Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Cuomo And Trump Talk New Yorker To New Yorker About Investing In State's Economic Recovery
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Wednesday used a White House meeting to pitch President Trump on a massive investment in train lines, bridges and other building projects as a way to 鈥渟upercharge鈥 an economy laid low by the novel coronavirus. The third-term Democrat, who has had a contentious relationship with his fellow Queens native, emerged proclaiming that the president 鈥済ets it,鈥 saying he and Trump talked as New Yorkers and that he appealed to Trump鈥檚 instincts as a builder. (Witte, 5/27)
鈥淚t was about: How do we supercharge the reopening?鈥 Mr. Cuomo told reporters after the White House meeting. 鈥淚t was a good conversation. The president is from New York so he has a context for all the things we鈥檙e talking about.鈥 Every region of the Empire State except New York City has begun a limited restart of its economy, including nonessential manufacturing and construction projects and retail with curbside pickup. The Democratic governor lobbied Mr. Trump to expedite federal approvals for an expansion of the Second Avenue subway, in Manhattan, and for a train to LaGuardia Airport in Queens. (Vielkind, 5/27)
Meanwhile, elsewhere in New York 鈥
Members of the state Assembly and Senate passed more than a dozen bills on Wednesday, including a measure giving victims of childhood sexual abuse more time to sue the responsible parties. Most of the legislation dealt with the new coronavirus crisis, and several bills codified parts of executive orders that Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued in response to the pandemic. Legislators haven鈥檛 convened for a session since April 3, when they approved the last pieces of the $178 billion state budget. (Vielkind, 5/27)
New York City has been locked down and shut off for more than two months. On sidewalks and in stores, masked New Yorkers stand on pieces of tape six feet apart as they wait to enter, shop, and check out. The person who delivers your mail, your food and your industrial sized box of bleach wipes is wearing gloves. Compulsive hand washing is second nature. (Newman, 5/28)
The coronavirus pandemic has restricted almost everyone鈥檚 freedoms in America but for Meghan Lindsey it has done the opposite. This is the freest she has ever felt. Traveling to New York City at age 33 to work as a COVID-19 nurse was the first time that Meghan, a married mother of two, had ever left southwest Missouri. (Stapleton and Baldwin, 5/28)
