The nations top vaccine specialist over the drug the president calls a miracle treatment. Tonight, he says hes speaking out because science and not politics need to lead the way. Danger at americas food plants new concerns tonight as major meat plants are forced to close because workers are testing positive. What this could mean for our food supply. A reminder of good in this country, Health Care Heroes celebrated in new york. And in virginia, one teens highflying mission to get much needed medical supplies to hospitals. And its earth day. Tonight on the 50th anniversary, why the skies are clearer and the water is cleaner. The Silver Lining of a pandemic. This is the cbs evening news with norah odonnell, reporting from the nations capital. Odonnell good evening, and thank you for joining us. There are two major headlines as we come on the air tonight, putting scientists at odds with the trump administration. Researchers behind one of the leading coronavirus models, one that the white house has repeatedly cited, now says most of the country should not consider lifting stay at home orders until the end of may. The new model comes as protests to reopen are growing, and just as some southern governors are already loosening their restrictions. Meantime tonight, the scientists in charge of coordinating the government search for a Coronavirus Vaccine says he has been abruptly ousted from his job because of what he calls politics and cronyism. Dr. Rick bright, the head of a littleknown agency called barda, says he was sidelined after refusing to push for what he calls ondemand access to hydroxychloroquine. That is the drug that President Trump has repeatedly mentioned as a treatment for covid19, even though it hasnt been approved for that use. Now, all of this as the death e u. S. Has now passednow passed 46,000. Our team is covering all of the breaking news tonight. Cbs mola lenghi leads us off tonight in the epicenter of the outbreak, new york. Mola. Reprter well, norah, nowhere in the city is that death toll higher per capita than right here in the bronx. Its why Governor Cuomo insists on expanded testing before easing those stayathome orders. Meanwhile, some governors in other states are taking the opposite approach all this while hospitals continue to deal with life and death on a daily basis. Move, everybody move. Reporter at st. Josephs Medical Center in yonkers, new york. Life is on a razors edge when doctors shocked this patients heart, saving him, for now. His fight against coronavirus still continues with the help of a ventilator. As patients fight for survival, debate intensifies over how soon states should reopen for business. A new model, often cited by the white house, shows no states should reopen before may 1, and that most should not until the end of may. The model shows states like tennessee shouldnt reopen until may 20, texas, june 7, and georgia, june 19. Yet these states plan to partially reopen over the next several days. This afternoon, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced he will open his state in phases beginning friday. As protesters in richmond, virginia, some linked to conservative groups, descended on the state capitol, they demanded virginia be reopened for business. New york, the epicenter of the crisis, is ramping up testing and renewing efforts to find people who have been potentially exposed to the virus. We have to put together a tracing army. This is going to be a massive undertaking. The good news is, mayor Michael Bloomberg has volunteered to help us develop and implement the tracing program. Reporter police in westport, connecticut, are taking to the skies to test the use of drones fitted with cameras to provide data, including social distancing, heart rate, and fever detection. Beginning this week, new e. M. T. Guidelines across the state of new york. Paramedics are not to make life saving attempts to unresponsive patients, essentially, do not revive, in order to protect First Responders from coronavirus exposure. Still, e. M. T. S in new york city say they have yet to adopt the guidelines. The citys 911 calls peaked at nearly 7,300, almost double what used to be a normal day. In recent days, theyve returned to precoronavirus levels, around 4,000 a day. Still, mostly covid calls. Ive been with the Fire Department for 19 years, and ive never in my life told so many people in one day that their family is no longer going to be with them. Reporter every day, e. M. T. Andrew brock sees the coronavirus swift cruelty. With some of them it happened so fast. Theyve been okay, and then they just start to feel a little sick one day, and then the next day theyre gone. Reporter at this call, a middleaged man is suffering from covidlike symptoms. The family wanted him checked out. Theyre worried theyre not going to see him again. Reporter well, norah, we were also struck by this pretty remarkable scene out of new york this Morning Health care volunteers from out of state heading into their final shifts at City Hospitals and being applauded, as you can see, by Police Officers