The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Nano Vision CEO Steve Papermaster says we may need a new TSA-like institution for dealing with future pandemics; Fauci says Trump didn’t seek a slowdown on testing

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

> Trump to speak Tuesday at Arizona border control site; organizers expect crowd to wear masks 

> White House issues more visa restrictions as Trump seeks to rally his base with a full-court immigration press 

> Fauci tells House panel that Trump didn’t seek a slowdown on testing

> Kentucky, New York, Virginia hold primary elections Tuesday 

> Cuomo: ‘Seriously considering quarantine’ for out-of-state visitors

> Black Americans four times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19: Medicare data 

> Delta CEO calls for a government mask-wearing mandate 

> University of Michigan plans to withdraw from hosting a Trump-Biden debate amid virus concerns 

> Blood type may influence coronavirus infection rates according to a new study

> Novak Djokovic tests positive for COVID-19 after organizing exhibition series 

> Saudi Arabia drastically limits hajj pilgrimage to avoid virus spread 

> Nano Vision CEO and former George W. Bush science adviser Steve Papermaster says US may need a new TSA-like institution to establish preventive measures for dealing with future pandemics

THE INTERVIEW

Steve Papermaster, CEO, Nano Vision

Nano Vision CEO and former George W. Bush science adviser Steve Papermaster says US may need a new TSA-like institution to establish preventive measures for dealing with future pandemics, says COVID-19 has become our new 9/11, says Trump administration should move beyond big Pharma companies to entrepreneurs on new therapeutics and vaccines, says we need to develop sunblock for germs. 

 

 

 

 

Watch the full interview here. 

THE HILL’S CORONAVIRUS REPORT

Welcome to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report. It’s Tuesday, June 23.

Editor’s Note.

 

As I know for many of you reading this Coronavirus Report and other journalism and commentary on our COVID-19 times, this is personal. Real people are dying. Infections are rising in many states, and it’s frustrating to watch the seeming carelessness of some people. We know that the disease can spread by a handshake, a hug, an exchange of a credit card, sharing an elevator, or being close to others at a #BlackLivesMatter march, a Trump political rally, or an LGBTQ pride event.

 

Today, White House coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci testified in Congress that America was not going to slow down testing, it was going to be doing “much more testing.” He said this despite President Trump’s rejection of his own press secretary’s comment that he was “kidding” about slowing down testing. Trump said, “I don’t kid.” 

 

Everyone I have spoken to in my interviews for this report, from the right and left of the political establishment has said that pervasive testing is needed to return America to a place that is safe for everyone. It seems remarkable to me that we are debating whether or not to test more people – particularly as members of the president’s own advance teams for the recent Tulsa, Okla., rally have been infected with the virus, as the vice president’s own spokesperson was infected.  

 

But again, this isn’t a joke. We aren’t doing this report each day to be clinical and distant from this subject. Like so many others out there who have lost people, I too lost someone today to COVID-19, someone who had years left to contribute to society and her family.

 

So I close this today to just remind that wearing masks may save your life, or that of others – and I hope that before we see another 123,000 dead in America to stack on top of those already at morgues and backing up make-shift cemeteries, that those who are not taking the consequences of their actions seriously begin to do so.

 

– Steve Clemons

 

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THE HILL ‘VIRTUALLY’ LIVE

America’s Unfinished Business: An LGBTQ+ Summit | June 30, 2020

 

There has been monumental progress on LGBTQ+ rights in recent decades as mainstream cultural shifts drove wider acceptance and committed allies won long-fought battles at the local, state and federal levels.

 

Yet, as we write this, many in America continue to suffer daily discrimination, marginalization and violence in their homes, schools, neighborhoods and workplaces, in acts seen and unseen, big and small.

 

Join The Hill for a Pride month summit to discuss the fragility of civil rights in America today with a focus on the LGBTQ+ community. The forum will focus on constructive paths forward, lessons learned from civil rights advances, and will recognize that there are an array of perspectives of how to prioritize effort and focus when it comes to securing and making civil rights a reality in our daily lives.

  CLICK HERE to register and see our full lineup of speakers.

CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

There are 9,154,232 confirmed cases of COVID-19 throughout the world and 473,519 have lost their lives from the virus as of the time of this newsletter. 

 

The U.S. is reporting 2,323,755 cases and 120,674 deaths. Brazil 1,106,470. Russia 598,878. India 440,215. U.K. 307,682. Peru 257,447. Chile 250,767. Spain 246,752. Italy 238,833. Iran 209,970. France 197,381. Germany 192,480. 

 

Elsewhere throughout the world: 

> German authorities have reimposed lockdown measures in a district in the country’s northwest after the number of coronavirus cases linked to a meat-processing plant climbed to 1,500.

> Saudi Arabia limits the annual hajj pilgrimage to 1,000 people. 

> Britain’s prime minister is set to lift a variety of lockdown restrictions. 

> A 72-year-old man in Hong Kong died from the virus on Tuesday, officials said, raising the city’s death toll to six. 

> Officials in Japan, which lifted its emergency declaration in late May, announced on Tuesday a series of reopenings, including Tokyo Disneyland on July 1.

