| | | | | |  | | By Anna Palmer, Jake Sherman, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by |  | | | INTERESTING … Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL in Owensboro, Ky., about how much money Congress should spend on the next coronavirus relief bill, via NBC's FRANK THORP: "I think that a decision to be made about a month from now." -- MCCONNELL: "I just think it's too early to make a final judgment about how much or when, but I think about a month from now we'll take a look at how things are going and be able to make a more intelligent decision than a grab-bag of $3 trillion that (the House) threw together." (also via @frankthorp) -- SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI to MCCONNELL this morning in the Capitol about another coronavirus relief bill: "We need a pause? Tell that to the virus." MORE THAN 40 MILLION AMERICANS have filed for unemployment. That's about a quarter of the American workforce, and the equivalent of the entire population of California being out of work. 2.1 MILLION people filed claims last week. -- WSJ: "The Labor Department's tally of filings for unemployment benefits was down compared with 2.4 million the prior week. Weekly unemployment claims—a proxy for layoffs—have held above 2 million jobs since mid-March, breaking records dating back to the late 1960s. … "The number of Americans receiving jobless benefits, also known as continuing claims, was 21.1 million in the week ended May 16, down 3.9 million from the prior week. The record prior to this year was 6.5 million in 2009, near the end of the last recession. YANKED!!!! … "Pelosi pulls FISA bill as effort to renew surveillance tools crumbles," by John Bresnahan, Kyle Cheney and Sarah Ferris … Pelosi's letter to her Democratic colleagues -- VICTORY LAP: PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP tweeted at 10:44 a.m.: "Thank you to our GREAT Republican Congressmen & Congresswomen on your incredibly important blockage last night of a FISA Bill that would just perpetuate the abuse that produced the Greatest Political Crime In the History of the U.S., the Russian Witch-Hunt. Fantastic Job!" SO … ANY THOUGHTS ON WHAT'S NEXT with renewing the surveillance law? … -- House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY said at a news conference it was worth pausing on FISA because of the unmasking of certain officials. Unmasking, as WaPo's MIKE DEBONIS pointed out, has nothing to do with FISA. THE SPEAKER about the president's executive order on social media: "It's outrageous. But it's an outrageous situation. While Twitter is putting up their fact check … they still won't take off the misrepresentations the president is putting out there" about the death of Lori Klausutis. -- PELOSI also said she has not been tested for the coronavirus or antibodies. MCCARTHY said he does not believe TRUMP downplayed the severity of Covid-19, and suggested he was getting bad information when he said there would be few deaths due to the virus. -- MCCARTHY also again punted on saying whether it's appropriate for TRUMP to falsely accuse JOE SCARBOROUGH of murder. | | A message from Google: Helping small businesses and job seekers with free virtual programs. Grow with Google has created an online learning platform with live and on-demand workshops to help job seekers and small businesses gain digital skills. Attendees can also set up 1:1 virtual coaching sessions with Google employees. Read more. | | | WHOA … HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: "'Everyone Is Shocked': CBS News Hit Hard by Layoffs," by Jeremy Barr: "CBS News was hit hard by a round of corporate cost-cutting that saw 'a single-digit percentage' of the network's news staffers laid off, according to an estimate given by network president Susan Zirinsky during a Wednesday afternoon all-hands conference. "Based on the size of the news network -- which totals more than 500 staffers -- employees did the back-of-the-envelope math and estimated that about 50 staffers were cut, though the network has not said specifically how many were affected. "'Everyone is shocked,' a CBS News staffer tells The Hollywood Reporter. Zirinsky said in a memo earlier Wednesday that management 'had to make some extremely difficult decisions' due to 'the economic fallout from the pandemic coming on top of the cost savings initiatives already underway from the merger of CBS and Viacom.'" -- YASHAR ALI (@yashar): "Terrible news. Three sources familiar with the matter tell me that one of the people laid off by CBS News is White House reporter @markknoller who is a journalistic institution. Mark also functions as a White House historian for many reporters and so many of us on Twitter. … "I'm also told by three sources familiar with the matter that CBS News Pentagon reporter Cami McCormick has been laid off. While reporting for CBS in Afghanistan in 2009, Cami lost her leg after an IED hit a US Army vehicle she was traveling in." -- @markknoller: "Thanks to all for the many kind words. Much appreciated. For the time being, I'm still on the job, still keeping count on the president. Will see what happens. Thanks again." Good Thursday afternoon. MARIANNE LEVINE: "Tim Kaine tests positive for coronavirus antibodies": "Sen. Tim Kaine announced Thursday that he and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus antibodies. In a statement, the Virginia Democrat and former vice presidential hopeful explained that after testing positive for the flu, he continued to experience symptoms. In April, both