Trump encourages Trump supporters protesting against Trump’s social distancing guidelines, governors in both parties plead for help with testing, Congress nears a deal on another economic relief bill, and China becomes a 2020 issue. Then Senator Bernie Sanders talks to Jon and Jon about why our response to this economic crisis should be more ambitious, how progressive candidates can win, and what he hopes to see from Joe Biden.

Show notes

Live Free and Die

• Vox: Protests against stay-at-home orders are spreading despite most Americans’ fear of reopening
• CNN: Protests are popping up across the US over stay-at-home restrictions
• WaPo: Rallies against stay-at-home orders grow as Trump sides with protesters
• NYT: Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions 
• Politico: Trump breaks with his own guidelines to back conservative anti-quarantine protesters
• The Guardian: Protests against US stay-at-home orders gain support from rightwing figures
• Vox: What the anti-stay-at-home protests are really about
• PBS News: Pro-Trump protesters push back on stay-at-home orders
• The Guardian: Thousands of Americans backed by rightwing donors gear up for protests
• Buzzfeed News: This Is How A Group Linked To Betsy DeVos Is Organizing Protests To End Social Distancing, Now With Trump’s Suppor
• NBC News: In new poll, 60 percent support keeping stay-at-home restrictions to fight coronavirus
• Navigator  Daily Poll Results (4/18) 
• YouGov: On coronavirus social distancing, Americans not so divided 
• Vox: Poll: Americans are afraid of ending the coronavirus lockdowns too soon
• Pew: Most Americans Say Trump Was Too Slow in Initial Response to Coronavirus Threat
• Politico: Poll: Don’t stop social distancing if coronavirus will spread 
• Gallup: Americans Remain Risk Averse About Getting Back to Norma
• ABC News: Governors decry Trump support of coronavirus protesters: ‘Dangerous’ 
• The Hill: Pelosi: ‘Really unfortunate’ that protesters are pushing back against coronavirus restrictions
• AP: US governors feel heat to reopen from protesters, president 
• NBC News: In Trump’s ‘LIBERATE’ tweets, extremists see a call to arms

Testing Debate

• CNN: Trump lashes out at governors over testing shortfalls
• AP: Cuomo: Feds must help with testing. Trump: Stop complaining
• The Guardian: White House insists US has ‘sufficient’ testing capacity to reopen amid widespread criticism
• NYT: Cuomo and Trump Spar Over Coronavirus Aid to New York
• WaPo: As testing outcry mounts, Trump cedes to states in announcing guidelines for slow reopening
• NBC News: Trump unveils three-phase plan for states to reopen amid coronavirus pandemic
• NBC News: ‘Delusional,’ ‘Absolutely false’: Governors cry foul on Trump testing claims
• CNN: Governors dispute Trump’s claim that there’s enough coronavirus testing
• ABC News: More testing needed before states implement Trump’s reopening guidance, experts say
• ABC News: Governors say Trump’s reopening plan missing a key component: nationwide testing
• NYT: Coronavirus Testing Needs to Triple Before the U.S. Can Reopen, Experts Say
• The Hill: White House says US has enough tests for first phase of reopening
• Politico: New partisan battle lines emerge over testing 
• AP: Analysis: With new virus plan, Trump passes buck to states 
• WaPo: A Fox News host asked Fauci a question. She got the wrong answer.
• WaPo: As testing outcry mounts, Trump cedes to states in announcing guidelines for slow reopening 

Congress

• NYT: White House and Democrats Near Deal on Aid for Small Businesses
• Politico: Congress, Trump administration close to deal on new aid package
• The Hill: Pelosi: Lawmakers ‘very close’ on bipartisan agreement for additional PPP funding 
• Politico: Small business fund expires with deal out of reach this week
• WSJ: Mnuchin, Democrats Say They Are Close on Small-Business Funding Agreement 
• WaPo: Trump administration, congressional leaders near deal on virus aid that includes major boost for small businesses
• Politico: New partisan battle lines emerge over testing 
• WSJ: Top House Republican Backs Adding Hospital Funding to Small-Business Package

2020

• WaPo: Trump campaign concludes there is more to be gained by attacking Biden than trying to promote president’s pandemic response
• NBC News: Coronavirus turns China into a 2020 election issue as Trump and Biden clash 
• LA Times: Trump and Biden clash over China in dueling ads
• WaPo: A new front in the presidential campaign, as President Trump seeks to divert anger at China against Joe Biden
• HuffPo: Biden Campaign Slams Trump On China And Coronavirus In New Battleground Ad
• WaPo: Democratic super PAC launches $15 million ad blitz slamming Trump on China and coronavirus
• Axios: Exclusive: Biggest Trump super PAC test drives #BeijingBiden campaign
• WaPo: Trump campaign concludes there is more to be gained by attacking Biden than trying to promote president’s pandemic response 
• CNN: Biden campaign launches counterattack on Trump over coronavirus and China
• Axios: Democrats lay out rebuttal to Trump attacks on Biden over China
• NBC News: In new poll, 60 percent support keeping stay-at-home restrictions to fight coronavirus
• FiveThirtyEight: How Americans View The Coronavirus Crisis And Trump’s Response 
• Navigator: Coronavirus Live Updates: Public Opinion on Coronavirus: Navigator Daily 
• NYT: A Key G.O.P. Strategy: Blame China. But Trump Goes Off Message.
• WaPo: Trump campaign concludes there is more to be gained by attacking Biden than trying to promote president’s pandemic response 
• Al Jazeera: China emerges as coronavirus scapegoat in US election campaign