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--> A midday take on what's happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*

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The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump appears to back protests over stay-at-home orders | Stocks jump after experimental drug sees success | Trump unveils three-phase plan to reopen the economy | Millions wait for virus relief checks | US coronavirus deaths hit one-day record | DC-area cases double to 20K | Wuhan updates its death toll | Fresh produce going to waste during pandemic

NEWS THIS MORNING

The stock market liked that news:

Via STAT News's Adam Feurstein and Matthew Herper, an experimental antiviral medicine given to patients in Chicago has resulted in a drop in fever and respiratory symptoms in almost all of the patients who took the drug. https://bit.ly/2XKac5a

The drug: Remdesivir from Gilead Sciences, Inc.

The size of the study: "University of Chicago Medicine recruited 125 people with Covid-19 into Gilead's two Phase 3 clinical trials. Of those people, 113 had severe disease. All the patients have been treated with daily infusions of remdesivir."

From the infectious disease specialist who is overseeing the study: "The best news is that most of our patients have already been discharged, which is great. We've only had two patients perish."

The full story: https://bit.ly/2XKac5a

REACTION -- THE STOCK MARKET ROSE THIS MORNING:

The market jumped this morning following the report of success in treating coronavirus patients with an experimental antiviral drug. https://bit.ly/2XIHJNd

The numbers this morning: "The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 550 points, or 2.3 percent, while the S&P 500 rose 52 points, or 1.8 percent."

Happy Friday! I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com -- and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook.

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IN THE WHITE HOUSE

Yesterday -- Ok, ok, I follow:

President Trump Donald John TrumpUS reimposes UN sanctions on Iran amid increasing tensions Jeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Trump supporters chant 'Fill that seat' at North Carolina rally MORE told governors yesterday to call their own shots with regards to opening states. https://cnn.it/2Kafu23

In Trump's words: "You are going to call your own shots," Trump reportedly said, according to CNN. "I've gotten to know almost all of you, most of you I've known and some very well. You are all very capable people, I think in all cases, very capable people. And you're going to be calling your shots."

And then today -- Oh...:

LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020

NEXT STEPS IN REOPENING THE ECONOMY

The new normal:

Via The Hill's Brett Samuels, Morgan Chalfant and Reid Wilson, President Trump unveiled a three-phase plan yesterday to reopen parts of the U.S. economy, but is allowing governors to use those guidelines to make their own decisions. https://bit.ly/3anupRf

The gist of the plan: It recommends that states see a reduction in coronavirus cases and flu-like symptoms before starting to ease restrictions. This ensures hospitals will be able to treat all patients without crisis care.

Keep in mind: A robust COVID-19 testing system is necessary for this plan.

Read the full 18-page plan from the White House: https://bit.ly/3esnrxn

BREAKDOWN OF THE THREE PHASES:

Phase One: "The first phase largely urges existing measures to remain in place while allowing certain businesses, such as gyms, to reopen if social distancing is possible."

Phase Two: "The second phase makes recommendations for states and regions with no evidence of a rebound of COVID-19 and that have twice satisfied the initial criteria on cases, hospitals and testing. It urges all vulnerable individuals to shelter in place and encourages others to exercise social distancing in public. In this phase, officials also say that nonessential travel can resume, schools can reopen, and large venues, gyms and bars can operate with social distancing steps in place. Officials recommend that businesses continue to encourage telework when possible and to close common areas where staff may congregate."

Phase Three: "The third phase, which is recommended only for states that have shown no signs of a spike in cases after restrictions are lifted and have satisfied the initial criteria a third time, allows public interactions and visits to nursing homes to resume and lets bars and restaurants expand their capacity. The third phase still encourages individuals to socially distance when possible and limit their time in large gatherings, while allowing employers to resume unrestricted staffing in the workplace."

REACTION FROM SENATE MINORITY LEADER CHARLES SCHUMER (D-N.Y.):

Schumer said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe": "The plan is a little more measured than what the president said in the past, which is good but there's a key thing missing in all this ... If we don't have a strong, adequate testing regime, we're going to have real trouble," he added. "You have to know who has the illness, who's immune from the illness and who could get the illness before we can determine who can go back to work and who can't." https://bit.ly/2VjgJlY

HOW THE PUBLIC MAY BE MORE CAUTIOUS THAN TRUMP ON REOPENING:

Via The Hill's Niall Stanage: https://bit.ly/3colbp2

Tidbit -- want to take a peek at Vice President Pence's notes?:

Zoom in on the full-size photo: https://bit.ly/2VfAeLT

WHERE THINGS STAND

Cases in the U.S.: 672,293



Deaths in the U.S.: 33,325



Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y

THURSDAY MARKED A RECORD FOR CORONAVIRUS DEATHS IN A SINGLE DAY:

Yesterday, 4,591 died from COVID-19. Details from The Wall Street Journal: https://on.wsj.com/3bnJrYw

CASES IN THE DMV DOUBLED:

The number of coronavirus cases in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia has doubled to 20,000 in one week. https://bit.ly/3ahZgOW

WUHAN ADDS 1,300 DEATHS TO ITS TOLL:

