In this episode of CAFE Insider, “Fevered Nation,” Preet and Anne break down all the latest coronavirus developments and analyze the politically-charged legal questions surrounding the government’s response, including:

— The spectacle of the daily White House coronavirus press conferences, and the impact of the President’s repeated false claims on the government’s response effort.

— The President’s now-abandoned wish to reopen the economy by Easter, and the chaos surrounding his public announcement that he was considering quarantining the entire New York metro area — which he later walked back that same day. 

— The White House’s deployment of the Defense Production Act to compel General Motors to produce ventilators.

— The passage of a massive $2 trillion stimulus package, and the importance of effective Congressional oversight over its implementation.

Amid the round-the-clock coronavirus coverage, there was also this news that would have otherwise wielded much attention: The DOJ’s indictment of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and 13 of his associates on drug trafficking charges.

We hope you’re enjoying CAFE Insider. Email us at [email protected] with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Anne.

REFERENCES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

LIFE UNDER LOCKDOWN

• Preet’s movie recommendation, Happy Feet
• Course: “The Science of Well-Being,” offered by Yale University, Coursera

PREVIOUSLY ON CAFE: 

• Special Insider episode featuring Lisa Monaco (3/17/20) 
• Special Insider episode featuring  Juliette Kayyem (3/24/20)
• Andy Slavitt Stay Tuned Interview, 3/26/20

WHITE HOUSE PRESS CONFERENCES 

• Preet’s tweet about not watching the Trump press conferences, 3/29/20
• Trump tweet about his coronavirus press conference ratings, 3/29/20
• Clip: Trump falsely claims Seoul, South Korea has a population of 38 million people, 3/30/20
• “Fauci Socks, Fauci Donuts: The Coronavirus Expert Attracts Cult Following,” Washington Post, 3/31/20
• “Dr. Deborah Birx’s praise of Trump raises questions about her credibility,” Vox, 3/27/20

REOPENING GOVERNMENT / STATES’ RIGHTS

• Clip: Fauci says “the virus makes the timeline,” 3/25/20
• The Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution 
• The 21st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
• South Dakota v. Dole (1987), Supreme Court case holding that Congress’s spending power allows it to indirectly encourage state action to obtain uniformity in the States' drinking ages by imposing reasonable conditions on the receipt of federal funds
• “Trump set Easter target after Kushner meeting, seeing empty pews,” Bloomberg, 3/30/20
• “Restrictions are slowing down coronavirus infections, new data suggest, New York Times, 3/30/20
• “Fever Detection Cameras to Fight Coronavirus?” NBC News, 3/27/20
• “Trump Can’t Reopen the Country Over State Objections,” Lawfare, 3/27/20

NEW YORK QUARANTINE 

• Trump tweet giving consideration to instituting a quarantine of tri-state area, 3/28/20
• Trump tweet saying that there will be no quarantine, 3/28/20
• “A Coronavirus Quarantine in America Would be a Huge Legal Mess,” Atlantic, 2/16/20

DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT 

• Congressional Research Service Report on the Defense Production Act, 3/2/20
• White House statement on invoking Defense Production Act, 3/27/20

STIMULUS PACKAGE / CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT 

• The Stimulus Bill (S. 3548 CARES Act)
• John Kerry’s tweet mocking Rep. Thomas Massie, 3/27/20
• Neil Barofsky’s tweet about overseeing TARP, 3/30/20
• House Rules Committee’s Majority Staff Report Examining Voting Operations During the Covid-19 Epidemic, 3/23/20
• “The House just passed a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package. Here’s what’s in it,” Vox, 3/25/20
• “Rep. Massie forces colleagues back to DC for vote,” Washington Post, 3/27/20
• “Cuomo Slams Stimulus Package as “Terrible” for New York,” New York Post, 3/25/20
• “Justice Department investigates Burr’s stock trades before coronavirus spike,” Washington Post,  3/30/20

MADURO INDICTMENT 

• SDNY’s Indictment of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and associates, 3/26/20
• Transcript of AG Barr’s press conference announcing Maduro indictment, 3/26/20
• OLC memo on indicting a sitting President 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE 

• AG Barr’s memo to Bureau of Prisons, 3/26/20
• “‘We’re Left for Dead,’ Fears of Virus Catastrophe at Rikers Jail,’” New York Times, 3/30/20