Author: Joel Williams
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White House releases guidance for reopening state and local economies
On Wednesday evening, the White House released the Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, offering guidance to state and local officials on a three-phase approach to reopening their economies. According to the document, the economic reopening can take place at either the state or county level based on an individual governor's discretion. The plan has…
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Wisconsin extends stay-at-home order through May 26
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced that the state’s stay-at-home order was extended through May 26. Executive Order #12 was put into place on March 24 with an expiration date of April 24. Forty-three states issued statewide stay-at-home orders. Seven of those orders are set to last until modified or rescinded by the governor, while…
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New York extends stay-at-home order through May 15
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced that the state’s stay-at-home order was extended through May 15. Cuomo said that the order was helping to reduce the state’s hospitalization and intubation rates, but not enough to lift the order. According to Cuomo, New York's rate of infections caused by sick individuals was down to 0.9…
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Senate to remain in recess until at least May 4
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced that the Senate would not reconvene until at least May 4. McConnell said he made the decision based on the advice of health experts and in consultation with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) On Monday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made a similar announcement about…
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SCOTUS will hear arguments by teleconference, live-streamed to the public
The Supreme Court of the United States announced it would hear arguments in May virtually for 13 cases that had been postponed from the March and April sittings. The court said that live audio of the arguments would be available to the public for the first time in court history. The 13 cases include several…
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2,756 major party candidates filed for 2020 Congress elections
As of April 13, 2,773 major party candidates have filed to run for the Senate and House of Representatives in 2020. So far, 402 candidates are filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for U.S. Senate in 2020. Of those, 333—173 Democrats and 160 Republicans—are from one of the two major political parties.…
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Oregon ends its school year
On Wednesday afternoon, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) ordered schools to remain closed for the rest of the academic year. Before the announcement, schools were scheduled to be closed through April 28. So far, 16 states have closed schools through the remainder of the academic year: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska,…
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Fauci says U.S. coronavirus deaths likely to be lower than first estimated
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the number of deaths in the United States resulting from the coronavirus would be below his original projection of 100,000 to 200,000. Fauci said that forecast models updated with new data showed a positive effect, but he did not…
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Schools closed in all 50 states, school years ended in 15 states
On April 2, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) ordered schools statewide to close through April 30. This made it the 50th and final state to issue a statewide school closure. Previously, Reynolds' office had recommended schools close from March 15 to April 13 but left the decision to close up to individual school districts. Through…
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School year ended in three states
On Monday afternoon, governors in three states—Arkansas, South Dakota, and Washington—ordered schools to close through the remainder of the academic year. Each states' schools were already closed by a previous order of the governor. So far, 15 states have closed schools through the remainder of the academic year: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas,…