Good afternoon and welcome thanks for joining us here on r. T. International. Well start with an update on the latest global coronavirus figures the total number of infections that is now above 4200000 284000 lives have been lost more than 1500000 people have recovered. France is taking its 1st tentative steps back to normality today its a week lockdown these being eased back although some restrictions will remain in place for instance masks are mandatory on public transport while some see the overall move as being positive for this fear it could lead to a 2nd spike in infections or do risky has details. From today thats monday many shops will be able to reopen schools will start to reopen public transport will be running more efficiently than it has over the last 8 weeks people hoping to get the taste of freedom for the last 8 weeks every time theyve left the house of had to have a personal permission slip and act to say exactly why theyre leaving the house for a select narrow set of
Relief measures congressre has passed there was 150 billion sent to the state and local governments, much of which have yet to be spent and frankly we dont know what the actual need is until we have a better sense of what the revenue loss is to the state and local governments. They are sounding the alarm and justifiably worried about what happens if the downturn in the economy continues and what that dght mean for their revenues. So, they are looking to washington, d. C. For assistance, and i think that as i said earlier, there was 150 billion that went out to state and local governments and thereve been concerns about how they could be used. They were stipulated that they had to be used for these expenses and many state and local leaders were concerned that that didnt give them the flexibility thatee they needed o meet other types of needs. The Treasury Department has come out with an interpretation that would t allow the 150 billion already appropriated to be used to pay firefighters
Physically in the classroom, but we hope and expect our learning every day. The issues of equity, the issues of access and availability, laptops, computers, screens. Issues of connectivity as it relates to internet and broadband. All of those issues, vaccines, even on the natural but particularly under the circumstances made more acute and more foundational in terms of our ability to not just promote the promise of education during this time but to actually deliver on it. Ive been very proud of the work that many folks have done from the superintendent of Public Education to the president of the state school board, linda darling hammond, both of which are on the phone today but ive also been very blessed by someone that i know very well, and thats my wife, the first partner of the state of california. She, in partnership with members of my team, ben cheetah and others, have been working hard over the last few weeks to build on the announcement we made a few weeks ago about those 100,00
Colleagues have come to the floor and spoken here or elsewhere about the importance of providing assistance to state and local governments, and that if that doesnt happen that theyre there are going to be police officers, First Responders and people who have essential jobs that we rely on every single day and for whom were so grateful, that wouldnt be able to get paid. I would just point out that already as part of the Coronavirus Relief measures that congress has passed, there was 150 billion sent to state and local governments, much of which has yet to be spent. And, frankly, much of which we dont know what the actual need is out there until we have a better sense for what the revenue loss is to a lot of our state and local governments. Clearly they are sounding the alarm and are justifiably worried about what happens if the downturn in the economy continues and what that might mean to their revenues. And so they are looking to washington, d. C. For assistance, and i think that as i
Governor newsom giving his Daily Briefing on the covid 19 response, right now number wise we know there are 31,000 cases in california and close to 1200 people so far have died from coronavirus in the state and here in the bay area there are more than 6400 confirmed cases with close to 200 people who have died. Now lets go to Governor Newsom right now with just stepped up to the microphone. We have been able to organize this and help support our 6 million kids not physically in the classroom but we hope and expect are learning every day. The issues of equity and the issues of access and availability of laptops and computers, screens, issues of connectivity as it relates to internet and broadband, all of those issues we see on the natural but particularly under the circumstances made more acute and more foundational in terms of our ability to not just promote the promise of education during this time to actually deliver on it. I have been very proud of the work that many have done from