The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: New America’s Anne-Marie Slaughter says countries around world are deciding not to trust US; All eyes on New York as city begins phased reopening

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

> The Hill’s exclusive investigation on the coronavirus pandemic: Where was Congress? 

> 100 days since city’s first confirmed coronavirus case, New York City begins first phase of reopening today 

> Study finds shutdowns prevented 60 million coronavirus cases in US 

> New Zealands says it has ‘eliminated’ the virus, for now 

> Meatpacking plants see spike in cases following Trump’s order they remain open 

> Dow jumps more than 200 points as reopening optimism continues to boost stocks

> Bleaching vegetables? CDC says more than one-third of US used disinfectants in non-recommended, potentially harmful ways

> New America CEO Anne-Marie Slaughter says countries around world are deciding not to trust U.S., claims much of foreign policy establishment looking ‘firmly backwards,’ says America cannot perpetuate power structure that is overwhelmingly white and male

All eyes are on New York City as the city begins reopening Monday after three months in outbreak and hardship. Exactly 100 days since its first case of coronavirus was confirmed, New York City, which weathered extensive hardship as an epicenter of the worldwide outbreak, is set to take the first tentative steps toward reopening its doors on Monday. As many as 400,000 workers could begin returning to construction jobs, manufacturing sites and retail stores in the city’s first phase of reopening — a surge of normalcy that seemed almost inconceivable several weeks ago. (New York Times) 

THE INTERVIEW

Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America

Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America, says countries around the world are deciding not to trust the U.S., claims much of foreign policy establishment is looking ‘firmly backwards,’ and states America cannot perpetuate a power structure that is overwhelmingly white and male.

Watch the full interview here.

THE HILL’S CORONAVIRUS REPORT

Welcome to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report. It’s Monday, June 8.

Editor’s Note.

We are living through a significant hinge point in American history, and it’s not clear where that is taking us. I’ve been trying to think deeply about my own views of what America is and stands for, at home and abroad. I’ve been commenting for years about the deterioration of America’s standing in the eyes of allies and foes. The mystique of American power and leadership were badly punctured by the invasion of Iraq years ago, but I was primarily thinking as a realist, as a person who believed that America had to get the hard choices right that impacted its core security and economic interests. I took for granted that for the most part America’s values and the liberal order that it had built were sound enough to stand resiliently over time. I was wrong.

That is why today I interview Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America, an organization I have had a long relationship with and which I helped run for a number of years over a decade ago. Slaughter is also the former dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and held one of the best and most consequential policy positions in government as policy planning director at the Department of State. She is one of America’s leading liberal internationalist voices, and she wrote the book, “The Idea That Is America: Keeping Faith With Our Values in a Dangerous World. And then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley scribbled “the idea that is America” in the side margin of a key note he sent to his soldiers about loyalty to American citizens and the U.S. Constitution.  

Values matter, and they are not to be taken for granted any longer — either in our social contract domestically or how America behaves internationally. There is a struggle underway about what our core values are and whether inclusiveness in our society, civil rights, the rights of minorities and the aggrieved matter to those in power. Or have we become a might makes right nation in all things? My friend Anatol Lieven once made the comment, over a decade ago in his book “America Right or Wrong: An Anatomy of American Nationalism” that the U.S. had been king of the hill and then was kicking down its own hill. Today hill-kicking has become hole-digging, and we must take serious note collectively if down is where we want to go. 

I hope you watch the powerful and eloquent commentary on America in dark days by Anne-Marie Slaughter above.

– Steve Clemons

Your Coronavirus Report team includes Steve Clemons, editor-at-large of The Hill, and researcher Andrew Wargofchik. Follow us on Twitter at @SCClemons and @a_wargofchik. 

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THE HILL ‘VIRTUALLY’ LIVE

ICYMI: Catch up on last month’s programs

On May 21, The Hill hosted “A National Virtual Summit on Advancing America’s Economy,” a forum to discuss a responsible reopening of the U.S. economy anchored by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.   Watch the full program video here. 

On May 20, The Hill hosted “The Vir[Tech]tual World of Tomorrow.”    Watch the full program video here. 

We want to hear from you! Follow us @TheHillEvents and keep the conversation going using #TheHillVirtuallyLive

CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

There are 7,065,597 reported cases of COVID-19 around the world and 404,021 have died from the virus as of the time of this newsletter. 

The U.S. is reporting 1,951,111 cases and 110,689 deaths. Brazil is still struggling in its battle with the virus and is reporting 691,758 cases. Russia 476,043. U.K. 288,827. India 265,819. Spain 241,717. Italy 235,278. Peru 196,515. France 191,102. Germany 186,109. 

Around the world: 

> New Zealand says it has “eliminated” COVID-19, the first infected country to make such a claim.