as they boarded their buses to work. With the cases flattening here in the city, they can now head home with their heads held high as heroes. Norah. Odonnell and thanked by the n. Y. P. D. Mola, thank you. Tonight, the man who led the governments race to a vaccine is blowing the whistle and calling for an investigation. Rick bright says he was removed from his job after pressing for rigorous vetting for a drug embraced by President Trump as a miracle treatment. Bright said science must always trump politics. Its all unfolding late tonight. And cbs paula reid is at the white house. Paula. Repo no nha learned that this key official, who spent his entire career on vaccine development, was pushing for more rigorous testing of these treatments endorsed by President Trump right before he was pushed out of his position. The explosive charge came from rick bright, who said he was dismissed yesterday after pushing for a more thorough vetting of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug the president has pushed as a possible breakthrough for coronavirus. Bright said the administration has pressured me other and conscientious scientists to Fund Companies with political connections, as well as efforts that lack scientific merit. He added that sidelining me in the middle of this pandemic and placing politics and cronyism ahead of science puts lives at risk. The president has touted the promise of hydroxychloroquine many times, despite questions raised previously by many other Health Officials about its effectiveness. Based on what i see, it could be a game changer. Reporter as the president praised states who are moving to reopen their economies, new modeling, used by the white house, now predicts nearly 66,000 could die by august, a significant increase from what the president claimed earlier this week. It looks like well be at about a 60,000 mark. Reporter the president s own c. D. C. Director, robert redfield, warned a second wave of the virus, that could coincide with the opening of flu season this fall, will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through. Mr. Trump said redfield had been misquoted. I didnt say that this was going to be worse. I said it was going to be more compli or more difficult, and potentially complicated because well have flu and coronavirus circulating at the same time. Reporter but epidemiologists agree that a second wave is possible, and that it could overwhelm the health care system. If we have an overlap of Covid Patients, a rise in Covid Patients at the same time we have a rise in flu season, that could be difficult for hospitals to manage. Reporter tonight, dr. Redfield confirmed that quote he gave to the Washington Post was accurate. Meanwhile, dr. Bright is calling for an Inspector General investigation into whether this administration is politicizing scientific research. Norah. Odonnell paula, thank you for that reporting. And now to california. Tonight, it is the first state to recommend expanding covid19 testing for asymptomatic people in highrisk places, like prisons and nursing homes. And there are new questions tonight about the coronavirus timeline when did the first person die from the disease here in the u. S. . Weve got more now from cbs jamie yuccas. Reporter the news of a covid19 death in Washington State february 26 shocked americans. But now, an autopsy confirms a Northern California death 20 days earlier. We had community transmission, probably to a significant degree, far earlier than we had known. N m called todayrn oader inveig wactual directede stta clara, go back as far as december, to request coroners autopsy to dig even deeper. Reporter u. C. Berkeley epidemiologist dr. Art reingold do you think this is much more widespread on the west coast than we even realized . Most people in california remain susceptible to this infection. So, 3 4 of the population may have antibodies, but the vast majority of us remain uninfected and at risk. Reporter california has seen a 67 jump in deaths in the last week. The state will now test more asymptomatic people in highrisk environments. I do think were flattening the curve. Reporter jason knoell is recovering from the covid19 infection he got in early march. I think were saving live now,ch i thithng. I do think at the time maybe there were a lot of people that should have been taking it a lot more seriously, though. Reporter Governor Newsom says the state has not met his criteria for lifting that stay athome order. One of them is testing. Thats why they hope to have 86 new testing sites up and running soon. Norah. Odonnell jamie, thank you. Tonight, the u. N. Is warning that the pandemic is putting the world at risk of widespread famines of biblical proportions. There are growing concerns about Food Supplies in this country, especially in americas meat industry. An explosion of coronavirus is forcing some meat packing plants to shut down. Reporter a major port Processing Plant is the latest to close, tyson foods, in waterloo, iowa, where workers process 20,000 hogs a day. It comes after an outbreak of at least 