Political News

President Bush on pandemic preparedness in 2005
White House debate continues over an unproven drug
Birx avoids sick grandchild, fears infecting Trump
Before White House, Trump called NIH 'terrible'
Navy secretary sorry for calling captain 'stupid'
Trump and Biden have 'wonderful, warm' phone call
Comfort crewmember tests positive for coronavirus
WI election forges on as COVID-19 freezes nation
Trump has yet to wear mask in public

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Birx avoids treating her grandchild with high fever, cites fear of infecting Trump

"You can't take that kind of risk with the leaders of the country," Birx said.
34 minutes ago
White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx speaks while flanked by President Donald Trump following a meeting of his coronavirus task force in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, April 6, 2020.

Birx avoids grandchild with high fever to protect Trump, Pence

Dr. Birx said she did not see her sick granddaughter due to social distancing protocol.
1 hour ago
VIDEO: Birx avoids grandchild with high fever to protect Trump, Pence

The Note: Wisconsin votes amid confusion and worse

Primary day arrives in Wisconsin on Tuesday amid utter chaos.
April 7, 2020, 10:01 AM
A man leaves the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building after not being able to cast his ballot at the already closed drop-off site in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 6, 2020.

Wisconsin election forges on as coronavirus keeps nation at standstill

Wisconsin stands as an outlier as more than a dozen states postpone contests.
April 7, 2020, 9:57 AM
Hudson, Wis., city clerk Becky Eggen displays some of the health alert and social distancing signs Monday, April 6, 2020, that were to be used in Tuesday's election, postponed by the governor Monday afternoon. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Monday moved to postpone the state's presidential primary for two months because of the coronavirus pandemic, prompting a court challenge and adding to confusion about whether voters will be able to head to the polls on Tuesday.

Georgia Congressman, civil rights icon John Lewis endorses Joe Biden

"We need Joe Biden now, more than ever before," Lewis said.
April 7, 2020, 9:55 AM
In this March 17, 2009, file photo, Congressman John Lewis is photographed in his offices in the Canon House office building in Washington, D.C.

Military 3D-printing face shields, reusable N95 masks to address hospital shortages

The efforts will increase critical equipment as hospitals combat the coronavirus
April 7, 2020, 8:11 AM
Staff Sgt. Jonathan Bahr, 312th Training Squadron Special Instruments Training course instructor, prepares a 3D printed face shield at the Louis F Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, March 31, 2020.

Calls to US helpline jump 891%, as White House is warned of mental health crisis

Some federal officials worry the U.S. isn't prepared to meet nation's needs.
April 7, 2020, 8:09 AM

Before the White House, Trump called NIH 'terrible,' questioned vaccines

Trump repeatedly weighed in on Obama's response to the Ebola and H1N1 epidemics.
April 7, 2020, 8:05 AM
President Donald Trump and Response coordinator for White House Coronavirus Task Force Deborah Birx participate during a briefing after a Coronavirus Task Force meeting at the White House on April 5, 2020, in Washington.

Crewmember on Navy hospital ship Comfort tests positive for coronavirus

The news comes the same day the ship was allowed to take COVID-19 patients.
April 7, 2020, 2:53 AM
The USNS hospital ship Comfort is seen docked at Pier 90 on Manhattan's West Side during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City, New York, U.S., April 3, 2020.

Trump and Biden have 'wonderful, warm' phone call

The political adversaries discussed the nation’s coronavirus response.
April 7, 2020, 2:50 AM
President Donald Trump addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, April 6, 2020.

Acting Navy secretary apologizes for calling fired captain 'naive' and 'stupid'

The House Armed Services Committee chairman called for Modly to be removed.
April 7, 2020, 1:41 AM
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly speaks at a Pentagon press briefing, Washington, D.C., April 2, 2020.

Trump 'saddened' that Boris Johnson admitted to hospital

President Trump offered well wishes to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been admitted to an intensive care unit in England after suffering persistent coronavirus symptoms.
April 6, 2020, 11:39 PM
Trump 'saddened' that Boris Johnson admitted to hospital

Coronavirus government response updates: Trump, task force say mitigation is working

Trump and experts have warned parts of the nation to prepare for peak deaths.
April 6, 2020, 11:37 PM
President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, April 6, 2020, in Washington.

‘I appreciate his calling’ says Trump about Biden call

The call, which Trump called "very friendly," marked a rare conversation between the incumbent president and his likely Democratic challenger.
April 6, 2020, 11:36 PM
‘I appreciate his calling’ says Trump about Biden call

Hundreds of US hospitals warn of critical supply shortages in new government report

Trump dismissed the findings saying "it's wrong."
April 6, 2020, 11:16 PM
Healthcare workers wheel the bodies of deceased people outside the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Brooklyn, New York, April 6, 2020.

Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks order by governor to stop in-person voting

Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order Monday, calling off in-person voting.
April 6, 2020, 10:42 PM
In this Feb. 6, 2020 file photo, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers holds a press conference in Madison, Wis.

