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TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Donald Trump says he will extend the federal government’s social distancing guidelines until at least the end of April, as total U.S. cases top 140,000. He still might let thousands die for a stock market bump, but not for another month at least.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden is facing a sexual assault allegation by a former Senate Staffer, and reporting by the Intercept finds that sex-crime justice organization Times Up refused to take on the victim’s case, citing Biden’s presidential run and its own nonprofit status.

And lastly, gig workers at Instacart are planning a nationwide strike today, pressuring the company to give them hazard pay for the risks they’re taking during the epidemic and provide free safety equipment like gloves, masks and sanitizer.

THESE ARE THE STORIES YOU NEED TO KNOW:

We can all expect to stay inside for at least another month, as Donald Trump says the federal government's social distance guidelines will remain in place until at least April 30.

In reality, we should all be prepared to self-isolate for a lot longer than that, as nearly every scientist with an actual brain says that restrictions are extremely important for the foreseeable future until the virus’s spread is slowed.

But in Trump-world, April 30 is at least an improvement on the alternative: ditching the federal restrictions by Easter and risking hundreds of thousands of lives if cases of the disease spike.

Over the weekend, the U.S. topped 140,000 confirmed cases of the virus this far, with 2,469 deaths. During a wave of TV appearances, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the highest-ranking infectious disease expert in the country, predicted that the U.S. could see 200,000 deaths before the epidemic is controlled.

There is some good news, however: The Times reports that early data out of Seattle, the first epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, shows that the social restrictions and harsh containment methods may be working.

In Washington, Congress is reportedly mulling a second potential aid bill, just in case the corporations out there are going hungry with only $500 billion in slush money to much on. Maybe there’ll be more for actual Americans in this one.

And it’s very likely that even after Trump relaxes national restrictions, cities and states will continue shelter-in-place or social-distancing orders, so those of us in major metropolitan areas probably won’t be getting things back to normal anytime soon.

Joe Biden faces a sexual assault accusation, but his accuser is having trouble getting her voice heard.

A woman named Tara Reade claims that in 1993, when she was working as a Senate aide, Biden held her against a wall and penetrated her with his fingers.

Reade has mentioned the incident in the past, first to a local news outlet in California, but gave what she says is a fuller account of her experience to the podcast host Katie Halper.

According to new reporting by the Intercept, Reade has been trying to make her allegations heard for quite some time.

In January, she contacted representatives at Times Up, the nonprofit organization which has advocated for and provided legal defense funding for prominent sexual assault victims like Harvey Weinstein’s accusers.

Reade was seeking extra help because of backlash she faced after the local news story, when critics attempted to discredit her based on social media posts she made that were complimentary toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, all of which made her reluctant to share any more of her story.

Times Up, however, turned her down. The Intercept reports that the organization decided not to take the case as it could have meant risking the 501(c)(3) status of their parent organization, the National Women’s Law Center.

Biden’s status as a presidential candidate could mean that Times Up backing Reade’s case could be ruled as electioneering.

Workers on the front lines of the coronavirus epidemic -- specifically, the ones delivering much of our food -- are fighting back against their corporate bosses. Today, a nationwide group of contract workers at Instacart plan to walk out on the job, refusing to make deliveries for the grocery shopping app until the company provides them with a $5 hazard pay fee for each delivery that goes directly to the driver, as well as free safety gear like hand sanitizer, gloves, and masks.

They’re also fighting for paid sick leave benefits, a vital contingency for people whose livelihoods do not allow them to self-isolate.

Instacart worker and strike organizer Vanessa Bain noted as well that Instacart’s full time employees -- the techies working in San Francisco and the company’s 16 other offices around the country -- get sick leave, life insurance, and many other benefits.

The gig workers get nothing, and it’s putting them at risk.

Baid told Vice quote: "We deserve and demand better. Without [us], Instacart will grind to a halt.” endquote.

The company’s current policy allows workers to take two weeks paid sick leave -- but only if they actually test positive for the virus. Considering the U.S. still has a massive shortage of tests, this doesn’t seem like a particularly efficient plan.

So if you were planning to order groceries from Instacart today, know that you’re crossing a picket line, even if you don’t see it from the comfort of your home.

AND NOW FOR SOME QUICKER QUICKIES:

Two major health insurance providers, Cigna and Humana, have agreed to shield their patients from out-of-pocket costs if they require treatment for COVID-19, most likely attempting to score some good PR while they charge life-threatening amounts for every other shred of non-corona coverage they provide.

Charles Koch’s pro-corporation political advocacy group really, really wants businesses to open back up. That’s funny, because the Intercept reports that the group also lobbied for a $1 billion cut to the CDC in 2018. It’s almost like they don’t have Americans’ best interests at heart!

Two more Congressmen have tested positive for coronavirus -- Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham of South Carolina and Republican Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, bringing the total to 4 Representatives and 1 Senator who are confirmed to have the disease.

The coronavirus infection rate in New York City’s Riker’s Island jail is 77 times higher than the rest of the U.S., on average, according to new numbers released by the Legal Aid Society. That makes even the lowest-level crimes in the city a potential death sentence, and it’s certainly not the only prison where this will play out.

HOSTS - Sam Seder & Lucie Steiner

WRITER - Jack Crosbie

PRODUCER - Dorsey Shaw

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Brendan Finn