180 covid19 cases there, and after iowa lawmakers filed an osha complaint, even though the states governor resisted. We can work with different processing facilities across the state t the pnd going. Reporter a usa today investigation found 150 of the nations largest plants are in county wheres the infection rate is spiking, threatening not only workers, but potentially the food supply. Any plants or factories across the country could become the number one hot spot next week if they do not take this issue seriously. Reporter Processing Plants can be a breeding ground for the virus because many workers spend their days side by side. This man, who recovered from covid19 and asked we not use his name, works at Smithfield Foods in south dakota. We are very close. We cant use a social distance at that place. Reporter tonight, there is increasing concern about the supply of meat and poultry. The Agriculture Department reports beef production is already down 19 from a year already down 1 ago. Are we going to be going through a meat shortage in the United States . You know, you may not get the exact product that you want when you go to the store, but we do not expect i would not expect a protein shortage. Reporter and tonight, cbs news has learned that tyson has closed yet another of its plants, this time in indiana. And here in texas, public Health Officials are now investigating outbreaks at two rural Processing Plants, area where hospitals and resources are thin. Norah. Odonnell all right, janet, thank you. Tonight, a new study lists the underlying conditions that are at increased risk for coronavirus patients. The top three hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. Those are more likely to be found among African Americans, a community where the virus is taking an especially heavy toll. Cbs jeff pegues reports tonight from baltimore. Reporter covid19 has left two gaping holes in sandy thomas life. Mommy and penny are gone, and its very sad and lonely in there. Reporter on march 18, her 87yearold mother, gertrude, was admitted to a baltimore hospital. Just five days later, her sister, penny, was, too. Both died within days of each other in the same intensive care unit. How are you holding it together . Through the grace of god. Reporter in maryland, blacks account for 31 of the population but almost 45 of the coronavirus deaths. In louisiana, African Americans make up 33 of the population, but 56 of the dead. Cities like new york chicago, and washington, d. C. Also show similar disparities. Dr. Selwyn vickers says historical inequity plays a role. They are the ones that not only will have limited access to care at times, but also have a high rate of preexisting conditions. Reporter this week, the n. A. A. C. P. Sounded the alarm through baltimores streets. Wash your hands, wear gloves, and use a mask. The messaging, Public Health guidance simply was not penetrating certain segments of our community. Reporter now, thomas 39 yearold nephew has tested positive too. She is pleading for everyone to take the threat seriously. My mother and my sister are gone. They were doing everything they were told to do, and yet, it still got them. Reporter the c. D. C. Is still gathering data on how the coronavirus impacts communities of color. Critics of the agencys response say this lack of data right now is making it harder to respond to this crisis in the nations neediest communities. Norah. Odonnell all right, jeff, thank you. And tonight, our friend gayle king will anchor a onehour special on b. E. T. , our Sister Network at viacomcbs, covid 19 black americas fight. Followed by saving ourselves a b. E. T. Covid19 relief effort to support communities of color. It all starts tonight at 7 00 on b. E. T. And there is still much more news ahead on tonights cbs evening news. Its earth day plus 50 years. Clearer skies and cleaner water while were stuck inside, and why the animals seem to love every minute of it. Later an airlift to keep hospitals supplied. It was all the idea of a 16 yearold. Open. Remember having that feeling for the first time . The first day you opened. The first day you had a customer, the first day you taught a class, had a client, a patient, a session. Open. Remember the night before you opened . Who could ever sleep . Open. But theres a different question we are being asked now. Are you going to remain open . Even when your doors are closed . Open. Thats how we show who we are. And theres another way to be open, to pull together or push, depending on the door. And we are making it work and we will continue to make it work together. Because open we stand. And look, it feels like im just im sewasting time. Nfo on options trading, thats why Td Ameritrade designed a firstofitskind, personalized education center. Their awardwinning content is tailored to fit your investing goals and interests. And it learns with you, so as you become smarter, so do its recommendations. So its like my streaming service. Well except now, youre binge learning. For a limited time, get up to 800 when you open and fund an