President Trump on Thursday railed against “partisan investigations” and “witch hunts” amid the coronavirus pandemic after Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) established a special House committee to examine the federal response to the pandemic.
As countries struggle to contain the new coronavirus outbreak, a global fight has emerged over dwindling medical supplies. The tensions even led to growing competition for medical goods between the United States and its traditional European allies. Take Germany. The local government in the German state and capital, Berlin, claims that 200,000 U.S.-made protective masks bound for Germany never arrived. Authorities say the shipment was ‘confiscated’ in Bangkok, Thailand.
After the US recorded 1000 coronavirus deaths in one day on Wednesday, it is expected the federal government will shortly advise Americans to cover their mouths and noses when outdoors. Advice on wearing masks has been the subject of ongoing debate among the US coronavirus taskforce, as some worry face-coverings may give a false sense of security and cause the public to ignore social-distancing and hand-washing instructions.
Saudi Arabia and Russia signaled on Thursday they were ready to cooperate to help stabilize the oil market after calls with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the slump in prices triggered by the end of a deal to curb output and a collapse in demand.
On the same day the federal government announced more than 6.6 million Americans filed unemployment claims, President Donald Trump said a program to help businesses continue to pay workers launches Friday.
The US is well on track to build 400-450 miles of wall along its south-western border by the end of the calendar year, said Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf at a news conference with President Trump Wednesday.
The world’s largest investment bank and financial services company warns of a “deep global recession” due to the new coronavirus pandemic. New York-based Morgan Stanley says worldwide economic growth could slow by as much as 0.9 percent this year. “[The virus] COVID-19 is at once a human tragedy and unparalleled synchronous shock, affecting both the demand and supply sides of the global economy,” writes Morgan Stanley chief economist Chetan Ahya in a note.
President Trump warned that Iran and its allies are planning to attack American troops “and/or assets” in Iraq.
U.S. manufacturing activity contracted less than expected in March, but disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic pushed new orders received by factories to an 11-year low, reinforcing economists’ views that the economy was in recession.
With roughly half the world in lockdown and many politicians weak or ill, the largest Dutch daily concludes in a headline: “World searching for LEADER.” De Telegraaf (The Telegraph) also expresses that “Nobody takes the lead in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.” Its commentator, Frank van Vliet, complained: “While the world is on fire, international politicians are running in one direction to put out their fire. No leader has taken the lead, and solidarity is lacking. They did not read author Alexander Dumas’ Three Musketeers because “one for all and all for one” has been replaced by “own people first.”
President Trump pushed Congress to adopt ‘very big and bold’ infrastructure investments in future legislation to combat the coronavirus.
The Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General has found errors in an audit of the FBI’s compliance with factual accuracy review procedures for 29 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act applications.
The Trump administration on Monday renewed several waivers on U.S. sanctions against Iran, allowing Russian, European and Chinese companies to continue to work on Iran’s civilian nuclear facilities without drawing American penalties.
The recently established United States Space Force has launched its first national security space mission. Amidst precautions pertaining to the coronavirus pandemic, a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying a Lockheed Martin Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-6) satellite took off from Cape Canaveral on 26 March.
A company heralded by President Trump in the fight against the coronavirus says it plans to start mass-producing rapid COVID-19 tests this week.
The world’s biggest hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, arrives in New York on Monday to support medical workers fighting the new coronavirus pandemic.
President Donald Trump signed a $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill Friday just hours after it passed in the House, making law out of a package that will send billions of dollars directly to Americans and provide hundreds of billions more for businesses, health care systems and others impacted by the pandemic that has crippled the economy.
Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva is donating to US hospitals over 6 million doses of hydroxychloroquine sulfate, a medicine that may cure patients of COVID-19. Already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating malaria, lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, the drug raised hopes after a study in France found it had killed the virus in 26 patients.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence joined over 700 pastors on a conference call Friday to pray for strength and stamina amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Iran’s theocratic regime could crumble under the pressure of the coronavirus outbreak that has spread through elite ranks and the broader population alike, according to the European Union’s top diplomat.