Why Trump's slump is likely to last all year  —  The president is losing ground in polls, faces a worsening economy, and is watching Democrats unify behind Joe Biden ahead of schedule.  —  President Trump is in an increasingly precarious position for reelection as he struggles to maintain focus …

Trump's ugly new blame-shifting scam spotlights his own failures  —  President Trump is spinning his new decision to suspend funding to the World Health Organization as an act of decisive leadership — one that showcases his devotion to effective crisis management, to gathering good empirical information …

Furious Crowd Gathers At Michigan Capitol To Protest ‘Stay Home’ Order  —  Lineup of cars extends for miles outside of Lansing  —  (WWJ) Large and raucous crowds showed up in Michigan's capital Wednesday for what organizers are calling “Operation Gridlock.”

Trump Wanted a Radio Show, but He Didn't Want to Compete With Limbaugh  —  President Trump said he envisioned a show running two hours a day, according to White House officials, and would do it were it not for the risk of encroaching on Rush Limbaugh, the conservative host.

Stacey Abrams On Voting Rights, COVID-19, And Being Vice President  —  “I would be an excellent running mate.”  —  Experienced politicians know there is a right way to answer questions about pursuing higher office.  Be demure.  Redirect.  Convey vague interest while insisting never to have given it serious consideration.

Trumpists Urging People to Leave Their Homes to Own the Libs  —  There is a growing resistance on the right that threatens to add additional stress to a political system already nearing the breaking point.  —  A protest movement is taking hold targeting states that have extended social-distancing rules …

China didn't warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days  —  In the six days after top Chinese officials secretly determined they likely were facing a pandemic from a new coronavirus, the city of Wuhan at the epicenter of the disease hosted a mass banquet for tens of thousands of people …

CNN accused of ‘literally publishing Chinese propaganda’  —  CNN is under fire for allegedly publishing “Chinese propaganda” in a report that cites a media outlet controlled by the Chinese government.  —  On Monday, CNN.com ran an article about China People's Liberation Army (PLA) …

Big restaurant chains get small business aid, sparking backlash  —  Major U.S. restaurant chains are starting to secure government-backed loans that Congress created to protect small businesses during the pandemic, fueling concerns that big corporations will siphon away rapidly dwindling funds.

In unprecedented move, Treasury orders Trump's name printed on stimulus checks  —  The Treasury Department has ordered President Trump's name be printed on stimulus checks the Internal Revenue Service is rushing to send to tens of millions of Americans, a process that is expected to slow …

Kentucky just made it harder to vote during a pandemic  —  Wisconsin-style tactics come to Kentucky.  —  Kentucky's heavily Republican legislature voted Tuesday to require voters to show a government-issued photo ID, overriding Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto in the process.

Trump told testing is key to reopening during business panel call  —  The call, one of a series with various sectors on Wednesday, was the first task force teleconference aimed at devising a strategy for reopening the country.  The call lasted for about an hour and had dozens of participants …

Top Israeli prof claims simple stats show virus plays itself out after 70 days  —  Isaac Ben-Israel, who is not a medical expert, says analysis worldwide shows new cases peaking after about 40 days, slams economic closures; leading doctor dismisses his claims

The pandemic is giving people vivid, unusual dreams.  Here's why.  —  The pandemic is giving people vivid, unusual dreams.  Here's why.  —  Researchers explain why withdrawal from our usual environments—due to social distancing—has left dreamers with a dearth of “inspiration.”

As U.S. discouraged mask use for public, White House team raced to secure face coverings from Taiwan for senior staff  —  In mid-March, a National Security Council team rushed to fix what they saw as a threat to the U.S. government's ability to function amid the advancing pandemic …

Business Leaders Urge Trump to Dramatically Increase Coronavirus Testing  —  During first call to discuss reopening country, executives tell president more testing is needed to convince public to return to work

Pentagon barred from discussing Trump in JEDI contract probe  —  The Pentagon's inspector general “could not definitively determine” whether the White House influenced the procurement process for a major cloud computing contract because senior Defense Department officials were barred …

Which elder-care facilities have COVID-19?  Florida won't say, filling families with dread  —  A devoted grandson learns his grandmother died alone last weekend.  The family was never told she had fallen ill. A fragile mother is moved from her room so the senior home can expand its “quarantine wing.”

False Prophet  —  On February 28, Donald Trump stood before a crowd of supporters in South Carolina and told them to pay no attention to the growing warnings of a coronavirus outbreak in America.  The press was “in hysteria mode,” the president said.  The Democrats were playing politics.

Possible Chinese Nuclear Testing Stirs U.S. Concern  —  Beijing might secretly be conducting small nuclear tests at its Lop Nur site, report says  —  China might be secretly conducting nuclear tests with very low explosive power despite Beijing's assertions that it is strictly adhering …

Baseball?  Coachella?  Handshakes?  Tinder?  Anthony Fauci on the New Rules of Living With Coronavirus  —  Dr. Anthony Fauci wasn't at Donald Trump's side for his daily coronavirus task force briefing on Tuesday.  But Fauci's aggressive and unpredictable media tour continued on Snapchat …

Conservatives ask Congress to protect industries from coronavirus lawsuits  —  More than 20 conservative groups have signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) asking Congress to take measures to protect companies from frivolous coronavirus lawsuits.

The Heartbreaking Last Texts of a Hospital Worker on the Front Lines  —  Madhvi Aya worked long hours in the emergency room of a hospital in Brooklyn that was battered by the coronavirus.  Then she caught the virus herself.  —  Lying in a hospital bed last month, Madhvi Aya understood what was happening to her.