U.S. was beset by denial and dysfunction as virus raged
From the White House to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, political and institutional failures cascaded through the system, and opportunities to mitigate the pandemic were lost.
Inside the coronavirus testing failure: Communications show scientists’ alarm at slow initial response by U.S.
Lab scientists expressed dismay at the Trump administration’s failure to move quickly and at bureaucratic demands that delayed testing.
White House scrambles to scoop up medical supplies worldwide, angering Canada, Germany
German officials even accused the U.S. of piracy over a shipment of masks officials claimed was diverted to the U.S. in Thailand.
Lauren and Mike Derse, owners of two toy stores in Massachusetts, said they had no choice but to lay off their entire staff. (Nathan Klima for The Post)
Retailers furloughed nearly 1 million workers. But the industry’s troubles are just beginning.
Analysts say at least 15,000 stores, including some well-known brands, are likely to close permanently.
Perspective
Trump is trying to undermine the government’s independent watchdogs — again
The president’s announcement that he is putting the intelligence community’s inspector general on leave comes one week after Trump’s claim of “presidential supervision” over the pandemic recovery watchdog, an ominous attempt to limit independent oversight of administration actions. Allowing vacancies is one way to do that.
Guide to the pandemic
There have been more than 1 million confirmed cases of covid-19. The virus has killed more than 58,000. Access to the following stories is free:
Why physical distancing shouldn’t mean social distancing
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The president informed lawmakers in a letter late Friday night that he will remove Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community.
Starmer takes the helm in a political landscape deeply changed by the fight against covid-19.
Retropolis
The Past, Rediscovered The Kennedy family said Friday night that the search for Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, 40, and her 8-year-old son Gideon had turned into a recovery mission.
Withers, who died March 30 of heart complications, had a notably brief recording career for someone whose work has become so ingrained in the American songbook.
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From The Magazine
(Rosem Morton for The Post)
Other medical conditions don’t go away during a pandemic.
