promoearn: Joe Biden to address sexual assault accusation for the first time

Friday, May 1

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally at Renaissance High School in Detroit, Monday, March 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) ORG XMIT: MIPS112

Friday's Daily Briefing: Biden to address sexual assault allegation

Joe Biden to address sexual assault accusation on "Morning Joe," President Trump to visit Camp David, and more news you need to know Friday.

Happy Friday and happy first day of May, Daily Briefing readers!

May brings us holidays including Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day and Memorial Day which will probably look a little different this year thanks to coronavirus. Normal is still a long way off, so as you gear up for another weekend and possibly another month spent mostly indoors here are some new shows to binge-watch, tips for playing tennis under social distancing guidelines, and a guide to finding "inner piece" with jigsaw puzzles.

Today, Joe Biden will address the sexual assault accusation against him, President Donald Trump will visit Camp David and workers at some of the nation's biggest companies will go on strike.

It's N'dea, and here's the news you need to know as you start your weekend.

P.S. On today's 5 Things podcast, Senior Investigative Reporter Pat Beall discusses her and Lulu Ramadan's big investigation into slashes to health funding in Florida. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts.

Trump to visit Camp David after spending month at White House

President Donald Trump will travel to Camp David on Friday, his first time leaving the White House in over a month, according to Bloomberg News. Trump's trip to the Maryland resort, announced in the president's schedule, comes as he prepares to resume travel as part of his strategy to reopen the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. The deadline to lift social distancing guidelines designed to contain the outbreak quietly passed Thursday as the White House has begun pushing a new set of suggestions designed to jumpstart a decimated U.S. economy. Trump also plans to travel to Phoenix next week and visit a Honeywell aerospace facility that is expanding its production of much-needed N95 respirator masks.

•	Haircut? Sure. Flying? Maybe not: As states reopen, Americans more comfortable with small steps, survey shows
•	Executive order: Trump orders meat and poultry processing plants to stay open during coronavirus
•	More than half of states are making moves to reopen: See the list

More of today's top news on COVID-19

As many states move toward reopening after a horrific April that saw nearly 60,000 deaths because of the coronavirus, the White House released a three-phase plan on reopening the U.S. economy.

Layoffs amount to 1 in 6 American workers and encompass more people than the entire population of Texas. Some economists say the U.S. unemployment rate for April may be as high as 20% – a figure not seen since the Depression of the 1930s, when joblessness peaked at 25%.

Want daily coronavirus updates? Sign up for the Coronavirus Watch newsletter here.

•	Coronavirus live updates: Trump to leave White House for first time in a month; Los Angeles vendors rally on May 1
•	No sex, please, we're in a pandemic: Who can be intimate, who shouldn't while in coronavirus quarantine
•	Don't get TOO much exercise during your coronavirus quarantine. Here's why
•	Antibody tests were supposed to help guide US reopening plans. They've brought more confusion than clarity
•	Protesters, some carrying rifles, crowd into Michigan Capitol to urge an end to state of emergency
•	Sister of NYC doctor who died by suicide: COVID 'altered her brain'
•	Amid coronavirus layoffs, high school seniors are too uncertain to commit to a college

Joe Biden to address sexual assault accusation on 'Morning Joe'

A former staffer to former Vice President Joe Biden, Tara Reade, claims Biden assaulted her in 1993 when she worked for him as an aide. Biden's campaign has denied the assault took place and encouraged the press to investigate. The candidate himself is scheduled to address it directly for the first time on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Friday. While some have called on the presumptive Democratic nominee to drop out of the first presidential race since the rise of the #MeToo movement, Biden has seen support from many leading Democratic voices . Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Senators Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gillibrand are some of the party's big names who have publicly supported and praised Biden in recent days.

•	What we know: Ex-staffer Tara Reade says Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993
•	New account: Biden accuser spoke to neighbor about alleged assault, report says
•	'A person of great integrity': Pelosi defends Biden over assault allegation

Workers to protest conditions at Amazon, Instacart and other retailers

Workers at some of the nation's biggest companies have announced they will strike Friday , International Workers Day, to protest working conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic. Employees at Amazon, Instacart, Shipt, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target and FedEx say they're striking due to their employers' "continuing failure to provide adequate protection in the workplace." Amazon, where at least one warehouse worker has died from COVID-19 and several others have been infected, has seen several walkouts and protests. The company says it has spent more than $800 million this year on COVID‑19 safety measures such as masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves at its warehouses.

Need a break from coronavirus news?

Here's what else people are talking about:

•	Anderson Cooper proudly announces the birth of his son Wyatt: 'I am a dad. I have a son'
•	MLB expects to use home ballparks for spring training if plans to play season proceed
•	This costume-crafting Kentucky woman's outfit is a social media sensation
•	Gigi Hadid confirms she's expecting her first child with Zayn Malik: 'We're very excited'
•	'If you catch one, kill it': Mississippi fights back against invasive northern snakehead

California to close beaches, state parks amid coronavirus

Starting Friday, California will close all its beaches and state parks in a move aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Gavin Newsom's order follows a weekend in which some 80,000 people flocked to Newport Beach in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, with additional thousands gathering at open beaches in Ventura County, north of L.A. Health officials have warned that mingling in large groups could bring the potential for more infection and the government should tread gingerly when easing restrictions, so as not to ignite another surge in coronavirus cases.

•	In California: Politicians call for targeted testing of underserved, high-risk groups
•	'We don't have the fear of the virus': Rural America gears up to reopen businesses

American Airlines flight attendants will be required to wear face masks

As travelers begin to return to the country's airports, they'll notice the changes meant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Starting Friday, masks will be mandatory for American Airlines' flight attendants . At that time, the airline will also begin distributing masks, sanitizing gel and disinfectant wipes to passengers. Lawmakers and union leaders have urged airlines to require passengers and crew members to wear face masks. Earlier this week, Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, asked the Federal Aviation Administration to require them for both groups.

•	'The new flying etiquette': JetBlue becomes first US airline to make flyers wear face masks
•	The new normal? Delta, American, United join airlines requiring passengers to wear face masks
•	Coronavirus travel upside: More airlines banish the dreaded middle seat

In better news: 'Parks and Rec' brings us laughter and relief

Spoiler alert! The following contains details from "A Parks and Recreation Special."

The cast of NBC's 2009-15 sitcom "Parks and Recreation" virtually reunited (as their characters) Thursday for a special to raise money for Feeding America amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to our TV critic Kelly Lawler, it was everything fans of the sweet, hopeful and hilarious series could have hoped for in this time of great need. The special captured the essence of the series and the mood of the current crisis perfectly, as the actors easily slipped back into old characters and offered each other (and viewers) support during tough times.

The episode ends with a rousing rendition of Chris Pratt's character Andy's timeless Lil Sebastian tribute song "5,000 Candles in the Wind" which brought Lawler to tears.