Three things for April 14
1. White House briefing gets heated
On Monday evening, President Donald Trump defended his initial response to the coronavirus at a White House press briefing.
After introducing Dr. Anthony Fauci, Trump aired a promotional video that applauded his handling of the coronavirus outbreak and bashed the negative media coverage.
“Everything we did was right,” insisted Trump as reporters questioned the timeline of his response. He criticized specific news sources and journalists throughout the meeting.
As governors plan to ease state restrictions to reopen the economy, President Trump made it clear in the briefing that he has the final say.
“When somebody is President of the United States, the authority is total,” said Trump, “That’s the way it’s got to be, and the governors know that.”
2. US Census Bureau to request deadline delay
At the Monday evening press conference, President Donald Trump said he will personally ask for a delay for the 2020 U.S. Census to ensure it is completed safely and accurately.
“During this difficult time we're also working to ensure that the 2020 Census is completed safely and accurately,” said Trump. “We may be asking for an extension because, obviously, they can't be doing very much right now. They wouldn't even be allowed to do it. So the Census, we are going to be asking for a delay, a major delay.”
In a press release, U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham said the bureau will ask for a 120 day extension to deliver final apportionment counts.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau website, “The 2020 Census is underway and the most important thing you can do is respond online, by phone, or by mail when you receive your invitation. Responding now will minimize the need for the Census Bureau to send census takers out into communities to follow up. Please check this page for regular updates.”
3. Sanders endorses Biden for president
Senator Bernie Sanders encouraged his progressive supporters to accept their differences and vote for Joe Biden on Monday at a virtual event.
“I am asking all Americans, I’m asking every Democrat, I’m asking every independent, I’m asking a lot of Republicans, to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy, which I endorse,” said Sanders.
Sanders ended his presidential campaign last Wednesday, pledging to help Biden defeat President Trump in the 2020 election despite the discord between the two in the past.
According to Biden and Sanders, the two have created six task forces to jointly work on improving the Democratic Party’s policy matters. These groups will cover climate change, criminal justice, the economy, education, health care and immigration.
“I think that your endorsement means a great deal,” Biden said. “It means a great deal to me. I think people are going to be surprised that we are apart on some issues but we're awfully close on a whole bunch of others. I'm going to need you — not just to win the campaign, but to govern.”
