1 Trump Comments On Possibility Of Reopening Country
President Trump is expressing hope about the “reopening” the United States. While he’s cautious, Trump said at his daily briefing that it would be safe to reopen the country when it is on the "downside of that slope." Trump also noted it could be done in phases, meaning areas less affected by coronavirus could “open” sooner than others. And while officials are saying that there are glimmers of hope, Trump thinks the U.S. is "ahead of schedule" in slowing the spread of the illness. Still, just about everyone is clear that maintaining social distancing is important to achieve the opening Trump seeks. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is denying to a new ABC News report, which claims that U.S. intelligence officials were warning about a contagion sweeping through China's Wuhan region as early as November. ABC News says two officials confirm that the intelligence report raised alarms because an out-of-control disease would pose a serious threat to U.S. forces in Asia. They also said the report was briefed "multiple times" to the Pentagon and the White House.
2 Sanders Drops Out, Biden Says Sanders Has 'Created A Movement'
The race for the Democratic nomination is officially a one-horse race: as Senator Bernie Sanders is bowing out. That clears the path for former VP Joe Biden to become the party's nominee. Speaking from his home state of Vermont, Sanders thanked supporters and said he's proud that he was able to bypass a "corrupt" campaign finance system to fund his campaign. He stressed that he is suspending his campaign because he does not see a feasible path to the nomination. Still, the lawmaker insisted that he has won the "ideological battle." Of note? Sanders didn’t formally endorse Biden during his speech – though he did call Biden “a very decent man” and promised to work closely with him. Sanders also ran for president in 2016, but lost the nomination to Hillary Clinton.
3 Dr. Birx: Cases In States Are Stabilizing
The White House Coronavirus Task Force is cautiously optimistic – saying that cases are starting to stabilize in various states and metro areas. From New York to New Orleans and the Midwest, Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx says each hotspot is being addressed individually. Birx says previous hotspots are reaching their peak as a result of mitigation efforts – aka social distancing – and thanks to people following CDC guidelines. She added Texas and the Dallas area are still early in their curve. Just because there’s ‘stabilization’ – it doesn’t mean the worst is over. Birx says that now is the time to buckle down. "What's really important is that people don't turn these early signs of hope into releasing from the 30 days to stop the spread — it's really critical," she warned. "If people start going out again and socially interacting, we could see a very acute second wave very early."