Congress can do to help. In new york, the epicenter of the coronavirus, emergency alerts were sent out to cell phones on friday asking all Health Care Workers to assist facilities in need. So far 82,000 people across the country have volunteered. Mayor bill de blasio says the city needs an additional 45,000 health professionals. Across the country, doctors and nurses are enduring long hours, fearing for their lives and families lives as they take care of us every day. Here is more of what theyre experiencing on the front lines. Weve had tons of patients who have been hypoxic. Earlier we had a patient who had cardiac arrest. Its insane. This is too much. How much longer can we do this . Its very hard to lose a patient that youve been fighting for and we had three heartwrenching discussions with patients families. I said ill try, ill do the best that i can. But i dont know. She was like do you have a child . And i said i do, i have an 8yearold. So shes like, so then you know. And i said i know. She was like you have to help her today. These are the things that we deal with that are really hard. Really hard to deal with. We deal with death more frequently than we would like to admit, but these are hard. Its very, very hard work at the front lines. Its easy to get anxious and depressed out there, but we have to keep in mind the larger purpose. With me now is a physician assistant in rochester new york, a pediatric anesthesiologist and the cofounder of mask a hero, and the president of the National Commission on certification of physician assistants and kate walton is a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at the university of wisconsin hospital in madison. Thank you all so much for taking the time at this critical moment to speak with us. Christopher, i want to talk with you. Working in new york city, tell us what are you seeing day to day as you treat covid19 patients . Were seeing an uptick in the amount of patients, obviously, that are being admitted at the Critical Care unit of our hospital. Obviously were running with the right amount of equipment at the present time. Were still waiting for the surge to happen within the next five to seven days. Don, im sure you are hearing a lot from your members. What are they telling you about their biggest concerns . Pas across the country, 139,000 pas are working really hard to help fill the gap and to take care of a growing number of patients. What im hearing is that theyre working long hours, extra shifts. Theyre worried about their patients and theyre worried about their own safety. Theyre acquiring their personal protective equipment to ensure that theyre safe and that theyre able to provide the best possible care for their patients. And its taking a toll on them. Its very stressful and its different from Everything Else that theyve experienced in the past. This is unique. Dr. Carrs, it is different and unique. You are an anesthesiologist in new york city. You are also a mother. Tell us what your daytoday is looking like and how youre managing to care for yourself and your family. So today one of the roles of the anesthesiologists has been part of the care team that is placing patients on a ventilator and we are at high risk with these procedures because we are facetoface with the virus and we are in direct contact with the droplets as theyre intubating patients. But were also in a situation where were coming together as a team, meeting various doctors and nurses that have been at the bedsides of these patients and were with them at a critical moment where they are really getting sedated to be intubated. So were acting as their family as well. We have providers that are holding their hands, comforting them, and were doing everything we can in these emotional, very difficult moments. But this is what we do and this is we know that were just putting ourselves there for the patients. Kate, obviously were talking about new york a lot because new york is one of the epicenters of this virus. I wonder what it is that youre seeing in wisconsin. And as you look at whats happening in new york, what the lesson is to you. Were still in the buildup here, so we havent quite seen the volume obviously, but were watching closely new york and seattle and things colleagues are going through this. Here its more trying to be prepared, trying to conserve as much ppe as possible and really just watching the patients get higher and higher every day. For good reason, we talk about those who have confirmed cases of the virus. One thing were not hearing as much about is those who have survived. So i want to talk a little bit about those numbers. According to Johns Hopkins university, over 230,000 people worldwide have recovered from covid19 and over 9,000 have covered in the u. S. What have we learned from those who have managed to beat this virus . So we are learning new things every day. This is evolving every day. And as were exploring treatments, were getting small studies from other countries, small studies from the u. S. Were hearing about the potential for plasma donations that was just approved by the fda. So were evolving our treatment every single day. We are hearing from doctors and nurses, staff around the country, of those successes. We are hearing about those patients that are while small at this time, are coming off ventilators, slowly but surely. But we have challenges ahead of us. So we are hearing that were learning things and our care is getting better. Were learning how to ventilate patients better. So as we learn more, were only hoping for more success. Christopher, weve heard a lot from nurses in new york, from nurses across the country about the shortages in protective equipment. Beyond that, how is the morale among Health Care Workers . Well, obviously with the chance that were going to be infected ourselves, it puts us in a bit of a vulnerable situation. Were not able to do what we would like to do normally at a bedside, well have Family Members available to be with the patients