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Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

White House Weekly Recap

for State, local, Tribal officials

On behalf of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA), we are providing you this top-line update of this week's resources, news, and guidance from your Federal partners to help you serve your fellow citizens including:

 Recap of COVID-19 National Briefing Call  Details of Another Month of Historic Job Growth  Designation of Wilmington, NC as First American WWII Heritage City  How the Trump Administration Is Committed to the Rule of Law and Keeping Communities Safe  Update on to Deliver Safe and Effective COVID-19 and Therapeutics  Expanded Healthcare Access to Rural America  USDA Extension of Free Meals for Kids Program  The Vice President’s Briefing with Higher Education Leaders and State and Local Officials on Campus COVID-19 Considerations  The First Lady's National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month Event  Airport Improvement Grants Announcement

We appreciate your partnership and will continue to share pertinent updates as they become available. As a reminder, IGA is the primary liaison between the White House and America's State and local elected officials and Tribal governments. Please do not hesitate to reach out if we can ever be of assistance. Sincerely,

The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

William F. Crozer Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director O: 202-456-8491 | C: 202-881-8545 | E: [email protected] @WilliamCrozer45

Nick Barbknecht Associate Director Cell 202-881-9124 [email protected]

Gabby Uli Deputy Associate Director Cell 202-881-8552 [email protected]

COVID-19 National Briefing Call Recap Ambassador (White House Task Force Coordinator): Dr. Birx highlighted her recent travel in Iowa, North Dakota, , and Minnesota where she met with State, local, and Tribal leaders on COVID-19 response and recovery. Dr. Birx noted that we are seeing positive trends nationwide, including a 35 percent decline in hospitalizations and cases since the peak 4-5 weeks ago. We are also seeing declines in mortalities, which is an important lagging indicator. Dr. Birx noted that the majority of cases we are seeing is through community/family gatherings and she emphasized the importance of colleges and universities having robust testing and contact tracing plans in place given the recent spikes in case positivity rates we are seeing in college and university towns across the country.

Admiral (Assistant Secretary of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services): ADM Giroir provided an update on the Federal government's efforts to scale testing and support States, Tribes, and Localities across the country. This includes the recent surge of Federal testing support and personnel to Phoenix, Arizona (Pima County) and Honolulu, Hawaii. ADM Giroir highlighted the Trump Administration's recent announcement regarding the purchase and production of 150 million rapid tests to be distributed across the country. He also gave an overview of the Administration's recent actions to protect our nation's seniors by strengthening COVID-19 with new testing requirements for nursing homes and other providers. The Administration continues to surge resources to our Nation's nursing homes - including having already shipped over 2 million point-of-care tests and over 5,600 point-of-care machines to the highest risk nursing homes (read more here). The Administration is also distributing $5 billion more in Provider Relief Funds for nursing homes - the first $2.5 billion of these funds will be distributed to help nursing homes cover testing, PPE, and staffing expenses.

Ted McKinney (Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture): Undersecretary McKinney detailed the USDA's work to care for all Americans from the food supply chain to feeding America's children with the latest programs while supporting America's farmers.

Jim Carroll (Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy - ONDCP): Monday, August 31st marked International Overdose Awareness Day. To mark the occasion, ONDCP joined our Federal partners at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to unveil an infographic explaining to first responders how they can safely administer naloxone during the COVID-19 pandemic. As naloxone is frequently administered nasally, concerns about possible COVID-19 transmission while employing the life-saving drug caused understandable unease among some police, EMTs, and others. The infographic explains in straightforward fashion how reasonable precautions can ensure naloxone can be administered without fear of contracting COVID-19 in the critical moments immediately following an overdose. Please share this naloxone guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic with all of your first responders.

Keith Turi (Assistant Administrator for Recovery, Federal Emergency Management Agency): Turi discussed new interim guidance from FEMA that clarifies eligible work under the Public Assistance program as part of the response to COVID-19. The interim policy defines the framework, details and requirements for eligibility of work and costs under the Public Assistance Program to ensure consistent and appropriate implementation across all COVID-19 emergency and major disaster declarations. Only work associated with the performance of emergency protective measures specifically listed in this policy is eligible for Public Assistance in COVID-19- declared events. The interim policy is applicable to eligible applicants only and is exclusive to emergency and major disaster declarations for the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance applies to work performed on or after September 15, 2020.