Kaine, and his wife Anne were told that they could have mild cases of coronavirus, but were not tested because of a shortage in testing. The symptoms went away in mid-April, he said." POLITICO WHAT ELSE IS ON THE PRESIDENT'S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 12:20 p.m.: "The men and women of the National Guard have been doing a great job fighting the CoronaVirus. This week, I will extend their Title 32 orders through mid-August, so they can continue to help States succeed in their response and recovery efforts." | | | | LISTEN UP! Congress is nowhere close to a coronavirus deal. More Americans are applying for unemployment benefits. States across the nation are opening up but trying to avoid a 2nd wave. POLITICO Dispatch is a short, daily podcast that provides critical news and context you need, in 15 minutes or less. Subscribe and listen today. | | | | | THE INCOMPLETE ECONOMIC PICTURE -- "Breaking precedent, White House won't release formal economic projections this summer that would forecast extent of downturn," by WaPo's Jeff Stein and Josh Dawsey: "White House officials have decided not to release updated economic projections this summer, opting against publishing forecasts that would almost certainly codify an administration assessment that the coronavirus pandemic has led to a severe economic downturn, according to three people with knowledge of the decision. "The White House is supposed to unveil a federal budget proposal every February and then typically provides a 'mid-session review' in July or August with updated projections on economic trends such as unemployment, inflation and economic growth. Budget experts said they were not aware of any previous White House opting against providing forecasts in this 'mid-session review' document in any other year since at least the 1970s." WaPo THE INCOMPLETE HEALTH PICTURE -- "Most Countries Fail to Capture Extent of Covid-19 Deaths," by WSJ's Daniel Michaels: "A growing pool of global death statistics indicates that few countries are accurately capturing fatalities from the new coronavirus — and in some the shortfall is significant. In the U.S., Russia, the U.K., the Netherlands and many other countries, the number of deaths recorded from all causes has jumped since March and far exceeded the number of deaths those countries report as linked to Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. "Belgium, which appears to have the world's highest per-capita Covid-19 death rate, has emerged as an exception. Unlike most countries and many U.S. states, which list only Covid-19 deaths confirmed by tests, Belgium also tallies suspected Covid-19 fatalities. The approach sparked public criticism in Belgium last month for putting the country in a bad light, but France, the U.K., New York state and other jurisdictions have shifted toward the same methodology as Belgium." WSJ -- WAPO: "Researchers ponder why covid appears more deadly in the U.S. and Europe than in Asia," by Simon Denyer in Tokyo and Joel Achenbach: "It is one of the many mysteries of the coronavirus pandemic: Why has the death toll from covid-19 apparently been lower in Asia than in Western Europe and North America? "Even allowing for different testing policies and counting methods, and questions over full disclosure of cases, stark differences in mortality across the world have caught the attention of researchers trying to crack the coronavirus code. Parts of Asia reacted quickly to the threat and largely started social distancing earlier on. But researchers are also examining other factors, including differences in genetics and immune system responses, separate virus strains and regional contrasts in obesity levels and general health." WaPo THE REOPENING -- "Restaurants Say Socially Distant Dining Rooms Could Wipe Out Business," by WSJ's Heather Haddon: "Across the U.S., dining rooms are reopening and some customers are returning, industry data shows. But restaurants say they expect months of sales losses ahead due to capacity constraints imposed to contain the new coronavirus. They are also buying plexiglass walls to separate tables, hiring cleaning staff and turning fewer tables to give booths deeper scrub downs between customers, expenses that draw on a shallower pool of revenue." WSJ ACROSS THE POND -- "Police conclude Dominic Cummings' castle trip possible 'minor breach,'" by Cristina Gallardo in London PARTY IN THE … EU? -- "Europe doesn't need Donald Trump to fight coronavirus. It has Miley Cyrus," by Jillian Deutsch and David Herszenhorn NYT/UPSHOT: "The World Is Still Far From Herd Immunity for Coronavirus," by Nadja Popovich and Margot Sanger-Katz: "The coronavirus still has a long way to go. That's the message from a crop of new studies across the world that are trying to quantify how many people have been infected. Official case counts often substantially underestimate the number of coronavirus infections. "But even in results from a new set of studies that test the population more broadly to estimate everyone who has been infected, the percentage of people who have been infected so far is still in the single digits. The numbers are a fraction of the threshold known as herd immunity, at which the virus can no longer spread widely. The precise herd immunity threshold for the novel coronavirus is not yet clear; but several experts said they believed it would be higher than 60 percent." NYT | | | | WINNERS PLAY THE LONG GAME: If there is one thread linking the greatest challenges facing our society, economy and planet, it's