typically 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, with covid19 that is impossible just for their own safety. So were in a situation where were dealing with patients that are critically ill that are going to be placed or are on ventilators and unable to interact with their Family Members, which takes the human component, if you will, or the family interaction out of healing from a critical illness. And its very tragic, its very heartbreaking at times knowing that potentially we could be the last people that they are talking to. Absolutely. Were going to talk about that a little bit later in the show, some efforts to ameliorate those concerns. I do want to ask you, dawn, what is your main concern as you watch this all unfolding . My concern is, first of all, for the safety of our providers. Pas are working really hard and they want to give their all. Theyre doing their best, taking care of a volume of patients that is unprecedented. There are seriously ill patients as well. So my concern is, one, for their safety and their wellbeing, their emotional and physical wellbeing, and so for the patients that theyre caring for. Pas work really hard to connect with their patients, and like was just mentioned, part of our practice as pas is to be able to talk to them, explain things to them and the families, and help everyone understand what is going on. And because of the contagion, were concerned and pas are concerned and theyre not able to practice in exactly the same way that they ordinarily would and thats difficult. Its an emotional tool thats very different. Kate, what is the one thing you want people at home to understand about this virus and the way that it is impacting Health Care Workers . First of all, its important that people continue to stay home and continue to stop the spread as much as possible, especially in places like wisconsin where we havent hit the peak yet. Second, that i want everybody to push their legislators and National Administration to provide adequate ppe, to provide care for the people that are taking care of their Family Members, again without family present, unfortunately. Thats the reality here, too. So i want to push legislators for more ppe, paid sick leave and hazard pay for those of us in the hospital, and not just nurses and doctors but people cleaning the rooms and serving the food, everyone who is at risk simply by virtue of their job and people that dont have paid sick time if they do get sick. So we really need better leadership than weve had, frankly, across the country, on getting a reaction to this essentially. Dr. Kars, i have about 30 second left, but i do want to give you an opportunity to talk about mask a hero very quickly. How can folks at home help . Mask a hero is a nationwide initiative to promote donation of ppe to Health Care Providers that are in dire need. So were a nonprofit. You can go to our website, maskahero. Com, and for multiple states, you can come to new york and help donate supplies to the workers that are in need. Thank you. All right, helping the helpers. Thank you all so much. Some call covid19 the great equalizer, but in reality it is hitting certain communities harder than others. Well tell you more. And ill talk to senator Chuck Schumer about news breaking overnight. The president firing the chief watch dog who first alerted congress about his call with ukraine. Well get his reaction right after this. [ one more time by daft punk ] woo [ laughing ] woo play pop music no way dude, play rock music yeah woah no matter what music you like, stream it now on pandora with xfinity. And dont forget to catch trolls world tour. Lets party people one more time President Trump is firing michael adkinson. Adkinson, you may remember, is the man who flagged the whistleblower complaint that eventually led to the president s impeachment. He deemed the complaint an urgent concern, that he was required by law to relay to congress. For more on this development, i would like to bring in Senate Minority leader, Chuck Schumer of new york. Senator shchumer, thank you for your time. The president said it is vital that i have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors general. That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General. Your response . Weve had a great tradition in america that patriots speak truth to power. They tell them the truth and america has been a nation of truth. This president has turned that inside out. When you tell him the truth, he fires you. Whether it is m adkinson or the captain of the Aircraft Carrier a few days ago, colonel vindman and so many others. And let me just say in terms of our intelligence agencies, they dont make movies about them the way they do about our members, the men and women in our armed forces because what they do is secret. They risk their lives and do so much to keep america safe. And to politicize it and just say that somebody who was protecting that agency as adkinson did should be fired because he told the truth, its a dark page in american history. What more do you see congress doing in order to protect those who cooperated with the impeachment hearings . Well, were trying our best. Its the house more than the senate because were in the minority. But i know theyre trying their best to protect them. Lets talk a little bit about covid19, currently ravaging your statement and the need for protective equipment and the National Stockpile. Youre now calling for the president to appoint a senior military officer to oversee the production and distribution of critical equipment. How would that change the process that is currently in place . Well, first the process is not working. Just in the last day ive heard Police Officers cant get masks, nurses and Health Care Workers who cant get the ppe, the protective equipment, hospitals who have said they cant get the ventilators. Our mayor and governor are both doing excellent jobs. They have to spend time on the phone calling private companies and begging for this kind of