Monday, Sept. 28

á           President Donald Trump announced the federal government plans to ship 100 million rapid coronavirus tests to states, to be distributed depending on population data, by the end of the year. Health and Human Services testing czar Brett Giroir recommended educators take the tests first to help states reopen schools.

Tuesday, Sept. 29

á           Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden held their first debate, moderated by Chris Wallace. Among many interruptions and personal attacks, Trump deflected when asked to publicly condemn white supremacy and used a phrase as a rallying cry for the far right neo-fascist group the Proud Boys. Biden received praise for using the colloquial Arabic term Òinshallah,Ó or ÒGod willing,Ó when wondering out loud if Trump would ever release his tax returns.

Wednesday, Sept. 30

á           Just hours before the deadline, Trump sent a notice to Congress cutting the U.S.Õs record-low refugee admissions down from 18,000 to 15,000 for the 2021 fiscal year.

á           Bloomberg reported that TrumpÕs senior aide Hope Hicks tested positive for the coronavirus.

á           After analyzing 38 million articles about the pandemic, a Cornell University study determined Trump has been the single largest driver of coronavirus misinformation.

á           The Justice Department announced the U.S. repatriated and charged the last four Americans of the nearly 2,000 people from a variety of countries imprisoned in Syria. The four are accused of supporting ISIS.

Thursday, Oct. 1

á           The U.S. banned imports of palm oil from Malaysian company FGV Holdings due to longstanding allegations from labor and human rights organizations that it uses slave labor.

á           Pete Marocco, a controversial Trump political appointee to the U.S. Agency for International Development, announced he would go on three monthsÕ personal leave following an employee town hall in which staff members exploded in frustration over his leadership at the agency.

á           A judge declined to dismiss a federal lawsuit against TrumpÕs former national security advisor John Bolton. The lawsuit is a Justice Department attempt to seize the $2 million advance and future proceeds from ÒThe Room Where It Happened,Ó BoltonÕs recent memoir about his time in the White House.

á           A tape secretly recorded in 2018 was released of first lady Melania Trump profanely ranting about the expectation that she should care about migrant children, Christmas decorations and critics.

á           A federal judge halted work in a Trump administration policing panel created to deliver Òlaw and orderÓ reform proposals before NovemberÕs presidential election.

Friday, Oct. 2

á           Trump announced he and Melania tested positive for COVID-19. Contradictory reports suggest they could have contracted it 72 hours beforehand or more. Positive diagnoses among staff members, donors and supporters have followed including Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, former aide Kellyanne Conway, New Jersey governor Chris Christie and Sens. Mike Lee, Ron Johnson and Thom Tillis, as well as at least three reporters on the White House beat two White House housekeeping staff. TrumpÕs team did not inform Biden, who he had debated earlier in the week.

á           Trump checked into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment.

á           Vice President Mike Pence tested negative for the coronavirus according to a spokesperson.

á           The White House released a letter from TrumpÕs doctor disclosing that the president received a dose of an experimental antibody cocktail in addition to several other drugs. Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Trump had Òmild symptomsÓ like a low fever, nasal congestion and a cough.

á           An internal review determined sexual harassment in the State Department goes underreported, most likely because of the agencyÕs failure to appropriately respond to and handle complaints.

á           The New York Times reported on a coronavirus outbreak at a secret service training facility in Maryland that took place in August and infected at least 11 employees.

á           The House Intelligence Committee revealed officers from the Department of Homeland Security considered extracting data from cellphones seized from protesters in Portland, Oregon, which could have violated privacy laws.

á           Trump said his words were misinterpreted at TuesdayÕs debate and that he does in fact denounce Òall white supremacists.Ó

Saturday, Oct. 3

á           TrumpÕs medical team said Trump was doing well at Walter Reed and left open contradictory information on when exactly Trump was first diagnosed. His primary physician Dr. Sean Conley confessed he had misled the public on TrumpÕs treatment plan, then did so again when he dodged answering whether Trump had been put onto oxygen. It was revealed a day later than he had been.

á           Following a COVID-19 outbreak in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the chamber of Congress would not meet as planned the following week.

Sunday, Oct. 4

á           Trump risked spreading the coronavirus to his staff and supporters in a drive-by photo-op outside Walter Reed.