Monday, Oct. 12

á           Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United StatesÕ top infectious diseases expert, criticized President Donald Trump for skewing FauciÕs words in a campaign ad to make them sound as if he supported TrumpÕs pandemic response. ÒThe comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials,Ó Fauci said.

á           Trump traveled to Florida to host his first campaign rally since it was announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus. TrumpÕs doctor Sean Conley said he tested negative for multiple days in a row leading up to the rally.

á           The four-day Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for TrumpÕs Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett began. During these hearings, Barrett declined to give her views on Roe v. Wade, voter intimidation or climate change, all hot issues that may come to the Supreme Court.

Tuesday, Oct. 13

á           Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi issued a statement accusing the U.S. of Òstirring up confrontationÓ in the Asian Pacific with its plan to form an Indo-Pacific alliance to counter ChinaÕs influence in the region.

á           The State Department demanded Turkey rescind its Òcalculated provocationÓ by returning an energy research ship it sent into waters contested with Greece.

á           An FBI agent disclosed information on a thwarted domestic terror plot to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer. The six men involved had been arrested and charged the week prior.

á           Trump apparently reversed course on coronavirus relief stimulus talks by pushing lawmakers on Twitter to go Òbig,Ó while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate would vote on a scaled-down coronavirus economic relief bill the following week.

á           The Supreme Court stopped the census from continuing through the end of October by putting on hold a lower court ruling that ordered the population count to continue until Oct. 31. Only Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented.

á           The Justice Department accused Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former aide of First Lady Melania Trump, of breaking her nondisclosure agreement by releasing a book that unflatteringly portrays her former friendship with the first lady without government review. The DOJ asked a court to set aside profits from the book in a government trust.

á           Officials told Congress that the Trump administration plans to sell more drones and a missile system to Taiwan, furthering tensions with China.

á           The White House tapped Josh Hodges, previously the Agency for International DevelopmentÕs senior deputy assistant administrator for Latin America, as the National Security CouncilÕs new senior director for the western hemisphere.

Wednesday, Oct. 14

á           The White House announced that two Americans were freed from captivity in Yemen in an apparent swap for more than 200 supporters of the countryÕs Houthi rebels, who control most of Yemen.

á           The State Department formally warned international financial institutions that they would face sanctions if they continued to conduct business with people perceived as responsible for ChinaÕs crackdown on protests in Hong Kong.

á           Melania Trump revealed Barron Trump, her and the presidentÕs 14-year-old son, also tested positive for COVID-19 but showed no symptoms and has since tested negative.

á           The United States appointed Robert Destro, a senior human rights official, as special coordinator for Tibetan issues, a post which has been vacant since the start of TrumpÕs term in 2017. China said Destro could ÒdestabilizeÓ Tibet.

Thursday, Oct. 15

á           China criticized the U.S. for undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait by sailing the Navy destroyer USS Barry through its waters.

á           Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said a coronavirus relief stimulus deal is unlikely before the Nov. 3 election.

á           A staffer for Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris tested positive for coronavirus. Harris had no contact with the staffer but postponed in-person campaign events as a precaution.

á           The Senate Judiciary Committee set Oct. 22 as the date to vote on BarrettÕs nomination to the Supreme Court.

á           Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden held dueling town halls on different networks.

Friday, Oct. 16

á           The Trump administration reported that the U.S. federal budget hit an all-time high deficit of $3.1 trillion for the budget year ending Sept. 30, over double the previous record, three times the size of last yearÕs deficit and $2 trillion higher than the administration had estimated in February.

á           The Trump administration first rejected then, in a sudden reversal, approved CaliforniaÕs request for federal disaster relief funds to clean up and recover from the recent wildfires, some of which were the largest and most destructive in California history.

Saturday, Oct. 17

á           No news to report.

Sunday, Oct. 18

á           Chinese officials told the Trump administration that security officers could start detaining American citizens abroad in China if the Justice Department proceeds with the prosecutions of at least five arrested Chinese scholars in the U.S. who did not disclose they had affiliations with the Chinese military.