The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Geopolitical adviser Parag Khanna criticizes US, China leadership on virus; US COVID-19 cases reach highest single-day level

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

> US coronavirus cases reach highest single-day level 

> Nearly 1.5 million Americans file new claims for jobless benefits

> Trump ‘not withdrawing support’ from COVID-19 testing sites, official says

> Treasury sent more than 1 million coronavirus stimulus payments to dead people, congressional watchdog finds

> Fauci: ‘I’ve never seen anything closely resemble’ what the coronavirus can do

> New York to require out-of-state travelers from hard hit states to quarantine upon arrival; critics argue order borders on unconstitutional

> Houston hospitals, overrun with COVID-19 patients, are running out of ICU beds 

> California Gov. Newsom says small gatherings at home may be to blame for coronavirus spread

> WHO official warns ‘significant resurgence’ in Europe could push health systems ‘to the brink’ again 

> Kentucky Derby to take place with spectators and safety measures

> Geopolitical adviser Parag Khanna criticizes US and China leadership on virus

How the virus won. Outbreaks sprang up everywhere. The United States ignored the warning signs. The New York Times analyzed travel patterns, hidden infections and genetic data to show how the epidemic spun out of control. See here for an interactive map detailing how the coronavirus spread throughout the United States and where it is continuing to wreak havoc.

THE INTERVIEW

Parag Khanna, founder and managing partner, FutureMap

Geopolitical adviser Parag Khanna criticizes U.S. and China leadership on virus, says Asia will play major role in presidential race and predicts supply chains will move from China to other Asian nations.

 

 

 

 

Watch the full interview here.

THE HILL’S CORONAVIRUS REPORT

Welcome to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report. It’s Thursday, June 11.

Editor’s Note. 

 

Here we go again. The United States rate of new coronavirus cases has hit a new high. Texas pauses its reopening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added congestion or a runny nose, diarrhea and nausea to the list of COVID-19 symptoms that already included fever, chills, cough, difficulty breathing, muscle or body aches, headache, fatigue, loss of taste or smell and a sore throat. That made me think back to President Trump’s comment at his Tulsa rally about the 10-year-old boy who goes to the doctor because he has the sniffles. Clearly, even the sniffles can be loaded with consequences.

 

This crisis is the defining crisis of this administration — and it’s not going well. As Parag Khanna says in our interview today, America has been absent as a global leader. China, however, has not stepped in in any meaningful way to fill the void. The resurgence in U.S. cases may trigger Europe blocking U.S. travel to that continent. Ironies abound in times of stress.

 

This note will not offer any optimism today because I see little reason or hope that any of the factors surrounding the incidence of COVID-19 are really improving given the indifference a large share of the American public has to the disease. To use one of President Trump’s oft-used lines — SAD!

 

— 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. 

 

Click here to subscribe to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report

Click here to subscribe to our Overnight Healthcare Newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things coronavirus  

 

THE HILL ‘VIRTUALLY’ LIVE

America’s Unfinished Business: An LGBTQ+ Summit | June 30, 2020

 

Join The Hill for a Pride month summit to discuss the fragility of civil rights in America today with a focus on the LGBTQ+ community. The forum will focus on constructive paths forward, lessons learned from civil rights advances, and will recognize that there are an array of perspectives of how to prioritize effort and focus when it comes to securing and making civil rights a reality in our daily lives.

 

Speakers Include: 

 

> Adam Rippon

> Chasten Buttigieg

> Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)

> Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.)

> Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.)

> Alphonso David, president, Human Rights Campaign

> Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO, GLAAD

> Amit Paley, CEO and executive director, The Trevor Project

  CLICK HERE to register and see our full lineup of speakers.

CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

There are 9,491,799 reported cases of COVID-19 throughout the world and 484,092 have lost their lives from the virus as of the time of this newsletter. 

 

The U.S. is reporting 2,395,759 cases and 122,177 deaths. Brazil 1,188,631. Russia 613,148. India 473,105. U.K. 309,455. Peru 264,689. Chile 259,064. Spain 247,486. Italy 239,706. Iran 215,096. France 197,885. Mexico 196,847. Germany 193,371. Pakistan 192,970. 

 

Elsewhere throughout the world: 

> In Paris, the Eiffel Tower on Thursday welcomed back visitors after the coronavirus outbreak forced the Paris landmark into its longest period out of action since World War II.

> In Yemen, a top U.N. relief official is warning of drastic worsening in the outbreak in the war-ravaged nation. 

> Europe is seeing a “significant resurgence” of cases, WHO official warned Thursday. 

