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Tuesday, 28 April 

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MORE WHITE HOUSE WISHFUL THINKING ON TESTING The White House released new guidelines aimed at answering criticism that America’s coronavirus testing has been too slow, and President Donald Trump tried to pivot toward a focus on “reopening” the nation. Still, there were doubts from public health experts that the new testing targets were sufficient. The president is refusing to accept any blame for touting a made-up coronavirus cure that has led to a rise in people ingesting disinfectant. [HuffPost]

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COLORADO AND NEVADA JOIN PACT ON REOPENING ECONOMY 

Colorado and Nevada have joined California, Oregon and Washington in the Western States Pact, an alliance of state leaders working together to reopen their economies while mitigating the spread of the coronavirus. The pact involves sharing information and agreeing to meet a set of benchmarks before relaxing social distancing orders. Texas meanwhile is allowing shelter-in-place to expire Thursday. Colorado, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana and Tennessee are also set to join several other states in reopening businesses without the means to screen systematically for infected people. [HuffPost]

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NEIGHBOR SAYS TARA READE TOLD HER BIDEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER A former neighbor of Tara Reade, the former Senate aide who has accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her when she worked in his office in 1993, has come forward to corroborate part of Reade’s allegation. Lynda LaCasse told Business Insider that Reade confided in her about the alleged assault in 1995 or 1996, when the two women lived in the same apartment complex in Morro Bay, California. “This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it,” LaCasse said. [HuffPost]

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Get the latest coronavirus updates on our dedicated page

GOV. CUOMO SCHOOLS TRUMP ON RED STATE 'TAKERS' New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo slammed back at Trump, informing him that it’s Republican red states — not New York and other blue states — that are sucking up more federal government resources than they’re contributing. The Democratic governor was responding to a tweet by Trump complaining that the nation shouldn’t have to bail out “poorly run states.” In “all cases,” Trump claimed, they are “Democrat run and managed.” Cuomo called New York the “number one giver.” [HuffPost]

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SUPREME COURT THROWS OUT GUN RIGHTS CASE The Supreme Court sidestepped a major decision on gun rights in a dispute over New York City’s former ban on transporting guns. The justices threw out a challenge from gun rights groups. It ruled that the city’s move to ease restrictions on taking licensed, locked and unloaded guns outside the city limits, coupled with a change in state law to prevent New York from reviving the ban, left the court with nothing to decide. [AP]

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NEW YORK REMOVES SANDERS FROM PRIMARY BALLOT The New York State Board of Elections removed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) from the primary election ballot, disappointing Sanders and activists who called on the board to give New Yorkers a chance to cast symbolic votes for him. Although Sanders withdrew from the presidential primary earlier this month and endorsed Joe Biden shortly afterward, he insisted that he would remain on the ballot in states that have yet to vote. [HuffPost]

WHAT'S BREWING

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THOUSANDS OF CALIFORNIANS PLAN MAY 1 RENT STRIKE

Thousands of Californians are demanding that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) cancel rent and mortgage payments during the coronavirus crisis. If he doesn’t, they plan to strike by not paying rent on May 1. Around 200 to 300 people have signed up to organize their buildings to strike, according to Jorge Rivera, a regional coordinator for the California housing rights group Tenants Together. While most people will be striking because they can’t afford to pay, some plan to withhold rent in solidarity. [HuffPost]

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SUPREME COURT: OBAMACARE INSURERS CAN COLLECT  $12 BILLION The Supreme Court ruled insurance companies can collect $12 billion from the federal government to cover their losses in the early years of the health care law championed by President Barack Obama. Insurers are entitled to the money under a provision of the Obamacare health law that promised the companies a financial cushion for losses they might incur by selling coverage to people in the marketplaces created by the health care law, the justices said by an 8-1 vote. [AP]

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BARR: FEDS ON 'LOOKOUT' FOR OVERBEARING RESTRICTIONS Attorney General William Barr ordered federal prosecutors to “be on the lookout” for coronavirus-related measures from states and localities that could infringe upon Americans’ constitutional rights and civil liberties. In a memo to the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division as well as all 93 U.S. attorneys across the country, Barr indicated that the Trump administration may take legal action against state and local governments that impose excessive restrictions on citizens because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [HuffPost]

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CONSERVATIVE LEGAL GROUP URGES CHURCHES TO REOPEN A conservative Christian law firm is calling on churches across the country to resume in-person Sunday services on May 3 as long as they take social distancing precautions. Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said that churches must reopen to meet the “burgeoning needs of the community.” “Churches are now more essential than ever to bring comfort, hope, and help to the people they serve,” Staver said in a statement about the campaign he’s calling “ReOpen Church Sunday.” [HuffPost]

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TRUMP'S FOCUS ON HIS BASE COMPLICATES HIS PATH TO REELECTION Four years after Trump captured the White House by perfectly threading narrow victories in critical battleground states, he is betting that a relentless focus on his base will yield a repeat performance. It’s a risky strategy because Trump’s standing in some of those states shows signs of weakening. And there’s little evidence to suggest he has significantly broadened his appeal in other places to offset those vulnerabilities. The pandemic hasn’t changed that. [AP]

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COVID-19 IS FORCING CITIES TO RETHINK PUBLIC TRANSPORT As parts of Europe and the United States begin to lift coronavirus lockdown restrictions, public officials are facing a new conundrum: How can people travel safely in crowded cities? Some 2.7 million Italians are expected to return to work next week, with 15% of them anticipated to use public transportation. Government officials and business leaders are scrambling to develop protocols to allow people to move about freely, without triggering a surge in coronavirus infections. [HuffPost]

• Top ER doctor who treated virus patients dies by suicide.
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