Reopening America

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown American universities for a loop in trying to figure out how to open effectively and provide students with a learning experience on par with what they will be paying for. On one had you have students unsure if they want to incur massive debt just to attend online classes. On the other had colleges are in danger due to lost revenue from athletics, room and board, and tuition. Erica Pandey, reporter at Axios, joins us for the tough decisions for both students and universities.

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The economy continues to stall while business remains closed. 4.4 million Americans applied for jobless benefits according to the latest numbers which brings us to 26 million unemployment insurance claims in the past five weeks. The wave of layoffs the country is experiencing makes it very important to have a financial plan even if you are still working. Survey your spending, negotiate with lenders, pause college savings, and consolidate debt. Chris Kornelis, contributor to the WSJ, joins us with tips if you have lost your job or fear you will.

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After a few days of confusion, President Trump signed a proclamation suspending immigration over the next 60 days. While the president made it seem like it would block many from coming in, the order includes broad exemptions for several categories of foreign workers and employers. Molly O’Toole, immigration and security reporter at the LA Times, joins us for what’s in the proclamation.

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While we still need more research on which drugs are the most effective in treating COVID-19, a recent study looking at records from the VA shows that there is no overall benefit from using hydroxychloroquine. It was actually linked to more deaths in patients that were treated with it alone than in combination with azithromycin. Chris Rowland, business of healthcare reporter at the Washington Post, joins us for why hydroxychloroquine might not be the most effective treatment.

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One of the key marks that states must achieve to be able to safely re-open their economies is ramped up testing. Being able to test and trace workers is essential to containing the spread of the virus. But expanding the capacity to test has been difficult because of supply shortages and backlogs. One main shortage important to being able to administer the tests is a lack of swabs. Another highly touted test kit by Abbot Labs, has faced shortages of its own single use cartridges. Chris Weaver- Reporter for the WSJ, joins us for why it has been so difficult to get testing right.

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Another major meat processing plant has closed due to coronavirus. Tyson Foods has had to close down its Waterloo, Iowa pork processing plant, just as it is re-opening another facility in Columbus Junction that closed on April 6. The plant will be closed indefinitely as they clean, install infrared body temperature scanners, and plexiglass barriers to protect workers. As more plants close around the country, there are increased worries about the supply chain of meat. Tyler Jett, jobs and economy reporter for the Des Moines Register, joins us for more.

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For the first time ever in trading, U.S. oil prices dipped into negative territory on Monday. Companies had to pay to get rid of the over supply of oil, but this doesn't mean that you'll get paid to take gasoline off someones hands. We might see some modest savings in the next few days and weeks, but the big questions remains, what to do with all the extra oil. The administration is planning to add millions of barrels to the nations reserve. Amy Harder, energy reporter at Axios, joins us for more.

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President Trump is suspending U.S. immigration for 60 days, citing the coronavirus crisis and jobs shortage. The thought process behind this is that it will limit the number of people coming from global hotspots and relieve pressure on the healthcare system, but it will also limit job competition from immigrants. While there has already been a lot going on with travel restrictions, slowed visas processing, and barring asylum seekers, this new action will most likely face some type of legal challenge. Gabby Orr, White House Reporter at Politico, joins us for new immigration orders.

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All eyes will be on Georgia as Gov. Brian Kemp intends to start re-opening his state to business as soon as Friday, April 24. Gyms, barber shops, bowling alleys can re-open although they will still have to practice social distancing and screen people for fever and respiratory issues. Dine-in restaurants and theaters can open Monday and state-wide stay-at-home orders expire at the end of the month. Public health officials have questioned if it is too early, but it is a difficult balance between health and business. James Hohmann- national political correspondent at The Washington Post, joins us for how Georgia will re-open.

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The road to re-opening the economy will be a messy fight that the governors of each state will have to handle. We are already seeing protests and lawsuits over stay-at-home orders and people wanting to get back to work. And while the administration has issued guidelines for states to open back up, all the details and final say is left up to the governors. Another source of conflict could be states moving faster than the willingness of cities in re-opening. Brett Samuels, White House reporter at The Hill, joins us for the fight over coronavirus restrictions.

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