American Fed. of Gov't Employees' Everett Kelley discusses Covid-19's impact on federal employees, Center for American Progress' Matt Lee-Ashley discusses biodiversity and the pandemic, and Heritage Foundation's Marie Fishpaw discusses telemedicine.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) held a telephone town hall about economic relief for families, workers, and small businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak. He was joined on the call by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration and Maryland Department of Labor..
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) held a briefing in Baton Rouge on the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic. "The death rate in Louisiana is higher than anywhere else in the country, but we are getting much closer to the norm," said the governor, attributing the high mortality rate to more COVID-19 cases in the state than previously thought and because of the higher proportion of Louisianans who have underlying health conditions. Gov. Edwards urged all Louisianans to comply with the stay-at-home order, saying it was the best tool available to slow the spread of the virus and manage hospital capacity.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) held a briefing on the state's coronavirus response. He announced there were more than 10,700 positive cases in the state and current models showed California's infection rate would peak in May. He was joined by Sacramento mayor, Darrell Steinberg, who provided an update on how the state was handling housing and health care for the homeless population.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) held a briefing on the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mike Levine advised residents to wear cloth masks while in public to prevent further spread of coronavirus.
World Health Organization officials held a briefing in Geneva, Switzerland on the global response to the coronavirus pandemic. WHO's director-general confirmed one million cases of coronavirus globally and more than 50,000 deaths. He warned against governments scaling back on public health restrictions and discussed the social and economic challenges for the global economy. Also attending the briefing was the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) who outlined how her organization is collaborating with WHO and responding to the financial needs around the world.
Matt Lee-Ashley, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, discussed how threats to global biodiversity have potentially contributed to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Noting the April 4 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. with his last speech, LBJ's address to the nation and a Book TV 2010 talk with author Hampton Sides.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said based on modeling, he believed the state is seven to eight days from hitting the top of the virus curve as the death toll and positive cases continue to rise. The governor also announced that Long Island is a new area of concern as the percentage of cases there steadily increases daily. Other topics at the briefing included ventilator orders, vetting of hospital volunteers and the federal response.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) gave an update on the state's response to the coronavirus. He, along with several state officials, discussed increased hospital capacity, the need for more vital medical supplies, new guidelines for nursing home and long-term care facilities, and enforcements measures taking place for those who have violated the state's social distancing guidelines. Governor Murphy announced that the number of New Jersey people who've died from COVID-19 has now surpassed the number of those who were killed in the 9/11 attacks. New Jersey's current death toll from the virus is 846, in which 750 New Jersey residents died in the attacks. The state has the second-highest number of confirmed cases in the nation..
Virginia Commonwealth University professor Nicole Myers Turner taught a class on the lives of formerly enslaved African Americans following emancipation. She explained how they defined freedom for themselves while the federal government debated political and legal definitions. Professor Turner also discussed the important role of religious and educational institutions in newly freed African American communities.
University of Texas journalism professor Kate Winkler Dawson looked at the life of Edward Oscar Heinrich, America's first forensic scientist, who was integral in introducing the use of ballistics, blood spatter analysis, and fingerprints as evidence in legal cases.
Gina Kolata discussed her book "Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus that Caused It," published by Farrar Straus and Giroux. The author pieced together a picture, through letters, interviews, news reports, and recent research into the virus, of the devastating flu outbreak of 1918, which killed 40 million people worldwide.
David Kilcullen, former counterinsurgency adviser to Gen. David Petraeus, looked at the ways hostile forces have adapted to the ways the U.S. fights wars.
Alexis Wichowski, deputy chief technology officer for New York City, talked about the power dynamic between big tech companies and governments around the world.