the tension between short-term and long-term thinking. "The Long Game," presented by Morgan Stanley, is designed for executives, investors and policymakers who are leading the conversation about how our society can thrive in the future. Engage with the sharpest minds on our biggest challenges, from pandemics to plastics, climate change to land use, inequality and the future of work. Searching for a nuanced look at these issues and possible solutions? Subscribe today. | | | | | HMM … NPR'S TIM MAK: "Pence Chief Of Staff Owns Stocks That Could Conflict With Coronavirus Response" ANDREW DESIDERIO -- "Senate committee to vote on new subpoenas on Russia probe origins": "A key Senate panel will vote next week to authorize subpoenas as part of a Republican-led effort to investigate the origins of the Russia probe and actions by Obama administration officials that 'unmasked' associates of President Donald Trump. "Members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee were informed Thursday morning that the panel will convene in one week to vote on the subpoenas, which will seek 'records and testimony' from government agencies and individuals, according to the official notice." POLITICO NOKO'S NUKES -- "North Koreans Accused of Laundering $2.5 Billion for Nuclear Program," by NYT's Katie Benner: "North Korean and Chinese nationals are operating a multibillion-dollar money laundering scheme to help fund North Korea's nuclear weapons program, the Justice Department said in an indictment unsealed Thursday, a case that underscores the Trump administration's inability to halt Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program through diplomacy. "The department charged 28 North Koreans and five Chinese nationals of using a web of more than 200 shell companies to launder over $2.5 billion in assets through the international banking system. The government alleged that the money flowed back to North Korea's primary, state-operated foreign exchange bank, the Foreign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, also known as Josen Bank." NYT … The indictment THE LATEST IN CHINA -- "National security law for Hong Kong a step closer after NPC endorses resolution," by South China Morning Post's Tony Cheung and Ng Kang-chung: "China's top legislature has endorsed a resolution authorising its Standing Committee to tailor-make a national security law for Hong Kong. "Thursday afternoon's vote took place just before the closing of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), which started last Friday. … The vote means the NPC Standing Committee is now authorised to propose a law prohibiting acts of secession, subversion, terrorism or conspiring with foreign influences in Hong Kong." SCMP VENEZUELA UPDATE -- "U.S. Threatens Sanctions to Deter Tankers Carrying Fuel to Venezuela," by WSJ's Benoit Faucon and Ian Talley: "U.S. authorities have threatened tankers carrying Iranian fuel to Venezuela with sanctions, aiming to thwart a burgeoning economic alliance between two of America's biggest rivals. Two Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned vessels loaded with Iran oil products and headed to Venezuela halted their deliveries after the sanctions threat, according to U.S. officials. "The two were expected to arrive in Venezuela in the wake of three Iranian tankers carrying gasoline that have reached the country, the most recent on Wednesday. Two other Iranian-owned tankers are also headed to Venezuela. The Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro and the Islamic Republic, both U.S. sanctions targets, have described the oil shipments as a blow to the Trump administration, promoting the events on state media." WSJ VOTING UPDATE -- "Stacey Abrams' voting rights group to track absentee ballot problems in Georgia," by CBS' Tim Perry TRUMPOLOGY … MICHAEL KRUSE: "'This is What I Want': Why Trump Needs a Packed Convention": "[A]ccording to GOP operatives I spoke to who were with him 32 years ago at their party's convention in New Orleans, the four-day crescendo of public affirmation is what piqued his interest in the presidency in the first place. Roger Stone, Trump's earliest and longest-running political adviser, had spearheaded that trip, ferrying the 42-year-old real estate developer and casino owner from event to event, setting up interviews with reporters, all in an attempt to stoke his interest in a prospective electoral bid. "And on the last night of the extravaganza, August 18, 1988, Stone asked an associate to take Trump down to the floor of the Superdome to watch George H.W. Bush accept the nomination. … And in the middle of this scene, Trump said something, not quite to [Laurance] Gay, who was immediately to his left, but loud enough for him to hear. 'This is what I want.'" TRANSITIONS -- Trump announced he plans to nominate Derek Kan as deputy OMB director. Kan currently is executive associate director at OMB, and previously was undersecretary of Transportation for policy. … Adam Rust is now a senior policy adviser at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. He previously was director of research at Reinvestment Partners. … Randy Fiser will be CEO and executive director of the American Geophysical Union. He previously was CEO and president of the American Society of Interior Designers. | | | | A message from Google:   Grow with Google OnAir offers free virtual workshops, events and 1:1 coaching sessions to teach small businesses and job seekers digital skills. 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