Monday, March 30
á
President Donald Trump falsely claimed in a
conference call with state governors that a lack of COVID-19 novel coronavirus
test kits in the country was no longer a problem.
á
The Pentagon ordered United States military
installations across the globe to stop revealing new coronavirus cases among
its staff. Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said it was a matter of
national security to keep the information secret, though the Pentagon publicly
released this information for days prior to the order.
Tuesday, March 31
á
Two civil rights groups sued the federal
government in an attempt to protect asylum seekers from the spreading pandemic
by requesting their release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention
centers if they donÕt pose a threat to public safety.
á
The U.S. offered to ease sanctions on Venezuela
if President Nicol‡s Maduro
relinquishes his power and is replaced by a short-term government led by Juan Guaid—, the social-democratic Popular Will partyÕs nominee
who the National Assembly named acting president in January 2019 to challenge MaduroÕs self-declared victory in the 2018 election.
á
In a press conference with the federal
coronavirus task force, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director
of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, said
while the number of new coronavirus cases are going to go up, ÒWe cannot be
discouraged by that because the mitigation is actually working and will work.Ó
á An inspector general memo was released showing pervasive problems in the Federal Bureau of InvestigationÕs use of wiretap surveillance. According to the New York Times, it Òrevealed a broader pattern of sloppiness by the F.B.I. in seeking permission to use powerful tools to eavesdrop on American soil in national security cases.Ó
á Top government scientists estimated that between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans could die as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Wednesday, April 1
á New York Representative Max Rose became the first member of Congress to deploy with the National Guard to assist his constituencyÕs coronavirus response efforts on the ground.
á The White House decided against reopening the Affordable Care ActÕs online marketplace in a special enrollment period despite widespread layoffs and lack of support for uninsured individuals. People who lost job-based insurance can still enroll, but need to provide proof their coverage was lost.
á Iran called for the U.S. to lift sanctions on humanitarian grounds as it struggles with the coronavirus outbreak, economic hardship and medical equipment shortages. U.S. officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are dismissive of the request, claiming it is actually Òabout cash for the regime leaders.Ó
á
The Department of Health and Human Services
revealed a federal government stockpile of about 2,100 lifesaving medical
devices was not maintained from last summer to January due to a lapsed contract
with the firm responsible for holding them, rendering many of these devices
unusable or unavailable.
á Trump threatened Iran against using proxy forces to attack American troops by suggesting the U.S. would retaliate by taking direct military action against Iranian forces.
á The White House gave enhanced personal security to Fauci, the countryÕs leading expert on infectious diseases, after serious threats against him surfaced due to his outspoken advocacy for physical distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
á The Labor Department exempted businesses of certain sizes from the paid leave requirements created by new coronavirus relief laws. According to the guidance, employers at companies with fewer than 50 workers or more than 500 workers can decline to offer the 12 weeks of legally required paid leave to workers with children at home. More than 75% of American workers are employed by such businesses.
Thursday, April 2
á The Democratic National Committee postponed its presidential convention from mid-July to mid-August due to coronavirus concerns.
á The New York Times reported on a provision in the $2 trillion coronavirus package that allows Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to waive parts of the federal special education law during the pandemic if approved by Congress.
á
The Navy fired Capt. Brett Crozier after a
letter was leaked to the press in which he requested assistance for a
coronavirus outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier he commanded, the Theodore
Roosevelt, upon which 114 sailors tested positive out of about 5,000. On
Friday, sailors cheered as Crozier was escorted off the vessel for putting crew
safety before his career interests.
Friday, April 3
á
The Labor Department reported the longest
stretch of U.S. job creation on record came to a halt in March. Relatedly, the
department reported nearly 10 million people applied for unemployment benefits
in the past two weeks and 701,000 jobs were lost in the first half of March.
á
The White House issued an executive order
directing federal emergency management officials to prevent manufacturing
companies from exporting medical supplies like respirators, masks and gloves
and make them available for domestic use only. The order, which invokes the
Defense Production Act of 1950, was aimed at the manufacturer 3M.
á
The Food and Drug Administration issued an
emergency use authorization for KN95 masks, which are regulated by the Chinese
government and almost identical to N95 masks.
á
At the White HouseÕs daily coronavirus briefing,
Trump announced the Centers for Disease ControlÕs new advice to use non-medical
cloth face coverings as Òan additional voluntary public health measure.Ó He
added he would not follow the advice himself.
á
Attorney General William Barr ordered an
expansion of inmates eligible for early release in a measure to reduce
coronavirus outbreaks at federal prison facilities.
á
Trump fired Michael Atkinson, the intelligence
community inspector general, citing loss of confidence in him. Atkinson
previously played a key role in informing lawmakers about the whistle-blower
complaint on Ukraine that led to last fallÕs impeachment proceedings.
Saturday, April 4
á No news to report.
Sunday, April 5
á The White House announced it would designate the ultranationalist group the Russian Imperial Movement as a terrorist organization, the first white supremacist group to which it has applied the label.
á Trump continued to promote an anti-malarial drug for use against the coronavirus despite scant data and no backing by health experts.
á Government health experts said inconsistent protocols and limited resources across clinics and hospitals might be leading to an undercount in coronavirus deaths.