Week In The News: States Partially Reopen, Columbia Study, Unemployment Rises

As 50 states prepare to partially reopen, a new study shows that lockdown delays cost thousands of deaths. We pick up that and more in our week in review.

Toluse Olorunnipa, White House reporter for the Washington Post. (@ToluseO)

Jeanna Smialek, Federal Reserve and economy reporter for the New York Times. (@jeannasmialek)

Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst. (@JackBeattyNPR)

Columbia Public Health: "COVID-19 Projections: Delayed Response to Rebound Would Cost Lives" — "New projections from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health scientists find that delays in reimplementing social distancing following a relaxation of control measures could result in a stronger rebound of COVID-19 infections and deaths. In a retrospective counterfactual analysis, they find that if social distancing and other control measures had been in place in major U.S."

New York Times: "Fed Is Wary That Economic Pain Could Last, April Minutes Show" — "Federal Reserve officials are painting a relatively bleak picture of the United States economy’s path forward amid the coronavirus pandemic, suggesting that activity may take time to bounce back even as lockdowns lift and warning that second-wave outbreaks could inflict serious damage on businesses and the labor market."

NPR: "U.S. Could Have Saved 36,000 Lives If Social Distancing Started 1 Week Earlier: Study" — "The U.S. could have prevented roughly 36,000 deaths from COVID-19 if broad social distancing measures had been put in place just one week earlier in March, according to an analysis from Columbia University."

Washington Post: "Trump blames Democrats for his grounded campaign, even as bipartisan restrictions ban his signature rallies" — "President Trump, approaching his longest stretch without a political rally since he announced his candidacy five years ago, has taken to blaming Democrats for grounding his campaign."

New York Times: "All 50 States Are Now Reopening. But at What Cost?" — "In Connecticut, flags that had been lowered during the somber peak of the coronavirus pandemic were raised to full-staff on Wednesday to signal a return to business."

Washington Post: "2.4 million Americans filed jobless claims last week, bringing nine-week total to 38.6 million" — "President Trump and top Republican lawmakers are mounting fresh opposition to extending enhanced unemployment benefits to the millions of Americans who are still out of work, even as the administration released new jobless figures Thursday showing 2.4 million Americans sought benefits last week."

CNN: "Trump visits Michigan as questions on masks and voting swirl" — "President Donald Trump's visit to Michigan on Thursday might have been a simple opportunity to highlight the cautious reemergence of American manufacturers."

CBS News: "Trump says he'll stop taking hydroxychloroquine in 'a day or two'" — "President Trump will soon be ending his course of hydroxychloroquine, he told reporters Wednesday."

Al Jazeera: "Trump to withdraw US from Open Skies arms control treaty" — "The United States announced its intention to withdraw from the 35-nation Open Skies treaty that permits unarmed aerial surveillance flights over participating countries, saying Russia has repeatedly violated the pact's terms."

New York Times: "Trump Steps Up Attacks on Mail Vote, Making False Claims About Fraud" — "President Trump on Wednesday escalated his assault against mail voting, falsely claiming that Michigan and Nevada were engaged in voter fraud and had acted illegally, and threatening to withhold federal funds to those states if they proceed in expanding vote-by-mail efforts."