TOP STORIES

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Friday, April 17

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'HOW MANY LIVES CAN WE SAVE?' The enduring city of Detroit is framed as a comeback town, ready for revival. But the coronavirus is taking a massive toll there, both in terms of lives lost and lives changed. HuffPost and Type Investigations spoke with dozens of health care workers, patients and officials to get an up-close and detailed look at the city's response to the threat. Their stories are full of raw emotion, but also innovation and triumph. [HuffPost]

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ROAD MAP TO RECOVERY President Donald Trump laid out a phased approach for governors to follow in reopening their states, just days after he declared he had the "absolute authority" over the decisions. “You’re going to call your own shots,” Trump said on a conference call. Governors have made it clear that they will proceed at their own pace. [AP]

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U.S. DEATH TOLL SKYROCKETS The number of coronavirus deaths in the U.S. in 24 hours rose to 4,591 people, more than double the previous record set on Wednesday. Most of the deaths are in New York, an epicenter of the pandemic. The number of cases globally topped 2 million this week. [HuffPost] 

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THE STIMULUS ISN'T ENOUGH -- The government is doing a great job helping big businesses and the rich. But working families and small businesses laid low by the pandemic are quickly burning through federal aid, showing that one check is not enough. [HuffPost]

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• Here are some possible reasons stimulus money hasn't hit your bank account yet.
• How to say no to virtual hangouts, even if you aren't going anywhere.
• Fun ideas for celebrating a milestone with a virtual baby shower. 
• Why face masks aren't a replacement for social distancing.
• Cristina Cuomo shares her worst frustration after diagnosis.
• This grieving writer doesn't need projects to fill her time.
• Here's a strategic way to let a hiring manager know you were laid off because of the coronavirus.

Get the latest coronavirus updates on our dedicated page

ANOTHER TRUMP POLLUTION ROLLBACK The coronavirus pandemic doesn't seem to be stopping the Environmental Protection Agency from loosening safety regulations. The agency has finalized a proposal to relax limits on oil- and coal-fired power plants' emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants. The change gives more weight to economic costs and less weight to public health considerations. [HuffPost]

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HOUSE TRIES TO GET BACK TO WORK House Democrats put forward a plan that would allow lawmakers to cast votes from home through in-person proxies. It's a step toward getting back to business after weeks of recess due to the pandemic. But proponents of remote voting didn't exactly love the idea. “Considering where they’re at now, which is nowhere, this is at least somewhere,” said one. [HuffPost]

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TRIBES NOT RECEIVING AID Native American tribes aren't receiving desperately needed aid because the Treasury doesn't listen to them and doesn't know how to work with then, said Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), the vice chairm of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. The coronavirus could hit tribal communities especially hard. [HuffPost] 

WHAT'S BREWING

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POOR SERVICE FOR RESTAURANT WORKERS The food service industry, hardest hit by the pandemic, isn't getting the most help from the Paycheck Protection Program. The program gives loans to businesses to help cover payroll. Banks are overseeing the chaotic process. [HuffPost]

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TRUMP LEAVES ROMNEY BENCHED Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) is the only Senate Republican that Trump didn't invite to be part of a bipartisan congressional task force on reopening the economy. He was also the only Republican who voted to convict Trump during the impeachment process earlier this year. [HuffPost]

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ANTI-ABORTION PROTESTS CONTINUE Anti-abortion activists in Michigan settled a lawsuit against Detroit and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) that will allow them to protest outside an abortion clinic despite Whitmer's stay-at-home order, as long as they maintain social distancing. The clinic said it takes longer to see patients amid the pandemic, subjecting patients to the protesters' moralizing outside for longer periods of time. [HuffPost]

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'DOOMSDAY' COUPLE IN MURDER INVESTIGATION Lori Vallow, an Idaho mother whose children have been missing since September, and her husband, doomsay author Chad Daybell, are being investigated for murder. The Idaho attorney general didn't disclose the victim's name but multiple news outlets reported it was Daybell's former wife Tammy Daybell. [HuffPost]

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ROGER STONE DENIED NEW TRIAL Judge Amy Berman Jackson rejected a request for a new trial by Trump ally Roger Stone, who was sentenced to 40 months in prison for witness tampering and lying to Congress. The judge said Stone's attorneys couldn't prove that the jury was biased. [HuffPost]

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BIG FUNDRAISING HAUL FOR GEORGIA REV. In a crowded Senate special election race, Democrat and first-time candidate the Rev. Raphael Warnock is coming out on top in fundraising. Warnock is the senior pastor at the Atlanta church where the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached, and you can find out more about him in our interview. [HuffPost]

• Dr. Anthony Fauci shuts down Laura Ingraham’s "misleading" coronavirus claim.
• Obama's "Ebola czar" warns that we're going backward with coronavirus response.
• Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. leaves ominous midnight warning on reporter's voicemail. 
• Ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen will be released from prison early to serve sentence at home amid pandemic.
• "Daily Show" host Trevor Noah mocks coronavirus conspiracy theories. 
• Dr. Oz says schools should reopen because "only" 2% to 3% more people could die. 
• Ivanka Trump defies virus guidelines for Passover trip to Trump resort.

BEFORE YOU GO

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