 

The U.S. on Wednesday reported a record 36,880 new coronavirus cases more than two months after its previous record for new daily infections, a clear signal that the country is still struggling to contain the pandemic. New York is reporting 390,415 cases. California 196,046. New Jersey 169,892. Illinois 138,540. Texas 128,457. Florida 114,018. Massachusetts 107,611. Pennsylvania 88,141. Georgia 69,381. 

 

Here at home: 

> The bulk of Wednesday’s new cases were posted in Texas, Florida and California, while Oklahoma also set a new statewide record in infections.

> Texas has postponed elective procedures as hospitalizations continue to rise. More than a quarter of Houston’s ICU beds are currently occupied by coronavirus patients. 

> President Trump will visit his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey this weekend and does not plan to abide by the region’s new travel advisory. 

> Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced the Kentucky Derby will take place this year with safety measures put in place to protect spectators. 

 

The U.S. is reporting the results of 28,567,355 COVID-19 tests and 656,161 full recoveries from the virus. 

WASHINGTON WATCH

Trump “not withdrawing support” from COVID-19 testing sites, official says. The Trump administration is not abandoning federally funded coronavirus testing sites, the administration’s COVID-19 testing czar said Wednesday. Adm. Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, said that even though the government will stop directly funding 13 community-based coronavirus testing sites, the amount of testing will not decrease and the sites should not lose resources. (The Hill) 

 

Fauci: “I’ve never seen anything closely resemble” what the coronavirus can do. Speaking to Wendy Zukerman, an Australian science journalist on her podcast, Fauci acknowledged his “considerable concern” at the start of the pandemic over how the crisis evolved through community spread. Fauci said he was struck by how transmissible and varying the coronavirus became. “I’ve never seen anything closely resemble the virus in the spectrum of what it can do,” he said, referring to the wide range of symptoms that vary between each individual infected. (The Hill) 

Pence tries to assure GOP senators as coronavirus cases spike. Vice President Pence urged GOP senators on Wednesday to focus on “encouraging signs” despite a recent spike in coronavirus cases in numerous states as various localities move swiftly to reopen their economies, according to several people present. (Washington Post)

LAWMAKERS TWEET

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) 

@RepAndyBiggsAz The number of COVID-19 patients DISCHARGED from hospitals in Arizona continues to SKYROCKET. This is GREAT news.

 

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine)
@SenAngusKing If implemented correctly, this policy will boost Maine’s lobster industry during a time of immense challenges. As this industry continues to face obstacles including tariffs, federal regulations, and coronavirus fallout, I’ll keep working to support it however I can.

 

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) 

@RepStefanik The cross-border partnership is a critical economic driver for the North Country, and I voiced my regional concerns to Acting Secretary Chad Wolf about the negative impacts this Executive Order would have on our local economy.

ACROSS THE NATION

New York will require out-of-state travelers coming from hard-hit states to quarantine upon arrival. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that the state will begin requiring out-of-state travelers coming from hard-hit states to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, a move that punctuated a stark shift in the course of the nation’s outbreak. The restrictions will be based on specific health metrics related to the virus, he said at a news conference. (New York Times) 

 

Cuomo’s move was met with some skepticism and critics are arguing that demanding a 14-day coronavirus quarantine is one thing, but enforcing it is another. Critics of the move say that the order is unenforceable and that it borders on the unconstitutional, and one pundit suggested that it smacked of political payback against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who had required New Yorkers to self-quarantine for two weeks back in March when coronavirus cases were spiking in the state. (NBC News) 

 

Houston’s hospitals are running out of intensive care beds. With cases surging in the Houston area, the city’s intensive care units are now filled to 97 percent of capacity, Mayor Sylvester Turner told the City Council on Wednesday, with COVID-19 patients accounting for more than one-quarter of all patients in intensive care. The city, known for its large concentration of medical schools and research hospitals, could run out of ICU beds within two weeks if nothing is done to slow the upward trajectory of the virus. (New York Times) 

 

Texas pauses its reopening plans. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Thursday the state will pause its efforts to reopen the economy as the number of confirmed coronavirus infections spikes and hospitals begin to fill. (The Hill) 

Gatherings at home may be to blame for coronavirus spread, California Gov. Newsom says. As California coronavirus cases continue to soar past the relative plateau the state saw from late March to mid-May, state officials are working to identify the root of the case growth. On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) implored Californians to not let their guard down,  continue to socially distance, and wear masks to prevent the spread of the virus. The Sacramento Bee reports that he also noted that part of the increase in the total number of infections is a result of increased testing, but that much of the spread throughout the state can be traced to small gatherings of family and friends at private homes. (The Hill)