READ MORE: Americans are anxious to get back to work and to send their children to school. The science backs them up. - Dr. , Advisor to the President

August Delivers Another Month of Historic Job Growth

Nominal average hourly earnings jumped up 0.4% in August The amount of jobs added to the U.S. economy over the past 4 months, has surpassed expectations by a combined 12.2 million jobs. A record 10.6 million jobs have been gained since April, bringing back about 50% of the jobs lost from the lockdowns. 249,000 retail, 174,000 leisure and hospitality, and 45,000 manufacturing and constructions jobs were added in August. American economy gained nearly 1.4 million jobs in August, making it the fourth month in a row of over 1 million jobs added.

The Great American Comeback is underway all across our Nation! Unlike the previous administration, which led a historically slow recovery, President Trumps’ pro-growth policies are unleashing a great American comeback and the recovery continues to trounce the Obama administration’s sluggish recovery. Under Obama, it took nearly 9 years for the unemployment rate to drop 6.3 percentage points, something achieved in just 4 months under President Trump.

@realDonaldTrump: Great Jobs Numbers! 1.37 Million Jobs Added In August. Unemployment Rate Falls To 8.4% (Wow, much better than expected!). Broke the 10% level faster and deeper than thought possible.

The unemployment rate has fallen to a level that forecasters didn’t expect to reach even by the end of the year.

 The CBO projected in July that we would end the year with a 10.5 percent unemployment rate.  The Federal Reserve predicted the unemployment rate would be 9.3 percent by the end of 2020.  The unemployment rate dropped by 1.8 percentage points to 8.4%, beating expectations which only predicted a 0.4 percentage point decrease.  The August unemployment rate drop is the second largest decrease on record.  The unemployment rate fell for African Americans (-1.6 percentage points), Hispanic Americans (-2.4 percentage points), and Asian Americans (-1.3 percentage points).  In addition, those without a high schools diplomas saw a 2.8 percentage point decrease in unemployment, while the rate for adult women fell by 2.1 percentage points – the second largest drop ever.

Trump Administration Designates Wilmington, North Carolina as First American World War II Heritage City

On Wednesday, September 2, President Trump and U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt traveled to and designated the city of Wilmington, North Carolina as the first American World War II Heritage City. The designation recognizes the countless contributions of the women and men who stepped into the workforce to support America's successful campaign during World War II.

Watch the President's Remarks

Read More from North Carolina Lt. Governor Dan Forest: Wilmington and North Carolina's Battleship Have Earned Their National Praise

The City of Wilmington, known as the "Defense Capital of the State," was home to several strategic defense industries, including the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company. The city more than doubled in population during the war as workers built 243 ships in five years and supported other rapidly expanding industries. Wilmington, NC also served as a critical training hub for each branch of the military, and it is now also home to the U.S.S. North Carolina, a battleship that took part in every major naval offensive in the Pacific.

The Trump Administration is Committed to Keeping Communities Safe; Update On Tuesday, September 1, President Trump traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin (population ~100,000) to view the impact of recent violence and rioting. The President met with impacted small business owners and discussed response and recovery needs with Federal, State, and local leaders, including law enforcement personnel. President Trump underscored the Administration's full support for law enforcement and commitment to restoring law and order to communities across the country.

Watch the full Kenosha Roundtable with President Trump

READ MORE: President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Announce $41 Million in Emergency Funding to Address the Public Safety Crisis in Wisconsin

“Law enforcement has just done such a great job working with the National Guard and working with a lot of people . . . we’re here to show our support for Kenosha.” - President Trump

Across the Nation, Federal law enforcement is coordinating with State and local law enforcement to bring justice to rioters, looters, arsonists, and other criminals preying on our communities. Operation Legend—a Department of Justice-led initiative to fight violent crime in America’s cities—has resulted in more than 2,000 arrests in less than 2 months. 147 arrests have been made for homicide; more than 544 firearms have been taken off the streets; and more than seven kilos of , 14 kilos of heroin, 12 kilos of cocaine, and 50 kilos of methamphetamine have been seized. In Kansas City, where the operation launched, the murder rate has been cut by 33 percent. In , the murder rate has been cut in half over the last month. Read more here.

