Monday, April 13

· Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee in 2020 presidential election. “Today, I am asking all Americans … to come together in this campaign to support [Biden’s] candidacy, which I endorse, to make certain that we defeat somebody who I believe is the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country,” Sanders said.

· The Census Bureau announced it would ask Congress for a four-month delay in delivering census data after its counting efforts were blocked by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The bureau also announced it would ask to extend its data collection efforts to Oct. 31.

Tuesday, April 14

· Former President Barack Obama released a video endorsing Joe Biden for president. During his address, in which he also praised Sanders for setting a new agenda for the Democratic Party, Obama praised Biden as being “guided by knowledge and experience, honesty and humility, empathy and grace.”

· Dr. Anthony Fauci, top infectious disease expert in the United States, said the country does not yet have the necessary testing and tracing procedures in place to begin reopening the economy. This goes against optimistic projections by President Donald Trump, who has floated the idea of opening some parts of the country as early as May 1.

· Trump announced a national ventilator-sharing program, the goal of which is to most efficiently utilize unused ventilators by sending them to hospitals in coronavirus hot spots.

Wednesday, April 15

· Trump announced a 60-day freeze on U.S. funding to the World Health Organization. The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Fontelles wrote on Twitter there is “no reason justifying this move … at a moment when [WHO’s] efforts are needed more than ever to help contain & mitigate the #coronavirus pandemic.” Top Democrats in Congress pointed out the freeze violates the same federal spending laws as the Ukraine aid freeze which led to Trump’s impeachment by the House.

· The criminal trial regarding violations of campaign finance laws for Lev Parnas, Igor Fruman and two other associates of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani has been postponed until after the November election due to the coronavirus.

· Congress announced it would extend its recess until at least May 4 to practice social distancing and avoid further coronavirus transmission.

· Sixty-six House Democrats and 25 Democratic senators sent letters to Attorney General William Barr urging the White House to cease construction on Trump’s border wall with Mexico.

· The White House selected Trump loyalist Michael Caputo as Health and Human Services assistant secretary of public affairs, the department’s top communications post. White House officials said the move is a means to insert a voice more sympathetic to Trump as compared to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, whom they blame for recent reports critical of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

· Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of the most high-profile female candidates in the 2019-2020 Democratic primary race, endorsed Joe Biden for president. “Joe Biden has spent nearly his entire life in public service,” Warren said. “He knows that a government run with integrity, competence and heart will save lives and save livelihoods.”

Thursday, April 16

· In a call with state governors, Trump unveiled general guidelines for a phased economic reopening while pushing responsibility for shutdowns away from his administration to the state level.

· A White House official announced National Security Council Spokesperson Mike Martin will leave the White House, to be replaced by Eddie Vasquez, a top communications aide for Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Friday, April 17

· Politico reported that Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz spent nearly $200,000 in taxpayer funds to rent an office from a personal friend, campaign donor and legal client, an arrangement explicitly against House rules.

· House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tapped their picks for a federal coronavirus oversight commission. Pelosi selected Rep. Donna Shalala, a former Clinton administration health secretary. McConnell picked Sen. Pat Toomey, former chairman of the Club for Growth, a conservative nonprofit focused on tax cuts.

· Vice President Mike Pence said the U.S. has enough coronavirus testing kits to safely reopen the country despite how most states are vocal about struggling to keep up with the demand. “Our best scientists and health experts assess that today we have a sufficient amount of testing to meet the requirements of a phase one reopening if state governors should choose to do that,” Pence said, referencing the White House’s phased economic reopening plan.

Saturday, April 18

· The New York Times reported that the federal government’s continued mass deportations have forced people sick with COVID-19 to return to their home countries, including dozens of Guatemalan refugees.

Sunday, April 19

· Trump announced he would use the Defense Production Act to compel an as yet unnamed company to produce 20 million more coronavirus testing swabs every month. He repeatedly referred to the swabs as “easy” to procure.