WORLD VIEW

WHO official warns “significant resurgence” in Europe could push health systems “to the brink” again. The number of coronavirus cases in Europe increased for the first time in months last week, a World Health Organization official warned Thursday, with a “very significant resurgence” in 11 countries that could “push health systems to the brink once again” if left unchecked. (Washington Post) 

Brazil central bank cuts 2020 GDP forecast to minus-6.4 percent, warns of uncertain recovery. Brazil’s central bank on Thursday slashed its 2020 economic growth forecast to minus-6.4 percent from zero due to the COVID-19 crisis, and warned that uncertainty surrounding the pace of recovery in the second half of this year remains unusually high. (Reuters)

SCIENCE

Virtual clinical trials gain popularity amid pandemic. Eager to streamline the drug development process during the pandemic, researchers, pharmaceutical companies and a handful of start-ups have started virtual clinical trials, also known as remote or decentralized trials. The Food and Drug Administration helped clear the path to virtual trials in March by issuing guidelines for these types of clinical studies. (CNBC) 

Vaccine makers face their biggest medical manufacturing challenge in history. Developing a COVID-19 vaccine in record time will be tough. Producing enough to end the pandemic will be the biggest medical manufacturing feat in history. From deploying experts amid global travel restrictions to managing extreme storage conditions, and even inventing new kinds of vials and syringes for billions of doses, the path is strewn with formidable hurdles, according to Reuters interviews with more than a dozen vaccine developers and their backers. (Reuters)

BUSINESS

Nearly 1.5 million Americans file new claims for jobless benefits. Nearly 1.5 million U.S. workers filed new applications for unemployment benefits in the third week of June despite easing coronavirus-related restrictions, according to data released Thursday by the Labor Department. In the week ending June 20, the seasonally adjusted number of initial claims for unemployment insurance totaled 1,480,000, a decrease of 60,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 1,540,000 claims. (The Hill) 

 

Treasury sent more than 1 million coronavirus stimulus payments to dead people, congressional watchdog finds. The federal government sent coronavirus stimulus payments to almost 1.1 million dead people totaling nearly $1.4 billion, Congress’s independent watchdog reported Thursday. (Washington Post) 

 

Trump directs aid to Maine lobster industry crushed by tariffs. President Trump ordered the Department of Agriculture to offer a lifeline to the struggling Maine lobster industry that has been hit hard by his trade policies with China. Trump’s trade war with China devastated farmers in the Midwest, but it also evaporated Maine’s chief export market as escalating tariffs led China to place a 35 percent markup on lobster. (The Hill) 

Macy’s to cut 3,900 corporate jobs in restructuring. Macy’s announced it is cutting 3,900 corporate jobs — or 3 percent of its total workforce — to reduce costs as it struggles with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The department store chain said it expects to save about $365 million through the layoffs in fiscal 2020. It said it will save roughly $630 million on an annualized basis. (CNBC)

ISSUES, CAUSES, PASSIONS

The battle of the governors. Forget the possibility of war breaking out in the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan Strait or Persian Gulf. The next outbreak is likely to involve Brooklyn and Boca. The governors of New York and Florida are in a war of words over the coronavirus crisis. This has simmered for months, ever since Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had ordered visiting New Yorkers to quarantine themselves on arrival since he thought they might infect his state. (Former Rep. Steve Israel for The Hill) 

College towns have been clobbered by COVID-19. Once considered largely recession-proof, college towns have been clobbered by COVID-19. Without financial assistance from the federal government, the likelihood they can recover anytime soon is dim. (Glenn C. Altschuler and David Wippman for The Hill)

GENEROUS SPIRITS

New York nurses married live on CBS’s Today.’ A pair of front-line heroes who have already lived through the “in sickness and in health” part of their wedding vows tied the knot on Thursday in a special ceremony on “Today.” Watch the special moment here.

ICYMI: STEVE’S INTERVIEWS, 15 MINUTES EACH

> Steve interviews former Obama Ebola czar RON KLAIN 

> Steve interviews Rep. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (D-N.Y.) 

> Steve interviews Ready co-founder and CEO JUSTIN DANGEL 

> Steve interviews Botanisol Analytics CEO DAVID TALENFELD 

> Steve interviews Premier President MICHAEL ALKIRE 

> Steve interviews Rep. MARK TAKANO (D-Calif.) 

> Steve interviews Nano Vision CEO STEVE PAPERMASTER 

> Steve interviews Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-Minn.) 

Watch all Coronavirus Report interviews here.

YOUR WORLD, YOUR STORIES

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.

Click here to subscribe to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report

Click here to subscribe to our Overnight Healthcare Newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things coronavirus

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