Via NBC's Linda Givetash, Leou Chen and Dawn Liu, "Nearly 1,300 people who died of the coronavirus in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus was first detected, were not counted in death tolls, state media announced Friday. Officials increased the number of coronavirus deaths by 1,290, bringing the city's total to 3,869." https://nbcnews.to/2KabcHZ

TIDBIT -- FRESH PRODUCE IS GOING TO WASTE:

Via The Hill's Alex Gangitano, "farmers are finding it difficult to sell their products and distributors are struggling to redirect food quickly with restaurants, schools and offices closed. News reports in recent days have been rife with stories about farmers leaving produce to rot in the fields, even as Americans see empty shelves at grocery stores and food banks say they are overwhelmed by requests for assistance." The full story: https://bit.ly/2XFK2k9

LATEST WITH CORONAVIRUS RELIEF

No pressure, IRS, but everyone is looking at you:

Via The Hill's Naomi Jagoda, millions of people are still waiting for the coronavirus rebates, creating a challenge for the IRS. https://bit.ly/3evxSQQ

Breakdown of who has received payments and who has not: "Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Steven Terner MnuchinLawmakers fear voter backlash over failure to reach COVID-19 relief deal United Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid House Democrats plan to unveil bill next week to avert shutdown MORE said Wednesday that more than 80 million Americans have already received their payments via direct deposit. But millions of people who haven't previously given the IRS their bank information, or who may not typically file tax returns, are still waiting."

Some of the challenges for reaching everyone: "Challenges include ensuring that low-income people get their payments and addressing the concerns of taxpayers who are struggling to use IRS web tools or who say they have not yet received their payments or received incorrect payment amounts."

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Joe Biden Joe BidenMomentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day Trump expects to nominate woman to replace Ginsburg next week Video of Lindsey Graham arguing against nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year goes viral MORE's getting a lot of advice:

Via The Hill's Amie Parnes, "Joe Biden is being advised by some Democrats to select a running mate with strong economic credentials as the country faces a steep climb out of a coronavirus-fueled recession, according to sources close to the campaign." https://bit.ly/3aiRUL9

What names? *Whisper, whis-Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenBiden's fiscal program: What is the likely market impact? Warren, Schumer introduce plan for next president to cancel ,000 in student debt The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Don't expect a government check anytime soon MORE (Mass.) or Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer-per, whisper*

The plus for Warren: "Warren's area of expertise is the economy; the former Harvard professor first became a national name in politics as the chair of the oversight panel for the federal bailout program from 2008 -- the last time the country went through a recession."

The plus for Whitmer: "Whitmer is now leading her state through the coronavirus pandemic, which has shuttered businesses and led to 22 million new filings for unemployment."

TIDBIT -- BIDEN IS ASSEMBLING A TRANSITION TEAM:

Via The Hill's Jonathan Easley: https://bit.ly/2Kc9LIZ

NOTABLE TWEETS

Lol:

I thought this was America https://t.co/qA8Wmx31ph — Elise Foley (@elisefoley) April 16, 2020

Tidbit in the House:

Today during the House pro forma session, there is now a cover over the microphone pic.twitter.com/WUQEbHi8wg — Alex Moe (@AlexNBCNews) April 17, 2020

ON TAP

The House and Senate are out. President Trump and Vice President Pence are in Washington, D.C.

1 p.m. EDT: Vice President Pence speaks with Senate Democrats.

2 p.m. EDT: President Trump receives an intelligence briefing.

3 p.m. EDT: Vice President Pence leads a White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting in the Situation Room.

4 p.m. EDT: President Trump speaks with faith leaders.

Saturday: Vice President Pence will travel to Colorado for the Air Force Academy's in-person graduation. Details: https://bit.ly/34JFhY9

WHAT TO WATCH

10 a.m. EDT: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Ron DeSantisKey swing-state election lawsuits could help shape the presidential race First death reported from Hurricane Sally in Alabama Trump tells Gulf Coast residents to prepare for 'extremely dangerous' Hurricane Sally MORE (R) gave an update on his state's coronavirus response. Livestream: https://cs.pn/2XKq5sy

11 a.m. EDT: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Andrew CuomoNYT editorial board remembers Ginsburg: She 'will forever have two legacies' New York to honor Ginsburg with statue in Brooklyn New York City bus driver knocked out by passenger he told to wear a mask MORE (D) gave an update on his state's coronavirus response. Livestream: https://bit.ly/2VhUsVB

5 p.m. EDT: The White House Coronavirus Task Force holds a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/2XEeL10

Sunday: Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiSunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election Trump is betting big on the suburbs, but his strategy is failing 'bigly' Trump orders flags at half-staff to honor 'trailblazer' Ginsburg MORE (D-Calif.) will appear on "Fox News Sunday" for the first time since 2017. https://bit.ly/3euclYL

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF...

Today is National Cheeseball Day. And for weekend planning purposes, tomorrow is National Animal Crackers Day and Sunday is National Rice Ball Day.

And to get your weekend off to a good start, here's a cat enjoying its own carnival: https://bit.ly/2wNyYqb