 

New York is reporting 389,085 cases. California is now second in the nation with 184,716 cases. New Jersey 169,415. Illinois 137,224. Texas 118,093. Massachusetts 107,210. Florida 103,503. Pennsylvania 86,989. Michigan 67,957. Georgia 65,928. Maryland 65,007. Virginia 58,994. Arizona 58,194. North Carolina 54,641. Louisiana 50,239. Connecticut 45,782. 

 

Here at home: 

> Arizona, where President Trump is visiting Tuesday, has seen their cases double in the past two weeks.

> Texas hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have now increased for 10 consecutive days. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said the virus was spreading in the state at “an unacceptable rate” and tougher restrictions could be necessary.

> A moratorium on evictions that New York state allowed to expire over the weekend, raises fears that tens of thousands of residents would be called into housing courts, which reopened on Monday.

> Kentucky, New York and Virginia are holding primary elections on Tuesday. 

The U.S. is reporting the results of 27,553,581 COVID-19 tests and 640,198 full recoveries from the virus.

WASHINGTON WATCH

Fauci: Trump didn’t tell us to slow down testing. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said President Trump did not tell his health care experts to hit the brakes on testing in wake of the president’s comments this weekend. (The Hill). He also called the recent spike in U.S. cases “disturbing.” (The Hill)

 

 

 

Trump says he supports another round of stimulus checks. President Trump said he would support another round of stimulus checks to help the economy bounce back after the coronavirus pandemic. The president confirmed he was open to a second stimulus check in an interview with Scripps local TV news. When asked about whether he was going to give Americans another round of payments, he said, “Yeah, we are. We are.” However, Republicans in Congress have not embraced the idea. (The Hill)

 

White House seeks to rally base with immigration full-court press. President Trump is focusing this week on highlighting efforts to restrict immigration into the U.S., seeking to reenergize his base of supporters and deliver on campaign promises as he lags in the polls behind presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. (The Hill) 

 

Trump: “With smaller testing we would show fewer cases.” President Trump asserted again Tuesday that the United States would record fewer cases of the novel coronavirus with less testing after stirring controversy by saying over the weekend he asked aides to slow down testing. “Cases are going up in the U.S. because we are testing far more than any other country, and ever expanding. With smaller testing we would show fewer cases!” Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. (The Hill)

LAWMAKERS TWEET

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) 

@SenatorBaldwin This morning, I’m at the Senate HELP hearing calling for @realDonaldTrump  to protect workers and use the full authority of the Defense Production Act to scale up U.S. production of the supplies states need to respond to #COVID19. 

 

Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.) 

@RepTrey At home learning during coronavirus highlighted this lack of access to reliable internet for many families who now need it to access the classroom.

Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) 

@RepBrendanBoyle We are 4% of the world’s population. We have 25% of the world’s #coronavirus deaths. Not my definition of “great job.”

ACROSS THE NATION

Cuomo: “Seriously considering quarantine” for out-of-state visitors. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said he is “seriously considering” implementing a quarantine for out-of-state visitors to New York as the number of cases in the Empire State drop while elsewhere cases are spiking. (The Hill) 

 

University of Michigan dropping out as presidential debate host. The university is pulling out of hosting the second presidential debate, scheduled for Oct. 15, because of concerns about bringing hordes of national and international media and campaign officials to the Ann Arbor campus amid the coronavirus pandemic, two people familiar with the school’s plans said Monday night. (New York Times) 

Organizer expects crowd to wear masks at Trump Arizona speech. The organizers behind President Trump’s scheduled speech on Tuesday say they expect the majority of 3,000 young Arizonians to wear face masks in accordance with local ordinances. Trump is set to travel to Arizona to visit Border Patrol agents and check in on construction of the border wall before speaking to a crowd of predominantly young Americans in Phoenix. (The Hill)

WORLD VIEW

Saudi Arabia to restrict domestic haj pilgrims amid coronavirus fears.  Saudi Arabia is to limit the number of domestic pilgrims attending the haj to around 1,000 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, after barring Muslims abroad from the rite for the first year in modern times. (New York Times) 

 

Following virus flare-ups, Australia closes two schools again. One of Australia’s most populous states closed two primary schools on Tuesday, after a flare-up of more than a dozen cases of the novel coronavirus prompted concerns about “significant” community spread. (Washington Post)

World’s No. 1 tennis player tests positive for coronavirus after hosting tournament. The world’s top-ranked tennis player, Novak Djokovic, said on Tuesday that he tested positive for the novel coronavirus after participating in an exhibition series he organized in Serbia and Croatia. Djokovic, who is Serbian, is the fourth player who participated in matches last week in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital and largest city, and in Zadar, Croatia, over the weekend to test positive for COVID-19. (The Hill)

SCIENCE

Black Americans four times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19: Medicare data. Black Americans were nearly four times more likely than white Americans to be hospitalized with COVID-19 among people with Medicare, according to data released by the government. Black Americans with Medicare made up 465 coronavirus hospitalizations per 100,000 enrollees, according to a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) release Monday. (The Hill) 

 

