Thursday News Executive Summary - The Patriot Post

Above the Fold

“These developments have put us in a strong position to finalize guidelines for states opening the country, which we will be announcing [today]:” Trump says coronavirus pandemic has peaked, some states to reopen before May 1 (New York Post)
From Michigan to Kentucky to Ohio to Utah to North Carolina to Virginia, protests draw thousands over state stay-at-home orders (USA Today)

Business & Economy

Weekly jobless claims hit 5.245 million, raising monthly loss to 22 million (CNBC)
IRS relief-check tracking system crashes — but officials insist website is operating “smoothly and effectively” (Daily Mail)
8.7% plunge: U.S. retail sales see biggest drop ever in March, shattering the previous record in 2008 by 4.8% (New York Post)
Small-business relief fund runs dry amid Democrat-driven standoff (The Washington Free Beacon)

National Security

“Increasing confidence” China blamed coronavirus on wet market to deflect from Wuhan lab escape (Washington Examiner)
China may have conducted low-level nuclear test: “Beijing is modernizing its nuclear arsenal while the United States handcuffs itself with one-sided arms-control restrictions” (The Guardian)
Iran taunts U.S. Navy ships in Persian Gulf (Fox News)

Government & Politics

House Democrats propose $2,000 monthly payments to Americans (The Hill)
The AP says, “China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days.” National Review’s Jim Geraghty elucidates, “It is more accurate to say the coverup lasted about six weeks.”
Gov. Cuomo announces executive order requiring face masks in public (Hot Air)

Other Notables

Conflict of interest? Rep. Omar funnels nearly $300,000 more to her husband’s firm (The Washington Free Beacon)
Universities and colleges across the United States failed to report nearly $1 billion in foreign gifts from 2013-2018, despite legal requirements from the Department of Education (Campus Reform)

Closing Arguments

Policy: Investigate the Wuhan lab (Washington Examiner)
Policy: Trump is right about the World Health Organization (National Review)
Humor: Obama: “I’m so proud to endorse Joe Biden — that’s who they went with, huh? — for president” (The Onion)

For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit In Our Sights.

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