he says will start a recovery from the pandemic and address inequalities that it “laid bare.”
STONY BROOK, NY — In the time of the coronavirus outbreak, a family of four from Stony Brook has given Americans something to look forward to on a daily basis. Friday night will mark the 50th straight live social distancing-themed Bingo game hosted by the Mastrianos. The free games will continue every night until the social distancing orders are lifted.
The game is open to the public and has a steady following of repeat players, with new families joining in every night, Laura Mastriano, the wife and mother, said. Each night, the game begins at 7:30 p.m. EST on Facebook Live and runs about an hour. The sessions are hosted on Laura’s Facebook page, which can be accessed here.
Laura, an event-planner, told Patch she lost her business due to the coronavirus. Out of work, she decided to pour her time into something fun.
“Instead of worrying about what happened, I chose (and still choose) to stay positive, knowing and hoping that one day we will all be able to celebrate together again,” she said in an email. “I thought hosting a BINGO game would be a fun way to keep our family and friends connected, plus an opportunity for anyone to jump in and play for a free, fun distraction. The games are also a great creative outlet for me, as I am making new decorations every day for the day’s theme with recycled props and supplies I can find in the house.”
Friday’s theme will be hockey — the family’s favorite sport. Before the game, the family supplies a word list and a blank Bingo sheet. Print the sheet, choose 24 words from the list and write them on the card. The Mastrianos pick the words live, share facts related to the night’s theme and crack jokes.
Players can be any age, and the game has spread across the country. Participants are encouraged to dress up to match the theme, too. Traditional Bingo and full-sheet are both played.
Ever since the game launched March 20, there’s been a new theme every night. Past themes include Disney, America, Sports Night, Super Heroes, Movie Night, Video Games, Harry Potter, Football, Nurses Day, Ice Cream, Cinco De Mayo and Alice in Wonderland.