Week In The News: CDC Guide Shelved, Economy Latest, Coronavirus Task Force To Continue

The Trump administration and the coronavirus task force. Businesses and states ask for more relief. The news roundtable is here.

Paula Reid, CBS News White House correspondent. (@PaulaReidCBS)

Rick Berke, co-founder and executive editor of STAT, a media company focused on health, medicine and science. (@rickberke)

Amara Omeokwe, economics reporter for the Wall Street Journal. (@TheAmaraReport)

Associated Press: "AP Exclusive: US shelves detailed guide to reopening country" — " A document created by the nation’s top disease investigators with step-by-step advice to local authorities on how and when to reopen restaurants and other public places during the still-raging outbreak has been shelved by the Trump administration."

Axios: "Scoop: Trump officials' dysfunction harms delivery of coronavirus drug" — "A complete breakdown in communication and coordination within the Trump administration has undermined the distribution of a promising treatment, according to senior officials with direct knowledge of the discussions."

Politico: "9 states seek $36B in federal advances for unemployment claims" — "Nine states have told the Department of Labor they plan to ask for $36 billion in federal advances to cover the astronomical cost of unemployment payouts amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to new information provided to POLITICO Tuesday night by federal officials."

New York Times: "2 Suspects Charged With Murder in Ahmaud Arbery Shooting" — "The two white men who were seen on video as one of them fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, were arrested and charged on Thursday in connection with the February killing, Georgia authorities announced."

Associated Press: "Justice Department dropping Flynn’s Trump-Russia case" — "In an abrupt about-face, the Justice Department on Thursday said it is dropping the criminal case against President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, abandoning a prosecution that became a rallying cry for the president and his supporters in attacking the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation."

Wall Street Journal: "Unemployment Claims Data Point to Record Wave of Job Loss" — "U.S. workers have filed nearly 33.5 million applications for unemployment benefits in the seven weeks since closures were put in place to combat the coronavirus pandemic, showing a wave of layoffs that likely pushed April job losses to record levels."

STAT: "Mounting promises on Covid-19 vaccines are fueling false expectations, experts say" — "Vaccines to prevent Covid-19 infection are hurtling through development at speeds never before seen. But mounting promises that some vaccine may be available for emergency use as early as the autumn are fueling expectations that are simply unrealistic, experts warn."

CBS News: "Supreme Court hears arguments on birth control coverage" — "In a case that pits religious freedom against a woman's access to contraceptives, the Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments on whether the Trump administration can make it easier for employers with religious and moral objections to opt out of providing free birth control coverage in their insurance plans."

STAT: "Doctors in Europe, New York report rare cases of pediatric inflammatory condition, possibly caused by coronavirus" — "Fifteen children in New York City have been hospitalized for what officials called a “multi-system inflammatory syndrome” that the local health department is investigating as a possible consequence of a Covid-19 infection. Doctors in Europe have recently reported similar cases — the latest potential twist in the coronavirus pandemic."

CBS News: "Projections of 3,000 deaths a day represent "preliminary" data, not a forecast, researchers say" — "A draft government report projects COVID-19 deaths could reach about 3,000 a day by early June, data based on a model developed by Johns Hopkins researchers. The U.S. is currently experiencing roughly 2,000 deaths and 30,000 new cases a day, with stay-at-home orders and social distancing in place, as states either begin or plan to begin relaxing their business closures and some social distancing measures."

Wall Street Journal: "Lawmakers in Congress Press for Changes in Small-Business Aid Program" — "The federal government’s $670 billion program to aid small businesses will come under a spotlight when Congress rolls back into action, with many lawmakers planning to target what they say are shortcomings in the program."

CBS News: "Winding down Coronavirus Task Force is under discussion by Trump administration" — "Discussions are underway about winding down the work of the Coronavirus Task Force, Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged to reporters Tuesday, even as the number of deaths and new cases continue to mount, generally plateauing but not declining, as states begin to reopen."