Trump news: President doubles down on support of controversial drug as Fauci sits out coronavirus briefing amid tensions with White House

Trump hints at dramatic rescue of American woman held and tortured abroad

At yesterday's press briefing on the coronavirus epidemic, Trump described in oblique terms a military operation that rescued an unidentified American woman from an unnamed country where she was being treated “horribly”.

Andrew Naughtie picks up the story.

White supremacists planned to use coronavirus as bioweapon

Federal law enforcement has warned that white supremacist terrorists had considered weaponising coronavirus through saliva-filled spray bottles and contaminating non-white neighbourhoods with the virus, according to intelligence briefings.

A brief from the Federal Protective Service written last month reported that white supremacists on the encrypted messaging app Telegram discussing spending "as much time as possible in public places with their 'enemies'" to transmit the virus.

They also plotted targeting law enforcement by leaving "saliva on door handles" and elevator buttons at government offices.

A brief obtained by Yahoo! News reports that "violent extremists continue to make bioterrorism a popular topic among themselves" and that "white racially motivated violent extremists" had expressed that it was their "obligation" to spread the virus should any of them be infected.

Alex Woodward has more on this alarming story.

Trump administration axed China disease expert role months before outbreak

Oh perfect.

The US government eliminated a key American public health position in Beijing, intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China, several months before the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic began.

Ivanka Trump praises Walmart as 'shining example of American Greatness'

Of the deluge of retweets we saw from the president earlier - Tom Fitton, Don Jr, James Woods, Ronna McDaniel etc - this is comfortably the most galling.

Ivanka tested negative for the virus yesterday, you'll be relieved to hear, however an unnamed Secret Service agent was less fortunate and is now in quarantine.

Dionne Warwick says Trump was 'a very nice gentleman' while filming The Celebrity Apprentice

Ready for some rare (and admittedly rather random) non-corona Trump news?

Adam White is your man.

New York City hospitals only have enough medical supplies to get through 'this week', warns mayor

Bill de Blasio was back on TV this morning again appealing for federal intervention to ease the city through the coronavirus crisis as the number of cases nationally sits at 35,000 cases with 471 dead, the third-highest number of cases in the world.

“In our public hospitals, our 11 public hospitals right now, this week, I can only guarantee you right now, John, that we can get through this week with the equipment and supplies we have. That's the blunt reality," de Blasio told CNN's John Berman.

"If we don't get some relief quickly, and I can count, John, I literally want to see hundreds of ventilators, I want to see first hundreds of thousands and millions of masks, if that doesn't come in starting this week, we will get to a point where people can't be saved who could have been saved."

Chuck Schumer faces critical test as US economic stimulus hangs in balance

Whether or not the US economy sinks into a coronavirus-triggered recession comes down to Trump and Chuck Schumer, the Senate's top Democrat who suddenly finds himself as the most powerful man in Washington, says John T Bennett.

Whether or not  Schumer can strike a deal with the president, the man who mocks him as "Cryin' Chuck," and treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, a former Democrat, will decide the fate of a trillion dollar economic stimulus package that as late as Saturday evening appeared on track for quick passage in both chambers before Trump signed it into law.

Schumer has more of a reputation as a political fighter than a bipartisan dealmaker, making the precarious moment an opportunity for the New York Democrat to score a major legacy victory.

Amy Klobuchar's husband tests positive for coronavirus

The Minnesota senator and former presidential candidate says her partner, a law professor named John Bessler, fell ill while in Washington. 

"We just got the test results at 7am this morning. While I cannot see him and he is of course cut off from all visitors, our daughter Abigail and I are constantly calling and texting and emailing," she wrote in a Medium post announcing the news. 

"We love him very much and pray for his recovery. He is exhausted and sick but a very strong and resilient person."

Richard Hall has the latest.

Trump 'itching' to end social distancing, say aides

As this Hillary Clinton tweet from 2016 resurfaces to haunt us...

...the president is reportedly desperate to end social distancing after that 15-day period calling it into effect comes to an end in a week's time, CNN reports.

Trump has made no secret of the fact that the robust health of the US economy will be integral to his 2020 re-election campaign and the trade-off between hindering it by shutting everything down and safeguarding the public from the coronavirus remains the subject of heated debate behind-closed-doors at the White House, according to the network's sources.

Many of Trump's medical advisers - like surgeon general Dr Jermome Adams - have said they do not believe 15 days is long enough to stem the influence of the virus while Dr Anthony Fauci remains a key contrarian voice against the president's pro-business instincts in private and has even been willing to challenge him publicly at the podium. 

New York coronavirus cases passes 20,000 and deaths up to 157 

“In absolute terms, New York has by far the greatest need in the nation,” says New York governor Andrew Cuomo as he announces 20,875 positive cases and 157 dead.

It had 1,000 cases just 10 days ago.

There is some good news, however. "We're doing more testing than anyone," Cuomo says.

Trump's only interest in New York appears to be bashing its premier newspaper: