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.