With Congress haggling over the next stimulus package for an economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, officials in New York and New Jersey took aim at the federal government on Thursday, pleading for help.

No state has suffered more from the coronavirus outbreak than New York, which has more than 14,000 reported deaths. More than 11,000 of those fatalities have occurred in New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio said he has made another direct appeal to President Donald Trump.

“I made clear to the president that his hometown needs him,” De Blasio said. “All New Yorkers, 8.6 million, are watching the White House right now to see if the president will lead.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who reported 362 new deaths in his state, delivered a similar message, saying he and other governors in the Northeast had requested as much as $150 billion in aid.

“While the CARES Act was a very good step in the right direction, we need a lot more direct cash assistance,” he said, referring to the previous stimulus package. “There’s just no way around that.”

Thursday saw national totals for COVID-19 continue to rise, with more than 650,000 confirmed cases and more than 32,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In northern Illinois, a nursing home became the latest such facility to report more than 20 deaths. Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Quinton Lucas extended his city’s restrictions until the middle of next month. “I’m not going to sacrifice the health of Kansas City,” he said. “This is the best option for us.”

In Wisconsin, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ extension of that state’s stay-at-home order until late May was met with anger from Republican state lawmakers, who threatened legal action and curbs on his power.

Financial concerns weighed heavily on state and local governments in the hours before Trump unveiled national guidelines on easing restrictions and allowing businesses to reopen. The White House’s guidelines are only recommendations; stay-at-home orders have been issued by states and local governments.

In Richmond, Va., protesters gathered at the Capitol Square in the latest in a series of demonstrations against imposed lockdowns. In Louisiana, GOP House Minority Whip Steve Scalise pointed to resuming business, in a modified way, as the best solution to the money woes states are facing. Read more

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