Blood type may influence coronavirus infection rates according to a new study. A new study suggests that an individual’s blood type may play a role in their chances of contracting the coronavirus. Published on June 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine, the report saw scientists analyze the genetic information of 1,980 patients who tested positive for the coronavirus across seven hospitals between Italy and Spain, where significant transmission occurred. (The Hill) 

Sanofi CEO says the company could contribute two successful coronavirus vaccines. Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson told CNBC that both of the French drugmaker’s vaccine pursuits could be successful in preventing COVID-19. “The world needs billions of doses. We want to make sure every country, everybody that needs that protection, can get it,” Hudson said on “Squawk Box.” “We think we’ll definitely play a part with one, and maybe even both of our vaccines.” (CNBC)

BUSINESS

Delta CEO calls for a government mask-wearing mandate. Major U.S. airlines now require passengers to wear masks on board in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, but enforcing it is tricky without a government mandate, Delta Air Lines’s CEO Ed Bastian said. Right now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends facial coverings like masks in places where it is difficult to socially distance, such as on airplanes. (CNBC)

 

Inovio gets $71M from Pentagon for vaccine-delivery device. Inovio Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday it received $71 million from the Department of Defense to ramp up production of the biotech company’s smart devices that administer its experimental coronavirus vaccine, INO-4800, into the skin. (The Street)

 

Broadway expected to keep shows closed into early 2021: report. Broadway is expected to keep its shows shuttered until early 2021 after being closed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, Broadway News reported Monday. Sources familiar with the matter told the outlet that Broadway would remain dark until at least Jan. 3. The Broadway League had announced last month that shows would stay closed until at least Sept. 6. (The Hill) 

MLB is set to implement terms of 2020 schedule after union votes down 60-game proposal. The bitter, months-long negotiation between Major League Baseball and its players’ union effectively ended Monday night when the union’s executive board voted to reject the owners’ last offer of a 60-game regular season and expanded postseason, and MLB responded by saying it intended to exercise its power to implement a 2020 schedule — which it will attempt to shoehorn into a dwindling calendar amid a global pandemic. (Washington Post)

ISSUES, CAUSES, PASSIONS

COVID-19: Blame Donald Trump. We live in two worlds: the real world and the world of Donald Trump. In the real world, the coronavirus continues its deadly grip on the United States, infecting more people and taking more American lives every day. In the world of Trump, the coronavirus no longer exists. Just ask him. He’ll tell you. He’s done “a phenomenal job” fighting the pandemic. In fact, he says, the coronavirus is “fading away.” (Bill Press for The Hill)

 

COVID-19 and kidney disease: A deadly intersection that requires investment in prevention, research. In the months since the novel coronavirus first began infecting individuals in the United States, Americans – health care professionals, researchers and the public alike – have received a rapid and ever-changing education in the medical science on this devasting virus. What we initially understood as primarily a respiratory illness has proven itself to be much more. It’s a virus that can devastate the lungs, but we’ve learned that it can also cause significant injury to other vital organs including the kidneys. (Anupam Agarwal and Holly Kramer for The Hill) 

 

How COVID-19 could doom the SAT and ACT. One of the most wide-ranging consequences of the COVID-19 crisis may be the demise of college admissions tests, a striking development that would help close the wide opportunity gaps in a key sector of American life. While pressure to make the SAT and the ACT optional had been building before campuses closed early this spring due to the coronavirus crisis, the tests remained deeply embedded in the nation’s college-going culture, due in no small part to intensive lobbying by both ACT and the College Board, which sponsor the exams. (Thomas Toch for The Hill)

GENEROUS SPIRITS

Dale Earnhardt Jr. expresses support for Bubba Wallace: “He’s part of our family.” Not only did his fellow drivers have Bubba Wallace’s back after a disturbing incident ahead of Monday’s NASCAR race, one of the sport’s most popular former stars expressed his support. Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke about his concern for NASCAR’s only Black driver after the organization announced a noose was found in Wallace’s garage stall on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. (TODAY) 

ICYMI: STEVE’S INTERVIEWS, 15 MINUTES EACH

> Steve interviews former Obama Ebola czar RON KLAIN 

> Steve interviews Rep. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (D-N.Y.) 

> Steve interviews Ready co-founder and CEO JUSTIN DANGEL 

> Steve interviews Botanisol Analytics CEO DAVID TALENFELD 

> Steve interviews Premier President MICHAEL ALKIRE 

> Steve interviews Rep. MARK TAKANO (D-Calif.) 

Watch all Coronavirus Report interviews here.

YOUR WORLD, YOUR STORIES

SEND US YOUR OWN PICS – from your own walks or adventures – during this time of physical distancing but social connection. And SEND US YOUR STORIES of how teleworking is going, what you have learned from homeschooling, new ways to exercise, and special moments or standout heroism you want to share. What’s working for you? What’s comic in these dark days? 

 

Send to YourStories@TheHill.com. Our thoughts are with you, our readers, and we hope and trust that no matter the weight of burdens on you now — and it’s not a good story for everyone we know — that we all stand together, resilient and confident, on the other side of this. There will be another side.

Click here to subscribe to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report

Click here to subscribe to our Overnight Healthcare Newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things coronavirus

 

 

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