May 17 With no leader, commission overseeing virus relief struggles By Matthew Daly, Associated Press Four of the five members of the Congressional Oversight Commission have been appointed, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have not agreed on a chair, leaving the commission rudderless as the federal government… Continue reading
May 17 U.S., European leaders weigh reopening risks without a vaccine By Elana Schor, Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press On a weekend when many pandemic-weary people emerged from weeks of lockdown, leaders in the U.S. and Europe weighed the risks and rewards of lifting COVID-19 restrictions knowing that a vaccine could take years to develop. Continue reading
May 17 Navarro: CDC’s response ‘let the country down’ By Associated Press One of President Donald Trump’s top economic advisers is criticizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s early response to the coronavirus outbreak, saying it “let the country down” after initial delays with testing. Continue reading
May 16 Obama criticizes virus response in online graduation speech By Jill Colvin, Associated Press Former President Barack Obama on Saturday criticized U.S. leaders overseeing the nation's response to the coronavirus, telling college graduates in an online commencement address that the pandemic shows many officials "aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”… Continue reading
May 16 Watch 4:19 Is COVID-19 delaying the fight for voting rights in Florida? By Ivette Feliciano, Zachary Green In Florida, people with felony records are fighting to regain their voting rights. But the coronavirus has made that struggle more difficult. NewsHour Weekend’s Ivette Feliciano spoke to Desmond Meade of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition about what effect the… Continue watching
May 16 Watch 4:53 New Jersey plans for cautious reopening of beaches By Hari Sreenivasan, Sam Weber, Connie Kargbo With summer right around the corner, New Jersey announced this week that beaches would be open by Memorial Day weekend, with some restrictions. The openings are weeks behind other coastal states like Georgia and Florida. But as one of the… Continue watching
May 16 Trump’s emergency powers worry some senators, legal experts By Deb Reichmann, Associated Press Dozens of statutory authorities become available to any president when national emergencies are declared. They are rarely used, but Trump last month stunned legal experts and others when he claimed — mistakenly — that he has “total” authority over governors… Continue reading
May 16 India overtakes China in number of reported cases By Associated Press India’s confirmed coronavirus cases have surpassed China’s, with the Health Ministry on Saturday reporting a spike to 85,940 infections and 2,752 deaths. Continue reading
May 16 It’s a work from home Congress as House approves proxy vote By Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press From now on, lawmakers will be allowed to cast House floor votes by proxy — without being “present” as the Constitution requires. The next step will allow them to skip the middle-man and simply vote remotely once leaders approve the… Continue reading
May 16 Democrats push new $3T coronavirus relief bill through House By Andrew Taylor, Alan Fram, Associated Press Democrats have powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus response bill through the House, over Republican opposition. Continue reading