> Russia will begin to relax some of its coronavirus-related restrictions.

> Brazil’s cases continue to surge as President Jair Bolsonaro limits the release of critical data. 

> Britain is imposing a mandatory two week quarantine for all travelers.

New York, which is set to begin the early stages of reopening, is reporting 378,097 cases as all eyes turn to the city once the epicenter of the global pandemic. New Jersey 164,164. California 130,931. Illinois 127,757. Massachusetts 103,436. Pennsylvania 80,179. Texas 75,408. Florida 64,904. Michigan 64,413. Virginia 51,256. Connecticut 43,968. Louisiana 42,816. Ohio 38,476. Indiana 37,623. Kansas 10,413. Nevada 9,779. District of Columbia 9,389 reported cases — as many health officials remain concerned about a serious outbreak in the nation’s capital following consecutive weeks of mass-scale protests throughout the District. 

The U.S. is reporting 20,235,678 COVID-19 test results and 506,367 have reported full recoveries from the virus.

WASHINGTON WATCH

As coronavirus silently spread, where was Congress? This historic crisis has led to intense scrutiny of the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic focused on the executive branch’s sluggish realization of how severely the global pandemic would hit the country. The response of Congress, in contrast, has received much less attention or criticism. The Hill has examined hundreds of statements and hours of congressional testimony to highlight which legislators were the first to raise red flags that the coronavirus presented an imminent danger to the United States. Read more of The Hill’s exclusive investigation into the congressional response to the pandemic here. 

Weekend of protests brought D.C. Metro ridership to highest levels since start of pandemic. The District’s Metro public transit system had its busiest day in nearly three months Saturday as thousands of protesters returned to the nation’s capital to protest police brutality and systemic racism. Metro carried nearly 70,000 passengers Saturday, the highest number of riders the rail system has carried since ridership plummeted and the transit agency reduced operations due to the novel coronavirus crisis in mid-March. (Washington Post) 

CDC wants states to count “probable” coronavirus cases and deaths, but most aren’t doing it. Fewer than half the states are following federal recommendations to report probable coronavirus cases and deaths, marking what experts say is an unusual break with public health practices that leads to inconsistent data collection and undercounts of the disease’s impact. (Washington Post)

LAWMAKERS TWEET

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) 

@SenKamalaHarris The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others must be met with decisive action. Watch here as I join @SenBooker, @TheBlackCaucus, and Congressional leaders to announce our reforms to hold police accountable.

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) 

@SteveScalise States that re-opened early haven’t seen major spikes in COVID-19 cases and their hospitals aren’t overrun. We have flattened the curve. Now we need to keep re-opening our economy. Families and small businesses can’t afford to wait any longer.

Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y. ) 

@RepMaxRose REMINDER: New York City is entering Phase One of reopening today. Here’s a helpful guide on what that means, as well as some info to get ready for Phase Two. As we move forward, I will continue to advocate for safe revisions to these phased re-openings.

ACROSS THE NATION

Study: Shutdowns prevented 60 million coronavirus cases in U.S. New research finds that shutdowns and other interventions prevented 60 million coronavirus infections in the United States and that the policies had “large health benefits.” The study from a team at the University of California-Berkeley published Monday in the journal Nature finds that shelter-in-place orders, business closings, travel restrictions and other responses prevented 530 million infections across the U.S., China, South Korea, Italy, Iran and France. (The Hill) 

Meatpacking plants see spike in coronavirus outbreaks following Trump order: report. Meatpacking plants in the U.S. remain hot spots for coronavirus outbreaks after President Trump’s order declaring them essential businesses that must remain open. Although meat production has rebounded since the order, the number of cases tied to such facilities has since increased by more than 100 percent to 20,400 infections across 216 plants in 33 states, according to an analysis by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. (The Hill)

WORLD VIEW

New Zealand says it has “eliminated” the coronavirus. New Zealand has “eliminated” the coronavirus domestically and will lift nearly all restrictions except for border controls, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced. The announcement was greeted with joy around the country and means the nation of 5 million people will be among the first to welcome throngs of fans back into sports stadiums, embrace crowded concerts and remove seating restrictions from flights. (Fox News) 

Russia takes first step to reopen borders. Russia is partially reopening its borders for several kinds of trips, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced in a Monday meeting with the country’s coronavirus response council. Russians will be able to travel abroad to care for relatives, undergo medical treatment, to work or study. Foreigners will also be able to enter Russia for medical purposes, Mishustin said, adding that corresponding government decrees have already been signed. (CNN)

SCIENCE

Bleaching vegetables? More than one-third in U.S. used disinfectants in high risk ways to fight coronavirus: CDC. New information gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that more than one-third of the U.S. public used household cleaners, such as bleach and other disinfectants, in “high risk” practices in an effort to prevent a coronavirus infection. Overall, the survey found that 39 percent of respondents had used a household cleaner in a way that could endanger their health and was not recommended by the CDC to prevent a COVID-19 infection. (The Hill) 

