Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Once Shunted To Sidelines, HHS Stepping Back Onto Pandemic Field As Trump's Attention Shifts
The Department of Health and Human Services is taking on more oversight of the nation鈥檚 coronavirus response as cases in some states climb, an abrupt shift from April when the agency was under fire for its handling of the initial stages of the crisis. The shift is happening in part because the president and his aides are prioritizing reopening and other economic issues they believe will play to the president鈥檚 conservative base ahead of the election, according to people familiar with the planning. The move predated the nationwide protests following the killing of a black man in Minneapolis police custody. (Armour, 6/16)
Anthony Fauci, the nation鈥檚 top infectious disease expert, is warning that the United States has to yet get through the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak. 鈥淧eople keep talking about a second wave,鈥 Fauci said in an interview with聽The Wall Street Journal聽on Tuesday. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still in a first wave.鈥 (Wise, 6/16)
Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government鈥檚 top infectious-disease expert, warned the nation risks a resurgence of coronavirus infections should states fail to remain vigilant as they reopen their economies. 鈥淲hen I look at the TV and I see pictures of people congregating at bars when the location they are indicates they shouldn鈥檛 be doing that, that鈥檚 very risky,鈥 Dr. Fauci said in an interview Tuesday. 鈥淧eople keep talking about a second wave,鈥 he added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still in a first wave.鈥 (Armour, 6/16)
The nation鈥檚 top infectious disease expert is warning that that the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic is not over as new cases spike in parts of the country 鈥 a sobering message that comes despite President Trump鈥檚 efforts to downplay the ongoing threat. The sunny predictions and, in some cases, misleading claims emanating from the White House attempt to paint a picture of a nation in recovery ahead of a Trump campaign rally planned for Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday, his first since early March as he seeks a symbolic return to normalcy and a reset for his presidential campaign as his poll numbers falter. (Bidgood, 6/16)
And in other news, a look at how the country should better prepare for the next crisis 鈥
On Oct. 8, 2001 鈥 27 days after terrorists crashed airliners into the twin towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania 鈥 President George W. Bush signed an order establishing a new Office of Homeland Security, paving the way to the biggest reorganization of the federal government since the years immediately after World War II, when Congress established the Defense Department, the CIA and the National Security Council. (Harris and Ryan, 6/16)