equipment. So its not working at all, what the administration is doing is not working. There is a very good answer, alysia. Its called the defense production act that was passed by president pruman during the korean war and it allows our military to mobilize the production of needed resources, as well as the supply lines, but also the distribution to send them immediately to where theyre needed, new york would now be at the top of that list. And i am urging the president to invoke the defense production act and put in place a military person who has a highup with real stature, and the military folks know how to do quartermastering. They know command and control. They know logistics. And this person should have the full backing of the president. No politics, just go do your job, general or admiral, and make sure that we produce the materials and get them where theyre needed. And i say this to the people not in new york or new jersey, the epicenters right now. Its going to come to you. And if we dont have this system in place, youre going to find the same shortages of equipment, of tests. I spoke to one of my colleagues in michigan and they said they dont one of the hospitals doesnt have which you need to do the testing. So we need this to happen and happen immediately. The good news i mentioned this to the president a week and a half ago, he said he would do it. At a press conference he backtracked. I talked to him yesterday. People know the outcome of that. Last night i spoke to Vice President pence and chief of staffmark meadows. I spoke to them for a while about how this was so needed to get the supplies we need to fight this awful virus to the places theyre needed and they took it seriously and said they would get back to me. I hope they can convince the president to do this because this is vital. If we dont do it, lives will be lost. The disease will linger longer, our economy will be much worse. Senator, already three relief packages, we know that there is one more focused on health care. What do you say to those who worry that the existing packages did not go far enough, did not do enough . Well, they were a great start. We democrats resisted the republicans and we made we did two watch words, workers first and a martial plan for hospitals, nursing homes, our health care infrastructure, the clinics and the chcs. So its a very good bill. Its 2 trillion. But we never expected it to cover all of the issues needed and as this crisis looks worse and worse, were going to have to do more and think big and bold ways. Anyone who thinks this is the last package, i think, is far is in never, neverland. Were going to get a larger package, a bolder package to follow up on the good work thats with done in covid3. Senator, were going to hear from the Coronavirus Task force at about 3 30 today. What is the number one thing you expect to hear, want to hear from that task force today . Well, the number one need we have in new york are all of these supplies, whether its masks, whether its swabs, whether its ventilators, whether its protective equipment or other things. I hope i would hear from this task force that they recommend to the president to invoke the dpa. Thats the quickest most effective way to do it. Our military knows how to do this. They do it in times of war. This in a very real sense is a time of war. All right, senator schumer, thank you so much for your time. Nice to talk to you. The coronavirus is claiming lives from all walks of life. However, it is taking a far more devastating toll on some minority communities. A propublica analysis points out in michigan where the states population is 14 black, africanamericans made up 35 of cases and 40 of deaths as of friday morning. With me now is rashad robinson, the president of color of change and the political director of the National DomesticWorkers Alliance and executive director of care in action. Thank you both so much for your time. Rashad, i want to start with you. The Washington Post points out that while data about the age and gender of patients is being gathered, there isnt any consistent information about race and ethnicity across the states. What is the importance of something that information, rashad, as we continue to fight this virus . Well, its important to know where were putting resources. How were understanding, to how to fight it. How were looking at preconditions and other things that may exist in some communities or not. But also that we have a record for how these resources actually moved to the communities most needed. As part of actually collecting that data, we need deep Privacy Protections. Right now were watching as big tech and other sort of industries, even the sort of government are trying to use aspects of Data Collection to i think invade various areas of privacy that weve held very dear. So while we need to disaggregate data so we have really information on different races, we also need to have Privacy Protection so on the back end we dont have data that can be used against people when they are applying tore loans tore trying to get a job where we have seen Privacy Protections really hurt communities of color in particular. Jess, new york city is a hot spot. The latest data released by the city finds new york citys most impoverished zip codes have higher instances of diagnosed coronavirus patients. What makes these communities more at risk . I mean, all of this is exposing the racism in our system. Ive heard people say stuff like coronavirus is the great equalizer. But i would argue its actually quite the opposite. Coronavirus is hurting the people that are already hurt and left out by our system, africanamericans and latinos at the Domestic Workers lines who have been serving tens of thousands of work, and weve found over 68 of our folks have lost 100 of their income. Rent was due last week and they didnt know what to do because they had no income this month. Rashad, on friday the bureau of prisons announced that five federal inmates have died from the coro