“Hydroxychloroquine tea” is being peddled as a coronavirus cure in Brazil. It’s fake. As scientists the world over search for a way to prevent and treat COVID-19, some Brazilians have turned to nature for a remedy. They’ve stumbled upon a family of plants known locally as quina, used often in the Amazon and other rural communities to combat malaria and other inflammatory conditions. The tree is thought to have inspired what would later become hydroxychloroquine, a medication being touted by both Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and President Trump as a treatment for COVID-19, despite a lack of solid scientific proof. (National Geographic)

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BUSINESS

Dow jumps more than 200 points as reopening optimism continues to boost stocks. Stocks jumped Monday, building on the previous week’s sharp gains on optimism over the economy reopening. Stocks tied to the reopening of the economy led the gains once again. Airlines, retailers and cruise lines were higher. United was up 6.1 percent. Kohl’s added 5.6 percent. Shares of Carnival Corp. were up more than 11 percent. (CNBC) 

Dunkin’ to hire 25,000 as restaurant industry begins to recover. As millions of restaurant workers remain unemployed, Dunkin’ is planning to hire 25,000 workers this summer. And it’s not the only fast-food chain looking for workers as temperatures heat up and the U.S. economy looks to recover from the pandemic. Yum Brands’s Taco Bell is looking to hire 30,000 workers. Dunkin’s hiring announcement comes as the U.S. unemployment rate hit 13.3 percent in May. (CNBC) 

Apple to administer coronavirus tests to employees: report. Apple will be administering coronavirus tests to its employees as they head back to work at the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters, Bloomberg reports. (The Hill)

ISSUES, CAUSES, PASSIONS

Today is World Oceans Day. Our oceans are amazing, but they need our help. The coronavirus pandemic has been dominating headlines recently, but it’s not the only pressing problem that affects the whole planet. The damage we are doing to our oceans also threatens our existence. They help to provide the air we breathe, the food we eat and the fuel that powers our world. Life could not exist without them, but our oceans are under threat. On World Oceans Day, we celebrate our seas and look at why we need to protect them, now more than ever. Read more here. 

A national testing strategy to safely reopen America. Dwight Eisenhower once commented that “plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” Let us hope that well before we celebrate our independence on July 4th, the Congress will again unify to recognize that our nation’s health and economic independence is inextricably linked to planning a federal strategy for testing and tracing. The future of American freedom depends on it. (former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) for The Hill)

We weren’t ready for COVID-19 — and then we let fear and confusion take control. We were overwhelmed quickly, and we reacted slowly. Our entire health care preparedness and response system was not adequate, especially in “hot zones” for the disease. From the beginning, we have seen a lack of widespread diagnostic testing. We needed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be more transparent and forthcoming about this; it has done a poor job of messaging on everything from the constellation of symptoms to the ease of spread, to the ability to test for the virus and accurately trace those who have it and their contacts. (Marc Siegel for The Hill)

GENEROUS SPIRITS

Walmart CEO pledges $100 million to address systemic racism. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon is pledging to donate $100 million over five years to create a new center on racial equity following the death of George Floyd. (The Hill)

ICYMI: STEVE’S INTERVIEWS, 15 MINUTES EACH

> Steve interviews Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Director TOM INGLESBY

> Steve interviews CDC Director ROBERT REDFIELD 

> Steve interviews U.S. Surgeon General JEROME ADAMS 

> Steve interviews former Rep. JOHN DELANEY (D-Md.)

> Steve interviews Johns Hopkins Center for Healthy Security’s JENNIFER NUZZO 

> Steve interviews Rep. VAL DEMINGS (D-Fla.)  

> Steve interviews BIO President and CEO MICHELLE MCMURRY-HEATH 

> Steve interviews Association of American Railroads President and CEO IAN JEFFERIES 

Watch all Coronavirus Report interviews here. 

YOUR WORLD, YOUR STORIES

Corona balls? Karen is an essential worker and she’s used these “corona balls” – which mimic the microscopic SARS-CoV-2 virus – to create a darts-esque game for her and her colleagues during these challenging, historic times.

SEND US YOUR OWN PICS – from your own walks or adventures – during this time of physical distancing but social connection. And SEND US YOUR STORIES of how teleworking is going, what you have learned from homeschooling, new ways to exercise and special moments or standout heroism you want to share. What’s working for you? What’s comic in these dark days? 

Send to YourStories@TheHill.com. Our thoughts are with you, our readers, and we hope and trust that no matter the weight of burdens on you now — and it’s not a good story for everyone we know — that we all stand together, resilient and confident, on the other side of this. There will be another side.

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