@Mike_Pence: I’m proud to report that since we launched Operation LeGend, local & federal law enforcement have made more than 2,000 arrests, including suspects 90 homicides. The operation in LeGend's name is going to continue to bring peace & security to cities across America, so help us God.

Local News Roundup

KRQE (Albuquerque): Operation Legend makes 2,000 arrests since July, 35 in Albuquerque Fox 32 (Chicago): Operation Legend responsible for 100 arrests so far in Chicago 19 News (): 54 people charged with federal crimes in Cleveland since Operation Legend started Local 4 (): Operation Legend in Detroit - More than 40 people charged with federal offenses KMBC (Kansas City): Prosecutors say 355 arrests made so far under Operation LeGend

KSDK (St. Louis): Here's how many violent offenders have been charged since Operation Legend launched in St. Louis

Update on Trump Administration's Operation Warp Speed

On August 31, President Trump provided an update on Operation Warp Speed announcing that a Phase III clinical testing of AstraZeneca's Coronavirus candidate has begun. The trial will enroll approximately 30,000 adult volunteers at 80 sites in the to evaluate if the candidate vaccine can prevent symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In total, three Operation Warp Speed-supported candidates are in Phase 3 trials in the United States, and more are expected to enter United States Phase 3 trials by the end of September.

Secretary : How We're Developing a COVID-19 Vaccine at 'Warp Speed' About Operation Warp Speed: On May 15, President Trump announced the launch of Operation Warp Speed (OWS) to deliver safe and effective coronavirus treatments and vaccines as quickly as possible. OWS aims to begin delivery of 300 million doses of an FDA authorized, safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 by the end of the year as part of a broader strategy to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. OWS is a partnership among components of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense, engaging with private firms and other federal agencies, and coordinating among existing HHS-wide efforts, including the NIH’s Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) partnership, NIH’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative, and work by the Biomedical Advanced Authority within the HHS Office of the SAssistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. Find a helpful Fact Sheet here.

The Trump Administration Delivers on its Promise to Expand Healthcare Access in Rural America; Releases Rural Action Plan

On Tuesday, August 2, the Trump Administration delivered on the promise to expand healthcare access in and improve outcomes for rural America. Following President Trump's August 3rd Executive Order on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a memorandum of understanding to work together on the Rural Telehealth Initiative.

@SecretarySonny: Increasing access to quality telehealth services is critical especially now . . .

@FCC: Today, @FCC, @HHSgov, & @USDA announced the Rural Telehealth Initiative, a joint effort to collabroate & share info . . .

On Thursday, September 3, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a Rural Action Plan evaluating existing and upcoming efforts to improve rural healthcare. The plan is the first HHS-wide assessment of rural healthcare efforts in more than 18 years and the product of HHS’s Rural Task Force, a group of experts and leaders across the department first put together by Secretary Azar in 2019.

@SecAzarL: @HHSGov, @USDA, and @FCC just teamed up on the Rural Telehealth Initiative to help ensure rural America has access to broadband and #telehealth . . .

The plan lays out a four-point strategy to transform rural health and human services, with a number of actions that can be launched within weeks or months. The four points of the strategy are:

 Building a sustainable health and human services model for rural communities, including actions such as:  Leveraging technology and innovation, including:  Focusing on preventing disease and mortality, including:  Increasing rural access to care, including:

READ MORE: HHS Releases Rural Action Plan

More Rural Health Resources

 Executive Order on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access  President Donald J. Trump Is Expanding Access to Telehealth Services and Ensuring Continued Access to Healthcare for Rural Americans  Trump administration aims to keep telehealth revolution here to stay  Deregulation Sparks Dramatic Telehealth Increase During the COVID-19 Response  President Trump and Secretary Shulkin Announce Veteran Telehealth Initiatives The Trump Administration Extends Free Meals for Kids Program Through December