Trump, other top officials, have yet to don masks in public despite CDC guidelines

He says he'd wear one if he "thought it was important."
April 6, 2020, 9:40 PM
President Donald Trump speaks to the press while Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci speaks during a briefing after a Coronavirus Task Force meeting at the White House on April 5, 2020, in Washington.

Inspector general fired by Trump urges whistleblowers to keep speaking out

Michael Atkinson says he believes his firing was related to his handling of the Ukraine whistleblower complaint.
April 6, 2020, 8:55 PM
Inspector general fired by Trump urges whistleblowers to keep speaking out

Trump adviser Navarro clashes with Fauci on unproven drug to treat COVID-19

Fauci has cautioned that any signs of the drug's promise are purely "anecdotal."
April 6, 2020, 7:59 PM
Economic Advisor Peter Navarro and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, attend a press briefing in the White House after a meeting of the Coronavirus Task Force, in Washington, March 9, 2020.

State Dept. labels white supremacist group terrorists for 1st time ever

The Russian ultra-nationalist group is said to have recruited Americans.
April 6, 2020, 7:07 PM
In this February 28, 2015, file photo, a member of the Russian Imperial Movement, a nationalist group in Russia, walks close to a banner reading "God.Tsar.Nation.We are Russians, God with us" at a training base in Saint-Petersburg.

Pelosi forges ahead with 4th coronavirus relief bill despite naysayers

"Our communities cannot afford to wait, and we must move quickly," Pelosi said.
April 6, 2020, 6:20 PM
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is interviewed about the government response to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic in the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, April 1, 2020, in Washington.

Biden campaign offers to help state, local officials with coronavirus response

Campaign wants to “connect those offering help with those in need of it.”
April 6, 2020, 5:17 PM
Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden addresses the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus, during a campaign event in Sumter, South Carolina, Feb. 28, 2020.

New York rate of death ‘effectively flat for 2 days’: Cuomo

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the total number of hospitalizations, ICU admissions and daily intubations are down, which “suggests a possible flattening of the curve.”
April 6, 2020, 5:15 PM
VIDEO: New York rate of death ‘effectively flat for 2 days’: Cuomo

Ousted intelligence watchdog speaks out after firing by Trump

Michael Atkinson defended his handling of the Ukraine whistleblower complaint.
April 6, 2020, 3:49 PM
Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community, arrives at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., Oct. 4, 2019.

Some states turn to election security funds to fight COVID-19

The states include political battlegrounds of Pennsylvania and Ohio.
April 6, 2020, 2:30 PM
A person is brought into the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing, April 3, 2020, in Gallatin, Tenn. Multiple people tested positive for the coronavirus at the facility the previous week.

The Note: Wisconsin primary offers warnings about November realities

Barring last-minute action, voters will cast ballots in person on Tuesday.
April 6, 2020, 9:57 AM
Voters come to drop their ballots with face masks, April 4, 2020, at the Washington Park Library in Milwaukee.

Wisconsin mayors seek to scrap in-person voting in last-ditch effort

Ten mayors are urging Wisconsin Department of Health to stop in-person voting.
April 5, 2020, 8:21 PM
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers speaks to the media following a shooting at the Molson Coors Brewing Co. campus, Feb. 26, 2020, in Milwaukee.

Pentagon announces new face mask guidance

Defense Secretary Mark Esper previewed the new guidance on ABC's "This Week."
April 5, 2020, 7:33 PM
Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House, on April 1, 2020, in Washington.

'We need help': Inmates describe prison system unprepared for coronavirus

Experts discuss the threats coronavirus outbreaks in prison pose for the country
April 5, 2020, 7:07 PM
The Metropolitan Detention Center stands in the New York, Jan. 8, 2017.

Biden says 2020 convention may be 'virtual,' will wear mask amid COVID-19 outbreak

The convention was delayed to August.
April 5, 2020, 5:11 PM
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden celebrates with his supporters after declaring victory at an election-night rally at the University of South Carolina Volleyball Center, on Feb. 29, 2020, in Columbia, South Carolina.

'This Week' Transcript 4-5-20: Joe Biden, Secretary Mark Esper

This is a rush transcript of "This Week" airing Sunday, April 5.
April 5, 2020, 1:51 PM
Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden pose for selfies with supporters during the Iowa State Fair, August 08, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Bush in 2005: 'If we wait for a pandemic to appear, it will be too late to prepare'

A book about the 1918 flu pandemic spurred the government to action.
April 5, 2020, 8:08 AM
President George W. Bush walks towards microphones to speak to the press, Dec. 22, 2005 at the White House.

Trump discusses opening the country as coronavirus peak approaches

The president would consider a task force focused on the country's economy.
April 4, 2020, 10:27 PM
President Donald Trump speaks at the daily coronavirus task force briefing in the press briefing room at the White House, in Washington, April 4, 2020.

'You are not alone': Chaplains provide emotional support to COVID-19 patients

Hospitals across the U.S. are classifying chaplains as "critical" employees.
April 4, 2020, 1:05 PM
Joe McHenry holds a rosary while helping direct traffic at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church during drive thru confessions in the church parking lot, March 20, 2020 in Bowie, Md.

