October 2, 2020
President Trump tests positive for COVID-19 and is taken to Walter Reed Medical Center, where he begins remdesivir therapy and receives an experimental antibody cocktail from Regeneron. The diagnosis throws the presidential election into chaos 32 days before voting concludes. Multiple White House officials and advisors test positive in the following hours, including Kellyanne Conway, campaign manager Bill Stepien, and Senators Mike Lee and Thom Tillis. The outbreak is traced to the September 26 Rose Garden event for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, where few attendees wore masks and chairs were placed close together. Trump records a video from the White House saying he is “doing very well.”
The Michigan Supreme Court strikes down Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency COVID powers, ruling she exceeded her authority with executive orders issued without legislative approval. The decision is a landmark legal check on executive pandemic powers that were exercised with minimal oversight in many states. Meanwhile, U.S. job growth slows and nearly 4 million Americans are now permanently unemployed, Wall Street Journal reports the COVID economy is carving a deep divide between haves and have-nots, and at least 33 states will ask voters to wear masks at polling stations in November.
What a Positive Test Won’t Change About Trump and the Pandemic
The President’s negligence about the coronavirus is of a piece with who he is—and during Tuesday night’s debate it was easy to wonder just how many forms of harm Trump might be willing to inflict on the country.
New Yorker
Global democracy is in crisis during the coronavirus pandemic, report finds
CNN
Trump not the first president to be infected in a pandemic, Woodrow Wilson was in the same spot a century ago.
“Wilson’s wife was able to conceal his illness by setting up a bubble around him,” one historian said.
NBC
Donald Trump’s positive coronavirus test puts him in the company of Boris Johnson and Jair Bolsonaro
CNN
Azar says HHS reviewing $300M pandemic ad campaign amid scrutiny
Trump's health secretary also refused to address whether the president ordered a slowdown in coronavirus testing.
Politico
Trump Has the Coronavirus. What Risks Does He Face?
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New York Times
Trump campaign says in-person events will be made virtual or postponed
Bill Stepien's memo came less than 12 hours after Trump tweeted that he and the first lady had tested positive for Covid.
Politico
At least 33 states will ask voters to wear masks at polling stations
At least 33 states and Washington, D.C. will urge or require voters to wear masks at polling stations, an ABC News survey found.
ABC
Trump’s diagnosis throws election into chaos, threatens governing crisis
CNN
Michigan Supreme Court strikes down governor’s emergency Covid powers
CNN
Trump treated with experimental antibody cocktail for COVID-19
Reuters
From HIV to Covid-19: Fauci on his 'complicated relationship' with activist Larry Kramer
The iconic AIDS activist was once the public health official's toughest critic, even calling him a 'murderer,' but the two eventually became 'dear friends.'
NBC
Trump, downplaying virus, has mocked wearing masks for months
After months of downplaying the coronavirus and resisting wearing a mask, President Donald Trump wore one as he headed to the hospital Friday afternoon.
ABC
Mask myth debunked: Face coverings don't hurt lung function or cause CO2 buildup
Masks are particularly important for people with underlying breathing problems.
NBC
Germany's Merkel wishes Trump and his wife speedy recovery: spokesman
Reuters
Britain's Northumbria University suffers mass COVID-19 outbreak
Reuters
Madrid regional authorities to lock down city in coming hours, source says
Reuters
Trump says he's 'doing very well' in video posted after leaving for military medical facility
Reuters
Charts of the Week: Coronavirus and swing states; fading American Dream; foreign-born population share
In this edition of Charts of the Week: how the coronavirus and its economic consequences could impact the election in three swing states; the fading American Dream; and the growth slowdown in the foreign-born population share of the United States.
Brookings
Putin sends Trump a telegram to wish him speedy recovery from COVID-19 - agencies cite Kremlin
Reuters
barrett-coronavirus-court-trump/
Washington Post
Flash poll: Majority says Trump wasn’t taking proper coronavirus precautions
The survey was conducted prior to the announcement that Trump would be taken to the hospital.
Politico
Staying At Walter Reed Hospital, Trump Has Started Remdesivir Therapy
The president, who tested positive for the coronavirus, 'has completed his first dose and is resting comfortably,' physician Sean Conley said in a statement.
NPR
Kellyanne Conway tests positive for coronavirus
“My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine,” Conway posted on Twitter.
Politico
Pence has tested negative for coronavirus, spokesperson says
The announcement from the vice president's office comes hours after Trump revealed he had contracted Covid-19.
Politico
Trump experiencing mild Covid-19 symptoms: Why the first week matters
Trump's age and weight have doctors worried the president is at risk for severe complications.
NBC
donald-trump-masks.html
New York Times
Timeline: How Trump Has Downplayed The Coronavirus Pandemic
Here is a sampling of what the president has said and when, including that time he said a 'miracle' might make the pandemic 'disappear.'
NPR
California enacts measures to reduce Covid rates in Latino, Black, Pacific Islander communities
Latinos make up about 40% of the state's population, but about 60% of California's more than 800,000 COVID-19 cases and almost half the nearly 16,000 deaths.
NBC
Trump campaign manager tests positive for Covid-19
Bill Stepien's diagnosis is the latest blow to a reeling reelection effort. He plans to maintain control of the campaign while in quarantine.
Politico
U.S. job growth slows; nearly 4 million Americans permanently unemployed
Reuters
Trump-tests-positive-covid-48-hours-mocking-biden-wearing-mask/
For months, the president recklessly disregarded mask-wearing, and aides and supporters followed his lead. Now there’s an Oval Office outbreak.
The Intercept
Trump Takes 'Precautionary' Treatment After He And First Lady Test Positive For Virus
President Trump is 74, an age that makes him more vulnerable to the virus. The first lady, who's 50, also tested positive.
NPR
Trump Receives Experimental Drugs For COVID-19. Here's What Doctors Are Watching For
Trump has already received an infusion of Regeneron's experimental antibody cocktail. Here's a look at other treatments and tests he's likely to get as doctors monitor his condition in coming days.
NPR