account. Call 8663009417 or visit tdameritrade. Com learn. Thats ensure max protein, with high protein and 1 gram sugar. Its a situp, banana bend at the waist im tryin keep it up. Youll get there. Whoahoahoa 30 grams of protein, and one gram of sugar. Ensure max protein. Odonnell tonight, we mark the 50th anniversary of earth day. There were supposed to be big celebrations around the world, but instead, people are celebrating inside, and theyre celebrating cleaner air and cleaner water. Heres cbs John Blackstone with tonights eye on earth. Reporter on this earth day, the outofdoors is largely out of bounds. Parks and beaches are closed. Even picnic tables are off limits. I imagine this is a much different earth day 50 than you had expected to be. Michael brood is executive director of the sierra club. We expected to see hundreds of millions of people out in the streets. There were dozens of exhibits reporter in 1970, on the first earth day, demonstrators filled cities around the world. Today, those streets are largely empty, but the air, temporarily at least, is cleaner. There are a whole bunch of people around the world who are seeing blue skies above their cities for the first time. Reporter Technology Forecaster paul saffo says that may help clear the air in the future. All of this enforced working at home will have a huge impact. It is completely culturally acceptable to work at home, where even three months ago ld have winced at winced at that. That. Reporter earth day is dedicated to all species. And while humans are locked lling thedlife is filling the void. Void. In yosemite, animals arent hiding from visitors. On floridas, coast manatees are showing up in unusual numbers. Right in front of our apartment reporter from goats in a deserted town in wales, to lions lounging on a road in south africa nature seems to be saying, we can get along fine without you. We all need nature, a lot more than nature needs us. Reporter perhaps more than ever, this earth day is a reminder of how much there is out there to cherish. John blackstone, cbs news, san francisco. Odonnell coming up next, the teenager taking to the skies to help fight the pandemic. To help fight the pandemic. Odonnell there is a remarkable effort underway to airlift vital supplies to hospitals, and you might be surprised by whos in the cockpit. Cbs kris van cleave has the story. Reporter its an Airborne Mission of mercy by a 16year Old High School sophomore. T. J. Kim is using his weekly flying lesson to deliver much needed personal protective equipment to rural hospitals across virginia. What was it about the rural hospitals that jumped out at you . You . Kind of just how forgotten they are, the rural hospitals that are really in need and not the hospitals Everyone Wants to help. Reporter with sports canceled and classes now online, kim wanted to fill the downtime by doing something to help. So during the week, he and his father gathered the supplies, and every weekend, loaded down with boxes of lifesaving gear, t. J. Takes off. His operation, s. O. S. , supplies over skies, desti its two and a half hours outside of washington, d. C. Its the only hospital for 35 miles in any direction. Every little bit helps. Reporter kimb hdl handles supplies for the hospital. She and about a half dozen coworkers came to hummel field to cheer the softspoken teen who hopes to attend the Naval Academy some day. I just told him how thankful we are and thank you. Because i really, truly, believe, as big as this project is, his heart is actually bigger. Reporter it must feel special. Yeah, obviously, it is. Im just helping in any way i can. Reporter a life lesson worth learning at any altitude. Kris van cleave, cbs news, topping, virginia. Odonnell and well be right back. U, no man ask for its the terr of knowing what the world is about. Watching some good friends screaming let me out under pressure ves for adults with moderately to severely active crohns disease, stelara® works differently. Studies showed relief and remission, with dosing every 8 weeks. Stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. Some serious infections require hospitalization. Before treatment, get tested for tb. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or flulike symptoms or sores, have had cancer, or develop new skin growths, or if anyone in your house needs or recently had a vaccine. Alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. 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The governor wont set a date yet, what he says needs to be done to open the economy and get people back to work. We believe we have the capacity to build an army of tracers beginning with the goal of 10,000. None of these cases have a significant travel history. We presume that each of them represent community transmission. We are learning about the local victims who may have been the first to die in the coronavirus in the United States. The bay area county loosening some of its restrictions. The businesses that will be allowed to reopen. New body camera video of a shooting at a walmart and the