On August 31, the Trump Administration - through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - announced it will extend the free meals for kids program through December 21, 2020. The flexibility allows summer meal program operators to continue serving free meals to all children into the fall months. This unprecedented move will help ensure - no matter what the situation is on-the-ground - children have access to nutritious food as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

@SecretarySonny: Today at Bonaire Elementary School in Georgia I announced USDA will extend free school meals for kids through December 31st

Since the start of the emergency, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has been maximizing existing program services and flexibilities to ensure those in need have access to food through our 15 federal nutrition assistance programs. To date, USDA has provided more than 3,000 flexibilities across these programs. USDA has also leveraged new and innovative approaches to feeding kids, including a public-private partnership that provided nearly 40 million meals directly to the doorsteps of low- income rural children. For more information on FNS’ response to COVID-19, visit fns.usda.gov/coronavirus.

READ MORE: USDA Extends Free Meals for Kids Through December 31, 2020

The Vice President’s Briefing with Higher Education Leaders and State and Local Officials on Campus COVID-19 Considerations On Friday, August 4, Vice President led a discussion with college presidents, State and local leaders, the Secretary of Education, and members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force to brief them on the principles contained in the recently released “Recommendations for College Students.” These principles are intended to keep schools open while mitigating community spread.

The Vice President highlighted a number of states and institutions that have taken innovative and collaborative approaches to return students to their campuses. For example: Colorado State University is using surveillance testing to monitor the potential spread of COVID-19 and the University of Notre Dame quickly and efficiently dealt with an outbreak on campus. The Vice President also emphasized the importance of keeping our schools open and students on or near campus, and praised the efforts of all essential workers who have made school reopening possible, including teachers.

READ MORE: Readout from the Vice President’s Briefing with Higher Education Leaders and State and Local Officials on Campus COVID-19 Considerations

CDC Guidance for Schools & Higher Education Institutions Reopening The CDC has released science-based resources and tools for school administrators, teachers, parents, guardians, and caregivers when schools open this fall. The CDC discusses the importance of reopening America’s schools this fall here noting that “as families and policymakers make decisions about their children returning to school, it is important to consider the full spectrum of benefits and risks of both in-person and virtual learning options.” As noted previously by CDC Director Redfield, the CDC is able to provide technical assistance to any State, school district, or school. Please let us know if you have any interest.

 K-12 Schools Guidance & Considerations here.  Higher Education Institutions Guidance & Considerations here.  White House Coronavirus Task Force Recommendations for College Students here.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) COVID-19 Planning Considerations – Guidance for School Re-entry: Full Guidance here.

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month Event

On Thursday, August 3, First Lady Melania Trump and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) partnered together to host “Recovery Works: Celebrating Connections” in recognition of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. The White House officially commemorated Recovery Month with a Proclamation Issued by President Trump on August 31, 2020.

The First Lady was joined by ONDCP Director Jim Carroll, Surgeon General , National Economic Council Director , First Lady of North Dakota Kathryn Burgum, and recovery-friendly employers and their employees. The First Lady opened the roundtable by thanking ONDCP, and those in attendance, for recognizing all Americans in recovery and the incredible organizations that support them. Mrs. Trump emphasized that “today, we are here to highlight two important things in recovery: the power of recovery tools and resources in the workplace, and the role personal connection to others plays in achieving sobriety.” The First Lady’s Be Best initiative expands upon these themes by promoting healthy relationships and strong families, and by supporting the people and programs in communities that give children their best chance to succeed.

READ MORE: Readout from The White House National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month Event

Trump Administration Announces $1.2 Billion in Infrastructure Grants to America's Airports

On Tuesday, September 1, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced that the Trump Administration will award more than $1.2 billion in airport safety and infrastructure grants through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to 405 airports in 50 states and the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Palau, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

@SecElaineChao: Good news for America’s airports! Announcing today $1.2 billion in federal funds to 405 airports in 50 states and 6 territories. These dollars will improve our nation’s airport infrastructure and enhance safety. Congratulations! A complete listing of grants (PDF) and an interactive map of airports receiving funding is available on the FAA's website. The total includes over $1 billion from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and $152 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grants to equal a 100 percent federal share.