Experts warn about big dollar fraud in $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package

Former watchdog warns one program could be "be defrauded in massive ways."
April 4, 2020, 8:00 AM
A Wall St. street sign is framed by U.S. flags flying outside the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Jan. 3, 2020.

Biden, Trump campaigns haven't called for Wisconsin primary postponement

One official says state hyper-partisanship is dictating "decision-making."
April 4, 2020, 1:33 AM
From left Katherine Katsekes, and Diane Scott, both paid volunteers, help sort absentee ballots by ward to be opened on election day at Brookfield City Hall, Tuesday, March 31, 2020.

White House says $100B will be used to reimburse hospitals to treat uninsured

Trump is leaning on an Obamacare plan he campaigned against.
April 4, 2020, 1:04 AM
President Donald Trump pauses as he speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, April 2, 2020, in Washington.

Trump resists a nationwide stay-at-home order. Fauci says 'I don't understand why'

Trump said he wants to give governors ‘flexibility’ in responding to COVID-19.
April 3, 2020, 11:51 PM
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House, March 30, 2020, in Washington, as President Donald Trump listens.

After Kushner says 'it's our stockpile,' HHS website changed to echo his comments

It's the latest salvo in rising tensions between Trump and the states.
April 3, 2020, 11:50 PM
Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on April 2, 2020, in Washington.

Banks scramble to make small business loan applications available

Small business owners waiting for loans say they can't hold out much longer.
April 3, 2020, 11:42 PM
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin speaks with reporters about economic impacts of the coronavirus outside the White House, Sunday, March 29, 2020, in Washington.

Coronavirus government response updates: Trump says CDC advises Americans wear masks

He said it would be voluntary and that he wouldn't wear one himself.
April 3, 2020, 10:42 PM
President Donald Trump addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing as Health and Humand Services Secretary Alex Azar listens at the White House in Washington, April 3, 2020.

Justice Ginsburg continues 'essential' Supreme Court workouts during COVID-19 threat

Ginsburg is using a "limited private space" for a fitness routine with trainer.
April 3, 2020, 10:08 PM
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg attends an event, Feb. 19, 2020 in Washington.

Coronavirus stimulus triggers fight over paid leave

The vast majority of small business could exempt themselves from the leave law.
April 3, 2020, 10:04 PM
Donald Trump, flanked by US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (L), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (C) and Vice President Mike Pence (R), signs the CARES act, a $2 trillion rescue package to provide economic relief amid the coronavirus outbreak, at the Oval Office of the White House on March 27, 2020.

Supreme Court scraps April calendar, delays major cases amid pandemic

The justices extended an already historic delay in hearings and decisions.
April 3, 2020, 9:01 PM
People walk outside the Supreme Court in Washington, March 16, 2020.

Trump denies 'massive recession' even as 6.6 million Americans file for unemployment

Kudlow said he was caught off guard by the speed and its impact of the virus.
April 3, 2020, 8:19 PM
President Donald J. Trump speaks with members of the coronavirus task force during a briefing in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, April 2, 2020 in Washington, DC.

This isolation system is how the Air Force will transfer coronavirus patients

The Transport Isolation System was first implemented after the Ebola outbreak.
April 3, 2020, 7:41 PM
Members of the 43rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron from Pope Army Air Field, N.C., and 375th AES from Scott Air Force Base, Ill. carry a simulated Ebola patient onto a C-17 Globemaster III during a Transport Isolation System training exercise at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., October 23, 2019.

Biden offers advice for families amid COVID-19 in new virtual campaign effort

A new town hall is the campaign’s latest virtual effort in the digital 2020 race
April 3, 2020, 7:00 PM
Former Vice President Joe Biden, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, speaks during a virtual press briefing on a laptop computer in this arranged photograph in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., on Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

New York sees highest single-day increase in deaths, hospitalizations

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has asked New York companies to transition to manufacturing PPE for hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 3, 2020, 6:49 PM
VIDEO: New York sees highest single-day increase in deaths, hospitalizations

Indian Country faces higher risks, lack of resources in COVID-19 fight

Experts worry about the pandemic's impact on Native American communities.
April 3, 2020, 6:06 PM
Members of a Arizona National Guard unit load up a Black Hawk helicopter to deliver medical supplies to the remote Navajo Nation town of Kayenta due to the coronavirus, March 31, 2020, in Phoenix.

Sailors on aircraft carrier give their fired captain a rousing sendoff

Capt. Brett Crozier advocated for stronger measures to protect his crew.
April 3, 2020, 4:29 PM
The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) receives fuel from the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Tippecanoe at sea, March 17, 2020.
A man leaves the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building after not being able to cast his ballot at the already closed drop-off site in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 6, 2020.
A man leaves the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building after not being able to cast his ballot at the already closed drop-off site in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 6, 2020.
The Note: Wisconsin votes amid confusion and worse
Apr 07
Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images