The Takeout

*SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY! SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND LEAVE A RATING/REVIEW* The president and his task force continue to insist “testing capacity” in the US is sufficient.  Yet, the administration will invoke the Defense Production Act to compel one unnamed company to produce nasal swabs. Governors are asking for swabs, reagents and personnel. “Swabs are easy,” the president said. More than 746,000 Americans have tested positive for covid-19; 40,000+ have died. Negotiations with Democrats are ongoing and the president thinks there could be a deal reached tomorrow to replenish the small business loan program. This comes after Treasury Secretary Mnuchin expressed optimism this morning that a deal was essentially done. Sunday’s briefing lasted 1 hour and 29 minutes. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As states with few COVID-19 cases begin to consider loosening restrictions, Stephen Moore, an outside economic adviser to President Trump, joins Major Garrett to discuss his opinion on reopening the economy as soon as possible. Moore also discusses the recent protests against mandatory social distancing and why he believes that civil rights are being violated in the process. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY! SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND LEAVE A RATING/REVIEW* According to task force officials, the US has a sufficient supply of tests to meet phase one guidelines. But as Dr. Anthony Fauci explained, there is an issue getting the supply of tests where they’re needed. It does not appear there is sufficient testing capacity nationally to move beyond phase one at this point. “We've already built sufficient testing capacity nationwide for states to begin their re-openings,” the president said. Friday's briefing spanned an hour and 44 minutes. Congressman Max Rose (D-NY) joins Major to discuss the situation in New York, his recent national guard deployment and what needs to be done medically and financially to get back to some semblance of normalcy. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We take a break from politics this week with actor Tony Hale. Or do we? Hale played Gary Walsh, uber-loyal personal assistant to Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), in the HBO series "Veep." It has been said that no scripted television show captures the essence of official Washington better than "Veep." Learn more about the show, Tony's other roles and how he's spending his quarantine at home in Los Angeles. Join us! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY! SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND LEAVE A RATING/REVIEW* President Trump and the coronavirus task force introduced phased guidelines to help states and communities get back to normal – or as close to it as possible. There is no timeline for implementation. It will be up to governors and local leaders to decide when and how to get back to business. Some states, the president said, could be ready tomorrow, while others, like New York and New Jersey, will take significantly longer. “The last thing we want …to come back too soon. We want them to come back when they’re ready.” Task force officials emphasized that “science” and “common sense” formed the foundation of the administration’s re-opening guidelines.   Steve Moore, an outside advisor to President Trump and a member of the president's "re-opening" task force, is Major's guest. His view: restart the economy immediately or risk even greater consequences. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practice

*SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY! SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND LEAVE A RATING/REVIEW* In tone, message and duration, Tuesday’s briefing was quite a departure from Monday’s combative and lengthy affair. The president hopes to reopen “beautiful little pieces” of the country sooner than the May 1 deadline his administration has set. He said 20 or more states have only a few cases. After claiming on Monday nearly unlimited power to compel states to act, a more deferential President Trump said he hopes governors will be “respectful of the presidency.” He said he would authorize governors to implement a re-opening plan at the time and manner of their choosing and if they don’t do a good job, he will “come down on them very hard.”   CBS News Legal Contributor and constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley joins Major to talk about limits on presidential power and states' rights. The US is also halting payments to the World Health Organization until a review is completed in 60-90 days. Mr. Trump said WHO bungled

After a weekend that saw the US death toll surpass 20,000, President Trump barely acknowledged the carnage. Instead he offered a combative – and at times flailing and desperate - defense of his administration’s response that included a campaign-style video montage accusing the media of downplaying the outbreak. He also stated that his power in this time of crisis is virtually unlimited. The briefing spanned 2 hours and 23 minutes, the longest and most whiplash-inducing of its kind thus far.  60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker, whose story Sunday outlined the challenges facing frontline medical personnel in New York, joins Major Garrett to discuss the disconnect between the reality in America's hospitals and the president's rhetoric. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY! SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND LEAVE A RATING/REVIEW* Deciding when and how to re-open the US economy will be the biggest decision of President Trump’s life, he said, without acknowledging that many of those decisions will be made by mayors, governors and private industry. He said he would listen to the medical professionals on his team and political and economic advisors, too, but added his primary metric was “right here” and pointed to his head. The president believes the overall covid-19 death toll could be “substantially under” the administration’s projection of 100,000 fatalities. Trump said “you can’t be happy” with 60,000 dead Americans, but that projection is significantly lower than then initial estimate.  Surgeon General Jerome Adams delivered this message to young people of color whom he said are at higher risk because of social factors: heed the federal government’s advisories “If not for yourself, then for your Abuela, do it for your grand-daddy, do it for

Former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate joins Major from his home in Florida to evaluate the administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak and explain what needs to happen before life gets back to normal. Fugate compared the virus to a forest fire that can flare up if we aren't careful. A vaccine, he said, is the ultimate antidote. If you're a fan of this podcast and want to know more about COVID-19, download and subscribe to Major's new podcast "Debriefing the Briefing," a short-form program that recaps the daily White House coronavirus task force briefings and provides key insight into the federal government's effort to contain the outbreak. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY! SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND LEAVE A RATING/REVIEW* In one of the shortest briefings yet, President Trump said the death rate is beginning slow. The vice president announced members of the military are now relieving hospital workers in New York City as demand on the USNS Comfort and at the Javits Center hasn’t been as high as expected. Major's guest tonight is former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate. Fugate compared the outbreak of coronavirus to a forest fire. Hear their full conversation first thing Friday morning on Major's other podcast "The Takeout." More than 460,000 Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 infections. The disease has claimed over 16,000 American lives. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY! SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND LEAVE A RATING/REVIEW* The World Health Organization and China bore the brunt of President Trump's disfavor during Wednesday’s Coronavirus Task Force briefing. Both the President and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated they were considering withdrawing funds from the WHO in the future for being what the President called, “China-centric.” New CDC recommendations were also rolled out that included guidelines on essential workers and when they can return to work after being exposed to COVID-19. The Task Force also announced that Rhode Island and Philadelphia were increasing areas of concern. Major is joined by CBS News White House Correspondent Paula Reid to discuss the President’s criticism of the WHO and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY! SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND LEAVE A RATING/REVIEW* President Trump said this week and next will be very painful weeks, even if one person dies. “And I will protect you if your governor fails.” The vice president suggested there are signs some of the COVID-19 hotspots may be cooling off slightly. CBS News National Security Correspondent David Martin joins Major to talk about the military's role in the federal response to the outbreak and to explain what happened aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The president said he had no role in the resignation of acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly, who just days ago relieved the ship's captain of his command after the captain had written a letter about deteriorating conditions on board. “He didn’t have to be Ernest Hemingway," Mr. Trump said.  Modly called Captain Brett Crozier either "naive or stupid" for writing the letter and sending it over unclassified channels. To learn more about listener data and our privacy pr

President of the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget Maya Macguineas joins Major for a chat on the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, the covid-19 relief bill signed into law in late March. Is it enough? What's missing in it? Will there be another bill? What about the debt? Pull up a chair! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY!* The coronavirus task force briefed for more than two hours Monday. The president weighed in on British PM Boris Johnson, his conversation with Joe Biden, Navy Captain Brett Crozier and the grave week ahead. Mr. Trump and his lieutenants expressed optimism of signs of an improving medical situation. “We are going to have maybe a rough little more than a week. But there is tremendous light at the end of that tunnel,” President Trump said. Major is joined by CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY!* In the briefing Saturday, President Trump warned there will be “a lot of death probably” over this week and next – a timeframe that will be “horrendous.”  Dr. Deborah Birx said she expects peak daily death tolls in New York, Detroit and Louisiana in about 6-7 days. She said the next two weeks are “extraordinarily important, adding this is not the moment to go to the grocery or the pharmacy.  The president continued pushing hydrochloroquine, a a drug approved to prevent malaria, as treatment for covid-19. The FDA is still doing clinical tests and there is no scientifically valid data that proves it’s efficacy.  Major has the latest on the medical and financial tolls ahead of what is shaping up to be a grim week in America.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY!* President Trump announced CDC recommendations that people wear basic cloth face coverings in public places like groceries and drugstores. The guidance is voluntary and President Trump was clear: he will not wear one. “You can do it or not,” he said. Dr. Deborah Birx said she has emerging concerns about Colorado, Pennsylvania and DC. She said there are 150 countries working on a treatment and “it’s devastating” for every single country.   The federal government today issued $3.5+ billion in loans to small businesses.  CBS Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger joins Major and explains the outbreak’s impact on jobs numbers.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oregon Republican Greg Walden joins Major from his home office in this time of social distancing. Walden, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, says he has "great faith" in President's Trump's team handling the coronavirus outbreak and believes Dr. Anthony Fauci is a "national treasure." How will we vote in November? Will congress be able to conduct business as usual? Is there another economic stimulus bill in the works? Join us for a chat on the virus, stay for a discussion of Walden's mountain dulcimer hobby. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY!* The two-hour 16-minute briefing – the longest yet – started and ended with a discussion of the economy. In between was a back-and-forth about masks and an impassioned plea from Dr. Deborah Birx for people to take seriously the federal guidelines. Had Americans in certain "hotspot" cities heeded those warnings earlier, she intimated, the infection and mortality curves could have been flatter. Major is joined by Dr. Ali Mokdad, a University of Washington professor working on COVID-19 infection modeling. A recommendation about wearing masks will be issued in the coming days. Birx said she does not want people to have a false sense of security with a mask on and ignore social distancing and hand-washing protocol. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*SEARCH 'DEBRIEFING THE BRIEFING' AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW FEED TODAY!* President Trump is considering domestic air travel restrictions that would target hot-spot cities. He is also mulling restrictions on rail transit. And the U.S. will soon have more ventilators than it needs, President Trump said.  CBS News Medical Contributor Dr. David Agus joins Major to sum up Wednesday's White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing....in brief.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A clearly chastened President Trump deferred to Dr. Deborah Birx to deliver sobering news to the nation Tuesday night: the coronavirus task force projects between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans will die from COVID-19. CBS News White House correspondent Ben Tracy joins Chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett to recap the headlines from Tuesday's briefing which lasted two hours and eleven minutes, the longest such briefing yet. President Trump said it was a “matter of life and death” that people abide by the federal guidelines for the next 30 days. He said Americans should prepare for a “very, very painful” next two weeks when the death rate is expected to spike. “This could be a hell of a bad two weeks.” To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices