10 things you need to know today: April 23, 2020

1. Trump says he disagrees with Georgia plan to reopen

President Trump said Wednesday that he did not endorse the decision by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) to reopen parts of his state's economy despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. "I disagree, strongly," Trump told reporters. Trump said Georgia still had too many coronavirus cases to reopen under federal guidelines, but he added that Kemp "must do what he thinks is right." Kemp, whose plan sparked objections from many mayors and even some business owners, praised Trump for his "bold leadership and insight during these difficult times" and said the state's "next measured step is driven by data and guided by state public health officials" aiming to "protect the lives — and livelihoods — of all Georgians." Under Kemp's plan, gyms, salons, and tattoo parlors will reopen on Friday, followed by theaters and restaurant dining rooms on Monday.

USA Today

2. Iran says it launched its 1st military satellite

Iran said Wednesday that it had successfully launched its first military satellite into orbit. The Pentagon did not immediately confirm the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps report that the Noor (Light) satellite was orbiting 264 miles up, but the North American Aerospace Defense Command issued a new code designator for an object in orbit consistent with Iran's claim. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the rocket launch violated a 2015 United Nations Security Council resolution barring Tehran from developing technology that could deliver a nuclear weapon. That resolution backed the nuclear deal the Trump administration withdrew from. The news came on the same day that President Trump threatened to "shoot down" any Iranian gunboats that harass U.S. ships, after a close encounter in the Persian Gulf.

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The Guardian The Hill

3. Pelosi delays push for remote House voting ahead of stimulus approval

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday delayed plans to change rules to allow remote voting for the first time in the chamber's history after Republicans objected. Pelosi told fellow Democratic leaders in a conference call that a bipartisan group of congressional leaders would study the issue as the House tries to balance the need for legislative action with the danger of infection from the COVID-19 coronavirus. Republicans are pushing for Congress to start exploring a return to normal business. House members are returning to Washington for the first time in a month to vote Thursday on a $484 billion bill replenishing a small-business loan program and providing money for hospitals and the expansion of coronavirus testing.

The Washington Post

4. Doctor dismissed from COVID-19 vaccine job after opposing hydroxychloroquine use

Dr. Rick Bright, the infectious disease expert who led the effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine, has left his position as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Bright said he was dismissed because he opposed efforts to back an unproven coronavirus treatment pushed by President Trump. Bright said he had limited the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, "promoted by the administration as a panacea," because the drugs lack "scientific merit" as treatments for the COVID-19 coronavirus. He added: "I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus, science — not politics or cronyism — has to lead the way." A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Bright's transfer, saying he would now lead a public-private partnership on vaccine development and treatment.

CNN Stat News

5. U.S. officials say China helped spread false coronavirus lockdown warnings

U.S. intelligence officials believe that Chinese agents, using false social media accounts, helped spread false information about an impending coronavirus lockdown throughout the United States last month, The New York Times reported Wednesday, citing six American officials. Messages that spread over social media and through text messages in mid-March claimed the Trump administration was about to lock down the country amid the coronavirus crisis, with one claiming this would be announced "as soon as they have troops in place to help prevent looters and rioters." After a widespread 48-hour burst of the posts, the White House's National Security Council announced "there is no national lockdown," tweeting that the messages were "FAKE."

The New York Times

6. Stocks surge as oil stabilizes, then pause ahead of jobless claims

Stocks surged on Wednesday, rising for the first time in three days as oil prices stabilized after a record-setting dive, and Congress moved closer to approving a new coronavirus stimulus deal. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained nearly 2 percent, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq jumped by 2.3 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively. The gains came as the U.S. benchmark crude, West Texas Intermediate, for June delivery gained 19 percent to $13.78 per barrel. The rebound came after the May contract for West Texas Intermediate expired on Tuesday after falling below $0 per barrel, a first. Stock futures slipped ahead of the start of trading Thursday, then turned flat as investors braced for data expected to show that millions more Americans filed new jobless claims last week.

CNBC

7. Poll: Americans overwhelmingly back social-distancing measures

Even as protesters in many states call for letting businesses reopen, Americans overwhelmingly support leaving stay-at-home orders in place to contain the COVID-19 coronavirus, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Wednesday. Sixty-one percent of the poll's respondents said they support the current steps being taken by government officials to limit the spread of the outbreak. Twenty-six percent said the measures don't go far enough, and only 12 percent said the restrictions go too far. About 8 in 10 said they backed stay-at-home orders and bans on gatherings of more than 10 people.

The Associated Press

8. China calls Missouri's coronavirus lawsuit 'absurd'

China on Wednesday called the state of Missouri's lawsuit blaming Beijing for the coronavirus pandemic was "very absurd." Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the allegation had "no factual and legal basis at all." China has strongly denied allegations that it delayed reporting the outbreak in the city of Wuhan during the crucial early days at the end of 2019. Critics say medical staff who tried to alert the public were silenced as the government put political stability ahead of public health. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said China lied about the threat the virus posed, and didn't do enough to prevent it from spreading. The lawsuit is mostly symbolic, as U.S. law generally prohibits lawsuits against other countries.

The Associated Press

9. Female-centric Star Wars show reportedly in the works

Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland is working on a new Star Wars show for Disney+, Variety reported on Wednesday. She'll reportedly serve as writer and showrunner for the series, which is said to be female-centric and take place "in a different part of the Star Wars timeline than other projects." The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed the news, writing the deal dates back several months while noting that Headland attended the premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in December. This is another Star Wars series headed to Disney's streaming service after The Mandalorian, and two other Star Wars shows are also in development.

Variety

10. Earth Day celebrates its 50th year — online

Activists around the world celebrated the 50th Earth Day on Wednesday online, after the coronavirus pandemic made widespread in-person events impossible. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, the U.S. has made progress in protecting the environment, with policies that have resulted in cleaner air and water, and bans on asbestos and DDT. On this Earth Day, lockdowns worldwide to slow the spread of COVID-19 have brought clearer skies, sightings of wild animals in cities, and sharp drops in air pollution. "It is giving us this quite extraordinary insight into just how much of a mess we humans are making of our beautiful planet," as well as "an opportunity to magically see how much better it can be," Duke University conservation scientist Stuart Pimm said to The Associated Press.

The Associated Press The New York Times